252 The Life of Fa.iho. Dire(. i8, Take heedofmaking promies to feem' inftead of precepts ;, as ifyou were to do that your felves, rehrcb God bath promifed that be will do. If God promife todeliver h;s Church, or to free any of his fervants from trouble or perfecution, you mull have aprecept totell you what is your own duty, and what means you mutt u4fc, before you melt attempt your own deliverance.What God will do, is one thing; andwhat you mutt do, is another. This hath been the ftrango' delufion of the people. that call them- felves the fifth-Monarchy men in our times ;, who believing that Chrift will letup righteoufnefs, and pull down Tyrants in the earth, have thought that therefore they mutt do it by arms-;. and Co have been drawn into many reb.ltions,. to the. Ccandal of others, and their own ruine. L rcd. 19. Take heed ofrniftaking Prophecies, Jr n Promiffa i , eciatly dark. Prophecies not underffod. Many things areforetcidby God in Prophecies, which are mens fins: Herod; and Pontius Pilate, and the people of the Jews, fulfilled Prophecies in the crucifying of- Chrift': and all the perfccutors andmuderers of the Saints, fulfil Chrifis Pro. phe.cies ; and fo do all that hate us, And fay at' manner of evil fa y againft are for hie fake, Mat. 5. I t, 12. But the Cn. is never the lets for that. It is prophefed that the ten Kings (hall give up their Kingdoms-w the beaff ; that in the (aft dai,sAd come fcofers.walkittg after their ordn lulls ; and in the taft dales fhall beperilous tithes, tic Thcfe arenot Promifes, nor Trecep,s. It hath lamentably ditturbed the Church of Chrift, when ignorant ['elf-conceited Chrifltans, who Ceeënot the difficulty, grow confident that they underhand many Prophecies in Taniel, theRevelations, &c. and thereupon found .their pre- fumption (mifcalled faith) upon their own tniffakfs,. and then form their prayers, their communion, their practice into fuch fchifm, and (edition, and uncharitable wales, as the interclt of their opinions do require (as the Millenaries before men-, done& have done in this generation,.) Dire& 20. Think not that all Gods. Promifes are made to riecrfincerity., and that every true Cbrijfian muff be freed from ell penal hurt, however theybehave themfelves.. For.therc arefurther: helps ofthe Spirit, which arc promifed only
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