Dire{/.8. Dire[/.9. Joh. 5"· 40. Luk.xr. 10,. 2~,1J. Diretl.IO· J!elps againft Vejpair. but an infirmity or VCRial fin. But to know from the nature ef tbefiu, which thofe. are, rcquireth a Volume by it felf to direCt you onlr. ~· 19• Direct. 8. Vndcrftand how nwiJ"'J' afaithful Mi,;iftcr of Ch'ift if in fuch ca[e1 of dJ,t•er and difficulty to ke aguide t~ ywrCo1tfcie;rces ; and open your c;~fe truly to t.'!tm a11d plact [o much c:nfidenc~ iJJ thei~· jttdgenunt of )'our (late ttf tb.rir office a11d abi/itie~ and.faithfulneji do require, and fit not up )•Ottr tzmerous dark_.tned perplexed J«dgtments above tbetrs UJ ca[u where tbcy are fiucr to judgr. ·such a Guide is ncceffary both as appoimed by Cbrijt who is the Author of his office, and in regard. of the greatHejS and danger. and difficulty of your cafe. Do you not feel that you are infuflicicnt fer your [elves, and that you have need of help? fure a foul thats tempted to De[pair mJy ea!i!y fed ir. You are very proud or blindly felf conceired if you do not. And you may ealily know that Chriil that appbintcd them their office, r<:quireth that they be both u[td and trnfted in thtir office, as far as Rea[on will allow. And where there is WJ office, yet Ability and f.Jitbfulne[i dcferve and rr:.qt·!)re credit Of themfelves. Why elfe do you trufl Phyficiom and Lanytr! and all artiftcet! in their kverJ.l profef– fiqns ~nd arts as far as they are reputed able and f.:zithfuJ ll know no man is to be believed as jofallib!e as God is ; but man is to be believed Mm .. ~» : And if you w~ll uJ.e and trujt your [pi~itu~lguide bur fo fat as you ufe and truft your Pbyjicim or Lawyer, you will hnd the.. great beneht, If you choofe aright. 9· 20. Direct. 9· Rcnumberwhm y~u havefin;ted haw Jure a~tdjitfficimt and ready a remedy you l 1 avt before yozt, in Jrf.u Cbrijl and tbe Covr:n.:znt ofgrace ; a;td that it i1 God! dejign in the_ "'.JY of hedemptian> not to fave any ma;t ar mnocmt, that none nuy glory, but to Jdvc men tb.Jt were firft m fin and mifery) ancl fetcb them ~~ from the gatfJ of' bcU, that Love and mercy m.Jy be m.zgnificd on every o;ze th.Jt i1 fovtd, audgrace maJ' abomtd more by tbe occafio;t of fins aJoundjng, .Ram. 5· I 5, 20. Not that any lhould con– tinue in fin bec:~ufe Grace bath ubounded: God forbid, Ram. 6. r. But that we m1y magnifie that gnce and mercy which hath abounded above our fins:, and turn the remembrance of our greateft fins eo the admiration of that greac .and wonderful mercy. Topzagnifie mer~ when we fee the greatnefS of our fin, and tO Love much bccaufe mucb Uforgiven, this is to pleafe God, and anfwer the very defign and end of our Redemption: llut to magnijie fin andextenuate mncy) and to fay, My fin is greater than can be forgiven, this is to pleafe the Devil, and to crofs Gods defign in the work of our Redemption. Is your difea{Cfo great that no other can cure it ? It is the fitter for Chrifi to honour his office upon, and God to honour his Love and mercy on. Do but come"to him ~hatyou may have life, and you lln.ll find that no greatnds of tin pall, will caufc him to rCfllfe you, nor no infirmities which you arc wiHingto be rid of, (hall cau{C him to difown you or cafi you our. The Prodigal is not _fo much as upbraided with his fins, but finds himfelf before he is aware, in his Fathers arms, doathed wich the befi Robes, the Ring and Shooes, and joyfully entertained wich a reafl. Remember that there is eno,gb in Chrijt and the promife to pardon and heal all fins which thou art willing to forfake. §. 21. Dire&. 10. 1ak$ bud of being fo blind or pro•d in thy humility, M to tbinb, that thos ca 1 tjt be mo 1 ·e willing to be & flrvant of Chriji, tb.zn_ he i1 to be tlry Saviour, or more willing to havt grace than God i1 to give it thee, or more wiL'i"g to come home to Chrift, th.JJJ he is to recei&e and wellcmu tbu. Either th_ou art willing or unwiUing to have Chrijt and gr:Jce, to be fanCtitied and freed from fin: If thou be ,.iL'i11g Chrifi and his grace !hall .certainly be thine : indeed if thou wouldfi have pardon withOUt Holinifi, this cannot be, nor ii there any promifc cf ir : But if thou woulciR: have Chrifi tobe thy Saviour and King, and his fpirit to be thy fanCtitier, and had!\ rather be perfect in Love and Holincfs than to have all the Rzchu.of the World, then art thou m fincti'Jty that which thou.wou!dll bein perfeCtion : Undcrlland that God accountcth th<e to be what thou truly dt}injf to be. The great work of Grace lyeth in 1he renewing of the wiU : If the n'i/1 be found, the Man is found. I mean not the conquered undfcCl:ual VcUeity of the wicked; that wifh they could be (rce from Pride, fenfualiry, gluttony, drunkennefs, lufi and covetoufncfs, without lofing Jny of their bt;– loved honour, wealth or pleafure; that is, when they think on it as the way tO Hell they like not their fin, but wilh they were nd of it, but when they think ofit as pleafing th<ir fleOtly minds, they love it more, and will not leave ir, becaufe this is the prevailing' thought and will. So Jud.Jf was unwilling to fell his Lord, as it was the betraying of the mnccenr, and the way ro Hell , bur he was . more willing as it was the way tOget his hire. So Hcr(jd was uuwilling to kill John B.1ptijt as it was the murder of a Prophet : but his TPiliingnefi was the greater, as it was the ple«fing of his Dimofel, and the freeing himfelf from a troublcfome reprover. But if thy wjiJi11gne{s to haveChrill: and perfe&: Holinefs be more than thy unwiliingnefs, and more than thy wiL'ingm[; to keep thy fin, and enjoy the honour Wealth and pleafures of the world, than thou hall an undoubted fi&n of up– rightnefs) and that Love to Gract', and ddire after it, which nothing but Grace it fdf doth give. And if thou artthus wiUiHgl it is great wrong to Chrift to doubt of hH wiliingncfl. For, I· HI! is a greater lover of Iiolimfl than thou art ; arid therefore cannot come behind thee, in being WiOing of thy Holine[I. 2. He is more merciful to thee, than thou art i:o thy fdf: His Love and mercy is beyond thy meafi~re. 3· He hath begun to thee and fully Otewed his rrillingmji. firll. He dyed to prepare thee a full retr.edy: He harh drawn up the Covenant : H'! hath therem exprdfed hts own co'h(ent, and intre:ueth thine: He is the tilft in confinting, and is a fuiter to thee. Ne~er finner did yet begin to him in the world. Never any was wifii 11 g of tbe match before him : H1s genera.l offer of mercy, and Covenant tendered to all, cloth !hew his willingnefs before thty can (hew theus by their a"eptance. Never man over-went him in willingnefs aud was· more n;iUing than he. Tak.e · thts
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