11 / 504
ment$ in this
addrefs
unto
you;
wherein I
(hall crave leave
a
little further to
communicate
my
thoughts unto
you
as
to thematter
in
hand.
Next
to
the
Son
of
his love
who
is
the Truth,
the greareff
and
moti eminent gift
,
that God
bath bellowed on the
Sons
of
men, and com-
municated
to
thcm,is
his
Truth
revealed
in his
word.
The knowledge
of
him,his mind
and
will
,
according to
the
difcovery which he
bath
made
of
himfelfe,
fi
om his
own bofome, hie
ving
magnified his word,above all bis name.
The
importance hereof,
as
to the eternal
Concern
ments
of the
Sons
of
men,eirher in ignorance refuting and
refifting,or accepting
and
embra-
cing
of
it,
is
that
which
is
owned,
and
ryes as
the bottome
and
foundation
of
al
l,that
we
any
way engage
our
(elves
into,
in
this world:wherein
we
differ
from them;whofe hope perifhetlr
with them. Unto an enquiry after
and entertainment
of
this divine and
/acreddepofttum,
bath
God
deligned the
fruit
and labour
of
that,wherein
we
retaine the refemblance
of him;
which wbilefl we have our being,
nothing
can abolifh.
The
mind
of
man,and
divine
truth,
are the two moft eminent
Excellencies ,
wherewith the Lord
bath
adorned
this
lower part
of
his Creation: whichwhen they correfpond,and
are brought into conformity with,each
other,
the
mind being changed
into the Image
of
Truth,
there
is
glory
added
to
álory,and
the whole
rendred
exceedinggloriouc. By
what
futablenefs and
proportion
in
the
things themfelves,
(
that
is
between
Truth
and the mind
of
man, )
as we
are
men,
by
what Almighty
fecret
and
irrefiflible power,
as
weare
corrupted
men,our
minds being full
of
darknefs and folly
,
this
is
wrought,isnot
my bnfinefs
now
to
difcufs.
This
is
on
all
bands confeffed:
that fetting
of
de
the confderation
of
the eternal
iffues
of
things,
every
miflake
of
divine
Truth,
every oppofi-
tion to
it
or
reje
@ion
ofit
or
any part
of
it
,
is
fo
farte,a chaining
up
of
the mind,under
the
power
of
darknefs from a progrefs
towards
that
perfeftion
which it
is
capable of. It
is
Truth
alone
that
Capacitates any
Mule
to
give
glory to God
,
or
to
be
truly
ufeful
to
them
who are partakers
of
ffefh
and
blood
with
him
:
without
being force way ferviceab!e
to
which
end
,
there
is
nothing fhort
of
the
fulnefs
of
wrath
,
that
can
be
judged
fo
milerable
as
the
Life
of
a man. Ealily fo much
might
be
delivered
on
this
account
,
as
to
evince
the dread
of
that
judgment
,
whereto
forcemen in
the
infallibly
wife
counfel
of
Godare
doomed,
even
to
the laying
out
of
the
tabour and travel
of
their
minds, to
fpend
their
dayes and
ftrength
in
fore labour,in making oppofition to this
Truth
of
God.
Efpecially
is
the
fadnefs
of
this Con-
fideration encreafed in reference to them
,
who upon any account what ever, do beare
forth
themfelves
,
and are lookedupon by
others,
as
guides
of
the blind,
as
Lights to them
that
fit
in
darknefs,as
the
7nfi
lloursof
the foolifh,&
teachers
of
Babes.
For
a
man
to let
himfelfe,oe
to
be
let
by
others,in
a way wherein are many turnings
& .crots
pathes,fome
of
them
leading
and tending
to
places
of
innumerable
troubles,
and perhaps
death and (laughter, undertaking
to
be a
guide
to
dire& them
that
travel towards
the
place
of
their intendments
,
whesethey
would be,and where theylhall
meet
with
refl,for
fach
an
oneI fay,
to
take hold
of
every
one
that
paffeth by
,
and
pretending
himfelfe
to
be
exceeding skilful,in all
the windings
and
tur-
nings
of
thofe
.ayes,
and
pathes, and
to
(rand
there
on púrpofe
to
give
direaion if
He
(hall,
withal
his skill
and
Rhetorick, divert
them
out
of
the path
wherein they
have
perhaps
fafly
fer
out,and to guide theminto thofe
by
wayes,which will certainly lead them into faares, and
troubles,ifnot to
death it
felfe, can
he
(.end
his
time, labour and
ffrength,in
an employment
more to
be
abhorred
?
or
can
he
defigne any
thing
more defperate!y miichievous
to
them,
whole good and
welfare
he
is
bound and promtfeth to
Peek
and promote?
Is
any man's
con-
dition
under heaven more
to
be lamented
,
or
is
any man's
imploymentmore
perilous
then
filch an ones
,
who being
notonly
endowed
with
a
mind and
underfianding,
capable
of
the
Truth
,
and receivingimpreffions
of
the
will
of
God
,
but alto with diflinguifhing Abilities
and Enlargements
for
the
receiving
of
greater
meafures
ofTruth
,
then others,
and
the more
effeival
improvment
of
what
he Both
fo
receive, fhall labour
night
and
day,
difpending
the
richefl treafare
and
furnifhmentof
his
foule,for the rooting
out
,
defacing,and
detlruaion
of
theTruth,
for the turning
men
out
of
the
way
,
and pathes
that
lead
to retl
and
peace?
I ne-
ver think
of
the uncomfortable drudgery, which teen
give
up
themfelves
unto
,
in
laying
the
hay
andffubble
of
their vaine and
fare
Conceptions
upon
the foundation
,
and
heaping
up
the
fruit
of
their
foules
to
make the
fire
that
confumes
them
,
the
more
fierce and fevere
,
but
it
farces
compalironate thoughts
of
that
fad
Condition, whereto
man-
kindhath
cafl
it
(elfe, by
it's
Apoliacy
from
God.And
yetthere
is
not
any
thing
in
the world,that
men more willingly,
With
more delight and greedinefs ,confecrare
the
flowre
of
their Strength and Abilities
unto,
then this,of
promoting the
delufions
of
their own minds,in oppofition to
The truth,
& wales
of
God. It
is a
thing
of
obvious obfervation and dayly experience,
that if
by any
meanes
what ever,
any
one clofeth with
force
now,
and
by
opinion,
of'from the faith
delivered
to,and
tcceived
by
the generality
of
the
Saints
that
be
it
a
thing
of
never
fo
fmall concernmentin
eel'
2
out