f>ireEtions againft Jinful Grief 9· 13. Direct. 7· Look' <JlrPay.r on your Rcmt!dy when you look., o1t your miftrJ', m1dwhen youfind any Diretl. 7 • dangeroUI fin gr jign in )~11, prefintly confider what id your duty in order to yotJr recovery and c[cap_e. It -t.-,• is an ordinary thing with pievi{h dit\empered natures, when rhcy are reproved for any fin, to rehfi the reproof by excufes as long as they can: And when they can refill no l?ngl!r, then t~tey fall into defpair ... ing lamentations, ]f they are ~o bad, what then ilull_rhey d~; and m the ~can t1me never fet them... felves againtl the fin, and caR: 1C olf and return to their obedience, that theu comforts may return: They will do any thing rather than amend. The reafun why God convinccth them of fin is that they may forfa~e it, and they are fooner brought to any thmg than to th1s ; Convmce them of thetr pnde) or malice, ·or wor1dlinefs, or difobeditnce, or flothfulnefs, or paffion, and rhey will (ooner fink in for· row and defpair than they will fer upon a refolved reformation. This is it indeed which the D..-:vil dcfireth ; He can allow you grief and defperation, but not to amend; But is this bell for you.? Or js it plealing to God. Deny not your fin, but fee withal that there is enough in Chrifi for your par· don and deliverance ; He hath appointed you means for your prefc:nt recovery and he is ready ro help you: Ask what is your duty for your cure, and fet upon it without delay. §· r4. Dired. S. Remember your catt{es of J oY. M weU ~ )Oilr carefe of (arrow, that each may have DirelJ, S:. tbtir due, and your joy and {orrow may both be Juztcd tothtrr caufts : To wh~eh end you mnft labour for •he ex 3 iieft acquaintance with your ow11 condition, that poffibly )'OU can attain to: If you are yet ungod· Afr. 8. 8. ly your forrorv mull: be greater than your joy, or elfe it will be irrational joy, and pernirious to your fouls and increalC your after farrow; And you mull: not over·look fo much c.lUfC of comfort as is :afforded yOu in Gods patience, and the offers of a faviour, and of pardon, and grace, and life in him? If you are cruly Godly, you mull: fo mourn for fin, and weJk_:t('ji, and wantJ, and croffts and af.. flid:ions of your felves and others, as neve,: to forget the unvaluable mercies which you have already received, your part in Chrifi and life eternal, your beginnings of grace, and your reconciliation with God, which allow and command you greatly to rejoyce ; And remember rhat no humiliations will cxcufc: you from the ob[ervation and acknowledgement of all thefe mercies. ~·15· DireC\"• .9. ReadoveraUtbecvmmands of Scipture that mal<.e it your Duty, to i'tjO)•Ct in theDirel!.,. Lard, a1zd exceedingly to rejoycc: And mak.! M muc4 confcicnce of them M of other commands of God. The fame God comrriandeth you to Rtjoycc who commandeth you to hear and pray and repent. See Ffa/. 33• I Phi/. 3, I· & 4· 4· Rom. 5• 2· Phi/. 3· 3• I 1hcf. 5· x6. I Pet· I· 6. B. & 4• 13. Heb. 3.6. 2 Cor. 6. IO· Rom. xi. 12· P[al. 32· II• & 132·9, x6. Rom. •4· •7· Pfal. 5· II. 9· r6. Dired:. ro. Befriend not your own txceffive farrows, by t!Ji,:kJ.ng them to be your duty, nor DirelJ. to• {uffrl1 not law{:tl mirth and joy M if it were a fin 1 or a thing unbecoming you. For if you take your fin for your duty, and plead for it, and your duty for your fiw, and plead againft it, you ctre far from the way of amendmenr and recovery. And yet it is common with an ajjli[lt?d, wtal{., impatient Coul, to fall into likjng ( though not in Love) with their inordinate {otrows, and to jullifie them, and •:· think that it is their duty fiill to mourn. If thefc farrows were of God, we fhould be more back· ward to them: And if our comfort were not more pleafing to God, our natures would not be [o bacJtward to them as they are. ?· 17· DireCt. 1I· Love no creature too much, and let it notgrow too fwett and pleafont toyou·= Elf~ Dircl'/. 1 u you are preparing for farrow from tht crt~turt~ Love it le~, an~ you lhal~ [o/ro.t'P lcfs. All your grief 7 . for crofles and lo!fes, in goods, efiate, m chtldren and fnends, 10 reputatiOn, hbcrry, health and life, doth come from your over·loving them. Value them but as they defc::rve, and you may eafily bear the lofs of them. He tbat maketh them his ldol or felicity, will grieve for the wam of them or the lofs of them as a man undone that cannot live without them. But he that hath placed his happinefs and hopes in God,and valueth the world no further than it tendeth to his ultimate end, will no further grieve fOr the want of it, than as he mifft:th it to that end. I Tim. 6. ro. 1he love of money and eo· veting after it, d9th pierce mtn through witb many forrow!. Mark what you find your heart too much fet upon and p\eafed in, or hoping after, and take it off quickly if you love your peace. , 9· 18. Direct. 12. Learn to be pleafed and faliified in tbe wiU of God:. 1rufl your Heaven!J Father Direll. 12 , who l<.nowtth what you need. It IS fame rebellion or croffnefs of our wJUs to the wiUof God, wh1ch • caufeth our inordinate griefs and trouble. Becaufe we cannot bring our wills to his will, nor make ~ our reafon fioop unto his wifdom, nor think well of his providence, unlefi he will fuit it to our con. ceits, and interefts and tufts, therefore fo far as we are carnal we arc ordinarily difpleafed and grieved at his ways. If we might have had our own willsabout our efiates, or names, ot children, or friends, or health, or life, we !hould not have been troubled (at the prefent): But becaufe it is not our way hut Gods way that is taken, nor our will but Gods wiU that is done, thercfl>re We are grieved and dil~ content, as if his way and will were worfe than ours, and God had wanted his fooli!h children to be his coun/fllors, or they could have cbofen better for themfelves! . §. 19. Direct. 13. Aff!ill your felve! no frmher 1han God or man aff!illyou: But remember ifyou thin/( f::.•ll· f 3' that you have too mucb already againft.your will1, how foJlifh and [elf co1ttr.Jditling it it to l.:y a gnat , ~od"~~ct~J:' deal more, willfully upm your felvu. Is it flanders or reproach that men affiu5t you with~ Let it be ~ft: ido!oc pa.. fo: that toucheth noc the heart. Is it poverty cro.ffa or lof!es that God ai'RiCTeth you with ? Let it be tien:ia villc.i· fo: that toucheth not the heart neither ; Is it lofs of children or friends; or is it pain and ficknefs? tur.. MarJ~If. I confefs thcfc are [ore ; but yet they do not t0Uii:h th: heart : If rhcy come thither, ir is your doing; ~~;;b~f. t and (though thither they fhould coine moderately,) tfthey are .immodt;rate it is your ownfinfuldoing. Tr 1 1litiJm 6 1 It is you that grieve; and make the heart ak,!: God and man d1d but make the fiefh ak.f. If others por.cs neadm~·· hurt your bodys willyo~e therefore: vex your minds l Will you pierce through yonr hearts, becaufc they fcru: fin mt· touch your name or goods? lf fo, remember which part of your farrow is of their-making 1 and which d~:~.11e1J.~b~: Z z 2 is
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=