The Life of Faith. Caving of the world about them ! It is the fenfe of Chsifis prayer before his death, John 17.21, 22, 23, 25. that they all maybe one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that the world may believe that thou half fent me --1 in them, and thou in one, that tkey may be made perfeiï in One, and that the world may knowtbat thou half fent me, and haft loved them, as thou haft loved me. Direr. 4. Pe ¡ureat leaff that your holy, loving andblamelefs lives, be an example to thofe that are aboutyou. If you cannot convert Kingdoms, nor get other men to do their duty to- ta;,krds it, be lure that you do your part withinyour reach : And believe that your lives mutt be the bc(t part of your la- bours, and that good works, and love, and good example mutt be the lira part of your doórine. Diref 5. When you fee that the world lyeth (till in wickednefs, and there (cerneth tobe no pofliibility ofa cure, yet fearcb theScripture, and fo far as you can find any Prophecy or Promife of their eonvertion, believe that God in his time will make it good. Dire. 6. But take heed that on this pretence, youplunge notyour felves into any inordinate fludier, or conceited expoftions ofthe Revelations, and other Scripture Prophecies, as many have done,,to the great wrong of themfelves, and the Church of God. By inordinate ffudies, I -mean, a. When you begin there where you thould end, and before you have digefted the necef- fary greater truths in Theology, you go to thofe that tbuuld come after them. 2. When an undue proportion ofyour zeal, am3 time, and finely, and talk, is beftowed upon thcfe Pro- phecies, in comparifon of other things. 3. When you are proudly and cau lefty conceited of your fingular cxpofitions That when of ten of the learnedeft and harden fludicd Expo- fitors of the Revelation, perhaps in many things fcarce two are of a mind ; yet when you differ from them all, or all fave one, you can be as peremptory and confident in your opinion, as ifyou were far wafer, or more infallible than they. 4. When you place a greater neceffity in it than there is; at if falvation, or Church communion lay upon your conceits. Whereas God hash made the points-that are ofnecefhty to falvation, to be few and plain. Y y y Dirc 5s37
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