DireBions >or y•ottn<r C!Jriflians. ~ J' . \_o ·r cerely, let no remaining wants deprive rou of the ccmJOrt of that fo great a Mercy, as prc.ves you tight to life ctdrnal : )n your tccking further for mpre knowledge and cbedicnce, let your care b~ 'ruch as teud_crh to your_protirting_, and furthering Y?U t0 ):our end, aud_a<; doth not _hinder you't jo; and thanks tor what you have rccc:tvcd: But thlr wh!C~ deltroyeth your JOY an~ rhanktulmfs:,and doth but perpleX: you,_ and_not furt~~r you m ·)'Our way, ts but hurtful fcrup~lollty,_ and tci be laid by, '\Vhen you arc ughr 1n the ma:n, tl~n~ God f?r dur, and be further _foilctcous {o far as to he!p rOu on, but not to hinder you. it you fcna your ierva_nr on your mcffage, you had rather he went on his way as well as he can, thanf!"!ld {cr~p/i;tg every Jlep whether he 01ould fet the right or left foot forward? and whether he Jhould Jiep (o far or fo tar at a time, &c. Hindcri1tg JCruplu pleate noc God. 1 , 4· By fettirg ?· 9· 4· An01her way tq cohfound you in .your Rtligion is, by fLtting you upon overdoingby in.. ~~~ 0~,;ve;~r vemions~f your own; \vhm a poor foul is moft de~i~ous to _pleafc <?od, the Devil will be RtligiMtf, own ~m--t',~iand fer hun upon fomc fuch task of Voluntary hitmzlzty or 1Yz0-r'Porflup, as the Apoflle fpeaks ot, c-1. ors. t 2. 18,2o, 21,22, 23. or_fft him upon fomecnfi1aring uz;mccdf.uy Vows orRdOlurions, orfomePo~ pifh \vorks of conceited fupererogation, which is that ,which Solomon callcth, being righte;,tlf over– mucb, Ecclef. 7· rC. 1hus man¥ have made duti~s to themfelvcs, which God never made for them; and taken that for tin, which God never forbad rhein; The Popifh Religion i<; very much made up, offuch Cqmmandmcnrs of their own, and Traditions of men. As if Chrill had not made us work enough, mm are forward to make much more for rhemfdve'i. And feme that Chould teach them the Laws of Chrifl, do think rhat thei~ ·office is in va.in 1 unlefs they mayalfo prefcribe them Laws of their Own, and give fhemnew Precepts of Religion. Yea, fome that are the birterefi enemies to the tlriCJ-,obflrvance of the Laws of God, AS if it were a tedious needJdSthing, mull yet needs load us wilh apur.Jancc of unncceffary Precepts of their O".V[l· And rhus Religion is made bOth wearifome and u.ncertain, and a dc9r fct open for men to el)brJ;e it, and increafc the burden at their pleafun.". Ind~HI Pope1y is fitted to delude and quiet t1ecpy confcience~, and ro torment with unceruinries the confcifu~es that are awaked. \ And thue is fomething in the corruPted nature e,( man 1 that indineth him to fome addiciom and volunt:try fervice of his Own inventions, as an offering moll acceptable unro God : Ht:ncl! it is that m.:ony poor Chr:flians do rafhly intangle their confcicnces with V(lrv!, of circumfianccs and thing~ unnccdfary, as to give fo muciJ, to oblCrve fuch d.Jyu or btJttrl, in fajti;tg and pr.lycr, not to do fuch or fuch a thing that in it fdf is lawful, with abundance of fuch thing<;, which pnhaps foml! ch:mgc:: of providence may make accidentally· their duty afterwards ro do: or difabJe them to perform their Vows: And then rhtfe fi1an.s are few::rs on their pcrplc::xcd cc;mfdence::, perhaps as long a.s they \ivr. Yea, fome "'of the Autonomians teach the people, that things Indifferent are the jitte!l m.JttCr of aVow; as to live jingle, topflf]ifs mthiug, to lil·e in folitude, and _fhc like : Indeed all thinf!J lawfi 1 l when they are vowed, muft be performed: But it is Hnfit tcJ be frorvcd if it be not lirft profitable and brJI~ for OlJr klves or othets: and that which is bcjf is not indifftrwt, it being every m:.m duty to choofe what j; h)1. Vows are to bind us to the perforrm.t1ce of that which Grd had bound us to by hi~ Laws before: They are our exprdfion of confmt and nfolution by a felf. obligation ro obey his will: And not ·to make new duties of Religion to our felves, which dfe would never have been our -duz· 10• To tfcape thefe limes, it is nccdfary that you rake heed of corrupting your Religion by burdens and mixtures of your own devifing :~ You are called to Obey God I L3~1, and not to m.:lz.e Law1 for your [elves. You may be fure that h~ L.zn-·1 are jufi and good, but your1 mJy be b1d and foolilh. When you obey bim, you may expect your reward and encouragement from bim: but when )'OU will obey your fdvcs, you muft reward your ftlve~. · Yru tn;;.y tind it wougb for you to kec'p h!s Laws, without dcvifiug more work for your [elves;· or feigning duties which he commanded not, or tins which he forbad nor. Be not ra!h in ma·king Vows ,: Let them reach but unto ncccifuy dudes : And let them have their due exceptions when thty are about alterable things : Or if you are entan– gled ~y thun already, confult with the mofi judicio~s,able, impartial men~ that you m~y come clear· 1/'elfwithout a wound. There is a great deal of JU~gcment, and fincer~ty mceffary. m your Coun– fcJlors, and a great deal of fubrniffion and ftJf.denyalm your fclves, to brmg _you Cakly out of fuch a fnare. Avoid fin what ever you do : for finning is not .the way to your dd1verancr. And for the time to come, be wifcr, and lay no more fnJ.res for your fi:lvcs; and clog not your fdves with your · own inventions; but cheerfully obey what God command{th you, who harh \Vifdom and Authoriry fufficient w make you perfc~Laws. Chrifisyo~e iJ t.2/if.•,and his hHrdm liyJu, ~hrth. I 1. 30. and hU CcmmandmentJ art not grievo111, I John 5· 3· But ifyour mixtures and fi.lt-dcvifed fnares are gri~'ZJo:a to you, blame not God, but your fdvcs that made them. 5· Br ?ver9· 1!. 5· Ana~ her of Satans waycs to make Religion b~rdcnfome and ~r.ic\•ous to you? is by overwhe.mmg wht:lmmg you Wtt~fcar and (orrorr. Partly by perfwadmg you that Rd1g1on confilteth m excefs ~f fears and ror· forrow and ro caufing yoU ro fpcnd your rime in thiving w noublc and grieve your fclves unproh· 10 "" 5 " tably,' as if it were the courfe rnofi: acceptable to God; And panly by taking the advantage ot a timoroul paffionate nature ' and fo making every thought of God, or ferious exerci(e of Religion, eo be a torment to you, by railing fomc overwhelming ftJri. For[e.1r bath torment, I John4• 1_8. In fome freminine, weak and melancholy pcrfon_s, this Temptation hath fo much advantage ia tht: body, that the holiefi. foul can do but little in refitHng it; f9 that thOugh there be in fuch a fincere Love. ro God, his wayes and fervatJCS, yet fear fo playech the 'tyrant in them, that rhey perceive aimofi norhmg dfe. And it ii no wonder if Religion be grievous and unpleafant to fi.1ch as tlu k. ~· 12· But
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=