1)oEfrints rfeful to pre)Jent caufelefs Fears. --· - ~· 1, That our thoughts of the Infinite poodne[s of God, lhould bear proportion witp pur thoughts Special Truths concerning·his Infinite PorPtr and lfi'Jf.dom.- . J • to he known 2• tJ~at the M"rcy of God !lath pr.ovi~e_d for allmank_ind_ fo fu~ci~nt a Sa~io_or, ~fr.\~ llO finn~r i~~~~e;~!efs fhall pai{h for wanr bf a [ufficJent {ausfa~bon ma~e ~or h,1s ~ms by Chult, nor IS It m~d() thcfl cond1- troubl,s. tion of any "!ans falvation, or pa~don,- that he fat1sh~ fo..r_ hts own fins. . . : . •• Tlm Chri!l hath in his Golpel-Covenant ( whrch IS an ACI: of obl,vron) made, ove~ htmfelf wi~t pardon and falvation) to all rhar will penitently and ~~)i5vingly acc~p~ c~c offer. And that none p<rilh that hear the Gofpcl, but the final ob!linate refufm of Chrilt and life. 4 . That he that fo fn bclicveth the truth of the Gofpe! 1 .as to Conlent _ro the C~venanr of Grace, even that God the Farher be hts Lord apd Rcconcr!e4·Father, and Chrtll htS fmor, and the Holy GhoH his f.mctifier, bath true faving f.aith, and right to the f?leffing o~ .the.Covenant. ,, 5. Thac the day of Gr'lG(: is.fo far totnmenfura~e or·eq4d-~o-our Ld~ uwe, . that wbofoever truly Repentct~ and Confenttlb 1 t? the Covenant of Grace; before h1s death, IS ~ena~nly pardoned, and in a ftatt of life: and that jt js eVery mans duty. fa eo do, that pardon may be theus. 6. Thar Satans temp~ations ate none of our fins , but only our yieldin~ to them. 7 . That the eil"dl:s of natU:ral ficknefs ,or difcalcdne\s, ,is not (in it felt) a fin. , 8. That thofc arc the fmallell fins ( fon11slly ) and lc.ll like to condemn us, which we are moll unwilling of, and are kaf\:'in Love or l.iking of: . . . . 9 . That n~ fin lh•ll co:ndemn~os w~1c:!l we: hatemoref}l<J,n love, and wh1oh we had ratberileaveand be dJiVt'rcd from, than keep: For (hts 1s true Repenrance. ro. Tlmr he is truly faniJ:IIied who had rather be perfeiJ: in Holinefs of heart and life-; in Loving God, and Livi~g by FJi.th, than to have the g~eatefi pleafures,tJches or honours of the world; taking in rhe A.feam alfo by which both are attained. 1 , • Th:lt he who hath this Grace and dtlire, may know thac he is eleCt ; and the making of our CaUing fure by omCunfenthtg to the holy Covenant, is the making of our EleCtion fure. . , 2 • That the fame thi~g which is a great duty to others, may be no duty to one who by bodily diftemper ( as Feavors, Phrenfies, Melancholy) is unable to perform it. , . §. 6. DireiJ:. 2· Tak! heed of worldly caru, and forrows, a~d difconttnli: Set 1101 fo much by earthly tbing1, ar to enable them to difq"itt you: Bttt learn to caft your c:sret on God. ~ou can have lefs peace in an affl iction which cometh by fuch a carnal finful means. Its much more fafe to be difiracted with cares for Heaven than for Earth. 9·7· DireCt:. 3· Meditation i< no duty at aU for a n:el.mcholy per[on, e:mpt {omt_ferv that art ablt to Direl1. 3 , bur a diverting medit.Jtion, wbicbmRjt be of fomethmg /tJrtbefl fro»~ the matte: n_·h~eb t~oubled t~em: Or cxctpt it be jhort meditation!, ~ik.! ej:zculatoty praytrJ.. A fet and fenous medtranon wtll but Confound you, and dilturb you, and d1fabh: you to other duues•. If a ~a~ h~ve a. broken leg, he mufi not go on ir, till its knir, ldl all the body fare the worfe. It JS your Thm~zng faculty, or your Im~gination which is the broken paine~ pa.,rt: and therefore you mull not ufe it, about the things that' t.rou.bJe yoLt. l'<rhaps you'll fay, That this is to be prophane and forget God and your foul and let the tempter have his will. But, I anfwer; No: It is but to forbear (hat which you canner do at pn:fenr, rhat by doingotiJCr thingJ which you cc1n do, you may come again to do this which you now cannot do: It is but to fOrbear artt'mpting that,which will but make you lefs able tQ do all other duties. And aJ the prefent, you may conduct the alfairs of yout foul by holy Reafon•; I perfwade you not from Repenting.or Be/;,. ving 1 but from {et, and long, and deep Nleditati911J) which will bur hurt y.ou. · §· 8. Dire&. 4· Be not too long i1t a1zy fecret dut)' 1 Which you find yo" art Hot able to bear : Pra)•tr Diretl. 4~ it {Cif, when you an: unable, muH bt! ptrf.ormed but as you r;an: Short Confcffions and reque(ls to God, mull ferve inflcad of longt'r fecret prayers, when you are unable to dtJ more. If ficl{,nrfi tniy excufe a man for being!hart, where nature will not hold out, the cafe is the fame here, in rh:e fl~·knefs of che brain and fpirirs. God hath appointed no mean~ w do you hurt. ~- 9· DireCt:. 5· Where Y'" find your felvtJ unable for a [tcm duty, f/rug~le not too hard ,with your Dire/J. S; felver, but go tb.lt p.1ce tb.lt you art able togo quietly. For as every jlrivin){ dorh not enable you, but vex you, and make duty weari[om to you, and difable you more, by increafing your difeafe: Like an Ox chat drawerh unquietly, and a Horfe that chafcch himfdf, that quickly tircrh. Preferve your willingnefs to duty, and avoid that which makes it grievous to you. As to a·fjcktlom~ch, it is not • .,. eating much, but digt'fting wtll rhat tcnQs to health; aud little mufi: be earen, when much cannot be digtfied: .So ic is here m CJ.[c: of your meditations and fecrec prayers. §. 1o. Direct. 6. Be moft in thofo dmy1 wbicJ: yfJu are bejf able to bear: which with moll, is, Pray~r . . ~ wit/; otherr, hearing and good difcourfe. As ~ hck man Whofe Homach is againfi other meats mufi Dztel1. ~ ear of rhat which he can eat ot And God hath provided variety of means that one may do the wo:k, when the bt?tr ;ore wl.nting. Do not mif~nder~and me: In cafes of abfolute ntceffity, 1 fay agam, you mull finve. to do 1t w~atcver come._ of Jt. If you are backward to believe, to Repent, to L ove God and your nezghbour, to ltve [ob,·rly, rzghteoufly andg;dty, to pray at 11U; here you mutt Hrive and not e:x:cllfe it by any backwardnefs; for lt is that which muft ntcds be done, or you ar~ Ion: But a m~n that can!wt re,ldmay be fave~ without his reading, and .a man in prifon or ficknefs may be faved Without htartng the word, and Without the Church-co~mumon of Sainrs: And fo a man difo– hle~ by mei.JncbolyJ may be faved Ly thone! thoui?hts a~d ejaculationS, without fer and ldng med.i– rat\Ons and fc:cret praye:s : And other duues wh1ch he JS able for, will fupply the want of rhc:[e. Even as nature bath provtded two eyes, and two ears, and tWo nofirils, and t\\:0 reins, and lUngs, that when one is llopr or faulty, the other may fupply its wants for a time: So is it here. ~· 11. DireCI:.7.
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