460 DIRECTIONS AND PERSUASIONS and into á spiritual lively fruitful frame. He is for- ward to aggravate the sins of others, and oft -times severe enough in censuring them : but he is a very gentle censurer of himself, and a patient man with his own corruptions, and puts the best construction upon all that is his own. He bath much labour per- haps in shaping bis opinions, but little for the hum- bling and sanctifying his heart, by the power of the truth. 6. And as the difference lieth thus constantly in the heart, so it is usually manifested by the tongue. The sound convert is most desirous to discourse of those great and saving truths, which his very heart bath taken in, and which he hath found to be the seed of God for his regeneration, and the instruments of that holy and happy change that is made upon him : he feeleth most savour, and life, in these great and most neces- sary points. Read John xvii. 3. 1 Cor. xv. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 1 Cor. ii. 2. Phil. iii. S, 9, 10, 11. 1 Tim. iii. 16. Acts xxxvi. 22, 23. In these scriptures you may find what points they were that the greatest saints did study and live upon. But the opinionist is most forward to discourse of mere opinions, and to feed upon the air of notions, and controversies of les- ser moment. A serious Christian, even when he is necessitated to speak of lower controverted points, yet doth it in a spiritual manner, as one that savoureth more higher truths, and makes a holy and heavenly life his end, even in these lower matters : and deals about such controversies inf a practical manner, and in order to the growth of holiness. Lastly, true converts are stedfast, but opinionists are usually mutable and unconstant. The sound con- vert receiveth the greatest truths, and receives the good- ness as well as the truth ; and takes it not only into the head, but into the heart, and giveth it deep root- ing : he closeth with God as his own felicity, and with Christ as his only refuge and redeemer, and with heaven as the sure everlasting glory, to which the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=