1Jire£tions. What Means be hatb appointed. ~- 3 • 3 • Another me~ns is private pra_yer unto God. WhcnGo~Wo1:J.Id tel~AnaniM that Paul was converted, he faith of h1rn, Behold he prayetb, ACh9• 1 I• Prayer IS the breath of the new creature~ The Spirit ofAdop1ion given toevery child of- God, is a Spirit of prayer, and teacheth them to er] Abb.; Father, and helpCTh thtir infirmitiu, when they '<.now not what to pray aJ they ought, a.nd when words are wanting, it (as it were ) intercedeth for them with groan!, which theycannot exprefs m words, Gal. 4 . 6. Rom. 8. '5? 26, 27. And God l;_nowetb the meaning of the Spirit in thofe groans. The fir~ workjngs ofgract are mDe(lru afrer grace, provokmg the foul tO fervellt prayer, by wh1_ch mc,rf grace IS fpeedily obtained. AJI;_ then, andye jhaU have, foe I;_ and J'e jhoU find, l;_nocl;_ and Jt jhaU be optntd to yJu, Luke I I. 9· ~· 4 . 4 Another means to be u(ed is Confeffion offin, not only to God (for fo every wicked man may do bet:aufe he knoweth that God is already acquainted with it all, and this is no addition to his {ha 1 mc ; He fo littlf rcgardcth the eye of God, that he is more albamed when it is known to men) But in three Cafes Conteffion mufl be made alfo to flt1an. I. In cafe you have wrongedman,and are thus bound to make him fatisfaCl:ion: As ifyou have robbed him,defrauded him,lhndmd him or born fa]~ witnefs againll him. 2. In cafe you are Children or Servant!, that are under the government of Parcnt.l or Majter.r, and are called by them to give an acount of your actions; You are bound then to give a true account. 3.ln cafe you haveneedof the CouH{el or Prayer.r of otberJ for the fttling of your confciences in peace: In this cafe yo:.t mufi fo f<fr open your cafe to them, as is necdfary to their effe... dual help for your recovery. For if they know not the difeafe, they will be unfit to apply the reme.– dy. In thefe cafes it is true, that He tlw covereth hiJ jin1 jhaO Not pro[per: but bt that confejfeth aml forfuk._eth tbcm.'Jhallbave mercy, Prov. 28. 13· §· 5· 5· Anorher !riean.r w be ufed, is the familiar company, and h~ly conver{e with humble, fincere, txpcrienccdChrijlian.r: The Spirit that is in rhein, and breatheth, and atl:eth by rhern, will kindle the like holy flames in you: Away with the company of idle, prating, fenfual men, that can talk ofnothing but their worldly wealth, or bufincfs, or their reputations, or their apperites and Iufi:s ; Affociate your fdves with them that go the way to Heaven, if you rcfolve your felves to go it. 0 what a deal of difference will you tind between thefc two Cons of companions? The one fort, if you have any thoughts of Repentance, would llifle them, and laugh you out of the ufe of your reafon, into their own difiraded mirth and dotage: And if you have any ferious thoughts of your falvarion, or any. inclinations to repent and be wife, they will do much to divert them, and hold you in the power ana fnares of Satan, till it be too late : If you have any zeal or heavenly mindednefs, they will do much ro quench it, and fetch down your minds to earth again. The other fort will fpeak of things of fo great weight and moment, and that with ferioufnefs and reverence, as will tend to raife and quicken your fouls ; and poJfefs you wifh a tafie of rhe heavenly things which they difcourfe of: They will en.. couuge you by their own experiences, and direct you by that truth which bath directed them, and zealoully communicate what they have received: They will pray for you, and teach you how to pray: They will give the exan:lpkof holy, humble, obedient lives ; and. lovingly admor.ilh you of your duties, and reprove your fins. In a word, as ~he carnalmmd cloth favour the t~ings of the flctb, and is enmity agai,n!l God, the company offuch w1ll be a powerful means to infect you with their plague, and make you fuch, 1f you were efcaped from them ; much more to keep you fuch, if you are not efcaped: And as they that are fpiritual, do mind the thin~s of the Spirit, fo their converfe tendeth to make you fpiritually minded as they are. Rom. 8. 7, 8. Though there are Come ufiful qualities ancl gifi.r in fome that are ungodly, a1!d !Ome lamentable faultl in many that are fPiritt~al, yetexperience will/hew you fo great a difference between them in the main, in heart and life, as will rnake you the more eafily to believe the difference that will be between them in the ljfe to come. ~· 6. 6. Anotlier means is feriquJ M<ditation on the life to come, and the way thereto : Which though all cannot manage fo methodically as fome, yet all lhould in fome meafure and feafon be ac• quainted with it. 2l ~· 7· 7· The lafi Meam is, to choofe fome prudent faithful Guide and Counfellor for your foul to 01 b · ., open thofe cafes to which are not tit for all to knoW'; and to refolve and advife you in cafes tha: are conce;':m~';: too hard for you : Not to lead you blindfold after the inrere!t of any feduced or ambitious men, nor fai•btUI Pa– ~p engage you t~ his fingular conceits, againfi: the Scripturt or the Church of God; hue to be _to your ~ho:rsC~n:~:n.; foul, as a Phyfic10n to your ~ody, or a Lawyer to your tfi:ates, to help you. where they are w1fer than on of theun.– you, and where you ~eed then help~. . ~odly, fee a Ref?lve n.ow that m_fiead of your 1dle company and. pafhrne, yo~r exceffive cares and Gnful pJeafures, J.efuite Acoft.r. you will wait on God m the feafonable ufe of thefe hiS own appomted means ; and you will find that 1•. 4· '· 1 • ' he appoin,ted them not in vain, and that you fi1all not Iofe your labour. , f:'11~i{t~"~lfet lli, uz contra bosfatuosprincipesTanaos, contraPUloresfiultos, nl potius idola paftorum, contra feipfos potius pl.fc,ent~~t;~~~i:~: ~Jn~~roph~tas, cont~;a Sacer~otes colltemptores, a:quC' arr~antcs, contra ltercus fole~nira.~m, contra popularis plaufus captatores, con– tr;a mexpleb1les pecumz ~urgttes, ~zmafi.1ue ~Res, _Propbc:tiCLU fe!mo declamat. Vne ahas far.B:i P.atres plenioribus velis feruntur in ~f~~~sfu?::;lu;~ ;da:~~~:~~r~;:~:~~~ ;:1;~ 0 a~!at~.coft:,i~. P· 3 fl· Non eft ific &.ccrdo,, non efi fed imdhts, arrox, dolofus, Direction
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