6oS Of a11 Erring [onfcience: Sacramental 'DireEI:ions. ----------------------- thefe, it is a fin to do ~hem with a doubting confcicnce, but (ordinarily) it is a greater fin to forbear. ~- 44• ?bi~tt. But [ome Divin;1 write, that Canfcicnce. bein~ Go~J Officrr, when it crretb God him· [elf doth bmd me by Jt to follow. tb.tt error, and the cvtl wbzcb tt rcquireth becometh my d:a . Anfw. A dangerous error ten~mg to the fubverfion o~ fo~ls and Ki.ngdoms, and highly dit{onou~ rable r~ God.. God hath made 1t your. Duty to know ht~ wt~ and do .11. And if you ignonmly mi: flake hun, wtll you lay the blame en h1m, and draw hnn mto par[Jctpa.tiou of your Jin whc h fO~bidddh you both the error an~ the fin l And .d?th he at once forbid and ~·ommand the fom~ tbt~g? At t,hat v.;ry .moment God IS fo fir from obhgmg you to follow your trrnr' rhar he mu obllgeth you to hy 1t by, and do the contrary. If you fay You cJmtot: I anfwer, Your imporc is a fiuful it:npotcncy : and you ca~t ufe the means in which his graee can help you : and he :~h ~ot change h~s L1w, nor m1ke yau Kmgo; and Rulers of your felvcs injlead of him, bec:aufe you are •gm~r.mt or zmp1tou? §· 45'· Direct. 7• bt tJJe tinu oftl:e _ad~iniflration,~o alon~ with the Minijltr ~hroughaut the work, ~nd keep yottr bc,lrtJ cl.,fe tJ 7cfoJ Cnn·f, tn the ex.ercifo of aU th{e grace;, wiJtch are Jitited 111 tbe foucr.Jl p.;rts ,f the ad,,zinjjtr.:tion: Think not that all the work mutt be the Mmifiers : It !hou!d be a bufic d1y wirh you, and your hearts lhould b.: taken up with as much diligence, as your b.md; be in your common labvur: But not in a toil{vme we~try ditigwce, but in fuch D.::lightfui bufine:s as bccometh the gud1s of the God of Heaven, at fo fweet a feaft, and in the receiving -of fucb un~ valmble gifts. · 9. 46. Here I fhould difiinctly fhew you, I. What graces they be that you mufl there exer· cife : I I. What there is objtClively prcfented bc:fore you in the Sacrament, to cxercifc alt thefe Graces. I I I. At what fe.;fons in the adminifirarion each of. thcfe inward works ar.! eo be done. 9· 47· 1. The Gracos to be exercifed are thefe ( beGdes that holy fear and rever~nce common to all Worfhip) z, Ahumble (i:nfe of the odiJUfnrji of fin, and of our undmt couditim as in our felves and a difplcafurt againfl our felves, and loathing of our felves, and melring Reptnrance for the fin~ we have committed; as ag1inll our CreJt r, and as againfl the Love and Mercy of a Redeemer, and againft: the holy Spirit of Gca10:e. z, Ahu1tgring and thirfting, de{ire after the Lor~ jr.£us, .and his Grace, and the favour of God and communion with him, which are there rcprLfc:ntcd and oJfertd ro the !Oul. 3· A liv•ty fJith _in our ~edeem~er_, his de~th, refurrcd:ion and inrerceffion ; and .a tr'!fting our mifcrable fouls upon h1m, as our fuili.c1ent Savwur and help : And a hearty Acceptance of him and his benefits upon his olfored terms. 4· A 1oy and gl>dmfi in rhe fenfe of that unfpeakable fncrcy which is here offered us. 5· ATbankf!~l !Jtart towards him from whom we do receive it. 6. A frrvem Lave to him that by fuch Love cloth (eck our Love. 7· A triumphant flopt if life eter– nal, Which is purchafed for us, and kaled to us. 8. A wiUingne[1 and rc~lution ro deny .. our felves, and all this world, and fulfcr for him that huh CU.tfaed for our Redemption. 9· A Love ro our Brethren, our neighbours and our enemies, with a readinefs tn relieve them, and ro forgive them when they do us wrong. IO• And a firm Re[oiHlion for fitture obedience, to our Creator, and Redeem– er, and S"lnCl:ificr, according to our Covenant. §. 48. IT. In the mming of thefc Gmes, I have namod their Objects: which you fl10uld ob· ferve as diOinCfly as you c•n that they may be operative. I· To htlp your HumiliatifJn a11d Rept~tta1:ce, you bring thither a Joaden mtferable foul, to receive a pardon and relief: And you fe~ be-· f.:>te you the f.;cdfictd Son ojG11d, who m1de his foul an otf.~ring for fin, and became a Curfe for us– to fJ.VC us who \VCre accurfcd. 2· To draw our your Defi,er, you ·have the moft exceUem gi{JJ and the moll needful mcrciu prcfentcd to you that rhis world is capJble of: Even the Pardon of tin, the love ofGod, the Spirit ofGrace, and the hopes of Glory, and Chrijl him[elf. with whom all this :is given. 3· To exerci.IC your Faitb you have ChriJl here tirll rtprefentcd as cruci;'i~d b.:.fore your eyes~ and then witAhis bcnetirs, ftctly given you, and offered to your Acceptance, wuh a CommJnd that you refufe him not. 4· To exercifi: your Deligbt and Gladne{s, you have this S.lViour and rh is S<i\va– tion tendered. to you; and all that your fouls Cln well defire fet before you. 5· To exncife your .... . <fh 3 nkfulnrfi, what could do more than fo great a Gifr, fo dearly pOrch&d, fo lu(cly .bled, and fo fr<'ly otf<rcd. 6. To txercife your L.ve tO God m Chnfl, you have the fullcfl m~nif<jfatton of hlf attratiivc Love, even offered to your eyes, and rafie, and heart, that a foul on earth cm n:afonably ex-. pld-; iQ. fuch wonderful condofcenfion, that t~e greatnefs and f\rangenefs o_f it fu_rp:ifferh a narural mans belief. 7· Tu exrrcife your Ilopn of Life Eurn~l, you have the _pnce of H h~re fer befi)~C you ; you have the Gift of it here fealed to you; and you have tha~ SJvtour rcprefente~ ro yol~ m his fuffcring, who is now there reignin~, that you may remember h1m JS cxpdl.mtJ of h1s Glonous Coming to judge the world, and gloritie you with himfdf. 8. To exercife your fei(-dcnpl and re– folution.for futfcring, and contempt of the world and fh.01ly pleafures, you have before you both ~ t1lc grcatell Example and Obli~atimr, that evcr.coul~ be offn.:d to the world; w~en you ft:c and re– ceive a Crucilitd Chritl, thlt [o firangely drnyed lHmfc:lf for you ; and fer fo b~rle by the world and fldh. 9· To cx"'rcife your Love to Brethren, yea, and enemies, you have _Jus CXJmplc before your eyes, that Loved you ro the death when y?zt were enc:nies: A~d yo~1_have h1s holy fervams b~fore your eyes, who are amiable in him through the workmgs of h1s Spmr, and on whom he wilL · have
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