Dirc/J·7· Diri/1.8. ·= Dirtil· (. Dirtfl,z, Obje£1. Anfn·. 'DireElions for ,good Coll{erence. live. tog(ther as the heirs of Heaven, and provoke_ one anmhcr to the Love of God,"and holy duty, and dehghtfully talk of the Word of God, and the hfe tncome, what bldlings might you be to one another ? and your ferv1ce and. la~our would be a fanChfied and comforrable life ro you all, Ephe( 4 , 29 1 30. Let no corrPtpt commHntC:JttOJJ proceal out of your mouth, but that which i1 good to tht ufe of edifying,_ a1~dmay mini(fcr grar.e to the hearer!, and grieve not !he b?ly Spirit nf God---& 5 . 3, 4 . But f ormcatron an.i all ,uncleaHncfi.or covtto_u[nefr ( ~~ rather, m~rdmalt ftcfhly de(ire) Jtt it not be once named.amoHg _you, as vec~m_eth Sarntr: nttthe_r fi.lthpufi, nar f~olijh talbJng, nor jeajling, which are nol convtnzcnt; hut r.Jthtr gtvrng of tiJank.f. Ol thts more anon. 9· 7• DinC~. 7· ~ati.ently.bear with the faili~gJ_ of on_e another tuwards your {civet, and hide tbo{t faultt tbe op<ntnK oj n>htch wtll dq no goo4, burjftr up }I rife: But conceal not thofe faultt n'hich will be ~h\rifhcd by concta!mt~lt, _fir whofi ccncc~lrnent ttndeth to the wrong of your Ma(ier, or any uthet. For it ts 10 your power ro forgtvc: a faolt agamH your fclves, but not againt\ God or anoth~r : And ro know whl·n you fhould n veal it, and when not, y9u muft wifely fore.know which way is like to do more good or han~. And if yet you be in doubt, open it tirtt to fame fecret fricnd 1 rhu is wife to advi[e )'OU whether 1t ihould be further opened or not. 9· 8. Direct. 8. If weakJttJt, or jick.,nefs, or want •flli{l • Brothrr, or Sij1er, or fellow-fervant, be l{ind and helpful to them atcord;Hg lo your pnver. Love nol in word only, but in deed and tr1t1b. I John 3• r8. Jam z, · CHAP. XVI. 'DireEliolls for /,oly [onfereuce of FelloJV•{er'Vants, or otl,ers. BEcaufe this is adu~y fo frequently to be performed , and therefore the peace.and edificati– on of Chnfhans 1s very much concerned m 1t , 1 t1u1l ~we a few bnef Dtrectionl abo.ur j(. . 9· I• Direct. J. Labour moft for a fuU and livtly heart ll'hicb hatb the fteling oftbofi tbingt ,..bicbyour ton.(ucs jhouldJitak.. of: for 1· Such a heart will be like a Spring which is alwayes running, and will contiuually jeed th~ llteams: t·orced and feigned things are of Chart continuance: The hypo ... crites affel!hd. forced fpcech~ is exercifcd bur among thofe where it may fcrvc his pride and carnal ends: At other times, and in other con pany, he hath another tongue like other men. It is like a Lar.d·fl.ood that is quickly gone ; or like the bending of a Bow, which rcturncth to its place, as foon as it is loofed. 2· And that which corneth from your JuariJ will be feriouJ and he11rty and likelie{\ to do 10ood to others: for words do their work upon us, not only by jignifying tbe :.amr trhicb i< fiok_en, but alfo by (ignifying the ajfe{lioHt of the fi•aker. And that which will wor~ af– fc/Jions, mu{\ txprcfs affe!lionordinarily. If it come not from the htart of the fieakrr, it is not fa like to go to the he.;rtl of the hetJrtrr. A hearty Preacher, and a hearty fetling difoour[e of holy things, do pierce heart·deep, and do that good , whi<h better compofed words that are heartlefs dti not. ~· 2• Dire: Cl:. 2. Yet for aU that, JThtn JG'*'r hctJrtt are cold, and dNU, and barreH, do nut think.. tbat your tongJttJ mHft lhtrefort neglell their drcty, and be (!lent frotn 40good, tiU your hearts be better : bu1 f orce yoHr tonguet to do their duty, if thty wiU nol do them freely witiJout conjfraint. For, I· Duty is duty whether you be well dilpokd to it or not: · If all tluty !hould ceafe when men are iU difpa[td to it, no wicked man would be bound to any thing that is truly holy. z. And if Htart and 1ong•e lx: both obliged, it is worfc to om~t bo1h than one. 3• And there may be finccrity in a duty, when the heart is cold and dull: 4· And beginning to do your duty as well as you can, is the way to over· come: your dulntfs and untitndS : when you force your-tongUes at fir{\ to fpeak of that whicA. is good, the words which you fpeak or hear, may help to bring you into a better frame: ·Many a man had1 begun to pray with coldncfs, that hath got him heat before he had done : And mmy a man hath gone unwillingly to hear a Sermon, that hath come home: a converted foul. 5• And when you fct your fdves in the way of Duty, you are in the way of promifcd grace. 9· 3• Object. BHt i1 not th~ to pl•y the Hypo~rite, to kt my tongut go before my btart l andJitaJ,. 'the things which mJ 1 heart is Hot affetledwith l .An(rr. If you fpcok falfly and diffemblingly, you play the Hypocrites: But you may fom your felves to fpeak of good, without any faI!hood or hypocri!ic. Words fignifie, as I told you, the mat-. ter fpoken and the fpeakerS mind. Now your (peaking of the things of God doth tell no more at your mind but this, rhat you take them to be true, and that you dcfire thofe that you fpeak to) to regard them: And all this is fo : and therefore there is no hypocrific in ir. Indeed, if .you told the hearers, thar you are dnply ajfeaed with thefe things your felves, when it is not fo, thiS were h)'po· crifie : But a mm may exhort another to be good, without profcffing himfelf to be good: yea, though he confefs himfelf to be b1d. Therefor< all the good difcour!l:s of a wicked mm are not h;p..rifi•: Much
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