·' CHAP. VII. VireEiiom for tl1e dijc-owry of the Tmth a11101~ Conte11ders, a11d the ifcap.i. of He, rejie mul 'Deceit. NHeb:aur s~- ~· l• THough 1rutiJ be naturally the ObJect of mans Undeffianding, to which' it hath a cer- ~aw fummo tun mclinauon, and though it be a dehghtful thmg to know 'he truth ; yet that :~~;1 ~0~c~;m wh~ch is. faving meeteth with fo rnuc_h ?ppofition in the fldh, and tn the world, that JJiosu fenwh1lc tt ts appb.uded m the general, It ~s refified af\d rtje.d-cd m particulars: And tem 11 ref<'!lc- yet_w?ilc the Vfe of holy truth is h~~ed and ob!hn~tely cart: away, th~ name and tHe barrm proftffion re,_ quam 1pfe of tt IS made the matter of the glorymg of hypocqtes, and the occahon of reproaching di1Tentcrs.as ~:fe~ "j~~~~ H_c:r.eticks, and the world is filled with bloody perfcc}-njons, and inhu'Jiane imp1.ac~b1e· enmities and . dtvtfions, by a wonderful zeal for the Namt of Truth~ CV(n by tho.fe men thac w!ll rather venture ~~~~·t.i:Socat. on damnation, than they will obey the Truth whl~h .tl}Cy fo conten<l for: Muldtudis of men have tormented or murdered others. as1Hefcticks, who themfc~vcs mufi be tormented i"tl.Hell, for not being Chriftian~o lt concerneth us therefore to dcd:l "vciy""wifcJy,_ati'a ciu'teloufiy in this Dufinefs. DirdJ. 1 • . ~· 2· Direct. I· ~a~~- had lcjl tb~~~ beya,ny _carna~, 'intereft :or !uft 1~1/ich maketh,_you mrwiUing, 10 receJve tbe tl'11tb, or wclmeth you to crrqr that Jt m•y fir.vc tb.Jt mtcrejl .or lujf. lr IS nb fmallnum. her of ~en that arc firangers or enemies to the truth, not becaufe thCY camtot attain the knowledge of ir, but becaufc they :vould 11ot hav_e ~~to be trmh. ~na men of gr-e.at learning and naturalpart1 are frequently thus dcce1vCd and led mto error by a naughty carnal byalfed hcaJC: Either becaufe that error is the vulgar opinion, and nec'Cffary to maintaiii their Popular 'reputation, and avoid re– proach ; or becaufc it is the way of men in pOwc:r, arid 1 necdfary to t'hdr preferment and great– nefs in the world l or becaufe thc~Truth is contrary to their fle{hly lull's a1~d plea(ur._es, pr contnry Heb. 11 • 14 , to their honour and worldly intercO:';.•and would hazard their reputatimiS ,or their lives. H~ loth :1 Cor. 5. 17 • is a fcnfual ungodly man to belieVe , {,hat without Holint{r nolle fJJilU [et God, and. that he Rom. S. 9,13. tbtlt is in Cbrift is a nt11' creature , and that if any man have 14~,. the Spirit of Chiift , the fame it none of hit , and t!JJt if they live !'fliT the flejh thr,y' jhaU dye ? How loth is the ambitious Miniller_to be~icve that the way of <;:~/i!ls. (frvic~ IXI!t~~ not in world!y pomp, 0 -i: cafe, or pleafures, but m takmg up the Crofs , and followmg <:;hrdl: l.~felf:deoyal, and ...in beino as the fcrvant of all, in the unwearicd pe1jonnanci! of Careful ov<;tfii,lit; and compaffiOnate ex11~rtations unto all rhe flock. Let a conrroverfie l:ie' faifcd abo~t ~ni 6l thefe points , ;md the _!.ni: 1 d of lazy ambitious men doth prcfcntly fall in with that ' parr whicli gtatifiet~ their fldhly lufls, and cx– cufcrh them from that toilfome vNy of duty, which tfiey already ha~e. tfhe. fecrct lufiS and vices of a falfe hypocritical hc;nt, are the comm()nejt and the powerfitUrft :ugumcms ·for error : And fur;h men are glad, that Grrat mtn, or Learned men will give fo much eafc to their confciences, ~nd lhel– ter to their reputations, as to countc?UJ:ce, or make a Cuntroverfic at lca{l of that which their Jufis defire to be uue. · Above all, therefore fee that you come not w enquire after Truth with an u1t~ fanUificd heart, and unmorlifted luftt, which are a byafs to your minds, and make you warp from the 'truth which you enquire after: For if the c:~tnal mind neither M nor cJ;, be fitbjdJ to the Law ofGod, you may eafily perceive ,thar it will be loth to believe it; when in fo doing they believe their own condemnation. An honcfl: fanelificd heart is fittcfl: to entertain rhe truth. DireO. 2 , ~· 3· Direct. 2:. Seek.. after tbetruth for the lwe of truth, and love it l'JPeciaL'y for itJ .ffieclal u[e, ar so:rates d~ E- it formetb the heart and life to 1he Image aud WiU ofGod ; ,md mu for tbe fanciful drli.zht ofJ?..Jtowing; thJc~,. ~ i~ mucb lefs for carnal worldly end1. No means are ufi.d at all as means, where the End is not tirn: Offi~11115>&1• 1 d,tcrmined of. And to do the fame tbi~tg mauriaUy to another end, is not indeed ro do the f.1me: P.J~~lC~hi~~~ Ior thereby its made: another thing. Your Phyficion will come to you if you you feek ro him ~)1;m, ea po- M a Phyficion; but not if you fend eo him to mend your Shoos. So if you fcrk /t..!lorrl~·dg~ ·for the tiusinquireg· trlle end1 of knowledge, ro fill your hearts with the Love ofGod, and guide your liv~s in hulincfs (I~~o~~~~~ur, and rigl~teoufneb, _God is engaged_ to help. you i~1 the fca:c~: But if you !Cc.k it oniy for CV _plce~fe ~~rtterem, & your pnd_e or fanhc, n.o ~om~t:r 1f you mijj of 1t; and H n no. great _matter \vhc:~Kr you fmd it quorum uf~ts or noc, tor any good liS l1ke to do you: Eve!y Truth of God ISappoltltcd robe h1s Infhument, to nobis donu. qo·[Qme holy work upon your heart: Let lhe. Love of Holinefs be it t!uc makcth you fcarch afrrr Trurh) e~:.:t necefh~ and then you may expeCt that God Chould be yout teacher. ~~~·- ~am. §. 4 , DireCt. 3• Sak.. after Tmtb n,•itbout too /!.reat or too [mt~U regard to the jttdgcme;;t of .otbeo: ';yj;:a:3• neither BOnttmn them, 1;or be C:lftivatrd to tb;.m.: Ure the help Of the Wife ; but give not t.lp your Rea£on
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