The Chrflians Iournal! 13 'fore his duty thatwould grow in godlines, is toget vntohim thedire&iôoftome lure guide, which willnot deceiue him, that fo beemay not fault oftheend and marke which heedeilteth. Thiswas Dauids care,as'appearethby many fpeeches ofhis: Maken tovnderftandthe trayofthyprecepts. Teachmetbe way ofthySta. zPrat.n9.z7. Wes'. Direct me in thepathofthycommandementsb:Dire[tmy(lepsintbyWord :e. bVed.33. The grand guide (who(dire&ions arealonely to beelooked veto, and cannot cvedcr ;3. deceive) is the Lord Iefus. Iam the Way (faithhe) andno man commethtotbe Fa. ther but by me d. Andthe Apoftle tothe Hebrewes,exhorting tomaw race which dJob.te,G. fet before vs,bids vswithal! toWoke vpon the author and finifherofour faith cs exeb:r=.z: his blood, as the fame Apoklefpeaketh, hath prepared new anda lining Wayt, fChap.tòtq The dire&ion whichChrifhgiueth, is comprehended in his Word,which is there. 2O fore often in the Scripture termed. the Lords way, becaufe no courfecanbring a man errs) eternall life, butthat which is there prefcribed. Dauid faith, this Word pfai.t t 9< war a light unto hispath and Peterhcommendtth thofe to whombee wrote, be- ;os, caufe theygaleheedtoit, as to the beltand fureftInuru&er. Thewordof God hz Pet, t.'a. contained in Scripture is fitly compared to the pillar of thecloud which led the people ofIfrael inthe wildernelfe;when that went forward,thepeople marched; when that flayed, the peopleftood aí11; all their iourneywas framedaccording to themooning ofthecloud. Of the famevfe is thewordofGod in thewayof life; when that calleth,we may mull mooue;when thatreflraineth, weought not toputforward ; our caremullbee tofineour courfe and carriage thereunto. Now as Clara the head guide bath leftthe fulneffe of dire&ion in hiswritten Word, Co hehath entrufted theMinifters of the Churchtherewith, hee bathessa. mitred itvaro them, . astheApoltlefpeaketh ,notthattheyfhouldengrolfeitto tuCoat.s9. theinfelues,& lead the peopleofGodwhichway themfeluespleafe, but thatthey might ftudie to(earth outthe hid matterthereof, and apply it tothe dire&ionof Gods Church, according to euerymans occafion. For thiscaufe thePattonof theChurch in refpe&oftheir iunllión,àtecaltcd Leedersor G,oide?: and where- kHeh.t3.7: asChriftcalsignorant&erroneusteachersblindegnidesi, itargueththat found '7. 14. Inaru&ers arewell termedbythe nameofGuides. The interpreting oftheScrip, S tare, is calleda guidingof the hearers.'When Philipdemandedof the Eunuch, reading (ashe rode)vpon Efay, whetherhevnderftood that which he readr he an- fwered him, How cani,except 1 bad agnide m?meaning excepthe hadono toex- inAß.83 r, pound untohim. So then, hitherto the matter is nowbrought; bee that would goe on, and proceed as beeought in theway of life, mull gethimfelfe a guide. The head-guide is the LordIefus, hee bath recommended his dire&ionsveto vs in his Word, and for the commonbenefit andinftru&ionof his Church, he bath glues gifts unto men, and enabled them tolay open themyfteryoftheScripture, and by this his ordinance he guides& dire&s thole that are inhis eternall coun- fell ordained unto life. So that as it is Paid of the iourneyof theIfraelites, that God did leads them like jheepe by the hand of¡Wafer and aorta. t fo it is true nPra1.97. in thisfpirìtuall voyage,thatthe Lord leadesNis choleraby thehandof hisMini - flers. By themhe gatbereth togetherbis Saints.. Thefe I am furs areall ofthem otph.4,1e. grounds that cannotbee denied -; That the way of life is tovs unknown, and t thereforewe need a guide: Secondly, that Chrifl Lefts is the onelytrueguide: a Thirdly, that he bath tegiltredallhis dirt&ions in hisWord (that is, ehe,Whole 3 corenfellofGod) and that for thedilpenfingof lais Word (notwithllandingthe privatevfe whichevery Chriftianmay and ought tohale ofit) he bath ordained publike teaching, by which toguide our feet intothewayofpeace. He that is difpofed tobe captious,lethimthink wel whichofallthefe he canexceptagaina: In themean time wewill takethem for truth, and fomakethe beltvfe ofthem. This theweth, that albeit the mofeofvs at this day, that profeffeReligion, haschofes guides unto ourfelues, yet wee faile in choofing the truedire&ion : 'Rene ate guided by their owns peinase conceit, Tomeby theguileof the times, B 3. fome
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