SPIRITUAL PEACE AND COMFORT. 451 solved and comforted merely out of a book, but from the bock and experience both together. Carnal or formal men will but make a jest at the doubts of a troubled Christian ; or at least will give you such formal remedies as will prove no cure ; either they will per- suade you, as the Anyinomians do, that you should trust God with your soul, and never question your faith ; or that you do ill to trouble yourself about such things ; or they will direct.you only to the comforts of general grace, and tell youonly that God is merci- ful, and Christ died for sinners; which are the necessary founda- tions of our peace ; but will not answer particular doubts of our own sincerity, and of our interest in Christ : or else theywill make you believe that holiness of heart and life (which is the thing you look after) is it that troubleth you, and breeds all your scruples. Or else, with the Papists, they will send you to your merits for corhfçrt ; or to some vindictive penance in fastings, pilgrimages, or the like ; or to some saint departed, or angel, or to the pardons or indulgences ofthe pope ; orto a certain formal, carnal devotion, to make God amends. (3.) They must be men of downright faith- fulness, that will deal plainly and freely, though not cruelly ; and not like those tender surgeons that will leave the cure undone for fear of hurting : meddle not with men-pleasers and daubers, that will presently speak comfort to you as confidently as if they had known you twenty years, when perhaps they know little of your heart or case. Deal not with such as resolve to humor you. .(4.) They must bemen of fidelity, and well tried to be such, that you must trust them with those secrets which you are called to reveal. (5.) 'Iiey must be men of great staidness and wisdom, that they may neither rashly pass their judgment, nor set you upon unsound, unwarrantable, or dangerous courses. (6.) It is suspicious if they be men that are so impudent as to draw out your secrets, and screw themselves deeper into your privatest thoughts and ways than is meet; yet a compassionate minister, when he seeth that poor Christians do entangle themselves by keeping secret their troubles, or else that theyhazard themselves by hiding the great- est of their sins, like Achan, Saul, orAnanias and Sapphira, and so play the hypocrites in these caseshe may and must urge them to deal openly. (7.) Above all, be sure that those that you seek' advice of, be sound in the faith, and free from the two desperate plagues of notorious false doctrine, and separating, dividing incli- nations, that do but hunt about to make disciples *to themselves. . There are two ofthe former sort, and three of the latter, that I would charge you to take heed of, (and yet all is but four.) L Among those that err from the faith, (next to pagans, Jews, and infidels, whether Ranters, Seekers, or Socinians, which I think few sober, godly men are so much, in danger of, because of their ex-
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