EPI S'T: VI. A to alfc:Dt yet fmother them inyour breft, and do not dare to vent them out,eithcr by your ha~d ortonguc, to trouble the common!"'ace. It is amiferable praifc, to be a witty dillutbcr. Neither will it fcrve you to be thusgood alone; but if God fuall give you the honour ofthiscftate,theworld will look, you fuould be thegraveguide ofa well-ordered family: for this isprol"'rto us, that the vices of our charge rcfte~ upon us; the finnes ofothers arc our reproach. If another mans c~ildren mi~carry, the Parent is pitticd; ifaMiniftcrs, ccnfured; yea, not our fervanos faulty without our lile. mifu. In all thefeoccat'ions(a mifcry incident to us alonc)our gricfe is our fuame. To dcfcend nccrer unto the facrcd affaires ofthis heavenly trade; in aMinifter Gods Church is accounted both his houfe todwcllio, and his field toworkc in; wherein (upon the l"'naltyofa curfe he faithfully, wifdy, diligently, devoutly, deales with God for his l"'oplc,with ~~~~plc,forJIDd'ffflm God. Wh~ther he inftru61, he mull: B doe itwith evidence ofthefpmt; orwhether he re rove, Wit courage and zeale; or whether he exhort,with me<knelfe,and yet with powcr;or whether he confutc,with dcmonftration oftruth1not with rage and l"'rfonallmalicioufneffe, not with a wilfull heat ofcontradi61ion; orwhcth<rhe admonifl1,with long luffering,and love without prejudice, and partiality:in aword,all thefe he fo doth, as he thatddires nothing but to honour God, and lavc men. His wifdome mull: difccrne betwixt his fuecpe and wolves; in his lbee!"',bctwixt the wholefome and unfound 1 in the unfound, betwixt the weak and tainred;in the tainted, betwixt the natures, qualities,degrees of the dif· cafe and infe~ion; and to all thcfe hemoll know to adminiller a word in fcafon. He hath Antidotes for all tcnrations, counfds for all doubts, evi61ions for all errors, for all languifuings incouragements. No occafion from any altered eftate ofthe foule may find him unfurnilhed; he mull: afcend to Gods Altar with much awe, with fincere and chccrefull de•otion;fo taking,cdebrating,diftributing his Saviour, as thinking himfelfe at table in heaven with the bleffed Angels. In the meane time, as he wants not a thankful! regard to theMafter ofthe feafi, fo not care of the guefts. The grcatncffeofanoffender may not make him facrilegioully partial!, northe obfcurity negligent. I have faid little ofany ofour duties; and offome, nothing: yet enough, I think,to make you(ifnot timorous)carcfull. Neither would I have you hero upon to hide your fclfe from this calling, but to prepare your fclfe for ir. Thefe times call for them that are faithfull: and ifthey may fpare fome learning1confcience they cannot. Goeon happily: ir argues a mind Chriftianly noble, to be incouraged with the need ofhis labours, with the difficulties. !WliJJ!~!&WmlWM!WJJMi~MALll~! ToM"·.d.P. EP 1sT. V I• .4 difmrftoft.~<jignes Andpmf<J•f•true f•ith. THere is nocomfort ina fecrct felicity. To h'e happy, and not know it, is little above mifcrable.Such is your ftate: only herein better then the common cafe oftbemoft; that the Well of life lies open before you: bur your eyes (like Ag•rs) are not open to fee it 1 whiles they have neither water, nor eyes. We doe not E much morewane thatwhich wehave not, tlaen that which we do not know we have. Lctmefcllyou fomeofthatfpirituall eye-lalvewhichthe Spiritcom111ends to his Laodiccans~ that you may cleerely fee how well you arc. There is nothing but thole fcales betWIXt you and hapllinelfe. Thinke not much that I cfpy in you what your fclfe fees not. Toomuch ?~crencffeofr-times hindreth fight: and ifforthe fpots of our owne faces we truft otfj'ers eyes, why not for our pcrfe~ions~Y ou arc in heaven, and.know it Dot : Hethar bcleeves,is already palfed from death mlife : You bc:lceve, whtlesyoucomplaineofunbelccfe. Ifyou complained not, I lbould mifdoubtyou ~oro,thcn .you doe your fclfc,bccaufe you complaine. Secure and infolent prefumpuon bath kt!led many,thar breathes nothingbut confidence and fafcry;j,ind abandons ~11 doubts, and condemnes them.Thatman never bcleevcd,that neverdoubted. This hquor offaith is never pure in thefe velfcls ot clay, without thcle lees of diftruft. Ee • Wr•!
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