'Dire8ions again.ft!J3a~kflidillg. §. 'rl. Dadt. 4· When you are awaf«ned to [te the terrihlenefs of· a relapfed ]late, prr[ently re- Dir.CI. 4· turn aNd fly to Chrjft to reconcile yoxr guilty foul.t to God, and m:tk.e a ]lop and go 1frlt o'l:t ftep further 111 your fin, nor malte no delayt.J in rezurnin.g t~ your fidelity.. It is too fad ~.cafe ~o be cOntinued in. If thou .dare(\ delay yet longer, and Wilfully fin agatn, thou art yet unpemtent, and thy heart is hardened, and if the Lord have HOt mercy on thee, to recall thee fpc:edily, thou art ~o{l for ever. . . · ~· 44 . Direll. 5• Mak! hAle away from the occafi?nt of thy fin, and the company ,.htch enfnareth Dm/J. 5• thee in it. If thou knewdl that they were Ro~beu that intended 10 murder thee, thoa wouldft he gone: If thou kncwefi char they had plague fores running on them thou wouldfi be gone: And wilt thou not be gone ;when thou knowel\ that t~ey arc the fervants Of the Devil, that would ~utt:d th~c witr fin, and fheat thee of thy falvadon? Sly not,ls nor this company lawful, and that plt!a{iue lawful? &c. .If it be like w enttfc thy heart to fm, it is tmt..~wf«l to thee, wha!CVCT it is to others: It ls not lawful ro un~oe thy foul. ~· 4 5. . DirtC'c. 6. Come off by fonnd and ~eep repentance, a11d flwm thy [cif hj [re~ co!t[tffion ; Direl1.6. and mince net Jhe .matter, and deat nol gmtly wttb thy fin, •nd be not ttnder of thy jl(/hly tnterift; and Jam. S• 16. skjn , 101 over the fore, but go tothe Pot tom, and deceive nUf thy felf with a [etmi~tg cnre. Many aone N(b.9. 1., 3· is undone, by repenting by the halves, and rcf~finsto take 0Iaft:JC to themfclves_by a~ free ~onfdlion, ~~-t~~~'161j,1 and to engage thtmfelves to~ thJOugh reforrnatJo~Dy an openly profdfed tcfolunon: Favounng them- . (elves and fparing the flefh, when the fore fhould be lanced and fearched to the bottom, doth caufc many to pcrifh while they fuppofed that they had been cured. ~· 4 6. Dire&. 7· Command thy fenfct, and" lea]! fi·rbe~r 1he Olltn>ard afJt of fin, whilt thy CoH- Direll. 7• {cir;zce csnjider£Jh fimber of the m!ltttr. The drunkard cannot fay that he hath n~t .power t? Chut his mouth; Let the forbidden cup alone : No one compellcch you : You can forbear 11 If you Will. The fame 1may fay of other fuch fins of fenfuality. Command thy hand, thy mouth, thy eye; and guard thde entranctsand inf\rumcnts of fin. . · ~· 41 . Dircll. 8. Engage fome faithful friend 10 af!ift thee in thy watch: Opm all thy cafe to fome Dire [I. g, one that is fit to b.; thy.guide or hc1per ; And refolve that whenever rhou art tempted to the fin, tho~ wilt go prcfently and cell them before thou do commit it: And intreat them to deal plainly with · you i and give them power to ufe any adv;~ntages that may be for your good. ~· 48. Dire&. 9· Dnyour firft .worlzt, and [e< your [rivet [irioujly to aU tht duties of a holy life: D're/J 9 And iucorporaJt your [elves iffto the [ociety of the Saints: For holy employment and holy company arc 1 • • very great prefervati vcs again{\ every fin. / 9· 49• Direct: IO• Guprefently to yrntr companionJ in fin, and lament tb&t you have joyned ~ith them, Dirtl1· IO• and earmflly warn and intretJt them 1~ repent, and if they wiUnot, renounce their co11r[e and company, &nd Mat. t6. 11· oeUthem what God bath {hewed)OU of thefin and danger. If really you will returo, as with Peter you have Luk. »-, 6•· fain, fo withPeltr, go out and weep bitter!y, and when yo11 are converted, jlrengtbtnyour brethren, andhdp eo recover thofe rhat you have finned With, luk,_. 22. 32· ~- 5 o. I have fuited moll of thefe Direcrions to thofc that rdapfe into fins of fenfuality, rathtr than • 0 them that fall into Athci[m, Infidelityor Herefie ; becaufe I have fpoken againfi thefe fins already '; ·and the Dire/lions there given !hew the way for the recevny of fuch. Tit. 1. :Direaions for- preventing !J3ackfli4ing: or for Perfever.mce. 'APofiacy and Backfiiding is a fiate that is more eafily prtvtnted than cured : And iherefore l !hall defire thofe that ftand, to ufe thefe following DireClions le£1 they fall. ~· I. Direct. I. Be get/ gr.ounded iu the Nature and R.eafons of :pur Religion : For it is not the high~ Dirdi. r. efi zeal and rcfolution, that will caufe you to perfevere, if your jutlgementt be not fumifhed with fuffici~nt Reafons, to confute gainfayers, and evidence the truth, and tell you why you ihould perfcvcrc. I fpeak that with g.ief a11d fhame which cannot he concealed: The number of Chrillians is fo fmall that are well feen in the Reafons and Methods .of Chrifiianity, and arc able to prwe what they hold to be crue and to confute Oppofm, that it greatly aflliClech me to think, what work the Athcifis ancl Infidels would make, if they once openly play their game, and be turned loofe to do their worll ! If they deride and oppofe the immortaliw of the foulaod the life to come and the truth of the Scripture•, and thework of Redemption and office of Chrifi.. alas, how few are •hie to wirhfiand them, by_ giving any fuilicie~l Reafonof their hope> We have learnt of the Papifis, that he harh theftrongeft fa>th that beheveth With lea]! Rrafon; ar.d we have been (truly) taught that to deny our foundations is the horrid crime of Infidelity: And therefrue becaufe it is fo horrid a crime to deny or qudlion them, we thought we need not fiudy to prove them: And fo moll have taken their Foundation upoo tru(\ (and indeed are fcorce able to bear the tryal of it), and have [pent their dayes about th,e fuperHructure, and in leatning to prove the controverted lcfs ncccff.uy points: lnfomuch that 1 fear there are ~ore tha~ arc able to provethe points which. an Antinom~at~ o~ an Anabaptifi do deny than toprove the tmmortahty of the fo"'1, 01 the trmh of Scnptli1:Cor Chnfhamty; a.nd to difpute about a Ceremony, or form of prayer or Church-government, than m difpute for Chrifi againilan Infidel. So rhat L Ill thei~
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