this flep, and he will not for the time let him know where the next shall be : He Mould lift, as it were, that foot, and make that ftep while he bath light, and fo on from one ftep to another, till the darknefs make him Rand ffill. The third dire &ion is, That, tho' we come not to clearnefs at the firft, yet we would wait on, and not be hafty. 'Tis a notable folly to be either rafh in a&ing, or hafty in giving up with God, when he will not fpeak to us at the firft : My meaning is, That we would neither do the thing that we are in debate about before we be clear in it, for that is to do doubting- ly ; neither fhould we give it over, but fhould be waiting on in renewing our applications to God, till he think meet to fpeak to us. The vifion (faith the Lord to Habakkuk) is yet for an appointed time ; though it tarry, wait for it. There are Tome times that God will only fay this much to a perfon, Wait, and that is an anfwer ; more will come to the waiter in due time ; and we may be encou- raged to wait, if we will confider that honeft waiters have a promife of light. If one fhould fay here, I am in the mean time fadly exercifed : I anfwer, It may be meet thou fhouidit be in exercife, that exercife may be good for thee ; nay, it may be thou makes a piece of exercife to thyfelf, becaufe thou wouldit know more than is his mind thou ihouldit for the time know. The fourth dire &ion is, There would be filent ftooping to, and re- verend adoring of, the wifclom and fovereignty of God, in ordering darknefs in fuch a particular, which is not a neceffary duty, fo that the perfon cannot air nor move towards it : It may be for the good of the party that he is thus, by this darknefs, rcllrained and hedged in; which, tho' it be not now known, may be made known hereafter to f.tisfa &ion. It may yet be enquired, When there is filence in the Conjcience as to fuch or fuch a particular, if there may not he ufe made of general rules given in the fcripture for direaing us in our walk ? and, if Confidence may . not have peace in walking according to thefe rules ? No doubt, for keeping a good Confcieuce, we would, in our refpedive Rations and capacities) learn by confcienti -- 1 3 ous
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