342 DIRECTIONS. FOR GETTING AND KEEPING the beginning, that he that will ever love God, must apprehend him to be good.. And the more large and deep are our apprehensions of his goodness, the more will be our love. For such as God appears to be to men's fixed conceivings, suchwill their affections be to him. For the fixed, deep conceptions; or apprehensions of the mind, do lead about the soul, and guide the life. I conclude, therefore, with this important and importunate request to you,,hat, Though it be a duty necessary in its time and place, to examine ourselves concerning our sincerity, in our several graces and duties to God ; yet be sure that the first and fargreater part of your time, and pains, and care, and inquiries, be for the getting and increasing of your grace, than for the discerning it; and to perform your duty rightly, than to discern your right performance. And when you confer with ministers, or others, that may teach you, see that you ask ten times at least, ' How should I get or increase my faith, my love to Christ, and to his people ?' for once that you ask, ' How shall I know that I believe or love ?' Yet so contrary hath been, and still is, the practice of most Christians among us in this point, that I have heard it twenty times asked, ' How shall I know that I truly love the brethren ?' for once that I have heard it demanded, 'How should I bring my heart to love them better ?' And the like I may say of love to Christ himself. I should next have spoken of the second part of the Direction, How much our assurance and comfort will still depend on our ac- tual obedience. But this will fall in, in handling the two or three next following Directions. Direct. XXIII. My next advice is this: ' Thinknot those doubts and troubles ofmind, which are caused and continued bywillful dis- obedience, will ever be well healed but by the healing of that dis- obedience; or that the same means must be used, and will suffice to the cure of such troubles, which must be used, and will suffice to cure the troubles of a tender conscience, and of an obedient Christian, whose trouble is merely through mistakes of their con- dition.' . I will begin with the latter part of this Direction. He that is troubled upon mere mistakes, may be quieted upon the removal of them. If he understood not the universal extent of Christ's satis- faction, or of the covenant or conditional grant ofChrist and life in him ; and ifupon this he be troubled, as thinking that he is not in- cluded, the convincing him of his error may suffice to the removal of his trouble. Ifhe be troubled through his mistaking the nature of true faith, or true love, or other graces, and so think that he hath them not, when he bath them, the discovery of his error may be the quieting of his soul. The soul that is troubled upon suchmis- takes, must be tenderlydealt with. Much more they that are dis-
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