{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_41633/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_41633","id":"gutenberg_41633","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41633","summary":null,"tags":["Casuistry","Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Christian sociology"],"text":"Produced by Douglas L. Alley, III, Colin Bell, CCEL and\nthe Online Distributed Proofreading Team at\nhttp://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n                     =Soli Deo Gloria Publications=\n                     P.O. Box 451, Morgan, PA 15064\n                      (412) 221-1901/FAX 221-1902\n                            www.SDGbooks.com\n\n          _The Practical Works of Richard Baxter_ in 4 Volumes\n                 was lithographed from the 1846 edition\n                 published in London by George Virtue.\n\n          Volume 1 of _The Practical Works of Richard Baxter_\n                           ISBN 1-877611-13-1\n\n        The 4 volume set _The Practical Works of Richard Baxter_\n                           ISBN 1-877611-37-9\n\n                          Second printing 2000\n\n\n\n\n                                  THE\n                            PRACTICAL WORKS\n                                   OF\n                                RICHARD\n                                 BAXTER\n\n           with a preface, giving some account of the author,\n               and of this edition of his practical works\n\n                                   AN\n                 ESSAY ON HIS GENIUS, WORKS, AND TIMES;\n                             AND A PORTRAIT\n\n                            IN FOUR VOLUMES\n\n                                VOLUME 1\n\n                      Soli Deo Gloria Publications\n               ... _for instruction in righteousness_ ...\n\n\n\n\n                               A PREFACE,\n\n                                 GIVING\n\n                      SOME ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR,\n\n                                 AND OF\n\n                  THIS EDITION OF HIS PRACTICAL WORKS.\n\n\nIt is no vain boast, through a fondness of our own nation, but is\ngenerally owned by our protestant brethren beyond the seas, that there\nis no language in which there are more valuable treatises of practical\ndivinity to be met with, than in ours. And perhaps upon the strictest\nsearch and comparison, as far as there is any occasion for a decisive\njudgment, it might be found that there are no writings of that kind\namong us that have more of a true christian spirit, a greater mixture of\njudgment and affection, or a greater tendency to revive pure and\nundefiled religion; that have been more esteemed abroad, or more blessed\nat home, for the awakening the secure, instructing the ignorant,\nconfirming the wavering, comforting the dejected, recovering the\nprofane, or improving such as are truly serious; than the Practical\nWorks of this author. Many of them have been often reprinted, and are as\ngenerally spread through the kingdom as any tracts whatever. Others of\nthem have been printed but once, and are not so commonly known as they\ndeserve. Others are small, and might in time be as good as lost, if not\npreserved by being joined with the rest of his works. This collection of\nthem is designed for the benefit of the present age, and of posterity;\nto be a standing monument in our libraries of the unwearied endeavours\nof one to promote serious godliness in the land; who under a mean\neducation made mighty improvements; who in a crazy body had a most\nactive soul; and in a private sphere had a noble public spirit, that\nwould have filled the most eminent station with advantage. It is also\nintended for the advantage of ministers and students in divinity, who\nwill here have, at an easy rate, such a treasure of practical divinity\nas no other part of the christian church can furnish with. And for a\nhelp to families, who will here find what may suit them, in all their\ndifferent relations, capacities, and circumstances, and under that vast\nvariety of providential dispensations in which they may need assistance.\n\nThat great man, Bishop Wilkins, was used to say of Mr. Baxter, That if\nhe had lived in the primitive times he had been one of the fathers of\nthe church. What then more fit than a collection of his works, that\nposterity may be taught to do him justice? It was a great attempt in a\ntime of war; and the going through with it at such a time is a hopeful\nprognostic, that the God of peace hath blessed ends to serve by it; a\nsubserviency to which cannot but be a matter of comfortable reflection.\n\nIt is usual to prefix to collections of this sort, some historical\naccount of the author. This were perhaps as little needful in the case\nof Mr. Baxter, as of any other that could be mentioned, because of the\nlarge account of himself that he left prepared for the press, which\nhas been published since his death in folio; an abridgement of which\nwas afterwards drawn up in octavo, that has been as generally read by\npersons of all sentiments and persuasions as most narratives of that\nkind. But that the want of it may not be charged as an unpardonable\nomission, and that such as have not consulted either of those\nnarratives, may know what sort of person he was that was the author of\nthose works, which after having been long extant separately, are here\npublished together, the following brief account of him is thought fit\nto be added.\n\nHe was a native of Shropshire, and came into the world, Nov. 12, 1615.\nHis family was of some standing in that county, and had made some\nfigure. John Baxter, Esq. in the time of Edward the Fourth, was thrice\nbailiff of Shrewsbury; and owned a whole street in that town, which\nwith other estates went with a daughter to Mr. Barker, of Hammond,\ngrandfather to Colonel Mildmaye's lady. His nephew Roger married a\nco-heiress of Richard Leighton, of Leighton, Esq. by whom descended to\nhim several hundreds per annum, of which he was deprived after long\nlaw-suits with the heir male. His son William was reduced to the\nquality of a freeholder, of \u00a360 per annum, but was married to\nElizabeth the daughter of Roger Biest, of Atcham Grange, a gentleman\nof \u00a3400 per annum. His son Richard married the daughter of Richard\nForrester, of Sutton, of the family of Sir William Forrester, of\nWatling-street in Shropshire, who was secretary to Bishop Bonner. His\nson Richard married one of the Adeneys, who were wealthy clothiers in\nWorcestershire; and he was the father of our Richard, whose fame\nspread itself throughout the kingdom.\n\nThe estate of the family was clogged with debts, which among other\ninconveniences that attended it, proved a great hinderance in his\neducation. The schoolmasters of his youth, who were such as those\nparts of the country then afforded, were neither eminent for their\nlearning, nor the strictness of their morals. His greatest help in\ngrammar learning was under Mr. John Owen, master of the free-school at\nWroxeter, with whom he continued till he had been some time the\ncaptain of his school, and was advanced as far as his assistance would\nforward him. His friends not being able to support the charge of an\nacademical life, his master Mr. Owen recommended him to Mr. Richard\nWickstead, who was chaplain to the council at Ludlow, with whom he\nspent a year and half. The main advantage he had while he was with\nhim, lay in the free use of his library, which was valuable: and this\nadvantage he improved to his utmost. Afterwards, he went through a\ncourse of philosophy, with the assistance of the learned Mr. Francis\nGarbett, then minister of Wroxeter, who conducted his studies, and\nmuch encouraged him: and he was making a hopeful progress, when on a\nsudden he was diverted.\n\nBeing about eighteen years of age, he was persuaded to make trial of a\ncourt life, as the most likely way to rise in the world. In order to\nit, he was sent up to Whitehall, to Sir Henry Herbert, master of the\nrevels. He received him courteously, but could not prevail with him to\nstay: his inclinations were set quite another way; and Providence had\nother purposes to serve by him in the world. He returned down into the\ncountry, and followed his studies with indefatigable earnestness; and\nsoon made such improvements as amazed those that knew how slender his\nhelps were, and how difficult it is for a man to beat out his way\nhimself. Though he never led an academical life, (which he much\ndesired,) yet by the divine blessing upon his rare dexterity and\ndiligence, his sacred knowledge (as Dr. Bates expressed it in his\nfuneral sermon) was in that degree of eminence, as few in the\nUniversity ever arrive to.\n\nHis early seriousness was remarkable. Dr. Bates tells us, that his\nfather said with tears of joy to a friend, My son Richard I hope was\nsanctified from the womb; for when he was a little boy in coats, if he\nheard other children in play speak profane words, he would reprove\nthem, to the wonder of them that heard him. As he grew up, he listened\nto the instructions and example of his father, and abhorred those\nprofane sports which were common on the Lord's days, in the places\nwhere he lived; and while the rest were dancing, he was employed in\nreligious exercises. He betimes loved his Bible, and was afraid of\nsinning. He loathed the company of scoffers; and loved religion the\nbetter for their reproaches. And yet corruption even in him had its\nsallies in childhood and youth, which he afterwards lamented with\ngreat concern and sorrow. But when he was fourteen years of age, upon\nhis reading \"Parsons of Resolution,\" as corrected by Bunny,[1] such\nimpressions were made upon his spirit as never wore off to the day of\nhis death. His bodily weakness kept him afterwards very solicitous\nabout the state of his soul: he read all the practical treatises he\ncould meet with, in order to his direction and satisfaction; and yet\nwas long kept with the calls of approaching death as it were at one\near, and the questionings of a doubtful conscience at the other. The\nexercise of his spirit was very pressing for a great while; till at\nlength it pleased God to quiet him, by giving him a probability of the\nsafety of his state, though he had not an undoubted certainty. He\nobserves of himself, that though for the greatest part of his life\nafterwards, he had no such degree of doubtfulness as was any great\ntrouble to him, or procured any sinking, disquieting fears, yet he\ncould not say that he had such a certainty of his own sincerity in\ngrace, as excluded all doubts and fears to the contrary.\n\nFrom the age of twenty-one, till near twenty-three, his weakness was\nso great, that he hardly thought it possible he should live above a\nyear; yet being willing to do some good to ignorant and careless\nsinners before he died, he even then entered into the ministry, and\nwas examined and ordained by the bishop of Worcester, who also gave\nhim a licence to teach school at Dudley, where Mr. Richard Foley, of\nStourbridge, had a little before erected a free-school, which he\ncommitted to his care.\n\nHe owns that when he received orders, he never had read over the Book\nof Ordination, nor half the Book of Homilies, nor considered the Book\nof Common Prayer with any exactness, nor weighed sufficiently some\ncontroverted points in the Thirty-nine Articles: and yet having read\nDownham, and Sprint, and Burgess, he concluded they had the better of\nthe nonconformists, with whom he then had no acquaintance; and being\ntold that they were men of little learning, he concluded they were in\nthe wrong; and having no scruples he freely subscribed as usually. But\nwhen after his settlement at Dudley, he came to read Ames's \"Fresh\nSuit against Ceremonies,\" and other books on that side, he repented\nhis rashness in subscribing so hastily, and grew dissatisfied as to\nsome parts of conformity. He continued there preaching to a numerous\nauditory with good success for about three quarters of a year, and\nthen removed to Bridgnorth, in Shropshire, where he became assistant\nto Mr. William Madstard. This removal was the more agreeable to him,\nbecause the place being privileged from all episcopal jurisdiction,\nexcept the triennial visitation of the archbishop, he was the less in\ndanger of being put upon any part of conformity that he then scrupled.\nHe never baptized with the sign of the cross, nor wore the surplice,\n(being not satisfied as to either,) and yet came into no trouble. At\nhis first coming hither he was an instrument of the conversion of\nseveral to God and a holy life; but was not afterwards so successful\nhere as in other places.\n\nSoon after his settlement here, the _et c\u00e6tera_ oath put him upon a\nmore close inspection into the English frame of church government,\nwhich he thought he had need to be well satisfied in, before he swore\nhe would never consent to an alteration. He read Bucer de Gubernatione\nEcclesi\u00e6, Didoclavii Altare Damascenum, Parker de Politeia\nEcclesiastica, and Baynes's Diocesan's Trial; and though upon the\nwhole he saw no reason to believe all kind of episcopacy unlawful, he\nyet was far from so approving the English episcopacy, as to think it\nlawful to swear he would never consent to have it altered. And he\nobserved upon this occasion, that that oath which was designed\nunalterably to subject the nation to diocesans, did but set many the\nmore against them; and that instead of ruining the nonconformists,\nwhich was intended, it proved a great advantage to them, and inclined\nmany to fall in with them.\n\nThe broils in Scotland quickly followed, that were occasioned by the\nimposing the Common Prayer Book, and English ceremonies. There were\ngreat tumults there, and the design was to subdue that nation by\nforce: and at the same time there were great dissatisfactions in\nEngland upon the account of ship money, and other impositions that\nwere reckoned illegal. The Scots entering into England, there was a\nform of prayer to be used against them in all churches, printed by the\nbishops, though there was no command of the king for it. Mr. Baxter\nwould not use it, at which some were disturbed.\n\nThe long parliament upon its being opened, fell directly upon a\nreformation of church and state. Among other things that were\ndetermined, a committee was soon appointed to hear petitions and\ncomplaints against such as were scandalous among the clergy. Amongst\nother complainers the town of Kidderminster, in Worcestershire, had\ndrawn up a petition against their vicar and his two curates as\ninsufficient. The vicar was rather for compounding the business, than\nsuffering the petition to be presented. The living was worth near \u00a3200\nper annum, out of which he offered to allow \u00a360 per annum to a\nsufficient preacher, to be chosen by fourteen trustees. They hereupon\nunexpectedly invited Mr. Baxter to give them a sermon; and upon\nhearing him, unanimously chose him to be their minister. He accepted\ntheir invitation, and settled among them, making this observation,\nThat among all his changes he never went to any place he had before\ndesired, designed, or thought of; but only to those places he never\nthought of till the sudden invitation did surprise him.\n\nHe spent two years at Kidderminster before the civil war broke out,\nand above fourteen years after, and yet never touched the vicarage\nhouse, though authorized by an order of parliament; but the old vicar\nlived there without molestation. He found the place like a piece of\ndry and barren earth; ignorance and profaneness as natives of the soil\nwere rife among them: but by the blessing of Heaven upon his labour\nand cultivating, the face of paradise appeared there in all the fruits\nof righteousness. At first rage and malice created him much\nopposition; but it was soon over, and a special divine blessing gave\nhis unwearied pains among that people an unexpected success.\n\nOn a day when they had in that town a yearly show, in which they\nwalked about the streets with the painted forms of giants, he was one\npart of the game of the rabble. Having preached the doctrine of\noriginal sin, many railed at him, and represented him as saying that\nGod hated and loathed infants. Thereupon he next Lord's day returned\nto the same doctrine again; and told them that if their children had\nno original sin, they had no need of Christ, or of baptism, or of\nrenewing by the Holy Ghost. And after that, they were ashamed and\nsilent. Another time one of the drunken beggars of the town reported,\nthat Mr. Baxter was under a tree with a woman of ill fame. He got some\nthat spread this report bound to their good behaviour; and then he\nthat raised it confessed in court, that he saw Mr. Baxter in a rainy\nday stand on horseback under an oak in a thick hedge, and the woman\nmentioned standing for shelter on the other side the hedge, under the\nsame tree, though he believed they saw not one another. They all asked\nMr. Baxter forgiveness; and were released. At another time, when the\nparliament's order came down for demolishing all images of the Persons\nof the Trinity, the Virgin Mary, &c. in churches, or crosses in\nchurch-yards, the churchwarden of the town being about to take down a\ncrucifix upon the cross in the church-yard, the drunken crew took the\nalarum, and ran with weapons to defend the crucifix. It being reported\nMr. Baxter was the actor, they sought for him, and might probably\nenough have murdered him, had he come in their way. But as Providence\nordered it he had taken a walk out of town; and in his return when the\nhurly-burly was over, he was surprised to hear some of them curse him\nat their doors; and quickly understood how fairly he had escaped. The\nnext Lord's day he told them publicly, that seeing they so requited\nhim, as to seek his blood, he was willing to leave them, and save them\nfrom that guilt. Whereupon they appeared amazed and ashamed, and took\non terribly, and after all were loth to part with him.\n\nBut notwithstanding such opposition, his unwearied labours in this town\nhad amazing success. He preached twice every Lord's day before the civil\nwar; afterwards once; and once every Thursday, besides occasional\nsermons in the lectures at Worcester, Shrewsbury, Dudley, Sheffnall, &c.\nOn the Thursday evenings such as were so disposed met at his house, one\nof them repeated the sermon, and afterwards they propounded to Mr.\nBaxter any doubts they had about it, or any other case of conscience,\nwhich he resolved. On Mondays and Tuesdays in the afternoon, in every\nweek, he and his assistant took fourteen families between them for\nprivate catechising and conference, spending about an hour with a\nfamily. Every first Wednesday in the month he had a meeting for parish\ndiscipline. Every first Thursday in the month there was a meeting of the\nneighbouring ministers for discipline, and amicable disputation about\nmatters theological: and every Thursday in the month besides, he had\nseveral ministers at his house, after the lecture was over, with whom\nthe afternoon was spent in profitable conversation, till the neighbours\ncame in to repetition and conference.\n\nHe had an attentive, diligent auditory, that was very numerous. On the\nLord's day there was no disorder to be seen in the town, but you might\nhear a hundred families singing psalms, and repeating sermons, as you\npassed along the streets. When he first came, there might be a family\nin a street that worshipped God, and called on his name; and when he\ncame away there was not above a family on the side of a street that\ndid not do it. Nay, in the most unlikely families, even inns and\nalehouses, usually some in each house seemed to be religious. He had\nsix hundred communicants; and there were not above twelve of them, of\nwhose sincerity in religion he had not hopes. There were few families\nin the whole town that refused to submit to his private catechising\nand personal conference; and few went away without some tears, or\nseemingly serious promises of a godly life.\n\nThe greatest enemies of serious religion in that town were carried off\nby the war. When that was over he had the favour of the government\nthere. He had a great interest in the affections of the inhabitants, for\nwhich his practising physic among them gratis, gave him a great\nadvantage; and he had much assistance in his work, from the zeal and\ndiligence of those among them that were pious. Many were won upon by\ntheir exemplary conversation. Their unity and concord were remarkable.\nAll were of one mind, and mouth, and way. The private meetings that were\nkept up amongst them, (which were under his oversight and guidance,)\nwere also very helpful to promote serious religion. His stated income\nwas not above \u00a390 per annum, besides which he some years had 60 or \u00a380 a\nyear of the booksellers for his books, which being given away amongst\nthe people, (except so much as was necessary for his comfortable\nsubsistence,) made them the readier to listen to him. He took several of\ntheir children that had capacities from school, and sent them to the\nUniversity, where he maintained them by his own and others'\ncontributions, some of which afterwards proved useful ministers.\n\nOne of his main difficulties when he fixed in this town, was how to\nset up any thing of a true ecclesiastical discipline, without being\nsatisfied with the shadow instead of the reality of it on one hand, or\nunchurching the parish church on the other. Upon mature consideration,\nhe determined to take the parish for the church, if they were willing\nto own their church membership, and acknowledge him for their pastor.\nHe desired all that were willing, to give in their names, or some\nother way to signify their consent; and the rest he desired to be\nsilent. This kept many quiet that were not church members, because\nthey knew they might come in if they would. He baptized all their\nchildren, (if desired,) upon their giving an account of their faith.\nIf the father were a scandalous sinner, he made him openly confess his\nsin with seeming penitence, before he would baptize his child. If he\nrefused it, he forbore till the mother came to present it; rarely, if\never, finding both father and mother so destitute of knowledge and\nfaith, as, in a church sense, to be utterly incapable. Sir Ralph\nClare, a noted cavalier, discovered the greatest dissatisfaction of\nany in the parish, with his method of proceeding. He would not\ncommunicate unless he would administer the sacrament to him kneeling,\nand upon a distinct day, and not with those that received it sitting.\nMr. Baxter having openly told the parishioners, that if they scrupled\nsitting at the Lord's table, they should have the liberty of their own\ngesture, sent word to Sir Ralph, that if he could not upon reasoning\nbe otherwise satisfied, he would give it him kneeling; but that as for\ndoing it at a distinct stated time from the rest, it would make such a\nbreach or schism as he could have no hand in. However, the generality\nacquiesced; and church discipline was kept up, though not without some\ndifficulty. A young fellow given to excessive drinking, offering\nhimself to communion, was told that he could not be admitted, without\na humble, penitent confession, and promise of amendment. He thereupon\nconfessed his sin, and promised to amend, but soon relapsed. He was\noft admonished, and as often renewed the profession of his concern,\nand promises of amendment. But still persisting, Mr. Baxter warned him\npublicly, and prayed earnestly for him several days successively in\nthe church, but he was not reclaimed. At last he declared him utterly\nunfit for church communion, and required all to avoid unnecessary\nconversation with him. Afterwards he grew extravagantly mad, would\nfreely curse Mr. Baxter to his face; and once as he was going into the\nchurch laid violent hands on him, with a design to have murdered him.\nHe continued raging about a year, and then died of a fever, in great\nhorror of conscience. Three or four more also were cast out; one for\nslandering, and the rest for drunkenness; and they were enraged and\nmuch the worse after it, and so were loud warnings to others. In\nshort, so much of the presence of God did Mr. Baxter find accompanying\nhim in his work, and so affectionate was his regard to the loving\npeople of that place, that he would not willingly have changed his\nrelation to them for any preferment in the kingdom, nor could he\nwithout force have been separated from them.\n\nWhen the civil war broke out, he was dubious how to steer. He took the\nprotestation which the parliament required, to defend the king's\nperson, honour, and authority, the power and privileges of\nparliaments, the liberties of the subject, and the protestant\nreligion, against the common enemy. And he joined with the magistrates\nof Kidderminster, in offering the same protestation to the people. A\nlittle after, the king's Declarations were read there in the\nmarket-place, and the commission of array was set on foot; upon which\nthe rabble grew so riotous and furious, that he was advised to\nwithdraw awhile from home. He retired to Worcester, and so to\nGloucester, where he first met with the anabaptists; and after a\nmonth's absence he returned home, lest his absence should be\ninterpreted either as the effect of fear on the account of some guilt,\nor as signifying his being against the king. At his return he found\nthe drunken rabble very boisterous; and their common cry was this, We\nshall take an order with the puritans ere long. He did not think\nhimself in safety if he stayed at home, and so he withdrew again. He\npreached at Alcester, on that Lord's day that was the day of Edge-hill\nfight; and was informed while he was preaching, by the noise of the\ncannon, that the armies were engaged. And the next day he went into\nthe field of battle.\n\nThe soldiers on one side or the other still passing to and fro, and\nbeing ready to make a prey of whatsoever came before them, he determined\nto go to Coventry, and stay there till one side or other had got the\nvictory, and the war was ended, which it was then thought would be in a\nvery little time. The committee and governor of that city desired him to\nstay with them and lodge in the governor's house, and preach to the\nsoldiers; which offer he readily accepted. He continued there a year,\npreaching once a week to the soldiers, and once on the Lord's day to the\npeople, having nothing but his diet for his pains. Here he had the\nsociety of about thirty worthy ministers, who fled to the same place for\nsafety, and among the rest, of Mr. Vines and Mr. Anthony Burgess. When\nhis year expired, he found the war so far from being ended, that it had\ndispersed itself into almost all the land. He determined therefore to\ncontinue there another year; and in that time preached over all the\ncontroversies against the anabaptists, and against the separatists, and\nso kept the garrison sound. After the fight at Naseby, (not far from\nCoventry,) he went into the army to visit some of his old intimate\nfriends. He stayed there a night, and got such intelligence as to their\nstate as amazed him. He found plotting heads were designing to subvert\nboth church and state. The sectaries were like to carry all before them,\nand were resolved to take down not only bishops, liturgies, and\nceremonies, but all that did withstand them. This made him lament that\nthe ministers had left the army, as they generally did, after Edge-hill\nfight. It made him also repent his refusing of Cromwell's invitation to\nbe the pastor of his troop, when he first raised it; by which means he\nwould have had an opportunity of dealing freely with those that\nafterwards headed much of the army, and were the forwardest in all the\npublic changes. But he was told that it was not even yet too late to do\nservice, if he would come into the army; and was invited by Colonel\nWhalley to be chaplain to his regiment. He returned to Coventry, and\nconsulted the ministers that were there, and with their advice, (in\norder to do what in him lay to prevent the mischief that was threatened\nby the prevailing temper of the army,) he accepted the invitation.\n\nWhen he came thither, Cromwell welcomed him but coldly. He set himself\nfrom day to day to discourse the officers and soldiers out of their\nmistakes, both religious and political. He found a few fiery,\nself-conceited men among them made all the noise and bustle, and\ncarried about the rest as they pleased. Some of these became the\nlaughing-stock of the soldiers before he left them. He marched with\nthe army westward, and was at the taking of Bridgwater, and the siege\nof Bristol, and Sherborne Castle, and Exeter. He was also with Colonel\nWhalley before Banbury Castle, and at the siege of Worcester. He had\nfull employment in opposing the sectaries in all places: and\nparticularly he had at one place a dispute with them of a whole day's\ncontinuance. And by what success he met with, he found reason to\napprehend, that if there had but been a competent number of ministers,\neach doing their part, the whole plot of the furious party might have\nbeen broken, and king, parliament, and religion preserved. But he was\nseparated from the army by great weakness, occasioned by the loss of a\ngallon of blood at the nose; upon which, retiring to Sir Thomas\nRouse's, he was taken up with daily medicines to prevent a dropsy, and\nwas in continual expectation of death.\n\nHe did what he could to keep his people at Kidderminster free from a\nconcern in the public changes. He kept them from taking the Covenant,\nas fearing it might be a snare to their consciences: nay, he prevented\nits being much taken in all that county. When the Engagement came out,\nhe spake and preached against it, and dissuaded men from taking it. He\nhad a whole day's disputation with Mr. Tombs, in his church at\nBewdley, upon infant baptism; and thereby kept his people free from\nthe spreading notions of those times. When the army was going against\nKing Charles II. and the Scots, he wrote letters to several of the\nsoldiers to tell them of their sin, and desired them at last to begin\nto know themselves. And instead of praying for their success in\npublic, he freely inveighed against the forcing men to run to God\nupon such errands of blood and ruin; especially where brethren were\nconcerned. He often and various ways declared against Cromwell's\nusurpation, when he had got the ascendant: he preached once before him\nafter he was Protector, by means of the Lord Broghill and the Earl of\nWarwick: his text was 1 Cor. i. 10. The design of his sermon was to\nshow how mischievous it was for politicians to maintain divisions in\nthe church for their own ends. A little while after the Protector sent\nfor him, and made a speech to him of an hour's length, about the\nprovidence of God in changing the government, and favouring that\nchange by such great things done at home and abroad. Mr. Baxter freely\ntold him, that the honest people of the land took their ancient\nmonarchy to be a blessing; and desired to know how they had forfeited\nthat blessing, and to whom the forfeiture was made. He with some\npassion replied, that there was no forfeiture, but God had changed it\nas it pleased him.\n\nIn the controversy about church government, which was then so hotly\nagitated, Mr. Baxter was all along against extremes. He neither fell\nin with the Erastian, nor episcopal, nor presbyterian, nor independent\nparty entirely; but thought all of them had so much truth in common\namong them, as would have made these kingdoms happy, had it been\nunanimously and soberly reduced to practice, by prudent and charitable\nmen. At the desire of the neighbouring ministers he drew up an\nagreement for church order and concord, containing only so much church\norder and discipline, as he apprehended the episcopal, presbyterian,\nand independent were agreed in, as belonging to the pastors of each\nparticular church; which he afterwards published in a book called\n\"Christian Concord:\" and the ministers of those parts associated upon\nthat bottom; not disputing with each other in order to an agreement in\ntheir opinions, but agreeing in the practice of what was owned by all.\n\nUpon Oliver's becoming Protector, the extent of the toleration was the\nsubject of many debates. The committee of parliament proposed that it\nshould be extended to all that held the fundamentals of religion:\nhereupon it was queried which were the fundamentals of religion? and\nit was agreed that the members of the committee, who were fourteen in\nnumber, should each of them nominate a divine; and that they meeting\ntogether, should draw up a list of the fundamentals, to be as a test\nto the toleration. Mr. Baxter was upon this occasion nominated for\none, (in the room of Archbishop Usher, who refused,) by the Lord\nBroghill, and took a journey accordingly to London. There he met Mr.\nMarshal, Mr. Reyner, Dr. Cheynel, Dr. Goodwin, Dr. Owen, Mr. Nye, Mr.\nSydr. Sympson, Mr. Vines, Mr. Manton, and Mr. Jacomb, who were also\nnominated. Mr. Baxter was for offering to the parliament the creed,\nthe Lord's prayer, and ten commandments, as the fundamentals of\nchristianity: but the rest were not for so large a bottom, but were\nfor having a greater number of fundamentals. If he did no other\nservice among them, he at least prevented the running many things so\nhigh as might otherwise have been expected.\n\nTruth and peace were the things he earnestly pursued all his days. He\nby writing treated with Dr. Brownrigg, bishop of Exeter, about concord\nwith the diocesan party in this nation: and made also some proposals\nto Dr. Hammond to this purpose, a little before the Restoration of\nKing Charles. By means of Mr. Lamb and Mr. Allen, two anabaptist\nministers, whom he prevailed with to quit the way of separation, he\ndealt with the rest of the anabaptists, about communion with other\nchurches. He treated with Mr. Nye about an agreement with the\nindependents, in a moderate scheme; and he was often engaged in\ndisputes with the papists also. And indeed it is amazing how one of so\nmuch weakness, who was constantly followed with divers bodily\ninfirmities, should be capable of so much service.\n\nHe came to London just before the deposition of Richard Cromwell. He\npreached before the parliament the day before they voted for King\nCharles's return. He preached also before the lord mayor and aldermen of\nthe city at St. Paul's, on the day of thanksgiving for Monk's success.\nAnd when the king was actually restored, he became one of his chaplains\nin ordinary, in conjunction with some others of his brethren of the same\nsentiments with him. He preached once before him in that capacity; and\noften waited on him with the rest of the ministers, in order to obtain\nby his means some terms of peace and union with the bishops and their\nadherents, who were many of them inclined to run things to extremity. He\nassisted at the Savoy conference as one of the commissioners, and then\ndrew up a \"Reformed Liturgy;\" which some persons not very likely to be\nprejudiced in his favour, have thought to be the best of the kind they\never saw. He has under this head fallen under the censure of our late\nEnglish historian, who, vol. iii. p. 235, makes this reflection: \"He\ndrew up an absolute form of his own, and styled it the 'Reformed\nLiturgy;' as if he had the modesty to think that the old Liturgy,\ncompiled by a number of very learned confessors and martyrs, must now\ngive place to a new form composed by a single man, and he by education\nmuch inferior to many of his brethren.\" But had this gentleman been so\njust as to have read the reasons which Mr. Baxter gave,[2] for his doing\nthat which he represents as so assuming, he would have seen little\noccasion for his reflection. For the design of this Liturgy was not to\njostle out the old one, where persons were satisfied with it, but to\nrelieve those that durst not use the old one as it was, by helping them\nto forms taken out of the word of God. Or suppose we, that the old\nLiturgy had in the esteem of many fallen short of this new one; others\nare at a loss to discover why this should appear so preposterous, unless\nit be unaccountable for persons to prefer a Liturgy entirely Scriptural,\nto one that is made up of human phrases, and some of them justly enough\nexceptionable. It must be owned that the old Liturgy was framed by\nsundry confessors and martyrs, and upon that account it deserves\nrespect: and it was a great step in their day, for them to cast so many\ncorruptions out of the public service as they did, at that time, when\nthis Liturgy was drawn out of the several forms that were in use in this\nkingdom before. But it was but a pursuit of their design, to render the\npublic service yet more Scriptural: and had they risen from the dead,\nthere is good reason to believe they would generally have approved of\nit; and been so far from looking upon it as detracting from them, that\nthey would have applauded it as a good superstructure upon their\nfoundations. Suppose then he that drew up this \"Reformed Liturgy,\" was\nby education much inferior to many of his brethren; it neither follows\nfrom thence that he must really be so much inferior to them in useful\nknowledge and valuable abilities, as this author would seem to intimate;\nnor can it justly be thence argued that his performance was\ncontemptible; nor that there was any want of modesty neither, when his\nbrethren put him upon the undertaking. And besides, they approving it\nwhen they perused it, and joining in the presenting it, made it their\nown; as sufficiently appears from the preface prefixed; and some of them\nhad academical education, and great applause in the world too, and yet\nthought not Mr. Baxter at all their inferior.\n\nHe was also one of the three that managed the dispute at the end of\nthe conference at the Savoy, and freely charged some things in the\nLiturgy as sinful, and contrary to the word of God. As, that ministers\nare obliged in baptism to use the transient image of the cross; that\nnone be admitted to communion in the Lord's supper that dare not\nreceive it kneeling, &c. The forementioned author speaking of this in\nhis history, says, \"That it seems very strange that he and his\nbrethren should undertake to mention eight unlawful things in the\nLiturgy, when they could not affirm any one of those things to be in\nitself unlawful; but argued altogether upon the unlawful imposition of\nthem, which they might as well have done by the same argument in eight\nhundred of other indifferent and most innocent matters.\" But if this\ngentleman had considered, that the unwarrantableness of keeping up\nsuch impositions in the church was the thing which Mr. Baxter and his\nbrethren undertook to prove, in opposition to those who were zealous\nfor retaining them, and how little in that case depends upon the\nsimple unlawfulness of the things imposed, (abstracting from all\ncircumstances in a metaphysical sense,) the strangeness of their\nproceeding would have disappeared. For though the same argument would\nhave done in eight hundred indifferent things, (had there been so many\nso imposed,) yet it does not follow but that it would be good and\nvalid in those eight things mentioned, in which they thought they\nshould be bound up by the ecclesiastical constitution, (if they really\nmust have been so confined,) while they could not discover their\ncompliance to be lawful.\n\nThe same author also falls in with Bishop Morley, in representing Mr.\nBaxter as very perverse and disingenuous, by persisting in his denial\nof a certain proposition, after it had been turned and altered several\nways. But had he thought fit to have considered what is suggested upon\nthat head in the abridgement of his Life, which he had so often\nconsulted, and quoted upon other occasions, he would have seen the\naspersion wiped off, which he so freely repeats: and whether in so\ndoing he has meted with the measure he would have used towards\nhimself, upon occasion, is left to his second thoughts.\n\nWhen the king's Declaration came out, Mr. Baxter was offered the\nbishopric of Hereford, and some of his brethren some other preferments\nin the church; but he refused acceptance, because of the uncertainty\nof the continuance of the terms of that Declaration, and so did\nseveral others: and Mr. Calamy and he were, by a majority of three\nvoices, chosen by the city clergy to be their clerks in the\nconvocation; but were by the bishop of London excused from sitting\nthere. A continuance at Kidderminster was what he had most desired of\nany thing; and he did all that he was able in order to it; but\nProvidence forced him another way.\n\nWhile he was away from the town of Kidderminster, in great weakness,\nmore likely to die than live, after his great loss of blood, the people\nrenewed their articles against Mr. Danse, the old vicar, and his curate;\nand the committee sequestered the place, and left the profits in the\nhands of divers inhabitants to pay a preacher till it was disposed of.\nMr. Baxter, though pressed, would not accept the vicarage, but continued\nto officiate among them as their minister. He would have taken no more\nout of the profits of the living than the \u00a360 per annum which the vicar\nhad before bound himself to pay him, but they made it \u00a390. At length the\npeople fearing some one should get a grant of the sequestration from the\ncommittee, went privately and got an order to settle Mr. Baxter in it;\nbut never showed it him, till King Charles came out of Scotland towards\nWorcester, when they desired him to take and keep it, and save them\nharmless by it, if they were called to repay what they had received and\ndisbursed. After this, the tithes were gathered in his name by some of\nhis neighbours: but he gave them orders, that if any refused to pay that\nwere poor, it should be forgiven them; but if they were able, what was\ndue should be sought for with the help of the magistrates with damage;\nand that both his part and his damages should be given to the poor. When\nthis was known, none that were able would do the poor so great a\nkindness as to refuse payment.\n\nUpon King Charles's restoration the old vicar was restored. He had\nbefore lived unmolested in the vicarage house, and had \u00a340 per annum\nduly paid him. Mr. Baxter would now very willingly have been his\ncurate. Being often with my Lord Chancellor, he begged his favour\nabout a settlement there, which he signified to him he preferred to a\nbishopric. Sir Ralph Clare was the great obstacle. He once told Mr.\nBaxter, in Bishop Morley's chamber, that of eighteen hundred\ncommunicants in the town, he had not above six hundred for him. To\nclear which he sent to Kidderminster, and in a day's time his friends\nthere got the hands of sixteen hundred of those eighteen hundred for\nhim; which subscription being shown, made both the Bishop and Sir\nRalph the more against his return thither. My Lord Chancellor wrote to\nSir Ralph, but without effect. Mr. Baxter going down thither to make\nterms with the vicar, he would not suffer him to preach above twice or\nthrice. He could not be accepted, though he would have preached for\nnothing. It would not be allowed him so much as to administer the\nsacrament to the people, and preach a farewell sermon to them. Bishop\nMorley denied him the liberty of preaching in his diocess. He told him\nthat he would take care the people should be no losers. And for awhile\nhe sent the most acceptable preachers among them; and once took the\npains to preach to them himself, but it was in a way of invective\nagainst Mr. Baxter and the presbyterians. Dr. Warmestry did the same\nonce and again, but with little success. When Bishop Morley forbad him\npreaching in his diocess, he asked him leave but to preach in some\nsmall village among the ignorant, where there was no maintenance for a\nminister: and he told him, that they were better to have none than\nhim. Mr. Baldwin the minister was present.\n\nThere being no further capacity of service in those parts, Mr. Baxter\nfor some time preached up and down occasionally in the city, and at\nlength was fixed a lecturer with Dr. Bates at St. Dunstan's in Fleet\nStreet; and obtained Bishop Sheldon's licence, upon his subscribing a\npromise, not to preach against the doctrine of the church, or the\nceremonies, in his diocess, as long as he used his licence. Here he\nhad a crowded auditory; and the crowd unhappily drove him from his\nplace of preaching. One day in the midst of sermon a little lime dust\nfell down in the belfry, which made people think the steeple and\nchurch were falling. All were presently in a confused haste to get\naway, and the noise of the feet in the galleries sounded like the fall\nof the stones. Some cast themselves from the galleries, because they\ncould not get down-stairs; and the terror was universal: all made such\nhaste to get out that they hindered one another. Mr. Baxter, when the\nhurry was a little over, with great presence of mind reassumed his\ndiscourse, with this remarkable passage, to compose the spirits of the\npeople. \"We are\" (said he) \"in the service of God, to prepare\nourselves, that we may be fearless at the great noise of the\ndissolving world, when the heavens shall pass away, and the elements\nmelt in fervent heat; the earth also and the works therein shall be\nburned up,\" &c. And when he had gone on a little while, a bench near\nthe communion table breaking under the weight of those that stood upon\nit, renewed the fear and hurry, and made it rather worse than before.\nHe was forced to preach the rest of his quarter at St. Bride's church,\nwhile St. Dunstan's was repairing. He preached also once every Lord's\nday at Black-friars, gratis; and a week-day lecture in Milk Street.\n\nDuring this short interval of public liberty, those ministers that\nwere not for episcopacy, Liturgy, and ceremonies, were represented as\nseditious, and loaded with calumnies and reproaches. Many of them were\nimprisoned, together with some sober gentlemen, in several counties,\nunder pretence of their plotting against the government. Particularly\na plot was hatched in Worcestershire. A packet was pretended to be\nfound under a hedge, left there by a Scotch pedlar. In it there were\nletters from several ministers; and among the rest, one from Mr.\nBaxter; intimating, that he had provided a considerable body of men\nwell armed, which should be ready against the time appointed. And\nindeed where men were taken up and imprisoned in distant counties, it\nwas said to be for Baxter's plot. The noise of these plots in so many\ncounties, paved the way for the Act of Uniformity, which gave all the\nministers who could not conform no longer time than till Bartholomew\nday, 1662, when they were all cast out. Mr. Baxter preached his last\nsermon in public on the 25th of May before, at Black-friars. The\nreason of his forbearing preaching so soon, was partly because the\nlawyers did interpret a doubtful clause in the Act of Uniformity, as\nputting an end to the liberty of lecturers at that time; and partly\nbecause he would let all the ministers in the nation understand in\ntime what his intentions were, lest any might be influenced to a\ncompliance, upon a supposition that he intended to conform.\n\nAfter this, if the ejected ministers did but meet to pray together it\nwas a seditious conventicle. Dr. Bates and Mr. Baxter were desired to\npray at a friend's house, for his wife that was sick of a fever, and\nhad they been there they had been apprehended by a warrant from two\njustices. Finding therefore his public service at an end, he retired\nto Acton, in Middlesex; where he went every Lord's day to the public\nchurch, and spent the rest of the day with his family, and a few poor\nneighbours that came in to him. In the time of the plague, in 1665, he\nwent to Mr. Hampden's, in Buckinghamshire; and returned back again to\nActon when it was over. He stayed there as long as the Act against\nConventicles was in force, and when it was expired, he had so many\ncame to hear him, that he wanted room. Hereupon he by a warrant of two\njustices, was committed to New-Prison gaol for six months. But he got\na Habeas Corpus, and was released; and removed to Totteridge, near\nBarnet. While he was there, Duke Lauderdale going into Scotland,\nsignified to him a purpose there was of taking off the oath of\ncanonical obedience, and all impositions of conformity, save only that\nit should be necessary to sit in presbyteries and synods with the\nbishops and moderators; and that he had the king's consent to offer\nhim what place in Scotland he would choose, either a church, or a\ncollege, or a bishopric. But he excused himself from his weakness and\nindisposition, and the circumstances of his family.\n\nAfter the Indulgence, in 1672, he returned to his preaching in the city.\nHe was one of the Tuesday lecturers at Pinner's Hall; and had a Friday\nlecture at Fetter Lane; but on Lord's days he only preached\noccasionally. He afterwards preached in St. James's Market house, where\non July 5, 1674, they had a marvellous deliverance. For a main beam,\nthat had before been considerably weakened by the weight of the people,\ngave such cracks, that three several times they ran out of the room,\nconcluding it was falling. The next day taking up the boards they found\nthat two rends in the beam were so great, that it was a wonder of\nProvidence that the floor had not fallen, and the roof with it, to the\ndestruction of multitudes. He was afterwards apprehended as he was\npreaching his Thursday lecture at Mr. Turner's; but soon released,\nbecause the warrant was not signed by a city justice, as it should have\nbeen, when he was apprehended for preaching in the city. In 1676, by the\nassistance of his friends, he built a new meeting-house in Oxenden\nStreet, and when he had preached there but once, a resolution was taken\nto surprise him the next time, and to send him for six months to gaol\nupon the Oxford Act. But he being out of town, Mr. Seddon, a Derbyshire\nminister, preaching for him, was sent to the Gate-house in his room,\nthough the warrant did not suit him; and he was forced to continue there\nthree months, till he had a Habeas Corpus. He afterwards built another\nmeeting-house in St. Martin's parish, but was forcibly kept out of it by\nconstables and officers: and thereupon Mr. Wadsworth, in Southwark,\ndying, he upon the invitation of his people preached to them many months\nin peace. And when Dr. Lloyd succeeded Dr. Lamplugh, in St. Martin's\nparish, he offered him his chapel, in Oxenden Street, for public\nworship, and accepted it.[3]\n\nAnno 1682. He was suddenly surprised in his house, by an informer with\nconstables and officers, who served upon him a warrant, to seize on his\nperson for coming within five miles of a corporation; and five more\nwarrants in distraint for \u00a3195 for five sermons. He was going with them\nto a justice, though extremely bad as to his health, till meeting Dr.\nCox, he forced him back to his bed, and went and took his oath before\nfive justices that he could not go to prison without danger of death.\nThe king being consulted, consented that his imprisonment should for\nthat time be forborne. But they executed the warrants on the books and\ngoods in the house, though he made it appear they were none of his; and\nthey sold the bed he lay upon. Some friends paid down the money they\nwere appraised at, and he repayed them. Being afterwards in danger of\nnew seizures, he was forced to retire to private lodgings.\n\nAnno 1684. He was again seized upon and carried to the sessions, when\nhe was scarce able to stand, and bound in a bond of \u00a3400, to his good\nbehaviour; and was told that this proceeding was only to secure the\ngovernment against suspected persons. He was some time after carried\nagain to the sessions-house in great pain, and forced to continue\nbound. He refused to stand bound, not knowing what they might\ninterpret a breach of the peace. But his sureties would be bound, lest\nhe should die in a gaol. He was carried thither a third time, and\nstill bound; though for the most part he kept his bed.\n\nThough he was thus treated all King Charles's reign, he yet prayed as\nheartily for him as any man; and he was often consulted about terms and\nmeasures for a union between the conformists and nonconformists, as to\nwhich he was ever free to give his sentiments. He was not for\ncomprehension without indulgence; nor for a bare indulgence without the\nenlargement of the Act of Uniformity to a greater comprehension; but for\nthe conjunction of both. He declared this when he was consulted by a\nperson of honour, anno 1663. In the year 1668, Dr. Bates and he waited\non the Lord Keeper Bridgman by desire, in order to a treaty about a\ncomprehension and toleration, and were afterwards met by Dr. Wilkins and\nMr. Burton, with whom they conferred. The thing they most differed about\nwas re-ordination. At length by conference with Sir Matthew Hale, that\npoint was thus adjusted, that there should be an admission into the\nministry of the church of England, of such as had been before ordained\naccording to this form of words: \"Take thou legal authority to preach\nthe word of God, and administer the holy sacraments in any congregation\nof England, where thou shalt be lawfully appointed thereunto.\" It was\nagreed the ceremonies should be left indifferent, and the Liturgy\naltered; and that there should be an indulgence of such as could not be\ncomprehended. And a bill was drawn up by Judge Hale, to be presented to\nthe parliament; but the high-church party made such an interest, that it\nwas carried by a vote that no man should bring in a bill of this nature.\nHe afterwards in the year 1673, upon the desire of the Earl of Orrery,\ndrew up terms of union between the conformists and the nonconformists,\nin order to their joint vigorous opposing popery. And the next year\nthere was also an agreement upon like terms, between Dr. Stillingfleet\nand Dr. Tillotson, and Dr. Manton, Dr. Bates, Mr. Pool, and Mr. Baxter,\nand an act was proposed to be brought in the next session of parliament,\nin pursuance of the treaty; but Dr. Tillotson wrote word to Mr. Baxter,\nthat as circumstances stood, such an act could not pass in either house,\nwithout the concurrence of a considerable part of the bishops, and his\nMajesty's countenance, which at that time he saw little reason to\nexpect.\n\nIn the reign of King James II. Mr. Baxter was committed to the King's\nBench prison by warrant from the Lord Chief Justice Jefferies, for his\n\"Paraphrase on the New Testament,\" which was called a scandalous and\nseditious book against the government. On May 30, 1685, he was brought\nto his trial. The passages mentioned in the information, were his\nparaphrase on Matt. v. 19; Mark ix. 39; xi. 31; xii. 38-40; Luke x. 2;\nJohn xi. 57; Acts xv. 2: and a certain noted clergyman put into the\nhands of his enemies some accusations out of his paraphrase on Rom.\nxiii. &c. as against the king, to touch his life; but no use was made\nof them. Jefferies interrupted his council in pleading for him, and\ntreated Mr. Baxter most scornfully and rudely. He had given judgment\nagainst him, June 29, when he was fined 500 marks, and to lie in\nprison till he paid it; and bound to his good behaviour for seven\nyears. But the next year King James altering his measures, many of the\ndissenters that were imprisoned were released; and their fines were\nremitted: and among the rest, Mr. Baxter obtained his pardon by the\nmediation of the Lord Powis. His fine was remitted; and Nov. 24, Sir\nSamuel Astrey sent his warrant to the keeper of the King's Bench to\ndischarge him. But he gave sureties for his good behaviour: his\nMajesty declaring for his satisfaction, that it should not in him be\ninterpreted a breach of the good behaviour for him to reside in\nLondon, which was not allowable by the Oxford Act; and this was\nentered upon his bail-piece. He continued some time in the Rules; and\nin February following removed to a house in Charter-house Yard.\n\nAfter his settlement there, he gave Mr. Sylvester (whom he peculiarly\nvalued, and had a special intimacy with) and his flock, his pains,\ngratis, every Lord's day in the morning, and every other Thursday\nmorning at a weekly lecture. And thus he continued for about four\nyears and a half; rejoicing as much as any man at the happy revolution\nunder the conduct of King William, though he appeared not much in\npublic. And when he was quite disabled from public service by his\ngrowing weakness, he still continued to do good in his own hired\nhouse, where he opened his doors morning and evening every day, to all\nthat would come to join with him in family worship; reading and\nexpounding the Scriptures with great seriousness and freedom. At\nlength his distempers took him off from this also, and confined him\nfirst to his chamber, and then to his bed. Under sharp pains, he was\nvery submissive to the will of God; and when he was inclined to pray\nmost earnestly for a release, he would check himself and say, \"It is\nnot fit for me to prescribe: Lord, when thou wilt, what thou wilt, how\nthou wilt.\" As his end drew near, being often asked by his friends,\nhow it was with his inward man, he replied, \"I bless God I have a\nwell-grounded assurance of my eternal happiness, and great peace and\ncomfort within.\" He gave excellent counsel to young ministers that\nvisited him, earnestly prayed God to bless their labours, and\nexpressed great hopes that God would do a great deal of good by them,\nand great joy that they were of moderate and peaceable spirits. Being\nat last asked how he did, his answer was, \"Almost well;\" and at length\nhe expired, Dec. 8, 1691, and was a few days after interred in Christ\nChurch, in London, whither his corpse was attended by a numerous\ncompany of persons of different ranks, and especially of ministers,\nsome of them conformists, who paid him the last office of respect.\nThere were two discourses made upon occasion of his funeral, one by\nDr. Bates, and the other by Mr. Sylvester, which are both in print:\nthe former may be met with in the Doctor's Works; and the latter at\nthe end of Mr. Baxter's Life in folio.\n\nHis last will and testament bore date July 7, 1689. The preamble was\nsomething peculiar, and ran thus: \"I Richard Baxter, of London, clerk,\nan unworthy servant of Jesus Christ, drawing to the end of this\ntransitory life, having through God's great mercy the free use of my\nunderstanding, do make this my last will and testament, revoking all\nother wills formerly made by me. My spirit I commit, with trust and hope\nof the heavenly felicity, into the hands of Jesus my glorified Redeemer\nand Intercessor; and by his mediation into the hands of God my\nreconciled Father, the infinite, eternal Spirit, Light, Life, and Love,\nmost great, and wise, and good, the God of nature, grace, and glory; of\nwhom, and through whom, and to whom are all things; my absolute Owner,\nRuler, and Benefactor, whose I am, and whom I (though imperfectly)\nserve, seek, and trust; to whom be glory for ever. Amen. To him I render\nmost humble thanks, that he hath filled up my life with abundant mercy,\nand pardoned my sin by the merits of Christ, and vouchsafed by his\nSpirit to renew me, and seal me as his own; and to moderate and bless to\nme my long sufferings in the flesh, and at last to sweeten them by his\nown interest, and comforting approbation, who taketh the cause of love\nand concord as his own,\" &c. He ordered his books to be distributed by\nMr. Matthew Sylvester and Mr. Roger Morrice among poor scholars, which\nwas done accordingly. All that remained of his temporal estate, after a\nfew legacies to his kindred, he disposed of for the benefit of the souls\nand bodies of the poor. And he left Sir Henry Ashhurst, Baronet, Rowland\nHunt of Boraton, Esq., Mr. Thomas Hunt, merchant, Edward Harley, Esq.,\nMr. Thomas Cooke, merchant, Mr. Thomas Trench, merchant, and Mr. Robert\nBird, gentleman, his executors.\n\nFew ever had more weakness to imbitter their lives than he; and yet\nthis heightened and cherished the peculiar seriousness of his spirit.\nFew ever were more strongly tempted to infidelity; and yet, as\nProvidence overruled it, that contributed in the issue to his greater\nestablishment. He was tempted sorely to question the truth of the\nScriptures, the immortality of the soul, and the life to come. This\nsort of temptations did not assault him in that way that is usual with\nmelancholy persons, but with a show of sober reason. Hereupon he was\nforced to dig to the very foundations of religion, and seriously to\nexamine the reasons of christianity, and to give a hearing to all that\ncould be said against it; and his preaching and writings were upon\nthis account the more useful. And he at last found that nothing is so\nfirmly believed, as that which hath been some time doubted of.\n\nHe was a great observer of Providence, and in the course of his life\nmet with many surprising deliverances. When he was seventeen years of\nage, riding on an unruly horse, who would often get the bit in his\nteeth, and run away with his rider, he was run away with in a very\ndangerous place. He was in a field of high ground, where there was a\nquick-set hedge on the side of him, that was the only fence; on the\nother side of which was a deep narrow lane, about a story's height\nbelow him. When the horse was running away with him, he turned aside\non a sudden, and leaped over the hedge into the lane. He came to the\nground before the horse, and yet received no hurt, thought it seemed\nmarvellous how his feet could fall besides him. At another time, being\nabout the same age, and at Ludlow Castle, in company of several idle\ngentlemen, he was learning to play at tables of the best gamester in\nthe house. When his opposite had once so much the better, that it was\na hundred to one, besides the difference of their skill, he still held\non, though both he and the standers-by laughed at him for not giving\nup, and told him the game was lost: he was so confident of it as to\noffer a hundred to one; and actually did lay down ten shillings to\nsixpence. When the wager was laid, he told him there was no\npossibility of the game, but by one cast often: and it so fell out,\nthat he had that same cast for several times successively, so that by\nthat time a man could go four or five times about the room, his game\nwas gone, which caused great admiration. He took the hint, feared that\nthe devil had the ruling of the dice, and did it to entice him to be a\ngamester, and so gave him his ten shillings again, and resolved never\nmore to play at tables whilst he lived. At another time, travelling\nfrom London into the country, about Christmas, in a very deep snow, he\nmet on the road a loaded waggon, where he could not pass by but on the\nside of a bank: passing over which, all his horse's feet slipped from\nunder him, and all the girts broke, so that he was cast just before\nthe waggon wheel, which had gone over him, but that it pleased God the\nhorses suddenly stopped, without any discernible cause, till he got\nout of the way. Often was he brought very low while he was at\nKidderminster, so as to receive the sentence of death in himself, when\nhis poor honest, praying neighbours there met together, and upon their\nfasting and earnest prayers, he hath been recovered. Once when he had\nbeen very low for three weeks together, and was unable to go abroad,\non the very day that they prayed for him, which was on the Friday, he\nrecovered so as to be able to preach to them, and administer the\nsacrament, on the Lord's day following. Another time he had a tumour\nrose on one of the tonsils of his throat, white and hard like a bone,\nabove the hardness of any scirrhous tumour. He feared a cancer, and\napplied such remedies by the advice of the physician as were thought\nfittest, but without alteration; for it remained hard as at first. At\nthe end of a quarter of a year, he was under some concern, that he had\nnever praised God particularly for any of the deliverances he had\nformerly afforded him. And thereupon being speaking of God's\nconfirming our belief of his word, by his fulfilling his promises, and\nhearing prayers, (as it is published in the second part of his\n\"Saints' Rest,\") he annexed some thankful hints as to his own\nexperiences; and suddenly the tumour vanished, leaving no sign where\nit had been remaining; though he neither swallowed it down, nor spit\nit out, nor could ever tell what became of it. Another time having\nread in Dr. Gerhard the admirable effects of the swallowing a gold\nbullet upon his own father, in a case much like his, he got a gold\nbullet, between twenty and thirty shillings weight; and having taken\nit, he knew not how to be again delivered of it. He took clysters and\npurges for about three weeks, but nothing stirred it. And a gentleman\nhaving done the like, the bullet never came from him till he died, and\nit was cut out. But at last his neighbours set apart a day to fast and\npray for him, and he was free from his danger in the beginning of that\nday. And at another time, being in danger of an \u00e6gilopse, he had also\nsudden relief by their prayers. At another time riding upon a great\nhot, mettled horse, as he stood upon a sloping pavement in Worcester,\nthe horse reared up, and both his hinder feet slipped from under him;\nso that the full weight of the body of the horse fell upon his leg,\nwhich yet was only bruised, and not broken: when considering the\nplace, the stones, and the manner of the fall, it was a wonder his leg\nwas not broken in shivers. Another time as he sat in his study, the\nweight of his greatest folio books broke down three or four of the\nhighest shelves, when he sat close under them; and they fell down on\nevery side of him, and not one of them hit him, except one upon the\narm. Whereas the place, the weight, and greatness of the books was\nsuch, and his head just under them, that it was a wonder they had not\nbeaten out his brains, or done him an unspeakable mischief. One of the\nshelves just over his head having Dr. Walton's Polyglot Bible, all\nAustin's Works, the Bibliotheca Patrum, Marlorate, &c. At another\ntime, viz. March 26, 1665, as he was preaching in a private house, a\nbullet came in at the window, and passed by him, but did no hurt. Such\nthings as these he carefully took notice of, and recorded. And indeed\nhis being carried through so much service and suffering too, under so\nmuch weakness, was a constant wonder to himself, and all that knew\nhim; and what he used himself often to take notice of, with\nexpressions of great thankfulness.\n\nThere was scarce a man in England so consulted about cases of conscience\nas he was. He was applied to in matters of more than common concern and\ndifficulty, by persons of all ranks and qualities. His \"Directory\" may\ngive the world satisfaction how fit he was for that province: and had he\nkept an exact account of the various cases that had been proposed to\nhim, with his solutions, we should have had yet fuller evidence.\n\nHe loved a retired life, but could not so conceal himself as not to be\nobserved and much respected. My Lord Broghill, who was afterwards Earl\nof Orrery and Lord President of Munster, gave him many marks of his\nrespect. Archbishop Usher used great freedom with him, and urged him\nto some of his writings. In the worst of times he had some even in\nKing Charles's court that were very respectful to him. Duke Lauderdale\nwas one of these: and let him be ever so ill a man himself, this must\nbe said, that Mr. Baxter had sometimes an interest in him for the\nprocuring good, and the avoiding mischief. While he lived at Acton, he\nhad free conversation with his neighbour Sir Matthew Hale. And he\nmanifested his respect to Mr. Baxter, by giving a high encomium of him\nboth for piety and learning, before all the judges at the table at\nSerjeants' Inn, at the time when he was in prison upon the Oxford Act.\nMy Lord Balcarres and his Lady had also a very great value for him. He\nhad many letters full of respects from eminent divines in foreign\nparts. But there was no friend in the whole course of his life whom he\nmore valued and respected, and by whom he was more beloved, than that\nnoted citizen Henry Ashhurst, Esq. commonly called Alderman Ashhurst,\nwho was the most exemplary person for sobriety, self-denial, piety,\nand humility, that London could glory of. In short, living and dying,\nhe was as much respected by some, and as much slighted by others, as\nany man of the age.\n\nHardly any man was ever more calumniated and reproached than he. Dr.\nBoreman, of Trinity College, charged him in print with killing a man\nwith his own hand in cold blood. Some years after, the same charge was\nbrought against him in a coffee-house; but he that brought it being\nafterwards convinced, professed his sorrow, and asked his pardon. But\nSir Roger L'Estrange published a story a little like it in his\n\"Observator,\" and it was also inserted in the preface to the \"Life of\nDr. Heylin,\" and was lately inserted in a book entitled, \"Ordination by\nmere Presbyters proved Void and Null, in a Conference between\nPhilalethes and Pseudocheus.\" The story was this, that Mr. Baxter\nfinding one Major Jennings in the war time among the bodies of the dead\nand wounded, looked on while Lieutenant Hurdman, that was with him, ran\nhim through the body in cold blood. And that Mr. Baxter took off with\nhis own hand the king's picture from about his neck, telling him as he\nwas swimming in his gore, that he was a popish rogue, and that was his\ncrucifix: which picture was kept by Mr. Baxter till it was got from him,\nbut not without much difficulty, by one Mr. Somerfield who lived with\nSir Thomas Rouse, who restored it to the true owner, who was supposed to\nbe dead of his wounds: and this narrative was subscribed by Jennings\nhimself, that it might pass for the more authentic.--Mr. Baxter, on the\ncontrary, solemnly protested in print[4] upon occasion of the\npublication, that he knew not that he ever saw Major Jennings; that he\nnever saw him or any other man wounded; that he never took such a\npicture from him, or saw who did it; nor was in the field when it was\ndone; much less spoke any thing like the words reported: but that being\nat Longford House, while it was a garrison for the parliament, a soldier\nshowed a small medal of gilt silver, bigger than a shilling; and said\nthat he wounded Jennings, took his coat from his back, and the medal\nfrom his neck, which Mr. Baxter bought for eighteen pence, no one\noffering more: and that hearing afterwards he was living, he freely\ndesired this Somerfield to give it him, supposing it was a mark of\nhonour which might be useful to him. And this story was all the thanks\nthat ever he had.\n\nWhen he preached before King Charles, his Majesty sent the lord\nchamberlain to him to require him to print his sermon, and he\naccordingly printed it, and added in the title page, \"by his Majesty's\nspecial command.\" Dr. Pierce afterward asserted to several, that he\nwas none of the king's chaplain, and that he had no order from him for\nthe printing of his sermon. And he could scarce preach a sermon, but\nhe was represented as having some seditious design, covered over with\ninnocent words.\n\nHe was vehemently aspersed by those that were fond of extremes on all\nhands. When the lecture was set up at Pinner's Hall, if he did but\npreach for unity and against division, or unnecessary withdrawing from\neach other, or against unwarrantable narrowing the church of Christ,\nit was presently said he preached against such and such persons. If he\ndid but say that the will of man had a natural liberty, though a moral\nthraldom to vice; and that men might have Christ and life if they were\nbut truly willing, though grace must make them willing; and that men\nhave power to do better than they do; he was said to preach up\nArminianism and free-will. And on the other hand, when he in public\ntold the people, that they must not make the world believe that they\nwere under greater sufferings than they really were, nor be unthankful\nfor their peace; and that they ought when any hurt them, to love and\nforgive them, and see that they failed not of their duty to them; but\nshould not forsake the owning and just defending by Scripture\nevidence, the truth opposed; some of the high-church party, in a\nprinted account, told the world, that he bid the people resist, and\nnot stand still and die like dogs: for the falsity of which he was\nforced to appeal to the many hundreds that heard him.\n\nNay, he was aspersed even after his death. For it was reported that in\nthe latter part of his life even till he died, he was in great doubt and\ntrouble about a future state; that he inclined to think there was no\nfuture state at all, and ended his days under such a persuasion, to his\nno small trouble; he having written so many things to persuade persons\nto believe there was. Which was abundantly answered by Mr. Sylvester, in\nhis preface prefixed to the \"History of his Life and Times.\"\n\nHis love to the honest people of Kidderminster, who had the prime of\nhis strength and the flower of his labours, was very remarkable. He\ntold them, in the preface to the \"Saints' Rest,\" that the offers of\ngreater worldly accommodations, with five times the means that he\nreceived with them, was no temptation to him once to question whether\nhe should leave them. But he was afterwards forced to leave them, by\nBishop Morley, and Mr. Danse the old vicar. He did not part with them\nwithout mutual grief and tears. And when he went from them, he left\nMr. Baldwin, to live privately among them, and oversee them in his\nstead; and he advised them to frequent the public church assemblies,\nin conjunction with their private helps, unless the public minister\nwas utterly insufficient, or preached heresy, or in his application\nset himself against the ends of his office, by endeavouring to make a\nholy life seem odious. After parting from them, he wrote a letter to\nthem but once a year, lest it should be the occasion of their\nsuffering; and for fear lest if they did any thing that was\ndispleasing, it should be represented as the effect of his\nsuggestions. But in process of time even this honest and quiet people\nwere exasperated. They were alienated from the prelates and their\nadherents, for running down Mr. Baxter and those of his mind, as\ndeceivers. Repeating sermons in their houses they were laid in gaols\nwith common malefactors, their goods were seized, and they were fined\nand punished again and again. At length they were hardly more angry\nwith the bishops, than they were with Mr. Baxter himself, whom they\ncensured upon his publishing the book called \"The Cure of Church\nDivisions,\" as strengthening the hands of persecutors by persuading\nthem of the lawfulness of communicating in their parish church, with a\nconformable minister in the Liturgy. But he still continued his care\nof them, and concern for them. And at length he became capable of\nhelping them to a valuable, useful man, that would make it his\nbusiness to promote serious religion among them. For Colonel John\nBridges had sold the patronage of the living to Mr. Thomas Foley, upon\ncondition that he should present Mr. Baxter next if he were capable of\nit; and if not, that he should present one with his consent. When the\nold vicar died, many thought that Mr. Baxter himself would have\nconformed. Archbishop Stern, of York, particularly, bid a minister\ntake it on his word that he conformed, and was gone to his beloved\nKidderminster. But Mr. Baxter had no such thoughts, though he would\ngladly have assisted them in getting a suitable person. But the people\nthere refused to have any hand in bringing in another minister into\nthe church, lest they should seem to consent to his conformity, or be\nobliged to own him in his office. They were not to be prevailed with\nto concur; and for that reason Mr. Baxter refused to meddle in the\nchoice. When Mr. Foley had put in a valuable man to be their minister,\nMr. Baxter wrote to them to join with him in prayers and sacrament, at\nthat time when they had no opportunity for separate meetings. But\ntheir sufferings had so far alienated them from the church party, that\nthey would not yield that his letter should be so much as read among\nthem. However, Mr. Baxter kept up a peculiar respect to them, and\nconcern for them, as long as he lived.\n\nHis works were various. Dr. Bates, in his funeral sermon, says that\nhis books, for the number and variety of matter in them, make a\nlibrary. They contain a treasure of controversial, casuistical,\npositive, and practical divinity; and the excellent Bishop Wilkins did\nnot stick to say that he had cultivated every subject he handled. I\nwill touch only upon those of his works that are here collected\ntogether in four volumes.\n\nThe first volume contains his \"Christian Directory.\" The first part of\nit, which he calls \"Christian Ethics,\" is perhaps the best body of\npractical divinity that is extant in our own or any other tongue. And\nthough in the \"Ecclesiastical Cases\" there are some things that are\nnot to every man's gust, (and no other could well be expected where\nthere is so vast a variety,) yet he that will have the patience to\nread through, will find his pains rewarded by ample instruction.\n\nThe second volume contains, I. \"The Reasons of the Christian Religion;\"\nwhich book hath relieved many when under temptations to infidelity. II.\n\"The Unreasonableness of Infidelity;\" where a clear account is given of\nthe nature of the witness of the Spirit to the truth of Christianity,\nand of the unpardonable sin committed in opposition to it. And a\ndiscourse is added about the arrogancy of reason in opposition to divine\nrevelation, that is very proper for those who being for a freedom of\nthought would know how to keep it within due bounds, so as to prevent\nextravagance. III. \"More Reasons for the Christian Religion;\" which\ncontains a vindication of the Holy Scriptures from the charge of\ncontradictions; and some animadversions on my Lord Herbert \"De\nVeritate.\" IV. His \"Treatise of Conversion;\" a set of plain sermons\npreached at Kidderminster, explaining the nature and the necessity, the\nbenefits and hinderances, of a thorough change of heart and life. V. \"A\nCall to the Unconverted;\" which has been blessed by God with marvellous\nsuccess in reclaiming persons from their impiety. Six brothers were once\nconverted by reading it. Twenty thousand of them were printed and\ndispersed in little more than a year's time. It was translated into\nFrench and Dutch, and other European languages. And Mr. Eliot translated\nit into the Indian language; and Mr. Cotton Mather gives an account of a\ncertain Indian prince, who was so affected with this book, that he sat\nreading it with tears in his eyes till he died, not suffering it to be\ntaken from him. VI. \"Now or Never;\" in which all are seriously urged to\nimprove the present time, in order to a hearty return to God through\nJesus Christ. VII. \"Directions and Persuasions to a Sound Conversion;\" a\nbook that has been useful to many souls, by preventing those mistakes in\npractical religion, which are often fatal. VIII. \"A Saint or a Brute;\"\nbeing some plain sermons preached to his people at Kidderminster,\nconcerning the necessity and excellency of holiness. IX. \"The Mischiefs\nof Self-Ignorance, and Benefits of Self-Acquaintance;\" being some plain\nsermons preached at St. Dunstan's, in Fleet Street, to prevent persons\nfrom devouring others, while they did not know themselves. X. \"A Right\nMethod for Settled Peace of Conscience;\" written for the benefit of a\nmelancholy lady; a book by which many dejected christians have been\nrevived. XI. \"God's Goodness Vindicated;\" an essay to clear up that\ndarling attribute of the Deity about which melancholy persons often run\ninto such unhappy mistakes. XII. \"Directions to a Weak Christian how to\nGrow in Grace; with Characters of a Sound Christian;\" well worth the\nperusal of such as desire to have right and clear notions of\nchristianity.\n\nThe third volume contains, I. \"The Saints' Everlasting Rest;\" a book\nwritten in a very languishing condition, when in the suspense of life\nand death; and yet it has the signatures of a holy and vigorous mind.\nMultitudes will have cause to bless God for ever for this book. Among\nothers, holy Mr. John Janeway was thereby converted.[5] II. \"A\nTreatise of Self-Denial\"; in which the nature and grounds of that\ncapital part of our holy religion are opened and cleared. III. \"Of\nCrucifying the World by the Cross of Christ;\" an affecting caveat\nagainst worldliness. IV. \"The Life of Faith;\" which was an enlargement\nof the sermon preached before King Charles II., soon after his\nRestoration. Though there are many things to be met with here, that\noccur in his other writings, (a thing not to be avoided in one that\nwrote so much,) yet has the method in which they are here put together\nbeen advantageous to many. V. \"The Divine Life;\" in which there are\nthree Treatises: viz. \"Of the Knowledge of God,\" \"Of Walking with\nGod,\" and \"Of Conversing with God in Solitude;\" in which there is more\nsolid and useful divinity than in some bulky volumes. VI. \"The Divine\nAppointment of the Lord's day;\" written for the satisfaction of some\nthat were inclined to the seventh-day sabbath. VII. \"Obedient\nPatience.\" VIII. \"His Dying Thoughts;\" in which though there are some\npeculiarities, and an account of some temptations, that it is amazing\nthat such a man as Mr. Baxter should be at all troubled with; there\nyet are some as noble thoughts as to the happiness of the saints\ndeparted, and as to our blessed Saviour's transfiguration, and the\nimprovableness of it, as can easily be met with.\n\nThe fourth and last volume contains, I. \"Compassionate Counsel to\nYoung Men;\" which many have had cause to bless God for. II. \"The\nMother's Catechism;\" designed for the instruction of children, and for\nthe assistance of mothers in discharging their duty in that respect.\nIII. \"Catechising of Families;\" a plain manual; familiarly opening the\ngreat essentials of religion in a catechetical way. IV. \"The Poor\nMan's Family Book;\" a book that hath been given away by many landlords\nto their tenants with good success. V. \"Confirmation and Restoration,\"\n&c.; being an essay to revive the true primitive discipline, by\nbringing the baptized publicly to own their standing to the baptismal\nvow when they come to age; and proposing that such as fall into\nscandalous sins should be restored by a public profession of\nrepentance. VI. \"Gildas Salvianus, or the Reformed Pastor;\" which\nperhaps contains the best model of a gospel minister that ever was\npublished. We may indeed there meet with a free confession of\nministerial faults; which confession some endeavoured to turn to his\nreproach: but the confessing and amending real faults, is a much more\nlikely way to secure the honour of the sacred ministry, than either a\ndenying them, or a seeking to cloak, extenuate, or cover them. VII.\n\"The Vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite;\" where hypocrisy is freely\ndetected and unmasked. VIII. \"Cain and Abel;\" in which the malignity\nof the enmity between the Seed of the woman and the seed of the\nserpent, is proved to have discovered itself from the first. IX.\n\"Knowledge and Love;\" wherein conceited knowledge is exposed, and the\nexcellency of divine love displayed. X. \"Catholic Unity;\" a sermon\npreached in St. Martin's Church, in which it is shown how greatly\nungodliness tendeth to divisions, and godliness to the truest unity\nand peace. XI. \"The True and only Way of Concord.\" XII. Sermons\npreached upon sundry particular occasions; with a few \"Directions to\nJustices of Peace,\" &c.\n\nI shall only add, that if the recommendations of others would have any\ninfluence upon the readers, or their characters of the author increase\ntheir esteem, few writers would have more advantage than Mr. Baxter.\nFor besides that there are none of our practical divines whose works\nhave been translated into more foreign languages, nor are read with\nmore admiration abroad than his, there is no one who by the fittest\njudges has been more applauded.\n\nMr. Pitcaren, in his \"Harmony of the Evangelists,\" p. 269, professes a\ngreat esteem for his learning, acuteness, and piety.\n\nMr. Wood, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews, in\nhis answer to Mr. Lockier, represents Mr. Baxter as a most judicious,\nacute, and godly man.\n\nThe Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq. declared Mr. Baxter to be the\nfittest man of the age for a casuist because he feared no man's\ndispleasure, nor hoped for any man's preferment.\n\nHe was often quoted by some of the most celebrated divines of the church\nwith respect; as by Bishop Patrick, Bishop Stillingfleet, Bishop Burnet,\nand Dr. Sherlock; as also by Mr. Hotchkis, and Mr. Wade, and others.\n\nSir William Morrice, in his book of the \"Lord's Supper,\" p. 32, speaks\nof Mr. Baxter as one in the dust of whose feet (according to the Hebrew\nproverb) he should gladly roll himself; and notwithstanding some little\ndifference in opinion, yet he could never have a quarrel with him. And\nhe declares that he could only say as Phavorinus did of Adrian, It is\nnot for me to contend with him who commands legions of notions and\narguments. For me (says he) to throw a dart at him from Bellona's\ntemple, (which was the denunciation of war,) were to show myself like\none of the priests of that goddess, which were all fanatic, and used to\ntear their own flesh. I should be loth to transform the most favourable\npatron I have found, into the most formidable enemy I can meet with. And\nas he that thought it enough to eternize his memory, to inscribe upon\nhis monument, his friendship he had with Sir Philip Sidney; so (says he)\nmy tombstone could not have been ambitious of a more honourable epitaph,\nthan Mr. Baxter's approbation.\n\nMr. Glanvil, in his \"Philosophia Pia,\" p. 110, thus expresses himself\nconcerning Mr. Baxter,--That worthy man I think is to be honoured much\nfor his stout, rational, and successful opposition of the mischievous\nantinomian follies, when the current systematic divinity, then called\northodox, was very overgrown with them; and for his frequent asserting\nthe reasonableness of religion, against the madness of spreading\nenthusiasm; for his earnest endeavours for the promotion of peace and\nuniversal charity, when it was held a great crime not to be fierce in\nthe way of a sect. That he was a person worthy of great respect; and\nthat he (viz. Mr. Glanvil) could scarce forbear affirming concerning\nhim, as a learned doctor of the church of England did; viz. that he\nwas the only man that spake sense in an age of nonsense.\n\nMr. Woodbridge, in his \"Treatise of Justification,\" says, that Mr.\nBaxter was a man made on purpose to encounter with opposition for the\nsake of truth.\n\nAnd Dr. Manton, upon occasion, declared in the hearing of several,\nthat he thought Mr. Baxter came nearer the apostolical inspired\nwriters, than any man in the age.\n\n    _It having been proposed to reprint the PRACTICAL WORKS of the\n    excellent Mr. BAXTER, in Four Volumes; a design fitted to promote\n    and propagate serious religion, not only in the present age, but\n    to posterity: we whose names are subscribed, do most heartily\n    recommend it to all ministers, gentlemen, and others, (to whom the\n    interest of our Lord Jesus Christ is dear,) that they would to\n    their utmost encourage so good a work._\n\nAmong all the great and useful projects of this kind that have been\nset on foot this age, perhaps there have been none so likely to reach\nall the desirable purposes this may be serviceable for. Here you have\nnot only a few particular heads of christian faith and practice, but\nchristianity itself, in its full extent and compass, most accurately\nhandled, and at the same time with greatest plainness suited to the\nmeanest capacities, and pressed home upon the consciences of readers\nwith inimitable life and fervour. And how great an advantage must it\nbe to have such a help at hand in families, to which you may have\nrecourse upon all occasions, to clear your judgments in the great\narticles of religion, to ease your minds in the most perplexing cases\nof conscience, to engage and direct you in the several most important\nexercises of godliness! You need not fear any danger from hence of\nbeing influenced for or against any party of christians, as such. For\nin all his writings you will find the evidences of a large and truly\nchristian spirit, too great to be confined to the narrow limits of one\nor other party; and that noble catholic temper is what he every where\nlabours to infuse into his readers: a temper not only most pleasant to\nthe persons themselves in whom it has place, but which at last must\nheal all the unhappy differences in the christian world, if ever God\nhave so much mercy for us.\n\n  GEORGE HAMMOND,\n  ABRAHAM HUME,\n  SAMUEL STANCLIFF,\n  THOMAS DOOLITTLE,\n  RICHARD STRETTON,\n  JOHN QUICK,\n  MATTHEW SYLVESTER,\n  DANIEL WILLIAMS,\n  DANIEL BURGESS,\n  JOHN SPADEMAN,\n  SAMUEL POMFRET,\n  JOHN SHOWER,\n  TIMOTHY ROGERS,\n  THOMAS GOODWIN,\n  JOSHUA OLDFIELD,\n  BENJAMIN ROBINSON,\n  THOMAS COTTON,\n  WILLIAM TONG,\n  ROBERT FLEMING,\n  JOHN SHEFFIELD,\n  JOHN BILLINGSLEY,\n  DANIEL ALEXANDER,\n  ROBERT BILLIO,\n  THOMAS REYNOLDS,\n  EDMUND CALAMY,\n  SAMUEL BURY,\n  SAMUEL DOOLITTLE,\n  ZACH. MERRELL,\n  THOMAS FREKE,\n  WILLIAM HARRIS,\n  SAMUEL PALMER,\n  BENJAMIN GRAVENER,\n  MICHAEL POPE,\n  SAMUEL ROSEWEL.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[1] Mr. Baxter tells us, he met with several eminent christians that\nmagnified the good they had received by that book. And particularly he\nrelates a remarkable passage, in his book against the \"Revolt to a\nForeign Jurisdiction,\" p. 539, 540. He says, that when he was twenty-one\nyears of age, at a private meeting of some ministers and christians in\nShrewsbury, (where were present Mr. Cradock, Mr. Richard Symonds, and\nMr. Fawler, who was afterwards cast out at St. Bride's, in 1662,) Mr.\nSymonds took occasion to speak of some pious women, who were in great\ndoubt as to the sincerity of their conversion, because they knew not the\ntime and means and manner of it; and thereupon desired any that were\nwilling to open the case as to themselves, to satisfy such persons.\nAmong these, there were two others, viz. Mr. Fawler, and Mr. Michael\nOld, who gave the same account as Mr. Baxter did: viz. that after many\nconvictions and a love to piety, the first lively motion that awakened\ntheir souls to a serious resolved care of their salvation, was the\nreading of this book of Bunny's \"Of Resolution.\"\n\n[2] See his large Life, Part I. p. 306.\n\n[3] The gentleman that compiled the third volume of the \"Complete\nHistory of England,\" quoting that part of the Abridgement of Mr.\nBaxter's Life, where this is mentioned, declares, p. 312, that \"that\npart of the relation as to the offer of a chapel, is known to be\nfalse.\" This appearing a direct contradiction to Mr. Baxter's relation\nof a matter of fact, in which himself was immediately concerned,\ntroubled many; the rather because it seemed to strike at the credit of\nhis whole history. Mr. Baxter had not only asserted in the History of\nhis Life, p. 179, that he was encouraged by Dr. Tillotson to make the\noffer of the chapel, and that it was accepted to his great\nsatisfaction; but he had mentioned it in several of his works that\nwere published in his life-time; and particularly in his Breviate of\nthe Life of his Wife, he, p. 57, says, that Dr. Lloyd and the\nparishioners accepted of it for their public worship, and that he and\nhis wife asked them no more rent, than they were to pay for the\nground; and the room over for a vestry, at \u00a35, asking no advantage for\nall the money laid out on the building. Which was never known to be\ncontradicted, till this history was published. Application therefore\nwas made to the compiler of that third volume, in a respectful way,\nand he was requested to signify upon what grounds this was charged as\na falsity. Hereupon he, like a gentleman, a christian, and a divine,\nfrankly offered to consult my Lord Bishop of Worcester upon the\nmatter, who was the person immediately concerned with Mr. Baxter; and\nhis Lordship when consulted was pleased to declare that Mr. Baxter,\nbeing disturbed in his meeting-house in Oxenden Street, by the king's\ndrums, which Mr. Secretary Coventry caused to be beat under the\nwindows, made an offer of letting it to the parish of St. Martin's for\na tabernacle, at the rent of \u00a340 a year; and that his Lordship hearing\nit, said he liked it well; and that thereupon Mr. Baxter came to him\nhimself, and upon his proposing the same thing to him, he acquainted\nthe vestry, and they took it upon those terms. This account is here\npublished for the clearing of that matter, with due thanks to his\nLordship for his frankness, and to the gentleman that consulted him,\nfor his most obliging readiness to do justice to truth.\n\n[4] See his \"True History of Councils enlarged and defended,\" p. 5.\n\n[5] See Mr. Janeway's Life, p. 6.\n\n\n\n\n                                   A\n                          CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY:\n                              OR, A SUM OF\n                          PRACTICAL THEOLOGY,\n                                  AND\n                          CASES OF CONSCIENCE.\n\n   DIRECTING CHRISTIANS, HOW TO USE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND FAITH; HOW TO\n     IMPROVE ALL HELPS AND MEANS, AND TO PERFORM ALL DUTIES; HOW TO\n       OVERCOME TEMPTATIONS, AND TO ESCAPE OR MORTIFY EVERY SIN.\n\n                             IN FOUR PARTS.\n\n              I.   CHRISTIAN ETHICS, (OR PRIVATE DUTIES.)\n             II.  CHRISTIAN ECONOMICS, (OR FAMILY DUTIES.)\n           III. CHRISTIAN ECCLESIASTICS, (OR CHURCH DUTIES.)\n   IV.  CHRISTIAN POLITICS, (OR DUTIES TO OUR RULERS AND NEIGHBOURS.)\n\n\n\n\nADVERTISEMENT.\n\n\n  READERS,\n\nThe book is so big that I must make no longer preface, than to give\nyou this necessary, short account, I. Of the quality; II. And the\nreasons of this work.\n\n1. The matter you will see in the contents: As Amesius's \"Cases of\nConscience\" are to his \"Medulla,\" the second and practical part of\ntheology, so is this to a \"Methodus Theologi\u00e6\" which I have not yet\npublished. And, 1. As to the method of this, it is partly natural, but\nprincipally moral; that is, partly suitable to the real order of the\nmatter, but chiefly of usefulness, _secundum ordinem intentionis_,\nwhere our reasons of each location are fetched from the end. Therefore\nunless I might be tedious in opening my reasons _\u00e0 fine_ for the order\nof every particular, I know not how to give you full satisfaction. But\nin this practical part I am the less solicitous about the accurateness\nof method, because it more belongeth to the former part, (the theory,)\nwhere I do it as well as I am able.\n\n2. This book was written in 1664 and 1665 (except the Ecclesiastic\nCases of Conscience, and a few sheets since added). And since the\nwriting of it, some invitations drew me to publish my \"Reasons of the\nChristian Religion,\" my \"Life of Faith,\" and \"Directions for Weak\nChristians;\" by which the work of the two first chapters here is more\nfully done; and therefore I was inclined here to leave them out; but\nfor the use of such families as may have this without the other, I\nforbore to dismember it.\n\n3. But there is a great disproportion between the several parts of the\nbook. 1. The First Part is largest, because I thought that the heart\nmust be kept with greatest diligence, and that if the tree be good the\nfruit will be good; and I remember Paul's counsel, \"Take heed unto\nthyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this\nthou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee,\" 1 Tim. iv. 16.\nNothing is well done by him that beginneth not at home: as the man is,\nso is his strength, and work. 2. The two first chapters are too coarse\nand tedious for those of the higher form, who may pass them over. But\nthe rest must be spoken to; to whom that is unprofitable which is most\nsuitable and pleasant to more exercised and accurate wits. The grand\ndirections are but the explications of the essentials of christianity,\nor of the baptismal covenant, even of our relation-duties to God the\nFather, Son, (in several parts of his relation,) and of the Holy\nGhost. The doctrine of Temptations is handled with brevity, because\nthey are so numerous; lest a due amplification should have swelled the\nbook too much; when a small part of their number maketh up so much of\nMr. John Downame's great and excellent treatise, called, \"The\nChristian Warfare.\" The great radical sins are handled more largely\nthan seemeth proportionable to the rest, because all die when they are\ndead. And I am large about Redeeming Time, because therein the sum of\na holy, obedient life is included.\n\n4. If any say, Why call you that a Sum of Practical Theology which is\nbut the directing part, and leaveth out the explication, reasons,\nvarious uses, marks, motives, &c.? I answer, 1. Had I intended\nsermonwise to say all that might well be said on each subject, it\nwould have made many volumes as big as this. 2. Where I thought them\nneedful, the explication of each duty and sin is added, with marks,\ncontraries, counterfeits, motives, &c. And uses are easily added by an\nordinary reader, without my naming them.\n\n5. I do especially desire you to observe, that the resolving of\npractical cases of conscience, and the reducing of theoretical knowledge\ninto serious christian practice, and promoting a skilful facility in the\nfaithful exercise of universal obedience, and holiness of heart and\nlife, is the great work of this treatise; and that where I thought it\nneedful, the cases are reduced to express questions and answers. But had\nI done so by all, many such volumes would have been too little; and\ntherefore I thought the directing way most brief and fit for christian\npractice; for if you mark them, you will find few directions in the\nbook, which may not pass for the answer of an implied question or case\nof conscience; and when I have given you the answer in a direction, an\ningenious reader can tell what question it is that is answered. And so,\nmany hundred cases are here resolved, especially in the two first parts,\nwhich are not interrogatively named.\n\n6. And I must do myself the right as to notify the reader, that this\ntreatise was written when I was (for not subscribing, declaring, &c.)\nforbidden by the law to preach, and when I had been long separated far\nfrom my library and from all books, saving an inconsiderable parcel\nwhich wandered with me, where I went; by which means this book hath two\ndefects: 1. It hath no cases of conscience, but what my bare memory\nbrought to hand: and cases are so innumerable, that it is far harder,\nmethinks, to remember them, than to answer them; whereby it came to pass\nthat some of the ecclesiastical cases are put out of their proper place,\nbecause I could not seasonably remember them. For I had no one casuist\nbut Amesius with me. But (after about twelve years' separation) having\nreceived my library, I find that the very sight of Sayrus, Fragoso,\nRoderiquez, Tolet, &c. might have helped my memory to a greater number.\nBut perhaps these will be enough for those that I intend them for. 2.\nAnd by the same cause the margin is unfurnished of such citations as are\naccounted an ornament, and in some cases are very useful. The scraps\ninserted out of my few trivial books at hand being so mean, as that I am\nwell content (except about Monarchy, Part IV.) that the reader pass them\nby as not worthy of his notice.\n\nAnd it is like that the absence of books will appear to the reader's\nloss in the materials of the treatise; but I shall have this advantage\nby it, that he will not accuse me as a plagiary. And it may be some\nlittle advantage to him, that he hath no transcript of any man's\nbooks, which he had before; but the product of some experience, with a\nnaked, unbiassed perception of the matter or things themselves.\n\n7. Note also, that the Third and Fourth Parts are very much defective\nof what they should contain, about the power and government of God's\nofficers in church and state; of which no readers will expect a reason\nbut strangers, whose expectations I may not satisfy. But as I must\nprofess, that I hope nothing here hath proceeded from disloyalty, or\ndisrespect to authority, government, unity, concord, peace, or order;\nor from any opposition to faith, piety, love, or justice; so if,\nunknown to me, there be any thing found here that is contrary or\ninjurious to any one of these, I do hereby renounce it, and desire it\nmay be taken as _non scriptum_.\n\nII. The ends and uses for which I wrote this book are these: 1. That\nwhen I could not preach the gospel as I would, I might do it as I\ncould. 2. That three sorts might have the benefit, as followeth.\n\n1. That the younger and more unfurnished and unexperienced sort of\nministers, might have a promptuary at hand, for practical resolutions\nand directions on the subjects that they have need to deal in. And\nthough Sayrus and Fragoso have done well, I would not have us under a\nnecessity of going to the Romanists for our ordinary supplies. Long\nhave our divines been wishing for some fuller casuistical tractate:\nPerkins began well; Bishop Sanderson hath done excellently _de\njuramento_; Amesius hath exceeded all, though briefly. Mr. David\nDickson hath put more of our English cases about the state of\nsanctification, into Latin, than ever was done before him. Bishop\nJeremy Taylor hath in two folios but begun the copious performance of\nthe work. And still men are calling for more, which I have attempted:\nhoping that others will come after, and do better than we all.\n\nIf any call it my pride, to think that any ministers or students are\nso raw as to need any thing that I can add to them, let him but pardon\nme for saying that such demure pleadings for a feigned humility, shall\nnot draw me to a confederacy with blindness, hypocrisy, and sloth, and\nI will pardon him for his charge of pride.\n\nIt is long ago since many foreign divines subscribed a request, that\nthe English would give them in Latin a Sum of our Practical Theology,\nwhich Mr. Dury sent over, and twelve great divines of ours wrote to\nBishop Usher, (as Dr. Bernard tells you in his Life,) to draw them up\na form or method. But it was never done among them all. And it is\nsaid, that Bishop Downame at last undertaking it, died in the attempt.\nHad this been done, it is like my labour might have been spared. But\nbeing undone, I have thus made this essay. But I have been\nnecessitated to leave out much, (about conversion, mortification,\nself-denial, self-acquaintance, faith, justification, judgment, glory,\n&c.) because I had written of them all before.\n\n2. And I thought it not unuseful to the more judicious masters of\nfamilies, who may choose and read such parcels to their families, as\nat any time the case requireth. And indeed I began it rudely, with an\nintention of that plainness and brevity which families require; but\nfinding that it swelled to a bigger bulk than I intended, I was fain\nto write my \"Life of Faith,\" as a breviate and substitute, for the\nfamilies and persons that cannot have and use so large a volume:\npresupposing, my \"Directions for sound Conversion,\" for \"Weak\nChristians,\" and for \"Peace of Conscience,\" printed long ago.\n\n3. And to private christians I thought it not in vain, to have at hand\nso universal a directory and resolution of doubts; not expecting that\nthey remember all, but may, on every occasion, turn to such\nparticulars as they most need.\n\nBut I must expect to be assaulted with these objections: and it is not\nonly profane deriders and malignant enemies, that are used by Satan to\nvilify and oppose our service of God.\n\n_Object._ I. You have written too many books already. Who do you think\nhath so little to do as to read them all? Is it not pride and\nself-conceitedness to think that your scribblings are worthy to be\nread? and that the world hath need of so much of your instructions, as\nif there were no wise men but you? You have given offence already by\nyour writings; you should _write less_, and _preach more_.\n\n_Answ._ 1. I have seldom, if ever, in all my ministry, omitted one\nsermon for all my writings. I was not able to live in London, nor ride\nabroad; but through God's mercy I seldom omitted any opportunities at\nhome.\n\n2. And if I preach the same doctrine that I write, why should not men\nbe as angry with me for preaching it, as for writing it? But if it be\ngood and true, why is it not as good preach by the press, to many\nthousands, and for many years after I am dead, as to preach to a\nparlour full for a few hours? Or why is not both as good as one?\n\n3. I will not take the reverend objector to be ignorant, that writing,\nand publishing the word of God by it, is preaching it, and the most\npublic preaching; and hath the example of the apostles and evangelists,\nas well as speaking. And one is no more appropriate to them than the\nother: though the extraordinaries of both be proper to them. And do you\nnot perceive what self-condemning contradiction it is, at the same time\nto cry out against those that dissuade you from preaching, or hinder\nyou, and tell you it is needless, and you are proud to think that the\nworld needeth your preaching, and yet you yourselves to say the very\nsame against your brethren's preaching by the press? I know an ignorant,\nilliterate sectary might say, Writing is no preaching; and you are\ncalled to preach, and not to write. But I must reverence you more than\nto suppose you so absurd. Other men forbid you but _less public_\npreaching, and you reproach me for _more public_ preaching: that is the\ndifference. How hard is it to know what spirit we are of! Did you think\nthat you had been patrons of idleness, and silencers of ministers, while\nyou declaim so much against it? Your pretence that you would have me\npreach more, is feigned. Are you sure that you preach ofter than I do?\nWhen I persuaded ministers heretofore to catechise and instruct all\ntheir parishes personally, family by family, you said it was more toil\nthan was our duty. And now you are against much writing too; and yet\nwould be thought laborious ministers.\n\nAnd as to the number and length of my writings, it is my own labour\nthat maketh them so, and my own great trouble, that the world cannot\nbe sufficiently instructed and edified in fewer words. But, 1. Would\nnot all your sermons set together be as long? And why is not much and\nlong preaching blamable, if long writings be? 2. Are not the works of\nAugustine, and Chrysostom, much longer? Who yet hath reproached\nAquinas or Suarez, Calvin or Zanchy, &c. for the number and greatness\nof the volumes they have written? Why do you contradict yourselves by\naffecting great libraries? 3. When did I ever persuade any one of you\nto buy or read any book of mine? What harm will they do those that let\nthem alone? Or what harm can it do you for other men to read them? Let\nthem be to you as if they had never been written; and it will be\nnothing to you how many they are. And if all others take not you for\ntheir tutors, to choose for them the books that they must read, that\nis not my doing, but their own. If they err in taking themselves to be\nfitter judges than you what tendeth most to their own edification, why\ndo you not teach them better? 4. Either it is God's truth, or error,\nwhich I write. If error, why doth no one of you show so much charity,\nas by word or writing to instruct me better, nor evince it to my face,\nbut do all to others by backbiting? If truth, what harm will it do? If\nmen had not leisure to read our writings, the booksellers would\nsilence us, and save you the labour; for none would print them. 5. But\nwho can please all men? Whilst a few of you cry out of too much, what\nif twenty or a hundred for one be yet for more? How shall I know\nwhether you or they be the wiser and the better men?\n\nReaders, you see on what terms we must do the work of God. Our\nslothful flesh is backward, and weary of so much labour: malignant\nenemies of piety are against it all. Some slothful brethren think it\nnecessary to cloak their fleshly ease by vilifying the diligence of\nothers. Many sects whom we oppose, think it the interest of their\ncause, (which they call God's cause,) to make all that is said against\nthem seem vain, contemptible, and odious; which because they cannot do\nby confutation, they will do by backbiting and confident chat. And one\nor two reverend brethren have, by the wisdom described exactly, James\niii. 15, 16, arrived at the liberty of backbiting and magisterial\nsentencing the works of others, (which they confess they never read,)\nthat their reputation of being most learned, orthodox, worthy divines,\nmay keep the chair at easier rates, than the wasting of their flesh in\nunwearied labours to know the truth, and communicate it to the world.\nAnd some are angry, who are forward to write, that the booksellers and\nreaders silence not others as well as them.\n\n_Object._ II. Your writings differing from the common judgment, have\nalready caused offence to the godly.\n\n_Answ._ 1. To the godly that were of a contrary opinion only. Sores\nthat will not be healed, use to be exasperated by the medicine. 2. It\nwas none but healing, pacificatory writings, that have caused that\noffence. 3. Have not those dissenters' writings more offended the\ngodly that were against them? They have but one trick, to honour their\ndenial, which more dishonoureth it, even by unsanctifying those that\nare not of their minds. 4. If God bless me with opportunity and help,\nI will offend such men much more, by endeavouring, further than ever I\nhave done, the quenching of that fire which they are still blowing up;\nand detecting the folly and mischief of those logomachies by which\nthey militate against love and concord, and inflame and tear the\nchurch of God. And let them know that I am about it. But some pastors,\nas well as people, have the weakness to think that all our preachings\nand writings must be brought under their dominion, and to their bar,\nby the bare saying that we offend the godly, that is, those of their\nopinion, which they falsely call by the name of scandal. 5. But I\nthink they will find little controversy to offend them in this book.\n\n_Object._ III. You shall take more leisure, and take other men's\njudgment of your writings before you thrust them out so hastily.\n\n_Answ._ 1. I have but a little while to live, and therefore must work\nwhile it is day. Time will not stay. 2. I do show them to those that I\ntake to be most judicious, and never refused any man's censure; but it\nis not many that have leisure to do me so great a kindness. But that I\ncommit them not to the perusal of every objector, is a fault\nuncurable, by one that never had an amanuensis, and hath but one copy,\nusually. 3. And if I could do it, how should I be sure that they would\nnot differ as much among themselves, as they do from me? And my\nwritings would be like the picture which the great painter exposed to\nthe censure of every passenger, and made it ridiculous to all, when he\naltered all that every one advised him to alter. And, to tell you the\ntruth, I was never yet blamed by one side as not sufficiently pleasing\nthem; but I was blamed also by the contrary side, for coming so near\nthem: and I had not wit enough to know which party of the accusers was\nthe wiser. And therefore am resolved to study to please God and\nconscience, and to take man-pleasing, when inconsistent, for an\nimpossible and unprofitable work; and to cease from man whose breath\nis in his nostrils, whose thoughts all perish as he passeth off the\njudicature of his stage to the judicature of God.\n\n_Object._ IV. Your Ecclesiastical Cases are dangerously reconciling,\ntending to abate men's zeal against error.\n\n_Answ._ The world hath long enough escaped the danger of peace and\nreconciliation. It had been well if they had as long escaped the danger\nof your conceited, orthodox strife, which hath brought in confusion and\nall evil works. I take it to be a zeal effectively against love, and\nagainst unity, and against Christ, which, with the preachers of\nextremes, goeth under the name of a zeal against error, and for truth.\n\n_Object._ V. Are all these numerous directions to be found in\nScripture? Show us them in Scripture, or you trouble the church with\nyour own inventions.\n\n_Answ._ 1. Are all your sermons in the Scripture? and all the good\nbooks of your library in the Scripture? 2. Will you have none but\nreaders in the church, and put down preachers? Sure it is the reader\nthat delivereth all and only the Scripture. 3. Are we not men before\nwe are christians? And is not the light and law of nature divine? And\nwas the Scripture written to be instead of reason, or of logic, or\nother subservient sciences? Or must they not all be sanctified and\nused for divinity? 4. But I think that as all good commentaries, and\nsermons, and systems of theology, are in Scripture, so is the\nDirectory here given, and is proved by the evidence of the very thing\ndiscoursed of, or by the plainest texts.\n\n_Object._ VI. You confound your reader by curiosity of distinctions.\n\n_Answ._ 1. If they are vain or false, shame them by detecting it, or\nyou shame yourselves by blaming them, when you cannot show the error.\nExpose not yourselves to laughter by avoiding just distinction to\nescape confusion: that is, avoiding knowledge to escape ignorance, or\nlight to escape darkness. 2. It is ambiguity and confusion that\nbreedeth and feedeth almost all our pernicious controversies; and even\nthose that bring in error by vain distinction, must be confuted by\nbetter distinguishers, and not by ignorant confounders. I will\nbelieve the Holy Ghost, 2 Tim. ii. 14-16, that logomachy is the plague\nby which the hearers are subverted, and ungodliness increased; and\nthat orthotomy, or right dividing the word of truth, is the cure. And,\nHeb. v. 15, discerning both good and evil, is the work of long and\nwell exercised senses.\n\n_Object._ VII. Is this your reducing our faith to the primitive\nsimplicity, and to the creed? What a toilsome task do you make\nreligion by overdoing? Is any man able to remember all these\nnumberless directions?\n\n_Answ._ 1. I pray mistake not all these for articles of faith. I am more\nzealous than ever I was for the reduction of the christian faith to the\nprimitive simplicity; and more confident that the church will never have\npeace and concord, till it be so done, as to the rest of men's faith and\ncommunion. But he that will have no books but his creed and Bible, may\nfollow that sectary, who, when he had burnt all his other books as human\ninventions, at last burnt the Bible, when he grew learned enough to\nunderstand, that the translation of that was human too.\n\n2. If men think not all the tools in their shops, and all the furniture\nof their houses, or the number of their sheep, or cattle, or lands, nor\nthe number of truths received by a learning intellect, &c. to be a\ntrouble and toil, why should they think so of the number of helps to\nfacilitate the practice of their duty? If all the books in your\nlibraries make your studies or religion toilsome, why do you keep them?\nand do not come to the vulgar religion, that would hear no more but,\nThink well, speak well, and do well, or, Love God and your neighbour,\nand do as you would be done by. He that doth this truly, shall be saved.\nBut there goeth more to the building of a house, than to say, Lay the\nfoundation, and raise the superstructure: universals exist not but in\nindividuals; and the whole consisteth of all the parts.\n\n3. It is not expected that any man remember all these directions.\nTherefore I wrote them, because men cannot remember them, that they\nmay, upon every necessary occasion, go to that which they have present\nuse for, and cannot otherwise remember.\n\nIn sum, to my quarrelsome brethren I have two requests: 1. That\ninstead of their unconscionable, and yet unreformed custom of\nbackbiting, they would tell me to my face of my offences by convincing\nevidence, and not tempt the hearers to think them envious. And, 2.\nThat what I do amiss they would do better: and not be such as will\nneither laboriously serve the church themselves, nor suffer others;\nand that they will not be guilty of idleness themselves, nor tempt me\nto be a slothful servant, who have so little time to spend; for I dare\nnot stand before God under that guilt. And that they will not join\nwith the enemies and resisters of the publication of the word of God.\n\nAnd to the readers my request is, 1. That whatever for quantity or\nquality in this book is an impediment to their regular, universal\nobedience, and to a truly holy life, they would neglect and cast away.\n2. But that which is truly instructing and helpful, they would\ndiligently digest and practise; and I encourage them by my testimony,\nthat by long experience I am assured, that this PRACTICAL RELIGION\nwill afford both to church, state, and conscience, more certain and\nmore solid peace, than contending disputers, with all their pretences\nof orthodoxness and zeal against errors for the truth, will ever\nbring, or did ever attain to.\n\nI crave your pardon for this long apology: it is an age where the\nobjections are not feigned, and where our greatest and most costly\nservices of God are charged on us as our greatest sins; and where at\nonce I am accused of conscience for doing no more, and of men for\ndoing so much. Being really\n\n  A most unworthy servant of so good a Master,\n\n                               RICHARD BAXTER.\n\n\n\n\n                                   A\n\n                          CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY.\n\n\n\n\n\n                                PART I.\n\n                           CHRISTIAN ETHICS:\n\n                                  OR,\n\n DIRECTIONS FOR THE ORDERING OF THE PRIVATE ACTIONS OF OUR HEARTS AND\n                                 LIVES.\n        IN THE WORK OF HOLY SELF-GOVERNMENT, UNTO AND UNDER GOD.\n\n\n\n\n                          THE INTRODUCTION.[6]\n\n\nThe eternal God having made man an intellectual and free agent, able\nto understand and choose the good, and refuse the evil; to know, and\nlove, and serve his Maker, and by adhering to him in this life of\ntrial, to attain to the blessed sight and enjoyment of his glory in\nthe life to come, hath not been wanting to furnish him with such\nnecessaries, without which these ends could not successfully be\nsought. When we had lost our moral capacity of pleasing him, that we\nmight enjoy him, he restoreth us to it by the wonderful work of our\nredemption. In Christ he hath reconciled the world unto himself; and\nhath given them a general act of oblivion, contained in the covenant\nof grace, which nothing but men's obstinate and final unwillingness\ncan deprive them of. To procure their consent to this gracious\ncovenant, he hath \"committed\" to his ministers the \"word of\nreconciliation;\" commanding us \"to beseech men, as in the stead of\nChrist, and as though God himself did beseech them by us, to be\nreconciled unto God,\" 2 Cor. v. 18-20; and to show them first their\nsin and misery, and proclaim and offer the true remedy, and to let\nthem know, that all things are now ready, and by pleading their duty,\ntheir necessity, and their commodity, to compel them to come in, Matt.\nxxii. 4; Luke xi. 17, 23.\n\nBut so great is the blindness and obstinacy of men, that the greatest\npart refuse consent; being deceived by the pleasures, and profits, and\nhonours of this present world; and make their pretended necessities or\nbusiness the matter of their excuses, and the unreasonable reasons of\ntheir refusal, negligence, and delays, till death surprise them, and\nthe door is shut; and they knock, and cry for mercy and admittance,\nwhen it is too late, Matt. xxv. 10-12.\n\nAgainst this wilful negligence and presumption, which is the principal\ncause of the damnation of the ungodly world, I have written many books\nalready.[7] But because there are many that profess themselves\nunfeignedly willing, not only to be saved, but also to be Christ's\ndisciples; to learn of him, to imitate him, and be conformed to him,\nand to do the will of God, if they could but know it; I have\ndetermined, by God's assistance, to write this book for the use of\nsuch, and to give them from God's word those plain directions, which\nare suited to the several duties of their lives, and may guide them\nsafely in their walk with God, to life eternal. Expect not here\ncopious and earnest exhortations, for that work I have done already;\nand have now to do with such, as say they are made willing, and desire\nhelp against their ignorance, that skill and will may concur to their\nsalvation. I shall labour to speak as plainly as I can, because I\nspecially intend it for the ignorant; and yet to be competently exact\nin the directions, lest such readers lose the benefit by mistakes. And\nI must speak to many cases, because I speak to families, where all\nare not in the same condition, and the same persons are not still the\nsame. And therefore if I should not be brief in the particulars, I\nshould be too long in the whole; and tediousness might deprive some\nreaders of the benefit.\n\nIn families some are (too ordinarily) ungodly, in a carnal, unrenewed\nstate; and some are godly, in a state of grace.[8] These are\nconsiderable as christians simply, with respect to God, or in their\nrelations to others: these relations are either ecclesiastical, civil,\nor domestical (family relations).\n\nAccordingly, my intended method is, 1. To direct ungodly, carnal\nminds, how to attain to a state of grace. 2. To direct those that have\nsaving grace, how to use it; both in the contemplative and active\nparts of their lives; in their duties of religion, both private and\npublic; in their duties to men, both in their ecclesiastical, civil,\nand family relations. And, by the way, to direct those that have\ngrace, how to discern it, and take the comfort of it; and to direct\nthem how to grow in grace, and persevere unto the end.\n\nAnd if any reader should be discouraged at the number of duties and\ndirections set before him, I entreat him to consider, 1. That it is God,\nand not I, that imposeth all these duties on you: and who will question\nhis wisdom, goodness, or power to make laws for us and all the world? 2.\nThat every duty and direction is a mercy to you; and therefore should\nnot be matter of grief to you, but of thanks. They are but like the\ncommands of parents to their children, when they bid them eat their\nmeat, and wear their clothes, and go to bed, and eat not poison, and\ntumble not in the dirt; and cut not your fingers, and take heed of fire\nand water, &c. To leave out any such law or duty, were but to deprive\nyou of an excellent mercy; you will not cut off or cast away any member\nof your body, any vein, or sinew, or artery, upon pretence that the\nnumber maketh them troublesome, when the diminishing of that number\nwould kill or maim you. A student is not offended that he hath many\nbooks in his library; nor a tradesman that he hath store of tools; nor\nthe rich at the number of his farms or flocks. Believe it, reader, if\nthou bring not a malignant quarrelsome mind, thou wilt find that God\nhath not burdened, but blessed thee with his holy precepts, and that he\nhath not appointed thee one unnecessary or unprofitable duty; but only\nsuch as tend to thy content, and joy, and happiness.[9]\n\nO let it be the daily, earnest prayer of me and thee, that our hearts\nprove not false and unwilling to follow the directions which are given\nus, lest we condemn ourselves in the things which we allow. Your\npractice now will show, whether it be through want of will or skill,\nif henceforth you unfaithfully neglect your duty. If you are willing,\nobey now what is plainly taught you, and show by your diligence that\nyou are willing.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[6] Noverint universi quod pr\u00e6sens opusculum non aggredior, ut\nfidelium auribus propbanas aliquas vocum ingeram novitates, sed ut\ninnocenter et sobrie de altissimo, &c. Ockam de Sacram. Alt. prolog.\nIn zelo domus Domini, nunc persolvo debitum, vile quidem, sed fidele\nut puto, et animum quibusque egregiis, Christi tyronibus: grave vero\net importabile apostatis insipientibus: quorum priores ni fallor, cum\nlachrymis forte qu\u00e6 ex Dei charitate profluunt, alii cum tristitia,\nsed qu\u00e6 ex indignatione et pusillanimitate deprehens\u00e6 conscienti\u00e6\nextorquetur, illud excipiunt. Gildas Prolog. Excid.\n\n[7] Habet, inquies, Britannia rectores, habet speculatores: Quid tu\nnegando mutiri disponis? Habet, inquam habet, si non ultra, non citra\nnumerum: sed quia inclinati tanto pondere sunt pressi, idcirco spatium\nrespirandi non habent. Pr\u00e6occupabant igitur se mutuo talibus\nobjectionibus, &c. Gildas ib.\n\n[8] Du\u00e6 sunt vi\u00e6, duplicesque cursus animorum e corpore exeuntium. Nam\nqui se vitiis humanis contaminarunt et libidinibus se tradiderunt, iis\ndevium quoddam iter est, seclusum \u00e0 concilio deorum. Qui autem se\nintegros castosque servarunt, quibusque fuit minima cum corporibus\ncontagio, suntque in corporibus humanis vitam imitati deorum, iis ad\nillos \u00e0 quibus sunt profecti, facile patet reditus. Soc. in Cic. 1.\nTusc. Qui recte et honeste curriculum vivendi \u00e0 natura datum\nconfecerit, ad astra facil\u00e8 revertetur: Non qui aut immoderat\u00e8, aut\nintemperanter vixerit. Cicero de Univers. Improbo bene esse non\npotest. Id Par. Quod si inest in hominum genere, mens, fides, virtus,\nconcordia, unde h\u00e6c in terras nisi \u00e0 superis diffluere potuerunt?\ncumque sit in nobis consilium, ratio, prudentia, necesse est deos h\u00e6c\nipsa habere majora: Nec habere solum, sed etiam his uti in optimis et\nmaximis rebus. Cicero de Nat. Deor. l. 2. p. 76. Quod si p\u0153na, si\nmetus supplicii, non ipsa turpitudo, deterret ab injuriosa\nfacinorosaque vita, nemo est injustus: at incauti potius habendi sunt\nimprobi. Callidi, non boni sunt, qui utilitate tantum, non ipso\nhonesto, ut boni viri sint, moventur. Cicero de Leg. l. 1. p. 289. Ut\nnihil interest, utrum nemo valeat, an nemo possit valere; sic non\nintelligo quid intersit, utrum nemo sit sapiens, an nemo esse possit.\nCic. de Nat. Deor. l. 3. p. 138. Cicero was afraid to speak what he\nknew of the Unity of the Eternal God, the Maker of all: Illum quasi\nparentem hujus universitatis invenire, difficile; et cum inveniris,\nindicare in vulgus nefas. Lib. de Univers. p. 2. And the same he\nsaith, Lib. 2. de Nat. Deor.\n\n[9] Vult Deus quodammodo pati vim; et hoc summ\u00e6 est beneficenti\u00e6, ut\nad benefaciendum se pulsari solicitarique velit. Jos. Acosta, l. 4. c.\n12. p. 396.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAPTER I.\n\n\n                                PART I.\n\n    _Directions to unconverted, graceless Sinners, for the attaining\n                       of true saving Grace._[10]\n\n\nIf ungodly, miserable sinners were as few, as the devil and their\nself-love would make themselves believe,[11] I might forbear this part\nof my work as needless. For the whole need not the physician, but the\nsick. If you go into twenty families, and ask them all, whether any of\nthem are in an unsanctified state, unrenewed and unpardoned, and under\nthe wrath and curse of God? you will meet with few that will not tell\nyou, they hope it is better with them than so; and though they are\nsinners, as all are, yet that they are repenting, pardoned sinners.\nNay, there is scarce one of many of the most wicked and notoriously\nungodly, but hope they are in a penitent, pardoned state. Even the\nhaters of God will say they love him; and the scorners at godliness\nwill say that they are not ungodly; and that it is but hypocrisy and\nsingularity that they deride: and it were well for them, if saying so\nwould go for proof, and he that will be their Judge would take their\nwords. But God will not be deceived, though foolish men are wise\nenough to deceive themselves. Wickedness will be wickedness when it\nhath clothed itself with the fairest names: God will condemn it\nwhen it hath found out the most plausible pretences and excuses.\nThough the ungodly think to bear it out in pride and scorn, and think\nto be saved by their hypocritical lip-service, as soon as the most\nholy worshippers of the Lord, yet \"shall they be like chaff which the\nwind driveth away: they shall not be able to stand in judgment, nor\nsinners in the congregation of the righteous,\" Psal. i. 4-6. And if\nGod know better than foolish men, then certainly the flock is little\nto whom the \"Father will give the kingdom,\" Luke xii. 32. And \"wide is\nthe gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many\nthere be that go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is\nthe way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it,\"\nMatt. vii. 13, 14. When Christ was asked, \"Lord, are there few that be\nsaved?\" he answered, \"Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many,\nI say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able,\" Luke\nxiii. 23, 24. But, alas! we need no other information than common\nexperience, to tell us whether the greatest part of men be holy, and\nheavenly, and self-denying; that seek first the kingdom of God and his\nrighteousness, and love God above all, and will forsake all they have\nfor the sake of Christ: and undoubtedly none but such are saved; as\nyou may see Heb. xxi. 14; Matt. vi. 20, 21, 33; Luke xiv. 33.\n\nSeeing then the godly are so few, and the ungodly so many; and that\nGod will take nothing for holiness that is not such indeed; and seeing\nit is so terrible a thing to any man that hath his wits about him, to\nlive one day in an unconverted state, because he that dieth so, is\nlost for ever; methinks it should be our wisdom, to be suspicious of\nourselves, and careful lest we be deceived in so great a business, and\ndiligent in searching and examining our hearts, whether they are truly\nsanctified or not; because it can be no harm to make sure work for our\nsalvation; whereas presumption, carelessness, and negligence, may\nbetray us to remediless misery and despair.\n\nI do not here suppose the reader to have any such acquaintance with his\nheart, or care of his salvation, or obedient willingness to be taught\nand ruled by Jesus Christ, as is proper to those that are truly\nsanctified; for it is ungodly persons that now I am speaking to. And\nyet, if I should not suppose them to have some capacity and disposition\nto make use of the directions which I give them, I might as well pass\nthem by, and spare my labour. I tell thee therefore, reader, what it is\nthat I presuppose in thee, and expect from thee, and I think thou wilt\nnot judge me unreasonable in my suppositions and expectations.\n\n[Sidenote: Presupposed, That thou art a man.]\n\n1. I suppose thee to be a man, and therefore that thou hast reason and\nnatural free will, (that is, the natural faculty of choosing and\nrefusing,) which should keep thy sensitive appetite in obedience; and\nthat thou art capable of loving and serving thy Creator, and enjoying\nhim in everlasting life.\n\n[Sidenote: That thou knowest this: and what a man is.]\n\n2. I suppose that thou knowest thyself to be a man; and therefore that\nthy sensitive part, or flesh, should no more rule thee, or be\nungoverned by thee, than the horse should rule the rider, or be\nunruled by him: and that thou understandest that thou art made on\npurpose to love and serve thy Maker, and to be happy in his love and\nglory for ever. If thou know not this much, thou knowest not that thou\nart a man, or else knowest not what a man is.\n\n[Sidenote: That thou hast self-love and a desire to be happy.]\n\n3. I suppose thee to have a natural self-love, and a desire of thy own\npreservation and happiness; and that thou hast no desire to be\nmiserable, or to be hated of God, or to be cast out of his favour and\npresence into hell, and there to be tormented with devils\neverlastingly: yea, I will suppose that thou art not indifferent\nwhether thou dwell in heaven or hell, in joy or torment; but would\nfain be saved and be happy; whether thou be godly or ungodly, wise or\nfoolish, I will be bold to take all this for granted: and I hope in\nall this I do not wrong thee.\n\n[Sidenote: That thou madest not thyself: and that the first cause of\nall the being, power, wisdom, and goodness of all the creatures, hath\n(formally or eminently) more than all they. And therefore that there\nis a God.]\n\n4. I suppose thee to be one that knowest that thou didst not make\nthyself;[12] nor give thyself that power or wisdom which thou hast; and\nthat he that made thee and all the world, must needs be before all the\nworld; and that he is eternal, having no beginning (for if ever there\nhad been a time when there was nothing, there never would have been any\nthing; because nothing can make nothing); and I suppose thou dost\nconfess that all the power, and wisdom, and goodness of the whole\ncreation set together, is less than the power, and wisdom, and goodness\nof the Creator; because nothing can give more than it hath to give. I\nsuppose, therefore, that thou dost confess that there is a God; for to\nbe the eternal, infinite Being, and the most powerful, wise, and good,\nand the first cause of all created being, and power, and wisdom, and\ngoodness, this (with the subsequent relations to the creature) is to be\nGOD. If thou wilt deny that there is a God, thou must deny that thou art\na man, and that there is any man, or any being.\n\n[Sidenote: That the Creator of all is the Lord or Owner of all; the\nRuler of the rational creature; and the Benefactor and End of all.]\n\n5. I suppose thou knowest that God, who gave a being unto all things,\nis by this title of creation, the absolute Owner or Lord of all: and\nthat he that made the reasonable creatures, with natures to be\ngoverned, in order to a further end, is by that title, their supreme\nGovernor; and therefore hath his laws commanding duty, and promising\nreward, and threatening punishment; and therefore will judge men\naccording to these laws, and will be just in judgment, and in his\nrewards and punishments. And that he that freely gave the creature its\nbeing, and all the good it hath, and must give it all that ever it\nshall have, is the Father or most bountiful Benefactor to his\ncreatures. Surely I screw thee not too high in supposing thee to know\nall this; for all this is no more than that there is a God. For he is\nnot God, if he be not the Creator, and therefore our Owner, our Ruler,\nand Benefactor, our absolute Lord, our most righteous Governor, and\nour most loving Father, or Benefactor.\n\n[Sidenote: That this God must be obeyed and loved.]\n\n6. I suppose therefore that thou art convinced, that God must be\nabsolutely submitted to, and obeyed before all others in the world, and\nloved above all friends, or pleasures, or creatures whatsoever. For to\nsay, He is my Owner, is to say, I must yield myself to him as his own;\nto say, I take him for my supreme Governor, is to say, that I will\nabsolutely be ruled by him; and to say, I take him as my dearest Father\nor chief Benefactor, is to say, that I am obliged to give him my dearest\nlove, and highest thanks: otherwise you do but jest, or say you know not\nwhat, or contradict yourselves, while you say, He is your God.\n\n[Sidenote: That nothing is to be preferred before him.]\n\n7. I suppose that thou art easily convinced, that in all the world there\nis no creature that can show so full a title to thee as God; or that\nhath so great authority to govern thee, or that can be so good to thee,\nor do so much for thee, as God can do, or hath done, and will do, if\nthou do thy part; and therefore that there is nothing to be preferred\nbefore him, or compared with him in our obedience or love: nor is there\nany that can save us from his justice, if we stand out against him.\n\n[Sidenote: That he that ruleth the world by hopes and fears of another\nlife, doth not rule them by deceit and lies, and that he hath rewards\nand punishments hereafter.]\n\n8. I suppose that as thou knowest God is just in his laws and\njudgments,[13] so that he is so faithful that he will not, and so\nall-sufficient that he need not, deceive mankind, and govern them by\nmere deceit: this better beseems the devil, than God: and therefore\nthat as he governeth man on earth by the hopes and fears of another\nlife, he doth not delude them into such hopes or fears; and as he doth\nnot procure obedience by any rewards or punishments in this life, as\nthe principal means, (the wicked prospering, and the best being\npersecuted and afflicted here,) therefore his rewards or punishments\nmust needs be principally hereafter in the life to come. For if he\nhave no rewards or punishments, he hath no judgment; and if he have no\njudgment, he hath no laws (or else no justice); and if he have no\nlaws, (or no justice,) he is no governor of man (or not a righteous\ngovernor); and if he be not our governor, (and just,) he is not our\nGod; and if he were not our God, we had never been his creatures, nor\nhad being, or been men.\n\n[Sidenote: That man being bound to love and obey God above all, is bound\nto do nothing in vain, and that we cannot be losers by his service.]\n\n9. I suppose thou knowest that if God had not discovered what he would\ndo with us in the life to come, yet man is highliest bound to obey and\nlove his Maker, because he is our absolute Lord, our highest Ruler, and\nour chief Benefactor; and all that we are to have is from him. And that\nif man be bound to spend his life in the service of his God, it is\ncertain that he shall be no loser by him, no, not by the costliest\nobedience that we can perform; for God cannot appoint us any thing that\nis vain; nor can he be worse to us than an honest man, that will see\nthat we lose not by his service. Therefore that God for whom we must\nspend and forsake this life, and all those pleasures which sensualists\nenjoy, hath certainly some greater thing to give us, in another life.\n\n[Sidenote: That no infidel can say, He is sure there is no life to\ncome.]\n\n10. I may take it for granted at the worst, that neither thyself, nor\nany infidel in the world, can say that you are sure that there is not\nanother life for man, in which his present obedience shall be\nrewarded, and disobedience punished. The worst that ever infidel could\nsay was, that he thinketh there is no other life. None of you dare\ndeny the possibility of it, nor can with any reason deny the\nprobability. Well, then, let this be remembered while we proceed a\nlittle further with you.\n\n[Sidenote: That you are sure of the brevity and vanity of this life:\nand that the probability or possibility of an endless joy or misery,\nshould command all the care and diligence of a rational creature,\nagainst all that can be set against it.]\n\n11. I suppose or expect that you have so much use of sense and reason,\nas to know the brevity and vanity of all the glory and pleasures of\nthe flesh; and that they are all so quickly gone, that were they\ngreater than they are, they can be of no considerable value. Alas,\nwhat is time! How quickly gone, and then it is nothing! and all things\nthen are nothing which are passed with it! So that the joys or sorrows\nof so short a life, are no great matter of gain or loss.\n\nI may therefore suppose that thou canst easily conclude, that the bare\nprobability or possibility of an endless happiness, should be\ninfinitely preferred before such transitory vanity, even the greatest\nmatters that can be expected here; and that the probability or\npossibility of endless misery in hell, should engage us with far\ngreater care and diligence to avoid it, than is due for the avoiding\nany thing that you can think to escape by sinning; or any of the\nsufferings of this momentary life. If you see not this, you have lost\nyour reason; that the mere probability or possibility of a heaven and\nhell, should much more command our care and diligence, than the fading\nvanities of this dreaming, transitory life.\n\n[Sidenote: Therefore that a holy life is every man's duty, were it but\non the account of such a possibility or probability; and therefore that\nreally there is such a joy and misery hereafter; because God doth not\nmake our faculties in vain, nor make us to follow deceits and lies.]\n\n12. Well, then, we have got thus far in the clearest light. You see\nthat a religious, holy life, is every man's duty, not only as they owe\nit to God as their Creator, their Owner, Governor, and Benefactor; but\nalso, because as lovers of ourselves, our reason commandeth us to have\nten thousandfold more regard of a probable or possible joy and torment\nwhich are endless, than of any that is small and of short continuance.\nAnd if this be so, that a holy life is every man's duty, with respect\nto the life that is to come, then it is most evident, that there is\nsuch a life to come indeed, and that it is more than probable or\npossible, even certain. For if it be but man's duty to manage this\nlife, by the hopes and fears of another life, men it must follow, that\neither there is such a life to come, or else that God hath made it\nman's duty to hope, and fear, and care, and labour, and live in vain:\nand that he himself doth tantalize and cheat his creatures, and rule\nthe world by motives of deceit, and make religion and obedience to our\nMaker to be a life of folly, delusion, and our loss. And he that\nbelieveth this of God, doth scarce believe him to be God. Though I\nhave mentioned this argument in another treatise, I think it not\nunmeet here to repeat it for thy benefit.\n\n[Sidenote: That all the matters of this transitory life are to be\nestimated as they refer to the life to come.]\n\n13. And seeing I suppose thee to be convinced of the life to come, and\nthat man's happiness and misery is there, I must needs suppose that\nthou dost confess, that all things in this life, whether prosperity or\nadversity, honour or dishonour, are to be esteemed and used as they\nrefer to the life to come. For nothing is more plain, than that the\nmeans are to have all their esteem and use in order to their end. That\nonly is good in this life, which tendeth to the happiness of our\nendless life; and that is evil indeed in this life, that tendeth to\nour endless hurt, and to deprive us of the everlasting good. And\ntherefore no price or motive should hire us to sin against God, and to\nforfeit or hinder our endless happiness.\n\n[Sidenote: That no man can love God too much, nor make too sure of his\nsalvation.]\n\n14. I may suppose, if thou have reason, that thou wilt confess that God\ncannot be too much loved, nor obeyed too exactly, nor served too\ndiligently (especially by such backward sinners, that have scarce any\nmind to love or worship him at all); and that no man can make too sure\nof heaven, or pay too dear for it, or do too much for his salvation, if\nit be but that which God hath appointed him to do. And that you have\nnothing else that is so much worth your time, and love, and care, and\nlabour. And therefore though you have need to be stopped in your love,\nand care, and labour for the world, because for it you may easily pay\ntoo dear, and do too much; yet there is no need of stopping men in their\nlove, and care, and labour for God and their salvation; which is worth\nmore than ever we can do, and where the best are apt to do too little.\n\n[Sidenote: That this life is given us for trial and preparation to the\nlife to come.]\n\n15. I also suppose thee to be one that knowest, that this present life\nis given us on trial,[14] to prepare for the life that shall come\nafter; and that as men live here, they shall speed for ever; and that\ntime cannot be recalled when it is gone, and therefore that we should\nmake the best of it while we have it.\n\n[Sidenote: That man's thoughts should be serious and frequent about\nhis future state.]\n\n16. I suppose thee also to be easily convinced, that seeing man hath\nhis reason and life for matters of everlasting consequence, his\nthoughts of them should be frequent and very serious, and his reason\nshould be used about these things, by retired, sober deliberation.\n\n[Sidenote: That you can tell, or may do, which way your hearts and\ndiligence are bent, whether most for this life, or for that to come.]\n\n17. And I suppose thee to be a man, and therefore so far acquainted with\nthyself, as that thou mayst know, if thou wilt, whether thy heart and\nlife do answer thy convictions, and whether they are more for heaven or\nearth; and therefore that thou art capable of self-judging in this case.\n\nPerhaps you will say, that while I am directing you to be holy, I\nsuppose you to be holy first; for all this seemeth to go far towards\nit. But I must profess that I see not any thing in all these\nsuppositions, but what I may suppose to be in a heathen; and that I\nthink all this is but supposing thee to have the use of thy reason, in\nthe points in hand. Speak freely: Is there any one of all these points\nthat thou canst or darest deny? I think there is not. And therefore if\nheathens and wicked men deny them in their practice, that doth but\nshow that sin doth brutify them, and that, as men asleep, or in a\ncrowd of business, they have not the use of the reason which they\npossess, in the matters which their minds are turned from.\n\n[Sidenote: That most among us profess to believe in Christ, and\nconfess the gospel to be true, &c.]\n\n18. Yea, one thing more I think I may suppose in all or most that will\nread this book; that you take on you also to believe in Jesus Christ,\nand in the Holy Ghost the Sanctifier, and that the Scriptures are the\nword of God. And if you do so indeed, I may then hope that my work is\nin a manner done, before I begin it: but if you do it but\nopinionatively and uneffectually, yet God and man may plead with you\nthe truths which you profess.\n\nHaving told you what I presuppose in you, I proceed now to the\ndirections. But I again entreat and charge thee, reader, as thou\nlovest thy soul, and wouldst not be condemned for hypocrisy and sloth,\nthat thou dost not refuse to put in practice what is taught thee, and\nshow thereby, that whatever thou pretendest, thou art not willing to\ndo thy part for thy own salvation, no not in the most reasonable,\nnecessary things.[15]\n\n_Direction_ I. If thou be truly willing to be sanctified and a child of\nGod, remain not in a state of ignorance; but do thy best to come into\nthe light, and understand the word of God, in the matters of salvation.\n\nIf knowledge be unnecessary, why have we understanding?[16] and wherein\ndoth a man excel a beast? If any knowledge at all be necessary,\ncertainly it must be the knowledge of the greatest and most necessary\nthings: and nothing is so great and necessary as to obey thy Maker, and\nto save thy soul. Knowledge is to be valued according to its usefulness.\nIf it be a matter of as great concernment to know how to do your worldly\nbusiness, and to trade and gather worldly wealth, and to understand the\nlaws, and to maintain your honour, as it is to know how to be reconciled\nunto God, to be pardoned and justified, to please your Creator, to\nprepare in time for death and judgment, and an endless life, then let\nworldly wisdom have the pre-eminence. But if all earthly things be\ndreams and shadows, and valuable only as they serve us in the way to\nheaven, then surely the heavenly wisdom is the best. Alas, how far is\nthat man from being wise, that is acquainted with all the punctilios of\nthe law, that is excellent in the knowledge of all the languages,\nsciences, and arts, and yet knoweth not how to live to God, to mortify\nthe flesh, to conquer sin, to deny himself, nor to answer in judgment\nfor his fleshly life, nor to escape damnation! As far is such a learned\nman from being wise, as he is from being happy.\n\nTwo sorts among us do quietly live in damning ignorance. First,\nabundance of poor people, who think they may continue in it, because\nthey were bred in it; and that because they are not book-learned,\ntherefore they need not learn how to be saved; and because their parents\nneglected to teach them when they were young, therefore they may neglect\nthemselves ever after, and need not learn the things they were made for.\nAlas, sirs, what have you your lives, your time, and reason for? Do you\nthink it is only to know how to do your worldly business? Or is it to\nprepare for a better world? It is better that you knew not how to eat,\nor drink, or speak, or go, or dress yourselves, than that you know not\nthe will of God, and the way to your salvation. Hear what the Holy Ghost\nsaith, 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4, \"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them\nthat are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of\nthem which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,\nwho is the image of God, should shine unto them.\" Darkness is unsafe and\nfull of fears; the light is safe and comfortable. A man in ignorance is\nnever like to hit his way: nor can he know whether he be in or out; nor\nwhat enemy or danger he is near. It is the devil that is the prince of\ndarkness, and his kingdom is a kingdom of darkness, and his works are\nworks of darkness. See Eph. vi. 12.; Col. i. 13; 1 John ii. 11; Luke xi.\n34, 35. Grace turneth men from darkness to light, Acts xxvi. 18, and\ncauseth them to cast off the works of darkness, Rom. xiii. 12; because\nwe are the children of light and of the day, and not of darkness or of\nnight, 1 Thess. v. 5. They that were sometimes darkness, are light in\nthe Lord, when they are converted, and must walk as the children of the\nlight, Eph. v. 8. In the dark the devil and wicked men may cheat you,\nand do almost what they list with you. You will not buy your wares in\nthe dark, nor travel, nor do your work in the dark: and will you judge\nof the state of your souls in the dark? and do the work of your\nsalvation in the dark? I tell you the devil could never entice so many\nsouls to hell, if he did not first put out the light, or put out their\neyes. They would never so follow him by crowds, to everlasting torments,\nby daylight, and with open eyes. If men did but know well what they do\nwhen they are sinning, and whither they go in a carnal life, they would\nquickly stop, and go no further. All the devils in hell could never draw\nso many thither, if men's ignorance were not the advantage of\ntemptations.\n\nAnother sort among us that are ignorant of the things of God, are\nsensual gentlemen, and scholars, that have so much breeding as to\nunderstand the words, and speak somewhat better than the ruder sort,\nbut indeed never knew the nature, truth, and goodness of the things\nthey speak of:[17] they are many of them as ignorant of the nature of\nfaith, and sanctification, and the working of the Holy Ghost in\nplanting the image of God upon the soul, and of the saints' communion\nwith God, and the nature of a holy life, as if they had never heard or\nbelieved, that there is such a thing as any of these in being.\nNicodemus is a lively instance in this case: a ruler in Israel, and a\nPharisee, and yet knew not what it was to be born again. And the pride\nof these gallants maketh their ignorance much harder to be cured, than\nother men's; because it hindereth them from knowing and confessing it.\nIf any one would convince them of it, they say with scorn, as the\nPharisees to Christ, John ix. 40, \"Are we blind also?\" Yea, they are\nready to insult over the children of the light, that are wise to\nsalvation, because they differ from the loose or hypocritical opinions\nof these gentlemen, in some matters of God's worship; of which their\nworships are as competent judges, as the Pharisees of the doctrine of\nChrist, or as Nicodemus of regeneration, or as Simon Magus, or Julian,\nor Porphyry, of the gifts of the Holy Ghost. These honourable,\nmiserable men, will bear no contradiction or reproof: who dare be so\nunmannerly, disobedient, or bold, as to tell them that they are out\nof the way to heaven, and strangers to it (that I say not, enemies);\nand to presume to stop them in the way to hell, or to hinder them from\ndamning themselves, and as many others as they can? They think this\ntalk of Christ, and grace, and life eternal, if it be but serious,\n(and not like their own, in form, or levity, or scorn,) is but the\ntroublesome preciseness of hypocritical, humorous, crack-brained\nfellows: and say of the godly, as the Pharisees, John vii. 47-49, \"Are\nye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed\non him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.\"\n\nWell, gentlemen or poor men, whoever you be that savour not the things\nof the Spirit, Rom. viii. 5-7, 13, but live in ignorance of the\nmysteries of salvation, be it known to you, that heavenly truth and\nholiness are works of light, and never prosper in the dark; and that\nyour best understanding should be used for God and your salvation, if\nfor any thing at all. It is the devil and his deceits that fear the\nlight. Do but understand well what you do, and then be wicked if you\ncan; and then set light by Christ and holiness if you dare! O come but\nout of darkness into the light, and you will see that which will make\nyou tremble to live ungodly and unconverted another day: and you will\nsee that which will make you with penitent remorse lament your so long\nneglect of heaven, and wonder that you could live so far and so long\nbeside your wits, as to choose a course of vanity and bestiality in\nthe chains of Satan, before the joyful liberty of the saints: and,\nthough we must not be so uncivil as to tell you where you are, and\nwhat you are doing, you will then more uncivilly call yourselves,\n\"exceedingly mad and foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers\nlusts and pleasures,\" as one did that thought himself before as wise\nand good as any of you, Acts xxvi. 11; Tit. iii. 3. Live not in a\nsleepy state of ignorance, if ever you would have saving grace.\n\n_Direct._ II. Especially labour first to understand the true nature of\na state of sin and a state of grace.\n\nIt is like you will say, that all are sinners; and that Christ died\nfor sinners; and that you were regenerate in your baptism; and that\nfor the sins that since then you have committed, you have repented of\nthem, and therefore you hope they are forgiven.[18]\n\nBut stay a little, man, and understand the matter well as you go; for\nit is your salvation that lieth at the stake. It is very true that all\nare sinners: but it is as true, that some are in a state of sin, and\nsome in a state of grace; some are converted sinners, and some\nunconverted sinners; some live in sins inconsistent with holiness,\n(which therefore may be called mortal,) others have none but\ninfirmities which consist with spiritual life (which in this sense may\nbe called venial); some hate their sin, and long to be perfectly\ndelivered from it, and others so love it, as they are loth to leave\nit. And is there no difference, think you, between these?\n\nIt is as true also, that Christ died for sinners: (or else where were\nour hope?) but it is true also, that he died to \"save his people from\ntheir sins,\"[19] Matt. i. 21, and \"to bring them from darkness unto\nlight, and from the power of Satan unto God,\" Acts xxvi. 18, and \"to\nredeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people\nzealous of good works,\" Tit. ii. 14, and \"that except a man be born\nagain, and converted, and become as a little child, (in humility and\nbeginning the world anew,) he cannot enter into the kingdom of\nheaven,\" John iii. 3, 5; Matt. xviii. 3, and that even he that died\nfor sinners, will at last condemn the workers of iniquity, and say,\n\"Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,\" Matt. xxv. 41, \"I\nnever knew you,\" Matt. vii. 23.\n\nIt is very true, that you were sacramentally regenerate in baptism,\nand that he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved, and all\nthat are the children of promise, and have that promise sealed to them\nby baptism, are regenerate. The ancients taught that baptism puts men\ninto a state of grace; that is, that all that sincerely renounce the\nworld, the devil, and the flesh, and are sincerely given up to God the\nFather, Son, and Holy Ghost, according to the covenant of grace, and\nprofess and seal this by their baptism, shall be pardoned, and made\nthe heirs of life. But as it is true, that baptism thus saveth, so is\nit as true,[20] that it is not the \"outward washing only the filth of\nthe flesh\" that will suffice, but the \"answer of a good conscience\ntowards God,\" 1 Pet. ii. 21; and that \"no man can enter into the\nkingdom of God, that is not born of the Spirit, as well as of water,\"\nJohn iii. 5; and that Simon Magus and many another have had the water\nof baptism, that never had the Spirit, but still remain in the \"gall\nof bitterness, and bond of iniquity, and had no part nor lot in that\nbusiness, their hearts being not right in the sight of God,\" Acts\nviii. 13, 21, 23. And nothing is more sure, than that \"if any man have\nnot the Spirit of Christ (for all his baptism) he is none of his,\"\nRom. viii. 9; and that if you have his Spirit, you \"walk not after the\nflesh, but after the Spirit;\" and are \"not carnally but spiritually\nminded,\" and are \"alive to God,\" and as \"dead to the world,\" Rom.\nviii. 1, 5-8, 10, 13, 14. Whether all that were baptized are such as\nthese, when they come to age, judge you.\n\nIt is true also, that if you truly repent, you are forgiven: but it is\nas true, that true repentance is the very conversion of the soul from\nsin to God, and leaveth not any man in the power of sin. It is not for\na man when he hath had all the pleasure that sin will yield him, to\nwish then that he had not committed it, (which he may do then at an\neasy rate,) and yet to keep the rest that are still pleasant and\nprofitable to his flesh; like a man that casts away the bottle which\nhe hath drunk empty, but keeps that which is full; or as men sell off\ntheir barren kine, and buy milch ones in their stead: this kind of\nrepentance is a mockery, and not a cure for the soul. If thou have\ntrue repentance, it hath so far turned thy heart from sin, that thou\nwouldst not commit it, if it were to do again, though thou hadst all\nthe same temptations; and it hath so far turned thy heart to God and\nholiness, that thou wouldst live a holy life, if it were all to do\nagain, though thou hadst the same temptations as afore against it\n(because thou hast not the same heart). This is the nature of true\nrepentance; such a repentance indeed is never too late to save; but I\nam sure it never comes too soon.\n\nMark, now, I beseech you, what a state of sin, and what a state of\nholiness is.\n\nHe that is in a state of sin, hath habitually and predominantly a\ngreater love to some pleasures, or profits, or honours of this world,\nthan he hath to God, and to the glory which he hath promised; he\npreferreth, and seeketh, and holdeth (if he can) his fleshly\nprosperity in this world, before the favour of God and the happiness\nof the world to come. His heart is turned from God unto the creature,\nand is principally set on things on earth. Thus his sin is the\nblindness, and madness, and perfidiousness, and idolatry of his soul,\nand his forsaking of God, and his salvation, for a thing of nought. It\nis that to his soul, which poison, and death, and sickness, and\nlameness, and blindness are to his body: it is such dealing with God,\nas that man is guilty of to his dearest friend or father, who should\nhate him and his company, and love the company of a dog or toad much\nbetter than his; and obey his enemy against him: and it is like a\nmadman's dealing with his physician, who seeks to kill him as his\nenemy, because he crosseth his appetite or will, to cure him. Think of\nthis well, and then tell me, whether this be a state to be continued\nin. This state of sin is something worse than a mere inconsiderate act\nof sin, in one that otherwise liveth an obedient, holy life.\n\nOn the other side, a state of holiness is nothing else but the habitual\nand predominant devotion and dedication of soul, and body, and life, and\nall that we have, to God;[21] and esteeming, and loving, and serving,\nand seeking him, before all the pleasures and prosperity of the flesh;\nmaking his favour, and everlasting happiness in heaven, our end, and\nJesus Christ our way, and referring all things in the world unto that\nend, and making this the scope, design, and business of our lives. It is\na turning from a deceitful world to God; and preferring the Creator\nbefore the creature, and heaven before earth, and eternity before an\ninch of time, and our souls before our corruptible bodies, and the\nauthority and laws of God, the universal Governor of the world, before\nthe word or will of any man, how great soever; and a subjecting our\nsensitive faculties to our reason, and advancing this reason by Divine\nrevelation; and living by faith, and not by sight: in a word, it is a\nlaying up our treasure in heaven, and setting our hearts there, and\nliving in a heavenly conversation, setting our affections on the things\nabove, and not on the things that are on earth; and a rejoicing in hope\nof the glory to come, when sensualists have nothing but transitory,\nbrutish pleasures to rejoice in.\n\nThis is a state and life of holiness: when we persuade you to be holy,\nwe persuade you to no worse than this; when we commend a life of\ngodliness to your choice, this is the life that we mean, and that we\ncommend to you. And can you understand this well, and yet be unwilling\nof it? It cannot be. Do but know well what godliness and ungodliness,\nwhat grace and sin are, and the work is almost done.\n\n_Direct._ III. To know what a life of holiness is, believe the word\nof God, and those that have tried it; and believe not the slanders of\nthe devil and of ungodly men, that never tried or knew the things\nwhich they reproach.\n\nReason cannot question the reasonableness of this advice. Who is wiser\nthan God? or who is to be believed before him? And what men are liker\nto know what they talk of, than such as speak from their own\nexperience? Nothing more familiar with wicked men, than to slander and\nreproach the holy ways and servants of the Lord. No wisdom, no measure\nof holiness or righteousness, will exempt the godly from their malice;\notherwise, Christ himself at least would have been exempted, if not\nhis apostles and other saints, whom they have slandered and put to\ndeath. Christ hath foretold us what to expect from them. John xv.\n18-21, \"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it\nhated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but\nbecause ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the\nworld, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said\nunto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have\npersecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my\nsaying, they will keep yours also.\"\n\nThe truth is, wicked men are the seed and children of the devil, and\nhave his image, and obey him, and think, and speak, and do as he would\nhave them; and the godly are the seed and members of Christ, and bear\nhis image, and obey him: and do you think that the devil will bid his\nchildren speak well of the ways or followers of Christ? I must\nconfess, till I had found the truth of it by experience, I was not\nsensible how impudent in belying, and cruel in abusing the servants of\nChrist, his worldly, malicious enemies are.[22] I had read oft how\nearly an enmity was put between the woman's and the serpent's seed,\nand I had read and wondered, that the first man that was born into the\nworld did murder his brother for worshipping God more acceptably than\nhimself; \"because his own works were evil, and his brother's\nrighteous,\" 1 John iii. 12. I had read the inference, ver. 13, \"Marvel\nnot, my brethren, if the world hate you;\" but yet I did not so fully\nunderstand, that wicked men and devils are so very like, and so near\nof kin, till the words of Christ, John viii. 44, expounded by visible\ndemonstrations, had taught it me. Indeed the apostle saith, 1 John\niii. 12, that Cain was of that wicked one, that is, the devil: but\nChrist saith more plainly, \"Ye are of your father the devil, and the\nlusts of your father ye will do: he was a murderer from the beginning,\nand abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him: when he\nspeaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the\nfather of it.\" Here note, that cruel murdering and lying are the\nprincipal actions of a devil; and that as the father of these, he is\nthe father of the wicked, who are most notoriously addicted to these\ntwo courses against the most innocent servants of the Lamb. How just\nit is that they dwell together hereafter, that are here so like in\ndisposition and action: even as the righteous shall dwell with\nChrist, who bore his image, and imitated his holy, suffering life.\n\nI conclude, then, that if thou wilt never turn to God and a holy life,\ntill wicked men give over belying and reproaching them, thou mayst as\nwell say, that thou wilt never be reconciled to God, till the devil be\nfirst reconciled to him; and never love Christ, till the devil love\nhim, or bid thee love him; or never be a saint, till the devil be a\nsaint, or will give thee leave; and that thou wilt not be saved, till\nthe devil be willing that thou be saved.\n\n_Direct._ IV. That thy understanding may be enlightened, and thy heart\nrenewed, be much and serious in reading the word of God, and those\nbooks that are fitted to men in an unconverted state, and especially\nin hearing the plain and searching preaching of the word.\n\nThere is a heavenly light, and power, and majesty in the word of God,\nwhich in the serious reading or hearing of it, may pierce the heart,\nand prick it, and open it, that corruption may go out, and grace come\nin. \"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the\ntestimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple: the statutes of\nthe Lord are right, rejoicing the heart,\" Psal. xix. 7, 8. Moreover,\n\"by them it is that we are warned: and in keeping of them there is\ngreat reward,\" ver. 11. The eunuch was reading the Scripture, when\nPhilip was sent to expound it to him for his conversion, Acts viii.\nThe preaching of Peter did prick many thousands to the heart to their\nconversion, Acts ii. 37. The heart of Lydia was opened to attend to\nthe preaching of Paul, Acts xvi. 14. \"The word of God is quick and\npowerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the\ndividing of soul and spirit,\" Heb. iv. 11. These \"weapons are mighty\nthrough God, to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down\nimaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the\nknowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the\nobedience of Christ,\" 2 Cor. iv. 5. Hast thou often read and heard\nalready, and yet findest no change upon thy heart? Yet read and hear\nagain and again: ministers must not give over preaching, when they\nhave laboured without success; why then should you give over hearing\nor reading? As the husbandman laboureth, and looketh to God for rain,\nand for the blessing, so must we, and so must you. Look up to God:\nremember it is his word, in which he calleth you to repentance, and\noffereth you mercy, and treateth with you concerning your everlasting\nhappiness: lament your former negligence and disobedience, and beg his\nblessing on his word, and you shall find it will not be in vain.\n\nAnd the serious reading of books which expound and apply the\nScriptures, suitable to your case, may, by the blessing of God, be\neffectual to your conversion. I have written so many to this use\nmyself, that I shall be the shorter on this subject now, and desire\nyou to read them, or some of them, if you have not fitter at hand;\nviz. A Call to the Unconverted;--A Treatise of Conversion;--Now or\nNever;--Directions for a sound Conversion;--A Saint or a Brute;--A\nTreatise of Judgment;--A Sermon against making light of Christ;--A\nSermon of Christ's Dominion;--Another of his Sovereignty, &c.\n\n_Direct._ V. If thou wouldst not be destitute of saving grace, let thy\nreason be exercised about the matters of thy salvation, in some\nproportion of frequent, sober, serious thoughts, as thou art convinced\nthe weight of the matter doth require.\n\n[Sidenote: 1 Cor. xiii. 5; Psal. iv. 4-7; 1 Cor. xi. 28.]\n\nTo have reason is common to all men, even the sleepy and distracted:\nto use reason is common to all that have their senses awake, and fit\nto serve their minds: to use reason in the greatest matters, is proper\nto wise men, that know for what end God made them reasonable.[23]\nInconsiderate men are all ungodly men; for reason not used is as bad\nas no reason, and will prove much worse in the day of reckoning. The\ntruth is, though sinners are exceeding blind and erroneous about the\nthings of God, yet all God's precepts are so reasonable, and tend so\nclearly to our joy and happiness, that if the devil did not win most\nsouls by silencing reason, and laying it asleep, or drowning its voice\nwith the noise and crowd of worldly business, hell would not have so\nmany sad inhabitants. I scarce believe that God will condemn any\nsinner that ever lived in the world, that had the use of reason; no,\nnot the heathens that had but one talent, but he will be able to say\nto them, as Luke xix. 22, \"Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee,\nthou wicked servant. Thou knewest,\" &c. To serve God and labour\ndiligently for salvation, and prefer it before all worldly things, is\nso reasonable a thing, that every one that repenteth of the contrary\ncourse, doth call it from his heart an impious madness. Reason must\nneeds be for God that made it. Reason must needs be for that which is\nits proper end and use. Sin, as it is in the understanding, is nothing\nbut unreasonableness; a blindness and error; a loss and corruption of\nreason in the matters of God and our salvation. And grace, as in the\nunderstanding, doth but cure this folly and distraction, and make us\nreasonable again; it is but the opening of our eyes, and making us\nwise in the greatest matters. It is not a more unmanly thing to love\nand plead for blindness, madness, and diseases, and to hate both\nsight, and health, and wit, than it is to love and plead for sin, and\nto hate and vilify a holy life.\n\nGrant me but this one thing, that thou wilt but soberly exercise thy\nreason about these great, important questions; Where must I abide for\never? What must I do to be saved? What was I created and redeemed for?\nand I shall hope that thy own understanding, as erroneous as it is, will\nwork out something that will promote thy good. Do but withdraw thyself\none hour in a day from company and other business, and consider but as\nsoberly and seriously of thy end and life, as thou knowest the nature\nand weight of the matter doth require, and I am persuaded thy own reason\nand conscience will call thee to repentance, and set thee, at least, in\na far better way than thou wast in before. When thou walkest alone, or\nwhen thou wakest in the night, remember soberly that God is present,\nthat time is hasting to an end, that judgment is at hand, where thou\nmust give account of all thy hours, of thy lusts, and passions, and\ndesires; of all thy thoughts, and words, and deeds; and that thy endless\njoy or misery dependeth wholly and certainly on this little time. Think\nbut soberly on such things as these, but one hour in a day or two, and\ntry whether it will not once recover thee to wit and godliness; and\nfolly and sin will vanish away before the force of considering reason,\nas the darkness vanisheth before the light. I entreat thee now as in the\npresence of God, and as thou wilt answer the denial of so reasonable a\nrequest at the day of judgment, that thou wilt but resolve to try this\ncourse of a sober, serious consideration, about thy sin, thy duty, thy\ndanger, thy hope, thy account, and thy everlasting state: try it\nsometimes, especially on the Lord's days; and do but mark the result of\nall; and whither it is that such sober consideration doth point or lead\nthee? whether it be not towards a diligent, holy, heavenly life? If thou\ndeny me thus much, God and thy conscience shall bear witness, that thou\nthoughtest thy salvation of little worth, and therefore mayst justly be\ndenied it.\n\nWould it not be strange that a man should be penitent and godly, that\nnever once thought of the matter with any seriousness in his life? Can\nso many and great diseases of soul be cured, before you have once\nsoberly considered that you have them, and how great and dangerous they\nare, and by what remedies they must be cured? Can grace be obtained and\nexercised, while you never so much as think of it? Can the main business\nof our lives be done without any serious thoughts; when we think it fit\nto bestow so many upon the trivial matters of this world? Doth the world\nand the flesh deserve to be remembered all the day, and week, and year?\nand doth not God and thy salvation deserve to be thought on one hour in\na day, or one day in a week? Judge of these things, but as a man of\nreason. If thou look that God, who hath given thee reason to guide thy\nwill, and a will to command thy actions, should yet carry thee to heaven\nlike a stone, or save thee against or without thy will, before thou\ndidst ever once soberly think of it, thou mayst have leisure in hell to\nlament the folly of such expectations.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Suffer not the devil by company, pleasure, or worldly\nbusiness, to divert or hinder thee from these serious considerations.\n\nThe devil hath but two ways to procure thy damnation. The one is, by\nkeeping thee from any sober remembrance of spiritual and eternal\nthings; and the other is, if thou wilt needs think of them, to deceive\nthee into false, erroneous thoughts. To bring to pass the first of\nthese, (which is the most common, powerful means,) his ordinary way is\nby diversion;[24] finding thee still something else to do; putting\nsome other thoughts into thy mind, and some other work into thy hand;\nso that thou canst never have leisure for any sober thoughts of God:\nwhenever the Spirit of God knocks at thy door, thou art so taken up\nwith other company, or other business, that thou canst not hear, or\nwilt not open to him. Many a time he hath been ready to teach thee,\nbut thou wast not at leisure to hear and learn. Many a time he\nsecretly jogged thy conscience, and checked thee in thy sin, and\ncalled thee aside to consider soberly about thy spiritual and\neverlasting state, when the noise of foolish mirth and pleasures, or\nthe bustles of encumbering cares and business, have caused thee to\nstop thy ears, and put him off, and refuse the motion. And if the\nabused Spirit of God depart, and leave thee to thy beloved mirth and\nbusiness, and to thyself, it is but just; and then thou wilt never\nhave a serious, effectual thought of heaven, perhaps, till thou have\nlost it; nor a sober thought of hell, till thou art in it; unless it\nbe some despairing, or some dull, ineffectual thought.\n\nO therefore, as thou lovest thy soul, do not love thy pleasure or\nbusiness so well as to refuse to treat with the Spirit of God, who comes\nto offer thee greater pleasures, and to engage thee in a more important\nbusiness. O lay by all, to hear awhile what God and conscience have to\nsay to thee. They have greater business with thee, than any others that\nthou conversest with. They have better offers and motions to make to\nthee, than thou shalt hear from any of thy old companions. If the devil\ncan but take thee up a while, with one pleasure one day, and another\nbusiness another day, and keep thee from the work that thou camest into\nthe world for, till time be gone, and thou art slipt unawares into\ndamnation, then he hath his desire, and hath the end he aimed at, and\nhath won the day, and thou art lost for ever.\n\nIt is like thou settest some limits to thy folly, and purposest to do\nthus but a little while: but when one pleasure withereth, the devil\nwill provide a fresh one for thee; and when one business is over,\nwhich causeth thee to pretend necessity, another, and another, and\nanother will succeed, and thou wilt think thou hast such necessity\nstill, till time is gone, and thou see, too late, how grossly thou\nwast deceived. Resolve, therefore, that whatever company, or pleasure,\nor business would divert thee, that thou wilt not be befooled out of\nthy salvation, nor taken off from minding the one thing necessary. If\ncompany plead an interest in thee, know of them whether they are\nbetter company than the Spirit of God and thy conscience;--if pleasure\nwould detain thee, inquire whether it be more pure and durable\npleasures, than thou mayst have in heaven, by hearkening unto\ngrace;--if business still pretend necessity, inquire whether it be a\ngreater business than to prepare thy soul and thy accounts for\njudgment, and of greater necessity than thy salvation. If not, let it\nnot have the precedency: if thou be wise, do that first that must\nneeds be done; and let that stand by that may best be spared. What\nwill it profit thee to win all the world, and lose thy soul? At least,\nif thou durst say that thy pleasure and business are better than\nheaven, yet might they sometimes be forborne, while thou seriously\nthinkest of thy salvation.\n\n_Direct._ VII. If thou wouldst be converted and saved, be not a\nmalicious or peevish enemy to those that would convert and save thee:\nbe not angry with them that tell thee of thy sin or duty, as if they\ndid thee wrong or hurt.\n\nGod worketh by instruments: when he will convert a Cornelius, a Peter\nmust be sent for, and willingly heard. When he will recall and save a\nsinner, he hath usually some public minister or private friend, that\nshall be a messenger of that searching and convincing truth, which is\nfit to awaken them, enlighten them, and recover them. If God furnish\nthese his instruments with compassion to your souls, and willingness to\ninstruct you, and you will take them for your enemies, and peevishly\nquarrel with them, and contradict them, and perhaps reproach them, and\ndo them a mischief for their good will, what an inhuman, barbarous\ncourse of ingratitude is this! Will you be angry with men for\nendeavouring to save you from the fire of hell? Do they endeavour to\nmake any gain or advantage by you? or only to help your souls to heaven?\nIndeed, if their endeavours did serve any ambitious design of their own,\nto bring the world (as the pope and his clergy would do) under their own\njurisdiction, you had reason then to suspect their fraud. But the truth\nis, Christ hath purposely appointed his greatest church-officers to be\nbut ministers, even the servants of all, to rule and save men as\nvolunteers, without any coercive power, by the management of his\npowerful word upon their consciences; and to beseech and entreat the\npoorest of the flock, as those that are not lords over God's heritage,\nnor masters of their faith, but their servants in Christ, and helpers of\ntheir joy; that so whenever we deliver our message to them, they may see\nthat we exercise not dominion over them, and aim at no worldly honours,\nor gain, or advantage to ourselves, but at the mere conversion and\nsaving of their souls. Whereas, if he had allowed us to exercise\nauthority as the kings of the gentiles, and to be called gracious lords,\nand to encumber ourselves with the affairs of this life, our doctrine\nwould have been rejected by the generality of the world, and we should\nalways have come to them on this great disadvantage, that they would\nhave thought we sought not them, but theirs; and that we preached not\nfor them, but for ourselves, to make a prize of them.[25] as the\nJesuits, when they attempt the conversion of the Indians, do still find\nthis their great impediment, the princes and people suppose them to\npretend the gospel, but as a means to subjugate them and their dominions\nto the pope; because they tell them that they must be all subject to the\npope, if they will be saved. Now when Christ hath appointed a poor,\nself-denying, entreating ministry, against whom you can have none of\nthese pretences, to stoop to your feet, with the most submissive\nentreaties, that you would but turn to God and live, you have no excuse\nfor your own barbarous ingratitude, if you will fly in their faces, and\nuse them as your enemies, and be offended with them for endeavouring to\nsave you. You know they can hold their tithes and livings by smoothing,\nand cold, and general preaching, as well as by more faithful dealing (if\nnot better): you know they can get no worldly advantage by dealing so\nplainly with you: you know that they hazard by it their reputation with\nsuch as you; and they cannot be ignorant that it is like to expose them\nto your ill will and indignation.\n\nAnd they are men as well as you, and therefore, undoubtedly, desire\nthe good will and the good word of others, and take no pleasure to be\nscorned or hated: undoubtedly they break through much temptations and\nreluctancy of the flesh, before they can so far deny themselves as to\nendeavour your salvation on such terms: and seeing it is all for you,\nmethinks you should be their chief encouragers; if others should\noppose them, you should be for them, because they are for you. If I go\nwith a convoy to relieve a besieged garrison, I shall expect\nopposition from the enemy that besiegeth them; but if the besieged\nthemselves shall shoot at us, and use us as enemies for venturing our\nlives to relieve them, it is time to be gone, and let them take what\nthey get by it.\n\nPerhaps you think that the preacher, or private admonisher, is too\nplain with you;[26] but you should consider that self-love is like to\nmake you partial in your own cause, and therefore a more incapable\njudge than they. And you should consider that God hath commanded them\nto deal plainly, and told them that else the people's blood shall be\nrequired at their hands, Isa. lviii. 1; Ezek. xviii. And that God best\nknoweth what medicine and diet is fittest for your disease; and that\nthe case is of such grand importance (whether you shall live in heaven\nor hell for ever?) that it is scarce possible for a minister to be too\nplain and serious with you: and that your disease is so obstinate,\nthat gentler means have been too long frustrate, and therefore sharper\nmust be tried; else why were you not converted by gentler dealing\nuntil now? If you fall down in a swoon, or be ready to be drowned, you\nwill give leave to the standers-by to handle you a little more roughly\nthan at another time, and will not bring your action against them for\nlaying hands on you, or ruffling your silks or bravery; if your house\nbe on fire, you will give men leave to speak in another manner, than\nwhen they modulate their voices into a civil and complimenting tone.\n\nIt may be you think that they are censorious in judging you to be\nunconverted, when you are not; and to be worse and in more danger than\nyou are, and speaking harder of you than you deserve. But it is you\nthat should be most suspicious of yourselves, and afraid in so great a\nmatter of being deceived. A stander-by may see more than a player: I\nam sure he that is awake may know more of you, than you of yourselves\nwhen you are asleep.\n\nBut suppose it were as you imagine; it is his love that mistakingly\nattempteth your good: he intendeth you no harm: it is your salvation\nthat he desireth; it is your damnation that he would prevent. You have\ncause to love him, and be thankful for his good-will, and not to be\nangry with him, and reproach him for his mistakes. He is none of those\nthat brings you into the inquisition, and would fine, or imprison, or\nbanish, or burn, or hang, or torment you, in order to convert and save\nyou: the worst he doth, is but to speak those words, which, if true,\nyou are deeply concerned to regard; and if mistaken, can do you no\nhurt, unless you are the cause yourself. If it be in public preaching,\nhe speaketh generally by descriptions, and not by nomination; no more\nof you, than of others in your case; nor of you at all, if you are not\nin that case. If he speak privately to you, there is no witness but\nyourself; and therefore it is no matter of disgrace. Never, for shame,\npretend that thou art willing to be converted and saved, when thou\nhatest those that would promote it; and art angry with every one that\ntells thee of thy case, and couldst find in thy heart to stop their\nmouths, or do them a mischief.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. If thou art willing indeed to be converted, do thy\nbest to discover that yet thou art unconverted, and in a lost and\nmiserable state.\n\nWho will endeavour to cure a disease which he thinks he hath not? or to\nvomit up the poison which he thinks he never took, or taketh to be no\npoison? or to come out of the ditch, that thinks he is not in it? or who\nwill turn back again, that will not believe but he is in the right way?\nWho will labour to be converted, that thinks he is converted already? Or\nwho will come to Christ as the physician of his soul, that thinks he is\nnot sick, or is cured already? The common cause that men live and die\nwithout the grace of repentance, sanctification, and justification,\nwhich should save them, is because they will not believe but that they\nhave it, when they have it not; and that they are penitent, and\njustified, and sanctified already. It is not my desire to make any of\nyou think worse of your condition than it is; but if you will not know\nwhat it is, you will not be fit for recovering grace, nor use the means\nfor your own recovery: you think it is so sad a conclusion, to find\nyourselves in a state of condemnation, that you are exceeding unwilling\nto know it or confess it.\n\nBut I beseech you consider but these two things: first, either it is\ntrue that you are in so miserable a state, or it is not true: if it be\nnot true, the closest trial will but comfort you, by discovering that\nyou are sanctified already; but if it be true, then do you think it\nwill save you to be ignorant of your danger? Will it cure your\ndisease, to believe that you have it not? Will thinking well of\nyourselves falsely, prove that you are well indeed?[27] Is it the way\nto grace, to think you have it, when you have it not? Will it bring\nyou to heaven, to think that you are going thither, when you are in\nthe way to hell? Nay, do you not know, that it is the principal\ntemptation of the devil, to keep men from a state of repentance and\nsalvation, to deceive them thus, and persuade them that they are in\nsuch a state already? Judge soberly of the case. Do you think if all\nthe impenitent, unconverted sinners in the world were certain that\nthey are indeed in a graceless state, in which if they died, they were\npast all hope, that they would not quickly look about them, and better\nunderstand the offers of a Saviour, and live in continual solicitude\nand fear, till they found themselves in a safer state? If you were\nsure yourselves, that you must yet be made new creatures, or be\ndamned, would it not set you on work to seek more diligently after\ngrace than ever you have done? The devil knoweth this well enough;\nthat he could scarce keep you quiet this night in his snares, but you\nwould be ready to repent and beg for mercy, and resolve on a new life,\nbefore to-morrow, if you were but sure that you are yet in a state of\ncondemnation. And therefore he doth all he can to hide your sin and\ndanger from your eyes, and to quiet you with the conceit, that though\nyou are sinners, yet you are penitent, pardoned, and safe.\n\nWell, sirs, there can be no harm in knowing the truth. And therefore\nwill you but try yourselves, whether you are unsanctified or not? You\nwere baptized into the name of the Holy Ghost as your Sanctifier; and\nif now you neglect or mock at sanctification, what do you but deride\nyour baptism, or neglect that which is its sense and end? It doth not\nso much concern you to know that you live the life of nature, as to\nknow whether sanctification have made you spiritually alive to God.\n\nAnd let me tell you this to your encouragement, that we do not call\nyou to know that you are unconverted, and unpardoned, and miserable,\nas men that have no remedy, but must sit down in despair, and be\ntormented with the fore-knowledge of your endless pains before the\ntime. No; it is but that you may speedily and thankfully accept of\nChrist, the full remedy, and turn to God, and quickly get out of your\nsin and terror, and enter into a life of safety and of peace. We\ndesire not your continuance in that life which tendeth to despair and\nhorror: we would have you out of it, if it were in our power, before\nto-morrow; and therefore it is that we would have you understand what\ndanger you are in, that you may go no further, but speedily turn back,\nand seek for help. And I hope there is no hurt, though there be some\npresent trouble, in such a discovery of your danger as this is.\n\nWell, if you are but willing to know, I shall help you a little to\nknow what you are.\n\n[Sidenote: Marks of an unconverted state.]\n\n1. If you are persecutors, or haters, deriders of men, for being serious\nand diligent in the service of God, and fearful of sinning, and because\nthey go not with the multitude to do evil, it is a certain sign that you\nare in a state of death: yea, if you love not such men, and desire not\nrather to be such yourselves, than to be the greatest of the ungodly.\nSee Gal. iv. 29; Acts xxvi. 11; 1 Tim. i. 13; 1 Pet. iv. 2-5; Psal. xv.\n4; 1 John iii. 8-15; John xiii. 35; Psal. lxxxiv. 10.\n\n2. If you love the world best, and set your affections most on things\nbelow, and mind most earthly things; nay, if you seek not first God's\nkingdom, and the righteousness thereof; and if your hearts be not in\nheaven, and your affections set on the things that are above; and you\nprefer not your hopes of life eternal before all the pleasures and\nprosperity of this world, it is a certain sign that you are but\nworldly and ungodly men. See this in Matt. vi. 19-21, 33; Phil. iii.\n18-20; Col. iii. 1-4; Psal. lxxiii. 25; 1 John ii. 15-17; James i. 27;\nLuke xii. 20, 21; xvi. 25.\n\n3. If your estimation, belief, and hopes, of everlasting life through\nChrist, be not such, as will prevail with you to deny yourselves, and\nforsake father, and mother, and the nearest friends; and house, and\nland, and life, and all that you have, for Christ, and for these hopes\nof a happiness hereafter, you are no true christians, nor in a state\nof saving grace. See Luke xiv. 26, 33; Matt. x. 37-39; xiii. 21, 22.\n\n4. If you have not been converted, regenerated, and sanctified by the\nSpirit of Jesus Christ, making you spiritual, and causing you to mind\nthe things of the Spirit above the things of the flesh. If this Spirit\nbe not in you, and you walk not after it, but after the flesh; making\nprovision for the flesh, to satisfy its desires, and preferring the\npleasing of the flesh before the pleasing of God, it is certain that\nyou are in a state of death. See Matt. xviii. 3; John iii. 3, 5, 6;\nHeb. xii. 14; Rom. viii. 1, 5-13; xiii. 13, 14; Luke xvi. 19, 25; xii.\n20, 21; Heb. xi. 25, 26; 2 Cor. iv. 16-18; v. 7; Rom. viii. 17, 18.\n\n5. If you have any known sin which you do not hate, and had not rather\nleave it than keep it, and do not pray, and strive, and watch against\nit, as far as you know and observe it; but rather excuse it, plead for\nit, desire it, and are loth to part with it, so that your will is\nhabitually more for it than against it, it is a sign of an impenitent,\nunrenewed heart. 1 John iii. 3-10, 24; Gal. v. 16, 19-25; Rom. vii.\n22, 24; viii. 13; Luke xiii. 3, 5; Matt. v. 19, 20; 2 Tim. ii. 19;\nPsal. v. 5; Luke xiii. 27.\n\n6. If you love not the word, as it is a light discovering your sin and\nduty, but only as it is a general truth, or as it reproveth others: if\nyou love not the most searching preaching, and would not know how bad\nyou are, and come not to the light, that your deeds may be manifest,\nit is a sign that you are not children of the light, but of the\ndarkness, John iii. 19-21.\n\n7. If the laws of your Creator and Redeemer be not of greatest power\nand authority with you, and the will and word of God cannot do more\nwith you, than the word or will of any man; and the threatenings and\npromises of God be not more prevalent with you, than the threats or\npromises of any men, it is a sign that you take not God for your God,\nbut in heart are atheists and ungodly men. Luke xix. 27; Matt. vii.\n21-23, 26; Dan. iii. 16-18; vi. 5, 10; Jer. xvii. 5, 6; Luke xii. 4;\nActs v. 29; Psal. xiv. 1, &c.\n\n8. If you have not, in a deliberate covenant or resolution, devoted\nand given up yourselves to God as your Father and felicity, to Jesus\nChrist as your only Saviour, and your Lord and King, and to the Holy\nGhost as your Sanctifier, to be made holy by him, desiring that your\nheart and life should be perfectly conformed to the will of God, and\nthat you might know him, and love him, and enjoy him more; you are\nvoid of godliness and true christianity; for this is the very covenant\nwhich you make in baptism, which you call your christening. Matt.\nxxviii. 19, 20; 2 Cor. viii. 5; 1 Cor. vi. 17; John i. 10-12; Gal. iv.\n6; Rom. viii. 14, 15.\n\nI have now plainly showed you, and fully proved, from the word of God,\nby what infallible signs an ungodly man may know that he is ungodly,\nif he will. May you not know whether it be thus with you, if you are\nwilling to know? May you not know, if you will, whether your desire\nand design of life be more for this world or that to come? and whether\nheaven or earth be preferred and sought first? and whether your\nfleshly prosperity and pleasure, or your souls, be principally cared\nfor and regarded? May you not know, if you will, whether you love or\nloathe the serious worshippers of God?[28] and whether you had rather\nbe delivered from your sins or keep them? and whether your wills be\nmore against them, or for them? and whether you love a holy life or\nnot? and whether you had rather be perfect in holiness and obedience\nto God, or be excused from it, and please the flesh? and whether you\nhad rather be such a one as Paul, or as C\u00e6sar? a persecuted saint in\npoverty and contempt, or a persecuting conqueror or king? May you not\nknow, if you will, whether you love a searching ministry, that telleth\nyou of the worst, and would not deceive you? May you not know, whether\nyou are resolvedly devoted and given up to God, the Father, Son, and\nHoly Ghost, as your Father and felicity, your Saviour and your\nSanctifier; and whether the scope, design, and business of your lives\nis more for God, or for the flesh, for heaven, or earth; and which it\nis that bears the sway, and which it is that comes behind, and hath\nbut the leavings of the other, or only so much as it can spare?\nCertainly these are things so near you, and so remarkable in your\nhearts, that you may come to the knowledge of them if you will. But if\nyou will not, who can help it?\n\nWhat a sottish cavil is it then of those ignorant men, that ask us,\nwhen we tell them of these things, Whether ever we were in heaven? or\never saw the book of life? and how we can tell who shall be saved, and\nwho shall be damned? If it were about a May-game this jesting were\nmore seasonable; but to talk thus distractedly about the matters of\nsalvation and damnation, and to make such a jest of the damning of\nsouls, is a kind of foolery that hath no excuse. What though we never\nwere in heaven? and never saw the book of life? dost thou think I\nnever saw the Scriptures? Why, wretched sinner, dost thou not know,\nthat Christ came down from heaven, to tell us who they be that shall\ncome thither, and who they be that shall be shut out? And did he not\nknow what he said? Is God the Governor of the world, and hath he not a\nlaw by which he governeth them? and can I not tell by the law, who\nthey be that the Judge will condemn or save? What else is the law made\nfor, but to be the rule of life, and the rule of judgment? Read Psal.\ni. and xv.; Matt. v. vii. and xxv., and all the texts which I even now\ncited, and see in them whether God hath not told you who they be that\nshall be saved, and who they be that shall be condemned? nay, see\nwhether this be not the very business of the word of God? And do you\nthink that he hath written in vain? But some men have loved ignorance\nand ungodliness so long, till the Spirit of grace hath cast them off,\nand left them to the sottishness of their carnal minds, so that \"they\nhave eyes and see not, and ears and hear not, and hearts and\nunderstand not.\" But those that are willing and diligent to know their\nsin and duty, in order to their recovery, God will not let them search\nin vain, nor hide the remedy from their eyes.\n\n_Direct._ IX. When you have found yourselves in a state of sin and\ndeath, understand and consider what a state that is.\n\nIt may be you will think it a tolerable condition, and linger in it,\nas if you were safe; or delay your repentance, as if it were a matter\nof no great haste; unless you open your eyes, and look round about\nyou, and see in how slippery a place you stand. Let me name some\ninstances of the misery of an unregenerate, graceless state, and then\njudge of it as the word of God directs you.\n\n1. As long as you are unconverted, you must needs be loathsome and\nabominable to God.[29] His holy nature is unreconcilable to sin, and\nwould be unreconcilable to sinners, if it were not that he can cleanse\nand purify them. Did you know what sin is, and know God's holiness, you\nwould understand this much better. Your own averseness to God, and your\ndislike of the holiness of his laws and servants, might tell you what\nthoughts he hath of you. \"He hateth all the workers of iniquity,\" Psal.\nv. 5. Indeed he taketh you for his enemies, and as such he will handle\nyou, if you be not converted. I know many persons that are most deeply\nguilty, especially men of honour and esteem in the world, would scorn to\nhave this title given to themselves; but verily God is not fearful of\noffending them, nor so tender of their defiled honour, as they are of\ntheir own, or as they expect the preacher should be. If those be the\nking's enemies that refuse his government and set up another, then those\nare the enemies of God, and of the Redeemer, and of the Holy Ghost, that\nset up the base concupiscence of their flesh, and the honour and\nprosperity of this world, and the will of man, and refuse the government\nof God their Creator and Redeemer, and refuse the sanctifying teachings\nand operations of the Holy Ghost. Read Luke xix. 27.\n\nSome think it strange that any men should be called \"haters of God;\"\nand I believe you will find it hard to meet with that man that will\nconfess it by himself, till converting grace or hell constrain him.\nAnd indeed if God himself had not charged men with that sin, and\ncalled them by that name, we should scarce have found belief or\npatience when we had endeavoured to convince the world of it. Entreat\nbut the worst of men to repent of hating God, and try how they will\ntake it. Yet they may read that name in Scripture, Rom. i. 30; Psal.\nlxxxi. 15; Luke xix. 14. Did not the Jews hate Christ, think you, when\nthey murdered him? and when they hated all his followers for his sake?\nMatt. x. 22; Mark xiii. 13. And doth not Christ say, \"that they shall\nbe hated for his sake, not only of the Jews, but also of all nations,\nand all men,\" Matt. xxiv. 9; x. 22; even by the \"world,\" John xvii.\n14; xv. 17-19, &c. And this was a hating \"both Christ and his Father,\"\nJohn xv. 23, 24. But you will say, it is not possible that any man can\nhate God. I answer, how then came the devils to hate him? Yea, every\nungodly man hateth God: indeed no man hateth him as good, or as\nmerciful to them; but they hate him as holy and just, as one that will\nnot let them have the pleasure of sin, without damning them; as one\nengaged in justice to cast them into hell, if they die without\nconversion; and as one that hath made so pure and precise a law to\ngovern them, and convinceth them of sin, and calls them to that\nrepentance and holiness which they hate. Why did the world hate Christ\nhimself? He tells you, John vii. 7, \"The world cannot hate you, but me\nit hateth, because I testify against it, that the works thereof are\nevil.\" John iii. 19, \"This is the condemnation, that light is come\ninto the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because\ntheir deeds were evil.\" Nay, it is a wonder of blindness, that this\nGod-hating world and age should not perceive that they are God-haters,\nwhile they hate his servants to the death, and implacably rage against\nthem, and hate his holy ways and kingdom, and bend all their power and\ninterest in most of the kingdoms of the world, against his interest\nand his people upon earth: while the devil fighteth his battles\nagainst Christ through the world, by their hands, they will yet\nconfess the devil's malice against God, but deny their own; as if he\nused their hands without their hearts. Well! poor, wretched worms!\ninstead of denying your enmity to him, lament it, and know that he\nalso taketh you for his enemies, and will prove too hard for you when\nyou have done your worst. Read Psal. ii. and tremble, and submit. This\nis especially the case of persecutors and open enemies; but in their\nmeasure also of all that would not have him to reign over them. And\ntherefore Christ came to reconcile us unto God, and God to us; and it\nis only the sanctified that are reconciled to him. See Col. i. 21;\nPhil. iii. 18; 1 Cor. xv. 25; Rom. v. 10. \"The carnal mind is enmity\nagainst God; for it is not subject to the law of God; nor indeed can\nbe,\" Rom. viii. 7. Mark that text well.\n\n2. As long as you are unsanctified, you are unjustified and\nunpardoned: you are under the guilt of all the sins that ever you\ncommitted: every sinful thought, word, and deed, of which the least\ndeserveth hell, is on your score, to be answered for by yourself: and\nwhat this signifieth, the threatenings of the law will tell you. See\nActs xxvi. 18; Mark iv. 12; Col. i. 14. There is no sin forgiven to an\nimpenitent, unconverted sinner.\n\n[Sidenote: Rom. viii. 9.]\n\n3. And no wonder, when the unconverted have no special interest in\nChrist. The pardon and life that is given by God, is given in and with\nthe Son: \"God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his\nSon: he that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son,\nhath not life,\" 1 John v. 10-12. Till we are members of Christ, we\nhave no part in the pardon and salvation purchased by him: and ungodly\nsinners are not his members. So that Jesus Christ, who is the hope and\nlife of all his own, doth leave thee as he found thee: and that is not\nthe worst; for,\n\n4. It will be far worse with the impenitent rejecters of the grace of\nChrist, than if they had never heard of a Redeemer. For it cannot be,\nthat God having provided so precious a remedy for sinful, miserable\nsouls, should suffer it to be despised and rejected, without increased\npunishment. Was it not enough that you had disobeyed your great Creator,\nbut you must also set light by a most gracious Redeemer, that offered\nyou pardon, purchased by his blood, if you would but have come to God by\nhim? Yea, the Saviour that you despised shall be himself your Judge, and\nthe grace and mercy which you set so light by, shall be the heaviest\naggravation of your sin and misery. For \"how shall you escape, if you\nneglect so great salvation?\" Heb. ii. 3. \"And of how much sorer\npunishment\" (than the despisers of Moses' law) \"shall they be thought\nworthy, who have trodden under foot the Son of God,\" &c. Heb. x. 29.\n\n5. The very prayers and sacrifice of the wicked are abominable to God\n(except such as contain their returning from their wickedness). So\nthat terror ariseth to you from that which you expect should be your\nhelp. See Prov. xv. 8; xxi. 27; Isa. i. 13.\n\n6. Your common mercies do but increase your sin and misery (till you\nreturn to God): your carnal hearts turn all to sin; Tit. i. 15, \"Unto\nthe pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled, and\nunbelieving, is nothing pure: but even their mind and conscience is\ndefiled.\"\n\n7. While you are unsanctified, you are impotent, and dead to any holy,\nacceptable work: when you should redeem your time, and prepare for\neternity, and try your states, or pray, or meditate, or do good to\nothers, you have no heart to any such spiritual works: your minds are\nbiassed against them, Rom. viii. 7. And it is not the excusable\nimpotency of such, as would do good, but cannot: but it is the\nmalicious impotency of the wicked, (the same with that of devils,)\nthat cannot do good, because they will not; and will not, because they\nhave blind, malicious, and ungodly hearts, which makes their sin so\nmuch the greater, Tit. i. 16.\n\n8. While you have unsanctified hearts, you have at all times the seed\nand disposition unto every sin; and if you commit not the worst, it is\nbecause some providence restraining the tempter hindereth you. No\nthanks to you that you do not daily commit idolatry, blasphemy, theft,\nmurder, adultery, &c. It is in your hearts to do it, when you have but\ntemptation and opportunity; and will be, till you are renewed by\nsanctifying grace.\n\n9. Till you are sanctified you are heirs of death and hell,[30] even\nunder the curse, and condemned already in point of law, though\njudgment have not passed the final sentence. See John iii. 18, 19, 36.\nAnd nothing is more certain, than that you had been damned and undone\nfor ever, if you had died before you had been renewed by the Holy\nGhost; and that yet this will be your miserable portion, if you should\ndie unsanctified. Think, then, what a life you have lived until now?\nand think what it is to live any longer in such a case, in which if\nyou die, you are certain to be damned. Conversion may save you, but\nunbelief and self-flattery will not save you from this endless misery,\nHeb. xii. 14; ii. 3; Matt. xxv. 46.\n\n10. As long as you are unsanctified, you are hasting to this misery:\nsin is like to get more rooting; and your hearts to be more hardened,\nand at enmity with grace; and God more provoked; and the Spirit more\ngrieved; and you are every day nearer to your final doom, when all\nthese things will be more sensibly considered, and better understood,\n2 Tim. iii. 13; 2 Pet. ii. 3.\n\nThus I have given you a brief account of the case of unrenewed souls,\nand but a brief one, because I have done it before more largely.\n(Treatise of Conversion.)\n\n_Direct._ X. When you have found out how sad a condition you are in,\nconsider what there is in sin to make you amends or repair your loss,\nthat should be any hinderance to your conversion.\n\nCertainly you will not continue for nothing (if you know it to be\nnothing) in so dangerous and doleful a case as this. And yet you do it\nfor that which is much worse than nothing, not considering what you\ndo. Sit down sometimes, and well bethink you, what recompence the\nworld or sin will make you, for your God, your souls, your hopes, and\nall, when they are lost and past recovery? Think what it will then\navail or comfort you, that once you were honoured, and had a great\nestate; that once you fared of the best, and had your delicious cups,\nand merry hours, and sumptuous attire, and all such pleasures. Think\nwhether this will abate the horrors of death, or put by the wrath of\nGod, or the sentence of your condemnation; or whether it will ease a\ntormented soul in hell? If not, think how small, and short, and silly\na commodity and pleasure it is, that you buy so dear; and what a wise\nman can see in it, that should make it seem worth the joys of heaven,\nand worth your enduring everlasting torments. What is it that is\nsupposed worth all this? Is it the snare of preferment? Is it vexing\nriches? Is it befooling honours? Is it distracting cares? Is it\nswinish luxury or lust? Is it beastly pleasures? Or what is it else\nthat you will buy at so wonderful dear a rate? O lamentable folly of\nungodly men! O foolish sinners! unworthy to see God! and worthy to be\nmiserable! O strangely corrupted heart of man, that can sell his\nMaker, his Redeemer, and his salvation, at so base a price!\n\n_Direct._ XI. And when you are casting up your account, as you put all\nthat sin and the world will do for you in the one end of the scales,\nso put into the other the comforts both of this life, and of that to\ncome, which you must part with for your sins.\n\nSearch the Scriptures, and consider how happy the saints of God are\nthere described. Think what it is, to have a purified, cleansed soul;\nto be free from the slavery of the flesh and its concupiscence; to\nhave the sensitive appetite in subjection unto reason, and reason\nilluminated and rectified by faith; to be alive to God, and disposed\nand enabled to love and serve him; to have access to him in prayer,\nwith boldness and assurance to be heard; to have a sealed pardon of\nall our sins, and an interest in Christ, who will answer for them all\nand justify us; to be the children of God, and the heirs of heaven; to\nhave peace of conscience, and the joyful hopes of endless joys; to\nhave communion with the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit, and to\nhave that Spirit dwelling in us, and working to our further holiness\nand joy; to have communion with the saints; and the help and comfort\nof all God's ordinances, and to be under his many precious promises,\nand under his protection and provision in his family, and to cast all\nour care upon him; to delight ourselves daily in the remembrance and\nrenewed experiences of his love, and in our too little knowledge of\nhim, and love to him, and in the knowledge of his Son, and of the\nmysteries of the gospel; to have all things work together for our\ngood, and to be able with joy to welcome death, and to live as in\nheaven in the foresight of our everlasting happiness. I would have\norderly here given you a particular account of the privileges of\nrenewed souls, but that I have done so much in that already in my\n\"Treatise of Conversion,\" and \"Saints' Rest.\" This taste may help you\nto see what you lose, while you abide in an unconverted state.\n\n_Direct._ XII. When you have thus considered of the condition you are\nin, consider also whether it be a condition to be rested in one day.\n\nIf you die unconverted, you are past all hope; for out of hell there\nis no redemption:[31] and certain you are to die ere long; and\nuncertain whether it will be this night, Luke xii. 20. You never lay\ndown with assurance that you should rise again; you never went out of\ndoors with assurance to return; you never heard a sermon with\nassurance that you should hear another; you never drew one breath with\nassurance that you should draw another: a thousand accidents and\ndiseases are ready to stop your breath, and end your time, when God\nwill have it so. And if you die this night in an unregenerate state,\nthere is no more time, or help, or hope. And is this a case then for a\nwise man to continue in a day, that can do any thing towards his own\nrecovery? Should you delay another day or hour, before you fall down\nat the feet of Christ, and cry for mercy, and return to God, and\nresolve upon a better course? May I not well say to thee, as the\nangels unto Lot, Gen. xix. 15, 17, 22, \"Arise, lest thou be consumed:\nescape for thy life; look not behind thee.\"\n\n_Direct._ XIII. 'When thou art resolved, past thy waverings and\ndelays, give up thyself entirely and unreservedly to God the Father,\nSon, and Holy Ghost, as thy happiness, thy Saviour, and thy\nSanctifier, in a hearty consent to the covenant of grace.'\n\nThis is thy christianity; thy espousals with Christ. It is sacramentally\ndone in baptism; but till it be personally owned, and heartily renewed\nby men at age, they have no reason to be numbered with adult believers,\nnor to dream of a part in the blessings of the covenant. It is pity it\nis not made a more serious, solemn work, for men thus to renew their\ncovenant with God. (For which I have written in a \"Treatise of\nConfirmation,\" but hitherto in vain.) However, do it seriously thyself:\nit is the greatest and weightiest action of thy life.\n\nTo this end, peruse well the covenant of grace which is offered thee\nin the gospel: understand it well. In it God offereth, notwithstanding\nthy sins, to be thy reconciled God and Father in Christ, and to accept\nthee as a son, and an heir of heaven.\n\nThe Son offereth to be thy Saviour, to justify thee by his blood and\ngrace, and teach thee, and govern thee as thy Head, in order to thy\neverlasting happiness. The Holy Spirit offereth to be thy Sanctifier,\nComforter, and Guide, to overcome all the enmity of the devil, the\nworld, and the flesh, in order to the full accomplishment of thy\nsalvation; nothing is expected of thee, in order to thy title to the\nbenefits of this covenant, but deliberately, unfeignedly, entirely to\nconsent to it, and to continue that consent, and perform what thou\nconsentest to perform, and that by the help of the grace which will be\ngiven thee. See, therefore, that thou well deliberate of the matter,\nbut without delays; and count what thou shalt gain or lose by it. And\nif thou find that thou art like to be a loser in the end, and knowest\nof any better way, even take it, and boast of it, when thou hast tried\nthe end; but if thou art past doubt, that there is no way but this,\ndespatch it resolutely and seriously.\n\nAnd take heed of one thing, lest thou say, Why, this is no more than\nevery body knoweth, and than I have done a hundred times, to give up\nmyself in covenant to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Dost thou\nknow it, and yet hast thou not done it? Or hast thou done it with thy\nlips, and not unfeignedly with thy heart? Lament it as one of thy\ngreatest sins, that thou hast thus provokingly dallied with God; and\nadmire his mercy, that he will yet vouchsafe to enter into covenant\nwith one, that hath hypocritically profaned his covenant. If thou\nhadst ever seriously thus covenanted and given up thyself to God, thou\nwouldst not have neglected him by an ungodly life, nor lived after to\nthe devil, the world, and the flesh, which were renounced. I tell you,\nthe making of this christian vow and covenant with God in Christ, is\nthe act of greatest consequence of any in all thy life, and to be done\nwith the greatest judgment, and reverence, and sincerity, and\nforesight, and firm resolution, of any thing that ever thou dost. And\nif it were done sincerely, by all that do it ignorantly, for fashion,\nonly with the lips, then all professed christians would be saved;\nwhereas now, the abusers of that holy name and covenant will have the\ndeepest place in hell. Write it out on thy heart, and put thy heart\nand hand to it resolvedly, and stand to thy consent, and all is thine\nown: conversion is wrought when this is done.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. In present performance of thy covenant with God, away\nwith thy former sinful life; and see that thou sin wilfully no more; but\nas far as thou art able, avoid the temptations which have deceived thee.\n\nGod will never be reconciled to thy sins: if he be reconciled to thy\nperson, it is as thou art justified by Christ, and sanctified by the\nSpirit: he entertaineth thee as one that turneth with repentance from\nsin to him. If thou wilfully or negligently go on in thy former course\nof sin, thou showest that thou wast not sincerely resolved in thy\ncovenant with God.\n\nI know infirmities and imperfections will not be so easily cast off, but\nwill cleave to thee in thy best obedience, till the day of thy\nperfection come. But I speak of gross and wilful sin; such as thou canst\nforbear, if thou be but sincerely, though imperfectly, willing.[32]\n\nHast thou been a profane swearer or curser, or used to take God's name\nin vain, or used to backbiting, slandering, lying, or to ribald,\nfilthy talk? It is in thy power to forbear these sins, if thou be but\nwilling. Say not, I fall into them through custom before I am aware;\nfor that is a sign that thou art not sincerely willing to forsake\nthem. If thou wert truly penitent, and thy will sincerely opposite to\nthese sins, thou wouldst be more tender and fearful to offend, and\nresolved against them, and make a greater matter of them, and abhor\nthem, and not commit them, and say, I did it before I was aware; no\nmore than thou wouldst spit in the face of thy father, or curse thy\nmother, or slander thy dearest friend, or speak treason against the\nking, and say, I did it through custom before I was aware. Sin will\nnot be so played with by those that have been soundly humbled for it,\nand resolved against it.\n\nHast thou been a drunkard, or tippler, spending thy precious hours in\nan ale-house, prating over a pot, in the company of foolish, tempting\nsinners? It is in thy power, if thou be truly willing, to do so no\nmore. If thou love and choose such company, and places, and actions,\nand discourse, how canst thou say thou art willing to forsake them, or\nthat thy heart is changed? If thou do not love and choose them, how\ncanst thou commit them, when none compels thee? No one carrieth thee\nto the place; no one forceth thee to sin; if thou do it, it is because\nthou wilt do it, and lovest it. If thou be in good earnest with God,\nand wilt be saved indeed, and art not content to part with heaven for\nthy cups and company, away with them presently, without delay.\n\nHast thou lived in wantonness, fornication, uncleanness, gluttony,\ngaming, pastimes, sensuality, to the pleasing of thy flesh, while thou\nhast displeased God? O bless the patience and mercy of the Lord, that\nthou wast not cut off all this while, and damned for thy sin before\nthou didst repent! And, as thou lovest thy soul, delay no longer; but\nmake a stand, and go no further, not one step further in the way which\nthou knowest leads to hell. If thou knowest that this is the way to\nthy damnation, and yet wilt go on, what pity dost thou deserve from\nGod or man?\n\nIf thou have been a covetous worldling, or an ambitious seeker of\nhonour or preferment in the world, so that thy gain, or rising, or\nreputation, hath been the game which thou hast followed, and hath\ntaken thee up instead of God and life eternal; away now with these\nknown deceits, and hunt not after vanity and vexation. Thou knowest\nbeforehand what it will prove when thou hast overtaken it, and hast\nenjoyed all that it can yield thee; and how useless it will be as to\nthy comfort or happiness at last.\n\nSurely, if men were willing, they are able to forbear such sins, and\nto make a stand, and look before them, to prevent their misery:\ntherefore God thus pleads with them, Isa. i. 16-18, \"Wash you, make\nyou clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes;\ncease to do evil, learn to do well,\" &c. Isa. lv. 2, 3, \"Wherefore do\nye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that\nwhich satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that\nwhich is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline\nyour ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live, and I will\nmake an everlasting covenant with you.\" Ver. 6, 7, \"Seek ye the Lord\nwhile he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near. Let the\nwicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let\nhim return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our\nGod, for he will abundantly pardon.\" Christ supposeth that the\nforesight of judgment may restrain men from sin, when he saith, \"Sin\nno more, lest a worse thing come unto thee,\" John v. 14, and viii. 11.\nCan the presence of men restrain a fornicator; and the presence of the\njudge restrain a thief, yea, or the foresight of the assizes? And\nshall not the presence of God, with the foresight of judgment and\ndamnation, restrain thee? Remember, that impenitent sin and damnation\nare conjoined. If you will cause one, God will cause the other. Choose\none, and you shall not choose whether you shall have the other. If\nyou will have the serpent, you shall have the sting.\n\n_Direct._ XV. If thou have sincerely given up thyself to God, and\nconsented to his covenant, show it, by turning the face of thy\nendeavours and conversation quite another way, and by seeking heaven\nmore fervently and diligently than ever thou soughtest the world, or\nfleshly pleasures.\n\nHoliness consisteth not in a mere forbearance of a sensual life, but\nprincipally in living unto God. The principle or heart of holiness is\nwithin, and consisteth in the love of God, and of his word, and ways,\nand servants, and honour, and interest in the world, and in the soul's\ndelight in God, and the word and ways of God, and in its inclination\ntowards him, and desire after him, and care to please him, and\nlothness to offend him. The expression of it in our lives, consisteth\nin the constant, diligent exercise of this internal life, according to\nthe directions of the word of God. If thou be a believer, and hast\nsubjected thyself to God, as thy absolute Sovereign, King, and Judge,\nit will then be thy work to obey and please him, as a child his\nfather, or a servant his master, Mal. i. 6. Do you think that God will\nhave servants, and have nothing for them to do? Will one of you\ncommend or reward your servant for doing nothing, and take it at the\nyear's end for a satisfactory answer or account, if he say, I have\ndone no harm? God calleth you not only to do no harm, but to love and\nserve him with all your heart, and soul, and might. If you have a\nbetter master than you had before, you should do more work than you\ndid before. Will you not serve God more zealously than you served the\ndevil? Will you not labour harder to save your souls than you did to\ndamn them? Will you not be more zealous in good, than you were in\nevil? \"What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now\nashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free\nfrom sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto\nholiness, and the end everlasting life,\" Rom. vi. 21, 22. If you are\ntrue believers, you have now laid up your hopes in heaven, and\ntherefore will set yourselves to seek it, as worldlings set themselves\nto seek the world. And a sluggish wish, with heartless, lazy, dull\nendeavours, is no fit seeking of eternal joys. A creeping pace\nbeseemeth not a man that is in the way to heaven; especially who went\nfaster in the way to hell. This is not running as for our lives. You\nmay well be diligent and make haste, where you have so great\nencouragement and help, and where you may expect so good an end, and\nwhere you are sure you shall never, in life or death, have cause to\nrepent of any of your just endeavours; and where every step of your\nway is pure, and clean, and delectable, and paved with mercies, and\nfortified and secured by divine protection; and where Christ is your\nconductor, and so many have sped so well before you, and the wisest\nand best in the world are your companions. Live then as men that have\nchanged their master, their end, their hopes, their way, and work.\nReligion layeth not men to sleep, though it be the only way to rest.\nIt awakeneth the sleepy soul to higher thoughts, and hopes, and\nlabours, than ever it was well acquainted with before. \"He that is in\nChrist, is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all\nthings are become new,\" 2 Cor. v. 17. You never sought that which\nwould pay for all your cost and diligence till now; you never were in\na way that you might make haste in, without repenting of your haste,\ntill now. How glad should you be that mercy hath brought you into the\nright way, after the wanderings of such a sinful life![33] And your\ngladness and thankfulness should now be showed, by your cheerful\ndiligence and zeal. As Christ did not raise up Lazarus from the dead,\nto do nothing, or live to little purpose (though the Scripture giveth\nus not the history of his life); so did he not raise you from the\ndeath of sin, to live idly, or to be unprofitable in the world. He\nthat giveth you his Spirit, to be a principle of heavenly life within\nyou, expecteth that you stir up the gift that he hath given you, and\nlive according to that heavenly principle.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Engage thyself in the cheerful, constant use of the\nmeans and helps appointed by God, for thy confirmation and salvation.\n\nHe can never expect to attain the end, that will not be persuaded to use\nthe means. Of yourselves you can do nothing. God giveth his help, by the\nmeans which he hath appointed and fitted to your help. Of the use of\nthese, I shall treat more fully afterwards; I am now only to name them\nto thee, that thou mayst know what it is that thou hast to do.[34]\n\n1. That you must hear or read the word of God, and other good books\nwhich expound it and apply it, I showed you before. The new-born\nchristian doth incline to this, as the new-born child doth to the\nbreast; 1 Pet. ii. 1, 2, \"Laying aside all malice, and guile, and\nhypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as new-born babes,\ndesire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.\" Psal.\ni. 2, 3, the blessed man's \"delight is in the law of the Lord, and\ntherein doth he meditate day and night.\"\n\n2. Another means is the public worshipping of God in communion with\nhis church and people. Besides the benefit of the word there preached,\nthe prayers of the church are effectual for the members; and it\nraiseth the soul to holy joys, to join with well ordered assemblies of\nthe saints, in the praises of the Almighty. The assemblies of holy\nworshippers of God, are the places of his delight, and must be the\nplaces of our delight. They are most like to the celestial society,\nthat sound forth the praises of the glorious Jehovah, with purest\nminds and cheerful voice. \"In his temple doth every one speak of his\nglory,\" Psal. xxix. 9. In such a choir, what soul will not be rapt up\nwith delight, and desire to join in the concert and harmony? In such a\nflame of united desires and praises, what soul so cold and dull that\nwill not be inflamed, and with more than ordinary facility and\nalacrity fly up to God?\n\n3. Another means is private prayer unto God. When God would tell\nAnanias that Paul was converted, he saith of him, \"Behold, he\nprayeth,\" Acts ix. 11. Prayer is the breath of the new creature. The\nspirit of adoption given to every child of God is a spirit of prayer,\nand teacheth them to cry, \"Abba, Father,\" and helpeth their\ninfirmities; when they know not what to pray for as they ought, and\nwhen words are wanting, it (as it were) intercedeth for them with\ngroans, which they cannot express in words, Gal. iv. 6; Rom. viii. 15,\n26, 27. And God knoweth the meaning of the Spirit in those groans. The\nfirst workings of grace are in desires after grace, provoking the soul\nto fervent prayer, by which more grace is speedily obtained. \"Ask,\"\nthen, \"and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall\nbe opened to you,\" Luke xi. 9.\n\n4. Another means to be used is confession of sin; not only to God,\n(for so every wicked man may do, because he knoweth that God is\nalready acquainted with it all, and this is no addition to his shame:\nhe so little regardeth the eye of God, that he is more ashamed when it\nis known to men,) but in three cases confession must be made also to\nman. 1. In case you have wronged man, and are thus bound to make him\nsatisfaction: as if you have robbed him, defrauded him, slandered him,\nor borne false witness against him. 2. In case you are children or\nservants, that are under the government of parents or masters, and are\ncalled by them to give an account of your actions: you are bound then\nto give a true account. 3. In case you have need of the counsel or\nprayers of others, for the settling of your consciences in peace: in\nthis case, you must so far open your case to them, as is necessary to\ntheir effectual help for your recovery; for if they know not the\ndisease, they will be unfit to apply the remedy. In these cases, it is\ntrue, that \"he that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but he that\nconfesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy,\" Prov. xxviii. 13.\n\n5. Another means to be used, is the familiar company and holy converse\nwith humble, sincere, experienced christians. The Spirit that is in\nthem, and breatheth and acteth by them, will kindle the like holy\nflames in you. Away with the company of idle, prating, sensual men,\nthat can talk of nothing but their worldly wealth, or business, or\ntheir reputations, or their appetites and lusts; associate yourselves\nwith them that go the way to heaven, if you resolve yourselves to go\nin it. O what a deal of difference will you find between these two\nsorts of companions! The one sort, if you have any thoughts of\nrepentance, would stifle them, and laugh you out of the use of your\nreason, into their own distracted mirth and dotage: and if you have\nany serious thoughts of your salvation, or any inclinations to repent\nand be wise, they will do much to divert them, and hold you in the\npower and snares of Satan, till it be too late: if you have any zeal,\nor heavenly-mindedness, they will do much to quench it, and fetch down\nyour minds to earth again. The other sort will speak of things of so\ngreat weight and moment, and that with seriousness and reverence, as\nwill tend to raise and quicken your souls; and possess you with a\ntaste of the heavenly things which they discourse of; they will\nencourage you by their own experiences, and direct you by that truth\nwhich hath directed them, and zealously communicate what they have\nreceived: they will pray for you, and teach you how to pray: they will\ngive the example of holy, humble, obedient lives, and lovingly\nadmonish you of your duties, and reprove your sins. In a word, as the\ncarnal mind doth savour the things of the flesh, and is enmity against\nGod, the company of such will be a powerful means to infect you with\ntheir plague, and make you such, if you were escaped from them; much\nmore to keep you such, if you are not escaped: and as they that are\nspiritual, do mind the things of the Spirit, so their converse tendeth\nto make you spiritually-minded, as they are, Rom. viii. 7, 8. Though\nthere are some useful qualities and gifts in some that are ungodly,\nand some lamentable faults in many that are spiritual; yet experience\nwill show you so great a difference between them in the main, in heart\nand life, as will make you the more easily believe the difference that\nwill be between them in the life to come.\n\n6. Another means is serious meditation on the life to come, and the\nway thereto; which though all cannot manage so methodically as some,\nyet all should in some measure and season be acquainted with it.\n\n7. The last means is, to choose some prudent, faithful guide and\ncounsellor for your soul,[35] to open those cases to which are not fit\nfor all to know, and to resolve and advise you in cases that are too\nhard for you: not to lead you blindfold after the interest of any\nseduced or ambitious men, nor to engage you to his singular conceits,\nagainst the Scripture or the church of God; but to be to your soul, as\na physician to your body, or a lawyer to your estates, to help you\nwhere they are wiser than you, and where you need their helps.\n\nResolve now, that instead of your idle company and pastime, your\nexcessive cares and sinful pleasures, you will wait on God in the\nseasonable use of these his own appointed means; and you will find,\nthat he hath appointed them not in vain, and that you shall not lose\nyour labour.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. That in all this you may be sincere, and not deceived\nby a hypocritical change, be sure that God be all your confidence, and\nall your hopes be placed in heaven; and that there be no secret\nreserve in your hearts, for the world and flesh; and that you divide\nnot your hearts between God and the things below, nor take up with the\nreligion of a hypocrite, which giveth God what the flesh can spare.\n\nWhen the devil cannot keep you from a change and reformation, he will\nseek to deceive you with a superficial change and half reformation,\nwhich goeth not to the root, nor doth recover the heart to God, nor\ndeliver it entirely to him. If he can by a partial, deceitful change,\npersuade you that you are truly renewed and sanctified, and fix you\nthere that you go no further, you are as surely his, as if you had\ncontinued in your grosser sins. And, of all other, this is the most\ncommon and dangerous cheat of souls, when they think to halve it\nbetween God and the world, and to secure their fleshly interest of\npleasure and prosperity, and their salvation too; and so they will\nneeds serve God and mammon.\n\n[Sidenote: The full description of a false conversion, and of a\nhypocrite.]\n\nThis is the true character of a self-deceiving hypocrite.[36] He is\nneither so fully persuaded of the certain truth of the Scripture and\nthe life to come, nor yet so mortified to the flesh and the world, as\nto take the joys of heaven for his whole portion, and to subject all\nhis worldly prosperity and hopes thereunto, and to part with all\nthings in this world, when it is necessary to the securing of his\nsalvation: and therefore he will not lose his hold of present things,\nnor forsake his worldly interest for Christ, as long as he can keep\nit. Nor will he be any further religious, than may stand with his\nbodily welfare; resolving never to be undone by his godliness; but in\nthe first place to save himself, and his prosperity in the world, as\nlong as he can: and therefore he is truly a carnal, worldly-minded\nman; being denominated from what is predominant in him. And yet,\nbecause he knoweth that he must die, and for aught he knows, he may\nthen find, against his will, that there is another life which he must\nenter upon; lest the gospel should prove true, he must have some\nreligion: and therefore he will take up as much as will stand with his\ntemporal welfare, hoping that he may have both that and heaven\nhereafter; and he will be as religious as the predominant interest of\nthe flesh will give him leave. He is resolved rather to venture his\nsoul, than to be here undone: and that is his first principle. But he\nis resolved to be as godly as will stand with a worldly, fleshly life:\nthat is his second principle. And he will hope for heaven as the end\nof such a way as this: that is his third. Therefore he will place most\nof his religion in those things which are most consistent with\nworldliness and carnality, and will not cost his flesh too dear; as in\nbeing of this or that opinion, church, or party, (whether papist,\nprotestant, or some smaller party,) in adhering to that party and\nbeing zealous for them, in acquiring and using such parts and gifts,\nas may make him highly esteemed by others; and in doing such good\nworks as cost him not too dear; and in forbearing such sins as would\nprocure his disgrace and shame, and cost his flesh dearer to commit\nthem, than forbear them; and such other as his flesh can spare: this\nis his fourth principle. And he is resolved, when trial calleth him to\npart with God and his conscience, or with the world, that he will\nrather let go God and conscience, and venture upon the pains\nhereafter, which he thinks to be uncertain, than to run upon a certain\ncalamity or undoing here; at least, he hath no resolution to the\ncontrary, which will carry him out in a day of trial: this is his\nfifth principle. And his sixth principle is, That yet he will not\ntorment himself, or blot his name, with confessing himself a\ntemporizing worldling, resolved to turn any way to save himself. And\ntherefore he will be sure to believe nothing to be truth and duty that\nis dangerous; but will furnish himself with arguments to prove that it\nis not the will of God; and that sin is no sin: yea, perhaps,\nconscience and duty shall be pleaded for his sin: it shall be out of\ntenderness, and piety, and charity to others, that he will sin; and\nwill charge them to be the sinners that comply not, and do not\nwickedly as well as he. He will be one that shall first make a\ncontroversy of every sin which his flesh calls necessary, and of\nevery duty which his flesh counts intolerably dear; and then, when it\nis a controversy, and many reputed wise, and some reputed good, are on\nhis side, he thinks he is on equal terms with the most honest and\nsincere: he hath got a burrow for his conscience and his credit: he\nwill not believe himself to be a hypocrite, and no one else must think\nhim one, lest they be uncharitable; for then the censure must fall on\nthe whole party; and then it is sufficient to defend his reputation of\npiety to say, Though we differ in opinion, we must not differ in\naffection, and must not condemn each other for such differences (a\nvery great truth where rightly applied.) But what is it, O hypocrite,\nthat makes thee differ in cases where thy flesh is interested, rather\nthan in any other? and why wast thou never of that mind till now that\nthy worldly interest requireth it? and how cometh it to pass, that\nthou art always on the self-saving opinion? and whence is it that thou\nconsultest with those only that are of the opinion which thou desirest\nshould be true, and either not at all, or partially and slightly, with\nthose that are against it? Wast thou ever conscious to thyself, that\nthou hast accounted what it might cost thee to be saved, and reckoned\non the worst, and resolved in the strength of grace to go through all?\nDidst thou ever meddle with much of the self-denying part of religion,\nor any duties that would cost thee dear? May not thy conscience tell\nthee, that thou never didst believe that thou shouldst suffer much for\nthy religion; that is, thou hadst a secret purpose to avoid it?\n\nO sirs! take warning from the mouth of Christ, who hath so oft and\nplainly warned you of this sin and danger! and told you how necessary\nself-denial, and a suffering disposition is, to all that are his\ndisciples; and that the worldly, fleshly principle, predominant in the\nhypocrite, is manifest by his self-saving course: he must take up his\ncross, and follow him in a conformity to his sufferings, that will\nindeed be his disciple. We must suffer with him, if we will reign with\nhim, Rom. viii. 17, 18. Matt. xiii. 20-22, \"He that received the seed in\nstony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy\nreceiveth it, yet hath he not the root in himself, but dureth for a\nwhile; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word,\nby and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns,\nis he that heareth the word, and the care of this world, and the\ndeceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.\" If\nthou have not taken heaven for thy part, and art not resolved to let go\nall that would keep thee from it, I must say to thy conscience, as\nChrist to one of thy predecessors, Luke xviii. 22, \"Yet lackest thou one\nthing,\" and such a one, as thou wilt find of flat necessity to thy\nsalvation. And it is likely some trying time, even in this life, will\ndetect thine hypocrisy, and make thee \"go away sorrowful,\" for thy\nriches' sake, as he, ver. 23. If godliness with contentment seem not\nsufficient gain to thee, thou wilt make thy gain go instead of\ngodliness; that is, thy gain shall be next thy heart, and have the\nprecedency which godliness should have, and thy gain shall choose thee\nthy religion, and overrule thy conscience, and sway thy life.\n\nO sirs! take warning by the apostates, and temporizing hypocrites,\nthat have looked behind them, and, with Demas, for the world forsaken\ntheir duty, and are set up by justice as pillars of salt, for your\nwarning and remembrance. And as ever you would make sure work in\nturning to God, and escape the too late repentance of the hypocrite,\nsee that you go to the root, and resign the world to the will of\nGod,--and reckon what it may cost you to be followers of Christ,--and\nlook not after any portion, but the favour of God and life\neternal,--and see that there be no secret reserve in your hearts for\nyour worldly interest or prosperity,--and think not of halving it\nbetween God and the world, nor making your religion compliant with the\ndesires and interest of the flesh. Take God as enough for you, yea, as\nall, or else you take him not as your God.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. If you would prove true converts, come over to God,\nas your Father and felicity, with desire and delight, and close with\nChrist, as your only Saviour, with thankfulness and joy; and set upon\nthe way of godliness with pleasure and alacrity, as your exceeding\nprivilege, and the only way of profit, honour, and content: and do it\nnot as against your wills, as those that had rather do otherwise if\nthey durst, and account the service of God an unsuitable and\nunpleasant thing.\n\nYou are never truly changed, till your hearts be changed; and the\nheart is not changed, till the will or love be changed. Fear is not\nthe man; but usually is mixed with unwillingness and dislike, and so\nis contrary to that which is indeed the man. Though fear may do much\nfor you, it will not do enough: it is oft more sensible than love,\neven in the best, as being more passionate and violent; but yet there\nis no more acceptableness in all, than there is will or love.[37] God\nsent not soldiers, or inquisitors, or persecutors, to convert the\nworld by working upon their fear, and driving them upon that which\nthey take to be a mischief to them: but he sent poor preachers, that\nhad no matter of worldly fears or hopes to move their auditors with;\nbut had authority from Christ to offer them eternal life; and who were\nto convert the world by proposing to them the best and most desirable\ncondition, and showing them where is the true felicity, and proving\nthe certainty and excellency of it to them, and working upon their\nlove, desire, and hope: God will not be your God against your wills,\nwhile you esteem him as the devil, that is only terrible and hurtful\nto you, and take his service for a slavery, and had rather be from\nhim, and serve the world and the flesh, if it were not for fear of\nbeing damned. He will be feared as great, and holy, and just; but he\nwill also be loved as good, and holy, and merciful, and every way\nsuited to be the felicity and rest of souls. If you take not God to be\nbetter than the creature, (and better to you,) and heaven to be better\nfor you than earth, and holiness than sin, you are not converted; but\nif you do, then show it by your willingness, alacrity, and delight.\nServe him with gladness and cheerfulness of heart, as one that hath\nfound the way of life, and never had cause of gladness until now. If\nyou see your servant do all his work with groans, and tears, and\nlamentations, you will not think he is well pleased with his master\nand his work. Come to God willingly with your hearts, or you come not\nto him indeed at all. You must either make him and his service your\ndelight, or at least your desire; as apprehending him most fit to be\nyour delight, so far as you enjoy him.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Remember still that conversion is the turning from your\ncarnal selves to God; and therefore that it engageth you in a\nperpetual opposition to your own corrupt conceits and wills, to\nmortify and annihilate them, and captivate them wholly to the holy\nword and will of God.\n\nThink not that your conversion despatcheth all that is to be done in\norder to your salvation. No, it is but the beginning of your work,\nthat is, of your delight and happiness; you are but engaged by it to\nthat which must be performed throughout all your lives; it entereth\nyou into the right way, not to sit down there, but to go on till you\ncome to the desired end. It entereth you into Christ's army, that\nafterwards you may there win the crown of life; and the great enemy\nthat you engage against, is yourselves. There will still be a law in\nyour members, rebelling against the law that the Holy Ghost hath put\ninto your minds: your own conceits and your own wills are the great\nrebels against Christ, and enemies of your sanctification. Therefore\nit must be your resolved daily work to mortify them, and bring them\nclean over to the mind and will of God, which is their rule and end.\nIf you feel any conceits arising in you that are contrary to the\nScripture, and quarrel with the word of God, suppress them as\nrebellious, and give them not liberty to cavil with your Maker, and\nmalapertly dispute with your Governor and Judge; but silence it, and\nforce it reverently to submit. If you feel any will in you contrary to\nyour Creator's will, and that there is something which you would have\nor do, which God is against, and hath forbid you, remember now how\ngreat a part of your work it is, to fly for help to the Spirit of\ngrace, and to destroy all such rebellious desires. Think it not\nenough, that you can bear the denial of those desires; but presently\ndestroy the desires themselves. For if you let alone the desires, they\nmay at last lay hold upon their prey, before you are aware: or if you\nshould be guilty of nothing but the desires themselves, it is no small\niniquity; being the corruption of the heart, and the rebellion and\nadultery of the principal faculty, which should be kept loyal and\nchaste to God. The crossness of thy will to the will of God, is the\nsum of all the impiety and evil of the soul; and the subjection and\nconformity of thy will to his, is the heart of the new creature, and\nof thy rectitude and sanctification. Favour not therefore any\nself-conceitedness or self-willedness, nor any rebelliousness against\nthe mind and will of God, any more than you would bear with the\ndisjointing of your bones, which will be little for your ease or use,\ntill they are reduced to their proper place.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Lastly, Be sure that you renounce all conceit of\nself-sufficiency or merit in any thing you do, and wholly rely on the\nLord Jesus Christ, as your Head, and Life, and Saviour, and\nIntercessor with the Father.\n\nRemember that \"without him ye can do nothing,\" John xv. 5. Nor can any\nthing you do be acceptable to God, any other way than in him, the\nbeloved Son, in whom he is well pleased. As your persons had never\nbeen accepted but in him, no more can any of your services. All your\nrepentings, if you had wept out your eyes for sin, would not have\nsatisfied the justice of God, nor procured you pardon and\njustification, without the satisfaction and merit of Christ. If he had\nnot first taken away the sins of the world, and reconciled them so far\nto God, as to procure and tender them the pardon and salvation\ncontained in his covenant, there had been no place for your\nrepentance, nor faith, nor prayers, nor endeavours, as to any hope of\nyour salvation. Your believing would not have saved you, nor indeed\nhad any justifying object, if he had not purchased you the promise and\ngift of pardon and salvation to all believers.\n\n_Objection._ But perhaps you will say, That if we had loved God, without\na Saviour, we should have been saved; for God cannot hate and damn those\nthat love him. To which I answer, You could not have loved God as God,\nwithout a Saviour: to have loved him as the giver of your worldly\nprosperity, with a love subordinate to the love of sin and your carnal\nselves, and to love him as one that you imagine so unholy and unjust, as\nto give you leave to sin against him, and prefer every vanity before\nhim, this is not to love God, but to love an image of your own fantasy;\nnor will it at all procure your salvation. But to love him as your God\nand happiness, with a superlative love, you could never have done\nwithout a Saviour. For, 1. Objectively; God being not your reconciled\nfather, but your enemy, engaged in justice to damn you for ever, you\ncould not love him as thus related to you, because he could not seem\namiable to you; and therefore the damned hate him as their destroyer, as\nthe thief or murderer hates the judge. 2. And as to the efficiency; your\nblinded minds and depraved wills could never have been restored so far\nto their rectitude, as to have loved God as God, without the teaching of\nChrist, and the renewing, sanctifying work of his Spirit. And without a\nSaviour, you could never have expected this gift of the Holy Ghost. So\nthat your supposition itself is groundless.\n\nIndeed conversion is your implanting into Christ, and your uniting to\nhim, and marriage with him, that he may be your life, and help, and\nhope. \"He is the way, the truth, and the life: and no man cometh to\nthe Father, but by him,\" John xiv. 6. \"God hath given us eternal life,\nand this life is in his Son: he that hath the Son, hath life; and he\nthat hath not the Son, hath not life,\" 1 John v. 11, 12. \"He is the\nVine, and we are the branches: as the branch cannot bear fruit of\nitself, except it abide in the vine, so neither can we, except we\nabide in him: he that abideth not in Christ, is cast forth as a\nbranch, and withered, to be burned,\" John xv. 4-6. All your life and\nhelp is in him, and from him: without Christ, you cannot believe in\nthe Father, as in one that will show you any saving mercy, but only as\nthe devils, that believe him just, and tremble at his justice. Without\nChrist, you cannot love God, nor have any lively apprehensions of his\nlove. Without Christ, you can have no hope of heaven, and therefore no\nendeavours for it. Without him, you cannot come near to God in prayer,\nas having no confidence, because no admittance, acceptance, or hope.\nWithout him, how terrible are the thoughts of death! which in him we\nmay see as a conquered thing: and when we remember that he was dead,\nand is now alive, and the Lord of life, and hath the keys of death and\nhell, with what boldness may we lay down this flesh, and suffer death\nto undress our souls! It is only in Christ that we can comfortably\nthink of the world to come; when we remember that he must be our\nJudge, and that in our nature, glorified, he is now in the highest,\nLord of all; and that he is \"preparing a place for us, and will come\nagain to take us to himself, that where he is, there we may be also,\"\nJohn xiv. 3. Alas! without Christ, we know not how to live an hour;\nnor can have hope or peace in any thing we have or do; nor look with\ncomfort either upward or downward, to God, or the creature; nor think\nwithout terrors of our sins, of God, or of the life to come. Resolve,\ntherefore, that as true converts, you are wholly to live upon Jesus\nChrist, and to do all that you do by his Spirit and strength; and to\nexpect all your acceptance with God upon his account. When other men\nare reputed philosophers, or wise, for some unsatisfactory knowledge\nof these transitory things, do you desire to know nothing but a\ncrucified and glorified Christ: study him, and take him (objectively)\nfor your wisdom. When other men have confidence in the flesh, and in\ntheir show of wisdom, in will-worship, and humility, after the\ncommandments and doctrines of men, (Col. ii. 20-23,) and would\nestablish their own righteousness, do you rejoice in Christ your\nrighteousness; and set continually before your eyes his doctrine and\nexample, as your rule: look still to Jesus, the author and finisher of\nyour faith, who contemned all the glory of the world, and trampled\nupon its vanity, and subjected himself to a life of suffering, and\nmade himself of no reputation, but \"for the joy that was set before\nhim, endured the cross, despising the shame,\" and underwent the\ncontradiction of sinners against himself. Live so, that you may truly\nsay, as Paul, Gal. ii. 20, \"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I\nlive; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now\nlive in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,\nand gave himself for me.\"\n\nHaving given you these directions, I most earnestly beseech you to\nperuse and practise them, that my labour may not rise up as a witness\nagainst you, which I intend for your conversion and salvation. Think\non it, whether this be an unreasonable course, or an unpleasant life,\nor a thing unnecessary? and what is reasonable, necessary, and\npleasant, if this be not?\n\nAnd if you meet with any of those distracted sinners, that would\nderide you from Christ and your salvation, and say, this is the way to\nmake men mad,[38] or, this is more ado than needs; I will not stand\nhere to manifest their brutishness and wickedness, having largely done\nit already, in my book called, \"A Saint or a Brute,\" and \"Now or\nNever,\" and in the third part of the \"Saints' Rest:\" but only I desire\nthee, as a full defensative against all the pratings of the enemies of\na holy, heavenly life, to take good notice but of these three things.\n\n1. Mark well the language of the holy Scriptures, and see whether it\nspeak not contrary to these men; and bethink thee whether God or they\nbe wiser, and whether God or they must be thy judge?\n\n2. Mark, whether these men do not change their minds,[39] and turn\ntheir tongues when they come to die? Or think whether they will not\nchange their minds, when death hath sent them into that world where\nthere is none of these deceits? And think whether thou shouldst be\nmoved with that man's words, that will shortly change his mind\nhimself, and wish he had never spoke such words?\n\n3. Observe well, whether their own profession do not condemn them; and\nwhether the very thing that they hate the godly for, be not that they\nare serious in practising that which these malignants themselves\nprofess as their religion? And are they not then notorious\nhypocrites,[40] to profess to believe in God, and yet scorn at those\nthat \"diligently seek him?\" Heb. xi. 6; to profess faith in Christ,\nand hate those that obey him? to profess to believe in the Holy Ghost\nas the sanctifier, and yet hate and scorn his sanctifying work? to\nprofess to believe the day of judgment, and everlasting torment of the\nungodly, and yet to deride those that endeavour to escape it? to\nprofess to believe that heaven is prepared for the godly, and yet to\nscorn at those that make it the chief business of their lives to\nattain it? to profess to take the holy Scripture for God's word and\nlaw, and yet to scorn those that obey it? to pray after each of the\nten commandments, \"Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to\nkeep this law,\" and yet to hate all those that desire and endeavour to\nkeep them? What impudent hypocrisy is joined with this malignity!\nMark, whether the greatest diligence of the most godly be not\njustified by the formal profession of those very men that hate and\nscorn them? The difference between them is, that the godly profess\nchristianity in good earnest, and when they say what they believe,\nthey believe as they say; but the ungodly customarily, and for\ncompany, take on them to be christians when they are not, and by their\nown mouths condemn themselves, and hate and oppose the serious\npractice of that which they say they do themselves believe.\n\n\n                                PART II.\n\n           _The Temptations whereby the devil hindereth Men's\n          Conversion; with the proper Remedies against them._\n\nThe most holy and righteous Governor of the world hath so restrained\nSatan and all our enemies, and so far given us free-will, that no man\ncan be forced to sin against his will; it is not sin if it be not\n(positively or privatively) voluntary. All our enemies in hell or\nearth cannot make us miserable without ourselves; nor keep a sinner\nfrom true conversion, and salvation, if he do it not himself; no, nor\ncompel him to one sinful thought, or word, or deed, or omission, but\nby tempting and enticing him to be willing: all that are graceless,\nare wilfully graceless. None go to hell, but those that choose the way\nto hell, and would not be persuaded out of it: none miss of heaven,\nbut those that did set so light by it, as to prefer the world and sin\nbefore it, and refused the holy way that leadeth to it. And surely\nman, that naturally loveth himself, would never take so mad a course,\nif his reason were not laid asleep, and his understanding were not\nwoefully deluded: and this is the business of the tempter, who doth\nnot drag men to sin by violence, but draw and entice them by\ntemptations. I shall therefore take it for the next part of my work,\nto open these temptations, and tell you the remedies.\n\n_Temptation_ I. The first endeavour of the tempter, is, in general, to\nkeep the sinner asleep in sin: so that he shall be as a dead man, that\nhath no use of any of his faculties; that hath eyes and seeth not, and\nears but heareth not, and a heart that understandeth not, nor feeleth\nany thing that concerneth his peace. The light that shineth upon a man\nasleep, is of no use to him; his work lieth undone; his friends, and\nwealth, and greatest concernments are all forgotten by him, as if\nthere were no such things or persons in the world: you may say what\nyou will against him, or do what you will against him, and he can do\nnothing in his own defence. This is the case that the devil most\nlaboureth to keep the world in; even in so dead a sleep, that their\nreason and their wills, their fear and hope, and all their powers,\nshall be of no use to them: that when they hear a preacher, or read\nthe Scripture or good books, or see the holy examples of the godly,\nyea, when they see the grave, and know where they must shortly lay,\nand know that their souls must stay here but a little while; yet they\nshall hear, and see, and know all this, as men asleep, that mind it\nnot, as if it concerned not them at all; never once soberly\nconsidering and laying it to heart.[41]\n\n_Direct._ I. For the remedy against this deadly sin, 1. Take heed of\nsleeping opinions, or doctrines and conceits which tend to the\nlethargy of security. 2. Sit not still, but be up and doing: stirring\ntends to shake off drowsiness. 3. Come into the light: live under an\nawakening minister and in wakening company, that will not sleep with\nyou, nor easily let you sleep: agree with them to deal faithfully with\nyou, and promise them to take it thankfully. 4. And meditate oft on\nwakening considerations. Think whether a sleepy soul beseem one in thy\ndangerous condition. Canst thou sleep with such a load of sin upon thy\nsoul? Canst thou sleep under the thundering threatenings of God, and\nthe curse of his law; with so many wounds in thy conscience, and\nulcers in thy soul? If thy body were sick, or in the case of Job, yea,\nif thou hadst but an aching tooth, it would not let thee sleep; and is\nnot the guilt of sin a thing more grievous? If thorns, or toads and\nadders, were in thy bed, they would keep thee waking; and how much\nmore odious and dangerous a thing is sin! If thy body want but meat,\nor drink, or covering, it will break thy sleep; and is it nothing for\nthy soul to be destitute of Christ and grace? A condemned man will be\neasily kept awake; and if thou be unregenerate, thou art already\ncondemned, John iii. 18, 3, 5. Thou sleepest in irons, in the\ncaptivity of the devil, among the walking judgments of God, in a life\nthat is still expecting an end, in a boat that is swiftly carried to\neternity, just at the entrance of another world; and that world will\nbe hell, if grace awake thee not: thou art going to see the face of\nGod, to see the world of angels or devils, and to be accompanied with\none of them for ever; and is this a place or case to sleep in? Is thy\nbed so soft? thy dwelling so safe? God standeth over thee, man, and\ndost thou sleep? Christ is coming, and death is coming, and judgment\ncoming, and dost thou sleep? Didst thou never read of the foolish\nvirgins, that slept out their time, and knocked and cried in vain when\nit was too late, Matt. xxv. 5. Thou mightest wiselier sleep on the\npinnacle of a steeple in a storm, than have a soul asleep in so\ndangerous a case as thou art in. The devil is awake, and is rocking\nthy cradle! How busy is he to keep off ministers, or conscience, or\nany that would awake thee! None of thine enemies are asleep; and yet\nwilt thou sleep, in the thickest of thy foes? Is the battle a sleeping\ntime, or thy race a sleeping time, when heaven or hell must be the\nend? While he can keep thee asleep, the devil can do almost what he\nlist with thee. He knows that thou hast now no use of thy eyes, or\nunderstanding, or power to resist him: the learnedest doctor in his\nsleep is as unlearned actually as an idiot, and will dispute no better\nthan an unlearned man: this makes many learned men to be ungodly; they\nare asleep in sin. The devil could never have made such a drudge of\nthee, to do his work against Christ and thy soul, if thou hadst been\nawake. Thou wouldst never have followed his whistle to the ale-house,\nthe play-house, the gaming-house, and to other sins, if thou hadst\nbeen in thy wits, and well awake. Read Prov. vii. 23, 24. I cannot\nbelieve that thou longest to be damned, or so hatest thyself, as to\nhave done as thou hast done, to have lived a godless, a graceless, a\nprayerless, and yet a merry, careless life, if thy eyes had been\nopened, and thou hadst known, and feelingly known, that this was the\nway to hell. Nature itself will hardly go to hell awake. But it is\neasy to abuse a man that is asleep. Thou hast reason; but didst thou\never awake it to one hours' serious consideration of thy endless state\nand present case? Oh dreadful judgment, to be given over to the spirit\nof slumber! Rom. xi. 8. Is it not high time now to awake out of sleep?\nRom. xiii. 11; when the light is arisen and shines about thee! when\nothers that care for their souls, are busy at work! when thou hast\nslept out so much precious time already! Many a mercy, and perhaps\nsome ministers, have been as candles burnt out to light thee while\nthou hast slept. How oft hast thou been called already! \"How long wilt\nthou sleep, O sluggard?\" Prov. vi. 9, 10. Yet thou hast thundering\ncalls and alarms to awake thee. God calls, and ministers call; mercies\ncall, and judgments call; and yet wilt thou not awake? \"The voice of\nthe Lord is powerful; full of majesty; breaketh the cedars; shaketh\nthe wilderness:\" and yet cannot it awake thee? Thou wilt not sleep\nabout far smaller matters; at meat, or drink, or in common talk, or\nmarket. But O! how much greater business hast thou to keep thee awake!\nThou hast yet an unholy soul to be renewed; and an ungodly life to be\nreformed; an offending God to be reconciled to; and many thousand sins\nto be forgiven! Thou hast death and judgment to prepare for; thou hast\nheaven to win, and hell to scape! Thou hast many a needful truth to\nlearn, and many a holy duty to perform; and yet dost thou think it\ntime to sleep? Paul, that had less need than thou, did watch, and\npray, and labour, day and night, Acts xx. 31; 1 Thess. iii. 10. O that\nthou knewest how much better it is to be awake. While thou sleepest,\nthou losest the benefit of the light, and all the mercies that attend\nthee: the sun is but as a clod to a man asleep; the world is as no\nworld to him; the beauty of heaven and earth are nothing to him;\nprinces, friends, and all things are forgotten by him! So doth thy\nsleep in sin make nothing of health and patience, time and help,\nministers, books, and daily warnings. O what a day hast thou for\neverlasting, if thou hadst but a heart to use it! What a price hast\nthou in thine hand! Sleep not out thy day, thy harvest time, thy tide\ntime, Prov. x. 5. \"They that sleep, sleep in the night,\" 1 Thess. v.\n7. \"Awake, and Christ will give thee light,\" Rom. xiii. 12; Eph. v.\n14. \"Awake to righteousness, and sin not,\" 1 Cor. xv. 34. O when thou\nseest the light of Christ, what a wonder will it possess thee with, at\nthe things which thou now forgettest! What joy will it fill thee with!\nand with what pity to the sleepy world! But if thou wilt needs sleep\non, be it known to thee, sinner, it shall not be long. If thou wilt\nwake no sooner, death and vengeance will awake thee. Thou wilt wake\nwhen thou seest the other world, and seest the things which thou\nwouldst not believe, and contest before thy dreadful Judge! \"Thy\ndamnation slumbereth not,\" 2 Pet. ii. 3. There are no sleepy souls in\nheaven or hell, all are awake there: and the day that hath awakened so\nmany, shall waken thee. Watch, then, if thou love thy soul, lest thy\nLord come \"suddenly and find thee sleeping. What I say to one, I say\nto all, Watch,\" Mark xiii. 34-37.\n\n_Tempt._ II. If Satan cannot keep the soul in a sleepy, careless,\ninconsiderate forgetfulness, he would make the unregenerate soul\nbelieve, that there is no such thing as regenerating grace; but that\nit is a fancied thing, which no man hath experience of; and he saith,\nas Nicodemus, \"How can these things be?\" John iii. 9. He thinks that\nnatural conscience is enough.\n\n_Direct._ II. But this may easily be refuted by observing, that\nholiness is but the very health and rectitude of the soul; and is no\notherwise supernatural, than as health to him that is born a leper. It\nis the rectitude of nature, or its disposition to the use and end that\nit was made for. Though grace be called supernatural, 1. Because it is\nnot born with us; and 2. Corrupted nature is against it; 3. And the\nend of it is the God of nature, who is above nature; 4. And the\nrevelation and other means are supernatural (as Christ's incarnation,\nresurrection, &c.): yet both nature, and Scripture, and experience\ntell you, that man is made for another life, and for such works which\nhe is utterly unfit for, till grace have changed and renewed him, as\nit doth by many before your eyes. See 2 Cor. v. 17; Gal. vi. 15; Gal.\niv. 19; John iii. 3, 5, 6; Matt. xviii. 3; 1 Pet. i. 23.\n\n_Tempt._ III. But, saith the tempter, if supernatural grace be\nnecessary, yet it may be born in you. Infants have no sin; Christ\nsaith, \"Of such is the kingdom of God: Abraham is your Father; yea,\nGod,\" John viii. 39, 41. You are born of christian parents.\n\n_Direct._ III. See the full proof of original sin in all infants, in my\n\"Treatise of the Divine Life,\" part I. chap. xi. xii. Grace may indeed\nbe put betimes into nature, but comes not by nature.[42] \"Except you be\nborn again, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God,\" John iii. 3, 5.\n\"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed\naway: behold, all things are become new,\" 2 Cor. v. 17. But how vain is\nit for him to boast that he was born holy, who finds himself at the\npresent unholy! Show that you have a holy, heavenly heart and life, and\nthen you are happy, whenever it was wrought.\n\n_Tempt._ IV. But, saith the tempter, baptism is the laver of\nregeneration: you are baptized, and therefore you are regenerated. The\nancients taught that all sins were washed away in baptism, and grace\nconferred.\n\n_Direct._ IV. _Answ._ The ancients by baptism meant the internal and\nexternal acts conjunct, the soul's delivering up itself to God in the\ncovenant, and sealing it by baptism, Matt, xxviii. 19, 20: and so it\nincludeth conversion, and true repentance, and faith: and all that are\nthus baptized are pardoned, justified and holy. But they that have\nonly sacramental regeneration, or the external ordinance, are not for\nthat in a state of life; for Christ expressly saith, that \"except you\nare born of the Spirit,\" as well as \"water, you cannot enter into the\nkingdom of heaven,\" John iii. 5, 6. And Peter told Simon Magus, after\nhe was baptized, that he was \"yet in the gall of bitterness, and bond\nof iniquity,\" Acts viii. 13. It is not the \"putting away the filth of\nthe flesh, but the answer of a good conscience,\" 1 Pet. iii. 21.\nChrist cleanseth his church \"by the washing of water by the word,\"\nEph. v. 26. But if you had been cleansed in baptism, if at present you\nare unclean and unholy, can you be saved so?\n\n_Tempt._ V. When this faileth, the tempter would persuade them, that\ngodliness is nothing but a matter of mere opinion or belief: to\nbelieve all the articles of the faith, and to be no papist nor\nheretic, but of true religion, and to be confident of God's mercy\nthrough Christ; for \"he that believeth shall be saved,\" Mark xvi. 16.\n\n_Direct._ V. To this you must answer, that it will not save a man,\nthat his religion is true, unless he be true to it. Read James ii.\nagainst such a dead faith. Saving faith is the hearty entertainment of\nChrist as our Lord and Saviour, and the delivering up of the soul to\nhim to be sanctified and ruled, as well as pardoned. \"Knowledge\npuffeth up, but charity edifieth.\" \"He that knoweth his master's will\nand doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes,\" Luke xii. 47. It\nis sad that men should think to be saved by that which will condemn\nthem; by being of a right opinion, and a wrong conversation; by\nbelieving their duty, instead of doing it; and then presuming that\nChrist forgiveth them, and that their state is good. Opinion and\npresumption are not faith.\n\n_Tempt._ VI. But, saith the tempter, holiness is the excellency of\nholy persons; but vulgar, unlearned people may be saved, without such\nhigh matters, which are above them.\n\n_Direct._ VI. But God telleth you, that \"without holiness none shall\nsee him,\" Heb. xii. 14. The unlearned may be saved, but the ungodly\ncannot, Psal. i. 6. Holiness is to the soul, as life to the body: he\nthat hath it not, is dead; though all have not the same degree of\nhealth: sin is sin, and hated of God, in learned or unlearned. All men\nhave souls that need regenerating at first: and as all bodies that\nlive, must live on the earth, by the air, and food, &c.; so all souls\nthat live, do live upon the same God, and Christ, and heaven, by the\nsame word and Spirit; and all this may be had by the unlearned.\n\n_Tempt._ VII. But, saith the tempter, God is not so unmerciful as to\ndamn all that are not holy: this is but talk to keep men in awe; and\nnot to be believed.\n\n_Direct._ VII. But if God's threatenings be necessary to keep men in\nawe, then are they necessary to be executed. For God needs not awe men\nby a lie. He best knows to whom he will be merciful, and how far. Did\nyou never read, Isa. xxvii. 11, \"It is a people of no understanding:\ntherefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that\nformed them will show them no favour.\" And Psal. lix. 5, \"Be not\nmerciful to any wicked transgressors.\" Is he not just, as well as\nmerciful? Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. Do you not see that men are sick, and\npained, and die, for all that God is merciful? And do not merciful\njudges condemn malefactors? Are not angels made devils by sin for all\nthat God is merciful? The devil knoweth this to his sorrow. \"And if\nGod spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell,\" 2\nPet. ii. 4, will he be unjust for you?\n\n_Tempt._ VIII. But Christ died for all; and God will not punish him\nand you both for the same fault.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Christ died so far for all that have the gospel, as to\nprocure and seal them a free and general pardon of all their sins, if\nthey will repent and take him for their Saviour, and so to bring\nsalvation to their choice. But will this save the ungodly obstinate\nrefusers? Christ died to sanctify, as well as to forgive, Eph. v. 27,\nand to \"purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,\"\nTit. ii. 14; and to \"destroy the works of the devil,\" 1 John iii. 8;\nand to bring all men under his dominion and government, Rom. xiv. 9;\nLuke xix. 27. \"If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the same is\nnone of his,\" Rom. viii. 9.\n\n_Tempt._ IX. No man can be certain of his salvation; but all must hope\nwell: and to raise doubts in men's hearts, whether they shall be saved\nor no, will not help them, but puzzle them, and cast them into despair.\n\n_Direct._ IX. But is there so little difference between a child of God\nand of the devil, and between the way to heaven and the way to hell,\nthat they cannot be known asunder? Hath not Christ taught us plainly\nhow to know them? Psal. i. and xv.; 1 John iii; and bid us \"give\ndiligence to make our calling and election sure?\" 2 Pet. i. 10. If all\nmen must hope that they shall be saved, then most must hope for that\nwhich they shall never have: but it is no hope of God's making, which\ndeceiveth men. Should so great a matter as our everlasting joy or\nmisery be cast out of our care, and ventured so regardlessly in the\ndark? When is it that we have life, and time, and all for to make it\nsure? And what hurt can it do you, to find out the truth of your own\ncondition? If you are indeed unregenerate and unholy, discover it now\nin time, and you have time to be recovered. You must despair of being\nsaved without conversion; but that preventeth absolute, final despair.\nWhereas if you find not out your case till time is past, then hope is\npast, and the devil hath you in endless desperation, where he would.\n\n_Tempt._ X. If this prevail not, the devil will seek to carry it by\nnoise instead of reason; and will seek to keep you in jovial, merry,\nvoluptuous company, that shall plead by pots, and plays, and\npleasures; and shall daily make a jest of godliness, and speak of the\ngodly with scorn, as a company of fanatic hypocrites.\n\n_Direct._ X. But consider, that this is but the rage of fools, that\nspeak of what they never understood. Did they ever try the way they\nspeak against? Are they to be believed before God himself? Will they\nnot eat their words, at last, themselves? Will their merry lives last\nalways? Do they die as merrily as they live? and bring off themselves\nas well as they promised to bring off you? See Prov. xiii. 20; xxviii.\n7; Eph. v. 7, 11. He that will be cheated of his salvation, and\nforsake his God, for the ranting scorns of a distracted sinner, is\nworthy to be damned.\n\n_Tempt._ XI. Next he telleth them, that a godly life is so hard and\ntedious, that if they should begin, they should never endure to hold\non, and therefore it is in vain to try it.\n\n_Direct._ XI. But this pretence is compounded of wickedness and\nmadness. What but a wicked heart can make it so hard a thing to live\nin the love of God, and holiness, and in the hope and seeking of\neternal life? Why should not this be a sweeter and pleasanter life,\nthan drinking, and roaring, and gaming, and fooling away time in vain;\nor than the enjoying of all the delights of the flesh? There is\nnothing but a sick, distempered heart against it, that nauseateth that\nwhich in itself is most delightful. When grace hath changed your\nhearts, it will be easy. Do you not see that others can hold on in it,\nand would not be as they were for all the world? And why may not you?\nGod will help you: it is the office of Christ and the Spirit to help\nyou: your encouragements are innumerable. The hardness is most at\nfirst; it is the longer the easier. But what if it were hard? Is it\nnot necessary? Is hell easier, and to be preferred before it? And will\nnot heaven pay for all your cost and labour? Will you set down in\ndesperation, and resolve to let your salvation go, upon such silly\nbug-bear words as these?\n\n_Tempt._ XII. Next the devil's endeavour will be, to find them so much\nemployment with worldly cares, or hopes, or business, that they shall\nfind no leisure to be serious about the saving of their souls.\n\n_Direct._ XII. But this is a snare, though frequently prevalent, yet so\nirrational, and against so many warnings and witnesses, even of all men\nin the world, either first or last, at conversion or at death, that he\nwho, after all this, will neglect his God and his salvation, because he\nhath worldly things to mind, is worthy to be turned over to his choice,\nand have no better help or portion in the hour of his necessity and\ndistress. Of this sin I have spoken afterward, chap. iv. part 6.\n\n_Tempt._ XIII. Lest the soul should be converted, the devil will do\nall that he can to keep you from the acquaintance and company of those\nwhose holiness and instructions might convince and strengthen you; and\nespecially from a lively, convincing minister; and to cast you under\nsome dead-hearted minister and society.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Therefore, if it be possible, though it be to your loss\nor inconvenience in the world, live under a searching, heavenly teacher;\nand in the company of them that are resolved for heaven. It is a dead\nheart indeed that feeleth not the need of such assistance, and is not\nthe better for it when they have it. If ever you be fair for heaven, and\nlike to be converted, it will be among such helps as these.\n\n_Tempt._ XIV. But one of the strongest temptations of Satan is, by\nmaking their sin exceeding pleasant to them, for the gain, or honour, or\nfleshly satisfaction; and so increasing the violence of their sensual\nappetite and lust, and making them so much in love with their sin, that\nthey cannot leave it. Like the thirst of a man in a burning fever, which\nmakes him cry for cold drink, though it would kill him; the fury of the\nappetite conquering reason. So we see many drunkards, fornicators,\nworldlings, that are so deeply in love with their sin, that come on it\nwhat will, they will have it, though they have hell with it.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Against this temptation I desire you to read what I have\nsaid after, chap. iv. part 7, chap. iii. direct. 6, 8. Oh that poor\nsinners knew what it is that they so much love! Is the pleasing of the\nflesh so sweet a thing to you? and are you so indifferent to God, and\nholy things? Are these less amiable? Do you foresee what both will be at\nlast? Will your sin seem better than Christ, and grace, and heaven, when\nyou are dying? O be not so in love with damning folly, and the pleasure\nof a beast, as for it to despise the heavenly wisdom and delights!\n\n_Tempt._ XV. Another great temptation is, the prosperity of the wicked\nin this life; and the reproach and suffering which usually falls upon\nthe godly. If God did strike every notorious sinner dead in that\nplace, as soon as he had sinned, or struck him blind, or dumb, or\nlame, or inflicted presently some such judgment, then many would fear\nhim, and forbear their sin; but when they see no men prosper so much\nas the most ungodly, and that they are the persecutors of the holy\nseed, and that sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed,\nthen are their hearts set in them to do evil, Eccles. viii. 11.\n\n_Direct._ XV. But alas, how short is the prosperity of the wicked!\nRead Psal. lxxiii. and xxxvii. Delay is no forgiveness: they stay but\ntill the assize: and will that tempt you to do as they? How\nunthankfully do sinners deal with God! If he should kill you and\nplague you, that would not please you: and yet if he forbear you, you\nare imboldened by it in your sin. Thus his patience is turned against\nhim; but the stroke will be the heavier when it falls. Dost thou think\nthose men will always flourish? Will they always domineer and revel?\nWill they always dwell in the houses where they now dwell, and possess\nthose lands, and be honoured and served as now they are? Oh how\nquickly and how dreadfully will the case be changed with them! Oh\ncould you but foresee now what faces they will have, and what heavy\nhearts, and with what bitter exclamations they will at last cry out\nagainst themselves for all their folly, and wish that they had never\nbeen deceived by prosperity, but rather had the portion of a Lazarus!\nIf you saw how they are but fatted for the slaughter, and in what a\ndolorous misery their wealth, and sport, and honours will leave them,\nyou would lament their case, and think so great a destruction were\nsoon enough, and not desire to be partners in their lot.\n\n_Tempt._ XVI. Another temptation is, their own prosperity: they think\nGod, when he prospereth them, is not so angry with them as preachers\ntell them: and it is a very hard thing in health and prosperity, to\nlay to heart either sin or threatenings, and to have such serious,\nlively thoughts of the life to come, as men that are wakened by\nadversity have; and specially men that are familiar with death.\nProsperity is the greatest temptation to security, and delaying\nrepentance, and putting off preparation for eternity. Overcome\nprosperity, and you overcome your greatest snare.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Go into the sanctuary, yea, go into the church-yard,\nand see the end; and judge by those skulls, and bones, and dust, if\nyou cannot judge by the fore-warnings of God, what prosperity is.[43]\nJudge by the experience of all the world. Doth it not leave them all\nin sorrow at last? Woe to the man that hath his portion in this life!\nO miserable health, and wealth, and honour, which procureth the death,\nand shame, and utter destruction of the soul! Was not he in as\nprosperous a case as you, Luke xvi. that quickly cried out in vain for\na drop of water to cool his tongue? There is none of you so senseless\nas not to know that you must die. And must you die? must you certainly\ndie? and shall that day be no better prepared for? Shall present\nprosperity make you forget it, and live as if you must live here for\never? Do you make so great difference between that which is, and that\nwhich will be, as to make as great a matter of it as others when it\ncomes, and to make no more of it when it is but coming? O man, what is\nan inch of hasty time? How quickly is it gone! Thou art going hence\napace, and almost gone! Doth God give thee the mercy of a few days or\nyears of health to make all thy preparations in for eternity, and doth\nthis mercy turn to thy deceit, and dost thou turn it so much contrary\nto the ends for which it was given thee? Wilt thou surfeit on mercy,\nand destroy thy soul with it? Sense feeleth and perceiveth what now\nis, but thou hast reason to foresee what will be? Wilt thou play in\nharvest, and forget the winter?\n\n_Tempt._ XVII. Another great temptation to hinder conversion is, the\nexample and countenance of great ones that are ungodly. When landlords\nand men in power are sensual, and enemies to a holy life, and speak\nreproachfully of it, their inferiors, by the reverence which they bear\nto worldly wealth and greatness, are easily drawn to say as they:\nalso, when men reputed learned and wise are of another mind: and\nespecially when subtle enemies speak that reproach against it, which\nthey cannot answer.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. To this I spake in the end of the first part of this\nchapter. No man is so great and wise as God. See whether he say as\nthey do in his word. The greatest that provoke him can no more save\nthemselves from his vengeance, than the poorest beggars. What work\nmade he with a Pharaoh! and got himself a name by his hard-heartedness\nand impenitency! He can send worms to eat an arrogant Herod, when the\npeople cry him up as a god! Where are now the C\u00e6sars and Alexanders of\nthe world? The rulers and Pharisees believed not in Christ, John vii.\n48; wilt not thou therefore believe in him? The governor of the\ncountry condemned him to die; and wilt thou condemn him? \"The kings of\nthe earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against\nthe Lord and his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder,\nand cast away their cords from us,\" Psal. ii. 2, 3; wilt thou\ntherefore join in the conspiracy? When \"he that sitteth in the heavens\nshall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision--He will break them\nwith an iron rod, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel,\nunless they be wise, and kiss the Son, and serve the Lord with fear,\nbefore his wrath be kindled and they perish,\" Psal. ii. 4, 9-12. If\nthy landlord, or great ones, shall be thy god, and be honoured and\nobeyed before God and against him, trust to them, and call on them in\nthe hour of thy distress, and take such a salvation as they can give\nthee. Teach not God what choice to make, and whom to reveal his\nmysteries to: he chooseth not always the learned scribe, nor the\nmighty man. Christ himself saith, Matt. xi. 25, \"I thank thee, O\nFather, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things\nfrom the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes: even so,\nFather; for so it seemeth good in thy sight!\" If this reason satisfy\nyou not, follow them, and speed as they. If they are greater and wiser\nthan God, let them be your gods.[44] 1 Cor. i. 26-28, \"You see your\ncalling, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty,\nnot many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of\nthe world, to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things\nof the world, to confound the things that are mighty; and base things\nof the world, and the things that are despised, hath God chosen, and\nthings that are not, to bring to nought things that are.\" It is\nanother kind of greatness, honour, and wisdom which God bestoweth on\nthe poorest saints, than the world can give. Worldlings will shortly\nbe aweary of their portion. In your baptism you renounced the world\nwith its pomps and vanity; and now do you deify what you then defied?\n\n_Tempt._ XVIII. Another temptation is to draw on the sinner into such\na custom in sin, and long neglect of the means of his recovery, till\nhis heart is utterly hardened.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Against this, read after, chap. iv. part 2, against\nhardness of heart.\n\n_Tempt._ XIX. Another temptation is, to delay repentance, and purpose\nto do it hereafter.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Of this I entreat you to read the many reasons which I\nhave given to shame and waken delayers, in my book of \"Directions for\na Sound Conversion.\"\n\n_Tempt._ XX. The worst of all is, to tempt them to flat unbelief of\nScripture and the life to come.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Against this, read here chap. iii. direct. 1, chap. iv.\npart 1, and my \"Treatise against Infidelity.\"\n\n_Tempt._ XXI. If they will needs look after grace, he will do all he\ncan to deceive them with counterfeits, and make them take a seeming\nhalf conversion for a saving change.\n\n_Direct._ XXI. Of this read my \"Directions for Sound Conversion,\" and\nthe \"Formal Hypocrite,\" and \"Saints' Rest,\" part 3. c. 10.\n\n_Tempt._ XXII. If he cannot make them flat infidels, he will tempt\nthem to question and contradict the sense of all those texts of\nScripture which are used to convince them, and all those doctrines\nwhich grate most upon their galled consciences; as, of the necessity\nof regeneration, the fewness of them that are saved, the difficulty of\nsalvation, the torments of hell, the necessity of mortification, and\nthe sinfulness of all particular sins. They will hearken what\ncavillers can say for any sin, and against any part of godliness; and\nwith this they wilfully delude themselves.\n\n_Direct._ XXII. But if men are resolved to join with the devil, and\nshut their eyes, and cavil against all that God speaketh to them to\nprevent their misery, and know not, because they will not know; what\nremedy is left, or who can save men against their wills? \"This is the\ncondemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness\nrather than light, because their deeds are evil. He that doth evil\nhateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should\nbe reproved,\" John iii. 19, 20. In Scripture, \"some things are hard to\nbe understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, wrest to\ntheir own destruction,\" 2 Pet. iii. 16. Of particulars read the end of\nmy \"Treatise of Conversion.\"\n\n_Tempt._ XXIII. Yea, Satan will do his worst to make them heretics,\nand teach them some doctrine of licentiousness suitable to their\nlusts. It is hard being wicked still against conscience in the open\nlight. This is kicking against the pricks; too smarting work to be\neasily borne; therefore the devil will make them a religion which\nshall please them and do their sins no harm. Either a religion made up\nof loose opinions, like the familists, ranters, libertines, and\nantinomians, and the Jesuits too much; or else made up of trifling\nformalities, and a great deal of bodily exercise, and stage actions,\nand compliments, as much of the popish devotion is: and a little will\ndraw a carnal heart to believe a carnal doctrine. It is easier to get\nsuch a new religion, than a new heart. And then the devil tells them\nthat now they are in the right way, and therefore they shall be saved.\nA great part of the world think their case is good, because they are\nof such or such a sect or party, and of that which (they are told by\ntheir leaders) is the true church and way.\n\n_Direct._ XXIII. But remember, that whatever law you make to\nyourselves, God will judge you by his own law. Falsifying the king's\ncoin is no good way to pay a debt, but an addition of treason to your\nformer misery. It is a new and a holy heart and life, and not a new\ncreed, or a new church or sect, that is necessary to your salvation.\nIt will never save you to be in the soundest church on earth, if you\nbe unsound in it yourselves, and are but the dust in the temple that\nmust be swept out: much less will it save you, to make yourselves a\nrule, because God's rule doth seem too strict.\n\n_Tempt._ XXIV. Another way of the tempter is, to draw men to take up\nwith mere convictions, instead of true conversion. When they have but\nlearnt that it is but necessary to salvation, to be regenerate, and\nhave the Spirit of Christ, they are as quiet, as if this were indeed\nto be regenerate, and to have the Spirit. As some think they have\nattained to perfection, when they have but received the opinion that\nperfection may here be had; so abundance think they have had\nsanctification and forgiveness, because now they see that they must be\nhad, and without sanctification there is no salvation: and thus the\nknowledge of all grace and duty shall go with them for the grace and\nduty itself; and their judgment of the thing, instead of the\npossession of it: and instead of having grace, they force themselves\nto believe that they have it.\n\n_Direct._ XXIV. But remember God will not be mocked: he knoweth a\nconvinced head from a holy heart. To think you are rich, will not make\nyou rich: to believe that you are well, or to know the remedy, is not\nenough to make you well. You may dream that you eat, and yet awake\nhungry, Isa. xxix. 8. All the land or money which you see, is not\ntherefore your own. To know that you should be holy, maketh your\nunholiness to have no excuse. Ahab did not escape by believing that he\nshould return in peace. Self-flattery in so great and weighty a case,\nis the greatest folly. \"If you know these things, happy are ye if ye\ndo them,\" John xiii. 17.\n\n_Tempt._ XXV. Another great temptation is, by hiding from men the\nintrinsic evil and odiousness of sin. What harm, saith the drunkard,\nand adulterer, and voluptuous sensualist, is there in all this, that\npreachers make so great ado against it? what hurt is this to God or\nman, that they would make us believe that we must be damned for it,\nand that Christ died for it, and that the Holy Ghost must mortify it?\n\"Wherefore,\" say the Jews, Jer. xvi. 10, \"hath God pronounced all this\ngreat evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin\nthat we have committed?\" He that knoweth not God, knoweth not what sin\nagainst God is; especially when the love of it and delight in it\nblindeth them.\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. xl. 12. Psal. li.]\n\n_Direct._ XXV. Against this I entreat you to ponder on those forty\nintrinsical evils in sin, which I have after named, chap. iii. direct.\n8, and the aggravations. If the devil can but once persuade you, that\nsin is harmless, all faith, all religion, all honesty, and your souls\nand all are gone. For then, all God's laws and government must be\nfictions; then, there is no work for Christ as a Saviour, or the\nSpirit as a Sanctifier, to do; then, all ordinances and means are\ntroublesome vanities, and godliness and obedience deserve to be\nbanished from the earth, as unnecessary troublers of mankind; then,\nmay this poison be safely taken and made your food. But oh how mad a\nconceit is this! How quickly will God make the proudest know, what\nharm it was to refuse the government of his Maker, and set up the\ngovernment of his beastly appetite and misguided will! and that sin is\nbad, if hell be bad.\n\n_Tempt._ XXVI. The devil also tempteth them to think, that though they\nsin, yet their good works are a compensation for their bad, and\ntherefore they pray, and do some acts of pharisaical devotion, to make\nGod amends for what they do amiss.\n\n[Sidenote: See Prov. xxviii. 9; Prov. xv. 26, 8; Prov. xxi. 27; Isa.\ni. 13, 14.]\n\n_Direct._ XXVI. Against this consider, that if you had never so many\ngood works, they are all but your duty, and make no satisfaction for\nyour sin. But what good works can you do, that shall save a wicked\nsoul? and that God will accept without your hearts? Your hearts must\nbe first cleansed, and yourselves devoted and sanctified to God: for\nan evil tree will bring forth evil fruit: first make the tree good,\nand the fruit will be good. It is the love of God, and the hatred of\nsin, and a holy and heavenly life, which are the good works that God\nchiefly calleth for; and faith, and repentance, and conversion in\norder to these. And will God take your lip-labour, or the leavings of\nyour flesh by way of alms, while the world and fleshly pleasure have\nyour hearts? Indeed, you do no work that is truly good. The matter\nmay be good; but you poison it with bad principles and ends. \"The\ncarnal mind is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be; but\nis enmity to God,\" Rom. viii. 6, 7.\n\n_Tempt._ XXVII. Some are tempted to think, that God will not condemn\nthem because they are poor and afflicted in this life, and have their\nsufferings here: and that he that condemneth the rich for not showing\nmercy to the poor, will himself show them mercy.\n\n_Direct._ XXVII. Hath he not showed you mercy? And is it not mercy\nwhich you vilify and refuse? even Christ, and his Spirit, and holy\ncommunion with God? or must God show you the mercy of glory, without\nthe mercy of grace? which is a contradiction. Strange! that the same\nmen that will not be entreated to accept of mercy, nor let it save\nthem, are yet saying, that God will be merciful and save them.\n\n[Sidenote: See Heb. xi. 6, 7, 9, 10]\n\nAnd for your poverty and suffering, is it not against your will? you\ncannot deny it: and will God save any man for that which is against\nhis will? You would have riches, and honour, and pleasure, and your\ngood things in this life, as well as others, if you could tell how:\nyou love the world as well as others, if you could get more of it. And\nto be carnal and worldly for so poor a pittance, and to love the world\nwhen you suffer in it, doth make you more inexcusable than the rich.\nThe devils have suffered more than you, and so have many thousand\nsouls in hell; and yet they shall be saved never the more. If you are\npoor in the world, but rich in faith and holiness, then you may well\nexpect salvation, James ii. 5. But if your sufferings make you no more\nholy, they do but aggravate your sin.\n\n_Tempt._ XXVIII. Also the devil blindeth sinners, by keeping them\nignorant of the nature and power of holiness of heart and life. They\nknow it not by any experience; and he will not let them see it and\njudge of it in the Scripture, where it is to be seen without any mixed\ncontraries; but he points them only to professors of holiness, and\ncommonly to the weakest and the worst of them, and to that which is\nworst in them, and showeth them the miscarriages of hypocrites, and\nthe falls of the weaker sort of christians, and then tells them, This\nis their godliness and religion; they are all alike.\n\n_Direct._ XXVIII. But it is easy to see, how these men deceive and\ncondemn themselves. This is as if you should plead that a beast is\nwiser than a man, because some men are drunk, and some are passionate,\nand some are mad. Drunkenness and passions, which are the disturbances\nof reason, are no disgrace to reason, but to themselves: nor were they\na disgrace themselves, if reason which they hinder were not\nhonourable. So no man's sins are a disgrace to holiness, which\ncondemneth them: nor were they bad themselves, if holiness were not\ngood, which they oppose. It is no disgrace to the daylight or sun,\nthat there is night and darkness: nor were darkness bad, if light were\nnot good. Will you refuse health, because some men are sick? nay, will\nyou rather choose to be dead, because the living have infirmities? The\ndevil's reasoning is foolisher than this! Holiness is of absolute\nnecessity to salvation. If many that do more than you, are as bad as\nyou imagine, what a case then are you in, that have not near so much\nas they! If they that make it their greatest care to please God, and\nbe saved, are as very hypocrites as the devil would persuade you, what\na hopeless case then are you in, that come far short of them! If so,\nyou must do more than they, and not less, if you will be saved; or\nelse out of your own mouths will you be condemned.\n\n_Tempt._ XXIX. Another way of the tempter is, by drawing them\ndesperately to venture their souls; come on them what will, they will\nput it to the venture, rather than live so strict a life.\n\n_Direct._ XXIX. But, O man, consider what thou dost, and who will have\nthe loss of it! and how quickly it may be too late to recall thy\nadventure! What should put thee on so mad a resolution? Is sin so\ngood? is hell so easy? is thy soul so contemptible? is heaven such a\ntrifle? is God so hard a master? is his work so grievous, and his way\nso bad? doth he require any thing unreasonable of you? hath God set\nyou such a grievous task, that it is better venture on damnation than\nperform it? You cannot believe this, if you believe him to be God.\nCome near, and think more deliberately on it, and you will find you\nmight better run from your food, your friend, your life, than from\nyour God, and from a holy life, when you run but into sin and hell.\n\n_Tempt._ XXX. Another great temptation is, in making them believe that\ntheir sins are but such common infirmities as the best have: they\ncannot deny but they have their faults; but are not all men sinners?\nThey hope that they are not reigning, unpardoned sins.\n\n_Direct._ XXX. But, oh how great a difference is between a converted\nand an unconverted sinner! between the failings of a child and the\ncontempt of a rebel! between a sinner that hath no gross or mortal\nsin, and hateth, bewaileth, and striveth against his infirmities; and\na sinner that loveth his sin, and is loth to leave it, and maketh\nlight of it, and loveth not a holy life. God will one day show you a\ndifference between these two, when you see that there are sinners that\nare justified and saved, and sinners that are condemned.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n_Tempt._ I. But here are many subordinate temptations, by which Satan\npersuades them that their sins are but infirmities: one is, because\ntheir sin is but in the heart, and appeareth not in outward deeds: and\nthey take _restraint_ for sanctification.\n\n_Direct._ I. Alas! man, the life and reign of sin is in the heart; that\nis its garrison and throne: the life of sin lieth in the prevalence of\nyour lusts within, against the power of reason and will. All outward\nsins are but acts of obedience to the reigning sin within; and a\ngathering tribute for this, which is the king. For this it is that they\nmake provision, Rom. xiii. 14. On this all is consumed, James iv. 3.\nOriginal sin may be reigning sin (as a king may be born a king). Sin\ncertainly reigneth, till the soul be converted and born again.\n\n_Tempt._ II. The devil tells them it is but an infirmity, because it\nis no open, gross, disgraceful sin: it is hard to believe that they\nare in danger of hell, for sins which are accounted small.\n\n_Direct._ II. But do you think it is no mortal, heinous sin, to be\nvoid of the love of God and holiness? to love the flesh and the world\nabove him? to set more by earth than heaven, and do more for it?\nHowever they show themselves, these are the great and mortal sins. Sin\nis not less dangerous for lying secret in the heart. The root and\nheart are usually unseen. Some kings (as in China, Persia, &c.) keep\nout of sight for the honour of their majesty. Kings are the spring of\ngovernment; but actions of state are executed by officers. When you\nsee a man go, or work, you know that it is something within which is\nthe cause of all. If sin appeared without, as it is within, it would\nlose much of its power and majesty. Then ministers, and friends, and\nevery good man would cast a stone at it; but its secrecy is its peace.\nThe devil himself prevaileth by keeping out of sight. If he were seen,\nhe would be less obeyed. So it is with the reigning sins of the heart.\nPride and covetousness may be reigning sins, though they appear not in\nany notorious, disgraceful course of life. David's hiding his sin, or\nRachel her idol, made them not the better. It is a mercy to some men,\nthat God permitteth them to fall into some open, scandalous sin, which\nmay tend to humble them, who would not have been humbled nor convinced\nby heart-sins alone. See Jer. iv. 14; Hosea vii. 6, 7. An oven is\nhottest when it is stopped.\n\n_Tempt._ III. Satan tells them, they are not unpardoned, reigning\nsins, because they are common in the world. If all that are as bad as\nI must be condemned, say they, God help a great number.\n\n_Direct._ III. But know you not that reigning sin is much more common\nthan saving holiness? and that the gate is wide, and the way is broad,\nthat leadeth to destruction, and many go in at it? Salvation is as\nrare as holiness; and damnation as common as reigning sin, where it is\nnot cured. This sign therefore makes against you.\n\n_Tempt._ IV. But, saith the tempter, they are such sins as you see\ngood men commit: you play at the same games as they: you do but what\nyou see them do; and they are pardoned.\n\n_Direct._ IV. You must judge the man by his works, and not the works\nby the man. And there is more to be looked at, than the bare matter of\nan act. A good man and a bad may play at the same game, but not with\nthe same end, nor with the same love to sport, nor so frequently and\nlong to the loss of time. Many drops may wear a stone: many stripes\nwith small twigs may draw blood. Many mean men in a senate have been\nas great kings: you may have many of these little sins set all\ntogether, which plainly make up a carnal life. The power of a sin is\nmore considerable than the outward show. A poor man, if he be in the\nplace of a magistrate, may be a ruler. And a sin materially small, and\nsuch as better men commit, may be a sin in power and rule with you,\nand concur with others which are greater.\n\n_Tempt._ V. But, saith the tempter, they are but sins of omission, and\nsuch are not reigning sins.\n\n_Direct._ V. Sins of omission are always accompanied with some\npositive, sensual affection to the creature, which diverteth the soul,\nand causeth the omission. And so omission is no small part of the\nreigning sin. The not using of reason and the will for God, and for\nthe mastering of sensuality, is much of the state of ungodliness in\nman. Denying God the heart and life, is no small sin. God made you to\ndo good, and not only to do no harm: else a stone or corpse were as\ngood a christian as you; for they do less harm than you. If sin have a\nnegative voice in your religion, whether God shall be worshipped and\nobeyed or not, it is your king: it may show its power as well by\ncommanding you not to pray, and not to consider, and not to read, as\nin commanding you to be drunk or swear. The wicked are described by\nomissions: such as \"will not seek after God: God is not in all his\nthoughts,\" Psal. x. 4. Such as \"know not God, and call not on his\nname,\" Jer. x. 25. That have \"no truth, or mercy, or knowledge of\nGod,\" Hos. iv. 1. That \"feed not, clothe not, visit not\" Christ in his\nmembers, Matt. xxv.; that hide their talents, Matt. xxv. Indeed, if\nGod have not your heart, the creature hath it; and so it is omission\nand commission that go together in your reigning sin.\n\n_Tempt._ VI. But, saith the tempter, they are but sins of ignorance,\nand therefore they are not reigning sins: at least you are not certain\nthat they are sins.\n\n_Direct._ VI. And indeed do you not know that it is a sin to love the\nworld better than God? and fleshly pleasure better than God's service?\nand riches better than grace and holiness? and to do more for the body\nthan for the soul, and for earth than for heaven? Are you uncertain\nwhether these are sins? And do you not feel that they are your sins?\nYou cannot pretend ignorance for these. But what causeth your\nignorance? Is it because you would fain know, and cannot? Do you read,\nand hear, and study, and inquire, and pray for knowledge, and yet\ncannot know? Or is it not because you would not know, or think it not\nworth the pains to get it; or because you love your sin? And will such\nwilful ignorance as this excuse you? No; it doth make your sin the\ngreater. It showeth the greater dominion of sin, when it can use thee\nas the Philistines did Samson, put out thy eyes, and make a drudge of\nthee; and conquer thy reason, and make thee believe that evil is good\nand good is evil. Now it hath mastered the principal fortress of thy\nsoul, when thy understanding is mastered by it. He is reconciled\nindeed to his enemy, who taketh him to be a friend. Do you not know,\nthat God should have your heart, and heaven should have your chiefest\ncare and diligence; and that you should make the word of God your\nrule, and your delight, and meditation day and night? If you know not\nthese things, it is because you would not know them: and it is a\nmiserable case to be given up to a blinded mind! Take heed, lest at\nlast you commit the horridest sins, and do not know them to be sins.\nFor such there are that mock at godliness, and persecute christians\nand ministers of Christ, and know not that they do ill; but think they\ndo God service, John xvi. 2. If a man will make himself drunk, and\nthen kill, and steal, and abuse his neighbours, and say, I knew not\nthat I did ill, it shall not excuse him. This is your case. You are\ndrunken with the love of fleshly pleasure and worldly things, and\nthese carry you so away, that you have neither heart nor time to study\nthe Scriptures, and hear, and think what God saith to you, and then\nsay that you did not know.\n\n_Tempt._ VII. But, saith the tempter, it cannot be a mortal reigning\nsin, because it is not committed with the whole heart, nor without\nsome struggling and resistance: dost thou not feel the Spirit striving\nagainst the flesh? and so it is with the regenerate, Gal. v. 17; Rom.\nvii. 20-23. The good which thou dost not do, thou wouldst do; and the\nevil which thou dost, thou wouldst not do; so then it is no more thou\nthat dost it, but sin that dwelleth in thee. In a sensual unregenerate\nperson, there is but one party, there is nothing but flesh; but thou\nfeelest the combat between the flesh and the Spirit within thee.\n\n[Sidenote: What resistance of sin may be in the ungodly.]\n\n_Direct._ VII. This is a snare so subtle and dangerous, that you have\nneed of eyes in your head to escape it. Understand therefore, that as to\nthe two texts of Scripture, much abused by the tempter, they speak not\nat all of mortal reigning sin, but of the unwilling infirmities of such\nas had subdued all such sin, and walked not after the flesh, but after\nthe Spirit; and whose wills were habitually bent to good; and fain would\nhave been perfect, and not have been guilty of an idle thought, or word,\nor of any imperfection in their holiest service, but lived up to all\nthat the law requireth: but this they could not do, because the flesh\ndid cast many stops before the will in the performance. But this is\nnothing to the case of one that liveth in gross sin, and an ungodly\nlife, and hath strivings and convictions, and uneffectual wishes to be\nbetter and to turn, but never doth it. This is but sinning against\nconscience, and resisting the Spirit that would convert you; and it\nmaketh you worthy of many stripes, as being rebellious against the\nimportunities of grace. Sin may be resisted where it is never conquered;\nit may reign nevertheless for some contradiction. Every one that\nresisteth the king, doth not depose him from his throne. It is a\ndangerous deceit to think that every good desire that contradicteth sin,\ndoth conquer it, and is a sign of saving grace. It must be a desire\nafter a state of godliness, and an effectual desire too. There are\ndegrees of power: some may have a less and limited power, and yet be\nrulers. As the evil spirits that possessed men's bodies, were a legion\nin one, and but one in others, yet both were possessed; so is it here.\nGrace is not without resistance in a holy soul; there are some remnants\nof corruption in the will itself, resisting the good; and yet it\nfolloweth not that grace doth not rule. So is it in the sin of the\nunregenerate. No man in this life is so good as he will be in heaven, or\nso bad as he will be in hell; therefore none is void of all moral good.\nAnd the least good will resist evil, in its degree, as light doth\ndarkness. As in these cases:\n\n1. There is in the unregenerate a remnant of natural knowledge and\nconscience. Some discoveries of God and his will there are in his\nworks: God hath not left himself without witness. See Acts xiv. 17;\nxvii. 27; Rom. i. 19, 20; ii. 7-9. This light and law of nature\ngoverned the heathens; and this in its measure resisteth sin, and\nassisteth conscience.\n\n2. When supernatural extrinsic revelation in the Scripture, is added\nto the light and law of nature, and the ungodly have all the same law\nas the best; it may do more.\n\n3. Moreover, an ungodly man may live under a most powerful preacher,\nthat will never let him alone in his sins, and may stir up much fear\nin him, and many good purposes, and almost persuade him to be a true\nchristian; and not only to have some ineffectual wishings and\nstrivings against sin, but to do many things after the preacher, as\nHerod did after John, and to escape the common pollutions of the\nworld, 2 Pet. ii. 20.\n\n4. Some sharp affliction, added to the rest, may make him seem to\nothers a true penitent: when he is stopped in his course of sin, as\nBalaam was by the angel, with a drawn sword, and seeth that he cannot\ngo on but in danger of his life; and that God is still meeting him\nwith some cross, and hedging up his way with thorns (for such mercy he\nshoweth to some of the ungodly); this may not only breed resistance of\nsin, but some reformation. When the Babylonians were planted in\nSamaria they feared not God, and he sent lions among them; and then\nthey feared him, and sent up some kind of service to him, performed by\na base sort of priests; \"they feared the Lord, and served their own\ngods,\" thinking it was safest to please all, 2 Kings xvii. 25, 32, 33.\nAffliction maketh bad men likest to the good.\n\n5. Good education and company may do very much: it may help them to\nmuch knowledge, and make them professors of strict religion; and\nconstant companions with those that fear sin, and avoid it; and\ntherefore they must needs go far then, as Joash did all the days of\nJehoiada, 2 Chron. xxiv. 2. As plants and fruits change with the soil\nby transplantation, and as the climate maketh some blackmoors and some\nwhite; so education and converse have so great a power on the mind,\nthat they come next to grace, and are oft the means of it.\n\n6. And God giveth to many, internally, some grace of the Spirit, which\nis not proper to them that are saved, but common or preparatory only.\nAnd this may make much resistance against sin, though it do not\nmortify it. One that should live but under the convictions that Judas\nhad when he hanged himself, I warrant him, would have strivings and\ncombats against sin in him, though he were unsanctified.\n\n7. Yea, the interest and power of one sin may resist another: as\ncovetousness may make much resistance against sensuality and pride of\nlife, and pride may resist all disgraceful sin.\n\n_Tempt._ VIII. But, saith the tempter, it is not unpardoned sin,\nbecause thou art sorry and dost repent for it when thou hast committed\nit; and all sin is pardoned that is repented of.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. All the foresaid causes which may make some resistance\nof sin in the ungodly, may cause also some sorrow and repenting in\nthem. There is repenting and sorrow for sin in hell. All men repent\nand are sorry at last; but few repent so, as to be pardoned and saved.\nWhen a sinner hath had all the sweetness out of sin that it can yield\nhim, and seeth that it is all gone, and the sting is left behind, no\nmarvel if he repent. I think there is scarce any drunkard, or\nwhoremonger, or glutton, (that is not a flat infidel,) but he\nrepenteth of the sin that is past, because he hath had all out of it\nthat it can yield him, and there is nothing left of it that is lovely:\nbut yet he goeth on still, which showeth that his repentance was\nunsound. True repentance is a thorough change of the heart and life; a\nturning from sin to a holy life, and such a sorrow for what is past as\nwould not let you do it if it were to do again. If you truly repent,\nyou would not do so again, if you had all the same temptations.\n\n_Tempt._ IX. But, saith the tempter, it is but one sin, and the rest\nof thy life is good and blameless; and God judgeth by the greater part\nof thy life, whether the evil or the good be most.\n\n_Direct._ IX. If a man be a murderer, or a traitor, will you excuse him,\nbecause the rest of his life is good, and it is but one sin that he is\ncharged with? One sort of poison may kill a man; and one stab at the\nheart, though all his body else be whole: you may surfeit on one dish:\none leak may sink a ship. James ii. 10, \"Whosoever shall keep the whole\nlaw, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all.\" See Ezek. xviii.\n10, 11. Indeed God doth judge by the bent of thy heart, and the main\ndrift and endeavour of thy life. But canst thou say, that the bent of\nthy heart, and the main endeavour of thy life, is for God, and heaven,\nand holiness? No: if it were, thou wert regenerate; and this would not\nlet thee live in any one beloved, chosen, wilful sin. The bent of a\nman's heart and life may be sinful, earthly, fleshly, though it run but\nin the channel of one way of gross sinning: as a man may be covetous,\nthat hath but one trade; and a whoremonger, that hath but one whore; and\nan idolater, that hath but one idol. If thou lovedst God better, thou\nwouldst let go thy sin; and if thou love any one sin better than God,\nthe whole bent of thy heart and life is wicked: for it is not set upon\nGod and heaven, and therefore is ungodly.\n\n_Tempt._ X. But, saith the tempter, it is not reigning, unpardoned\nsin, because thou believest in Jesus Christ; and all that believe, are\npardoned, and justified from all their sin.\n\n_Direct._ X. He that savingly believeth in Christ, doth take him\nentirely for his Saviour and Governor; and giveth up himself to be\nsaved, sanctified, and ruled by him. As trusting your physician,\nimplieth that you take his medicines, and follow his advice, and so\ntrust him; and not that you trust to be cured while you disobey him,\nby bare trusting: so is it as to your faith and trust in Christ; it is\na belief or trust, that he will save all those that are ruled by him\nin order to salvation. \"He is the author of eternal salvation to all\nthem that obey him,\" Heb. v. 9. If you believe in Christ, you believe\nChrist: and if you believe Christ, you believe \"that except a man be\nconverted, and born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of\nheaven,\" John iii. 3, 5; Matt. xviii. 3; and that he that is \"in\nChrist, is a new creature; old things are past away, and all is become\nnew,\" 2 Cor. v. 17; and that \"without holiness none shall see God,\"\nHeb. xii. 14; and that \"no fornicator, effeminate, thieves, covetous,\ndrunkards, revilers, extortioners, murderers, liars, shall enter into,\nor have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ,\" 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10;\nEph. v. 4-6; Rev. xxi. 27; xxii. 14, 15. If you believe Christ, you\nmust believe that you cannot be saved unless you be converted. It is\nthe devil, and not Christ, that telleth you, you may be pardoned and\nsaved in an unholy, unregenerate state: and it is sad, that men should\nbelieve the devil, and call this a believing in Christ, and think to\nbe saved for so believing; as if false faith and presumption pleased\nGod! Christ will not save men for believing a lie, and believing the\nfather of lies before him; nor will he save all that are confident\nthey shall be saved. If you think you have any part in Christ,\nremember Rom. viii. 9, \"If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the\nsame is none of his.\"[45]\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[10] Leg. Danielis Episcop. Epist. ad Bonif. Mogunt. inter Epist.\nBonif. 67. de Methodo convertendi Paganos.\n\n[11] H\u00e6sit tam desperati insul\u00e6 excidii, insperatique mentio auxilii,\nmemori\u00e6 eorum qui utriusque miraculi testes extitere: et ob hoc reges,\npublici, privati, sacerdotes, ecclesiastici, suum quique ordinem\nservarunt. At illis decedentibus, cum successisset \u00e6tas tempestatis\nillius nescia, et pr\u00e6sentis tantum serenitatis expers, ita cuncta\nveritatis ac justiti\u00e6 moderamina concussa ac subversa sunt, ut earum\nnon dicam vestigium, sed ne monumentum quidem in supra dictis\npropemodum ordinibus appareat; exceptis paucis, et valde paucis, qui\nob amissionem tant\u00e6 multitudinis, qu\u00e6 quotidie prona ruit ad tartara,\ntam brevis numeri habentur, ut eos quodammodo venerabilis mater\necclesia in sinu suo recumbentes non videat, quos solos veros filios\nhabeat. Quorum nequis me egregiam vitam omnibus admirabilem, Deoque\namabilem carpere putet; si qua liberius de his, immo lugubrius, cumulo\nmalorum compulsus, qui serviunt non solum ventri, sed et diabolo\npotius quam Christo. Gildas p. (mihi) 514. It was Pythagoras's saying,\n(which Ambrose saith he hath from the Jews,) Communem atque usitatam\npopulo viam, non esse terendam.\n\n[12] Cum despicere c\u0153pimus et sentire, quid simus, et quid ab\nanimantibus c\u00e6teris differamus, tum ea insequi incipiemus ad qu\u00e6 nati\nsumus. Cicero 5. de finib. See the proof of the Godhead, and that God is\nthe Governor of the world, and that there is another life for man, in\nthe beginning of my \"Holy Commonwealth,\" chap. 1, 2, 3. Commoda quibus\nutimur, lucem qua fruimur, spiritum quem ducimus, \u00e0 Deo nobis dari et\nimpartiri videmus. Cicero pro Ros. Quis est tam vecors, qui cum\nsuspexerit in c\u0153lum, deos esse non sentiat? et ea qu\u00e6 tanta mente fiunt,\nut vix quisquam arte ulla ordinem rerum atque vicissitudinem persequi\npossit, casu fieri putet? Cicero de Resp. Arusp. Read Galen's Hymns to\nthe Creator, Li. de usu partium, pr\u00e6cipu\u00e8, 1. iii. cap. 10. Nulla gens\nest tam immansueta, neque tam ferrea, qu\u00e6 non etiamsi ignoret qualem\nDeum habere deceat, tamen habendum sciat. Cic. 1. de Leg. Omnibus\ninnatum, et quasi insculptum est, esse deos. Id de Nat. Deor. Agnoscimus\nDeum ex operibus ejus. Cic. 1. Tusc. Nullum est animal pr\u00e6ter hominem\nquod habet ullam notitiam Dei. Cic. 1. de Legib. Nulla gens tam fera,\ncujus mentem non imbuerit deorum opinio. Cic. 1. Tusc. \"I had rather\nbelieve all the Legends, Talmud, Alcoran, than that this universal frame\nis without a mind.\" Lord Bacon, Essay 16. \"A little philosophy inclineth\nman's mind to atheism: but depth in philosophy bringeth men's mind about\nto religion.\" Lord Bacon, Essay 16. Stoici dicunt unum deum esse,\nipsumque et mentem et fatum et Jovem dicunt: principio illum cum esset\napud se, substantiam omnem per aerem in aquam convertisse--Quod autem\nfaciat, Verbum Deum esse quod in ipsa sit. Hunc enim quippe sempiternum\nper ipsam (materiam) omnem singula creare. Mundum quoque regi et\nadministrari secundum mentem et providentiam mente per omnes illius\npartes pertingente--Laert. in Zenone.\n\n[13] Mundus numine regitur, estque quasi communis urbs et civitas\nhominum. Cicero 2. de finib. Impiis apud inferos sunt p\u0153n\u00e6 pr\u00e6parat\u00e6.\nCicero 1. de Invent. Impii apud inferos p\u0153nas luunt. Idem. Phil, et 1.\nde Legib. Jovem dominatorem rerum, et omnia nutu regentem, et pr\u00e6sentem\net pr\u00e6potentem, qui dubitat, haud san\u00e8 intelligo, cur non idem, sol sit,\nan nullus sit dubitari possit. Cicer. de Nat. Deor. 2. p. 48.\n\n[14] Non temer\u00e8, nec fortuito, sati et creati sumus; sed profecto fuit\nqu\u00e6dam vis, qu\u00e6 generi consuleret humano; nec id gigneret, aut aleret,\nquod cum exantlavisset omnes labores, tum incideret in mortis malum\nsempiternum. Cic. 1. Tuscul. Nec unquam bono quicquam mali evenire\npotest, nec vivo nec mortuo. Nec res ejus \u00e0 Diis negliguntur. Idem. 1.\nTusc.\n\n[15] Abeunt omnia unde orta sunt. Cic. in. lat. Maj. Dii immortales\nsparserunt animos in corpora humana, ut essent qui terras tuerentur,\nquique c\u0153lestem ordinem contemplantes, imitarentur eum vit\u00e6 modo atque\nconstantia. Cic. in Cato Majore. Ex terr\u00e2 sunt homines, non ut incol\u00e6,\net habitatores, sed quasi spectatores superarum rerum atque c\u0153lestium;\nquarum spectaculum ad nullum aliud genus animantium pertinet. Cicero\n2. de Nat. Deor. Sic habeto; te non esse mortalem, sed corpus hoc.\nIdem. Somn. Scip. Cum natura c\u00e6teras animantes abjecisset ad pastum,\nsolum hominem erexit, et ad c\u0153li quasi cognationis, domiciliique\npristini conspectum excitavit: tum speciem ita formavit oris, ut in ea\npenitus reconditos mores effingeret. Cic. 1. de Legib. Nisi Deus istis\nte corporis custodiis liberaverit, ad c\u0153lum aditus patere non potest.\nCicero Somn. Scip. Animi omnium sunt immortales: sed bonorum divini.\nCic. 2. de Legib. Bonorum mentes mihi divin\u00e6 atque \u00e6tern\u00e6 videntur, et\nex hominum vita ad deorum religionem et sanctimoniamque migrare. Idem.\nAnimus est ingeneratus \u00e0 Deo, ex quo vere vel agnatio nobis cum\nc\u0153lestibus, vel genus vel stirps appellari potest. Idem. 1. de Leg.\n\n[16] Qui seipsum cognoverit, cognoscet in se omnia: Deum, ad cujus\nimaginem factus est: mundum, cujus simulachrum gerit; creaturas omnes\ncum quibus symbolum habet. Paul. Scaliger Thes. p. 722.\n\n[17] Cum quem p\u0153nitet peccasse pene innocens est: maxima purgationum\npars est voluntaria p\u0153nitentia delictorum. Scal. Thes. p. 742.\nFacilius iis ignoscitur qui non perseverare sed ab errato se revocare,\nmoliuntur; est enim humanum peccare, sed belluinum in errore\nperseverare. Cic. in Vat. Even Aristotle could say, that he that\nbelieved as he ought of the gods, should think as well of himself, as\nAlexander that commandeth so many men. Plutarch, de Tranquil. Anim. p.\n155. Nullus suavior animo cibus est, quam cognitio veritatis. Lactant.\nInstit. 1. 1. c. 1. It is a marvellous and doleful case to think how\nignorant some people live, even to old age, under constant and\nexcellent teaching. Some learn neither words nor sense, but hear as if\nthey heard not: some learn words, and know the sense no more than if\nthey had learned but a tongue unknown; and will repeat their creed and\ncatechism, when they know not what it is that they say. A worthy\nminister of Helvetia told me, that their people are very constant at\ntheir sermons, and yet most of them grossly ignorant of the things\nwhich they most frequently hear. It is almost incredible what\nignorance some ministers report that they have found in some of the\neldest of their auditors. Nay, when I have examined some that have\nprofessed strictness in religion, above the common sort of people, I\nhave found some ignorant of some of the fundamentals of the christian\nfaith. And I remember what an ancient bishop about twelve hundred\nyears ago saith, Maximus Taurinensis in his homilies, that when he had\nlong preached to his people, even on an evening after one of his\nsermons, he heard a cry or noise among the people, and hearkening what\nit was, they were by their outcry helping to deliver the moon, that\nwas in labour and wanted help. His words are, Quis non moleste ferat\nsic vos esse vestr\u00e6 salutes immemores, ut etiam c\u0153lo teste peccetis?\nNam cum ante dies plerosque cum cupiditate pulsaverim, ipsa die\ncirciter vesperam tanta vociferatio populi extitit, ut irreligiositas\nejus penetraret ad c\u0153lum. Quod cum requirerem quid sibi clamor his\nvelit? dixerunt mihi quod laboranti lun\u00e6 vestra vociferatio\nsubveniret; et defectum ejus suis clamoribus adjuvaret: Risi equidem\net miratus sum vanitatem, quod quasi devoti Christiani Deo ferebatis\nauxilium. Clamabatis enim ne tacentibus vobis perderet elementum.\ntanquam infirmus enim et imbecillis, nisi vestris adjuvaretur vocibus,\nnon posset luminaria defendere qu\u00e6 creavit. It is cited also by\nPapirius Massonus in vita Hilarii Pap\u00e6, fol. 67. Therefore popery is\nsuitable to the children of darkness, and unsuitable to the children\nof light, because it greatly befriendeth ignorance, hindering the\npeople from the Holy Scriptures, and quieting them with the opiate of\nan easy implicit faith, in believing as the Roman church believeth,\nthough they know not what it believeth, or mistake, and think it\nbelieveth that which it doth not. Ockam. lib. de Sacram. Altar. cap.\n1. citeth Innocent. Extra de Sum. Trin. to prove the great benefit and\nefficacy of implicit faith, that it would prove an error to be no sin:\n\"In tantum, inquit, valet fides implicita, ut dicunt aliqui, ut si\naliquis eam habet, quod scilicet credit quicquid Ecclesia credit, si\nfalse opiniatur, ratione naturali motus, quia pater est vel prior\nfilio, vel quod tres person\u00e6 sint tres res ab invicem distantes, non\nest h\u00e6reticus, nec peccat; dummodo hunc errorem non defendat, et hoc\nipsum credit, quia credit ecclesiam sic credere, et suam opinionem\nfidei ecclesi\u00e6 supponit. Quia licet sic male opinetur, non tamen est\nilla fides sua, immo fides sua est fides Ecclesi\u00e6.\" This implicit\nfaith, being nothing but to believe that the church erreth not, is not\nan implicit faith in God, (to believe that all that God revealeth is\ntrue,) which all men have that believe in God, as rational an excuse\nfor ignorance and error, as a belief in the church of Rome? This is\ntoo short and easy a faith to be effectual to the true ends of faith.\nSi igitur tant\u00e6 sit efficaci\u00e6 fides implicita, ut excuset ignoranter\nerrantem circa illa qu\u00e6 in Scriptura canonica sunt expressa, multo\nmagis excusabit ignoranter opinantem aliquid quod nec in Scriptura\ncanonica reperitur expressum. Ockam. ibid.\n\n[18] P\u0153nitenti optimus est portus, mutatio consilii. Cic. Phil. 12.\n\n[19] Bonum grati\u00e6 unius hominis majus est quam bonum natur\u00e6 totius\nuniversi. Aquin. 12. q. 113. art. 9.\n\n[20] Quicquid Deo gratum dignumque offertur, de bono thesauro cordis\ndefertur. Intra nos quippe est quod Deo offerimus, omne viz.\nacceptabile munus: Ibi timor Dei----ibi confessio, ibi largitas, ibi\nsobrietas, ibi paupertas spiritus, ibi compassio, &c. Potho Prumiens.\nde Domo Dei, 1. 2. De regno Dei quod intra nos est meditamur vanitates\net insanias falsas, dum interioribus anim\u00e6 virtutibus, in quibus\nregnum Dei consistit, privati, ad exteriora qu\u00e6dam studia ducimur, et\ncirca corporales exercitationes qu\u00e6 ad modicum utiles esse videntur,\noccupamur, fructus spiritus, qui sunt charitas, pax, gaudium, &c.\nintus minime possidemus, et exterius quarundum consuetudinum\nobservantias sectamur; in exercitiis tantum corporalibus qu\u00e6 sunt\njejunia, vigili\u00e6, asperitas seu vilitas vestis, &c. regulam nobis\nvivendi quasi perfectam statuentes. Idem ibid.\n\n[21] Nulla religio vera est, nisi qu\u00e6 virtute et justitia constat. Id.\nibid.\n\n[22] Victor Utic. saith that the Arrian Goths tormented the devoted\nvirgins, to force them to confess that their pastors had committed\nfornication with them, but no torment prevailed with them, though many\nwere killed with it, p. 407, 408. lib. 2. Terrent pr\u00e6ceptis feralibus,\nut in medio Vandalorum nostri nullatenus respirarent: neque usque\nquaque orandi aut immolandi concederetur gementibus locus. Nam et\ndivers\u00e6 calumni\u00e6 non deerant quotidie, etiam illis sacerdotibus, qui\nin his regionibus versabantur, qu\u00e6 palatio tributo pendebant. Et si\nforsitan quisquam, ut moris est, dura Dei populum admoneret,\nPharaonem, Nabuchodonosor, Holofernem, aut aliquem similem nominasset,\nobjiciebantur illi, quod in personam regis ita dixisset, et statim\nexilio tradebatur. Hoc enim tempore persecutionis genus agebatur, hic\napert\u00e8, alibi occult\u00e8, ut piorum nomen talibus insidiis interiret. N.\nB. Victor. Uticens. p. (mihi) 382. Abundance of pastors were then\nbanished from their churches, and many tormented, and Augustine\nhimself died with fear, saith Victor, ib. p. 376, when he had written\n(saith he) two hundred and thirty-two books, besides innumerable\nEpistles, Homilies, Expositions on the Psalms, Evangelists, &c.\n\n[23] The word itself exciteth reason, and preachers are by reason to\nshame all sin as a thing unreasonable. And the want of such\nexcitation, by powerful preaching, and plain instructing, and the\npersons considering, is a great cause of the world's undoing. For\nthose preachers that lay all the blame on the people's stupidity or\nmalignity, I desire them to read a satisfactory answer in Acosta the\nJesuit, li. iv. c. 2, 3, & 4. Few souls perish, comparatively, where\nall the means are used which should be used by their superiors for\ntheir salvation: if every parish had holy, skilful, laborious pastors,\nthat would publicly and privately do their part, great things might be\nexpected in the world. But, saith Acosta, Itaque pr\u00e6cipua causa ad\nministros parum idoneos redit. Qu\u00e6 namque est pr\u00e6dicatio nostra? qu\u00e6\nfiducia? signa cert\u00e8 non edimus: vit\u00e6 sanctitate non eminemus;\nbeneficentia non invitamus; verbi ac spiritus efficacia non\npersuademus; lachrymis ac precibus \u00e0 Deo non impetramus; imo ne\nmagnopere quidem curamus. Qu\u00e6 ergo nostra querela est? qu\u00e6 tanta\nIndorum accusatio? lib. iv. p. 365. An ingenuous confession of the\nRoman priesthood. And such priests can expect no better success. But\nhaving seen another sort of ministers, through God's mercy, I have\nseen an answerable fruit of their endeavours.\n\n[24] Even learning and honest studies may be used as a diversion from\nmore necessary things. Saith Petrarch, in Vita Sua, Ingenio sui ad omne\nbonum et salubre studium apto; sed ad moralem pr\u00e6cipue philosophiam, et\nad poeticam prono. Quam ipsam processu temporis neglexi, sacris literis\ndelectatus, in quibus sensi dulcedinem abditam, quam aliquando\ncontempseram; poeticis literis non nisi ad ornamentum reservatis.\n\n[25] 1 Peter v. 2-4; 2 Cor. x. 4; 2 Cor. v. 19, 20; 2 Cor. i. 24; 1\nCor. iv. 1; 2 Cor. iii. 6, and xi. 23; Joel i. 9, 13; 2 Cor. iv. 5;\nMark x. 44; Matt. xx. 27; Luke xxii. 24-26.\n\n[26] Seneca Ep. 87. scribit, Tam necessarium fuisse Romano populo\nnasci Catonem, quam Scipionem: alter enim cum hostibus nostris, alter\ncum moribus bellum gessit.\n\n[27] Bernard, de Grad. Humil. grad. 8. describeth men's excusing their\nsins thus, \"If it may be, they will say, I did not do it; or else, It\nwas no sin, but lawful; or else, I did it not oft or much; or else, I\nmeant no harm; or else, I was persuaded by another, and drawn to it by\ntemptation\".\n\n[28] Atque haud scio an pietate adversus Deos sublat\u00e2, fides etiam, et\nsocietas humani generis, et una excellentissima virtus, justitia,\ntollatur. Cicero de Nat. Deor. p. 4.\n\n[29] Mira Ciceronis fictio in li. de Universit. p. 358. Atque ille qui\nrecte et honeste curriculum vivendi \u00e0 natura datum confecerit, ad\nillud astrum, quo cum aptus fuerit, revertetur. Qui autem immoderate\net intemperate vixerit, eum secundus ortus in figuram muliebrem\ntransferet, et si ne tum quidem finem vitiorum faciet, gravius etiam\njactabitur, et in suis moribus simillimas figuras pecudum, et ferarum\ntransferetur: neque malorum terminum prius aspiciet, quam illam sequi\nc\u0153perit conversionem, quam habebat in se, &c. cum ad primam et optimam\naffectionem animi pervenerit.\n\n[30] Unus gehenn\u00e6 ignis et in inferno, sed non uno modo omnes excruciat\npeccatores. Uniuscujusque enim quantum exigit culpa, tantum illic\nsentitur et p\u0153na: nam sicut hic unus sol non omnia corpora \u00e6qualiter\ncalefacit, ita illic unus ignis animas pro qualitate criminum\ndissimiliter exurit. Hugo Etherianus de Anim. regres. cap. 12. \"Idem\nundique in infernum descensus est,\" saith Anaxagoras (in Laert.) to one\nthat only lamented that he must die in a strange country.\n\n[31] Alienus est \u00e0 fide qui ad agendam p\u0153nitentiam tempus expectat\nsenectutis. Jo. Benedictus Paris. in Annot. in Luc. xii. Multos vitam\ndifferentes mors incerta pr\u00e6venit. Id. ib. ex Senec.\n\n[32] N\u00e6 illi falsi sunt, qui diversissimas res pariter expectant,\nignavi\u00e6 voluptatem et pr\u00e6mia virtutis. Sallust. Tenebit te diabolus\nsub specie libertatis addictum, ut sit tibi liberum peccare, non\nvivere: Captivum te tenet author scelerum, compedes tibi libidinis\nimposuit, et undique te sepsit armat\u00e2 custodi\u00e2; Legem tibi dedit ut\nlicitum putes omne quod non licet; et vivum te in etern\u00e6 mortis foveam\ndemersit. Hugo Etherianus de Animar. regressu, cap. 9.\n\n[33] Acosta saith, that the Indians are so addicted to their idolatry,\nand unwearied in it, that he knoweth not what words can sufficiently\ndeclare, how totally their minds are transformed into it, no\nwhoremonger having so mad a love to his whore, as they to their idols:\nso that neither in their idleness or their business, neither in public\nor in private, will they do any thing, till they have first used their\nsuperstition to their idols: they will neither rejoice at weddings,\nnor mourn at funerals, neither make a feast, or partake of it, nor so\nmuch as move a foot out of doors, or a hand to any work, without this\nheathenish sacrilege: and all this they do with the greatest secresy,\nlest the christians should know it. Lib. 5. cap. 8. p. 467. See here\nhow nature teacheth all men that there is a Deity to be worshipped\nwith all possible love and industry! And shall the worshippers of the\ntrue God then think it unnecessary preciseness, to be as diligent and\nhearty in his service?\n\n[34] How penitents of old did rise even from a particular sin, judge\nby these words of Pacianus Par\u00e6nes. ad P\u0153nit. Bibl. Pat. To. 3. p. 74.\n\"You must not only do that which may be seen of the priest, and\npraised by the bishop--to weep before the church, to lament a lost or\nsinful life in a sordid garment, to fast, pray, to roll on the earth;\nif any invite you to the bath (or such pleasures) to refuse to go: if\nany bid you to a feast, to say, These things are for the happy; I have\nsinned against God, and am in danger to perish for ever! What should I\ndo at banquets, who have wronged the Lord? Besides these, you must\ntake the poor by the hand, you must beseech the widow, lie at the feet\nof the presbyters, beg of the church to forgive you, and pray for you:\nyou must try all means rather than perish.\"\n\n[35] Of how great concernment faithful pastors are for the conversion\nof the ungodly, see a Jesuit, Acosta, lib. 4. c. l, 4. Infinitum esset\nc\u00e6tera persequi, qu\u00e6 contra hos fatuos principes tanaos, contra\npastores stultos, vel potius idola pastorum, contra seipsos potius\npascentes, contra v\u00e6sanos prophetas, contra sacerdotes contemptores,\natque arrogantes, contra stercus solennitatum, contra popularis\nplausus captatores, contra inexplebiles pecuni\u00e6 gurgites, c\u00e6terasque\npestes, propheticus sermo declamat. Vix alias sancti patres\nplenioribus velis feruntur in Pelagiis, quam cum de sacerdotali\ncontumelia oratio est. Acosta, ib. p. 353. Non est iste sacerdos, non\nest sed infestus, atrox, dolosus, illusor sui, et lupus in dominicum\ngregem ovina pella armatus. Ibid.\n\n[36] Whereas there are two great and grievous sorts of trouble raised,\none in the churches at the trial of members, and an other in men's\nconsciences in trying their states, about this question, How to know\ntrue conversion or sanctification? I must tell them in both these\ntroubles, plainly, that christianity is but one thing, the same in all\nages, which is their consent to the baptismal covenant: and there is no\nsuch way to resolve this question, as to write or set before you the\ncovenant of baptism in its proper sense, and then ask your hearts,\nwhether you unfeignedly and resolvedly consent. He that consenteth\ntruly, is converted and justified; and he that professeth consent, is to\nbe received into the church by baptism (if his parents' consent did not\nbring him in before, which he is to do nevertheless himself at age).\n\n[37] Passibilis timor est irrationabilis, et ad irrationabilia\nconstitutus, sed eum pr\u00e6cipit qui cum disciplina et recta ratione\nconsistit, cujus proprium est reverentia. Qui enim propter Christum et\ndoctrinam ejus Deum timet, cum reverentia ei subjectus est; cum ille\nqui per verbera aliaque tormenta timet Deum, passibilem timorem habete\nviderur. Dydimus Alex. in Pet. 1.\n\n[38] Every one is not a thief, that a dog barks at; nor an hypocrite,\nthat hypocrites call so.\n\n[39] As the Athenians, that condemned Socrates to death, and then\nlamented it, and erected a brazen statue for his memorial.\n\n[40] Acosta saith, that he that will be a pastor to the Indians, must\nnot only resist the devil and the flesh, but must resist the custom of\nmen which is grown powerful by time and multitude: and must oppose his\nbreast to receive the darts of the envious and malevolent, who, if\nthey see any thing contrary to their profane fashion, they cry out, A\ntraitor! a hypocrite! an enemy! lib. 4. c. 15. p. 404. It seems among\npapists and barbarians, the serpent's seed do hiss in the same manner\nagainst the good among themselves, as they do against us.\n\n[41] Eph. ii. 1; Col. ii. 13; 1 Cor. xv. 35; 1 Tim. v. 6; Joel i. 5\n\n[42] Rom. viii. 9, 16; Rom. ix. 8; Eph. ii. 3.\n\n[43] See my sermon on Prov. i. 32, in the end of \"The vain Religion of\nthe Formal Hypocrite.\"\n\n[44] Read Mr. Bolton's Assize Sermon on 1 Cor. i. 26.\n\n[45] See more of Temptations, chap. iii. direct. 9.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER II.\n\n    DIRECTIONS TO YOUNG CHRISTIANS OR BEGINNERS IN RELIGION, FOR THEIR\n    ESTABLISHMENT AND SAFE PROCEEDING.[46]\n\n\nBefore I come to the common directions for the exercise of grace, and\nwalking with God, containing the common duties of christianity, I\nshall lay down some previous instructions, proper to those that are\nbut newly entered into religion (presupposing what is said in my book\nof directions to those that are yet under the work of conversion, to\nprevent their miscarrying by a false superficial change).\n\n_Direct._ I. Take heed lest it be the novelty or reputation of truth\nand godliness, that takes with you, more than the solid evidence of\ntheir excellency and necessity; lest when the novelty and reputation\nare gone, your religion wither and consume away.\n\nIt is said of John and the Jews by Christ, \"He was a burning and a\nshining light, and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his\nlight,\" John v. 35. All men are affected most with things that seem\nnew and strange to them. It is not only the infirmity of children,\nthat are pleased with new clothes, and new toys and games; but even to\ngraver, wiser persons, new things are most affecting, and commonness\nand custom dulls delight. Our habitations, and possessions, and\nhonours, are most pleasing to us at the first; and every condition of\nlife doth most affect us at the first: if nature were not much for\nnovelty, the publishing of news-books would not have been so gainful\na trade so long, unless the matter had been truer and more desirable.\nHence it is that changes are so welcome to the world, though they\nprove ordinarily to their cost. No wonder then, if religion be the\nmore acceptable, when it comes with this advantage. When men first\nhear the doctrine of godliness, and the tidings of another world, by a\npowerful preacher opened and set home, no wonder if things of so great\nmoment affect them for a time: it is said of them that received the\nseed of God's word as into stony ground, that \"forthwith it sprung\nup,\" and they \"anon with joy received it,\" Matt. xiii. 5, 20; but it\nquickly withered for want of rooting. These kind of hearers can no\nmore delight still in one preacher, or one profession, or way, than a\nglutton in one dish, or an adulterer in one harlot: for it is but a\nkind of sensual or natural pleasure that they have in the highest\ntruths; and all such delight must be fed with novelty and variety of\nobjects. The Athenians were inquisitive after Paul's doctrine as\nnovelty, though after they rejected it, as seeming to them incredible:\nActs xvii. 19-21, \"May we know what this new doctrine whereof thou\nspeakest is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we\nwould know therefore what these things mean. For all the Athenians and\nstrangers which were there, spent their time in nothing else, but to\ntell or hear some new thing.\"\n\nTo this kind of professors, the greatest truths grow out of fashion, and\nthey grow weary of them, as of dull and ordinary things: they must have\nsome new light, or new way of religion that lately came in fashion:\ntheir souls are weary of that manna that at first was acceptable to\nthem, as angels' food. Old things seem low, and new things high to them;\nand to entertain some novelty in religion, is to grow up to more\nmaturity: and too many such at last so far overthrive their old apparel,\nthat the old Christ and old gospel are left behind them.\n\nThe light of the gospel is speedilier communicated, than the heat; and\nthis first part being most acceptable to them, is soon received; and\nreligion seemeth best to them at first. At first they have the light\nof knowledge alone; and then they have the warmth of a new and\nprosperous profession: there must be some time for the operating of\nthe heat, before it burneth them; and then they have enough, and cast\nit away in as much haste as they took it up. If preachers would only\nlighten, and shoot no thunderbolts, even a Herod himself would hear\nthem gladly, and do many things after them; but when their Herodias is\nmeddled with, they cannot bear it. If preachers would speak only to\nmen's fancies or understandings, and not meddle too smartly with their\nhearts, and lives, and carnal interests, the world would bear them,\nand hear them as they do stage-players, or at least as lecturers in\nphilosophy or physic. A sermon that hath nothing but some general\ntoothless notions in a handsome dress of words, doth seldom procure\noffence or persecution: it is rare that such men's preaching is\ndistasted by carnal hearers, or their persons hated for it. \"It is a\npleasant thing for the eyes to behold the sun,\" Eccles. xi. 7; but not\nto be scorched by its heat. Christ himself at a distance as promised,\nwas greatly desired by the Jews: but when he came, they could not bear\nhim; his doctrine and life were so contrary to their expectations.\nMal. iii. 1-3, \"The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come into his\ntemple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in:\nbehold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the\nday of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is\nlike a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap.\" Many when they come\nfirst (by profession) to Christ, do little think that he would cast\nthem into the fire, and refine them, and purge away their dross, and\ncast them anew into the mould of the gospel, Rom. vi. 17. Many will\nplay a while by the light, that will not endure to be melted by the\nfire. When the preacher cometh once to this, he is harsh and\nintolerable, and loseth all the praise which he had won before, and\nthe pleasing novelty of religion is over with them. The gospel is sent\nto make such work in the soul and life, as these tender persons will\nnot endure: it must captivate every thought to Christ, and kill every\nlust and pleasure which is against his will; and put a new and\nheavenly life into the soul: it must possess men with deep and lively\napprehensions of the great things of eternity; it is not wavering dull\nopinions, that will raise and carry on the soul to such vigorous,\nconstant, victorious action, as is necessary to salvation. When the\ngospel cometh to the heart, to do this great prevailing work, then\nthese men are impatient of the search and smart, and presently have\ndone with it. They are like children, that love the book for the\ngilding and fineness of the cover, and take it up as soon as any; but\nit is to play with, and not to learn; they are weary of it when it\ncomes to that. At first many come to Christ with wonder, and will\nneeds be his servants for something in it that seemeth fine; till they\nhear that the Son of man hath not the accommodation of the birds or\nfoxes; and that his doctrine and way hath an enmity to their worldly,\nfleshly interest, and then they are gone. They first entertained\nChrist in compliment, thinking that he would please them, or not much\ncontradict them; but when they find that they have received a guest\nthat will rule them, and not be ruled by them, that will not suffer\nthem to take their pleasure, nor enjoy their riches, but hold them to\na life which they cannot endure, and even undo them in the world, he\nis then no longer a guest for them. Whereas if Christ had been\nreceived as Christ, and truth and godliness deliberately entertained\nfor their well-discerned excellency and necessity, the deep rooting\nwould have prevented this apostasy, and cured such hypocrisy.\n\nBut, alas! poor ministers find by sad experience, that all prove not\nsaints that flock to hear them, and make up the crowd; nor \"that for a\nseason rejoice in their light,\" and magnify them, and take their\nparts. The blossom hath its beauty and sweetness; but all that\nblossometh or appeareth in the bud, doth not come to perfect fruit:\nsome will be blasted, and some blown down; some nipped with frosts,\nsome eaten by worms; some quickly fall, and some hang on till the\nstrongest blasts do cast them down: some are deceived and poisoned by\nfalse teachers; some by worldly cares, and the deceitfulness of\nriches, become unfruitful and are turned aside; the lusts of some had\ndeeper rooting than the word; and the friends of some had greater\ninterest in them than Christ, and therefore they forsake him to\nsatisfy their importunity: some are corrupted by the hopes of\npreferment, or the favour of man; some feared from Christ by their\nthreats and frowns, and choose to venture on damnation to scape\npersecution: and some are so worldly wise, that they can see reason to\nremit their zeal, and can save their souls and bodies too; and prove\nthat to be their duty, which other men call sin (if the end will but\nanswer their expectations): and some grow weary of truth and duty, as\na dull and common thing, being supplied with that variety which might\nstill continue the delights of novelty.\n\nYet mistake not what I have said, as if all the affection furthered by\nnovelty, and abated by commonness and use, were a sign that the person\nis but a hypocrite. I know that there is something in the nature of man,\nremaining in the best, which disposeth us to be much more passionately\naffected with things when they seem new to us, and are first\napprehended, than when they are old, and we have known or used them\nlong. There is not, I believe, one man of a thousand, but is much more\ndelighted in the light of truth, when it first appeareth to him, than\nwhen it is trite and familiarly known; and is much more affected with a\npowerful minister at first, than when he hath long sat under him. The\nsame sermon that even transported them at the first hearing, would\naffect them less, if they had heard it preached a hundred times. The\nsame books which greatly affected us at the first or second reading,\nwill affect us less when we have read them over twenty times. The same\nwords of prayer that take much with us when seldom used, do less move\nour affections when they are daily used all the year. At our first\nconversion, we have more passionate sorrow for our sin, and love to the\ngodly, than we can afterwards retain. And all this is the case of\nlearned and unlearned, the sound and unsound, though not of all alike.\nEven heaven itself is spoken of by Christ, as if it did participate of\nthis, when he saith, that \"joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that\nrepenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, that need no\nrepentance,\" Luke xv. 7, 10. And I know it is the duty of ministers to\ntake notice of this disposition in their hearers, and not to dull them\nwith giving them still the same, but to profit them by a pleasant and\nprofitable variety: not by preaching to them another Christ, or a new\ngospel: it is the same God, and Christ, and Spirit, and Scripture, and\nthe same heaven, the same church, the same faith, and hope, and\nrepentance, and obedience, that we must preach to them as long as we\nlive; though they say, we have heard this a hundred times, let them hear\nit still, and bring them not a new creed. If they hear so oft of God,\nand Christ, and heaven, till by faith, and love, and fruition, they\nattain them as their end, they have heard well. But yet there is a\ngrateful variety of subordinate particulars, and of words, and methods,\nand seasonable applications, necessary to the right performance of our\nministry, and to the profiting of the flocks: though the physician use\nthe same apothecary's shop, and dispensatory, and drugs, yet how great a\nvariety must he use of compositions, and times, and manner of\nadministration.\n\nBut for all this, though the best are affected most with things that\nseem new, and are dulled with the long and frequent use of the same\nexpressions, yet they are never weary of the substance of their\nreligion, so as to desire a change. And though they are not so\npassionately affected with the same sermons, and books, or with the\nthoughts or mention of the same substantial matters of religion, as at\nfirst they were; yet do their judgments more solidly and tenaciously\nembrace them, and esteem them, and their wills as resolvedly adhere to\nthem, and use them, and in their lives they practise them, better than\nbefore. Whereas, they that take up their religion but for novelty,\nwill lay it down when it ceaseth to be new to them, and must either\nchange for a newer, or have none at all.[47]\n\nAnd as unsound are they that are religious, only because their\neducation, or their friends, or the laws, or judgment of their\nrulers, or the custom of the country, hath made it necessary to their\nreputation: these are hypocrites at the first setting out, and\ntherefore cannot be saved by continuance in such a carnal\nreligiousness as this. I know law, and custom, and education, and\nfriends, when they side with godliness, are a great advantage to it,\nby affording helps, and removing those impediments that might stick\nmuch with carnal minds. But truth is not your own, till it be received\nin its proper evidence; nor your faith divine, till you believe what\nyou believe, because God is true who doth reveal it; nor are you the\nchildren of God, till you love him for himself; nor are you truly\nreligious, till the truth and goodness of religion itself be the\nprincipal thing that maketh you religious. It helpeth much to discover\na man's sincerity, when he is not only religious among the religious,\nbut among the profane, and the enemies, and scorners, and persecutors\nof religion: and when a man doth not pray only in a praying family,\nbut among the prayerless, and the deriders of fervent constant prayer:\nand when a man is heavenly among them that are earthly, and temperate\namong the intemperate and riotous, and holdeth the truth among those\nthat reproach it and that hold the contrary: when a man is not carried\nonly by a stream of company, or outward advantages, to his religion,\nnor avoideth sin for want of a temptation, but is religious though\nagainst the stream, and innocent when cast (unwillingly) upon\ntemptations; and is godly where godliness is accounted singularity,\nhypocrisy, faction, humour, disobedience, or heresy; and will rather\nlet go the reputation of his honesty, than his honesty itself.\n\n_Direct._ II. Take heed of being religious only in opinion, without\nzeal and holy practice; or only in zealous affection, without a sound,\nwell grounded judgment; but see that judgment, zeal, and practice be\nconjunct.\n\nOf the first part of this advice, (against a bare opinionative\nreligion,) I have spoken already, in my \"Directions for a Sound\nConversion.\" To change your opinions is an easier matter than to\nchange the heart and life. A holding of the truth will save no man,\nwithout a love and practice of the truth. This is the meaning of James\nii. where he speaketh so much of the unprofitableness of a dead,\nunaffected belief, that worketh not by love, and commandeth not the\nsoul to practice and obedience. To believe that there is a God, while\nyou neglect him and disobey him, is unlike to please him. To believe\nthat there is a heaven, while you neglect it, and prefer the world\nbefore it, will never bring you thither. To believe your duty, and not\nto perform it, and to believe that sin is evil, and yet to live in it,\nis to sin with aggravation, and have no excuse, and not the way to be\naccepted or justified with God. To be of the same belief with holy\nmen, without the same hearts and conversations, will never bring you\nto the same felicity. \"He that knoweth his master's will and doth it\nnot,\" shall be so far from being accepted for it, that he \"shall be\nbeaten with many stripes.\" To believe that holiness and obedience is\nthe best way, will never save the disobedient and unholy.\n\nAnd yet if judgment be not your guide, the most zealous affections\nwill but precipitate you; and make you run, though quite out of the\nway, like the horses when they have cast the coachman or the\nriders.[48] To ride post when you are quite out of the way, is but\nlaboriously to lose your time, and to prepare for further labour. The\nJews that persecuted Christ and his apostles, had the testimony of\nPaul himself, that they had a \"zeal of God, but not according to\nknowledge,\" Rom. x. 2. And Paul saith of the deceivers and troublers\nof the Galatians, (whom he wished even cut off,) that they did\nzealously affect them, but not well, Gal. iv. 17. And he saith of\nhimself, while he persecuted christians to prison and to death, \"I was\nzealous towards God as ye are all this day,\" Acts xxii. 3, 4. Was not\nthe papist, St. Dominick, that stirred up the persecution against the\nchristians in France and Savoy, to the murdering of many thousands of\nthem, a very zealous man? And are not the butchers of the Inquisition\nzealous men? And were not the authors of the third Canon of the\nGeneral Council at the Lateran, under Pope Innocent the third, very\nzealous men, who decreed that the pope should depose temporal lords,\nand give away their dominions, and absolve their subjects, if they\nwould not exterminate the godly, called heretics? Were not the\npapists' powder-plotters zealous men? Hath not zeal caused many of\nlatter times to rise up against their lawful governors? and many to\npersecute the church of God, and to deprive the people of their\nfaithful pastors without compassion on the people's souls? Doth not\nChrist say of such zealots, \"The time cometh, when whosoever killeth\nyou, will think he doth God service,\" John xvi. 2; or offereth a\nservice (acceptable) to God. Therefore Paul saith, \"It is good to be\nzealously affected always in a good matter,\" Gal. iv. 18; showing you\nthat zeal indeed is good, if sound judgment be its guide. Your first\nquestion must be, Whether you are in the right way? and your second,\nWhether you go apace? It is sad to observe what odious actions are\ncommitted in all ages of the world, by the instigation of misguided\nzeal! And what a shame an imprudent zealot is to his profession! while\nmaking himself ridiculous in the eyes of the adversaries, he brings\nhis profession itself into contempt, and maketh the ungodly think that\nthe religious are but a company of transported brain-sick zealots; and\nthus they are hardened to their perdition. How many things doth\nunadvised affection provoke well-meaning people to, that afterwards\nwill be their shame and sorrow.\n\nLabour therefore for knowledge, and soundness of understanding; that\nyou may know truth from falsehood, good from evil; and may walk\nconfidently, while you walk safely; and that you become not a shame to\nyour profession, by a furious persecution of that which you must\nafterwards confess to be an error; by drawing others to that which you\nwould after wish that you had never known yourselves. And yet see that\nall your knowledge have its efficacy upon your heart and life; and\ntake every truth as an instrument of God, to reveal himself to you, or\nto draw your heart to him, and conform you to his holy will.\n\n_Direct._ III. Labour to understand the true method of divinity, and see\ntruths in their several degrees and order; that you take not the last\nfor the first, nor the lesser for the greater. Therefore see that you be\nwell grounded in the catechism; and refuse not to learn some catechism\nthat is sound and full, and keep it in memory while you live.[49]\n\nMethod, or right order, exceedingly helpeth understanding, memory,\nand practice.[50] Truths have a dependence on each other; the lesser\nbranches spring out of the greater, and those out of the stock and\nroot. Some duties are but means to other duties, or subservient to\nthem, and to be measured accordingly; and if it be not understood\nwhich is the chief, the other cannot be referred to it. When two\nthings materially good come together, and both cannot be done, the\ngreater must take place, and the lesser is no duty at that time, but a\nsin, as preferred before the greater. Therefore it is one of the\ncommonest difficulties among cases of conscience, to know which duty\nis the greater, and to be preferred. Upon this ground, Christ healed\non the sabbath day, and pleaded for his disciples rubbing the ears of\ncorn, and for David's eating the shew-bread, and telleth them, that\n\"the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath, and that\nGod will have mercy, and not sacrifice.\"\n\nDivinity is a curious, well-composed frame. As it is not enough that\nyou have all the parts of your watch or clock, but you must see that\nevery part be in its proper place, or else it will not go, or answer\nits end; so it is not enough that you know the several parts of\ndivinity or duty, unless you know them in their true order and place.\nYou may be confounded before you are aware, and led into many\ndangerous errors, by mistaking the order of several truths; and you\nmay be misguided into heinous sins, by mistaking the degrees and order\nof duties; as, when duties of piety and charity seem to be\ncompetitors; and when you think that the commands of men contradict\nthe commands of God; and when the substance and the circumstances or\nmodes of duty are in question before you as inconsistent; or when the\nmeans seemeth to cease to be a means, by crossing of the end: and in\nabundance of such cases, you cannot easily conceive what a snare it\nmay prove to you, to be ignorant of the methods and ranks of duty.\n\n_Object._ If that be so, what man can choose but be confounded in his\nreligion; when there be so few that observe any method at all, and few\nthat agree in method, and none that hath published a scheme or method\nso exact and clear, as to be commonly approved by divines themselves?\nWhat then can ignorant christians do?\n\n_Answ._ Divinity is like a tree that hath one trunk,[51] and thence a\nfew greater arms or boughs, and thence a thousand smaller branches; or\nlike the veins, or nerves, or arteries in the body, that have first\none or few trunks divided into more, and those into a few more, and\nthose into more, till they multiply at last into more than can easily\nbe seen or numbered. Now it is easy for any man to begin at the chief\ntrunk, and to discern the first divisions, and the next, though not to\ncomprehend the number and order of all the extreme and smaller\nbranches. So is it in divinity: it is not very hard to begin at the\nunity of the eternal God-head, and see there a Trinity of Persons, and\nof primary attributes, and of relations; and to arise to the principal\nattributes and works of God as in these relations, and to the\nrelations of man to God, and to the great duties of these relations,\nto discern God's covenants and chiefest laws, and the duty of man in\nobedience thereto, and the judgment of God in the execution of his\nsanctions; though yet many particular truths be not understood. And he\nthat beginneth, and proceedeth as he ought, doth know methodically so\nmuch as he knoweth; and he is in the right way to the knowledge of\nmore: and the great mercy of God hath laid so great a necessity on us\nto know these few points that are easily known, and so much less need\nof knowing the many small particulars, that a mean christian may live\nuprightly, and holily, and comfortably, that well understandeth his\ncatechism, or the creed, Lord's prayer, and ten commandments; and may\nfind daily work and consolation in the use of these.\n\nA sound and well composed catechism studied well and kept in memory,\nwould be a good measure of knowledge, to ordinary christians, and make\nthem solid and orderly in their understanding, and in their proceeding\nto the smaller points, and would prevent a great deal of error and\nmiscarriage, that many by ill teaching are cast upon, to their own and\nthe churches' grief! Yea, it were to be wished, that some teachers of\nlate had learnt so much and orderly themselves.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Begin not too early with controversies in religion: and\nwhen you come to them, let them have but their due proportion of your\ntime and zeal: but live daily upon these certain great substantials,\nwhich all christians are agreed in.\n\n1. Plunge not yourselves too soon into controversies: For, (1.) It\nwill be exceedingly to your loss, by diverting your souls from greater\nand more necessary things: you may get more increase of holiness, and\nspend your time more pleasingly to God, by drinking in deeper the\nsubstantials of religion, and improving them on your hearts and lives.\n\n(2.) It will corrupt your minds, and instead of humility, charity,\nholiness, and heavenly-mindedness, it will feed your pride, and kindle\nfaction and a dividing zeal, and quench your charity, and possess you\nwith a wrangling, contentious spirit, and you will make a religion of\nthese sins and lamentable distempers.\n\n(3.) And it is the way to deceive and corrupt your judgments, and make\nyou erroneous or heretical, to your own perdition and the disturbance of\nthe church: for it is two to one, but either you presently err, or else\nget such an itch after notions and opinions that will lead you to error\nat the last. Because you are not yet ripe and able to judge of those\nthings, till your minds are prepared by those truths that are first in\norder to be received. When you undertake a work that you cannot do, no\nwonder if it be ill done, and must be all undone again, or worse.\n\nPerhaps you will say, that you must not take your religion upon trust,\nbut must \"prove all things, and hold fast that which is good.\"\n\n_Answ._ Though your religion must not be taken upon trust, there are\nmany controverted smaller opinions that you must take upon trust, till\nyou are capable of discerning them in their proper evidence. Till you\ncan reach them yourselves, you must take them on trust, or not at all.\nThough you must believe all things of common necessity to salvation\nwith a divine faith; yet many subservient truths must be received\nfirst by a human faith, or not received at all, till you are more\ncapable of them. Nay, there is a human faith necessarily subservient\nto the divine faith, about the substance of religion; and the officers\nof Christ are to be trusted in their office, as helpers of your faith.\nNay, let me tell you, that while you are young and ignorant, you are\nnot fit for controversies about the fundamentals of religion\nthemselves. You may believe that there is a God, long before you are\nfit to hear an atheist proving that there is no God. You may believe\nthe Scripture to be the word of God, and Christ to be the Saviour,\nand the soul to be immortal, long before you will be fit to manage or\nstudy controversies hereupon. For nothing is so false or bad, which a\nwanton or wicked wit may not put a plausible gloss upon; and your raw\nunfurnished understandings will scarce be able to see through the\npretence, or escape the cheat. When you cannot answer the arguments of\nseducers, you will find them leave a doubting in your minds; for you\nknow not how plain the answer of them is, to wiser men. And though you\nmust prove all things, you must do it in due order, and as you are\nable; and stay till your furnished minds are capable of the trial. If\nyou will needs read before you know your letters, or pretend to judge\nof Greek and Hebrew authors, before you can read English, you will but\nbecome ridiculous in your undertaking.\n\n2. When you do come to smaller controverted points, let them have but\ntheir due proportion of your time and zeal. And that will not be one\nhour in many days, with the generality of private christians. By that\ntime you have well learned the more necessary truths, and practised\ndaily the more necessary duties, you will find that there will be but\nlittle time to spare for lesser controversies. Opinionists that spend\nmost of their time in studying and talking of such points, do steal\nthat time from greater matters, and therefore from God, and from\nthemselves. Better work is undone the while. And they that here lay\nout their chiefest zeal, divert their zeal from things more necessary,\nand turn their natural heat into a fever.\n\n3. The essential necessary truths of your religion, must imprint the\nimage of God upon your hearts, and must dwell there continually, and\nyou must live upon them as your bread, and drink, and daily necessary\nfood: all other points must be studied in subserviency to those: all\nlesser duties must be used as the exercise of the love of God or man,\nand of a humble heavenly mind. The articles of your creed, and points\nof catechism, are fountains ever running, affording you matter for the\ncontinual exercise of grace: it is both plentiful and solid\nnourishment of the soul, which these great substantial points afford.\nTo know God the Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, the laws and\ncovenant of God, and his judgment, and rewards and punishments, with\nthe parts and method of the Lord's prayer, which must be the daily\nexercise of our desires, and love, this is the wisdom of a christian;\nand in these must he be continually exercised.\n\nYou will say perhaps that the apostle saith, Heb. vi. 1, \"Leaving the\nprinciples of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not\nlaying again the foundation of repentance from dead works,\" &c.\n\n_Answer_ 1. By \"leaving\" he meaneth not passing over the practice of\nthem as men that have done with them, and are past them; but his\nleaving at that time to discourse of them, or his supposing them\ntaught already: though he lay not the foundation again, yet he doth\nnot pluck it up. 2. By \"principles\" he meaneth the first points to be\ntaught, and learnt, and practised: and indeed regeneration and baptism\nis not to be done again: but the essentials of religion which I am\nspeaking of, contain much more: especially to \"live in the love of\nGod, which Paul calls the more excellent way,\" 1 Cor. xii. and xiii.\n3. Going on to perfection, is not by ceasing to believe and love God,\nbut by a more distinct knowledge of the mysteries of salvation, to\nperfect our faith, and love, and obedience.\n\nThe points that opinionists call higher, and think to be the principal\nmatter of their growth, and advancement in understanding, are usually\nbut some smaller, less necessary truths, if not some uncertain,\ndoubtful questions. Mark well 1 Tim. i. 4; vi. 4; 2 Tim. ii. 23; Tit.\niii. 9, compared with John xvii. 3; Rom. xiii. 8-10; 1 Cor. xiii.; 1\nJohn iii.; 1 Cor. i. 23; xv. 1-3; ii. 2; Gal. vi. 14; James ii.; iii. 1.\n\n_Direct._ V. Be very thankful for the great mercy of your conversion:\nbut yet overvalue not your first degrees of knowledge or holiness, but\nremember that you are yet but in your infancy, and must expect your\ngrowth and ripeness as the consequent of time and diligence.\n\nYou have great reason to be more glad and thankful for the least\nmeasure of true grace, than if you had been made the rulers of the\nearth; it being of a far more excellent nature, and entitling you to\nmore than all the kingdoms of the world. See my sermon called \"Right\nRejoicing,\" on those words of Christ, \"Rejoice not that the spirits\nare subject to you; but rather rejoice because your names are written\nin heaven,\" Luke x. 20. Christ will warrant you to rejoice, though\nenemies envy you, and repine both at your victory and triumph. If\nthere be \"joy in heaven in the presence of the angels\" at your\nconversion, there is great reason you should be glad yourselves. If\nthe prodigal's father will needs have the best robe and ring brought\nforth, and the fat calf killed, and the music to attend the feast,\nthat they may eat and be merry, Luke xv. 23, there is great reason\nthat the prodigal son himself should not have the smallest share of\njoy; though his brother repine.\n\n[Sidenote: Fear is a cautelous preserving grace.]\n\nBut yet, take heed lest you think the measure of your first endowments\nto be greater than it is.[52] Grace imitateth nature, in beginning,\nusually, with small degrees, and growing up to maturity by leisurely\nproceeding. We are not new-born in a state of manhood, as Adam was\ncreated. Though those texts that liken the kingdom of God to a grain\nof mustard seed, and to a little leaven, Matt. xiii. 31, 33, be\nprincipally meant of the small beginnings and great increase of the\nchurch or kingdom of Christ in the world; yet it is true also of his\ngrace or kingdom in the soul. Our first stature is but to be \"new-born\nbabes desiring the sincere milk of the word, that we may grow by it,\"\n1 Pet. ii. 2. Note here, that the new birth bringeth forth but babes,\nbut growth is by degrees, by feeding on the word. The word is received\nby the heart, as seed into the ground, Matt. xiii. And seed useth not\nto bring forth the blade and fruit to ripeness in a day.\n\nYet I deny not, but that some men (as Paul) may have more grace at their\nfirst conversion, than many others have at their full growth. For God is\nfree in the giving of his own, and may give more or less as pleaseth\nhimself. But yet in Paul himself, that greater measure is but his\nsmallest measure, and he himself is capable of increase to the last. And\nso great a measure at first is as rare, as his greater measure, at last,\nin its full growth, is rare, and scarce to be expected now.\n\nAnd if God should give a great measure of holiness at first, to any\nnow, as possibly he may, yet their measure of gifts is never great at\nfirst, unless they had acquired or received them before conversion. If\ngrace find a man of great parts and understanding, which by study and\nother helps he had attained before, no wonder if that man, when his\nparts are sanctified, be able in knowledge the first day; for he had\nit before, though he had not a heart to use it. But if grace find a\nman ignorant, unlearned, and of mean abilities, he must not expect to\nbe suddenly lifted up to great understanding and high degrees of\nknowledge by grace. For this knowledge is not given, now, by sudden\ninfusion, as gifts were, extraordinarily, in the primitive church. You\nneed no other proof of this but experience, to stop the mouth of any\ngainsayer. Look about you, and observe whether those that are men of\nknowledge, did obtain it by infusion, in a moment? or whether they did\nnot obtain it by diligent study, by slow degrees? though I know God\nblesseth some men's studies more than others. Name one man that ever\nwas brought to great understanding, but by means and labour, and slow\ndegrees; or that knoweth any truth, in nature, or divinity, but what\nhe read, or heard, or studied for, as the result of what he read or\nheard. The person that is proudest of his knowledge, must confess that\nhe came to it in this way himself.\n\n[Sidenote: How the Spirit doth illuminate.]\n\nBut you will ask, What then is the illumination of the Spirit, and\nenlightening the mind, which the Scripture ascribeth to the Holy\nGhost? Hath not our understanding need of the Spirit for light, as\nwell as the heart or will for life?\n\n_Answ._ Yes, no doubt; and it is a great and wonderful mercy: and I will\ntell you what it is. 1. The Holy Spirit, by immediate inspiration,\nrevealed to the apostles the doctrine of Christ, and caused them\ninfallibly to indite the Scriptures. But this is not that way of\nordinary illumination now. 2. The Holy Spirit assisteth us in our\nhearing, reading, and studying the Scripture, that we may come, by\ndiligence, to the true understanding of it; but doth not give us that\nunderstanding, without hearing, reading, or study. \"Faith cometh by\nhearing,\" Rom. x. 17. It blesseth the use of means to us, but blesseth\nus not in the neglect of means. 3. The Holy Spirit doth open the eyes\nand heart of a sinner, who hath heard, and notionally understood the\nsubstance of the gospel, that he may know that piercingly, and\neffectually, and practically, which before he knew but notionally, and\nineffectually; so that the knowledge of the same truth is now become\npowerful, and, as it were, of another kind. And this is the Spirit's\nsanctifying of the mind, and principal work of saving illumination; not\nby causing us to know any thing of God, or Christ, or heaven, without\nmeans; but by opening the heart, that, through the means, it may take in\nthat knowledge deeply, which others have but notionally, and in a dead\nopinion; and, by making our knowledge clear, and quick, and powerful, to\naffect the heart, and rule the life. 4. The Holy Spirit sanctifieth all\nthat notional knowledge which men had before their renovation. All their\nlearning and parts are now made subservient to Christ, and to the right\nend, and turned into their proper channel. 5. And the Holy Ghost doth,\nby sanctifying the heart, possess it with such a love to God, and\nheaven, and holiness, and truth, as is a wonderful advantage to us, in\nour studies for the attaining of further knowledge. Experience telleth\nus, how great a help it is to knowledge, to have a constant love,\ndelight, and desire to the thing which we would know. All these ways the\nSpirit is the enlightener of believers.\n\nThe not observing this direction, will have direful effects; which I\nwill name, that you may see the necessity of avoiding them.\n\n[Sidenote: The danger of overvaluing your young abilities or graces.]\n\n1. If you imagine that you are presently men of great understanding,\nand abilities, and holiness, while you are young beginners, and but\nnew-born babes, you are entering into \"the snare and condemnation of\nthe devil,\" even into the odious sin of pride; yea, a pride of those\nspiritual gifts which are most contrary to pride; yea, and a pride of\nthat which you have not, which is most foolish pride. Mark the words\nof Paul, when he forbids to choose a young beginner in religion to the\nministry, 1 Tim. iii. 6: \"Not a novice, (that is, a young, raw\nchristian,) lest being lifted up (or besotted) with pride, he fall\ninto the condemnation of the devil.\" Why are young beginners more in\ndanger of this than other christians? One would think their infancy\nshould be conscious of its own infirmity. But Paul knew what he said.\nIt is, (1.) Partly because the suddenness of their change; coming out\nof darkness into a light which they never saw before, doth amaze them,\nand transport them, and make them think they are almost in heaven, and\nthat there is not much more to be attained. Like the beggar that had a\nhundred pounds given him, having never seen the hundredth part before,\nimagined that he had as much money as the king. (2.) And it is partly\nbecause they have not knowledge enough to know how many things there\nare that yet they are ignorant of.[53] They never heard of the\nScripture difficulties, and the knots in school divinity, nor the hard\ncases of conscience: whereas, one seven years' painful studies, will\ntell them of many hundred difficulties which they never saw; and forty\nor fifty years' study more, will clothe them with shame and humility,\nin the sense of their lamentable darkness. (3.) And it is also because\nthe devil doth with greatest industry lay this net to entrap young\nconverts, it being the way in which he hath the greatest hope.\n\n2. Your hasty conceits of your own goodness or ability, will make you\npresumptuous of your own strength, and so to venture upon dangerous\ntemptations, which is the way to ruin. You will think you are not so\nignorant, but you may venture into the company of papists, or any\nheretics or deceivers, or read their books, or be present at their\nworship. And I confess you may escape; but it may be otherwise, and\nGod may leave you, to \"show you all that was in your hearts,\" as it is\nsaid of Hezekiah, 2 Chron. xxxii. 21, 25, 26.\n\n3. And your overvaluing your first grace, will make you too secure,\nwhen your souls have need of holy awfulness and care, to \"work out\nyour salvation with fear and trembling,\" Phil. ii. 12; and to \"serve\nGod acceptably, with reverence and godly fear, as knowing that he is a\nconsuming fire,\" Heb. xii. 28, 29. And security is the forerunner of a\nfall.\n\n4. It will make you neglect the due labour and patience in the use of\nmeans, for further knowledge and increase of grace, while you think\nyou are so well already.[54] And so you will be worse than those that\nare ever learning, and never come to any ripe knowledge; for you will\nthink that you are fit to be teachers, when you have need to be taught\nthat which you will not submit to learn. And then, \"when for the time\nye ought to have been teachers, you will have need to be catechised,\nor taught again which be the first principles of the oracles of God,\nas having need of milk, and not of strong meat.\" Mark here, how the\nHoly Ghost maketh time and exercise necessary to such growth as must\nenable you to be teachers, Heb. v. 12-14. Therefore he addeth, \"but\nstrong meat belongeth to them that are of full age; those who by\nreason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and\nevil.\" Mark here, how wisdom and strength is to be expected.\n\n5. This over-hasty conceit of your own ability, will tempt you to run\ninto controversies, and matters that you are not fit for; and so\ndivert you from necessary and seasonable studies.\n\n6. It will make you over-confident of all your own opinions, and stiff\nin all your own conceits; too like him, Prov. xiv. 16, \"The fool\nrageth and is confident.\" How many and many a time have I heard a man\nthat understood not what he talked of, and could scarce speak sense,\nto plead for his opinion so confidently, as to scorn or pity the\nwisest contradicter, when his ignorance, and phrenetic confidence and\nrage, did make him a real object of pity, to men of ordinary\nunderstandings. There is a kind of madness in this disease, that will\nnot leave you wit enough to know that you are mad.\n\n7. It will make you also very censorious of others: this ignorant\npride will make you think other men's knowledge to be ignorance, if\nthey be not just of your fond opinions; and other men's graces to be\nnone, if they be not of your mind and way. None are so ready as such\nto censure those that are better than themselves, or that they have no\nacquaintance with, as being but civil, moral men, or being erroneous\nor deluded. It is a very loathsome thing, to hear an ignorant,\nself-conceited fellow to talk of those that are a hundred times wiser\nand much better than himself, as magisterially, with a proud\ncompassion or contempt, as if he were indeed the wise man, that\nknoweth not what he saith.\n\n8. And it will make you rebellious against your governors and\nteachers, and utterly unteachable, as despising those that should\ninstruct and rule you.[55] You will think yourselves wiser than your\nteachers, while you are but in the lowest form. It is such that James\nspeaks to, Jam. iii. 1, \"My brethren, be not many masters, (or\nteachers,) knowing that ye shall receive the greater condemnation.\"\nAnd that whole chapter, well worth your studying, is spoke to such.\n\n9. And thus it will entangle you in heretical opinions, to which there\nis no greater preparatory, than pride-possessing, half-witted young\nbeginners in religion.\n\n10. And so it will make you troublers of the church, contending\nunpeaceably for that which you understand not.\n\n11. And it tendeth to hypocrisy, making you give thanks for that which\nyou never had; as puffed up with a knowledge that is not enough to\nkeep you humble, and wanting the charity which would edify yourselves\nand others, 1 Cor. viii. 1.\n\n12. And it tendeth to delude you in point of assurance of salvation;\ntaking your own over-valuing self-esteem for true assurance; which is\nnot ordinarily to be expected, till grace be come to strength.\n\n13. Lastly, It tendeth to corrupt your apprehensions of the nature of\nchristianity itself; while you will judge of it in others according to\nyour own overvalued measure: when, if you knew it as it is in the\nheart and practice of the sober, wise, humble, charitable, peaceable,\nmortified, heavenly believer, you would see that it hath a higher\nglory than any that is manifested by you.\n\nI have named to you all these sad effects of over-valuing your\nbeginnings in religion, that as you love your souls, you may avoid\nthem. I take it to be a matter of exceeding great moment, for your\nsafety and perseverance, that while you are infants in grace, you know\nyourself to be such; that you may keep your form, and learn first the\nlessons that must first be learned, and \"walk humbly with your God,\nand obey those that are over you in the Lord,\" Heb. xiii. 7, 17; 1\nThess. i. 5, 12, and may wait on the Spirit, in the use of means, and\nmay not rejoice the tempter, by corrupting all that you have received,\nand imitating him, in falling from your state of hope.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Be not discouraged at the difficulties and oppositions\nwhich will rise up before you, when you begin resolvedly to walk with\nGod.\n\n[Sidenote: Against discouragements in trials.]\n\nAs discouragements keep off multitudes from religion, so they are\ngreat temptations to many young beginners to turn back, and as the\nIsraelites in the wilderness, ready to wish themselves again in Egypt.\nThree sorts of discouragements arise before them. 1. Some from the\nnature of the work. 2. Some from God's trials. 3. And some from the\nmalice of the devil and his instruments: or all these.\n\n1. It cannot be expected but that infants and weaklings should think a\nlittle burden heavy, and an easy work or journey to be wearisome.\nYoung beginners are ordinarily puzzled, and at a loss, in every trade,\nor art, or science. Young scholars have a far harder task, than when\nthey are once well entered: learning is wondrous hard and unpleasant\nto them, at the first; but when they are once well entered, the\nknowledge of one thing helps another, and they go on with ease. So a\nyoung convert, that hath been bred up in ignorance, and never used to\nprayer, or to heavenly discourse, nor to hear or join with any that\ndid, will think it strange and hard at first. And those that were used\nto take their pleasure, and fulfil the desires of the flesh, and\nperhaps to swear, and talk filthily, or idly, or to lie, will find, at\nfirst, some difficulty to overcome their customs, and live a\nmortified, holy life: yet grace will do it, and prevail. Especially in\npoint of knowledge, and ability of expression, be not too hasty in\nyour expectation, but wait with patience, in a faithful, diligent use\nof means, and that will be easy and delightful to you afterwards,\nwhich before discouraged you with its difficulties.\n\n2. And God himself will have his servants, and his graces, tried and\nexercised by difficulties. He never intended us the reward for sitting\nstill; nor the crown of victory, without a fight; nor a fight, without\nan enemy and opposition. Innocent Adam was unfit for his state of\nconfirmation and reward, till he had been tried by temptation. Therefore\nthe martyrs have the most glorious crown, as having undergone the\ngreatest trial. And shall we presume to murmur at the method of God?\n\n3. And Satan, having liberty to tempt and try us, will quickly raise up\nstorms and waves before us, as soon as we are set to sea; which make\nyoung beginners often fear, that they shall never live to reach the\nhaven. He will show thee the greatness of thy former sins, to persuade\nthee that they shall not be pardoned. He will show thee the strength of\nthy passions and corruptions, to make thee think they will never be\novercome. He will show thee the greatness of the opposition and\nsuffering which thou art like to undergo, to make thee think thou shall\nnever persevere. He will do his worst to meet thee with poverty,\nlosses, crosses, injuries, vexations, persecutions, and cruelties, yea,\nand unkindness from thy dearest friends, as he did by Job, to make thee\nthink ill of God, or of his service. If he can, he will make them thy\nenemies that are of thine own household.[56] He will stir up thy own\nfather, or mother, or husband, or wife, or brother, or sister, or\nchildren, against thee, to persuade or persecute thee from Christ:\ntherefore Christ tells us, that if we hate not all these, that is,\ncannot forsake them, and use them as men do hated things, when they\nwould turn us from him, we cannot be his disciples, Luke xiv. 26; Matt.\nx. Look for the worst that the devil can do against thee, if thou hast\nonce lifted thyself against him, in the army of Christ, and resolvest,\nwhatever it cost thee, to be saved. Read Heb. xi. But how little cause\nyou have to be discouraged, though earth and hell should do their worst,\nyou may perceive by these few considerations.\n\n(1.) God is on your side, who hath all your enemies in his hand, and\ncan rebuke them, or destroy them in a moment. Oh what is the breath or\nfury of dust or devils, against the Lord Almighty! \"If God be for us,\nwho can be against us?\" Rom. viii. 31. Read often that chapter, Rom.\nviii. In the day when thou didst enter into covenant with God, and he\nwith thee, thou didst enter into the most impregnable rock and\nfortress, and house thyself in that castle of defence, where thou\nmayest (modestly) defy all adverse powers of earth or hell. If God\ncannot save thee, he is not God. And if he will not save thee, he must\nbreak his covenant. Indeed, he may resolve to save thee, not from\naffliction and persecution, but in it, and by it. But in all these\nsufferings you will \"be more than conquerors, through Christ that\nloveth you:\" that is, it is far more desirable and excellent to\nconquer by patience, in suffering for Christ, than to conquer our\npersecutors in the field, by force of arms. O think on the saints'\ntriumphant boastings in their God. Psal. xlvi. 1-3, \"God is our refuge\nand strength, a very present help in trouble: therefore will not we\nfear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried\ninto the midst of the sea.\" Psal. lvi. 1-5, when his \"enemies were\nmany\" and \"wrested his words daily,\" and \"fought against him, and all\ntheir thoughts were against him,\" yet he saith, \"What time I am\nafraid, I will trust in thee. In God will I praise his word; in God\nhave I put my trust: I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.\"\nRemember Christ's charge, Luke xii. 4, \"Fear not them that can kill\nthe body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will\nforewarn you whom you shall fear: fear him, which after he hath\nkilled, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him.\"\nIf all the world were on thy side, thou might yet have cause to fear;\nbut to have God on thy side, is infinitely more.\n\n(2.) Jesus Christ is the Captain of thy salvation, Heb. ii. 10, and\nhath gone before thee this way himself, and hath conquered for thee;\nand now is engaged to make thee conqueror: and darest thou not go on\nwhere Christ doth lead the way? He was perfected through suffering\nhimself, and will see that thou be not destroyed by it. Canst thou\ndraw back, when thou seest his steps, and his blood?[57]\n\n(3.) Thou art not to conquer in thy own strength, but by the Spirit\nof God, and the power of that grace which is sufficient for thee, and\nhis strength which appeareth most in our weakness, 2 Cor. xii. 9. And\n\"you can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth you,\" Phil.\niv. 13. \"Be of good cheer, he hath overcome the world,\" John xvi. 33.\n\n(4.) All that are in heaven have gone this way, and overcome such\noppositions and difficulties as these:[58] they were tempted,\ntroubled, scorned, opposed, as well as you; and yet they now triumph\nin glory. \"These are they that come out of great tribulation, and have\nwashed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb:\ntherefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and\nnight in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell\namong them,\" Rev. vii. 14. And all that ever come to heaven (at age)\nare like to come this way. And doth not the company encourage you? and\nthe success of those that have overcome before you? Will you have the\nend, and yet refuse the way?\n\n(5.) Consider how much greater difficulties ungodly men go through to\nhell. They have stronger enemies than you have: the devil and wicked\nmen are your enemies; but God himself is theirs, and yet they will go\non. Men threaten but death to discourage you, and God threateneth\ndamnation to discourage them; and yet they go on, and are not\ndiscouraged. And will you be more afraid of man, than sinners are of\nGod? and of death or scorns, than they are of hell?\n\n(6.) Yea, and you yourselves must cast your souls on these greater\nevils, if by discouragement you turn from the way of godliness. You\nmust run into hell for fear of burning; and upon everlasting death, to\nescape a temporal death, or less: you will choose God for your enemy,\nto escape the enmity of man; and how wise a course this is, judge you;\nwhen if you do but see that your ways please God, he can \"make your\nenemies be at peace with you,\" if he see it for your good, Prov. xvi.\n7. If you will fear, fear him that can damn the soul.\n\n(7.) Lastly, Remember what abundance of mercies you have to sweeten\nyour present life, and to make your burden easy to you: you have all\nthat is good for you in this life, and the promise of everlasting joy;\nfor godliness thus \"is profitable to all things,\" 1 Tim. iv. 8. What\nabundance of mercy have you in your bodies, estates, friends, names,\nor souls, which are the greatest! What promises and experiences to\nrefresh you! What liberty of access to God! A Christ to rejoice in, a\nheaven to rejoice in! and yet shall a stony or a dirty way discourage\nyou more than these shall comfort you?\n\nThe sum of all is, your work will grow easier and sweeter to you, as\nyour skill and strength increase. Your enemies are as grasshoppers\nbefore you; the power of the Almighty is engaged by love and promise\nfor your help; and do you pretend to trust in God, and yet will fear\nthe face of man? Isa. l. 6-10, \"I gave my back to the smiters, and my\ncheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame\nand spitting: for the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be\nconfounded, therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that\nI shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me; who will\ncontend with me? Let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him\ncome near to me. Behold, the Lord God will help me: who is he that\nshall condemn me? Lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth\nshall eat them up.\" Isa. li. 7, 8, \"Hearken to me, ye that know\nrighteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the\nreproach of men, neither be afraid of their revilings: for the moth\nshall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like\nwool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from\ngeneration to generation.\" He is no soldier for Christ, that will turn\nback for fear of scorns, or of any thing that man can do against him.\n\nAnd consider whether heaven should be easilier come to? They are\nthings of unspeakable glory that you strive for; and they are\nunworthily despised, if any thing be thought too good to part with for\nthem, or any labour, or difficulties, or sufferings too great to\nundergo to procure them.\n\n_Direct._ VII. If it be in your power, live under a judicious, faithful,\nserious, searching, powerful minister;[59] and diligently attend his\npublic teaching, and use his private counsel for more particular\ndirections and application, for the settling and managing the affairs of\nyour souls; even as you take the advice of physicians for your health,\nand of lawyers for your estates, and tutors for your studies.\n\nI give this direction only to those that may enjoy so great a mercy if\nthey will. Some live where no such minister is. Some are children, or\nservants, or wives, that are bound and cannot remove their\nhabitations, or enjoy such liberty, by reason of the unwillingness and\nrestraint of others. Some are so poor, that they cannot remove their\ndwelling for such advantages. And some are so serviceable in their\nplaces, that they may be bound to stay under a very weak minister,\nthat they may do good to others, where they have best opportunity. But\nlet him that can be free, and possess so great a mercy, accept it\nthankfully, though to his cost. As Christ said in another case, \"Every\nman cannot receive the saying; but he that can receive it, let him.\"\n\nThere is abundance of difference between a weak, unskilful,\nunexperienced, dead-hearted, formal teacher, and such a one as is\ndescribed in the direction. Some that are senseless or indifferent in\nsuch matters as these themselves, would persuade you to be so too, and\nlook first in your settlement to your bodily conveniences, and be\ncontent with such a teacher as accidentally you are cast upon. And\nthey will tell you, that the work of grace dependeth not on the\npreachers' gifts, but on the gift and blessing of the Spirit of God:\nthe formalists and the enthusiasts concur in this, though from\ndifferent principles: but though God can frustrate the fittest means,\nand can work without means, or by that which is least fitted to the\nend, yet it is his ordinary way to work by means, and that for the\nsoul as well as for the body; and to work most by the aptest means.\nAnd I am sure it is the duty of every teacher, to preach in the\nfittest manner that he can for the people's edification; and not to do\nGod's work deceitfully, and ineptly, because God can bless the\nunfittest means: and it is the people's duty to attend upon the best\nthey can enjoy, though God can equally work by the weakest or by none.\nAs that pretence will not excuse the contemners of God's ordinances,\nthat upon every little business stay at home, and attend upon no\nministry at all; no more will it excuse them, that refuse that help\nwhich is most suited to their edification, and take up with a worse,\nwhen they might have better. We are not to neglect duty upon a\npresumptuous expectation of miraculous or extraordinary works: when we\ncan have no better, we may hope for the greater benefit from the\nweakest; but not when it is the choice of our own presumptuous,\nirreligious hearts. God can make Daniel and his companions to thrive\nbetter by eating pulse, than others that fed at the table of the king:\nand rather than sin against God, we must cast ourselves on him for\nunusual supplies, or leave all to his will. But few would therefore be\npersuaded causelessly to live on pulse, when they may have better. And\none would think this truth should have no contradiction, especially\nfrom those men, that are apt to obscure and extenuate the Spirit's\noperations on the soul, and to confess no grace, but what consisteth\nin a congruous ordination of means and circumstances. When their\ndoctrine layeth all a man's hopes of salvation upon this congruity of\nmeans and circumstances, should they afterwards teach men to\nundervalue or neglect the fittest, and wilfully cast their souls upon\nthe most unfit and unlikely means? But ungodliness first resolveth\nwhat to speak against, before it resolveth what to say; and will\ncontradict God's word, though it contradict its own; and will oppose\nholiness, though by a self-opposing.\n\nBut the spiritual relish and experience of the godly, is a very great\npreservative to them against such deluding reasonings as these. It is\nharder for a sophister of greatest subtilty or authority, to persuade\nhim that hath tasted them, that sugar is bitter, or wormwood sweet,\nthan to persuade him to believe it, that never tasted them: and it is\nhard to make a healthful man believe it is best for him to eat but\nonce a week, or best to live on grass or snow. I doubt not but those\nthat now I speak to, have such experience and perception of the\nbenefit of a judicious and lively ministry, in comparison of the\nignorant, cold, and lifeless, that no words will make them indifferent\nherein. Have you not found the ministry of one sort enlighten, and\nwarm, and quicken, and comfort, and strengthen you, much more than of\nthe other? I am sure I have the common sense and experience of the\nfaithful on my side in this, which were enough of itself against more\nthan can be said against it. Even new-born babes in Christ have in\ntheir new natures a desire (not to senseless or malicious pratings,\nbut) to the rational sincere milk, (\u03c4\u03bf \u03bb\u03bf\u03b3\u03b9\u03ba\u03bf\u03bd \u03b1\u03b4\u03bf\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd \u03b3\u03b1\u03bb\u03b1,) that they\nmay grow by it, and to perform to God a rational service, Rom. xii. 1.\n\nAnd it must needs be a very proud and stupid heart that can be so\ninsensible of its own infirmity, sinfulness, and necessity, as to\nthink the weakest, dullest minister may serve their turns, and that\nthey are able to keep up their life, and vigour, and watchfulness, and\nfruitfulness, with any little ordinary help. I cannot but fear such\nmen know not what the power and efficacy of the word upon the heart\nand conscience meaneth; nor what it is to live a life of faith and\nholiness, and to watch the heart, and walk with God. If they did, they\ncould not but find so much difficulty herein, and so much backwardness\nand unskilfulness in themselves hereto, as would make them feel the\nnecessity of the greatest helps; and it could not be but they must\nfeel the difference between a clear and quickening sermon, and an\nignorant, heartless, dead discourse, that is spoken as if a man were\ntalking in his sleep, or of a matter that he never understood, or had\nexperience of.\n\nAlas, how apt are the best to cool, if they be not kept warm by a\npowerful ministry! How apt to lose the hatred of sin, the tenderness\nof conscience, the fervency in prayer, the zeal and fulness in\nedifying discourse, and the delights and power of heavenly\nmeditations, which before we had! How apt is faith to stagger if it be\nnot powerfully underpropt by the helpers of our faith! How hardly do\nwe keep up the heat of love, the confidence of hope, the resolution\nand fulness of obedience, without the help of a powerful ministry!\nNay, how hardly do we do our part in these, in any tolerable sort,\neven while we have the clearest, liveliest helps, that are ordinarily\nto be had! And can any that are not blind and proud, imagine that they\nare so holy and good, that they are above the necessity of such\nassistance, and that the weakest breath is enough to kindle the fire\nof holy love and zeal, and keep them in the fear and obedience of God?\nAlas, we are under languishing weakness, and must be dieted with the\nbest, or we shall soon decay; we are cripples, and cannot go or stand\nwithout our crutches. And there must be some savour of the Spirit in\nhim that will be fit to make us spiritual, and some savour of faith\nand love in him that would kindle faith and love in us; and he must\nspeak clearly and convincingly that will be understood, and will\nprevail with such as we; and he must speak feelingly, that would make\nus feel, and speak seriously, that would be much regarded by us, and\nwould make us serious.\n\n6. And ministers are not set up only for public preaching, but for\nprivate counsel also, according to our particular needs.[60] As\nphysicians are not only to read you instructions for the dieting and\ncuring of yourselves, but to be present in your sickness to direct you\nin the particular application of remedies; and as lawyers are to assist\nyou in your particular cases to free your estates from encumbrances, and\npreserve or rescue them from contentious men; choose therefore some able\nminister to be your ordinary counsellor in the matters of God. And let\nhim be one that is humble, faithful, experienced, and skilful, that hath\nleisure, ability, and willingness to assist you.\n\nAs infants in a family are unable to help themselves, and need the\ncontinual help of others, and therefore God hath put into the hearts\nof parents a special love to them, to make them diligent and patient\nin helping them; so is it in the family of Christ; most christians, by\nfar, are young or weak, in understanding and in grace; it is long\nbefore you will be past the need of others' help, if ever in this\nlife. If you feel not this your infirmity and need, it is so much the\ngreater. God will have no men to be self-sufficient; we shall all have\nneed of one another, that we may be useful to one another; and God may\nuse us as his messengers and instruments of conveying his mercies to\neach other; and that even self-love may help us to be sociable, and to\nlove one another: and our souls must receive their part of mercy, by\nthis way of communication, as well as our bodies: and therefore, as\nthe poor, above all men, should not be against charity and\ncommunicating, that need it most; so young christians that are weak\nand unexperienced, above all others, should be most desirous of help,\nespecially from an able, faithful guide.\n\nBut be sure you deal sincerely, and cheat not yourselves, by deceiving\nyour counsellor, and hiding your case. To do so by your lawyer, is the\nway to lose your suit; and to do so by your physician, is the way to\nlose your life; and to do so with your pastor and soul-counsellor, is\nthe way to lose your souls. And let the judgment of your pastor or\njudicious friend about the state of your souls be much regarded by\nyou, though it be not infallible. How far such must be trusted, I am\nafterward to open to you, with other of your duties belonging to you\nin this relation. I now only proceed to general advice.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Keep right apprehensions of the excellency of charity\nand unity among believers, and receive nothing hastily that is against\nthem; especially take heed lest under pretence of their authority,\ntheir number, their soundness, or their holiness, you too much addict\nyourselves to any sect or party, to the withdrawing of your special\nlove and just communion from other christians, and turning your zeal\nto the interest of your party, with a neglect of the common interest\nof the church; but love a christian as a christian, and promote the\nunity and welfare of them all.[61]\n\nUse often to read and well consider the meaning and reason of those\nmany urgent passages in Scripture, which exhort all christians to\nunity and love.[62] Such as John xi. 52; xvii. 11, 21-23; 1 Cor. iii.\n10, 17; xii. throughout; 2 Cor. xi. 13; 1 Thess. v. 12, 13; Phil. ii.\n1-3; 1 Pet. iii. 8; Rom. xvi. 17; 1 Cor. i. 10; iii. 3; xi. 18. And\nJohn xiii. 35; Rom. xii. 9, 10; xiii. 10; 2 Cor. xiii. 11; Gal. v. 6,\n13, 22; Col. i. 4; 1 Thess. iv. 9; 1 John iii. 11, 14, 23; iv. 7, 11,\n16, 19-21. Surely if the very life of godliness lay not much in unity\nand love, we should never have had such words spoken of it, as here\nyou find. Love is to the soul, as our natural heat is to the body:\nwhatever destroyeth it, destroyeth life; and therefore cannot be for\nour good. Be certain, that opinion, course, or motion, tends to death,\nthat tends to abate your love to your brethren, much more which under\npretence of zeal, provoketh you to hate and hurt them. To divide the\nbody is to kill it or to maim it; dividing the essential, necessary\nparts, is killing it; cutting off any integral part, is maiming it.\nThe first can never be an act of friendship, which is the worst that\nan enemy can do: the second is never an act of friendship, but when\nthe cutting off a member which may be spared is of absolute necessity\nto the saving of the whole man, from the worse division between soul\nand body. By this judge what friends dividers are to the church, and\nhow well they are accepted of God.\n\nHe that loveth any christian aright, must needs love all that appear\nto him as christians. And when malice will not suffer men to see\nchristianity in its profession, and credible appearance in another,\nthis is as well contrary to christian love, as hating him when you\nknow him to be a true christian. Censoriousness (not constrained by\njust evidence) is contrary to love, as well as hatred is.\n\nThere is a union and communion with christians as such: this\nconsisteth in having one God, one Head, one Spirit, one faith, one\nbaptismal covenant, one rule of holy living, and in loving and praying\nfor all, and doing good to as many as we can. This is a union and\ncommunion of mind, which we must hold with the catholic church through\nthe world. And there is a bodily local union and communion, which\nconsisteth in our joining in body, as well as mind, with particular\ncongregations: and this, as we cannot hold it with all, nor with any\ncongregation, but one at once; so we are not bound to hold it with\nany, that will drive us from it, unless we will commit some sin:[63]\nstatedly we must hold it with the church which regularly we are joined\nto, and live with; and occasionally we must hold it with all others,\nwhere we have a call and opportunity, who in the substance worship God\naccording to his word, and force us not to sin in conformity to them.\nIt is not schism to lament the sins of any church, or of all the\nchurches in the world: the catholic church on earth consists of\nsinners. It is not schism to refuse to be partaker in any sin of the\npurest church in the world: obedience to God is not schism. It is not\nschism that you join not bodily with those congregations where you\ndwell not, nor have any particular call to join with them; nor that\nyou choose the purest and most edifying society, rather than one that\nis less pure and profitable to you; _c\u00e6teris paribus_, supposing you\nare at liberty: nor that you hold not bodily communion with that\nchurch, that will not suffer you to do it, without sinning against\nGod; nor that you join not with the purest churches, when you are\ncalled to abide with one less pure.\n\nBut it is worse than schism to separate from the universal church: to\nseparate from its faith is apostasy to infidelity. To separate from it\nin some one or few essential articles, while you pretend to hold to\nChrist the Head, is heresy: to separate from it in Spirit, by refusing\nholiness, and not loving such as are truly holy, is damning\nungodliness or wickedness: to differ from it by any error, of judgment\nor life, against the law of God, is sin. To magnify any one church or\nparty, so as to deny due love and communion to the rest, is schism. To\nlimit all the church to your party, and deny all or any of the rest to\nbe christians, and parts of the universal church, is schism by a\ndangerous breach of charity; and this is the principal schism that I\nhere admonish you to avoid. It is schism also to condemn unjustly any\nparticular church, as no church; and it is schism to withdraw your\nbodily communion from a church that you were bound to hold that\ncommunion with, upon a false supposition that it is no church, or is\nnot lawfully to be communicated with. And it is schism to make\ndivisions or parties in a church, though you divide not from that\nchurch. Thus I have (briefly) told you what is schism.\n\n1. One pretence for schism is (usurped) authority, which some one\nchurch may claim to command others that owe them no subjection. Thus\npride, which is the spirit of hell, having crept into the church of\nChrist, and animated to usurpations of lordship and dominion, and\ncontending for superiority, hath caused the most dangerous schisms in\nthe church, that it was ever infested with. The bishop of Rome\n(advantaged by the seat and constitution of that empire) having\nclaimed the government of all the christian world, condemneth all the\nchurches that will not be his subjects; and so hath made himself the\nhead of a sect, and of the most pernicious schisms that ever did rend\nthe church of Christ: and the bishop of Constantinople, and too many\nmore, have followed the same method in a lower degree, exalting\nthemselves above their brethren, and giving them laws, and then\ncondemning and persecuting them that obey them not. And when they have\nimposed upon other churches their own usurped authority and laws, they\nhave laid the plot to call all men schismatics and sectaries, that own\nnot their tyrannical usurpation, and that will not be schismatics and\nsectaries with them: and the cheat lieth in this, that they confound\nthe churches' unity with their pretended authority, and schism with\nthe refusal of subjection to them. If you will not take them for your\nlords, they cry out that you divide from the church: as if we could\nhold communion with no churches, but those whose bishops we obey.\nCommunion with other churches is maintained by faith and charity, and\nagreement in things necessary, without subjection to them. As we may\nhold all just communion with the churches in Armenia, Arabia, Russia,\nwithout subjection to their bishops; so may we with any other church\nbesides that of which we are members. Division or schism is contrary\nto unity and concord, and not to a usurped government: though\ndisobedience to the pastors which God hath set over us is a sin, and\ndividing from them is a schism. Both the pope and all the lower\nusurpers should do well first to show their commission from God to be\nour rulers, before they call it schism to refuse their government. If\nthey had not made better advantage of fire and sword, than of\nScripture and argument, the world would but have laughed them to\nscorn, when they had heard them say, All are schismatics that will not\nbe our subjects: our dominion and will shall be necessary to the unity\nof the church. The universal church indeed is one, united under one\nhead and governor: but it is only Jesus Christ who is that head, and\nnot any usurping vicar or vice-christ. The bishops of particular\nchurches are his officers; but he hath deputed no vicar to his own\noffice, as the universal head. Above all sects, take heed of this\npernicious sect, who pretend their usurped authority for their schism,\nand have no way to promote their sect, but by calling all sectaries\nthat will not be sectaries and subjects unto them.\n\n2. Another pretence for schism is the numbers of the party. This is\nanother of the papists' motives; as if it were lawful to divide the\nchurch of Christ, if they can but get the greater party. They say, We\nare the most, and therefore you should yield to us: and so do others,\nwhere by the sword they force the most to submit to them. But we answer\nthem, As many as they are, they are too few to be the universal church.\nThe universal church, containing all true, professing christians, is\nmuch more than they. The papists are not a third part, if a fourth, of\nthe whole church. Papists are a corrupted sect of christians: I will be\nagainst dividing the body of Christ into any sects, rather than to be\none of that sect or dividing party, which is the greatest.\n\n3. Another pretence for schism is the soundness or orthodoxness of a\nparty. Almost all sects pretend that they are wiser and of sounder\njudgment than all the christian world besides: yea, those that most\npalpably contradict the Scriptures, (as the papists in their\nhalf-communion and unintelligible service,) and have no better reason\nwhy they so believe or do, but because others have so believed and\ndone already.\n\nBut, (1.) the greatest pretenders to orthodoxness are not the most\northodox: (2.) and if they were, I can value them for that in which\nthey excel, without abating my due respect to the rest of the church.\n(3.) For the whole church is orthodox in all the essentials of\nchristianity, or else they were not christians: and I must love all\nthat are christians with that special love that is due to the members\nof Christ, though I must superadd such esteem for those that are a\nlittle wiser or better than others, as they deserve.\n\n4. The fourth pretence for schism, is the holiness of the party that\nmen adhere to. But this must make but a gradual difference, in our\nesteem and love to some christians above others: if really they are\nmost holy, I must love them most, and labour to be as holy as they;\nbut I must not therefore unjustly deny communion, or due respect, to\nother christians that are less holy; nor cleave to them as a sect or\ndivided party, whom I esteem most holy. For the holiest are most\ncharitable, and most against the divisions among christians, and\ntenderest of their unity and peace.\n\nThe sum of this direction is: 1. Highly value christian love and unity.\n2. Love those most that are most holy, and be most familiar with them,\nfor your own edification: and if you have your choice, hold local\npersonal communion with the soundest, purest, and best qualified church.\n3. But entertain not hastily any odd opinion of a divided party; or, if\nyou do hold it as an opinion, lay not greater weight on it than there is\ncause. 4. Own the best as best, but none as a divided sect; and espouse\nnot their dividing interest. 5. Confine not your special love to a\nparty; especially for agreeing in some opinions with you; but extend it\nto all the members of Christ. 6. Deny not local communion, when there is\noccasion for it, to any church that hath the substance of true worship,\nand forceth you not to sin. 7. Love them as true christians and\nchurches, even when they thus drive you from their communion.\n\nIt is a most dangerous thing to a young convert, to be insnared in a\nsect: it will, before you are aware, possess you with a feverish,\nsinful zeal for the opinions and interest of that sect; it will make\nyou bold in bitter invectives and censures, against those that differ\nfrom them; it will corrupt your church communion, and fill your very\nprayers with partiality and human passions; it will secretly bring\nmalice, under the name of zeal, into your minds and words: in a word,\nit is a secret but deadly enemy to christian love and peace. Let them\nthat are wiser, and more orthodox and godly, than others, show it as\nthe Holy Ghost directeth them: James iii. 13-18, \"Who is a wise man\nand endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good\nconversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter\nenvying (or zeal) and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not\nagainst the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is\nearthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is\nconfusion (or tumult) and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from\nabove, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated,\nfull of mercy and good fruits, without partiality (or wrangling) and\nwithout hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of\nthem that make peace.\"\n\n_Direct._ IX. Take heed lest any persecution or wrong from others,\nprovoke you to any unwarrantable passions and practices, and deprive\nyou of the charity, meekness, and innocency of a christian; or make\nyou go beyond your bounds, in censuring, reviling, or resisting your\nrulers, who are the officers of God.\n\nPersecution and wrongs are called temptations in Scripture, because\nthey try you, whether you will hold your integrity.[64] As many fall\nin such trials, through the fear of men, and the love of the world,\nand their prosperity; so when you seem most confirmed against any\nsinful compliance, there is a snare laid for you on the other side, to\ndraw you into passions and practices that are unwarrantable.\n\nThose that are tainted with pride, uncharitableness, and schism, will\nitch to be persecuting those that comply not with them in their way;\nand yet, while they do it, they will most cry out against pride,\nuncharitableness, and schism themselves. This is, and hath been, and\nwill be too ordinary in the world. You may think that schism should be\nfar from them, that seem to do all for order and unity. But never look\nto see this generally cured, when you have said and done the best you\ncan: you must, therefore, resolve, not only to fly from church\ndivision yourselves, but also to undergo the persecutions or wrongs of\nproud or zealous church dividers. It is great weakness in you, to\nthink such usage strange: do you not know that enmity is put, from the\nbeginning, between the woman's and the serpent's seed? And do you\nthink the name or dead profession of christianity doth extinguish the\nenmity in the serpent's seed? Do you think to find more kindness from\nproud, ungodly christians, than Abel might have expected from his\nbrother Cain?[65] Do you not know that the Pharisees (by their zeal\nfor their pre-eminence, and traditions, and ceremonies, and the\nexpectation of worldly dignity and rule from the Messiah) were more\nzealous enemies of Christ than the heathens were? and that the carnal\nmembers of the church are oft the greatest persecutors of the\nspiritual members? \"As then he that was born after the flesh, did\npersecute him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now,\" (and\nwill be,) Gal. iv. 29. It is enough for you, that you shall have the\ninheritance, when the sons of the bondwoman shall be cast out. It is\nyour taking the ordinary case of the godly for a strange thing, that\nmakes you so disturbed and passionate, when you suffer: and reason is\ndown, when passion is up. It is by overwhelming reason with passion\nand discontent, that \"oppression maketh\" some \"wise men mad,\" Eccles.\nvii. 7; for passion is a short, imperfect madness. You will think in\nyour passion, that you do well, when you do ill; and you will not\nperceive the force of reason, when it is never so plain and full\nagainst you. Remember, therefore, that the great motive that causeth\nthe devil to persecute you is not to hurt your bodies, but to tempt\nyour souls to impatience and sin: and if it may be said of you as of\nJob, chap. i. 22, \"In all this Job sinned not,\" you have got the\nvictory, and are \"more than conquerors,\" Rom. viii. 37-39.\n\nDoth it seem strange to you, that \"few rich men are saved,\" when\nChrist telleth you it is \"so hard,\" as to be \"impossible with men?\"\nLuke xviii. 27; Mark x. 27. Or is it strange, that rich men should be\nthe ordinary rulers of the earth? Or is it strange, that the wicked\nshould hate the godly, and the world hate them that are \"chosen out of\nthe world?\" What of all this should seem strange? Expect it as the\ncommon lot of the faithful, and you will be better prepared for it.\n\nSee therefore that you \"resist not evil,\" (by any revengeful, irregular\nviolence,) Matt. v. 39. \"Let every soul be subject to the higher powers,\nand not resist, lest they receive damnation,\" Rom. xiii. 1-3. Imitate\nyour Lord, that \"when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he\nsuffered, he threatened not, but committed all to him that judgeth\nrighteously; leaving us an ensample, that ye should follow his steps,\" 1\nPet. ii. 21, 23. An angry zeal against those that cross and hurt us is\nso easily kindled and hardly suppressed, that it appeareth there is more\nin it of corrupted nature than of God. We are very ready to think that\nwe may \"call for fire from heaven\" upon the enemies of the gospel; but\n\"you know not what manner of spirit ye are then of,\" Luke ix. 55. But\nChrist saith unto you, \"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do\ngood to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you,\nand persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is\nin heaven,\" Matt. v. 44, 45. You find no such prohibition against\npatient suffering wrong from any. Take heed of giving way to secret\nwishes of hurt to your adversaries, or to reproachful words against\nthem: take heed of hurting yourself by passion or sin, because others\nhurt you by slanders or persecutions. Keep you in the way of your duty,\nand leave your names and lives to God. Be careful that you keep your\ninnocency, and in your patience possess your souls, and God will keep\nyou from any hurt from enemies, but what he will cause to work for your\ngood. Read Psal. xxxvii. \"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in\nhim; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy\nrighteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day. Rest in\nthe Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him\nwho prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked\ndevices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself\nin anywise to do evil,\" ver. 5-8.\n\n_Direct._ X. When you are repenting of or avoiding any extreme, do it\nnot without sufficient fear and caution of the contrary extreme.\n\n[Sidenote: Extremes in religion.]\n\nIn the esteem and love of God, your ultimate end, you need not fear\noverdoing: nor any where, when impediments, and backwardness or\nimpotency, do tell you that you can never do too much. But sin lieth on\nboth sides the rule and way: and nothing is more common, than to turn\nfrom one sin to another, under the name of duty or amendment. Especially\nthis is common in matter of opinion. Some will first believe, that God\nis nothing else but mercy, and after, take notice of nothing but his\njustice. First, they believe that almost all are saved, and afterwards,\nthat almost none: first, that every profession is credible, and next,\nthat none is credible without some greater testimony: first, that Christ\nsatisfied for none at all that will not be saved, and next, that he died\nfor all alike: first, that none are now partakers of the Holy Spirit;\nand next, that all saints have the Spirit, not only to illuminate and\nsanctify them, by transcribing the written word upon their hearts; but\nalso to inspire them with new revelations, instead of Scripture: first,\nthey think that all that papists hold and do, must be avoided; and\nafter, that there needed no reformation at all. Now, they are for legal\nbondage, and anon for libertinism: to-day, for a liberty in religion to\nnone, that agree not with them in every circumstance; and to-morrow, for\na liberty for all: this year, all things are lawful to them; and the\nnext year, nothing is lawful, but they scruple all that they say or do.\nOne while, they are all for a worship of mere show and ceremony; and\nanother while, against the determination of mere circumstances of order\nand decency, by man. One while, they cry up nothing but free grace; and\nanother while, nothing but free will. One while, they are for a\ndiscipline stricter than the rule; and another while, for no discipline\nat all. First, for timorous compliance with evil; and afterwards, for\nboisterous contempt of government. Abundance of such instances we might\ngive you.\n\nThe remedy against this disease, is, to proceed deliberately, and\nreceive nothing and do nothing rashly and unadvisedly in religion.\nFor, when you have found out your first error, you will be affrighted\nfrom that into the contrary error. See that you look round about you;\nas well to the error that you may run into on the other side, as into\nthat which you have run into already. Consult also with wise,\nexperienced men; and mark their unhappiness, that have fallen on both\nsides; and stay not to know evil by sad experience. True mediocrity is\nthe only way that is safe; though negligence and lukewarmness be\nodious, even when cloaked with that name.\n\n[Sidenote: For modesty in your first opinions.]\n\n_Direct._ XI. Let not your first opinions, about the controverted\ndifficulties in religion, where Scripture is not very plain, be too\nperemptory, confident, or fixed; but hold them modestly with a due\nsuspicion of your unripe understandings, and with room for further\ninformation, supposing it possible, or probable, that upon better\ninstruction, evidence, and maturity, you may, in such things, change\nyour minds.\n\nI know, the factions that take up their religion on the credit of\ntheir party, are against this direction: thinking that you must first\nhit on the right church, and then hold all that the church doth hold;\nand therefore change your mind in nothing which you this way receive.\nI know, also, that some libertines and half believers would corrupt\nthis direction, by extending it to the most plain and necessary\ntruths; persuading you to hold christianity itself but as an\nuncertain, probable opinion.\n\nBut, as God's foundation standeth sure, so we must be surely built on\nhis foundation. He that believeth not the essentials of christianity,\nas a certain, necessary revelation of God, is not a christian, but an\ninfidel. And he that believeth not all that which he understandeth in\nthe word of God, believeth nothing on the credit of that word. Indeed\nfaith hath its weakness, on those that are sincere; and they are fain\nto lament the remnants of unbelief, and cry, \"Lord, increase our\nfaith; help thou our unbelief.\" But he that approveth of his doubting,\nand would have it so, and thinks the revelation is uncertain, and such\nas will warrant no firmer a belief, I should scarcely say, this man is\na christian. Christianity must be received as of divine, infallible\nrevelation. But controversies about less necessary things, cannot be\ndetermined peremptorily, by the ignorant or young beginners, without\nhypocrisy, or a human faith going under the name of a divine. I am far\nfrom abating your divine belief of all that you can understand in\nScripture, and implicitly of all the rest in general. And I am far\nfrom diminishing the credit of any truth of God. But the reasons of\nthis direction are these:\n\n1. When it is certain that you have but a dark, uncertain apprehension\nof any point, to think it is clear and certain, is but to deceive\nyourselves by pride. And, to cry out against all uncertainty, as\nscepticism, which yet you cannot lay aside, is but to revile your own\ninfirmity, and the common infirmity of mankind, and foolishly to suppose\nthat every man can be as wise and certain, when he list, as he should\nbe. Now reason and experience will tell you, that a young, unfurnished\nunderstanding, is not like to see the evidence of difficult points, as,\nby nearer approach and better advantage, it may do.\n\n2. If your conclusions be peremptory, upon mere self-conceitedness,\nyou may be in an error for aught you know; and so you are but\nconfident in an error. And then how far may you go in seducing others,\nand censuring dissenters, and come back when you have done, and\nconfess that you were all this while mistaken yourselves!\n\n3. For a man to be confident that he knoweth what he knoweth not, is\nbut the way to keep him ignorant, and shut the door against all means\nof further information. When the opinion is fixed by prejudice and\nconceit, there is no ready entrance for the light.\n\n4. And, to be ungroundedly confident, so young, is not only to take up\nwith your teacher's word, instead of a faith and knowledge of your\nown, but also to forestall all diligence to know more: and so you may\nlay by all your studies, save only to know what those men hold, whose\njudgments are your religion: too popish and easy a way to be safe.\n\n5. If you must never change your first opinions or apprehensions, how\nwill you grow in understanding? Will you be no wiser at age, than you\nwere in childhood, and after long study and experience, than before?\nNature and grace do tend to increase.\n\nIndeed, if you should be never so peremptory in your opinions, you\ncannot resolve to hold them to the end: for light is powerful, and may\nchange you whether you will or no: you cannot tell what that light\nwill do, which you never saw. But prejudice will make you resist the\nlight, and make it harder for you to understand.\n\nI speak this upon much experience and observation. Our first unripe\napprehensions of things will certainly be greatly changed, if we are\nstudious and of improved understandings. Study the controversies about\ngrace and free-will, or about other such points of difficulty, when\nyou are young, and it is two to one that ripeness will afterward make\nthem quite another thing to you. For my own part, my judgment is\naltered from many of my youthful, confident apprehensions: and where\nit holdeth the same conclusion, it rejecteth abundance of the\narguments, as vain, which once it rested in. And where I keep to the\nsame conclusions and arguments, my apprehension of them is not the\nsame, but I see more satisfying light in many things, which I took but\nupon trust before. And if I had resolved to hold to all my first\nopinions, I must have forborne most of my studies, and lost much\ntruth, which I have discovered, and not made that my own, which I did\nhold; and I must have resolved to live and die a child.\n\nThe sum is, Hold fast the substance of religion, and every clear and\ncertain truth, which you see in its own evidence: and also reverence\nyour teachers; especially the universal church, or the generality of\nwise and godly men; and be not hasty to take up any private opinion; and\nespecially to contradict the opinion of your governors and teachers, in\nsmall and controverted things. But yet, in such matters, receive their\nopinions but with a human faith, till indeed you have more, and\ntherefore, with a supposition, that time and study is very like to alter\nyour apprehensions; and with a reserve, impartially to study and\nentertain the truth, and not to sit still just where you were born.\n\n[Sidenote: What to do when controversies do divide the church.]\n\n_Direct._ XII. If controversies occasion any divisions where you live,\nbe sure to look first to the interest of common truth and good, and to\nthe exercise of charity. And become not passionate contenders for any\nparty in the division, or censurers of the peaceable, or of your\nteachers, that will not overrun their own understandings, to obtain\nwith you the esteem of being orthodox or zealous men; but suspect your\nown unripe understandings, and silence your opinions till you are\nclear and certain; and join rather with the moderate and the\npeacemakers, than with the contenders and dividers.\n\nYou may easily be sure that division tendeth to the ruin of the\nchurch, and the hinderance of the gospel, and the injury of the common\ninterest of religion.[66] You know it is greatly condemned in the\nScriptures. You may know that it is usually the exercise and the\nincrease of pride, uncharitableness, and passion; and that the devil\nis best pleased with it, as being the greatest gainer by it. But, on\nthe other side, you are not easily certain which party is in the\nright: and if you were, you are not sure that the matter will be worth\nthe cost of the contention: or if it be, it is to be considered,\nwhether the truth is not like to get more advantage by managing it in\na more peaceable way, that hath no contention, nor stirreth up other\nmen so much against it, as the way of controversy doth. And whatever\nit prove, you may and should know, that young christians, that want\nboth parts, and helps, and time, and experience to be thoroughly seen\nin controversies, are very unfit to make themselves parties; and that\nthey are yet more unfit to be the hottest leaders of these parties,\nand to spur on their teachers, that know more than they. If the work\nbe fit for another to do, that knoweth on what ground he goeth, and\ncan foresee the end, yet certainly it is not fit for you. And\ntherefore forbear it till you are more fit.\n\nI know those that would draw you into such a contentious zeal, will\ntell you, that their cause is the cause of God, and that you desert\nhim and betray it, if you be not zealous in it: and that it is but the\ncounsel of flesh and blood which maketh you pretend moderation and\npeace: and that it is a sign that you are hypocrites, that are so\nlukewarm, and carnally comply with error: and that the cause of God is\nto be followed with the greatest zeal and self-denial. And all this is\ntrue, if you but be sure that it is indeed the cause of God; and that\nthe greater works of God be not neglected on such pretences; and that\nyour zeal be much greater for faith, and charity, and unity, than for\nyour opinions. But upon great experience, I must tell you, that of the\nzealous contenders[67] in the world, that cry up \"The cause of God,\nand truth,\" there is not one of very many, that understandeth what he\ntalks of; but some of them cry up the cause of God, when it is a brat\nof a proud and ignorant brain, and such as a judicious person would be\nashamed of. And some of them are rashly zealous, before they have\nparts or time to come to any judicious trial. And some of them are\nmisguided by some person or party, that captivateth their minds. And\nsome of them are hurried away by passion and discontent. And many of\nthe ambitious and worldly are blinded by their carnal interests. And\nmany of them, in mere pride, think highly of an opinion, in which they\nare somewhat singular, and which they can, with some glorying, call\ntheir own, as either invented by them or that, in which they think\nthey know more than ordinary men do. And abundance, after long\nexperience, confess that to have been their own erroneous cause, which\nthey before entitled the cause of God. Now when this is the case, and\none crieth, Here is Christ, and another, There is Christ; one saith,\nThis is the cause of God, and another saith, That is it; no man that\nhath any care of his conscience, or of the honour of God and his\nprofession, will leap before he looketh where he shall alight; or run\nafter every one that will whistle him with the name or pretence of\ntruth or a good cause. It is a sad thing to go on many years together\nin censuring, opposing, and abusing those that are against you, and in\nseducing others, and misemploying your zeal, and parts, and time, and\npoisoning all your prayers and discourses, and in the end to see what\nmischief you have done for want of knowledge, and with Paul to\nconfess, that you were mad in opposing the truth and servants of God,\nthough you did it in a zeal of God through ignorance. Were it not much\nbetter to stay till you have tried the ground, and prevent so many\nyears' grievous sin, than to escape by a sad repentance, and leave\nbehind you stinking and venomous fruit of your mistake? and worse, if\nyou never repent yourselves. Your own and your brethren's souls are\nnot so lightly to be ventured upon dangerous, untried ways. It will\nnot make the truth and church amends, to say at last, I had thought I\nhad done well. Let those go to the wars of disputing, and contending,\nand censuring, and siding with a sect, that are riper, and better\nunderstand the cause: wars are not for children. Do you suspend your\njudgment till you can solidly and certainly inform it, and serve God\nin charity, quietness, and peace; and it is two to one, but you will\nlive to see the day, that the contenders that would have led you into\ntheir wars, will come off with so much loss themselves, as will teach\nthem to approve your peaceable course, or teach you to bless God that\nkept you in your place and duty.\n\nIn all this I deny not, but every truth of God is to be valued at a very\nhigh rate; and that he that shall carry himself in a neutrality, when\nfaith or godliness is the matter in controversy, or shall do it merely\nfor his worldly ends, to save his stake by temporizing, is a\nfalse-hearted hypocrite, and at the heart of no religion. But withal I\ntell you, that all is not matter of faith or godliness that the\nautonomian-papist, the antinomian-libertine, or other passionate parties\nshall call so: and that as we must avoid contempt of the smallest truth,\nso we must much more avoid the most heinous sins which we may commit for\nthe defending of an error: and that some truths must be silenced for a\ntime, though not denied, when the contending for them is unseasonable,\nand tendeth to the injury of the church. If you were masters in the\nchurch, you must not teach your scholars to their hurt, though it be\ntruth you teach them. And if you were physicians, you must not cram\nthem, or medicate them to their hurt. Your power and duty is not to\ndestruction, but to edification. The good of the patient is the end of\nyour physic. All truth is not to be spoken, nor all good to be done, by\nall men, nor at all times. He that will do contrary, and take this for a\ncarnal principle, doth but call folly and sin by the name of zeal and\nduty, and set the house on fire to roast his egg, and with the\nPharisees, prefer the outward rest of their sabbath, before his\nbrother's life or health. Take heed what you do when God's honour, and\nmen's souls, and the church's peace are concerned in it.\n\nAnd let me tell you my own observation. As far as my judgment hath\nbeen able to reach, the men that have stood for pacification and\nmoderation, have been the most judicious, and those that have best\nunderstood themselves, in most controversies that ever I heard under\ndebate among good christians: and those that furiously censured them\nas lukewarm or corrupted, have been men that had least judgment, and\nmost passion, pride, and foul mistakes in the points in question.\n\nNay, I will tell you more of my observation, of which these times have\ngiven us too much proof. Profane and formal enemies on the one hand,\nand ignorant, self-conceited wranglers on the other hand, who think\nthey are champions for the truth, when they are venting their passions\nand fond opinions, are the two thieves, between whom the church hath\nsuffered, from the beginning to this day. The first are the\npersecutors, and the other the dividers and disturbers of the church.\nMark what the Holy Ghost saith in this case, 2 Tim. ii. 23, 24, \"But\nfoolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender\nstrifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle\nunto all men.\" Phil. ii. 14, 15, \"Do all things without murmurings and\ndisputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God,\nwithout rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,\namong whom ye shine, as lights in the world.\" 1 Tim. vi. 3-6, \"If any\nman teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the\nwords of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according\nto godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about\nquestions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings,\nevil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds,\" &c. So\n1 Tim. i. 4, 5, \"Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies,\nwhich minister questions, rather than godly edifying, which is in\nfaith: now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart,\nand a good conscience, and faith unfeigned.\"\n\nYet I must here profess, that if any false-hearted, worldly hypocrite,\nthat resolveth to be on the saving side, and to hold all to be lawful\nthat seemeth necessary to his safety or preferments, shall take any\nencouragement from what I have here said, to debauch his conscience,\nand sell his soul, and then call all those furious zealots that will\nnot be as false to God as he, let that man know, that I have given him\nno cloak for so odious a sin, nor will he find a cover for it at the\nbar of God, though he may delude his conscience, and bear it out by\nhis carnal advantages before the world.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Know that true godliness is the best life upon earth,\nand the only way to perfect happiness. Still apprehend it therefore,\nand use it as the best; and with great diligence resist those\ntemptations which would make it seem to you a confounding, grievous,\nor unpleasant thing.\n\n[Sidenote: Godliness what.]\n\nThere are all things concurrent in a holy life, to make it the most\ndelectable life on earth, to a rational, purified mind, that is not\ncaptivated to the flesh, and liveth not on air or dung. The object of\nit is the eternal God himself, the infallible truth, the only\nsatisfactory good; and all these condescending and appearing to us, in\nthe mysterious, but suitable glass of a Mediator; redeeming,\nreconciling, teaching, governing, sanctifying, justifying, and\nglorifying all that are his own. The end of it is the pleasing and\nglorifying of our Maker, Redeemer, and Sanctifier; and the everlasting\nhappiness of ourselves and others. The rule of it is the infallible\nrevelation of God, delivered to the church by his prophets, and his\nSon, and his apostles, and comprised in the Holy Scriptures, and\nsealed by the miracles and operations of the Holy Ghost that did\nindite them. The work of godliness is a living unto God, and preparing\nfor everlasting life, by foreseeing, foretasting, seeking, and\nrejoicing in that endless happiness which we shall have with God; and\nby walking after the Spirit, and avoiding the filthiness, delusions,\nand vexations of the world and the flesh. The nature of man is not\ncapable of a more noble, profitable, and delectable life, than this\nwhich God hath called us to by his Son. And if we did but rightly know\nit, we should follow it with continual alacrity and delight. Be sure,\ntherefore, to conceive of godliness as it is, and not as it is\nmisrepresented by the devil and the ungodly. Read what I have written\nof this in my \"A Saint or a Brute.\"\n\nAs long as a man conceiveth of religion as it is, even the most sweet\nand delectable life, so long he will follow it willingly and with his\nheart, and despise the temptations and avocations of fleshly gain and\npleasure. He will be sincere, as not being only drawn by other men, or\noutward advantages, nor frightened into it by a passion or\nfearfulness, but loving religion for itself, and for its excellent\nends: and then he will be cheerful in all the duties, and under all\nthe sufferings and difficulties of it; and he will be most likely to\npersevere unto the end. We cannot expect that the heart or will should\nbe any more for God and godliness, than the understanding practically\napprehendeth them as good. Nay, we must always perceive in them a\ntranscendent goodness, above all that is to be found in a worldly\nlife; or else the appearing goodness of the creature, will divert us,\nand carry away our minds. We may see in the very brutes, what a power\napprehension hath upon their actions. If your horse be but going to\nhis home or pasture, how freely will he go through thick and thin! but\nif he go unwillingly, his travel is troublesome and slow, and you have\nmuch ado to get him on. It will be so with you in your way to heaven.\n\nIt is therefore the principal design of the devil, to hide the\ngoodness and pleasantness of religion from you; and to make it appear\nto you as a terrible or tedious life. By this means it is that he\nkeeps men from it; and by this means he is still endeavouring to draw\nyou back again, and frustrate your good beginnings and your hopes. If\nhe can thus misrepresent religion to your understandings, he will\nsuddenly alienate your wills, and corrupt your lives, and make you\nturn to the world again, and seek for pleasure some where else, and\nonly take up with some heartless lip-service, to keep up some\ndeceitful hope of being saved. And the means which Satan useth to\nthese ends are such as these:\n\n[Sidenote: How Satan would make religion seem to be a confounding,\nunpleasant thing--By difficulties.]\n\n1. He will do his work to overwhelm you with appearing doubts and\ndifficulties, and bring you to a loss, and to make religion seem to\nyou a confounding and not a satisfying thing. This is one of his most\ndangerous assaults upon the weak and young beginners. Difficulties and\npassions are the things which he makes use of to confound you, and put\nyou out of a regular, cheerful seeking of salvation. When you read the\nScriptures, he will mind you of abundance of difficulties in all you\nread or hear. He will show you seeming contradictions; and tell you\nthat you will never be able to understand these things. He will cast\nin thoughts of unbelief and blasphemy, and cause you, if he can, to\nroll them in your mind: if you cast them not out with abhorrence, but\ndispute with the devil, he hopes to prove too hard at least for such\nchildren and unprovided soldiers as you: and if you do reject them,\nand refuse to dispute it with him, he will sometimes tell you that\nyour cause is naught, or else you need not be afraid to think of all\nthat can be said against it; and this way he gets advantage of you to\ndraw you to unbelief: and if you scape better than so, at least he\nwill molest and terrify you with the hideousness of his temptations;\nand make you to think you are forsaken of God, because such\nblasphemous thoughts have been so often in your minds: and thus he\nwill one while tempt you to blasphemy, and another while affright and\ntorment you with the thoughts of such temptations.\n\nSo also in the study of other good books, he will tempt you to fix\nupon all that seems difficult to you, and there to confound and\nperplex yourselves: and in your meditations, he will seek to make all\nto tend but to confound and overwhelm you; keeping still either hard\nor fearful things before your eyes; or breaking and scattering your\nthoughts in pieces, that you cannot reduce them to any order, nor set\nthem together, nor make any thing of them, nor drive them to any\ndesirable end. So in your prayers he would fain confound you, either\nwith fear, or with doubtful and distracting thoughts about God, or\nyour sins, or the matter or manner of your duty, or questioning\nwhether your prayers will be heard. And so in your self-examination,\nhe will still seek to puzzle you, and leave you more in darkness than\nyou began, and make you afraid of looking homeward, or conversing\nwith yourselves; like a man that is afraid to lie in his own house\nwhen he thinks it haunted with some apparitions. And thus the devil\nwould make all your religion to be but like the unwinding of a bottom\nof yarn, or a skein of silk that is ravelled; that you may cast it\naway in weariness or despair.\n\nYour remedy against this dangerous temptation is, to remember that you\nare yet young in knowledge, and that ignorance is like darkness, that\nwill cause doubts, and difficulties, and fears; and that all these\nwill vanish as your light increaseth: and therefore you must wait in\npatience, till your riper knowledge fit you for satisfaction. And in\nthe mean time, be sure that you take up your hearts most with the\ngreat, fundamental, necessary, plain, and certain points, which your\nsalvation is laid upon, and which are more suited to your state and\nstrength. If you will be gnawing bones, when you should be sucking\nmilk, and have not patience to stay till you are past your childhood,\nno marvel if you find them hard, and if they stick in your throats, or\nbreak your teeth. See that you live upon God in Christ, and love and\npractise what you know, and think of the excellency of so much as is\nalready revealed to you. You know already what is the end that you\nmust seek, and where your happiness consisteth; and what Christ hath\ndone to prepare it for you, and how you must be justified, and\nsanctified, and walk with God. Have you God, and Christ, and heaven to\nthink on, and all the mercies of the gospel to delight in, and will\nyou lay by these as common matters, or overlook them, and perplex\nyourselves about every difficulty in your way? Make clean work before\nyou as you go, and live in the joyful acknowledgment of the mercies\nwhich you have received, and in the practice of the things you know,\nand then your difficulties will vanish as you go on.\n\n[Sidenote: By various sects.]\n\n2. Another of Satan's wiles is, to confound you with the noise of\nsectaries, and divers opinions in religion: while the popish sect tell\nyou, that if you will be saved, you must be of their church; and\nothers say, you must be of theirs: and when you find that the sects\nare many, and their reasonings such as you cannot answer, you will be\nin danger either to take up some of their deceits, or to be confounded\namong them all, not knowing which church and religion to choose.[68]\n\nBut here consider, that there is but one universal church of\nchristians in the world, of which Christ is the only King and Head,\nand every christian is a member. You were sacramentally admitted into\nthis catholic church by baptism, and spiritually by your being \"born\nof the Spirit.\" You have all the promises of the gospel, that if you\nbelieve in Christ you shall be saved; and that all the living members\nof this church are loved by Christ as members of his body, and shall\nbe presented unspotted to the Father, by him who is the Saviour of his\nbody, Eph. 23-27, 29; \"and that by one Spirit we are all baptized or\nentered into this one body,\" 1 Cor. xii. 12, 13. If then thou hast\nfaith, and love, and the Spirit, thou art certainly a christian, and a\nmember of Christ, and of this universal church of christians. And if\nthere were any other church, but what are the parts of this one, then\nthis were not universal, and Christ must have two bodies. Thou art not\nsaved for being a member of the church of Rome, or Corinth, or\nEphesus, or Philippi, or Thessalonica, or of any other such; but for\nbeing a member of the universal church or body of Christ, that is, a\nchristian. And as thou art a subject of the King, and a member of this\nkingdom, whatever corporation thou be a member of, (perhaps sometime\nof one, and sometime of another,) so thou art a subject of Christ,\nwhatever particular church thou be of; for it is no church, if they be\nnot christians, or subjects of Christ. For one sect then to say, Ours\nis the true church, and another to say, Nay, but ours is the true\nchurch, is as mad as to dispute, whether your hall, or kitchen, or\nparlour, or coal-house, is your house; and for one to say, This is the\nhouse, and another, Nay, but that, when a child can tell them, that\nthe best is but a part, and the house containeth them all: and for the\npapists, that take on them to be the whole, and deny all others to be\nchristians and saved, except the subjects of the pope of Rome, it is\nso irrational, antichristian a fiction and usurpation, and odious,\ncruel, and groundless a damnation, of the far greatest part of the\nbody of Christ, that it is fitter for detestation than dispute. And if\nsuch a crack would frighten the world out of their wits, no doubt but\nother bishops also would make use of it, and say, All are damned that\nwill not be subject to us. But if you would see the folly and mischief\nof popery, both in this and other points, I refer you to my treatise\nof the \"Catholic Church,\" and my \"Key for Catholics,\" and my \"Safe\nReligion,\" and my \"Disputations against Johnson,\" and my\n\"Winding-sheet for Popery.\"\n\n[Sidenote: By scrupulosity.]\n\n3. Another temptation to confound you in your religion, is, by filling\nyour heads with practical scrupulosity; so that you cannot go on for\ndoubting every step whether you go right; and when you should\ncheerfully serve your Master, you will do nothing but disquiet your\nminds with scruples, whether this or that be right or wrong. Your\nremedy here, is not by casting away all care of pleasing God, or fear\nof sinning, or by debauching conscience; but by a cheerful and quiet\nobedience to God, so far as you know his will, and an upright\nwillingness and endeavour to understand it better; and a thankful\nreceiving the gospel pardon for your failings and infirmities. Be\nfaithful in your obedience; but live still upon Christ, and think not\nof reaching to any such obedience, as shall set you above the need of\nhis merits, and a daily pardon of your sins. Do the best you can to\nknow the will of God and do it: but when you know the essentials of\nreligion, and obey sincerely, let no remaining wants deprive you of\nthe comfort of that so great a mercy, as proves your right to life\neternal. In your seeking further for more knowledge and obedience, let\nyour care be such as tendeth to your profiting, and furthering you to\nyour end, and as doth not hinder your joy and thanks for what you have\nreceived: but that which destroyeth your joy and thankfulness, and\ndoth but perplex you, and not further you in your way, is but hurtful\nscrupulosity, and to be laid by. When you are right in the main, thank\nGod for that, and be further solicitous so far as to help you on, but\nnot to hinder you. If you send your servant on your message, you had\nrather he went on his way as well as he can, than stand scrupling\nevery step whether he should set the right or left foot forward; and\nwhether he should step so far, or so far at a time, &c. Hindering\nscruples please not God.\n\n[Sidenote: By setting you on overdoing by your own inventions.]\n\n4. Another way to confound you in your religion is, by setting you\nupon overdoing by inventions of your own. When a poor soul is most\ndesirous to please God, the devil will be religious, and set him upon\nsome such task of voluntary humility, or will-worship, as the apostle\nspeaks of, Col. ii. 18, 20-23; or set him upon some insnaring\nunnecessary vows or resolutions, or some popish works of conceited\nsupererogation, which is that which Solomon calleth, being \"righteous\nover-much,\" Eccles. vii. 16. Thus many have made duties to themselves,\nwhich God never made for them; and taketh that for sin, which God\nnever forbad them. The popish religion is very much made up of such\ncommandments of their own, and traditions of men. As if Christ had not\nmade us work enough, men are forward to make much more for themselves.\nAnd some that should teach them the laws of Christ, do think that\ntheir office is in vain, unless they may also prescribe them laws of\ntheir own, and give them new precepts of religion. Yea, some that are\nthe bitterest enemies to the strict observance of the laws of God, as\nif it were a tedious, needless thing, must yet needs load us with\nabundance of unnecessary precepts of their own. And thus religion is\nmade both wearisome and uncertain, and a door set open for men to\nenlarge it, and increase the burden at their pleasure. Indeed popery\nis fitted to delude and quiet sleepy consciences, and to torment with\nuncertainties the consciences that are awaked.\n\nAnd there is something in the corrupted nature of man, that inclineth\nhim to some additions and voluntary service of his own inventions, as\nan offering most acceptable unto God. Hence it is that many poor\nchristians do rashly entangle their consciences with vows of\ncircumstances and things unnecessary, as to give so much, to observe\nsuch days or hours in fasting and prayer, not to do such or such a\nthing that in itself is lawful, with abundance of such things, which\nperhaps some change of providence may make accidentally their duty\nafterwards to do, or disable them to perform their vows; and then\nthese snares are fetters on their perplexed consciences, perhaps as\nlong as they live. Yea, some of the antinomians teach the people, that\nthings indifferent are the fittest matter of a vow; as to live single,\nto possess nothing, to live in solitude, and the like: indeed all\nthings lawful when they are vowed, must be performed; but it is unfit\nto be vowed if it be not first profitable and best, for ourselves or\nothers; and that which is best is not indifferent, it being every\nman's duty to choose what is best. Vows are to bind us to the\nperformance of that which God had bound us to by his laws before; they\nare our expression of consent and resolution by a self-obligation to\nobey his will; and not to make new duties of religion to ourselves,\nwhich else would never have been our duty.\n\nTo escape these snares, it is necessary that you take heed of\ncorrupting your religion by burdens and mixtures of your own devising.\nYou are called to obey God's laws, and not to make laws for\nyourselves. You may be sure that his laws are just and good, but yours\nmay be bad and foolish. When you obey him, you may expect your reward\nand encouragement from him: but when you will obey yourselves, you\nmust reward yourselves. You may find it enough for you to keep his\nlaws, without devising more work for yourselves; or feigning duties\nwhich he commanded not, or sins which he forbad not. Be not rash in\nmaking vows; let them reach but unto necessary duties; and let them\nhave their due exceptions when they are about alterable things: or if\nyou are entangled by them already, consult with the most judicious,\nable, impartial men, that you may come clearly off without a wound.\nThere is a great deal of judgment and sincerity necessary in your\ncounsellors, and a great deal of submission and self-denial in\nyourselves, to bring you safely out of such a snare. Avoid sin,\nwhatever you do; for sinning is not the way to your deliverance. And\nfor the time to come, be wiser, and lay no more snares for\nyourselves; and clog not yourselves with your own inventions, but\ncheerfully obey what God commandeth you, who hath wisdom and authority\nsufficient to make you perfect laws. \"Christ's yoke is easy, and his\nburden light,\" Matt. xi. 30, and \"his commandments are not grievous,\"\n1 John v. 3. But if your mixtures and self-devised snares are grievous\nto you, blame not God, but yourselves that made them.\n\n[Sidenote: By overwhelming fears and sorrows.]\n\n5. Another of Satan's ways to make religion burdensome and grievous to\nyou, is by overwhelming you with fear and sorrow. Partly by persuading\nthat religion consisteth in excess of sorrow, and so causing you to\nspend your time in striving to trouble and grieve yourselves\nunprofitably, as if it were the course most acceptable to God; and\npartly by taking the advantage of a timorous, passionate nature; and so\nmaking every thought of God, or serious exercise of religion, to be a\ntorment to you, by raising some overwhelming fears; for \"fear hath\ntorment,\" 1 John iv. 18. In some feminine, weak, and melancholy persons,\nthis temptation hath so much advantage in the body, that the holiest\nsoul can do but little in resisting it; so that though there be in such\na sincere love to God, his ways and servants, yet fear so playeth the\ntyrant in them, that they perceive almost nothing else. And it is no\nwonder if religion be grievous and unpleasant to such as these.\n\nBut, alas! it is you yourselves that are the causes of this, and bring\nthe matter of your grievance with you. God hath commanded you a sweeter\nwork. It is a life of love, and joy, and cheerful progress to eternal\njoy, that he requireth of you; and no more fear or grief than is\nnecessary to separate you from sin, and teach you to value and use the\nremedy. The gospel presenteth to you such abundant matter of joy and\npeace, as would make these the very complexion and temperature of your\nsouls, if you received them as they are propounded. Religious fears,\nwhen they are inordinate and hurtful, are sinful, and indeed against\nreligion; and must be resisted as other hurtful passions. Be better\nacquainted with Christ and his promises, and you will find enough in him\nto pacify the soul, and give you confidence and holy boldness in your\naccess to God, Heb. iv. 16; Eph. iii. 12; Heb. x. 19. The spirit which\nhe giveth, is not the spirit of bondage, but the spirit of adoption, of\nlove and confidence, Rom. viii. 15; Heb. ii. 15.\n\n[Sidenote: By unmortified lusts.]\n\n6. Another thing that maketh religion seem grievous, is retaining\nunmortified sensual desires. If you keep up your lusts, they will\nstrive against the gospel, and all the works of the Spirit which\nstrive against them, Gal. v. 17. And every duty will be so far\nunpleasant to you as you are carnal, because it is against your carnal\ninclination and desire. Away, therefore, with your beloved sickness,\nand then both your food and your physician will be less grievous to\nyou. \"Mortify the flesh, and you will less disrelish the things of the\nSpirit. For the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not\nsubject to his law, nor can be,\" Rom. viii. 7, 8.\n\n[Sidenote: By actual sin.]\n\n7. Another cause of confounding and wearying you, is the mixture of\nyour actual sins, dealing unfaithfully with God, and wounding your\nconsciences, by renewing guilt, especially of sins against knowledge\nand consideration. If you thus keep the bone out of joint, and the\nwound unhealed, no marvel if you are loth to work or travail. But it\nis your sin and folly that should be grievous to you, and not that\nwhich is contrary to it, and would remove the cause of all your\ntroubles. Resolvedly forsake your wilful sinning, and come home by\n\"repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ,\"\nActs xx. 21, and then you will find, that when the thorn is out, your\npain will cease, and that the cause of your trouble was not in God or\nreligion, but in your sin.\n\n[Sidenote: By ignorance of the tenor of the gospel.]\n\n8. Lastly, To make religion unpleasant to you, the tempter would keep\nthe substance of the gospel unknown or unobserved to you: he would\nhide the wonderful love of God revealed in our Redeemer, and all the\nriches of saving grace, and the great deliverance and privileges of\nbelievers, and the certain hopes of life eternal: and the kingdom of\nGod, which consisteth in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy\nGhost, shall be represented to you as consisting in errors only, or in\ntrifles; in shadows and shows, and bodily exercise which profiteth\nlittle, 1 Tim. iv. 8. If ever you would know the pleasures of faith\nand holiness, you must labour above all to know God as revealed in his\ninfinite love in the Mediator, and read the gospel as God's act of\noblivion, and the testament and covenant of Christ, in which he giveth\nyou life eternal: and in every duty draw near to God as a reconciled\nFather, the object of your everlasting love and joy. Know and use\nreligion as it is, without mistaking or corrupting it, and it will not\nappear to you as a grievous, tedious, or confounding thing.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Be very diligent in mortifying the desires and\npleasures of the flesh; and keep a continual watch upon your senses,\nappetite, and lusts; and cast not yourselves upon temptations,\noccasions or opportunities of sinning, remembering that your salvation\nlieth on your success.\n\nThe lusts of the flesh, and the pleasures of the world, are the common\nenemies of God and souls, and the damnation of those souls that perish.\nAnd there is no sort more liable to temptations of this kind, than those\nthat are in the flower of their youth and strength. When all the senses\nare in their vigour, and lust and appetite are in their strength and\nfury, how great is the danger! and how great must your diligence be if\nyou will escape! The appetite and lust of the weak and sick, are weak\nand sick as well as they; and therefore they are no great temptation or\ndanger to them. The desire and pleasure of the senses do abate, as\nnatural strength and vigour doth abate: to such there is much less need\nof watchfulness; and where nature hath mortified the flesh, there is\nsomewhat the less for grace to do. There needs not much grace to keep\nthe aged and weak from fornication, uncleanness, excessive sports and\ncarnal mirth: and gluttony and drunkenness also are sins which youth is\nmuch more liable to. Especially some bodies that are not only young and\nstrong, but have in their temperature and complexion a special\ninclination to some of these, as lust, or sport, or foolish mirth, there\nneedeth a great deal of diligence, resolution, and watchfulness for\ntheir preservation. Lust is not like a corrupt opinion, that surpriseth\nus through a defect of reason, and vanisheth as soon as truth appeareth;\nbut it is a brutish inclination, which though reason must subdue and\ngovern, yet the perfectest reason will not extirpate, but there it will\nstill dwell. And as it is constantly with you, it will be stirring when\nobjects are presented by the sense or fantasy to allure. And it is like\na torrent, or a headstrong horse, that must be kept in at first, and is\nhardly restrained if it once break loose and get the head. If you are\nbred up in temperance and modesty, where there are no great temptations\nto gluttony, drinking, sports, or wantonness, you may think a while that\nyour natures have little or none of this concupiscence, and so may walk\nwithout a guard: but when you come where baits of lust abound, where\nwomen, and plays, and feasts, and drunkards are the devil's snares, and\ntinder, and bellows, to inflame your lusts, you may then find to your\nsorrow, that you had need of watchfulness, and that all is not mortified\nthat is asleep or quiet in you. As a man that goeth with a candle among\ngunpowder, or near thatch, should never be careless, because he goeth in\ncontinual danger; so you that are young, and have naturally eager\nappetites and lusts, should remember that you carry fire and gunpowder\nstill about you, and are never out of danger while you have such an\nenemy to watch.\n\nAnd if once you suffer the fire to kindle, alas! what work may it\nmake, ere you are aware! James i. 14, 15, \"Every man is tempted when\nhe is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath\nconceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished,\nbringeth forth death.\" Little knoweth the fish, when he is catching or\nnibbling at the bait, that he is swallowing the hook which will lay\nhim presently on the bank. When you are looking on the cup, or gazing\non alluring beauty, or wantonly dallying and pleasing your senses with\nthings unsafe, you little know how far beyond your intentions you may\nbe drawn, and how deep the wound may prove, how great the smart, or\nhow long and difficult the cure. As you love your souls, observe\nPaul's counsel, 2 Tim. ii. 22, \"Flee youthful lusts.\" Keep at a full\ndistance: come not near the bait. If you get a wound in your\nconsciences, by any wilful, heinous sin, O what a case will you be in!\nHow heartless unto secret duty! afraid of God, that should be your\njoy; deprived of the comforts of his presence, and all the pleasure of\nhis ways! How miserably will you be tormented, between the tyranny of\nyour own concupiscence, the sting of sin, the gripes of conscience,\nand the terrors of the Lord! How much of the life of faith, and love,\nand heavenly zeal, will be quenched in a moment! I am to speak more\nafterwards of this; and therefore shall only say, at present, to all\nyoung converts that care for their salvation, \"Mortify the flesh,\" and\n\"always watch, and avoid temptations.\"\n\n_Direct._ XV. Be exceeding wary, not only what teachers you commit the\nguidance of your souls unto, but also with what company you familiarly\nconverse;[69] that they be neither such as would corrupt your minds\nwith error, or your hearts with viciousness, profaneness,\nlukewarmness, or with a feverish, factious zeal: but choose, if\npossible, judicious, holy, heavenly, humble, unblamable, self-denying\npersons, to be your ordinary companions, and familiars; but especially\nfor your near relations.\n\nIt is a matter of very great importance, what teachers you choose, in\norder to your salvation.[70] In this the free grace of God much\ndifferenceth some from others: for, as poor heathens and infidels have\nnone that know more, than what the book of nature teacheth (if so\nmuch); so in the several nations of christians, it is hard for the\npeople to have any, but such as the sword of the magistrate forceth on\nthem, or the stream of their country's custom recommendeth to them.\nAnd it is a wonder, if pure truth and holiness be countenanced by\neither of these. But, when and where his mercy pleaseth, God sendeth\nwise and holy teachers, with compassion and diligence to seek the\nsaving of men's souls; so that none but the malignant and obstinate\nare deprived of their help.\n\nAmbitious, proud, covetous, licentious, ungodly men, are not to be\nchosen for your teachers, if you have your choice. In a nation where\ntrue religion is in credit, and hath the magistrate's countenance, or\nthe major vote, some graceless men may join with better, in preaching\nand defending the purity of doctrine and holiness of life: and they\nmay be very serviceable to the church herein; especially in expounding\nand disputing for the truth. But even there, more experienced,\nspiritual teachers are much more desirable: they will speak most\nfeelingly, who feel what they speak; and they are fittest to bring\nothers to faith and love, who believe, and love God and holiness\nthemselves. They that have life, will speak more lively than the dead.\nAnd in most places of the world, the ungodliness of such teachers\nmakes them enemies to the truth which is according to godliness: their\nnatures are at enmity to the life and power of the doctrine which they\nshould preach: and they will do their worst to corrupt the\nmagistrates, and make them of their mind: and, if they can but get the\nsword to favour them, they are, usually, the cruellest persecutors of\nthe sincere. As it is notorious among the papists, that the baits of\npower, and honour, and wealth, have so vitiated the body of their\nclergy, that they conspire to uphold a worldly government and\nreligion; and, in express contradiction to sense and reason, and to\nantiquity, and the judgment of the church, and to the holy Scriptures,\nthey captivate the ignorant and sensual to their tyranny and false\nworship, and use the seduced magistrates and multitude, to the\npersecuting of those that will not follow them to sin and to\nperdition. Take heed of proud and worldly guides.\n\nAnd yet it is not every one that pretendeth piety and zeal, that is to\nbe heard, or taken for a teacher. But, 1. Such as preach, ordinarily,\nthe substantial truths which all christians are agreed in. 2. Such as\nmake it the drift of their preaching, to raise your souls to the love\nof God, and to a holy, heavenly life, and are zealous against\nconfessed sins. 3. Such as contradict not the essential truths, by\nerrors of their own; nor the doctrine of godliness, by wicked,\nmalicious applications. 4. Such as drive not on any ambitious,\ntyrannical designs of their own, but deny themselves, and aim at your\nsalvation. 5. Such as are not too hot in proselyting you to any\nsingular opinion of their own: it being the prediction of Paul to the\nEphesians, Acts xx. 30, \"Of your ownselves shall men arise, speaking\nperverse things, to draw away disciples after them.\" 6. Such as are\njudicious with holy zeal, and zealous with judgment. 7. Such as are of\nexperience in the things of God, and not young beginners, or novices\nin religion. 8. Such as bear reference to the judgments of the\ngenerality of wise and godly men, and are tender of the unity of the\nchurch; and not such as would draw you into a sect or party, to the\ncontempt of other christians; no, not to a party that hath the favour\nof rulers and the people, to promote them. 9. Such as are gentle,\npeaceable, and charitable; and not such as burn with hellish malice\nagainst their brethren, nor with an ungodly, or cruel, consuming zeal.\n10. Such as live not sensually and wickedly, contrary to the doctrine\nwhich they preach; but show by their lives, that they believe what\nthey say, and feel the power of the truths which they preach.\n\nAnd your familiar companions have great advantage to help or hinder your\nsalvation, as well as your teachers.[71] The matter is not so great,\nwhom you meet by the way, or travel with, or trade and buy and sell\nwith, as whom you make your intimate or familiar friends. For such have\nboth the advantage of their interest in your affections, and also the\nadvantage of their nearness and familiarity; and, if they have but also\nthe advantage of higher abilities than you, they may be powerful\ninstruments of your good or hurt. If you have a familiar friend, that\nwill defend you from error, and help you against temptations, and\nlovingly reprove your sin, and feelingly speak of God, and the life to\ncome, inditing his discourse from the inward power of faith, and love,\nand holy experience; the benefit of such a friend may be more to you,\nthan of the learnedest or greatest in the world. How sweetly will their\nspeeches relish of the Spirit, from which they come! How deeply may they\npierce a careless heart! How powerfully may they kindle in you a love\nand zeal to God and his commandments! How seasonably may they discover a\ntemptation, prevent your fall, reprove an error, and recover your souls!\nHow faithfully will they watch over you! How profitably will they\nprovoke, and put you on; and pray with you fervently when you are cold;\nand mind you of the truth, and duty, and mercy, which you forget! It is\na very great mercy to have a judicious, solid, faithful companion in the\nway to heaven.\n\nBut if your ears are daily filled with froth and folly, with ribaldry\nor idle stories, with oaths and curses, with furious words or scorns\nand jeers against the godly, or with the sophistry of deceivers, is it\nlikely this should leave a pleasant or wholesome relish on your minds?\nIs it likely that the effect should not be seen, in your lean or\nleprous hearts and lives, as well as the effects of an infected or\nunwholesome air or diet will be seen upon your diseased bodies? He is\nungodly, that liketh such company best: and he is proud and\npresumptuous, that will unnecessarily cast himself upon it, in\nconfidence that he shall receive no hurt: and he is careless of\nhimself, that will not cautiously avoid it: and few that long converse\nwith such, come off without some notable loss; except when we live\nwith such, as Lot did in Sodom, grieving for their sin and misery, or\nas Christ conversed with publicans and sinners, with a holy zeal and\ndiligence to convert and save them, or as those that have not liberty,\nwho bear that which they have not power to avoid.\n\nAmong the rest, your danger is not least from them that are eager to\nproselyte you to some party or unsound opinion: that they think they\nare in the right, and that they do it in love, and that they think it\nnecessary to your salvation, and that truth or godliness are the\nthings which they profess, all this makes the danger much the greater\nto you, if it be not truth and godliness indeed, which they propose\nand plead for. And none are in more danger than the ungrounded and\nunexperienced, that yet are so wise in their own esteem, as to be\nconfident that they know truth from error when they hear it, and are\nnot afraid of any deceit, nor much suspicious of their own\nunderstandings. But of this before.\n\nThe like danger there is of the familiar company of lukewarm ones, or\nthe profane.[72] At first you may be troubled at their sinful or\nunsavoury discourse, and make some resistance against the infection;\nbut before you are aware, it may so cool and damp your graces, as will\nmake your decay discernible to others. First, you will hear them with\nless offence; and then you will grow indifferent what company you are\nin; and then you will laugh at their sin and folly; and then you will\nbegin to speak as they; and then you will grow cold and seldomer in\nprayer and other holy duties; and if God prevent it not, at last your\njudgments will grow blind, and you will think all this allowable.\n\nBut of all bad company, the nearest is the worst. If you choose such\ninto your families, or into your nearest conjugal relations, you cast\nwater upon the fire; you imprison yourselves in such fetters as will\ngall and grieve you, if they do not stop you; you choose a life of\nconstant, close, and great temptations: whereas, your grace, and\ncomfort, and salvation, might be much promoted by the society of such\nas are wise and gracious, and suitable to your state. To have a\nconstant companion to open your heart to, and join with in prayer, and\nedifying conference, and faithfully help you against your sins, and\nyet to be patient with you in your frailties, is a mercy which\nworldlings neither deserve nor value.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Make careful choice of the books which you read. Let\nthe holy Scriptures ever have the pre-eminence; and next them, the\nsolid, lively, heavenly treatises, which best expound and apply the\nScriptures; and next those, the credible histories, especially of the\nchurch, and tractates upon inferior sciences and arts: but take heed\nof the poison of the writings of false teachers, which would corrupt\nyour understandings; and of vain romances, play-books, and false\nstories, which may bewitch your fantasies, and corrupt your hearts.\n\nAs there is a more excellent appearance of the Spirit of God in the\nholy Scriptures, than in any other book whatever, so it hath more\npower and fitness to convey the Spirit, and make us spiritual, by\nimprinting itself upon our hearts. As there is more of God in it, so\nit will acquaint us more with God, and bring us nearer him, and make\nthe reader more reverent, serious, and divine. Let Scripture be first\nand most in your hearts and hands, and other books be used as\nsubservient to it. The endeavours of the devil and papists to keep it\nfrom you, doth show that it is most necessary and desirable to you.\nAnd when they tell you, that all heretics plead the Scriptures, they\ndo but tell you, that it is the common rule or law of christians,\nwhich therefore all are fain to pretend; as all lawyers and wranglers\nplead the law of the land, be their cause never so bad, and yet the\nlaws must not be therefore concealed or cast aside: and they do but\ntell you, that in their concealment or dishonouring the Scriptures,\nthey are worse than any of those heretics. When they tell you that\nthe Scriptures are misunderstood, and abused, and perverted to\nmaintain men's errors, they might also desire that the sun might be\nobscured, because the purblind do mistake, and murderers and robbers\ndo wickedly by its light; and that the earth might be subverted,\nbecause it bears all evil-doers; and highways stopped up, because men\ntravel in them to do evil; and food prohibited, because it nourisheth\nmen's diseases. And when they have told you truly of a law or rule\n(whether made by pope or council) which bad men cannot misunderstand,\nor break, or abuse and misapply, then hearken to them, and prefer that\nlaw, as that which preventeth the need of any judgment.\n\nThe writings of divines are nothing else but a preaching the gospel to\nthe eye, as the voice preacheth it to the ear. Vocal preaching hath the\npre-eminence in moving the affections, and being diversified according\nto the state of the congregations which attend it: this way the milk\ncometh warmest from the breast. But books have the advantage in many\nother respects: you may read an able preacher, when you have but a mean\none to hear. Every congregation cannot hear the most judicious or\npowerful preachers; but every single person may read the books of the\nmost powerful and judicious. Preachers may be silenced or banished, when\nbooks may be at hand: books may be kept at a smaller charge than\npreachers: we may choose books which treat of that very subject which we\ndesire to hear of; but we cannot choose what subject the preacher shall\ntreat of. Books we may have at hand every day and hour; when we can have\nsermons but seldom, and at set times. If sermons be forgotten, they are\ngone. But a book we may read over and over till we remember it; and if\nwe forget it, may again peruse it at our pleasure, or at our leisure. So\nthat good books are a very great mercy to the world. The Holy Ghost\nchose the way of writing, to preserve his doctrine and laws to the\nchurch, as knowing how easy and sure a way it is of keeping it safe to\nall generations, in comparison of mere verbal tradition, which might\nhave made as many controversies about the very terms, as there be\nmemories or persons to be the preservers and reporters.\n\nBooks are (if well chosen) domestic, present, constant, judicious,\npertinent, yea, and powerful sermons; and always of very great use to\nyour salvation; but especially when vocal preaching faileth, and\npreachers are ignorant, ungodly, or dull, or when they are persecuted,\nand forbid to preach.\n\nYou have need of a judicious teacher at hand, to direct you what books\nto use or to refuse. For among good books there are some very good\nthat are sound and lively: and some are good, but mean, and weak, and\nsomewhat dull: and some are very good in part, but have mixtures of\nerror, or else of incautelous, injudicious expressions, fitter to\npuzzle than edify the weak. I am loth to name any of these latter\nsorts (of which abundance have come forth of late); but to the young\nbeginner in religion, I may be bold to recommend (next to a sound\ncatechism) Mr. Rutherford's Letters, Mr. Robert Bolton's Works, Mr.\nPerkins's, Mr. Whateley's, Mr. Ball, of Faith, Dr. Preston's, Dr.\nSibbs's, Mr. Hildersham's, Mr. Pink's Sermons, Mr. Joseph Rogers's,\nMr. Rich. Rogers, Mr. Richard Allen's, Mr. Gurnall's, Mr. Swinnock's,\nMr. Joseph Simonds's. And to establish you against popery, Dr.\nChalloner's Credo Eccles. Cathol., Dr. Field, of the Church, Dr.\nWhite's Way to the Church, with the Defence, Bishop Usher's Answer to\nthe Jesuit, and Chillingworth, with Drelincourt's Summary. And for\nright principles about redemption, &c. Mr. Truman's Great\nPropitiation, and of Natural and Moral Impotency; and Mr. William\nFenner, of Wilful Impenitency, Mr. Hotchkis, of Forgiveness of Sin. To\npass by many other excellent ones, that I may not name too many.\n\nTo a very judicious, able reader, who is fit to censure all he reads,\nthere is no great danger in the reading the books of any seducers: it\ndoth but show him how little and thin a cloak is used, to cover a bad\ncause. But, alas! young soldiers, not used to such wars, are startled\nat a very sophism, or at a terrible threatening of damnation to\ndissenters, (which every censorious sect can use,) or at every\nconfident, triumphant boast, or at every thing that hath a fair\npretence of truth or godliness. Injudicious persons can answer almost\nno deceiver which they hear: and when they cannot answer them, they\nthink they must yield, as if the fault were not in them, but in the\ncase; and as if Christ had no wiser followers, or better defenders of\nhis truth, than they. Meddle not therefore with poison, till you\nbetter know how to use it, and may do it with less danger, as long as\nyou have no need.\n\nAs for play-books, and romances, and idle tales, I have already showed\nin my \"Book of Self-Denial,\" how pernicious they are, especially to\nyouth, and to frothy, empty, idle wits, that know not what a man is,\nnor what he hath to do in the world. They are powerful baits of the\ndevil, to keep more necessary things out of their minds, and better\nbooks out of their hands, and to poison the mind so much the more\ndangerously, as they are read with more delight and pleasure: and to\nfill the minds of sensual people with such idle fumes, and\nintoxicating fancies, as may divert them from the serious thoughts of\ntheir salvation: and (which is no small loss) to rob them of abundance\nof that precious time, which was given them for more important\nbusiness; and which they will wish and wish again at last, that they\nhad spent more wisely. I know the fantastics will say, that these\nthings are innocent, and may teach men much good (like him that must\ngo to a whore-house to learn to hate uncleanness, and him that would\ngo out with robbers to learn to hate thievery): but I shall now only\nask them as in the presence of God, 1. Whether they could spend that\ntime no better? 2. Whether better books and practices would not edify\nthem more? 3. Whether the greatest lovers of romances and plays, be\nthe greatest lovers of the book of God, and of a holy life? 4. Whether\nthey feel in themselves that the love of these vanities doth increase\ntheir love to the word of God, and kill their sin, and prepare them\nfor the life to come? or clean contrary? And I would desire men not to\nprate against their own experience and reason, nor to dispute\nthemselves into damnable impenitency, nor to befool their souls by a\nfew silly words, which any but a sensualist may perceive to be mere\ndeceit and falsehood. If this will not serve, they shall be shortly\nconvinced and answered in another manner.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Take heed that you receive not a doctrine of\nlibertinism as from the gospel; nor conceive of Christ as an\nencourager of sin; nor pretend free grace for your carnal security or\nsloth; for this is but to set up another gospel, and another Christ,\nor rather the doctrine and works of the devil, against Christ and the\ngospel, and to turn the grace of God into wantonness.\n\nBecause the devil knoweth that you will not receive his doctrine in his\nown name, his usual method is to propound and preach it in the name of\nChrist, which he knoweth you reverence and regard. For if Satan\nconcealed not his own name and hand in every temptation, it would spoil\nhis game; and the more excellent and splendid is his pretence, the more\npowerful the temptation is.[73] They that gave heed to seducing spirits\nand doctrines of devils, no doubt thought better of the spirits and the\ndoctrines, especially seeming strict, (for the devil hath his\nstrictnesses,) \"as forbidding to marry, and abstinence from meats which\nGod hath created to be received with thanksgiving,\" 1 Tim. iv. 1, 3. But\nthe strictnesses of the devil are always intended to make men loose.\nThey shall be strict as the Pharisees in traditions and vain ceremonies,\nand building the tombs of the prophets, and garnishing the sepulchres of\nthe righteous, that they may hate and murder the living saints that\nworship God in spirit and in truth. Licentiousness is the proper\ndoctrine of the devil, which all his strictness tendeth to promote. To\nreceive such principles is pernicious; but to father them upon Christ\nand the gospel, is blasphemous.\n\nThe libertines, antinomians, and autonomians of this age, have\ngathered you too many instances. The libertine saith, \"The heart is\nthe man; therefore you may deny the truth with your tongue, you may be\npresent at false worship, (as at the mass,) you need not suffer to\navoid the speaking of a word, or subscribing to an untruth or error,\nor doing some little thing; but as long as you keep your hearts to\nGod, and mean well, or have an honest mental reservation, and are\nforced to it by others, rather than suffer, you may say, or subscribe,\nor swear any thing which you can yourselves put a lawful sense upon in\nyour own minds, or comply with any outward actions or customs to avoid\noffence and save yourselves.\"\n\nThe antinomians tell you, that \"The moral law is abrogated, and that the\ngospel is no law; (and if there be no law, there is no governor nor\ngovernment, no duty, no sin, no judgment, no punishment, no reward);\nthat the elect are justified before they are born, or repent, or\nbelieve; that their sin is pardoned before it is committed; that God\ntook them as suffering and fulfilling all the law in Christ, as if it\nhad been they that did it in him: that we are justified by faith only in\nour consciences: that justifying faith is but the believing that we are\njustified: that every man must believe that he is pardoned, that he may\nbe pardoned in his conscience; and this he is to do by a divine faith,\nand that this is the sense of the article, 'I believe the forgiveness of\nsins,' that is, that my sins are forgiven; and that all are forgiven\nthat believe it: that it is legal and sinful to work or do any thing for\nsalvation: that sin once pardoned need not be confessed and lamented, or\nat least, we need not ask pardon of sin daily, or of one sin oft: that\ncastigations are no punishments; and yet no other punishment is\nthreatened to believers for their sins; and consequently that Christ\nhath not procured them a pardon of any sin after believing, but\nprevented all necessity of pardon; and therefore they must not ask\npardon of them, nor do any thing to obtain it: that fear of hell must\nhave no hand in our obedience, or restraint from sin. And some add, that\nhe that cannot repent or believe, must comfort himself that Christ\nrepented and believed for him (a contradiction).\"[74] Many such\ndoctrines of licentiousness the abusers of grace have brought forth.\n\nAnd the sect which imitateth the father of pride in affecting to be\nfrom under the government of God, and to be the law-givers and rulers\nof themselves and all others, (which I therefore call the\nautonomians,) are licentious and much more. They equally contend\nagainst Christ's government, and for their own: they fill the world\nwith wars and bloodshed, oppression and cruelty, and the ears of God\nwith the cries of the martyrs and oppressed ones; and all that the\nspiritual and holy discipline of Christ may be suppressed, and\nseriousness in religion made odious, or banished from the earth, and\nthat themselves may be taken for the centre, and pillars, and\nlawgivers of the church, and the consciences of all men may be taught\nto cast off all scruples or fears of offending God, in comparison of\noffending them; and may absolutely submit to them; and never stick at\nany feared disobedience to Christ: they are the scorners and\npersecutors of strict obedience to the laws of God, and take those\nthat fear his judgments, to be men affrighted out of their wits; and\nthat to obey him exactly (which, alas! who can do, when he hath done\nhis best) is but to be hypocritical or too precise: but to question\ntheir domination, or break their laws, (imposed on the world, even on\nkings and states, without any authority,) this must be taken for\nheresy, schism, or a rebellion, like that of Korah and his company.\nThis Luciferian spirit of the proud autonomians hath filled the\nchristian world with bloodshed, and been the greatest means of the\nmiseries of the earth, and especially of hindering and persecuting the\ngospel, and setting up a pharisaical religion in the world: it hath\nfought against the gospel, and filled with blood the countries of\nFrance, Savoy, Rh\u00e6tia, Bohemia, Belgia, Helvetia, Polonia, Hungary,\nGermany, and many more; that it may appear how much of the Satanical\nnature they have, and how punctually they fulfil his will.\n\nAnd natural corruption containeth in it the seeds of all these\ndamnable heresies: nothing more natural to lapsed man, than to shake\noff the government of God, and to become a lawgiver to himself, and as\nmany others as he can; and to turn the grace of God into wantonness.\nTherefore the profane, that never heard it from any heretics but\nthemselves, do make themselves such a creed as this, that \"God is\nmerciful, and therefore we need not fear his threatenings, for he will\nbe better than his word: it belongeth to him to save us, and not to\nus, and therefore we may cast our souls upon his care, though we care\nnot for them ourselves. If he hath predestinated us to salvation, we\nshall be saved; and if he have not, we shall not; whatever we do, or\nhow well soever we live. Christ died for sinners, and therefore though\nwe are sinners, he will save us. God is stronger than the devil, and\ntherefore the devil shall not have the most: That which pleaseth the\nflesh, and doth God no harm, can never be so great a matter, or so\nmuch offend him, as to procure our damnation. What need of so much ado\nto be saved, or so much haste to turn to God, when any one that at\nlast doth but repent, and cry God mercy, and believe that Christ died\nfor him, shall be saved? Christ is the Saviour of the world, and his\ngrace is very great and free, and therefore God forbid that none\nshould be saved but those few that are of strict and holy lives, and\nmake so much ado for heaven. No man can know who shall be saved, and\nwho shall not; and therefore it is the wisest way, to do nobody any\nharm, and to live merrily, and trust God with our souls, and put our\nsalvation upon the venture: nobody is saved for his own works or\ndeservings; and therefore our lives may serve the turn as well as if\nthey were more strict and holy.\" This is the creed of the ungodly; by\nwhich you may see how natural it is to them to abuse the gospel, and\nplead God's grace to quiet and strengthen them in their sin, and to\nembolden themselves on Christ to disobey him.\n\nBut this is but to set Christ against himself; even his merits and mercy\nagainst his government and Spirit; and to set his death against the ends\nof his death; and to set our Saviour against our salvation; and to run\nfrom God and rebel against him, because Christ died to recover us to\nGod, and to give us repentance unto life; and to sin, because he died to\nsave his people from their sins, \"and to purify a peculiar people to\nhimself zealous of good works,\" Matt. i. 21; Tit. ii. 14. \"He that\ncommitteth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the\nbeginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might\ndestroy the works of the devil,\" 1 John iii. 8; John viii. 44.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Watch diligently both against the more discernible\ndecays of grace, and against the degenerating of it into some carnal\naffections, or something counterfeit, and of another kind. And so also\nof religious duties.\n\nWe are no sooner warmed with the celestial flames, but natural\ncorruption is inclining us to grow cold; like hot water, which loseth\nits heat by degrees, unless the fire be continually kept under it. Who\nfeeleth not that as soon as in a sermon, or prayer, or holy\nmeditation, his heart hath got a little heat, as soon as it is gone,\nit is prone to its former earthly temper, and by a little remissness\nin our duty, or thoughts, or business about the world, we presently\ngrow cold and dull again. Be watchful, therefore, lest it decline too\nfar. Be frequent in the means that must preserve you from declining:\nwhen faintness telleth you that your stomach is emptied of the former\nmeat, supply it with another, lest strength abate. You are rowing\nagainst the stream of fleshly interest and inclinations; and therefore\nintermit not too long, lest you go faster down by your ease, than you\nget up by labour.\n\n[Sidenote: How grace may degenerate.]\n\nThe degenerating of grace, is a way of backsliding, very common, and\ntoo little observed. It is, when good affections do not directly cool,\nbut turn into some carnal affections somewhat like them, but of\nanother kind: as, if the body of a man, instead of dying, should\nreceive the life or soul of a beast, instead of the reasonable, human\nsoul. For instance: 1. Have you believed in God, and in Jesus Christ,\nand loved him accordingly? You shall seem to do so still as much as\nformerly, when your corrupted minds have received some false\nrepresentation of him; and so it is indeed another thing that you thus\ncorruptly believe and love. 2. Have you been fervent in prayer? You\nshall be fervent still; if Satan can but corrupt your prayers, by\ncorrupting your judgment or affections, and get you to think that to\nbe the cause of God, which is against him; and that to be against him,\nwhich he commandeth; and those to be the troublers of the church,\nwhich are its best and faithfullest members: turn but your prayers\nagainst the cause and people of God by your mistake, and you may pray\nas fervently against them as you will. The same I may say of\npreaching, and conference, and zeal: corrupt them once, and turn them\nagainst God, and Satan will join with you for zealous and frequent\npreaching, or conference, or disputes. 3. Have you a confidence in\nChrist and his promise for your salvation? Take heed lest it turn into\ncarnal security, and a persuasion of your good estate upon ill\ngrounds, or you know not why. 4. Have you the hope of glory? Take heed\nlest it turn into a careless venturousness of your soul, or the mere\nlaying aside of fear and cautelous suspicion of yourselves. 5. Have\nyou a love to them that fear the Lord? Watch your hearts, lest it\ndegenerate into a carnal or a partial love. Many unheedful young\npersons of different sexes, at first love each other with an honest,\nchaste, and pious love; but imprudently using too much familiarity,\nbefore they were well aware it hath turned into a fleshly love, which\nhath proved their snare, and drawn them further into sin or trouble.\nMany have honoured them that fear the Lord, who insensibly have\ndeclined to honour only those of them that were eminent in wealth and\nworldly honour, or that were esteemed for their parts or place by\nothers, and little honoured the humble, poor, obscure christians, who\nwere at least as good as they: forgetting that the \"things that are\nhighly esteemed among men, are abomination in the sight of God,\" Luke\nxvi. 15; and that God valueth not men by their places and dignities in\nthe world, but by their graces and holiness of life. Abundance that at\nfirst did seem to love all christians, as such, as far as any thing of\nChrist appeared in them, have first fallen into some sect, and\nover-admiring their party, and have set light by others as good as\nthem, and censured them as unsound, and then withdrawn their special\nlove, and confined it to their party, or to some few; and yet thought\nthat they loved the godly as much as ever, when it was degenerate into\na factious love. 6. Are you zealous for God, and truth, and holiness,\nand against the errors and sins of others? Take heed lest you lose it,\nwhile you think it doth increase in you. Nothing is more apt to\ndegenerate than zeal: in how many thousands hath it turned from an\ninnocent, charitable, peaceable, tractable, healing, profitable,\nheavenly zeal, into a partial zeal for some party, or opinions of\ntheir own; and into a fierce, censorious, uncharitable, scandalous,\nturbulent, disobedient, unruly, hurting, and destroying zeal, ready to\nwish for fire from heaven, and kindling contention, confusion, and\nevery evil work. Read well James iii. 7. So if you are meek or\npatient, take heed lest it degenerate into stupidity or contempt of\nthose you suffer by. To be patient is not to be merely insensible of\nthe affliction; but by the power of faith to bear the sense of it, as\noverruled by things of greater moment.\n\nHow apt men are to corrupt and debase all duties of religion, is too\nvisible in the face of the far greatest part of the christian world.\nThroughout both the eastern and the western churches, the papists, the\nGreeks, the Armenians, the Abassines, and too many others, (though the\nessentials of religion through God's mercy are retained, yet,) how\nmuch is the face of religion altered from what it was in the days of\nthe apostles! The ancient simplicity of doctrine is turned into\nabundance of new or private opinions, introduced as necessary articles\nof religion: and, alas, how many of them false! So that christians,\nbeing too proud to accept of the ancient test of christianity, cannot\nnow agree among themselves what a christian is, and who is to be\nesteemed a christian; and so they deny one another to be christians,\nand destroy their charity to each other, and divide the church, and\nmake themselves a scorn by their divisions to the infidel world: and\nthus the primitive unity, charity, and peace is partly destroyed, and\npartly degenerate into the unity, charity, and peace of several sects\namong themselves. The primitive simplicity in government and\ndiscipline, is with most turned into a forcible secular government,\nexercised to advance one man above others, and to satisfy his will and\nlusts, and make him the rule of other men's lives, and to suppress the\npower and spirituality of religion in the world. The primitive\nsimplicity of worship is turned into such a mask of ceremony, and such\na task of formalities and bodily exercise, that if one of the\napostolical christians should come among them, he would scarce think\nthat this is the same employment which formerly the church was\nexercised in, or scarce know religion in this antic dress. So that the\namiable, glorious face of christianity, is so spotted and defiled,\nthat it is hidden from the unbelieving world, and they laugh at it as\nirrational, or think it to be but like their own: and the principal\nhinderance of the conversion of heathens, Mahometans, and other\nunbelievers, is the corruption and deformity of the churches that are\nnear them, or should be the instruments of their conversion. And the\nprobablest way to the conversion of those nations, is the true\nreformation of the churches, both in east and west: which, if they\nwere restored to the ancient spirituality, rationality, and simplicity\nof doctrine, discipline, and worship; and lived in charity, humility,\nand holiness, as those whose hearts and conversations are in heaven,\nwith all worldly glory and honour as under their feet; they would then\nbe so illustrious and amiable in the eyes even of heathens and other\ninfidels, that many would flock into the church of Christ, and desire\nto be such as they: and their light would so shine before these men,\nthat they would see their good works, and glorify their heavenly\nFather, and embrace their faith.\n\nThe commonest way of the degenerating of all religious duties, is into\nthis dead formality, or lifeless image of religion. If the devil can\nbut get you to cast off the spirituality and life of duty, he will\ngive you leave to seem very devout, and make much ado with outward\nactions, words, and beads; and you shall have so much zeal for a dead\nreligion, or the corpse of worship, as will make you think that it is\nindeed alive. By all means take heed of this turning the worship of\nGod into lip-service. The commonest cause of it is, a carnality of\nmind (fleshly men will think best of the most fleshly religion); or\nelse a slothfulness in duty, which will make you sit down with the\neasiest part. It is the work of a saint, and a diligent saint, to keep\nthe soul itself both regularly and vigorously employed with God. But\nto say over certain words by rote, and to lift up the hands and eyes,\nis easy: and hypocrites, that are conscious that they are void of the\nlife and spirituality of worship, do think to make all up with this\nformality, and quiet their consciences, and delude their souls with a\nhandsome image. Of this I have spoken more largely in a book called,\n\"The Vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite.\"\n\nYet run not here into the contrary extreme, as to think that the body\nmust not worship God as well as the soul, or that the decent and\nedifying determination of the outward circumstances of religion, and the\nright ordering of worship, is a needless thing, or sinful; or that a\nform of prayer in itself, or when imposed, is unlawful: but let the soul\nand body of religion go together, and the alterable adjuncts be used, as\nthings alterable, while the life of holiness is still kept up.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Promise not yourselves long life, or prosperity and\ngreat matters in the world, lest it entangle your hearts with\ntransitory things, and engage you in ambitious or covetous designs,\nand steal away your hearts from God, and destroy all your serious\napprehensions of eternity.\n\nOur own experience, and the alterations which the approach of death\nmakes upon the most, doth sensibly prove, that the expectation of a\nspeedy change, and reckoning upon a short life, doth greatly help us\nin all our preparation, and in all the work of holiness through our\nlives. Come to a man that lieth on his death-bed, or a prisoner that\nis to die to-morrow, and try him with discourse of riches, or honours,\nor temptations to lust, or drunkenness, or excess; and he will think\nyou are mad, or very impertinent, to tell him of such things. If he be\nbut a man of common reason, you shall see that he will more easily\nvilify such temptations, than any religious persons will do, in their\nprosperity and health. Oh how serious are we in repenting and perusing\nour former lives, and casting up our accounts, and asking, What we\nshall do to be saved, when we see that death is indeed at hand, and\ntime is at an end, and we must away! Every sentence of Scripture hath\nthen some life and power in it; every word of exhortation is savoury\nto us; every reproof of our negligence and sin is then well taken;\nevery thought of sin, or Christ, or grace, or eternity, goes then to\nthe quick. Then time seems precious; and if you ask a man whether it\nbe better spent in cards and dice, and plays and feastings, and\nneedless recreations and idleness, or in prayer, and holy conference,\nand reading and meditating on the word of God and the life to come,\nand the holy use of our lawful labours; how easily will he be\nsatisfied of the truth, and confute the cavils of voluptuous\ntime-wasters! Then his judgment will easilier be in the right, than\nlearning or arguments before could make it.[75] In a word, the\nexpectation of the speedy approach of the soul into the presence of\nthe eternal God, and of our entering into an unchangeable, endless\nlife of joy or torment, hath so much in it to awaken all the powers of\nthe soul, that if ever we will be serious, it will make us serious, in\nevery thought, and speech, and duty. And therefore, as it is a great\nmercy of God, that this life, which is so short, should be as\nuncertain, and that frequent dangers and sicknesses call to us to look\nabout us, and be ready for our change; so usually the sickly, that\nlook for death, are most considerate: and it is a great part of the\nduty of those that are in youth and health, to consider their frailty,\nand the shortness and uncertainty of their lives, and always live as\nthose that wait for the coming of their Lord. And we have great reason\nfor it, when we are certain it will be ere long; and when we have so\nmany perils and weaknesses to warn us, and when we are never sure to\nsee another hour; and when time is so swift, so quickly gone, so\nunrecoverable, and nothing when it is past. Common reason requireth\nsuch to live in a constant readiness to die.\n\nBut if youth or health do once make you reckon of living long,[76] and\nmake you put away the day of your departure, as if it were far off;\nthis will do much to deceive and dull the best, and take away the\npower of every truth, and the life of every good thought and duty, and\nall will be apt to dwindle into customariness and form. You will\nhardly keep the faculties of the soul awake, if you do not still think\nof death and judgment as near at hand. The greatest certainty of the\ngreatest change, and the greatest joy or misery for ever, will not\nkeep our stupid hearts awake, unless we look at all as near, as well\nas certain. This is plain in the common difference that we find among\nall men, between their thoughts of death in health, and when they see\nindeed that they must presently die. They that in health could think\nand talk of death with laughter, or lightly, without any awakening of\nsoul, when they come to die are oftentimes as much altered, as if they\nhad never heard before that they are mortal. By which it is plain,\nthat to live in the house of mirth is more dangerous than to live in\nthe house of mourning; and that the expectation of long life is a\ngrievous enemy to the operations of grace, and the safety of the soul.\n\nAnd it is one of the greatest strengtheners of your temptations to\nluxury, ambition, worldliness, and almost every sin. When men think\nthat they shall have many years' leisure to repent, they are apt the\nmore boldly to transgress: when they think that they have yet many\nyears to live, it tempteth them to pass away time in idleness, and to\nloiter in their race, and trifle in all their work, and to overvalue\nall the pleasures, and honours, and shadows of felicity that are here\nbelow. He that hath his life in his house or land, or hath it for\ninheritance, will set more by it, and bestow more upon it, than if he\nthought he must go out of it the next year. To a man that thinks of\nliving many years, the favour of great ones, the raising of his\nestate, and name, and family, and the accommodations and pleasing of\nhis flesh, will seem great matters to him, and will do much with him,\nand will make self-denial a very hard work.\n\nTherefore, though health be a wonderful great mercy, as enabling him\nto duty that hath a heart to use it to that end; yet it is by accident\na very great danger and snare to the heart itself, to turn it from the\nway of duty. The best life for the soul, is that which least\nendangereth it by being over pleasing to the body, and in which the\nflesh hath the smallest interest, to set up and plead against the\nSpirit. Not but that the largest stock must be accepted and used for\nGod, when he trusteth us with it; for when he setteth us the hardest\nwork, we may expect his greatest help. But a dwelling as in tents, in\na constant unsettledness, in a movable condition, having little, and\nneeding little, never feeling any thing in the creature to tempt us to\nsay, \"Soul, take thy rest;\" this is to most the safest life, which\ngiveth us the freest advantages for heaven.\n\nTake heed therefore, as you love your souls, of falling into the snare\nof worldly hopes, and laying designs for rising, and riches, and\npleasing yourselves in the thoughts and prosecution of these things,\nfor then you are in the readiest way to perdition; even to idolatrous\nworldliness, and apostasy of heart from God, and opening a door to\nevery sin that seems but necessary to your worldly ends, and to odious\nhypocrisy for a cloak to all this, and to quiet your guilty minds with\nsomething that is like religion. When once you are saying, with\nworldly security, as he, Luke xii. 17-19, \"I will pull down my barns,\nand build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and goods;\nand I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many\nyears, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry;\" you are then\nbefooling yourselves, and near being called away as fools by death,\nver. 20, 21. And when, without a sense of the uncertainty of your\nlives, you are saying, as those in James iv. 13, 14, \"To-day or\nto-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and\nbuy, and sell, and get gain, whereas you know not what will be on the\nmorrow;\" you forget what your lives are, that they are \"a vapour\nappearing a little while, and then vanishing away,\" ver. 14. \"Boast\nnot thyself therefore of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day\nmay bring forth,\" Prov. xxvii. 1.\n\n_Direct._ XX. See that your religion be purely divine, and animated\nall by God, as the beginning, the way, and the end; and that first\nupon thy soul, and then upon all that thou hast or dost, there be\nwritten \"HOLINESS TO THE LORD;\" and that thou corrupt not all with an\ninordinate hypocritical respect to man.\n\nTo be holy is to be divine, or devoted to God, and appropriated to\nhim, and his will, and use; and that our hearts and lives be not\ncommon and unclean.[77] To be godly, is to live to God, as those that\nfrom their hearts believe that he is God indeed, and that \"he is the\nrewarder of them that diligently seek him,\" that he is \"our God\nall-sufficient, our shield and exceeding great reward,\" Heb. xi. 6;\nGen. xv. 1; xvii. 1; and that \"of him, and through him, and to him are\nall things,\" that all may give the glory for ever unto him, Rom. xi.\n36. As God is infinitely above all creatures, so living upon God, and\nunto God, must needs advance us above the highest sensual life; and\ntherefore religion is transcendently above all sciences or arts. So\nmuch of God as is in you and upon you, so much you are more excellent\nthan the highest worldly perfection can advance you to. God should be\nthe First, and Last, and All in the mind, and mouth, and life of a\nbeliever. God must be the principal matter of your religion. The\nunderstanding and will must be exercised upon him. When you awake you\nshould be still with him, Psal. cxxxix. 8. Your meditations of him\nshould be sweet, and you should be glad in the Lord, Psal. civ. 34.\nYet creatures, under him, may be the frequent, less principal matter\nof your religion; but still as referred unto him. God must be the\nauthor of your religion: God must institute it, if you expect he\nshould accept it and reward it. God must be the rule of your religion,\nas revealing his will concerning it in his word. God must be the\nultimate end of your religion; it must be intended to please and\nglorify him. God must be the continual motive and reason of your\nreligion, and of all you do: you must be able truly to fetch your\nreason from heaven, and to say, I do it because it is his will; I do\nit to please, and glorify, and enjoy him. God must be taken as the\nSovereign Judge of your religion, and of you, and of all you do; and\nyou must wholly look to his justification and approbation, and avoid\nwhatever he condemneth. Can you take God for your Owner, your\nSovereign, your Saviour, your sufficient Protector, your Portion, your\nAll? If not, you cannot be godly, nor be saved: if his authority have\nnot more power upon you, than the authority of the greatest upon\nearth, you are atheistical hypocrites, and not truly religious,\nwhatever you pretend. If \"holiness to the Lord\" be written upon you,\nand all that is yours, you are devoted to him as his own peculiar\nones. If your names be set upon your sheep, or plate, or clothes, you\nwill say, if another should take them, They are mine; do you not see\nmy mark upon them? Slavery to the flesh, the world, and the devil, is\nthe mark that is written upon the ungodly (upon the foreheads of the\nprofane, and upon the hearts of hypocrites and all); and Satan, the\nworld, and the flesh have their service. If you are consecrated to\nGod, and bear his name and mark upon you, tell every one that would\nlay claim to you, that you are his, and resolved to live to him, to\nlove him, to trust him, and to stand or fall to him alone. Let God be\nthe very life, and sense, and end of all you do.\n\nWhen once man hath too much of your regard and observation, that you\nset too much by his favour and esteem, or eye him too much in your\nprofession and practice; when man's approbation too much comforteth\nyou, and man's displeasure or dispraise doth too much trouble you;\nwhen your fear, and love, and care, and obedience are too much taken\nup for man; you so far withdraw yourselves from God, and are becoming\nthe servants of men, and friends of the world, and turning back to\nbondage, and forsaking our Rock and Portion, and your excellency; the\nsoul of religion is departing from you, and it is dying and returning\nto the dust. And if once man get the pre-eminence of God, and be\npreferred and set above him in your hearts or lives, and feared,\ntrusted, and obeyed before him, you are then dead to God, and alive to\nthe world; and as men are taken for your gods, you must take up with\nsuch a salvation as they can give you. If your alms and prayer are\ndone to be seen of men, and to procure their good thoughts and words;\nif you get them, make your best of them; \"for verily,\" your Judge hath\nsaid unto you, \"you have your reward,\" Matt. vi. 1-3.\n\nNot that man is absolutely to be contemned or disregarded.[78] No; under\nGod, your superiors must be obeyed; you must do wrong to none, and do\ngood to all, as far as in you lieth; you must avoid offence, and give\ngood example, and, under God, have so much regard to men, as to become\nall things to all men for their salvation. But if once you set them\nabove their rank, and turn yourselves to an inordinate dependence on\nthem, and make too great a matter of their opinion or words concerning\nyou, you are losing your godliness or divine disposition, and turning it\ninto man-pleasing and hypocrisy. When man stands in competition with\nGod, for your first and chief regard, or in opposition to him, or as a\nsharer in co-ordination with him, and not purely in subordination to\nhim, he is to be numbered with things to be forsaken. Even good men,\nwhom you must love and honour, and whose communion and help you must\nhighly value, yet may be made the object of your sin, and may become\nyour snare. Your honouring of them, or love to them, must not entice you\nto desire inordinately to be honoured by them, nor cause you to set too\nmuch by their approbation. If you do, you will find that while you are\ntoo much eyeing man, you are losing God, and corrupting your religion at\nthe very heart. And you may fall among those, that, how holy soever, may\nhave great mistakes in matters of religion, tending to much sin, and may\nbe somewhat censorious against those that are not of their mind; and so\nthe retaining of their esteem, and the avoiding of their censures, may\nbecome one of the greatest temptations of your lives. And you will find\nthat man-pleasing is a very difficult and yet unprofitable task. Love\nChrist as he appeareth in any of his servants, and be followers of them\nas they are followers of Christ, and regard their approbation as it\nagreeth with Christ's: but O see that you are able to live upon the\nfavour of God alone, and to be quieted in his acceptance, though man\ndespise you; and to be pleased so far as God is pleased, though man be\ndispleased with you; and to rejoice in his justification, though men\ncondemn you with the odiousest slanders and the greatest infamy, and\ncast out your names as evil-doers. See that God be taken as enough for\nyou, or else you take him not as your God; even as enough without man,\nand enough against man; that you may be able to say, \"If God be for us,\nwho can be against us? Who is he that condemneth? It is God that\njustifieth,\" Rom. viii. 31, 33, 34. \"Do I seek to please men? For if I\nyet pleased men, I should not be a servant of Christ,\" Gal. i. 10. Jer.\nxvii. 5-8, \"Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man,\nand maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For\nhe shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good\ncometh.[79]--Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose\nhope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and\nthat spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat\ncometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the\nyear of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.\" Isa. ii. 22,\n\"Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he\nto be accounted of?\"\n\nHaving given you these directions, I must tell you in the conclusion,\nthat they are like food, that will not nourish you by standing on your\ntable, or like physic, that will not cure you by standing in the box:\nthey must be taken and digested, or you will find none of the benefit.\nIt is not the reading of them that will serve the turn to so great\nuse, as the safe proceeding and confirmation of beginners or novices\nin religion: it will require humility to perceive the need of them;\nand labour to learn, digest, and practise them. Those slothful souls,\nthat will refuse the labour, must bear the sad effects of their\nnegligence: there is not one of all these directions, as to the matter\nof them, which can be spared. Study them, understand them, and\nremember them, as things that must be done. If either a senselessness\nof your necessity, or a conceit that the spirit must do it without so\nmuch labour and diligence of your own, do prevail with you, to put off\nall these with a mere approbation, the consequent may be sadder than\nyou can yet foresee. Though I suppose you to have some beginnings of\ngrace, I must tell you, that it will be comparatively a sad kind of\nlife, to be erroneous, and scandalous, and troublesome to the church,\nor full of doubts, and fears, and passions, and to be burdensome to\nothers and yourselves! Yea, it is reason that you be very suspicious\nof your sincerity, if you desire not to increase in grace, and be not\nwilling to use the means which are necessary to your increase. He is\nnot sincere, that desireth not to be perfect; and he desireth not\nsincerely, who is not willing to be at the labour and cost, which is\nnecessary to the obtaining of the thing desired. I beseech you,\ntherefore, as you love the happiness of prudent, strong, and\ncomfortable christians, and would escape the misery of those grievous\ndiseases, which would turn your lives into languishing,\nunserviceableness, and pain; that you seriously study these\ndirections, and get them into your minds, and memories, and hearts;\nand let the faithful practice of them be your greatest care, and the\nconstant employment of your lives.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[46] I have since written a book on this subject, to which I refer the\nreader for fuller direction.\n\n[47] Fere idem exitus est odii et amoris insani. Senec. de Ben.\n\n[48] Scientia qu\u00e6 est remota \u00e0 justitia, calliditas potium quam\nsapientia appellanda est. P. Scalig. Of the necessity of prudence in\nreligious men, read Nic. Videlius de Prudent. Veterum. The imprudences\nof well meaning men have done as much hurt to the church sometimes as\nthe persecution of enemies. _e. g._ When Constantine, the son of\nConstans, was emperor, some busy men would prove from the orthodox\ndoctrine of the Trinity, that his two brethren, Tiberius and\nHeraclius, should reign with him: saying, Si in Trinitate credimus,\ntres etiam coronemus; which cost the chief of them a hanging. Abbas\nUrspergens. Edit. Melancth. p. 162.\n\n[49] Leg. Acost. 1. 4. c. 21 et 22. de fructu catechizandi. Et Li. 5.\n\n[50] Opus est imprimis duplici catechismo: Uno compendario et brevi\nquem memoriter addiscant; ubi summa sit eorum omnium qu\u00e6 ad fidem et\nmores Christiano sunt necessaria: altero uberiore, ubi eadem amplius,\ndilucidiusque dicantur, et copiosius confirmentur: ut ille prior\ndiscipulis potius, hic posterior ipsis pr\u00e6ceptoribus usu sit. Acosta,\nl. 5. c. 14. p. 490.\n\n[51] Stoici dicunt virtutes sibi invicem ita esse connexas, ut qui\nunam habuerit, omnes habeat. Laertius in Zenone.\n\n[52] Laert. saith of Cleanthes, Cum aliquando probo illi daretur, quod\nesset timidus, at ideo inquit, parum pecco.\n\n[53] Qui discipulum rudem et elatum habet, contra ventum adverso\nflumine navigat, serpentem nutrit, aconitum excolit, hostem docet.\nPetrarch. Dial. 41. li. 2.\n\n[54] Beatus est cui vel in senectute contigerit, qua sapientiam\nerasque opiniones consequi posset. Cicero de fin.\n\n[55] Even when a teacher is impatient with his people's\nunprofitableness, they oft think highliest of their knowledge, and\nthey are proud while their dulness tireth out their guides: for, Quo\nquisque est solertior et ingeniosior, hoc docet iracundius et\nlaboriosius. Quod enim ipse celeriter arripuit, id quum tarde percipi\nvidet, discruciatur. Cicero pro Ros.\n\n[56] Nihil homini metuendum nisi ne f\u0153licitatem excludat. Solon in\nLaert. p. 31.\n\n[57] Securus ergo sum de Christo Deo, et Domino meo. H\u00e6c Regi dicatis,\nsubigat ignibus, adigat bestiis, excruciet omnium tormentorum generibus,\nsi cessero, frustra sum in ecclesi\u00e6 catholica baptizatus; nam si h\u00e6c\npr\u00e6sens vita sola esset, et aliam qu\u00e6 vera est, non speraremus \u00e6ternam,\nnec ita facerem ut modicum et temporaliter gloriarer, et ingratus\nexisterem qui suam fidem mihi contulit, Creatori. Victorianus ad\nHunnerychum in Vict. Utic. p. 461. Victor Uticensis saith, that before\nthe persecution of Hunnerychus these visions were seen: 1. All the\nlights put out in the church, and a darkness and stink succeeded. 2. The\nchurch filled with abundance of swine and goats. 3. Another saw a great\nheap of corn unwinnowed, and a sudden whirlwind blew away all the chaff:\nand after that, one came and cast out all the stricken dead and useless\ncorn, till a very little heap was left. 4. Another heard one cry on the\ntop of a mount, Migrate, migrate. 5. Another saw great stones cast from\nheaven on the earth, which flamed and destroyed; but he hid himself in a\nchamber, and none of them could touch him. Page 405. Sed hoc edificium\nubi construere visus est diabolus, statim illud destruere dignatus est\nChristus. Id. ib.\n\n[58] Id. ib. saith that an Arian bishop being put over a city, all\nthat could take ship fled away to Spain, and the rest not only refused\nall the temptations of the bishop, but also publicly celebrated the\ndivine mysteries in one of their houses; and the king being hereat\nenraged, caused them in the open market-place to have their tongues\nand right hands cut off by the root; and that they yet spake after as\nwell as before. And them that will not believe it, he referreth to one\nof them then living, and honoured for this in the emperor's court,\nthat still spake perfectly. Page 462, 463.\n\n[59] Sulpitius Severus in Vit. Martini, noteth that none but bishops\nwere against him because he was unlearned and of no presence.\n\nLook more in your teachers at matter than fine words. Augustin. de\nCathechizand. rud. cap. 9. His maxime utile est nosse ita esse\npr\u00e6ponendas verbis sententias, ut pr\u00e6ponitur animus corpori: ex quo\nfit, ut ita malle debeant veriores quam disertiores audire sermones,\nsicut malle debent prudentiores quam formosiores habere amicos.\nNoverint etiam non esse vocem ad aures Dei nisi animi affectum: ita\nenim non irridebunt si aliquos antistites et ministros forte\nanimadverterint vel cum barbarismis et sol\u0153cismis Deum invocare, vel\neadem verba qu\u00e6 pronunciant, non intelligere, perturbateque\ndistinguere. Vid. Filesacum de Episc. autorit. p. 105. P\u0153nituit multos\nvan\u00e6 sterilisque cathedr\u00e6. Juven. Italis Ciceronianis sum iniquior,\nquia tantum loquuntur verba, non res, et rhetorica ipsorum plerumque\nest \u03ba\u03bf\u03bb\u03b1\u03ba\u03b5\u03c5\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03b7: Est glossa sine textu: nux sine nucleo: nubes sine\npulvi\u00e2. Plum\u00e6 sunt meliores quam avis ipsa. Buchozer. Take heed lest\nprejudice or any corruption possess your minds, for then all that you\nhear will be unsavoury or unprofitable to you: Magna debet esse\neloquentia, qu\u00e6 invitis placeat, ait Senec. pr\u00e6f. lib. 10. Controv.\n\n[60] Acosta noteth it as a great hinderance of the Indians'\nconversion, that their teachers shift for better livings, and stay not\ntill they are well acquainted with the people, and that the bishops\nare of the same temper: H\u00e6c tanta clades est animarum, ut satis\ndeplorari non possit; nihil sacerdos Christi pr\u00e6clari proficiet in\nsalute Indorum, sine familiari et hominum et rerum notitia, l. 4. c.\n10. p. 390. Sunt autem multi qui injuncto muneri copiose se\nsatisfacere existimant, orationem dominicam et symbolum et\nsalutationem angelicam, tum pr\u00e6cepta decalogi Hispani. idomate\nidentidem Indis recitantes, eorum infantes baptizantes, mortuos\nsepelientes, matrimonio juvenes collocantes, et rem sacram festis\ndiebus facientis.--Neque conscientia, quam utinam cauterizatam non\nhabeant, mordentur quod dispers\u00e6 sint oves Domini, &c. c. 7. p. 373.\n\n[61] Against uncharitableness and schism, see more in part. 2. ch. 23.\n\n[62] Utrumque imperium, et Mahometicum et pontificium ortum est, ex\ndissidiis de doctrina--Cum in oriente dilacerat\u00e6 essent ecclesi\u00e6--et\nh\u00e6c varietas in multorum animis dubitationes et odium religionis\nchristian\u00e6 accenderet, et disciplina laxata esset, &c. Melancth. Ep.\nDedic. Chron. Carionis.\n\n[63] Ecclesia vera discreta est \u00e0 c\u0153tu Cain, qui secesserat a patre,\net habuit suos ritus, et suam sectam. Ita statim initio ver\u00e6 doctrin\u00e6\nvocem et veram ecclesiam pars humani generis deseruit. Carion Chronic.\nlib. 1. p. 16.\n\n[64] When the Arian bishops had made Hunnerychus believe that the\northodox turned the appointed disputation into popular clamour, and\nwere against the king, he forbad them to meet, or to baptize, or\nordain, and turned all the same laws against them which had been made\nagainst the Arians. Victor. Utic. p. 447, 448.\n\n[65] Quiescerem nisi tantos talesque montes maliti\u00e6 episcoporum, vel\nc\u00e6terorum sacerdotum aut clericorum, in nostro quoque ordine erigi\nadversus Deum vidissem. Gildas de Ex cid. Britan. H\u00e6c monent quales\nsint etiam potentissimi, nobilissimi et optimi quique qui sine fide\nsunt, et sine agnitione filii Dei, atque hinc sine omni bono, sine\nulla affectione pia, &c. Et quod etiam qui ex illis optimus esse\nvidetur, tamen sine fide omni tempore possit esse et fieri, quod Cain\nfratri suo, modo non desit occasio: Neander Chron. p. 325 Lege et qu\u00e6\nhabet de Regno Cainico, p. 38, 39.\n\n[66] Stoici dicunt cum nemine stultorum esse litigandum: omnesque\nstultos insanire. Laert. in Zenone.\n\n[67] Consuming zeal doth use at last to burn up the owners of it.\nWhatever they say or do against others in their intemperate violence,\nthey teach others at last to say and do against them, when they have\nopportunity. How the orthodox taught the Arians to use severity\nagainst them, may be seen in Victor. Utic. p. 447-449, in the edict of\nHunnerychus: Legem quam dudum Christiani Imperatores nostri contra eos\net alios h\u00e6reticos pro honorificentia ecclesi\u00e6 catholic\u00e6 dederunt,\nadversus nos illi proponere non erubuerunt, v. g. Rex Hun. &c.\nTriumphalis et majestatis regi\u00e6 probatur esse virtutis, mala in\nautores consilia retorquere: quisquis enim pravitatis aliquid\ninvenerit, sibi imputet quod incurret.--Nullos conventus homousion\nsacerdotes assumant, nec aliquid mysteriorum, qu\u00e6 magis polluunt, sibi\nvendicent. Nullam habeant ordinandi licentiam.--Quod ipsarum legum\ncontinentia demonstratur quas induxisse imperatoribus, &c. viz. Ut\nnulla exceptis superstitionis su\u00e6 antistibus ecclesia pateret; nullis\nliceret aliis aut convictus agere, aut exercere conventus nec\necclesias, aut in urbibus, aut in quibusdam minimis locis.\n\n[68] Sed perturbat nos opinionem varietas hominumque dissensio: Et\nquia non idem contingit in sensibus, hos natura certos putamus: ilia\nqu\u00e6 aliis sic, aliis secus, nec iisdem semper uno modo videntur, ficta\nesse dicimus: quod est longe aliter.--Animis omnes tenduntur insidi\u00e6,\n&c. Cicero de Legib. li. 1. p. 291. Vid. c\u00e6t.\n\n[69] Namsi falsi et solo nomine tumidi, non modo non consulendi, sed\nvitandi sunt, quibus nihil est importunius, nihil insulsius, &c.\nPetrarch. Dial. 117. lib. 2.\n\n[70] Scientis est posse docere. Proverb. Sub indocto tamen doctus\nevadere potes, afflatu aliquo divino, ut Cicero loquitur. Augustinus de\nseipso testatur (cui non omnia credere nefas est) quod et Aristotelicas\nCategorias, qu\u00e6 inter difficillima numerantur, et artes liberales, quas\nsingulas \u00e0 pr\u00e6ceptoribus didicisse magnum dicitur) nullo tradente, omnes\nintellexit. Bernardus item, vir doctrina et sanctitate clarissimus,\nomnes suas literas (quarum inter cunctos sui temporis abundantissimus\nfuit) in silvis et in agris didicit, non hominum magisterio, sed\nmeditando et orando, nec ullos unquam alios pr\u00e6ceptores habuit, quam\nquercus et fagos. Petrarch. lib. 2. Dialog. 40.\n\n[71] Imperat (Rex) ut nostr\u00e6 religionis illorum mensa nullum communem\nhaberent, neque cum Catholicis omnino vescerentur. Qu\u00e6 res non ipsis\naliquod pr\u00e6stitit beneficium, sed nobis maximum contulit lucrum: nam\nsisermo eorum sicut cancer consuevit serpere, quanto magis communis\nmensa ciborum potuit inquinare, cum dicat Apostolus, cum nefariis nec\ncibum habere communem. Victor. Utic. p. 418. Magnum virtutis pr\u00e6sidium\nsocietas bonorum, socius exemplo excitat, sermone recreat, consilio\ninstruit, orationibus adjuvat, autoritate continet, qu\u00e6 omnia solitudini\ndesunt. Jos. Acosta, 1. 4. c. 13. Dicunt Stoici amicitiam solos inter\nbonos, quos sibi innicem studiorum similitudo conciliet, posse\nconsistere. Porro amicitiam ipsam societatem quandam esse dicunt omnium\nqu\u00e6 sunt ad vitam necessaria, cum amicis ut nobismet ipsis utamur: atque\nob id amicum eligendum, amicorumque multitudinem inter expetenda ponunt:\ninter malos non posse constare amicitiam. Laert. in Zenone.\n\n[72] Non tamen ut corporum, sic animorum morbi, transeunt ad nolentes:\nImo vero nobilis animus, vitiorum odio, ad amorem virtutis accenditur.\nPetrarch. Dialog. de alior. morib.\n\n[73] Siquis est hoc robore animi, atque hac indole virtutis ac\ncontinenti\u00e6, ut respuat omnes voluptates, omnemque vit\u00e6 su\u00e6 cursum\nlabore corporis, atque in animi contentione conficiat, quem non quies,\nnon remissio, non \u00e6qualium studia, non ludi, non convivia delectant;\nnihil in vita expetendum putet nisi quod est cum laude et honore\nconjunctum; hunc mea sententia divinis quibusdam bonis instructum\natque ornatum puto. Cic. pro C\u00e6l.\n\n[74] For sound principles in these points, read Mr. Gibbon's Sermon of\nJustification, in the Morning Exercises at St. Giles'; and Mr.\nTruman's two books before named, and Le Blank's Theses in Latin, with\nthe Thes. Salmuriens. &c.\n\n[75] Nemini exploratum potest esse quomodo sese habiturum sit corpus,\nnon dico ad annum sed ad vesperum. Cicero, 2 de fin. Dii boni! quid\nest in hominis vita diu? Mihi ne diuturnum quidem quicquam videtur, in\nquo est aliquid extremum. Cum enim id advenit, tum illud pr\u00e6teriit,\neffluxit: tantum remanet quod virtute et recte factis sit consecutus:\nhor\u00e6 quidem cedunt, et dies, et menses, et anni, nec pr\u00e6teritum tempus\nunquam revertitur, nec quid sequatur sciri potest. Cic. in Cat. Maj.\nQuem s\u00e6pe transit, casus aliquando invenit.\n\n[76] Nihil tam firmum cui periculum non sit; etiam ab invalido.\n\n[77] De bonis et malis ita disserebat Plato: Finem esse Deo similem\nfieri: Virtutem sufficere quidem ad bene beateque vivendum; c\u00e6terum\ninstrumentis indigere, corporis bonis, robore, sanitate, integritate\nsensuum, &c. Exterioribus etiam, opibus, generis claritate, gloria,\n&c. Ea et si non affluerint, nihilominus tamen beatum fore\nsapientem.--Arbitratur et Deos humana cernere atque curare: et demones\nesse--Porro in dialogis justitiam divinam legem arbitratus est, ut ad\njuste agendum potentius persuaderet, n\u00e8 post mortem p\u0153nas improbi\nluerent. Laert. in Plat.\n\n[78] Alte spectare si voles, atque hanc sedem, et \u00e6ternam domum\ncontueri, neque sermonibus vulgi dederis te, nec in pr\u00e6viis humanis\nspem posueris rerum tuarum: suis te illecebris oportet ipsa virtus\ntrahat ad verum decus. Cicero somn. Scip. C\u0153lestia semper spectato:\nilla humana contemnito. Id. Ibid.\n\n[79] Nihil tam firmum cui periculum non sit; etiam ab invalido.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER III.\n\n    THE GENERAL GRAND DIRECTIONS FOR WALKING WITH GOD, IN A LIFE OF\n    FAITH AND HOLINESS: CONTAINING THE ESSENTIALS OF GODLINESS AND\n    CHRISTIANITY.\n\n\nI am next to direct you in that exercise of grace, which is common to\nall christians. Habits are for use: grace is given you, not only that\nyou may have it, but also that you may use it. And it is fit that we\ndirect you how to use it, before we direct you how to know that you\nhave it; because it is grace in exercise that you must discern; and\nhabits are not perceived in themselves, but by their acts; and the\nmore lively and powerful the exercise is, the more easily is grace\nperceived: so that this is the nearest and surest way to a certainty\nof our own sincerity:--he that useth grace most and best, hath most\ngrace; and he that hath most, and useth it most, may most easily be\nassured that he hath it in sincerity and truth.\n\nIn these directions, I shall begin with those great internal duties,\nin which the very life of all religion doth consist; and the general\npractice of these principles and graces: and all these generals shall\nbe briefly set together, for the easiness of understanding and\nremembering them. And then I shall give you such particular\ndirections, as are needful, in subordination to those generals.\n\n[Sidenote: For a well-grounded faith.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ I. Labour to understand well the nature, grounds,\nreason, and order of faith and godliness; and to believe upon such\ngrounds, so well understood, as will not suffer you to stagger, or\nentertain a contrary belief.\n\nIgnorance and ungrounded or ill-grounded persuasions in matters of\nreligion, are the cause that abundance of people delude themselves,\nwith the empty name and dead profession of a faith and religion which\nthey never were indeed possessors of. I know there are low degrees of\nknowledge, comparatively, in many that are true believers; and that\nthere may be much love and holiness, where knowledge is very small or\nnarrow, as to the objective extent of it; and that there is a\nknowledge that puffeth up, while charity edifieth; and that in many\nthat have the narrower knowledge, there may be the fastest faith and\nadherence to the truth, which will conquer in the time of trial. But\nyet I must tell you, that the religion which you profess, is not,\nindeed, your own religion, if you know not what it is, and know not in\nsome measure the true grounds and reasons why you should be of that\nreligion. If you have only learned to say your creed, or repeat the\nwords of christian doctrine, while you do not truly understand the\nsense; or if you have no better reasons why you profess the christian\nfaith, than the custom of the country, or the command of princes or\ngovernors, or the opinion of your teachers, or the example of your\nparents, friends, or neighbours; you are not christians indeed. You\nhave a human belief or opinion, which objectively is true; but\nsubjectively in yourselves, you have no true, divine belief. I\nconfess, there may be some insufficient, yea, and erroneous reasons,\nwhich a true believer may mistakingly make use of, for the proof of\ncertain fundamental truths; but then that same man hath some other\nreason for his reception of that truth, which is more sound: and his\nfaith is sound, because of those sound, infallible principles, though\nthere be a mixture of some other reasons that are unsound. The true\nbeliever buildeth on the rock, and giveth deep rooting to the holy\nseed, Matt. vii. 24; xiii. 5-8. Though some deluded men may tell you,\nthat faith and reason are such enemies, that they exclude each other\nas to the same object; and that the less reason you have to prove the\ntruth of the things believed, the stronger and more laudable is your\nfaith; yet, when it cometh to the trial, you will find, that faith is\nno unreasonable thing; and that God requireth you to believe no more,\nthan you have sufficient reason for, to warrant you, and bear you out;\nand that your faith can be no more, than is your perception of the\nreasons why you should believe; and that God doth suppose reason, when\nhe infuseth faith, and useth reason in the use of faith. They that\nbelieve, and know not why, or know no sufficient reason to warrant\ntheir belief, do take a fancy, an opinion, or a dream, for faith. I\nknow that many honest-hearted christians are unable to dispute for\ntheir religion, or to give to others a satisfactory account of the\nreasons of their faith or hope; but yet they have the true\napprehension of some solid reasons in themselves; and they are not\nchristians they know not why: and though their knowledge be small as\nto the number of propositions known, yet it doth always extend to all\nthat is essential to Christianity and godliness, and they do not\nbelieve they know not what; and their knowledge is greater\nintensively, and in its value and operation, than the knowledge of the\nlearnedst ungodly man in the world.\n\nThough I may not here digress, or stay so long, as largely to open to\nyou the nature, grounds, reason, and method of faith and godliness\nwhich I am persuading you to understand, yet I shall first lay before\nyou a few propositions, which will be useful to you when you are\ninquiring into these things, and then a little open them unto you.\n\n_Prop._ 1. A life of godliness is our living unto God as God, as being\nabsolutely addicted to him.\n\n2. A life of faith is a living upon the unseen, everlasting happiness\nas purchased for us by Christ, with all the necessaries thereto, and\nfreely given us by God.\n\n3. The contrary life of sense and unbelief, is a living, in the\nprevalency of sense or flesh, to this present world, for want of such\nbelieving apprehensions of a better, as should elevate the soul\nthereto, and conquer the fleshly inclination to things present.\n\n4. Though man in innocency, needing no Redeemer, might live to God\nwithout faith in a Redeemer; yet lapsed man is not only unable to\nredeem himself, but also unable to live to God without the grace of\nthe Redeemer. It was not only necessary that he satisfy God's justice\nfor us, that he may pardon and save us without any wrong to his\nholiness, wisdom, or government; but also that he be our teacher by\nhis doctrine and his life, and that he reveal from heaven the Father's\nwill, and that objectively in him we may see the wonderful\ncondescending love and goodness of a reconciled God and Father, and\nthat effectually he illuminate, sanctify, and quicken us by the\noperations of his word and Spirit, and that he protect and govern,\njustify and glorify us; and be the Head of restored man, as Adam was\nthe root of lapsed man, and as the lapsed spirits had their head: and\ntherefore we must wholly live upon him as the Mediator between God and\nman, and the only Saviour by merit and by efficacy.\n\n5. Faith is a knowledge by certain credible testimony or revelation\nfrom God by means supernatural or extraordinary.\n\n6. The knowledge of things naturally revealed (as the cause by the\neffect, &c.) is in order before the knowledge or belief of things\nrevealed supernaturally.\n\n7. It is matter of natural revelation that there is a God;[80] that he\nis infinite in his immensity and eternity, in his power, wisdom, and\ngoodness; that he is the First Cause and ultimate End of all things;\nthat he is the Preserver and overruling Disposer of all things, and the\nsupreme Governor of the rational world, and the great Benefactor of all\nmankind, and the special favourer and rewarder of such as truly love\nhim, seek him, and obey him: also that the soul of man is immortal; and\nthat there is a life of reward or punishment to come, and that this life\nis but preparatory unto that: that man is bound to love God his Maker,\nand serve him, with all his heart and might; and to believe that this\nlabour is not vain: that we must do our best to know God's will, that we\nmay do it. This, with much more, (of which some part was mentioned,\nchap. 1,) is of natural revelation, which infidels may know.\n\n8. There is so admirable a concord and correspondency of natural\ndivinity with supernatural, the natural leading towards the\nsupernatural, and the supernatural falling in so meet where the natural\nendeth, or falls short, or is defective, that it greatly advantageth us\nin the belief of supernatural divinity.[81] Nay, as the law of nature\nwas exactly fitted to man in his natural innocent state; so the law and\nway of grace in Christ is so admirably and exactly fitted to the state\nof lapsed man for his recovery and salvation, that the experience which\nman hath of his sin and misery, may greatly prepare him to perceive and\nbelieve this most suitable gospel or doctrine of recovery. And though it\nmay not be called natural, as if it were fitted to innocent nature, or\nas if it were revealed by natural ordinary means, yet it may be so\ncalled, as it is exactly suited to the restoration of lapsed miserable\nnature; even as Lazarus his restored soul, though supernaturally\nrestored, was the most natural associate of his body; or as bread, or\nmilk, or wine, though it should fall from heaven, is in itself the most\nnatural food for man.\n\n9. The same things in divinity which are revealed naturally to all,\nare again revealed supernaturally in the gospel; and therefore may and\nmust be the matter both of natural knowledge and of faith.\n\n10. When the malicious tempter casteth in doubts of a Deity, or other\npoints of natural certainty, it so much discrediteth his suggestions,\nas may help us much to reject them when withal he tempteth us to doubt\nof the truth of the gospel.\n\n11. There are many needful appurtenances to the objects of a divine\nfaith, which are the matter of a human faith. (Of which more anon.)\n\n12. Christ, as Mediator, is the way, or principal means to God, as\ncoming to restore man to his Maker. And so faith in Christ is but the\nmeans to bring us to the love of God, though in time they are connexed.\n\n13. Knowledge and faith are the eye of the new creature, and love is\nthe heart; there is no more spiritual wisdom, than there is faith; and\nthere is no more life, or acceptable qualification, or amiableness,\nthan there is love to God.\n\n14. All truths in divinity are revealed in order to a holy life; both\nfaith and love are the principles and springs of practice.\n\n15. Practice affordeth such experience to a believing soul, as may\nconfirm him greatly in the belief of those supernatural revelations,\nwhich he before received without that help.\n\n16. The everlasting fruition of God in glory being the end of all\nreligion, must be next the heart, and most in our eye, and must\nobjectively animate our whole religion, and actuate us in every duty.\n\n17. The pleasing of God being also our end, and both of these (enjoying\nhim and pleasing him) being in some small foretastes attainable in this\nlife, the endeavour of our souls and lives must be by faith to exercise\nlove and obedience; for thus God is pleased and enjoyed.\n\n18. All things in religion are fitted to the good of man, and nothing\nto his hurt: God doth not command us to honour him by any thing which\nwould make us miserable; but by closing with and magnifying his love\nand grace.[82]\n\n19. But yet it is his own revelation by which we must judge what is\nfinally for our good or hurt; and we may not imagine that our shallow\nor deceivable wit is sufficient to discern without his word, what is\nbest or worst for us; nor can we rationally argue from any present\ntemporal adversity or unpleasing bitterness in the means, that \"This\nis worst for us, and therefore it is not from the goodness of God:\"\nbut we must argue in such cases, \"This is from the goodness and love\nof God, and therefore it is best.\"\n\n20. The grand impediment to all religion and our salvation, which\nhindereth both our believing, loving, and obeying, is the inordinate\nsensual inclination to carnal self and present transitory things,\ncunningly proposed by the tempter to insnare us, and divert and steal\naway our hearts from God and the life to come. The understanding of\nthese propositions will much help you in discerning the nature and\nreason of religion.\n\n[Sidenote: To use Christ and live upon him as our Mediator.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ II. Diligently labour in that part of the life of\nfaith, which consisteth in the constant use of Christ as the means of\nthe soul's access to God, acceptance with him, and comfort from him:\nand think not of coming to the Father, but by him.\n\nTo talk and boast of Christ is easy, and to use him for the increase\nof our carnal security, and boldness in sinning: but to live in the\ndaily use of Christ to those ends of his office, to which he is by us\nto be made use of, is a matter of greater skill and diligence, than\nmany self-esteeming professors are aware of. What Christ himself hath\ndone, or will do, for our salvation, is not directly the thing that we\nare now considering of; but what use he requireth us to make of him in\nthe life of faith. He hath told us, that his flesh is meat indeed, and\nhis blood is drink indeed; and that except we eat his flesh and drink\nhis blood, we have no life in us. Here is our use of Christ, expressed\nby eating and drinking his flesh and blood, which is by faith.[83] The\ngeneral parts of the work of redemption, Christ hath himself performed\nfor us without asking our consent, or imposing upon us any condition\non our parts, without which he would not do that work: as the sun doth\nillustrate and warm the earth whether it will or not, and as the rain\nfalleth on the grass without asking whether it consent, or will be\nthankful; so Christ, without our consent or knowledge, did take our\nnature, and fulfil the law, and satisfy the offended Lawgiver, and\nmerit grace, and conquer Satan, death, and hell, and became the\nglorified Lord of all: but for the exercise of his graces in us, and\nour advancement to communion with God, and our living in the strength\nand joys of faith, he is himself the object of our duty, even of that\nfaith which we must daily and diligently exercise upon him: and thus\nChrist will profit us no further than we make use of him by faith. It\nis not a forgotten Christ that objectively comforteth or encourageth\nthe soul; but a Christ believed in, and skilfully and faithfully used\nto that end. It is objectively (principally) that Christ is called our\nwisdom, 1 Cor. i. 30. The knowledge of him, and the mysteries of grace\nin him, is the christian or divine philosophy or wisdom, in opposition\nto the vain philosophy which the learned heathens boasted of. And\ntherefore Paul determined to know nothing but Christ crucified, that\nis, to make ostentation of no other knowledge, and to glory in nothing\nbut the cross of Christ, and so to preach Christ as if he knew nothing\nelse but Christ. See 1 Cor. i. 23; ii. 2; Gal. vi. 14. And it is\nobjectively that Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by faith, Eph.\niii, 17. Faith keepeth him still upon the heart by continual\ncogitation, application, and improvement: as a friend is said to dwell\nin our hearts, whom we continually love and think of.\n\nChrist himself teacheth us to distinguish between faith in God, (as\nGod,) and faith in himself (as Mediator): John xiv. 1, \"Let not your\nheart be troubled: ye believe in God;\" (or, believe ye in God?)\n\"believe also in me.\" These set together are the sufficient cure of a\ntroubled heart.[84] It is not faith in God as God, but faith in Christ\nas Mediator, that I am now to speak of; and that not as it is\ninherent in the understanding, but as it is operative on the heart\nand in the life: and this is not the smallest part of the life of\nfaith, by which the just are said to live. Every true christian must\nin his measure be able to say, with Paul, Gal. ii. 20, \"I am crucified\nwith Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:\nand the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the\nSon of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.\" The pure Godhead\nis the beginning and the end of all; but Christ is \"the image of the\ninvisible God, the first-born of every creature; and by him all things\nwere created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and\ninvisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities,\nor powers, all things were created by him and for him: and he is\nbefore all things, and by him all things do consist. And he is the\nhead of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first-born\nfrom the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence,\"\nCol. i. 16-19. \"In him it is that we who were sometime far off, are\nmade nigh, even by his blood: for he is our peace, who hath reconciled\nboth Jew and gentile unto God in one body by the cross, having slain\nthe enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to them that were far\noff, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have an\naccess by one Spirit unto the Father: so that now we are no more\nstrangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of\nthe household of God,\" Eph. ii. 13, 14, 16-19. \"In him\" it is that \"we\nhave boldness and access with confidence through faith in him,\" Eph.\niii. 12. \"He is the way, the truth, and the life: and no man cometh to\nthe Father, but by him,\" John xiv. 6. It is \"by the blood of Jesus\nthat we have boldness\" (and liberty) \"to enter into the holiest: by a\nnew and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail,\nthat is to say, his flesh.\" Because \"we have so great a Priest over\nthe house of God, we may draw near with a true heart, in full\nassurance of faith,\" &c. Heb. x. 19-22. \"By him it is that we have\naccess by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and boast in hope of\nthe glory of God,\" Rom. v. 1, 2. So that we must have \"all our\ncommunion with God through him.\"\n\nSupposing what I have said of this subject in my \"Directions for a\nSound Conversion,\" Direct. 5, (which I hope the reader will peruse,) I\nshall here briefly name the uses which we must make of Christ by\nfaith, in order to our holy converse with God:[85] but I must tell you\nthat it is a doctrine which requireth a prepared heart, that hath life\nwithin to enable it to relish holy truth, and to dispose it to\ndiligence, delight, and constancy in practice. A senseless reader will\nfeel but little savour in it, and a sluggish reader that suffereth it\nto die as soon as it hath touched his ears or fantasy, will fall short\nof the practice and the pleasure of this life. He must have faith\nthat will live by faith: and he must have the heart and nature of a\nchild, that will take pleasure in loving, reverent, and obedient\nconverse with a father.\n\n1. The darkness of ignorance and unbelief is the great impediment of\nthe soul that desireth to draw near to God. When it knoweth not God,\nor knoweth not man's capacity of enjoying him, and how much he\nregardeth the heart of man; or knoweth not by what way he must be\nsought and found; or when he doubteth of the certainty of the word\nwhich declareth the duty of the hopes of man: all this, or any of\nthis, will suppress the ascending desires of the soul, and clip its\nwings, and break the heart of its holy aspirings after God, by killing\nor weakening the hopes of its success.\n\nHere then make use of Jesus Christ, the great Revealer of God and his\nwill to the blinded world, and the great Confirmer of the divine\nauthority of his word. Life and immortality are brought more fully to\nlight by the gospel, than ever they were by any other means. Moses and\nthe prophets did bring with their doctrine sufficient evidence of its\ncredibility. But Christ hath brought both a fuller revelation, and a\nfuller evidence to help belief. An inspired prophet, which proveth his\ninspiration to us, is a credible messenger: but when God himself shall\ncome down into flesh, and converse with man, and teach him the knowledge\nof God, and the way to life, and tell him the mysteries of the world to\ncome, and seal his testimony with unquestionable proofs, who will not\nlearn of such a Teacher? and who will deny belief to such a Messenger,\nexcept absurd, unreasonable men? Remember, then, when ignorance or\nunbelief would hinder your access to God, that you have the ablest\nTeacher and the surest Witness to acquaint you with God in all the\nworld. If God had sent an angel from heaven, to tell you what he is, and\nwhat he requireth of you, and what he will do for you, would it not be\nvery acceptable to you? But he hath done much more; he hath sent his\nSon:[86] the Deity itself hath appeared in flesh: he that hath seen God,\nand he that is God, hath come among men to acquaint them with God. His\ntestimony is more sure and credible than any angel's. Heb. i. 1-3, \"God,\nwho at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past to the\nfathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his\nSon.\" John i. 18, \"No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten\nSon, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.\" We have\n\"neither heard the voice of God, nor seen his shape,\" John v. 37. \"No\nman hath seen the Father, save he which is of God; he hath seen the\nFather,\" John vi. 46. \"No man knoweth the Father, save the Son, and he\nto whomsoever the Son will reveal him,\" Matt. xi. 27. What more can we\ndesire, that is short of the sight of the glory of God, than to have him\nrevealed to us by a messenger from heaven, and such a messenger as\nhimself has seen him, and is God himself? Plato and Plotinus may\ndescribe God to us according to their dark conjectures; something we may\ndiscern of him by observing his works; but Christ hath declared what he\nsaw, and what he knew, beyond all possibility of mistake. And lest his\nown testimony should seem questionable to us, he hath confirmed it by a\nlife of miracles, and by rising from the dead himself, and ascending\nvisibly to heaven; and by the Holy Ghost, and his miraculous gifts,\nwhich he gave to the messengers of his gospel. Had it been no more than\nhis resurrection from the dead, it had been enough to prove the utter\nunreasonableness of unbelief.\n\n2. It is also a great impediment to the soul in its approach to God,\nthat infinite distance disableth us to conceive of him aright. We say,\nas Elihu, Job xxxvi. 26, \"Behold, God is great, and we know him not.\"\nAnd, indeed, it is impossible that mortal man should have any adequate\napprehensions of his essence. But in his Son he hath come down to us,\nand showed himself in the clearest glass that ever did reveal him.\nThink of him therefore as he appeared in our flesh; as he showed\nhimself in his holiness and goodness to the world. You may have\npositive thoughts of Jesus Christ; though you may not think that the\nGodhead was flesh, yet may you think of it as it appeared in flesh. It\nmay quiet the understanding to conceive of God as incarnate, and to\nknow that we cannot yet know him as he is, or have any adequate\nconceptions of him. These may delight us till we reach to more.\n\n3. It hindereth the soul's approach to God, when the infinite distance\nmakes us think that God will not regard or take notice of such\ncontemptible worms as we: we are ready to think that he is too high\nfor our converse or delight. In this case the soul hath no such\nremedy, as to look to Christ; and see how the Father hath regarded us,\nand set his heart upon us, and sent his Son to seek and save us. Oh\nwonderful, astonishing condescension of eternal love! Believe that God\nassumed flesh to make himself familiar with man; and you can never\nquestion whether he regard us, or will hold communion with us.\n\n4. It hindereth our comfortable access to God, when we are deterred by\nthe glory of his infiniteness and majesty. As the eye is not able to\ngaze upon the sun, unless it be overshadowed; so the soul is afraid of\nthe majesty of God, and overwhelmed by it, when it should be delighted\nin it. Against this there is no such remedy, as to behold God\nappearing to us in his Son, where his majesty is veiled, and where he\napproacheth us familiarly in our nature, to invite us to him with holy\nconfidence and reverent boldness. Christ did not appear in a terrible\nform: women durst discourse with him; beggars, and cripples, and\ndiseased people durst ask his help; sinners durst eat with him: the\nproud contemned him, but the lowly were not frightened from him. He\n\"took upon him the form of a servant, and made himself of no\nreputation,\" that he might converse familiarly with the meanest, and\nthose of no reputation. Though we may not debase the Godhead, to\nimagine that it is humbled in glory, as it was on earth, in the flesh\nof Christ; yet this condescension is unspeakable encouragement to the\nsoul to come with boldness unto God, that was frighted from him.\n\n5. When the guilt of sin affrighteth us from God, and we are thinking\nthat God will not accept such great offenders as we have been, then\nChrist is our remedy, who hath paid our debt, and borne our stripes,\nand procured and sealed us a pardon by his blood.[87] Shall pardoned\nsins drive us from him that pardoneth them? He hath justified us by\nhis righteousness. The curse and damnation are terrible indeed; but he\nhath taken them away, and given us a free discharge.\n\n6. The infirmities also of our souls in duty, are oftentimes a great\ndiscouragement to us, in our approaches to the most holy, jealous God.\nTo find so little knowledge of God, so little love to him, such cold\ndesires, such wandering and distracted thoughts, such dull requests: it\nis hard to have lively and thankful apprehensions of God's acceptance of\nsuch defective, lame meditations or prayers; but we are apt to think\nthat he will abhor both them and us, and that he can take no pleasure in\nthem, yea, that it is as good not pray at all. Here faith hath full\nrelief in Christ: two things it can say from him to encourage the\nfearful soul: (1.) That our acceptance with the Father is through the\nmerits of his Son; and he is worthy, though we are unworthy. If we have\nbut the worthiness of faith, and repentance, and sincere desire, Christ\nhath the worthiness of perfect holiness and obedience for us. We go not\nto the Father in our own names, but in his; and whatever we ask the\nFather in the name of Christ according to his will, he will give it us,\nJohn xvi. 23; xiv. 13; xv. 16. (2.) That all the infirmities of our\nsouls and services are forgiven us through Christ: he hath undertaken to\nanswer for them all, and to justify us from all such accusations. By\nfaith thou mayst, as it were, hear Christ thus speaking for thine\nencouragement: Go boldly, poor sinner, into my Father's presence: fear\nnot the guilt of thy sins, nor the imperfection of thy prayers; as long\nas thou truly repentest of them, and desirest to be delivered from them,\nand trustest in me, I am thy worthiness; my righteousness is perfect\nwithout spot; I have taken all thy faults and failings upon me; I have\nundertaken to answer for all the imperfections of thy holy things:\nsincerity is thy endowment; perfection is mine: trust me in the\nperformance of the trust which I have undertaken.\n\n7. Sometimes, the soul that would draw near to God, is overwhelmed\nwith grief and terror, so that the sense of sin, and danger, and\nmisery do even distract men, and cast them into an agony; so that they\nsay with David, Psal. lxxvii. 2-4, \"My soul refused to be comforted, I\nremembered God and was troubled; I complained: and my spirit was\noverwhelmed. Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I\ncannot speak.\" Yea, they think they feel God thrust them from him, and\ntell them that he hath utterly forsaken them. In this case, faith must\nlook to Christ, and remember that he was in an agony when he prayed,\nand in greater agony than ever you were, so that he sweat even drops\nof blood; and yet in that agony he prayed more earnestly, Luke xxii.\n44. He himself once cried out upon the cross, \"My God, my God, why\nhast thou forsaken me?\" and yet he was the beloved of the Father, and\nis now at his right hand in glory: and all this he did that we might\nnot be forsaken. He hath removed the enmity: he hath reconciled us to\nGod. By grief he passed himself to joy, and he will wipe away his\nservants' tears, and cause their griefs to end in joy.\n\n8. Sometimes, the soul that would draw near to God, is molested with a\nstorm of hideous temptations, and even confounded with a swarm of\ndisordered, perplexed thoughts. Satan assaulteth it with temptations\nto despair, temptations to horrid blasphemous thoughts, temptations to\nentangle, intermit, corrupt, or pervert the duty which they are about;\nso that the soul is discouraged, overwhelmed, and broken with the\ninward assaults, and troubles, and distractions which it undergoeth.\nIn this case faith hath a Saviour suitable to our relief. It can look\nto him that was tempted in all points like as we are, without sin, and\nis now such a High Priest as can be touched with the feeling of our\ninfirmities; and therefore we may come boldly to the throne of grace,\nthat we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need, Heb.\niv. 14-16. \"In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his\nbrethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest, in\nthings pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the\npeople: for he himself having suffered being tempted, he is able to\nsuccour them that are tempted,\" Heb. ii. 17, 18. He submitted not only\nto be tempted by Satan, but tempted in a wilderness, where he had no\nman to comfort him; and to be tempted to the most horrid blasphemy and\nwickedness, even to fall down and worship the devil himself: and he\nsuffered the tempter violently to carry him to the pinnacle of the\ntemple, Matt. iv. What should we think of ourselves, if we had been\nused thus? Should we not think that God had utterly forsaken us? He\nsuffered himself to be tempted also by men; by the abuses and\nreproaches of his enemies; by the desertion of his followers; by the\ncarnal counsel of Peter, persuading him to put by the death which he\nwas to undergo. And he that made all temptations serve to the triumph\nof his patience, and conquering power, will give the victory also to\nhis grace, in the weakest soul.\n\n9. It would be the greatest attractive to us to draw near to God, and\nmake the thoughts of him pleasant to us, if we could but believe that he\ndearly loveth us, that he is reconciled to us, and taketh us for his\nchildren, and that he taketh pleasure in us, and that he resolveth for\never to glorify us with his Son; and that the dearest friend that we\nhave in the world, doth not love us the thousandth part so much as he.\nAnd all this in Christ, is clearly represented to the eye of faith. All\nthis is procured for believers by him; and all this is given to\nbelievers in him: in him God is reconciled to us: he is our Father, and\ndwelleth among us, and in us, and walketh in us, and is our God, 2 Cor.\nvi. 16-18. Light and heat are not more abundant in the sun, than love is\nin Jesus Christ. To look on Christ, and not perceive the love of God, is\nas to look on the sun, and not to see and acknowledge its light.\nTherefore whenever you find your hearts averse to God, and to have no\npleasure in him, look then to Jesus, and observe in him the unmeasurable\nlove of God: that \"you may be able to comprehend with all the saints,\nwhat is the breadth and length, and depth and height, and to know the\nlove of Christ which passeth knowledge, that you may be filled with all\nthe fulness of God,\" Eph. iii. 18, 19. Love and goodness are that to the\nwill, which delicious sweetness is to the sensitive appetite. Draw near\nthen and taste the feast of love which God hath prepared and proposed by\nhis Son. Dost thou not see or feel the love of God? Come near, and look\nupon God incarnate; upon a crucified Christ; upon the covenant sealed in\nhis blood; upon all the benefits of his redemption; upon all the\nprivileges of the saints; and upon the glory purchased, possessed, and\npromised by him: put thy hand into his wounded side, and be not\nfaithless, but believing; and then thou wilt cry out, \"My Lord, and my\nGod.\"\n\n10. So also, when the soul would fain perceive in itself the flames of\nlove to God, it is the beholding of Christ by faith, which is the\nstriking of fire, and the effectual means of kindling love. And this\nis the true approach to God, and the true communion and converse with\nhim: so far as we love him, so far we draw near him, and so far we\nhave true communion with him. Oh what would the soul of a believer\ngive, that it could but burn in love to God, as oft as in prayer, or\nmeditation, or conference, his name and attributes are mentioned or\nremembered! For this, there is no such powerful means, as believingly\nto look on Christ, in whom such glorious love appeareth, as will draw\nforth the love of all that by a lively faith discern it. Behold the\nlove that God hath manifested by his Son, and thou canst not but love\nhim who is the spring of this transcendent love. In the law God\nshoweth his frowning wrath; and therefore it breedeth the \"spirit of\nbondage unto fear:\" but in Christ God appeareth to us not only as\nloving us, but as love itself; and therefore as most lovely to us,\ngiving us the spirit of adoption, or of filial love, by which we fly\nand cry to him as our Father.\n\n11. The actual undisposedness and disability of the soul, to prayer,\nmeditation, and all holy converse with the blessed God, is the great\nimpediment of our walking with him; and against this our relief is all\nin Christ. He is filled with the Spirit, to communicate to his\nmembers: he can quicken us when we are dull: he can give us faith when\nwe are unbelieving: he can give us boldness when we are discouraged:\nhe can pour out upon us the Spirit of supplication, which shall help\nour infirmities, when we know not what to pray for as we ought. Beg of\nhim, then, the spirit of prayer: and look to his example, who prayed\nwith strong cries and tears, and continued all the night in prayer,\nand spake a parable to this end, that we should always pray, and not\nwax faint, Luke xviii. 1. Call to him, and he that is with the Father\nwill reach the hand of his Spirit to you, and will quicken your\ndesires, and lift you up.\n\n12. Sometimes, the soul is hearkening to temptations of unbelief, and\ndoubting whether God observe our prayers, or whether there is so much\nto be got by prayer as we are told. In such a case faith must look to\nChrist, who hath not only commanded it, and encouraged us by his\nexample; but also made us such plentiful promises of acceptance with\nGod, and the grant of our desires. Recourse to these promises will\nanimate us to draw nigh to God.\n\n13. Sometimes, the present sense of our vileness, who are but dust and\ndespicable worms, doth discourage us, and weaken our expectations from\nGod. Against this, what a wonderful relief is it to the soul, to think\nof our union with Christ, and of the dignity and glory of our Head!\nCan God despise the members of his Son? Can he trample upon them that\nare as his flesh and bone? Will he cut off, or forsake, or cast away\nthe weakest parts of his body?\n\n14. Sometimes, the guilt of renewed infirmities or decays doth renew\ndistrust, and make us shrink; and we are like the child in the mother's\narms, that feareth when he loseth his hold, as if his safety were more\nin his hold of her, than in her hold of him. Weak duties have weak\nexpectations of success. In this case, what an excellent remedy hath\nfaith, in looking to the perpetual intercession of Christ. Is he praying\nfor us in the heavens, and shall we not be bold to pray, and expect an\nanswer? O remember that he is not weak, when we are weak; and that it\nconcerneth us, that he prayeth for us: and that we have now an\nunchangeable Priest, who is able to save them to the uttermost, or to\nperpetuity, \"that come (sincerely) to God by him, seeing he ever liveth\nto make intercession for them,\" Heb. vii. 24, 25. If you heard Christ\npray for you, would it not encourage you to pray, and persuade you that\nGod would not reject you? Undoubtedly it would.\n\n15. Sometimes, weak christians, that have not gifts of memory or\nutterance, are apt to think that ministers indeed, and able men, are\naccepted of God, but that he little valueth such as them. It is here a\ngreat encouragement to the soul, to think that Jesus, our great High\nPriest, doth make all his children priests to God. They are \"a chosen\ngeneration, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that\nthey should show forth the praises of him that hath called them out of\ndarkness into his marvellous light: an holy priesthood to offer up\nspiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ,\" 1 Pet. ii. 5,\n9. Even their \"broken hearts and contrite spirits, are a sacrifice\nwhich God will not despise,\" Psal. li. 17. He knoweth the meaning of\nthe Spirit's groans, Rom. viii. 26, 27.\n\n16. The strength of corruptions which molest the soul, and are too often\nstruggling with it, and too much prevail, doth greatly discourage us in\nour approach to that God that hateth all the workers of iniquity. And\nhere faith may find relief in Christ, not only as he pardoneth us, but\nas he hath conquered the devil and the world himself, and bid us be of\ngood cheer, because he hath conquered, and hath all power given him in\nheaven and earth, and can give us victorious grace, in the season and\nmeasure which he seeth meetest for us. We can do all things through\nChrist that strengtheneth us. Go to him then by faith and prayer, and\nyou shall find that his grace is sufficient for you.\n\n17. The thoughts of God are the less delightful to the soul, because\nthat death and the grave do interpose, and we must pass through them\nbefore we can enjoy him: and it is unpleasing to nature, to think of a\nseparation of soul and body, and to think that our flesh must rot in\ndarkness. But against this, faith hath wonderful relief in Jesus\nChrist. \"Forasmuch as we were partakers of flesh and blood, he also\nhimself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might\ndestroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and\ndeliver them who through fear of death, were all their lifetime\nsubject to bondage,\" Heb. ii. 14, 15. Oh what an encouragement it is\nto faith, to observe that Christ once died himself, and that he rose\nfrom the dead, and reigneth with the Father: it being impossible that\ndeath should hold him. And having conquered that which seemed to\nconquer him, it no more hath dominion over him, but he hath the keys\nof death and hell. We may now entertain death as a disarmed enemy, and\nsay, \"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?\"\nYea, it is sanctified by him to be our friend, even an entrance into\nour Master's joy: it being best for us to depart and be with Christ,\nPhil. i. 23. And, therefore, death is become our gain, ver. 21. Oh\nwhat abundance of strength and sweetness may faith perceive from that\npromise of Christ, John xii. 26, \"If any man serve me, let him follow\nme, and where I am, there shall also my servant be.\" As he was dead,\nbut now liveth for evermore, so hath he promised, that \"because he\nliveth, therefore shall we live also,\" John xiv. 19. But of this, I\nhave written two treatises of death already.\n\n18. The terror of the day of judgment, and of our particular doom at\ndeath, doth make the thoughts of God less pleasing and delectable to\nus. And here, what a relief is it for faith to apprehend that Jesus\nChrist must be our Judge! And will he condemn the members of his body?\nShall we be afraid to be judged by our dearest Friend?--by him that\nhath justified us himself already, even at the price of his own blood?\n\n19. The very strangeness of the soul to the world unseen, and to the\ninhabitants and employments there, doth greatly stop the soul in its\ndesires, and in its delightful approaches unto God. Had we seen the\nworld where God must be enjoyed, the thoughts of it would be more\nfamiliar and sweet. But faith can look to Christ, and say, My Head is\nthere: he seeth it for me; he knoweth what he possesseth, prepareth, and\npromiseth to me; and I will quietly rest in his acquaintance with it.\n\n20. Nay, the Godhead itself is so infinitely above us, that, in\nitself, it is inaccessible; and it is ready to amaze and overwhelm us,\nto think of coming to the incomprehensible Majesty: but it emboldeneth\nthe soul, to think of our glorified nature in Christ, and that, even\nin heaven, God will everlastingly condescend to us in the Mediator.\nFor the mediation of redemption and acquisition shall be ended, (and\nthus he shall deliver up the kingdom to the Father,) yet it seems that\na mediation of fruition shall continue: for Christ said to his Father,\n\"I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am,\nthat they may behold my glory,\" John xvii. 24. We shall \"rejoice,\"\nwhen the \"marriage of the Lamb is come,\" Rev. xix. 7. \"They are\nblessed that are called to his marriage supper,\" ver. 9. \"The Lord God\nAlmighty and the Lamb are the temple and the light of the new\nJerusalem,\" Rev. xxi. 22, 23. Heaven would not be so familiar, or so\nsweet to my thoughts, if it were not that our glorified Lord is there,\nin whose love and glory we must live for ever.\n\nO christian, as ever thou wouldst walk with God in comfortable communion\nwith him, study and exercise this life of faith, in the daily use and\nimprovement of Christ, who is our life, and hope, and all.\n\n[Sidenote: To believe in the Holy Ghost, and live upon his grace.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ III. Understand well what it is to believe in the Holy\nGhost; and see that he dwell and operate in thee, as the life of thy\nsoul, and that thou do not resist or quench the Spirit, but thankfully\nobey him.\n\nEach person in the Trinity is so believed in by christians, as that in\nbaptism they enter distinctly into covenant with them: which is, to\naccept the mercies of, and perform the duties to, each person\ndistinctly.[88] As to take God for our God is more than to believe\nthat there is a God, and to take Christ for our Saviour is more than\nbarely to believe that he is the Messiah; so to believe in the Holy\nGhost, is to take him for Christ's agent or advocate with our souls,\nand for our Guide, and Sanctifier, and Comforter, and not only to\nbelieve that he is the third person in the Trinity. This therefore is\na most practical article of our belief.\n\nIf the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost be the unpardonable sin, then\nall sin against the Holy Ghost must needs have a special aggravation\nby being such. And if the sin against the Holy Ghost be the greatest\nsin, then our duty towards the Holy Ghost is certainly none of our\nsmallest duties. Therefore the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and our\nduty towards him, and sin against him, deserve not the least or last\nplace in teaching, learning, and most serious consideration.\n\nTwo sorts do most dangerously sin against or abuse the Holy Ghost. The\nfirst is the profane, who through custom and education can say, \"I\nbelieve in the Holy Ghost,\" and say, that \"he sanctifieth them and all\nthe elect people of God;\" but hate or resist all sanctifying works and\nmotions of the Holy Ghost, and hate all those that are sanctified by\nhim, and make them the objects of their scorn, and deride the very\nname of sanctification, or at least the thing.[89]\n\nThe second sort are the enthusiasts, or true fanatics, who advance,\nextol, and plead for the Spirit, against the Spirit; covering their\ngreatest sins against the Holy Ghost, by crying up, and pretending to\nthe Holy Ghost.[90] They plead the Spirit in themselves against the\nSpirit in their brethren, yea, and in almost all the church: they plead\nthe authority of the Spirit in them, against the authority of the Spirit\nin the holy Scriptures; and against particular truths of Scripture; and\nagainst several great and needful duties which the Spirit hath required\nin the word; and against the Spirit in their most judicious, godly,\nfaithful teachers. But can it be the Spirit that speaks against the\nSpirit? Is the Spirit of God against itself? Are we \"not all baptized by\none Spirit (and not divers or contrary) into one body?\" 1 Cor. xii. 12,\n13. But it is \"no marvel, for Satan to be transformed into an angel of\nlight, or his ministers into the ministers of Christ, and of\nrighteousness, whose end shall be according to their works,\" 2 Cor. xi.\n13-15. The Spirit himself therefore hath commanded us, that we \"believe\nnot every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God; because\nmany false prophets are gone out into the world,\" 1 John iv. 1. \"Yea,\nthe Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall\ndepart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of\ndevils,\" 1 Tim. iv. 1. Therefore take heed that you neither mistake nor\nabuse the Holy Spirit.\n\n1. The doctrine concerning the Holy Ghost, to be believed, is briefly\nthis: (1.) That the Holy Ghost, as given since the ascension of\nChrist, is his agent on earth, or his advocate with men (called by him\nthe Paraclete): instead of his bodily presence, which for a little\nspace he vouchsafed to a few, being ascended, he sendeth the Holy\nSpirit as better for them, to be his agent continually to the end, and\nunto all, and in all that do believe, John xvi. 7, 8. (2.) This Holy\nSpirit, so sent, infallibly inspired the holy apostles and\nevangelists, first to preach, and then to write the doctrine of\nChrist, contained (as indited by him) in the holy Scriptures;\nperfectly imprinting therein the holy image of God, John xv. 26; xvi.\n13; Gal. iii. 1-4; Heb. ii. 3, 4. (3.) The same Spirit in them, sealed\nthis holy doctrine, and the testimony of these holy men, by many\nmiracles and wonderful gifts, by which they did actually convince the\nunbelieving world, and plant the churches. (4.) The same Spirit\n(having first by the apostles given a law or canon to the universal\nchurch, constituting its offices and the duty of the officers, and the\nmanner of their entrance) doth qualify and dispose men for the stated,\nordinary ministerial work, (which is to explain and apply the foresaid\nScriptures,) and directeth those that are to ordain and choose them\n(they being not wanting on their part); and so he appointeth pastors\nto the church, Eph. iii. 2-4, 8, 13. (5.) The same Spirit assisteth\nthe ministers (thus sent in their faithful use of the means) to teach\nand apply the holy Scriptures according to the necessities of the\npeople, the weight of the matter, and the majesty of the word of God.\n(6.) The same Spirit doth by this word (heard or read) renew and\nsanctify the souls of the elect; illuminating their minds, opening and\nquickening their hearts, prevailing with, changing, and resolving\ntheir wills, thus writing God's word, and imprinting his image by his\nword upon their hearts, making it powerful to conquer and cast out\ntheir strongest, sweetest, dearest sins, and bringing them to the\nsaving knowledge, love, and obedience of God in Jesus Christ, Acts\nxxvi. 18; John xiv. 16, 26. (7.) The same Holy Spirit assisteth the\nsanctified in the exercise of this grace, to the increase of it, by\nblessing and concurring with the means appointed by him to that end:\nand helpeth them to use those means, perform those duties, conquer\ntemptations, oppositions, and difficulties, and so confirmeth and\npreserveth them to the end. (8.) The same Spirit helpeth believers, in\nthe exercise of grace, to feel it, and discern the sincerity of it in\nthemselves, in that measure as they are meet for, and in those seasons\nwhen it is fittest for them. (9.) The same Spirit helpeth them\nhereupon to conclude that they are justified and reconciled to God,\nand have right to all the benefits of his covenant. (10.) Also, he\nassisteth them actually to rejoice in the discerning of this\nconclusion. For though reason of itself may do something in these\nacts, yet so averse is man to all that is holy, and so many are the\ndifficulties and hinderances in the way, that to the effectual\nperformance, the help of the Spirit of God is necessary.\n\nBy this enumeration of the Spirit's operations, you may see the errors\nof many detected, and many common questions answered. 1. You may see\ntheir blindness, that pretend the Spirit within them, against\nScripture, ministry, or the use of God's appointed means: when the\nsame Spirit first indited the Scripture, and maketh it the instrument\nto illuminate and sanctify our souls. God's image is, (1.) Primarily,\nin Jesus Christ his Son. (2.) Derivatively, by his Spirit, imprinted\nperfectly in the Holy Scriptures. (3.) And by the Scripture, or the\nholy doctrine of it, instrumentally impressed on the soul. So that the\nimage of God in Christ, is the cause of his image in his holy word or\ndoctrine, and his image in his word, is the cause of his image on the\nheart. So a king may have his image, (1.) Naturally, on his son, who\nis like his father. (2.) Expressively, in his laws, which express his\nwisdom, clemency, and justice. (3.) And effectively, on his subjects\nand servants, who are by his laws reduced to a conformity to his mind.\nAs a man may first cut his arms or image on his seal, and then by that\nseal imprint it on the wax; and though it be perfectly cut on the\nseal, it may be imperfectly printed on the wax; so God's image is\nnaturally perfect in his Son, and regularly or expressively perfect on\nthe seal of his holy doctrine and laws; but imperfectly on his\nsubjects, according to their reception of it in their several degrees.\n\nTherefore it is easy to discern their error, that tell men the light or\nSpirit within them, is their rule, and a perfect rule, yea, and that it\nis thus in all men in the world; when God's word and experience flatly\ncontradict it, telling us that infidels and enemies of God, and all the\nungodly, are in darkness, and not in the light; and that all that speak\nnot according to this word, (the law and testimony,) have \"no light in\nthem;\" and therefore no \"perfect light to be their rule,\" Isa. viii. 20.\nThe ministry is sent, to bring them from darkness to light: therefore,\nthey had not a sufficient light in them before, Acts xxvi. 17, 18. \"Woe\nto them that put darkness for light, and light for darkness!\" Isa. v.\n20: telling the children of darkness, and the haters of the light, that\nthey have a perfect light and rule within them, when God saith, \"They\nhave no light in them.\" See 1 John i. 4-8. \"He that saith he is in the\nlight, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even till now,\" 1 John ii.\n9-11. The light within a wicked man, is \"darkness\" and \"blindness,\" and\ntherefore not his rule, Matt. vi. 23; Eph. v. 8. Even the light that is\nin godly men, is the knowledge of the rule, and not the rule itself at\nall, nor ever called so by God. Our rule is perfect; our knowledge is\nimperfect: for Paul himself saith, \"We know in part; but when that which\nis perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away: now\nwe see through a glass darkly,\" 1 Cor. xiii. 9, 10, 12. \"The gospel is\nhid to them that are lost,\" being \"blinded by Satan,\" 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4.\n\nThere is an admirable, unsearchable concurrence of the Spirit, and his\nappointed means, and the will of man, in the procreation of the new\ncreature, and in all the exercises of grace, as there is of male and\nfemale in natural generation; and of the earth, the sun, the rain, the\nindustry of the gardener, and the seminal virtue of life and\nspecification, in the production of plants with their flowers and\nfruits. And as wise as it would be to say, it is not the male but the\nfemale, or not the female but the male that generateth; or to say, it\nis not the earth but the sun, or not the sun but the rain, or not the\nrain but the seminal virtue, that causeth plants with flowers and\nfruits: so wise is it to say, it is not the Spirit but the word and\nmeans, or it is not the word and means but the Spirit, or it is not\nthe reason, and will, and industry of man, but the Spirit: or, if we\nhave not wisdom enough to assign to each cause its proper interest in\nthe effect, that therefore we should separate what God hath conjoined,\nor deny the truth of the causation, because we comprehend not the\nmanner and influence--this is but to choose to be befooled by pride,\nrather than confess that God is wiser than we.\n\n2. You may here discern also, how the Spirit assureth and comforteth\nbelievers: and how palpably they err, that think the Spirit comforteth\nor assureth us of our salvation without the use of its evidencing\ngrace. The ten things mentioned above, is all that the Spirit doth\nherein. But to expect his comforts without any measure of discerning\nhis graces, which can only rationally prove our right to the blessings\nof the promise, this is to expect that he should comfort a rational\ncreature not as rational, but darkly cause him to rejoice he knoweth\nnot why: and that he should make no use of faith to our comfort: for\nfaith resteth understandingly upon the promise, and expecteth the\nperformance of it to those that it is made to, and not to others.\nIndeed there is a common encouragement and comfort, which all men,\neven the worst, may take from the universal, conditional promise: and\nthere is much abatement of our fears and troubles that may be fetched\nfrom probabilities and uncertain hopes of our own sincerity and\ninterest in the promise. But to expect any other assurance or comfort\nfrom the Spirit, without evidence, is but to expect immediate\nrevelations or inspirations to do the work, which the word of promise\nand faith should do. The soul's consent to the covenant of grace, and\nfiducial acceptance of an offered Christ, is justifying, saving faith:\nevery man hath an object in the promise and offer of the gospel for\nthis act, and therefore may rationally perform it. (Though all have\nnot hearts to do it.) This may well be called, faith of adherence; and\nis itself our evidence, from which we must conclude, that we are true\nbelievers: the discerning of this evidence, called by some, the reflex\nact of faith, is no act of faith at all, it being no believing of\nanother, but the act of conscience, knowing what is in ourselves. The\ndiscerning and concluding that we are the children of God,\nparticipateth of faith and conscientious knowledge, which gave us the\npremises of such a conclusion.\n\n3. You may hence perceive also how we are said to be \"sealed\" by the\nSpirit, Eph. i. 13; Rom. viii. 9; Eph. iv. 30: even as a man's seal doth\nsignify the thing sealed to be his own; so the \"Spirit of holiness in\nus,\" is God's seal upon us, signifying that we are his, 2 Tim. ii. 19.\nEvery one that \"hath the Spirit,\" is sealed by having it: and that is\nhis evidence, which, if he discern, he may know that he is thus sealed.\n\n4. Hereby also you may see what the \"earnest and first-fruits of the\nSpirit\" is, 2 Cor. i. 22: the Spirit is given to us by God, as the\nearnest of the glory which he will give us. To whomsoever he giveth\nthe spirit of faith, and love, and holiness, he giveth the seed of\nlife eternal, and an inclination thereto, which is his earnest of it.\n\n5. Hereby also you may see how the Spirit witnesseth that we are the\nchildren of God. The word \"witness\" is put here principally for\nevidence: if any one question our adoption, the witness or evidence\nwhich we must produce to prove it, is the \"Spirit of Jesus sanctifying\nus,\" and dwelling in us: this is the chief part (at least) of the sense\nof the text, Rom. viii. 16. Though it is true, that the same Spirit\nwitnesseth by (1.) Showing us the grace which he hath given us; (2.) And\nby showing us the truth of the promise made to all believers; (3.) And\nby helping us from those promises to conclude with boldness, that we are\nthe children of God; (4.) And by helping us to rejoice therein.\n\nII. I have been the longer (though too short) in acquainting you with\nthe office of the Holy Ghost, (supposing your belief that he is the\nthird person in the Trinity,) because it is an article of grand\nimportance, neglected by many that profess it, and because there are\nso many and dangerous errors in the world about it. Your great care\nnow must be, 1. To find this Spirit in you, as the principle of your\noperations: and, 2. To obey it, and follow its motions, as it leadeth\nyou up to communion with God. Of the first I have spoken in the first\nchapter. For the second, observe these few directions.\n\n_Direct._ I. Be sure you mistake not the Spirit of God and its\nmotions, nor receive, instead of them, the motions of Satan, or of\nyour passions, pride, or fleshly wisdom.--It is easy to think you are\nobeying the Spirit, when you are obeying Satan and your own\ncorruptions against the Spirit. By these fruits the Spirit of God is\nknown. 1. The Spirit of God is for heavenly wisdom, and neither for\nfoolishness nor treacherous craftiness, Psal. xix. 7; xciv. 8; Jer.\niv. 22; 1 Cor. ii. 4-7. 2. The Spirit of God is a Spirit of love,\ndelighting to do good; its doctrine and motions are for love, and tend\nto good; abhorring both selfishness and hurtfulness to others, Gal. v.\n21, 22. 3. He is a Spirit of concord, and is ever for the unity of all\nbelievers; abhorring both divisions among the saints, and carnal\ncompliances and confederacies with the wicked, 1 Cor. xii.; Eph. iv.\n3-6, 13; 1 Cor. i. 10; iii. 3; Rom. xvi. 17, 18. 4. He is a Spirit of\nhumility and self-denial, making us, and our knowledge, and gifts, and\nworth, to be very little in our own eyes;[91] abhorring pride,\nambition, self-exalting, boasting, as also the actual debasing of\nourselves by earthliness or other sin, Matt. xviii. 3; Eph. iv. 2. 5.\nHe is a Spirit of meekness, and patience, and forbearance; abhorring\nstupidity, and inordinate passion, boisterousness, tumult, envy,\ncontention, reviling, and revenge, Matt. xi. 28, 29; Eph. iv. 2; James\niii.; 1 Pet. ii. 20-23; Gal. v. 20; Rom. xii. 18-20; Eph. iv. 31; Col.\niii. 8. 6. He is a Spirit of zeal for God, resolving men against\nknown sin, and for known truth and duty; abhorring a furious,\ndestroying zeal, and also an indifferency in the cause of God; and a\nyielding compliance with that which is against it, Gal. iv. 18; Numb.\nxxv. 11, 13; Titus ii. 14; James iii. 15, 17; Luke ix. 55; Rev. iii.\n16. 7. He is a Spirit of mortification, crucifying the flesh, and\nstill contending against it, and causing men to live above all the\nglory, and riches, and pleasures of the world: abhorring both carnal\nlicentiousness and sensuality, and also the destroying and disabling\nof the body, under pretence of true mortification, Rom. viii. 1, 13;\nGal. v. 17; Rom. xiii. 13, 14; 1 Cor. ix. 27; 2 Pet. ii. 19; Col. ii.\n18, 21, 23. 8. The Spirit of Christ contradicteth not the doctrine of\nChrist in the holy Scripture, but moveth us to an exact conformity\nthereto, Isa. viii. 20. This is the sure rule to try pretences and\nmotions of every spirit by: for we are sure that the Spirit of Christ\nis the author of that word; and we are sure he is not contrary to\nhimself. 9. The motions of the Spirit do all tend to our good, and are\nneither ludicrous, impertinent, or hurtful finally: they are all for\nthe perfecting of sanctification, obedience, and for our salvation.\nTherefore unprofitable trifles, or despair, and hurtful distractions\nand disturbances of mind, which drive from God, unfit for duty, and\nhinder salvation, are not the motions of the Spirit of God, 2 Tim. i.\n7; Rom. viii. 15; Isa. xi. 2; Gal. v. 22; Zech. xii. 10; 1 Pet. iv.\n14; 2 Cor. iii. 6. 10. Lastly, The Spirit of God subjecteth all to\nGod, and raiseth the heart to him, and maketh us spiritual and divine,\nand is ever for God's glory, 1 John iv. 5, 6; 1 Cor. vi. 11, 17, 20;\nEph. ii. 18, 22; Phil. iii. 3, 19, 20; 1 Pet. i. 2; iv. 6. Examine the\ntexts here cited, and you will find that by all these fruits the\nSpirit of God is known from all seducing spirits, and from the fancies\nor passions of self-conceited men.\n\n_Direct._ II. Quench not the Spirit, either by wilful sin or by your\nneglecting of its offered help.--It is as the spring to all your\nspiritual motions; as the wind to your sails: you can do nothing without\nit. Therefore reverence and regard its help, and pray for it, and obey\nit, and neglect it not. When you are sure it is the Spirit of God\nindeed, that is knocking at the door, behave not yourselves as if you\nheard not. 1. Obey him speedily: delay is a present, unthankful refusal,\nand a kind of a denial. 2. Obey him thoroughly: a half-obedience is\ndisobedience. Put him not off with Ananias and Sapphira's gift; the half\nof that which he requireth of you. 3. Obey him constantly: not sometimes\nhearkening to him, and more frequently neglecting him; but attending him\nin a learning, obediential course of life.\n\n_Direct._ III. Neglect not those means which the Spirit hath appointed\nyou to use, for the receiving of its help, and which he useth in his\nholy operations.--If you will meet with him, attend him in his own\nway, and expect him not in by-ways where he useth not to go. Pray, and\nmeditate, and hear, and read, and do your best, and expect his\nblessing. Though your ploughing and sowing will not give you a\nplentiful harvest without the sun, and rain, and the blessing of God,\nyet these will not do it neither, unless you plough and sow. God hath\nnot appointed a course of means in nature or morality in vain, nor\nwill he use to meet you in any other way.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Do most when the Spirit helpeth you most.--Neglect not\nthe extraordinary measures of his assistance: if he extraordinarily\nhelp you in prayer, or meditation, improve that help, and break not\noff so soon as at other times (without necessity): not that you should\nomit duty till you feel his help; for he useth to come in with help\nin the performance, and not in the neglect of duty: but tire not out\nyourself with affected length, when you want the life.\n\n_Direct._ V. Be not unthankful for the assistance he hath given\nyou.--Deny not his grace: ascribe it not to nature: remember it to\nencourage your future expectations: unthankfulness and neglect are the\nway to be denied further help.\n\n_Quest._ But how shall I know whether good effects be from the means,\nor from my reason and endeavour, and when from the Spirit of God?\n\n_Answ._ It is as if you should ask, How shall I know whether my\nharvest be from the earth, or sun, or rain, or God, or from my labour?\nI will tell you how. They are all con-causes: if the effect be there,\nthey all concur; if the effect be wanting, some of them were wanting.\nIt is foolish to ask, which is the cause, when the effect is not\nproduced but by the concurrence of them all. If you had asked, which\ncause did fail, when the effect faileth? there were reason in that\nquestion; but there is none in this. The more to blame those foolish\natheists, that think God or the Spirit is not the cause, if they can\nbut find that reason and means are in the effect. Your reason, and\nconscience, and means would fall short of the effect, if the Spirit\nput not life into all.\n\n_Obj._ But I am exceedingly troubled and confounded with continual\ndoubts about every motion that is in my mind, whether it be from the\nSpirit of God, or not.\n\n_Answ._ The more is your ignorance, or the malice of Satan causing\nyour disquiet. In one word, you have sufficient direction to resolve\nthose doubts, and end those troubles. Is it good, or evil, or\nindifferent, that you are moved to? This question must be resolved\nfrom the word of God, which is the rule of duty. If it be good, in\nmatter, and manner, and circumstances, it is from the Spirit of God\n(either its common or special operation): if it be evil or\nindifferent, you cannot ascribe it to the Spirit. Remember that the\nSpirit cometh not to you, to make you new duty which the Scripture\nnever made your duty, and so to bring an additional law; but to move\nand help you in that which was your duty before. (Only it may give the\nmatter, while Scripture giveth the obligation by its general command.)\nIf you know not what is your duty, and what not, it is your ignorance\nof Scripture that must be cured: interpret Scripture well, and you may\ninterpret the Spirit's motions easily. If any new duty be motioned to\nyou, which Scripture commandeth not, take such motions as not from God\n(unless it were by extraordinary, confirmed revelation).\n\n[Sidenote: For the true and orderly impression of God's attributes on\nthe heart.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ IV. Let it be your chiefest study to attain to a true,\norderly, and practical knowledge of God, in his several attributes and\nrelations; and to find a due impression from each of them upon your\nhearts, and a distinct, effectual improvement of them in your lives.\n\nBecause I have written of this point more fully in another treatise,\n\"Of the Knowledge of God, and Converse with Him,\" I shall but briefly\ntouch upon it here, as not willing to repeat that which there is\ndelivered: Only, let me briefly mind you of these few things: 1. That\nthe true knowledge of God is the sum of godliness, and the end of all\nour other knowledge, and of all that we have or do as christians.[92]\nAs Christ is a teacher that came from God, so he came to call and lead\nus unto God; or else he had not come as a Saviour. It is from God that\nwe fell by sin, and to God that we must be restored by grace. To save\nus, is to restore us to our perfection, and our happiness; and that is\nto restore us unto God.\n\n2. That the true knowledge of God is powerful and effectual upon the\nheart and life: and every attribute and relation of God, is so to be\nknown, as to make its proper impress on us: and the measure of this\nsaving knowledge, is not to be judged of, by extensiveness, or number\nof truths concerning God which we know, so much as by the clearness,\nand intensiveness, and the measure of its holy effects upon the heart.\n\n3. This is it that denominateth both ourselves, and all our duties,\nholy: when God's image is thus imprinted on us; and we are like him by\nthe new birth, as children to their father; and by his knowledge, both\nour hearts and lives are made divine; being disposed unto God, devoted\nto him and employed for him; he being our life, and light, and love.\n\n4. This is the sum of the covenant of God with man, \"I will be thy God,\nand thou shalt be my people.\" And the other parts of the covenant, \"that\nChrist be our Saviour, and the Holy Ghost our Sanctifier,\" are both\nsubservient unto this; there being now no coming unto God, but as\nreconciled in Christ our Mediator, and by the teaching and drawing of\nthe Holy Ghost. To be our God, is to be to us an absolute Owner, a most\nrighteous Governor, and a most bountiful Benefactor or Father; as having\ncreated us, redeemed and regenerated us; and this according to his most\nblessed nature, properties, and perfections.\n\n5. It is not only a loose and inconstant effect of your particular\nthoughts of God, that is the necessary impress of his attributes (as to\nfear him, when you remember his greatness and justice): but it must be a\nhabit or holy nature in you, every attribute having made its stated\nimage upon you; and that habit or image being in you, a constant\nprinciple of holy, spiritual operations. A habit of reverence, belief,\ntrust, love, &c. should be, as it were, your nature.\n\n6. Not that the knowledge of God in his perfections, should provoke us\nto desire his properties and perfections: for to have such an aspiring\ndesire to be gods, were the greatest pride and wickedness. But only we\nmust desire, (1.) To be as like God, in all his communicable\nexcellencies, as is agreeable to our created state and capacity. (2.)\nAnd to have as near and full communion with him, as we can attain to\nand enjoy.\n\n7. The will of God, and his goodness, and holiness, are more nearly\npropounded to us, to be the rule of our conformity, than his power,\nand his knowledge. Therefore his law is most immediately the\nexpression of his will; and our duty and goodness lie in our\nconformity to his law; being holy as he is holy.\n\nBecause I may not stand on the particulars, I shall give you a brief,\nimperfect scheme of that of God, which you must thus know.\n\n  God is to be known by us\n\n      I. As in Himself.\n\n            {1. One; and\n  I. In his {indivisible:      {[a]1. The\n  BEING:    {in Three          {   FATHER,  {[b]1. Necessary,}\n  _Quod     {Persons.[a]       {2. The SON, {2. Independent, }\n  sit._     {2. Immense: and   {3. The HOLY {3. Immutable.   }\n            {incomprehensible. {   GHOST.\n            {3. Eternal.[b]\n\n                       {1. Simple: uncompounded.\n             {A SPIRIT {2. Impassionate, incorruptible,\n  II. In his {         {    immortal.\n  NATURE:    {         {3. Invisible, intactible, &c.\n  _Quid      {\n  sit._      {         {1. POWER,\n             {and LIFE {2. UNDERSTANDING,\n             {itself.  {3. WILL.\n\n               {               {1. MOST      {[c]1. BEING}\n               {               {   GREAT,    {   HIMSELF.}\n  III. In his  {1. OMNIPOTENT, {2. MOST      {2. KNOWING }\n  PERFECTIONS: {2. OMNISCIENT, {   WISE,     {HIMSELF.   }\n  _Qualis      {3. MOST GOOD.  {3. MOST      {3. LOVING  }\n  sit._        {               {   HOLY      {and        }\n               {               {   and       {ENJOYING   }\n               {               {   HAPPY.[c] {HIMSELF.   }\n\n\n      II. As related to His Creatures.\n\n            }                {1. Our OWNER  }(_d_)         {(_e_)\n            }1. CREATOR      {or LORD: most }              {\n  I. The    }and Conserver.  {Absolute,     }1. Our        {1. Perfecting\n  EFFICIENT }                {Free, and     }_Life_,  {our Natures\n  Cause of  }                {Irresistable. }and Strength, {in Heavenly\n  all       }                {              }and Safety.   {Life.\n  things:   }                {              }              {\n  Rom. x.   }                {2. Our RULER  }              {\n  36: \"OF   }                {or King:      }              {\n  HIM.\"     }                {1. By         }              {\n            }                {Legislation:  }2. Our        {2. Whom we\n            }                {2. Judgment:  }_Light_, {shall\n            }                {3. Execution: }and Wisdom.   {behold in\n            }2. REDEEMER     {Absolute,     }              {glorious\n            } and Saviour.   {perfect,      }              {Light.\n  II: The   }                {True, Holy,   }              {\n  DIRIGENT  }                {Just          }              {\n  Cause:    }                {Merciful,     }              {\n  \"THROUGH  }                {Patient,      }              {\n  HIM.\"     }                {Terrible.     }              {\n            }                {              }              {\n            }                {3. Our        }              {3. Whom we\n            }                {BENEFACTOR    }              {shall Please\n            }                {or FATHER:    }              {and Love; and\n            }                {1. Most       }3. Our        {be Pleased\n            }                {Loving:       }_Love_        {in him, and\n            }3. REGENERATOR  {2. Most       }and           {Loved by him,\n  III. The  }and Sanctifier. {Bountiful:    }_Joy_:        {Rejoice in\n  FINAL     }                {3. Most       }and so our    {him, Praise\n  Cause:    }                {Amiable:      }_End_,        {him, and so\n  \"TO HIM,  }                {(Patient,     }and Rest,     {Enjoy him,\n  are all   }                {Merciful,     }and           {Perfectly and\n  things:   }                {Constant.)    }Happiness     {Perpetually.\n  to whom   }                {              }              {\n  be glory  }                {  Causally and}              {\n  for ever. }                {  Objectively }  hereafter   {\n  Amen.\"    }                {    (_d_)     } (_e_)        {\n\nSee these practically opened and improved, in the First Part of my\n\"Divine Life.\" The more full explication of the attributes, fit for\nthe more capacious, is reserved for another tractate.\n\nFor the right improvement of the knowledge of all these attributes of\nGod, I must refer you to the fore-mentioned treatise. The acts which\nyou are to exercise upon God are these: 1. The clearest knowledge you\ncan attain to.[93] 2. The firmest belief. 3. The highest estimation.\n4. The greatest admiration. 5. The heartiest and sweetest complacency\nor love. 6. The strongest desire. 7. A filial awfulness, reverence,\nand fear. 8. The boldest quieting trust and confidence in him. 9. The\nmost fixed waiting, dependence, hope, and expectation. 10. The most\nabsolute self-resignation to him. 11. The fullest and quietest\nsubmission to his disposals. 12. The humblest and most absolute\nsubjection to his governing authority and will, and the exactest\nobedience to his laws. 13. The boldest courage and fortitude in his\ncause, and owning him before the world in the greatest sufferings. 14.\nThe greatest thankfulness for his mercies. 15. The most faithful\nimprovement of his talents, and use of his means, and performance of\nour trust. 16. A reverent and holy use of his name and word: with a\nreverence of his secrets; forbearing to intrude or meddle with them.\n17. A wise and cautelous observance of his providences, public and\nprivate; neither neglecting them, nor misinterpreting them; neither\nrunning before them, nor striving discontentedly against them. 18. A\ndiscerning, loving, and honouring his image in his children,\nnotwithstanding their infirmities and faults; without any friendship\nto their faults, or over-magnifying or imitating them in any evil. 19.\nA reverent, serious, spiritual adoration and worshipping him, in\npublic and private, with soul and body, in the use of all his holy\nordinances; but especially in the joyful celebration of his praise,\nfor all his perfections and his mercies. 20. The highest delight and\nfullest content and comfort in God that we can attain: especially a\ndelight in knowing him, and obeying and pleasing him, worshipping and\npraising him; loving him, and being beloved of him, through Jesus\nChrist; and in the hopes of the perfecting of all these in our\neverlasting fruition of him in heavenly glory.\n\nAll these are the acts of piety towards God; which I lay together for\nyour easier observation and memory: but some of them must be more\nfully opened, and insisted on.\n\n[Sidenote: Of self-resignation to God as our Owner.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ V. Remember that God is your Lord or Owner: and see\nthat you make an absolute resignation of yourselves, and all that you\nhave, to him as his own; and use yourselves and all accordingly; trust\nhim with his own; and rest in his disposals.\n\nOf this I have already spoken in my \"Sermon of Christ's Dominion,\" and\nin my \"Directions for a sound Conversion;\" and therefore must but touch\nit here. It is easy, notionally, to know and say that God is our Owner,\nand we are not our own; but if the habitual, practical knowledge of it\nwere as easy, or as common, the happy effects of it would be the\nsanctification and reformation of the world. I shall first tell you what\nthis duty is, and how it is to be performed; and then, what fruits and\nbenefits it will produce, and what should move us to it.\n\nI. The duty lieth in these acts: 1. That you consider the ground of\nGod's propriety in you; (1.) In making you of nothing, and preserving\nyou. (2.) In redeeming you by purchase. (3.) In regenerating you, and\nrenewing you for himself.[94] The first is the ground of his common\nnatural propriety in you and all things. The second is the ground of his\ncommon gracious propriety in you and all men, as purchased by Christ,\nRom. xiv. 9; John xiii. 3. The third is the ground of his special\ngracious propriety in you, and all his sanctified, peculiar people.\nUnderstand and acknowledge what a plenary dominion God hath over you,\nand how absolutely and wholly you are his. 2. Let it exceedingly please\nyou, to think that you are wholly his: it being much better for you, as\nto your safety, honour, and happiness, than to be your own, or any's\nelse. 3. As God requireth it in his covenant of grace, that he have his\nright, by your consent, and not by constraint; so you must thankfully\naccept the motion, and with hearty and full consent of will, resign\nyourselves to him, as his own, even as his creatures, his ransomed ones,\nand his regenerate children, by a covenant never to be violated. 4. You\nmust carefully watch against the claim and reserves of carnal\nselfishness; lest while you confess you are God's, and not your own, you\nshould secretly still keep possession of yourselves against him, or\nre-assume the possession which you surrendered. 5. You must use\nyourselves ever after as God's, and not your own.\n\nII. In this using yourselves as wholly God's, consisteth both your\nfurther duty, and your benefits. 1. When God's propriety is discerned\nand consented to, it will make you sensible how you are obliged to\nemploy all your powers of soul and body to his service; and to\nperceive that nothing should be alienated from him, no creature having\nany co-ordinate title to a thought of your hearts, or a glance of your\naffection, or a word of your mouths, or a minute of your time. The\nsense of God's propriety must cause you to keep constant accounts\nbetween God and you; and to call yourselves to a frequent reckoning,\nwhether God have his own, and you do not defraud him; whether it be\nhis work that you are doing, and for him that you think, and speak,\nand live? And all that you have, will be used as his, as well as\nyourselves; for no man can have any good thing that is more his own,\nthan he is his own himself.\n\n2. Propriety discerned, doth endear us in affection to our owner. As we\nlove our own children, so they love their own fathers. Our very dogs\nlove their own master better than another. When we can say with Thomas,\n\"My Lord, and my God,\" it will certainly be the voice of love. God's\ncommon propriety in us, as his created and ransomed ones, obligeth us to\nlove him with all our heart; but the knowledge of his peculiar\npropriety, by regeneration, will more effectually command our love.\n\n3. God's propriety perceived, will help to satisfy us of his love and\ncare of us: and will help us to trust him in every danger; and so take\noff our inordinate fear, and anxieties, and caring for ourselves.[95]\nThe apostle proveth Christ's love to his church from his propriety,\nEph. v. 29, \"No man ever yet hated his own flesh.\" God is not\nregardless of his own. As we take care of our cattle, to preserve\nthem, and provide for them, more than they do for themselves, for they\nare more ours than their own; so God is more concerned in the welfare\nof his children, than they are themselves, they being more his than\ntheir own. Why are we afraid of the wrath and cruelty of man? Will God\nbe mindless and negligent of his own? Why are we over-careful and\ndistrustful of his providence? Will he not take care of his own, and\nmake provision for them? \"God, even our own God, shall bless us,\"\nPsal. lxvii. 6. God's interest in his church, and cause, and servants,\nis an argument which we may plead with him in prayer, 1 Chron. xvii.\n21, 22, and with which we may greatly encourage our confidence: Isa.\nxlviii. 9, 11, \"For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my\npraise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. For mine own\nsake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be\npolluted? and I will not give my glory to another.\" Isa. xliii. 1, 2,\n\"But now, thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that\nformed thee, O Israel; Fear not: for I have redeemed thee; I have\ncalled thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the\nwaters, I will be with thee,\" &c. If God should neglect our interest,\nhe will not neglect his own.\n\n4. God's propriety in us discerned, doth so much aggravate our sin\nagainst him, that it should greatly restrain us, and further our\nhumiliation and recovery when we are fallen: Lev. xx. 26, \"Ye shall be\nholy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other\npeople, that ye should be mine.\" Ezek. xvi. 8, \"I sware unto thee, and\nentered into a covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine, saith the\nLord,\" when he is aggravating Jerusalem's sin. 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20, \"Ye\nare not your own: for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify\nGod in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.\" Justice\nrequireth, that every one have his own.\n\n5. It should silence all murmurings and repinings against the providence\nof God, to consider that we are his own. Doth he afflict you? and are\nyou not his own? Doth he kill you? are you not his own? As a Ruler, he\nwill show you reason enough for it in your sins; but as your absolute\nLord and Owner, he need not give you any other reason than that he may\ndo with his own as he list. It is not possible that he can do any wrong\nto that which is absolutely his own. If he deny you health, or wealth,\nor friends, or take them from you; he denieth you, or taketh from you,\nnothing but his own. Indeed, as a Governor and a Father, he hath secured\nthe faithful of eternal life: otherwise, as their Owner, he could not\nhave wronged them, if he had made the most innocent as miserable as he\nis capable to be. Do you labour, and beat, and kill your cattle, because\nthey are your own (by an imperfect propriety)? and dare you grudge at\nGod for afflicting his own, when their consciences tell them, that they\nhave deserved it and much more?\n\n[Sidenote: Sins against God's dominion.]\n\nAnd that you may not think that you have resigned yourselves to God\nentirely, when you do but hypocritically profess it, observe: 1. That\nman is not thus resigned to God, that thinketh any service too much\nfor God, that he can do. 2. Nor he that thinketh any cost too great\nfor God that he is called to undergo. 3. Nor he that thinketh that all\nis won (of his time, or wealth, or pleasure, or any thing) which he\ncan save or steal from God: for all is lost that God hath not. 4. Nor\nhe that must needs be the disposer of himself, and his condition and\naffairs, and God must humour him, and accommodate his providence to\nhis carnal interest and will, or else he cannot bear it, or think well\nof it. 5. Remember that all that is bestowed in sin upon God's\nenemies, is used against him, and not as his own. 6. And that he that\nhideth his talent, or useth it not at all, cannot be said to use it\nfor God. Both idleness and alienating the gifts of God, are a robbing\nhim of his own.\n\nIII. To help you in this work of self-resignation, often consider: 1.\nThat if you were your own, you were most miserable. You could not\nsupport, preserve, or provide for yourselves: who should save you in\nthe hour of temptation and distress? Alas! if you are humbled\nchristians, you know so much of your own insufficiency, and feel\nyourselves such a daily burden to yourselves, that you have sure\nenough of yourselves ere now: and beg of God, above all your enemies,\nto save you from yourselves; and of all judgments, to save you from\nbeing forsaken of God, and given up to yourselves. 2. Remember that\nnone in the world hath sufficient power, wisdom, and goodness, to take\nthe full care and charge of you, but God; none else can save you, or\nsanctify you, or keep you alive one hour: and therefore it is your\nhappiness and honour that you are his. 3. His right is absolute, and\nnone hath right to you but he; none else did create you, redeem you,\nor regenerate you. 4. He will use you only in safe and honourable\nservices, and to no worse an end, than your endless happiness. 5. What\nyou deny him, or steal from him, you give to the devil, the world, and\nthe flesh; and do they better deserve it? 6. You are his own in title,\nwhether you will or not; and he will fulfil his will upon you. Your\nconsent and resignation is necessary to your good, to ease you of your\ncares, and secure you from present and eternal misery.\n\n[Sidenote: Of subjection to God as our supreme Governor.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ VI. Remember that God is your sovereign King, to rule\nand judge you; and that it is your rectitude and happiness to obey and\nplease him. Labour therefore to bring your souls and bodies into the\nmost absolute subjection to him, and to make it your delight and\nbusiness sincerely and exactly to obey his will.\n\nHaving resigned yourselves absolutely to God as your Owner, you are\nnext to subject yourselves absolutely to God as your Governor or King.\nHow much of our religion consisteth in this, you may see in the nature\nof the thing, in the design of the law and word of God, in the\ndoctrine and example of Jesus Christ, in the description of the last\njudgment, and in the common consent of all the world. Though love is\nthe highest work of man, yet it is so far from discharging us from\nour subjection and obedience, that it constraineth us to it most\npowerfully and most sweetly, and must itself be judged of by these\neffects.[96] \"If ye love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my\ncommandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. If any man\nlove me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we\nwill come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me\nnot, keepeth not my sayings,\" John xiv. 15, 21, 23, 24. \"If ye keep my\ncommandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my\nFather's commandments, and abide in his love. Ye are my friends, if ye\ndo whatsoever I command you,\" chap. xv. 10, 14. \"If ye know these\nthings, happy are ye if ye do them,\" chap. xiii. 17. \"For this is the\nlove of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are\nnot grievous,\" 1 John v. 3. \"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth\nnot his commandment, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso\nkeepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby\nknow we that we are in him. He that saith he is in him, ought himself\nalso to walk, even as he walked. If ye know that he is righteous, ye\nknow that every one that doth righteousness is born of him,\" chap. ii.\n4-6, 29. \"Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not: whosoever sinneth,\nhath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man\ndeceive you: he that doth righteousness is righteous, even as he is\nrighteous. He that committeth sin, is of the devil; for the devil\nsinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was\nmanifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is\nborn of God doth not commit sin: for his seed remaineth in him: and he\ncannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are\nmanifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doth not\nrighteousness, is not of God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of\nhim, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are\npleasing in his sight,\" chap. iii. 6-10, 22. \"Blessed are they that do\nhis commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and\nmay enter in by the gates into the city,\" Rev. xxii. 14.\n\nI set together these testimonies of the Scripture, that the stream of\ndivine authority may carry you to a lively sense of the necessity of\nobedience.\n\nI shall here first tell you what this full subjection is, and then I\nshall direct you how to attain it.\n\n[Sidenote: Subjection what.]\n\nI. As in God there is first his relation of our King, and then his\nactual government of us, by his laws and judgment; so in us, there is\nfirst our relation of subjects to God, and then our actual obedience. We\nare subjects by divine obligation, before we consent (as rebels are);\nbut our consent or self-obligation is necessary to our voluntary\nobedience, and acceptation with God. Subjection is our stated obligation\nto obedience. This subjection and habit of obedience, is then right and\nfull, 1. When the sense of God's authority over us is practical, and not\nnotional only. 2. And when it is deep rooted and fixed, and become as a\nnature to us: as a man's intention of his end is, that hath a long\njourney to go, which carrieth him on to the last step: or as a child's\nsubjection to his parents, or a servant's to his master, which is the\nhabit or principle of his daily course of life. 3. When it is lively,\nand ready to put the soul upon obedience. 4. When it is constant,\nkeeping the soul in a continual attendance upon the will of God. 5. When\nit hath universal respect to all his commandments. 6. When it is\nresolute, powerful, and victorious against temptations to disobedience.\nI. When it is superlative, respecting God as our supreme King, and\nowning no authority against him, nor any but what is subordinate to him.\n8. When it is voluntary, pleasant, cheerful, and delectable to us to\nobey him to the utmost of our power.\n\n[Sidenote: How to bring the soul into subjection to God.]\n\nII. To bring the soul to this full subjection and obedience to God, is\nso difficult, and yet so reasonable, so necessary, and so excellently\ngood, that we should not think any diligence too great, by which it is\nto be attained. The directions that I shall give you, are, some of them\nto habituate the mind to an obediential frame, and some of them, also,\npractically to further the exercise of obedience in particular acts.\n\n_Direct._ I. Remember the unquestionable, plenary title that God hath,\nto the government of you, and of all the world.--The sense of this\nwill awe the soul, and help to subject it to him, and to silence all\nrebellious motions. Should not God rule the creatures which he hath\nmade? Should not Christ rule the souls which he hath purchased? Should\nnot the Holy Ghost rule the souls which he hath regenerated and\nquickened?\n\n_Direct._ II. Remember that God is perfectly fit for the government of\nyou, and all the world.--You can desire nothing reasonably in a\ngovernor, which is not in him. He hath perfect wisdom, to know what is\nbest: he hath perfect goodness, and therefore will be most regardful\nof his subjects' good, and will put no evil into his laws. He is\nalmighty, to protect his subjects, and see to the execution of his\nlaws. He is most just, and therefore can do no wrong, but all his laws\nand judgments are equal and impartial. He is infinitely perfect and\nself-sufficient, and never needed a lie, or a deceit, or unrighteous\nmeans to rule the world; nor to oppress his subjects to attain his\nends. He is our very end, and interest, and felicity; and therefore\nhath no interest opposite to our good, which should cause him to\ndestroy the innocent. He is our dearest Friend and Father, and loveth\nus better than we love ourselves; and therefore we have reason\nconfidently to trust him, and cheerfully and gladly to obey him, as\none that ruleth us in order to our own felicity.\n\n_Direct._ III. Remember how unable and unfit you are to be governors of\nyourselves.--So blind and ignorant; so biassed by a corrupted will; so\nturbulent are your passions; so incessant and powerful is the temptation\nof your sense and appetite; and so unable are you to protect or reward\nyourselves, that methinks you should fear nothing in this world more,\nthan to be given up to \"your own heart's lusts, to walk in your own\n(seducing) counsels,\" Psal. lxxxi. 11, 12. The brutish appetite and\nsense hath got such dominion over the reason of carnal, unrenewed men,\nthat for such to be governed by themselves, is for a man to be governed\nby a swine, or the rider to be ruled by the horse.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Remember how great a matter God maketh of his kingly\nprerogatives, and of man's obedience.--The whole tenor of the\nScripture will tell you this. His precepts, his promises, his\nthreatenings, his vehement exhortations, his sharp reproofs, the\nsending of his Son and Spirit, the example of Christ and all the\nsaints, the reward prepared for the obedient, and the punishment for\nthe disobedient--all tell you aloud, that God is far from being\nindifferent whether you obey his laws or not. It will teach you to\nregard that, which you find is so regarded of God.\n\n_Direct._ V. Consider well of the excellency of full obedience, and the\npresent benefits which it bringeth to yourselves and others.--Our full\nsubjection and obedience to God, is to the world and the soul as health\nis to the body. When all the humours keep their due temperament,\nproportions, and place, and every part of the body is placed and used\naccording to the intent of nature, then all is at ease within us: our\nfood is pleasant; our sleep is sweet; our labour is easy; and our\nvivacity maketh life a pleasure to us: we are useful in our places, and\nhelpful to others that are sick and weak. So is it with the soul that is\nfully obedient: God giveth him a reward, before the full reward: he\nfindeth that obedience is a reward to itself; and that it is very\npleasant to do good. God owneth him, and conscience speaketh peace and\ncomfort to him; his mercies are sweet to him; his burdens and his work\nare easy; he hath easier access to God than others. Yea, the world shall\nfind, that there is no way to its right order, unity, peace, and\nhappiness, but by a full subjection and obedience to God.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Remember the sad effects of disobedience, even at\npresent, both in the soul and in the world.--When we rebel against\nGod, it is the confusion, ruin, and death of the soul, and of the\nworld. When we disobey him, it is the sickness or disordering of the\nsoul, and will make us groan; till our bones be set in joint again, we\nshall have no ease: God will be displeased, and hide his face;\nconscience will be unquiet; the soul will lose its peace and joy; its\nformer mercies will grow less sweet; its former rest will turn to\nweariness; its duty will be unpleasant; its burden heavy. Who would\nnot fear such a state as this?\n\n_Direct._ VII. Consider, that when God doth not govern you, you are\nruled by the flesh, the world, and the devil.--And what right or\nfitness they have to govern you, and what is their work, and final\nreward, methinks you should easily discern. \"If ye live after the\nflesh, ye shall die,\" Rom. viii. 13. \"And if ye sow to the flesh, of\nthe flesh ye shall reap corruption,\" Gal. vi. 8. It will strike you\nwith horror, if, in the hour of temptation, you would but think: I am\nnow going to disobey my God, and to obey the flesh, the world, or the\ndevil, and to prefer their will before his will.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Turn your eye upon the rebellious nations of the\nearth, and upon the state of the most malignant and ungodly men; and\nconsider, that such madness and misery as you discern in them, every\nwilful disobedience to God doth tend to, and partaketh of in its\ndegree.--To see a swinish drunkard in his vomit; to hear a raging\nbedlam curse and swear; or a malignant wretch blaspheme and scorn at a\nholy life: to hear how foolishly they talk against God, and see how\nmaliciously they hate his servants, one would think should turn one's\nstomach against all sin for ever. To think what beasts or incarnate\ndevils many of the ungodly are; to think what confusion and inhumanity\npossess most of those nations that know not God, one would think\nshould make the least degree of sin seem odious to us, when the\ndominion and ripeness of it are so odious.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Mark what obedience is expected by men, and what influence\ngovernment hath upon the state and affairs of the world, and what the\nworld would be without it.--And sure this will make you think honourably\nand delightfully of the government of God. What would a nation be\nwithout government, but like a company of thieves and lawless murderers?\nor like the pikes in a pond, that first eat up the other fish, and then\ndevour one another, the greater living upon the less. Bears and wolves\nwould live more quietly together, than ungoverned men (except those few\nthat are truly subject to the government of God). Government maintaineth\nevery man in his propriety; and keepeth lust and madness from breaking\nout; and keepeth peace and order in the world. What would a family be\nwithout government? Children and servants are kept by it in their proper\nplace and work. Think then how necessary and excellent is the universal\ngovernment of God.\n\n_Direct._ X. Think well of the endless rewards and punishments, by\nwhich God will procure obedience to his laws, or vindicate the honour\nof his government, on the disobedient.--That the world may see that he\ngiveth sufficient motives for all that he requireth, he will reward\nthe obedient with everlasting blessedness, and punish the rebels with\nendless misery. You shall not say that he bids you work for nothing.\nThough you can give him nothing but his own, and therefore can merit\nnothing of him, in point of commutative justice; yet, as he is a\nGovernor and a Father, he will put so wide a difference between the\nobedient and the rebellious, that one shall be judged to everlasting\njoy, with a \"Well done, good and faithful servant,\" and the other, to\n\"everlasting punishment,\" Matt. xxv. Is there not enough in heaven, in\na life of endless joys with God, to make obedience lovely to you, and\nto make sin loathsome? Is there not enough in hell, to deter you from\ndisobedience, and drive you unto God? God will rule, whether you will\nor not. Consent to be obedient, or he will punish you without asking\nyour consent.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Sidenote: More special directions for obedience.]\n\nThe directions for the nearer exciting of your obedience, and\nconfirming your full subjection, are these:\n\n_Direct._ I. Keep still the face of your souls upon God, and in the\nsense of his greatness, and of his continual presence, and of his\nparticular providence.--And this will keep you in an obediential\nframe. You will easily then perceive, that so great a God cannot be\ndisobeyed, without great iniquity and guilt. And, that a God that is\ncontinually with you, must be continually regarded. And, that a God\nthat exactly observeth and mindeth the thoughts and words of every\nman, should by every man be exactly minded and observed. This will\nhelp you to understand the meaning of the tempter, when you perceive\nthat every temptation is an urging of you to offend, for nothing, so\ngreat a God, that is just then observing what you do.\n\n_Direct._ II. Always remember whither you are going; that you are\npreparing for everlasting rest and joy, and must pass through the\nrighteous judgment of the Lord; and that Christ is your Guide and\nGovernor, but to bring you safely home, as the Captain of your\nsalvation; and that sin is a rejecting of his help, and of your\nhappiness.--Think not that God doth rule you as a tyrant, to your hurt\nor ruin, to make his own advantage of you; or by needless laws, that\nhave no respect to your good and safety; but think of him, as one that\nis conducting you to eternal life, and would now guide you by his\ncounsel, and afterwards take you to his glory. Think that he is\nleading you to the world of light, and life, and love, and joy, where\nthere are rivers of pleasure, and fulness of delight for evermore,\nthat you may see his face, and feel his love, among a world of blessed\nspirits; and not be weeping and gnashing the teeth, with impious,\nimpenitent souls. And is not such a government as this desirable? It\nis but like the government of a physician, to save his patient's life.\nOr like your government of your children, which is necessary to their\ngood, that cannot feed or rule themselves. Or like a pilot's governing\nthe ship, which is conveying you to possess a kingdom: if the\nmariners obey him, they may safely arrive at the desired port; but if\nthey disobey him, they are all cast away and perish. And should such a\ngovernment as this is seem grievous to you? or should it not be most\nacceptable, and accurately obeyed?\n\n_Direct._ III. Still think, what dangers, difficulties, and enemies\nyou must pass through to this rest, and that all your safety dependeth\nupon the conduct and assistance of your Guide.--And this will bring\nover self-love to command your strict obedience. You are to pass\nthrough the army of your enemies; and will you here disobey the\nCaptain of your salvation? or would you have him leave you to\nyourselves? Your disease is mortal, and none but Jesus Christ can cure\nit; and if he cure it not, you are lost for ever. No pain of gout or\nstone is comparable to your everlasting pain; and yet will you not be\nobedient to your Physician? Think, when a temptation comes, If there\nwere a narrow bridge over the deepest gulf or river, and all my\nfriends and happiness lay on the further side, and I must needs go\nover whether I will or not; if Christ would take me by the hand and\nlead me over, would I be tempted to refuse his help, or to lose his\nhand? or if he should offer to lose me, and leave me to myself, should\nI not tremble, and cry out, as Peter, \"Lord, save me,\" Matt. xiv. 30,\nor as the disciples, \"Save, Master, we perish?\" And should I not then\nhold him fast, and most accurately obey him, when he is leading me to\nlife eternal, that I may escape the gulf of endless misery?\n\n_Direct._ IV. Remember still, how bad, and blind, and backward, and\ndeceitful, and weak you are yourselves, and therefore what need you\nhave of the greatest watchfulness, lest you should disobey your Pilot,\nand lose your Guide, before you are aware.--O what a heart have we to\nwatch! A lazy heart, that will be loitering or sitting down, when we\nshould be following our Lord. A foolish heart, that will let him go,\nwhile we play with every play-fellow in our way. A cowardly heart,\nthat will steal away, or draw back in danger, when it should follow\nour General. A treacherous heart, that will give us the slip, and\ndeceive us, when we seemed surest of it. A purblind heart, that even\nwhen it followeth Christ, our Guide, is hardly kept from missing the\nbridge, and falling into the gulf of misery. Think well of these, and\nyou will obey your Governor.\n\n_Direct._ V. Forget not the fruits of your former obedience and\ndisobedience, if you would be kept in an obedient frame.--Remember\nthat obedience hath been sweetest afterward; and that you never yet\nfound cause to repent or be ashamed of it. Remember that the fruit of\nsin was bitter, and that when your eyes were opened, and you saw your\nshame, you would fain have fled from the face of God; and that then it\nappeared another thing to you, than it seemed in the committing.\nRemember what groans and heart's grief it hath cost you; and into what\nfears it brought you of the wrath of God; and how long it was before\nyour broken bones were healed; and what it cost both Christ and you.\nAnd this will make the very name and first approach of sin, to cast\nyou into a preventing fear. A beast that hath once fallen into a gulf\nor quick-sand, will hardly be driven into the same again: a fish that\nwas once stricken and escaped the nook, will fear and fly from it the\nnext time: a bird that hath once escaped the snare, or the talons of\nthe hawk, is afterwards afraid of the sight or noise of such a thing.\nRemember where you fell, and what it cost you, and what you escaped\nwhich it might have cost you, and you will obey more accurately\nhereafter.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Remember that this is your day of trial, and what depends\nupon your accurate obedience. God will not crown untried servants. Satan\nis purposely suffered to tempt you, to try whether you will be true to\nGod or not. All the hope that his malice hath of undoing you for ever,\nconsisteth in his hope to make you disobedient to God. Methinks these\nconsiderations should awaken you to the most watchful and diligent\nobedience. If you were told beforehand, that a thief or cut-purse had\nundertaken to rob you, and would use all his cunning and industry to do\nit, you would then watch more carefully than at another time. If you\nwere in a race to run for your lives, you would not go then in your\nordinary pace. Doth God tell you before, that he will try your obedience\nby temptation, and as you stand or fall, you shall speed for ever; and\nwill not this keep you watchful and obedient?\n\n_Direct._ VII. Avoid those tempting and deluding objects, which are\nstill enticing your hearts from your obedience; and avoid that\ndiverting crowd and noise of company or worldly business, which drowns\nthe voice of God's commands.--If God call you into a life of great\ntemptations, he can bring you safely through them all; but if you rush\ninto it wilfully, you may soon find your own disability to resist. It\nis dangerous to be under strong and importunate temptations, lest the\nstream should bear us down; but especially to be long under them, lest\nwe be weary of resisting. They that are long solicited, do too often\nyield at last: it is hard to be always in a clear, and ready, and\nresolute frame: few men have their wits, much less their graces,\nalways at hand, in a readiness to use. And if the thief come when you\nare dropped asleep, you may be robbed before you can awake. The\nconstant drawings of temptation, do ofttimes abate the habit of\nobedience, and diminish our hatred of sin and holy resolutions, by\nslow, insensible degrees, before we yield to commit the act. And the\nmind that will be kept in full subjection, must not be so diverted in\na crowd of distracting company or business, as to have no time to\nthink on the motives of his obedience. This withdrawing of the fuel\nmay put out the fire.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. If you are unavoidably cast upon strong temptation,\ntake the alarm; and put on all the armour of God, and call up your\nsouls to watchfulness and resolution, remembering that you are now\namong your enemies, and must resist as for your lives.--Take every\ntemptation in its naked, proper sense, as coming from the devil, and\ntending to your damnation by enticing your hearts from your subjection\nunto God: suppose you saw the devil himself in his instruments\noffering you the bait of preferment, or honour, or riches, or fleshly\nlust, or sports, or of delightful meats, or drinks, to tempt you to\nexcess; and suppose you heard him say to you plainly, Take this for\nthy salvation; sell me for this thy God, and thy soul, and thy\neverlasting hopes; commit this sin, that thou mayst fall under the\njudgment of God, and be tormented in hell with me for ever. Do this to\nplease thy flesh, that thou mayst displease thy God, and grieve thy\nSaviour: I cannot draw thee to hell, but by drawing thee to sin; and I\ncannot make thee sin against thy will; nor undo thee, but by thy own\nconsent and doing: therefore I pray thee consent and do it thyself,\nand let me have thy company in torments. This is the naked meaning of\nevery temptation: suppose therefore you saw and heard all this, with\nwhat detestation then would you reject it! with what horror would you\nfly from the most enticing bait! If a robber would entice you out of\nyour way and company, with flattering words, that you might fall into\nthe hands of his companions, if you knew all his meaning and design\nbeforehand, would you be enticed after him? Watch therefore, and\nresolve when you know beforehand the design of the devil, and what he\nintendeth in every temptation.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Be most suspicious, fearful, and watchful about that,\nwhich your flesh doth most desire, or finds the greatest pleasure\nin.--Not that you should deny your bodies all delight in the mercies\nof God: if the body have none, the mind will have the less: mercy must\nbe differenced from punishment; and must be valued and relished as\nmercy: mere natural pleasing of the senses is in itself no moral good\nor evil. A holy improvement of lawful pleasure, is a daily duty:\ninordinate pleasure is a sin: all is inordinate which tendeth more to\ncorrupt the soul, by enticing it to sin, and turning it from God, than\nto fit and dispose it for God and his service, and preserve it from\nsinning. But still remember, it is not sorrow but delight that draweth\naway the soul from God, and is the flesh's interest which it sets up\nagainst him. Many have sinned in sorrows and discontents; but none\never sinned for sorrows and discontents: their discontents and sorrows\nare not taken up and loved for themselves; but are the effects of\ntheir love to some pleasure and content, which is denied them, or\ntaken from them. Therefore, though all your bodily pleasures are not\nsin, yet, seeing nothing but the pleasures of the flesh and carnal\nmind is the end of sinners, and the devil's great and chiefest bait,\nand this only causeth men's perdition, you have great reason to be\nmost afraid of that which is most pleasing to your flesh, and to the\nmind as it is corrupt and carnal: escape the delusions of fleshly\npleasure, and you escape damnation. You have far more cause to be\nafraid of prosperity, than of adversity; of riches, than of poverty;\nof honour, than of obscurity and contempt; of men's praises and\napplause, than of their dispraises, slanders, and reproach; of\npreferment and greatness, than of a low and mean condition; of a\ndelicious, than of less tempting meats and drinks; of curious, costly,\nthan of mean, and cheap, and plain attire. Let those that have hired\nout their reason to the service of their fleshly lusts, and have\ndelivered the crown and sceptre to their appetites, think otherwise.\nNo wonder if they that have sold the birthright of their intellects to\ntheir senses, for a mess of pottage, for a whore, or a high place, or\na domineering power over others, or a belly-full of pleasant meats or\nliquors, do deride all this, and think it but a melancholy conceit,\nmore suitable to an eremite or anchorite, than to men of society and\nbusiness in the world. As heaven is the portion of serious believers\nand mortified saints alone, so it shall be proper to them alone to\nunderstand the doctrine and example of their Saviour, and practically\nto know what it is to deny themselves, and forsake all they have, and\ntake up their cross and follow Christ, and by the Spirit to mortify\nthe deeds of the body, Luke xiv. 26-29, 33; Rom. viii. 5-7, 13; Col.\niii. 1-4. Such know that millions part with God for pleasures, but\nnone for griefs: and that hell will be stored with those that\npreferred wealth, and honour, and sports, and gluttony, drink and\nfilthy lusts, before the holiness and happiness of believers; but none\nwill be damned for preferring poverty, and disgrace, and abstinence,\nhunger and thirst, and chastity before them. It must be something that\nseemeth good, that must entice men from the chiefest good: apparent\nevil is no fit bait for the devil's hook. Men will not displease God,\nto be themselves displeased; nor choose present sorrows instead of\neverlasting joys; but for the pleasures of sin for a season many will\ndespise the endless pleasures.\n\n_Direct._ X. Meet every motion to disobedience with an army of holy\ngraces; with wisdom, and fear, and hatred, and resolution, with love\nto God, with zeal and courage; and quench every spark that falls upon\nyour hearts before it breaks out into a flame.--When sin is little and\nin its infancy, it is weak and easily resisted; it hath not then\nturned away the mind from God, nor quenched grace, and disabled it to\ndo its office. But when it is grown strong, then grace grows weak, and\nwe want its help, and want the sense of the presence, and attributes,\nand truths of God, to rebuke it. O stay not till your hearts are gone\nout of hearing, and straggled from God beyond the observance of his\ncalls. The habit of obedience will be dangerously abated, if you\nresist not quickly the acts of sin.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Labour for the clearest understanding of the will of\nGod, that doubtfulness about your duty do not make you flag in your\nobedience, and doubtfulness about sin do not weaken your detestation\nand resistance, and draw you to venture on it.--When a man is sure\nwhat is his duty, it is a great help against all temptations that\nwould take him off: and when he is sure that a thing is sinful, it\nmakes it the easier to resist. And, therefore, it is the devil's\nmethod to delude the understanding, and make men believe that duty is\nno duty, and sin is no sin; and then no wonder if duty be neglected,\nand sin committed: and therefore he raiseth up one false prophet or\nother to say to Ahab, \"Go, and prosper;\" or to say, There is no hurt\nin this; to dispute for sin, and to dispute against duty. And it is\nalmost incredible how much the devil hath got, when he hath once made\nit a matter of controversy. Then every hypocrite hath a cloak for his\nsin, and a dose of opium for his conscience, when he can but say, It\nis a controversy; some are of one mind, and some of another, you are\nof that opinion, and I am of this: especially if there be wise and\nlearned on both sides; and yet more, if there be religious men on both\nsides; and more yet, if he have an equal number on his side; and most\nof all, if he have the major vote (as error and sin have commonly in\nthe world). If Ahab have but four hundred lying, flattering prophets\nto one Micaiah, he will think he may hate him, reproach him, and\npersecute him without any scruple of conscience. If it be made a\ncontroversy whether bread be bread, and wine be wine, when we see and\ntaste it; some will think they may venture to subscribe or swear that\nthey hold the negative, if their credit, or livings, or lives lie upon\nit; much more if they can say, It is the judgment of the church. If it\nbe once made a controversy, whether perjury be a sin, or whether a vow\nmaterially lawful bind, or whether it be lawful to equivocate, or lie\nwith a mental reservation for the truth, or to do the greatest evil,\nor speak the falsest thing with a true and good intent and meaning,\nalmost all the hypocrites in the country will be for the sinful part,\nif their fleshly interest require it; and will think themselves\nwronged, if they are accounted hypocrites, liars, or perjured, as long\nas it is but a point of controversy among learned men. If it be once\nmade a controversy, whether an excommunicate king become a private\nman, and it be lawful to kill him, and whether the pope may absolve\nthe subjects of temporal lords from their allegiance, (notwithstanding\nall their oaths,) and if such learned men as Suarez, Bellarmine,\nPerron, &c. are for it, (to say nothing of Santarellus, Mariana, &c.)\nyou shall have a Clement, a Ravilliac, a Faux, yea, too great choice\nof instruments, that will be satisfied to strike the blow. If many\nhold it may or must be done, some will be found too ready to do it:\nespecially if an approved general council (Lateran. sub Innoc. III.\nCan. 3.) be for such papal absolution. We have seen at home how many\nwill be imboldened to pull down government, to sit in judgment on\ntheir king, and condemn him, and to destroy their brethren, if they\ncan but say, that such and such men think it lawful. If it were but a\ncontroversy once whether drunkenness, whoredom, swearing, stealing, or\nany villany be a sin or not, it would be committed more commonly, and\nwith much less regret of conscience. Yea, good men will be ready to\nthink that modesty requireth them to be less censorious of those that\ncommit it, because in controverted cases they must suspect their own\nunderstandings, and allow something to the judgment of dissenters. And\nso all the rules of love, and peace, and moderation, which are\nrequisite in controversies that are about small and difficult points,\nthe devil will make use of, and apply them all to the patronage of the\nmost odious sins, if he can but get them once to have some learned,\nwise, religious offenders. And from our tenderness of the persons we\neasily slide to an indulgent tenderness in censuring the sin itself:\nand good men themselves, by these means, are dangerously disabled to\nresist it, and prepared to commit it.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Take heed lest the devil do either cast you into the\nsleep of carnal security, or into such doubts, and fears, and\nperplexing scruples, as shall make holy obedience seem to you an\nimpossible or a tiresome thing. When you are asleep in carelessness,\nhe can use you as he list; and if obedience be made grievous and\nungrateful to you, your heart will go against it, and you will go but\nlike a tired horse, no longer than you feel the spur: you are half\nconquered already, because you have lost the love and pleasure of\nobedience; and you are still in danger lest difficulties should quite\ntire you, and weariness make you yield at last. The means by which the\ntempter effecteth this, must afterward be spoken of, and therefore I\nshall omit it here.\n\nBy the faithful practice of these directions obedience may become, as\nit were, your nature, a familiar, easy, and delightful thing; and may\nbe like a cheerful servant or child, that waiteth for your commands,\nand is glad to be employed by you. Your full subjection of your wills\nto God, will be as the health, and ease, and quietness of your wills:\nyou will feel that it is never well or easy with you, but when you are\nobedient and pleasing to your Creator's will. Your \"delight will be in\nthe law of the Lord,\" Psal. i. 2. It will be sweeter than honey to\nyou, and better than thousands of gold and silver; and this not for\nany by-respect, but as it is the \"law of God;\" a \"light unto your\nfeet,\" and an infallible guide in all your duty. You will say with\nDavid, Psal. cxix. 16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 174, \"I will delight myself\nin thy statutes; I will not forget thy word. Thy testimonies are my\ndelight and my counsellors. Make me to go in the path of thy\ncommandments, for therein do I delight.\" And as Psal. xl. 8, \"I\ndelight to do thy will, O my God, yea, thy law is within my heart.\"\nAnd, O \"blessed is the man that feareth the Lord; that delighteth\ngreatly in his commandments,\" Psal. cxii. 2.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Sidenote: Learning as disciples of Christ our Teacher.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ VII. Continue as the covenanted scholars of Christ,\nthe Prophet and Teacher of his church, to learn of him by his Spirit,\nword, and ministers, the farther knowledge of God, and the things that\ntend to your salvation; and this with an honest, willing mind, in\nfaith, humility, and diligence; in obedience, patience, and peace.\n\nThough I spake before of our coming to God by Jesus Christ, as he is\nthe way to the Father; it is meet that we distinctly speak of our\nrelation and duty to him, as he is our Teacher, our Captain, and our\nMaster, as well as of our improving him as Mediator immediately unto\nGod. The necessity of believers, and the office and work of Christ\nhimself, doth tell us how much of our religion doth consist in\nlearning of him as his disciples. Acts vii. 37, \"A prophet shall the\nLord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me, him\nshall you hear.\" This was the voice that came out of the cloud in the\nholy mount, Matt. xvii. 5, \"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well\npleased, hear ye him.\" Therefore is the title of disciples commonly\ngiven to believers. And there is a twofold teaching which Christ hath\nsent his ministers to perform; both mentioned in their commission,\nMatt. xxviii. 19, 20. The one is, to \"teach the nations;\" as to make\ndisciples of them, by persuading them into the school of Christ, which\ncontaineth the teaching of faith and repentance, and whatever is\nnecessary to their first admission, and to their subjecting themselves\nto Christ himself as their stated and infallible Guide. The other is\nthe teaching them further to know more of God, \"and to observe all\nthings whatsoever he commandeth them.\" And this last is it we are now\nto speak of, and I shall add some sub-directions for your help.\n\n\n          _Directions for Learning of Christ, as our Teacher._\n\n[Sidenote: How to learn of Christ.]\n\n_Direct._ I. Remember who it is that is your Teacher: that he is the\nSon of God, that knoweth his Father's will, and is the most faithful,\ninfallible Pastor of the church.--There is neither ignorance, nor\nnegligence, nor ambition, nor deceit in him, to cause him to conceal\nthe mind of God. There is nothing which we need to know, which he is\nnot both able and willing to acquaint us with.\n\n_Direct._ II. Remember what it is that he teacheth you, and to what\nend.--That it is not how to sin and be damned, as the devil, the\nworld, and the flesh would teach you; nor how to satisfy your lusts,\nor to know, or do, or attain the trifles of the world: but it is how\nto be renewed to the image of God, and how to do his will and please\nhim, and how to be justified at his bar, and how to escape everlasting\nfire, and how to attain everlasting joys: consider this well, and you\nwill gladly learn of such a Teacher.\n\n_Direct._ III. Let the book which he himself hath indited by his\nSpirit, be the rule and principal matter of your learning.--The holy\nScriptures are of divine inspiration: it is them that we must be\njudged by, and them that we must be ruled by, and therefore them that\nwe must principally learn. Men's books and teachings are but the means\nfor our learning this infallible word.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Remember that as it is Christ's work to teach, it is yours\nto hear, and read, and study, and pray, and practise what you hear.--Do\nyour part, then, if you expect the benefit. You come not to the school\nof Christ to be idle. Knowledge droppeth not into the sleepy dreamer's\nmouth. Dig for it as for silver, and search for it in the Scriptures as\nfor a hidden treasure: meditate in them day and night. Leave it to\nmiserable fools, to contemn the wisdom of the Most High.\n\n_Direct._ V. Fix your eye upon himself as your pattern, and study with\nearnest desire to follow his holy example, and to be made conformable\nto him.--Not to imitate him in the works which were proper to him as\nGod, or as Mediator; but in his holiness, which he hath proposed to\nhis disciples for their imitation. He knew how effectual a perfect\nexample would be, where a perfect doctrine alone would be less\nregarded. Example bringeth doctrine nearer to our eye and heart; it\nmaketh it more observable, and telleth us with more powerful\napplication, Such you must be, and thus you must do. The eye maketh an\neasier and deeper impression on the imagination and mind, than the ear\ndoth; therefore Christ's example should be much preached and studied.\nIt will be a very great help to us, to have still upon our minds the\nimage of the holy life of Christ; that we be affected, as if we always\nsaw him doing the holy actions which once he did. Paul calls the\nGalatians \"foolish,\" and \"bewitched,\" that \"obeyed not the truth, when\nChrist had been set forth as crucified among them evidently before\ntheir eyes,\" Gal. iii. 1. Papists think that images serve well for\nthis turn: but the records of Scripture, and the living images of\nChrist whom they persecute and kill, are far more useful. How much\nexample is more operative than doctrine alone, you may perceive by the\nenemies of Christ, who can bear his holy doctrine, when they cannot\nbear his holy servants, that practise that doctrine before their eyes.\nAnd that which most stirs up their enmity, hath the advantage for\nexciting the believer's piety.\n\nLet the image of Christ, in all his holy examples, be always lively\nwritten upon your minds. 1. Let the great ones of the world remember,\nthat their Lord was not born of such as bore rule, or were in worldly\npomp and dignity, but of persons that lived but meanly in the world\n(however they were of the royal line); how he was not born in a\npalace, but a stable, and laid in a manger, without the attendance or\naccommodations of the rich.\n\n2. Remember how he subjected himself unto his reputed father, and his\nmother, to teach all children subjection and obedience, Luke ii. 51.\n\n3. And how he condescended to labour at a trade, and mean employment\nin the world; to teach us that our bodies, as well as our minds, must\nexpress their obedience, and have their ordinary employment; and to\nteach men to labour and live in a calling; and to comfort poor\nlabourers, with assurance that God accepteth them in the meanest work,\nand that Christ himself lived so before them, and chose their kind of\nlife, and not the life of princes and nobles, that live in pomp, and\nease, and pleasure.\n\n4. Remember how he refused not to submit to all the ordinances of God,\nand to fulfil all righteousness, and to be initiated into the solemn\nadministration of his office by the baptism of John, Matt. iii. 15-17,\nwhich God approved, by sending down upon him the Holy Ghost: to teach\nus all to expect his Spirit in the use of his ordinances.\n\n5. Remember how he voluntarily began his work, with an encounter with\nthe tempter in the wilderness, upon his fasting; and suffered the\ntempter to proceed, till he moved him to the most odious sin, even to\nworship the devil himself: to teach us that God loveth tried servants,\nand expecteth that we be not turned from him by temptations; especially\nthose that enter upon a public ministry, must be tried men, that have\novercome the tempter: and to comfort tempted christians, who may\nremember, that their Saviour himself was most blasphemously tempted to\nas odious sins as ever they were; and that to be greatly tempted,\nwithout consenting or yielding to the sin, is so far from being a sin in\nitself, that it is the greatest honour of our obedience; and that the\ndevil, who molesteth and haunteth us with his temptations, is a\nconquered enemy, whom our Lord in person hath overcome.\n\n6. Remember how earnestly and constantly he preached; not stories, or\njingles, or subtle controversies, but repentance, and faith, and\nself-denial, and obedience. So great was his love to souls, that, when\nhe had auditors, he preached, not only in the temple and synagogues, but\non mountains, and in a ship, and any other convenient place; and no fury\nof the rulers or Pharisees could silence him, till his hour was come,\nhaving his Father's commission. And even to particular persons, he\nvouchsafed, by conference, to open the mysteries of salvation, John iii.\nand iv.; to teach us to love and attend to the plain and powerful\npreaching of the gospel, and not to forbear any necessary means for the\nhonour of God, and the saving of souls, because of the enmity or\nopposition of malicious men, but to \"work while it is day, seeing the\nnight is coming when none can work,\" John ix. 4.\n\n7. Remember how compassionate he was to men's bodies, as well as to\ntheir souls; going up and down with unwearied diligence, doing good;\nhealing the blind, and lame, and deaf, and sick, and possessed: and\nhow all his miracles were done in charity, to do good; and none of\nthem to do hurt; so that he was but living, walking LOVE and MERCY. To\nteach us to know God, in his love and mercy; and to abound in love and\nmercy to our brethren; and to hate the spirit of hurtfulness,\npersecution, and uncharitableness; and to lay out ourselves in doing,\ngood; and to exercise our compassion to the bodies of men, as well as\nto their souls, according to our power.\n\n8. Remember how his zeal and love endured the reproach, and resisted\nthe opposition of his friends, who went to lay hold on him as if he\nhad been beside himself, Mark iii. 20, 21: and how he bid Peter \"Get\nbehind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not\nthe things of God, but those of men,\" when in carnal love and wisdom\nhe rebuked him for resolving to lay down his life, saying, \"Be it far\nfrom thee, this shall not be unto thee,\" Matt. xvi. 22, 23. To teach\nus to expect that carnal love and wisdom in our nearest friends, will\nrise up against us in the work of God, to discourage us both from duty\nand from sufferings; and that all are to be shaken off, and counted as\nthe instruments of Satan, that would tempt us to be unfaithful to our\ntrust and duty, and to favour ourselves by a sinful avoiding of the\nsufferings which God doth call us to undergo.\n\n9. Remember how through all his life he despised the riches of the\nworld, and chose a life of poverty, and was a companion of the\nmeanest, neither possessing nor seeking sumptuous houses, or great\nattendance, or spacious lands, or a large estate. He lived in a\nvisible contempt of all the wealth, and splendour, and greatness of\nthe world: to teach us how little these little things are to be\nesteemed; and that they are none of the treasure and portion of a\nsaint; and what a folly it is to be fond of such snares, and\ndiversions, and temptations which make the way to heaven to be to us\nas a needle's eye.\n\n10. Observe, how little he regardeth the honour and applause of men;\nPhil. ii. 7-9, how \"he made himself of no reputation, but took upon\nhim the form of a servant,\" refusing to be \"made a king,\" or to have a\n\"kingdom of this world,\" John vi. 15. Though he told malignant\nblasphemers how greatly they sinned in dishonouring him, yet did he\nnot seek the honour of the world: to teach us how little the thoughts\nor words of ignorant men do contribute to our happiness, or are to be\naccounted of; and to turn our eyes from the impertinent censures of\nflesh and blood, to the judgment of our Almighty Sovereign, to whom it\nis that we stand or fall.\n\n11. Remember also how little he made provision for the flesh, and\nnever once tasted of any immoderate, sinful pleasure. How far was he\nfrom a life of voluptuousness and sensuality! Though his avoiding the\nformal fastings of the Pharisees, made them slander him as a\n\"gluttonous person,\" and \"a wine-bibber,\" Matt. xi. 19, as the sober\nchristians were called _carnivori_, by those that thought it unlawful\nto eat flesh; yet so far was he from the guilt of any such sin, that\nnever a desire of it was in his heart. You shall never find in the\ngospel that Christ spent half the morning in dressing him, choosing\nrather to shorten his time for prayer, than not to appear sufficiently\nneatified, as our empty, worthless, painted gallants do: nor shall you\never read that he wasted his time in idle visitations, or cards, or\ndice, or in reading romances, or hearing stage-plays: it was another\nkind of example that our Lord did leave for his disciples.\n\n12. Mark also, how far Christ was from being guilty of any idle, or\nlascivious, or foolish kind of talk; and how holy and profitable all\nhis speeches were: to teach us also to speak as the oracles of God,\nsuch words as tend to edification, and to administer grace unto the\nhearers, and to keep our tongues from all profane, lascivious, empty,\nidle speeches.\n\n13. Remember, that pride, and passion, are condemned by your pattern.\nChrist bids you \"Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and\nyou shall find rest unto your souls,\" Matt. xi. 28, 29. Therefore he\nresolveth that \"except\" men \"be converted and become as little\nchildren, they shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,\" Matt,\nxviii. 3. Behold therefore the Lamb of God, and be ashamed of your\nfierce and ravenous natures.\n\n14. Remember that Christ your Lord and pattern did humble himself to\nthe meanest office of love, even to wash the feet of his disciples:\nnot to teach you to wash a few poor men's feet, as a ceremony once a\nyear, and persecute and murder the servants of Christ the rest of the\nyear, as the Roman Vice-Christ doth; but to teach us, that if he their\nLord and Master washed his disciples' feet, we also should stoop as\nlow in any office of love, for one another, John xiii. 14.\n\n15. Remember also that Christ your pattern spent whole nights in\nprayer to God;[97] so much was he for this holy attendance upon God:\nto teach us to \"pray always and not wax faint,\" Luke xviii. 1. And not\nto be like the impious God-haters, that love not any near or serious\naddresses unto God, nor those that use them, but make them the object\nof their cruelty or scorn.\n\n16. Remember also that Christ was against the Pharisees' outside,\nhypocritical, ceremonious worship, consisting in lip-labour, affected\nrepetitions, and much babbling; their \"Touch not, taste not, handle\nnot,\" and worshipping God in vain, according to their traditions,\n\"teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.\" He taught us a\nserious, spiritual worship: not \"to draw nigh to God with our mouth,\nand honour him with our lips, while our hearts are far from him;\" but\nto \"worship God who is a Spirit, in spirit and truth,\" Matt. xv. 6-9;\nJohn iv. 23, 24; Matt. xxiii.\n\n17. Christ was a sharp reprover of hypocritical, blind, ceremonious,\nmalicious Pharisees; and warneth his disciples to take heed of their\nleaven. When they are offended with him, he saith, \"Every plant which\nmy heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up: let them\nalone, they be blind leaders of the blind,\" &c. Matt. xv. 12-14. To\nteach us to take heed of autonomous, supercilious, domineering, formal\nhypocrites, and false teachers, and to difference between the\nshepherds and the wolves.\n\n18. Though Christ seems cautelously to avoid the owning of the Romans'\nusurpation over the Jews, yet rather than offend them he payeth\ntribute himself, Matt. xvii. 25-27, and biddeth them \"render to C\u00e6sar\nthe things that are C\u00e6sar's, and to God the things that are God's,\"\nMatt. xxii. 21. The Pharisees bring their controversy to him\nhypocritically, \"Whether it be lawful to give tribute to C\u00e6sar, or\nnot?\" (For that C\u00e6sar was a usurper over them, they took to be past\ncontroversy.) And Christ would give them no answer that should insnare\nhimself, or encourage usurpation, or countenance their sedition:\nteaching us much more to pay tribute cheerfully to our lawful\ngovernors, and to avoid all sedition and offence.\n\n19. Yet is he accused, condemned, and executed among malefactors, as\naspiring to be \"King of the Jews,\" and the judge called, \"none of\nC\u00e6sar's friend,\" if he let him go: teaching us to expect that the most\ninnocent christians should be accused, as enemies to the rulers of the\nworld, and mistaken governors be provoked and engaged against them, by\nthe malicious calumnies of their adversaries; and that we should, in\nthis unrighteous world, be condemned of those crimes of which we are\nmost innocent, and which we most abhor, and have borne the fullest\ntestimonies against.\n\n20. The furious rout of the enraged people deride him by their words\nand deeds, with a purple robe, a sceptre of reed, a crown of thorns,\nand the scornful name of \"King of the Jews;\" they spit in his face,\nand buffet him, and then break jests upon him; and in all this \"being\nreviled he reviled not again, but committed all to him that judgeth\nrighteously,\" 1 Pet. ii. 21-23. Teaching us to expect the rage of the\nignorant rabble, as well as of deluded governors; and to be made the\nscorn of the worst of men; and all this without impatience, reviling,\nor threatening words; but quieting ourselves in the sure expectation\nof the righteous judgment, which we and they must shortly find.\n\n21. When Christ is urged at Pilate's bar to speak for himself, he\nholds his peace: teaching us to expect to be questioned at the\njudgment-seat of man; and not to be over-careful for the vindicating\nof our names from their most odious calumnies, because the judgment\nthat will fully justify us is sure and near.\n\n22. When Christ is in his agony, his disciples fail him; when he is\njudged and crucified, they \"forsook him and fled,\" Matt. xxvi. 56: to\nteach us not to be too confident in the best of men, nor to expect\nmuch from them in a time of trial, but to take up our comfort in God\nalone, when all our nearest friends shall fail us.\n\n23. Upon the cross he suffereth the torments and ignominy of death for\nus, praying for his murderers: \"leaving us an example that we should\nfollow his steps,\" 1 Pet. ii. 21; and that we think not life itself\ntoo dear to part with, in obedience to God, and for the love of Christ\nand one another, 1 John iii. 16; and that we forgive and pray for them\nthat persecute us.\n\n24. In all this suffering from men, he feels also so much of the fruit\nof our sin upon his soul, that he crieth out, \"My God, my God, why\nhast thou forsaken me?\" to teach us, if we fall into such calamity of\nsoul, as to think that God himself forsaketh us, to remember for our\nsupport, that the Son of God himself before us, cried out, \"My God,\nwhy hast thou forsaken me?\" and that in this also we may expect a\ntrial, to seem of ourselves forsaken of God, when our Saviour\nunderwent the like before us.\n\nI will instance in no more of his example, because I would not be\ntedious. Hither now let believers cast their eyes: if you love your\nLord, you should love to imitate him, and be glad to find yourselves in\nthe way that he hath gone before you. If he lived a worldly or a sensual\nlife, do you do so: if he was an enemy to preaching, and praying, and\nholy living, be you so: but if he lived in the greatest contempt of all\nthe wealth, and honours, and pleasures of the world, in a life of holy\nobedience to his Father, wholly preferring the kingdom of heaven, and\nseeking the salvation of the souls of others, and patiently bearing\npersecution, derision, calumnies, and death, then take up your cross,\nand follow him in joyfully to the expected crown.\n\n_Direct._ VI. If you will learn of Christ, you must learn of his\nministers, whom he hath appointed under him to be the teachers of his\nchurch.--He purposely enableth them, inclineth them, and sendeth them to\ninstruct you: not to have dominion over your faith, but to be your\nspiritual fathers, and \"the ministers by whom you believe, as God shall\ngive\" (ability and success) \"to every one\" as he pleases; \"to plant and\nwater,\" while \"God giveth the increase; to open men's eyes, and turn\nthem from darkness to light;\" and to be \"labourers together with God,\nwhose husbandry and building you are;\" and to be \"helpers of your joy.\"\nSee 2 Cor. ii. 4; Acts xxvi. 17, 18; 1 Cor. iii. 5-9; iv. 15. Seeing\ntherefore Christ hath appointed them, under him, to be the ordinary\nteachers of his church, he that \"heareth them,\" (speaking his message,)\n\"heareth him,\" and he \"that despiseth them, despiseth him,\" Luke x. 16.\nAnd he that saith, I will hear Christ, but not you, doth say in effect\nto Christ himself, I will not hear thee, nor learn of thee, unless thou\nwilt dismiss thy ushers, and teach me immediately thyself.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Hearken also to the secret teachings of his Spirit, and\nyour consciences, not as making you any new law or duty, or being to\nyou instead of Scriptures or ministers; but as bringing that truth\ninto your hearts and practices, which Scriptures and ministers have\nfirst brought to your eyes and ears.--If you understand not this, how\nthe office of Scripture and ministers differ from the office of the\nSpirit and your consciences, you will be confounded, as the sectaries\nof these times have been, that separate what God hath joined together,\nand plead against Scripture or ministers under pretence of extolling\nthe Spirit, or the light within them. As your meat must be taken into\nthe stomach, and pass the first concoction, before the second can be\nperformed, and chylification must be before sanguification; so the\nScripture and ministers must bring truth to your eyes and ears, before\nthe Spirit or conscience bring them to your hearts and practice. But\nthey lie dead and uneffectual in your brain or imagination, if you\nhearken not to the secret teachings of the Spirit and conscience,\nwhich would bring them further. As Christ is the principal Teacher\nwithout, and ministers are but under him; so the Spirit is the\nprincipal teacher within us, and conscience is but under the Spirit,\nbeing excited and informed by it. Those that learn only of Scriptures\nand ministers, (by hearing or reading,) may become men of learning and\ngreat ability, though they hearken not to the sanctifying teachings of\nthe Spirit, or to their consciences. But it is only those that hearken\nfirst to the Scriptures and ministers, and next to the Spirit of God,\nand to their consciences, that have an inward, sanctifying, saving\nknowledge, and are they that are said to be taught of God. Therefore,\nhearken first with your ears, what Christ hath to say to you from\nwithout; and then hearken daily and diligently with your hearts, what\nthe Spirit and conscience say within. For it is their office to\npreach over all that again to your hearts, which you have received.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. It being the office of the present ordinary ministry,\nonly to expound and apply the doctrine of Christ already recorded in\nthe Scriptures, believe not any man that contradicteth this recorded\ndoctrine, what reason, authority, or revelation soever he pretend.\nIsa. viii. 20, \"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not\naccording to these, it is because there is no light in them.\" No\nreason can be reason indeed that is pretended against the reason of\nthe Creator and God of reason. Authority pretended against the highest\nauthority of God, is no authority: God never gave authority to any\nagainst himself; nor to deceive men's souls; nor to dispense with the\nlaw of Christ; nor to warrant men to sin against him; nor to make any\nsupplements to his law or doctrine. The apostles had their \"power only\nto edification, but not to destruction,\" 1 Cor. x. 8; 2 Cor. xiii. 10.\nThere is no revelation from God that is contrary to his own\nrevelation, already delivered as his perfect law and rule unto the\nchurch; and therefore none supplemental to it. If an \"apostle or an\nangel from heaven (_per possibile vel impossibile_) shall evangelize\nto us besides what is evangelized,\" and we \"have received,\" he must be\nheld \"accursed,\" Gal. i. 6-8.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Come not to learn of Christ with self-conceitedness,\npride, or confidence in your prejudice and errors; but as little\nchildren, with humble, teachable, tractable minds. Christ is no\nteacher for those that in their own eyes are wise enough already:\nunless it be first to teach them to \"become fools\" (in their own\nesteem, because they are so indeed) \"that they may be wise,\" 1 Cor.\niii. 18. They that are prepossessed with false opinions, and resolve\nthat they will never be persuaded of the contrary, are unmeet to be\nscholars in the school of Christ. \"He resisteth the proud, but giveth\nmore grace unto the humble,\" 1 Pet. v. 5. Men that have a high conceit\nof their own understandings, and think they can easily know truth from\nfalsehood, as soon as they hear it, and come not to learn, but to\ncensure what they hear or read, as being able presently to judge of\nall, these are fitter for the school of the prince of pride, and\nfather of lies and error, than for the school of Christ. Except\nconversion make men as little children, that come not to carp and\ncavil, but to learn, they are not \"meet for the kingdom of Christ,\"\nMatt. xviii. 3; John iii. 3, 5. Know how blind and ignorant you are,\nand how dull of learning, and humbly beg of the heavenly Teacher, that\nhe will accept you, and illuminate you: and give up your\nunderstandings absolutely to be informed by him, and your hearts to be\nthe tables in which his Spirit shall write his law; believing his\ndoctrine upon the bare account of his infallible veracity, and\nresolving to obey it; and this is to be the disciples of Christ\nindeed, and such as shall be taught of God.\n\n_Direct._ X. Come to the school of Christ with honest, willing hearts,\nthat love the truth, and fain would know it, that they may obey it;\nand not with false and biassed hearts, which secretly hinder the\nunderstanding from entertaining the truth, because they love it not,\nas being contrary to their carnal inclinations and interest. The word\nthat was received into honest hearts, was it that was as the seed that\nbrought forth plentifully, Matt. xiii. 23. When the heart saith\nunfeignedly, \"Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth; teach me to know\nand do thy will;\" God will not leave such a learner in the dark. Most\nof the damnable ignorance and error of the world, is from a wicked\nheart, that perceiveth that the truth of God is against their fleshly\ninterest and lusts, and therefore is unwilling to obey it, and\nunwilling to believe it, lest it torment them, because they disobey\nit. A will that is secretly poisoned with the love of the world, or of\nany sinful lusts and pleasures, is the most potent impediment to the\nbelieving of the truth.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Learn with quietness and peace in the school of Christ,\nand make not divisions, and meddle not with others' lessons and\nmatters, but with your own. Silence, and quietness, and minding your\nown business, is the way to profit. The turbulent wranglers that are\nquarrelling with others, and are religious contentiously, in envy and\nstrife, are liker to be corrected or ejected, than to be edified. Read\nJames iii.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Remember that the school of Christ hath a rod; and\ntherefore learn with fear and reverence, Heb. xii. 28, 29; Phil. ii.\n12. Christ will sharply rebuke his own, if they grow negligent and\noffend: and if he should cast thee out and forsake thee, thou art\nundone for ever. \"See,\" therefore, \"that ye refuse not him that\nspeaketh: for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth,\nmuch more shall not we, if we refuse him that is from heaven,\" Heb.\nxii. 25. \"For how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation;\nwhich at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us\nby them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with\nsigns, and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost,\naccording to his own will?\" Heb. ii. 3, 4. \"Serve the Lord therefore\nwith fear, and rejoice with trembling: kiss the Son, lest he be angry,\nand you perish in the kindling of his wrath,\" Psal. ii. 11, 12.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Sidenote: To obey Christ as Physician in his healing work, and his\nspirit in its cleansing, mortifying work.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ VIII. Remember that you are related to Christ as the\nPhysician of your souls, and to the Holy Ghost as your Sanctifier.\nMake it therefore your serious study, to be cured by Christ, and\ncleansed by his Spirit, of all the sinful diseases and defilements of\nyour hearts and lives.\n\nThough I did before speak of our believing in the Holy Ghost, and\nusing his help for our access to God, and converse with him; yet I\ndeferred to speak fully of the cleansing and mortifying part of his\nwork of sanctification till now; and shall treat of it here, as it is\nthe same with the curing work of Christ, related to us as the\nPhysician of our souls: it being part of our subjection and obedience\nto him, to be ruled by him, in order to our cure. And what I shall\nhere write against sin, in general, will be of a twofold use. The one\nis, to help us against the inward corruptions of our hearts, and for\nthe outward obedience of our lives, and so to further the work of\nsanctification, and prevent our sinning. The other is, to help us to\nrepentance and humiliation, habitual and actual, for the sins which\nare in us, and which we have already at any time committed.\n\nThe general directions for this curing and cleansing of the soul from\nsin, are contained, for the most part, in what is said already: and\nmany of the particular directions also may be fetched from the sixth\ndirection before-going. I shall now add but two general directions,\nand many more particular ones.\n\n_Direct._ I. The two general directions are these: 1. Know what\ncorruptions the soul of man is naturally defiled with: and this\ncontaineth the knowledge of those faculties, that are the seat of\nthese corruptions, and the knowledge of the corruptions that have\ntainted and perverted the several faculties.\n\n_Direct._ II. 2. Know what sin is, in its nature or intrinsic evil, as\nwell as in the effects.\n\n[Sidenote: How the several faculties of the soul are corrupted and\ndiseased.]\n\n[Sidenote: In what cases sound understanding may be ignorant.]\n\n1. The parts or faculties to be cleansed and cured, are both the\nsuperior and inferior. (1.) The understanding, though not the first in\nthe sin, must be first in the cure: for all that is done upon the\nlower faculties, must be by the governing power of the will: and all\nthat is done upon the will, according to the order of human nature,\nmust be done by the understanding. But the understanding hath its own\ndiseases, which must be known and cured. Its malady in general is\nignorance; which is not only a privation of actual knowledge, but an\nundisposedness also of the understanding to know the truth. A man may\nbe deprived of some actual knowledge, that hath no disease in his mind\nthat causeth it: as in a case that either the object be absent, and\nout of reach, or that there may be no sufficient revelation of it, or\nthat the mind be taken up wholly upon some other thing, or in case a\nman shut out the thoughts of such an object, or refuse the evidence,\nwhich is the act of the will, even as a man that is not blind, may yet\nnot see a particular object, 1. In case it be out of his natural\nreach; 2. Or if it be night, and he want extrinsic light; 3. Or in\ncase he be wholly taken up with the observation of other things; 4. Or\nin case he wilfully either shut or turn away his eyes.\n\n[Sidenote: How the understanding can be the subject of sin?]\n\nIt is a very hard question to resolve, how far and wherein the\ndiseases of the understanding may be called sin? Because the\nunderstanding is not a free, but a necessitated faculty; and there can\nbe no sin, where there is no liberty. But to clear this, it must be\nconsidered, 1. That it is not this or that faculty that is the full\nand proper subject of sin, but the man: the fulness of sin being made\nup of the vice of both faculties, understanding and will, conjunct. It\nis properer to say, The man sinned, than, The intellect or will\nsinned, speaking exclusively as to the other. 2. _Liberium arbitrium_,\nfree choice, is belonging to the man, and not to his will only, though\nprincipally to the will. 3. Though the will only be free in itself,\noriginally, yet the intellect is free by participation, so far as it\nis commanded by the will, or dependeth on it for the exercise of its\nacts. 4. Accordingly, though the understanding, primitively and of\nitself, be not the subject of morality, of moral virtues or of moral\nvices, which are immediately and primarily in the will; yet\nparticipatively its virtues and vices are moralized, and become graces\nor sins, laudable and rewardable, or vituperable and punishable, as\nthey are imperate by the will, or depend upon it.\n\nConsider then, the acts, and habits, and disposition of the\nunderstanding; and you will find, That some acts, and the privation of\nthem, are necessary, naturally, originally, and unalterably; and these\nare not virtues or sinful at all, as having no morality. As, to know\nunwillingly, as the devils do, and to believe when it cannot be\nresisted, though they would; this is no moral virtue at all, but a\nnatural perfection only. So, 1. To be ignorant of that which is no\nobject of knowledge, or which is naturally beyond our knowledge, as of\nthe essence of God, is no sin at all. 2. Nor, to be ignorant of that\nwhich was never revealed, when no fault of ours hindered the revelation,\nis no sin. 3. Nor, to be without the present, actual knowledge or\nconsideration of one point, at that moment when our thoughts are\nlawfully diverted, as in greater business, or suspended, as in sleep. 4.\nBut to be ignorant, wilfully, is a sin, participatively in the\nintellect, and originally in the will. 5. And to be ignorant for want of\nrevelation, when ourselves are the hinderers of that revelation, or the\nmeritorious cause that we want it, is our sin: because, though that\nignorance be immediately necessary, and hypothetically, yet originally\nand remotely it is free and voluntary.\n\nSo, as to the habits and disposition of the intellect; it is no sin to\nwant those, which man's understanding in its entire and primitive\nnature was without. As, not to be able to know without an object, or\nto know an unrevealed or too distant object, or actually to know all\nthings knowable, at once. But there are defects or ill dispositions,\nthat are sinfully contracted; and though these are now immediately\nnatural[98] and necessary, yet being originally and remotely voluntary\nor free, they are participatively sinful. Such is the natural man's\ndisability or undisposedness to know the things of the Spirit, when\nthe word revealeth them. This lieth not in the want of a natural\nfaculty to know them, but, 1. Radically in the will. 2. And thence in\ncontrary, false apprehensions which the intellect is prepossessed\nwith, which resisting the truth, may be called, its blindness or\nimpotency to know them. And 3. In a strangeness of the mind to those\nspiritual things which it is utterly unacquainted with.\n\nNote here, 1. That the will may be guilty of the understanding's\nignorance, two ways: either, by positive averseness prohibiting or\ndiverting it from beholding the evidence of truth; or, by a privation\nand forbearance of that command or excitation which is necessary to\nthe exercise of the acts of the understanding. This last is the\ncommonest way of the sin in the understanding; and that may be truly\ncalled voluntary which is from the will's neglect of its office, or\nsuspension of its act, though there be no actual volition or nolition.\n\n2. That the will may do more in causing a disease in the\nunderstanding, than it can do in curing it. I can put out a man's\neyes, but I cannot restore them.\n\n3. That yet for all that, God hath so ordered it in his gracious\ndispensation of the grace of the Redeemer, that certain means are\nappointed by him, for man to use, in order to the obtaining of his\ngrace, for his own recovery: and so, though grace cure not the\nunderstanding of its primitive, natural weakness, yet it cureth it of\nits contracted weakness, which was voluntary in its original, but\nnecessary, being contracted. And, as the will had a hand in the\ncausing of it, so must it have, in the voluntary use of the aforesaid\nmeans, in the cure of it. So much to show you how the understanding is\nguilty of sin.\n\n[Sidenote: The operations and maladies of the intellect.]\n\nThough no actual knowledge be so immediate as to be without the\nmediation of the sense and fantasy, yet supposing these, knowledge is\ndistinguished into immediate and mediate. The immediate is when the\nbeing, quality, &c. of a thing, or the truth of a proposition, is\nknown immediately in itself by its proper evidence. Mediate knowledge\nis when the being of a thing, or the truth of a proposition, is known\nby the means of some other intervenient thing or proposition, whose\nevidence affordeth us a light to discern it.\n\nThe understanding is much more satisfied when it can see things and\ntruths immediately in their proper evidence. But when it cannot, it is\nglad of any means to help it.\n\nThe further we go in the series of means, (knowing one thing by\nanother, and that by another, and so on,) the more unsatisfied the\nunderstanding is, as apprehending a possibility of mistake, and a\ndifficulty in escaping mistake in the use of so many _media_.\n\nWhen the evidence of one thing in its proper nature showeth us\nanother, this is to know by mere discourse or argument.\n\nWhen the medium of our knowing one thing is the credibility of another\nman's report that knoweth it, this is (though a discourse or argument\ntoo, yet) in special, called, belief; which is strong or weak, certain\nor uncertain, as the evidence of the reporter's credibility is certain\nor uncertain, and our apprehension of it strong or weak.\n\nIn both cases, the understanding's fault is either an utter privation\nof the act, or disposition to it; or else a privation of the rectitude\nof the act. When it should know by the proper evidence of the thing,\nthe privation of its act is called ignorance or nescience, and the\nprivation of its rectitude is called error (which differ as not\nseeing, and seeing falsely.) When it should know by testimony, the\nprivation of its act is simple unbelief, or not believing, and the\nprivation of its rectitude is either disbelief, when they think the\nreporter erreth, or misbelief, when it believeth a testimony that is\nnot to be believed.\n\nSo that you see by what is said, that the diseases of the mind to be\ncured, are, 1. Mere ignorance. 2. Error; thinking truth to be falsehood,\nand falsehood truth. 3. Unbelief. 4. Disbelief. And 5. Misbelief.\n\n[Sidenote: Rom. viii. 5-7.]\n\nBut as the goodness is of chief regard in the object, so the\ndiscerning of the truth about good and evil, is the chiefest office of\nthe understanding. And therefore its disesteem of God, and glory, and\ngrace, and its misesteem of the fleshly pleasure, and worldly\nprosperity, wealth, and honour, is the principal malady of the mind.\n\n(2.) The diseases of the will, are in its inclination, and its acts.\n1. An inordinate inclination to the pleasing of the fleshly appetite\nand fantasy, and to all carnal baits and temporal things, that tend to\nplease it, and inordinate acts of desire accordingly. 2. An irrational\nbackwardness to God, and grace, and spiritual good, and a refusal or\nnolition in act accordingly. These are in the will, 1. Because it is\nbecome much subject to the sensitive appetite, and hath debased\nitself, and contracted, by its sinful acts, a sensual inclination, the\nflesh having the dominion in a corrupted soul. 2. Because the\nintellect being also corrupted, ofttimes misleadeth it, by overvaluing\ntransient things. 3. Because the will is become destitute (in its\ncorrupted state) of the power of divine love, or an inclination to God\nand holy things, which should countermand the seduction of carnal\nobjects. 4. And the understanding is much destitute of the light that\nshould lead them higher. 5. Because the rage of the corrupted appetite\nis still seducing it. Mark therefore, for the right understanding of\nthis, our greatest malady:\n\n1. That the will never desireth evil, as evil, but as a carnal or a\nseeming good. 2. Nor doth it hate good as good, but as a seeming evil,\nbecause God and grace do seem to be his enemies, and to hurt him, by\nhindering him of the good of carnal pleasure which he now preferreth.\n3. Nay, at the same time that he loveth evil as it pleaseth the flesh,\nhe hath naturally, as a man, some averseness to it, so far as he\napprehendeth it to be evil: and when he hateth God and holiness as\nevil, for hindering him of his carnal pleasure, he naturally loveth\nthem, so far as he apprehendeth them to be good. So that there is some\nlove to God and good, and some hatred to evil, in the ungodly; for\nwhile man is man, he will have naturally an inclination to good as\ngood, and against evil as evil. 4. But the apprehension of sensitive\ngood is the strongest in him, and the apprehension of spiritual good\nis weakest; and therefore the will receiving a greater impress from\nthe carnal appetite and mind, than from the weak apprehensions of\nspiritual good, is more inclined to that which indeed is worst; and so\nthings carnal have got the dominion, or chief commanding interest, in\nthe soul. 5. Note also, that sin receiveth its formality, or moral\nevil, first in the will, and not in the intellect or sensitive\nappetite: for it is not sin till it be positively or privately,\nimmediately or mediately, voluntary. But the first motions to sin are\nnot in the will, but in the sensitive appetite; though there, at\nfirst, it be not formally sin. 6. Note, that neither intellect,\nobject, appetite, or sense, necessitate naturally the will to sin, but\nit remaineth the first in the sin and guilt.\n\nIt is a matter of great difficulty to understand how sin first entered\ninto the innocent soul; and it is of great importance, because an error\nhere is of dangerous consequence. Two sorts seem to me to make God so\nmuch the necessitating cause of Adam's first sin, (and so of all sin,)\nas that it was as naturally impossible for Adam to have forborne it,\naccording to their doctrine, as to have conquered God: 1. Those that\nassert the Dominican, immediate, physical, pre-determining pre-motion\n(which no created power can resist). 2. And those that say the will acts\nas necessitated by the intellect in all its acts (and so is necessitated\nin all its omissions); and that the intellect is necessitated by objects\n(as, no doubt it is, unless as its acts are _sub imperio voluntatis_);\nand all those objects are caused and disposed of by God. But it is\ncertain that God is not the cause of sin; and therefore this certainty\noverruleth the case against these tenets.\n\nAt present it seemeth to me, that sin entered in this method: 1. Sense\nperceiveth the forbidden thing. 2. The appetite desireth it. 3. The\nimagination thinketh on its desirableness yet further. 4. The\nintellect conceiveth of it (truly) as good, by a simple apprehension.\n5. The will accordingly willeth it by a simple complacency or\nvolition. Thus far there was no sin. But, 6. The will here adhered to\nit too much, and took in it an excess of complacency, when it had\npower to do otherwise: and here sin begun. 7. And so when the\ncogitations should have been called off; 8. And the intellect should\nhave minded God, and his command, and proceeded from a simple\napprehension to the comparing act, and said, The favour of God is\nbetter, and his will should rule, it omitted all these acts, because\nthe will omitted to command them; yea, and hindered them. 9. And so\nthe intellect was next guilty of a _non-renuo_,--I will not forbid or\nhinder it (and the will accordingly). 10. And next of a positive\ndeception, and the will of consent unto the sin, and so it being\n\"finished, brought forth death.\"\n\nIf you say, the will's first sinful adhesion in the sixth instance,\ncould not be, unless the intellect first directed it so to do; I deny\nthat, because the will is the first principle in men's actions _quoad\nexercitium_, though the intellect be the first as to specification. And\ntherefore the will could suspend its exercise and its excitation of the\nmind. In all this I go upon common principles: but I leave it to further\ninquiry; 1. How far the sensitive appetite may move the locomotive\nfaculty without the will's command, while the will doth not forbid? And\nwhether reason be not given man, as the rider to the horse, not to\nenable him to move, but to rule his motion: so that as the horse can go\nif the rider hinder not, so the sensitive appetite can cause the actions\nof eating, drinking, thinking, speaking sensually, if reason do but drop\nasleep, or not hinder. 2. And so whether in the first sin (and\nordinarily) the sensitive appetite, fantasy, and passion be not the\nactive mover, and the rational powers first guilty only by omitting\ntheir restraining government, which they were able to have exercised? 3.\nAnd so, whether sin be not (ordinarily) a brutish motion, or a voluntary\nunmanning of ourselves, the rational powers in the beginning being\nguilty only of omission or privation of restraint; but afterwards\nbrought over to subserve the sensitive appetite actively? 4. And so,\nwhether the will, which is the _principium actus quoad exercitium_, were\nnot the first in the omission? The intellect having before said, This\nmust be further considered, the will commanded not that further\nconsideration, when it could and should?\n\nHowever, if it be too hard for us to trace our own souls in all their\nmotions, it is certain that the will of man is the first subject of\nmoral good and evil; and uncertainties must not make us deny that\nwhich is certain.\n\nThe reader who understandeth the importance and consequence of these\npoints, I am sure, will pardon me for this interposition of these\ndifficult controverted points (which I purposely avoid where I judge\nthem not very needful in order to the defence or clearing of the\nplainer common truths): and as for others, I must bear their censure.\n\nThe degree of sinfulness in the will lieth in a stiffness and\nobstinacy, a tenaciousness of deceitful temporal good, and an\neagerness after it; and stubborn averseness to spiritual good, as it\nis against that temporal fleshly good. This is the will's disease.[99]\n\n(3.) The sinfulness of the memory is in its retentiveness of evil, or\nthings hurtful and prohibited; and its looseness and neglect of\nbetter, spiritual, necessary things. If this were only as things\npresent have the natural advantage to make a deeper impress upon the\nfantasy, and things unseen and absent have the disadvantage, it were\nthen but a natural, innocent infirmity; or if in sickness, age, or\nweakness, all kind of memory equally decay. But it is plain, that if\nthe Bible be open before our eyes, and preaching be in our ears, and\nthings unseen have the advantage of their infinite greatness, and\nexcellency, and concernment to us, yet our memories are like walls of\nstone to any thing that is spiritual, and like walls of wax, on which\nyou may write any thing, of that which is secular or evil. Note here,\nalso, that the faultiness of the memory is only so far sinful as it is\nvoluntary: it is the will where the sin is as in its throne, or\nchiefest subject. Because men love carnal things, and love not\nspiritual things, therefore it is that they mind, and understand, and\nremember the one, and not the other. So that it is but as imperate,\nand participatively, that the memory is capable of sin.\n\n(4.) The sinfulness of the imagination consisteth in its readiness to\nthink of evil, and of common earthly things, and its unaptness to think\nof any thing that is holy and good; and when we do force ourselves to\nholy thoughts, they are disorderly, confused, unskilfully managed, with\ngreat averseness.--Here also voluntariness is the life of the sin.\n\n(5.) The sin of the affections, or passions, consisteth in this:--That\nthey are too easily and violently moved by the sensitive interest and\nappetite; and are habitually prone to such carnal, inordinate motions,\nrunning before the understanding and will, (some of them,) and\nsoliciting and urging them to evil; and resisting and disobeying the\ncommands of reason and the will: but dull and backward to things\nspiritually good, and to execute the right dictates of the mind and\nwill.\n\n(6.) The sin of the sensitive appetite consisteth in the inordinate rage\nor immoderateness to its object, which causeth it to disobey the\ncommands of reason, and to become the great inciter of rebellion in the\nsoul; violently urging the mind and will to consent to its desires.\nMaterially this dependeth much on the temper of the body; but formally\nthis also is so far sinful as (positively or privately, mediately or\nimmediately) it is voluntary. To have an appetite simply to the object\nof appetite is no sin; but to have a diseased, inordinate, unruly\nappetite, is a sin, not primarily in itself considered, but as it is\nvoluntary, as it is the appetite of a rational free agent, that hath\nthus disordered the frame of its own nature.\n\n(7.) The sin of the exterior parts, tongue, hand, eyes, feet, &c. is\nonly in act, and not in habit, or at least, the habits are weak and\nsubject to the will. And it is in the execution of the sinful desires of\nthe flesh, and commands of the will, that the same consisteth. These\nparts also are not the primary subject of the guilt, but the will, that\neither positively puts them upon evil, or doth not restrain them when it\nought; and so they are guilty but participatively and secondarily, as\nthe other imperate faculties are: it is not good or evil merely as it is\nthe act of tongue or hand, but as it is the act of the tongue, or hand\nof a rational free agent (agreeable or disagreeable to the law). If a\nmadman should speak blasphemy, or should kill, or steal, it were no\nfurther sin, than as he had voluntarily contracted the ill disposition\nwhich caused it while he had the use of reason. If a man's hand were\nheld and forced by another to do mischief utterly against his will, it\nis the sin of the chief agent, and not of the involuntary instrument.\nBut no force totally excuseth us from guilt, which leaveth the act to\nour rational choice. He that saith, Take this oath, or I will kill thee,\nor torment thee, doth use force as a temptation which may be resisted,\nbut doth not constrain a man to swear: for he leaveth it to his choice\nwhether he will swear, or die, or be tormented; and he may and ought to\nchoose death rather than the smallest sin. The will may be tempted, but\nnot constrained.\n\n_Direct._ II. 2. Labour clearly to understand the evil of sin, both\nintrinsical in itself, and in its aggravations and effects.--When you\nhave found out where it is, and wherein it doth consist, find out the\nmalignity and odiousness of it. I have heard some christians complain,\nthat they read much to show them the evil of sin in its effects, but\nmeet with few that show them its evil in itself sufficiently. But, if\nyou see not the evil of sin in itself, as well as in the effects, it\nwill but tempt you to think God unjust in over-punishing it; and it\nwill keep you from the principal part of true repentance and\nmortification; which lieth in hating sin, as sin. I shall therefore\nshow you, wherein the intrinsical malignity of sin consisteth.\n\n1. Sin is (formally) the violation of the perfect, holy, righteous law\nof God.\n\n2. It is a denial or contempt of the authority, or governing power, of\nGod: as if we said, Thou shalt not be our Governor in this.\n\n3. It is a usurping the sovereign power to ourselves of governing\nourselves, in that act: for when we refuse God's government, we set up\nourselves in his stead; and so make gods of ourselves as to ourselves,\nas if we were self-sufficient, independent, and had right hereto.\n\n4. It is a denying or contempt of the wisdom of God, as if he had\nunwisely made us a law which is unmeet to rule us.\n\n5. It is a setting up of our folly in the place of God's wisdom, and\npreferring it before him; as if we were wiser to know how to govern\nourselves, and to know what is fittest and best for us now to do, than\nGod is.\n\n6. It is a contempt of the goodness of God, as he is the maker of the\nlaw: as if he had not done that which is best, but that which may be\ncorrected or contradicted, and there were some evil in it to be\navoided.[100]\n\n7. It is a preferring our naughtiness before his goodness, as if we\nwould do it better, or choose better what to do.\n\n8. It is a contempt or denial of the holiness and purity of God, which\nsets him against sin, as light is against darkness.\n\n9. It is a violation of God's propriety or dominion, robbing him of\nthe use and service of that which is absolutely and totally his own.\n\n10. It is a claiming of propriety in ourselves, as if we were our own,\nand might do with ourselves as we list.\n\n11. It is a contempt of the gracious promises of God, by which he\nallured and bound us to obedience.\n\n12. It is a contempt of the dreadful threatenings of God, by which he\nwould have restrained us from evil.\n\n13. It is a contempt or denial of the dreadful day of judgment, in\nwhich an account must be given of that sin.\n\n14. It is a denying of God's veracity, and giving him the lie: as if he\nwere not to be believed in all his predictions, promises, and threats.\n\n15. It is a contempt of all the present mercies, (which are innumerable\nand great,) by which God obligeth and encourageth us to obey.\n\n16. It is a contempt of our own afflictions, and his chastisements of\nus, by which he would drive us from our sins.\n\n17. It is a contempt of all the examples of his mercies on the\nobedient, and his terrible judgments on the disobedient, (men and\ndevils,) by which he warned us not to sin.\n\n18. It is a contempt of the person, office, sufferings, and grace of\nJesus Christ, who came to save us from our sins, and to destroy the\nworks of the devil; being contrary to his bloodshed, authority, and\nhealing work.\n\n19. It is a contradicting, fighting against, and in that act\nprevailing against the sanctifying office and work of the Holy Ghost,\nthat moveth us against sin, and to obedience.\n\n20. It is a contempt of holiness, and a defacing, in that measure, the\nimage of God upon the soul, or a rejecting it: a vilifying of all\nthose graces which are contrary to the sin.\n\n21. It is a pleasing of the devil, the enemy of God and us, and an\nobeying him before God.\n\n22. It is the fault of a rational creature, that had reason given him\nto do better.\n\n23. It is all willingly done and chosen by a free agent, that could\nnot be constrained to it.[101]\n\n24. It is a robbing God of the honour and pleasure which he should\nhave had in our obedience; and the glory which we should bring him\nbefore the world.\n\n25. It is a contempt of the omnipresence and omniscience of God, when\nwe will sin against him before his face, when he stands over us, and\nseeth all that we do.\n\n26. It is a contempt of the greatness and almightiness of God, that we\ndare sin against him who is so great, and able to be avenged on us.\n\n27. It is a wrong to the mercifulness of God, when we go out of the\nway of mercy, and put him to use the way of justice and severity, who\ndelighteth not in the death of sinners, but rather that they obey,\nrepent, and live.\n\n28. It is a contempt of the attractive love of God, who should be the\nend, and felicity, and pleasure of the soul. As if all that love and\ngoodness of God were not enough to draw or keep the heart to him, and\nto satisfy us and make us happy; or, he were not fit to be our\ndelight. And it showeth the want of love to God; for if we loved him\nrightly we should willingly obey him.\n\n29. It is a setting up the sordid creature before the Creator, and\ndung before heaven, as if it were more worthy of our love and choice,\nand fitter to be our delight; and the pleasure of sin were better for\nus than the glory of heaven.\n\n30. In all which it appeareth, that it is a practical atheism, in its\ndegree; a taking down God, or denying him to be God: and a practical\nidolatry, setting up ourselves and other creatures in his stead.\n\n31. It is a contempt of all the means of grace, which are all to bring\nus to obedience, and keep us or call us from our sins: prayer,\nsacraments, &c.\n\n32. It is a contempt of the love and labours of the ministers of\nChrist; a disobeying them, grieving them, and frustrating their hopes\nand the labours of their lives.\n\n33. It is a debasing of reason, the superior faculty of the soul, and\na setting up of the flesh or inferior faculties, like setting dogs to\ngovern men, or the horse to rule the rider.\n\n34. It is a blinding of reason, and a misusing the noblest faculties\nof the soul, and frustrating them of the use and ends which they were\nmade for: and so it is the disorder, monstrosity, sickness, or death\nof the soul.[102]\n\n35. It is, in its measure, the image of the devil upon the soul, who\nis the father of sin: and therefore the most odious deformity of the\nsoul; and this where the Holy Ghost should dwell, and the image and\ndelight of God should be.\n\n36. It is the moral destruction not only of the soul, but of the whole\ncreation, so far as the creatures are appointed as the means to bring\nor keep us unto God: for the means, as a means, is destroyed when it\nis not used to its end. A ship is useless if no one be carried in it.\nA watch, as such, is useless, when not used to show the hour of the\nday. All the world, as it is the book that should teach us the will of\nGod, is cast by, when that use is cast by. Nay, sin useth the creature\nagainst God which should have been used for him.\n\n37. It is a contradicting of our own confessions and professions; a\nwronging of our consciences; a violation of our covenants and\nself-obligations to God.\n\n38. It is a preferring of time before eternity, and regarding things\nof a transitory nature, and a moment's pleasure, before that which\nnever shall have end.\n\n[Sidenote: The perverting and confusion of societies.]\n\n39. It is a making a breach in the harmony and order of the world: as\nthe dislocation or deformity of a particular member, is the trouble\nand deformity of all the body, because the comeliness and welfare of\nthe whole, containeth the comeliness, proportion, and welfare of all\nthe parts. And as the dislocation or breaking of one part in a watch\nor clock, is against the use of all the engine; so every man being a\npart of the kingdom of God, doth by sin make a breach in the order of\nthe whole; and also giveth an ill example to other parts, and makes\nhimself unserviceable to the body; and dishonoureth the whole body\nwith the blot of rebellion; and lets in judgment on the world; and\nkindleth a consuming fire in the place where he liveth; and is cruel\nand injurious to others.\n\n40. Sin is not only a preferring the body before the soul, but it is\nalso an unmercifulness or cruelty against ourselves, both soul and\nbody, and so is contrary to the true use of the indelible principle of\nself-love; for it is a wounding and abusing the soul and defiling the\nbody in this life, and casting both on the wrath of God, and into the\nflames of hell hereafter, or a dangerous venturing them into the way\nof endless damnation and despair, and a contempt of those insufferable\ntorments. All these parts of malignity and poison are intrinsical to\nsin, and found in the very nature of it.\n\nThe common aggravations of sin being written of by many, and easily\ngathered from what is said of the nature of it, I shall briefly name\nonly a few.\n\n1. The infinite perfection of God in all those blessed attributes and\nrelations, which sin is against, is the greatest aggravation of sin.\n\n2. The inconceivable glory of heaven, which is despised, is a great\naggravation of sin.\n\n3. So is the greatness of the torments of hell, which sinners despise\nand venture on.\n\n4. So is the great opposition that God hath made against sin, having\nsaid and done so much against it, and declared himself to hate nothing\nelse immediately in the world.\n\n5. The clearness of evidence against it, the nothingness of all that\ncan be said for it, is also a great aggravation of it.\n\n6. So is the fulness, and fitness, and power of all the means in\ncreatures, providences, and Scriptures, that is vouchsafed the world\nagainst it.\n\n7. So is the experience and warning of all ages, the repentings of the\nconverted, and the disowning it by almost all when they come to die.\nWonderful! that the experience of the world for above five thousand\nyears, will teach them no more effectually to avoid so mortal,\npernicious a thing.\n\n8. The nearness to us also is an aggravation: it is not a distant\nevil, but in our bowels, in our very hearts; we are bound so strictly\nto love ourselves, that it is a great aggravation to do ourselves so\ngreat a mischief.\n\n9. The constant inhesion of sin is a great aggravation: that it is\never with us, lying down and rising up, at home and abroad; we are\nnever free from it.\n\n10. That it should poison all our common mercies, and corrupt all our\nduties, is an aggravation. But we shall take up some of these anon.\n\nThe special aggravations of the sins of God's own children are\nthese:[103]\n\n1. They sin against a nearer relation than others do; even against\nthat God that is their Father by the new birth, which is more heinous\nthan if a stranger did it.\n\n2. They are Christ's own members: and it is most unnatural for his\nmembers to rebel against him, or do him wrong.\n\n3. They sin against more excellent operations of the Spirit than\nothers do, and against a principle of life within them.\n\n4. They sin against the differencing grace, which appeared in their\nconversion. God took them out of a world of sinners, whom he passed by\nwhen he could as well have sanctified them: and should they so quickly\nthus requite him?\n\n5. They sin against the pardon and justification which they have\nalready received. Did God so lately forgive them all their former\ndebts, so many, so great and heinous sins, and that so freely to them,\nwhen the procurement was so dear to Christ? and should they so soon\nforget, or so ill requite, so great a mercy?\n\n6. They sin against a more serious covenant, which at their conversion\nthey entered into with God, than other men do.\n\n7. They sin against all the heart-breaking or humbling sorrows, which\nthey have tasted of at their conversion, and since. They have known more\nof the evil of sin than others, in their sad experience of its sting.\n\n8. They sin against more knowledge than other men: they have known\nmore what sin is, and what Christ is, and what the will of God is,\nthan others: and therefore deserve to be beaten with many stripes.\n\n9. They have oftener confessed sin than others, and spoke odiously of\nit, as the vilest thing, and aggravated it to God and man.\n\n10. Their many prayers against it, and all their labour in hearing,\nand reading, and sacraments, and other means, do aggravate it.\n\n11. They make a greater profession of strict obedience, and therefore\nsin against their own profession.\n\n12. They have renewed their promises of obedience to God, in prayer,\nat sacraments, and at other times, much more than others.\n\n13. They have had more experience than others of the goodness of\nobedience, and of the comforts and benefits that attend it, in the\nfavour of God, and communion with him therein.\n\n14. Their sins are aggravated by all the reproofs and exhortations\nwhich they have used to others, to tell them how unreasonable and bad\nit is to provoke the Lord.\n\n15. They sin under greater hopes of glory than others do; and provoke\nthat God with whom they hope to live for ever.\n\n16. The high titles of love and praise which God doth give them in his\nword, do aggravate their sin. That he should call them his treasure,\nhis peculiar people, his jewels, and the apple of his eye, his sons\nand daughters, and a holy people, and priests to God, and boast of\nthem as a people more excellent than their neighbours; and after this\nthey should sin against him.\n\n17. They have had audience with God, the answer of prayers, and many a\ndeliverance and mercy in this life, which others have not; which\naggravate their sins, as being thus contemned, and as obliging them\nmore to God than others.\n\n18. They dishonour God more than any others by their sins. His honour\nlieth not so much upon the actions of the ungodly, as on those that\nare nearest to him.\n\n19. They harden the wicked more than such sins in other men would do.\nThey cause them to blaspheme, and reproach the godly for their sakes,\nand say, These are your religious men! You see now what their\nstrictness is. And they hinder the conversion and salvation of others:\nthey grieve the godly, and wrong the church and cause of God, much\nmore than the sins of others do.\n\n20. Lastly, They please the devil more than the sins of other men. How\nbusy is he to have drawn a Job to sin! and how would he have boasted\nagainst God, and his grace, and his servants, if he had prevailed,\nwhen he boasted so much before, in the false presumption of his\nsuccess! as if he could make the godly forsake God, and be as bad as\nothers, if he have leave to tempt them.\n\nI shall next give you some particular directions, besides those\nforegoing, to help you to think of sin as it is, that you may hate it;\nfor your cleansing and cure consist in this: so far as you hate sin it\nis mortified, and you are cured of it. And therefore, as I have\nanatomized it, that you may see the hatefulness of it, I shall direct\nyou to improve this for your cure.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Sidenote: How to hate sin.]\n\n_Direct._ I. Labour to know God, and to be affected with his\nattributes, and always to live as in his sight.--No man can know sin\nperfectly, because no man can know God perfectly. You can no further\nknow what sin is than you know what God is, whom you sin against; for\nthe formal malignity of sin is relative, as it is against the will and\nattributes of God. The godly have some knowledge of the malignity of\nsin, because they have some knowledge of God that is wronged by it.\nThe wicked have no practical, prevalent knowledge of the malignity of\nsin, because they have no such knowledge of God. They that fear God\nwill fear sinning; they that in their hearts are bold irreverently\nwith God, will, in heart and life, be bold with sin: the atheist, that\nthinketh there is no God, thinks there is no sin against him. Nothing\nin the world will tell us so plainly and powerfully of the evil of\nsin, as the knowledge of the greatness, wisdom, goodness, holiness,\nauthority, justice, truth, &c. of God. The sense of his presence,\ntherefore, will revive our sense of sin's malignity.\n\n_Direct._ II. Consider well of the office, the bloodshed, and the holy\nlife of Christ.--His office is to expiate sin, and to destroy it. His\nblood was shed for it: his life condemned it. Love Christ, and thou\nwilt hate that which caused his death. Love him, and thou wilt love to\nbe made like him, and hate that which is so contrary to Christ. These\ntwo great lights will show the odiousness of darkness.\n\n_Direct._ III. Think well both how holy the office and work of the\nHoly Ghost is, and how great a mercy it is to us.--Shall God himself,\nthe heavenly light, come down into a sinful heart, to illuminate and\npurify it? and yet shall I keep my darkness and defilement, in\nopposition to such wonderful mercy? Though all sin against the Holy\nGhost be not the unpardonable blasphemy, yet all is aggravated hereby.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Know and consider the wonderful love and mercy of God,\nand think what he hath done for you; and you will hate sin, and be\nashamed of it.--It is an aggravation which makes sin odious even to\ncommon reason and ingenuity, that we should offend a God of infinite\ngoodness, who hath filled up our lives with mercy. It will grieve you\nif you have wronged an extraordinary friend: his love and kindness\nwill come into your thoughts, and make you angry with your own\nunkindness. Here look over the catalogue of God's mercies to you, for\nsoul and body. And here observe that Satan, in hiding the love of God\nfrom you, and tempting you under the pretence of humility to deny his\ngreatest, special mercy, doth seek to destroy your repentance and\nhumiliation also, by hiding the greatest aggravation of your sin.\n\n_Direct._ V. Think what the soul of man is made for, and should be\nused to, even to love, obey, and glorify our Maker; and then you will\nsee what sin is, which disableth and perverteth it.--How excellent,\nand high, and holy a work are we created for and called to! And should\nwe defile the temple of God? and serve the devil in filthiness and\nfolly, where we should entertain, and serve, and magnify our Creator?\n\n_Direct._ VI. Think well what pure and sweet delights a holy soul may\nenjoy from God, in his holy service; and then you will see what sin\nis, which robbeth him of these delights, and preferreth fleshly lusts\nbefore them.--O how happily might we perform every duty, and how\nfruitfully might we serve our Lord, and what delight should we find in\nhis love and acceptation, and the foresight of everlasting\nblessedness, if it were not for sin; which bringeth down the soul from\nthe doors of heaven, to wallow with swine in a beloved dunghill!\n\n_Direct._ VII. Bethink you what a life it is which you must live for\never, if you live in heaven; and what a life the holy ones there now\nlive; and then think whether sin, which is so contrary to it, be not a\nvile and hateful thing.--Either you would live in heaven, or not. If\nnot, you are not those I speak to. If you would, you know that there\nis no sinning; no worldly mind, no pride, no passion, no fleshly lust\nor pleasures there. Oh, did you but see and hear one hour, how those\nblessed spirits are taken up in loving and magnifying the glorious God\nin purity and holiness, and how far they are from sin, it would make\nyou loathe sin ever after, and look on sinners as on men in bedlam\nwallowing naked in their dung. Especially, to think that you hope\nyourselves to live for ever like those holy spirits; and therefore sin\ndoth ill beseem you.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Look but to the state and torment of the damned, and\nthink well of the difference betwixt angels and devils, and you may know\nwhat sin is.--Angels are pure; devils are polluted: holiness and sin do\nmake the difference. Sin dwells in hell, and holiness in heaven.\nRemember that every temptation is from the devil, to make you like\nhimself; as every holy motion is from Christ, to make you like himself.\nRemember when you sin, that you are learning and imitating of the devil,\nand are so far like him, John viii. 44. And the end of all is, that you\nmay feel his pains. If hell-fire be not good, then sin is not good.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Look always on sin as one that is ready to die, and\nconsider how all men judge of it at the last.--What do men in heaven\nsay of it? and what do men in hell say of it? and what do men at death\nsay of it? and what do converted souls, or awakened consciences, say\nof it? Is it then followed with delight and fearlessness as it is now?\nis it then applauded? will any of them speak well of it? Nay, all the\nworld speaks evil of sin in the general now, even when they love and\ncommit the several acts. Will you sin when you are dying?\n\n_Direct._ X. Look always on sin and judgment together.--Remember that\nyou must answer for it before God, and angels, and all the world; and\nyou will the better know it.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Look now but upon sickness, poverty, shame, despair,\ndeath, and rottenness in the grave, and it may a little help you to\nknow what sin is.--These are things within your sight or feeling; you\nneed not faith to tell you of them. And by such effects you might have\nsome little knowledge of the cause.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Look but upon some eminent, holy persons upon earth,\nand upon the mad, profane, malignant world; and the difference may\ntell you in part what sin is.--Is there not an amiableness in a holy,\nblameless person, that liveth in love to God and man, and in the\njoyful hopes of life eternal? Is not a beastly drunkard or\nwhoremonger, and a raging swearer, and a malicious persecutor, a very\ndeformed, loathsome creature? Is not the mad, confused, ignorant,\nungodly state of the world a very pitiful sight? What then is the sin\nthat all this doth consist in?\n\nThough the principal part of the cure is in turning the will to the\nhatred of sin, and is done by this discovery of its malignity; yet I\nshall add a few more directions for the executive part, supposing that\nwhat is said already has had its effect.\n\n_Direct._ I. When you have found out your disease and danger, give up\nyourselves to Christ as the Saviour and Physician of souls, and to the\nHoly Ghost as your Sanctifier, remembering that he is sufficient and\nwilling to do the work which he hath undertaken.--It is not you that\nare to be saviours and sanctifiers of yourselves (unless as you work\nunder Christ). But he that hath undertaken it, doth take it for his\nglory to perform it.\n\n_Direct._ II. Yet must you be willing and obedient in applying the\nremedies prescribed you by Christ, and observing his directions in order\nto your cure.--And you must not be tender, and coy, and fine, and say,\nThis is too bitter, and that is too sharp; but trust his love, and\nskill, and care, and take it as he prescribeth it, or giveth it you,\nwithout any more ado. Say not, It is grievous, and I cannot take it: for\nhe commands you nothing but what is safe, and wholesome, and necessary,\nand if you cannot take it, you must try whether you can bear your\nsickness, and death, and the fire of hell! Are humiliation, confession,\nrestitution, mortification, and holy diligence, worse than hell?\n\n_Direct._ III. See that you take not part with sin, and wrangle not,\nor strive not against your Physician, or any that would do you\ngood.--Excusing sin, and pleading for and extenuating it, and striving\nagainst the Spirit and conscience, and wrangling against ministers and\ngodly friends, and hating reproof, are not the means to be cured and\nsanctified.\n\n_Direct._ IV. See that malignity in every one of your particular sins,\nwhich you can see and say is in sin in general.--It is a gross deceit\nof yourselves, if you will speak a great deal of the evil of sin, and\nsee none of this malignity in your pride, and your worldliness, and\nyour passion and peevishness, and your malice and uncharitableness,\nand your lying, backbiting, slandering, or sinning against conscience\nfor worldly commodity or safety. What self-contradiction is it for a\nman in prayer to aggravate sin, and when he is reproved for it, to\njustify or excuse it! for a popish priest to enter sinfully upon his\nplace, by subscribing or swearing the Trent Confession, and then to\npreach zealously against sin in the general, as if he had never\ncommitted so horrid a crime! This is like him that will speak against\ntreason, and the enemies of the king, but because the traitors are his\nfriends and kindred, will protect or hide them, and take their parts.\n\n_Direct._ V. Keep as far as you can from those temptations which feed\nand strengthen the sins which you would overcome.--Lay siege to your\nsins, and starve them out, by keeping away the food and fuel which is\ntheir maintenance and life.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Live in the exercise of those graces and duties which\nare contrary to the sins which you are most in danger of.--For grace\nand duty are contrary to sin, and killeth it, and cureth us of it, as\nthe fire cureth us of cold, or health of sickness.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Hearken not to weakening unbelief and distrust, and cast\nnot away the comforts of God, which are your cordials and strength.--It\nis not a frightful, dejected, despairing frame of mind, that is fittest\nto resist sin; but it is the encouraging sense of the love of God, and\nthankful sense of grace received (with a cautelous fear).\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Be always suspicious of carnal self-love, and watch\nagainst it.--For that is the burrow or fortress of sin; and the common\npatron of it; ready to draw you to it, and ready to justify it. We are\nvery prone to be partial in our own cause; as the case of Judah with\nTamar, and David when Nathan reproved him in a parable, show. Our own\npassions, our own pride, our own censures, or backbitings, or\ninjurious dealings, our own neglects of duty, seem small, excusable,\nif not justifiable things to us; whereas we could easily see the\nfaultiness of all these in another, especially in an enemy: when yet\nwe should be best acquainted with ourselves, and we should most love\nourselves, and therefore hate our own sins most.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Bestow your first and chiefest labour to kill sin at the\nroot; to cleanse the heart, which is the fountain; for out of the\nheart cometh the evils of the life.--Know which are the master-roots;\nand bend your greatest care and industry to mortify those: and they\nare especially these that follow; 1. Ignorance. 2. Unbelief. 3.\nInconsiderateness. 4. Selfishness and pride. 5. Fleshliness, in\npleasing a brutish appetite, lust, or fantasy. 6. Senseless\nhardheartedness and sleepiness in sin.\n\n_Direct._ X. Account the world and all its pleasures, wealth, and\nhonours, no better than indeed they are, and then Satan will find no\nbait to catch you.--Esteem all as dung with Paul, Phil. iii. 8; and no\nman will sin, and sell his soul, for that which he accounteth but as\ndung.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Keep up above in a heavenly conversation, and then your\nsouls will be always in the light, and as in the sight of God, and\ntaken up with those businesses and delights which put them out of\nrelish with the baits of sin.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Let christian watchfulness be your daily work; and\ncherish a preserving, though not a distracting and discouraging fear.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Take heed of the first approaches and beginnings of\nsin. Oh how great a matter doth a little of this fire kindle! And if\nyou fall, rise quickly by sound repentance, whatever it may cost you.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Make God's word your only rule; and labour diligently\nto understand it.\n\n_Direct._ XV. And in doubtful cases, do not easily depart from the\nunanimous judgment of the generality of the most wise and godly of all\nages.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. In doubtful cases be not passionate or rash, but proceed\ndeliberately, and prove things well, before you fasten on them.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Be acquainted with your bodily temperature, and what sin\nit most inclineth you to, and what sin also your calling or converse\ndoth lay you most open to, that there your watch may be the stricter.\n(Of all which I shall speak more fully under the next Grand Direction.)\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Keep in a life of holy order, such as God hath\nappointed you to walk in. For there is no preservation for stragglers\nthat keep not rank and file, but forsake the order which God\ncommandeth them.--And this order lieth principally in these points: 1.\nThat you keep in union with the universal church. Separate not from\nChrist's body upon any pretence whatever. With the church as\nregenerate, hold spiritual communion, in faith, love, and holiness:\nwith the church as congregate and visible, hold outward communion, in\nprofession and worship. 2. If you are not teachers, live under your\nparticular, faithful pastors, as obedient disciples of Christ. 3. Let\nthe most godly, if possible, be your familiars. 4. Be laborious in an\noutward calling.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Turn all God's providences, whether of prosperity or\nadversity, against your sins.--If he give you health and wealth,\nremember he thereby obligeth you to obedience, and calls for special\nservice from you. If he afflict you, remember that it is sin that he\nis offended at, and searcheth after; and therefore take it as his\nphysic, and see that you hinder not, but help on its work, that it may\npurge away your sin.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Wait patiently on Christ till he have finished the cure,\nwhich will not be till this trying life be finished.--Persevere in\nattendance on his Spirit and means; for he will come in season, and\nwill not tarry. \"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord:\nhis going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come unto us\nas the rain: as the latter and former rain upon the earth,\" Hos. vi.\n3. Though you have oft said, \"There is no healing,\" Jer. xiv. 19; \"he\nwill heal your backslidings, and love you freely,\" Hos. xiv. 4. \"Unto\nyou that fear his name, shall the Sun of righteousness arise, with\nhealing in his wings,\" Mal. iv. 2: \"and blessed are all they that wait\nfor him,\" Isa. xxx. 18.\n\nThus I have given such directions as may help for humiliation under\nsin, or hatred of it, and deliverance from it.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Sidenote: Our warfare under Christ against the tempter.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ IX. Spend all your days in a skilful, vigilant,\nresolute, and valiant war against the flesh, the world, and the devil,\nas those that have covenanted to follow Christ the Captain of your\nsalvation.\n\nThe flesh is the end of temptation,[104] for all is to please it, Rom.\nxiii. 14, and therefore is the greatest enemy; the world is the matter\nof temptation; and the devil is the first mover, or efficient of it:\nand this is the trinity of enemies to Christ and us, which we renounce\nin baptism, and must constantly resist. Of the world and flesh I shall\nspeak chap. 4. Here I shall open the methods of the devil. And first I\nshall prepare your understanding, by opening some presupposed truths.\n\n1. It is presupposed, that there is a devil. He that believeth not\nthis, doth prove it to others, by showing how grossly the devil can\nbefool him. Apparitions, witchcrafts, and temptations are full proofs\nof it to sense; besides what Scripture saith.\n\n2. It is supposed that he is the deadly enemy of Christ and us.[105]\nHe was once an angel, and fell from his first estate by sin, and a\nworld of evil spirits with him; and it is probable his envy against\nmankind might be the greater, as knowing that we were made to succeed\nhim and his followers, in their state of glory: for Christ saith, that\nwe shall \"be equal with the angels,\" Luke xx. 36. He showed his enmity\nto man in our innocency, and by his temptation caused our fall and\nmisery. But after the fall, God put an enmity into the nature of man\nagainst devils, as a merciful preservative against temptation: so that\nas the whole nature of man abhorreth the nature of serpents, so doth\nthe soul abhor and dread the diabolical nature. And, therefore, so far\nas the devil is seen in a temptation now, so far it is frustrated;\ntill the enmity in nature be overcome by his deceits: and this help\nnature hath against temptation, which it seems our nature had not\nbefore the fall, as not knowing the malice of the devil against us.\n\nThere is a natural enmity to the devil himself put into all the\nwoman's natural seed: but the moral enmity against his sinful\ntemptations and works, is put only into the spiritual seed by the Holy\nGhost (except what remnants are in the light of nature). I will be\nbrief of all this and the next, having spoken of them more largely in\nmy \"Treatise against Infidelity,\" Part iii.\n\nThe devil's names do tell us what he is.[106] In the Old Testament he\nis called, 1. The \"serpent,\" Gen. iii. 2. The Hebrew word, translated\n\"devils,\" in Lev. xvii. 7, and Isa. xiii. 21, signifieth hairy, as\nsatyrs are described; and sometimes he-goats; because in such shapes\nhe oft appeareth. 3. He is called \"Satan,\" Zech. iii. 1. 4. \"An evil\nspirit,\" 1 Sam. xviii. 10. 5. \"A lying spirit,\" 1 Kings xxii. 22; for\nhe \"is a liar, and the father of it,\" John viii. 44. 6. His offspring\nis called \"a spirit of uncleanness,\" Zech. xiii. 2. 7. And he (or his\nspawn) is called \"a spirit of fornication,\" Hos. iv. 12; that is,\nidolatry. 8. \"A perverse spirit, causing staggering and giddiness as a\ndrunken man,\" Isa. xix. 14.\n\nIn the New Testament, 1. He is sometimes called simply \"a spirit,\"\nMark ix. 20, 26; Luke ix. 39; x. 20. 2. Sometimes, \u03c0\u03bd\u03b5\u03c5\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u03b1\u03ba\u03b1\u03b8\u03b1\u03c1\u03c4\u03b1,\n\"unclean spirits,\" Luke vi. 18; as contrary to the Holy Spirit; and\nthat from their nature and effects. 3. And after, \u03b4\u03b1\u03b9\u03bc\u03bf\u03bc\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd, \"demons,\"\na word taken in a good sense in heathen writers, but not in Scripture;\nbecause they worshipped devils under that name, (unless perhaps Acts\nxvii. 18; 1 Tim. iv. 1.) And, \u03b4\u03b1\u03b9\u03bc\u03c9\u03bd with respect to their knowledge,\nand, as some think, to the knowledge promised to Adam, in the\ntemptation. 4. \u03a0\u03b5\u03b9\u03c1\u03b1\u03b6\u03c9\u03bd, \"the tempter,\" Matt. iv. 5. \"Satan,\" Matt.\niv.; 1 Pet. v. 8. 6. \u0395\u03c7\u03b8\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2, \"an enemy,\" Matt. xiii. 28, 39. 7. \"The\nstrong man armed,\" Matt. xii. 8. \"Angels,\" 1 Cor. vi. 3; 2 Pet. ii. 4.\n\"Angels which kept not their first state,\" Jude 6. 9. \"A spirit of\ndivination,\" Acts xvi. 16. 10. \"A roaring lion,\" 1 Pet. v. 8. 11. \"A\nmurderer,\" John viii. 44. 12. \"Belial,\" 2 Cor. vi. 15. 13.\n\"Beelzebub,\" Matt. xii. the \"god of flies.\" 14. \"The prince of this\nworld,\" John xii. 21, from his power over wicked men. 15. \"The god of\nthis world,\" 2 Cor. iv. 5, because the world obey him. 16. \"The prince\nof the power of the air,\" Eph. ii. 2. 17. \"The ruler of the darkness\nof this world,\" Eph. vi. 12. \"Principalities and powers.\" 18. \"The\nfather of the wicked,\" John viii. 44. 19. \"The dragon, and the old\nserpent,\" Rev. xii. 20. \u0394\u03b9\u03b1\u03b2\u03bf\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2, \"the calumniator,\" or \"false\naccuser,\" often. 21. \u1f49 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2 \"the evil one,\" Matt. xxiii. 19. 22.\n\"An evil spirit,\" Acts xix. 15. 23. \u0391\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u03c5\u03c9\u03bd, \"the destroyer,\" and\n\"Abaddon,\" the \"king of the locusts,\" and \"angel of the bottomless\npit,\" Rev. ix. 11, (unless that speak of antichrist).\n\n3. He is too strong an enemy for lapsed sinful man to deal with of\nhimself. If he conquered us in innocency, what may he do now? He is\ndangerous, (1.) By the greatness of his subtlety. (2.) By the greatness\nof his power. (3.) By the greatness of his malice. And hence, (4.) By\nhis constant diligence, watching when we sleep, Matt. xiii. 25; and\n\"seeking night and day to devour,\" 1 Pet. v. 8; Rev. xii. 4.\n\n4. Therefore Christ hath engaged himself in our cause, and is become\nthe \"Captain of our salvation,\" Heb. ii. 10.[107] And the world is\nformed into two armies, that live in continual war: the devil is the\nprince and general of one, and his angels and wicked men are his\narmies: Christ is the King and General of the other, and his angels\n(Heb. ii. 14) and saints are his army. Between these two armies are\nthe greatest conflict in the world.\n\n5. It is supposed also, that this war is carried on, on both sides,\nwithin us, and without us; by inward solicitations, and outward means,\nwhich are fitted thereunto.\n\n6. Both Christ and Satan work by officers, instruments, and means.\nChrist hath his ministers to preach his gospel, and pull down the\nkingdom of Satan. And Satan hath his ministers to preach\nlicentiousness and lies, and to resist the gospel and kingdom of\nChrist, 1 Cor. iii. 5; iv. 1; 2 Cor. xi. 15; Acts xiii. 8-10. Christ\nhath his church, and the devil hath his synagogue. Christ's soldiers\ndo every one, in their places, fight for him against the devil. And\nthe devil's soldiers do every one, in their places, fight against\nChrist. The generals are both unseen to mortals; and the unseen power\nis theirs; but their agents are visible. The soldiers fight not only\nagainst the generals, but against one another; but it is all, or\nchiefly, for the generals' sakes. It is Christ that the wicked\npersecute in his servants, Acts ix. 4; and it is the devil whom the\ngodly hate and resist in the wicked.\n\nBut yet here are divers notable differences. 1. The devil's servants\ndo not what they do in love to him, but to their own flesh; but\nChrist's servants do what they do in love to him, as well as to\nthemselves. 2. The devil's army are cheated into arms and war, not\nknowing what they do; but Christ doth all in the open light, and will\nhave no servants but those that deliberately adhere to him, when they\nknow the worst. 3. The devil's servants do not know that he is their\ngeneral; but Christ's followers do all know their Lord. 4. The devil's\nfollowers disown their master and their work; they will not own that\nthey fight against Christ and his kingdom, while they do it: but\nChrist's followers own their Captain, and his cause, and work; for he\nis not a master to be ashamed of.\n\n7. Both Christ and Satan work persuasively, by moral means, and\nneither of them by constraint and force. Christ forceth not men\nagainst their wills to good, and Satan cannot force them to be bad;\nbut all the endeavour is to make men willing; and he is the conqueror\nthat getteth and keepeth our own consent.\n\n8. Their ends are contrary, and therefore their ways are also\ncontrary. The devil's end is, to draw man to sin and damnation, and to\ndishonour God; and Christ's end is, to draw man from sin to holiness\nand salvation, and to honour God. But Christ maketh known his end, and\nSatan concealeth his end from his followers.\n\n9. There is somewhat within the good and bad for the contrary part to\nwork upon; and we are, as it were, divided in ourselves, and have\nsomewhat in us that is on both sides. The wicked have an honourable\nacknowledgment of God, and of their greatest obligation to him; a\nhatred to the devil; a love of themselves; a willingness to be happy,\nand an unwillingness to be miserable; and a conscience which approveth\nof more good than they do, and condemneth much of their transgression.\nThis is some advantage to the persuasions of the ministers of Christ\nto work upon; and they have reason capable of knowing more.\n\nThe soldiers of Christ have a fleshly appetite, and the remnants of\nignorance and error in their minds, and of earthliness, and carnality,\nand averseness to God in their wills, with a nearness to this world,\nand much strangeness to the world to come. And here is too much\nadvantage for Satan to work on by his temptations.\n\n10. But it is the predominant part within us, and the scope of our\nlives, which showeth which of the armies we belong to. And thus we must\ngive up our names and hearts to Christ, and engage under his conduct\nagainst the devil, and conquer to the death, if we will be saved. Not to\nfight against the bare name of the devil; for so will his own soldiers,\nand spit at his name, and hang a witch that makes a contract with him:\nbut it is to fight against his cause and work, which is by fighting\nagainst the world and the flesh, and for the glory of God.\n\n[Sidenote: The method.]\n\nIn opening to you this holy war, I shall, First, Shew you what we must\ndo on the offensive part. Secondly, What on the defensive part. And\nhere I shall show you, I. What it is that the tempter aimeth at as his\nend. II. What matter or ground he worketh upon. III. What are his\nsuccours and assistance. IV. What kind of officers and instruments he\nuseth. V. What are his methods and actual temptations, 1. To actual\nsin, 2. Against our duty to God.\n\nFirst, Our offensive arms are to be used, 1. Against the power of sin\nwithin us; and all its advantages and helps: for while Satan ruleth\nand possesseth us within, we shall never well oppose him without. 2.\nAgainst sin in others, as far as we have opportunity. 3. Against the\ncredit and honour of sin in the world: as the devil's servants would\nbring light and holiness into disgrace, so Christ's servants must cast\ndisgrace and shame upon sin and darkness. 4. Against all the\nreasonings of sinners, and their subtle fallacies, whereby they would\ndeceive. 5. Against the passions and violent lusts which are the\ncauses of men's other sins. 6. Against the holds and helps of sin, as\nfalse teachers, profane revilers, ignorance, and deceit. Only take\nheed that on this pretence we step not out of our ranks and places, to\npull down the powers of the world by rebellions: \"For the weapons of\nour warfare are not carnal,\" 2 Cor. x. 4.\n\nSecondly, As to our defence, I. The ends of the tempter which must be\nperceived, are these: In general, his aim is at our utter ruin and\ndamnation, and to draw us here to dishonour God as much as he can.\nBut, especially, his aim is to strengthen the great heart sins, which\nare most mortal, and are the root, and life, and spawners of the rest:\nespecially these: 1. Ignorance, which is the friend and cloak to all\nthe rest. 2. Error, which will justify them. 3. Unbelief, which keeps\noff all that should oppose them. 4. Atheism, profaneness, unholiness,\nwhich are the defiance of God and all his armies. 5. Presumption,\nwhich emboldeneth them, and hides the danger. 6. Hardness of heart,\nwhich fortifieth them against all the batteries of grace. 7.\nHypocrisy, which maketh them serve him as spies and intelligencers in\nthe army of Christ. 8. Disaffection to God and his ways and servants,\nwhich is the devil's colours. 9. Unthankfulness, which tends to make\nthem unreconcilable and unrecoverable. 10. Pride, which commandeth\nmany regiments of lesser sins. 11. Worldliness, or love of money and\nwealth, which keepeth his armies in pay. 12. Sensuality,\nvoluptuousness, or flesh-pleasing, which is the great commander of all\nthe rest.[108] For selfishness is the devil's lieutenant-general,\nwhich consisteth chiefly in the three last named, but especially in\npride and sensuality. Some think that it is outward sins that bring\nall the danger; but these twelve heart sins, which I have named to\nyou, are the twelve gates of the infernal city, which Satan loveth\nabove all the rest.\n\nII. The matter and grounds of his temptations are these: 1. The devil\nfirst worketh upon the outward sense, and so upon the sensitive\nappetite: he showeth the cup to the drunkard's eye, and the bait of\nfilthy lust to the fornicator, and the riches and pomp of the world to\nthe covetous and proud. The glutton tasteth the sweetness of the dish\nwhich he loveth. Stage-plays, and tempting sports, and proud attire,\nand sumptuous buildings, and all such sensual things, are the baits by\nwhich the devil angleth for souls. Thus Eve first saw the fruit, and\nthen tasted, and then did eat. Thus Noah, and Lot, and David sinned.\nThus Achan saith, Josh. vii. 21, \"I saw (the garments, silver, and\ngold) I coveted them, and I took them.\" The sense is the door of sin.\n\n2. The tempter next worketh on the fantasy or imagination, and prints\nupon it the loveliest image of his bait that possibly he can, and\nengageth the sinner to think on it, and to roll it over and over in\nhis mind, even as God commandeth us to meditate on his precepts.\n\n3. Next he worketh by these upon the passions or affections: which\nfantasy having inflamed, they violently urge the will and reason; and\nthis according to the nature of the passion, whether fear or hope,\nsorrow or joy, love or hatred, desire or aversion; but by none doth he\nwork so dangerously as by delight, and love, and desire of things\nsensual.\n\n4. Hence he proceedeth to infect the will, (upon the simple\napprehension of the understanding,) to make it inordinately cleave to\nthe temporal good, and to neglect its duty in commanding the\nunderstanding to meditate on preserving objects, and to call off the\nthoughts from the forbidden thing: it neglecteth to rule the thoughts\nand passions according to its office and natural power.\n\n5. And so he corrupteth the understanding itself, first to omit its\nduty, and then to entertain deceit, and to approve of evil: and so the\nservant is put into the government, and the commanding powers do but\nserve it. Reason is blinded by sensuality and passion, and becomes\ntheir servant, and pleads their cause.\n\nBy all this it appeareth, 1. That Satan's first bait is ordinarily\nsome sensible or imaginary good, set up against true spiritual good.\n2. That his first assault of the reason and will is to tempt them into\na sluggish neglect and neutrality, to omit that restraint of sense,\nthought, and passion, which was their duty. 3. And that, lastly, he\ntempteth them into actual compliance and committing of the sin: and\nherein, 1. The bait which he useth with the understanding is still\n\"some seeming truth.\" And, therefore, his art and work is to colour\nfalsehood, and make it seem truth; for this is the deceiving of the\nmind: and therefore for a sinner to plead his mistake for his excuse,\nand say, I thought it had been so or so; I thought it had been no sin,\nor no duty; this is but to confess, and not to excuse: it is but as\nmuch as to say, My understanding sinned with my will, and was deceived\nby the tempter and overcome. 2. And the bait which he useth with the\nwill is always some appearing good: and self-love and love of good is\nthe principle which he abuseth, and maketh his ground to work upon; as\nGod also useth it in drawing us to good.\n\nIII. The succours and auxiliaries of the devil, and his principal\nmeans, are these: 1. He doth what he can to get an ill tempered body\non his side; for as sin did let in bodily distempers, so do they much\nbefriend the sin that caused them. A choleric temper will much help\nhim to draw men to passion, malice, murder, cruelty, and revenge. A\nsanguine and bilious temper mixed, will help him to draw men to lust,\nand filthiness, and levity, and wantonness, and time-wasting\npleasures: a sanguine temper mixed with a pituitous, much helpeth him\nto make men blockish, and regardless, and insensible of the great\nconcernments of the soul. A phlegmatic temper helpeth him to draw\npeople to drowsy sluggishness, and to an idle, slothful life, and so\nto ill means to maintain it, and to a backwardness to every work that\nis good. A healthful temper much helpeth him to draw people to\ngluttony, drunkenness, lust, ambition, covetousness, and neglect of\nlife eternal: a sickly temper helpeth him to tempt us to peevishness\nand impatience: and a melancholy temper helpeth him in all the\ntemptations mentioned but even now.\n\n2. He useth his greatest skill to get the greatest fleshly interest on\nhis side: so that it may be a matter of great pleasure, great\nadvancement, and honour, and applause, or great commodity to a man, if\nhe will sin; or a matter of great suffering, and great disgrace, and\ngreat loss to him that will not sin, or that will be holy and obedient\nto God: for fleshly interest being the common matter of all his\ntemptations, his main business is to greaten this as much as may be.\n\n3. He maketh very great advantage of the common customs of the country\nthat men live in: this carrieth away thousands and millions at once.\nWhen the common vote and custom are for sin, and against Christ and\nholiness, particular persons think themselves excused, that they are\nno wiser or better than all the country about them. And they think\nthey are much the safer for sinning in so great a crowd, and doing but\nas most men do; and he that contradicteth them cometh on great\ndisadvantage in their eye, when he is to oppose an army of\nadversaries, and seemeth to think himself wiser than so many.\n\n4. Also he is exceeding industrious to get education on his side; he\nknoweth how apt men are to retain the form which they were moulded or\ncast into at first: if he get the first possession, by actual as well\nas original sin, he is not easily cast out. Especially when education\ndoth conspire with common custom, it delivereth most of the people and\nkingdoms of the earth into his hands.\n\n5. Also he is industrious to get the approved doctrine of the teachers\nof the people on his side. If he can get it to pass once for a\nrevelation or command of God, he will quickly conquer conscience by\nit, and take down all resistance: he never doth war more successfully\nagainst God, than when he beareth the name of God in his colours, and\nfighteth against him in his own name. Mahometans, Jews, papists, and\nall heretics are the trophies and monuments of his victories by this\nway. Mischief is never so much reverenced, nor proceedeth so\nsuccessfully, as when it is made a religion! When the devil can charge\nmen to do his business in the name of God, and upon pain of damnation,\nhe hath got the strongest weapons that ever he can make use of. His\nordinary bait is some fleshly pleasure; but he goeth high indeed when\nhe presumeth to offer the everlasting pleasures; he tempted Christ\nwith all the kingdoms and glory of the world; but he tempteth many\nmillions of souls with the offers of the kingdom of heaven itself. For\nhe will offer it to them that he is endeavouring to keep from it, and\nmake it the bait to draw men from it into the way to hell.\n\n6. He is exceeding diligent to get the wealth and prosperity of the\nworld on his side; that he may not seem to flatter his servants with\nempty promises, but to reward them with real felicity and wealth. And\nthen he would make the sinner believe that Christ is the deceiver, and\npromiseth a kingdom which none of them ever saw, and which he will not\ngive them; but that he himself will not deceive them, but make good\nhis promises even in this life without delay: for they see with their\neyes the things which he promiseth, and they shall have them presently\nin possession, to secure them from deceit.\n\n7. He is exceeding industrious to get common fame and reputation on\nhis side; that he may be able to keep his cause in credit, and to keep\nthe cause of Christ and holiness in disgrace. For he knoweth how\nexceeding prone men are to fall into the way of honour and esteem, and\nwhich most men praise; and how loth they are to go in the way which is\nhated and evil spoken of by the most of men.\n\n8. He is very diligent to get the sword and government of kingdoms, and\nstates, and countries, and cities, and corporations into his hands, or\non his side; for he knoweth the multitude of the ignorant and vulgar\npeople are exceeding prone to be of the religion of those that are able\nto help or hurt them, and to follow the stronger side; and that the will\nand example of the ruler is as the first sheet or stamp, which all the\nrest are printed after. Therefore he will do his worst, to give the\ngreatest power to the most ungodly: if the Turk be the emperor, the most\nof the vulgar are like quickly to be Turks: if a papist be their king,\nthe most of them are likely to be papists. Look into the present state\nof the heathen, infidel, Mahometan, papal, and profane parts of the\nworld, and into the history of all ages past, and you will see with\ngrief and admiration, how much the devil hath got by this.\n\n9. Also he is very desirous to get our society and companions on his\nside; who are near us, and have frequent opportunities to do us good\nor hurt. For he knoweth by long and great experience how powerfully\nthey draw, and how frequently they speed.\n\n10. And he is very industrious to get our friends that have power over\nus, and greatest interest in us, on his side. For then he hath won our\nout-works already.\n\n11. Lastly, he is desirous sometimes to get the name and appearance of\nvirtue and piety on his side; that those that are to do his work, may\nhave a winning carriage, and so a venerable name, and the cloak of\nvirtue may serve his turn for the promoting of the destruction of\npiety itself.\n\nIV. By what hath been said, you may understand what kind of officers\nand instruments the tempter useth. 1. He commonly useth men that are\nthemselves first deceived and corrupted, as fit instruments to deceive\nand corrupt others. These will carry it on with confidence and\nviolence; the employment seemeth natural to them, they are so fit for\nit: they will be willing to make other men of their mind, and to have\nthe company of others in their way. A drunkard is fit to make a\ndrunkard; and a filthy fornicator to entice another into the sin; and\na gamester to make a gamester; and a wanton time-waster to draw\nanother to waste his time in wantonness and foolish sports: an\nambitious or proud person is fit to kindle that fire in others; a\nswearer is fittest to make a swearer; and so of many other sins.\n\n2. The devil usually chooseth for his instruments men that have no\ngreat tenderness of conscience, or fear of sinning or of hurting\nsouls. He would have no such cowards in his army, as men fearing God\nare as to his ends: it must be men that will venture upon hell\nthemselves, and fear not much the loss of their own souls; and\ntherefore must not be too tender or fearful of destroying others.\nButchers and soldiers must not be chosen out of too tender or loving a\nsort of people; such are not fit to go through his work.\n\n3. He usually chooseth instruments that are most deeply engaged in his\ncause; whose preferment, and honour, and gain, and carnal interest\nshall be to them, as nature is to a dog, or wolf, or fox, or other\nravenous creature: who think it a loss, or danger, or suffering to\nthem, if others be not hindered in good, or made as bad as they. Thus\nDemetrius and the other craftsmen that lived upon the trade, are the\nfittest to plead Diana's cause, and stir up the people against the\napostles, Acts xix. 24, 38, 39. And the Jews were the fittest\ninstruments to persecute Christ, who thought that if they \"let him\nalone, all men would believe on him, and the Romans would come and\ntake away both their place and nation; and that it was expedient for\nthem that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation perish\nnot,\" John xi. 48, 49. And Pilate was the fittest instrument to\ncondemn him, who feared that he should else be taken to be none of\nC\u00e6sar's friend. And Pharaoh was the fittest instrument to persecute\nthe Israelites, who was like to lose by their departure.\n\n4. When he can he chooseth such instruments as are much about us, and\nnearest to us, who have opportunity to be often speaking to us, when\nothers have no opportunity to help us: the fire that is nearest to the\nwood or thatch is liker to burn it than that which is far off:\nnearness and opportunity are very great advantages.\n\n5. If it be possible, he will choose such instruments as have the\ngreatest abilities to do him service: one man of great wit, and\nlearning, and elocution, that is nimble in disputing, and can make\nalmost any cause seem good which he defendeth, or bad which he opposeth,\nis able to do more service for the devil than a hundred idiots.\n\n6. If possible, he will choose the rulers of the world to be his\ninstruments; that shall command men, and threaten them with\nimprisonment, banishment, confiscation, or death, if they will not sin:\nas the king of Babylon did by the three witnesses and Daniel, Dan. iii.\nand vi. and all persecutors have done in all ages, against the holy\nseed. For he knoweth, that (though not with a Job, yet with a carnal\nperson) \"skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his\nlife.\" And therefore, they that have the power of life, and liberty, and\nestate, have carnal men by the handle that will rule them.\n\n7. He maketh the rich his instruments; that, having the wealth of the\nworld, are able to reward and hire evil-doers; and are able to oppress\nthose that will not please them. Landlords and rich men can do the\ndevil more service than many of the poor: they are the Judases that\nbear the bag. As the ox will follow him that carrieth the hay, and the\nhorse will follow him that carrieth the provender, and the dog will\nfollow him that feedeth him, and the crow will be where the carrion\nis; so carnal persons will follow and obey him that bears the purse.\n\n8. The devil, if he can, will make those his instruments, whom he\nseeth we most esteem and reverence; persons whom we think most wise\nand fit to be our counsellors: we will take that from these, which we\nwould suspect from others.\n\n9. He will get our relations, and those that have our hearts most, to be\nhis instruments. A husband, or a wife, or a Delilah, can do more than\nothers; and so can a bosom friend, whom we dearly love: when all their\ninterest in our affections is made over for the devil's service, it may\ndo much. Therefore we see that husbands and wives, if they love\nentirely, do usually close in the same religion, opinion, or way, though\nwhen they were first married they differed from each other.\n\n10. As oft as he can, the devil maketh the multitude his instrument;\nthat the crowd and noise may carry us on, and make men valiant, and\nput away their fear of punishment.\n\n11. He is very desirous of making the ambassadors of Christ his\nprisoners, and to hire them to speak against their Master's cause:\nthat in Christ's name they may deceive the silly flock, \"speaking\nperverse things, to draw away disciples after them,\" Acts xx. 30.\nSometimes by pretence of his authority and commission; making poor\npeople believe, that not to hear them, and obey them in their errors,\nis to be disobedient rejecters of Christ: (and thus the Romish party\ncarry it.) Sometimes by their parts and plausible, persuasive\nspeeches: and sometimes by their fervency, frightening people into\nerror. And by these two ways most heretics prevail. None so\nsuccessfully serveth Satan, as a false or bribed minister of Christ.\n\n12. He is exceeding desirous to make parents themselves his\ninstruments for their children's sin and ruin; and, alas, how commonly\ndoth he succeed! He knoweth that parents have them under their hands\nin the most ductile, malleable age; and that they have a concurrence\nof almost all advantages: they have the purse and portion of their\nchildren in their power; they have the interest of love, and\nreverence, and estimation; they are still with them, and can be often\nin their solicitings; they have the rod, and can compel them. Many\nthousands are in hell, through the means of their own parents: such\ncruel monsters will they be to the souls of any others, that are first\nso to their own. If the devil can get the parents to be cursers,\nswearers, gamesters, drunkards, worldlings, proud, deriders or railers\nat a holy life, what a snare is here for the poor children!\n\nV. In the method of Satan, the next thing is to show you how he\nlabours to keep off all the forces of Christ, which should resist him\nand destroy his work, and to frustrate their endeavours, and fortify\nhimself. And among many others, these means are notable:\n\n1. He would do what he can to weaken even natural reason, that men may\nbe blockish and incapable of good. And it is lamentable to observe how\nhard it is to make some people either understand or regard. And a\nbeastly kind of education doth much to this: and so doth custom in\nsensual courses; even turn men into brutes.\n\n2. He doth what he can to hinder parents and masters from doing their\npart, in the instructing and admonishing of children and servants, and\ndealing wisely and zealously with them for their salvation: either he\nwill keep parents and masters ignorant and unable, or he will make\nthem wicked and unwilling, and perhaps engage them to oppose their\nchildren in all that is good; or he will make them like Eli, remiss\nand negligent, indifferent, formal, cold, and dull; and so keep them\nfrom saving their children's or servants' souls.\n\n3. He doth all that possibly he can to keep the sinner in security,\npresumption, and senselessness, even asleep in sin; and to that end to\nkeep him quiet and in the dark, without any light or noise which may\nawake him; that he may live asleep, as without a God, a Christ, a\nheaven, a soul, or any such thing to mind. His great care is to keep\nhim from considering: and therefore he keeps him still in company, or\nsport, or business, and will not let him be oft alone, nor retire into\na sober conference with his conscience, or serious thoughts of the\nlife to come.\n\n4. He doth his best to keep soul-searching, lively ministers out of\nthe country, or out of that place; and to silence them, if there be\nany such; and to keep the sinner under some ignorant or dead-hearted\nminister, that hath not himself that faith, or repentance, or life, or\nlove, or holiness, or zeal, which he should be a means to work in\nothers; and he will do his utmost to draw him to be a leader of men to\nsin.\n\n5. He doth his worst to make ministers weak, to disgrace the cause of\nChrist, and hinder his work, by their bungling and unsuccessful\nmanagement, that there may be none to stand up against sin, but some\nunlearned or half-witted men, that can scarce speak sense, or will\nprovoke contempt or laughter in the hearers.\n\n6. He doth his worst to make ministers scandalous, that when they tell\nmen of their sin and duty, they may think such mean not as they speak,\nand believe not themselves, or make no great matter of it; but speak\nfor custom, credit, or for their hire. And that the people, by the\nwicked lives of the preachers, may be emboldened to disobey their\ndoctrine, and to imitate them, and live without repentance.\n\n7. He will labour to load the ablest ministers with reproaches and\nslanders, which thousands shall hear, who never hear the truth in their\ndefence: and so making them odious, the people will receive no more good\nby their preaching, than from a Turk, or Jew, till the very truth itself\nfor itself prevail. And to this end especially he doth all that he can\nto foment continual \"divisions in the church;\" that while every party is\nengaged against the other, the interest of their several causes may make\nthem think it necessary to make the chief that are against them seem\nodious or contemptible to the people, that so they may be able to do\ntheir cause and them no harm: and so they disable them from serving\nChrist and saving souls, that they may disable them to hurt themselves,\nor their faction, or their impotent cause.\n\n8. He doth what he can to keep the most holy ministers under\npersecution; that they may be as the wounded deer, whom all the rest of\nthe herd will shun; or like a worried dog, whom the rest will fall upon;\nor that the people may be afraid to hear them, lest they suffer with\nthem; or may come to them only as Nicodemus did to Christ, by night.\n\n9. Or if any ministers or godly persons warn the sinner, the devil\nwill do what he can that they may be so small a number in comparison\nof those of the contrary mind; that he may tell the sinner, Dost thou\nthink these few self-conceited fellows are wiser than such, and such,\nand all the country? Shall none be saved but such a few precise ones?\n\"Do any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believe in him? But this\npeople that knoweth not the law are cursed,\" John vii. 48, 49; that\nis, as Dr. Hammond noteth, \"This illiterate multitude are apt to be\nseduced, but the teachers are wiser.\"\n\n10. The devil doth his worst to cause some falling out, or difference\nof interest or opinion, between the preacher or monitor, and the\nsinner; that so he may take him for his enemy. And how unapt men are\nto receive any advice from an enemy, or adversary, experience will\neasily convince you.\n\n11. He endeavoureth that powerful preaching may be so rare, and the\ncontradiction of wicked cavillers so frequent, that the sermon may be\nforgotten, or the impressions of it blotted out, before they can hear\nanother to confirm them, and strike the nail home to the head; and\nthat the fire may go out before the next opportunity come.\n\n12. He laboureth to keep good books out of the sinner's hands, or keep\nhim from reading them, lest he speed as the eunuch, Acts viii. that\nwas reading the Scripture as he rode in his chariot on the way. And\ninstead of such books he putteth romances, and play-books, and\ntrifling, or scorning, contradicting writings into his hands.\n\n13. He doth what he can to keep the sinner from intimate acquaintance\nwith any that are truly godly; that he may know them no otherwise than\nby the image which ignorant or malicious slanderers or scorners do\ngive of such; and that he may know religion itself but by hearsay, and\nnever see it exemplified in any holy, diligent believers. A holy\nchristian is a living image of God, a powerful convincer and teacher\nof the ungodly; and the nearer men come to them, the greater\nexcellency they will see, and the greater efficacy they will feel.\nWhereas in the devil's army, the most must not be seen in the open\nlight, and the hypocrite himself must be seen, like a picture, but by\na side light, and not by a direct.\n\n14. Those means which are used, the devil labours to frustrate, (1.)\nBy sluggish heedlessness and disregard. (2.) By prejudice, and false\nopinions which prepossess the mind. (3.) By diversions of many sorts.\n(4.) By pre-engagements to the contrary interest and way; so that\nChrist comes too late for them. (5.) By worldly prosperity and\ndelights. (6.) By ill company. (7.) And by molesting and frighting the\nsinner, when he doth but take up any purpose to be converted; giving\nhim all content and quietness in sin, and raising storms and terrors\nin his soul when he is about to turn.\n\n\n              _The Methods of Christ against the Tempter._\n\nBefore I proceed to Satan's particular temptations, I will show you\nthe contrary methods of Christ in the conduct of his army, and\nopposing Satan.\n\nI. Christ's ends are, ultimately, the glory and pleasing of his Father\nand himself, and the saving of his church, and the destroying the\nkingdom of the devil; and next, the purifying his peculiar people, and\ncalling home all that are ordained to eternal life.\n\nBut more particularly, he looketh principally at the heart, to plant\nthere, 1. Holy knowledge. 2. Faith. 3. Godliness, or holy devotedness\nto God, and love to him above all. 4. Thankfulness. 5. Obedience. 6.\nHumility. 7. Heavenly-mindedness. 8. Love to others. 9. Self-denial,\nand mortification, and contentment. 10. Patience. And in all these, 1.\nSincerity; 2. Tenderness of heart; 3. Zeal, and holy strength and\nresolution. And withal to make us actually serviceable, and diligent\nin our Master's work, for our own and others' salvation.\n\nII. Christ's order in working is direct, and not backward, as the\ndevil's is. He first revealeth saving truth to the understanding, and\naffecteth the will by showing the goodness of the things revealed; and\nthese employ the thoughts, and passions, and senses, and the whole\nbody, reducing the inferior faculties to obedience, and casting out by\ndegrees those images which had deceived and prepossessed them.\n\nThe matter which Christ presenteth to the soul, is, 1. Certain truth\nfrom the Father of lights, set up against the prince and kingdom of\ndarkness, ignorance, error, and deceit. 2. Spiritual and everlasting\ngood, even God himself, to be seen, and loved, and enjoyed for ever,\nagainst the tempter's temporal, corporal, and seeming good. Christ's\nkingdom and work are advanced by light: he is for the promoting of\nall useful knowledge; and therefore, for clear and convincing\npreaching, for reading the Scriptures in a known tongue, and\nmeditating in them day and night, and for exhorting one another daily;\nwhich Satan is against.\n\nIII. The means by which he worketh against Satan, are such as these:\n1. Sometimes he maketh use of the very temper of the body as a\npreparative; and (being Lord of all) he giveth such a temperature as\nwill be most serviceable to the soul; as a sober, deliberate, meek,\nquiet, and patient disposition. But sometimes he honoureth his grace\nby the conquest of such sins, as even bodily disposition doth\nentertain and cherish.\n\n2. Sometimes by his providence he withdraweth the matter of\ntemptations, that they shall not be too strong for feeble souls: but\nsometimes his grace doth make advantage of them all, and leave them\nfor the magnifying of its frequent victories.\n\n3. Sometimes he giveth his cause the major vote among the people, so\nthat it shall be a matter of dishonourable singularity not to be a\nprofessed christian; and sometimes, but exceeding rarely, it is so\nwith the life of godliness and practice of christianity also. But\nordinarily, in the most places of the world, custom and the multitude\nare against him, and his grace is honoured by prevailing against these\nbands of Satan.\n\n4. He maketh his ministers his principal instruments, qualifying,\ndisposing, and calling them to his work, and helping them in it, and\nprospering it in their hands.\n\n5. He maketh it the duty of every christian to do his part to carry on\nthe work; and furnisheth them with love, and compassion, and\nknowledge, and zeal in their several measures.\n\n6. He giveth a very strict charge to parents to devote their children,\nwith themselves, to God; encouraging them with the promise of his\naccepting and blessing them; and commandeth them to teach them the\nword of God with greatest diligence, and to bring them up in the\nnurture and fear of God.\n\n7. He giveth princes and magistrates their power, to promote his\nkingdom, and protect his servants, and encourage the good, and\nsuppress iniquity, and further the obedience of his laws; though, in\nmost of the world, they turn his enemies, and he carrieth on his work\nwithout them, and against their cruel persecuting opposition.\n\n8. His light detecteth the nakedness of the devil's cause, and among\nthe sons of light, it is odious, and a common shame. And as \"wisdom is\njustified of her children,\" so the judgment of holy men condemning\nsin, doth much to keep it under in the world.\n\n9. His providence usually casteth the sinner that he will do good to,\ninto the bosom and communion of his holy church, and the familiar\ncompany and acquaintance of the godly, who may help him by\ninstruction, affection, and example.\n\n10. His providence fitteth all conditions to their good; but\nespecially helpeth them by seasonable, quickening afflictions. These\nare the means which ordinarily he useth. But the powerful inward\noperations of his Spirit, give efficacy to them all.\n\n\n_Temptations to particular Sins, with Directions for Preservation and\nRemedy._\n\nIn chap. i. part 2, I have opened the temptations which hinder sinners\nfrom conversion to God: I shall now proceed to those which draw men to\nparticular sins. Here Satan's art is exercised, 1. In fitting his\nbaits to his particular use. 2. In applying them thereto.\n\n_Tempt._ I. The devil fitteth his temptations to the sinner's age. The\nsame bait is not suitable to all. Children he tempteth to excess of\nplayfulness, lying, disobedience, unwillingness to learn the things\nthat belong to their salvation, and a senselessness of the great\nconcernment of their souls. He tempteth youth to wantonness, rudeness,\ngulosity, unruliness, and foolish inconsiderateness. In the beginning\nof manhood he tempteth to lust, voluptuousness, and luxury; or if\nthese take not, to designs of worldliness and ambition. The aged he\ntempteth to covetousness, and unmovableness in their error, and\nunteachableness and obstinacy in their ignorance and sin. Thus every\nage hath its peculiar snare.\n\n_Direct._ I. The remedy against this is, 1. To be distinctly\nacquainted with the temptations of your own age; and watch against\nthem with a special heedfulness and fear. 2. To know the special\nduties and advantages of your own age, and turn your thoughts wholly\nunto those. Scripture hath various precepts for the various ages;\nstudy your own part. The young have more time to learn their duty, and\nless care and business to divert them; let them therefore be taken up\nin obedient learning. The middle age hath most vigour of body and\nmind; and therefore should do their Master's work with the greatest\nvigour, activity, and zeal. The aged should have most judgment, and\nexperience, and acquaintedness with death and heaven; and therefore\nshould teach the younger, both by word and holy life.\n\n_Tempt._ II. The tempter also fitteth his temptations to men's several\nbodily tempers, (as I showed, p. 93.) The hot and strong he tempteth\nto lust. The sad and fearful he tempteth to discouragement and\ncontinual self-vexations; and to the fear of men and devils. Those\nthat have strong appetites, to gluttony and drunkenness. Children, and\nwomen, and weak-headed people, to pride of apparel and trifling\ncompliment. And masculine, wicked unbelievers, to pride of honour,\nparts, and grandeur, and to an ambitious seeking of rule and\ngreatness. The meek and gentle he tempteth to a yieldingness unto the\npersuasions and will of erroneous and tempting persons. And those that\nare more stiff, to a stubborn resistance of all that should do them\ngood. He found it most suitable to tempt a Saul to malice; David by a\nsurprise to lust; Absalom to ambition; Peter to fearfulness, and after\nto compliance and dissimulation, to avoid the offence and displeasure\nof the weak; Luther to rashness; Melancthon to fearfulness;\nCarolostadius to unsettledness; Illiricus to inordinate zeal; Osiander\nto self-esteem; (if historians have given them their due.) One shoe\nfitteth not every foot.\n\n_Direct._ II. Let your strictest watch be upon the sins of your\ntemperature. Far greater diligence and resolution is here necessary,\nthan against other sins. And withdraw the fuel, and strive against the\nbodily distempers themselves. Fasting and labour will do much against\nlust, which idleness and fulness continually feed. And so the rest\nhave their several cures. Know also what good your temper doth give\nyou special advantage for; and let it be turned unto that, and still\nemployed in it.\n\n_Tempt._ III. The tempter suiteth his temptations to your estates, of\npoverty or riches. The poor he tempteth to murmur and be impatient\nunder their wants, and distress themselves more with griefs and cares;\nand to think that their sufferings may save them without holiness, and\nthat necessary labour for their bodies may excuse them from much\nminding the concernments of their souls; and either to censure and\nhate the rich through envy, or to flatter them for gain. The rich he\ntempteth to an idle, time-wasting, voluptuous, fleshly, brutish life;\nto excess in sleep, and meat, and drink, and sport, and apparel, and\ncostly ways of pride, and idle discourse, and visits, and compliments;\nto love the wealth and honours of the world, and live in continual\npleasing of the flesh, to fare deliciously every day, and to waste\ntheir time in unprofitableness, without a constant calling; and to be\nunmerciful to the poor, and to tyrannize over their inferiors; Prov.\nxxx. 8, 9; Luke xvi.\n\n[Sidenote: 1 Tim. vi. 9.]\n\n_Direct._ III. Here also observe regardfully where your danger lieth,\nand there keep a continual watch. Let the poor remember, that if they\nbe not rich in grace, it is long of themselves; and if they be, they\nhave the chiefest riches, and have learnt in all estates to be\ncontent: and have great cause to be thankful to God that thus helpeth\nthem against the love and pleasures of the world. Let the rich\nremember, that they have not less to do than the poor, because they\nhave more committed to their trust; nor may they ever the more satisfy\nthe inordinate desires of the flesh. But they have more to do, and\nmore dangers to fear and watch against, as they have more of their\nMaster's talents to employ, and give account for at the last.\n\n_Tempt._ IV. The devil suiteth his temptations to men's daily work and\nbusiness. If it be low, to be ashamed of it through pride; if it be\nhigh, to be proud of it; if it be hard, to be weary and unfaithful in\nit, or to make it take up all their minds and time; if it be about\nworldly things, he tempteth them to be tainted by it with a worldly\nmind; if they labour for themselves, he tempteth them to overdo; if\nfor others, he tempteth them to deceitful, unfaithful negligence and\nsloth. If they are ministers, he tempteth them to be idle, and\nunfaithful, and senseless of the weight of truth, the worth of souls,\nthe brevity of time, that so their sin may be the ruin or the loss of\nmany. If rulers, the devil useth his utmost skill to cause them to\nespouse an interest contrary to the interest of truth and holiness;\nand to cast some quarrel against Christ into their minds, and to\npersuade them that his interest is against theirs, and that his\nservants are their enemies.\n\n_Direct._ IV. See that your work be lawful, and that God have called\nyou to it, and then take it as the service which he himself assigneth\nto you, and do it as in his sight, and as passing to his judgment, in\nobedience to his will: and mind not so much whether it be hard or\neasy, low or high, as whether you are faithful in it. And if it be\nsanctified to you, by your intending all to the pleasing of God,\nremember that he loveth and rewardeth that servant that stoopeth to\nthe lowest work at his command, as much as him that is employed in the\nhighest. Do all for God, and walk in holiness with him, and keep out\nselfishness, (the poison of your callings,) and observe the proper\ndanger of your places, and keep a constant watch against them.\n\n_Tempt._ V. The devil suiteth his temptations to our several\nrelations. Parents he tempteth to be cold and regardless of the great\nwork of a wise and holy education of their children. Children he\ntempteth to be disobedient, unthankful, void of natural affection,\nunreverent dishonourers of their parents. Husbands he tempteth to be\nunloving, unkind, impatient with the weaknesses of their wives; and\nwives to be peevish, self-willed, proud, clamorous, passionate, and\ndisobedient. Masters he tempteth to use their servants only as their\nbeasts, for their own commodity, without any care of their salvation\nand God's service; and servants he tempteth to be carnal, untrusty,\nfalse, slothful, eye-servants, that take more care to hide a fault,\nthan not to commit it. Ministers and magistrates he tempteth to seek\nthemselves, and neglect their charge, and set up their own ends\ninstead of the common good; or to mistake the common good, or the\nmeans that tendeth to it. Subjects and people he tempteth to dishonour\nand murmur against their governors, and to censure them unjustly, and\nto disobey them, and rebel; or else to honour, and fear, and serve\nthem more than God, and against God.\n\n_Direct._ V. Here learn well the duties and dangers of your own\nrelations, and remember that it is much of your work to be faithful\nand excellent in your relations. And mind not so much what other men\nowe to you, as what you owe to God and them. Let masters, and\nministers, and magistrates first study and carefully practise their\nown duties, and yet they must next see that their inferiors do their\nduties, because that is their office: but they must be more desirous\nthat God be first served, and more careful to procure obedience to\nhim, than that they be honoured or obeyed themselves. Children,\nservants, and subjects must be taken up in the well-doing of their\nproper work; remembering that their good or hurt lieth far more upon\nthat, than upon their superiors' dealings with them, or usage of them.\nAs it is your own body, and not your superior's, which your soul doth\nanimate, nourish, and use, and which you have the continual sense and\ncharge of; so it is your own duty, and not your superiors', which you\nhave to do and to answer for, and therefore most to mind and talk of.\n\n_Tempt._ VI. The tempter also suiteth his temptations to our\nadvantages, and hopes of rising or thriving in the world: he seeth\nwhich is our rising or thriving way; and there he layeth his snares,\naccommodated to our designs and ends, making some sinful omission or\ncommission seem necessary thereto. Either Balaam must prophesy against\nthe people of God, or else God must keep him from honour, by keeping\nhim from sin, Numb. xxiv. 11. If once Judas be set on, What will you\ngive me? the devil will teach him the way to gain: his way is\nnecessary to such sinful ends.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Take heed therefore of overvaluing the world, and being\ntaken with its honour, pleasure, or prosperity; take heed, lest the\nlove of earthly things engage you in eager desires and designs to grow\ngreat or rich. For if once your heart have such a design, you are gone\nfrom God: the heart is gone, and then all will follow as occasion\ncalls for it. Understand these scriptures: Prov. xxiii. 4, \"Labour not\nto be rich.\" Prov. xxviii. 20, 22, \"He that maketh haste to be rich\nshall not be innocent.--He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye.\"\n1 Tim. vi. 6, 9, \"But they that will be rich fall into temptations and\na snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in\ndestruction and perdition: for the love of money is the root of all\nevil. But godliness with contentment is great gain.\" Jer. xlv. 5,\n\"Seek not great matters for yourselves.\" Be dead, to the world: fear\nmore the rising than the falling way. Love that condition best, which\nfitteth thee for communion with God, or maketh thee the most\nprofitable servant to him; and hate that most, which is thy greatest\nhinderance from these, and would most enslave thee to the world.\n\n_Tempt._ VII. The tempter suiteth his temptations to our company: if\nthey have any error or sin, or are engaged in any carnal enterprise,\nhe will make them snares to us, and restless until they have insnared\nus. If they love us not, he will make them continual provocations, and\nset before us all their wrongs, and provoke us to uncharitableness and\nrevenge. If they love us, he will endeavour to make their love to us\nto be the shoeing-horn or harbinger of their errors and evil ways, to\ndraw us to their imitation. He findeth something in all our company,\nto make the matter of some temptation.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Converse most with God: let faith make Christ and angels\nyour most regarded and observed company; that their mind and presence\nmay more affect you than the mind and presence of mortal men. Look not\nat any man's mind, or will, or actions, without respect to God who\ngoverneth, and to the rule by which they should all be suited, and to\nthe judgment which will open and reward them as they are. Never see man\nwithout seeing God: see man only as a creature dependent on his Maker's\nwill. And then you will lament and not imitate him when he sinneth; and\nyou will oppose (and Christ saith \"hate,\" Luke xiv. 26) and not be\nseduced by him, when he would draw you with him to sin and hell: had\nAdam more observed God than Eve he had not been seduced by his helper.\nThen you will look on the proud, and worldly, and sensual, as Solomon on\nthe slothful man's vineyard, Prov. xxiv. 30-32, \"I saw and considered it\nwell, I looked on it, and received instruction.\" You would not long for\nthe plague or leprosy, because it is your friend's disease.\n\n_Tempt._ VIII. The tempter maketh advantage of other men's opinions or\nspeeches of you, or dealings by you; and by every one of them would\ninsnare you in some sin. If they have mean thoughts of you, or speak\ndespising or dishonouring words of you, he tempteth you by it to hate\nthem, or love them less, or to speak contemptuously of them. If they\napplaud you, he tempteth you by it to be proud; if they wrong you, he\ntempteth you to revenge; if they enrich you, or are your benefactors,\nhe would make their benefits a price to hire you to some sin, and make\nyou pay as dear for them as your salvation cometh to. If they scorn\nyou for religion, he would make you ashamed of Christ and his cause;\nif they admire you, he would draw you by it to hypocrisy. If they\nthreaten you, he would draw you to sin by fear, as he did Peter; if\nthey deal rudely with you, he tempteth you to passion, and to requite\nthem with the like, and even to distaste religion itself, if men\nprofessing religion be against you, or seem to do you any wrong. Thus\nis every man a danger to his brother.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Discern in all men what there is of God to be your\nhelp, and that make use of; and what there is of Satan, sin, and self,\nand that take heed of. Look upon every man as a helper and a tempter;\nand be prepared still, to draw forth his help, and resist his\ntemptation. And remember, that man is but the instrument; it is Satan\nthat tempteth you, and God that trieth you, by that man! Saith David\nof Shimei, \"The Lord hath bidden him;\" that is, he is but God's rod to\nscourge me for my sin, as my son himself is. As Satan was his\ninstrument in trying Job, not by God's effecting, but permitting the\nsin: observe God and Satan in it, more than men.\n\n_Tempt._ IX. His temptations also are suited to our fore-received\nopinions and thoughts. If you have but let in one lustful thought, or\none malicious thought, he can make great advantage of that nest-egg to\ngather in more; as a little leaven to leaven the whole lump: he can\nroll it up and down, and do much to hatch it into a multitude. If you\nare but tainted with any false opinion, or prejudice against your\nteacher, your ruler, or your brother, he can improve it to such\nincrease, and raise such conclusions from it, and more from them, and\nreduce them all to practice, as shall make observers with astonishment\nsay, Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!\n\n_Direct._ IX. Take heed what thoughts you first admit into your mind;\nand especially cherish and approve none but upon very good trial and\nexamination. And if they prove corrupt, sweep clean your fantasy and\nmemory of them, that they prove not inhabitants, and take not up their\nlodgings in you, or have not time to spawn and breed. And fill up the\nroom with contrary thoughts, and useful truth, and cherish them daily,\nthat they may increase and multiply; and then your hearts will be like a\nwell-peopled kingdom, able to keep their possession against all enemies.\n\n_Tempt._ X. Also he fitteth his temptations to your natural and\nacquired parts. That if you are weak, he may either discourage you; or\n(which is more usual and dangerous) make you think better of them than\nthey are, and to think you know much, when it is next to nothing; and\nto make you wise in your own eyes, and easily to receive an error, and\nthen to be confident in it: not to discern between things that differ;\nbut to be deceived into false zeal, and false ways, by the specious\npretences and shows of truth; and then to be zealous for the deceiving\nof others. Also that you may be a dishonour to truth and godliness, by\nyour weakness and ill management of good causes; and may give them\naway through your unskilfulness to the adversary. If you are of\nstronger wits and parts, the tempter will draw you to despise the\nweak; to take common gifts for special grace; or to undervalue\nholiness and humility, and overvalue learning and acuteness: he will\ntempt you (dangerously) to loathe the simplicity of christianity and\nof the Scriptures, as to style and method; and to be offended at the\ncross of Christ. So that such persons are usually in greater danger of\ninfidelity, heresy, pride, and insolent domineering over the flock of\nChrist, than vulgar christians that have lower parts.\n\n_Direct._ X. Labour to be well acquainted with yourselves. If you are\nweak, know your weakness, that you may be humble, and fearful, and\nseek for strength and help. If you are comparatively strong, remember\nhow weak the strongest are; and how little it is that the wisest know.\nAnd study well the ends and use of knowledge; that all you know may be\nconcocted into love and holiness; and use it as remembering that you\nhave much to give account of.\n\n_Tempt._ XI. Moreover the tempter will fetch advantage against you, from\nyour former life and actions. If you have gone out of the way to heaven,\nhe would harden you by custom, and make you think it such a disgrace or\ntrouble to return, as that it is as good go on, and put it to the\nventure. If you have done any work materially good, while your heart and\ncourse of life is carnal and worldly, he would quiet you in your sinful,\nmiserable state, by applauding the little good that you have done. If a\ngood man have erred or done ill, he will engage his honour in it, and\nmake him study to defend it, or excuse it, lest it prove his shame; and\ntempt men, as he did David, to hide one sin with another. If he get hold\nof one link, he will draw on all the chain of sin.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Take heed therefore what you do; and foresee the end.\nLet not the devil get in one foot: try your way, before you enter it.\nBut if you have erred, come off, and that thoroughly and betimes,\nwhatever it cost; for be sure it will cost more to go on. And if he\nwould make a snare of the good that you have done, remember that this\nis to turn it into the greatest evil; and that there must be a\nconcurrence and integrity of good to make you acceptable, and to save\nyou: heart and life must be good to the end.\n\n_Tempt._ XII. Lastly, he fitteth his temptations to the season. He\nwill take the season just when an evil thought is likest to take with\nyou; and when the winds and tide do serve him: that will take at one\ntime (when a man hath his wits and heart to seek) which would be\nabhorred at another. In afflicting times he will draw you to deny\nChrist, with Peter, or shift for yourselves by sinful means; in\nprosperous times he will tempt you to security, worldliness, and\nforgetfulness of the night and winter which approacheth: the timing\nhis temptations is his great advantage.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Dwell as with God, and you dwell as in eternity, and\nwill see still that as time, so all the pleasure, and advantages, and\ndangers, and sufferings of time, are things of themselves of little\nmoment. Keep your eye upon judgment and eternity, where all the errors\nof time will be rectified, and all the inequalities of time will be\nlevelled, and the sorrows and joys that are transitory will be no\nmore; and then no reasons from the frowns or flatteries of the times\nwill seem of any force to you. And be still employed for God, and\nstill armed and on your watch, that Satan may never find you disposed\nto take the bait.\n\n\n         _The Tempter's Method in applying his prepared Baits._\n\n_Tempt._ I. The devil's first work is, to present the tempting bait in\nall its alluring, deceiving properties; to make it seem as true as may\nbe to the understanding, and as good and amiable as may be to the will.\nTo say as much as can be said for an evil cause; he maketh his image of\ntruth and goodness as beautiful as he can: sin shall be sugared, and its\npleasure shall be its strength, Heb. xi. 25. Sin shall have its wages\npaid down in hand, 2 Pet. ii. 15. He will set it out with full-mouthed\npraises: O what a fine thing it is to be rich, and please the flesh\ncontinually! to have command, and honour, and lusts, and sports, and\nwhat you desire! Who would refuse such a condition that may have it? All\nthis will I give thee, was the temptation which he thought fit to\nassault Christ himself with. And he will corrupt the history of time\npast, and tell you that it went well with those that took his way, Jer.\nxliv. 17. And for the future, he will promise them, that they shall be\ngainers by it (as he did Eve) and shall have peace, though they please\ntheir flesh in sinning: see Deut. xxix. 19.\n\n_Direct._ I. In this case, first inquire what God saith of that which\nSatan so commendeth. The commendations and motions of an enemy are to\nbe suspected. God is most to be believed. 2. Then consider not only\nwhether it be good, but how long it will be good; and what it will\nprove at the end; and how we shall judge of it at the parting; and\nwithal consider what it tendeth to; whether it tend to good or evil;\nand whether it be the greatest good that we are capable of. And then\nyou will see, that if there were no good, or appearance of good in it,\nit could do a voluntary agent no hurt, and were not fit to be the\nmatter of a temptation: and you will see that it is temporal good set\nup to deceive you of the eternal good, and to entice you into the\ngreatest evil and misery. Doth the devil show thee the world, and say,\n\"All this will I give thee?\" Look to Christ, who showeth thee the\nglory of the world to come, with all things good for thee in this\nworld, and saith more truly, \"All this will I give thee.\" The world\nand hell are in one end of the balance, and pardon, holiness, and\nheaven are in the other. Which now wilt thou prefer? If the devil have\nmore to give thee and bid for thee than Christ, let him take thee.\n\n_Tempt._ II. The tempter laboureth to keep God, and Christ, and heaven\nout of sight, that they darken not the splendour of his bait; and to\nhide those potent reasons from them, by which they might easily repel\nthe temptation; so that though they are well known and sure, and\nScripture be full of them, they shall none of them be ready at hand to\nuse, when the temptation cometh; so that to them they shall be all as\nnothing: and this he doth by unbelief and inconsiderateness.\n\n_Direct._ II. Live by faith. See that God the Father, the Redeemer,\nand the Holy Spirit, dwell within you, and take up your hearts, and\nyour hopes be placed all on heaven, and that these be your very life\nand business; and then you will always have that at hand which may\nrepel the tempter. A heart taken up with God and Christ, conversing in\nheaven, is always fortified, and prepared to meet every temptation\nwith abhorrence. Let your souls be still possessed with as constant\napprehensions of the evil of sin, the danger of sinning, the presence,\nauthority, and holiness of God, the wrong that sin doth him, the hurt\nit doth ourselves and others, and what it did to Jesus Christ, as you\nhave of the danger of fire, and water, and poison; and then the\ntempter will not speed.\n\n_Tempt._ III. It is the great care of the devil to keep out of sight,\nthat he be not seen himself in the temptation. As the angler keepeth\nhimself behind the bush, and the fowler hideth himself from the birds,\nor else they would fear, and fly, and escape; so doth the devil use\nall his art, to hide himself from the sinner's observation; that the\ndeluded soul shall little think that the devil is so near him, and\nhath so great a hand in the business. If the ambitious or covetous\nworldling saw the devil offer him the bait, and heard him say, \"All\nthis will I give thee;\" he would have the smaller list to take the\nbait. If the devil appeared to the whoremonger, and brought him his\nwhore, and encouraged him to his filthiness, it would cool his lust:\nor if he appeared to the drunkard, and presented him the cup, he would\nhave but little list to drink. If the proud and the malicious saw the\ndevil at their backs, rejoicing in their sin, and putting them on, it\nmight affright them half into their wits. Therefore the great\nendeavour of the devil is, to persuade men that it is not he that\nmakes the motion to them: it is such a friend, or such a neighbour, or\ngentleman, or minister, or wise man; it is not the devil! till the\nfish is caught, and the bird is in the net, and then the author of all\nappeareth, to kill them, and carry them away without any concealment.\n\n_Direct._ III. Mark but the tendency and the manner of the\ntemptations, and you may perceive the author. Who else is it that is\nso much against God, and against your everlasting happiness? Who else\nis it that would so abuse your reason, to prefer things temporal\nbefore things eternal, and the brutish pleasures of a corruptible\nflesh before the interest of immortal souls? Who else so contradicteth\nall the word of God? Read God's warnings, and he will tell you who it\nis. Take every temptation then (whoever be the messenger) as if thou\nsawest the devil standing by, and making the motion to thee, and\nheardest himself exhort thee to the sin. Suppose you saw him\nconducting you to the whore-house, the play-house, the ale-house, and\nmaking you entertainment as the master of the game. How then would you\ntake it? and what would you do? Would you go, and be angry at the\nprecise preacher that would hinder you? and would you take the devil's\npart? No, nature hath possessed you with a fear of him, and an enmity\nto him: use it for your safety. It cannot be good for you that comes\nfrom him. He hath a fouler face to appear to you in, than ever yet you\nsaw, when you have done his work, and are where he would have you. O\nknow with whom you have to do.\n\n_Tempt._ IV. The tempter is most careful also to hide from men the\nnature and tendency of the temptation itself; that they shall not know\nthat it is a temptation when they are tempted, but shall have nothing in\nsight but the bait which they desire. The angler doth not only hide\nhimself from the fish, but also his rod, and line, and hook, as much as\nhe can. The fowler covereth his nets, so that either the fish and bird\nshall not see the snare, or shall not know what it is, and what it is\nthere laid for: so when the bait of pleasure, and honour, and wealth is\npresented by the devil, to the fornicator, gamester, proud, or covetous,\nthey shall not see what the devil is doing now, and what a game he is\nplaying for their souls! They shall not perceive the connexion that\nthere is between the pleasure and the sin, and the sin and the\nthreatening, and the threatening and the judgment, and the judgment and\nthe everlasting punishment. When Judas was bargaining with the\nPharisees, he knew not that the devil was in him driving on the match.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Be wise and suspicious: blindness or fool-hardiness will\nlead you into the snare. Be wise, that you may know the tendency of\nevery thing that is presented to your thoughts, and may be able to\nperceive a danger. Be suspicious and cautelous, that you make a\nsufficient trial, and go upon sure grounds, and avoid the very\nappearance of evil: when it is hell that you fear, come not too near.\nPlay not as the fly about the candle: salvation is necessary; but\npreferment, or wealth, or liberty, or credit, or life itself are not\nnecessary to you! Prove all things. Flatter not yourselves into the\nsnares by foolish hopes, and judging of things as the flesh would have\nthem to be, rather than as they are. If no danger appear, turn up all\ncoverings, and search and see that none be hidden. The devil hath his\ngunpowder plots, and mines, which may blow you up before you are\naware. Not only lawfulness and indifferency, but great good is the\npretence for greatest evil.\n\n_Tempt._ V. It is the tempter's care to bring the tempting object near\nenough, or draw the sinner near enough to it. The net must come to the\nfish, or the fish to the net. The distant fire will not burn the wood.\nThe devil's chief confidence is in the sensitive appetite, which\nworketh strongliest at hand. If he get the drunkard into the\nale-house, and show him the cup, he hath half conquered him already;\nbut if he be scrupulous and modest, some one shall drink a health, or\nimportune him, and put the cup into his hand. The thief, with Achan,\nshall see the bait, and the sight will work a covetous desire. The\nglutton shall have the tempting dishes before him, and be at a table\nwhich by variety of delicious food is fitted to become his snare;\nwhereas if he had nothing set before him, but the poor man's simple\nfood which hath nothing in it fit to tempt him, he might easily have\nescaped. The fornicator shall have his beautiful dirt brought near\nhim, and presented to him in a tempting dress; for at a sufficient\ndistance there had been little danger. The ambitious person shall have\npreferment offered him, or brought so fair to his hand, that with a\nlittle seeking it may be attained. The fearful coward shall be\nthreatened with the loss of estate or life, and hear the report of the\ncannons, guns, and drums of Satan. Peter is half conquered when he is\ngot among questioning company in the high priest's hall. Thus David,\nthus Lot, thus ordinarily sinners are drawn into the snare.\n\n_Direct._ V. As ever you would preserve your innocency and your souls,\nfly as far from tempting objects as you can: I say, as you can,\nwithout distrusting God in the neglect of a certain duty. A wife, or a\nservant, that are bound, cannot fly; nor must we leave undone our\ncertain duty upon an uncertain danger, which may otherwise be avoided;\nbut keep off from the temptation at as great a distance as you can:\nthe safest course is the best when your souls lie at the stake: if it\nbe not necessary, plead not the lawfulness of what you do, when it is\na temptation to that which is unlawful. You say, it is lawful to wear\nsuch curious ornaments, and set out yourselves in the neatest dress;\nbut is it lawful to be proud or lustful, or to consume your time\nunprofitably? If not, tempt not yourselves or others to it. Keep away\nfrom the place where the snare is laid. Look first to the end before\nthou meddle with the beginning. Why should I eat that which I know I\ncannot digest, but must cast it up again? And why should I taste that\nwhich I must not eat? And why should I desire to have that set before\nme, and to look upon that which I must not taste? Come not near if\nthou wouldst not be taken. What dost thou at the ale-house with a cup\nbefore thee, if thou wouldst not be drawn to excess of drink? If thou\nbe subject to excess in eating, make not thy own table thy temptation.\nFly from the temptation as thou wouldst do from hell, or from the\ndevil himself. See not the bait of lust, or come not near, if thou be\ninclinable to lust: saith Solomon, \"Remove thy way far from her, and\ncome not near the door of her house,\" Prov. v. 8. \"For her end is\nbitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to\ndeath, her steps take hold on hell,\" ver. 4, 5. \"Her house inclineth\nto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go to her return\nagain, neither take they hold of the paths of life,\" chap. ii. 18, 19.\n\"Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death,\"\nchap. vii. 27. \"Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for\nhim that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are\nsweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that\nthe dead are there: and that her guests are in the depths of hell,\"\nchap. ix. 16-18. \"Lust not after her beauty in thy heart, neither let\nher take thee with her eye-lids.--Can a man take fire in his bosom and\nhis clothes not be burnt? Can one go upon hot coals and his feet not\nbe burnt?\" chap. vi. 25, 27, 28. Remember that you pray daily, \"Lead\nus not into temptation:\" and if you will run into it yourselves, are\nnot your prayers hypocritical and an abuse of God? If you would be\nsaved from sin, you must be saved in God's way; and that is, by flying\nfrom temptations; and not drawing near, and gazing on forbidden\nobjects, and tempting yourselves: even as God's holy means must be\nused by all that would come to holiness and heaven; so the devil's\nmust be avoided by him that would escape sin and hell. But if you\ncannot remove far enough from the snare, then double your fear, and\nwatchfulness, and resolution: fly with Joseph, Gen. xxxix. 12, from\nthe sin, if you cannot go out of the house. How carefully should every\nfoot be placed, when we know that every step we tread is among snares!\nRule your senses if you cannot remove the bait: make Job's covenant\nwith your eyes, that you look not on that which would allure, Job\nxxxi. 1. Let every sense have a constant watch.\n\n_Tempt._ VI. The next great work of the tempter is, to give us the\nfairest opportunities to sin, and to remove all impediments, and show\nmen encouraging hopes and invitations. He will show the thief which\nway he may steal; and show the covetous man which way he may thrive,\nand deceive, and overreach; and the ambitious man which way he may\nrise; and the fornicator how he may obtain his desire, and sin\nunknown; and then he tells them how easy it is; now no one seeth you;\nyou may do it without fear or shame. It is the devil's great care to\ntake all things out of the way that would affright, or hinder sinners;\nthat they may have full opportunity to invite them. Therefore he is\nvery desirous that public impediments should be all removed;\nespecially in a godly magistrate and minister, and that the common\ndisgrace of sinning may be taken off, and if it may be, turned against\nreligion, or fall on them that are the greatest adversaries to sin.\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. ci. 3.]\n\n_Direct._ VI. It is therefore a principal part of your wisdom and\nwatchfulness, to avoid the opportunities of sinning, and keep out as\nmany impediments as may be in your own way. It is a most foolish and\nsinful thing in some men, who think it a brave thing to have power to\ndo hurt, though they pretend that they abhor the doing of it. He that\nsaith he hateth oppression, yet would have a power to oppress; to have\nall men at his will and mercy he thinks is brave: so they that would\nnot be gluttonous would have a tempting table still before them,\npresuming that their own will is a sufficient preservative against the\nsin: so they that would not be insnared with lust, have yet a desire\nto appear as comely, and lovely, and desirable as may be, and to be as\nmuch beloved, that they may have other affections at command; and also\nto have opportunity offered them, that they may sin if they will. And\nis thy will so well established, mortified, and unchangeable, as to be\nso far trusted? O foolish sinner! that no better knowest thyself; nor\nobservest thy danger; nor perceivest that this very desire to have the\npower to do evil showeth a degree of the evil in thy heart, and that\nthou art not yet so far from it as thou must be, if thou wouldst be\nsafe. Contrive thyself (if thou be wise and love thyself) into the\ngreatest difficulty of sinning that thou canst. Make it impossible, if\nit may be done. The power is for the act. Desire not to be able to\nsin, if thou wouldst not sin; not that natural power to do good should\nbe destroyed because it is also a power to do evil, but cast as many\nblocks in the way of thy sinning as thou canst, till it amount to a\nmoral impossibility. Desire the strictest laws and governors, and to\nbe still in the eye of others, and contrive it that thou mayst have no\nhope of secrecy. Contrive it so that it may be utter shame and loss to\nthee if thou sin. If thou be tempted to fornication, never be private\nwith her or him that is thy snare. If thou be tempted to deceive and\nrob those that trust thee, avoid the trust; or if ever thou have done\nit, restore and confess, that shame may preserve thee.\n\n_Tempt._ VII. Next the tempter importunately soliciteth our thoughts or\nfantasies to feed upon the tempting thing: that the lustful person may\nbe thinking on the objects of his lusts; and the ambitious man thinking\non his desired honour; and the covetous man of his desired wealth, his\nhouse, or lands, or gainful bargains; and the malicious man be thinking\nof all the real or imaginary wrongs which kindle malice.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Keep a continual watch upon your thoughts. Remember\nthat this is the common entrance of the greatest sins; and if they go\nno further, the Searcher of hearts will judge thee for the adultery,\nmurder, and other sins of thy heart. But especially see that your\nthoughts be so employed on better things, that sin may never find\nthem vacant.\n\n_Tempt._ VIII. The tempter also is diligent to keep the end from the\nsinner's eye, and to persuade him that there is no danger in it, and\nthat it will be as good at last as at first. He cannot endure a thought,\na word of death or judgment, unless he can first fortify the sinner by\nsome presumptuous hope, that his sins are pardoned, and his case is\ngood: either he will make them believe him, that there is no such danger\nto the soul as should deter them; or else he keepeth them from thinking\nof that danger. He is loth a sinner should so much as look into a grave,\nor go to the house of mourning, and see the end of all the living, lest\nhe should lay it to heart, and thence perceive what worldly pleasure,\nwealth, and greatness is, by seeing where it leaveth sinners. If one do\nbut talk of death or judgment, and the life to come, the devil will stir\nup some scorn, or weariness, or opposition against such discourse. If a\nsinner do but bethink himself in secret, what will become of him after\ndeath, the devil will either allure him, or trouble him, and never let\nhim rest, till he have cast away all such thoughts as tend to his\nsalvation. He cannot endure when you see the pomp and pleasure of the\nworld, that you should think or ask, How long will this endure? and what\nwill it prove in the latter end?\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. i.; xv.; Matt. xxv.]\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Go to the holy Scriptures, and see what they foretell\nconcerning the end of godliness and sin: God knoweth better than the\ndevil, and is more to be believed. You may see in the word of God,\nwhat will become of saints and sinners, godly and ungodly, at the\nlast, and what they will think and say when they review their present\nlife; and what Christ will say to them, and how he will judge them,\nand what will be their reward for ever. This is the infallible\nprognostication where you may foresee your endless state. In this\nglass continually foresee the end. Never judge of any thing by the\npresent gust alone. Ask not only how it tasteth, but how it worketh,\nand what will be the effects: remember that God's law hath inseparably\nconjoined holiness and heaven, and sin unrepented of and hell; and\nseeing these cannot be separated indeed, let them never be separated\nfrom each other in your thoughts. Otherwise you will never understand\nChrist or Satan. When Christ saith, \"Wilt thou deny thyself, and take\nup the cross and follow me?\" his meaning is, shall I heal thy carnal,\nworldly heart and life, and bring thee by grace to the sight of God in\nendless glory? You will never understand what prayer, and obedience,\nand holy living mean, if you see not the end, even heaven conjoined to\nthem. When the devil saith to the glutton, Eat also of this pleasant\ndish; and to the drunkard, Take the other cup; and to the fornicator,\nTake thy pleasure in the dark; and to the voluptuous, Go to the\nplay-house, or the gaming-house; come, play at cards or dice; his\nmeaning is, Come, venture upon sin, and fear not God's threatenings,\nand refuse his word, and Spirit, and grace, that I may have thy\ncompany among the damned, in the fire which never shall be quenched.\nThis is the true English of every temptation. Open thy ears then, and\nwhenever the devil or any sinner tempteth thee to sin, hear him as if\nhe said, I pray thee, leap into the flames of hell.\n\n_Tempt._ IX. If the tempter cannot quickly draw men to the sin, he\nwill move them at least to abate their resolution against it, and to\ndeliberate about it, and hear what can be said, and enter into a\ndispute with Satan or some of his instruments; telling them, that it\nis a sign of falsehood which will not endure the trial, and that we\nmust prove all things. And while the sinner is deliberating and\ndisputing, the venom is working itself into his veins, and sense is\nsecretly undermining and betraying him, and deceiving his mind,\nbribing his reason, and seducing his will: just as an enemy will treat\nwith those that keep a garrison, that, during the treaty, he may send\nin spies, and find out their weakness, and corrupt the soldiers; so\ndoth the devil with the sinner.\n\n[Sidenote: Gal. i. 16.]\n\n_Direct._ IX. Remember that it is Christ, and not Satan, that you are\nto hear. Truth is strong, and can bear the trial, before any competent\njudge; but you are weak, and not so able to judge as you may imagine.\nIgnorant, unskilful, and unsettled persons are easily deceived, be the\ncause never so clear. If it be a cause untried by you, it is not\nuntried by all the godly, nor unknown to him that gave you the holy\nScriptures. If it be fit to be called in question and disputed, take\nthe help of able godly teachers or friends, and hear what they can\nsay: matters of endless life or death are not rashly to be ventured\non. But if it be a thing past dispute, in which you have been already\nconvinced and resolved, reject the tempter, and tell him, that you owe\nhim not so much service, as to dispute with him whether you should\ncare for your salvation? Else there will be no end, till you are\nbetrayed and undone: innocent Eve is deceived when once it comes to a\ndispute. Be not like Balaam, that tempted God, and would not be\nsatisfied with his answer.\n\n_Tempt._ X. Also the tempter overcometh very many, by making them\npresumptuously confident of their own strength: saying, Thou art not\nso weak as not to be able to bear a greater temptation than this.\nCanst thou not gaze on beauty, or go among vain and tempting company,\nand yet choose whether thou wilt sin? It is a child indeed that hath\nno more government of themselves. Cannot thy table, thy cup, thy\nhouse, thy lands, be pleasing and delectable, but thou must needs\nover-love them, and turn them to sin?\n\n_Direct._ X. O know thy own weakness, the treacherous enemy which thou\nstill carriest about thee, who is ready to open the back-door to the\ndevil! Remember that flesh is on the tempter's side, and how much it\ncan do with thee before thou art aware. Remember what an unsettled\nwretch thou art, and how many a good purpose formerly hath come to\nnothing, and how oft thou hast sinned by as small a temptation.\nRemember that without the Spirit of Christ, thou canst do nothing, nor\nstand against any assault of Satan; and that Christ giveth his Spirit\nand help in his own way, and not to those that tempt him to forsake\nthem, by thrusting themselves into temptations. Shall ever mortal man\npresume upon his own strength, after the falls of an Adam, a Noah, a\nLot, a David, a Solomon, a Hezekiah, a Josiah, a Peter? and after such\nruins of multitudes of professors, as our eyes have seen? \"All these\nthings happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our\nadmonition, on whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him\nthat thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall,\" 1 Cor. x. 11, 12.\n\n_Tempt._ XI. It is a great project of the devil, and successful with\nmany, to draw them to venture on the sin, by showing them first the\neffectual remedy, the abundant mercy of God, the sufficient\nsatisfaction made by Christ, the full, and free, and universal\npromise; that these are sufficient to cleanse the soul of any sin,\ntherefore you need not fear.\n\n[Sidenote: Rom. ix.]\n\n[Sidenote: Heb. x. 26-29. 2 Thess. i. 10.]\n\n_Direct._ XI. But God is just, as well as merciful; and there are\n\"vessels of wrath,\" as well as vessels of mercy. Judge how God will\nuse his mercy, and who shall have it, by his own word: for he knoweth\nbetter than you, to whom, and how far to show mercy. Is the tempter\nhimself saved, for all God is merciful? And the gospel hath far sorer\npunishment than the law, to the abusers of grace. Christ is the most\ndreadful Judge to the wicked, as well as the tenderest Saviour to his\nown. There is enough in his grace to save the penitent: but if you\nwill sin upon presumption that grace will save you, you have small\nreason to think that you are penitent, or ever will be, without a very\nmerciful change. How many can you name that ever were converted and\nforgiven, that lived wilfully in sin, because the remedy was\nsufficient? I doubt not but many such have been recalled; but this is\nnot the way to hope: it is a terrible thing to sin deliberately and\nwilfully, because of the greatness of mercy, or the sufficiency of the\ndeath of Christ! No man but the penitent convert is saved by Christ;\nand this is clean contrary to penitence and conversion. Christ doth\nnot as mountebanks, that wound a man, to show people how quickly their\nbalsams can cure him; or make a man drink a toad, to show the power of\ntheir antidotes: but he cureth the diseases which he findeth, (in\nbelievers,) but causeth none.\n\n_Tempt._ XII. Also the tempter telleth the sinner, how certain, and\neasy, and speedy a remedy he hath in his own power: it is but\nrepenting, and all sin is pardoned.\n\n[Sidenote: James ii. 19.]\n\n_Direct._ XII. 1. Is it in thy power? If so, the greater is thy sin,\nthat sinnest more when thou shouldst repent: if it be easy, what an\ninexcusable wretch art thou that wilt not do it, but go on! 2. But\nrepentance is the gift of God, 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26; and is he like to give\nit to them that wilfully abuse him in expectation of it? 3. As easy as\nit is, it is but a few that truly repent and are forgiven, in comparison\nof those that go on and perish. 4. The easiest repentance is so bitter,\nthat it is far easier to forbear the sin: it is better not wound\nyourselves, than have the best salve, if you were sure of it. 5. The\nrepentance which is caused by mere fears of death and hell, without the\npower of heavenly love to God and holiness, is but the repentance of the\ndamned, and never procureth pardon of sin: the devil hath such a\nrepentance, as well as such a faith, which will not save him.\n\n_Tempt._ XIII. Satan also imboldeneth the sinner, by telling him how\nmany have repented and sped well, that sinned as bad or worse than\nthis. He tells him of Noah, and Lot, and David, and Peter, and the\nthief on the cross, and Paul a persecutor, yea, and Manasseh, &c.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. But consider whether any of those did thus sin,\nbecause that others had escaped that sinned before them. And think of\nthe millions that never repented, and are condemned, as well as of the\nfew that have repented. Is repentance better than sin? Why then will\nyou sin? Is sin better than repentance? Why then do you purpose to\nrepent? Is it not base ingratitude to offend God wilfully, because he\nhath pardoned many offenders, and is ready to forgive the penitent?\nAnd should a man of reason wilfully make work for his own repentance,\nand do that which he knoweth he shall wish with grief that he had\nnever done? If some have been saved that fell into the sea, or that\nfell from the top of steeples, or that drunk poison, or were\ndangerously wounded, will you therefore cast yourself into the same\ncase, in hope of being saved?\n\n_Tempt._ XIV. The tempter persuadeth the sinner that it cannot be\nthat God should make so great a matter of sin, because the thoughts of\na man's heart, or his words or deeds, are matter of no great moment,\nwhen man himself is so poor a worm; and whatever he doth, it is no\nhurt to God: therefore you need not make such a matter of it.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. If God so much regard us as to make us, and preserve us\ncontinually, and to become our Governor, and make a law for us, and\njudge us, and reward his servants with no less than heaven, then you may\neasily see that he so much regardeth us, as to observe whether we obey\nor break his laws. He that so far careth for a clock or watch, as to\nmake it and wind it up, doth care whether it go true or false. What do\nthese men make of God, who think he cares not what men do? Then he cares\nnot if men beat you, or rob you, or kill you, for none of this hurteth\nGod. And the king may say, if any murder your friends, or children, why\nshould I punish him? he hurt not me. But justice is to keep order in the\nworld, and not only to preserve the governor from hurt. God may be\nwronged, though he be not hurt. And he will make you pay for it, if you\nhurt others; and smart for it, if you hurt yourself.\n\n_Tempt._ XV. The tempter laboureth to extenuate the sin, and make it\nseem a little one; and if every little sin must be made such a matter\nof, you will never be quiet.\n\n_Direct._ XV. But still remember, 1. There is deadly poison in the\nvery nature of sin, as there is in a serpent, be he never so small.\nThe least sin is worse than the greatest pain that ever man felt; and\nwould you choose and say, it is little? The least sin is odious to\nGod, and had a hand in the death of Christ, and will damn you if it be\nnot pardoned; and should such a thing be made light of? And many sins\ncounted small may have great aggravations, such as the knowing,\ndeliberate, wilful committing of them is. To love a small sin, is a\ngreat sin; especially to love it so well, that the remembrance of\nGod's will and love, of Christ, and heaven, and hell, will not suffice\nto resolve you against it. Besides, a small sin is the common way to\ngreater: \"When lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin, and sin, when\nit is finished, brings forth death,\" James i. 14, 15. \"Behold how\ngreat a matter a little fire kindleth,\" chap. iii. 5. The horrid sins\nof David and Peter had small beginnings. Mortal sicknesses seem little\nmatters at the first. Many a thousand have sinned themselves to hell,\nthat began with that which is accounted small.\n\n_Tempt._ XVI. Also the devil draweth on the sinner, by promising him\nthat he shall sin but once, or but a very few times, and then do so no\nmore: he tells the thief, and the fornicator, that if they will do it\nbut this once, they shall be quiet.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. But, O consider, 1. That one stab at the heart may prove\nincurable. God may deny thee time or grace to repent. 2. That it is\neasier to forbear the first time than the second; for one sin disposeth\nthe heart unto another. If you cannot deny the first temptation, how\nwill you deny the next? When you have lost your strength, and grieved\nyour helper, and strengthened your enemy and your snare, will you then\nresist better wounded, than now when you are whole?\n\n_Tempt._ XVII. But when the devil hath prevailed for once with the\nsinner, he makes that an argument for a second: he saith to the thief,\nand drunkard, and fornicator, it is but the same thing that thou hast\ndone once already; and if once may be pardoned, twice may be pardoned;\nand if twice, why not thrice; and so on.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. This is to let the devil get in a foot. A spark is\neasier quenched than a flame; but yet remember that the longer the\nworse: the oftener you sin, the greater is the abuse of the Spirit of\nGod, and the contempt of grace, and the wrong to Christ, and the\nharder is repentance; and the sharper if you do repent, because the\ndeeper is your wound. Repent therefore speedily, and go no further,\nunless you would have the devil tell you next, It is now too late.\n\n_Tempt._ XVIII. The tempter maketh use of the greater sins of others,\nto persuade men to venture upon less. Thou hearest other men curse,\nand swear, and rail, and dost thou stick at idle talk? How many in the\nworld are enemies to Christ, and persecute his ministers and servants,\nand dost thou make so great a matter of omitting a sermon, or a\nprayer, or other holy duty?\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. As there are degrees of sin, so there are degrees of\npunishment: and wilt thou rather choose the easiest place in hell than\nheaven? How small soever the matter of sin be, thy wilfulness, and\nsinning against conscience, and mercies, and warnings, may make it\ngreat to thee. Are great sinners so happy in thy eyes, that thou\nwouldst be as like them as thou darest?\n\n_Tempt._ XIX. Also he would imbolden the sinner, because of the\ncommonness of the sin, and the multitude that commit either that or\nworse, as if it were not, therefore, so bad or dangerous.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. But remember, that the more examples you have to take\nwarning by, the more inexcusable is your fall. It was not the number\nof angels that fell, that could keep them from being devils and damned\nfor their sin: God will do justice on many as well as on one. The sin\nis the greater, and therefore the punishment shall not be the less.\nMake the case your own: will you think it a good reason for any one to\nabuse you, beat you, rob you, because that many have done so before?\nHe should rather think, that you are abused too much already, and\ntherefore he should not add to your wrongs. If when many had spit in\nChrist's face or buffeted him, some one should have given him another\nspit or blow, as if he had not enough before, would you not have taken\nhim to be the worst and cruellest of them all? If you do as the most,\nyou will speed as the most.\n\n_Tempt._ XX. It is a dangerous temptation when the devil proposeth\nsome very good end, and maketh sin seem the fittest, or the necessary\nmeans to accomplish it: when he blindeth men so far as to think that\nit is necessary to their salvation, or to other men's, or to the\nwelfare of the church, or progress of the gospel, or the pleasing of\nGod, then sin will be committed without regret, and continued in\nwithout repentance; on this account it is that heresy, and\nwill-worship, and superstition are kept up: Col. ii. 18, 21-23,\n\"Having a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and neglecting\nthe body.\" It is for God that much of the wickedness of the world is\ndone against God: it is for the church and truth that papists have\nmurdered and persecuted so many.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Remember that God needeth no sinful means to attain his\nends: he will not be beholden to the devil to do his work; he would\nnot have forbad it, if he would have had you done it. He is never at\nsuch a loss, but he can find right means enough to perform his work\nby: it is a great part of our wisdom which our salvation lieth on, to\nchoose and use right means, when we are resolved on a right end. It is\na horrible injury against God to entitle him to sin, and make it seem\nnecessary to his ends and honour. Good ends will not justify evil\nactions. What sin so odious that hath not had good ends pretended for\nit? Even Christ was murdered as a malefactor for good ends, at least\npretended, even to vindicate God's honour from blasphemy, and C\u00e6sar\nfrom injury, and the nation from calamity. And his disciples were\nkilled that God might be served by it, and pestilent troublers of the\nworld taken away, John xvi. 2; Acts xxiv. 5; xvii. 6.\n\n_Tempt._ XXI. He would make us presume because we are God's children,\nand special grace cannot be wholly lost, and we have found that once\nwe had grace, therefore we may venture as being safe.\n\n_Direct._ XXI. But many thousands shall be damned, that once thought\nthey had the truth of grace. It is a hard controversy among learned\nand godly men, whether some in a state of saving grace do not fall\nfrom it and perish; but it is past controversy, that they shall perish\nthat live and die impenitently in wilful sin. To plead truth of grace\nfor encouragement in sin, is so much against the nature and use of\ngrace, as may make you question the truth of it. You can be no surer\nthat you have true grace, than you are sure that you hate all known\nsin, and desire to be free from it. Christ teacheth you how to answer\nsuch a horrid temptation, Matt. iv. 6, 7, \"If thou be the Son of God,\ncast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge\nover thee\"--\"Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.\" Sonship, and\npromises, and truth of grace, are incongruous arguments to draw you to\nsin, and heinous aggravations of sin so committed.\n\n_Tempt._ XXII. The devil oft most dangerously imitateth the Holy Ghost,\nand comes in the shape of an angel of light: he will be for knowledge in\nthe gnostics; for unity and government in the papists; for mortification\nin the friars; for free grace and tenderness of our brethren's\nconsciences in the libertines; for peace and mutual forbearance in the\nSocinians; for zeal, self-denial, and fearlessness of men, and pretended\nrevelations and spirituality, in the quakers. He will be against heresy,\nschism, error, disobedience, hypocrisy, pretendedly, in haters and\npersecutors of holiness and reformation; and when he will seem\nreligious, he will be superstitious, and seem to outgo Christ himself.\n\n_Direct._ XXII. Keep close to Christ, that you may know his voice from\nthe voice of strangers; and get holy wisdom to try the spirits, and to\ndiscern between the things that differ: let the whole frame of truth\nand godliness be in your head and heart, that you may perceive when\nany would make a breach in any part of it. The devil setteth up no\ngood but in order to some evil. Therefore, examine whither it tendeth;\nand not only what it is, but what use he would have you make of it.\nAnd love no evil, because of any good that is pretended for it; and\ndislike or reject no good, because of any evil use that is by others\nmade of it. And whatever doctrine is brought you, try it thus: 1.\nReceive none that is against the certain nature, attributes, and\nhonour of God. 2. Nor any that is against the light or law of nature.\n3. Nor any that is against the Scripture. 4. Nor any that is against\nholiness of heart and life. 5. Nor any against charity and justice to\nmen. 6. Nor any (about matters to be ordered by men) that is against\norder; nor any against government and the peace of church and state.\n7. Nor any that is against the true unity, peace, and communion of\nsaints. 8. Nor any that is certainly inconsistent with great and\ncertain truths. Thus try the spirits, whether they be of God.\n\n_Tempt._ XXIII. The tempter usually draweth men to one extreme, under\npretence of avoiding another; causing men to be so fearful of the\ndanger on one side, as to take no heed of that on the other side.\n\n_Direct._ XXIII. Understand all your danger; and mark the latitude or\nextent of God's commands; and watch on every side: and you must know\nin what duties you are in danger of extremes and in what not. In those\nacts of the soul that are purely rational, about your ultimate end,\nyou cannot do too much; as in knowing God, and loving him, and being\nwilling and resolved to please him. But passions may possibly go too\nfar, even about God, especially fear and grief; for they may be such\nas nature cannot bear without distraction, death, or hinderance of\nduty: but few are guilty of this. But towards the creature, passions\nmay easily exceed: and in external actions towards God or man there\nmay be excess. But especially in point of judgment, it is easy to\nslide from extreme into extreme. And you must know in every duty you\ndo, and every sin which you avoid, and every truth you receive, what\nis the contrary or extreme to that particular truth, or sin, or duty;\nand keep it in your eye. If you do not thus watch, you will reel like\na drunken man from side to side, and never walk uprightly with God.\nYou will turn from prodigality to covetousness, from cruel persecution\nto libertinism, or from libertinism to persecuting cruelty; from\nhypocritical formality to hypocritical pretended spirituality, or from\nenthusiasms and faction to dead formality. But of this I have spoken\nat large, chap. v. part II. \"Direction to Students.\"\n\n_Tempt._ XXIV. On the contrary, the tempter usually pleadeth\nmoderation and prudence against a holy life, and accurate zealous\nobedience to God; and would make you believe that to be so diligent in\nduty and scrupulously afraid of sin, is to run into an extreme, and to\nbe righteous over-much, and to make religion a vexatious or\ndistracting thing, and that it is more ado than needs.\n\n_Direct._ XXIV. This I have answered so oft, that I shall here say but\nthis: that God cannot be too much loved; nor heaven too much valued,\nnor too diligently sought or obeyed; nor sin and hell be too much\navoided: nor doth any man need to fear doing too much, where he is\nsure when he hath done his best to do too little. Hearken what men say\nof this at death.\n\n_Tempt._ XXV. The tempter would persuade us that one sin is necessary\nto avoid another; and that of two evils you must choose the less, as\nif there were no other way. Thus James and John did by sinful,\nuncharitable zeal, desire to punish sin, Luke ix. 54. Peter would\nsinfully fight against the sinful Jews, Matt. xxvi. 52. Thus he bids\nmen lie, to avoid some dishonour to God and religion; and persecute,\nto preserve the unity of the church, and keep out sin; and commit a\nlesser sin themselves to escape a greater.\n\n_Direct._ XXV. This is to abuse God, as if he had made that necessary\nwhich he forbids, and had not provided you lawful means enough to use\nagainst every sin. This is wilfully to do that which you pretend you\nare unwilling to do, even to sin. Of two evils avoid both, but be sure\nyou consent to neither.\n\n_Tempt._ XXVI. He pleadeth christian liberty to entice to sin,\nespecially to sensuality. Hath not Christ purchased you liberty to use\nthe creatures? all things are yours. No men but the godly have just\ntitle to them.\n\n_Direct._ XXVI. He never purchased us liberty to abuse the creature,\nas poison to hurt ourselves; to hinder mortification, and strengthen\nour enemy, and our snare, and to steal away our hearts from God. It is\na liberty from sin, and not a liberty to sin, that Christ hath\npurchased us.\n\n_Tempt._ XXVII. He pleadeth the necessity of wife, children, estate,\nlife, &c. Necessity makes it lawful.\n\n_Direct._ XXVII. There is no necessity of sinning. He cannot be\nChrist's disciple, that thinks it more necessary to save his life, or\nprovide for wife and children, than to obey his Lord, Luke xiv. 26,\n33. God must be trusted with these.\n\n_Tempt._ XXVIII. But, saith the tempter, it is natural to lust, to\nlove honour, ease, pleasure, &c.; therefore it is no sin.\n\n_Direct._ XXVIII. Nature is corrupted and sinful; and it is natural to\nyou to be rational, and to rule your sense and appetite by reason, and\nnot to do what lust or appetite desireth. Else man is but a beast.\n\n_Tempt._ XXIX. But, saith the tempter, authority commandeth it; it is\nyour parent's or master's will, and you must obey.\n\n_Direct._ XXIX. There is no power, but from God; therefore none against\nhim or above him. They must be obeyed in all things lawful, but not in\nsin. They cannot save you nor themselves from the wrath of God.\n\n_Tempt._ XXX. But, saith the tempter, you have promised or vowed that\nyou will do it, and are not at liberty.\n\n_Direct._ XXX. The vow of a lawful thing must be kept; but if you vow\nto sin, it is another sin to perform it, and to wrong God or man\nbecause you have vowed to wrong him.\n\n_Tempt._ XXXI. But, saith the tempter, it is a controversy, and many\nlearned and good men think it is no sin.\n\n_Direct._ XXXI. You have the more reason to be fearful and cautelous,\nwhen you see that the case is so obscure, and the snare so subtle, and\nare sure that many learned and good men on one side or other are\ndeceived before you. Remember God is your King and Judge; who will not\ntake it for an excuse for sin, that learned or good men did it, or\ndefended it. Consult not with flesh and blood, but with God.\n\n_Tempt._ XXXII. But, saith the tempter, will you be singular, and be\npointed or hooted at by all.\n\n_Direct._ XXXII. In doctrine I will not be singular from the holy\ncatholic church of God; in worship I will not in singularity or schism\nseparate from the communion of saints: but in doctrine I will be\nsingular from infidels and heretics; and in a holy life I will be\nsingular from the ungodly, and profane, and sensual; lest if I do as\nthey, to avoid their scorns, I speed as they.\n\n_Tempt._ XXXIII. But you are weak, and you cannot help it, till God\nwill give you grace to do it.\n\n_Direct._ XXXIII. Therefore I must not be wilful, and negligent, and\nrash, and do that evil which I may forbear, nor resist and refuse that\ngrace, and help, and mercy without which I can do nothing.\n\n_Tempt._ XXXIV. But you repent, and ask God forgiveness through\nChrist, every night, for the sins of the day.\n\n_Direct._ XXXIV. Repenting is a sorrowful turning of the heart from\nsin to God. You repent not if you turn not. To mock God with such\nhypocritical praying and repenting is itself a heinous sin. Will you\ntake it for repenting, if a man that spits in your face and beateth\nyou, shall do it every day, and ask you forgiveness at night, and\npurpose to do it still, because he asked forgiveness.\n\n_Tempt._ XXXV. But every man sinneth daily: you do but as the best men\nin the world do.\n\n_Direct._ XXXV. No true christian that is justified hath any sin but\nwhat he hateth more than loveth, and would fain be rid of, and\nstriveth against in the use of holy means. He hath no beloved sin\nwhich he would not part with, but had rather keep than leave.\n\n_Tempt._ XXXVI. But those that seem strict and godly are hypocrites,\nand secretly as bad as you.\n\n_Direct._ XXXVI. This is just like the devil, the accuser of those\nthat are sanctified and justified by Christ, the father of malice and\nlies; to charge that on them, which he confesseth is secret and he\ncannot prove. So he said of Job, that if he were touched in his estate\nor body, he would forsake his godliness; but he was found a liar. But\nbe it how it will, I am sure I must be holy or I shall not see God,\nand if \"I live after the flesh I shall die,\" Heb. xii. 14; Rom. viii.\n9, 13; and other men's misery will be no ease to me.\n\n_Tempt._ XXXVII. But, saith the tempter, if you will not sin, come but\nnear it, and do that which is lawful.\n\n_Direct._ XXXVII. Indeed we must not run into a contrary extreme,\nunder pretence of flying far enough from sin; but if you keep out of\nother sin, you cannot go too far from any. To be near sin, is to be\nnear God's wrath, and near that which tendeth to hell fire. And to\ncome near it is the common way of coming to it. He that could wish he\nmight do it, is infected at the heart already. Keep a tender\nconscience, and a constant sense of the danger of sinning.\n\n_Tempt._ XXXVIII. It is a great snare, when sin is got into credit, 1.\nBy putting fair names upon it, calling luxury and gluttony keeping a\ngood house, and a good table; tippling is called drinking a cup with a\nfriend; lust and filthiness are called love; worldliness is called\nthriftiness and good husbandry; idleness and loss of time are called\nthe leisure of a gentleman; slothfulness is called a not being too\nworldly; time-wasting sports are called recreations; pride is called\ndecency and handsomeness; proud revenge is called honour and\ngallantry; Romish cruelty, and persecution, and wasting the church,\nare called keeping up order, obedience, and unity; disobedience to\nsuperiors is called not fearing man; church divisions are called\nstrictness and zeal. 2. Especially if a sin be not in disgrace among\nthe stricter sort, it greatly prepareth men to commit it: as breaking\nthe Lord's day, beyond sea, in many reformed churches: and at home,\nspiritual pride, censoriousness, backbiting, disobedience, and church\ndivisions are not in half that disgrace among many professors of\nstrictness, as they deserve, and as swearing, &c. are.\n\n_Direct._ XXXVIII. Remember, that whatever be the name or cloak, God\njudgeth righteously, according to the truth; names may deceive us, but\nnot our Judge. And sin is still in disgrace with God, however it be\nwith men. Remember, the comelier the paint and cover are, the greater\nis the danger, and the more watchful and cautelous we should be. It is\nnot imperfect man, but the perfect law of God, which must be our rule.\nThe great success of this temptation should deter us from entertaining\nit. What abundance of mischief hath it done in the world!\n\n_Tempt._ XXXIX. Sometimes, the devil tempteth men to some heinous sin,\nthat, if he prevail not, at least he may draw them into a less. As\ncheating charterers will ask twice the price of their commodity, that,\nby abating much, they may make you willing to give too much. He that\nwould get a little, must ask a great deal. He will tempt you to\ndrunkenness, and if he draw you but to tippling or time-wasting, he\nhath got something. If he tempt you to fornication, and he get you\nbut to some filthy thoughts, or immodest, lascivious talk or actions,\nhe hath done much of that which he intended. If he tempt you to some\nhorrid cruelty, and you yield but to some less degree, or to some\nunjust or uncharitable censures, you think you have conquered, when it\nis he that conquereth.\n\n_Direct._ XXXIX. Remember, that the least degree of sin is sin, and\n\"death the wages of it,\" Rom. vi. 23. Think not that you have escaped\nwell, if your hearts have taken any of the infection, or if you have\nbeen wounded any where, though it might have been worse. If the tempter\nhad tempted you no further but to a lustful, malicious, or proud thought\nor word, you would perceive that if he prevail, he conquereth: so may\nyou when he getteth this much, by a shameless asking more.\n\n_Tempt._ XL. He tempteth us sometimes, to be so fearful and careful\nagainst one sin, or about some one danger, as to be mindless of some\nother, and lie open to his temptation. Like a fencer, that will seem\nto aim all at one place, that he may strike you in another while you\nare guarding that. Or like an enemy, that giveth all the alarm at one\nend of the city, that he may draw the people thither, while he\nstormeth in another place. So Satan makes some so afraid of\nworldliness, that they watch not against idleness; or so fearful of\nhardheartedness, and deadness, and hypocrisy, that they watch not\nagainst passion, neglect of their callings, or dejectedness; or so\nfearful of sinning or being deceived about their salvation, that they\nfear not the want of love, and joy, and thankfulness for all the mercy\nthey have received, nor the neglect of holy praise to God.\n\n_Direct._ XL. Remember, that as obedience must be entire and universal,\nso is Satan's temptation against all parts of our obedience; and our\ncare must extend to all if we will escape. It would cure your inordinate\nfear in some one point, if you extended it to all the rest.\n\n_Tempt._ XLI. Sometimes, by the suddenness of a temptation, he\nsurpriseth men before they are aware.\n\n_Direct._ XLI. Be never unarmed nor from your watch; especially as to\nthoughts, or sudden passions, or rash words, which are used to be\ncommitted for want of deliberation.\n\n_Tempt._ XLII. Sometimes, he useth a violent earnestness, especially\nwhen he getteth passion on his side. So that reason is borne down; and\nthe sinner saith, I could not forbear.\n\n_Direct._ XLII. But remember, that the very eager unruliness of your\npassion is a sin itself: and that none can compel you to sin: and that\nreason must deliberate and rule; or else any murder or wickedness may\nhave the excuse of urgent passions.\n\n_Tempt._ XLIII. Sometimes he useth the violence of men: they threaten\nmen, to frighten them into sin.\n\n_Direct._ XLIII. But are not God and his threatenings more to be\nfeared? Do men threaten imprisonment, or death, or ruin? And doth not\nGod threaten everlasting misery? And can he not defend you from all\nthat man shall threaten, if it be best for you? See the portion of the\nfearful, Rev. xxi. 8.\n\n_Tempt._ XLIV. Sometimes variety of temptations distracteth men, that\nthey do not look to all at once.\n\n_Direct._ XLIV. Remember, that one part of the city unguarded, may\nlose the whole in a general assault.\n\n_Tempt._ XLV. Sometimes he ceaseth, to make us secure, and lay by our\narms, and then surpriseth us.\n\n_Direct._ XLV. Take heed of security, and Satan's ambushments.\nDistinguish between cessation and conquest. You conquer not every time\nthat you have rest and quietness from temptation. Till the sin be\nhated, and the contrary grace or duty in practice, you have not at all\novercome: and when that is done, yet trust not the devil or the flesh;\nnor think the war will be shorter than your lives, for one assault\nwill begin where the former ended. Make use of every cessation but to\nprepare for the next encounter.\n\n_Tempt._ XLVI. He will tempt you to take striving for overcoming; and\nto think, because you pray and make some resistance, that sin is\nconquered; and because your desires are good, all is well.\n\n_Direct._ XLVI. But all that fight do not overcome. \"If a man strive for\nmasteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully,\" 1 Tim. ii.\n5. \"Many will seek to enter and shall not be able,\" Luke xiii. 24.\n\n_Tempt._ XLVII. He followeth the sinner with frequency and\nimportunity, till he weary him, and make him yield.\n\n_Direct._ XLVII. 1. Remember that Christ is as importunate with thee\nto save thee, as the devil can be to damn thee; and which then should\nprevail? 2. Be you as constant in resistance; be as oft in prayer and\nother confirming means. Do as Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 7, 8, who prayed\nthrice, (as Christ did in his agony,) when the prick in the flesh was\nnot removed. 3. Tempt not the tempter, by giving him encouragement. A\nfaint denial is an invitation to ask again. Give him quickly a flat\ndenial, and put him out of hope, if you would shorten the temptation.\n\n_Tempt._ XLVIII. Lastly, the devil would sink the sinner in despair,\nand persuade him now it is too late.\n\n_Direct._ XLVIII. Observe his design, that it is but to take off that\nhope which is the weight to set the wheels of the soul a going. In all\nhe is against God and you. In other sins he is against God's\nauthority: in this he is against his love and mercy. Read the gospel,\nand you will find that Christ's death is sufficient; the promise is\nuniversal, full, and free; and that the day of grace is so far\ncontinued till the day of death, and no man shall be denied it that\ntruly desireth it. And that the same God that forbiddeth thy\npresumption, forbiddeth also thy despair.\n\n\n                _Temptations to draw us off from Duty._\n\n_Tempt._ I. The greatest temptation against duty is, by persuading men\nthat it is no duty. Thus in our days we have seen almost all duty cast\noff by this erroneous fancy. One saith, That the holy observation of\nthe Lord's day is not commanded of God in Scripture. Another saith,\nWhat Scripture have you for family prayer, or singing psalms, or\nbaptizing infants, or praying before and after sermon, or for your\noffice, ordination, tithes, churches, &c. Another saith, That church\ngovernment and discipline are not of divine institution. Another\nsaith, That baptism and the Lord's supper were but for that age. And\nthus all duty is taken down, instead of doing it.\n\n_Direct._ I. Read and fear, Matt. v. 19, \"Whosoever shall break one of\nthese least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called\nthe least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach\nthem, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.\"\nDenying duty is too easy a way of evading obedience to serve turn.\nDenying the laws that bind you to public payments will not save you\nfrom them; but for all that, if you deny, you must be distrained on.\nAnd God will make it dearer to you, if you put him to distrain on you\nfor duty. Must he go to law with you for it? He will quickly show you\nlaw for it, and prove that it was your duty. Open your doubts to able\nmen, and you will hear more evidence than you know; but if pride and\nfalse-heartedness blind you, you must bear your punishment.\n\n_Tempt._ II. Saith the tempter, It is a duty to weak ones, but not for\nyou: you must not be still under ordinances, in the lower form: every\nday must be a sabbath to you, and every bit a sacrament, and every\nplace as a church: you must live above ordinances in Christ.\n\n_Direct._ II. We must live above Mosaical ordinances, Col. ii. 18, 21;\nbut not above Christ's ordinances: unless you will live above\nobedience and above the government of Christ.[109] Hath not Christ\nappointed the ministry, and church helps, \"till we all come to a\nperfect man?\" Eph. iv. 13; and promised to \"be with them to the end of\nthe world?\" Matt. xxviii. 20. It is befooling pride that can make you\nthink you have no need of Christ's instituted means.\n\n_Tempt._ III. But thou art unworthy to pray or receive the sacrament:\nit is not for dogs.\n\n_Direct._ III. The wilful, impenitent refusers of grace, are unworthy.\nThe willing soul, that fain would be what God would have him, hath an\naccepted worthiness in Christ.\n\n_Tempt._ IV. But while you doubt, you do it not in faith; and\ntherefore to you it is sin.\n\n_Direct._ IV. But is it not a greater sin to leave it undone? Will\ndoubting of all duty excuse you from it? Then you have an easy way to be\nfree from all! Do but doubt whether you should believe in God, or\nChrist, or love him, or live a godly life, and it seems you think it\nwill excuse you. But if you doubt whether you should feed your child,\nyou deserve to be hanged for murdering it, if you famish it. If you\ndoubt of duty, it is duty still, and you are first bound to lay by your\ndoubts. But things indifferent, left to your choice, must not be done\nwith a doubting conscience: it was of such things that Paul spake.\n\n_Tempt._ V. The devil puts somewhat still in the way, that seemeth\nnecessary, to thrust out duty.\n\n_Direct._ V. God hath not set you work which he alloweth you no time\nfor. Is all your time spent in better things? Is it not your carnal\nmind that makes you think carnal things most needful? Christ saith,\n\"One thing is needful,\" Luke x. 42. \"Seek first the kingdom of God and\nhis righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you,\" Matt.\nvi. 33. Had you that love and delight in holiness as you should, you\nwould find time for it. An unwelcome guest is put off with any excuse.\nOthers, as poor as you, can find time for duty, because they are\nwilling. Set your business in order, and let every thing keep its\nproper place, and you may have time for every duty.\n\n_Tempt._ VI. But you are so unable and unskilful to pray, to learn,\nthat it is as good never meddle with it.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Set yourselves to learn, and mark those that have skill;\nand do what you can. You must learn by practice. The unskilfullest\nduty is better than none. Unworded groans come oft from the Spirit of\nGod, and God understandeth and accepteth them, Rom. viii. 26, 27.\n\n_Tempt._ VII. It will be so hard and long to learn, that you will\nnever overcome it.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Willingness and diligence have the promise of God's help.\nRemember, it is a thing that must be done. When your own disuse and sin\nhath made it hard, will you put God and your souls off with that as an\nexcuse? If you had neglected to teach your child to speak or go when it\nis young, should he therefore never learn? Will you despair, and let go\nall your hope on this pretence? or will you hope to be saved without\nprayer and other holy duty? How foolish are both these! Sick men must\neat, though their stomachs be against it; they cannot live else.\n\n_Tempt._ VIII. But thou findest thou art but the worse for duty, and\nnever the better for it.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Satan will do what he can to make it go worse with you\nafter than before. He will discourage you if he can, by hindering your\nsuccess, that he may make you think it is to no purpose: so, many\npreachers, because they have fished long and catched nothing, grow\ncold and heartless, and ready to sit down and say, as Jer. xx. 9, \"I\nwill not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name.\" So in\nprayer, sacrament, reproof, &c. the devil makes great use of this,\nWhat good hath it done thee? But patience and perseverance win the\ncrown. The beginning is seldom a time to perceive success: the\ncarpenter is long at work before he rear a house; nature brings not\nforth the plant or birth the first day. Your life-time is your working\ntime. Do your part, and God will not fail on his part. It is his part\nto give success; and dare you accuse him, or suspect him? There is\nmore of the success of prayer to be believed than to be felt. If God\nhave promised to hear he doth hear, and we must believe it whether we\nfeel it or not. Prayers are often heard long before the thing is sent\nus that we prayed for: we pray for heaven, but shall not be there till\ndeath. If Moses's message to Pharaoh ten times seem lost, it is not\nlost for all that. What work would ever have been done, if on the\nfirst conceit of unsuccessfulness it had been given off? Be glad that\nthou hast time to plough and sow, to do thy part, and if God will give\nthee fruit at last.\n\n_Tempt._ IX. But, saith the tempter, it goeth worse with thee in the\nworld, since thou settest thyself to read, and pray, and live\nobediently; thou hast been poorer, and sicker, and more despised\nsince, than ever before: Jer. xx. 8, Thou art \"a derision daily, every\none mocketh thee.\" This thou gettest by it.\n\n_Direct._ IX. He began not well, that counted not that it might cost\nhim more than this to be a holy christian. If God in heaven be not\nenough to be thy portion, never serve him, but find something better\nif thou canst. He that cannot lose the world cannot use it as he\nought. If thou hadst rather be at the devil's finding and usage than\nat God's, thou art worthy to speed accordingly. Nay, if thou think thy\nsoul itself worse, remember that we are not worst when we are troubled\nmost: physic makes sick, when it works aright.\n\n_Tempt._ X. Satan filleth many with abundance of scruples about every\nduty, that they come to it as sick persons to their meat, with a\npeevish, quarrelling disposition. This aileth, and that aileth it;\nsomething is still amiss, that they cannot get it down; this fault the\nminister hath in praying or preaching; or the other circumstance is\namiss, or the other fault is in the company that join with them: and\nall is to turn them off from all.\n\n_Direct._ X. But do you mend the matter by casting off all, or by\nrunning into greater inconveniences? Is not their imperfect prayer and\ncommunion better than your idle neglect of all, or unwarrantable\ndivision? It is a sign of an upright heart to be most about\nheart-observation, and quarrelsome with themselves; and the mark of\nhypocrites to be most quarrelsome against the manner of other men's\nperformances, and to be easily driven by any pretences from the\nworship of God and communion of saints.\n\n_Tempt._ XI. The devil will set one duty against another: reading\nagainst hearing; praying against preaching; private against public;\noutward and inward worship against each other; mercy and justice, piety\nand charity, against each other; and still labour to eject the greater.\n\n_Direct._ XI. The work of God is an harmonious and well-composed\nframe: if you leave out a part you spoil the whole, and disadvantage\nyourselves in all the rest; place them aright, and each part helpeth\nand not hindereth another; plead one for another, but cast by none.\n\n_Tempt._ XII. The commonest and sorest temptation is by taking away\nour appetite to holy duties, by abating our feeling of our own\nnecessity: when the soul is sleepy and feeleth no need of prayer, or\nreading, or hearing, or meditating, but thinks itself tolerably well\nwithout it; or else grows sick and is against it, and troubled to use\nit; so that every duty is like eating to a sick stomach, then it is\neasy to tempt it to neglect or omit many a duty: a little thing will\nserve to put it by, when men feel no need of it.\n\n_Direct._ XII. O keep up a lively sense of your necessities: remember\nstill that time is short, and death is near, and you are too unready.\nKeep acquaintance with your hearts and lives, and every day will tell\nyou of your necessities, which are greatest when they are least\nperceived.\n\n_Tempt._ XIII. The tempter gets much by ascribing the success of holy\nmeans to our own endeavour, or to chance, or something else, and\nmaking us overlook that present benefit, which would greatly encourage\nus: as when we are delivered from sickness or danger upon prayer, he\ntells you so you might have been delivered if you had never prayed.\nWas it not by the physician's care and skill, and by such an excellent\nmedicine? If you prosper in any business, Was it not by your own\ncontrivance and diligence?\n\n_Direct._ XIII. This separating God and means, when God worketh by\nmeans, is the folly of atheists. When God heareth thy prayer in\nsickness or other danger, he showeth it by directing the physician or\nthyself to the fittest means, and blessing that means; and he is as\nreally the cause, and prayer the first means, as if he wrought thy\ndeliverance by a miracle. Do not many use the same physician, and\nmedicine, and labour, and diligence, who yet miscarry? Just\nobservation of the answers of prayer might do much to cure this. All\nour industry may say as Peter and John, Acts iii. 12, \"Why look ye so\nearnestly on us, as if by our own power or holiness we had done this?\"\nwhen God is glorifying his grace, and owning his appointed means.\n\n_Tempt._ XIV. Lastly, the devil setteth up something else in\nopposition to holy duty, to make it seem unnecessary. In some he sets\nup their good desires, and saith, God knoweth thy heart without\nexpressing it; and thou mayst have as good a heart at home as at\nchurch. In some he sets up superstitious fopperies of man's devising,\ninstead of God's institution. In some he pretendeth the Spirit against\nexternal duty, and saith, The Spirit is all; the flesh profiteth\nnothing. Yea, in some he sets up Christ himself against Christ's\nordinances, and saith, It is not these, but Christ, that profits you.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. This is distracted contradiction: to set Christ against\nChrist, and the Spirit against the ordinances of the Spirit. Is it not\nChrist and the Spirit that appointed them? Doth he not best know in\nwhat way he will give his grace? Can you not preserve the soul and\nlife, without killing the body? Cannot you have the water, and value\nthe cistern or spring, without cutting off the pipes that must convey\nit? O wonderful! that Satan could make men so mad, as this reasoning\nhath showed us that many are in our days. And to set up superstition\nor pretend a good heart against God's worship, is to accuse him that\nappointed it of doing he knew not what, and to think that we are wiser\nthan he! and to show a good heart by disobedience, pride, contempt of\nGod and of his mercies!\n\n\n          _Temptations to frustrate holy Duties, and make them\n                             ineffectual._\n\nThe devil is exceeding diligent in this: 1. That he may make the soul\ndespair, and say, Now I have used all means in vain, there is no hope.\n2. To double the sinner's misery by turning the very remedy into a\ndisease. 3. To show his malice against Christ, and say, I have turned\nthy own means to thy dishonour.\n\nConsider, therefore, how greatly we are concerned to do the work of\nGod effectually. Means well used are the way to more grace, to\ncommunion with God, and to salvation; but ill used, they dishonour and\nprovoke him, and destroy ourselves, like children that cut their\nfingers with the knife, when they should cut their meat with it.\n\n_Tempt._ I. Duty is frustrated by false ends: as, 1. To procure God to\nbear with them in their sin (whereas it is the use of duty to destroy\nsin). 2. To make God satisfaction for sin (which is the work of\nChrist). 3. To merit grace (when the imperfection merits wrath). 4. To\nprosper in the world and escape affliction, Jam. iv. 3 (and so they\nare but serving their flesh, and desiring God to serve it). 5. To\nquiet conscience in a course of sin (by sinning more in offering the\nsacrifice of fools, Eccles. v. 1, 2). 6. To be approved of men (and\nverily they have their reward, Matt. vi. 5). 7. To be saved when they\ncan keep the world and sin no longer (that is, to obtain that the\ngospel may all be false and God unjust).\n\n_Direct._ I. First see that the heart be honest, and God, and heaven,\nand holiness most desired, else all that you do will want right ends.\n\n_Tempt._ II. When ignorance or error make men take God for what he is\nnot, thinking blasphemously of him, as if he were like them, and liked\ntheir sins, or were no lover of holiness, they frustrate all their\nworship of him.\n\n_Direct._ II. Study God in his Son, in his word, in his saints, in his\nworks: know him as described before, chap. iii. direct. iv. And see\nthat your wicked corrupted hearts, or wilful forgetting him, blind not\nyour understandings.\n\n_Tempt._ III. To come to God in ourselves and out of Christ, and use\nhis name but customarily, and not in faith and confidence.\n\n_Direct._ III. Know well your sin, and vileness, and desert, and the\njustice and holiness of God; and then you will see that if Christ\nreconcile you not, and justify you not by his blood, and do not sanctify\nand help you by his Spirit, and make you sons of God, and intercede not\nfor you, there is no access to God, nor standing in his sight.\n\n_Tempt._ IV. The tempter would have you pray hypocritically, with the\ntongue only, without the heart: to put off God in a few customary\nwords, with seeming to pray (as they do the poor, James ii. with a few\nempty words) either in a form of words not understood, or not\nconsidered, or not felt and much regarded; or in more gross hypocrisy,\npraying for the holiness which they will not have, and against the sin\nwhich they will not part with.\n\n_Direct._ IV. O fear the holy, jealous, heart-searching God, that\nhateth hypocrisy, and will be worshipped seriously in spirit and\ntruth, and will be sanctified of all that draw near him, Lev. x. 3;\nand saith, they \"worship him in vain, that draw nigh him with the\nlips, when the heart is far from him,\" Matt. xv. 8, 9. See God by\nfaith, as present with thee, and know thyself, and it will awaken thee\nto seriousness. See Heb. iv. 13; Hos. viii. 12, 13.\n\n_Tempt._ V. He would destroy faith and hope, and make you doubt\nwhether you shall get any thing by duty.\n\n_Direct._ V. But, 1. Why should God command it, and promise us his\nblessing if he meant not to perform it? 2. Remember God's\ninfiniteness, and omnipresence, and all-sufficiency: he is as verily\nwith thee, as thou art there: he upholdeth thee: he showeth by his\nmercies, that he regardeth thee; and by his regarding lower things:\nand if he regard thee, he doth regard thy duties. It is all one with\nhim to hear thy prayers, as if he had never another creature to regard\nand hear. Believe then, and hope and wait upon him.\n\n_Tempt._ VI. Sometimes the tempter will promise you more by holy duty,\nthan God doth, and make you expect deliverance from every enemy, want,\nand sickness, and speedier deliverance of soul, than ever God\npromised; and all this is, to make you cast away all as vain, and\nthink God faileth you, when you miss your expectations.\n\n_Direct._ VI. But God will do all that he promiseth, but not all that\nthe devil or yourselves promise. See what God promiseth in his word.\nThat is enough for you. Make that and no more the end of duties.\n\n_Tempt._ VII. The tempter usually would draw you from the heart and\nlife of duty, by too much ascribing to the outside: laying too much on\nthe bare doing of the work, the giving of the alms, the hearing of the\nsermons, the saying the words, the handsome expression, order, manner;\nwhich in their places are all good, if animated with spirit, life, and\nseriousness.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Look most and first to the soul in duty, and the soul of\nduty. The picture of meat feedeth not; the picture of fire warmeth not;\nfire and shadows will not nourish us: God loveth not dead carcasses\ninstead of spiritual worship: we regard not words ourselves, further\nthan they express the heart. Let the outer part have but its due.\n\n_Tempt._ VIII. He tempteth you to rest in a forced, affected,\ncounterfeit fervency, stirred up by a desire to take with others.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Look principally at God and holy motives, and less at\nmen, that all your fire be holy, fetched from heaven.\n\n_Tempt._ IX. He would keep you in a lazy, sluggish coldness, to read,\nand hear, and pray as asleep, as if you did it not.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Awake yourselves with the presence of God, and the great\nconcernment of what you are about, and yield not to your sloth.\n\n_Tempt._ X. He would make you bring a divided, distracted heart to\nduty, that is half about your worldly business.\n\n_Direct._ X. Remember God is jealous, your business with him is great,\nmuch lieth on it; call off your hearts, and let them not stay behind:\nall the powers of your souls are little enough in such a work, Ezek.\nxxxiii. 31.\n\n_Tempt._ XI. Ignorance, unskilfulness, and unacquaintedness with duty,\nis a great impediment to most.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Learn by study joined with practice. Be not weary, and\ndifficulties will be overcome.\n\n_Tempt._ XII. Putting duty out of its place, and neglecting the season\nthat is fittest, makes it oft done slightly.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Redeem time, and despatch other business, that idleness\ndeprive you not of leisure; and do all in order.\n\n_Tempt._ XIII. Neglecting one duty is the tempter's snare to spoil\nanother. If he can keep you from reading, you will not understand well\nwhat you hear. If he keep you from meditating, you will not digest what\nyou hear or read. If he keep you from hearing, you will want both matter\nand life for prayer, and meditation, and conference. If he keep you from\ngodly company, you will be hindered in all, and in the practice: no one\nis omitted, but you are disadvantaged by it in all the rest.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Observe how one duty helpeth another, and take all\ntogether each one in its place.\n\n_Tempt._ XIV. Sometimes the tempter doth call you off to other duty,\nand puts in unseasonable motions to that which in its time is good; he\ninterrupts prayer by meditation, he sets seeming truth against love,\nand peace, and concord.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Still know which duties are greatest, and which is the\ndue season for each, and do all in order.\n\n_Tempt._ XV. He spoileth duty, by causing you to do it only as a duty,\nand not as a means for the good of your own souls; or only as a means,\nand not as a duty. If you do it only as duty, then you will not be\nquickened to it by the ends and benefits, nor carried by hope, nor fit\nall to the end, nor be so fervent or vigorous in it, as the sense of\nyour own good would make you be. And if you do it only as a means, and\nnot as a duty, then you will give over or faint, when you want or\nquestion the success: whereas, the sense of both would make you\nvigorous and constant.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Keep under the sense of God's authority, that you may\nfeel yourselves bound to obey him, whatever be the success; and may\nresolve to wait in an obedient way. And withal, admire his wisdom in\nfitting all duties to your benefit, and commanding you nothing but\nwhat is for your own or others' good, or to his honour: and mark the\nreason and tendency of all, and your own necessity.\n\n_Tempt._ XVI. The tempter hindereth you in duty, as well as from duty,\nby setting you a quarrelling with the minister, the words, the company,\nthe manner, the circumstances; that these things may divert your\nthoughts from the matter, or distract your mind with causeless scruples.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Pray and labour for a clear judgment, and an upright,\nself-judging, humble heart, which dwelleth most at home, and looketh\nmost at the spiritual part, and affecteth not singularity.\n\n_Tempt._ XVII. The tempter spoileth duty by your inconstancy; while\nyou read or pray so seldom, that you have lost the benefit of one\nduty, before you come to another, and cool by intermissions.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Remember that it is not your divertisement, but your\ncalling, and is to your soul as eating to your bodies.\n\n_Tempt._ XVIII. Sometimes Satan corrupteth duty by men's private\npassions, interest, and opinions, making men, in preaching and\npraying, to vent their own conceits and spleen, and inveigh against\nthose that differ from them, or offend them, and profane the name and\nwork of God; or proudly to seek the praise of men.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Remember that God is most jealous in his worship, and\nhateth hypocritical profaneness above all profaneness. Search your\nhearts, and mortify your passions; and especially selfishness,\nremembering that it is a poisonous and insinuating sin, and will\neasily hide itself with a cloak of zeal.\n\n_Tempt._ XIX. False-hearted reservedness is a most accursed corrupter\nof holy duty; when the soul is not wholly given up to God, but sets\nupon duty from some common motive; as, because it is in credit, or to\nplease some friend, purposing to try it awhile, and leave it if they\nlike it not.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Fear God, thou hypocrite, and halt not between two\nopinions. If the Lord be God, obey and serve him with all thy heart;\nbut if the devil and the flesh be better masters, follow them, and let\nhim go.\n\n_Tempt._ XX. Lastly, The tempter hindereth holy duty much, by\nwandering thoughts, and melancholy perplexities, and a hurry of\ntemptations, which torment and distract some christians, so that they\ncry out, I cannot pray, I cannot meditate; and are weary of duty, and\neven of their lives.\n\n_Direct._ XX. This showeth the malice of the tempter, and thy\nweakness; but, if thou hadst rather be delivered from it, it hindereth\nnot thy acceptance with God. Read for this, what I have said chap. v.\npart 2. at large; especially in my Directions to the Melancholy.\n\nI have been forced to put off many things briefly here, which deserved\na larger handling; and I must now omit the discovery of those\ntemptations, by which Satan keepeth men in sin, when he hath drawn\nthem into it. 2. And those by which he causeth declining in grace, and\napostasy. 3. And those by which he discomforteth true believers;\nbecause else this direction would swell to a treatise; and most will\nthink it too long and tedious already, though the brevity which I use,\nto avoid prolixity, doth wrong the matter through the whole.\nAcquaintance with temptations is needful to our overcoming them.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Sidenote: For serving Christ our Master in good works.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ X. Your lives must be laid out in doing God service,\nand doing all the good you can, in works of piety, justice, and\ncharity, with prudence, fidelity, industry, zeal, and delight;\nremembering that you are engaged to God, as servants to their lord and\nmaster; and are intrusted with his talents, of the improvement whereof\nyou must give account.\n\nThe next relation between Christ and us, which we are to speak of,\n(subordinate to that of King and subjects,) is this of Master and\nservants. Though Christ saith to the apostles, John xv. 15,\n\"Henceforth I call you not servants, but friends;\" the meaning is not\nthat he calleth them not servants at all, but not mere servants, they\nbeing more than servants, having such acquaintance with his counsels\nas his friends. For he presently, verse 20, bids them \"Remember that\nthe servant is not greater than his lord.\" And John xiii. 13, \"Ye call\nme Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.\" And Matt. xxiii. 8,\n\"One is your Master, Christ; and all ye are brethren:\" so ver. 10. And\nthe apostles called themselves the \"servants of Jesus Christ,\" Rom. i.\n1; and 1 Cor. iv. 1; Phil. i. 1: and \"of God,\" Tit. i. 1, &c.\n\n[Sidenote: What it is to be Christ's servants.]\n\nHe is called our Master, and we his servants, because he is our\nRector, _ex pleno dominio_, with absolute propriety; and doth not give\nus laws to obey, while we do our own work, but giveth us his work to\ndo, and laws for the right doing of it: and it is a service under his\neye, and in dependence on him for our daily provisions, as servants on\ntheir lord. God hath work for us to do in the world; and the\nperformance of it he will require. God biddeth his sons \"Go work to\nday in my vineyard,\" Matt. xxi. 28; and expecteth that they do it,\nver. 31. His \"servants\" are as \"husbandmen,\" to whom \"he intrusteth\nhis vineyard, that he may receive the fruit,\" ver. 33, 34, 41, 43.\n\"Faithful servants shall be made rulers over his household,\" Matt.\nxxiv. 45, 46. Christ delivereth to his servants his talents to\nimprove, and will require an account of the improvement at his coming,\nMatt. xxv. 14. Good works, in the proper, comprehensive sense, are all\nactions internal and external, that are morally good; but in the\nnarrower acceptation, they are works, not only formally good, as acts\nof obedience in general, but also materially good, such as a servant\ndoth for his master, that tend to his advantage, or the profit of some\nother, whose welfare he regardeth. Because the doctrine of good works\nis controverted in these times, I shall first open it briefly, and\nthen give you the directions.\n\n1. Nothing is more certain, than that God doth not need the service of\nany creature; and that he receiveth no addition to his perfection or\nfelicity from it; and, consequently, that on terms of commutative\njustice, (which giveth one thing for another, as in selling and\nbuying,) no creature is capable of meriting at his hands.\n\n2. It is certain, that on the terms of the law of works, (which\nrequired perfect obedience as the condition of life,) no sinner can do\nany work so good, as in point of distributive, governing justice,\nshall merit at his hands.\n\n3. It is certain, that Christ hath so fulfilled the law of works, as\nto merit for us.\n\n4. The redeemed are not masterless, but have still a Lord, who hath\nnow a double right to govern them. And this Governor giveth them a\nlaw: and this law requireth us to do good works, as much as we are\nable, (though not so terribly, yet) as obligingly as the law of works:\nand by this (of Christ) we must be judged: and thus we must be judged\naccording to our works: and to be judged is nothing else but to be\njustified or condemned. Such works therefore are rewardable according\nto the distributive justice of the law of grace, by which we must be\njudged. And the ancient fathers, who (without any opposition) spoke of\ngood works as meritorious with God, meant no more, but that they were\nsuch as the righteous Judge of the world will reward according to the\nlaw of grace, by which he judgeth us. And this doctrine being agreed\non as certain truth, there is no controversy with them, but whether\nthe word merit was properly or improperly used: and that both\nScripture and our common speech alloweth the fathers' use of the word,\nI have showed at large in my \"Confession.\"\n\n5. Christ is so far from redeeming us from a necessity of good works,\nthat he died to restore us to a capacity and ability to perform them,\nand hath new-made us for that end. Tit. ii. 14, \"He gave himself for\nus, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a\npeculiar people, zealous of good works.\" Eph. ii. 10, \"For we are his\nworkmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God hath\nbefore ordained that we should walk in them.\"\n\n6. Good works opposed to Christ, or his satisfaction, merit,\nrighteousness, mercy, or free grace in the matter of justification or\nsalvation, are not good works, but proud self-confidence and sin. But\ngood works, in their due subordination to God's mercy, and Christ's\nmerits and grace, are necessary and rewardable.\n\n7. Though God need none of our works, yet that which is good\nmaterially pleaseth him, as it tendeth to his glory, and to our own\nand others' benefit, which he delighteth in.\n\n8. It is the communicating of his goodness and excellencies to the\ncreature, by which God doth glorify himself in the world; and in\nheaven, where is the fullest communication, he is most glorified.\nTherefore the praise which is given to the creature, who receiveth all\nfrom him, is his own praise. And it is no dishonour to God, that his\ncreature be honoured, by being good, and being esteemed good:\notherwise God would never have created any thing, lest it should\nderogate from himself; or he would have made them bad, lest their\ngoodness were his dishonour; and he would be most pleased with the\nwicked, and least pleased with the best, as most dishonouring him. But\nmadness itself abhorreth these conceits.\n\n9. Therefore, as an act of mercy to us, and for his own glory, (as at\nfirst he made all things very good, so) he will make the new creature\naccording to his image, which is holy, and just, and good, and will use\nus in good works; and it is our honour, and gain, and happiness to be so\nused by him. As he will not communicate light to the world without the\nsun (whose glory derogateth not from his honour); so will he not do good\nworks in the world immediately by himself only, but by his servants,\nwhose calling and daily business it must be, as that which they are made\nfor, as the sun is made to give light and heat to inferior things, Eph.\nii. 10. \"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good\nworks, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,\" Matt, v. 16. Christ\nwas far from their opinion that think all good works that are attributed\nto good men are dishonourable to God.[110]\n\n10. He is most beholden to God, that is most exercised in good works.\nThe more we do, the more we receive from him: and our very doing\nitself is our receiving; for it is he that \"giveth us both to will and\nto do,\" by his operation in us, Phil. ii. 13; even \"he, without whom\nwe can do nothing,\" John xv. 5.\n\n11. The obligation to good works, that is, to works of piety, justice,\nand charity, is essential to us as servants of the Lord. We are\npractical atheists, if we do not works of piety to God: we are rebels\nagainst God, and enemies to ourselves, and unmeet for human society, if\nwe do not the works which are good for ourselves, and for others, if we\nhave ability and opportunity. This is our fruit which God expecteth; and\nif we bear it not, he will hew us down, and cast us into the fire.\n\n12. Though doing no hurt will not serve turn, without doing good, yet\nit is not the same works that are required of all, nor in the same\ndegree, but according to every man's talent and opportunities, Matt.\nxxv. 14, 15, &c.\n\n13. God looketh not only nor principally at the external part of the\nwork, but much more to the heart of him that doth it; nor at the\nlength of time, but at the sincerity and diligence of his servants.\nAnd therefore, though he is so just, as not to deny the reward which\nwas promised them, to those that have borne the burden and heat of the\nday; yet he is so gracious and bountiful, that he will give as much to\nthose that he findeth as willing and diligent, and would have done\nmore if they had had opportunity, Matt. xx. 12-15. You see in all\nthis, what our doctrine is about good works, and how far those papists\nare to be believed, who persuade their ignorant disciples, that we\naccount them vain and needless things.\n\n\n       _Directions for faithful serving Christ, and doing good._\n\n_Direct._ I. Be sure that you have that holiness, justice, and charity\nwithin, which are the necessary principles of good works.--For \"a good\ntree will bring forth good fruit, and an evil tree evil fruit. Make\nthe tree good, and the fruit good. A good man out of the good treasure\nof his heart, bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the\nevil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth evil things.\" As out of the\nheart proceed evil works, Matt. xv. 19, 20, so out of the heart must\ngood works come, Matt. vii. 16-20. Can the dead do the works of the\nliving? or the unholy do the works of holiness? or the unrighteous do\nthe works of justice? or the uncharitable do the works of charity?\nWill he do good to Christ in his members on earth, who hateth them? Or\nwill he not rather imprison them, than visit them in prison; and\nrather strip them of all they have, than feed and clothe them? Or if a\nman should do that which materially is good, from pride, or other\nsinful principles, God doth not accept it, but taketh all sacrifice\nbut as carrion that is offered to him without the heart.\n\n_Direct._ II. Content not yourselves to do some good extraordinarily on\nthe by, or when you are urged to it; but study to do good, and make it\nthe trade or business of your lives.--Having so many obligations, and so\ngreat encouragements, do what you do with all your might. If you would\nknow whether you are servants to Christ, or to the flesh, the question\nmust be, which of these have the main care and diligence of our lives;\nfor as every carnal act will not prove you servants to the flesh, so\nevery good action will not prove you the servants of Christ.\n\n_Direct._ III. Before you do any work, consider whether you can truly\nsay, it is a service of God, and will be accepted by him. See therefore\nthat it be done, 1. To his glory, or to please him. 2. And in obedience\nto his command.--Mere natural actions, that have no moral good or evil\nin them, and so belong not to morality, these belong not to our present\nsubject; as being not the matter of rational (or at least of\nobediential) choice. Such as the winking of the eye, the setting of this\nfoot forward first, the taking of this or that meat, or drink, or\ninstrument, or company, or action, when they are equal, and it is no\nmatter of rational (or obediential) choice, &c. But every act that is to\nbe done deliberately and rationally, as matter of choice, must be\nmoralized, or made good, by doing it, 1. To a right end; and, 2.\nAccording to the rule. \"Whether we eat, or drink, or whatsoever we do,\n(that is matter of rational choice,) must be done by us to the glory of\nGod,\" 1 Cor. x. 31. All works tend not alike to his glory; but some more\nimmediately and directly, and others remotely; but all must ultimately\nhave this end. Even servants that labour in their painful work, must \"do\nit as to the Lord, and not (only, or ultimately) to men; not with\neye-service as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ,\" from whom\nthey must have their greatest reward or punishment, Eph. vi. 5-8; Col.\niii. 22-25. All the comforts of food, or rest, or recreation, or\npleasure which we take, should be intended to fit us for our Master's\nwork, or strengthen, cheer, and help us in it. Do nothing, deliberately,\nthat belongs to the government of reason, but God's service in the\nworld; which you can say, he set you on.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Set not duties of piety, justice, or charity against\neach other, as if they had an enmity to each other; but take them as\ninseparable, as God hath made them.--Think not to offer God a\nsacrifice of injury, bribery, fraud, oppression, or any uncharitable\nwork. And pretend not the benefit of men, or the safety of societies\nor kingdoms, for impiety against the Lord.[111]\n\n_Direct._ V. Acquaint yourselves with all the talents which you\nreceive from God, and what is the use to which they should be\nimproved.--Keep thus a just account of your receivings, and what goods\nof your Master's is put into your hands. And make it a principal part\nof your study, to know what every thing in your hand is good for to\nyour Master's use; and how it is that he would have you use it.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Keep an account of your expenses; at least, of all your\nmost considerable talents; and bring yourselves daily or frequently to a\nreckoning, what good you have done, or endeavoured to do. Every day is\ngiven you for some good work. Keep therefore accounts of every day (I\nmean, in your conscience, not in papers). Every mercy must be used to\nsome good: call yourselves therefore, to account for every mercy, what\nyou have done with it for your Master's use. And think not hours and\nminutes, and little mercies, may be past without coming into the\naccount. The servant that thinks he may do what he list with shillings\nand pence, and that he is only to lay out greater sums for his master's\nuse, and lesser for his own, will prove unfaithful, and come short in\nhis accounts. Less sums than pounds must be in our reckonings.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Take special heed that the common thief, your carnal\nself, either personal or in your relations, do not rob God of his\nexpected due, and devour that which he requireth.--It is not for nothing\nthat God calleth for the first-fruits. \"Honour the Lord with thy\nsubstance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy\nbarns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst forth with new\nwine,\" Prov. iii. 9, 10. So Exod. xxiii. 16, 19; xxxiv. 22, 26; Lev. ii.\n12, 14; Nehem. x. 35; Ezek. xx. 40; xliv. 30; xlviii. 14. For if carnal\nself might first be served, its devouring greediness would leave God\nnothing. Though he that hath godliness with contentment hath enough, if\nhe have but food and raiment, yet there will be but enough for\nthemselves and children, where men have many hundreds or thousands a\nyear, if once it fall into this gulf. And indeed, as he that begins with\nGod hath the promise of his bountiful supplies, so he whose flesh must\nfirst be served, doth catch such an hydropic thirst for more, that all\nwill but serve it: and the devil contriveth such necessities to these\nmen, and such uses for all they have, that they have no more to spare\nthan poorer men; and they can allow God no more but the leavings of the\nflesh, and what it can spare, which commonly is next to nothing.) Indeed\nthough holy uses in particular were satisfied with first-fruits and\nlimited parts, yet God must have all, and the flesh (inordinately or\nfinally) have none. Every penny which is laid out upon yourselves, and\nchildren, and friends, must be done as by God's own appointment, and to\nserve and please him. Watch narrowly, or else this thievish carnal self\nwill leave God nothing.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Prefer greater duties (_c\u00e6teris paribus_) before lesser;\nand labour to understand which is the greater, and to be preferred.--Not\nthat any real duty is to be neglected: but we call that by the name of\nduty which is materially good, and a duty in its season; but formally,\nindeed, it is no duty at all, when it cannot be done without the\nomission of a greater. As for a minister to be praying with his family,\nor comforting one afflicted soul, when he should be preaching publicly,\nis to do that which is a duty in its season, but at that time is his\nsin. It is an unfaithful servant that is doing some little char, when he\nshould be saving a beast from drowning, or the house from burning, or\ndoing the greater part of his work.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Prudence is exceeding necessary in doing good, that you\nmay discern good from evil, discerning the season, and measure, and\nmanner, and among divers duties, which must be preferred.--Therefore\nlabour much for wisdom, and if you want it yourself, be sure to make\nuse of theirs that have it, and ask their counsel in every great and\ndifficult case. Zeal without judgment hath not only entangled souls in\nmany heinous sins, but hath ruined churches and kingdoms, and under\npretence of exceeding others in doing good, it makes men the greatest\ninstruments of evil. There is scarce a sin so great and odious, but\nignorant zeal will make men do it as a good work. Christ told his\napostles, that those that killed them, should think they did God\nservice. And Paul bare record to the murderous, persecuting Jews,\n\"that they had a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge,\" Rom. x.\n2. The papists' murders of christians under the name of heretics, hath\nrecorded it to the world, in the blood of many hundred thousands, how\nignorant, carnal zeal will do good, and what sacrifice it will offer\nup to God.[112]\n\n_Direct._ X. In doing good, prefer the souls of men before the body,\n_c\u00e6teris paribus_. To convert a sinner from the error of his way is to\nsave a soul from death, and to cover a multitude of sins, Jam. v.\n20.--And this is greater than to give a man an alms. As cruelty to\nsouls is the most heinous cruelty, (as persecutors and soul-betraying\npastors will one day know to their remediless woe,) so mercy to souls\nis the greatest mercy. Yet sometimes mercy to the body is in that\nseason to be preferred (for every thing is excellent in its season).\nAs if a man be drowning or famishing, you must not delay the relief of\nhis body, while you are preaching to him for his conversion; but first\nrelieve him, and then you may in season afterwards instruct him. The\ngreatest duty is not always to go first in time; sometimes some lesser\nwork is a necessary preparatory to a greater; and sometimes a corporal\nbenefit may tend more to the good of souls than some spiritual work\nmay. Therefore I say still, that prudence and an honest heart are\ninstead of many directions: they will not only look at the immediate\nbenefit of a work, but to its utmost tendency and remote effects.\n\n_Direct._ XI. In doing good, prefer the good of many, especially of\nthe church or commonwealth, before the good of one or few.[113]--For\nmany are more worth than one; and many will honour God and serve him\nmore than one: and therefore both piety and charity require it. Yet\nthis also must be understood with a _c\u00e6teris paribus_; for it is\npossible some cases of exception may be found. Paul's is a high\ninstance, that \"could have wished himself accursed from Christ\" for\nthe sake of the Jews, as judging God's honour more concerned in all\nthem than in him alone.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Prefer a durable good that will extend to posterity,\nbefore a short and transitory good.--As to build an alms-house is a\ngreater work than to give an alms, and to erect a school than to teach\na scholar; so to promote the settlement of the gospel and a faithful\nministry is the greatest of all, as tending to the good of many, even\nto their everlasting good. This is the pre-eminence of good books\nbefore a transient speech, that they may be a more durable help and\nbenefit. Look before you with a judicious foresight; and as you must\nnot do that present good to a particular person, which bringeth\ngreater hurt to many; so you must not do that present good to one or\nmany, which is like to produce a greater and more lasting hurt. Such\nblind reformers have used the church, as ignorant physicians use their\npatients, who give them a little present ease, and cast them into a\ngreater misery, and seem to cure them with a dose of opium or the\nJesuit's powder, when they are bringing them into a worse disease than\nthat which they pretend to cure. Oh when shall the poor church have\nwiser and foreseeing helpers!\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Let all that you do for the church's good be sure to\ntend to holiness and peace; and do nothing under the name of a good\nwork, which hath an enmity to either of these.--For these are to the\nchurch as life and health are to the body; and the increase of its\nwelfare is nothing else but the increase of these. Whatever they\npretend, believe none that say they seek the good and welfare of the\nchurch, if they seek not the promoting of holiness and peace: if they\nhinder the powerful preaching of the gospel, and the means that\ntendeth to the saving of souls, and the serious, spiritual worshipping\nof God, and the unity and peace of all the faithful; and if they\neither divide the faithful into sects and parties, or worry all that\ndiffer from them, and humour them not in their conceits;--take all\nthese for such benefactors to the church, as the wolf is to the flock,\nand as the plague is to the city, or the fever to the body, or the\nfire in the thatch is to the house. \"The wisdom from above is first\npure, then peaceable, gentle,\" &c. \"But if ye have bitter envying and\nstrife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth: this\nwisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish;\nfor where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil\nwork,\" Jam. iii. 14-18.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. If you will do the good which God accepteth, do that\nwhich he requireth; and put not the name of good works upon your sins,\nnor upon unnecessary things of your own invention; nor think that any\ngood must be accomplished by forbidden means.--None know what pleaseth\nGod so well as himself. Our ways may be right in our own eyes, and\ncarnal wisdom may think it hath devised the fittest means to honour God,\nwhen he may abominate it, and say, Who required this at your hand? And\nif we will do good by sinning, we must do it in despite of God, who is\nengaged against our sins and us, Rom. iii. 8. God needeth not our lie to\nhis glory: if papists think to find at the last day their foppish\nceremonies, and superstition, and will-worship, their \"touch not, taste\nnot, handle not,\" to be reckoned to them as good works; or if Jesuits or\nenthusiasts think to find their perjury, treasons, rebellions, or\nconspiracies numbered with good works; or the persecuting of the\npreachers and faithful professors of godliness to be good works; how\nlamentably will they find their expectations disappointed!\n\n_Direct._ XV. Keep in the way of your place and calling, and take not\nother men's works upon you without a call, under any pretence of\ndoing good.--Magistrates must do good in the place and work of\nmagistrates; and ministers in the place and work of ministers; and\nprivate men in their private place and work; and not one man step into\nanother's place, and take his work out of his hand, and say, I can do\nit better: for if you should do it better, the disorder will do more\nharm than you did good by bettering his work. One judge must not step\ninto another's court and seat, and say I will pass more righteous\njudgment. You must not go into another man's school, and say, I can\nteach your scholars better; nor into another's charge or pulpit, and\nsay, I can preach better. The servant may not rule the master, because\nhe can do it best; no more than you may take another man's wife, or\nhouse, or lands, or goods, because you can use them better than he. Do\nthe good that you are called to.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Where God hath prescribed you some particular good work\nor way of service, you must prefer that before another which is\ngreater in itself.--This is explicatory or limiting of Direct. viii.\nThe reason is, because God knoweth best what is pleasing to him, and\n\"obedience is better than sacrifice.\" You must not neglect the\nnecessary maintenance of wife and children, under pretence of doing a\nwork of piety or greater good; because God hath prescribed you this\norder of your duty, that you begin at home (though not to stop there).\nAnother minister may have a greater or more needy flock; but yet you\nmust first do good in your own, and not step without a call into his\ncharge. If God have called you to serve him in a low and mean\nemployment, he will better accept you in that work, than if you\nundertook the work of another man's place, to do him greater service.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Lose not your resolutions or opportunities of doing\ngood by unnecessary delays.--Prov. iii. 27, 28, \"Withhold not good\nfrom them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to\ndo it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I\nwill give; when thou hast it by thee.\"--Prov. xxvii. 1, \"Boast not\nthyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring\nforth.\" It is two to one, but delay will take away thine opportunity,\nand raise such unexpected diversions or difficulties as will frustrate\nthine intent, and destroy the work. Take thy time, if thou wilt do thy\nservice: it is beautiful in its season.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Yet present necessity may make a lesser work to be\nthy duty, when the greater may better bear delay.--As to save a man's\nlife in sickness or danger, when you may after have time to seek the\nsaving of his soul. Not only works of mercy may be thus preferred\nbefore sacrifice, but the ordinary conveniences of our lives; as to\nrise, and dress us, and do other business, may go before prayer, when\nprayer may afterwards be done as well or better, and would be hindered\nif these did not go before.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Though, _c\u00e6teris paribus_, the duties of the first\ntable are to be preferred before those of the second, yet the greater\nduties of the second table must be preferred before the lesser duties\nof the first.--The love of God is a greater duty than the love of man\n(and they must never be separated); but yet we must prefer the saving\na man's life, or the quenching a fire in the town, before a prayer, or\nsacrament, or observation of a sabbath. David ate the shew-bread, and\nthe disciples rubbed out the corn on the sabbath day, because the\npreserving of life was a greater duty than the observing of a sabbath,\nor a positive ceremonial law. And Christ bids the Pharisees, \"Go,\nlearn what this meaneth,--I will have mercy, and not sacrifice:\" the\nblood of our brethren is an unacceptable means of pleasing God, and\nmaintaining piety, or promoting men's several opinions in religion.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Choose that employment or calling (so far as you have\nyour choice) in which you may be most serviceable to God.--Choose not\nthat in which you may be most rich or honourable in the world; but\nthat in which you may do most good, and best escape sinning.\n\n[Sidenote: Is doing good or avoiding sin to be most looked at in our\nchoice of callings.]\n\n_Quest._ But what if in one calling I am most serviceable to the\nchurch, but yet have most temptations to sin? And in another I have\nleast temptations to sin, but am least serviceable to the church,\n(which is the ordinary difference between men in public places and men\nin solitude,) which of these should I choose?\n\n_Answ._ 1. Either you are already engaged in your calling, or not; if\nyou are, you must have greater reasons to desert it than such as might\nrequire you at first not to choose it. 2. Either the temptations to sin\nare such as good men ordinarily overcome, or they are extraordinarily\ngreat. You may more warrantably avoid such great ones as you are not\nlike to overcome than small or ordinary ones. 3. Either you are well\nfurnished against these temptations, or not: if not, you must be more\ncautelous in approaching them; but if you are, you may trust God the\nboldlier to help you out. 4. Either they are temptations to ordinary\nhuman frailties in the manner of duty, or temptations to more dangerous\nsin: the first will not so much warrant you to avoid doing good for to\nescape them as the latter will. 5. The service that you are called to\n(being supposed great and necessary to be done by somebody) is either\nsuch as others will do better, or as well, if you avoid it, or not. If\nthe church or common good receive no detriment by your refusal, you may\nthe more insist on your own preservation; but if the necessities of the\nchurch or state, and the want of fitter instruments, or any apparent\ncall of God, do single you out for that service, you must obey God,\nwhatever the difficulties and temptations are: for no temptations can\nnecessitate you to sin; and God that calleth you, can easily preserve\nyou: but take heed what you thrust yourselves upon.\n\n[Sidenote: A calling may be changed.]\n\n_Quest._ But may I change my calling for the service of the church,\nwhen the apostle bids every man abide in the calling in which he was\ncalled? 1 Cor. vii. 20.\n\n_Answ._ The apostle only requireth men to make no unlawful change\n(such as is the forsaking of a wife or husband) nor no unnecessary\nchange, as if it were necessary (as in the case of uncircumcision):\nbut in the next words he saith, \"Art thou called being a servant? care\nnot for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.\" He bids\nevery man abide with God in the place he is called to, but forbids\nthem not to change their state when they are called to change it, ver.\n24. He speaks more of relations (of single persons and married,\nservants and free, &c.) than of trades or offices: and yet no doubt\nbut a single person may be married, and the married must be separated;\nand servants may be free. No man must take up or change any calling\nwithout sufficient cause to call him to it; but when he hath such\ncause, he sinneth if he change it not. The apostles changed their\ncallings, when they became apostles; and so did multitudes of the\npastors of the church in every age. God no where forbids men to change\ntheir employment for the better, upon a sufficient cause or call.\n\n[Sidenote: Who excused from a calling.]\n\n_Direct._ XXI. Especially be sure that you live not out of a calling,\nthat is, such a stated course of employment, in which you may best be\nserviceable to God.--Disability indeed is an unresistible impediment.\nOtherwise no man must either live idly, or content himself with doing\nsome little chars, as a recreation, or on the by; but every one that\nis able, must be statedly and ordinarily employed in such work, as is\nserviceable to God, and the common good. _Quest._ But will not wealth\nexcuse us? _Answ._ It may excuse you from some sordid sort of work, by\nmaking you more serviceable in other; but you are no more excused from\nservice and work of one kind or other, than the poorest man; unless\nyou think that God requireth least where he giveth most. _Quest._ Will\nnot age excuse us? _Answ._ Yes, so far as it disableth you; but no\nfurther. _Object._ But I am turned out of my calling. _Answ._ You are\nnot turned out of the service of God: he calleth you to that, or to\nanother. _Quest._ But may not I cast off the world, that I may only\nthink of my salvation? _Answ._ You may cast off all such excess of\nworldly cares or business as unnecessarily hinder you in spiritual\nthings; but you may not cast off all bodily employment and mental\nlabour in which you may serve the common good. Every one that is a\nmember of church or commonwealth, must employ their parts to the\nutmost for the good of the church and commonwealth: public service is\nGod's greatest service. To neglect this, and say, I will pray and\nmeditate, is as if your servant should refuse your greatest work, and\ntie himself to some lesser, easy part. And God hath commanded you some\nway or other to labour for your daily bread, and not live as drones on\nthe sweat of others only. Innocent Adam was put into the garden of\nEden to dress it; and fallen man must \"eat his bread in the sweat of\nhis brow,\" Gen. iii. 19; and he that \"will not work must be forbidden\nto eat,\" 2 Thess. iii. 6, 10, 12. And indeed it is necessary to\nourselves, for the health of our bodies, which will grow diseased with\nidleness; and for the help of our souls, which will fail if the body\nfail: and man in flesh must have work for his body as well as for his\nsoul. And he that will do nothing but pray and meditate, it is like\nwill (by sickness or melancholy) be disabled ere long either to pray\nor meditate: unless he have a body extraordinarily strong.\n\n_Direct._ XXII. Be very watchful redeemers of your time, and make\nconscience of every hour and minute, that you lose it not, but spend it\nin the best and most serviceable manner that you can.--Of this I intend\nto speak more particularly anon; and therefore shall here add no more.\n\n_Direct._ XXIII. Watchfully and resolutely avoid the entanglements and\ndiverting occasions by which the tempter will be still endeavouring to\nwaste your time and hinder you from your work.--Know what is the\nprincipal service that you are called to, and avoid avocations:\nespecially magistrates and ministers, and those that have great and\npublic work, must here take heed. For if you be not very wise and\nwatchful, the tempter will draw you, before you are aware, into such a\nmultitude of diverting care or business, that shall seem to be your\nduties, as shall make you almost unprofitable in the world: you shall\nhave this or that little thing that must be done, and this or that\nfriend that must be visited or spoken to, and this or that civility\nthat must be performed: so that trifles shall detain you from all\nconsiderable works. I confess friends must not be neglected, nor\ncivilities be denied; but our greatest duties having the greatest\nnecessity, all things must give place to them in their proper season.\nAnd therefore, that you may avoid the offence of friends, avoid the\nplace or occasions of such impediments; and where that cannot be\ndone, whatever they judge of you, neglect not your most necessary\nwork; else it will be at the will of men and Satan, whether you shall\nbe serviceable to God or not.\n\n_Direct._ XXIV. Ask yourselves seriously, how you would wish at death\nand judgment that you had used all your wits, and time, and wealth;\nand resolve accordingly to use them now.--This is an excellent\ndirection and motive to you for doing good, and preventing the\ncondemnation which will pass upon unprofitable servants. Ask\nyourselves, Will it comfort me more at death or judgment, to think, or\nhear, that I spent this hour in plays or idleness, or in doing good to\nmyself or others? How shall I wish then I had laid out my estate, and\nevery part of it? Reason itself condemneth him that will not now\nchoose the course which then he shall wish that he had chosen, when we\nforesee the consequence of that day.\n\n_Direct._ XXV. Understand how much you are beholden to God, (and not he\nto you,) in that he will employ you in doing any good; and how it is the\nway of your own receiving; and know the excellency of your work and end,\nthat you may do it all with love and pleasure.--Unacquaintedness with\nour Master, and with the nature and tendency of our work, is it that\nmaketh it seem tedious and unpleasant to us: and we shall never do it\nwell, when we do it with an ill will, as merely forced. God loveth a\ncheerful servant, that loveth his Master and his work. It is the main\npolicy of the devil to make our duty seem grievous, unprofitable,\nundesirable, and wearisome to us: for a little thing will stop him that\ngoeth unwillingly and in continual pain.\n\n_Direct._ XXVI. Expect your reward from God alone, and look for\nunthankfulness and abuse from men, or wonder not if it befall you.--If\nyou are not the servants of men, but of God, expect your recompence\nfrom him you serve. You serve not God indeed, if his reward alone will\nnot content you, unless you have also man's reward. \"Verily you have\nyour reward,\" if, with the hypocrite, you work for man's approbation,\nMatt. vi. 2, 5. Expect, especially if you are ministers or others that\nlabour directly for the good of souls, that many prove your enemies\nfor your telling them the truth; and that if you were as good as Paul,\nand as unwearied in seeking men's salvation, yet the more you love,\nthe less you will (by many) be loved: and those that he could have\nwished himself accursed from Christ to save, did hate him, and\npersecute him, as if he had been the most accursed wretch: a pestilent\nfellow, and a mover of sedition among the people, and one that turned\nthe world upside down, were the names they gave him; and wherever he\ncame, \"bonds and imprisonment did attend him;\" and slandering, and\nreviling, and whipping, and stocks, and vowing his death, are the\nthanks and requital which he hath from those, for whose salvation he\nspared no pains, but did spend and was spent. If you cannot do good\nupon such terms as these, and for those that will thus requite you,\nand be contented to expect a reward in heaven, you are not fit to\nfollow Christ, who was worse used than all this, by those to whom he\nshowed more love than any of his servants have to show. \"Take up your\ncross, and do good to the unthankful, and bless them that curse you,\nand love them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use\nyou and persecute you, if you will be the children of God,\" Matt. v.\n\n_Direct._ XXVII. Make not your own judgments or consciences your law,\nor the maker of your duty; which is but the discerner of the law of\nGod, and of the duty which he maketh you, and of your own obedience or\ndisobedience to him.--There is a dangerous error grown too common in\nthe world, that a man is bound to do every thing which his conscience\ntelleth him is the will of God; and that every man must obey his\nconscience, as if it were the lawgiver of the world; whereas, indeed,\nit is not ourselves, but God, that is our lawgiver. And conscience is\nnot appointed or authorized to make us any duty, which God hath not\nmade us; but only to discern the law of God, and call upon us to\nobserve it: and an erring conscience is not to be obeyed, but to be\nbetter informed, and brought to a righter performance of its office.\n\nIn prosecution of this direction, I shall here answer several cases\nabout doubting.\n\n_Quest._ I. What if I doubt whether a thing be a duty and good work or\nnot? must I do it while I doubt? Nay, what if I am uncertain whether\nit be duty or sin?\n\n_Answ._ I. In all these cases about an erring or doubting conscience,\nforget not to distinguish between the being of a duty and the knowledge\nof a duty: and remember, that the first question is, Whether this be my\nduty? and the next, How I may discern it to be my duty? And that God\ngiveth it the being by his law, and conscience is but to know and use\nit: and that God changeth not his law, and our duty, as oft as our\nopinions change about it. The obligation of the law is still the same,\nthough our consciences err in apprehending it otherwise. Therefore, if\nGod command you a duty, and your opinion be that he doth not command it,\nor that he forbids it, and so that it is no duty, or that it is a sin,\nit doth not follow that indeed God commands it not because you think so:\nelse it were no error in you; nor could it be possible to err, if the\nthing become true, because you think it to be true. God commandeth you\nto love him, and to worship him, and to nourish your children, and to\nobey the higher powers, &c. And do you think you shall be discharged\nfrom all these duties, and allowed to be profane, or sensual, or to\nresist authority, or to famish your children, if you can but be blind\nenough to think that God would have it so? 2. Your error is a sin\nitself: and do you think that one sin must warrant another? or that sin\ncan discharge you from your duty, and disannul the law? 3. You are a\nsubject to God, and not a king to yourself; and therefore, you must obey\nhis laws, and not make new ones.\n\n_Quest._ II. But is it not every man's duty to obey his conscience?\n\n_Answ._ No: it is no man's duty to obey his conscience in an error,\nwhen it contradicteth the command of God. Conscience is but a\ndiscerner of God's command, and not at all to be obeyed strictly as a\ncommander; but it is to be obeyed in a larger sense, that is, to be\nfollowed wherever it truly discerneth the command of God. It is our\nduty to lay by our error, and seek the cure of it, till we attain it,\nand not to obey it.\n\n_Quest._ III. But is it not a sin for a man to go against his\nconscience?\n\n_Answ._ Yes: not because conscience hath any authority to make laws\nfor you; but because interpretatively you go against God. For you are\nbound to obey God in all things; and when you think that God\ncommandeth you a thing, and yet you will not do it, you disobey\nformally, though not materially. The matter of obedience is the thing\ncommanded: the form of obedience is our doing the thing, because it is\ncommanded; when the authority of the commander causeth us to do it.\nNow you reject the authority of God, when you reject that which you\nthink he commandeth, though he did not.\n\n_Quest._ IV. Seeing the form of obedience is the being of it, and\ndenominateth, which the matter doth not without the form, and there can\nbe no sin which is not against the authority of God, which is the formal\ncause of obedience, is it not then my duty to follow my conscience?\n\n_Answ._ 1. There must be an integrity of causes, or concurrence of all\nnecessaries to make up obedience, though the want of any one will make\na sin. If you will be called obedient, you must have the matter and\nform, because the true form is found in no other matter; you must do\nthe thing commanded, because of his authority that commandeth it. If\nit may be called really and formally obedience, when you err, yet it\nis not that obedience which is acceptable; for it is not any kind of\nobedience, but obedience in the thing commanded, that God requireth.\n2. But indeed as long as you err sinfully, you are also wanting in the\nform as well as the matter of your obedience, though you intend\nobedience in the particular act. It is not only a wilful opposing, and\npositive rejecting the authority of the commander, which is formal\ndisobedience; but it is any privation of due subjection to it; when\nhis authority is not so regarded as it ought to be; and doth not so\npowerfully and effectually move us to our duty as it ought. Now this\nformal disobedience is found in your erroneous conscience; for if\nGod's authority had moved you as it should have done, to diligent\ninquiry and use of all appointed means, and to the avoiding of all the\ncauses of error, you had never erred about your duty. For if the error\nhad been perfectly involuntary and blameless, the thing could not have\nbeen your particular duty, which you could not possibly come to know.\n\n_Quest._ V. But if it be a sin to go against my conscience, must I not\navoid that sin by obeying it? Would you have me sin?\n\n_Answ._ You must avoid the sin, by changing your judgment, and not by\nobeying it; for that is but to avoid one sin by committing another. An\nerring judgment is neither obeyed nor disobeyed without sin; it can\nmake you sin, though it cannot make you duty; it doth insnare, though\nnot oblige. If you follow it, you break the law of God in doing that\nwhich he forbids you. If you forsake it and go against it, you reject\nthe authority of God, in doing that which you think he forbids you. So\nthat there is no attaining to innocence any other way, but by coming\nfirst to know your duty, and then to do it. If you command your\nservant to weed your corn, and he mistake you, and verily think, that\nyou bid him pull up the corn, and not the weeds; what now should he\ndo? Shall he follow his judgment, or go against it? Neither, but\nchange it, and then follow it; and to that end inquire further of your\nmind, till he be better informed: and no way else will serve the turn.\n\n_Quest._ VI. Seeing no man that erreth doth know or think that he\nerreth, (for that is a contradiction,) how can I lay by that opinion,\nor strive against it, which I take to be the truth?\n\n_Answ._ It is your sin, that you take a falsehood to be a truth. God\nhath appointed means for the cure of blindness and error, as well as\nother sins; or else the world were in a miserable case. Come into the\nlight, with due self-suspicion, and impartiality, and diligently use\nall God's means, and avoid the causes of deceit and error, and the\nlight of truth will at once show you the truth, and show you that\nbefore you erred. In the mean time sin will be sin, though you take it\nto be duty, or no sin.\n\n_Quest._ VII. But seeing he that knoweth his master's will and doth it\nnot, shall be beaten with many stripes; and he that knoweth it not,\nwith few; is it not my duty chiefly to avoid the many stripes, by\navoiding sinning against my conscience or knowledge?\n\n_Answ._ 1. Your duty is to avoid both; and if both were not sinful,\nthey would not both be punished with stripes. 2. Your conscience is\nnot your knowledge when you err, but your ignorance. Conscience, as it\nsignifieth the faculty of knowing, may be said to be conscience when\nit erreth; as reason is reason, in the faculty, when we err. And\nconscience, as to an erring act, may be called conscience, so far as\nthere is any true knowledge in the act: as a man is said to see, when\nhe misjudgeth of colours, or to reason, when he argueth amiss. But, so\nfar as it erreth, it is no conscience in act at all; for conscience is\nscience, and not nescience. You sin against your knowledge when you\nsin against a well-informed conscience, but you sin in ignorance when\nyou sin against an erring conscience. 3. And if the question be not,\nwhat is your duty, but, which is the smaller sin, then it is true,\nthat, _c\u00e6teris paribus_, it is a greater sin to go against your\njudgment, than to follow it. But yet, other imparities in matter and\ncircumstances may be an exception against this rule.\n\n_Quest._ VIII. But it is not possible for every man presently to know\nall his duty, and to avoid all error about his duty. Knowledge must be\ngot in time. All men are ignorant in many things: should I not then in\nthe mean time follow my conscience?\n\n_Answ._ 1. Your ignorance is culpable, or not culpable. If it be not\nculpable, the thing which you are ignorant of is not your duty. If\nculpable, (which is the case supposed,) as you brought yourself to\nthat difficulty of knowing, so it will remain your sin till it be\ncured; and one sin will not warrant another. And all that time you are\nunder a double command; the one is, to know, and use the means of\nknowledge; and the other is, to do the thing commanded. So that how\nlong soever you remain in error you remain in sin, and are not under\nan obligation to follow your error, but first to know, and then to do\nthe contrary duty. 2. And as long as you keep yourselves in a\nnecessity, or way of sinning, you must call it sin as it is, and not\ncall it duty. It is not your duty to choose a lesser sin before a\ngreater; but to refuse and avoid both the lesser and the greater. And\nif you say you cannot, yet, remember, that it is only your sin that is\nyour impotency, or your impotency is sinful. But it is true, that you\nare most obliged to avoid the greatest sin: therefore, all that\nremaineth in the resolving of all such cases, is but to know, of two\nsins, which is the greatest.\n\n_Quest._ IX. What if there be a great duty, which I cannot perform\nwithout committing a little sin? or, a very great good, which I cannot\ndo but by an unlawful means; as, to save the lives of many by a lie?\n\n_Answ._ 1. It is no duty to you, when you cannot do it without wilful\nsin, be it never so little. Deliberately to choose a sin, that I may\nperform some service to God, or do some good to others, is to run before\nwe are called, and to make work for ourselves which God never made for\nus; and to offer sin for a sacrifice to God; and to do evil that good\nmay come of it; and abuse God, and reject his government, under pretence\nof serving him. \"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the\nLord: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?\" Prov. xxi.\n27; xv. 8. \"He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his\nprayer shall be abomination,\" Prov. xxviii. 9. \"Be more ready to hear,\nthan to offer the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do\nevil,\" Eccles. v. 1. 2. If you will do good by sinning, you must do good\nin opposition to God: and how easily can he disappoint you, and turn it\ninto evil! It is not good indeed, which must be accomplished by sin. The\nfinal good is never promoted by it; and all other good is to be\nestimated by its tendency to the end. You think that good which is not\nso, because you judge by the present feeling of your flesh, and do not\nforesee how it stands related to the everlasting good.\n\n_Quest._ X. Seeing then that I am sure beforehand that I cannot\npreach, or hear, or pray, or do any good action without sin, must I\nnot, by this rule, forbear them all?\n\n_Answ._ No; because your infirmities in the performance of your duty,\nwhich you would avoid and cannot, are not made the condition of your\naction, but are the diseases of it. They are not chosen and approved\nof. The duty is your duty notwithstanding your infirmities, and may be\naccepted of; for you cannot serve God in perfection till you are\nperfect; and to cast away his service is a far greater sin, than to do\nit imperfectly. But you may serve him without such wilful, chosen sin,\nif not in one way, yet in another. The imperfection of your service is\nrepented of while it is committed; but so is not your approved, chosen\nsin. For a man to make a bargain against God, that he will commit a\nsin against him, though the action be the same which he hath often\ndone before in pardonable weakness; this is to turn it to a\npresumptuous, heinous sin. If he do it for worldly gain or safety, he\nselleth his obedience to God for trifles. If he do it to serve God by,\nhe blasphemeth God; declaring him to be evil, and a lover of sin, or\nso impotent as not to be able to do good, or attain his ends by lawful\nmeans. It is most dangerous to give it under our hands to the devil,\nthat we will sin, on what pretence soever.\n\n_Quest._ XI. What if I am certain that the duty is great, and\nuncertain whether the thing annexed to it be a sin or not? Must I\nforbear a certain duty for an uncertain sin? or forbear doing a great\nand certain good, for fear of a small, uncertain evil?\n\n_Answ._ 1. The question _de esse_ must go before the question _de\napparere_. Either that which you say you are uncertain of is indeed a\nsin, or it is none. If it be no sin, then you are bound both to search\ntill you know that it is no sin, and not to forbear your duty for it.\nBut if really it be a sin, then your uncertainty of it is another sin;\nand that which God bindeth you to, is to forsake them both. 2. Your\nquestion containeth a contradiction: you cannot be certain that it is\na duty at all to you, any further than you are certain whether the\ncondition or means be lawful or a sin. What if an auditor in Spain or\nItaly say, I am certain that it is a duty to obey my teachers; but I\nam uncertain whether their doctrines of the mass, purgatory, and the\nrest, have any untruth or sin in them; therefore, I must not forbear\ncertain obedience for uncertain sin. Or if a priest among them say, I\nam certain that it is a duty to preach God's word, but I am not\ncertain that the Trent Articles, which I must swear or subscribe, are\nsinful or false; therefore I must not leave a great and certain duty\nfor an uncertain sin. The answer to them both is easy. 1. It is your\nsin that you are uncertain of the sinfulness of those things, which\nGod hath forbidden: and God biddeth you first to search the\nScriptures, and cure that error. He made his law before your doubts\narose, and will not change it because you doubt. 2. You contradict\nyourselves by a mistake. You have no more certainty that you should\nobey your teachers in these particulars, than you have that the things\nwhich they teach or command you are not against that law of God. You\nare certain that you must obey them in all things not forbidden by\nGod, and within the reach of their office to require. And you are as\ncertain that it is unlawful to obey them against the law of God, and\nthat God must be obeyed before man. But whether you must obey them in\nthis particular case, you cannot be certain, while you are uncertain\nwhether it be forbidden of God. And the priest must be as uncertain\nwhether it be any duty of his at all, to preach God's word, as he is\nuncertain of the lawfulness of the Trent oath or subscription, unless\nhe can do it without. If a subject say, I am certain, that to govern\nthe kingdom well is a great, good work and duty, but I am uncertain\nwhether to depose the king if he govern not well, and set up myself,\nbe a sin; therefore, the certain good must overrule the uncertain\nevil. I give him the same answer: 1. It is your sin to be uncertain\nwhether rebellion be a sin; and God bindeth you to lay by the sin of\nyour judgment, and not to make it a shoeing-horn to more. 2. You are\nsure that governing well is a good work; but you should be as sure,\nthat it is no duty of yours, nor good work for you to do, as you are\nsure that you are but a private man and a subject, and never called to\ndo the good of another's office. A private man may say, I am sure\npreaching is a good work; but I am not sure that a private, unordained\nman may not statedly separate himself to do it. But he can be no surer\nthat it is a duty to him, than he is that he is called to it.\n\n_Quest._ XII. Well, suppose my ignorance be my sin, and suppose that I\nam equally uncertain of the duty and of the sin annexed, yet if I have\ndone all that I am able, and remain still unresolved, and after my most\ndiligent inquiry am as much in doubt as ever, what should I then do?\n\n_Answ._ 1. If you had by any former sin so forfeited God's assistance,\nas that he will leave you to your blindness, this altereth not his law\nand your obligations, which are still the same (to learn, understand,\nand practise). 2. But if you are truly willing to understand, and\npractise, and use his means, you have no cause to imagine that he will\nthus forsake you; undoubtedly he appointeth you no means in vain. If you\nattain not sufficient resolution to guide you in your duty, it is either\nbecause your hearts are false in the inquiry, and biassed, or unwilling\nto know the truth, or do it; or because you use not the true appointed\nmeans for resolution, but in partiality or laziness neglect it.\n\n_Quest._ XIII. Suppose still my ignorance be my sin; which is the\ngreater sin, to neglect the good work, or to venture on the feared\nevil that is annexed? I am not conscious of any unfaithfulness, but\nhuman frailty, that keepeth me from certainty. And no man is so\nperfect as to have no culpable ignorance, and to be certain in every\npoint of duty. Therefore I must with greatest caution avoid the\ngreatest sin, when I am out of hope of avoiding all. On one side, it\nis a common rule that I must do nothing against conscience, (no, not a\ndoubting conscience,) though I must not always do what it biddeth me.\n\"For he that doubteth is condemned if he eat: for whatsoever is not of\nfaith is sin,\" Rom. xiv. 23. On the other side, if all duty be omitted\nwhich conscience doubteth of, I may be kept from almost every duty.\n\n_Answ._ The heart is so deceitful that you have great cause to watch,\nlest human frailty be pretended, for that error, which a corrupted,\nbiassed, partial mind, or wilful laziness, is the cause of. Diligent\nstudy, and inquiry, and prayer, with a sincere desire to know the truth,\nmay succeed, at least, to so much satisfaction, as may keep your minds\nin quietness and peace, and give you comfort in your way, and preserve\nyou from all such sin as is inconsistent with this your safety and\nacceptance with God. But yet it is true that human frailty will\noccasion in the best uncertainties in some particular cases; and though\nGod make it not our duty of two sins to choose the less, but to refuse\nboth, yet he maketh it our duty more diligently to avoid the greater\nthan the less. And ofttimes the case is so sudden that no inquiry can be\nmade: and therefore I confess a christian should know which sins are\ngreatest and to be most avoided. At present I shall lay down these\nfollowing rules, premising this, that where accidents and circumstances\nwhich make sins great or small are to be compared, they are ofttimes so\nnumerous and various, that no rules can be laid down beforehand, that\nwill serve all turns, no more than in law and physic, any law books or\nphysic books will serve all cases without a present experienced\njudicious counsellor: present prudence and sincerity must do most.\n\n_Rule_ I. In things altogether indifferent, nothing must be done that\nconscience doubteth of, because there is a possibility or fear of\nsinning on the one side, but none on the other; and in that case it is\na certain sin to venture on a feared sin. But then it is supposed that\nthe thing be indifferent as clothed with all its circumstances, and\nthat there be no accident that taketh away its indifferency.\n\n_Rule_ II. In case the thing be really unlawful, and I think it to be\nlawful, but with some doubting, but am clear that the forbearing it is\nno sin; there the sin is only in the doing it; because all is clear\nand safe on the other side.\n\n_Rule_ III. There are many sins which are always and to all persons in\nall cases sins, and not doubted of by any without gross unfaithfulness\nor negligence; and here there is no room for any doubting whether we\nmust do that good which cannot be done without that sin, it being\ncertain that no such good can be a duty. As, to commit idolatry, to\nblaspheme God, to deny Christ, to deny the Scriptures, to hate, or\nreproach, or oppose a holy life, to be perjured, to approve or justify\nthe sin of others, &c. It can be no duty which cannot be done without\nthe wilful yielding to or committing these or any known sin.\n\n_Rule_ IV. There are some duties so great, and clear, and constant to\nall, that none but a profligate or graceless conscience (or one that\nis fearfully poisoned with sin) can make a doubt of it deliberately:\nthese therefore come not within the case before us.\n\n_Rule_ V. If moral evil be compared only with natural good, or moral\ngood with natural evil, there is no doubt to be made of the case: the\nleast sin having more evil in it than the prosperity or lives of\nmillions of men have good (considered in themselves as natural good);\nand the least duty to God having more good in it than the death of\nmillions of men (as such) hath evil. For the good of duty and the evil\nof sin are greatened by their respect to God, and the other lessened\nas being good or evil only unto men, and with respect to them.\n\n_Rule_ VI. Where I am in an equal degree uncertain of the duty to be\nomitted, and of the sin to be committed, it is a greater sin to\nventure doubtfully upon the committing of a positive sin that is\ngreat, (in case it prove a sin,) than upon the omitting a duty which\n(in case it prove a duty) is less; and on the contrary, it is worse to\nventure on the omitting of a great duty, than on the committing of a\nsmall, positive sin. As, suppose my own or my neighbour's house be on\nfire, and I am in doubt whether I may take another man's water to\nquench it against his will; or if my own, or my child's, or\nneighbour's life be in danger by famine, and I doubt whether I may\ntake another man's apples, or pears, or ears of corn, or his bread,\nagainst his will, to save my own life or another's. Really, the thing\nis already made lawful or unlawful (which I now determine not) by the\nlaw of God; but in my unavoidable uncertainty, (if I be equally\ndoubtful on both sides,) it is a far greater sin (if it prove a sin)\nto omit the saving of the house or life, than to take another man's\nwater, or fruit, or bread, that hath plenty (if this prove the sin).\nSo if king and nobles were in a ship, which would be taken and all\ndestroyed by pirates, unless I told a lie, and said, they are other\npersons; if I were equally in doubt which course to take, to lie or\nnot, (though sin have more evil than all our lives have good,) yet a\nsinful omitting to save all their lives is a greater sin than a sinful\ntelling of such a lie. Suppose I am in doubt, whether I may lawfully\nsave an ox, or ass, or a man's life, by labour on the sabbath day? or\nDavid had doubted, whether he might eat the consecrated shew-bread in\nhis necessity? it is clear, that the sinful neglect of a man's life is\nworse than the sinful violation of a sabbath, or the sinful use of the\nconsecrated bread. If I equally doubt, whether I may use a ceremony,\nor disorderly, defective form of prayer, and whether I should preach\nthe gospel to save men's souls, where there are not others enough to\ndo it; it is clear, that sinfully to use a ceremony, or disorderly\nform of prayer, is, _c\u00e6teris paribus_, a lesser sin than sinfully to\nneglect to preach the gospel and to save men's souls. On the other\nside, suppose I dwelt in Italy, and could not have leave to preach the\ngospel there, unless I would subscribe to the Trent Confession, or the\ncanon 3d of Concil. Lateran sub Innocent III.; one of which requireth\nmen to swear for transubstantiation, and to interpret the Scriptures\nonly according to the unanimous consent of the fathers (who never\nunanimously consented in any exposition of the greatest part of the\nScriptures at all); the other decreeth the pope's deposing temporal\nlords, and disobliging their subjects from their allegiance. On the\none side, I doubt, whether by subscribing I become not guilty of\njustifying idolatry, perjury, and rebellion, and making myself guilty\nof the perjury of many thousand others: on the other side, I doubt,\nwhether I may disobey my superiors who command me this subscription,\nand may forbear preaching the gospel, when yet I apprehend that there\nare others to preach it, and that my worth is not so considerable as\nthat there should be any great loss in putting me out and putting in\nanother; and God needeth not me to do him service, but hath\ninstruments at command; and that I know not how soon he may restore my\nliberty, or that I may serve him in another country, or else in\nsufferings at home; in such a case the sinful justifying of perjury or\nrebellion in whole countries is a far greater sin than the sinful\nomission of my preaching: for he that justifieth perjury destroyeth\nthe bonds of all societies, and turneth loose the subjects against\ntheir sovereigns. Or if I, being a minister, were forbidden to preach\nthe gospel where there is necessity, unless I will commit some sin; if\nI doubt on one side whether I should disobey my superiors, and on the\nother whether I should forbear my calling, and neglect the souls of\nsinners; it is a lesser sin, _c\u00e6teris paribus_, to disobey a man\nsinfully, than to disobey God, and to be cruel to the souls of men to\ntheir perdition sinfully. Or if I have made a vow, and sworn that I\nwill cast away a penny or a shilling, and I am in doubt on one side\nwhether I be not bound to keep it as a vow, and on the other whether\nit be not a sin to keep it, because to cast away any of my talents is\na sin; in this case, the sinful casting away of a penny or a shilling\nis not so great a sin as sinful perjury. If Daniel and the three\nwitnesses had been in equal doubt, whether they should obey the king\nor pray to God, (as Dan. vi.) and renounce the bowing to his idol,\n(Dan. iii.) the sinful forbearance of prayer as then commanded, and\nthe sinful bowing to the idol had been a greater sin than a sinful\ndisobeying the king's command in such a case, if they had mistaken.\n\n_Rule_ VII. If I cannot discern whether the duty to be omitted, or the\nsin to be committed, be materially and in other respects the greater,\nthen that will be to me the greater of the sins which my doubting\nconscience doth most strongly suspect to be sin, in its most impartial\ndeliberation. For if other things be equal, certainly the sinning\nagainst more or less conviction or doubting must make an inequality.\nAs, if I could not discern whether my subscription to the Trent\nConfession, or my forbearing to preach, or my preaching though\nprohibited, were the greater sin, in case they were all sinful; but\nyet I am most strongly suspicious of sinfulness in the subscription,\nand less suspicious of sinfulness in my forbearing in such a case to\npreach, and least of all suspicious of sinfulness in my preaching\nthough prohibited: in this case to subscribe sinfully is the greatest\nsin, and to forbear sinfully to exercise my office is the next, and to\npreach unwarrantably is the least.\n\n_Rule_ VIII. If I could perceive no difference in the degrees of evil\nin the omission and the commission, nor yet in the degrees of my\nsuspicion or doubting, then that is the greater sin which I had\ngreater helps and evidence to have known, and did not.\n\n_Rule_ IX. If both greater material evil be on one side than on the\nother, and greater suspicion or evidence of the sinfulness also, then\nthat must needs be the greater sin.\n\n_Rule_ X. If the greatness of the material evil be on one side, and\nthe greatness of the suspicion and evidence be on the other, then the\nformer (if sin) will be materially and in itself considered the worst;\nbut the latter will be formally the greater disobedience to God. But\nthe comparison will be very difficult. As, suppose that I swear to God\nthat I will cast away a shilling, or that I will forbear to pray for a\nweek together; here I take perjury to be a greater sin than my casting\naway a shilling, or forbearing to pray a week: but when I question\nwhether the oath should be kept or not, I have greater suspicion that\nit should not than that it should, because no oath must be the bond of\nthe least iniquity. Here, if the not keeping it prove a sin, I shall\ndo that which is the greater sin in itself if I keep it not; but I\nshall show more disobedience in keeping it, if it be not to be kept.\n\n_Rule_ XI. If it be a double sin that I suspect on one side, and but a\nsingle one on the other, it maketh an inequality in the case. As,\nsuppose that in my father's family there are heretics and drunkards,\nand I swear that in my place and calling I will endeavour to cast them\nout. My mother approveth my vow; my father is against it, and\ndischargeth me of it because I did it not by his advice. On one side,\nI doubt whether I am bound, or may act against my father's will: on\nthe other side, I as much doubt whether I am not perjured, and\ndisobedient to my mother, if I do it not, and whether I disobey not\nGod, that made it my duty to endeavour the thing in my place and\ncalling before I vowed it.\n\n_Rule_ XII. There is a great deal of difference between omitting the\nsubstance of a duty for ever, and the delaying it, or altering the\ntime, and place, and manner. For instance, that which will justify or\nexcuse me for shortening my prayer, or for praying but once a day, or\nat noon rather than in the morning, or for defect in method, or\nfervency, or expressions, may not justify or excuse me for denying,\nrenouncing, or long forbearing prayer. And that which may excuse an\napostle for not preaching in the temple or synagogues, or not having\nthe emperor's or the high priest's allowance or consent, or for not\ncontinuing in one city or country; would not excuse them if they had\nrenounced their callings, or totally, as to all times, and places, and\nmanner of performance, have ceased their work for fear of men.\n\n_Rule_ XIII. If the duty to be omitted and the sin to be committed\nseem equal in greatness, and our doubt be equal as to both, it is\ncommonly held safer to avoid the commission more studiously than the\nomission. For which there are many reasons given.\n\n_Rule_ XIV. There is usually much more matter for fear and suspicion,\n_c\u00e6teris paribus_, of sins to be committed, than of duties to be\nomitted, when the commission is made necessary to the doing of the\nduty. Both because it is there that the fear beginneth: for I am\ncertain that the good work is no duty to me, if the act be a sin which\nis its necessary condition. Therefore, so far as I suspect the act to\nbe sinful, I must needs suspect the duty to be no duty to me at that\ntime: it is not possible I should be rationally more persuaded that\nthe duty is my duty, than that the condition is no sin. If it were the\nsaving of the lives of all men in the country, I could no further take\nit to be my duty, than I take that to be no sin by which it must be\ndone, it being a thing past controversy, that we must not sin for the\naccomplishment of any good whatsoever. And also because the sin is\nsupposed to be always sin, but few duties are at all times duties: and\nthe sin is a sin to every man, but the duty may be another man's duty,\nand not mine. For instance: Charles V. imposeth the Interim upon\nGermany: some pastors yielded to it; others refused it, and were cast\nout. Those that yielded pleaded the good of the churches, and the\nprevention of their utter desolation, but yet confessed that if the\nthing imposed were sinful, it was not their duty to do it for any good\nwhatsoever, but to seek the good of the church as well as they could\nwithout it. The other that were cast out argued, that so far as they\nwere confident the Interim was sinful, they must be confident that\nnothing was their duty that could not be done without it, and that God\nknew best what is good for his church, and there is no accomplishing\nits good by sin and God's displeasure; and that they did not therefore\nforsake their ministry, but only lose the ruler's licence; for they\nresolved to preach in one place or other till they were imprisoned,\nand God can serve himself by their imprisonment or death, as well as\nby their preaching. And while others took their places that thought\nthe Interim lawful, the churches were not wholly destitute; and if God\nsaw it meet, he could restore their fuller liberties again: in the\nmean time, to serve him, as all pastors did for three hundred years\nafter Christ, without the licence of the civil magistrate, was not to\ncast away their office. Another instance: the zealous papists in the\nreign of Henry III. in France, thought that there was a necessity of\nentering the League, and warring against the king, because religion\nwas in danger, the preservation whereof is an unquestionable duty. The\nlearned and moderate lawyers that were against them said, that there\nbeing no question but the king had the total sovereignty over them,\nthey were sure it was a sin to resist the higher powers, and therefore\nno preservation of religion could be a duty or lawful to them which\nmust be done by such a certain sin: sin is not the means to save\nreligion or the commonwealth.\n\n_Rule_ XV. When a thing is not prohibited and sinful simply in itself,\nbut because of some accidental or consequential evil that it tendeth\nto, there a greater accidental or consequential good may preponderate\nthe evil, and make the thing become no sin, but a duty. It is a matter\nof exceeding difficulty to discern ofttimes whether a thing be simply\nand absolutely forbidden, or only by accident and alterably, and to\ndiscern which accident doth preponderate. There are so many observations\nthat should here be taken in, and so much of a man's life and peace is\nconcerned in it, that it deserveth a treatise by itself. And therefore I\nshall not meddle with it any further here, lest an insufficient tractate\nbe worse than none, in a case where error is so easy and perilous.\n\n_Rule_ XVI. As to the danger of the sinner himself, there is a great\ndeal of difference between an error and sin of human frailty, when the\nservice of God, and true obedience, and the common good, is sincerely\nintended, and an error and sin of false-heartedness and sloth, when\nselfishness is the secret spring of the error, and carnal interest the\nreal end, though God and his service be pretended. And usually the\nconcomitants will show something of this to others. For instance; two\nmagistrates and two ministers submit to some questioned imposition,\nall pretend that the glory of God, and his service, is it that\nprevaileth with them to submit. The one of the magistrates faithfully\nserves God afterward with his authority, and showeth thereby that he\nmeant sincerely: the other doth no good in his place, and showeth his\nhypocrisy. One of the ministers preacheth zealously, and privately\nlaboureth as one that thirsteth for the saving of souls: the other\npreacheth formally, and coldly, and heartlessly, and never converteth\na soul, and neglecteth the work which he pretended was his end.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Sidenote: For loving God as our Father, our Benefactor, and our end.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ XI. Let it be most deeply engraven on thy heart, that\nGod is infinitely good and amiable; thy grand Benefactor and Father in\nChrist; the end of all that thou art and hast; and the everlasting rest\nand happiness of thy soul: see therefore that thy inflamed heart be\nentirely and absolutely offered up unto him by the mediation of his Son,\nto love him, to trust him, to delight in him, to be thankful to him, to\nglorify him, and through faith to long for the heavenly glory, where all\nthis will be perfectly done for ever. And first let us speak of LOVE.\n\nI did in the first direction persuade you to lay a good foundation in\nfaith and knowledge. In the second I directed you how to live upon\nChrist. In the third, how to believe practically in the Holy Ghost. In\nthe fourth I directed you to the orderly and practical knowledge of all\nthe attributes of God. In the fifth, how to know God practically in his\nfirst grand relation, as he is your Owner. In the sixth, how to know him\npractically in his second grand relation, as he is your King or\nGovernor; and in subordination to his governing relation. In the seventh\nI directed you in your relation of disciples to Christ your Teacher. And\nin the eighth I directed you in your relation of patients to Christ your\nPhysician, and the Holy Ghost as your Sanctifier. In the ninth I\ndirected you in your relation of soldiers to Christ the Captain of your\nsalvation. In the tenth I directed you in the relation of servants to\nChrist your Master. And now being past those subordinate relations (to\nthe second), I proceed to direct you in your third grand relation to God\nas your Benefactor, Father, and Felicity. And because there are divers\ngreat duties in this general, I shall first begin with this of love; and\nafterwards speak distinctly of the rest.\n\n\n        _Directions for loving God as our Father and Felicity._\n\nHere I shall first give you these general preparatives (and then give\nyou directions for the exercise of holy love). 1. You must understand\nthe nature of love to God. 2. You must understand the differences of\nthis love. 3. You must understand the reasons of it. 4. And the\ncontraries of it. 5. And the counterfeits of it.\n\n[Sidenote: God is not loved as a particular good, but as the universal\ngood.]\n\nI. For the understanding its nature observe these things: 1. It is not\nthe love of a particular good, but of the infinite, Universal Good. The\ncreature is a particular good, and our love to it is a particular,\nlimited love, confined as to a point. God is the Universal Good, and our\nlove to him is not limited by the object, but by the narrowness and\nimperfection of our faculties themselves. As suppose you had variety of\ncandles in your room, and you had diamonds and other refulgent things;\nyou love each of these with a particular love, for their splendour and\nusefulness; and you more easily observe and feel the motion of this\nconfined love. But light itself, as light, you love with a more\nuniversal love; which is greater, but not so sensibly observed. (Not as\nwe speak of notional universals in logic, which have no existence but in\nparticulars; but of the natural, transcendent, infinite good, eternally\nexistent, and arbitrarily appearing in some created particles.) As the\nlove of an infinite light would differ from the love of a candle, and\nthe love of an infinite heat from the love of a fire, and the love of\ninfinite wisdom itself from the love of a wise man, and the love of\ninfinite goodness itself from the love of a good man; so doth the love\nof God from the love of a particular, created good.\n\n[Sidenote: Whether God may be the object of passionate love.]\n\n2. Our love to God is not ordinarily so passionate as our love to\ncreatures; because the nearness and sensibleness of the creature\npromoteth such sensible operations. But God is not seen, or felt, or\nheard, but believed in by faith, and known by reason. And the\nnarrowness of the creature making resistances, stops, and\ndifficulties, occasioneth a turbulent passionateness of love; when the\ninfiniteness of God hath no such occasion. Our love to creatures is\nlike the running of a stream in a channel that is too narrow for it,\nwhere stops and banks do make it go on with a roaring violence; but\nour love to God is like the brook that slideth into the ocean, where\nit is insensibly devoured. Therefore our love to God must principally\nbe perceived, not in violent passions, but in, 1. A high estimation of\nhim. 2. In the will's adhering to him. 3. And in the effects (to be\nmentioned anon). Yet when a passionate love is added to these, it may\nbe the most excellent significatively and effectively. Some\nphilosophers think that God cannot at all be loved with a passionate\nlove, because he is a pure, immaterial Being, and therefore cannot be\nthe object of a material act or motion, such as our passions are; and,\ntherefore, that it is some idol of the imagination that is so loved.\nBut, 1. If they mean that his pure essence, in itself, is not the\nimmediate object of a passion, they may say the same of the will\nitself; for man (at least in flesh) can have no other volition of God,\nbut as he is apprehended by the intellect. And if by an idol they mean\nthe image of God in the mind, gathered from the appearances of God in\ncreatures, man in flesh hath no other knowledge of him; for here we\nknow him but darkly, enigmatically, and as in a glass, and have no\nformal, proper conception of him in his essence. So that the rational\npowers themselves do no otherwise know and will God's essence, but as\nrepresented to us in a glass. 2. And thus we may also love him\npassionately; it being God in his objective being as apprehended by\nthe intellect that we both will and passionately love. The motion of\nthe soul in flesh may raise passions, by the instrumentality of the\ncorporeal spirits, towards an immaterial object; which is called the\nobject of those passions, not merely as passions, but as the passions\nof a rational agent; it being more nearly or primarily the object of\nthe intellect and will, and then of the passions, as first apprehended\nby these superior powers. A man may delight in God; or else, how is he\nour felicity? and yet, we know of no delight which is not passion. A\nman may love his own soul with a passionate love; and yet it is\nimmaterial. When I passionately love my friend, it is his immaterial\nsoul, and his wisdom, and holiness, which I chiefly love.\n\n[Sidenote: What of God is the object of our love.]\n\n3. It is not only for his excellencies and perfections in himself, nor\nonly for his love and benefit to us, that grace doth cause a sinner to\nlove God; but it is for both conjunctly; as he is good, and doth good,\nespecially to us, in the greatest things.\n\n[Sidenote: What is the motive of our first love to God.]\n\n4. Our first special love to God, is orderly and rationally to be\nraised, the belief of his goodness in himself, and his common love and\nmercy to sinners, manifested in his giving of his Son for the world,\nand giving men the conditional promise of pardon and salvation, and\noffering them Christ and life eternal, and all this to us as well as\nothers: and not to be caused by the belief or persuasion of his\nspecial, peculiar, electing, redeeming, or saving love to us above\nothers, that have the same invitations and offers. It is the knowledge\nof common love and mercy, and not of special love and mercy, as\nalready possessed, that is appointed to be the motive of our first\nspecial love to God. (Yet there is in it an apprehension that he is\nour only possible felicity, and that he will give us a special\ninterest in his favour, if we return by faith in Christ unto him.)\nFor, 1. Every man is bound to love God with a special love: but every\nman is not specially beloved by him: and no man is bound to love God\nas one that specially loveth him but those that indeed are so beloved\nby him; for else they were bound to believe a falsehood, and to love\nthat which is not; and grace should be an error and deceit. The object\nis before the act. God's special love must in itself be before its\nrevelations; and as revealed it must go before our belief of it; and\nas believed it must go before our loving it, or loving him as such, or\nfor it. 2. The first saving faith is inseparably conjunct with special\nlove; for Christ is believed in and willed, as the way or means to God\nas the end (otherwise it is no true faith). And the volition of the\nend (which is love) is in order of nature before the choice or use of\nthe means as such: and if we must love God as one that specially\nloveth us, in our first love, then we must believe in him as such by\nour first faith: and if so, it must be to us a revealed truth. But (as\nit is false to most that are bound to believe, so) it is not revealed\nto the elect themselves: for if it be, it is either by ordinary or\nextraordinary revelation. If by ordinary, either by Scripture\ndirectly, or by evidences in ourselves which Scripture maketh the\ncharacters of his love. But neither of these; for Scripture promiseth\nnot salvation to named, but described persons; and evidence of special\nlove there is none, before faith, and repentance, and the first love\nto God. And extraordinary revelation from heaven, by inspiration or\nangel, is not the ordinary begetter of faith; for faith is the belief\nof God, speaking to us (now) by his written word. So that where there\nis no object of love, there can be no love; and where there is no\nrevelation of it to the understanding, there is no object for the\nwill; and till a man first believe and love God, he hath no revelation\nthat God doth specially love him. Search as long as you will, you will\nfind no other. 3. If the wicked were condemned for not loving a false\nor feigned object, it would quiet their consciences in hell when they\nhad detected the deceit, and seen the natural impossibility and\ncontradiction. 4. The first love to God is more a love of desire, than\nof possession; and therefore it may suffice to raise it, that we see a\npossibility of being for ever happy in God, and enjoying him in\nspecial love, though yet we know not that we possess any such love.\nThe nature of the thing proclaimeth it most rational and due, that we\nlove the infinite Good, that hath done so much by the death of his\nSon, to remove the impediments of our salvation; and is so far\nreconciled to the world in his death, as by a message of\nreconciliation, to entreat them to accept of Christ, and pardon, and\nsalvation freely offered them, 2 Cor. v. 19, 20; and is himself the\noffered happiness of the soul. He that dare say, that this much hath\nnot an objective sufficiency to engage the soul in special love, is a\nblind undervaluer of wonderful mercy. 5. The first special grace\nbringeth no new object for faith or love, but causeth a new act upon\nthe formerly revealed object.\n\n5. But our love to God is greatly increased and advantaged afterwards\nby the assurance or persuasion of his peculiar, special love to us.\nAnd therefore all christians should greatly value such assurance, as\nthe appointed means of advancing them to greater love to God.\n\n6. As we know God here in the glass of his Son, and word, and\ncreatures, so we most sensibly love him here, as his goodness\nappeareth in his works, and graces, and his word, and Son.\n\n7. The nearer we come to perfection, the more we shall love God for\nhimself and his infinite natural goodness and perfections, not casting\naway the respects of his goodness and love as to ourselves, but\nhighliest regarding himself for himself, as carried to him above\nourselves.\n\nII. Though love in its own nature be still the same, and is nothing but\nthe rational appetite of good; or the will's volition of good\napprehended by the understanding; the first motion of the will to good,\narising from that natural inclination to good, which is the nature of\nthe will, and the _pondus anim\u00e6_, the poise of the soul; or from healing\ngrace which repaireth the breach that is made in nature; yet love in\nregard of the state of the lover, and the way of its imperate acting, is\nthus differenced. 1. Either the lover is in the hopeful pursuit of the\nthing beloved, and then it is desiring, seeking love. 2. Or he is, or\nseemeth to be, denied, destitute, and deprived of his beloved (in whole\nor in part); and then it is a mourning, lamenting love. 3. Or he\nenjoyeth his beloved, and then it is enjoying, delighting love. 1. The\nordinary love which grace causeth on earth is a predominancy of seeking,\ndesiring love, encouraged by some little foretastes of enjoying,\ndelighting love, and, in a great measure, attended with mourning,\nlamenting love. 2. The state of deserted, dark, declining, relapsing,\nand melancholy, tempted christians, is a predominance of mourning,\nlamenting love, assisted with some help of seeking, desiring love; but\ndestitute of enjoying, delighting love. 3. The state of the glorified is\nperfection of enjoying, delighting love alone. And all the rest are to\nbring us unto this.[114]\n\nIII. The reasons why love to God is so great, and high, and necessary a\nthing, and so much esteemed above other graces, are: 1. It is the motion\nof the soul that tendeth to the end; and the end is more excellent than\nall the means as such. 2. The love, or will, or heart is the man; where\nthe heart or love is, there the man is: it is the fullest resignation of\nthe whole man to God, to love him as God, or offer him the heart. God\nnever hath his own fully till we love him. Love is the grand,\nsignificant, vital motion of the soul; such as the heart, or will, or\nlove is, such you may boldly call the man. 3. The love of God is the\nperfection and highest improvement of all the faculties of the soul, and\nthe end of all other graces, to which they tend, and to which they grow\nup, and in which they terminate their operations. 4. The love of God is\nthat spirit or life of moral excellency in all other graces in which\n(though not their form, yet) their acceptableness doth consist, without\nwhich they are to God as a lifeless carrion is to us. And to prove any\naction sincere and acceptable to God, is to prove that it comes from a\nwilling, loving mind, without which you can never prove it. 5. Love is\nthe commander of the soul, and therefore God knoweth that if he have our\nhearts, he hath all, for all the rest are at its command; for it is, as\nit were, the nature of the will, which is the commanding faculty; and\nits object is the ultimate end which is the commanding object. Love\nsetteth the mind on thinking, the tongue on speaking, the hands on\nworking, the feet on going, and every faculty obeyeth its command. 6.\nThe obedience which love commandeth, participateth of its nature, and is\na ready, cheerful, sweet obedience, acceptable to God, and pleasant to\nourselves. 7. Love is a pure, chaste, and cleansing grace; and most\npowerfully casteth out all creature pollution from the soul:[115] the\nlove of God doth quench all carnal, sinful love; and most effectually\ncarrieth up the soul to such high delights, as causeth it to contemn and\nforget the toys which it before admired. 8. The love of God is the true\nacknowledging and honouring him as good. That blessed attribute, his\ngoodness, is denied, or despised, by those that love him not. The light\nof the sun would not be valued, honoured, or used by the world, if there\nwere no eyes in the world to see it. And the goodness of God is to them\nthat love him not, as the light to them that have no eyes. If God would\nhave had his goodness to be thus unknown or neglected, he would never\nhave made the intellectual creatures. Those only give him the glory of\nhis goodness that truly love him. 9. Love (in its attainment) is the\nenjoying and delighting grace: it is the very content and felicity of\nthe soul: both as it maketh us capable to receive the most delightful\ncommunications of God's love to us; and as it is the soul's delightful\nclosure with its most amiable felicitating object. 10. Love is the\neverlasting grace, and the work which we must be doing in heaven for\never. These are the reasons of love's pre-eminence.\n\nIV. The love of creatures hath its contraries on both extremes, in the\nexcess and in the defect; but the love of God hath no contrary in\nexcess: for Infinite Goodness cannot possibly be loved too much (unless\nas the passion may possibly be raised to a degree distracting or\ndisturbing the brain). The odious vices contrary to the love of God are,\n1. Privative; not loving him. 2. Positive; hating him. 3. Opposite;\nloving his creatures in his stead: all these concur in every\nunsanctified soul. That they are all void of the true love of God, and\ntaken up with creature love, is past all doubt; but whether they are all\nhaters of God, may seem more questionable. But it is as certain as the\nother; only the hatred of God in most doth not break out into that open\nopposition, persecution, or blasphemy, as it doth with some that are\ngiven up to desperate wickedness; nor do they think that they hate him.\nBut the aversation of the will is the hatred of God; and if men had not\na great aversation to him, they would not forsake him, and refuse to be\nconverted to him, notwithstanding all the arguments of love that can be\nused to allure them. Displacency, nolition, and aversation are hatred.\n\nIf you think it impossible that men can hate God, whom they confess to\nbe infinitely good, consider for the true understanding of this\nhatred, 1. That it is not as good that they hate him; 2. and it is not\nGod simply in himself considered; 3. and therefore it is not all in\nGod; 4. and it is not the name of God; 5. but it is, 1. God as he\nseemeth unsuitable to them, and unfit for their delight and love:\nwhich seeming is caused by their carnal inclination to things of\nanother nature, and the sinful perverting of their appetites, and the\nblindness and error of their minds. 2. And it is God as he is an enemy\nto their carnal concupiscence; whose holy nature is against their\nunholiness, and hateth their sin, and his laws forbid them the things\nwhich they most love and take delight in: and so they hate God, as a\nmadman hateth his keeper and physician, and takes them for his\nenemies; and as a hungry dog doth hate him that keepeth him from the\nmeat which he loveth, or would take it out of his mouth. 3. And they\nhate God, as one who by his holiness, justice, and truth is engaged to\ncondemn them for their sin, and so (consequently to their sin) is\ntheir enemy that will destroy them (unless they forsake it): when\ntheir wills are enslaved to their sins, and they cannot endure to be\nforbidden them, and yet see that God will damn them in hell-fire if\nthey cast them not away: this filleth them with displacency against\nGod, as holy and just. 4. And then, consequently, they hate him in the\nrest of his attributes: as his omniscience, that he always seeth them;\nhis omnipresence, that he is always with them; his omnipotency, that\nhe is irresistible and able to punish them: his very mercy as\nexpressed to others, when they must have no part in it; yea, his very\nimmutability, eternity, and being, as he is to continue an avenger of\ntheir iniquity: so that the wicked in despair do wish that there were\nno God; and in prosperity, they wish he were not their Governor and\nJudge, or were unholy and unjust, allowing them to do what they list\nwithout account or punishment. Thus God is hated by the wicked\naccording to the measure of their wickedness, and carnal interest, and\nconcupiscence which he is against. Where you may note, 1. that the\nhatred of God beginneth at the sensual love of things temporal which\nhe forbiddeth; 2. that the wicked great ones of the world, and those\nthat have the strongest concupiscence, are usually the greatest haters\nof God, as having the greatest adverse interest, and being most in\nlove with the things which he prohibiteth and will condemn.\n\nV. The counterfeit of love to God is something that seemeth like it, and\nyet is consistent with prevalent hatred, or privation of true love, and\nmaketh self-deceiving hypocrites. 1. One is when so much of God is loved\nas men think hath no opposition to their lusts and carnal interest (as\nhis mercy and readiness to forgive); and then they think that they truly\nlove God, though they hate his holiness and other attributes. 2. Another\ncounterfeit is, to love God upon mistakes, imagining that he is of the\nsinner's mind, and will bear with him and not condemn him, though he\ncontinue sensual and ungodly: this is not indeed to love God, but\nsomething contrary to God. If men's fantasies will take God to be like\nthe devil, a friend to sin, and no friend to holiness, and false in his\nthreatenings, &c. and thus will love him; this is so far from being\nindeed the love of God, that it is an odious blaspheming of him. 3.\nAnother counterfeit is, to love God only for his temporal mercies, as\nbecause he preserveth and maintaineth them, when yet he is resisted when\nhe would give them things spiritual. 4. Another is, when the\nopinionative approbation of the mind, and honouring God with the lips\nand knee, are mistaken for true love. In a word, whatever love of God\nrespecteth him not as God indeed, and is not superlative, but is\nsubservient to creature love, is but a counterfeit.\n\nVI. The directions for the exercise of the love of God are these:\n\n_Direct._ I. Consider well, that the love of our Creator, Redeemer,\nand Regenerator, is the very end for which we are created, redeemed,\nand regenerate; and how just it is that God should have the end of\nsuch excellent works, and that by neglecting or opposing the love of\nGod, which is the end, we neglect or oppose the works of creation,\nredemption, and regeneration themselves.--Let us plead these works of\nGod with our hearts, and say,--1. O sluggish soul! dost thou forget\nthe use for which thou wast created, and for which thou wast endowed\nwith rational faculties? Dost thou repent that thou art a man, and\nrefuse the employment of a man? What is the means or instrument good\nfor, but its proper end, and use, and action? God made the sun to\nshine, and it shineth; he made the earth to support us and bear fruit,\nand it doth accordingly: and he made thee to love him, and wilt thou\nrefuse and disobey? How noble and excellent is thy employment in\ncomparison of theirs! Is the fruit of the earth, or the labour of thy\nbeast, or the service of any inferior creature, so sweet and\nhonourable a work as thine, to know and love thy bountiful, glorious\nCreator? How happy is thy lot! how blessed is thy portion in\ncomparison of theirs! And dost thou forsake thy place, and descend to\nmore ignoble objects, as if thou hadst rather been some silly, sordid\nanimal? If thou hadst not rather be a beast than a man, why choosest\nthou the love and pleasures of a beast, and refusest the love and\npleasures of a man? Is creation, and the image of God in a rational,\nfree soul, a thing thus to be contemned for nothing? What is the sun\ngood for, if it should yield no light or heat? And what art thou good\nfor more than the beasts that perish, if thou know not and love not\nthy Creator? If God should offer to unman thee, and turn thee into a\nhorse or dog, thou wouldst think he thrust thee into misery; and yet\nthou canst voluntarily and wilfully unman thyself, and take it as thy\nease and pleasure. If death came this night to dissolve thy nature, it\nwould not please thee; and yet thou canst daily destroy thy nature, as\nto its use and end, and not lament it! It were better I had never been\na man, nor never had a heart or love within me, if I use it not in\nthe holy love of my Creator. It is true, I have a body that is made to\neat, and drink, and sleep; but all this is but to serve my soul in the\nlove of him that giveth me all. Life is not for meat, or drink, or\nplay; but these are for life, and life for the higher ends of life.\n\n2. Look unto thy Redeemer, drowsy soul! and consider for what end he\ndid redeem thee: Was it to wander a few years about the earth, and to\nsleep, and sport awhile in flesh? Or was it to crucify thee to the\nworld, and raise thee up to the love of God? He came down to earth\nfrom love itself, being full of love, to show the loveliness of God,\nand reconcile thee to him, and take away the enmity, and by love to\nteach thee the art of love. His love constrained him to offer himself\na sacrifice for sin, to make thee a priest thyself to God, to offer up\nthe sacrifice of an inflamed heart in love and praise; and wilt thou\ndisappoint thy Redeemer, and disappoint thyself of the benefits of his\nlove? The means is for the end; thou mayst as well say, I would not be\nredeemed, as to say, I would not love the Lord.\n\n3. And bethink thyself, O drowsy soul, for what thou wast regenerated\nand sanctified by the Spirit? Was it not that thou mightst know and\nlove the Lord? What is the Spirit of adoption that is given to\nbelievers, but a Spirit of predominant love to God? Gal. iv. 6. Thou\ncouldst have loved vanity, and doted on thy fleshly friends and\npleasures, without the Spirit of God: it was not for these, but to\ndestroy these, and kindle a more noble, heavenly fire in thy breast,\nthat the Spirit did renew thee. Examine, search, and try thyself,\nwhether the Spirit hath sanctified thee or not. Knowest thou not, that\nif \"any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the same is none of his?\" 2\nCor. xiii. 5; Rom. viii. 9. And if Christ and his Spirit be in thee,\nthy love is dead to earthly vanity, and quickened and raised to the\nmost holy God. Live then in the Spirit, if thou have the Spirit: to\nwalk in the Spirit is to walk in love. Hath the regenerating Spirit\ngiven thee on purpose a new principle of love, and done so much to\nexcite it, and been blowing at the coals so oft, and shall thy\ncarnality or sluggishness yet extinguish it? As thou wouldst not\nrenounce or contemn thy creation, thy redemption, and regeneration,\ncontemn not and neglect not the love of thy Creator, Redeemer, and\nRegenerator, which is the end of all.\n\n_Direct._ II. Think of the perfect fitness of God to be the only\nobject of thy superlative love; and how easy and necessary it should\nseem to us to do a work so agreeable to right reason and uncorrupted\nnature; and abhor all temptations which would make God seem unsuitable\nto thee.--O sluggish and unnatural soul! should not an object so\nadmirably fit allure thee? Should not such attractive goodness draw\nthee? Should not perfect amiableness win thee wholly to itself? Do but\nknow thyself and God, and then forbear to love him if thou canst!\nWhere should the fish live, but in the water? And where should birds\nfly, but in the air? God is thy very element: thou diest and sinkest\ndown to brutishness, if thou forsake him or be taken from him. What\nshould delight the smell, but odours? or the appetite, but its\ndelicious food? or the eye, but light, and what it showeth? and the\near, but harmony? and what should delight the soul, but God? If thou\nknow thyself, thou knowest that the nature of thy mind inclineth to\nknowledge; and by the knowledge of effects, to rise up to the cause;\nand by the knowledge of lower and lesser matters, to ascend to the\nhighest and greatest. And if thou know God, thou knowest that he is\nthe cause of all things, the Maker, Preserver, and Orderer of all,\nthe Being of beings, the most great, and wise, and good, and happy; so\nthat to know him, is to know all; to know the most excellent,\nindependent, glorious Being, that will leave no darkness nor\nunsatisfied desire in thy soul. And is he not then most suitable to\nthy mind? If thou know thyself, then thou knowest that thy will, as\nfree as it is, hath a natural, necessary inclination to goodness. Thou\ncanst not love evil as evil; nor canst thou choose but love\napprehended goodness, especially the chiefest good, if rightly\napprehended. And if thou know God, thou knowest that he is infinitely\ngood in himself, and the cause of all the good that is in the world,\nand the giver of all the good thou hast received, and the only fit and\nsuitable good to satisfy thy desires for the time to come. And yet,\nshall it be so hard to thee to love, so agreeably to perfect nature,\nso perfect, and full, and suitable a good? even Goodness and Love\nitself, which hath begun to love thee? Is any of the creatures which\nthou lovest so suitable to thee? Are they good, and only good, and\nperfectly good, and unchangeably and eternally good? Are they the\nspring of comfort, and the satisfying happiness of thy soul? Hast thou\nfound them so? or dost thou look to find them best at last? Foolish\nsoul! canst thou love the uneven, defective, troublesome creature, if\nto some one small, inferior use it seemeth suitable to thee? and canst\nthou not love Him, that is all that rational love can possibly desire\nto enjoy? What though the creature be near thee, and God be infinitely\nabove thee? He is nearer to thee than they. And though in glory he be\ndistant, thou art passing to him in his glory, and wilt presently be\nthere. Though the sun be distant from thee, it communicateth to thee\nits light, and heat, and is more suitable to thee than the candle that\nis nearer thee. What though God be most holy, and thou too earthly and\nunclean? is he not the fitter to purify thee, and make thee holy? Thou\nhadst rather, if thou be poor, have the company and favour of the rich\nthat can relieve thee, than of beggars that will but complain with\nthee. And if thou be unlearned or ignorant, thou wouldst have the\ncompany of the wise and learned that can teach thee, and not of those\nthat are as ignorant as thyself. Who is so suitable to thy desires, as\nhe that hath all that thou canst wisely desire, and is willing and\nready to satisfy thee to the full? Who is more suitable to thy love,\nthan he that loveth thee most, and hath done most for thee, and must\ndo all that ever will be done for thee, and is himself most lovely in\nhis infinite perfections? O poor, diseased, lapsed soul! if sin had\nnot corrupted, and distempered, and perverted thee, thou wouldst have\nthought God as suitable to thy love, as meat to thy hunger, and drink\nto thy thirst, and rest to thy weariness, and as the earth and water,\nthe air and sun, are to the inhabitants of the world! O whither art\nthou fallen? and how far, how long, hast thou wandered from thy God,\nthat thou now drawest back from him as a stranger to thee, and lookest\naway from him as an unsuitable good?\n\n_Direct._ III. Imagine not God to be far away from thee, but think of\nhim as always near thee and with thee, in whose present love and\ngoodness thou dost subsist.--Nearness of objects doth excite the\nfaculties: we hear no sound, nor smell any odour, nor taste any\nsweetness, nor see any colours, that are too distant from us. And the\nmind being limited in its activity, neglecteth, or reacheth not things\ntoo distant, and requireth some nearness of its object, as well as the\nsense; especially to the excitation of affections and bodily action. A\ndistant danger stirreth not up such fears, nor a distant misery such\ngrief, nor a distant benefit such pleasure, as that which is at hand.\nDeath doth more deeply affect us, when it seemeth very near, than when\nwe think we have yet many years to live. So, carnal minds are so\ndrowned in flesh, and captivated to sense, that they take little\nnotice of what they see not, and therefore think of God as absent,\nbecause they see him not: they think of him as confined to heaven, as\nwe think of a friend that is in the East Indies, or at the antipodes,\nwho is, if not out of mind as well as out of sight, yet too distant\nfor us delightfully to converse with.--Remember always, O my soul,\nthat none is so near thee as thy God. A Seneca could say, of good men,\nthat God is with us, and in us. Nature taught heathens, that in him we\nlive, and move, and have our being. Thy friend may be absent, but God\nis never absent from thee; he is with thee, when, as to men, thou art\nalone. The sun is sufficient to illuminate but one part of the earth\nat once; and therefore must leave the rest in darkness. But God is\nwith thee night and day; and there is no night to the soul, so far as\nit enjoyeth him. Thy life, thy health, thy love, and joy, are not\nnearer to thee than thy God: he is now before thee, about thee, within\nthee, moving thee to good, restraining thee from evil, marking and\naccepting all that is well, disliking and opposing all that is ill.\nThe light of the sun doth not more certainly fill the room, and\ncompass thee about, than God doth with his goodness. He is as much at\nleisure to observe thee, to converse with thee, to hear and help thee,\nas if thou wert his only creature: as the sun can as well illuminate\nevery bird and fly, as if it shined unto no other creature. Open the\neye of faith and reason, and behold thy God! Do not forget him, or\nunbelievingly deny him, and then say, He is not here. Do not say, that\nthe sun doth not shine, because thou winkest. O do not quench thy love\nto God, by feigning him to be out of reach, and taken up with other\nconverse! Turn not to inferior delights, by thinking that he hath\nturned thee off to these: and love him not as an absent friend; but as\nthe friend that is always in thy sight, in thy bosom, and in thy\nheart; the fuel that is nearest to the flames of love.\n\n_Direct._ IV. All other graces must do their part in assisting love,\nand all be exercised in subservience to it, and with an intention,\ndirectly or remotely, to promote it.--Fear and watchfulness must keep\naway the sin that would extinguish it, and preserve you from that\nguilt which would frighten away the soul from God. Repentance and\nmortification must keep away diverting and deceiving objects, which\nwould steal away our love from God. Faith must show us God as present,\nin all his blessed attributes and perfections. Hope must depend on\nhim, for nearer access and the promised felicity. Prudence must choose\nthe fittest season, and means, and helps from our special approaches\nto him, and teach us how to avoid impediments. And obedience must keep\nus in a fit capacity for communion with him. The mind that is turned\nloose to wander after vanity the rest of the day, is unfit in an hour\nof prayer or meditation, to be taken up with the love of God. It must\nbe the work of the day, and of our lives, to walk in a fitness for it,\nthough we are not always in the immediate, lively exercise of it. To\nsin wilfully one hour, and be taken up with the love of God the next,\nis as unlikely, as one hour to abuse our parents, and provoke them to\ncorrect us, and the next to find the pleasure of their love; or one\nhour to fall and break one's bones, and the next to run and work as\npleasantly as we did before.\n\nAnd we must see that all other graces be exercised in a just\nsubserviency to love; and none of them degenerate into noxious\nextremes, to the hinderance of this, which is their proper end. When\nyou set yourselves to repent and mourn for sin, it must be from love,\nand for love: that by ingenuous lamentation of the injuries you have\ndone to a gracious God, you may be cleansed from the filth that doth\ndisplease him, and being reconciled to him in Christ, may be fit to\nreturn to the exercises and delights of love. When you fear God, let\nit be with a filial fear, that comes from love, and is but a\npreservative or restorative for love. Avoid that slavish fear, as a\nsin, which tendeth to hatred, and would make you fly away from God.\nLove casteth out this tormenting fear, and freeth the soul from the\nspirit of bondage. The devil tempteth melancholy persons to live\nbefore God, as one that is still among bears or lions that are ready\nto devour him; for he knoweth how much such a fear is an enemy to\nlove. Satan would never promote such fears, if they were of God, and\ntended to our good. You never found him promoting your love or delight\nin God! But he careth not how much he plungeth you into distracting\nterrors. If he can, he will frighten you out of your love, and out of\nyour comforts, and out of your wits. A dull and sluggish sinner he\nwill keep from fear, lest it should awaken him from his sin; but a\npoor, melancholy, penitent soul he would keep under perpetual terrors:\nit is so easy to such to fear, that they may know it is a sinful,\ninordinate fear; for gracious works are not so easy. And resist also\nall humiliation and grief, that do not, immediately or remotely, tend\nto help your love. A religion that tendeth but to grief, and\nterminateth in grief, and goeth no further, hath too much in it of the\nmalice of the enemy, to be of God. No tears are desirable, but those\nthat tend to clear the eyes from the filth of sin, that they may see\nthe better the loveliness of God.\n\n_Direct._ V. Esteem thy want of love to God (with the turning of it\nunto the creature) to be the heart of the old man; thy most\ncomprehensive, odious sin: and observe this as the life of all thy\nparticular sins, and hate it above all the rest.--This is the very\ndeath and greatest deformity of the soul; the absence of God's image,\nand Spirit, and objectively of himself.--I never loathe my heart so\nmuch, as when I observe how little it loveth the Lord. Methinks all\nthe sins that ever I committed, are not so loathsome to me, as this\nwant of love to God. And it is this that is the venom and malignity of\nevery particular sin. I never so much hate myself, as when I observe\nhow little of God is within me, and how far my heart is estranged from\nhim. I never do so fully approve of the justice of God, if it should\ncondemn me, and thrust me for ever from his presence, as when I\nobserve how far I have thrust him from my heart. If there were any\nsin, which proceeded not from a want of love to God, I could easilier\npardon it to myself, as knowing that God would easilier pardon it. But\nnot to love the God of love, the fountain of love, the felicity of\nsouls, is a sin, unfit to be pardoned to any till it be repented of,\nand partly cured; Christ will forgive it to none that keep it; and\nwhen it is incurable, it is the special sin of hell, the badge of\ndevils and damned souls. If God will not give me a heart to love him,\nI would I had never had a heart. If he will give me this, he giveth me\nall. Happy are the poor, the despised, and the persecuted, that can\nbut live in the love of God! O miserable emperors, kings, and lords,\nthat are strangers to this heavenly love, and love their lusts above\ntheir Maker! Might I but live in the fervent love of God, what matter\nis it in what country, or what cottage, or what prison I live? If I\nlive not in the love of God, my country would be worse than\nbanishment, a palace would be a prison; a crown would be a miserable\ncomfort, to one that hath cast away his comfort, and is going to\neverlasting shame and woe.--Were we but duly sensible of the worth of\nlove, and the odiousness and malignity that is in the want of it, it\nwould keep us from being quiet in the daily neglect of it, and would\nquicken us to seek it, and to stir it up.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Improve the principle of self-love, to the promoting of\nthe love of God, by considering what he hath done for thee, and what\nhe is, and would be to thee.--I mean not carnal, inordinate self-love,\nwhich is the chiefest enemy of the love of God; but I mean that\nrational love of happiness, and self-preservation, which God did put\ninto innocent Adam, and hath planted in man's nature as necessary to\nhis government. This natural, innocent self-love, is that remaining\nprinciple in the heart of man, which God himself doth still presuppose\nin all his laws and exhortations; and which he taketh advantage of in\nhis works and word, for the conversion of the wicked, and the\npersuading of his servants themselves to their obedience. This is the\ncommon principle in which we are agreed with all the wicked of the\nworld, that all men should desire and seek to be happy, and choose and\ndo that which is best for themselves; or else it were in vain for\nministers to preach to them, if we were agreed in nothing, and we had\nnot this ground in them to cast our seed into, and to work upon. And\nif self-love be but informed and guided by understanding, it will\ncompel you to love God, and tell you that nothing should be so much\nloved. Every one that is a man must love himself; we will not entreat\nhim, nor be beholden to him for this: and every one that loveth\nhimself, will love that which he judgeth best for himself: and every\nwise man must know, that he never had nor can have any good at all,\nbut what he had from God. Why do men love lust, or wealth, or honour,\nbut because they think that these are good for them? And would they\nnot love God, if they practically knew that he is the best of all for\nthem, and instead of all?--Unnatural, unthankful heart! canst thou\nlove thyself, and not love him that gave thee thyself, and gives thee\nall things? Nature teacheth all men to love their most entire and\nnecessary friends: do we deserve a reward by loving those that love\nus, when publicans will do the like? Matt. v. 46. Art thou not bound\nto love them that hate thee, and curse, and persecute thee? ver. 44,\n45. What reward then is due to thy unnatural ingratitude, that canst\nnot love thy chiefest Friend? All the friends that ever were kind to\nthee, and did thee good, were but his messengers to deliver what he\nsent thee. And canst thou love the bearer, and not the Giver? He made\nthee a man, and not a beast. He cast thy lot in his visible church,\nand not among deluded infidels, or miserable heathens, that never\nheard, unless in scorn, of the Redeemer's name. He brought thee forth\nin a land of light, in a reformed church, where knowledge and holiness\nhave as great advantage as any where in all the world; and not among\ndeluded, ignorant papists, where ambition must have been thy governor,\nand pride and tyranny have given thee laws, and a formal, ceremonious\nimage of piety must have been thy religion. He gave thee parents that\neducated thee in his fear, and not such as were profane and ignorant,\nand would have restrained and persecuted thee from a holy life. He\nspoke to thy conscience early in thy childhood, and prevented the\ngross abominations which else thou hadst committed. He bore with the\nfolly and frailties of thy youth. He seasonably gave thee those books,\nand teachers, and company, and helps, which were fittest for thee; and\nblest them to the further awakening and instructing of thee, when he\npassed by others, and left them in their sins. He taught thee to pray,\nand heard thy prayer. He turned all thy fears and groans to thy\nspiritual good. He pardoned all thy grievous sins: and since that, how\nmuch hath he endured and forgiven! He gave thee seasonable and\nnecessary stripes, and brought thee up in the school of affliction; so\nmoderating them, that they might not disable or discourage thee, but\nonly correct thee, and keep thee from security, wantonness, stupidity,\nand contempt of holy things, and might spoil all temptations to\nambition, worldliness, voluptuousness, and fleshly lust. By the\nthreatenings of great calamities and death, he hath frequently\nawakened thee to cry to Heaven; and by as frequent and wonderful\ndeliverances, he hath answered thy prayers, and encouraged thee still\nto wait upon him. He hath given thee the hearty prayers of many\nhundreds of his faithful servants, and heard them for thee in many a\ndistress. He hath strangely preserved thee in manifold dangers. He\nhath not made thee of the basest of the people, whose poverty might\ntempt them to discontent; nor set thee upon the pinnacle of worldly\nhonour, where giddiness might have been thy ruin, and where\ntemptations to pride, and lust, and luxury, and enmity to a holy life,\nare so violent that few escape them. He hath not set thee out upon a\nsea of cares and vexations, worldly businesses and encumbrances; but\nfed thee with food convenient for thee, and given thee leisure to walk\nwith God. He hath not chained thee to an unprofitable profession, nor\nused thee as those that live like their beasts, to eat, and drink, and\nsleep, and play, or live to live; but he hath called thee to the\nnoblest and sweetest work; when that hath been thy business, which\nothers were glad to taste of as a recreation and repast. He hath\nallowed thee to converse with books, and with the best and wisest men,\nand to spend thy days in sucking in delightful knowledge: and this is\nnot only for thy pleasure, but thy use; and not only for thyself, but\nmany others. O how many sweet and precious truths hath he allowed thee\nto feed on all the day, when others are diverted, and commonly look at\nthem sometimes afar off! O how many precious hours hath he granted me,\nin his holy assemblies, and in his honourable and most pleasant work!\nHow oft hath his day, and his holy uncorrupted ordinances, and the\ncommunion of his saints, and the mentioning of his name and kingdom,\nand the pleading of his cause with sinners, and the celebrating of his\npraise, been my delight! O how many hundreds that he hath sent, have\nwanted the abundant encouragement which I have had! When he hath seen\nthe disease of my despondent mind, he hath not tried me by denying me\nsuccess, nor suffered me, with Jonah, according to my inclination to\noverrun his work; but hath enticed me on by continued encouragements,\nand strewed all the way with mercies: but his mercies to me in the\nsouls of others, have been so great, that I shall secretly acknowledge\nthem, rather than here record them, where I must have respect to those\nusual mercies of believers, which lie in the common road to heaven.\nAnd how endless would it be to mention all! All the good that friends\nand enemies have done me! All the wise and gracious disposals of his\nprovidence; in every condition, and change of life, and change of\ntimes, and in every place wherever he brought me! His every day's\nrenewed mercies! His support under all my languishings and weakness;\nhis plentiful supplies; his gracious helps; his daily pardons; and the\nglorious hopes of a blessed immortality which his Son hath purchased,\nand his covenant and Spirit sealed to me! O the mercies that are in\none Christ, one Holy Spirit, one holy Scripture, and in the blessed\nGod himself! These I have mentioned, unthankful heart, to shame thee\nfor thy want of love to God. And these I will leave upon record, to be\na witness for God against thy ingratitude, and to confound thee with\nshame, if thou deny thy love to such a God. Every one of all these\nmercies, and multitudes more, will rise up against thee, and shame\nthee, before God and all the world, as a monster of unkindness, if\nthou love not him that hath used thee thus.\n\nHere also consider what God is for your future good, as well as what\nhe hath been hitherto; how all-sufficient, how powerful, merciful, and\ngood. But of this more anon.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Improve the vanity and vexation of the creature, and\nall thy disappointments, and injuries, and afflictions, to the\npromoting of thy love to God.--And this by a double advantage: First,\nby observing that there is nothing meet to divert thy love, or rob God\nof it; unless thou wilt love thy trouble and distress! Secondly, that\nthy love to God is the comfort by which thou must be supported under\nthe injuries and troubles which thou meetest with in the world; and\ntherefore to neglect it, is but to give up thyself to misery.--Is it\nfor nothing, O my soul, that God hath turned loose the world against\nthee? that devils rage against thee; and wicked men do reproach and\nslander thee, and seek thy ruin; and friends prove insufficient, and\nas broken reeds? It had been as easy to God, to have prospered thee in\nthe world, and suited all things to thy own desires, and have strewed\nthy way with the flowers of worldly comforts and delights; but he knew\nthy proneness to undo thyself by carnal loves, and how easily thy\nheart is enticed from thy God; and therefore he hath wisely and\nmercifully ordered it, that thy temptations shall not be too strong,\nand no creature shall appear to thee in an over amiable, tempting\ndress. Therefore he hath suffered them to become thy enemies: and wilt\nthou love an enemy better than thy God? what! an envious and malicious\nworld; a world of cares, and griefs, and pains; a weary, restless,\nempty world? How deep and piercing are its injuries! How superficial\nand deceitful is its friendship! How serious are its sorrows! What\ntoyish shows and dreams are its delights! How constant are its cares\nand labours! How seldom and short are its flattering smiles! Its\ncomforts are disgraced by the certain expectation of succeeding\nsorrows: its sorrows are heightened by the expectations of more: in\nthe midst of its flatteries, I hear something within me saying, Thou\nmust die: this is but the way to rottenness and dust: I see a\nwinding-sheet and a grave still before me: I foresee how I must lie in\npains and groans, and then become a loathsome corpse. And is this a\nworld to be more delighted in than God? What have I left me for my\nsupport and solace, in the midst of all this vanity and vexation, but\nto look to him that is the all-sufficient, sure, never-failing good? I\nmust love him, or I have nothing to love but enmity or deceit. And is\nthis the worst of God's design, in permitting and causing my pains and\ndisappointments here? It is but to drive my foolish heart unto\nhimself, that I may have the solid delights and happiness of his love.\nO then let his blessed will be done! Come home, my soul, my wandering,\ntired, grieved soul! Love, where thy love shall not be lost: love Him\nthat will not reject thee, nor deceive thee; nor requite thee as the\nworld doth, with injuries and abuse: despair not of entertainment,\nthough the world deny it thee. The peaceable region is above. In the\nworld thou must have trouble, that in Christ thou mayst have peace.\nRetire to the harbour, if thou wouldst be free from storms. God will\nreceive thee, when the world doth cast thee off, if thou heartily cast\noff the world for him.--Oh what a solace is it to the soul, to be\ndriven clearly from the world to God, and there to be exercised in\nthat sacred love, which will accompany us to the world of love!\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Labour for the truest and fullest conceptions of the\ngoodness and excellencies of God, which are his amiableness; and abhor\nall misrepresentations of him as unlovely.--That which is apprehended\nas unlovely cannot be loved; and that which is apprehended as evil, is\napprehended as unlovely. Therefore, it is the grand design of Satan to\nhide God's goodness, and misrepresent him as evil: not to deny him to\nbe good in himself, for in that he hath no hope to be believed; but to\npersuade men that he is not good to them, or to make them forget or\noverlook his goodness. Not to persuade them that God is evil in\nhimself; but that he is evil to them, by restraining them from their\nbeloved sins, and hating them as sinners, and resolving to damn them\nif they go on impenitently. This, which is part of the goodness of\nGod, he maketh them believe is evil, by engaging them in a way and\ninterest, which he knoweth that God is engaged against, and enticing\nthem under the strokes of his justice. And he tempteth believers\nthemselves to poor, diminutive, unworthy thoughts of the goodness and\nmercifulness of God, and to continual apprehensions of his wrath and\nterrors. And if he can make them believe that God is their enemy, and\nthink of him only as a consuming fire, how little are they like to\nlove him! If christians knew how much of the devil's malice against\nGod and them doth exercise itself in this, to make God appear to man\nunlovely, they would more studiously watch against such\nmisrepresentations, and fly from them with greater hatred.[116] Not\nthat we must first, by the advice of arrogant reason, and self-love,\nas some do, draw a false description of goodness and amiableness in\nour minds, and make that the measure of our judgment of God, his\nnature, attributes, and decrees; nor take his goodness to be only his\nsuitableness to our opinions, wills, and interest. But we must take\nout from the word and works of God, that true description of his\ngoodness which he hath given of himself, and expunge out of our\nconceits whatsoever is contrary to it. Think of God's goodness in\nproportion with his other attributes.--O my soul, how unequally hast\nthou thought of God! Thou easily believest that his power is\nomnipotence, and that, his knowledge is omniscience; but of his\ngoodness, how narrow and poor are thy conceivings! as if it were\nnothing to his power and knowledge. How oft hast thou been amazed in\nthe consideration of his greatness, and how seldom affected with the\napprehensions of his goodness! Thou gratifiest him that would have\nthee believe and tremble as he doth himself, and not him that would\nhave thee believe and love. How oft hast thou suffered the malicious\nenemy to accuse God to thee, and make thee believe that he is a hater\nof man, and hateful to a man, or a hater of thee, that he might make\nthee hate him! How oft hast thou suffered him to draw in thy thoughts\na false representation of thy dearest Lord, and show him to thee as in\nthat unlovely shape! How oft have thy conceptions dishonoured and\nblasphemed his love and goodness, while thou hast seemed to magnify\nhis knowledge and his power! Think of him now as love itself, as\nfuller of goodness than the sea of water, or the sun of light. Love\nfreely and boldly, without the stops of suspicions and fears, where\nthou art sure thou canst never love enough; and if all the love of men\nand angels were united in one flame, they could never love too much,\nor come near the proportion of the glorious goodness which they love!\nCast thyself boldly into this ocean of delights. Though the narrowness\nof thy own capacity confine thee, yet, as there are no bounds in the\nobject of thy love, let not false, unbelieving thoughts confine thee.\nOh that I were all eye, to see the glorious amiableness of my God! Oh\nthat I were all love, that I might be filled with his goodness! Oh\nthat all the passions of my soul were turned into this holy passion!\nOh that all my fears, and cares, and sorrows, were turned into love!\nand that all the thoughts that confusedly crowd in upon me and molest\nme, were turned into this one incessant thought, of the infinite\ngoodness of my God! Oh that all my tears and groanings, yea, and all\nmy other mirth and pleasures, were turned into the melodious songs of\nlove! and that the pulse, and voice, and operations of love, were all\nthe motion of my soul! Surely in heaven it will be so, though it is\nnot to be expected here.\n\n_Direct._ IX. The great means of promoting love to God, is duly to\nbehold him in his appearances to man, in the ways of nature, grace,\nand glory. First, therefore, learn to understand and improve his\nappearances in nature, and to see the Creator in all his works, and by\nthe knowledge and love of them to be raised to the knowledge and love\nof him.--Though sin hath so disabled us to the due improvement of\nthese appearances of God in nature, that grace must restore us, before\nwe can do it effectually and acceptably; yet objectively nature is\nstill the same in substance, and affordeth us much help to the\nknowledge and love of God. He knoweth nothing of the world aright,\nthat knoweth not God in it, and by it. Some note that the greatest\nstudents in nature are not usually the best proficients in grace; and\nthat philosophers and physicians are seldom great admirers of piety;\nbut this is to judge of the wise by the foolish, and to impute the\nignorance and impiety of some, to others that abhor it. Doubtless he\nis no philosopher, but a fool, that seeth not and admireth not the\nCreator in his works. Indeed if a man do wholly give himself to know\nthe shape and form of letters, and to write them curiously, or cut\nthem in brass or stone, or to print them, and not to understand their\nsignifications or use, no wonder if he be ignorant of the arts and\nsciences, which those letters well understood would teach him; such a\nman may be called an engraver, a scrivener, a printer, but not a\nscholar: and no better can the atheist be called a philosopher or\nlearned man, that denieth the most wise Almighty Author, while he\nbeholdeth his works, when the nature and name of God is so plainly\nengraven upon them all. It is a great part of a christian's daily\nbusiness, to see and admire God in his works, and to use them as steps\nto ascend by to himself. Psal. cxi. 2-4, \"The works of the Lord are\ngreat, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is\nhonourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. He\nhath made his wonderful works to be remembered.\" Psal. cxliii. 5, \"I\nmeditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.\" Psal.\nlxxvii. 12, \"I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy\ndoings.\" Psal. xcii. 4, 6, \"For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through\nthy work; I will triumph in the works of thy hands. A brutish man\nknoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.\" As the praising of\nGod's works, so the observing of God in his works, is much of the work\nof a holy soul. Psal. cxlv. 3-7, 10, 17, \"Great is the Lord, and\ngreatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One\ngeneration shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy\nmighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and\nof thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy\nterrible acts; and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly\nutter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy\nrighteousness. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints\nshall bless thee. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in\nall his works.\" Rom. i. 19, 20, \"That which may be known of God is\nmanifest to them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible\nthings of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being\nunderstood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and\nGodhead; so that they are without excuse.\" If we converse in the world\nas believers or rational creatures ought, we should as oft as David\nrepeat those words, Psal. cvii. \"O that men would praise the Lord for\nhis goodness, and for his wondrous works to the children of men! And\nlet them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his\nworks with rejoicing. They that go down to the sea in ships, that do\nbusiness in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his\nwonders in the deep,\" ver. 21-24. But this is a subject fitter for a\nvolume (of physics theologically handled) than for so short a touch.\nWhat an excellent book is the visible world for the daily study of a\nholy soul! Light is not more visible to the eye in the sun, than the\ngoodness of God is in it and all the creatures to the mind. If I love\nnot God, when all the world revealeth his loveliness, and every\ncreature telleth me that he is good, what a blind and wicked heart\nhave I! O wonderful wisdom, and goodness, and power which appeareth in\nevery thing we see! in every tree, and plant, and flower; in every\nbird, and beast, and fish; in every worm, and fly, and creeping thing;\nin every part of the body of man or beast, much more in the admirable\ncomposure of the whole; in the sun, and moon, and stars, and meteors;\nin the lightning and thunder, the air and winds, the rain and waters,\nthe heat and cold, the fire and the earth, especially in the composed\nframe of all, so far as we can see them set together; in the admirable\norder and co-operation of all things; in their times and seasons, and\nthe wonderful usefulness of all for man. O how glorious is the power,\nand wisdom, and goodness of God, in all the frame of nature! Every\ncreature silently speaks his praise, declaring him to man, whose\noffice is, as the world's high priest, to stand between them and the\ngreat Creator, and expressly offer him the praise of all. Psal. viii.\n3-6, 9, \"When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the\nmoon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou\nart mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For\nthou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned\nhim with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the\nworks of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet. O Lord,\nour Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!\" \"Oh that men\nwould praise the Lord for his goodness, and declare his wondrous works\nto the children of men!\" \"The earth is full of the goodness of the\nLord,\" Psal. xxxiii. 5-9. Read Psal. lxv. Thus love God as appearing\nin the works of nature.\n\n_Direct._ X. Study to know God as he appeareth more clearly to sinners\nin his goodness in the works of grace; especially in his Son, his\ncovenant, and his saints, and there to love him, in the admiration of\nhis love.--Here love hath made itself an advantage of our sin and\nunworthiness, of our necessities and miseries, of the law and justice,\nand the flames of hell. The abounding of sin and misery hath glorified\nabounding grace; that grace which fetcheth sons for God from among the\nvoluntary vassals of the devil, which fetcheth children of light out\nof darkness, and living souls from among the dead, and heirs for\nheaven from the gates of hell; and brings us as from the gallows to\nthe throne. 1. A believing view of the nature, undertaking, love,\nobedience, doctrine, example, sufferings, intercession, and kingdom of\nJesus Christ, must needs inflame the believer's heart with an\nanswerable degree of the love of God. To look on a Christ and not to\nlove God, is to have eyes and not to see, and to overlook him while we\nseem to look on him. He is the liveliest image of Infinite Goodness,\nand the messenger of the most unsearchable, astonishing love, and the\npurchaser of the most invaluable benefits that ever were revealed to\nthe sons of men. Our greatest love must he kindled by the greatest\nrevelations and communications of the love of God. And \"greater love\nhath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,\"\nJohn xv. 13. That is, men have no dearer and clearer a way to express\ntheir love to their friends; but that love is aggravated indeed, which\nwill express itself as far for enemies. \"But God commendeth his love\ntoward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And\nif, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of\nhis Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life,\"\nRom. v. 8, 10. Steep, then, that stiff and hardened heart in the blood\nof Christ, and it will melt: come near, with Thomas, and by the\npassage of his wounds get near unto his heart, and it will change thy\nunkind, unthankful heart into the very nature of love. Christ is the\nbest teacher of the lesson of love that ever the world had; who taught\nit not only by his words, but by his blood, by his life, and by his\ndeath: if thou canst not learn it of him thou canst never learn it.\nLove is the greatest commander of love, and the most effectual\nargument that can insuperably constrain us to it: and none ever loved\nat the measure and rates that Christ hath loved. To stand by such a\nfire is the way for a congealed heart to melt, and the coldest\naffections to grow warm. A lively faith still holding Christ, the\nglass of infinite love and goodness, before our faces, is the greatest\nlesson in the art of love.\n\n2. Behold God also in his covenant of grace, which he hath made in\nChrist. In that you may see such sure, such great and wonderful\nmercies, freely given out to a world of sinners, and to yourselves\namong the rest, as may afford abundant matter for love and\nthankfulness to feed on while you live. There you may see how loth God\nis that sinners should perish; how he delighteth in mercy; and how\ngreat and unspeakable that mercy is. There you may see an act of\npardon and oblivion granted upon the reasonable condition of\nbelieving, penitent acceptance, to all mankind; the sins that men\nhave been committing many years together, their wilful, heinous,\naggravated sins, you may there see pardoned by more aggravated mercy;\nand the enemies of God reconciled to him, and condemned rebels saved\nfrom hell, and brought into his family, and made his sons. Oh what an\nimage of the goodness of God is apparent in the tenor of his word and\ncovenant! Holiness and mercy make up the whole--they are expressed in\nevery leaf and line! The precepts, which seem too strict to sinners,\nare but the perfect rules of holiness and love, for the health and\nhappiness of man. What loveliness did David find in the law itself!\nand so should we, if we read it with his eyes and heart: it was\nsweeter to him than honey; he loved it above gold, Psal. cxix. 127;\nand, ver. 97, he crieth out, \"O how I love thy law! it is my\nmeditation all the day.\" And must not the Lawgiver then be much more\nlovely, whose goodness here appeareth to us? \"Good and upright is the\nLord; therefore will he teach sinners in the way,\" Psal. xxv. 8. \"I\nwill delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved: my hands\nalso will I lift up to thy commandments, which I have loved; and I\nwill meditate in thy statutes,\" Psal. cxix. 47, 48. How delightfully\nthen should I love and meditate on the blessed Author of this holy\nlaw! But how can I read the history of love, the strange design of\ngrace in Christ, the mystery which the angels desirously pry into, the\npromises of life to lost and miserable sinners, and not feel the power\nof love transform me? \"Behold, with what love the Father hath loved\nus, that we should be called the sons of God,\" 1 John iii. 1. How doth\nGod shed abroad his love upon our hearts, but by opening to us the\nsuperabundance of it in his word, and opening our hearts by his Spirit\nto perceive it? Oh when a poor sinner that first had felt the load of\nsin, and the wrath of God, shall feelingly read or hear what mercy is\ntendered to him in the covenant of grace, and hear Christ's messengers\ntell him, from God, that all things are now ready; and therefore\ninvite him to the heavenly feast, and even compel him to come in, what\nmelting love must this affect the sinner's heart with! When we see the\ngrant of life eternal sealed to us by the blood of Christ, and a\npardoning, justifying, saving covenant, so freely made and surely\nconfirmed to us, by that God whom we had so much offended, oh what an\nincentive is here for love!\n\nWhen I mention the covenant I imply the sacraments, which are but its\nappendants or confirming seals, and the investing the believer\nsolemnly with its benefits. But in these God is pleased to condescend\nto the most familiar communion with his church, that love and\nthankfulness might want no helps. There it is that the love of God in\nChrist applieth itself most closely to particular sinners; and the\nmeat or drink will be sweet in the mouth, which was not sweet to us on\nthe table at all. Oh how many a heart hath this affected! How many\nhave felt the stirrings of that love, which before they felt not, when\nthey have seen Christ crucified before their eyes, and have heard the\nminister, in his name and at his command, bid them \"take,\" and \"eat,\"\nand \"drink;\" commanding them not to refuse their Saviour, but take him\nand the benefits of his blood as their own; assuring them of his\ngood-will and readiness to forgive and save them.\n\n3. Behold also the loveliness of God in his holy ones, who bear his\nimage, and are advanced by his love and mercy. If you are christians\nindeed, you are taught of God to love his servants, and to see an\nexcellency in the saints on earth, and make them the people of your\ndelight, Psal. xvi. 1, 2; 1 Thess. iv. 9. And this must needs acquaint\nyou with the greater amiableness, in the most holy God, that made them\nholy. Oh how oft have the feeling and heavenly prayers of lively\nbelievers excited those affections in me which before I felt not! How\noft have I been warmed with their heavenly discourse! How amiable is\nthat holy, heavenly disposition and conversation which appeareth in\nthem! Their faith, their love, their trust in God, their cheerful\nobedience, their hatred of sin, their desire of the good of all, their\nmeekness and patience; how much do these advance them above the\nignorant, sensual, proud, malignant, and ungodly world! How good then\nis that God that makes men good! And how little is the goodness of the\nbest of men, compared to his unmeasurable goodness! Whenever your\nconverse with holy men stirs up your love to them, rise by it\npresently to the God of saints, and let all be turned to him that\ngiveth all to them and to you.\n\nAnd as the excellency of the saints, so their privilege and great\nadvancement, should show you the goodness of God, that doth advance\nthem. As oft as thou seest a saint, how poor and mean in the world\nsoever, thou seest a living monument of the abundant kindness of the\nLord. Thou seest a child of God, a member of Christ, an heir of\nheaven. Thou seest one that hath all his sins forgiven him, and is\nsnatched as a brand out of the fire, and delivered from the power of\nSatan, and translated into the kingdom of Christ. Thou seest one for\nwhom Christ hath conquered the powers of hell; and one that is freed\nfrom the bondage of the flesh; and one that, of the devil's slave, is\nmade a priest, to offer up the sacrifices of praise to God. Thou seest\none that hath the Spirit of God within him; and one that hath daily\nintercourse with heaven, and audience with God, and is dearly beloved\nby him in Christ. Thou seest in flesh a companion of angels, and one\nthat hath the divine nature, and must shortly be above the stars in\nglory, and must be with Christ, and must love and magnify God for\never. And is not the amiableness of God apparent, in such mercy\nbestowed upon sinful man? And should we not now begin to admire him in\nhis saints, and glorify him in believers, who will come with thousands\nof his angels, to be glorified and admired in them at the last? 2\nThess. 1. 10. Oh the abundant deliverances, preservations, provisions,\nencouragements, which all his servants receive from God! Who ever saw\nthe just forsaken, even while they think themselves forsaken? \"For the\nLord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved\nfor ever. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall\nslide. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of\nthat man is peace,\" Psal. xxxvii. 25, 28, 31, 37. \"Precious in the\nsight of the Lord is the death of his saints,\" Psal. cxvi. 15. \"Ye\nthat love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints;\nhe delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for\nthe righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart,\" Psal. xcvii.\n10, 11. \"O love the Lord all his saints! for the Lord preserveth the\nfaithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer,\" Psal. xxxi. 23.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Insist not so much on your desires after vision, as to\nundervalue the lower apprehensions of faith; but love God by the way\nof faith, as in order to the love of intuition.\n\nWe are exceeding apt to be over-desirous of sight; and to take nothing\nas an object fit to affect us, which sense perceiveth not. When we\nhave the surest evidence of the truth of things unseen, it hardly\nsatisfieth us, unless we may see or feel. And hereupon, our love to\nGod is hindered; while we think of him as if he were not, or take the\napprehensions of faith as if they were uncertain, and little differed\nfrom a dream. Yea, it proveth the ground of most dangerous temptations\nto infidelity itself. While we take that knowledge which we have of\nGod, in the way of faith, the love and communion which is exercised\nthereby, to be as nothing; we are next tempted to think, that there is\nno true knowledge of God, and communion with him, to be attained. And\nwhen we have been searching and striving long, and find that we can\nreach no more, we are tempted to think, that the soul of man is made\nbut as the beasts, for present things, and is incapable of those\nhigher things which are revealed in the gospel; and that if it were\nindeed a life to come, and man were made to enjoy his God, we should\nget nearer to him than we are, and know him more, and love him\nbetter.--But is it nothing, O presumptuous soul, to see God in a\nglass, in order to a nearer sight? Is it nothing to have the heavenly\nJerusalem described and promised to thee, unless thou see it and\npossess it? Wilt thou travel to no place, but what thou seest all the\nway? Wouldst thou have no difference betwixt earth and heaven? What\ncanst thou have more in heaven, than immediate intuition? Wouldst thou\nhave no life of trial, in the obedience of faith, before the life of\nfruition and reward? Or canst thou think that a life of sight and\nsense is fit for trial and preparation, to show who is meet for the\nrewarding life? Unthankful soul! Compare thy state with that of\nbrutes: is it nothing for thee to know thy Maker in the works of his\ncreation and providence, and in the revelations of grace, and the\nbelief of promised immortality, unless thou presently see him in his\nglory; when these thy fellow-creatures know him not at all? Compare\nthyself now, with thyself as heretofore, in the days of thy ignorance\nand carnality. Hadst thou then any such knowledge of God, as thou now\nundervaluest? or any such communion with him, as thou now accountest\nnext to none? When the light first shined in thine eyes, and thou\nhadst first experience of the knowledge of God, thou thoughtest it\nsomething, and rejoicedst in the light: if then thou couldst have\nsuddenly attained but to so much as thou hast now attained, wouldst\nthou have called it nothing? Would it not have seemed a greater\ntreasure to thee, than to have known both the Indies as thine own? O\nbe not unthankful for the little which thou hast received, when God\nmight have shut thee out in that darkness which the greatest part of\nthe world lieth in, and have left thee to thyself, to have desired no\nhigher knowledge, than such as may feed thy fancy, and pride, and\nlust. Art thou so far drowned in flesh and sense, as to take\nintellectual apprehensions for dreams, unless thy sense may see and\nfeel? Wilt thou take thy soul, thyself for nothing, because thou art\nnot to be seen or felt? Shall no subjects honour and obey their king,\nbut they that have seen his court and him? Desire the fullest and the\nnearest sight, the purest and the strongest love; and desire and spare\nnot the life where all this will be had: but take heed of being too\nhasty with God, and unthankful for the mercies of the way. Know better\nthe difference betwixt thy travel and thy home; and know what is fit\nfor passengers to expect. Humbly submit to an obedient waiting in a\nlife of faith; and make much of the testament of Christ, till thou be\nat age to possess the inheritance. Thou must live, and love, and run,\nand fight, and conquer, and suffer by faith, if ever thou wilt come to\nsee and to possess the crown.\n\n_Direct._ XII. It is a powerful means to kindle the love of God in a\nbeliever, to foresee by faith the glory of heaven, and what God will\nbe there to his saints for ever.[117]--And thus to behold God in his\nglory, is the use of grace. Though the manner of knowing him thus by\nfaith, be far short of what we there expect, yet it is the same God\nand glory that now we believe, which then we must more openly behold.\nAnd therefore, as that apprehension of love will inconceivably excel\nthe highest which can be here attained; so the forethoughts of that\ndoth excel all other arguments and means to affect us here; and will\nraise us as high as means can raise us. The greatest things, and\ngreatest interest of our souls, being there, will greatly raise us to\nthe love of God, if any thing will do it: to foresee how near him we\nshall be ere long; and what a glorious proof we shall have of his good\nwill; and how our souls will be ravished everlastingly with his love!\nTo think what hearts the blessed have that see his glory, and live\nwith Christ! how full of love they are! and what a delight it is to\nthem thus to love! must needs affect the heart of a believer.--Lift up\nthy head, poor drowsy sinner! look up to heaven, and think where thou\nmust live for ever! Think what the holy ones of God are doing! Do they\nlove God, or do they not? Must it not then be thy life and work for\never? And canst thou forbear to love him now, that is bringing thee to\nsuch a world of love? Thou wouldst love him more, that would give thee\nsecurity to possess a kingdom which thou never sawest, than him that\ngiveth thee but some toy in the hand. And let it not seem too distant\nto affect thee: the time is as nothing till thou wilt be there: thou\nknowest not but thou mayst be there this night. There thou shalt see\nthe Maker of the worlds, and know the mysteries of his wondrous works.\nThere thou shalt see thy blessed Lord, and feel that love which thou\nreadest of in the gospel, and enjoy the fruits of it for ever. There\nthou shalt see him that suffered for thee, and rose again, whom angels\nsee and worship in his glory. Thou shalt see there a more desirable\nsight, than those that saw him heal the blind, and lame, and sick, and\nraise the dead; or those that saw him in his transfiguration; or those\nthat saw him on the cross, or after his resurrection; or than Stephen\nsaw when he was stoned; or Paul when he was converted; yea, more than\nit is like he saw when he was in his rapture, in the third heavens! O\nwho can think believingly on the life which we must there shortly\nlive, the glory which we must see, the love which we must receive, and\nthe love which we must exercise, and not feel the fire begin to flame,\nand the glass in which we see the Lord become a burning-glass to our\naffections!--Christ and heaven are the books which we must be often\nreading; the glasses in which we must daily gaze, if ever we will be\ngood proficients and practitioners in the art of holy love.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Exercise your souls so frequently and diligently in\nthis way of love, that the method of it may be familiar to you, and\nthe means and motives still at hand, and you may presently be able to\nfall into the way, as one that is well acquainted with it, and may not\nbe distracted and lost in generals, as not knowing where to fix your\nthoughts.--I know no methods alone will serve to raise the dead, and\ncause a carnal, senseless heart to love the Lord. But I know that many\nhonest hearts, that have the spirit of love within them, have great\nneed to be warned, that they quench not the Spirit; and great need to\nbe directed how to stir up the grace which is given them: and that\nmany live a more dull, or distracted, uncomfortable life, than they\nwould do, if they wanted not skill and diligence. The soul is most\nbackward to this highest work, and therefore hath the greater need of\nhelps: and the best have so much need as that it is well if all will\nserve to keep up loving and grateful thoughts of God upon their minds.\nAnd when every trade, and art, and science, requireth diligence,\nexercise, and experience, and all are bunglers at it at the first, can\nwe reasonably think that we are like to attain any high degrees, with\nslight, and short, and seldom thoughts?\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Yet let not weak-headed or melancholy persons set\nthemselves on those methods or lengths of meditation, which their\nheads cannot bear; lest the tempter get advantage of them, and abate\ntheir love, by making religion seem a torment to them; but let such\ntake up with shorter, obvious meditations, and exercise their love in\nan active, obediential way of living.--That is the best physic that is\nfitted to the patient's strength and case: and that is the best shoe\nthat is meetest for the foot, and not that which is the biggest or the\nfinest. It is a great design of Satan, to make all duties grievous and\nburdensome to us; and thereby to cast us into continual pain, and\nfear, and trouble, and so destroy our delight in God, and\nconsequently, our love. Therefore pretend not to disability for carnal\nunwillingness and laziness of mind; but yet mar not all by grasping at\nmore than you are able to bear. Take on you as you are able, and\nincrease your work, if God increase your strength. If a melancholy\nperson crack his brain with immoderate, unseasonable endeavours, he\nwill but disable himself for all.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Keep clear, and hold fast the evidences of thy sincerity,\nthat thou mayst perceive thy interest in the love of God, and resist the\ntemptations which would hide his love to thee, and cause thee to doubt\nof it, or deny it.--Satan hath not his end when he hath troubled thee,\nand robbed thee of thy peace and comfort; it is worse that he is seeking\nto effect by this: his malice is more against God, than against thee;\nand more against God and thee, in this point of love, than in any other\ngrace or duty. He knoweth that God esteemeth this most; and he knoweth\nif he could kill thy love, he kills thy soul. And he knoweth how natural\nit is to man, to love those that love him, and hate those that hate him,\nbe they never so excellent in themselves. And therefore, if he can\npersuade thee into despair, and to think that God hateth thee, and is\nresolved to damn thee, he will not despair of drawing thee to hate God.\nOr if he do but bring thee to fear that he loveth thee not, he will\nthink accordingly to abate thy love. I know that a truly gracious soul\nkeepeth up its love, when it loseth its assurance; and mourneth, and\nlongeth, and seeketh in love, when it cannot triumph and rejoice in\nlove: but yet there are some prints left on the heart, of its former\napprehensions of the love of God: and such souls exceedingly\ndisadvantage themselves as to the exercises of love, and make it a work\nof wondrous difficulty. Oh! it will exceedingly kindle love, when we can\nsee God's surest love-tokens in our hearts, and look to the promises,\nand say, They are all mine; and think of heaven, as that which shall\ncertainly be our own: and can say with Thomas, \"My Lord, and my God:\"\nand with Paul, that \"The life which I live in the flesh, I live by the\nfaith of the Son of God, that loved me, and gave himself for me.\" Denial\nof our grace may seem to be humility, but it tendeth to extinguish love\nand gratitude.\n\nBut, you will say, I must avoid soul-delusion and pharisaical\nostentation on the other side; and few reach assurance; how then\nshould we keep up the love of God?\n\n[Sidenote: Signs of the love of God.]\n\n_Answ._ 1. Though I am not come to the point of trying and discerning\ngrace, I shall give you this much help in the way, because it is so\nuseful to the exercises of love. (1.) If you have not enjoying,\ndelighting love, yet try whether you have not desiring, seeking love.\nLove appeareth as truly in desiring and seeking good as in delighting\nin it. Poor men show their love of the world, by desiring and seeking\nit, as much as rich men do in delighting in it. What is it that you\nmost desire and seek? (2.) Or if this be so weak that you scarce\ndiscern it, do you not find a mourning and lamenting love? You show\nthat you loved your money, by mourning when you lose it; and that you\nloved your friend by grieving for his death, as well as by delighting\nin him while he lived. If you heartily lament it as your greatest\nunhappiness and loss, when you think that God doth cast you off, and\nthat you are void of grace, and cannot serve and honour him as you\nwould, this shows you are not void of love. (3.) If you feel not that\nyou love him, do you feel that you would fain love him, and that you\nlove to love him? If you do so, it is a sign that you do love him?\nWhen you do not only desire to find such an evidence of salvation in\nyou, but when you desire love itself, and love to love God. Had you\nnot rather have a heart to love him perfectly, than to have all the\nriches in the world? Had you not rather live in the love of God, if\nyou could reach it, than to live in any earthly pleasure? If so, be\nsure he hath your hearts. The will is the love, and the heart; if God\nhave your will he hath your heart and love. (4.) What hath your hearts\nif he have them not? Is there any thing that you prefer and seek\nbefore him, and that you had rather have than him? Can you be content\nwithout him, and let him go, in exchange for any earthly pleasure? If\nnot, it is a sign he hath your hearts. You love him savingly if you\nset more by nothing else than by him. (5.) Do you love his holy image\nin his word? Do you delight and meditate in his law? Psal. i. 2. Is it\nin your hearts? Psal. xl. 8. Or do you pray, \"Incline my heart unto\nthy testimonies?\" Psal. cxix. 36. If you love God's image in his word,\n(the wisdom and holiness of it,) you love God. (6.) Do you love his\nimage on his children? If you love them for their heavenly wisdom and\nholiness, you so far love God. He that loveth the candle for its\nlight, doth love the light itself and the sun: he that loveth the wise\nand holy, for their wisdom and holiness, doth love wisdom and holiness\nthemselves. The word and the saints being more in the reach of our\nsensible apprehensions, than God himself is, we ordinarily feel our\nlove to them, more sensibly than our love to God; when indeed it is\nGod, in his word and servants, that we love, 1 John iii. 14; Psal. xv.\n4. (7.) Though for want of assurance you feel not the delights of\nlove, have you not a heart that would delight in it, more than in all\nthe riches of the world, if you could but get assurance of your\ninterest? Would it not comfort you more than any thing, if you could\nbe sure he loveth you, and could perfectly love him and obey him? If\nso, it is not for want of love that you delight not in him, but for\nwant of assurance. So that if God have thy heart, either in a\ndelighting love, or a seeking and desiring, or a lamenting, mourning\nlove, he will not despise it or reject it. \"He is nigh to them that\nbe of a broken heart,\" Psal. xxxiv. 18. \"A broken and contrite heart\nis his sacrifice, which he will not despise,\" Psal. li. 17. The \"good\nLord will have mercy on every one that prepareth their hearts to seek\nhim, though they do it not according to the preparation of the\nsanctuary,\" 2 Chron. xxx. 18, 19. By these evidences, you may discern\nthe sincerity of love in small degrees: and so you may make love the\noccasion of more love, by discerning that goodness of God which is\nmanifested to you in the least.\n\n2. But suppose you cannot yet attain assurance; neglect not to improve\nthat goodness and mercy of God which he revealeth to you in the state\nthat you are in. Love him, but as Infinite Goodness should be loved,\nwho \"so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son, that\nwhosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting\nlife,\" John iii. 16. Love him, as the most blessed and merciful God,\nwho made you and all things, and hath given to the world a universal\npardon, on condition of their penitent acceptance, and offereth them\neverlasting life, and all this purchased by the blood of Christ. Love\nhim, as one that offereth you reconciliation, and entreateth you to be\nsaved: and as one that delighteth not in the death of the wicked, but\nrather that they turn and live: and as one that would have all men to\nbe saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, though he will save\nnone but the penitent, that do acknowledge the truth. And when you\nlove him sincerely on these accounts, you will have the evidence of\nhis special love to you.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Improve thy sense of natural and friendly love, to raise\nthee to the love of God.--When thou seest or feelest what love a parent\nhath to children, and a husband to a wife, or a wife to a husband, or\nfaithful friends to one another; think then,--What love do I owe to God!\nOh how inconsiderable is the loveliness of a child, a wife, a friend,\nthe best of creatures, in comparison of the loveliness of God! Unworthy\nsoul! canst thou love a drop of goodness in thy friend; and canst thou\nnot love the ocean of goodness in thy God? Is a spark in the creature\nmore amiable than the fire that kindled it? Thou canst love thy friend\nfor all his blemishes, his ignorance, his passions, and manifold\nimperfections: and canst thou not love thy God, who hath none of these,\nnor any thing to discourage or damp thy love? Thou lovest, and\ndeservedly lovest thy friend, because he loveth thee, and deals friendly\nwith thee: but oh how much greater is the love of God! Did ever friend\nlove thee as he hath loved thee? Did ever friend do for thee as he hath\ndone? He gave thee thy being, thy daily safety, and all the mercies of\nthy life! He gave thee his Son, his Spirit, and his grace! He pardoned\nthy sins, and took thee into his favour, and adopted thee for his son,\nand an heir of heaven! He will glorify thee with angels in the presence\nof his glory! How should such a friend as this be loved! How far above\nall mortal friends! Their love and friendship is but a token and message\nof his love. Because he loveth thee, he sendeth thee kindness and mercy\nby thy friend: and when their kindness ceaseth, or can do thee no good,\nhis kindness will continue, and comfort thee for ever. Love them\ntherefore as the messengers of his love; but love him in them, and love\nthem for him, and love him much more.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Think oft, how delightful a life it would be to thee, if\nthou couldst but live in the love of God: and then the complacency will\nprovoke desire, and desire will turn thy face towards God, till thou\nfeel that thou lovest him.--The love of a friend hath its sweetness and\ndelight: and when we love them, we feel such pleasure in our love, that\nwe love to love them. How pleasant then would it be to love thy God!--O\nblessed, joyful life, if I could but love him as much as I desire to\nlove him! How freely could I leave the ambitious, and the covetous, and\nthe sensual, and voluptuous, to their doting, delusory, swinish love!\nHow easily could I spare all earthly pleasures! How near should I come\nto the angelical life! Could I love God as I would love him, it would\nfill me with continual pleasure, and be the sweetest feast that a soul\ncan have. How easily would it quench all carnal love! How far would it\nraise me above these transitory things! How much should I contemn them,\nand pity the wretches that know no better, and have their portion in\nthis life! How readily should I obey, and how pleasant would obedience\nbe! How sweet would all my meditations be, when every thought is full of\nlove! How sweet would all my prayers be, when constraining love did\nbring me unto God, and indite and animate every word! How sweet would\nsacraments be, when my ascending, flaming love, should meet that\nwonderful, descending love which cometh from heaven to call me thither,\nand in living bread and spiritual wine is the nourishment and cordial of\nmy soul! How sweet would all my speeches be, when love commanded them,\nand every word were full of love! How quiet would my conscience be, if\nit had never any of this accusation against me, to cast in my face, to\nmy shame and confusion, that I am wanting in love to the blessed God! Oh\ncould I but love God with such a powerful love as his love and goodness\nshould command, I should no more question my sincerity, nor doubt any\nmore of his love to me. How freely then should I acknowledge his grace,\nand how heartily should I give him thanks for my justification,\nsanctification, and adoption, which now I mention with doubt and fear!\nOh how it would lift up my soul unto his praise, and make it my delight\nto speak good of his name! What a purifying fire would love be in my\nbreast, to burn up my corruptions! It would endure nothing to enter or\nabide within me, that is contrary to the will and interest of my Lord;\nbut hate every motion that tendeth to dishonour and displease him. It\nwould fill my soul with so much of heaven, as would make me long to be\nin heaven, and make death welcome, which is now so terrible. Instead of\nthese withdrawing, shrinking fears, I should desire to depart and to be\nwith Christ, as being best of all. Oh how easily should I bear any\nburden of reproach, or loss, or want, when I thus loved God and were\nassured of his love! How light would the cross be! And how honourable\nand joyful would it seem, to be imprisoned, reviled, spit upon, and\nbuffeted for the sake of Christ! How desirable would the flames of\nmartyrdom seem, for the testifying of my love to him that loved me at\ndearer rates than I can love him! Lord, is there no more of this blessed\nlife of love to be attained here on earth? When all the world reveals\nthy goodness; when thy Son hath come down to declare thy love, in so\nfull and wonderful a manner; when thy word hath opened us a window into\nheaven, where afar off we may discern thy glory; yet, shall our hearts\nbe clods, and ice? O pity this unkind, unnatural soul! this dead,\ninsensible, disaffected soul! Teach me, by thy Spirit, the art of love!\nLove me, not only so as to convince me that I have abundant cause to\nlove thee above all, but love me, so as to constrain me to it, by the\nmagnetical, attractive power of thy goodness, and the insuperable\noperations of thy omnipotent love.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. In thy meditations upon all these incentives of love,\npreach them over earnestly to thy heart, and expostulate and plead\nwith it by way of soliloquy, till thou feel the fire begin to\nburn.--Do not only think on the arguments of love, but dispute it out\nwith thy conscience, and by expostulating, earnest reasonings with thy\nheart, endeavour to affect it. There is much more moving force in this\nearnest talking to ourselves, than in bare cogitation, that breaks not\nout into mental words. Imitate the most powerful preacher that ever\nthou wast acquainted with: and just as he pleadeth the case with his\nhearers, and urgeth the truth and duty on them, by reason and\nimportunity, so do thou in secret with thyself. There is more in this\nthan most christians are aware of, or use to practise. It is a great\npart of a christian's skill and duty, to be a good preacher to\nhimself. This is a lawful and a gainful way of preaching. Nobody here\ncan make question of thy call, nor deny thee a licence, nor silence\nthee, if thou silence not thyself. Two or three sermons a week from\nothers, is a fair proportion; but two or three sermons a day from\nthyself, is ordinarily too little. Therefore, I have added soliloquies\nto many of these directions for love, to show you how, by such\npleadings with yourselves, to affect your hearts, and kindle love.\n\nAnd oh that this might be the happy fruit of these directions with\nthee that art now reading or hearing them! that thou wouldst but offer\nup thy flaming heart to Jesus Christ our great High Priest, to be\npresented an acceptable sacrifice to God! Or, if it flame not in love\nas thou desirest, yet give it up to the Holy Spirit to increase the\nflames. Thou little knowest how much God setteth by a heart. He\ncalleth to thee himself, \"My son, give me thy heart,\" Prov. xxiii. 26.\nWithout it, he cares not for any thing that thou canst give him: he\ncares not for thy fairest words without it: he cares not for thy\nloudest prayers without it: he cares not for thy costliest alms or\nsacrifices, if he have not thy heart. \"If thou give all thy goods to\nfeed the poor, and give thy body to be burned, and have not love, it\nwill profit thee nothing. If thou speak with the tongue of men and\nangels, and hast not love, thou art but as sounding brass, or a\ntinkling cymbal. If thou canst prophesy and preach to admiration, and\nunderstand all mysteries and knowledge, and hast faith to do miracles,\nand have not love, thou art nothing,\" 1 Cor. xiii. 1-3. Thou hast but\na shadow, and wantest that which is the substance and life of all.\nCome then, and make an agreement with God, and resolve now to offer to\nhim thy heart. He asketh thee for nothing which thou hast not: it is\nnot for riches or lands that he seeketh to thee; for then the poor\nmight say as Peter, \"Silver and gold have I none:\" give him but such\nas thou hast, and it sufficeth. He knoweth that it is a polluted,\nsinful heart; but give it him, and he will make it clean. He knoweth\nthat it is an unkind heart, that hath stood out too long; but give it\nhim yet, and he will pardon and accept it. He knoweth that it is an\nunworthy heart; but give it him, and he will be its worth: only see\nthat you give it him entirely and unreservedly; for he will not\nbargain with the devil, or the world, for the dividing of thy heart\nbetween them. A half-heart and a hollow heart, that is but lent him\ntill fleshly interest or necessity shall call for it again, he will\nnot accept. Only resign it to him, and do but consent that thy heart\nbe his, and entirely and absolutely his, and he will take it and use\nit as his own. It is his own by title: let it be also so by thy\nconsent. If God have it not, who shall have it? Shall the world, or\npride, or fleshly lust? Did they make it, or did they purchase it?\nWill they be better to thee in the time of thy extremity? Do they bid\nmore for thy heart than God will give thee? He will give thee his\nSon, and his Spirit, and image, and the forgiveness of all thy sins:\nif the greatest gain, or honour, or pleasure will win it and purchase\nit, he will have it: if heaven will buy it, he will not break with\nthee for the price. Have the world and sin a greater price than this\nto give thee? And what dost thou think that he will do with thy heart?\nand how will he use it, that thou art loth to give it him? Will he\nblind it, and deceive it, and corrupt it, and abuse it, and at last\ntorment it, as Satan will do? No; he will more illuminate it, and\ncleanse it, and quicken it, Psal. li. 10; Eph. ii. 1; Jer. xxiv. 7. He\nwill make it new, and heal and save it, Ezek. xxxvi. 26; 2 Cor. v. 17;\nTit. iii. 3, 5, and ii. 14. He will advance and honour it, with the\nhighest relations, employments, and delight; for Christ hath said,\nJohn xii. 26, \"If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am,\nthere shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my\nFather honour.\" He will love it, and govern it, and comfort it, and\nthe heart that is delivered to him shall be kept near unto his own:\nJohn xvi. 27, \"For the Father himself loveth you,\" saith Christ,\n\"because ye have loved me.\" Whereas if thou deliver not thy heart to\nhim, it will feed on the poison of luscious vanity, which will gripe\nand tear it when it is down; it will be like a house that nothing\ndwelleth in but dogs, and flies, and worms, and snakes; it will be\nlike one that is lost in the wilderness, or in the night, that tireth\nhimself in seeking the way home, and the longer the worse; despair and\nrestlessness will be its companions for ever. Let me now once more in\nthe name of God bespeak thy heart. I will not use his commands or\nthreatenings to thee now, (though these as seconds must be used,)\nbecause that love must have attractive arguments, and is not raised by\nmere authority or fear: if there be not love and goodness enough in\nGod, to deserve the highest affections of every reasonable creature,\nthen let him go, and give thy heart to one that is better. Hear how\nGod pleadeth his own cause with an unkind, unthankful people, Mic. vi.\n2, 3, \"Hear, O ye mountains, the Lord's controversy. O my people, what\nhave I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify\nagainst me.\" What is there in him to turn away thy heart? Let malice\nitself say the worst, without notorious impudence, against him: what\nhath he ever done that deserveth thy disaffection and neglect? What\nwouldst thou have to win a heart that is not in him? For which of his\nmercies or excellencies is it, that thou thus contemnest and abusest\nhim? What dost thou want that he cannot, yea, or will not give thee?\nDoth not thy tongue speak honourably of his goodness, while thy heart\ncontradicteth it, and denieth all? What hast thou found that will\nprove better to thee? Is it sin or God that must be thy glory, rest,\nand joy, if thou wilt not be a fire-brand of restlessness and misery\nfor ever? What sayest thou yet, sinner? Shall God, or the world and\nfleshly pleasures, have thy heart? Art thou not yet convinced which\nbest deserveth it, and which will be best to it? Canst thou be a loser\nby him? Will he make it worse, and sin make it better? Or wilt thou\never have cause to repent of giving it up to God, as thou hast of\ngiving it to the world and sin? I tell thee, if God have not thy\nheart, it were well for thee if thou hadst no heart.--I had a thousand\ntimes rather have the heart of a dog, or the basest creature, than\nthat man's heart that followeth his fleshly lusts, and is not\nunfeignedly delivered up to God, through Christ.\n\nIf I have not prevailed with your hearts for God, by all that I have\nsaid, your consciences shall yet bear me witness, that I showed you\nGod's title, and love, and goodness, and said that which ought to have\nprevailed; and you shall find ere long, who it is that will have the\nworst of it: but if you resolve and give them presently to God, he\nwill entertain them, and sanctify, and save them; and this happy day\nand work will be the angels' joy, Luke xv. 7, 10; and it will be my\njoy, and especially your own everlasting joy.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Sidenote: To trust in God.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ XII. Trust God with that soul and body which thou hast\ndelivered up and dedicated to him; and quiet thy mind in his love and\nfaithfulness, whatever shall appear unto thee, or befall thee in the\nworld.\n\nI shall here briefly show you, 1. What is the nature of this trust in\nGod.[118] 2. What are the contraries to it. 3. What are the\ncounterfeits of it. 4. The usefulness of it. And then, 5, I shall give\nyou some directions how to attain and exercise it.\n\n1. To trust in God, is, upon the apprehension of the all-sufficiency,\ngoodness, and faithfulness of God, to quiet our hearts in the\nexpectation of the safety or benefits from him which we desire,\nrejecting the cares, and fears, and griefs that would disquiet them, if\nthey had not the refuge of these hopes.[119] It containeth in it a\ncrediting the word or nature of God, or judging it to be a sufficient\nground of our security and expectation: and then security and\nexpectation built upon that ground, make up the rest of the nature of\ntrust. Looking for the benefit, and finding a complacency and quietness\nof mind in the ground discovered, and ceasing all other cares and fears,\nwhich would else disquiet us. Aquinas and other school-men often call\naffiance, _spes roborata_, a confirmed hope. There is a twofold trust in\nGod: one is, for that which he hath not promised to do, but yet we think\nthat we find reason sufficient, from his nature itself, and relations,\nto expect: this may be more or less certain and strong, as our\ncollection of the will of God, from his nature, is more or less sure and\nclear. The other is, when we have not only God's nature, but his promise\nalso to trust upon: and this giveth us a certainty, if we certainly\nunderstand his promise. To the last sort I may reduce that trust in God\nfor particular benefits, when we have only a promise in general, which\nmaketh not the particulars known and certain to us: as the promise, that\nall shall work together for our good, doth give us but a probability of\nhealth or outward protection and deliverances, because we are uncertain\nhow far they are for our good. All that is promised is sure; but whether\nthis or that be good for us, must be otherwise known. But those general\npromises which contain particulars as surely known as the promise\nitself, do make every one of the particular benefits as sure, by\npromise, as the general: as, the promise of the pardon of all our sins,\nascertaineth us of the pardon of every sin in particular. Where there is\na promise, we trust God's faithfulness as well as his nature; but where\nthere is none, we trust his nature only. As a child doth quietly trust\nhis parents, without a promise, that they will not kill, or torment, or\nforsake him. But because man is apt to make false collections of God's\nwill from his nature, he hath given us such clear expressions of it in\nhis word, as may bring us above uncertain probabilities, and are\nsufficient for faith to ground upon (supposing God's properties) for our\ngovernment and peace. And it is certain that all collections of God's\nwill which are contrary to his word, are the errors of the collector.\n\nIn what I have said in this direction, I desire you chiefly to observe\nthese three things: 1. That God's nature and love are the sufficient,\ngeneral security to the soul. 2. That his promise is the sufficient,\nparticular security. 3. And that our unfeigned self-dedication to him,\nis our sufficient evidence of our interest in his love and covenant,\nwhich may warrant our special trust and expectations.\n\nII. The contraries to trust in God, are: 1. Privative: not trusting\nhim: not seeing the ground of just security in his love and promise:\nnot crediting what is seen: not ceasing disquietness and distrustful\ncares and fears. 2. Positive distrust: supposing the all-sufficiency,\ngoodness, and promises of God, are not sufficient grounds of our\nexpectation and security; and thereupon disquieting our minds with\nsinful fears, and griefs, and cares, and shifting endeavours for\nourselves some other way. And this hath various degrees: in some it is\npredominant; in others not. 3. Opposite or adverse: when we trust\nourselves, or friends, or wealth, or something else instead of God,\neither against him, without him, or in co-ordination with him.\n\nIII. The counterfeits of this trust are these: 1. When indeed we trust\nin our wit, or power, or shifts, or friends, or in some means or\ncreatures only, or in co-ordination with God; but pretend and think\nthat we do it but in subordination to him, and that our primary trust\nis in him alone. The detection of this is by trying how we can trust\nGod alone, when he giveth us a promise and no probable means. 2.\nPretending to trust God alone in the neglect of those means which he\nhath appointed us to use, and in the neglect of those duties which he\nhath made the condition of his promises; and this trust is but a\nself-deceiving cover for sin and sloth. 3. Pretending to trust God in\nthe use of self-devised, sinful means; when he hath promised a\nblessing to no such means, but threatened them with a curse. 4.\nThinking we trust God, when it is some false revelation of the devil,\nor some delusion of deceivers, or some dream, or fancy, or brain-sick,\nproud conceit of our own, which indeed we believe, and ground our\ntrust upon: as those do that are deluded by false prophets and false\nteachers, and fantastical fancies of their corrupted imaginations. 6.\nWhen men in presumption and carnal security will rashly venture their\nsouls in the darkness of uncertainty, (as well as in the neglect of a\nholy life,) and cast away all the sense of their miserable state; and\nall the necessary fear and care that tended to their recovery; and\npersuade themselves that they are in no great danger, or that their\ncare will do no good, and call all this a trusting God with their\nsalvation. 7. A pretending to trust God for that which is contrary to\nhis nature: as to love the wicked with complacency, or to take them\ninto heaven. 8. A pretending to trust God for that which is contrary\nto his word: as to save the unregenerate and unholy; and so \"not\nbelieving him\" itself, is taken for a believing in him, or trusting\nhim. 9. Pretending to believe and trust him for that which neither his\nnature or his word did ever declare to be his will, in matters which\nhe hath kept secret, or never gave us any revelation of; such is that\nwhich some call a particular faith: as to believe in prayer that some\nparticular never promised shall be granted, because we ask it, or\nbecause we feel a strong persuasion that it will be so.\n\n[Sidenote: Of particular faith.]\n\n_Quest._ But is not such a particular faith and trust divine and\nsolid?--_Answ._ To expect any particular mercy which God's nature, or\nword, or works do tell us that he will give, is sound and\nwarrantable: and to expect any particular thing which by inspiration,\nprophecy, or true extraordinary revelation shall be made known to us;\nfor this is a word of God: but all other belief and expectation is but\nself-promising and self-deceiving. And wise men will not easily take\nthemselves for prophets, nor take any thing for an inspiration, or\ndivine, extraordinary revelation, which bringeth not the testimony of\ncogent evidence.\n\nIV. There are three great uses and benefits of this trust in God, which\nhighly commend it to us, and make it necessary. 1. It is necessary to\nour acknowledgment and honouring of God. It is a cordial, practical\nconfession of his power, and wisdom, and goodness, and truth: for where\nany one of these is wanting, there is no ground of rational trust. And\nthe greater the danger or assault against us is, the more God is\nacknowledged and honoured by our trust; for then we declare, that no\ncreature or impediment can disappoint his will: but that his power is\nabove all power, and his wisdom above all wisdom, and his goodness and\nfidelity constant and invincible. Whereas distrust is a denying of God\nin some of his attributes, or a suspecting of him. 2. It is necessary to\nourselves, for the quiet, and peace, and comfort of our minds, which\nelse will be left unavoidably to continual disquietness and pain, by\nvexatious fears, and griefs, and cares, unless stupidity or deceit\nshould ease them. 3. It is necessary to prevent the errors and sinful\nmiscarriage of our lives. For if we trust not in God, we shall spend all\nour thoughts and labours in the use of sinful means; we shall be\ntrusting idolatrously to the creature, and we shall be shifting for\nourselves by lies or any unlawful means, and lose ourselves by saving\nourselves, as from God, or without God.\n\nHence it is, that trust in God is so frequently and earnestly\ncommanded in the Scriptures, and such blessings promised to it, as if\nit were the sum of godliness and religion. Jer. xvii. 5, 7, \"Cursed be\nthe man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose\nheart departeth from the Lord.--Blessed is the man that trusteth in\nthe Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.\" Prov. xvi. 20, \"Whoso trusteth\nin the Lord, happy is he.\" Psal. ii. 12, \"Blessed are all they that\nput their trust in him.\" So Psal. lxxxiv. 12; xxxiv. 8, \"O taste and\nsee that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.\"\nSee Psal. xxxii. 10; lvii. 1; lxxxvi. 2; xxii. 4, 5, 8. Safety,\nstability, comfort, salvation, all mercies are promised to them that\ntrust in God, Psal. xxxiv. 22; xxxvii. 3, 5, 40; xci. 2, 4; cxxv. 1;\nIsa. 1. 10. So faith in Christ is called trust, Matt. xii. 21; Eph. i.\n12, 13. And idolaters and worldlings are described by trusting in\ntheir idols and their wealth, Psal. cxv. 8; cxxxv. 18; Amos vi. 1;\nMark x. 24; Prov. xi. 28; xxviii. 26.\n\n\n        _Directions for a quieting and comforting Trust in God._\n\n_Direct._ I. Let thy soul retain the deepest impression of the\nalmightiness, wisdom, goodness, and faithfulness of God, and how\ncertainly all persons, things, and events are in his power; and how\nimpotent all the world is to resist him, and that nothing can hurt thee\nbut by his consent.--The principal means for a confirmed confidence in\nGod is to know him, and to know that all things that we can fear are\nnothing, and can do nothing, but by his command, and motion, or\npermission. I am not afraid of a bird or a worm, because I know it is\ntoo weak for me: and if I rightly apprehend how much all creatures are\ntoo weak for God, and how sufficient God is to deliver me, his trust\nwould quiet me. Isa. xli. 10, \"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not\ndismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help\nthee; yea, I will uphold thee.\" So ver. 13, 14; xliii. 1; xliv. 2, 8.\nPsal. ix. 10, \"They that know thy name will put their trust in thee.\"\nIsa. li. 7, 8, \"Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people\nin whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be\nafraid of their revilings: for the moth shall eat them up like a\ngarment, and the worm shall eat them like wool.\"\n\n_Direct._ II. Labour for a sound and clear understanding of the\npromises of God, that thou mayst know how far he calleth thee to trust\nin him.--For to think that he promiseth what he doth not, is not to\ntrust him, but to deceive thyself; and to think that he doth not\npromise what indeed he doth, is to cast away the ground of trust.\n\n_Direct._ III. Yield not to the tempter, who would either entice thee\ninto terrifying guilt, and blot thine evidences, or else hide them\nfrom thee, and keep thee doubtful and suspicious of the love of\nGod.--For almost all that the distrustful soul hath to say for itself,\nto justify its distrust, is, I am not sure that the promises are mine.\nRemember still, that a heart dedicated to God, or consenting to his\ncovenant, is your fullest evidence; and suffer not this to be hid or\nblotted. Wilful sin and guiltiness breeds fears, and will interrupt\nyour trust and quiet till it be forsaken.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Remember the grounds of confidence and quietness which\nGod hath given you in his Son, his covenant, his Spirit, his\nsacraments, and your own and others' manifold experiences. I name them\nall together, because I would have you set them all together before\nyour eyes. Will he not give you \"all things with him,\" that hath\n\"given you his Son?\" Rom. viii. 32. Is not Christ a sufficient\nundertaker and encourager? Are not his covenant, promise, and oath\nsufficient security for you? \"Wherein God, willing more abundantly to\nshow to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel,\nconfirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things in which it was\nimpossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation,\" Heb.\nvi. 17, 18. And are not the heavenly seal and earnest of his Spirit\nsufficient to confirm us? 2 Cor. i. 22; and v. 5; Eph. i. 13, 14, and\niv. 30. And have you tried God so oft, and yet cannot you trust him?\nOur frequent experiences, though the least of all these helps of\ntrust, are very powerful, because they are near us, and almost satisfy\nsense itself; when all our bones say, \"Lord, who is like unto thee,\nwho deliverest the poor?\" &c. Psal. xxxv. 10.\n\n_Direct._ V. Consider of the greatness of the sin of distrust; how it\ndenieth God in his attributes, and usually supposeth the creature to\nbe above him.--Either thou doubtest of, or deniest his power to help\nthee, or his wisdom as deficient in making his promises, or finding\nout the means of thy deliverance, or his goodness and love, as if he\nwould deceive thee, and so his truth and faithfulness in his promises.\nAnd if thou fear a man, how great soever, when God calleth thee to\ntrust him for thy help, what dost thou but say, This man is more\npowerful than God? or, God cannot deliver me out of his hands? If it\nbe want, or sickness, or death which thou fearest, what dost thou but\nsay in thy heart, that God either knoweth not what is best for thee so\nwell as thou knowest thyself, or else is not powerful or gracious\nenough to give it? nor true enough to keep his promise? \"He that\nbelieveth not, makes God a liar,\" 1 John v. 10, 11.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Remember that trusting God doth, as it were, oblige him,\nand distrusting him doth greatly disoblige him, especially when any\nthing else is trusted before him.--If any man trust you upon any\nencouragement given him by you, you will take yourselves obliged to be\ntrusty to him, and not to fail any honest trust; but if he trust you\nnot, or trust another, you will turn him off to those that he hath\ntrusted. God may say to thee, Let them help thee whom thou hast\ntrusted: thou trustest not in me, and therefore I fail not thy trust\nwhen I forsake thee.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Remember that thou must trust in God, or in\nnothing.--For nothing is more sure, nor more frequently experienced,\nthan that all things else are utterly insufficient to be our help.\nShall we choose a broken reed, that we know beforehand will both\ndeceive and pierce us? Woe to the man that hath no surer a foundation\nfor his trust than creatures! The greatest of them are unable; and the\nbest of them are untrusty and deceitful. How sad is thy case, if God\nturn thee off to these for help in the hour of thy extremity! Then\nwilt thou perceive, that \"it is better to trust in the Lord, than to\nput any confidence in princes,\" Psal. cxviii. 8, 9. \"The righteous\nalso shall see, and fear, and laugh at him: Lo, this is the man that\nmade not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches,\nand strengthened himself in his wickedness,\" Psal. lii. 6, 7. \"But\nthey that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, that cannot be\nremoved, but abideth for ever,\" Psal. cxxv. 1. Creatures will\ncertainly deceive thy trust, but so will not God.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Believe and remember the particular providence of God,\nwhich regardeth the falling of a sparrow on the ground, and numbereth\nthe very hairs of your heads, Matt. x. 30.--And can you distrust him,\nthat is so punctually regardful of your least concernments? that is\nalways present, and watcheth over you? You need not fear his absence,\ndisregard, forgetfulness, or insufficiency. Doth he number your hairs,\nand doth he not number your groans, and prayers, and tears? How then\ndoth he wipe away your tears, and put them all as in his bottle! Psal.\nlvi. 8; Rev. vii. 17.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Compare God with thy dearest and most faithful friend,\nand then think how boldly thou canst trust that friend if thy life or\nwelfare were wholly in his hand; and how much more boldly thou\nshouldst trust in God, who is more wise, and kind, and merciful, and\ntrusty, than any mortal man can be.--When thou art in want, in prison,\nin sickness, and in pain, expecting death, think now, if my life, or\nhealth, or liberty were absolutely in the power of my surest friend,\nhow quietly could I wait, and how confidently could I cast away my\nfears, though I had no promise what he would do with me; for I know he\nwould do nothing but what is for my good: and is not God to be trusted\nin much more? Indeed a friend would ease my pain, or supply my wants,\nor save my life, when God will not: but that is not because God is\nless kind, but because he is more wise, and better knoweth what\ntendeth to my hurt or good. My friend would pull off the plaster as\nsoon as I complain of smart; but God will stay till it have done the\ncure. But, surely, God is more to be trusted for my real, final good,\nthough my friend be forwarder to give me ease. All friends may fail;\nbut God never faileth.\n\n_Direct._ X. Make use of the natural love of quietness, and thy\nnatural weariness of tormenting cares, and fears, and sorrows, to move\nthee to cast thyself on God, and quiet thy soul in trusting on\nhim.--For God hath purposely made thyself and all things else\ninsufficient, unsatisfactory, and vexatious to thee, that thou\nmightest be driven to rest on him alone, when nothing else affords\nthee rest. Cares, and fears, and unquietness of mind are such thorns\nand briers as nature cannot love or be content with: and you may be\nsure that you can no way be delivered from them, but by trusting upon\nGod. And will you choose care and torment, when so sure and cheap a\nway of ease is set before you? Who can endure to have fears torment\nhim, and cares feed daily upon his heart, that may safely be delivered\nfrom it? An ulcerated, festered, pained mind, is a greater calamity,\nthan any bodily distress alone. And if you be cast upon your own care,\nor committed to the trust of any creature, you can never rationally\nhave peace. For your own ease and comfort then betake yourselves to\nGod, and cast all your care and burden on him, who careth for you, and\nknoweth perfectly what you want, 1 Pet. v. 7; Matt. vi. 32. Read often\nMatt. vi. from ver. 24. How sweet an ease and quietness is it to the\nmind that can confidently trust in God! How quiet is he from the\nstorms of trouble, and the sickness of mind, which others are\ndistressed with! Isa. xxvi. 3, 4, \"Thou wilt keep him in perfect\npeace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.\nTrust ye in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting\nstrength.\" Psal. cxii. 7, 8, \"He shall not be afraid of evil tidings:\nhis heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; he\nshall not be afraid.\" Psal. xxxi. 19, 20, 24, \"Oh how great is thy\ngoodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou\nhast wrought for them that trust in thee, before the sons of men! Thou\nshalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man;\nthou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of\ntongues. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all\nye that hope in the Lord.\" Psal. lvi. 3, 4, \"What time I am afraid, I\nwill trust in thee. In God I will praise his word; in God have I put\nmy trust: I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.\" How easy and\nsweet a life is this!\n\n_Direct._ XI. Remember that distrust is a pregnant, multiplying sin,\nand will carry thee to all iniquity and misery if thou suffer it to\nprevail.--Distrusting God is but our entrance upon a life of error,\nsin, and woe. It presently sets us on idolatrous confidence on flesh,\nand sinful shifts, and stretching conscience; it deludeth our\njudgments, and maketh every thing seem lawful which seems necessary to\nour safety and welfare; and every thing seem necessary, without which\nman cannot accomplish it. All sinful compliances, and temporizings,\nand man-pleasing, and believing sinful means to be no sin, proceed\nfrom this distrust of God.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Suffer not distrustful thoughts and reasonings in thy\nmind, but cast them out, and command them to be gone.--Cogitations are\nthe instruments of good and evil in the mind of man; they cannot be\nacted but by thoughts, and the will hath more command of the thoughts\nthan it hath immediately of the passions themselves. If you cannot\ntrust God so quietly as you would, nor keep under every fearful\napprehension, yet keep out, or cast out, the thoughts which exercise\nyour sin, and turn your thoughts to something else. If thoughts do not\nactuate it, your distrustful fears and cares will vanish. What are\nyour cares, but the turmoiling of your thoughts? continually feeding\nupon difficulties and trouble, and tiring themselves with hunting\nabout for help? Cast away the thoughts, and the cares are gone. You\nmay do much in this if you will, though it be difficult. Matt. vi. 25,\n\"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall\ndrink, nor yet for your bodies, what ye shall put on.\" Ver. 27, 28,\n\"Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit to his stature?\nAnd why take ye thought for raiment?\"\n\n_Direct._ XIII. When commands will not prevail, rebuke and chide thy\nunbelieving heart, and reason it out of its distrustful cares, and\nfears, and sorrows.--Say to it, as David oft, Psal. xlii. and xliii.\n\"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou so disquieted\nwithin me? Trust in God, for I shall yet give him thanks, who is the\nhealth of my countenance, and my God.\" O foolish soul! hast thou yet\nlearned no better to know thy God? Doth he support the heavens and the\nearth, and the whole creation? and yet canst not thou rely upon him?\nIs he not wise enough to be trusted with the conduct and disposal of\nthee? Is he not good and gracious enough to be trusted with thy life,\nestate, and name, and welfare? Is he not great and powerful enough to\nbe trusted against the greatest danger, or difficulties, or opposition\nthat ever can befall thee? Is he not true and faithful enough to be\ntrusted, whatever improbabilities may arise before thee? Where dwelt\nthe man, and what was his name, that ever trusted him in vain, or was\never failed or deceived by him? Are not his Son, and Spirit, and\ncovenant, and oath, sufficient pledges of his love for thy security?\nHow oft hath he performed his promises to thee, and heard thy cries,\nand helped and saved thee in thy distress! How oft hath he confuted\nthine unbelief, and shamed thy distrustful fears and cares! and then\nthou couldst resolve to trust him better in the next distress. And\nshall all his wonders of mercy be forgotten? and all thy confessions,\nthanksgivings, and promises be now repented of, contradicted, or\nrecanted, by thy renewed distrust and unbelief? Is he not the same\nGod, that hath so frequently and abundantly had mercy on thee? Is he\nnot the same God, that hath saved all that trusted in him, and wrought\nsuch wonders for his servants in the earth, and brought so many safe\nto heaven? \"Our fathers trusted in him; they trusted, and he delivered\nthem; they cried to him, and were delivered; they trusted in him, and\nwere not confounded,\" Psal. xxii. 4, 5. And is he not sufficient for\nthee, that is sufficient for all the world? Who ever sped ill that\ntrusted in him? or who hath prospered by trusting in themselves or any\nother, without him, or against him? Unworthy soul! wilt thou\natheistically deny the sufficiency, or truth, or goodness of thy God?\nShall thy distrust deny him, or blaspheme him? Wilt thou idolatrously\nset up a worm above him? Is there more in man, or any thing else, to\nhurt or ruin thee, than in God to save thee? Whom wilt thou trust, if\nthou trust not God? Darest thou think that any other is fitter for thy\nconfidence? Thou wouldst be quiet and confident if thy dearest friend\nhad thy life or welfare in his hands; and art thou troubled now it is\nin the hands of God? Is he enough to be our endless happiness in\nheaven, and not to be thy confidence on earth? Canst thou trust him to\nraise thy body from the dust, and not raise thy state, or name, or\ntroubled mind? Either take him for thy rock and hope, or never pretend\nto take him for thy God. If thou trust not in him, thou must despair,\nor trust against him; and whom wilt thou trust to save thee from him?\nHadst thou no more encouragement to trust him but this, that he hath\nbid thee trust him, thou mightest be sure he never would deceive thee.\nLament, therefore, thy disquietment and self-tormenting fears; lament\nthy injurious distrust of thy most dear Almighty Father. Choose not\nvexation, when the harbour of his love is open to secure thee. If men\nor devils are against thee, say as those believers, Dan. iii. 16, 17,\n\"We are not careful to answer thee in this matter; our God whom we\nserve is able to deliver us.\" Go on, with Daniel, chap. vi. in praying\nto thy God, and trust him with the lions' jaws. \"Commit thy way unto\nthe Lord; trust in him, and he shall bring it to pass,\" Psal. xxxvii.\n5. \"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but I will remember\nthe name of the Lord our God,\" Psal. xx. 7. \"Trust in him, for he is\nthy help and shield,\" Psal. cxv. 9-11.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Take not the sayings of the tempter or thy own\ndistrustful heart for the sayings of God, or for any reason against thy\nconfidence in him.--Some take all the malicious suggestions of the\ndevil, for reasons of their disquietness and fears, as if it were the\nSpirit of God that raised all the terrors and molestations in them,\nwhich are raised by the enemy of God and them: and they fear when Satan\nbids them, thinking it is the Spirit of God; and they dare not trust God\nwhen he commandeth them, for fear lest it be the will of Satan. Some are\nso strongly affected with their own conceits and fancies, that they\nthink God saith all that their hearts or fancies say, and make one fear\nthe reason of another. Thy heart is not so wise or good, as that thou\nshouldst take all its words for the words of God. Thy \"flesh and thy\nheart\" may \"fail thee,\" when God, who is the \"rock of thy heart and thy\nportion,\" will never fail, Psal. lxxiii. 26. Thy heart may say, I have\nno grace, no help, no hope, when God never said so, Psal. lxxvii. 7-10.\nThy heart may say, I am a reprobate, forsaken of God, he will not hear\nme, the time of grace is past, when God never said so. Thy heart may\nsay, I am undone, I can find no comfort in any friend, no evidence of\ngrace within me, no comfort in God, in Christ, or in the promises, no\ncomfort in my life, which is but a burden to me; I cannot pray, I cannot\nbelieve, I cannot answer the objections of Satan, I can strive no longer\nagainst my fears, I cannot bear my wounded conscience. All this is the\nfailing of the heart; but proveth not any failing of God, whose grace is\nsufficient for thee, and his strength is manifested perfect in thy\nweakness. The heart hath a thousand sayings and conceits, which God is\nutterly against.\n\n_Direct._ XV. When you cannot exercise a trust of assurance, exercise\nthe trust of general faith, and hope, and the quiet submission of\nthyself to the holy will of God.--The common pretence of distrust is,\nI know not that I am a child of God; and, it beseems the ungodly to\nfear his wrath. But, as the gospel is tidings of great joy to any\npeople where it cometh, so it is a word of hope and trust. At least\ntrust God so far as Infinite Goodness should be trusted, who will damn\nnone but the finally obstinate refusers of his saving grace.[120] And\nwith Aaron, Lev. x. 3, hold your peace, when he is glorifying himself\nin his corrections. Remember, that the will of God is never misguided;\nthat it is the beginning and end of all things, Rev. iv. 11; Rom. xi.\n36; that it never willeth any thing but good; that it is the centre\nand end of all our wills. There is no rest or quietness for our wills,\nbut in the will of God: and his will is always for the good of them\nthat truly desire to be conformed to it, by obedience to his commands,\nand submission to his disposal. Say, therefore, with your Saviour,\n\"Father, if it be thy will, let this cup pass from me; but not as I\nwill, but as thou wilt.\" There is nothing got by struggling against\nthe will of God; nor any thing lost by a quiet submission to it. And,\nif thou love it, and desire to obey and please it, trust in it, for it\nwill surely save thee.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Sidenote: For a delight in God.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ XIII. Diligently labour that God and holiness may be\nthy chief delight: and this holy delight may be the ordinary\ntemperament of thy religion.\n\n\n             _Directions for Delighting ourselves in God._\n\n_Direct._ I. Rightly understand what delight in God it is that you\nmust seek and exercise.--It is not a mere sensitive delight, which is\nexercised about the objects of sense or fantasy, and is common to\nbeasts with men: nor is it the delights of immediate intuition of God,\nsuch as the blessed have in heaven: nor is it an enthusiastic delight,\nconsisting in irrational raptures and joys, of which we can give no\naccount of the reason.[121] Nor is it a delight inconsistent with\nsorrow and fear, when they are duties; but it is the solid, rational\ncomplacency of the soul in God and holiness, arising from the\napprehensions of that in him, which is justly delectable to us. And it\nis such, as, in estimation of its object, and inward complacency and\ngladness, though not in passionate joy or mirth, must excel our\ndelight in temporal pleasure; and must be the end of all our\nhumiliations, and other inferior duties.\n\n_Direct._ II. Understand how much of this holy delight may be hoped\nfor on earth.[122]--Though too many christians feel much more fear and\nsorrow in their religion than delight, yet every true christian doth\nesteem God more delectable, or fit and worthy of his delights, if he\ncould enjoy him; whereas to the carnal, fleshly things do seem more\nfit to be their delights. And though most christians reach not very\nhigh in their delights in God, yet God hath prescribed us such means,\nin which, if we faithfully used them, we might reach much higher. And\nthis much we might well expect: 1. So much as might make our lives\nincomparably more quiet, contented, and pleasant to us, than are the\nlives of the greatest or happiest worldlings. 2. So much as might make\nour thoughts of God and the life to come, to be ready, welcome,\npleasant thoughts to us. 3. So much as might greatly prevail against\nour inordinate griefs and fears, and our backwardness to duties, and\nweariness in them, and might make religion an ordinary pleasure. 4. So\nmuch as might take off our hankering desire after unnecessary\nrecreations and unlawful pleasures of the flesh. 5. So much as might\nsweeten all our mercies to us, with a spiritual perfume or relish. 6.\nSo much as might make some sufferings joyful, and the rest more easy\nto us. 7. And so much as might make the thoughts of death less\nterrible to us, and make us desire to be with Christ.\n\n[Sidenote: Psal. lxviii. 3-5; lxix. 30, &c.]\n\n_Direct._ III. Understand what there is in God and holiness, which is\nfit to be the soul's delight.--As, 1. Behold him in the infinite\nperfections of his being; his omnipotence, omniscience, and his\ngoodness; his holiness, eternity, immutability, &c. And as your eye\ndelighteth in an excellent picture, or a comely building, or fields,\nor gardens, not because they are yours, but because they are a\ndelectable object to the eye; so let your minds delight themselves in\nGod, considered in himself, as the only object of highest delight. 2.\nDelight yourselves also in his relative attributes, in which are\nexpressed his goodness to his creatures: as his all-sufficiency, and\nfaithfulness or truth, his benignity, his mercy, and compassion, and\npatience to sinners, and his justice unto all. 3. Delight yourselves\nin him as his glory appeareth in his wondrous works, of creation and\ndaily providence. 4. Delight yourselves in him as he is related to\nyou, as your God and Father, and as all your interest, hope, and\nhappiness are in him alone. 5. Delight yourselves in him as his\nexcellencies shine forth in his blessed Son. 6. And as they appear in\nthe wisdom and goodness of his word, in all the precepts and promises\nof the gospel, Psal. cxix. 162; Jer. xv. 16. 7. Delight thyself in his\nimage, though but imperfectly printed on thy soul; and also on his\nholy servants, Gal. ii. 20; 1 Cor. xv. 10; 2 Cor. vii. 18. 8. Delight\nyourselves in the consideration of the glory which he hath from all\nhis creatures, and the universal fulfilling of his will: as the\nprosperity and happiness of your friend delighteth you, and the\nsuccess of any excellent enterprises, and the praise of excellent\nthings and persons, and as you have a special delight in the success\nof truth, and the flourishing order, and unity, and peace, and\nprosperity of kingdoms, especially of the church, much more than in\nyour personal prosperity (unless you have selfish, private, base,\nunmanly dispositions); so much more should you delight in the glory\nand happiness of God. 9. Delight yourselves in the safety which you\nhave in his favour and defence: and the treasury which you have in his\nall-sufficiency and love, for your continual supplies in every want,\nand deliverance in every danger; and the ground of quiet contentedness\nand confidence which is offered to fearful souls in him. 10. Delight\nyourselves in the particular discoveries of his common mercies to the\nworld, and his special mercies to his saints; and his personal mercies\nto yourselves, from your birth to this moment; both upon your souls,\nand bodies, and friends, and name, and estates, and affairs in all\nrelations. 11. Delight yourselves in the privilege you enjoy of\nspeaking to him, and of him, and hearing from him, and adoring and\nworshipping him, and singing and publishing his praise, and in the\ncommunion which your souls may have with him through Christ, on his\ndays, and at all times, in his sacraments, and in all your lives. And\nsay as Solomon, 1 Kings viii. 27, \"And will God indeed dwell on earth?\nWill he dwell and walk with sinful men? When the heaven of heavens\ncannot contain him.\" Psal. xl. 16, \"Let those that seek him rejoice\nand be glad in him;\" and cxxii. 1, let us be glad to go to the house\nof the Lord, and join with his holy assemblies in his worship. Psal.\nxlvi. 4, \"The streams\" of his grace \"make glad the city of God, the\nholy tabernacles of the Most High: God is in the midst of her; she\nshall not be moved.\" 12. Delight yourselves above all in the\nforethoughts and hope of the glory which you shall see and enjoy for\never. I do but name all these for your memory, because they are before\nspoken of in the directions for love.\n\n[Sidenote: How much God is for his servants' delights.]\n\n_Direct._ IV. Understand how much these holy delights are pleasing\nunto God, and how much he is for his people's pleasure.--For it much\nhindereth the joy of many christians, that they think it is against\nthe will of God, that such as they should so much rejoice; or at least\nthat they apprehend not how much he hath commanded it, and how great a\nduty it is, and how much pleasing to their God. Consider, 1. It is not\nfor nothing that the nature of man is made capable of higher and\nlarger delights, than the brutish, sensual nature is:[123] and that in\nthis we are made little lower than angels. 2. Nor is it for nothing\nthat God hath made delight and complacency, the most powerful,\ncommanding affection, and the end of all the other passions, which\nthey professedly subserve and seek; and the most natural, inseparable\naffection of the soul, there being none that desireth not delight. 3.\nNor is it in vain that God hath provided and offered such plenty of\nmost excellent objects for our delight, especially himself, in his\nattributes, love, mercy, Son, Spirit, and kingdom: which brutes were\nnot made to know or to enjoy. 4. Nor hath he given us in vain, such\nexcellent, convenient, and various helps, and inferior preparations\nwhich tend to our delight; even for body and mind, to further our\ndelight in God. 5. Nor is it in vain that he maketh us yet more nearly\ncapable by his Spirit; even by affecting humiliations, and mortifying,\ncleansing, illuminating, and quickening works: and that the kingdom of\nheaven consisteth in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost:\nand that the Spirit hath undertaken to be the comforter of believers,\nwho is sent upon no low or needless work. 6. Nor did Christ purchase\nhis people's joys in vain, by the price of his grievous sufferings and\nsorrows. Having borne our griefs, and being made a man of sorrows,\nthat we that see him not, might rejoice in believing, with joy\nunspeakable and full of glory. 7. Nor is it in vain that he hath\nfilled his word with such matter of delight and comfort, in the\ngladdest tidings that could come to man, and in such free, and full,\nand faithful promises. 8. Nor hath he multiplied his commands for his\nrejoicing and delight, in vain; again and again commanding us to\nrejoice, and always to rejoice. 9. Nor is it insignificant that he\nhath forbidden those worldly cares, and fears, and griefs which would\ndevour their joys: nor that he hath so clearly showed them the way to\njoy, and blameth them if they walk not in it. 10. He filleth up their\nlives with mercies, and matter of delight, by his direction, support,\nprovisions, and disposals: and all this in their way of trial, and in\nthe valley of tears. 11. How tender is he of their sufferings and\nsorrows; not afflicting willingly, nor delighting to grieve the sons\nof men. 12. He taketh not away their delight and comfort, till they\ncast it away themselves, by sinning, or self-afflicting, or neglecting\nhis proposed pleasures. 13. He never faileth to meet them with his\ndelights, while they walk in the way prescribed to that end: unless\nwhen it tendeth to their greater pleasure, to have some present\ninterruption of the pleasure.[124] 14. In their greatest needs, when\nthemselves and other helps must fail, he giveth them ofttimes the\ngreatest joys. 15. And he taketh their delights and sorrows as if they\nwere his own. In all their afflictions he is afflicted, and he\ndelighteth in their welfare, and rejoiceth over them to do them good.\nCannot you see the will of your Father in all this? 16. If you cannot,\nyet lift up your heads, and foresee the eternal delights which he hath\nprepared for you, when you shall enter into your Master's joy: and\nthen judge whether God be for your delight?\n\n[Sidenote: Reasons for delight in God.]\n\n_Direct._ V. Take special notice of the reasons why God commandeth you\nto delight in him, and consequently how much of religion consisteth in\nthese delights.--1. Thou vilifiest and dishonourest him, if thou judge\nhim not the worthiest for thy delights. 2. If thou delight not in him,\nthy thoughts of God will be seldom, or unwelcome and unpleasant\nthoughts. 3. And thy speeches of him will be seldom, or heartless,\nforced speeches. Who knoweth not how readily our thoughts and tongues\ndo follow our delight? Be it house, or land, or books, or friends, or\nactions, which are our delight, we need no force to bring our thoughts\nto them. The worldling thinks and tasteth of his wealth and business;\nthe proud man, of his dignities and honour; the voluptuous beast, of\nhis lusts, and sports, and meats, and drinks; because they most\ndelight in these. And so must the christian of his God, and hopes, and\nholy business, as being his delight.[125] 4. It will keep you away\nfrom holy duties, in which you should have communion with God, if you\nhave no delight in God and them. This makes so many neglect both\npublic and secret worship, because they have no delight in it; when\nthose that delight in it are ready in taking all opportunities. 5. It\nwill corrupt your judgments, and draw you to think that a little is\nenough, and that serious diligence is unnecessary preciseness, and\nthat one quarter of your duty is an excess. A man that hath no delight\nin God and godliness, is easily drawn to think, that little, and\nseldom, and cold, and formal, and heartless, lifeless preaching and\npraying may serve the turn, and any lip-service is acceptable to God,\nand that more is more ado than needs. And hence, he will be further\ndrawn to reproach those that go beyond him, to quiet his own\nconscience, and save his own reputation; and at last be a forlorn,\nSatanical reviler, hater, and persecutor of the serious, holy\nworshippers of God. Jer. vi. 10, \"Behold, the word of the Lord is a\nreproach to them: they have no delight in it: therefore I am full of\nthe fury of the Lord.\" 6. If you delight not in it, you will do that\nwhich you do, without a heart, with backwardness and weariness: as\nyour ox draweth unwillingly in the yoke, and is glad when you unyoke\nhim: and as your horse that goeth against his will, and will go no\nlonger than he feels the spur, when delight would cause alacrity and\nunweariedness. 7. It makes men apt to quarrel with the word, and every\nweakness in the minister offendeth them, as sick stomachs that have\nsome fault or other still to find with their meat. 8. It greatly\ninclineth men to carnal and forbidden pleasures, because they taste\nnot the higher and more excellent delights. Taverns, and ale-houses,\nplays, and whores, cards, and dice, and excess of recreation, must be\nsought out for them, as Saul sought a witch and a musician instead of\nGod. It would be the most effectual answer to all the silly reasonings\nof the voluptuous, when they are pleading for the lawfulness of their\nunnecessary, foolish, time-wasting sports, if we could but help them\nto the heavenly nature and hearts that more delight in God.[126] This\nbetter pleasure is an argument that would do more to confute and\nbanish their sinful pleasure, than a twelvemonth's disputing or\npreaching will do with them, while they are strangers to the soul's\ndelight in God. Then they would rather say to their companions, O come\nand taste those high delights, which we have found in God! 9. The want\nof a delight in God and holiness, doth leave the soul as a prey to\nsorrows: every affliction that assaulteth it may do its worst, and\nhath its full blow at the naked, unfortified heart: for creature\ndelights will prove but a poor preservative to it. 10. This want of a\ndelight in God and holiness, is the way to apostasy itself. Few men\nwill hold on in a way that they have no delight in, when all other\ndelights must be forsaken for it. The caged hypocrite, while he is\ncooped up to a stricter life than he himself desires, even while he\nseemeth to serve him, is loathsome to God; for the body without the\nwill is but a carcass or carrion in his eyes. If you had rather not\nserve God, you do not serve him while you seem to serve him. If you\nhad rather live in sin, you do live in sin, reputatively, while you\nforbear the outward act: for in God's account, the heart, or will, is\nthe man: and what a man had rather be (habitually) that he is indeed.\nAnd yet, this hypocrite will be still looking for a hole to get out of\nhis cage, and forsake his unbeloved outside of religion: like a beast\nthat is driven in a way that he is loth to go, and will be turning out\nat every gap. All these mischiefs follow the want of delight in God.\n\nOn the contrary, the benefits which follow our delight in God,\n(besides the sweetness of it,) are unspeakable. Those which are\ncontrary to the forementioned hurts, I leave to your own\nconsideration. 1. Delight in God will prove that thou knowest him, and\nlovest him, and that thou art prepared for his kingdom; for all that\ntruly delight in him shall enjoy him. 2. Prosperity, which is but the\nsmall addition of earthly things, will not easily corrupt thee or\ntransport thee. 3. Adversity, which is the withholding of earthly\ndelights, will not much grieve thee, or easily deject thee. 4. Thou\nwilt receive more profit by a sermon, or good book, or conference,\nwhich thou delightest in, than others, that delight not in them, will\ndo in many. 5. All thy service will be sweet to thyself, and\nacceptable to God: if thou delight in him, he doth certainly delight\nin thee, Psal. cxlix. 4; cxlvii. 11; 1 Chron. xxix. 17. 6. Thou hast a\ncontinual feast with thee, which may sweeten all the crosses of thy\nlife, and afford thee greater joy than thy sorrow is, in thy saddest\ncase. 7. When you delight in God, your creature delight will be\nsanctified to you, and warrantable in its proper place; which in\nothers is idolatrous, or corrupt. These, with many other, are the\nbenefits of delight in God.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Consider how suitable God and holiness are to be the\nmatter of thy delight, and take heed of all temptations which would\nrepresent him as unsuitable to you.--He is, 1. Most perfect and blessed\nin himself. 2. And full of all that thou canst need. 3. He hath all the\nworld at his command for thy relief. 4. He is nearest to thee in\npresence and relation in the world. 5. He hath fitted all things in\nreligion to thy delight, for matter, variety, and benefit. 6. He will be\na certain and constant delight to thee: and a durable delight, when all\nothers fail. Thy soul came from him, and therefore naturally should tend\nto him: it is from him, and for him, and therefore must rest in him, or\nhave no rest. We delight in the house where we were born, and in our\nnative country, and in our parents; and every thing inclineth to its own\noriginal: and so should the soul to its Creator.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Corrupt not your minds and appetites with contrary\ndelights.--Addict not yourselves to fleshly pleasures: taste nothing\nthat is forbidden. Sorrow itself is not such an enemy to spiritual\ndelights, as sensual, sinful pleasures are. O leave your beastly and\nyour childish pleasures, and come and feast your souls on God, Isa.\nlv. 1-3. Away with the delights of lust, and pride, and covetousness,\nand vain sports, and gluttony, and drunkenness, if ever you would have\nthe solid and durable delights! Think not of joining both together.\nBethink yourselves: can it be any thing but the disease and wickedness\nof thy heart, that can make a play, or a feast, or drunken, wanton\ncompany, more pleasant to thee than God? What a heart is that which\nthinketh it a toil to meditate on God and heaven; and thinks it a\npleasure to think of the baits of pride and covetousness! What a heart\nis that which thinks that sensuality, wantonness, and vanity are the\npleasure of their families, which must not be turned out; and that\ngodliness, and heavenly discourse and exercises, would be the sadness\nand trouble of their families, which must not be brought in, lest it\nmar their mirth; that thinks it an intolerable toil and slavery to\nlove God, and holiness, and heaven, and to be employed for them; and\nthinks it a delightful thing to love a whore, or excess of meat, or\ndrink, or sports! Can you say any thing of a man that is more\ndisgraceful, unless you say he is a devil? It were not so vile for a\nchild to delight more in a dog than in his parents, or a husband to\ndelight more in the ugliest harlot than in his wife, as it is for a\nman to delight more in fleshly vanities than in God. Will you be\nlicking up this dung, when you should be solacing your souls in\nangelical pleasures, and foretasting the delights of heaven? Oh how\njustly will God thrust away such wretches from his everlasting\npresence, who so abhor his ways and him! Can they blame him for\ndenying them the things which they hate, or set so light by, as to\nprefer a lust before them? If they were not haters of God and\nholiness, they would never be so averse even to the delights which\nthey should have with him.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Take heed of a melancholy habit of body; for\nmelancholy people can scarce delight in any thing at all, and\ntherefore not in God. Delight is as hard to them, as it is to a pained\nmember to find pleasure, or a sick stomach to delight in the food\nwhich it loathes. They can think of God with trouble, and fear, and\nhorror, and despair; but not with delight.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Take heed of an impatient, peevish, self-tormenting mind,\nthat can bear no cross; and of overvaluing earthly things, which causeth\nimpatience in the want of them. Make not too great a matter of fleshly\npain or pleasure.--Otherwise your minds will be called to a continual\nattendance on the flesh, and taken up with continual desires, or cares,\nor fears, or griefs, or pleasures; and will not be permitted to solace\nthemselves with God. The soul that would have pure and high delights,\nmust abstract itself from the concernments of the flesh; and look on\nyour body, as if it were the body of another, whose pain or pleasure you\ncan choose whether you will feel. When Paul was rapt up into the third\nheaven, and saw the things unutterable, he was so far freed from the\nprison of sense, that he knew not whether he was in the body or out of\nit. As the separated souls, that see the face of God and the Redeemer,\ndo leave the body to be buried, and to rot in darkness, and feel not all\nthis to the interrupting of their joys; so faith can imitate such a\ndeath to the world, and such a neglect of the flesh, and some kind of\nelevating separation of the mind, to the things above. If in this near\nconjunction you cannot leave the body to rejoice or suffer alone, yet,\nas itself is but a servant to the soul, so let not its pain or pleasure\nbe predominant, and control the high operations of the soul. A manly,\nvaliant, believing soul, though it cannot abate the pain at all, nor\nreconcile the flesh to its calamity, yet it can do more, notwithstanding\nthe pain, to its own delight, than strangers will believe.\n\nSome women, and passionate, weak-spirited men, especially in sickness,\nare so peevish, and of such impatient minds, that their daily work is\nto disquiet and torment themselves. One can scarce tell how to speak\nto them, or look at them, but it offendeth them. And the world is so\nfull of occasions of provocation, that such persons are like to have\nlittle quietness. It is unlike that these should delight in God, who\nkeep their minds in a continual, ulcerated, galled state, incapable of\nany delights at all, and cease not their self-tormenting.\n\n_Direct._ X. It is only a life of faith, that will be a life of holy,\nheavenly delight: exercise yourselves, therefore, in believing\ncontemplations of the things unseen.--It must not be now and then a\nglance of the eye of the soul towards God, or a seldom salutation,\nwhich you would give a stranger; but a walking with him, and frequent\naddresses of the soul unto him, which must help you to the delights\nwhich believers find in their communion with him.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Especially let faith go frequently to heaven for renewed\nmatter of delight, and frequently think what God will be to you there\nfor ever, and with what full, everlasting delight he will satiate your\nsouls.--As heaven is the place of our full delight, so the foresight\nand foretaste of it, is the highest delight which on earth is to be\nattained. And a soul that is strange to the foresight of heaven, will\nbe as strange to the true delights of faith.\n\n_Direct._ XII. It is a great advantage to holy delight, to be much in\nthe more delightful parts of worship; as in thanksgiving and praise,\nand a due celebration of the sacrament of the body and blood of\nChrist.--Of which I have spoken in the foregoing directions.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. A skilful, experienced pastor, who is able to open the\ntreasury of the gospel, and publicly and privately to direct his flock\nin the work of self-examination, and the heavenly exercises of faith,\nis a great help to christians' spiritual delight.--The experiences of\nbelievers teach them this: how oft do they go away refreshed and\nrevived, who came to the assembly, or to their pastors, in great\ndistress, and almost in despair! See Job xxxiii. 23; 2 Cor. i. 3, 4.\nIt is the office and delight of the ministers of Christ, to be\n\"helpers of his people's faith and joy,\" 2 Cor. i. 24; Phil. i. 4, 25;\n1 Thess. ii. 20.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Make use of all that prosperity, and lawful pleasure,\nwhich God giveth you in outward things, for the increase and advantage\nof your delight in God.--Though corrupted nature is apter to abuse\nprosperity and earthly delights, than any other state, to the\ndiverting of the heart from God; and almost all the devil's poison is\ngiven in sugared or gilded allectives; yet the primitive, natural use\nof prosperity, of health, and plenty, and honour, and peace, is to\nlead up the mind to God, and give us a taste of his spiritual\ndelights! That the neighbourhood of the body might be the soul's\nadvantage; and that God, who in this life will be seen by us but in a\nglass, and will give out his comforts by his appointed means, might\nmake advantage of sensitive delights, for his own reception, and the\ncommunications of his love and pleasure unto man: that, as soon as the\neye, or ear, or taste, perceiveth the delightfulness of their several\nobjects, the holy soul might presently take the hint and motion, and\nbe carried up to delightful thoughts of him that giveth us all these\ndelights. And, doubtless, so far as we can make use of a delight in\nfriends, or food, or health, or habitations, or any accommodations of\nour bodies, to further our delight in God, or to remove those\nmelancholy fears or sorrows, which would hinder this spiritual\ndelight, it is not only lawful, but our duty to use them, with that\nmoderation as tendeth to this end.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Make use of affliction, as a great advantage for your\npurest and unmixed delight in God.--The servants of Christ have usually\nnever so much of the joy in the Holy Ghost, as in their greatest\nsufferings; especially if they be for his sake. The soul never retireth\nso readily and delightfully to God, as when it hath no one else that\nwill receive it, or that it can take any comfort from. God comforteth us\nmost, when he hath made us see that none else can or will relieve us.\nWhen all friends have forsaken us save only one, that one is sweeter to\nus then than ever. When all our house is fired down except one room,\nthat room is pleasanter to us than it was before. He that hath lost one\neye, will love the other better than before. In prosperity our delights\nin God are too often corrupted by a mixture of sensual delight; but all\nthat remaineth when the creature is gone, is purely divine.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Labour by self-examination, deliberately managed under\nthe direction of an able spiritual guide, to settle your souls in the\nwell-grounded persuasion of your special interest in God and heaven;\nand then suffer not Satan, by his troublesome importunity, to renew\nyour doubts, or molest your peace.--An orderly, well-guided, diligent\nself-examination, may quickly do much to show you your condition; and\nif you are convinced that the truth of grace is in you, let not fears\nand suspicion go for reason, and cause you to deny that which you\ncannot, without the gainsaying of your consciences, deny. You see not\nthe design of the devil in all this: his business is, by making you\nfear that you have no interest in God, to destroy your delight in him\nand in his service: and next that, to make you through weariness\nforsake him; and either despair, or turn to sensual delights. Foresee\nand prevent these designs of Satan, and suffer him not at his pleasure\nto raise new storms of fears and troubles, and draw you to deny your\nFather's mercies, or to suspect his proved love.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Damp not your delights by wilful sin.--If you grieve\nyour Comforter he will grieve you, or leave you to grieve yourselves:\nin that measure that any known sin is cherished, delight in God will\ncertainly decay.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Improve your observation of wicked men's sensual\ndelights, to provoke your souls to delight in God.--Think with\nyourselves: Shall hawks, and hounds, and pride, and filthiness, and\ncards, and dice, and plays, and sports, and luxury, and idleness, and\nfoolish talk, or worldly honours, be so delightful to these deluded\nsinners? and shall not my God and Saviour, his love and promises, and\nthe hopes of heaven, be more delightful to me? Is there any comparison\nbetween the matter of my delights and theirs?\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Labour to overcome those fears of death, which would\ndamp your joys in the foresight of everlasting joys.--As nothing more\nfeedeth holy delights than the forethoughts of heaven; so there is\nscarce any thing that more hindereth our delight in those\nforethoughts, than the fear of interposing death. See what I have\nwritten against this fear, in my \"Treatise of Self-denial,\" and\n\"Saints' Rest,\" and in my \"Treatise of Death, as the last Enemy,\" and\nin my \"Last Work of a Believer.\"\n\n_Direct._ XX. Pretend not any other religious duties against your\ndelights in God and holiness; but use them all in their proper\nsubservience to this.--Penitent sorrow is only a purge to cast out those\ncorruptions which hinder you from relishing your spiritual delights. Use\nit therefore as physic, only when there is need; and not for itself, but\nonly to this end; and turn it not into your ordinary food. Delight in\nGod is the health of your souls: say not you cannot have while to be\nhealthful, because you must take physic, or that you take physic\nagainst health, or instead of health, but for your health. So take up\nno sorrow against your delight in God, or instead of it, but for it, and\nso much as promoteth it. See the directions for love beforegoing.\n\nBy this time you may see, that holy delight adjoined to love, is the\nprincipal part of our religion, and that they mistake it which place\nit in any thing else. And therefore how inexcusable are all the\nungodly enemies or neglecters of a holy life. If it had been a life of\ngrief and toil, they had had some pretence; but to fly from pleasure,\nand refuse delight, and such delight, is inexcusable. Be it known to\nyou, sinners, God calleth you not to forsake delight, but to accept\nit; to change your delight in sin and vanity, for delight in him. You\ndare not say but this is better: you cannot have your houses and lands\nfor ever, nor your lust and luxury for ever; but you may have God for\never. And do you hope to live for ever with him, and have you no\ndelight in him? Men deal with Christ as the papists with the reformed\nchurches: because we reject their formalities and ceremonious toys,\nthey say we take down all religion. So because we would call men from\ntheir brutish pleasures, they say we would let them have no pleasure;\nfor the epicure thinks, when his luxury, lust, and sport is gone, all\nis gone. Call a sluggard from his bed, or a glutton from his feast, to\nreceive a kingdom, and he will grudge, if he observe only what you\nwould take from him, and not what you give him in its stead. When\nearthly pleasures end in misery, then who would not wish they had\npreferred the holy, durable delights?\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Sidenote: For a life of thankfulness.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ XIV. Let thankfulness to God thy Creator, Redeemer,\nand Regenerator, be the very temperament of thy soul, and faithfully\nexpressed by thy tongue and life.\n\nThough our thankfulness is no benefit to God, yet he is pleased with\nit, as that which is suitable to our condition, and showeth the\ningenuity and honesty of the heart. An unthankful person is but a\ndevourer of mercies, and a grave to bury them in, and one that hath\nnot the wit and honesty to know and acknowledge the hand that giveth\nthem; but the thankful looketh above himself, and returneth all, as he\nis able, to him from whom they flow.\n\nTrue thankfulness to God is discerned from counterfeit, by these\nqualifications: 1. True thankfulness having a just estimate of mercies\ncomparatively, preferreth spiritual and everlasting mercies before\nthose that are merely corporal and transitory. But carnal thankfulness\nchiefly valueth carnal mercies, though notionally it may confess that\nthe spiritual are the greater. 2. True thankfulness inclineth the soul\nto a spiritual rejoicing in God, and to a desire after more of his\nspiritual mercies: but carnal thankfulness is only a delight in the\nprosperity of the flesh, or the delusion and carnal security of the\nmind, inclining men to carnal, empty mirth, and to a desire of more\nsuch fleshly pleasure, plenty, or content: as a beast that is full\nfed, will skip, and play, and show that he is pleased with his state;\nor if he have ease, he would not be molested. 3. True thankfulness\nkindleth in the heart a love to the giver above the gift, or at least\na love to God above our carnal prosperity and pleasure, and bringeth\nthe heart still nearer unto God, by all his mercies. But carnal\nthankfulness doth spring from carnal self-love, or love of fleshly\nprosperity; and is moved by it, and is subservient to it, and loveth\nGod, and thanketh him, but so far as he gratifieth or satisfieth the\nflesh. A childlike thankfulness maketh us love our Father more than\nhis gift, and desire to be with him in his arms; but a dog doth love\nyou and is thankful to you but for feeding him: he loveth you in\nsubordination to his appetite and his bones. 4. True thankfulness\ninclineth us to obey and please him, that obligeth us by his benefits.\nBut carnal thankfulness puts God off with the hypocritical,\ncomplimental thanks of the lips, and spends the mercy in the pleasing\nof the flesh, and makes it but the fuel of lust and sin. 5. True\nthankfulness to God is necessarily transcendent, as his mercies are\ntranscendent. The saving of our souls from hell, and promising us\neternal life, besides the giving us our very beings and all that we\nhave, do oblige us to be totally and absolutely his, that is so\ntranscendent a Benefactor to us, and causeth the thankful person to\ndevote and resign himself and all that he hath to God, to answer so\ngreat an obligation. But carnal thankfulness falls short of this\nabsolute and total dedication, and still leaveth the sinner in the\npower of self-love, devoting himself (really) to himself, and using\nall that he is, or hath, to the pleasing of his fleshly mind, and\ngiving God only the tithes or leavings of the flesh, or so much as it\ncan spare, lest he should stop the streams of his benignity, and\nbereave the flesh of its prosperity and contents.\n\n\n         _Directions for Thankfulness to God, our Benefactor._\n\n[Sidenote: Gratitude is to the promise, much what obedience is to the\nlaw.]\n\n_Direct._ I. Understand well how great this duty is, in the nature of\nthe thing, but especially how the very design and tenor of the gospel,\nand the way of our salvation by a Redeemer, bespeaketh it as the very\ncomplexion of the soul, and of every duty.--A creature that is wholly\nhis Creator's, and is preserved every moment by him, and daily fed and\nmaintained by his bounty, and is put into a capacity of life eternal,\nmust needs be obliged to incessant gratitude. And unthankfulness among\nmen is justly taken for an unnatural, monstrous vice, which forfeiteth\nthe benefits of friendship and society: 2 Tim. iii. 2, the\n\"unthankful\" are numbered with the \"unholy,\" &c. as part of the\nmonsters which should come in the last times (and which we have lived\nto see, exactly answering that large description of them). But the\ndesign of God in the work of redemption, is purposely laid for the\nraising of the highest thankfulness in man: and the covenant of grace\ncontaineth such abundant, wondrous mercies, as might compel the souls\nof men to gratitude, or leave them utterly without excuse. It is a\ngreat truth, and much to be considered, that gratitude is that general\nduty of the gospel, which containeth and animateth all the rest, as\nbeing essential to all that is properly evangelical. A law, as a law,\nrequireth obedience as the general duty: and this obedience is to be\nexercised and found in every particular duty which it requireth. And\nthe covenant with the Jews was called, The Law, because the regulating\npart was most eminent: and so obedience was the thing that was\neminently required by the law, though their measure of mercy obliged\nthem also to thankfulness. But the gospel or new covenant is most\neminently a history of mercy, and a tender and promise of the most\nunmatchable benefits that ever were heard of by the ears of man: so\nthat the gift of mercy is the predominant or eminent part in the\ngospel or new covenant: and though still God be our Governor, and the\nnew covenant also hath its precepts, and is a law, yet that is, in a\nsort, but the subservient part. And what obedience is to a law, that\nthankfulness is to a benefit, even the formal answering of its\nobligation: so that though we are called to as exact obedience as\never, yet it is now only a thankful obedience that we are called to.\nAnd just as law and promises or gifts are conjoined in the new\ncovenant, just so should obedience and thankfulness be conjoined in\nour hearts and lives; one to God as our Ruler, and the other to him as\nour Benefactor: and these two must animate every act of heart and\nlife. We must repent of sin; but it must be a thankful repenting, as\nbecometh those that have a free pardon of all their sins procured by\nthe blood of Christ, and offered them in the gospel: leave out this\ngratitude, and it is no evangelical repentance. And what is our saving\nfaith in Christ, but the assent to the truth of the gospel, with a\nthankful acceptance of the good which it offereth us, even Christ as\nour Saviour, with the benefits of his redemption. The love to God that\nis there required, is the thankful love of his redeemed ones: and the\nlove to our very enemies, and the forgiving of wrongs, and all the\nlove to one another, and all the works of charity there required, are\nthe exercises of gratitude, and are all to be done, on this account,\nbecause Christ hath loved us, and forgiven us, and that we may show\nour thankful love to him. Preaching, and praying, and sacraments, and\npublic praises, and communion of saints, and obedience, are all to be\nanimated with gratitude; and they are no further evangelically\nperformed, than thankfulness is the very life and complexion of them\nall. The dark and defective opening of this by preachers, gave\noccasion to the antinomians to run into the contrary extreme, and to\nderogate too much from God's law and our obedience; but if we obscure\nthe doctrine of evangelical gratitude, we do as bad or worse than\nthey. Obedience to our Ruler, and thankfulness to our Benefactor,\nconjoined and co-operating as the head and heart in the natural body,\ndo make a christian indeed. Understand this well, and it will much\nincline your hearts to thankfulness.\n\n_Direct._ II. Let the greatness of the manifold mercies of God, be\ncontinually before your eyes.--Thankfulness is caused by the due\napprehension of the greatness of mercies. If you either know them not\nto be mercies, or know not that they are mercies to you, or believe\nnot what is said and promised in the gospel, or forget them, or think\nnot of them, or make light of them through the corruption of your\nminds, you cannot be thankful for them. I have before spoken of mercy\nin order to the kindling of love, and therefore shall now only recite\nthese following, to be always in our memories. 1. The love of God in\ngiving you a Redeemer, and the love of Christ in giving his life for\nus, and in all the parts of our redemption. 2. The covenant of grace,\nthe pardon of all our sins: the justification of our persons: our\nadoption, and title to eternal life. 3. The aptness of means for\ncalling us to Christ: the gracious and wise disposals of Providence to\nthat end: the gifts and compassion of our instructors: the care of\nparents: and the helps and examples of the servants of Christ. 4. The\nefficacy of all these means: the giving us to will and to do, and\nopening of our hearts, and giving us repentance unto life, and the\nSpirit of Christ to mortify our sins, and purify our nature, and dwell\nwithin us. 5. A standing in his church, under the care of faithful\npastors: the liberty, comfort, and frequent benefit of his word and\nsacraments, and the public communion of his saints. 6. The company of\nthose that fear the Lord, and their faithful admonitions, reproofs,\nand encouragements: the kindness they have showed us for body, or for\nsoul. 7. The mercies of our relations, or habitations, our estates,\nand the notable alterations and passages of our lives. 8. The manifold\npreservations and deliverances of our souls, from errors and\nseducers; from terrors and distress; from dangerous temptations, and\nmany a soul-wounding sin; and that we are not left to the errors and\ndesires of our hearts, to seared consciences, as forsaken of God. 9.\nThe manifold deliverances of our bodies from enemies, hurts,\ndistresses, sicknesses, and death. 10. The mercies of adversity, in\nwholesome, necessary chastisements, or honourable sufferings for his\nsake, and support or comfort under all. 11. The communion which our\nsouls have had with God, in the course of our private and public\nduties, in prayer, sacraments, and meditation. 12. The use which he\nhath made of us for the good of others; that our time hath not been\nwholly lost, and we have not lived as burdens of the world. 13. The\nmercies of all our friends and his servants, which were to us as our\nown; and our interest in the mercies and public welfare of his church,\nwhich are more than our own. 14. His patience and forbearance with us\nunder our constant unprofitableness and provocations, and his renewed\nmercies notwithstanding our abuse: our perseverance until now. 15. Our\nhopes of everlasting rest and glory, when this sinful life is at an\nend. Aggravate these mercies in your more enlarged meditations, and\nthey will sure constrain you to cry out, \"Bless the Lord, O my soul:\nand all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my\nsoul, and forget not all his benefits; who forgiveth all thine\niniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from\ndestruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender\nmercies,\" Psal. ciii. 1-4. \"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,\nand into his courts with praise; be thankful to him, and bless his\nname. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth\nendureth to all generations,\" Psal. c. 4, 5. \"The Lord is merciful and\ngracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. For as the heaven is\nhigh above the earth, so great is his mercy to them that fear him,\"\nPsal. ciii. 8, 11. \"O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for\nhis mercy endureth for ever,\" Psal. cxxxvi. 1, &c. \"O give thanks unto\nthe Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the people.\nSing ye unto him, sing psalms unto him; talk ye of all his wondrous\nworks. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that\nseek him,\" Psal. cv. 1-3.\n\n_Direct._ III. Be well acquainted with the greatness of your sins, and\nsensible of them as they are the aggravation of God's mercies to\nyou.--This is the main end why God will humble those that he will save;\nnot to drive them to despair of mercy, nor that he taketh pleasure in\ntheir sorrows for themselves; but to work the heart to a due esteem of\nsaving mercy, and to a serious desire after it, that they may thankfully\nreceive it, and carefully retain it, and faithfully use it. An unhumbled\nsoul sets light by Christ, and grace, and glory: it relisheth no\nspiritual mercy: it cannot be thankful for that which it findeth no\ngreat need of. But true humiliation recovereth our appetite, and\nteacheth us to value mercy as it is. Think therefore what sin is, (as I\nhave opened to you, direct, viii.) and think of your manifold aggravated\nsins: and then think how great those mercies are that are bestowed on so\ngreat, unworthy sinners! Then mercy will melt your humbled hearts, when\nyou confess that you are \"unworthy to be called sons,\" Luke xv.; and\nthat you are \"not worthy to look up to heaven,\" Luke xviii. 13; and that\nyou are \"not worthy of the least of all the mercies of God,\" Gen. xxxii.\n10. The humble soul is the thankful soul, and therefore so greatly\nvalued by the Lord.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Understand what misery you were delivered from, and\nestimate the greatness of the mercy, by the greatness of the punishment\nwhich you had deserved.--Misery as well as sin must tell us the\ngreatness of our mercies. This is before opened, chap. i. direct, ix.\n\n_Direct._ V. Suppose you saw the damned souls, or suppose you had been\none day in hell yourselves, bethink you then how thankful you would\nhave been for Christ and mercy.--And you were condemned to it by the\nlaw of God, and if death had brought you to execution you had been\nthere, and then mercy would have been more esteemed. If a preacher\nwere sent to those miserable souls to offer them a pardon and eternal\nlife on the terms as they are offered to us, do you think they would\nmake as light of it as we do?\n\n_Direct._ VI. Neglect not to keep clear the evidences of thy title to\nthose especial mercies for which thou shouldst be most thankful: and\nhearken not to Satan when he would tempt thee to think that they are\nnone of thine, that so he might make thee deny God the thanks for them\nwhich he expecteth.--Of this I have spoken in the directions for love.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Think much of those personal mercies which God hath\nshowed thee from thy youth up until now, by which he hath manifested\nhis care of thee, and particular kindness to thee.--Though the common\nmercies of God's servants be the greatest, which all other christians\nshare in with each one; yet personal favours peculiar to ourselves,\nare apt much to affect us, as being near our apprehension, and\nexpressing a peculiar care and love of us. Therefore christians should\nmark God's dealings with them, and write down the great and notable\nmercies of their lives (which are not unfit for others to know, if\nthey should see it).\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Compare thy proportion of mercies with the rest of the\npeople's in the world. And thou wilt find that it is not one of many\nthousands that hath thy proportion.--It is so small a part of the\nworld that are christians, and of those so few that are orthodox,\nreformed christians, and of those so few that are seriously godly as\ndevoted to God, and of those so few that fall not into some\nperplexities, errors, scandals, or great afflictions and distress,\nthat those few that are in none of these ranks have cause of wondrous\nthankfulness to God; yea, the most afflicted christians in the world.\nSuppose God had divided his mercies equally to all men in the world,\nas health, and wealth, and honour, and grace, and the gospel, &c.; how\nlittle of them would have come to thy share in comparison of what thou\nnow possessest! how many have less wealth or honour than thou! how\nmany thousands have less of gospel and of grace! In reason therefore\nthy thankfulness should be proportionable and extraordinary.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Compare the mercies which thou wantest, with those which\nthou possessest, and observe how much thy receivings are greater than\nthy sufferings.--Thou hast many meals' plenty, for one day of scarcity\nor pinching hunger; thou hast many days' health, for one day's\nsickness: and if one part be ill, there are more that are not; if one\ncross befall thee, thou escapest many more that might befall thee, and\nwhich thou deservest.\n\n_Direct._ X. Bethink thee how thou wouldst value thy mercies, if thou\nwert deprived of them.--The want of them usually teacheth us most\neffectually to esteem them. Think how thou shouldst value Christ and\nhope, if thou wert in despair! and how thou wouldst value the mercies\nof earth, if thou wert in hell! and the mercies of England, if thou\nwert among bloody inquisitors and persecutors, and wicked, cruel\nheathens or Mahometans, or brutish, savage Americans! Think how good\nsleep would seem to thee, if thou couldst not sleep for pains! or how\ngood thy meat, or drink, or clothes, or house, or maintenance, or\nfriends, would all seem to thee, if they were taken from thee! and how\ngreat a mercy health would seem, if thou wert under some tormenting\nsickness! and what a mercy time would seem, if death were at hand, and\ntime were ending! and what a mercy thy least sincere desires, or\nmeasure of grace, is, in comparison of their case that are the haters,\ndespisers, and persecutors of holiness! These thoughts, if followed\nhome, may shame thee into thankfulness.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Let heaven be ever in thine eye, and still think of the\nendless joy which thou shalt have with Christ.--For that is the mercy of\nall mercies; and he that hath not that in hope to be thankful for, will\nnever be thankful aright for any thing; and he that hath heaven in\npromise to be thankful for, hath still reason for the highest, joyful\nthanks, whatever worldly thing he want, or though he were sure never\nmore to have comfort in any creature upon earth. He is unthankful\nindeed, that will not be thankful for heaven; but that is a mercy which\nwill constrain to thankfulness, so far as our title is discerned. The\nmore believing and heavenly the mind is, the more thankful.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Look on earthly and present mercies in connexion with\nheaven which is their end, and as sweetened by our interest in God that\ngiveth them.--You leave out all the life and sweetness, which must cause\nyour thankfulness, if you leave out God and overlook him. A dead carcass\nhath not the loveliness or usefulness as a living man. You mortify your\nmercies, when you separate them from God and heaven, and then their\nbeauty, and sweetness, and excellency are gone; and how can you be\nthankful for the husks and shells, when you foolishly neglect the\nkernel? Take every bit as from thy Father's hands: remember that he\nfeedeth, and clotheth, and protecteth thee, as his child: it is to \"Our\nFather which is in heaven,\" that we must go every day for our \"daily\nbread.\" Taste his love in it, and thou wilt say that it is sweet.\nRemember whither all his mercies tend, and where they will leave thee,\neven in the bosom of Eternal love. Think with thyself, how good is this\nwith the love of God! this and heaven are full enough for me. Coarse\nfare, and coarse clothing, and coarse usage in the world, and hard\nlabour, and a poor habitation, with heaven after all, is mercy beyond\nall human estimation or conceiving. Nothing can be little, which is a\ntoken of the love of God, and leadeth to eternal glory. The relation to\nheaven is the life and glory of every mercy.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Think oft how great a mercy it is, that thankfulness\nfor mercy is made so great a part of thy duty.--Is it not the sweetest\nemployment in the world to be always thinking on so sweet a thing as\nthe mercies of God, and to be mentioning them with glad and thankful\nhearts? Is not this a sweeter kind of work than to be abusing mercy,\nand casting it away upon fleshly lusts, and sinning it away, and\nturning it against us? Yea, is it not a sweeter work than to be\ngroaning under sin and misery? If God had as much fixed your thoughts\nupon saddening, heart-breaking objects, as he hath (by his commands)\nupon reviving and delighting objects, you might have thought religion\na melancholy life. But when sorrow is required but as preparatory to\ndelight, and cheerful thanksgiving is made the life and sum of your\nreligion, who but a monster will think it grievous to live in\nthankfulness to our great Benefactor? To think thus of the sweetness\nof it will do much to incline us to it, and make it easy to us.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Make conscience ordinarily of allowing God's mercies as\ngreat a room in thy thoughts and prayers, as thou allowest to thy\nsins, and wants, and troubles.--In a day of humiliation, or after some\nnotable fall into sin, or in some special cases of distress, I confess\nsin and danger may have the greater share. But, ordinarily, mercy\nshould take up more time in our remembrance and confession than our\nsins. Let the reasons of it first convince you, that this is your\nduty; and, when you are convinced, hold yourselves to the performance\nof it. If you cannot be so thankful as you desire, yet spend as much\ntime in the confessing of God's mercy to you, as in confessing your\nsins and mentioning your wants. Thanksgiving is an effectual\npetitioning for more: it showeth that the soul is not drowned in\nselfishness, but would carry the fruit of all his mercies back to God.\nIf you cannot think on mercy so thankfully as you would, yet see that\nit have a due proportion of your thoughts. This course (of allowing\nmercy its due time in our thoughts and prayers) would work the soul to\ngreater thankfulness by degrees. Whereas, on the contrary, when men\naccustom themselves to have ten words or twenty of confession and\npetition for one of thanksgiving, and ten thoughts of sins, and wants,\nand troubles, for one of mercies, this starveth thankfulness and\nturneth it out of doors. You can command your words and thoughts if\nyou will; resolve, therefore, on this duty.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Take heed of a proud, a covetous, a fleshly, or a\ndiscontented mind; for all these are enemies to thankfulness.--A proud\nheart thinks itself the worthiest for more, and thinks diminutively of\nall. A covetous heart is still gaping after more, and never returning\nthe fruit of what it hath received. A fleshly mind is an insatiable\ngulf of corporal mercies; like a greedy dog that is gaping for another\nbone when he hath devoured one, and sacrificeth all to his belly,\nwhich is his god, Phil. iii. 18. A discontented mind is always\nmurmuring and never pleased, but findeth something still to quarrel\nat; and taketh more notice of the denying of its unjust desires, than\nof the giving of many undeserved mercies. Thankfulness prospereth not,\nwhere these vices prosper.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Avoid as much as may be a melancholy and over-fearful\ntemper; for that will not suffer you to see or taste your greatest\nmercies, nor to be glad or thankful for any thing you have, but is\nstill representing all things to you in a terrible or lamentable\nshape.--The grace of thankfulness may he habitually in a timorous,\nmelancholy mind; and that appeareth in their valuation of the mercy.\nHow glad and thankful would they be, if they were assured that the\nlove of God is towards them! But it is next to impossible for them,\nordinarily, to exercise thankfulness, because they cannot believe any\nthing of themselves that is good and comfortable. It is as natural for\nthem to be still fearing, and despairing, and complaining, and\ntroubling themselves, as for froward children to be crying, or sick\nmen to groan. Befriend not therefore this miserable disease, but\nresist it by all due remedies.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Take heed of unthankful doctrines, which teach you to\ndeny or undervalue mercy.--Such is, 1. The doctrines of the Pelagians,\n(whom Prosper calleth the Ungrateful,) that denied faith and special\ngrace to be any special gift of God; and that teach you, that Peter is\nno more beholden to God than Judas, for his differencing grace. 2. The\ndoctrine which denieth general grace, (which is presupposed unto\nspecial,) and tells the world, that Christ died only for the elect,\nand that all the mercy of the gospel is confined to them alone; and\nteacheth all men to deny God any thanks for Christ or any gospel\nmercy, till they know that they are elect and justified; and would\nteach the wicked, (on earth and in hell,) that they ought not to\naccuse themselves for sinning against any gospel mercy, or for\nrejecting a Christ that died for them. 3. All doctrine which makes God\nthe physical, efficient predeterminer of every act of the creature\nconsidered in all its circumstances; and so tells you, that saving\ngrace is no more, nor any otherwise caused, of God, than sin and every\nnatural act is; and our thanks that we owe him for keeping us from sin\nis but for not irresistible premoving us to it. Such doctrines cut the\nveins of thankfulness; and being not doctrines according to godliness,\nthe life of grace and spiritual sense of believers are against them.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Put not God off with verbal thanks, but give him\nthyself and all thou hast.--Thankfulness causeth the soul to inquire,\n\"What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me?\"\nPsal. cxvi. 12. And it is no less than thyself and all thou hast that\nthou must render; that is, thou must give God not only thy tithes, and\nthe sacrifice of Cain, but thyself to be entirely his servant, and all\nthat thou hast to be at his command, and used in the order that he\nwould have thee use it. A thankful soul devoteth itself to God; this\nis the \"living, acceptable sacrifice,\" Rom. xii. 1. It studieth how to\ndo him service, and how to do good with all his mercies. Thankfulness\nis a powerful spring of obedience, and makes men long to be fruitful\nand profitable, and glad of opportunities to be serviceable to God.\nThus law and gospel, obedience and gratitude, concur. A thankful\nobedience and an obedient thankfulness are a christian's life. \"Offer\nunto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows to the Most High: and call\nupon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt\nglorify me. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me; and to him that\nordereth his conversation aright, I will show the salvation of God,\"\nPsal. 1. 14, 15, 23.\n\nI beseech thee now that readest these lines, be so true to God, be so\ningenuous, be so much a friend to the comfort of thy soul, and so much\nlove a life of pleasure, as to set thyself for the time to come to a\nmore conscionable performance of this noble work; and steep thy thoughts\nin the abundant mercies of thy God, and express them more in all thy\nspeech to God and man. Say as David, \"O Lord, truly I am thy servant;\nthou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of\nthanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord,\" Psal. cxvi. 16,\n17. \"I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not\nmade my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and\nthou hast healed me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the\ngrave; thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.\nSing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the\nremembrance of his holiness. Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded\nme with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and\nnot be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever,\"\nPsal. xxx. 1-4, 11, 12. \"I will praise the name of God with a song, and\nmagnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better\nthan an ox,\" Psal. lxix. 30, 31. \"It is a good thing to give thanks unto\nthe Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High; to show forth\nthy loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,\"\nPsal. xcii. 1, 2. \"At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee,\nbecause of thy righteous judgments,\" Psal. cxix. 62. \"Surely the\nrighteous shall give thanks unto thy name; the upright shall dwell in\nthy presence,\" Psal. cxl. 13. Remember that you are commanded \"in every\nthing to give thanks,\" 1 Thess. v. 18. When God is scant in mercy to\nthee, then be thou scant in thankfulness to him; and not when the devil,\nand a forgetful, or unbelieving, or discontented heart, would hide his\ngreatest mercies from thee. It is just with God to give up that person\nto sadness of heart, and to uncomfortable, self-tormenting melancholy,\nthat will not be persuaded by the greatness and multitude of mercies, to\nbe frequent in the sweet returns of thanks.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n[Sidenote: To glorify God.]\n\n_Grand Direct._ XV. Let thy very heart be set to glorify God, thy\nCreator Redeemer, and Sanctifier; both with the estimation of thy\nmind, the praises of thy mouth, and the holiness of thy life.\n\nThe glorifying of God, being the end of man and the whole creation, must\nbe the highest duty of our lives; and therefore deserveth our distinct\nconsideration. \"Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to\nthe glory of God,\" 1 Cor. x. 31. \"That God in all things might be\nglorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever\nand ever. Amen,\" 1 Pet. iv. 11. I shall therefore first show you what it\nis to glorify God, and then give directions how to do it.\n\nTo glorify God is not to add to his essential perfections, or\nfelicity, or real glory.[127] The glory of God is a word that is taken\nin these various senses: 1. Sometimes it signifieth the essential,\ntranscendent excellencies of God in himself considered; so Rom. vi. 4;\nPsal. xix. 2. 2. Sometimes it signifieth that glory which the angels\nand saints behold in heaven: what this is, a soul in flesh cannot\nformally conceive or comprehend. It seemeth not to be the essence of\nGod, because that is every where, and so is not that glory; or if any\nthink that his essence is that glory, and is every where alike, and\nthat the creature's capacity is all the difference betwixt heaven and\nearth, he seems confuted in that the glory of heaven will be seen by\nthe glorified body itself, which it is thought cannot see the essence\nof God. Whether, then, that glory be the essence of God, or any\nimmediate emanation from his excellency, as the beams and light that\nare sent forth by the sun, or a created glory for the felicity of his\nservants, we shall know when with the blessed we enjoy it. 3.\nSometimes it is taken for the appearance of God's perfections in his\ncreatures, either natural or free agents, as discerned by man, and for\nhis honour in the esteem of man. John xi. 4, 40; 1 Cor. xi. 7; 2 Cor.\niv. 15; Phil. i. 11; ii. 11; Isa. xxxv. 2; xl. 5, &c. And so to\nglorify God is, 1. Objectively, to represent his excellencies or\nglory; 2. Mentally, to conceive of them; 3. and Verbally, to declare\nthem. I shall therefore distinctly direct you, 1. How to glorify God\nin your minds. 2. By your tongues. 3. By your lives.\n\n\n            _Directions for glorifying God with the Heart._\n\n_Direct._ I. Abhor all blasphemous representations and thoughts of\nGod, and think not of him lamely, unequally, or diminutively, nor as\nunder any corporeal shape; nor think not to comprehend him, but\nreverently admire him.--Conceive of him as incomprehensible and\ninfinite: and if Satan would tempt thee to think meanly of any thing\nin God, or to think highly of one of his perfections, and meanly of\nanother, abhor such temptations; and think of his power, knowledge,\nand goodness, equally as the infinite perfections of God.[128]\n\n_Direct._ II. Behold his glory in the glory of his works of nature and\nof grace, and see him in all as the soul, the glory, the all of the\nwhole creation.--What a power is that which made and preserveth all\nthe world! What a wisdom is that which set in joint the universal\nframe of heaven and earth, and keepeth all things in their order! How\ngood is he that made all good, and gave the creatures all their\ngoodness, both natural and spiritual, by creation and renewing grace!\nThus \"the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth\nhis handy work,\" Psal. xix. 1. \"His glory covereth the heavens, and\nthe earth is full of his praise,\" Hab. iii. 3. \"The voice of the Lord\nis upon the waters; the God of glory thundereth,\" Psal. xxix. 3; cxlv.\n\n_Direct._ III. Behold him in the person, miracles, resurrection,\ndominion, and glory of his blessed Son:--\"who is the brightness of his\nglory, and the express image of his person; upholding all things by\nthe word of his power, and having by himself purged our sins, sat down\nat the right hand of the Majesty on high, being made better than the\nangels,\" Heb. i. 3, 4. \"By him\" it is that \"glory is given to God in\nthe church,\" Eph. iii. 21. \"God hath highly exalted him, and given him\na name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee\nshould bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under\nthe earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is\nLord, to the glory of God the Father,\" Phil. ii. 9-11. \"Pray,\"\ntherefore, that the \"God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of\nglory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the\nacknowledgment of him: the eyes of your understanding being\nenlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and\nwhat the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and\nwhat is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe,\naccording to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in\nChrist, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his right\nhand in the celestials, far above all principality, and power, and\nmight, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this\nworld, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things\nunder his feet, and gave him to be Head over all things to his\nchurch,\" Eph. i. 17, &c. \"The Father hath glorified his name in his\nSon,\" John xii. 28; xiii. 31, 32; xiv. 13; xvii. 1.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Behold God as the end of the whole creation, and intend\nhim as the end of all the actions of thy life.--You honour him not as\nGod, if you practically esteem him not as your ultimate end; even the\npleasing of his will, and the honouring him in the world. If any thing\nelse be made your chiefest end, you honour it before him, and make a\ngod of it.\n\n_Direct._ V. Answer all his blessed attributes with suitable\naffections, (as I have directed in my \"Treatise of the Knowledge of\nGod,\" and here briefly direct. iv.) and his relations to us with the\nduty which they command, (subjection, love, &c.) as I have opened in\nthe foregoing directions. We glorify him in our hearts, when the image\nof his attributes is there received.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Behold him by faith as always present with you.--And\nthen every attribute will the more affect you, and you will not admit\ndishonourable thoughts of him. Pray to him as if you saw him, and you\nwill speak to him with reverence. Speak of him as if you saw him, and\nyou dare not take his name in vain, nor talk of God with a common\nframe of mind, nor in a common manner, as of common things. \"By faith\nMoses forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured\nas seeing him that is invisible,\" Heb. xi. 27. God is contemned by\nthem that think they are behind his back.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Think of him as in heaven where he is revealed in glory\nto the blessed, and magnified by their high, everlasting\npraise.--Nothing so much helpeth us to glorify God in our minds, as by\nfaith to behold him where he is most glorious. The very reading over\nthe description of the glory of the New Jerusalem, Rev. xxi. and xxii.\nwill much affect a believing mind with a sense of the gloriousness of\nGod. Suppose, with Stephen, we saw heaven opened, and the Ancient of\ndays, the great Jehovah, gloriously illustrating the city of God, and\nJesus in glory at his right hand, and the innumerable army of\nglorified spirits before his throne, praising and magnifying him with\nthe highest admirations, and joyfullest acclamations, that creatures\nare capable of; would it not raise us to some of the same admirations?\nThe soul that by faith is much above, doth most glorify God, as being\nnearest to his glory.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Foresee by faith the coming of Christ, and the day of\nthe universal judgment, when Christ shall come in flaming fire with\nthousands of his holy angels, to be glorified in his saints, and\nadmired in all them that do believe, 2 Thess. i. 10.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Abhor all doctrines, which blaspheme or dishonour the name\nof God, and would blemish and hide the glory of his majesty.--I give you\nthis rule for your own preservation, and not in imitation of\nuncharitable firebrands and dividers of the church, to exercise your\npride and imperious humour, in condemning all men, to whose opinions you\ncan maliciously affix a blasphemous consequence, which either followeth\nbut in your own imagination, or is not acknowledged, but hated, by those\non whom you do affix it. Let it suffice you to detest false doctrines,\nwithout detesting the persons that you imagine guilty of them, who\nprofess to believe the contrary truth as stedfastly as you yourselves.\n\n_Direct._ X. Take heed of sinking into flesh and earth, and being\ndiverted by things sensible from the daily contemplation of the glory of\nGod.--If your belly become your god, and you mind earthly things, and\nare set upon the honours, or profits, or pleasures of the world, when\nyour conversation should be in heaven, you will be glorying in your\nshame, when you should be admiring the glory of your Maker, Phil. iii.\n18-20; and you will have so much to do on earth, that you will find no\nleisure (because you have no hearts) to look up seriously to God.\n\n\n         _Directions for glorifying God with our Tongues in his\n                               Praises._\n\n[Sidenote: How great a duty praising God is.]\n\n_Direct._ I. Conceive of this duty of praising God according to its\nsuperlative excellencies, as being the highest service that the tongue\nof men or angels can perform. To bless, or praise, or magnify God, is\nnot to make him greater, or better, or happier than he is; but to\ndeclare and extol his greatness, goodness, and felicity. And that your\nhearts may be inflamed to this excellent work, I will here show you\nhow great and necessary, how high and acceptable a work it is.\n\n1. It is the giving to God his chiefest due.[129] A speaking of him as\nhe is; and when we have spoken the highest, how far fall we short of\nthe due expression of his glorious perfections! Oh how great praise doth\nthat almightiness deserve, which created and conserveth all the world,\nand overruleth all the sons of men, and is able to do whatsoever he\nwill! \"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness\nis unsearchable. One generation shall praise his works to another and\ndeclare his mighty acts: I will speak of the glorious honour of thy\nMajesty, and of thy wondrous works; and men shall speak of the might of\nthy terrible acts, and I will declare thy greatness,\" Psal. cxlv. 3-5.\nWhat praise doth that knowledge deserve which extendeth to all things\nthat are, or were, or ever shall be! and that wisdom which ordereth all\nthe world! He knoweth every thought of man, and all the secrets of the\nheart, Psal. xliv. 21; xciv. 11. \"Known unto God are all his works, from\nthe beginning of the world,\" Acts xv. 18. \"His understanding is\ninfinite,\" Psal. cxlvii. 5. What praise doth that goodness and mercy\ndeserve, which is diffused throughout all the world, and is the life,\nand hope, and happiness of men and angels! \"His mercy is great unto the\nheavens, and his truth unto the clouds,\" Psal. lvii. 10. \"Oh how great\nis his goodness to them that fear him!\" Psal. xxxi. 19; and therefore\nhow great should be his praise! \"Who can utter the mighty acts of the\nLord, and who can show forth all his praise?\" Psal. cvi. 2. \"For great\nis the glory of the Lord,\" Psal. cxxxviii. 5.\n\n2. It is the end of all God's wondrous works, and especially the end\nwhich man was made for, that all things might praise him objectively,\nand men (and angels) in estimation and expression. That his glorious\nexcellency might be visible in his works, and be admired and extolled\nby the rational creature: for this all things were created and are\ncontinued: for this we have our understanding and our speech: this is\nthe fruit that God expecteth from all his works. Deny him this, and\nyou are guilty of frustrating the whole creation, as much as in you\nlieth. You would have the sun to shine in vain, and the heavens and\nearth to stand in vain, and man and all things to live in vain, if you\nwould not have God have the praise and glory of his works. Therefore,\nsun, and moon, and stars, and firmament, are called on to praise the\nLord, Psal. cxlviii. 2-4, as they are the matter for which he must by\nus be praised. \"O praise him therefore for his mighty acts: praise him\naccording to his excellent greatness,\" Psal. cl. 2. \"Oh that men would\npraise the Lord for his goodness, and declare his wondrous works for\nthe children of men,\" Psal. cvii. 8, &c. Yea, it is the end of Christ\nin the redemption of the world, and in saving his elect, that God\nmight, in the church, in earth and heaven, have the \"praise and glory\nof his grace,\" Eph. i. 6, 12, 14. \"By him therefore let us offer the\nsacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our\nlips, giving thanks to his name,\" Heb. xiii. 15. \"And let the redeemed\nof the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever,\" Psal. cvii. 2. For\nthis, all his saints \"are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a\nholy nation, a peculiar people, that they should show forth the\npraises of him that hath called them out of darkness into his\nmarvellous light,\" 1 Pet. ii. 5, 9.\n\n3. The praise of God is the highest and noblest work in itself. (1.)\nIt hath the highest object, even the glorious excellencies of God.\nThanksgiving is somewhat lower, as having more respect to ourselves\nand the benefits received; but praise is terminated directly on the\nperfections of God himself. (2.) It is the work that is most\nimmediately nearest on God, as he is our end: and as the end, as such,\nis better than all the means set together, as such, so are the final\nduties about the end greater than all the immediate duties. (3.) It is\nthe work of the most excellent creatures of God, the holy angels: they\nproclaimed the coming of Christ, by way of praise, Luke ii. 13, 14,\n\"Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will towards men:\"\nsee Psal. ciii. 20; cxlviii. 2. And as we must be equal to the angels,\nit must be in equal praising God, or else it will not be in equality\nof glory. (4.) It is the work of heaven, the place and state of all\nperfection; and that is best and highest which is nearest heaven;\nwhere \"they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God\nAlmighty, which was, and is, and is to come.--Thou art worthy, O Lord,\nto receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all\nthings, and for thy pleasure they are and were created,\" Rev. iv. 8,\n10. Chap. xix. 5, \"A voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our\nGod, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.\"\nVer. 6, 7, \"And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and\nas the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings,\nsaying, Alleluiah: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be\nglad and rejoice, and give honour unto him: for the marriage of the\nLamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.\"\n\n4. It beseemeth us, and much concerneth us, to learn and exercise that\nwork, which in heaven we must do for ever; and that is, to love and\njoyfully praise the Lord: for earth is but the place of our\napprenticeship for heaven. The preparing works of mortifying\nrepentance must in their place be done; but only as subservient to\nthese which we must ever do: when we shall sing the \"new song\" before\nthe Lamb, \"Thou art worthy;--for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us\nto God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and\nnation, and hast made us kings and priests unto our God,\" Rev. v. 9,\n10. Therefore the primitive church of believers is described as most\nlike to heaven; Luke xxiv. 53, \"With great joy they were continually\nin the temple, praising and blessing God.\" \"O praise the Lord\ntherefore in the congregation of the saints: let Israel rejoice in him\nthat made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King,\"\nPsal. cxlix. 1, 2. \"Let the saints be joyful in glory: let the high\npraises of God be in their mouths,\" ver. 5, 6.\n\n5. Though we are yet diseased sinners, and in our warfare, among\nenemies, dangers, and perplexities, yet praise is seasonable and\nsuitable to our condition here, as the greatest part of our duty,\nwhich all the rest must but promote. Pretend not that it is not fit\nfor you because you are sinners, and that humiliation only is suitable\nto your state. For the design of your redemption, the tenor of the\ngospel, and your own condition, engage you to it. Are they not engaged\nto praise the Lord, that are brought so near him to that end? 1 Pet.\nii. 5, 9;--that are reconciled to him?--to whom he hath given and\nforgiven so much? 1 Tim. i. 15; Tit. iii. 3, 5; Psal. ciii. 1-3;--that\nhave so many great and precious promises? 2 Pet. i. 4;--that are the\ntemples of the Holy Ghost, who dwelleth in them, and sanctifieth them\nto God?--that have a Christ interceding for them in the highest? Rom.\nviii. 33, 34;--that are always safe in the arms of Christ; that are\nguarded by angels; and devils and enemies forbidden to touch them,\nfurther than their Father seeth necessary for their good?--that have\nthe Lord for their God? Psal. xxxiii. 12; iv. 8;--that have his saints\nfor their companions and helpers?--that have so many ordinances to\nhelp their souls; and so many creatures and comforts for their\nbodies?--that live continually upon the plenty of his love?--that\nhave received so much, and are still receiving? Should we not bless\nhim every day with praise, that blesseth us every day with benefits?\nShould we not praise the bridge that we go over?--the friend that we\nhave tried so oft? And resolve, as Psal. cxlv. \"Every day will I bless\nthee: I will praise thy name for ever and ever.\" Psal. lxiii. 3, 4,\n\"Because thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise\nthee: thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in\nthy name.\" Are they not bound to praise him on earth, that must reign\nwith Christ for ever in heaven? Rom. viii. 17, 33; Rev. i. 5, 6; Col.\ni. 12; 1 Pet. i. 4.\n\n6. The praises of God do exercise our highest graces: praise is the very\nbreath of love, and joy, and gratitude: it tendeth to raise us above\nourselves, and make our hearts to burn within us, while the glorious\nname of God is magnified: it hath the most pure, and spiritual, and\nelevating effect upon the soul; and therefore tendeth most effectually\nto make us more holy, by the increase of these graces.\n\n7. To be much employed in the praise of God, doth tend exceedingly to\nthe vanquishing all hurtful doubts, and fears, and sorrows. Joy and\npraise promote each other. And this it doth, (1.) By keeping the soul\nnear to God, and within the warmth of his love and goodness, Psal.\ncxl. 13. (2.) By the exercise of love and joy, which are the cordial,\nreviving, strengthening graces, Psal. xciv. 19; cxvi. 1. (3.) By\ndissipating distrustful, vexing thoughts, and diverting the mind to\nsweeter things, Psal. civ. 34. (4.) By keeping off the tempter, who\nusually is least able to follow us with his molestations, when we are\nhighest in the praises of our God. (5.) By bringing out the evidences\nof our sincerity into the light, while the chiefest graces are in\nexercise, 2 Cor. iii. 18. (6.) And by way of reward from God, that\nloveth the praises of his meanest servants. And here I would commend\nthis experiment, to uncomfortable, troubled souls, that have not found\ncomfort by long searching after evidences in themselves. Exercise\nyourselves much in the praises of God: this is a duty that you have no\npretence against. Against thanksgiving for his grace, you pretend that\nyou know not that you have received his grace; but to praise him in\nthe excellency of his perfections, his power, and wisdom, and\ngoodness, and mercy, and truth, is the duty of all men in the world.\nWhile you are doing this, you will feel your graces stir, and feel\nthat comfort from the face of God, which you are not like to meet with\nin any other way whatsoever. Evidences are exceeding useful to our\nordinary stated peace and comfort; but it is oft long before we\nconfidently discern them: and they are oft discerned when yet the soul\nis not excited to much sense of comfort and delight: and we quickly\nlose the sight of evidences, if we be not very wise and careful. But a\nlife of praise bringeth comfort to the soul, as standing in the\nsunshine bringeth light and warmth: or as labouring doth warm the\nbody: or as the sight and converse of our dearest friend, or the\nhearing of glad tidings, doth rejoice the heart, without any great\nreasoning or arguing the case. This is the way to have comfort by\nfeeling, to be much in the hearty praises of the Lord. When we come to\nheaven we shall have our joy, by immediate vision, and the delightful\nexercise of love and praise. And if you would taste the heavenly joys\non earth, you must imitate them in heaven as near as possibly you can;\nand this is your work of nearest imitation.\n\n8. To live a life of praising God, will make religion sweet and easy\nto us, and take off the wearisomeness of it, and make the word of God\na pleasure to us. Whereas they that set themselves only to the works\nof humiliation, and leave out these soul-delighting exercises, do cast\nthemselves into exceeding danger, by making religion seem to them a\ngrievous and undesirable life. This makes men backward to every duty,\nand do it heartlessly, and easily yield to temptations of omission and\nneglect, if not at last fall off through weariness: whereas the soul\nthat is daily employed in the high and holy praises of his God, is\nstill drawn on by encouraging experience, and doth all with a willing,\nready mind.\n\n9. No duty is more pleasing to God, than the cheerful praises of his\nservants. He loveth your prayers, tears, and groans; but your praises\nmuch more: and that which pleaseth God most, must be most pleasing to\nhis servants; for to please him is their end: this is the end of all\ntheir labour, that \"whether present or absent, they may be accepted of\nhim,\" 2 Cor. v. 9. So that it is a final enjoying, and therefore a\ndelighting duty.\n\n10. To be much employed in the praises of God, will acquaint the world\nwith the nature of true religion, and remove their prejudice, and\nconfute their dishonourable thoughts and accusations of it, and\nrecover the honour of Christ, and his holy ways, and servants. Many\nare averse to a holy life, because they think that it consisteth but\nof melancholy fears or scrupulosity: but who dare open his mouth\nagainst the joyful praises of his Maker? I have heard and read of\nseveral enemies and murderers, that have broke in upon christians with\nan intent to kill them, or carry them away, that finding them on their\nknees in prayer, and reverencing the work so much as to stay and hear\nthem till they had done, have reverenced the persons also, and\ndeparted, and durst not touch the heavenly worshippers of God. This\nlife of praise is a continual pleasure to the soul; clean contrary to\na melancholy life. It is recreating to the spirits, and healthful to\nthe body, which is consumed by cares, and fears, and sorrows. It is\nthe way that yieldeth that \"mirth which doth good like a medicine, and\nis a continual feast,\" Prov. xvii. 22; xv. 15. Therefore saith the\napostle, \"Is any merry, let him sing psalms,\" James v. 13. He cannot\nbetter exercise mirth, than in singing praises to his God. This keeps\nthe soul continually on the wing, desiring still to be nearer God,\nthat it may have more of these delights: and so it overcomes the sense\nof persecutions and afflictions, and the fears of death, and is a most\nexcellent cordial and companion in the greatest sufferings. Was it not\nan excellent hearing, to have been a witness of the joy of Paul and\nSilas, when in the prison and stocks, with their backs sore with\nscourges, they sang at midnight the praises of the Lord? Acts xvi. 25;\nso that all the doors were opened, and all the prisoners' bonds were\nloosed, that had been their auditors; so great was God's acceptance of\ntheir work. Oh that we would do that honour and right to true\nreligion, as to show the world the nature and use of it, by living in\nthe cheerful praises of our God, and did not teach them to blaspheme\nit, by our misdoings!\n\nI have said the more of the excellency and benefits of this work,\nbecause it is one of your best helps to perform it, to know the\nreasons of it, and how much of your religion, and duty, and comfort\nconsisteth in it: and the forgetting of this, is the common cause that\nit is so boldly and ordinarily neglected, or slubbered over as it is.\n\n_Direct._ II. The keeping of the heart in the admiration and\nglorifying of God, according to the foregoing directions, is the\nprincipal help to the right praising of him with our lips.--For out of\nthe heart's abundance the mouth will speak: and if the heart do not\nbear its part, no praise is melodious to God.\n\n_Direct._ III. Read much those Scriptures which speak of the praises\nof God; especially the Psalms: and furnish your memories with store of\nthose holy expressions of the excellencies of God, which he himself\nhath taught you in his word.--None knoweth the things of God, but the\nSpirit of God; who teacheth us in the Scripture to speak divinely of\nthings divine. No other dialect so well becometh the work of praise.\nGod, that best knoweth himself, doth best teach us how to know and\npraise him. Every christian should have a treasury of these sacred\nmaterials in his memory, that he may be able at all times, in\nconference and in worship, to speak of God in the words of God.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Be much in singing psalms of praise, and that with the\nmost heart-raising cheerfulness and melody; especially in the holy\nassemblies.--The melody and the conjunction of many serious, holy\nsouls, doth tend much to elevate the heart. And where it is done\nintelligibly, reverently, in conjunction with a rational, spiritual,\nserious worship, the use of musical instruments are not to be scrupled\nor refused; any more than the tunes or melody of the voice.\n\n_Direct._ V. Remember to allow the praises of God their due proportion\nin all your prayers.--Use not to shut it out, or forget it, or cut it\nshort with two or three words in the conclusion. The Lord's prayer\nbegins and ends with it: and the three first petitions are for the\nglorifying the name of God, and the coming of his kingdom, and the\ndoing of his will, by which he is glorified: and all this before we\nask any thing directly for ourselves. Use will much help you in the\npraise of God.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Especially let the Lord's day be principally spent in\npraises and thanksgivings for the work of our redemption, and the\nbenefits thereof.--This day is separated by God himself to this holy\nwork; and if you spend it (ordinarily) in other religious duties, that\nsubserve not this, you spend it not as God requireth you. The thankful\nand praiseful commemoration of the work of man's redemption, is the\nspecial work of the day: and the celebrating of the sacrament of the\nbody and blood of Christ, (which is therefore called the Eucharist,)\nwas part of these laudatory exercises, and used every Lord's day by\nthe primitive church. It is not only a holy day, separated to God's\nworship in general; but to this eucharistical worship in special above\nthe rest, as a day of praises and thanksgiving unto God: and thus all\nchristians (ordinarily) should use it.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Let your holy conference with others be much about the\nglorious excellencies, works, and mercies of the Lord, in way of praise\nand admiration.--This is indeed to speak to edification, and as the\n\"oracles of God,\" Eph. iv. 29; \"that God in all things may be\nglorified,\" 1 Pet. iv. 11. Psal. xxix. 9, \"In his temple doth every one\nspeak of his glory.\" Psal. xxxv. 28, \"My tongue shall speak of thy\nrighteousness, and of thy praises all the day long.\" Psal. cxlv. 6, 11,\n21, \"And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts.--They shall\nspeak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power: to make known\nto the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his\nkingdom.--My mouth shall speak of the praises of the Lord; and let all\nflesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.\" Psal. cv. 2, 3, \"Talk ye\nof all his wondrous works: glory ye in his holy name.\"\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Speak not of God in a light, unreverent, or common\nsort, as if you talked of common things; but with all possible\nseriousness, gravity, and reverence, as if you saw the majesty of the\nLord.--A common and a holy manner of speech are contrary. That only\nis holy which is separated to God from common use. You speak\nprofanely, (in the manner, how holy soever the matter be,) when you\nspeak of God with that careless levity, as you use to speak of common\nthings. Such speaking of God is dishonourable to him, and hurts the\nhearers more than silence, by breeding in them a contempt of God, and\nteaching them to imitate you in slight conceits and speech of the\nAlmighty: whereas, one that speaketh reverently of God, as in his\npresence, doth ofttimes more affect the hearers with a reverence of\nhis Majesty, with a few words, than unreverent preachers with the most\naccurate sermons, delivered in a common or affected strain. Whenever\nyou speak of God, let the hearers perceive that your hearts are\npossessed with his fear and love, and that you put more difference\nbetween God and man, than between a king and the smallest worm: so\nwhen you talk of death or judgment, of heaven or hell, of holiness or\nsin, or any thing that nearly relates to God, do it with that gravity\nand seriousness as the matter doth require.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Speak not so unskilfully and foolishly of God, or holy\nthings, as may tempt the hearers to turn it into a matter of scorn or\nlaughter.--Especially understand how your parts are suited to the\ncompany that you are in. Among those that are more ignorant, some weak\ndiscourses may be tolerable and profitable; for they are most affected\nwith that which is delivered in their own dialect and mode: but among\njudicious or captious hearers, unskilful persons must be very sparing\nof their words, lest they do hurt while they desire to do good, and\nmake religion seem ridiculous. We may rejoice in the scorns which we\nundergo for Christ, and which are bent against his holy laws, or the\nsubstance of our duty: but if men are jeered for speaking ridiculously\nand foolishly of holy things, they have little reason to take comfort\nin any thing of that, but their honest meanings and intents; nay, they\nmust be humbled for being a dishonour to the name of godliness. But\nthe misery is, that few of the ignorant and weak have knowledge and\nhumility enough to perceive their ignorance and weakness, but they\nthink they speak as wisely as the best, and are offended if their\nwords be not reverenced accordingly. As a minister should study and\nlabour for a skill and ability to preach, because it is his work; so\nevery christian should study for skill to discourse with wisdom and\nmeet expressions about holy things, because this is his work. And as\nunfit expressions and behaviour in a minister do cause contempt\ninstead of edifying, so do they in discourse.\n\n_Direct._ X. Whenever God's holy name or word is blasphemed, or used\nin levity or jest, or a holy life is made a scorn, or God is\nnotoriously abused or dishonoured, be ready to reprove it with gravity\nwhere you can; and where you cannot, at least let your detestation of\nit be conveniently manifested.--Among those to whom you may freely\nspeak, lay open the greatness of their sin. Or, if you are unable for\nlong or accurate discourse, at least tell them who hath said, \"Thou\nshalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will\nnot hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.\" And where your\nspeech is unmeet, (as to some superiors,) or is like to do more harm\nthan good, let your departing the room, or your looks, or rather your\ntears, show your dislike.[130]\n\n\n           _Directions for the glorifying God in our Lives._\n\n_Direct._ I. Our lives then glorify God, when they are such as his\nexcellencies most appear in: and that is, when they are most divine or\nholy; when they are so managed, that the world may see, that it is God\nthat we have chiefly respect unto, and that HOLINESS TO THE LORD is\nwritten upon all our faculties and affairs.--So much of GOD as appeareth\nin our lives, so much they are truly venerable, and advanced above the\nrank of fleshly, worldly lives.[131] God only is the real glory of every\nperson, and every thing, and every word or action of our lives. And the\nnatural conscience of the world, which, in despite of their atheism, is\nforced to confess and reverence a Deity, will be forced (even when they\nare hated and persecuted) to reverence the appearance of God in his holy\nones. Let it appear therefore, 1. That God's authority commandeth you,\nabove all the powers of the earth, and against all the power of fleshly\nlusts. 2. That it is the glory and interest of God that you live for,\nand look after principally in the world, and not your own carnal\ninterest and glory: and that it is his work that you are doing, and not\nyour own; and his cause, and not your own, that you are engaged in.[132]\n3. That it is his word and law that is your rule. 4. And the example of\nhis Son that is your pattern. 5. And that your hearts and lives are\nmoved and acted in the world, by motives fetched from the rewards which\nhe hath promised, and the punishments which he hath threatened, in the\nworld to come. 6. And that it is a supernatural, powerful principle,\nsent from God into your hearts, even the Holy Ghost, by which you are\ninclined and actuated in the tenor of your lives. 7. And that your daily\nconverse is with God, and that men and other creatures are comparatively\nnothing to you, but are made to stand by, while God is preferred, and\nhonoured, and served by you; and that all your business is with him, or\nfor him in the world.\n\n_Direct._ II. The more of heaven appeareth in your lives, the more\nyour lives do glorify God.--Worldly and carnal men are conscious, that\ntheir glory is a vanishing glory, and their pleasure but a transitory\ndream, and that all their honour and wealth will shortly leave them in\nthe dust; and therefore, they are forced, in despite of their\nsensuality, to bear some reverence to the life to come. And though\nthey have not hearts themselves to deny the pleasures and profits of\nthe world, and to spend their days in preparing for eternity, and in\nlaying up a treasure in heaven; yet they are convinced, that those\nthat do so, are the best and wisest men; and they could wish that they\nmight die the death of the righteous, and that their last end might be\nlike his. As heaven exceedeth earth, even in the reverent\nacknowledgment of the world, though not in their practical esteem and\nchoice; so heavenly christians have a reverent acknowledgment from\nthem, (when malice doth not hide their heavenliness by slanders,)\nthough they will not be such themselves. Let it appear in your lives,\nthat really you seek a higher happiness than this world affordeth, and\nthat you verily look to live with Christ; and that as honour, and\nwealth, and pleasure command the lives of the ungodly, so the hope of\nheaven commandeth yours. Let it appear that this is your design and\nbusiness in the world, and that your hearts and conversations are\nabove, and that whatever you do or suffer, is for this, and not for\nany lower end; and this is a life that God is glorified by.\n\n_Direct._ III. It glorifieth God, by showing the excellency of faith,\nwhen we contemn the riches and honour of the world, and live above the\nworldling's life; accounting that a despicable thing, which he accounts\nhis happiness, and loseth his soul for.--As men despise the toys of\nchildren, so a believer must take the transitory vanities of this world,\nfor matters so inconsiderable, as not to be worthy his regard, save only\nas they are the matter of his duty to God, or as they relate to him, or\nthe life to come. Saith Paul, 2 Cor. iv. 18, \"We look not at the things\nwhich are seen,\" (they are not worth our observing or looking at,) \"but\nat the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are\ntemporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.\" The world is\nunder a believer's feet, while his eye is fixed on the celestial world.\nHe travelleth through it to his home, and he will be thankful if his way\nbe fair, and if he have his daily bread: but it is not his home, nor\ndoth he make any great matter, whether his usage in it be kind or\nunkind, or whether his inn be well adorned or not. He is almost\nindifferent whether, for so short a time, he be rich or poor, in a high\nor in a low condition, further than as it tendeth to his Master's\nservice. Let men see that you have a higher birth than they, and higher\nhopes, and higher hearts, by setting light by that, which their hearts\nare set upon as their felicity. When seeming christians are as worldly\nand ambitious as others, and make as great a matter of their gain, and\nwealth, and honour, it showeth that they do but cover the base and\nsordid spirit of worldlings, with the visor of the christian name, to\ndeceive themselves, and bring the faith of christians into scorn, and\ndishonour the holy name which they usurp.\n\n_Direct._ IV. It much honoureth God, when his servants can quietly and\nfearlessly trust in him, in the face of all the dangers and\nthreatenings which devils or men can cast before them; and can\njoyfully suffer pain or death, in obedience to his commands, and in\nconfidence on his promise of everlasting happiness.--This showeth that\nwe believe indeed that \"there is a God,\" and that \"he is the rewarder\nof them that diligently seek him,\" Heb. xi. 6; and that he is true and\njust; and that his promises are to be trusted on; and that he is able\nto make them good, in despite of all the malice of his enemies; and\nthat the threats or frowns of sinful worms are contemptible to him\nthat feareth God. Psal. lviii. 11, \"So that men shall say, Verily\nthere is a reward for the righteous: verily there is a God that\njudgeth in the earth,\" and that at last will judge the world in\nrighteousness. Paul gloried in the Thessalonians, \"for their faith and\npatience, in all their persecutions and tribulations which they\nendured; as a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that\nthey might be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which they\nsuffered. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense\ntribulation to them that trouble us, and rest with his saints to those\nthat are troubled,\" 2 Thess. i. 4-7. \"If ye be reproached for the name\nof Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth\nupon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is\nglorified,\" 1 Pet. iv. 14. \"If any man suffer as a christian, let him\nnot be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf,\" ver. 16. When\nconfidence in God, and assurance of the great reward in heaven, Matt.\nv. 11, 12, doth cause a believer undauntedly to say as the three\nwitnesses, Dan. iii. \"We are not careful, O king, to answer thee in\nthis matter: the God whom we serve is able to deliver us:\" when by\nfaith we can go through the trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, of\nbonds and imprisonment, to be destitute and afflicted, yea, and\ntortured, not accepting deliverance, (upon sinful terms,) thus God is\nglorified by believers. \"Lift up your voices,\" O ye afflicted saints,\n\"and sing, for the majesty of the Lord. Glorify ye the Lord in the\nfires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the\nsea,\" Isa. xxiv. 14, 15. Sing to his praise with Paul and Silas,\nthough your feet be in the stocks. If God call for your lives,\nremember that \"you are not your own, you are bought with a price;\ntherefore glorify God in your bodies and spirits which are his,\" 1\nCor. vi. 20. Rejoice in it, if you \"bear in your bodies the marks of\nthe Lord Jesus,\" Gal. vi. 17; and if you \"always bear about in the\nbody the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be\nmanifested in your bodies,\" 2 Cor. iv. 10. And \"with all boldness,\"\nsee that \"Christ be magnified in your bodies, whether it be by life or\ndeath,\" Phil. i. 20. He dishonoureth and reproacheth Christ and faith,\nthat thinks he is not to be trusted even unto the death.\n\n_Direct._ V. It much honoureth God, when the hopes of everlasting joys\ndo cause believers to live much more joyfully than the most prosperous\nworldlings.--Not with their kind of doting mirth, in vain sports and\npleasures, and foolish talking, and uncomely jests; but in that\nconstant cheerfulness and gladness, which beseemeth the heirs of\nglory. Let it appear to the world, that indeed you hope to live with\nChrist, and to be equal with the angels. Do a dejected countenance,\nand a mournful, troubled, and complaining life, express such hopes? or\nrather tell men that your hopes are small, and that God is a hard\nmaster, and his service grievous? Do not thus dishonour him by your\ninordinate dejectedness; do not affright and discourage sinners from\nthe pleasant service of the Lord.\n\n_Direct._ VI. When christians live in a readiness to die, and can\nrejoice in the approach of death, and love and long for the day of\njudgment, when Christ shall justify them from the slanders of the\nworld, and shall judge them to eternal joys: this is to the glory of\nGod and our profession.--When death, which is the king of fears to\nothers, appeareth as disarmed and conquered to believers; when\njudgment, which is the terror of others, is their desire; this showeth\na triumphant faith, and that godliness is not in vain. It must be\nsomething above nature that can make a man \"desire to depart and be\nwith Christ, as best of all,\" and \"to be absent from the body and\npresent with the Lord,\" and to \"comfort one another\" with the mention\nof the glorious coming of their Lord, and the day when he shall judge\nthe world in righteousness, Phil. i. 21; 2 Cor. v. 8; 1 Thess. iv. 18;\n2 Thess. i. 10.\n\n_Direct._ VII. The humility, and meekness, and patience of christians,\nmuch honour God and their holy faith; as pride, and passion, and\nimpatience dishonour him.--Let men see that the Spirit of God doth cast\ndown the devilish sin of pride, and maketh you like your Master, that\nhumbled himself to assume our flesh, and to the \"death of the cross,\"\nand to the contradiction and reproach of foolish sinners, and \"made\nhimself of no reputation,\" but \"endured the shame\" of being derided,\nspit upon, and crucified, Phil. ii. 7-9; Heb. xii. 2; and stooped to\nwash the feet of his disciples. It is not stoutness, and lifting up the\nhead, and standing upon your terms, and upon your honour in the world,\nthat is the honouring of God. When you are as little children, and as\nnothing in your own eyes, and seek not the honour that is of men, but\nsay, \"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy name be the glory,\" Psal.\ncxv. 1; and are content that your honour decrease and be trodden into\nthe dirt, that his may increase, and his name be magnified; this is the\nglorifying of God. So when you show the world, that you are above the\nimpotent passions of men, not to be insensible, but to be \"angry and sin\nnot,\" and to \"give place to wrath,\" and not to resist and \"avenge\nyourselves,\" Rom. xii. 19; and to be \"meek and lowly in heart,\" Matt.\nxi. 29. It will appear that you have the wisdom which is \"from above,\"\nif you be \"first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated,\nfull of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and hypocrisy,\" James\niii. 17. \"But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,\nglory not, and lie not against the truth,\" as if this were the wisdom\nfrom above which glorifieth God; for this \"wisdom descendeth not from\nabove, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish,\" ver. 14, 15. \"A meek and\nquiet spirit is of great price in the sight of God,\" 1 Pet. iii. 4; an\nornament commended to women by the Scripture, which is amiable in the\neyes of all.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. It honoureth God and our profession, when you abound in\nlove and good works; loving the godly with a special love, but all men\nwith so much love, as makes you earnestly desirous of their welfare, and\nto love your enemies, and put up wrongs, and to study to do good to all,\nand hurt to none.--To be abundant in love, is to be like to God, who is\nlove itself, 1 John iv. 7, 11; and showeth that God dwelleth in us, ver.\n12. \"All men may know that we are Christ's disciples, if we love one\nanother,\" John xiii. 35. This is the \"new\" and the \"great commandment;\nthe fulfilling of the law,\" Rom. xiii. 10; John xv. 12, 17; xiii. 34.\nYou will be known to be the \"children of your heavenly Father, if you\nlove your enemies, and bless them that curse you, and pray for them that\nhate and persecute you, and despitefully use you,\" Matt. v. 44. Do all\nthe good that possibly you can, if you would be like him that doth good\nto the evil, and whose mercies are over all his works. Show the world\nthat you \"are his workmanship, created to good works in Christ Jesus,\nwhich he hath ordained for you to walk in,\" Eph. ii. 10. \"Herein is your\nFather glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit,\" John xv. 8. \"Let your\nlight so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and\nglorify your Father which is in heaven,\" Matt. v. 16. \"Honour God with\nthy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thy increase,\" Prov.\niii. 9. \"And those that honour him he will honour,\" 1 Sam. ii. 30; when\nbarren, worldly hypocrites, that honour God only with their lips, and\nflattering words, shall be used as those that really dishonour him.\n\n_Direct._ IX. The unity, concord, and peace of christians, do glorify\nGod and their profession; when their divisions, contentions, and\nmalicious persecutions of one another, do heinously dishonour\nhim.--Men reverence that faith and practice which they see us\nunanimously accord in. And the same men will despise both it and us,\nwhen they see us together by the ears about it, and hear us in a Babel\nof confusion, one saying, This is the way, and another, That is it;\none saying, Lo here is the true church and worship, and another\nsaying, Lo it is there. Not that one man or a few must make a shoe\nmeet for his own foot, and then say, All that will not dishonour God\nby discord, must wear this shoe: think as I think, and say as I say,\nor else you are schismatics. But we must all agree in believing and\nobeying God, and \"walking by the same rule so far as we have\nattained,\" Phil. iii. 15, 16. \"The strong must bear the infirmities of\nthe weak, and not please themselves; but every one of us please his\nneighbour for good to edification; and be like-minded one towards\nanother, according to Christ Jesus, that we may with one mind and one\nmouth glorify God: receiving one another, as Christ also received us\nto the glory of God,\" Rom. xv. 1, 2, 5-7.\n\n_Direct._ X. Justice commutative and distributive, private and public,\nin bargainings, and in government, and judgment, doth honour God and\nour profession in the eyes of all: when we do no wrong, but do to all\nmen as we would they should do to us, Matt. vii. 12: that no man go\nbeyond or defraud his brother in any matter; for the Lord is the\navenger of all such, 1 Thess. iv. 6.--That a man's word be his master,\nand that we lie not one to another, nor equivocate or deal subtilly\nand deceitfully, but in plainness and singleness of heart, and in\nsimplicity and godly sincerity, have our conversation in the world.\nPerjured persons and covenant-breakers, that dissolve the bonds of\nhuman society, and take the name of God in vain, shall find by his\nvengeance that he holdeth them not guiltless.\n\n_Direct._ XI. It much glorifieth God to worship him rationally and\npurely, in spirit and in truth, according to the glory of his wisdom\nand goodness; and it dishonoureth him to be worshipped ignorantly and\ncarnally, with spells, and mimical, irrational actions, as if he were\nless wise than serious, grave, understanding men.--The worshippers of\nGod have great cause to take heed how they behave themselves; lest\nthey meet with the reward of Nadab and Abihu, and God tell them by his\njudgments, \"that he will be sanctified in all them that come nigh him,\nand before all the people he will be glorified,\" Lev. x. 1-3. The\nsecond commandment is enforced by the jealousy of God about his\nworship. Ignorant, rude, unseemly words, or unhandsome gestures, which\ntend to raise contempt in the auditors; or levity of speech, which\nmakes men laugh, is abominable in a preacher of the gospel. And so is\nit to pray irrationally, incoherently, confusedly, with vain\nrepetitions and tautologies, as if men thought to be heard for their\nbabbling over so many words, while there is not so much as an\nappearance of a well composed, serious, rational, and reverent address\nof a fervent soul to God. To worship God as the papists do, with\nimages, Agnus Dei's, crucifixes, crossings, spittle, oil, candles,\nholy water, kissing the pax, dropping beads, praying to the Virgin\nMary, and to other saints, repeating over the name of Jesus nine times\nin a breath, and saying such and such sentences so oft, praying to God\nin an unknown tongue, and saying to him they know not what, adoring\nthe consecrated bread as no bread, but the very flesh of Christ\nhimself, choosing the titular saint whose name they will invocate,\nfasting by feasting upon fish instead of flesh, saying so many masses\na day, and offering sacrifice for the quick and the dead, praying for\nsouls in purgatory, purchasing indulgences for their deliverance out\nof purgatory from the pope, carrying the pretended bones or other\nrelics of their saints, the pope's canonizing now and then one for a\nsaint, pretending miracles to delude the people, going on pilgrimages\nto images, shrines, or relics, offering before the images, with a\nmultitude more of such parcels of devotion, do most heinously\ndishonour God, and, as the apostle truly saith, do make unbelievers\nsay, \"They are mad,\" 1 Cor. xiv. 23, and that they are \"children in\nunderstanding,\" and not \"men,\" ver. 20. Insomuch as it seemeth one of\nthe greatest impediments to the conversion of the heathen and\nMahometan world, and the chiefest means of confirming them in their\ninfidelity, and making them hate and scorn christianity, that the\nRomish, and the eastern, and southern churches, within their view, do\nworship God so dishonourably as they do: as if our God were like a\nlittle child that must have pretty toys bought him in the fair, and\nbrought home to please him. Whereas, if the unreformed churches in the\neast, west, and south were reformed, and had a learned, pious, able\nministry, that clearly preached and seriously applied the word of God,\nand worshipped God with understanding, gravity, reverence, and serious\nspirituality, and lived a holy, heavenly, mortified, self-denying\nconversation, this would be the way to propagate christianity, and win\nthe infidel world to Christ.\n\n_Direct._ XII. If you will glorify God in your lives, you must be\nabove a selfish, private, narrow mind, and must be chiefly intent upon\nthe public good, and the spreading of the gospel through the world.--A\nselfish, private, narrow soul brings little honour to the cause of\nGod: it is always taken up about itself, or imprisoned in a corner, in\nthe dark, to the interest of some sect or party, and seeth not how\nthings go in the world: its desires, and prayers, and endeavours go no\nfurther than they can see or travel. But a larger soul beholdeth all\nthe earth, and is desirous to know how it goeth with the cause and\nservants of the Lord, and how the gospel gets ground upon the\nunbelieving nations; and such are affected with the state of the\nchurch a thousand miles off, almost as if it were at hand, as being\nmembers of the whole body of Christ, and not only of a sect. They pray\nfor the \"hallowing of God's name,\" and the \"coming of his kingdom,\"\nand the \"doing of his will throughout the earth, as it is in heaven,\"\nbefore they come to their own necessities, at least in order of esteem\nand desire. The prosperity of themselves, or their party or country,\nsatisfieth them not, while the church abroad is in distress. They live\nas those that know the honour of God is more concerned in the welfare\nof the whole, than in the success of any party against the rest. They\npray that the gospel may have free course and be glorified abroad, as\nit is with them, and the preachers of it be \"delivered from\nunreasonable and wicked men,\" 2 Thess. iii. 1, 2. The silencing the\nministers, and suppressing the interest of Christ and souls, are the\nmost grievous tidings to them: therefore they \"pray for kings, and all\nin authority,\" not for any carnal ends, but that \"we may lead a quiet\nand peaceable life in all godliness and honesty,\" 1 Tim. ii. 1-3. Thus\nGod must be glorified by our lives.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n_Grand Direct._ XVI. Let your life on earth be a conversation in heaven,\nby the constant work of faith and love; even such a faith as maketh\nthings future as now present, and the unseen world as if it were\ncontinually open to your sight; and such a love as makes you long to see\nthe glorious face of God, and the glory of your dear Redeemer, and to be\ntaken up with blessed spirits in his perfect, endless love and praise.\n\nMy Treatise of \"The Life of Faith,\" and the fourth part of \"The\nSaints' Rest,\" being written wholly or mostly to this use, I must\nrefer the reader to them, and say no more of it in this direction.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n_Grand Direct._ XVII. As the soul must be carried up to God, and\ndevoted to him, according to all the foregoing directions, so must it\nbe delivered from carnal selfishness, or flesh-pleasing, which is the\ngrand enemy to God and godliness in the world; and from the three\ngreat branches of this idolatry, viz. the love of sensual pleasures,\nthe love of worldly wealth, and the proud desire and love of worldly\nhonour and esteem: and the mortifying of these must be much of the\nlabour of your lives.\n\nOf this also I have written so much in a \"Treatise of Self-denial,\" and\nin another called \"The Crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ,\"\nthat I shall now pass by all, save what will be more seasonable anon\nunder the more particular directions, in the fourth part, when I come to\nspeak of selfishness, as opposed to the love of others.[133]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nI have now given you the general grand directions, containing the very\nbeing and life of godliness and christianity; with those particular\nsubdirections which are needful to the performance of them. And I must\ntell you, that as your life, and strength, and comfort principally\ndepend on these, so doth your success in resisting all your particular\nsins: and therefore, if you first obey not these general directions, the\nmore particular ones that follow will be almost useless to you, even as\nbranches cut off from the stock of the tree, which are deprived thereby\nof their support and life. But upon supposition that first you will\nmaintain these vital parts of your religion, I shall proceed to direct\nyou first in some particulars most nearly subordinate to the\nforementioned duties, and then to the remoter branches.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[80] Laert. saith of the magi, that they did Deorum vacare cultui:\nsigna statuasque reprehendere: et eorum imprimis, qui mares esse deos\net f\u0153minas dicunt, errores improbare. Signa et statuas ex disciplin\u00e6\ninstituto \u00e8 medio tulisse: and that some thought that the Jews came\nfrom them, p. 4, 6. And Laertius himself saith to those that make\nOrpheus the first philosopher, Videant certe qui ita volunt, quo sit\ncensendus nomine, qui Diis cuncta hominum vitia, et qu\u00e6 rar\u00f2 \u00e0\nturpibus quibusque et flagitiosis hominibus geruntur, ascribit, p. 4.\nHe saith also that the said magi held, and Theopompus with them, that\nmen should live again, and become immortal. The like he saith of many\nother sects. It is a thing most irrational to doubt of the being of\nthe unseen worlds, and the more excellent inhabitants thereof; when we\nconsider that this low and little part of God's creation is so full of\ninhabitants: if a microscope will show your very eyes a thousand\nvisible creatures which you could never see without it, nor know that\nthey had any being, will you not allow the pure intellectual sight to\ngo much further beyond your microscope?\n\n[81] Thales' sayings in Laert. are, Animas esse immortales:\nAntiquissimum omnium entium Deus; ingenitu senim: Pulcherrimum mundus, \u00e0\nDeo enim factus: Maximum locus; capit enim omnia: Velocissimum mens; nam\nper universa discurrit: Fortissimum necessitas; cuncta enim superat.\nSapientissimum tempus: invenit namque omnia. _Q._ Utrum prius factum nox\nan dies? _R._ Nox, una prius die. _Q._ Latet ne Deos homo male agens?\n_R._ Ne cogitans quidem. _Q._ Quid difficile? _R._ Seipsum noscere. _Q._\nQuid facile? _R._ Ab alio moveri. _Q._ Quid suavissimum? _R._ Frui. _Q._\nQuid Deus? _R._ Quod initio et sine caret. p. 14, 20, 21.\n\n[82] Conjungi vult nos inter nos, atque connecti per mutua beneficia\ncharitatis: adeo ut tota justitia et pr\u00e6ceptum hoc Dei, communis sit\nutilitas hominum. O miram clementiam Domini! O ineffabilem Dei\nbenignitatem! Pr\u00e6mium nobis pollicetur, si nos invicem diligamus; id\nest, si nos ea pr\u00e6stemus invicem, quorum vicissim indigemus: et nos\nsuperbo et ingrato animo, ejus remittimur voluntati, cujus etiam\nimperium beneficium est. Hieron. ad Celant. See my book of the\n\"Reasons of the Christian Religion.\"\n\n[83] Vel propter unionem inter creaturam et Creatorem necessaria fuit\nincarnatio. Sicut in Divinitate una est essentia et tres person\u00e6; ita\nin Christo una persona et tres essenti\u00e6, Deitas, anima, et caro.\nChristus secundum naturam divinitatis est genitus; secundum animam\ncreatus; et secundum carnem factus. Unio in Christo triplex est;\nDeitatis ad animam; Deitatis ad carnem; et anim\u00e6 ad carnem. Paul.\nScaliger Thes. p. 725. Christus solus, et quidem secundum utramque\nnaturam dicitur caput ecclesi\u00e6. Id. p. 726.\n\n[84] Ex apostolica et veteri traditione, nemo baptizatur in ecclesia\nChristi, nisi prius rogatus, an credat in Deum Patrem, et in Jesum\nChristum Dei Filium, et in Spiritum Sanctum, responderit, firmiter se\ncredere: quantum vis ergo heres sit, si judicii aliquid habet, et ita\nrogatur, et ita respondet prorsusque ita expresse credere jubetur:\nnamque implicite et involute non isth\u00e6c solum, sed qu\u00e6cunque Divin\u00e6\nliter\u00e6 produnt, credit, de quibus tamen non omnibus interrogatur, quod\nea expresse scire omnia, illi minime opus sit. Acosta, 1. 5. c. 6. p.\n461. Christian religion beginneth not at the highest, but the lowest:\nwith Christ incarnate, teaching, dying, &c. Dr. Boy's postil. p. 121.\nout of Luther.\n\n[85] Sane omnium virtutum radix et fundamentum fides est; qu\u00e6\ncertantes adjuvat, vincentes coronat, et c\u0153lesti dono quosdam defectu\nsignorum remunerat: nihil enim quod sincer\u00e6 fidei denegetur, quia nec\naliud \u00e0 nobis Deus, quam fidem exigit: hanc diligit, hanc requirit,\nhuic cuncta promittit et tribuit. S. Eulogius Mart. Arch. Tolet.\nMemorial. Sanct. p. 4. Notandum, quod cum fides mortua sit pr\u00e6ter\nopera, jam neque fides est: nam neque homo mortuus, homo est.--Non\nenim sicut spiritum corpore meliorem, ita opera fidei pr\u00e6ponenda sunt,\nquando gratia salvatur homo, non ex operibus sed ex fide: nisi fort\u00e8\net hoc in qu\u00e6stione sit, quod salvet fides qu\u00e6 cum operibus propriis\nvivit; tanquam aliud genus operum sit, pr\u00e6ter qu\u00e6 salus ex fide\nproveniat: nec autem sunt opera qu\u00e6 sub umbra legis observantur.\nDidymus Alexand, in Jac. cap. 2.\n\n[86] Dilectio Dei misit nobis salvatorem: cujus gratia salvati sumus:\nut possideamus hanc gratiam, communicatio facit spiritus. Ambros. in 2\nCor. xiii. 13.\n\n[87] O Domine Jesu doles non tua sed mea vulnera! Ambros. de Fide ad\nGrat. l. 2. c. 3. Nos immortalitate male usi sumus ut moreremur:\nChristus mortalitate bene usus est ut viveremus. August. de Doct.\nChrist. l. i. c. 14.\n\n[88] Scrutari temeritas est, credere pietas, nosse vita. Bernard. de\nConsid. ad Eugen. 1. 5.\n\n[89] Deus est principium effectivum in creatione refectivum in\nredemptione, perfectivum in sanctificatione. Joh. Combis comp. Theol.\n1. 4. c. 1.\n\n[90] Rejectis propheticis et apostolicis scriplis, Manich\u00e6i novum\nevangelium scripserunt: et ut antecellere communi hominum multitudini\net semi-dei viderentur, simularunt enthusiasmos seu afflatus, subito\nin turba se in terram objicientes, et velut attoniti diu tacentes;\ndeinde tanquam redeuntes ex specu Trophonio et plorantes, multa\nvaticinati sunt; prorsus ut Anabaptist\u00e6 recens fecerunt in seditione\nmonasteriensi. Etsi autem in quibusdam manifesta simulatio fuit, tamen\naliquibus reipsa \u00e0 diabolis furores immissos esse certum est. Carion.\nChron. 1. 3. p. 54.\n\n[91] Nemo magnus sine aliquo afflatu divino unquam fuit. Cicero 2. de\nNat. Deor.\n\n[92] Laertius in Zenone, saith, Dicunt Stoici Deum esse animal\nimmortale, rationale, perfectum ac beatum, \u00e0 malo omni remotissimum,\nprovidentia sua mundum et qu\u00e6 sunt in mundo administrans omnia: non\ntamen inesse illi human\u00e6 form\u00e6 lineamenta. C\u00e6terum esse opificem\nimmensi hujus operis, sicat et patrem omnium.--Eumque multis appellari\nnominibus juxta proprietates suas.--Quosdam item esse d\u00e6mones dicunt\nquibus insit hominum miseratio, inspectores rerum humanarum; heroas\nquoque solutas corporibus, sapientum animas.--Bonos aiunt esse\ndivinos, quod in seipsis quasi habeant Deum. Malum vero impium et sine\nDeo esse, quod duplici ratione accipitur, sive quod Deo contrarius\ndicatur, sive quod aspernetur Deum: id tamen malis omnibus non\nconvenire. Pios autem et religiosos esse sapientes, peritos divini\njuris omnes. Pietatem esse scientiam divini cultus. Diis item eos\nsacrificia facturos, castosque futuros. Quippe ea qu\u00e6 in Deos\nadmittuntur peccata detestari, Diisque charos ac gratos fore quo\nsancti justique in rebus divinis sint.\n\n[93] De diis ita ut sunt loquere. Bias in Laert. Leg. Pauli Scaligeri\nTheses de Archetypo Mundo Ep. Cath. 1. 14. God never wrought miracle to\nconvince atheism, because his ordinary works convince it. Lord Bacon,\nEssay 16. p. 87. Deus est mens soluta, libera et segregata ab omni\nconcretione mortali, omnia sentiens, movens, &c. Cicero 1. Tuscul.\n\n[94] Persuasum hoc sit \u00e0 principio hominibus, dominos esse omnium\nrerum ac moderatores Deos: eaque qu\u00e6 gerantur eorum geri ditione atque\nnumine--Et qualis quisque fit, quid agat, quid in se admittat, qua\nmente, qua pietate colat religionem, intueri, piorumque et impiorum\nhabere rationem. Cicero 2. de Leg.\n\n[95] Deorum providentia mundus administratur, iidemque consulunt rebus\nhumanis neque solum universis, verum etiam singulis. Cicero 1. de Divin.\n\n[96] Aristippus rogatus aliquando quid haberent eximium philosophi? Si\nomnes, inquit, leges intereant, \u00e6quabiliter vivemus. Laertius.\n\n[97] If \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03b5\u03c5\u03c7\u03b7 in Luke vi. 12, do signify an oratory, it yet\nimporteth that he continued for prayer in it.\n\n[98] Maxime pars hominum morbo jactatur eodem.\n\n[99] Animi labes nee diuturnitate evanescit, nec manibus ullis elui\npotest--Non incestum vel aspersione aqu\u00e6 vel dierum numero tollitur.\nCicero 2. de Legib.\n\n[100] See Plutarch's Tract, entitled, \"That vice is sufficient to make\na man wretched.\" Si non ipso honesto movemur ut viri boni simus, sed\nutilitate aliqua, atque fructu, callidi sumus, non boni; si\nemolumentis, non suapte natura, virtus expetitur, vana erit virtus,\nqu\u00e6 malitia rect\u00e8 dicitur. P. Scal. p. 744.\n\n[101] Voluntarium est omne peccatum. Tolle excusationem: nemo peccat\ninvitus. Martin. Dunilens. de Morib. Nihil interest quo animo facias,\nquod fecisse vitiosum est, quia acta cernuntur, animus non videtur.\nId. ibid.\n\n[102] Sick bodies only suffer ill; but sick souls both suffer ill and\ndo ill. Plutarch's Mor. p. 314.\n\n[103] See the Assembly's Larger Catechism about aggravations of sin.\n\n[104] See my treatise of \"Crucifying the World,\" and of \"Self-denial.\"\n\n[105] Of the Temptations to hinder Conversion, see before, chap. i.\n\n[106] Vide Pool's Synopsis, Critic, in Levit. i. 77. In these latter\nthe word \"spirit\" signifieth the ill disposition, which Satan as a\ntempter causeth, and so he is known by it as his offspring.\n\n[107] See my \"Treatise against Infidelity,\" as before cited.\n\n[108] Animi molles et \u00e6tate fluxi dolis haud difficulter capiuntur.\n\n[109] See my two sheets for the Ministry.\n\n[110] Vir bonus est qui prodest quibus notest, nocet autem nemini. P.\nScalig. Ne pigeat evangelicum ministrum, \u00e6grotum visitare, venio\naliquo recreare, familicum cibario saltem pane pascere, nudum operire,\npauperem, cui non est adjutor, \u00e0 divitum calumniis et potentia\neripere, pro afflictis principem magistratumve convenire: rem\nfamiliarem consilio augere, morientibus sedulo et benigne astare,\nlites et dissidia componere, &c. Acosta, 1. 4. c. 18. p. 418.\n\n[111] Some think they merit by curing the hurts which they have caused\nthemselves. Sed nequitia est, ut extrahas mergere, evertere ut\nsuscites, includere ut emittas. Non enim beneficium injuri\u00e6 finis; nec\nunquam id detraxisse meritum est, quod ipse qui detraxit intulerat.\nSenec. de Benef.\n\n[112] \"Sell all and give to the poor, and follow me.\" But sell not\nall, except thou follow me: that is, except thou have a vocation, in\nwhich thou mayest do as much good with little means, as with great.\nLord Bacon's Essay 13.\n\n[113] Absurdum est unum laute vivere, cum multi esuriunt. Quanto enim\ngloriosius est multis benefacere, quam magnifice habitare? Quanto\nprudentius in homines quam in lapides, et in aurum impensas facere.\nClem. Alexand. 2. P\u00e6dag. 12.\n\n[114] Nobilius et pr\u00e6stantius est charitatem exercere in Deo, quam\nvirtutes propter Deum. Charitas compendiosissima ad Deum via est per\nquam celerrime in Deum pervenitur; nec sine charitate aliqua virtus\nsupernaturaliter homini sapit: charitas enim forma omnium virtutum\nest. Per hoc charitatis exercitium, homo ad tantam sui abominationem\nvenit, ut non solum seipsum contemnat, verum etiam se ab aliis\ncontemni \u00e6quo animo ferat; imo etiam ab aliis contemptus\ngaudeat.--Thaulerus, flor. c. 7. p. 114.\n\n[115] Austin, (Tract. 9. in John,) having showed that among men, it\nmaketh no one beautiful to love one that is beautiful, saith, Anima\nnostra f\u0153da est per iniquitatem: amando Deum pulchra efficitur: qualis\namor qui reddat pulchrum amantem? Deus semper pater est: amavit nos\nf\u0153dos, ut ex f\u0153dis faceret pulchros: pulchri erimus amando eum qui\npulcher est. Quantum in te crescit amor, tantum crescit pulchritudo;\nquia ipsa charitas anim\u00e6 pulchritudo est.\n\n[116] O orator, in tua oratione plus dilige Deum quam teipsum et alia:\net si hoc facis, justus es et prudens, et de charitate et sanctitate\nhabituatus: Qui habitus est amicus tuus in oratione--O Orator! quando\norabis pro commissis, justitiam, Dei tecum teneas diligendo; non autem\nodiendo: quia si sic, misericordia Dei non posset esse tua amica, eo\nquia injustus esset; et tuus habitus esset crudelis et \u00e0 spe et\ncharitate prolongatus et tuum amare in odire esset perversum, de quo\nodire esset in \u00e6ternum habituatus. Raim. Lullius, Arte Magna de\nApplic. cap. 114. p. 557, 558.\n\n[117] Read Julian Toletan. his Prognosticon. Si in c\u0153lis fidelibus h\u00e6c\nservatur h\u00e6reditas, frivola qu\u00e6dam et tepida proferunt aliqua, putantes\neam se percipere in terrena Jerusalem; mille annis existimant esse\ndeliciarum pr\u00e6mia proprietate recepturos: qui interrogandi sunt, quomodo\nastruant delicias corporales, dum dicatur hanc h\u00e6reditatem nec corrumpi\nposse nec marcescere. Didymus Alexand. in Petr. 1. cont. Millenar.\n\n[118] Of the nature of affiance and faith, I have written more fully\nin my Disputation with Dr. Barlow, of Saving Faith.\n\n[119] SOLA fide Deo SOLI constanter adhaere. A SOLO cunctis eripiere\nmalis. Peucerus his Distich, in his ten years' imprisonment. Scult.\nCurric. p. 22.\n\n[120] Of hope and assurance I have spoken afterward.\n\n[121] Of enthusiastic impressions I have said more in my Directions\nfor the Cure of Church Divisions, and in the defence of it, and in\nother books.\n\n[122] 1 Chron. xvi. 34; 2 Chron. v. 13; Psal. xxxi. 7; lxxxvi. 5;\ncviii. 3, 4; xcii. 4, 5; cxxxvi. 4; cxlv. 5-7, 11, 12; cxix. 64; Job\nxxxvi. 24, 26; Psal. cvii. 22; civ. 31; lxvii. 6; Rev. i. 5; John xv.\n9; Gal. ii. 20; Eph. i. 17, 18; ii. 6, 7; iii. 18, 19; Psal. cxxx. 6,\n7; xci. 2, 9; xciv. 22; lix. 16; lxii. 7, 8; lvii. 1; xlvi. 1, 7, 11;\nlxxxix. 1; cxvi. 1-3; ciii. 1-3; lxvi. 13, 16, 17; xxxiv. 1-3.\n\n[123] Phil. iii. 1; Isa. lviii. 19; Job xxii. 26; Isa. lv. 2, 3; Psal.\niv. 7; Acts xiv. 17; Deut. xxvii. 7; xii. 12, 18; 1 Pet. i. 3, 4, 6;\nJohn xiv. 16, 26; xv. 26; Isa. liii. 3, 4; 1 Pet. i. 8, 9; Matt. xi.\n28; Isa. lv. 1; Rev. xxii. 17; 1 Thess. v. 11, 14, 16; Phil. iv. 4;\nPsal. xxxiii. 1; 1 Pet. v. 7; John v. 40.\n\n[124] Isa. lxiii. 9; 2 Cor. ii. 7; Zeph. iii. 17; Deut. xxx. 9; x. 15;\nIsa. lxii. 5; James ii. 13; John xiv. 13, 18.\n\n[125] L\u00e6tari in Deo est res omnium summa in terris. Bucholtzer.\n\n[126] Tres sunt virtutis conditiones, tentationis remotio, actuum\nmultiplicatio, et in bono delectatio. P. Scaliger.\n\n[127] Heb. i. 3; Acts vii. 55; Rom. iii. 23; Rev. xxi. 11, 23; Jude\n24; 1 Pet. iv. 13; 2 Cor. iii. 18.\n\n[128] _Lege Gassendi Oration, inaugural, in Institut. Astronom._\n\n[129] Christianus est homo dicens et faciens ingrata diabolo; et\nornans gloriam Dei, autoris vit\u00e6 et satis su\u00e6. Bucholtzer.\n\n[130] Of prayer I have spoken afterward. Tom. 2, &c.\n\n[131] Turpissimum est philosopho secus docere quam vivit. Paul\nScaliger. p. 728.\n\n[132] Nam ilia qu\u00e6 de regno c\u0153lorum commemoranter \u00e0 nobis, deque\npr\u00e6sentium rerum contemptu, vel non capiunt, vel non facile sibi\npersuadent cum sermo factis evertitur. Acosta, lib. iv. c. 18. p. 418.\n\n[133] I pass not this by as a small matter, to be passed by also by\nthe reader. For I take the love of God kindled by faith in Christ,\nwith the full denial of our carnal selves, to be the sum of all\nreligion. But because I would not injure so great a duty by saying but\na little of it; and therefore desire the reader, who studieth for\npractice, and needeth such helps, to peruse the mentioned books of\n\"Self-denial,\" and \"Crucifying the world.\"\n\n\n\n\n                               APPENDIX.\n\n_The true doctrine of love to God, to holiness, to ourselves, and to\nothers, opened in certain propositions; especially for resolving the\nquestions, What self-love is lawful?--what sinful?--Whether God must be\nloved above our own felicity, and how?--Whether to love our felicity\nmore than God, may stand with a state of saving grace?--Whether it be a\nmiddle state between sensuality and the divine nature, to love God more\nfor ourselves than for himself?--Whether to love God for ourselves be\nthe state of a believer as he is under the promise of the new\ncovenant?--And whether the spirit and sanctification promised to\nbelievers, be the love of God for himself, and so the divine nature,\npromised to him that chooseth Christ and God by him out of self-love for\nhis own felicity?--How God supposeth and worketh on the principle of\nself-love in man's conversion?--With many such like. To avoid the\ntediousness of a distinct debating each question._\n\nThough these things principally belong to the theory, and so to\nanother treatise in hand, called \"Methodus Theologi\u00e6;\" yet because\nthey are also practical, and have a great influence upon the more\npractical directions, and the right understanding of them may help the\nreader himself to determine a multitude of cases of conscience, the\nparticular discussion and decision of which would too much increase\nthis volume, which is so big already, I shall here explain them in\nsuch brief propositions as yet shall give light to one another, and I\nhope contain much of the true nature of love, which is the mystery of\nthe christian religion.\n\n_Prop._ 1. The formal act of love is complacency, expressed by a\n_placet_; which Augustine so oft calleth delectation.\n\n2. Benevolence, or desiring the good of those we love, is but a\nsecondary act of love, or an effect of the prime, formal act. For to\nwish one well is not to love him formally; but we wish him well\nbecause we love him, and therefore first in order love him.\n\n3. Their definition of love is therefore inept, and but from an\neffect, who say it is, _Alicui bene velle, ut ipst bene sit_.\n\n4. Love is either merely sensitive and passionate, which is the\nsensible act and passion of the sensitive and fantastical appetite; or\nit is rational, which is the act of the rational appetite or will. The\nfirst is called sensitive in a double respect; 1. Because it followeth\nthe apprehension of the senses, or fantasy, loving that which they\napprehend as good; 2. And because it is exercised passionately and\nfeelingly by the sensitive appetite. And the other is called rational,\n1. Because it is the love of that which reason apprehendeth as good;\nand, 2. Because it is the complacency of that will which is a higher\nfaculty than the sensitive appetite.\n\n5. Sensitive love is oft without rational, (always in brutes,) but\nrational love is never totally without sensitive, at least in this\nlife; whether it be because that the sensitive and rational are\nfaculties of the same soul, or because they are so nearly connexed as\nthat one cannot here move or act without the other?\n\n6. But yet one is predominant in some persons, and the other in others.\n\n7. Love is the complacency of the appetite in apprehended good. Good\nis the formal object of love. Sensitive love is the complacency of the\nsensitive appetite in sensible good (or in that which the sense and\nimagination apprehendeth as good). Rational love is the complacency of\nthe rational appetite in that which reason apprehendeth good: the same\nthing with primary volition.\n\n8. Good is not only a man's own felicity and the means thereto, called\n_mihi bonum_, good to me; either as profitable, pleasant, or honourable\n(as some think that have unmanned themselves): but there is extrinsic\ngood, which is such in itself, in others, or for others, which yet is\nthe natural object of man's love (so far as nature is sound). As the\nlearning, and wisdom, and justice, and charity, and all other\nperfections of a man at the antipodes, whom I never saw, nor hope to\nsee, or to receive any benefit by, is yet amiable to every man that hath\nnot unmanned himself. So also is the good of posterity, of countries, of\nkingdoms, of the church, of the world, apprehended as future when we are\ndead and gone; yea, if we should be annihilated, desirable, and\ntherefore amiable to us; when yet it could be no benefit to us.\n\n9. Self-love is sensitive or rational. Sensitive, as such, is necessary\nand not free; and it is purposely by the most wise and blessed Creator\nplanted in man and brutes, as a principle useful to preserve the world,\nand to engage the creature in the use of the means of its own\npreservation, and so to bring it to perfection, and to endue it with\nthose fears and hopes which make us subjects capable of moral\ngovernment.\n\n10. The rational or higher appetite also hath a natural inclination to\nself-preservation, perfection, and felicity; but as ordinable and\nordinate to higher ends.\n\n11. The rational powers cannot nullify the sensitive, nor directly or\ntotally hinder the action of them; but they may and must indirectly\nhinder the act, by avoiding the objects and temptations, by diverting\nthe thoughts to higher things, &c.; and may hinder the effects by\ngoverning the locomotive power.\n\n12. Sensitive self-love containeth in it, 1. A love of life, and that\nis, of individual self-existence; 2. And a love of all sensitive\npleasures of life; and, 3. Consequently, a love of the means of life\nand pleasure.\n\n13. In sensitive self-love, therefore, self, that is, life, is both\nthe material and formal object: we love ourselves even because we are\nourselves; we love this individual person, and loathe annihilation or\ndissolution.\n\n14. Though the will (or higher faculties) are naturally inclined also\nto love ourselves, and our own felicity, yet they exercise this\ninclination with a certain liberty; and though the act of simple\ncomplacency or volition towards our own being and felicity be so free\nas yet to be necessary, yet the comparative act (by which comparing\nseveral goods, we choose one and refuse another) may be so free as not\nto be necessary; that is, a man may will his own annihilation rather\nthan some greater evil, (of which anon,) not as good in itself, and\ntherefore not willed for itself, but as a means to a greater good; and\nso he may less nill it than a greater evil.\n\n15. Also a tolerable pain may on the same account be willed, or less\nnilled, and so consented to, for the avoiding a greater evil; but\nintolerable pain cannot possibly be willed or consented to, or not\nnilled, because it taketh away the exercise of reason and free-will:\nbut what is to be called intolerable I determine not, it being\nvariously measurable according to the patient's strength.\n\n16. The soul as intellectual, by its rational appetite, hath also a\nnatural inclination to intellectual operations (to know and love) and\nto intellectual objects as such, and to intellectual perfections in\nitself. Yet so that, though it necessarily (though freely) loveth the\nsaid acts and perfections while it hath a being; yet doth it not\nnecessarily love all the said objects, nor necessarily choose the\ncontinuance of its own being, but in some cases, as aforesaid, can\nyield or consent to an annihilation as a lesser evil.\n\n17. The rational soul being not of itself, nor for itself alone, or\nchiefly, is naturally inclined not only to love to itself, and that\nwhich is for itself, but also to love extrinsic good, as was\naforesaid; and accordingly it should love that best which is best: for\n_a quatenus et ad omne et ad gradum, valet argumentum_. If we must\nlove any thing or person because it is good, (as the formal reason,)\nthen we should love all that is good, and love that best which is\nbest, if so discerned.\n\n18. Though I must love greater, simple, extrinsic good above myself,\nwith that love which is purely rational, yet it cannot ordinarily be\ndone with a more sensitive and passionate love.\n\n19. I am not always bound to do most good to him that I love better\nthan others, and ought so to love, nor to him that I must wish most\ngood to. Because there are other particular laws to regulate my\nactions, diverse from that which commandeth my affections: as those\nthat put children, relations, families, neighbours, under our special\ncharge and care; though often others must be more loved.\n\n20. That good which is the object of love, is not a mere universal or\ngeneral notion, but is always some particular or single being _in esse\nreali, vel in esse cognito_. As there is no such thing in _rerum\nnatura_, as good in a mere general, which is neither the good of\nnatural existence, or of moral perfection, or of pleasure, profit,\nhonour, &c.; yea, which is not in this or in that singular subject, or\nso conceived; so there is no such thing as love, which hath not some\nsuch singular object. (As Rada and other Scotists have made plain.)\n\n21. All good is either God, or a creature, or a creature's act or work.\n\n22. God is good infinitely, eternally, primitively, independently,\nimmutably, communicatively, of whom, and by whom, and to whom are all\nthings: the beginning, or first efficient, the dirigent and ultimately\nultimate cause of all created good; as making and directing all things\nfor himself.\n\n23. Therefore it is the duty of the intellectual creature to love God\ntotally, without any exceptions or restrictions, with all the power,\nmind, and will, not only in degree above ourselves and all the world,\nbut also as God, with a love in kind transcending the love of every\ncreature.\n\n24. All the goodness of the creature doth formally consist in its\nthreefold relation to God, viz. 1. In the impresses of God as its\nfirst Efficient or Creator; as it is his image, or the effect and\ndemonstration of his perfections, viz. his infinite power, wisdom, and\ngoodness. 2. In its conformity to his directions, or governing laws,\nand so in its order and obedience. 3. And in its aptitude and tendency\nto God as its final cause, even to the demonstration of his glory, and\nthe complacency of his will.\n\n25. All creative good is therefore derivative, dependent, contingent,\nfinite, secondary, from God, by God, and to God, receiving its form\nand measure from its respect to him.\n\n26. Yet as it may be subordinately from man, as the principle of his\nown actions, and by man as a subordinate ruler of himself or others,\nand to man as a subordinate end; so there is accordingly a subordinate\nsort of goodness, which is so denominated from these respects unto the\ncreature, that is himself good, subordinately.\n\n27. But all this subordinate goodness (_bonum a nobis, bonum per nos,\nbonum nobis_) is but analogically so; and dependently on the former\nsort of goodness, and is something in due subordination to it, and\nagainst it, nothing, that is, not properly good.\n\n28. The best and excellentest creatures, in the foresaid goodness\nrelated to God, are most to be loved; and all according to the degree\nof their goodness, more than as good in relation to ourselves.\n\n29. But seeing their goodness is formally their relation unto God, it\nfolloweth that they are loved primarily only for his sake, and\nconsequently God's image or glory in them is first loved; and so the\ntrue love of any creature is but a secondary sort of the love of God.\n\n30. The best being next to God is the universe, or whole creation, and\ntherefore next him most to be loved by us.\n\n31. The next in amiableness is the whole celestial society, Christ,\nangels, and saints.\n\n32. The next, when we come to distinguish them, is Christ's own\ncreated, glorified nature in the person of the Mediator, because God's\nglory or image is most upon him.\n\n33. The next in amiableness is the whole angelical society, or the\norders of intellectual spirits above man.\n\n34. The next is the spirits of the just made perfect, or the\ntriumphant church of saints in heaven.\n\n35. The next is all this lower world.\n\n36. The next is the church in the world, or militant on earth.\n\n37. The next are the particular kingdoms and societies of the world,\n(and so the churches,) according to their various degrees.\n\n38. The next, under societies and multitudes, are those individual\npersons who are best in the three forementioned respects, whether\nourselves or others. And thus, by the objects, should our love that is\nrational be diversified in degree, and that be loved best that is best.\n\n39. The amiable image of God in man is (as hath oft been said): 1. Our\nnatural image of God, or the image of his three essential properties as\nsuch, that is, our vital, active power, our intellect, and our will. 2.\nOur moral image, or the image of his said properties in their\nperfections, viz. our holiness, that is, our holy life or spiritual\nvivacity and active power, our holy light or wisdom, our holy wills or\nlove. 3. Our relative image of God, or the image of his supereminency,\ndominion, or majesty; which is, 1. Common to man, in respect to the\ninferior creatures, that we are their owners, governors, and end (and\nbenefactors); 2. Eminently in rulers of men, parents, and princes, who\nare analogically sub-owners, sub-rulers, and sub-benefactors to their\ninferiors, in various degrees. By which it is discernible what it is\nthat we are to love in man, and with what variety of kinds and degrees\nof love, as the kinds and degrees of amiableness in the objects differ.\n\n40. Even the sun, and moon, and frame of nature, the inanimates and\nbrutes, must be loved in that degree compared to man, and to one\nanother, as their goodness before described, that is, the impressions\nof the divine perfections, do more or less gloriously appear in them,\nand as they are adapted to him the ultimate end.\n\n41. As God is in this life seen but darkly and as in a glass, so also\nproportionably to be loved; for our love cannot exceed our knowledge.\n\n42. Yet it followeth not that we must love him only as he appeareth in\nhis works, which demonstrate him as effects do their cause; for both\nby the said works improved by reason, and by his word, we know that he\nis before his works, and above them, and so distinct from them as to\ntranscend, and comprehend, and cause them all, by a continual\ncausality; and therefore he must accordingly be loved.\n\n43. It greatly hindereth our love to God, when we overlook all the\nintermediate excellencies between him and us, which are much better, and\ntherefore more amiable, than ourselves; such as are before recited.\n\n44. The love of the universe, as bearing the liveliest image or\nimpress of its cause, is an eminent secondary love of God, and a great\nhelp to our primary or immediate love of him. Could we comprehend the\nglorious excellency of the universal creation, in its matter, form,\nparts, order, and uses, we should see so glorious an image of God, as\nwould unspeakably promote the work of love.\n\n45. Whether the glory of God in heaven, which will for ever beautify\nthe beholders and possessors, be the divine essence, (which is every\nwhere,) or a created glory purposely there placed for the felicity of\nholy spirits, and what that glory is, are questions fittest for the\nbeholders and possessors to resolve.\n\n46. But if it be no more than the universal, existent frame of nature,\ncontaining all the creatures of God beheld _uno intuitu_ in the\nnature, order, and use of all the parts, it would be an unconceivable\nfelicity to the beholders, as being an unconceivable glorious\ndemonstration of the Deity.\n\n47. It is lawful and a needful duty, to labour by the means of such\nexcellencies as we know, which heaven is resembled to in Scripture, to\nimprint upon our imaginations themselves, such an image of the glory of\nthe heavenly society, Christ, angels, saints, and the heavenly place and\nstate, as shall help our intellectual apprehensions of the spiritual\nexcellencies which transcend imagination. And the neglect of loving God\nas foreseen in the demonstration of the heavenly glory, doth greatly\nhinder our love to him immediately as in himself considered.\n\n48. The Lord Jesus Christ, in his glorified, created nature, is\ncrowned with the highest excellency of any particular creature, that\nhe might be the Mediator of our love to God; and in him (seen by\nfaith) we might see the glory of the Deity. And as in heaven we shall\nhave (spiritual, glorified) bodies as well as souls, so the glorified,\ncreated nature of Christ will be an objective glory, fit for our\nbodies (at least) to behold in order to their glory, as the divine\nnature (as it pleaseth God in glory) revealed, will be to the soul.\n\n49. The exercise of our love upon God as now appearing to the glorified,\nin the glorious created nature of Christ, (beheld by us by faith,) is a\ngreat part of our present exercise of divine love: and we extinguish our\nlove to God, by beholding so little by faith our glorified Mediator.\n\n50. We owe greater love to angels than to men, because they are better,\nnearer God, and liker to him, and more demonstrate his glory; and indeed\nalso love us better, and do more for us, than we can do for one another.\nAnd the neglect of our due love and gratitude to angels, and forgetting\nour relation to them, and receivings by them, and communion with them,\nand living as if we had little to do with them, is a culpable\noverlooking God, as he appeareth in his most noble creatures, and is a\nneglect of our love to God in them, and a great hinderance to our higher\nmore immediate love. Therefore by faith and love we should exercise a\ndaily converse with angels, as part of our heavenly conversation, Phil.\niii. 20, 21; Heb. xii. 22; and use ourselves to love God in them: though\nnot to pray to them, or give them divine worship.\n\n51. We must love the glorified saints more than the inhabitants of this\nlower world, because they are far better, and liker to God, and nearer\nto him, and more demonstrate his holiness and glory. And our neglect of\nconversing with them by faith, and of loving them above ourselves, and\nthings on earth, is a neglect of our love to God in them, and a\nhinderance of our more immediate love. And a loving conversation with\nthem by faith, would greatly help our higher love to God.\n\n52. Our neglect of love to the church on earth, and to the kingdoms\nand public societies of mankind, is a sinful neglect of our love to\nGod in them, and a hinderance of our higher love to him; and the true\nuse of such a public love, would greatly further our higher love.\n\n53. If those heathens who laid down their lives for their countries\nhad neither done this for fame, nor merely as esteeming the temporal\ngood of their country above their own temporal good and lives, but for\nthe true excellency of many above one, and for God's greater interest\nin them, they had done a most noble, holy work.\n\n54. Our adherence to our carnal selves first, and then to our carnal\ninterests and friends, and neglecting the love of the highest\nexcellencies in the servants of God, and not loving men according to\nthe measure of the image of God on them, and their relation to him, is\na great neglect of our love of God in them, and a hinderance of our\nhigher immediate love. And to use ourselves to love men as God\nappeareth in them, would much promote our higher love. And so we\nshould love the best of men above ourselves.\n\n55. The loving of ourselves sensually, preferring our present life and\nearthly pleasure before our higher spiritual felicity in heaven, and our\nneglecting to love holiness, and seek it for ourselves, and then to love\nGod in ourselves, is a neglect and hinderance of the love of God.\n\n56. Man hath not lost so much of the knowledge and love of God, as\nappearing in his greatness, and wisdom, and natural goodness in the\nframe of nature, as he is the Author of the creatures' natural\ngoodness, as he hath of the knowledge and love of his holiness, as he\nis the holy Ruler, Sanctifier, and End of souls.\n\n57. The sensitive faculty and sensitive interest are still predominant\nin a carnal or sensual man; and his reason is voluntarily enslaved to\nhis sense: so that even the intellectual appetite, contrary to its\nprimitive and sound nature, loveth chiefly the sensitive life and\npleasure.\n\n58. It is therefore exceeding hard in this depraved state of nature,\nto love God or any thing better than ourselves; because we love more\nby sense than by reason, and reason is weak and serveth the interest\nof sense.\n\n59. Yet the same man who is prevalently sensual, may know that he hath\na rational, immortal soul, and that knowledge and rectitude are the\nfelicity of his soul; and that it is the knowledge and love of and\ndelight in God, the highest good, that can make him perpetually happy:\nand therefore as these are apprehended as a means of his own felicity,\nhe may have some kind of love or will unto them all.\n\n60. The thing therefore that every carnal man would have, is an\neverlasting, perfect, sensual pleasure; and he apprehendeth the state\nof his soul's perfection mostly as consisting in this kind of\nfelicity: and even the knowledge and love of God, which he taketh for\npart of his felicity, is principally apprehended but as a speculative\ngratifying of the imagination, as carnal men now desire knowledge. Or\nif there be a righter notion of God and holiness to be loved for\nthemselves, even ultimately above our sensual pleasure and ourselves;\nyet this is but an uneffectual, dreaming knowledge, producing but an\nanswerable lazy wish: and it will not here prevail against the\nstronger love of sensuality and fantastical pleasure, nor against\ninordinate self-love. And it is a sensual heaven, under a spiritual\nname, which the carnal hope for.\n\n61. This carnal man may love God as a means to this felicity so dreamed\nof; as knowing that without him it cannot be had, and tasting corporal\ncomforts from him here: and he may love holiness as it removeth his\ncontrary calamities, and as he thinks it is crowned with such a reward.\nBut he had rather have that reward of itself without holiness.\n\n62. He may also love and desire Christ, as a means (conceived) to such\nan end; and he may use much religious duty to that end; and he may\nforbear such sins as that end can spare, lest they deprive him of his\nhoped-for felicity. Yea, he may suffer much to prevent an endless\nsuffering.\n\n63. As nature necessarily loveth self and self-felicity, God and the\ndevil do both make great use of this natural _pondus_, or necessitating\nprinciple, for their several ends. The devil saith, thou lovest\npleasure, therefore take it and make provision for it. God saith, thou\nlovest felicity, and fearest misery: I and my love are the true\nfelicity; and adhering to sensual pleasure depriveth thee of better, and\nis the beginning of thy misery, and will bring thee unto worse.\n\n64. God commandeth man nothing that is not for his own good, and\nforbiddeth him nothing which is not (directly or indirectly) to his\nhurt: and therefore engageth self-love on his side for every act of\nour obedience.\n\n65. Yet this good of our own is not the highest, nor all the good\nwhich God intendeth, and we must intend; but it is subordinate unto\nthe greater good aforementioned.\n\n66. As a carnal man may have opinionative, uneffectual convictions,\nthat God and his love are his spiritual felicity (better than\nsensual); yea, and that God is his estimate end above his own felicity\nitself; so the sanctifying of man consisteth in bringing up these\nconvictions to be truly effectual and practical, to renew and rule the\nmind, and will, and life.\n\n67. Whether this be done by first knowing God as the beginning and\nend, above ourselves, and then knowing (effectually) that he is man's\nfelicity; or whether self-love be first excited to love him as our own\nfelicity, and next we be carried up to love him for himself, as our\nhighest end, it cometh all to one when the work is done; and we cannot\nprove that God tieth himself constantly to either of these methods\nalone. But experience telleth us, that the latter is the usual way;\nand that as nature, so grace beginneth with the smallest seed, and\ngroweth upward towards perfection; and that self-love, and desire of\nendless felicity, and fear of endless misery, are the first notable\neffects or changes on a repenting soul.\n\n68. And indeed the state of sin lieth both in man's fall from God to\nself, and in the mistake of his own felicity, preferring even for\nhimself a sensible good before a spiritual, and the creature before\nthe Creator: and therefore he must be rectified in both.\n\n69. And the hypocrite's uneffectual love to God and holiness is much\ndiscovered in this, that, as he loveth dead saints, and their images\nand holidays, because they trouble him not, so he best loveth\n(opinionatively) and least hateth (practically) the saints in heaven,\nand the holiness that is far from him, and God as he conceiveth of him\nas one that is in heaven to glorify men; but he hateth (practically,\nthough not professedly) the God that would make him holy, and deprive\nhim of all his sinful pleasures, or condemn him for them: and he can\nbetter like holiness in his pastor, neighbour, or child, than in\nhimself.\n\n70. Therefore sincerity much consisteth in the love of self-holiness;\nbut not as for self alone, but as carrying self and all to God.\n\n71. As the sun-beams do without any interception reach the eye, and by\nthem without interception our sight ascendeth and extendeth to the\nsun; so God's communicated goodness and glorious revelation extend\nthrough and by all inferior mediums, to our understandings, and our\nwills, and our knowledge and love ascend and extend through all and by\nall again to God. And as it were unnatural for the eye illuminated by\nthe sun, to see itself only, or to see the mediate creatures, and not\nto see the light and sun by which it seeth (nay, it doth least see\nitself); so it is unnatural for the soul to understand and love itself\nalone, (which it little understandeth and should love with\nself-denial,) and the creatures only, and not to love God, by whom we\nknow and love the creature.\n\n72. It is possible to love God, and holiness, and heaven, as a conceited\nstate and means of our sensual felicity, and escape of pain and misery;\nbut to love God as the true felicity of the intellectual nature, and as\nour spiritual rest, and yet to love him only or chiefly for ourselves,\nand not rather for himself as our highest end, implieth a contradiction.\nThe same I say of holiness, as loved only for ourselves. The evidence\nwhereof is plain, in that it is essential to God to be not only better\nthan ourselves and every creature, but also to be the ultimate end of\nall things, to which they should tend in all their perfections. And it\nis essential to holiness to be the soul's devotion of itself to God as\nGod, and not only to God as our felicity: therefore to love God only or\nchiefly for ourselves, is to make him only a means to our felicity, and\nnot our chief end; and it is to make ourselves better, and so more\namiable than God, that is, to be gods ourselves.\n\n73. This is much of the sense of the controversy between the Epicureans\nand the sober philosophers, as is to be seen in Cicero, &c. The sober\nphilosophers said, that virtue was to be loved for itself more than for\npleasure; because if pleasure as such be better than virtue as such,\nthen all sensual pleasure would be better than virtue as such. The\nEpicureans said, that not all pleasure, but the pleasure of virtue was\nthe chief good, as Torquatus's words in Cicero show. And if it had been\nfirst proved, that a man's self is his just, ultimate end, as the _finis\ncui_ or the personal end, then it would be a hard question, whether the\nEpicureans were not in the right as to the _finis cujus_ or the real end\n(which indeed is but a medium to the personal, _cui_). But when it is\nmost certain, that no man's person is to be his own ultimate end, as\n_cui_, but God, and then the universe, and societies of the world as\nbefore said, it is then easy to prove that the sober philosophers were\nin the right, and that no man's pleasure is his ultimate end, _finis\ncujus_; because no man's pleasure is either such a demonstration of the\ndivine perfection as virtue is, as such; nor yet doth it so much conduce\nto the common good of societies or mankind, and so to the pleasing and\nglorifying of God. And this way Cicero might easily have made good his\ncause against the Epicureans.\n\n74. Though no man indeed love God as God, who loveth him not as better\nthan himself, and therefore loveth him not better, and as his\nabsolutely ultimate end; and though no man desire holiness indeed, who\ndesireth not to be devoted absolutely to God before and above himself:\nyet is it very common to have a false, imperfect notion of God and\nholiness, as being the felicity of man, and though not to deny, yet to\nleave out the essential superlative notion of the Deity; and it is\nmore common to confess all this of God and holiness notionally, as was\naforesaid, and practically to take in no more of God and holiness, but\nthat they are better for us than temporary pleasures. And some go\nfurther, and take them as better for them, than any (though perpetual)\nmere sensual delights; and so make the perfection of man's highest\nfaculties (practically) to be their ultimate end; and desire or love\nGod and holiness (defectively and falsely apprehended) for themselves,\nor their own felicity, and not themselves, and their felicity and\nholiness, ultimately for God. Which showeth, that though these men\nhave somewhat overcome the sensual concupiscence or flesh, yet have\nthey not sufficiently overcome the selfish disposition, nor yet known\nand loved God as God, nor good as good.\n\n75. Yet is it not a sin to love God for ourselves, and our own\nfelicity, so be it we make him not a mere means to that felicity, as\nour absolutely ultimate end. For as God indeed is, 1. The efficient of\nall our good; 2. The dirigent cause, that leadeth us to it; 3. The end\nin which our felicity truly consisteth; so is he to be loved on all\nthese accounts.\n\n76. If God were not thus to be loved for ourselves, (subordinated to\nhim,) thankfulness would not be a christian duty.\n\n77. Our love to God is a love of friendship, and a desire of a kind of\nunion, communion, or adherence. But not such as is between creatures\nwhere there is some sort of equality: but as between them that are\ntotally unequal; the one infinitely below the other, and absolutely\nsubject and subordinate to him.\n\n78. Therefore, though in love of friendship, a union of both parties,\nand consequently a conjunct interest of both, and not one alone, do\nmake up the ultimate end of love; yet here it should be with an utter\ndisproportion, we being obliged to know God as infinitely better than\nourselves, and therefore to love him incomparably more, though yet it\nwill be but according to the proportion of the faculties of the lover.\n\n79. The purest process of love, therefore, is, first thankfully to\nperceive the divine efficiencies, and to love God as communicative of\nwhat we and all things are, and have, and shall receive, and therein to\nsee his perfect goodness in himself, and to love him as God for that\ngoodness; wherein is nothing but the final act, which is our love, and\nthe final object, which is the infinite good. So that the act is man's,\n(from God,) but nothing is to be joined with God as the absolutely final\nobject; for that were to join somewhat with God as God.\n\n80. And though it be most true, that this act may be made the object\nof another act, and (as Amesius saith, _Omnium gentium consensu\ndicimus Volo velle_, so) we may and must say, _Amo amare_, I love to\nlove God, and the very exercise of my own love is my delight, and so\nis my felicity in the very essential nature of it, being a\ncomplacency, and being on the highest objective good: and also this\nsame love is my holiness, and so it and I are pleasing unto God; yet\nthese are all consequential to the true notion of the final act, and\ncircularly lead to the same again. We must love our felicity and\nholiness, which consisteth in our love to God, but as that which\nsubordinately relateth to God, in which he is first glorified, and\nthen finally pleased; and so from his will which we delight to please,\nwe ascend to his total perfect being, to which we adhere by perfect\nlove. In a word, our ultimate end of acquisition (and God's own, so\nfar as he may be said to have an end) is the pleasing of the divine\nwill, in his glorification; and our ultimate end of complacency,\nobjectively, is the infinite goodness of the divine will and nature.\n\n81. There is, therefore, place for the question whether I must love\nGod, or myself, more or better? as it is resolved. But there is no\nplace for the question, whether I must love God or myself? Because God\nalloweth me not ever to separate them; though there is a degree of\njust self-loathing or self-hatred, in deep repentance. Nor yet for the\nquestion, whether I must seek God's glory and pleasure, or my own\nfelicity? for I must ever seek them both, though not with the same\nesteem. Yea, I may be said to seek them both with the same diligence;\nbecause by the same endeavour and act that I seek one, I seek the\nother; and I cannot possibly do any thing for one, that doth not\nequally promote the other, if I do them rightly, preferring God before\nmyself, in my inward estimation, love, and intention.\n\n82. Though it be essential to divine love, and consequently to true\nholiness, to love God for himself, and as better than ourselves, (or\nelse we love him not as God, as is before said,) yet this is hardly\nand seldom perceived in the beginning in him that hath it; because the\nlove of ourself is more passionate, and raiseth in us more subordinate\npassions, of fear of punishment, and desires of felicity, and sorrow\nfor hurt and misery, &c. Whereas, God being immaterial, and invisible,\nis not at all an object of our sense, but only of our reason and our\nwills, and therefore not directly of sensitive, passionate love:\nthough consequently while the soul is united to the body, its acting\neven on immaterial objects, moveth the lower sensitive faculties, and\nthe corporeal spirits. Also God needeth nothing for us to desire for\nhim, nor suffereth nothing for us to grieve for, though we must grieve\nfor injuring him, and being displeasing to his will.\n\n83. I cannot say nor believe (though, till it be searched, the opinion\nhath an enticing aspect) that the gospel faith which hath the promise\nof justification, and of the Spirit, is only a believing in Christ as\nthe means of our felicity, by redemption and salvation, out of the\nprinciple of self-love alone, and for no higher end than our said\nfelicity; because he is not believed in as Christ, if he be not taken\nas a reconciler to bring us home to God. And we take him not to bring\nus to God as God, if it be not to bring us to God as the beginning and\nend of all things, and as infinitely more lovely than ourselves. And\nour repentance for not loving God accordingly above ourselves, must go\nalong with our first justifying faith. Therefore, though we are\nlearners before we are lovers, and our assent goeth before the will's\nconsent, yet our assent that God is God, and better than ourselves,\nmust go together with our assent that Christ is the Mediator to save\nus, by bringing us to him; and so must our assent that this is\nsalvation, even to love God above ourselves, and as better than\nourselves; and accordingly our consent to these particulars must\nconcur in saving faith.\n\n84. He, therefore, that out of self-love accepteth Christ as the means\nof his own felicity, doth (if he know practically what felicity is)\naccept him as a means to bring him to love God perfectly, as God above\nhimself, and to be perfectly pleasing to his will.\n\n85. Yet it is apparent that almost all God's preparing grace\nconsisteth in exciting and improving the natural principle of\nself-love in man; and manifesting to him, that if he will do as one\nthat loveth himself, he must be a christian, and must forsake sin, and\nthe inordinate love of his sensuality, and must be holy, and love God\nfor his own essential as well as communicated goodness. And if he do\notherwise, he will do as one that hateth himself, and seeketh in the\nevent his own damnation. And could we but get men rationally to\nimprove true self-love, they would be christians, and so be holy.\n\n86. But because this is a great, though tender point, and it that I\nhave more generally touched in the case, Whether faith in Christ, or\nlove to God as our end, go first? and because, indeed, it is it for\nwhich I principally premise the rest of these propositions; I shall\npresume to venture a little further, and more distinctly to tell you,\nhow much of love to God is in our first justifying faith, and how much\nnot; and how far the state of such a believer is a middle state\nbetween mere preparation, or common grace, and proper sanctification\nor possession of the Holy Ghost. And so, how far vocation giving us\nthe first faith, and repentance, differeth from sanctification. And\nthe rather because my unriper thoughts and writings defended Mr.\nPemble, who made them one, in opposition to the stream of our\ndivines. And I conceive that all these following acts about the point\nin question, are found in every true believer, at his first faith,\nthough not distinctly noted by himself.\n\n(1.) The sinner hath an intellectual notice, that there is a God, (for\nan atheist is not a believer,) and so that this God is the first and\nlast, the best of beings, the Maker, Owner, Ruler, and Benefactor of\nthe world, the just end of all created beings and actions, and to be\nloved and pleased above ourselves: for all this is but to believe\nthere is a God.\n\n(2.) He is convinced that his own chief felicity lieth, not in\ntemporary or carnal pleasure, but in the perfect knowing, loving, and\npleasing this God above himself: for if he know not what true\nsalvation and felicity is, he cannot desire or accept it.\n\n(3.) He knoweth that hitherto he hath been without this love, and this\nfelicity.\n\n(4.) He desireth to be happy, and to escape everlasting misery.\n\n(5.) He repenteth, that is, is sorry, that he hath not all this while\nloved God as God, and sought felicity therein.\n\n(6.) He is willing and desirous for the time to come, to love God as\nGod above himself, and to please him before himself; that is, to have\na heart disposed to do it.\n\n(7.) He findeth that he cannot do it of himself, nor with his old\ncarnal, indisposed heart.\n\n(8.) He believeth that Christ, by his doctrine and Spirit, is the\nappointed Saviour to bring him to it.\n\n(9.) He gladly consenteth that Christ shall be such a Saviour to him,\nand shall not only justify him from guilt, and save him from sensible\npunishment, but also thus bring him to the perfect love of God.\n\n(10.) He had rather Christ would bring him to this by sanctification,\nthan to enjoy all the pleasures of sin for a season, yea, or to have a\nperpetual sensitive felicity, without this perfect love to God, and\npleasing of him.\n\n(11.) God being declared to him in Jesus Christ, a God of love,\nforgiving sin, and conditionally giving pardon and life to his very\nenemies, as he is hence the easilier loved with thankfulness for\nourselves, so the goodness of his nature in himself is hereby\ninsinuated and notified with some secret complacency to the soul. He\nis, sure, good, that is so merciful and ready to do good, and that so\nwonderfully as in Christ is manifested.\n\n(12.) So that as baptism (which is but explicit, justifying faith, or\nthe expression of it, in covenanting with God) is our dedication by\nvow to all the Three Persons; to God the Father, as well as to the Son\nand Holy Ghost; so faith itself is such a heart-dedication.\n\n(13.) Herein I dedicate myself to God as God, to be glorified and\npleased in my justification, sanctification, and glorification, that\nis, in my reception of the fruits of his love, and in my loving him\nabove all, as God: or to be pleased in me, and I in him, for ever.\n\n(14.) In all this the understanding acknowledgeth God to be God, (by\nassent,) and to be loved above myself, and the will desireth so to\nlove him: but the object of the will here directly, is its own future\ndisposition and act. It doth not say, I do already love God, as God,\nabove myself; but only I would so love him, and I would be so changed\nas may dispose me so to love him; I acknowledge that I should so love\nhim, and that I do love him for his mercies to myself and others. Nor\ncan it be said, that _Volo velle_, or _Volo amare_, a desire to love\nGod as such, is direct love to God. Because it is not all one to have\nGod to be the object of my will, and to have my own act of willing or\nloving to be the object of it. And because that a man may for other\nends (as for mere fear of hell) will to will or love that, which yet\nhe doth not will or love, at least for itself.\n\n(15.) In this case, above all others, it is manifest, that every\nconviction of the understanding doth not accordingly determine the will.\nFor in this new convert, the understanding saith plainly, God is to be\nloved as God, above myself: but the will saith, I cannot do it though I\nwould: I am so captivated by self-love, and so void of the true love of\nGod, that I can say no more, but that _Propter me vellem amare Deum\npropter se_; I love my own felicity so well, that I love God as my\nfelicity; and love him under the notion of God the perfect good, who is\ninfinitely better than myself; and desire a heart to love him more than\nmyself; but I cannot say, that I yet do it, or that I love him best or\nmost, whom I acknowledge to be best, and as such to be loved.\n\n(16.) Yet in all this, there is not only _semen amoris_, a seed of\ndivine love to God as God, but the foundation of it laid, and some\nobscure, secret conception of it beginning, or _in fieri_, in the\nsoul. For while the understanding confesseth God to be most amiable,\nand the will desireth that felicity which doth consist in loving him\nabove myself, and experience telleth me, that he is good to me, and\ntherefore good in himself, it can hardly be conceived, but that in all\nthis there is some kind of secret love to God, as better than myself.\n\n87. In all this, note, that it is one thing to love God, under the\nnotion of the infinite good, better than myself and all things, and\nanother thing for the will to love him more, as that notion obligeth.\n\n88. And the reason why these are often separated, is, because besides\na slight intellectual apprehension, there is necessary to the will's\njust determination, a clear and deep apprehension, with a right\ndisposition of the will, and a suscitation of the active power.\n\n89. Yea, and every slight volition or velleity will not conquer\nopposing concupiscence and volitions: nor is every will effectual to\ncommand the life, and prevail against its contrary.\n\n90. Therefore, I conceive, that in our first believing in Christ, even\nto justification, though our reason tell us that he is more amiable\nthan ourselves, and we are desirous so to love him for the future, and\nhave an obscure, weak beginning of love to God as God, or as so\nconceived: yet, 1. The strength of sensitive self-love maketh our love\nto ourselves more passionately strong. 2. And that reason, at least in\nits degree of apprehension, is too intense in apprehending our\nself-interest, and too remiss in apprehending the amiableness of God\nas God: and so far, even our rational love is yet greater to\nourselves, though, as to the notion, God hath the pre-eminence. 3. And\nthat in this whole affair of our baptismal covenanting, consent, or\nchristianity, our love to our own felicity, as such, is more powerful\nand effectual, in moving the soul, and prevailing for our resolution\nfor a new life, than is our love to God, as for himself, and as God.\n\n91. And therefore it is, that fear hath so great a hand in our first\nchange: for all that such fear doth, it doth as moved by self-love; I\nmean the fear of suffering and damnation: and yet experience telleth us,\nthat conversion commonly beginneth in fear. And though where self-love\nand fear are alone, without the love of God as good in and for himself,\nthere is no true grace; yet I conceive that there is true grace initial\nin those weak christians, that have more fear and self-love in the\npassionate and powerful part, than love to God, so be it they have not\nmore love to sin, and to any thing that stands in competition with God.\n\n92. Therefore, he that hath a carnal self-love (or inordinate)\ninclining him to the creature, which is stronger in him than the love\nof God, is graceless; because it will turn his heart and life from\nGod. But he that hath only a necessary self-love, even a love to his\nown spiritual, eternal felicity, operating by strong desire and fear,\nconjunct with a weaker degree of love to God as good in himself, I\nthink hath grace, and may so be saved: because here is but an unequal\nmotion to the same end, and not a competition.\n\n93. If any dislike any of this decision, I only desire him to remember,\nthat on both hands there are apparent rocks to be avoided. First, it is\na dangerous thing to say that a man is in a state of grace and\nsalvation, who loveth not God as God, that is, better than himself. And\non the other hand, the experience of most christians in the world saith,\nthat at their first believing, (if not long after,) they loved God more\nfor themselves than for himself, and loved themselves more than God,\nthough they knew that God was better and more amiable; and that the fear\nof misery, and the desire of their own salvation, were more effectual\nand prevalent with them, than that love of God for himself. And I doubt,\nthat not very many have this at all, in so high a degree as to be clear\nand certain of it. And if we shall make that necessary to salvation,\nwhich few of the best christians find in themselves, we either condemn\nalmost all professed christians, or at least leave them under\nuncertainty and terrors. Therefore, God's interest speaking so loud on\none hand, and man's experience on the other, I think we have need to cut\nby a thread, and walk by line, with greatest accurateness.\n\n94. By this time we may see, that, as Christ is the way to the Father,\nand the Saviour and recoverer of lapsed man from himself to God; so\nfaith in Christ, as such, is a mediate and medicinal grace and work: and\nthat faith is but the bellows of love: and that our first believing in\nChrist, though it be the regenerating work, which generateth love, yet\nis but a middle state, between an unregenerate and a regenerate: not as\na third state specifically distinct from both, but the _initium_ of the\nlatter; or as the embryo, or state of conception, in the womb, is as to\na man and no man. Faith containeth love _in fieri_.\n\n95. As the love of ourselves doth most powerfully (though not only) move\nus to close with Christ as our Saviour, so, while hereby we are united\nunto him, we have a double assistance or influx from him for the\nproduction of the purer love of God. The one is objective, in all the\ndivine demonstrations of God's love; in his incarnation, life, death,\nresurrection, in his doctrine, example, intercession, and in all his\nbenefits given us; in our pardon, adoption, and the promises of future\nglory. The other is in the secret operations of the Holy Spirit which he\ngiveth us to concur with these means, and make them all effectual.\n\n96. The true state of sanctification, as different from mere vocation\nand faith, consisteth in this pure love of God, and holiness; and that\nmore for himself and his infinite goodness, than for ourselves, and as\nour felicity.\n\n97. Therefore, when we are promised the Spirit, to be given to us if\nwe believe in Christ, and sanctification is promised us, with\njustification, on this condition of faith, this is part of the meaning\nof that promise;--that, if we truly take Christ for our Saviour, to\nbring us to the love of God, though at present we are most moved with\nthe love of ourselves to accept him, he will, by his word, works, and\nSpirit, bring us to it, initially here, and perfectly in heaven; even\nto be perfectly pleased in God, for his own perfect goodness, and so\nto be fully pleasant to him. And thus, (besides the extraordinary\ngifts to a few,) the Spirit of holiness or love, which is the Spirit\nof adoption, is promised by covenant to all believers.\n\n98. Accordingly, this promise is so fulfilled, that in the first\ninstant of time we have a relative right to Christ, as our Head and\nthe sender of the Spirit, and to the Holy Spirit himself as our\nSanctifier by undertaking, according to the terms of the covenant. But\nthis doth not produce always a sensible or effectual love of God above\nourselves in us, at the very first, but by degrees, as we follow the\nwork of faith in our practice.\n\n99. For it is specially to be noted, that the doctrinal or objective\nmeans of love, which Christ doth use, and his internal, spiritual\ninflux, do concur. And his way is not to work on us by his Spirit alone,\nwithout those objects, nor yet by the objects without the Spirit, nor by\nboth distinctly and dividedly, as producing several effects; but by both\nconjunctly for the same effect; the Spirit's influx causing us\neffectually to improve the objects and reasons of our love; as the hand\nthat useth the seal, and the seal itself, make one impression.\n\n100. As Christ began to win our love to God by the excitation of our\nself-love, multiplying and revealing God's mercies to ourselves, so\ndoth he much carry it on to increase the same way. For while every day\naddeth fresh experience of the greatness of God's love to us, by this\nwe have a certain taste that God is love, and good in himself; and so\nby degrees we learn to love him more for himself, and to improve our\nnotional esteem of his essential goodness into practical.\n\n101. Though faith itself is not wrought in us, without the Holy Ghost,\nnor is it (if sincere) a common gift, yet this operation of the Spirit\ndrawing us to Christ, by such arguments and means as are fitted to the\nwork of believing, is different from the consequent covenant right to\nChrist and the Spirit, which is given to believers, and from the Spirit\nof adoption, as recovering us, as aforesaid, to the love of God.\n\n102. In this last sense it is that the Holy Ghost is said to dwell in\nbelievers, and to be the new name, the pledge, the earnest, the\nfirst-fruits of life eternal, the witness of our right to Christ and\nlife, and Christ's agent and witness in us, to maintain his cause and\ninterest.\n\n103. Even as a man, that by sickness hath lost his appetite to meat,\nis told that such a physician will cure him, if he will take a certain\nmedicinal food that he will give him; and at first he taketh it\nwithout appetite to the food or medicine in itself, but merely for the\nlove of health; but after he is doubly brought to love it for itself,\nfirst, because he hath tasted the sweetness of that which he did but\nsee before, and next, because his health and appetite are recovered:\nso is it with the soul, as to the love of God procured by believing;\nwhen we have tasted through the persuasion of self-love, our taste and\nrecovery cause us to love God for himself.\n\n104. When the soul is risen to this habitual, predominant love of God\nand holiness as such, for their own goodness, above its own felicity\nas such, (though ever in conjunction with it, and as his felicity\nitself,) then is the law written in the heart; and this love is the\nvirtual fulfilling of all the law. And for such it is that it is said,\nthat the law is not made; that is, in that measure that they love the\ngood for itself, they need not be moved to it with threats or promises\nof extrinsic things, which work but by self-love and fear. Not but\nthat divine authority must concur with love to produce obedience,\nespecially while love is but imperfect: but that love is the highest\nprinciple, making the commanded good connatural to us.\n\n105. And I think it is this Spirit of adoption and love which is\ncalled \"The divine nature\" in us, as it inclineth us to love God and\nholiness for themselves, as nature is inclined to self-love, and to\nfood, and other necessaries. Not that the specific, essential nature,\nthat is, substance or form, of the soul is changed, and man deified,\nand he become a god that was before a man; but his human soul or\nnature is elevated or more perfected (as a sick man by health, or a\nblind man by his sight) by the Spirit of God inclining him habitually\nto God himself, as in and for himself. (And this is all which the\npublisher of Sir H. Vane's notions of the two covenants and two\nnatures, can soundly mean, and seemeth to grope after.)\n\n106. By all this you see, that as the love of God hath a double\nself-love in us to deal with, so it dealeth variously with each: 1.\nSensual, inordinate self-love it destroyeth; both as it consisteth in\nthe inordinate love of sensual pleasure, and in the inordinate love of\nself or life. 2. Lawful and just self-love it increaseth and improveth\nto our further good, but subjecteth it to the highest, purest love of\nGod.\n\n107. By this you may gather what a confirmed christian is, even one in\nwhom the pure love of God as God, and all things for God, is\npredominant and more potent than (not only the vicious, but also) the\ngood, and lawful, and necessary love of himself.\n\n108. Though christians therefore must study themselves, and keep up a\ncare of their own salvation, yet must they much more study God, his\ngreatness, wisdom, and goodness, as shining in his works, and word,\nand in his Son, and as foreseen in the heavenly glory; and in this\nknowledge of God and Christ is life eternal. And nothing more tendeth\nto the holy advancement and perfection of the soul, than to keep\ncontinually due apprehensions of the divine nature, properties, and\nglorious appearances in his works upon the soul, so as it may become a\nconstant course of contemplation, and the habit and constitution of\nthe mind, and the constant guide of heart and life.\n\n109. The attainment of this would be a taste of heaven on earth: our\nwills would follow the will of God, and rest therein, and abhor\nreluctancy: all our duty would be both quickened and sweetened with\nlove: self-interest would be disabled from either seducing us to sin,\nor vexing us with griefs, cares, fears, or discontents. We should so\nfar trust soul and body in the will and love of God, as to be more\ncomforted that both are at his will, than if they were absolutely at\nour own. And God being our all, the constant, fixing, satisfying\nobject of our love, our souls would be constantly fixed and satisfied,\nand live in such experience of the sanctifying grace of Christ, as\nwould most powerfully conquer our unbelief; and in such foretastes of\nheaven, as would make life sweet, death welcome, and heaven\nunspeakably desirable to us. But it is not the mere love of personal\ngoodness, as our own perfection, that would do all this upon us.\n\n110. The soul that is troubled with doubts whether he love God as God,\nor only as a means of his own felicity in subordination to self-love,\nmust thus resolve his doubts. If you truly believe that God is God,\nthat is, the efficient, dirigent, and final cause, the just end of\nevery rational agent, the infinite good and chiefly to be loved, in\ncomparison of whom you are vile, contemptible, and as nothing; if you\nfeelingly take yourself as loathsome by sin; if you would not take up\nwith an everlasting sensual pleasure alone, without holiness, if you\ncould have it; no, nor with any perfection of your intellectual\nnature, merely as such, and for yourselves, without the pleasing and\nglorifying God in it; if you practically perceive that every thing is\ntherefore, and so far, good and amiable, as God shineth in it as its\ncause, or as it conduceth to glorify him, and please his will; if,\naccordingly, you love that person best, on whom you perceive most of\nGod, and that is most serviceable to him, though not at all beneficial\nto yourself; if you love the welfare of the church, the kingdom, the\nworld, and of the heavenly society, saints, angels, and Christ, as the\ndivine nature, interest, image, or impress maketh all lovely in their\nseveral degrees; and would rather be annihilated, were it put upon\nyour choice, than saints, angels, kingdoms, church should be\nannihilated; if your hearts have devoted themselves, and all that you\nhave, to God, as his own, to be used to his utmost service; if your\nchief desire and endeavour in the world be to please his blessed will;\nand in that will, and the contemplation of his infinite perfections,\nyou seek your rest; if you desire your own everlasting happiness in no\nother kind, but as consisting in the perfect sight of God's glory, and\nin your perfect loving of him, and being pleasant or beloved to him,\nand this as resting more in the infinite amiableness of God, than the\nfelicity which hence will follow to yourselves, though that also must\nbe desired; if now you deny your own glory for his glory; if your\nchief desire and endeavour be to love him more and more, and you love\nyourselves best when you love him most; in a word, if nothing more\ntake up your care than how to love God more, and nothing in the whole\nworld (yourselves or others) seem more amiable to your sober,\npractical judgment, and your wills, than the infinite goodness of God\nas such;--if all this be so, you have not only attained sincerity,\n(which is not now the question,) but this divine nature, and high,\nconfirmed holiness; though, withal, you never so much desire your own\nsalvation, which is but to desire more of this love; and though your\nnature have such a sensitive, selfish desire of life and pleasure, as\nis brought into subjection to this divine love.\n\nIf any be offended that so many propositions must be used in opening\nthe case, and say that they rather confound men's wits than inform\nthem; I answer, 1. The matter is high, and I could not ascend by a\nshorter ladder. Nor have I the faculty of climbing it _per saltum_,\nstepping immediately from the lowest to the highest part. If any will\nmake the case plainer in fewer words, and with less ado, I shall\nthankfully accept his labour as a very great benefit when I see it. 2.\nEither all these particulars are really diverse, and really pertinent\nto the matter in question, or not: if not, it is not blaming the\nnumber that will evince it, but naming such particulars as are either\nunjustly or unnecessarily distinguished or inserted. And if it be but\nrepeating the same things that is blamed, I shall be glad if all these\nwords, and more, would make such weighty cases clear; and do confess\nthat, after all, I need more light, and am almost stalled with the\ndifficulties myself. But if the particulars can be neither proved\nfalse nor needless, but the reader be only overset with multitude, I\nwould entreat him to be patient with other men, that are more\nlaborious and more capable of knowledge: and let him know, that if his\ndifficulties do not rather engage him in a diligent search, than tempt\nhim to impatience and accusation, I number him, not only with the\nslothful contemners, but therefore also, with the enemies of\nknowledge; even as I reckon the neglecters, and contemners, and\naccusers of piety among its enemies.\n\nBut ere I end, I must answer some objections.\n\n_Object._ I. Some will say, Doth not every man love God above himself\nand all, while he knoweth him to be better, and so more lovely? For\nthere is some act of the will, that answereth this of the understanding.\n\n_Answ._ You must know that the carnal mind is first captivated to\ncarnal self and sensuality; and therefore the most practical and\npowerful apprehensions of goodness or amiableness in every such\nperson, doth fasten upon life and pleasure, or sensual prosperity. And\nthe sense having here engaged the mind and will, the contrary\nconclusions (that God is best) are but superficial and uneffectual\nlike dreams, and though they have answerable effects in the will, they\nare but uneffectual velleities or wishes, which are borne down with\nfar stronger desires of the contrary. And though God be loved as one\nthat is notionally conceived to be best, and most to be loved, yet he\nis not loved best or most. Yea, though ordinarily the understanding\nsay God is best, and best to me, and for me, and most to be loved;\nwhen it cometh to volition or choice, there is a secret apprehension\nwhich saith more powerfully, _et hic nunc_, this sensible pleasure is\nbetter for me, and more eligible. Why else is it chosen? Unless you\nwill say that the motion is principally sensitive, and the force of\nthe sensitive appetite suspendeth all forcible opposition of the\nintellect, and so ruleth the locomotive faculty itself. But whether\nthe intellect be active or but omissive in it, the sin cometh up to\nthe same height of evil. However it be, it is most evident that while\nsuch men say God is most to be loved, they love him not most, when\nthey will not leave a lust or known sin for his love; nor show any\nsuch love, but the contrary, in their lives.\n\n_Object._ II. But do not all men practically love God best, when they\nlove wisdom, honesty, and goodness in all men, even in strangers that\nwill never profit them? And what is God but wisdom, goodness, and\ngreatness itself?\n\n_Answ._ They first idolize themselves and their sensual delights; and\nthen they love such wisdom, goodness, and greatness, as is suitable to\ntheir selfish, sensual lust and interest. And it is not the prime good\nwhich is above them, and to be preferred before them, which they love as\nsuch, but such goodness as is fitted to their fleshly concupiscence and\nends. And therefore holiness they love not. And though they love that\nwhich is never like to benefit them, that is but as it is of the same\nkind with that which, in others nearer them, may benefit them, and\ntherefore is suitable to their minds and interest. And yet we confess\nthat the mind of man hath some principles of virtue, and some footsteps\nand witnesses of a Deity left upon it; but though these work up to an\napprobation of good, and a dislike of evil, in the general notion of it,\nand in particular so far as it crosseth not their lust, yet never to\nprefer the best things practically before their lust; and God is not\nloved best, nor as God, if he be not loved better than fleshly lust.\n\n_Object._ III. But it seems that most or all men love God practically\nbest. For there are few, if any, but would rather be annihilated, than\nthere should be no God, or no world. Therefore they love God better\nthan themselves.\n\n_Answ._ 1. They know that if there were no God or no world, they could\nnot be themselves, and so must also be annihilated. 2. But suppose\nthat they would rather be annihilated, than continue in prosperity\nalone, were it possible, without a God, that is but for the world's\nsake, because the world cannot be the world without a God; which\nproveth but that they are so much men, as to love the whole world\nbetter than themselves. But could the world possibly be what it is,\nwithout a God, I scarce think they would choose annihilation, rather\nthan that there should be no God. 3. But suppose they would, yet I say\nthat some sensual men love their lusts or sensuality better than their\nbeing; and had rather be annihilated for ever, so they might but spend\ntheir lives in pleasure, than to live for ever without those\npleasures. And therefore they will say, that a short life with\npleasure, is better than a long one without it. And when they profess\nto believe the life to come, and the danger of sinning; yet will they\nnot leave their sinful pleasures to save their souls. Therefore, that\nman that would rather be annihilated than there should be no God, may\nyet love his lusts better than God, though not his being. 4. And I\ncannot say that every one shall be saved, that loveth God under a\nfalse idea or image better than himself; no more than that it will\nsave a distracted, melancholy, venereous lover, if he loved his\nparamour or mistress better than himself. For God is not loved as God,\nif he be not loved as infinitely great, and wise, and good, which\ncontaineth his holiness, and also as the Owner, and holy Governor and\nend of man. If any therefore should love God upon conceit that God\nloveth him, and will indulge him in his sins; or if he love him only\nfor his greatness, and as the fountain of all natural, sensible good;\nand love him not as holy, nor as a holy and just Governor and end, it\nis not God indeed that this man loveth; or he loveth him but _secundum\nquid_, and not as God.\n\n_Object._ IV. But suppose I should love God above all, as he is only\ngreat, and wise, and good in the production of all sensible, natural\ngood, without the notion of holiness, and hatred of sin, would not\nthis love itself be holy and saving?\n\n_Answ._ Your love would be no holier or better, than the object of it is\nconceived to be. If you conceive not of God as holy and pure, you cannot\nlove him with a pure and holy love. If you conceive of him but as the\ncause of sun and moon, light and heat, and life and health, and meat and\ndrink, you will love him but with such a love as you have to these:\nwhich will not separate you from any sin as such, but will consist with\nall sensuality of heart and life. And it is not all in God, that nature,\nin its corrupted state, doth hate, or is fallen out with: but if you\nlove him not so well as your lusts and pleasure, nor love him as your\nmost holy Governor and end, you love him not as God, or but _secundum\nquid_; but if you love him holily, you love him as holy.\n\n_Object._ V. God himself loveth the substance or person more than the\nholiness; for he continueth the persons of men and devils, when he\npermitteth the holiness to perish, or giveth it not.\n\n_Answ._ As the existence and event, and the moral goodness, must be\ndistinguished; so must God's mere volition of event, and his\ncomplacency in good as good. God doth not will the existence of a\nreasonable soul in a stone or straw; and yet it followeth not, that he\nloveth a stone or straw for its substance, better than reason in a\nman: for though God willeth to make his creatures various in degrees\nof goodness, and taketh it to be good so to do, and that every\ncreature be not of the best; yet still this goodness of them is\nvarious, as one hath more excellency in it than another. The goodness\nof the whole may require that each part be not best in itself, and yet\nbest respectively in order to the beauty of the whole. As a peg is\nnot better than a standard, and yet is better to the building in its\nplace; and a finger is not better than a head, and yet is better to\nthe body in its place, than another head would be in that place. The\nhead therefore must be loved comparatively better than the finger, and\nthe finger may be cut off to save life, when the head must not: so God\ncan see meet to permit men and devils to fall into misery, and thieves\nto be hanged, and use this to the beauty of the whole, and yet love a\ntrue man better than a thief, and a good man better than a bad.\n\nAnd either you speak of goodness or holiness existent or non-existent.\nIn a devil there is substance, which is good in its natural kind, and\ntherefore so far loved of God; but there is no holiness in him, and that\nwhich is not, is not amiable: but if you meant existent holiness, in a\nsaint, then it is false that God loveth the person of a devil better\nthan the holiness of a saint. Nor is it a proof that he loveth them\nequally, because he equally willeth their existence; for he willeth not\nthey shall be equal in goodness, though equally existent: and it is\ncomplacency, and not mere volition of existence, which we mean by love.\n\nOtherwise your arguing is as strong if it run thus: that which God\nbringeth to pass, and not another thing, he willeth and loveth more\nthan that other; but God bringeth to pass men's sickness, pain, death,\nand damnation, and not the holiness, ease, or salvation of those\npersons: therefore he loveth their pain, death, and damnation better\nthan their holiness: therefore we should love them better, than the\ndevils or miserable men should love their misery better than holiness.\nGod showeth what he loveth oft by commanding it, when he doth not\neffect it; he loveth holiness _in esse cognito_, and _in esse\nexistente_, respectively as his image.\n\n_Object._ But at least it will follow, that in this or that person as\nthe devils, God loveth the substance better than holiness; for what he\nwilleth he loveth: but he willeth the substance without the holiness;\ntherefore he loveth the substance without the holiness.\n\n_Answ._ It is answered already. Moreover, 1. God willed that holiness\nshould be the duty of all men and devils, though he willed not\ninsuperably and absolutely to effect it. 2. The word \"without\" meaneth\neither an exclusion or a mere non-inclusion. God willeth not the\nperson excluding the holiness: for he excludeth it not by will or\nwork; but only he willeth the person, not including the holiness as to\nany absolute will. And so God loveth the person without the holiness;\nbut not so much as he would love him if he were holy.\n\n_Object._ But you intimate, that it is best as to the beauty of the\nuniverse, that there be sin, and unholiness, and damnation; and God\nloveth that which is good as to the universe, yea, that is a higher\ngood than personal good, as the subject is more noble, and therefore\nmore to be loved of us as it is of God.\n\n_Answ._ 1. I know Augustin is oft alleged as saying, _Bonum est ut\nmalum fiat_. But sin and punishment must be distinguished: it is true\nof punishment presupposing sin, that it is good and lovely, in respect\nto public ends, though hurtful to the person suffering; and therefore\nas God willeth it as good, so should we not only be patient, but be\npleased in it as it is the demonstration of the justice and holiness\nof God, and as it is good, though not as it is our hurt. But sin (or\nunholiness privative) is not good in itself, nor to the universe: nor\nis it a true saying, that It is good that there be sin; nor is it\nwilled of God, (though not nilled with an absolute, effective\nnolition,) as hath been elsewhere opened at large. Sin is not good to\nthe universe, nor any part of the beauty of the creature: God neither\nwilleth it, causeth it, nor loveth it.\n\n_Object._ At least he hath no great love to holiness in those persons,\nthat he never giveth it to; otherwise he would work it in them.\n\n_Answ._ He cannot love that existent which existeth not. Nor doth he\nany further will to give it them than to command it, and give them all\nnecessary means and persuasions to it. But what if God make but one\nsun, will you say that he hath no great love to a sun, that will make\nno more? What if he make no more worlds? doth that prove that he hath\nno great love to a world? He loveth the world, the sun, and so the\nsaints, which he hath made: and he doth not so far love suns, or\nworlds, or saints, as to make as many suns, or worlds, or saints, as\nfoolish wits would prescribe unto him. Our question is, What being God\nloveth, and we should most love, as being best and likest him, and not\nwhat he should give a being to that is not.\n\n_Object._ VI. Holiness is but an accident, and the person is the\nsubstance, and better than the accident; and Dr. Twiss oppugneth, on\nsuch accounts, the saying of Arminius, That God loveth justice better\nthan just men, because it is for justice that he loveth them.\n\n_Answ._ Aristotle and Porphyry have not so clearly made known to us\nthe nature of those things or modes which they are pleased to call\naccidents, as that we should lay any great stress upon their sayings\nabout them. Another will say that goodness itself is but an accident,\nand most will call it a mode; and they will say that the substance is\nbetter than the mode or accident, and therefore better than goodness\nitself. And would this, think you, be good arguing? Distinguish then\nbetween physical goodness of being, in the soul, both as a substance,\nand as a formal virtue; and the perfective, or modal, qualitative or\ngradual goodness; and then consider, that the latter always\npresupposeth the former: where there is holiness, there is the\nsubstance, with its physical goodness, and the perfective, modal, or\nmoral goodness too; but where there is no holiness, there is only a\nsubstance deprived of its modal, moral goodness. And is not both\nbetter than one, and a perfect being than an imperfect?\n\nAnd as to Arminius's saying, He cannot mean that God loveth\nrighteousness with a subject or substance, better than a subject without\nrighteousness; for there is no such thing to love, as righteousness\nwithout a subject (though there maybe an abstracted, distinct conception\nof it). If therefore the question be only, Whether God love the same man\nbetter, as he is a man, or as he is a saint, I answer, he hath a love to\neach which is suitable to its kind. He hath such complacency in the\nsubstance of a serpent, a man, a devil, as is agreeable to their being;\nthat is, as they bear the natural impressions of his creating\nperfections, yet such as may stand with their pain, death, and misery.\nBut he hath such a complacency in the actual holiness, love, and\nobedience of men and angels, as that he taketh the person that hath them\nto be meet for his service, and glory, and everlasting felicity, and\ndelight in him, as being qualified for it. So that God's love must be\ndenominatively distinguished from the object; and so it is a love of\nnature, and a love of the moral perfections of nature: the first love is\nthat by which he loveth a man because he is a man, and so all other\ncreatures; the second love is that by which he loveth a good man,\nbecause he is good or holy. And if it will comfort you, that God loveth\nyour being without your perfections or virtue, let it comfort you in\npain, and death, and hell, that he continueth your being without your\nwell-being or felicity.\n\n_Object._ VII. All goodness or holiness is some one's goodness or\nholiness (as health is). And as it is the person's welfare and\nperfection, so it is given for the person's sake: therefore the\nperson, as the _finis cui_, and utmost end, is better than the thing\ngiven him, and so more amiable.\n\n_Answ._ That all goodness is some one's goodness, proveth but that\nsome one is the subject or being that is good, but not that to be is\nbetter than to be good, as such. And as he is in some respect the\n_finis cui_, for whom it is, and so it is good to him; yet he and his\ngoodness are for a higher end, which is the pleasing of God in the\ndemonstration of his goodness: that therefore is best which most\ndemonstrateth God's goodness. And there is no subject or substance\nwithout its accidents or modes; and that person that is not good and\nholy, is bad and unholy. Therefore the question should be, Whether a\nperson bad and unholy, be more amiable than a person good and holy,\nthat hath both physical and moral goodness. And for all that the name\nof an accident maketh action seem below the person: yet it must be\nalso said, that the person and his faculties are for action, as being\nbut the substance in a perfect mode, and that action is for higher\nends than the person's being or felicity.\n\n_Object._ VIII. Love is nothing but benevolence, _velle bonum alicui\nut ei bene sit_. But who is it that would not wish good to God, that\nis to be blessed as he is? But how can holiness then be loved, but\nrather the person for his holiness; because we cannot wish it good,\nbut only to be what it is.\n\n_Answ._ 1. The definition is false, as hath been showed, and as the\ninstance proveth; else a man could not be said to love learning, virtue,\nor any quality, but only to love the person that wanteth it, or hath it.\nBut love is a complacency, and benevolence is but its effect or\nantecedent. 2. The unholy wish not good to God, for they would all\ndepose him from his Godhead: they would not have him to be a hater of\ntheir sin, nor to be their holy and righteous Governor and Judge.\n\n_Object._ IX. It is better to be a man, though a sinner and miserable\nin hell, than not to be at all. Else God would never ordain, cause, or\npermit it.\n\n_Answ._ It is better to the highest ends, God's glory, and the\nuniversal order, to be a punished man, than to be nothing (when God\nwill have it so); because punishment, as to those highest ends, is\ngood; though it is not best for the poor miserable sinner: but the\nsame cannot be said of sin. It is indeed better also to those highest\nends, to be a man though a sinner (while God continueth humanity); but\nnot to be a man and a sinner: for the latter implieth some good to be\nin the sin which hath no good, and therefore God neither causeth it,\nnor willeth it, though he permit it. But though a sinful man is better\nthan no man to God's ends, it followeth not, that to be a man is\nbetter than to be a good man.\n\n_Object._ X. If that be best and most amiable which is most to the\nglory of God, then it is more amiable to be a sinner in hell torment\nglorifying his justice, than not to be at all, or to be a brute.\n\n_Answ._ It is neither of these that is offered to your love and\nchoice, but to be holy. All good is not matter of election; but that\ngood which is in hell is not the sin, but the punishment. For the sin\ndoth reputatively, and as much as in it lieth, rob God of his glory,\nand punishment repaireth it. Therefore love the punishment if you can,\nand spare not, so you love holiness better; for that would honour God\nmore excellently, and please him more.\n\n_Object._ XI. If I must love to be like God, I must love to be great,\nand I must love the greatest as most like him.\n\n_Answ._ You must love to be like him in those perfections which you\nare capable of, and the ends and uses of your proper nature: therefore\nyou must be desirous to be like him in your measure, even in such\npower and greatness as are suitable to the nature and ends of a\nrational soul. Not in such strength as he giveth a horse, or such\nmagnitude as he giveth a mountain, which is not to be most like him;\nbut in the vital activity and power of an intellectual free agent: to\nbe powerful and great in love to God and all his service, and in all\ngood works, to be profitable to the world, to be lively and ready in\nall obedience, strong to suffer, and to conquer sin and all\ntemptations; in a word, to be great and powerful in wisdom and true\ngoodness. Thus seek even in power to be like God in your capacities.\n\n_Object._ XII. God himself doth not love men only for their goodness,\nnor love that best which is best. For he loveth his elect while\nenemies and ungodly; and he telleth Israel he loved them because he\nwould love them, and not because they were better than others; and in\nthe womb he loved Jacob best, when he was no better than Esau.\n\n_Answ._ 1. Distinguish between God's complacence and benevolence. 2.\nBetween the good that is present, and foreseen good with a present\ncapacity for it.\n\n1. God had a greater benevolence to Jacob than Esau, and to the\nIsraelites than to other nations that were perhaps not much worse. And\nit is not for our goodness that God decreeth to make us good, or to\ngive us a double proportion of any of those mercies, which he giveth\nnot as Rector, but as Dominus and Benefactor, as an absolute Owner and\nfree Benefactor. And with this love of benevolence he loveth us when\nwe are his enemies, that is, he purposeth to make us good; but this\nbenevolence is but a secondary love and fruit of complacency, joined\nwith the free, unequal distribution of his own.\n\n2. But for complacency, which is love in the first and strictest\nsense, God so loveth the wicked though elect, no further than they are\ngood and lovely, that is, (1.) As they have the natural goodness of\nrational creatures: (2.) And as they are capable of all the future\nservice they will do him, and glory they will bring him; (3.) And as\nhis infinite wisdom knoweth it fit to choose them to that service. Or,\nif the benevolence of election do go before his first complacence in\nthem above others, as being before his foresight that they will serve\nand love better, yet still this proper love, called complacence, goeth\nnot beyond the worth of the thing loved.\n\n_Object._ Doth God love us complacentially in Christ, beyond the good\nthat is in us?\n\n_Answ._ Not beyond our real and relative good, as we are in ourselves,\nby his grace, and as we are in Christ related to him, and both ways\nsuch as demonstrate the divine perfections, and shall love, and\nglorify, and please him for ever.\n\nSo much for the opening of the true nature of love to God, ourselves,\nand others, and of man's ultimate end, and of the nature of holiness\nand goodness, and those mysteries of religion which are involved in\nthese points.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER IV.\n\n    SUBORDINATE DIRECTIONS AGAINST THOSE GRAND HEART SINS, WHICH ARE\n      DIRECTLY CONTRARY TO THE LIFE OF GODLINESS AND CHRISTIANITY.\n\n\n[Sidenote: The recital of such sins as the former positive directions\ndo detect, and afford help against.]\n\nThe positive directions to the essential duties of godliness and\nchristianity have already given you directions against the contrary\nsins: as, in the first grand direction you have helps against direct\nunbelief. In the second you have directions against unbelief, as it\nsignifieth the not using and applying of Christ according to our\nvarious needs. In the third you have directions against[134] all\nresisting or neglecting the Holy Ghost. (Which were first, because in\npractice we must come by the Son and the Spirit to the saving\nknowledge and love of the Father.) In the fourth you have\ndirections[135] against atheism, idolatry, and ungodliness. In the\nfifth you have directions against self-idolizing, and self-dependence,\nand unholiness in alienating yourselves from God. In the sixth you are\ndirected against rebellion and disobedience against God. In the\nseventh you have directions against unteachableness, ignorance, and\nerror. In the eighth you have directions against impenitency,\nunhumbleness, impurity, unreformedness, and all sin in general as sin.\nIn the ninth you are directed against[136] security, unwatchfulness,\nand yielding to temptations, and in general against all danger to the\nsoul. In the tenth you are directed against barrenness,\nunprofitableness, and sloth, and uncharitableness; and against\nmistakes in matter of duty or good works. In the eleventh you are\ndirected against all averseness, disaffection, or cold indifferency of\nheart to God. In the twelfth you are directed against distrust, and\nsinful cares, and fears, and sorrows. In the thirteenth, you are\ndirected against an over sad or heartless serving of God, as merely\nfrom fear, or forcedly, without delight. In the fourteenth, you are\ndirected against unthankfulness. In the fifteenth, you are directed\nagainst all unholy or dishonourable thoughts of God, and against all\ninjurious speeches of him, or barrenness of the tongue, and against\nall scandal or barrenness of life. In the books referred to in the\nsixteenth and seventeenth, you are directed against selfishness,\nself-esteem, self-love, self-conceit, self-will, self-seeking, and\nagainst all worldliness, and fleshliness of mind or life. But yet,\nlest any necessary helps should be wanting against such heinous sins,\nI shall add some more particular directions against such of them as\nwere not fully spoken to before.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[134] Of the sin against the Holy Ghost, I have written a special\ntreatise in my \"Unreasonableness of Infidelity.\"\n\n[135] Since the writing of this, I have published the same more at\nlarge in my \"Reasons of the Christian Religion,\" and in my \"Life of\nFaith.\"\n\n[136] Of presumption and false hope, enough is said in the \"Saints'\nRest,\" and here about temptation, hope, and other heads afterward.\n\n\n\n\n                                PART I.\n\n                     _Directions against Unbelief._\n\n\n[Sidenote: Whether not to believe that my sins are pardoned, be indeed\nunbelief?]\n\nI know that most poor troubled christians, when they complain of the\nsin of unbelief, do mean by it, their not believing that they are\nsincere believers, and personally justified, and shall be saved. And I\nknow that some divines have affirmed, that the sense of that article\nof the creed, \"I believe the remission of sins,\" is, I believe my sins\nare actually forgiven. But the truth is, to believe that I am elect or\njustified, or that my sins are forgiven, or that I am a sincere\nbeliever, is not to believe any word of God at all: for no word of God\ndoth say any of these; nor any thing equivalent; nor any thing out of\nwhich it can be gathered: for it is a rational conclusion; and one of\nthe premises which do infer it, must be found in myself by reflection,\nor internal sense, and self-knowledge. The Scripture only saith, \"He\nthat truly believeth is justified, and shall be saved.\" But it is\nconscience, and not belief of Scripture, which must say, I do\nsincerely believe: therefore the conclusion, that I am justified, and\nshall be saved, is a rational collection from what I find in Scripture\nand in myself, set together; and resulting from both, can be no firmer\nor surer than is the weaker of the premises. Now certainty is\nobjective or subjective; in the thing, or in my apprehension. As to\nobjective certainty in the thing itself, all truths are equally true;\nbut all truths are not equally discernible, there being much more\ncause of doubting concerning some, which are less evident, than\nconcerning others, which are more evident. And so the truth of God's\npromise of justification to believers, is more certain; that is, hath\nfuller, surer evidence to be discerned by, than the truth of my\nsincere believing. And, that I sincerely believe, is the more debile\nof the premises, and therefore the conclusion followeth this in its\ndebility; and so can be no article of faith. And as to the subjective\ncertainty, that varies according to men's various apprehensions. The\npremises, as in their evidence or aptitude to ascertain us, are the\ncause of the conclusion as evident, or knowable. And the premises, as\napprehended, are the cause of the conclusion as known.\n\n[Sidenote: Whether a man can be more certain that be believeth, than\nhe is that thing believed is true?]\n\nNow it is a great doubt with some, Whether a man can possibly be more\ncertain that he believeth, than he is that the thing believed is true;\nbecause the act can extend no further than the object; and to be sure\nI believe, is but to be sure that I take the thing believed to be\ntrue. But I shall grant the contrary, that a man may possibly be surer\nthat he believeth, than he is that the thing believed is true; because\nmy believing is not always a full subjective certainty that the thing\nis true, but a believing that it is true. And though you are fully\ncertain that all God's word is true; yet you may believe that this is\nhis word, with some mixture of unbelief or doubting. And so the\nquestion is but this, Whether you may not certainly, without doubting,\nknow, that you believe the word of God to be true, though with some\ndoubting. And it seems you may. But then it is a further question,\nWhether you can be surer of the saving sincerity of your faith, than\nyou are that this word of God is true. And that ordinarily men doubt\nof the first, as much as they doubt of the latter, I think is an\nexperimented truth. But yet grant that with some it may be otherwise,\n(because he believeth sincerely, that so far believeth the word of\nGod, as to trust his life and soul upon it, and forsake all in\nobedience to it: and that I do so, I may know with less doubting, than\nI yet have about the truth of the word so believed,) all that will\nfollow is but this, that of those men that doubt of their\njustification and salvation, some of their doubts are caused more by\ntheir doubting of God's word, than by the doubting whether they\nsincerely though doubtingly believe it; and the doubts of others,\nwhether they are justified and shall be saved, is caused much more by\ntheir doubting of their own sincere belief, than by their doubting of\nthe truth of Scriptures. And the far greatest number of christians\nseem to themselves to be of this latter sort. For no doubt, but though\na man of clear understanding can scarcely believe, and yet not know\nthat he believeth; yet he may believe sincerely, and not know that he\nbelieveth sincerely. But still the knowledge of our own justification\nis but the effect or progeny of our belief of the word of God, and of\nour knowledge that we do sincerely believe it, which conjunctly are\nthe parents and causes of it: and it can be no stronger than the\nweaker of the parents (which _in esse cognoscibili_ is our faith, but\n_in esse cognito_ is sometimes the one, and sometimes the other). And\nthe effect is not the cause; the effect of faith and knowledge\nconjunct, is not faith itself. It is not a believing the word of God,\nto believe that you believe, or that you are justified; but yet,\nbecause that faith is one of the parents of it, some call it by the\nname of faith, though they should call it but an effect of faith, as\none of the causes. And well may our doubtings of our own salvation be\nsaid to be from unbelief, because unbelief is one of the causes of\nthem, and the sinfullest cause.\n\n[Sidenote: The article of remission of sin to be believed applyingly.]\n\nAnd that the article of remission of sin is to be believed with\napplication to ourselves, is certain: but not with the application of\nassurance, persuasion, or belief that we are already pardoned; but\nwith an applying acceptance of an offered pardon, and consent to the\ncovenant which maketh it ours. We believe that Christ hath purchased\nremission of sin, and made a conditional grant of it in his gospel, to\nall, viz. if they will repent, and believe in him, or take him for\ntheir Saviour, or become penitent christians. And we consent to do so,\nand to accept it on these terms. And we believe that all are actually\npardoned that thus consent.\n\nBy all this you may perceive, that those troubled christians which\ndoubt not of the truth of the word of God, but only of their own\nsincerity, and consequently of their justification and salvation, do\nignorantly complain that they have not faith, or that they cannot\nbelieve: for it is no act of unbelief at all, for me to doubt whether\nmy own heart be sincere: this is my ignorance of myself, but it is not\nany degree of unbelief; for God's word doth no where say that I am\nsincere, and therefore I may doubt of this, without doubting of God's\nword at all. And let all troubled christians know, that they have no\nmore belief in them, than they have doubting or unbelief of the truth\nof the word of God. Even that despair itself, which hath none of this\nin it, hath no unbelief in it (if there be any such). I thought it\nneedful thus far to tell you what unbelief is, before I come to give\nyou directions against it. And though the mere doubting of our own\nsincerity be no unbelief at all, yet real unbelief of the very truth\nof the holy Scriptures, is so common and dangerous a sin, and some\ndegree of it is latent in the best, that I think we can no way so much\nfurther the work of grace, as by destroying this. The weakness of our\nfaith in the truth of Scriptures, and the remnant of our unbelief of\nit, is the principal cause of all the languishings of our love and\nobedience, and every grace; and to strengthen faith, is to strengthen\nall. What I have fullier written in my \"Saints' Rest,\" part 2, and my\n\"Treatise against Infidelity,\" I here suppose.\n\n_Direct._ I. Consider well how much of religion nature itself\nteacheth, and reason, (without supernatural revelation,) must needs\nconfess: (as, that there is another life which man was made for, and\nthat he is obliged to the fullest love and obedience to God, and the\nrest before laid down in the Introduction.) And then observe how\ncongruously the doctrine of Christ comes in, to help where nature is\nat a loss, and how exactly it suits with natural truths, and how\nclearly it explaineth them, and fully containeth so much of them as is\nnecessary to salvation; and how suitable and proper a means it is to\nattain their ends; and how great a testimony the doctrines of nature\nand grace do give unto each other.[137]\n\n_Direct._ II. Consider, that man's end being in the life to come, and\nGod being the righteous and merciful Governor of man in order to that\nend, it must needs be that God will give him sufficient means to know\nhis will in order to that end; and that the clearest, fullest means\nmust needs demonstrate most of the government and mercy of God.\n\n_Direct._ III. Consider, what full and sad experience the world hath\nof its pravity and great corruption; and that the natural tendency of\nreason is to those high and excellent things, which corruption and\nbrutishness do almost extinguish or cast out with the most; and that\nthe prevalency of the lower faculties against right reason, is so\nlamentable and universal, to the confusion of the world, that it is\nenough to tell us, that this is not the state that God first made us\nin, and that certainly sin hath sullied and disordered his work. The\nwickedness of the world is a great confirmation of the Scripture.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Consider, how exactly the doctrine of the gospel, and\ncovenant of grace, are suited to the lapsed state of man; even as the\nlaw of works was suited to his state of innocency: so that the gospel\nmay be called the law of lapsed nature, as suited to it, though not as\nrevealed by it; as the other was the law of entire nature.\n\n_Direct._ V. Compare the many prophecies of Christ, with the\nfulfilling of them in his person. As that of Moses recited by\nStephen, Acts vii. 37; and Isa. lviii; Dan. ix. 24-26, &c. And\nconsider that those Jews which are the christians' bitterest enemies,\nacknowledge and preserve those prophecies, and all the Old Testament,\nwhich giveth so full a testimony to the New.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Consider, what an admirable suitableness there is in the\ndoctrine of Christ, to the relish of a serious, heavenly mind: and how\nall that is spiritual and truly good in us, doth close with it and\nembrace it from a certain congruity of natures, as the eye doth with\nthe light, and the stomach with its proper food. Every good man in\nreading the holy Scripture, feeleth something (even all that is good)\nwithin him bear witness to it. And only our worse part is quarrelling\nwith it, and rebels against it.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Consider, how all the first churches were planted by\nthe success of all those miracles mentioned in the Scripture. And that\nthe apostles and thousands of others saw the miracles of Christ: and\nthe churches saw the miracles of the apostles, and heard them speak in\nlanguages unlearned; and had the same extraordinary gifts communicated\nto themselves. And these being openly and frequently manifested,\nconvinced unbelievers; and were openly urged by the apostles to stop\nthe mouths of opposers, and confirm believers; (Gal. iii. 1-3;) who\nwould all have scorned their arguments, and the faith which they\nsupported, if all these had been fictions, of which they themselves\nwere said to be eye-witnesses and agents. So that the very existence\nof the churches was a testimony to the matter of fact. And what\ntestimony can be greater of God's interest and approbation, than\nChrist's resurrection, and all these miracles.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Consider, how no one of all the heretics or apostates,\ndid ever contradict the matters of fact, or hath left the world any\nkind of confutation of them, which they wanted not malice, or\nencouragement, or opportunity to have done.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Consider, how that no one of all those thousands that\nasserted these miracles, are ever mentioned in any history as repenting\nof it, either in their health, or at the hour of death: whereas it had\nbeen so heinous a villany to have cheated the world in so great a cause,\nthat some consciences of dying men, especially of men that placed all\ntheir hopes in the life to come, must needs have repented of.\n\n_Direct._ X. Consider, that the witnesses of all these miracles, and\nall the churches that believed them, were taught by their own doctrine\nand experience, to forsake all that they had in the world, and to be\nreproached, hated, and persecuted of all men, and to be as lambs among\nwolves, in expectation of death; and all this for the hope of that\nblessedness promised them by a crucified, risen Christ. So that no\nworldly end could move them to deceive, or willingly to be deceived.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Consider, how impossible it is in itself, that so many\nmen should agree together to deceive the world, and that for nothing,\nand at the rate of their own undoing and death: and that they should\nall agree in the same narratives and doctrines so unanimously: and\nthat none of these should ever confess the deceit, and disgrace the\nrest. All things well considered, this will appear not only a moral,\nbut a natural impossibility; especially considering their quality and\ndistance, there being thousands in several countries that never saw\nthe faces of the rest, much less could enter a confederacy with them,\nto deceive the world.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Consider the certain way by which the doctrine and\nwritings of the apostles, and other evangelical messengers, have been\ndelivered down to us, without any possibility of material alteration.\nBecause the holy Scriptures were not left only to the care of private\nmen, or of the christians of one country, who might have agreed upon\ncorruptions and alterations; but it was made the office of the\nordinary ministers to read, and expound, and apply them. And every\ncongregation had one or more of these ministers: and the people\nreceived the Scriptures as the law of God, and that by which they must\nlive and be judged, and as their charter for heaven. So that it was\nnot possible for one minister to corrupt the Scripture text, but the\nrest, with the people, would have quickly reproved him; nor for those\nof one kingdom to bring all other christians to it throughout the\nworld, without a great deal of consultation and opposition (if at\nall); which never was recorded to us.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Be acquainted as fully as you can with the history of\nthe church, that you may know how the gospel hath been planted, and\npropagated, and assaulted, and preserved until now: which will much\nbetter satisfy you, than general, uncertain talk of others.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Judge whether God, being the wise and merciful Governor\nof the world, would suffer the honestest and obedientest subjects that\nhe hath upon earth, to be deceived in a matter of such importance, by\npretence of doctrines and miracles proceeding from himself, and which\nnone but himself (or God by his special grant) is able to do, without\ndisowning them, or giving any sufficient means to the world to\ndiscover the deceit.[138] For certainly, he needeth not deceit to\ngovern us. If you say that he permits Mahometanism, I answer, 1. The\nmain, positive doctrine of the Mahometans, for the worshipping of one\nonly God, against idolatry, is true: and the by-fancies of their\npretended prophet, are not commended to the world upon the pretence of\nattesting miracles at all, but upon the affirmation of revelations,\nwithout any credible seal or divine attestation, and obtruded on the\nworld by the power of the sword. 2. And God hath given the world\nsufficient preservatives against them, in the nullity of the proof of\nthem, and the evident foppery of the writings and the things\nthemselves. So that honesty and diligence will easily escape them.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Observe the supernatural effects of the gospel upon the\nsouls of believers: how it planteth on man the image of the holy God;\npowerfully subduing both sense and the greatest interest of the flesh,\nto the will of God; and making men wise and good; and putting an\nadmirable difference between them and all other men. And then judge\nwhether it be not God's seal, having his image first upon itself,\nwhich he doth use and honour to be the instrument of imprinting his\nimage upon us.[139]\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Mark well the certain vanity of all other religions\nthat prevail on the earth. Idolatry and Mahometanism, which openly\nbear the mark of their own shame, have shared between them almost all\nthe rest of the earth; for mere deism is scarce any where in\npossession; and Judaism hath no considerable inheritance; and both of\nthem as sensibly confuted by man's corruption, necessity, and desert.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Mark the great difference between the christian part\nof the world, (those that receive christianity seriously and in\nsincerity,) and all the rest.[140] Those that are furthest from\nchristianity, are furthest from piety, honesty, civility, or any\nlaudable parts or conversations: most of them are beastly and ungodly;\nand the rest are but a little better: and ignorance and brutishness\ncannot be the perfection of a man. Nay, among professed christians,\nthe multitudes that have but the name, and hate the nature and\npractice of it, are like swine or wolves; and some of the worst, near\nkin to devils. When all that receive christianity practically into\ntheir hearts and lives, are heavenly and holy, and (in the same\nmeasure that they receive it) their sins are all mortified, and they\nare devoted to God, and possessed with justice, charity, and patience\nto men, and are carried up above this world, and contemn that which\nthe rest do make their felicity and delight. So that if that be good\nwhich doth good, then is the goodness of the christian faith apparent\nto all, that have any acquaintance, reason, and impartiality to judge.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Bethink you what you should have been yourselves, if\nyou had not been christians? Yea, what would yet be the consequent if\nyou should fall from the christian faith? Would you not look at the\nlife to come as doubtful? and resolve to take your pleasure in the\nworld, and to gratify the flesh, and to neglect your souls, and to\nventure upon almost any vice, that seemeth necessary to your carnal\nends? Christianity hath cleansed and sanctified you, if you are\nsanctified: and if (which God forbid!) you should forsake\nchristianity, it is most likely you would quickly show the difference,\nby your dirty, fleshly, worldly lives.[141]\n\n_Direct._ XIX. When you see the evidence of divine revelation and\nauthority, it is enough to silence your doubts and cavils about\nparticular words or circumstances. For you know that God is true and\ninfallible; and you know that you are silly, ignorant worms, that are\nutterly at a loss, when you have not one at hand to open every\ndifficulty to you: and that all arts and sciences seem full of\ndifficulties and contradictions to ignorant, unexperienced novices.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Allow all along in your learning, for the difficulties\nwhich must needs arise, from the translation, ambiguity of all human\nlanguage, change and variety of words and customs, time, place, and\nother circumstances, and especially from your own unacquaintedness\nwith all these: that so your own infirmities, and ignorance, and\nmistakes in reasoning, may not be ascribed to the truth.\n\n_Direct._ XXI. Understand the proper use of holy Scripture, and so how\nfar it is divine; that so you be not tempted to unbelief, by expecting\nin it that which never was intended, and then finding your causeless\nexpectations frustrate. It is not so divine as to the terms, and\nstyle, and order, and such modal and circumstantial matters, as if all\nthe exactness might be expected in it, that God could put into a book:\nnor is it intended as a system of physics, or logic, or any\nsubservient sciences or arts: but it is an infallible revelation of\nthe will of God, for the government of the church, and the conducting\nmen to life eternal: and it is ordered and worded so as to partake of\nsuch human infirmity, as yet shall no way impeach the truth or\nefficacy of it; but rather make it more suitable to the generality of\nmen, whose infirmity requires such a style and manner of handling. So\nthat as a child of God hath a body from parents, which yet is of God,\nbut so of God, as to partake of the infirmities of the parents; or\nrather, as Adam had a body from God, but yet from earth, and\naccordingly frail; but a soul more immediately from God, which was\nmore pure and divine: so Scripture hath its style, and language, and\nmethod so from God, as to have nothing in it unsuitable to its ends;\nbut not so from God, as if he himself had showed in it his own most\nperfect wisdom to the utmost, and as if there were nothing in it of\nhuman imperfection. But the truth and goodness which are the soul of\nScripture, are more immediately from God. The style and method of the\npenmen may be various; but the same soul animateth all the parts. It\nis no dishonour to the holy Scriptures, if Cicero be preferred for\npurity of style, and phrase, and oratory, as for other common uses;\nbut certainly it is to be preferred as to its proper use: that being\nthe best style for an act of parliament, which is next to the worst in\nan oration. The means are for the end.\n\n_Direct._ XXII. Consider how great assistance apparitions, and\nwitchcrafts, and other sensible evidences of spirits conversing with\nmankind, do give to faith. Of which I have written in the\nforementioned treatises, and therefore now pass it over.\n\n_Direct._ XXIII. Consider what advantage faith may have, by observing\nthe nature and tendency of the soul, and its hopes and fears of a life\nto come, together with the superior, glorious worlds, which certainly\nare possessed by nobler inhabitants.[142] He that seeth every corner\nof the earth, and sea, and air inhabited, and thinks what earth is in\ncomparison of all the great and glorious orbs above it, will hardly\nonce dream that they are all void of inhabitants, or that there is not\nroom enough for souls.\n\n_Direct._ XXIV. The ministry of angels, of which particular\nprovidences give us a great probability, doth give some help to that\ndoctrine which telleth us, that we must live with angels, and that we\nshall ascend to more familiarity with them, who condescend to so great\nservice now for us.\n\n_Direct._ XXV. The universal, wonderful, implacable enmity of\ncorrupted man to the holy doctrine, and ways, and servants of Christ,\nand the open war which in every kingdom, and the secret war which in\nevery heart, is kept up between Christ and Satan through the world;\nwith the tendency of every temptation, their violence, constancy, in\nall ages, to all persons, all making against Christ, and heaven, and\nholiness, do notoriously declare that the christian doctrine and life\ndo tend to our salvation; which the devil so maliciously and\nincessantly opposeth: and thus his temptations give great advantage to\nthe tempted soul against the tempter. For it is not for nothing that\nthe enemy of our souls makes so much opposition. And that there is\nsuch a devil, that thus opposeth Christ and tempteth us, not only\nsensible apparitions and witchcrafts prove, but the too sensible\ntemptations, which, by their matter and manner, plainly tell us whence\nthey come. Especially when all the world is formed as into two hostile\narmies, the one fighting under Christ, and the other under the devil;\nand so have continued since Cain and Abel to this day.\n\n_Direct._ XXVI. The prophecies of Christ himself of the destruction of\nJerusalem, and the gathering of his church, and the cruel usage of it\nthrough the world, do give great assistance to our faith, when we see\nthem all so punctually fulfilled.\n\n_Direct._ XXVII. Mark whether it be not a respect to things temporal\nthat assaulteth thy belief; and come not with a biassed, sensual mind\nto search into so great a mystery. Worldliness, and pride, and\nsensuality are deadly enemies to faith; and where they prevail they\nwill show their enmity, and blind the mind: if the soul be sunk into\nmud and filth, it cannot see the things of God.\n\n_Direct._ XXVIII. Come with humility and a sense of your ignorance,\nand not with arrogance and self-conceit; as if all must needs be wrong\nthat your empty, foolish minds cannot presently perceive to be right.\nThe famousest apostates that ever I knew, were all men of notorious\npride and self-conceitedness.\n\n_Direct._ XXIX. Provoke not God by wilful sinning against the light,\nwhich thou hast already received, to forsake thee, and give thee over\nto infidelity. 2 Thess. ii. 10-12, \"Because men receive not the love\nof the truth, that they might be saved; for this cause God sends them\nstrong delusions to believe a lie; that they all might be damned who\nbelieved not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.\" Obey\nChrist's doctrine so far as you know it, and you shall fullier know it\nto be of God, John vii. 17; x. 4.\n\n_Direct._ XXX. Tempt not yourselves to infidelity, by pretended\nhumility in abasing your natural faculties, when you should be humbled\nfor your moral pravity. Vilifying the soul, and its reason, and\nnatural free-will, doth tend to infidelity, by making us think that we\nare but as other inferior animals, incapable of a life above with God:\nwhenas self-abasing, because of the corruption of reason and\nfree-will, doth tend to show us the need of a physician, and so assist\nour faith in Christ.\n\n_Direct._ XXXI. Judge not of so great a thing by sudden apprehensions,\nor the surprise of a temptation, when you have not leisure to look up\nall the evidences of faith, and lay them together, and take a full,\ndeliberate view of all the cause. It is a mystery so great as\nrequireth a clear and vacant mind, delivered from prejudice,\nabstracted from diverting and deceiving things; which, upon the best\nassistance and with the greatest diligence, must lay altogether to\ndiscern the truth. And if, upon the best assistance and consideration,\nyou have been convinced of the truth, and then will let every sudden\nthought, or temptation, or difficulty seem enough to question all\nagain, this is unfaithfulness to the truth, and the way to resist the\nclearest evidences, and never to have done. It is like as if you\nshould answer your adversary in the court, when your witnesses are all\ndismissed or out of the way, and all your evidences are absent, and\nperhaps your counsellor and advocate too. It is like the casting up of\na long and intricate account, which a man hath finished by study and\ntime; and when he hath done all, one questioneth this particular, and\nanother that, when his accounts are absent: it is not fit for him to\nanswer all particulars, nor question his own accounts, till he have as\nfull opportunity and help to cast up all again.\n\n_Direct._ XXXII. If the work seem too hard for you, go and consult\nwith the wisest, most experienced christians; who can easily answer\nthe difficulties which most perplex and tempt you. Modesty will tell\nyou, that the advantage of study and experience may make every one\nwisest in his own profession; and set others above you, while you have\nless of these.\n\n_Direct._ XXXIII. Remember that christianity being the surest way to\nsecure your eternal hopes; and the matters of this life, which cause\nmen to forsake it, being such transitory trifles, you can be no losers\nby it; and therefore if you doubted, yet you might be sure that is the\nsafest way.\n\n_Direct._ XXXIV. Judge not of so great a cause in a time of\nmelancholy, when fears and confusions make you unfit. But in such a\ncase as that, as also whenever Satan would disturb your settled faith,\nor tempt you at his pleasure to be still new questioning resolved\ncases and discerned truths, abhor his suggestions, and give them no\nentertainment in your thoughts, but cast them back into the tempter's\nface. There is not one melancholy person of a multitude, but is\nviolently assaulted with temptations to blasphemy and unbelief, when\nthey have but half the use of reason and no composedness of mind to\ndebate such controversies with the devil. It is not fit for them in\nthis incapacity to hearken to any of those suggestions, which draw\nthem to dispute the foundations of their faith, but to cast them away\nwith resolute abhorrence; nor should any christian, that is soundly\nsettled on the true foundation, gratify the devil so much as to\ndispute with him whenever he provoketh us to it, but only endeavour to\nstrengthen our faith, and destroy the remnants of unbelief.\n\n_Direct._ XXXV. Remember that Christ doth propagate his religion\nconjunctly by his Spirit and his word, and effecteth himself the faith\nwhich he commandeth. For though there be sufficient evidence of\ncredibility in his word, yet the blinded mind, and corrupt, perverted\nhearts of men, do need the cure of his medicinal grace, before they\nwill effectually and savingly believe a doctrine which is so holy,\nhigh, and heavenly, and doth so much control their lusts. See\ntherefore that you distrust your corrupted hearts, and earnestly beg\nthe Spirit of Christ.\n\n_Direct._ XXXVI. Labour earnestly for the love of every truth which\nyou believe, and to feel the renewing power of it upon your hearts,\nand the reforming power on your lives; especially that you may be\nadvanced to the love of God and to a heavenly mind and life. And this\nwill be a most excellent help against all temptations to unbelief; for\nthe heart holdeth the gospel much faster than the head alone. The seed\nthat is cast into the earth, if it quicken and take root, is best\npreserved; and the deeper rooted the surer it abideth; but if it die,\nit perisheth and is gone. When the seed of the holy word hath produced\nthe new creature, it is sure and safe; but when it is retained only in\nthe brain as a dead opinion, every temptation can overturn it. It is\nan excellent advantage that the serious practical christian hath,\nabove all hypocrites and unsanctified men: love will hold faster than\ndead belief. Love is the grace that abideth for ever; and that is the\nenduring faith which works by love. The experienced christian hath\nfelt so much of the power and goodness of the word, that if you puzzle\nhis head with subtle reasonings against it, yet his heart and\nexperience will not suffer him to let it go. He hath tasted it so\nsweet that he will not believe it to be bitter, though he cannot\nanswer all that is said against it. If another would persuade you to\nbelieve ill of your dearest friend or father, love and experience\nwould better preserve you from his deceit than reasoning would do. The\nnew creature or new nature in believers, and the experience of God's\nlove communicated by Jesus Christ unto their souls, are constant\nwitnesses to the word of God: he that believeth hath the witness in\nhimself; that is, the Holy Ghost which was given him, which is an\nobjective testimony or an evidence, and an effective. Of this see my\n\"Treatise of Infidelity.\" Unsanctified men may be easilier turned to\ninfidelity; for they never felt the renewed, quickening work of faith;\nnor were ever brought by it to the love of God, and a holy and\nheavenly mind and life. They that never were christians at the heart,\nare soonest turned from being christians in opinion and name.\n\n_Quest._ By what reason, evidence, or obligation, were the Jews bound\nto believe the prophets? Seeing Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, &c. wrought\nno miracles, and there were false prophets in their days; how then\ncould any man know that indeed they were sent of God, when they\nnakedly affirmed it?\n\n_Answ._ I mention this objection or case, because in my book of the\n\"Reasons of the Christian Religion\" (to which for all the rest I refer\nthe reader) it is forgotten; and because it is one of the hardest\nquestions about our faith.\n\n1. Those that think every book of Scripture doth now prove itself to\nbe divine _propria luce_, by its own matter, style, and other\nproperties, will accordingly say, that by hearing the prophets then,\nas well as by reading them now, this intrinsic, satisfactory evidence\nwas discernible. All that I can say of this is, that there are such\ncharacters in the prophecies as are a help to faith, as making it the\nmore easily credible that they are of God, but not such as I could\nhave been ascertained by (especially as delivered by parcels then) if\nthere had been no more.\n\n2. Nor do I acquiesce in their answer who say that, Those that have\nthe same spirit, know the style of the spirit in the prophets. For, 1.\nThis would suppose none capable of believing them groundedly that had\nnot the same spirit; 2. And the spirit of sanctification is not enough\nto our discerning prophetical inspirations, as reason and experience\nfully prove. The gift of discerning spirits, 1 Cor. xii. 10, was not\ncommon to all the sanctified.\n\n3. It is much to be observed that God never sent any prophet to make a\nlaw or covenant on which the salvation of the people did depend, without\nthe attestation of unquestionable miracles. Moses wrought numerous open\nmiracles, and such as controlled and confuted the contradicters' seeming\nmiracles in Egypt; and Christ and his apostles wrought more than Moses.\nSo that the laws and covenants by which God would rule and judge the\npeople were all confirmed beyond all such exception.\n\n4. It must be noted that many other prophets also wrought miracles to\nconfirm their doctrine, and prove that they were sent of God, as did\nElias and Elisha.\n\n5. It must be noted, that there were schools of prophets, or societies\nof them, in those times, 1 Sam. x. 10; xix. 20; 1 Kings xx. 35, 41;\nxxii. 13; 2 Kings ii. 3, 5, 7, 15; iv. 1, 38; v. 22; vi. 1; ix. 1; 1\nCor. xiv. 32; who were educated in such a way as fitted them to the\nreception of prophetical inspirations, when it pleased God to give\nthem. Not that mere education made any one a prophet, nor that the\nprophets had at all times the present, actual gift of prophecy; but\nGod was pleased so far to own men's commanded diligence, as to join\nhis blessing to a meet education, and at such times as he thought\nmeet, to illuminate such by visions and revelations above all others:\nand therefore it is spoken of Amos as a thing extraordinary, that he\nwas made a prophet of a herdsman.\n\n6. Therefore a prophet among the Jews was known to be such, usually,\nbefore these recorded prophecies of theirs, which we have now in the\nholy Scriptures: 1. The spirits of the prophets which are subject to\nthe prophets, were judged of by those prophets that had indeed the\nSpirit, and so the people had the testimony of the other prophets\nconcerning them. 2. The Lord's own direction to know a true prophet\nby, Deut. xviii. 22, is the coming to pass of that which he\nforetelleth. Now it is like that before they were received into the\nnumber of prophets, they had given satisfaction to the societies of\nthe prophets, by the events of things before foretold by them. 3. Or\nthey might have wrought miracles before to have satisfied the members\nof the college of their calling, though these miracles are not all\nmentioned in the Scripture. 4. Or the other prophets might have some\ndivine testimony concerning them, by visions, revelations, or\ninspirations of their own. So that the people were not left to the\ncredulity of naked, unproved assertions, of any one that would say\nthat he was sent of God.\n\n7. There were some signs given by some of the prophets to confirm\ntheir word. As Isaiah's predictions of Hezekiah's danger, and remedy,\nand recovery, and of the going back of the shadow on Ahaz's dial ten\ndegrees, &c.; and more such there might be, which we know not of.\n\n8. All prophecies were not of equal obligation. The first prophecies\nof any prophet who brought no attestation by miracles, nor had yet\nspoken any prophecy that had been fulfilled, might be a merciful\nrevelation from God, which might oblige the hearers to a reverent\nregard, and an inquiry into the authority of the prophet, and a\nwaiting in suspense till they saw whether it would come to pass; and\nthe fulfilling of it increaseth their obligation. Some prophecies that\nforetold but temporal things (captivities or deliverances) might at\nfirst (before the prophets produced a divine attestation) be rather a\nbare prediction than a law; and if men believed them not, it might not\nmake them guilty of any damning sin at all, but only they refused that\nwarning of a temporal judgment, which might have been of use to them\nhad they received it.\n\n9. But our obligation now to believe the same Scripture prophecies is\ngreater; because we live in the age when most of them are fulfilled,\nand the rest are attested by Christ and his apostles, who proved their\nattestations by manifold miracles.\n\n10. When the prophets reproved the known sins of the people, and\ncalled men to such duties as the law required, no man could speed ill\nby obeying such a prophet, because the matter of his prophecies was\nfound in God's own law, which must of necessity be obeyed. And this is\nthe chief part of the recorded prophecies.\n\n11. And any man that spake against any part of God's law (of natural\nor supernatural revelation) was not to be believed, Deut. xiii.;\nxviii.; because God cannot speak contrary to himself.\n\n12. But the prophets themselves had another kind of obligation to\nbelieve their own visions and inspirations, than any of their hearers\nhad; for God's great extraordinary revelation, was like the light, which\nimmediately revealed itself, and constrained the understanding to know\nthat it was of God: and such were the revelations that came by angelical\napparitions and visions. Therefore prophets themselves might be bound to\nmore than their bare word could have bound their hearers to; as, to\nwound themselves, to go bare, to feed on dung, &c.: and this was\nAbraham's case in offering Isaac. Yet God did never command a prophet,\nor any by a prophet, a thing simply evil, but only such things as were\nof a mutable nature, and which his will could alter, and make to be\ngood. And such was the case of Abraham himself, if well considered.\n\n\n                                PART II.\n\n                _Directions against Hardness of Heart._\n\nIt is necessary that some christians be better informed what hardness\nof heart is, who most complain of it.[143] The metaphor is taken from\nthe hardness of any matter which a workman would make an impression\non; and it signifieth the passive and active resistance of the heart\nagainst the word and works of God, when it receiveth not the\nimpressions which the word should make, and obeyeth not God's\ncommands; but after great and powerful means remaineth as it was\nbefore, unmoved, unaffected, and disobedient. So that hardness of\nheart is not a distinct sin, but the habitual power of every sin, or\nthe deadness, unmovableness, and obstinacy of the heart in any sin. So\nmany duties and sins as there be, so many ways may the heart be\nhardened against the word, which forbiddeth those sins, and commandeth\nthose duties. It is therefore an error, that hath had very ill\nconsequences on many persons, to think that hardness of heart is\nnothing but a want of passionate feeling in the matters which concern\nthe soul; especially a want of sorrow and tears. This hath made them\nover-careful for such tears, and grief, and passions, and dangerously\nto make light of the many greater instances of the hardness of their\nhearts. Many beginners in religion (who are taken up in penitential\nduties) do think that all repentance is nothing but a change of\nopinion, except they have those passionate griefs, and tears, which\nindeed would well become the penitent; and hereupon they take more\npains with themselves to affect their hearts with sorrow for sin, and\nto wring out tears, than they do for many greater duties. But when God\ncalleth them to love him, and to praise him, and to be thankful for\nhis mercies; or to love an enemy, or forgive a wrong: when he calleth\nthem to mortify their earthly-mindedness, their carnality, their\npride, their passion, or their disobedience, they yield but little to\nhis call, and show here much greater hardness of heart, and yet little\ncomplain of this or take notice of it. I entreat you therefore to\nobserve, that the greater the duty is, the worse it is to harden the\nheart against it; and the greater the sin is, the worse it is to\nharden the heart by obstinacy in it. And that the great duties are,\nthe love of God and man, with a mortified and heavenly mind and life;\nand to resist God's word commanding these, is the great and dangerous\nhardening of the heart. The life of grace lieth, 1. In the preferring\nof God, and heaven, and holiness, in the estimation of our minds\nbefore all worldly things. 2. In the choosing them, and resolving for\nthem with our wills, before all others. 3. In the seeking of them in\nthe bent and drift of our endeavours. These three make up a state of\nholiness. But for strength of parts, or memory, or expression, and so\nfor passionate affections of sorrow, or joy, or the tears that express\nthem; all these in their time, and place, and measure, are desirable,\nbut not of necessity to salvation, or to the life of grace. They\nfollow much the temperature of the body, and some have much of them\nthat have little or no grace, and some want them that have much grace.\nThe work of repentance consisteth most in loathing and falling out\nwith ourselves for our sins, and in forsaking them with abhorrence,\nand turning unto God; and he that can do this without tears is truly\npenitent, and he that hath never so many tears, without this, is\nimpenitent still.[144] And that is the hard-hearted sinner, that will\nnot be wrought to a love of holiness, nor let go his sin, when God\ncommandeth him; but after all exhortations, and mercies, and perhaps\nafflictions, is still the same as if he had never been admonished, or\ntook no notice what God hath been saying or doing to reclaim him.\nHaving thus told you what hardness of heart is, you may see that I\nhave given you directions against it at large before, chap. iii.\ndirect. vi. and viii.; but shall add these few.\n\n_Direct._ I. Remember the majesty and presence of that most holy God,\nwith whom we have to do, Heb. iv. 13. Nothing will more affect and awe\nthe heart, and overrule it in the matters of religion, than the true\nknowledge of God. We will not talk sleepily or contemptuously to a king;\nhow much less should we be stupid or contemptuous before the God of\nheaven! It is that God whom angels worship, that sustaineth the world,\nthat keepeth us in life, that is always present, observing all that we\nthink, or say, or do, whose commands are upon us, and with whom we have\nto do in all things; and shall we be hardened against his fear? \"Who\nhath hardened himself against Him, and hath prospered?\" Job ix. 4.\n\n_Direct._ II. Think well of the unspeakable greatness and importance of\nthose truths and things which should affect you, and of those duties\nwhich are required of you. Eternity of joy or torment is such an amazing\nthing, that one would think every thought, and every mention either of\nit or of any thing that concerneth it, should go to our very hearts, and\ndeeply affect us, and should command the obedience and service of our\nsouls. It is true, they are things unseen, and therefore less apt in\nthat respect to affect us than things visible; but the greatness of them\nshould recompense that disadvantage a thousandfold. If our lives lay\nupon every word we speak, or upon every step we go, how carefully should\nwe speak and go! But oh how deeply should things affect us, in which our\neverlasting life is concerned! One would think a thing of so great\nmoment, as dying, and passing into an endless life of pain or pleasure,\nshould so take up and transport the mind of man, that we should have\nmuch ado to bring ourselves to mind, regard, or talk of the\ninconsiderable interests of the flesh! How inexcusable a thing is a\nsenseless, careless, negligent heart, when God looketh on us, and heaven\nor hell is a little before us! Yea, when we are so heavily laden with\nour sins, and compassed about with so many enemies, and in the midst of\nsuch great and manifold dangers, to be yet senseless under all, is (so\nfar) to be dead. Will not the wounds of sin, and the threatenings of the\nlaw, and the accusations of conscience, make you feel? He that cannot\nfeel the prick of a pin will feel the stab of a dagger, if he be alive.\n\n_Direct._ III. Remember how near the time is, when stupidity and\nsenseless neglect of God will be banished from all the world; and what\ncertain and powerful means are before you at death and judgment, to\nawaken and pierce the hardest heart.[145] There are but few that are\nquite insensible at death; there are none past feeling after death, in\nheaven or hell. No man will stand before the Lord in the day of\njudgment, with a sleepy or a senseless heart. God will recover your\nfeeling by misery, if you will lose it by sin, and not recover it by\ngrace. He can make you now a terror to yourselves, Jer. xx. 4; he can\nmake conscience say such things in secret to you, as you shall not be\nable to forget or slight. But if conscience awake you not, the\napproach of death it is likely will awaken you: when you see that God\nis now in earnest with you, and that die you must, and there is no\nremedy, will you not begin to think now, Whither must I go? and what\nwill become of me for ever? Will you then harden your heart against\nGod and his warnings? If you do, the first moment of your entrance\nupon eternity will cure your stupidity for ever. It will grieve a\nheart that is not stone, to think what a feeling stony-hearted sinners\nwill shortly have, when God will purposely make them feel, with his\nwrathful streams of fire and brimstone! when Satan that now hindereth\nyour feeling, will do his worst to make you feel; and conscience, the\nnever-dying worm, will gnaw your hearts, and make them feel, without\nease or hope of remedy! Think what a wakening day is coming!\n\n_Direct._ IV. Think often of the love of God in Christ, and of the\nbloody sufferings of thy Redeemer, for it hath a mighty power to melt\nthe heart. If love, and the love of God, and so great and wonderful a\nlove, will not soften thy hardened heart, what will?\n\n_Direct._ V. Labour for a full apprehension of the evil and danger of\na hardened heart. It is the death of the soul, so far as it\nprevaileth: at the easiest, it is like the stupidity of a paralytic\nmember or a seared part. Observe the names which Scripture giveth it:\nThe \"hardening of the heart,\" Prov. xxviii. 14. The \"hardening of the\nneck,\" Prov. xxix. 10, which signifieth inflexibility. The \"hardening\nof the face,\" which signifieth impudency, Prov. xxi. 29. The\n\"searedness of the conscience,\" 1 Tim. iv. 2. The \"impenitency of the\nheart,\" Rom. ii. 5. Sometimes it is called \"sottishness,\" or\n\"stupidity,\" Jer. iv. 22. Sometimes it is called a \"not caring,\" or\n\"not laying things to heart, and not regarding,\" Isa. xlii. 25; v. 12;\nxxxii. 9-11. Sometimes it is denominated metaphorically from\ninanimates: \"A face harder than a rock,\" Jer. v. 3. \"Stony hearts,\"\nEzek. xi. 19; xxxvi. 26. \"A neck with an iron sinew,\" Isa. xlviii. 4,\nand \"a brow of brass.\" It is called \"sleep,\" and a \"deep slumber,\" and\na \"spirit of slumber,\" Rom. xiii. 11; xi. 8; Matt. xxv. 5; and \"death\"\nitself, 1 Tim. v. 6; Eph. ii. 1, 5; Col. ii. 13; Jude 12.\n\nObserve also how dreadful a case it is, if it be predominant, both\nsymptomatically and effectively. It is the forerunner of mischief,\nProv. xxviii. 14. It is a dreadful sign of one that is far more\nunlikely than others to be converted; when they are \"alienated from\nthe life of God by their ignorance,\" and are \"past feeling,\" they are\n\"given up to work uncleanness with greediness,\" Eph. iv. 14. Usually\nGod calleth those that he will save, before they are past feeling;\nthough such are not hopeless, their hope lieth in the recovering of\nthe feeling which they want; and a hardened heart, and iron neck, and\nbrazen forehead, are a sadder sign of God's displeasure, than if he\nhad made the heavens as brass, and the earth as iron to you, or let\nout the greatest distress upon your bodies. When men have eyes and see\nnot, and ears and hear not, and hearts but understand not, it is a sad\nprognostic that they are very unlikely to be \"converted and forgiven,\"\nMark iv. 12; Acts xxviii. 27. A hardened heart (predominantly) is\ngarrisoned and fortified by Satan against all the means that we can\nuse to help them; and none but the Almighty can cast him out and\ndeliver them. Let husband, or wife, or parents, or the dearest friends\nentreat a hardened sinner to be converted, and he will not hear them.\nLet the learnedest, or wisest, or holiest man alive, both preach and\nbeseech him, and he will not turn. At a distance he may reverence and\nhonour a great divine, and a learned or a holy man, especially when\nthey are dead; but let the best man on earth be the minister of the\nplace where he liveth, and entreat him daily to repent, and he will\neither hate and persecute him, or neglect and disobey him. What\nminister was ever so learned, or holy, or powerful a preacher, that\nhad not sad experience of this? when the prophet, Isa. liii. 1, crieth\nout, \"Who hath believed our report?\" and the apostles were fain to\nshake off the dust of their feet against many that rejected them; and\nwere abused, and scorned, and persecuted by those whose souls they\nwould have saved? Nay, Jesus Christ himself was refused by the most\nthat heard him; and no minister dare compare himself with Christ. If\nour Lord and Master was blasphemed, scorned, and murdered by sinners,\nwhat better should his ablest ministers expect? St. Augustine found\ndrunkenness so common in Africa, that he motioned that a council might\nbe called for the suppression of it; but if a general council of all\nthe learned bishops and pastors in the world were called, they could\nnot convert one hardened sinner, by all their authority, wit, or\ndiligence, without the power of the Almighty God. For will they be\nconverted by man, that are hardened against God? What can we devise to\nsay to them that can reach their hearts, and get within them, and do\nthem good? Shall we tell them of the law and judgments of the Lord,\nand of his wrath against them? why all these things they have heard so\noften till they sleep under it, or laugh at them. Shall we tell them\nof death, and judgment, and eternity? why we speak to the posts, or\nmen asleep; they hear us as if they heard us not. Shall we tell them\nof endless joy and torments? they feel not, and therefore fear not,\nnor regard not; they have heard of all these, till they are weary of\nhearing them, and our words seem to them but as the noise of the wind\nor water, which is of no signification. If miracles were wrought among\nthem by a preacher, that healed the sick, and raised the dead, they\nwould wonder at him, but would not be converted. For Christ did thus,\nand yet prevailed but with few, John xi. 48, 53; and the apostles\nwrought miracles, and yet were rejected by the most, Acts vii. 57;\nxxii. 22. Nay, if one of their old companions should be sent from the\ndead to give them warning, he might affright them, but not convert\nthem, for Christ hath told us so himself, Luke xvi. 31; or if an angel\nfrom heaven should preach to them, they would be hardened still, as\nBalaam and others have been. Christ rose from the dead, and yet was\nafter that rejected. We read not of the conversion of the soldiers\nthat watched his sepulchre, though they were affrighted with the sight\nof the angels: but they were after that hired for a little money to\nlie, and say that Christ's disciples stole him away. If magistrates\nthat have power on their bodies, should endeavour to bring them to\ngodliness, they would not obey them, nor be persuaded. King Hezekiah's\nmessengers were but mocked by the people. David and Solomon could not\nconvert their hardened subjects. Punish them, and hang them, and they\nwill be wicked to the death: witness the impenitent thief that died\nwith Christ, and died reproaching him. Though God afflict them with\nrod after rod, yet still they sin and are the same, Psal. lxxviii.;\nHos. vii. 14; Amos iv. 9; Jer. v. 3; Isa. i. 5. Let death come near\nand look them in the face, and let them see that they must presently\ngo to judgment, it will affright them, but not convert them. Let them\nknow and confess, that sin is bad, that holiness is best, that death\nand eternity are at hand, yet are they the same, and all will not win\ntheir hearts to God; till grace take away their stony hearts, and give\nthem tender, fleshy hearts, Ezek. xxxvi. 26.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Take notice of the doleful effects of hard-heartedness\nin the world. This fills the world with wickedness and confusion, with\nwars and bloodshed; and leaveth it under that lamentable desertion and\ndelusion, which we behold in the far greatest part of the earth. How\nmany kingdoms are left in the blindness of heathenism and\nMahometanism, for hardening their hearts against the Lord! How many\nchristian nations are given up to the most gross deceits of popery,\nand princes and people are enemies to reformation, because they\nhardened their hearts against the light of truth! What vice so odious,\neven beastly filthiness, and bitterest hatred, and persecution of the\nways of God, which men of all degrees and ranks do not securely wallow\nin through the hardness of their hearts! This is the thing that\ngrieves the godly, that wearieth good magistrates, and breaks the\nhearts of faithful ministers: when they have done their best, they are\nfain, as Christ himself before them, to grieve for the hardness of\nmen's hearts. Alas! we live among the dead; our towns and countries\nare in a sadder case than Egypt, when every house had a dead man. Even\nin our churches, it were well if the dead were only under ground, and\nmost of our seats had not a dead man, that sitteth as if he heard, and\nkneeleth as if he prayed, when nothing ever pierced to the quick. We\nhave studied the most quickening words, we have preached with tears in\nthe most earnest manner, and yet we cannot make them feel! as if we\ncried like Baal's worshippers, O Baal, hear us! or, like the Irish to\ntheir dead, Why wouldst thou die, and leave thy house, and lands, and\nfriends? So we talk to them about the death of their souls, and their\nwilful misery, who never feel the weight of any thing we say: we are\nleft to ring them a peal of lamentation, and weep over them as the\ndead that are not moved by our tears: we cast the seed into stony\nground, Matt. xiii. 5, 20; it stops in the surface, and it is not in\nour power to open their hearts, and get within them. I confess that we\nare much to blame ourselves, that ever we did speak to such miserable\nsouls, without more importunate earnestness and tears; (and it is\nbecause the stone of the heart is much uncured in ourselves; for which\nGod now justly layeth so many of us by;) but yet, we must say, our\nimportunity is such, as leaveth them without excuse. We speak to them\nof the greatest matters in all the world; we speak it to them in the\nname of God; we show them his own word for it; and plead with them\nthe arguments which he hath put into our mouths; and yet we speak as\nto posts and stones, to men past feeling. What a pitiful sight was it\nto see Christ stand weeping over Jerusalem, for the hardness of their\nhearts, and the nearness and greatness of their misery! while they\nthemselves were so far from weeping for it, that they raged against\nthe life of him that so much pitied them! We bless God that it is not\nthus with all. He hath encouraged some of us with the heart-yielding,\nobedient attention of many great congregations: but, among the best,\nalas! how many of these hardened sinners are mixed! and, in many\nplaces, how do they abound! Hence it is that such odious abominations\nare committed; such filthiness, and lying, and perjury, and acts of\nmalicious enmity against the servants of the Lord; and that so many\nare haters of God and godliness. If Satan had not first hardened their\nhearts, he could never have brought them to such odious crimes, as now\nwith impudency are committed in the land. As Lot's daughters were fain\nto make their father drunk, that he might commit the sin of incest; so\nthe devil doth first deprive men both of reason and feeling, that he\nmight bring them to such heinous wickedness as this, and make them\nlaugh at their own destruction, and abhor those most that fain would\nsave them. And they are not only past feeling, but so hate any\nquickening ministry, or truth, or means which would recover their\nfeeling, that they seem to go to hell as some condemned malefactors to\nthe gallows, that make themselves drunk before they go, as if it were\nall they had to care for to keep themselves hoodwinked, from knowing\nor feeling whither they go, till they are there.\n\nSee what a picture of a hardened people God giveth to Ezekiel, chap.\niii. 7, \"But the house of Israel will not hearken to thee; for they will\nnot hearken to me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and\nhard-hearted.\" Observe but what a case it is that they are so insensible\nof, and then you will see what a hard-hearted sinner, past feeling, is.\n\n1. They are the servants of sin, Rom. vi. 16; in the power of it,\ncorrupted by it; and yet they feel it not.\n\n2. They have the guilt of many thousand sins upon them, all is\nunpardoned that ever they committed; and yet they feel it not.\n\n3. They have the threatenings and curses of God in force against them\nin his word; even words so terrible, as you would think might affright\nthem out of their sins or their wits; and they take on them to believe\nthis word of God; and yet they feel not.\n\n4. They are in the power of the devil; ruled and deceived by him, and\ntaken captive by him at his will, Acts xxvi. 18; 2 Tim. ii. 26.\n\n5. They may be certain that if they die in this condition they shall\nbe damned, and they are uncertain whether they shall live another day;\nthey are never sure to be one hour longer out of hell; and yet they\nfeel not.\n\n6. They know that they must die, and that it is a great change, and of\nthe greatest endless consequence, that death will make with them; and\nthey know that this is sure and near, and are past doubt of it; and\nyet they feel it not.[146]\n\n7. They must shortly appear before the Lord, and be judged for all\nthat they have done in the body, and be doomed to their endless state;\nand yet they feel not.\n\n8. They know that life is short, and that they have but a little time\nto prepare for all this terrible change, and that it must go with them\nfor ever, as they now prepare; and yet they feel not.\n\n9. They hear and read of the case of hardened, wicked men, that have\ngone before them, and have resisted grace, and lost their time, as\nthey now do; and they read or hear of the miserable end that such have\ncome to; and yet they feel not.\n\n10. They have a world of examples continually before them; they see\nthe filthy lives of many for their warning, and the holy lives of\nothers for their imitation, and see how Christ and Satan strive for\nsouls; and yet they feel not.\n\n11. They are always before the eye of God, and do all things before\nhis face; he warneth them, and calleth them to repentance; and yet\nthey feel not.\n\n12. They have Christ as it were crucified before their eyes, Gal. iii.\n1: they hear of his sufferings; they may see in him what sin is, and\nwhat the love of God is; he pleadeth with them his blood and\nsufferings against their obstinate unkindness; and yet they feel not.\n\n13. They have everlasting joy and glory offered them, and heaven so\nopened to them in God's promises, that they may see it as in a glass,\n1 Cor. xiii. 12. They take on them to believe how much the blessed\nspirits there abhor such wickedness as theirs; and yet they feel not.\n\n14. They have the torments of hell opened to them in the word of God;\nthey read what impenitent souls must suffer to all eternity; they hear\nsome in despair in this life, roaring in the misery of their souls;\nthey hear the joyful thanksgivings of believers, that Christ\ndelivereth them from those torments; and yet they feel not.\n\n15. All the promises of salvation in the gospel do put in an exception\nagainst these men, \"unless they be converted:\" they are made to the\npenitent, and not to the impenitent. There is justification and life;\nbut not for them. \"There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ\nJesus, that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,\" Rom.\nviii. 1. \"But he that believeth not, is condemned already,\" John iii.\n18, 36. And they that \"after their hardness and impenitent hearts, do\ntreasure up wrath against the day of wrath, shall have tribulation and\nanguish,\" Rom. ii. 5-7. Here is comfort for repenting sinners, but\nnone (but on condition they repent) for them: when others are welcomed\nto Christ's marriage feast, he saith to these, \"How came you in\nhither?\" and yet they feel not.\n\n16. They still carry about with them the doleful evidences of all this\nmisery. One would think the ambitious, and covetous, and voluptuous\nmight see these death-marks on themselves; and the ungodly might feel\nthat God hath not their hearts; especially they that hate the godly,\nand show their wolfish cruelty against them, and are the progeny of\nCain; and yet they feel not any of this, but live as quietly, and talk\nas pleasantly, as if all were well with them, and their souls were\nsafe, and their calling and election were made sure. Alas! if these\nsouls were not hardened in sin, we should see it in their tears, or\nhear it in their complaints; they would after sermon sometimes come to\nthe minister, as they, Acts ii. 37; xvi. 30, \"Sirs, what must we do to\nbe saved?\" or we should see it in their lives, or hear of it by report\nof others, who would observe the change that grace hath made; and\nsermons would stick longer by them, and not at best be turned off\nwith a fruitless commendation; and saying, it was a good sermon, and\nthere is an end of it. Judge now by this true description which I have\ngiven you, what a hardened sinner is. And then the godly may so see\ncause to bewail the remnants of this mischief, as yet to be daily\nthankful to God that they are not in the power of it.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Live, if you can possibly, under a lively, quickening\nministry, and in the company of serious, lively christians. It is\ntrue, that we should be deeply affected with the truths of God, how\ncoldly soever they be delivered. But the question is not, what is our\nduty; but what are our disease, and our necessity, and the proper\nremedy. All men should be so holy, as not to need any exhortations to\nconversion at all: but shall the ministers therefore neglect such\nexhortations, or they that need them turn away their ears? Hear, if\npossible, that minister that first feels what he speaks, and so speaks\nwhat he feels, as tendeth most to make you feel. \"Cry aloud; spare\nnot, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their\ntransgressions, and the house of Israel their sins,\" Isa. lviii. 1, 2.\nThough such \"as seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a\nnation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinances of their\nGod.\" God is the chief agent; but he useth to work according to the\nfitness of the instrument. O woeful case! to hear a dead minister\nspeaking to a dead people, the living truths of the living God! As\nChrist said, \"If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the\nditch.\" And if the dead must raise the dead, and the ungodly enemies\nof a holy life must bring men to godliness and to a holy life, it must\nbe by such a power as once made use of clay and spittle, to open the\neyes of the blind. It seems it was a proverb in Christ's days, \"Let\nthe dead bury their dead:\" but not, Let the dead raise the dead. God\nmay honour the bones of the dead prophet, (2 Kings xiii. 21,) with the\nraising a corpse that is cast into its grave, and toucheth them. A\nmeeting of a dead minister and a dead people, is like a place of\ngraves: and though it be a lamentable thing to hear a man speak\nwithout any life, of life eternal, yet God can concur to the\nquickening of a soul. But sure we have no great reason to expect that\nordinarily he should convert men so miraculously, without the moral\naptitude of means. It is most incongruous for any man in his familiar\ndiscourse, to speak without great seriousness and reverence of things\nconcerning life eternal. But for a preacher to talk of God, of Christ,\nof heaven, and hell, as coldly and sleepily, as if he were persuading\nmen not to believe him, or regard him, that no more regards himself,\nis less tolerable. It is a sad thing to hear a man draw out a\ndreaming, dull discourse, about such astonishing weighty things; and\nto speak as if it were the business of his art, to teach men to sleep\nwhile the names of heaven and hell are in their ears; and not to be\nmoved while they hear the message of the living God, about their life\nor death everlasting. If a man tell in the streets of a fire in the\ntown, or a soldier bring an alarm of the enemy at the gates, in a\nreading or jesting tone, the hearers will neglect him, and think that\nhe believeth not himself. I know it is not mere noise that will\nconvert a soul: a bawling fervency, which the hearers may discern to\nbe but histrionical and affected, and not to come from a serious\nheart, doth harden the auditors worst of all. A rude, unreverent noise\nis unbeseeming an ambassador of Christ. But an ignorant saying of a\nfew confused words, or a sleepy recital of the most pertinent things,\ndo as little beseem them. Christ raised not Lazarus by the loudness of\nhis voice: but where the natural ears are the passage to the mind,\nthe voice and manner should be suitable to the matter. Noise without\nseriousness and pertinent matter, is like gunpowder without bullet,\nthat causeth sound and no execution. And the weightiest matter without\nclear explication and lively application, is like bullet without\npowder. If you will throw cannon bullets at the enemy with your hands,\nthey will sooner fall on your feet than on them. And it is deadness\naggravated by hypocrisy, when a lifeless preacher will pretend\nmoderation, as if he were afraid of speaking too loud and earnestly,\nlest he should awake the dead, whom lightning and thunder will not\nawake: and when he will excuse himself by accusing those that are not\nas drowsy or dead as he; and would make men believe that seriousness\nis intemperate rage or madness. If you are cast upon a cold and sleepy\nminister, consider the matter more than the manner; but choose not\nsuch a one for the cure of hardness and insensibility of heart.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Take notice, how sensible tender-hearted christians\nare of sins far less than those that you make a jest of; and how close\nthose matters come to their hearts, that touch not yours. And have not\nyou as much cause to be moved as they? and as much need to lay such\nthings to heart? Did you but know what a trouble it is to them, to be\nhaunted with temptations to the unbelief and atheism which prevaileth\nwith you, though they are far from choosing them, or delighting in\nthem; did you see how involuntary thoughts and frailties make some of\nthem weary of themselves; and how they even hate their hearts for\nbelieving no more, and loving God no more, and for being so strange to\nGod and heaven, when yet there is nothing in the world so dear to\nthem, nor hath so much of their estimation or endeavour; you would\nthink, sure, that if such hearts had your sin and misery to feel, they\nwould feel it to their grief indeed, unless the sin itself did hinder\nthe feeling, as it doth with you. Let tender-hearted christians\ninstruct you, and not be witnesses against you.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Take heed of hardening company, examples, and discourse.\nTo hear men rail and scoff at holiness, and curse, and swear, and\nblaspheme the name and truth of God, will at first make you tremble;\nbut if you wilfully cast yourself ordinarily into such company, by\ndegrees your sense and tenderness will be gone, and you will find a\nvery great hardening power, in the company, and frequent discourse,\nand practices, which yourselves condemn.\n\n_Direct._ X. Take heed of wilful sinning against knowledge; much more\nof lying in such sin, unrepented of. It greatly hardeneth, to sin\nagainst knowledge; and much more to commit such sins over and over.\nThis grieveth and driveth away the Spirit, and dangerously provoketh\nGod to leave men to themselves.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Take heed of being customary in the use of those means\nthat must be the means of curing hardened hearts. If once the lively\npreaching, and holy living, and fervent praying, of the servants of\nGod, be taken by thee but as matters of course, and thou go with them\nto church and to prayers, but as to eat or drink, or kneel with them\nbut for custom, thou wilt be as the smith's dog, that can sleep by the\nanvil, while the hammers are beating, and the sparks are flying about\nhis ears. It is dangerous to grow customary and dull, under powerful,\nlively helps.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Be often with the sick, and in the house of mourning,\nand read thy lesson in the churchyard, and let the grave, and bones,\nand dust instruct thee. When thou seest the end of all the living,\nperhaps thou will somewhat lay it to heart. Sight will sometimes do\nmore than the hearing of greater things. Fear may possibly touch the\nheart, that hath not yet so much ingenuity as to be melted by the\nforce of love. And ordinarily, the humbling and softening of a hard,\nimpenitent heart begins in fear, and ends in love. The work of\npreparation is in a manner the work of fear alone. The first work of\ntrue conversion is begun in a great measure of fear, and somewhat of\nlove; but so little as is scarce perceived, because of the more\nsensible operations of fear. And as a christian groweth, his love\nincreaseth, till perfect love in the state of perfection have cast out\nall tormenting fear, though not our reverence or filial fear of God.\nLook, therefore, into the grave, and remember, man, that thou must\ndie!--thou must die!--it is past all controversy that thou must die!\nAnd dost thou know where thou must appear, when death hath once\nperformed its office? Dost thou not believe that after death comes\njudgment? Dost thou not know that thou art now in a life of trial, in\norder to endless joy or misery? and that this life is to be lived but\nonce? and if thou miscarry now, thou art undone for ever? and that all\nthe hope of preventing thy damnation, is now, while this life of trial\ndoth continue? \"Now is the accepted time: this is the day of\nsalvation.\" If hell be prevented, it must be now prevented! If ever\nthou wilt pray, if ever thou wilt be converted, if ever thou wilt be\nmade an heir of heaven, it must be now! O man! how quickly will\npatience have done with thee, and time be gone! and then, O then, it\nwill be too late! Knowest thou not, that all the care, and labour, and\nhope of the devil for thy damnation, is laid out this way, if it be\npossible, to find thee other work, or take thee up with other\nthoughts, or keep thee asleep with presumptuous hopes, and carnal\nmirth, and pleasures, and company, or quiet thee by delays, till time\nbe gone, and it be too late? And wilt thou let him have his will, and\npleasure him with thy own perdition? Dost thou think these are not\nthings to be considered on? Do they not deserve thy speediest and most\nserious thoughts? At least use thy reason and self-love to the\nawakening, and moving, and softening thy hardened heart.\n\n\n                               PART III.\n\n                    _Directions against Hypocrisy._\n\nHypocrisy is the acting the part of a religious person, as upon a\nstage, by one that is not religious indeed;[147] a seeming in religion\nto be what you are not, or to do what you do not; or a dissembling or\ncounterfeiting that piety which you have not. To counterfeit a state\nof godliness is the sin only of the unregenerate, who at the present\nare in a state of misery: to counterfeit some particular act of\ngodliness, or some higher degree, is an odious sin, but such as a\nregenerate person may be tempted into. This act of hypocrisy doth not\ndenominate the person a hypocrite; but the state of hypocrisy doth.\nEvery hypocrite therefore is an ungodly person, seeming godly; or one\nthat indeed is no true christian, professing himself a christian. Of\nhypocrites there be two sorts: some desire to deceive others, but not\nthemselves, but know themselves to be but dissemblers; and these are\ncommonly called, gross hypocrites: and some deceive both themselves\nand others, and think they are no hypocrites, but are as confident of\ntheir honesty and sincerity, as if they were no dissemblers at all:\nbut yet they are as verily hypocrites as the former, because they seem\nto be religious and sincere, when indeed they are not, though they\nthink they are; and profess themselves to be true christians, when\nthey are nothing less. These are called close hypocrites, because they\nknow not themselves to be hypocrites; though they might know it if\nthey would. This is the commonest sort of hypocrites.\n\nThere are also two degrees of hypocrites: some of them have only a\ngeneral profession of christianity and godliness, which is the professed\nreligion of the country where they live; and these are hypocrites\nbecause they profess to be what they are not: and others make a greater\nand extraordinary profession of special strictness in their religion,\nwhen they are not sincere; and these are eminently called hypocrites:\nsuch as the Pharisees were among the Jews, and many friars, and Jesuits,\nand nuns among the papists, who by their separating vows, and orders,\nand habits, profess extraordinarily an extraordinary measure of\ndevotion, while they want the life of godliness.\n\nIn all hypocrisy there is considerable, 1. The thing pretended; 2. The\npretence, or means of seeming, or the cloak of their deceit. 1. The\nthing pretended by common hypocrites is to be true christians, and\nservants of God, and heirs of heaven, though not to be so zealous in it\nas some of a higher degree. The thing pretended by eminent hypocrites is\nto be zealous, eminent christians, or at least to be sincere in a\nspecial manner, while they discern the common hypocrite not to be\nsincere. 2. The cloak of seeming or pretence by which they would be\nthought to be what they are not, is any thing in general that hath an\nappearance of godliness, and is apt to make others think them godly. And\nthus there are divers sorts of hypocrites, according to the variety of\ntheir cloaks or ways of dissimulation; though hypocrisy itself be in all\nof them the same thing. As among the very Mahometans, and heathens,\nthere oft arise some notable hypocrites, that by pretended revelations\nand austerity of life, profess themselves (as Mahomet did) to be holy\npersons, that had some extraordinary familiarity with God or angels. So\namong the papists there are, besides the common ones, as many sorts of\nhypocrites as they have self-devised orders. And every where the cloak\nof the common hypocrite is so thin and transparent, that it showeth his\nnakedness to the more intelligent sort: and this puts the eminent\nhypocrite upon some more laudable pretence, that is not so transparent.\nAs for instance, the hypocrisy of common papists, whose cloak is made up\nof penances and ceremonies, of saying over Latin words, or numbering\nwords and beads for prayers, with all the rest of their trumpery before\nnamed, (chap. iii. gr. direct. xv. direct. xi.) is so thin a cloak that\nit will not satisfy some among themselves, but they withdraw into\ndistinct societies and orders, (the church and the profession of\nchristianity being not enough for them,) that they may be religious, as\nif they saw that the rest are not religious. And then the common sort\nof ungodly protestants have so much wit, as to see through the cloak of\nall the popish hypocrisy; and therefore they take up a fitter for\nthemselves; and that is, the name of a protestant reformed religion and\nchurch, joined to the common profession of christianity. The name and\nprofession of a christian and a protestant, with going to church, and a\nheartless lip-service or saying their prayers, is the cloak of all\nungodly protestants. Others, discerning the thinness of this cloak, do\nthink to make themselves a better; and they take up the strictest\nopinions in religion, and own those which they account the strictest\nparty, and own that which they esteem the purest and most spiritual\nworship: the cloak of these men is their opinions, party, and way of\nworship, while their carnal lives detect their hypocrisy. Some that see\nthrough all these pretences, do take up the most excellent cloak of all,\nand that is, an appearance of serious spirituality in religion, with a\ndue observation of all the outward parts and means, and a reformation of\nlife, in works of piety, justice, and charity; I say, an appearance of\nall these, which if they had indeed, they were sincere, and should be\nsaved; in which the godly christian goeth beyond them all.\n\nBy this it is plain, that among us in England all men that are not\nsaints are hypocrites, because that all (except here or there a Jew or\ninfidel) profess themselves to be christians; and every true christian\nis a saint. They know that none but saints or godly persons shall be\nsaved; and there is few of them that will renounce their hopes of\nheaven; and therefore they must pretend to be all godly. And is it not\nmost cursed, horrid hypocrisy, for a man to pretend to religion as the\nonly way to his salvation, and confidently call himself a christian,\nwhile he hateth and derideth the power and practice of that very\nreligion which he doth profess? Of this see my Treatise of \"The vain\nReligion of the Formal Hypocrite.\"\n\nThe hypocrite's ends in his pretences and dissemblings are not all the\nsame: one intendeth the pleasing of parents, or some friends on whom he\ndoth depend, that will else be displeased with him, and think ill of\nhim. Another intendeth the pleasing of the higher powers, when it falls\nout that they are friends to godliness. Another intends the preserving\nof his esteem with religious persons, that they may not judge him wicked\nand profane. Another intendeth the hiding of some particular villany, or\nthe success of some ambitious enterprise. But the most common end is to\nquiet and comfort their guilty souls, with an image of that holiness\nwhich they are without, and to steal some peace to their consciences by\na lie: and so because they will not be religious indeed, they will take\nup some show or image of religion, to make themselves as well as others\nbelieve that they are religious.[148]\n\n_Direct._ I. To escape hypocrisy, understand well wherein the life and\npower of godliness doth consist, and wherein it differeth from the\nlifeless image or corpse of godliness. The life of godliness is\nexpressed in the seventeen grand directions in chap. iii. It\nprincipally consisteth in such a faith in Christ, as causeth us to\nlove God above all, and obey him before all, and prefer his favour and\nthe hopes of heaven before all the pleasures, or profits, or honours\nof the world; and to worship him in spirit and truth, according to the\ndirection of his word. The images of religion I showed you before,\npage 176. Take heed of such a lifeless image.\n\n_Direct._ II. See that your chief study be about the heart, that there\nGod's image may be planted, and his interest advanced, and the interest\nof the world and flesh subdued, and the love of every sin cast out, and\nthe love of holiness succeed; and that you content not yourselves with\nseeming to do good in outward acts, when you are bad yourselves, and\nstrangers to the great internal duties. The first and great work of a\nchristian is about his heart. There it is that God dwelleth by his\nSpirit, in his saints; and there it is that sin and Satan reign, in the\nungodly. The great duties and the great sins are those of the heart.\nThere is the root of good and evil: the tongue and life are but the\nfruits and expressions of that which dwelleth within.[149] The inward\nhabit of sin is a second nature: and a sinful nature is worse than a\nsinful act. \"Keep your hearts with all diligence: for from thence are\nthe issues of life,\" Prov. iv. 23. Make the tree good, and the fruit\nwill be good: but the \"viperous generation that are evil, cannot speak\ngood; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh,\" Matt.\nxii. 33, 34. Till the Spirit have regenerated the soul, all outward\nreligion will be but a dead and pitiful thing: though there is something\nwhich God hath appointed an unregenerate man to do, in order to his own\nconversion, yet no such antecedent act will prove that the person is\njustified or reconciled to God, till he be converted. To make up a\nreligion of doing or saying something that is good, while the heart is\nvoid of the Spirit of Christ, and sanctifying grace, is the hypocrite's\nreligion, Rom. viii. 9.\n\n_Direct._ III. Make conscience of the sins of the thoughts, and the\ndesire and other affections or passions of the mind, as well as of the\nsins of tongue or hand. A lustful thought, a malicious thought, a\nproud, ambitious, or covetous thought, especially if it proceed to a\nwish, or contrivance, or consent, is a sin the more dangerous by how\nmuch the more inward and near the heart; as Christ hath showed you,\nMatt. v. and vi. The hypocrite who most respecteth the eye of man,\ndoth live as if his thoughts were free.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Make conscience of secret sins, which are committed out\nof the sight of men, and may be concealed from them, as well as of\nopen and notorious sins. If he can do it in the dark and secure his\nreputation, the hypocrite is bold: but a sincere believer doth bear a\nreverence to his conscience, and much more to the all-seeing God.\n\n_Direct._ V. Be faithful in secret duties, which have no witness but\nGod and conscience: as meditation, and self-examination, and secret\nprayer; and be not only religious in the sight of men.\n\n_Direct._ VI. In all public worship be more laborious with the heart,\nthan with the tongue or knee: and see that your tongue overrun not your\nheart, and leave it not behind. Neglect not the due composure of your\nwords, and due behaviour of your bodies: but take much more pains for\nthe exercise of holy desires from a believing, loving, fervent soul.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Place not more in the externals, or modes, or\ncircumstances, or ceremonies of worship, than is due; and lay not out\nmore zeal for indifferent or little things than cometh to their\nshare; but let the great substantials of religion have the precedency,\nand be far preferred before them.[150] Let the love of God and man be\nthe sum of your obedience; and be sure you learn well what that\nmeaneth, \"I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.\" And remember, that\nthe great thing which God requireth of you, is \"to do justice, and\nlove mercy, and walk humbly with your God.--Destroy not him with your\nmeat for whom Christ died.\" Call not for fire from heaven upon\ndissenters; and think not every man intolerable in the church, that is\nnot in every little matter of your mind. Remember that the hypocrisy\nof the Pharisees is described by Christ, as consisting in a zeal for\ntheir own traditions, and the inventions of men, and the smallest\nmatters of the ceremonial law, with a neglect of the greatest moral\nduties, and a furious cruelty against the spiritual worshippers of\nGod. Matt. xv. 2, \"Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of\nthe elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.\" Ver.\n7-10, \"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This\npeople draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with\ntheir lips, but their heart is far from me: but in vain do they\nworship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.\" Matt.\nxxiii. 4-6, 13, 14, &c. \"They bind heavy burdens, which they touch not\nthemselves. All their works they do to be seen of men: they make broad\ntheir phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments; and\nlove the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the\nsynagogues, and greetings in public, and to be called Rabbi.--But they\nshut up the kingdom of heaven against men,\" and were the greatest\nenemies of the entertainment of the gospel by the people. They \"tithed\nmint, and anise, and cummin, and omitted the great matters of the law,\njudgment, and mercy, and faith.\" They \"strained at a gnat, and\nswallowed a camel.\" They had a great veneration for the \"dead prophets\nand saints,\" and yet were persecutors and murderers of their\n\"successors\" that were \"living,\" ver. 23, &c. By this description you\nmay see which way hypocrisy doth most ordinarily work: even to a blind\nand bloody zeal for opinions, and traditions, and ceremonies, and\nother little things, to the treading down the interest of Christ and\nhis gospel, and a neglect of the life and power of godliness, and a\ncruel persecuting those servants of Christ, whom they are bound to\nlove above their ceremonies. I marvel that many papists tremble not\nwhen they read the character of the Pharisees! But that hypocrisy is a\nhidden sin, and is an enemy to the light which would discover it.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Make conscience of the duties of obedience to\nsuperiors, and of justice and mercy towards men, as well as of acts of\npiety to God. Say not a long mass in order to devour a widow's house,\nor a christian's life or reputation. Be equally exact in justice and\nmercy as you are in prayers; and labour as much to exceed common men\nin the one as in the other. Set yourselves to do all the good you can\nto all, and do hurt to none; and do to all men as you would they\nshould do to you.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Be much more busy about yourselves than about others;\nand more censorious of yourselves than of other men; and more strict\nin the reforming of yourselves than of any others. For this is the\ncharacter of the sincere: when the hypocrite is little at home and\nmuch abroad; and is a sharp reprehender of others, and perniciously\ntender and indulgent to himself. Mark his discourse in all companies,\nand you shall hear how liberal he is in his censures and bitter\nreproach of others: how such men, and such men (that differ from him,\nor have opposed him, or that he hates) are thus and thus faulty, and\nbad, and hateful. Yea, he is as great an accuser of his adversaries\nfor hypocrisy, as if he were not a hypocrite himself; because he can\naccuse them of a heart sin without any visible control. If he call\nthem drunkards, or swearers, or persecutors, or oppressors, all that\nknow them could know that he belieth them; but when he speaks about\nmatters in the dark, he thinks the reputation of his lies have more\nadvantage. Many a word you may hear from him, how bad his adversaries\nare; but if such hypocritical talk did not tell you, he would not tell\nyou how bad he is himself.[151]\n\n_Direct._ X. Be impartial, and set yourselves before your consciences\nin the case of others. Think with yourselves, How should I judge of\nthis, in such and such a man, that I use to blame? What should I say\nof him, if my adversary did as I do? And is it not as bad in me as in\nhim? Is not the sin most dangerous to me that is nearest me? And\nshould I be more vigilant over any man's faults than my own? My\ndamnation will not be caused by his sin; but by my own it may. Instead\nof seeing the gnat in his eye, I have more cause to cast out a gnat\nfrom my own than a camel from his.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Study first to be whatever (judiciously) you desire to\nseem. Desire a thousand times more to be godly, than to seem so; and\nto be liberal, than to be thought so; and to be blameless from every\nsecret or presumptuous sin, than to be esteemed such.[152] And when\nyou feel a desire to be accounted good, let it make you think how much\nmore necessary and desirable it is to be good indeed. To be godly, is\nto be an heir of heaven: your salvation followeth it. But to be\nesteemed godly is of little profit to you.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Overvalue not man, and set no more by the approbation\nor applause of his thoughts or speeches of you than they are worth.\nHypocrisy much consisteth in overvaluing man, and making too great a\nmatter of his thoughts and words. The hypocrite's religion is divine\nin name, but human in deed: it is man that he serveth and observeth\nmost; and the shame of the world is the evil which he most studiously\navoideth; and the high esteem and commendation of the world is his\nreward. O think, what a silly worm is man! And of how little moment\nare his thoughts or speeches of you, in comparison of the love of God!\nHis thoughts of you make you not the better or the worse; and if they\neither lift you up or trouble you, it is your proud and foolish\nfantasy that doth it, when you might choose. If you have not lost the\nkey and government of your hearts, shut you the door, and keep all\nthence, and let men's reproaches go no further than your ears; and\nthen what the worse will you be for all the lies and slanders of the\nworld? And besides the pleasing of an effeminate mind, what the better\nare you for their applause?[153]\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Look upon all men that you converse with, as ready to\ndie and turn to dust, and passing into that world where you will be\nlittle concerned in their censure or esteem of you. If you do any\nthing before an infant, you little care for his presence or\nobservation of you: much less if it be before the dead. If you knew\nthat a man were to die to-morrow, though he were a prince, you would\nnot be much solicitous to avoid his censure or procure his applause;\nbecause his thoughts all perish with him; and it is a small matter\nwhat he thinks of you for a day. Seeing therefore that all men are\nhastening to their dust, and you are certain that all that applaud or\ncensure you will be quickly gone, how little should you regard their\njudgment! Look that man in the face whose applause you desire, or\nwhose censure you fear, and remember that he is a breathing clod of\nclay; and how many such are now in the grave, whose thoughts you once\nas much esteemed! and this will make you more indifferent in the case.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. At least remember that you are passing out of the world\nyourselves, and look every moment when you are called away, and\ncertainly know that you shall be here but a little while. And is it\nany great matter what strangers think of you as you are passing by?\nYou can be contented that your name, and worth, and virtues be\nconcealed in your inn, where you stay but a night, and that they be\nunknown to travellers that meet you on the road. The foolish\nexpectation of more time on earth than God hath given you warrant to\nexpect, is the cause that we overvalue the judgment of man, as well as\nother earthly things, and is a great maintainer of every sensual vice.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Set yourselves to the mortifying of self-love and pride:\nfor hypocrisy is but the exercise of these. Hypocrisy is dead so far\nas pride is dead; and so far as self-denial and humility prevail.\nHypocrisy is a proud desire to appear better than you are. Be\nthoroughly humbled and vile in your own eyes, and hypocrisy is done.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Be most suspicious of your hearts in cases where\nself-interest or passions are engaged; for they will easily deal\ndeceitfully and cheat yourselves, in the smoke and dust of such\ndistempers. Interest and passion so blind the mind, that you may\nverily think you are defending the truth, and serving God in sincerity\nand zeal, when all the while you are but defending some error of your\nown, and serving yourselves, and fighting against God. The Pharisees\nthought they took part with God's law and truth against Christ. The\npope, and his cardinals and prelates, think (as in charity I must\nthink) that it is for Christ, and unity, and truth, that they\nendeavour to subject the world to their own power. And what is it but\ninterest that blindeth them into such hypocrisy? So, passionate\ndisputers do ordinarily deceive themselves, and think verily that they\nare zealous for the faith, when they are but contending for their\nhonour or conceits. Passion covers much deceit from the passionate.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Suspect yourselves most among the great, the wise, the\nlearned, and the godly, or any whose favour, opinion, or applause you\nmost esteem. It is easy for an arrant hypocrite to despise the favour\nor opinion of the vulgar, of the ignorant, of the profane, or any\nwhose judgment he contemneth. It is no great honour or dishonour to be\npraised or dispraised by a child, or fool, or a person that for his\nignorance or profaneness is become contemptible. But hypocrisy and\npride do work most to procure the esteem of those, whose judgment or\nparts you most admire. One most admireth worldly greatness; and such a\none will play the hypocrite most, to flatter or please the great ones\nhe admireth. Another that is wiser, more admireth the judgment of the\nwise and learned; and he will play the hypocrite to procure the good\nesteem of such, though he can slight a thousand of the ignorant; and\nhis pride itself will make him slight them. Another that is yet wiser,\nis convinced of the excellency of godly men, above all the great and\nlearned of the world: and this man is more in danger of pride and\nhypocrisy in seeking the good opinion of the godly; and therefore can\ndespise the greatest multitude of the ignorant and profane. Yea, pride\nitself will make him take it as an addition to his glory, to be\nvilified and opposed by such miscreants as these.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Remember the perfections of that God whom you\nworship, that he is a Spirit, and therefore to be worshipped in spirit\nand in truth; and that he is most great and terrible, and therefore to\nbe worshipped with seriousness and reverence, and not to be dallied\nwith, or served with toys or lifeless lip-service; and that he is most\nholy, pure, and jealous, and therefore to be purely worshipped; and\nthat he is still present with you, and all things are naked and open\nto him with whom we have to do. The knowledge of God, and the\nremembrance of his all-seeing presence, are the most powerful means\nagainst hypocrisy. Christ himself argueth from the nature of God, who\nis a Spirit, against the hypocritical ceremoniousness of the\nSamaritans and Jews, John iv. 23, 24. Hypocrites offer that to God,\nwhich they know a man of ordinary wisdom would scorn if they offered\nit to him. If a man knew their hearts as God doth, would he be pleased\nwith words, and compliments, and gestures, which are not accompanied\nwith any suitable seriousness of the mind? Would he be pleased with\naffected, histrionical actions? One that seeth a papist priest come\nout in his formalities, and there lead the people, in a language which\nthey understand not, to worship God by a number of ceremonies, and\ncanting, repeated, customary words, would think he saw a stage-player\nacting his part, and not a wise and holy people, seriously worshipping\nthe most holy God. And not only in worship, but in private duties, and\nin converse with men, and in all your lives, the remembrance of God's\npresence is a powerful rebuke for all hypocrisy. It is more foolish to\nsin in the sight of God, because you can hide it from the world, than\nto steal or commit adultery in the open market-place, before the\ncrowd, and be careful that dogs and crows discern it not. If all the\nworld see you, it is not so much as if God in secret see you. \"Be not\ndeceived, God is not mocked,\" Gal. vi. 7.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Remember how hypocrisy is hated of God; and what\npunishment is appointed for hypocrites. They are joined in torment\nwith unbelievers. And, as wicked men's punishment is aggravated by\ntheir being condemned to the fire prepared for the devil and his\nangels; so the punishment of ordinary ungodly persons, is aggravated\nby this, that their portion shall be with hypocrites and unbelievers.\nHow oft find you the Lamb of God himself denouncing his thundering\nwoes against the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! How oft doth he\ninculcate to his disciples, \"Be not as the hypocrites,\" Matt. vi. 2,\n5, 16. And no wonder if hypocrites be hateful to God, when they and\ntheir services are lifeless images, and have nothing but the name and\noutside of christianity, and some antique dress to set them off, and\nhuman ornaments of wit and parts; as a corpse is more drest with\nflowers than the living, as needing those ceremonies for want of life\nto keep them sweet: and a carrion is not amiable to God. And the\nhypocrite puts a scorn on God; as if he thought that God were like the\nheathen's idols, that have eyes and see not, and could not discern the\nsecret dissemblings of his heart; or as if he were like fools and\nchildren that are pleased with fair words and little toys. God must\nneeds hate such abuse as this.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Come into the light, that your hearts and lives may be\nthoroughly known to you. Love the most searching, faithful ministry\nand books; and be thankful to reprovers and plain-dealing friends.\nDarkness is it that cherisheth deceit: it is the office of the light\nto manifest. Justly do those wretches perish in their hypocrisy, who\nwill not endure the light which would undeceive them; but fly from a\nplain and powerful ministry, and hate plain reproof, and set\nthemselves by excuses and cavils to defend their own deceit.[154]\n\n_Direct._ XXI. Be very diligent in the examining of your hearts and all\nyour actions by the word of God, and call yourselves often to a strict\naccount. Deceit and guilt will not endure strict examination. The word\nof God is quick and powerful, discovering the thoughts and imaginations\nof the heart. There is no hypocrite but might be delivered from his own\ndeceits, if by the assistance of an able guide, he would faithfully go\non in the work of self-trying, without partiality or sloth.\n\n_Direct._ XXII. Live continually as one that is going to be judged at\nthe bar of God, where all hypocrisy will be opened and shamed, and\nhypocrites condemned by the all-knowing God. One thought of our\nappearing before the Lord, and of the day of his impartial judgment,\none would think should make men walk as in the light, and teach them\nto understand, that the sun is not eclipsed as often as they wink, nor\nis it night because they draw the curtains. What a shame will it be to\nhave all your dissimulation laid open before all the world! Luke xii.\n1-3, \"Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy: for\nthere is nothing covered, which shall not be revealed; neither hid,\nthat shall not be known. Therefore whatever ye have spoken in darkness\nshall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear\nin closets, shall be proclaimed on the house-tops.\"\n\n_Direct._ XXIII. Think not that you avoid hypocrisy by changing the\nexpressions of it; but see that you run not into a more subtle kind,\nwhile you avoid a grosser. There is no outward way of worshipping God,\nnor any opinion in religion, so sound, but a hypocrite can make a\ncloak of it. You see an ignorant, ridiculous hypocrite, such as Bishop\nHall describeth in his character, that can pray up to a pillar, when\nhis heart knoweth not what his tongue is doing; that babbleth over a\nfew words to God while he is dressing or washing him, and talking\nbetween to the standers-by; who offereth to God the sacrifice of a\nfool, and knoweth not that he doth evil, Eccles. v. 2; that serveth\nGod with toys and antic gestures, and saying over certain words which\nwere never acquainted with the feeling of his heart, nor scarce with\nhis understanding. And to avoid his hypocrisy, perhaps, you can\nmerrily deride him, and make a formal popish hypocrite the subject of\nyour jests; and you can yourselves, with good understanding, pour out\nyourselves many hours together in orderly and meet expressions of\nprayer: but remember that many a hypocrite maketh himself a cloak of\nas good stuff as this; and that as pride hath more advantage to work\nupon your greater knowledge and better parts, so hypocrisy is but the\noffspring of pride. All this, without a heart entirely devoted unto\nGod, is but a carcass better dressed; as the rich have more curious\nmonuments than the poor. There is no outside thing, in which a\nhypocrite may not seem excellent.\n\n_Direct._ XXIV. Be true to conscience, and hearken diligently to all\nit saith, and be often treating with it, and daily conversant and well\nacquainted with it.[155] Hypocrites bear little reverence to their\nconsciences: they make so often and so grossly bold with them, that\nconscience is deposed from its office at the present, and silenced by\nthem, lest it should gall them by preaching to them those hard sayings\nwhich they cannot bear: and perhaps at last it is seared or bribed to\ntake part with sin. But usually a hypocrite hath a secret judge within\nhim which condemneth him. Take heed how you use your conscience, as\nyou love your peace and happiness. Next Christ, it must be your best\nfriend, or your greatest enemy: palliate it how you will at present,\nif you wound it, it will smart at last. And it is easier to bear\npoverty, or shame, or torment, than to bear its wounds, Prov. xviii.\n14. 1. Mark the very principles and former judgment of your\nconsciences; and if they are changed, know what changed them. 2.\nHearken to all the secret counsel and reproofs of conscience,\nespecially when it speaketh oft and terribly; turn it not off without\na hearing; yea, know the reason of its very scruples and doubts. 3.\nWhen it is sick and disquieted, know what the matter is, Psal. liii.\n5, and vomit up the matter that justly disquiets it, whatever it cost\nyou; and be sure you go to the bottom, and do not leave the root\nbehind. 4. Open your consciences to some able, trusty guide when it is\nnecessary, though it cost you shame. An over-tender avoiding of such\nshame is the hypocrite's sin and folly. Counsel is safe in matters of\nsuch importance. 5. Prefer conscience before all men, how great\nsoever: none is above it but God. It is God's messenger, when it is\nconscience indeed: remember what it saith to you, and from whom, and\nfor what end. Let friends, and neighbours, and company, and business,\nand profit, and sports, and honour stand by, and all give place whilst\nconscience speaketh; for it will be a better friend to you than any of\nthese, if you use it as a friend. It would have been better to Judas\nthan his thirty pieces were. 6. Yet see that it be well informed, and\nsee its commission, for it is not above God; nor is it masterless or\nlawless. 7. Converse not with it only in a crowd, but in secret, Psal.\niv. 4. 8. Keep it awake; and keep it among awakening means and\ncompany: it will much sooner fall asleep in an ale-house, or a\nplay-house, or among the foolish and profane, than at a lively sermon,\nor prayers, or reverent discourse of God. If I could but get\nconscience awakened to perform its office, and preach over all this\nthat I have said in secret, it would ferret the hypocrite out of his\nself-deceit. Go, conscience, and search that deceitful heart, and\nspeak to it in the name of God: ask that hypocrite whether conversion\never made him a new creature, and whether his soul and all that he\nhath be entirely devoted unto God? and whether his hopes and treasures\nbe laid up in heaven, and his heart be there? and whether he subject\nall his worldly interest to the will of God, and the interest of his\nsoul? and whether his greatest work be about his heart, and to approve\nhimself to God? and whether he make an impartial, diligent inquiry\nafter the truth, with a desire to receive it at the dearest rates?\nTell him that a proud self-flattery may now make him justify or\nextenuate his sins, and take his formalities, and lip-service, and\nabuse of God for true devotion, and hate every man that would detect\nhis hypocrisy, and convert him by bringing in the light; but a light\nwill shortly appear to his soul, which he shall not resist. And then\nlet him stand to his justification if he can; and let him then make it\ngood that he gave up himself in sincerity, simplicity, and\nself-denial, to his God.\n\n_Direct._ XXV. Remember that hypocrisy lieth much in doubling, and in\na dividing heart and life: see therefore that you serve God in\nsingleness of heart, or simplicity and integrity, as being his alone.\nThink not of serving God and mammon: a deep reserve at the heart for\nthe world, while they seem to give up themselves in covenant to God,\nis the grand character of a hypocrite. Live as those that have one\nLord and one Master, that all power stoopeth to; and one end or scope,\nto which all other are but means; and one work of absolute necessity\nto do; and one kingdom to seek first, and with greatest care and\ndiligence to make sure of; and that have your hearts and faces still\none way; and that agree with yourselves in what you think, and say,\nand do.[156] A double heart and a double tongue is the fashion of the\nhypocrite, Psal. xii. 2; 1 Tim. iii. 8. He hath a heart for the world,\nand pride, and lust, which must seem sometimes to be lifted up to ask\nforgiveness, that he may sin with quietness and hope of salvation: you\nwould not think when you see him drop his beads, or lift up his hands\nand eyes, and seem devoutly to say his prayers, how lately he came\nfrom a tavern, or a whore, or a lie, or from scorning at serious\ngodliness. As Bishop Hall saith, he seemeth to serve that God at\nchurch on holy-days, whom he neglecteth at home; and boweth at the\nname of Jesus, and sweareth profanely by the name of God. Remember\nthat there is but one God, one heaven for us, one happiness, and one\nway;[157] and this one is of such moment, as calls for all the\nintention and attention of our souls, and is enough to satisfy us, and\nshould be enough to call us off from all that would divert us. A\ndivided heart is a false and self-deceiving heart. Are there two Gods?\nor is Christ divided?[158] While you grasp at both (God and the\nworld) you will certainly lose one, and it is like you will lose both.\nTo have two Gods, two rules, two heavens, is to have no God, no true\nrule, no heaven or happiness at all. Halt not therefore between two\nopinions: if God be God, obey him and love him; if heaven be heaven,\nbe sure it be first sought. But if thy belly be thy god, and the world\nbe thy heaven, then serve and seek them, and make thy best of them.\n\n_Direct._ XXVI. Take heed of all that fleshly policy or craft, and\nworldly wisdom, which are contrary to the wisdom of the word of God,\nand would draw thee from the plain and open-heartedness which godly\nsincerity requireth. Let that which was Paul's rejoicing be yours,\n\"that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, you\nhave had your conversation in the world,\" 2 Cor. i. 12. Christianity\nrenounceth not wisdom and honest self-preservation; but yet it maketh\nmen plain-hearted, and haters of crafty, fraudulent minds. What is the\nfamous hypocritical religion superadded to christianity and called\npopery, but that which Paul feared in his godly jealousy for the\nCorinthians, \"lest as the serpent beguiled Eve by his subtilty, so\ntheir minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in\nChrist,\" 2 Cor. xi. 1-3. A forsaking the christian simplicity of\ndoctrine, discipline, worship, and conversation, is the hypocrisy of\nreligion, and of life. Equivocating and dishonest shifts and hiding,\nbeseem those that have an ill cause, or an ill conscience, or an ill\nmaster whom they dare not trust; and not those that have so good a\ncause and God as christians have.\n\n_Direct._ XXVII. Remember how much of sincerity consisteth in\nseriousness, and how much of hypocrisy consisteth in seeming, and\ndreaming, and trifling in the things of God and our salvation: see\ntherefore that you keep your souls awake, in a sensible and serious\nframe.[159] Read over the fifty considerations, which, in the third part\nof my \"Saints' Rest,\" I have given to convince you of the necessity of\nbeing serious. See that there be as much in your faith as in your creed,\nand as much in your hearts and lives as in your belief. Remember that\nseeming and dreaming will not mortify deep-rooted sins, nor conquer\nstrong and subtle enemies, nor make you acceptable to God, nor save your\nsouls from his revenging justice. Remember what a mad kind of\nprofaneness it is to jest and trifle about heaven and hell, and to dally\nwith the great and dreadful God. \"Seeing all these things shall be\ndissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy\nconversation and godliness?\" 2 Pet. iii. 11. You pray for an obedience\nanswering the pattern of the heavenly society, when you say, \"Thy will\nbe done on earth as it is in heaven;\" and will you be such hypocrites as\nto pray, that you may imitate saints and angels in the purity and\nobedience of your hearts and lives, and when you have done, take up with\nshows, and seemings, and saying a few words, and a lifeless image of\nthat holiness which you never had; yea, and perhaps deride and persecute\nin others the very thing which you daily pray for. O horrible abuse of\nthe all-seeing God! Do you no more believe or fear his justice? When the\napostle saith, Gal. vi. 7, \"Be not deceived, God is not mocked;\" he\nintimateth, that hypocrites go about to put a scorn on God by a mock\nreligion, though it is not he, but themselves, that will prove mocked in\nthe end. They offer God a deaf nut, or an empty shell or cask, for a\nsacrifice. An hypocrite differeth from a true christian, as a fencer\nfrom a soldier; he playeth his part very formally upon a stage with much\napplause; but you may perceive that he is not in good sadness, by his\ntrifling and formality, and never killing any of his sins. Would men\nshow no more of the great, everlasting matters of their own professed\nbelief, in any seriousness of affection or endeavour than most men do,\nif they were not hypocrites? Would they hate and scorn men for doing but\nthat (and part of that) which they pray and profess to do themselves, if\nthey were not hypocrites? Woe to the world, because of hypocrisy! Woe to\nthe carnal members of the church! Woe to idol shepherds, and the\nseeming, nominal, lifeless christians, of what sect soever! for God will\nnot be mocked. They are christians, but it is with a mock christianity,\nwhile their souls are strange to the true esteem and use of Christ. They\nare believers, but with a mock belief, described James ii. They believe\nGod should be loved above all, but they love him not. They believe that\nholiness is better than all the pleasures of sin; yet they choose it\nnot, but hate it.[160] They are religious, with a seeming vain religion,\nwhich will not so much as humble them, nor bridle their tongues, James\ni. 26. They are wise, with a mock wisdom; they are wise enough to prove\ntheir sins to be all lawful, or but venial sins: and wise enough to cast\naway the medicine that would heal them; and to confute the physician,\nand to answer the learnedst preacher of them all, and to scape\nsalvation, and to secure themselves a place in hell, and keep themselves\nignorant of it till they are there. They are converted, but with a mock\nconversion; which leaveth them as carnal, and proud, and worldly as\nbefore; being born of water but not of the Spirit, and being sensual\nstill, John iii. 5, 6; Jude 19. They repent, but with a mock repentance;\nthey repent, but they will not leave their sin, nor confess and bewail\nit, but hate reproof, and excuse their sin. They are honest, but with a\nmock honesty; though they swear, and curse, and rail, and slander, and\nbackbite, and scorn at piety itself, yet they mean well, and have honest\nhearts: though they receive not the word with deep-rooting in their\nhearts, but are abominable and disobedient, and to every good work\nreprobate, they are honest for all that, Luke viii. 15; Tit. i. 16. They\nlove God above all, though they love not to think or speak of him\nseriously, but hate his holiness and justice, his word and holy ways and\nservants, and are such as the Scripture calleth \"haters of God;\" and\nkeep not his commandments, nor live to his glory.[161] They love the\nservants of God, but they care not if the world were rid of them all;\nand take them to be but a company of self-conceited, troublesome\nfellows, and as very hypocrites as themselves; and the poor christians\nthat are cruelly used by them, think they are neither in good sadness\nnor in jest, when they profess to love the worshippers of God. They love\nnot their money, nor lands, nor lusts, with such a kind of love, I am\nsure. They have also always good desires; but they are such mock desires\nas those in James ii. 15, that wished the poor were fed, and clothed,\nand warmed, but gave them nothing towards it: and such good desires as\nthe sluggard hath, that lieth in bed and wisheth that all his work were\ndone, Prov. xxi. 25. \"The desire of the sluggard killeth him, because\nhis hands refuse to labour.\" They pray, but with mock prayers; you would\nlittle think that they are speaking to the most holy God, for no less\nthan the saving of their souls, when they are more serious in their very\ngames and sports. They pray for grace, but they cannot abide it; they\npray for holiness, but they are resolved they will have none of it; they\npray against their sin, but no entreaty can persuade them from it. They\nwould have a mock ministry, a mock discipline, a mock church, a mock\nsacrament, as they make a mock profession, and give God but a mock\nobedience; as I might show you through all the particulars, but for\nbeing tedious. And all this, because they have but a mock faith: they\nbelieve not that God is in good earnest with them in his commands, and\nthreatenings, and foretelling of his judgments; as Lot to his\nsons-in-law, Gen. xix. 14, \"He seemeth to them as one that mocked,\" and\ntherefore they serve him as those that would mock him. O wretched\nhypocrites! is this agreeable to your holy profession? You call\nyourselves christians, and profess to believe the doctrine of Christ: is\nthis agreeable to christianity, to your creed, to the ten commandments,\nto the Lord's prayer, and to the rest of the word of God? Had you none\nbut the holy, jealous God to make a mock of? Had you nothing less than\nreligion, and matters of salvation and damnation, to play with? Do you\nserve God as if he were a child, or an idol, or a man of straw; that\neither knoweth not your hearts, or is pleased with toys, and\ncompliments, and shows, and saying over certain words, or acting a part\nbefore him as on a stage?[162] Do you know what you offer, and to whom?\nHis power is omnipotency; his glory is ten thousand-fold above that of\nthe sun; his wisdom is infinite; millions of angels adore him\ncontinually; he is thy King and Judge; he abhorreth hypocrites. If thou\ndidst but see one glimpse of his glory, or the meanest of his angels,\nthe sight would awake thee from thy dreaming and dallying, and frighten\nthee from thy canting and trifling into a serious regard of God and thy\neverlasting state. Mal. i. 8, \"Offer this now to thy governor: will he\nbe pleased with thee, or accept thy person, saith the Lord of hosts?\" If\nyour servants set before you upon your table the feathers instead of the\nfowl, and the hair and wool instead of the flesh, and the scales instead\nof the fish, would you not think they rather mocked than served you? How\ndear have some paid even in this life for mocking God, let the case of\nAaron's sons, Lev. x. 1-3, and of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts v. inform\nyou: if with the fig-tree, Matt. xxi. 19, you offer God leaves only\ninstead of fruit, you are nigh unto cursing, and your end is to be\nburned. Do you not read what he saith to the church of Laodicea, Rev.\niii. 15, 16, \"I would thou wert cold or hot; because thou art lukewarm,\nand neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth:\" that is,\neither be an open infidel, or a holy, downright, zealous christian: but\nbecause thou callest thyself a christian, and hast not the life or zeal\nof a christian, but coverest thy wickedness and carnality with that holy\nname, I will cast thee away as an abominable vomit. It would make the\nheart of a believer ache to think of the hypocrisy of most that usurp\nthe name of christians, and how cruelly they mock themselves. What a\nglory is offered them, and they lose it by their dallying! What a price\nis in their hands, what mercy is offered them, and they lose it by their\ndallying! What danger is before them, and they will fall into it by\ntheir dallying! Doth not the weight of your salvation forbid this\ntrifling? You might better set the town on fire, and make a jest of it,\nthan jest your souls into the fire of hell. Then you will find that hell\nis no jesting matter. If you mock yourselves out of your salvation,\nwhere are you then? If you play with time, and means, and mercy till\nthey are gone, you are undone for ever. O dally not till you are past\nremedy. Alas, poor dreaming trifling hypocrites! Is time so sweet, and\nlife so short, and death so sure and near, and God so holy, just, and\nterrible, and heaven so glorious, and hell so hot, and both everlasting,\nand yet will you not be in earnest about your work? Up and be doing, as\nyou are men! and as ever you care what becomes of you for ever! Depart\nfrom iniquity, if you will name the name of Christ, 2 Tim. ii. 19. Let\nnot a cheating world delude you for a moment, and have the kernel, the\nheart, while God hath but the empty shell. A mock religion will but keep\nup a mock hope, a mock peace, and a mock joy and comfort, till Satan\nhave done his work, and be ready to unhood you and open your eyes. Job\nviii. 13, \"So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's\nhope shall perish.\" Job xxvii. 8, 9, \"For what is the hope of the\nhypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? Will\nGod hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?\" Job xx. 4-7, \"Knowest\nthou not this of old, that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and\nthe joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? Though his excellency mount\nup to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds, yet he shall\nperish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say,\nWhere is he?\" Away then with hypocritical formality and dalliance, and\nbe serious and sincere for thy soul, and with thy God.\n\n\n                                PART IV.\n\n    _Directions against inordinate Man-pleasing; or that overvaluing\n    the Favour and Censure of Man, which is the fruit of Pride, and a\n    great cause of Hypocrisy; or, Directions against Idolizing Man._\n\nAs in other cases, so in this, iniquity consisteth not simply in the\nheart's neglect of God, but in the preferring of some competitor, and\nprevalence of some object which standeth up for an opposite\ninterest.[163] And so the obeying man before God and against him, and\nthe valuing the favour and approbation of man before or against the\napprobation of God, and the fearing of man's censure or displeasure more\nthan God's, is an idolizing man, or setting him up in the place of God.\nIt turneth our chiefest observance, and care, and labour, and pleasure,\nand grief into this human fleshly channel, and maketh all that to be but\nhuman in our hearts and lives, which (objectively) should be divine.\nWhich is so great and dangerous a sin, partaking of so much impiety,\nhypocrisy, and pride, as that it deserveth a special place in my\ndirections, and in all watchfulness and consideration to escape it.\n\nAs all other creatures, so especially man, must be regarded and valued\nonly in a due subordination and subserviency to God. If they be valued\notherwise, they are made his enemies, and so are to be hated,[164] and\nare made the principal engine of the ruin of such as overvalue them.\nSee what the Scripture saith of this sin: Isa. ii. 22, \"Cease ye from\nman, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be\naccounted of?\" Matt. xxiii. 9, \"And call no man your father upon the\nearth; for one is your Father which is in heaven.\"[165] Ver. 8, \"And\nbe not ye called Rabbi; for one is your Master, even Christ: but he\nthat is greatest among you shall be your servant.\" Jer. xx. 15,\n\"Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm.\"\nPsal. cxviii. 6, 8, 9, \"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear what\nman can do unto me. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put\nconfidence in man,--yea, in princes.\" Job xxxii. 21, 22, \"Let me not\naccept any man's person; neither let me give flattering titles unto\nman: for I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my Maker\nwould soon take me away.\" Job xxi. 4, \"As for me, is my complaint to\nman?\" Gal. i. 10, \"Do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men,\nI should not be a servant of Christ.\" 1 Cor. iv. 3, \"But with me it is\na very small thing to be judged of you, or of man's judgment.\" Luke\nxiv. 26, \"If a man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother,\nand wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own\nlife also, he cannot be my disciple.\" \"Blessed are ye when man shall\nrevile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil\nagainst you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for\ngreat is your reward in heaven,\" Matt. v. 11, 12. \"Not with\neye-service, as men-pleasers,\" Eph. vi. 6; Col. iii. 22. 1 Thess. ii.\n4, \"So we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who trieth our hearts.\"\nJude 16, \"Having men's persons in admiration because of\nadvantage.\"[166] This is enough to show you what Scripture saith of\nthis inordinate man-pleasing, or respect to man: and now I shall\nproceed to direct you to escape it.\n\n_Direct._ I. Understand well wherein the nature of this sin\nconsisteth, that you may not run into the contrary extreme, but may\nknow which way to bend your opposition. I shall therefore first show\nyou, how far we may and must please men, and how far not.\n\n1. Our parents, rulers, and superiors must be honoured, obeyed, and\npleased in all things which they require of us, in the several places\nof authority which God hath given them over us; and this must be not\nmerely as to man, but as to the officers of God, from whom, and for\nwhom, (and not against him,) they have all their power, Rom. xiii.;\nExod. xx. 12; Titus iii. 1; 1 Pet. ii. 13; 2 Pet. ii. 10.\n\n2. We must in charity, and condescension, and meekness of behaviour,\nseek to please all men in order to their salvation. We must so thirst\nfor the conversion of sinners, that we must become all things (lawful)\nto all men, that we may win them.[167] We must not stand upon our\nterms, and keep at a distance from them, but condescend to the lowest,\nand bear the infirmities of the weak; and in things indifferent not\ntake the course that pleaseth ourselves, but that which, by pleasing\nhim, may edify our weak brother. We must forbear and forgive, and part\nwith our right, and deny ourselves the use of our christian liberty,\nwere it as long as we live, if it be necessary to the saving of our\nbrethren's souls, by removing the offence which hindereth them by\nprejudice. We must not seek our own carnal ends, but the benefit of\nothers, and do them all the good we can.\n\n3. As our neighbour is commanded to love us as himself, we are bound\nby all lawful means to render ourselves amiable to him, that we may\nhelp and facilitate this his love, as it is more necessary to him than\nto us: for to help him in obeying so great a command must needs be a\ngreat duty. And therefore if his very sin possess him with prejudice\nagainst us, or cause him to distaste us for some indifferent thing, we\nmust, as far as we can lawfully, remove the cause of his prejudice and\ndislike; though he that hateth us for obeying God, must not be cured\nby our disobeying him. We are so far from being obliged to displease\nmen by surliness and morosity, that we are bound to pleasing\ngentleness, and brotherly kindness, and to all that carriage which is\nnecessary to cure their sinful hatred or dislike.\n\n4. We must not be self-conceited, and prefer a weak, unfurnished\njudgment of our own, before the greater wisdom of another; but in\nhonour must prefer each other: and the ignorant must honour the\nknowledge and parts of others that excel them, and not be stiff in\ntheir own opinion, nor wise in their own eyes, nor undervalue another\nman's reasons or judgment; but be glad to learn of any that can teach\nthem, in the humble acknowledgment of their own insufficiency.\n\n5. Especially we must reverence the judgment of our able, faithful\nteachers, and not by pride set up our weaker judgment against them,\nand resist the truth which they deliver to us from God. Neither must\nwe set light by the censures or admonitions of the lawful pastors of\nthe church:[168] when they are agreeable to the word and judgment of\nGod, they are very dreadful. As Tertullian saith, If any so offend as\nto be banished from communion of prayer, and assembly, and all holy\ncommerce, it is a judgment foregoing the great judgment to come. Yea,\nif the officers of Christ should wrong you in their censures by\npassion or mistake, while they act in their own charge about matters\nbelonging to their cognisance and judgment, you must respectfully and\npatiently bear the wrong, so as not to dishonour and contemn the\nauthority and office so abused.\n\n6. If sober, godly persons, that are well acquainted with us, do\nstrongly suspect us to be faulty where we discern it not ourselves, it\nshould make us the more suspicious and fearful: and if judicious persons\nfear you to be hypocrites, and no sound christians, by observing your\ntemper and course of life, it should make you search with the greater\nfear, and not to disregard their judgment. And if judicious persons,\nespecially ministers, shall tell a poor, fearful, doubting christian,\nthat they verily think their state is safe, it may be a great stay to\nthem, and must not be slighted as nothing, though it cannot give them a\ncertainty of their case. Thus far man's judgment must be valued.\n\n7. A good name among men, which is the reputation of our integrity, is\nnot to be neglected as a thing of nought; for it is a mercy from God\nfor which we must be thankful, and it is a useful means to our\nsuccessful serving and honouring God. And the more eminent we are, and\nthe more the honour of God and religion is joined with ours, or the\ngood of men's souls dependeth on our reputation, the more careful we\nshould be of it; and it may be a duty sometimes to vindicate it by the\nmagistrate's justice, against a slander. Especially preachers (whose\nsuccess for the saving of their hearers depends much on their good\nname) must not despise it.[169]\n\n8. The censures of the most petulant, and the scorns of enemies, are\nnot to be made light of, as they are their sins, which we must lament;\nnor as they may provoke us to a more diligent search, and careful\nwatchfulness over our ways. Thus far man's judgment is regardable.\n\nBut, 1. We must know how frail, and erroneous, and unconstant a thing\nman is; and therefore not be too high in our expectations from man. We\nmust suppose that men will mistake us, and wrong us, and slander us,\nthrough ignorance, passion, prejudice, or self-interest. And when this\nbefalls us, we must not account it strange and unexpected.\n\n2. We must consider how far the enmity that is in lapsed man to\nholiness, and the ignorance, prejudice, and passion of the ungodly,\nwill carry them to despise, and scorn, and slander all such as\nseriously and zealously serve God, and cross them in their carnal\ninterest. And therefore, if for the sake of Christ and righteousness,\nwe are accounted as the scorn and offscouring of all things, and as\npestilent fellows, and movers of sedition among the people, and such\nas are unworthy to live, and have all manner of evil spoken of us\nfalsely, it must not seem strange or unexpected to us, nor cast us\ndown, but we must bear it patiently, yea, and exceedingly rejoice in\nhope of our reward in heaven.[170]\n\n3. Considering what remnants of pride and self-conceitedness remain in\nmany that have true grace, and how many hypocrites are in the church,\nwhose religion consisteth in opinions and their several modes of\nworship; we must expect to be reproached and abused by such, as in\nopinions, and modes, and circumstances do differ from us, and take us\ntherefore as their adversaries. A great deal of injustice, sometimes\nby slanders or reproach, and sometimes by greater violence, must be\nexpected, from contentious professors of the same religion with\nourselves: especially when the interest of their faction or cause\nrequireth it: and especially if we bring any truth among them, which\nseemeth new to them, or crosseth the opinions which are there in\ncredit, or would be reformers of them in any thing that is amiss.\n\n4. No men must be pleased by sin, nor their favour preferred before\nthe pleasing of God. Man's favour as against God, is to be despised,\nand their displeasure made light of. If doing our duty will displease\nthem, let them be displeased; we can but pity them.\n\n5. We must place none of our happiness in the favour or approbation of\nmen, but account it as to ourselves to be a matter of no great moment;\nneither worth any great care or endeavour to obtain it, or grief for\nlosing it. We must not only contemn it as compared to the approbation\nand favour of God, but we must value it but as other transitory\nthings, in itself considered; estimating it as a means to some higher\nend, the service of God, and our own or other men's greater good: and\nfurther than it conduceth to some of these, it must be almost\nindifferent to us what men think or say of us: and the displeasure of\nall men, if unjust, must be reckoned with our light afflictions.\n\n6. One truth of God, and the smallest duty, must be preferred before the\npleasing and favour of all the men in the world. Though yet as a means\nto the promoting of a greater truth or duty, the favour and pleasing of\nmen must be preferred before the uttering of a lesser truth, or doing a\nlesser good at that time: because it is no duty then to do it.\n\n7. Our hearts are so selfish and deceitful, naturally, that when we\nare very solicitous about our reputation, we must carefully watch them\nlest self be intended, while God is pretended. And we must take\nspecial care, that we be sure it be the honour of God, and religion,\nand the good of souls, or some greater benefit than honour itself,\nthat we value our honour and reputation for.\n\n8. Man's nature is so prone to go too far in valuing our esteem with\nmen, that we should more fear lest we err on that hand, than on the\nother, in undervaluing it. And it is far safer to do too little than\ntoo much, in the vindicating of our own reputation, whether by the\nmagistrate's justice, or by disputing, or any contentious means.\n\n9. We must not wholly rest on the judgment of any, about the state of\nour souls, nor take their judgment of us for infallible; but use their\nhelp that we may know ourselves.\n\n10. If ministers, or councils called general, do err and contradict\nthe word of God, we must do our best to discern it; and discerning it,\nmust desert their error rather than the truth of God. As Calvin, and\nafter him Par\u00e6us on 1 Cor. iv. 3, say, \"We must give an account of our\ndoctrine to all men that require it, especially to ministers and\ncouncils: but when a faithful pastor perceiveth himself oppressed with\nunrighteous and perverse designs and factions, and that there is no\nplace for equity and truth, he ought to be careless of man's esteem,\nand appeal to God, and fly to his tribunal. And if we see ourselves\ncondemned, our cause being unpleaded, and judgment passed, our cause\nbeing unheard, let us lift up our minds to this magnanimity, as\ndespising men's judgment, to expect with boldness the judgment of\nGod;\" and say with Paul, \"With me it is a small matter to be judged of\nyou, or of man's judgment; I have one that judgeth me, even the Lord.\"\n\n11. God must be enough for a gracious soul, and we must know \"that in\nhis favour is life,\" and his \"loving-kindness is better than life\nitself:\" and this must be our care and labour, that \"whether living or\ndying we may be accepted of him:\" and if we have his approbation it\nmust satisfy us, though all the world condemn us.[171] Therefore\nhaving faithfully done our duty, we must leave the matter of our\nreputation to God; who, if our ways please him, can make our enemies\nto be at peace with us, or be harmless to us as if they were no\nenemies. As we must quietly leave it to him what measure of wealth we\nshall have, so also what measure of honour we shall have. It is our\nduty to love and honour, but not to be beloved and honoured.\n\n12. The prophecy of our Saviour must be still believed, that the\n\"world will hate us;\" and his example must be still before our eyes,\nwho submitted to be spit upon, and scorned and buffeted, and slandered\nas a traitor or usurper of the crown, and \"made himself of no\nreputation,\" and \"endured the cross,\" and \"despised the shame;\"\nleaving us an example that we \"should follow his steps, who did no\nsin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled,\nreviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed\nall to him that judgeth righteously.\"[172] This is the usage that must\nbe the christian's expectation, and not to be well spoken of by all,\nnor to have the applause and honour of the world.\n\n13. It is not only the approbation of the ignorant and ungodly that we\nmust thus set light by; but even of the most learned and godly\nthemselves, so as to bear their censures as an easy burden, when God\nis pleased this way to try us; and to be satisfied in God alone, and\nthe expectation of his final judgment.[173]\n\n_Direct._ II. Remember that the favour and pleasing of man is one of\nyour snares, that would prevail against your pleasing God: therefore\nwatch against the danger of it, as you must do against other earthly\nthings.\n\n_Direct._ III. Remember how silly a creature man is; and that his\nfavour can be no better than himself. The thoughts or words of a\nmortal worm are matters of no considerable value to us.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Remember that it is the judgment of God alone, that your\nlife or death for ever doth depend upon; and how little you are\nconcerned in the judgment of man. 1. An humbled soul, that hath felt\nwhat it is to have displeased God, and what it is to be under his curse,\nand what it is to be reconciled to him by the death and intercession of\nJesus Christ, is so taken up in seeking the favour of God, and is so\ntroubled with every fear of his displeasure, and is so delighted with\nthe sense of his love, as that he can scarce have while to mind so small\na matter as the favour or displeasure of a man. God's favour is enough\nfor him, and so precious to him, that if he find that he hath this, so\nsmall a matter as the favour of a man will scarce be missed by him.\n\n2. God only is our supreme Judge, and our governors as officers limited\nby him: but for others, if they will be usurpers, and set themselves in\nthe throne of God, and there let fly their censures upon things and\npersons which concern them not, why should we seem much concerned in it?\nIf a beggar step up into a seat of judicature, and there condemn one,\nand fine another, will you fear him, or laugh at him? Who art thou that\njudgest another man's servant? To his own master doth he stand or fall.\nMen may step up into the throne of God, and there presume to judge\nothers according to their interests and passions: but God will quickly\npull them down, and teach them better to know their places. How like is\nthe common censure of the world, to the game of boys, that will hold an\nassize, and make a judge, and try and condemn one another in sport! And\nhave we not a greater Judge to fear?\n\n3. It is God only that passeth the final sentence, from whom there is\nno appeal to any other: but from human judgment there lieth an appeal\nto God.[174] Their judgment must be judged of by him. Things shall not\nstand as now men censure them. Many a bad cause is now judged good,\nthrough the multitude or greatness of those that favour it: and many a\ngood cause is now condemned. Many a one is taken as a malefactor\nbecause he obeyeth God and doth his duty. But all these things must be\njudged over again, by him that hath denounced a \"woe to them that call\nevil good and good evil, that put darkness for light and light for\ndarkness,\" Isa. v. 20. \"He that saith to the wicked, Thou art\nrighteous, people shall curse him, nations shall abhor him,\" Prov.\nxxiv. 24. It were ill with the best of the servants of Christ, if the\njudgment of the world must stand, who condemn them as fools, and\nhypocrites, and what they list: then the devil's judgment would stand.\nBut he is the wise man that God will judge to be wise at last; and he\nonly is the happy man that God calls happy. The erring judgment of a\ncreature is but like an ignorant man's writing the names of several\nthings upon an apothecary's boxes; if he write the names of poisons\nupon some, and of antidotes on others, when there are no such things\nwithin them, they are not to be estimated according to those\nnames.[175] How different are the names that God and the world do put\nupon things and persons now! And how few now approve of that which God\napproveth of, and will justify at last! How many will God judge\nheterodox and wicked, that men judged orthodox, and worthy of\napplause! And how many will God judge orthodox and sincere, that were\ncalled heretics and hypocrites by men! God will not verify every word\nagainst his servants, which angry men, or contentious disputants, say\nagainst them. The learning, or authority, or other advantages of the\ncontenders, may now bear down the reasons and reputations of more wise\nand righteous men than they, which God will restore and vindicate at\nlast. The names of Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, and many other excellent\nservants of the Lord, are now made odious in the writings and reports\nof papists, by their impudent lies; but God judgeth otherwise, with\nmore righteous judgment. Oh what abundance of persons and causes will\nbe justified at the dreadful day of God, which the world condemned!\nAnd how many will be there condemned, that were justified by the\nworld! O blessed day! most desirable to the just, most terrible to the\nwicked and every hypocrite. How many things will then be set straight,\nthat now are crooked! and how many innocents and saints will then have\na resurrection of their murdered names, that were buried by the world\nin a heap of lies, and their enemies never thought of their reviving!\nO look to that final judgment of the Lord, and you will take men's\ncensures but as the shaking of a leaf.\n\n4. It is God only that hath power to execute his sentence, to our\nhappiness or misery. \"There is one lawgiver that is able to save and\nto destroy,\" James iv. 12. If he say to us, \"Come ye blessed,\" we\nshall be happy, though devils and men should curse us; for those that\nhe blesseth shall be blessed. If he condemn to hell, the applause of\nthe world will fetch no man out, nor give him case. A great name on\nearth, or histories written in their applause, or a gilded monument\nover their bones, are a poor relief to damned souls. And the barking\nof the wicked, and their scorns on earth, are no diminution to the joy\nor glory of the souls that shine and triumph with Christ. It is our\nLord that \"hath the keys of death and hell,\" Rev. i. 18. Please him,\nand you are sure to escape, though the pope, and all the wicked of the\nworld, should thunder out against you their most direful curses. Woe\nto us if the wicked could execute all their malicious censures! then\nhow many saints would be in hell! But if it be God that justifies us,\nhow inconsiderable a matter is it, who they are that condemn us, or\nwhat be their pretences! Rom. viii. 33.\n\n_Direct._ V. Remember that the judgment of ungodly men, is corrupted and\ndirected by the devil; and to be overruled by their censures, or too\nmuch to fear them, is to be overruled by the devil, and to be afraid of\nhis censures of us. And will you honour him so much? Alas! it is he that\nputs those thoughts into the minds of the ungodly, and those reproachful\nwords into their mouths. To prefer the judgment of a man before God's,\nis odious enough, though you did not prefer the devil's judgment.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Consider what a slavery you choose, when you thus make\nyourselves the servants of every man, whose censures you fear, and\nwhose approbation you are ambitious of. 1 Cor. vii. 23, \"Ye are bought\nwith a price; be not ye the servants of men:\" that is, do not\nneedlessly enthral yourselves. What a task have men-pleasers! they\nhave as many masters as beholders! No wonder if it take them off from\nthe service of God; for the \"friendship of the world is enmity to\nGod;\" and he that will thus be \"a friend of the world, is an enemy to\nGod,\" James iv. 4. They cannot serve two masters, God and the world.\nYou know men will condemn you, if you be true to God: if, therefore,\nyou must needs have the favour of men, you must take it alone without\nGod's favour. A man-pleaser cannot be true to God, because he is a\nservant to the enemies of his service; the wind of a man's mouth will\ndrive him about as the chaff, from any duty, and to any sin. How\nservile a person is a man-pleaser! how many masters hath he, and how\nmean ones! It perverteth the course of your hearts and lives, and\nturneth all from God to this unprofitable way.[176]\n\n_Direct._ VII. Remember what a pitiful reward you seek. \"Verily,\" saith\nour Lord, concerning hypocrites and man-pleasers, \"they have their\nreward,\" Matt. vi. 25. O miserable reward! The thought and breath of\nmortal men, instead of God--instead of heaven; this is their reward!\nTheir happiness will be to lie in hell, and remember that they were well\nspoken of on earth! and that once they were accounted religious,\nlearned, wise, or honourable! and to remember that they preferred this\nreward before everlasting happiness with Christ! If this be not gain,\nyour labour is all lost, which you lay out in hunting for applause. If\nthis be enough to spend your time for, and to neglect your God for, and\nto lose your souls for, rejoice then in the hypocrite's reward.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. And remember that honour is such a thing as is found\nsooner by an honest contempt of it, than by an inordinate affection of\nit, and seeking it. It is a shadow which goeth from you if you follow\nit, and follows you as fast as you go from it. Whose names are now\nmore honourable upon earth, than those prophets, and apostles, and\nmartyrs, and preachers, and holy, mortified christians, who in their\ndays set lightest by the approbation of the world, and were made the\nscorn or foot-ball of the times in which they lived? Those that have\nbeen satisfied with the approbation of their heavenly Father, who saw\nthem \"in secret,\" have been \"rewarded by him openly.\" It is, even in\nthe eyes of rational men, a far greater honour to live to God, above\nworldly honour, than to seek it. And so much as a man is perceived to\naffect and seek it, so much he loseth of it: for he is thought to need\nit; and men perceive that he plays a low and pitiful game, that is so\ndesirous of their applause! As they would contemn a man that should\nlick up the spittle of every man where he comes, so will they contemn\nhim that liveth on their thoughts and breath, and honour him more that\nlives on God.\n\n_Direct._ IX. If nothing else will cure this disease, at least let the\nimpossibility of pleasing men, and attaining your ends, suffice against\nso fruitless an attempt. And here I shall show you how impossible it is,\nor, at least, a thing which you cannot reasonably expect.\n\n1. Remember what a multitude you have to please; and when you have\npleased some, how many more will be still unpleased, and how many\ndispleased when you have done your best.[177] Alas! we are insufficient\nat once to observe all those that observe us and would be pleased by us.\nYou are like one that hath but twelve pence in his purse, and a thousand\nbeggars come about him for it, and every one will be displeased if he\nhave it not all. If you resolve to give all that you have to the poor,\nif you do it to please God, you may attain your end; but if you do it to\nplease them, when you have pleased those few that you gave it to,\nperhaps twice as many will revile or curse you, because they had\nnothing. The beggar that speeds well will proclaim you liberal; and the\nbeggar that speeds ill will proclaim you niggardly and unmerciful; and\nso you will have more to offend and dishonour you, than to comfort you\nby their praise, if that must be your comfort.\n\n2. Remember that all men are so selfish, that their expectations will\nbe higher than you are able to satisfy. They will not consider your\nhinderances, or avocations, or what you do for others, but most of\nthem look to have as much to themselves, as if you had nobody else to\nmind but them. Many and many a time, when I have had an hour or a day\nto spend, a multitude have every one expected that I should have spent\nit with them. When I visit one, there are ten offended that I am not\nvisiting them at the same hour: when I am discoursing with one, many\nmore are offended that I am not speaking to them all at once: if those\nthat I speak to account me courteous, and humble, and respectful,\nthose that I could not speak to, or but in a word, account me\ndiscourteous and morose. How many have censured me, because I have not\nallowed them the time, which God and conscience commanded me to spend\nupon greater and more necessary work! If you have any office to give,\nor benefit to bestow, which one only can have, every one thinketh\nhimself the fittest; and when you have pleased one that hath it, you\nhave displeased all that went without it, and missed of their desires.\n\n3. You have abundance to please that are so ignorant, unreasonable, and\nweak, that they take your greatest virtues for your faults, and know not\nwhen you do well or ill; and yet none more bold in censuring than those\nthat least understand the things they censure.[178] Many and many a time\nmy own and others' sermons have been censured, and openly defamed, for\nthat which never was in them, upon the ignorance or heedlessness of a\ncensorious hearer; yea, for that which they directly spoke against;\nbecause they were not understood: especially he that hath a close style,\nfree from tautology, where every word must be marked by him that will\nnot misunderstand, shall frequently be misreported.\n\n4. You will have many factious zealots to please, who being strangers\nto the love of holiness, christianity, and unity, are ruled by the\ninterest of an opinion or a sect; and these will never be pleased by\nyou, unless you will be one of their side or party, and conform\nyourself to their opinions. If you be not against them, but set\nyourselves to reconcile and end the differences in the church, they\nwill hate you as not promoting their opinions, but weakening them by\nsome abhorred syncretisms. As in civil, so in ecclesiastical wars, the\nfirebrands cannot endure the peaceable: if you will be neuters, you\nshall be used as enemies. If you be never so much for Christ, and\nholiness, and common truth, all is nothing, unless you be also for\nthem, and their conceits.\n\n5. Most of the world are haters of holiness, and have a serpentine\nenmity to the image of God, being not renewed by the Holy Ghost; and\nwill not be pleased with you, unless you will sin against your Lord,\nand do as they do. 1 Pet. iv. 3-5, \"Walking in lasciviousness, lusts,\nexcess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries,\nwherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same\nexcess of riot, speaking evil of you; who shall give account to him\nthat is ready to judge the quick and the dead.\" You must be counted as\nLot among the Sodomites, a busy fellow that comes among them to make\nhimself their judge, and to control them, if you tell them of their\nsin. You shall be called a precise, hypocritical coxcomb, (or somewhat\nmuch worse,) if you will not be as bad as they, and if by your\nabstinence (though you say nothing) you seem to reprehend their\nsensuality and contempt of God. Among bedlams you must play the\nbedlam, if you will escape the fangs of their revilings. And can you\nhope to please such men as these?\n\n6. You shall have satanical God-haters, and men of seared and desperate\nconsciences to please, that are malicious and cruel, and will be pleased\nwith nothing but some horrid iniquity, and the damning of your own\nsouls, and drawing others to damnation. Like that monster of Milan, that\nwhen he had got down his enemy, made him blaspheme God in hope to save\nhis life, and then stabbed him, calling it a noble revenge, that killed\nthe body and damned the soul at once. There are such in the world, that\nwill so visibly act the devil's part, that they would debauch your\nconsciences with the most horrid perjuries, perfidiousness, and impiety,\nthat they may triumph over your miserable souls.[179] And if you think\nit worth the wilful damning of your souls, it is possible they may be\npleased. If you tell them, we cannot please you, unless we will be\ndishonest, and displease God, and sin against our knowledge and\nconsciences, and hazard our salvation, they will make but a jest of such\narguments as these, and expect you should venture your souls and all\nupon their opinions, and care as little for God and your souls as they\ndo. Desperate sinners are loth to go to hell alone; it is a torment to\nthem to see others better than themselves. They that are cruel and\nunmerciful to themselves, and have no pity on their own souls, but will\nsell them for a whore, or for preferment, and honour, or sensual\ndelights, will scarce have mercy on the souls of others: Matt. xxvii.\n25, \"His blood be on us, and on our children.\"\n\n7. You will have rigorous, captious, uncharitable, and unrighteous men\nto please, who will \"make a man offender for a word, and lay a snare\nfor him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a\nthing of nought, and watch for iniquity,\" Isa. xxix. 20, 21. That have\nnone of that charity which covereth faults, and interpreteth words and\nactions favourably; nor none of that justice which causeth men to do\nas they would be done by, and judge as they would be judged; but\njudging without mercy, are like to have judgment without mercy. And\nare glad when they can find any matter to reproach you: and if once\nthey meet with it (true or false) they will never forget it, but dwell\nas the fly on the ulcerated place.[180]\n\n8. You will have passionate persons to please, whose judgments are\nblinded, and are not capable of being pleased. Like the sick and sore\nthat are hurt with every touch; and at last, saith Seneca, with the\nvery conceit that you touched them. How can you please them, when\ndispleasedness is their disease, that abideth within them, at the very\nheart?\n\n9. You will find that censoriousness is a common vice, and though few\nare competent judges of your actions, as not being acquainted with all\nthe case, yet every one almost will be venturing to cast in his\ncensure. A proud, presumptuous understanding is a very common vice;\nwhich thinks itself presently capable of judging, as soon as it\nheareth but a piece of the case, and is not conscious of its own\nfallibility, though it have daily experience of it. Few are at your\nelbow, and none in your heart, and therefore know not the\ncircumstances and reasons of all that you do, nor hear what you have\nto say for yourselves; and yet they will presume to censure you, who\nwould have absolved you, if they had but heard you speak. It is rare\nto meet even with professors of greatest sincerity, that are very\ntender and fearful of sinning, in this point of rash, ungrounded\njudging, without capacity or call.\n\n10. You live among unpeaceable tattlers and tale-carriers, that would\nplease others by accusing you. Who is it that hath ears that hath not\nsuch vermin as these earwigs busy at them? except here and there an\nupright man, whose angry countenance hath still driven away such\nbackbiting tongues. And all shall be said behind your backs, when you\nare uncapable of answering for yourselves. And if it be a man that the\nhearers think well of, that accuseth or backbiteth you, they think it\nlawful then to believe them: and most that are their friends, and of\ntheir party, and for their interest, shall be sure to be thought so\nhonest as to be credible. And it is not strange, for a learned,\ningenious, yea, a godly person to be too forward in uttering, from the\nmouth of others, an evil report; and then the hearer thinks he is fully\njustified for believing it, and reporting it again to others. David\nhimself by the temptation of a Ziba, is drawn to wrong Mephibosheth, the\nson of his great deserving friend, 2 Sam. xvi. 3, 4. No wonder then if\nSaul do hearken to a Doeg, to the wrong of David, and murder of the\npriests. Prov. xviii. 8, \"The words of a tale-bearer are as wounds.\"\nProv. xxvi. 20, \"Where no wood is, the fire goeth out: so where there is\nno tale-bearer the strife ceaseth.\" And when these are still near men,\nand you far off, it is easy for them to continue the most odious\nrepresentation of the most laudable person's actions in the world.\n\n11. The imperfection of all men's understandings and godliness is so\ngreat, that the differences of judgment that are among the best, will\ntend to the injury and undervaluing of their brethren. One is\nconfident that his way is right, and another is confident of the\ncontrary: and to how great contendings and injuries such differences\nmay proceed, he that knoweth not in this age, shall not know for\nme.[181] We need not go to Paul and Barnabas for an instance (that was\na far lighter case); nor to Epiphanius, Hierom, and Chrysostom; nor to\nthose ages and tragedies of contending bishops, that in the eastern\nand western churches have been before us: every one thinking his cause\nso plain, as to justify himself, in all that he saith and doth against\nthose that presume to differ from him. And surely you may well expect\nsome displeasure, even from good and learned men, when the church have\nfelt such dreadful concussions, and bleedeth to this day, by so horrid\ndivisions, through the remnants of that pride and ignorance which her\nreverend guides have still been guilty of.[182]\n\n12. You have men of great mutability to please; that one hour may be\nready to worship you as gods, and the next to stone you, or account you\nas devils, as they did by Paul, and Christ himself. What a weathercock\nis the mind of man! especially of the vulgar and the temporizers! When\nyou have spent all your days in building your reputation on this sand,\none blast of wind or storm at last, doth tumble it down, and all your\ncost and labour are lost. Serve men as submissively and carefully as you\ncan; and after all, some accident or failing of their unrighteous\nexpectations, may make all that ever you did forgotten, and turn you out\nof the world with Wolsey's groans, \"If I had served God as faithfully as\nman, I had been better rewarded, and not forsaken in my distress.\" How\nmany have fallen by the hands or frowns of those whose favour they had\ndearly purchased, perhaps at the price of their salvation! If ever you\nput such confidence in a friend, as not to consider that it is possible\nhe may one day prove your enemy, you know not man; and may perhaps be\nbetter taught to know him, to your cost.\n\n13. Every man living shall unavoidably be engaged by God himself, in\nsome duties which are very liable to misconstruction, and will have an\noutside and appearance of evil, to the offence of those that know not\nall the inside and circumstances. And hence it comes to pass, that a\ngreat part of history is little worthy of regard; because the actions\nof public persons are discerned but by the halves by most that write\nof them. They write most by hearsay; or know but the outside and\nseemings of things, and not the spirit, and life, and reality of the\ncase. Men have not the choosing of their own duties, but God maketh\nthem by his law and providence: and it pleaseth him oft to try his\nservants in this kind: many of the circumstances of their actions\nshall remain unknown to men, that would justify them if they knew\nthem, and account them as notorious, scandalous persons, because they\nknow them not. How like to evil was the Israelites' taking the goods\nof the Egyptians! and how likely to lay them open to their censure! So\nwas Abraham's attempt to sacrifice his son: and so was David's eating\nthe shew-bread, and dancing almost naked before the ark; Christ's\neating and drinking with publicans and sinners; Paul's circumcising\nTimothy, and purifying in the temple; with abundance such like, which\nfall out in the life of every christian. No wonder if Joseph thought\nonce of putting Mary away, till he knew the evidence of her miraculous\nconception; and how liable was she to censure, by those that knew it\nnot! Oh, therefore, how vain is the judgment of man! And how contrary\nis it frequently to the truth! And with what caution must history be\nread! And oh how desirable is the great day of God, when all human\ncensure shall be justly censured!\n\n14. The perverseness of many is so great, that they require\ncontradictions and impossibilities of you, to tell you that they are\nresolved never to be pleased by you. If John use fasting, they say,\n\"he hath a devil:\" if Christ come \"eating and drinking,\" they say,\n\"Behold a gluttonous person, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans\nand sinners,\" Matt. xi. 18, 19. If your judgment and practice be\nconformable to superiors, especially if they have admitted of a\nchange, you shall be judged mere knaves and temporizers: if they are\nnot, you shall be judged disobedient, refractory, and seditious. If\nyou speak fair and pleasingly, they will call you flatterers and\ndissemblers: if you speak more freely, though in a necessary case,\nthey will say you rail. If I accept of preferment, they will say, I am\nambitious, proud, and worldly: if I refuse it, (how modestly soever,)\nthey will say, I am discontented, and have seditious designs. If I\npreach not when I am forbidden, I shall be accused as forsaking the\ncalling I undertook, and obeying man against God: if I do preach, I\nshall be accounted disobedient and seditious. If a friend or kinsman\ndesire me to help him to some place or preferment which he is not fit\nfor, or which would tend to another's wrong; if I should grant his\ndesire, I shall be taken for dishonest, that by partiality wrong\nanother; if I deny it him, I shall be called unnatural or unfriendly,\nand worse than an infidel. If I give to the poor as long as I have it,\nI shall be censured for ceasing when I have no more: they that know\nnot whether you have it to give or not, will be displeased if you do\nnot; and if many years you should maintain them freely, it is all as\nnothing as soon as you cease, either because your stock is spent, or\nbecause some other is made the necessary object of your charity. If\nyou be wronged in your estate, if you go to law, they will say, you\nare contentious; if you let go your estate to avoid contention, they\nwill say, you are silly fools or idiots. If you do any good works of\ncharity to the knowledge of men, they will say, you are hypocrites,\nand do it for applause; if you do it secretly, that no one know of it,\nthey will say, you are covetous, and have no good works, and though\nyou make a greater profession of religion, you do no good; and others\nshall be censured so also for your sakes. If you be pleasant and\nmerry, they will censure you as light and vain: if you be more grave\nand sad, they will say, you are melancholy or discontent. In a word,\nwhatever you do, be sure by some it will be condemned; and do or not\ndo, speak or be silent, you shall certainly displease, and never\nescape the censures of the world.\n\n15. There is among men so great a contrariety of judgments, and\ndispositions, and interests, that they will never agree among\nthemselves; and if you please one, the rest will be thereby\ndispleased.[183] He that you please is an enemy to another; and\ntherefore you displease his enemy by pleasing him. Sometimes, state\ndifferences divide kingdoms into parties, and one party will be\ndispleased with you if you be of the other, and both if you are\nneuters, or dislike them both; and each party think their cause will\njustify any accusations they can charge you with, or odious titles\nthey can give you, if not any sufferings they can bring upon you.\nChurch differences and sects have been found in all ages, and you\ncannot be of the opinion of every party; when the world aboundeth with\nsuch variety of conceits, you cannot be of all at once. And if you be\nof one party, you must displease the rest; if you are of one side in\ncontroverted opinions, the other side accounteth you erroneous: and\nhow far will the supposed interest of their cause and party carry\nthem! One half of the christian world, at this day, condemneth the\nother half as schismatical at least, the other half doing the like for\nthem. And can you be papists, and protestants, and Greeks, and every\nthing? If not, you must displease as many as you please. Yea, more; if\nmutable men shall change never so oft, they will expect that you\nchange as fast as they, and whatever their contrary interests require,\nyou must follow them in; one year you must swear, and another you must\nunswear all again: whatever cause or action they engage in, be it\nnever so devilish, you must approve of it and countenance it, and all\nthat they do you must say is well done. In a word, you must teach your\ntongue to say or swear any thing, and you must sell your innocency,\nand hire out your consciences wholly to their service, or you cannot\nplease them. Micaiah must say with the rest of the prophets, \"Go, and\nprosper,\" or else he will be hated, as not prophesying good of Ahab,\nbut evil, 1 Kings xxii. 8. And how can you serve all interests at\nonce? It seems the providence of God hath, as of purpose, wheeled\nabout the affairs of the world, to try and shame man-pleasers and\ntemporizers in the sight of the sun. It is evident then, that if you\nwill please all you must at once both speak and be silent, and verify\ncontradictions, and be in many places at once, and be of all men's\nminds, and for all men's way. For my part, I mean to see the world a\nlittle better agreed among themselves, before I will make it my\nambition to please them. If you can reconcile all their opinions, and\ninterests, and complexions, and dispositions, and make them all of one\nmind and will, then hope to please them.\n\n16. If you excel in any one virtue or duty, even that shall not excuse\nyou from the contrary defamation, so unreasonable are malicious men.\nNothing in the world can secure you from censorious, slanderous\ntongues.[184] The perfect holiness of Jesus Christ could not secure him\nfrom being called a gluttonous person and a wine-bibber, and a friend of\npublicans and sinners. His wonderful contempt of worldly dignities and\nhonours, and his subjection to C\u00e6sar, could not secure him from being\nslandered and crucified as C\u00e6sar's enemy. The great piety of the ancient\nchristians excused them not from the vulgar calumny, that they met\ntogether for filthiness in the dark; nor from the cry of the rabble,\n_Tollite impios_, Away with the ungodly, because they were against the\nworshipping of idols. I have known those that have given all that ever\nthey had to the poor except their food and necessaries, and yet (though\nit was to a considerable value) have been reproached as unmerciful, by\nthose that have not had what they expected. Many a one hath been defamed\nwith scandalous rumours of uncleanness, that have lived in untainted\nchastity all their lives. The most eminent saints have been defamed as\nguilty of the most horrid crimes, which never entered into their\nthoughts. The principal thing that ever I bent my studies and care\nabout, hath been the reconciling, unity, and peace of christians, and\nagainst unpeaceableness, uncharitableness, turbulency, and division; and\nyet some have been found, whose interest and malice have commanded them\nto charge me with that very sin, which I have spent my days, my zeal,\nand study against. How oft have contrary factions charged me with\nperfectly contrary accusations! I can scarce remember the thing that I\ncan do in all the world, that some will not be offended at; nor the duty\nso great and clear, that some will not call my sin; nor the self-denial\nso great, (to the hazard of my life,) which hath not been called\nself-seeking, or something clean contrary to what it was indeed. Instead\ntherefore of serving and pleasing this malicious, unrighteous world, I\ncontemn their blind and unjust censures, and appeal to the most\nrighteous God.[185]\n\n17. If you have a design for a name of honour when you are dead,\nconsider what power a prevailing faction may have to corrupt the\nhistory of your life, and represent you to posterity perfectly\ncontrary to what you are; and how impossible it is for posterity to\nknow whose history is the product of malicious, shameless lies, and\nwhose is the narrative of impartial truth. What contrary histories are\nthere of particular persons and actions written by men of the same\nreligion: as of Pope Gregory VII. and the emperors that contended with\nhim; and about Pope Joan, and many the like cases, where you may read\nscores of historians on one side and on the other.[186]\n\n18. Remember that the holiest saints or apostles could never please\nthe world, nor escape their censures, slanders, and cruelties; no, nor\nJesus Christ himself. And can you think by honest means to please them\nbetter than Christ and all his saints have done? You have not the\nwisdom that Christ had to please men, and to avoid offence. You have\nnot the perfect innocency and unblamableness that Christ had; you\ncannot heal their sicknesses and infirmities, and do that good to them\nto please and win them, as Jesus Christ did; you cannot convince them,\nand constrain them to reverence you by manifold miracles, as Jesus\nChrist did. Can you imitate such an excellent pattern as is set you by\nthe holy, patient, charitable, unwearied apostle Paul? Acts xx.; 1\nCor. iv. ix.; 2 Cor. iv. v. vi. x. xi. xii. If you cannot, how can you\nplease them that would not be pleased by such unimitable works of love\nand power? The more Paul \"loved\" some of his hearers, \"the less he was\nbeloved,\" 2 Cor. xii. 15. They used him \"as an enemy for telling them\nthe truth,\" Gal. iv. 16. Though he \"became all things to all men,\" he\ncould \"save but some,\" nor \"please but some,\" 1 Cor. ix. 22. And what\nare you that you should better please them?\n\n19. Godliness, virtue, and honesty itself will not please the world,\nand therefore you cannot hope to please them by that which is not\npleasing to them. Will men be pleased by that which they hate? and by\nthe actions which they think accuse them and condemn them? And if you\nwill be ungodly and vicious to please them, you sell your souls, your\nconscience, and your God, to please them. God and they are not pleased\nwith the same ways. And which do you think should first be pleased? If\nyou displease him for their favour, you will buy it dear.[187]\n\n20. They are not pleased with God himself; yea, no man doth displease\nso many and so much as he. And can you do more than God to please\nthem? or can you deserve their favour more than he? They are daily\ndispleased with his works of providence: one would have rain, when\nanother would have none; one would have the winds to serve his voyage,\nand another would have them in a contrary end; one party is\ndispleased, because another is pleased and exalted; every enemy would\nhave his cause succeed, and the victory to be his; every contender\nwould have all go on his side. God must be ruled by them, and fit\nhimself to the interest of the most unjust, and to the will of the\nmost vicious, and do as they would have him, and be a servant to their\nlusts, or they will not be pleased with him. And his holy nature, and\nhis holy word, and holy ways, displease them more than his ordinary\nprovidence. They are displeased that his word is so precise and\nstrict, and that he commandeth them so holy and so strict a life, and\nthat he threateneth all the ungodly with damnation: he must alter his\nlaws, and make them more loose, and fit them to their fleshly interest\nand lusts, and speak as they would have him, without any difficulties,\nbefore they will be pleased with them (unless he alter their minds and\nhearts). And how do you think they will be pleased with him at last,\nwhen he fulfils his threatenings? when he killeth them, and turneth\ntheir bodies to dust, and their guilty souls to torment and despair?\n\n21. How can you please men that cannot please themselves? Their own\ndesire and choice will please them but a little while. Like children,\nthey are soon weary of that which they cried for: they must needs have\nit, and when they have it, it is naught, and cast away; they are\nneither pleased with it, nor without it. They are like sick persons\nthat long for every meat or drink they think of, and when they have\nit, they cannot get it down; for the sickness is still within them\nthat causeth their displeasure. How many do trouble and torment\nthemselves by their passions and folly from day to day! and can you\nplease such self-displeasers?\n\nHow can you please all others, when you cannot please yourselves? If you\nare persons fearing God, and feel the burden of your sins, and have life\nenough to be sensible of your diseases, I dare say there are none in the\nworld so displeasing to you, as you are to yourselves. You carry that\nabout you, and feel that within you, which displeaseth you more than all\nthe enemies you have in the world. Your passions and corruptions, your\nwant of love to God, and your strangeness to him and the life to come,\nthe daily faultiness of your duties and your lives, are your daily\nburden, and displease you most. And if you be not able, and wise, and\ngood enough to please yourselves, can you be able, and wise, and good\nenough to please the world? As your sins are nearest to yourselves, so\nare your graces; and as you know more evil by yourselves than others\nknow, so you know more good by yourselves. That little fire will not\nwarm all the room, which will not warm the hearth it lieth on.\n\n_Direct._ X. Remember what a life of unquietness and continual\nvexation you choose, if you place your peace or happiness in the good\nwill or word of man.[188] For having showed you how impossible a task\nyou undertake, it must needs follow that the pursuit of it must be a\nlife of torment. To engage yourselves in so great cares, and be sure\nto be disappointed; to make that your end, which you cannot attain; to\nfind that you labour in vain, and daily meet with displeasure instead\nof the favour you expected; must needs be a very grievous life. You\nare like one that dwelleth on the top of a mountain, and yet cannot\nendure the wind to blow upon him; or like him that dwelleth in a wood,\nand yet is afraid of the shaking of a leaf. You dwell among a world of\nulcerated, selfish, contradictory, mutable, unpleasable minds, and yet\nyou cannot endure their displeasure. Are you magistrates? The people\nwill murmur at you; and those that are most incompetent and uncapable\nwill be the forwardest to censure you, and think that they could\ngovern much better than you. Those that bear the necessary burdens of\nthe common safety and defence, will say that you oppress them; and the\nmalefactors that are punished, will say you deal unmercifully by them;\nand those that have a cause never so unjust, will say you wrong them,\nif it go not on their side.[189] Are you pastors and teachers? You\nwill seem too rough to one, and too smooth to another; yea, too rough\nto the same man when by reproof or censure you correct his faults, who\ncensureth you as too smooth and a friend to sinners, when you are to\ndeal in the cause of others. No sermon that you preach is like to be\npleasing to all your hearers; nor any of your ministerial works.[190]\nAre you lawyers? The clients that lost their cause, behind your backs\nwill call you unconscionable, and say you betrayed them; and those\nthat prevailed, will call you covetous, and tell how much money you\ntook of them, and how little you did for it: so that it is no wonder\nthat among the vulgar your profession is the matter of their reproach.\nAre you physicians? You will be accused as guilty of the death of many\nthat die; and as covetous takers of their money whether the patient\ndie or live; for this is the common talk of the vulgar, except with\nsome few with whom your care has much succeeded. Are you tradesmen?\nMost men that buy of you are so selfish, that except you will beggar\nyourselves, they will say you deceive them, and deal unconscionably\nand sell too dear: little do they mind the necessary maintenance of\nyour families, nor care whether you live or gain by your trading; but\nif you will wrong yourselves to sell them a good penny-worth, they\nwill say you are very honest men: and yet when you are broken, they\nwill accuse you of imprudence, and defrauding your creditors. You must\nbuy dear and sell cheap, and live by the loss, or else displease.[191]\n\n_Direct._ XI. Remember still that the pleasing of God is your business\nin the world, and that in pleasing him your souls may have safety,\nrest, and full content, though all the world should be displeased with\nyou.[192] God is enough for you; and his approbation and favour is\nyour portion and reward. How sweet and safe is the life of the sincere\nand upright ones, that study more to be good than to seem good, and\nthink if God accept them that they have enough! O what a mercy is an\nupright heart! which renounceth the world, and all therein that stands\nin competition with his God; and taketh God for his God indeed, even\nfor his Lord, his Judge, his Portion, and his All: who in temptation\nremembereth the eye of God, and in all his duty is provoked and ruled\nby the will and pleasure of his Judge; and regardeth the eye and\nthoughts of man, but as he would do the presence of a bird or beast,\nunless as piety, justice, or charity, require him to have respect to\nman, in due subordination to God: who when men applaud him as a person\nof excellent holiness and goodness, is fearful and solicitous lest the\nall-knowing God should think otherwise of him than his applauders: and\nunder all the censures, reproaches, and slanders of man, yea, (though\nthrough temptation good men should thus use him,) can live in peace\nupon the approbation of his God alone; and can rejoice in his\njustification by his righteous Judge and gracious Redeemer, though the\ninconsiderable censures of men condemn him.[193] Verily I cannot\napprehend, how any other man but this can live a life of true and\nsolid peace and joy. If God's approbation and favour quiet you not,\nnothing can rationally quiet you. If the pleasing of him do not\nsatisfy you, though men, though good men, though all men should be\ndispleased with you, I know not how or when you will be satisfied.\nYea, if you be above the censures and displeasure of the profane, and\nnot also of the godly, (when God will permit them, as Job's wife and\nfriends, to be your trial,) it will not suffice to an even, contented,\nquiet life. And here consider,\n\n1. If you seek first to please God and are satisfied therein, you have\nbut one to please instead of multitudes; and a multitude of masters are\nhardlier pleased than one.[194] 2. And it is one that putteth you upon\nnothing that is unreasonable, for quantity or quality. 3. And one that\nis perfectly wise and good, not liable to misunderstand your case and\nactions. 4. And one that is most holy, and is not pleased in iniquity or\ndishonesty. 5. And he is one that is impartial and most just, and is no\nrespecter of persons, Acts x. 34. 6. And he is one that is a competent\njudge, that hath fitness and authority, and is acquainted with your\nhearts, and every circumstance and reason of your actions. 7. And he is\none that perfectly agreeth with himself, and putteth you not upon\ncontradictions or impossibilities. 8. And he is one that is constant and\nunchangeable; and is not pleased with one thing to-day, and another\ncontrary to-morrow; nor with one person this year, whom he will be weary\nof the next. 9. And he is one that is merciful, and requireth you not to\nhurt yourselves to please him: nay, he is pleased with nothing of thine\nbut that which tendeth to thy happiness, and displeased with nothing but\nthat which hurts thyself or others; as a father that is displeased with\nhis children when they defile or hurt themselves. 10. He is gentle,\nthough just, in his censures of thee; judging truly, but not with unjust\nrigour, nor making your actions worse than they are. 11. He is one that\nis not subject to the passions of men, which blind their minds, and\ncarry them to injustice. 12. He is one that will not be moved by\ntale-bearers, whisperers, or false accusers, nor can be perverted by any\nmisinformation.\n\nConsider also the benefits of taking up with the pleasing of God. 1. The\npleasing of him is your happiness itself; the matter of pure, and full,\nand constant comfort, which you may have continually at hand, and no man\ncan take from you. Get this, and you have the end of man; nothing can be\nadded to it, but the perfection of the same, which is heaven itself.\n\n2. What abundance of disappointments and vexations will you escape,\nwhich tear the very hearts of man-pleasers, and fill their lives with\nunprofitable sorrows!\n\n3. It will guide and order your cares, and desires, and thoughts, and\nlabours to their right and proper end; and prevent the perverting of\nthem, and spending them in sin and vanity on the creature.\n\n4. It will make your lives not only to be divine, but this divine life\nto be sweet and easy, while you set light by human censures which\nwould create you prejudice and difficulties. When others glory in wit,\nand wealth, and strength, you would glory in this, that you know the\nLord, Jer. ix. 23, 24.\n\n5. As God is above man, thy heart and life is highly ennobled by\nhaving so much respect to God, and rejecting inordinate respect to\nman: this is indeed to walk with God.\n\n6. The sum of all graces is contained in this sincere desire to please\nthy God, and contentedness in this so far as thou findest it attained.\nHere is faith, and humility, and love, and holy desire, and trust, and\nthe fear of God concentred. You \"sanctify the Lord of hosts himself,\nand make him your fear, and dread, and sanctuary,\" Isa. viii. 13, 14.\n\n7. If human approbation be good for you and worth your having, this is\nthe best way to it; for God hath the disposal of it. \"If a man's ways\nplease the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him,\"\nProv. xvi. 7. Appeasing their wrath, or restraining them from intended\nevil, or doing us good by that which they intend for hurt.\n\n[Sidenote: Signs.]\n\nSee therefore that you live upon God's approbation as that which you\nchiefly seek, and will suffice you: which you may discover by these\nsigns. 1. You will be most careful to understand the Scripture, to\nknow what doth please and displease God. 2. You will be more careful\nin the doing of every duty, to fit it to the pleasing of God than men.\n3. You will look to your hearts, and not only to your actions; to your\nends, and thoughts, and the inward manner and degree. 4. You will look\nto secret duties as well as public, and to that which men see not, as\nwell as unto that which they see. 5. You will reverence your\nconsciences, and have much to do with them, and will not slight them:\nwhen they tell you of God's displeasure, it will disquiet you; when\nthey tell you of his approbation, it will comfort you. 6. Your\npleasing men will be charitable for their good, and pious in order to\nthe pleasing of God, and not proud and ambitious for your honour with\nthem, nor impious against the pleasing of God. 7. Whether men be\npleased or displeased, or how they judge of you, or what they call\nyou, will seem a small matter to you, as their own interest, in\ncomparison of God's judgment. You live not on them. You can bear their\ndispleasure, censures, and reproaches, if God be but pleased. These\nwill be your evidences.[195]\n\n\n                                PART V.\n\n            _Directions against Pride, and for Humility._[196]\n\nPride, being reputed the great sin of the devil, by which he fell, is,\nin the name and general notion of it, infamous and odious with almost\nall; but the nature of it is so much unknown, and the sin so\nundiscerned by the most, that it is commonly cherished while it is\ncommonly spoke against. Therefore the chief directions for the\nconquering of it, are those that are for the full discovery of it; for\nwhen it is seen it is shamed, and to shame it is to destroy it.\n\n_Direct._ I. Understand aright the nature of pride, that you may\nneither ignorantly retain it, nor oppose your duty as supposed to be\npride. Here I shall tell you, 1. What pride is, and what commandment\nit is against; and what humility is, which is its contrary. 2. Some\nseemings or appearances like pride, which may make men censured as\nproud for that which is not pride. 3. The counterfeits of humility,\nwhich may make a proud man seem to himself or others to be humble.\n\n[Sidenote: Pride what.]\n\nI. Pride is an inordinate self-exalting, or a lifting up ourselves\nabove the state or degree appointed us. It is called \u1f51\u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03b7\u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03b9\u03b1,\nbecause it is an appearing to ourselves, and a desire to appear to\nothers, above what we are, or above others of our quality. It is a\nbranch of selfishness, and containeth man-pleasing as before\ndescribed, and produceth hypocrisy, and is its original and life. It\ncontaineth in it these following acts or parts: 1. A will to be higher\nor greater than God would have us be. 2. An overvaluing of ourselves,\nor esteeming ourselves to be greater, wiser, or better than indeed we\nare. 3. A desire that others should think of us, and speak of us, and\nuse us, as greater, or wiser, or better than we are. 4. An endeavour\nor seeking to rise above our appointed place, or to be overvalued by\nothers. 5. An ostentation of our inordinate self-esteem in outward\nsigns of speech or action. Every one of these is an act of pride. The\nthree first are the inward acts of it in the mind and will, and the\ntwo last are its external acts.\n\n[Sidenote: Against what commandment.]\n\nAs the love of God and man are the comprehensive duties of the\ndecalogue, expressed most in the first and last commandment, but yet\nextending themselves to all the rest; so selfishness and pride (which\nis a principal part of it) are the opposite sins, forbidden\nprincipally in the first and last commandment, as contrary to the love\nof God and man, but so as it is contrary to the rest. They are sins\nagainst the very relation itself, that God and man do stand in to us,\nand not only against a particular law: they are against the very\nconstitution of the kingdom of God, and not only against the\nadministration: it is treason or idolatry against God, and a setting\nup ourselves in some part of his prerogative: and it is a monstrous\nexuberancy in the body, and a rising of one member above and so\nagainst the rest, either superiors (and so against the fifth command)\nor equals (against the rest).\n\n[Sidenote: Humility what.]\n\nHumility is contrary to pride; and therefore consisteth, 1. In a\ncontentedness with that degree and state which God hath assigned us.\n2. In mean thoughts of ourselves, esteeming ourselves no greater,\nwiser, or better than we are. 3. In a willingness and desire that\nothers should not think of us, or speak of us, or use us, as greater,\nor wiser, or better than we are; that they should give us no more\nhonour, praise, or love than is our due; the redundancy being but a\ndeceit or lie, and an abuse of us and them. 4. In the avoiding of all\ninordinate aspiring endeavours, and a contented exercise of our\nassigned offices, and doing the meanest works of our own places. 5. In\nthe avoiding of all ostentation or appearance of that greatness,\nwisdom, or goodness which we have not; and fitting our speeches,\napparel, provisions, furniture, and all our deportment and behaviour\nto the meanness of our parts, and place, and worth. This is the very\nnature of humility. The more particular signs I shall open afterwards.\n\n[Sidenote: The inward seemings of pride that are not it.]\n\nII. Pride, lying in the heart, is oft misjudged of by others, that see\nbut the outward appearances, and sometimes by the person himself, that\nunderstandeth not the nature of it. The inward appearances that are\nmistaken for pride, and are not it, are such as these: 1. When a man\nin power and government hath a spirit suitable to his place and work:\nthis is not pride, but virtue. 2. When natural strength and vigour of\nspirits expelleth pusillanimity; especially when faith, beholding God,\nexpelleth all inordinate respect to men, and fear of all that they can\ndo, this is not pride, but christian magnanimity and fortitude; and\nthe contrary is not humility, but weakness, and pusillanimity, and\ncowardice. 3. When a wise man knoweth in what measure he is wise, and\nin what measure other men are ignorant, or erroneous; and when he is\nconscious of his knowledge, and delighted and pleased in it through\nthe love of truth, and thankful to God for revealing it to him, and\nblessing so far his studies and endeavours; all this is mercy and\nduty, and not pride. For truth is amiable and delectable in itself.\nAnd he that knoweth must needs know that he knoweth; as he that seeth\ndoth perceive by seeing that he seeth. And if it be a fault to know\nthat I know, it must be a fault to know at all. But some knowledge is\nnecessary and unresistible, and we cannot avoid it: and that which is\ngood must be valued, and we must be thankful for it. Humility doth no\nmore require that a wise man think his knowledge equal with a fool's,\nor ignorant man's, than that a sound man take himself to be sick. 4.\nWhen a wise man valueth the useful knowledge which God hath given him,\nabove all the glory and vanities of the world, which are indeed of\nlower worth, this is not pride, but a due estimation of things.[197]\n5. When a wise man desireth that others were of his mind, for their\nown good, and the propagating of the truth, this is not pride, but\ncharity and love of truth: else preachers were the proudest men, and\nPaul had done ill in labouring so much for men's conversion, and\nsaying to Agrippa, Acts xxvi. 29, \"I would to God that not only thou,\nbut also all they that hear me this day, were both almost and\naltogether such as I am, except these bonds.\" 6. When an innocent man\nis conscious of his innocency, and a holy person is conscious of his\nholiness, and assured of his state in grace, and rejoiceth in it, and\nis thankful for it, this is not pride, but an excellent privilege and\nduty. If angels rejoice at the conversion of a sinner, (Luke xv.) the\nsinner hath reason to rejoice himself: and if it be a sin to be\nunthankful for our daily bread, much more for grace and the hope of\nglory. 7. When we value our good name, and the honour that is indeed\nour due, as we do other outward common mercies, not for themselves,\nbut so far as they honour God, or tend to the good of others, or the\npromoting of truth or piety among men, desiring no more than is indeed\nour due, nor overvaluing it as that which we cannot spare, but\nsubmitting it to the will of God, as that which we can be without;\nthis is not pride, but a right estimation of the thing.\n\n[Sidenote: The outward appearances of pride that are not it.]\n\nThe outward seemings which are oft mistaken for the signs and fruits\nof pride by others, are such as these: 1. When a magistrate or other\ngovernor doth maintain the honour of his place, which is necessary to\nhis successful government, and liveth according to his degree. When\nprinces, and rulers, and masters, and parents, do keep that distance\nfrom their subjects, and servants, and scholars, and children, which\nis meet and needful to their good, it is usually misjudged to be their\npride.\n\n2. When a sinner is convinced of the necessity of holiness in a time\nand place where it is rare, and infidelity or profaneness and\nungodliness is the common road, the necessary singularity of such a\none in giving up himself to the will of God, is commonly charged on\nhim as his pride; as if he were proud that cannot be contented to be\ndamned in hell for company with the most; or to despise salvation if\nmost despise it, and to forsake his God when most forsake him, and to\nserve the devil when most men serve him. If you will not swear, and be\ndrunk, and game, and spend your time, even the Lord's day, in vanity\nand sensuality, as if you were afraid of being saved, and as if it\nwere your business to work out your damnation, the world will call you\nproud and singular, and \"think it strange that you run not with them\nto excess of riot, speaking evil of you,\" 1 Pet. iv. 4.[198] You shall\nquickly hear them say, What! will you be wiser than all the town? What\na saint, what a holy precisian is this! When Lot was grieved for the\nfilthiness of Sodom, they scorn him as a proud controller: Gen. xix.\n9, \"This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge.\"\nAnd what thought they of Noah that walked with God in so great\nsingularity, when all the world was drowned in (and for) their\nwickedness? When David \"humbled his soul with fasting,\" they turned it\nto his \"reproach,\" Psal lxix. 10; xxxv. 13. Especially when any of the\nservants of Christ do press towards the highest degree of holiness,\nthey shall be sure to be accounted proud and hypocrites. And yet they\naccuse not that child or servant of pride who excelleth all the rest\nin pleasing them, and doing their work; nor do they take a sick man\nto be proud, if he be carefuller than others to recover his health.\nBut he that will do most for heaven, and most carefully avoideth sin\nand hell, and is most serious in his religion, and most industrious to\nplease his God, this man shall be accounted proud.\n\n3. He that will not forsake his God and betray the truth, and wound\nhis conscience by wilful sin, but will do as Daniel and the three\nconfessors did, Dan. vi. 3, and answer as they answered, will be\naccounted proud. But it is no pride to prefer God before men, and to\nfear damnation more than imprisonment or death. The army of martyrs\ndid not in pride prefer their own judgments before their superiors\nthat condemned them; but they did it in obedience to God and truth,\nwhen that was revealed to babes, which was hid from the wise, and\nprudent, and great, and noble of the world.\n\n4. When those that are faithful to the honour of Christ's sovereignty,\ndare not approve of papal usurpations, against his laws, and over his\nchurch, and the consciences of his subjects, they shall by the popish\nusurpers be called proud and despisers of government; as if a usurper of\nthe kingly power should call us proud, because we dare not consent to\nhis pride; or call us traitors, for not being traitors as he is himself.\n\n5. When a man that hath the sense of the matters of God and men's\nsalvation upon his heart, is zealous and diligent to teach them to\nothers, and if he be a minister, be fervent and laborious in his\nministry, he is called proud, as one that must needs have all men of\nhis mind: though compassion to souls, and aptness to teach, and\npreaching instantly in season and out of season, be his necessary duty\nrequired of God. And what is the ministry for, but to change men's\nminds, and bring them to the full obedience of the truth?\n\n6. If a man understand the truth, in any point of divinity better than\nmost others, and holdeth any truth which is there in credit, or\ncommonly received, he shall be accounted proud, for presuming to be so\nsingular, and seeming wiser than those that think they are wiser than\nhe. But humility teacheth us not to err for company, nor to grow no\nwiser when once we arrive at the common stature; nor to forsake the\ntruth which others understand not, nor to forbear to teach it because\nit is not known already. If some of the pastors in Abassia, Syria,\nArmenia, Russia, Greece, or Italy, or Spain, were as wise as the\nministers in England are, it were no evidence of their pride.\n\n7. If a man that understandeth any thing contrary to the judgment of\nanother, cannot forsake it, and think or say as another would have\nhim; especially if you contradict him in disputation; he will take it\nto be your pride, and overvaluing your own understanding, and being\ntoo tenacious of your own conceits.[199] Erroneous men that in their\npride are over eager to have others of their mind, will call you proud\nbecause you yield not to their pride. They think that the evidence is\nso clear on their side, that if you were not proud you could not\nchoose but think as they do.\n\n8. Some humble men are naturally of a warm and earnest manner of\ndiscourse; and their natural heat and eagerness of speech is frequently\nmisjudged to come from pride, till fuller acquaintance with their\nhumble lives do rectify the mistake.[200] It is written of Bishop Hooper\nthe martyr, that \"those that visited him once, condemned him of\nover-austerity; they that repaired to him twice, only suspected him of\nthe same; those that conversed with him constantly, not only acquitted\nhim of all morosity, but commended him for sweetness of manners: so that\nhis ill nature consisted in other men's little acquaintance with him.\"\nTho. Fuller's Church Hist. lib. 7, p. 402, and Godwin in Glocest.\nBishops. The same is true of very many worthy men.[201]\n\n9. If we zealously contend for the faith or the peace of the church\nagainst heretical or dividing persons, and their dangerous ways, they\nwill call us proud, though God command it us; Jude 3, especially if we\n\"avoid them, and bid them not God speed,\" Tit. iii. 10; 2 John 10.\n\n10. When a man of understanding openeth the ignorance of another, and\nspeaketh words of pity concerning him, though it be no more than truth\nand charity command, they will be taken to be the words of\nsupercilious pride.\n\n11. That plain dealing in reproof which God commandeth, especially to\nhis ministers, towards high and low, great and small, and which the\nprophets and servants of God have used, will be misjudged as arrogancy\nand pride, Amos vii. 12, 13; 2 Chron. xxv. 16; Acts xxiii. 4. As if it\nwere pride to be true to God, and to pity souls, and seek to save\nthem, and tell them in time of that which conscience will more closely\nand terribly tell them of, when it is too late.\n\n12. Self-idolizing papists accuse their inferiors for pride, if they\ndo but modestly exercise a judgment of discretion about the matters\nthat their salvation is concerned in, and do not implicitly believe as\nthey believe, and forbear to prove or try their sayings, and swallow\nnot all without any chewing, and offer to object the commands of God\nagainst any unlawful commands of men.[202] As if God were contented to\nsuspend his laws, whenever man's commands do contradict them; or\nhumility required us to please and obey men at the price of the loss\nof our salvation.[203] They think that we should not busy ourselves to\ninquire into such matters, but trust them with our souls, and that the\nScriptures are not for the laity to read, but they must wholly rely\nupon the clergy: and if a layman inquire into their doctrines or\ncommands, they say as David's brother to him, 1 Sam. xvii. 28, \"With\nwhom hast thou left the sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and\nthe naughtiness of thy heart.\"\n\n13. If a zealous, humble preacher of the gospel, that preacheth not\nhimself but Christ, be highly esteemed and honoured for his work's\nsake, 1 Thess. v. 12, 13, and crowded after, and greatly followed by\nthose that are edified by him, it is ordinary for the envious, and the\nenemies of godliness, to say that he is proud, and preacheth to draw\ndisciples after him, and to be admired by men; for they judge of the\nhearts of others by their own: as if they knew not that Christ and his\nmost excellent servants have been crowded after without being thereby\nlifted up, or chargeable with pride. As the sun is not accusable for\nbeing beheld and admired by all the world; nor fire and water, earth\nand air, food and rest, for being valued by all. Little do they know\nhow deep a sense of their own unworthiness is renewed in the hearts of\nthe most applauded preachers, by the occasion of men's estimation and\napplause, and how much they desire that none may overvalue them, and\nturn their eye from the doctrine upon the person: and how oft they cry\nout with the laborious apostle, \"Who is sufficient for these things?\"\nAnd how oft they are tempted to cast off all through fear and sense of\ntheir unfitness, when the envious dullards fearlessly utter a dry\ndiscourse, and think that they are wronged because they are not\ncommended and followed as much as others. They think the common sense\nof all the faithful, and the love of truth, and care of their\nsalvation, must be called pride, because it carrieth men to prefer the\nmeans which is fitted best to their edification and salvation.\n\n14. If an humble christian have, after much temptation and a holy life,\nattained to well-grounded persuasions of his salvation, and be thankful\nto God for sanctifying him, and numbering him with his little flock,\nwhen the world lieth in wickedness, he will be taken for proud by\nungodly men, that cannot endure to hear beforehand of the difference\nwhich the judgment of God will declare between the righteous and the\nwicked: as if it were pride to be happy or to be thankful.\n\n15. If a man that is falsely accused or slandered, shall modestly deny\nthe charge, and use that lawful means which he oweth to his own\nvindication, he will be accused of pride because he contradicteth\nproud accusers, and consenteth not to belie himself; yea, though the\ndishonour of religion, and the hinderance of men's salvation, be the\nconsequent of his dishonour.\n\n16. Many of the poor do mistake their superiors to be proud, if their\napparel be not in fashion and value almost like their own, though it\nbe sober and agreeable to their rank.\n\n17. Some are of a more rustic or careless disposition, unfit for\ncompliment; and some are taken up with serious studies and\nemployments, so contrary to compliment, that they have neither time\nnor mind for the observance of the humours of complimental persons,\nwho, because they expect it, and think they are neglected, do usually\naccuse such men of pride.[204]\n\n18. Some are of a silent temper, and are accused for pride, because\nthey speak not to others as oft as they expect it.\n\n19. Some are naturally unapt to be familiar till they have much\nacquaintance, and are so far from impudent that they are not bold\nenough to speak much to strangers and take acquaintance with them, no,\nthough it be with their inferiors; and therefore are ordinarily\nmisjudged to be proud.\n\n20. Some have contracted some unhandsome customs in their speech or\ngestures, which, to rash censurers, seem to come from pride, though it\nbe not so. By all these seemings the humble are judged by many to be\nproud.[205]\n\nIII. There are also many counterfeits of humility, by which the proud\nare taken to be humble: as, 1. An accusing of themselves and bewailing\ntheir vileness, through mere terror of conscience, as Judas, or the\nconstraint of affliction, as Pharaoh, or of the face of death. 2. A\ncustomary confessing of such sins in prayer, or in speech with others,\nwhich the best are used to confess, and the confessing of them is\ntaken rather to be an honour than a disgrace. 3. A religious\nobservance of those commandments and doctrines of men, which the\napostle speaketh of, Col. ii. 18-23, which have a \"show of wisdom in\nwill-worship and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any\nhonour to the satisfying of the flesh.\" 4. A holding of those tenets,\nwhich doctrinally are most to man's abasement; but yet never humbled\nthemselves at the heart. 5. A discreet restraint of boasting, and such\na discommending of themselves, as tendeth to procure them the\nreputation of modesty and humility. 6. An affected condescension and\nfamiliarity with others, even of the lower sort, which may seem\nhumility, when the poorest have their smiles and courtesy; and yet may\nbe but the humility of Absalom, 2 Sam. xv. 3-6, the fruit of pride,\ndesigned to procure the commendations of the world. 7. A choosing to\nconverse with their inferiors, because they would bear sway, and be\nalways the greatest themselves in the company: like Dionysius the\ntyrant, that when he was dethroned, turned schoolmaster, that he might\ndomineer among the boys. 8. A constrained meanness of apparel,\nprovisions, and deportment; when poverty forceth men to speak and live\nas if they were humble; whereas if they had but wealth and honours,\nthey would live as high as the proudest of them all. How quiet is the\nbear when he is chained up! and how little doth serve a dog or a fox\nwhen he can get no more! 9. An affected meanness and plainness in\napparel, while pride runs out some other way. He that is odiously\nproud of his supposed wisdom, or learning, or holiness, or birth, or\ngreat reputation, may in his very pride be above the womanish and\nchildish way of pride, in apparel, and such other little toys. 10. A\nloathing and speaking against the pride of others, while he overlooks\nhis own, perhaps because the pride of others cloudeth him; as the\ncovetous hate others that are covetous, because they are the greatest\nhinderers of their gain; as dogs fight for the bone which both would\nhave. Many more counterfeits of humility may be gathered, from what is\nsaid before of the seemings of pride, whereto it is contrary.\n\n_Direct._ II. Observe the motions and discoveries of pride, towards\nGod and man, that it may not, like the devil, prevail by keeping out\nof sight. Because this is the chief part of my work, I shall here\ndistinctly show you the signs and motions of it, in its several ways\nagainst God and man.\n\n\n            _Signs of the worst part of Pride against God._\n\n_Sign_ I. Self-idolizing pride doth cause men to glory in their\nsupposed greatness, when the greatness of God should show them their\ncontemptible vileness; and to magnify themselves, when they should\nmagnify their Maker. It makes the strong man glory in his strength,\nand the rich man in his wealth, and the conqueror in his\nvictories;[206] and princes, and rulers, and lords of the earth, in\ntheir dominions, and dignities, and power to do hurt or good to\nothers; and say as Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. iv. 30, \"Is not this great\nBabylon that I have built, for the house of the kingdom, by the might\nof my power, for the honour of my majesty?\" How hard is it to be great\nand truly humble, and not to swell, and be lifted up in heart, as they\nrise in power! This God abhorreth as unsuitable to worms, and dust,\nand injurious to his honour, and will make them know that \"power, and\nriches, and strength are his, and that the Most High doth rule in the\nkingdom of men, and giveth it to whom he will,\" Dan. iv. 32.\n\n_Sign_ II. Pride causeth men to set up their supposed worth and\ngoodness above or against the Lord: so that they make themselves their\nprincipal end, and practise that which some of late presume to teach,\nthat it is not God that can or ought to be man's end, but himself alone:\nas if we were made only for ourselves, and not for our Creator. Pride\nmakes men so considerable in their own esteem, that they live wholly to\nthemselves, as if the world were to stand or fall with them: if they be\nwell, all is well with them; if they are to die, they take it as if the\nworld were at an end. They value God, but as they do their food, or\nhealth, or pleasure, even as a means to their own felicity; not as\npreferring him before themselves, nor making him the chiefest in their\nend.[207] They love themselves much better than God: and so far is man\nfallen from God to himself, that he feeleth himself disposed to this as\nstrongly, as that he taketh it to be his primitive nature, and therefore\nwarrantable, and that it is impossible to go higher.\n\n[Sidenote: How God is man's end.]\n\nGod is to be man's end, though we can add nothing to him. The highest\nlove supposeth no want in him that we love, but an excellency of\nglory, wisdom, and goodness, to which all our faculties offer up\nthemselves in admiration, love, and praise: not only for the delights\nof these, nor only that our persons may herein be happy; but chiefly\nthat God may have his due, and his will may be pleased and fulfilled;\nand because his excellencies deserve all this from men and angels.\nWhen we love a man of wonderful learning, and wisdom, and meekness,\nand charity, and holiness, and other goodness, it is not chiefly for\nourselves that we love him, that we may receive something from him;\nfor we feel his excellency command our love, though we were sure that\nwe should never receive any thing from him: nor is the delight of\nloving him our chief end, but a consequent, or the lesser part of our\nend; for we feel that we love him before we think of the delight.[208]\nThe admiration, love, and praise of God our ultimate end, hath no end\nbeside their proper object; for it is itself the final act, even man's\nperfection. Amiableness magnetically attracteth love: if you ask an\nangel why he loveth God, he will say, because he is infinitely\namiable: and though in such motions nature secretly aimeth at its own\nperfection and felicity, and lawfully interesteth itself in this final\nmotion, yet the union being of such as are infinitely unequal, oh how\nlittle do the glorified spirits respect themselves in comparison of\nthe blessed, glorious God! See what I said of this before, chap. iii.\ndirect. xi. and xv.\n\n_Sign_ III. Pride maketh men more desirous to be over-loved\nthemselves, than that God be loved by themselves or others. They would\nfain have the eyes and hearts of all men turned upon them, as if they\nwere as the sun, to be admired and loved by all that see them.\n\n_Sign_ IV. Pride causeth men to depend upon themselves, and contrive\ninordinately for themselves, and trust in themselves; as if they lived\nby their own wit, and power, and industry, more than by the favour and\nprovidence of God. Isa. ix. 9; Obad. 3.\n\n_Sign_ V. Pride makes men return the thanks to themselves which is due\nto God for the mercies which they have received. God is thanked by\nthem but in compliment; but they seriously ascribe it to their care,\nor skill, or industry, or power, Dan. iv. 30; they sacrifice to their\nnet, Hab. i. 16, and say, Our hand, our contrivance, our power, our\ngood husbandry hath done all this.[209]\n\n_Sign_ VI. Pride setteth up the wisdom of a foolish man against the\ninfinite wisdom of God; it makes men presume to judge their Judge, and\njudge his laws, before they understand them; and to quarrel with all\nthat they find unsuitable to their own conceits; and say, How\nimprobable is this or that! and how can these things be? He that\ncannot undo a pair of tarrying irons, or unriddle a riddle till it be\ntaught him, which afterwards appeareth plain, will question the truth\nof the word of God about the most high, unsearchable mysteries. Proud\nmen think they could mend God's word, and they could better have\nordered matters in the world, and for the church, and for themselves,\nand for their friends, than the providence of God hath done.[210]\n\n_Sign_ VII. Pride maketh men set up their own love and mercy above the\nlove and mercy of God. Augustine mentioneth a sort of heretics called\nMisericordes, merciful men; and Origen was led hereby into his errors.\nWhen they think of hell fire, and the number of the miserable, and the\nfewness of the saved, they consult with their ignorant compassion, and\nthink that this is below the love and mercy which is in themselves,\nand that they would not thus use an enemy of their own; and therefore\nthey censure the holy Scriptures, and pride inclineth them strongly to\nunbelief; while they forget the narrowness and darkness of their\nsouls, and how unfit they are to censure God, and how many truths may\nbe unseen of them, which would fully satisfy them if they knew them;\nand how quickly God will show them that which shall justify his word\nand all his works, and convince them of the folly and arrogancy of\ntheir unbelief and censures.\n\n_Sign_ VIII. Pride makes men pretend to be more just than God; and to\nthink that they could more justly govern the world; and to censure\nGod's threatenings, and the sufferings of the good, and the prosperity\nof the wicked, as things so unjust, as that they thereby incline to\natheism. So James and John would be more just than Christ, and call\ndown fire on the rejecters of the gospel; and the prodigal's brother,\nLuke xv. repined at his father's lenity.\n\n_Sign_ IX. Pride maketh men slight the authority and commands of God,\nand despise his messengers, and choose to be ruled by their own\nconceits, and lusts, and interest, Jer. xiii. 15, 17; xliii. 2, 3;\nwhen the humble tremble at his word, and readily obey it, Isa. lvii.\n15; Neh. ix. 16, 29; Isa. ix. 9.\n\n_Sign_ X. A proud man in power will expect that his will be obeyed\nbefore the will of God; and that the subjects of God displease their\nMaster rather than him: he will think it a crime for a man to inquire\nfirst what God would have him do; or to plead conscience and the\ncommands of the God of heaven, against the obeying of his unjust\ncommands. If he offer you preferment, as Balak did Balaam, he looketh\nyou should be more taken with it, than with God's offer of eternal\nlife: if he threaten you, as Nebuchadnezzar did the three witnesses,\nhe looks that you should be more afraid of him than of God, who\nthreateneth your damnation; and is angry if you be not.\n\n_Sign_ XI. A proud man is more offended with one that would question\nhis authority, or speak diminutively of his power, or displease his\nwill, or cross his interest, than with one that sinneth against the\nauthority, and will, and interest of God. He is much more zealous for\nhimself and his own honour, than for God's; and grieved more for his\nown dishonour, and hateth his own enemies more than God's; and can\ntread down the interest of God and souls, if it seem but necessary to\nhis honour or revenge: he is much more pleased and delighted with his\nown applause, and honour, and greatness, than with the glory of God,\nor the fulfilling of his will.\n\n_Sign_ XII. Proud men would fain steal from God himself the honour of\nmany of his most excellent works.[211] If they are rulers, they are\nmore desirous that the thanks for the order and peace of societies, be\ngiven by the people to them, than unto God. If they are preachers,\nthey would fain have more than their due, of the honour of men's\nconversion and edification: if they are pastors, they would encroach\nupon Christ's part of the government of his church. If they be\nbountiful to the poor, and do any good works, they would have more of\nthe praise than belongeth to a steward, or messenger that delivereth\nthe gifts of God. If they be physicians, they would have the real\nhonour of the cure, and have God to be but a barren compliment: like\nthe atheistical physician, that reviled and beat his patient for\nthanking God that he was well, When, saith he, it was I that cured\nyou, and do you thank God for it?\n\n_Sign_ XIII. A proud man will give more to his honour than to God: his\nestate is more at the command of his pride, than of God. He giveth\nmore in the view or knowledge of others, than he could persuade\nhimself to do in secret. He is more bountiful in gifts that tend to\nkeep up the credit of his liberality, than he is to truly indigent\npersons: it is not the good that is done, but the honour which he\nexpecteth by it, which is his principal motive. He had rather be scant\nin works of greatest secret charity, than in apparel, and a comely\nport, and the entertaining of friends, or any thing that is for\nostentation, and for himself.\n\n_Sign_ XIV. A proud man would have as great a dependence of others upon\nhim as he can. He would have the estates, and lives, and welfare of all\nothers at his will and power; that he might be much feared, and loved,\nand thanked, and that many may be beholden to him as the god or great\nbenefactor of the world. He is not contented that good is done, and\nmen's wants supplied, unless he have the doing of it, that so he may\nhave the praise. If he save his enemy, it is but to make him beholden to\nhim, and be said to have given him his life. Fain he would be taken to\nbe as the sun to the world, which mankind cannot be without.\n\n_Sign_ XV. A proud man is very patient when men ascribe to him that\nwhich he knoweth to be above his due, though it be to the injury of God.\nHe can easily forgive those that value and love him more than he\ndeserveth, though they sin in doing it. He is seldom offended with any\nfor over-praising him; nor for reverencing or honouring him too much;\nnor for setting him too high, or for giving or ascribing too much power\nto him; nor for obeying him before God himself. He careth not how much\nlove, and honour, and praises, and thanks he hath; when an humble soul\nsaith, as Psal. cxv. 1, \"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy\nname give the glory:\" and as the angel to John, that would have\nworshipped him, \"See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow-servant.\" They\nknow God will not give \"his glory to another,\" Isa. xlii. 8. \"In his\ntemple every one speaketh of his glory,\" Psal. xxix. 9. But of\nthemselves they say, \"I am a worm and no man,\" Psal. xxii. 6. I am less\n\"than the least of all thy mercies,\" Gen. xxxii. 10; \"less than the\nleast of all saints,\" Eph. iii. 8; the chiefest of sinners, 1 Tim. i.\n15: how unfit am I for so much love, and praise, and honour!\n\n_Sign_ XVI. A proud man would have his reason to be the rule of all\nthe world, or at least, of all that he hath to do with. If there were\nlaws or canons to be made, he would have the making of them: he would\nhave all men take his counsel, as an oracle: he would have all the\nworld of his opinion; and sets more by those that thus esteem him and\nare of his opinion, and yield to all that he saith and doth, than by\nthose that most earnestly desire to conform their minds to the word of\nGod, and differ from him in the understanding of any part of it. He\nloveth them better that inquire of him and take his word, than them\nthat inquire of the word of God. Though he cannot deny but it is God's\nprerogative to be infallible, and the rule of the world.\n\n_Sign_ XVII. A proud man affecteth the reputation of God's immutability\nas well as his infallibility. He will stand to an error when once he\nhath vented it, and resist the truth when once he hath appeared against\nit, to avoid the dishonour of being accounted mutable, or one that\nformerly was deceived. His pride keepeth him from repenting of any fault\nor error that he can but find a cloak for. If he have done wrong to God\nand mischief to the church, he will do as much more to make it good, and\njustify it by any cruelty or violence. If he have once done you wrong,\nhe will do more for fear of seeming to have wronged you. If he have\nslandered you, he will stab or hang you if he can, to justify his\nslander, rather than seem so mutable as to retract it.\n\n_Sign_ XVIII. A proud man affecteth a participation of God's\nomniscience, and is eager to know more than God revealeth (if he be an\ninquiring man whose pride runneth this way). Thus our first parents\nsinned, by desiring to be as God in knowledge. This hath filled the\nworld with proud contentions, and the church with divisions; while\nproud wits heretically make things unrevealed the matter of their\nostentation, imposition, censures, or furious disputes; while humble\nsouls are taken up in studying and practising things revealed, and\nkeep themselves within God's bounds, as knowing that God best knoweth\nthe measure fittest for them, and that knowledge is to be desired and\nsought, but so far as it is useful to our serving or enjoying God, and\nthe good which truth revealeth to us; and that knowledge may else\nbecome our sorrow, Eccl. i. 1, 8, and truth the instrument to torment\nus, as it doth the miserable souls in hell.\n\n_Sign_ XIX. A proud man is discontented with his degree, especially if\nit be low. He would be higher in power, and honour, and wealth; yea,\nhe is never so high but he would fain be one step higher. If he had a\nkingdom, he would have another: and if he had the dominions of the\nTurkish or Tartarian emperor, he would desire to enlarge them, and to\nhave more; and would not be satisfied till he had all the world. Men\nfeel not this in their low condition; they think, If I had but so much\nor so much, I would be content: but this is their ignorance of the\ninsatiable pride that dwelleth in them. Do you not see the greatest\nemperors on earth still seeking to be greater. Every man naturally\nwould be a pope, the universal monarch of the world. And every such\npope would have both swords, and have princes and people wholly at\ntheir will: and when they have no mind to hurt, they would have power\nto hurt; that all the world might hold their estates, and liberties,\nand lives, as by their clemency and gift, and they might be as God to\nother men. And if they had attained this, pride would not stop, till\nit had caused them to aspire to all the prerogatives of God, and to\ndepose him, and dethrone him of his Godhead and majesty, that they\nmight have his place.\n\n_Sign_ XX. A proud man would fain have God's independency. Though need\nmake him stoop, yet he would willingly be beholden to none. Not only\nbecause in prudence he would keep his liberty, and not be\nunnecessarily the servant of men, nor under obligations to serve them\nin any evil way (for so the humblest would fain be independent); but\nbecause he would be so great, and high, as to scorn to lean on any\nother. Thus you see how pride is that great idolatry that sets up man\nas in the place of God.\n\n\n          _Signs of the next Degrees of Pride as against God._\n\n_Sign_ I. A proud heart is very hardly brought to see the greatness of\nits sins, or to know its emptiness of grace, or to be convinced of its\nunpardoned, miserable state, or of the justice of God if he should damn\nit to everlasting torments.[212] Concerning others it may confess all\nthis; but hardly of itself. Its own unbelief and averseness from God and\nholiness, seemeth to it a small and tolerable fault; its own pride, and\nlust, and worldliness, and sensuality, seem not to be so bad as to\ndeserve damnation; much less the smallest sin which it committeth.\nThough customarily they may say that God were just, if he did condemn\nthem, yet they believe it not at the heart. The most convincing preacher\nshall have much ado to bring a proud man heartily to confess that he is\nan enemy to God, a child of wrath, and under the guilt of all his sins,\nand sure to be condemned unless he be converted. He will confess that he\nis a sinner, or any thing else which the most godly must confess, or\nwhich doth not conclude him to be in a damnable, unrenewed state. But to\nmake an ungodly man know that he is ungodly, and an impenitent person\nknow that he is impenitent, and an unsanctified person know that he is\nunsanctified, is wonderful hard, because that pride hath dominion in\nthem. \"Are we blind also?\" say the proud, incorrigible Pharisees to\nChrist, John ix. 40.\n\n_Sign_ II. A proud heart doth so much overvalue all that is in itself,\nthat every common grace or duty doth seem to it to be a state of\ngodliness. Their common knowledge seemeth to them to be saving\nillumination: every little sorrow for their sin, or wish that they had\ndone better, when they have had all the sweetness of it, doth go with\nthem for true repentance; their heartless lip-labour goes for\nacceptable prayer; their image of religion seemeth to them to be the\nlife of godliness; they take their own presumption for true faith, and\ntheir false expectation for christian hope, and their carnal security\nand blockish stupidity for spiritual peace of conscience, and their\ndesperate venturing their souls upon deceit they take for a trusting\nthem with God. If they forbear but such sins as their flesh can spare,\nas unnecessary to its ease, provision, or content, yea, or such sins\nas the flesh commandeth them to forbear, as tending to their\ndishonour in the world, they take this for true obedience to God.\nBecause they had rather have heaven than hell, when they must leave\nthe earth, whether they will or no, they think that they are\nheavenly-minded, and lay up their treasure there, and take it for\ntheir portion: because conscience sometimes troubleth them for their\nsin, they think they renew a sincere repentance, and think all is\npardoned, because they daily ask for pardon. Their forced submission\nto the hand of God they take for patience; and a \"Lord, have mercy on\nus, and forgive us, and save us,\" they take for a true preparation for\ndeath. Thus pride deceiveth sinners, by making them believe that they\nhave what they have not, and do what they do not, and are something\nwhen they are nothing, Gal. vi. 3, and by multiplying and magnifying\nthe little common good that is in them.\n\n_Sign_ III. A proud heart hath very little sense of the necessity of a\nSaviour, to die for his sins, and satisfy God's justice, and reconcile\nhim to God: notionally he is sick of sin; and notionally he thinks he\nneedeth a physician; but practically, at the heart he feeleth little of\nhis disease, and therefore little sets by Christ. He feeleth not that\nwhich should thoroughly acquaint him with the reasons of this blessed\nwork of our redemption; and therefore indeed is a stranger to the\nmystery, and an unbeliever at the heart, and would turn apostate if the\ntrial were strong enough. He never felt himself a condemned man, under\nthe curse and wrath of God, and liable to hell; and therefore never lay\nin tears with Mary at his Saviour's feet, nor melted over his bleeding\nLord; nor feelingly said with Paul, \"He came to save sinners, of whom I\nam chief;\" nor \"esteemed all things as loss and dung for the knowledge\nof Christ, that he might be found in him,\" Phil. iii. 7, 8. He is a\nchristian but as a Turk is a Mahometan, because it is the religion of\nthe king, and the country in which he was bred.\n\n_Sign_ IV. A proud heart perceiveth not his own necessity of so great\na change as a new birth, and of the Holy Ghost to give him a new\nnature, and plant the image of God upon him. He findeth perhaps some\nbreaches in his soul; but he thinks there needs no breaking of the\nheart for them, nor pulling all down and building up his hopes anew.\nAmending his heart, he thinks may serve the turn, without making it\nand all things new, 2 Cor. v. 17. The new creature he taketh to be but\nbaptism, or some patching up of the former state, and amending some\ngrosser things that were amiss. He will confess that without Christ\nand grace we can do nothing, but he thinketh this grace is an ordinary\nhelp. Whereas an humble soul is so emptied of itself, and perceiveth\nits deadness and insufficiency to good, that it magnifieth grace, and\nis wondrous thankful for it, as for a new and spiritual life.\n\n_Sign_ V. A proud heart hath so little experimental sense of the great\naccusations which Scripture bringeth against the corrupted heart of man,\nthat it is easily drawn into any heresy which denieth them: as about our\noriginal sin, and misery, and need of a Saviour; about the desperate\nwickedness of the heart, and man's insufficiency and impotency to good,\nyea, averseness from it: whereas humble men are better acquainted with\nthe sin within them, that beareth witness to all these truths.[213]\n\n_Sign_ VI. The proud are insensible of the need and reason of all that\ndiligence to mortify the flesh, and subdue corruptions, and watch the\nheart, and walk with God in holiness of life, which God requireth. He\nsaith, what need all this ado? he feeleth not the need of it, and\ntherefore thinks it is more ado than needs. But the humble soul is\nsensible of that within him that requireth it, and justifieth the\nstrictest ways of God. The rich think they have no need to labour, but\nlabour is a poor man's life and maintenance; if he miss it a day, he\nfeeleth the want of it the next.\n\n_Sign_ VII. Proud men are much insensible of the want of frequent and\nfervent prayer unto God. Begging is the poor man's trade: the humble\nsoul perceives the need of it: he finds as constant need of God, as of\nair, or bread, or life itself. And he knoweth that the exercise of our\ndesires and faith, and the expression by prayer of our dependence upon\nGod, is the way appointed for our supply. But the proud are\nfull-stomached, and think this earnest, frequent praying is but\nhypocritical, needless work, and they cannot make a trade of begging,\nand therefore they are sent empty away.\n\n_Sign_ VIII. A proud man is a great undervaluer of all mercies, and\nunthankful for them; but especially for spiritual mercy. He receiveth it\ncustomarily, as if it were his due; and customarily gives God thanks.\nBut though he may rejoice in the prosperity of his flesh, yet he is a\nstranger to holy thankfulness to God; and thinks diminutively of mercy;\nyea, he is discontent, and murmureth if God give him not as much as he\ndesireth. Whereas the humble confess themselves unworthy of the least,\nGen. xxx. 10; 2 Chron. xxxii. 24-26. Hezekiah's lifting up and\nunthankfulness go together. A poor man will be very thankful for a penny\nor a piece of bread, which the rich would reject as a great indignity.\n\n_Sign_ IX. Proud men are always impatient in their afflictions. If\nthey have a stoutness or stupidity, yet they have not christian\npatience: they take it as if God used them hardly, or did them wrong.\nBut the humble know that they deserve much worse, and that the mercy\nthat is left them is contrary to their desert; and therefore say with\nthe humbled church, Micah vii. 9, \"I will bear the indignation of the\nLord, because I have sinned against him.\" Lam. iii. 22, \"It is because\nhis compassions fail not, that we are not consumed.\"\n\n_Sign_ X. Proud men are fearless of temptations, and confident of\ntheir strength and the goodness of their hearts. They dare live among\nsnares, in pomp and pleasure, faring deliciously every day; among\nplays, and gaming, and lascivious company and discourse, and fear no\nhurt; their pride making them insensible of their danger, and what\ntinder and gunpowder is in their natures, for every spark of\ntemptations to catch fire in. But the humble are always suspicious of\nthemselves, and know their danger, and avoid the snare. Prov. xiv. 16,\n\"A wise man feareth and departeth from evil; but the fool rageth and\nis confident.\" Prov. xxii. 3, \"A prudent man foreseeth the evil and\nhideth himself: but the simple pass on and are punished.\"\n\n_Sign_ XI. Pride maketh men murmur if the work of God be never so well\ndone, if they had not the doing of it; and sometimes by contending to\nhave the honour of doing it, they destroy the work. If they are\nofficers of Christ, they look more at the power than their obligation;\nat the dignity than at the duty; and at what the people owe to them,\nthan what they owe to God and to the people. They are like dogs that\nsnarl at any other that would partake with them, or come into the\nhouse. They say not as Moses, \"Would all the Lord's people were\nprophets.\" Yea, the peace and unity of church and state is often\nsacrificed to this cursed pride.\n\n_Sign_ XII. Pride makes men ashamed of the service of God, in a time and\nplace where it is disgraced by the world; and if it have dominion,\nChrist and holiness shall be denied or forsaken by them, rather than\ntheir honour with men shall be forsaken. If they come to Jesus, it is as\nNicodemus did, by night: they are ashamed to own a reproached truth, or\nscorned cause, or servant of Christ. If men will but mock them with the\nnick-names or calumnies hatched in hell, they will do as others, or\nforbear their duty: a scorn will do more to make them forbear praying in\ntheir families to God, than the lion's den would do with Daniel, or the\nfiery furnace with the three confessors, Dan. iii. and vi. Especially if\nthey be persons of honour and greatness in the world, then God must be\nmerciful to them while they bow down in the house of Rimmon. As the rich\nman, Luke xviii. 23, when he heard Christ's terms, \"was very sorrowful,\nfor he was very rich;\" so these, because their honours and dignities are\nso great, do think them too good to let go for the sake of Christ. Had\nthey but the proportion of the obscure vulgar to lay down, they could\nforsake it; but they cannot forsake so fair a portion, nor endure the\nreproach of so honourable a name. But oh what contemptible things are\nthese to a humble soul! He marvelleth what dreaming worldlings find, in\nthe doting thoughts and breath of fools, which men call honour, that\nthey should prefer it before the honour of God, and their real honour;\nwhen Christ hath told them, Mark viii. 31, that \"whosoever shall be\nashamed of him and his words, in an adulterous and sinful generation, of\nhim also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of\nhis Father with his holy angels.\" I now proceed to the signs of pride in\nparticular duties.\n\n\n          _The Signs of Pride in and about Religious Duties._\n\n_Sign_ I. A proud person is most solicitous in and about that part of\nduty which is visible to man, and tendeth to advance him in men's\nesteem: and therefore he is more regardful of the outside, than of the\ninside; of the words, than of the heart.[214] He taketh much pains, if\nhe be a preacher, to cast his sermon into such a form as tendeth to\nset forth his parts, according to the quality of them that he would\nplease. If he live where wit is valued above grace, or pedantic\ngingling above a solid, clear, judicious, masculine discourse, he\nbends himself to the humour of his auditors, and acts his part as a\nstage-player for applause. If he live where serious, earnest\nexhortations are in more request, he studieth to put an affected\nfervency into his style, which may make the hearers believe that he\nbelieves himself, and to seem to be what indeed he is not, and to feel\nwhat he feeleth not: but all this while about his heart he is little\nsolicitous; and takes small pains to affect it with the reverence of\nGod, and with a due estimation of his truth, and a due compassion of\nmen's souls, and indeed to believe and feel what he would seem to\nbelieve and feel. So also in prayer and discourse, his chief study is\nto speak so as may best procure applause; and it is seldom that he is\nso cunning as to hide this his design from the observation of\njudicious men that know him: they may usually perceive that he is the\nimage of a preacher or christian, by affectation forcing himself to\nthat which he is not truly serious in. He is sounding brass, a\ntinkling cymbal, a bladder full of wind, a skin full of words; wise\nand devout in public on the stage, but at home and with his companions\nin his ordinary converse, he is but common, if not unclean. He is the\nadmiration of fools, and the compassion of the wise; an oracle at the\nfirst congress to those that know him not, and the pity of those that\nhave seen him at home, and without his mask: he is like proud\ngentlewomen that bestow a great part of the morning in mundifying and\nadorning themselves when they are to be seen, and go abroad, but at\nhome are very homely. And usually the proud, being hypocrites, are\nsecret haters of the most serious, and judicious christians; because\nthese are more quick-sighted than others, to see through the cloak of\ntheir hypocrisy; unless as their charity, constraining them to conceal\ntheir fears and jealousies, may reconcile the hypocrite to them.\n\n_Sign_ II. Proud men are apt to put on themselves to any public duty\nwhich may tend to magnify them or set out their parts, and think\nthemselves fitter to be preferred before others, and employed, than\nindeed they are.[215] They are forward to speak in preaching or\npraying among others, or in ordinary talk; a little knowledge maketh\nthem think that they are fit to be preachers: whereas the humble say\nwith Moses, \"Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh?\" &c. Exod. iii.\n11. \"I am not eloquent, but slow of speech.--O my Lord, send I pray\nthee by the hand of him whom thou wilt send,\" Exod. iv. 13. Or, as\nIsaiah, chap. xvi. 5, \"Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man\nof unclean lips!\" &c.; or as Paul, 2 Cor. ii. 16, \"Who is sufficient\nfor these things?\" How many a sermon hath pride both studied and\npreached! And how many a prayer hath it formed! And how well are they\nlike to be heard of God!\n\n_Sign_ III. The proud are loth to be clouded by the greater abilities\nof others: they are content that weaker men pray or preach with them,\nthat will not obscure but put off their parts, that they may have the\npre-eminence; as a dwarf, that makes another seem a proper man. They\nare less troubled that God and the gospel is dishonoured by the\ninfirmities, insufficiency, and faults of others, than that their\nglory is obscured by worthier men, though God be honoured and his work\npromoted.[216] Whereas the humbled person wisheth from the bottom of\nhis heart, that all the Lord's people were prophets, that all men\ncould preach, and pray, and discourse, and live much better than he\ndoth himself, though he would also be as good as they. He is glad when\nhe heareth any speak more judiciously, powerfully, and convincingly\nthan he, rejoicing that God's work is done, whoever do it; for he\nloveth wisdom and holiness, truth and duty, not only because it is his\nown, but for itself, and for God, and for the souls of others. A proud\nman envieth both the parts, and work, and honour of others; and is\nlike the devil, repining at the gifts of God; and the better and wiser\nany one is the more he envieth him: he is an enemy to the fruits of\nGod's beneficence; as if he would have God less good and bountiful to\nthe world, or to any but himself, and such as will serve his party,\nand interest, and honour with their gifts: his eye is evil because God\nis good. If others be better spoken of than himself, as more learned,\nable, wise, or holy, it kindleth in his breast a secret hatred of\nthem, unless they are such whose honour is his honour, or\ncontributeth thereto; whereas the holy, humble soul, is sorry that he\nwants what others have, but glad that others have what he wants. He\nloveth God's gifts wherever he seeth them; yea, though it were in one\nthat hateth him. He would not have the world to be shut up in a\nperpetual night, because he may not be the sun; but would have them\nreceive that by another which he cannot give them, and is glad that\nthey have a sun though it be not he. Though some preached Christ of\nenvy and strife, of contention, and not sincerely, to add afflictions\nto his bonds, yet Paul rejoiced, and would rejoice, that Christ was\npreached, Phil. i. 15-18.\n\n_Sign_ IV. When the proud man is praying or preaching, his eye is\nprincipally upon the hearers, and from them it is that his work is\nanimated, and from them that he fetcheth principally the fire or\nmotives for his zeal. He is thinking principally of their case, and\nall the while fishing for their love, and approbation, and applause;\nand where he cannot have it, the fire of his zeal goeth out. Whereas,\nthough the humble subordinately look at men, and would do all to\nedification, yet it is not to be loved by them, so much as to exercise\nlove upon them; nor to seek for honour and esteem from them, so much\nas to convert and save them: and it is God that he chiefly eyeth and\nregardeth; and from him that he fetches his most powerful motives; and\nit is his approbation that he expecteth: his eye and heart is so upon\nthe auditors as to be more upon God; he would feed the sheep, but\nwould please the Lord and Owner of them.\n\n_Sign_ V. A proud man after his duty is more inquisitive how he was\nliked by men, and what they think or say of him, than whether God and\nconscience give him their approbation. He hath his scouts to tell him\nwhether he be honoured or dishonoured: this is the return of prayer that\nhe looks after; this is the fruit of preaching which he seeks to reap.\nBut these are inconsiderable things to a serious, humble soul; he hath\nGod to please, his work to do, and sets not much by human judgment.\n\n_Sign_ VI. A proud man is more troubled when he perceiveth that he is\nundervalued and misseth of the honour which he sought, than that his\npreaching succeeds not for the good of souls, or his prayers prevail\nnot for their spiritual good.[217] Every man is most troubled for\nmissing that which is his end. To do good and get good is the end of\nthe sincere, and this he looks after, and rejoiceth if he obtain it,\nand is troubled if he miss it. To seem good, and wise, and able is the\nproud man's end; and if the people honour him, it puffs him up with\ngladness, as if he were a happy man; and if they slight him or despise\nhim, he is cast down, or cast into some turbulent passion, and falls a\nhating or wrangling with them that deny him the honour he expects, as\nif they did him a heinous wrong: as if a physician should want both\nskill and care to cure his patients, but hateth and revileth them,\nbecause they prefer another that is abler, and will not die to secure\nhis honour, or magnify his skill for killing their friends. The proud\nman's honour is his life and idol.\n\n_Sign_ VII. The heart of the proud is not inclined to humbling duties,\nto penitent confessions, and lamentations for sin, and earnest prayer\nfor grace and pardon; but unto some formal observances and lip-labour,\nor the Pharisee's self-applause, \"I thank thee that I am not as other\nmen, nor as this publican.\" Not but that the humblest have great\ncause to bless God for their spiritual mercies and his differencing\ngrace; but the proud thank God for that which they have not; for\nsanctification, when they are unsanctified; and for justification,\nwhen they are unjustified; and for the assured hope of glory, when\nthey are sure to be damned if they be not changed by renewing grace;\nand for being made the heirs of heaven while they continue the heirs\nof hell. And therefore the proud are least afraid of coming without\nright or preparation to the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ:\nthey rush in with confident presumption; when the humble soul is\ntrembling without, as being oft more fearful to enter than it ought.\n\n_Sign_ VIII. Proud persons are of all others the most impatient of\nchurch discipline, and uncapable of living under the government of\nChrist. If they sin, they can scarce endure the gentlest admonition;\nbut if they are reproved sharply (or cuttingly) that they may be sound\nin the faith, you shall perceive that they smart by their impatience.\nBut if you proceed to more public reproof and admonition, and call\nthem to an open confession of their sin to those whom they have\nwronged, or before the congregation, and to ask forgiveness, and\nseriously crave the prayers of the church, you shall then see the\npower of pride against the ordinance and commands of God. How\nscornfully will they spurn at these reproofs and exhortations! How\nobstinately will they refuse to submit to their unquestionable duty!\nAnd how hardly are they brought to confess the most notorious sins! or\nto confess that it is their duty to confess them; though they would\neasily believe that it is the duty of another, and would exhort\nanother to do that which they themselves refuse! The physic seemeth so\nloathsome to them which Christ hath prescribed them, that they hate\nhim that bringeth it, and will die and be damned before they will take\nit; but perhaps will turn again and all to rent you (unless where they\nare restrained by the secular arm.) But if you proceed to reject them,\nfor their obstinate impenitency in heinous sin, from the visible\ncommunion of the church, you shall then see yet more how contrary\npride is to the church order and government ordained by Christ. How\nbitterly will they hate those that put them to such (necessary)\ndisgrace! How will they storm, and rage, and turn their fury against\nthe church; as if Christ's remedy were the greatest injury to them in\nthe world! You may read their character in the second Psalm. Therefore\nChrist calleth men to come as little children into his school; or else\nthey will be unteachable and incorrigible, Matt. xviii. 3.\n\n_Sign_ IX. A proud man hath an heretical disposition, even when he\ncrieth out against heretics. He is apt to look most after matters of\ndispute and contention in religion; obscure prophecies, God's decrees,\ncontroversies which trouble the church more than edify, circumstances,\nceremonies, forms, outwards, orders, and words: and for his opinion in\nthese he must be somebody.\n\n_Sign_ X. A proud man is unsatisfied with his standing in communion with\nthe church of Christ, and is either ambitiously aspiring to a dominion\nover it, or is inclined to a separation from it. They are too good to\nstand on even ground with their brethren: if they be teachers or rulers\nthey can approve the constitution of the church; but otherwise it is too\nbad for them to have communion with; they must be of some more refined\nor elevated society: they are not content to come out and be separate\nfrom the infidel and idolatrous world, but they must also come out and\nbe separate from the churches of Christ, consisting of men that make a\ncredible profession of faith and godliness. They think it not enough to\nforbear sin themselves, and to have no fellowship with the works of\ndarkness, but reprove them, nor to separate from men as they separate\nfrom Christ; but they will also separate from them in their duty, and\nodiously aggravate every imperfection, and fill the church with clamours\nand contentions, and break it into fractions by their schisms, and this\nnot for any true reformation or edifying of the body, (for how can\ndivision edify it?) but to tell the world that they account themselves\nmore holy than the church.[218] Thus Christ himself was quarrelled with\nas unholy by the Pharisees for eating with publicans and sinners; and\nhis disciples for not washing before meat, and observing the traditions\nof the elders;[219] and for rubbing out corn to eat on the sabbath-day.\nAnd they that will not be strict in their conformity to Christ, will be\nrighteous overmuch, and stricter than Christ would have them be, where\npride commandeth it. They will be of the strictest party and opinions,\nand make opinions and parties that are stricter than God's commands; and\nrun into errors and schisms that they may be singular, from the general\ncommunion of the church; and will be of a lesser than Christ's little\nflock.\n\n\n                  _Signs of Pride in common Converse._\n\n_Sign_ I. Pride causeth subjects to be too quick in censuring the\nactions of their governors, and too impatient of what they suffer from\nthem, and apt to murmur at them, and rebel against them. It makes\ninferiors think themselves competent judges of those commands and\nactions of their superiors, the reasons of which they never heard, nor\ncan be fit to judge of, unless they were of their council. It makes\nthem forget all the benefits of government, and mind only the burdens\nand suffering part, and say as Korah, Numb. xvi. 3, \"Ye take too much\nupon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and\nthe Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the\ncongregation of the Lord?\" Ver. 13, 14, \"Is it a small thing that thou\nhast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to\nkill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a\nprince over us?--Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men?\" Proud men\nare impatient, and aggravate their disappointments, and think they\nhave reason and justice on their side.\n\n_Sign_ II. A proud man is more disposed to command than to obey, and\ncannot serve God contentedly in a mean and low condition. He is never\na good subject, or servant, or child, for subjection seems a slavery\nto him. He thinks it a baseness to be governed by another. He hath a\nreason of his own, which still contradicteth the reason of his rulers,\nand a will of his own that must needs be fulfilled, and cannot submit\nor yield to government. He is still ready to step out of his rank, and\nprepare for suffering by disorder, that he may taste the sweetness of\npresent liberty; as if your horse or cattle should break out from you\nto be free, and famish in the winter, when snow depriveth them of\ngrass. Whereas the humble know it is much easier to obey than govern,\nand that the valleys are the most fruitful grounds, and that it is the\ncedars and mountain trees that are blown down, and not the shrubs, and\nthat a low condition affordeth not only more safety, but more\nquietness and leisure to converse with God, and that it is a mercy\nthat others may be employed in his preservation, and keeping the\nwalls, and watching the house, while he may follow his work in\nquietness and peace; and therefore willingly payeth honour and tribute\nto whom it is due.\n\n_Sign_ III. If a proud man be a ruler, he is apt to be lifted up in\nmind; and to despise his inferiors, as if they were not men, or he\nwere more. He is apt to disdain the counsels of the wise, and to scorn\nadmonition from the ministers of Christ, and to hate every Micaiah\nthat prophesieth not good of him, and to value none but flatterers,\nand discountenance faithful dealers, and not endure to hear of his\nfaults. He is apt to fall out with the power of godliness, and the\ngospel of Christ, as that which seemeth to cross his interest; and to\nforget his own subjection to God, and the danger of his subjects. He\nis more desirous to be obeyed by his inferiors, than himself to obey\nhis absolute Lord. He expecteth that his commands be obeyed, though\nGod command the contrary; and is more offended at the neglect of his\nlaws and honour, than at the contempt of the honour and laws of God.\n\n_Sign_ IV. If there be any place of office, honour, or preferment\nvoid, a proud man thinks that he is the fittest for it; and if he seek\nit he taketh it for an injury if another be preferred before him as\nmore deserving: and though they that had a hand in putting him by, and\npreferring another, did it never so judiciously, and impartially, and\nfor the common good, without any respect to any friend or interest of\ntheir own, yet all this will not satisfy the proud, who knoweth no\nreason or law but selfishness; but he will bear a grudge to men for\nthe most righteous, necessary action. What ignorant men and impious\nhave we known displeased, because they were not thought worthy to be\nteachers in the church! or because a people that knew the worth of\ntheir souls, had the wit and conscience to prefer a worthier man\nbefore them! What worthless men (in corporations and elsewhere) have\nwe seen displeased, because they were not chosen to be governors! So\nunreasonable a sin is pride.\n\n_Sign_ V. A proud man thinks, when he looks at the works of his\nsuperiors, that he could do them better himself, if he had the doing\nof them. There is not one of them of a hundred but think that they\ncould rule better than the king doth, and judge better than the judge\ndoth, and perhaps preach better than the preacher doth, unless his\nignorance be so palpable as that he cannot question it. Absalom would\ndo the people justice better than his father David, if he were king.\nIf all the matters of church and commonwealth were at his disposal,\nhow confident is he that they should be well ordered, and all faults\nmended; and oh! how happy a world should we have!\n\n_Sign_ VI. A proud man is apt to overvalue his own knowledge, and to be\nmuch unacquainted with his ignorance: he is much more sensible of what\nhe knoweth, than how much he is wanting of what he ought to know: he\nthinks himself fit to contradict the ablest divine, when he hath scarce\nso much knowledge as will save his soul.[220] If he have but some\nsmattering to enable him to talk confidently of what he understandeth\nnot, he thinks himself fittest for the chair; and is elevated to a\npugnacious courage, and thinks he is able to dispute with any man, and\nconstantly gives himself the victory. If it be a woman that hath\ngathered up a few receipts, she thinketh herself fit to be a physician,\nand venture the lives of dearest friends upon her ignorant skilfulness;\nwhen seven years' study more is necessary to make such novices know how\nlittle they know, and how much is utterly unknown to them, and seven\nyears more to give them an encouraging taste of knowledge: yet pride\nmakes them doctors in divinity and physic by its mandamus, without so\nmuch ado; and as they commenced, so they practise, in the dark: and to\nsave the labour of so long studies, can spare, and gravely deride, that\nknowledge, which they cannot get at cheaper rates. And no wonder, when\nit is the nature of pride and ignorance to cause the birth and increase\nof each other. It were a wonder for an ignorant person to be humble; and\nwhen he knoweth not what abundance of excellent truths are still unknown\nto him, nor what difficulties there are in every controversy which he\nnever saw. How many studious, learned, holy divines would go many\nthousand miles (if that would serve) to be well resolved of many doubts\nin the mysteries of providence, decrees, redemption, grace, free-will,\nand many the like, and that after twenty or forty years' study: when I\ncan take them a boy or a woman in the streets, that can confidently\ndetermine them all in a few words, and pity the ignorance or error of\nsuch divines, and shake the head at their blindness, and say, God hath\nrevealed them to themselves that are babes! yea, and perhaps their\nconfidence taketh dissenters for such heretical, erroneous, intolerable\npersons, that they look upon them as heathens and publicans, and either\nwith the papists reproach and persecute them, or with the lesser sects\ndivide from them, as from men that receive not the truth: and thus pride\nmakes as many churches as there are different opinions.\n\n_Sign_ VII. Pride maketh men wonderful partial in judging of their own\nvirtues and vices in comparison of other mens. When the humble are\ncomplaining of their weaknesses and sinfulness, and have much ado to\nbelieve that they are any thing, or to discern the sincerity of their\ngrace; and think their prayers are as no prayers, and their duties so\nbad that God will not regard them; the proud think well of all they\ndo, and are little troubled at their greater wants. They easily see\nanother man's failings; but the very same, or worse, they justify in\nthemselves. Their own passions, their own overreachings or injurious\ndealings, their own ill words, are smoothed over as harmless things,\nwhen other men's are aggravated as intolerable crimes. Another is\njudged by them unfit for human societies, for less than that which\nthey cannot endure to be themselves reproved for, and will hardly be\nconvinced that it is any fault: so blind is pride about themselves.\n\n_Sign_ VIII. Pride makes men hear their teachers as judges, when they\nshould hear them as learners and disciples of Christ: they come not to\nbe taught what they knew not, but to censure what they hear, and as\nconfidently pass their judgment on it, as if their teachers wanted\nnothing but their instructions to teach them aright. I know that no\npoison is to be taken into the soul upon pretence of any man's\nauthority, and that we must prove all things, and hold fast that which\nis good: but yet I know that you must be taught even to do this; and\nthat the pastor's office is appointed by Christ as necessary to your\ngood; and that the scholars that are still quarrelling with their\nteachers, and readier to teach their masters than to learn of them,\nand boldly contradicting what they never understood, are too proud to\nbecome wise; and that humility and reason teacheth men to learn with a\nsense of their ignorance, and the necessity of a teacher.\n\n_Sign_ IX. A proud man is always hard to be pleased, because he hath\ntoo great expectations from others: he looks for so much observance\nand respect, and to be humoured and honoured by all, that it is too\nhard a task for any man to please him that hath much to do with him,\nand hath any other trade to follow; he that will please him, must\neither have little to do with him, and come but seldom in his way, or\nelse he must study the art of man-pleasing, compliment, and flattery,\ntill he be ready to commence doctor in it, and must make it his trade\nand business, as nurses do to tend the sick, or quiet children. One\nlook, or word, or action, will every day fall cross, and some respect\nor compliment will be wanting. And, as godly, humble men do justly\naggravate their sins from the greatness and excellency of God whom\nthey offend; so the proud man foolishly aggravates every little wrong\nthat is done him, and every word that is said against him, and every\nsupposed omission or neglect of him, by the high estimation he hath of\nhimself against whom it is done.\n\n_Sign_ X. The proud are desirous of precedency among men: to be\nsaluted with the first, and taken by great ones into the greatest\nfavour; and to be set in the upper room, at table, and at church; and\nto take the better hand. He grudgeth at those who are set above him\nand preferred before him, unless they are much his superiors: or, if\nhe have the wit to avoid the disgrace of contending for such trifles,\nand showing the childishness of his pride to others, yet he retaineth\na displeasure at the heart: when the humble give precedency to others,\nand set themselves at the lower end, Luke xiv. 9, 10.\n\n_Sign_ XI. A proud man expecteth that all the good that he doth be\nremembered, and that others do keep a register of his good works, and\ntake notice of his learning, worth, and virtues: as their own memories\nare stronger here than in any thing, so they think other men's should\nbe; as if (being conscious how unfit they are for the esteem of God)\nthey thought all were lost which is not observed and esteemed by men.\nAs their eye is upon themselves, so they think the eye of others\nshould be also; and that as their own, to admire the good, and not to\nsee infirmities and evil.[221]\n\n_Sign_ XII. No man is taken for so great a friend to the proud as\ntheir admirers; whatever else they be, they love those men best, that\nhighliest esteem them: the faults of such they can extenuate and\neasily forgive. Let them be drunkards, or whoremongers, or swearers,\nor otherwise ungodly, the proud man loveth them according to the\nmeasure of their honouring him. If you would have his favour, let him\nhear that you have magnified him behind his back, and that you honour\nhim above all other men. But if the holiest servant of God think\nmeanly of him, and speak of him but as he is; especially if he think\nthey are disesteemers of him, or are against his interest and honour,\nall their wisdom and holiness will not reconcile him to them, if they\nwere as wise or good as Peter or Paul. It signifieth nothing to him\nthat they are honourers of God, if he think they be not honourers of\nhim. Nay, he will not believe or acknowledge their goodness, but take\nall for hypocrisy, if they suit not with his interest or honour: and\nall because he is an idol to himself.\n\n_Sign_ XIII. A proud man is apt to domineer with insolency when he\ngets any advantage, and perceiveth himself on the higher ground. He\nsaith as Pilate to those that are in his power, \"Knowest thou not that\nI have power to crucify thee, and power to release thee?\" forgetting\nthat they \"have no power at all against any, but what is given them\nfrom above,\" John xix. 10, 11. Victories and successes lift up fools,\nand make them look big and forget themselves, as if their shadows were\nlonger than before. Servants got on horseback will speak disdainfully\nof princes that are on foot.[222] David saith, \"The proud have had me\nin derision,\" Psal. cxix. 51. If they get into places of power by\npreferment they cannot bear it, but are puffed up and intoxicated as\nif they were not the same men they were. They deal worse by their\ninferiors if they humour them not, than Balaam by his ass; when they\nhave made them speak, their insolency cannot bear it: whereas the\nhumble remembereth how far he is equal with the lowest, and dealeth\ngently with his servants themselves, \"remembering that he also hath a\nMaster in heaven,\" Col. iv. 1, 2; Eph. vi. 9.\n\n_Sign_ XIV. A proud man is impatient of being contradicted in his\nspeech; be it right or wrong you must say as he, or not gainsay him.\nHence it is that gallants think that a man's life is little enough to\nexpiate the wrong, if a man presume to say, they lie. I know that\nchildren, and servants, and other inferiors must not be unreverent or\nimmodest, in an unnecessary contradicting the words of their superiors,\nbut must silently give place when they cannot assent to what is said;\nbut yet an impatience of sober and reasonable contradiction, even from\nan inferior or servant, is not a sign of a humble mind.\n\n_Sign_ XV. Wherever a proud man dwelleth, he is turbulent and\nimpatient if he have not his will. If he be a public person, he will\nset a kingdom all on fire, if things may not go as he would have them.\nAmong the crimes of the last and perilous times, Paul numbereth these;\nto be \"lovers of their own selves, boasters, proud, traitors, heady,\nhigh-minded,\" 2 Tim. iii. 2-4. If they have to do in church affairs,\nthey will have their will and way, or they will cast all into\nconfusion, and hinder the gospel, and turn the churches upside down.\nIn towns and corporations they are heady and turbulent to have their\nwills. In families there shall be no peace, if every thing may not go\ntheir way. They cannot yield to the judgment of another.\n\n_Sign_ XVI. Proud men are passionate and contentious, and cannot put\nup injuries or foul words; when a humble man \"giveth place to wrath,\"\nand \"avengeth not himself,\" nor \"resisteth evil;\" but is meek and\npatient, \"forbearing and forgiving,\" and so heaping coals of fire on\nhis enemies' heads.[223] \"Only by pride cometh contention,\" Prov.\nxiii. 10. \"He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife,\" Prov.\nxxviii. 25. What is their wrath, their scorns, their railing and\nendeavouring to vilify those that have offended them, but the foam and\nvomit of their pride? \"Proud, haughty scorner is his name, that\ndealeth in proud wrath,\" Prov. xxi. 24.\n\n_Sign_ XVII. A proud man is either an open or a secret boaster. If he\nbe ashamed to show his pride by open boasting, then he learneth the\nskill of setting out himself, and making known his excellencies in a\ncloser and more handsome way. His own commendations shall not seem the\ndesign of his speech, but to come in upon the by, or before he was\naware, as if he thought of something else: or it shall seem necessary\nto some other end, and a thing that he is unavoidably put upon, as\nagainst his will: or he will take upon him to conceal it, but by a\ntransparent veil, as some proud women hide their beauties: or he will\nconjoin the mention of some of his infirmities, but they shall be such\nas he thinks no matter of disgrace, but like proud women's beauty\nspots, to set out the better part which they are proud of.[224] But\none way or other, either by ostentation or insinuation, his work is to\nmake known all that tendeth to his honour, and to see that his\ngoodness, and wisdom, and greatness be not unknown or unobserved; and\nall because he must have men's approbation, the hypocrite's reward: he\nis as buried if he be unknown. \"Proud\" and \"boasters\" are joined\ntogether, Rom. i. 30; 2 Tim. iii. 2. \"Theudas\" the deceiver \"boasted\nhimself to be somebody,\" Acts v. 36. \"Simon Magus gave out that\nhimself was some great one, and the people all gave heed to him from\nthe least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of\nGod,\" Acts viii. 9, 10. \"Such love the praise of men more than the\npraise of God,\" John xii. 43. But the humble hath learned another kind\nof language; not affectedly, but from the feeling of his heart, to cry\nout, I am vile; I am unworthy to be called a child; my sins are more\nthan the hairs of my head. And he hateth their vanity that by\nunseasonable or immoderate commendations, endeavour to stir him up to\npride, and so to bring him to be vile indeed, by proclaiming him to be\nexcellent. Much more doth he abhor to praise himself, having learned,\nProv. xxvii. 2, \"Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth;\na stranger, and not thine own lips.\" He praiseth himself by works, and\nnot by words, Prov. xxxi. 31.\n\n_Sign_ XVIII. A proud man loveth honourable names and titles; as the\nPharisees to be called Rabbi, Matt. xxiii. And yet they may have so\nmuch wit as to pretend, that is but to promote their service for the\ncommon good, and not that they are so weak to care for empty names; or\nelse that they were forced to it, by somebody's kindness, without\ntheir seeking, and against their wills.\n\n_Sign_ XIX. Pride doth tickle the heart of fools with content and\npleasure to hear themselves applauded, or see themselves admired by\nthe people, or to hear that they have got a great reputation in the\nworld, or to be flocked after, and cried up, and have many followers.\nHerod loveth to hear in commendation of his oration, \"It is the voice\nof a god, and not of a man,\" Acts xi. 22. It is a feast to the proud,\nto hear that men abroad do magnify him, or see that those about him do\nreverence, and love, and honour, and idolize him. Hence hath the\nchurch been filled with busy sect-masters, even of those that seemed\nforwardest in religion; which was sadly prophesied of by Paul to the\nEphesians, Acts xx. 29, 30. Two sorts of troublers, under the name of\npastors, pride hath in all ages thrust upon the church; devouring\nwolves, and dividing sect-masters. \"For I know this, that after my\ndeparture shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the\nflock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse\nthings, to draw away disciples after them.\" See also Rom. xvi. 16, 17.\n\n_Sign_ XX. Pride maketh men censorious and uncharitable: they\nextenuate other men's virtues and good works, and suspect ungroundedly\ntheir sincerity. A little thing serves to make them think or call a\nman a hypocrite. Very few are honest, or sincere, or godly, or\nhumble, or faithful, or able, or worthy in their eyes, even among them\nthat are so indeed, or that they have cause to think so: a slight\nconjecture or report seemeth enough to allow them to condemn or defame\nanother. They quickly see the mote in a brother's eye. Their pride and\nfancy can create a thousand heretics, or schismatics, or hypocrites,\nor ungodly ones, that never were such but in the court of their\npresumption. Especially if they take men for their adversaries, they\ncan cast them into the most odious shape, and make them any thing that\nthe devil will desire them. But the humble are charitable to others,\nas conscious of much infirmity in themselves, which makes them need\nthe tenderness of others. They judge the best till they know the\nworst, and censure not men until they have both evidence to prove it,\nand a call to meddle with them, having learned, Matt. vii. 1-4, \"Judge\nnot that ye be not judged.\"\n\n_Sign_ XXI. Pride causeth men to hate reproof: the proud are forward in\nfinding faults in others, but love not a plain reprover of themselves.\nThough it be a duty which God himself commandeth, Lev. xix. 17, as an\nexpression of love, and contrary to hatred, yet it will make a proud man\nto be your enemy. Prov. xv. 12, \"A scorner loveth not one that reproveth\nhim, neither will he go unto the wise.\" Prov. ix. 7, 8, \"He that\nreproveth a scorner, getteth himself shame; and he that rebuketh a\nwicked man, getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate\nthee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.\" It galleth their\nhearts, and they take themselves to be injured, and they will bear you a\ngrudge for it, as if you were their enemy. If they valued or honoured\nyou before, you have lost them or angered them if you have told them of\ntheir faults. If they love to hear a preacher deal plainly with others,\nthey hate him when he dealeth so with them. Herod will give away John's\nhead, when he hath first imprisoned him for telling him of his sin,\nthough before he reverenced him and heard him gladly. They can easily\nendure to be evil, and do evil, but not to hear of it. As if a man that\nhad the leprosy, loved the disease, and yet hated him that telleth him\nthat he hath it, or would cure him of it. This pride is the thing that\nhath made men so unprofitable to each other, by driving faithful reproof\nand admonition almost out of the world, because men are so proud that\nthey will not hear it. Hence it is that others hear oftener of men's\nfaults, than they do themselves; and that backbiting is grown the common\nfashion, because proud sinners drive away reprovers, by their impatience\nand displeasure. Husbands and wives, yea, servants with their masters,\nare so far out of love with just reproof, that they can hardly bear it.\nHe must be exceedingly skilful in smoothing and oiling every word, and\nmaking it more like to a commendation or flattery, than a reproof, that\nwill escape their indignation.\n\n_Sign_ XXII. When a proud man is justly reproved, he studieth presently\nto deny or extenuate his fault; to show you that he is more tender of\nhis honour than of his honesty. It is a hard thing to bring him to free\nconfession, and to thank you for your love and faithfulness, and to\nresolve upon more watchfulness for the time to come: when the humble\nsoul is readier to believe that he is faulty than that he is innocent,\nand to say more against himself than you shall say (if truly). This one\nsign may tell you how commonly pride reigneth in the world. How few are\nthey among many that are heartily thankful for a just and necessary\nreproof! Mark them, whether the first word they speak, in answer to you,\nbe not either a denial or an excuse, or an upbraiding you with\nsomething that they think you faulty in, or else a passionate, proud\nrepulse, bidding you meddle with yourselves?\n\n_Sign_ XXIII. Pride maketh men talkative; and more desirous to speak\nthan to hear, and to teach than to be taught: because such think\nhighly of their own understandings, and think others have more need of\ntheir instructions, than they of other men's.[225] Not that humility\nis any enemy to communicative charity, or to zealous endeavours for\nthe converting and edifying of souls; but a teaching, talking\ndisposition, where there is no need, and beyond the measure of your\ncalling and abilities, when you have more need to learn yourselves, is\nthe fruit of pride. When you take less heed what another saith to you,\nthan you expect he should take of what you say to him: when your talk\nis not so much by way of question as becomes a learner, but in the\ndiscourses and dictates of a teacher: when you are so full of any\nthing that is your own, and so contemptuous of what is said by others,\nthat you have not the patience to hear them silently till they come to\nthe end; but unmannerly interrupt them, and set in yourselves; which\nis as much as to say, Hold your tongue, and let me speak that am more\nwise and worthy: when you strive to have the most words, and to be\nspeaking; as horses in a race, strive which shall go foremost: this is\nbecause pride puffs you up, and moves your tongues, as a leaf is\nshaken by the wind; it fills your sails; and makes you like bag-pipes,\nthat are loudest when they are full of wind, and pressed. Eccl. x. 14,\n\"A fool is full of words.\" Prov. x. 19, \"In the multitude of words\nthere wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.\"\n\n_Sign_ XXIV. Pride maketh men excessively loth to be beholden to\nothers; so that some will starve or perish before they will stoop so\nfar as to seek, or be obliged to thankfulness by any; especially if\nthey be such as they have any quarrel with. And this they take for\nmanlike gallantry, and a scorning to be base. I confess that, as Paul\nsaith to servants, if we can be free, we should rather choose it; and\nthat no man should unnecessarily make himself a debtor to another, by\nbeing beholden to him: especially ministers, who should avoid all\ntemptations of dependence upon man: and therefore should neither hang\non great ones, lest they be tempted to unfaithful silence or flattery;\nnor needlessly live on the people's charity, lest they be hindered\nfrom the free exercise of their ministry. Therefore Paul laboured with\nhis hands where he thought it would hinder his work to be chargeable\nto the churches, or give occasion to the envious to reproach him;[226]\nand he would \"rather die than any should make this his glorying void,\"\n1 Cor. ix. 15. Innocency and independency, as Mr. Bolton was wont to\nsay, do steel the face, and help a minister to be bold and faithful.\nAs Camerarius said, when he was invited to the court,\n\n      Alterius ne sit, qui suus esse potest.\n\nBut yet man is a sociable creature; and we are made to be helpful to\neach other: we are like the wheels of a watch, that can none of them\ndo their work alone, without the concurrence of the rest. And\ntherefore a proud man that would live wholly on himself, and scorneth\nto be beholden, would break himself off from the place that God hath\nset him in, and separate himself from human society, and be either a\nworld of himself, or a god to others. But God hath caused all the\nmembers purposely to stand in need of one another, that none might be\ndespised, and that all might still exercise love in communicating, and\nhumility in accepting of each other's help.\n\n_Sign_ XXV. Pride maketh people desirous to equal their superiors, and\nexceed their equals, in apparel, or handsome dwellings, and provisions,\nand entertainments, and all appearances that tend to set them out, and\nmake them seem considerable in the world:[227] for it excessively\nregards the eye of man. A fit respect to decency must be had (so we\nplace no greater a necessity in it than we ought): but pride would fain\ngo with the highest, and have more curiosity than needs; and maketh a\ngreater matter of decency than the thing requireth. I am not of their\nhumour, that censure every man whose hair is not of their cut, and whose\ngarments are not of their fashion, and who are bred in a way of more\ngentility and ceremony than myself. But yet the affectation of imitating\nfashion-mongers, and bearing a port above one's rank, and rather\ndesiring the converse and company of superiors than inferiors, and to\nlive like those that are a step above us, than those that are a step\nbelow us, are signs as significant of pride, as the robes of a judge or\na doctor are of their dignities and degrees. I am sure humility hath\nlearnt this lesson, Rom. xii. 16, \"Mind not high things; but condescend\nto men of low estate: be not wise in your own eyes.\" As for the\nridiculous, effeminate fashions and deportment of some men, and the\nspots, and paintings, and nakedness, and other antic fashions of some\nwomen, and the many hours which they daily waste in dressings and\nadornings, and preparing themselves for the sight of others, they are\nthe badges of so foolish, and worse than childish a sort of pride, that\nI will not trouble myself and the reader in reprehending them. Manly\npride is ashamed of such toys. Let the patrons of them please their\npatients, by proving them lawful, while they have no wiser work to do;\nand when they have done, let them go on to prove that it is lawful for\nsober persons to wear such irons as they do in Bedlam; and that such\nchains as they in Newgate wear are no signs of a prisoner; and that it\nis lawful for an honest woman to wear a harlot's habit. If the proud\nhave no more wit than to wear the badges of their childishness or\ndistraction, and show their shame to all they meet, and make themselves\nas ridiculous as men that lay aside their breeches, and wear sidecoats\nagain like children, I will leave them to themselves, and will not now\ntrouble them with any longer contradiction.\n\n_Sign_ XXVI. Proud persons are ashamed and troubled if any necessity\nforce them to go lower in apparel, or provisions, or deportment, than\nothers do of their degree; to show you that it is not as a duty that\ndecency is regarded by them, but as the ornaments of pride, else they\nwould be quiet when Providence maketh it cease to be their duty. They\nare not so much ashamed of sin, and the neglect of God and their\nsalvation, as they are to be seen in sordid attire, or in a poor and\nhomely garb: beggars and servants show here that they are as proud as\nlords. What abundance of them go but seldom to church, and give this\nas a reason, I wanted clothes! as if they would neglect their souls,\ntheir God, their greatest duty, rather than do it in such clothes as\nthey do their common work. Doth Christ appoint you to give him the\nmeeting, that by his ministers he may instruct you for salvation, and\nthat you may ask and receive the pardon of your sins; and will you\ndisappoint him, and refuse to come, for want of better clothes? Sure\nyou do not think that these are the wedding garment which he requireth\nyou to bring. You would beg if you were naked or in rags, and will you\nnot come to beg of God, because you have no better clothes? Do you set\nmore by the reputation of your clothes, than the means of your\nsalvation? How little do such wretches set by God, and by his mercy\nnow, that will shortly on their death-beds cry for mercy, without any\nsuch regard of clothes! Naked they come into the world, and naked they\nmust go out, and yet they will turn their backs on the worship of God,\nfor want of clothes. They are not ashamed nor afraid to be ungodly,\nand to forsake their duty, but they are ashamed of torn or poor\nattire. What, say they, shall we make ourselves ridiculous! When their\npride and ungodliness is cause of a thousand-fold more shame. We read\nof thousands, even of the poor, that crowded after Christ to hear him;\nbut of none that staid at home for want of clothes; when it is like\nthey had no better than yours.\n\n_Sign_ XXVII. If a proud man be wronged, he looketh for great\nsubmission before he will forgive: you must lie down at his feet, and\nmake a very full confession, and behave yourself with great\nsubmission; especially if the law be in his hands. And he is prone to\nrevenge, and cruel in his revenge: but if he have wronged others, he\nis hardly brought to confess that he wronged them; and more hardly to\nhumble himself for reconciliation, and ask them forgiveness: when a\nhumble person is ready to let go his right for peace, and easily\nforgiveth, and easily stoopeth to ask forgiveness.\n\n_Sign_ XXVIII. Lastly; Pride maketh men inordinately desire to have an\nhonourable memorial kept of their names when they are dead (if they\nare persons that rise to the hopes of such a remembrance;) Many a\nmonument hath pride erected;[228] many a book hath it written to this\nend; many a good work materially hath it done, and made it bad by such\na base intention! Many an hospital, and almshouse, and school-house it\nhath built; and many a pound hath it given to charitable uses in\npretension, but to proud and selfish uses in intention. Not that any\nshould causelessly suspect another's ends, or blemish the deserved\nhonour of good works, which it is lawful ordinately to regard; but we\nshould suspect our own hearts, and take heed of so horrible a sin,\nwhich would turn the excellentest parts and works into poison or\ncorruption. And remember how heinous a thing it is, for a man to be\nlaying proud designs, when he is turning to the dust, and going to\nappear before his Judge! yea, to set up the monuments of his pride\nover his rotten flesh and bones; and to show that he dieth in so great\na sin without repentance, by endeavouring that as much as may be of it\nmay survive, when he is dead and gone! If such wicked ends do\nsometimes offer to intrude into necessary, excellent works, an honest\nheart must abhor them, and cast them out, and beg forgiveness; and\nnot for that forbear his work, nor refuse the comfort of his more\nsincere desires and intents: but such good works do sink the hypocrite\ninto hell, that are principally done as a service to pride, to leave a\nname on earth behind him.\n\nThus I have been long in showing you the signs of pride, because the\ndiscovery is a great part of the cure: not that every proud person\nhath all these signs; for every one hath not the same temptations or\noccasions to show them; but every one hath some, and many of these;\nand he that hath any one of them, hath a sign of pride. And again I\nsay, that for all this, our reputation, as it subserveth the honour of\nGod and our religion, and our brethren's good, must be carefully by\nall just means preserved, and by necessary defences vindicated from\ncalumniators; though we must quietly bear whatever infamy or slander\nwe are tried with.\n\n_Direct._ III. Having understood the nature and the signs or effects\nof pride, consider next of the dreadful consequents and tendency of\nit, both as it leadeth to further sin, and unto misery. Which I shall\nbriefly open to you in some particulars.\n\n1. At the present it is the heart of the old man, and the root and\nlife of all corruption, and of dreadful signification, if it be\npredominant. If any man's \"heart be lifted up, the Lord will have no\npleasure in him, or it is not upright in him,\" Hab. ii. 4. I had\nrather have my soul in the case of an obscure humble christian, that\nis taken notice of by few, or none but God, and is content to approve\nhimself to him, than in the case of the highest and most eminent and\nhonourable in church or state, that looks for the observation and\npraise of men.[229] God judgeth not of men by their great parts, and\nprofession, and name; but justifieth the humbled soul that is ashamed\nto lift up his face to heaven, and thinketh himself unworthy to speak\nto God, or to have communion with his church, or to come among his\nservants; but standing afar off, smiteth upon his breast, and saith,\n(in true repentance,) O \"God, be merciful to me, a sinner,\" Luke\nxviii. 13. Pride is as a plague-mark on the soul.\n\n2. There is scarce a sin to be thought on that is not a spawn in the\nbowels of pride. To instance in some few (besides all that are\nexpressed in the signs): 1. It maketh men hypocrites, and seem what\nthey are not, for the praise of men. 2. It makes men liars: most of\nthe lies that are told in the world, are to avoid some disgrace and\nshame, or to get men to think highly of them. When a sin is committed\nagainst God or your superiors, instead of humble confession, pride\nwould cover it with a lie. 3. It causeth covetousness, that they may\nnot want provision for their pride. 4. It maketh men flatterers, and\ntime-servers, and man-pleasers, that they may win the good esteem of\nothers. 5. It makes men run into profaneness, and riotousness, to do\nas others do to avoid the shame of their reproach and scorn, that else\nwould account them singular and precise. 6. It can take men off from\nany duty to God that the company is against; they dare not pray, nor\nspeak a serious word of God, for fear of a jeer from a scorner's\nmouth. 7. It is so contentious a sin, that it makes men firebrands in\nthe societies where they live; there is no quiet living with them\nlonger than they have their own saying, will, and way; they must bear\nthe sway, and not be crossed; and when all is done, there is no\npleasing them, for the missing of a word, or a look, or a compliment,\nwill catch on their hearts, as a spark on gunpowder. 8. It tears in\npieces church and state. Where was ever civil war raised, or kingdom\nendangered or ruined, or church divided, oppressed, or persecuted, but\npride was the great and evident cause? 9. It devoureth the mercies and\ngood creatures of God, and sacrificeth them to the devil. It is a\nchargeable sin: what a deal doth it consume in clothes, and buildings,\nand attendance, and entertainments, and unnecessary things! 10. It is\nan odious thief and prodigal of precious time. How many hours that\nshould be better employed, and must one day be accounted for, are cast\naway upon the foresaid works of pride! especially in the needless\ncompliments and visits of gallants, and the dressings of some vain,\nlight-headed women, in which they spend almost half the day, and can\nscarce find an hour in a morning for prayer, or meditation, or reading\nthe Scriptures, because they cannot be ready; forgetting how they\ndisgrace their wretched bodies, by telling men that they are so filthy\nor deformed, that they cannot be kept sweet and cleanly and seemly,\nwithout so long and much ado. 11. It is odiously unjust. A proud man\nmakes no bones of any falsehood, slander, deceit, or cruelty, if it\nseem but necessary to his greatness, or honour, or preferment, or\nambitious ends. He careth not who he wrongeth or betrayeth, that he\nmay rise to his desired height, or keep his greatness. Never trust a\nproud man further than his own interest bids you trust him. 12. Pride\nis the pander of whoredom and uncleanness: it is an incentive to lust\nin themselves, and draws the proud to adorn and set forth themselves\nin the most enticing manner, as tends to provoke the lust of others.\nFain they would be thought comely, that others may admire them, and be\ntaken with their comeliness. If they thought that none would see them,\nthey would spare their ornaments. And if a common decency were all\nthat they affected, they would spare their curiosities and fashionable\nsuperfluities. Even they that would not be unclean in gross\nfornication with any, yet would be esteemed beautiful and desirable,\nand do that which tendeth to corrupt the minds of fools that see them.\nThese, and indeed almost all sin, are the natural progeny of pride.\n\n3. As to the misery which they bring on themselves and others, (1.)\nThe greatest is, that they forsake God, and are in danger to be\nforsaken by him: for God abhorreth the proud, and beholdeth them as\nafar off. So far as you are proud you are hated by him, and have no\nacceptance or communion with him. Pride is the highway to utter\napostasy. It blindeth the mind; it maketh men confident in their own\nconceits; and venturous upon any new opinion; and ready to quarrel\nwith the word of God before they understand it. When any thing seems\nhard to them, they presently suspect the truth of the matter, when\nthey should suspect their dark, unfurnished minds. Mark those that are\nproud in any town, or any company of professors of piety; and if any\ninfection of heresy or infidelity come into that place, these are the\nmen that will soonest catch it. Mark those that have turned from truth\nor godliness, and see whether they be not such as were proud and\nsuperficial in religion before. But God giveth grace, and more grace\nto the humble: he dwelleth with them, and delighteth in them.[230]\n\n(2.) A proud man is a tormentor of himself. Setting his mind on the\nthoughts of men, and desiring more of their esteem than he can attain,\nand that which is unsatisfying vanity when he hath obtained it, he is\nstill under fruitless, vexatious desires, and frequent disappointments;\nevery thing that he seeth, and every word almost that he heareth, or\nevery compliment omitted, can disturb his peace, and break his sleep,\nand cast him into a fever of passion or revenge. This wind that swelleth\nhim, is running up and down, and disquieting him in every part. Who\nwould have such a fire in his breast, that will not suffer him to be\nquiet?[231]\n\n(3.) Pride bringeth sufferings, and then maketh them seem intolerable.\nIt makes the sinner more vex and gall his mind, with striving and\nimpatient aggravating his afflictions, than the suffering of itself\nwould ever do.\n\n4. Pride is a deep-rooted and a self-preserving sin; and therefore\nharder to be killed and rooted up than other sins. It hindereth the\ndiscovery of itself. It driveth away the light. It hateth reproof. It\nwill not give the sinner leave to see his pride when it is reproved;\nnor to confess it if he see it; nor to be humbled for it if he do\nconfess it; nor to loathe himself and forsake it, though conviction\nand terror seem to humble him. Even while he heareth all the signs of\npride, he will not see it in himself. When he feeleth his hatred of\nreproof, and knoweth that this is a sign of pride in others, yet he\nwill not know it in himself. If you would go about to cure him of this\nor any other fault, you shall feel that you are handling a wasp or an\nadder; yet when he is spitting the venom of pride against the\nreprover, he perceiveth not that he is proud; this venom is his\nnature, and therefore is not felt nor troublesome. If all the town or\ncongregation should note him as notoriously proud, yet he himself,\nthat should best know himself, will not observe it. It is a wonder to\nsee how this sin keepeth strength, in persons that have long taken\npains for their souls, and seem to be in all other respects the most\nserious, mortified christians! Yet, let them but be touched in their\ninterest or reputation, or seem to be slighted, or see another\npreferred before them, while they are neglected, and they boil with\nenvy, malice, or discontent, and show you that the heart of sin, even\nselfishness and pride, is yet alive, unbroken, and too strong.\nEspecially if they are not persons of a natural gentleness and\nmildness, but of a more passionate temper; then pride hath more oil\nand fuel to kindle it into these discernible flames. He is a christian\nindeed that hath conquered pride.\n\n5. Pride is the defence not only of itself, but of every other sin in\nthe heart or life. For it hateth reproof and keepeth off the remedy;\nit hideth, and extenuateth, and excuseth the sin, and thinketh well of\nthat which should be hated.\n\n6. Pride hindereth every means and duty from doing you good; and\nofttimes corrupteth them, and turneth them into sin. Sometimes it\nkeepeth men from the duty, and sometimes it keepeth them from the\nbenefit of the duty. It makes men think that they are so whole and\nwell as to have little need of all this physic, yea, or of their daily\nnecessary food. They think all this is more ado than needs: what need\nof all this preaching, and praying, and reading, and holy conference,\nand meditation, and heavenly-mindedness? One is ashamed of it, and\nanother wants it not, and another is above it, and they ask you, Where\nare we commanded to pray in our family, and to pray so oft, and to\nhear so oft, and read any book but the holy Scriptures, &c.; for they\nfeel no obligation from general commands, (as to \"pray continually,\"\nand \"always,\" and \"not wax faint,\" nor be \"weary of well doing,\" to\n\"redeem the time,\" and \"do all to edification,\" and be \"fervent in\nspirit, serving the Lord,\" &c. 1 Thess. v. 17; Luke xviii. 1; Gal. vi.\n9; Eph. v. 16; 1 Cor. xiv. 26; Rom. xii. 11,) because they feel not\nthat need or sweetness which should help them to perceive, that\nfrequency is good or necessary for them. If the physician bid two men\n\"eat often,\" and one of them hath a strong appetite, and the other\nhath none; he that is hungry will interpret the word \"often,\" to\nsignify thrice a day, at least, and he that hath no appetite will\nthink that once a day is \"often.\" Healthful men do not use to ask, How\nprove you that I am bound to eat twice or thrice a day? Feeling the\nneed and benefit, they will be satisfied with an allowance without a\ncommand. They will rather ask, How prove you that I may not do it? for\nthey feel reason in themselves to move them to it, if God restrain\nthem not. So it is with a humble soul, about the means of his\nedification and salvation: it feeleth a need of preaching, and prayer,\nand holy spending the Lord's day, and family duties, &c. Yea, it\nfeeleth the need and benefit of frequency in duties, and is glad of\nleave to draw near to God, and feels the bond of love constrain.\nWhereas, the proud are full and senseless, and could easily be content\nwith little in religion, if the laws of God or man constrained them\nnot, and will do no more than needs they must. Yea, some of late have\nbeen advanced by pride above all ordinances, that is, above obedience\nto God, in the use of his appointed means, but not above the need of\nmeans, nor above the plagues prepared for the proud and disobedient.\nHumility secureth men from many such pernicious opinions.\n\n_Direct._ IV. To the conquering of pride, it is necessary that you\nperceive that indeed it is in yourselves, and is the radical sin, and\nthe very poison of your hearts; and that you set yourselves watchfully\nto mark its motions; and make it a principal part of your religion and\nbusiness of your lives to overcome it, and to walk in humility with\nGod and man. For if you see not that it is your sin, you will let it\nalone, and little trouble yourselves about it. Pride liveth in men\nthat seem religious, because they perceive it not, or think they have\nbut some small degree, which is not dangerous. And they see it not in\nthemselves, because they mark not its operations and appearances: the\nlife in the root must be perceived in the branches, in the leaves, and\nfruit. If you saw more evil in this, than in many more disgraceful\nsins, and set yourselves as heartily and diligently to conquer it, as\nyou do to cast out the sins which would make you be judged by men to\nbe utterly ungodly, no doubt but the work would more happily go on,\nand you would see more excellent fruits of your labour, in the work of\nmortification, than most christians see.\n\n_Direct._ V. Be much in humbling exercises; but so as to take heed of\nmistaking the nature of them, or running into extremes. I have told\nyou the true nature of humility before. Abundance of christians are\ntempted by Satan to think it consisteth, much more than it doth, in\npassionate grief, and tears, and bodily exercises, of long and\nfrequent fastings, and confessions, and penance, or such like: and\nthus Satan diverteth them from true endeavours for true humiliation,\nby keeping them employed all their days, in striving for tears, or in\nthese external exercises! Whereas, you should most strive for such a\nsight of your sinfulness and nothingness, as will teach you highly to\nesteem of Christ, and to loathe yourselves, and take yourselves to be\nas vile and sinful as you are, and will make you humbly beg for\nmercy, and stoop to any means to obtain it; and will make you patient\nunder the rebukes and chastisements of God, and under the contempts\nand injuries of men: this is the humility which you must labour for.\nBut in order to this, external exercises of humiliation must be used:\nespecially studying the holy law of God, and searching yourselves, and\nconfession of sin, and moderate, seasonable fastings, and taming of\nthe flesh. And indeed the exercises of humiliation do most become\nthose that are most prone to pride: and the doctrine of those men who\ncry down true humiliation, doth come from pride, and is made to\ncherish pride in others. A humble soul cannot receive it; but is\nproner here to run into excess.\n\n_Direct._ VI. There is no more powerful means to take down pride, than\nto look seriously to God, and set yourselves before his eyes, and\nconsider how he loveth the humble, and abhorreth the proud. One sight\nof God by a lively faith, would make you know with whom you have to\ndo, and teach you to abhor yourselves as vile. A glowworm is not\ndiscerned in the sunshine, though it glister in the dark. A glimpse of\nthe majesty of God would make thee, with Isaiah, cry out, \"Woe is me,\nfor I am undone, a man of unclean lips,\" &c.; and, chap. vi. 5, with\nthe Israelites, desire that Moses, and not God, might speak unto you,\nlest you die. Men are proud because they know not God, and look not to\nhim, but to fellow-sinners, with whom they think they may be bold to\ncompare themselves.\n\n[Sidenote: A summary of the signs of humility.]\n\n[Sidenote: Signs of pride.]\n\nRemember also that God is as it were engaged against the proud, both\nin the holiness of his nature, and in honour; for a proud man sets up\nhimself against him, and is such an idol as God will either take down\nby grace, or spurn into the fire of destruction. And if he do appear\nbefore God among others in days and external exercises of humiliation,\nyou may judge how much an abhorred person will be accepted. It is not\nto all that are clothed in sackcloth, but to the humble soul that God\nhath respect; even to the self-abhorring person, who judgeth himself\nunworthy to come among the people of God, or to be door-keepers in his\nhouse, or to eat of the crumbs of the children's bread; that subject\nthemselves to one another, and think no office of love and service too\nlow for them to perform to the least believer; that in charitable\nmeekness instruct opposers, and bear contradiction and contempt from\nmen; that patiently suffer the injuries of enemies and friends, and\nheartily forgive and love them; that bear the most sharp and plain\nreproofs with gentleness and thanks; that think the lowest place in\nmen's esteem, affections, and respects, the fittest for them; that are\nmuch more solicitous how they love others, than how others love them,\nand how they discharge their duties to others, than how others do what\nthey ought for them; that will take up with smaller evidence to think\nwell of the hearts or actions of others, than of their own; that\nreprove themselves ofter and sharplier than other men reprove them,\nand are readier to censure themselves than others, or than most others\nare to censure them; that have a low esteem of their own\nunderstandings, and parts, and doings, and therefore are readier to\nlearn than teach, and to hear than speak; that highly value every bit\nand drop of mercy, especially Christ, and grace, and glory. These are\nthe humble that God accepteth, and this is the fast that he requireth.\nThese are they that pray effectually, and that must save the land.\nThese only are sensible what sin is; when others feel it not, or are\nproud in the midst of their largest confessions and tears. These only\ndo from their hearts acknowledge their desert of God's severest\njudgments, and justify God when he afflicteth them. Others rather\nmarvel at the greatness and continuance of judgments, and expostulate\nwith God as dealing hardly and unkindly with them, and tell him how\ngood a people he afflicteth. These only understand the sinfulness of\ntheir very humiliations and prayers, through the weakness of that good\nwhich should be in them, and the mixture of much evil; when the proud\nare marvelling if God hear them not at the first word. These only wait\nin patience for God's answer, and accept of mercy in his time and\nmeasure; when the proud are short-winded, and if God come not just\nwhen they expected, they do, with Saul, 1 Sam. xiii. 9-12, make haste,\nor murmur at his providence, and say it is in vain to serve the Lord,\nand begin to think of forsaking him, and taking some better way. These\nproud ones that have joined in outward humiliations, and have lift up\nthemselves in heart, while they cast down their bodies, are they that\nhave turned the heart of God so much against us, to break us in\npieces, because he hath found among us so many of the proud whom he\ntaketh for his enemies. We have had those humbling themselves in our\nassemblies, that were wise in their own eyes, despising, and scorning,\nand reviling their teachers; such as undervalued and censured others,\nthat were not for their opinions and interest; that over-loved the\nrespect and honour that is from men, and could not endure to be\ndisesteemed or little set by; that could not bear an injury or a foul\nword, but were prone to anger, if not revenge; that could not seek\npeace, nor stoop to others, nor bear plain-dealing in reproof, nor\nforgive a wrong without much submission; that had high expectations\nfrom others, and loved those best that most esteemed them; that\ncounted it baseness to stoop to the meanest places or services for\nothers' good; yea, that quarrelled with God, his word, and\nprovidences, and valued no other mercies but those that exalted\nthemselves or pleased their flesh (which proved judgments). And yet\nwhile they thus by pride excommunicated themselves from the face of\nGod, and made themselves abhorred by him, they separated from the\nholiest assemblies and servants of God in the land, as unworthy of\ncommunion with such as they, unless they would first become of their\nopinion and sect. We little consider how great a hand this pride hath\nhad in our desolations. God hath been scattering the proud of all\nsorts in the imaginations of their own hearts, Luke i. 51.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Look to a humbled Christ to humble you. Can you be proud\nwhile you believe that your Saviour was clothed with flesh, and lived in\nmeanness, and made himself of no reputation, and was despised, and\nscorned, and spit upon by sinners, and shamefully used, and nailed as a\nmalefactor to a cross? The very incarnation of Christ is a condescension\nand humiliation enough to pose both men and angels, transcending all\nbelief but such as God himself produceth by his supernatural testimony\nand Spirit.[232] And can pride look a crucified Christ in the face, or\nstand before him? Did God take upon him the form of a servant,[233] and\nmust thou domineer and have the highest place? Had not Christ a place to\nlay his head on, and must thou needs have thy adorned, well-furnished\nrooms? Must thou needs brave it out in the most fantastic fashion,\ninstead of thy Saviour's seamless coat? Doth he pray for his murderers,\nand must thou be revenged for a word or petty wrong? Is he patiently\nspit upon and buffeted, and art thou ready, through proud impatiency, to\nspit upon or buffet others? Surely he that \"condemned sin in the flesh,\"\ncondemned no sin more than pride.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Look to the examples of the most eminent saints, and\nyou will see they were all most eminent in humility. The apostles,\nbefore the coming down of the Holy Ghost on them, contended which of\nthem should be the greatest (which Christ permitted that he might most\nsharply rebuke it, and leave his warning to all his ministers and\ndisciples to the end of the world, that they that would be greatest\nmust be the servants of all, and that they must by conversion become\nas little children, or never enter into the kingdom of God). But\nafterward in what humility did these apostles labour, and live, and\nsuffer in the world! Paul \"made himself a servant unto all, that he\nmight gain the more, though he was free from all men,\" 1 Cor. ix. 10.\nThey submitted themselves to all the injuries and affronts of men; to\nbe accounted the plagues and troublers of the world, and as the scorn\nand offscouring of all things, and a gazing-stock to angels and to\nmen.[234] And are you better than they? If you are, you are more\nhumble, and not more proud.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Look to the holy angels, that condescend to minister for\nman; and think on the blessed souls with God, how far they are from\nbeing proud; and remember, if ever thou come to heaven, how far thou\nwilt be from pride thyself. Such a sight as Isaiah's would take down\npride: Isa. vi. 1-3, \"I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and\nlifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the\nseraphims: each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, and\nwith two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly (signifying\nhumility, purity, and obedience). And one cried unto another, and\nsaid, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: his glory is the fulness\nof the whole earth.\" So Rev. iv. 8, 10, \"The elders fall down, and\ncast their crowns before him that sitteth on the throne.\" Look up to\nheaven, and you will abhor your pride.\n\n_Direct._ X. Look upon the great imperfection of thy grace and duties.\nShould that man be proud that hath so little of the Spirit and image of\nJesus Christ? that believeth no more, and feareth God no more, and\nloveth him no more? and can no better trust in him, nor rest upon his\nword and love? nor any more delight in him, nor in his holy laws and\nservice? One would think that the lamentable weakness of any one of all\nthese graces, should take down pride and abase you in your own eyes. Is\nhe a christian that doth not even abhor himself, when he perceiveth how\nlittle he loveth his God, and how little all his meditations on the love\nand blood of Christ, and of the infinite goodness of God, and of the\nheavenly glory, do kindle the fire, and warm his heart? Can we observe\nthe darkness of our minds, and ignorance of God, and strangeness to the\nlife to come, and the woeful weakness of our faith, and not be abased to\na loathing of ourselves? Can we choose but even abhor those hearts that\ncan love a friend, and love the toys and vanities of this life, and yet\ncan love their God no more? that take no more pleasure in his name, and\npraise, and word, and service, when they can find pleasure in the\naccommodations of their flesh? Can we choose but loathe those hearts\nthat are so averse to God, so loth to think of him, so loth to pray to\nhim, so weary of prayer, or holy meditation, or any duty, and yet so\nforward to the business and recreations of the flesh? Can we feel how\ncoldly and unbelievingly we pray, how ignorantly or carnally we\ndiscourse, how confusedly and vainly we think, and how slothfully we\nwork, and how unprofitably we live, and yet be proud, and not be covered\nwith shame? Oh! for a serious christian to feel how little of God, of\nChrist, of heaven is upon his heart, and how little appeareth in any\neminent holiness, and fruitfulness, and heavenliness of life, is so\nhumbling a consideration, that we have much ado to own ourselves, and\nnot lie down as utterly desolate. Should that soul admit a thought of\npride, that hath so little grace as to be uncertain whether he have any\nat all in sincerity or not? that cannot with assurance call God, Father,\nor plead his interest in Christ or in the promises? nor knoweth not if\nhe die this hour, whether he shall go to heaven or hell? Should he be\nproud that is no readier to die? and no more assured of the pardon of\nsin? nor willinger to appear before the Lord? If one pained member will\nmake you groan, and walk dejectedly, though all the rest do feel no\npain, a soul that hath this universal weakness, a weakness that is so\nsinful and so dangerous, hath cause to be continually humbled to the\ndust.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Look upon thy great and manifold sins, which dwell in\nthy heart, and have been committed in thy life, and there thou wilt\nsee cause for great humiliation. If thy body were full of toads and\nserpents, and thou couldst see or feel them crawling in thee, wouldst\nthou then be proud? Why, so many sins are ten thousand-fold worse, and\nshould make thee far viler in thy own esteem! If thou wert possessed\nwith devils, and knewest it, wouldst thou be proud? Why, devils\npossessing thy body are not so bad or hurtful to thee, as sin in thy\nsoul! The sight of a sin should more take down thy pride, than the\nsight of a devil. Should that man be proud that hath lived as thou\nhast lived, and sinned as thou hast sinned, from thy childhood until\nnow? that hath lost so much time, and abused so much mercy, and\nneglected so many means, and omitted so many duties to God and man,\nand been guilty of so many sinful thoughts, and so many false or\nfoolish words, and hath broken all the laws of God? Should not he be\ndeeply humbled that hath yet so much ignorance,[235] error, unbelief,\nhypocrisy, sensuality, worldliness, hardheartedness, security,\nuncharitableness, lust, envy, malice, impatience, and selfishness, as\nis in thee? Should not thy very pride itself be matter of thy great\nhumiliation, to think that so odious a sin should yet so much prevail?\nLook thus on thy leprous, defiled soul, and turn thy very pride\nagainst itself! Know thyself, and thou canst not be proud.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Look also to the desert of all thy sins, even unto hell\nitself, and try if that will bring thee low. Though pride came from\nhell effectively, yet hell, objectively, may afford thee a remedy\nagainst it. Think on the worm that never dieth, and the fire that\nnever shall be quenched, and consider whether pride become that soul,\nthat hath deserved these. Wilt thou be proud in the way to thy\ndamnation? Thou mightst better be proud of thy chains and rope, when\nthou art going to the gallows! Think, whether the miserable souls in\nhell are now minding neat and well set attire, or seeking for\ndominion, honour, or preferment, or contending who shall be the\ngreatest, or striving for the highest rooms, or setting out themselves\nto the admiration and applause of men, or quarrelling with others for\nundervaluing or dishonouring them! Do you think there is any place or\nmatter there for such works of pride, when God abaseth them?\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Look to the day of judgment, when all proud thoughts and\nlooks shall be taken down; and to the endless misery threatened to the\nproud. Think of that world, in which your souls must ere long appear,\nbefore the great and holy God, whose presence will abase the proudest\nsinner. When the tyrants, and gallants, and wantons of the earth, must\nwith trembling and amazement give up their accounts to the most\nrighteous Judge of all the world, then where are their lofty looks and\nlanguage? then where are their glory, and gallantry, and proud,\nimperious domineering, and their scornful despising the humble, lowly\nones of Christ? Would you then think that this is the same man, that\nlately could scarce be seen or spoken with? that looked so big, and\nswaggered it out in wealth and honour? Is this he that could not endure\na scorn, or to be slighted, or undervalued, or plainly reproved? that\nmust needs have the honour and precedency in wit, and greatness, and\ncommand? Is this the man that thought he was perfect and had no sin; or\nthat his sins were so small, as not to need the humiliation, renovation,\nand holy diligence of the saints? Is this the woman that spent half the\nday in dressing up herself, and house, and furniture for the view of\nothers, and must needs be in the newest or the neatest fashion? that was\nwont to walk in an artificial pace, with a wandering eye, in a wanton\ngarb, as if she were too good to tread on the earth? Oh! then how the\ncase will be altered with such as these! Can you believe, and consider\nhow you must be judged by God, and yet be proud?\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Look to the devils themselves that tempt you to be\nproud, and see what pride hath brought them to; and remember, that a\nproud man is the image of the devil, and pride is the devil's special\nsin. He that envieth your happiness, knoweth by sad experience the way\nto misery; and therefore tempteth you to be proud, that you may come,\nby the same way, to the same end that he himself is come to. \"The\nangels which kept not their first estate, but left their own\nhabitation, are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, to the\njudgment of the great day,\" Jude 6.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Look well upon thyself, both body and soul, and think\nwhether thou be a person fit for pride. God hath purposely clothed\nthine immortal soul in the coarse attire of corruptible flesh, and\nplaced it in so poor and ruinous a cottage, that it might be kept from\npride: yea, he made this frail and corruptible body to be a\nconstitutive part of our very person, that in knowing it, we may know\nourselves. Some will have a dead man's skull stand by them, in their\nstudies or chambers, as an antidote against pride. But God hath\nfastened us yet closer to mortality: death dwelleth in our bowels. We\nare apt to marvel that so noble a soul should be lodged in so mean a\nbody, made of the earth to which it must return![236] A stone is\ndurable and clean; but my flesh is corruptible, and must turn to\nloathsome filth and rottenness. A marble pillar will stand firm and\nbeautiful from age to age, but I must perish and consume in darkness.\nThe seats we sit upon, the pillars we lean to, the stones we tread\nupon, will be here, when we are turned to dust. The house that I\nbuild, may stand when I am rotten in the grave. A tree will live, when\nhe that planted it is dead. Our bodies are of no better materials than\nthe brutes; our substance is in a continual flux or waste, and loseth\nsomething every day; and if it were not repaired and patched up by\ndaily air and nourishment, it would soon be spent, and our oil\nconsumed. If you were chained to a dead carcass, which you must still\ncarry about with you, it were not a matter so fit to humble you, as to\nbe united so nearly to so vile a body of your own. We carry a dunghill\ncontinually within us. Alas! how silly a piece is the greatest, the\nstrongest, and the comeliest of you all! What is that flesh which you\nso much pamper, but a skin full of corruption? a bag of filth, of\nphlegm, or choler, or such like excrements? If the curiousest dames\nhad but a sight of the phlegm in their heads and bowels, the choler\nabout their liver and galls, the worms or filth in other parts, they\nwould go near to vomit at such a sight: the swine or beast hath as\nclean an inside. And what if this filth be covered with a whiter skin\nor clearer colour than your neighbours have, is there any cause of\npride in that? When sickness hath altered and consumed you, then where\nis that which you call beauty? If but the leprosy or the small pox\ndeform it, or a fever, consumption, or dropsy waste it, or the stone,\nor gout, or any such torment seize upon thee, thou wilt feel or see\nthat which may shame thy pride. Should such a worm be proud, that\ncannot, though he be a Herod, keep the worms from eating him alive?\nthat in a flux cannot retain his excrements? that cannot bear easily\nthe aching of a tooth? If thou be fit for pride, forbid diseases to\ntouch thy flesh, or stain thy beauty; do not be sick, nor weak, nor\npained; let not the worm and corruption be thy guests. Or if thou be\nso poor a thing, as cannot hinder any of these, then know thyself, and\nbe ashamed of pride.\n\nAnd when thou art in sickness, thou wilt be burdensome to others. It\nis likely thou must have their helps, even to feed thee, to dress\nthee, to turn thee, and keep thee clean; and when all is done, thou\nmust die, and be laid in darkness in a grave! There must thou lie\nrotting night and day, till thy flesh be turned into earth. The grass\ndoth wither when it is cut down, but yet it is sweet; the tree that is\ncut down will rot in time, but not with such a loathsome stink as we.\nHe that had seen what the late doleful wars did often show us, when\nthe fields were strewed with the carcasses of men, and when they lay\nby heaps among the rubbish of the ditches of towns and castles that\nhad been assaulted, would think such loathsome lumps of flesh should\nnever have been proud. When once death hath deprived thy body of its\nsoul, thy best friends will quickly be weary of the remainder, and\nglad to rid thee out of sight and smell. Go to the churchyard, and\nlook on the dust and bones that are there cast up and scattered, and\nbethink thee whether those that must come to this have reason to be\nproud? See whether there be any differing mark of honour upon the dust\nof the rich, or strong, or beautiful? and whether the bones there\nstrive for principality and dominion? Therefore the desire of adorned\nmonuments upon men's graves, is one of the most odious sorts of pride;\nwhen the neighbourhood of rottenness and dust doth shame it. As our\nserious poet Herbert saith,\n\n      When the hair grows sweet with pride and lust,\n      The powder doth forget the dust.\n\nAnd though thy soul be far nobler than thy body, yet here how ignorant,\nand weak, and distempered is it! How full of false ideas are men's\nminds! How little know they of that which they might know, or are\nconfident they do know! How dark are we about all the works of God, and\nabout his word; much more about himself! The greatest doctors are\nstrongly tempted to be sceptics; and the ignorant that this year are\nconfident to a contempt and censoriousness of all that differ from them,\nperhaps the next year do change their judgments, and recant themselves.\n\nAnd are our hearts and lives any happier than our understandings;\nwhile we are imprisoned in flesh, and its interest is ours, and its\nappetites and passions have so much advantage, to corrupt, seduce, or\ndisturb the soul? Know thyself, and pride will die.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. If thou have any thing to be proud of, remember what it\nis, and that it is not thine own, but given or lent thee by that God who\nchiefly hateth pride. 1. Art thou tempted to be proud of riches?\nRemember that they are in themselves but dross, which will leave thee at\nthe grave as poor as any. And as to their usefulness, they are but thy\nMaster's talents; and the more thou hast, the greater will be thine\naccount. And very few rich men escape the snare, and come to heaven. Thy\ncharge and danger therefore should rather humble thee, and make thee\nexceedingly to fear. Read James v. 1-4; and Luke xii. 19, 20.\n\n2. Is it greatness, and dominion, or human applause, or honour, that\nyou are proud of? Remember that this also is in itself a dream, that\nmaketh thee really neither better nor safer than other men. Thou\nstandest upon higher ground, where thou hast more than others of the\nstorms and dangers, and shalt be levelled with the lowest in thy fall.\nAnd as to the use of thy power and greatness, it is for God, and not\nthyself. And so great will be thy reckoning, according to the trust\nreposed in thee, as would affright a considerate believer to foresee.\n\n3. Is it youthful strength that you are proud of? How little can it do\nfor thee, of that which thou most needest! And how soon will it be\nturned to weakness! How many are cut off in youth, and their life is\namong the unclean, as Elihu speaks, Job xxxvi. 14. Their bones are\nfull of the sins of their youth, which shall lie down with them in the\ndust, Job xx. 11.\n\n4. Is it beauty that you are proud of? I have told you what sickness\nand death will do to that before. When God rebuketh man for sin, he\nmakes his beauty to consume as a moth: surely every man is vanity,\nPsal. xxxix. 11. Read Psal. xlix. 12-14. And if your beauty would\ncontinue, how little good will it do you! and who but fools do look at\nthe skin of a rational creature, when they would discern their worth?\nA fool, and a slave of lust and Satan, may be beautiful. A sepulchre\nmay be gilded that hath rottenness within. Will you choose the finest\npurse, or the fullest? Who but a child or fool will value his book by\nthe fineness of the cover, or gilding of the leaves, and not by the\nworth of the matter within? Absalom was beautiful, and what the better\nwas he? 2 Sam. xiv. 25. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a\nwoman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised, Prov. xxxi. 30.\n\n5. If it be fine clothes and gaudy ornaments that you are proud of, it\nis a sin so foolish, and worse than childish, that I shall give it no\nother confutation, than to tell you, that it contradicteth itself, by\nmaking the person a scorn and laughing-stock to others, when their\ndesign was to be more admired; and that an ass or a post may have as\nfine and costly attire as you; and that shortly you shall change it\nfor a winding-sheet.[237]\n\n6. Is it your birth, and progenitors, and great friends that you are\nproud of? Personal merits are incomparably more excellent than this\nrelation to the most meritorious parents; much more than a relation to\ntheir empty titles. Cain was the son of Adam the father of mankind,\nand Ham of Noah, and Esau of Isaac, and Absalom of David; when a godly\nson of a wicked father is more honourable than they. Your ancestors\nare but of the common stock of sinful Adam: and your great friends may\npossibly become your enemies: and it is little that the greatest of\nthem can do for you, if God be not your friend.\n\n7. Is it your learning, or wisdom, or ability for speech or action,\nthat you are proud of? Remember that the devils, and many that are now\nin hell, have far exceeded you in these; and that the wiser you are\nindeed, the humbler you will be; and by pride you confute your\nostentation of your wisdom. Ahithophel's wisdom, which saveth not the\nowner from perdition, is little cause of glorying. Jer. viii. 8, 9,\nthere were men that boasted of their wisdom, even in the law of God,\nwho yet were ashamed and dismayed; for they rejected the word of the\nLord: and then what wisdom could there be in them? Therefore, \"thus\nsaith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor let the\nmighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his\nriches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth\nand knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness,\njudgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these do I delight,\nsaith the Lord,\" Jer. ix. 23, 24. Those were not unlearned, of whom\nPaul speaketh; \"Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the\ndisputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this\nworld?\" 1 Cor. i. 20.\n\n8. Is it success in wars, or great undertakings, that you are proud\nof? But by whose strength did you perform it? and how unhappy a\nsuccess is that which hindereth your success in the work of your\nsalvation! and how many have been brought down again to shame, that\nhave been lifted up in pride of their successes!\n\n9. Is it the applause of men that proclaim your excellency that you are\nproud of? Alas, how poor a portion is the breath of man! and how mutable\nare your applauders! that perhaps the next day will turn their tunes,\nand as much reproach you. Will you be proud of praise, when it is the\ndevil's whistle, purposely to entice you into this pernicious snare,\nthat he may destroy you? It is a danger to be feared; for it destroyeth\nmany: but not a benefit much to be rejoiced in, much less to be proud\nof; for few are the better for it. Titles and applause increase not real\nworth and virtue, but puff up many with a mortal tympany.\n\n10. Is it your grace and goodness, or eminency in religion, that you\nare proud of? This is most absurd; when predominant pride is a certain\nsign that you have no saving grace at all, and so are proud of what\nyou have not: and if you have it, so far as you are proud of it you\nabuse it, contradict it, and destroy it; for pride is to grace, what\nthe plague or consumption is to health. It is novices that have least\ngrace and knowledge, that are aptest to be puffed up with pride, and\nthereby to fall into the condemnation of the devil, 1 Tim. iii. 6;\nthat is, into the like punishment for the like sin. When the pot\nboileth over, that which was in it is lost in the fire. Rise not too\nhigh in the esteem of your grace, lest you rise to the loss of it. \"Be\nnot highminded, but fear,\" Rom. xi. 20. When you \"think you stand,\ntake heed lest you fall,\" 1 Cor. x. 12.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Look to the nature and tendency of every grace and\nordinance and duty, and use them diligently; for they all tend to the\ndestruction of pride. Knowledge discerneth the folly and pernicious\ntendency of pride, and abundant matter for humiliation. Faith is the\ncasting off our pride, and going with empty, hungry souls to Christ\nfor mercy and supply. It showeth us the most powerful sight in the\nworld for the humbling of a soul, even a crucified Christ, and a most\nholy God, and a glorified society of humble souls, and a dreadful\njudgment and damnation for the proud. I might show you the same of\nevery grace and duty, but for being tedious.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Look to the humbling judgments of God on yourselves and\nothers, and turn them all against your pride. You will sure think it an\nunsuitable and unseasonable thing for the calamitous to be proud. Are\nyou not oft complaining of one thing or other, upon your consciences,\nyour bodies, your estates, your names, your relations, or friends? and\nyet will you be proud while you complain? If the judgments that have\nalready befallen you humble you not, if God love you, and will save you,\nyou may expect you should feel more, and the load should be increased,\ntill it make you stoop. O miserable, obstinate sinners! that can groan\nwith sickness, and yet be proud! and murmur under want, and yet be\nproud! and daily crossed by one or other, and yet be proud! yea, and\ntormented with fears of God's displeasure, and yet be proud! Have not\nall the wars, and blood, and ruins that have befallen us in these\nkingdoms, been yet enough to take down pride? Many humbling sights we\nhave seen, and many humbling stripes we have felt, and yet are we not\nhumbled! We have seen houses robbed, and towns fired, and the country\npillaged, and the blood of many thousands shed, and their carcasses\nscattered about the fields, and yet are we not humbled! If we were proud\nof our riches, they have been taken from us; if proud of our buildings,\nthey have been turned into ruinous heaps; if we have been proud of our\ngovernment, and the fame and glory of our country, we have seen how our\nsins have pulled down our government, dishonoured our rulers, and\nblemished our glory, and turned it into shame; and yet are we not\nhumbled! If you lived in a house infected with the plague, and had\nburied father and mother, and brothers and sisters, and but a very few\nwere left alive, expecting when their turn came next; if these few were\nnot humbled, would you not think them blind and sottish persons? Do you\nyet look high, and contend for pre-eminence, and look for honour, and\nenvy others, and desire to domineer, and have your will and way, and set\nout yourselves in the neatest dress? Must you have sharper stripes,\nbefore you will be humbled? Must greater injuries, and violences, and\nlosses, and fears, and reproaches be the means? Why will you choose so\npainful a remedy, by frustrating the easier? If it must be so, the\njudgment shall shortly come yet nearer to thee: it shall either strip\nthee of the rest, or cover thee with shame, or lay thee in pain upon thy\ncouch, where thy head shall ache, and thy heart be sick, and thy body\nweary, and thou shalt pant and gasp for breath; wilt thou then be proud,\nand contest for honour, when thou expectest hourly when thy proud and\nguilty soul shall be turned out of thy body, and appear before the holy\nGod? when the bell is ready to toll for thee, and thy winding-sheet to\nbe fetched out, and thy coffin prepared, and the bier to be fetched to\ncarry thee to thy grave, and leave thee in the dark with worms and\nrottenness; wilt thou then be proud? Where then are your high looks, and\nlofty minds, and splendid ornaments, and honours? Then will you be\nclimbing into higher rooms, and seeking to be revenged on those that\ndid eclipse your honour? Saith David, even of princes, and all the sons\nof men, Psal. cxlvi. 3, 4, \"His breath goeth forth: he returneth to his\nearth: in that very day his thoughts perish.\"\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Look on the lamentable effects of pride about you in the\nworld, and that will help you to see the odiousness and pernicious\nnature of it. Do you not see how it setteth the whole world on fire? how\nit raiseth wars, and ruineth kingdoms, and draweth out men's blood, and\nfilleth the world with malice and hatred, and cruelty and injustice, and\ntreasons and rebellions, and destroyeth mercy, truth, and honesty, and\nall that is left of God upon the mind of man? Whence is all the\nconfusion and calamity, all the censoriousness, revilings, and\ncruelties, which we have seen, or felt, or heard of, but from pride?\nWhat is it that hath trampled upon the interest of Christ and his gospel\nthrough the world, but pride? What else is it that hath burnt his\nmartyrs, and made havoc of his servants, and distracted and divided his\nchurch with schisms, and set up so many sect-masters and sects, and\ncaused them almost all to set against others, but this cursed,\nunmortified pride? He that hath seen but what pride hath been doing in\nEngland in this age, and yet discerneth not its hatefulness and\nperniciousness, is strangely blind. Every proud man is a plague or\nburden to the place he liveth in: if he get high, he is a Nabal; a man\ncan scarce speak to him; he thinks all under him are made but to serve\nhis will and honour, as inferior creatures are made for man. If he be an\ninferior, he scorneth at the honour and government of his superiors, and\nthinks they take too much upon them, and that it is below him to obey.\nIf he be rich, he thinks the poor must bow all to him, as to the golden\ncalf, or Nebuchadnezzar's golden image: if he be poor, he envieth the\nrich, and is impatient of the state that God hath set him in: if he be\nlearned, he thinks himself an oracle: if unlearned, he despiseth the\nknowledge which he wanteth, and scorneth to be taught. What state soever\nhe is in, he is a very salamander, that liveth in the fire, he troubleth\nhouse, and town, and country, if his power be answerable to his heart:\nhe is an unpolished stone, that will never lie even in any building; he\nis a natural enemy to quietness and peace.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Consider well how God hath designed the humbling of all\nthat he will save, in his whole contrivance of the work of our\nredemption. He could have saved man by keeping him in his primitive\ninnocency, if he had pleased. Though he causeth not sin, he knoweth why\nhe permitteth it. He thought it not enough that man should have the\nthought of creation to humble him, as being taken from the dust, and\nmade of nothing; but he will also have the sense of his moral\nnothingness and sinfulness to humble him: he will have him beholden to\nhis Redeemer and Sanctifier for his new life and his salvation, as much\nas to his Creator for his natural life. He is permitted first to undo\nhimself, and bring himself under condemnation, to be a child of death,\nand near to hell, before he is ransomed and delivered; that he may take\nto himself the shame of his misery, and ascribe all his hopes and\nrecovery to God. No flesh shall be justified by the works of the law, or\nby a righteousness of his own performance; but by the satisfaction and\nmerits of his Redeemer; that so all boasting may be excluded, and that\nno flesh might glory in his sight, and that man might be humbled, and\nour Redeemer have the praise to all eternity.[238] And therefore God\nprepareth men for faith and pardon, by humbling works, and forceth\nsinners to condemn themselves before he will justify them.\n\n_Direct._ XXI. Read over the character which Christ himself giveth of\nhis true disciples; and you will see what great self-denial and humility\nhe requireth in all. In your first conversion you must become as little\nchildren, Matt. xviii. 3. Instead of contending for superiority and\ngreatness, you must be ambitious of being servants unto all, Matt.\nxxiii. 11; xx. 27. You must learn of him to be meek and lowly of heart,\nMatt. xi. 28, 29; and to stoop to wash your brethren's feet, John xiii.\n5, 14. Instead of revenge or unpeaceable contending for your right, you\nmust rather obey those that injuriously command you, and turn the other\ncheek to him that smiteth you, and let go the rest to him that hath\ninjuriously taken from you; and bless them that curse you, and pray for\nthem that hurt and persecute you, and despitefully use you, Matt. v. 39,\n40, 41, 44.[239] These are the followers of Christ.\n\n_Direct._ XXII. Remember how pride contradicteth itself by exposing\nyou to the hatred or contempt of all. All men abhor that pride in\nothers which they cherish in themselves. A humble man is well thought\nof by all that know him; and a proud man is the mark of common\nobloquy. The rich disdain him, the poor envy him, and all hate him,\nand many deride him. This is his success.\n\n_Direct._ XXIII. Look still unto that dismal end, which pride doth\ntend unto. It threateneth apostasy. If God forsake any one among you,\nand any of you forsake God, his truth, and your consciences, and be\nmade as Lot's wife, a monument of his vengeance for a warning to\nothers, it will be the proud and self-conceited person. It maketh all\nthe mercies of God, your duties and parts, and objectively your very\ngraces, to be its food and fuel. It is a sign you are near some\ndreadful fall, or heavy judgment: for God hath given you this\nprognostic, Luke xiv. 11; i. 51; Prov. xv. 25; xvi. 5; Isa. ii. 11,\n12. An Ahab is safer when he humbleth himself; and a Hezekiah is\nfalling when he is lifted up. They are the most hardened sinners,\nscorning reproof, and therefore ordinarily forsaken both by God and\nman, and left to their self-delusion, till they perish.\n\n_Direct._ XXIV. Converse with humbled and afflicted persons, and not\nwith proud, secure worldlings. Be much in the \"house of mourning,\" where\nyou may see \"the end of all the living, and be made better by laying it\nto heart;\" and let not your \"hearts be in the house of mirth,\" Eccl.\nvii. 2-4. Delight not to converse with \"men that be in honour, and\nunderstand not, but are like the beasts that perish; for though they\nthink of perpetuating their houses, and call their lands after their own\nnames,\" yet they \"abide not in\" their \"honour:\" and \"this their way is\ntheir folly,\" though \"yet their posterity approve their sayings,\" Psal.\nxlix. 20, 12-14. Converse with penitent, humbled souls, that have seen\nthe odiousness of sin, and the wickedness and deceitfulness of the\nheart, and can tell you by their own feeling what cause of humiliation\nis still before you. With these are you most safe.\n\nI have been the larger against pride, as seeing its prevalency in the\nworld, and its mischievous effects on souls and families, church and\nstate; and because it is not discerned and resisted by many as it\nought. I would fain have God dwell in your hearts, and peace in your\nsocieties; and fain have you stand fast in the hour of temptation,\nfrom prosperity or adversity; and fain have affliction easy to you.\nBut none of this will be without humility. I am loth that under the\nmighty hand of God we should be unhumbled, even when judgments bid us\nlay our mouths in the dust.[240] The storms have been long up; the\ncedars have fallen; it is the shrubs and bending willows that now are\nlikeliest to scape. I am loth to see the prognostics of wrath upon\nyour souls, or upon the land. I am loth that any of you should through\npride be unhumbled of sin, or ashamed to own despised godliness; or\nthat any that have seemed religious, should prove seditious,\nunpeaceable, or apostates. And therefore I beseech you, in a special\nmanner, take heed of pride; be little in your own esteem; praise not\none another unseasonably; be not offended at plain reproofs: look to\nyour duties, and then leave your reputations to the will of God.\nRebuke pride in your children; use them to mean attire and\nemployments; cherish not that in them which is most natural (now) and\nmost pernicious. God dwelleth with the humble, and will take the\nhumble to dwell with him, Isa. lvii. 15; Job xxii. 29. \"Put on\nhumbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another,\"\nCol. iii. 12, 13. \"Be clothed with humility: serve the Lord with all\nhumility of mind, and he will exalt you in due time,\" Acts xx. 19; 1\nPet. v. 6, 7.\n\n\n                                PART VI.\n\n          _Directions against Covetousness, or Love of Riches,\n                     and against Worldly Cares._[241]\n\nI shall say but little on this subject now, because I have written a\nTreatise of it already, called \"The Crucifying of the World by the\nCross of Christ;\" in which I have given many directions (in the\npreface and treatise) against this sin.\n\n_Direct._ I. Understand well the nature and malignity of this sin;\nboth what it is, and why it is so great and perilous. I shall here\nshow you, 1. What love of riches is lawful. 2. What it is that is\nunlawful; and in what this sin of covetousness or worldliness doth\nconsist. 3. Wherein the malignity or greatness of it lieth. 4. The\nsigns of it. 5. What counterfeits of the contrary virtue do hide this\nsin from the eyes of worldlings. 6. What false appearances of it do\ncause many to be suspected of covetousness unjustly.\n\n[Sidenote: Lawful love of creatures.]\n\nI. All love of the creature, the world, or riches, is not sin: for, 1.\nThe works of God are all good, as such; and all goodness is amiable.\nAs they are related to God, and his power, and wisdom, and goodness\nare imprinted on them, so we must love them, even for his sake. 2. All\nthe impressions of the attributes of God appearing on his works, do\nmake them as a glass, in which at this distance we must see the\nCreator; and their sweetness is a drop from him, by which his goodness\nand love are tasted. And so they were all made to lead us up to God,\nand help our minds to converse with him, and kindle the love of God in\nour breasts, as a love-token from our dearest friend; and thus, as the\nmeans of our communion with God, the love of them is a duty, and not a\nsin. 3. They are naturally the means of sustaining our bodies, and\npreserving life, and health, and alacrity; and as such, our sensitive\npart hath a love to them, as every beast hath to its food; and this\nlove in itself is not of a moral kind, and is neither a virtue nor a\nvice, till it either be used in obedience to our reason, (and so it is\ngood,) or in disobedience to it (and so it is evil). 4. The creatures\nare necessary means to support our bodies, while we are doing God the\nservice which we owe him in the world; and so they must be loved, as a\nmeans to his service; though we cannot say properly that riches are\nordinarily thus necessary. 5. The creatures are necessary to sustain\nour bodies in our journey to heaven, while we are preparing for\neternity; and thus they must be loved as remote helps to our\nsalvation. And in these two last respects we call it in our prayers\n\"our daily bread.\" 6. Riches may enable us to relieve our needy\nbrethren, and to promote good works for church or state. And thus also\nthey may be loved; so far as we must be thankful for them, so far we\nmay love them; for we must be thankful for nothing but what is good.\n\n[Sidenote: Covetousness what.]\n\nII. But worldliness, or sinful love of riches, is, 1. When riches are\nloved and desired, and sought more for the flesh than for God or our\nsalvation; even as the matter or means of our worldly prosperity, that\nthe flesh may want nothing to please it, and satisfy its desires.[242]\nOr that pride may have enough wherewith to support itself, by gratifying\nand obliging others, and living at those rates, and in that splendour,\nas may show our greatness, or further our domination over others. 2. And\nwhen we therefore desire them in that proportion which we think most\nagreeable to these carnal ends, and are not contented with our daily\nbread, and that proportion which may sustain us as passengers to heaven,\nand tend most to the securing of our souls, and to the service of God.\nSo that it is the end by which a sinful love of riches is principally to\nbe discerned; when they are loved for pride or flesh-pleasing, as they\nare the matter of a worldly, corporal felicity, and not principally for\nGod and his service, and servants, and our salvation. And indeed, as\nsensualists love them, they should be hated.\n\n[Sidenote: Worldliness when predominant.]\n\nWorldliness is either predominant, and so a certain sign of death; or\nelse mortified, and in a subdued degree, consistent with some saving\ngrace. Worldliness predominant, as in the ungodly, is, when men that\nhave not a lively belief of the everlasting happiness, nor have laid\nup their treasure and hopes in heaven, do take the pleasure and\nprosperity of this life for that felicity which is highest in their\nesteem, and dearest to their hearts, and therefore love the riches of\nthe world, or full provisions, as the matter and means of this their\ntemporal felicity.[243] Worldliness in a mortified person, is, when he\nthat hath laid up his treasure in heaven, and practically esteemeth\nhis everlasting hopes above all the pleasure and prosperity of the\nflesh, and seeketh first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and\nuseth his estate principally for God and his salvation, hath yet some\nremnants of inordinate desire to the prosperity and pleasure of the\nflesh, and some inordinate desire of riches for that end; which yet he\nhateth, lamenteth, resisteth, and so far subdueth, that it is not\npredominant, against the interest of God and his salvation.[244] Yet\nthis is a great sin, though it be forgiven.\n\n[Sidenote: The malignity of it.]\n\nIII. The malignity or greatness of this sin consisteth in these points\n(especially when it is predominant). 1. The love of the world, or of\nriches, is a sin of deliberation, and not of mere temerity or sudden\npassion: worldlings contrive the attaining of their ends. 2. It is a\nsin of interest, love, and choice, set up against our chiefest\ninterest: it is the setting up of a false end, and seeking that; and\nnot only a sin of error in the means, or a seeking the right end in a\nmistaken way. 3. It is idolatry,[245] or a denying God, and deposing\nhim in our hearts, and setting up his creatures in his stead, in that\nmeasure as it prevaileth. The worldling giveth that love and that\ntrust unto the creature, which are due to God alone; he delighteth in\nit instead of God, and seeketh and holdeth it as his felicity instead\nof God: and therefore, so far as any man loveth the world, the love of\nthe Father is not in him, 1 John ii. 15. And the friendship of the\nworld is enmity to God. 4. It is a contempt of heaven; when it must be\nneglected, and a miserable world preferred. 5. It showeth that\nunbelief prevaileth at the heart so far as worldliness prevaileth: for\nif men did practically believe the heavenly glory, and the promise\nthereof, they would be carried above these present things. 6. It is a\ndebasing of the soul of man, and using it like the brutes, while it is\nprincipally set upon the serving of the flesh, and on a temporal\nfelicity, and neglecteth its eternal happiness and concernments.\n\n7. It is a perverting of the very drift of a man's life, as employed in\nseeking a wrong end, and not only of some one faculty or act: it is an\nhabitual sin of the state and course of mind and life, and not only a\nparticular actual sin. 8. It is a perverting of God's creatures to an\nend and use clean contrary to that which they were made and given for;\nand an abusing God by his own gifts, by which he should be served and\nhonoured; and a destroying our souls with those mercies which were given\nus for their help and benefit. This is the true character of this\nheinous sin. In a word, it is the forsaking God, and turning the heart\nfrom him, and alienating the life from his service, to this present\nworld, and the service of the flesh. Fornication, drunkenness, murder,\nswearing, perjury, lying, stealing, &c. are very heinous sins. But a\nsingle act of one of these, committed rashly in the violence of passion,\nor temptation, speaketh not such a malignant turning away of the heart\nhabitually from God, as to say a man is covetous, or a worldling.\n\n[Sidenote: _Signs of worldliness._]\n\nIV. The signs of covetousness are these: 1. Not preferring God and our\neverlasting happiness before the prosperity and pleasure of the flesh;\nbut valuing and loving fleshly prosperity above its worth.[246] 2.\nEsteeming and loving the creatures of God as provision for the flesh,\nand not to further us in the service of God. 3. Desiring more than is\nneedful or useful to further us in our duty. 4. An inordinate\neagerness in our desires after earthly things. 5. Distrustfulness, and\ncarking cares, and contrivances for time to come. 6. Discontent, and\ntrouble, and a repining at a poor condition, when we have no more than\nour daily bread. 7. When the world taketh up our thoughts\ninordinately: when our thoughts will easilier run out upon the world,\nthan upon better things: and when our thoughts of worldly plenty are\nmore pleasant and sweet to us, than our thoughts of Christ, and\ngrace, and heaven; and our thoughts of want and poverty are more\nbitter and grievous to us, than our thoughts of sin and God's\ndispleasure. 8. When our speech is freer and sweeter about prosperity\nin the world, than about the concernments of God and our souls. 9.\nWhen the world beareth sway in our families and converse, and shutteth\nout all serious endeavours in the service of God, and for our own and\nothers' souls: or at least doth cut short religious duties, and is\npreferred before them, and thrusteth them into a corner, and maketh us\nslightly huddle them over. 10. When we are dejected overmuch, and\nimpatient under losses, and crosses, and worldly injuries from men.\n11. When worldly matters seem sufficient to engage us in contentions,\nand to make us break peace: and we will by law-suits seek our right,\nwhen greater hurt is liker to follow to our brother's soul, or greater\nwrong to the cause of religion, or the honour of God, than our right\nis worth. 12. When in our trouble and distress we fetch our comfort\nmore from the thoughts of our provisions in the world, or our hopes of\nsupply, than from our trust in God, and our hopes of heaven.[247] 13.\nWhen we are more thankful to God or man for outward riches, or any\ngift for the provision of the flesh, than for hopes or helps in order\nto salvation; for a powerful ministry, good books, or seasonable\ninstructions for the soul. 14. When we are quiet and pleased if we do\nbut prosper, and have plenty in the world, though the soul be\nmiserable, unsanctified, and unpardoned. 15. When we are more careful\nto provide a worldly than a heavenly portion, for children and\nfriends, and rejoice more in their bodily than their spiritual\nprosperity, and are troubled more for their poverty than their\nungodliness or sin. 16. When we can see our brother have need, and\nshut up the bowels of our compassion, or can part with no more than\nmere superfluities for his relief: when we cannot spare that which\nmakes but for our better being, when it is necessary to preserve his\nbeing itself; or when we give unwillingly or sparingly.[248] 17. When\nwe will venture upon sinful means for gain, as lying, overreaching,\ndeceiving, flattering, or going against our consciences, or the\ncommands of God. 18. When we are too much in expecting liberality from\nothers, and think that all we buy of should sell cheaper to us than\nthey can afford, and consider not their loss or want, so that we have\nthe gain: nor are contented if they be never so bountiful to others,\nif they be not so to us.[249] 19. When we make too much ado in the\nworld for riches, taking too much upon us, or striving for preferment,\nand flattering great ones, and envying any that are preferred before\nus, or get that which we expected. 20. When we hold our money faster\nthan our innocency, and cannot part with it for the sake of Christ,\nwhen he requireth it; but will stretch our consciences and sin against\nhim, or forsake his cause, to save our estates; or will not part with\nit for the service of his church, or of our country, when we are\ncalled to it. 21. When the riches which we have, are used but for the\npampering of our flesh, and superfluous provision for our posterity,\nand nothing but some inconsiderable crumbs or driblets are employed\nfor God and his servants, nor used to further us in his service, and\ntowards the laying up of a treasure in heaven. These are the signs of\na worldly, covetous wretch.\n\nV. The counterfeits of liberality or freedom from covetousness, which\ndeceive the worldling, are such as these: 1. He thinks he is not\ncovetous because he hath a necessity of doing what he doth for more.\nEither he is in debt or he is poor, and scarcely hath whereon to live;\nand the poor think that none are worldlings and covetous but the rich.\nBut he may love riches that wanteth them, as much as he that hath them.\nIf you have a necessity of labouring in your callings, you have no\nnecessity of loving the world, or of caring inordinately, or of being\ndiscontented with your estate. Impatience under your wants shows a love\nof the world and flesh, as much as other men's bravery that possess it.\n\n2. Another thinks he is not a worldling, because if he could but have\nnecessaries, even food and raiment, and conveniences for himself and\nfamily, he would be content; and it is not riches or great matters that\nhe desireth.[250] But if your hearts are more set upon the getting of\nthese necessaries or little things, than upon the preparing for death,\nand making sure of the heavenly treasure, you are miserable worldlings\nstill. And the poor man that will set his heart more upon a poor and\nmiserable life, than upon heaven, is more unexcusable than he that\nsetteth his heart more upon lordships and honours than upon heaven;\nthough both of them are but the slaves of the world, and have as yet no\ntreasure in heaven, Matt. vi. 19-21. And, moreover, you that are now so\ncovetous for a little more, if you had that, would be as covetous for a\nlittle more still; and when you had that, for a little more yet. You\nwould next wear better clothing, and have better fare; and next you\nwould have your house repaired, and then you would have your land\nenlarged, and then you would have something more for your children, and\nyou would never be satisfied. You think otherwise now; but your hearts\ndeceive you; you do not know them. If you believe me not, judge by the\ncase of other men that have been as confident as you, that if they had\nbut so much or so much they would be content; but when they have it,\nthey would still have more. And this, which is your pretence, is the\ncommon pretence of almost all the covetous: for lords and princes think\nthemselves still in as great necessity as you think yourselves: as they\nhave more, so they have more to do with it; and usually are still\nwanting as much as the poor. The question is not how much you desire?\nbut to what use, and to what end, and in what order?\n\n3. Another thinks he is not covetous, because he coveteth not any\nthing that is his neighbour's: he thinks that covetousness is only a\ndesiring that which is not our own. But if you love the world and\nworldly plenty inordinately, and covet more, you are covetous\nworldlings, though you wish it not from another. It is the worldly\nmind and love of wealth that is the sin at the root: the ways of\ngetting it are but the branches.\n\n4. Another thinks he is no worldling, because he useth no unlawful\nmeans, but the labour of his calling, to grow rich. The same answer\nserves to this. The love of wealth for the satisfying of the flesh is\nunlawful, whatever the means be. And is it not also an unlawful means\nof getting, to neglect God and your souls, and the poor, and shut out\nother duties for the world, as you often do?\n\n5. Another thinks he is no worldling, because he is contented with\nwhat he hath, and coveteth no more. When that which he hath is a full\nprovision for his fleshly desires. But if you over-love the world, and\ndelight more in it than God, you are worldlings, though you desire no\nmore. He is described by Christ as a miserable, worldly fool, Luke\nxii. 19, 20, that saith, \"Soul, take thy ease, eat, drink, and be\nmerry, thou hast much goods laid up for many years.\" To over-love what\nyou have, is worldliness, as well as to desire more.\n\n6. Another thinks he is no worldling, because he gives God thanks for\nwhat he hath, and asked it of God in prayer. But if thou be a lover of\nthe world, and make provision for the desires of the flesh, it is but\nan aggravation of thy sin, to desire God to be a servant to thy\nfleshly lusts, and to thank him for satisfying thy sinful desires. Thy\nprayers and thanks are profane and carnal: they were no service to\nGod, but to thy flesh. As if a drunkard or a glutton should beg of God\nprovision for their greedy throats, and thank him for it when they\nhave it: or a fornicator should pray God to be a pander to his lusts,\nand then thank him for it: or a wanton gallant should make fine\nclothes and gallantry the matter of his prayer and thanksgiving.\n\n7. Another thinks he is no worldling, because he hath some thoughts of\nheaven, and is loth to be damned when he can keep the world no longer,\nand prayeth often, and perhaps fasteth with the Pharisee twice a week,\nand giveth alms often, and payeth tithes, and wrongeth no man.[251]\nBut the Pharisees were covetous for all these, Luke xvi. 14. The\nquestion is not whether you think of heaven, and do something for it?\nBut whether it be heaven or earth which you seek first, and make the\nend of all things else, which all are referred to? Every worldling\nknoweth that he must die, and therefore he would have heaven at last\nfor a reserve, rather than hell. But where is it that you are laying\nup your treasure, and that you place all your happiness and hopes? And\nwhere are your hearts? on earth, or in heaven? Col. iii. 1-3; Matt.\nvi. 20, 21. The question is not whether you give now and then an alms\nto deceive your consciences, and part with so much as the flesh can\nspare, as a swine will do when he can eat no more? but whether all\nthat you have be devoted to the will of God, and made to stoop to his\nservice and the saving of your souls, and can be forsaken rather than\nChrist forsaken, Luke xiv. 33.\n\n8. Another thinks that he is not covetous, because it is but for his\nchildren that he provideth: and \"he that provideth not for his own, is\nworse than an infidel,\" 1 Tim. v. 8. But the text speaketh only of\nproviding necessaries for our families and kindred, rather than cast\nthem on the church to be maintained. If you so overvalue the world,\nthat you think it the happiness of your children to be rich, you are\nworldlings and covetous, both for yourselves and them. It is for their\nchildren that the richest and greatest make provision, that their\nposterity may be great and wealthy after them: and this maketh them\nthe more worldlings, and not the less; because they are covetous for\nafter-ages, when they are dead, and not only for themselves.\n\n9. Another thinks he is no worldling, because he can speak as hardly\nof covetous men as any other. But many a one revileth others as\ncovetous that is covetous himself; yea, covetous men are aptest to\naccuse others of covetousness, and of selling too dear, and buying too\ncheap, and giving too little, because they would get the more\nthemselves. And many preachers, by their reading and knowledge, may\nmake a vehement sermon against worldliness, and yet go to hell at last\nfor being worldlings. Words are cheap.\n\n10. Another thinks he is not covetous, because he purposeth to leave\nmuch to charitable uses when he is dead. I confess that much is well:\nI would more would do so. But the flesh itself can spare it, when it\nseeth that it must lie down in the grave. If they could carry their\nriches with them and enjoy them after death, they would do it no\ndoubt: to leave it when you cannot keep it any longer, is not\nthankworthy. So the glutton, and drunkard, and whoremonger, and the\nproud must all leave their pleasure at the grave. But do you serve God\nor the flesh with your riches while you have them? And do you use them\nto help or to hinder your salvation? Deceive not yourselves, for God\nis not mocked, Gal. vi. 7.\n\nVI. Yet many are falsely accused of covetousness upon such grounds as\nthese: 1. Because they possess much and are rich: for the poor take\nthe rich for worldlings. But God giveth not to all alike: he putteth\nten talents into the hands of one servant, and but one into another's:\nand to whom men commit much, of them will they require the more.[252]\nTherefore, to be intrusted with more than others is no sin, unless\nthey betray that trust.\n\n2. Others are accused as covetous, because they satisfy not the\ncovetous desires of those they deal with, or that expect much from\nthem, and because they give not where it is not their duty, but their\nsin to give. Thus the buyer saith the seller is covetous; and the\nseller saith the buyer is covetous, because they answer not their\ncovetous desires. An idle beggar will accuse you of uncharitableness,\nbecause you maintain him not in sinful idleness. The proud look you\nshould help to maintain their pride. The drunkard, and riotous, and\ngamesters expect their parents should maintain their sin. No man that\nhath any thing, shall scape the censure of being covetous, as long as\nthere is another in the world that coveteth that which he hath:\nselfishness looketh to no rules but their own desires.\n\n3. Others are judged covetous, because they give not that which they\nhave not to give. Those that know not another's estate, will pass\nconjectures at it; and if their handsome apparel or deportment, or the\ncommon fame, do make men think them richer than they are, then they\nare accounted covetous, because their bounty answereth not men's\nexpectations.\n\n4. Others are thought covetous, because they are laborious in their\ncallings, and thrifty, and saving, not willing that any thing be lost.\nBut all this is their duty: if they were lords or princes, idleness\nand wastefulness would be their sin. God would have all men labour in\ntheir several callings, that are able: and Christ himself said, when\nhe had fed many thousands by miracle, yet \"Gather up the fragments\nthat remain, that nothing be lost.\" The question is, How they use that\nwhich they labour so hard for, and save so sparingly. If they use it\nfor God, and charitable uses, there is no man taketh a righter course.\nHe is the best servant for God, that will be laborious and sparing,\nthat he may be able to do good.\n\n5. Others are thought covetous, because, to avoid hypocrisy, they give\nin secret, and keep their works of charity from the knowledge of men.\nThese shall have their reward from God: and his wrath shall be the\nreward of their presumptuous censures.\n\n6. Others are thought covetous, because they lawfully and peaceably seek\ntheir right, and let not the unjust and covetous wrong them at their\npleasure. It is true, we must let go our right, whenever the recovering\nof it will do more hurt to others than it will do us good. But yet the\nlaws are not made in vain: nor must we encourage men in covetousness,\nthievery, and deceit, by letting them do what they list: nor must we be\ncareless of our Master's talents; if he intrust us with them, we must\nnot let every one take them from us to serve his lusts with.\n\n_Direct._ II. Seriously consider of your everlasting state, and how much\ngreater things than riches you have to mind. Behold by faith the endless\njoys which you may have with God, and the endless misery which\nworldlings must undergo in hell. There is no true cure for an earthly\nmind, but by showing it the far greater matters to be minded: by\nacquainting it better with its own concernments; and with the greater\nmiseries than poverty or want, which we have to escape; and the greater\ngood than worldly plenty, which we have to seek. It is want of faith\nthat makes men worldlings: they see not what is in another world: they\nsay their creed, but do not heartily believe the day of judgment, the\nresurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. There is not a man\nof them all, but, if he had one sight of heaven and hell, would set\nlighter by the world than ever he did before; and would turn his\ncovetous care and toil to a speedy and diligent care of his salvation.\nIf he heard the joyful praises of the saints, and the woeful\nlamentations of the damned, but one day or hour, he would think ever\nafter that he had greater matters to mind than the scraping together a\nheap of wealth. Remember, man, that thou hast another world to live in;\nand a far longer life to make provision for; and that thou must be in\nheaven or hell for ever. This is true, whether thou believe it or not:\nand thou hast no time but this to make all thy preparation in: and as\nthou believest, and livest, and labourest now, it must go with thee to\nall eternity. These are matters worthy of thy care. Canst thou have\nwhile to make such a pudder here in the dust, and care and labour for a\nthing of nought, while thou hast such things as these to care for, and a\nwork of such transcendent consequence to do?[253] Can a man that\nunderstands what heaven and hell are, find room for any needless\nmatters, or time for so much unnecessary work? The providing for thy\nsalvation is a thing that God hath made thy own work, much more than the\nproviding for the flesh. When he speaks of thy body, he saith, \"Take no\nthought for your life, what you shall eat or drink, nor for your body,\nwhat you shall put on:--for your Father knoweth that ye have need of all\nthese things,\" Matt. vi. 25, 32. \"Be careful for nothing,\" Phil. iv. 6.\n\"Cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you,\" 1 Pet. v. 7. But\nwhen he speaks of your salvation, he bids you \"work it out with fear and\ntrembling,\" Phil. ii. 12;[254] and \"give diligence to make your calling\nand election sure,\" 2 Pet. i. 10; and \"strive to enter in at the strait\ngate,\" Matt. vii. 13; Luke xiii. 24. \"Labour not for the meat that\nperisheth, but for that which endureth to everlasting life,\" John vi.\n27. That is, \"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and\nall these things shall be added to you,\" Matt. vi. 33. Look up to\nheaven, man, and remember that there is thy home, and there are thy\nhopes, or else thou art a man undone for ever; and therefore it is for\nthat that thou must care and labour. Believe unfeignedly that thou must\ndwell for ever in heaven or hell, as thou makest thy preparation here,\nand consider of this as becometh a man, and then be a worldling and\ncovetous if thou canst: riches will seem dust and chaff to thee, if thou\nbelieve and consider thy everlasting state. Write upon the doors of thy\nshop and chamber, I must be in heaven or hell for ever; or, This is the\ntime on which my endless life dependeth; and methinks every time thou\nreadest it, thou shouldst feel thy covetousness stabbed at the heart. O\nblinded mortals! that love, like worms, to dwell in earth! Would God but\ngive you an eye of faith, to foresee your end, and where you must dwell\nto all eternity, what a change would it make upon your earthly minds!\nEither faith or sense will be your guides. Nothing but reason sanctified\nby faith can govern sense. Remember that thou art not a beast, that hath\nno life to live but this: thou hast a reasonable, immortal soul, that\nwas made by God for higher things, even for God himself, to admire him,\nlove him, serve him, and enjoy him. If an angel were to dwell awhile in\nflesh, should he turn an earthworm, and forget his higher life of glory?\nThou art like to an incarnate angel; and mayst be equal with the angels,\nwhen thou art freed from this sinful flesh, Luke xx. 36. O beg of God a\nheavenly light, and a heavenly mind, and look often into the word of\nGod, which tells thee where thou must be for ever; and worldliness will\nvanish away in shame.\n\n_Direct._ III. Remember how short a time thou must keep and enjoy the\nwealth which thou hast gotten. How quickly thou must be stripped of all!\nCanst thou keep it when thou hast it?[255] Canst thou make a covenant\nwith death, that it shall not call away thy soul? Thou knowest\nbeforehand that thou art of short continuance, and the world is but thy\ninn or passage; and that a narrow grave for thy flesh to rot in, is all\nthat thou canst keep of thy largest possessions, save what thou layest\nup in heaven, by laying it out in obedience to God. How short is life!\nHow quickly gone! Thou art almost dead and gone already! What are a few\ndays or a few years more? And wilt thou make so much ado for so short a\nlife? and so careful a provision for so short a stay? Yea, how uncertain\nis thy time, as well as short! Thou canst not say what world thou shalt\nbe in to-morrow. Remember, man, that Thou must die! Thou must die! Thou\nmust quickly die! Thou knowest not how soon! Breathe yet a few breaths\nmore, and thou art gone! And yet canst thou be covetous, and drown thy\nsoul with earthly cares? Dost thou soberly read thy Saviour's warning,\nLuke xii. 19-21? Is it not spoken as to thee? \"Thou fool, this night thy\nsoul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be which\nthou hast provided? So is every one that layeth up riches for himself,\nand is not rich towards God.\"[256] If thou be rich to-day, and be in\nanother world to-morrow, had not poverty been as good? Distracted soul!\ndost thou make so great a matter of it, whether thou have much or little\nfor so short a time? and takest no more care, either where thou shalt\nbe, or what thou shalt have to all eternity? Dost thou say, thou wilt\ncast this care on God? I tell thee, he will make thee care thyself, and\ncare again before he will save thee. And why canst thou not cast the\ncare of smaller matters on him, when he commandeth thee? Is it any great\nmatter whether thou be rich or poor, that art going so fast unto another\nworld, where these are things of no signification? Tell me, if thou wert\nsure that thou must die to-morrow, (yea, or the next month or year,)\nwouldst thou not be more indifferent whether thou be rich or poor, and\nlook more after greater things? Then thou wouldst be of the apostle's\nmind, 2 Cor. iv. 18, \"We look not at the things which are seen, but at\nthe things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are\ntemporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.\" Our eye of\nfaith should be so fixed on invisible, eternal things, that we should\nscarce have leisure or mind to look at or once regard the things that\nare visible and temporal. A man that is going to execution scarce looks\nat all the bustle or business that is done in streets and shops as he\npasseth by; because these little concern him in his departing case. And\nhow little do the wealth and honours of the world concern a soul that is\ngoing into another world, and knows not but it may be this night! Then\nkeep thy wealth, or take it with thee, if thou canst.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Labour to feel thy greatest wants, which worldly wealth\nwill not supply. Thou hast sinned against God, and money will not buy\nthy pardon.[257] Thou hast incurred his displeasure, and money will\nnot reconcile him to thee. Thou art condemned to everlasting misery by\nthe law, and money will not pay thy ransom. Thou art dead in sin, and\npolluted, and captivated by the flesh, and money will sooner increase\nthy bondage than deliver thee. Thy conscience is ready to tear thy\nheart for thy wilful folly and contempt of grace, and money will not\nbribe it to be quiet. Judas brought back his money, and hanged\nhimself, when conscience was but once awakened. Money will not\nenlighten a blinded mind, nor soften a hard heart, nor humble a proud\nheart, nor justify a guilty soul. It will not keep off a fever or\nconsumption, nor ease the gout, or stone, or tooth-ache. It will not\nkeep off ghastly death, but die thou must, if thou have all the world!\nLook up to God, and remember that thou art wholly in his hands; and\nthink whether he will love or favour thee for thy wealth. Look unto\nthe day of judgment, and think whether money will there bring thee\noff, or the rich speed better than the poor.\n\n_Direct._ V. Be often with those that are sick and dying, and mark\nwhat all their riches will do for them, and what esteem they have then\nof the world; and mark how it useth all at last. Then you shall see\nthat it forsaketh all men in the hour of their greatest necessity and\ndistress;[258] when they would cry to friends, and wealth, and honour,\nif they had any hopes, If ever you will help me, let it be now; if\never you will do any thing for me, O save me from death, and the wrath\nof God! But, alas! such cries would be all in vain! Then, oh then! one\ndrop of mercy, one spark of grace, the smallest well-grounded hope of\nheaven, would be worth more than the empire of C\u00e6sar or Alexander! Is\nnot this true, sinner? Dost thou not know it to be true? And yet wilt\nthou cheat and betray thy soul? Is not that best now, which will be\nbest then? And is not that of little value now, which will be then so\nlittle set by? Dost thou not think that men are wiser then than now?\nWilt thou do so much, and pay so dear for that, which will do thee no\nmore good, and which thou wilt set no more by when thou hast it? Doth\nnot all the world cry out at last of the deceitfulness of riches, and\nthe vanity of pleasure and prosperity on earth, and the perniciousness\nof all worldly cares? And doth not thy conscience tell thee, that when\nthou comest to die, thou art like to have the same thoughts thyself?\nAnd yet wilt thou not be warned in time? Then all the content and\npleasure of thy plenty and prosperity will be past: and when it is\npast it is nothing. And wilt thou venture on everlasting woe, and cast\naway everlasting joy, for that which is to-day a dream and shadow, and\nto-morrow, or very shortly, will be nothing?[259] The poorest then\nwill be equal with thee. And will honest poverty, or over-loved\nwealth, be sweeter at the last? How glad then wouldst thou be, to have\nbeen without thy wealth, so thou mightst have been without the sin and\nguilt. How glad then wouldst thou be to die the death of the poorest\nsaint! Do you think that poverty, or riches, are liker to make a man\nloth to die? or are usually more troublesome to the conscience of a\ndying man? O look to the end, and live as you die, and set most by\nthat, and seek that now, which you know you shall set most by at last\nwhen full experience hath made you wiser!\n\n_Direct._ VI. Remember that riches do make it much harder for a man to\nbe saved; and the love of this world is the commonest cause of men's\ndamnation. This is certainly true, for all that poverty also hath its\ntemptations; and for all that the poor are far more numerous than the\nrich. For even the poor may be undone by the love of that wealth and\nplenty which they never get; and those may perish for over-loving the\nworld, that yet never prospered in the world.[260] And if thou believe\nChrist, the point is out of controversy: for he saith, Luke xviii.\n24-27, \"How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom\nof God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye,\nthan for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that\nheard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which\nare impossible with men, are possible with God.\" So Luke vi. 24, 25,\n\"But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your\nconsolation: woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger.\" Make\nbut sense of these and many such like texts, and you can gather no\nless than this from them, that riches make the way to heaven much\nharder, and the salvation of the rich to be more difficult and rare,\nproportionably, than of other men. And Paul saith, 1 Cor. i. 26, \"Not\nmany wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are\ncalled.\" And the lovers of riches, though they are poor, must remember\nthat it is said, \"That the love of money is the root of all evil,\" 1\nTim. vi. 10. And, \"Love not the world, nor the things that are in the\nworld: for if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in\nhim,\" 1 John ii. 15. Do you believe that here lieth the danger of your\nsouls? and yet can you so love, and choose, and seek it? Would you\nhave your salvation more difficult, and doubtful, and impossible with\nmen? You had rather choose to live where few die young, than where\nmost die young; and where sicknesses are rare, than where they are\ncommon. If you were sick, you had rather have the physician, and\nmedicines, and diet which cure most, than those which few are cured\nby. If the country were beset with thieves, you had rather go the way\nthat most escape in, than that few escape in. And yet, so it may but\nplease your flesh, you will choose that way to heaven, that fewest\nescape in; and you will choose that state of life, which will make\nyour salvation to be most hard and doubtful. Doth your conscience say\nthat is wisely done? I know that if God put riches into your hand, by\nyour birth, or his blessing on your honest labours, you must not cast\naway your Master's talents, because he is austere; but by a holy\nimprovement of them, you may further his service and your salvation.\nBut this is no reason why you should over-love them, or desire and\nseek so great a danger. Believe Christ heartily, and it will quench\nyour love of riches.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Remember that the more you have, the more you have to\ngive account for. And if the day of judgment be dreadful to you, you\nshould not make it more dreadful by greatening your own accounts. If\nyou desired riches but for the service of your Lord, and have used\nthem for him, and can truly give in this account, that you laid them\nnot out for the needless pleasure or pride of the flesh, but to\nfurnish yourselves, and families, and others, for his service, and as\nnear as you could, employ them according to his will, and for his use,\nthen you may expect the reward of good and faithful servants; but if\nyou desired and used them for the pride and pleasure of yourselves\nwhile you lived, and your posterity or kindred when you are dead,\ndropping some inconsiderable crumbs for God, you will then find that\nMammon was an unprofitable master, and godliness, with content, would\nhave been greater gain.[261]\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Remember how dear it costeth men, thus to hinder their\nsalvation, and greaten their danger and accounts. What a deal of\nprecious time is lost upon the world, by the lovers of it, which might\nhave been improved to the getting of wisdom and grace, and making their\ncalling and election sure![262] If you had believed that the gain of\nholy wisdom had been so much better than the gaining of gold, as Solomon\nsaith, Prov. iii. 14, you would have laid out much of that time in\nlabouring to understand the Scriptures, and preparing for your endless\nlife. How many unnecessary thoughts have you cast away upon the world,\nwhich might better have been laid out on your greater concernments! How\nmany cares, and vexations, and passions doth it cost men, to overload\nthemselves with worldly provisions! Like a foolish traveller, who having\na day's journey to go, doth spend all the day in gathering together a\nload of meat, and clothes, and money, more than he can carry, for fear\nof wanting by the way: or like a foolish runner, that hath a race to run\nfor his life, and spends the time in which he should be running, in\ngathering a burden of pretended necessaries.[263] You have all the while\nGod's work to do, and your souls to mind, and judgment to prepare for,\nand you are tiring and vexing yourselves for unnecessary things, as if\nit were the top of your ambition to be able to say, in hell, that you\ndied rich. 1 Tim. vi. 6-10, \"Godliness with contentment is great gain.\nFor we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can\ncarry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith\ncontent. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare,\nand into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction\nand perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which\nwhile some coveted after, they have erred (or been seduced) from the\nfaith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.\" Piercing\nsorrows here, and damnation hereafter, are a very dear price to give for\nmoney.[264] For saith Christ himself, \"What shall it profit a man to\ngain all the world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in\nexchange for his soul?\" Mark viii. 36, 37; that is, What money or price\nwill recover it, if for the love of gain he lose it? Prov. xv. 27, \"He\nthat is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts\nshall live.\" Do you not know that a godly man contented with his daily\nbread, hath a far sweeter and quieter life and death than a\nself-troubling worldling? You may easily perceive it. Prov. xv. 16,\n\"Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and\ntrouble therewith.\"\n\n_Direct._ IX. Look much on the life of Christ on earth, and see how\nstrangely he condemneth worldliness by his example. Did he choose to\nbe a prince or lord, or to have great possessions, lands, or money, or\nsumptuous buildings, or gallant attendance, and plentiful provisions?\nHis housing you may read of, Matt. viii. 20; Luke ix. 58, \"Foxes have\nholes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath\nnot where to lay his head.\" His clothing you may read of at his\ncrucifying, when they parted it. As for money, he was fain to send\nPeter to a fish for some to pay their tribute. If Christ did scrape\nand care for riches, then so do thou: if he thought it the happiest\nlife, do thou think so too. But if he contemned it, do thou contemn\nit: if his whole life was directed to give thee the most perfect\nexample of the contempt of all the prosperity of this world, then\nlearn of his example, if thou take him for thy Saviour, and if thou\nlove thyself. \"Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor,\nthat you through his poverty might be rich,\" 2 Cor. viii. 9.\n\n_Direct._ X. Think on the example of the primitive christians, even\nthe best of Christ's servants, and see how it condemneth worldliness.\nThey that by miracle in the name of Christ could give limbs to the\nlame, yet tell him, \"Silver and gold have we none,\" Acts iii. 6. Those\nthat had possessions sold them, and laid the money at the apostles'\nfeet, and they had all things common, to show that faith overcometh\nthe world, by contemning it, and subjecting it to charity, and\ndevoting it entirely to God. Read whether the apostles did live in\nsumptuous houses, with great attendance, and worldly plenty and\nprosperity? And so of the rest.[265]\n\n_Direct._ XI. Remember to what ends all worldly things were made and\ngiven you, and what a happy advantage you may make of them by\nrenouncing them, as they would be provision for your lusts, and by\ndevoting yourselves and them to God.[266] The use of their sweetness\nis, to draw your souls to taste by faith the heavenly sweetness. They\nare the looking-glass of souls in flesh, that are not yet admitted to\nsee these things spiritual face to face. They are the provender of our\nbodies; our travelling furniture and helps; our inns, and solacing\ncompany in the way; they are some of God's love-tokens, some of the\nlesser pieces of his coin, and bear his image and superscription. They\nare drops from the rivers of the eternal pleasures; to tell the mind\nby the way of the senses how good the Donor is, and how amiable; and\nwhat higher delights there are for souls; and to point us to the\nbetter things which these foretell. They are messengers from heaven,\nto testify our Father's care and love, and to bespeak our\nthankfulness, love, and duty; and to bear witness against sin, and\nbind us faster to obedience. They are the first volume of the word of\nGod; the first book that man was set to read, to acquaint him fully\nwith his Maker. As the word which we read and hear is the chariot of\nthe Spirit, by which it maketh its accesses to the soul; so the\ndelights of sight, and taste, and smell, and touch, and hearing, were\nappointed as an ordinary way for the speedy access of heavenly love\nand sweetness to the heart, that upon the first perception of the\ngoodness and sweetness of the creature, there might presently be\ntransmitted by a due progression, a deep impression of the goodness of\nGod upon the soul; that the creatures, being the letters of God's\nbook, which are seen by our eye, the sense (even the love of our great\nCreator) might presently be perceived by the mind: and no letter might\nonce be looked upon but for the sense; no creature ever seen, or\ntasted, or heard, or felt in any delectable quality, without a sense\nof the love of God; that as the touch of the hand upon the strings of\nthe lute do cause the melody, so God's touch by his mercies upon our\nhearts, might presently tune them into love, and gratitude, and\npraise. They are the tools by which we must do much of our Master's\nwork. They are means by which we may refresh our brethren, and express\nour love to one another, and our love to our Lord and Master in his\nservants. They are our Master's stock, which we must trade with, by\nthe improvement of which, no less than the reward of endless happiness\nmay be attained. These are the uses to which God gives us outward\nmercies. Love them thus, and delight in them, and use them thus, and\nspare not; yea, seek them thus, and be thankful for them. But when the\ncreatures are given for so excellent a use, will you debase them all\nby making them only the fuel of your lusts, and the provisions for\nyour flesh? And will you love them, and dote upon them in these base\nrespects; while you utterly neglect their noblest use? You are just\nlike children that cry for books, and can never have enow; but it is\nonly to play with them because they are fine; but when they are set to\nlearn and read them, they cry as much because they love it not: or\nlike one that should spend his life and labour in getting the finest\nclothes, to dress his dogs and horses with, but himself goes naked and\nwill not wear them.[267]\n\n_Direct._ XII. Remember that God hath promised to provide for you, and\nthat you shall want nothing that is good for you, if you will live\nabove these worldly things, and seek first his kingdom, and the\nrighteousness thereof. And cannot you trust his promise? If you truly\nbelieve that he is God, and that he is true, and that his particular\nprovidence extendeth to the very numbering of your hairs,[268] you\nwill sure trust him, rather than trust to your own forecast and\nindustry. Do you think his provision is not better for you than your\nown? All your own care cannot keep you alive an hour, nor can prosper\nany of your labours, if you provoke him to blast them. And if you are\nnot content with his provisions, nor submit yourselves to the disposal\nof his love and wisdom, you disoblige God, and provoke him to leave\nyou to the fruits of your own care and diligence: and then you will\nfind that it had been your wiser way to have trusted God.\n\n[Sidenote: The mischiefs of a worldly mind.]\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Think often on the dreadful importance and effects of\nthe love of riches, or a worldly mind.[269] 1. It is a most certain\nsign of a state of death and misery, where it hath the upper hand. It\nis the departing of the heart from God to creatures. See the malignity\nof it before. Good men have been overtaken with heinous sins; but it\nis hard to find where Scripture calleth any of them covetous. A heart\nsecretly cleaving most to this present world and its prosperity, is\nthe very killing sin of every hypocrite, yea, and of all ungodly men.\n2. Worldliness makes the word unprofitable; and keepeth men from\nbelieving and repenting, and coming home to God, and minding seriously\nthe everlasting world. What so much hindereth the conversion of\nsinners, as the love and cares of earthly things? They cannot serve\nGod and mammon: their treasure and hearts cannot chiefly be both in\nheaven and earth! They will not yield to the terms of Christ that love\nthis world: they will not forsake all for a treasure in heaven. In a\nword, as you heard, the love of money is the root of all evil, and the\nlove of the Father is not in the lovers of the world.[270] 3. It\ndestroyeth holy meditation and conference, and turneth the thoughts to\nworldly things: and it corrupteth prayer, and maketh it but a means to\nserve the flesh, and therefore maketh it odious to God. 4. It is the\ngreat hinderance of men's necessary preparation for death and\njudgment, and stealeth away their hearts and time till it is too late.\n5. It is the great cause of contentions even among the nearest\nrelations; and the cause of the wars and calamities of nations; and of\nthe woeful divisions and persecutions of the church; when a worldly\ngeneration think that their worldly interest doth engage them, against\nself-denying and spiritual principles, practices, and persons. 6. It\nis the great cause of all the injustice, and oppression, and cruelty\nthat rageth in the world. They would do as they would be done by, were\nit not for the love of money. It maketh men perfidious and false to\nall their friends and engagements: no vows to God, nor obligations to\nmen, will hold a lover of the world.[271] The world is his god, and\nhis worldly interest is his rule and law. 7. It is the great destroyer\nof charity and good works. No more is done for God and the poor,\nbecause the love of the world forbids it. 8. It disordereth and\nprofaneth families; and betrayeth the souls of children and servants\nto the devil. It turneth out prayer, and reading the Scripture, and\ngood books, and all serious speeches of the life to come, because\ntheir hearts are taken up with the world, and they have no relish of\nany thing but the provisions of their flesh. Even the Lord's own day\ncannot be reserved for holy works, nor a duty performed, but the world\nis interposing, or diverting the mind. 9. It tempteth men to sin\nagainst their knowledge, and to forsake the truth, and fit themselves\nto the rising side, and save their bodies and estates, whatever become\nof their souls. It is the very price that the devil gives for souls!\nWith this he bought the soul of Judas, who went to the Pharisees, with\na \"What will you give me, and I will deliver him to you.\" With this he\nattempted Christ himself, Matt. iv. 9, \"All these will I give thee, if\nthou wilt fall down and worship me.\" It is the cause of apostasy and\nunfaithfulness to God.[272] And it is the price that sinners sell\ntheir God, their conscience, and their salvation for. 10. It depriveth\nthe soul of holy communion with God, and comfort from him, and of all\nforetaste of the life to come, and finally of heaven itself.[273] For\nas the love of the world keepeth out the love of God and heaven, it\nmust needs keep out the hopes and comforts which should arise from\nholy love. It would do much to cure the love of money, and of the\nworld, if you knew how pernicious a sin it is.[274]\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Remember how base a sin it is, and how dishonourable and\ndebasing to the mind of man. If earth be baser than heaven, and money\nthan God, then an earthly mind is baser than a heavenly mind. As the\nserpent's feeding on the dust is a baser life than that of angels, that\nare employed in admiring, and obeying, and praising the Most Holy God.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Call yourselves to a daily reckoning, how you lay out all\nthat God committeth to your trust; and try whether it be so as you would\nhear of it at judgment. If you did but use to sit in judgment daily upon\nyourselves, as those that believe the judgment of God, it would make you\nmore careful to use well what you have, than to get more; and it would\nquench your thirst after plenty and prosperity, when you perceived you\nmust give so strict an account of it. The flesh itself will less desire\nit, when it finds it may not have the use of it.[275]\n\n_Direct._ XVI. When you find your covetousness most eager and\ndangerous, resolve most to cross it, and give more to pious or\ncharitable uses than at another time. For a man hath reason to fly\nfurthest from that sin, which he is most in danger of. And the acts\ntend to the increase of the habit. Obeying your covetousness doth\nincrease it: and so the contrary acts, and the disobeying and\ndispleasing it, do destroy it. This course will bring your\ncovetousness into a despair of attaining its desire; and so will make\nit sit down and give over the pursuit. It is an open protesting\nagainst every covetous desire; and an effectual kind of repenting; and\na wise and honest disarming sin, and turning its motions against\nitself, to its own destruction. Use it thus oft, and covetousness will\nthink it wisdom to be quiet.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Above all take heed that you think not of reconciling\nGod and mammon, and mixing heaven and earth to be your felicity, and\nof dreaming that you may keep heaven for a reserve at last, when the\nworld hath been loved as your best, so long as you could keep it.\nNothing so much defendeth worldliness, as a cheating hope, that you\nhave it but in a subdued, pardoned degree; and that you are not\nworldlings when you are. And nothing so much supports this hope, as\nbecause you confess that heaven only must be your last refuge, and\nfull felicity, and therefore you do something for it on the bye. But\nis not the world more loved, more sought, more delighted in, and\nfaster held? Hath it not more of your hearts, your delight, desire,\nand industry? If you cannot let go all for heaven, and forsake all\nthis world for a treasure above, you cannot be Christ's true\ndisciples, Luke xiv. 26, 27, 30, 33.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. If ever you would overcome the love of the world,\nyour great care must be to mortify the flesh; for the world is desired\nbut as its provision. A mortified man hath no need of that which is a\nsensualist's felicity. Quench your hydropical, feverish thirst, and\nthen you will not make such a stir for drink. Cure the disease which\nenrageth your appetite; and that is the safest and cheapest way of\nsatisfying it. Then you will be thankful to God, when you look on\nother men's wealth and gallantry, that you need not these things.[276]\nAnd you will think what a trouble and burden, and interruption of your\nbetter work and comfort it would be to you, to have so much land, and\nso many servants, and goods, and business, and persons to mind, as\nrich men have. And how much better you can enjoy God and yourself in a\nmore retired, quiet state of life. But of this more in the next part.\n\nDid men but know how much of an ungodly, damnable state doth consist\nin the love of the world; and how much it is the enemy of souls; and\nhow much of our religion consisteth in the contempt and conquest of\nit; and what is the meaning of their renouncing the world in their\nbaptismal covenant; and how many millions the love of the world will\ndamn for ever; they would not make such a stir for nothing, and spend\nall their days in providing for their perishing flesh; nor think them\nhappiest that are richest; nor \"boast themselves of their heart's\ndesire, and bless the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth,\" Psal. x. 3.\nThey would not think that so small a sin which christians should not\nso much as \"name,\" but in detestation, Eph. v. 3; when God hath\nresolved that the \"covetous shall not inherit the kingdom of God,\" 1\nCor. vi. 10; Eph. v. 5; and a christian must not so much as eat with\nthem, 1 Cor. v. 11. Did Christ say in vain, \"Take heed and beware of\ncovetousness,\" Luke xii. 15. \"Woe to him that coveteth an evil\ncovetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he\nmay be delivered from the power of evil,\" Hab. ii. 9. Oh what\ndeserving servants hath the world, that will serve it so diligently,\nso constantly, and at so dear a rate, when they beforehand know, that\nbesides a little transitory, deluding pleasure, it will pay them with\nnothing but everlasting shame! Oh wonderful deceiving power, of such\nan empty shadow, or rather wonderful folly of mankind! that when so\nmany ages have been deceived before us, and almost every one at death\nconfesseth it did but deceive them, so many still should be deceived,\nand take no warning by such a world of examples! I conclude with Heb.\nxiii. 5, \"Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be\ncontent with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never\nleave thee nor forsake thee.\"\n\n\n                               PART VII.\n\n    _Directions against the Master Sin; Sensuality, Flesh-pleasing,\n                          or Voluptuousness._\n\nI shall be the shorter on this also, because I have spoken so much\nalready in my \"Treatise of Self-denial.\" Before we come to more\nparticular directions, it is needful that we discern the nature and\nevil of the sin which we speak against. I shall therefore, 1. Tell you\nwhat is meant by \"flesh\" here. And 2. What flesh-pleasing it is that\nis unlawful, and what sensuality is. 3. Wherein the malignity of this\nsin consisteth. 4. I shall answer some objections. 5. I shall show you\nthe signs of it. 6. The counterfeits of the contrary. 7. And the false\nsigns, which make some accused wrongfully, by themselves or others.\n\n[Sidenote: What is meant by flesh.]\n\nI. Because you may find in writings between the protestants and\npapists, that it is become a controversy, whether by \"flesh,\" in\nScripture, (where this sin is mentioned,) be meant the body itself, or\nthe soul so far as it is unregenerate, I shall briefly first resolve\nthis question. When we speak of the unregenerate part, we mean not\nthat the soul hath two parts, whereof one is regenerate, and the other\nunregenerate: but as the purblind eye hath both light and darkness on\nthe same subject, so is it with the soul which is regenerate but in\npart, that is, in an imperfect degree: and by the unregenerate part is\nmeant, the whole soul, so far as it is unregenerate. The word \"flesh,\"\nin its primary signification, is taken for that part of the body, as\nsuch, without respect to sin; and next for the whole body, as distinct\nfrom the soul. But in respect to sin and duty, it is taken, 1.\nSometimes for the sensitive appetite, not as sinful in itself, but as\ndesiring that which God hath obliged reason to deny. 2. More\nfrequently, for this sensitive appetite, as inordinate, and so sinful\nin its own desires. 3. Most frequently, for both the inordinate\nsensitive appetite itself, and the rational powers, so far as they are\ncorrupted by it, and sinfully disposed to obey it, or to follow,\ninordinately, sensual things. But then the name is primarily taken for\nthe sensual appetite itself, (as diseased,) and but by participation\nfor the rational powers. For the understanding of which, you must\nconsider, 1. That the appetite itself might innocently (even in\ninnocency) desire a forbidden object; when it was not the appetite\nthat was forbidden, but the desire of the will, or the actual taking\nit. That a man in a fever doth thirst for more than he may lawfully\ndrink, is not of itself a sin; but to desire it by practical volition,\nor to drink it, is a sin; for it is these that God forbids, and not\nthe thirst, which is not in our power to extinguish. That Adam had an\nappetite to the forbidden fruit was not his sin; but that his will\nobeyed his appetite, and his mouth did eat. For the appetite and\nsensitive nature are of God, and are in nature antecedent to the law.\nGod made us men before he gave us laws; and the law commandeth us not\nto alter ourselves from what he made us, or any thing else which is\nnaturally out of our power. But it is the sin of the will and\nexecutive powers, to do that evil which consisteth in obeying an\ninnocent appetite. The appetite is necessary, and not free; and\ntherefore God doth not direct his commands or prohibitions to it\ndirectly, but to the reason and free-will. 2. But since man's fall,\nthe appetite itself is corrupted and become inordinate, that is, more\nimpetuous, violent, and unruly than it was in the state of innocency,\nby the unhappy distempers that have befallen the body itself. For we\nfind now by experience, that a man that useth himself to sweet and\nwholesome temperance, hath no such impetuous strivings of his appetite\nagainst his reason (if he be healthful) as those have that are either\ndiseased, or used to obey their appetites. And if use and health make\nso great alteration, we have cause to think that the depravation of\nnature by the fall did more. 3. This inordinate appetite is sin, by\nparticipation; so far as the appetite may be said to be free by\nparticipation, though not in itself; because it is the appetite of a\nrational, free agent: for though sin be first in the will in its true\nform, yet it is not the will only that is the subject of it, (though\nprimarily it be,) but the whole man, so far as his acts are voluntary:\nfor the will hath the command of the other faculties; and they are\nvoluntary acts which the will either commands, or doth not forbid when\nit can and ought. To lie is a voluntary sin of the man, and the tongue\npartaketh of the guilt. The will might have kept out that sin, which\ncaused a disorder in the appetite. If a drunkard or a glutton provoke\na venereous, inordinate appetite in himself, that lust is his sin,\nbecause it is voluntarily provoked. 4. Yet such additions of\ninordinacy, as men stir up in any appetite, by their own actual sins\nand customs, are more aggravated and dangerous to the soul, than that\nmeasure of distemper which is merely the fruit of original sin. 5.\nThis inordinateness of the sensitive appetite, with the mere privation\nof rectitude in the mind and will, is enough to cause man's actual\nsin. For if the horses be headstrong, the mere weakness, sleepiness,\nnegligence, or absence of the coachman is enough to concur to the\noverthrow of the coach: so if the reason and will had no positive\ninclinations to evil or sensual objects, yet if they have not so much\nlight and love to higher things as will restrain the sensual appetite,\nit hath positive inclination enough in itself to forbidden things to\nruin the soul by actual sin. 6. Yet, though it be a great controversy\namong divines, I conceive that in the rational powers themselves,\nthere are positive, habitual, inordinate inclinations to sensual,\nforbidden things. For as actually it is certain the reason of the\nproud and covetous do contrive, and oft approve the sin, and the will\nembrace it; so these are done so constantly in a continued stream of\naction by the whole man, that it seems apparent that the same\nfaculties which run out in such strong and constant action, are\nthemselves the subjects of much of the inclining, positive habits: and\nif it be so in additional, acquired sin, it is like it was so in\noriginal sin. 7. Though sin be formally subjected first in the will,\nyet materially it is first in the sensitive appetite (at least this\nsin of flesh-pleasing or sensuality is). The flesh or sensitive part\nis the first desirer, though it be sin no further than it is\nvoluntary. 8. All this set together telleth you further, that the word\n\"flesh\" signifieth the sensual inclinations of the whole man; but\nfirst and principally, the corrupted sensual appetite; and the mind\nand will's (whether privative or positive) concurrence, but\nsecondarily, and as falling in with sense. The appetite, 1. Preventeth\nreason. 2. And resisteth reason. 3. And at last corrupteth and\nenticeth reason and will, to be its servants and purveyors.\n\nAnd that the name \"flesh\" doth primarily signify the sensitive appetite\nitself, is evident in the very notation of the name. Why else should the\nhabits or vices of the rational powers be called \"flesh\" any more than\n\"spirit,\" or anything else? If it were only in respect of their object,\nthey should be called \"the world\" also, because that is their object. It\nis a certain rule, that That faculty is most predominant in man, whose\nobject is made his chiefest end. Sensitive delights being made the\nfelicity and end of the unsanctified, it followeth that the sensitive\nfaculties are predominant; which being called \"flesh,\" (by a nearer\ntrope,) the mind from it receives the denomination. The Scriptures also\nshow this plainly: I remember not any one place in the Old Testament\nwhere there is any probability that the word \"flesh\" should signify only\nthe rational soul as unrenewed. Matt. xvi. 17, \"Flesh and blood hath not\nrevealed this unto thee;\" that is, mortal man hath not revealed it.\nMatt. xxvi. 41, \"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak;\" that is,\nyour bodies are weak, and resist the willingness of your souls: for\nsinful habits are not here called weak. John iii. 6, \"That which is born\nof the flesh is flesh;\" that is, man by natural generation can beget but\nnatural man, called \"flesh\" from the visible part; and not the spiritual\nlife, which nature is now destitute of. Rom. vii. 25, \"With my flesh I\nserve the law of sin;\" that is, with my sensitive powers, and my mind so\nfar is captivated thereto. Rom. viii. 1, 5, flesh and spirit are oft\nopposed: \"They that are of the flesh, mind the things of the flesh,\"\n&c.; that is, they in whom the sensitive interest and appetite are\npredominant: for it is called \"the body\" here, as well as \"the flesh,\"\nver. 10, 11, 13. The mind is here included; but it is as serving the\nflesh and its interest. Gal. v. 16, 17, 19, flesh and spirit are in the\nsame manner opposed. And 2 Pet. ii. 18, the lusts of the flesh are in\nthis sense mentioned. And Eph. ii. 3; Rom. vii. 18; xiii. 14; 1 Cor. v.\n5; 1 Pet. ii. 11; in which there is mention of \"fleshly lusts, which\nfight against the spirit,\" and \"fleshly wisdom, making provision for the\nflesh,\" &c. And Col. ii. 18, there is indeed the name of a fleshly mind,\nwhich is but a mind deceived and subservient to the flesh; so that the\nflesh itself, or sensitive interest and appetite, are first signified in\nall or most places, and in some the mind, as subservient thereto.\n\nIt is of the greater consequence that this be rightly understood, lest\nyou be tempted to imitate the libertines, who think the flesh or\nsensitive part is capable of no moral good or evil, and therefore, all\nits actions being indifferent, we may be indifferent about them, and\nlook only to the superior powers: and others, that think that the\nScripture by \"flesh\" meaneth only the rational soul as unrenewed, do\nthereupon cherish the flesh itself, and pamper it, and feed its unruly\nlusts, and never do any thing to tame the body; but pray daily that\nGod would destroy the flesh within them, that is, their sinful habits\nof reason and will, while they cherish the cause, or neglect a chief\npart of the cure. And on the contrary, some papists that look only at\nthe body as their enemy, are much in fastings, and bodily exercises,\nwhile they neglect the mortifying of their carnal minds.\n\n[Sidenote: What flesh-pleasing is a sin.]\n\nII. How far flesh-pleasing is a sin, I shall distinctly open to you in\nthese propositions: 1. The pleasing or displeasing of the sensitive\nappetite in itself considered, is neither sin nor duty, good nor evil;\nbut as commanded or forbidden by some law of God; which is not\nabsolutely done.\n\n2. To please the flesh by things forbidden is undoubtedly a sin, and\nso it is to displease it too. Therefore this is not all that is here\nmeant, that the matter that pleaseth it must not be things forbidden.\n\n3. To overvalue the pleasing of the flesh is a sin; and to prefer it\nbefore the pleasing of God, and the holy preparations for heaven, is\nthe state of carnality and ungodliness, and the common cause of the\ndamnation of souls. The delight of the flesh or senses is a natural\ngood; and the natural desire of it in itself (as is said) is neither\nvice nor virtue: but when this little natural good is preferred before\nthe greater spiritual, moral, or eternal good, this is the sin of\ncarnal minds, which is threatened with death, Rom. viii. 1, 5-8, 13.\n\n4. To buy the pleasing of the flesh at too dear a rate, as the loss of\ntime, or with care and trouble, above its worth, and to be too much\nset on making provisions to please it, doth show that it is\novervalued, and is the sin forbidden, Rom. xiii. 14.\n\n5. When any desire of the flesh is inordinate, immoderate, or\nirregular for matter, or manner, quantity, quality, or season, it is a\nsin to please that inordinate desire.\n\n6. When pleasing the flesh doth too much pamper it, and cherish filthy\nlusts, or any other sin, and is not necessary on some other account,\nas doing greater good, it is a sin. But if life require it, lust must\nbe subdued by other means.[277]\n\n7. When pleasing the flesh doth hurt it, by impairing health, and so\nmaking the body less fit for duty, it is a sin. And so almost all\nintemperance tendeth to breed diseases; and God commandeth temperance\neven for the body's good.\n\n8. When unnecessary flesh-pleasing hindereth any duty of piety,\njustice, charity, or self-preservation, in thought, affection, word,\nor deed, it is sinful.\n\n9. If any pleasing of the flesh can be imagined to have no tendency\ndirectly or indirectly to any moral good or evil, it is not the object\nof a moral choosing or refusing; but like the winking of the eye, which\nfalls not under deliberation, it is not within the compass of morality.\n\n10. Every pleasing of the flesh, which is capable of being referred to a\nhigher end, and is not so referred and used, is a sin. And there is\nscarce any thing, which is eligible, which a vacant, waking man should\ndeliberate on, but should be referred to a higher end; even to the glory\nof God, and our salvation; by cheering us up to love and thankfulness,\nand strengthening or fitting us some way for some duty.[278] This is\napparently a sin, (1.) Because else flesh-pleasing is made our ultimate\nend, and the flesh an idol, if ever we desire it only for itself (when\nit may be referred to a higher end). For though the sensitive appetite\nof itself hath no intended end, yet whatsoever the will desireth is\neither as an end, or as a means. That which is not desired as a means to\nsome higher end, is desired as our ultimate end itself (in that act).\nBut God only is man's lawful, ultimate end. (2.) Because it is against\nan express command, 1 Cor. x. 31, \"Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatever\nye do, do all to the glory of God.\" (3.) Because else we shall take\nGod's creatures in vain, and cast them away in waste. (4.) And we shall\nlose our own benefit to which the creature or pleasure should be\nimproved. (5.) And we shall silence reason, when it should direct; and\nwe shall suspend the government of the will, and give the government (so\nlong) to the flesh or brutish appetite: for that faculty ruleth, whose\nobject is our end. These reasons clearly prove it a sin to terminate our\ndesires in any act of flesh-pleasing as our end, and look no higher,\nwhen it is a matter of moral choice and deliberation.\n\n11. But the sin here is not simply that the flesh is pleased, but that\nthe duty of referring it to a higher end is omitted: so that it is a sin\nof omission (unless we proceed to refer better things as a means to it).\n\n12. The intending of God's glory or our spiritual good, cannot be\ndistinctly and sensibly re-acted in every particular pleasure we take,\nor bit we eat, or thing we use; but a sincere, habitual intention well\nlaid at first in the heart, will serve to the right use of many\nparticular means. As a man purposeth at his first setting out to what\nplace he meaneth to go, and afterward goeth on, though at every step\nhe think not sensibly of his end; so he that devoteth himself unto\nGod, and in general designeth all to his glory, and the furtherance of\nhis duty and salvation, will carry on small particulars to that end,\nby a secret, unobserved action of the soul, performed at the same time\nwith other actions, which only are observed. He that intendeth but his\nhealth in eating and drinking, is not remembering his health at every\nbit and cup; and yet hath such a habit of care and caution, as will\nunobservedly keep him in his way, and help him to fit the means unto\nthe end. As the accustomed hand of a musician can play a lesson on his\nlute, while he thinks of something else; so can a resolved christian\nfaithfully do such accustomed things as eating, and drinking, and\nclothing him, and labouring in his calling, to the good ends which he\n(first actually, and still habitually) resolved on, without a distinct\nremembrance and observable intention of that end.\n\n13. The body must be kept in that condition (as far as we can) that is\nfittest for the service of the soul: as you keep your horse, neither so\npampered as to be unruly, nor yet so low as to disable him for travel;\nbut all that health and strength which makes it not unruly, maketh it\nthe more serviceable. It is not the life of the body, but the health and\nthe cheerfulness, which maketh it fit for duty. And so much pleasing of\nthe flesh as tendeth but to its health and cheerfulness, is a duty,\nwhere it can be done without greater hurt the other way. A heavy body is\nbut a dull and heavy servant to the mind; yea, a great impediment to the\nsoul in duty, and a great temptation to many sins; as sickly and\nmelancholy persons, and many dull and phlegmatic people, know by sad\nexperience. It is as great a duty to help the body to its due alacrity\nand fitness for service, as it is to tame it, and bring it under by\nfasting and sackcloth, when it is proud or lustful.[279] And they that\nthink fasting on certain days, in a formal manner, is acceptable to God,\nwhen the state of the body is not helped, but rather hurt and hindered\nby it, as if it were a thing required for itself, do mistakingly offer a\nsacrifice to God, which he requireth not; and take him to be an enemy to\nman, that desireth his pain and grief, when it tendeth not to his good.\nA mower that hath a good scythe will do more in a day, than another that\nhath a bad one can do in two: every workman knoweth the benefit of\nhaving his tools in order; and every traveller knows the difference\nbetween a cheerful and a tired horse; and they that have tried health\nand sickness, know what a help it is in every work of God, to have a\nhealthful body, and cheerful spirits, and an alacrity and promptitude to\nobey the mind. When the sights of prospects, and beauteous buildings,\nand fields, and countries, or the use of walks, or gardens, do tend to\nraise the soul to holy contemplation, to admire the Creator, and to\nthink of the glory of the life to come (as Bernard used his pleasant\nwalks); this delight is lawful, if not a duty, where it may be had. So\nwhen music doth cheer the mind, and fit it for thanks and praise to God:\nand when the rest of the body, and the use of your best apparel, and\nmoderate feasting, on the Lord's day, and other days of thanksgiving, do\npromote the spiritual service of the day, they are good and profitable;\nbut to those that are more hindered by fulness, even abstinence on such\ndays is best. So that the use of the body must be judged of as it is a\nmeans or an expression of the good or evil of the mind.\n\n14. Sometimes the present time must be most regarded herein, and\nsometimes the future. For when some great sin, or judgment, or other\nreason calls us to a fast, when it becomes needful to the ends of that\npresent day, we must do it, though the body were so weak that it would\nbe somewhat the worse afterward; so be it that the good which we may\nexpect by it that day, be greater than the good which it is like to\ndeprive us of afterward: otherwise the after-loss, if greater, is more\nto be avoided.\n\n15. Many things do remotely fit us for our main end, which, nearly and\ndirectly, seem to have no tendency to it; as those that are only to\nfurnish us with natural strength, and vigour, and alacrity, or to\nprevent impediments. As a traveller's hood and cloak, and other\ncarriage, seem rather to be hinderances to his speed; but yet are\nnecessary for preventing the cold and wet, which else might hinder him\nmore. Yea, a possible, uncertain danger or impediment, if great, may\nbe prevented with a certain small impediment. So it is meet that our\nbodies be kept in that health and alacrity, which is ordinarily\nnecessary to our duty; and in eating and drinking, and lawful\nrecreations, it is not only the next or present duty, which we prepare\nfor, but for the duty which may be very distant.\n\n16. Ordinarily it is safest to be more fearful of excess of fleshly\npleasure, than of defect. For ordinarily we are all very prone to an\nexcess, and also the excess is usually more dangerous. When excess is\nthe damnation of all, or most that ever perish, and defect is but the\ntrouble and hinderance, but never, or rarely, the damnation of any, it\nis easy then to see on which side we should be most fearful,\ncautelous, and vigilant.\n\n17. Yet excessive scrupulousness may be a greater sin, and a greater\nhinderance in the work of God, than some small excesses of\nflesh-pleasing, which are committed through ignorance or inadvertency.\nWhen an honest heart which preferreth God before the flesh, and is\nwilling to please him though it displease the flesh, shall yet mistake\nin some small particulars, or commit some daily errors of infirmity or\nheedlessness, it is a far less hinderance to the main work of religion,\nthan if that man should daily perplex his mind with scruples about every\nbit he eats, whether it be not too pleasing or too much; and about every\nword he speaks, and every step he goes, as many poor, tempted,\nmelancholy persons do; thereby disabling themselves, not only to love,\nand praise, and thankfulness, but even all considerable service.\n\nIn sum, All pleasing of the senses or flesh, which is lawful, must\nhave these qualifications: 1. God's glory must be the ultimate end. 2.\nThe matter must be lawful, and not forbidden. 3. Therefore it must not\nbe to the hinderance of duty. 4. Nor to the drawing of us to sin. 5.\nNor to the hurt of our health. 6. Nor too highly valued, nor too\ndearly bought. 7. The measure must be moderate. Where any of these are\nwanting, it is sin: and where flesh-pleasing is habitually in the bent\nof heart and life preferred before the pleasing of God, it proves the\nsoul in captivity to the flesh, and in a damnable condition.\n\n[Sidenote: The greatness of the sin.]\n\nIII. I am next to show you the evil or malignity of predominant\nflesh-pleasing: for if the greatness of the sin were known, it would\ncontribute much to the cure. And, 1. Understand that it is the sin of\nsins; the end of all sin, and therefore the very sum and life of all.\nAll the evil wicked men commit, is ultimately to please the flesh: the\nlove of flesh-pleasing is the cause of all. Pride, and covetousness, and\nwhoredom, and wantonness, and gluttony, and drunkenness, and all the\nrest, are but either the immediate works of sensuality and\nflesh-pleasing, or the distant service of it, by laying in provision for\nit. And all the malicious enmity and opposition to God and godliness is\nfrom hence, because they cross the interest and desires of the flesh:\nthe final cause is it for which men invent and use all the means that\ntend to it. Therefore all other sin being nothing but the means for the\npleasing of our fleshly appetites and fancies, it is evident that\nflesh-pleasing is the common cause of them all; and is to all other sin\nas the spring is to the watch, or the poise to the clock; the weight\nwhich giveth them all their motion. Cure this sin and you have taken off\nthe poise, and cured all the positive sins of the soul: though the\nprivative sins would be still uncured, if there were no more done;\nbecause that which makes the clock stand still, is not enough to make it\ngo right. But, indeed, nothing but the love of pleasing God, can truly\ncure the love of flesh-pleasing: and such a cure is the cure of every\nsin, both positive and privative, active and defective.\n\n2. Flesh-pleasing is the grand idolatry of the world; and the flesh\nthe greatest idol that ever was set up against God. Therefore Paul\nsaith of sensual worldlings, that \"their belly is their god,\" and\nthence it is that they \"mind earthly things,\" and \"glory in their\nshame, and are enemies to the cross of Christ,\" that is, to sufferings\nfor Christ, and the doctrine and duties which would cause their\nsufferings. That is a man's god which he taketh for his chief good,\nand loveth best, and trusteth in most, and is most desirous to please:\nand this is the flesh to every sensualist. He \"loveth pleasure more\nthan God,\" 2 Tim. iii. 2, 4. He \"savoureth\" or \"mindeth\" the \"things\nof the flesh,\" and \"liveth\" to it, and \"walketh after it,\" Rom. viii.\n1, 5-8, 13. He \"maketh provision for it to satisfy its appetite or\nlusts,\" Rom. xiii. 14. He \"soweth to the flesh,\" Gal. vi. 8; and\nfulfilleth his lust, when it \"lusteth against the Spirit,\" Gal. v. 16,\n17. And thus, while concupiscence or sensuality hath dominion, sin is\nsaid to have dominion over them, and they are servants to it, Rom. vi.\n14, 20. For \"to whom men yield themselves servants to obey, his\nservants they are whom they serve or obey,\" Rom. vi. 16. It is not\nbowing the knee and praying to another, that is the chief idolatry. As\nloving, and pleasing, and obeying, and trusting, and seeking, and\ndelighting in him, are the chiefest parts of the service of God, which\nhe preferreth before a thousand sacrifices or compliments; so loving\nthe flesh, and pleasing it, and obeying it, and trusting in it, and\nseeking and delighting in its pleasures, are the chief service of the\nflesh; and more than if you offered sacrifice to it, and therefore is\nthe grand idolatry. And so the flesh is the chief enemy of God, which\nhath the chiefest love and service which are due to him, and robs him\nof the hearts of all mankind that are carnal and unsanctified. All the\nBaals, and Jupiters, and Apollos, and other idols of the world set\ntogether, have not so much of the love and service due to God, as the\nflesh alone hath. If other things be idolized by the sensualist, it is\nbut as they subserve his flesh, and therefore they are made but\ninferior idols. He may idolize his wealth, and idolize men in power\nand worldly greatness; but it is but as they can help or hurt his\nflesh: this hath his heart. By the interest of the flesh, he judgeth\nof his condition; by this he judgeth of his friends; by this he\nchooseth his actions or refuseth them; and by this he measureth the\nwords and actions of all others. He takes all for good which pleaseth\nhis flesh, and all for bad that is against his pleasure.\n\n3. The flesh is not only the common idol, but the most devouring idol\nin all the world. It hath not, as subservient, flattered idols have,\nonly a knee and compliment, or now and then a sacrifice or ceremony,\nbut it hath the heart, the tongue, the body to serve it; the whole\nestate, the service of friends, the use of wit and utmost diligence;\nin a word, it hath all. It is loved and served by the sensualist, as\nGod should be loved and served by his own, even \"with all the heart,\nand soul, and might:\" they \"honour it with their substance, and the\nfirstfruits of their increase.\" It is as faithfully served as Christ\nrequireth to be of his disciples: men will part with father, and\nmother, and brother, and sister, and nearest friends, and all that is\nagainst it, for the pleasing of their flesh. Nay, Christ required men\nto part with no greater matter for him than transitory, earthly\nthings, which they must shortly part with whether they will or no; but\nthey do for the flesh ten thousand thousandfold more than ever they\nwere required to do for Christ. They forsake God for it. They forsake\nChrist, and heaven, and their salvation for it. They forsake all the\nsolid comforts of this life, and all the joys of the life to come for\nit. They sell all that they have, and lay down the price at its feet;\nyea, more than all they have, even all their hopes of what they might\nhave to all eternity. They suffer a martyrdom in the flames of hell\nfor ever, for their flesh. All the pains they take is for it. All the\nwrong they do to others, and all the stirs and ruins they make in the\nworld, is for it. And all the time they spend is for it: and had they\na thousand years more to live, they would spend it accordingly. If any\nthing seem excepted for God, it is but the bones, or crumbs, or\nleavings of the flesh; or rather, it is nothing: for God hath not\nindeed the hours which he seems to have; he hath but a few fair words\nand compliments, when the flesh hath their hearts in the midst of\ntheir hypocritical worship, and on his holy day; and they serve him\nbut as the Indians serve the devil, that he may serve their turns, and\ndo them no hurt.\n\n4. How base an idol is the flesh! If all the derision used by Elijah\nand the prophets against the heathenish idolatry be due, is not as\nmuch due against the idolatry of all the sensual? Is it so great a\nmadness to serve an idol of silver, or gold, or stone, or wood? what\nbetter is it to serve an idol of flesh and blood; a paunch of guts;\nthat is full of filth and excrements within, and the skin itself, the\ncleanest part, is ashamed to be uncovered? We may say to the carnal\nworldling, as Elijah to the Baalists, and more; \"Call upon your God in\nthe hour of your distress: cry aloud; perhaps he is asleep, or he is\nblowing his nose, or vomiting, or purging: certainly he will be\nshortly rotting in the grave, more loathsome than the dirt or dung\nupon the earth.\" And is this a god to sacrifice all that we can get\nto? and to give all our time, and care, and labour, and our souls and\nall to? O judge of this idolatry, as God will make you judge at last!\n\n5. And here next consider how impious and horrid an abasement it is of\nthe eternal God, to prefer so vile a thing before him! And whether every\nungodly, sensual man, be not a constant, practical blasphemer? What dost\nthou but say continually by thy practice, This dunghill, nasty flesh, is\nto be preferred before God; to be more loved, and obeyed, and served? It\ndeserveth more of my time than he: it is more worthy of my delight and\nlove. God will be judge, (and judge in righteousness ere long,) whether\nthis be not the daily language of thy life, though thy tongue be taught\nsome better manners. And whether this be blasphemy, judge thyself.\nWhether thou judge God or the flesh more worthy to be pleased, and which\nthou thinkest it better to please, ask thy own heart, when cards, and\ndice, and eating, and drinking, and gallantry, and idleness, and\ngreatness, and abundance, do all seem so sweet unto thee, in comparison\nof thy thoughts of God, and his holy word and service! and when morning\nand night, and whenever thou art alone, those thoughts can run out with\nunweariedness or pleasure, upon these provisions for thy flesh, which\nthou canst hardly force to look up unto God, a quarter of an hour,\nthough with unwillingness.\n\n6. Think also what a contempt of heaven it is, to prefer the pleasing of\nthe flesh before it. There are but two ends which all men aim at; the\npleasing of the flesh on earth, or the enjoying of God in heaven\n(unless any be deluded to think that he shall have a sensual life\nhereafter too, as well as here). And these two stand one against the\nother. And he that sets up one, doth renounce (or as good as renounce)\nthe other. \"If ye sow to the flesh, of the flesh ye shall reap\ncorruption; but if ye sow to the Spirit, of the Spirit ye shall reap\neverlasting life,\" Gal. vi. 8. Your wealth, and honour, and sports, and\npleasures, and appetites are put in the scales against heaven, and all\nthe joys and hopes hereafter; (to say you hope to have them both, is the\ncheat of infidelity, that believes not God; and is not heaven most\nbasely esteemed of by those that prefer so base a thing before it?\n\n7. Remember that flesh-pleasing is a great contempt and treachery\nagainst the soul. It is a great contempt of an immortal soul, to\nprefer its corruptible flesh before it, and to make its servant to\nbecome its master, and to ride on horseback, while it goes, as it\nwere, on foot. Is the flesh worthy of so much time, and cost, and\ncare, and so much ado as is made for it in the world, and is not a\nnever-dying soul worth more? Nay, it is a betraying of the soul: you\nset up its enemy before it; and put its safety into an enemy's hands;\nand you cast away all its joys and hopes for the gratifying of the\nflesh. Might it not complain of your cruelty, and say, Must my endless\nhappiness be sold to purchase so short a pleasure for your flesh? Must\nI be undone for ever, and lie in hell, that it may be satisfied for a\nlittle time? But why talk I of the soul's complaint? Alas! it is\nitself that it must complain of! for it is its own doing! It hath its\nchoice: the flesh can but tempt it, and not constrain it: God hath put\nthe chief power and government into its hands; if it will sell its own\neternal hopes, to pamper worm's meat, it must speed accordingly. You\nwould not think very honourably of that man's wit or honesty, who\nwould sell the patrimony of all his children, and all his friends that\ntrusted him therewith, and after sell their persons into slavery, and\nall this to purchase him a delicious feast, with sports and gallantry\nfor a day! And is he wiser or better that selleth (in effect) the\ninheritance of his soul, and betrayeth it to hell and devils for ever,\nand all this to purchase the fleshly pleasure of so short a life?\n\n8. Remember what a beastly life it is to be a sensualist. It is an\nunmanning of yourselves. Sensual pleasures are brutish pleasures;\nbeasts have them as well as men. We have the higher faculty of reason,\nto subdue and rule the beastly part. And reason is the man; and hath a\nhigher kind of felicity to delight in. Do you think that man is made\nfor no higher matters than a beast? and that you have not a more noble\nobject for your delight than your swine or dog hath, who have the\npleasure of meat, and lust, and play, and ease, and fancy, as well as\nyou? Certainly where sensual pleasures are preferred before the higher\npleasures of the soul, that man becomes a beast, or worse, subjecting\nhis reason to his brutish part.\n\n9. Think what an inconsiderable, pitiful felicity it is that fleshly\npersons choose; how small and short, as well as sordid. Oh how quickly\nwill the game be ended! and the delights of boiling lust be gone! How\nquickly will the drink be past their throats, and their delicate\ndishes be turned into filth! How short is the sport and laughter of\nthe fool! And how quickly will that face be the index of a pained\nbody, or a grieved, self-tormenting mind! It is but a few days till\nall their stately greatness will be levelled; and the most adorned,\npampered flesh will have no more to show of all the pleasure which\nwas so dearly bought, than a Lazarus, or the most mortified saint. A\nfew days will turn their pleasure into anguish, and their jollity into\ngroans, and their ostentation into lamentation, and all their glory\ninto shame. As every moment puts an end to all the pleasures of their\nlives that are past, and they are now to them as if they had never\nbeen; so the last moment is at hand, which will end the little that\nremains. And then the sinner will with groans confess, that he hath\nmade a miserable choice, and that he might have had a more durable\npleasure if he had been wise. When the skull is cast up with the\nspade, to make room for a successor, you may see the hole where all\nthe meat and drink went in, and the hideous seat of that face, which\nsometime was the discovery of wantonness, pride, and scorn; but you\nwill see no signs of mirth or pleasure.\n\n10. Lastly, consider that there is scarce a sin in the world more\nunexcusable than this. The flesh-pleaser seeth the end of all his\nsensual delights, in the faces of the sick, and in the corpses that\nare daily carried to the earth, and in the graves, and bones, and dust\nof those that sometime had as merry a life as he. His reason can say,\nAll this is gone with them, and is as if it had never been; and so it\nwill shortly be with me. He knoweth that all the pleasure of his life\npast is now of no value to himself. His warnings are constant, close,\nand sensible; and therefore he hath the greater sin.\n\n[Sidenote: The plea of flesh-pleasers.]\n\nIV. _Object._ I. What hurt is it to God, or any one else, that I\nplease my flesh? I will not believe that a thing so harmless will\ndisplease him. _Answ._ Merely as it is pleasure, it hath no hurt in\nit: but as it is inordinate or immoderate pleasure; or as it is\nover-loved, and preferred before God and your salvation; or as it is\ngreater than your delight in God; or as it wants its proper end, and\nis loved merely for itself, and not used as a means to higher things;\nand as it is made a hinderance to the soul, and to spiritual pleasure,\nand the service of God; and as it is the brutish delight of an\nungoverned, rebellious appetite, that mastereth reason, and is not\nunder obedience to God. Though sin can do God no hurt, it can do you\nhurt, and it can do him wrong. I think I have showed you what hurt and\npoison is in it already. It is the very rebellion of corrupted nature;\nthe turning of all things upside down; the taking down God, and\nheaven, and reason, and destroying the use of all the creatures, and\nsetting up flesh-pleasing instead of all, and making a brute your god\nand governor. And do you ask what harm there is in this? So will your\nchild do, when he desireth any play, or pleasure; and the sick, when\nthey desire to please their appetite. But your father, and physician,\nand reason, and not brutish appetite, must be judge.\n\n_Object._ II. But I feel it is natural to me, and therefore can be no\nsin. _Answ._ 1. The inordinate, violent, unruly appetite is no\notherwise natural to you, than as a leprosy is to a leprous\ngeneration. And will you love your disease, because it is natural? It\nis no otherwise natural, than it is to be malicious, and revengeful,\nand to disobey your governors, and abuse your neighbours; and yet I\nthink they will not judge you innocent, for rebellion or abuse,\nbecause it is natural to you. 2. Though the appetite be natural, is\nnot reason to rule it as natural to you? And is not the subjection of\nthe appetite to reason natural? If it be not, you have lost the nature\nof man, and are metamorphosed into the nature of a beast. God gave you\na higher nature to govern your appetite and lower nature: and though\nreason cannot take away your appetite, it can rule it, and keep you\nfrom fulfilling it, in any thing or measure that is unmeet.\n\n_Object._ III. But it appeareth by the case of Eve, that the appetite\nwas the same in innocency; therefore it is no sin. _Answ._ You must\nnot forget the difference between, 1. The appetite itself. 2. The\nviolence and unruly disposition of the appetite. 3. And the actual\nobeying and pleasing of the appetite. The first (the appetite itself)\nwas in innocency, and is yet no sin. But the other two (the violence\nof it, and the obeying it) were not in innocency, and are both sinful.\n\n_Object._ IV. But why would God give innocent man an appetite that\nmust be crossed by reason? and that desired that which reason must\nforbid? _Answ._ The sensitive nature is in order of generation before\nthe rational: and reason and God's laws do not make sense to be no\nsense. You may as well ask, why God would make beasts, which must be\nrestrained and ruled by men; and therefore have a desire to that which\nman must restrain them from? You do but ask, Why God made us men and\nnot angels? Why he placed our souls in flesh? He oweth you no account\nof his creation. But you may see it is meet that obedience should have\nsome trial by difficulties and opposition, before it have its\ncommendation and reward. He gave you a body that was subject to the\nsoul, as the horse unto the rider; and you should admire his wisdom,\nand thank him for the governing power of reason; and not murmur at\nhim, because the horse will not go as well without the guidance of the\nrider, or because he maketh you not able to go as fast and as well on\nfoot. So much for the sensualist's objections.\n\n[Sidenote: Signs of sensuality.]\n\nV. The signs of a flesh-pleaser or sensualist are these (which may be\ngathered from what is said already): 1. When a man in desire to please\nhis appetite, referreth it not (actually or habitually) to a higher\nend, viz. the fitting himself to the service of God; but sticketh only\nin the delight. 2. When he looks more desirously and industriously\nafter the prosperity of his body, than of his soul. 3. When he will\nnot part with or forbear his pleasures, when God forbiddeth them, or\nwhen they hurt his soul, or when the necessities of his soul do call\nhim more loudly another way; but he must have his delight whatever it\ncost him, and is so set upon it, that he cannot deny it to himself. 4.\nWhen the pleasures of his flesh exceed his delights in God, and his\nholy word and ways, and the forethoughts of endless pleasure; and this\nnot only in the passion, but in the estimation, choice, and\nprosecution. When he had rather be at a play, or feast, or gaming, or\ngetting good bargains or profits in the world, than to live in the\nlife of faith, and love, a holy and heavenly conversation. 5. When men\nset their minds to contrive and study to make provision for the\npleasures of the flesh; and this is first and sweetest in their\nthoughts. 6. When they had rather talk, or hear, or read of fleshly\npleasures, than of spiritual and heavenly delights. 7. When they love\nthe company of merry sensualists, better than the communion of saints,\nin which they may be exercised in the praises of their Maker. 8. When\nthey account that the best calling, and condition, and place for them\nto live in, where they have the pleasure of the flesh, where they have\nease, and fare well, and want nothing for the body, rather than that\nwhere they have far better help and provision for the soul, though the\nflesh be pinched for it. 9. When he will be at more cost to please his\nflesh, than to please God. 10. When he will believe or like no\ndoctrine but libertinism, and hateth mortification as too strict\npreciseness. By these, and such other signs, sensuality may easily be\nknown; yea, by the main bent of the life.\n\n[Sidenote: Counterfeits of mortification.]\n\nVI. Many flesh-pleasers flatter themselves with better titles, being\ndeceived by such means as these: 1. Because they are against the\ndoctrine of libertinism, and hold as strict opinions as any. But\nflesh-pleasing may stand with the doctrine of mortification, and the\nstrictest opinions, as long as they are not put in practice.\n\n2. Because they live not in any gross, disgraced vice. They go not to\nstage-plays, or unseasonably to alehouses or taverns; they are not\ndrunken, nor gamesters, nor spend their hours in unnecessary\nrecreations or pastimes; they are no fornicators, nor wallow in\nwealth. But the flesh may be pleased and served in a way that hath no\ndisgrace accompanying it in the world. May not a man make his ease, or\nhis prosperity, or the pleasing of his appetite, without any infamous\nexcesses, to be as much his felicity and highest end, and that which\npractically he taketh for his best, as well as if he did it in a\nshameful way? Is not many a man a gluttonous flesh-pleaser, that\nmaketh his delight the highest end of all his eating and drinking; and\npleaseth his appetite without any restraint, but what his health and\nreputation put upon him, though he eat not till he vomit or be sick?\nEven the flesh itself may forbid a sensualist to be drunk, or to eat\ntill he be sick; for sickness and shame are displeasing to the flesh.\nMany a man covereth a life of sensuality, not only with a seeming\ntemperance, unreproved of men, but also with a seeming strictness and\nausterity. But conscience might tell them, where they have their good\nthings, Luke xvi. 25.\n\n3. Some think they are no sensual flesh-pleasers, because they live in\nconstant misery, in poverty and want, labouring hard for their daily\nbread; and therefore they hope that they are the Lazaruses that have\ntheir sufferings here. But is not all this against thy will? Wouldst\nthou not fare as well as the rich, and live as idly, and take thy\npleasure, if thou hadst as much as they? What thou wouldst do, that\nthou dost in God's account. It is thy will that thou shalt be judged\nby. A thief doth not become a true man when the prison or stocks do\nhinder him from stealing, but when a changed heart doth hinder him.\n\n4. Others think that they are no flesh-pleasers, because their wealth,\nand places, and degrees of honour allow them to live high in diet and\ndelights. It is like the rich man, Luke xvi. who was \"clothed with\npurple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day,\" did live upon\nhis own, and as he thought agreeably to his rank and place; and the\nfool, Luke xii. 19, 20, that said, \"Soul, take thine ease, eat, drink,\nand be merry,\" did intend to please himself but with his own, which\nGod had given him as a blessing on his land and labour. But no man's\nriches allow him to be voluptuous. The commands of taming and\nmortifying the flesh, and not living after it, nor making provision\nfor it, to satisfy its lusts, belong as much to the rich as to the\npoor. Though you are not to live in the same garb with the poor, you\nare as much bound to mortification and self-denial as the poorest. If\nyou are richer than others, you have more to serve God with, but not\nmore than others to serve the flesh with. If poverty deny them any\nthing which might better enable their bodies or minds to serve God,\nyou may so far go beyond them, and use with thankfulness the mercies\ngiven you; but you must no more be flesh-pleasers than they.\n\n5. And some deceive themselves by interposing sometimes a formal fast,\nas the fleshly Pharisee, that \"fasted twice a week,\" Luke xviii. 12,\nand then they think that they are no sensualists. I speak not of the\npopish fasting with fish and delicates (this is not so much as a show\nof mortification). But what if you really fast as oft as the Pharisees\ndid, and quarrel with Christ's disciples for not fasting? Matt. ix.\n14, 15. Will not a sensualist do as much as this, if his physician\nrequire it for his health? If the scope of your lives be fleshly, it\nis not the interruption of a formal fast that will acquit you; which\nperhaps doth but quicken your appetite to the next meal.\n\n[Sidenote: False appearances of sensuality.]\n\nVII. Yet many are wrongfully taken by others (if not by themselves) to\nbe sensual, by such mistakes as these: 1. Because they live not as\nmeanly and scantily as the poor, who want things necessary or helpful\nto their duty. But by that rule I must not be well, because other men\nare sick; or I must not go apace, because the lame can go but slowly!\nIf poor men have bad horses, I may ride on the best I can get, to\ndespatch my business, and redeem my time, so I prefer not costly,\nuseless ostentation, before true serviceableness. 2. Others are\naccused as sensual, because the weakness of their bodies requireth a\nmore tender usage, and diet, than healthful men's: some bodies are\nunfitter for duty if they fast; and some are useless through sickness\nand infirmities, if they be not used with very great care. And it is\nas truly a duty to cherish a weak body to enable it for God's service,\nas to tame an unruly, lustful body, and keep it from offending him. 3.\nSome melancholy, conscientious persons are still accusing themselves,\nthrough mere scrupulosity; questioning almost all they eat, or drink,\nor wear, or do, whether it be not too much or too pleasing. But it is\na cheerful sobriety that God requireth, which neither pampereth the\nbody, nor yet disableth or hindereth it from its duty; and not an\nunprofitable, wrangling scrupulosity.\n\n_Direct._ I. The first and grand direction against flesh-pleasing is,\nthat you be sure, by a serious, living faith, to see the better things\nwith God, and to be heartily taken up in minding, loving, seeking, and\nsecuring them. All the other directions are but subservient to this.\nFor certainly man's soul will not be idle, being a living, active\nprinciple: and it is as certain, that it will not act but upon some\nend, or for some end. And there are no other ends to take us up, but\neither the things temporal or eternal. And therefore there is no true\ncure for a sensual love of temporal things, but to turn the heart to\nthings eternal. Believingly think first of the certainty, greatness,\nand eternity of the joys above; and then think that these may more\ncertainly be yours, than any worldly riches or delights, if you do not\ncontemptuously reject them. And then think that this is the time in\nwhich you must make sure of them, and win them, if ever you will\npossess them; and that you are sent into the world of purpose on this\nbusiness. And then think with yourselves, how fleshly pleasures are\nthe only competitors with the everlasting pleasures; and that, if ever\nyou lose them, it will be by over-loving these transitory things; and\nthat one half of your work for your salvation lieth in killing your\naffections to all below, that they may be alive to God alone. And\nlastly, think how much higher and sweeter pleasures, even in this\nlife, the godly do enjoy than you; and you are losing them while you\nprefer these sordid pleasures. Do you think that a true believer hath\nnot a more excellent delight in his forethoughts of his immortal\nblessedness with Christ, and in the assurance of the love of God, and\ncommunion with him in his holy service, than you, or any sensualist,\nhath in fleshly pleasures? Sober and serious meditation on these\nthings, will turn the mind to the true delights.\n\n_Direct._ II. Be acquainted with the range of sensual desires, and\nfollow them, and watch them in all their extravagances. Otherwise,\nwhile you are stopping one gap, they will be running out at many more.\nI have given you many instances in my \"Treatise of Self-denial.\" I\nwill here briefly set some before your eyes.\n\n1. Watch your appetites as to meat and drink, both quantity and quality.\nGluttony is a common, unobserved sin: the flesh no way enslaves men more\nthan by the appetite; as we see in drunkards and gluttons, that can no\nmore forbear than one that thirsteth in a burning fever.\n\n2. Take heed of the lust of uncleanness, and all degrees of it, and\napproaches to it; especially immodest embraces and behaviour.\n\n3. Take heed of ribald, filthy talk, and love songs, and of such\nincensing snares.\n\n4. Take heed of too much sleep and idleness.\n\n5. Take heed of taking too much delight in your riches, and lands,\nyour buildings, and delectable conveniences.\n\n6. Take heed lest honours, or worldly greatness, or men's applause,\nbecome your too great pleasure.\n\n7. And lest you grow to make it your delight, to think on such things\nwhen you are alone, or talk idly of them in company with others.\n\n8. And take heed lest the success and prosperity of your affairs do\ntoo much please you, as him, Luke xii. 20.\n\n9. Take not up any inordinate pleasure in your children, relations, or\nnearest friends.\n\n10. Take heed of a delight in vain, unprofitable, sinful company.\n\n11. Or in fineness of apparel, to set you out to the eyes of others.\n\n12. Take heed of a delight in romances, play-books, feigned stories,\nuseless news, which corrupt the mind, and waste your time.\n\n13. Take heed of a delight in any recreations which are excessive,\nneedless, devouring time, discomposing the mind, enticing to further\nsin, hindering any duty, especially our delight in God. They are\nmiserable souls that can delight themselves in no more safe or\nprofitable things, than cards, and dice, and stage-plays, and immodest\ndancings.\n\n_Direct._ III. Next to the universal remedy mentioned in the first\ndirection, see that you have the particular remedies still at hand,\nwhich your own particular way of flesh-pleasing doth most require. And\nlet not the love of your vanity prejudice you against a just\ninformation, but impartially consider of the disease and the remedy.\nOf the particulars anon.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Remember still that God would give you more pleasure,\nand not less; and that he will give you as much of the delights of\nsense as is truly good for you, so you will take them in their place,\nin subordination to your heavenly delights. And is not this to\nincrease and multiply your pleasure? Are not health, and friends, and\nfood, and convenient habitation, much sweeter as the fruit of the love\nof God, and the foretastes of everlasting mercies, and as our helps to\nheaven, and as the means to spiritual comfort, than of themselves\nalone? All your mercies are from God: he would take none from you, but\nsanctify them, and give you more.\n\n_Direct._ V. See that reason keep up its authority, as the governor of\nsense and appetite. And so take an account, whatever the appetite\nwould have, of the ends and reasons of the thing, and to what it doth\nconduce. Take nothing and do nothing merely because the sense or\nappetite would have it; but because you have reason so to do, and to\ngratify the appetite. Else you will deal as brutes, if reason be laid\nby (in human acts).\n\n_Direct._ VI. Go to the grave, and see there the end of fleshly\npleasure, and what is all that it will do for you at the last. One\nwould think it should cure the mad desire of plenty and pleasure, to\nsee where all our wealth, and mirth, and sport, and pleasure must be\nburied at last.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Lastly, be still sensible that flesh is the grand enemy\nof your souls, and flesh-pleasing the greatest hinderance of your\nsalvation. The devil's enmity and the world's are both but subordinate\nto this of the flesh: for its pleasure is the end, and the world's and\nSatan's temptations are both but the means to attain it. Besides the\nmalignity opened before, consider,\n\n[Sidenote: The enmity of the flesh.]\n\n1. How contrary a voluptuous life is to the blessed example of our\nLord, and of his servant Paul, and all the apostles! Paul tamed his\nbody and brought it into subjection, lest, having preached to others,\nhimself should be a cast-away, 1 Cor. ix. 27. And all that are\nChrist's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts\nthereof, Gal. v. 24. This was signified in the ancient manner of\nbaptizing, (and so is still by baptism itself,) when they went over\nhead in the water and then rose out of it, to signify that they were\ndead and buried with Christ, Rom. vi. 3, 4, and rose with him to\nnewness of life. This is called our being \"baptized into his death;\"\nand seems the plain sense of 1 Cor. xv. 29, of being \"baptized for the\ndead;\" that is, \"for dead\" to show that we are dead to the world, and\nmust die in the world, but shall rise again to the kingdom of Christ,\nboth of grace and glory.\n\n2. Sensuality showeth that there is no true belief of the life to\ncome, and proveth, so far as it prevaileth, the absence of all grace.\n\n3. It is a homebred, continual traitor to the soul; a continual\ntempter, and nurse of all sin; the great withdrawer of the heart from\nGod; and the common cause of apostasy itself: it still fighteth\nagainst the Spirit, Gal. v. 17; and is seeking advantage from all our\nliberties, Gal. v. 13; 2 Pet. ii. 10.\n\n4. It turneth all our outward mercies into sin, and strengtheneth\nitself against God by his own benefits.\n\n5. It is the great cause of our afflictions; for God will not spare\nthat idol which is set up against him: flesh rebelleth, and flesh\nshall suffer.\n\n6. And when it hath brought affliction, it is most impatient under it,\nand maketh it seem intolerable. A flesh-pleaser thinks he is undone,\nwhen affliction depriveth him of his pleasure.\n\n7. Lastly, it exceedingly unfitteth men for death; for then flesh must\nbe cast into the dust, and all its pleasure be at an end. Oh doleful day\nto those that had their good things here, and their portion in this\nlife! when all is gone that ever they valued and sought; and all the\ntrue felicity lost, which they brutishly contemned! If you would\njoyfully then bear the dissolution and ruin of your flesh, oh master it,\nand mortify it now. Seek not the ease and pleasure of a little walking,\nbreathing clay, when you should be seeking and foretasting the\neverlasting pleasure. Here lieth your danger and your work. Strive more\nagainst your own flesh, than against all your enemies in earth and hell:\nif you be saved from this, you are saved from them all. Christ suffered\nin the flesh, to tell you that it is not pampering, but suffering, that\nyour flesh must expect, if you will reign with him.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[137] I must profess that the nature and wonderful difference of the\ngodly and ungodly, and their conversation in the world, are perpetual,\nvisible evidences in my eyes, of the truth of the holy Scriptures.\n\n1. That there should be so universal and implacable a hatred against\nthe godly in the common sort of unrenewed men, in all ages and nations\nof the earth, when these men deserve so well of them, and do them no\nwrong; is a visible proof of Adam's fall, and the need of a Saviour\nand a Sanctifier.\n\n2. That all those who are seriously christians, should be so far\nrenewed, and recovered from the common corruption, as their heavenly\nminds and lives, and their wonderful difference from other men\nshoweth, this is a visible proof that christianity is of God.\n\n3. That God doth so plainly show a particular special providence in the\nconverting and confirming souls, by differencing grace, and work on the\nsoul, as the sanctified feel, doth show that indeed the work is his.\n\n4. That God doth so plainly grant many of his servants' prayers, by\nspecial providences, doth prove his owning them and his promises.\n\n5. That God suffereth his servants in all times and places ordinarily\nto suffer so much for his love and service, from the world and flesh,\ndoth show that there is a judgment, and rewards and punishments\nhereafter. Or else our highest duty would be our greatest loss; and\nthen how should his government of men be just?\n\n6. That the renewed nature (which maketh men better, and therefore is\nof God) doth wholly look at the life to come, and lead us to it, and\nlive upon it, this showeth that such a life there is; or else this\nwould be delusory and vain, and goodness itself would be a deceit.\n\n7. When it is undeniable that _de facto esse_, the world is not\ngoverned without the hopes and fears of another life; almost all\nnations among the heathens believing it, (and showing, by their very\nworshipping their dead heroes as gods, that they believed that their\nsouls did live,) and even the wicked generally being restrained by\nthose hopes and fears in themselves. And also that, _de posse_, it is\nnot possible the world should be governed agreeably to man's rational\nnature, without the hopes and fears of another life; but men would be\nworse than beasts, and all villanies would be the allowed practice of\nthe world. (As every man may feel in himself what he were like to be\nand do, if he had no such restraint.) And there being no doctrine or\nlife comparable to christianity, in their tendency to the life to\ncome. All these are visible standing evidences, assisted so much by\ncommon sense and reason, and still apparent to all, that they leave\ninfidelity without excuse; and are ever at hand to help our faith, and\nresist temptations to unbelief.\n\n8. And if the world had not a beginning according to the Scriptures,\n1. We should have found monuments of antiquity above six thousand\nyears old. 2. Arts and sciences would have come to more perfection,\nand printing, guns, &c. not have been of so late invention. 3. And so\nmuch of America and other parts of the world would not have been yet\nuninhabited, unplanted, or undiscovered.\n\nOf atheism I have spoken before in the Introduction; and nature so\nclearly revealeth a God, that I take it as almost needless to say much\nof it to sober men.\n\n[138] Neque enim potest Deus qui summa veritas et bonitas est, humanum\ngenus, prolem suam decipere. Marsil. Ficin. de. Rel. Chris. c. 1.\n\n[139] Pietas fundamentum est omnium virtutum. Cic. pro Plan.\n\n[140] Zenophon reporteth Cyrus as saying, If all my familiars were\nendued with piety to God, they would do less evil to one another, and\nto me. Lib. viii.\n\n[141] Pietate adversus Deos sublat\u00e2, fides etiam, et societas humani\ngeneris, et una excellentissima virtus justitia, tollatur necesse est.\nCic. de Nat. Deo. 4.\n\n[142] See my book called \"A Saint or a Brute.\"\n\n[143] Exod. vii. 13, 14; 2 Kings xvii. 14; 2 Chron. xxxvi. 13; Neh.\nix. 16, 17, 29; Isa. lxiii. 17; Dan. v. 20; Mark vi. 52; viii. 17;\niii. 5; John xii. 40; Acts xix. 9; Prov. xxviii. 14; xxix. 1; Matt.\nxix. 8; Mark xvi. 14; Rom. ii. 5.\n\n[144] Non tamen ideo beatus est, quia patienter miser est. August de\nCivit. l. 14. c. 25.\n\n[145] Lento gradu ad vindictam sui divina procedit ira: tarditatemque\nsupplicii gravitate compensat. Valerius Max. de Dionys. 1. 1. c. 2.\n\n[146] Feriemini, moriemini, sentietis: an c\u00e6ci autem an videntes, id\nin vestra manu est. Optate igitur bene mori (quod ipsum nisi bene\nvixeritis frustra est). Optate, inquam, nitimini, et quod in vobis est\nfacile: reliquum illi committite; qui vos in hanc vitam ultro non\nvocatos intulit; egressuris, non nisi vocatus et rogatus manum dabit.\nNon mori autem nolite optare. Petrarch. Dial. 107. 1. 2.\n\n[147] Multi Christum osculantur; pauci amant: aliud est \u03c6\u03b9\u03bb\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd, aliud\n\u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03c6\u03b9\u03bb\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd. Abr. Bucholtzer in Scultet. cur. p. 15. Dicunt Stoici\nsapientes esse sinceros, observateque et cavere sollicite nequid de se\nmelius quam sit commendare putemus fuco seu arte aliqua mala\noccultante, et bona qu\u00e6 insunt apparere faciente, ac circumcidere\nvocis omnem ficionem. Laert. in Zenone. Philosophia res adeo\ndifficilis est, ut tam vel simulare magna sit pars philosophi\u00e6. Paul\nScalig. It was one of the Roman laws of the 12 Tables, \"Impius ne\naudeto placere donis iram Deorum.\" \"Let no ungodly person dare to go\nabout to appease the displeasure of the gods by gifts:\" viz. He must\nappease them first by reformation. Bona conscientia prodire vult et\nconspici; ipsas nequitia tenebras timet. Senec.\n\n[148] When Petrarch, in vita sua, speaketh of others extolling his\neloquence, he addeth his own neglect of it, Ego modo bene vixissem,\nqualiter dixissem parvi facerem. Ventosa gloria est, de solo verborum\nsplendore famam qu\u00e6rere. Conscientiam potius quam famam attende. Falli\ns\u00e6pe poterit fama: conscientia nunquam. Senec.\n\n[149] Sic vivendum est, quasi in conspectu vivamus: Sic cogitandum,\ntanquam aliquis pectus intimum prospicere possit. Senec. Rem dicam, ex\nqua mores \u00e6stimes nostras: vix quempiam invenies, qui possit aperto\nostio vivere: janitores conscientia nostra--supposuit: sic vivimus ut\ndeprehendi sit subito aspici. Senec. Ep. 96.\n\n[150] It is a pitiful cure of the Indians' idolatry, which the honest\nJesuit Acosta (as the rest) prescribeth, lib. 5. c. 11. p. 483. \"But you\nmust especially take care, that saving rites be introduced instead of\nhurtful ones, and ceremonies be obliterated by ceremonies. Let the\npriests persuade the novices, that holy water, images, rosaries, grains,\nand torches, and the rest which the church alloweth and useth, are very\nfit for them; and let them extol them with many praises in their popular\nsermons, that instead of the old superstition they may be used to new\nand religious signs.\" This is to quench the fire with oil.\n\n[151] It is one of Thales' sayings, in Laert. Q. Quomodo optime ac\njustissime vivemus? Resp. Si qu\u00e6 in aliis reprehendimus ipsi non\nfaciamus. To judge of ourselves as we judge of others, is the way of the\nsincere.\n\n[152] Cato, homo virtuti simillimus qui nunquam recte fecit, ut facere\nvideretur, sed quia aliter facere non poterat; cuique id solum visum\nest rationem habere, quod haberet justitiam. Velleius Patercul. 1. 2.\n\n[153] Jam in ecclesiis ista qu\u00e6runtur, et omissa Apostolicorum\nsimplicitate et puritate verborum, quasi ad Athen\u00e6um et ad auditoria\nconvenitur ut plausus circumstantium suscitentur, ut oratio rhetoric\u00e6\nartis fucata mendacio quasi qu\u00e6dam meretricula procedat in publicum,\nnon tam eruditura populos, quam favorem populi qu\u00e6situra. Hieron. in\nPr\u00e6f. 1. 3. in Galat.\n\n[154] Permanent tepidi, ignavi, negligentes, vani, leves, voluptuosi,\ndelicati; commoda corpores superflua sectantur, suum compendium in\nomnibus qu\u00e6runt, ubicunque honorem et existimationem nominis sui\nintegra servare possunt: intus propri\u00e6 voluntati pertinaciter addicti,\nirresignati, minime abnegati, superbi, curiosi, et contumaces sunt in\nomnibus, licet externe coram hominibus bene morati videantur. In\ntentationibus impatientes, amari, procaces, iracundi, tristes, aliis\nmolesti, verbis tamen ingenioque scioli,--In prosperis nimium elati et\nhilares: in adversis, nimium turbati sunt et pusillanimes: aliorum\ntemerarii sunt judices: aliorum vitia accuratissime perscrutari, de\naliorum defectibus frequenter garrire, ac gloriari egregium putant. Ex\nistis et similibus operibus facillime cognosci poterunt: nam moribus\ngestibusque suis seu sorex quispiam suopte semet indicio produnt.\nThauler. flor. p. 65, 56.\n\n[155] Quid prodest recondere se et oculos hominum auresque vitare?\nBona conscientia turbam advocat; mala autem in solitudine anxia et\nsollicita est. Si honesta sunt qu\u00e6 facis, omnes sciant: si turpia,\nquid refert neminem scire, cum tu scias: O te miserum si contemnis\nhunc testem. Sen. Ep. 96. Matt. xxiii. 13-15, 23, 25, 27, 29.\n\n[156] Matt. xxiii. 8; Eph. iv. 2-5; Luke x. 42; Matt. vi. 33; 2 Pet.\ni. 10; John vi. 27.\n\n[157] 1 Tim. ii. 5; James iv. 12; Hos. x. 2.\n\n[158] 1 Cor. i. 13; Gal. iv. 8; 1 Cor. viii. 5; Phil. iii. 18.\n\n[159] The causes of superstition (and so of hypocrisy) are, pleasing\nand sensual rites and ceremonies, excess of outward and pharisaical\nholiness, over-great reverence of traditions, which cannot but load\nthe church, the stratagems of prelates for their own ambition and\nlucre, the savouring too much good intentions, which openeth a gate to\nconceits and novelties. Lord Bacon's Essays. As P. Callimachus Exper.\ndescribeth Attila, that he was a devourer of flesh and wine, &c. and\nyet Religione persuasionibusque de diis \u00e0 gente sua susceptis, usque\nad superstitionem addictus. Calli. p. (mihi) 339.\n\n[160] Psal. lxxviii. 37; 2 Cor. vii. 11.\n\n[161] 1 John i. 6; ii. 3-5, 15; iv. 6-8, 20; v. 3; Matt. x. 37.\n\n[162] The similitude of superstition to religion maketh it the more\ndeformed: and as wholesome meat corrupteth into little worms, so good\nforms and orders corrupt into a number of petty observances. Lord\nBacon's Essay of Superstition.\n\n[163] Non quam multis placeas, sed qualibus stude. Martin. Dumiens. de\nMorib.\n\n[164] Luke xiv. 26, 27.\n\n[165] Magna animi sublimitate carpentes se atque objurgantes Socrates\ncontemnebat. Laert. in Socrat.\n\n[166] When Chrysippus was asked why he exercised not himself with the\nmost, he answered, If I should do as the most do, I should be no\nphilosopher. Laert. in Chrysip. Adulationi f\u0153dum crimen servitutis\nmalignitati falsa species libertatis inest. Tacitus, lib. 17. Secure\nconscience first, Qua semel amissa, postea nullus eris.\n\n[167] Rom. xiv.; xv. 1-3.\n\n[168] Gal. v. 10; 1 Cor. v.\n\n[169] Quicquid de te probabiliter fingi potest, ne fingatur ante\ndevita. Hieron. ad Nepot. Non solum veritas in hac parte sed etiam\nopinio studiose qu\u00e6renda est, ut te hypocritam agere interdum minime\np\u0153niteat, said one harshly enough to Acosta, ut lib. 4. c. 17. p. 413.\n\n[170] 1 Pet. iv. 12, 13, &c.; 1 Cor. iv. 12, 13; Acts xxii. 22; xxiv.\n5, 6; Matt. v. 10-12.\n\n[171] Psal. xxx. 5; lxiii. 3; 2 Cor. v. 9; Rom. viii. 33, 34.\n\n[172] Matt. x.; John xv.; Matt. xxvii.; Heb. xii. 1-3; 1 Pet. ii. 21-23.\n\n[173] We must go further than Seneca, who said, Male de me loquuntur,\nsed mali; moverer si de me Mar. Cato, si L\u00e6lius sapiens, si duo\nScipiones ista loquerentur: nunc malis displicere, laudari est.\n\n[174] See Dr. Boys' Postil. p. 42, 43. Marlorat. in 1 Cor. iv. 3.\n\n[175] The open daylight of truth doth not show the masks, and\nmummeries, and triumphs of the world, half so stately and gallant as\ncandlelight doth. Lord Bacon's Essay of Truth. Why lies are loved.\n\n[176] Offendet te superbus contemptu; dives contumelia, petulans\ninjuria, lividus malignitate: pugnax contentione, ventosus et mendax\nvanitate: non feres a suspicioso timeri, a pertinace vinci, a delicato\nfastidiri. Senec. de Ira, l. 3. c. 8.\n\n[177] Unus mihi pro populo est, et populus pro uno. Sen. Ep. 7. ex\nDemocr. Satis sunt mihi pauci, satis est unus; satis est nullus.\nSenec. Epist. 7. Socrates was condemned by the votes of more against\nhim of his judges than those that absolved him; and they would not\nsuffer Plato to speak for him. His sentence was, Jura violat Socrates,\nquos ex majorum instituto suscepit civitas, deos esse negans, alia\nvero nova d\u00e6monia inducens. Laert. in Socrat.\n\n[178] Qu\u00e6 ego scio populus non probat: qu\u00e6 probat populus ego nescio.\nSen. Epi. 29. Imperitia in omnibus majori ex parte dominatur, et\nmultitudo verborum. Cleobulus in Laert.\n\n[179] Inter h\u00e6c quid agant quibus loquendi \u00e0 Christo officium\nmandatur? Deo displicent, si taceant; hominibus si loquantur. Salvian.\nad Eccles. Cath. 1. 4.\n\n[180] Even for the greatness of your services, you may perish, by the\nsuspicion and envy of those great ones whom you served: as is proved\nby the case of Saul and David, Belisarius, Narses, Bonifacius, the two\nsons of Huniades imprisoned, and one slain, and multitudes such like.\n\n[181] Persium non curo legere: L\u00e6lium Decimum volo: ut Lucilius.\n\n[182] I may add that you have guilty consciences to please. And the\nguilty are, as Seneca speaks, like one that hath an ulcer, that at\nfirst is hurt with every touch, and at last even with the suspicion of\na touch. Tutum aliqua res in mala conscientia pr\u00e6stat, nulla securum.\nPutat enim etiamsi non deprehenditur, se posse deprehendi; et inter\nsomnos movetur, et quoties alicujus scelus loquitur, de suo cogitat.\nSen. Epis. 106. Prima et maxima peccantium p\u0153na est peccasse.--H\u00e6c et\nsecund\u00e6 p\u0153n\u00e6 premunt et sequuntur, timere semper et expavescere et\nsecuritate diffidere. Epis. 97. Tyranno amici quoque s\u00e6pe suspecti\nsunt. Tu ergo, si tyrannidem tuto tenere cupis, atque in ea\nconstabiliri, civitatis principes tolle, sive illi amici, sive inimici\nvideantur. Thrasybulus in Epist. Periand. in Laertio. Plerorumque\ningenium est, ut errata aliorum vel minima perscrutentur, benefacta\nvero vel in propatulo posita pr\u00e6tereant; sicut vultures corpora viva\net sana non sentiunt, morticina vero et cadavera tametsi longe remota\nodore persequuntur. Galiadus in Arcan. Jesuit, p. 55.\n\n[183] When the divines of Heidelberg appointed Pitiscus to write his\nIrenicon, his very writing for peace, and to persuade the reformed\nfrom apologies and disputes, did give occasion of renewed stirs to the\nSaxons and Swedish divines, to tell men that they could have no peace\nwith us. Scultet. Curric. p. 46.\n\n[184] They that saw Stephen's face as it had been the face of an\nangel, and heard him tell them that he saw heaven opened, yet stoned\nhim to death as a blasphemer. Acts vi. 15; vii. 55-60.\n\n[185] Socrates primus de vit\u00e6 ratione disseruit, ac primus\nphilosophorum damnatus moritur. Laert. in Socrat. p. 92. Multa prius\nde immortalitate animarum ac pr\u00e6clara dissertus. Ibid.\n\n[186] Fama liberrima principum judex. Seneca in Consolat. ad Martiam.\n\n[187] Aristides having got the surname of Just, was hated by the\nAthenians, who decreed to banish him: and every one that voted against\nhim being to write down his name, a clown that could not write came to\nAristides to desire him to write down Aristides' name. He asked him\nwhether he knew Aristides; and the man answered, No; but he would vote\nagainst him because his name was Just. Aristides concealed himself,\nfulfilled the man's desire, and wrote his own name in the roll and gave\nit him: so easily did he bear it to be condemned of the world for being\njust. Plutarch in Aristide. It was not only Socrates that was thus used,\nsaith Laertius, Nam Homerum velut insanientem drachmis quinquaginta\nmulctarunt, Tyrt\u00e6umque mentis impotem dixerunt, &c.--\"Which of the\nprophets have not your fathers persecuted?\" Matt. xxiii.\n\n[188] Vis esse in mundo? Contemni et temnere disce. Abr. Bucholtzer.\n\n[189] Socrates dicenti cuidam, Nonne tibi ille maledicit? Non, inquit,\nmihi enim ista non adsunt.\n\n[190] Dicebat expedire, ut sese ex industria comicis exponeret: nam si\nea dixerint qu\u00e6 in nobis corrigenda sint, emendabunt: sin alias, nihil\nad nos.\n\n[191] Dicenti Alcibiadi, non esse tolerabilem Xantippen adeo morosam:\nAtqui, ait, ego ita hisce jampridem assuetus sum, ac si sonum\ntrochearum audiam--et mihi post Xantippes usum, reliquorum mortalium\nfacilis toleratio est. Laert. in Socr.\n\n[192] Hoc habeo fere refugii et pr\u00e6sidii in meis \u00e6rumnis: sermones cum\nDeo, cum amicis veris, et cum mutis magistris. Bucholtzer.\n\n[193] Nemo altorum sensu miser est sed suo: et ideo non, possunt\ncujusquam falso judicio esse miseri, qui sunt vere su\u00e2 conscienti\u00e2\nbeati. Salvian. de Gubern. 1. 1.\n\n[194] Philosophi libertas molesta est omnibus. P. Scalig. multo magis\nfidelis pastoris.\n\n[195] Non est idoneus philosophi\u00e6 discipulus, qui stultum pudorum non\npossit contemnere Id. ibid. p. 728.\n\n[196] Of this subject read the preface to my book \"Of Self-denial,\"\nand chap. 41. to chap. 51.\n\n[197] Duplex est humilitas: una lucida solum et non fervida: qu\u00e6 ex\nratione potius quam ex charitate exercetur.--Altera qu\u00e6 lucida\nfervidaque simul est, ex charitate magis quam ex ratione exercetur;\nnon tamen citra rationem.--Humilitas enim (ut et reliqu\u00e6 virtutes)\nopus est voluntatis. Nam sicut virtutes per rationem cognoscimus, ita\nper dilectionem nobis sapiunt. Thauler. flor. c. 7, p. 103, 104.\n\n[198] See Plutarch Tract. How a man may praise himself without\nincurring blame? He that is blamed and suffereth reproach for\nwell-doing, is justifiable if he praise himself, &c. p. 304.\n\n[199] Siquid agere instituis, lente progredere: in eo autem quod\nelegeris, firmiter persiste. Bass in Laert.\n\n[200] Pertinacior tamen erat (Chrysanthius) nec de sententia facili\ndiscedebat: inquit Eunapius humilitatem ejus laudans.\n\n[201] Bullingero ob eruditionem non contemnendam, morumque tam\nsanctitatem quam suavitatem, percharus fuit. p. 591.\n\n[202] Gen. xix. 8-10.\n\n[203] Cum humilitatis causa mentiris, si non eras peccator antequam\nmentiris, mentiendo efficies quod evitaras. Augustin. de Verb. A post.\n\n[204] Attila incessu adeo gestuosus et compositus, ut vel exinde\nsuperbissimi animi contraxerit infamiam. Callimach. Exper. de Attil.\np. 341.\n\n[205] Quod \u00e0 magnatum ac procerum congressu abstinuerit (Chrysanthius)\nalieniorque fuerit, non arroganti\u00e6 aut fastui tribuendum est, quin\npotius rusticitas qu\u00e6dam aut simplicitas existimari debet in eo qui\nquid esset potestas ignorabat; ita vulgariter, et minime dissimulanter\ncum illis verba factitabat. Eunapius in Chrysost.\n\n[206] Jer. ix. 23, 24; Psal. xlix. 6; 2 Chron. xxv. 19.\n\n[207] Ut lumen lun\u00e6 in pr\u00e6sentia solis non apparet, pari ratione esse\nsecundum in pr\u00e6sentia primi; nec meritum nostrum pr\u00e6sente merito\nChristi. Paul. Scaliger. Thess. 73, 74. de Mundo Archetyp. Epist. 1. 14.\n\n[208] Idem sonant, summe amari, et esse finem ultimum: ac proculdubio\nDeus summe amandus est. Unum vero finem Aristoteles declaravit esse,\nusum virtutis in vita sancta et integra. Hesych. Illust. in Aristot.\n\n[209] Laert. in Thal. speaketh of the oracle of Delphos adjudging the\nTripos to the wisest; so it was sent to Thales, and from him to\nanother, till it came to Solon, who sent it to the oracle; saying,\nNone is wiser than God. So should we all send back to God the praise\nand glory of all that is ascribed to us.\n\n[210] Laert. saith that Pythagoras first called himself a philosopher.\nNullum enim hominem, sed solum Deum esse sapientem asserit: antea\n\u03c3\u03bf\u03c6\u03b9\u03b1 dicta, qu\u00e6 nunc philosophia: et qui hanc profitebantur \u03c3\u03bf\u03c6\u03bf\u03b9\nappellati. quicunque ad summum animis virtutem excreverunt, hos nunc\nhonestiore vocabulo, authore Pythagora, philosophos appellamus, p. 7.\n\n[211] Quicquid boni egeris, in deos refer. Bias in Laert.\n\n[212] Men sick in mind, as witless fools, and loose persons, and unjust,\nand injurious, think not that they do amiss and sin, &c. Plutarch.\nTract. That Maladies of the Mind are worse than those of the Body.\n\n[213] Rom. v. 12, 17-19; John iii. 3, 5, 8; Jer. xvii. 9.\n\n[214] His ergo qui loquendi arta c\u00e6teris hominibus excellere videntur,\nsedulo monendi sunt ut humilitate induti christiana discant non\ncontemnere quos cognoverint morum vitia quam verborum amplius\ndevitare, Aug. de Cat. rudib. c. 9.\n\n[215] Non potest non indoctus esse, qui se doctum credit. Hermar.\nBarbarus.\n\n[216] Pliny saith, In commending another you do yourself right; for he\nwhom you commend is either superior or inferior to you; if he be\ninferior, if he be to be commended, then you much more; if he be\nsuperior, if he be not to be commended, then you much less. Lord\nBacon, Essay 54. p. 299.\n\n[217] Clemens Alex. strom. l. 1. c. 4. Ait fideli christiano docenti\nvel unicum sufficere auditorem.\n\n[218] Isa. lxv. 5.\n\n[219] Matt. xi. 19; ix. 11; xv. 2, 3.\n\n[220] See 1 Tim. iii. 6; vi. 4. A cunning flatterer will follow the\narch-flatterer which is a man's self. And wherein a man thinketh best\nof himself, therein the flatterer will uphold him most. But if he be\nan impudent flatterer, he will entitle him by force to that which he\nis conscious that he is most defective in. Lord Bacon, Essay 52.\n\n[221] Hesich. Illust. saith of Arcesilaus, In communicandis\nfacultatibus ac deferendis beneficiis supra quam dici potest promptus\natque facilis fuit: alienissimus a captanda gloriola a beneficio, quod\nlatere maluerat: invisens Ctesibium \u00e6grotantem, quum videret illum in\negestate esse, clam cervicali supposuit crumeunam nummariam, qua ille\ninventa, Arcesilai inquit, hicce ludus est.\n\n[222] Psal. x. 2, 4; lxxiii. 6; xxxvi. 11; Eccl. x. 7.\n\n[223] Rom. xii. 19, 20; Matt. v. 39; Col. iii. 13; 1 Thess. v. 14; 2\nPet. ii. 20.\n\n[224] Jam. iii. 5; Psal. xlix. 6; x. 3; 2 Cor. x. 15.\n\n[225] Inter benedicti signa humilitatis (in regula) est, ut pauca\nverba etiam rationalia loquatur, non clamosa voce: taciturnitas usque\nad interrogationem: sed h\u00e6c semper intelligenda sunt, salvo amore\nveritatis, et animarum.\n\n[226] 2 Cor. xi. 9; 1 Thess. ii. 9; 2 Thess. iii. 8.\n\n[227] Humilitas est, 1. Necessaria: subdere se majori, et non pr\u00e6ferre\nse \u00e6quali. 2. Abundans: subdere se \u00e6quali, nec preferre se minori: 3.\nPerfecta: subdere se minori.--Gloss. sup. Matt. iii. Humilitatis\nseptem gradus secundum Anselmum sunt. 1. Opinione: (1.) Se\ncontemptibilem cognoscere. (2.) Hoc non dolere. 2. Manifestatione:\n(1.) Hoc confiteri: (2.) Hoc persuadere. (3.) Patienter sustinere h\u00e6c\ndici. 3. Voluntate: (1.) Pati contemptibiliter se tractari. (2.) Hoc\nidem amare. Anselm. lib. de similit.\n\n[228] Anaxagoras (in Laert. p. 87.) Cum vidisset mausoli sepulchrum:\nmonumentum, inquit, pretiosum et lapidibus ornatum, divitiarum imago.\n\n[229] \u00c6neas Sylvius in Boem. c. 65, speaking of the boasting of the\nmonk Capistrinus, saith, Superaverat seculi pompas, calcaverat\navaritiam, libidinem subegerat, gloriam contemnere non potuit: nemo\nest tam sanctus qui dulcedine glori\u00e6 non capiatur. Facilius regna viri\nexcellentes, quam gloriam contemnunt. Inter omnia vitia tu semper es\nprima, semper es ultima: nam omne peccatum te accedente committitur,\net te recedente dimittitur. Innocent. de Contemp. Mundi. l. 2. c. 31.\n\n[230] Jam. iv. 6; 1 Pet. v. 5; Isa. lvii. 15; Prov. xvi. 19; xxix. 23.\n\n[231] Vainglorious men are the scorn of wise men, the admiration of\nfools, the idols of flatterers, and the slaves of their own pride.\nLord Bacon, Essay 54.\n\n[232] Matt. ix. 24; v. 40.\n\n[233] John xv. 20; Phil. ii. 7-10.\n\n[234] 1 Cor. iv. 12-15; Acts xxiv. 5.\n\n[235] See my \"Treatise of Self-ignorance.\"\n\n[236]\n\n      Fama est fictilibus c\u0153nasse Agathoclea regem,\n        Atque abacum Samio s\u00e6pe onerasse luto.\n      Fercula gemmatis cum poneret aurea vasis,\n        Et misceret opes pauperiemque simul,\n\n      Querenti causam respondit: Rex ego qui sum\n        Sicani\u00e6, figulo sum genitore satus.\n      Fortunam reverentur habe, quicunque repente\n        Dives ab exili progredire loco.\n                                 Auson. li. Epigram.\n\n\n[237] Isa. iii.\n\n[238] Rom. iii. 19, 20, 23, 27; iv. 2; Cor. i. 29; Eph. ii. 9.\n\n[239] Luke xxii. 26; Mark x. 44; ix. 35, 36; 2 Tim. ii. 24.\n\n[240] 1 Pet. v. 6; Lam. iii. 29; ii. 19; Amos iii. 8; 1 Pet. v. 5;\nJam. iv. 6; Dan. v. 22; 2 Chron. xxxiv. 27.\n\n[241] See an excellent Tract. de Divitiis, ascribed to Sixt. 3. in\nBibl. Pat. (though accused of Pelagianism.)\n\n[242] Phil. iii. 7-9; Jam. i. 10; Phil. iv. 11; 1 Tim. vi. 8; Prov.\nxxiii. 4, \"Labour not to be rich.\"\n\n[243] Luke xiv. 26, 33.\n\n[244] Matt. vi. 19-21, 33; John vi. 27; Luke xii. 19, 20; xviii. 22, 23.\n\n[245] Ephes. v. 5; Col. iii. 5; James iv. 4.\n\n[246] Rom. xiii. 14; Matt. vi. 19; 1 Tim. iii. 8; Phil. iii. 19; Ezek.\nxxxiii. 31; Jer. ix. 23.\n\n[247] Job i. 21.\n\n[248] 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18; Mal. iii. 8, 9; Judg. vii. 21.\n\n[249] Du\u00e6 res maxime homines ad maleficium impellunt, luxuries et\navaritia. Cic. 1. ad Heren. Corrupti sunt depravatique mores\nadmiratione divitiarum. Idem. 2. Offic. Nihil est tam sanctum quod non\nviolari, nihil tam munitum quod non expugnari pecunia possit. Cicero\n2. in Verrem. When Alexander sent Phocion a hundred talents, he asked,\nWhy he rather sent it to him than all the rest of the Athenians? He\nanswered, Because he took him to be the only honest man in Athens:\nwhereupon Phocion returned it to him again, entreating him to give him\nleave to be honest still.\n\n[250] It was one of Chilon's sayings, Lapideis cotibus aurum\nexaminari: auro autem bonorum malorumque hominum mentem cujusmodi sit\ncomprobari: i. e. As the touchstone trieth gold, so gold trieth men's\nminds, whether they be good or bad. Laertius in Chil. p. 43.\n\n[251] Luke xviii. 11-13; Matt. vi. 16, 18.\n\n[252] Luke xii. 48; xvi. 9, 10; Matt. xxv.; 2 Cor. viii. 14, 15.\n\n[253] Nullius rei eget qui virtutum dives est: quarum indigentia vere\nmiseros, ac proinde misericordi\u00e6 egentissimos facit. Petrarch. Dial.\n44. li. 2.\n\n[254] Diis maxime propinquus qui minimis egeat. Socrat. in Laert.\n\n[255] 1 Cor. vii. 31.\n\n[256] Remember Gehazi, Achan, Judas, Ananias and Sapphira, Demetrius,\nDemas. Jer. vi. 13; viii. 10. Maxime vituperanda est avaritia senilis.\nQuid enim absurdius quam quo minus vit\u00e6 restat, eo plus viatici\nqu\u00e6rere? Cicero in Cat. Maj.\n\n[257] Prov. xi. 4, \"Riches profit not in the day of wrath.\"\n\n[258] Jer. xvii. 11; Jam. v. 1-3.\n\n[259] Chilon in Laert. p. 43. Damnum potius quam turpe lucrum\neligendum; nam id semel tantum dolori esse, hoc semper.\n\n[260] Socrates dixit, Opes et nobilitates, non solum nihil in se habere\nhonestatis, verum et omne malum ex eis oboriri. Laert in Socrat.\n\n[261] Prov. iii. 14; 1 Tim. vi. 5, 6.\n\n[262] Lege Petrarch\u00e6 lepidam historiam de avaro filio et liberali\npatre. Dial. 13. li. 2.\n\n[263] Saith Plutarch, de tranquillit. anim. Alexander wept because he\nwas not lord of the world; when Crates, having but a wallet and a\nthreadbare cloak, spent his whole life in mirth and joy, as if it had\nbeen a continual festival holiday.\n\n[264] Psal. xxxvii. 16; Prov. xvi. 8.\n\n[265] Chrysostom saith, his enemies charged him with many crimes, but\nnever with covetousness or wantonness. And so it was with Christ and\nhis enemies.\n\n[266] Et sicut in patria Deus est speculum in quo relucent creatur\u00e6;\nsic \u00e8 converso in via, creatur\u00e6 sunt speculum quo creator videtur.\nPaul. Scaliger in Ep. Cath. 1. 14. Thess. 123. p. 689.\n\n[267] Even Dionysius the tyrant was bountiful to philosophers. To\nPlato he gave above fourscore talents, Laert. in Platone, and much to\nAristippus and many more, and he offered much to many philosophers\nthat refused it. And so did Cr\u0153sus.\n\n[268] Matt. x. 30; Luke xii. 7.\n\n[269] Look upon the face of the calamitous world, and inquire into the\ncauses of all the oppressions, rapines, cruelties, and inhumanity which\nhave made men so like to devils: look into the corrupted, lacerated\nchurches, and inquire into the cause of their contentions, divisions,\nusurpations, malignity, and cruelty against each other: and you will\nfind that pride and worldliness are the causes of all. When men of a\nproud and worldly mind have by fraud, and friendship, and simony usurped\nthe pastorship of the churches, according to their minds and ends, they\nturn it into a malignant domination, and the carnal, worldly part of the\nchurch, is the great enemy and persecutor of the spiritual part; and the\nfleshly hypocrite, as Cain against Abel, is filled with envy against the\nserious believer, even out of the bitter displeasure of his mind, that\nhis deceitful sacrifice is less respected. What covetousness hath done\nto the advancement of the pretended holy catholic church of Rome, I will\ngive you now, but in the words of an abbot and chronicler of their own,\nAbbas Urspergens. Chron. p. 321. Vix remansit aliquis episcopatus, sive\ndignitas ecclesiastica, vel etiam parochialis ecclesia, qu\u00e6 non fierit\nlitigiosa, et Romam deduceretur ipsa causa, sed non manu vacua. Gaude\nmater nostra Roma, quoniam aperiuntur cataract\u00e6 thesaurorum in terra, ut\nad te confluant rivi et aggeres nummorum in magna copia. L\u00e6tare super\niniquitate filiorum hominum; quoniam in recompensationem tantorum\nmalorum, datur tibi pretium. Jocundare super adjutrice tua discordia;\nquid erupit de puteo infernalis abyssi, ut accumulentur tibi multa\npecuniarum pr\u00e6mia. Habes quod semper sitisti; decanta Canticum, quia per\nmalitiam hominum non per tuam religionem, orbem vicisti. Ad te trahit\nhomines, non ipsorum devotio, aut pura conscientia, sed scelerum\nmultiplicium perpetratio, et litium decisio, pretio comparata.\n\nFortun. Galindas speaking of pope Paul the fifth, his love to the\nJesuits for helping him to money, saith, Adeo pr\u00e6stat acquirendarum\npecuniarum quam animarum studiosum et peritum esse, apud illos, qui\ncum animarum Christi sanguine redemptarum, in se curam receperint, vel\nquid anima sit nesciunt, vel non pluris animam hominis quam piscis\nfaciunt: quod credo suum officium Piscatum quendam esse aliquando per\nstrepitum inaudierint: quibus propterea gratior fuerit, qui animam\nauri cum Paracelso, quam animam Saxoni\u00e6 Electoris invenisse nuntiet.\nArcan. Soci. Jesu, p. 46.\n\nLege ibid. instruct. secret. de Jesuitarum praxi.\n\nEt Joh. Sarisbur. lib. vii. c. 21. de Monach. Potentiores et ditiores\nfavore vel mercede recepta facilius (absolutione) exonerant, et\npeccatis alienis humeros supponentes, jubent abire in tunicas et\nvestes pullas, quicquid illi se commisisse deplorant--Si eis\nobloqueris, religionis inimicus, et veritatis diceris impugnator.\n\n[270] Matt. vi. 24; xiii. 22; Luke xvi. 13, 14; xiv. 33; xviii. 22,\n23; Matt. vi. 19-21; 1 Tim. vi. 6-8; 1 John ii. 15; Prov. xxviii. 9;\nxviii. 8; James iv. 3; Prov. xxviii. 20, \"He that maketh haste to be\nrich shall not be innocent.\"\n\n[271] Jam. v. 1-5; 1 John iii. 17.\n\n[272] 2 Tim. iv. 10.\n\n[273] 1 Tim. vi. 17-19.\n\n[274] Christ's sheep-mark is plainest on the sheep that are shorn.\nWhen the fleece groweth long the mark wears out.\n\n[275] Pecunia apud eum nunquam mansisse probatur, nisi forte tali hora\nofferatur, quando sol diei explicans cursum, nocturnis tenebris daret\nlocum. Victor. Ut. de Eugen. Episc. Cath. Plato compareth our life to\na game at tables. We may wish for a good throw, but whatever it be, we\nmust play it as well as we can. Plutarch. de Tranquil. Anim.\n\n[276] Socrates, S\u00e6pe cum eorum qu\u00e6 publice vendebantur multitudinem\nintueretur, secum ista volvebat, Quam multis ipse non egeo? Laert. in\nSocr. Pecuniam perdidisti? Bene, si te illa non perdidit: quod jam\nmultis possessoribus suis fecit. Gaude tibi ablatum unde infici posses,\nteque ill\u00e6sum inter pericula transivisse. Petrarch. 1. ii. dial. 13.\n\n[277] Si organum inhabitanti animo sufficiens fuerit, satis est\nvirium. Corpus namque propter animi servitium fecisse naturam, nemo\ntam corporis servus est, qui nesciat. Id si proprio munere fungitur,\nquid accusas, seu quid amplius requiras? Petrarch, li. ii. dial. 2.\nVeres corporis sunt vires carceris, ut Petrarch, li. i. dial. 5. What\nmean you to make your prison so strong? said Pluto to one that\nover-pampered his flesh. Mars. Ficin. in Vita Plat.\n\n[278] He is a good christian, that remotely and ultimately referreth all\nthe creatures unto God, and eateth, and drinketh, &c. more to fit him\nfor God's service, than to please the flesh. But it is much more than\nthis which the creature was appointed for; even for a present\ncommunication of the sense of the goodness of God unto the heart. As the\nmusician that toucheth but the keys of his harpsichord or organ, causeth\nthat sweet, harmonious sound, which we hear from the strings that are\ntouched within; so God ordained the order, beauty, sweetness, &c. of the\ncreature, to touch the sense with such a pleasure, as should suddenly\ntouch the inward sense with an answerable delight in God, who is the\ngiver of the life of every creature. But, alas! where is the christian\nthat doth thus eat and drink, and thus take pleasure in all his mercies?\nWhen contrarily our hearts are commonly so diverted from God by the\ncreature, that so much delight as we find in it, so much we lose of our\ndelight in God, yea, of our regard and remembrance of him.\n\n[279] Yet it is true which Petrarch saith, li. 2. dial. 3. Valetudo\ninfirma, Comes injucunda est, sed fidelis, qu\u00e6 te crebro vellicet,\niter signet, et conditionis admoneat: Optimum in periculis monitor\nfidus. Et li. 1. dial. 3. Multis periculosa et pestilens sanitas est,\nqui tutius \u00e6grotassent. Nusquam pejus quam in sano corpore, \u00e6ger\nanimus habitat. Et dial. 4. Quamvis mala, quamvis pessima \u00e6gritudo\nvideatur, optabile malum tamen, quod mali remedium sit majoris.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAPTER V.\n\n    FURTHER SUBORDINATE DIRECTIONS, FOR THE NEXT GREAT DUTIES OF\n    RELIGION; NECESSARY TO THE RIGHT PERFORMANCE OF THE FORMER.[280]\n\n\n           _Directions for redeeming or well improving Time._\n\nTime being man's opportunity for all those works for which he liveth,\nand which his Creator doth expect from him, and on which his endless\nlife dependeth, the redeeming or well improving of it must needs be of\nmost high importance to him; and therefore it is well made by holy\nPaul the great mark to distinguish the wise from fools; Eph. v. 15,\n16, \"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,\nredeeming the time;\" so Col. iv. 5. I shall therefore give you special\ndirections for it, when I have first opened the nature of the duty to\nyou, and told you what is meant by time, and what by redeeming it.\n\n[Sidenote: What is meant by time.]\n\nTime, in its most common acceptation, is taken generally for all that\nspace of this present life which is our opportunity for all the works\nof life, and the measure of them. Time is often taken more strictly,\nfor some special opportunity which is fitted to a special work, which\nwe call the season or the fittest time: in both these senses time must\nbe redeemed.\n\n[Sidenote: What are the special seasons of duty.]\n\nAs every work hath its season which must be taken, Eccles. iii. 1; so\nhave the greatest works assigned us for God and our souls, some\nspecial seasons besides our common time. 1. Some times God hath fitted\nby nature for his service. So the time of youth, and health, and\nstrength is specially fitted for holy works. 2. Some time is made\nspecially fit by God's institution; as the Lord's day above all other\ndays. 3. Some time is made fit by governors' appointment: as the hour\nof public meeting for God's worship; and lecture days; and the hour\nfor family worship, which every master of a family may appoint to his\nown household. 4. Some time is made fit by the temper of men's bodies:\nthe morning hours are the best to most, and to some rather the\nevening; and to all, the time when the body is freest from pain and\ndisabling weaknesses. 5. Some time is made fit by the course of our\nnecessary, natural, or civil business; as the day is fitter than the\nsleeping time of the night, and as that hour is the fittest wherein\nour other employments will least disturb us. 6. Some time is made fit\nby a special shower of mercy, public or private; as when we dwell in\ngodly families, among the most exemplary, helpful company, under the\nmost lively, excellent means, the faithfulest pastors, the\nprofitablest teachers, the best masters or parents, and with faithful\nfriends. 7. Some time is made fit by particular acts of Providence: as\na funeral sermon at the death of any near us; as the presence of some\nable minister or private christian, whose company we cannot ordinarily\nhave; or a special leisure, as the eunuch had to read the Scripture in\nhis chariot, Acts viii. 8. And some time is made specially fit, by the\nspecial workings of God's Spirit upon the heart; when he more than\nordinarily illuminateth, teacheth, quickeneth, softeneth, humbleth,\ncomforteth, exciteth, or confirmeth. As time in general, so specially\nthese seasons, must be particularly improved for their several works:\nwe must take the wind and tide while we may have it, and be sure to\nstrike while the iron is hot. 9. And some time is made fit by others'\nnecessities, and the call of God: as it is the time to relieve the\npoor when they ask, or when they are most in want; or to help our\nneighbour, when it will do him most good; to visit the sick, the\nimprisoned, and afflicted, in the needful season, Matt. xxv. Thus are\nthe godly like trees planted by the river side, which bring forth\nfruit in their season, Psal. i. 3. So to speak in season to the\nignorant and ungodly for their conversion, or to the sorrowful for\ntheir consolation, Isa. l. 4. 10. Our own necessity also maketh our\nseasons: so the time of age and sickness is made by necessity the\nseason of our special repentance and preparation for death and\njudgment. 11. The present time is commonly made our season, through\nthe uncertainty of a fitter, or of any more. Prov. iii. 27, 28,\n\"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the\npower of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come\nagain, and to-morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.\" Eccles.\nxi. 2, \"Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest\nnot what evil shall be upon the earth.\" Prov. xxvii. 1, \"Boast not\nthyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring\nforth.\" Gal. vi. 10, \"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good\nto all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith.\"\nThese are our special seasons.\n\n[Sidenote: What redeeming time supposeth.]\n\nTo redeem time supposeth, 1. That we know what we have to do with\ntime, and on what we ought to lay it out; and of how great worth the\nthings are for which we must redeem it. 2. That we highly value time\nin order to this necessary work. 3. That we are sensible of the\ngreatness of our sin and loss, in our negligent or wilful losing so\nmuch as we have done already. 4. That we know the particular season of\neach duty. 5. And that we set less by all that which we must part with\nin our redeeming time, than we do by time itself, and its due ends: or\nelse we will not make the bargain.\n\n[Sidenote: What it containeth.]\n\nAnd as these five things are presupposed, so these following are\ncontained in our redeeming time. 1. To redeem time is to see that we\ncast none of it away in vain; but use every minute of it as a most\nprecious thing, and spend it wholly in the way of duty. 2. That we be\nnot only doing good, but doing the best and greatest good which we are\nable and have a call to do. 3. That we do not only the best things,\nbut do them in the best manner and in the greatest measure, and do as\nmuch good as possibly we can. 4. That we watch for special\nopportunities. 5. That we presently take them when they fall, and\nimprove them when we take them. 6. That we part with all that is to be\nparted with, to save our time. 7. And that we forecast the preventing\nof impediments, and the removal of our clogs, and the obtaining of all\nthe helps to expedition and success in duty. This is the true\nredeeming of our time.\n\n[Sidenote: To what uses time must be redeemed.]\n\nThe ends and uses which time must be redeemed for are these: 1. In\ngeneral, and ultimately, it must be all for God. Though not all employed\ndirectly upon God, in meditating of him, or praying to him; yet all must\nbe laid out for him, immediately or mediately: that is, either in\nserving him, or in preparing for his service; in mowing, or in whetting;\nin travelling, or in baiting to fit us for travel. And so our time of\nsleep, and feeding, and needful recreation is laid out for God. 2. Time\nmust be redeemed, especially for works of public benefit; for the church\nand state; for the souls of many; especially by magistrates and\nministers, who have special charge and opportunity; who \"must spend and\nbe spent\" for the people's sakes, though rewarded with ingratitude and\ncontempt, 2 Cor. xii. 14, 15. 3. For your own souls, and your\neverlasting life: for speedy conversion without delay, if you be yet\nunconverted; for the killing of every soul-endangering sin without\ndelay; for the exercise and increase of young and unconfirmed grace, and\nthe growth of knowledge; for the making sure our calling and election;\nand for the storing up provisions of faith, and hope, and love, and\ncomfort against the hour of suffering and of death.\n\n4. We must redeem time for the souls of every particular person, that we\nhave opportunity to do good to; especially for children, and servants,\nand others whom God hath committed to our trust. 5. For the welfare of\nour own bodies, that they may be serviceable to our souls. 6. And\nlastly, for the bodily welfare of others. And this is the order in which\nthose works lie, for which and in which our time must be redeemed.\n\n[Sidenote: From what and at what price it must be redeemed.]\n\nThe price that time must be redeemed with, is, 1. Above all, by our\nutmost diligence: that we be still doing, and put forth all our\nstrength, and run as for our lives; and whatever our hand shall find\nto do, that we do it with our might, remembering that there is no\nwork, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither we\ngo, Eccl. ix. 10. Our sluggish ease is an easy price to be parted with\nfor precious time. To redeem it, is not to call back time past; nor to\nstop time in its hasty passage; nor to procure a long life on earth:\nbut to save it, as it passeth, from being devoured and lost, by\nsluggishness and sin. 2. Time must be redeemed from the hands, and by\nthe loss of sinful pleasures, sports, and revellings, and all that is\nof itself or by accident unlawful; from wantonness, and\nlicentiousness, and vanity. Both these are set together, Rom. xiii.\n11-14, \"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake\nout of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.\nThe night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off\nthe works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us\nwalk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in\nchambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on\nthe Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil\nthe lusts thereof.\" 3. Time must be redeemed from things indifferent\nand lawful at another time, when things necessary do require it. He\nthat should save men's lives, or quench a fire in his house, or\nprovide for his family, or do his master's work, will not be excused\nif he neglect it, by saying, that he was about an indifferent or a\nlawful business. Natural rest and sleep must be parted with for time,\nwhen necessary things require it. Paul preached till midnight being to\ndepart on the morrow, Acts xx. 7. The lamenting church calling out for\nprayer saith, \"Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the\nwatches pour out thy heart like water before the face of the Lord,\"\nLam. ii. 19. Cleanthes' lamp must be used by such, whose sun-light\nmust be otherwise employed. 4. Time must be redeemed from worldly\nbusiness and commodity, when matters of greater weight and commodity\ndo require it. Trades, and plough, and profit must stand by, when God\ncalls us (by necessity or otherwise) to greater things. Martha should\nnot so much as trouble herself in providing meat for Christ and his\nfollowers to eat, when Christ is offering her food for her soul, and\nshe should with Mary have been hearing at his feet, Luke x. 42.\nWorldlings are thus called by him, Isa. lv. 1-3, \"Ho every one that\nthirsteth, come ye to the waters. Wherefore do ye spend your money for\nthat which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth\nnot? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and\nlet your soul delight itself in fatness.\" 5. Time must be redeemed\nfrom smaller duties, which in their season must be done, as being no\nduties, when they hinder greater duty which should then take place. It\nis a duty in its time and place to show respect to neighbours and\nsuperiors, and to those about us, and to look to our family affairs;\nbut not when we should be at prayer, to God, or when a minister should\nbe preaching, or at his necessary studies. Private prayer and\nmeditation, and visiting the sick, are duties; but not when we should\nbe at church, or about any greater duty which they hinder.\n\n\n      _Tit._ 1. _The Directions contemplative for redeeming Time._\n\n_Direct._ I. Still keep upon thy heart, by faith and consideration,\nthe lively sense of the greatness and absolute necessity of that work,\nwhich must command thy time; remembering who setteth thee on work, and\non what a work he sets thee, and on what terms, and what will be the\nend. It is God that calleth thee to labour; and wilt thou stand still\nor be doing other things, when God expecteth duty from thee? Moses\nmust go to Pharaoh when God bids him go; Jonah must go to Nineveh when\nGod bids him go; yea, Abraham must go to sacrifice his son when God\nbids him go. And may you go about your fleshly pleasures, when God\ncommandeth you to his service? He hath appointed you a work that is\nworth your time and all your labour; to know him, and serve him, and\nobey him, and to seek everlasting life! How diligently should so\nexcellent a work be done! and so blessed, and glorious a Master be\nserved! especially considering the unutterable importance of our\ndiligence! we are in the race appointed us by our Maker, and are to\nrun for an immortal crown. It is heaven that must be now won or lost:\nand have we time to spare in such a race? We are fighting against the\nenemies of our salvation; the question is now to be resolved, whether\nthe flesh, the world, and the devil, or we, shall win the day, and\nhave the victory. And heaven or hell must be the issue of our warfare:\nand have we time to spare in the midst of such a fight? when our very\nloss of time is no small part of the enemy's conquest? Our most wise,\nomnipotent Creator hath been pleased to make this present life to be\nthe trying preparation for another, resolving that it shall go with us\nall for ever, according to our preparations here: and can we play and\nloiter away our time, that have such a work as this to do? O\nmiserable, senseless souls! do you believe indeed the life\neverlasting, and that all your lives are given you now, to resolve the\nquestion whether you must be in heaven or hell for ever? Do you\nbelieve this? Again I ask you, do you believe this? I beseech you, ask\nyour consciences over and over, whether you do indeed believe it? Can\nyou believe it, and yet have time to spare? What! find time to play\naway, and game away, and idle and prate away, and yet believe that\nthis very time is given you to prepare for life eternal? and that\nsalvation or damnation lieth on the race which now, even now, you have\nto run? Is not such a man a monster of stupidity? If you were asleep,\nor mad, it were the more excusable to be so senseless: but to do thus\nawake, and in your wits! Oh where are the brains of those men, and of\nwhat metal are their hardened hearts made, that can idle and play away\nthat time, that little time, that only time, which is given them for\nthe everlasting saving of their souls! Verily, sirs, if sin had not\nturned the ungodly part of the world into a bedlam, where it is no\nwonder to see a man out of his wits, people would run out with wonder\ninto the streets to see such a monster as this, as they do to see\nmad-men in the country where they are rare; and they would call to one\nanother, Come and see a man, that can trifle and sport away his time,\nas he is going to eternity, and is ready to enter into another world!\nCome and see a man that hath but a few days to win or lose his soul\nfor ever in, and is playing it away at cards or dice, or wasting it in\ndoing nothing! Come and see a man that hath hours to spare, and cast\naway upon trifles, with heaven and hell before his eyes. For thy\nsoul's sake, consider and tell thyself, if thy estate in the world did\nlie upon the spending of this day or week, or if thy life lay on it,\nso that thou must live or die, or be poor or rich, sick or well, as\nthou spendest it, wouldst thou then waste it in dressings, or\ncompliment, or play? and wouldst thou find any to spare upon\nimpertinent triflings? Or rather wouldst thou not be up betimes, and\nabout thy business, and turn by thy games, and thy diverting company,\nand disappoint thy idle visitors, and let them find that thou art not\nto be spoken with, nor at leisure to do nothing, but wilt rather seem\nuncivil and morose, than be undone! And wouldst thou do thus for a\ntransitory prosperity or life, and doth not life eternal require much\nmore? Will thy weighty business in the world resolve thee, to put by\nthy friends, thy play-fellows and sports, and to shake off thy\nidleness? and should not the business of thy salvation do it? I would\ndesire no more to confute the distracted time-wasters, when they are\ndisputing for their idle sports and vanities, and asking, what harm is\nin cards, and dice, and stage-plays, or tedious feasts or\ncomplimenting, adorning idleness, than if I could help them to one\nsight of heaven and hell, and make them well know what greater\nbusiness they have to do, which is staying for them while they sleep\nor play. If I were just now in disputing the case with an idle lady,\nor a sensual belly-slave or gamester, and he were asking me\nscornfully, what hurt is in all this? if one did but knock at his door\nand tell him, the king is at the door and calls for you, it would make\nhim to cast away his game and his dispute: or if the house were on\nfire, or a child fallen into the fire or water, or thieves breaking in\nupon them, it would make the ladies cast by the other lace or riband?\nOr if there were but a good bargain or a lordship to be got, they\ncould be up and going, though sports and game and gaudery were cast\noff: and yet the foresight of heaven and hell, though one of them is\neven at the door, will not do as much with them; because heaven is as\nnothing to an unbeliever, or an inconsiderate, senseless wretch; and\nas it is nothing to them when it should move them, it shall be nothing\nto them when they would enjoy it. Say not, recreation must be used in\nits season: I know that necessary whetting is no letting: but God and\nthy own conscience shall tell thee shortly, whether thy recreations,\nfeastings, long dressings, and idleness, were a necessary whetting or\nrefreshment of thy body, to fit it for that work which thou wast born\nand livest for; or whether they were the pastimes of a voluptuous,\nfleshly brute, that lived in these pleasures for the love of pleasure.\nVerily, if I looked but on this one unreasonable sin of time-wasting,\nit would help me to understand the meaning of Luke xv. 17, \u0395\u03b9\u03c2 \u1f11\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd\n\u03b5\u03bb\u03b8\u03c9\u03bd, that the prodigal is said to come to himself; and that\nconversion is the bringing a man to his wits.\n\n_Direct._ II. Be not a stranger to the condition of thy own soul, but\nlook home till thou art acquainted what state it is in, and what it is\nin danger of, and what it wanteth, and how far thou art behindhand in\nthy provisions for immortality: and then be an idle time-waster if\nthou canst. Could I but go down with thee into that dungeon heart of\nthine, and show thee by the light of truth what is there; could I but\nlet in one convincing beam from heaven, which might fully show thee\nwhat a condition thou art in, and what thou hast to do with thy\nremaining time; I should have no need to dispute thee out of thy\nchildish fooleries, nor to bid thee be up and doing for thy soul, any\nmore than to bid thee stir if a bear were at thy back, or the house in\na flame about thy ears. Alas, our ordinary time-wasters are such, as\nare yet unconverted, carnal wretches, and are all the while in the\npower of the devil, who is the chief master of the sport, and the\ngreatest gainer. They are such as are utter strangers to the\nregenerating, sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost; and are yet\nunjustified, and under the guilt of all their sins, and certain to be\nwith devils in hell for ever, if they die thus before they are\nconverted! (This is true, sinner, and thou wilt shortly find it so, by\ngrace or vengeance, though thy blind and hardened heart now rise\nagainst the mention of it!) And is this a case for a man to sit at\ncards and dice in, or to sport and swagger in? The Lord have mercy on\nthee, and open thy eyes before it is too late, or else thy conscience\nwill tell thee for ever in another manner than I am telling thee now,\nthat thou hadst need to have better improved thy time, and hadst\ngreater things to have spent it in. What! for a man in thy case, in an\nunrenewed, unsanctified, unpardoned state, to be thus casting away\nthat little time, which all his hopes lie on! and in which, if ever,\nhe must be recovered, and saved! O Lord, have mercy on such senseless\nsouls, and bring them to themselves before it be too late! I tell\nthee, man, an enlightened person, that understandeth what it is, and\nhath escaped it, would not for all the kingdoms of the world, be a\nweek or a day in thy condition, for fear lest death cut off his hopes\nand shut him up in hell that very day. He durst not sleep quietly in\nthy condition a night, lest death should snatch him away to hell; and\ncanst thou sport and play in it, and live securely in a sensual\ncourse? Oh what a thing is it to be hoodwinked in misery, and to be\nled asleep to hell! Who could persuade men to live thus awake, and go\ndancing to hell with their eyes open! Oh! if we should imagine a Peter\nor a Paul, or any of the blessed, to be again brought into such a case\nas one of these unsanctified sinners, and yet to know what now they\nknow! What would they do? would they feast, and game, and play, and\ntrifle away their time in it? or would they not rather suddenly bewail\ntheir former mispent time, and all their sins, and cry day and night\nto God for mercy, and fly to Christ, and spend all their time in\nholiness and obedience to God! Alas, poor sinner, do but look into thy\nheart, and see there what thou hast yet to do (of greater weight than\ntrimming and playing): I almost tremble to think and write what a case\nthou art in, and what thou hast to do, while thou livest as if thou\nhadst time to spare! If thou know not, I will tell thee, and the Lord\nmake thee know it: thou hast a hardened heart to be yet softened; and\nan unbelieving heart to be brought to a lively, powerful belief of the\nword of God and the unseen world: thou hast an unholy heart and life\nto be made holy, if ever thou wilt see the face of God, Heb. xii. 14;\nMatt. xviii. 3; John iii. 3, 5, 6. Thou hast a heart full of sins to\nbe mortified and subdued: and an unreformed life to be reformed; (and\nwhat abundance of particulars do these generals contain!) Thou hast a\npardon to procure through Jesus Christ, for all the sins that ever\nthou didst commit, and all the duties which ever thou didst omit: thou\nhast an offended God to be reconciled to, and for thy estranged soul\nto know as thy Father in Jesus Christ! What abundance of Scripture\ntruths hast thou to learn which thou art ignorant of! How many holy\nduties, as prayer, meditation, holy conference, &c. to learn which\nthou art unskilful in! and to perform when thou hast learned them! How\nmany works of justice and charity to men's souls and bodies hast thou\nto do! How many needy ones to relieve as thou art able! and the sick\nto visit, and the naked to clothe, and the sad to comfort, and the\nignorant to instruct, and the ungodly to exhort! Heb. iii. 13; x. 25;\nEph. iv. 29. What abundance of duty hast thou to perform in thy\nrelations! to parents or children, to husband or wife, as a master or\na servant, and the rest! Thou little knowest what sufferings thou hast\nto prepare for. Thou hast faith, and love, and repentance, and\npatience, and all God's graces, to get and to exercise daily, and to\nincrease. Thou hast thy accounts to prepare, and assurance of\nsalvation to obtain, and death and judgment to prepare for. What\nthinks thy heart of all this work? Put it off as lightly as thou wilt,\nit is God himself that hath laid it on thee, and it must be done in\ntime, or thou must be undone for ever! And yet it must not be thy\ntoil, but thy delight: this is appointed thee for thy chiefest\nrecreation. Look into the Scripture and into thy heart, and thou wilt\nfind that all this is to be done. And dost thou think in thy\nconscience, that this is not greater business than thy gaudy\ndressings, thy idle visits, or thy needless sports? which is more\nworthy of thy time?\n\n_Direct._ III. Remember how gainful the redeeming of time is, and how\nexceeding comfortable in the review! In merchandise, or any trading, in\nhusbandry, or any gaining course, we use to say of a man that hath grown\nrich by it, that he hath made use of his time. But when heaven, and\ncommunion with God in the way, and a life of holy strength and comfort,\nand a death full of joy and hope is to be the gain, how cheerfully\nshould time be redeemed for these! If it be pleasant for a man to find\nhimself thrive and prosper in any rising or pleasing employment, how\npleasant must it be continually to us, to find that in redeeming time\nthe work of God and our souls do prosper! Look back now on the time that\nis past, and tell me which part is sweetest to thy thoughts? However it\nbe now, I can tell thee, at death, it will be an unspeakable comfort, to\nlook back on a well-spent life; and to be able to say in humble\nsincerity, My time was not cast away on worldliness, ambition, idleness,\nor fleshly vanities or pleasures; but spent in the sincere and laborious\nservice of my God, and making my calling and election sure, and doing\nall the good to men's souls and bodies that I could do in the world: it\nwas entirely devoted to God and his church, and the good of others and\nmy soul. What a joy is it when, going out of the world, we can in our\nplace and measure say with our blessed Lord and pattern, John xvii. 4,\n5, \"I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work which thou\ngavest me to do: and now, O Father, glorify me with thyself.\" Or as\nPaul, 2 Tim iv. 6-8, \"I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my\ndeparture is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my\ncourse, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a\ncrown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall\ngive.\" And, 2 Cor. i. 12, \"For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of\nour conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly\nwisdom, we have had our conversation in the world.\" It is a great\ncomfort in sickness to be able to say with Hezekiah, Isa. xxxviii. 3,\n\"Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee, in\ntruth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy\nsight.\" Oh! time well spent is a precious cordial to a soul that is\ngoing to its final sentence, and is making up its last and general\naccounts: yea, the reviews of it will be joyful in heaven: which is\ngiven, though most freely by the covenant antecedently, yet as a reward\nby our most righteous Judge, when he comes to sentence men according to\nthat covenant.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Consider on the contrary how sad the review of ill-spent\ntime is, and how you will wish you had spent it when it is gone. Hast\nthou now any comfort in looking back on thy despised hours? I will not\nso far wrong thy understanding, as to question whether thou know that\nthou must die. But thy sin alloweth me to ask thee, whether at thy\ndying hour it will be any comfort to thee to remember thy pastimes?\nAnd whether it will then better please thee, to find upon thy account,\nso many hours spent in doing good to others, and so many in prayer,\nand studying the Scriptures and thy heart, and in preparing for death\nand the life to come; so many in thy calling obediently managed in\norder to eternity? or to hear, so many hours spent in idleness, and so\nmany in needless sports and plays, hawking and hunting, courting and\nwantonness; and so many in gathering and providing for the flesh, and\nso many in satisfying its greedy lusts? Which reckoning doth thy\nconscience think would be most comfortable to thee at the last? I put\nit to thy own conscience, if thou wert to die to-morrow, how thou\nwouldst spend this present day? Wouldst thou spend it in idleness and\nvain pastimes? Or if thou wert to die this day, where wouldst thou be\nfound, and about what exercises? Hadst thou rather death found thee in\na play-house, a gaming-house, an alehouse, in thy fleshly jollity and\npleasure? or in a holy walking with thy God, and serious preparing for\nthe life to come? Perhaps you will say, that, if you had but a day to\nlive, you would lay by the labours of your calling, and yet that doth\nnot prove them sinful. But, I answer, there is a great difference\nbetween an evil, and a small, unseasonable good. If death found thee\nin thy honest calling, holily managed, conscience would not trouble\nthee for it as a sin: and if thou rather choose to die in prayer, it\nis but to choose a greater duty in its season: but sure thou wouldst\nbe loth on another account to be found in thy time-wasting pleasures!\nAnd conscience, if thou have a conscience, would make thee dread it as\na sin. Thou wilt not wish at death that thou hadst never laboured in\nthy lawful calling, though thou wouldst be found in a more seasonable\nwork; but thou wilt wish then, if thou understand thyself, that thou\nhadst never lost one minute's time, and never known those sinful\nvanities and temptations which did occasion it. O spend thy time as\nthou wouldst review it!\n\n_Direct._ V. Go hear and mark how other men at death do set by time,\nand how they wish then that they had spent it. It is hardly possible\nfor men in health, especially in prosperity and security, to imagine\nhow precious time appeareth to an awakened, dying man! Ask them then\nwhether life be too long, and men have any time to spare? Ask them\nthen whether slugging or working, playing or praying, be the better\nspending of our time? Both good and bad, saints and sensualists, do\nuse then to be high esteemers of time. Oh! then what would an ungodly,\nunprepared sinner give for some of the time which he used before as\nnothing worth! Then the most holy servants of Christ are sensible how\nthey sinned, in losing any of their time! Oh! then how earnestly do\nthey wish, that they had made much of every minute! and they that did\nmost for God and their souls, that they had done much more! Now if\nthey were to pray over their prayers again, how earnestly would they\nbeg! and how much more good would they do, if time and talents were\nrestored! I knew familiarly a most holy, grave, and reverend divine,\nwho was so affected with the words of a godly woman, who at her death\ndid often and vehemently cry out, O call time again! O call time\nagain! that the sense of it seemed to remain on his heart, and appear\nin his praying, preaching, and conversation to his death. Now you have\ntime to cast away upon every nothing; but then you will say with\nDavid, Psal. lxxxix. 47, \"Remember how short my time is.\" And as\n\"Hagar sat down and wept when her water was spent,\" Gen. xxi. 15, 16;\nso then you will lament when time is gone, or just at an end, that you\nset no more by it while you had it! O sleepy sinner! thy heart cannot\nnow conceive how thou wilt set by time, when thou hearest the\nphysicians say, You are a dead man! and the divine say, You must\nprepare now for another world! When thy heart saith, All my days are\ngone: I must live on earth no more! All my preparing time is at an\nend! Now what is undone must be undone for ever! Oh that thou hadst\nnow but the esteem of time, which thou wilt have then, or immediately\nafter! Then, O pray for me, that God will recover me and try me once\nagain! Oh then how I would spend my time! And is it not a most\nincongruous thing to see the same persons now idle and toy away their\ntime, and perhaps think that they do no harm, who know that shortly\nthey must cry to God, Oh for a little more time, Lord, to do the great\nwork that is yet undone; a little more time to make sure of my\nsalvation! May not God then tell you, you had time till you knew not\nwhat to do with it. You had so much time that you had many and many an\nhour to spare for idleness and vanity, and that which you were not\nashamed to call pastime.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Remember also that when judgment comes, God will call\nyou to account, both for every hour of your mispent time, and for all\nthe good which you should have done in all that time, and did it not.\nIf you must give account for every idle word, then sure for every idle\nhour, Matt. xii. 36. And if we must be judged according to all the\ntalents we have received, and the improvement of them required of us,\nthen certainly for so precious a talent as our time, Matt. xxv. And\nhow should that man spend his time that believeth he must give such\naccount of all? Even to the most just and holy God, who will judge all\nmen according to their works; and cause them all to reap as they have\nsowed. O spend your time as you would hear of it in judgment!\n\n_Direct._ VII. Remember how much time you have lost already: and\ntherefore if you are not impenitent, and insensible of your loss, it\nwill provoke you to redeem with the greater diligence the remnant\nwhich mercy shall vouchsafe you. How much lost you in childhood,\nyouth, and riper age! how much have you lost in ignorance! how much in\nnegligence! how much in fleshly pleasure and vanity! how much in\nworldliness, and many other sins! Oh that you knew but what a loss it\nwas, if it had been but one year, or week, or day! Do you think you\nhave spent your time as you should have done; and as beseemed those\nthat had such work to do? If not, do you repent of it, or do you not?\nIf you do not, you have no hope to be forgiven. If you do repent, you\nwill not sure go on to do the same. Who will believe that he repents\nof gaming, revelling, or other idle loss of time, who doth so still\nwhile he professeth to repent? He that hath lost the beginning of the\nday, must go the faster in the end, if he will perform so great a\njourney. Can you remember the hours and years that you have mispent,\nin the follies of childhood, and the vanities of inconsiderate youth,\nand yet still trifle, and not be provoked by penitent shame and fear,\nto diligence? Have you not yet cast away enough of such a precious\ntreasure, but you will also vilify the little which remains?\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Remember the swift and constant motion of your\nneglected time. What haste it makes! and never stays! That which was\nhere while you spake the last word, is gone before you can speak the\nnext! Whatever you are doing, or saying, or thinking of, it is passing\non without delay! It stayeth not while you sleep! Whether you\nremember, and observe it, and make use of it, or not, it glides away!\nIt stayeth not your leisure! It hasteth as fast while you play, as\nwhile you work; while you sin, as when you repent! No monarch so\npotent as to command it a moment to attend his will! We have no more\nJoshuas to stop the sun. It is above the jurisdiction of the princes\nof the earth: it will not hear them if they command or request it to\ndelay its haste but the smallest moment! Crowns and kingdoms would be\nno price, to hire it to loiter but while you draw another breath! Your\nlives are not like the clothes of the Israelites in the wilderness,\nthat wax not old; but like the provisions of the Gibeonites, worn and\nwasted while you are passing but a little way! And is time so swift,\nand you so slow? Will you stand still and see it pass away, as if you\nhad no use for it; no work to do; nor any account to give?\n\n_Direct._ IX. Consider also, how unrecoverable time is when it is\npast. Take it now, or it is lost for ever. All the men on earth, with\nall their power, and all their wit, are not able to recall one minute\nthat is gone! All the riches in this world cannot redeem it, by\nreversing one of those hours or moments, which you so prodigally cast\naway for nothing. If you would cry and call after it till you tear\nyour hearts, it will not return. Many a thousand have tried this by\nsad experience, and have cried out too late, Oh that we had now that\ntime again which we made so light of! But none of them did ever attain\ntheir wish! No more will you. Take it therefore while you have it. It\nis now as liberal to the poorest beggar as to the greatest prince!\nTime is as much yours as his. Though in your youth and folly you spend\nas out of the full heap, as if time would never have an end, you shall\nfind it is not like the widow's oil, or the loaves and fishes,\nmultiplied by a miracle; but the hour is at hand, when you will wish\nyou had gathered the fragments and the smallest crumbs, that nothing\nof so precious a commodity had been lost; even the little minutes,\nwhich you thought you might neglect and be no losers. Try whether you\ncan stop the present moment, or recall that which is gone by already,\nbefore you vilify or loiter away any more; lest you repent too late.\n\n_Direct._ X. Think also how exceeding little time thou hast, and how\nnear thou alway standest to eternity.[281] Job vii. 1, \"Is there not an\nappointed time to man upon earth? Are not his days also like the days of\nan hireling?\" Job xiv. 1, 2, \"Man that is born of a woman is of few days\nand full of trouble: he cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he\nfleeth also as a shadow and continueth not.\" Job ix. 25, 26, \"Now my\ndays are swifter than a post: they flee away: they see no good: they\nare passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that hasteth to the\nprey.\" Oh, what is this inch of hasty time! How quickly will it all be\ngone! Look back on all the time that is past: if thou have lived\nthreescore or fourscore years, what is it now? Doth it not seem as\nyesterday since thou wast a child? Do not days and nights wheel on\napace? O man! how short is thy abode on earth! How small a time will\nleave thee in eternity! What a small and hasty moment will bring thee to\nthe state in which thou must remain for ever! Every night is as the\ndeath or end of one of the few that are here alloted thee. How little a\nwhile is it till thy mortal sickness!--till thou must lie under\nlanguishing decays and pain!--till thy vital powers shall give up their\noffice, and thy pulse shall cease, and thy soul shall take its silent,\nundiscerned flight, and leave thy body to be hid in darkness, and\ncarried by thy friends to the common earth! How short a time is it\nbetwixt this and the digging of thy grave!--betwixt thy pleasures in the\nflesh, and thy sad farewell, when thou must say of all thy pleasures,\nThey are gone!--betwixt thy cares and businesses for this world, and thy\nentrance into another world, where all these vanities are of no esteem!\nHow short is the time between thy sin, and thy account in\njudgment!--between the pleasure and the pain!--and between the patient\nholiness of the godly, and their full reward of endless joys! And can\nyou spare any part of so short a life? Hath God allotted you so little\ntime, and can you spare the devil any of that little? Is it not all\nlittle enough for so great a work, as is necessary to your safe and\ncomfortable death? O remember, when sloth or pleasure would have any,\nhow little you have in all!--and out of how small a stock you\nspend!--how little you have for the one thing necessary!--the providing\nfor eternal life!--and how unseasonable it is to be playing away time,\nso near the entrance into the endless world!\n\n_Direct._ XI. Remember also how uncertain that little time is, which\nyou must have. As you know it will be short, so you know not how\nshort. You never yet saw the day or hour, in which you were sure to\nsee another. And is it a thing becoming the reason of a man, to slug\nor cast away that day or hour, which for aught he knows may be his\nlast? You think that though you are not certain, yet you are likely to\nhave more: but nothing that is hazardous should be admitted in a\nbusiness of such moment. Yea, when the longest life is short; and when\nso frail a body, liable to so many hundred maladies and casualties,\nand so sinful a soul, do make it probable, as well as possible, that\nthe thread of thy life should be cut off ere long, even much before\nthy natural period; when so many score at younger years do come to the\ngrave, for one that arriveth at the ripeness of old age; is not then\nthe uncertainty of thy time a great aggravation of the sinfulness of\nthy not redeeming it? If you were sure you had but one year to live,\nit would perhaps make you so wise, as to see that you had no time to\nspare. And yet do you waste it, when you know not that you shall live\nanother day? Many a one is this week trifling away their time, who\nwill be dead the next week; who yet would have spent it better if they\nhad thought but to have died the next year. O man! what if death come\nbefore thou hast made thy necessary preparation? Where art thou then?\nWhen time is uncertain as well as short, hast thou not work enough of\nweight to spend it on? If Christ had set thee to attend and follow him\nin greatest holiness a thousand years, shouldst thou not have gladly\ndone it? And yet canst thou not hold out for so short a life? Canst\nthou not watch with him one hour? He himself was provoked by the\nnearness of his death, to a speedy despatch of the works of his life.\nAnd should not we? Matt. xxvi. 18, He sendeth to prepare his last\ncommunion-feast with his disciples, thus: \"My time is at hand: I will\nkeep the passover at thy house with my disciples.\" And Luke xxii. 15,\n\"With desire have I desired to eat this passover with you before I\nsuffer.\" So should you rather say, My time is short; my death is at\nhand; and therefore it concerneth me to live in the knowledge and\ncommunion of God, before I go hence into his presence; especially\nwhen, as Eccles. ix. 12, \"Man knoweth not his time.\" Many thousands\nwould have done better in their preparations, if they had known the\nperiod of their time. Matt. xxiv. 43, \"But know this, that if the good\nman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he\nwould have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken\nup: therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not,\nthe Son of man cometh.\" Mark xiii. 33, \"Take ye heed, watch and pray;\nfor ye know not when the time is.\"\n\n_Direct._ XII. Never forget what attendance thou hast whilst thou art\nidling or sinning away thy time; how the patience and mercy of God are\nstaying for thee; and how sun and moon and all the creatures are all\nthe while attending on thee. And must God stand by, while thou art yet\na little longer abusing and offending him? Must God stay till thy\ncards, and dice, and pride, and worldly, unnecessary cares will\ndismiss thee, and spare thee for his service? Must he wait on the\ndevil, the world, and the flesh, to take their leavings, and stay till\nthey have done with thee? Canst thou marvel if he make thee pay for\nthis? if he turn away, and leave thee to spend thy time in as much\nvanity and idleness as thou desirest? Must God and all his creatures\nwait on a careless sinner, while he is at his fleshly pleasures? Must\nlife and time be continued to him, while he is doing nothing that is\nworthy of his life and time? \"The long-suffering of God did wait on\nthe disobedient in the days of Noah,\" 1 Pet. iii. 20; but how dear did\nthey pay for the contempt of this forbearance!\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Consider soberly of the ends for which thy life and\ntime are given thee by God. God made not such a creature as man for\nnothing; he never gave thee an hour's time for nothing. The life and\ntime of brutes and plants are given them to be serviceable to thee;\nbut what is thine for? Dost thou think in thy conscience that any of\nthy time is given thee in vain? When thou art slugging, or idling, or\nplaying it away, dost thou think in thy conscience that thou art\nwisely and honestly answering the ends of thy creation, and\nredemption, and hourly preservation? Dost thou think that God is so\nunwise, or disregardful of thy time and thee, as to give thee more\nthan thou hast need of? Thou wilt blame thy tailor if he cut out more\ncloth than will make thy garments meet for thee, and agreeable to thy\nuse: and thou wilt blame thy shoemaker, if he make thy shoes too big\nfor thee: and dost thou think that God is so lavish of time, or so\nunskilful in his works of providence, as to cut thee out more time,\nthan the work which he hath cut thee out requireth? He that will call\nthee to a reckoning for all, hath certainly given thee none in vain.\nIf thou canst find an hour that thou hast nothing to do with, and must\ngive no account for, let that be the hour of thy pastime. But if thou\nknewest thy need, thy danger, thy hopes, and thy work, thou wouldst\nnever dream of having time to spare. For my own part, I must tell\nthee, if thou have time to spare, thy case is very much different from\nmine. It is the daily trouble and burden of my mind, to see how slowly\nmy work goes on, and how hastily my time; and how much I am like to\nleave undone which I would fain despatch! How great and important\nbusinesses are to be done, and how short that life is like to be, in\nwhich they must be done, if ever! Methinks if every day were as long\nas ten, it were not too long for the work which is every day before\nme, though not incumbent on me as my present duty, (for God requireth\nnot impossibilities,) yet exceeding desirable to be done. It is the\nwork that makes the time a mercy; the time is for the work. If my work\nwere done, which the good of the church and my soul requireth, what\ncause had I to be glad of the ending of my time, and to say with\nSimeon, \"Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.\" Remember\nthen that God never gave thee one minute to spend in vain; but thy\nvery ease, and rest, and recreations must be but such and so much as\nfit thee for thy work; and as help it on, and do not hinder it. He\nredeemed and preserveth us, that we \"might serve him in holiness and\nrighteousness before him all the days of our lives,\" Luke i. 74, 75.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Remember still, that the time of this short, uncertain\nlife is all that ever you shall have, for your preparation for your\nendless life. When this is spent, whether well or ill, you shall have\nno more. God will not try those with another life on earth, that have\ncast away and mispent this.[282] There is no returning hither from the\ndead, to mend that which here you did amiss. What good you will do,\nmust now be done; and what grace you would get, must now be got; and\nwhat preparation for eternity you will ever make, must now be made! 2\nCor. vi. 2, \"Behold, now is the accepted time! Behold, now is the day\nof salvation.\" Heb. iii. 7, 13, \"Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith,\nTo-day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. But exhort\none another daily, while it is called to-day, lest any of you be\nhardened by the deceitfulness of sin.\" Have you but one life here to\nlive, and will you lose that one, or any part of it? Your time is\nalready measured out: the glass is turned upon you. Rev. x. 5, 6, \"And\nthe angel--lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth\nfor ever and ever, that time should be no longer.\" Therefore \"whatever\nthy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work,\nnor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou\ngoest,\" Eccles. ix. 10. What then remaineth, but that \"the time being\nshort, and the fashion of these things passing away,\" you use the\nworld as if you used it not, and redeem this time for your eternal\nhappiness, 1 Cor. vii. 29.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Remember still that sin and Satan will lose no time; and\ntherefore it concerneth you to lose none. \"The devil your adversary\ngoeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour,\" 1 Pet.\nv. 8. \"Be sober\" therefore and \"vigilant to resist him,\" ver. 7, 9. If\nhe be busy, and you be idle, if he be at work in spreading his nets,\nand laying his snares for you, and you be at play and do not mind him,\nit is easy to foretell you what will be the issue. If your enemies be\nfighting, while you sit still or sleep, it is easy to prognosticate\nwho will have the victory. The weeds of corruption are continually\ngrowing; sin, like a constant spring, is still running; the world is\nstill enticing; and the flesh is still inclining to its prohibited\ndelights. None of these enemies will make a truce or a cessation with\nyou, to sit as long as you sit still. So far are they from forbearing\nyou, while you are idle, or gratifying the flesh, that even this is\nthe fruit and evidence of their industry and success. Lose no time\nthen, and admit of no interruptions of your work, till you can\npersuade your enemies to do the like.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Consider what a senseless contradiction it is of you, to\nover-love your lives, and yet to cast away your time. What is your time\nbut the duration of your lives? You are loth to die, and loth your time\nshould be at an end; and yet you can as prodigally cast it away, as if\nyou were weary of it, or longed to be rid of it. Is it only the last\nhours that you are loth to lose? Are not the middle parts as precious,\nand to be spared and improved? Or is it only to have time, and not to\nuse it, that you desire? No means are good for any thing, but to further\nthe attainment of the end: it is not good to you, if it do you no good.\nTo have food or raiment without any use of them, is as bad as not to\nhave them. If you saw a man tremble with fear lest his purse be taken\nfrom him, and yet take out his money himself, and cast it away, or give\nit all for a straw or feather, what would you think of that man's wit?\nAnd do not you do the like and worse, when you are afraid lest death\nshould end your time, and yet you yourselves will idle it away, and play\nit away, and give it for a little worldly pelf? But I know how it is\nwith you: it is for the present pleasure of the flesh, and for the\nsweetness of life itself, that you value life, and are so loth to die,\nand not for any higher ends: but this is to be brutish, and to unman\nyourselves, and simply to vilify your lives, while you idolize them.\nSuch mad contradictions sin infers. You make your life your ultimate\nend, and desire to live but for life itself, or the pleasures of life,\nand so you make it instead of God and heaven, which should be intended\nas your proper end: and yet while you refer it not to these higher ends,\nand use it but for the present pleasure, you vilify yourselves and it,\nas if man did differ from a dog or other brute, but in some poor degree\nof present pleasure.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Consider that in your loss of time, you lose all the\nmercies of that time. For time is pregnant with great, invaluable\nmercies. It is the cabinet that containeth the jewels. If you throw away\nthe purse, you throw away the money that is in it. O what might you get\nin those precious hours which you cast away! How much better a treasure\nthan money might you win! How much sweeter a pleasure than all your\ngames and sports might you enjoy! You might be soliciting God for life\neternal. You might be using and increasing grace. You might be viewing\nby faith the blessed place and company in which you may abide for ever.\nAll this, and more, you are losing while you are losing time. You choose\nas a pleasure that heavy curse, Lev. xxvi. 20, \"Your strength shall be\nspent in vain.\" Why do you not also take it for a pleasure, to cast away\nyour gold or health? I tell you, a very little time is worth a great\ndeal of gold and silver. You cast away a more precious commodity.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Think seriously how Christ, and his apostles, and\nholiest servants in all ages spent their time. They spent it in\npraying, and preaching, and holy conference, and in doing good, and in\nthe works of their outward callings in subserviency to these: but not\nin cards, or dice, or dancing, or stage-plays, or pampering the flesh,\nnor in the pursuit of the profits and honours of the world. I read\nwhere Christ was \"all night in praying,\" Luke vi. 12, but not where he\nspent an hour in playing. I know you will say, that you expect not to\nreach their degree of holiness. But let me remember you, that he is\nnot sincere that desireth not to be perfect. And that he is graceless,\nwho wilfully keepeth any beloved sin, which he had not rather be\ndelivered from; and that wilfully refuseth any duty, and had not\nrather perform it as he ought. And that you are the more needy, though\nChrist, and his apostles, and servants, were the more holy. And that\nthe poor have more need to beg, and work, and be sparing of what they\nhave, than the rich. And therefore, if Christ and his holiest servants\nwere sparing of their time, and spent it in works of holiness and\nobedience, have not you greater need to do so than they? Have not you\nmore need to pray, and learn God's word, and prepare for death, than\nChrist and his apostles? Are you not more behindhand, as having lost\nmuch time? Let your wants instruct you.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Forget not that a spending time may come, when you will\nthink all too little, that now you can provide, by the most diligent\nredeeming of your time. If a garrison expect a siege, so sharp and\nlong as will spend up their provisions, they will prepare accordingly,\nthat they perish not by famine. Temptations may be stronger, and then\nyou will find that you should now have gathered strength to overcome\nthem, and have bestirred you in the getting day, that you might be\nable to stand in the evil day, Eph. vi. 13. It is those that now\nloiter and lose their time, and gather not knowledge and strength of\ngrace, who fall in trial: when sufferings for righteousness' sake,\nshall be as a siege to you, and when poverty, wrongs, provocations,\nsickness, and the face of death, shall be as a siege to you, then you\nwill find all your faith, and hope, and love, and comfort to be too\nlittle; and then you will wish that you had now bestirred you, and\nlaid in better provision, and \"laid up a good foundation or treasure\nin store for the time to come,\" 1 Tim. vi. 19.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Lastly, forget not how time is esteemed by the damned,\nwhose time and hope are gone for ever; and how thou wilt value it\nthyself if thou sin thy soul into that woeful state. What thinkest\nthou would those miserable creatures now give (if they had it) but for\none day's time, upon those terms of mercy which thou dost now enjoy\nit?[283] Would they sleep it away, or be at their games and\nmerriments, while God is offering them Christ and grace? Dost thou\nthink they set not a higher price on time and mercy, than sinners upon\nearth? Doth it not tear their very hearts for ever, to think how madly\nthey consumed their lives, and wasted the only time that was given\nthem to prepare for their salvation? Do those in hell now think them\nwise, that are idling or playing away their time on earth? Oh no!\nTheir feeling and experience sufficiently confuteth all that\ntime-wasters now plead for their sottish prodigality. I do not believe\nthat thou canst at once believe the word of God, concerning the state\nof damned souls, and yet believe that thy idle and vain expense of\ntime, would not vex thy conscience, and make thee even rage against\nthyself, if ever sin should bring thee thither! O then thou wouldst\nsee, that thou hadst greater matters to have spent thy time in, and\nthat it deserved a higher estimation and improvement. O man! beseech\nthe Lord to prevent such a conviction, and give thee a heart to prize\nthy time before it is gone; and to know the worth of it, before thou\nknow the want of it.\n\n\n           _Tit._ 2. _Directions contemplative for redeeming\n                             Opportunity._\n\nOpportunity or season is the flower of time. All time is precious; but\nthe season is most precious. The present time is the season to works\nof present necessity: and for others, they have all their particular\nseasons, which must not be let slip.[284]\n\n_Direct._ I. Remember that it is the great difference between the happy\nsaint and the unhappy world, that one is wise in time, and the other is\nwise too late. The godly know while knowledge will do good: the wicked\nknow when knowledge will but torment them. All those that you see now so\nexceedingly contrary in their judgment to the godly, will be of the very\nsame opinion shortly, when it will do them no good. Bear with their\ndifference and contradiction, for it will be but a very little while.\nThere is not one man that now is the furious enemy of holiness, but will\nconfess ere long that holiness was best. Do they now despise it as\ntedious, fantastical hypocrisy? They will shortly know that it was but\nthe cure of a distracted mind, and the necessary duty to God, which\nreligion and right reason do command. Do they now say of sin, What harm\nis in it? They will shortly know that it is the poison of the soul, and\nworse than any misery or death. They will think more highly of the worth\nof Christ, of the necessity of all possible diligence for our souls, of\nthe preciousness of time, of the wisdom of the godly, of the\nexcellencies of heaven, and of the word of God and all holy means, than\nany of those do that are now reproached by them, for being of this mind.\nBut what the better will they be for this? No more than Adam for knowing\ngood and evil. No more than it will profit a man when he is dead, to\nknow of what disease he died. No more than it will profit a man to know\nwhat is poison, when he hath taken it, and is past remedy. The thief\nwill be wise at the gallows; and the spendthrift prodigal when all is\ngone. But they that will be safe and happy, must be wise in time. The\ngodly know the worth of heaven, before it is lost; and the misery of\ndamnation, before they feel it; and the necessity of a Saviour, while he\nis willing to be a Saviour to them; and the evil of sin, before it hath\nundone them; and the preciousness of time, before it is gone; and the\nworth of mercy, while mercy may be had; and the need of praying, while\npraying may prevail. They sleep not till the door is shut, and then\nknock and cry, Lord, open to us, as the foolish ones, Matt. xxv. They\nare not like the miserable world, that will not believe, till they come\nwhere devils believe and tremble; nor repent, till torment force them to\nrepent. As ever you would escape the dear-bought experience of fools, be\nwise in time; and leave not conscience to answer all your cries, and\nmoans, and fruitless wishes, with this doleful peal, Too late! too late!\nDo but know now by an effectual faith, what wicked men will know by\nfeeling and experience, when it is too late, and you shall not perish.\nDo but live now as those enemies of holiness will wish that they had\nlived when it is too late, and you will be happy. Now God may be found:\n\"Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is\nnear. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his\nthoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon\nhim, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon,\" Isa. lv. 6, 7. Read\nbut the doleful lamentation of Christ over Jerusalem, Luke xix. 41, 42;\nand then bethink you, what it is to neglect the season of mercy and\nsalvation: \"He beheld the city and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst\nknown, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto\nthy peace! But now they are hidden from thine eyes!\"\n\n_Direct._ II. Remember that the neglecting of the season is the\nfrustrating and destroying of the work. When the season is past, the\nwork cannot be done. If you sow not in the time of sowing, it will be in\nvain at another time. If you reap not, and gather not in harvest, it\nwill be too late in winter to hope for fruit. If you stay till the tide\nis gone, or take not the wind that fits your turn, it may be in vain to\nattempt your voyage. All works cannot be done at all times: Christ\nhimself saith, \"I must work while it is day: the night cometh when no\nman can work,\" John ix. 4. Say not then, The next day may serve the\nturn: the next day is for another work; and you must do both.\n\n_Direct._ III. Consider that if the work should not be impossible, yet\nit will be difficult out of season; when in its season it might be\ndone with ease. How easily may you swim with the tide; and sail with\nthe wind; and form the iron if you hammer it while it is hot! How\neasily may many a disease be cured, if it be taken in time, which\nafterwards is uncurable! How easily may you bend a tender twig, and\npluck up a plant, which will neither be plucked up nor bended when it\nis grown up to be a tree! When you complain of difficulties in\nreligion, bethink you whether your loss of the fittest season, and\nacquainting yourselves no sooner with God, be not the cause?\n\n_Direct._ IV. Consider that your work out of season is not so good or\nacceptable, if you could do it.[285] \"Every thing is beautiful in its\nseason,\" Eccles. iii. 11. To speak a \"word in season to the weary,\" is\nthe skill of the faithful messengers of peace, Isa. 1. 4. When out of\nseason good may be turned into evil. Who will thank you for giving\nphysic, or food, or clothing to the dead? or pitying the poor when it\nis too late? In time all this may be accepted.\n\n_Direct._ V. Remember that if thou omit the season, thou art left to\nuncertainties both for time, and means, and grace. Lose this time, and\nfor aught thou knowest thou losest all. Or if thou have time, it may be\ncurst with barrenness, and never more may fruit grow on it. Preachers\nmay be taken from thee; and gracious company may be taken from thee:\nhelps and means may be turned into hinderances, and opposition, and\nstrong temptations: and then you will find what it was to neglect the\nseason! Or if you have the continuance of all helps and means, how know\nyou that God will set in by his grace, and bless them to you, and move\nyour hearts? He may resolve that if you resist him now, his Spirit shall\nstrive with you no more. If while it is called to-day, you will harden\nyour hearts, he may resolve to leave you to the hardness of Pharaoh, and\nto get himself a name upon you, and use you as vessels of wrath,\nprepared by your neglect and obstinacy for destruction.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Bethink you how all the creatures keep their proper\nseasons, in the service which God hath appointed them for you.[286] The\nsun riseth and setteth in its season, and keepeth its diary and annual\ncourse, and misseth not a minute. So do the celestial motions. You have\nday and night, and seed-time and harvest, summer and winter, spring and\nfall, and all exactly in their seasons. \"Yea, the stork in the heavens\nknoweth her appointed time, and the turtle, and the crane, and the\nswallow observe the time of their coming: but my people know not the\njudgment of the Lord,\" Jer. viii. 7. Shall only man neglect his season?\n\n_Direct._ VII. Consider how you know and observe the season for your\nworldly labours, and should you not much more do so in greater things?\nYou will not plough when you should reap; nor do the work of the\nsummer in the winter. You will not lie in bed all day, and go about\nyour business in the night. You will be inquisitive, that you may be\nskilful in the seasons, for your benefit or safety in the world; and\nshould you not much more be so for a better world? \"O ye hypocrites!\nye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs\nof the times?\" Matt. xvi. 3. As at harvest you look for the fruit of\nyour land, so doth God in season expect fruit from you, Mark xii. 2;\nLuke xx. 10. The \"godly\" are \"like a tree that is planted by the\nriver's side, which bringeth forth its fruit in season,\" Psal. i. 3.\nShall worldlings know their season, and shall not we?\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Consider how vigilant the wicked are to know and take\ntheir season to do evil. And how much more should we be so in doing\ngood! Seducers will take the opportunity to deceive. The thief and the\nadulterer will take the season of secrecy and darkness. The ambitious\nand covetous will take the season for profit and preferment. The\nmalicious watch their seasons of revenge. And have we not more need\nand more encouragement than they? Is it time for them to be building\ntheir own houses, and growing great by covetousness and oppression,\nand is it not time for you to be honouring God, and providing for\nendless life?[287] They \"cannot sleep unless they do evil,\" Prov. iv.\n16; and can you sleep securely while your time passeth away, and your\nwork is undone?\n\n_Direct._ IX. Remember that the devil watcheth the season of\ntemptation to destroy you. He prevaileth much by taking the time; when\nhe seeth you disarmed, forgetting God, in secure prosperity, fittest\nto hearken to his temptations. The same temptations out of season\nmight not prevail. And will you let your enemy outdo you?\n\n_Direct._ X. Consider how earnest you are with God in your necessities\nand distress, not only to relieve and help you, but to do it speedily\nand in season.[288] You would rather have him prevent the season, than\nto let it pass. You are impatient till deliverance come, and can\nhardly stay the time till it be ripe. When you are in pain and\nsickness, you would be delivered speedily: you are ready to cry, \"How\nlong, Lord, how long?\"[289] And as David, \"The time, yea, the set time\nis come,\" Psal. cii. 13. \"Make no longer tarrying, O my God!\" Psal.\nxl. 17. It would not satisfy you if God should say, I will ease you of\nyour pain the next year. Why then should you neglect the time of duty,\nand use so many delays with God? He giveth you all your mercies in\ntheir season; why then do you not in season give up yourselves to his\nlove and service? when you have his promise, that you shall \"reap in\ndue season if you do not faint,\" Gal. vi. 9.\n\n\n          _Tit._ 3. _Directions practical for redeeming Time._\n\n_Direct._ I. The first point in the art of redeeming time, is, to\ndespatch first with greatest care and diligence the greatest works of\nabsolute necessity, which must be done, or else we are undone for\never. First see that the great work of a sound conversion or\nsanctification be certainly wrought within you. Make sure of your\nsaving interest in Christ: get proof of your adoption and peace with\nGod, and right to everlasting life. Be able to prove to your\nconsciences from the word of God, and from your regenerate, heavenly\nhearts and lives, that your souls are justified and safe, and may\ncomfortably receive the news of death, whenever it shall be sent to\ncall you hence. And then, when you have done but so much of your work,\nyou will incur no such loss of time, as will prove the loss of your\nsouls or happiness. Though still there is much more work to do, for\nyourselves and others, yet when this much is soundly done, you have\nsecured the main. If you lose the time in which you should be renewed\nby the Spirit of Christ, and in which you should lay up your treasure\nin heaven, you are lost for ever. Be sure therefore that you look\nfirst to this: and then if you lose but the time in which you might\nhave grown rich or got preferment, your loss is tolerable; you know\nthe worst of it; you may see to the end of it. Yea, if you lose the\ntime in which you should increase in holiness, and edify others, the\nloss is grievous; but yet it will not lose you heaven. Therefore, as\nSolomon directeth the husbandman, \"Prepare thy work without and make\nit fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house,\"\nProv. xxiv. 27; so I advise you, to see first that the necessary work\nbe done; when that is done, and well done, you may go quietly and\ncheerfully about the rest: \"Seek first the kingdom of God and his\nrighteousness;\" oh what a deal is done when this is done!\n\n_Direct._ II. Learn to understand well the degrees of duties, which is\nthe greater and which the less, that when two seem to require your\ntime at once, you may know which of them to prefer. Not only to know\nwhich is simply and in itself the greatest, but which is the greatest\nfor you, and at that season, and as considered in all the\ncircumstances. A great part of the art of redeeming time, consisteth\nin the wise discerning and performing of this; to give precedency to\nthe greatest duty. He loseth his time, who is getting a penny when he\nmight get a pound; who is visiting his neighbour, when he should be\nattending his prince; who is weeding his garden, when he should be\nquenching a fire in his house, though he be doing that which in itself\nis good. So is he losing his time, who is preferring his body before\nhis soul; or man before God; or indifferent things before necessary;\nor private duties before public; or less edifying before the more\nedifying; or sacrifice before necessary mercy. The order of good works\nI have showed you before, chap. iii. direct. x. which you may peruse.\n\n_Direct._ III. Be acquainted with the season of every duty, and the\nduty of each season; and take them in their time. And thus one duty\nwill help on another; whereas misplacing them and disordering them,\nsets them one against another, and takes up your time with distracting\ndifficulties, and loseth you in confusion. As he that takes the\nmorning hour for prayer, or the fittest vacant hour, shall do it\nquietly, without the disturbance of his other affairs; when if the\nseason be omitted, you shall scarce at all perform it, or almost as\nill as if you did it not at all: so is it in point of conscience,\nreproof, reading, hearing, meditating, and every duty. A wise and\nwell-skilled christian should bring his matters into such order, that\nevery ordinary duty should know his place, and all should be as the\nlinks of one chain which draw on one another; or as the parts of a\nclock or other engine, which must be all conjunct, and each right\nplaced. A workman that hath all his tools on a heap or out of place,\nspends much of the day in which he should be working in looking for\nhis tools; when he that knoweth the place of every one, can presently\ntake it, and lose no time. If my books be thrown together on a heap, I\nmay spend half the day in looking for them when I should use them; but\nif they be set in order, and I know their places, it spares me that\ntime. So is it in the right timing of our duties.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Live continually as under the government of God; and\nkeep conscience tender, and in the performance of its office; and\nalways be ready to render an account to God and conscience of what you\ndo. If you live as under the government of God, you will be still\ndoing his work; you will be remembering his judgment; you will be\ntrying your work whether it be such as he approveth: this will keep\nyou from all time-wasting vanities. If you keep conscience tender, it\nwill presently check and reprehend you for your sin; and when you lose\nbut a minute of time, it will tell you of the loss: whereas a \"seared\nconscience\" is \"past feeling,\" and will give you over to\n\"lasciviousness,\" Eph. iv. 19; 1 Tim. iv. 2; and will make but a jest\nat the loss of time; or at least will not effectually tell you either\nof the sin or loss. If you keep conscience to its office, it will ask\nyou frequently, what you are doing? and try your works; it will take\naccount of time when it is spent, and ask you, what have you been\ndoing? and how you have spent every day and hour? And (as Seneca could\nsay) \"He will be the more careful what he doth, and how he spends the\nday, who looks to be called to a reckoning for it every night.\" This\nwill make the foreseen day of judgment have such a continual awe upon\nyou, as if you were presently going to it; while conscience, with\nrespect to it, is continually forejudging you. Whereas they that have\nsilenced or discarded conscience, are like school-boys that bolt their\nmaster out of doors, who do it with a design to spend the time in\nplay, which they should have spent in learning: but the\nafter-reckoning pays for all.\n\n[Sidenote: Rules to know what time must be spent in.]\n\nHere, for the further direction of your consciences, I shall lay you\ndown a few rules, for the right spending of your time. 1. Spend it in\nnothing (as a deliberate moral act) which is not truly, directly, or\nremotely an act of obedience to some law of God. (Of mere natural\nacts, which are no objects of moral choice, I speak not.) 2. Spend it\nin nothing which you know must be repented of. 3. Spend it in nothing\nwhich you dare not, or may not warrantably pray for a blessing on from\nGod. 4. Spend it in nothing which you would not review at the hour of\ndeath, by an awakened, well-informed mind. 5. Spend it in nothing\nwhich you would not hear of in the day of judgment. 6. Spend it in\nnothing which you cannot safely and comfortably be found doing, if\ndeath should surprise you in the act. 7. Spend it in nothing which\nflesh-pleasing persuadeth you to, against your consciences, or with a\nsecret grudge or doubting of your consciences. 8. Spend it in nothing\nwhich hath not some tendency, directly or remotely, to your ultimate\nend, the pleasing of God, and the enjoying him in love for ever. 9.\nSpend it in nothing which tendeth to do more hurt than good; that\nwould do a great hurt to yourself or others, under pretence of doing\nsome little good, which perhaps may better be done another way. 10.\nLastly, Spend it in nothing which is but a smaller good, when a\ngreater should be done.\n\n_Direct._ V. Do your best to settle yourselves where there are the\ngreatest helps and smallest hinderances to the redeeming of your time.\nAnd labour more to accommodate your habitation, condition, and\nemployments to the great ends of your life and time, than to your\nworldly honour, ease, or wealth. Live where is best trading for the\nsoul: you may get more by God's ordinary blessing in one year, in a\ngodly family, or in fruitful company, and under an able, godly\nminister, than in many years in a barren soil, among the ignorant,\ndead-hearted, or profane, where we must say, as David, \"I held my\npeace even from good, while the wicked was before me,\" Psal. xxxix. 1,\n2. And when we must do all the good we do through much opposition; and\nmeet with great disadvantages and difficulties, which may quickly stop\nsuch dull and backward hearts as ours. If you will prefer your profit\nbefore your souls in the choice of your condition, and will plunge\nyourselves into distracting business and company, your time will run\nin a wrong, unprofitable channel.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Contrive beforehand, with the best of your skill, for\nthe preventing of impediments, and for the most successful performance\nof your work. If you leave all to the very time of doing, you will\nhave many hinderances rise before you, and make you lose your time,\nwhich prudent forecast might have prevented. As for the improving of\nthe Lord's day, if you do not beforehand so order your business, that\nall things may give place to holy duties, you will meet with so many\ndisturbances and temptations, as will lose you much of your time and\nbenefit: so for family duties, and secret duties, and meditation, and\nstudies, and the works of your callings; if you do not forecast what\nhinderance is like to meet you, that you may prevent it before the\ntime, you must lose much time, and suffer much disappointment.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Endure patiently some smaller inconvenience and loss,\nfor the avoiding of greater, and for the redeeming of time for greater\nduties: and let little things be resolutely cast out of your way, when\nthey would draw out your time by insensible degrees. The devil would\ncunningly steal that from you by drops, which he cannot get you to\ncast away profusely at once; he that will not spend prodigally by the\npounds, may run out by not regarding pence. You shall have the\npretences of decency, and seemliness, and civility, and good manners,\nand avoiding offence, and censure, and of some necessity too, to draw\nout your precious time from you by little and little; and if you are\nso easy as to yield, it will almost all be wasted by this temptation.\nAs if you be ministers of Christ, whose time must be spent in your\nstudies, and pulpits, and in conference with your people, and visiting\nthem, and watching over them; and it is your daily groans that time is\nshort and work is long, and that you are forced to omit so many\nneedful studies, and pass by so many needy souls, for want of time;\nyet if you look not well about you, and will not bear some censure and\noffence, you shall lose even the rest of the time, which now you do\nimprove. Your friends about you will be tempting and telling you, O\nthis friend must needs be visited, and the other friend must be\ncivilly treated; you must not shake them off so quickly; they look for\nmore of your time and company: you are much obliged to them; they will\nsay you are uncivil and morose. Such a scholar comes to be acquainted\nwith you; and he will take it ill, and misrepresent you to others, if\nyou allow him not time for some familiar discourse. It is one that\nnever was with you before, and never took up any of your time: and so\nsaith the next and the next as well as he. Such a one visited you, and\nyou must needs visit him again. There is this journey or that which\nmust needs be gone; and this business and that which must needs be\ndone. Yea, one's very family occasions will steal away all his time,\nif he watch not narrowly: we shall have this servant to talk to, and\nthe other to hear, and our relations to respect, and abundance of\nlittle things to mind, so little as not to be named by themselves,\nabout meat, and drink, and clothes, and dressing, and house, and\ngoods, and servants, and work, and tradesmen, and messengers, and\nmarketing, and payments, and cattle, and a hundred things not to be\nreckoned up, that will every one take up a little of your time; and\nthose littles set together will be all. As the covetous usurer, that\nto purchase a place of honour, agreed for a month to give a penny to\nevery one that asked him; which being quickly noised abroad in the\ncity, there came so many for their pence, as took all that he had, and\nmade him quit his place of honour, because he had nothing left to\nmaintain it. So perhaps you are an eminent, much valued minister; and\nthis draweth upon you such a multitude of acquaintance, every one\nexpecting a little of your time, that among them all, they leave you\nalmost none for your studies; whereby not only your conscience is\nwounded, but your parts are quenched, and your work is starved and\npoorly done, and so your admirers themselves begin to set as light by\nyou as by others, for that which is the effect of their own\nimportunity. And as in our yearly expenses of our money, there goeth\nnear as much in little matters, not to be named by themselves, and\nincidental, unexpected charges, of which no account can be given\nbeforehand, as doth in food, and raiment, and the ordinary charges\nwhich we foreknow and reckon upon; just so it will be with your\nprecious time, if you be not very thrifty and resolute, and look not\nwell to it: you will have such abundance of little matters, scarce fit\nto be named, which will every one require a little, and one begin\nwhere the other endeth, that you will find in the review, when time is\ngone, that Satan was too cunning for you, and cheated you by drawing\nyou into seeming necessities. This is the grand reason why marriage\nand housekeeping are so greatly inconvenient to a pastor of the\nchurch, that can avoid them; because they bring upon him such\nabundance of these little diversions, which cannot be foreseen. In\nthis case a conscionable man (in what calling soever) must be\nresolute: and when he hath endeavoured with reason to satisfy\nexpectants, and put by diversions, if that will not serve he must\nneglect them, and cast them off, and break away, though he lose by it\nin his estate, or his repute, or his peace itself, and though he be\ncensured for it to be imprudent, uncivil, morose, or neglective of his\nfriends. God must be pleased, whoever be displeased: we must satisfy\nour minds with his alone approbation, instead of all: time must be\nspared, whatever be lost or wasted; and the great things must be done,\nwhatever become of the less: though where both may be done, and the\nlesser hinder not the greater, and rob us not of time from necessary\nthings, there we must have a care of both.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Labour to go always furnished and well provided for\nthe performance of every duty which may occur. As he that will not\nlose his time in preaching, must be well provided; so he that will not\nlose his time in solitariness, must be always furnished with matter\nfor profitable meditation; and he that would redeem his time in\ncompany, must be always furnished with matter for profitable\ndiscourse: he that is full will be ready to pour out to others, and\nnot be silent and lose his time for want of matter, or skill, or zeal;\nfor in all these three your provision doth consist. An ignorant,\nempty person wants matter for his thoughts and words; an imprudent\nperson wants skill to use it; a careless, cold, indifferent person,\nwants life to set his faculties on motion, and oil and poise to set\nthe wheels of his soul and body a-going. Bethink you in the morning\nwhat company you are like to meet, and what occasions of duty you are\nlike to have; and provide yourselves accordingly before you go, with\nmatter and resolution. Besides the general preparative of habitual\nknowledge, charity, and zeal, which is the chief, you should also have\nyour particular preparations for the duties of each day.[290] A\nworkman that is strong and healthful, and hath all his tools in\nreadiness and order, will do more in a day, than a sick man, or one\nthat wanteth tools, or keeps them dull and unfit for use, will do in\nmany. Psal. xxxvii. 30, 31, \"The mouth of the righteous speaketh\nwisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment;\" and no wonder, when \"The\nlaw of his God is in his heart: none of his steps shall slide.\" \"Out\nof the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh: a good man out of\nthe good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things,\" Matt.\nxii. 34, 35. \"Every scribe which is instructed to the kingdom of\nheaven, is like a man that is an householder, that bringeth forth out\nof his treasure things new and old,\" Matt. xiii. 52.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Promise not long life to yourselves, but live as those\nthat are always uncertain of another day, and certain to be shortly\ngone from hence. The groundless expectation of long life, is a very\ngreat hinderance to the redeeming of our time. Men will spend\nprodigally out of a full purse, who would be sparing if they knew they\nhad but a little, or were like to come to want themselves. Young\npeople, and healthful people, are under the greatest temptation to the\nloss of time. They are apt to think that they have time enough before\nthem, and that though it is possible that they may die quickly, yet it\nis more likely that they shall live long: and so, putting the day of\ndeath far from them, they want all those awakenings, which the face of\ndeath doth bring to them that still expect it; and therefore want the\nwisdom, zeal, and diligence which are necessary to the redemption of\ntheir time. Pray therefore as Psal. xc. 12, \"So teach us to number our\ndays, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.\" Dream not of rest and\nplenty for many years, when you have no promise to live till the next\nmorning, Luke xii. 19, 20. When they perceive death is at hand and\ntime is near an end, almost all men seem highly to esteem of time, and\npromise to spend it better if God would but try them once again. Do\nyou therefore continually perceive that death is even at hand, and\ntime near an end, and then it will make you continually more wise than\ndeath maketh the most; and to redeem your time as others purpose to\nredeem it when it is too late.\n\n_Direct._ X. Sanctify all to God that you have and do, and let\nHoliness to the Lord be written upon all; whether you eat or drink,\nlet it be intended and ordered ultimately to his glory. Make all your\ncivil relations, possessions, and employments thus holy; designing\nthem to the service and pleasing of God, and to the everlasting good\nof yourselves or others, and mixing holy meditation and prayer with\nthem all in season.[291] And thus we are bid to \"pray continually,\"\nand \"in all things give thanks,\" 1 Thess. v. 17, 18. And \"in all\nthings to make known our requests to God, in prayer, supplication, and\ngiving of thanks,\" Phil, iv. 6. And \"all things are sanctified by the\nword and prayer.\" This sacred alchymy, that turneth all our\nconversation, and possessions, and actions into holy, is an excellent\npart of the art of redeeming time.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Lastly, be acquainted with the great thieves that rob\nmen of their time, and with the devil's methods in enticing them to\nlose it, and live in continual watchfulness against them. It is a more\nnecessary thriftiness to be sparing and saving of your time, than of\nyour money. It more concerneth you to keep a continual watch against\nthe things which would rob you of your time, than against those\nthieves that would break your house, and rob you by the highway. Those\npersons that would tempt you to the loss of time, are to be taken as\nyour enemies, and avoided. I shall here recite the names of these\nthieves, and time-wasters, that you may detest them, and save your\ntime and souls from their deceits.\n\n\n        _Tit._ 4. _The Thieves or Time-wasters to be watchfully\n                               avoided._\n\n_Thief_ I. One of the greatest time-wasting sins is idleness, or\nsloth. The slothful see their time pass away, and their work undone,\nand can hear of the necessity of redeeming it, and yet they have not\nhearts to stir. When they are convinced that duty must be done, they\nare still delaying, and putting it off from day to day, and saying\nstill, I will do it to-morrow, or hereafter. To-morrow is still the\nsluggard's working day; and to-day is his idle day. He spendeth his\ntime in fruitless wishes: he lieth in bed, or sitteth idly, and\nwisheth, Would this were labouring: he feasteth his flesh, and wisheth\nthat this were fasting: he followeth his sports and pleasures, and\nwisheth that this were prayer, and a mortified life: he lets his heart\nrun after lust, or pride, or covetousness, and wisheth that this were\nheavenly-mindedness, and a laying up a treasure above. Thus the \"soul\nof the sluggard desireth and hath nothing: but the soul of the\ndiligent shall be made fat,\" Prov. xiii. 4. Prov. xxi. 25, \"The desire\nof the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.\" Every\nlittle opposition or difficulty will put him by a duty. Prov. xx. 4,\n\"The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold; therefore shall\nhe beg in harvest, and have nothing.\" Prov. xxii. 13, \"The slothful\nman saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.\"\nProv. xxvi. 14-16, \"As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the\nslothful upon his bed. The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it\ngrieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.\" And at last his sloth\ndepraves his reason, and bribeth it to plead the cause of his\nnegligence. \"The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit, than seven men\nthat can render a reason.\" Time will slide on, and duty will be\nundone, and your souls undone, if impious slothfulness be predominant.\nProv. xv. 19, \"The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns;\nbut the way of the righteous is made plain.\" You seem still to go\nthrough so many difficulties, that you will never make a successful\njourney of it. Yea, when he is in duty, the slothful is still losing\ntime. He prayeth as if he prayed not, and laboureth as if he laboured\nnot; as if the fruit of holiness passed away as hastily as worldly\npleasures. He is as slow as a snail; and rids so little ground, and\ndoth so little work, and so poorly resisteth opposition, that he makes\nlittle of it, and all is but next to sitting still and doing nothing.\nIt is a sad thing that men should not only lose their time in sinful\npleasures; but they must lose it also in reading, and hearing, and\npraying, by doing all in a heartless drowsiness! Thus \"he also that is\nslothful in his work, is brother to him that is a great waster,\" Prov.\nxviii. 9. If he \"begin in the Spirit,\" and for a spurt seem to be\nearnest, he flags, and tireth, and \"endeth in the flesh.\" Prov. xii.\n27, \"The slothful roasteth not that which he took in hunting; but the\nsubstance of a diligent man is precious.\" If he see and confess a\nvice, he hath not a heart to rise against it, and resolutely resist\nit, and use the means by which it must be overcome. Prov. xxiv. 30-34,\n\"I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man\nvoid of understanding; and, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and\nnettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was\nbroken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and\nreceived instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little\nfolding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that\ntravelleth; and thy want as an armed man.\" Shake off then this unmanly\nsluggishness: remember that you run for the immortal crown; and\ntherefore see that you lose no time, and look not at the things that\nare behind;[292] that is, do not cast an eye, or lend an ear to any\nperson or thing that would call you back, or stop you: heaven is\nbefore you. Judg. xviii. 9, \"We have seen the land, and behold it is\nvery good; and are ye still? be not slothful to go and to enter, and\npossess the land\" (as the five Danite spies said to their brethren).\nAbhor a sluggish habit of mind: go cheerfully about what you have to\ndo; and do it diligently, and with your might. Even about your lawful,\nworldly business, it is a time-wasting sin to be slothful. If you are\nservants or labourers, you rob your masters and those that hire you;\nwho hired you to work, and not to be idle. Whatever you are, you rob\nGod of your service, and yourselves of your precious time, and all\nthat you might get therein. It is they that are lazy in their\ncallings, that can find no time for holy duties. Ply your business the\nrest of the day, and you may the better redeem some time for prayer\nand reading Scripture. Work hard on the week days, and you may the\nbetter spend the Lord's day entirely for your souls. Idle persons\n(servants or others) do cast themselves behindhand in their work, and\nthen say, they have no time to pray or read the Scripture. Sloth\nrobbeth multitudes of a great part of their lives. Prov. xix. 15,\n\"Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep: and an idle soul shall suffer\nhunger.\" You cannot say, \"No man hath hired you,\" when you are asked,\n\"Why stand you idle?\" Matt. xx. 3, 6. See how sharply Paul reproveth\nidleness, 2 Thess. iii. determining that \"they that will not work\nshould not eat;\" and that they be avoided, as unfit for christian\nsociety. And 1 Tim. v. 13, he sharply rebuketh some women that \"learn\nto be idle, wandering about from house to house.\" And Rom. xii. 11,\n\"Not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.\" A\npainful, diligent person is still redeeming time, while he doth that\nwhich is good; and a slothful person is always losing it.\n\n_Thief_ II. The second thief or time-waster is excess of sleep.\nNecessity cureth most of the poor of this; but many of the rich are\nguilty of it. If you ask me, What is excess? I answer, All that is\nmore than is needful to our health and business. So much as is\nnecessary to these, I reprehend not. And therefore the infirm may take\nmore than the healthful; and the old more than the young: and those\nthat find that an hour's sleep more will not hinder them, but further\nthem in their work, so that they shall do the more, and not the less,\nas being unfit without it, may use it as a means to the\nafter-improvement of their time. But when sluggish persons spend hours\nin bed, which neither their health nor labours need, merely out of a\nswinish love of sleep; yea, when they will have no work to do, or\ncalling to employ them, but what shall give place to their sleepy\ndisease, and think they may sleep longer than is necessary, because\nthey are rich and can afford it, and have no necessary business to\ncall them up; these think they may consume their precious time, and\nsin more, and wrong their souls more, because God hath given them more\nthan others. As if their servant should plead that; he may sleep more\nthan others, because he hath more wages than others. Oh did these\ndrowsy wretches know what work they have to do for God, and their poor\nsouls, and those about them, it would quickly awake them, and make\nthem stir. Did they but know how earnestly they will shortly wish,\nthat, they had all those hours to spend again, they would spend them\nbetter now than in drowsiness. Did they but know what a woeful account\nit will be, when they must be answerable for all their time, to say,\nwe spent so many hours every week or morning in excess of sleep, they\nwould be roused from their sty, and find some better use for their\ntime, which will be sweeter in the review, when time is ended, and\nmust be no more.\n\n_Thief_ III. The next thief or time-waster is inordinate adorning of the\nbody. The poor may thank God that they are free also from the\ntemptations to this, and can quickly dress them and go about their\nbusiness; but many ladies and gallants are so guilty of this vice, that\nI wonder conscience is so patient with them.[293] O poor neglected,\nundressed souls! O filthy consciences, never cleansed from your\npollutions by the Spirit or blood of Christ! Have you not better use for\nprecious hours, than to be washing, and pinning, and dressing, and\ncurling, and spotting, and powdering, till ten or eleven o'clock in the\nmorning, when honest labourers have done one half of their day's work?\nWhile you are in health, were not six o'clock in the morning a fitter\nhour for you to be dressed, that you might draw near to the most holy\nGod in holy prayer, and read his word, and set your souls, and then your\nfamilies, in order for the duties of the following day? I do not say\nthat you may go no neater than poor labouring people, or that you may\nbestow no more time than they in dressing you: but I say, that for your\nsouls, and in your callings, you are bound by God to be as diligent as\nthey; and have no more time given you to lose than they, and that you\nshould spend as little of it in neatifying you as you can, and be\nsensible that else the loss is your own: and that abundance of precious\nhours which your pride consumeth, will lie heavy one day upon your\nconsciences; and then you shall confess, I say, you shall confess it\nwith aching hearts, that the duties you owed to God and man, and the\ncare of your souls, and of your families, should have been preferred\nbefore your appearing neat and spruce to men. If you have but a journey\nto go, you can rise earlier and be sooner dressed; but for the good of\nyour souls, and the redeeming of your precious time, you cannot. Oh that\nGod would but show you what greater work you have to do with those\nprecious hours! and how it will cut your hearts to think of them at\nlast! If you lay but hopelessly sick of a consumption, you would be\ncured it is like of this proud disease, and bestow less of your time in\nadorning the flesh, which is hasting to the grave and rottenness! And\ncannot you now see how time and life consume? and what cause you have,\nwith all your care and diligence, to use it better before it is gone? I\nknow they that are so much worse than childish, as prodigally to cast\naway so many hours in making themselves fine for the sight of men, and\nbe not ashamed to come forth and show their sin to others, will scarce\nwant words to excuse their crime, and prove it lawful, be they sense or\nnonsense. But conscience itself shall answer all, when time is gone, and\nmake you wish you had been wiser. You know not, ladies and gallants, how\nprecious a thing time is: you little feel what a price yourselves will\nset upon it at the last: you little consider what you have to do with\nit: you see not how it hasteth, and how near you stand to vast eternity!\nYou little know how despised time will look a wakened conscience in the\nface! or what it is to be found unready to die! I know you lay not to\nheart these things; for if you did, you could not, I say, you could not\nso lightly cast away your time. If all were true that you say, that\nindeed your place and honour requireth, that your precious morning hours\nbe thus spent, I profess to you, I should pity you more than\ngalley-slaves, and I would bless me from such a place and honour, and\nmake haste into the course and company of the poor, and think them happy\nthat may better spend their time. But indeed your excuses are frivolous\nand untrue, and do but show that pride hath prevailed to captivate your\nreason to its service. For we know lords and ladies, as great as the\nrest of you, (though alas, too few,) that can be quickly up and dressed,\nand spend their early hours in prayer and adorning their souls, and can\nbe content to come forth in a plain and incurious attire; and yet are so\nfar from being derided, or thought the worse by any whose judgment is\nmuch to be regarded, that they are taken justly for the honour of their\norder: and if it were not that some few such keep up the honour of your\nrank, I will not tell you how little in point of morality it would be\nhonoured.\n\n_Thief_ IV. Another time-wasting thief is unnecessary pomp and curiosity\nin retinue, attendance, house furniture, provision and entertainments,\ntogether with excess of compliment and ceremony, and servitude to the\nhumours and expectations of time-wasters.[294] I crowd them all\ntogether, because they are all but wheels of the same engine, to avoid\nprolixity. Here also I must prevent the cavils of the guilty, by telling\nyou that I reprove not all that in the rich, which I would reprove if it\nwere in the poor: I intend not to level them, and judge them by the same\nmeasure. The rich are not so happy as to be so free as the poor, either\nfrom the temptation, or the seeming necessity and obligation: let others\npity the poor; I will pity the rich, who seem to be pinched with harder\nnecessities than the poor; even this seeming necessity of wasting their\nprecious time in compliment, curiosity, and pomp, which the happy poor\nmay spend in the honest labours of their callings; wherein they may at\nonce be profitable to the commonwealth, and maintain themselves, and\nmeditate or confer of holy things. But yet I must say, that the rich\nshall give an account of time, and shall pay dear for that which\nunnecessary excesses do devour: and that instead of envying the state\nand curiosity of others, and seeking to excel or equal them to avoid\ntheir obloquy, they should contract and bring down all customs of\nexcess, and show their high esteem of time, and detestation of\ntime-wasting curiosity; and imitate the most sober, grave, and holy; and\nbe a pattern to others of employing time in needful, great, and manly\nthings; I say, manly, for so childish is this vice, that men of gravity\nand business do abhor it: and usually men of vanity that are guilty of\nit, lay it all on the women, as if they were ashamed of it, or it were\nbelow them. What abundance of precious time is spent in unnecessary\nstate of attendance, and provisions! What abundance, under pretence of\ncleanliness and neatness, is spent in needless curiosity about rooms,\nand furniture, and accommodations, and matters of mere pride,\nvain-glory, and ostentation, covered with the honest name of decency!\nWhat abundance is wasted in entertainments, and unnecessary visits,\ncompliments, ceremony, and servitude to the humours of men of vanity! I\nspeak not for nastiness, uncleanness, and uncomeliness: I speak not for\na cynical morosity or unsociableness. When conscience is awakened, and\nyou come to yourselves, and approaching death shall better acquaint you\nwith the worth of time, you will see a mean between these two; and you\nwill wish you had most feared the time-wasting prodigal extreme.[295]\nMethinks you should freely give me leave to say, that though Martha had\na better excuse than you, and was cumbered about many things for the\nentertainment of such a guest as Christ himself, (with all his\nfollowers,) who looked for no curiosity, yet Mary is more approved of by\nChrist, who neglected all this, to redeem the time for the good of her\nsoul, by sitting at his feet to hear his word: she chose the better\npart, which shall not be taken from her. Remember, I pray you, that one\nthing is necessary: I hope I may have leave to tell you, that if by you\nor your servants, God, and your souls, and prayer, and reading the\nScriptures, and the profitable labours of an honest calling, be all or\nany of them neglected, while you or they are neatifying this room, or\nwashing out that little spot, or setting straight the other wrinkle, or\nare taken up with feminine trifling, proud curiosities, this is\npreferring of dust before gold, of the least before the greatest\nthings:[296] and to say, that decency is commendable, is no excuse for\nneglecting God, your souls, or family, or leaving undone any one greater\nwork, which you or your servants might have been doing that while; I\nsay, any work that is greater all things considered. Oh that you and\nyour families would but live, as those that see how fast death cometh!\nhow fast time goeth! and what you have to do! and what your unready\nsouls yet want! This is all that I desire of you: and then I warrant\nyou, it would save you many a precious hour, and cut short your works of\ncuriosity, and deliver you from your slavery to pride and the esteem of\nvain time-wasters.\n\n_Thief_ V. Another time-wasting sin is needless and tedious feastings,\ngluttony, and tippling: which being of the same litter, I set\ntogether.[297] I speak not against moderate, seasonable, and\ncharitable feasts: but alas, in this luxurious, sensual age, how\ncommonly do men sit two hours at a feast, and spend two more in\nattending it before and after, and not improving the time in any pious\nor profitable discourse: yea, the rich spend an hour ordinarily in a\ncommon meal, while every meal is a feast indeed; and they fare as\ntheir predecessor, Luke xvi. deliciously or sumptuously every day.\nHappy are the poor, that are free also from this temptation. You spend\nnot so much time in the daily addresses of your souls to God, and\nreading his word, and taking an account of the affairs of conscience,\nand preparing for death, as you do in stuffing your guts, perhaps at\none meal. And in taverns and alehouses among the pots, how much time\nis wasted by rich and poor! O remember, while you are eating and\ndrinking, what a corruptible piece of flesh you are feeding and\nserving; and how quickly those mouths will be filled with dust! and\nthat a soul that is posting so fast unto eternity, should find no time\nto spare for vanity; and that you have important work enough to do,\nwhich if performed, will afford you a sweeter and a longer feast.\n\n_Thief_ VI. Another time-wasting sin is idle talk. What abundance of\nprecious time doth this consume! Hearken to most men's discourse when\nthey are sitting together, or working together, or travelling together,\nand you shall hear how little of it is any better than silence: and if\nnot better it is worse. So full are those persons of vanity who are\nempty, even to silence, of any thing that is good, that they can find\nand feed a discourse of nothing, many hours and days together; and as\nthey think, with such fecundity and floridness of style, as deserveth\nacceptance if not applause. I have marvelled oft at some wordy\npreachers, with how little matter they can handsomely fill up an hour!\nBut one would wonder more to hear people fill up, not an hour, but a\ngreat part of their day, and of their lives, and that without any study\nat all, and without any holy and substantial subject, with words, which\nif you should write them all down and peruse them, you would find that\nthe sum and conclusion of them is nothing! How self-applaudingly and\npleasingly they can extempore talk idly and of nothing a great part of\ntheir lives! I have heard many of them marvel at a poor unlearned\nchristian, that can pray extempore many hours together in very good\norder and well-composed words. But are they not more to be marvelled at,\nthat can very handsomely talk of nothing ten times as long, with greater\ncopiousness, and without repetitions, and that extempore, when they have\nnot that variety of great commanding subjects to be the matter of their\nspeech? I tell you, when time must be reviewed, the consumption of so\nmuch in idle talk, will appear to have been no such venial sin, as\nempty, careless sinners now imagine.\n\n_Thief_ VII. Another thief which by the aforesaid means would steal your\ntime, is vain and sinful company. Among whom a spiritual physician that\ngoeth to cure them, or a holy person that is full and resolute to bear\ndown vain discourse, I confess may well employ his time, when he is cast\nupon it, or called to it. But to dwell with such, or choose them as our\nfamiliars, or causelessly or for complacency keep among them, will\nunavoidably lose abundance of your time. If you would do good, they will\nhinder you; if you will speak of good, they will divert you, or reproach\nyou, or wrangle and cavil with you, or some way or other stop your\nmouths. They will by a stream of vain discourse, either bear down, and\ncarry you on with them, or fill your ears, and interrupt and hinder the\nvery thoughts of your minds by which you desire to profit yourselves,\nwhen they will not let you be profitable to others.\n\n_Thief_ VIII. Another notorious time-wasting thief, is needless,\ninordinate sports and games, which are commonly stigmatized by the\noffenders themselves, with the infamous name of pastimes, and masked\nwith the deceitful title of recreations; such as are cards and dice,\nand stage-plays, and dancings, and revellings, and excesses in the\nmost lawful sports, especially in hunting, and hawking, and\nbowling,[298] &c. Whether all these are lawful or unlawful of\nthemselves, is nothing to the present question; but I am sure that the\nprecious hours which they take up, might have been improved to the\nsaving of many a thousand souls, that by the loss of time are now\nundone and past recovery. Except malicious enemies of godliness, I\nscarce know a wretcheder sort of people on the earth, and more to be\nlamented, than those fleshly persons, who, through the love of sensual\npleasure, do waste many hours day after day in plays and gaming and\nvoluptuous courses; while their miserable souls are dead in sin,\nenslaved to their fleshly lusts, unreconciled to God, and find no\ndelight in him, or in his service, and cannot make a recreation of any\nheavenly work. How will it torment these unhappy souls, to think how\nthey played away those hours, in which they might have been pleasing\nGod, and preventing misery, and laying up a treasure in heaven! And to\nthink that they sold that precious time for a little fleshly sport, in\nwhich they should have been working out their salvation, and making\ntheir calling and election sure. But I have more to say to these anon.\n\n_Thief_ IX. Another time-wasting thief is excess of worldly cares and\nbusiness. These do not only, as some more disgraced sins, pollute the\nsoul with deep stains in a little time, and then recede; but they dwell\nupon the mind, and keep possession, and keep out good: they take up the\ngreatest part of the lives of those that are guilty of them. The world\nis first in the morning in their thoughts, and last at night, and almost\nall the day: the world will not give them leave to entertain any sober,\nfixed thoughts of the world to come; nor to do the work which all works\nshould give place to. The world devoureth all the time almost that God\nand their souls should have: it will not give them leave to pray, or\nread, or meditate, or discourse of holy things: even when they seem to\nbe praying, or hearing the word of God, the world is in their thoughts;\nand as it is said, Ezek. xxxii. 31, \"They come unto thee as the people\ncometh; and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words,\nbut they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love; but\ntheir heart goeth after their covetousness.\" In most families there is\nalmost no talk nor doings but all for the world: these also will know,\nthat they had greater works for their precious time, which should have\nalways had the precedency of the world.\n\n_Thief_ X. Another time-waster is vain ungoverned and sinful thoughts.\nWhen men are wearied with vain works and sports, they continue\nunwearied in vain thoughts; when they want company for vain discourse\nand games, they can waste the time in idle, or lustful, or ambitious,\nor covetous thoughts alone without any company. In the very night time\nwhile they wake, and as they travel by the way, yea, while they seem\nto be serving God, they will be wasting the time in useless thoughts:\nso that this devoureth a greater proportion of precious time, than any\nof the former. When time must be reckoned for, what abundance will be\nfound upon most men's accounts, as spent in idle, sinful thoughts! O\nwatch this thief; and remember, though you may think that a vain\nthought is but a little sin, yet time is not a little or contemptible\ncommodity, nor to be cast away on so little a thing as idle thoughts;\nand to vilify thus so choice a treasure is not a little sin; and that\nit is not a little work that you have to do in the time which you thus\nwaste. And a daily course of idle thoughts doth waste so great a\nmeasure of time, that this aggravation maketh it more heinous than\nmany sins of greater infamy. But of this more in the next part.\n\n_Thief_ XI. Another dangerous time-wasting sin is the reading of vain\nbooks, play-books, romances, and feigned histories; and also\nunprofitable studies, undertaken but for vain-glory, or the pleasing\nof a carnal or curious mind. Of this I have spoken in my book of\n\"Self-denial.\" I speak not here how pernicious this vice is by\ncorrupting the fancy and affections, and breeding a diseased appetite,\nand putting you out of relish to necessary things. But bethink you\nbefore you spend another hour in any such books, whether you can\ncomfortably give an account of it unto God; and how precious the time\nis, which you are wasting on such childish toys. You think the reading\nof such things is lawful; but is it lawful to lose your precious time?\nYou say that your petty studies are desirable and laudable; but the\nneglect of far greater necessary things is not laudable. I discourage\nno man from labouring to know all that God hath any way revealed to be\nknown; but I say as Seneca, We are ignorant of things necessary,\nbecause we learn things superfluous and unnecessary. Art is long and\nlife is short: and he that hath not time for all, should make sure of\nthe greatest matters; and if he be ignorant of any thing, let it be of\nthat which the love of God, and our own and other men's salvation, and\nthe public good, do least require, and can best spare. It is a pitiful\nthing to see a man waste his time in criticising, or growing wise in\nthe less necessary sciences and arts, while he is yet a slave of pride\nor worldliness, and hath an unrenewed soul, and hath not learned the\nmysteries necessary to his own salvation. But yet these studies are\nlaudable in their season. But the fanatic studies of those that would\npry into unrevealed things, and the lascivious employment of those\nthat read love-books, and play-books, and vain stories, will one day\nappear to have been but an unwise expense of time, for those that had\nso much better and more needful work to do with it. I think there are\nfew of those that plead for it, that would be found with such books in\ntheir hands at death, or will then find any pleasure in the\nremembrance of them.\n\n_Thief_ XII. But the master-thief that robs men of their time is an\nunsanctified, ungodly heart; for this loseth time whatever men are\ndoing: because they never truly intend the glory of God; and having\nnot a right principle or a right end, their whole course is\nhell-wards; and whatever they do, they are not working out their\nsalvation: and therefore they are still losing their time, as to\nthemselves, however God may use the time and gifts of some of them, as\na mercy to others. Therefore a new and holy heart, with a heavenly\nintention and design of life, is the great thing necessary to all that\nwill savingly redeem their time.\n\n\n           _Tit._ 5. _On whom this Duty of Redeeming Time is\n                        principally incumbent._\n\nThough the redeeming of time be a duty of grand importance and\nnecessity to all, yet all these sorts following have special\nobligations to it.\n\n_Sort_ I. Those that are in the youth and vigour of their time. Nature\nis not yet so much corrupted in you, as in old accustomed sinners;\nyour hearts are not so much hardened; sin is not so deeply rooted and\nconfirmed; Satan hath not triumphed in so many victories; you are not\nyet plunged so deep as others, into worldly encumbrances and cares;\nyour understanding, memory, and strength are in their vigour and do\nnot yet fail you: and who should go fastest, or work hardest, but he\nthat hath the greatest strength? You may now get more by diligence in\na day, than hereafter you can get in many. How few prove good\nscholars, or wise men, that begin not to learn till they are old!\n\"Flee youthful lusts,\" therefore, 2 Tim. ii. 22. \"Remember your\nCreator in the days of your youth,\" Eccles. xii. 1. If you be now\ntrained up in the way you should go, you will not depart from it when\nyou are old, Prov. xxii. 6. Oh that you could but know what an\nunspeakable advantage, and benefit, and comfort it is, to come to a\nripe age with the provisions and furniture of that wisdom, and\nholiness, and acquaintance with God, which should be attained in your\nyouth! and what a misery it is to be then to learn that which you\nshould have been many years before in practising, and to be then to\nbegin to live when you must make an end! much more to be cast to hell,\nif death should find you unready in your youth! or to be forsaken of\nGod to a hardened age! Happy they that, with Timothy and Obadiah, do\nlearn the Scripture and fear God in their childhood, and from their\nyouth, 1 Kings xviii. 12; 2 Tim. iii. 15.\n\n_Sort_ II. Necessity maketh it incumbent on the weak, and sick, and\naged, in a special manner to redeem their time. If they will not make\nmuch of it that are sure to have but a little; and if they will trifle\nand loiter it away, that know they are near their journey's end, and\nready to give up their accounts, they are unexcusable above all\nothers. A thief or murderer will pray and speak good words when he is\ngoing out of the world. Well may it be said to you, as Paul doth, Rom.\nxiii. 11, 12, \"Now is it high time to awake out of sleep,\" when your\nsalvation or damnation is so near! It is high time for that man to\nlook about him, and prepare his soul, and lose no time, that is so\nspeedily to appear before the most holy God, and be used for ever as\nhe has lived here.\n\n_Sort_ III. It is specially incumbent on them to redeem the time, who\nhave loitered and mispent much time already. If conscience tell you\nthat you have lost your youth in ignorance and vanity, and much of\nyour age in negligence and worldliness, it is a double crime in you,\nif you redeem not diligently the time that is left.[299] The just care\nof your salvation requireth it, unless you are willing to be damned.\nIngenuity and duty to God requireth it; unless you will defy him, and\nresolve to abuse and despise him to the utmost, and spend all the time\nagainst him which he shall give you. The nature of true repentance\nrequireth it; unless you will know none but the repentance of the\ndamned; and begin to repent the misspending of your time, when it is\ngone, and all is too late.\n\n_Sort_ IV. It is specially their duty to redeem the time, who are\nscanted of time through poverty, service, or restraint. If poor people\nthat must labour all the day, will not redeem the Lord's day, and\nthose few hours which they have, they will then have no time at all\nfor things spiritual: servants that be not masters of their time, and\nare held close to their work, had need to be very diligent in\nredeeming those few hours which are allowed them for higher things.\n\n_Sort_ V. Those that enjoy any special helps either public or private\nmust be specially careful to improve them and redeem the time. Do you\nlive under a convincing, powerful ministry? O improve it and redeem the\ntime; for you know not how soon they may be taken from you, or you from\nthem. Do you live with godly relations, parents, husband, wife, masters\nin a godly family, or with godly fellow-servants, friends, or\nneighbours? Redeem the time: get somewhat by them every day: you know\nnot how short this season will be. Do you live where you have books and\nleisure? Redeem the time: this also may not be long. Had not Joshua been\nhorribly unexcusable if he would have loitered when God made the sun\nstand still, while he pursued his enemies? O loiter not you, while the\nsun of mercy, patience, means, and helps do all attend you.\n\n_Sort_ VI. Those must especially redeem the time who are ignorant, or\ngraceless, or weak in grace, and have strong corruptions, and little\nor no assurance of salvation, and are unready to die, and have yet all\nor most of their work to do:[300] if these loiter, they are doubly to\nblame. Sure the time past of your lives may suffice to have loitered\nand done evil, 1 Pet. iv. 3. Hath not the devil had too much already?\nWill ye stand \"all the day idle,\" Matt. xx. 6. Look home and see what\nyou have yet to do; how much you want to a safe and comfortable\ndeath! \"Sow to yourselves in righteousness: reap in mercy: break up\nyour fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and\nrain righteousness upon you,\" Hos. x. 12.\n\n_Sort_ VII. It much concerneth them to redeem the time, who are in any\noffice, or have any opportunity of doing any special or public good;\nespecially magistrates and ministers of Christ. Your life will not be\nlong: your office will not be long: O bestir you against sin and\nSatan, and for Christ and holiness, while you may: God will try you\nbut a time. Let Obadiah hide and feed the prophets when he is called\nto it, and while he may, that God may hide him, and not think to shift\noff duty, and save himself to a better time. Saith Mordecai to Esther,\n\"Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house\nmore than all the Jews: for if thou altogether holdest thy peace at\nthis time, then shall their enlargement and deliverance arise from\nanother place, but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and\nwho knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as\nthis?\" Esther ix. 13, 14. Are you ministers? O preach the gospel while\nyou may: redeem the time: all times are your season: so great a work,\nand the worth of souls, commandeth you to do it \"in season and out of\nseason,\" 2 Tim. iv. 2. A man that is to save many others from\ndrowning, or to quench a fire in the city, is unexcusable above all\nmen, if he redeem not time, by his greatest diligence and speed.\n\n_Sort_ VIII. Lastly, it is especially incumbent on them to redeem the\ntime, who, being recovered from sickness, or saved from any danger,\nare under the obligation both of special mercy and special promises of\ntheir own; who have promised God in the time of sickness or distress,\nthat if he would but spare them and try them once again, they would\namend their lives, and live more holily, and spend their time more\ncarefully and diligently for their souls, and show all about them the\ntruth of their repentance, by the greatness of their change, and an\nexemplary life. Oh it is a most dangerous, terrible thing to return to\nsecurity, sloth, and sin, and break such promises to God! Such are\noften given over to woeful hard-heartedness or despair; for God will\nnot be mocked with delusory words.\n\nThus I have opened this great duty of redeeming time the more largely,\nbecause it is of unspeakable importance; and my soul is frequently\namazed with admiration, that the sluggish world can so insensibly and\nimpenitently go on in wasting precious time, so near eternity, and in\nso needy and dangerous a case. Though, I bless my God, that I have not\nwholly lost my time, but have long lived in a sense of the odiousness\nof that sin, yet I wonder at myself that such overpowering motives\ncompel me not to make continual haste, and to be still at work with\nall my might, in a case of everlasting consequence.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[280] See the directions how to spend every day, part ii. chap. 17.\n\n[281] Ex ips\u00e2 vit\u00e2 discedimus, tanquam ex hospitio, non tanquam ex\ndomo: commorandi enim nobis natura diversorium non habitandi domum\ndedit. Cic. in Cat. Maj.\n\n[282] See my book called \"Now or Never\"\n\n[283] Mors iis terribilis est, quorum cum vita omnia extinguuntur.\nCicero. Parad. 1.\n\n[284] See the many aggravations of sinful delay in my \"Directions for\nSound Conversion.\"\n\n[285] Numb. ix. 2, 3, 7, 13; Exod. xiii. 10.\n\n[286] Deut. xxviii. 12; Jer. v. 24; xxxiii. 20.\n\n[287] Hag. i. 2, 4.\n\n[288] 1 Sam. xiii. 8, 9.\n\n[289] Psal. lxx. 5; Lev. xxvi. 4; Jer. v. 24.\n\n[290] Acts vi. 5; Matt. vii. 17; Luke vi. 45; Matt. xii. 34.\n\n[291] 1 Cor. x. 31; Zech. xiv. 20, 21; Rom. vi. 19, 22; Luke i. 75; 1\nTim. v. 5; iv. 5; 2 Tim. ii. 21.\n\n[292] Phil. iii. 11-14.\n\n[293] Nosti mores mulierum: Dum moliuntur, dum comuntur, annus est.\nTerent.\n\n[294] Nihil mihi magis quam pompa displicet: non solum quia mala, et\nhumilitati contraria, sed quia difficilis, et quieti adversa est.\nPetrarch. in Vita Sua.\n\n[295] Nimia omnia nimium exhibent negotium.\n\n[296] Abundance of little things that have all their conveniences have\nall their inconveniences also, and take up our time, and so would shut\nout greater things, if they be not cast aside themselves, and would\nbecome great sins by such a consumption of our time, Luke x. 42.\n\n[297] Convivia, qu\u00e6 dicuntur (cum sint commessationes modesti\u00e6 et\nbonis moribus inimic\u00e6) semper mihi displicuerunt; laboriosum, et\ninutile ratus vocare et vocari, &c. Idem.\n\n[298] Laertius saith of Solon, that Thespim trag\u0153dias agere et docere\nprohibuit, inutilem eas falsiloquentiam vocans.\n\n[299] 1 Pet. iv. 3.\n\n[300] Eph. ii. 2.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER VI.\n\n             DIRECTIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE THOUGHTS.\n\n\nI have showed you, in my \"Treatise of Walking with God,\" how much\nman's thoughts are regarded by God, and should be regarded by himself;\nand what agents and instruments they are of very much good or evil:\nthis therefore I shall suppose and not repeat; but only direct you in\nthe governing of them. The work having three parts, they must have\nseveral directions. 1. For the avoiding of evil thoughts. 2. For the\nexercise of good thoughts. 3. For the improvement of good thoughts,\nthat they may be effectual.\n\n\n         _Tit._ 1. _Directions against Evil and Idle Thoughts._\n\n_Direct._ I. Know which are evil thoughts, and retain such an odious\ncharacter of them continually on your minds, as may provoke you still\nto meet them with abhorrence. Evil thoughts are such as these: All\nthoughts against the being, or attributes, or relations, or honour, or\nworks of God: atheistical and blasphemous, idolatrous and unbelieving\nthoughts: all thoughts that tend to disobedience or opposition to the\nwill or word of God; and all that savour of unthankfulness, or want of\nlove to God; or of discontent and distrust, or want of the fear of\nGod, or that tend to any of these: also sinful, selfish, covetous,\nproud studies; to make a mere trade of the ministry for gain; to be\nable to overtalk others; searching into unrevealed, forbidden things;\ninordinate curiosity, and hasty conceitedness of your own opinions\nabout God's decrees, or obscure prophecies, prodigies, providence,\nmentioned before about pride of our understandings.\n\nAll thoughts against any particular word, or truth, or precept of God,\nor against any particular duty; against any part of the worship and\nordinances of God; that tend to unreverent neglect of the name, or\nholy day of God: all impious thoughts against public duty, or family\nduty, or secret duty; and all that would hinder or mar any one duty:\nall thoughts of dishonour, contempt, neglect, or disobedience to the\nauthority of higher powers set over us by God, either magistrates,\npastors, parents, masters, or any other superiors. All thoughts of\npride, self-exalting ambition, self-seeking covetousness: voluptuous,\nsensual thoughts, proceeding from or tending to the corrupt,\ninordinate pleasures of the flesh: thoughts which are unjust, and tend\nto the hurt and wrong of others: envious, malicious, reproachful,\ninjurious, contemptuous, wrathful, revengeful thoughts: lustful,\nwanton, filthy thoughts: drunken, gluttonous, fleshly thoughts:\ninordinate, careful, fearful, anxious, vexatious, discomposing\nthoughts: presumptuous, and secure, despairing, and dejecting\nthoughts: slothful, delaying, negligent, and discouraging thoughts:\nuncharitable, cruel, false, censorious, unmerciful thoughts; and idle,\nunprofitable thoughts. Hate all these as the devil's spawn.\n\n_Direct._ II. Be not insensible what a great deal of duty or sin are\nin the thoughts, and of how dangerous a signification and consequence\na course of evil thoughts is to your souls. They show what a man is,\nas much as his words or actions do: \"For as he thinketh in his heart,\nso is he,\" Prov. xxiii. 7. A good man or evil is denominated by the\ngood or evil treasure of the heart, though known to men but by the\nfruits. Oh the vile and numerous sins that are committed in men's\nthoughts, and proceed from men's thoughts! O the precious time that is\nlost, in idle, and other sinful thoughts! Oh the good that is\nhindered hereby both in heart and life! But of this having spoken in\nthe treatise afore-mentioned, I proceed.\n\n_Direct._ III. Above all be sure that you cleanse the fountain, and\ndestroy those sinful inclinations of the heart, from which your evil\nthoughts proceed. In vain else will you strive to stop the streams: or\nif you should stop them, that very heart itself will be loathsome in the\neyes of God. Are your thoughts all upon the world, either coveting, or\ncaring, or grieving for what you want, or pleasing yourselves with what\nyou have or hope for? Get down your deceived estimation of the world;\ncast it under your feet, and out of your heart; and count all, with\nPaul, but as loss and dung, for the excellent knowledge of God in\nChrist: for till the world be dead in you, your worldly thoughts will\nnot be dead; but all will stand still when once this poise is taken off:\ncrucify it, and this breath and pulse will cease. So if your thoughts do\nrun upon matter of preferment, or honour, disgrace, or contempt, or if\nyou are pleased with your own pre-eminence or applause; mortify your\npride, and beg of God a humble, self-denying, contrite heart. For till\npride be dead, you will never be quiet for it; but it will stir up\nswarms of self-exalting and yet self-vexing thoughts, which make you\nhateful in the eyes of God. So if your thoughts be running out upon your\nback and belly, what you shall eat or drink, or how to please your\nappetite or sense; mortify the flesh, and subdue its desires, and master\nyour appetite, and bring them into full obedience unto reason, and get a\nhabit of temperance; or else your thoughts will be still upon your guts\nand throats: for they will obey the ruling power; and a violent passion\nand desire doth so powerfully move them, that it is hard for the reason\nand will to rule them. So if your thoughts are wanton and filthy, you\nmust cleanse that unclean and lustful heart, and get Christ to cast out\nthe unclean spirit, and become chaste within, before you will keep out\nyour unchaste cogitations. So if you have confusion and vanity in your\nthoughts, you must get a well furnished and well composed mind and\nheart, before you will well cure the malady of your thoughts.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Keep at a sufficient distance from those tempting\nobjects, which are the fuel and incentives of your evil thoughts. Can\nyou expect that the drunkard should rule his thoughts, whilst he is in\nthe alehouse or tavern, and seeth the drink? or that the glutton\nshould rule his thoughts, while the pleasing dish is in his sight? or\nthat the lustful person should keep chaste his thoughts, in the\npresence of his enamouring toy? or that the wrathful person rule his\nthoughts, among contentious, passionate words? or that the proud\nperson rule his thoughts, in the midst of honour and applause? Away\nwith this fuel, fly from this infectious air, if you would be safe.\n\n_Direct._ V. At least make a covenant with your senses, and keep them\nin obedience, if you will have obedient thoughts. For all know by\nexperience how potently the senses move the thoughts. Job saith, \"I\nmade a covenant with my eyes, why then should I think upon a maid.\"\nMark how the covenant with his eyes is made the means to rule his\nthoughts. Pray with David, \"Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity,\"\nPsal. cxix. 37. Keep a guard upon your eyes, and ears, and taste, and\ntouch, if you will keep a guard upon your thoughts. Let not that come\ninto these outer parts, which you desire should go no further. Open\nnot the door to them, if you would not let them in.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Remember how near kin the thought is to the deed; and\nwhat a tendency it hath to it. Let Christ himself tell you, Matt. v.\n22, 28, \"But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother\nwithout a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. I say unto you,\nThat whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed\nadultery with her already in his heart.\" A malicious thought and a\nmalicious deed are from the same spring, and have the same nature:\nonly the deed is the riper serpent, and can sting another; when the\nthought is as the younger serpent, that hath only the venomous nature\nin itself. A lustful thought is from the same defiled puddle, as\nactual filthiness: and the thought is but the passage to the action:\nit is but the same sin in its minority, tending to maturity.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Keep out, or quickly cast out, all inordinate passions:\nfor passions do violently press the thoughts, and forcibly carry them\naway. If anger, or grief, or fear, or any carnal love, or joy, or\npleasure be admitted, they will command your thoughts to run out upon\ntheir several objects. And when you rebuke your thoughts, and call them\nin, they will not hear you, till you get them out of the crowd and noise\nof passion. As in the heat of civil wars no government is well exercised\nin a kingdom; and as violent storms disable the mariners to govern the\nship, and save it and themselves; so passions are too stormy a region\nfor the thoughts to be well governed in. Till your souls be reduced to a\ncalm condition, your thoughts will be tumultuating, and hurried that way\nthat the tempests drive them. Till these wars be ended, your thoughts\nwill be licentious, and partakers in the rebellion.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Keep your souls in a constant and careful obedience unto\nGod. Observe his law; be continually sensible that you are under his\ngovernment, and awed by his authority. Man judgeth not your thoughts: if\nyou are subject to man only, your thoughts must be ungoverned: but the\nheart is the first object of God's government, and that which he\nprincipally regardeth. His laws extend to all your thoughts; and\ntherefore if you know what obedience to God is, you must know what the\nobedience of your thoughts to him is; for he that obeyeth God as God,\nwill obey him in one thing as well as another, and will obey him as the\ngovernor and judge of thoughts. The powerful, searching word of Christ\nis a \"discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart, and as a\ntwo-edged sword is sharp and quick,\" and will \"pierce\" and \"cut\" as deep\nas the very \"soul and spirit,\" Heb. iv. 12, 13. \"It casteth down every\nimagination, and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience\nof Christ,\" 2 Cor. x. 5. Therefore David saith to God, \"Search me, O\nGod, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there\nbe any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting,\" Psal.\ncxxxix. 23, 24. And you find God's laws and reproofs extending to the\nthoughts: Isa. lix. 7, \"Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity.\" The\nfool's heart-atheism is rebuked, Psal. xiv. 1. He reproveth a rebellious\npeople, for \"walking in a way that is not good, after their own\nthoughts,\" Isa. lxv. 2. See how Christ openeth the heart, Matt. xv. 9.\nHe chargeth them, Deut. xv. 9, \"to beware that there be not a thought in\ntheir wicked hearts,\" against the mercy which they must show to the\npoor. Psal. xlix. 11, he detecteth the \"inward thought\" of the\nworldling, that \"their houses shall continue for ever.\" Prov. xxiv. 9,\nhe saith, \"The thought of foolishness is sin.\" The old world was\ncondemned because the \"imaginations of their hearts were only evil\ncontinually,\" Gen. vi. 5. And when God calleth a sinner to conversion,\nhe saith, \"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his\nthoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon\nhim,\" Isa. lv. 6, 7. You see then if you are subject to God, your\nthoughts must be obedient.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Remember God's continual presence; that all your\nthoughts are in his sight. He seeth every filthy thought, and every\ncovetous, and proud, and ambitious thought, and every uncharitable,\nmalicious thought. If you be not atheists, the remembrance of this\nwill somewhat check and control your thoughts, that God beholdeth\nthem. \"He understandeth\" your \"thoughts afar off,\" Psal. cxxxix. 2.\n\"Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it,\" Prov. xxiv. 12.\n\"Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?\" saith Christ, Matt. ix. 4.\n\n_Direct._ X. Bethink you seriously what a government you would keep\nupon your thoughts, if they were but written on your foreheads, or\nseen by all that see you, yea, or but open to some person whom you\nreverence. Oh how ashamed would you then be, that men should see your\nfilthy thoughts, your malicious thoughts, your covetous and deceiving\nthoughts! And is not the eye of God ten thousand times more to be\nreverenced and regarded? And is not man your god, if you are awed more\nby man than by God, and if the eye of man can do more to restrain you?\n\n_Direct._ XI. Keep tender your consciences, that they may not be\nregardless or insensible of the smallest sin. A tender conscience\nfeareth evil and idle thoughts; and will smart in the penitent review\nof thoughts; but a seared conscience feeleth nothing, except some\ngrievous, crying sins. A tender conscience obeyeth that precept, Prov.\nxxx. 32, \"If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if\nthou hast thought evil, lay thy hand upon thy mouth.\"\n\n_Direct._ XII. Cast out vain and sinful thoughts in the beginning,\nbefore they settle themselves and make a dwelling of thy heart. They\nare easiliest and safeliest resisted in the entrance. Thy heart will\ngive them rooting and grow familiar with them, if they make any stay.\nBesides, it shows the greater sin, because there is the less\nresistance, and the more consent. If the will were against them, it\nwould not let them alone so long. Yea, and their continuance tendeth\nto your ruin; it is like the continuance of poison in your bowels, or\nfire in your thatch, or a spy in an army: as long as they stay they\nare working toward your greater mischief. If these flies stay long\nthey will blow and multiply; they will make their nests, and breed\ntheir young, and you will quickly have a swarm of sins.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Take heed lest any practical error corrupt your\nunderstandings; or lest you be engaged in any ill design: for these\nwill command your thoughts into a course of sinful attendance and\nservice to their ends. He that erreth and thinks his sin is his virtue\nor his duty, will indulge the thoughts of it without control; yea, he\nwill drive on his mind to such cogitations; and steal from the\nauthority and word of God, the motives and incentives of his sin. As\nfalse prophets speak against God in the name of God, and against his\nword as by the pretended authority of his word; so an erring mind will\nfetch its arguments from God and from the Scripture, for those sinful\nthoughts which are against God and Scripture. And if evil thoughts\nwill so hardly be kept out when we plead the authority of God and his\nword against them, and do the best we can to hinder them; how will\nthey prevail when you plead the authority of God and the sacred\nScriptures for them, and take it to be your duty to kindle and promote\nthem! For instance; all the sinful thoughts by which the Romish clergy\nare contriving the support of their kingdom of darkness in the world,\nand the continuance of their tyranny in the church, are but the\nproducts of their error, which tells them that all this should be\ndone, as pleasing to God, and profitable to the church. All the bloody\nthoughts of persecutors, against the church and holy ways of Christ,\nhave been cherished by this erroneous thought. John xvi. 23, \"The time\ncometh that whoever killeth you, will think that he doth God service;\nand these things they will do unto you, because they have not known\nthe Father nor me.\" All Paul's bloody contrivances and practices\nagainst the church did come from this. Acts xxvi. 9, \"I verily thought\nwith myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of\nJesus of Nazareth: which thing I also did.\" All the scornful and\nreproachful thoughts and speeches of many of the ungodly against a\nholy life, are hence: 1 Pet. iv. 4, \"They think it strange that you\nrun not with them to excess of riot, speaking evil of you.\" The vain\nbabbling of hypocrites, who cheat their souls with idle lip-labour,\ninstead of the spiritual service from the heart, and the sacrifice of\nfools, who offer God some outward thing, while they deny him their\nhearts and holy obedience, do proceed from this, that \"they think to\nbe heard for their much babbling,\" Matt. vi. 7, \"and they consider not\nthat they do evil,\" Eccl. v. 1. All the self-flattery and presumption\nof the ungodly, and consequently all their ungodly lives, are much\nfrom their erroneous thoughts: \"He that thinketh he is something when\nhe is nothing, deceiveth himself,\" Gal. vi. 3. O come into the light,\nand forsake your darkness! for sinful thoughts are like hobgoblins and\nhags, that fly from the light; and like worms and serpents, that creep\ninto holes, and crawl and gender in the dark.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Remember what an opening of thoughts there will be,\nwhen you come into the light, either here by conviction, or at the\nfurthest at the day of judgment. Then you will be ashamed to see what\nfilth and vanity you entertained; and with what dross and rubbish you\nstuffed your minds. When the light comes in, what abundance of things\nwill you see to your astonishment, in the dungeon of your hearts,\nwhich now you take no notice of! Remember, that all your hidden\nthoughts must one day be brought into the open light. Say not that\nthis is a thing impossible, because they are so numerous: for God who\nseeth them all at once, and causeth his sun to illuminate so many\nmillions at once, can make you see them all at once, and yet\ndistinctly, and see the shame and filthiness of every one of them.\n\n_Direct._ XV. When you find that some thoughts of sin and vanity are\nfollowing you still, for all that you can do, you must not therefore\nplunge your souls into so much solicitousness, fear, and trouble, as may\ndiscourage and distract your mind; but wait on God in the complacential\nand obediential way of cure. It is the tempter's method to keep sinners\nutterly careless of their thoughts, and senseless of any sin that is in\nthem, as long as he can; and when that hope faileth him, he will labour\nto make a humble, obedient soul so sensible of the sin of his thoughts,\nand so careful about them, as to confound him, and cast him into\nmelancholy, discouragement, and despair; and then he will have no\ncommand of his thoughts at all; but they will be as much ungoverned\nanother way, and feed continually upon terror. The end of this\ntemptation is to distract you and confound you. The pretence of the\ntempter will be contrary to his end: for while he driveth you with\nterrors to think of nothing else but what you have been or are thinking\non, and to make your own thoughts the only or principal matter of your\nthoughts, he will confound you, and make you undisposed to all good, and\nunable to govern your thoughts at all. But if you principally study the\nexcellencies of God and godliness, and take the course which tends to\nmake religion pleasant to you, and withal keep up an awful obedience to\nGod, this complacential obedience will best prevail.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Therefore deliver up your hearts to Christ in love and\nduty, and consecrate your thoughts entirely to his service, and keep\nthem still exercised on him, or in his work: and this will most\neffectually cure them of vanity and sin.[301] If you have a friend that\nyou love entirely, you will not feed swine in the room that must\nentertain him; you will not leave it nasty and unclean; you will not\nleave it common to every dirty, unsuitable companion, to intrude at\npleasure and disturb your friend. So love and pleasure will be readily\nand composedly careful, to keep clean the heart, and shut out vain and\nfilthy thoughts, and say, This room is for a better guest; nothing shall\ncome here which my Lord abhorreth: is he willing so wonderfully to\ncondescend, as to take up so mean a habitation, and shall I straiten\nhim, or offend him, by letting in his noisome enemies? Will he dwell in\nmy heart, and shall I suffer thoughts of pride, or lust, or malice, to\ndwell with him, or to enter in? Are these fit companions for the Spirit\nof grace? Do I delight to grieve him? I know as soon as ever they come\nin, he will either resist them till he drive them out again, or he will\ngo out himself. And shall I drive away so dear a Friend, for the love of\na filthy, pernicious enemy? Or do I delight in war? Would I have a\ncontinual combat in my heart? Shall I put the Spirit of Christ to fight\nfor his habitation, against such an ignominious foe? Indeed there is no\ntrue cure for sinful, vain, unprofitable thoughts, but by the contrary;\nby calling up the thoughts unto their proper work, and finding them more\nprofitable employment: and this is by consecrating the heart and them\nentirely to the love and service of him, that hath by the wonders of his\nlove, and by the strange design of his purchase and merits, so well\ndeserved them. Let Christ come in, and deliver him the key, and pray him\nto keep thy heart as his own, and he will cast out buyers and sellers\nfrom his temple, and will not suffer his house of prayer to be a den of\nthieves. But if you receive Christ with reserves, and keep up designs\nfor the world and flesh, marvel not if Christ will be no partners with\nthem, but leave all to those guests, which you would not leave for him.\n\n\n          _Tit._ 2. _Directions to furnish the Mind with Good\n                             Thoughts._[302]\n\nTo have the mind well furnished with matter for holy and profitable\nthoughts, is necessary to all that have the use of reason, though not\nto all alike. But I shall here present you only with such materials as\nare necessary to a holy life, and to be used in our daily walk with\nGod; and not meddle with such as are proper to pastors, magistrates,\nor other special callings, though I may give some general directions\nalso for students in the end of this.\n\n[Sidenote: Our own interest and end.]\n\n_Direct._ I. Understand well your own interest and great concernments,\nand be well resolved what you live for, and what is your true felicity\nand end; and then this will command your thoughts to serve it. The\nend is it that the means are all chosen for, and used for. A man's\nestimation directeth his intention and designs; and his intention and\ndesigns command his thoughts. These will certainly have the first and\nchiefest, the most serious, and practical, and effectual thoughts;\nthough some by-thoughts may run out another way: as the miller will be\nsure to keep so much water as is necessary to grind his grist, though\nhe may let that run by which he thinks he hath no need of; as you\ngather in all your corn and fruit for yourselves at harvest, though\nperhaps you will leave some scatterings which you do not value much,\nfor any that will to gather; so whatever a man taketh for his ultimate\nend and true felicity, will have the store and stream of his\ncogitations, though he may scatter some few upon other things, when he\nthinks he may do it without any detriment to his main design. As a\ntraveller's face is ordinarily towards his journey's end, though so\nfar as he thinks it doth not stop him, he may look behind him, or on\neach side; so our main end will in the main carry on our thoughts. And\ntherefore unholy souls, that know not practically any higher end than\nthe prosperity and pleasure of the flesh, and the plenty and honour of\nthe world, cannot possibly exercise any holy government over their\nthoughts; but their minds and consciences are defiled, and their\nthoughts made carnal as is their end. Nor is there any possibility of\ncuring their vicious, wicked thoughts, and of ordering them acceptably\nto God, but by curing their worldly, carnal minds, and causing them to\nchange their designs and ends. And this must be by understanding what\nis their interest. Know well but what it is that is most necessary for\nyou, and best for you, and it will change your hearts, and save your\nsouls. Know this, and your thoughts will never want matter to be\nemployed on; nor will they be suffered to wander much abroad.\nTherefore it is that the expectation of death, and the thought of\ncoming presently to judgment, do use more effectually to supply the\nmind with the wisest and most useful thoughts, than the learnedst book\nor ordinary means can. That which tells a man best what he hath to do,\ndoth best tell him what he hath to think on. But the approach of\ndeath, and the appearance of eternity, doth best tell a dull and\nfleshly sinner what he hath to do; this tells, and tells him roundly,\nthat he must presently search his heart and life, and judge himself as\none that is going to the final judgment; and that it is high time for\nhim to look out for the remedy for his sin and misery, &c.; and\ntherefore it will command his thoughts this way. Ask any lawyer,\nphysician, or tradesman, what commands his thoughts; and you will find\nthat his interest, and his ends, and work command them. Know what it\nis to have an immortal soul, that must live in joy or woe for ever,\nand what it is to be always so near to the irreversible, determining\nsentence, and what it is to have this short uncertain time, and no\nmore, to make our preparation in, and then it is easy to foretell\nwhich way your thoughts will go. A man that knoweth his house is on\nfire, will be thinking how to quench it; a man that knoweth he is\nentering into a mortal sickness, will be thinking how to cure it.\nThere is no better way to have your thoughts both furnished and acted\naright, than to know your interest, and right end.\n\n[Sidenote: God.]\n\n_Direct._ II. Know God aright, and behold him by the eye of an\neffectual faith, and you shall never want matter for holy thoughts.\nHis greatness and continual presence with you may command your\nthoughts, and awe them, and keep them from masterless vagaries. His\nwisdom will find them continual employment, upon the various,\nexcellent, and delectable subjects of his natural and supernatural\nrevelation; but no where so much as upon himself. In God thou mayst\nfind matter for thy cogitations and affections, most high and\nexcellent, delighting the mind with a continual suavity, affording\nstill fresh delights, though thou meditate on him a thousand years, or\nto all eternity. Thou mayst better say, that the ocean hath not water\nenough for thee to swim in, or that the earth hath not room enough for\nthee to tread upon, than that there is not matter enough in God, for\nthy longest meditations, and most delighting, satisfying thoughts. The\nblessed angels and saints in heaven, will find enough in God alone to\nemploy their minds to all eternity. Oh horrid darkness and atheism\nthat yet remaineth on our hearts! that we should want matter for our\nthoughts, to keep them from feeding upon air or filth! or want matter\nfor our delight, to keep our minds from begging it at the creature's\ndoor, or hungering for the husks that feed the swine! when we have the\ninfinite God, omnipotent, omniscient, most good and bountiful, our\nlife, and hope, and happiness, to think on with delight.\n\n[Sidenote: The world to come.]\n\n_Direct._ III. If you have but an eye of faith, to see the things of\nthe unseen world, as revealed in the sacred word, you cannot want\nmatter to employ your thoughts. Scripture is the glass in which you\nmay see the other world. There you may see the Ancient of Days, the\nEternal Majesty shining in his glory, for the felicitating of holy,\nglorified spirits. There you may see the human nature advanced above\nangels, and enjoying the highest glory next to the uncreated Majesty;\nand Christ reigning as the King of all the world, and all the angels\nof God obeying, honouring, and worshipping him. You may see him\nsending his angels on his gracious messages, to the lowest members of\nhis body, the little ones of his flock on earth; you may see him\ninterceding for all his saints, and procuring their peace and\nentertainment with the Father; and preparing for their reception when\nthey pass into those mansions, and welcoming them one by one as they\npass hence. There you may see the glorious, celestial society\nattending, admiring, extolling, worshipping, the Great Creator, the\nGracious Redeemer, and the Eternal Spirit, with uncessant, glorious,\nand harmonious praise; you may see them burning in the delicious\nflames of holy love, drawn out by the vision of the face of God, and\nby the streams of love which he continually poureth out upon them; you\nmay see the magnetic attraction of the uncreated love, and the\nfelicitating closure of the attracted love of holy spirits, thus\nunited unto God by Christ, and feasting everlastingly upon him; you\nmay see the ravishments of joy, and the unspeakable pleasures, which\nall these blessed spirits have in this transporting sight, and love,\nand praise. You may see the ecstasies of joy which possess the souls\nof those that are newly passed from the body, and escaped the sins and\nmiseries of this world, and find there such sudden ravishing\nentertainment, unspeakable beyond their former expectations,\nconceivings, or belief. You may see there with what wonder, what pity,\nwhat loathing and detestation, those holy, glorified souls look down\nupon earth, on the negligence, contempt, sensuality, and profaneness\nof the dreaming and distracted world! You may see there what you shall\nbe for ever, if you be the holy ones of Christ, and where you must\ndwell, and what you must do, and what you shall enjoy. All this you\nmay so know by sound believing, as to be carried to it as sincerely as\nif your eyes had seen it, Heb. xi. 1; 2 Cor. v. 7. And yet can your\nthoughts be idle, or carnal, or worldly and sinful, for want of work?\nAre your meditations dry and barren for want of matter to employ them?\nDoth the fire of love or other holy affections go out for want of fuel\nto feed it? Are not heaven and eternity spacious enough for your minds\nto expatiate in? Is not such a world as that sufficient for you to\nstudy, with fresh and delectable variety of discoveries from day to\nday? or that which is more delightful than variety? Would you have\nmore matter, or higher and more excellent matter, or sweeter and more\npleasant matter, or matter which doth nearlier concern yourselves? Get\nthat faith which all that shall be saved live by, which makes things\nabsent as operative (in some measure) as if they were present, and\nthat which will be as if it now were, and that which is unseen as if\nit were now open to your eyes; and then your thoughts will want\nneither matter to work upon, nor altogether an actuating excitation.\n\nIf this were not enough, I might tell you what faith can see also in\nhell, which is not unworthy of your serious thoughts.[303] What work\nis there? what direful complaints and lamentations? what\nself-tormentings, and what sense of God's displeasure, and for what?\nBut I will wholly pass this by, that you may see there is delightful\nwork enough for your thoughts, and that I set you no unpleasant task.\n\n[Sidenote: The work of love.]\n\n_Direct._ IV. Get but the love of God well kindled in your heart, and\nit will find employment, even the most high and sweet employment, for\nyour thoughts. Yourselves shall be the judges, whether your love doth\nnot for the most part rule your thoughts, assigning them their work,\nand directing them when, and how long to think on it. See but how a\nlustful lover is carried after a beloved, silly piece of flesh! Their\nthoughts will so easily and so constantly run after it, that they need\nno spur! Mark in what a stream it carrieth them! how it feedeth and\nquickeneth their invention, and elevateth an ordinary fancy into a\npoetical and passionate strain! What abundance of matter can a lover\nfind, in the narrow compass of a dirty corpse, for his thoughts to\nwork on night and day! And will not the love of God then much more\nfill and feast your thoughts? How easily can the love of money find\nmatter for the thoughts of the worldling from one year to another? It\nis easy to think of any thing which you love. Oh what a happy spring\nof meditation, is a rooted, predominant love of God! Love him\nstrongly, and you cannot forget him. You will then see him in every\nthing that meets you; and hear him in every one that speaketh to you:\nif you miss him, or have offended him, you will think on him with\ngrief; if you taste of his love, you will think of him with delight;\nif you have but hope, you will think of him with desire, and your\nminds will be taken up in seeking him, and in understanding and using\nthe means by which you may come to enjoy him. Love is ingenious, and\nfull, and quick, and active, and resolute; it is valiant, and patient,\nand exceeding industrious, and delighteth to encounter difficulties,\nand to appear in labours, and to show itself in advantageous\nsufferings; and therefore it maketh the mind in which it reigneth\nexceeding busy, and findeth the thoughts a world of work. If God be\nnot in all the thoughts of the ungodly, Psal. x. 4, it is because he\nis not in his heart. He may be \"nigh their mouths,\" but he is \"far\nfrom their reins,\" Jer. xii. 2. Do those men believe themselves, or\nwould they be believed by any one that is wise, who say they love God\nabove all, and yet neither think of him, nor love to think of him; but\nare unwearied in thinking of their wealth, and honours, and the\npleasures of their flesh? \"Consider this, ye that forget God, lest he\ntear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you,\" Psal. 1. 22.\n\n[Sidenote: Jesus Christ and all the work of redemption.]\n\n_Direct._ V. Soundly understand the wonderful mystery of man's\nredemption, and know Jesus Christ, and you need not want employment\nfor your thoughts. For \"in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and\nknowledge,\" Col. ii. 3. \"He is the power of God, and the wisdom of\nGod,\" 1 Cor. i. 24. If the study of Aristotle, Plato, Plotinus, and\ntheir numerous followers and commentators, can find work for the\nthoughts of men that would know the works of God, or would be\naccounted good philosophers, even for many years together, or a great\npart of their lives, what work then may a christian find for his\nthoughts in Jesus Christ, \"who of God is made unto us wisdom, and\nrighteousness, and sanctification, and redemption,\" 1 Cor. i. 30. \"For\nit pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell,\" Col. i.\n19. And therefore in him there is fulness of matter for our\nmeditations. As Paul \"determined to know nothing\" (or make ostentation\nof no other knowledge) \"but Christ crucified,\" 1 Cor. ii. 2; so if\nyour thoughts had nothing to work upon many years together, but Christ\ncrucified, they need not stand still a moment for want of most\nsuitable and delightful matter. The mystery of the incarnation alone,\nmay find you work to search and admire many ages! But if thence you\nproceed to that world of wonderful matter which you may find in his\ndoctrine, miracles, example, sufferings, temptations, victories,\nresurrection, ascension; and in his kingly, prophetical, and priestly\noffices; and in all the benefits which he hath purchased for his\nflock; oh, what full and pleasant work is here for the daily thoughts\nof a believer! The soul may dwell here with continual delight, till it\nsay with Paul, Gal. ii. 20, \"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless\nI live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now\nlive in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me\nand gave himself for me.\" Therefore daily \"bow your knees to the\nFather of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven\nand earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches\nof his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner\nman; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being\nrooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all\nsaints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth; and height, and to\nknow the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be\nfilled with all the fulness of God,\" Eph. iii. 14-19.\n\n[Sidenote: The holy Scriptures.]\n\n_Direct._ VI. Search the holy Scriptures, and acquaint yourselves well\nwith the oracles of God, which are able to make you wise unto\nsalvation, and you will find abundant matter for your thoughts. If you\ncannot find work enough for your minds, among all those heights and\ndepths, those excellencies and difficulties, it is because you never\nunderstood them, or never set your hearts to search them. What\nmysterious doctrines, how sublime and heavenly, are there for you to\nmeditate on as long as you live! What a perfect law, a system of\nprecepts most spiritual and pure! What terrible threatenings against\noffenders are there to be matter of your meditations. What wonderful\nhistories of love and mercy! What holy examples! What a treasury of\nprecious promises, on which lieth our hope of life eternal! What full\nand free expressions of grace! What a joyful act of pardon and\noblivion to penitent, believing sinners! In a word, the character of\nour inheritance, and the law which we must be governed and judged by,\nare there before us for our daily meditation! David, that had much\nless of it than we, saith, \"O how love I thy law! it is my meditation\nall the day,\" Psal. cxix. 97. And God said to Joshua, \"This book of\nthe law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate\ntherein day and night, that thou mayst observe to do according to all\nthat is written therein,\" Josh. i. 8. And Moses commanded the\nIsraelites, that \"these words should be in their hearts, and that they\nteach them diligently to their children, and talk of them when they\nsat in their houses, and when they walked by the way, and when they\nlay down, and when they rose up, and to write them on the posts of\ntheir houses, and on their gates,\" &c. that they might be sure to\nremember them, Deut. vi. 7.\n\n[Sidenote: Ourselves as we are God's work.]\n\n_Direct._ VII. Know thyself well as thou art the work of God, and in\nthyself thou wilt find abundant matter for thy meditations. There thou\nhast the natural image of God to meditate on and admire; even the noble\nfaculties of thy understanding and free will, and executive power. And\nthou hast his moral or spiritual image to meditate on, if thou be not\nunregenerate: even thy holy wisdom, will, and power, or thy holy light,\nand love, and power with promptitude for holy practice; and all in the\nunity of holy life.[304] And there thou hast his relative image to\nmeditate on; even thy being, 1. The lord or owner. 2. The ruler. 3. The\nbenefactor to the inferior creatures, and their end. Oh the world of\nmysteries which thou carriest continually about thee in that little\nroom. What abundance of wonders are in thy body, which is fearfully and\nwonderfully made! And the greater wonders in thy soul. Thou art thyself\nthe clearest glass that God is to be seen in under heaven, as thou art a\nman and a saint! And therefore the worthiest matter for thy own\nmeditations (except that holy word, which is thy rule, and the holy\nchurch, which is but a coalition of many such). What a shame is it, that\nalmost all men do live and die such strangers to themselves, as to be\nutterly unacquainted with the innumerable excellencies and mysteries,\nwhich God hath laid up in them; and yet to let their thoughts run out\nupon vanities and toys, and complain of their barrenness, and want of\nmatter, to feed their better meditations.\n\n[Sidenote: Our sins and wants.]\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Be not a stranger to the many sins, and wants, and\nweaknesses of thy soul, and thou never needest to be empty of matter\nfor thy meditations. And though these thoughts be not the sweetest,\nyet thy own folly hath made them necessary. If thou be dangerously\nsick, or but painfully sore, thou canst scarce forget it: if poverty\nafflict thee with pinching wants, thy thoughts are taken up with cares\nand trouble day and night. If another wrong thee, thou canst easily\nthink on it. And hast thou so often wronged thy God and Saviour, and\nso unkindly vilified his mercy, and so unthankfully set light by\nsaving grace, and so presumptuously and securely ventured on his\nwrath, and yet dost thou find a scarcity of matter for thy\nmeditations? Hast thou all the sins of thy youth and ignorance to\nthink on, and all the sins of thy rashness and sensuality, and of thy\nnegligence and sloth, and of thy worldliness and selfishness, ambition\nand pride, thy passions and thy omissions, and all thy sinful\nthoughts and words, and yet art thou scanted of matter for thy\nthoughts? Dost thou carry about thee such a body of death? so much\nselfishness, pride, worldliness, and carnality; so much ignorance,\nunbelief, averseness to God, and backwardness to all that is spiritual\nand holy; so much passion, and readiness to sin; and yet dost thou not\nfind enough to think on? Look over the sins of all thy life: see them\nin all their aggravations; as they have been committed against\nknowledge, or means and helps, against mercies and judgments, and thy\nown vows or promises; in prosperity and under affliction itself; in\nsecret and with others; in thy general and particular calling, and in\nall thy relations; in every place, and time, and condition that thou\nhast lived in; thy sins against God directly, and thy injuries or\nneglects of man: sins against holy duties, and sins in holy duties; in\nprayer, hearing, reading, sacraments, meditation, conference,\nreproofs, and receiving of reproofs from others: thy negligent\npreparations for death and judgment; the strangeness of thy soul to\nGod and heaven.[305]--Is not here work enough for thy meditations?\ncertainly if thou think so, it is because thy heart never felt the\nbitterness of sin, nor was ever yet acquainted with true repentance;\nbut the time is yet to come, that light must show thee what sin is,\nand what thou art, and what thou hast done, and how full thy heart is\nof the serpent's brood, and that thy sin must find thee out! Dost thou\nnot know that thy sins are as the sands of the shore, or as the hairs\nupon thy head for number? and that every sin hath deadly poison in it,\nand malignant enmity to God and holiness; and yet are they not enough\nto keep thy thoughts from being idle? Judge by their language whether\nit be so with penitents: Psal. li. 2, 3, \"Wash me throughly from my\nwickedness, and cleanse me from my sin; for I acknowledge my\ntransgressions, and my sin is ever before me.\" Psal. xl. 12, \"For\ninnumerable evils have compassed me about; mine iniquities have taken\nhold upon me, so that I am not able to look up: they are more than the\nhairs of my head: therefore my heart faileth me.\" Psal. cxix. 57, \"I\nthought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.\" True\nrepentance is thus described: Ezek. xxxvi. 31, \"Then shall ye remember\nyour own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall\nloathe yourselves in your own sight, for your own iniquities, and for\nyour abominations.\" Yea, God's forgiving and forgetting your sins,\nmust not make you forget them. Ezek. xvi. 60-63, \"I will establish to\nthee an everlasting covenant; then shalt thou remember thy ways and be\nashamed. And I will establish my covenant with thee; that thou mayst\nremember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more,\nbecause of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee for all that\nthou hast done, saith the Lord God of hosts.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Satan's temptations.]\n\n_Direct._ IX. Be not a stranger to the methods, and subtleties, and\ndiligence of Satan, in his temptations to undo thy soul, and thou wilt\nfind matter enough to keep thy thoughts from idleness. He is thinking\nhow to deceive thee and destroy thee; and doth it not concern thee to\nthink how to defeat him and escape and save thyself? If the hare run\nnot as fast as the dog, he is like to die for it. Oh that thy eyes\nwere but opened to see the snares that are laid for thee in thy\nnature, in thy temperature and passions, in thy interests, thy\nrelations, thy friends and acquaintance, and ordinary company; in thy\nbusinesses, and possessions, thy house, and goods, and lands, and\ncattle, and tenants, and servants, and all that thou tradest with, or\nhast to do with; in thine apparel and recreations; in thy meat and\ndrink, and sleep, and ease, in prosperity and adversity; in men's good\nthoughts, or bad thoughts of thee; in their praise and dispraise; in\ntheir benefits and their wrongs; their favour and their falling out;\nin their pleasing or displeasing thee; in thy thinking and in thy\nspeaking, and in every thing that thou hast to do with! Didst thou but\nsee all these temptations, and also see to what they tend, and whither\nthey would bring thee, thou wouldst find matter to cure the idleness\nor impertinences of thy thoughts.\n\n[Sidenote: The whole world.]\n\n_Direct._ X. The world and every creature in it, which thou daily\nseest, and which revealeth to thee the great Creator, might be enough\nto keep thy thoughts from idleness. If sun, and moon, and stars; if\nheaven and earth, and all therein, be not enough to employ thy\nthoughts, let thy idleness have some excuse. I know thou wilt say,\nthat it is upon some of these things that thou dost employ them: yea,\nbut dost thou not first destroy, and mortify, and make nonsense of\nthat on which thou meditatest? Dost thou not first separate it from\nGod, who is the life, and glory, and end, and meaning of every\ncreature? Thou killest it, and turnest out the soul, and thinkest only\non the corpse; or on the creature made another thing as food for thy\nsensual desires! As the kite thinketh on the birds and chickens, to\ndevour them to satisfy her greedy appetite; thus you can think of all\nGod's works, so far as they accommodate your flesh. But the world is\nGod's book, which he set man at first to read; and every creature is a\nletter, or syllable, or word, or sentence, more or less, declaring the\nname and will of God. There you may behold his wonderful almightiness,\nhis unsearchable wisdom, his unmeasurable goodness, mercy, and\ncompassions; and his singular regard of the sons of men! Though the\nungodly, proud, and carnal wits do but play with, and study the shape,\nand comeliness, and order of the letters, syllables, and words,\nwithout understanding the sense and end; yet those that with holy and\nilluminated minds come thither to behold the footsteps of the great,\nand wise, and bountiful Creator, may find not only matter to employ,\nbut to profit and delight their thoughts; they may be rapt up by the\nthings that are seen, into the sacred admirations, reverence, love,\nand praise of the glorious Maker of all, who is unseen: and thus to\nthe sanctified all things will be sanctified; and the study of common\nthings will be to them divine and holy.\n\n[Sidenote: Providence about the world.]\n\n_Direct._ XI. Be not a stranger to, or neglectful disregarder of, the\nwonders of providence in God's administrations in the world, and thou\nwilt find store of matter for thy thoughts. The dreadfulness of\njudgments, the delightfulness of mercies, the mysteriousness of all,\nwill be matter of daily search and admiration to thee. Think of the\nstrange preservations of the church; of a people hated by all the\nworld! how such a flock of lambs is kept in safety, among so many\nravenous wolves. Think of God's sharp afflictions of his offending\npeople; of his severe consuming judgments exercised sometimes upon the\nwicked, when he means to set up here and there a monument of his\njustice, for the warning of presumptuous sinners. Go see how the\nwicked are deceived by befooling pleasures, and how the prosperity of\nfools destroyeth them, Prov. i. 32; how they flourish to-day as a\ngreen bay-tree, Psal. xxxvii. 35, or as the flower of the field; and\nthen go into the sanctuary and see their end, how to-morrow they are\ncut down and withered, and the place of their abode doth know them no\nmore. Go see how God delighteth to abase the proud, and to \"scatter\nthem in the imagination of their hearts; to put down the mighty from\ntheir seats, and to exalt them of low degree; to fill the hungry with\ngood things, and to send the rich empty away,\" Luke i. 51-53. \"How\ngreat are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an\neverlasting kingdom,\" Dan. iv. 3. \"He ruleth in the kingdom of men,\nand giveth it to whomsoever he will,\" ver. 26, 32. \"For wisdom and\nmight are his: and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth\nkings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and\nknowledge to them that know understanding. He revealeth the deep and\nsecret things; he knoweth what is in darkness, and the light dwelleth\nwith him,\" Dan. ii. 20-22. \"The Lord is known by the judgment which he\nexecuteth; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hand,\" Psal.\nix. 16. Mark how the upright are afflicted daily, and how the feet of\nviolence trample on them; and yet how they rejoice, and adhere to that\nGod who doth afflict them, and pity and pray for their miserable\npersecutors and oppressors; and how \"all things do work together for\ntheir good,\" Rom. viii. 28. \"Wonderful are all the works of God,\nsought out of them that have pleasure therein,\" Psal. cxi. 2. The\nhistories of former ages, and the observation of the present, may show\nthee a world of matter for thy thought.[306]\n\n[Sidenote: God's image.]\n\n_Direct._ XII. Understand all the lineaments and beauty of God's image\nupon a holy soul, the excellency and use of every grace, and the\nharmony of all; and thou wilt have store of profitable matter for thy\nthoughts. Know the nature of every grace, and the place and order of\nit, and the office, use, and exercise of it; and the means and\nmotives, the opposites, dangers, and preservatives of it: know it as\nGod's image, and see and love thy Maker, and Redeemer, and Regenerator\nin it: know how God loveth it, and how useful it is to our serving and\nhonouring him in the world; and how deformed and vile a thing the soul\nis, that is without it: know well what faith is; what wisdom and\nprudence are; what repentance, and humility, and mortification are;\nwhat hope, and fear, and desire, and obedience, and meekness, and\ntemperance, and sobriety, and chastity, and contentation, and justice,\nand self-denial are; especially know the nature and force of love to\nGod, and to his servants, and to neighbours, and to enemies: know what\na holy resignation and devotedness to God are; and what are\nwatchfulness, diligence, zeal, fortitude, and perseverance, patience,\nsubmission, and peace: know what the worth, and use, the helps, and\nhinderances of all these are, and then your thoughts will not be idle.\n\n[Sidenote: The daily motions of the Spirit.]\n\n_Direct._ XIII. If thou be not a stranger to the Spirit of grace, or a\nneglecter of his daily motions, and persuasions, and operations on thy\nheart, the attendance and improvement of them will keep thy thoughts\nfrom rusty idleness and a vagrant course. It is not a small matter to be\ndaily entertaining so noble a guest, and daily observing the offers and\nmotions of so great a Benefactor; and daily receiving the gifts of so\nbountiful a Lord, and daily accepting his necessary helps; and daily\nobeying the saving precepts of so great and beneficent a God. If you\nknow how insufficient you are without him, to will or to do, to\nperform, or to think, or purpose any good, and that all your sufficiency\nis of him.[307] If you knew that it is the great skill and diligence\nrequisite in all that will sail successively to the desired land of\nrest, to know the winds of the Spirit's helps, and to set all your sails\nto the right improvement of them, and to bestir you while such gales\ncontinue, you would find greater work than wandering for your thoughts.\n\n[Sidenote: All our duty to God and man.]\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Be not ignorant or neglective of that frame and course\nof holy duty to God and man, in which all your lives should be\nemployed; and you cannot want matter to employ your thoughts upon.\nYour pulse, and breath, and natural motions, will hold on whether you\nthink of them or not; but so will not moral, holy motion, for that\nmust be rational and voluntary. You have all the powers of soul and\nbody, to exercise either upon God or for God. You must know him, fear\nhim, love him, obey him, trust him, worship him, pray to him, praise\nhim, give thanks to him, bewail your sins, and hear his word, and\nreverently use his name and day. And is not the understanding and\nlearning how to do all this, and the seasonable, serious practice of\nit all, sufficient to keep the thoughts from idleness? Oh what a deal\nof work doth a serious christian find for his thoughts, about some one\nof these! about praying aright, or hearing, or receiving the sacrament\nof Christ's body and blood aright! But besides all these, what a deal\nof duty have you to perform, to magistrates, pastors, parents,\nmasters, and other superiors; to subjects, people, children, servants,\nand other inferiors; to every neighbour, for his soul, his body, his\nestate, and name; and to do to all as you would be done by. And\nbesides all this, how much have you to do directly for yourselves; for\nyour souls, and bodies, and families, and estates! against your\nignorance, infidelity, pride, selfishness, sensuality, worldliness,\npassion, sloth, intemperance, cowardice, lust, uncharitableness, &c.\nIs not here matter for your thoughts?\n\n[Sidenote: All our particular mercies.]\n\n_Direct._ XV. Overlook not that life full of particular mercies, which\nGod hath bestowed on yourselves, and you will find pleasant and\nprofitable matter for your thoughts. To spare me the labour of repeating\nthem, look back to chap. iii. direct. xiv. Think of that mercy which\nbrought you into the world, and chose your parents, your place, and your\ncondition; which brought you up, and bore with you patiently in all your\nsins, and closely warned you of every danger: which seasonably afflicted\nyou, and seasonably delivered you, and heard your prayers in many a\ndistress: which hath yet kept the worst of you from death and hell; and\nhath regenerated, justified, adopted, and sanctified those that he hath\nfitted for eternal life. How many sins he hath forgiven! How many he\nhath in part subdued! How many and suitable helps he hath vouchsafed\nyou! From how many enemies he hath saved you! How oft he hath delighted\nyou by his word and grace! What comforts you have had in his servants\nand ordinances, in your relations and callings! His mercies are\ninnumerable, and yet do your meditations want matter to supply them? If\nI should but recite the words of David in many thankful psalms, you\nwould think mercy found his thoughts employment.\n\n[Sidenote: The account at judgment.]\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Foresee that exact and righteous judgment, which\nshortly you have to undergo; and it will do much to find you\nemployment for your thoughts. A man that must give an account to God\nof all that he hath done, both good and evil, and knoweth not how\nsoon, for aught he knows before to-morrow, methinks should find\nhimself something better than vanity to think on! Is it nothing to be\nready for so great a day? To have your justification ready? your\naccounts made up? your consciences cleansed and quieted on good\ngrounds? To know what answer to make for yourselves against the\naccuser? To be clear and sure that you are indeed regenerate, and have\na part in Christ, and are washed in his blood, and reconciled to God,\nand shall not prove hypocrites and self-deceivers in that trying day!\nwhen it is a sentence that must finally decide the question, whether\nwe shall be saved or damned; and must determine us to heaven or hell\nfor ever; and you have so short and uncertain a time for your\npreparation: will not this administer matter to your thoughts? If you\nwere going to a judgment for your lives, or all your estates, you\nwould think it sufficient to provide you matter for your thoughts by\nthe way. How much more this final, dreadful judgment!\n\n[Sidenote: Our afflictions.]\n\n_Direct._ XVII. If all this will not serve the turn, it is strange if\nGod call not home your thoughts, by sharp afflictions: and methinks the\nimprovement of them, and the removal of them, should find some\nemployment for your thoughts. It is time then to \"search and try your\nways, and turn again unto the Lord,\" Lam. iii. 4. To find out the Achan\nthat troubleth your peace, and know the voice of the rod, and what God\nis angry at, and what it is that he calleth you to mind! To know what\nroot it is that beareth these bitter fruits; and how they may be\nsanctified to make you conformable to Christ, and \"partakers of his\nholiness,\" Heb. xii. 10. Besides the exercise of holy patience and\nsubmission, there is a great deal of work to be done in sufferings; to\nexercise faith, to honour God, and the good cause of our suffering, and\nto humble ourselves for the evil cause, and to get the benefit. And if\nyou will not meditate of the duty, you shall meditate of the pain,\nwhether you will or not; and say, as Lam. iii. 17-20, \"I forgat\nprosperity: and I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the\nLord: remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the\ngall: my soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.\" Put\nnot God to remember you by his spur, and help your meditations by so\nsharp a means! \"Therefore did he consume their days in vanity, and their\nyears in trouble: when he slew them, then they sought him, and they\nreturned and inquired early after God: and they remembered that God was\ntheir rock, and the high God their Redeemer,\" Psal. lxxviii. 33-35.\n\n[Sidenote: The business of your callings.]\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Be diligent in your callings, and spend no time in\nidleness, and perform your labours with holy minds, to the glory of\nGod, and in obedience to his commands, and then your thoughts will\nhave the less leisure and liberty for vanity or idleness. Employments\nof the body will employ the thoughts: they that have much to do have\nmuch to think on; for they must do it prudently, and skilfully, and\ncarefully, that they may do it successfully; and therefore must think\nhow to do it. And the urgency and necessity of business will almost\nnecessitate the thoughts, and so carry them on and find them work\n(though some employments more than others). And let none think that\nthese thoughts are bad or vain because they are about worldly things;\nfor if our labours themselves be not bad or vain, then neither are\nthose thoughts which are needful to the well-doing of our work. Nor\nlet any worldling please himself with this, and say, My thoughts are\ntaken up about my calling; for his calling itself is perverted by him,\nand made a carnal work to carnal ends, when it should be sanctified.\nThat the thoughts about your labours may be good, 1. Your labours\nthemselves must be good, performed in obedience to God, and for the\ngood of others, and to his glory. 2. Your labours and thoughts must\nkeep their bounds, and the higher things must be still preferred, and\nsought, and thought on in the first place. And your labours must so\nfar employ your thoughts as is needful to the well-doing of them; but\nbetter things must be thought on, in such labours as leave a vacancy\nto the thoughts. But diligence in your calling is a very great help to\nkeep out sinful thoughts, and to furnish us with thoughts which in\ntheir place are good.\n\n[Sidenote: All ordinances and means of grace.]\n\n_Direct._ XIX. You have all God's spiritual helps and holy ordinances\nto feed your meditations, and to quicken them, which should be used\nwhen your minds grow dull or barren. When your minds are empty, and\nyou cannot pump up plentiful matter for holy thoughts, the reading of\na seasonable book, or conference with a full experienced christian,\nwill furnish you with matter: so will the hearing of a profitable\nsermon: and sometimes prayer will do more than meditation. And\nweak-headed persons, of small knowledge and shallow memories, must\nfetch the matter of their meditations thus more frequently from\nreading and conference than others need to do: as they can hold but\nlittle at a time, so they must go the ofter; as he that goeth to the\nwater with a spoon or a dish, must go ofter than they that go with a\nmore capacious vessel. Others can carry a storehouse of meditation\nstill about them; but persons of very small knowledge and memory, must\nhave their meditations fed by others, as infants by the spoon.\nTherefore a little and often is the best way, both for their reading\nor hearing, and for their holy thoughts. How great a mercy is it, that\nweak christians have such store of helps; that when their heads are\nempty, they have books and friends that are not empty, from whence\nthey may fetch help as they want it; and that their hearts are not\nempty of the love of God, which inclineth them to do more, than their\nparts enable them to do.\n\n[Sidenote: The miserable sinful world.]\n\n_Direct._ XX. If all these do not sufficiently furnish your\nmeditations, look through the world, and see what a multitude of\nmiserable souls do call for your compassion and daily prayers for\ntheir relief. Think on the many nations that lie in the darkness of\nidolatry and infidelity! It is not past the sixth part of the world\nthat are christians of any sort. The other five parts are heathens,\nand Mahometans, and some few Jews. And of this sixth part, it is but a\nsmall part that are reformed from popery, and such corruptions as the\neastern and southern christians also are too much defiled with. And in\nthe reformed churches, how common are profaneness and worldliness, and\nhow few are acquainted with the power of godliness! What abundance of\nignorant and ungodly persons are there, who hate the power and\npractice of that religion, which they profess themselves they hope to\nbe saved by (as if they hoped to be saved for hating, persecuting, and\ndisobeying it). And among those that seem more serious and obedient,\nhow many are hypocrites! And how many are possessed with pride and\nself-conceitedness, which break forth into unruliness, contentions,\nand uncharitableness, factions, and divisions in the church! How many\nchristians are ignorant, passionate, weak, unprofitable, and too many\nscandalous! And how few are judicious, prudent, heavenly, charitable,\npeaceable, humble, meek, laborious, and fruitful, who set themselves\nwholly to be good and to do good! And of these few, how few are there\nthat are not exercised under heavy afflictions from God, or cruel\npersecutions from ungodly men! What tyranny is exercised by the Turk\nwithout, and the pope within, upon the sincerest followers of Christ!\nSet all this together, and tell me whether thy compassionate thoughts\nor thy prayers do need to go out for want of fuel or matter to feed\nupon from day to day?\n\n\n       _Tit._ 3. _Directions how to make good Thoughts effectual:\n                or, General Directions for Meditation._\n\nHere some directions are preparatory, and some about the work itself.\n\n_Direct._ I. Be sure that reason maintain its authority in the command\nand government of your thoughts; and that they be not left masterless\nto fancy, and passion, and objects, to carry them which way they\nplease. Diseased, melancholy, and crazed persons have almost no power\nover their own thoughts. They cannot command them to what they would\nhave them exercised about, nor call them off from any thing they run\nout upon; but they are like an unruly horse, that hath a weak rider,\nor hath cast the rider; or like a masterless dog, that will not go or\ncome at your command. Whereas our thoughts should be at the direction\nof our reason, and the command of the will, to go and come off as soon\nas they are bid. As you see a student can rule his thoughts all day;\nhe can appoint them what they shall meditate on, and in what order,\nand how long; so can a lawyer, a physician, and all sorts of men about\nthe matters of their arts and callings. And so it should be with a\nchristian about the matters of his soul. All rules of direction are to\nlittle purpose with them, whose reason hath lost its power in\ngoverning their thoughts. If I tell a man that is deeply melancholy,\nThus and thus you must order your thoughts, he will tell me that he\ncannot; his thoughts are not in his power. If you would give never so\nmuch he is not able to forbear thinking of that which is his\ndisturbance, nor to command his thoughts to that which you direct him,\nnor to think, but as he doth, even as his disease and trouble moveth\nhim. And what good will precepts do to such? Grace, and doctrine, and\nexhortation work by reason and the commanding will. If a holy person\ncould manage his practical, heart-raising meditations, but as orderly,\nand constantly, and easily as a carnal, covetous preacher can manage\nhis thoughts in studying the same things, for carnal ends, (to make a\ngain of them or to win applause,) how happily would our work go on!\nAnd is it not sad to think that carnal ends should do so much more\nthan spiritual, about the same things?\n\n_Direct._ II. Carefully avoid the disease of melancholy; for that\ndethroneth reason, and disableth it to rule the thoughts. Distraction\nwholly disableth; but melancholy disableth only in part, according to\nthe measure of its prevalency; and therefore leaveth some room for\nadvice.\n\n_Direct._ III. Take heed of sloth and negligence of the will, whereby\nthe directions of reason will be unexecuted, for want of resolution\nand command; and so every temptation will carry away the thoughts. A\nlazy coachman will let the horses go which way they list, because he\nwill not strive with them; and will break his neck to save his labour.\nIf, when you feel unclean or worldly thoughts invade your minds, you\nwill not give your wills the alarm, and rise up against them, and\nresolutely command them out; you will be like a lazy person that lieth\nin bed while he seeth thieves robbing his house, and will let all go\nrather than he will rise and make resistance (a sign that he hath no\ngreat riches to lose, or else he would stir for it). And if you see\nyour duty, on what your thoughts should be employed, and will not\nresolutely call them up, and command them to their work, you will be\nlike a sluggard that will let all his servants lie in bed, as well as\nhe, because he will not speak to call them. You see by daily\nexperience, that a man's thoughts are much in the power of his will,\nand made to obey it. If money and honour, or the delight of knowing,\ncan cause a wicked preacher to command his own thoughts on good\nthings, as aforesaid; you may command yours to the same things, if you\nwill but as resolutely exercise your authority over them.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Use not your thoughts to take their liberty and be\nungoverned; for use will make them headstrong, and not regard the\nvoice of reason; and it will make reason careless and remiss. Use and\ncustom have great power on our minds; where we use to go, our path is\nplain; but where there is no use, there is no way. Where the water\nuseth to run there is a channel. It is hard ruling those that are used\nto be unruly. If use will do so much with the tongue, (as we find in\nsome that use to curse, and swear, and speak vainly, and in others\nthat use to speak soberly and religiously; in some that by use can\nspeak well in conference, preaching or praying many hours together,\nwhen others that use it not can do almost nothing that way,) why may\nit not much prevail with the thoughts?\n\n_Direct._ V. Take heed lest the senses and appetite grow too strong,\nand master reason; for if they do, they will at once dispossess it of\nthe government of the thoughts, and will brutishly usurp the power\nthemselves. As, when a rebellious army deposeth a king, they do not\nonly cast off the yoke of subjection themselves, but dissolve the\ngovernment as to all other subjects, and usually usurp it themselves,\nand make themselves governors. If once you be servants to your fleshly\nappetites and sense, your thoughts will have other work to do, and\nanother way to go, when you call them to holy and necessary things;\nespecially when the enticing objects are at hand. You may as well\nexpect a clod to ascend like fire, or a swine to delight in\ntemperance, as a glutton, or drunkard, or fornicator, to delight in\nholy contemplation. Reason and flesh cannot both be the governors.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Keep under passions, that they depose not reason from the\ngovernment of your thoughts. I told you before how they cause evil\nthoughts; and as much will they hinder good. Four passions are especial\nenemies to meditation: 1. Anger. 2. Perplexing grief. 3. Disturbing\nfear. 4. But above all, excess of pleasure in any worldly, fleshly\nthing. Who can think that the mind is fit for holy contemplation, when\nit flames with wrath, or is distracted with grief and care, or trembleth\nwith fear, or is drunk with pleasure? Grief and fear are the most\nharmless of the four; yet all hinder reason from governing the thoughts.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Evil habits are another great hinderance of reason's\ncommand over our thoughts; labour therefore diligently for the cure of\nthis disease. Though habits do not necessitate, they strongly incline;\nand when every good thought must go against a strong and constant\ninclination, it will weary reason to drive on the soul, and you can\nexpect but small success.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Urgent and oppressing business doth almost necessitate\nthe thoughts; therefore avoid as much as you can such urgencies, when\nyou would be free for meditation. Let your thoughts have as little\ndiverting matter as may be, at those times when you would have them\nentire and free for God.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Crowds and ill company are no friends to meditation;\nchoose therefore the quietness of solitude when you would do much in\nthis. As it is ill studying in a crowd, and unseasonable before a\nmultitude to be at secret prayer (except some short ejaculations); so\nis it as unmeet a season for holy meditation. The mind that is fixedly\nemployed with God, or about things spiritual, had need of all possible\nfreedom and peace, to retire into itself, and abstract itself from\nalien things, and seriously intend its greater work.\n\n_Direct._ X. Above all, take heed of sinful interests and designs; for\nthese are the garrison of Satan, and must be battered down before any\nholy cogitations can take place. He that is set upon a design of\nrising, or of growing rich, hath something else to do than to\nentertain those sober thoughts of things eternal, which are\ndestructive of his carnal design.\n\n_Direct._ XI. The impediments of reason's authority being thus removed,\ndistinguish between your occasional and your stated, ordinary course of\nthoughts. And as your hands have their ordinary, stated course of\nlabour, and every day hath its employment which you fore-expect, so let\nyour thoughts know where is their proper channel, and their every day's\nwork; and let holy prudence appoint out proportionable time and service\nfor them. What a life will that man live, that hath no known course of\nlabour, but only such as he is accidentally called to! His work must\nneeds be uncertain, various, unprofitable, and uncomfortable, and next\nto none. And he that hath not a stated course of employment for his\nthoughts, will have them to do him little service. Consider first how\nmuch of the day is usually to be spent in common business; and then\nconsider, whether it be such as taketh up your thoughts as well as your\nhands, or such as leaveth your thoughts at liberty: as a lawyer, a\nphysician, a merchant, and most tradesmen, must employ their thoughts to\nthe well-doing of their work; and these must be the more desirous of a\nseasonable, vacant hour for meditation, because their thoughts must be\notherwise employed all the rest of the day. But a weaver, a tailor, and\nsome other tradesmen, and day-labourers, may do their work well, and yet\nhave their thoughts free for better things a great part of the day;\nthese must contrive an ordinary way of employment for their thoughts,\nwhen their work doth not require them; and they need no other time for\nmeditation. The rest must entertain some short, occasional meditations,\nintermixed with their business; but they cannot then have time for more\nsolemn meditation (which differeth from the other, as a set prayer from\na short ejaculation; or a sermon from an occasional short discourse).\nThey that have more time for their thoughts, must beforehand prudently\nconsider, how much time it is best to spend in meditation, for the\nincrease of knowledge, and how much for the exercise of holy affections,\nand on what subject, and in what order; and so to know their ordinary\nwork.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Lay yourselves under the urgency of necessity, and the\npower of those motives which should most effectually engage your\nthoughts. In the aforesaid instance, what is it that makes a wicked\npreacher that he can study divine things orderly from year to year,\nbut that he is still under the power of his carnal motives, profit and\nhonour, and some delight? And if you will put yourselves habitually\nand statedly also under the sense and power of your far greater\nmotives, as always perceiving how much it doth concern you, for\nyourselves, and others, and the honour of God; this would be a\nconstant poise and spring, which being duly wound up, would keep the\nwheels in equal motion.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Thus you must make the service of your Master, and the\nsaving of yourselves and others, your business in the world, which you\nfollow daily as your ordinary calling, and then it will carry on your\nthoughts. Whereas he that serveth God but on the by, with some\noccasional service, will think on him or his work but on the by, with\nsome occasional thoughts. A close and diligent course of holy living, is\nthe best help to keep a constant, profitable course of holy thinking.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. The chief point of skill and holy wisdom, for this and\nother religious duties, is, to take that course which tends to make\nreligion pleasant, and to draw your souls to delight in God, and to\ntake heed of that which would make all grievous to you. It will be\neasy and sweet to think of that which you take pleasure in. But if\nSatan can make all irksome and unpleasant to you, your thoughts will\navoid it as you do a carrion when you stop your nose and haste away.\nPsal. civ. 34, saith the psalmist, \"My meditation of him shall be\nsweet; I will be glad in the Lord.\"\n\n\n                  _Directions about the work itself._\n\n_Direct._ I. As you must never be unfurnished of holy store, so you\nmust prudently make choice of your particular subject. As the choice\nof a fit text is half a good sermon; so the choice of the fittest\nmatter for you is much of a good meditation. Which requireth some good\nacquaintance both with the truth, and with yourselves.\n\n[Sidenote: The order of subjects to be meditated on, as to their\nexcellency.]\n\n_Direct._ II. To this end you must know in their several degrees, what\nsubjects are in themselves most excellent to be meditated on. As the\nfirst and highest is the most blessed God himself, and the glorious\nperson of our Redeemer, and the New Jerusalem or heaven of glory,\nwhere he is revealed to his saints. And then, the blessed society\nwhich there enjoyeth him, and the holy vision, love, and joy, by which\nhe is enjoyed. And next is the wonderful work of man's redemption, and\nthe covenant of grace, and the sanctifying operations of the Holy\nGhost, and all the graces that make up God's image on the soul. And\nthen is the state and privileges of the church, which is the body of\nChrist, for whom all this is done and prepared. And next is the work\nof the gospel, by which this church is gathered, edified, and saved.\nAnd then, the matter of our own salvation, and our state of grace, and\nway to life. And then, the salvation of others. And then, the common,\npublic good, in temporal respects. And then, our personal, bodily\nwelfare. And next, the bodily welfare of our neighbours. And lastly,\nthose things that do but remotely tend to these. This is the order of\ndesirableness and worth, which will tell you what should have\nestimative precedency in your thoughts and prayers.\n\n_Direct._ III. You must also know what subject is then most seasonable\nfor your thoughts, and refuse even an unseasonable good. For good may\nbe used by unseasonableness to do hurt. It may be thrust in by the\ntempter, on purpose to divert you from some greater good, or to mar\nsome other duty in hand; so he will oft put in some good meditation to\nturn you from a better, or in the midst of sermon or prayer: or if he\nsee you out of temper to perform a duty of meditation, or that you\nhave no leisure, without neglecting your more proper work, he will\nthen drive you on, that by the issue he may discourage and hurt you,\nand make the duty unprofitable and grievous to you, and make you more\naverse to it afterwards. Untimely duty may be no duty, but a sin,\nwhich is covered with the material good. As the Pharisees'\nsabbath-rest was, when mercy called them to violate it.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Examine well, and determine of the end and use of your\nmeditations, before you set upon them, and then labour to fit them to\nthat special end. The end is first in the intention, and from the love\nof it the means are chosen and used. If it be knowledge that you are\nto increase, it is evidence of truth, with the matter to be known, in\na convincing, scientifical way, that you must meditate on. If it be\ndivine belief that is to be increased or exercised, it is divine\nrevelations, both matter, and evidence of credibility, which you have\nto meditate on. If you would excite the fear of God, you have his\ngreatness, and terribleness, his justice, and threatenings to meditate\non. If you would excite the love of God, you have his goodness, mercy,\nChrist, and promises to meditate on. If you would prepare for death\nand judgment, you have your hearts to try, your lives to repent of,\nyour graces to discover, and revive, and exercise, and your soul's\ndiseases to feel, and the remedies to apply: so whenever you mean to\nmake any thing of a set meditation, determine first of the end, and by\nit of the means.\n\n_Direct._ V. Clear up the truth of things to your minds as you can,\nbefore you take much pains to work them on your affections, lest you\nfind after that you did but misinform yourselves, and bestow all your\nlabour in vain, to make deluding images on your minds, and bring your\naffections to bow before them. As many have done by espousing errors,\nwho have laid out their zeal upon them many years together, and made\nthem the reason of hatred, and contention, and bitter censurings of\nopposing brethren; and have made parties, and divisions, and\ndisturbances in the church for them, and after so many years' zealous\nsinning, have found them to be but like Michal's image, a man of straw\ninstead of David; and that they made all this filthy pudder but in a\ndream.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Next labour to perceive the weight of every thing you\nthink on, be it good or evil: and to that end be sure, that God and\neternity be taken in, in every meditation, and all things judged of as\nthey stand related to God, and to your eternal state; which only can\ngive you the true estimate and sense of good and evil: there will\nstill the life, and soul, and power be wanting in your most excellent\nmeditations, further than God is in them, and they are divine. When\nyou meditate on any Scripture truth, think of it as a beam from the\nEternal Light, indited by the Holy Ghost, to lead men by obedience to\nfelicity. Behold it with reverence, as a letter or message sent from\nheaven, and as a thing of grand importance to your souls. When you\nmeditate of any grace, think on it as a part of the image of God,\nimplanted and actuated by the Holy Ghost, to advance the soul into\ncommunion with God, and prepare it for him. When you meditate on any\nduty, remember who commandeth it, and whom you are chiefly to respect\nin your obedience; and what will be the end of obeying or disobeying.\nWhen you meditate on any sin, remember that it is the defacing or\nprivation of God's image, and the rebel that riseth up against him in\nall his attributes, to depose him from the government of the soul and\nof the world; and foresee the end to which it tendeth. Take in God, if\nyou would feel life and power in all that you meditate on.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Let your ordinary meditations be on the great and\nnecessary things; and think less frequently on the less necessary\nmatters. Meditation is but a means to a further end: it is to work\nsome good upon the soul: use therefore those subjects which are most\npowerful and fit to work it. Great truths will do great works upon the\nheart. They are usually the surest and most past controversy and\ndoubt. There is more weight, and substance, and power in one article\nof the creed, or one petition of the Lord's prayer, or one commandment\nof the decalogue, to benefit the soul, than in abundance of the\ncontroverted opinions which men have troubled themselves and others\nwith in all ages; as one purse of gold will buy more than a great\nquantity of farthings. Meditating on great and weighty truths, makes\ngreat and weighty christians. And meditating inordinately on light and\ncontroverted opinions, makes light, opinionative, contentious\nprofessors. Little things may have their time and place, but it must\nbe but little time and the last place; except when God maketh any\nlittle thing to be the matter of our lawful calling and employment (as\nall the common matters of the world are little); and then they may\nhave a larger proportion of our time, though still they must have the\nlowest place in our estimation and in our hearts.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Whenever you are called to meditate on any smaller\ntruth or thing, see that you take it not as separated from the\ngreater, but still behold it as connexed to them, and planted and\ngrowing in them, and receiving their life and beauty from them; so\nthat you may still preserve the life and interest of the greatest\nmatters in your hearts, and may not mortify the least, and turn it\ninto a deceit or idol. We are to climb upwards, and not to descend\ndownwards: and therefore we begin at the body of the tree, and so pass\nup to the few and greatest boughs; and thence to the smaller numerous\nbranches, which as they are hard to be discerned, numbered, and\nremembered, so are they not all strong enough to bear us; but are\nfitted rather to be looked on, than trodden and rested on. But if you\ntake them not as growing from the greater boughs, but cut them off,\nthey lose their life, and beauty, and fruitfulness. If all the\ncontroversies in the church had been managed with due honour and\npreservation of holiness, charity, unity, peace, and greater truths;\nand if all the circumstantials in religion had been ordered with a\nsalvo, and due regard, and just subserviency to the power and\nspirituality of holy worship, the christian world would have had more\nlife, and strength, and fruitfulness, and less imagery, unholy,\nludicrous compliment, and hypocrisy.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Let the end and order of your meditations be first for\nthe settling of your judgments, and next for the resolving and\nsettling of your wills, and thirdly, for the reforming and bettering\nof your lives; and, but in the fourth place, after all these, for the\nraising of your holy passions or lively feeling; which must have but\nits proper room and place. But indeed where some of these are done\nalready, they may be supposed, and we may proceed to that which is yet\nto do. As if you know what is sin and duty, but do it not, your\nmeditation must be, not to make you know what you knew not, but first\nto consider well of what you know, and set the powerful truth before\nyou; and then labour hereby to bring your wills to a fixed resolution\nof obedience. But if it be a truth whose principal use is on the will\nand affections, (as to draw up the heart to the love of God, by the\nmeditating on his attractive excellencies,) then the most pains must\nthere be taken. Of which see chap. iii. direct. xi.\n\n_Direct._ X. Turn your cogitations often into soliloquies; methodically\nand earnestly preaching to your own hearts, as you would do on that\nsubject to others if it were to save their souls.[308] As this will keep\nyou in order, from rambling and running out, and will also find you\ncontinual matter, (for method is a wonderful help both to invention,\nmemory, and delight,) so it will bring things soonest to your\naffections: and earnest pleading of convincing reasons with our own\nhearts, is a powerful way to make the fire burn, and to kindle desire,\nfear, love, hatred, repentings, shame, sorrow, joy, resolution, or any\ngood effect. Convictions, upbraidings, expostulations, reprehensions,\nand self-persuasions may be very powerful; when a dull way of bare\nthinking is but like a dull way of preaching, without any lively\napplication, which little stirs the hearers. Learn purposely of the\nliveliest books you read, and of the best and liveliest preachers you\nhear, to preach to your hearts, and use it orderly, and you will find it\na most powerful way of meditating.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Turn your meditations often into ejaculatory prayers and\naddresses unto God; for that will keep you reverent, serious, and\nawake, and make all the more powerful, because the more divine. When\nyou meditate on sin, turn sometimes to God, by penitent lamentation,\nand say, Lord, what a wretch and rebel was I to entertain such an\nenemy of thine in my heart! and for nothing to offend thee and violate\nthy laws! O pardon, O cleanse me, O strengthen me! Conquer and cast\nout this odious enemy of thee and me. So when you are seeking to\nexcite or exercise any grace, send up a fervent request to God to show\nhis love and power upon thy dead and sluggish heart, and to be the\nprincipal agent in a work which is so much his own. Prayer is a most\nholy duty, in which the sold hath so nearly to do with God, that if\nthere be any holy seriousness in the heart, it will be thus excited: a\ndull and wandering mind will bear some reverence to God; and therefore\ninterest him in all.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Let every meditation be undertaken in a humble sense of\nthy own insufficiency, with a believing dependence on thy Head and\nSaviour, to guide and quicken thee by his Holy Spirit, and to cover\nthe infirmities of thy holiest thoughts. Whatever good is written upon\nour hearts, must be \"written by the Spirit of the living God:\" and\nthis \"trust we must have through Christ to God-ward: not that we are\nsufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our\nsufficiency is of God,\" 2 Cor. iii. 3-5. How heavily will all go on,\nor rather how certainly shall we labour in vain, and cast off all, if\nChrist cast us off, and leave us to ourselves! Think not that your\nlife and strength are radically in yourselves: go to him by renewed\nacts of faith, by whom you must be quickened.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Let not your holy thoughts be so seldom as to keep you\nstrange to the matter of your meditations, nor so short as to be gone\nbefore you have made any thing of it. Now and then a cursory thought\nwill not acquaint the soul with God, nor bring it to a habit and\ntemperament of holiness. Whereas that which you think on frequently and\nseriously, as your business and delight, will become the nutriment and\nnature of your souls; as the air which we daily breathe in, and the food\nwhich we daily live upon, do to our bodies. And you will find that as\nuse will breed skill and strength, so it will cause such acquaintance\nand familiarity, as will very much tend to the fruit and comfort of the\nwork. Whereas they that only cast now and then a look at God and\nholiness, or are seldom and short in holy thoughts, do lose so quickly\nthe little which they get, that it makes no great alteration on them.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Yet do not overdo in point of violence or length; but\ncarry on the work sincerely according to the abilities of your minds and\nbodies; lest going beyond your strength, you craze your brains, and\ndiscompose your minds, and disable yourselves to do any thing at all.\nThough we cannot estimatively love God too much, yet is it possible to\nthink of him with too much passion, or too long at once; because it may\nbe more than the spirits and brain can bear; and if once they be\noverstrained, if they break not, like a lute-string screwed too high,\nthey will be like a leg that is out of joint, that can pain you, but not\nbear you. While the soul rideth on so lame or dull a horse as the body\nis, it must not go the pace which it desireth, but which the body can\nbear; or else it may quickly be dismounted, or like one that rideth on a\ntired horse. It is not the horse that goeth at first with chafing heat\nand violence, which will travel best; but you must put on in the pace\nthat you are able to hold out. You little know how lamentable and\ndistressed a case you will be in, or how great an advantage the tempter\nhath, if once he do but tire you by overdoing!\n\n_Direct._ XV. Choose not unnecessarily or ordinarily the bitterest or\nmost unpleasant subjects for your meditation, lest you make it grow a\nburden to you; but dwell most on the sweet, delightful thoughts of the\ninfinite love of God revealed by Christ, and the eternal glory purchased\nby him, and the wonderful helps and mercies in the way. As it is the\ngospel which Christ's ministers must preach to others, so it is the\ngospel which in your meditations you must preach most to yourselves. It\nis love and pleasure which you must principally endeavour to excite: and\nyou must do it by contemplating amiableness and felicity, the objects of\nlove and pleasure. For the thoughts of terror, and wrath, and misery,\nare unfit to stir up these: though to the unconverted, dull, secure,\npresumptuous, or sensual sinner, such thoughts are very necessary to\nawake him, and prepare him for the thoughts of love and peace. It is the\nprincipal part of this art, to keep off loathing and averseness, and to\nkeep up readiness and delight.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. When you are in company, let out the fruit of your\nsecret meditations, in holy, edifying discourse. Gather not for\nyourselves only, but that you may communicate to others. The \"good\nscribe instructed to the kingdom of God,\" must \"bring forth out of his\ntreasure things new and old,\" Matt. xiii. 52. That is good which doth\ngood. God is communicative; and the best men are likest to him: nay, a\nfluent discourse sometimes is a great instructor to ourselves, and\nbringeth those things into our minds with clearness, which long\nmeditation would not have done. For one thing leadeth in another; and\nin a warm discourse the spirits are excited, and the understanding and\nmemory are engaged to a close attention; so that just in the speaking,\nwe have oftentimes such a sudden appearance of some truth, which\nbefore we took no notice of, that we find it is no small addition to\nour knowledge, which comes in this way. As some find that vocal prayer\ndoth more excite them, and keep the mind from wandering, than mere\nmental prayer doth; so free discourse is but a vocal meditation. And\nwhat man's thoughts are not more guilty of disorder, vagaries, and\ninterruptions, than his discourse is?\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Obey all that God revealeth to you in your\nmeditations, and turn them all into faithful practice; and make not\nthinking the end of thinking. Else you will but do as the ungodly and\ndisobedient in their prayers, who offer to God the \"sacrifice of\nfools, and consider not that they do evil,\" Eccl. v. 1, 2. Away with\nthe sin, and do the duty, on which you think.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Think not that the same measure of contemplation and\nstriving with their own affections, is necessary to all; but that an\nobediential, active life may be as acceptable to God, when he calleth\nmen to it, as a more contemplative life. This leadeth me necessarily\nto give you some directions about the difference of these ways.\n\n\n        _Tit._ 4. _The Difference between a contemplative Life,\n        and an obedient, active Life, with Directions concerning\n                                 them._\n\nThis task will be best performed by answering those questions which\nhere need a solution.\n\n[Sidenote: What is a contemplative life.]\n\n_Quest._ 1. What is a contemplative life? and what is an active,\nobediential life?\n\n_Answ._ Every active christian is bound to somewhat of contemplation;\nand all contemplative persons are bound to obedience to God, and to so\nmuch of action as may answer their abilities and opportunities. But\nyet some are much more called to the one, and some to the other; and\nwe denominate from that which is most eminent and the chief. We call\nthat a contemplative life, when a man's state and calling alloweth and\nrequireth him to make the exercises of his mind on things sublime and\nholy, and the affecting of his heart with them to be his principal\nbusiness, which taketh up the most of his time. And we call that an\nactive, obediential life, when a man's state and calling requireth him\nto spend the chief part of his time in some external labour or\nvocation, tending to the good of ourselves and others. As artificers,\ntradesmen, husbandmen, labourers, physicians, lawyers, pastors and\npreachers of the gospel, soldiers and magistrates, all live an active\nlife, which should be a life of obedience to God. Though among these,\nsome have much more time for contemplation than others. And some few\nthere are that are exempt from both these, and are called to live a\npassive, obediential life; that is, such a life in which their\nobedient bearing of the cross, and patient suffering, and submission\nto the chastising or trying will of God, is the most eminent and\nprincipal service they can do him, above contemplation or action.\n\n_Quest._ II. Must every man do his best to cast off all worldly and\nexternal labours, and to retire himself to a contemplative life as the\nmost excellent?\n\n_Answ._ No: no man should do so without a special necessity or call;\nfor there are general precepts on all that are able, that we live to\nthe benefit of others, and prefer the common good, and as we have\nopportunity do good to all men, and love our neighbours as ourselves,\nand do as we would be done by, (which will put us upon much action),\nand that we labour before we eat.[309] And for a man unnecessarily to\ncast off all the service of his life, in which he may be profitable to\nothers, is a burying or hiding his master's talents, and a neglect of\ncharity, and a sinning greatly against the law of love. As we have\nbodies, so they must have their work, as well as our souls.\n\n[Sidenote: Who are called to a contemplative life.]\n\n_Quest._ III. Is a life of contemplation then lawful to any man? and\nto whom?\n\n_Answ._ It is lawful, and a duty, and a great mercy to some, to live\nalmost wholly, yea altogether, in contemplation and prayer, and such\nholy exercises. And that in these cases following: 1. In case that age\nhath disabled a man to be serviceable to others by an active life: and\nwhen a man hath already spent his days and strength in doing all the\ngood he can; and being now disabled, hath special reason to improve the\nrest of his (decrepid) age, in more than ordinary preparations for his\ndeath, and in holy communion with God. 2. So also when we are disabled\nby sickness. 3. And when imprisonment restraineth us from an active\nlife, or profiting others. 4. And when persecution forceth christians to\nretire into solitudes and deserts, to reserve themselves for better\ntimes and places; or when prudence telleth them, that their prayers in\nsolitude may do more good, than at that time their martyrdom were like\nto do. 5. When a student is preparing himself for the ministry, or other\nactive life, to which a contemplative life is the way. 6. When poverty,\nor wars, or the rage of enemies disableth a man from all public\nconverse, and driveth him into solitude by unavoidable necessity. 7.\nWhen the number of those that are fit for action is so sufficient, and\nthe parts of the person are so insufficient, and so the need and use of\nthem in an active life so small, that, all things considered, holy,\nimpartial prudence telleth him, that the good which he could do to\nothers, by an active life, is not like to countervail the losses which\nhe should himself receive, and the good which his very example of a holy\nand heavenly life might do, and his occasional counsels, and precepts,\nand resolutions, to those who come to him for advice, being drawn by the\nestimation of his holy life: in this case, it is lawful to give up\noneself to a contemplative life; for that which maketh most to his own\ngood and to others, is past doubt lawful and a duty. \"Anna departed not\nfrom the temple, but served God with fasting and prayer night and day,\"\nLuke ii. 36, 37.[310] Whether the meaning be, that she strictly kept the\nhours of prayer in the temple, and the fasting twice a week, or\nfrequently, or whether she took up her habitation in the houses of some\nof the officers of the temple, devoting herself to the service of the\ntemple; it is plain that either way she did something besides praying\nand fasting; even as the widows under the gospel who were also to\n\"continue in prayer and supplication night and day,\" 1 Tim. v. 5, and\nyet were employed in the service of the church, in overseeing the\nyounger, and teaching them to be sober, &c. Tit. ii. 4, which is an\nactive life. But however Anna's practice be expounded, if this much that\nI have granted would please the monastics, we would not differ with\nthem.\n\n_Quest._ IV. How far are those in an active life to use contemplation?\n\n[Sidenote: How far contemplation is necessary.]\n\n_Answ._ With very great difference. 1. According to the difference of\ntheir callings in the world, and the offices in which they are\nordinarily to serve God. 2. And according to the difference of their\nabilities and fitness for contemplation or for action. 3. According to\nthe difference of their particular opportunities. 4. According to the\ndifference of the necessities of others which may require their help.\n5. And of their own necessities of action or contemplation. Which I\nshall more particularly determine in certain rules.\n\n1. Every christian must use so much contemplation, as is necessary to\nthe loving of God above all, and to the worshipping of him in spirit\nand in truth, and to a heavenly mind and conversation, and to his due\npreparation for death and judgment, and to the referring all his\ncommon works to the glory and pleasing of God, that \"Holiness to the\nLord\" may be written upon all, and all that he hath may be sanctified,\nor devoted with himself to God.\n\n2. The calling of a minister of the gospel, is so perfectly mixed of\ncontemplation and action, (though action denominate it, as being the\nend and chief,) yet he must be excellent in both. If they be not\nexcellent in contemplation, they will not be meet to stand so much\nnearer to God than the people do; and to sanctify him when they draw\nnear him, and glorify him before all the people: nor will they be fit\nfor the opening of the heavenly mysteries, and working that on the\npeople's hearts which never was on their own. And if they be not\nexcellent in an active life, they will betray the people's souls, and\nnever go through that painful diligence, and preaching in season, and\nout of season, publicly, and from house to house, day and night with\ntears, which Paul commandeth them, Acts xx.; and Epist. Tim.\n\n3. The work of a magistrate, a lawyer, a physician, and such like, is\nprincipally in doing good in their several callings, which must not be\nneglected for contemplation. Yet so, that all these, and all others,\nmust allow God's service and holy thoughts their due place, in the\nbeginning, and middle, and end of all their actions. As magistrates\nmust read and meditate, day and night, in the word of God, John i. 8,\n10. So the eunuch, Cornelius, &c. Acts viii. and x.\n\n4. Some persons in the same calling, whose callings are not so urgent\non them, by any necessities of themselves or others, and who may have\nmore vacant time, must gladly take it for the good of their souls, in\nthe use of contemplation, and other holy duties. And others that are\nunder greater necessities, urgencies, obligations, or cannot be spared\nfrom the service of others, (as physicians, lawyers, &c.) must be less\nin contemplation, and prefer the greatest good.\n\n5. Public necessities or service may with some be so great as to\ndispense with all secret duty both of prayer and contemplation (except\nshort mental ejaculations) for some days together. So in wars it oft\nfalls out that necessity forbiddeth all set or solemn holy service for\nmany days together (even on the Lord's day). So a physician may\nsometimes be tied to so close attendance on his patients, as will not\nallow him time for a set prayer. So sometimes a preacher may be so\ntaken up in preaching, and exhorting, and resolving people's weighty\ndoubts, that they shall scarce have time for secret duties, for some\ndays together (though such happy impediments are rare). In these cases\nto do the lesser is a sin, when the greater is neglected.\n\n6. Servants, who are not masters of their time, must be faithful in\nemploying it to their masters' service, and take none for holy duty\nfrom that part which they should work in; but rather from their rest\nso far as they are able; intermixing meditations with their labours\nwhen they can: but redeeming such time as is allowed them, the more\ndiligently, because their opportunities are so rare and short.\n\n7. The Lord's day, (excepting works of necessity,) and such vacancies\nas hinder not other work, (as when they travel on the way, or work, or\nwake in the night, &c.) are every man's own time, which he is not to\nalienate to another's service, but to reserve and use for the service\nof God, and for his soul, in holy duties.\n\n8. Some persons cannot bear much contemplation, especially melancholy\nand weak-headed people; and such must serve God so much the more in\nother duties which they are able for; and must not tire out and\ndistract themselves, with striving to do that which they are not able\nto undergo. But others feel no inconvenience by it at all, as I can\nspeak by my own experience: my weakness and decay of spirits inclining\nme most to a dulness of mind, I find that the most exciting serious\nstudies and contemplations, in the greatest solitude, are so far from\nhurting me by any abatement of health, or hilarity, or serenity of\nmind, that they seem rather a help to all. Those that can thus bear\nlong solitude and contemplation, ought to be the more exercised in it,\nexcept when greater duties must take place. But to melancholy persons\nit is to be avoided as a hurt.\n\n9. To the same persons, sometimes their own necessities require\ncontemplation most, and sometimes action; and so that which is at one\ntime a duty, may at another time be none.\n\n10. A mere sinful backwardness is not to be indulged. A diseased\ndisability (such as comes from melancholy, weak-headedness, or decay\nof memory) must be endured, and not too much accused; when Christ\nexcused worse in his disciples, saying, \"The spirit is willing, but\nthe flesh is weak.\" But a sinful backwardness in cases of absolute\nnecessity, is not at all to be endured, but striven against with all\nyour power, whatever it cost you: as to bring yourselves to so much\nserious consideration, as is necessary to your repentance and\nunfeigned faith, and godly conversation, this must be done whatever\nfollow; though the devil persuade you that it will make you melancholy\nor mad; for without it, you are far worse than mad.\n\n11. The most desirable life, to those that have their choice, is that\nwhich joineth together contemplation and action; so as there shall be\nconvenient leisure for the most high and serious contemplation, and\nthis improved to fit us for the most great and profitable action. And\nsuch is the life of a faithful minister of Christ: and therefore no\nsort of men on earth are more obliged to thankfulness than they.\n\n12. Servants, and poor men, and diseased men, and others, that are\ncalled off from much contemplation, and employed in a life of obedient\naction, yea, or suffering, by the providence of God, and not by their\nown sinful choice, must understand, that their labour and patience is\nthe way of their acceptable attendance upon God, in the expense of\nmost part of their time. And though it is madness in those that hope\nGod will accept of their labours, instead of true faith and\nrepentance, and a godly life; (for these must go together, and hinder\nnot each other;) yet, instead of such further contemplations as are\nnot necessary to the being of a godly life, a true christian may\nbelieve that his obedient labours and sufferings shall be accepted. If\nyou set one servant to cast up an account, and another to sweep your\nchimney or channels, you will not accept the former, and reject the\nlatter, for the difference of their works; but you will rather think\nthat he hath most merited your acceptance, who yielded without\ngrudging to the basest service. And doubtless it is an aggravation of\nacceptable obedience, when we readily and willingly serve God in the\nlowest, meanest work. He is too fine to serve him, who saith, I will\nserve thee in the magistracy or ministry, but not at plough or cart,\nor any such drudgery.[311] And if thou be but in God's way, he can\nmake thy very obedience a state of greater holiness and safety, than\nif thou hadst spent all that time in the study of holy things, as you\nsee many ungodly ministers do all their lifetime, and are never the\nbetter for it. It is not the quality of the work, but God's blessing,\nthat makes it do you good. Nor is he most beloved of God, who hath\nrolled over the greatest number of good thoughts in his mind, or of\ngood words in his mouth, no, nor he that hath stirred up the strongest\npassions hereabouts; but he that loveth God and heaven best, and\nhateth sin most, and whose will is most confirmed for holiness of\nlife. He that goeth about his labour in obedience to God, may have as\nmuch comfort as another that is meditating or praying. But neither\nlabour nor prayer is matter of comfort to an ungodly, carnal heart.\n\nYea, if decay of memory or natural ability take you off both action\nand contemplation, you may have as much acceptance, and solid comfort,\nin a patient bearing of the cross, and an obedient, cheerful\nsubmission to the holy will of God.\n\n\n          _Tit._ 5. _Directions to the Melancholy about their\n                               Thoughts._\n\nIt is so easy and ordinary a thing for some weak-headed persons, to\ncast themselves into melancholy, by over-straining either their\nthoughts or their affections, and the case of such is so exceeding\nlamentable, that I think it requisite to give such some particular\ndirections by themselves.[312] And the rather because I see some\npersons that are unacquainted with the nature of this and other\ndiseases, exceedingly abuse the name of God, and bring the profession\nof religion into scorn, by imputing all the effects and speeches of\nsuch melancholy persons to some great and notable operations of the\nSpirit of God, and thence draw observations of the methods and\nworkings of God upon the soul, and of the nature of the legal workings\nof the spirit of bondage. (As some other such have divulged the\nprophecies, the possessions and dispossessing of hysterical women, as\nI have read, especially in the writings of the friars.) I do not call\nthose melancholy, who are rationally sorrowful for sin, and sensible\nof their misery, and solicitous about their recovery and salvation,\nthough it be with as great seriousness as the faculties can bear; as\nlong as they have sound reason, and the imagination, fantasy, or\nthinking faculty is not crazed or diseased: but by melancholy I mean\nthis diseased craziness, hurt, or error of the imagination, and\nconsequently of the understanding, which is known by these following\nsigns (which yet are not all in every melancholy persons).[313]\n\n1. They are commonly exceeding fearful, causelessly or beyond what\nthere is cause for: every thing which they hear or see is ready to\nincrease their fears, especially if fear was the first cause, as\nordinarily it is. 2. Their fantasy most erreth in aggravating their\nsin, or dangers, or unhappiness: every ordinary infirmity they are\nready to speak of with amazement, as a heinous sin; and every possible\ndanger they take for probable, and every probable one for certain; and\nevery little danger for a great one; and every calamity for an utter\nundoing. 3. They are still addicted to excess of sadness: some weeping\nthey know not why, and some thinking it ought to be so: and if they\nshould smile or speak merrily, their hearts smite them for it, as if\nthey had done amiss. 4. They place most of their religion in sorrowing\nand austerities to the flesh. 5. They are continual self-accusers,\nturning all manner of accusation against themselves, which they hear,\nor read, or see, or think of: quarrelling with themselves for every\nthing they do, as a contentious person doth with others. 6. They are\nstill apprehending themselves forsaken of God, and are prone to\ndespair: they are just like a man in a wilderness, forsaken of all his\nfriends and comforts, forlorn and desolate: their continual thought\nis, I am undone, undone, undone! 7. They are still thinking that the\nday of grace is past, and that it is now too late to repent or to find\nmercy. If you tell them of the tenor of the gospel, and offers of free\npardon to every penitent believer, they cry out still, Too late, too\nlate, my day is past; not considering that every soul that truly\nrepenteth in this life is certainly forgiven. 8. They are oft tempted\nto gather despairing thoughts from the doctrine of predestination, and\nto think that if God have reprobated them, or have not elected them,\nall that they can do, or that all the world can do, cannot save them;\nand next they strongly conceit that they are not elected, and so that\nthey are past help or hope: not knowing that God electeth not any man\nseparately or simply to be saved, but conjunctly to believe, repent,\nand to be saved; and so to the end and means together; and that all\nthat will repent and choose Christ and a holy life, are elected to\nsalvation, because they are elected to the means and condition of\nsalvation, which, if they persevere, they shall enjoy. To repent is\nthe best way to prove that I am elected to repent. 9. They never read\nor hear of any miserable instance, but they are thinking that this is\ntheir case. If they hear of Cain, of Pharaoh given up to hardness of\nheart, or do but read that some are vessels of wrath fitted to\ndestruction, or that they have eyes and see not, ears and hear not,\nhearts and understand not, they think, This is all spoken of me; or,\nThis is just my case. If they hear of any terrible example of God's\njudgments on any, they think it will be so with them. If any die\nsuddenly, or a house be burnt, or any be distracted, or die in\ndespair, they think it will be so with them. The reading of Spira's\ncase causeth or increaseth melancholy in many; the ignorant author\nhaving described a plain melancholy, contracted by the trouble of\nsinning against conscience, as if it were a damnable despair of a\nsound understanding. 10. And yet they think that never any one was as\nthey are. I have had abundance in a few weeks with me, almost just in\nthe same case, and yet every one say that never any one was as they.\n11. They are utterly unable to rejoice in any thing; they cannot\napprehend, believe, or think of any thing that is comfortable to them.\nThey read all the threatenings of the word with quick sense and\napplication, but the promises they read over and over, without taking\nnotice of them, as if they had not read them; or else say, They do not\nbelong to me: the greater the mercy of God is, and the riches of\ngrace, the more miserable am I that have no part in them. They are\nlike a man in continual pain or sickness, that cannot rejoice, because\nthe feeling of his pain forbiddeth him. They look on husband, wife,\nfriends, children, house, goods, and all without any comfort; as one\nwould do that is going to be executed for some crime. 12. Their\nconsciences are quick in telling them of sin, and putting them upon\nany dejection as a duty; but they are dead to all duties that tend to\nconsolation; as to thanksgiving for mercies, praises of God,\nmeditating on his love, and grace, and Christ, and promises: put them\nnever so hard on these, and they feel not their duty, nor make any\nconscience of it, but think it is a duty for others, but unsuitable to\nthem. 13. They always say that they cannot believe, and therefore\nthink they cannot be saved: because that commonly they mistake the\nnature of faith, and take it to be a believing that they themselves\nare forgiven and in favour with God, and shall be saved; and because\nthey cannot believe this, (which their disease will not suffer them\nto believe,) therefore they think that they are no believers: whereas\nsaving faith is nothing but such a belief that the gospel is true, and\nChrist is the Saviour to be trusted with our souls, as causeth our\nwills to consent that he be ours and that we be his, and so to\nsubscribe the covenant of grace. Yet while they thus consent, and\nwould give a world to be sure that Christ was theirs, and to be\nperfectly holy, yet they think they believe not, because they believe\nnot that he will forgive or save them. 14. They are still displeased\nand discontented with themselves; just as a peevish, froward person is\napt to be with others: see one that is hard to be pleased, and is\nfinding fault with every thing that he sees or hears, and offended at\nevery one that comes in his way, and suspicious of every body that he\nsees whispering; and just so is a melancholy person against himself;\nsuspecting, and displeased and finding fault with all. 15. They are\nmuch addicted to solitariness, and weary of company for the most part.\n16. They are given up to fixed musings, and long, poring thoughts to\nlittle purpose: so that deep musings and thinkings are their chief\nemployments, and much of their disease. 17. They are much averse to\nthe labours of their callings, and given to idleness; either to lie in\nbed, or sit thinking unprofitably by themselves. 18. Their thoughts\nare most upon themselves, like the millstones that grind on\nthemselves, when they have no grist: so one thought begets another:\ntheir thoughts are taken up about their thoughts: when they have been\nthinking irregularly, they think again what they have been thinking\non: they meditate not much on God, (unless on his wrath,) nor heaven,\nnor Christ, nor the state of the church, nor any thing without them\n(ordinarily); but all their thoughts are contracted and turned inwards\non themselves: self-troubling is the sum of their thoughts and lives.\n19. Their thoughts are all perplexed like ravelled yarn or silk; or\nlike a man in a maze, or wilderness, or that hath lost himself and his\nway in the night: he is poring and groping about, and can make little\nof any thing, but is bewildered, and moidered, and entangled the more;\nfull of doubts and difficulties, out of which he cannot find the way.\n20. He is endless in his scruples: afraid lest he sin in every word he\nspeaketh, and in every thought, and every look, and every meal he\neateth, and all the clothes he weareth: and if he think to amend them,\nhe is still scrupling his supposed amendments: he dare neither travel,\nnor stay at home, neither speak, nor be silent; but he is scrupling\nall; as if he were wholly composed of self-perplexing scruples. 21.\nHence it comes to pass that he is greatly addicted to superstition; to\nmake many laws to himself that God never made him; and to insnare\nhimself with needless vows, and resolutions, and hurtful austerities;\n\"touch not, taste not, handle not;\" and to place his religion much in\nsuch outward, self-imposed tasks;[314] to spend so many hours in this\nor that act of devotion; to wear such clothes, and forbear other that\nare finer; to forbear all diet that pleaseth the appetite, with much\nof the like. A great deal of the perfection of popish devotion\nproceeded from melancholy, though their government come from pride and\ncovetousness. 22. They have lost the power of governing their thoughts\nby reason; so that if you convince them that they should cast out\ntheir self-perplexing, unprofitable thoughts, and turn their thoughts\nto other subjects, or be vacant, they are not able to obey you: they\nseem to be under a necessity or constraint; they cannot cast out their\ntroublesome thoughts; they cannot turn away their minds; they cannot\nthink of love and mercy; they can think of nothing but what they do\nthink of, any more than a man in the tooth-ache can forbear to think\nof his pain. 23. They usually grow hence to a disability to any\nprivate prayer or meditation; their thoughts are presently cast all\ninto a confusion, when they should pray or meditate; they scatter\nabroad a hundred ways; and they cannot keep them upon any thing: for\nthis is the very point of their disease; a distempered, confused\nfantasy, with a weak reason which cannot govern it. Sometimes terror\ndriveth them from prayer; they dare not hope, and therefore dare not\npray: and usually they dare not receive the Lord's supper; here they\nare fearfulest of all; and if they do receive it, they are cast down\nwith terrors, fearing that they have taken their own damnation, by\nreceiving unworthily. 24. Hence they grow to a great averseness to all\nholy duty: fear and despair make them go to prayer, hearing, reading,\nas a bear to the stake; and then they think they are haters of God and\ngodliness, imputing the effects of their disease to their souls; when\nyet at the same time, those of them that are godly, would rather be\nfreed from all their sins, and be perfectly holy, than have all the\nriches or honour in the world. 25. They are usually so taken up with\nbusy and earnest thoughts, (which being all perplexed, do but strive\nwith themselves, and contradict one another,) that they feel it just\nas if something were speaking within them, and all their own violent\nthoughts were the pleadings and impulse of some other; and therefore\nthey are wont to impute all their fantasies, either to some\nextraordinary actings of the devil, or to some extraordinary motions\nof the Spirit of God: and they are used to express themselves in such\nwords as these, It was set upon my heart, or it was said to me, that I\nmust do thus and thus; and then it was said, I must not do this or\nthat; and I was told I must do so or so. And they think that their own\nimagination is something talking in them, and saying to them all that\nthey are thinking. 26. When melancholy groweth strong, they are almost\nalways troubled with hideous, blasphemous temptations, against God, or\nChrist, or the Scripture, and against the immortality of the soul;\nwhich cometh partly from their own fears, which make them think most\n(against their will) of that which they are most afraid of thinking:\nas the spirits and blood will have recourse to the part that is hurt.\nThe very pain of their fears doth draw their thoughts to what they\nfear. As he that is over-desirous to sleep, and afraid lest he shall\nnot sleep, is sure to wake, because his fears and desires keep him\nwaking: so do the fears and desires of the melancholy cross\nthemselves. And withal, the malice of the devil plainly here\ninterposeth, and taketh advantage by this disease, to tempt and\ntrouble them, and to show his hatred to God, and Christ, and\nScripture, and to them. For as he can much easier tempt a choleric\nperson to anger, than another, and a phlegmatic, fleshly person to\nsloth, and a sanguine or hot-tempered person to lust, and wantonness;\nso also a melancholy person to thoughts of blasphemy, infidelity, and\ndespair. And ofttimes they feel a vehement urgency, as if something\nwithin them urged them to speak such or such a blasphemous or foolish,\nword; and they can have no rest unless they yield in this, and other\nsuch cases, to what they are urged to. And some are ready to yield in\na temptation to be quiet: and when they have done, they are tempted\nutterly to despair because they have committed so great a sin: and\nwhen the devil hath got this advantage of them, he is still setting it\nbefore them. 27. Hereupon they are further tempted to think they have\ncommitted the sin against the Holy Ghost; not understanding what that\nsin is, but fearing it is theirs, because it is a fearful sin: at\nleast they think they shall not be forgiven; not considering that a\ntemptation is one thing, and a sin another; and that no man hath less\ncause to fear being condemned for his sin, than he that is least\nwilling of it, and most hateth it. And no man can be less willing of\nany sin, than these poor souls are of the hideous, blasphemous\nthoughts which they complain of. 28. Hereupon some of them grow to\nthink that they are possessed of devils: and if it do but enter into\ntheir fantasy how possessed persons used to act, the very strength of\nimagination will make them do so too: so that I have known those that\nwould swear, and curse, and blaspheme, and imitate an inward alien\nvoice, thinking themselves that it was the devil in them that did all\nthis. But these that go so far are but few. 29. Some of them that are\nnear distraction, verily think that they hear voices, and see lights\nand apparitions, that the curtains are opened on them, that something\nmeets them, and saith this or that to them, when all is but the error\nof a crazed brain and sick imagination. 30. Many of them are weary of\ntheir lives, through the constant, tiring perplexities of their minds;\nand yet afraid of dying: some of them resolutely famish themselves:\nsome are strongly tempted to murder themselves, and they are haunted\nwith the temptation so restlessly, that they can go no whither but\nthey feel as if somewhat within them put them on, and said, Do it, do\nit; so that many poor creatures yield, and make away with themselves.\n31. Many of them are restlessly vexed with fears of want, and poverty,\nand misery to their families; and of imprisonment or banishment; and\nlest somebody will kill them; and every one that they see whisper,\nthey think is plotting to take away their lives. 32. Some of them lay\na law upon themselves that they will not speak, and so live long in\nresolute silence. 33. All of them are intractable, and stiff in their\nown conceits, and hardly persuaded out of them, be they never so\nirrational. 34. Few of them are the better for any reason, conviction,\nor counsel that is given them: if it seem to satisfy, and quiet, and\nrejoice them at the present, to-morrow they are as bad again: it being\nthe nature of their disease, to think as they do think; and their\nthoughts are not cured while the disease is uncured. 35. Yet in all\nthis distemper, few of them will believe that they are melancholy; but\nabhor to hear men tell them so, and say it is but the rational sense\nof their unhappiness, and the forsakings and heavy wrath of God. And\ntherefore they are hardly persuaded to take any physic or use any\nmeans for the cure of their bodies, saying that they are well, and\nbeing confident that it is only their souls that are distressed.\n\nThis is the miserable case of these poor people, greatly to be pitied,\nand not to be despised by any. I have spoken nothing but what I have\noften seen and known. And let none despise such, for men of all sorts\ndo fall into this misery; learned and unlearned, high and low, good\nand bad, yea, some that have lived in greatest jollity and sensuality,\nwhen God hath made them feel their folly.\n\nThe causes of it are, 1. Most commonly some worldly loss, or cross, or\ngrief, or care, which made too deep an impression on them. 2.\nSometimes excess of fear upon any common occasion of danger. 3.\nSometimes over-hard and unintermitted studies, or thoughts, which\nscrew up and rack the fantasy too much. 4. Sometimes too deep fears,\nor too constant, and serious, and passionate thoughts and cares about\nthe danger of the soul. 5. The great preparatives to it, (which are\nindeed the principal cause,) are a weak head, and reason, joined with\nstrong passion, which are oftest found in women, and those to whom it\nis natural. 6. And in some it is brought in by some heinous sin, the\nsight of which they cannot bear, when conscience is but once awakened.\n\nWhen this disease is gone very far, directions to the persons\nthemselves are vain, because they have not reason and free-will to\npractise them; but it is their friends about them that must have the\ndirections. But because with the most of them, and at first, there is\nsome power of reason left, I give directions for the use of such.\n\n_Direct._ I. See that no error in religion be the cause of your\ndistress: especially understand well the covenant of grace, and the\nriches of mercy manifested in Christ. Among others, it will be useful\nto you to understand these following truths.\n\n[Sidenote: Special truths to be known for preventing causeless\ntroubles.]\n\n1. That our thoughts of the infinite goodness of God, should bear\nproportion with our thoughts concerning his infinite power and wisdom.\n\n2. That the mercy of God hath provided for all mankind so sufficient a\nSaviour, that no sinner shall perish for want of a sufficient\nsatisfaction made for his sins by Christ, nor is it made the condition\nof any man's salvation or pardon, that he satisfy for his own sins.\n\n3. That Christ hath in his gospel covenant (which is an act of oblivion)\nmade over himself with pardon and salvation, to all that will penitently\nand believingly accept the offer. And that none perish that hear the\ngospel, but the final, obstinate refusers of Christ and life.\n\n4. That he that so far believeth the truth of the gospel, as to\nconsent to the covenant of grace, even that God the Father be his Lord\nand reconciled Father, and Christ his Saviour, and the Holy Ghost his\nSanctifier, hath true, saving faith, and right to the blessing of the\ncovenant.\n\n5. That the day of grace is so far commensurate or equal to our\nlifetime, that whosoever truly repenteth and consenteth to the\ncovenant of grace, before his death, is certainly pardoned, and in a\nstate of life: and that it is every man's duty so to do, that pardon\nmay be theirs.\n\n6. That Satan's temptations are none of our sins, but only our\nyielding to them.\n\n7. That the effects of natural sickness or diseasedness, are not (in\nthemselves) sins.\n\n8. That those are the smallest sins (formally) and least like to\ncondemn us, which we are most unwilling of, and are least in love or\nliking of.\n\n9. That no sin shall condemn us which we hate more than love, and\nwhich we had rather leave and be delivered from than keep: for this is\ntrue repentance.\n\n10. That he is truly sanctified who had rather be perfect in holiness\nof heart and life, in loving God, and living by faith, than to have\nthe greatest pleasures, riches, or honours of the world; taking in the\nmeans also by which both are attained.\n\n11. That he who hath this grace and desire may know that he is elect;\nand the making of our calling sure by our consenting to the holy\ncovenant, is the making of our election sure.\n\n12. That the same thing which is a great duty to others, may be no\nduty to one, who by bodily distemper (as fevers, phrensies,\nmelancholy) is unable to perform it.\n\n_Direct._ II. Take heed of worldly cares, and sorrows, and discontents.\nSet not so much by earthly things, as to enable them to disquiet you;\nbut learn to cast your cares on God. You can have less peace in any\naffliction which cometh by such a carnal, sinful means. It is much more\nsafe to be distracted with cares for heaven than for earth.\n\n_Direct._ III. Meditation is no duty at all for a melancholy person,\nexcept some few that are able to bear a diverting meditation, which\nmust be of something furthest from the matter which troubleth them; or\nexcept it be short meditations like ejaculatory prayers. A set and\nserious meditation will but confound you, and disturb you, and disable\nyou to other duties. If a man have a broken leg, he must not go on it\ntill it is knit, lest all the body fare the worse. It is your thinking\nfaculty, or your imagination, which is the broken, pained part; and\ntherefore you must not use it about the things that trouble you.\nPerhaps you will say, That this is to be profane, and forget God and\nyour soul, and let the tempter have his will. But I answer, No; it is\nbut to forbear that which you cannot do at present, that by doing\nother things which you can do, you may come again to do this which you\nnow cannot do: it is but to forbear attempting that, which will but\nmake you less able to do all other duties. And at the present, you may\nconduct the affairs of your soul by holy reason. I persuade you not\nfrom repenting or believing, but from set, and long, and deep\nmeditations, which will but hurt you.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Be not too long in any secret duty which you find you\nare not able to bear. Prayer itself, when you are unable, must be\nperformed but as you can; short confessions and requests to God must\nserve instead of longer secret prayers, when you are unable to do\nmore. If sickness may excuse a man for being short, where nature will\nnot hold out, the case is the same here, in the sickness of the brain\nand spirits. God hath appointed no means to do you hurt.\n\n_Direct._ V. Where you find yourselves unable for a secret duty,\nstruggle not too hard with yourselves, but go that pace that you are\nable to go quietly. For as every striving doth not enable you, but vex\nyou, and make duty wearisome to you, and disable you more, by increasing\nyour disease: like an ox that draweth unquietly, and a horse that\nchafeth himself, that quickly tireth. Preserve your willingness to duty,\nand avoid that which makes it grievous to you. As to a sick stomach, it\nis not eating much, but digesting well, that tends to health; and little\nmust be eaten when much cannot be digested; so it is here in case of\nyour meditations and secret prayers.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Be most in those duties which you are best able to bear;\nwhich, with most, is prayer, with others hearing, and good discourse.\nAs a sick man whose stomach is against other meats, must eat of that\nwhich he can eat of. And God hath provided variety of means, that one\nmay do the work, when the other are wanting. Do not misunderstand me;\nin cases of absolute necessity, I say again, you must strive to do it\nwhatever come of it. If you are backward to believe, to repent, to\nlove God and your neighbour, to live soberly, righteously, and godly,\nto pray at all; here you must strive, and not excuse it by any\nbackwardness; for it is that which must needs be done, or you are\nlost. But a man that cannot read may be saved without his reading; and\na man in prison or sickness may be saved without hearing the word, and\nwithout the church communion of saints: and so a man disabled by\nmelancholy, may be saved by shorter thoughts and ejaculations, without\nset and long meditations and secret prayers; and other duties which he\nis able for will supply the want of these. Even as nature hath\nprovided two eyes, and two ears, and two nostrils, and two reins, and\nlungs, that when one is stopped or faulty, the other may supply its\nwants for a time; so it is here.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Avoid all unnecessary solitariness, and be as much as\npossible in honest, cheerful company. You have need of others, and\nare not sufficient for yourselves; and God will use and honour others,\nas his hands, to deliver us his blessings. Solitariness is to those\nthat are fit for it, an excellent season for meditation and converse\nwith God and with our hearts; but to you, it is the season of\ntemptation and danger. If Satan tempted Christ himself, when he had\nhim fasting and solitary in a wilderness; much more will he take this\nas his opportunity against you. Solitude is the season of musings and\nthoughtfulness, which are the things which you must fly from, if you\nwill not be deprived of all.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. When blasphemous or disturbing thoughts look in, or\nfruitless musings, presently meet them, and use that authority of\nreason which is left you, to cast them and command them out. If you\nhave not lost it, reason and the will have a command over the thoughts\nas well as over the tongue, or hands, or feet. And as you would be\nashamed to run up and down, or fight with your hands, and say, I\ncannot help it; or to let your tongue run all day, and say, I cannot\nstop it; so should you be ashamed to let your thoughts run at random,\nor on hurtful things, and say, I cannot help it. Do you do the best\nyou can to help it? Cannot you bid them be gone? Cannot you turn your\nthoughts to something else? Or cannot you rouse up yourself, and shake\nthem off? Some by casting a little cold water in their own faces, or\nbidding another do it, can rouse themselves from melancholy musings as\nfrom sleep. Or cannot you get out of the room, and set yourself about\nsome business which will divert you? You might do more than you do, if\nyou were but willing, and know how much it is your duty.\n\n_Direct._ IX. When you do think of any holy things, let it be of the\nbest things; of God, and grace, and Christ, and heaven; or of your\nbrethren, or the church: and carry all your meditations outward; but\nbe sure you pore not on yourselves, and spend not your thoughts upon\nyour thoughts. As we have need to call the thoughts of careless\nsinners inwards, and turn them from the creature and sin, upon\nthemselves; so we have need to call the thoughts of self-perplexing,\nmelancholy persons outwards; for it is their disease to be still\ngrinding upon themselves. Remember that it is a far higher, nobler,\nand sweeter work to think of God, and Christ, and heaven, than of such\nworms as we ourselves are. When we go up to God, we go to love, and\nlight, and liberty; but when we look down into ourselves, we look into\na dungeon, a prison, a wilderness, a place of darkness, horror,\nfilthiness, misery, and confusion. Therefore, though such thoughts be\nneedful, so far as without them our repentance and due watchfulness\ncannot be maintained, yet they are grievous, ignoble, yea, and barren,\nin comparison of our thoughts of God. When you are poring on your\nhearts, to search whether the love of God be there or no, it were\nwiser to be thinking of the infinite amiableness of God; and that will\ncause it, whether it were there before or not. So instead of poring on\nyour hearts, to know whether they are set on heaven, lift up your\nthoughts to heaven, and think of its glory, and that will raise them\nthither, and give you and show you that which you were searching for.\nBestow that time in planting holy desires in the garden of your\nhearts, which you bestow in routing and puzzling yourselves in\nsearching whether it be there already. We are such dark, confused\nthings, that the sight of ourselves is enough to raise a loathing and\na horror in our minds, and make them melancholy; but in God and glory\nthere is nothing to discourage our thoughts, but all to delight them,\nif Satan do not misrepresent him to us.\n\n_Direct._ X. Overlook not the miracle of love which God hath showed us\nin the wonderful incarnation, office, life, death, resurrection,\nascension, and reign of our Redeemer; but steep your thoughts most in\nthese wonders of mercy, proposed by God to be the chief matter of your\nthoughts. You should in reason lay out many thoughts of Christ and\ngrace, for one that you lay out on your sin and misery. God requireth\nyou to see your sin and misery, but so much as tendeth to magnify the\nremedy, and cause you to accept it. Never think of sin and hell alone;\nbut as the way to the thoughts of Christ and grace. This is the duty\neven of the worst. Are your sins ever before you? Why is not pardoning\ngrace in Christ before you? Is hell open before you? Why is not the\nRedeemer also before you? Do you say, Because that sin and hell are\nyours, but Christ, and holiness, and heaven, are none of yours? I\nanswer you, It is then because you will have it so: if you would not\nhave it so, it is not so. God hath set life first before you, and not\nonly death. He hath put Christ, and holiness, and heaven in his end of\nthe balance; and the devil puts the pleasure of sin for a season in\nthe other end. That which you choose unfeignedly is yours; for God\nhath given you your choice. Nothing is truer than that God hath so far\nmade over Christ and life to all that hear the gospel, that nothing\nbut their final obstinate refusal can condemn them:[315] Christ and\nlife are brought to the will and choice of all, though all have not\nwills to accept and choose him. And if you would not have Christ, and\nlife, and holiness, what would you rather have? and why complain you?\n\n_Direct._ XI. Think and speak as much of the mercy which you have\nreceived, as of the sin you have committed; and of the mercy which is\noffered you, as of what you want. You dare not say that the mercy you\nhave received, is no more worthy to be remembered and mentioned, than\nall your sins. Shall God do so much for you, and shall it be\noverlooked, extenuated, and made nothing of? as if his mercies had\nbeen a bare bone, or barren wilderness, which would yield no\nsustenance to your thoughts. Be not guilty of so great unthankfulness.\nThoughts of love and mercy would breed love and sweetness in the soul;\nwhile thoughts of sin and wrath only breed averseness, terror,\nbitterness, perplexity, and drive away the heart from God.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Tie yourselves daily to spend as great a part of your\ntime in your prayers, in the confessing of mercy received, as in\nconfessing sin committed; and in the praises of God, as in the\nlamenting of your own miseries. You dare not deny but this is your\nduty, if you understand your duty; thanksgiving and praise are greater\nduties than confessing sin and misery. Resolve then that they shall\nhave the largest share of time. If you will but do this much, (which\nyou can do if you will,) it will in time take off the bitterness of\nyour spirits; and the very frequent mention of sweeter things, will\nsweeten your minds, and change their temperature and habit, as change\nof diet changeth the temperature of the body. I beseech you, resolve,\nand try this course. If you cannot mention mercy so thankfully as you\nwould, nor mention God's excellencies so holily and praisefully as you\nwould, yet do what you can, and mention them as you are able. You may\ncommand your time, (what shall have the greatest share in prayer,)\nthough not your affections; you will find the benefit very great, if\nyou will but do this.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Overvalue not the passionate part of duty, but know\nthat judgment, will, and practice, a high esteem of God and holiness,\na resolved choice, and a sincere endeavour, are the life of grace and\nduty, when feeling passions are but lower, uncertain things. You know\nnot what you do, when you lay so much on the passionate part; nor when\nyou strive so much for deep and transporting apprehensions; these are\nnot the great things, nor essentials of holiness. Too much of this\nfeeling may distract you. God knoweth how much you are able to bear.\nPassionate feelings depend much upon nature. Some persons are more\nsensible than others; a little thing goeth deep with some: the wisest\nand weightiest persons are usually least passionate; and the weakest\nhardly moderate their passions. God is not an object of sense, and\ntherefore more fit for the understanding and will, than the passions,\nto work upon. That is the holiest soul which is most inclined to God,\nand resolved for him, and conformed to his will; and not that which is\naffected with the deepest griefs, and fears, and joys, and other such\ntransporting passions; though it were best, if even holy passions\ncould be raised at the will's command, in that measure which fitteth\nus best for duty. But I have known many complain for want of deeper\nfeeling, who if their feeling (as they called their passion) had been\nmore, it might have distracted them. I had rather be that christian\nthat loathes himself for sin, resolveth against it, and forsaketh it,\nthough he cannot weep for it; than one of those that can weep to-day,\nand sin again to-morrow, and whose sinful passions are quickly\nstirred, as well as their better passions.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Make not too great a matter of your own thoughts; and\ntake not too much notice of them; but if Satan cast in molesting\nthoughts, if you cannot cast them out, set light by them, and take\nless notice of them. Making a great matter of every thought that is\ncast into your mind, will keep those thoughts in your mind the longer.\nFor that which we are most sensible of, we most think on; and that\nwhich we least regard, we least remember. If you would never be rid of\nthem, the way is to be still noting them, and making too great a\nmatter of them. These troublesome thoughts are like troublesome\nscolds, that if you regard them, and answer them, will never have done\nwith you; but if you let them talk, and take no notice of them, nor\nmake any answer to them, they will be weary and give over. The devil's\ndesign is to vex and disquiet you; and if he see you will not be vexed\nand disquieted, he will give over attempting it. I know you will say,\nShould I be so ungodly as to make light of such sinful thoughts? I\nanswer, Make not so light of them as to be indifferent what thoughts\nare in your mind, nor so as to take the small sin to be none; but make\nso light of them as not to take them for greater nor more dangerous\nsins than they are; and so light of them as not to take distinct,\nparticular notice of them, nor to disquiet yourselves about them; for\nif you do, you will have no room in your thoughts for Christ and\nheaven, and that which should take up your thoughts; but the devil\nwill rejoice to see how he employeth you in thinking over your own\nthoughts, or rather his temptations; and that he can employ you all\nthe day in hearkening to all that he will say to you, and in thinking\nof his motions instead of thinking on the works of God. There are none\nof God's servants without irregularities and sin of thoughts, which\nthey must daily ask forgiveness of, and rejoice to think that they\nhave a sufficient Saviour and remedy, and that sin shall but occasion\nthe magnifying of grace; but if they should excessively observe and be\ntroubled at every unwarrantable thought, it would be a snare to take\nthem off almost all their greater duties. Would you like it in your\nservant, if he should stop in observing and troubling himself about\nevery ordinary imperfection in his work, instead of going on to do it?\n\n_Direct._ XV. Remember that it is no sin to be tempted, but only to\nyield to the temptation; and that Christ himself was carried about and\ntempted blasphemously by the devil, even to fall down and worship him;\nand yet he made these temptations but an advantage to the glory of his\nvictory. Take not the devil's sin to be yours. Are your temptations more\nhorrid and odious than Christ's were? What if the devil had carried you\nto the pinnacle of the temple as he did Christ? Would you not have\nthought that God had forsaken you, and given you up to the power of\nSatan? But you will say, that you yield to the temptation, and so did\nnot Christ. I answer, It cannot be expected that sinful man should bear\na temptation as innocently as Christ did? Satan found nothing in Christ\nto comply with him; but in us he findeth a sinful nature! Wax will\nreceive an impression when marble will not. But it is not every sinful\ntaint that is a consent to the sin to which we are tempted.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Consider how far you are from loving, delighting in, or\nbeing loth to leave these sinful thoughts; and that no sin condemneth,\nbut that which is so loved and delighted in, as that you had rather\nkeep than leave it. Would you not fain be delivered from all these\nhorrid thoughts and sins? Could you not be willing to live in\ndisgrace, or want, or banishment, so you might but be free from sin?\nIf so, why doubt you of the pardon of it? Can you have any surer sign\nof repentance, or that your sin is not a reigning, unpardoned sin,\nthan that it is not loved and desired by you? The less will, the less\nsin, and the more will, the more sin. The covetous man loveth his\nmoney, and the fornicator loveth his lust, and the proud man loveth\nhis honour, and the drunkard loveth his cups, and the glutton loveth\nto satisfy his appetite; and so love these that they will not leave\nthem. But do you love your disturbing, confused, or blasphemous\nthoughts? Are you not so weary of them, as to be even weary of your\nlives because of them? would you not be glad and thankful never to be\ntroubled with them more? And yet do you doubt of pardon?\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Charge not your souls any deeper than there is cause\nwith the effects of your disease. Indeed remotely a man that in\ndistraction thinks or speaks amiss, may be said to be faulty, so far\nas his sin did cause his disease; but directly and of itself, the\ninvoluntary effects of sickness are no sin. Melancholy is a mere\ndisease in the spirits and imagination, though you feel no sickness;\nand it is as natural for a melancholy person to be hurried and\nmolested with doubts, and fears, and despairing thoughts, and\nblasphemous temptations, as it is for a man to talk idly in a fever\nwhen his understanding faileth; or to think of and desire drink, when\nhis fever kindleth vehement thirst. And how much would you have a man\nin a fever accuse himself for such a thirst, or such thoughts, desire,\nor talk? If you had those hideous thoughts in your dreams, which you\nhave when you are awake, would you think them unpardoned sins, or\nrather unavoidable infirmities? why your distemper makes them to be to\nyou but almost as dreams.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Be sure that you keep yourself constantly employed\n(as far as your strength will bear) in the diligent labours of a\nlawful calling; and spend none of your precious time in idleness.\nIdleness is the tide-time of the tempter: when you are idle, you\ninvite the devil to come and vex you. Then you can have while to\nhearken to him, and think on all that he will put into your minds, and\nthen to think over all those thoughts again! When you have nothing\nelse to do, the devil will find you such work. Then you must sit still\nand muse; and your thoughts must be stirring in the mud of your own\ndistempers, as children lie paddling in the dirt. And idleness is a\nsin, which God will not favour. He hath commanded you to \"labour six\ndays, and in the sweat of your brows to eat you bread; and he that\nwill not labour is unworthy to eat,\" 2 Thess. iii. Remember that time\nis precious, and doth haste away, and God hath given you none in vain.\nTherefore, as you are troubled for other sins, make conscience of this\nsin, and waste not one quarter of an hour's time in your idle,\nunprofitable musings. It is just with God to make your sin itself to\nbe your punishment, and your own idle thoughts to chastise you daily,\nwhen you will not get up and go about your lawful business. Nor will\npretences of prayer, or any devotion, excuse your idleness, for it is\nagainst the law of God. Above all that I have said to you, let me\nentreat you therefore to obey this one direction. I have known\ndespairing, melancholy persons cured by setting themselves resolutely\nand diligently about their callings (and changing air and company, and\nriding abroad.) If you will sit musing in a corner, and sin against\nGod by idleness and loss of time, and increase your own miseries\nwithal, rather than you will rouse up yourself, and ply your business,\nyour calamity is just. Say not, that you have little or nothing to do;\nfor God hath made it the duty of all, be they never so rich, to labour\nin such employment as is suitable to their place and strength.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Do but mark well how much the devil gets by keeping you\nin sad, despondent thoughts; and then you may easily see that it\ncannot be your duty, nor best for you, which is so gainful and\npleasing to the devil. By keeping you in these self-perplexing doubts\nand fears, he robs God of the thanks and praise which you owe him for\nall his mercies. These highest duties you cast aside, as if they did\nnot belong to you. You give not God the honour of his most miraculous\nmercy, in our redemption; nor do you study, or relish, or admire, or\nmagnify the riches of grace in Jesus Christ! You have poor, low\nthoughts of the infinite love of God, and are unfit to judge of it or\nperceive it, being like a choleric stomach, which puts a continual\nbitterness in the mouth, which hinders it from tasting any sweetness\nin their meat. It hereby unfitteth you for the love of God, and more\ninclineth you to hate him, or fly from him as an enemy, while the\ndevil representeth him to you as one that hateth you; it loseth your\ntime; it depriveth you of all your willingness to duty, and delight in\nduty, and maketh all God's service a burden and vexation to you. It is\nvery contrary to the spirit of adoption, and to the whole frame of\nevangelical worship and obedience. And will you, under pretence of\nbeing more humbled, and sorrowful, and sensible, thus gratify Satan,\nand wrong God and yourselves.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Trust not to your own judgment, in your melancholy state,\neither as to the condition of your souls, or the choice and conduct of\nyour thoughts or ways; but commit yourselves to the judgment and\ndirection of some experienced, faithful guide. You are no fit judges of\nyour own condition, nor of the way of your duty, in this dark,\ndistempered condition that you are in. Either your mind and imagination\nis well or ill: if it be well, why complain you of all those\ndisturbances, and confusions, and disability to meditate and pray? If it\nbe ill, why will you be so self-conceited as to think yourselves able\nto judge of yourselves, with such a distempered fantasy of mind? It is\none of the worst things in melancholy persons, that commonly they are\nmost wise in their own eyes, and stiff in their own conceits, when their\nbrains are sickest, and their understanding weakest; and that they are\nconfident, and unruly, and unpersuadable, as if they were proud of those\npitiful understandings, and thought nobody knows so well as they. Oh!\nsay they, you know not my case! Am not I liker to know your case, who\nhave seen so many score in that case, than you are that never knew it in\nany but yourself? A man that stands by may better know the case of a man\nthat is in a dream, than he can know his own. You say that others feel\nnot what you feel! no more doth the physician feel what a man in a\nfever, or falling-sickness, or distraction feeleth; and yet by the\nreport of what you say you feel, and by what he seeth, he far better\nknoweth your disease, the nature and the cure of it, than you that feel\nit. Therefore as a wise man, when he is sick, will trust himself, under\nGod, to the direction of his physician and the help of his friends about\nhim, and not lie wrangling against their help and counsel, and wilfully\nrefuse it, because they advise him contrary to his feeling; so will you\ndo, if you are wise; trust yourself with some fit director; and despise\nnot his judgment either about your state, or about your duty. You think\nyou are lost, and there is no hope: hear what he saith that is now\nfitter to judge. Set not your weak wit too wilfully against him. Do you\nthink he is so foolish as to mistake? should not humility make you\nrather think so of yourself? Be advised by him about the matter of your\nthoughts, the manner and length of your secret duties, and all your\nscruples that you need advice in. Will you answer me this one question?\nDo you know any body that is wiser than yourself? and fitter to judge of\nyour condition and advise you? If you say, no; how proud are you of such\na crazed wit! If you say, yea; then believe and trust that person, and\nresolve to follow his direction. And I would ask you, were you not once\nof another judgment concerning yourself? If so, then were you not as\nsound and able to judge, and liker to be in the right than you are now.\n\n_Direct._ XXI. My last advice is, to look out for the cure of your\ndisease, and commit yourself to the care of your physician, and obey\nhim; and do not as most melancholy persons do, that will not believe\nthat physic will do them good, but that it is only their soul that is\nafflicted; for it is the spirits, imagination, and passions, that are\ndiseased, and so the soul is like an eye that looketh through a\ncoloured glass, and thinks all things are of the same colour as the\nglass is. I have seen abundance cured by physic; and till the body be\ncured, the mind will hardly ever be cured, but the clearest reasons\nwill be all in vain.\n\n\n   _Tit._ 6. _Directions for young Students, for the most profitable\n                 ordering of their studying Thoughts._\n\n_Direct._ I. Let it be your first and most serious study to make sure\nthat you are regenerate, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and\njustified by faith in Christ, and love God above all, as your\nreconciled Father, and so have right to the heavenly inheritance.\n\nFor, 1. You are nearest to yourselves, and your everlasting happiness\nis your nearest and your highest interest: what will it profit you to\nknow all the world, and to lose your own souls? to know as much as\ndevils, and be for ever miserable with devils?\n\n2. It is a most doleful employment to be all day at work in Satan's\nchains! to sit studying God and the holy Scriptures, while you are in\nthe power of the devil, and have hearts that are at enmity to the\nholiness of that God and that Scripture which you are studying! It is\na most preposterous and incongruous course of study, if you first\nstudy not your own deliverance. And if you knew your case, and saw\nyour chains, your trembling would disturb your studies.\n\n3. Till you are renewed you study in the dark, and without that internal\nsight and sense, by which the life, and spirit, and kernel of all that\nyou study must be known. All that the Scripture saith of the darkness of\na state of sin, and of the illumination of the Spirit, and of the\nmarvellous light of regenerate souls, and of the natural man's not\nreceiving the things of the Spirit, and of the carnal mind that is\nenmity against God, and is not subject to his law, nor can be;[316] all\nthese and such other passages are not insignificant, but most\nconsiderable truths from the Spirit of truth. You have only that light\nthat will show you the shell, and the dead letter, but not the soul, and\nquickening sense, of any practical holy truth. As the eye knoweth meat\nwhich we never tasted, or as a mere grammarian, or logician, readeth a\nlaw book, or physic book, (who gather nothing out of them that will save\na man's estate or life,) so will you prosecute all your studies.\n\n4. You are like to have but ill success in your studies, when the devil\nis your master, who hateth both you, and the holy things which you are\nstudying. He will blind you, and pervert you, and possess your minds\nwith false conceits, and put diverting, sensual thoughts into you, and\nwill keep your own souls from being ever the better for it all.\n\n5. You will want the true end of all right studies, and set up wrong\nends; and therefore whatever be the matter of your studies, you are\nstill out of your way, and know nothing rightly, because you know it\nnot as a means to the true end. (But of this anon.)\n\n_Direct._ II. When you have first laid this foundation, and have the\ntrue principle and end of all right studies, be sure that you intend\nthis end in all, even the everlasting sight and love of God, and the\npromoting his glory, and pleasing his holy will; and that you never\nmeddle with any studies separated from this end, but as means thereto,\nand as animated thereby.\n\nIf every step in your journey is but loss of time and labour, which is\nnot directed to your journey's end; and if all that you have to mind\nor do in the world, be only about your end or the means; and all\ncreatures and actions can have no other moral goodness, than to be the\nmeans of God your ultimate end; then you may easily see, that whenever\nyou leave out God as the end of any of your studies, you are but\nsinning, or doting; for in those studies there can be no moral good,\nthough they may tend to your knowledge of natural good and evil. And\nwhen you think you grow wise and learned men, and can dispute and talk\nof many things, which make to your renown, while your \"wills consent\nnot to the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine\nwhich is according to godliness; you are proud, knowing nothing, but\ndoting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy,\nstrife, railing, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of\ncorrupt minds, supposing that gain is godliness: from such turn away,\"\n1 Tim. vi. 3-6. As there is no knowledge but from God, so it is not\nknowledge but dotage if it lead not unto God.\n\n_Direct._ III. See therefore that you choose all your studies according\nto their tendency to God your end, and use them still under the notion\nof means, and that you estimate your knowledge by this end, and judge\nyourselves to know no more indeed, than you know of God and for God: and\nso let practical divinity be the soul of all your studies.\n\nTherefore, when life is too short for the studies of all things which\nwe desire to know, make sure of the chief things, and prefer those\nstudies which make most to your end; spend not your time on things\nunprofitable to this end; spend not your first and chiefest time on\nthings unnecessary to it; for the near connexion to God the end, is it\nthat ennobleth the matter of your studies. All true knowledge leads to\nGod; but not all alike: the nearest to him is the best.[317]\n\n_Direct._ IV. Remember that the chief part of your growth in\nknowledge, is not in knowing many smaller things, of no necessity; but\nin a growing downwards in a clearer insight into the foundation of the\nchristian faith, and in taking better rooting than you had at your\nfirst believing; and in growing upward into a greater knowledge of\nGod, and into a greater love of him, and heavenly-mindedness, and then\nin growing up to greater skill, and ability, and readiness to do him\nservice in the world.\n\nKnow as much as you can know of the works of God, and of the languages\nand customs of the world; but still remember, that to know God in\nChrist better, is the growth which you must daily study: and when you\nknow them most, you have still much more need to know better these\ngreat things which you know already, than to know more things which\nyou never knew. The roots of faith may still increase, and the\nbranches and fruits of love may be still greater and sweeter! As long\nas you live, you may still know better the reasons of your religion,\n(though not better reasons,) and you may know better how to use your\nknowledge. And whatever you know, let it be that you may be led up to\nknow God more, or love him more, or serve him better.\n\n_Direct._ V. With fear and detestation watch and resolve against all\ncarnal, worldly ends; and see that your hearts be not captivated by\nyour fleshly interest; nor grow to a high esteem of the pleasures, or\nprofits, or honours of this world, nor to relish any fleshly\naccommodations, as very pleasant and desirable: but that you take up\nwith God and the hopes of glory as your satisfying portion, and follow\nChrist as cross-bearers, denying yourselves, and dead to the world,\nand resolved and prepared to forsake all for his sake.\n\nThese are words that you can easily say yourselves; but these are\nthings that are so hardly learned, that many of the most learned and\nreverend perish for want of being better acquainted with them (and I\nshall never take that man to be wisely learned, that hath not learned\nto escape damnation). Christ's cross is to be learned before your\nalphabet. To impose the cross is quickly learned, but to learn to bear\nit is the difficulty. To lay the cross on others is to be the\nfollowers of Pilate; but to bear it when it is laid on us, is to be\nthe followers of Christ. If you grow corrupted with a love of honour,\nand riches, and preferment, and come to the study of divinity with a\nfleshly, worldly mind and end, you will but serve Satan while you seem\nto be seeking after God, and damn your souls among the doctrines and\nmeans of salvation, and go to God for materials to chain you faster\nto the devil, and steal a nail from divinity to fasten your ears unto\nhis door. And you little know how Judas's gain will gripe and torment\nthe awakened conscience! and how the rust will witness against you,\nand how it will eat your flesh as fire, James v. 3.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Digest all that you know, and turn it into holy habits,\nand expect that success first on yourselves, which if you were to\npreach you would expect in others. Remembering that knowing is not the\nend of knowing; but it is as eating to the body, where health, and\nstrength, and service are the end.[318]\n\nEvery truth of God is his candle which he sets up for you to work by;\nit is as food that is for life and action. You lose all the knowledge\nwhich ends in knowing. To fill your head and common-place book is not\nall that you have to do. But to fortify, and quicken, and inflame your\nhearts. Good habits are the best provision for a preacher. The habits\nof mind are better than the best library. But if the habits of\nheavenly love, and life in the heart, do not concur, the heart and\nlife of a preacher and a scholar are wanting still, for all your\nknowledge. Study Paul's words, 1 Cor. viii. 1, \"Knowledge puffeth up,\nbut charity edifieth.\" If he had said that knowledge edifieth others,\nand charity saveth ourselves, he would have said nothing that is\nstrange. But even as to edification charity hath the precedency.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Yea, see that you excel the unlearned as much in\nholiness as you do in knowledge: unless you will persuade them that\nyour knowledge is a useless, worthless thing; and unless you would be\njudged as unprofitable servants.\n\nEvery degree of knowledge is for a further degree of holiness: ten\ntalents must be improved to ten more. They that know and do not, are\nbeaten with many stripes. The devil's scholars look on the godly that\nare unlearned with hatred and disdain, and preach to their\ndiscouragement and disgrace, and strive to set and keep true godliness\nin the stocks. But Christ's ministers love holiness wherever they see\nit, and are ashamed to think that the unlearned should be more holy\nand heavenly than they; and strive to go beyond them as much in the\nuse and ends of knowledge, as in knowledge itself; and with Austin\nlament, that while the unlearned take heaven by violence, the learned\nare thrust out into hell, as thinking it is their part to know and\nteach, and other men's to practise.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Cast not away a moment of your precious time in\nidleness, or impertinencies; but follow your work diligently, and with\nall your might.\n\nI mean not that you should overdo, and overthrow your brains and\nbodies, nor forbear such sober exercise as is most necessary to your\nhealth; for a sick body is an ill companion for a student, and much\nmore a crazed brain. But time-wasters are lovers of pleasure or\nidleness, more than of knowledge and holiness: and wisdom falleth not\ninto idle, sluggish, dreaming souls. If you think it not worth your\npainfullest and closest studies, you must take up with idle ignorance,\nand go abroad with swelling titles and empty brains, as the deceivers\nand the scourgers of the church.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Keep up a delight in all your studies, and carry them on\nnot in an unwilling weariness: and, if it be not by notable error in\nmatter or method, gratify your delight with such things as you are\nbest pleased with, though they bring some smaller inconvenience;\nbecause else your weariness may bring much more.\n\nI know that a delight in sin and vanity is not to be gratified; and\nforce must be used with a backward mind in case of necessity and\nweight. But if it be but in the variety of subjects, and the choice of\npleasing studies which are profitable, though simply some other might\nbe fitter, something is to be yielded to delight. But especially the\nheart must be got to a delight in holy things: and then, time will be\nimproved; the memory will be helped; much will be done; and you will\npersevere; and it will preserve the mind from temptations to needless\nrecreations, and from the deadly plague of youthful lusts, when your\ndaily labour is a greater pleasure to you.\n\n_Direct._ X. Get some judicious man to draw you up the titles of a\nthreefold common-place book: one part for definitions, axioms, and\nnecessary doctrines; another part for what is useful for ornament and\noratory; and another for references as a common index to all the books\nof that science which you read: for memory will not serve for all.\n\nOrdinarily students have not judgment enough to form their own\ncommon-place books till they are old in studies, and have read most of\nthe authors which they would remember; and therefore the young must\nhere have a judicious helper. And when they have done, injudiciousness\nwill be apt to fill it with less necessary things, and to make an\nunmeet choice of matter, if they have not care and an instructor.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Highly esteem a just method in divinity, and in all your\nstudies; and labour to get an accurate scheme or skeleton, where at\nonce you may see every part in its proper place. But remember that if\nit be not sound, it will be a snare; and one error in your scheme or\nmethod will be apt to introduce abundance more.[319]\n\nIt is a poor and pitiful kind of knowledge, to know many loose\nparcels, and broken members of truth, without knowing the whole, or\nthe place and the relation which they have to the rest. To know\nletters and not syllables, or syllables and not words, or words and\nnot sentences, or sentences and not the scope of the discourse, are\nall but an unprofitable knowledge. He knoweth no science rightly that\nhath not anatomized it, and carrieth not a true scheme or method of it\nin his mind. But among the many that are extant, to commend any one to\nyou which I most esteem, or take to be without error, is more than I\ndare do.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Still keep the primitive, fundamental verities in your\nmind, and see every other truth which you learn as springing out of\nthem, and receiving their life and nourishment from them: and still\nkeep in your minds a clear distinction between the truths of several\ndegrees, both of necessity, and certainty, always reducing the less\nnecessary to the more necessary, and the less certain to the more\ncertain, and not contrarily.[320]\n\nIf God had made all points of faith, or Scripture revelation, of equal\nnecessity, our baptism would not only have mentioned our belief in the\nFather, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; nor should we ever have seen the\nancient creed, nor the ten commandments. And if all points were of equal\nevidence, and plainness, and certainty to us, we should not have some so\nmuch controverted above others: \"Some things\" in Scripture are \"hard to\nbe understood,\" but not \"all things,\" 2 Pet. iii. 16. To pretend that\nany truth is more necessary than it is, doth tend to uncharitableness\nand contention: and to say that any is less necessary than it is, doth\ntend to the neglect of it, and to the danger of souls. To pretend any\npoint to be more plain and certain than it is, doth but show our pride\nand ignorance. But to set up uncertain and unnecessary points, and make\na religion of them, and reduce things certain or necessary to them, this\nis the method of turbulent heretics.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Take nothing as universally necessary in religion,\nwhich was not so taken in the days of the apostles, and primitive\nchurch; and take that for the safest way to heaven which the apostles\nwent who certainly are there: value the apostolical purity,\nsimplicity, charity, and unity; and follow not them that by being wise\nand pious overmuch, corrupt our sacred pattern by their additions, and\nfill the church with uncharitableness and strife.\n\nIf it were not a thing too evident that dominion and riches go for\nreligion with them, and gain for godliness, and honour and money instead\nof argument, it would be a most stupendous wonder that so many learned\nmen should be found among christians in the world, to hinder the peace\nand unity of the church, as do it vehemently and implacably in the\nchurch of Rome; when so easy a thing, and so reasonable, would unite\nalmost all the christian world, as is the requiring no more as necessary\nto our union, than what was made necessary in the days of the apostles,\nand the obtruding nothing as necessary to salvation, which the apostles\nand primitive church were saved without. This easy, reasonable thing,\nwhich no man hath any thing of seeming sense and weight to speak\nagainst, would end all the ruinating differences among christians.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Be desirous to know all that God would have you know,\nand be willing to be ignorant of all that God would have you ignorant\nof; and pry not into unrevealed things; and much less make them the\nmatter of any uncharitable strife.\n\nAbundance of contentious volumes between the Dominicans, and Jesuits,\nand many others, are stuffed with bold inquiries, wranglings, or\ndeterminations of unsearchable mysteries, utterly unknown to those\nthat voluminously debate them, and never revealed in the word or works\nof God. Keep off with reverence from concealed mysteries. Talk not as\nboldly of the divine influx, and the priority, posteriority,\ndependence or reason of God's decrees, as if you were talking of your\ncommon affairs. Come with great reverence when you are called of God\nto search into those high and holy truths, which he hath revealed. But\npretend not to know that which is not to be known. For you will but\ndiscover your ignorance and arrogance, and know never the more, when\nyou have doted about questions never so long.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Avoid both extremes, of them that study no more but to\nknow what others have written and held before them, and of them that\nlittle regarded the discoveries of others. Learn all of your teachers\nand authors that they can teach you; but make all your own, and see\nthings in their proper evidence; and improve their discoveries by the\nutmost of your diligence; abhorring a proud desire of singularity, or\nto seem wiser than you are.\n\nMost students through slothfulness look no further for knowledge than\ninto their books; and their learning lieth but in knowing what others\nhave written, or said, or held before them; especially where the least\ndiffering from the judgment of the party which is uppermost or in\nreputation, doth tend to hazard a man's honour, or preferments, there\nmen think it dangerous to seem to know more than is commonly known;\nand therefore think it needless to study to know it. Men are backward\nto take much pains to know that which tendeth to their ruin to be\nknown, but doth them no harm while they can but keep themselves\nignorant of it: which makes the opposed truth have so few entertainers\nor students among the papists, or any that persecute or reproach it.\nAnd others discerning this extreme, do run into the contrary; and\nunder pretence of the loveliness of truth, and the need of liberty of\njudging, do think the edifying way is first to pull down all that\nothers have built before them, and little regard the judgment of their\npredecessors, but think they must take nothing on trust from others,\nbut begin all from the very ground themselves. And usually their pride\nmakes them so little regard the most approved authors, that they have\nnot patience to read them till they thoroughly understand them; but\nreject that which is received, before they understand it, merely\nbecause it was the received way: and while they say, that nothing must\nbe taken upon trust, they presently take upon trust themselves that\nvery opinion, and with it the other opinions of those novelists that\nteach them this. And believing what such say in disgrace of others,\nwithal they believe what they hold in opposition to those that they\nhave disgraced. But it is easy to see how sad a case mankind were in,\nif every man must be a fabricator of all his knowledge himself, and\nposterity should be never the better for the discoveries of their\nancestors; and the greatest labours of the wisest men, and their\nhighest attainments, must be no profit to any but themselves. Why do\nthey use a teacher, if they must do all themselves? If they believe\nnot their tutors, and take nothing on trust, it seems they must know\nevery truth before they will learn it: and what difference is there\nbetween believing a tutor and an author? And is not that more credible\nwhich upon long experience is approved by many nations and ages, than\nthat which is recommended to you but by one or few? These students\nshould have made themselves an alphabet or grammar, and not have taken\nthe common ones on trust. It is easier to add to other men's\ninventions, than to begin and carry on all ourselves. By their course\nof study, the world would never grow wiser; but every age and person\nbe still beginning, and none proceed beyond their rudiments.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Be sure you make choice of meet teachers and companions\nfor your studies and your lives; that they be such as will assist you\nin the holy practice of what you know, as well as in your knowledge:\nand shun as a plague the familiarity, 1. Of sensual, idle, brutish\npersons. 2. And of carnal, ambitious ones, who know no higher end than\npreferment and applause. 3. And of proud, heretical, contentious wits,\nwhose wisdom and religion are nothing but censuring, reproaching, and\nvilifying them that are wiser and better than themselves.\n\nBad company is the common ruin of both: their own sensuality is easily\nstirred up by the temptations of the sensual; and their consciences\noverborne by the examples of other men's voluptuous lives. It\nimboldeneth them to sin, to see others sin before them; as cowards\nthemselves are drawn on in an army to run upon the face of death, by\nseeing others do it, and to avoid the reproach of cowardice; and the\nnoise of mirth and ranting language, are the drums and trumpets of the\ndevils, by which their ears are kept from hearing the cries of\nwounded, dying men, the lamentations of those that have found the\nerror of that way. And there is in corrupted nature so strong an\ninclination to the prosperity and vain-glory of the world, that makes\nthem quickly take the bait, especially when the devil doth offer it\nthem by a fit instrument, which shall not deter them, as it would do\nif he had offered it them himself. It is a pleasant thing to flesh and\nblood to be rich and great, and generally applauded; and a grievous\nthing to be poor, and despised, and afflicted.[321] The rawness also\nand unsettledness of youth, who want well furnished understandings and\nexperience, is a great advantage to heretics and deceivers, who still\nsweep many such away, wherever they come and have but opportunity.\nChildren are \"easily tossed up and down, and carried to and fro with\nevery wind of doctrine, by the cunning sleight and subtlety of them\nthat lie in wait to deceive,\" Eph. iv. 14. Deceivers have their\nmethods; and methods are the common instruments of deceit, which are\nnot easily detected by the unexperienced. On the contrary, the benefit\nof wise, and staid, and sober, and peaceable, meek, humble, holy,\nheavenly companions, is exceeding great, especially to youth! Such\nwill lead them in safe paths, and be still preserving them, and\npromoting the most necessary parts of knowledge, and quickening them\nto holy practice, which is the end of all.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. In all your studies be jealous of both extremes; and\ndistinctly discern which are the extremes, that you run not into one\nwhile you avoid the other. And be especially careful, that you imagine\nnot co-ordinates or subordinates to be opposites; and throw not away\nevery truth, which you cannot presently place rightly in the frame, and\nsee it fall in agreeably with the rest; for a further insight into true\nmethod (attained but by very few) may reconcile you to that which now\noffendeth you. What God hath joined together, be sure that you never put\nasunder; though yet you cannot find their proper places.[322]\n\nThere is scarce any error more common among students, than supposing\nthose truths to be inconsistent, which indeed have a necessary\ndependence on each other; and a casting truth away as error, because\nthey cannot reconcile it to some other truth. And there is nothing so\nmuch causeth this, as want of a true method. But that hath no method\nconsiderable, or after much curious labour hath fallen upon a false\nmethod, or a method that in any one considerable point is out of\njoint, will deal thus by many certain truths: as an ignorant person\nthat is to set all the scattered parts of a clock or watch together,\nif he misplace one, will be unable rightly to place all the rest; and\nthen, when he finds that they fit not the place which he thinks they\nmust be in, he casteth them away, and thinks they are not the right,\nand is searching for or maketh something else to fit that place. False\nmethod rejecteth many a truth.\n\nAnd, unless it be in loving God, or other acts of the superior\nfaculties, about their ultimate end and highest object, there is\nscarce any thing in mortality but hath its extremes. And where they\nare not discerned, they are seldom well avoided. And usually\nnarrow-sighted persons are fearful only of one extreme, and see no\ndanger but on one side; and therefore are easily carried, by avoiding\nthat, into the contrary.\n\nI think it not unprofitable to instance in several particular\ncautions, that you imitate not them that put asunder what God hath\nconjoined, and cast not away truth as oft as you are puzzled in the\nright placing or methodizing it.\n\n_Instance_ I. The first and second causes are conjoined in their\noperations, and therefore must not be put asunder. If the way of\ninflux, concourse, or co-operation be dark and unsearchable to you, do\nnot deny that it is, because you see not how it is. The honour of the\nfirst and second cause also are conjunct, according to their several\ninterests in the effects: do not therefore imagine, that all the\nhonour ascribed to the second cause is denied or taken away from the\nfirst; for then you understand not their order: otherwise you would\nsee, that as the second causeth independence on the first, and\ninsubordination to it, and hath no power but what is communicated by\nit, so it hath no honour but what is received from it; and that it is\nno less honour for the first cause to operate mediately by the second,\nthan immediately by itself: and that there is no less of the power,\nwisdom, or goodness of God, in an effect produced by means and second\ncauses, than in that which he produceth of himself only, without them:\nand that it is his goodness to communicate a power of good to his\ncreatures, and the honour of working and causing under him: but he\nnever loseth any thing by communicating, nor hath the less himself by\ngiving to his creatures: for if all that honour that is given to the\ncreature were taken injuriously from God, then God would never have\nmade the world, nor made a saint; and then the worst creatures would\nleast dishonour God: then he would not shine by the sun, but by\nhimself immediately: and then he would never glorify either saint or\nangel. But on the contrary, it is God's honour to work by adapted\nmeans; and all their honour is truly his; as all the commendation of a\nclock or watch is given to the workman. And though God do not all so\nimmediately, as to use no means or second causes; yet is he never the\nfurther from the effect, but, _immediatione virtutis et suppositi_, is\nhimself as near as if he used none.\n\n_Instance_ II. The special providence of God, and his being the first\nuniversal cause, are conjunct with the culpability of sinners; and no\nman must put these asunder. Those that cannot see just how they are\nconjoined, may be sure that they are conjoined. It is no dishonour to\nan engineer that he can make a watch which shall go longer than he is\nmoving it with his finger. Nor is it a dishonour to our Creator, that\nhe can make a creature which can morally determine itself to an action\nas commanded or forbidden, without the predetermination of his Maker,\nthough not without his universal concourse necessary to action as\naction. If Adam could not do this through the natural impossibility of\nit, then the law was, that he should die the death if he did not\novercome God, or do that which was naturally impossible; and this was\nthe nature of his sin. Few dare say, that God cannot make a free,\nself-determining agent; and if he can, we shall easily prove that he\nhath; and the force of their opposition then is vanished.\n\n_Instance_ III. The omniscience of God, and his dominion, government,\nand decrees, are conjunct with the liberty and sin of man: yet these\nby many are put asunder: as if God must either be ignorant or be the\nauthor of sin! As if he made one poor, by decreeing to make another\nrich! As if he cannot be a perfect governor, unless he procure all his\nsubjects perfectly to keep his laws! As if all the fault of those that\nbreak the law, were to be laid upon the maker of the law! As if all\nGod's will _de debito_ were not effective of its proper work, unless\nman fulfil it in the event! And as if it were possible for any\ncreature to comprehend the way of the Creator's knowledge.\n\n_Instance_ IV. Many would separate nature and grace, which God the\nauthor of both conjoineth. When grace supposeth nature, and in her\ngarden soweth all her seed, and exciteth and rectifieth all her powers;\nyet these men talk as if nature had been annihilated, or grace came to\nannihilate it, and not to cure it. As if the leprosy and disease of\nnature were nature itself! And as if natural good had been lost as much\nas moral good! As if man were not man till grace made him a man!\n\n_Instance_ V. Many separate the natural power of a sinner from his\nmoral impotency, and his natural freedom of will from his moral\nservitude, as if they were inconsistent, when they are conjunct. As if\nthe natural faculty might not consist with an evil disposition; or a\nnatural power with an habitual unwillingness to exercise it aright.\nAnd as if a sinner were not still a man.\n\n_Instance_ VI. Many separate general and special grace and redemption,\nas inconsistent, when they are conjunct; when the general is the\nproper way and means of accomplishing the ends of the special grace,\nand is still supposed. As if God could not give more to some, if he\ngive any thing to all. Or as if he gave nothing to all, if he give\nmore to any. As if he could not deal equally and without difference\nwith all as a legislator, and righteously with all as a judge, unless\nhe deal equally and without difference with all as a benefactor, in\nthe free distribution of his gifts. As if he were obliged to make\nevery worm and beast a man, and every man a king, and every king an\nangel, and every clod a star, and every star a sun!\n\n_Instance_ VII. Many separate the glory of God and man's salvation,\nGod and man, in assigning the ultimate end of man! As if a moral\nintention might not take in both! As if it were not _finis amantis_;\nand the end of a lover were not union in mutual love! As if love to\nGod may not be for ever the final act, and God himself the final\nobject: and as if, in this magnetic closure, though both may be called\nthe end, yet there might not in the closing parties be an infinite\ndisproportion, and only one be _finis ultimate ultimus_.\n\n_Instance_ VIII. Yea, many would separate God from God, while they\nwould separate God from heaven, and say that we must be content to be\nshut out of heaven for the love of God; when our heaven is the perfect\nlove of God. And so they say in effect, that for the love of God we\nmust be content to be shut out from the love of God.\n\n_Instance_ IX. Thus also the vulgar separate the mercy and the justice\nof God! As if God knew not better than man to whom his mercy should\nextend. And as if God be not merciful, if he will be a righteous\ngovernor, and unless he will suffer all the world to spit in his face\nand blaspheme him, and let his enemies go all unpunished.\n\n_Instance_ X. Thus many separate threatenings and promises, fear and\nlove, a perfect law and a pardoning gospel. As if he that is a man,\nand hath both fear and love in his nature, must not make use of both\nfor God and his salvation; and the lawgiver might not fit his laws to\nwork on both. As if hell may not be feared, and heaven loved at once.\n\n_Instance_ XI. Thus hypocrites separate and conceit their seeming\nholiness and devotion to God from duties of justice and charity to\nmen. As if they could serve God acceptably, and disobey him wilfully!\nOr as if they could love him whom they never saw, and not love his\nimage in his works and children, whom they daily see. As if they could\nhate and persecute Christ in his little ones, or at least neglect him,\nand yet sincerely love him in himself.\n\n_Instance_ XII. Thus, by many, Scripture and tradition, divine faith\nand human faith, are commonly opposed. Because the papists have set\ntradition in a wrong place, many cast it away because it fits not\nthat place: when man's tradition and ministerial revelation, is\nnecessary to make known and bring down God's revelation to us; and a\nsubservient tradition is no disparagement to Scripture, though a\nsupplemental tradition be; and man must be believed as man, though not\nas God; and he that will not believe man as man, shall scarce know\nwhat he hath to believe from God.\n\n_Instance_ XIII. Thus many separate the sufficiency of the law and\nrule from the usefulness of an officer, minister, and judge. As if the\nlaw must be imperfect, or else need no execution, and no judge for\nexecution. Or as if the judge's execution were a supplement or\naddition to the law. As if the question, Who shall be the judge? did\nargue the law of insufficiency; and the promulgation and execution\nwere not supposed.\n\n_Instance_ XIV. Thus also many separate the necessity of a public\njudge, from the lawfulness and necessity of a private judgment, or\ndiscerning in all the rational subjects. As if God and man did govern\nonly brutes; or we could obey a law, and not judge it to be a law, and\nto be obeyed; and not understand the sense of it, and what it doth\ncommand us. As if fools and madmen were the only subjects. As if our\nlearning of Christ as his disciples, and meditating day and night in\nhis law, and searching for wisdom in his word, were a disobeying him\nas our King. As if it were a possible thing for subjects to obey,\nwithout a private judgment of discretion. Or as if there were any\nrepugnancy between my judging what is the king's law, and his judging\nwhether I am punishable for disobeying it. Or as if judging ourselves,\ncontradicted our being judged of God.\n\n_Instance_ XV. So, many separate between the operation of the word and\nSpirit, the minister and Christ. As if the Spirit did not usually work\nby the word; and Christ did not preach to us by his ministers and\nambassadors. And as if they might despise his messengers, and not be\ntaken for despisers of himself. Or might throw away the dish and keep\nthe milk.\n\n_Instance_ XVI. Thus many separate the special love of saints from the\ncommon love of man as man. As if they could not love a saint, unless\nthey may hate an enemy, and despise all others, and deny them the love\nwhich is answerable to their natural goodness.\n\n_Instance_ XVII. Thus many separate universal or catholic union and\ncommunion from particular. And some understand no communion but the\nuniversal, and some none but the particular. Some say we separate from\nthem as to catholic communion, if we hold not local, particular\ncommunion with them; yea, if we join not with them in every mode. As\nif I could be personally in ten thousand thousand congregations at\nonce, or else did separate from them all. Or, as if I separated from\nall mankind, if I differed from all men in my visage or complexion.\nOr, as if I cannot be absent from many thousand churches, and yet\nhonour them as true churches of Christ, and hold catholic communion\nwith them in faith, hope, and love; yea, though I durst not join with\nthem personally in worship, for fear of some sinful condition which\nthey impose. Or, as if I need not be a member of any ordered\nworshipping congregation, because I have a catholic faith and love to\nall the christians in the world.\n\n_Instance_ XVIII. Thus are the outward and inward worship separated by\nmany, who think that all which the body performeth is against the due\nspirituality; or that the spirituality is but fancy, and contrary to\nthe form or outward part. As if the heart and the knee may not fitly\nbow together; nor decency of order concur with Spirit and truth.\n\n_Instance_ XIX. Thus many separate faith and obedience; Paul's\njustification by faith, without the works of the law, from James's\njustification by works, and not by faith only, and Christ's\njustification by our words, Matt. xii. 47. And thus they separate free\ngrace and justification from any necessary condition, and from the\nrewardableness of obedience (which the ancients called merit): but of\nthis at large elsewhere.\n\n_Instance_ XX. And many separate prudence and zeal, meekness and\nresolution, the wisdom of the serpent and the innocency of the dove;\nyielding to no sin, and yet yielding in things lawful; maintaining our\nchristian liberty, and yet becoming all things to all men, if by any\nmeans we may save some. These instances are enough, I will add no more.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Take heed of falling into factions and parties in\nreligion (be the party great or small, high or low, in honour or\ndishonour); and take heed lest you be infected with a factious,\ncensorious, uncharitable, hurting zeal: for these are much contrary to\nthe interest, will, and Spirit of Christ. Therefore among all your\nreadings, deeply suck in the doctrine of charity and peace, and read\nmuch, reconciling, moderating authors; such as Dury, Hall, Davenant,\nCrocius, Bergius, Martinius, Amyraldus, Dall\u00e6us, Testardus, Calixtus,\nHottonus, Junius, Par\u00e6us and Burroughs their Irenicons.\n\nThe reading of such books extinguisheth the consuming flame of that\ninfernal, envious zeal described James iii.; and kindleth charity, and\nmeekness, and mellowness, and moderation in the heart; and cureth\nthose bloodshotten eyes, which are unable till cured to discern the\ntruth. It helpeth us to knowledge, and to that which is more edifying,\nand keepeth knowledge from puffing us up. And experience will tell you\nat long running, that among ancients and moderns, Greeks and Latins,\npapists and protestants, Lutherans and Calvinists, remonstrants and\ncontra-remonstrants, prelatists, presbyterians, independents, &c.,\ncommonly the moderators are not only the best and most charitable, but\nthe wisest, most judicious men.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. With all your readings still join the reading of the\nScriptures, and of the most holy and practical divines; not\nfantastical, enthusiastic counterfeits, Paracelsian divines; but those\nthat lead you up by the solid doctrine of faith and love to true\ndevotion, and heavenly-mindedness and conversation.\n\nThis must be your bread and drink, your daily and substantial food:\nwithout this you may soon be filled with air, that cannot nourish you,\nand prove in the end as sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. These\nwill breed strength, and peace, and joy, and help you in your\ncommunion with God, and hopes of heaven, and so promote the end of all\nyour studies. There is more life and sweetness in these, than in\nthings that are more remote from God and heaven.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Lastly, Do all as dying men: promise not yourselves long\nlife, lest it tempt you to waste your time on things less necessary,\nand to loiter it away; or lest you lose the quickening benefit, which\nthe sight of death and eternity would yield you in all your studies.\n\nThe nearer you apprehend yourselves to death and heaven, the greater\nhelp you have to be mortified and heavenly. This will make you serious,\nand keep up right intentions, and keep out wrong ones, and powerfully\nhelp you against temptations, that when you have studied to save others,\nyou may not be cast-aways; nor be cheated by the devil with the shell,\nand leaves, and flowers, while you go without the saving fruit.\n\nI have spoken the more on this subject of governing the thoughts,\nbecause it is so great and excellent a part of the work of man; and\nGod doth so much regard the heart; and the Spirit of Christ and Satan\nso much strive for it; and grace is so much employed about it; and our\nhappiness or misery, joy or sorrow, is greatly promoted by our\nthoughts. And more I would have said, but that in the third chapter,\nand in my \"Treatise of the Divine Life,\" there is much said already.\nAnd for a method and directions for particular meditations, I have\ngiven it at large in the fourth part of the \"Saints' Rest,\" from\nwhence it may easily be taken, and applied to other subjects, as it is\nthere to heaven. It is easy to write and read directions; but I fear\nlest slothfulness, through the difficulty of practice, will frustrate\nmy directions to the most. But if any profit by them, my labour is not\nlost.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[301] Sicut ignis in aqua durare non potest, ita neque turpis\ncogitatio in Dei amante: quoniam omnis qui Dei amator est, etiam\nlaboris amans est: c\u00e6terum labor voluntarius, naturaliter voluptati\ninimicus existit. Marcus Erem.\n\n[302] See the directions for prayer, hearing, reading, and the\nsacrament. Part ii.\n\n[303] See in my tract on Heb. xi. 1, called \"The Life of Faith.\"\n\n[304] See my book of the Mischiefs of Self-ignorance.\n\n[305] Thus evil may be made the object and occasion of good: it is\ngood to meditate on evil to hate it, and avoid it. Keep acquaintance\nwith conscience, and read over its books, and it will furnish your\nthoughts with humbling matter.\n\n[306] Psal. cv. 22; See Psal. civ. cv. cvi. cvii. cxxii. cxxiv. cxxxv.\ncxxxvi. cxlv. cxlvii. cxlviii. cxlix.\n\n[307] Phil. ii. 13; 2 Cor. iii. 5; xii. 9.\n\n[308] Of this see the fourth part of my \"Saints' Rest\" more fully.\n\n[309] Gal. vi. 10; 2 Thess. iii.\n\n[310] See Dr. Hammond on the place, and on 1 Tim. v. and on Tit. ii.\n\n[311] Petrarch speaking of his intimacy and esteem with kings and\nprinces, addeth, Multos tamen eorum quos valde amabam effugi: tantus\nmihi fuit insitus amor libertatis; ut cujus vel nomen ipsum libertati,\nvel illi esse contrarium videretur, omni studio declinarem. In Vita Sua.\n\n[312] Read more after, part iii. against despair.\n\n[313] Stoici dicunt sapientem nunquam sanitate mentis excidere:\nincidere tamen aliquando in imaginationes absurdas propter atr\u00e6 bilis\nredundantiam, sive ob delirationem non quidem deviatione rationis,\nverum ex imbecillitate natur\u00e6. Laert. in Zenone.\n\n[314] Col. ii. 18-23.\n\n[315] John iii. 16; 1 John v. 10-12; Rev. xxii. 17; John v. 40.\n\n[316] Acts xxvi. 18; Eph. i. 18, 19; Col. i. 13; 1 Pet. ii. 9; Rom.\nviii. 7; 1 Cor. ii. 14, 15.\n\n[317] Nos autem nec subito c\u0153pimus philosophari, nec mediocrem a primo\ntempore \u00e6tatis in eo studio operam curamque consumpsimus, et cum minime\nvidebamur tum maxime philosophabamur. Cicero de Nat. Deor. page 5.\n\n[318] Primum contemplativ\u00e6 sapienti\u00e6 rudimentum est meditari,\ncondiscere, et loquitari dedicere. Paul. Scalig. Thes. p. 730.\n\n[319] Since the writing of this, I have begun a Methodis Theologi\u00e6.\n\n[320] Read well Vincentius Lirinensis.\n\n[321] Sana consultatio est ex eruditia; multarumque rerum peritia et\nexperientia. Plato in Laert.\n\n[322] Cum opiniones tam vari\u00e6 sint et inter se dissidentes, alterum\nfieri potest, ut earum nulla, alterum certe non potest, ut plus una\nvera fit. Cicero de Nat. Deor. page 5.\n\n\n\n\n                              CHAPTER VII.\n\n                  DIRECTIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE\n                               PASSIONS.\n\n\nThe passions are to be considered, 1. As in themselves, and the sin of\nthem as respecting God and ourselves only: and so I am to speak of\nthem here. 2. As they are a wrong to others, and a breach of the\ncommandments which require love and duty towards our neighbour: and so\nI shall speak of them after.\n\nPassions are not sinful in themselves, for God hath given them to us\nfor his service; and there is none of them but may be sanctified and\nused for him. But they are sinful, 1. When they are misguided and\nplaced on wrong objects. 2. When they darken reason, and delude the\nmind, and keep out truth, and seduce to error. 3. When they rebel\nagainst the government of the will, and trouble it, and hinder it in\nits choice or prosecution of good, or urge it violently to follow\ntheir brutish inclination. 4. When they are unseasonable. 5. Or\nimmoderate and excessive in degree. 6. Or of too long continuance. 7.\nAnd when they tend to evil effects, as to unseemly speeches or\nactions, or to wrong another.\n\nPassions are holy when they are devoted to God, and exercised upon him\nor for him. They are good when, 1. They have right objects; 2. And are\nguided by reason; 3. And are obedient to the well-guided will; 4. And\nquicken and awake the reason and the will to do their duty; 5. And\ntend to good effects, exciting all the other powers to their office;\n6. And exceed not in degree, so as to disturb the brain or body.\n\n\n          _Tit._ 1. _Directions against all sinful passions in\n                               general._\n\n_Direct._ 1. Trust not to any present actual resistance, without any\ndue, habitual mortification of passions, and fortification of the soul\nagainst them. Look most to the holy constitution of your mind and\nlife, and then sinful passions will fall off, like scabs from a\nhealthful body when the blood is purified.\n\nNo wonder if an unholy soul be a slave to passion, when the body is\ninclined to it: for such a one is under the power of selfishness,\ncarnality, and worldliness; and from under the government of Christ\nand his Spirit; and wanteth that life of grace by which he should cure\nand subdue the corruptions of nature. The way for such a one to master\npassion, is not to strive by natural, selfish principles and reasons,\nwhich are partial, poor, and weak; but to look first to the main, and\nto seek with speed and earnestness for a new and sanctified heart, and\nget God's image, and his Spirit, and renewing, quickening grace: this\nis the only effectual conqueror of nature. A dull and gentle\ndisposition may seem without this to conquer that which never much\nassaulted it: (the trial of such persons being some other way); but\nnone conquereth Satan indeed but the Spirit of Christ. And if you\nshould be free from passion, and not be free from an unholy, carnal,\nworldly heart, you must perish at last, if you seemed the calmest\npersons upon earth. Begin therefore at the foundation, and see that\nthe body of sin be mortified, and that the whole tree be rooted up\nwhich beareth these evil, bitter fruits; and that the holy, victorious\nnew nature be within you; and then you will resist sin with light and\nlife, which others still resist but as in their sleep.\n\n_Direct._ II. More particularly, let your souls be still possessed\nwith the fear of God, and live as in his family, under his eye and\ngovernment, that his authority may be more powerful than temptations,\nand your holy converse with him may make him still more regarded by\nyou than men or any creatures. And then this sun will put out the\nlesser lights, and the thunder of his voice will drown the whisperers\nthat would provoke you, and the humming of those wasps which make you\nso impatient. God would make the creature nothing, and then it would\ndo nothing to disturb you, or carry you into sin.\n\n_Direct._ III. Dwell in the delightful love of God, and in the sweet\ncontemplation of his love in Christ, and roll over his tender mercies\nin your thoughts, and let your conversation be with the holy ones in\nheaven, and your work be thanksgivings and praise to God: and this\nwill habituate your souls to such a sweetness, and mellowness, and\nstability, as will resist sinful passion even as heat resisteth cold.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Keep your consciences continually tender, and then they\nwill check the first appearance of sinful passions, and will smart\nmore with the sin than your passionate natures do with the\nprovocation. A seared conscience, and a hardened, senseless heart, are\nto every sin, as a man that is fast asleep is to thieves; they may\ncome in and do what they will, so they do not waken him. But a tender\nconscience is always awake.\n\n_Direct._ V. Labour after wisdom, strength of reason, and a solid\njudgment; for passion is cherished by folly. Children are easily\noverthrown, and leaves are easily shaken with every little wind; when\nmen keep their way, and rocks and mountains are not shaken. Women and\nchildren, and old, and weak, and sick people are usually most\npassionate. If a wise man should have a passionate nature, he hath\nthat which can do much to control it: when folly is a weather-cock at\nthe wind's command.\n\n_Direct._ VI. See that the will be confirmed and resolute, and then it\nwill soon command down passion. Men can do much against passion if\nthey will. Nature hath set the will in the throne of the soul; it is\nthe sinful connivance and negligence of the will, which is the guilty\ncause of all the rebellion; as the connivance of the commanders is the\ncommon cause of mutinies in an army.[323] The will either consenteth,\nor is remiss in its office, and in forbidding and repressing the rage\nof passion. When I say, you can do it if you will, you think this is\nnot true, because you are willing, and yet passion yieldeth not to\nyour will's command; but I mean not that every kind of willingness\nwill serve; it is not a sluggish wish that will do it; but if the will\nwere resolute without any compliance, or connivance, or negligence in\nits proper office, no sinful passion could remain; for it is no\nfurther sin, than it is voluntary, either by the will's compliance, or\nomission and neglect. Therefore let most of your labour be to waken\nand confirm the will; and then it will command down passion.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Labour after holy fortitude, courage, and magnanimity.\nGreat minds are above all troubles, desires, or commotions about\nlittle things. A poor, base, low, and childish mind, is never quiet\nlonger than it is rocked asleep or flattered.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Especially see that you want not self-denial, and that\nworldliness and fleshly-mindedness be thoroughly mortified; for sinful\npassion is the very breath and pulse of a selfish, fleshly, worldly\nmind. It is not more natural for dogs to fight about a bone, than for\nsuch to snarl and quarrel, or be in some distempered passion, about\ntheir selfish, carnal interest. Covetousness will not let the mind be\nquiet. It is as natural for a selfish man to be under the power of\nsinful passions, as for a man to shake that hath an ague, or to fear\nthat is melancholy. Fleshly men have a canine appetite and feverish\nthirst continually upon them, after some flesh-pleasing toy or other.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Keep a court of justice in your souls, and call\nyourselves daily to account, and let no passion escape without such a\ncensure as is due. If reason and conscience thus exercise and maintain\ntheir authority, and passion be every day soundly rebuked, it will\nwither like a plant that is cropped as fast as it springeth.\n\n_Direct._ X. Deliberate and foresee the end; examine whether passion\ntend to that which will be approvable when it is past. Looking to the\nend doth shame all sinful passions: they are blind, and moved only by\nthings present; they cannot endure the sight of the time to come, nor\nto be examined whither they go, or where is their home.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Keep a continual apprehension of the danger and\nodiousness of sinful passions, by knowing how full they are of the\nspawn of many other sins. See the evil of them in the effects. Mark\nwhat passion doth in others and yourselves; what abundance of evil\nthoughts, and words, and deeds do come from sinful passions!\n\n_Direct._ XII. Observe the immediate troublesome effects, and the\ndisorders of your soul, and so turn the fruit of passions against\nthemselves. Mark how they discompose you, and disturb your reason, and\nmake your minds like muddied waters, and breed a diseased unquietness\nin you, unfitting you for your works, and breaking your peace; so that\nyou can neither know, nor use, nor enjoy yourselves.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Let death look your passions frequently in the face.\nIt hath a mortifying virtue; and as it showeth us the vanity of the\ncreature, so it taketh down those passions, which creature interest\nand deceit have caused. It exciteth reason, and restoreth it to its\ndominion, and silenceth the rebellion of the senses. A man that is to\ndie to-morrow, and knoweth it, would easilier repel to-day a\ntemptation to lust, or covetousness, or drunkenness, or revenge, than\nat another time he could have done. One look into eternity will\npowerfully rebuke all carnal passions.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Remember still that God is present. Will you behave\nyourselves passionately before him, when the presence of your prince\nwould calm you? Shall God and his holy angels see thee like a bedlam\nlay by thy reason and misbehave thyself?\n\n_Direct._ XV. Have still some pertinent scripture ready to rebuke thy\npassions; that thou mayst say as Christ to Satan, \"Thus it is\nwritten.\" Speak to it in the name and word of God; though the bare\nwords will not charm these evil spirits, yet the authority will curb\nthem. For this \"word is quick and powerful, a discerner of the\nthoughts,\" Heb. iv. 12. \"Mighty through God, to the pulling down of\nstrong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that\nexalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringeth into\ncaptivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,\" 2 Cor. x. 4, 5.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Set Christ continually before you as your pattern, who\ncalleth you to learn of him to be meek and lowly, Matt. xi. 29: who\ndesired not the wealth or glory of the world; who loved his own that\nwere in the world, but loved not the things of the world; who never\nwas lifted up, or sinfully cast down; who never despised or envied\nman, nor ever feared man; who never was over merry or over sad; who\nbeing reviled, reviled not again; but was dumb as a lamb before the\nshearers.[324]\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Keep as far from all occasions of your passions as\nother duties will allow you; and contrive your affairs and occasions\ninto as great an opposition as may be to the temptation. Run not into\ntemptation, if you would be delivered from evil. Much might be done by\na willing, prudent man, by the very ordering of his affairs. God and\nSatan work by means; let the means then be regarded.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Have a due care of your bodies, that no distemper be\ncherished in them which causeth the distemper of the soul. Passions\nhave a very dependence on the temperament of the body; and much of the\ncure of them lieth (when it is possible) in the body's emendation.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Turn all your passions into the right channel, and make\nthem all holy, using them for God upon the greatest thing. This is the\ntrue cure; the bare restraint of them is but a palliate cure, like the\neasing of pain by a dose of opium. Cure the fear of man by the fear of\nGod; and the love of the creature, by the love of God; and the cares\nfor the body, by caring for the soul; and earthly, fleshly desires and\ndelights, by spiritual desires and delights; and worldly sorrow, by\nprofitable, godly sorrow.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Control the effects, and frustrate your passions of what\nthey would have; and that will ere long destroy the cause. Cross\nyourselves of the things which carnal love and desire would have;\nforbear the things which carnal mirth or anger would provoke you to,\nand the fire will go out for want of fuel. (Of which more in the\nparticulars.)\n\n\n        _Tit._ 2. _Directions against sinful Love of Creatures._\n\nLove is the master passion of the soul, because it hath the chiefest\nobject, even goodness which is the object of the will; and simple love\nis nothing but complacency, which is nothing but the simple volition\nof good; and it is a passionate volition or complacency which we call\nthe passion of love.[325] When this is good and when it is sinful I\nshowed before; but yet because the one half of the cure here lieth in\nthe conviction, and it is so hard a thing to make any lover perceive a\nsinfulness in his love, I shall first help you in the trial of your\nlove, to show the sinfulness of it; when I have first named the\nobjects of it.\n\nAny creature which seemeth good to us, may possibly be the object of\nsinful love; as honour, greatness, authority, praises, money, houses,\nlands, cattle, meat, drink, sleep, apparel, sports, friends, relations,\nand life itself. As for lustful love, I shall speak of it anon.\n\n\n                _Helps for discovering of sinful Love._\n\n_Direct._ I. Make God's interest and his word the standard to judge of\nall affections by. That which is against the love of God, and would\nabate or hinder it, yea, which doth not directly or indirectly tend to\nfurther it, is certainly a sinful love; and so is all that is against\nhis word. For the love of God is our final act upon our ultimate end,\nand therefore all that tends not to it, is a sin against our very end,\nand so against our nature and the use of our faculties.\n\n_Direct._ II. Therefore whatever creature is loved ultimately for\nitself, and not for a higher end, even for God, his service, his honour,\nhis relation to it, or his excellency appearing in it, is sinfully\nloved. For it is made our god when it is loved ultimately for itself.\n\n_Direct._ III. Suspect all love to creatures which is very strong and\nviolent, and easily kindled, and hardly moderated or quieted. Though you\nmight think it is for some spiritual end or excellency, that you love\nany person or any thing, yet suspect it if it be so easy and strong;\nbecause that which is truly and purely spiritual is against corrupted\nnature, and comes from grace which is but weak: we find no such easiness\nto love God, and Scripture, and prayer, and holiness; nor are our\naffections so violent to these. It is well if all the fuel and blowing\nwe can use will keep them alive. It is two to one that the flesh and the\ndevil have put in some of their fuel or gunpowder, if it be fierce.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Suspect all that love which selfishness and fleshly\ninterest have a hand in. Is it some bodily pleasure and delight that\nyou love so much? Or is it a good book or other help for your soul? We\nare so much apter to exceed and sin in carnal, fleshly-mindedness,\nthan in loving what is good for our souls, that there we should be\nmuch more suspicious. If it be violent and for the body, it is ten to\none there is sin in it.\n\n_Direct._ V. Suspect all that love to creatures which your reason can\ngive no good account of, nor show you a justifiable cause. If you love\none place or person much more than others, and know not why, but love\nthem because you cannot choose, this is much to be suspected: though\nGod may sometimes kindle a secret love between friends, from an\nunexpressible unity or similitude of minds, beyond what reason will\nundertake to justify, yet this is rare, and commonly fancy, or folly,\nor carnality is the cause: however, it is more to be suspected and\ntried, than rational love.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Suspect all that fervent love to any creature which is\nhasty before sufficient trial; for commonly both persons and things\nhave the best side outward, and seem better at the first appearance\nthan they prove. Not but that a moderate love may be taken up upon the\nfirst appearance of any excellency, especially spiritual; but so as to\nallow for a possibility of being deceived, and finding more faultiness\nupon a fuller trial than we at first perceive. Have you dwelt in the\nhouse with the persons whom you so much admire? and have you tried\nthem in their conversations? and seen them tried by crosses, losses,\ninjuries, adversity, prosperity, or the offers of preferment or plenty\nin the world? you would little think what lurketh undiscovered in the\nhearts of many, that have excellent parts, till trial manifest it!\n\n_Direct._ VII. Try your affections in prayer before God, whether they be\nsuch as you dare boldly pray God either to increase or continue and\nbless; and whether they be such as conscience hath no quarrel against.\nIf they endure not this trial, be the more suspicious, and search more\nnarrowly: the name and presence of God in prayer, doth much dispel the\nfrauds of carnal reasonings. Yet persons who by melancholy are cast into\ndiseased fears and scrupulosities, are uncapable of this way of trial.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Consult with wise, impartial persons; and open your case\nto them without deceit, before affections have gone so far as to blind\nyou, or leave you uncapable of help. In this case, if in any case, the\njudgment of a stander-by that is faithful and impartial is usually to be\npreferred before your own. For we are too near ourselves; and judgment\nwill be bribed and biassed even in the best and wisest persons.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Yet cast not away all because you discover much excess\nor carnality in your affections; for frequently there is mixture both\nin the cause of love, and in the love itself of good and evil. And\nwhen you have but taken out all that was selfish, and carnal, and\nerroneous in the cause, the carnal, violent love will cease; but not\nall love: for still there will and must remain the moderate, rational,\nand holy love, which is proportioned to the creature's worth and\nmerit, and is terminated ultimately on God: the separation being made,\nthis part must be preserved.\n\n_Direct._ X. Mere natural appetite in itself is neither morally good\nnor evil; but as it is well placed and ordered it is good, and as\nunruled or ill-ruled it is evil.\n\n\n                    _Helps to mortify sinful Love._\n\n_Direct._ I. The greatest of all means to cast out all sinful love, is\nto keep the soul in the love of God, Jude 21, wholly taken up in\nadmiring him, serving him, praising him, and rejoicing in him: of\nwhich see chap. iii. direct. xi. We see that they that are taken up in\nthe love and service of one person, are not apt to be taken much with\nany other.[326] But it is not only by diversion, nor only by\nprepossessing and employing all our love, that the love of God doth\ncure sinful love; but besides these there is also a majesty in his\nobjective presence which aweth the soul, and commandeth all things\nelse to keep their distance; and there is an unspeakable splendour and\nexcellency in him, which obscureth and annihilateth all things else\n(though they are more near, and clearly seen and known). And there is\na celestial kind of sweetness in his love, which puts the soul that\nhath tasted it out of relish with transitory, inferior good. As he\nthat hath conversed with wise and learned men, will no more admire the\nwit of fools. And as he that hath been employed in the government of a\nkingdom or the sublimest studies, will be no more in love with\nchildren's games, and paddling in the dirt.\n\n_Direct._ II. The next help is to see that the creature deceived you\nnot; and therefore that you be not rash and hasty; but stay while you\ncome nearer it, and see it unclothed of borrowed or affected ornaments:\nand see it not only in the dress in which it appeareth abroad, which\noften covereth great deformities, but in its homely habit and night\nattire. Bring it to the light; and, if it may be, also see it when it\nhath endured the fire, which hath taken off the paint and removed the\ndress.[327] Most of your inordinate love to creatures is by mistake and\nrashness. The devil tricks them up and paints them, that you may fall in\nlove with them; or else he showeth you only the outside of some common\ngood, and hideth the emptiness or rottenness within. Come nearer\ntherefore, and stay longer, and prevent your shame and disappointments.\nIs it not a shame to see you dote on that place, or office, or thing\nthis year, which you are weary of before the next? Or to see two persons\nimpatiently fond of each other till they are married, and then to live\nin strife as weary of each other? How few persons or things have been\ntoo violently loved, that were but sufficiently first tried!\n\n_Direct._ III. The next great help is to destroy self-love (as carnal\nand inordinate); for this is the parent, life, and root of all other\nsinful love whatever. Why doth the worldling over-love his wealth, and\nthe proud man his greatness and repute, and the sensualist his\npleasures, but because they first over-love that flesh and self which\nall these are but the provision for. Why doth a dividing sectary\novervalue and over-love all the party or sect that are of his own\nopinion, but because he first over-valueth and over-loveth\nhimself?[328] Why do you love those above their worth who think highly\nof you, and are on your side, and use to praise you behind your back,\nor that do you a good turn, but because you first over-love\nyourselves? Why doth lustful love inflame you, or the love of meat,\nand drink, and sport, and bravery, carry you into such a gulf of sin,\nbut that first you over-love your fleshly pleasure? What insnareth you\nin fondness to any person, but that you think they love you, or are\nsuitable to your carnal end. See therefore that you mortify the flesh.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Still remember how jealous God is of your love, and how\nmuch he is wronged when any creature encroacheth upon his right. 1.\nYou are his own by creation; and did he give you love to lay out on\nothers, and deny it to himself? 2. He daily and hourly maintaineth\nyou; he giveth you every breath, and bit, and mercy that you live\nupon; and will you love the creature with his part of your love? 3.\nHow dearly hath he bought your love in your redemption! 4. He hath\nadopted you, and brought you into the nearest relation to him, that\nyou may love him. 5. He hath pardoned all your sins, and saved you\nfrom hell, (if you are his own,) that you may love him. 6. He hath\npromised you eternal glory with himself that you may love him. 7. His\nexcellency best deserveth your love. 8. His creatures have nothing but\nfrom him, and were purposely sent to bespeak your love for him rather\nthan for themselves. And yet after all this shall they encroach upon\nhis part? If you say, it is not God's part that you give them, but\ntheir own; I tell you, all that love which you give the creature above\nits due, you take from God. But if it be such a love to the creature\nas exceedeth not its worth, and is intended ultimately for God, and\nmaketh you not love him the less but the more, it is not it that I am\nspeaking against, or persuading you to mortify.\n\n_Direct._ V. Look on the worst of the creature with the best, and\nforesee what it will be when it withereth, and what it will appear to\nyou at the last. I have applied this against worldliness before, chap.\niv. part vi. and I shall afterwards apply it to the lustful love.\nBring your beloved creature to the grave, and see it as it will appear\nat last, and much of the folly of your love will vanish.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Understand well the most that it will do for you, and\nhow short a time you must enjoy it, and flatter not yourselves with\nthe hopes of a longer possession than you have reason to expect. If\nmen considered for how short a time they must possess what they dote\nupon, it would somewhat cool their fond affections.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Remember that too much love hath the present trouble of\ntoo much care, and the future trouble of too much grief, when you come\nto part with what you love. Nothing more createth care and grief to\nus, than inordinate love. You foreknow that you must part with it; and\nwill you now be so glued to it that then it may tear your flesh and\nheart. Remember you caused all that yourselves.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Remember that you provoke God to deprive you of what you\nover-love, or to suffer it to grow unlovely to you. Many a man's horse\nthat he over-loved hath broke his neck: and many a man's child that he\nover-loved hath died quickly, or lived to be his scourge and sorrow: and\nmany a husband or wife that was over-loved, has been quickly snatched\naway, or proved a thorn, or a continual grief and misery.\n\n_Direct._ IX. If there be no other means left, prudently and moderately\nimbitter to thyself the creature which thou art fond of: which may be\ndone many ways, according to the nature of it. By the seldomer or more\nabstemious use of it: or by using it more to benefit than delight; or by\nmixing some mortifying, humbling exercises; or mixing some self-denying\nacts, and minding more the good of others, &c.\n\n_Direct._ X. In the practice of all directions of this nature, there\nmust abundance of difference be made between a carnal, voluptuous\nheart, that is hardly taken off from sensual love, and a mortified,\nmelancholy, or over-scrupulous person, who is running into the\ncontrary extreme, and is afraid of every bit they eat, or of all they\npossess, or wear, or use, and sometimes of their very children and\nrelations, and ready to overrun their mercies, or neglect their\nduties, suspecting that all is too much loved. And it is a very hard\nthing for us so to write or preach to one party, but the other will\nmisapply it to themselves, and make an ill use of it. All that we can\nwrite or say is too little to mortify the fleshly man's affections:\nand yet speak as cautelously as we can, the troubled soul will turn it\ninto gall, to the increase of his trouble: and what we speak to his\npeace and settlement, though it prove too little and uneffectual, yet\nwill be effectual to harden the misapplying sensualist in the sinful\naffections and liberty which he useth. Therefore it is best in such\ncases to have still a wise, experienced, faithful guide, to help you\nin the application in cases of difficulty and weight.\n\n\n     _Tit._ 3. _Directions against sinful Desires and Discontent._\n\nI shall say but little here of this subject, because I have already\ntreated so largely of it, in my book of \"Self-denial,\" and in that of\n\"Crucifying the World;\" and here before in chap. iv. part. vi. and\nvii. against worldliness and flesh-pleasing, and here against sinful\nlove, which is the cause.[329]\n\nHow sinful desires may be known, you may gather from the discoveries\nof sinful love: as, 1. When you desire that which is forbidden you. 2.\nOr that which will do you no good, upon a misconceit that it is better\nor more needful than it is. 3. Or when you desire it too eagerly, and\nmust needs have it, or else you will be impatient or discontented, and\ncannot quietly be ruled and disposed of by God, but are murmuring at\nhis providence and your lot. 4. Or when you desire it too hastily, and\ncannot stay God's time. 5. Or else too greedily as to the measure,\nbeing not content with God's allowance, but must needs have more than\nhe thinks fit for you. 6. Or specially when your desires are perverse,\npreferring lesser things before greater; desiring bodily and\ntransitory things more than the mercies for your souls which will be\neverlasting. 7. When you desire any thing ultimately and merely for\nthe flesh, without referring it to God, it is a sin. Even your daily\nbread, and all your comforts, must be desired but as provender for\nyour horse, that he may the better go his journey, even as provision\nfor your bodies, to fit them to the better and more cheerful service\nof your souls and God. 8. Much more when your desires are for wicked\nends, (as to serve your lust, or pride, or covetousness, or revenge,)\nthey are wicked desires. 9. And when they are injurious to others.\n\n_Direct._ I. Be well acquainted with your own condition, and consider\nwhat it is that you have most need of; and then you will find that you\nhave so much grace and mercy to desire for your souls, without which\nyou are lost for ever, and that you have a Christ to desire, and an\nendless life with God to desire, that it will quench all your thirst\nafter the things below.[330] This, if any thing, will make you wiser,\nwhen you see you have greater things to mind. A man that is in present\ndanger of his life, will not be solicitous for pins or fool-gawds: and\nthe hopes of a lordship or a kingdom will cure the desire of little\nthings: a man that needeth a physician for the dropsy or consumption,\nwill scarce long for children's balls or tops. And methinks a man that\nis going to heaven or hell, should have somewhat greater than worldly\nthings to long for. Oh what a vain and doting thing is a carnal mind;\nthat hath pardon, and grace, and Christ, and heaven, and God, to think\nof, and that with speed before it be too late; and can forget them\nall, or not regard them, and eagerly long for some little\ninconsiderable trifle; as if they said, I must needs taste of such a\ndish before I die; I must needs have such a house, or a child, or\nfriend, before I go to another world! O study what need thy distressed\nsoul hath of a Christ, and of peace with God, and preparation for\neternity, and what need thy darkened mind hath of more knowledge, and\nthy dead and carnal heart of more life, and tenderness, and love to\nGod, and communion with him; feel these as thou hast cause, and the\neagerness of thy carnal desires will be gone.\n\n_Direct._ II. Remember how much your carnal desires do aggravate the\nweakness of your spiritual desires, and make the sin more odious and\nunexcusable. Are you so eager for a husband, a wife, a child, for\nwealth, for preferment, or such things, while you are so cold and\nindifferent in your desires after God, and grace, and glory? Your\ndesires after these are not so earnest! They make you not so importunate\nand restless; they take not up your thoughts both day and night; they\nset you not so much on contrivances and endeavours: you can live as\nquietly without more grace, or assurance of salvation, or communion with\nGod, as if you were indifferent in the business; but you must needs have\nthat which you desire in the world, or there is no quiet with you. Do\nyou consider what a horrible contempt of God, and grace, and heaven, is\nmanifested by this? Either you are regenerate or unregenerate. If you\nare regenerate, all your instructions, and all your experience of the\nworth of spiritual things, and the vanity of things temporal, do make it\na heinous sin in you to be now so eager for those things which you have\nso often called vanity, while you are so cold towards God, whose\ngoodness you have had so great experience of. Do you know no better yet\nthe difference between the creature and the Creator? Do you yet no\nbetter understand your necessities and interest, and what it is that you\nlive upon, and must trust to for your everlasting blessedness and\ncontent? If you are unregenerate, (as all are that love any thing better\nthan God,) what a madness is it for one that is condemned in law to\nendless torments, and shall be quickly there, if he be not regenerate\nand justified by Christ, to be thirsting so eagerly for this or that\nthing, or person, upon earth, when he should presently bestir him with\nall his might to save his soul from endless misery! How incongruous are\nthese desires to the good and bad!\n\n_Direct._ III. Let every sinful desire humble you, for the worldliness\nand fleshliness which it discovereth to be yet unmortified in you; and\nturn your desires to the mortifying of that flesh and concupiscence\nwhich is the cause. If you did not yet love the world, and the things\nthat are in the world, you would not be so eager for them. If you were\nnot too carnal, and did not mind too much the things of the flesh, you\nwould not be so earnest for them as you are. It should be a grievous\nthing to your hearts to consider what worldliness and fleshliness this\nshoweth to be yet there. That you should set so much by the creature,\nas to be unable to bear the want of it; is this renouncing the world\nand flesh? The thing you need is not that which you much desire; but a\nbetter heart, to know the vanity of the creature, to be dead to the\nworld, and to be able to bear the want or loss of any thing in it; and\na fuller mortification of the flesh: mortifying and not satisfying it,\nis your work.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Ask your hearts seriously whether God in Christ be\nenough for them, or not? If they say, no, they renounce him and all\ntheir hope of heaven; for no man takes God for his God that takes him\nnot for his portion, and as enough for him: if they say, yea, then you\nhave enough to stop the mouth of your fleshly desires, while your\nhearts confess that they have enough in God. Should that soul that\nhath a filial interest in God, and an inheritance in eternal life, be\neager for any conveniences and contentments to the flesh? If God be\nnot enough for you, you will never have enough. Turn to him more, and\nknow him better, if you would have a satisfied mind.\n\n_Direct._ V. Remember that every sinful desire is a rebelling of your\nwills against the will of God; and that it is his will that must govern\nand dispose of all, and your wills must be conformed to his; yea, that\nyou must take pleasure and rest in the will of God. Reason the case with\nyour hearts, and say, Who is it that is the governor of the world? and\nwho is to rule me and dispose of my affairs? Is it I or God? Whose will\nis it that must lead, and whose must follow? Whose will is better\nguided, God's or mine? Either it is his will that I shall have what I\ndesire, or not; if it be, I need not be so eager, for I shall have it in\nhis time and way; if it be not his will, is it fit for me to murmur and\nstrive against him? Remember that your discontents and carnal desires\nare so many accusations brought in against God; as if you said, Thou\nhast not dealt well or wisely, or mercifully by me; I must have it\nbetter: I will not stand to thy will and government; I must have it as I\nwill, and have the disposal of myself.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Observe how your eager desires are condemned by yourselves\nin your daily prayers, or else they make your prayers themselves\ncondemnable. If you pray that the will of God may be done, why do your\nwills rebel against it, and your desires contradict your prayers? And if\nyou ask no more than your daily bread, why thirst you after more? But if\nyou pray as you desire, Lord, let my will be done, and my selfish,\ncarnal desire be fulfilled, for I must needs have this or that; then\nwhat an abominable prayer is this! Desire as you must pray.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Remember what covenant you have made with God; that you\nrenounced the world and the flesh, and took him for your Lord, and\nKing, and Father, and yielded up yourselves as his own, as his\nsubject, and as his child, to be disposed of, ruled, and provided for\nby him; and this covenant is essential not only to your christianity,\nbut to your taking him for your God. And do you repent of it? or will\nyou break it, and forfeit all the benefits of the covenant? If you\nwill needs have the disposal of yourselves, you discharge God of his\ncovenant and fatherly care for you; and then what will become of you,\nif he so forsake you?\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Bethink you how unmeet you are to be the choosers of\nyour own condition. You foresee not what that person, or thing, or place\nwill prove to you, which you so eagerly desire: for aught you know it\nmay be your undoing, or the greatest misery that ever befell you. Many a\none hath cried with Rachel, \"Give me children or else I die,\" Gen. xxx.\n1, that have died by the wickedness and unkindness of their children.\nMany a one hath been violent in their desires of a husband or a wife,\nthat afterwards have broken their hearts, or proved a greater affliction\nto them than any enemy they had in the world. Many a one hath been eager\nfor riches, and prosperity, and preferment, that hath been insnared by\nthem, to the damnation of his soul. Many a one hath been earnest for\nsome office, dignity, or place of trust, which hath made it a great\nincreaser of his sin and misery. And it is flesh and self that is the\neager desirer of things that are against the will of God, and nothing is\nso blind and partial as self and flesh. You think not your child a\ncompetent judge of what is best for him, and make not his desires, but\nyour own understanding, the guide and rule of your dealings with him, or\ndisposals of him. And are you fitter choosers for yourselves in\ncomparison of God, than your child is in comparison of you? Either you\ntake God for your Father, or you do not. If you do not, call him not\nFather, and hope not for mercy and salvation from him: if you do, is he\nnot wise and good enough to dispose of you, and to determine what is\nbest for you, and to choose for you?\n\n_Direct._ IX. Remember that it is one of the greatest plagues on this\nside hell, to be given up to our own desires, and that by your\neagerness and discontents you provoke God thus to give you up. \"So I\ngave them up to their own heart's lust, and they walked in their own\ncounsels: Oh that my people had hearkened to me!\" &c. Psal. lxxxi.\n12. \"Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts\nof their own hearts,\" &c. Rom. i. 24, 26. \"For this cause God gave\nthem up to vile affections,\" ver. 28. \"And even as they did not like\nto retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate\nmind, to do those things which are not convenient,\" 2 Thess. ii.\n10-12. God may give you that which you so eagerly desire, as he gave\n\"Israel a king, even in his anger,\" Hos. xiii. 10, 11. Or as he gave\nthe Israelites \"their own desire, even flesh which he rained upon them\nas dust, and feathered fowls as the sand of the sea; they were not\nestranged from their lust: but while their meat was yet in their\nmouths, the wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of\nthem,\" Psal. lxxviii. 27, 29-31. \"They lusted exceedingly in the\nwilderness, and tempted God in the desert, and he gave them their\nrequest, but sent leanness into their souls,\" Psal. cvi. 14, 15. God\nmay say, Follow your own lust, and if you are so eager, take that\nwhich you desire; take that person, that thing, that dignity which you\nare so earnest for; but take my curse and vengeance with it: never let\nit do you good, but be a snare and torment to you. \"Let a fire come\nout of the bramble and devour you,\" Judg. ix. 15.\n\n_Direct._ X. Take heed lest concupiscence and partiality entice you to\njustify your sinful desires and take them to be lawful. For if you do\nso, you will not repent of them, you will not confess them to God, nor\nbeg pardon of them, nor beg help against them, nor use the means to\nextinguish them; but will cherish them, and be angry with all that are\nagainst them, and love those tempters best that encourage them: and\nhow dangerous a case is this! And yet nothing is more ordinary among\nsinners, than to be blinded by their own affections, and think that\nthey have sufficient reason to desire that which they do desire. And\naffection maketh them very witty and resolute to deceive themselves.\nIt setteth them on studying all that can be said to defend their\nenemy, and put a deceitful gloss upon their cause. Try your desires\nwell (as I before directed you). Q. 1. Is the thing that you desire a\nthing that God hath bid you desire, or promised in his word to give\nyou, (as grace, Christ, and heaven)? If it be so, then desire it, and\nspare not; but if not so, Q. 2. Why then are you so eager for it when\nyou should at most have but a submissive, conditional desire after it?\nQ. 3. Nay, is it not something which you are forbidden to desire? If\nso, dare you excuse it?\n\n_Direct._ XI. Remember that concupiscence or sinful desire is the\nbeginning of all sin of commission, and leadeth directly to the act.\nTheft, adultery, murder, fraud, contention, and all such mischiefs,\nbegin in inordinate desires. For \"every one is tempted, when he is\ndrawn away of his own lust and enticed: then when lust hath conceived,\nit bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is finished bringeth forth\ndeath,\" James i. 14, 15. By \"lust\" is meant, any fleshly desire or\nwill; therefore when the apostle forbiddeth gluttony and drunkenness,\nchambering and wantonness, strife and envying, he strikes at the root\nof all in this one word, \"make no provision for the flesh to satisfy\nits lusts,\" (or wills,) Rom. xiii. 13, 14.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Pull off the deceiving vizor, and see that which you so\neagerly desire, as it is. What will it be to you at the last? It is now\nin its spring or summer; but see it in its fall and winter? It is now in\nits youth; but see it withered to skin and bone in its decrepid age. It\nis now in its clean and curious ornaments; but see it in its uncleanness\nand in its homely dress: cure your deceit, and your desire is cured.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Promise not yourselves long life, but live as dying\nmen, with your grave and winding-sheet always in your eye; and it will\ncure your thirst after the creature when you are sensible how short a\ntime you must enjoy it, and especially how near you are unto eternity.\nThis is the apostle's method, 1 Cor. vii. 29-31, \"But this I say,\nbrethren, the time is short: it remaineth that both they that have\nwives be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they\nwept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they\nthat buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use the world,\nas not abusing it (or as if they used it not): for the fashion of this\nworld passeth away.\" So you will desire as if you desired not, when\nyou perceive well how quickly the thing desired will pass away.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. In all your desires, remember the account as well as\nthe thing desired. Think not only what it is now at hand, but what\naccount you must make to God of it; \"for to whom men give or commit\nmuch, of them they require the more,\" Luke xii. 48. Will you thirst\nafter more power, more honour, more wealth, when you remember that you\nhave the more to give account of? Matt. xxv. Have you not enough to\nreckon for already, unless you had hearts to use it better?\n\n_Direct._ XV. Keep yourselves to the holy use of all your mercies, and\nlet not the flesh devour them, nor any inordinate appetite fare ever\nthe better for them when you have them, and this will powerfully\nextinguish the inordinate desire itself. We are in little danger of\nbeing over eager after things spiritual and holy, for the honour of\nGod; resolve therefore that all you have shall be thus sanctified to\nGod, and used for him, and not at all to satisfy any inordinate desire\nof the flesh, and then the flesh will cease its suit, when it finds it\nfares never the better for it. You are able to do much in this way if\nyou will. If you cannot presently suppress the desire, you may\npresently resolve to deny the flesh the thing desired, (as David would\nnot drink the water though he longed for it, 2 Sam. xxiii. 15, 17,)\nand you may presently deny it the more of that you have. If you cannot\nforbear your thirst, you can forbear to drink; if you cannot forbear\nto be hungry, you can forbear to eat whatever is forbidden or unfit:\nif Eve must needs have an appetite to the forbidden fruit, yet she\nmight have commanded her hands and teeth, and not have eaten it. If\nyou cannot otherwise cool your desire of curious apparel, wear that\nwhich is somewhat homelier than else you would have worn, on purpose\nto rebuke and control that desire: if you cannot otherwise quench your\ncovetous desires, give so much the more to the poor to cross that\ndesire. You cannot say that the outward act is out of your power, if\nyou be but willing.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. When your desires are over eager, bethink you of the\nmercies which you have received already and do possess. Hath God done so\nmuch for you, and are you still calling for more, even of that which is\nunnecessary, when you should be giving thanks for what you have? This\nunthankful greediness is an odious sin. Think what you have already for\nsoul and body, estate and friends; and will not all this quiet you,\n(even this with Christ and heaven,) unless you have the other lust or\nfancy satisfied, and unless God humour you in your sick desires?\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Understand how little it will satisfy you, if God\nshould give you all that you earnestly desire. When you have it, it\nwill not quiet you, nor answer your expectations. You think it will\nmake you happy, and be exceeding sweet to you; but it deceiveth you,\nand you promise yourselves you know not what, and therefore desire you\nknow not what. It would be to you but like a dreaming feast, which\nwould leave you hungry in the morning, Isa. xxix. 8.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Remember still that the greatest hurt that the creature\ncan do thee, is in being over-loved and desired, and it is never so\ndangerous to thee as when it seemeth most desirable. If you remembered\nthis aright, you would be cast into the greatest fear and caution, when\nany thing below is presented very pleasing and desirable to you.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Consider that your desires do but make those wants a\nburden and misery to you which otherwise would be none. Thirst makes\nthe want of drink a torment, which to another is no pain or trouble at\nall. The lustful wanton is ready to die for love of the desired mate\nwhich nobody else cares for, nor is ever the worse for being without.\nA proud ambitious Haman thinks himself undone if he be not honoured,\nand is vexed if he be but cast down into the mean condition of a\nfarmer; when many thousand honest, contented men live merrily and\nquietly in as low a condition. It is men's own desires, and not their\nreal wants, which do torment them.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Remember that when you have done all, if God love you he\nwill be the chooser, and will not grant your sick desires, but will\ncorrect you for them till they are cured. If your child cry for a\nknife, or for unwholesome meat, or any thing that would hurt him, you\nwill quiet him with the rod if he give not over. And it is a sign some\nrod of God is near you, when you are sick for this, or that, or the\nother thing, and will not be quiet and content unless your fancy and\nconcupiscence be humoured.\n\n\n       _Tit._ 4. _Directions against Sinful Mirth and Pleasure._\n\nMirth is sinful, 1. When men rejoice in that which is evil; as in the\nhurt of others, or in men's sin, or in the sufferings of God's\nservants, or the afflictions of the church, or the success or\nprosperity of the enemies of Christ, or of any evil cause: this is one\nof the greatest sins in the world, and one of the greatest signs of\nwickedness, when wickedness is it that they rejoice in.[331] 2. When\nit is unseasonable, or in an unmeet subject: as to be merry in the\ntime and place of mourning; to feast when we should fast; or for an\nunsanctified, miserable soul to be taken up with mirth, that is in the\npower of sin and Satan and near to hell. 3. Mirth is sinful when it\ntendeth to the committing of sin, or is managed by sin: as to make\nmerry with lies and fables, and tempting, unnecessary, time-wasting\ndances, plays, or recreations; or with the slander or abuse of others;\nor with drunkenness, gluttony, or excess. 4. Mirth is sinful when it\nis a hinderance to our duty and unfitteth the soul for the exercise of\nthat grace which is most suitable to its estate: as when it hindereth\na sinner's conviction and humiliation, and resisteth the Spirit of\nGod, and bawleth down the calls of grace, and the voice of conscience,\nthat they cannot be heard: and when it banisheth all sober\nconsideration about the matters that we should most regard, and will\nnot give men leave to think with fixedness and sobriety, upon God and\nupon themselves, their sin and danger, upon death and judgment and the\nlife to come: when it makes the soul more unfit to take reproof, to\nprofit by a sermon, to call upon God. This drunken mirth which shuts\nout reason, and silenceth conscience, and laughs at God, and jesteth\nat damnation, and doth but intoxicate the brain, and make men mad in\nthe matters where they should most show their wisdom, I say, this\nmirth is the devil's sport, and the sinner's misery, and the wise\nman's pity: of which Solomon speaketh, Eccl. ii. 2, \"I said of\nlaughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doth it?\" Prov. xxvi. 18, 19,\n\"As a mad-man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, so is the man\nthat deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?\" Prov. x.\n23, \"It is as sport to a fool to do mischief.\" 5. But mirth is most\nhorridly odious when it is blasphemous and profane: when incarnate\ndevils do make themselves merry with jesting and mocking at Scripture,\nor at the judgments of God, or the duties of religion; or in horrid\noaths and cursed speeches against the servants of the Lord.\n\n_Direct._ I. First see that thou be a person fit for mirth,[332] and\nthat thou be not a miserable slave of Satan, in an unregenerate, unholy,\nunjustified state! Thou wouldst scarce think the innocent games or\nsports were becoming a malefactor that must die to-morrow. An\nunregenerate, unholy person, is sure whenever he dieth such to be\ndamned; if he believe not this, he must deny God or the gospel to be\ntrue. And he is not sure to live an hour. And he is sure that he shall\ndie ere long. And now, if you have not fooled away your reason, tell me\nwhether your reason can justify the mirth of such a man? Dost thou ask,\nwhat harm is it to be merry? None at all for one that hath cause to be\nmerry, and rejoiceth in the Lord. But for a man to be merry in the way\nto hell, and that so near it; for a man to be merry before his soul be\nsanctified, and his sin be pardoned, or before he seeketh it with all\nhis heart, this is harm; if folly and unbelief, and contempt of God and\nhis dreadful justice, be any harm. O hearken to the calls of God; abhor\nthy sins, and set thy heart on heaven and holiness, and then God and\nconscience will allow thee to be merry. Get a renewed heart and life,\nand get the pardon of thy sins, and a title to heaven, and a readiness\nto die, and then there is reason and wisdom in thy mirth.[333] Then thy\nmirth will be honourable and warrantable; better than the lame man's\nthat was healed, Acts iii. 8, that went with Peter and John into the\ntemple, \"walking, and leaping, and praising God.\" But it is a most\npitiful sight to see an ungodly, unregenerate sinner, to laugh, and\nsport, and play, and live merrily, as if he knew not what evil is near\nto him! It would draw tears from the eyes of a believer that knoweth\nhim, and thinketh where he is like to dwell for ever. I remember the\ncredible narrative of one that lived not far from me, that in his\nprofaneness was wont to wish that he might see the devil; who at last\nappeared to him in his terror; and sometime he smiled on him; and the\nman was wont to say, that he never seemed so ugly and terrible as when\nhe smiled (and the man was affrighted by it into a reformed life). So\nthough a servant of the devil be never comely, yet he never seemeth so\nghastly as when he is most merry in his misery.\n\n_Direct._ II. Yet do not destroy nature by overmuch heaviness, under\npretence that thou hast no right to be merry. For, 1. The very\ndiscovery of thy misery puts thee into the fairer hopes of mercy. 2.\nAnd many of God's children live long without assurance of their\njustification, and yet should not therefore cast away all joy. 3. And\nso much ease and quiet of mind must be kept up by the unsanctified\nthemselves, as is necessary to preserve their natures, that they may\nhave time continued, and may wait on God till they obtain his grace.\nAbove all men, they have reason to value their lives, lest they die\nand be lost, before they be recovered. And therefore, as they must not\nfamish themselves by forbearing meat or drink, so their sorrows must\nnot be such as may destroy their bodies (of which more anon).\n\n[Sidenote: The true method of rejoicing.]\n\n_Direct._ III. See that you first settle the peace of your souls upon\nsolid grounds, and get such evidences of your special interest in\nChrist and heaven, as will rationally warrant you to rejoice; and then\nmake it the business of your lives to rejoice and delight yourselves\nin God, and take this as the principal part of grace and godliness,\nand not as a small or indifferent thing; and so let all lawful,\nnatural mirth be taken in, as animated and sanctified by this holy\ndelight and joy; and know that this natural, sanctified mirth is not\nonly lawful, but a duty exceeding congruous and comely for a thankful\nbeliever in his way to everlasting joy.\n\nThis is the true method of rejoicing. Though, as I said, so much\nquietness may be kept up by the unregenerate, as is needful to keep up\nlife and health, and the gospel where it cometh is tidings of great\njoy to those that hear it; yet no man can live a truly comfortable,\nmerry life, but in this method; but all his mirth, beside that which\neither supporteth nature, or meeteth mercy in his returning to God,\nwill be justly chargeable with madness; and maketh him a more pitiful\nsight.[334]\n\nThe first thing therefore to be done, is to lay the groundwork of true\nmirth. And this is done by unfeigned repenting, and turning to God by\nfaith in Christ, and becoming new creatures, a sanctified, peculiar\npeople, and being justified and adopted to be the children of God; and\nthen by discerning (upon sober trial) the evidences and witness of all\nthis in ourselves, that we may know that we have passed from death to\nlife.\n\nAnd though there are several degrees both of grace and of the\ndiscerning of it, some having but little holiness, and some but little\ndiscerning of it in themselves, yet the least may afford much comfort\nto the soul upon justifiable grounds, though not so much as the\ngreater degrees of grace, and clearer discerning of it, may do.\n\nThe foundation being thus laid, it must be our next endeavour to build\nupon it a settled peace of conscience, and quietness of soul; for till\nwe can attain to joy, it is a great mercy to have peace, and to be\nfree from the accusations, fears, and griefs which belong to the\nunjustified; and peace must be the temper more ordinary than much joy,\nto be expected in this our frail condition.\n\nThirdly, Peace being thus settled, we must endeavour to rise up daily\ninto joy, as our great duty and our great felicity on earth; it being\nfrequently and earnestly commanded in the Scriptures, that we \"rejoice\nin the Lord always,\" and \"shout for joy, all that are upright in\nheart,\" Psal. xxxiii. 1; Phil. iii. 1; iv. 4; Deut. xii. 12, 18;\nxxvii. 7. Thus he that \"proveth his own work,\" may have \"rejoicing in\nhimself,\" Gal. vi. 4, \"even in the testimony of his conscience,\" of\nhis own \"simplicity and godly sincerity,\" 2 Cor. i. 12. And this all\nbelievers should maintain and actuate in themselves.\n\nFourthly, With this rejoicing in God, our lawful, natural mirth must\nbe taken in, as subordinate or sanctified; that is, we must further\nour holy joy by natural mirth and cheerfulness, and by the comforts\nof our bodies in God's lower mercies, promote the service and the\ncomforts of our souls. And this is the right place for this mirth to\ncome in, and this is the true method of rejoicing.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Mark well the usefulness and tendency of all thy mirth:\nand if it be useful to fit thee for thy duty, and intended by thee to\nthat end, (though you alway observe not that intention at the time,)\nand if it tend to do thee good, or help thee to do good, without a\ngreater hurt or danger, then cherish and promote it; but if it tend to\ncarry thee away from God to any creature, and to unfit thy soul for\nthe duties of thy place, and to carry thee into sin, then avoid it as\nthy hurt: still remembering that the necessary support of nature must\nnot be avoided by good or bad. A christian that hath any acquaintance\nwith himself, and with the work of holy watchfulness, may discern what\nhis mirth is by the tendency and effects, and know whether it doth him\ngood or harm.\n\n_Direct._ V. Take heed that the flesh defile not your mirth, by dropping\nin any obscene or ribald talk, or by stirring up fleshly lust and sin.\nWhich it will quickly do, if not well watched; and holy mirth and\ncheerfulness is very apt to degenerate on a sudden into sinful mirth.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Consider what your mirth is like to prove to others as\nwell as to yourselves. If it be like to stir up sin in others, or to\nbe offensive to them, you must the more avoid it in their presence, or\nmanage it with the greater caution: if it be needful to cheer up the\ndrooping minds of those you converse with, or to remove their\nprejudice against a holy life, you must the more give place to it: for\nit is good or bad as it tendeth unto good or bad.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Never leave out reason or godliness from any of your\nmirth. Abhor that mirth that maketh a man a fool, or playeth the fool:\nand take heed of that ungodliness which maketh a man merriest when he\nis furthest from God, like the horse or ox that leapeth and playeth\nfor gladness when he is unyoked or loosed from his labour. Something\nof God and heaven should appear or be dropped into all our mirth, to\nsweeten and to sanctify it.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Watch your tongues in all your mirth; for they are very\napt to take liberty then to sin. Mirth is to the tongue as holidays and\nplay-days to idle scholars; who are glad of them as a time in which they\nthink they have liberty to game, and fight, and do amiss.\n\n_Direct._ IX. If a word break forth from yourselves or companions to the\nwrong of others in your mirth, as of backbiting, evil-speaking, jeering,\nscorning, defaming, (yea, though it be your enemy,) rebuke it, and cast\nit out, as dirt or dung that falleth into your dish or cup.\n\n_Direct._ X. If profaneness intrude, and any make merry with jesting\nat Scripture, religion, or the slanders or scorns of godly persons,\nwith a tendency to make religion odious or contemptible; if they are\nsuch as you may speak to, reprove them with reverend seriousness to\ntheir terror: if they are not, then show your abhorrence of it by\nturning your backs and quitting the place and company of such devilish\nenemies of God. Be not silent or seemingly-consenting witnesses of\nsuch odious mirth against your Maker.\n\n_Direct._ XI. If the mirth of others in your company grow insipid,\nfrothy, foolish, wanton, impious, or otherwise corrupt, drop in some\nholy salt to season it; and something that is serious and divine to\nawe it and repress it. As to remember them of God's presence, or to\nrecite such a text as Eph. v. 3, 4, \"But fornication and all\nuncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named amongst you as\nbecometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor\njesting; which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Considerations to repress excessive mirth.]\n\n_Direct._ XII. If mirth grow immoderate and exceed in measure, and carry\nyou away from God and duty by the very carnal pleasure of it, have\nalways at hand these following considerations to repress it. 1. Remember\nthat God is present; and levity is not comely in his sight. 2. Remember\nthat death and judgment are at hand, when all this levity will be turned\ninto seriousness. 3. Remember that your souls are yet under a great deal\nof sin, and wants, and danger, and you have a great deal of serious work\nto do. 4. Look on Jesus Christ, and remember what an example he gave you\nupon earth; whether he laughed, and played, and jested, and taught you\nimmoderate or carnal mirth; and whether you live like the disciples of a\ncrucified Christ. 5. Think on the ordinary way to heaven, described in\nScripture; which is through many tribulations, afflictions, fastings,\ntemptations, humiliations, sufferings, and mortifications; and think\nwhether a wanton, jesting, playful life be like to this. 6. Think of the\ncourse of the ancient and excellent christians, who went to heaven\nthrough labour, and watchings, and fasting, and poverty, and cruel\npersecutions, and not through carnal mirth and sport. 7. Think of the\nmany calamitous objects of sorrow that are now abroad in the world! of\nthe millions of heathens and Mahometans, and other strangers or enemies\nto Christ! of the obstinate Jews; of the dark corrupted lamentable state\nof the Greek, Armenian, Ethiopian and Roman churches, where religion is\nso woefully obscured and dishonoured by ignorance, error, superstition,\nand profaneness: of the papal tyranny and usurpation; and of the divided\nstate of all the churches, and the profaneness, and persecution, and\nuncharitableness, and contentions, and mutual reproaches and revilings,\nwhich make havoc for the devil among the members of Christ.\n\n\n              _Tit._ 5. _Directions against sinful Hopes._\n\nHope is nothing but a desirous expectation; therefore the directions\ngiven before, against sinful love and desire, may suffice also against\nsinful hopes, save only for the expecting part. Hope is sinful, 1.\nWhen it is placed ultimately upon a forbidden object: as to hope for\nsome evil to yourselves which you mistakingly think is good. To hope\nfor felicity in the creature, or to hope for more from it than it can\nafford you. To hope for the hurt of other men; for the ruin of your\nenemies; for the hinderance of the gospel, and injury to the church of\nChrist.[335] 2. When you hope for a good thing by evil means: as to\nhope to please God, or to come to heaven by persecuting his servants,\nor by ignorance, or superstition, or schism, or heresy, or any sin. 3.\nTo hope ungroundedly for that from God which he never promised. 4. To\nhope deceitfully for that from God which he hath declared he will\nnever give. All these are sinful hopes. But it is not these last that\nI shall here say much to, because I have said so much already of them\nin many other writings.\n\n_Direct._ I. Hope for nothing from God against faith or without faith;\nthat is, for nothing which he hath said he will not give, nor for any\nthing which he hath not promised to give, or given you some reason to\nexpect. To hope for that which God hath told us he will not give, or\nthat which is against the holiness and justice of God to give, this is\nbut to hope that God will prove a liar, or unholy, or unjust, which\nare wicked and blaspheming hopes. Such are the hopes which abundance\nof ignorant and ungodly persons have; who hope to be saved without\nregeneration, and without true holiness of heart or life; and hope to\nbe saved in their wilful impenitence and beloved sins: who hope that\nGod forgiveth them those sins, which they hate not, nor will be\npersuaded to forsake: and hope that the saying over some words of\nprayer, or doing something which they call a good work, shall save\nthem, though they have not the Spirit of Christ: or that hope to be\nsaved, though they are unsanctified, because they are not so bad as\nsome others, and live not in any notorious, disgraceful sin: all these\nbelieve the devil who tells them that an unholy person may be saved,\nand believe that the gospel is false which saith, \"without holiness\nnone shall see the Lord,\" Heb. xii. 14; and they hope that God will\nprove unholy, unjust, and false to save them, and yet this they call a\nhoping in God. Hope for that which God hath promised, and spare not;\nbut not for that which he hath said he will not do, yea, protested\ncannot be, John iii. 3, 5.\n\n_Direct._ II. When thou hopest for any evil to others, or thyself,\nremember what a monstrous thing it is to make evil the object of thy\nhope, and how those hopes are but thy hastening unto chosen misery,\nand contradict themselves. For thou hopest for it as good; and to be\ngreedy for evil on supposition that it is good, doth show thy folly\nthat wilt try no better the objects of thy hopes: like a sick man that\nlongs and hopeth for that which if he take it will be his death. Thus\nsinners hope for the poisoned bait.\n\n_Direct._ III. Understand how much of the root of worldliness\nconsisteth in your worldly hopes. Poor worldlings have little in\npossession to delight in; but they keep up a hope of more within them.\nMany a covetous or ambitious wretch, that never reacheth that which he\ndesireth, yet liveth upon the hopes of it: and hope is it that setteth\nand keepeth men at work in the service of the world, the flesh, and\nthe devil; as divine hope doth set and keep men at work for heaven,\nfor their souls, and for Jesus Christ. And many a hypocrite that\nloseth much upon the account of his religion, yet showeth his\nrottenness by keeping up his worldly hopes, and going no further than\nwill stand with those.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Hath not the world deceived all that have hoped in it unto\nthis day? Consider what is become of them and of their hopes; what hath\nit done for them, and where hath it left them: and wilt thou place thy\nhopes in that which hath deceived so many generations of men already?\n\n_Direct._ V. Remember that thy worldly hopes are a sin so fully\ncondemned by natural demonstration, that thou art utterly left without\nexcuse. Thou art certain beforehand that thou must die; thou knowest\nhow vain the world will be then to thee, and how little it can do for\nthee; and yet art thou hoping for more of the world!\n\n_Direct._ VI. Consider that the world declareth its vanity in the very\nhopes of worldlings. In that it is still drawing them by hopes, and\nnever giveth them satisfaction and content. Almost all the life of a\nworldling's pleasure is in his hopes. The very thing which he hopeth\nfor, doth not prove so sweet to him in the possession, as it was in\nhis hopes. A hoping and still hoping for that which they never shall\nattain, is the worldling's life.\n\n_Direct._ VII. O turn your souls to those blessed hopes of life\neternal, which are sent you from heaven by Jesus Christ, and set\nbefore you in the holy Scriptures, and proclaimed to you by the\nmessengers of grace. Doth God offer you sure, well-grounded hopes of\nliving for ever in his joy and glory? And do you neglect them, and lie\nhoping for that felicity in the world which cannot be attained, and\nwhich will give no content when you have attained it? This is more\nfoolish than to toil and impoverish yourselves in hope to find the\nphilosopher's stone, and refuse a kingdom freely offered.\n\n\n        _Tit._ 6. _Directions against sinful Hatred, Aversation,\n                    or Backwardness towards God._[336]\n\nThe hatred to God and backwardness to his service, which is the chief\npart of this sin, is to be cured according to the directions in the\nfirst chapter, as a state of wickedness is: and more I shall say anon,\nabout the worship of God; and chap. iii. direct. xi. containeth the cure\nalso. Only here I shall add a few directions to a God-hating generation.\n\n_Direct._ I. The first thing you have to do, is to discover this to be\nyour sin. For you are confident that you love God above all, while you\nhate him above all, even above the devil. You will confess, that this\nis horrid wickedness, where it is found, and well deserveth damnation:\ntake heed lest thy own confession judge thee. Remember then that it is\nnot the bare name that we now speak of: I know that God's name is most\nhonoured, and the devil's name is most hated. Nor is it every thing in\nGod that is hated: none hateth his mercifulness and goodness as such.\nNor is it every thing in the devil that is loved: none loveth his\nhatred to man, nor his cruelty in tormenting men. But the holiness of\nGod, which is it that man must receive the image of, and be conformed\nto, is hated by the unholy; and the devil's unholiness, and friendship\nto men's sin and sensuality, is loved by the sensual and unholy. And\nthis hatred of God (and love of the devil) one would think you might\neasily perceive:\n\n1. In that you had rather God were not so just and holy; you had\nrather he had never commanded you to be holy, but left you to live as\nyour flesh would have you: you had rather God were indifferent as to\nyour sins, and would give you leave to follow your lusts. Such a God\nyou would have: and a God that will damn you unless you be holy, and\nhate your sins and forsake them, you like not, you cannot abide, but\nindeed do hate him.\n\n2. Therefore you will not believe that God is such a holy, sin-hating\nGod: because you would not have him so, you will not believe he is so;\nand so hate his nature, while you believe that you love him; and love\nbut an idol of your unholy fantasies.[337] Psal. 1. 21, 22, \"These\nthings hast thou done, and I kept silence: thou thoughtest that I was\naltogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set\nthem in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget\nGod, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.\"\n\n3. You love not the holiness of the word of God, which beareth his\nimage. You love not these strict and holy passages in it, John iii. 3,\n5; Luke xiv. 26, 33; Matt. xviii. 3; Rom. viii. 13; Col. iii. 1-4; 2\nCor. v. 17, with abundance more. You had rather have had a Scripture\nthat would have left you your ambition, covetousness, lust, and\nappetite to their liberties; and that had said nothing for the\nabsolute necessity of holiness, nor had condemned the ungodly.\n\n4. You love not the holiest ministers or servants of Christ, that most\npowerfully preach his holy word, or that most carefully, seriously,\nand zealously obey it; your hearts rise against them, when they bring\nin the light, which showeth that your deeds and you are evil, John\niii. 19, 20. They are an eyesore to you: your hearts rise not so much\nagainst whoremongers, swearers, liars, drunkards, atheists, or\ninfidels, as against them. What sort of persons on the face of the\nearth, are so hated by the ungodly in all nations, and of all degrees,\nand used by them so cruelly, and pursued by them so implacably, as the\nholiest servants of the Lord are?\n\n5. You love not to call upon God in serious, fervent, spiritual\nprayer, praises, and thanksgiving: you are quickly weary of it; you\nhad rather be at a play, or gaming, or a feast: your hearts rise\nagainst holy worship as a tedious, irksome thing.\n\n6. You love not holy, edifying discourse of God, and of heavenly\nthings: your hearts rise against it, and you hate and scorn it, as if\nall serious talk of God were but hypocrisy, and God were to be\nbanished out of our discourse.\n\n7. You cannot abide the serious, frequent thoughts of God in secret;\nbut had rather stuff your minds with thoughts of your horses, or\nhawks, or bravery, or honour, or preferments, or sports, or\nentertainments, or business and labours in the world; so that one hour\nof a thousand or ten thousand was never spent in serious, delightful\nthoughts of God, his holy truths, or works, or kingdom.\n\n8. You love not the blessed day of judgment, when Christ will come\nwith his holy angels to judge the world, to justify his accused and\nabused servants, to be \"glorified in his saints, and admired in all\nthem that do believe,\" 2 Thess. i. 8-11. And can you be so blind after\nall this, as not to see that you are haters of God?\n\n_Direct._ II. Know God better, and thou canst not hate him; especially\nknow the beauty and glorious excellency of that holiness and justice\nwhich thou hatest. Should the sun be darkened or disgraced, because\nsore eyes cannot endure its light? Must kings and judges be all\ncorrupt, or change their laws, and turn all men loose to do what they\nlist, because malefactors and licentious men would have it so?\n\n_Direct._ III. Know God and holiness as they are to thee thyself; and\nthen thou wilt know them not only to be best for thee, as the sun is\nto the world, and as life and health are to thy body, but to be thy\nonly good and happiness; and then thou canst not choose but love them.\nThy prejudice and false conceits of God and holiness cause thy hatred.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Cast away thy cursed unbelief. If thou believe not what\nthe Scripture saith of God and man, and of the soul's immortality, and\nthe life to come, thou wilt then hate all that is holy as a deceit,\nand needless troubler of the world. But if once thou believe well the\nword of God, and the life everlasting, thou wilt have another heart.\n\n_Direct._ V. Away with thy beastly, blinding sensuality. While thou\nart a slave to thy flesh, and lusts, and appetite, and its interest\nreigneth in thee, thou canst not choose but hate that holiness which\nis against it, and hate that God that forbiddeth it, and tells thee\nthat he will judge thee and damn thee for it if thou forsake it not:\nthis is the true cause of the hatred of God and godliness in the\nworld. God's laws condemn the very life and pleasure of the fleshly\nman. Godliness is unreconcilable to concupiscence and the carnal\ninterest. Lay by thy fleshly mind and interest, or, as sure as thou\nart a man, thou wilt be judged and damned as an enemy to God. Dost\nthou not feel that this is the cause of thy enmity, that God putteth\nthee on unpleasing (holy) courses, and will not let thee please thy\nflesh, but affrighteth thee with the threatenings of hell?[338] Rom.\nviii. 6-8, \"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually\nminded is life and peace: because the carnal mind is enmity against\nGod; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be:\nso then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.\" Ver. 13, \"If ye\nlive after the flesh ye shall die.\" \"It is hard for thee to kick\nagainst the pricks,\" Acts ix. 5. \"Woe to him that striveth with his\nMaker,\" Isa. xlv. 9. Read Luke xix. 27.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Draw near and accustom thy soul to serious thoughts of\nGod; for it is strangeness that maketh thee the more averse to him. We\nhave less pleasure in the company of strangers than of familiar\nacquaintance. Reconciliation must be made by coming nearer, and not by\nkeeping at a distance still.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Study well the wonderful love and mercy which he hath\nmanifested to thy soul in the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ, in\nthe covenant of grace, in all the patience he hath exercised towards\nthee, and all his offers of mercy and salvation, entreating thee to\nturn and live. Canst thou remember what God hath done for thee all thy\nlife, and how patiently and mercifully he hath dealt with thee, and\nyet canst thou hate him, or thy heart be against him?\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Judge not of God or holiness by the faults of any men\nthat have seemed holy. No more than you will censure the sun, because\nthieves rob by the light of it; or because some men are purblind. God\nhateth sin in them and you, wherever he findeth it. Judge of God and\nholiness by his proper nature and true effects, and by the holy\nScripture, and not by the crimes of sinners which he condemneth, who,\nif they had been more holy, had less offended.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Come among the godly, and try a holy life awhile, and\njudge not of it or them that use it by the reports of the devil and\nwicked men. Malice will speak ill of God himself, and of his holiest\nservants. Can worse be said, than was said of Christ himself, and his\napostles? The devil was not ashamed to belie Job to God's own face, and\ntell God that he was such a one, as that a little trial to his flesh\nwould turn him from his godliness. But those that come near and try the\nways and servants of God, do find that the devil did belie them.\n\n_Direct._ X. Remember thy near approaching end, and how dreadful it\nwill be to be found and judged among the malignant enemies of\nholiness. \"And if the righteous be scarcely saved, where then shall\nthe ungodly and the sinner appear?\" 1 Pet. iv. 18. Then what wouldst\nthou give to be one of those holy ones that now thou hatest? and to be\njudged as those that lived in that holiness which thy malignant heart\ncould not abide? Then thou wilt wish that thou hadst lived and died as\nthe righteous, that thy latter end might have been like his.\n\n\n         _Tit._ 7. _Directions against sinful Wrath or Anger._\n\nAs anger is against the love of our neighbour, I shall speak of it\nafterwards: as it is against the soul itself, I shall speak of it in\nthis place. Anger is the rising up of the heart in passionate\ndisplacency against an apprehended evil, which would cross or hinder\nus of some desired good. It is given us by God for good, to stir us up\nto a vigorous resistance of those things, which, within us or without\nus, do oppose his glory or our salvation, or our own or our\nneighbour's real good.\n\nAnger is good when it is thus used to its appointed end, in a right\nmanner and measure: but it is sinful, 1. When it riseth up against God\nor any good, as if it were evil to us: as wicked men are angry at\nthose that would convert and save them, and that tell them of their\nsins, and that hinder them from their desires.[339] 2. When it\ndisturbeth reason, and hindereth our judging of things aright. 3. When\nit casteth us into any unseemly carriage, or causeth or disposeth to\nany sinful words or actions: when it inclineth us to wrong another by\nword or deed, and to do as we would not be done by. 4. When it is\nmistaken, and without just cause. 5. When it is greater in measure\nthan the cause alloweth. 6. When it unfitteth us for our duty to God\nor man. 7. When it tendeth to the abatement of love and brotherly\nkindness, and the hindering of any good which we should do for others:\nmuch more when it breedeth malice, and revenge, and contentions, and\nunpeaceableness in societies, oppression of inferiors, or dishonouring\nof superiors.[340] 8. When it stayeth too long, and ceaseth not when\nits lawful work is done. 9. When it is selfish and carnal, stirred up\nupon the account of some carnal interest, and used but as a means to a\nselfish, carnal, sinful end: as to be angry with men only for crossing\nyour pride, or profit, or sports, or any other fleshly will. In all\nthese it is sinful.\n\n\n             _Directions Meditative against sinful Anger._\n\n_Direct._ I. Remember that immoderate anger is an injury to humanity,\nand a rebel against the government of reason. It is without reason and\nagainst reason; whereas in man all passions should be obedient to\nreason. It is the misery of madness, and the crime of drunkenness, to\nbe the suppressing and dethroning of our reason; and sinful anger is a\nshort madness or drunkenness. Remember that thou art a man, and scorn\nto subject thyself to a bestial fury.\n\n_Direct._ II. It is also against the government of God: for God\ngoverneth the rational powers first, and the inferior by them. If you\ndestroy the king's officers and judges, you oppose the government of\nthe king. Is a man in passion fit to obey the commands of God, that\nhath silenced his reason?\n\n_Direct._ III. Sinful passion is a pain and malady of the mind. And\nwill you love or cherish your disease or pain? Do you not feel\nyourselves in pain and diseased while it is upon you? I do not think\nyou would take all the world to live continually in that case\nyourselves. If you should be still so, what were you good for, or what\ncould you enjoy, or what comfort would your lives be to you? Why, if a\nlong pain be so bad, a short one is not lovely. Keep not wilfully so\ntroublesome a malady in your mind.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Observe also what an enemy it is to the body itself. It\ninflameth the blood, and stirreth up diseases, and breedeth such a\nbitter displeasedness in the mind, as tends to consume the strength of\nnature, and hath cast many into acute, and many into chronical\nsicknesses, which have proved their death. And how uncomfortable a\nkind of death is this!\n\n_Direct._ V. Observe how unlovely and unpleasing it rendereth you to\nbeholders; deforming the countenance, and taking away the amiable\nsweetness of it, which appeareth in a calm and loving temper. If you\nshould be always so, would any body love you? Or would they not go out\nof your way, (if not lay hands on you,) as they do by any thing that\nis wild or mad? You would scarce desire to have your picture drawn in\nyour fury, till the frowning wrinkles and inflamed blood are returned\nto their places, and have left your visage to its natural comeliness.\nLove not that which maketh you so unlovely to all others.\n\n_Direct._ VI. You should love it the worse because it is a hurting\npassion, and an enemy to love and to another's good. You are never\nangry but it inclineth you to hurt those that angered you, if not all\nothers that stand in your way: it putteth hurting thoughts into your\nmind, and hurting words into your mouths, and inclineth you to strike\nor do some mischief: and no men love a hurtful creature. Avoid\ntherefore so mischievous a passion.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Nay, mark the tendency of it, and you will find that if\nit should not be stopped it would tend to the very ruin of your\nbrother, and end in his blood and your own damnation. How many\nthousands hath anger murdered or undone! It hath caused wars, and\nfilled the world with blood and cruelty! And should your hearts give\nsuch a fury entertainment?\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Consider how much other sin immoderate anger doth\nincline men to.[341] It is the great crime of drunkenness, that a man\nhaving not the government of himself, is made liable by it to any\nwickedness: and so it is with immoderate anger. How many oaths and\ncurses doth it cause every day! How many rash and sinful actions! What\nvillany hath not anger done! It hath slandered, railed, reproached,\nfalsely accused, and injured many a thousand. It hath murdered and\nruined families, cities, and states. It hath made parents kill their\nchildren, and children dishonour their parents. It hath made kings\noppress and murder their subjects, and subjects rebel and murder\nkings. What a world of sin is committed by sinful anger throughout all\nthe world! How endless would it be to give you instances! David\nhimself was once drawn by it to purpose the murdering of all the\nfamily of Nabal. Its effects should make it odious to us.\n\n_Direct._ IX. And it is much the worse in that it suffereth not a man\nto sin alone, but stirreth up others to do the like. Wrath kindleth\nwrath, as fire kindleth fire. It is two to one but when you are angry\nyou will make others angry, or discontented, or troubled by your words\nor deeds. And you have not the power of moderating them in it, when\nyou have done. You know not what sin it may draw them to. It is the\ndevil's bellows to kindle men's corruptions; and sets hearts, and\nfamilies, and kingdoms in a flame.\n\n_Direct._ X. Observe how unfit it maketh you for any holy duty; for\nprayer, or meditation, or any communion with God. And that should be\nvery unwelcome to a gracious soul, which maketh it unfit to speak to\nGod, or to be employed in his worship. If you should go to prayer or\nother worship, in your bedlam passion, may not God say, as the king of\nGath did of David, \"Have I need of mad-men?\" Yea, it unfitteth all the\nfamily, or church, or society where it cometh, for the worship of God.\nIs the family fit for prayer, when wrath hath muddied and disturbed\ntheir minds? Yea, it divideth christians and churches, and causeth\n\"confusion and every evil work,\" James iii. 15, 16.\n\n_Direct._ XI. It is a great dishonour to the grace of God, that a\nservant of his should show the world that grace is of no more force\nand efficacy, that it cannot rule a raging passion, nor so much as\nkeep a christian sober: that it possesseth the soul with no more\npatience, nor fear of God, nor government over itself. O wrong not God\nthus by the dishonouring of his grace and Spirit.\n\n_Direct._ XII. It is a sin against conscience, still repented of and\ndisowned by almost all when they come to themselves again, and a mere\npreparation for after sorrow. That therefore which we foreknow we must\nrepent of afterwards, should be prevented and avoided by men that\nchoose not shame and sorrow.\n\n_Object._ I. But (you will say) I am of a hasty, choleric nature, and\ncannot help it.\n\n_Answ._ That may strongly dispose you to anger, but cannot necessitate\nyou to any thing that is sinful: reason and will may yet command and\nmaster passion, if they do their office. And when you know your\ndisease and danger, you must watch the more.\n\n_Object._ II. But the provocation was so great, it would have angered\nany one; who could choose?\n\n_Answ._ It is your weakness that makes you think that any thing can be\ngreat enough to discharge a man's reason, and allow him to break the\nlaws of God. That would have been small or nothing to a prepared mind,\nwhich you call so great. You should rather say, God's majesty and\ndreadfulness are so great, that I durst not offend him for any\nprovocation. Hath not God given you greater cause to obey, than man\ncan give you to sin?\n\n_Object._ III. But it is so sudden that I have no time of deliberation\nto prevent it.\n\n_Answ._ Have you not reason still about you? And should it not be as\nready to rule, as passion to rebel? Stop passion at first, and take\ntime of deliberation.\n\n_Object._ IV. But it is but short, and I am sorry for it when I have\ndone.\n\n_Answ._ But if it be evil, the shortest is a sin, and to be avoided:\nand when you know beforehand that you must be sorry after, why will\nyou breed your own sorrow?\n\n_Object._ V. But there are none that will not be angry sometimes; no,\nnot the best of you all.\n\n_Answ._ The sin is never the better because many commit it. And yet,\nif you live not where grace is a stranger, you may see that there are\nmany that will not be angry easily, frequently, furiously, nor\nmisbehave themselves in their anger, by railing, or cursing, or\nswearing, or ill language, or doing wrong to any.\n\n_Object._ VI. Doth not the apostle say, \"Be angry and sin not: let not\nthe sun go down upon your wrath,\" Eph. iv. 26. My wrath is down before\nthe sun; therefore I sin not.\n\n_Answ._ The apostle never said that anger is never sinful, but when it\nlasteth after sun-setting. But entertain no sinful anger at all; but\nif you do, yet quickly quench it, and continue not in it. Be not angry\nwithout or beyond cause: and when you are, yet sin not by\nuncharitableness, or any evil words or deeds, in your anger; nor\ncontinue under the justest displeasure, but hasten to be reconciled\nand to forgive.\n\nThese reasons improved may rule your anger.\n\n\n              _Directions practical against sinful Anger._\n\n_Direct._ I. The principal help against sinful anger is, in the right\nhabituating of the soul, that you live as under the government of God,\nwith the sense of his authority still upon your hearts, and in the sense\nof that mercy that hath forgiven you, and forbeareth you, and under the\npower of his healing and assisting grace, and in the life of charity to\nGod and man. Such a heart is continually fortified, and carrieth its\npreservatives within itself, as a wrathful man carrieth his incentives\nstill within him: there is the main cause of wrath or meekness.\n\n_Direct._ II. Be sure that you keep a humbled soul, that over-valueth\nnot itself; for humility is patient and aggravateth not injuries: but a\nproud man takes all things as heinous or intolerable that are said or\ndone against him. He that thinks meanly of himself, thinks meanly of all\nthat is said or done against himself. But he that magnifieth himself,\ndoth magnify his provocations. Pride is a most impatient sin: there is\nno pleasing a proud person, without a great deal of wit, and care, and\ndiligence. You must come about them as you do about straw or gunpowder\nwith a candle. Prov. xiii. 10, \"Only by pride cometh contention.\" Prov.\nxxviii. 25, \"He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife.\" Prov. xxi.\n24, \"Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.\"\nPsal. xxxi. 18, \"Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak\ngrievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.\"\nHumility, and meekness, and patience live and die together.\n\n_Direct._ III. Take heed of a worldly, covetous mind; for that setteth\nso much by earthly things, that every loss, or cross, or injury will\nbe able to disquiet him, and inflame his passion. Neither neighbour,\nnor child, nor servant can please a covetous man; every little\ntrespass, or crossing his commodity, toucheth him to the quick, and\nmaketh him impatient.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Stop your passion in the beginning, before it go too\nfar. It is easiest moderated at first. Watch against the first\nstirrings of your wrath, and presently command it down: reason and\nwill can do much if you will but use them according to their power. A\nspark is sooner quenched than a flame; and this serpent is easiliest\ncrushed in the spawn.\n\n_Direct._ V. Command your tongue, and hand, and countenance, if you\ncannot presently quiet or command your passion. And so you will avoid\nthe greatest of the sin, and the passion itself will quickly be\nstifled for want of vent. You cannot say that it is not in your power\nto hold your tongue or hands if you will. Do not only avoid that\nswearing and cursing which are the marks of the profane, but avoid\nmany words till you are fitter to use them, and avoid expostulations,\nand contending, and bitter, opprobrious, cutting speeches, which tend\nto stir up the wrath of others. And use a mild and gentle speech,\nwhich savoureth of love, and tendeth to assuage the heat that is\nkindled. Prov. xv. 1, \"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous\nwords stir up anger.\" And that which mollifieth and appeaseth another,\nwill much conduce to the appeasing of yourselves.\n\n_Direct._ VI. At least command yourself into quietness till reason be\nheard speak, and while you deliberate. Be not so hasty as not to think\nwhat you say or do. A little delay will abate the fury, and give\nreason time to do its office. Prov. xxv. 15, \"By long forbearing is a\nprince persuaded, and a soft answer breaketh the bone.\" Patience will\nlenify another's wrath; and if you use it but so long, as a little to\nstay yourselves, till reason be awake, it will lenify your own. And he\nis a fury, and not a man, that cannot stop while he considereth.\n\n_Direct._ VII. If you cannot easilier quiet or restrain yourselves, go\naway from the place and company. And then you will not be heated by\ncontending words, nor exasperate others by your contending. When you\nare alone the fire will assuage. Prov. xiv. 7, \"Go away from the\npresence of a foolish man when thou perceivest not in him the lips of\nknowledge.\" You will not stand still and stir in a wasp's nest when\nyou have enraged them.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Yea, ordinarily avoid much talk, or disputes, or\nbusiness with angry men, as far as you can without avoiding your duty:\nand avoid all other occasions and temptations to the sin. A man that\nis in danger of a fever, must avoid that which kindleth it. Come not\namong the infected, if you fear the plague; stand not in the sun, if\nyou are too hot already. Keep as far as you can from that which most\nprovoketh you.[342]\n\n_Direct._ IX. Meditate not on injuries or provoking things when you are\nalone; suffer not your thoughts to feed upon them. Else you will be\ndevils to yourselves, and tempt yourselves when you have none else to\ntempt you; and will make your solitude as provoking as if you were in\ncompany; and you will be angering yourselves by your own imaginations.\n\n_Direct._ X. Keep upon your minds the lively thoughts of the exemplary\nmeekness and patience of Jesus Christ; who calleth you to learn of him\nto be \"meek and lowly,\" Matt. xi. 29. \"Who being reviled, reviled not\nagain, when he suffered he threatened not; leaving us an example that\nwe should follow his steps,\" 1 Pet. ii. 21, 23. Who hath pronounced a\nspecial \"blessing\" on the \"meek,\" that \"they shall inherit the earth,\"\nMatt. v. 5.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Live as in God's presence; and when your passions grow\nbold repress them with the reverend name of God, and bid them remember\nthat God and his holy angels see you.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Look on others in their passion, and see how unlovely\nthey make themselves, with frowning countenances, and flaming eyes,\nand threatening, devouring looks, and hurtful inclinations; and think\nwith yourselves, whether these are your most desirable patterns.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Without any delay confess the sin to those that stand\nby (if easier means will not repress it); and presently take the shame\nto yourselves, and shame the sin and honour God. This means is in your\npower if you will; and it will be an excellent, effectual means. Say\nto those that you are angry with, I find a sinful anger kindling in\nme, and I begin to forget God's presence and my duty, and am tempted\nto speak provoking words to you, which I know God hath forbidden me to\ndo. Such a present opening of your temptation will break the force of\nit; and such a speedy confession will stop the fire that it go no\nfurther; for it will be an engagement upon you in point of honour,\neven the reputation of your wit and honesty, which will both suffer by\nit, if you go on in the sin just when you have thus opened it by\nconfession. I know there is prudence to be used in this, that you do\nit not so as may make you ridiculous, or harden others in their sinful\nprovocations. But with prudence and due caution it is an excellent\nremedy, which you can use if you are not unwilling.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. If you have let your passion break out to the offence\nor wrong of any, by word or deed, freely and speedily confess it to\nthem, and ask them forgiveness, and warn them to take heed of the like\nsin by your example. This will do much to clear your consciences, to\npreserve your brother, to cure the hurt, and to engage you against the\nsin hereafter: if you are so proud that you will not do this, say no\nmore you cannot help it, but that you will not. A good heart will not\nthink this too dear a remedy against any sin.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Go presently (in the manner that the place alloweth you)\nto prayer to God for pardon and grace against the sin. Sin will not\nendure prayer and God's presence. Tell him how apt your peevish hearts\nare to be kindled into sinful wrath, and entreat him to help you by\nhis sufficient grace, and engage Christ in the cause, who is your Head\nand Advocate; and then your souls will grow obedient and calm. Even as\nPaul, 2 Cor. xii. 7-9, when he had the prick in the flesh, prayed\nthrice, (as Christ did in his agony,) so you must pray, and pray again\nand again, till you find God's grace sufficient for you.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Covenant with some faithful friend that is with you to\nwatch over you and rebuke your passions as soon as they begin to\nappear; and promise them to take it thankfully and in good part; and\nperform that promise, that you discourage them not. Either you are so\nfar weary of your sin and willing to be rid of it, as to be willing to\ndo what you can against it, or you are not: if you are, you can do\nthis much if you please: if you are not, pretend not to repent, and to\nbe willing to be delivered from your sin upon any lawful terms, when\nit is not so. Remember still, the mischievous effects of it do make it\nto be no contemptible sin. Eccl. vii. 9, \"Be not hasty in thy spirit\nto be angry, for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.\" Prov. xvi. 32,\n\"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that\nruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.\" Prov. xv. 18, \"A\nwrathful man stirreth up strife, but he that is slow to anger\nappeaseth strife.\" Prov. xix. 11, \"The discretion of a man deferreth\nhis anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.\"\n\n\n              _Tit._ 8. _Directions against sinful Fear._\n\nThe chief of my advice concerning this sin, I have given you before,\nchap. iii. direct. xii. Yet somewhat I shall here add. Fear is a\nnecessary passion in man, which is planted in nature for the\nrestraining of us from sin, and driving us on to duty, and preventing\nmisery. It is either God, or devils, or men, or inferior creatures, or\nourselves, that we fear. God must be feared as he is God; as he is\ngreat, and holy, and just, and true; as our Lord, and King, and Judge,\nand Father; and the fear of him is the beginning of wisdom. Devils\nmust be feared only as subordinate to God, as the executioners of his\nwrath; and so must men, and beasts, and fire, and water, and other\ncreatures be feared, and no otherwise. We must so discern and fear a\ndanger as to avoid it. Ourselves we are less apt to fear, because we\nknow that we love ourselves. But there is no creature that we have so\nmuch cause to fear, as our folly, weakness, and wilfulness in sin.\n\nFear is sinful, 1. When it proceedeth from unbelief, or a distrust of\nGod. 2. When it ascribeth more to the creature than is its due: as\nwhen we fear devils or men, as great, or bad, or as our enemies,\nwithout due respect to their dependence upon the will of God: when we\nfear a chained creature, as if he were unchained. 3. When we fear God\nupon mistake or error, or fear that in him which is not in him, or is\nnot to be feared. As when we fear lest he will break his promise; lest\nhe will condemn the keepers of his covenant; lest he will not forgive\nthe penitent that hate their sin; lest he will despise the contrite;\nlest he will not hear the prayers of the humble, faithful soul; lest\nhe will fail them, and forsake them; lest he will not cause all things\nto work together for their good; lest he will forsake his church; lest\nChrist will not come again; lest our bodies shall not be raised; lest\nthere be no life of glory for the just, or no immortality of souls:\nall such fears as these are sinful. 4. When our fear is so immoderate\nin degree, as to distract us, or hinder us from faith and prayer, and\nmake us melancholy: or when it hindereth love, and praise, and thanks,\nand necessary joy; and tendeth not to drive us to God, and to the use\nof means to avoid the danger, but to drive us from God, and kill our\nhope, and make us sit down in despair.\n\n\n                _Directions against sinful Fear of God._\n\n_Direct._ I. Know God in his goodness, mercifulness, and truth, and it\nwill banish sinful fears of him: for they proceed from the ignorance\nor unbelief of some of these; or not considering and applying them to\nthe cause that is before you. Psal. ix. 10, \"They that know thy name,\nwill put their trust in thee.\"\n\n_Direct._ II. Know God in Jesus Christ the Mediator, and come to him\nby him. And then you may have \"access with boldness and confidence,\"\nEph. iii. 12. We have \"boldness to enter into the holiest by his\nblood, by the new and living way which he hath consecrated us, through\nthe veil, that is to say, for his flesh. And having an High Priest\nover the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full\nassurance of faith,\" Heb. x. 19-22. The sight of Christ by faith\nshould banish immoderate fear. Matt. xiv. 27, \"Be of good cheer, it is\nI, be not afraid.\"\n\n_Direct._ III. Understand the tenor of the gospel, and the freeness of\nthe covenant of grace, and then you will there find abundant\nencouragement against the matter of inordinate fears.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Employ yourselves as much as possible in love and\npraise: for love expelleth tormenting fear; there is no fear in love,\n1 John iv. 18.\n\n_Direct._ V. Remember God's particular mercies to yourselves: for\nthose will persuade you that he will use you kindly, when you find\nthat he hath done so already. As when Manoah said, \"We shall surely\ndie because we have seen God;\" his wife answered, \"If the Lord were\npleased to kill us, he would not have received an offering at our\nhands, neither would he have showed us all these things,\" Judg. xiii.\n22, 23.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Labour to clear up your title to the promises and\nspecial interest in Christ. Otherwise the doubts of that will be still\nfeeding and justifying your fears.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Consider what a horrible injury it is to God, to think\nof him as you do of the devil, as an enemy to humble, willing souls,\nand a destroyer of them, and an adversary to them that diligently seek\nhim; of whom he is a lover and rewarder, Heb. xi. 6. And so to think\nof God as evil, and fear him upon such misapprehensions.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Observe the sinfulness of your fear in the effects;\nhow it driveth you from God, and hindereth faith, and love, and\nthankfulness, and discourageth you from prayer, and sacraments, and\nall duty. And therefore it must needs be pleasing to the devil, and\ndispleasing to God, and no way to be pleaded for or justified.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Mark how you contradict the endeavours of God, in his\nword, and by his ministers. Do you find God driving any from him, and\nfrighting away souls that would fain be his? Or doth he not prepare\nthe way himself, and reconcile the world to himself in Christ, and\nthen send his ambassadors in his name and stead to beseech them to be\nreconciled unto God, and to tell them that all things are ready, and\ncompel them to come in.[343]\n\n_Direct._ X. Consider how thou wrongest others, and keepest them from\ncoming home to God. When they see thee terrified in a way of piety,\nthey will fly from it as if some enemies or robbers were in the way.\nIf you tread fearfully, others will fear there is some quicksand. If\nyou tremble when you enter the ship with Christ, others will think he\nis an unfaithful pilot, or that it is a leaking vessel. Your fear\ndiscourageth them.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Remember how remediless, as to comfort, you leave\nyourselves, while you inordinately fear him, who alone must comfort\nyou against all your other fears. If you fear your remedy, what shall\ncure the fear of your disease? If you fear your meat, what shall cure\nyour fear of hunger? If you fear him that is most good and faithful,\nand the friend of every upright soul, what shall ease you of your fear\nof the wicked and the enemies of holy souls? If you fear your Father,\nwho shall comfort you against your foes? You cast away all peace, when\nyou make God your terror.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Yet take heed lest under this pretence you cast away\nthe necessary fear of God; even such as belongeth to men in your\ncondition, to drive them out of their sin and security unto Christ,\nand such as the truth of his threatenings require. For a senseless\npresumption and contempt of God, are a sin of a far greater danger.\n\n\n             _Directions against sinful Fear of the Devil._\n\n_Direct._ I. Remember that the devil is chained up, and wholly at the\nwill and beck of God. He could not touch Job, nor an ox, nor an ass of\nhis, till he had permission from God, Job i. He cannot appear to thee\nnor hurt thee unless God give him leave.\n\n_Direct._ II. Labour therefore to make sure of the love of God, and\nthen thou art safe; then thou hast God, his love and promise, always\nto set against the devil.\n\n_Direct._ III. Remember that Christ hath conquered the devil in his\ntemptations, on the cross, by his resurrection and ascension. He\n\"destroyed through death him that had the power of death, even the\ndevil, that he might deliver them who through fear of death were all\ntheir lifetime subject to bondage,\" Heb. ii. 14, 15. The prince of\nthis world is conquered and cast out by him, and wilt thou fear a\nconquered foe?\n\n_Direct._ IV. Remember that thou art already delivered from his power\nand dominion, if thou be renewed by the Spirit of God. And therefore\nlet his own be afraid of him, that are under his power, and not the\nfree-men and redeemed ones of Christ. God hath delivered thee in the\nday that he converted thee, from a thousandfold greater calamity than\nthe seeing of the devil would be; and having been saved from his\ngreatest malice, you should not over-fear the less.\n\n_Direct._ V. Remember what an injury it is to God, and to Christ that\nconquered him, to fear the devil, while God is your protector (any\notherwise than as the instrument of God's displeasure): it seemeth as\nmuch as to say, I fear lest the devil be too hard for God; or lest God\ncannot deliver me from him.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Remember how you honour the devil by fearing him, and\npleasure him by thus honouring him. And will you not abhor to honour\nand please such an enemy of God and you? This is it that he would\nhave; to be feared instead of God: he glorieth in it as part of his\ndominion: as tyrants rejoice to see men fear them, as those that can\ndestroy them when they will, so the devil triumpheth in your fears as\nhis honour. When God reprehendeth the idolatry of the Israelites, it\nis as they feared their idols of wood and stone. To fear them, showed\nthat they took them for their gods, 2 Kings xvii. 38, 39; Dan. vi. 26.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Consider that it is a folly to be inordinately fearful\nof that which never did befall thee, and never befalleth one of many\nhundred thousand men: I mean any terrible appearance of the devil.\nThou never sawest him; nor hearest credibly of but very few in an age\nthat see him (besides witches). This fear therefore is irrational, the\ndanger being utterly improbable.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Consider that if the devil should appear to thee, yea,\nand carry thee to the top of a mountain, or the pinnacle of the temple,\nand talk to thee with blasphemous temptations, it would be no other than\nwhat thy Lord himself submitted to; who was still the dearly beloved of\nthe Father, Matt. iv. One sin is more terrible than this.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Remember that if God should permit him to appear to thee,\nit might turn to thy very great advantage; by killing all thy unbelief,\nor doubts, of angels, and spirits, and the unseen world. It would\nsensibly prove to thee that there is indeed an unhappy race of spirits,\nwho envy man and seek his ruin; and so would more convince thee of the\nevil of sin, the danger of souls, the need of godliness, and the truth\nof christianity. And it is like this is one cause why the devil no more\nappeareth in the world, not only because it is contrary to the ordinary\ngovernment of God, who will have us live by faith and not by sight; but\nalso because the devil knoweth how much it would do to destroy his\nkingdom, by destroying infidelity, atheism, and security, and awakening\nmen to faith, and fear, and godliness. The fowler or the angler must not\ncome in sight, lest he spoil his game by frighting it away.\n\n_Direct._ X. If it be the spiritual temptations and molestations only\nof Satan which you fear, remember that you have more cause to fear\nyourselves, for he can but tempt you; and if you do not more against\nyourselves, than all the devils in hell can do, you will never perish.\nAnd if you are willing to accept and yield to Christ, you need not\ninordinately fear either Satan or yourselves. For it is in the name\nand strength of Christ, and under his conduct and protection, that you\nare to begin and finish your warfare. And the Spirit that is in us, is\ngreater and stronger than the spirit that is in the world, and that\nmolesteth us, 1 John iv. 4. And the \"Father that giveth us to Christ\nis greater than all, and none can pluck us out of his hands,\" John x.\n29. And the \"God of peace will tread down Satan under our feet,\" Rom.\nxvi. 20. If it were in his power he would molest us daily, and we had\nnever escaped so far as we have done: our daily experience telleth us\nthat we have a Protector.\n\n\n       _Directions against the sinful Fear of Men, and sufferings\n                               by them._\n\n_Direct._ I. Bottom thy soul and hopes on Christ, and lay up thy\ntreasure in heaven; be not a worldling that liveth in hope of\nhappiness in the creature; and then thou art so far above the fear of\nmen, as knowing that thy treasure is above their reach, and thy\nfoundation and fortress safe from their assaults.[344] It is a base,\nhypocritical, worldly heart that maketh you immoderately afraid of\nmen! Are you afraid lest they should storm and plunder heaven? or lest\nthey cast you into hell? or lest they turn God against you? or lest\nthey bribe or overawe your Judge? No, no! these are none of your\nfears! No; you are not so much as afraid lest they hinder one of your\nprayers from prevailing with God; nor lest their prison walls and\nchains should keep out God and his Spirit from you, and force you from\nyour communion with him! You are not afraid lest they forcibly rob you\nof one degree of grace, or heavenly-mindedness, or hopes of the life\nto come! (If it be lest they hinder you from these by tempting or\naffrighting you into sin, (which is all the hurt they can do your\nsouls,) then you are the more engaged to cast away the fears of their\nhurting your bodies, because that is their very temptation to hurt\nyour souls.) No; it is their hurting of your flesh, the diminishing\nyour estates, the depriving you of your liberty or worldly\naccommodations, or of your lives, which is the thing you fear. And\ndoth not this show how much your hearts are yet on earth? and how much\nunmortified worldliness and fleshliness is still within you? and how\nmuch yet your hearts are false to God and heaven? Oh how the discovery\nshould humble you! to find that you are yet no more dead to the things\nof the world, and that the cross of Christ hath yet no more crucified\nit to you! to find that yet the fleshly interest is so powerful in\nyou, and the interest of Christ and heaven is so low! that God seemeth\nnot enough for you, and that you cannot take heaven alone for your\nportion, but are so much afraid of losing earth! O presently search\ninto the bottom of this corruption in your hearts, and lament your\nworldliness and hypocrisy, and work it out, and set your hearts and\nhopes above, and be content with God and heaven alone, and then this\ninordinate fear of man will have nothing left to work upon.\n\n_Direct._ II. Set God against man, and his wisdom against their policy,\nand his love and mercy against their malice and cruelty, and his power\nagainst their impotency, and his truth, and omniscience, and\nrighteousness against their slanders and lies, and his promises against\ntheir threatenings; and then if yet thou art inordinately afraid of man,\nthou must confess that in that measure thou believest not in God. If God\nbe not wise enough, and good enough, and just enough, and powerful\nenough to save thee, so far as it is best for thee to be saved, then he\nis not God: away with atheism, and then fear not man.\n\n_Direct._ III. Remember what man is that thou art afraid of. He is a\nbubble raised by Providence, to toss about the world, and for God to\nhonour himself by or upon. He is the mere product of his Maker's will:\nhis breath is in his nostrils! he is hastening to his dust, and in\nthat day his worldly hopes and thoughts do perish with him. He is a\nworm that God can in one moment tread into the earth and hell. He is a\ndream, a shadow, a dry leaf or a little chaff, that is blown awhile\nabout the world.[345] He is just ready, in the height of his pride and\nfury, to drop into the grave; and that same man, or all those men,\nwhom now thou fearest, shall one of these days most certainly lie\nrotting in the dust, and be hid in darkness, lest their ugly sight and\nstink be an annoyance to the living. Where now are all the proud ones\nthat made such a bustle in the world but awhile ago? In one age they\nlook big, and boast of their power, and rebel, and usurp authority,\nand are mad to be great and rulers in the world, or persecute the\nministers and people of the Lord; and in the next (or in the same)\nthey are viler than the dirt; their carcasses are buried, or their\nbones scattered abroad, and made the horror and wonder of beholders.\nAnd is this a creature to be feared above God, or against God? See\nIsa. li. 7, \"Hearken to me, ye that know righteousness, the people in\nwhose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye\nafraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a\ngarment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness\nshall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.\"\nIsa. ii. 22, \"Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils, for\nwherein is he to be accounted of?\" Psal. cxlvi. 3, 4, \"Put not your\ntrust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help: his\nbreath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his\nthoughts perish.\" When Herod was magnified as a god, he could not save\nhimself from being devoured alive by worms. When Pharaoh was in his\npride and glory, he could not save his people from frogs, and flies,\nand lice. Saith God to Sennacherib, \"The virgin, the daughter of Zion,\nhath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn,--and hath shaken her\nhead at thee: whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed, and against\nwhom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted thine eyes on high?\" Oh\nwhat a worm is man that you are so afraid of!\n\n_Direct._ IV. Remember that men as well as devils are chained, and\ndependent upon God, and have no power but what he giveth them, and can\ndo nothing but by his permission. And if God will have it done, thou\nhast his promise that it shall work unto thy good, Rom. viii. 28. And\nare you afraid lest God should do you good by them? If you see the\nknife or lancet in an enemy's hand only, you might fear it; but if you\nsee it in the surgeon's or in a father's hand, though nature will a\nlittle shrink, yet reason will forbid you to make any great matter of\nit, or inordinately to fear. What if God will permit Joseph's brethren\nto bind him, and sell him to the Amalekites; and his master's wife to\ncause him to be imprisoned? Is he not to be trusted in all this, that\nhe will turn it to his good? What if he will permit Shimei to curse\nDavid; or the king to cast Daniel into the lions' den; or the three\nconfessors into the furnace of fire? Do you believe that your Father's\nwill is the disposer of all? and yet are you afraid of man? Our Lord\ntold Pilate when he boasted of his power to take away his life or save\nit, \"Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were\ngiven thee from above,\" John xix. 11.[346]\n\n[Sidenote: _Obj._ We fear them only as God's instruments. _Answered._]\n\nI know you will say that it is only as God's instruments that you fear\nthem, and that if you were certain of his favour, and were not first\nafraid of his wrath, you should not fear the wrath of men. _Answ._ By\nthis you may see then what it is to be disobedient, and to cherish\nyour fears of God's displeasure, and to hinder your own assurance of\nhis love, when this must be the cause of, or the pretence for, so many\nother sins. But if really you fear them but as the instruments of\nGod's displeasure; 1. Why then did you no more fear his displeasure\nbefore, when the danger from men did not appear? you know God never\nwanteth instruments to execute his wrath or will. 2. And why fear you\nnot the sin which doth displease him more than the instruments, when\nthey could do you no hurt were it not for sin? 3. And why do you not\nmore fear them as tempters than as afflicters? and consequently why\nfear you not their flatteries, and enticements, and preferments, and\nyour prosperity, more than adversity, when prosperity more draweth you\naway to sin? 4. And why fear you not hell more than any thing that man\ncan do against you, when God threateneth hell more than human\npenalties? 5. And why do you not apply yourselves to God chiefly for\ndeliverance, but study how to pacify man? why do you with more fear,\nand care, and diligence, and compliance, apply yourselves to those\nthat you are afraid of, if you fear God more than them? Repent and\nmake your peace with God through Christ, and then be quiet, if it be\nGod that you are afraid of: your business then is not first with the\ncreature, but with God. 6. And if you fear them only as God's\ninstruments, why doth not your fear make you the more cautiously to\nfly from further guilt, but rather make you to think of stretching\nyour consciences as far as ever you dare, and venturing as far as you\ndare upon God's displeasure, to escape man's? Are these signs that you\nfear them only as the instruments of God's displeasure? or do you see\nhow deceitful a thing your heart is? Indeed man is to be feared in a\nfull subordination to God, 1. As his officers, commanding us to obey\nhim; 2. As his executioners, punishing us for disobeying him; 3. But\nnot as Satan's instruments, (by God's permission,) afflicting us for\nobeying him, or without desert. Rom. xiii. 3, 4, \"For rulers are not a\nterror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of\nthe power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the\nsame; for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do\nthat which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain:\nfor he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him\nthat doth evil.\" Would you have the fuller exposition of this? It is\nin 1 Pet. iii. 10-15, \"For he that will love life, and see good days,\nlet him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no\nguile; let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace and ensue\nit. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are\nopen to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against them that\ndo evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that\nwhich is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are\nye; and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but\nsanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an\nanswer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in\nyou with meekness and fear. Having a good conscience, that whereas\nthey speak evil of you, as of evil-doers, they may be ashamed that\nfalsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if\nthe will of God be so, that ye suffer for well-doing than for\nevil-doing.\" See also 1 Peter iv. 13-15.[347]\n\n_Direct._ V. Either you fear suffering from men as guilty or as\ninnocent; for evil-doing, or for well-doing, or for nothing. If as\nguilty and for evil-doing, turn your fears the right way, and fear\nGod, and his wrath for sin, and his threatenings of more than men can\ninflict; and acknowledge the goodness of justice both from God and\nman: but if it be as innocent or for well-doing, remember that Christ\ncommandeth you exceedingly to rejoice; and remember that martyrs have\nthe most glorious crown: and will you be excessively afraid of your\nhighest honour, and gain, and joy? Believe well what Christ hath said,\nand you cannot be much afraid of suffering for him. Matt. v. 10-12,\n\"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for\ntheirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile\nyou, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you\nfalsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your\nreward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were\nbefore you.\"[348] And will you fear the way of blessedness and\nexceeding joy? Matt. x. 17-19, \"Beware of men, for they will deliver\nyou up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues,\nand ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a\ntestimony against them--But take no thought,\" &c. You are allowed to\nbeware of them, but not to be over-fearful or thoughtful of the\nmatter. Ver. 22, 23, \"And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's\nsake; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they\npersecute you in this city, fly to another.\"--Fly, but fear them not,\nwith any immoderate fear: ver. 39, \"He that findeth his life shall\nlose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.\" Luke\nxviii. 29, 30, \"Verily I say unto you, there is no man hath left\nhouse, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom\nof God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present\ntime, and in the world to come, life everlasting.\" Can you believe all\nthis, and yet be so afraid of your own felicity? Oh what a deal of\nsecret unbelief is detected by our immoderate fears! 1 Pet. iv. 12-16,\n19, \"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which\nis to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you: but\nrejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that\nwhen his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding\njoy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the\nspirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil\nspoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you\nsuffer as an evil-doer--Yet if any man suffer as a christian, let him\nglorify God on that behalf--Wherefore let them that suffer according\nto the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in\nwell-doing, as unto a faithful Creator.\" There is scarce any point\nthat God hath been pleased to be more full in, in the holy Scriptures,\nthan the encouraging of his suffering servants against the fears of\nmen; acquainting them that their sufferings are the matter of their\nprofit and exceeding joy; and therefore not of too great fear.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Experience telleth us that men have never so much joy on\nearth as in suffering for the cause of Christ; nor so much honour as by\nbeing dishonoured by men for him. How joyfully did the ancient\nchristians go to martyrdom! many of them lamented that they could not\nattain it: and what comfort have Christ's confessors found, above what\nthey could ever attain before![349] and how honourable now are the names\nand memorials of those martyrs, who died then under the slanders,\nscorn, and cruelty of men! Even the papists that bloodily make more, do\nyet honour the names of the ancient martyrs with keeping holidays for\nthem, and magnifying their shrines and relics; for God will have it so,\nfor the honour of his holy sufferers, that even that same generation\nthat persecute the living saints, shall honour the dead, and they that\nmurder those they find alive, shall honour those whom their forefathers\nmurdered: Matt. xxiii. 29-31, \"Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees,\nhypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the\nsepulchres of the righteous: and say, if we had been in the days of our\nfathers, we would not have been partakers with them of the blood of the\nprophets.\" Comfort and honour attend the pain and shame of the cross.\nActs v. 41, \"They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing\nthat they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.\" Acts xvi.\n25, \"Paul and Silas sang praises to God at midnight in the prison and\nstocks,\" when their backs were sore with stripes. It is written of some\nof the christians that were imprisoned by Julian, that they would not\nforbear in the emperor's hearing as he passed by, to sing, \"Let God\narise, and his enemies shall be scattered.\"\n\n_Direct._ VII. Love better the holy image of God upon your souls, and\nthen you will be glad of the great helps to holiness which sufferings\ndo afford. Who findeth not that adversity is more safe and profitable\nto the soul than prosperity? especially that adversity which Christ is\nengaged to bless to his servants, as being undergone for him? Rom. x.\n3-5, \"We glory in tribulation also; knowing that tribulation worketh\npatience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope\nmaketh not ashamed.\" God \"chasteneth us for our profit that we may be\npartakers of his holiness: now no chastisement for the present seemeth\nto be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the\npeaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised\nthereby,\" Heb. xii. 10, 11. Moses \"esteemed the very reproach of\nChrist greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: and therefore\nrather chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to\nenjoy the pleasures of sin for a season,\" Heb. xi. 25, 26. It is but\n\"now for a season, and if need be, that we are in heaviness through\nmanifold temptations, that the trial of our faith being much more\nprecious than of gold that perisheth, might be found unto praise, and\nhonour, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ,\" 1 Pet. i. 6, 7.\nWho is it that knoweth himself, that feeleth not a need of some\nafflictions? to awake us from our drowsiness, and quicken us from our\ndullness, and refine us from our dross, and wean us from the world,\nand help us to mortify the flesh, and save us from the deceits of sin?\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Remember that sufferings are the ordinary way to heaven.\nLove heaven better, and your sufferings will seem lighter, and your fear\nof them will be less.[350] Christ hath resolved on it, that \"if any one\ncome to him, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and\nchildren, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he\ncannot be his disciple: and whoever doth not bear his cross and follow\nhim, cannot be his disciple: and whoever he be of you that forsaketh not\nall that he hath, he cannot be his disciple,\" Luke xiv. 26, 27, 33. \"In\nthe world we shall have tribulation, but peace in him,\" John xvi. 33.\n\"Through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God,\" Acts\nxiv. 22. \"If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also\nglorified with him. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present\ntime are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed\nin us,\" Rom. viii. 17, 18. \"Therefore we both labour and suffer\nreproach, because we trust in the living God,\" 1 Tim. iv. 10. In\npreaching the gospel, Paul saith, he \"suffered as an evil-doer even unto\nbonds, but the word of God is not bound,\" 2 Tim. ii. 9. \"I suffer these\nthings,\" saith he, \"nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I\nhave believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I\nhave committed to him against that day,\" 2 Tim. i. 12. \"Yea, and all\nthat will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution,\" 2 Tim.\niii. 12. Our patience in sufferings is the joy of our friends, and\ntherefore they are not too much to be feared. 2 Thess. i. 4, 5, \"So that\nwe ourselves glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and\nfaith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: a\nmanifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted\nworthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer.\"[351] Therefore\ntake the conclusion of all from God, Rev. ii. 10, \"Fear none of those\nthings which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you\ninto prison, that ye may be tried: and ye shall have tribulation ten\ndays: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of\nlife.\" Phil. i. 28-30, \"And in nothing terrified by your adversaries,\nwhich is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation,\nand that of God: for to you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not\nonly to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.\" And shall we\nfear so great a gift?\n\n_Direct._ IX. Remember how small and short the suffering will be, and\nhow great and long the glorious reward. It is but a little while, and\nthe pain and shame will all be past; but the glory will be never past:\nwhat the worse now is Stephen for his stones, or John Baptist for being\nbeheaded, or Paul for his bonds and afflictions, which did every where\nabide him, or any holy martyr for the torment and death which they\nunderwent? Oh how the case is altered with them, now God hath wiped away\nall tears from their eyes! Are we so tender that we cannot endure the\ngrief that is but for a night, when we know that joy will come in the\nmorning? Psal. xxx. 5. \"For this cause we faint not; but though our\noutward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.[352] For\nour light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far\nmore exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the\nthings which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the\nthings which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen\nare eternal,\" 2 Cor. iv. 16-18. \"Cast not away therefore your\nconfidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of\npatience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the\npromise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and\nwill not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw\nback, my soul shall have no pleasure in him,\" Heb. x. 35-38.\n\n_Direct._ X. When you are delivered from the power of the devil\nhimself, what cause have you to fear his instruments? Can they do\nmore than he? If Goliath the champion and the general be overcome, the\ncommon soldiers are not like to overcome us.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Are you better than your Lord? look to him, and be\nconfirmed. \"The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant\nabove his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his\nmaster, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of\nthe house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his\nhousehold,\" Matt. x. 24. \"Let us run with patience the race that is\nset before us, looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,\nwho for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising\nthe shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God; for\nconsider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against\nhimself, lest ye be wearied, and faint in your minds,\" Heb. xii. 1-3.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Be of good cheer: our Lord hath overcome the world, John\nxvi. 33. And shall we fear inordinately a conquered world? Yea, he\novercame it by suffering, to show us that by suffering we shall overcome\nit. He triumphed over principalities and powers (greater than mortals)\n\"on the cross,\" Col. ii. 15. And therefore \"all power in heaven and\nearth is given to him,\" Matt. xxviii. 19, and he is \"Lord both of the\ndead and living,\" Rom. xiv. 9, and \"is made Head over all things to the\nchurch,\" Eph. i. 21, 22. And so, though \"for his sake we be killed all\nthe day long, and counted as sheep to the slaughter, yet in all these\nthings we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us;\" that is,\nwe have a nobler victory than if we conquered them by the sword.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Think how little your suffering is in comparison of what\nyour sin deserved, and your Lord hath freely saved you from. Should a\nman grudge at the opening of a vein for his health, who deserved to have\nlost his life? Can you remember hell which was your due, and yet make a\ngreat matter of any thing that man can do against you?\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Remember that to sin through fear of suffering, is to\nleap into hell to escape a little pain on earth. Are you afraid of\nman? Be more afraid of God. Is not God more terrible? \"It is a fearful\nthing to fall into his hands: for he is a consuming fire.\"[353] O hear\nyour Lord. \"And I say to you, my friends, be not afraid of them that\nkill the body, and after that have no more that they can do: but I\nwill forewarn you whom you shall fear: fear him which after he hath\nkilled, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him,\"\nLuke xiii. 4, 5. If their fire be hot, remember that hell is hotter:\nand that God is the best friend, and the dreadfullest enemy.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Remember that you shall suffer (and it is like as much)\neven here from God, if you escape by sin your suffering from men. If\nyou sin to escape death, you shall die when you have done; and oh! how\nquickly! And how much more joyful it is to die in Christ, than a\nlittle after unwillingly to part with that life, which you denied to\npart with for your Lord! and what galls will you feel in your guilty\nconscience both in life and at your death! So that even in this life,\nyour fear would drive you into greater misery.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Think of the dangerous effects of your immoderate fear.\nIt is the way with Peter to deny your Lord: yea, the way to apostasy,\nor any wickedness which men shall drive you to by terrors. If you\nwere where the Turk is now tyrannizing among christians, if you\novercome not your fear, he might overcome your fidelity,[354] and make\nyou turn from Jesus Christ: and that is the sin which the apostle so\ndreadfully describeth, Heb. x. 26, 27, 29, \"If we sin wilfully, (that\nis, wilfully renounce our Lord,) after the acknowledgment of the\ntruth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a fearful\nlooking for of judgment, and fire which shall devour the adversary.\"\nOh how many have been drawn by the fear of men, to wound their\nconsciences, neglect their duties, comply with sin, forsake the truth,\ndishonour God, and undo their souls. And often in this life they do as\npoor Spira did, who, by sinning through the fear of man, did cast\nhimself into melancholy and self-murdering despair. Your fear is a\nmore dangerous enemy to you than those that you fear are. \"The fear of\nman bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be\nsafe. Many seek the ruler's favour, but every man's judgment cometh of\nthe Lord,\" Prov. xxix. 25, 26. Fear is given to preserve you: use it\nnot to destroy you.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Believe and remember God's special providence,\nextending to every hair of your head, and also the guard of angels\nwhich he hath set over you. \"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?\nand one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father: but\nthe very hairs of your head are numbered: fear ye not therefore, ye\nare of more value than many sparrows,\" Matt. x. 29, 30. Oh that this\nwere well believed and considered! Psal. xxxiv. 7, \"The angel of the\nLord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.\"\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Think what a vile dishonour it is to God to have his\ncreature, even breathing dirt, to be feared more than him! As if he\nwere less powerful to do good or hurt to you than man, and were not\nable or willing to secure you, so far as to see that no man shall ever\nbe a loser by him, or any thing which he suffereth for his cause![355]\nIsa. lvii. 11, \"And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou\nhast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart. Have\nI not held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?\" How did\nDaniel and the three confessors honour God, but by fearing him more\nthan the king and the flaming furnace: saying, \"We are not careful to\nanswer thee in this matter: if it be so, the God whom we serve is able\nto deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us\nout of thy hand, O king: but if not, be it known unto thee, O king,\nthat we will not serve thy gods,\" &c. Dan. iii. 16-18. Daniel would\nnot cease praying thrice a day openly in his house, for fear of the\nking, or of the lions. \"Moses forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of\nthe king; for he endured as seeing him that is invisible,\" Heb. xi.\n27. \"So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not\nfear what man shall do unto me,\" Heb. xiii. 6.[356]\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Remember the dangers which you have been saved from\nalready; especially from sin and hell. And is an uncircumcised\nPhilistine more invincible than the lion and the bear?\n\n_Direct._ XX. Remember the great approaching day of judgment, where\ngreat and small will be equal before God; and where God will right all\nthat were wronged by men, and be the full and final avenger of his\nchildren! He hath promised, though \"he bear long, to avenge them\nspeedily,\" Luke xviii. 7, 8. Can you believe that day, and yet not\nthink that it is soon enough to justify you fully and finally, and to\nmake you reparations of all your wrongs? Cannot you stay till Christ\ncome to judge the quick and the dead? You will then be loth to be\nfound with those that, as Saul, made haste to sacrifice, because he\ncould not stay till Samuel came; whose souls \"drew back, because they\ncould not live by faith.\" Matt. x. 26, \"Fear them not therefore; for\nthere is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and hid that\nshall not be known.\" 2 Thess. ii. 6-10, \"Seeing it is a righteous\nthing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and\nto you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be\nrevealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking\nvengeance, &c. When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and\nadmired in all them that believe.\"\n\n_Direct._ XXI. Remember that the fearful and unbelieving shall be shut\nout of heaven, Rev. xxi. 8; that is, those that fear men more than\nGod, and cannot trust him with their lives and all, but will rather\nventure upon his wrath by sin, than on the wrath of man.\n\n_Direct._ XXII. Turn your fear of the instruments of the devil into\npity and compassion to men in such lamentable misery; and pray for\nthem as Christ and Stephen did: foresee now the misery that is near\nthem. When you begin to be afraid of them, suppose that just now were\nthe day of judgment, and you saw how they will then tremble at the bar\nof God (as conscience sometimes makes some of them do, at the hearing\nor remembering of it; as Felix before Paul): see them as ready to be\nsentenced to the fire prepared for the devil and his angels, as Matt.\nxxv. Can you fear him that is near such endless misery, whom you\nshould condole and pity (as the ancient martyrs used to do)? 1 Pet.\niv. 17, \"What shall the end\" of the persecutors \"be, and where shall\nthe ungodly sinners appear, if judgment begin at the house of God, and\nthe righteous be saved with so much ado?\"\n\nAbout the fear of death, I have written largely already in my\n\"Treatise of Self-denial,\" and in the \"Saints' Rest,\" and in \"The Last\nEnemy Death,\" &c. and in \"The Believer's Last Work.\" Therefore, I\nshall here pass it by.[357]\n\n\n        _Tit._ 9. _Directions against sinful Grief and Trouble._\n\nSorrow is planted in nature to make man a subject capable of\ngovernment, by making him capable of punishment, that he might be kept\nfrom sin by the fear or sense of that which nature hath made its\npunishment: and that the beginnings of pain might help to prevent the\nsin that would bring more; and might drive the wounded soul to its\nremedy; or by sympathy might condole the misery of others.\n\nSorrow or grief, in itself considered, is neither morally good nor\nevil; but it is a natural passion; and evil, that is, hurtful, to him\nthat hath it; but good, that is, an apt, conducible means to the\nuniversal or higher ends of government to which the Creator and\nUniversal King hath planted it in man: the same may be said of all\ncapacity of pain and natural misery.\n\nMere sorrow, in itself considered, is a thing that God commandeth not,\nnor taketh pleasure in. Sorrow for our natural or penal hurt, is in\nitself no duty, but a necessary thing. God doth not command it, but\nthreatens it; therefore there is no moral good in it. God will not\ncommand or entreat men to feel when they are hurt, or mourn under their\ntorment; but will make them do it whether they will or no: therefore\nhumble souls must take heed of thinking they merit or please God merely\nby sorrowing for their sufferings. But yet sorrow for misery may\naccidentally become a duty and a moral good. 1. _Ratione principii_, by\nrespect to the principle it proceedeth from. As when it is, (1.) The\nbelief of God's threatenings which causeth the sorrow. (2.) When it\ncometh from a love to God. 2. _Ratione materi\u00e6_, for the matter's sake,\nwhen it is the absence of God, and his favour, and his Spirit, and\nimage, which is the misery that we lament (which therefore savoureth of\nsome love to God); and not mere fleshly, sensitive suffering. 3.\n_Ratione finis_, in respect of the end; when we sorrow with intent to\ndrive our hearts to Christ our Saviour, and to value mercy and grace,\nand to recover us to God. 4. _Ratione effecti_, in respect of the\neffect, when these forementioned ends become the fruits of it.[358]\n\nSorrow for sin is a duty and moral good. 1. Formally in itself\nconsidered: for to be sorrowful for offending God, and violating his\nlaw, essentially containeth a will to please God and obey his law. 2.\nIt must be also made good, by a good principle; that is, by faith and\nlove. 3. By a right end; that it be to carry us from the sin to God.\n4. And by a right guide and matter; that it be sin indeed, and not a\nmistaken, seeming sin, that is it we sorrow for. But sorrow for sin\n(materially) may be made sinful, 1. By an ill end and formal reason;\nwhen we mourn not for sin as sin, but as one sin hindereth another, or\nas it marred some ill design. 2. And by the effect; when it doth but\nsink men in despair, or torment them, and not at all separate them\nfrom the sin. 3. When it cometh not at all from any love to God, or\ncare to please him, but only an unwillingness to be damned, and so it\nis lamented only as a means of damnation; which, though it be a\nsorrow, positively neither good nor evil, yet it is evil privatively.\n\nBut it is the passion of grief as in its excess that I am now to speak\nagainst. And it is in excess, 1. When we grieve for that which we\nought not at all to grieve for; that is, either for some good, or for\na thing indifferent that is neither good nor bad; both which come from\nthe error of the mind. 2. When we grieve too much for that which we\nmay grieve for lawfully in some measure; that is, for our own\nafflictions or penal suffering. 3. When we grieve too much for that\nwhich we are bound to grieve for in some measure: as (1.) For our sin.\n(2.) For our loss of the favour of God, or of his grace and Spirit.\n(3.) For other men's sin and suffering. (4.) For the sufferings of the\nchurch, and calamities of the world. (5.) For God's dishonour.[359]\n\nThough it is not easy to have too much sorrow for sin, considering it\nestimatively; that is, we can hardly take sin for a worse evil than it\nis, and accordingly grieve for it; yet it is oft too easy to have too\nmuch sorrow for sin, or any other evil intensively as to the greatness\nof the passion. And thus sorrow for sin is too great, 1. When it\ndistracteth the mind, and overturneth reason, and it is made unfit for\nthe ends of sorrow. 2. When it so cloudeth and clotheth the soul in\ngrief, that it maketh us unfit to see and consider of the promise, to\nrelish mercy, or believe it; to acknowledge benefits, or own grace\nreceived, or be thankful for it; to feel the love of God, or love him\nfor it, to praise him, or to mind him, or to call upon him; when it\ndriveth the soul from God, and weakeneth it to duty, and teacheth it to\ndeny mercy, and sinketh it towards despair; all this is too much and\nsinful sorrow: and so is all that doth the soul more hurt than good; for\nsorrow is not good of itself, but as it doth good, or showeth good.\n\n_Direct._ I. Keep your hearts as true and close to God as possible,\nand make sure of his love, that you may know you have not an\nunregenerate, miserable soul to mourn for, and then all other grief is\nthe more curable and more tolerable. Be once able to say that God is\non your side, that Christ, and the Spirit, and heaven are yours, and\nthen you have the greatest cordial against excessive grief that this\nworld affords. If you say, How should this be done? I answer, that it\nis opened in its proper place. No marvel if sorrow overwhelm that\nsoul, that is in the chains of sin, under the curse of God, as soon as\nawakened conscience comes to feel it. And it is most miserable when it\nhath the smallest sorrow; there being some hope that sorrow may drive\nit home to Christ. Therefore if thou have been a secure, unhumbled,\ncarnal wretch, and God be now beginning to humble thee, by showing\nthee thy sin and misery, take heed, as thou lovest thy soul, that thou\ndrive not away necessary, healing sorrow and repentance, under\npretence of driving away melancholy or over-much sorrow; thy smart\ntendeth to thy hopes of cure.\n\n_Direct._ II. Renew not the wounds of conscience by renewed, wilful,\ngross sin. For sin will bring sorrow, especially if thou have any life\nof grace to feel it: even as falls, and breaking the bones, bring\npain. Obey carefully if thou wouldst have peace.\n\n_Direct._ III. Be well acquainted with the general grounds of hope in\nthe mercy of God, the office and death of Christ, and the free,\nuniversal offer of pardon, grace, and life in the new covenant.\nAbundance of grief doth dwell in many humbled souls, through the\nignorance of these general grounds of comfort; which would vanish away\nif these were known.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Know well the true nature and use of godly sorrow; how\nit is but a means to higher grace, and a thing which may exceed, and\nnot a thing that we should stop in, or think we can never have too\nmuch of it. Desire it but in its place, and to its proper ends.\n\n_Direct._ V. Know well the nature and excellency of those higher\ngraces which sorrow tendeth to; even love, and thankfulness, and\ndelight in God, and fruitful obedience. And then you will be carried\nafter these, and will learn to hate the sorrow that hindereth them,\nand to cherish that sorrow which leadeth you up to them, and to value\nit but as a means to them.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Manage all your affairs, especially those of your souls,\nwith prudent foresight; and look not only on things as they appear at\nhand.[360] Judge not by sense, but by reason; for sense cannot\nforesee, but pleaseth itself at present with that which must be\nbitterness in the end. Thus, carnal delight is the common way to\noverwhelming sorrow. He that would not have the pain and sickness of a\nsurfeit to-morrow, must not please his appetite against reason to-day.\nPoison will gripe and kill never the less for tasting sweet. You must\nforeknow how that which you take will work, and what will be the\neffects of it, and not only how it tasteth, if you would escape the\npain. The drunkard thinketh not of his vomiting, and poverty, or\nshame, or sickness, and therefore causeth them. There is no sorrow so\nintolerable as that of a guilty soul, that is passing in terror to the\nbar of God, and thence to everlasting pain. Foresee this sorrow in\nyour most pleasant sin; and remember that when you are tempted to sin,\nyou are tempted to sorrow; and then you may prevent it. And in all\nyour particular actions use a foreseeing judgment, and ask what is\nlike to be the end, before you enter on the beginning. Most of our\nsorrows come for want of this, and express themselves by, Had I known,\nor had I thought of this, I had prevented it. Do nothing which you may\nforesee must be repented of; for repentance is sorrowful; and the\nweightier the case the deeper the sorrow. How easy and comfortable a\nlife and death might men attain, if they would not buy a little\nforbidden, poisonous pleasure, with the price of future pain and\nsorrows! And if they did not foolishly and over-tenderly refuse those\nholy, necessary, medicinal sorrows, by which their greater,\noverwhelming, and undoing sorrows should have been prevented!\n\n_Direct._ VII. Look always on your remedy when you look on your\nmisery; and when you find any dangerous sin or sign in you, presently\nconsider what is your duty in order to your recovery and escape. It is\nan ordinary thing with peevish, distempered natures, when they are\nreproved for any sin, to resist the reproof by excuses as long as they\ncan; and when they can resist no longer, then they fall into\ndespairing lamentations, if they are so bad, what then shall they do!\nand in the mean time never set themselves against the sin, and cast it\noff and return to their obedience, that their comforts may return:\nthey will do any thing rather than amend. The reason why God\nconvinceth them of sin is that they may forsake it, and they are\nsooner brought to any thing than to this: convince them of their\npride, or malice, or worldliness, or disobedience, or slothfulness, or\npassion, and they will sooner sink in sorrow and despair than they\nwill set upon a resolved reformation. This is it indeed which the\ndevil desireth; he can allow you grief and desperation, but not to\namend. But is this best for you? Or is it pleasing to God? Deny not\nyour sin, but see withal that there is enough in Christ for your\npardon and deliverance. He hath appointed you means for your present\nrecovery, and he is ready to help you. Ask what is your duty for your\ncure, and set upon it without delay.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Remember your causes of joy as well as your cause of\nsorrow, that each may have their due, and your joy and sorrow may both\nbe suited to their causes: to which end you must labour for the\nexactest acquaintance with your own condition, that possibly you can\nattain to.[361] If you are yet ungodly, your sorrow must be greater\nthan your joy, or else it will be irrational joy, and pernicious to\nyour souls, and increase your after-sorrow. And you must not overlook\nso much cause of comfort as is afforded you in God's patience, and the\noffers of a Saviour, and of pardon, and grace, and life in him. If you\nare truly godly, you must so mourn for sin, and weakness, and wants,\nand crosses, and afflictions of yourselves and others, as never to\nforget the invaluable mercies which you have already received, your\npart in Christ and life eternal, your beginnings of grace, and your\nreconciliation with God, which allow and command you greatly to\nrejoice: and remember that no humiliations will excuse you from the\nobservation and acknowledgment of all these mercies.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Read over all the commands of Scripture that make it your\nduty to rejoice in the Lord, and exceedingly to rejoice; and make as\nmuch conscience of them as of other commands of God. The same God\ncommandeth you to rejoice, who commandeth you to hear, and pray, and\nrepent. See Psal. xxxiii. 1; Phil. iii. 1; iv. 4; Rom. v. 2; Phil. iii.\n3; 1 Thess. v. 16; 1 Pet. i. 6-8; iv. 13; Heb. iii. 6; 2 Cor. vi. 10;\nRom. xii. 12; Psal. xxxii. 11; cxxxii. 9, 16; Rom. xiv. 17; Psal. v. 11.\n\n_Direct._ X. Befriend not your own excessive sorrows, by thinking them\nto be your duty, nor suspect lawful mirth and joy as if it were a sin,\nor a thing unbecoming you. For if you take your sin for your duty, and\nplead for it, and your duty for your sin, and plead against it, you are\nfar from the way of amendment and recovery. And yet it is common with an\nafflicted, weak, impatient soul, to fall into liking (though not in\nlove) with their inordinate sorrows, and to justify them, and think that\nit is their duty still to mourn. If these sorrows were of God, we should\nbe more backward to them: and if our comfort were not more pleasing to\nGod, our natures would not be so backward to them as they are.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Love no creature too much, and let it not grow too sweet\nand pleasant to you: else you are preparing for sorrow from the\ncreature. Love it less, and you shall sorrow less. All your grief for\ncrosses and losses, in goods, estate, in children and friends, in\nreputation, liberty, health, and life, doth come from your over-loving\nthem. Value them but as they deserve, and you may easily bear the loss\nof them. He that maketh them his idol or felicity, will grieve for the\nwant of them, or the loss of them, as a man undone that cannot live\nwithout them. But he that hath placed his happiness and hopes in God,\nand valueth the world no further than it tendeth to his ultimate end,\nwill no further grieve for the want of it, than as he misseth it to\nthat end. 1 Tim. vi. 10, \"The love of money and coveting after it,\ndoth pierce men through with many sorrows.\" Mark what you find your\nheart too much set upon and pleased in, or hoping after, and take it\noff quickly if you love your peace.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Learn to be pleased and satisfied in the will of God.\nTrust your heavenly Father who knoweth what you need. It is some\nrebellion or crossness of our wills to the will of God, which causeth\nour inordinate griefs and trouble. Because we cannot bring our wills\nto his will, nor make our reason stoop unto his wisdom, nor think well\nof his providence, unless he will suit it to our conceits, and\ninterests, and lusts, therefore so far as we are carnal we are\nordinarily displeased and grieved at his ways. If we might have had\nour own wills about our estates, or names, or children, or friends, or\nhealth, or life, we should not have been troubled (at the present).\nBut because it is not our way, but God's way, that is taken, nor our\nwill, but God's will, that is done, therefore we are grieved and\ndiscontent, as if his way and will were worse than ours, and God had\nwanted his foolish children to be his counsellors, or they could have\nchosen better for themselves!\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Afflict yourselves no further than God or man afflict\nyou; but remember, if you think that you have too much already against\nyour wills, how foolish and self-contradicting it is to lay a great\ndeal more wilfully upon yourselves.[362] Is it slanders or reproach\nthat men afflict you with? Let it be so; that toucheth not the heart.\nIs it poverty, crosses, or losses, that God afflicteth you with? Let\nit be so; that toucheth not the heart neither. Is it loss of children\nand friends; or is it pain and sickness? I confess these are sore; but\nyet they do not touch the heart. If they come thither it is your\ndoing; and (though thither they should come moderately) if they are\nimmoderate, it is your own sinful doing. It is you that grieve, and\nmake the heart ache; God and man did but make the flesh ache. If\nothers hurt your bodies, will you therefore vex your minds? Will you\npierce through your hearts, because they touch your name or goods? If\nso, remember which part of your sorrow is of their making, and which\nis of your own: and can you for shame go beg of God or man to ease the\ngrief which you yourselves are causing, and wilfully continue it while\nyou pray against it? And why lament you that which you cause and\nchoose? It is a shame to be wilfully your own tormentors.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Abhor all that tendeth to take down the power and\ngovernment of reason (that is, all feebleness and cowardice of mind, and\na melancholy, a peevish, passionate disposition): and labour to keep up\nthe authority of reason, and to keep all your passions subject to your\nwills; which must be done by christian faith and fortitude. If you come\nonce to that childish or distracted pass, as to grieve and say, I cannot\nhelp it; I know it is sinful and immoderate, but I cannot choose; if you\nsay true, you are out of the reach of counsel, advice, or comfort. You\nare not to be preached to, nor talked to, nor to be written for: we do\nnot write directions to teach men how to touch the stars, or explain the\nasperities or inequalities of the moon, or the opacous parts of Saturn,\nor to govern the orbs, or rule the chariot of the sun. If it be become a\nnatural impossibility to you, doctrine can give you no remedy; but if\nthe impossibility be but moral, in the weakness of reason, and want of\nconsideration, it may by doctrine, consideration, and resolution be\novercome. You can do more if you will than you think you can.[363] How\ncame you to lose the command of your passions? Did not God make you a\nrational creature, that hath an understanding and will to rule all\npassions? How come you to have lost the ruling power of reason and will?\nYou would take it for a disparagement to be told that you have lost the\nuse of your reason; and is it not a principal use of it to rule the\npassions, and all other inferior, subject powers? You say you cannot\nchoose but grieve! But if one could give you that creature which you\nwant or desire, then you could choose: you could rejoice, if one could\nrestore you that child, that friend, that estate which you have lost.\nBut God, and Christ, and heaven, it seems, are not enough to cure you:\nif you must have but them you cannot choose but grieve! And what hearts\nhave you then that are thus affected? Should not those hearts be rather\ngrieved for? God will sometime make you see, that you had more power\nthan you used.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Observe the mischiefs of excessive sorrow, that you may\nfeel what reason you have to avoid it. While you know not what hurt is\nin it, you will be the more remiss in your resisting it: I shall\nbriefly name you some of its unhappy fruits.\n\n[Sidenote: The ill effects of sinful grief.]\n\n1. It is a continual pain and sickness of the mind. (This you know by\nfeeling.) 2. It is a destroyer of bodily health and life. For\n\"worldly sorrow worketh death,\" 2 Cor. vii. 10. Prov. xvii. 22, \"A\nmerry heart doth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the\nbones.\" 3. It putteth the soul out of relish with its mercies, and so\ncauseth us to undervalue them, and consequently to be unthankful for\nthem, and not to improve them. 4. It destroyeth the sense of the love\nof God, and lamentably undisposeth the soul to love him: and therefore\nshould be abhorred by us were it but for that one effect. 5. It\ndestroyeth the joy in the Holy Ghost, and unfitteth us to obey that\ncommand of God, Rejoice continually. 6. It contradicteth a heavenly\nmind and conversation, and hindereth us from all foretastes of the\neverlasting joys.[364] 7. It undisposeth us to the excellent work of\npraise: who can ascend in the praises of God, while grief doth oppress\nand captivate the soul? 8. It destroyeth the sweetness of all God's\nordinances, hearing, reading, prayer, sacraments; we may force\nourselves to use them, but shall have no delight in them. 9. It\nhindereth the exercise of faith, and raiseth distrust, and sinful\ndoubts and fears, within us. 10. It causeth sinful discontents and\nmurmurings at God and man. 11. It maketh us impatient, peevish,\nfroward, angry, and hard to be pleased. 12. It weakeneth the soul to\nall that is good, and destroyeth its fortitude and strength: for it is\nthe \"joy of the Lord that is our strength,\" Neh. viii. 10, 13. It\nhindereth us in the duties of our callings: who can do them as they\nshould be done, under the clog of a disquiet mind? 14. It maketh us a\ngrief and burden to our friends, and robs them of the comfort which\nthey should have in and by us. 15. It maketh us unprofitable to\nothers, and hindereth us from doing the good we might; when we should\nbe instructing, exhorting, and praying for poor sinners, or minding\nthe church of God, we are all taken up at home, about our own\nafflictions. 16. It maketh us a stumblingblock and scandal to the\nungodly, and hindereth their conversion, while the devil setteth us\nbefore the church doors, to keep away the ungodly from a holy life, as\nmen set scarecrows in their fields and gardens, to frighten away the\nbirds. 17. It dishonoureth religion, by making men believe that it is\na melancholy, vexatious, self-tormenting life. 18. It obscureth the\nglory of the gospel, and crosseth the work of Christ, his Spirit, and\nministers, who all come upon a message of great joy to all nations;\nand proclaim glad tidings to the worst of sinners; much more to the\nsons of God, and heirs of life. 19. It misrepresenteth God himself, as\nif we would persuade men, that he is a hard and cruel master, that\nnone can please, though they do all through a Mediator upon a covenant\nof grace; and that it is worse with us since we served him than\nbefore; and that he delighteth in our grief and misery, and is against\nour peace and joy; and as if there were no joy nor pleasure in his\nservice. Such hideous doctrine do our lives preach of God, when those\nthat profess to fear and seek him, do live in such immoderate grief\nand trouble. 20. And it too much pleaseth the devil, who is glad to\ntorment us here, if he may not do it in hell; and especially do make\nourselves the executioners upon ourselves, when he is restrained; when\nhe can boast and say, Though I may not vex thee, I will persuade thee\nto vex thyself. These are the fruits of sinful sorrows.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Govern your thoughts, and suffer them not to muse and\nfeed on those objects which cause your grief. No wonder if your sore\nbe always smarting, when you are always rubbing on it in your\nthoughts. Of this I spake more fully even now.\n\n\n           _Tit._ 10. _Directions against sinful Despair (and\n                              Doubting)._\n\nDespair is the contrary to hope.[365] There is a despair that is a\nduty, and a despair that is a sin, and a despair that is indifferent,\nas being but of natural and not of moral kind. Despair is a duty, when\nit is contrary to the sinful hope before described; that is, 1. When\nwe despair of any thing which God hath told us shall never come to\npass: for we are bound to believe his word: as that all the world\nshould be saved or converted, or that our bodies should not die and\nperish, and many such like. 2. It is a duty to despair of ever\nattaining a good end by means, or upon terms, which God hath told us\nit shall never be attained by: and so it is a great duty for an\nunregenerate person to despair of ever being saved without\nregeneration, conversion, and holiness; and to despair of ever being\npardoned or saved, if he live after the flesh and have not the Spirit\nof Christ, and repent not unfeignedly of his sin, and be not a new\ncreature, and crucify not the flesh with its affections and\nlusts.[366] Such a despair is one of the first things necessary to the\nconversion of a sinner, because the false hopes of being pardoned and\nsaved without regeneration, is the present hinderance to be removed.\n\nDespair is a sin, when it is contrary to any hope which God commandeth\nus (so it be not only a negative despair, or bare not hoping, which in\nsleep and other times may be innocent, but a positive despair, which\nconcludeth against hope). As, 1. Particular despair of the benefit of\nsome particular promise; as if Israel had despaired of deliverance from\nEgypt, or Abraham of a son. 2. General despair of the fulfilling of some\ngeneral promise; as if we despaired of the resurrection, or the kingdom\nof Christ in glory. 3. When by misapplication we despair of that pardon\nand salvation to ourselves, which yet we believe shall be to others.\n\nYea, despair is sinful sometimes when it is not contrary to any\npromise or commanded hope: for if God have not revealed his will one\nway or other, it is no duty to expect the thing, and yet it is a sin\nto conclude positively that it will not be: for then we shall say more\nthan we know, or than God hath revealed. If hope be taken for the\ncomfort that ariseth in us from the apprehension of a mere\npossibility, then indeed it is a duty to hope for that good which is\npossible only; but if hope be taken for a confident expectation, then\nboth such hope, and also the contrary despair, would be a sin. We may\n(so) _non-sperare_ but not _desperare_. Possibles must be taken but\nfor possibles, yet still for such.\n\nHe that despaireth but of some common mercy which he should not\ndespair of, _ratione materi\u00e6_ committeth a sin of the smaller sort: he\nthat despaireth of a great mercy to others, (though not promised,)\ncommitteth a greater sin _ratione materi\u00e6_; as if you despair of the\nconversion of a bad child, or of the continuance of the gospel to the\nkingdom, &c. But he that despaireth of his own pardon and salvation,\nsinneth more perilously _ratione materi\u00e6_.\n\nThe despairing of pardon and salvation upon a despair of the truth of\nthe gospel, or sufficiency of Christ, is damnable, and a certain mark\nof a wretched infidel, if it be predominant.[367] But to believe all\nthe gospel to be true, and desire Christ and life as best, and yet to\ndespair upon too bad thoughts of one's self, or through some other\nmistake, this is a sin of infirmity, consistent with grace (unless the\ndespair be so total and prevalent, as to make the sinner settledly\ncast off a godly life, and give up himself to a life of wickedness).\nThe Scripture speaketh little of this humble sort of despair, and no\nwhere threateneth it as it doth infidelity.\n\nThe commonest despair (like Spira's) which cometh immediately from\ninvincible predominant melancholy (though occasioned first by sin) is\nno otherwise sinful or dangerous, than the despair or raving of a\nmad-man, or one in a doting fever, is. It is the too humble despair,\nthrough personal misapplication, and particular mistakes, that I shall\nspeak of in this place.\n\n_Direct._ I. Take heed of being ignorant of, or misunderstanding, the\nthree great general grounds of faith and hope; that is, 1. The\ninfinite goodness of God, and his unmeasurable love and mercy. 2. The\nrelation of Christ's office to all, and the sufficiency of his ransom\nand sacrifice for all. 3. The universality of the promise, or the act\nof oblivion, or deed of gift of free pardon and salvation to all on\ncondition of penitent belief and acceptance, which is procured and\ngiven by Christ, and contained in the gospel. If you mistake so about\nany one of these as not to believe or understand them, or if you do\nnot well consider and improve them, no wonder if you be left under\ncontinual doubtings and liable to despair.\n\n_Direct._ II. Understand well the true nature of the condition of this\nuniversal promise; how much it consisteth in the will or acceptance of\nChrist and life as offered by the gospel; or in our hearty consent to\nthe baptismal covenant, that God be our God and Father, our Saviour\nand Sanctifier: and that in God's account the will is the man, and he\nis a true believer, and hath part in Christ, that is truly willing of\nhim to the ends of his office: and that he hath right to all the\nbenefits of the covenant of grace, who doth heartily consent to\nit.[368] This is true faith; this is the condition of pardon; and on\nthese terms Christ and life are given. This is the infallible evidence\nof a state of grace. If you know not this, but look after something\nelse as necessary which is separable from this, no wonder you are\nperplexed, and inclined to despair.\n\n_Direct._ III. Understand the extent of this pardoning covenant as to\nthe sins which it pardoneth: that it containeth the forgiveness of all\nsin without exception, to them that perform the condition of it (that\nis, to consenters). So that directly no sin is excepted but the\nnon-performance of the condition; but consequently, all sin is\nexcepted and none at all forgiven by it, to them that do not perform\nthe condition. Every conditional grant doth expressly except the\nnon-performance of the condition by the making of it to be the\ncondition. He that saith, All sin is forgiven to them that believe and\nrepent, and no other, doth plainly import, that not believing and not\nrepenting are not forgiven, while they continue; nor any other sin to\nsuch. But to penitent believers or consenters, all sin is pardoned.\nWhich made the ancients say, that all sin is washed away in baptism,\nsupposing the person baptized to be a meet subject, and to have the\ncondition of the covenant which is by baptism sealed and delivered to\nhim.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Misunderstand not the excepted sin against the Holy\nGhost; which is no other, than an aggravated non-performance and\nrefusal of the condition of the covenant; viz. when infidels are so\nobstinate in their infidelity, that they will rather impute the\nmiracles of the Holy Ghost to the devil, than they will be convinced\nby them that Christ is the true Messias or Saviour.[369] This is the\ntrue nature of the sin against the Holy Ghost, of which I have written\nthe third part of my \"Treatise of Infidelity.\" So that no one hath the\nsin against the Holy Ghost that confesseth that Jesus is the Christ\nand Saviour; or that confesseth that the miracles done by Christ, and\nhis apostles, were done by the Holy Ghost; or that confesseth the\ngospel is true; or that doth not justify his sin and infidelity. He\nmust be a professed infidel against confessed miracles that commits\nthis sin. And yet many despair because they fear they have committed\nthis sin, that never understood what it is, nor have any reason but\nbare fear, and some blasphemous temptations which they abhor, to make\nthem imagine that this sin is theirs. But the truth is, in their\nfearing condition, if any other sin had been as terribly spoken of,\nthey would have thought it was theirs.\n\n_Direct._ V. Understand the time to which the condition of the gospel\ndoth extend, namely, to the end of our life on earth: the day of his\ngrace hath no shorter end. For the gospel saith not, He that believeth\nthis year or the next shall be saved; but absolutely, without limitation\nto any time short of death, He that believeth shall be saved. So that to\ndoubt whether true repentance and faith will be accepted at any time\nbefore death, is but to be ignorant of the gospel, or to doubt whether\nit be true. And therefore for a despairing soul to say, If I did repent,\nit is too late, because the day of grace is past, is but to contradict\nthe gospel covenant itself, or to say he knows not what. God never\nrefused a soul that truly repented and believed before death.\n\n_Object._ I. But (they will say) do not some divines say that some\nmen's day of grace is sooner past, and God hath forsaken them, and it\nis too late, because they came not in time.\n\n[Sidenote: When the day of grace is past.]\n\n_Answ._ They that understand what they say, must say but this: that\nthis word, \"the day of grace,\" hath divers senses. 1. Properly by the\nday of grace is meant, the time in which, according to the tenor of\nthe gospel, God will pardon and accept those that repent; and in this\nsense the time of life is the time of grace; whenever a sinner\nrepenteth and is converted, he is pardoned. 2. Sometimes by the day of\ngrace is meant, the time in which the means of grace is continued to a\nnation or a person. And thus it is true, that the day of grace is\nquicklier past with some countries than others: that is, God sometimes\ntaketh away the preachers of his gospel from a people that reject\nthem, and so by preaching offereth them his grace no more. But in this\nsense a man may easily know whether his day of grace be past or no;\nthat is, whether Bibles, and books, and christians, and preachers be\nall gone, or not. (And yet if they were, he that receiveth Christ\nbefore they are gone is safe.) No man in his wits can think this day\nof grace is past with him while Christ is offered him, or while there\nis a Bible, or preacher, or christians about him. 3. Sometimes by the\nday of grace is meant, the certain time which we are sure of as our\nown. And so it is only the present minute that is the time of grace;\nthat is, we cannot beforehand be sure of another minute; but yet the\nnext minute when it is come is as much the time of grace as the former\nwas. 4. Sometimes by the day of grace is meant, the time in which God\nactually worketh and giveth grace; and that is no more than the day of\nour conversion. And in this sense, to have the day of grace past is a\nhappiness and comfort; that is, that the day is past in which we were\nconverted. 5. And sometimes by the day of grace is meant, that day in\nwhich God moveth the hearts of the impenitent more strongly towards\nconversion than formerly he did. And this is it that divines mean when\nthey talk of the day of grace being past with men before their death;\nthat is, though such have never a day of effectual grace, yet their\nmotions were stronger towards it, than hereafter they shall be, and\nthey were fairer for conversion, than after when they are gone further\nfrom it. This is true, and this is all: and what is this to a soul\nthat is willing to come in, and ignorantly questioneth whether he\nshall be accepted, because the day of grace is past?\n\n_Object._ II. But Christ saith, \"If thou hadst known in this thy\nday--\" Luke xix. 42.\n\n_Answ._ That was the day of the offers of grace by preaching: we grant\nthat nations have but their day of enjoying the gospel, which they may\nshorten by sinning it away.\n\n_Object._ III. But it is said of Esau, that \"afterward when he would\nhave inherited the blessing he was rejected, for he found no place of\nrepentance though he sought it carefully with tears,\" Heb. xii. 17. It\nseems then that repentance in this life may be too late.\n\n_Answ._ It is true that Esau's time for the blessing was past as soon\nas Isaac had given it to Jacob.[370] When he had sold his birthright\nit was too late to recall it, for the right was made over to his\nbrother; and it was not repentance, and cries, and tears, that could\nrecall the right he had sold, nor recall the words that Isaac had\nspoken: but this doth not prove that our day of grace doth not\ncontinue till death, or that any man repenting before his death shall\nbe rejected as Esau's repentance was: the apostle neither saith nor\nmeaneth any such thing. The sense of his words are only this much:\nTake heed lest there be any so profane among you, as to set so light\nby the blessings of the gospel, even Christ and life eternal, as to\npart with them for a base lust or transitory thing, as Esau, that set\nmore by a morsel of meat than by his birthright: for let them be sure\nthat the time will come, (even the time mentioned by Christ, Matt.\nxxv. 10, 11, when the door is shut and the Lord is come,) when they\nwill dearly repent it; and then, as it was with Esau when the blessing\nwas gone, so it will be with them when their blessing is gone,\nrepentance, and cries, and tears will be too late: for the gospel hath\nits justice and terrors as well as the law. This is all in the text,\nbut there is no intimation that our day of grace is as short as Esau's\nhope of the blessing was.\n\n_Object._ IV. Saul had but his time, which when he lost he was\nforsaken of God.\n\n_Answ._ Saul's sin provoked God to reject him from being king of Israel,\nand to appoint another in his stead; but if Saul had repented he had\nbeen saved after that, though not restored to the crown: and it is true,\nthat as God withdrew from him the spirit of government, so many before\ndeath, by the greatness of their sins, cause God to forsake them so far\nas to withhold those motions, and convictions, and fears, and\ndisquietments, in sin, which sometimes they had, and to give them over\nto a \"reprobate mind,\" to commit \"all uncleanness with greediness,\" and\nglory in it as being \"past feeling,\" Rom. i. 28; Eph. iv. 18, 19. If it\nbe thus with you, you would be no better, you would not be recovered,\nyou think sin is best for you, and hate all that would reform you.\n\n_Object._ V. It is said, 2 Cor. vi. 2, \"Behold, now is the accepted\ntime, behold, now is the day of salvation.\" And Heb. iii. 7, 12, 13,\n\"To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts----lest any\nof you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.\"\n\n_Answ._ This saith no more than that the present time is the best,\nyea, the only certain time; and we are not sure that the day of\nsalvation will continue any longer, because death may cut us off: but\nif it do not, yet sin is a hardening thing, and the longer we sin the\nmore it hardeneth! yea, God may withhold the motions of his Spirit,\nand leave us to ourselves, to the hardness of our hearts: and thus he\ndoth by thousands of wicked persons, who are left in impenitency and\nhatred of the truth: but most certainly if those men repented they\nmight be saved, and the very reason why they have not Christ and life\nis still because they will not consent.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Understand by what help and strength it is that the\nobedience to the gospel must be performed: not merely by your own\nstrength, but by the help of grace, and strength of Christ: if he have\nbut made you willing, he will help you to perform the rest. You are\nnot by this covenant to be a saviour and sanctifier to yourselves; but\nto consent that Christ be your Saviour, and the Holy Spirit your\nSanctifier. You might else despair indeed if you were left to that\nwhich you are utterly unable to do. Though you must \"work out your own\nsalvation with fear and trembling, it is he that worketh in you to\nwill and to do of his good pleasure,\" Phil. ii. 13.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Understand well the difference between mortal sins and\ninfirmities, that you may not think that every sin is a sign of death or\ngracelessness; but may know the difference between those sins which\nshould make you think yourselves unjustified, and those sins which only\ncall for particular humiliation, being such as the justified themselves\ncommit. Though in the popish sense we take no sin to be venial, that is,\nwhich in itself is properly no sin, nor deserveth death according to the\nlaw of works; yet the distinction between mortal and venial sin, is of\nvery great necessity: that is, between sins which prove a man in a state\nof death, or unjustified, and sins which consist with a state of grace\nand justification; between sins which the gospel pardoneth not, and\nthose which it pardoneth, that is, all that stand with true\nrepentance.[371] There are some sins which every one that repenteth of\nthem, doth so forsake as to cease committing them; and there are some\nlesser sins, which they that repent of them do hate indeed, but yet\nfrequently renew, as our defective degrees in the exercise of repentance\nitself, faith, love, trust, fear, obedience; our vain thoughts and\nwords; some sinful passions, omissions of many duties of thought,\naffection, word, or deed towards God or man; some minutes of time\noverslip us; prayer and other duties have a sinful coldness or\nremissness in them, and such like. Many such sins are fitly called\ninfirmities and venial, because they consist with life and are forgiven:\nit is of great use to the peace of our consciences to discern the\ndifference between these two, for one sort require a conversion to\nanother state, and the other require but a particular repentance, and\nwhere they are unknown, are forgiven without particular repentance,\nbecause our general repentance is virtually, though not actually,\nparticular as to them. One sort are cause of judging ourselves ungodly;\nand the other sort are only cause of filial humiliation. Any one may see\nthe great need of discerning the difference; but yet it is a matter of\nvery great judgment doctrinally to distinguish them, much more actually\nto discern them in every instance in yourselves. The way is to know\nfirst, what is the condition of the new covenant, and of absolute\nnecessity to salvation or justification; and then every sin that is\ninconsistent with that condition is mortal, and the rest that are\nconsistent and do consist with it are venial, or but infirmities. As\nvenial signifieth only that sort of sin which is pardonable, and may\nconsist with true grace, so a venial sin may be in an unsanctified\nperson materially, where it is not pardoned; that is, _e. g._ his\nwandering thought or passion, is a sin of that sort that in the godly is\nconsistent with true grace: but as venial signifieth a sin that is\npardoned, or pardonable, without a regeneration, or conversion into a\nstate of life from a state of death, so venial sin is in no\nunregenerate, unjustified person, but is only the infirmities of the\nsaints; and thus I here speak of it. In a word, that sin which actually\nconsisteth with habitual repentance, and with the hatred of it, so far\nthat you had rather be free from it than commit or keep it, and which\nconsisteth with an unfeigned consent to the covenant, that God be your\nFather, Saviour, and Sanctifier, and with the love of God above all, is\nbut an infirmity or venial sin. But to know from the nature of the sin,\nwhich those are, requireth a volume by itself to direct you only.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Understand how necessary a faithful minister of Christ\nis, in such cases of danger and difficulty, to be a guide to your\nconsciences; and open your case truly to them, and place so much\nconfidence in their judgment of your state as their office, and\nabilities, and faithfulness do require, and set not up your timorous,\ndarkened, perplexed judgments above theirs, in cases where they are\nfitter to judge. Such a guide is necessary, both as appointed by\nChrist who is the author of his office, and in regard of the\ngreatness, and danger, and difficulty of your case. Do you not feel\nthat you are insufficient for yourselves, and that you have need of\nhelp? sure a soul that is tempted to despair may easily feel it. You\nare very proud, or blindly self-conceited, if you do not. And you may\neasily know that Christ that appointed them their office, requireth\nthat they be both used and trusted in their office, as far as reason\nwill allow. And where there is no office, yet ability and faithfulness\ndeserve and require credit of themselves. Why else do you trust\nphysicians and lawyers, and all artificers, in their several\nprofessions and arts, as far as they are reputed able and faithful? I\nknow no man is to be believed as infallible as God is: but man is to\nbe believed as man; and if you will use and trust your spiritual guide\nbut so far as you use and trust your physician or lawyer, you will\nfind the great benefit, if you choose aright.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Remember when you have sinned, how sure, and sufficient,\nand ready a remedy you have before you, in Jesus Christ and the\ncovenant of grace; and that it is God's design in the way of\nredemption, not to save any man as innocent, that none may glory, but\nto save men that were first in sin and misery, and fetch them as from\nthe gates of hell, that love and mercy may be magnified on every one\nthat is saved, and grace may abound more by the occasion of sin's\nabounding, Rom. v. 15, 20. Not that any should \"continue in sin\nbecause grace hath abounded: God forbid,\" Rom. vi. 1. But that we may\nmagnify that grace and mercy which hath abounded above our sins; and\nturn the remembrance of our greatest sins to the admiration of that\ngreat and wonderful mercy. To magnify mercy when we see the greatness\nof our sin, and to love much because much is forgiven,[372] this is to\nplease God, and answer the very design and end of our redemption: but\nto magnify sin, and extenuate mercy, and to say, My sin is greater\nthan can be forgiven, this is to please the devil, and to cross God's\ndesign in the work of our redemption. Is your disease so great that no\nother can cure it? It is the fitter for Christ to honour his office\nupon, and God to honour his love and mercy on. Do but \"come to him\nthat you may have life,\"[373] and you shall find that no greatness of\nsin past, will cause him to refuse you; nor any infirmities which you\nare willing to be rid of, shall cause him to disown you, or cast you\nout. The prodigal is not so much as upbraided with his sins, but finds\nhimself, before he is aware, in his father's arms, clothed with the\nbest robes, the ring and shoes, and joyfully entertained with a\nfeast.[374] Remember that there is enough in Christ and the promise,\nto pardon and heal all sins which thou art willing to forsake.\n\n_Direct._ X. Take heed of being so blind or proud in thy humility, as to\nthink that thou canst be more willing to be a servant of Christ, than he\nis to be thy Saviour, or more willing to have grace, than God is to give\nit thee, or more willing to come home to Christ, than he is to receive\nand welcome thee. Either thou art willing or unwilling to have Christ\nand grace, to be sanctified and freed from sin; if thou be willing,\nChrist and his grace shall certainly be thine: indeed if thou wouldst\nhave pardon without holiness, this cannot be, nor is there any promise\nof it; but if thou wouldst have Christ to be thy Saviour and King, and\nhis Spirit to be thy Sanctifier, and hadst rather be perfect in love and\nholiness than to have all the riches of the world, then art thou in\nsincerity that which thou wouldst be in perfection: understand that God\naccounteth thee to be what thou truly desirest to be. The great work of\ngrace lieth in the renewing of the will; if the will be sound, the man\nis sound. I mean not the conquered, uneffectual velleity of the wicked,\nthat wish they could be free from pride, sensuality, gluttony,\ndrunkenness, lust, and covetousness, without losing any of their beloved\nhonour, wealth, or pleasure; that is, when they think on it as the way\nto hell they like not their sin, but wish they were rid of it, but when\nthey think of it as pleasing their fleshly minds, they love it more, and\nwill not leave it, because this is the prevailing thought and will. So\nJudas was unwilling to sell his Lord, as it was the betraying of the\ninnocent, and the way to hell, but he was more willing as it was the way\nto get his hire. So Herod was unwilling to kill John Baptist, as it was\nthe murder of a prophet; but his willingness was the greater, as it was\nthe pleasing of his damsel, and the freeing himself from a troublesome\nreprover. But if thy willingness to have Christ and perfect holiness be\nmore than thy unwillingness, and more than thy willingness to keep thy\nsin, and enjoy the honour, wealth, and pleasures of the world, then thou\nhast an undoubted sign of uprightness, and that love to grace, and\ndesire after it, which nothing but grace itself doth give. And if thou\nart thus willing, it is great wrong to Christ to doubt of his\nwillingness. For, 1. He is a greater lover of holiness than thou art;\nand therefore cannot come behind thee, in being willing of thy holiness.\n2. He is more merciful to thee, than thou art to thyself: his love and\nmercy are beyond thy measure. 3. He hath begun to thee, and fully showed\nhis willingness first. He died to prepare thee a full remedy; he hath\ndrawn up the covenant; he hath therein expressed his own consent, and\nentreateth thine; he is the first in consenting, and is a suitor to\nthee. Never sinner did yet begin to him in the world. Never any was\nwilling of the match before him: his general offer of mercy, and\ncovenant tendered to all, doth show his willingness before they can show\ntheirs by their acceptance. Never man overwent him in willingness, and\nwas more willing than he. Take this sinner, as God's infallible truth.\nIf the match break between Christ and thee, and thou be lost, it shall\nnot be through his refusal, but through thine: and it cannot break any\nother way, no, not by the craft or force of all the devils in hell, but\neither because Christ is unwilling, or because thou art unwilling; and\non Christ's part it shall never break. And therefore if thou be willing\nthe match is made; and there is no danger but lest thy heart draw back.\nIf thou art not willing, why complainest thou for want of that which\nthou wouldst not love? If thou art willing, the covenant is then made,\nfor Christ is more willing, and was willing first.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Write out those sentences that contain the sense and\nsubstance of the gospel, and often read them. Write them on thy very\nchamber walls, and set them still before thine eyes;[375] and try\nwhether they agree with the words of him that tempteth thee to\ndespair: such as these which I here transcribe for thee. John iii. 16,\n\"God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that\nwhosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting\nlife.\"--Ver. 19, \"This is the condemnation, that light is come into\nthe world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their\ndeeds were evil.\"--1 John v. 10-12, \"He that believeth on the Son of\nGod hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made\nhim a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his\nSon: and this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life,\nand this life is in his Son: he that hath the Son hath life; and he\nthat hath not the Son of God hath not life.\"--John i. 11, 12, \"He came\nunto his own, but his own received him not: but to as many as received\nhim, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, to them that\nbelieve on his name.\"--Rev. xxii. 17, \"Let him that is athirst come;\nand whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.\"--John v.\n40, \"And ye will not come unto me, that ye may have life.\"--John vi.\n37, \"All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that\ncometh to me I will in no wise cast out.\"--John vii. 37, \"If any man\nthirst, let him come to me and drink.\"--Luke xiv. 17, \"Come, for all\nthings are now ready.\" And read oft Luke xv.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Distinguish between sin seen and felt, and sin reigning\nunto death; that you may not be so blinded as to think your sin greatest\nor your condition worst, when your sight and feeling of it are greatest.\nTo see and feel your sin and misery is at least the ordinary preparation\nfor recovery. To be dead is to be past feeling.[376] They that are most\nforsaken of God are most willing of their present condition, and most\nlove their sin, and hate holiness and all that would reform them, and if\nthey have power, will persecute them as enemies.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Think not that the troublesome strivings and\ntemptations which weary you are the worst condition, or a sign of the\nvictory of sin. It is rather a sign that you are not yet forsaken of\nGod, while he beareth witness in you against sin, and is yet following\nyou with his dissuasives. Paul saith, Gal. v. 17, \"For the flesh\nlusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and\nthese are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the\nthings that ye would.\" Read Rom. vii. from 14 to the end.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Understand the difference between weak grace and no\ngrace; that you may not think every want of grace is a sign of total\ngracelessness. When you have opened in your complaints a long\ncatalogue of weaknesses, consider whether yet there be not a true\ndesire to be better, and some degree of life with all these?\n\n_Direct._ XV. Think well of the excellency of the least degree of\nspecial grace; that it is a seed of glory; the beginning of life\neternal; the divine nature, and the image of God, and of greater worth\nthan all the learning, wealth, and honour in the world. And be not\nunthankful for so great a mercy, because you have not more.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Make conscience of observing the grace and mercy\nreceived, as well as the wants remaining and the sins committed, and of\nthe thankful remembrance and mention of mercy, as much as the humble\nmention of sin. Think as oft of mercy as of sin: talk of it as much to\nothers; and mention it to God as much in prayer: this is your plain\nduty: if you will not do it, your wilful unthankfulness for what you\nhave received, may well leave you in distress without the comfort of it.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. Let your thoughts of God's goodness bear some\nproportion with your thoughts of his knowledge and his power. And then\nyou will not be so apt to entertain false suspicions of it, and think\nof him as a man-hater, like the devil, nor to run away from him, that\nis the infinite, most attractive good.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Record the particular kindnesses to thyself, by which\nGod hath testified his particular love to thee; that they may stand as\nnear and constant witnesses of his mercy and readiness to do thee\ngood, against thy excessive fearfulness and despair.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Think how few there are in the world so likely for\nmercy as thyself. Look not only on a few that are better than thyself;\nbut think how five parts of the world are open infidels and heathens;\nand of the sixth part that are christians, how few are reformed from\npopish and barbarous ignorance and superstition: and among protestants\nhow small is the number of them that are less in love with sin than\nthyself! I know that many wicked men abuse this comparison to\npresumption, but I know also that a christian may and must use it\nagainst despair, and not think of God and the Redeemer as if he would\nsave so few as are next to none at all.\n\n_Direct._ XX. Remember that God commandeth faith and hope, and\nforbiddeth unbelief and despair,[377] and that it is your sin: and\nwill you sin more when you have sinned so much already? What if you\nsee no other reason why you should hope, and why you should not\ndespair, but God's command? Is not that enough? I charge you in the\nname of God obey him and despair not. Sin not wilfully thus against\nhim, Psal. cxlvi. 5; xxxi. 24; Rom. viii. 24; xv. 4, 13; Col. i. 23; 1\nThess. v. 8; Heb. iii. 6; vi. 11, 18, 19; Tit. i. 2. Hope is your\nduty; and dare you plead against duty? Despair is your sin, and will\nyou justify it? Yea, consider what a deal of comfort is in this; for\nif there were no hope of your salvation, God would never have made it\nyour duty to hope, nor forbidden you to despair. He doth not bid the\ndevils nor the damned hope as he doth you; he forbiddeth not them to\ndespair as he doth you: there is cause for this; he would have done\nit, if your condition were as hopeless as theirs is.\n\n_Direct._ XXI. If God forbid you to despair, it is certainly the devil\nthat biddeth it. And will you knowingly obey the devil? What if the\ndevil persuade you to it openly with his own mouth? would you not know\nthat it is bad which such an enemy draweth you to? Methinks this\nshould be a very great comfort to you, to think that it is the devil\nthat persuadeth you to despair? For that proveth that you should not\ndespair; and that proveth that your case is not desperate but hopeful.\n\n_Direct._ XXII. Think whither it tendeth: to despair is to give up all\nhopes of your salvation; and when you have no hope you will use no\nmeans; for to what purpose should a man seek for that which he hath no\nhopes to find? And so when this weight is taken off, all the wheels\nstand still. The meaning of the devil hath two parts: the first is, Do\nnot hear, nor read, nor pray, nor seek advice, nor talk any more about\nit with good people, for there is no hope. And the next part is,\neither make away thyself, or else sin boldly and take the pleasure of\nsin while thou mayst; for there is no hope of any better. And dost\nthou think that either of these is from God? Or is it for thy good?\nWhat is the meaning of all, but cast away thy soul? While thou hopest,\nthou wilt seek, and use some means; but to cast away hope is to cast\naway all. And hast thou so far lost self-love as to be thyself the\ndoer of such a deed?\n\n_Direct._ XXIII. Think what a wrong thou dost to the Father, the\nSaviour, and the Sanctifier of souls, to think so poorly and\ndespairingly of his grace, as if it were not able to prevail against\nthy sin; and to obscure thus the glory of his redemption; and to\nbelieve the devil in his slandering, extenuating, and dishonouring\nthat in God, which he will have most glorified by sinners!\n\n_Direct._ XXIV. Bethink thee what one person thou canst name in all\nthe world, that ever perished or was rejected, that was willing in\nthis life to be saved and sanctified by Christ, and had rather have\nChrist and perfect holiness than the treasures or pleasures of the\nworld. Name me any one such person if thou canst: but I am sure thou\ncanst not: and dost thou fear that which never was done to any one; or\nthink that Christ will begin with thee?\n\n_Direct._ XXV. Up, man, and be doing, and resolve in despite of the\ndevil that thou wilt wait on God in the use of means, and cast thyself\non Christ, and if thou perish thou wilt perish there. Do this, and\nthou shalt never perish. Thou canst not do worse than despair and give\nup all; nor canst thou please the devil more, nor displease God more,\nnor wrong Christ and the Spirit more. Thou art certain that thou canst\nlose nothing by trusting thy soul on Christ, and hoping in him, and\npatiently using his means; do but this, and hope shall save thee, when\nSatan by despair would damn thee.\n\n_Direct._ XXVI. Understand in what time and order it is that Christ\ngiveth his grace and saveth his people from their sins; that he doth\nit not all at once, but by degrees, and taketh all the time of this\npresent life to do it in. As able as your Physician is, he will not\nfinish the cure till your life be finished. The next life is the state\nof absolute perfection; all things are imperfect here: despair not\ntherefore of all that you have not yet attained; your sin may be more\nmortified yet, and your grace yet more strengthened. If it be done\nbefore you come to judgment it is well for you: do your part in daily\ndiligence: do you plant and water, and he will give the increase. Read\nmore of this before, part ii. against Melancholy.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[323] See Plutarch of Tranquillity of Mind.\n\n[324] 1 Pet. ii. 21-24; Isa. liii.\n\n[325] Solus Amor facit hominem bonum vel malum. Paul Scaliger. Thes.\np. 721.\n\n[326] Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it (much\nmore divine love); but wanton love corrupteth and embaseth it. Lord\nBacon, Essay 10.\n\n[327] Bias, in Laertio: Ita amandum quasi odio simus habituri:\nplurimos enim esse malos. Quam tamen sententiam Cicero in L\u00e6lio\nsapiente dicit plane indignum. Amicos sequere quos non pudeat\nelegisse. Idem ibid.\n\n[328] See before, chap. iv. part vii.\n\n[329] Read Mr. Burroughs's excellent treatise called \"The Jewel of\nContentment;\" and that excellent tract of a heathen, Plutarch de\n\"Tranquillitate Animi.\"\n\n[330] Mentem nullis imaginibus depictam habeat: nam si corde mundus et\nab universis imaginibus liber esse cupit, nil penitus cum amore\npossidere, nulli homini per voluntarium affectum singulari\nfamiliaritate, nullius ipsi, adh\u00e6rere debet. Omnis namque familiaritas\naut conversatio pure propter Dei amorem non inita, variis imaginibus\ninficit et perturbat hominum mentes, cum non ex Deo, sed ex carne\noriginem ducat. Quisquis in virum spiritualem et divinum proficere\ncupit, is, carnali vit\u00e2 penitus renunciata, Deo soli amore adh\u00e6reat\neundemque interiori homine suo peculiariter possideat, quo habito mox\nomnis multiplicitas, omnes imagines, omnis inordinatus erga creaturas\namor fortiter ab eo profligabuntur; Deo quippe per amorem intus\npossesso protinus ab universis homo imaginibus liberatur. Deus\nspiritus est, cujus imaginem nemo proprie exprimere aut effigiare\npotest. Thaulerus flor. p. 79, 80.\n\n[331] Stoici dicunt severos esse sapientes, quod neque ipsi loquantur ad\nvoluptatem, neque ab aliis ad voluptatem dicta admittant. Esse autem et\nalios severos, qui ad rationem acris vini severi dicantur; quo ad\nmedicamenta, potius quam ad propinationem, utuntur. Laert. in Zenone.\n\n[332] Prov. xix. 10, \"Delight is not seemly for a fool.\"\n\n[333] Siquis est quem flentem mori deceat, riderededecuit viventem;\ncum instare, semperque supra verticem videret, unde mors flendum\nsciret. Risum illum haud dubie fletus hic non longo sejunctus spatio\nsequebatur. Petrarch. dial. 119. li. 2.\n\n[334] See my Sermon at Paul's called \"Right Rejoicing.\" And here\nbefore, chap. iii. dir. xiii.\n\n[335] Doth any man doubt that if there were taken out of men's minds,\nvain opinions, flattering hopes, false valuations, imaginations, &c.\nbut it would leave the minds of a number of men, poor shrunken things,\nfull of melancholy and indisposition, and uncomfortable to themselves?\nLord Bacon's Essay, of Lies.\n\n[336] Of hatred to men I shall speak anon.\n\n[337] Malunt nescire, quia jam oderunt. Tertul. Apologet. c. 1.\n\n[338] Pene omnis sermo divinus habet \u00e6mulos suos: quot genera\npr\u00e6ceptorum sunt, tot adversariorum: si largitatem esse in omnibus jubet\nDominus, avarus irascitur: si parsimoniam exigit, prodigus execratur:\nsermones sacros, improbi, hostes suos dicunt. Salvian. li. 4. ad Eccles.\nCath. Non ego tibi inimicus, sed tu veritati. Hieron. in Gal. v.\n\n[339] Duo maxime contraria sunt consilio. Ira et festinatio. Bias in\nLaert.\n\n[340] Read Seneca de Ira, and be ashamed to come short of a heathen.\n\n[341] Proprium est magnitudinis ver\u00e6 non sentire se esse permissum.\nQui non irascitur, inconcussus injuria persistit: qui irascitur motus\nest. Senec. de Ira, lib. 3. c. 5.\n\n[342] Unicuique pertinacius contendenti justam habere causam permitte,\ntacendoque contumaci cede: sic uterque quieti et imperturbati\npermanebitis. Thauler. flor. pag. 84.\n\n[343] 2 Cor. v. 19, 20; Luke xiv. 17; Matt. xxii. 8.\n\n[344] Omnia Christe tui superant tormenta ferendo. Tollere qu\u00e6\nnequeunt, h\u00e6c tollerare queunt. His vita caruisse frui est: posuisse\npotiri. Et super\u00e2sse pati est: et superesse mori. Ad tribunal \u00e6ternum\njudicis provocatio salvet est: solet is perperam judicata rescindere.\nPetrarch. dial. 66. lib. 2.\n\n[345] Job xiii. 25; Psal. i. 5, 6; lxviii. 2; lxxiii. 20; Job xx. 8.\nVictor Uticens. saith of Augustine, that he died of fear. Nunc illud\neloquenti\u00e6, quod ubertim per omnes campos ecclesi\u00e6 decurrebat, ipso\nmetu siccatum est flamen: when Gensericus besieged Hippo.\n\n[346] Valentinianus jussus ab Imperatore Juliano immolare idolis, aut\nmilitia excedere, sponte discessit. nec mora qui pro nomine Christi\namiserat tribunatum, in locum persecutoris sui accepit imperium. Paul.\nDiaconus, l. 1. p. 1.\n\n[347] When Socrates' wife, lamenting him, said, Injust\u00e8 morieris: he\nanswered, An tu juste malles? Laert. in Socrat.\n\n[348] The seven brethren that suffered in Africa under Hunnericus,\nIncedebant cum fiducia ad supplicium quasi ad epulas, decantantes,\nGloria Deo in excelsis, &c. Votiva nobis h\u00e6c est dies, et omni\nsolennitate festivior. Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile, ecce nunc dies\nest salutis, quando pro fide nunc domini dei nostri perferimus\npr\u00e6paratum supplicium, ne amittamus acquisit\u00e6 fidei intumentum. Sed et\npopuli publica voce clamabant: Ne timeatis populi Dei, neque\nformidetis minas atque terrores pr\u00e6sentium tribulationum, sed moriamur\npro Christo, ut ipse mortuus est, redimens nos pretioso sanguine\nsalutari. Victor. Uticens. p. 368. In Paulo quinque gloriationes\nobservavi. Gloriatur in imbecillitate, in cruce Christi, in bona\nconscientia; in afflictionibus, in spe vit\u00e6 \u00e6tern\u00e6. Bucholtzer.\n\n[349] Idololatria tam altas in mundo egit radices, ut non possit\nextirpari: ideo optimum est confiteri et pati. Bucholtzer. Victor.\nUticensis saith, that Gensericus commanded that when Masculinus came\nto die, if he were fearful, they should execute him, that he might die\nwith shame, but if he were constant, they should forbear, lest he\nshould have the honour of a glorious martyrdom. And so his boldness\nsaved his life. Et si martyrem invidus hostis noluit facere\nconfessorem, tamen non potuit violare.\n\n[350] Anacharsis (in Laertio) percontanti qu\u00e6dam esset securissima\nnavis: ea inquit, qu\u00e6 in portum venerit: in heaven we shall be quiet\nfrom all these tumults.\n\n[351] Ingenii philosophici est ex inimicorum odio decerpere aliquid\nquod vertat in suum bonum. Paul. Scalig. p. 728.\n\n[352] Extinctus amabiter idem.\n\n[353] Heb. x. 31, 26, 27, 29; xii. 29.\n\n[354] Qui propter timorem reticet veritatem, veritatis proditor est.\nHincmar. Rhemens. Dialog. de Statu. Eccl.\n\n[355] See Isa. vii. 4; xxxv. 4; xli. 10, 13; xlii. 2, 8; liv. 4; Jer.\nv. 22.\n\n[356] Plus dicam: tanto est melius juste etiam damnari quam in juste\nabsolvi, quanto est pejus impunitum crimen quam punitum: in hoc enim\nceleri juncta justitia est: malo magno bonum ingens: in illo autem\nscelus el impunitas, qu\u00e6 nescio, an scelere ipso pejor fit. Plutarch.\ndial. 66. li. 2.\n\n[357] See after, part iii. c. 29. tit. 3. and c. 30.\n\n[358] Even sorrow that profiteth not, may testify a just affection. It\nis said by Laertius, that when Solon was reproved for mourning for his\nson, with a Nihil proficis; he answered, At propter hoc ipsum\nillachrymor, quia nihil proficio.\n\n[359] That very old book of Hermes, called \"Pastor,\" notably showeth\nhow much grief and heaviness is an enemy to christianity and the\nSpirit of God.\n\n[360] Pittaci sententia fuit, prudentiam virorum esse prius-quam\nadversa contingant, providere ne veniant: fortium vero, cum illa\ncontigerint, \u00e6quo animo ferre. Laert. in Pittac.\n\n[361] Acts viii. 8.\n\n[362] Libenter feras quod necesse est: dolor patientia vincitur.\nMartin. Dumiens. de Morib. Tristitiam sin potes, ne admiseris: sin\nminus: ne ostenderis. Id. ib.\n\n[363] See Mr. Fenner's book of Wilful Impenitency.\n\n[364] Even Anaxagoras, a philosopher, could say to one that asked him,\nNullane tibi patri\u00e6 cura est? Mihi quidem patri\u00e6 cura est, et quidem\nsumma: digitum in c\u0153lum intendens. Laert. p. 85.\n\n[365] See more of the cure of doubting, ch. 25. part ii.\n\n[366] John iii. 3, 5; Heb. xii. 14; Matt. xviii. 3; Luke xiii. 3; Rom.\nviii. 7, 9, 13; 2 Cor. v. 17; Gal. v. 24.\n\n[367] Judas perished not merely by despair; but he had no such\nrepentance as renewed his soul, nor any love to God and holiness.\n\n[368] John i. 11, 12; iii. 16, 18; Rev. xxii. 17; 1 John v. 11, 12;\nJohn v. 40; Luke xix. 27.\n\n[369] Though the troubles of some call for a larger discourse of this\nsin, yet having written a Treatise of it, I must not here be tedious\nin reciting what is there said already.\n\n[370] It seemeth to be Isaac's repentance which Esau found no place\nfor. But if it be spoken of the unacceptableness of his own\nrepentance, when it was too late, it signifieth not that any man's is\ntoo late in this life as to salvation.\n\n[371] De qu\u00e2 vide Tract. Rob. Baronii of Mortal and Venial Sin.\n\n[372] Luke vii. 47.\n\n[373] John v. 40.\n\n[374] Luke xv. 20, 22, 23.\n\n[375] Deut. vi. 6-8; xi. 18-20.\n\n[376] Eph. iv. 19.\n\n[377] Psal. xxxiii. 18; xlii. 5; xliii. 5; cxlvii. 11; lxxi. 14.\n\n\n\n\n                             CHAPTER VIII.\n\n              DIRECTIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SENSES.\n\n\n                                PART I.\n\n          _General Directions for the Government of the Senses\n                         (by a Life of Faith)._\n\nThe most wise and gracious God, having been pleased to constitute us\nof soul and body, that our nobler part, in its preparation and passage\nto a nobler state, might have a companion and instrument suited to the\nlower place and employment, through which it is to pass, hath\nappointed our senses not only for the exercise and helps of life, and\nthe management of our inferior actions, and the communication of his\ninferior mercies, but also to be the common passage to the fantasy,\nand so to the mind, and to be serviceable to our rational powers, and\nhelp in our service of our Maker, and communion with him in his higher\ngifts. To these ends all our senses should be used; as being capable\nof being sanctified and serviceable to God. But sin made its entrance\nby them, and by sin they are now corrupted and vitiated with the body,\nand are grown inordinate, violent, and unruly in their appetite; and\nthe rational powers having lost and forsaken God, their proper end and\nchiefest object, have hired or captivated themselves to the sensitive\nappetite, to serve its ends. And so the sensitive appetite is become\nthe ruling faculty in the unsanctified, and the senses the common\nentrance of sin, and instruments of Satan: and though the work of\ngrace be primarily in the rational powers, yet secondarily the lower\npowers themselves also are sanctified, and brought under the\ngovernment of a renewed mind and will, and so restored to their proper\nuse. And though I cannot say that grace immediately maketh any\nalteration on the senses, yet mediately it doth, by altering the mind,\nand so the will, and then the imagination, and so the sensitive\nappetite, and so in exercise the sense itself. We see that temperance\nand chastity do not only restrain, but take down the appetite from the\nrage and violence which before it had: not the natural appetite, but\nthe sensitive, so far as it is sinful.\n\nThe sanctifying and government of the senses and their appetite, lieth\nin two parts: first, In guarding them against the entrance of sin: and\nsecondly, In using them to be the entrance of good into the soul. But\nthis latter is so high a work that too few are skilled in it; and few\ncan well perform the other.\n\n_Direct._ I. The principal part of the work is about the superior\nfaculties, to get a well-informed judgment, and a holy and confirmed\nwill; and not about the sense itself. Reason is dethroned by sin; and\nthe will is left unguided and unguarded to the rapes of sensual\nviolence. Reason must be restored, before sense will be well governed;\nfor what else must be their immediate governor? It is no sin in brutes\nto live by sense, because they have not reason to rule it: and in man it\nis ruled more or less, as reason is more or less restored. When reason\nis only cleared about things temporal, (as in men of worldly wisdom,)\nthere sense will be mastered and ruled as to such temporal ends, as far\nas they require it. But where reason is sanctified, there sense is ruled\nto the ends of sanctification, according to the measure of grace.\n\n_Direct._ II. It is only the high, eternal things of God and our\nsalvation, objectively settled in the mind and will, and become as it\nwere connatural to them, and made our ruling end and interest that can\nsuffice to a true and holy government of the senses. Lower things may\nmuzzle them, and make men seem temperate and sober as far as their\nhonour, and wealth, and health, and life require it: but this is but\nstopping a gap, while most of the hedge lieth open, and engaging the\nsense to serve the flesh, the world, and the devil, in a handsome, calm,\nand less dishonoured way, and not so filthily and furiously as others.\n\n_Direct._ III. The main part of this government in the exercise, is in\ntaking special care that no sensitive good be made the ultimate end of\nour desire, nor sought for itself, nor rested in, nor delighted in too\nmuch; but to see that the soul (having first habitually fixed on its\nproper higher end and happiness) do direct all the actions of every\nsense (so far as it falls under deliberation and choice) to serve it\nremotely to those holy ends. For the sense is not sanctified, if it be\nnot used to a holy end; and its object is not sanctified to us, if it\nbe not made serviceable to more holy objects. A mere negative\nrestraint of sense for common ends, is but such as those ends are for\nwhich it is done. When the eyes, and ears, and taste, and feeling are\nall taught by reason to serve God to his glory and our salvation,\nthen, and never till then, they are well governed.\n\n_Direct._ IV. To this end the constant use of a lively belief of the\nword of God and the things unseen of the other world, must be the first\nand principal means by which our reason must govern every sense, both as\nto their restraint and their right employment. And therefore living by\nsight and living by faith are opposed in Scripture, 2 Cor. v. 7. For \"we\nwalk by faith, not by sight;\" that is, sight and sense are not our\nprincipal guiding faculty, but subservient to faith; nor the objects of\nsight the things which we principally or ultimately seek or set by, but\nthe objects of faith; as it is before expounded, 2 Cor. iv. 18, \"While\nwe look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are\nnot seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things\nwhich are not seen are eternal.\" Therefore \"faith\" is described to be\nthe \"substance of things hoped for,\" and \"the evidence of things not\nseen,\" Heb. xi. 1. Believing is to a christian instead of seeing;\nbecause he knoweth by God's testimony, that the things believed are\ntrue, though they are unseen. And you know that the objects of sense are\nall but trifles, to the great astonishing objects of faith. Therefore if\nfaith be lively, it must needs prevail and overrule the senses, because\nits objects utterly cloud and make nothing of the transitory objects of\nsense. Therefore the apostle John saith, 1 John v. 4, \"Whatsoever is\nborn of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that\novercometh the world, even our faith.\" And \"Moses, by seeing him that is\ninvisible,\" overcame the desires of Egypt's treasures, and the \"fear of\nthe wrath of the king, having respect to the recompence of reward,\" Heb.\nxi. 26, 27. Stephen easily bore his cruel death, when \"he saw heaven\nopened, and Christ standing at the right hand of God,\" Acts vii. 56. I\ndare appeal to that man that is most sensual, and saith, I am not able\nto deny my appetite, or rule my senses, whether he would not be able if\nhe did but see at the same time what is done in the other world? If he\nsaw heaven, and hell, the glorified and the damned, and saw the majesty\nof that God who commandeth him to forbear, would he not then be able to\nlet alone the cup, the dish, the harlot, the sport, which is now so\npowerful with him? I would not thank the most beastly sensualist among\nyou, to live as temperately (as to the act) as the strictest saint\nalive, if he did but see the worlds which departed souls now see. It is\nnot possible but it would overpower his sensual desires; yea, and call\noff those senses to serve him in some inquiry what he should do to be\nsaved. Therefore if believing the unseen world, be instead of seeing it\nwith our eyes, it is most certain that the means to overcome sensuality\nis faith, and lively belief must rule our senses.\n\n_Direct._ V. The more this belief of God and glory doth kindle love to\nthem, the more effectual it will be in the government of the senses. Our\ncommon proverb saith, Where the love is, there is the eye. How readily\ndoth it follow the heart! Love will not alter the sense itself, but it\ncommandeth the use of all the senses. It will not clear a dim, decayed\nsight; but it will command it what to look upon. As the stronger love of\none dish, or one sport, or one company, will carry you from another\nwhich you love more faintly; so the love of God, and heaven, and\nholiness, will carry you from the captivity of all sensual things.\n\n_Direct._ VI. It must be well considered how powerful and dangerous\nthings sensible are, and how high and hard a work it is in this our\ndepraved, earthly state, to live by faith upon things unseen, and to\nrule the sense and be carried above it: that so the soul may be awakened\nto a sufficient fear and watchfulness, and may fly to Christ for\nassistance to his faith. It is no small thing for a man in flesh, to\nlive above flesh. The way of the soul's reception and operation, is so\nmuch by the senses here, that it is apt to grow too familiar with things\nsensible, and to be strange to things which it never saw. It is a great\nwork to make a man in flesh to deny the pleasures which he seeth, and\ntasteth, and feeleth, for such pleasures as he only heareth of; and\nheareth of as never to be enjoyed till after death, in a world which\nsense hath no acquaintance with. Oh what a glory it is to faith, that it\ncan perform such a work as this! How hard is it to a weak believer! And\nthe strongest find it work enough. Consider this, that it may awake you\nto set upon this work with that care that the greatness of it requireth,\nand you may live by faith above a life of sight and sense; for it is\nthis that your happiness or misery lieth on.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Sense must not only be kept out of the throne, but from\nany participation in the government; and we must take heed of\nreceiving it into our counsels, or treating with it, or hearing it\nplead its cause; and we must see that it get nothing by striving,\nimportunity, or violence, but that it be governed despotically and\nabsolutely, as the horse is governed by the rider. For if the\ngovernment once be halved between sense and reason, your lives will be\nhalf bestial: and when reason ruleth not, faith and grace ruleth not;\nfor faith is to reason as sight to the eye. There are no such beasts\nin human shape, who lay by all the use of reason, and are governed by\nsense alone (unless it be idiots or mad-men). But sense should have no\npart of the government at all. And where it is chief in power, the\ndevil is there the unseen governor. You cannot here excuse yourselves\nby any plea of necessity or constraint: for though the sense be\nviolent as well as enticing, yet God hath made the reason and will the\nabsolute governors under him; and by all its rebellion and violence,\nsense cannot depose them, nor force them to one sin, but doth all the\nmischief by procuring their consent. Which is done sometimes by\naffecting the fantasy and passions too deeply with the pleasure and\nalluring sweetness of their objects, that so the higher faculties may\nbe drawn into consent; and sometimes by wearying out the resisting\nmind and will, and causing them to remit their opposition, and relax\nthe reins, and by a sinful privation of restraint to permit the sense\nto take its course. A headstrong horse is not so easily ruled, as one\nof a tender mouth that hath been well ridden; and, therefore, though\nit be in the power of the rider to rule him, yet sometimes for his own\nease he will loose the reins: and a horse that is used thus by a\nslothful or unskilful rider, to have his will whenever he striveth,\nwill strive whenever he is crossed of his will, and so will be the\nmaster. As ill-bred children that are used to have every thing given\nthem which they cry for, will be sure to cry before they will be\ncrossed of their desire. So it is with our sensitive appetite: if you\nuse to satisfy it when it is eager or importunate, you shall be\nmastered by its eagerness and importunity; and if you use but to\nregard it overmuch, and delay your commands till sense is heard and\ntaken into counsel, it is two to one but it will prevail, or at least\nwill be very troublesome to you, and prove a traitor in your bosom,\nand its temptations keep you in continual danger. Therefore be sure\nthat you never loose the reins; but keep sense under a constant\ngovernment, if you love either your safety or your ease.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. You may know whether sense, or faith and reason, be\nthe chief in government, by knowing which of their objects is made\nyour chiefest end, and accounted your best, and loved, and delighted\nin, and sought accordingly. If the objects of sense be thus taken for\nyour best and end, then certainly sense is the chief in government;\nbut if the objects of faith and reason, even God and life eternal, be\ntaken for your best and end, then faith and reason are the ruling\npower. Though you should use never so great understanding and policy\nfor sensual things, (as riches, and honour, and worldly greatness, or\nfleshly delights,) this doth not prove that reason is the ruling\npower; but proveth the more strongly that sense is the conqueror, and\nthat reason is depraved and captivated by it, and truckleth under it,\nand serveth it as a voluntary slave. And the greater is your learning,\nwit, and parts, and the nobler your education, the greater is the\nvictory and dominion of sense, that can subdue, and rule, and serve\nitself by parts so noble.\n\n[Sidenote: Deny not sense with the papists.]\n\n_Direct._ IX. Though sense must be thus absolutely ruled, its proper\npower must neither be disabled, prohibited, nor denied. You must keep\nyour horse strong and able for his work, though not headstrong and\nunruly; and you must not keep him from the use of his strength, though\nyou grant him not the government. Nor will you deny but that he may be\nstronger than the rider, though the rider have the ruling power: he hath\nmore of the power called \u03b4\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03bc\u03b9\u03c2, natural power, though the \u03b5\u03be\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b9\u03b1 be\nyours. So it is here: 1. No man must destroy his bodily sense; the\nquickest sense is the best servant to the soul, if it be not headstrong\nand too impetuous. The body must be stricken so far as to be \"kept under\nand brought into subjection,\" 1 Cor. ix. 27; but not be disabled from\nits service to the soul. 2. Nor must we forbid or forbear the exercise\nof the senses, in subordination to the exercise of the inferior senses,\nHeb. iv. 14. It is indeed a smaller loss to part with a right hand or a\nright eye, than with our salvation; but that proveth not that we are put\nto such straits as to be necessitated to either (unless persecution put\nus to it). 3. Nor must we deny the certainty of the sensitive\napprehension, when it keepeth its place; as the papists do, that affirm\nit necessary to salvation to believe that the sight, and taste, and\nsmell, and feeling of all men in the world, that take the sacrament, are\ncertainly deceived, in taking that to be bread and wine which is not so.\nFor if all the senses of all men, though never so sound and rational,\nbe certainly deceived in this, we know not when they are not deceived,\nand there can be no certainty of faith or knowledge: for if you say that\nthe church telleth us that sense is deceived in this, and only in this,\nI answer, If it be not first granted that sense (as so stated) is\ncertain in its apprehension, there is no certainty then that there is a\nchurch, or a man, or a world, or what the church ever said, or any\nmember of it. And if sense be so fallible, the church may be deceived,\nwho by the means of sense doth come to all her knowledge. To deny faith\nis the property of an infidel; to deny reason is to deny humanity, and\nis fittest for a mad-man, or a beast (if without reason, reason could be\ndenied); but to deny the certainty of sense itself, and of all the\nsenses of all sound men, and that about the proper objects of sense,\nthis showeth that ambition can make a religion, which shall bring man\nquite below the beasts, and make him a mushroom, that Rome may have\nsubjects capable of her government; and all this under pretence of\nhonouring faith, and saving souls; making God the destroyer of nature in\norder to its perfection, and the deceiver of nature in order to its\nedification.\n\n_Direct._ X. Sense must not be made the judge of matters that are\nabove it, as the proper objects of faith and reason; nor must we argue\nnegatively from our senses in such cases, which God in nature never\nbrought into their court. We cannot say that there is no God, no\nheaven, no hell, no angels, no souls of men, because we see them not.\nWe cannot say, I see not the antipodes, nor other kingdoms of the\nworld, and therefore there is no such place: so we say, as well as the\npapists, that sense is no judge whether the spiritual body of Christ\nbe present in the sacrament, no more than whether an angel be here\npresent. But sense with reason is the judge whether bread and wine be\nthere present, or else human understanding can judge of nothing.\nChrist would have had Thomas to have believed without seeing and\nfeeling, and blesseth those that neither see him nor feel, and yet\nbelieve; but he never blesseth men for believing contrary to the\nsight, and feeling, and taste, and all that have sound senses and\nunderstandings in the world. Their instance of the Virgin's conception\nof Christ, is nothing contrary to this; for it belongeth not to sense\nto judge whether a virgin may conceive. Nor will any wise man's reason\njudge, that the Creator, who in making the world of nothing was the\nonly cause, cannot supply the place of a partial second cause in\ngeneration: they might more plausibly argue with Aristotle against the\ncreation itself, that _ex nihilo nihil fit_; but as it is past doubt,\nthat the infallibility of sense is nothing at all concerned in this,\nso it is sufficiently proved by christians, that God can create\nwithout any pre-existent matter. Reason can see much further than\nsense by the help of sense; and yet much further by the help of divine\nrevelation by faith. To argue negatively against the conclusions of\nreason or divine revelation, from the mere negation of sensitive\napprehension, is to make a beast of man. We must not be so irrational\nor impious, as to say, that there is nothing but what we have seen, or\nfelt, or tasted, &c. If we will believe others who have seen them,\nthat there are other parts of the world, we have full reason to\nbelieve the sealed testimony of God himself, that there are such\nsuperior worlds and powers as he hath told us. We have the use of\nsense in hearing, or seeing God's revelation; and we have no more in\nreceiving man's report of those countries which we never saw.\n\nIf they will make it the question, whether the sense may not be\ndeceived; I answer, we doubt not by distance of the objects, or\ndistempers, or disproportions of itself or the media, it may: but if the\nsense itself, and all the means and objects, have their natural\nsoundness, aptitude, and disposition, it is a contradiction to say it is\ndeceived; for that is to say, it is not the sense which we suppose it\nis. If God deceive it thus, he maketh it another thing. It is no more\nthe same, nor will admit the same definition. But, however, it is most\nevident, that the senses being the first entrance or inlet of knowledge,\nthe first certainty must be there, which is presupposed to the certain\njudgment of the intellect; but if these err, all following certainty\nwhich supposeth the certainty of the senses is destroyed; and this error\nin the first reception (like an error in the first concoction) is not\nrectified by the second. And if God should thus leave all men under a\nfallibility of sense, he should leave no certainty in the world; and I\ndesire those that know the definition of a lie, to consider whether this\nbe not to feign God to lie in the very frame of nature, and by constant\nlies to rule the world, when yet it is impossible for God to lie. And if\nthis blasphemy were granted them, yet it would be man's duty still to\njudge by such senses as he hath about the objects of sense; for if God\nhave made them fallible, we cannot make them better; nor can we create a\nreason in ourselves which shall not presuppose the judgment of sense, or\nwhich shall supply its ordinary, natural defects. So that the Roman\nfaith of transubstantiation, denying the reality of bread and wine, doth\nnot only unman the world, but bring man lower than a beast, and make\nsense to be no sense, and the world to be governed by natural deceit or\nlies, and banish all certainty of faith and reason from the earth. And\nafter all, (with such wonderful enmity to charity as maketh man liker\nthe devil, than else could easily be believed,) they sentence all to\nhell that believe not this; and decree to burn them first on earth, and\nto depose temporal lords from their dominions, that favour them, or that\nwill not exterminate them from their lands, and so absolve their\nsubjects from their allegiance, and give their dominions to others. All\nthis you may read in the third canon of the Lateran general council\nunder Innocent III.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Look not upon any object of sense with sense alone, nor\nstop in it, but let reason begin where sense doth end, and always see by\nfaith or reason the part which is invisible, as well as the sensible\npart by sense. By that which is seen, collect and rise up to that which\nis unseen. If God had given us an eye, or ear, or taste, or feeling, and\nnot a mind, then we should have exercised no other faculty but what we\nhad. But sure he that hath given us the higher faculty, requireth that\nwe use it as well as the lower. And remember that they are not mere\nco-ordinate faculties, but the sensitive faculty is subordinate to the\nintellectual: and accordingly that which the sensible creature\nobjectively revealeth through the sense unto the intellect, is something\nto which things sensible are subordinate. Therefore if you stop in\nsensible things, and see not the principle which animateth them, the\npower which ordereth and ruleth them, and the end which they are made\nfor, and must be used for, you play the beasts; you see nothing but a\ndead carcass without the soul, and nothing but a useless, senseless\nthing. You know nothing indeed to any purpose; no, not the creature\nitself; while you know not the use and meaning of the creature, but\nseparate it from its life, and guide, and end.\n\n_Direct._ XII. First therefore see that you ever look upon all things\nsensible as the products of the will of the invisible God, depending on\nhim more than the sunshine doth upon the sun; and never see or taste a\ncreature separatedly from God. Will you know what a plant is, and not\nknow that it is the earth that beareth and nourisheth it? Will you know\nwhat a fish is, and yet be ignorant that he liveth in the water? Will\nyou know what a branch or fruit is, and yet not know that it groweth on\nthe tree? The nature of things cannot be known without the knowledge of\ntheir causes and respective parts. It is as no knowledge to know\nincoherent scraps and parcels. To know a hand as no part of the body, or\nan eye or nose without knowing a head, or a body without knowing its\nlife or soul, is not to know it, for you make it another thing. It is\nthe difference between a wise man and a fool, that _sapiens respicit ad\nplura, insipiens ad pauciora_: a wise man looketh comprehensively to\nthings as they are conjunct, and takes all together, and leaveth out\nnothing that is useful to his end; but a fool seeth one thing, and\noverseeth another which is necessary to the true knowledge or use of\nthat which he seeth. See God as the cause and life of every thing you\nsee. As a carcass is but a ghastly sight without the soul, and quickly\ncorrupteth and stinketh when it is separated; so the creature without\nGod is an unlovely sight, and quickly corrupteth and becomes a snare or\nannoyance to you. God is the beauty of all that is beautiful, and the\nstrength of all that is strong, and the glory of the sun and all that is\nglorious, and the wisdom of all that is wise, and the goodness of all\nthat is good, as being the only original, total cause of all. You play\nthe brutes, when you see the creature, and overlook its Maker, from whom\nit is, whatsoever it is. Will you see the dial, and overlook the sun?\nRemember it is the use of every creature to show you God, and therefore\nit is the use of every sense to promote the knowledge of him.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. See God as the Conducter, Orderer, and Disposer of all\nthe creatures, according to their natures, as moved necessarily or\nfreely; and behold not any of the motions or events of the world,\nwithout observing the interest, and overruling hand of God. Sense\nreacheth but to the effects and events; but reason and faith can see\nthe First Cause and Disposer of all. Again, I tell you, that if you\nlook but on the particles of things by sense, and see not God that\nsetteth all together, and doth his work by those that never dream of\nit, you see but the several wheels and parcels of a clock or watch,\nand know not him that made and keepeth it, that setteth on the poise,\nand winds it up, to fit his ends. Joseph could say, God sent me\nhither, when his brethren sold him into Egypt; and David felt his\nFather's rod in Shimei's curse.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. See God the End of every creature; how all things are\nordered for his service; and be sure you stop not in any creature,\nwithout referring it to a higher end: else, as I have oft told you,\nyou will be but like a child or illiterate person, who openeth a book,\nand admireth the workmanship of the printer, and the order and\nwell-forming of the letters, but never mindeth or understandeth the\nsubject, sense, or end. Or like one that looketh on a comely picture,\nand never mindeth either him that made it, or him that is represented\nby it. Or like one that gazeth on the sign at an inn-door, and\npraiseth the workmanship, but knoweth not that it is set there to\ndirect him to entertainment and necessaries within. And this folly and\nsin is the greater, because it is the very end of God in all his works\nof creation and providence, to reveal himself by them to the\nintellectual world; and must God show his power, and wisdom, and\ngoodness so wonderfully in the frame of the creation, and in his daily\ngeneral and particular providence? and shall man, that daily seeth all\nthis, overlook the intended use and end? and so make all his glorious\nwork as nothing, or as lost to him? Sense knoweth no end but to its\nown delight, and the natural felicity of the sensitive creature, such\nas things sensible afford; but reason must take up the work where\nsense doth end its stage, and carry all home to him that is the End of\nall. \"For OF him, and THROUGH him, and TO him, are all things, to whom\nbe glory for ever. Amen,\" Rom. xi. 36.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Besides the general use and ultimate end of every\ncreature, labour for a clear acquaintance with the particular use and\nnearer end of every thing which you have to do with, by which it is\nserviceable to your ultimate end, and suppose still you saw that\nspecial use as subserving your highest end, as the title written upon\neach creature. As, suppose upon your Bible it were written, The word\nof the living God, to acquaint me with himself and his will, that I\nmay please, and glorify, and enjoy him for ever. And upon your godly\nfriend suppose you saw this title written, A servant of God, that\nbeareth his image, and appointed to accompany and assist me in his\nservice unto life everlasting. Upon your meat suppose you saw this\ntitle written, The provisions of my Father, sent me as from my\nSaviour's hands, not to gratify my sensuality, and serve my inordinate\ndesires, but to refresh and strengthen my body for his service in my\npassage to everlasting life. So upon your clothes, your servants, your\ngoods, your cattle, your houses, and every thing you have, inscribe\nthus their proper use and end.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Know both the final and the mediate danger, of every\nthing that you have to do with; and suppose you still see them written\nupon every thing you see. The final danger is hell; the mediate danger\nin general is sin; but you must find what sin it is that this creature\nwill be made a temptation to by the devil and the flesh. As, suppose\nyou saw written upon money and riches, The bait of covetousness and\nall evil, to pierce me through with many sorrows, and then to damn me.\nAnd suppose you saw written upon great buildings, and estates, and\nhonours, and attendance, The great price which the devil would give\nfor souls; and the baits to tempt men to the inordinate love of\nfleshly pleasures, and to draw their hearts from God and heaven to\ntheir damnation. Suppose you still saw written upon beauty, and\ntempting actions and attire, The bait of lust, by which the devil\ncorrupteth the minds of men to their damnation. Suppose you saw\nwritten on the play-house door, The stage of the mountebank of hell,\nwho here cheateth men of their precious time, and enticeth them to\nvanity, luxury, and damnation, under pretence of instructing them by a\nnearer and more pleasant way than preachers do. The like I say of\ngaming, recreations, company: see the particular snare in all.\n\n_Direct._ XVII. To this end be well acquainted with your own\nparticular inclinations and distempers, that you may know what\ncreature is like to prove most dangerous to you, that there you may\nkeep the strictest watch. If you be subject to pride, keep most from\nthe baits of pride, and watch most cautelously against them. If you be\nsubject to covetousness, watch most against the baits of covetousness.\nIf you are inclined to lust, away from the sight of alluring objects.\nThe knowledge of your temper and disease must direct you both in your\ndiet and your physic.\n\n_Direct._ XVIII. Live as in a constant course of obedience; and\nsuppose you saw the law of God also written upon every thing you see.\nAs when you look on any tempting beauty, suppose you saw this written\non the forehead, Thou shalt not lust--Whoremongers and adulterers God\nwill judge--They shall not enter into the kingdom of God.[378] See\nupon the forbidden dish or cup the prohibition of God, Thou shalt not\neat or drink this. See upon money and riches this written, Thou shalt\nnot covet. See upon the face of all the world, \"Love not the world,\nnor the things that are in the world: if any man love the world, the\nlove of the Father is not in him,\" 1 John ii. 15. Thus see the will of\nGod on all things.\n\n_Direct._ XIX. Make not the objects of sense over-tempting and dangerous\nto yourselves; but take special care, as much as in you lieth, to order\nall so, that you may have as much of the benefit, and as little of the\nsnare of the creature as is possible. Would you not be gluttonous\npleasers of your appetite? choose not then too full a table, nor\nover-pleasant, tempting drinks or dishes, and yet choose those that are\nmost useful to your health. Would you not over-love the world, nor your\npresent house, or lands, or station? Be not too instrumental yourselves\nin gilding or dulcifying your bait! if you put in the sugar, the devil\nand the flesh will put in the poison. Will you make all as pleasant and\nlovely as you can, when you believe that the over-loving them is the\ngreatest danger to your salvation? Will you be the greatest tempters to\nyourselves, and then desire God not to lead you into temptation?\n\n_Direct._ XX. Let not the tempting object be too near your sense; for\nnearness enrageth the sensitive appetite, and giveth you an\nopportunity of sinning. Come not too near the fire if you would not be\nburnt (and yet use prudence in keeping the usefulness of it for\nwarmth, though you avoid the burning). Distance from the snares of\npride, and lust, and passion, and other sins, is a most approved\nremedy, and nearness is their strength.\n\n_Direct._ XXI. Accustom your souls to frequent and familiar exercise\nabout their invisible objects, as well as your senses about theirs.\nAnd as you are daily and hourly in seeing, and tasting, and hearing\nthe creature, so be not rarely in the humble adoration of him that\nappeareth to you in them. Otherwise use will make the creature so\nfamiliar to you, and disuse will make God so strange, that by degrees\nyou will wear yourselves out of his acquaintance, and become like\ncarnal, sensual men, and live all by sense, and forget the holy\nexercise of the life of faith.\n\n_Direct._ XXII. Lose not your humble sense of the badness of your\nhearts, how ready they are as tinder to take the fire of every\ntemptation; and never grow fool-hardy and confident of yourselves. For\nyour holy fear is necessary to your watchfulness, and your\nwatchfulness is necessary to your escape and safety. Peter's\nself-confidence betrayed him to deny his Lord. Had Noah, and Lot, and\nDavid been more afraid of the sin, they had been like to have escaped\nit. It is a part of the character of the beastly heretics that Jude\ndeclaimeth against, that they were \"spots in their feasts of charity,\nwhen they feasted with the church, feeding themselves without fear,\"\nver. 12. When the knowledge or sense of your weakness and sinful\ninclination is gone, then fear is gone, and then safety is gone, and\nyour fall is near.\n\n\n                                PART II.\n\n        _Particular Directions far the Government of the Eyes._\n\n_Direct._ I. Know the uses that your sight is given you for. As, 1. To\nsee the works of God, that thereby your minds may see God himself. 2.\nTo read the word of God, that therein you may perceive his mind. 3. To\nsee the servants of God whom you must love, and the poor whom you must\nrelieve or pity, and all the visible objects of your duty; to conduct\nyour body in the discharge of its office about all the matters of the\nworld.[379] And in special often to look up towards heaven, the place\nwhere your blessed Lord is glorified, and whence he shall come to take\nyou to his glory.\n\n_Direct._ II. Remember the sins which the eye is most in danger of,\nthat you may be watchful and escape. 1. You must take heed of a proud,\nand lofty, and scornful eye; which looketh on yourselves with\nadmiration and delight, as the peacock is said to do on his tail, and\non others as below you with slighting and disdain.[380] 2. You must\ntake heed of a lustful, wanton eye, which secretly carrieth out your\nheart to a befooling piece of dirty flesh, and stealeth from beauty\nand ornaments a spark to kindle that fire which prepareth for\neverlasting fire.[381] 3. Take heed of a greedy, covetous eye, which\nwith Achan and Gehazi looketh on the bait to tempt you to unlawful\nlove and desire, and to bring you by their sin unto their ruin.[382]\n4. Take heed of a luxurious, gluttonous, and drunken eye;[383] which\nis looking on the forbidden fruit, and on the tempting dish, and the\ndelicious cup, till it have provoked the appetite of that greedy worm,\nwhich must be pleased, though at the rate of thy damnation. 5. Take\nheed of a gazing, wandering eye,[384] which, like a vagrant, hath no\nhome, nor work, nor master, but gaddeth about to seek after death, and\nfind out matter for temptation. Prov. xvii. 24, \"Wisdom is before him\nthat hath understanding, but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the\nearth.\" 6. Take heed of an envious eye, which looketh with dislike and\ndiscontent at the prosperity of others, especially such as stand cross\nto your own interest.[385] Matt. xx. 15, \"Is thine eye evil because I\nam good?\" It is the envious eye that in Scripture most usually is\ncalled by the name of an evil eye, \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2 \u03bf\u03c6\u03b8\u03b1\u03bb\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2. It is an eye that\nwould see evil rather than good upon another:[386] as Deut. xv. 9,\n\"Lest thine eye be evil against thy poor brother,\" &c. Prov. xxiii. 6,\nit is an eye that grudgeth another any thing that is ours. So Prov.\nxxviii. 22; Mark vii. 22. 7. Take heed of a passionate, cruel eye,\nthat kindleth the hurting or reviling fire in thy breast, or is\nkindled by it; that fetcheth matter of rage or malice from all that\ndispleaseth thee in another.[387] 8. Take heed of a self-conceited and\ncensorious eye, that looketh on all the actions of another with\nquarrelling, undervaluing, censure, or reproach.[388] 9. Take heed of\na fond and fanciful eye, that falls in love too much with houses, or\nfriend, or child, or goods, or whatsoever pleaseth it. 10. Take heed\nof a sleepy, sluggish eye, that is shut to good, and had rather sleep\nthan watch, and read, and pray, and labour.[389] 11. Abhor a malignant\neye, which looketh with hatred on a godly man, and upon the holy\nassemblies and communion of saints, and upon holy actions; and can\nscarce see a man of exemplary zeal and holiness, but the heart riseth\nagainst him, and could wish all such expelled or cut off from the\nearth.[390] This is the heart that hath the image of the devil in most\nlively colours, he being the father of such, as Christ calleth him,\nJohn viii. 44. 12. Abhor a hypocritical eye, which is lifted up to\nheaven, when the heart is on earth, on lusts, on honours, on sports,\nor pleasure, or plotting mischief against the just.[391] Know the evil\nand danger of all these diseases of the eye.\n\n_Direct._ III. Remember that the eye being the noblest, and yet the\nmost dangerous sense, must have the strictest watch. Sight is often\nput in Scripture for all the senses; and living by sight is opposed to\nliving or walking by faith. \"We walk by faith, not by sight,\" 2 Cor.\nv. 7 And a sensual life is called, a \"walking in the ways of our heart\nand in the sight of the eyes,\" Eccles. xi. 9. An ungoverned eye doth\nshow the power of the ungoverned senses. Abundance of good or evil\nentereth in by these doors: all lieth open if you guard not these.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Remember that as your sin or duty, so your sorrow or\njoy, do depend much on the government of your eyes; and their present\npleasure is the common way to after-sorrow. What a flood of grief did\nDavid let into his heart by one unlawful look!\n\n_Direct._ V. Remember that your eye is much of your honour or\ndishonour, because it is the index of your minds. You see that which\nis next the mind itself, or the most immediate beam of the invisible\nsoul, when you see the eye. How easily doth a wandering eye, a wanton\neye, a proud eye, a luxurious eye, a malicious eye, a passionate eye,\nbewray the treasure of sin which is in the heart![392] Your soul lieth\nopener to the view of others in your eye, than in any other part: your\nvery reputation therefore should make you watch.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Remember that your eye is of all the senses most subject\nto the will, and therefore there is the more of duty or sin in it; for\nvoluntariness is the requisite to morality, both good and evil. Your\nwill cannot so easily command your feeling, tasting, hearing, or\nsmelling, as it can your sight; so easily can it open or shut the eye\nin a moment, that you are the more unexcusable if it be not governed;\nfor all its faults will be proved the more voluntary. Ham was cursed\nfor not turning away his eyes from his father's shame, and Shem and\nJapheth blessed for doing it. The righteous is thus described, \"He\nthat stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes\nfrom seeing evil; he shall dwell on high,\" &c. Isa. xxxiii. 15. Men's\nidols which they are commanded to cast away are called, \"The\nabomination of their eyes,\" Ezek. xx. 7. Covetousness is called, \"The\nlust of the eyes,\" 1 John ii. 16. It is said of the unclean, that they\nhave \"eyes full of adultery,\" 2 Pet. ii. 14. And as sin, so punishment\nis placed on the eye:[393] \"The eyes of the lofty shall be humbled,\"\nIsa. v. 15. Yea, the whole bodies of the daughters of Zion are\nthreatened to be dishonoured with nakedness, scabs, and stink, and\nshame, because they walked with \"wanton eyes, haughtily, and mincing\nas they go,\" &c. Isa. iii. 16.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Therefore let believing reason, and a holy, resolved,\nfixed will, keep a continual law upon your eyes, and let them be used\nas under a constant government. This Job calleth, the \"making a\ncovenant with them,\" Job xxxi. 1. Leave them not at liberty; as if a\nlook had nothing in it of duty or sin; or as if you might look on what\nyou would. Will you go to foolish, tempting plays, and gaze on vain,\nalluring objects, and think there is no harm in all this? Do you think\nyour eye cannot sin as well as your tongue? undoubtedly it is much sin\nthat is both committed by it, and entereth at it: keep away therefore\nfrom the bait, or command your eye to turn away.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Remember still how much more easy and safe it is, to\nstop sin here at the gates and outworks, than to beat it out again\nwhen it is once got in: if it have but tainted your very fantasy or\nmemory, (as tempting sights will almost unavoidably do,) it hath there\nspawned the matter for a swarm of vain and sinful thoughts. It is\nalmost impossible to rule the thoughts without ruling the eye: and\nthen the passions are presently tainted; and the citadel of the heart\nis taken before you are aware. You little know when a lustful look, or\na covetous look, beginneth the game, to how sad a period it tendeth.\nMany a horrid adultery, and murder, and robbery, and wickedness, hath\nbegun but with a look: a look hath begun that which hath brought many\na thousand to the gallows, and many millions to hell!\n\n_Direct._ IX. Keep both eye and mind employed in continual duty, and\nlet them not be idle, and have leisure to wander upon vanity. Idleness\nand neglect of spiritual and corporal duty is the beginner and the\nnurse of much sensuality. Let your spiritual work and your lawful\nbodily labours, take up your time and thoughts, and command and keep\nyour senses in their services.\n\n_Direct._ X. Beg daily of God the preserving assistance of his grace\nand providence. Of his inward grace to confirm you and assist you in\nyour resolutions and watch; and of his providence and gracious\ndisposals of you and objects, to keep the temptations from before your\neyes: and when others will run and go on purpose, to gaze on vain or\ntempting shows, or to admire like children the vanities of the\nplayful, pompous world, do you go to God with David's prayer, \"Turn\naway mine eyes from beholding vanity: and quicken me in thy way,\"\nPsal. cxix. 37. And imitate him: \"Mine eyes prevent the night watches,\nthat I might meditate in thy word,\" ver. 148. And make every look a\npassage to thy mind, to carry it up to God, and pray, \"Open thou mine\neyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law,\" Psal. cxix.\n18. Observe these, with the general directions forenamed.\n\n\n                               PART III.\n\n              _Directions for the Government of the Ear._\n\n_Direct._ I. Employ your ears in the duties which they were made for;\nand to that end understand those duties.[394] Which are as followeth: 1.\nTo be the organ of reception of such communications from others, as are\nnecessary for our converse in the world, and the duties of our several\nrelations and vocations. 2. To hear the word of God delivered publicly\nby his appointed teachers of the church. 3. To hear the counsel of those\nthat privately advise us for our good; and the reproofs of those that\ntell us of our sin and danger. 4. To hear the praises of God set forth\nby his church in public, and particular servants in private. 5. To hear\nfrom our ancestors and the learned in history, what hath been done in\nthe times before us. 6. To hear the complaints and petitions of the\npoor, and needy, and distressed, that we may compassionate them and\nendeavour their relief. 7. To be the passage for grief and hatred to our\nhearts, by the sinful words which we hear unwillingly.\n\n_Direct._ II. Know which are the sins of the ear that you may avoid\nthem. And they are such as follow: 1. A careless ear, which heareth the\nword of God, and the private exhortations of his servants, as if it\nheard them not. 2. A sottish, sleepy ear, that heareth the word of God\nbut as a confused sound, and understandeth not, nor feeleth what is\nheard. 3. A scornful ear, which despiseth the message of God, and the\nreproofs and counsel of men, and scorneth to be reproved or taught. 4.\nAn obstinate, stubborn ear, which regardeth not advice or will not\nyield. 5. A profane and impious ear, which loveth to hear oaths, and\ncurses, and profane, and blasphemous expressions. 6. A carnal ear, which\nloveth to hear of fleshly things, but savoureth not the words which\nsavour of holiness. 7. An airy, hypocritical ear, which loveth more the\nmusic and melody, than the sense and spiritual elevation of the soul to\nGod; and regardeth more the numbers and composure and tone, than the\nmatter of preaching, prayer, or other such duties; and serveth God with\nthe ear, when the heart is far from him. 8. A curious ear, which\nnauseateth the most profitable sermons, prayers, or discourses, if they\nbe not accurately ordered and expressed; and slighteth or loseth the\noffered benefit, for a (modal) imperfection in the offer, or instrument;\nand casteth away all the gold because a piece or two did catch a little\nrust: and perhaps quarrelleth with the style of the sacred Scriptures,\nas not exact or fine enough for its expectations. 9. An itching ear,\nwhich runs after novelties, and a heap of teachers, and liketh something\nextraordinary better than things necessary. 10. A selfish ear, which\nloveth to hear all that tends to the confirmation of its own conceits,\nand to be flattered or smoothed up by others, and can endure nothing\nthat is cross to its opinions. 11. A proud ear, which loveth its own\napplause, and is much pleased with its own praises, and hateth all that\nspeak of him with mean, undervaluing words. 12. A peevish, impatient\near, which is nettled with almost all it heareth; and can endure none\nbut silken words, which are oiled and sugared, and fitted by flattery or\nthe lowest submission, to their froward minds; and is so hard to be\npleased, that none but graduates in the art of pleasing can perform it.\n13. A bold, presumptuous ear, which will hear false teachers and\ndeceivers in a proud conceit, and confidence of their own abilities, to\ndiscern what is true and what is false. 14. An ungodly ear, that can\neasily hear the reproach of holiness, and scorns at the servants and\nways of Christ. 15. A neutral, indifferent ear, that heareth either good\nor evil, without much love or hatred, but with a dull and cold\nindifferency. 16. A dissembling, temporizing ear, which can complyingly\nhear one side speak for holiness, and the other speak against it, and\nsuit itself to the company and discourse it meets with. 17. An\nuncharitable ear, which can willingly hear the censures, backbitings,\nslanders, revilings, that are used against others, yea against the best.\n18. An unnatural ear, which can easily and willingly hear the dishonour\nof their parents, or other near relations, if any carnal interest do\nbut engage them against their honour. 19. A rebellious, disobedient ear,\nwhich hearkeneth not to the just commands of magistrates, parents,\nmasters, and other governors, but hearkeneth with more pleasure to the\nwords of seditious persons that dishonour them. 20. A filthy, unclean,\nand adulterous ear, which loveth to hear filthy, ribald speeches, and\nlove-songs, and romances, and lascivious plays, and the talk of wanton\nlust and dalliance. 21. A self-provoking ear, that hearkeneth after all\nthat others say against them, which may kindle hatred, or dislike, or\npassion, in them. 22. A busy, meddling ear, which loveth to hear of\nother men's faults, or matters which concern them not, and to hearken to\ntattlers, and carry-tales, and make-bates, and to have to do with evil\nreports. 23. A timorous, cowardly, unbelieving ear, which trembleth at\nevery threatening of man, though in a cause which is God's, and he hath\npromised to justify. 24. An idle ear, which can hearken to idle,\ntime-wasting talk, and make the sins of tattlers your own. All these\nways (and more) you are in danger of sinning by the ear, and becoming\npartakers in the sins of all whose sinful words you hear, and of turning\ninto sin the words of God, and his servants, which are spoken for your\ngood.\n\n[Sidenote: When hearing evil is a sin.]\n\n_Direct._ III. Know when the hearing of evil, and not hearing good, is\nyour sin: that is, 1. When it is not out of any imposed necessity, but\nof your voluntary choice; and when you might avoid it upon lawful\nterms, without a greater hurt, and will not. 2. When you hate not the\nevil which you are necessitated to hear, and love not the good which\nthrough necessity you cannot hear; but your hearts comply with your\nnecessities. 3. When you show not so much disowning and dislike of the\nevil which you hear, as you might do, without an inconvenience greater\nthan the benefit; but make it your own by sinful silence or\ncompliance. 4. When you are presumptuous and fearless of your danger.\n\n[Sidenote: The danger of hearing.]\n\n_Direct._ IV. Know wherein the danger of such sinful hearing lieth. As,\n1. in displeasing God, who loveth not to see his children hearken to\nthose that are abusing him, nor to see them playing too boldly about\nfire or water, nor to touch any stinking or defiling thing, but calls to\nthem, \"Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and\ntouch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you,\" 2 Cor. vi. 16-18.\n2. It is dangerous to your fantasy and memory, which quickly receiveth\nhurtful impressions by what you hear: if you should hear provoking\nwords, even against your wills, yet it is hard to escape the receiving\nof some hurtful impression by them: and if you hear lascivious, filthy\nwords against your wills, (much more if willingly), it is two to one but\nthey leave some thoughts in your minds which may gender unto further\nsin. And it is dangerous to your passions and affections, lest they\ncatch fire before you are aware. And it is dangerous to your\nunderstandings, lest they be perverted and seduced: and to your wills,\nlest they be turned after evil, and turned away from good; and alas! how\nquickly is all this done! 3. It is dangerous to the speaker, lest your\nvoluntary hearing encourage him in his sin, and hinder his repentance.\n4. And it is dishonourable to God and godliness.\n\n_Direct._ V. Do your best to live in such company where you shall hear\nthat which is good and edifying, and to escape that company whose\nconference is hurtful and corrupt. Run not yourselves into this\ntemptation: be sure you have a call; and your call must be discerned,\n1. By your office and place; whether any duty of your office or\nrelation bind you to be there. 2. By your ends: whether you be there\nas a physician to do them good, (as Christ went among sinners,) or to\ndo the work of your proper calling; or whether you are there out of a\ncarnal, man-pleasing, or temporizing humour? 3. By the measure of your\nabilities to attain those ends. 4. By the measure of your danger to\nreceive the infection. 5. By the quality of your company, and the\nprobability of good or evil in the event.\n\n[Sidenote: When you are called into ill company.]\n\n_Direct._ VI. When you are called into ill company, go fortified with\ndefensive and offensive arms, as foreseeing what danger or duty you\nare like to be cast upon. Foresee what discourse you are like to hear,\nand accordingly prepare yourselves: let your first preparation be to\npreserve yourselves from the hurt, and your next preparation to\nconfute the evil, and convince the sinful speaker, or at least to\npreserve the endangered hearers, if you have ability and opportunity.\nIf you are to hear a seducing, heretical teacher, there is another\nkind of preparation to be made. If you are to hear a beastly, filthy\ntalker, there is another kind of preparation to be made. If you are to\nhear a cunning Pharisee, or malignant enemy of godliness, reproach, or\ncavil, or wrangle against the Scriptures, or the ways of God, there is\nanother kind of preparation to be made. If you are to hear but the\nsenseless scorns, or railings and bawlings of ignorant, profane, and\nsensual sots, there is another kind of preparation to be made. To give\nyou particular directions for your preparations against every such\ndanger would make my work too tedious; but remember how much lieth\nupon your own preparations or unpreparedness.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Be not sinfully wanting in good discourse yourselves,\nif you would not be insnared by bad discourse from others. Your good\ndiscourse may prevent, or divert, or shame, or disappoint their evil\ndiscourse. Turn the stream another way; and do it wisely, that you\nexpose not yourselves and your cause to scorn and laughter; and do it\nwith such zeal as the cause requireth, that you be not borne down by\ntheir greater zeal in evil. And where it is unfit for you to speak, if\nit may be, let your countenance or departure signify your dislike and\nsorrow.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Specially labour to mortify those sins, which the\nunavoidable discourse of your company doth most tempt you to; that where\nthe devil doth most to hurt you, you may there do most in your own\ndefence. Doth the talk which you hear tend most to heresy, seduction, or\nto turn you from the truth? Study the more to be established in the\ntruth; read more books for it; and hear more that is said by wise and\ngodly men against the error which you are tempted to. Is it to\nprofaneness or dislike of a holy life, that your company tempt you?\nAddress yourselves the more to God, and give up yourselves to holiness,\nand let your study and practice be such as tend to keep your souls in\nrelish with holiness, and hatred of sin. Is it pride that their\napplauding discourse doth tempt you to? Study the more the doctrine of\nhumiliation. Is it lust that they provoke you to, or is it drunkenness,\ngluttony, sinful recreations, or excesses? Labour the more in the work\nof mortification, and keep the strictest guard where they assault you.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Be not unacquainted with the particular weaknesses and\ndangers of your own hearts, or any of your sinful inclinations; that\nwhen you know where the wall is weakest, you may there make the best\ndefence. That wanton word will set a wanton heart on fire, which a\nsober mind doth hear with pity as a bedlam kind of speech. A peevish,\npassionate heart is presently disturbed and kindled with those words\nwhich are scarce observed by a well-composed soul.\n\n_Direct._ X. Hear every sinful word as dictated by the devil; and\nsuppose you saw him all the while at the speaker's elbow, putting each\nword into his mouth, and telling him what to say. For it is as verily\nthe devil that doth suggest them all, as if you saw him. Suppose you\nsaw him behind the railer, hissing him on, as boys do dogs in\nfighting, and bidding him, Call him thus or thus: suppose you saw him\nat the malignant's ear, bidding him revile a holy life, and speak evil\nof the ways and servants of the Lord: suppose you saw him behind the\nwanton, bidding him use such ribald talk, or on the stage, suggesting\nit to the actors; or at the ear of those that would provoke you to\npassion, to tell them what to say against you: this just supposition\nwould much preserve you.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Suppose you heard the end annexed to every speech. As\nwhen you hear one tempting you to lust, suppose he said, Come, let us\ntake our pleasures awhile, and be damned for ever: so also in every\nword that tempteth you to any other sin; if the tempter put in the\nsin, do you put in God's wrath and hell, and separate not that which\nGod hath adjoined, but with the serpent see the sting.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Observe when the infection first seizeth on you, and\npresently take an antidote to expel it, if you love your souls. The\nsigns of infection are, 1. When your zeal abateth, and you grow more\nindifferent to what you hear. 2. Next you will feel some little\ninclination to it. 3. Next you will a little venture upon an imitation.\n4. And lastly you will come to a full consent, and so to ruin. If you\nfeel but a remitting of your dislike and hatred, or any filth or\ntincture left on your thoughts and fantasy, go presently and shake them\noff; bewail it to God in true repentance, and wash your souls in the\nblood of Christ, and cast up the poison by holy resolutions, and sweat\nout the remnant by the fervent exercises of love and holiness.\n\n\n                                PART IV.\n\n           _Directions for governing the Taste and Appetite._\n\n                _Tit._ 1. _Directions against Gluttony._\n\nThe most that is necessary to be said to acquaint you with the nature\nand evil of this sin, is said before in chapter iv. part vii. against\nflesh-pleasing. But something more particularly must be said, 1. To\nshow you what is and what is not the sin of gluttony. 2. To show you\nthe causes of it. 3. The odiousness of it. And, 4. To acquaint you\nwith the more particular helps and means against it.\n\nI. Gluttony is a voluntary excess in eating, for the pleasing of the\nappetite, or some other carnal end.[395] Here note, 1. The matter. 2.\nThe end or effect of this excess. (1.) It is sometimes an excess in\nquantity, when more is eaten than is meet. (2.) Or else it may be an\nexcess in the delicious quantity, when more regard is had to the\ndelight and sweetness than is meet. (3.) Or it may be an excess in the\nfrequency and ordinary unseasonableness of eating; when men eat too\noft, and sit at it too long. (4.) It may be an excess in the\ncostliness or price; when men feed themselves at too high rates. (5.)\nOr it may be an excess of curiosity in the dressing, and saucing, and\nordering of all. 2. And it is usually for some carnal end. Whether it\nmay be properly called gluttony, if a man should think that at a\nsacrifice of thanksgiving he were bound to eat inordinately, and so\nmade the service of God his end, we need not inquire (though I see not\nbut it may have that name). For that is a case that is more rare; and\nit is undoubtedly a sin: and it is gluttony, if it be done for the\npleasing of others that are importunate with you. But the common\ngluttony is when it is done for the pleasing of the appetite, with\nsuch a pleasure, as is no help to health or duty, but usually a hurt\nto body or soul; the body being hurt by the excess, the soul is hurt\nby the inordinate pleasure.[396]\n\nYea, it is a kind of gluttony and excess, when men will not fast or\nabstain when they are required, from that which at other times they may\nuse with abstinence and without blame. If a man use not to eat\nexcessively nor deliciously, yet if he will not abstain from his\ntemperate diet, either at a public fast, or when his lust requireth him\nto take down his body, or when his physician would diet him for his\nhealth, and his disease else would be increased by what he eateth, this\nis an inordinate eating and excess to that person, at that time. Or if\nthe delight that the appetite hath in one sort of meat, which is hurtful\nto the body, prevail against reason and health so with the person that\nhe will not forbear it, it is a degree of gulosity or gluttony, though\nfor quantity and quality it be in itself but mean and ordinary.\n\nBy this you may see, 1. That it is not the same quantity which is an\nexcess in one, which is in another. A labouring man may eat somewhat\nmore than one that doth not labour; and a strong and healthful body,\nmore than the weak and sick. It must be an excess in quantity, as to\nthat particular person at that time, which is, when to please his\nappetite he eateth more than is profitable to his health or duty. 2.\nSo also the frequency must be considered with the quality of the\nperson; for one person may rationally eat a little and often, for his\nhealth, and another may luxuriously eat ofter than is profitable to\nhealth. Eccl. x. 16, 17, \"Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a\nchild, and thy princes eat in the morning. Blessed art thou, O land,\nwhen thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season,\nfor strength and not for drunkenness.\" 3. And in point of costliness,\nthe same measure is not to be set to a prince and to a ploughman; that\nis luxurious excess in one, which may be temperance and frugality in\nanother. But yet, unprofitable cost, which, all things considered,\nwould do more good another way, is excess in whomsoever. 4. And in\ncuriosity of diet a difference must be allowed: the happier healthful\nman need not be so curious as the sick; and the happy ploughman need\nnot be so curious, as state and expectation somewhat require the noble\nand the rich to be. 5. And for length of time, though unnecessary\nsitting out time at meat be a sin in any, yet the happy poor man is\nnot obliged to spend all out so much this way, as the rich may do. 6.\nAnd it is not all delight in meat, or pleasing the appetite, that is a\nsin;[397] but only that which is made men's end, and not referred to a\nhigher end; even when the delight itself doth not tend to health, nor\nalacrity in duty, nor is used to that end, but to please the flesh and\ntempt unto excess. 7. And it is not necessary that we measure the\nprofitableness of quantity or quality by the present and immediate\nbenefits; but by the more remote, sometimes: so merciful is God, that\nhe alloweth us that which is truly for our good, and forbiddeth us but\nthat which doth us hurt, or at least, no good. 8. All sin in eating is\nnot gluttony; but only such as are here described.\n\nII. The causes of gluttony are these: 1. The chiefest is an inordinate\nappetite, together with a fleshly mind and will, which is set upon\nflesh-pleasing as its felicity. \"They that are after the flesh do mind\nthe things of the flesh,\" Rom. viii. 6, 7. This gulosity, which\nClemens Alexandrinus calleth the throat devil, and the belly devil is\nthe first cause.[398]\n\n2. The next cause is, the want of strong reason, faith, and a spiritual\nappetite and mind, which should call off the glutton, and take him up\nwith higher pleasures; even such as are more manly, and in which his\nreal happiness doth consist. \"They that are after the Spirit do mind the\nthings of the Spirit,\" Rom. viii. 6. Reason alone may do something to\ncall up a man from this felicity of a beast, (as appeareth by the\nphilosopher's assaults upon the epicures,) but faith and love, which\nfeast the soul with sweeter delicates, must do the cure.\n\n3. Gluttony is much increased by use: when the appetite is used to be\nsatisfied, it will be the more importunate and impetuous; whereas a\ncustom of temperance maketh it easy, and makes excess a matter of no\ndelight, but burden. I remember myself, that when I first set upon the\nuse of Cornaro's and Lessius's diet, as it is called, (which I did for\na time, for some special reasons,) it seemed a little hard for two or\nthree days; but within a week it became a pleasure, and another sort,\nor more was not desirable. And I think almost all that use one dish\nonly, and a small quantity, do find that more is a trouble and not a\ntemptation to them: so great a matter is use (unless it be with very\nstrong and labouring persons).\n\n4. Idleness and want of diligence in a calling is a great cause of\nluxury and gluttony. Though labour cause a healthful appetite, yet it\ncureth a beastly, sensual mind. An idle person hath leisure to think\nof his guts, what to eat and what to drink, and to be longing after\nthis and that; whereas a man that is wholly taken up in lawful\nbusiness, especially such as findeth employment for the mind as well\nas for the body, hath no leisure for such thoughts. He that is close\nat his studies, or other calling, hath somewhat else to think on than\nhis appetite.\n\n5. Another incentive of gluttony is the pride of rich men, who, to be\naccounted good housekeepers, and to live at such rates as are\nagreeable to their grandeur, do make their houses shops of sin, and as\nbad as alehouses; making their tables a snare both to themselves and\nothers, by fulness, variety, deliciousness, costliness, and curiosity\nof fare. It is the honour of their houses that a man may drink\nexcessively in their cellars when he please: and that their tables\nhave excellent provisions for gluttony, and put all that sit at them\nupon the trial of their temperance, whether a bait so near them, and\nso studiously fitted, can tempt them to break the bounds and measure\nwhich God hath set them.[399] It is a lamentable thing when such as\nhave the rule of others, and influence on the common people, shall\nthink their honour lieth upon their sin; yea, upon such a constant\ncourse of sinning; and shall think it a dishonour to them to live in\nsweet and wholesome temperance, and to see that those about them do\nthe like. And all this is, either because they overvalue the esteem\nand talk of fleshly epicures, cannot bear the censure of a swine; or\nelse because they are themselves of the same mind, and are such as\nglory in their shame, Phil. iii. 18, 19.\n\n6. Another incentive is the custom of urging and importuning others to\neat still more and more; as if it were a necessary act of friendship.\nPeople are grown so uncharitable and selfish, that they suspect one\nanother, and think they are not welcome, if they be not urged thus to\neat; and those that invite them think they must do it to avoid the\nsuspicion of such a sordid mind. And I deny not but it is fit to urge\nany to that which it is fit for them to do; and if we see that modesty\nmaketh them eat less than is best for them, we may persuade them to\neat more. But now, without any due disrespect to what is best for\nthem, men think it a necessary compliment to provoke others more and\nmore to eat, till they peremptorily refuse it: but amongst the\nfamiliarest friends, there is scarce any that will admonish one\nanother against excess, and advise them to stop when they have enough,\nand tell them how easy it is to stop when they have enough, and tell\nthem how easy it is to step beyond our bounds, and how much more prone\nwe are to exceed, than to come short: and so custom and compliment are\npreferred before temperance and honest fidelity. You will say, What\nwill men think of us if we should not persuade them to eat, much more\nif we should desire them to eat no more? I answer, 1. Regard your duty\nmore than what men think of you. Prefer virtue before the thoughts or\nbreath of men. 2. But yet if you do it wisely, the wise and good will\nthink much the better of you. You may easily let them see that you do\nit not in sordid sparing, but in love of temperance and of them; if\nyou speak but when there is need either for eating more or less; and\nif your discourse be first in general for temperance, and apply it not\ntill you see that they need help in the application. 3. It is\nundeniable that healthful persons are much more prone to excess, than\nto the defect in eating, and that nature is very much bent to luxury\nand gluttony, I think as much as to any one sin; and it is as sure\nthat it is a beastly, breeding, odious sin. And if this be so, is it\nnot clear that we should do a great deal more to help one another\nagainst such luxury, than to provoke them to it? Had we not a greater\nregard to men's favour, and fancies, and reports, than to God and the\ngood of their souls, the case were soon decided.\n\n7. Another cause of gluttony is, that rich men are not acquainted with\nthe true use of riches, nor think of the account which they must make\nto God of all they have.[400] They think that their riches are their\nown, and that they may use them as they please; or that they are given\nthem as plentiful provisions for their flesh, and they may use them\nfor themselves, to satisfy their own desires, as long as they drop\nsome crumbs, or scraps, or small matters to the poor. They think they\nmay be saved just in the same way that the rich man in Luke xvi. was\ndamned; and he that would have warned his five brethren that they come\nnot to that place of torment, is yet himself no warning to his\nfollowers. They are clothed in purple and fine linen or silk, and fare\nsumptuously or deliciously every day; and have their good things in\nthis life, and perhaps think they merit by giving the scraps to\nLazarus (which it is like that rich man also did). But God will one\nday make them know, that the richest were but his stewards, and should\nhave made a better distribution of his provisions, and a better\nimprovement of his talents; and that they had nothing of all their\nriches given them for any hurtful or unprofitable pleasing of their\nappetites, nor had more allowance for luxury than the poor. If they\nknew the right use of riches, it would reform them.\n\n8. Another cause of gluttony is their unacquaintedness with those\nrational and spiritual exercises in which the delightful fruits of\nabstinence do most appear. A man that is but a painful, serious\nstudent, in any noble study whatsoever, doth find a great deal of\nserenity and aptitude come by temperance, and a great deal of cloudy\nmistiness on his mind and dulness on his invention come by fulness and\nexcess: and a man that is used to holy contemplations, meditation,\nreading, prayer, self-examination, or any spiritual converse above, or\nwith his heart, doth easily find a very great difference; how\nabstinence helpeth, and luxury and fulness hinder him. Now these\nepicures have no acquaintance with any such holy or manly works, nor\nany mind of them, and are therefore unacquainted with the sweetness\nand benefit of abstinence; and having no taste or trial of its\nbenefits, they cannot value it. They have nothing to do when they rise\nfrom eating, but a little talk about their worldly business, or\ncompliment and talk with company which expect them, or go to their\nsports to empty their paunches for another meal, and quicken their\nappetites lest luxury should decay: as the Israelites worshipped the\ngolden calf, (and as the heathens their god Bacchus,) Exod. xxxii. 6,\n\"They sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.\"[401] Their diet\nis fitted to their work; their idle or worldly lives agree with\ngluttony; but were they accustomed to better work, they would find a\nnecessity of a better diet.\n\n9. Another great cause of gluttony is, men's beastly ignorance of what\nis hurtful or helpful to their very health:[402] they make their\nappetites their rule for the quantity and quality of their food: and\nthey think that nature teacheth them so to do, because it giveth them\nsuch an appetite, and because it is the measure to a beast: and to\nprove themselves beasts, they therefore take it for their measure; as\nif their natures were not rational, but only sensitive; or nature had\nnot given them reason to be the superior and governor of sense. As if\nthey knew not that God giveth the brutes an appetite more bounded,\nbecause they have not reason to bound it; and giveth them not the\ntemptation of your delicate varieties; or giveth them a concoction\nanswerable to their appetites; and yet giveth man to be the rational\ngovernor of those of them that are for his special service and apt to\nexceed: and if his swine, his horses, and his cattle were all left to\ntheir appetites, they would live but a little while.[403] If\npromiscuous generating be not lawful in mankind, which is lawful in\nbrutes, why should they not confess the same of the appetite. Men have\nso much love of life and fear of death, that if they did but know how\nmuch their gluttony doth hasten their death, it would do more to\nrestrain it with the most, than the fear of death eternal doth. But\nthey judge of their digestion by their present feeling: if they feel\nnot their stomachs sick, or disposed to vomit, or if no present pain\ncorrect them, they think they have eaten no more than doth them good.\nBut of this more anon in the directions.\n\n10. Another great cause of gluttony is, that it is grown the commonest\ncustom, and being not known, is in no disgrace, unless men eat till\nthey spew, or to some extraordinary measure. And so the measure which\nevery man seeth another use, he thinketh is moderation, and is fit for\nhim: whereas the ignorance of physic and matters of their own health,\nhath made gluttony almost as common as eating, with those that are not\nrestrained by want or sickness. And so every man is an example of evil\nto another, and encourage one another in the sin. If gluttony were but\nin as much disgrace as whoredom, yea, or as drunkenness is, and as\neasily known, and as commonly taken notice of, it would contribute\nmuch to a common reformation.\n\n              III. _The Greatness of the Sin of Gluttony._\n\nTo know the greatness of the sin, is the chief part of the cure, with\nthose that do but believe that there is a God: I shall therefore next\ntell you of its nature, effects, and accidents, which make it great,\nand therefore should make it odious to all.\n\n1. Luxury and gluttony is a sin exceeding contrary to the love of God:\nit is idolatry: it hath the heart, which God should have; and\ntherefore gluttons are commonly and well called belly-gods, and\ngod-bellies, because that love, that care, that delight, that service\nand diligence which God should have, is given by the glutton to his\nbelly and his throat.[404] He loveth the pleasing of his appetite\nbetter than the pleasing of God; his dishes are more delightful to him\nthan any holy exercise is; his thoughts are more frequent and more\nsweet of his belly than of God or godliness; his care and labour are\nmore that he may be pleased in meats and drinks, than that he may\nsecure his salvation, and be justified and sanctified. And, indeed,\nthe Scripture giveth them this name, Phil. iii. 19, \"Whose end is\ndestruction, whose god is their belly, who glory in their shame, who\nmind earthly things,\" being enemies to the cross of Christ, that is,\nto bearing the cross for Christ, and to the crucifying of the flesh,\nand to the mortifying, suffering parts of religion. Nay, such a\ndevouring idol is the belly, that it swalloweth up more by\nintemperance and excess than all other idols in the world do. And\nremember that the very life of the sin is in the appetite and heart:\nwhen a man's heart is set upon his belly, though he fare never so\nhardly through necessity, he is a glutton in heart. When you make a\ngreat matter of it, what you shall eat and drink as to the delight,\nand when you take it for a great loss or suffering if you fare hardly,\nand are troubled at it, and your thoughts and talk are of your belly,\nand you have not that indifferency whether your fare be coarse or\npleasant, (so it be wholesome,) as all temperate persons have, this is\nthe heart of gluttony, and is the heart's forsaking of God, and making\nthe appetite its god.\n\n2. Gluttony is self-murder; though it kill not suddenly, it killeth\nsurely; like the dropsy, which killeth as it filleth, by degrees.[405]\nVery many of the wisest physicians do believe that of those who\noverlive their childhood, there is scarce one of twenty, yea, or of a\nhundred that dieth, but gluttony or excess in eating or drinking is a\nprincipal cause of their death, though not the most immediate cause.\nIt is thought to kill a hundred to one of all that die at age. And it\nwill not let them die easily and quickly, but tormenteth them first\nwith manifold diseases while they live. You eat more than nature can\nperfectly concoct, and because you feel it not trouble you or make you\nsick, you think it hurts you not; whereas it doth by degrees first\nalter and vitiate the temperament of the blood and humours, making it\na crude, unconcocted, unnatural thing, unfit for the due nutrition of\nthe parts; turning the nourishing mass into a burdensome,\nexcrementitious mixture, abounding with saline or tartareous matter,\nand consisting more of a pituitous slime, or redundant serosity, than\nof that sweet, nutrimental milk of nature, quickened with those\nspirits and well-proportioned heat, which should make it fit to be the\noil of life. And our candle either sparkleth away with salt, or runs\naway because there is some thief in it, or goeth out because the oil\nis turned into water, or presently wasteth and runs about through the\ninconsistent softness of its oil: hence it is that one part is tainted\nwith corruption, and another consumeth as destitute of fit nutriment;\nand the vessels secretly obstructed by the grossness or other\nunfitness of the blood to run its circle and perform its offices, is\nthe cause of a multitude of lamentable diseases. The frigid distempers\nof the brain, the soporous and comatous effects, the lethargy, carus,\nand apoplexy, the palsy, convulsion, epilepsy, vertigo, catarrhs, the\nhead-ache, and oft the phrensy and madness, come all from these\neffects of gluttony and excess, which are made upon the blood and\nhumours. The asthma usually, and the phthisis or consumption, and the\npleurisy and peripneumony, and the hemoptoic passion, often come from\nhence. Yea the very syncopes or swooning, palpitations of the heart,\nand faintings, which men think rather come from weakness, do usually\ncome either from oppression of nature by these secret excrements or\nputrilaginous blood, or else from a weakness contracted by the\ninaptitude of the blood to nourish us, being vitiated by excess. The\nloathing of meat and want of appetite is ordinarily from the crudities\nor distempers caused by this excess; yea, the very canine appetite\nwhich would still have more, is caused by a viciousness in the humours\nthus contracted. The pains of the stomach, vomitings, the cholera,\nhiccoughs, inflammations, thirsts, are usually from this cause. The\nwind cholic, the iliac passion, looseness, and fluxes, the tenesmus\nand ulcers, the worms and other troubles in those parts, are usually\nfrom hence. The obstructions of the liver, the jaundice,\ninflammations, abscesses and ulcers, schirrus, and dropsy, are\ncommonly from hence. Hence also usually are inflammations, pains,\nobstructions, and schirrus of the spleen. Hence commonly is the stone,\nnephritic torments, and stoppages of urine, and ulcers of the reins\nand bladder. Hence commonly is the scorbute and most of the fevers\nwhich are found in the world, and bring such multitudes to the grave.\nEven those that immediately are caused by colds, distempers of the air\nor infections, are oft caused principally by long excess, which\nvitiateth the humours, and prepareth them for the disease. Hence also\nare gouts and hysterical affects, and diseases of the eyes and other\nexterior parts. So that we may well say that gluttony enricheth\nlandlords, filleth the churchyards, and hasteneth multitudes untimely\nto their ends.[406] Perhaps you will say that the most temperate have\ndiseases: to which experience teacheth me to answer, that usually\nchildren are permitted to be voracious and gluttonous, either in\nquantity or in quality, eating raw fruits and things unwholesome; and\nso when gluttony hath bred the disease, or laid in the matter, then\nall the temperance that can be used is little enough to keep it under\nall their life after. And abundance that have been brought to the\ndoors of death by excess, have been preserved after many years to a\ncompetent age by abstinence, and many totally freed from their\ndiseases. Read Cornaro's Treatise of himself, and Lessius, and Sir\nWilliam Vaughan, &c. (Though yet I persuade none without necessity to\ntheir exceeding strictness.) Judge now what a murderer gluttony is,\nand what an enemy to mankind.\n\n3. Gluttony is also a deadly enemy to the mind, and to all the noble\nemployments of reason, both religious, civil, and artificial.[407] It\nunfits men for any close and serious studies, and therefore tends to\nnourish ignorance, and keep men fools. It greatly unfits men for\nhearing God's word, or reading, or praying, or meditating, or any holy\nwork, and makes them have more mind to sleep; or so undisposeth and\ndulleth them, that they have no life or fitness for their duty; but a\nclear head, not troubled with their drowsy vapours, will do more and\nget more in an hour, than a full-bellied beast will do in many. So\nthat gluttony is as much an enemy to all religious and manly studies,\nas drunkenness is an enemy to a garrison, where the drunken soldiers\nare disabled to resist the enemy.\n\n4. Gluttony is also an enemy to diligence, in every honest trade and\ncalling; for it dulleth the body as well as the mind. It maketh men\nheavy, and drowsy, and slothful, and go about their business as if\nthey carried a coat of lead, and were in fetters; they have no\nvivacity and alacrity, and are fitter to sleep or play than work.[408]\n\n5. Gluttony is the immediate symptom of a carnal mind, and of the\ndamnable sin of flesh-pleasing, before described; and a carnal mind is\nthe very sum of iniquity, and the proper name of an unregenerate\nstate; \"It is enmity against God, and neither is nor can be subject to\nhis law:\" so that they that are thus \"in the flesh cannot please God;\nand they that walk after the flesh shall die,\" Rom. viii. 6-8, 13. The\nfilthiest sins of lechers, and misers, and thieves, are but to please\nthe flesh: and who serveth it more than the glutton doth?\n\n6. Gluttony is the breeder and feeder of all other lusts: _sine Cerere\net Baccho friget Venus_: it pampereth the flesh to feed it, and make\nit a sacrifice for lust. As dunging the ground doth make it fruitful,\nespecially of weeds; so doth gluttony fill the mind with the weeds and\nvermin of filthy thoughts, and filthy desires, and words, and\ndeeds.[409]\n\n7. Gluttony is a base and beastly kind of sin. For a man to place his\nhappiness in the pleasure of a swine, and to make his reason serve his\nthroat, or sink into his guts; as if he were but a hogshead to be\nfilled and emptied, or a sink for liquor to run through into the\nchannel; or as if he were made only to carry meat from the table to\nthe dunghill; how base a kind of life is this! yea, many beasts will\nnot eat and drink excessively as the gluttonous epicure will do.[410]\n\n8. Gluttony is a prodigal consumer and devourer of the creatures of\nGod. What is he worthy of, that would take meat and drink and cast it\naway into the channel?[411] nay, that would be at a great deal of cost\nand curiosity to get the pleasantest meat he could procure, to cast\naway? The glutton doth worse. It were better of the two to throw all\nhis excesses into the sink or ditch, for then they would not first\nhurt his body. And are the creatures of God of no more worth? Are they\ngiven you to do worse than cast them away? Would you have your\nchildren use their provisions thus?\n\n9. Gluttony is a most unthankful sin, that takes God's mercies, and\nspews them as it were in his face;[412] and carrieth his provisions\nover to his enemy, even to the strengthening of fleshly lusts; and\nturneth them all against himself! You could not have a bit but from\nhis liberality and blessing; and will you use it to provoke him and\ndishonour him?\n\n10. Gluttony is a sin which turneth your own mercies, and wealth, and\nfood, into your snare, and to your deadly ruin. Thou pleasest thy\nthroat, and poisonest thy soul.[413] It were better for thee a\nthousand times that thou hadst lived on scraps, and in the poorest\nmanner, than thus to have turned thy plenty to thy damnable sin. \"When\nthou shalt have eaten and be full, then beware lest thou forget the\nLord,\" Deut. vi. 11, 12. \"Feed me with food convenient for me, lest I\nbe full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord?\" Prov. xxx. 9. \"So\nthey did eat and were filled, for he gave them their own desire; they\nwere not estranged from their lust,\" Psal. lxxv. 29, 30.\n\n11. Gluttony is a great time-wasting sin. What a deal of time is spent\nin getting the money that is laid out to please the throat! and then\nby servants in preparing for it; and then in long sitting at meat and\nfeastings; and not a little in taking physic to carry it away again,\nor to ease or cure the diseases which it causeth; besides all the time\nwhich is lost in languishing sickness, or cut off by untimely death.\nThus they live to eat, and eat to frustrate and to shorten life.\n\n12. It is a thief that robbeth you of your estates, and devoureth that\nwhich is given you for better uses, and for which you must give\naccount to God. It is a costly sin, and consumeth more than would\nserve to many better purposes. How great a part of the riches of most\nkingdoms are spent in luxury and excess![414]\n\n13. It is a sin that is a great enemy to the common good: princes and\ncommonwealths have reason to hate it, and restrain it as the enemy of\ntheir safety. Men have not money to defray the public charges,\nnecessary to the safety of the land, because they consume it on their\nguts: armies and navies must be unpaid, and fortifications neglected,\nand all that tendeth to the glory of a people must be opposed as\nagainst their personal interest, because all is too little for the\nthroat. No great works can be done to the honour of the nation or the\npublic good; no schools or alms-houses built or endowed, no colleges\nerected, no hospitals, nor any excellent work, because the guts devour\nit all. If it were known how much of the treasure of the land is\nthrown down the sink by epicures of all degrees, this sin would be\nfrowned into more disgrace.\n\n14. Gluttony and excess is a sin greatly aggravated by the necessities\nof the poor. What an incongruity is it, that one member of Christ (as\nhe would be thought) should be feeding himself deliciously every day,\nand abounding with abused superfluities, whilst another is starving\nand pining in a cottage, or begging at the door! and that some\nfamilies should do worse than cast their delicates and abundance to\nthe dogs, whilst thousands at that time are ready to famish, and are\nfain to feed on such unwholesome food, as killeth them as soon as\nluxury kills the epicure! Do these men believe that they shall be\njudged according to their feeding of the poor?[415] Or do they take\nthemselves to be members of the same body with those whose sufferings\nthey so little feel? 1 Cor. xii. 26. It may be you will say, I do\nrelieve many of the poor. But are there not more yet to be relieved?\nAs long as there are any in distress, it is the greater sin for you to\nbe luxurious. Deut. xv. 7, 8, \"If there be among you a poor man of one\nof thy brethren in the land----thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor\nshut thy hand against thy poor brother, but thou shalt open thy hand\nwide unto him,\" &c. Nay, how often are the poor oppressed to satisfy\nluxurious appetites! Abundance must have hard bargains and hard usage,\nand toil like horses, and scarce be able to get bread for their\nfamilies, that they may bring in all to belly-god landlords, who\nconsume the fruit of other men's labour upon their devouring flesh.\n\n15. And it is the heinouser sin because of the common calamities of\nthe church and servants of Christ throughout the world. One part of\nthe church is oppressed by the Turk, and another by the pope, and many\ncountries wasted by the cruelties of armies, and persecuted by proud,\nimpious enemies; and is it fit then for others to be wallowing in\nsensuality and gluttony? Amos vi. 1, 3-6, \"Woe to them that are at\nease in Zion--ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of\nviolence to come near--that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch\nthemselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and\nthe calves out of the midst of the stall, that chant to the sound of\nthe viol--that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the\nchief ointments; but they are not grieved for the affliction of\nJoseph.\" It is a time of great humiliation, and are you now given up\nto fleshly luxury? Read Isa. xxii. 12-14, \"And in that day did the\nLord God of hosts call to weeping and to mourning, and to baldness,\nand to girding with sackcloth; and behold, joy and gladness, slaying\noxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine, Let us eat and\ndrink, for to-morrow we shall die.--Surely this iniquity shall not be\npurged from you till ye die, saith the Lord of hosts.\"\n\n16. Luxury is a sin most unseemly for men in so great misery, and\nincongruous to the state of the gluttonous themselves. O man, if thou\nhadst but a true sight of thy sin and misery, of death and judgment,\nand of the dreadful God whom thou dost offend, thou wouldst perceive\nthat fasting, and prayer, and tears become one in thy condition much\nbetter than glutting thy devouring flesh. What! a man unpardoned,\nunsanctified, in the power of Satan, ready to be damned if thus thou\ndie, (for so I must suppose of a glutton,) for such a man to be taking\nhis fleshly pleasure! For a Dives to be faring sumptuously every day,\nthat must shortly want a drop of water to cool his tongue, is as\nfoolish as for a thief to feast before he goeth to hanging: yea, and\nmuch more. For you might yet prevent your misery; and another posture\ndoth better beseem you to that end: \"Fasting\" and \"crying mightily to\nGod,\" is fitter to your state. See Jonah iii. 8; Joel i. 14; ii. 15.\n\n17. Gluttony is a sin so much the greater, by how much the more will\nand delight you have in the committing of it. The sweetest, most\nvoluntary and beloved sin is (_c\u00e6teris paribus_) the greatest; and few\nare more pleasant and beloved than this.\n\n18. Those are the worst sins, that have least repentance; but gluttony\nis so far from being truly repented of by the luxurious epicure, that\nhe loveth it, and careth and contriveth how to commit it, and buyeth\nit with the price of much of his estate.\n\n19. It is the greater sin, because it is so frequently committed; men\nlive in it as their daily practice and delight; they live for it, and\nmake it the end of other sins: it is not a sin that they seldom fall\ninto, but it is almost as familiar with them, as to eat and drink:\nbeing turned into beasts, they live like beasts continually.\n\n20. Lastly, it is a spreading sin, and therefore is become common,\neven the sin of countries, of rich and poor; for both sorts love their\nbellies, though both have not the like provision for them. And they\nare so far from taking warning one of another, that they are\nencouraged one by another; and the sin is scarce noted in one of a\nhundred that daily liveth in it: nor is there almost any that reprove\nit, or help one another against it, (unless by impoverishing each\nother,) but most by persuasions and examples do encourage it (though\nsome much more than others): so that by this time you may see that it\nis no rare, nor venial, little sin.\n\nAnd now you may see also, that it is no wonder if no one of the\ncommandments expressly forbid this sin, (not only because it is a sin\nagainst ourselves directly, but also,) because it is against every one\nalso of the commandments. And think not that either riches or poverty\nwill excuse it, when even princes are restrained so much as from\nunseasonable eating, Eccles. x. 16. If it was one of the great sins\nthat Sodom was burnt with fire for, judge whether England be in no\ndanger by it. Read, O England, and know thyself, and tremble: Ezek.\nxvi. 49, \"Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom; pride,\nfulness of bread, and abundance of idleness, was in her and in her\ndaughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.\"\n\n               IV. _The Directions or Helps against it._\n\n_Direct._ I. Mortify the flesh, according to the directions, chap. iv.\npart vii. Subdue its inclinations and desires; and learn to esteem and\nuse it but as a servant. Think what a pitiful price a little\ngluttonous pleasure of the throat is, for a man to sell his God and\nhis salvation for.[416] Learn to be indifferent whether your meat be\npleasing to your appetite or not; and make no great matter of it:\nremember still what an odious, swinish, damning sin it is, for a\nman's heart to be set upon his belly. \"All that are Christ's have\ncrucified the flesh with its affections and lusts,\" Gal. v. 24.\n\n_Direct._ II. Live faithfully to God, and upon spiritual, durable\ndelights. And then you will fetch the measure of your eating and\ndrinking from their tendency to that higher end.[417] There is no using\nany inferior thing aright, till you have first well resolved of your\nend, and use it as a means thereto, and mark how far it is a means.\n\n_Direct._ III. See all your food as provided and given you by God, and\nbeg it and the blessing of it at his hand, and then it will much\nrestrain you from using it against him. He is a wretch indeed that\nwill take his food as from his father's hand, and throw it in his\nface, though perhaps a petulant child would do so by a fellow-servant:\nhe that thinketh he is most beholden to himself for his plenty, will\nsay as the fool, Luke xii. 19, 20, \"Soul, take thy ease, eat, drink,\nand be merry, thou hast enough laid up for many years.\" But he that\nperceives it is the hand of God that reacheth it to him, will use it\nmore reverently. It is a horrid aggravation of the gluttony of this\nage, that they play the hypocrites in it, and first (for custom) crave\nGod's blessing on their meat, and then sit down and sin against him\nwith it: such are the prayers of hypocritical sensualists. But a\nserious discerning of God as the giver, would teach you \"whether you\neat or drink to do all to his glory\" from whom it comes.[418]\n\n_Direct._ IV. See by faith the blood of Christ as the purchasing cause\nof all you have; and then sure you will bear more reverence to his\nblood, than to cast the fruit of it into the sink of sensuality, and\nto do worse than throw it upon the dunghill. What! must Christ be a\nsacrifice to God, and die to recover you the mercies which you had\nforfeited, and now will you cast them to the dogs? and please a sinful\nappetite with them? Did he die to purchase you provisions for your\nlusts, and to serve the flesh with?\n\n_Direct._ V. Forget not how the first sin came into the world, even by\neating the forbidden fruit. And let the slain creatures whose lives\nare lost for you, remember you of that sin which brought the burden on\nthem for your sakes. And then every piece of flesh that you see, will\nappear to you as with this caution written upon it: O sin not as your\nfirst parents sinned by pleasing of your appetite; for this our death,\nand your devouring the flesh of your fellow-creatures, is the fruit of\nthat sin, and warneth you to be temperate. Revel not to excess in your\nfellow-creatures' lives.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Keep an obedient, tender conscience, not scrupulously\nperplexing yourselves about every bit you eat, (as melancholy persons\ndo,) but checking your appetite, and telling you of God's commands,\nand teaching you to fear all sensual excess. It is a graceless,\ndisobedient, senseless heart that maketh men so boldly obey their\nappetite; when the fear of God is not in their hearts, no wonder if\nthey \"feed\" and \"feast themselves without fear,\" Jude 12. Either they\nmake a small matter of sin in the general, or at least of this in\nparticular: it is usually the same persons that fear not to spend\ntheir time in idleness, sports, or vanity, and to live in worldliness\nor fleshly lusts, who live in gluttony to feed all this. The belly is\na brute, that sticks not much upon reason: where conscience is asleep\nand seared, reason and Scripture do little move a sensual belly-god;\nand any thing will serve instead of reason to prove it lawful, and to\nanswer all that is said against it. There is no disputing the case\nwith a man that is asleep; especially if his guts and appetite be\nawake: you may almost as well bring reason and Scripture to keep a\nswine from over-eating, or persuade a hungry dog from a bone, as to\ntake off a glutton from the pleasing of his throat, if he be once\ngrown blockish, and have mastered his conscience by unbelief, or\nstilled it with a stupifying opiate. His taste then serveth instead of\nreason, and against reason; then he saith, I feel it do me good; (that\nis, he feeleth that it pleaseth his appetite, as a swine feeleth that\nhis meat doth him good when he is ready to burst;) and this answereth\nall that can be said against it. Then he can sacrifice his time and\ntreasure to his belly, and make a jest of the abstinence and\ntemperance of sober men, as if it were but a needless self-afflicting,\nor fit only for some weak and sickly persons. If the constant fear and\nobedience of God do not rule the soul, the appetite will be unruled;\nand if a tender conscience be not porter, the throat will be common\nfor any thing that the appetite requireth. One sight of heaven or\nhell, to awaken their reason and sleepy consciences, would be the best\nremedy to convince them of the odiousness and danger of this sin.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Understand well what is most conducible to your health;\nand let that be the ordinary measure of your diet for quantity, and\nquality, and time.[419] Sure your nature itself, if you are yet men,\nshould have nothing to say against this measure, and consequently\nagainst all the rest of the directions which suppose it: nature hath\ngiven you reason as well as appetite, and reason telleth you, that your\nhealth is more to be regarded than your appetite. I hope you will not\nsay, that God is too strict with you, or would diet you too hardly, as\nlong as he alloweth you (ordinarily) to choose that (when you can have\nit lawfully) which is most for your own health, and forbiddeth you\nnothing but that which hurteth you. What heathen or infidel that is not\neither mad or swinish, will not allow this measure and choice, as well\nas christians? Yea, if you believe not a life to come, methinks you\nshould be loth to shorten this life which now you have. God would but\nkeep you from hurting yourselves by your excess, as you would keep your\nchildren or your swine. Though he hath a further end in it, and so must\nyou, namely, that a healthful body may be serviceable to a holy soul, in\nyour Master's work; yet it is the health of your bodies which is to be\nyour nearest and immediate end and measure.\n\n[Sidenote: The measure of eating.]\n\nIt is a very great oversight in the education of youth, that they be\nnot taught betimes some common and necessary precepts about diet,\nacquainting them what tendeth to health and life, and what to\nsickness, pain, and death; and it were no unprofitable or unnecessary\nthing, if princes took a course that all their subjects might have\nsome such common needful precepts familiarly known; (as if it were in\nthe books that children first learn to read in, together with the\nprecepts of their moral duty;) for it is certain, that men love not\ndeath or sickness, and that all men love their health and life; and\ntherefore those that fear not God, would be much restrained from\nexcess by the fear of sickness and of death: and what an advantage\nthis would be to the commonwealth, you may easily perceive, when you\nconsider what a mass of treasure it would save, besides the lives,\nand health, and strength of so many subjects.[420] And it is certain,\nthat most people have no considerable knowledge, what measure is best\nfor them; but the common rule that they judge by is their appetite.\nThey think they have eaten enough, when they have eaten as long as\nthey have list; and not before. If they could eat more with an\nappetite, and not be sick after it, they never think they have been\nguilty of gluttony or excess.\n\nFirst, therefore, you must know, that appetite is not to be your rule\nor measure, either for quantity, quality, or time.[421] For, 1. It is\nirrational, and reason is your ruling faculty, if you are men. 2. It\ndependeth on the temperature of the body, and the humours and diseases\nof it, and not merely on the natural need of meat. A man in a dropsy\nis most thirsty, that hath least cause to drink: though frequently in\na putrid or malignant fever, a draught of cold drink would probably be\ndeath, yet the appetite desireth it nevertheless. Stomachs that have\nacid humours, have commonly a strong appetite, be the digestion never\nso weak, and most of them could eat with an appetite above twice as\nmuch as they ought to eat. And on the contrary, some others desire not\nso much as is necessary to their sustenance, and must be urged to eat\nagainst their appetite. 3. Most healthful people in the world have an\nappetite to much more than nature can well digest, and would kill\nthemselves if they pleased their appetites; for God never gave man his\nappetite to be the measure of his eating or drinking, but to make that\ngrateful to him, which reason biddeth him take. 4. Man's appetite is\nnot now so sound and regular as it was before the fall; but is grown\nmore rebellious and unruly, and diseased as the body is: and therefore\nit is now much more unfit to be our measure, than it was before the\nfall. 5. You see it even in swine, and many greedy children, that\nwould presently kill themselves, if they had not the reason of others\nto rule them. 6. Poison itself may be as delightful to the appetite as\nfood; and dangerous meats, as those that are most wholesome. So that\nit is most certain, that appetite is not fit to be the measure of a\nman. Yet this is true withal, that when reason hath nothing against\nit, then an appetite showeth what nature taketh to be most agreeable\nto itself; and reason therefore hath something for it (if it have\nnothing against it); because it showeth what the stomach is like best\nto close with and digest; and it is some help to reason to discern\nwhen it is prepared for food.\n\nSecondly, it is certain also, that the present feeling of ease or\nsickness, is no certain rule to judge of your digestion, or your\nmeasure by; for though some tender, relaxed, windy stomachs, are sick\nor troubled when they are overcharged, or exceed their measure, yet\nwith the most it is not so; unless they exceed to very swinishness,\nthey are not sick upon it, nor feel any hurt at present by less\nexcesses, but only the imperfection of concoction doth vitiate the\nhumours, and prepare for sicknesses by degrees (as is aforesaid); and\none feeleth it a month after in some diseased evacuations; and another\na twelvemonth after; and another not of many years, till it have\nturned to some uncurable disease (for the diseases that are bred by so\nlong preparations are ordinarily much more uncurable, than those that\ncome but from sudden accidents and alterations, in a cleaner body).\nTherefore to say, I feel it do me no harm, and therefore it is no\nexcess, is the saying of an idiot, that hath no foreseeing reason, and\nresisteth not an enemy while he is garrisoning, fortifying, and arming\nhimself, but only when it comes to blows: or like him that would go\ninto a pesthouse, and say, I feel it do me no harm; but within few\ndays or weeks he will feel it. As if the beginning of a consumption\nwere no hurt to them, because they feel it not! Thus living like a\nbeast, will at last make men judge like beasts; and brutify their\nbrains as well as their bellies.\n\n[Sidenote: Rules for the measure of eating.]\n\nThirdly, it is certain also, that the common custom and opinion is no\ncertain rule; nay, certainly it is an erring rule; for judging by\nappetite hath brought men ordinarily to take excess to be but\ntemperance. All these then are false measures.\n\nIf I should here presume to give you any rules for judging of a right\nmeasure, physicians would think I went beyond my calling, and some of\nthem might be offended at a design that tendeth so much to their\nimpoverishing, and those that serve the greedy worm would be more\noffended. Therefore I shall only give you these general intimations.\n1. Nature is content with a little; but appetite is never content till\nit have drowned nature.[422] 2. It is the perfection of concoction,\nand goodness of the nutriment, that is more conducible to health, than\nthe quantity. 3. Nature will easilier overcome twice the quantity of\nsome light and passable nourishment, than half so much of gross and\nheavy meats. (Therefore those that prescribe just twelve ounces a day,\nwithout differencing meats that so much differ, do much mistake.) 4. A\nhealthful, strong body must have more than the weak and sickly. 5.\nMiddle-aged persons must have more than old folks or children.[423] 6.\nHard labourers must have more than easy labourers; and these more than\nthe idle, or students, or any that stir but little. 7. A body of close\npores, that evacuateth little by sweat or transpiration, must have\nless, especially of moisture, than another. 8. So must a cold and\nphlegmatic constitution. 9. So must a stomach that corrupteth its\nfood, and casteth it forth by periodical bilious evacuations. 10. That\nwhich troubleth the stomach in the digestion is too much, or too bad,\nunless with very weak, sickly persons. 11. So is that too much or bad\nwhich maketh you more dull for study, or more heavy and unfit for\nlabour (unless some disease be the principal cause.) 12. A body that\nby excess is already filled with crudities, should take less than\nanother, that nature may have time to digest and waste them. 13. Every\none should labour to know the temperature of their own bodies, and\nwhat diseases they are most inclined to, and so have the judgment of\ntheir physician or some skilful person, to give them such directions\nas are suitable to their own particular temperature and diseases. 14.\nHard labourers err more in the quality than the quantity, partly\nthrough poverty, partly through ignorance, and partly through\nappetite, while they refuse that which is more wholesome (as mere\nbread and beer) if it be less pleasing to them. 15. If I may presume\nto conjecture, ordinarily very hard labourers exceed in quantity about\na fourth part; shopkeepers and persons of easier trades do ordinarily\nexceed about a third part; voluptuous gentlemen and their serving men,\nand other servants of theirs that have no hard labour, do usually\nexceed about half in half (but still I except persons that are\nextraordinarily temperate through weakness, or through wisdom); and\nthe same gentlemen usually exceed in variety, costliness, curiosity,\nand time, much more than they do in quantity (so that they are\ngluttons of the first magnitude). The children of those that govern\nnot their appetites, but let them eat and drink as much and as often\nas they desire it, do usually exceed above half in half, and lay the\nfoundation of the diseases and miseries of all their lives.[424] All\nthis is about the truth, though the belly believe it not.\n\nWhen you are once grown wise enough what in measure, and time, and\nquality, is fittest for your health, go not beyond that upon any\nimportunity of appetite, or of friends; for all that is beyond that,\nis gluttony and sensuality, in its degree.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. If you can lawfully avoid it, make not your table a\nsnare of temptation to yourselves or others. I know a greedy appetite\nwill make any table that hath but necessaries, a snare to itself; but\ndo not you unnecessarily become devils, or tempters to yourselves or\nothers.[425] 1. For quality, study not deliciousness too much: unless\nfor some weak, distempered stomachs, the best meat is that which\nleaveth behind it in the mouth, neither a troublesome loathing, nor an\neager appetite after more, for the taste's sake; but such as bread is,\nthat leaveth the palate in an indifferent moderation. The curious\ninventions of new and delicious dishes, merely to please the appetite,\nis gluttony inviting to greater gluttony; excess in quality to invite\nto excess in quantity.\n\n_Object._ But, you will say, I shall be thought niggardly or sordid,\nand reproached behind my back, if my table be so fitted to the\ntemperate and abstinent.\n\n_Answ._ This is the pleading of pride for gluttony; rather than you\nwill be talked against by belly-gods, or ignorant, fleshly people, you\nwill sin against God, and prepare a feast or sacrifice for Bacchus or\nVenus. The ancient christians were torn with beasts, because they\nwould not cast a little frankincense into the fire on the altar of an\nidol; and will you feed so many idol bellies so liberally to avoid\ntheir censure? Did not I tell you, that gulosity is an irrational\nvice? Good and temperate persons will speak well of you for it; and do\nyou more regard the judgment and esteem of belly-gods?[426]\n\n_Object._ But it is not only riotous, luxurious persons that I mean; I\nhave no such at my table; but it will be the matter of obloquy even to\ngood people, and those that are sober.\n\n_Answ._ I told you some measure of gluttony is become a common sin; and\nmany are tainted with it through custom, that otherwise are good and\nsober: but shall they therefore be left as uncurable? or shall they make\nall others as bad as they? And must we all commit that sin, which some\nsober people are grown to favour? You bear their censures about\ndifferent opinions in religion, and other matters of difference; and why\nnot here? The deluded quakers may be witnesses against you, that while\nthey run into the contrary extreme, can bear the deepest censures of all\nthe world about them. And cannot you for honest temperance and sobriety,\nbear the censures of some distempered or guilty persons that are of\nanother mind; certainly in this they are no temperate persons, when they\nplead for excess, and the baits of sensuality and intemperance.\n\n2. For variety also, make not your table unnecessarily a snare: have\nno greater variety, than the weakness of stomachs, or variety of\nappetites doth require. Unnecessary variety and pleasantness of meats,\nare the devil's great instruments to draw men to gluttony: (and I\nwould wish no good people to be his cooks or caterers:) when the very\nbrutish appetite itself begins to say of one dish, I have enough, then\ncomes another to tempt it unto more excess, and another after that to\nmore. All this that I have said, I have the concurrent judgment of\nphysicians in, who condemn fulness and variety, as the great enemies\nof health, and nurseries of diseases. And is not the concurrent\njudgment of physicians more valuable about matters of health, than\nyour private opinions, or appetites? yet when sickness requireth\nvariety, it is necessary.\n\n3. Sit not too long at meat: for beside the sin of wasting time, it is\nbut the way to tice down a little and a little more: and he that would\nbe temperate, if he sat but a quarter of an hour, (which is ordinarily\nenough,) will exceed when he hath the temptation of half an hour\n(which is enough for the entertainment of strangers); much more when\nyou must sit out an hour (which is too much of all conscience): though\ngreedy eating is not good, yet sober feeding may satisfy nature in a\nlittle time.\n\n4. See that your provisions be not more costly than is necessary:\nthough I know there must be a difference allowed for persons and\ntimes, yet see that no cost be bestowed unnecessarily; and let sober\nreason, and not pride and gluttony, judge of the necessity: we\ncommonly call him the rich glutton, Luke xvi. that fared sumptuously\nevery day; it is not said that he did eat any more than other men, but\nthat he fared sumptuously.[427] You cannot answer it comfortably to\nGod, to lay that out upon the belly, which might do more good another\nway: it is a horrid sin to spend such store of wealth unnecessarily\nupon the belly, as is ordinarily done. The cheapest diet (_c\u00e6teris\nparibus_) must be preferred.\n\n_Object._ But the scandal of covetousness must be avoided as well as\ngluttony. Folks will say, that all this is done merely from a\nmiserable, worldly mind.\n\n_Answ._ 1. It is easier to bear that censure than the displeasure of\nGod. 2. No scandal must be avoided by sin; it is a scandal taken and\nnot given. 3. With temperate persons your excess is much more\nscandalous. 4. I will teach you a cure for this in the next direction.\n\n_Object._ But what if I set variety and plenty on my table? May not\nmen choose whether they will eat too much? Do you think men are swine,\nthat know not when they have enough?\n\n_Answ._ Yes, we see by certain experience, that most men know not when\nthey have enough, and do exceed when they think they do not. There is\nnot one of many, but is much more prone to exceed, than to come short,\nand abundance sin in excess, for one that sinneth by defect: and is sin\nso small a matter with you, that you will lay snares before men, and\nthen say, They may take heed? So men may choose whether they will go\ninto a whore-house, and yet the pope doth scarce deal honestly to\nlicense them at Rome; much less is it well to prepare them, and invite\nmen to them. Will you excuse the devil for tempting Eve with the\nforbidden fruit, because she might choose whether she would meddle with\nit? What doth that on your table, which is purposely cooked to the\ntempting of the appetite, and is fitted to draw men to gulosity and\nexcess, and is no way needful? \"Woe to him that layeth a stumblingblock\nbefore the blind!\" \"Let no man put a stumblingblock in his brother's\nway.\" It is the wicked's curse, \"Let their table be made a snare, and a\ntrap, and a stumblingblock.\" And it was Balaam's sin, that he taught\nBalak to tempt Israel, or lay a stumblingblock before them.[428]\n\n_Direct._ IX. Resolve to bestow the cost of such superfluities upon\nthe poor, or some other charitable use; that so it become not a\nsacrifice to the belly. Let the greatest and needfullest uses be first\nserved; it is no time for you to be glutting your appetites, and\nwallowing in excess, when any (yea, so many) about you, do want even\nclothes and bread. If you do thus lay out all upon the poor, which you\nspare from feeding your own and other men's excess, then none can say\nthat your sparing is through covetous niggardice; and so that reproach\nis taken off. The price of one feast will buy bread for a great many\npoor people. It is small thanks to you to give to the poor some\nleavings, when your bellies are first glutted with as much as the\nappetite desired: this costeth you nothing: a swine will leave that to\nanother which he cannot eat. But if you will a little pinch your\nflesh, or deny yourselves, and live more sparingly and thriftily, that\nyou may have the more to give to the poor, this is commendable indeed.\n\n_Direct._ X. Do not over-persuade any to eat when there is no need,\nbut rather help one another against running into excess; by seasonable\ndiscourses of the sinfulness of gluttony, and of the excellency of\nabstinence, and by friendly watchings over and warning one another.\nSatan and the flesh, and its unavoidable baits, are temptation strong\nenough; we need not by unhappy kindness to add more.\n\n_Direct._ XI. When you feel your appetites eager, against reason and\nconscience, check them, and resolve that they shall not be pleased.\nUnresolvedness keepeth up the temptation; if you would but resolve once,\nyou would be quiet: but when the devil findeth you yielding, or\nwavering, or unresolved, he will never give you rest: Prov. xxiii. 1-3,\n\"When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is\nbefore thee, and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to\nappetite: be not desirous of his dainties, for they are deceitful meat.\"\nThe words translated, \"if thou be a man given to appetite,\" (agreeable\nto the Septuagint and the Arabic,) are translated by Montanus, and in\nthe vulgar Latin, and the Chaldee Paraphrase, if thou have the power of\nthy own soul, or be master of thy soul, _Compos anim\u00e6_, show that thou\nart master of thyself by abstinence. Instead of, \"put a knife to thy\nthroat,\" that is, threaten thyself into abstinence, the Syriac and\ndivers expositors translate it, Thou dost, or, lest thou dost put a\nknife to thy throat, that is, Thou art as bad as cutting thy throat; or\ndestroying thyself, when thou art gluttonously feeding thyself. Keep up\nresolution and the power of reason.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Remember what thy body is, and what it will shortly be,\nand how loathsome and vile it will be in the dust. And then think how\nfar such a body should be pampered and pleased; and at what rates.[429]\nPay not too dear for a feast for worms: look into the grave, and see\nwhat is the end of all your pleasant meats and drinks; of all your\ncurious, costly fare. You may see there the skulls cast up, and the ugly\nhole of that mouth which devoured so many sweet, delicious morsels; but\nthere is none of the pleasure of it now left. Oh wonderful folly! that\nmen can so easily, so eagerly, so obstinately, waste their estates, and\nneglect their souls, and displease their God, and in effect even sell\ntheir hopes of heaven, for so small and sordid a delight, as the\npleasing of such a piece of flesh, that must shortly have so vile an\nend! Was it worth so much care, and toil, and cost, and the casting away\nof your salvation, to pamper that body a little while that must shortly\nbe such a loathsome carcass?[430] Methinks one sight of a skull or a\ngrave, should make you think gluttony and luxury madness. Eccles. vii.\n2, \"It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of\nfeasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to\nheart.\" David saith of the wicked, \"Let me not eat of their dainties;\"\nbut, \"let the righteous smite me and reprove me,\" Psal. cxli. 4, 5. So\ndangerous a thing is feasting even among friends, where of itself it is\nlawful, that Job thought it a season for his fears and sacrifice; Job i.\n4, 5, \"And his sons went and feasted in their houses every one his day,\nand sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with\nthem.\" But Job sacrificed for them, saying, \"It may be my sons have\nsinned, and cursed\" (that is, thought provokingly, unreverently,\nunholily, or contemptuously of) \"God in their hearts. Thus did Job\ncontinually.\" A funeral is a safer place for you than a feast.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Go into the houses of the poor sometimes, and see what\nprovision they live upon, and what time they spend at meat; and then\nbethink you, whether their diet or yours do tend more to the\nmortification of fleshly lusts? and whether theirs will not be as\nsweet as yours at the last? and whether mere riches should make so\ngreat a difference in eating and drinking between them and you? I know\nthat where they want what is necessary to their health, it is lawful\nfor you to exceed them, and be thankful; but not so as to forget their\nwants, nor so as to turn your plenty to excess. The very sight now and\nthen of a poor man's diet and manner of life would do you good: seeing\naffecteth more than hearsay.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Look upon the ancient christians, the patterns of\nabstinence, and think whether their lives were like to yours. They\nwere much in fastings and abstinence, and strangers to gluttony and\nexcess; they were so prone to excess of abstinence, rather than excess\nof meat, that abundance of them lived in wildernesses or cells, upon\nroots, or upon bread and water: (from the imitation of whom, in a\nformal, hypocritical manner, came the swarms of friars that are now in\nthe world:) and will you commend their holiness and abstinence, and\nyet be so far from any serious imitation of them, that you will, in\ngluttony and excess, oppose yourselves directly against them?\n\nI have now detected the odiousness of this sin, and told you if you\nare willing how you may best avoid it: if all this will not serve, but\nthere be \"any profane person among you like Esau, who for one morsel\nof meat sold his birthright,\" Heb. xii. 16,[431] who for the pleasing\nof his throat will sell his soul, let him know that God hath another\nkind of cure for such: he may cast thee into poverty, where thou shalt\nbe a glutton only in desire, but not have to satisfy thy desire; he\nmay shortly cast thee into those diseases, which shall make thee\nloathe thy pleasant fare, and wish thou hadst the poor man's fare and\nappetite; and make thee say of all the baits of thy sensuality, \"I\nhave no pleasure in them,\" Eccles. xii. 1. The case will be altered\nwith thee when all thy wealth, and friends, and greatness cannot keep\nthy pampered carcass from corruption, nor procure thy soul a comfort\nequal to a drop of water to cool thy tongue, tormented in the flames\nof God's displeasure: then all the comfort thou canst procure from God\nand conscience will be but this sad memento, \"Remember that thou in\nthy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil\nthings: but now he is comforted and thou art tormented,\" Luke xvi. 25.\nJames v. 1, 5, \"Go to now, ye rich men; weep and howl for your\nmiseries that shall come upon you--Ye have lived in pleasure on the\nearth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of\nslaughter: ye have condemned and killed the just,\" &c.\n\nYet after all this, I shall remember you that you run not into the\ncontrary extreme: place not more religion in external abstinence and\nfastings than you ought: know your own condition, and how far either\nfasting or eating is really a help or a hinderance to you in those\ngreater things which are their ends, and so far use them.[432] A\ndecaying body must be carefully supported: an unruly body must be\ncarefully subdued: the same medicines serve not for contrary tempers\nand diseases: to think, that abstaining from flesh, and glutting\nyourselves with fish and other meats, is acceptable to God; or that\nmere abstaining so many hours in a week, and serving your appetite on\nthe rest, is meritorious; or that abstinence from meat will prove you\nholy, without an abstinence from sin, all this is self-deluding error.\nNor must you raise a great many of perplexing scruples about all that\nyou eat or drink, to no edification, but merely to your vexation; but\nin cheerful temperance preserve your health, and subdue concupiscence.\n\n\n       _Tit._ 2. _Directions against Drunkenness, and all Excess\n                               of Drink._\n\nI. The most that I have said against gluttony will serve against\nexcess of drink also, therefore I need not repeat it. Drunkenness, in\nthe largest sense, extendeth both to the affection and to the effect:\nand so he is a drunkard (that is, reputatively, in the sight of God)\nwho would drink too much if he had it, and is not restrained by his\nwill, but by necessity.\n\nDrunkenness in the effect or act, is sometimes taken more largely,\nsometimes more strictly. Largely taken, it signifieth all drinking to\nexcess to please the appetite. Two things here make up the crime: 1.\nLove of the drink, or pleasing the appetite, which we call gulosity.\n2. Excess in drinking; which excess may be in quantity or quality.\n\nDrunkenness strictly taken, signifieth drinking till reason have\nreceived some hurt: and of this there be many degrees. He that hath in\nthe least degree disturbed his reason, and disabled or hindered it\nfrom its proper office, is drunken in that degree: and he that hath\noverturned it, or quite disabled it, is stark drunk, or drunk in a\ngreater degree.\n\nAll excess of drink is sinful gulosity or sensuality, of the same nature\nwith gluttony, and falls under all my last reproofs and directions. And\nin some persons that can sit it out, and bear much drink without\nintoxication, the sin may be greater than in some others, that by a\nsmaller quantity are drunk by a surprise, before they are aware; but\nyet, _c\u00e6teris paribus_, the overthrow of the understanding maketh the\nsin to be much the greater; for it hath all the evil that the other\ndegrees have, with more. It is a voluptuous excess in drink to the\ndepravation of reason. Gulosity is the general nature of it: excess is\nthe matter: depravation of reason is its special form.\n\nIt is excess of drinking, when you do drink more than, according to\nthe judgment of sound reason, doth tend to fit your body mediately or\nimmediately for its proper duty, without a greater hurt. Sometimes the\nimmediate benefit is most to be regarded (as, if a man had some\npresent duty of very great moment to perform). The present benefit\nconsisteth, 1. In the abatement of such a troublesome thirst or pain,\nas hindereth you from doing your duty. 2. In adding that refocillation\nand alacrity to the spirits, as maketh them fitter instruments for the\noperations of the mind and body. That measure which doth one or both\nof these without greater hurt is not too great. I say, without greater\nhurt; because if any should in a dropsy or a fever prefer a little\npresent ease and alacrity before his health and life, it were excess.\nOr if any man ordinarily drink more than nature will well digest, and\nwhich causeth the inconcoction of his meat, and consequently\ncrudities, and consequently a dunghill of phlegm and vicious humours\nfit to engender many diseases, this is excess of drinking, though he\nfeel it ease him and make him cheerful for the present time. And this\nis the common case of most bibbers or tipplers that are not stark\ndrunkards: they feel a present ease from thirst, and perhaps a little\nalacrity of spirits, and therefore they think that measure is no\nexcess, which yet tendeth to crudities and diseases, and the\ndestruction of their health and life.\n\nTherefore (except in some great, extraordinary case of necessity) it\nis not so much the present, as the future foreseen effects, which must\ndirect you to know your measure. Reason can foresee, though appetite\ncannot. Future effects are usually great and long; when present\neffects may be small and short. He that will do that which tendeth to\nthe hurt of his health for the present easing or pleasing of his\nthirsty appetite, doth sin against reason, and play the beast. You\nshould be so well acquainted with your bodies, and the means of your\nown health, as to know first whether the enduring of the thirst, or\nthe drinking to quench it, is like to be the more hurtful to your\nhealth, and more a hinderance to your duty.\n\nAnd for the present alacrity which strong drink bringeth to some, you\nmust foresee that you purchase it not at too dear a rate, by a longer\ndulness or disablement afterwards: and take heed that you take not an\nalien, counterfeit hilarity, consisting in mere sensual delight, for\nthat serenity and just alacrity of the spirits as doth fit you for\nyour duty. For this also is a usual (and wilful) self-deceit of\nsensualists: they make themselves believe that a cup of sack or strong\ndrink giveth them a true assistant alacrity, when it only causeth a\nsensual delight, which doth more hinder and corrupt the mind, than\ntruly further it in its duty: and differeth from true alacrity as\npaint from beauty, or as a fever doth from our natural heat.\n\nYou see then that intemperance in drinking is of two sorts: 1.\nBibbing, or drinking too much. 2. Drunkenness (in various degrees).\nAnd these intemperate bibbers are of several sorts. (1.) Those, that\nwhen they have over-heated themselves, or are feverish, or have any\nordinary diseased thirst, will please their appetites, though it be\nto their hurt; and will venture their health rather than endure the\nthirst. Though in fevers, dropsies, coughs, it should be the greatest\nenemy to them, yet they are such beastly servants to their appetites,\nthat drink they must, whatever come of it: though physicians forbid\nthem, and friends dissuade them, they have so much of the brute and so\nlittle of the man, that appetite is quite too hard for reason with\nthem. These are of two sorts: one sort keep the soundness of their\nreason, though they have lost all the strength and power of it, for\nwant of a resolved will; and these confess that they should abstain,\nbut tell you, they cannot, they are not so much men. The other sort\nhave given up their very reason (such as it is) to the service of\ntheir appetites: and these will not believe (till the cough, or gout,\nor dropsy, &c. make them believe it) that their measure of drinking is\ntoo much, or that it will do them hurt; but say, that it would hurt\nthem more to forbear it; some through real ignorance, and some made\nwillingly ignorant by their appetites.\n\n(2.) Another sort of bibbers there are, much worse than those, who\nhave no great, diseased thirst to excuse their gulosity, but call it a\nthirst whenever their appetite would have drink; and use themselves\nordinarily to satisfy such an appetite, and drink almost as oft as the\nthroat desireth it, and say, it is but to quench their thirst; and\nnever charge themselves with intemperance for it. These may be known\nfrom the first sort of bibbers by the quality of their drink: it is\ncold small beer that the first sort desire, to quench a real thirst;\nwhen reason bids them endure it, if other means will not quench it.\nBut it is wine, or strong drink, or some drink that hath a delicious\ngust, which the second sort of bibbers use, to please the appetite,\nwhich they call their thirst. And of these luxurious tipplers, next to\nstark drunkards, there are also divers degrees, some being less\nguilty, and some more.[433]\n\n1. The lowest degree are they that will never ordinarily drink but at\nmeals: but they will then drink more than nature requireth, or than is\nprofitable to their health.\n\n2. The second degree are they, that use to drink between meals, when\ntheir appetite desireth it, to the hindering of concoction, and the\nincrease of crudities and catarrhs, and to the secret, gradual\nvitiating of their humours, and generating of many diseases; and this\nwithout any true necessity, or the approbation of sound reason, or any\nwise physician: yet they tipple but at home, where you may find the\npot by them at unseasonable times.\n\n3. The third degree are many poor men that have not drink at home, and\nwhen they come to a gentleman's house, or a feast, or perhaps an\nalehouse, they will pour in for the present to excess, though not to\ndrunkenness, and think it is no harm, because it is but seldom; and they\ndrink so small drink all the rest of the year, that they think such a\nfit as this sometimes is medicinal to them, and tendeth to their health.\n\n4. Another rank of bibbers are those, that though they haunt not\nalehouses or taverns, yet have a throat for every health or pledging\ncup that reacheth not to drunkenness; and use ordinarily to drink many\nunnecessary cups in a day to pledge (as they call it) those that drink\nto them; and custom and compliment are all their excuse.\n\n5. Another degree of bibbers are common alehouse haunters, that love\nto be there, and to sit many hours perhaps in a day, with a pot by\nthem, tippling, and drinking one to another. And if they have any\nbargain to make, or any friend to meet, the alehouse or tavern must be\nthe place, where tippling may be one part of their work.\n\n6. The highest degree are they, that are not apt to be stark drunk,\nand therefore think themselves less faulty, while they sit at it, and\nmake others drunk, and are strong themselves to bear away more than\nothers can bear. They have the drunkard's appetite, and measure, and\npleasure, though they have not his giddiness and loss of wit.\n\n(3.) And of those that are truly drunken also, there are many degrees\nand kinds. As some will be drunk with less and some with more; so some\nare only possessed with a little diseased levity, and talkativeness,\nmore than they had before: some also have distempered eyes, and\nstammering tongues: some also proceed to unsteady, reeling heads, and\nstumbling feet, and unfitness for their callings: some go further, to\nsick and vomiting stomachs, or else to sleepy heads: and some proceed\nto stark madness, quarrelling, railing, bawling, hooting, ranting,\nroaring, or talking nonsense, or doing mischief: the furious sort\nbeing like mad dogs that must be tied; and the sottish, prating, and\nspewing sort being commonly the derision of the boys in the streets.\n\nII. Having told you what tippling and drunkenness is, I shall briefly\ntell you their causes; but briefly, because you may gather most of\nthem from what is said of the causes of gluttony. 1. The first and\ngrand causes are these three concurrent: a beastly, raging appetite or\ngulosity; a weakness of reason and resolution to rule it; and a want\nof faith to strengthen reason, and of holiness to strengthen\nresolution. These are the very cause of all.\n\n2. Another cause is, their not knowing that their excess and tippling is\nreally a hurt or danger to their health. And they are ignorant of this\nfrom many causes. One is, because they have been bred up among ignorant\npeople, and never taught to know what is good or bad for their own\nbodies, but only by the common talk of the mistaken vulgar. Another is,\nbecause their appetite so mastereth their very reason, that they can\nchoose to believe that which they would not have to be true. Another\nreason is, because they are of healthful bodies, and therefore feel no\nhurt at present, and presume that they shall feel none hereafter, and\nsee some abstemious persons weaker than they (who began not to be\nabstemious till some chronical disease had first invaded them). And thus\nthey do by their bodies just as wicked men do by their souls: they judge\nall by present feeling, and have not wisdom enough to take things\nforeseen into their deliberation and accounts: that which will be a\ngreat while hence they take for nothing, or an uncertain something next\nto nothing. As heaven and hell move not ungodly men, because they seem a\ngreat way off; so, while they feel themselves in health, they are not\nmoved with the threatening of sickness: the cup is in their hands, and\ntherefore they will not set it by, for fear of they know not what, that\nwill befall them you know not when. As the thief that was told he should\nanswer it at the day of judgment, said, he would take the other cow too,\nif he should stay unpunished till then; so these belly-gods think, they\nwill take the other cup, if they shall but stay till so long hence. And\nthus because this temporal punishment of their gulosity is not speedily\nexercised, the hearts of men are fully set in them to please their\nappetites.\n\n3. Another cause of tippling and drunkenness is, a wicked heart, that\nloveth the company of wicked men, and the foolish talk, and cards, and\ndice, by which they are entertained. One sin enticeth down\nanother:[434] it is a delight to prate over a pot, or rant and game,\nand drive away all thoughts that savour of sound reason, or the fear\nof God, or the care of their salvation. Many of them will say, it is\nnot for love of the drink, but of the company, that they use the\nalehouse; an excuse that maketh their sin much worse, and showeth them\nto be exceeding wicked. To love the company of wicked men, and love to\nhear their lewd and idle, foolish talk, and to game and sport out your\ntime with them, besides your tippling, this showeth a wicked, fleshly\nheart, much worse than if you loved the drink alone. Such company as\nyou love best, such are your own dispositions: if you were no tipplers\nor drunkards, it is a certain sign of an ungodly person, to love\nungodly company better than the company of wise and godly men, that\nmay edify you in the fear of God.\n\n4. Another cause of tippling is idleness, when they have not the\nconstant employments of their callings to take them up. Some of them\nmake it their chief excuse that they do it to pass away the time.\nBlind wretches! that are so near eternity, and can find no better uses\nfor their time. To these I spoke before, chap. v. part i.\n\n5. Another cause is the wicked neglect of their duties to their own\nfamilies; making no conscience of loving their own relations, and\nteaching them the fear of God; nor following their business: and so they\ntake no pleasure to be at home; the company of wife, and children, and\nservants is no delight to them, but they must go to an alehouse or\ntavern for more suitable company. Thus one sin bringeth on another.\n\n6. Another cause is the ill management of matters at home with their\nown consciences; when they have brought themselves into so terrible\nand sad a case, that they dare not be much alone, nor soberly think of\ntheir own condition, nor seriously look towards another world; but fly\nfrom themselves, and seek a place to hide them from their consciences,\nforgetting that sin will find them out. They run to an alehouse, as\nSaul to his music, to drink away melancholy, and drown the noise of a\nguilty, self-accusing mind; and to drive away all thoughts of God, and\nheaven, and sin, and hell, and death, and judgment, till it be too\nlate. As if they were resolved to be damned, and therefore resolved\nnot to think of their misery nor the remedy. But though they dare\nventure upon hell itself, the sots dare not venture upon the serious\nthoughts of it! Either there is a hell, or there is none: if there be\nnone, why shouldst thou be afraid to think of it? If there be a hell,\n(as thou wilt find it if thou hold on but a little longer,) will not\nthe feeling be more intolerable than the thoughts of it? And is not\nthe fore-thinking on it a necessary and cheap prevention of the\nfeeling? Oh how much wiser a course were it to retire yourselves in\nsecret, and there look before you to eternity, and hear what\nconscience hath first to say to you concerning your life past, your\nsin and misery, and then what God hath to say to you of the remedy.\nYou will one day find, that this is a more necessary work, than any\nthat you had at the alehouse, and that you had greater business with\nGod and conscience, than with your idle companions.\n\n7. Another cause is the custom of pledging those that drink to you, and\nof drinking healths, by which the laws of the devil and the alehouse do\nimpose upon them the measures of excess, and make it their duty to\ndisregard their duty to God: so lamentable a thing it is, to be the\ntractable slaves of men, and intractable rebels against God! Plutarch\nmentions one that being invited to a feast, made a stop when he heard\nthat they compelled men to drink after meat, and asked whether they\ncompelled them to eat too? apprehending that he went in danger of his\nbelly. And it seems to be but custom that maketh it appear less\nridiculous or odious to constrain men to drinking than to eating.\n\n8. Another great cause of excess is, the devil's way of drawing them\non by degrees: he doth not tempt them directly to be drunk, but to\ndrink one cup more, and then another and another, so that the worst\nthat he seemeth to desire of them is, but to \"drink a little more.\"\nAnd thus, as Solomon saith of the fornicator, they yield to the\nflatterer, and go on as the \"ox to the slaughter, and as the fool to\nthe correction of the stocks, till a dart strike through his liver; as\na bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life,\"\nProv. vii. 21-23.\n\nIII. The greatness of this sin appeareth in what is said before of\ngluttony. More specially, 1. Think how base a master thou dost serve,\nbeing thus a slave to thy throat. What a beastly thing it is, and\nworse than beastly! for few beasts but a swine will be forced to drink\nmore than doth them good. How low and poor is that man's reason that\nis not able to command his throat!\n\n2. Think how thou consumest the creatures of God, that are given for\nservice, and not for gulosity and luxury. The earth shall be a witness\nagainst thee, that it bore that fruit for better uses, which thou\nmispendest on thy sin. Thy servants and cattle that labour for it\nshall be witnesses against thee. Thou offerest the creatures of God as\na sacrifice to the devil, for drunkenness and tippling is his service.\nIt were less folly to do as Diogenes did, who, when they gave him a\nlarge cup of wine, threw it under the table that it might do him no\nharm. Thou makest thyself like caterpillars, and foxes, and wolves,\nand other destroying creatures, that live to do mischief, and consume\nthat which should nourish man; and therefore are pursued as unfit to\nlive. Thou art to the commonwealth as mice in the granary, or weeds in\nthe corn. It is a great part of the work of faithful magistrates to\nweed out such as thou.\n\n3. Thou robbest the poor, consuming that on thy throat which should\nmaintain them. If thou have any thing to spare, it will comfort thee\nmore at last, to have given it to the needy, than that a greedy throat\ndevoured it. The covetous is much better in this than the drunkard and\nluxurious; for he is a gatherer, and the other is a scatterer.[435]\nThe commonwealth maintaineth a double or treble charge in such as thou\nart. As the same pasture will keep many sheep which will keep but one\nhorse; so the same country may keep many temperate persons, which will\nkeep but a few gluttons and drunkards. The worldling makes provision\ncheaper by getting and sparing; but the drunkard and glutton make it\ndearer by wasting. The covetous man, that scrapeth together for\nhimself, doth ofttimes gather for one that will pity the poor when he\nis dead, Prov. xxviii. 8; but the drunkard and riotous devour it while\nthey are alive. One is like a hog that is good for something at last,\nthough his feeding yield no profit while he liveth; the other is like\ndevouring vermin, that leave nothing to pay for what they did consume.\nThe one is like a pike among the fishes, who payeth when he is dead\nfor that which he devoured alive; but the other is like the sink or\nchannel, that repayeth you nothing but stink and dirt, for all that\nyou cast into it.\n\n4. Thou drawest poverty and ruin upon thyself. Besides the value which\nthou wastest, God usually joineth with the prodigal by his judgments,\nand scattereth as fast as he. Prov. xxi. 17, \"He that loveth pleasure\nshall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.\"\n\"There is that scattereth and yet increaseth,\" Prov. xi. 24. But this\nis not the issue of thy scattering. Prov. xxiii. 19-21, \"Hear thou, my\nson, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way. Be not amongst\nwine-bibbers, amongst riotous eaters of flesh: for the drunkard and\nthe glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man\nwith rags.\"[436]\n\n5. Thou art an enemy to thy family. Thou grievest thy friends. Thou\nimpoverishest thy children, and robbest those whom thou art bound to\nmake provision for. Thou fillest thy house with discontents and\nbrawlings, and banishest all quietness and fear of God. A discontented\nor a brawling wife, and ragged, dissolute, untaught children, are often\nsigns that a drunkard or riotous person is the master of the family.\n\n6. Thou art a heinous consumer of thy precious time. This is far worse\nthan the wasting of thy estate. Oh that thou didst but know, as thou\nshalt know at last, what those hours are worth, which thou wastest over\nthy pots! and how much greater work thou hadst to lay it out upon! How\nmany thousands in hell are wishing now in vain, that they had those\nhours again to spend in prayer and repentance which they spent in the\nalehouse, and senselessly cast away with their companions in sin! Is the\nglass turned upon thee, and death posting towards thee, to put an end to\nall thy time, and lay thee where thou must dwell for ever; and yet canst\nthou sit tippling and prating away thy time, as if this were all that\nthou hadst to do with it? Oh what a wonder of sottishness and stupidity\nis a hardened sinner, that can live so much below his reason! The\nsenses' neglect of thy soul's concernment, and greater matters, is the\ngreat part of thy sin, more than the drunkenness itself.\n\n7. How base a price dost thou set upon thy Saviour and salvation, that\nwilt not forbear so much as a cup of drink for them! The smallness of\nthe thing showeth the smallness of thy love to God, and the smallness\nof thy regard to his word and to thy soul. Is that loving God as God,\nwhen thou lovest a cup of drink better? Art thou not ashamed of thy\nhypocrisy, when thou sayest thou lovest God above all, when thou\nlovest him not so well as thy wine and ale? Surely he that loveth him\nnot above ale, loveth him not above all! Thy choice showeth what thou\nlovest best, more certainly than thy tongue doth. It is the dish that\na man greedily eateth of that he loveth, and not that which he\ncommendeth but will not meddle with. God trieth men's love to him, by\ntheir keeping his commandments.[437] It was the aggravation of the\nfirst sin, that they would not deny so small a thing as the forbidden\nfruit, in obedience to God! And so it is of thine, that wilt not leave\na forbidden cup for him! O miserable wretch! dost thou not know that\nthou canst not be Christ's disciple, if thou forsake not all for him,\nand hate not even thy life in comparison of him, and wouldst not\nrather die than forsake him? Luke xiv. 26, 33. And art thou like to\nlay down thy life for him that wilt not leave a cup of drink for him?\nCanst thou burn at a stake for him, that canst not leave an alehouse,\nor vain company, or excess for him? What a sentence of condemnation\ndost thou pass upon thyself! Wilt thou sell thy God and thy soul for\nso small a matter as a cup of drink? Never delude thyself to say, I\nhope I do not so, when thou knowest that God hath told thee in his\nword, that \"drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God,\" 1 Cor.\nvi. 10. Nay, God hath commanded those that will come to heaven, to\nhave no familiarity with thee upon earth; \"no, not so much as to eat\"\nwith thee! 1 Cor. v. 11. Read what Christ himself saith, Matt. xxiv.\n48-51, \"But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord\ndelayeth his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and\nto eat and to drink with the drunken, the lord of that servant shall\ncome in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is\nnot aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion\nwith the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.\"\nRead Deut. xxix. 19, 20: If when thou \"hearest the words of God's\ncurse, thou bless thyself in thy heart, saying, I shall have peace,\nthough I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to\nthirst; the Lord will not spare that man, but then the anger of the\nLord and his jealousy shall smoke against him, and all the curses that\nare written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot\nout his name from under heaven, and the Lord shall separate him to\nevil.\" Thou seest here how God will spice thy cups.\n\n8. Thou art the shame of human nature:[438] thou representest man in\nthe likeness of a beast, and worse; as if he were made but instead of\na barrel or a sink: look on a drunkard filthing and spewing, and\nreeling and bawling, and see if he be not uglier than a brute! Thou\nart a shame to thy own reason, when thou showest the world, that it\ncannot so much as shut thy mouth, nor prevail with thee in so small a\nthing. Wrong not reason so much as to call thyself rational; and wrong\nnot mankind so much as to call thyself a man: _Non homo sed amphora_,\nsaid one of Bonosus the drunken emperor when he was hanged: It is a\nbarrel and not a man.\n\n9. Thou destroyest that reason which is the glory of thy nature, and\nthe natural part of the image of God upon thy mind. If thou shouldst\ndeface the king's arms or image in any public place, and set in the\nstead of it the image of a dog, would it not be a traitorous contempt?\nhow much worse is it to do thus by God! If thou didst mangle and\ndeform thy body, it were less in this respect; for it is not thy body,\nbut thy soul, that is made after the image of God: hath God given thee\nreason for such high and excellent ends and uses, and wilt thou dull\nit and drown it in obedience to thy throat? Thy reason is of higher\nvalue than thy house, or land, or money, and yet thou wilt not cast\nthem away so easily! Had God made thee an idiot, or mad and lunatic,\nthy case had been to be pitied: but to make thyself mad, and despise\nthy manhood, deserveth punishment. It is the saying of Basil;\nInvoluntary madness deserveth compassion, but voluntary madness, the\nsharpest whips. Prov. xix. 29, \"Judgments are prepared for scorners,\nand stripes for the fool's back;\" especially for the voluntary fool:\nhe that will make himself a beast or a mad-man, should be used by\nothers like a beast or a mad-man, whether he will or not.\n\n10. Thou makest thyself unfit for any thing that is good. Oh how unfit\nart thou to read, or hear, or meditate on the word of God! how unfit\nto pray! how unfit to receive the holy sacrament! what a dreadful\nthing is it to think of a drunken man speaking to God in prayer![439]\nThy best posture till thou art sober is to be asleep: for then thou\ndost least hurt, and thou art made uncapable of doing good; yea, and\nof receiving any good from others; thou art not so much as capable of\nreproof or counsel: he that should cast pearls before such a swine,\nand offer to speak to thee for the good of thy soul, would but\ndishonour the name and word of God. As it is said of a drunkard, that\nwhen one rebuked him, saying, Art thou not ashamed to be thus drunken,\nreplied, Art thou not ashamed to talk to a man that is drunken? it is\na shame to the man that would cure thee by reason, when thou hast\nthrown away thy reason. And if thou have but a merry cup, and thinkest\nthyself the fitter for thy duty, yea, if thou do it well, as to the\noutward appearance, as the principle is false and base, so thou\ndeservest blame for casting thy work upon so great a hazard. As\nSophocles said of an orator that wrote well when he was half drunken,\nThough he did it well, he did it ignorantly and in uncertainty; for\nthy levity weakeneth thy judgment, and thou dost the good thou dost\nbut at a venture; as a passionate man may speak well, but it is\nunlikely and uncertain; and therefore no thanks to him that it fell\nnot out to be worse.\n\nThou disposest thyself to almost every sin.[440] Drunkenness breaketh\nevery one of the commandments, by disposing men to break them all. It\ndisableth them to the duties of the first commandment above all, viz.\nto know God, and believe, and trust, and love him: it utterly\nunfitteth men for the holy worship required in the second commandment,\nas I have showed: he that hateth the guilt of former sin, in his\nworshippers, hateth present wickedness much more. Prov. xxi. 27, \"The\nsacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more when he bringeth\nit with a wicked mind.\" Idolatry, and wantonness, and excess in eating\nand drinking, usually dispose to one another. See 1 Cor. x. 7.\nSacrifices of mirth and joviality, and gluttony and drunkenness, are\nfit for idols and devils, but unfit for God! And therefore commonly we\nfind that it is the drunkards and riotous people in every town, that\nare the great enemies to the preaching of the gospel, and to all holy\nexercises, and to all that fear God, and will not be as mad as they:\nwhen there is a sacrifice to be offered to Bacchus, and any merry\nmeeting where potting and feasting, and dancing and roaring, is to be\nthe game, there it is that the ministers and servants of Christ are\nslandered, and scorned, and railed at.[441] There it is that hellish\nreproach of godliness, like the devil's cannons, are let fly without\ncontrol (though through God's mercy they have more powder than bullet,\nand do little execution). There it is that the devil sitteth as\npresident in his council, plotting what to do against the people and\nways of Christ. And though it be drunken, sottish counsel, it is the\nfitter for his business; for it is a brutish thunderbolt that he hath\nto cast; a senseless, furious work that he hath to do; and no other\ninstruments will serve his turn. He hath a plot to blow up the\nreputation and honour of serious godliness; but he that setteth fire\nto his train must withal blow up himself: and none is so fit for this\nwork as a drunkard or a sensual sot: few others will venture to cast\ntheir own souls into the fire of hell, that they may procure a little\nstinking breath to be blown into the faces of the godly; few others\nwould set their own houses on fire, that they may trouble God's\nservants by the smoke. Their very work is to do as those in Dan. iii.\nto cast the servants of Christ into those flames, which must devour\nthose that cast them in, and must scarce touch a thread of the\ngarments, or a hair of the head, of those for whom it was\nprepared:[442] and who would do this, that knew what he did, and were\nwell in his wits? must he not be first made drunk that doth it? Also\ndrunkenness disposeth you to swearing, and blaspheming, and perjury,\nand speaking contemptuously and unreverently of God, and to speak\nprofanely and jestingly of the Scripture: and thus \"fools make a mock\nof sin,\" Prov. xiv. 9. You are good for none of the holy exercises of\nthe Lord's day: that is the day that you must defile with your filthy\nsin; the day in which God sendeth abroad his gracious invitations, and\nthe devil his wicked incitations; in which God giveth most of his\ngrace, and the devil infecteth most with sin; in which God is best\nserved by his sincere ones, and the devil is most served by his\nimpious ones.[443] And you dispose yourselves to sin against your\ngovernors: you have no hold of tongue or action when you are drunken.\nHow many in their drunkenness have reproached and abused father and\nmother; and spoken treason against their king, or reviled magistrates\nand superiors; and perhaps attempted and done mischief as well as\nspoken it! If you are superiors, how unfit are you to judge or govern!\nIs it not lawful for any to appeal from you, as the woman did from\nPhilip drunk to Philip sober? You will be apter to abuse your\ninferiors than well to govern them. Also drunkenness destroyeth\ncivility, justice, and charity. It inflameth the mind with anger and\nrage; it teacheth the tongue to curse, and rail, and slander; it makes\nyou unfaithful, and uncapable of keeping any secret, and ready to\nbetray your chiefest friend, as being master neither of your mind, or\ntongue, or actions. Drunkenness hath made men commit many thousand\nmurders; it hath caused many to murder themselves, and their nearest\nrelations; many have been drowned by falling into the water, or broke\ntheir necks with falling from their horses, or died suddenly by the\nsuffocation of nature. It draweth men to idleness, and taketh them off\ntheir lawful calling: it maketh a multitude of thieves, by breeding\nnecessity, and imboldening to villany. It is a principal cause of lust\nand filthiness, and the great maintainer of whoredoms; and taketh away\nall shame, and fear, and wit, which should restrain men from this or\nany sin: what sin is it that a drunken man may not commit? no thanks\nto him that he forbeareth the greatest wickedness! Cities and kingdoms\nhave been betrayed by drunkenness; many a drunken garrison hath let in\nthe enemy. There is no confidence to be put in a drunken man; nor any\nmischief that he is secure from.\n\n12. Lastly, Thou sinnest not alone, but temptest others with thee to\nperdition. It is the great crime of Jeroboam that he made Israel to\nsin. The judgment of God determineth those men to death, that not only\ndo wickedness, \"but have pleasure in them that do it,\" Rom. i. 32. And\nis not this thy case? Art thou not Satan's instrument to tempt others\nwith thee to waste their time, and neglect their souls, and abuse God\nand his creatures? Yea, some of you glory in your shame, that you have\ndrunk down your companions, and carried it away (the honour of a\nsponge or a tub, which can drink up or hold liquor as well as you).\nAnd what is that man worthy of, that would thus transform himself and\nothers into such monsters of iniquity?\n\nIV. Next let us hear the drunkard's excuses (for even drunkenness will\npretend to reason, and men will not make themselves mad without an\nargument to justify it). I. Saith the tippler, I take no more than\ndoth me good: you allow a man to eat as much as doth him good, and why\nnot to drink as much? No man is fitter to judge this than I, for I am\nsure I feel it do me good.\n\n_Answ._ What good dost thou mean, man? Doth it fit thee for holy\nthoughts, or words, or deeds? Doth it help thee to live well, or fit\nthee to die well? Art thou sure that it tendeth to the health of thy\nbody? Thou canst not so say without the imputation of folly or\nself-conceitedness, when all the wise physicians in the world do hold\nthe contrary. No, it doth as gluttony doth; it pleaseth thee in the\ndrinking, but it filleth thy body with crudities and phlegm, and\nprepareth for many mortal sicknesses: it maketh thy body like grounds\nafter a flood, that are covered with stinking slime; or like fenny\nlands that are drowned in water, and bear no fruit; or like grounds\nthat have too much rain, that are dissolved to dirt, but are unfit for\nuse. It maketh thee like a leaking ship, that must be pumped and\nemptied, or it will sink; if thou have not vomits or purges to empty\nthee, thou wilt quickly drown or suffocate thy life. As Basil saith, a\ndrunkard is like a ship in a tempest, when all the goods are cast\noverboard to disburden it lest it sink. Physicians must pump thee, or\ndisburden thee, or thou wilt be drowned; and all will not serve if\nthou hold on to fill it up again; for intemperance maketh most\ndiseases uncurable. An historian speaketh of two physicians that\ndiffered in their prognostics about a patient; one forsook him as\nuncurable; the other undertook him as certainly curable; but when he\ncame to his remedies, he prescribed him so strict abstinence as he\nwould not undergo: and so they agreed in the issue; when one judged\nhim uncurable because intemperate, and the other curable if he would\nbe temperate. Thou that feelest the drink do thee good, dost little\nthink how the devil hath a design in it, not only to have thy soul,\nbut to have it quickly; that the mud-walls of thy body being washed\ndown may not hold it long. And I must tell thee that thou hast cause\nto value a good physician for greater reasons than thy life, and art\nmore beholden to him than many others; even that he may help to keep\nthy soul out of hell a little longer, to see \"if God will give thee\nrepentance,\" that thou \"mayst escape out of the snare of the devil,\nwho taketh thee captive at his will,\" 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26. As \u00c6lian\nwriteth of king Antigonus, that having great respect for Zeno the\nphilosopher, he once met him when he was in drink, and embracing him,\nurged him to ask of him what he would, and bound himself with many\noaths to give it him. Zeno thanked him, and the request he made to him\nwas, that he would go home and vomit. To tell him that he more needed\nto be disburdened of his drink, than he himself did need his gifts.\nThe truth is, the good that thou feelest the drink do thee is but the\npresent pleasing of thy appetite, and tickling thy fantasy by the\nexhilarating vapours: and so the glutton, and the whoremonger, and\nevery sensual wretch will say, that he feeleth it do him good; but God\nbless all sober men from such a good. So the gamester feeleth the\nsport do him good; but perhaps he is quickly made a beggar by it. It\nis reason and faith, and not thy appetite or present feeling, that\nmust tell thee what and how much doth thee good.\n\n_Object._ II. But I have heard some physicians say, that it is\nwholesome to be drunk sometimes.\n\n_Answ._ None but some sot, that had first drank away his own\nunderstanding. I have known physicians that have been drunkards\nthemselves, and they have been apt to plead for their own vice; but they\nquickly killed themselves, and all their skill could not save their\nlives from the effects of their own bestiality; even as the knowledge\nand doctrine of a wicked preacher will not save his soul, if he live\ncontrary to his profession. And what if the vomiting of a drunkard did\nhim some good with all the harm? Are there not easier, safer, lawfuller\nmeans enough to do the same good without the harm? He is a brute\nhimself, and not a physician, that knoweth no better remedy than this.\nBut thy conscience telleth thee, this is but a false excuse.\n\n_Object._ III. But I wrong nobody in my drink; the hurt is my own.\n\n_Answ._ No thanks to thee if thou wrong nobody: but read over the former\naggravations, and then justify thyself in this if thou canst. It seems\nthou makest nothing of wronging God by disobedience. But suppose it be\nno one's hurt but thy own: dost thou hate thyself? is thy own hurt\nnothing to thee? what! dost make nothing of the damning of thy own soul?\nwhom wilt thou love if thou hate thyself? It is the aggravation of this\nsin, as well as fornication, 1 Cor. vi. 18, that it is against your own\nbodies, and much more as against your own souls.\n\n_Object._ IV. But I was but merry, I was not drunken.\n\n_Answ._ It were well for you if God would stand to your names and\ndefinitions, and take none for a sinner that taketh not himself for one.\nThere are several degrees of drunkenness short of the highest degree.\nAnd if your reason was not disturbed, yet the excess of drink only, and\ntippling, and gulosity, will prove a greater sin than you suppose.\n\n_Object._ V. But I drink but a little; but my head is weak and a\nlittle overturneth it.\n\n_Answ._ If you know that beforehand, you are the more unexcusable,\nthat will not avoid that measure which you know you cannot bear. If\nyou knew that less poison will kill you than another, you would be\nthe more fearful of it, and not the less.\n\n_Object._ VI. But I have a thirst upon me, and I take no more than\nwill quench it.\n\n_Answ._ So the whoremonger saith, he hath a lust upon him, and he\ntaketh no more than will quench it. And the malicious man that beateth\nyou or undoes you, may say, that he hath a passion upon him, and he\ntaketh no more revenge on you than satisfieth it. But if you add\ndrunkenness to thirst, read your doom again, Deut. xxix. 19. If it be\na natural, moderate thirst, moderation will satisfy it; if it be a\ndiseased thirst, as in a fever or dropsy, the physician must direct\nyou in the cure; and small drink is fitter for a thirst than strong:\nbut if it be the thirst of a drunkard's raging appetite, that hath\nbeen used to be pleased, and therefore is loth to be denied, you had\nbest quench it upon better and cheaper terms, than the displeasing God\nand damning your souls; lest you find it more troublesome in the\nflames of hell, to want a drop of water for your tongues, than it\nwould have been to have bridled a beastly appetite.[444] And lest you\nthen cry out as Lysimachus, when thirst forced him to yield to the\nScythians for a little drink, _Quam brevis voluptatis gratia, quantum\nfelicitatis amisi_! For how short a pleasure did I lose so great\nfelicity! Take heed of reasoning your souls into impenitence.\n\n_Quest._ I. Is it not lawful to drink when we are thirsty, and know of\nno harm that it is like to do us, seeing thirst telleth us what the\nstomach needeth?\n\n_Answ._ A beast may do so, that hath no higher faculty to guide him.\nAnd a man may take in the consideration of his thirst to guide his\nreason in judging of the due quantity and time; but not otherwise. A\nman must never drink to please his appetite, either against reason, or\nwithout it. And no man must so captivate his reason to sense, as to\nthink that his appetite is his principal rule or guide herein; nor be\nso brutish as to know no otherwise what doth him good or hurt, but by\nhis present feeling; sometimes true reason may tell a man, that thirst\nis a sign that drink is needful to his health, and then he may take\nit. Sometimes (and commonly with blockish people) pleasing a thirst\nmay hurt their health, and they are so foolish that they do not know\nit; either because they are ignorant of such things, or because their\nappetite maketh them unwilling to believe it, till they feel it; and\nbecause they judge only by the present effects: so a man may kill\nhimself with drinking cold drink in a heat, in some fevers, in a\ndropsy, a cough, cachexy, &c. And excess doth insensibly vitiate the\nblood, and heap up matter of many diseases which are incurable, before\nthe sot will believe that drinking when he was thirsty did him any\nharm. If really it will do no harm, you may drink when you are thirsty\n(because it will do good). But if it will quench natural heat and\nhinder concoction, and breed diseases through unseasonableness, or ill\nquality, or excess, it is neither your thirst, nor your sottish\nignorance of the hurt, that will excuse you from the sin, or prevent\nthe coughs, stone, gout, cholic, swellings, palsies, agues, fevers, or\ndeath, which it will bring.\n\n_Quest._ II. Is it not lawful to drink a health sometimes when it would\nbe ill-taken to refuse it, or to be uncovered while others drink it?\n\n_Answ._ Distinguish between, 1. Drinking measurably as you need it,\nand unmeasurably when you need it not. 2. Between the foreseen\neffects; and doing it ordinarily, or when it will do hurt, or\nextraordinarily, when it will more prevent hurt. And so I conclude,\n\n1. It is unlawful to drink more than is good for your health, by the\nprovocation of other men.\n\n2. It is unlawful to do that which tempteth and encourageth others to\ndrink too much. And so doth the custom of pledging healths, especially\nwhen it is taken for a crime to deny it.\n\n3. Therefore the ordinary pledging or drinking of such healths is\nunlawful, because it is the scandalous hardening of others in their\nsin unto their ruin.\n\n4. But if we fall in among such furious beasts as would stab a man if\nhe did not drink a health, it is lawful to do it to save one's life,\nas it is to give a thief my purse; because it is a sin not simply evil\nof itself to drink that cup, but by accident, which a greater accident\nmay preponderate.\n\n5. Therefore any other accident beside the saving of your life, which\nwill really preponderate the hurtful accident, may make it lawful; as\npossibly in some cases and companies the offence given by denying it\nmay be such as will do more hurt far, than yielding would do. (As if a\nmalignant company would lay one's loyalty to the king upon it, &c.)\n\n6. Christian prudence therefore (without carnal compliance) must be\nalways the present decider of the case, by comparing the good and evil\neffects.\n\n7. To be bare when others lay the honour of the king or superiors upon\nit, is a ceremony that on the aforesaid reason may be complied with.\n\n8. When to avoid a greater evil we are extraordinarily put on any such\nceremony, it is meet that we join such words (where we have liberty)\nas may prevent the scandal, or hardening any present in sin.\n\n9. And it is a duty to avoid the company which will put us upon such\ninconveniences, as far as our calling will allow us.\n\nV. But because it is the drunkard's heart or will that needs\npersuasion, more than his understanding needs direction, I shall\nbefore the directions yet endeavour his fuller conviction, if he will\nbut read, and consider soberly, (if ever he be sober,) these following\nquestions, and not leave them till he answer them to the satisfaction\nof his own conscience.\n\n_Quest._ I. Dost thou know that thou art a man? and what a man is?\nDost thou know that reason differenceth him from a beast that is ruled\nby appetite and hath no reason? If thou do, let thy reason do its\noffice, and do not drown it, or set the beast above it.\n\n_Quest._ II. Dost thou believe that there is a God that is the\nGovernor of the world, or not? If not, tell me how thou camest to be a\nman? And how came thy tongue and palate to taste thy drink or meat,\nany more than thy finger? Look on thy finger and on thy tongue, and\nthou canst see no reason why one should taste and not the other? If\nthou live in the midst of such a world, which he hath made and daily\ngoverneth, and yet believest not that there is a God, thou art so much\nworse already than drunk or mad, that it is no wonder if thou be a\ndrunkard. But if thou do believe indeed that there is a God, hear\nfurther, thou stupid beast, and tremble! Is he the Governor of heaven\nand earth, and is he not worthy to be the Governor of thee? Is all the\nworld at his disposal, and is he not worthy to dispose of thy throat\nand appetite? Are crowns, and kingdoms, heaven, and hell, at his\ndisposal and will, and is he not worthy to be master of thy cup and\ncompany? wilt thou say to him by thy practice, go rule sun and moon,\nand rule all the world, except my appetite and my cup?\n\n_Quest._ III. Dost thou verily believe that God is present with thee,\nand seeth and heareth all that is done and said among you? If not,\nthou believest not that he is God! For he that is absent, and\nignorant, and is not infinite, omnipresent, and omniscient, is not\nGod; and if God be not there, thou art not there thyself; for what can\nuphold thee, and continue thy life, and breath, and being? But if thou\nbelieve that God is present, darest thou drink on, and darest thou\nbefore him waste thy time, in prating over a pot with thy companions?\n\n_Quest._ IV. Tell me, dost thou believe that the holy Scripture is\ntrue? If thou do not, no wonder if thou be a drunkard.[445] But if\nthou do, remember that then it is true, that \"drunkards shall not\ninherit the kingdom of God,\" 1 Cor. vi. 10. And then mark what the\nScripture saith, Isa. xxi. 1, \"Woe to the crown of pride, to the\ndrunkards of Ephraim.\" Hab. ii. 15, \"Woe to him that giveth his\nneighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him and makest him drunk\nalso.\" Isa. v. 11, \"Woe to them that rise up early in the morning that\nthey may follow strong drink, that continue till night till wine\ninflame them: and the harp, and the viol, and the tabret, and the\npipe, and wine, are in their feasts, but they regard not the work of\nthe Lord, nor consider the operation of his hands.\" Ver. 22, \"Woe unto\nthem that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle\nstrong drink.\" Prov. xxxi. 4-6, \"It is not for kings to drink wine,\nnor for princes strong drink; lest they drink and forget the law, and\npervert the judgment of any of the afflicted: give strong drink to him\nthat is ready to perish, and wine to those that be of heavy hearts.\"\nSee Amos vi. 6. Luke xxi. 34, \"Take heed to yourselves, lest at any\ntime your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and\ncares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.\" Rom.\nxiii. 13, 14, \"Not in gluttony and drunkenness, not in chambering and\nwantonness, not in strife and envying; but put ye on the Lord Jesus\nChrist, and make no provision for the flesh to satisfy the lusts\nthereof.\" Prov. xx. 1, \"Wine is a mocker; strong drink is raging; and\nwhosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.\" Prov. xxiii. 29-32, \"Who\nhath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling?\nwho hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that\ntarry long at the wine, they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou\nupon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup,\nwhen it moveth itself aright: at the last it biteth like a serpent,\nand stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and\nthine heart shall utter perverse things: yea, thou shalt be as he that\nlieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top\nof a mast.\" Hos. iv. 11, \"Whoredom, and wine, and new wine take away\nthe heart.\" Joel i. 5, \"Awake, ye drunkards, and weep and howl, all ye\ndrinkers of wine,\" &c. If thou do indeed believe the word of God, why\ndo not such passages make thee tremble?\n\n_Quest._ V. Dost thou consider into how dangerous a case thou puttest\nthyself when thou art drunk, or joinest thyself with drunkards? What\nabundance of other sins thou art liable to? And in what peril thou art\nof some present judgment of God? Even those examples in Scripture\nwhich encourage thee should make thee tremble. To think that even a\nNoah that was drunken but once, is recorded to his shame for a\nwarning unto others. How horrid a crime even Lot fell into by the\ntemptations of drunkenness! How Uriah was made drunk by a David to\nhave hid his sin! 2 Sam. xi. 13. How David's son Amnon, in God's just\nrevenge, was murdered by his brother Absalom's command, when \"his\nheart was merry with wine,\" 2 Sam. xiii. 28. How Nabal was stricken\ndead by God after his drunkenness, 1 Sam. xxv. 36-38. How king Elah\nwas murdered as he was drinking himself drunk, 1 Sam. xvi. 9. And how\nthe terrible hand appeared writing upon the wall to king Belshazzar in\nhis carousing, to signify the loss of his kingdoms, and that very\nnight he was also slain, Dan. v. 1, 30. Thou seest God spareth not\nkings themselves, that one would think might be allowed more pleasure:\nand will he spare thee? Prov. xxxi. 4, 5, \"It is not for kings to\ndrink wine, nor for princes strong drink;\" and is it then for thee?\nMark the dreadful fruits of it even to the greatest. Hos. vii. 3-5,\n\"They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with\ntheir lies: they are all adulterers as an oven heated--In the day of\nour king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine: he\nstretched out his hand with scorners.\" Thou seest that be they great\nor small, both soul and body are cast by tippling and drunkenness into\ngreater danger, than thou art in at sea in a raging tempest. Thou\nputtest thyself in the way of the vengeance of God, and art not like\nto escape it long.\n\n_Quest._ VI. Didst thou ever measure thy sin by that strange kind of\npunishment commanded by God against incorrigible gluttons and\ndrunkards? Deut. xxi. 18-21, \"If a man have a stubborn and rebellious\nson, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his\nmother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken to\nthem: then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring\nhim out unto the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place; and\nthey shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn\nand rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a\ndrunkard. And all the men of the city shall stone him with stones,\nthat he die: so shalt thou put away evil from among you; and all\nIsrael shall hear, and fear.\" Surely gluttony and drunkenness are\nheinous crimes, when a man's own father and mother were bound to bring\nhim to the magistrate to be put to death, if he will not be reformed\nby their own correction. And you see here that youth is no excuse for\nit, though now it is thought excusable in them.\n\n_Quest._ VII. Dost thou think thy drink is too good to leave at God's\ncommand? Or dost thou think that God doth grudge thee the sweetness of\nit? or rather that he forbids it thee for thy good, that thou mayst\nescape the hurt. And tell me, Dost thou love God better than thy drink\nand pleasure, or dost thou not? If not, thy own conscience must needs\ntell thee, (if thou have a conscience not quite seared,) that there is\nno hope of thy salvation in that state: but if thou say, thou dost,\nwill God, or any wise man, believe thee, that thou lovest him better,\nand wilt not be so far ruled by him, nor leave so small a matter for\nhis sake? 1 John v. 3, \"For this is the love of God, that we keep his\ncommandments, and his commandments are not grievous.\" So 2 John 6.\n\n_Quest._ VIII. Dost thou remember that thy carcass must lie rotting in\nthe grave, and how loathsome a thing it must shortly be? And canst\nthou make so great a matter of the present satisfying of so vile a\nbody, and dung the earth at so dear a rate?\n\n_Quest._ IX. Wouldst thou have all thy friends and children do as\nthou dost? If so, what would become of thy estate? It would be a mad\nworld if all were drunkards. Wouldst thou have thy wife a drunkard? If\nshe were, thou wouldst scarce be confident of her chastity. Wouldst\nthou have thy servants drunkards? If they were, they might set thy\nhouse on fire: and they would do thee little work, or do it so as it\nwere better be undone. Thy house would be a bedlam if all were\ndrunkards; and much worse than bedlam; for there are some wise men to\ngovern and correct the mad ones. But if thou like it not in wife, and\nchildren, and servants, why dost thou continue it thyself? Art thou\nnot nearest to thyself? Dost thou love any others better than thyself?\nHadst thou rather thy own soul were damned than theirs? or canst thou\nmore easily endure it? I have wondered sometimes to observe some\ndrunkards very severe against the same sin in their children, and very\ndesirous to have them sober! But the reason is, because the sobriety\nof their children is no trouble to them, nor puts them to deny the\npleasure of their appetites, as their own sobriety must do.\n\n_Quest._ X. Wouldst thou have thy physician drunk when he should cure\nthee of thy sickness? or thy lawyer drunk when he should plead thy\ncause? or the judge when he should judge it? If not, why wilt thou be\ndrunken when thou shouldst serve thy God and mind the business of thy\nsoul? If thou wouldst not have thy servant be potting in an ale-house\nwhen he should be about thy work, wilt thou sit potting and prating\nthere, when thou hast a thousand fold greater work to do for thy\neverlasting happiness?\n\n_Quest._ XI. If one do but lame or spoil thy beast, and make him unfit\nfor thy service, wouldst thou be pleased with it? And wilt thou unfit\nthyself for the service of God, as if thy work were of less\nconcernment than thy beast's?\n\n_Quest._ XII. Would it please you if your servants poured all that\ndrink in the channel? If not, I have before proved to thee that it\nshould displease thee more to pour it into thy belly: for thou wilt\nfind at last that it will hurt thee more.\n\n_Quest._ XIII. What relish hath thy pleasant liquor the next day? Will\nit then be any sweeter than wholesome abstinence? All the delight is\nsuddenly gone: there is nothing left but the slime in thy guts, and\nthe ulcer in thy conscience, which cannot be cured by all thy\ntreasure, nor palliated long by all thy pleasure. And canst thou value\nmuch so short delights? As all thy sweet and merry cups are now no\nsweeter than if they had been wormwood; so all the rest will quickly\ncome to the same end and relish. As Plato said of his slender supper,\ncompared to a rich man's feast, Yours seemeth better to-night, but\nmine will be better to-morrow; so thy conscience telleth thee that\ntemperance and holy obedience will be better to-morrow, and better to\neternity, though gluttony and drunkenness seem better now.\n\n_Quest._ XIV. Dost thou consider how dear thou payest for hell? and\nbuyest damnation at a harder rate than salvation might be attained at?\nWhat shame doth it cost thee! What sickness is it like to cost thee!\nWhat painful vomitings or worse dost thou undergo! How much dost thou\nsuffer in thy estate! And is hell worth all this ado?\n\n_Quest._ XV. Dost thou not think in thy heart, that sober, temperate,\ngodly men do live a more quiet and comfortable life than thou, as well\nas an honester and safer life? If thou do think so, why wilt thou not\nimitate them? It is as free for thee to choose as them. If thou think\nthey do not, consider, that as they have none of thy forbidden cups,\nso they have none of thy thirst or desire after them. Abstinence is\nsweeter much to them.[446] They have none of thy sour belchings, or\nvomitings, nor shame, nor danger, nor thy reckoning to pay. They have\nnone of thy gripes of conscience, and terrors under the guilt of such\na sin. They live in the love of God and the forethoughts of heaven,\nwhile thou art in the alehouse. And dost thou not think in thy\nconscience, that to a heart that is suited and sanctified thereto, it\nis not a sweeter thing to live in the love of God, than in the love of\nthy sensuality? Darest thou say (whatever thou thinkest) that God, and\nheaven, and holiness are not so lovely and fit to be delighted in, as\na cup of wine or ale? Sure thou darest not say so! If it were for no\nmore than the different aspects of death and eternity to them and to\nthee, I account thy life in the midst of thy pleasures incomparably\nmore sad than theirs. They look at death as at the time of hope, and\nthe day of their deliverance, as the assizes are to the innocent or\npardoned man: but thou lookest on death with terror, as the end of all\nthy mirth, as the guilty malefactor thinketh on the assizes; or else\nwith senselessness or presumption, which is worse. They look unto\neternity as their endless, unspeakable felicity; and thou darest\nscarce seriously think of it, without the delusory ease of unbelief or\nof false hopes: thou darest not seriously look beyond death, unless\nthrough the devil's cheating spectacles. I tell thee, a sober, godly\nman would not have thy merry life (as thou accountest it) one day, for\nall thy wealth, or for any worldly gain: he had rather lie in jail, or\nsit in the stocks that while, than drink and swagger with thee. Keep\nthy merriment to thyself, for no wise man or good man will be thy\npartner. If thou wert their enemy, they would not wish thee so much\nmisery as thou choosest. As the story goeth of a confessor, that\nhearing many confess the sin of drunkenness, would needs try himself\nwhat pleasure was in it: and having vomited and slept it out, the next\ndrunkard that came to him in confession, he appointed him for penance\nto be drunk again, and told him, he need no sharper penance.\n\n_Quest._ XVI. How cometh it to pass that thy very pride doth not cure\nthy drunkenness?[447] Pride is so natural and deep-rooted a sin, that\nI dare say thou hast not overcome it, if thou have not overcome thy\nsensuality. And is thy credit no more worth with thee? wilt thou for a\ncup of drink be made the talk of the country, the scorn of the town,\nthe sport and laughing-game of boys, and the pity of sober persons? If\nthou be a great man among them, and they dare not speak it to thy\nface, and thou hearest not what they say of thee, yet in private they\nmake bold with thy name, to talk of thee as of a filthy beast. Canst\nthou think that sober men do honour thee? What honour may accidentally\nbe due to thee from thy place, is another matter; but thou takest a\ncourse to keep them from honouring thee for thy worth, and dost thy\nworst to bring thy rank and place into contempt. It is said that in\nSpain a drunkard is not allowed for a witness against any man: and\nsure he is not a credible person. Regard thy reputation if thou carest\nnot for thy soul.\n\n_Quest._ XVII. Dost thou not love the flesh itself which thou so much\npamperest? If thou do, why wilt thou drown it, and choke it up with\nphlegm and filth? Ask physicians whether drunkenness be wholesome.\nMark how many drunkards live to be old: _Ennius podagricus_, is a\nproverb. The sickness is longer than the sweetness of thy cup. If\nthou fearest not hell, fear the consumption, gout, or dropsy.\n\n_Quest._ XVIII. Why shouldst thou not take more pleasure in the\ncompany of thy family, and in the company of people fearing God, that\nworship him in truth of heart, and will do their best to help to save\nthee? Canst thou give any reason for it, why such company should not\nbe more pleasant to thee than thy pot companions? and why it should\nnot be pleasanter to talk of the way to heaven, and the pardon of sin,\nand the love of Christ, and of eternal happiness, than to prate a deal\nof idle nonsense in an alehouse? There is no reason for it but thy\nfilthy mind, that is suitable to vanity and sin, and unsuitable to all\nthat is wise and holy.\n\n_Quest._ XIX. What if thou shouldst die in a drunken fit? Wouldst thou\nnot thyself take thy case to be desperate or dangerous? Why, it may be\nso for aught thou knowest; it hath been the case of many a one. But if\nit be not so, yet to die a drunkard is as certain damnation, as to die\nin drunkenness. If the guilt of the sin be on thee, it is all one when\nit was committed, whether lately or long ago; for unpardoned sin is\nmost sure damnation; and it is certainly unpardoned, till it be truly\nrepented of; and it is not repented of if it be not forsaken: and then\nbethink thee how thou wilt review these days, and what thoughts thou\nwilt then have of thy cups and company!\n\n_Quest._ XX. Art thou willing to part with thy sin, or art thou not?\nSpeak, man; art thou willing? If thou be not willing, bear witness\nagainst thyself that thou dost not repent of it, and that thou art not\nforgiven it; and therefore that thou art at present a slave of the\ndevil, and if thou die so, as sure to be damned as thou art alive.\nBear witness that thou wast not kept from grace, and consequently from\nheaven, against thy will, but by thy wilful refusal of it; and that it\nwas not because thou couldst not be saved, that thou goest to hell,\nbut because thou wouldst not. Sure even now thou canst not have the\nface to deny any of this, if thou confess that thou art not willing to\namend. Take thy will in sin, if God's will must be violated, which\ntendered thee mercy, and commanded thee to accept it; but be sure that\nGod will have his will in punishing thee.\n\nBut I suppose thou wilt say, that thou art willing to amend and leave\nthy sin, but thou canst not do it because flesh is frail, and company\nis tempting, and God giveth thee not grace; willing thou art, but yet\nunable. But stay a little! God will not so let thee carry it, and\nsmooth over thy wickedness with a lie. Thy meaning, if thou speak out,\nis not that thou art willing, presently and heartily willing, to\nforsake thy sin, but only that thou wouldst be willing, if the drink\nand the devil did not tempt thee. And so thou wilt be willing to love\nGod and be saved, when nothing shall tempt thee to the contrary! And\nwouldst thou thank thy wife for such a willingness to forsake\nadultery, when nobody will tempt her to it? or thy servant to do thy\nwork, when he hath nothing to tempt him to idleness or neglect? Judge\nby this what thanks thou deservest of God for such a willingness. But\ndally not with God, and mock not thy conscience, but speak to the\nquestion, Art thou willing to give over thy company and tippling, from\nthis day forward, or art thou not? Take heed what thou sayest. If thou\nsay, No, God may say, Nay, to all thy cries for mercy in the day of\nthy misery and distress; but if still thou say that thou art willing,\nbut not able, I will convince thee of thy falsehood.\n\n_Quest._ I. Tell me then, what force is used to make thee sin against\nthy will? Wast thou carried to the alehouse, or didst thou go thyself?\nWast thou gagged and drenched? Was it poured down thy throat by\nviolence; or didst thou take the cup and pour it down thyself? Who was\nthe man that held open thy mouth and poured it in? Nay, if it had been\nthus, it had not been thy sin; for no will, no sin. Or did they set a\nsword or pistol to thy breast, and so force thee to it? If they had,\nthat had not proved thee unwilling, but only that they forced thee to\nbe willing; and their force is no excuse: for God threatened hell, and\nthou shouldst have feared that most.\n\n_Quest._ II. Didst thou love the drink, or loathe it when thou wast\ndrinking it? Didst thou love it against thy will, when love and\nwillingness are all one?\n\n_Quest._ III. Wilt thou forbear the next time till thou art carried to\nit, and till it is forcibly poured down with a horn? If not, confess\nit is thy will.\n\n_Quest._ IV. Couldst thou not forbear, if the judge or the king stood\nby? And canst thou not forbear when God stands by? If thou wilt thou\ncanst.\n\n_Quest._ V. Couldst thou not forbear, if thou wert sure to be put to\ndeath for it? if the law hanged all drunkards, and the hangman were at\nthy back? Surely thou couldst. And canst thou not then forbear if thou\nwilt, when God hath made it worse than hanging, and when death is\ncoming to fetch thee to execution?\n\n_Quest._ VI. Couldst thou not forbear it in sickness, if thy physician\nrequired it, and told thee, if thou drink, it will be thy death? I\ndoubt not but thou couldst: if not, thou art very unworthy to live,\nthat canst not deny thyself a cup of drink for the saving of thy life.\nAnd thou art as unworthy to be saved, if thou wilt not do that to save\nthy soul, which thou wouldst do to save thy present life.\n\n_Quest._ VII. Yea, couldst thou not forbear if it were to save the\nlife of thy wife, or child, or friend, or neighbour? If thou knewest\nthat forbearing thy forbidden cup would save the life of any one of\nthem, couldst thou not, nay, wouldst thou not do it? If not, thou\ntellest the world what a husband, what a father, what a friend, and\nwhat a neighbour thou art, that wouldst not forbear a cup of drink to\nsave a friend or neighbour's life. I should think thee an unworthy\nfriend, if thou wouldst not do that much at thy friend's request,\nthough there were no such necessity lay upon it. If this be so, I will\nnever take a drunkard for my friend; for he would not forbear a cup of\ndrink for my sake, no, not if it were to save my life. If thou say,\nGod forbid, I would do more than that, why then didst thou say, Thou\ncanst not forbear? Mark how thy tongue reproves thy falsehood. And\ncanst thou not do that for thy own soul, which thou couldst do for the\nlife, or at the request of a friend or neighbour?\n\n_Quest._ VIII. Couldst thou not forbear if it were to get a lordship\nor a kingdom? yea, to save thy own estate, if it were all in danger,\nand this would save it? I doubt not but thou couldst. Why then dost\nthou say thou canst not do it?\n\n_Quest._ IX. If thou wert certain that thou wast to die to-morrow,\nwouldst thou be drunk to-night? Or if thou wert sure to die within\nthis week or month, wouldst thou be drunk ere then? I do not believe\nthou wouldst: fear would so long shut thy mouth. Thou seest then that\nthou canst forbear if thou wert but willing, and wert but awaked out\nof thy stupidity and folly.\n\n_Quest._ X. What if thou wert sure that there were an ounce of arsenic\nor other such poison in the cup? couldst thou not then forbear it?\nYes, no doubt of it: it is plain therefore that thou speakest falsely,\nwhen thou sayst that thou canst not. And is not God's wrath and curse\nin thy cup much worse than poison?\n\n_Quest._ XI. What if thou sawest the devil standing by thee and offering\nthee the cup, and persuading thee to drink it, couldst thou not then\nforbear? Yes, no doubt of it: and is he not as certainly there tempting\nthee, as if thou sawest him? Well, the matter is proved against thee to\nthy own conscience, that if thou wilt forbear, thou canst.\n\n_Quest._ XII. But yet if thou canst not, bethink thee whether thou\ncanst better bear the pains of hell? For God is not in jest with thee\nin his threatenings. If thy thirst be harder to bear than hell, then\nchoose that which is easiest to thee: but remember hereafter that thou\nhadst thy choice.\n\nYet, art thou willing to let go thy sin? (for I am sure thou art able\nso far as thou art willing). I will take thy case to be as it is; that\nis, that thou hast some half, uneffectual willingness, or lazy wish\nwhich will not conquer a temptation; and that thou art sometimes in a\nlittle better mood than at other times, and that thou lovest thy sin,\nand therefore wouldst not leave it if thou couldst choose, but thou\nlovest not hell, and therefore hast some thoughts of parting with thy\ncups against thy will, for fear of punishment. These wishes and\npurposes will never save thee: it must be a renewed nature, loving\nGod, and hating the sin, that must make thee capable of salvation. But\nyet in the mean time it is necessary that thou forbear thy sin, though\nit be but through fear; for thou canst not expect else that the Holy\nGhost should renew thy nature. Therefore I will give thee directions\nhow to forbear thy sin most surely and easily, if thou be but willing,\nand withal to promote thy willingness itself with the performance.\n\n\n        _Practical Directions against Tippling and Drunkenness._\n\n_Direct._ I. Write over thy bed and thy chamber door, where thou mayst\nread it every morning before thou goest forth, some text of holy\nScripture that is fit to be thy memorandum: as 1 Cor. vi. 10,\n\"Drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God;\" and Rom. viii. 13,\n\"If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if by the Spirit you\nmortify the deeds of the body, you shall live:\" and read it before\nthou goest out of thy doors.\n\n_Direct._ II. Also fall down on thy knees to God, and earnestly beg of\nhim to keep thee that day from temptations, and ill company, and from\nall thy fleshly desires and excess; and especially that he would renew\nthy nature, and give thee a hatred of the sin.\n\n_Direct._ III. Keep thyself in the constant employments of thy\ncalling, and spend not one quarter of an hour in idleness, and allow\nnot leisure to thy thoughts, so much as to think of thy drink and\npleasures; much less to thy body to follow it. God hath commanded\nthee, whoever thou art, to labour six days, and in the sweat of thy\nbrows to eat thy bread, and hath forbidden idleness and negligence in\nthy calling: avoid this, and it will help thee much.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Reckon not upon long life, but think how quickly death\nwill come, and that for aught thou knowest thou mayst die that day;\nand how dreadful a case it would prove to thee, to be found among\ntipplers, or to die before thou art truly converted. Think of this\nbefore thou goest out of thy doors; and think of it as thou art going\nto the alehouse: look on the cup and the grave together: the dust of\nthose bones will be wholesome spice to thee. Remember when thou seest\nthe wine, or ale, how unlike it is to that black and loathsome liquor\nwhich thy blood and humours will be turned into when thou art dead.\nRemember that the hand that taketh the cup, must shortly be scattered\nbones and dust; and the mouth that drinketh it down, must shortly be\nan ugly hole; and the palate, and stomach, and brain that are\ndelighted by it, must shortly be stinking puddle: and that the graves\nof drunkards are the field or garden of the devil, where corpses are\nsowed to rise at the resurrection to be fuel for hell.\n\n_Direct._ V. When thou art tempted to the alehouse, call up thy\nreason, and remember that there is a God that seeth thee, and will\njudge thee, and that thou hast an endless life of joy or torment\nshortly to possess, and that thou hast sinned thus too long already,\nand that without sound repentance thy case is desperate, and that thou\nart far from true repentance while thou goest on in sin. Ask thyself,\nHave I not sinned long enough already? Have I not long enough abused\nmercy? Shall I make my case remediless, and cast away all hope? Doth\nnot God stand by, and see and hear all? Am I not stepping by death\ninto an endless world? Think of these things, and use thy reason, if\nthou be a man, and hast reason to use.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Exercise thyself daily in repenting for what is past;\nand that will preserve thee for the time to come. Confess thy former\nsin to God with sorrow, and beg forgiveness of it with tears and\ngroans. If thou make light of all that is past, thou art prepared to\ncommit more. Think as thou goest about thy work, how grievously thou\nhast sinned against thy knowledge and conscience; in the sight of God;\nagainst all his mercies; and how obstinately thou hast gone on, and\nhow unthankfully thou hast rejected mercy, and neglected Christ, and\nrefused grace. Think what had become of thee, if thou hadst died in\nthis case; and how exceedingly thou art beholden to the patience of\nGod, that he cut thee not off, and cast thee not into hell, and that\nhe hath provided and offered thee a Saviour, and is yet willing to\npardon and accept thee through his Son, if thou wilt but resolvedly\nreturn, and live in faith and holiness. These penitent thoughts and\nexercises will kill thy sin and cure thee. Fast and humble thyself for\nwhat thou hast done already: as the holy apostle saith, 1 Pet. iv.\n1-5, \"Forasmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm\nyourselves likewise with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in\nthe flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest\nof his time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.\nFor the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will\nof the gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of\nwine, revellings, banquetings, abominable idolatries, wherein they\nthink it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of\nriot, speaking evil of you: who shall give account to him that is\nready to judge the quick and the dead.\"\n\n_Direct._ VII. Keep from the place and company: Eph. v. 7, 11, \"Be not\npartakers with them. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of\ndarkness, but rather reprove them.\" Thou canst not deny but thou art\nable to do this if thou wilt. Canst thou not stay at home and come not\nnear them? If thou be willing to escape, run not into the snare.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Stop at the first cup: be not drawn on by little and\nlittle: as the sluggard saith, Yet a little more sleep; so the\ndrunkard saith, Yet a little more drink; I will take but one cup more.\nUnderstand thy due measure, that thou mayst know what is excess: to an\nordinary healthful body, that doth not very much labour and sweat, a\nquart in a day is enough; to cold and phlegmatic persons it is too\nmuch: the old rule was, _Prima ad sitim, secunda ad hilaritatem,\ntertia ad voluptatem, quarta ad insaniam_: The first cup is for\nthirst, the second for mirth, the third for sensual pleasure, the\nfourth for madness. Especially you that have drunk too much so long,\nshould rather drink less than other men: your souls require it for\npenitence and for prevention; your bodies require it, to cure the\ncrudities already heaped up.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Avoid the tempting ceremonies of drunkards, such as\ndrinking healths, or urging others to pledge them, or drink more.\nPlutarch saith, that when Agesilaus was made the master of a feast,\nand was to prescribe the laws for drinking, his law was, If there be\nwine enough, give every one what he asketh for; if not enough, divide\nit equally; by which means none were tempted or urged to drink, and\nthe intemperate were ashamed to ask for more than others. As among\nwitches, so among drunkards, the devil hath his laws and ceremonies,\nand it is dangerous to practise them.\n\n_Direct._ X. Go to thy sinful companions to their houses, and tell\nthem plainly and seriously that thou repentest of what thou hast done\nalready, and that thou art ashamed to remember it; and that now thou\nperceivest that there is a righteous God, and a day of judgment, and\nan endless punishment to be thought on, and that thou art resolved\nthou wilt be voluntarily mad no more; and that thou wilt not sell thy\nsoul and Saviour for a merry cup; and beseech them for the sake of\nChrist, and of their souls, to join with thee in repentance and\nreformation; but let them know, that if they will not, thou comest to\ntake thy leave of them, and art resolved thou wilt no more be their\ncompanion in sin, lest thou be their companion in hell. If thou art\nwilling indeed to repent and be saved, do this presently and plainly;\nand stick not at their displeasure or reproach: if thou wilt not, say\nthou wilt not, and say no more thou canst not; but say, I will keep my\nsin and be damned: for that is the English of it.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Suppose when the cup of excess is offered thee, that\nthou sawest these words, sin and hell, written upon the cup, and\nsawest the devil offering it thee, and urging thee to drink, and\nsawest Christ bleeding on the cross, and calling to thee, O drink not\nthat which costeth so dear a price as my blood! Strongly imprint this\nsupposition on thy mind: and it is not unreasonable; for certainly sin\nis in thy cup, and hell is next to sin; and it is the devil that puts\nthee on, and it is Christ unseen that would dissuade thee.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Suppose that there were mortal poison in the cup that\nis offered thee: ask thyself, Would I drink it if there were poison in\nit? If not, why should I drink it when sin is in it, and hell is near\nit? and the supposition is not vain. It is written of Cyrus, that when\nAstyages observed that at a feast he drank no wine, and asked him the\nreason, he answered, because he thought there was poison in the cup,\nfor he had observed some that drunk out of it, lost their speech or\nunderstanding, and some of them vomited, and therefore he feared it\nwould poison him: however, it is poison to the soul.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Look soberly upon a drunken man, and think whether that\nbe a desirable plight for a wise man to put himself into. See how\nill-favouredly he looks, with heavy eyes, and a slabbering mouth,\nstinking with drink or vomit, staggering, falling, spewing, bawling,\ntalking like a mad-man, pitied by wise men, hooted at by boys, and madly\nreeling on towards hell. And withal look upon some wise and sober man,\nand see how composed and comely is his countenance and gesture; how wise\nhis words, how regular his actions, how calm his mind; envied by the\nwicked, but reverenced by all that are impartial. And then bethink thee\nwhich of these it is better to be like. Saith Basil, Drunkenness makes\nmen sleep like the dead, and wake like the sleeping. It turneth a man\ninto a useless, noisome, filthy, hurtful, and devouring beast.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. If all this will not serve turn, if thou be but\nwilling, I can teach thee a cheap restraint, and tell thee of a\nmedicine that is good against drunkenness and excess. Resolve that\nafter every cup of excess thou wilt drink a cup of the juice of\nwormwood, or of carduus, or centaury, or germander; at least, as soon\nas thou comest home and growest wiser, that this shall be thy penance;\nand hold on this course but a little while, and thy appetite will\nrather choose to be without the drink, than to bear the penance. Do\nnot stick at it; if thy reason be not strong enough for a manly cure,\ndrench thyself like a beast, and use such a cure as thou art capable\nof; and in time it may bring thee to be capable of a better. And I can\nassure thee, a bitter draught is a very cheap remedy to prevent a sin.\n\n_Direct._ XV. If all this will not serve, I have yet another remedy if\nthou be but willing: confess thyself unfit to govern thyself, and give\nup thyself to the government of some other; thy wife, thy parents, or\nthy friend. And here these things are to be done: 1. Engage thy wife,\nor friend, to watch over thee, and not to suffer thee to go to the\nalehouse, nor to drink more than is profitable to thy health. 2.\nDeliver thy purse to them, and keep no money thyself. 3. Drink no more\nat home but what they give thee, and leave it to them to judge what\nmeasure is best for thee. 4. When thou art tempted to go to the\nalehouse, tell thy wife or friend, that they may watch thee. Even as\nthou wouldst call for help if thieves were robbing thee. 5. Give leave\nto thy wife or friend to charge the ale-sellers to give thee no drink;\nand go thyself when thou art in thy right mind, and charge them\nthyself to give thee none; and tell them that thou art not thyself, or\nin thy right wits, when thou desirest it. If these means seem now too\nhard to thee, and thou wilt sin on, and venture upon the wrath and\ncurse of God and upon hell, rather than thou wilt use them, remember\nhereafter that thou wast damned because thou wouldst be damned, and\nthat thou chosest the way to hell to escape these troubles, and take\nthat thou gettest by it; but do not say, thou couldst not help it, for\nI am sure thou canst do this if thou wilt. Thou wilt lock thy door\nagainst thieves; lock thy mouth also against a more dangerous thief,\nthat would rob thee of thy reason and salvation. Saith Basil, If his\nmaster do but box or beat his servant, he will run away from the\nstrokes; and wilt thou not run away from the drink that would break\nthy brains and understanding?\n\n_Direct._ XVI. But the saving remedy is this, study the love of God in\nChrist, and the riches of grace, and the eternal glory promised to\nholy souls, till thou be in love with God, and heaven, and holiness,\nand hast found sweeter pleasure than thy excess, and then thou wilt\nneed no more directions. Read Eph. v. 18.\n\n\n                                PART V.\n\n           _Tit._ 1. _Directions against Fornication and all\n                             Uncleanness._\n\nThough as they are sins against another, adultery and fornication are\nforbidden in the seventh commandment, and should there be handled, yet\nas they are sins against our own bodies, which should be members of\nChrist, and temples of the Holy Ghost, as 1 Cor. vi. 15, 18, 19, so it\nis here to be handled among the rest of the sins of the senses: and I\nthe rather choose to take it up here, because what I have said in the\ntwo last titles, against gluttony and drunkenness, serve also for\nthis. The same arguments, and convincing questions, and directions,\nwill almost all serve, if you do but change the name of the sin: and\nas the reader loveth not needless tediousness, so I am glad of this\nmeans to avoid the too often naming of such an odious, filthy sin: yet\nsomething most proper to it must be spoken. And, 1. I show the\ngreatness of the sin; and, 2. Give directions for the cure.\n\n1. There is no sin so odious, but love to it, and frequent using it,\nwill do much to reconcile the very judgment to it; either to think it\nlawful, or tolerable and venial: to think it no sin, or but a little\nsin, and easily forgiven. And so with some brutish persons it doth in\nthis. But, 1. It is reason enough against any sin, that it is\nforbidden by the most wise, infallible, universal King of all the\nworld. Thy Maker's will is enough to condemn it, and shall be enough\nto condemn those that are servants of it.[448] He hath said, \"Thou\nshalt not commit adultery.\" 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, \"Be not deceived,\nneither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,\nnor abusers of themselves with mankind--shall inherit the kingdom of\nGod.\" Ver. 15-19, \"Know ye not that your bodies are the members of\nChrist? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the\nmembers of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is\njoined to an harlot is one body: for two (saith he) shall be one\nflesh. But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Flee\nfornication. Every sin that a man doth is without the body; but he\nthat committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know\nye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in\nyou?\" (Mark that he speaketh not this to fornicators; for their bodies\nare not temples of the Holy Ghost; but to them that by filthy heretics\nin those times were tempted to think fornication no great sin.) So\nEph. v. 3-6, \"But fornication, and all uncleanness, and covetousness,\nlet it not be once named among you, as becometh saints: neither\nfilthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting.--For this ye know, that\nno whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man who is an\nidolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of God. Let no man\ndeceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the\nwrath of God upon the children of disobedience: be not ye therefore\npartakers with them.\" Gal. v. 19, \"Now the works of the flesh are\nmanifest, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness,\nlasciviousness,--of the which I tell you before, as I have also told\nyou in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the\nkingdom of God.\" 1 Thess. iv. 3, \"For this is the will of God, even\nyour sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that\nevery one of you should know how to possess his vessel in\nsanctification and honour, not in the lust of concupiscence, as the\ngentiles which know not God.\" See also Col. v. 5, 6. Heb. xiii. 4,\n\"Marriage is honourable, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and\nadulterers God will judge.\" Rev. xxi. 8, \"The abominable,--and\nwhoremongers--shall have their part in the lake which burneth with\nfire and brimstone.\" Rev. xxii. 15, \"For without are dogs, and\nsorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers.\" Jude 7, \"Even as Sodom\nand Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner, giving\nthemselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set\nfor an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.\" I shall add\nno more lest I be tedious.\n\n2. Besides Scripture, God hath planted in nature a special pudor and\nmodesty to restrain this sin; and they that commit it do violate the\nlaw of nature, and sin against a witness and condemner that is within\nthem. And scarce any one of them ever committeth it boldly, quietly,\nand fearlessly, till first they have hardened their hearts, and seared\ntheir consciences, and overcome the light of nature, by frequent,\nwilful sinning.[449] Nature hideth the obscene parts, and teacheth man\nto blush at the mention of any thing that is beyond the bounds of\nmodesty. Say not that it is mere custom, for the vitiated nature of\nman is not so over-precise, nor the villany of the world so rare and\nmodest, but before this day it had quite banished all restraints of\nthis sin, above most others, if they could have done it, and if God\nhad not written the law which condemneth it very deep in nature, with\nalmost indelible characters. So that in despite of the horrid\nwickedness of the earth, though mankind be almost universally inclined\nto lust, yet there be universally laws and customs restraining it; so\nthat except a very few savages and cannibals like beasts, there is no\nnation on the earth where filthiness is not a shame, and modesty\nlayeth not some rebukes upon uncleanness. Ask no further then for a\nlaw, when thy nature itself is a law against it. And the better any\nman is, the more doth he abhor the lusts of uncleanness. So that\n\"among saints,\" saith the apostle, it is \"not to be named,\" (that is,\nnot without need and detestation,) Eph. v. 3; and ver. 12, \"For it is\na shame even to speak of those things that are done of them in\nsecret.\" And when drunkenness had uncovered the shame of Noah, his son\nHam is cursed for beholding it, and the other sons blest for their\nmodesty and reverent covering him.\n\n3. And that God hath not put this law into man's nature without very\ngreat cause, albeit the implicit belief and submission due to him should\nsatisfy us, though we knew not the causes particularly, yet much of them\nis notorious to common observation: as that if God had not restrained\nlust by laws, it would have made the female sex most contemptible and\nmiserable, and used worse by men than dogs are. For, first, rapes and\nviolence would deflower them, because they are too weak to make\nresistance: and if that had been restrained, yet the lust of men would\nhave been unsatisfied, and most would have grown weary of the same woman\nwhom they had abused, and take another; at least when she grew old, they\nwould choose a younger, and so the aged women would be the most\ncalamitous creatures upon earth. Besides that lust is addicted to\nvariety, and groweth weary of the same; the fallings out between men\nand women, and the sicknesses that make their persons less pleasing, and\nage, and other accidents, would expose them almost all to utter misery.\nAnd men would be law-makers, and therefore would make no laws for their\nrelief, but what consisted with their lusts and ends. So that half the\nworld would have been ruined, had it not been for the laws of matrimony,\nand such other as restrain the lusts of men.\n\n4. Also there would be a confused mixture in procreation, and no men\nwould well know what children are their own: which is worse than not\nto know their lands or houses.\n\n5. Hereby all natural affection would be diminished or extinguished:\nas the love of husband and wife, so the love between fathers and\nchildren would be diminished.\n\n6. And consequently the due education of children would be hindered, or\nutterly overthrown. The mothers that should first take care of them,\nwould be disabled and turned away, that fresh harlots might be received,\nwho would hate the offspring of the former. So that by this means the\nworld and all societies, and civility, would be ruined, and men would be\nmade worse than brutes, whom nature hath either better taught, or else\nmade for them some other supply. Learning, religion, and civility would\nbe all in a manner extinct, as we see they are among those few savage\ncannibals that are under no restraint. For how much all these depend\nupon education, experience telleth us. In a word, this confusion in\nprocreation, would introduce such confusion in men's hearts, and\nfamilies, and all societies, by corrupting and destroying necessary\naffection and education, that it would be the greatest plague imaginable\nto mankind, and make the world so base and beastly, that to destroy\nmankind from off the earth would seem much more desirable. Judge then\nwhether God should have left men's lusts unrestrained.\n\n_Object._ But (you will say) there might have been some moderate\nrestraint to a certain number, as it is with the Mahometans, without\nso much strictness as Christ doth use.\n\n_Answ._ That this strictness is necessary, and is an excellency in\nGod's law, appeareth thus. 1. By the greatness of the mischief which\nelse would follow: to be remiss in preventing such a confusion in the\nworld, would be an enmity to the world. 2. In that man's nature is so\nviolently inclined to break over, that if the hedge were not close,\nthere were no sufficient restraining them; they would quickly run out\nat a little gap. 3. The wiser and the better any nation or persons\nare, even among the heathens, the more fully do they consent to the\nstrictness of God's laws. 4. The cleanest sort of brutes themselves\nare taught by nature to be as strict in their copulations: though it\nbe otherwise with the mere terrestrial beasts and birds, yet the\naerial go by couples: those that are called the fowls of the heavens,\nthat fly in the air, are commonly taught this chastity by nature; as\nif God would not have lust come near to heaven. 5. The families of the\nMahometans that have more wives than one, do show the mischief of it\nin the effects, in the hatred and disagreement of their wives, and the\ngreat slavery that women are kept in; making them like slaves that\nthey may keep them quiet. And when women are thus enslaved, who have\nso great a part in the education of children, by which all virtue and\ncivility are maintained in the world, it must needs tend to the\ndebasing and brutifying of mankind.\n\n7. Children being the preciousest of all our treasure, it is necessary\nthat the strictest laws be made for the securing of their good education\nand their welfare. If it shall be treason to debase or counterfeit the\nking's coin, and if men must be hanged for robbing you of your goods or\nmoney, and the laws are not thought too strict that are made to secure\nyour estates; how much more is it necessary that the laws be strict\nagainst the vitiating of mankind, and against the debasement of your\nimage on your children, and against that which tendeth to the\nextirpation of all virtue, and the ruin of all societies and souls!\n\n8. God will have a holy seed in the world, that shall bear his image\nof holiness, and therefore he will have all means fitted thereunto.\nBrutish, promiscuous generation tendeth to the production of a brutish\nseed. And though the word preached is the means of sanctifying those\nthat remain unsanctified from their youth; yet a holy marriage, and\nholy dedication of children to God, and holy education of them, are\nthe former means, which God would not have neglected or corrupted, and\nto which he promiseth his blessing: as you may see, 1 Cor. vii. 14;\nMal. ii. 15, \"Did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the\nSpirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore\ntake heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the\nwife of his youth: for the Lord hateth putting away.\"\n\n9. Yea, lust corrupteth the mind of the person himself, if it be not\nvery much restrained and moderated. It turneth it from the only\nexcellent pleasure, by the force of that brutish kind of\npleasure.[450] It carrieth away the thoughts, and distempereth the\npassions, and corrupteth the fantasy, and thereby doth easily corrupt\nthe intellect and heart. Pleasure is so much of the end of man, which\nhis nature leadeth him to desire, that the chief thing in the world to\nmake a man good and happy, is to engage his heart to those pleasures\nwhich are good, and make men happy. And the chief thing to make him\nbad and miserable, is to engage him in the pleasures which make men\nbad and end in misery. And the principal thing by which you may know\nyourselves or others, what you are, is to know what your pleasures\nare; or at least, what you choose and desire for your pleasure. If the\nbody rule the soul, you are brutish, and shall be destroyed: if the\nsoul rule the body, you live according to true human nature and the\nends of your creation. If the pleasures of the body are the\npredominant pleasures which you are most addicted to, then the body\nruleth the soul, and you shall perish as traitors to God, that debase\nhis image, and turn man into beast, Rom. viii. 13: if the pleasures of\nthe soul be your most predominant pleasures, which you are most\naddicted to, (though you attain as yet but little of it,) then the\nsoul doth rule the body, and you live like men: and this cannot well\nbe, till faith show the soul those higher pleasures in God and\neverlasting glory, which may carry it above all fleshly pleasures. By\nall this set together you may easily perceive that the way of the\ndevil to corrupt and damn men, is to keep them from faith, that they\nmay have no heavenly, spiritual pleasure, and to strengthen\nsensuality, and give them their fill of fleshly pleasures, to imprison\ntheir minds that they may ascend no higher: and that the way to\nsanctify and save men, is to help them by faith to heavenly pleasure,\nand to abate and keep under that fleshly pleasure that would draw down\ntheir minds. And by this you may see how to understand the doctrine of\nmortification, and taming the body, and abstaining from the pleasures\nof the flesh: and you may now understand what personal mischief lust\ndoth to the soul.\n\n10. Your own experience and consciences will tell you, that if it be\nnot exceedingly moderated, it unfitteth you for every holy duty. You\nare unfit to meditate on God, or to pray to him, or to receive his\nword or sacrament: and therefore nature teacheth those that meddle\nwith holy things to be more continent than others; which Scripture\nalso secondeth, 1 Sam. xxi. 4, 5. Such sensual things and sacred\nthings do not well agree too near.[451]\n\n11. And as by all this you see sufficient cause why God should make\nstricter laws for the bridling of lust, than fleshly, lustful persons\nlike; so when his laws are broken by the unclean, it is a sin that\nconscience (till it be quite debauched) doth deeply accuse the guilty\nfor, and beareth a very clear testimony against. Oh the unquietness!\nthe horror! the despair that I have known many persons in, even for\nthe sin of self-pollution, that never proceeded to fornication! And\nhow many adulterers and fornicators have we known that have lived and\ndied in despair, and some of them hanged themselves! Conscience will\ncondemn this sin with a heavy condemnation, till custom or infidelity\nhave utterly seared it.[452]\n\n12. And it is also very observable, that when men have once mastered\nconscience in this point, and reconciled it to this sin of fornication,\nit is a hundred to one that they are utterly hardened in all\nabomination, and scarce make conscience of any other villany\nwhatsoever![453] If once fornication go for nothing, or a small matter\nwith them, usually all other sin is with them of the same account: if\nthey have but an equal temptation to it, lying, and swearing, and\nperjury, and theft, yea, and murder and treason, would seem small too: I\nnever knew any one of these but he was reconcilable and prepared for any\nvillany that the devil set him upon: and if I know such a man, I would\nno more trust him than I would trust a man that wants nothing but\ninterest and opportunity to commit any heinous sin that you can name.\nThough I confess I have known divers of the former sort, that have\ncommitted this sin under horror and despair, that have retained some\ngood in other points, and have been recovered; yet of this latter sort,\nthat have reconciled their consciences to fornication, I never knew one\nthat was recovered, or that retained any thing of conscience or honesty,\nbut so much of the show of it as their pride and worldly interest\ncommanded them: and they were malignant enemies of goodness in others,\nand lived according to the unclean spirit which possessed them.[454]\nThey are terrible words, Prov. ii. 18, 19, \"For her house inclineth unto\ndeath, and her paths unto the dead: none that go unto her return again,\nneither take they hold on the paths of life.\" Age keepeth them from\nactual filthiness and lust (and so may hell, for there is no\nfornication); but they retain their debauched, seared consciences.\n\n13. And it is the greater sin because it is not committed alone; but\nthe devil taketh them by couples. Lust inflameth lust: and the fuel\nset together makes the greatest flame. Thou art guilty of the sin of\nthy wretched companion, as well as of thine own.\n\n14. Lastly, the miserable effects of it, and the punishments that in\nthis life have attended it, do tell us how God accounteth of the sin:\nit hath ruined persons, families, and kingdoms; and God hath borne his\ntestimony against it, by many signal judgments, which all histories\nalmost acquaint you with.[455] As there is scarce any sin that the New\nTestament more frequently and bitterly condemneth, (as you may see in\nPaul's Epistles, 2 Pet. ii., Jude, &c.) so there are not many that\nGod's providence more frequently pursueth with shame and misery on\nearth: and in the latter end of the world, God hath added one\nconcomitant plague not known before, called commonly the _lues\nvenerea_, the venereous pox, so that many of the most brutish sort go\nabout stigmatized with a mark of God's vengeance, the prognostic or\nwarning of a heavier vengeance. And there are none of them all (that\nby great repentance be not made new creatures) but leave an infamous\nname and memory when they are dead (if their sin was publicly known.)\nLet them be never so great, and never so gallant, victorious,\nsuccessful, liberal, flattered, or applauded while they lived, God\nordereth it so, that truth shall ordinarily prevail with the\nhistorians that write of them when they are dead; and with all sober\nmen their names rot and stink, as well as their bodies. Prov. x. 7,\n\"The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall\nrot.\" So much of the greatness of the sin. Boniface archbishop of\nMentz, writing to Ethilbald an English king that was a fornicator,\nEpist. 19. saith, Fornication is a reproach, not only among\nchristians, but pagans----For in old Saxony if a virgin had thus\nstained her father's house, or a married woman, breaking the marriage\ncovenant, had committed adultery; sometimes they force her to hang\nherself with her own hand, and over her ashes when she is burnt they\nhang the fornicator; sometimes they gather a band of women, they lead\nher about, scourging her with rods; and cutting off her clothes at the\ngirdle, and with small knives cutting and pricking all her body, they\nsend her from village to village, thus bloody and mangled with little\nwounds; and so more and more, incited by a zeal for chastity, do meet\nher and scourge her again, till they leave her either dead or scarce\nalive, that others may fear adultery and luxury. And the Wineds, which\nare the filthiest and worst sort of men, do keep the love of matrimony\nwith so great a zeal, that the woman will refuse to live when her\nhusband is dead. And after some reproofs of the fornicating king, he\naddeth these further stories. Ceolred, your Highness' predecessor, as\nthey witness who were present, he being splendidly banqueting with his\nearls, was by the evil spirit that drew him to violate God's law,\nsuddenly distracted in his sin; so that without repentance and\nconfession, being raging mad and talking with the devil, and\nabominating God's priests, he departed out of this life, no doubt to\nthe torments of hell. And Osred (king of the Deiri and Bernicii) the\nspirit of luxury carried in fornication and defiling the sacred\nvirgins in the monasteries, till such time as by a vile and base kind\nof death, he lost his glorious kingdom, together with his youthful\nand luxurious life. Wherefore, most dear son, take heed of the ditch\ninto which thou hast seen others fall before thee.----Vid. Auct. Bib.\nPat. tom. ii. p. 55, 56.\n\nAnd how great sufferings were laid on priests, monks, and nuns that\nhad committed fornication, by several years' imprisonment and\nscourging, see ibid. p. 84. in an edict of Carloman, by the advice of\na council of bishops.\n\nAnd Epist. lxxxv. p. 87, Boniface writeth to Lullo that he was fain to\nsuffer a priest to officiate, baptize, pray, &c. that had long ago\ncommitted fornication, because there was none but he alone to be had\nin all the country, and he thought it better to venture that one man's\nsoul, than let all the people perish, and desireth Lullo's counsel in\nit. By all which we may see how heinous a sin fornication was then\njudged.\n\n_Object._ But (say the filthy ones) did not David commit the sin of\nadultery? Did not God permit them many wives among the Jews? How many\nhad Solomon? Therefore this is no such great sin as you pretend. Thus\nevery filthiness a little while will plead for itself.\n\n_Answ._ David did sin; and is the sin ever the less for that? It is\neasier to forbear it, than undergo the tears and sorrows which David\ndid endure for his sin! Besides the bitterness of his soul for it, his\nson Absalom rebelleth and driveth him out of his kingdom, and his own\nwives are openly defiled; and yet God leaveth it as a perpetual blot\nupon his name. Solomon's sin was so great that it almost ruined him\nand his kingdom; though experience caused him to say more against it\nthan is said in the Old Testament by any other, yet it is a\ncontroversy among divines whether he was ever recovered and saved; and\nten tribes of the twelve were therefore taken from his line, and given\nto Jeroboam. And is this any encouragement to you to imitate him?\nChrist telleth you in the case of divorcement, that God permitted (not\nallowed, but forbore) some such sins in the Jews, because of the\n\"hardness of their hearts,\" Mark x. 5; but from the beginning it was\nnot so; but one man and one woman were conjoined in the primitive\ninstitution. And the special reason why plurality was connived at\namong the Jews, was for the fuller peopling of the nation: they being\nthe only covenanted people of God, and being few among encompassing\nenemies, and being separated from the people of the earth, their\nstrength, and safety, and glory lay much on their increased number,\nand therefore some inordinacy was connived at for their\nmultiplication, but never absolutely allowed and approved of. And yet\nfornication is punished severely, and adultery with death.\n\n\n               II. _The Directions against Fornication._\n\n_Direct._ I. If you would avoid uncleanness, avoid the things that\ndispose you to it; as gluttony, or fulness of diet, and pampering the\nflesh, idleness, and other things mentioned under the next title, of\nsubduing lust. The abating of the filthy desires, is the surest way to\nprevent the filthy act; which may be done if you are but willing.\n\n_Direct._ II. Avoid the present temptations. Go not where the snare\nlieth without necessity. Abhor the devil's bellows that blow up the\nfire of lust; such as enticing apparel, filthy talk and sights, of\nwhich more also under the next title.\n\n_Direct._ III. Carefully avoid all opportunity of sinning. \"Come not\nnear the door of her house,\" saith Solomon, Prov. v. 8. Avoid the\ncompany of the person thou art in danger of. Come not where she is;\nthis thou canst do if thou art willing; none will force thee. If thou\nwilt go seek for a thief, no wonder if thou be robbed. If thou wilt go\nseek fire to put in the thatch, no wonder if thy house be burnt. The\ndevil will sufficiently play the tempter; thou needest not help him;\nthat is his part, leave it to himself; it is thy part to watch against\nhim; and he will find thee work; if thou watch as narrowly and\nconstantly as thou canst, it is well if thou escape. As thou lovest\nthy soul, avoid all opportunities of sinning; make it impossible to\nthyself: much of thy safety lieth in this point. Never be in secret\ncompany with her thou art in danger of; but either not at all, or only\nin the sight of others: especially contrive not such opportunities, as\nto be together in the night, in the dark, or on the Lord's day when\nothers are at church, (one of the devil's seasons for such works,) or\nany such opportunity, leisure, and secrecy; for opportunity itself is\na strong temptation. As it is the way to make a thief, to set money in\nhis way, or so to trust him as that he can easily deceive or rob you\nand never be discovered; so it is the way to make yourself unclean, to\nget such an opportunity of sinning, that you may easily do it, without\nany probability of impediment or discovery from men. The chief point\nin all the art or watch is, to keep far enough off. If you touch the\npitch you will be defiled. \"Whosoever toucheth her shall not be\ninnocent,\" Prov. vi. 29. \"Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his\nclothes not be burnt? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be\nburnt? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife,\" ver. 27, 28.\nBring not the fire and the gunpowder too near. If thou canst not keep\nat a distance, nor forbear the presence of the bait, thou art not like\nto forbear the sin.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Reverence thy own conscience. Mark what it speaketh now,\nfor it will shortly speak it in a more terrible manner: hear it\nvoluntarily; for it is terrible to hear it when thou canst not resist:\ntreat with conscience in the way while it is reconcilable; for thou\nknowest not how terrible a tormentor it is. I doubt not but it hath\ngiven thee some gripes for thy very lust, before it ever came to\npractice; but the sorest of its gripes now, are but like the playing\nof the cat with the mouse, before the killing gripe is given. Doth no\nman see thee? Conscience seeth thee; and thou art a wretch indeed if\nthou reverence not conscience more than man: as Chrysostom saith,\nSuppose no man know the crime but himself and the woman with whom he\ndid commit it! How will he bear the rebukes of conscience, when he\ncarrieth about with him so sharp and bitter an accuser? For no man can\noverrun himself; and no man can avoid the sentence of this court\nwithin him: it is a tribunal not to be corrupted with money, nor\nperverted by flattery; for it is divine, being placed in the soul by\nGod himself: the less the adulterer now feeleth it, the more he\nhasteneth to the perdition of his soul. Dost thou not feel a sentence\npassed within thee? a terrible sentence, telling thee of the wrath of\na revenging God? Bless God that it is not yet an irreversible\nsentence; but sue out thy pardon quickly lest it come to that. Dost\nthou not feel, that thou art afraid and ashamed to pray or to address\nthyself to God? much more afraid to think of dying, and appearing\nbefore him? If thy sin make thee ready to fly from him now, if thou\nknewest how, canst thou look him in the face at last; or canst thou\nhope to stand with comfort at his bar? Art thou fit to live in heaven\nwith him, that makest thyself unfit to pray to him? Even lawful\nprocreation (as I said before) doth blush to come too near to holy\nexercises:[456] as Chrysostom saith, _Die quo liberis operam dedisti\nlegitime, quamvis crimen illud non sit, orare tamen non audes--Quod si\nab incontaminato lecto resurgens times ad orandum accedere; quum in\ndiaboli lecto sis, cur horribile Dei nomen audes invocare?_ Conscience\nis a better friend to thee than thou dost imagine when it would\nreclaim thee from thy sin; and will be a sharper enemy than thou canst\nnow imagine, if thou obey it not.\n\n_Direct._ V. Suppose thou sawest written upon the door of the house or\nchamber where thou enterest to sin, \"Whoremongers and adulterers God\nwill judge,\" Heb. xiii. 4. And write that, or such sentences, upon thy\nchamber door, or at least upon thy heart. Keep thy eye upon the\nterrible threatenings of the dreadful God. Darest thou sin, when\nvengeance is at thy back? Will not the thought of hell-fire quench the\nfire of lust, or restrain thee from thy presumptuous sin? Dost thou\nnot say with Joseph, \"How shall I do this great wickedness and sin\nagainst God?\" Gen. xxxix. 7. As it is written of a chaste woman, that\nbeing tempted by a fornicator, wished him first at her request to hold\nhis finger in the fire: and when he refused, answered him, Why then\nshould I burn in hell to satisfy you? So ask thyself, Can I easilier\novercome the flames of hell, than the flames of lust?\n\n_Direct._ VI. Remember man that God stands by. If he were not there,\nthou couldst not be there; for in him thou livest, and movest, and\nart. He that made the eye must see, and he that made the light and\ndarkness, doth see as well in the dark as in the light; if thou\nimagine that he is absent or ignorant, thou believest not that he is\nGod; for an absent and ignorant God is no God. And darest thou, I say\ndarest thou, commit such a villany and God behold thee? What! that\nwhich thou wouldst be ashamed a child should see! which thou wouldst\nnot do if a mortal man stood by! Dost thou think that thy locks, or\nsecrecy, or darkness, have darkened or shut out God? Dost thou not\nknow that he seeth not only within thy curtains, but within thy heart?\nOh what a hardened heart hast thou, that in the sight of God, thy\nMaker and thy Judge, darest do such wickedness! Ask thy conscience,\nman, Would I do this if I were to die to-morrow, and go to God? would\nI do this if I saw God, yea, or but an angel, in the room? If not,\nshouldst thou do it, when God is as sure there as if thou sawest him?\nO remember, man, that he is a holy God, and hateth uncleanness, and\nthat he is a \"consuming fire,\" Heb. xii. 29.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Suppose all the while that thou sawest the devil opening\nthee the door, and bringing thee thy mate, and driving on the match, and\npersuading thee to the sin. What if he appeared to thee openly to play\nhis part, as sure as he now playeth it unseen; would not thy lust be\ncooled? and would not the devil cure the disease which he hath excited\nin thee? Why then dost thou obey him now, when he is as certainly the\ninstigator as if thou sawest him? Why, man, hast thou so little reason,\nthat seeing and not seeing will make so great a difference with thee?\nWhat if thou wert blind, wouldst thou play the fornicator before all the\ncompany, because thou seest them not, when thou knowest they are there?\nIf thou know any thing, thou knowest God is there; and thou mayst feel\nby the temptation that Satan is in it. Wilt thou not be ruled by the\nlaws, unless thou see the king? Wilt thou not fear the infection of the\nplague unless thou see it? Use thy reason for thy soul as well as for\nthy body, and do in the case as thou wouldst do if thou saw the devil\ntempting thee, and Christ forbidding thee.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. If thou be unmarried, marry, if easier remedies will\nnot serve. \"It is better to marry than burn,\" 1 Cor. vii. 9. It is\nGod's ordinance partly for this end. \"Marriage is honourable and the\nbed undefiled,\" Heb. xiii. 4. It is a resemblance of Christ's union\nwith his church, and is sanctified to believers, Eph. v.; 1 Cor. vii.\nPerhaps it may cast thee upon great troubles in the world, if thou be\nunready for that state (as it is with apprentices). Forbear then thy\nsin at easier rates, or else the lawful means must be used though it\nundo thee. It is better thy body be undone than thy soul, if thou wilt\nneeds have it to be one of them. But if thou be married already thou\nart a monster, and not a man, if the remedy prevail not with thee: but\nyet the other directions may be also serviceable to thee.\n\n_Direct._ IX. If less means prevail not, open thy case to some able,\nfaithful friend, and engage them to watch over thee; and tell them when\nthou art most endangered by the temptation. This will shame thee from\nthe sin, and lay more engagements on thee to forbear it. If thou tell\nthy friend, Now I am tempted to the sin, and now I am going to it; he\nwill quickly stop thee: break thy secrecy and thou losest thy\nopportunity. Thou canst do this if thou be willing; if ever thy\nconscience prevail so far with thee, as to resolve against thy sin, or\nto be willing to escape, then take the time while conscience is awake,\nand go tell thy friend: and tell him who it is that is thy wicked\ncompanion, and let him know all thy haunts, that he may know the better\nhow to help thee. Dost thou say, that this will shame thee? It will do\nso to him that it is known to: but that is the benefit of it, and that\nis the reason I advise thee to it, that shame may help to save thy soul.\nIf thou go on, the sin will both shame and damn thee: and a greater\nshame than this is a gentle remedy in so foul and dangerous a disease.\n\n_Direct._ X. Therefore, if yet all this will not serve turn, tell it to\nmany, yea, rather tell it to all the town than not be cured: and then\nthe public shame will do much more. Confess it to thy pastor, and desire\nhim openly to beg the prayers of the congregation for thy pardon and\nrecovery. Begin thus to crave the fruit of church discipline thyself; so\nfar shouldst thou be from flying from it, and spurning against it as the\ndesperate, hardened sinners do. If thou say, this is a hard lesson,\nremember that the suffering of hell is harder. Do not say that I wrong\nthee, by putting thee upon scandal and open shame: it is thou that\nputtest thyself upon it, by making it necessary, and refusing all easier\nremedies. I put thee on it, but on supposition that thou wilt not be\neasilier cured: almost as Christ puts thee upon \"cutting off a right\nhand,\" or \"plucking out a right eye, lest all the body be cast into\nhell.\" This is not the way that he commandeth thee first to take: he\nwould have thee avoid the need of it: but he tells thee that it is\nbetter to do so than worse; and that this is an easy suffering in\ncomparison of hell. And so I advise thee, if thou love thy credit,\nforbear thy sin in a cheaper way; but if thou wilt not do so, take this\nway rather than damn thy soul. If the shame of all the town be upon\nthee, and the boys should hoot after thee in the streets, if it would\ndrive thee from thy sin, how easy were thy suffering in comparison of\nwhat it is like to be! Concealment is Satan's great advantage. It would\nbe hard for thee to sin thus if it were but opened.\n\n\n          _Tit._ 2. _Directions against inward, filthy Lusts._\n\n_Direct._ I. Because with most the temperature of the body hath a great\nhand in this sin, your first care must be about the body, to reduce it\nunto a temper less inclined to lust; and here the chief remedy is\nfasting and much abstinence. And this may the better be borne, because\nfor the most part it is persons so strong as to be able to endure it\nthat are under this temptation. If your temptation be not strong, the\nless abstinence from meat and drink may serve turn (for I would\nprescribe you no stronger physic than is needful to cure your disease).\nBut if it be violent, and lesser means will not prevail, it is better\nyour bodies be somewhat weakened, than your souls corrupted and undone.\nTherefore in this case, 1. Eat no breakfasts nor suppers; but one meal a\nday, unless a bit or two of bread and a sup or two of water in the\nmorning, and yet not too full a dinner; and nothing at night. 2. Drink\nno wine or strong drink, but water if the stomach can bear it without\nsickness (and usually in such hot bodies it is healthfuler than beer).\n3. Eat no hot spices, or strong, or heating, or windy meats: eat lettuce\nand such cooling herbs. 4. If need require it, be often let blood, or\npurged with such purges as copiously evacuate serosity, and not only\nirritate. 5. And oft bathe in cold water. But the physician should be\nadvised with, that they may be safely done.\n\nIf you think this course too dear a cure, and had rather cherish your\nflesh and lust, you are not the persons that I am now directing; for I\nspeak to such only as are willing to be cured, and to use the\nnecessary means that they may be cured. If you be not brought to this,\nyour conscience had need of better awakening. I am sure Christ saith\nthat when the bridegroom was taken from them, his disciples should\n\"fast,\" Mark ii. 19, 20. And even painful Paul was \"in fasting often,\"\n2 Cor. vi. 5; xi. 27, and \"kept under his body and brought it into\nsubjection, lest by any means when he had preached to others, himself\nshould be a cast-away,\" 1 Cor. ix. 27. And I am sure that the ancient\nchristians, that lived in solitude, and ate many of them nothing but\nbread and water, or meaner fare than bread, did not think this cure\ntoo dear.[457] Yea, smaller necessities than this engaged them in\n\"fasting,\" 1 Cor. vii. 5. This unclean devil will scarcely be cast out\nbut by \"prayer and fasting,\" Mark ix. 29.\n\nAnd I must tell you that fulness doth naturally cherish lust, as fuel\ndoth the fire. Fulness of bread prepared the Sodomites for their filthy\nlusts. It is no more wonder that a stuffed paunch hath a lustful fury,\nthan that the water runs into the pipes when the cistern is full, or\nthan it is wonder to see a dunghill bear weeds, or a carrion to be full\nof crawling maggots. Plutarch speaks of a Spartan that being asked why\nLycurgus made no law against adultery, answered, There are no adulterers\nwith us: but saith the other, What if there should be any? saith the\nSpartan, Then he is to pay an ox so great as shall stand on this side\nthe river Taget and drink of the river Eurota: saith the other, That is\nimpossible: and saith the Spartan, _Et quo pacto Spart\u00e6 existat adulter\nin qua diviti\u00e6, delici\u00e6, et corporis adscititius cultus probro habentur?\net contra verecundia, modestia, ac obedienti\u00e6 magistratibus debit\u00e6\nobservatio decori laudique dantur?_ that is, And how can there be an\nadulterer at Sparta, where riches, delights, and strange attire, or\nornament are a disgrace or reproach? and contrarily shamefacedness,\nmodesty, and the observance of due obedience to magistrates, is an\nhonour and praise? And if rich men think it their privilege to fare\nsumptuously and satisfy their appetites, they must take it for their\nprivilege to feed their lust. But God giveth no man plenty for such\nuses; nor is it any excuse for eating and drinking much, because you\nhave much, any more than it would be to your cooks to put much salt in\nyour meat more than in poorer men's, because you have more.[458] He that\nobserveth the filthy and pernicious effects of that gluttony which is\naccounted rich men's honour and felicity, will never envy them that\nmiserable happiness, but say rather as Antisthenes, _Hostium filiis\ncontingat in deliciis vivere_,[459] Let it befall the children of my\nenemies to live in delights; but that the curse is too heavy for a\nchristian to use to any of his enemies. But for himself he must remember\nthat he is the servant of a holy God, and hath a holy work to do, and\nholy sacrifices to offer to him, and therefore must not pamper his\nflesh, as if he were preparing a sacrifice for Venus. For, as 1 Thess.\niv. 3, 4, \"This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you\nabstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to\npossess his vessel in sanctification and honour, not in the lust of\nconcupiscence, as the gentiles that know not God.\" As the philosopher\nanswered Antigonus when he asked him whether he should go to a merry\nfeast that he was invited to, Thou art the son of a king;[460] so it is\nanswer enough for a christian against temptations to voluptuousness, I\nam the son of the most holy God. If thou be invited to feasts where\nurgency or allurement is like to make thee break thy bounds, go not, or\ngo back when thou seest the bait. As Epaminondas in Plutarch finding\nexcess at a feast that he was invited to, went away when he saw it,\nsaying, _Ego te sacrificare, non lascivire putaram_; so say thou, I came\nto dine and not to be wanton or luxurious; to support my body for duty,\nand not to pamper it for lust. Plutarch marvelleth at the folly of those\nmen that detest the charms of witches lest they hurt them, and fear not\nbut love the charms of dishes which hurt a thousand where witches hurt\none. Withdraw the fuel of excess, and the fire of lust will of itself go\nout; or at least this enemy must be besieged and starved out, when it\ncannot be conquered by storm.\n\n_Direct._ II. Take heed of idleness, and be wholly taken up in\ndiligent business of your lawful callings, when you are not exercised\nin the more immediate service of God.[461] David in his idleness or\nvacancy catched those sparks of lust, which in his troubles and\nmilitary life he was preserved from. Idleness is the soil, the\nculture, and the opportunity of lust. The idle person goeth to school\nto the devil; he sets all other employment aside, that the devil may\nhave time to teach him, and treat with him, and solicit him to\nevil.[462] Do you wonder that he is thinking on lustful objects, or\nthat he is taken up in feasting and drinking, in chambering and\nwantonness? why he has nothing else to do: whereas a laborious,\ndiligent person hath a body subdued and hardened against the\nmollities, the effeminateness of the wanton; and a mind employed and\ntaken up with better things. Leave thy body and mind no leisure to\nthink of tempting, filthy objects, or to look after them. As Hierom\nsaith, _Facito aliquid operis, ut semper diabolus inveniat te\noccupatum_: Be still doing some work, that the devil may always find\nthee busy. And do not for thy fleshly ease remit thy labours and\nindulge thy flesh. Rise early and go late to bed, and put thyself upon\na necessity of diligence all the day: undertake and engage thyself in\nas much business as thou art able to go through, that if thou wouldst,\nthou mayst not be able to give any indulgence to the flesh; for if\nthou be not still pressed by necessity, lust will serve itself by\nidleness, and the flesh will lie down if it feel not the spur:\ntherefore are the rich and idle more lustful and filthy than the poor\nlabouring people. The same bed is the place of sloth and lust. Hear a\nheathen, and refuse not to imitate him. Seneca saith, No day passeth\nme in idleness: part of the night I reserve for studies: I do not\npurposely set myself to sleep, but yield to it when it overcometh me;\nand when my eyes are wearied with watching, and are falling, I hold\nthem to their work:--I had rather it went ill with me than delicately\nor tenderly. If thou be delicate or tender, the mind by little and\nlittle is effeminate, and is dissolved into the similitude of the\nidleness and sloth in which it lieth. I sleep very little, and take\nbut a short nap: it sufficeth me to have ceased watching: sometimes I\nknow that I slept, sometimes I do but suspect it.[463] Aristotle\nsaith, Nature made nothing to be idle. And Plato calls idleness the\nplague of mortals. If thou be resolved to serve and please thy flesh,\nthen never ask advice against thy lust; for it is part of the pleasure\nof it; and then no wonder if thou refuse this physic as too bitter,\nand the remedy as too dear. But if thou be resolved to be cured and to\nbe saved, stick not at the pains: give up thyself totally to thy\nbusiness, and lust will die for want of food.\n\n_Direct._ III. If thou wouldst be free from lust, keep far enough from\nthe tempting object. If possible, dwell not in the house with any person\nthat thou feelest thyself endangered by; if that be not possible, avoid\ntheir company, especially in private: abhor all lascivious and immodest\nactions. Dost thou give thyself the liberty of wanton dalliance, and\nlustful embracements, and yet think to be free from lust? wilt thou put\nthy hand into the fire, when thou art afraid of being burnt? Either thou\nhast the power of thy own heart, or thou hast not: if thou hast, why\ndost thou not quench thy lust? if thou hast not, why dost thou cast it\nupon greater temptations, and put it further out of thy power than it\nis? Fly from a tempting object for thy safety, as thou wouldst fly from\nan enemy for thy life. These loving enemies are more dangerous than\nhating enemies: they get the key of our hearts, and come in and steal\nour treasure with our consent, or without resistance; when an open enemy\nis suspected and shut out.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Command thy eyes, and, as Job xxxi. 1, make a covenant\nwith them, that thou mayst not think on tempting objects: shut these\nwindows, and thou preservest thy heart. Gaze not upon any alluring\nobject. A look hath kindled that fire of lust in many a heart, that\nhath ended in the fire of hell. It is easier to stop lust at these\noutward doors, than drive it out when it hath tainted the heart. If\nthou canst not do this much, how canst thou do more? An ungoverned\neye fetcheth fire to burn the soul that should have governed it.[464]\n\n_Direct._ V. Linger not in the pleasant snares of lust, if thou feel\nbut the least beginnings of it; but quickly cast water on the first\ndiscerned spark, before it break out into a flame. The amorous poet\ncan teach you this, Ovid. de Rem. Am.[465] If ever delay be dangerous,\nit is here. For delay will occasion such engagements to sin, that you\nmust come off at a far dearer rate. If the meat be undigestible, it is\nbest not look on it; it is the next best, not to touch or taste it;\nbut if once it go down, it will cost you sickness and pain to get it\nup again; and if you do not, you perish by it.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Abhor lascivious, immodest speech: as such words come\nfrom either vain or filthy hearts, and show the absence of the fear of\nGod, so they tend to make the hearer like the speaker. And if thy ears\ngrow but patient and reconcilable to such discourse, thou hast lost\nmuch of thy innocence already. Christians must abhor the mentioning of\nsuch filthy sins, in any other manner, but such as tends to bring the\nhearers to abhor them. \"Be not deceived; evil words corrupt good\nmanners,\" 1 Cor. xv. 33. \"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of\nyour mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may\nminister grace to the hearers; and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.\"\nCorrupt communication is rotten, stinking communication; and none but\ndogs and crows love carrion. But \"fornication and all uncleanness and\n(\u03c0\u03bb\u03b5\u03bf\u03bd\u03b5\u03be\u03b9\u03b1) inordinate lust or luxury, let it not once be named among\nyou, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor\njesting,\" &c.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Abhor the covering of filthy lust with handsome names\nto make it the more acceptable. Their discourse is more dangerous that\nwould thus dress up an ugly lust, than theirs that speak of it in\nnasty language. Thus among the brutish party, it goeth under the names\nof love, and having a mistress, and courting, and such like. But (as\none said that is cited in Stob\u00e6us) it is doubled. Lust, that is\ncommonly called love, and doubled love is stark madness. If filthiness\nwill walk abroad, let it go for filthiness, and appear as it is.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Avoid the reading of romances, and love stories; which\nare the library of Venus; or the devil's books of the lustful art; to\ncover over filthiness with cleanly names, and bewitch the fantasies of\nfools with fine words; to make men conceive of the ready way to hell,\nunder the notions and images of excellency, beauty, love, gallantry;\nand by representing strong and amorous passions, to stir up the same\npassions in the reader. As he that will needs read a conjuring book,\nis well enough served if devils come about his ears; so they that will\nneeds read such romances and other books of the burning art, it is\njust with God to suffer an unclean devil to possess them, and to\nsuffer them to catch the fever of lust, which may not only burn up the\nheart, but cause that pernicious deliriation in the brain, which is\nthe ordinary symptom of it.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Avoid all wanton stage-plays and dancings, which either\ncover the odiousness of lust, or produce temptations to it.[466] As\nGod hath his preachers, and holy assemblies and exercises, for the\ncommunion of saints, and the stirring up of love and holiness; so\nthese are Satan's instruments, and assemblies, and exercises, for the\ncommunion of sinners, and for the stirring up of lust and filthiness.\nThey that will go to the devil's church deserve to be possessed with\nhis principles, and numbered with his disciples. The ancient\nchristians were very severe against the seeing of these _spectacula_,\nshows or plays; especially in any of the clergy.\n\n_Direct._ X. Avoid all tempting, unnecessary ornaments or attire, and\nthe regarding or gazing on them upon others. It is a procacious, lustful\ndesire to seem comely and amiable, which is the common cause of this\nexcess. The folly, or lust, or both, of fashionists and gaudy gallants,\nis so conspicuous to all in their affected dress, that never did pride\nmore cross itself, than in such publications of such disgraceful folly\nor lust.[467] They that take on them to be adversaries to lust, and yet\nare careful when they present themselves to sight, to appear in the most\nadorned manner, and do all that harlots can do to make themselves a\nsnare to fools, do put the charitable hard to it, whether to believe\nthat it is their tongues or their backs that are the liar. As Hierom\nsaith, Thou deservest hell, though none be the worse for thee; for thou\nbroughtest the poison, if there had been any to drink it. Let thy\napparel be suited not only to thy rank, but to thy disease. If thou be\ninclined to lust, go the more meanly clad thyself, and gaze not on the\nornaments of others. It is folly indeed that will be enamoured of the\ntailor's work: yet this is so common, that it is frequently more the\napparel than the person that enticeth first; and homely rags would have\nprevented the deceit; as the poet saith,\n\n      Auferimur cultu: gemmis auroque: teguntur\n      Omnia: pars minima est ipsa puella sui.[468]\n\n_Direct._ XI. Think on thy tempting object as it is within, and as it\nshortly will appear without. How ordinary is it for that which you\ncall beauty to be the portion of a fool; and a fair skin to cover a\nsilly, childish, peevish mind, and a soul that is enslaved to the\ndevil. And as Solomon saith, Prov. xi. 22, \"As a jewel of gold in a\nswine's snout, so is a fair woman without discretion.\" And will you\nlust after such an adorned thing? Think also what a dunghill of filth\nis covered with those ornaments; that it would turn thy stomach if\nthou sawest what is within them. And think what a face that would be,\nif it were but covered with the pox; and what a face it will be when\nsickness or age hath consumed or wrinkled it; and think what thy\nadmired carcass will be, when it hath lain a few days in the grave:\nthen thou wouldst have little mind of it; and how quickly will that\nbe! O man, there is nothing truly amiable in the creature, but the\nimage of God; the wisdom, and holiness, and righteousness of the soul.\nLove this then, if thou wilt love with wisdom, with purity and safety;\nfor the love of purity is pure and safe.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Think on thy own death, and how fast thou hastest to\nanother world. Is a lustful heart a seemly temper for one that is\nready to die, and ready to see God, and come into that world, where\nthere is nothing but pure and holy doth abide?\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Consider well the tendency and fruits of lust, that it\nmay still appear to your minds as ugly and terrible as it is indeed.\n1. Think what a shame it is to the soul, that can no better rule the\nbody, and that it is so much defiled by its lusts. 2. Think what an\nunfit companion it is to lodge in the same heart with Jesus Christ and\nthe Holy Spirit. Shall a member of Christ be thus polluted? Shall the\ntemple of the Holy Ghost be thus turned into a swine-sty? Is lust fit\nto dwell with the love of God? Wilt thou entertain thy Lord with such\nodious company? What an unkindness and injury is this to God, that\nwhen he that dwelleth in the highest heavens condescendeth to take up\na dwelling in thy heart, thou shouldst bring these toads and snakes\ninto the same room with him. Take heed lest he take it unkindly and be\ngone. He hath said he will dwell with the humble and contrite heart;\nbut where said he, I will dwell in a lustful heart? 3. Think how unfit\nit makes thee for prayer, or any holy address to God. What a shame,\nand fear, and deadness it casts upon thy spirit. 4. And think how it\ntends to worse. Lust tendeth to actual filthiness, and that to hell;\ncherish not the eggs if thou wouldst have none of the brood. It is an\neasy step, from a lustful heart to a defiled body, and a shorter step\nthence to everlasting horror than you imagine. As St. James saith,\n\"Every man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust and\nenticed; then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin\nwhen it is finished bringeth forth death,\" James i. 13, 14. Gal. vi.\n8, \"If ye sow to the flesh, of the flesh ye shall reap corruption.\"\nRemember that lust is the spawn of sin, and sin is the way to hell.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Be sure to keep up a holy, constant government over thy\nthoughts. Suffer them not to go after tempting, filthy, sensual\nthings. As soon as ever a thought of lust comes into thy mind, abhor\nit and cast it out. Abundance of the cure and of thy safety lieth upon\nthy thoughts. They that let their thoughts run uncontrolled, and feed\non filthiness, are already fornicators in the heart; and are hatching\nthe cockatrice eggs; and no wonder if from thoughts they proceed to\ndeeds. Oh what a deal of uncleanness is committed by the thoughts,\nwhich people are little ashamed of, because they are unseen of men! If\nthe thoughts of many were open to beholders, what wantonness and lust\nwould appear in many adorned sepulchres! Even in the time of holy\nworship, when once such give the unclean spirit possession of their\nthoughts, how hardly is he cast out! they can scarce look a comely\nperson in the face without some vicious thought. If Hierom confess,\nthat in his wilderness his thoughts were running among the ladies at\nRome, what may we think of them that feed such filthy fantasies? Say\nnot, you cannot rule your thoughts: you can do much if you will, and\nmore than you do. If money and honour can make an ungodly preacher\ncommand his thoughts to holy things, in the studies of divinity,\nthrough much of his life, you may see that your thoughts are much in\nyour power. But of this before.\n\n_Direct._ XV. If other means serve not, open thy case to some friend,\nand shame thyself to him, as I advised under the former title.\nConfession, and shame, and advice, will help thee.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Above all go to Christ for help, and beg his Spirit, and\ngive up thy heart to better things. Oh, if it were taken up with God,\nand heaven, and the holy life that is necessary thereto, these things\nare so great, and holy, and sweet, and of such concernment to thee, that\nthey would leave little room for lust within thee, and would make thee\nabhor it as contrary to those things which have thy heart. No such cure\nfor any carnal love as the love of God; nor for fleshly lusts, as a\nspiritual, renewed, heavenly mind. Thou wouldst then tell Satan that God\nhath taken up all the room, and thy narrow heart is too little for him\nalone; and that there is no room for lust, or the thoughts that serve\nit. A true conversion which turneth the heart to God, doth turn it from\nthis with other sins, though some sparks may still be unextinguished. It\nwas once noted that many turn from other sects to the Epicureans, but\nnone from the Epicureans to any other sect; the reason was because\nnature is inclined to sensuality in all, and when it is confirmed by use\nand doctrine, philosophy is too weak to master it. But Christ calleth\nand saveth epicures, and publicans, and harlots, and hath cleansed many\nsuch by his grace, which teacheth men to \"deny ungodliness and worldly\nlusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the world.\"\nPhilostratus tells us of a sudden change upon one Is\u00e6us, that turned him\nfrom luxury to exceeding temperance: so that when one asked him, Is not\nyonder a handsome woman? he answered, The diseases of my eyes are cured.\nWhen they asked him which dish was the pleasantest, he answered, _Desii\ncurare_, I have done regarding such things: and told them the reason,\nthat marvelled at his change, Because he found that he did but gather\nfruits out of Tantalus' garden. They are \"deceitful lusts,\" Eph. iv. 22,\nand Satan himself will reproach thee for ever, if he can deceive thee by\nthem. As Alexander when he had taken Darius, his gallantry, and\nsumptuous houses, and furniture, reproaches him with it, saying,\n_Hoccine erat imperare?_ Was this to rule? So Satan would show thee thy\nlusts and say, Was this to be a christian and seek salvation?\n\n\n                                PART VI.\n\n              _Directions against sinful Excess of Sleep._\n\nOf this, something is said already, chap. v. part i. and more afterwards\nin the directions against idleness. Therefore I shall say but little\nnow. 1. I shall show you when sleep is excessive. 2. Wherein the\nsinfulness of it consisteth. 3. What to do for the cure of it.\n\nI. Sleep is given us for the necessary remission of the animal\noperations, and of the labour or motion of the exterior parts, by the\nquieting of the senses, or shutting them up: that the natural and\nvital operations may have the less disturbance. It is necessary, 1. To\nour rest. 2. To concoction. Therefore weariness and want of concoction\nare the chief indications, to tell us how much is needful for us.\nSleep is sinfully excessive, 1. When it is voluntarily more than is\nneedful to our health. 2. When it is unseasonable, at forbidden times.\n\nIt is not all weariness or sleepiness that maketh sleep lawful or\nneedful; for some is contracted by laziness, and some by many diseases,\nand some by other constant causes which make men almost always weary.\nNor is it all want of concoction that sleep is a remedy for; some may be\ncaused by excess of eating, which must be cured a better way; and many\ndiseases may cause it, which require other cure. Therefore none must\nindulge excess upon these pretences. Nor must a present sense of the\npleasure of sleeping, or the displeasure of waking, be the judge; for\nsluggards may think they feel it do them good, and that early rising\ndoth them hurt; but this good is but their present ease, and this hurt\nis but a little trouble to their head, and eyes, and lazy flesh, just at\nthe time. But reason and experience must judge what measure is best for\nyour health, and that you must not exceed. To some five hours is enough;\nto the ordinary sort of healthful persons six hours is enough; to many\nweak, valetudinary persons seven hours is needful: to sick persons I am\nnot to give directions.\n\n2. Sleep is excessive at that particular time when it is unseasonable.\nAs, 1. When we are asleep when we should be doing some necessary\nbusiness which calls for present despatch. 2. Or when we should be\nhearing the sermon, or praying, in public or private. In a word, when\nit puts by any greater duty which we should then perform. As, when the\ndisciples slept when Christ was in his agony: \"Could ye not watch with\nme one hour? watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation,\" Matt.\nxxvi. 40, 41.\n\nIt is a foppery and abuse of God and ourselves, to think that the\nbreaking of our sleep is a thing that of itself pleaseth God; or that\nrising to pray at midnight is more acceptable to God than at another\nhour: usually such rising to pray is sinful, 1. Because it is done in\nan erroneous conceit that God accepts it better than in the day time.\n2. Because they waste time in dressing and undressing. 3. Or else hurt\ntheir health by cold in the winter, and so lose more time than they\nredeem by shortening their lives. 4. And usually they are more drowsy\nand unfit. But to rise in the night to prayer is meet on some\nextraordinary occasion that calls for it; as to pray with or for a\ndying person, or such like; or when an extraordinary fervour and\nfitness prepareth us for it; and when we can stay up when we are up,\nand not lose time in going to bed again. But ordinarily that way is to\nbe chosen that best redeemeth time; and that is, to consider just how\nmuch sleep our health requireth, and to take it if we can together\nwithout interruption, and to rise then and go about our duties. But\nthose that cannot sleep in the night, must redeem that time as\ndiscretion shall direct them.\n\nIt is the voluntariness of the excess that the sinfulness principally\nconsisteth in; and therefore the more voluntary the more sinful. In a\nlethargy or caros it is no sin: and when long watching, or some bodily\nweakness or distemper, make it almost unavoidable, the sin is the\nsmaller: therefore in case of long watching and heaviness, Christ\npartly excused his disciples, saying, \"The spirit is willing, but the\nflesh is weak,\" Matt. xxvi. 41. But when it cometh from a\nflesh-pleasing sloth, or from a disregard of any holy exercise that\nyou are about, it is a grievous sin. And though it be involuntary just\nat the time, and you say, I would fain forbear sleeping now if I\ncould; yet if it be voluntary remotely and in its causes, it is your\nsin. You would now forbear sleeping; but you would not forbear that\npampering your body, and stuffing your guts, which causeth it; you\nwould not deny the flesh its ease to avoid it.\n\nII. The sinfulness of excess of sleep lieth in these particulars: 1.\nThat it is a sinful wasting of every minute of that time which is\nconsumed in it.[469] And this is a very grievous thing, to a heart\nthat is sensible of the preciousness of time: when we think how short\nour lives are, and how great our work is, it should tell us how great\na sin it is to cast away any of this little time in needless sleep.\nAnd yet what abundance of it with many is thus spent! Almost half\ntheir whole lives is spent in bed, by many drones, that think they\nmay sleep because they are rich, and have not a necessity of labouring\nto supply their wants. I was never tempted (that I remember) so much\nto grudge at God's natural ordering of man, in any thing, as that we\nare fain to waste so much of our little time in sleep: nor was I ever\ntempted to grudge at my weakness so much on any account as this, that\nit deprived me of so much precious time, which else might have been\nused in some profitable work. The preciousness of time makes excessive\nsleeping to be a great sin, according to the measure of the excess.\n\n2. It is a neglect of all our powers and parts which should all that\ntime be exercised. Reason is idle and buried all that while: all your\nwisdom and knowledge are of no use to you.[470] All the learning of the\ngreatest scholar in the world, is of no more service than if he were\nilliterate; nor all the prudence and policy of the wisest, than if they\nwere mere idiots. All the strength and health of the strongest are of no\nmore service than if they were sick; nor the skill of the greatest\nartist, than if he had never learnt his art; nor any of your limbs or\nsenses, than if you were lame, or blind, or deaf, or senseless. And I\nleave it to any man's consideration and judgment, whether if drunkenness\nbe so odious a sin, because it depriveth a man voluntarily of the use of\nhis reason and parts, it must not be a very great sin to do the same by\nsleeping, by frequent, voluntary, excessive sleeping. For no man I think\nis drunk so often as the sluggard is dead in sleep: sluggards quite kill\ntheir reason, when most drunkards do but maim it, or make it sick.\nSluggards bury their wits and parts usually ten times as long in the\nyear, as the filthiest drunkards do. And hath God given you reason, and\nparts, and strength for no better use, than to bury it for so\nconsiderable a part of your lives?\n\n3. Excess of sleep is guilty of all the omissions of those duties, which\nshould all that time have been performed: of the omission of every holy\nthought, and word, and deed which should have been then exercised; and\nof the omission of all the duties of your callings: of the omission of\nevery prayer you should have then prayed, and every chapter you should\nhave read; and all the good which you should have got to yourselves, or\ndone to others, to wife, husband, children, parents, servants,\nneighbours. And you know that omissions are one half, and the greater\nhalf, of the sins of the world; and that God will condemn the wicked at\nlast for their omissions; for not feeding the poor, not clothing them,\nnot visiting: and that he requireth the improvement of all his talents;\nand that it is his terrible sentence, Matt. xxv. 26, 30, \"Thou wicked\nand slothful servant, &c. Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer\ndarkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.\" What then shall\nwe think of the wilful omission, not of one duty, but of all duty\nwhatsoever; not now and then, but constantly for an hour, or two, or\nthree once in four and twenty hours! No love of God, no desires towards\nhim, no good is exercised all that time.\n\n[Sidenote: Whether love of sleep may be a mortal sin?]\n\n_Quest._ Can the love of sleep alone be the mortal, reigning sin in\nany one? The reason of the doubt is, because that the mortal sin is a\nsin of mistaken interest, that is, such as hath a man's chiefest love,\nand is preferred before God; which it seems so small a thing as sleep\nor ease cannot be, but it seems a mere neglect or remissness in the\nway of duty, and not to be chosen as any man's felicity.\n\n_Answ._ The sin that is set up against the love of God, as a man's\nultimate end and happiness, is flesh-pleasing in the general, or\ncarnal self-love: and he that is guilty of this can hardly be imagined\nto exercise his sensual desire only in the way of sloth and sleep. It\nis certain that he preferreth the greatest pleasure of his flesh which\nhe can attain before the less: and therefore as to the habit or\ninclination, he is as much addicted to covetousness, gluttony,\nambition, or other ways of sensuality; and if they are within his\nreach, that he can hope to attain them, he will actually desire such\ngreater pleasures, more than this. For there is no man that is an\nunregenerate sensualist, that hath mortified covetousness, luxury, and\npride, and yet is captivated only by sleep or sloth: the same grace\nwhich truly mortifieth the greater would mortify the less. But it is\npossible that a beggar, or some such person, that hath no other\nsensual pleasure but idleness in view or hope, may exercise his\nsensuality principally this way. Not but that radically he preferreth\nriches and honour before his beggarly sloth and ease; but those\ndesires having no matter to work upon, do not stir in him, because he\nhath no hope of reaching such a thing. The sum is, 1. Carnal self-love\nis the great opposite to the love of God. 2. This self-love worketh\ntowards carnal pleasure, and to the greatest most. 3. Habitually\ntherefore the love of riches, honour, and voluptuousness, is stronger\nthan the love of ease. 4. Actually the love of ease may be the\nstrongest in some. 5. But if those persons were as capable of the\nhigher fleshly pleasures, they would love them actually more. 6. It is\nnot the omitting of some particular duties through the love of ease,\nwhich proveth such a sensual, unsanctified state of soul; but the\npreferring of men's ease before a holy life in the main; as when men\nso far love their ease, that they will not make it the chief of their\ndesires and employments, to \"seek the kingdom of God and his\nrighteousness,\" Matt. vi. 33.\n\nThe overcoming of excessive sleep is easy, if you be but thoroughly\nwilling.\n\n_Direct._ I. The first thing to be done, is to correct that sluggish,\nphlegmatic temper of body which inclineth you to it, which is chiefly\nto be done by such an abstinence or temperate diet, as I gave\ndirections for before. A full belly is fit for nothing else but sleep\nor lust. Reduce your diet to that measure which is needful to your\nhealth, and eat not any more to please your appetites. And let fasting\ncure you when you have exceeded.\n\n_Direct._ II. Labour hard in your callings, that your sleep may be\nsweet while you are in it; or else you will lie in bed on pretence of\nnecessity, because you cannot sleep well when you are there. Then you\nwill say, you must take it out in the morning, because you sleep not\nin the night. But see that this be not caused by idleness. Weary your\nbodies in your daily labours; \"for the sleep of the labouring man is\nsweet,\" Eccl. v. 12.\n\n_Direct._ III. See that thou have a calling which will find thee\nemployment for all thy time, which God's immediate service spareth.\nYea, which somewhat urgeth thee to diligence. Otherwise thou wilt lie\nin bed, and say, thou hast time to spare, or nothing to do. You can\nrise when you have a journey to be gone, or a business of pressing\nnecessity to be done: keep yourselves under some constant necessity,\nor urgency of business at the least.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Take pleasure in your callings, and in the service of\nGod. Sluggards themselves can rise to that which they take much\npleasure in; as to go to a merriment, or feast, or play, or game, or\nto a good bargain, or any thing which they delight in. If thou hadst\na delight in thy calling, and in reading the Scripture, and praying,\nand doing good, thou couldst not lie contentedly in bed, but wouldst\nlong to be up and doing, as children to their play. The wicked can\nrise early to do wickedness, because their hearts are set upon it:\nthey can be drunk, or steal, or whore, or plot their ambitious and\ncovetous designs, when they should sleep.[471] And if thy heart were\nset as much on good, as theirs is on evil, wouldst not thou be as\nwakeful and as readily up?\n\n_Direct._ V. Remember the grand importance of the business of your\nsouls which always lieth on your hands, that the greatness of your\nwork may rouse you up. What! lie slugging in bed, when you are so far\nbehindhand in knowledge, and grace, and assurance of salvation; and\nhave so much of the Scripture and other books to read and understand?\nHast thou not grace to beg for a needy soul? Is not prayer better work\nthan excess of sleeping? Great business in the world can make you\nrise, and why not greater?\n\n_Direct._ VI. Remember that thou must answer in judgment for thy time:\nand what comfort wilt thou have, to say I slugged away so many hours\nin a morning? And what comfort at death when time is gone, to review\nso much cast away in sleep?\n\n_Direct._ VII. Remember that God beholdeth thee, and is calling thee\nup to work. If thou understoodest his word and providence, thou\nwouldst hear him, as it were, saying as the mariners to Jonah, \"What\nmeanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God.\" Wilt thou lie\nsleeping inordinately when God stands over thee, and calls thee up? If\nthe king, or any great person, or friend, did but knock at thy door,\nthou wouldst rise presently to wait upon them. Why, God would speak\nwith thee by his word, or hear thee speak to him by prayer; and wilt\nthou lie still and despise his call?\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Remember how many are attending thee while thou\nsleepest. If it be summer, the sun is up before thee, that hath gone so\nmany thousand miles while thou wast asleep: it hath given a day's light\nto the other half of the world since thou laidst down, and is come again\nto light thee to thy work, and wilt thou let it shine in vain? All the\ncreatures are ready in their places to assist thee, and art thou asleep?\n\n_Direct._ IX. Consider whether thou wilt allow thy servants to do the\nlike: they must be up and at work, or you will be offended, and tell\nthem that they are no servants for you, and that you hire them not to\nsleep. And do you not owe God more service than they owe you? Doth God\nhire you to sleep? Is it any lawfuller for you than them, to sleep one\nminute more than is needful for your health? No, not a minute: if you\nare sicklier than they, that is another matter; (but see that fulness\nand idleness cause it not;) but otherwise your riches are no excuse to\nyou. Will you loiter more than they, because you receive more? and do\nless service, because you have more pay? Or is it your privilege to be\nso miserable, as to lose that time which poor men save?\n\n_Direct._ X. Remember that your morning hours are the chiefest part of\nall the day, for any holy exercise, or special employment of the mind.\nThe mind is fresh and clear, and there is less interruption by worldly\nbusiness; whereas when others are up and about their business, you\nwill have interpellations. Those that have tried it can say by\nexperience, that the morning hours are the flower of their time, for\nprayer or studies; and that early rising is a great part of the art of\nredeeming time.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Remember how many are condemning you by their diligence,\nwhile you are slugging away your time. How many holy persons are then\nat prayer in secret, wrestling fervently with God for their salvation;\nor reading and meditating in his word! What do they get while you are\nsleeping! The blessed man doth delight in the law of the Lord, and\nmeditate in it day and night; and you love your ease, and are sleeping\nday and night: will not all these be witnesses against you? So will\nthe diligent in their callings; and so will the worldlings and wicked\nthat rise early to their sin. How many thousand are hard at work while\nyou are sleeping! Have you not work to do, as well as they?\n\n_Direct._ XII. Remember that sensuality or flesh-pleasing is the great\ncondemning sin that turns the heart from God: and if it be odious in a\ndrunkard or fornicator, why is it not so in you? Mortify the flesh,\nand learn to deny it in its inordinate desires, and your sin is almost\ncured.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. For then the executive part is easy when you are\nwilling: it is but agreeing with some one to awaken you, and a little\ncold water will wash away your drowsiness if you consent.\n\n\n                               PART VIII.\n\n                  _Directions against sinful Dreams._\n\nDreams are neither good nor sinful simply in themselves, because they\nare not rational and voluntary, nor in our power; but they are often\nmade sinful by some other voluntary act: they may be sinful by\nparticipation and consequently. And the acts that make them sinful,\nare either such as go before, or such as follow after.\n\nI. The antecedent causes are any sinful act which distempereth the\nbody, or any sin which inclineth the fantasy and mind thereto; or the\nomission of what was necessary to prevent them. 2. The causes which\nafterwards make them objectively sinful, are the ill uses that men\nmake of them; as when they take their dreams to be divine revelations,\nor trust to them, or are affrighted by them as ominous, or as\nprophetical; and make them the ground of their actions, and seduce\nthemselves by the phantasms of their own brains.\n\n_Direct._ I. Avoid those bodily distempers as much as you can which\ncause sinful dreams, especially fulness of diet: a full stomach\ncauseth troublesome dreams, and lustful dreams; and hath its ill\neffects by night and by day.\n\n_Direct._ II. Endeavour the cure of those sinful distempers of the\nmind which cause sinful dreams. The cure of a worldly mind is the best\nway to cure worldly, covetous dreams; and the cure of a lustful heart,\nis the best way to cure lustful dreams; and so of the rest: cleanse\nthe fountain, and the waters will be sweeter day and night.\n\n_Direct._ III. Suffer not your thoughts, or tongue, or actions to run\nsinfully upon that in the day, which you would not dream sinfully of in\nthe night.[472] Common experience telleth us, that our dreams are apt to\nfollow our foregoing thoughts, and words, and deeds. If you think most\nfrequently and affectionately of that which is good, you will dream of\nthat which is good. If you think of lustful, filthy objects, or speak of\nthem, or meddle with them, you will dream of them; and so of covetous\nand ambitious dreams, and they that make no conscience to sin waking,\nare not like much to scruple sinning in their sleep.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Commend yourselves to God by prayer before you take your\nrest, and beseech him to set a guard upon your fantasy when you cannot\nguard it. Cast the cure upon him, and fly to him for help by faith and\nprayer in the sense of your insufficiency.\n\n_Direct._ V. Let your last thoughts still before your sleep be holy,\nand yet quieting and consolatory thoughts.[473] The dreams are apt to\nfollow our last thoughts. If you betake yourselves to sleep with\nworldliness or vanity in your minds, you cannot expect to be wiser or\nbetter when you are asleep, than when you are awake. But if you shut\nup your day's thoughts with God, and sleep find them upon any holy\nsubject, it is like to use them as it finds them. Yet if it be\ndistrustful, unbelieving, fearful thoughts which you condole with,\nyour dreams may savour of the same distemper. Frightful and often\nsinful dreams do follow sinful doubts and fears. But if you sweeten\nyour last thoughts with the love of Christ, and the remembrance of\nyour former mercies, or the foresight of eternal joys, or can\nconfidently cast them and yourselves upon some promise, it will tend\nto the quietness of your sleep, and to the savouriness of your dreams:\nand if you should die before morning, will it not be most desirable\nthat your last thoughts be holy?\n\n_Direct._ VI. When you have found any corruption appearing in your\ndreams, make use of them for the renewing of your repentance, and\nexciting your endeavours to mortify that corruption. A corruption may\nbe perceived in dreams, 1. When such dreams as discover it are\nfrequent: 2. When they are earnest and violent: 3. When they are\npleasing and delightful to your fantasies: not that any certain\nknowledge can be fetched from them, but some conjecture as added to\nother signs. As if you should frequently, earnestly, and delightfully\ndream of preferments and honours, of the favours of great men, suspect\nambition, and do the more to discover and mortify it. If it be of\nriches, and gain, and money, suspect a covetous mind. If it be of\nrevenge or hurt to any man that you distaste, suspect some malice, and\nquickly mortify it: so if it be of lust, or feasting, or drinking, or\nvain recreations, sports and games, do the like.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Lay no greater stress upon your dreams than there is just\ncause. As, 1. When you have searched, and find no such sin prevailing in\nyou as your dreams seem to intimate, do not conclude that you have more\nthan your waking evidence discovers. Prefer not your sleeping signs\nbefore your waking signs and search. 2. When you are conscious that you\nindulge no corruption to occasion such a dream, suppose it not to be\nfaulty of itself, and lay not the blame of your bodily temperament, or\nunknown causes, upon your soul, with too heavy and unjust a charge. 3.\nAbhor the presumptuous folly of those that use to prognosticate by their\ndreams, and measure their expectations by them, and cast themselves into\nhopes or fears by them. Saith Diogenes, \"What folly is it to be careless\nof your waking thoughts and actions, and inquisitive about your dreams?\nA man's happiness or misery lieth upon what he doth when he is awake,\nand not upon what he suffereth in his sleep.\"\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[378] Rom. vii. 7; Matt. v. 28; Eph. v. 5; Heb. xiii. 4.\n\n[379] Prov. iii. 21; Luke xi. 34; Matt. vi. 22; Psal. cxlv. 15;\ncxxiii. 2, 3; Prov. xxviii. 27.\n\n[380] Psal. xxxv. 19; Prov. x. 10; xxx. 17; Isa. v. 15; iii. 16; Prov.\nxxx. 13.\n\n[381] Prov. xxiii. 33.\n\n[382] Prov. xxvii. 20; Eccl. i. 8; iv. 8.\n\n[383] Prov. xxiii. 3.\n\n[384] Prov. iv. 25.\n\n[385] Prov. xxi. 10. See Dr. Hammond on Matt. vi. 22.\n\n[386] Prov. xxii. 9.\n\n[387] Isa. xiii. 18; Prov. xxviii. 27.\n\n[388] Matt. vii. 3; Luke vi. 41.\n\n[389] Prov. vi. 4.\n\n[390] Psal. xxxv. 21; x. 8, xxxvi. 1.\n\n[391] Matt. vi. 22, 23; Luke xi. 34.\n\n[392] Prov. xxiii. 29.\n\n[393] Psal. vi. 7; Lam. iii. 48, 49, 51.\n\n[394] Gen. xlix. 2; Exod. xix. 9; Deut. i. 16; iv. 10; v. 1, 25, 27;\nxxxi. 13; Prov. i. 8; xix. 20, 27; xxii. 17; Eccl. v. 1; vii. 5; Jam.\ni. 19; Isa. lxvi. 4; lxv. 12; xxx. 9; Ezek. xii. 2; Mal. ii. 2; Acts\niii. 23; Lev. v. 1; Deut. xiii. 12.\n\n[395] So the Israelites, Numb. xi. loathing manna, because they must\nhave change of diet, was a sin of gulosity, or gluttony; being more\nfor appetite than health.\n\n[396] Even fruitful land, saith Plutarch, enricheth not if it cost too\nmuch the manuring. So here.\n\n[397] As Isaac's pleasant meat, Gen. xxvii. 7.\n\n[398] Non potest temperantiam laudare is, qui summum bonum ponit in\nvoluptate. Est enim temperantia libidinum inimica. Cicero. Saith\nAristotle, He is temperate that takes pleasure to deny fleshly\npleasure; but he is intemperate that is troubled because he cannot\nhave them. Ethic. 1. 2. c. 3.\n\n[399] Socrates dixit, eos qui pr\u00e6cocia magno emerent, desperare se ad\nmaturitatis tempus perventuros. Laert. in Socrat. Cum vocasset ad c\u0153nam\ndivites, et Zantippen modici puderet apparatus; Bono, inquit, esto\nanimo. Nam siquidem modesti erunt frugique, mensam non aspernabuntur;\nsin autem intemperantes, nulla nobis de hisce cura fuerit. Idem ibid.\nDicebat alios vivere ut ederent, se autem edere ut vivat. Ibid.\n\n[400] Hic est mos nobilium ante alios: artes qu\u00e6 liberales fuerunt,\nmechanic\u00e6 evasere: ipsique qui bellorum duces, philosophi, rectores\nurbium, ac patres patri\u00e6 esse solent, venatores; atque aucupes facti\nsunt, utque intelligas nullam esse reliquam spem salutis, nobilitati\ntribuitur quod est Gul\u00e6. aut proculdubio vanitatis. Petrarch.\n\n[401] 1 Cor. x. 7.\n\n[402] Of this see more in my book of \"Self-denial.\"\n\n[403] See Plutarch's precepts of health.\n\n[404] Rom. xvi. 17, 18. They serve not the Lord Jesus, but their own\nbellies.\n\n[405] It is a common saying that Gula plures occidit quam gladius.\nQuicquid avium volitat, quicquid piscium natat, quicquid ferarum\ndiscurrit, nostris sepelitur ventribus. Qu\u00e6re nunc cur subito\nmoriamur? Quia mortibus vivimus. Senec. Hierom saith, that he had read\nof some that had been sick of the arthritis and podagra, that were\ncured by being brought to poverty by confiscation of their estates,\nand so brought to a poor diet.\n\n[406] Chrysostom saith the difference betwixt famine and excess is, that\nfamine kills men sooner out of their pain, and excess doth putrify and\nconsume them by long and painful sicknesses. In Hebr. Hom. 29.\n\n[407] As smoke driveth away the bees from their hive, saith Basil de\nJunin; so gluttony expelleth all spiritual gifts, and excellent\nendowments of mind.\n\n[408] Saith Basil, A ship heavy laden is unfit to sail: so a full\nbelly to any duty.\n\n[409] Semper saturitati juncta est lascivia. Hieron.\n\n[410] Ventri obedientes animalium numero computantur non hominum.\nSenec.\n\n[411] It is Chrysostom's saying in Hebr. Hom. 29.\n\n[412] Jer. v. 7.\n\n[413] Magna pars libertatis est bene moratus venter. Senec.\n\n[414] When a friend of Socrates complained to him, What a dear place\nis this! Wine will cost so much, and honey so much, and purple so\nmuch: Socrates took him to the meal-hall, Lo, saith he, you may buy\nhere half a sextare of good meal for a halfpenny (which boiled in\nwater was his meat); God be thanked the market is very cheap. Then he\ntook him to an oil-shop, where a measure (ch\u0153nix) was sold for two\nbrass dodkins. Then he led him to a broker's shop, where a man might\nbuy a suit of clothes for ten drachms. You see, quoth he, that the\npennyworths are reasonable, and things good, cheap throughout the\ncity. Plutarch. de Tranquil. Anim. pag. 153.\n\n[415] Matt. xxv.\n\n[416] Saith Plato, God is the temperate man's law; and pleasure the\nintemperate man's.\n\n[417] Heb. xiii. 9.\n\n[418] 1 Cor. x. 31.\n\n[419] Socrates adeo parce et temperat\u00e8 vixit, ut cum Athenas pestis\ns\u00e6penumero vastaret, solus ipse nunquam \u00e6grotaverit. Laertius in\nSocrat.\n\n[420] Multum confert cogitatio exitus, quod cum omnibus vitias sit\ncommune, tamen huic proprium. Petrarch.\n\n[421] Temperantia voluptatibus imperat: alias odit atque abigit: alias\ndispensat et ad sanum modum dirigit; nec unquam ad illas propter ipsas\nvenit. Senec. Scit optimum esse modum cupidorum, non quantum velis,\nsed quantum debeas sumere. Senec.\n\n[422] Venter parvo contentus est, si das illi quod debes, non quod\npotes. Senec.\n\n[423] Juvenum virtus est, nihil nimis. Socrat.\n\n[424] Venter pr\u00e6cepta non audit. Senec.\n\n[425] If you will not take this counsel, at least use after meat to\nset before your guests a bason and a feather, or a provang to vomit it\nup again, that you may show some mercy to their bodies, if you will\nshow none to their souls.\n\n[426] A sensualist craving to be admitted of Cato among his familiars,\nCato answered him, I cannot live with one whose palate is wiser than\nhis brain. Eras.\n\n[427] The old fashion in countrymen's houses was not amiss, where the\nstory of this rich glutton and Lazarus was wont to be painted over\ntheir tables on their walls.\n\n[428] 1 Cor. viii. 9; Lev. xix. 14; Rom. xiv. 13; xi. 9; Rev. ii. 14.\n\n[429] See 1 Cor. vi. 13. Qui Christum desiderat, et illo pane\nvescitur, non curat magnopere qu\u00e0m de pretiosis cibis stercus\nconficiat. Hieron. Epist. ad Paul.\n\n[430] Nihil tam \u00e6que tibi proderit ad temperantiam, quam frequens\ncogitatio brevis \u00e6vi, et incerti: Quicquid facis respice mortem.\nSenec.\n\n[431] Luke vi. 25, \"Woe to you that are full! for ye shall hunger.\"\n\n[432] Temperantiam exigit philosophia, non p\u0153nam. Senec.\n\n[433] Et non solum h\u00e6c seculares viri, sed et ipse grex Domini ejusque\npastores, qui exemplo esse omni plebi debuerint, ebrietate quam\nplurimi quasi vino madidi torpebant resoluti, et animositatum tumore,\njurgiorum contentione, invidi\u00e6 rapacibus ungulis, indiscreto boni\nmalique judicio carpebantur. Gildas.\n\n[434] Why Gregory set up wakes, and church-ales, and meetings on\nholidays in England, you may see lib. x. Regist. Ep. 71. in policy to\nwin the heathens: Qui boves solent multos in sacrificio d\u00e6monum\noccidere, debet his etiam de hac re aliqua solemnitas immutari, ut die\ndedicationis vel natalitiis martyrum, tabernacula sibi circa easdem\necclesias, qu\u00e6 ex fanis commutat\u00e6 sunt, de ramis arborum faciant, et\nreligiosis conviviis solennitatem celebrent. Nec diabolo jam animalia\nimmolent, sed ad laudem Dei in usu suo animalia occidant, et donatori\nomnium de satietate sua gratias agant, &c. But do christians need this\nas heathens did, when we see the sad effects of such riotings? Lege\nAcost. 1. iii. c. 34.\n\n[435] Prov. xiii. 23; xiv. 21; xxi. 13; xxx. 14; xxii. 9; xxviii. 27.\n\n[436] Diogenes begging of a prodigal, asked a pound of him, when he\nasked but a penny of the next, Because, saith he, I may oft receive of\nthem, but God knows whether ever I shall have more of him. Laert. in\nDiog. Prov. xxviii. 19.\n\n[437] John xiv. 15; 1 John v. 2, 3.\n\n[438] And a shame to thy family: as it is said that Cicero's son\nproved a drunkard, to whom he directed his book De Officiis: which is\nmade his father's reproach.\n\n[439] Of drunken priests I am loth to speak: but pray such to read\nIsa. lii. 12; xxviii. 7; Mic. ii. 11; 1 Tim. iii. 3, 8; Isa. lvi. 11,\n12; Lev. x. 9; Jer. xxxv.; Ezek. xliv. 21; Matt. xxiv. 49; 1 Thess. v.\n7; Gal. v. 21.\n\n[440] See Prov. xxiii. 29-33.\n\n[441] Est certa et constans plurimorum sententia, frustra Indos\nchristianam religionem doceri, quamdiu pestifera isth\u00e6c consuetudo\ninerti nostrorum dissimulatione retinetur saith Acosta speaking of\ndrunkenness, l. 3. c. 22. p. 336.\n\n[442] Leg. Jos. Acostam de procur. Indor. salut. l. 3. c. 21, 22.\n\n[443] Gluttons, and drunkards, and lustful sensualists, are prepared\nfor atheism, infidelity, and any impious conceit. For their wits are\nburied in the dunghill of their guts, and drowned in the\nexcrementitious humidity of their brains: (ubi oculus siccus clarus\nintellectus:) and the vapours and fumes of their boiling lusts do so\nintoxicate and cloud their brains, that they have little use of their\nreason except to contrive the service of their guts and lusts. Lege\nBasilii Homil. in Ebriet. et Lux. Vide ipse ex taberna duos semi\ncaptos vino egressos, vix oboli causa, se mutuo uno eodemque gladio\nconfecisse; et quidem extracto his e percusso corpore, pr\u00e6 alterum\nferiendi furore: itaque momento temporis ambo exanimes corruerunt.\nJos. Acosta de proc. Ind. salut. l. 3. c. 21. p. 332.\n\n[444] Bibendi consuetudo auget aviditatem. Plin. Perinde est\nvinolentiam bibendo velle sedare, atque ignem materia apposita pergere\nextingere: nam quod natur\u00e6 appetitioni datur moderatum est, at vitiosa\net preter naturam libido, nullo expletur. Acosta ub. sup.\n\n[445] Id sane magno Christianis opprobio est, Ingam Regem barbarum et\nidolis deditum ab ebrietate subditos sibi populos cohibuisse; nostros\nvero quos oportebat mores quoque perditos emendare, temulenti\u00e6\nincrementa tanta fecisse. Acosta l. 3. c. 21.\n\n[446] He is happiest that needeth least of any creature, and not he that\nhath most. Socrates said it was proper to God only to need nothing, but\nthose that came nearest to God in this were the happiest men.\n\n[447] 1 Thess. v. 7, \"They that are drunken, are drunken in the night.\"\n\n[448] Deut. xxiii. 17; Prov. xxiii. 27; v. 3, 5; vii. 5-7; vi. 13-15;\nxxii. 14; Eccles. vii. 26; Gen. xxxviii. 24.\n\n[449] Saith Boniface (alias Winfrid) of the English Mercian king\nEthelbald, a fornicator, Opprobrium generis nostri patimur, sive \u00e0\nChristianis sive Paganis dicentibus, quod gens Anglorum spreto more\nc\u00e6terarum gentium, &c. hinnientium equorum consuetudine, vel rudentium\nasinorum more, luxuriando et adulterando, omnia turpiter f\u0153det, et\nconfundat. Epist. Bonif. 10. ad Perefrid, Salvagus Sarzanensis\nEpiscopus-Pauli 5. Jussu visitationem Ecclesiarum Stiri\u00e6, Carinthi\u00e6,\net Carniol\u00e6 instituerat. Qua peracta, sex omnino Sacerdotes qui non\nessent concubinarii, in tribus illis Provinciis invenit, cum tamen\nmagna pars ex Jesuitarum disciplina prodiisset, &c. Giraldi Apolog.\npro Senatu Vener. p. 165. M\u0153chum in adulterio deprehensum necato: was\na Roman law, 12. tab.\n\n[450] Solomon's \"wives turned away his heart after other gods,\" 1\nKings xi. 4. The wisdom of Solomon preserved him not from the power of\nlust, and the deceit of women. 1 Pet. ii. 11, \"Fleshly lusts that\nfight against the soul.\"\n\n[451] Rev. xiv. 4.\n\n[452] Saith Chrysostom, The adulterer even before damnation is most\nmiserable: still in fear, trembling at a shadow, fearing them that\nknow, and them that know not: always in pain, even in the dark.\n\n[453] 1 Tim. vi. 9, \"Hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and\nperdition.\"\n\n[454] When an adulterer asked Thales whether he should make a vow\nagainst his sin, he answered him, Adultery is as bad as perjury: if\nthou dare be an adulterer, thou darest forswear thyself. Laert. Herod\ndurst behead John, that durst be incestuous.\n\n[455] Judg. xix. xx. The tribe of Benjamin was almost cut off upon the\noccasion of an adultery or rape. See Numb. xxv. 8; Gen. xii. 17; 2 Sam.\nxii. 10; Luke iii. 19; 1 Cor. v. 1; John viii. 2. Vid. \u00c6lian. fol. 47.\n\n[456] Plutarch's Roman. Quest. 65. is, Why the bridegroom is not to\nhave any light when he first cometh to bed to his bride? and\nanswereth, Happily this was instituted to show how sinful and damnable\nall unlawful company of man and woman together is, seeing that which\nis lawful and allowed, is not without some blemish and note of shame.\n\n[457] Acts x. 30; xiv. 23; Luke ii. 37.\n\n[458] It is Zeno's comparison in Laert. 1. 7. c. 1.\n\n[459] In Laert. 1. 6. c. 1.\n\n[460] Laert. 1. 2. c. 38.\n\n[461] Otia si tollas periere Cupidinis arcus, &c.\n\n[462] In vacuo pectore regnat amor. Ovid. Diogenes called love,\nOtiosorum negotium.\n\n[463] Nullus mihi per otium dies exit: partem noctium studiis vendico:\nnon vaco somno sed succumbo, et oculos vigilia fatigatos, cadentesque\nin opere detineo.--Male mihi esse malo quam molliter; si mollis es,\npaulatim eff\u0153minatur animus, atque in similitudinem otii sui: et\npigriti\u00e6 in qua jacet solvitur: dormio minimum et brevissimo somno\nutor: satis est mihi vigilare desiisse: aliquando dormisse scio,\naliquando suspicor.\n\n[464] Plutarch de Curiositate, praiseth Cyrus that would not see\nPanthra; and reproveth them that cast a wanton eye at women in coaches\nas they pass by, and look out at windows to have a full view of them,\nand yet think they commit no fault, suffering a curious eye and a\nwandering mind to slide and run every way, pag. 142.\n\n[465]\n\n      Dum licet, et modici tangunt pr\u00e6cordia motus,\n        Si piget in primo lumine siste pedem.\n      Opprime dum nova sunt subiti mala semina morbi:\n        Et tuus incipiens ire resistat equus.\n      Nam mora dat vires.----\n\n      Dum novus est c\u0153pto potius pugnemus amori:\n        Flamma recens parva sparsa resedit aqua.\n      Interea tacit\u00e6 serpunt in viscera flamm\u00e6.\n        Et mala radices altius arbor agit.\n\n\n[466] Vide Petrarch. de spect. Dial. 30.\n\n[467] Lysander forbad his daughters to wear the brave attire which\nDionysius sent them, Ne luxuria conspicu\u00e6 turpiores videantur, Lest\nbeing conspicuous in luxury, they should seem the more deformed.\n\n[468] Ovid. de Remed. Amoris.\n\n[469] Nil temporis tam perit de vita nostra quam quod somno deputatur.\nBer.\n\n[470] Dormiens nemo ullius pretii est. Plato in Laert.\n\n[471] Prov. iv. 16; 1 Thess. v. 6, 7.\n\n[472] Cogitationes sanctiores sequuntur somnia blandiora et\ndelectabiliora. Greg. Moral.\n\n[473] Iturus in somnum aliquid tecum defert in memoria et cogitatione\nin quo placide obdormias, quod etiam somniare juvet: sic tibi nox ut\ndies illuminatur, et in deliciis tuis placide obdormies: in pace\nquiesces, facile evigilabis, et surgens promptus eris ad redeundum in\nid, unde non totus discessisti.\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAPTER IX\n\n            DIRECTIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGUE.[474]\n\n\n                  _Tit._ 1. _The General Directions._\n\n_Direct._ I. Understand in general of what moment and concernment it\nis, that the tongue be well governed and used. For they that think\nwords are inconsiderable, will use them inconsiderately. The conceit\nthat words are of small moment (as some say of thoughts, that they are\nfree) doth cause men to use their tongues as if they were free,\nsaying, \"Our lips are our own: who is lord over us?\" Psal. xii. 4.\n\n[Sidenote: The greatness of the sins and duties of the tongue.]\n\n1. The tongue of man is his glory;[475] by which expressively he\nexcelleth the brutes; and a wonderful work of God it is, that a man's\ntongue should be able to articulate such an exceeding number of words:\nand God hath not given man so admirable a faculty for vanity and sin;\nthe nobler and more excellent it is, the more to be regarded, and the\ngreater is the fault of them that do abuse it. Hilary compareth them\nto an ill barber that cuts a man's face and so deformeth him, when his\nwork was to have made him more neat and comely. So it is the office of\nthe tongue to be excellently serviceable to the good of others, and to\nbe the glory of mankind; the shame therefore of its faults is the more\nunexcusable.\n\n2. The tongue is made to be the index or expresser of the mind;\ntherefore if the mind be regardable, the tongue is regardable. And if\nthe mind be not regardable, the man is not regardable. For our Lord\ntelleth us, that the tree is known by its fruit; an evil tree bringeth\nforth evil fruits: and \"out of the abundance of the heart the mouth\nspeaketh.\"[476] And Aristotle saith, that \"such as a man is, such are\nhis speeches, such his works, and such his life.\"[477] Therefore by vain\nor sinful words you tell men the vanity and corruption of your minds.\n\n3. Men's works have a great dependence on their words; therefore if\ntheir deeds be regardable, their words are regardable. Deeds are\nstirred up or caused by words. Daily experience telleth us the power\nof speech. A speech hath saved a kingdom, and a speech hath lost a\nkingdom. Great actions depend on them, and greater consequents.\n\n4. If the men that we speak to be regardable, words are regardable. For\nwords are powerful instruments of their good or hurt. God useth them by\nhis ministers for men's conversion and salvation; and Satan useth them\nby his ministers for men's subversion and damnation. How many thousand\nsouls are hurt every day by the words of others! some deceived, some\npuffed up, some hardened, and some provoked to sinful passions! And how\nmany thousand are every day edified by words! either instructed,\nadmonished, quickened, or comforted. Paul saith, 2 Cor. x. 4, \"The\nweapons of our warfare are mighty through God.\" And Pythagoras could\nsay, that \"tongues cut deeper than swords, because they reach even to\nthe soul.\" Tongue sins and duties therefore must needs be great.\n\n5. Our tongues are the instruments of our Creator's praise, purposely\ngiven us to \"speak good of his name,\" and to \"declare his works with\nrejoicing.\"[478] It is no small part of that service which God expects\nfrom man, which is performed by the tongue; nor a small part of the\nend of our creation: the use of all our highest faculties, parts, and\ngraces, are expressively by the tongue: our wisdom and knowledge, our\nlove and holiness, are much lost as to the honour of God, and the good\nof others, if not expressed. The tongue is the lantern or casement of\nthe soul, by which it looketh out, and shineth unto others. Therefore\nthe sin or duty of so noble an instrument is not to be made light of,\nby any that regard the honour of our Maker.\n\n6. Our words have a great reflection and operation upon our own\nhearts. As they come from them, so they recoil to them, as in prayer\nand conference we daily observe. Therefore for our own good or hurt,\nour words are not to be made light of.\n\n7. God's law and judgment will best teach you what regard you should\nhave to words. Christ telleth you, that by \"your words you shall be\njustified, and by your words you shall be condemned,\" Matt. xii. 37.\nAnd it is words of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which are the\nunpardonable sin. James iii. 2, \"If any man offend not in word, the\nsame is a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole body.\" Ver. 6,\n\"The tongue is a fire; a world of iniquity: so is the tongue amongst\nour members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the\ncourse of nature, and it is set on fire of hell.\" James i. 26, \"If any\nman among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but\ndeceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.\" 1 Pet. iii. 10,\n\"For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his\ntongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.\" Matt. xii.\n36, \"But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak,\nthey shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.\" The third\ncommandment telleth us, that \"God will not hold him guiltless that\ntaketh his name in vain.\" And Psal. xv. 1-3, \"Speaking the truth in\nhis heart, and not backbiting with the tongue,\" is the mark of him\nthat shall abide in \"God's tabernacle, and dwell in his holy hill.\"\nAnd the very work of heaven is said to be the perpetual \"praising of\nGod,\" Rev. xiv. 11. Judge now how God judgeth of your words.\n\n8. And some conjecture may be made by the judgment of all the world.\nDo you not care yourselves what men speak of you and to you? Do you\nnot care what language your children, or servants, or neighbours give\nyou? Are not words against the king treasonable and capital, as well\nas deeds? The \"wheel of affairs or course of nature is set on fire by\nwords,\" James iii. 6. I may conclude then with Prov. xviii. 21, \"Death\nand life are in the power of the tongue:\" and Prov. xxi. 23, \"Whoso\nkeepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from trouble.\"\n\n[Sidenote: The duties of the tongue.]\n\n_Direct._ II. Understand well and remember the particular duties of the\ntongue; for the mere restraint of it from evil is not enough; and they\nare these: 1. To glorify God by the magnifying of his name; to speak of\nthe praises of his attributes and works. 2. To sing psalms of praise to\nhim, and delight our souls in the sweet commemoration of his\nexcellencies. 3. To give him thanks for the mercies already received,\nand declare to others what he hath done for our souls and bodies, for\nhis church and for the world. 4. To pray to him for what we want, and\nfor our brethren, for the church, and for the conversion of his and our\nenemies. 5. To appeal to him and swear by his name when we are called to\nit lawfully. 6. To make our necessary covenants and vows to him, and to\nmake open profession of our belief, subjection, and obedience to him,\nbefore men. 7. To preach his word, or declare it in discourse, and to\nteach those that are committed to our care, and edify the ignorant and\nerroneous as we have opportunity. 8. To defend the truth of God by\nconference or disputation; and confute the false doctrine of deceivers.\n9. To exhort men to their particular duties, and to reprove their\nparticular sins; and endeavour to do them good as we are able. 10. To\nconfess our own sins to God and man as we have occasion. 11. To crave\nthe advice and help of others for our souls; and inquire after the will\nof God, and the way to salvation. 12. To praise that which is good in\nothers, and speak good of all men, superiors, equals, and inferiors, so\nfar as there is just ground and cause. 13. To bear witness to the truth,\nwhen we are called to it. 14. To defend the cause of the just and\ninnocent, and vindicate them against false accusers; and excuse those\ncauses and persons that deserve excuse. 15. To communicate and convey to\nothers the same good impressions and affections of mind, which God hath\nwrought on us, and not only the bare truths themselves which we have\nreceived. 16. Lastly, to be instruments of common converse; of\nexpressing our mutual affections and respects, and transacting all our\nworldly business: for learning, arts, manufactures, &c. These are the\nuses and duties of the tongue.[480]\n\n[Sidenote: The sins of the tongue.]\n\n_Direct._ III. Understand and remember what are the sins of the tongue\nto be avoided. And they are very many, and many of them very great:\nthe most observable are these:\n\n1. (Not to say any more of the sins of omission; because it is easy to\nknow them, when I have named the duties, which are done or omitted,)\namong the sins of commission, the first that I shall name is, blasphemy,\nas being the greatest; which is the reproaching of God: to speak\ncontemptuously of God, or to vilify him, or dishonour him, by the\ndenying of his perfections, and to debase him, by false titles,\ndoctrines, images, resemblances, as likening him to man in any of our\nimperfections; any thing that is a reproaching of God is blasphemy. Such\nas Rabshakeh used when he threatened Hezekiah; and such as infidels and\nheretics use, when they deny his omnipresence, omniscience, government,\njustice, particular providence or goodness; and affirm any evil of him,\nas that he is the author of sin, or false of his word, or that he\ngoverneth the world by mere deceit, or the like.\n\n2. Another sin of the tongue is, false doctrine, or teaching things\nfalse and dangerous as from God. If any falsely say, he had such or\nsuch a point by divine inspiration, vision, or revelation, that maketh\nhim a false prophet. But if he only say falsely, that this or that\ndoctrine is contained in the Scripture, or delivered by tradition to\nthe church, this is but to be a false teacher; which is a sin greater\nor less according to the aggravations hereafter mentioned.\n\n3. Another of the sins of the tongue is, an opposing of godliness\nindirectly, by false application of true doctrine, and an opposing of\ngodly persons for the sake of godliness, and cavilling against\nparticular truths and duties of religion; or indirectly opposing the\ntruth or duty under pretence of opposing only some controverted mode\nor imperfection in him that speaketh or performeth it: a defending of\nthose points and practices which would subvert or undermine religion:\na secret endeavour to make all serious godliness seem a needless\nthing. There are many that seem orthodox, that are impious and\nmalicious opposers of that truth in the application, which themselves\ndo notionally hold, and positively profess.\n\n4. Another great sin of the tongue is, the profane deriding of serious\ngodliness, and the mocking, and jesting, and scorning at godly persons\nas such; or scorning at some of their real or supposed imperfections,\nfor their piety sake, to make them odious, that piety through them\nmight be made odious. When men so speak, that the drift and tendency\nof their speech is to draw men to a dislike of truth or holiness; and\ntheir mocks or scorns at some particular opinion, or practice, or\nmode, doth tend to the contempt of religion in the serious practice of\nit. When they mock at a preacher of the gospel, for some expressions\nor imperfections, or for truth itself, to bring him and his doctrine\ninto contempt; or at the prayers and speeches of religious persons, to\nthe injury of religion.\n\n5. Another great sin of the tongue is, unjustly to forbid Christ's\nministers to preach his gospel, or speak in his name; or to stand up\nagainst them and contradict, resist, and hinder them in the preaching\nof the truth; and, as Gamaliel calls it, \"to fight against God,\" Acts\nv. 39. Yet thus they did by the apostles; ver. 46, \"When they had\ncalled the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should\nnot speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.\" So Acts iv. 18, 19,\n\"And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all, nor\nteach in the name of Jesus; but Peter and John answered and said unto\nthem, Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you\nmore than unto God, judge ye; for we cannot but speak the things which\nwe have seen and heard.\" 1 Thess. ii. 15, 16, \"Who both killed the\nLord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they\nplease not God, and are contrary to all men. Forbidding us to speak to\nthe gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway:\nfor the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.\" As Dr. Hammond\nparaphraseth it, \"And this generally is the ground of their quarrel to\nus, that in spite of their prohibition we preach to the gentiles.\"----\n\n6. Another sin of the tongue is, profane swearing, either by God or by\ncreatures: and also all light and unreverent use of the name and\nattributes of God, of which more afterwards.\n\n7. Much more is perjury or forswearing a most heinous sin, it being an\nappealing to God, the author and defender of truth, to bear witness to\nan untruth, and to judge the offender; and so a craving of vengeance\nfrom God.\n\n8. Lying also is a great and common sin of the tongue: of which more\nanon.\n\n9. Another sin of the tongue is, hypocritical dissembling, which is\nworse than mere lying: when men's tongues agree not with their hearts,\nbut speak good words in prayer to God, or conference with men, to\ncover evil intentions or affections, and to represent themselves to\nthe hearers as better than they are.\n\n10. Another is, ostentation or proud boasting, either of men's wit\nand learning, or greatness, or riches, or honour, or strength, or\nbeauty, or parts, or piety, or any thing that men are proud of.[481]\nAs the faithful \"do make their boast in God,\" Psal. xxxiv. 2; xliv. 8,\nand in the \"cross of Christ,\" by which \"they are crucified to the\nworld,\" Gal. vi. 14; so the covetous \"boast themselves in the\nmultitude of their riches,\" Psal. xlix. 6, and the \"workers of\niniquity boast themselves against the righteous, and the proud do\ntriumph and speak hard things,\" Psal. xciv. 2-4. \"Even against the\nLord,\" do they boast, in their boasting against his people, Ezek.\nxxxv. 13. So far as pride prevaileth with men, they are apt to \"boast\nthemselves to be somebody,\" Acts v. 36. Either openly, as the more\nfoolish do, or cunningly by the help of fair pretences, as the more\ningenious proud ones do.\n\n11. Another sin of the tongue is, unseasonable speaking of common\nthings when holy things should be preferred; as on the Lord's day, or\nat the time of public worship, or when the company, occasion, or\nopportunity call for holy speeches: worldlings are talking, as Saul,\nof their asses, when they should talk of a kingdom, 1 Sam. ix. x. To\nspeak about your callings and common affairs is lawful, so it be\nmoderately and in season; but when you talk all of the world and\nvanity, and never have done, and will scarce have any other talk in\nyour mouths, and even on God's day will \"speak your own words,\" Isa.\nlviii. 13, this is profane and sinful speaking.\n\n12. Another common sin of the tongue is, a tempting and persuading\nothers to sin, enticing them to gluttony, drunkenness, wantonness,\nfornication, or any other crime; as men that \"not only do the same,\nbut have pleasure in them that do them,\" Rom. i. 32. This is to be the\ninstruments and servants of the devil, and most directly to do his\nwork in the world. The same I may say of unjust excusing, extenuating,\nor defending the sins of others, or commanding, alluring, affrighting,\nor encouraging them thereto.\n\n13. Another is, a carnal manner of handling the sacred things of God,\nas when it is done with lightness, or with unsuitable curiosity of\nwords, or in a ludicrous, toyish manner, especially by the preachers\nof the gospel themselves; and not with a style that is grave and\nserious, agreeable to the weight and majesty of the truth.\n\n14. Another is, an imprudent, rash, and slovenly handling of holy\nthings; when they are spoken of so ignorantly, unskilfully,\ndisorderly, or passionately, as tendeth to dishonour them, and\nfrustrate the desired good success.[482]\n\n15. Another sin of the tongue is, the reviling or dishonouring of\nsuperiors; when children speak unreverently and dishonourably to or of\ntheir parents; or subjects of their governors; or servants of their\nmasters, either to their faces, or behind their backs. \"They are not\nafraid to speak evil of dignities,\" 2 Pet. ii. 10; Jude 8.\n\n16. Another is, the imperious contempt of inferiors, insulting over\nthem, provoking and discouraging them. Eph. vi. 4, \"Fathers, provoke\nnot your children to wrath.\"\n\n17. Another sin of the tongue is, idle talk and multitude of useless\nwords; a babbling loquacity, or unprofitableness of speech; when it is\nspeech that tendeth to no edification, nor any good use for mind, or\nbody, or affairs.\n\n18. Another sin is, foolish talk, or jesting in levity and folly,\nwhich tendeth to possess the minds of the hearers with a disposition\nof levity and folly like the speakers. Eph. v. 4, \"Foolish talking and\njesting are things not convenient.\" Honest mirth is lawful; and that\nis the best which is most sanctified, as being from a holy principle,\nand about a holy matter, or to a holy end: as \"rejoicing in the Lord\nalways,\" Phil. iv. 4. \"If any be merry let him sing psalms,\" James v.\n13. But such a light and frothy jesting, as is but the vent of\nhabitual levity by idle words, is not allowable. But especially those\npersons do most odiously abuse their tongues and reason, who\ncounterfeit idiots or fools, and use their wit to cover their jests\nwith a seeming folly, to make them the more ridiculous, and make it\ntheir very profession to be the jesters of great men. They make a\ntrade of heinous sin.\n\n19. Another sin is, \"filthy speaking,\" Eph. v. 4; obscene and ribald\ntalk; which the apostle calls \"corrupt or rotten communication,\" Eph.\niv. 29; when wanton, filthy minds do make themselves merry with\nwanton, filthy speeches. This is the devil's preparative to whoredom\nand all abominable uncleanness; for when the tongue is first taught to\nmake a sport of such filthy sins, and the ear to be delighted in it,\nor be indifferent to it, there remaineth but a small step to actual\nfilthiness.\n\n20. Another sin of the tongue is, cursing; when men wish some mischief\ncauselessly or unwarrantably to others. If you speak but in passion or\njest, and desire not to them in your hearts the hurt which you name, it\nis nevertheless a sin of the tongue, as it is to speak blasphemy or\ntreason in a passion or in jest; the tongue must be ruled as well as the\nheart. But if really you desire the hurt which you wish them, it is so\nmuch the worse. But it is worst of all, when passionate, factious men\nwill turn their very prayers into cursings, calling for fire from\nheaven, and praying for other men's destruction or hurt; and pretending\nScripture examples for it; as if they might do it unwarrantably, which\nothers have done in other cases in a warrantable manner.\n\n21. Slandering is another sin of the tongue; when out of malice and\nill will, men speak evil falsely of others to make them odious or do\nthem hurt: or else through uncharitable credulity, do easily believe a\nfalse report, and so report it again to others; or through rashness\nand unruliness of tongue, divulge it, before they try it, or receive\neither just proof, or any warrantable call to mention it.\n\n22. Another sin is, backbiting and venting ill reports behind men's\nbacks, without any warrant. Be the matter true or false, as long as\nyou either know it not to be true, or if you do, yet vent it to make\nthe person less respected, or at least without a sufficient cause, it\nis a sin against God, and a wrong to men.\n\n23. Another sin is, rash censuring, when you speak that evil of\nanother, which you have but an uncharitable surmise of; and take that\nto be probable which is but possible, or that to be certain which is\nbut probable against another.[483]\n\n24. Another sin is, railing, reviling, or passionate, provoking words,\nwhich tend to the diminution of charity, and the breach of peace, and\nthe stirring up of discord, and of a return of railing words from\nothers, contrary to the love, and patience, and meekness, and\ngentleness which become saints.\n\n25. Another sin is, cheating, deceiving, overreaching words; when men\nuse their tongues to defraud their neighbours, in bargaining for their\nown gain.\n\n26. Another sin of the tongue is, false witness-bearing, and false\naccusing; a sin which cries to God for vengeance, who is the justifier\nof the innocent.\n\n27. Another sin of the tongue is, the passing an unrighteous sentence\nin judgment: when rulers absolve the guilty or condemn the just, and\ncall evil good and good evil, and say to the righteous, \"Thou art\nwicked,\" Prov. xxiv. 24.\n\n28. Another sin of the tongue is, flattery; which is the more heinous\nby how much more hurtful. And it is most hurtful, 1. When it tendeth\nto delude men in the greatest things, even the state of their souls.\nThe flattery of a preacher that deceiveth men as in the name of\nChrist, is of all other flattery the most pernicious; to make the\nunregenerate believe that they are regenerate, and the ungodly to\nbelieve that they are godly, and the unjustified to believe that they\nare justified, and the children of Satan to believe that without\nconversion they may be saved; to make a worldling, a swearer, a\nglutton, a drunkard, a fornicator, a formal hypocrite, or a hater of\nholiness, believe that such as he may come to heaven without the\nsanctifying, renewing work of the Holy Ghost; this is the most eminent\nservice of the devil that the tongue of any man can do him, except it\nbe the very open opposers of religion. As the devil useth more to\nflatter men to hell, than to frighten them thither, so do his\nministers and instruments. And all doctrines of libertinism and\nlooseness, which warrant men to do evil and to neglect a holy life,\nare of the two a more dangerous way of flattery, than that which\nconsisteth but in misapplication. Thus also carnal friends do use to\nflatter a sinner into presumption and false hopes, when they see him\nconvinced of his sin and misery, and say, Trouble not yourself; God is\nmerciful, and you have lived well, and been a good neighbour, and done\nnobody harm, and if such as you be not saved, God help a great many.\nThus when a convinced sinner is striving to get out of the devil's\nsnares, the servants of Satan rock him asleep again, by false and\nflattering speeches and deceit. 2. Flattering is pernicious when it\ntendeth to the hurt of many; as when rulers are deceived and perverted\nby it to the destruction of the people and themselves.[484] Prov.\nxxvi. 28, \"A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it, and a\nflattering mouth worketh ruin.\" See 1 Thess. ii. 5; Ezek. xii. 24;\nPsal. xii. 2, 3.\n\n29. Another sin is, a jeering, mocking, deriding, or scorning at\nothers, either for their infirmities of body or mind, or for their\nvirtues, or through envy and malice, or pride, or a custom of\nderiding, scornful speech. \"Scorners delight in scorning,\" Prov. i.\n22. See Psal. xxii. 7; xliv. 13; lxxix. 4. Especially when sinners\nscorn at the reproofs and counsels of the godly, and cast them all\nback into their faces with contempt; for he that \"reproveth a scorner\ngetteth himself a blot,\" Prov. ix. 7, 8. \"A scorner loveth not one\nthat reproveth,\" Prov. xv. 12.\n\n30. Another tongue sin is, idolatry or false worship; the praise of\nidols, or praying to them, or making songs, or speeches, or disputes\nfor them; as also the false worship of the true God. These among\nothers are the sins of the tongue to be avoided. No wonder if there\nbe yet more, for the \"tongue is \u1f41 \u03ba\u03bf\u03c3\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b1\u03b4\u03b9\u03ba\u03b9\u03b1\u03c2, a world of\niniquity,\" James iii. 6.\n\n_Direct._ IV. When you have thus understood the duties and sins of the\ntongue, and the greatness of them, the next thing which you must be most\ncareful and diligent about is, that you keep all that upon the heart\nwhich should be upon the tongue, and keep the heart clean from that\nwhich the tongue must be kept clean from.[485] The principal work must\nbe about the heart; for \"out of the abundance of the heart the mouth\nspeaketh.\" 1. The tongue will be no other way effectually governed; if\nthe heart be upon the world, the tongue will most commonly be upon the\nworld; you may force it a little against your hearts, but it will be to\na very unconstant obedience; when you ever so little loose the reins it\nis gone. If the heart be proud, the tongue will speak proudly; if the\nheart be lustful, or vain, or malicious, the words will ordinarily be so\ntoo. 2. Or if you can force the tongue to go against the heart, it is\nbut a hypocritical reformation. A vain, a proud, a worldly, a wanton, a\nmalicious or ungodly heart will condemn you, though the tongue was\nforced to speak humbly, chastely, patiently, or piously. Therefore if\nyou would overcome the vanity, or worldliness, or wantonness, or any\nother corruption of your speech, first set yourselves to overcome the\nsame corruption in your hearts, and to revive and actuate the contrary\ngraces. And if you would use your tongues to the honour of God, and the\nedification of men, wind up the spring of those holy affections which\nmust be as water to the mill. It is the use of the tongue to express the\nmind: and it is the use of holy speech to be the expression of a holy\nmind. And do you think to express that which you have not? Will you make\na duty of a lie? If you would speak of Christ or heaven with\nseriousness, see that your hearts are seriously set upon Christ and\nheaven. When you go into any company where you should speak for God, and\nfor the hearers' good, endeavour beforehand to get a deep impression on\nyour hearts of those attributes or truths of God which you would\nexpress; and to revive the sense of that upon yourselves which you would\nmake others sensible of. Stir up within you the love of God, and the\nlove of holiness and truth, and a love of the souls of them you speak\nto; and then you will be as a conduit which runs as soon as the cock is\nturned, because it is always full of water.\n\n_Direct._ V. Labour for understanding in the matters on which you should\ndiscourse. Ignorance denieth provision for discourse, or furnisheth you\nonly with chaff and vanity, and maketh you so speak as that it were\nbetter to say nothing. Knowledge and wisdom are continual storehouses of\ngood and profitable talk: such as the \"scribe instructed to the kingdom\nof heaven, that bringeth out of his treasure things new and old,\" Matt.\nxiii. 52. When a man understandeth the matter which he is to speak of,\nhe is furnished to speak understandingly of it to others, and to defend\nit against gainsayers. Psal. xxxvii. 30, 31, \"The mouth of the righteous\nspeaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment: the law of his God\nis in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.\" Prov. x. 31, 32, \"The\nmouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom; but the froward tongue shall be\ncut out: the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable; but the\nmouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.\" Wise men are never\nunprovided for wise speech; but the mouth of fools bewrayeth their\nfolly. Prov. xv. 2, \"The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright; but\nthe mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.\" Chap. xiv. 3, \"In the mouth\nof the foolish is a rod of pride; but the lips of the wise shall\npreserve them.\" Chap. xviii. 6, 7, \"A fool's lips enter into contention,\nand his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool's mouth is his destruction,\nand his lips are the snare of his soul.\" But you will say, To tell us\nthat we should get wisdom, is a word soon spoken, but not a thing that\nis easily or quickly done. It is very true; and therefore it is as true,\nthat the tongue is not easily well used and governed; for men cannot\nexpress the wisdom which they have not, unless it be by rote: therefore\nyou must take Solomon's counsel, Prov. ii. 1-6, \"My son, if thou wilt\nreceive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou\nincline thine ear to wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;\nyea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for\nunderstanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as\nfor hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and\nfind the knowledge of God: for the Lord giveth wisdom,\" &c.--\n\n_Direct._ VI. In the mean time learn to be silent till you have\nlearned to speak. Let not your tongues run before your wits; speak not\nof that which you do not well understand, unless as learners, to\nreceive instruction. Rather of the two speak too little than too\nmuch.[486] Those that will needs talk of things which they understand\nnot, do use, either to speak evil of them, (as Jude 10,) when they are\ngood; or to speak evil of them, be they good or bad. He that cannot\nhold his tongue well, cannot speak well. Eccles. iii. 9, \"There is a\ntime to keep silence, and a time to speak.\" Amos v. 13, \"There is a\ntime so evil, that the prudent should keep silence.\" At such a time\n_Nihil \u00e6que proderit quam quiescere, et minimum cum aliis loqui et\nplurimum secum_, saith Seneca: It is then the best way to be quiet,\nand to say little to others, and much to yourselves. You have two ears\nand one tongue; hear twice and speak once; we oftener repent of\nspeaking than of being silent. Few words are quickly answered for. To\nbe wary and sparing of your speech doth not only avoid abundance of\ncontention, danger, and repentance, but also procureth you a\nreputation of wisdom. Plutarch saith well, that _Pauca loquentibus\npaucis legibus opus est_: There needs but few laws for them that speak\nbut few words. When one said to the cynic, when he was much silent, If\nthou art a wise man, thou dost foolishly; if thou be a fool, thou dost\nwisely. He answered, _Nemo stultus tacere potest_, A fool cannot hold\nhis tongue; and he that cannot hold his tongue cannot hold his peace.\nPythagoras's counsel in this agreeth with Christ's, _Aut sile, aut\naffer silentio meliora_, Either be silent, or say something that is\nbetter than silence. It was a wise answer of him that being asked whom\ncovetous landlords and whom covetous lawyers hated most; did answer to\nthe first, Those that eat little and sweat much; (for they usually\nlive long, and so their leases are not soon expired;) and to the\nsecond, Those that speak little and love much; for such seldom make\nany work for lawyers. Two things are requisite in the matter of your\nspeech; that it be somewhat needful to be spoken, and that it be a\nthing which you understand. Till then be silent.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Take heed of hasty rashness in your speech; and use\ndeliberation, especially in great or in doubtful things.[487] Think\nbefore you speak: it is better to try your words before you speak them\nthan after; a preventing trial is better than a repenting trial; but\nif both be omitted, God will try them to your greater cost. I know, in\nmatters that are thoroughly understood, a wise man can speak without\nany further premeditation, than the immediate actuating of the\nknowledge which he doth express; but when there is any fear of\nmisunderstanding, or a disability to speak fitly and safely without\nforethoughts, there hasty speaking without deliberation (especially in\nweighty things) must be avoided: Prov. xxix. 20, \"Seest thou a man\nthat is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.\"\nEspecially take heed in speaking either to God in prayer, or in the\nname of God, or as from God in preaching or exhortation, or about the\nholy matters of God in any of thy discourse; Eccles. v. 1, \"Keep thy\nfoot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear\nthan to offer the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they\ndo evil:\" that is, watch thyself in public worship, and be forwarder\nto learn of God and to obey him, as sensible of thy ignorance and\nsubject to his will, than to offer him thy sacrifice (as if he stood\nin need of thee) while thou neglectest or rejectest his commands. Ver.\n2, 3, \"Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to\nutter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth:\ntherefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through multitude\nof business, and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words:\" that\nis, come to God as an obedient learner and a receiver, and not as a\ngiver; and therefore be readier to hear what he hath to command thee,\nthan to pour out many words before him, as if he would accept and hear\nthee for thy babbling. If loquacity and forwardness to talk many\nundigested words be a sign of folly among men, how much more when thou\nspeakest to God that is in heaven!\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Keep a holy government over all your passions, (as\naforesaid,) and especially try all those words with suspicion which\nany passion urgeth you to vent. For passion is so apt to blind the\njudgment, that even holy passions themselves must be warily managed,\nand feared, as you carry fire among straw or other combustible matter.\nAs \"grievous words stir up anger,\" Prov. xv. 1; so anger causeth\ngrievous words. \"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger\nresteth in the bosom of fools,\" Eccles. vii. 9. To govern the tongue\nwhen you are in any passion, (either love, or fear, or grief, or\nanger,) is like the governing of a ship in storms and tempests, or the\nmanaging of a horse that is fierce and heated. Prov. xiv. 16, 17, \"The\nfool rageth and is confident: he that is soon angry dealeth\nfoolishly.\" Chap. xxi. 19, \"It is better to dwell in the wilderness\nthan with a contentious, angry woman.\" Chap. xxix. 22, \"An angry man\nstirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.\"\nThere is no ruling the tongue if you cannot rule the passions:\ntherefore it is good counsel, chap. xxii. 24, \"Make no friendship with\nan angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go; lest thou\nlearn his way, and get a snare to thy soul.\"\n\n_Direct._ IX. Foresee your opportunities of profitable discourse, and\nyour temptations to evil speeches. For we are seldom thoroughly\nprepared for sudden, unexpected accidents. Consider when you go forth,\nwhat company you are like to fall into, and what good you are like to\nbe called to, or what evil you are likest to be tempted to: especially\nconsider the ordinary stated duties and temptations of your daily\ncompany and converse.\n\n_Direct._ X. Accordingly (besides your aforesaid general preparations)\nbe prepared particularly for those duties and those temptations: carry\nstill about with you some special preservatives against those\nparticular sins of speech which you are most in danger of; and some\nspecial provisions and helps to those duties of speech, which you may\nbe called to: as a surgeon will carry about with him his instruments\nand salves which he is like to have use for, among the persons that he\nhath to do with; and as a traveller will carry such necessaries still\nwith him, as in his travels he cannot be without. If you are to\nconverse with angry men, be still furnished with patience and firm\nresolutions to \"give place to wrath,\" Rom. xii. 19. If you are to\nconverse with ignorant, ungodly men, go furnished with powerful,\nconvincing reasons, to humble them and change their minds. If you are\nto go amongst the cavilling or scorning enemies of holiness, go\nfurnished with well-digested arguments, for the defence of that which\nthey are likest to oppose, that you may shame and stop the mouths of\nsuch gainsayers. This must be done by \"the Sword of the spirit, which\nis the word of God,\" Eph. vi. 17. Therefore be well acquainted with\nthe Scripture, and with particular plain texts for each particular\nuse: by them the \"man of God is complete, throughly furnished to every\ngood work,\" 2 Tim. iii. 17.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Continually walk as in the presence of God, and as under\nhis government and law, and as those that are passing on to\njudgment.[488] Ask yourselves, whatever you say: 1. Whether it be fit\nfor God to hear? 2. Whether it be agreeable to his holy law? 3.\nWhether it be such speech as you would hear of at the day of judgment?\nIf it be speech unmeet for the hearing of a grave and reverend man,\nwill you speak it before God? Will you speak wantonly, or filthily, or\nfoolishly, or maliciously, when God forbiddeth it, and when he is\npresent and heareth every word, and when you must certainly give\naccount to him of all?\n\n_Direct._ XII. Pray every morning to God for preservation from the sins\nof speech that you are liable to that day. Commit the custody of your\ntongues to him; not so as to think yourselves discharged of it, but so\nas to implore and trust his grace. Pray as David, \"Set a watch, O Lord,\nbefore my mouth; keep the door of my lips; incline not my heart to any\nevil thing: and that the words of your mouth and the meditations of your\nheart, may be acceptable to him,\" Psal. cxli. 3, 4; xix. 14.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Make it part of your continual work, to watch your\ntongues. Carelessness and negligence will not serve turn in so\ndifficult a work of government. James telleth you that to tame and\nrule the tongue, is harder than to tame and rule wild beasts, and\nbirds, and serpents: and as the ruling of a horse by the bridle, and\nof a ship that is driven by fierce winds: and that the \"tongue is an\nunruly evil: and that he that offendeth not in word, is a perfect man,\nand able also to bridle the whole body,\" James iii. Make it therefore\nyour study and work, and watch it continually.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Call your tongues daily to account, and ask yourselves,\nwhat evil you have spoken, and what good you have omitted, every day;\nand be humbled before God, in the penitent confession of the sin which\nyou discover, and renew your resolution for a stricter watch for the\ntime to come. If your servant be every day faulty, and never hear of it,\nhe will take it as no fault, and be little careful to amend: nay, you\nwill remember your very ox of his fault when he goeth out of the furrow,\nby a prick or stroke, and your horse when he is faulty, by a spur or\nrod. And do you think if you let yourselves, even your tongues, be\nfaulty every day, and never tell them of it, or call them to account,\nthat they are ever like to be reformed, and not grow careless and\naccustomed to the sin? Your first care must be for preventing the sin,\nand doing the duty; saying, as David, Psal. xxxix. 1-3, \"I said, I will\ntake heed to my ways, that I offend not with my tongue; I will keep my\nmouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me: I was dumb with\nsilence, I held my peace.\" Psal. xxxv. 28; lxxi. 24, \"My tongue shall\nspeak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.\" Psal.\ncxix. 172, \"My tongue shall speak of thy word.\" Psal. xlv. 1, \"My tongue\nis as the pen of a ready writer.\" But your next care must be, to repent\nof the faults which you commit, and to judge yourselves for them, and\nreform: remembering that \"there is not a word in your tongues, but is\naltogether known to God,\" Psal. cxxxix. 4.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Make use of a faithful monitor or reprover. We are apt,\nthrough custom and partiality, to overlook the faults of our own speech.\nA friend is here exceeding useful. Desire your friend therefore to watch\nover you in this: and amend what he telleth you of; and be not so\nfoolish as to take part with your fault against your friend.\n\n\n        _Tit._ 2. _Special Directions against profane Swearing,\n            and using God's name unreverently and in vain._\n\n[Sidenote: What an oath is.]\n\nI. To swear is an affirming or denying of a thing, with an appeal to\nsome other thing or person, as a witness of the truth, or avenger of\nthe untruth, who is not producible as witness or judge in human\ncourts. An affirmation or negation is the matter of an oath: the\npeculiar appellation is the form. It is not every appeal or\nattestation that maketh an oath.[489] To appeal to such a witness as\nis credible and may be produced in the court, from a partial,\nincredible witness, is no oath. To appeal from an incompetent judge,\nor an inferior court, to a competent judge, or higher court, is no\nswearing. To say, I take the king for my witness, or I appeal to the\nking, is not to swear by the king; but to say, I take God to witness,\nor I appeal to God as the judge of the truth of what I say, is to\nswear by God. But to appeal to God as a righteous Judge, against the\ninjustice or cruelty of men, without relation to his attesting or\njudging any affirmation or negation of our own, is no swearing by him,\nbecause there wanteth the matter of an oath. An oath is an appeal to\nsome supernatural or higher and more terrible power, than that of the\ncourt or person we swear to, to make our testimony the more credible,\nwhen other evidences of certainty or credibility are wanting. So that\na legal testimony or appeal are not swearing.\n\n[Sidenote: What is a lawful oath.]\n\nSwearing is either just and lawful, or sinful and abusive. To a just\nand lawful oath it is necessary, 1. That it be God alone ultimately\nthat we swear by; because no witness and avenging judge above human\ncourts can be appealed to but God: and therefore to swear by any\ncreature properly and in the sense that God is sworn by, is to idolize\nit, and to ascribe to it the properties of God.[490] (Of which more\nanon.) 2. It is necessary to a just oath, that the matter be true as\nit is assertory or negative; and also if it be promissory, that the\nmatter be, 1. Honest and lawful, 2. and possible. And where any one of\nthese is wanting, it is unlawful. 3. It is needful that there be an\nhonest end; for the end is a principal ingredient in all moral good\nand evil. 4. It is needful that it be done upon a sufficient call and\nhonest motives, and not unnecessarily or without just reason. 5. And\nthe manner and circumstances must be lawful.\n\nAn oath is an equivocal word, taken sometimes for that which is\nformally so, as before described; and sometimes for that which is but\nthe matter and expressive form without any real intent of swearing.\nOr, an oath is taken either for the whole human act completely,\ncontaining the words signifying and the purpose signified; or else for\nthe outward sign or words alone. (As the word prayer signifieth\nsometimes the bare form of words, and sometimes the words and desire\nsignified by them. And as the word sacrament is sometimes taken for\nthe external signs only, and sometimes for the signs with the mutual\ncovenanting and actions signified.) Here it may be questioned,--\n\n_Quest._ Whether it be swearing or not, which is frequently used by\nignorant, careless people, who use the words or form of an oath, in\nmere custom, not knowing what an oath is, nor having any thought or\npurpose of appealing to God, or to the creature by which they swear.\nThe reason of the doubt is, because it seemeth to be but the matter or\nexternal part of an oath; and it is the form that specifieth and\ndenominateth. He that should ignorantly speak the words of an oath in\nLatin or Greek, while he understandeth not the language and intendeth\nno such thing, doth not swear.\n\n[Sidenote: How far the intent of the swearer (as of the baptizer or\nbaptized to baptism) is necessary to the being of an oath.]\n\n_Answ._ 1. In the full and properest sense of the word, it is before God\nno oath if there be no intent of confirming your speech by an appeal to\nGod, or to that which you swear by. As a ludicrous washing and using the\nwords of baptism, is no true baptism, no more than a corpse is a man.\n(And thus it is true which the papists say, that the intention of the\nbaptizer is necessary to the being of baptism; that is, it is necessary\nto the being of sacramental administration to the baptizer himself,\nbefore God, that he really intend to baptize; and it is necessary to the\nbeing of baptism before God in the person baptized, that he himself if\nat age, or those that have power to dedicate him to God if he be an\ninfant, do really intend it; and it is necessary to the being of the\nexternal ordinance _in foro ecclesi\u00e6_, before the church, that both the\nbaptizer and baptized do profess or seem to intend it.) 2. But if you\nuse such words as are the ordinary form of an oath in a language which\nyou understand, so as the hearers may justly suppose you to understand\nit, it is an oath, _coram hominibus_, before men, and in the latter\nnarrower sense of the word. And it shall be obligatory and pleadable\nagainst you in any court of justice by those you swear to; yea, and God\nhimself doth take you thereby to be obliged thus to men: and if it be a\nprofane, causeless swearing, men must call it an oath; for they see not\nthe heart; even as they must take him to be baptized that professeth to\nintend it; and _in foro humano_, it is so indeed: and God himself will\naccount you a sinner, even one that useth the external form of an oath,\nand that which before men is an oath, to the wrong of his name and\nhonour, and to the scandal of others. And it will not excuse you that\nyou knew not that it was an oath, or that you knew not the nature of an\noath, or that you rashly used it, not considering that it was an oath;\nfor you were bound to have known and to have considered; you should have\ndone it, and might have done it if you would. But if they were words\nwhich you could not know to have been the form or expressions of an\noath, but the hearers might perceive that you meant no such thing, but\nsomething else, then you are excusable, if you had just cause to use\nthem.\n\n[Sidenote: How far swearing by creatures is a sin.]\n\nII. As to the case of swearing by creatures, how far it is sinful; it\nis just like the case of worshipping images, or by images. He that\nworshippeth an image or any creature as God, and ultimately\nterminateth his worship in it, doth commit direct and full\nidolatry;[491] which is so much the greater sin, by how much the baser\nthe thing is which he idolizeth. But if he make the image or creature\nbut his medium of that worship which should be immediately offered to\nGod, in whom it is ultimately terminated, then it is not gross\nidolatry, but it is false and forbidden worship of the true God. But\nif the creature be made but the medium of that worship which God would\nhave offered him by a medium, then it is lawful so to use or worship\nit (as to honour and admire God as appearing in his works; to give\nthat worship or honour to our parents and rulers as his officers,\nwhich is ultimately terminated in God). Just so is it in the case of\nswearing; for swearing is a part of the worship of God. He that\nsweareth by any creature as a god, or as the avenger of those that by\nfalsehood elude the judgment of man, doth commit idolatry in it;[492]\nas Julian did when he swore by the sun (which he praised by his\norations and worshipped as God). But he that only sweareth so by a\ncreature, as to intend God ultimately as the witness and avenger, but\nyet so as that the creature only is named, or so named as hath an\nappearance of idolatry, or tendeth to entice the mind from God, or\nscandalously to obscure his honour, or in any other forbidden way,\ndoth swear by the true God intentionally, but in a sinful manner. But\nhe that directly sweareth by God, (upon a just call,) and by the\ncreature (or nameth the creature rather) but in a just, and clear, and\ninoffensive subordination to God, is excusable. So we use to lay our\nhands on the Bible and thus to swear, So help me God, and the contents\nof this book. Thus on great occasions many good men in their writings\nto clear themselves from some calumny have said, I call God, and\nangels, and men to witness. Many in naming creatures intend rather a\ncurse than a swearing by the creature: as, If it be not so, let God\ndestroy me by this fire, or this water, &c.\n\n_Quest._ Is it lawful to lay hands on the book and kiss it in swearing\nas is done in England?\n\n_Resp._ To take an oath as imposed in England with laying the hand on\nthe Bible and kissing it, is not unlawful.\n\n_Proved_ 1. That which is not forbidden by God is lawful (before God).\nBut so to take an oath is not forbidden by God----Therefore, &c. The\nminor will be sufficiently proved by disproving all the pretences of a\nprohibition. The major needeth no proof.\n\n2. If it be forbidden it is either, 1. As an act in worship not\ncommanded, and so will-worship. 2. Or as a significant ceremony in\nworship not commanded. 3. Or as an uncommanded significant ceremony,\nwhich hath in itself some forbidden matter or manner. But it is not\nforbidden in any of these respects; therefore not at all.\n\nI. Not as an act not commanded in worship; for _a quatenus ad omne valet\nconsequentia_, then all acts in worship not commanded would be unlawful,\nwhich is false: for, 1. The acts used in swearing, Gen. xxiv. 2; xiv.\n22; Apoc. x. 5, were not commanded and yet lawful; of which more anon.\n2. God hath not commanded what tune to sing a psalm in, what division to\nmake of the Bible into chapters and verses, whether to use a written or\na printed Bible, what words, what method, what particular text to\nchoose, what translation to use, with many such like.\n\nII. Not as a significant ceremony not commanded; for then all such\nshould be forbidden, which is not true. For, 1. Abraham's swearing by\nlifting up the hand, (and so the angels, Apoc. x.) and Abraham's servant\nby putting his hand under the thigh, were significant ceremonies. And he\nthat will say they were commanded must prove it. The contrary may well\nby us be supposed, 1. Because no such law is notified in Scripture, and\nhere _non apparere_ and _non esse_ are equal, because of the perfection\nof God's laws. 2. Because it is mentioned, as Par\u00e6us and other\ncommentators note, as some accustomed rite, and so dependeth not on any\nparticular precept to Abraham alone as a prophet. 3. Because it is not\none but several sorts of swearing rites that are mentioned, lifting up\nthe hand, and putting it under the thigh.\n\n2. Almost all christians take some uncommanded significant ceremony in\nswearing to be lawful. The ceremony mentioned by Par\u00e6us, ibid. as used\nin the Palatinate, is such, of lifting up three fingers, _Hodie nos\njuramus, digitis tribus dextr\u00e6 sublatis, invocantes vindicem S.\nTrinitatem_. The English annotations tell you that the customs of\ncountries are very various in this point, yet most agree in adding\nsome outward attestation of action or gesture to words in taking of an\noath, to make it better remembered and more regarded, than bare words\nof affirmation, promise, or imprecation. And Josephus (cited by\nGrotius) tells us it was then the custom among the Jews to swear by\nthis ceremony of putting the hand under the thigh (whether in token of\nsubjection, or because it was the place of the sword, the instrument\nof revenge, as Grotius and others, or in expectation of the promised\nseed, as the fathers thought). And the case of Joseph's adjuration\nshows it. Vid. Perer. in Gen. xiv. and xxiv.\n\n3. An action of another part of the body is no more forbidden to\nexpress the mind by, than of the tongue. God never said, you shall no\nway express your minds in things sacred or civil, but by the tongue. A\nchange of the countenance may express it; a frown, or a pleasant look.\n(_Index animi vultus._) Paul did lift up the hand to the Jews when he\nwould speak for himself; Christ made as if he would have gone further,\nLuke xxiv. Words are not natural signs, but invented and arbitrary in\nparticulars, though the power of speaking words so invented and\nlearned be natural. If it be lawful to use significant words, not\ncommanded in worship, it is lawful to use significant actions (under\ndue regulation). Therefore all the ancient churches, without one\ncontradictor that ever I read of, did use many such. Though Augustine,\nEp. ad Januar. sadly complaineth that then they were grown to an\noppressive number; yet he never speaketh against the thing itself. To\nstand up at the creed is a significant expression of consent, which\nnot only all the churches else, but the old non-conformists never\nscrupled, nor do the present as far as I can learn: whether to sit,\nstand, or kneel, at singing psalms, is left at liberty. To put off the\nhat is a significant ceremony or act in worship, not commanded in\nitself, nor used of old for the same signification as now. And where\nthe covering of the head doth signify reverence, it is better than to\nbe bare. In one country custom maketh standing up, in another sitting\nand hanging down the head, in another kneeling, in another\nprostration, to be the sign of reverence, which accordingly may be\nused in God's service. When covenants between God and the people are\nrenewed, consent may lawfully be expressed either by standing up or by\nholding up the hand, (by which suffrages in things sacred were used to\nbe given,) or by subscribing, or by voice. For God hath commanded us\nthe expressing of consent, reverence, &c., but left the word, gesture,\nor expressing sign to liberty. He that affirmeth that God hath left no\nother signification of our minds in sacred things to our liberty, but\ntied us to words alone, must prove what he saith (which he must do\nagainst Scripture, against nature, and against all the judgment and\ncustom of all Christ's churches and of the world).\n\nIII. If laying the hand on the book and kissing it be unlawful for any\nspecial matter or manner forbidden more than other significant acts,\nit is for some of the reasons named by you: which now I will answer.\n\nI. _Object._ It savoureth of the Romish superstition. _Answ._ I. Not\nat all; prove that if you can. 2. Superstition is the feigning of\nthings to be pleasing or displeasing to God which are not, and using\nor disusing them accordingly; whatever be the etymology of the word,\n_Superstitum cultus_, or _supra statutum_, &c. it is certain that the\ncommon use of it among heathens (as Plutarch at large) and christians\nwas, for an erroneous, undue fear of God, thinking this or that was\ndispleasing or pleasing to him, to be done or to be avoided, which was\nnot so, but was the conceit of a frightened, mistaking mind. Therefore\nto say that God is displeased with this signification of the mind,\nwhen it is not so, nor can be proved, is superstition. And this is not\nthe solitary instance of Satan's introducing superstition under\npretence of avoiding superstition. 3. The sense of the law is to be\njudged of by the law, and by the notorious doctrine and profession of\nthe law-makers and of the land; which here renounceth the\nsuperstitious use of it. But I confess I was more afraid that the\npapists had too much derogated from the Scripture, than given too much\nto it. And they profess that they swear not by a creature. Vid. Perer.\nubi sup. in Gen. xxiv. 2.\n\n_Object._ But Par\u00e6us, &c. in Gen. xxiv. 2, saith, _Non absque\nsuperstitione fit cum super crucifixum aut codicem Evangelii digitis\nimpositis juratur, ut fit in Papatu_. _Answ._ 1. But that same act\nwhich _in Papatu_ is superstitious because of superstitious conceits\nand ends, is not so in all others that have none such. 2. It is no new\nthing to be quick in accusing our adversaries: but Par\u00e6us addeth not a\nsyllable of proof; and if he had, it must have been such as touched\nnot us, or else invalid.\n\n_Object._ Some good men have scrupled it. _Answ._ 1. Ten thousand to\none such have not scrupled it. 2. They are not our gods nor law. 3.\nThe quakers and the old anabaptists (and they say Origen) scrupled,\nyea, condemned all swearing, or all imposed oaths. And if we avoid all\nas sin which some good men have scrupled, we shall make superstition a\ngreat part of our religion: and when on the same grounds we have but\npractised all as duty, which some good men have taken for duty, we\nshall quite out-go the papists. He that readeth Beda, Boniface, and\nabundance such pious writers, will soon see, that godly or fanatical\nreligious persons, dreams, visions, strict opinions, confident\nassertions, and credulous believing one another, with the hope of\nimproving such things against pagans and Jews, for christianity,\nbrought in almost all the legends and superstitions of the papists.\n\nII. _Object._ Our common-law commissions, that give authority to\nexamine persons, direct it to be done _supra sacramenta sua per sancta\nDei evangelia fideliter pr\u00e6standa_: and in the form of administrations\nin ecclesiastical courts the words are, _Ad sancta Dei evangelia rite\net legitime jurati_: whether these forms do not infer that in their\nfirst use, (at least,) persons either swore by the evangelists or\noffended in that mode of swearing; and our common-law calls it a\ncorporal oath, from touching the book.\n\n_Answ._ 1. To know the sense of our present law it is not necessary\nthat we know the sense of the first users of the form. For the law is\nnot now the king's law that first made it, (he hath no law that hath\nno government,) but the king's law that now reigneth, and beareth his\nsense. 2. To justify our obedience to a law, it is not necessary that\nwe prove every phrase in that law to be fitly expressed. 3. But\nexamine it well, and try whether it be not also fit and laudable.\n\n1. There are three things conjoined in the oaths in question: 1. A\ntestimony assertory, or a promise. 2. An oath. 3. An imprecation. The\nassertory testimony here is the first thing intended; and the oath and\nimprecation are but as a means to make that testimony or promise\nvalid. 2. The published doctrine of England, in the thirty-nine\narticles, the book of ordination, &c. is, that the holy Scriptures\ncontain all things necessary to salvation, as being God's law or rule\nof our faith and life. All our duty to God is there commanded; all the\npromises on which we hope are there contained; all the punishments\nwhich the perjured or any sinner must feel and should fear, are there\nthreatened. Therefore, 3. The laying on the hand and kissing the book,\nis an action directly related to the imprecation, and not to the oath,\nbut only by consequence, as the imprecation is subservient to the\noath, as the oath is to the assertion. So that this is the plain\nparaphrase of the whole: I do believe that God the Ruler of all the\nworld, is the Judge of secrets which are above man's judgment, the\nSearcher of hearts, and the hater and avenger of perjury, according to\nthis his holy word by which he governeth us; and to this God I appeal\nas to the truth of this my testimony, consenting myself, to lose all\nthe benefit of his promises to be just, and to bear all the punishment\nhere threatened to the perjured, if I lie.\n\nAnd what could be said more fitly, 1. To own the protestant doctrine\nthat the Scripture is God's perfect word; that the evil to be feared,\nand the good to be hoped for, is all there contained, and is all the\nfulfilling of that word? 2. And to put the word in its due\nsubordination to God? And our ordinary form of swearing showeth this,\nSo help you God, and the contents of this book. Whether you will call\nthis swearing upon or by the gospel, or call it a corporal oath, or a\nspiritual oath, is only _de nomine_, and is nothing to the matter thus\ntruly described. _Sacramentum_ signifieth the oath itself, and _Ad\nsancta evangelia_ is a fit phrase: or if _super sacramenta_ signify\nthe two sacraments of the gospel, it can mean no more than, As one\nthat by the reception of the sacrament, doth profess to believe this\ngospel to be true, I do renounce the benefits of it, if I lie; and in\nthis sense it hath been some men's custom to receive the sacrament\nwhen they would solemnly swear.\n\nIII. _Object._ Some seem to object against kissing the book, as having\nthe greater appearance of giving too much to it, or putting some\nadoration on it; and because this ceremony of kissing is held to be of\nlater date than laying on the hand.\n\n_Answ._ The ceremony signifieth that I love and approve the gospel,\nand place the hope of my salvation in it. And the public doctrine of\nthe kingdom before cited, showeth us a full exposition what we ascribe\nto it. But as some scrupulous brethren in Scotland gratify the papists\nby rejecting the oath of supremacy, which is the most thorny hedge\nagainst them, and this while they cry out against popery; so others\nwould gratify the papists, by suggesting that we give too much to the\nBible, and adore it; when the very sum of England's protestantism, is\ntheir just ascribing to the holy Scriptures its sufficiency as to all\nthings necessary to salvation. Thus Satan undoeth still by overdoing.\n\nIV. _Object._ Laying on the hand, and kissing the book, seem of the same\nnature with the cross in baptism, and other significant ceremonies; and\nan oath is part of the worship of God; therefore not to be taken, with\nthese ceremonies, or else will seem to justify the other.\n\n_Answ._ 1. Significant words, gestures, or actions are not therefore\nevil, because they are significant (unless brutishness be a virtue); nor\nbecause any call them by the name of ceremonies (else that name might be\nput on any thing by an enemy to deprive us of our liberty). Therefore I\ncan judge of no ceremony by that general name alone, till it be named\nitself in specie. 2. Of the cross in baptism, see my \"Disputations of\nChurch Government,\" of Ceremonies, written long ago. There are these\nnotorious differences in the case: 1. The cross is an image used in\nGod's worship; though not a permanent, yet a transient image, and used\nas an image of the cross of Christ, though but in water or oil. And God\nhath more specially forbidden images used in his worship, than he hath\ndone a professing significant word, gesture, or action, which is no\nimage, nor used as such. 2. The cross seemeth to be a third sacrament of\nthe covenant of grace, while it is used as a symbol of christianity, and\na dedicating sign (as the canon calleth it) by which, before the church,\nthere is made a solemn self-obligation, as sacramentally, to renounce\nthe devil, the world, and the flesh, and manfully to fight under\nChrist's banner, as his faithful servants and soldiers, to our life's\nend; implying our trust and hope in Christ crucified for the benefits of\nhis death. So that if it be not a complete third sacrament, it hath so\nmuch of that which is proper to a sacrament, (like the _sacramentum\nmilitare_, whence the name came into the church,) that for my part, I\ndare not use it, though I presume not to censure those that do, nor to\ncondemn all other uses of the cross, which the ancients abounded in, as\nsudden, particular, professing signs, much below this solemn covenanting\nuse. And as I think the king would not take it well, when he hath made\nthe star the badge of the knights of the garter, if any subject will\npresume to make another _symbolum ordinis_, though yet many a\nsignificant gesture or act may be used without offence; so I fear Christ\nwould not take it well of me if I presume to make or use another symbol\nor _tessera_ of christianity, especially with so much of a covenanting\nsacramental nature. But what is this to things or gestures significant\nof no such kind? You see then the difference of these cases.\n\nBut if you were able to prove the cross as harmless as the swearing\nceremony, I would be for the cross, and not against the laying the\nhand on the book, and kissing it. For, 1. I am not of their mind that\nform their judgment of other particulars to suit with their\npreconceived opinions of things of the same rank or quality; nor make\nthe interest of my former conceptions to be the measure of my after\njudging. 2. Nor do I think it so great an honour to be strict in my\nopinions, as dishonour to be superstitious, and to add to God's law,\nby saying that he forbiddeth what he doth not, or to be affectedly\nsingular in denying lawful things, with a \"touch not, taste not,\nhandle not,\" &c. Nor do I esteem him to be the wisest, best, or\nholiest person, who is narrowest or strictest in his opinions, but who\nis rightest; nor him that maketh most things to be sins, but him that\ncommitteth least sin, which is such indeed; nor him that maketh most\nlaws to himself and others, but him that best obeyeth God's laws.\n\n_Quest._ 1. May one that scrupleth thus swearing himself, yet,\ncommissioned, give an oath thus to another that scrupleth it not?\n\n_Answ._ 1. If the thing be, as is proved, lawful, his scruple will not\nmake him innocent in neglecting the duty of his place. 2. If the\nsubstance of the oath were lawful, and only the mode or ceremony were\nsinful, as suspected, then, (1.) If the commissioner must himself\nparticularly command that mode, it were unlawful for him to do it.\n(2.) But if he only command, and give the oath as an oath, leaving the\nmode, without his approbation or command, to the taker and the law, he\nmay so give the oath: and thus christians in all ages have taken it\nfor lawful to make covenants even with infidels and idolaters, and to\ntake a Turk's oath by Mahomet, when it is only the oath that we\ndemand, and the mode is his own, which we had rather be without, and\ngive no approbation of. And if a king may thus demand an infidel's or\nidolater's oath, (as God himself doth men's duty, when he knoweth that\nthey will sin in doing it,) much more may one do so, in case of a\ndoubtful ceremony, which he is neither the author nor approver of. But\nI think this in question, is lawful, fit, and laudable.\n\n[Sidenote: How God's name is taken in vain.]\n\nIII. As to the case of taking God's name in vain, which for brevity I\njoin with swearing, it is done, 1. Either in the grossest and most\nheinous sort; 2. Or in a lower sort. 1. The grossest sort of taking\nGod's name in vain, is by perjury; or calling him in for witness to a\nlie. For among the Jews, vanity and a lie, were words frequently taken\nin the same signification. 2. But the lower sort of taking God's name\nin vain, is when it is used lightly, unreverently, contemptuously,\njestingly, or without just cause; and in these also there is\nprofaneness and a very great sin, which is aggravated according to the\ndegree of the contempt or profanation.[493] It is a great sin\nunreverently in common talk to make a by-word of saying, O Lord, or O\nGod, or O Jesus, or God help us, or Lord have mercy on us, or God send\nthis or that, or any way to take God's name in vain; but to use it in\njeers and scorns at religion, or make play-books or stage-plays with\nsuch profane contemptuous jeers, is one of the greatest villanies that\nman's tongue can be guilty of against his Maker. (Of which anon.)\n\nIV. _Direct._ I. For the avoiding of all this profaneness in swearing\nand taking the name of God in vain, the first direction must be this\ngeneral one, to use all the directions given in chap. i. for a wicked\nman's attaining true conversion; and withal to observe how great an\nevidence this sin is of a graceless, ungodly, miserable soul. For it\nis supposed to be an ordinary or frequent sin, and therefore to have\nno effectual principle in the heart which is against it; and therefore\nto have the principal room in the will; and therefore to be unrepented\nof (as to any saving, renewing repentance): if thou hadst any true\ngrace, it would teach thee to fear and honour God more: to make light\nof God is inconsistent with godliness, if it be in a predominant\ndegree; for they are directly contrary.\n\n_Direct._ II. Get thy heart sensible of the intrinsic evil of thy sin.\nIt would never be so easily and familiarly committed by thee, if thou\ndidst not think it small. That thou mayst know it, consider of these\nfollowing aggravations.[494]\n\n1. Consider who that God is whom thou abusest.[495] Is he not the\ngreat and terrible Majesty, that made the world, and upholdeth it, and\nordereth it by his will? the Governor and Judge of all the earth,\ninfinitely excelling the sun in glory? a God most holy, and in\nholiness to be mentioned? And wilt thou make a by-word of his dreadful\nname? Wilt thou profanely swear by this holy name? and use the name of\nthy God as thou wouldst scarce use the name of thy father or thy king?\nWilt thou unreverently and contemptuously toss it like a foot-ball?\nDost thou know no more difference between God and man? Know God, and\nthou wilt sooner tremble at his name, than thus unreverently abuse it.\n\n2. Consider who thou art that thus venturest to profane the holy name of\nGod. Art thou not his creature and his subject, bound to honour him? Art\nthou not a worm, unable to resist him? Can he not tread thee into hell,\nor ruin thee, and be avenged on thee with a word or less? He need to say\nno more, but Thus I will have it, to execute his vengeance on the\ngreatest of his enemies: if he will it, it will be done. And art thou\nthen a person fit to despise this God, and abuse his name? Is it not a\nwonder of condescension in him, that he will give leave to such worms as\nwe to pray to him, and to praise and worship him, and that he will\naccept it at our hands? and yet canst thou venture thus to slight him\nand despise him? I have oft heard the same impious tongue reproach the\nprayers of the godly, as if they were too bold and familiar with God,\nand pleading against long or often praying, because man must not be so\nbold with God, and persuading others that God accepts it not, which yet\nitself was bold familiarly to swear by his name, and use it lightly and\nin common talk. And indeed God's servants must take heed of rude and\nunreverent boldness even in prayer. How much more then is the boldness\nof thy profaning God's holy name to be condemned? Must they take heed\nhow they use it in prayer and praise, and darest thou abuse it by oaths,\nand curses, and vain speech?\n\n3. Dost thou not sometimes pray by that name which thou profanely\nswearest by? If not, thou seemest utterly to renounce God, and art a\nmiserable wretch indeed; but if thou do, what a hypocrite dost thou\nshow thyself to be in all thy prayers, that takest on thee to\nreverence that name of God, which thou canst toss unreverently, and\nswear and curse by when thou art off thy knees. It is part of Bishop\nHall's character of the hypocrite, that he boweth to the name of\nJesus, and sweareth by the name of God, and prayeth to God at church,\nwhom he forgets or sweareth by the rest of the week. Doth not thy\nconscience gripe thee for this hypocrisy, when in thy prayers thou\nthinkest of this abuse of God?\n\n4. Think, man, what use thou wilt have for that holy name in thy\ndistress, which thou now abusest. When sickness and death come, then\nthou wilt cry, Lord, Lord! then the name of God will be called on\nmore reverently. And darest thou now make a foot-ball of it? Dost thou\nnot fear lest it should be then thy terror, to remember on thy\ndeath-bed, when thou art calling upon God, Oh this is the name that I\nwas wont to swear by, or to take in vain?\n\n5. Remember that millions of glorious angels are magnifying that great\nand holy name, which thou art profaning and taking in vain. And dost\nthou not wonder that they do not some of them become the executioners\nof the vengeance of God against thee? and that the earth doth not open\nand swallow thee up? Shall a worm on earth be tossing that holy name,\nor swearing by it profanely, which a world of glorious angels are\nmagnifying?\n\n6. Consider that thou art more impious than they that profane things\nhallowed and consecrated to God. Was Belshazzar punished with the loss\nof kingdom and life, for carousing in the vessels of the sanctuary?\nWouldst thou think him to be profane that should make a stable of the\nchurch, and should feed his swine with the communion cup? And dost\nthou not know that the name of God himself hath a higher degree of\nholiness, than any place or utensils of his worship have? and\ntherefore that it is a greater profaneness to abuse his name, than to\nabuse any of these? Doth not thy tongue then condemn thee of\nhypocrisy, when thou wouldst exclaim against any that should thus\nprofane the church, or font, or communion cup, or table, and yet\nthyself dost ordinarily profane the very holy name of God, and use it\nas a common name?\n\n7. Consider how unworthily thou requitest God, for giving thee thy\ntongue and speech. He gave thee this noble faculty to honour him by;\nand is this thy thanks, to use it to dishonour him, by swearing and\ntaking his name in vain?\n\n8. Thy infectious breath corrupteth others. It tendeth to bring God\ninto common contempt among his own creatures, when they hear his name\ncontemptuously spoken of.\n\n9. Thou forgettest how tender and jealous God hath showed himself to be,\nof the honour of his holy name; and what terrible threatenings he hath\ndenounced against the profaners of it, and what judgments he hath\nexecuted on them.[496] Lev. xix. 12, \"Ye shall not swear by my name\nfalsely: neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.\"\nSo Lev. xviii. 21. And of the priests it is said, Lev. xxi. 6, \"They\nshall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God.\" So\nLev. xxii. 2, 31, 32, \"Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do\nthem: I am the Lord: neither shall ye profane my holy name, but I will\nbe hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord which hallow\nyou.\" Deut. xxviii. 58, 59, \"If thou wilt not observe to do all the\nwords of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayst fear\nthis glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD, then the Lord will\nmake thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed; great plagues\nand of long continuance; and sore sicknesses and of long continuance.\"\nWorshipping God and trusting in him is called, a \"walking in his name,\"\nand \"calling upon his name.\" See Mic. iv. 5; Psal. xcix. 6. The place of\nhis public worship is called, \"The place where he putteth or recordeth\nhis name,\" Exod. xx. 24; Deut. xii. 5, 11, 21. Isa. xxix. 23, \"They\nshall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall\nfear the God of Israel.\" Isa. xlviii. 11, \"For how should my name be\npolluted? and I will not give my glory to another.\" God telleth Moses,\nand Moses telleth Aaron when his sons were slain, \"I will be sanctified\nin them that come nigh unto me, and before all the people I will be\nglorified,\" Lev. x. 3. So Lev. xxiv. 10, 14, a man that in striving with\nanother blasphemed and cursed, was stoned to death. And in the third\ncommandment, it is terrible enough that God saith, \"The Lord will not\nhold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.\"\n\n10. Dost thou not use to say the Lord's prayer, and therein, \"Hallowed\nbe thy name,\" Matt. vi. 9. Luke xi. 2: and wilt thou profane that name\nwhich thou prayest may be hallowed? Is it hallowing it, to swear by\nit, and use it unreverently and vainly in thy common talk? Or will God\nendure such hypocrisy as this, or regard such hypocritical prayers?\n\n11. Thy customary swearing is an uncharitable accusation of the hearers,\nas if they were so incredulous, that they would not believe a man\nwithout an oath, and so profane, that they delight in the profanation of\nthe name of God; which is the grief of every honest hearer.\n\n12. Thou accusest thyself as a person suspected of lying, and not to\nbe believed; for among honest men a word is credible without an oath.\nTherefore if thou were but taken for an honest man, thy bare word\nwould be believed. And by swearing, thou tellest all that hear thee,\nthat thou supposest thyself to be taken for a person whose word is not\nto be believed. And what need hast thou to tell this so openly to\nothers if it be so?\n\n13. And by swearing thou declarest the suspicion to be true, and that\nindeed thou art not to be believed: so far art thou from making thy\nsayings more credible by it. For he that hath so little conscience and\nfear of God, as to swear profanely, can hardly be thought a person\nthat makes any conscience of a lie. For it is the same God that is\noffended by the one as by the other. A swearer warranteth you to\nsuspect him for a liar.\n\n14. Both swearing and taking God's name in vain, are the greater sins,\nbecause you have no stronger a temptation to them. Commonly they bring\nno honour, but shame: they bring no sensual pleasure to the senses, as\ngluttony, and drunkenness, and uncleanness do; and usually they are\ncommitted without any profit to entice men to them. You get not the\nworth of a penny by your sin; so that it is hard to find what draweth\nyou to it, or why you do it, unless it be to show God that you fear\nhim not, and unless you intend to bid defiance to him, and do that\nwhich you think will offend him, in mere despite. So that one would\nthink a very little grace might serve to cure such a fruitless sin:\nand therefore it is a sign of gracelessness.\n\n15. How terribly dost thou draw God's vengeance upon thyself! Cursing\nthyself is a begging for vengeance: profane swearing is a profane,\ncontemptuous appeal to the judgment of God. And darest thou, even in\nthy sins, appeal to the judgment of God? Dost thou fear it no more? To\nthis judgment then thou shalt go! But thou will quickly have enough of\nit, and find what it was for stubble to appeal to the \"consuming\nfire,\" Heb. xii. 29.\n\n_Direct._ III. Remember God's presence, and keep his fear upon thy\nheart, and remember his judgment to which thou art hastening, and keep\na tender conscience, and a watch upon thy tongue, and then thou wilt\neasily escape such a sin as this. Darest thou abuse God's name before\nhis face?\n\n_Direct._ IV. Write over thy doors or bed, where thou mayst oft read\nit, the third commandment, or some of those terrible passages of holy\nScripture: Matt. v. 34-37, \"I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither\nby heaven,--nor by the earth,--nor by thy head,--but let thy\ncommunication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than\nthese, cometh of evil.\" James v. 12, \"Above all things, my brethren,\nswear not, neither by the heavens, neither by the earth, nor any other\noath; but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into\ncondemnation\" (or hypocrisy, as Dr. Hammond thinks it should be read).\nZech. v. 3, \"Every one that sweareth shall be cut off.\" Jer. xxiii.\n10, \"Because of swearing the land mourneth.\" Hos. iv. 2. Think well on\nsuch texts as these.\n\n_Direct._ V. Love God, and honour him as God, and thou canst not thus\ndespise and abuse his name. Thou wilt reverence and honour the name of\nthat person that thou lovest, and reverencest, and honourest. It is\natheism and want of love to God, that makes thee so profane his name.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Punish thyself after every such crime with such a\nvoluntary mulct or penalty as may help to quicken thy observation and\nremembrance. If none execute the law upon thee, (which is twelve pence\nan oath,) lay more on thyself, and give it to the poor. Though you are\nnot bound to do justice on yourselves, you may medicinally help to\ncure yourselves, by that which hath a rational aptitude thereto.\n\n\n            _Tit._ 3. _Special Directions against Lying and\n                             Dissembling._\n\n[Sidenote: What truth is.]\n\nThat you may know what lying is, we must first know what truth is, and\nwhat is the use of speech. Truth is considerable, 1. As it is in the\nthings known and spoken of. 2. As it is in the conception or knowledge\nof the mind. 3. As it is in the expressions of the tongue. 1. Truth in\nthe things known is nothing but their reality; that indeed they are\nthat which their names import, or the mind apprehendeth them to be:\nthis is that which is called both physical and metaphysical\ntruth.[497] 2. Truth in the conception or knowledge of the mind, is\nnothing else but the agreement or conformity of the knowledge to the\nthing known; to conceive of it truly, is to conceive of it as it is;\nmistake or error is contrary to this truth. 3. Truth as it is in the\nexpressions is indeed a twofold relation. (1.) The primary relation is\nof our words or writings to the matter expressed. And so truth of\nspeech is nothing but the agreeableness of our words to the things\nexpressed; when we speak of them as they are. (2.) The secondary\nrelation of our words is to the mind of the speaker; for the natural\nuse of the tongue is to express the mind as well as the matter: and\nthus truth of speech is nothing but the agreeableness of our words to\nour thoughts or judgments. Truth as it is the agreement of thoughts or\nwords to the matter, may be called logical truth. And this is but the\ncommon matter of moral or ethical truth, which may be found partly in\na clock, or watch, or weathercock, or a seaman's chart. The agreement\nof our words to our minds, is the more proper or special matter of\nmoral truth; the form of it as a moral virtue is its agreement to the\nlaw of the God of truth. And as the _terminus_ entereth the definition\nof relations, so our words have respect to the mind of the hearer or\nreader, as their proper _terminus_; their use being to acquaint him,\n1. With the matter expressed; 2. With our minds concerning it.\nTherefore it is necessary to the logical truth of speech, that it have\nan aptitude rightly to inform the hearer; and to the ethical truth,\nthat it be intended by the speaker really to inform him, and not to\ndeceive him. (Supposing that it is another that we speak to.)\n\nYou see then that to a moral truth all these things are necessary: 1.\nThat it be an agreement of the words with the matter expressed (as far\nas we are obliged to know the matter). 2. That it be an agreement of\nthe words with the speaker's mind or judgment. 3. That the expressions\nhave an aptitude to inform the hearer of both the former truths. 4.\nThat we really intend them to inform him of the truth, so far as we\nspeak it. 5. That it be agreeable to the law of God; which is the rule\nof duty, and discoverer of sin.\n\nIn some speeches the truth of our words as agreeing to the matter and to\nthe mind is all one, viz. when our own conception or judgment of a thing\nis all that we assert. As when we say, I think, or I believe, or I judge\nthat such a thing is so. Here it is no whit necessary to the truth of my\nwords, that the thing be so as I think it to be, (for I affirm it not to\nbe so,) but that indeed I think as I say I think. But that our words and\nminds agree, is always and inseparably necessary to all moral truth.\n\n[Sidenote: How far we are bound to speak the truth.]\n\nWe are not bound to make known all that is true, (for then no man must\nkeep a secret,) much less to every man that asketh us. Therefore we\nare not bound to endeavour the cure of every man's error or ignorance\nin every matter; for we are not bound to talk at all to every man. And\nif I be not bound to make known the truth at all, or my mind at all, I\nam not bound to make known all the truth, or all that is in my mind;\nno, not to all those to whom I am bound to make known part of both. If\nI find a man in an ignorance or error which I am not bound to cure,\n(nay, possibly it were my sin to cure it; as to open the secrets of\nthe king's counsels or armies to his enemies, &c.) I may and must so\nfit my speech to that man, even about those matters, as not to make\nhim know what he should not know either of the matter or of my mind; I\nmay either be silent, or speak darkly, or speak words which he\nunderstandeth not, (through his own imperfection,) or which I know his\nweakness will misunderstand; but I must speak no falsehood to him.\nAlso there is a great difference between speaking so as not to cure\nthe ignorance or error of the hearer, which I found him in, and so\nspeaking as to lead him into some new error; I may do the former in\nmany cases, in which I may not do the latter. And there is great\ndifference between speaking such words, as in the common use of men\nare apt to inform the hearers of the truth, though I may know, that\nthrough some weakness of their own they will misunderstand them, and\nbe deceived by them; and the speaking of words which in common use of\nmen, have another signification than that which I use them to. By the\nformer way, the hearer sometimes is the deceiver of himself, and not\nthe speaker, when the speaker is not bound to reveal any more to him;\nbut by the latter way the speaker is the deceiver. Also there is great\ndifference to be made between my speaking to one to whom it is my duty\nto reveal the truth, and my speaking to a man to whom I am not bound\nto reveal it; yea, from whom my duty to God, and my king or country,\nbind me to conceal it. By these grounds and distinctions you may know\nwhat a lie is, and may resolve the ordinary doubts that are used to be\nraised about our speaking truth or falsehood. As,\n\n_Quest._ I. Am I bound to speak the truth to every one that asketh\nme? _Answ._ You are not bound to speak at all in every case to every\none that asketh you; and he that is silent, speaketh not the truth.\n\n_Quest._ II. Am I bound to speak the truth to every one that I answer\nto? _Answ._ Your answer may sometimes be such as signifieth but a\ndenying to answer, or to reveal what is demanded of you.\n\n_Quest._ III. Am I bound to speak all the truth, whenever I speak part\nof it? _Answ._ No: it is God's word that must tell you when, and how\nmuch you must reveal to others[498] and if you go as far as God\nalloweth you, it followeth not, that therefore you must go further. A\nsoldier taken by the enemy may tell the truth when he is asked in\nthings that will do no harm to his king and country; but he must\nconceal the rest, which would advantage the enemy against them.\n\n_Quest._ IV. Is it always a sin to speak a logical falsehood; that is,\nto speak disagreeably to the thing which I speak of? _Answ._ Not\nalways: for you may sometimes believe an untruth without sin. For you\nare to believe things according to their evidence and appearance.\nTherefore if the deceit be unavoidably caused by a false appearance or\nevidence, without any fault of yours, it is not then your fault to be\nmistaken. But then your expressions must signify no more certainty\nthan you have, nor any more confidence than the evidence will warrant.\nWhen you say, such a thing is so; the meaning must be but, I am\npersuaded it is so; for if you say, I am certain it is so, when you\nare not certain, you offend.\n\n_Quest._ V. Is it always a sin to speak falsely or disagreeably to the\nmatter, when I know it to be false? that is, Is it always a sin to speak\ncontrary to my judgment or mind? _Answ._ Yes: for God hath forbidden it,\nand that upon great and weighty reasons, as you shall hear anon.\n\n_Quest._ VI. Is it a sin when I speak not a known untruth, nor\ncontrary to my opinion, nor with a purpose to deceive? _Answ._ Yes: it\nis oft a sin when there is none of this. For if it be your duty to\nknow what you say, and to deliberate before you speak, and your duty\nto be acquainted with the truth or falsehood which you are ignorant\nof, and your duty to take heed that you deceive not another\nnegligently, and yet you neglect all these duties, and by a culpable\nignorance and negligence deceive both yourselves and others, then this\nis a sin, as well as if you knowingly deceived them.\n\n_Quest._ VII. But though it be a sin, it remaineth doubtful whether it\nbe a lie. _Answ._ This is but _lis de nomine_, a controversy about the\nname and not the thing. As long as we are agreed that it is a sin\nagainst God, and to be avoided, whether you call it a lie, or by\nanother name, is no great matter. But I think it is to be called a\nlie: though I know that most definers follow Cicero, and say that a\nlie is a falsehood spoken with a purpose to deceive; yet I think, that\nwhere the will is culpably neglective of not deceiving, an untruth so\nnegligently uttered deserveth the name of a lie.\n\n_Quest._ VIII. Must my words, to free them from falsehood, be always\ntrue in the proper, literal sense? _Answ._ No. Augustine's\ndetermination in this case is clear truth, _Quod figurate dicitur non\nest mendacium, (i. e. eo nomine)_. To speak ironically, metonymically,\nmetaphorically, &c. is not therefore to lie. For the truth of words\nlying in that aptitude to express the thing and mind, which is suited\nto the intellect of the hearers, they are true words that thus\nexpress them, whether properly or figuratively; but if the words be\nused figuratively, contrary to the hearers, and the common sense of\nthem, with a purpose to deceive, then they are a lie, notwithstanding\nyou pretend a figure to verify them.\n\n_Quest._ IX. Must my words be used by me in the common sense, or in\nthe hearer's sense? _Answ._ No doubt but so far as you intend to\ninform the hearer, you are to speak to him in his own sense. If he\nhave a peculiar sense of some word, differing from the common sense,\nand this be known to you, you must speak in his peculiar sense. But if\nit be in a case that you are bound to conceal from him, the question\nis much harder. Some think it an untruth and sinful to speak to him in\nwords which you know he will use to his own deceit. Others think that\nyou are not bound to fit yourselves to his infirmity, and speak in his\ndialect contrary to common sense; and that it is not your fault that\nhe misunderstandeth you, though you foresee it, where it will not\nprofit him to understand you, nor yourselves are obliged to make him\nunderstand you, but the contrary: the next will open this.\n\n_Quest._ X. Is it lawful by speech to deceive another, yea, and to\nintend it, supposing it be by truth? _Answ._ It is not a sin in all\ncases, to contribute towards another man's error or mistake.[499] For,\n1. There are many cases in which it is no sin in him to mistake, nor\nany hurt to him: therefore to contribute to that which is neither sin\nnor hurt, is of itself no sin: yea, there are some cases in which an\nerror (though not as such) may be a duty; as, to think charitably and\nwell of a hypocrite, as long as he seemeth to be sincere. Here if by\ncharitable reports I contribute to his mistake, it seemeth to be but\nmy duty. For as he is bound to believe, so I am bound to report the\nbest while it is probable. 2. There are many cases in which a man's\nignorance or mistake may be his very great benefit; his life or estate\nmay lie upon it; and I may know that if he understood such or such a\nthing, he would make use of it to his ruin. 3. There are many cases in\nwhich a man's innocent error is necessary to the safety of others, or\nof the commonwealth. 4. It is lawful in such cases to deceive such men\nby actions; as an enemy by military stratagems, or a traitor by signs\nwhich he will mistake. And words of truth which we foreknow he will\nmistake, not by our fault, but by his own, do seem to be less\nquestionable than actions which have a proper tendency to deceive. 5.\nGod himself hath written and spoken those words which he foreknew that\nwicked men would mistake and deceive themselves by; and he hath done\nthose works, and giveth those mercies, which he knoweth they will turn\nto a snare against themselves. And his dominion or prerogative cannot\nhere be pleaded to excuse it, if it were unholy. And in this sense (as\nto permitting and occasioning) it is said, Ezek. xiv. 9, \"And if the\nprophet be deceived, I the Lord have deceived that prophet.\" Yet must\nwe not think with Plato, that it is lawful to lie to an enemy to\ndeceive him. For, 1. All deceit that is against charity or justice is\nsinful. 2. And all deceit that is performed by a lie. As Augustine\nsaith, There are some lies which are spoken for another's safety or\ncommodity, not in malice, but in benignity, as the midwives to\nPharaoh.--These lies are not commended in themselves, but in the\ndeceit (or charity) of them. They that thus lie will deserve (that is,\nbe in the way) to be at last delivered from all lying. There is also a\nlying in jest, which deceiveth not; because he that is spoken to,\nknoweth it to be spoken in jest. And these two sorts are not\nfaultless; but the fault is not great. A perfect man must not lie to\nsave his life.--But it is lawful to silence the truth, though not\nspeak falsely. In Psal. and in Enchirid. he saith, _Mihi non\nabsurdum_, &c. It seemeth not absurd to me that every lie is a sin;\nbut it is a great matter or difference, with what mind and in what\nmatters a man lieth. Some think a physician may lie to entice his\npatient to take a medicine to save his life: he may lawfully deceive\nhim by hiding a medicine, and by true speeches and dark, which he\nthinketh will be misunderstood; but not by falsehood.\n\n_Quest._ XI. Wherein lieth the proper vice of lying? Is it in deceiving?\nor in speaking falsely? or in speaking contrary to the thoughts? _Answ._\nIt is the aggravation of a lie, that it be an injurious deceit. But the\nmalignity of the sin doth not consist in the mere deceit of another\nman's intellect: for, as is said, it may be a great benefit to many men\nto be deceived: a patient's life may be saved by it, when his physician\nfindeth it necessary to his taking a medicine, which without deceit he\nwill not take. And so children and weak-headed people must be used. Now\nsuch a charitable deceit, as such, can be no sin. Therefore the common\nnature of a lie consisteth not, only, in the purpose of deceiving, but\nin the speaking falsely, contrary to the mind: else it would follow,\neither that all deceit is sin, or that all lying or false speaking is\nlawful, where the deceit of another is charitable or lawful: which are\nneither of them to be granted. Yet it is not every untruth that is a\nlie. Some schoolmen distinguish between _mentiri_ (as being _contra\nmentem ire_) and _mendacium dicere_; as if to tell a lie were not always\nto lie, because not contrary to the mind. But then by _mendacium_ they\nmean no more than _falsum_.\n\n[Sidenote: What a lie is.]\n\n[Sidenote: How sin is voluntary.]\n\nI conclude then, that a lie is the voluntary asserting of a falsehood.\nAnd the more it tendeth to the injury of another, the more it is\naggravated; but it is one thing to be injurious, and another thing to be\na lie. When I name a falsehood, I mean that which is apt to deceive the\nhearer. So that it is necessary to the being of a lie, that it be\ndeceitful, though the purpose of deceiving be found only in the more\nexplicit sort of lies; for _falsum dicitur a fallendo_, it were not\nfalse, if it were not deceitful, or apt to deceive. For an unapt or\nfigurative expression which hath a right sense as used by the speaker\nand hearer, is no falsehood. In one language a double negative\naffirmeth; and in another a double negative is a more vehement kind of\ndenial; and yet neither is to be called by the others an untruth. By\nasserting, I mean any expression that maketh the falsehood our own, as\ndistinct from an historical narration; for it is not lying to repeat a\nlie, as only telling what another said. By voluntary, I mean not only\nthat which is done knowingly, upon actual will and deliberate choice, or\nconsent; but also that which is done _ex culpa voluntatis_, by the fault\nof the will, and is to be imputed to the will.[500] For it is of great\nnecessity to observe this about every sin, that whereas we truly say,\nthat all sin is voluntary, and no further sin than voluntary; yet by\nvoluntary, here, is not meant only that which is actually willed; but\nall that the will is guilty of. For it is true that Austin saith, _Ream\nlinguam non facit nisi rea mens_, The tongue is not made guilty, but by\na guilty mind. But then it must be known, that the mind or will is\nguilty of forbidden omissions as well as actions: and so it is a lie or\nvoluntary untruth, when the mind and will do not restrain the tongue\nfrom it when they ought. As, 1. When a man erreth or is ignorant through\nwilful sloth or negligence, and so speaketh falsely when he thinks it\ntrue; this is a culpable falsehood, and so a lie; because he might have\navoided it and did not: and this is the case of most false teachers and\nheretics. So, also, if a man will through passion, custom, or\ncarelessness, let his tongue run before his wits, and speak falsely for\nwant of considering or heeding what he saith, this is a culpable\nuntruth, and a lie, and it is voluntary; because the will should have\nprevented it and did not; though yet there was no purpose to deceive.\n\nYou see then that there are two degrees of lying. 1. The grossest is\nthe speaking of a known falsehood, with a purpose to deceive. 2. The\nother is the speaking falsely through culpable ignorance, error, or\ninconsiderateness.\n\n_Direct._ I. Be well informed of the evil of the sin of lying; for the\ncommon cause of it is, that men think that there is no great harm in it,\nunless some one be greatly wronged by it: but it is not forbidden by God\nonly because it wrongeth others, but it hath all this evil in it.\n\n1. Lying is the perverting of man's noble faculties, and turning them\nclean contrary to their natural use. God gave man a tongue to express\nhis mind, and reveal the truth; and lying doth monstrously turn it to\nthe hindering of the mind and truth, yea, to the venting of the\ncontrary to both. And as it is the evil of drunkenness to be a\nvoluntary madness or corruption of so noble a faculty as reason, so it\nis the fault of lying, to be corrupting, perverting, and deforming\nboth of the mind and tongue; and by confusion, a destroying of God's\nwork and creature as to its proper use.[501]\n\n2. Lying is the enemy and destroyer of truth: and truth is a thing\ndivine, of unspeakable excellency and use. It is God's instrument by\nwhich he maketh men wise, and good, and happy. Therefore if he should\nnot make strict laws for the preservation of so excellent a thing as\ntruth, he should not secure the happiness of the world. As to the\nsecuring of men's lives it is not enough to make a law that you shall\nnot kill men without just cause (though that be all that the law\nintendeth to attain); for then every man being left to judge, would\nthink there were just cause whenever his passion or interest told him\nso; but the law is, You shall not kill at all without the judgment of\nthe magistrate: so, if the law against lying did intend no more than\nthe securing men from the injuries of error and deceit, yet would it\nnot have been a sufficient means, to have said only, You shall not\ninjure men by lying; for then men would have judged of the injury by\ntheir own interests and passions; but much more is it needful to have\na stricter law, when truth itself is the thing that God intendeth to\nsecure, as well as the interest of men. In the eyes of christians, and\nheathens, and all mankind that have not unmanned themselves, there\nappeareth a singular beauty and excellency in truth. Aristotle could\nsay, that the nature of man is made for truth. Cicero could say, that\n_Quod verum, simplex, sincerumque est, id natur\u00e6 hominis\naccommodatissimum est_: Verity and virtue were ever taken as the\ninseparable perfections of man. Pythagoras could say, that to love\ntruth and do good, were the two things that made man likest to God,\nand therefore were his two most excellent gifts. Plato could say,\nthat truth was the best rhetoric and the sweetest oration. Epictetus\ncould say, that truth is a thing immortal, eternal, of all things most\nprecious; better than friendship, as being less obnoxious to blind\naffections. Jamblichus could say, that as light naturally and\nconstantly accompanieth the sun, so truth accompanieth God and all\nthat follow him. Epaminondas is praised for that he would not lie, no\nnot in jest. Pomponius Atticus was so great a hater of a lie, that all\nhis friends were desirous to trust him with their business, and use\nhim as their counsellor. He knoweth not what use man's understanding\nor his tongue were made for, that knoweth not the excellency of\ntruth.[502] Let a Pilate only ask as a stranger, \"What is truth?\" John\nxviii. 38, as Pharaoh asked, \"Who is the Lord?\" \"For this end Christ\nhimself came into the world, to bear witness to the truth, and every\none that is of the truth will hear him,\" John xviii. 37. \"He is the\ntruth,\" John xiv. 6, and \"full of grace and truth,\" John i. 14. \"Grace\nand truth came by him,\" John i. 17. His Spirit is given to \"guide his\nservants into the truth,\" John xvi. 13, and to \"sanctify them by the\ntruth,\" John xvii. 19, that \"knowing the truth, it might make them\nfree,\" John viii. 32. \"The fruit of the Spirit is in all truth,\" Eph.\nv. 9. His ministers can \"do nothing against the truth, but for the\ntruth,\" 2 Cor. xiii. 8. \"Truth\" is the \"girdle\" that must \"gird our\nloins,\" Eph. vi. 14. The \"church\" is the \"pillar\" and \"ground of\ntruth,\" 1 Tim. iii. 15. The faithful are \"they that believe and know\nthe truth,\" 1 Tim. iv. 3. \"Speaking the truth in love,\" is the way of\nthe churches' growth and edification, Eph. iv. 15. \"Repentance\" is\ngiven men, \"to the acknowledging of the truth, that they may escape\nout of the power of the devil,\" 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26. The dullards are\nthey that are \"never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,\" 2\nTim. iii. 7. \"They are men of perverse minds that resist the truth,\" 2\nTim. iii. 8. \"They that receive not the truth in the love of it cannot\nbe saved,\" 2 Thess. ii. 10. All they \"are damned that believe not the\ntruth,\" 2 Thess. ii. 12, 13. You see what truth is in the judgment of\nGod and all the sober world. Therefore a lie, that is contrary to\ntruth as darkness to light, must be equally odious as truth is\namiable: no wonder therefore if it be absolutely forbidden of God.\n\n3. You may the easier perceive this by considering, that other faults of\nthe tongue, as idle talk, swearing, and such like, are forbidden, not\nonly because they are a hurt to others, but for the intrinsical evil in\nthe thing itself: great reason therefore that it should be so in this.\n\n4. Lying is a vice which maketh us most unlike to God. For he is\ncalled the \"God of truth,\" Psal. xxxi. 5; Deut. xxxii. 4. All his\n\"ways\" are \"mercy and truth,\" Psal. xxv. 10. His \"judgment is\naccording to truth,\" Rom. ii. 2. \"It is impossible for God to lie,\"\nHeb. vi. 18; Tit. i. 2. His word is the \"word of truth,\" Psal. cxix.\n43; Col. i. 5; 2 Tim. ii. 15; Jam. i. 15; 2 Cor. vi. 7. And who shall\n\"dwell in his tabernacle,\" but those that \"speak the truth in their\nhearts,\" Psal. xv. 2.[503] The disconformity of the soul to God, then,\nbeing its greatest deformity, in things wherein it is made to be\nconformed to him, it may hence appear that lying is an odious sin.\nAnd this may the easilier appear, if you consider, what a case the\nworld were in if God could lie, and were not of undoubted truth: we\nshould then be sure of nothing; and therefore could have no sure\ninformation by his word, no sure direction and guidance by his\nprecepts, and no sure consolation in any of his promises. Therefore\nthat which maketh us so unlike to the true God, must needs be odious.\n\n5. Lying is the image or work of the devil, and liars are his children\nin a special sort: for Christ telleth us that he \"abode not in the\ntruth, for there is no truth in him; when he speaketh a lie he\nspeaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it,\" John\nviii. 44. The proud, the malicious, and the liars, are in a special\nsort the children of the devil; for these three are in Scripture in a\nspecial manner made the devil's sins.[504] Therefore sure there is an\nintrinsical evil and odiousness in a lie. It was Satan that filled the\nhearts of Ananias and Sapphira to lie to the Holy Ghost, Acts v. 3. To\nchange the \"truth of God into a lie,\" and \"to make God a liar,\" are\ntherefore the most odious sins, Rom. i. 25; 1 John v. 10; because it\nis a feigning him to be like the devil: and should we make ourselves\nlike him then by the same vice? If you love not the devil's sin and\nimage, love not a lie.\n\n6. Lying destroyeth human converse, and bringeth most pernicious\nconfusion into the affairs of mankind. If truth be excluded, men\ncannot buy and sell, and trade, and live together. It would be\nsufficient to destroy their rational converse if they had no tongues;\nbut much more to have false tongues: silence openeth not the mind at\nall; lying openeth it not when it pretendeth to open it, and falsely\nrepresenteth it to be what it is not. And therefore though you say,\nthat your lies do no such hurt; yet seeing this is the nature and\ntendency of lying as such, it is just and merciful in the righteous\nGod, to banish all lying by the strictest laws:[505] as the whole\nnature of serpents is so far at enmity with the nature of man, that we\nhate and kill them though they never did hurt us, because it is in\ntheir nature to hurt us; so God hath justly and mercifully condemned\nall lying, because its nature tendeth to the desolation and confusion\nof the world; and if any indulgence were given to it, all iniquity and\ninjustice would presently like an inundation overwhelm us all.\n\n7. Lying tendeth directly to perjury itself. It is the same God that\nforbiddeth them both: and when once the heart is hardened in the one,\nit is but a step further to the other. Cicero could observe, that he\nthat is used to lie, will easily be perjured. A seared conscience that\ntolerateth one, will easily be brought to bear the other.\n\n8. There is a partiality in the liar that condemneth himself, and the\nsin in another, which in himself he justifieth; for there is no man\nthat would have another lie to him. As Austin saith, I have known many\nthat would deceive, but never any that would be deceived.[506] If it\nbe good, why should not all others lie to thee? If it be bad, why wilt\nthou lie to others? Is not thy tongue under the same law as theirs?\nDost thou like it in thy children and in thy servants? If not, it\nshould seem much worse to thee in thyself, as thou art most concerned\nin thy own actions.\n\n9. Judge what lying is by thy own desire and expectation to be\nbelieved. Wouldst thou not have men believe thee, whether thou speak\ntruth or not? I know thou wouldst; for the liar loseth his end if he\nbe known to lie, and be not believed. And is it a reasonable desire or\nexpectation in thee to have men to believe a lie? If thou wouldst be\nbelieved, speak that which is to be believed.\n\n10. Lying maketh thee to be always incredible, and so to be useless or\ndangerous to others; for he that will lie doth leave men uncertain\nwhether ever he speak truth, unless there be better evidence of it\nthan his credibility. As Aristotle saith, A liar gets this by lying,\nthat nobody will believe him when he speaks the truth. How shall I\nknow that he speaketh truth to-day who lied yesterday? unless open\nrepentance recover his credibility. Truth will defend itself, and\ncredit him that owneth it at last; but falsehood is indefensible, and\nwill shame its patrons. Saith Petrarch excellently, As truth is\nimmortal, so a fiction and lie endureth not long: dissembled matters\nare quickly opened; as the hair that is combed and set with great\ndiligence is ruffled with a little blast of wind; and the paint that\nis laid on the face with a deal of labour, is washed off with a little\nsweat: the craftiest lie cannot stand before the truth; but is\ntransparent to him that nearly looketh into it; every thing that is\ncovered is soon uncovered: shadows pass away; and the native colour of\nthings remaineth: it is a great labour to keep hidden long. No man can\nlive long under water; he must needs come forth, and show the face\nwhich he concealed.[507] At the furthest God at the day of judgment\nwill lay open all.\n\n_Direct._ II. If you would avoid lying, take heed of guilt.[508]\nUnclean bodies need a cover; and are most ashamed to be seen.\nFaultiness causeth lying; and lying increaseth the fault. When men\nhave done that which they are afraid or ashamed to make known, they\nthink there is a necessity of using their art to keep it secret. But\nwit and craft are no good substitute for honesty; such patches make\nthe rent much worse. But because the corrupted heart of man will be\nthus working and flying to deceitful shifts, prevent the cause and\noccasion of your lying. Commit not the fault that needs a lie.\nAvoiding it is much better than hiding it, if you were sure to keep it\nnever so close. As indeed you are not; for commonly truth will come to\nlight. It is the best way in the world to avoid lying, to be innocent;\nand do nothing which doth fear the light: truth and honesty do not\nblush, nor desire to be hid. Children and servants are much addicted\nto this crime: when their folly, or wantonness, or appetites, or\nslothfulness, or carelessness hath made them faulty, they presently\nstudy a lie to hide it with; which is to go to the devil to entreat\nhim to defend or cover his own works. But wise, and obedient, and\ncareful, and diligent, and conscionable children and servants, have\nneed of no such miserable shifts.\n\n_Direct._ III. Fear God more than man, if you would not be liars.[509]\nThe excessive fear of man is a common cause of lying; this maketh\nchildren so apt to lie, to escape the rod; and most persons that are\nobnoxious to much hurt from others, are in danger of lying to avoid\ntheir displeasure. But why fear you not God more, whose displeasure is\nunspeakably more terrible? Your parents or master will be angry, and\nthreaten to correct you; but God threateneth to damn you; and his\nwrath is a consuming fire: no man's displeasure can reach your souls,\nand extend to eternity: will you run into hell to escape punishment on\nearth? Remember, whenever you are tempted to escape any danger by a\nlie, that you run into a thousandfold greater danger, and that no hurt\nthat you escape by it, can possibly be half so great as the hurt it\nbringeth. It is as foolish a course as to cure the tooth-ache by\ncutting off the head.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Get down your pride, and over-much regard of the thoughts\nof men, if you would not be liars. Pride makes men so desirous of\nreputation, and so impatient of the hard opinion of others, that all the\nhonest endeavours of the proud are too little to procure the reputation\nthey desire, and therefore lying must make up the rest. Shame is so\nintolerable a suffering to them, that they make lies the familiar cover\nof their nakedness. He that hath not riches, hath pride, and would be\nthought somebody, and therefore will set out his estate by a lie. He\nthat hath not eminency of parentage and birth, if he have pride will\nmake himself a gentleman by a lie. He that is a contemptible person at\nhome, if he be proud, will make himself honourable among strangers by a\nlie. He that wanteth learning, degrees, or any thing that he would be\nproud of, will endeavour by a lie to supply his wants: even as wanton\nwomen by the actual lie of painting, would make themselves beautiful,\nthrough a proud desire to be esteemed. Especially he that committeth a\nshameful crime, if he be proud will rather venture on a lie than on the\nshame. But if your pride be cured, your temptation to lying will be as\nnothing; you will be so indifferent in matters of honour or reputation,\nas not to venture your souls on God's displeasure for it: not that any\nshould be impudent, or utterly regardless of their reputation; but none\nshould overvalue it, nor prefer it before their souls, nor seek it by\nunlawful means. Avoid shame by well-doing, and spare not: (only see that\nyou have a higher end.) Seneca saith, There are more that abstain from\nsin through shame, than through virtue or a good will: it is well when\nvirtue is so much in credit, and vice in discredit, that those that have\nnot the virtue would fain have the name, and those that will not leave\nthe vice, would escape the shame; and it is well that there are human\nmotives to restrain them that care not for divine ones. But as human\nmotives cause no saving virtues; so devilish and wicked means are far\nfrom preventing any pernicious hurt, being the certain means to procure\nit.[510]\n\n_Direct._ V. Avoid ambition, and human, unnecessary dependence, if you\nwould avoid lying. For the ambitious give up themselves to men; and\ntherefore flattering must be their trade; and how much of lying is\nnecessary to the composition of flattery, I need not tell you. Truth\nis seldom taken for the fittest instrument of flattery. It is\ncontrarily the common road to hatred: _Libere et sine adulatione\nveritatem pr\u00e6dicantes, et gesta prav\u00e6 vit\u00e6 arguentes, gratiam non\nhabent apud homines_, saith Ambrose. They that preach truth freely and\nwithout flattery, and reprove the deeds of a wicked life, find not\nfavour with men. _Veritatem semper inimiciti\u00e6 persequuntur_:[511]\nHatred is the shadow of truth, as envy is of happiness. When\nAristippus was asked why Dionysius spake so much against him, he\nanswered, for the same reason that all other men do; intimating that\nit was no wonder if the tyrant was impatient of truth and plain\ndealing, when it is so with almost all mankind: they are so culpable,\nthat all but flatterers seem to handle them too hard, and hurt their\nsores. And herein lieth much of the misery of great men, that few or\nnone deal truly with them, but they are flattered into perdition:\nsaith Seneca, _Divites cum omnia habent, unum illis deest; scilicet\nqui verum dicat: si enim in clientelam f\u00e6licis hominis potentumque\nperveneris, aut veritas aut amicitia perdenda est_: One thing rich men\nwant when they have all things, that is, a man to speak the truth: for\nif thou become the dependant or client of prosperous or great men,\nthou must cast away (or lose) either the truth or their\nfriendship.[512] Hierom thought that therefore Christ had not a house\nto put his head in, because he would flatter nobody, and therefore\nnobody would entertain him in the city. And the worst of all is, that\nwhere flattery reigneth, it is taken for a duty, and the neglect of it\nfor a vice: as Hieron. (ad Cel.) saith, _Quodque gravissimum est, quia\nhumilitatis ac benevolenti\u00e6 loco ducitur, ita fit ut qui adulari\nnescit, aut invidus aut superbus reputetur_, i. e. And, which is most\ngrievous, because it goes for humility and kindness, it comes to pass\nthat he that cannot flatter is taken to be envious or proud. But the\ntime will come, that the flatterer will be hated even by him that his\nfallacious praises pleased. Deceit and lies do please the flattered\nperson but a while; even till he find the bitterness of the effects,\nand the fruit have told him that it was but a sugared kind of enmity:\nand therefore he will not long be pleased with the flatterer himself.\nFlattery ever appeareth at last, to be but _perniciosa dulcedo_, as\nAustin calls it. Saith the same Austin, (in Psal. lix.) There are two\nsorts of persecutors, the opposer (or dispraiser) and the flatterer:\nbut the tongue of the flatterer hurteth more than the hand of the\npersecutor.[513] And think not that any man's greatness or favour will\nexcuse thee or save thee harmless in thy lies; for God that avengeth\nthem is greater than the greatest. Saith Austin, (li. de Mendac.)\n_Quisquis autem esse aliquod genus mendacii, quod peccatum non sit\nputaverit, decipiet semetipsum turpiter, cum honestum se deceptorem\narbitretur aliorum_, i. e. Whoever thinks that there is any kind of\nlie that is no sin, he deceiveth himself foully, whilst he thinks\nhimself an honest deceiver of others. \"Be not the servants of men,\" 1\nCor. vii. 23, if you would be true.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Love not covetousness, if you would not be liars.[514] A\nlie will seem to a covetous man an easy means to procure his gain, to\nget a good bargain, or put off a cracked commodity for more than it is\nworth. _Rupere f\u0153dus, impius lucri furor, et ira pr\u00e6ceps._ Sen. Hip.\nHe that loveth money better than God and conscience, will for money\ndisplease God and conscience, by this or any other sin.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Learn to trust God, if you would not be liars.[515] For\nlying is the practice of him that thinks he must provide and shift for\nhimself. Even Abraham's and Isaac's equivocation, (saying their wives\nwere their sisters,) and David's feigning himself mad, proceeded from\nsome distrust in God: they would not have thought it necessary so to\nshift for their lives, if they had fully trusted God with their\nlives. Gehazi's covetousness and lying did both proceed from a want of\nconfidence in God. If a man were confident of God's protection, and\nthat he had better stand to God's choice in all things than his own,\nwhat use could he think he hath for lying, or for any sinful shift?\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Be not too credulous of bad reports, if you would not\nbe liars. Malice is so mad, and so unconscionable a sin, and the\ntongues of men are commonly so careless of what they say, that if you\neasily believe evil, you do but easily believe the devil, and thereby\nmake yourselves his servants in divulging malicious lies. You think\nbecause they are spoken by many, and spoken confidently, you may\nlawfully believe or report what you hear. But this is but to think\nthat the commonness of liars, and their malice and impudence, will\nwarrant you to follow them, even because they are so bad. Will you\nbark and bite because that dogs do so? If a man be stung with an\nadder, you should help to cure him, and not desire yourselves to sting\nhim: selfish, and interested, and malicious, and partial, factious\npersons, are so commonly liars, and impudent in their lies, that it\nbehoveth you, if you would not be liars yourselves, to take heed of\nreporting any thing they say. These spiders will weave a web of the\nair, or out of their own bowels.[516]\n\n_Direct._ IX. Be not rash in speaking things before you have tried them.\nConsider what you say, and know before you speak. Is it not a shame when\nyou have spoken falsely, to come off with saying, I thought it had been\ntrue? But why will you speak upon thought, and not stay till you better\nunderstood the case? If the matter required such haste in speaking, you\nshould have said no more than, I think it is so. \"Prove all things,\" and\nthen \"hold that which is good,\" and assert that which is true. Saith\nCicero, de Nat. Deor. 1. 1. _Nihil est temeritate turpius, nec quicquam\ntam indignum sapientis gravitate aut constantia, quam out falsum\nsentire, aut quod non satis explorate perceptum sit et cognitum, sine\nulla dubitatione defendere_: Nothing is more unseemly than temerity: nor\nany thing so unworthy the gravity or constancy of a wise man, than\neither to hold a falsehood, or confidently to defend that which is not\nreceived and known upon sufficient trial.[517]\n\n_Direct._ X. Foresee that which is like to entrap you in a lie, that\nyou may prevent it. Let not the occasion and temptation surprise you\nunprepared. Foresight will make the temptation easy to be overcome,\nwhich unforeseen will be too strong for you.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Get a tender conscience, and walk as in the sight and\nhearing of God, and as one that is passing to his judgment.[518] A\nseared conscience dare venture upon lies or any thing; but the fear of\nGod is the soul's preservative. What makes men lie, but thinking they\nhave to do with none but men? For they think by a lie to deceive a\nman, and hide the truth; but if they remembered that they have most to\ndo with God, and that he is always present who cannot be deceived, and\nthat his judgment will bring all secret things to light, and detect\nall their lies before all the world, they would not hire a torn and\ndirty cloak at so dear a rate, for so short a time. No wonder if men\nare liars that fear not God, and believe not the day of judgment.\n\n_Direct._ XII. To save others from lying as well as yourselves, be\nsure to watch against it in your children, and wisely help them to see\nthe evil of it. For children are very prone to it; and unwise\ncorrection frighteneth them into lies to save themselves, as\nindulgence and connivance do encourage them to it. Make them oft read\nsuch texts as these: Lev. xix. 11, \"Ye shall not steal, nor deal\nfalsely, nor lie one to another.\" Psal. xv. 2, \"He that speaketh the\ntruth from his heart,\" &c.[519] Isa. xxxvi. 8, \"He said, Surely they\nare my people; children that will not lie; so he was their Saviour.\"\nJohn viii. 44, \"The devil is a liar, and the father of it.\" Rev. xxi.\n27; xxii. 15, \"There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that\ndefileth--or maketh a lie--For without are dogs--and whoever loveth\nand maketh a lie.\" Psal. lxiii. 11, \"The mouth of him that speaketh\nlies shall be stopped.\" Psal. ci. 11, \"He that speaketh lies shall not\ntarry in my sight.\" Prov. xix. 5, 9, \"A false witness shall not be\nunpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape\" (shall\nperish). Prov. xxix. 12, \"If a ruler hearken to lies all his servants\nare wicked:\" so Psal. xxxi. 18; lii. 3. Psal. cxix. 163, \"I hate and\nabhor lying, but thy law do I love.\" Prov. xiii. 5, \"A righteous man\nhateth lying.\" Eph. iv. 35, \"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every\nman truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another:\" q.\nd. A man would not lie to deceive his own members; no more should we\nto deceive one another. In a word, where the love of God and man\nprevaileth, there truth prevaileth; but where self-love, partiality,\nand carnal self-interest prevail, there lying is a household servant,\nand thought a necessary means to these ends.\n\nBut because lying is so common and so great a sin, and many cases\noccur about it daily, though I think what is said offereth matter\nenough to answer them, I shall mention some more of them distinctly,\nto help their satisfaction who cannot accommodate general answers to\nall their particular cases.\n\n_Quest._ I. Is frequent known lying a certain sign of a graceless state,\nthat is, a mortal sin, proving the sinner to be in a state of damnation?\n\n_Answ._ The difficulty of this case doth no more concern lying, than any\nother sin of equal malignity. Therefore I must refer you to those places\nwhere I have opened the difference between mortal, reigning sins, and\ninfirmities. At present take this brief solution. 1. It is a thing of\ntoo great difficulty, to determine just how many acts of a great sin may\nconsist with a present state of grace (that is, of right by covenant to\nheaven). 2. All sin which consisteth with an habitual, predominant love\nof God and holiness, consisteth with a state of life, and no other. 3.\nHe that seldom or never committeth such external crimes, and yet loveth\nnot God, and heaven, and holiness above all the pleasures and interests\nof the flesh, is in a state of death. 4. It is certain that this love to\nGod and holiness is not predominant, whose carnal interest and lust hath\nordinarily in the drift and tenor of his life, more power to draw him to\nthe wilful committing of known sin, than the said love of God, and\nheaven, and holiness have to keep him from it. For his servants men are,\nwhom they obey, whether it be sin unto death, or obedience unto\nrighteousness, Rom. vi. 16. 5. Therefore the way to know whether sin be\nmortified, or mortal, is, (1.) By feeling the true bent of the will,\nwhether we love or hate it. (2.) By observing the true bent and tenor of\nour lives, whether God's interest in us, or the contrary, be predominant\nwhen we are ourselves, and are tempted to such sins. 6. He that will\nsin thus as oft as will stand with saving grace, shall never have the\nassurance of his sincerity, or the peace or comfort of a sound believer,\ntill he repent and lead a better life. 7. He that in his sin retaineth\nthe spirit of adoption, or the image of God, or habitual divine love,\nhath also habitual and virtual repentance for that very sin, before he\nactually repenteth; because he hath that habitual hatred of it, which\nwill cause actual repentance, when he is composed to act according to\nhis predominant habits. 8. In the mean time the state of such a sinner\nis, neither to be unregenerate, carnal, unholy, as he was before\nconversion, and so to lose all his right to life; nor yet to have so\nfull a right as if he had not sinned: but a bar is put in against his\nclaim, which must be removed before his right be full, and such as is\nripe for present possession. 9. There are some sins which all men\ncontinue in while they live. As defect in the degrees of faith, hope,\nlove, &c.; vain thoughts, words, disorder, passions, &c. And these sins\nare not totally involuntary; otherwise they were no sins. Yea, the evil\nis prevalent in the will against the good, so far as to commit those\nsins, though not so far as to vitiate the bent of heart or life. 10.\nThere are some sins which none on earth do actually repent of, viz.\nthose that they know not to be sins; and those that they utterly forget;\nand those faults which they are guilty of just at the time of dying. 11.\nIn these cases, virtual, or implicit, or habitual repentance doth\nsuffice to the preventing of damnation. As also a will to have lived\nperfectly sufficeth in the case of continued imperfections.[520] 12.\nThings work not on the will as they are in themselves; but as they are\napprehended by the understanding: and that which is apprehended to be\neither of doubtful evil, or but a little sin and of little danger, will\nbe much less resisted, and ofter committed, than sins that are clearly\napprehended to be great. Therefore, where any sort of lie is apprehended\nthus, as of small or doubtful evil, it will be the ofter committed. 13.\nIf this apprehension be wrong, and come from the predominancy of a\ncarnal or ungodly heart, which will not suffer the understanding to do\nits office, nor to take that to be evil which he would not leave, then\nboth the judgment and the lie are mortal, and not mortified, pardoned\nsins. 14. But if this misapprehension of the understanding do come from\nnatural impotency, or unavoidable want of better information, or only\nfrom the fault of a vicious inclination, which yet is not predominant,\nbut is the remnant of a vice which is mortified in the main; then\nneither the error nor the often lying is a mortal, but a mortified sin.\nAs, for instance, If false teachers (as the Jesuits) should persuade a\njustified person, that a lie that hurteth no man, but is officious, is\nbut a venial or no sin, it is possible for such a person often to commit\nit, though he err not altogether innocently. 15. Though it is true that\nall good christians should not indulge the smallest sin, and that true\ngrace will make a man willing to forsake the least, yet certain\nexperience telleth us, that some constant sinning (aforenamed) doth\nconsist with grace in all that have it upon earth; and therefore that\nlesser sins, as thoughts, passions, are not resisted so much as greater\nbe; and therefore that they are more indulged and favoured, or else they\nwould not be committed. No good men rise up with so great and constant\nwatchfulness against an idle thought or word, or a disorder in prayer,\n&c. as they do against a heinous sin.\n\nHe that would have this and all such cases resolved in a word, and\nnot be put on trying the case by all these distinctions, must take\nanother casuist, or rather a deceiver instead of a resolver: for I\ncannot otherwise resolve him.\n\n_Quest._ II. Is it not contrary to the light of nature, to suffer, e.\ng. a parent, a king, myself, my country, rather to be destroyed, than\nto save them by a harmless lie?\n\n_Answ._ No. Because, 1. Particular good must give place to common. And\nif once a lie may pass for lawful in cases where it seemeth to be\ngood, it will overthrow human converse, and debauch man's nature and\nthe world.\n\n2. And if one evil may be made a means for good, it will infer that\nothers may be so too, and so will confound good and evil, and leave\nvicious man to take all for good which he thinks will do good. That is\nnot to be called a harmless lie, which is simply evil, being against\nthe law of God, against the order of nature, the use of human\nfaculties, and the interest and converse of the sociable world.\n\n3. The error of the objectors chiefly consisteth in thinking that\nnothing is further hurtful and morally evil, than as it doth hurt to\nsome men in corporal respects. Whereas that is evil, which is against\nthe universal rule of rectitude, against the will of God, and against\nthe nature and perfection of the agent; much more if it also tend to\nthe hurt of other men's souls, by giving them an example of sinning.\n\n4. And though there may sometimes be some human probability of such a\nthing, yet there is no certainty that ever it will so fall out, that a\nlie shall save the life of king, parent, or yourselves. For God can\nopen the eyes of that enemy whom you think to blind by a lie, and\ncause him to know all the truth, and so take away that life, which you\nthought thus to have saved.\n\n5. And there are lawful means enough to save your lives when it is\nbest for you to save them. That is, obey God, and trust him with your\nlives, and he can save them without a lie, if it be best: and if it be\nnot, it should not be desired.\n\n6. And if men did not erroneously overvalue life, they would not think\nthat a lie were necessary for it. When it is not necessary to live, it\nis not necessary to lie for life. But thus one sin brings on another:\nwhen carnal men overvalue life itself, and set more by it than by the\nfruition of God in the glory of heaven, they must needs then overvalue\nany means which seemeth necessary to preserve it. See Job xiii. 7-10;\nProv. xiii. 17; Rom. vi. 15; iii. 7-9; Psal. v. 7; Hos. iv. 2; John\nviii. 44; Rev. xxi. 27; xxii. 15; Col. iii. 9; 1 John ii. 21.\n\n7. Yet as to the degree of evil in the sin, I easily grant (with\nAugustine, Enchirid.) that _Multum interest quo animo et de quibus\nquisque mentiatur: non enim ita peccat qui consulendi, quomodo ille\nqui nocendi voluntate mentitur: nec tantum nocet qui viatorem\nmentiendo in adversum iter mittit, quantum is qui viam vit\u00e6 mendacio\nfallente depravat_.\n\n_Object._ Are not the midwives rewarded by God for saving the\nIsraelitish children by a lie?\n\n_Answ._ I need not say with Austin, \"The fact was rewarded, and the\nlie pardoned;\" for there is no such thing as a lie found in them. Who\ncan doubt but that God could strengthen the Israelitish women to be\ndelivered without the midwives? And who can doubt but when the\nmidwives had made known the king's murderous command, that the women\nwould delay to send for the midwives, till, by the help of each other,\nthe children were secured? Which yet is imputed to the midwives,\nbecause they confederated with them, and delayed to that end. So that\nhere is a dissembling and concealing part of the truth, but here is no\nlie that can be proved.\n\n_Object._ But, Heb. xi. 31, and James ii. 25, Rahab is said to be\njustified by faith and works, when she saved the spies by a lie.\n\n_Answ._ It is uncertain whether it was a lie, or only an equivocation,\nand whether her words were not true of some other men that had been\nher guests. But suppose them a lie, (as is most like,) the Scripture\nno more justifieth her lie, than her having been a harlot. It is her\nbelieving in the God of Israel, whose works she mentioned, that she is\ncommended for, together with the saving of the spies with the hazard\nof her own life. And it is no wonder if such a woman in Jericho had\nnot yet learned the sinfulness of such a lie as that.\n\n_Object._ But at least it could be no mortal sin, because, Heb. xi.\n31, and James ii. 25, say she was justified.\n\n_Answ._ It was no mortal sin in her, (that is, a sin which proveth one\nin a state of death,) because it had not those evils that make sin\nmortal: but a lie in one that doth it knowingly, for want of such a\npredominancy of the authority and love of God in the soul, as should\nprevail against the contrary motives habitually, is a mortal sin, of\nan ungodly person. It is pernicious falsehood and soul delusion in\nthose teachers, that make poor sinners think that it is the smallness\nof the outward act or hurt of sin alone, that will prove it to be, as\nthey call it, venial, or mortified, and not mortal.\n\n_Quest._ III. Is deceit by action lawful, which seemeth a practical lie?\nand how shall we interpret Christ's making as if he would have gone\nfarther, Luke xxiv. 28; and David's feigning himself mad, and common\nstratagems in war, and doing things purposely to deceive another?\n\n_Answ._ 1. I have before proved that all deceiving another is not a\nsin, but some may be a duty: as a physician may deceive a patient to\nget down a medicine to save his life, so he do it not by a lie.\n\n2. Christ's seeming to go farther was no other than a lawful\nconcealment or dissimulation of his purpose, to occasion their\nimportunity: for all dissimulation is not evil, though lying be. And\nthe same may be said of lawful stratagems as such.\n\n3. David's case was not sinful, as it was mere dissimulation to\ndeceive others for his escape. But whether it was not a sinful\ndistrust of God, and a dissimulation by too unmanly a way, I am not\nable to say, unless I had known more of the circumstances.\n\n_Quest._ IV. Is it lawful to tempt a child or servant to lie, merely\nto try them?\n\n_Answ._ It is not lawful to do it without sufficient cause, nor at any\ntime to do that which inviteth them to lie, or giveth any countenance\nto the sin, as Satan and bad men use to tempt men to sin, by\ncommending it, or extenuating it. But to lay an occasion before them\nbarely to try them (as to lay money, or wine, or other things in their\nway, to know whether they are thieves or addicted to drink, that we\nmay the better know how to cure them; and so to try their veracity) is\nnot unlawful. For, 1. The sin is virtually committed when there is a\nwill to commit it, though there should be no temptation or\nopportunity. 2. We do nothing which is either a commendation of the\nsin, or a persuading to it, or any true cause either physical or\nmoral; but only an occasion. 3. God himself, who is more contrary to\nsin than any creature, doth thus, by trial, administer such occasions\nof sin to men that are viciously disposed, as he knoweth they will\ntake; and his common mercies are such occasions. 4. God hath no where\nforbidden this to us: we may not do evil that good may come by it;\nbut we may do good when we know evil will come of it by men's vice. 5.\nIt may be a needful means to the cure of that sin, which we cannot\nknow till it be thus detected.\n\n_Quest._ V. Is all equivocation unlawful?\n\n_Answ._ There is an equivocating which is really lying: as when we\nforsake the usual or just sense of a word, and use it in an alien,\nunusual sense, which we know will not be understood, and this to\ndeceive such as we are bound not to deceive.\n\nBut there is a use of equivocal words which is lawful and necessary:\n(for human language hath few words which are not of divers\nsignifications.) As, 1. When our equivocal sense is well understood by\nthe hearers, and is not used to deceive them, but because use hath\nmade those words to be fit; as all metaphors are equivocal, and yet\nmay be used. 2. When the equivocal sense is the most usual or obvious,\nand if it be not understood, it is through the hearer's fault or\nextraordinary dulness. 3. When a robber, or usurping tyrant, or any\ncruel enemy, that hath no authority to do it, shall seek to insnare my\nlife by questions, I may lawfully answer him in such doubtful words,\nas purposely are intended to deceive him, or leave him ignorant of my\nsense, so be it they be not lies or false in the ordinary usage of\nthose words. 4. And to such a person I may answer doubtfully, when it\nis apparent that it is a doubtful answer, and that I do it as\nprofessing that I will answer him no more particularly nor plainly,\nbut will conceal the rest.\n\n_Quest._ VI. Whether all mental reservation be unlawful?\n\n_Answ._ This needeth no other answer than the former. If the expressed\nwords be a lie, the mental reservation will not make them justifiable as\na truth. But if the expressed words of themselves be true, then the\nmental reservation may be lawful, when it is no more than a concealment\nof part of the truth, in a case where we are not bound to reveal it.\n\nBut of both these cases I must refer the reader to what I have said\nabout vows, part iii. chap. v. tit. 2, without which he will not know\nmy meaning.\n\n_Quest._ VII. May children, servants, or subjects, in danger, use\nwords which tend to hide their faults?\n\n_Answ._ 1. When they are bound not to hide the fault, they may not:\nwhich is, 1. When due obedience, or, 2. The greater good which will\nfollow, require them to open it.\n\n2. When they are not bound to open it, they may hide it by just means,\nbut not by lies or any evil. In what cases they may hide a fault by\njust means, I shall here say no more to.\n\n_Quest._ VIII. May I speak that which I think is true, but am not sure?\n\n_Answ._ If you have a just call, you may say you think it is true; but\nnot flatly that it is so.\n\n_Quest._ IX. May I believe and speak that of another, by way of news,\ndiscourse, or character, which I hear reported by godly, credible\npersons, or by many?\n\n_Answ._ 1. The main doubt is when you have a call to speak it, which\nis answered after, part iv. at large.\n\n2. You may not so easily believe and report evil of another as good.\n\n3. You must not believe ill of another any further than evidence doth\nconstrain you; yet you may believe it according to the degree of\nevidence or credibility; and make use of the report for just caution\nor for good; but not to defame another, upon uncertainty, or without a\ncall.\n\n4. The sin of receiving and spreading false reports of others upon\nhearsay, is now so common among those that do profess sobriety and\nreligion, that all men should take heed of it in all company, as they\nwould do of the plague in an infectious time. And now it is so\nnotorious that false news and slanders of others are so common,\nneither good men's words, nor common fame, will allow you (or excuse\nyou) to believe or report any evil of another, till you are able to\nprove that it is your duty; but all christians should join in\nlamenting and reproving this common uncharitable sin.\n\n\n          _Tit._ 4. _Special Directions against Idle Talk, and\n                               Babbling._\n\n_Direct._ I. Understand well what is idle talk; for many take that to\nbe vain which is not, and many take not that to be vain which is. I\nshall therefore open this before I go any further.\n\n[Sidenote: What is not idle talk.]\n\nThe judgment of infidels and impious men here are of little regard. 1.\nSome of them think prayer to be but vain words, because God knoweth\nour wants and hearts, Job xxii. 2,3, and our service is not profitable\nto him: as if he had bid us \"seek him in vain,\" Isa. xlv. 19.[521]\nThese I have elsewhere confuted. 2. Others think frequent preaching\nvain, and say as the infidels of Paul, Acts xvii. 18, \"What will this\nbabbler say;\" and as Pharaoh, Exod. v. 9, \"Let them not regard vain\nwords;\" but God saith, Deut. xxxii. 46, 47, \"Set your hearts to all\nthe words which I testify among you----for it is not a vain thing for\nyou, because it is your life.\" 3. Some carnal wretches think all vain\nin God's service, which is spiritual, and which they understand not,\nor which is above the reach of a fleshly mind.[522] 4. And some think\nall vain in preaching, conference, writing, or prayer, which is long.\nBut Christ spake no vain words when he \"prayed all night,\" Luke vi.\n12. Nor are we bid to pray in vain, when we are bid \"pray continually,\ninstantly, and importunately,\" 1 Thess. v. 17; Acts vi. 4; Luke xviii.\n1, 2. Nor did Paul speak idly when he preached till midnight, Acts xx.\nGodliness is not vain \"which is profitable to all things,\" 1 Tim. iv.\n8. Indeed as to their own salvation the wicked may make our preaching\nvain; but the word of God returneth not empty. The oblations of the\ndisobedient are vain, Isa. i. 13, and the \"prayer of the wicked,\nabominable to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight,\"\nProv. xv. 8. 5. Some think all preaching vain, of that which they know\nalready, whereas they have most need to hear of that, lest they\ncondemn themselves by sinning against their knowledge, 2 Pet. i. 12,\n13; Rom. xiv. 22. 6. Some think it vain if the same things be often\npreached on, or repeated, (see Phil. iii. 1,) though yet they never\nreceived and obeyed them; or if the same words be oft repeated in\nprayer, though it be not from emptiness or affectation but fervency,\nMark xiv. 39; Psal. cxxxvi.; cxix. 7. Unbelievers think our boasting\nin God is vain, 2 Kings xviii. 20; Isa. xlix. 4, 5. 8. And some\nmalicious adversaries charge it on ministers as preaching in vain,\nwhenever the hearers are not converted. See Heb. iv. 2; Gal. v. 2;\niii. 4; iv. 11; Isa. liii. 1.\n\nOn the other side many that are godly mistake in thinking, 1. That all\ntalk is vain which is not of absolute necessity to some great use and\nend.[523] 2. And that all mirth and pleasant discourse is vain.\nWhereas the Holy Ghost saith, Prov. xvii. 22, \"A merry heart doth good\nlike a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones.\" Prov. xv. 13,\n\"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of the\nheart the spirit is broken.\" Gen. xxvi. 8, King Abimelech saw Isaac\nsporting with Rebekah his wife: laughing, (as the Hebrew is,) or\nplaying, (as the Chaldee, and Samaritan, and Septuagint,) or jesting\n(as the Syriac, Arabic, and vulgar Latin).\n\nObserve these qualifications, and your mirth and sporting talk will not\nbe idle. 1. Let it be such and so much as is useful to maintain that\ncheerfulness of mind and alacrity of spirits, which is profitable to\nyour health and duty; for if bodily recreations be lawful, then tongue\nrecreations are lawful when they are accommodate to their end. 2. Let\nyour speech be savoury, seasoned with salt, and not corrupt and rotten\ncommunication: jest not with filthiness or sin. 3. Let it be harmless to\nothers: make not yourselves merry with the sins or miseries of other\nmen. Jest not to their wrong. 4. Let it be seasonable, and not when\nanother frame of mind is more convenient, nor when graver or weightier\ndiscourse should take place. 5. Let it be moderate and not excessive,\neither wasting time in vain, or tending to habituate the mind of the\nspeakers or hearers to levity, or to estrange them from things that\nshould be preferred. 6. See that all your mirth and speech be sanctified\nby a holy end; that your intent in all be to whet your spirits and cheer\nup and fit yourselves for the service of God, as you do in eating and\ndrinking, and all other things. 7. And mix (with cautelous reverence)\nsome serious things, that the end and use be not forgotten, and your\nmirth may not be altogether as empty and fruitless as that of the\nunsanctified is. Sporting, pleasant, and recreating talk is not vain,\nbut lawful upon these conditions. 8. Still remembering that the most\nholy and profitable discourse must be most pleasant to us, and we must\nnot, through a weariness of it, divert to carnal mirth, as more\ndesirable, but only to natural honest mirth as a necessary concomitant\nto exhilarate the spirits.[524]\n\n[Sidenote: What is idle talk. The sorts of it.]\n\nIdle or vain words, then, are such as are unprofitable and tend not to\ndo good.[525] I here forbear to speak of those idle words which are\nalso worse than vain, as mentioned before among the sins of the\ntongue. Idle words are, 1. Either simply such which tend to no good at\nall. 2. Or comparatively such; which are about some small or\ninconsiderable good, when you should be speaking of greater things:\nthe former sort are always idle, and therefore always sinful; the\nlatter sort are sometimes lawful in themselves, that is, when greater\nmatters are not to be talked of: in its season it is lawful to speak\nabout the saving of a penny, or a point, or a pin; but out of season,\nwhen greater matters are in hand, this is but idle, sinful talk.\n\nAlso there is a great deal of difference between now and then an idle\nword, and a babbling, prating custom, by which it becometh the daily\npractice of some loose-tongued persons, so that the greater part of\nthe words of all their lives are merely vain.\n\nThe particular kinds of idle talk are scarce to be numbered. Some of\nthem are these.\n\n1. When the tongue is like a vagrant beggar or masterless dog, that is\nnever in the way, and never out of the way, being left to talk at\nrandom about any unprofitable matter that comes before it; and such\nwill never want matter to talk of; every thing they see or hear is the\nsubject of their chat; and one word begetteth occasion and matter for\nanother, without end.\n\n2. Another sort of idle talk is the vain discourses (by word or\nwriting) of some learned men, in which they bestow an excessive\nmultitude of words about some small impertinent thing; not to edify,\nbut to show their wit:[526] which Seneca reprehends at large.\n\n3. Another sort of idle talk is vain and immoderate disputings, about\nthe smaller circumstances of religion, or frequent discourses about\nsuch unedifying things while greater matters should be talked of. \"But\navoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and\nstrivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain,\" Tit.\niii. 9. \"Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure\nheart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: from which\nsome having swerved, have turned aside unto vain jangling, desiring to\nbe teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say, nor\nwhereof they affirm,\" 1 Tim. i. 5-7. \"O Timothy, keep that which is\ncommitted to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and\nopposition of sciences falsely so called; which some professing, have\nerred concerning the faith,\" 1 Tim. vi. 20, 21. \"But shun profane and\nvain babblings; for they will increase unto more ungodliness,\" 2 Tim.\nii. 16. \"There are many unruly and vain talkers,\" &c. Tit. i. 10, 11.\n\n4. Another sort of idle talk is the using of a needless multitude of\nwords, even about that which is good and necessary in itself, but\nmight better be opened in a briefer manner.[527] Even in preaching or\npraying words may be vain; which is when they are not suited to the\nmatter and the hearers: for you must note that the same words are\nnecessary to one sort of hearers, which are vain as to another sort.\nAnd therefore as ministers must take heed that they suit their manner\nof speech to their auditors, so hearers must take heed lest they\ncensoriously and rashly call that vain which is unnecessary to them,\nor such as they: there may be present many ignorant persons that the\npreacher is better acquainted with than you: and the ignorant lose\nthat which is concisely uttered: they must have it at large, in many\nwords, and oft repeated, or else they understand it not, or remember\nnot that which they understand. But yet a real excess of words even\nabout holy things must be avoided. \"Be not rash with thy mouth, and\nlet not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is\nin heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few: for a\ndream cometh through the multitude of business, and a fool's voice is\nknown by the multitude of words.\"[528] Two causes of idle words in\nprayer must be avoided: 1. Emptiness and rashness. 2. Affectation:\nthat is, (1.) Affectation to words, as if you should be heard for\nsaying so many words over and over, (as the papists in their Jesus\nPsalter say over the name Jesu nine times together, and those nine\ntimes, fifteen times over, besides all their repetitions of it, in the\npetitions themselves between.[529] So in the titles of the blessed\nVirgin, in her Litany, p. 525.) Hypocrites in all ages and religions\nhave the same trifling way of devotion; as Christ showeth of the very\nheathen that used this way: \"But when ye pray use not vain\nrepetitions, as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be\nheard for their much speaking: be ye not therefore like unto them,\"\nMatt. vi. 7. (2.) There is an affectation of length that causeth idle\nwords in prayer; when men think that it is for the honour of their\nparts to spend so much time, and speak so long together, or when their\nsuperstitious consciences in secret tie them to hold on so long, and\nhave not matter or affection answerable to fill up the time, no marvel\nif it be filled up with words that are too much guilty of vanity.\n\n5. Another kind of idle talk is that which is purposely contrived to\nhumour idle fancies, and recreate vicious minds, and pass away men's\nprecious time: such are abundance of love-books, romances, plays, and\nplay-books; volumes of vanity, and hours full of studied vanity (and\nworse): and such is much of the talk of feigned fools and jesters:\nvices which I can hardly express so odious as I apprehend them.\n\n6. Another sort is a custom of inordinate jesting: this vein or\ndisposition is so strong in some, that when they have a list to vent a\njest, they cannot hold, but out it must come whatever it cost, and be\nit never so frivolous and vain, Eph. v. 4.\n\n7. Another sort is foolish talk, that hath not wit enough to make it\nedifying, Eph. v. 4. And among idle talkers how much of it is foolish!\nHow weary would it make a man to hear the talk of many babblers! How\ninsipid is it! How sottish! Like the talk of a mad-man, or a drunken\nman, or a man in his sleep: it is far pleasanter not only to hear a\nbird chirp, but a swine grunt, than to hear much of their discourse.\nSee Prov. x. 14; xii. 11; xxviii. 19; 1 Pet. ii. 15; Prov. xv. 2, 14.\n\n[Sidenote: The aggravations of it.]\n\n_Direct._ II. Understand also the aggravations of idle words; which of\nthem are the greatest sins, that they may be most carefully avoided.\nThough all idle words are sins, yet all are not equally sinful: the\nworst are such as these that follow.\n\n1. When idle words are frequent, multiplied, and made their common\ntalk and custom: which is the case of some men, but of abundance of\nloquacious women; whose natural disposition inclineth them thereto.\nOne that hath but little wit, and much self-conceitedness, and\npassion, will have a torrent of words for a drop of sense.[530] If\nthey meet but with a person so patient and idle as to give them the\nhearing, they will sit a whole hour together with you, yea, many\nhours, to tell you first how the affairs go between them and their\nhusbands, or children, or servants; and then talk of their cattle,\nhouse, or land; and then tell you of news, and enter into a long\ndiscourse of other men's matters, which they neither understand nor\nhave any thing to do with: and next they talk of the weather; and then\nof the market, what is cheap and what is dear; and then they tell you\nwhat this body said to them, and what the other body said; and then\nthey tell you a story of the old times, and how the world is changed,\nand how much better the former times were than these: then they tell\nyou what wrong such a one did them, and what he said of them, and how\nbad this or that man is, and what they said or did amiss; and what the\nreport of the country is of such and such: then they tell you what\nclothes such a one wears, and how fine and gallant such a one is, and\nwho keepeth a good house, and who is niggardly and sparing: then they\ntell you what meat was at such and such a table or feast; and if they\nbe at meat, they have something to say about every dish, and every\nsort of meat or drink; especially news takes up much of their\ndiscourse.[531] And it is well if in all this, the sermon of the\npreacher, or his prayer, or his life, be not brought in to fill up the\nempty places of the discourse; and it may be the king and his council,\nand his laws, and his doings, shall be defiled by these parrots'\nunreverend prattlings, as well as meaner things and persons: so that,\nas Theophrastus saith, he that would not fall into a fever, let him\nrun from them in all the haste he can. I should rather think it would\ncast one into the scurvy, if weariness be so great a symptom of it as\nthey say. He that hath nothing to do in this world, nor any thing to\ndo for the world to come; and that hath no use for his time, or wit,\nor tongue, or hands, but waketh as he sleepeth, and liveth as he must\nlie when he is dead; he that hath neither master, work, nor wages, but\nthinks he is made to see leaves wag, or hear flies buzz; let him\nchoose such a companion, and let him sit and hear such people chat.\nFor my part, I can easilier endure to have them call me morose, or\nproud, or uncivil, or any thing; nay, I had rather be digging, or\nploughing, or ridding kennels, than endure the tediousness of their\ndiscourses.[532] Dionysius sent one to be put to death, for finding\nfault with his poetry; but called him again to try him once more; and\nthe man rose up in the midst of his recitation, saying, Come, let me\ngo to the gibbet, as choosing to die rather than to be so wearied. I\nam not so impatient; but I should be glad if I could sleep well while\nI am tied to such company. And if I had one to send to school that\nwere sick of the talking evil, the _morbus loquendi_, I would give (as\nIsocrates required) a double pay to the schoolmaster willingly, one\npart for teaching him to hold his tongue, and the other half for\nteaching him to speak. I should think many such men and women half\ncured, if they were half as weary of speaking as I am of hearing them.\nHe that lets such twattling swallows build in his chimney, may look to\nhave his pottage savour of their dung. Nay, though they may have some\nlearning and goodness to season their discourse, their too much\nloquacity will make one's stomach turn against it; and the surfeit may\nmake some queazy stomachs distaste even the more wholesome food.\nPompey was so weary of Tully's talkativeness, that he wished he had\nbeen on C\u00e6sar's side, for then he would have feared me, (saith he,)\nwhereas now his familiarity wearieth me.\n\n      Omne supervacuum pleno de pectore manat.\n\n2. It is an aggravation of the sin of loquacity and idle talk, when it\nis done in a proud, self-conceitedness of your own wit, with an\nunmannerly contempt of others. This is the case of abundance that have\nnot the manners or patience to stay till another man hath done his\nspeech. They think others so long that their list will not hold till\nthey come to the end. Yea, many pretended learned men and disputants\nhave this disease, that without any shame, or respect to order, or\ntheir own reputation, they are in such haste to answer, and talk\nthemselves, that they cut off the speech of others in the midst, as if\nthey should say, Hold your tongue, and let me speak that am wiser. And\ntheir excuse is, You are so long that I shall forget half before you\ncome to the end. But if it be in a disputation or about great matters,\nit is usually much more to the advantage of the truth and hearers, to\nspeak all that necessarily must be considered together, in a\ncontinued speech: for the parts of truth have such a dependence one\nupon another, like the members of a body, or the wheels of a watch,\nthat they are not understood disjunctly, half the sense of them being\nrespective to the other parts. Therefore to deliver it (in such cases)\nby fragments, and chopping of words, and frequent interruptions one of\nanother, is to chat or contend, and not to open the truth with the\nclearness and gravity which it requireth. These, therefore, that\naccuse others of speaking too long, to excuse their uncivil\ninterruptions, may take their answer from Augustine, _Absit ut\nmultiloquium deputem quando necessaria dicuntur, quantalibet sermonum\nmultitudine ars prolixitate dicantur_. The huge volumes of Augustine,\nChrysostom, Suarez, Calvin, yea, Tostatus himself, are seldom accused\nof idle words. If you depute to each their equal share of time, a\ncomposed discourse is fitter and spareth time better, than\ninterrupting altercations and exchange of words; and if your memory\ncannot hold all that is said, either take notes, or crave the help of\nsome repetition, or answer the part which you do remember.\n\n3. Idle talk is worst when it is about holy things, and tendeth to\nprofane them: when men unreverently babble about the Scriptures, or\ncontroversies of religion; or when by fluent tongues men design the\nincrease of some faction, or propagating of some error, or the setting\nforth their parts. Saith Hierom, (ad Nepot.) _Verba volvere et apud\nimperitum vulgus admirationem sui facere, indoctorum hominum est:\nnihil tam facile quam vilem plebem et indoctam, volubilitate lingu\u00e6\ndecipere, qu\u00e6 quicquid non intelligit, plus miratur_. Profane\nloquacity is the worst kind of loquacity.\n\n4. Idle words are the greater sin when they are magnified and\njustified, and taken to be lawful, if not some excellent thing. As\nsome unhappy scholars that spend whole days and months about some\ntrivial, unnecessary studies, while Christ, the wisdom of God, (or the\nsubject of divine philosophy,) is neglected:[533] he that heareth some\nof their supposed critical curiosities, would say with Paul, \"The Lord\nknoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain,\" 1 Cor. iii. 20.\nAnd if he compare their lives with their studies, perhaps he will\nremember, \"They became vain in their imaginations; their foolish\nhearts were darkened, and professing themselves wise, they became\nfools,\" Rom. i. 21.\n\n5. Idle words are an aggravated sin, when they are studied, and\npompously set forth at great labour and cost, as a matter to be\ngloried in; as in plays and romances: worse than tobacco-houses where\nmen sell smoke. The pleasure, the love, the labour, the cost, the\ntime, the deceit, the temptation, the impenitency, are the great\naggravations of this sin.\n\n[Sidenote: The sinfulness of much idle talk.]\n\n_Direct._ III. Understand and consider the mischief of the sin of\nbabbling, idle talk. For the common cause of it is, that men take it\nto be so small a sin, that they think there is no danger in it; and\ntherefore they fear it no more than a scratched finger.\n\n1. (Besides the general evil mentioned tit. 1. direct. i.) consider\nthat much idle talk is a multitude of sins. Though one idle word were\nnever so small a sin, yet when it cometh to hundreds and thousands,\nand is your daily, hourly custom, all set together cannot be small.\nMany thousand pence is more than one shilling or pound. And your\nfrequent custom of idle talk, may amount to a greater sinfulness, than\nNoah's once drunkenness, or David's once adultery, or Peter's once\ndenying Christ. If a swearer should swear as oft, or a liar lie as\noft, or a thief steal as oft as many women (and men too) speak idly,\nwhat monsters should we take them for!\n\n2. Idle talk excludeth all the good discourse and edifying speech that\nshould have been used all that time.[534] We have many greater uses\nfor our tongues: you have your business to talk of, and your God, and\nyour souls, and your duties, and your sins, and the life to come to\ntalk of! Oh how many great and necessary things! And will you shut out\nall this edifying speech, by your idle chat? Will you hinder others as\nwell as yourselves?\n\n3. Idle talk is a sinful consumer of time: you have greater business\nto spend your hours in: if you saw what a world you are ready to go\nto, and saw how near you are to it, you would think yourselves that\nyou had greater business than idle chat, to spend your time in. Do you\nknow what you lose in losing all those hours?\n\n4. Idle talk corrupts the hearers' minds, and tendeth to make them\nlight, and vain, and empty, even as good discourse doth tend to make\nthem good. Why do you talk to others, but to communicate your sense\nand affections to them by your words? And for all that many take it\nfor a little sin, I am sure it is not a little hurt that it doth. If\nmen were not used to be entertained with so much vain discourse, they\ncould not tell how to keep better things from their minds or mouths;\nnor would their thoughts be so habituated to vanity; nor would they\nmake such returns of idle words; whereas one vain discourse begets\nanother, and it is a multiplying and very infectious sin.\n\n5. As your tongues are misemployed, so your wits and minds are\ndishonoured by vain talk. Even good words will grow contemptible when\nthey are too cheap and common. A fiddler at the door goes but for a\nrogue, though music and musicians be honoured: whoever took a\ntalkative babbler for a wise man? He that is _logophilus_ is seldom\n_philologus_, much less _philosophus_.[535] As Demosthenes said to a\nprater, If thou knewest more, thou wouldst say less. They seldom go\nfor men of action and virtue that talk much; they that say much,\nusually do little: women, and children, and old folks, are commonly\nthe greatest talkers (I may add, mad folks). Livy noteth, that\nsoldiers that prate and brag much, seldom fight well; and Erasmus\nnoteth, that children that quickly learn to speak are long in learning\nto go. It is not the barking cur that biteth. Let it be the honour of\na parrot to speak much, but of a man to speak wisely. The mobility of\ntheir tongues (an honour common to an aspen leaf) is all their honour,\nthat can _multis verbis pauca dicere_, say a little in a great many of\nwords; but _multa paucis_, much in few words, is the character of the\nwise, unless when the quality of the auditors prohibiteth it: and _qui\nsunt in dicendo brevissimi_, if the auditors can bear it, shall be\naccounted the best speakers. I am not of his mind that said, He oft\nrepented speaking, but never repented silence. But, except they be\nministers, few men have so much cause to repent of silence as of\nspeech. _Non quam multa, sed quam bene_, must be the christian's care.\nAs one said of philosophy, I may much more say of religion, that\nthough an orator's excellency appeareth only in speaking, yet the\nphilosopher's (and the christian's) appeareth as much in silence.\n\n6. Where there is much idle talk, there will be much sinful talk.\nProv. x. 19, \"In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he\nthat refraineth his lips is wise.\" There are lies, or backbitings, or\nmeddling with other folks' matters, or scurrilous jests, if not many\nsuch sins that go along with a course of idle talk: it is the vehicle\nin which the devil giveth his most poisonous draughts. Saith Lipsius,\nIt is given to praters, _non multa tantum sed male_; to speak ill, as\nwell as to speak much.\n\n7. Vain words hinder your own edification. Who knoweth if you would\nhold your tongues, but some one would speak wiselier, that might do\nyou good?[536]\n\n8. And you weary the hearers (unless they are strangely patient) when\nyou intend to please them (or else you might as well talk all that by\nyourself). It is scarce manners for them, unless you be much their\ninferiors, to tell you they are weary to hear you, and to entreat you\nto hold your tongues; but you little know how oft they think so: I\njudge of others by myself; I fly from a talkative person, as from a\nbed that hath fleas or lice: I would shut my doors against them, as I\nstop my windows against the wind and cold in winter. How glad am I\nwhen they have done, and gladder when they are gone! Make not\nyourselves a burden to your company or friends, by the troublesome\nnoise of an unwearied tongue.\n\n9. Many words are the common causers of contention. Some word or other\nwill fall that offendeth those that hear it; or else will be carried\nto those that are absent, and made the occasion of heart-burnings,\nrehearsals, brawls, or law-suits. There is no keeping quietness,\npeace, and love, with talkative prattlers; at least not long.\n\n10. Are you not sensible what pride and impudency is in it, when you\nthink yourselves worthiest to speak? As if you should say, You are all\nchildren to me; hold your tongues, and hear me speak! If you had\nchristian humility, and modesty, you would in honour prefer others\nbefore yourselves, Rom. xii.\n\n10. You would think yourselves unworthiest to speak, (unless the\ncontrary be very evident,) and desire rather to hear and learn. As\nHeraclitus being asked, Why he alone was silent in the company,\nanswered, That you may talk; so when you talk above your parts, it is\nas if you told the company, I talk that all you may be silent.\n\n11. It is a voluntary sin and not repented of. For you may easily\nforbear it if you will; and you wilfully continue in it; and therefore\nimpenitency is your danger.\n\n12. Lastly, consider how unprofitable a sin it is; and how little you\nhave to hire you to commit it. What get you by it? Will you daily sin\nagainst God for nothing?\n\n_Direct._ IV. If you would not be idle talkers, see that your hearts\nbe taken up with something that is good; and that your tongues be\nacquainted with and accustomed to their proper work and duty.[537] An\nempty head and heart are the causes of empty, frothy, vain discourse.\nConscience may tell you when your tongues run upon vanity, that at\nthat time there is no sense of sin or duty, or the presence of God\nupon your hearts; no holy love; no zeal for God: but you are asleep to\nGod and all that is good; and in this sleep you moither and talk idly\nof any thing that cometh into your mind. Also you make not conscience\nof speaking of that which is good, or else it would keep out vanity\nand evil. Remember what abundance of greater matters you have to talk\nof! You have the evil of sin, the multitude and subtilty of\ntemptations, and the way of resisting them, to talk of; you have your\nfaults to lament, your evidences to inquire after, your mercies\nthankfully to open, the greatness and goodness, and all the attributes\nof God to praise; you have all the works of God to admire, even all\nthe creatures in the world to contemplate, and all God's admirable\nprovidences and government to observe; you have the mystery of\nredemption, the person, and office, and life, and miracles, and\nsufferings, and glory, and intercession, and reign of Christ to talk\nof; and all the secret sanctifying operations of the Holy Ghost; and\nall the ordinances of God, and all the means of grace, and all our\nduties to God and man, and all the holy Scripture; besides death and\njudgment, and heaven and hell, and the concernments of the church of\nGod, and the case of the persons you speak to, who may need your\ninstruction, exhortation, admonition, reproof, or comfort: and is not\nhere work enough to employ your tongues, and keep them from idle\ntalk?[538] Make conscience of those duties commanded, Eph. iv. 29,\n\"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that\nwhich is good to the use of edifying, and may minister grace to the\nhearers: and grieve not the holy Spirit of God.\" Eph. v. 18, 19, \"Be\nnot drunk with wine wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;\nspeaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,\nsinging and making melody in your hearts to the Lord; giving thanks\nalways for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord\nJesus Christ.\" 1 Pet. iv. 11, \"If any man speak, let him speak as the\noracles of God.\"[539] Sinful omission of good discourse, is the cause\nof sinful commission of vanity. Specially when the heart itself is\nvain; for as a man is, so is he apt to speak. 1 John iv. 5, \"They are\nof the world, therefore speak they of the world.\" Isa. xxxii. 6, \"For\nthe vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity,\nto practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord.\"\n\n_Direct._ V. Walk always with God, as in his presence, and in the awe\nof his laws and judgment, that conscience may be kept awake and\ntender.[540] You will be restrained from vain talk, if you perceive\nthat God is hearing you, and if you remember that your tongue is under\na law, and that \"for every idle word men shall give account, in the\nday of judgment,\" Matt. xii. 36, 37, and that by your \"words you shall\nbe justified, or condemned.\" If the law of God were in your hearts,\nPsal. xl. 8, and hidden there, Psal. cxix. 11, your heart would be\nfixed, Psal. lvii. 7. His word then would be the rejoicing of your\nheart, Psal. cxix. 111; and your tongues would then be talking of\njudgment, Psal. xxxvii. 30. A tender conscience will smart more with\nan idle word, than a seared, senseless conscience with an oath, or\nlie, or slander. For the fear of God is clean, Psal. xix. 9, and by it\nmen depart from evil, Prov. xvi. 6. \"Be thou therefore in the fear of\nthe Lord all the day long,\" Prov. xxiii. 17.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Avoid idleness, if you would avoid idle talk.[541] The\ndrones of the commonwealth that have nothing else to do, but visit, and\ncompliment, and prate of other men's matters, and that can have while to\nsit whole hours together, upon no business, are they that are most\nguilty of idle chat. Idle gentlemen, and beggars, and idle gossiping\nwomen, and old men that are void of the fear of God, and children that\nhave no business to do, are they that can sit talking away their time to\nas little purpose, as if they had been all the time asleep. All idle\npersons swarm with the vermin of idle thoughts and words.\n\n_Direct._ VII. If you would avoid idle talk, avoid idle, talkative\ncompanions: or if you cannot avoid them, answer them not, but let them\ntalk alone, unless it be to reprehend them, or turn them to more\nprofitable talk.[542] For when you hear vanity, it will incline you to\nspeak vanity: and these ungodly persons \"speak every one vanity to his\nneighbour,\" as if their tongues were so their own, that no lord might\ncontrol them, Psal. xii. 1-6. The philosopher could say, That which\nyou would not hear, do not speak; and that which you would not speak,\ndo not hear. Most are like parrots, that will oftest speak the words\nwhich they oftest hear. How hard is it to avoid idle talk amongst idle\ntalkers! One vain word draws on another, and there is no end.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Avoid vain works, if you would avoid vain words. For a\nman that engageth himself in vain employment, doth lose all the words\nas vain, which he useth about that employment. What a life then do\nthey live, that have an unlawful calling! When their very business and\ntrade is sin, the adjuncts, the words about it, must be sin, and so\nall their lives are a continued sin. I had rather therefore be the\nbasest drudge, than one of these men. Especially stage-players should\nthink of this: and those that spend whole hours, yea, half-days, if\nnot nights, in gaming, or vain and sinful sports: what abundance of\nidle words do they use about them! every cast of the dice, and every\ncard they play, hath an idle word; so that a sober man would be weary\nand ashamed to hear them.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Plunge not yourselves into excess of worldly business,\nas some do, that undertake more without necessity, than they can\ndischarge: for such necessitate a variety of thoughts and words. And\nall that are spent in serving them in those their vain employments,\nare vain; though the work for the matter of it be not vain.\n\n_Direct._ X. Let not a vicious mind make that seem necessary or\nconvenient which is vain. Carnal hearts that are acquainted with no\nbetter things, think nothing vain that pleaseth their sensual\ninclinations, or which their carnal interest doth require. A man-pleaser\nthinketh civility obligeth him to observe his unnecessary visits and\ncompliments, and to answer idle talkers, and not sit silent by them, nor\ncontradict them: and so it must be a point of good manners to break the\nlaw of God: and as they think it uncivil not to pledge every drinker in\nhis healths, so not to answer every twattler in his talk.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Take heed of a proud, self-conceited mind, that thinks too\nwell of your own discourse. Get but humility, and you will rather choose\nto hear than to speak. But when all your fancies and impertinencies seem\nsome excellent matters to you, then you are with child till you are\ndelivered of them, and then all must reverence and silently attend your\npride and folly; or be taken as neglecters of you for disregarding it.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Avoid passion and passionate companions: for passion is\ntalkative, and will not be checked, but resisteth the restraint of\nreason, and multiplieth words that are worse than vain.[543]\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Take heed of an inordinate jesting vein:[544] for it\nhabituateth the mind to foolish levity, and knows no bounds, and breeds\nidle words, as thick as putrified flesh breeds vermin: and it is the\ngreater sin, because it is ordinary, and with a certain pleasure and\npride, and glorying in vanity, and sinful levity and folly.\n\n_Direct._ XIV. Understand particularly what service you have to do for\nGod or men, in every company you come in, and so fit your words to the\npresent duty and company.[545] For those words are vain and\ninconvenient in one company, that are necessary or convenient in\nanother. If you be to converse with the ignorant and ungodly, turn\nyour discourse into a compassionate way of instruction or exhortation.\nIf with men wiser and better than yourselves, inquire and learn of\nthem, and draw that from them which may edify you.\n\n_Direct._ XV. Affect not an unnecessary curiosity of speech, but take\nthose for the fittest words, which are suited to the matter, and to thy\nheart, and to the hearers.[546] Otherwise your speech will be studiedly\nand affectedly vain; and you will glory in that as elegant, which is\nyour shame. Hypocritical words that come not from the heart, are dead\nand corrupt, and are but the image of true speech, as wanting that\nverity and significancy of the mind which is their life. Words are like\nlaws, that are valued by the authority, and matter, and end, more than\nby the curiosity and elegancy; or like money, that is valued by the\nauthority, metal, and weight, and not by the curiosity of its sculpture,\nimagery, or matter. All that is counterfeit, though curious, is vain.\n\n_Direct._ XVI. Suppose you had written down the idle words of a day,\n(your own or any other prattlers,) and read them over all at night!\nWould you not be ashamed of such a volume of vanity and confusion? Oh\nwhat a book it would be, that one should thus write from the mouth of\nidle talkers! What a shame would it be to human nature! It would tempt\nsome to question, whether man be a reasonable creature, or whether all\nbe so, at least? Remember then, that all is recorded by God and\nconscience; and all this hodgepodge of vanity must be reviewed and\nanswered for.\n\nThe rest that is necessary for direction against idle words, you may\nfind chap. v. part ii. in the government of the thoughts, and in my book\nof \"Self-denial.\" In a word, (for I must not commit the fault which I am\nreproving,) account not a course of idle talk for a small sin. Never\nsuffer so loose and slippery a member as your tongue to be unguarded;\nand never speak that, of which you dare not say, as Psal. xix. 14, \"Let\nthe words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be now and\nalways acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Who should be most watchful here.]\n\nBut especially, above others, these persons should watch against vain\nwords: 1. Preachers, who are doubly sanctified persons, and whose\ntongues being consecrated to God, must not be sacrilegiously alienated\nto vanity: which is worse than sacrilegious alienation of the places, or\nutensils, or revenues of the church. Hate it therefore more than these.\n\n2. Ancient people, whose words should be grave and wise, and full of\ninstruction to suppress the levity of youth; childhood and youth is\nvanity; but age should not be so.[547]\n\n3. Parents and masters, who should be examples of gravity and\nstaidness to their families; and by their reproofs and chastisements\nshould repress such faults in their inferiors.\n\n4. Those that are better qualified than others, with knowledge and\nutterance, to use their tongues to edification. Vain speech is a\ndouble sin in them.\n\n5. Those that are noted for persons of holiness and religion: for it is\nsupposed, that they pray and speak much against idle talk, and therefore\nmust not themselves be guilty of it. \"If any man among you seem to be\nreligious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart,\nthis man's religion is vain,\" James i. 26. (See my sermon on that text.)\n\n6. Those that are ignorant, and need much the edifying speech of others.\n\n7. Those that live among wise and holy persons, by whom they may be\nmuch edified.\n\n8. Those that are among twattlers, where they know they have more need\nto watch their tongues, than their purses among cut-purses.\n\n9. Those (women especially) that are naturally addicted to over-much\ntalk, who therefore should be the more watchful, as knowing their\ndisease and danger.\n\n10. Both empty and angry persons, who carry a continual temptation\nabout them. All these should be specially watchful against idle talk.\n\nAnd for the time, 1. Specially when they are among those that may\nreceive most hurt by it. 2. And when you are going to holy duty, or\nnewly come from it, &c.\n\n\n         _Tit._ 5. _Special Directions against Filthy, Ribald,\n                           Scurrilous Talk._\n\n_Direct._ I. The chief direction against this filthy sin, is general;\nto get out of a graceless state, and get a heart that feareth God, and\nthen you dare not be guilty of such impudency: God is not so despised\nby those that fear him.\n\n_Direct._ II. Cease not your holy communion with God in his worship,\nespecially in secret, and be not strange to him, and seldom with him.\nAnd then you dare not so pollute those lips, that use to speak seriously\nto God. What! talk of lust and filthiness with that tongue, that spake\nbut even now to the most holy God! God's name and presence will awe you,\nand cleanse you, and show you that his temple should not be so defiled,\nand that he hath not called you to uncleanness but to holiness; and that\na filthy tongue is unsuitable to the holy praise of God: but while the\nrest of your life is nothing but a serving the devil and the flesh, no\nwonder if ribaldry seem a fit language for you.\n\n_Direct._ III. Cleanse your hearts of vanity and filthiness; and then\nyour tongues will be more clean. It is a vain or unchaste heart that\nmakes an unchaste tongue.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Remember what a shame it is to open and proclaim that\nfilthiness of thy heart which thou mightest have concealed. Christ\ntelleth us how to expound thy words, that out of the abundance of thy\nheart thy mouth speaketh, Luke vi. 45. And what needest thou tell\npeople that it is the rutting-moon with thee? and that lust and\nfilthiness are the inhabitants of thy mind? If thou be not so far past\nall shame as to commit fornication in the open streets, why wilt thou\nthere talk of it?\n\n_Direct._ V. Remember that filthy talk is but the approach to filthy\nacts. It is but thy breaking the shell of modesty, that thou mayst eat\nthe kernel of the vomiting nut. This is the tendency of it, whether\nthou intend it or not. Canst thou be offended with him, that believeth\nthou dost that villany in secret, which thou talkest of openly? or\nthat taketh thee to be preparing thyself for a whore? If the deed be\nbad, thy making a jest of it cannot be good.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Remember that thou biddest defiance to godliness and\nhonesty: \"corrupt communication\" grieveth the Spirit of God, Eph. iv.\n29, 30; v. 4. Canst thou expect that the Holy Ghost should dwell and\nwork in so filthy a room, and with such filthy company? Darest thou go\npray or read the Scripture, or speak of any holy thing, with those\nlips that talk of filthy ribaldry? Dost thou find thyself fit to go to\nprayer after such discourse? Or rather, dost thou not allow all that\nhear thee to think, that thou renouncest God and godliness, and never\nusest any serious worship of God at all? And if thou do pretend to\nworship him with that filthy tongue, what canst thou expect in answer\nto thy prayers, but a vengeance worse than Nadab and Abihu's, Lev. x.\n1-3. \"Shall sweet water and bitter come from the same fountain?\" James\niii. 11. Dost thou bless God, and talk filthily with the same tongue?\nand think he will not be avenged on thy hypocrisy?\n\n_Direct._ VII. Consider how thou biddest defiance also to common\ncivility. Thou dost that which civil heathens would be ashamed of; as\nif thou hadst a design to reduce England to the customs of cannibals\nand savages in America, that go naked, and are past shame.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Observe what service thou dost the devil, for the\ncorrupting of others;[548] as if he had hired thee to be a tutor in\nhis academy, or one of his preachers, to draw the minds of the hearers\nfrom modesty, and prepare them for the stews. Especially people can\nscarce have more dangerous wildfire cast into their fantasies, than by\nhearing rotten, filthy talk. And wilt thou be one of Venus's priests?\n\n_Direct._ IX. Remember how little need there is of thy endeavour. Are\nnot lust and filthiness so natural, and the minds of all unsanctified\nand uncleansed ones so prone to it, that they need no tutor, nor\ninstigator, nor pander to their lusts? This fire is easily kindled; the\nbellows of thy scurrility are needless to make such gunpowder burn.\n\n_Direct._ X. Presently lament before God and man the filthiness that\nthy tongue hath been guilty of, and wash heart and tongue in the blood\nof Christ; and fly from the company and converse of the obscene, as\nthou wouldst do from a pest-house, or any infectious, pestilential\nair. And if thou hear such rotten talk, reprove it, or be gone, and\nlet them see that thou hatest it, and fearest God.\n\n_Object._ But, saith the filthy mouth, I think no harm; may we not\njest and be merry?\n\n_Answ._ What! hast thou nothing to jest with but dung, and filth, and\nsin, and the defilement of souls, and the offending of God? Wouldst\nthou be unclean before the king, or cast dung in men's faces, and say,\nI think no harm, but am in jest?\n\n_Object._ But, saith he, those that are so demure, are as bad in\nsecret, and worse than we.\n\n_Answ._ What! is a chaste tongue a sign of an unchaste life? Then thou\nmayst as equally take a meek and quiet tongue to be a sign of an angry\nman; or a lying tongue to be a sign of a true man. Would the king take\nthat excuse from thee, if thou talk treason openly, and say, Those\nthat do not, are yet in secret as bad as I? I trow he would not take\nthat for an excuse.\n\n\n       _Tit._ 6. _Directions against profane Deriding, Scorning,\n                        or Opposing Godliness._\n\n[Sidenote: The explication.]\n\nTo prevent the replies or excuses of the scorner, I must here tell\nyou, 1. That by godliness I mean nothing but an entire devotedness to\nGod and living to him: the doctrine and practice which are agreeable\nto the holy Scripture. I mean no fancies of mistaken men, nor the\nprivate opinions of any sect; but the practice of Christianity itself.\n\n2. And yet I must tell you, that it is the common practice of these\nscorners to fasten more upon the concrete, than the abstract, the\nperson, than the bare doctrine, and to oppose godly persons as such,\nwhen yet they say that they oppose not godliness. The reasons of this\nare these: (1.) Because they dare be bolder with the person, than with\nthe rule and doctrine of God himself. If they scorn at the Bible, or\nat godliness directly, as such, they should so openly scorn at God\nhimself, that the world would cry shame on them, and conscience would\nworry them: but as godliness is in such a neighbour, or such a\npreacher, or such a man, so they think they may reverence it less, and\nthat what they do is against the person and not the thing.\n\n(2.) In men they have something else to pretend, to be the matter of\ntheir scorn. Godliness in men is latent, invisible, unprovable as to\nthe sincerity of it, and obscure as to the exercise. If he that\nscorneth a godly man say, He is not godly, but a hypocrite; in this\nworld there is no perfect justification to be had against such a\ncalumny; but the probable evidence of profession and a godly life is\nall that can be brought. But godliness, as it is in the Scripture,\nlieth open to the view of all, and cannot be denied there, but by\ndenying the Scriptures themselves.\n\n(3.) Godliness as in the rule of holy Scripture is perfect, without any\nblemish that may give a scorner a pretence; but godliness in men is very\nimperfect, and mixed with sins, with faults which the world may oft\ndiscern, and the godly themselves are forwardest to confess; and\ntherefore in them a scorner may find some plausible pretence. And when\nhe derideth these professors of godliness as being all hypocrites, he\nwill not instance in their virtues, but in their faults; as in Noah's\ndrunkenness, and Lot's incest, and David's adultery and murder, and\nPeter's denying Christ; yet so as the dart shall be cast at piety\nitself; and the conclusion shall not be, to drive men from drunkenness,\nadultery, or any sin, but from serious godliness itself.\n\n(4.) Godliness as in the rule, is to them a more unobserved dormant\nthing, and doth not so much annoy them; for they can shut their\nBibles, or make nothing of it, but as a few good words; but godliness\nin the godly, existent in their teachers and neighbours, is more\ndiscernible to them, and more active, and more troublesome to them,\nand so more hated by them. In a dead letter, or dead saint, that\ntroubleth them not, they can commend it; but in the living they are\nmolested by it; and the nearer it is to them, the more they are\nexasperated against it. The word is the seed of godliness; which least\noffendeth them, till it spring up and bring forth the fruit which\ncondemneth their wicked lives.\n\n3. And as opposers and scorners do usually strike at godliness through\nthe person and his faults, so they use to strike at the particular\nparts of God's worship, through some modes or circumstances, or\nimperfections of men in the performance. It is not preaching or\npraying that they scorn, if you believe them, but this or that manner\nor imperfection in preaching and praying. But the drift of all is,\nnot to help any man to do it better, but to make them odious that are\nmost serious in doing it at all, and thereby to persuade men that it\nis a needless thing.[549]\n\n4. Note also, that it is not the image or dead part of religion that\nthese men are most offended at and oppose; but it is the life, and\nzeal, and diligence of the godly. So that if they differ not from\nthemselves in profession about any doctrine or ceremony, yet they hate\nand scorn them for doing seriously the same which themselves\nhypocritically profess.\n\n5. Lastly, note also, that this is not a difference of one sect, or\nparty, or church against another, upon differing opinions; but it is\nthat which is among all parties within themselves, when there is any\nthing of serious religion to be found. Even among the papists there\nare some spiritual, serious, holy persons, who are derided and opposed\nby the profane that are of their own church. Yea, among the heathens,\nSeneca and others tell us, that strictness in moral virtue was made\nthe scorn of the rude and sensual sort of men. But though the quarrel\nbe but that which was taken up from the beginning between the woman's\nand the serpent's seed, yet in all countries where church differences\ncause contention, this serpentine enmity doth with serpentine subtilty\ncreep in and make advantage of them, and take up the nick-names, or\nsharper weapons, which differing christians form against each other,\nto strike at the heart of Christianity itself.[550]\n\n_Direct._ I. For the cure of those that are already infected with so\nheinous a sin, the chief direction is, to understand the greatness of\nit, and the miserable consequents: as followeth.\n\n1. Consider what it is that thou deridest. Dost thou know against what\nthou openest thy mouth? 1. Thou deridest or opposest men for loving\nGod with all their heart, and soul, and might: and dost thou not\nconfess that this is the duty of all men living? and that he is not\nworthy to be called a christian that loveth not God above all? Thou\ncanst not deny this. And yet wilt thou oppose it? Deny it not; for\nthis is the very thing that thou opposest; either men's loving God, or\nshowing their love to him. If thou didst but love him as much as they,\nthou wouldst seek and serve him as diligently as they. Dost thou not\nknow this thyself, that if thou didst love him with all thy heart, and\nsoul, and strength, thou wouldst seek, and serve, and obey him with\nall thy heart, and soul, and strength? If the godly do more than this,\nderide them and spare not. If they love God, and serve him with more\nthan all the heart, and soul, and might, then call them righteous\nover-much. If thou know any one that loveth God or serveth him more\nthan he deserveth, blame and oppose that man and spare not. Thou\nknowest that what thou lovest most, thou art diligent thyself in\nseeking and remembering. Thou labourest for money because thou lovest\nit: and they labour in seeking and serving God because they love him:\nand is it a work for any but a devil, to oppose or scorn men for; for\nloving or showing their love to God?\n\n2. Thou deridest men for delighting in that which is most delectable:\nfor delighting in high and heavenly knowledge, and in a holy state of\nsoul and life; and for delighting in the law of God, and meditating in\nit day and night, Psal. i. 2; and for delighting in holy prayer, and\nthe praises of their Maker; and for delighting in the forethoughts and\nmention of eternal joys, and making their calling and election sure.\nWhat is it but the exercise of these holy desires and delights which\nthou deridest? And wouldst thou not be as serious in religion and\nholiness as they, if thou hadst as much of these delights as they?\nCanst thou sit at thy pots, or follow thy game or sports, or talk of\nvanity many hours together, because thou delightest in them? and yet\ndost thou deride those that pray or hear God's word opened to them\nmany hours, because it is their delight? O poor souls! how quickly and\nhow terribly will God acquaint thee, whether their delights or thine\nwere the more rational and just! and whether their work or thine was\nfitter to be derided!\n\n3. Thou scornest men for paying but what they owe to the God that\ncreated and redeemed them. Are they not his own? and did he not give\nthem all their parts and powers? and are not all their abilities and\npossessions his? What have they which they received not of him? And is\nthis thy justice and honesty, to deride men for offering to pay their\ndebts, and to give God his own? If thou know any one that giveth him\nmore than he oweth him, deride that superstitious, over-righteous man,\nand spare not. But if men should not be derided for paying their debts\nto thee, deride not men for paying their debt to God, and giving him\nthat which is his own. As we must give to C\u00e6sar that which is C\u00e6sar's,\nso we must give that to God also which is God's.\n\n4. Thou deridest servants for obeying diligently their highest Master;\nand for doing diligently the greatest, best, and needfullest work in\nall the world. And is this a good example for thy own servants? Sure\nif a man should be mocked for serving God, he should be mocked more\nfor serving such a one as thee. Dost thou know where we may find a\nbetter master, whom we may serve with better encouragement than God?\nHe hath made us his stewards, and trusted us with his goods, and dost\nthou scorn us for being faithful in our stewardship? Thou deridest his\nsubjects for obeying the King of all the world; and is this a good\nexample to the king's subjects? should it be a matter of scorn to obey\nthe king? or dost thou think that God's authority is less? or\nobedience to him less commendable?\n\n5. Nay, thou deridest men for doing but some part of their duty, and\ndischarging but a little of their debt. For the holiest man whom thou\nderidest for doing too much, doth less than what he ought to do. Thou\nknowest that the best of men do love God and serve him less than he\ndeserveth; and that the carefullest come short of the perfect keeping\nof his laws; and yet wilt thou scorn men for doing so much, when they\nknow, and thou confessest, that they do too little? Could they do all,\nthey did but their duty, Luke xvii. 10.\n\n6. Thou scornest men because they will not set up themselves, their own\nwit, and will, against their Maker. God hath commanded them to \"give all\ndiligence to make their calling and election sure,\" 2 Pet. i. 10; and to\n\"strive to enter in at the strait gate,\" Matt. vii. 13; and \"day and\nnight to meditate in his law,\" Psal. i. 2; and to love him with all\ntheir heart and might; and to \"pray continually,\" 1 Thess. v. 17. And\nthou deridest men for obeying these commands! Why, what wouldst thou\nhave us do, man? should we tell God that we are wiser than he? and that\nhe shall not have his will, but we will have our own? and that we know a\nbetter way than he hath appointed us? and that he is mistaken, and would\ndeceive us by his laws? Wouldst thou have men thus to be voluntarily\nmad, and profess themselves open rebels against God?\n\n7. Thou scornest men because they trust him that is truth and goodness\nitself. We cannot imagine that he can deceive us by his word, or that\nhe maketh any law for us that is not good, or requireth any duty of us\nthat shall be to our hurt, or that we shall be losers by.[551] And\ntherefore we resolve to obey him as carefully as we can, because we\nare confident that goodness itself will not abuse us, and truth itself\nwill not deceive us: and is this a matter to be scorned for? should\nnot children trust their father?\n\n8. Thou deridest men for not sinning against their certain knowledge\nand experience. They know that a holy life is best, though thou dost\nnot; they know the reasonableness of it; they know the sweetness of\nit; they know the necessity of it.[552] And must they renounce their\nown understandings? must they be ignorant because thou art ignorant?\nand put out their eyes because thou art blind? Is it a crime for men\nto be wiser than thou? and that in the matters of God and their\nsalvation? They have tried what a holy life is, and so hast not thou.\nThey have tried what a life of faith and obedience is: and must they\nrenounce their own experience? Must they that have tasted it say honey\nis bitter, because thou that never didst taste it sayest so? Alas,\nwhat unreasonable men have we to deal with!\n\n9. Thou opposest and scornest men for loving themselves; yea, for\nloving their soul, and taking care of its health and welfare. For how\ncan a man truly love himself, and not love his soul which is himself?\nAnd how can a man love his soul, and not prefer it before the low\nconcernments of his flesh? and not take the greatest care of its\ngreatest everlasting happiness? Can a man truly love himself, and yet\ndamn himself, or lose the little time in which he must, if ever, work\nout his salvation? You will not scorn him that is careful of your\nchildren, or your very cattle? You love them, and therefore are\ncareful of them yourselves. And shall not he that loveth his soul be\ncareful of it? To love ourselves is natural to us as men: and how\nshall he love his neighbour that loveth not himself?\n\n10. Thou scornest men because they love heaven above earth, and\nbecause they are desirous to live for ever with God and all the holy\nhosts of heaven. For what is it that these men do so diligently, but\nseek to be saved? What do they but \"seek first the kingdom of God, and\nhis righteousness?\" \"and labour for the meat\" that perisheth not, John\nvi. 27; and lay up their \"treasure in heaven,\" Matt. vi. 20; and set\ntheir \"hearts there,\" ver. 21; \"and seek the things that are above,\nand have their conversation in heaven,\" Col. iii. 1-3; Phil. iii. 19,\n20. And if it be so scornful a matter to seek for heaven, sure thou\nnever thinkest of coming to heaven thyself; unless thou think to come\nthither by scorning at the seekers of it.\n\n11. Thou deridest men because they are unwilling to be damned, and\nunwilling to do that which they know would damn them; or to neglect\nthat without which there is no hope of escaping hell. They believe the\nthreatenings of God, and therefore they think no pains too great to\nescape his wrath. They think a holy life is both a necessary and an\neasy way to prevent everlasting torment: but if thou think otherwise,\nkeep thy opinion till grace or hell shall make thee wiser; and mock\nnot at a man that will not play with his own damnation, and leap into\nhell as desperately as thyself.\n\n12. Thou deridest men because they will not be the voluntary destroyers\nof themselves. Were it not enough for thee to betray them unto others?\nor to murder any of thy neighbours thyself? but thou must wish them to\ndo it with their own hands, and deride them if they will not? O cruel\nmonster! that wouldst wish a man to lie in the fire of hell for\nevermore! and to go thither wilfully of his own accord! which is ten\nthousand times worse than to wish him to cut his own throat. Dost thou\nsay, God forbid! I desire no such thing. Why, man, dost thou do thou\nknowest not what? Doth not he tempt a man to be hanged, that tempteth\nhim to kill and steal? When the righteous God hath unchangeably\ndetermined in his law, that \"without holiness none shall see God, and\nthat Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to them that\nobey not his gospel, and that all they shall be damned that obey not the\ntruth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness;\"[553] when God hath\nresolved that hell shall be the wages of ungodliness, dost thou not\ndesire them to damn themselves, when thou desirest them to be ungodly?\nIf thou believe that there is any hell at all, then tell me what it is\npossible for any man to do, to murder his soul and damn himself, but\nonly to be ungodly? If this way do it not, there is no danger of any\nother. Tell me, dost thou think the devil deserveth to be called a\nmurderer of souls? If not, it seems thou wilt openly take the devil's\npart; but if he do deserve it, then the reason of all the world be\njudge, whether that man deserve it not much more, that will do much more\nagainst himself, than the devil ever did or can do? The devil can but\ntempt, but thou wouldst have men do the thing that he tempts them to,\nand actually to sin, and neglect a holy life. And which is the worse, he\nthat doth the evil, or he that only persuadeth them to it? If the devil\nbe called, \"Our adversary, that like a roaring lion goeth about night\nand day seeking whom he may devour,\" 1 Pet. v. 8, what should that man\nbe called that doth far more against himself, than all the devils in\nhell do against him? Sure he is a devourer or destroyer of himself. Tell\nme, thou distracted scorner! is the devil's work, thinkest thou, good or\nbad? If it be good, take thy part of it, and boast of it when thou seest\nthe end. If it be bad, (to deceive souls and entice them to sin and\nhell,) why wouldst thou have men do worse by themselves? He that sinneth\ndoth worse than he that tempteth. Tell me, what way doth the devil take\nto do men hurt, and damn their souls, but only by drawing them to sin?\nHe hath no other way in the world to undo any man, but by tempting him\nto that which thou temptest men to; even to sin against God and to\nneglect a holy life. So that it is plain that thou scornest and opposest\nmen because they will not be worse than devils to themselves.\n\n13. Moreover thou opposest men for not forsaking God! What is it to\nforsake God, but to refuse to love, and honour, and obey him, as God?\nHe hath told us himself that \"he that cometh to God must believe that\nGod is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him,\"\nHeb. xi. 6. And is it not this diligent seeking him that thou\nderidest? It is plain then that thou wouldst scorn men away from God,\nand have them forsake him as thou hast done.\n\n14. Thou scornest men for not being hypocrites; because they will be\nthat in good earnest which thou hypocritically callest thyself, and\nwouldst be thought. Thou callest thyself a christian; and what is it\nbut for being serious christians that thou deridest them? Thou takest\non thee to believe in God; and what is it but for obeying and serving\nGod that thou deridest them? Thou takest on thee to believe the\nScripture to be the word of God; and what is it but for following the\nholy Scriptures that thou deridest them? Thou sayest thou believest\nthe communion of saints; and deridest them that hold the communion of\nsaints in practice. Thou sayest thou believest that Christ shall judge\nthe world; and yet scornest them that are serious in preparing for his\njudgment. Thou prayest that God's name may be hallowed, and his\nkingdom come, and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven; and\nyet thou deridest them that hallow his name, and are subjects of his\nkingdom, and endeavour to do his will. O wretched hypocrite! And yet\nthat tongue of thine pretendeth that it is their hypocrisy for which\nthou hatest and deridest them, when thou dost it because they be not\nsuch blind and senseless hypocrites as thyself! Can there be grosser\nhypocrisy in the world, than to hate and scorn the serious practice of\nthy own profession? and the diligent living according to that which\nthy own tongue professeth to believe? If thou say that it is for doing\ntoo much, and being too strict, I answer thee, if it be not the will\nof God that they do, though I would not deride them, I would seek to\nchange them as well as thou! But if it be the will of God, then tell\nme, dost thou think they do more than those that are in heaven do? or\ndo they live more strictly than those in heaven? If they do, then\noppose them and spare not. If not, why prayest thou that God's will\nmay be done on earth as it is in heaven?\n\n15. Thou deridest men for doing that which they were made for, and that\nwhich they have their reason, and will, and all their faculties for;\ntake them off this, and they are good for nothing: a beast is good to\nserve man, and the plants to feed him; but what is man good for, or what\nwas he made for, but to serve his Maker? And dost thou scorn him for\nthat which he came into the world for? Thou mayst as well hate a knife\nbecause it can cut, or a scythe for mowing, or a clock for telling the\nhour of the day, when it was made for nothing else.\n\n16. Thou deridest men for being saved by Christ, and for imitating his\nexample. What came Christ for into the world but to \"destroy the works\nof the devil,\" 1 John iii. 8; and to \"save his people from their sins,\"\nMatt. i. 21; and to \"redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself\na peculiar people zealous of good works?\" Tit. ii. 42. And hath Christ,\nto the astonishment of men and angels, come down into flesh, and lived\namong men, and given them his holy doctrine and example, and suffered\ndeath for them, and all this but to bring men to zealous purity, and\ndarest thou make a scorn of it after this? What is this but to scorn thy\nSaviour, and scorn all the work of redemption, and tread under foot the\nSon of God, and despise his blood, his life, and precepts?\n\n17. Thou scornest men for being renewed and sanctified by the Holy\nGhost. What is the work of the Holy Ghost on us, but to sanctify us?\nand what is it to sanctify us, but to cleanse us from sin, and cause\nus entirely to devote our souls and lives to God? Dost thou believe in\nthe Holy Ghost, or not? If thou do, what is that but to believe in him\nas the sanctifier of God's elect? And what didst thou take\nsanctification to be, but this purity and holiness of heart and life?\nand yet darest thou deride it?\n\n18. Thou deridest men for imitating those ancient saints, whose names\nthou seemest thyself to honour, and in honour of whom thou keepest\nholidays. Thou takest on thee to honour the names of Peter, and Paul,\nand Stephen, and John; of Augustine, Hierom, Chrysostom, and other\nsuch saints of God; and yet wilt thou make a scorn of those that\nstrive to imitate them? Search and see; if any of these men did, after\ntheir conversion, live in luxury, carding, dicing, profaneness, and if\nany of them were against a holy life, against much praying, hearing,\nreading the Scriptures, meditating, exact obedience to God; then let\nnot the shame be thine, but mine. He that is most unlike them, let him\nhave the scorn.\n\n19. Thou deridest men for repenting of their former sin, and for\naccepting that mercy which Christ hath purchased, and God hath offered\nthem, and sent his messengers to entreat them to accept. Can they repent\nof their former ungodliness, and not turn from it and amend? If thou\nknewest what they know, thou wouldst repent thyself, and not deride men\nfor repenting: if thou knewest the gift of God, thou wouldst beg it, and\ngladly accept of it thyself, and not deride them that accept it.\n\n20. Thou scornest men for keeping that covenant, which thou also\nmadest with God in thy baptism thyself. At the same time thou speakest\nagainst the anabaptists, that will not have their children baptized,\nand deridest those that keep their covenant, which in baptism they\nmade. What a monster of contradictions is an ungodly hypocrite! Didst\nthou not in baptism renounce the flesh, the world, and the devil, and\ngive up thyself in covenant to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?\nAnd dost thou not yet know what thou didst? but scorn them that\nperform it? What is it to be given up to God in baptism, but to take\nhim for thy God, thy Saviour, and Sanctifier, whom thou must love, and\nseek, and obey in holiness, with all thy heart, and soul, and might?\nHe is a covenant-breaker indeed, that hates the keeping of it.\n\nI have hitherto been showing thee what it is that thou opposest and\nderidest: I shall now tell thee further what thou dost, in showing\nthee the aggravations of the sin, and its importance.\n\n2. Consider in all this, what an open enemy thou art to God, and an\nopen soldier for the devil: what canst thou do more against God, and\ndo thy worst, than make a scorn of all his work and servants? He\nfeareth not thy power or rage; thou canst not hurt him. How many\nmillions of such worms as thou can he tread to hell, or destroy in a\nmoment! It is in his servants and service that he is honoured or\nopposed here, and that mortals show their love or hatred to him. And\nhow canst thou devise, if thou wouldst do thy worst, to serve the\ndevil more notoriously, than by opposing and deriding the service of\nGod? If such be not Satan's servants, he hath none.\n\n3. Consider what a terrible badge of misery thou carriest about thee!\nthou bearest the mark of Satan, death, and hell in thy forehead, as it\nwere. If there were any doubt whether a swearer, or drunkard, or\nfornicator may be in a state of grace, yet it is past all doubt that a\nscorner of godliness is not: it were strange indeed for that man to be\nholy that derideth holiness: there is scarce any sort of men in the\nworld, that are more undoubtedly in a state of damnation than thou\nart. It is dark to us what God will do with infidels, and heathens\nthat never had the means of salvation; but what he will do with all\nthe unbelieving and ungodly that have had the means, we know past\ndoubt; much more what he will do with those, that are not only void of\nholiness, but deride it. I deny not but yet if thou be converted thou\nmayst be saved: and oh that God would \"give thee repentance to the\nacknowledging of the truth,\" that thou mightest escape out of the\ndevil's snares, who leads thee captive at his will, 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26.\nIt is written of Basil, that by his prayers he caused the devil to\ngive back a writing, by which a wretched man had sold his soul to him,\nthat he might enjoy his master's daughter; and that the man repented\nand was delivered: if thou mayst be so recovered it will be a happy\nday for thee. But till then it is as sure as the Scripture is sure,\nthat thou art a miserable creature, and an undone man if thou die in\nthat condition that thou art in. Oh with what fear shouldst thou rise\nand lie down, if thou hadst thy wits about thee, lest thou shouldst\ndie before thou art converted.[554]\n\n4. To scorn at holiness is a defiance of grace, as if thou didst\nrenounce God's mercy: thou dost thy worst to drive away all hope, and\nmake thy case uncurable and desperate. For if ever thou be saved, it\nmust be by this grace and holy life which thou deridest: and is\nscorning grace the way to get it? And is it likely that the Holy Ghost\nwill come and dwell in the man that scorneth his sanctifying works?\n\n5. To scorn at godliness, is a daring of God to give over his\npatience, and presently to execute his vengeance on thee! Canst thou\nwonder if he should make thee a monument of his justice, and set thee\nup for all others to take warning by? Who is fitter for this, than the\nscornful opposers of his grace and service? Hasten not vengeance, man;\nit will come time enough. Will a worm defy the God of heaven?\n\n6. How little dost thou understand of all that thou opposest! Didst thou\never try a holy life? If thou hadst, thou wouldst not speak against it;\nif thou hast not, art thou not ashamed to speak evil of that which thou\ndost not understand? It is a thing that none can thoroughly know without\nexperience: try it awhile, and then speak thy mind.\n\n7. Didst thou ever consider how many judgments are against thee, and\nwhom thou dost contradict and scorn? (1.) If thou scorn at serious\ngodliness, at preaching, hearing, reading, praying, meditating, and\nstrict avoiding sin, thou contradictest God himself; for none in all\nthe world is so holy, or so much for holiness, as he: and therefore\nultimately, it is him that all thy malice is against; even God the\nFather, and the Redeemer, and the Sanctifier. (2.) Thou settest\nthyself against all the evidence of Scripture; (3.) And against all\nthe works of God: for all conspire to call the world to holiness and\nstrict obedience to God. (4.) And thou contradictest all the prophets\nand apostles, and all the ancient fathers of the church; and all the\nmartyrs and saints of God that were ever in the world; and all the\nlearned faithful ministers and pastors of the church that are or have\nbeen; and all the godly throughout the world; and all that ever had\nexperience of a holy life: and what art thou, that thou shouldst scorn\nall these? Art thou wiser than all the ministers and godly persons in\nthe world? than all the apostles and holy martyrs of Christ, that ever\nwere? yea, than God himself?\n\n8. Didst thou ever mark how unlike the speech of Christ and his\napostles was to thine? Did they deride men for being too diligent, for\nthe pleasing of God and saving of their souls? Read but these places\nfollowing and judge: Matt. v. 8, 11, 20; vi. 21, 33; vii. 13, 14; 1\nPet. iv. 18; 2 Pet. iii. 11; i. 10; Heb. xi. 6; Matt. v.; Rom. viii.\n1, 5-9, 13; Phil. iii. 18, 19; Heb. xii. 28, 29.\n\n9. Dost thou not thyself do as much for the world, as those that thou\nopposest do for heaven? Art thou offended that they preach and pray so\nlong? Art not thou longer about thy worldly business? And are not\ngallants longer at a feast, or visit, or games and recreations? Art\nthou offended that they talk so much of heaven? And dost not thou talk\nmore of earth? And which of these dost thou think in thy conscience,\ndoth better deserve to be sought and talked of? Which will prove\nbetter at the last? And whose labour will be more worthy of derision?\n\n10. What gain would it be to thee if thou hadst thy will, and praying,\nand preaching, and holiness were as much banished from the world as\nthou wouldst have it? and if men to please thee should displease God,\nand cast away their souls for ever? Would it do thee good for earth to\nbe so like to hell? It is the grief of godly men already, to think how\nlittle holiness is in the world: there is scarce a sadder thought that\never came into my heart, than to survey all the nations of the earth;\nand to think how ignorance and ungodliness abound, and how few there\nbe that are truly holy; and what an inhuman creature is that who yet\nwould have them fewer; and scorn out of the world the little wisdom\nand piety that is left![555]\n\nAnd would it be any pleasure to thee in hell, if men should accompany\nthee thither to humour thee? Nay, it would be thy everlasting torment,\nto see there so many for ever undone, by hearkening to thy wicked\ncounsel. Say not, that thou art not so cruel, and it is not their\ndamnation that thou desirest: no more is it thy own that thou\ndesirest; but all is one as to the effect, if thou desire the way to\nit. Thou mayst as well give one man poison, and deride at another for\neating and drinking, and yet say, it is not your death that I desire.\nBut die they must, if they are ruled by thee.\n\n11. Were not he a cruel man that would not do as much for the saving\nof his neighbour's soul, as that which thou deridest them for in the\nsaving of their own? If thou wert sick, should I refuse to pray for\nthy life? Or if I knew that it might save another's soul, should I\nthink any means or pains too much? If not, methinks I may be allowed\nto do as much for myself, as charity bids me do for another.\n\n12. Is it a season to mock at holiness, when at the same time there are\nso many millions of souls in heaven that all came thither by the way of\nholiness? and so many millions of souls in hell that all came thither\nfor want of holiness? and while thou art prating against it, they are\ncrying out in despair of the folly of their neglecting it? Would one of\nthe souls in heaven regard thy mocks if he were to live on earth again?\nOr would one of the souls in hell be mocked thither, if they were but\ntried with another life? If thou sawest at this hour, what unholy souls\nin hell are suffering, and what holy souls in heaven enjoy, wouldst thou\never mock again at holiness? For shame consider what thou dost; and see\nby faith the things that mortal eyes behold not.\n\n13. What if men should yield unto thy derisions, and forsake a holy\nlife to please thee? Wouldst thou undertake to justify them or be\nanswerable for them before that God, that required holiness, and will\ncondemn all the unholy? Wouldst thou bring them off, and save them\nfrom damnation? Alas! poor soul, how unable wilt thou be to save\nthyself! And wilt thou take them for wise men, if they displease the\nLord, and go to hell to humour such a one as thou?\n\n14. Thou wilt not thyself be mocked out of thy house, or land, or right,\nnor from thy meat, or drink, or rest: wouldst thou cast these away, if\nanother should mock but thee for using them? I think thou wouldst not.\nAnd wouldst thou have wise men be mocked out of their salvation?\n\n15. Thou wouldst not think it reasonable that thy children or servants\nbe derided for loving or obeying thee? or thy very horse dispraised\nfor serving thee? And do they owe thee more, than we all owe God?\n\n16. God highly honoureth them and dearly loveth them, for that very\nthing that thou hatest and deridest them for. John xvi. 27, and xiv.\n21, \"He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that\nloveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father: and I\nwill love him, and will manifest myself to him.\" Psal. xi. 7, \"The\nrighteous Lord loveth righteousness: his countenance doth behold the\nupright.\" Psal. cxlvi. 8, \"The Lord loveth the righteous.\" 2 Cor. vi.\n16-19, \"For ye are the temple of the living God: as God hath said, I\nwill dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and\nthey shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye\nseparate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will\nreceive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons\nand daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.\" And darest thou scorn the\nsons and daughters of the Almighty? even for that very thing for which\nhe hath promised to receive them, and to be a Father to them? How\ncontrary then art thou to God! Mal. iii. 16-18, \"A book of remembrance\nwas written for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his name;\nand they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I\nmake up my jewels: and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son\nthat serveth him:\" and darest thou scorn God's jewels, and those that\nare thus precious to him? \"For them that honour me I will honour, and\nthey that despise me shall be lightly esteemed,\" 1 Sam. ii. 30. And\nwilt thou be one of his despisers, opposing that in others, for which\nGod himself hath promised to honour them?\n\n17. To hate and scorn at holiness, is to hate and scorn at God's own\nimage; and the clearest image of God that is under heaven; even that\nwhich Christ came down from heaven to give us the first draught of;\neven that copy of the holy life of Christ, which by the Spirit of God\nis drawn upon the heart.[556] And he that scorneth at this image of\nGod, doth scorn at the Holy Ghost that made it, and scorn at Christ\nwho gave us the first pattern, and scorn at God himself whose image it\nis. Saith Chrysostom, God is loved and hated in his servants, as a\nking is honoured or despised in his image. And he that dare scorn God,\nand scorn Jesus Christ, and scorn the Holy Ghost, in the image of God\nupon his children, methinks should never have the face once to expect\nto be saved by the God that he doth scorn.\n\n18. Thou art the shame of human nature; and makest man so like a\ndevil, that it is hard to prove that the devils can do much worse than\nthou.[557] Can there be a greater sin, than for a creature to scorn\nand deride the image and laws of his Creator? and hate and oppose, or\npersecute men for obeying him, and seeking to please him, and to save\ntheir souls? What couldst thou do worse if thou wouldst study to be as\nbad as thou canst? What a shame it is to thy understanding to be so\nblind! and to thy heart to be so wicked! It were not half so great a\nshame to scorn the sun for shining, or the earth for bearing fruit;\nfor though these are God's creatures, yet they bear not the image of\nhis holiness as his children do. When he will condemn men at last it\nwill be upon this account. Matt. xxv. 40, 45, \"Verily I say unto you,\nInasmuch as you did it not (or did it) to one of the least of these\n(my brethren) ye did it not (or did it) unto me.\" Oh wonderful, that\nthe nature of man can ever come to this, to hate, and oppose, and\nscorn the image and obedience of his Maker, and make a mock of the\nholiness of God! It is a great question whether the very tempting men\nto such sins as these be not the devil's greatest sin: and to commit\nit is worse than to tempt thee to commit it (_c\u00e6teris paribus_). And\nfor a man that hath a Saviour offered him, thus to scorn his Saviour's\ngrace, and mock his servants, must needs be far worse than for the\ndevil to do it who hath no Saviour, no pardon offered, and no hope,\nbut is shut up under endless desperation: as it is worse for a child\nto curse his father, or scorn him, than for an enemy to do it. Think\nand tremble, how near this deriding or opposing the work of the Holy\nGhost, doth come to the unpardonable blasphemy against him.[558]\n\n19. What villany may not be expected from thee, that canst commit such\na sin as this? May not thy neighbour look for any mischief that thy\ncarnal interest shall lead thee to do against him? Is it any wrong to\nthee to think that thou art a thief, a murderer, a whoremonger, a\ndeceiver, unless it be for want of a temptation to commit them; or\nthat thou wouldst be a traitor against thy king and country; or\nperfidious to thy truest friend, if thou wert tempted to it; when thou\nscornest men for obeying God himself?[559] Can that man stick at any\nwickedness that he is equally tempted to, who dare scorn his Maker,\nthe Redeemer, and the Sanctifier; and spit contempt upon holiness\nitself, the image of his Judge? For my part, if ever I trust thee or\nany such man as thou, with life or liberty, or with the worth of a\ngroat, it shall be thy interest and not thy honesty and conscience\nthat I will trust; I will trust thee little further than I would trust\nthe devil himself that governs thee.\n\n20. Lastly, consider what thou wilt think of thyself for this at death\nand judgment.[560] Will it comfort thee when thou art going to be\njudged of God, to think that thou art now going into the presence of\nthat God whom thou wast wont to scorn? When thou seest Christ come\nwith thousands of his holy angels to judge the world, will it comfort\nthee to think, this is he whose holy life, and precepts, and servants\nI mocked or persecuted on earth? Now I must be judged by him that I\nderided. Oh dreadful case! for a scorner or persecutor of godliness,\nto go to be judged by that holy God whose ways he scorned and\npersecuted![561] If you say, It was not Christ but a man that you\nderided; see Matt. xxv. 40, 45; Luke xix. 27; Acts ix. 4, \"Saul, Saul,\nwhy persecutest thou me?\" If thou scorn a child for that in which he\nresembleth, imitateth, or obeyeth his Father, thou wilt find in the\nday of judgment to thy woe, that it was the Father himself that was\nthe utmost and principal object of thy scorn. Then I had rather be the\nvilest toad than such a man. Then wilt thou stand to what thou saidst?\nWilt thou then maintain thy slanders and reproach? Wilt thou then\ncondemn or scorn the godly, when thou seest them justified at Christ's\nright hand, or glorified with him in heaven? No! as Mal. iii. 18, when\nGod makes up his jewels, \"then shall ye return and discern between the\nrighteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that\nserveth him not.\" Then how gladly would you eat all the words of\nreproach and scorn, that ever you uttered against a saint; and wish\nthat you had never spoken them! I tell you it is an unseemly thing for\nthe same man now to scorn at godliness, who will so speedily tremble\nbefore the righteous God in the remembrance of it!\n\nI have thought these discoveries of the horridness of this sin, to be\nthe best directions against it; for as it is a sin thou gettest\nnothing by, so it is a sin that thou mayst easily leave if thou be\nwilling. But for those that are yet but in the way to it, or in danger\nof it, I shall add these further directions to keep them from so\ndesperate a wickedness.\n\n_Direct._ I. Avoid the company of those distracted men, that dare\nrevile the servants and ways of God. There is that in your corrupted\nnatures, which will incline you to imitate the most horrid blasphemies\nif you often hear them. We have seen it in our days, that in imitation\nof others, men have been drawn to sins not to be named: to drink\nhealths to the devil, to make \"God damn me\" an ordinary by-word. Be\nnot therefore companions of them.\n\n_Direct._ II. Take heed of sinning yourselves into blindness of mind\nand hardness of heart. Forsake not God, lest you be forsaken by him.\nIt is men forsaken of God that ordinarily come to this desperate\ndegree of sin: insomuch that the book of Homilies thus describing them\nsaith, \"The third sort he calleth scorners, that is, a sort of men\nwhose hearts are so stuffed with malice, that they are not contented\nto dwell in sin, and to lead their lives in all kind of wickedness,\nbut also they do contemn and scorn in others, all godliness, true\nreligion, all honesty and virtue. Of the two first sorts of men, I\nwill not say but they may take repentance and be converted unto God:\nof the third sort, I think I may without danger of God's judgment\npronounce, that never any yet were converted unto God by repentance,\nbut continued still in their abominable wickedness, heaping up to\nthemselves damnation against the day of God's inevitable\njudgment.\"[562] Though I take this to be too severe, yet it is the\njudgment of the church of England, and terrible to scorners that\nprofess their assent to it.\n\n_Direct._ III. Take heed of scorning at the very circumstances or\nmodes of worship which you dislike; for such scorns come so near to\nthe worship itself, that the minds of the hearers may easily be hence\ndrawn to dishonour the substance for the sake of the derided mode or\ncircumstance; and it plainly savoureth of a bold profaneness, which\ngrave and sober christians do abhor. In the case of idolatry, or\nwhere the very substance of the worship is impious and forbidden, I\ndeny not but Elias may (sometimes, and with wariness) be imitated, who\nderided Baal's priests: but to do thus upon smaller differences in the\nmanner or circumstances of worship, is the way to teach men to turn\nall religion into matter of derision and contempt. If you see about\nthe king some circumstance of clothing, ornament, or attendance of his\nfollowers, which you dislike or judge ridiculous, if you look toward\nhim with a scornful laughter, it will not excuse you to say, I laughed\nnot at the king, but at such or such a thing about him; for his\npresence should have restrained you from that which seemeth to be a\nderiding of him. So here, I know you will say, It is not at God's\nworship, but at such words or gestures of the minister that I scorn:\nbut take heed of dallying with holy things; play not so near the\nconsuming fire; give not others occasion to deride the thing itself by\nyour deriding the circumstances, though they were unapt. Have we not\nseen, while factious christians raise jests, and nicknames, and scorns\nagainst each other, how the profane and common enemies of religion do\ntake them up, and turn them against all serious godliness, to the\ntrouble of others and their own damnation?[563] And we have had\nexperience in these contentious times, that it is the sectaries and\nthe profane that are apt to use these scoffs and scorns against the\nthings and persons that they mislike; and that sober, peaceable,\njudicious men of all sides do abhor it. How unsavoury and profane have\nall sober men thought it, when they heard some young and hot-brained\npersons mocking at the Common-prayer by the name of Pottage, and at\nthe surplice by the name of The whore of Babylon's smock! And from\nhence the same spirit led them as proudly and bitterly to deride at\nministers, universities, learning, temples, tithes, and all the\nappurtenances of worship; yea, at the Lord's day, and singing psalms,\nand preaching, and almost all the duties of religion: for when once\nmen will pretend to strive for God, with the spirit and weapons of\nSatan, and the world, and flesh, there is no stop till they come to\nthe bottom of impiety, and do Satan's work in Satan's way: and so on\nthe other side, while some have too reproachfully scorned such, as\nPrecisians or Puritans, who differed from them about the form of\nchurch government and ceremonies, the rabble of the profane soon got\nadvantage by it, and turned these words to so common and bitter\nreproaches of the godly, sober, peaceable people of the land, that Mr.\nRobert Bolton saith, \"I am persuaded there was never poor persecuted\nword, since malice against God first seized on the damned angels, and\nthe graces of heaven dwelt in the heart of man, that passed through\nthe mouths of all sorts of unregenerate men, with more distastefulness\nand gnashing of teeth, than the name of Puritan doth at this day;\nwhich, notwithstanding as it is now commonly meant, and ordinarily\nproceeds from the spleen and spirit of profaneness and good\nfellowship, is an honourable nickname, that I may so speak, of\nchristianity and grace.\"[564] See more cited out of him, and Bishop\nDownam, Bishop Abbot, &c. in my \"Formal Hypocrite,\" p. 210, 212, &c.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Be very fearful of making the persons of the godly\ncontemptible, though for their real faults, lest the ungodly easily\nstep thence to the contempt of godliness itself. For it is easy to\nobserve how commonly the vulgar judge of the doctrine and religion by\nthe person that professeth it. If a papist or a sectary live a holy\nlife, take heed of making a scorn at their persons, notwithstanding\nthou takest the rise of thy derision from their mistakes; for even a\nmistaking saint is dearly beloved and honoured of God; and wherever\nholiness is, it is the most great, resplendent, and predominant thing\nin him that hath it;[565] and therefore puts a greater honour on him,\nthan any mistake or infirmity can dishonour him: as the person of a\nking must not be dishonoured by a reproachful mention of his\ninfirmities, lest it reflect upon his office; so neither must the\nperson of a holy man, lest it reflect on his religion. Not that any\nman's person should credit or secure his faults, nor that we should\njudge of the faults or manners by the men, instead of judging of the\nmen by their manners; but you must judge of them by that which is\npredominant; and so blame their faults, as to preserve the honour of\ntheir virtues and religion, and of their persons for their virtues'\nsake. So blame the falls of Noah, and Lot, and David, and Peter, as\nmay make the sin more odious, but not so as may make their persons\ncontemptible, lest it make their religion next to be contemned. Mark\nhere the difference between the mentioning of good men's falls by the\ngodly and by the ungodly. The godly mention them to make sin appear a\nthing more to be feared and watched against, and holiness to appear\nmore excellent and necessary; but the ungodly mention them (and read\nthem in Scripture) to make themselves believe that sin is not so bad\nand dangerous a thing as preachers tell them; and that holiness doth\nbut little differ from a fleshly life.\n\n_Direct._ V. Judge not of God's servants barely by report, without\nsome considerable acquaintance with them. I cannot remember one of a\nmultitude of the enemies, scorners, and persecutors of godliness,\ngreat or small, high or low, but such as never had the happiness to be\nwell acquainted with them, by any familiarity, or observation of the\nsecret passages of their lives; but usually they are such as know them\nbut by report, or by sight, or small acquaintance. And if they did but\nlive with them in the same houses, or were of their familiarity, it\nwere the likeliest way to change their minds and speeches; unless\ntheir acquaintance were only with some of the more ignorant,\npassionate, or distempered sort of christians.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Take heed of uncharitableness and malice against any; but\nespecially the servants of Christ. For this blinds the judgment, and\nmads men with a venomous kind of passion, and will make them scorn and\nrage against the most holy servants of the Lord. The least true love to\na christian, as a christian, would do much to the cure of all this sin.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Take heed of being engaged in a sect or faction, and\ntake heed of the carnal zeal of schism, and of the spirit of faction,\nwhich ordinarily makes men think it lawful, if not necessary, to scorn\nthe persons that seem against them, that so they may disable them from\nhindering the interest of their cause or party. Thus papists, and\nthus--the factious ones of every party, think that their revilings are\nbut the necessary disarming of the enemies of God (for such all must\nseem that differ from them); and a stripping them of that honour by\nwhich they might do hurt. Thus good is pretended for the most odious\nevil, and God is set up against that love which is the fulfilling of\nhis law; and made the patron of the scorners of his children; but\nsurely he scorneth the scorners, Prov. iii. 34.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Take heed of error and infidelity: for if the\nunderstanding be once deluded, and take religion itself to be but a\ndeceit or fancy, and godliness to be but conceit and hypocrisy, no\nwonder if it be made a scorn by such. And such scorners will justify\nthemselves in it, and think they do no harm; so great a plague is a\nblinded mind.\n\nI have said less against this devilish sin than the nature of it\nrequireth, because I have already said so much, especially in three\ntreatises, viz. \"The vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite;\" that\ncalled \"Now or Never;\" and \"A Saint or a Brute.\"\n\nI conclude with these earnest requests to the godly: 1. Give men no\noccasion of scorn by your imprudence, scandal, selfishness, or\npassions, as you tender the honour of God and men's salvation. As\nChrysostom saith, \"As he that beareth the king's standard in fight had\nneed to be well guarded, so he that carrieth the name and profession\nof God and godliness.\"[566] 2. Be not discouraged by scorners: these\nare but easy in comparison of what Christ suffered for you, and what\nthe scorners themselves must suffer.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[474] See the directions for holy conference, part ii. ch. 10.\n\n[475] Psal. lvii. 8; xvi. 9; xxx. 12.\n\n[476] Matt. vii. 16-18; xii. 33, 34.\n\n[477] Lingua index mentis. Aristippus being asked, Quid differat\nsapiens ab insipiente? Mitte, inquit, ambos nudos ad ignotos, et\ndisces. Laert. in Aristip.\n\n[478] Psal. lxvi. 2; xcvi. 2; cxxxv. 3; cxlviii. 13; xxix. 2; c.\n\n[479] Matt. xii. 31. They who use but few words need not many laws,\nsaid Charyllus, when he was asked why Lycurgus made so few laws. Plut.\nApophtheg. p. 423.\n\n[480] Plato rect\u00e8 dicere, in quatuor scindit: 1. Quid dicere oportet.\n2. Quam multum dicere. 3. Ad quos. 4. Quando sit dicendum: ea oportet\ndicere qu\u00e6 sint utilia et dicenti et auditori: nec nimis multa nec\npauciora quam satis est. Si ad peccantes seniores dicendum sit, verba\nilli \u00e6tati congrua loquamur: sin vero ad juniores dicendum sit, majore\nautoritate utamur in dicendo. Laert. in Plat.\n\n[481] Quod facere instituis noli pr\u00e6dicare: nam si facere nequiveris,\nrideberis. Pittaci Sent. in Laert.\n\n[482] Didymus Alex. on James iii. of bridling the tongue, saith, Non\nputandum est de peccato prolativi sermonis, qu\u00e6 sol\u0153cismos et\nbarbarismos quidam vocant, h\u00e6c fuisse dicta.\n\n[483] Existimant loquacitatem esse facundiam, et maledicere omnibus,\nbon\u00e6 conscienti\u00e6 signum arbitrantur. Hieron Cont. Helvid.\n\n[484] Indignum hominem divitiarum grati\u00e2 laudare noli. Bias in Laert.\n\n[485] Loqui qu\u00e6 sentis, et sentire qu\u00e6 loqueris, ut Seneca.--Fidum\nnihil lingua loqui valet, dum cordi duplex alt\u00e8 insedit sensus. Sent.\nPittaci in Laertio. Bias percontanti homini impio quid esset pietas,\nnihil respondet; cumque ille silentii causam sciscitaretur, quia,\ninquit, de rebus nihil ad te pertinentibus qu\u00e6ris. Laert.\n\n[486] James i. 19, \"Slow to speak, slow to wrath.\" Prov. xvii. 28.\n\n[487] Noli cito loqui: est enim insani\u00e6 indicium. Bias in Laert.\n\n[488] Psal. cxxxix. 4.\n\n[489] Deut. vi. 13; x. 20.\n\n[490] Isa. xlviii. 1; Jer. iv. 2.\n\n[491] Deut. x. 20; Isa. xlv. 23; lxv. 16; Jer. iv. 2.\n\n[492] Amos viii. 14; Hos. iv. 15; Zeph. i. 5; Jer. xii. 16; Isa. xix.\n18.\n\n[493] See Dr. Hammond's Pract. Catech. on the third commandment. Jer.\nv. 2; Rev. xix. 12.\n\n[494] Saith Fitzherbert, 1. 1. c. 23. n. 17, I cannot but lament, that\nso great an impiety as blasphemy is, being so common, doth pass\nunpunished: whereas in other countries the least blasphemies are\nseverely chastened: insomuch that in Spain I have known a man set in\nthe market-place, the greatest part of a day, gaping with a gag in his\nmouth, for swearing only by the life of God.\n\n[495] See Jer. v. 21, 22; Job xlii. 5, 6; and xxxviii. 2, 3, &c.\n\n[496] Psal. xxix. 2; lxvi. 2; lxviii. 4; xxxiv. 3; xcvi. 2; Isa. ix.\n6; xii. 4; xli. 25; Jer. xxxiv. 16; Ezek. xxxvi. 22, 23; 1 Kings viii.\n16, 18, 19, 29; ix. 3, 7; 2 Sam. vii. 13; Deut xiv. 23; Psal. cxlv. 1,\n2; Isa. xxvi. 8, 13; Psal. lxxxvi. 9, 12; cxxxv. 13; Cant. i. 3; John\nxii. 28.\n\n[497] Vid. Aquin. de Veritat.\n\n[498] Matt. xxvi. 63; Mark xiv. 61; xv. 5; Luke xxiii. 9; John xix. 9;\nJer. xxxviii. 26, 27.\n\n[499] Acts xxiii. 6-9. Licitum est aliquando salva veritate, illa\nverba proferre, ex quibus probabiliter novimus auditores aliquid\nconclusores falsi. Hoc enim non est mentiri vel falsum testari, sed\ntantum occasionem alteri pr\u00e6bere errandi non ad peccatum committendum\nsed potius vitandum. Ames. Cas. Consc. 1. 5. c. 53. See Luke xxiv. 28;\nJohn vii. 8, 10.\n\n[500] Tolle voluntatem, nec erit discrimen in actu.\n\n[501] Verba propterea instituta sunt, non ut per ea se invicem homines\nfallant, sed ut eis quisque in alterius notitiam cogitationes suas\nproferat. Verbis ergo uti ad fallaciam, non ad quod sunt instituta,\npeccatum est. Aug. Enchirid.\n\n[502] Every lie is evil and to be avoided, saith Aristot. Ethic. 1. 4.\nSee Psal. v. 7; Prov. vi. 17, 19; xii. 22; xix. 5, 9; xxi. 18; Rev.\nxxi. 27; xxii. 15; John viii. 44; Col. iii. 9.\n\n[503] Numb. xxiii. 19; 1 Sam. xv. 29; 1 John v. 10.\n\n[504] 1 Kings xxii. 22, 23, \"I will be a lying spirit in the mouths of\nall his prophets.\" 2 Chron. xviii. 21, 22.\n\n[505] It was one of the Roman laws, tab. 12. Qui falsum testimonium\ndixisse convictus erit, e saxo Tarpeio dejiciatur.\n\n[506] Hic autem homines fallunt et falluntur: miseriores sunt cum\nmentiendo fallunt, quam cum mentientibus credendo falluntur. Usque\nadeo tamen rationalis natura refugit falsitatem, et quantum potest\ndevitat errorem, ut falli nollint, etiam quicunque amant fallere.\nAugust. Enchirid. c. 17.\n\n[507] Petrarch. 1. 1. de vit. solit.\n\n[508] S\u00e6pe delinquentibus promptissimum est mentiri. Cicer.\n\n[509] Ille veritatis defensor esse debet, qui cum recte sentit, loqui\nnon metuit, nec erubescit. Ambr. Liars are valiant against God, and\ncowards against men. Montaigne's Ess.\n\n[510] Avoid both the extremes, which Petrarch mentioneth: Nam ut multi\nqui se bonos, sic aliqui qui se malos fingerent sunt reperti; quod vel\nhumani favoris pestilentem auram; vet invisam bonorum temporalium\nsarcinam declinarent. Quod de Ambrosio lectum est. Quam similis\namiciti\u00e6 adulatio? non imitatur tantum illam sed vincit: eo ipso\ngratiosos facit quo l\u00e6dit. Senec.\n\n[511] Hieron. in Gal. iv.\n\n[512] Cujus aures claus\u00e6 veritati sunt, ut ab amico verum audire\nnequeat, hujus salus desperanda est. Cicer. Rhet. li. 1. Nemo\nparasitum canum amat. Materia quoque fingendi tempore consenescit.\nAth\u00e6nus. Malum hominem blandiloquentem agnosce tuum laquum esse. Habet\nsuum venenum blanda oratio. Senec.\n\n[513] Prov. xii. 19.\n\n[514] Read Prov. xxi. 6.\n\n[515] Jer. vii. 4, 8.\n\n[516] Temere affirmare de altero est periculosum propter occultas\nhominum voluntates, multiplicesque naturas. Cicer. Prov. xvii. 4; Hos.\nvii. 3; Nah. iii. 1.\n\n[517] Insignis est temeritas, cum aut falsa aut incognita res\napprobatur: nec quicquam est turpius quam cognitione assertionem\napprobationemque pr\u00e6currere. Cicer. Acad. l. 1.\n\n[518] Acts v. 4; Isa. lix. 13; Ezek. xiii. 9, 19.\n\n[519] Prov. xvii. 7; Hos. iv. 8.\n\n[520] Rom. vii. 20-23.\n\n[521] Job xxi. 15; Mal. iii. 14.\n\n[522] Job xxiv. 9; Heb. xiii. 15.\n\n[523] 1 Kings xviii. 27; Prov. xxix. 9.\n\n[524] James v. 13, \"Is any merry? Let him sing psalms.\"\n\n[525] Otiosum verbum est quod just\u00e6 necessitatis aut intentione pi\u00e6\nutilitatis caret. Gregor. Moral.\n\n[526] 1 Cor. iii. 20; Rom. i. 21.\n\n[527] Job xxxv. 16. Saith Hugo, there is a time when nothing, and a\ntime when something should be spoken; but never a time when all should\nbe spoken.\n\n[528] Eccles. v. 23, The Spartan banished an orator for saying, he\ncould speak all day of any subject. Erasm.\n\n[529] See the Manual of Prayers printed at Antwerp. 1658. pag. 507.\n\n[530] Megabyzus, a great Persian lord, was told by Apelles, that while\nhe was silent they reverenced him for his gold and rich attire, but\nwhen he talked of what he understood not, the boys in the shop laughed\nat him. Plutarch de Tranquil. Anim. pag. 154.\n\n[531] See Ezek. xxxiii. 30. Sollius Apollinar. Sidon. in his\ndescription of king Theodoricus saith that at his feasts, Maximum tunc\npondus in verbis est: quippe quum illic aut nulla narrantur aut seria.\n\n[532] Difficile est cum iis durare qui neque otii neque negotii\ntempora distinguere norunt. Theophrastus.\n\n[533] Col. ii. 8.\n\n[534] Col. iii. 16, 17; Eph. iv. 29; Psal. cviii. 1.\n\n[535] Eccles. v. 3, 7; x. 12-14; Psal. xxxvii. 30; Prov. xvii. 27, 28;\nx. 20; xii. 18; x. 19; xviii. 4-6; xxi. 23.\n\n[536] Prov. xxiii. 8, 9.\n\n[537] Isa. xxxii. 4-6; Matt. xii. 34, 36; 2 Cor. iv. 13; John iii. 11;\n1 John iv. 5; Prov. xvi. 23; Psal. xl. 5; Cant. vii. 9.\n\n[538] Prov. xxiii. 16; Psal. cxlv. 6, 11-13, 21.\n\n[539] Psal. cxix. 172; xlix. 3; xxxv. 28.\n\n[540] Jer. viii. 6; Prov. vi. 22; Psal. lxxvii. 12; cv.; cxiv.; cxlix.\n11.\n\n[541] 1 Tim. vi. 13; 1 Pet. iv. 15.\n\n[542] Garrulo non respondere convitium est.\n\n[543] Prov. xiv. 17; xv. 18; Eccles. vii. 8, 9.\n\n[544] Eccles. ii. 2; vii. 6; Eph. v. 4.\n\n[545] Prov. xxii. 17; xii. 18; xiii. 20; xv. 2, 7, 31.\n\n[546] You will else be but ingeniosi nugatores, as one called him that\nwrote a great book on a little matter.\n\n[547] 1 Tim. iv. 12; Job xii. 12; Eccles. xi. 10.\n\n[548] 1 Cor. xv. 33.\n\n[549] Socrates inter loquendum s\u00e6pe, agente id orationis vehementi\u00e2,\njactare digitos solebat, ita ut \u00e0 plerisque rideretur, et despectui\nhaberetur: qu\u00e6 tamen omnia \u00e6quo animo ferebat. Laert. in Socrat.\n\n[550] Si quis vero eorum mitior, et veritati aliquatenus propior,\nvideretur, in hunc quasi Britanni\u00e6 subversorem omnia odia telaque sine\nrespectu contorquebantur, et omnia qu\u00e6 displicuerint, Deoque placuerint,\n\u00e6quali saltem lance pendebantur, si non gratiora fuissent displicentia.\nGildas. Quod autem qu\u00e6dam de illo inhonesta et maligna jactantur, nolo\nmireris: cum scias hoc esse opus semper diaboli, ut servos Dei mendacio\nlaceret, et opinionibus falsis gloriosum nomen infamet; ut qui\nconscienti\u00e6 su\u00e6 luce clarescunt, alienis rumoribus sordidentur. Cyprian\nde Cornel. Epist. ad Antonian. H\u00e6c et nos risimus aliquando. Tertul.\n\n[551] Malignity so blindeth the understanding that it maketh men\nascribe all the evil that befalleth them, to that which is the only\nway to happiness: every bad success that the heathen Romans had, they\nimputed to the christians: saith Paul. Diaconus, lib. 3. when\nRadagusus the Goth invaded the Romans: Pavor infinitus Romam invadit;\ndeclamatur a cunctis, se h\u00e6c ideo perpeti, quod neglecta fuerunt\nmagnorum sacra Deorum: magnis querelis ubique agere: et continuo de\nrepetendis sacris celebrandisque tractatur: fere in tota urbe\nblasphemi\u00e6 ad nomen Christi, tanquam lues aliqua probris ingravantur,\nconducuntur a Romanis adversus Radagusum duo Pagani duces, &c.\n\n[552] Saith Chrysostom, As those that run or act in public games,\nbesides the prize which they hope for, do much increase their strength\nand health by preparing their bodies for it: so besides the hopes of\nheaven, it is no small comfort and advantage here in the way, which\nchristians get by their holy lives.\n\n[553] Heb. xii. 14; 2 Thess. i. 8-10; ii. 12.\n\n[554] Cyrillus Arrianorem Episcopus, Hunnericum Regem persuasit, non\nposse pacatum atque long\u00e6vum obtinere regnum, nisi nomen perderet\ninnocentum. Qui tamen Dei judicio post non multos dies turpissima\nmorte pr\u00e6ventus, scatens vermibus expiravit. Victor. Utic. p. 369.\n\n[555] Rom. xi. 1, 2.\n\n[556] Luke xix. 27.\n\n[557] Quid homini inimicissimum? Homo, inquit Martin. Dumiens. de Morib.\n\n[558] Matt. xii.\n\n[559] Psal. cxxiii. 4.\n\n[560] Read well Jude 14, 15; Psal. i.\n\n[561] Prov. ix. 12; xxix. 8; Isa. xxviii. 14.\n\n[562] Homil. 10 part 2. tom. 9. pag. 150, cited before in my \"Now or\nNever,\" p. 125.\n\n[563] Nicknames themselves are the great engines of the devil, and to\nbe avoided; it was well with the church when there was no other name\nbut christians put by Christ's disciples on each other; though by the\nenemies they were scornfully called Nazarenes, and a sect, and heresy.\n\n[564] Disc. of Happiness, p. 193.\n\n[565] Pliny saith, that as pearls, though they lie in the bottom of\nthe sea, are yet much nearer akin to heaven, as their splendour and\nexcellency showeth; so a godly and generous soul hath more dependence\non heaven whence it comes, than on earth where it abideth. A good\nsaying for a heathen.\n\n[566] Socrates cum fuisset a quodam calce percussus, admirantibus\nillius tolerantiam dixit, Quid si me asinus calce impetisset? Num illi\ndiem dixissem?\n\n\n\n\n                               CHAPTER X.\n\n               DIRECTIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BODY.\n\n\n                                PART I.\n\n              _Directions about our Labour and Callings._\n\n\n       _Tit._ I. _Directions for the Right Choice of our Calling\n                         and ordinary Labour._\n\nI have already spoken of christian works, and the duty of our\ncallings, chap. iii. grand direct. x; and am now only to subjoin these\nfew directions, for the right choosing of your callings: for of the\nusing of them I must speak more anon.\n\n_Direct._ I. Understand how necessary a life of labour is, and the\nreasons of the necessity.\n\n[Sidenote: Is labour necessary to all?]\n\n_Quest._ I. Is labour necessary to all? or to whom, if not to all?\n_Answ._ It is necessary (as a duty) to all that are able to perform it:\nbut to the unable it is not necessary; as to infants, and sick persons,\nor distracted persons, that cannot do it, or to prisoners, or any that\nare restrained or hindered unavoidably by others, or to people that are\ndisabled by age, or by any thing that maketh it naturally impossible.\n\n[Sidenote: What labour is necessary?]\n\n_Quest._ II. What labour is it that is necessary? _Answ._ Some labour\nthat shall employ the faculties of the soul and body, and be\nprofitable, as far as may be, to others and ourselves. But the same\nkind of labour is not necessary for all.\n\nIn some labours, the mind is more employed than the body; as in the\nlabours of a magistrate, a minister, a physician, a lawyer, &c.;\nthough some in these may have much bodily labour also.\n\nThe labour of some is almost only of the mind: as, 1. Of students in\ndivinity, philosophy, law, physic, &c. who are but preparing\nthemselves for a calling. 2. Of some ministers, or other godly\npersons, who by the iniquity of the place or times where they live,\nmay for a season be disabled from appearing among men, and labouring\nfor any except by the mind; being imprisoned, or driven into solitude,\nor otherwise made incapable. 3. Of men that have some extraordinary\nnecessity for a season, to converse with God and themselves alone; as,\nmen that are near death, and have need to lay by all other labours to\nprepare themselves. Though, usually, even they that are near death\nshould labour the good of others to the last; and in so doing they\nprofit and prepare themselves.\n\nThe labour of some others is more of the body than the mind; as, most\ntradesmen and day-labourers.\n\nAnd the labour of some is equally of the body and mind; as, some\npainful ministers, and physicians, scribes, and artificers of more\ningenious professions, as watchmakers, printers, builders, &c.: some\nof these are fittest for one man, and some for another.[567]\n\n[Sidenote: Will religion excuse from labour?]\n\n_Quest._ III. May not religion excuse men from all other labour, save\nprayer and contemplation?[568] _Answ._ Religion is our obligation to\nobey God. God bindeth us to do all the good we can to others. Some men\nthat have ability, opportunity, and a call, may be excused by religion\nfrom worldly labours, as ministers; but not from such spiritual labours\nfor others which they can perform. He that under pretence of religion,\nwithdraweth from converse, and forbeareth to do good to others, and only\nliveth to himself, and his own soul, doth make religion a pretence\nagainst charity, and the works of charity, which are a great part of\nreligion; for \"pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is\nthis, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to\nkeep himself unspotted from the world,\" James i. 27. Even when sickness,\nimprisonment, or persecution disableth to do any more for others, we\nmust pray for them. But while we can do more, we must.\n\n[Sidenote: Will not riches excuse?]\n\n_Quest._ IV. Will not riches excuse one from labouring in a calling?\n_Answ._ No; but rather bind them to it the more; for he that hath most\nwages from God, should do him most work. Though they have no outward\nwant to urge them, they have as great a necessity of obeying God, and\ndoing good to others, as any other men have that are poor.\n\n[Sidenote: Why labour is necessary.]\n\n_Quest._ V. Why is labour thus necessary to all that are able? _Answ._\n1. God hath strictly commanded it to all; and his command is reason\nenough to us: 2 Thess. iii. 10-12, \"For even when we are with you,\nthis we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he\neat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly,\nworking not at all, but are busy-bodies: now them that are such, we\ncommand and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they\nwork and eat their own bread.\" See ver. 6, 14; 1 Thess. iv. 11, \"We\nbeseech you, brethren--that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own\nbusiness, and work with your hands as we commanded you, that ye may\nwalk honestly (or decently) towards them that are without, and that\nye may have lack of nothing.\" Gen. iii. 19, \"In the sweat of thy face\nshalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground.\" And in the\nfourth commandment, \"Six days shalt thou labour.\"[569] So Eph. iv. 28;\nProv. xxxi. 32, 33.\n\n2. Naturally action is the end of all our powers; and the power were\nvain, but in respect to the act: to be able to understand, to read, to\nwrite, to go, &c. were little worth, if it were not that we may do the\nthings that we are enabled to.\n\n3. It is for action that God maintaineth us and our abilities: work is\nthe moral as well as the natural end of power. It is the act by the\npower that is commanded us.\n\n4. It is action that God is most served and honoured by: not so much\nby our being able to do good, but by our doing it. Who will keep a\nservant that is able to work and will not? Will his mere ability\nanswer your expectation?\n\n5. The public welfare, or the good of many, is to be valued above our\nown. Every man therefore is bound to do all the good he can to others,\nespecially for the church and commonwealth. And this is not done by\nidleness, but by labour. As the bees labour to replenish their hive,\nso man, being a sociable creature, must labour for the good of the\nsociety which he belongs to, in which his own is contained as a part.\n\n6. Labour is necessary for the preservation of the faculties of the\nmind. (1.) The labour of the mind is necessary hereto, because\nunexercised abilities will decay; as iron not used will consume with\nrust. Idleness makes men fools and dullards, and spoileth that little\nability which they have. (2.) And the exercise of the body is\nordinarily necessary, because of the mind's dependence on the body,\nand acting according to its temperature and disposition: it is\nexceedingly helped or hindered by the body.\n\n7. Labour is needful to our health and life: the body itself will\nquickly fall into mortal diseases without it (except in some very few\npersons of extraordinary soundness).[570] Next to abstinence, labour\nis the chief preserver of health. It stirreth up the natural heat and\nspirits, which perform the chief offices for the life of man: it is\nthe proper bellows for this vital fire: it helpeth all the concoctions\nof nature: it attenuateth that which is too gross: it purifieth that\nwhich beginneth to corrupt: it openeth obstructions: it keepeth the\nmass of blood and other nutritious humours in their proper\ntemperament, fit for motion, circulation, and nutrition; it helpeth\nthem all in the discharge of their natural offices: it helpeth the\nparts to attract each one its proper nutriment, and promoteth every\nfermentation and assimilation by which nature maintaineth the\ntransitory, still-consuming oil and mass: it excelleth art in the\npreparation, alteration, and expulsion of all the excrementitious\nmatter, which being retained would be the matter of manifold diseases;\nand powerfully fighteth against all the enemies of health. In a word,\nit doth incomparably excel the help of the most skilful physicians and\nexcellent medicines in the world, for the preventing of most diseases\nincident to man: (and consequently to the benefit of the soul itself,\nwhich cheerfully useth a cheerful and well-tempered body; and useth a\nlanguishing, sickly body, as the rider useth a tired horse, or as we\nuse a sick or lazy servant, or a blunted knife, or a clock or watch\nthat is out of order). I speak all this of bodily labour, which is\nnecessary to the body, and consequently to the mind; for want of which\nabundance grow melancholy, and abundance grow sluggish and good for\nnothing, and abundance cherish filthy lusts, and millions yearly turn\nto earth before their time. For want of bodily labour, a multitude of\nthe idle gentry, and rich people, and young people that are slothful,\ndo heap up in the secret receptacles of the body a dunghill of\nunconcocted and excrementitious filth, and vitiate all the mass of\nhumours which should be the fuel and oil of life, and die by thousands\nof untimely deaths, (of fevers, palsies, convulsions, apoplexies,\ndropsies, consumptions, gout, &c.) more miserably than if thieves had\nmurdered them by the highway, because it is their own doing, and by\ntheir sloth they kill themselves. For want of bodily exercise and\nlabour interposed, abundance of students and sedentary persons fill\nthemselves with diseases, and hasten their death, and causelessly\nblame their hard studies for that which was caused by their bodily\nsloth. The hardest studies will do little harm to most men, if they do\nbut by convenient, interposed bodily labour, keep all the humours in\ntheir just temperament; when by a sluggish walk now and then, instead\nof labour and sweat, they defraud themselves. If the world knew but\nthe benefit of temperance and labour to the maintaining of man's\nhealth and life, and the mischiefs of excess of meat and drink, and\nidleness, the love of health and life would do that with them, which\nGod's authority will not do.\n\n8. Labour and diligence do keep the mind upon a lawful employment, and\ntherefore keep out many dangerous temptations, and keep the thoughts\nfrom vanity and sin; and also keepeth out vain words, and preserveth\nthe soul from many sins, which a life of idleness and sloth doth\ncherish. It helpeth even unlearned persons more effectually to\nrestrain their thoughts and words from sin, than the greatest\nknowledge and diligent watchfulness can do in an idle kind of life.\n\n9. Diligent labour mortifieth the flesh, and keepeth under its\nluxurious inclinations, and subdueth that pride, and lust, and brutish\nsensuality which is cherished by an idle life.\n\n10. Lastly, It is God's appointed means for the getting of our daily\nbread; and as it is a more real honour to get our bread ourselves,\nthan to receive it by the gift of our friends or parents, so is it\nmore comfortable to a well-informed mind. We may best believe that we\nhave our food and provisions in mercy, and that they shall be blest to\nus, when we have them in God's appointed way; who hath said, \"If any\nman will not work, neither should he eat,\" 2 Thess. iii.\n\n_Direct._ II. As labour is thus necessary, so understand how needful a\nstated calling is, for the right performance of your labours. A calling\nis a stated ordinary course of labour. This is very needful for these\nreasons: 1. Out of a calling a man's labours are but occasional, or\nunconstant, and so more time is spent in idleness than in labour. 2. A\nman is best skilled in that which he is used to. 3. And he will be best\nprovided for it with instruments and necessaries. 4. Therefore he doth\nit better than he could do another work, and so wrongeth not others, but\nattaineth more the ends of his labour. 5. And he doth it more easily;\nwhen a man unused, and unskilled, and unfurnished, toileth himself much\nin doing little. 6. And he will do his work more orderly, when another\nis in continual confusion, and his business knoweth not its time and\nplace, but one part contradicts another. Therefore some certain calling\nor trade of life is best for every man.\n\n_Quest._ I. May not a man have a calling consisting of occasional,\nuncertain works? _Answ._ He that can have no better, may do thus; so\nbe it they are consistent works which he is able for: as a footman may\ngo of various errands, and a day-labourer may do many sorts of works;\nbut great variety will be a great inconvenience to him.\n\n_Quest._ II. May a man have divers trades or callings at once? _Answ._\nYes, no doubt, if it be for the common good, or for his own, and no\ninjury to any other; nor so inconsistent, as that one shall make him\nunfaithful in the other; then God forbids it not.\n\nThe question, Whether a man may change his calling, I answered before,\nchap. iii. direct. x.\n\n_Direct._ III. Think not that a calling can be lawful when the work of\nit is sin; nor that you, or your labour, or your gain, in an unlawful\ncalling, shall be blest. An unlawful act is bad enough; but an\nunlawful calling is a life of sin. To make sin a man's trade, and\nwork, and living, is a most horrid, desperate course of life. As\nmercenary soldiers, that for their pay will fight against authority,\nright, or innocency, and murder men for half a crown a day: and those\nthat live by cheating, stealing, oppressing, whoring, or by resetting\nsuch; or upon the sin of such: or of drunkards, gamesters, or other\nsensual vices, which they knowingly and willingly maintain.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Think not that because a work is lawful, that therefore\nit is lawful to make a calling of it. It is lawful to jest in time and\nmeasure, but not lawful to be a jester as a trade of life. If in some\ncases it should prove lawful to act a comedy or tragedy, it it will\nnot follow, that therefore it is lawful to be by trade a stage-player:\nif a game at cards or dice may be in some cases lawful, it follows\nnot, that it is lawful to be a gamester by trade. The like I may say\nof many others.\n\n_Direct._ V. It is not enough that the work of your calling be lawful,\nnor that it be necessary, but you must take special care also that it\nbe safe, and not very dangerous to your souls. The calling of a\nvintner and ale-seller is lawful and needful; and yet it is so very\ndangerous that (unless it be in an extraordinary place or case) a man\nthat loveth his soul should be loth to meddle with it, if he can have\na safer to get his bread by. They get so little by sober people, and\ntheir gain dependeth so much upon men's sin, that it is a constant\ntemptation to them to be the maintainers of it. And frail man, that\ncan so hardly stand on firm ground, should be loth for a little money\nto walk still upon the ice, and to venture his soul in a life of such\ntemptations; for it is twenty to one but they will prevail.\n\n_Direct._ VI. The first and principal thing to be intended in the\nchoice of a trade or calling for yourselves or children, is the\nservice of God, and the public good; and therefore _(c\u00e6teris paribus)_\nthat calling which most conduceth to the public good is to be\npreferred. The callings most useful to the public good are the\nmagistrates, the pastors, and teachers of the church, schoolmasters,\nphysicians, lawyers, &c. husbandmen (ploughmen, graziers, and\nshepherds); and next to them are mariners, clothiers, booksellers,\ntailors, and such other that are employed about things most necessary\nto mankind; and some callings are employed about matters of so little\nuse, (as tobacco-sellers, lace-sellers, feather-makers,\nperiwig-makers, and many more such,) that he that may choose better,\nshould be loth to take up with one of these, though possibly in itself\nit may be lawful. It is a great satisfaction to an honest mind, to\nspend his life in doing the greatest good he can; and a prison and\nconstant calamity to be tied to spend one's life in doing little good\nat all to others, though he should grow rich by it himself.\n\n_Direct._ VII. When two callings equally conduce to the public good, and\none of them hath the advantage of riches, and the other is more\nadvantageous to your souls, the latter must be preferred; and next to\nthe public good, the soul's advantage must guide your choice: as suppose\nthat a lawyer were as profitable to the public good as a divine, and\nthat it is the way to far more wealth and honour; yet the sacred calling\nis much more desirable for the benefit of your souls; because it is an\nexceeding great help, to be engaged by our callings to have the word and\ndoctrine of Christ still before us, and in our minds and mouths; when\nothers must be glad to be now and then exercised in it, when their\nhearts are cooled by the frequent and long diversions of their worldly\nbusiness; so that our calling and work is to an honest heart a continual\nrecreation, and preserving, and edifying help to grace. So a\nschoolmaster's calling is usually but poor and very painful, requiring\nmuch close attendance; but yet it is of so great use to the common good,\nand alloweth the mind so much leisure and advantage to improve itself in\nhonest studies, that it is fitter to be chosen and delighted in by a\nwell-tempered mind, than richer and more honoured employments. It is\nsweet to be all day doing so much good.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. If it be possible, choose a calling which so\nexerciseth the body, as not to overwhelm you with cares and labour,\nand deprive you of all leisure for the holy and noble employments of\nthe mind; and which so exerciseth your mind, as to allow you some\nexercise for the body also. 1. That calling which so taketh up body\nand mind, as neither to allow you commixed thoughts of greater things,\nnor convenient intermissions for them, is a constant snare and prison\nto the soul; which is the case of many who plunge themselves into more\nand greater business than they can otherwise despatch; and yet are\ncontented to be thus continually alienated in their minds from God and\nheaven, to get more of the world. Many poor labourers (as clothiers,\ntailors, and other such) can work with their hands, and meditate or\ndiscourse of heavenly things without any hinderance of their work;\nwhen many men of richer callings have scarce room for a thought or\nword of God or heaven all day. 2. On the contrary, if the body have\nnot also its labour as well as the mind, it will ruin your health, and\nbody and mind will both grow useless.\n\n_Direct._ IX. It is lawful and meet to look at the commodity of your\ncalling in the third place (that is, after the public good, and after\nyour personal good of soul and bodily health). Though it is said,\nProv. xxiii. 4, \"Labour not to be rich;\" the meaning is, that you make\nnot riches your chief end: riches for our fleshly ends must not\nultimately be intended or sought. But in subordination to higher\nthings they may; that is, you may labour in that manner as tendeth\nmost to your success and lawful gain: you are bound to improve all\nyour Master's talents; but then your end must be, that you may be the\nbetter provided to do God service, and may do the more good with what\nyou have. If God show you a way in which you may lawfully get more\nthan in another way, (without wrong to your soul, or to any other,) if\nyou refuse this, and choose the less gainful way, you cross one of the\nends of your calling, and you refuse to be God's steward, and to\naccept his gifts, and use them for him when he requireth it; you may\nlabour to be rich for God, though not for the flesh and sin.\n\n_Direct._ X. It is not enough that you consider what calling and\nlabour is most desirable, but you must also consider what you or your\nchildren are fittest for, both in mind and body. For that calling may\nbe one man's blessing, which would be another's misery and undoing. A\nweak body cannot undergo those labours that require strength; and a\ndull and heavy mind and wit, cannot do the works which require great\njudgment and ingenuity.[571] It hath been the calamity of the church,\nand undoing of many ministers themselves, that well-meaning parents\nout of love to the sacred work of God, have set their children to be\nministers that were unfit for it; and many self-conceited persons\nthemselves are ready to thrust themselves into that holy office, when\nthey have some inconsiderable smattering knowledge, and some poor\nmeasure of gifts, overvalued by themselves, that know not what is\nrequired to so great a work. Be sure that you first look to the\nnatural ingenuity of your children, (or yourselves,) and then to their\ngrace and piety; and see that none be devoted to the ministry that\nhave not naturally a quickness of understanding, and a freedom of\nexpression, unless you would have him live upon the ruin of souls, and\nwrong of the church and work of God; and turn an enemy to the best of\nhis flock, when he seeth that they value him but as he deserves: and\nlet none be so unwise as to become a preacher of that faith, and love,\nand holiness, which he never had himself. And even to the calling of a\nphysician none should be designed that have not a special ingenuity,\nand sagacity, and natural quickness of apprehension; unless he should\nmake a trade of killing men; for it is a calling that requireth a\nquick and strong conjecturing ability, which no study will bring a man\nthat hath not a natural acuteness and aptitude thereto. Thus also as\nto all other callings, you must consider, not only the will of the\nchild or parents, but their natural fitness of body and mind.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Choose no calling (especially if it be of public\nconsequence) without the advice of some judicious, faithful persons of\nthat calling. For they are best able to judge in their own profession.\nNever resolve on the sacred ministry without the advice of able\nministers: resolve not to be a physician, but by the counsel of\nphysicians; and so of the rest: for abundance of persons ignorantly\nconceit themselves sufficient, that are utterly insufficient; and so\nlive all their days, as wrongs and burdens unto others, and in sin and\nmisery to themselves.\n\n_Direct._ XII. If thou be called to the poorest laborious calling, do\nnot carnally murmur at it, because it is wearisome to the flesh, nor\nimagine that God accepteth the less of thy work and thee: but\ncheerfully follow it, and make it the matter of thy pleasure and joy\nthat thou art still in thy heavenly Master's service, though it be\nabout the lowest things: and that he who knoweth what is best for\nthee, hath chosen this for thy good, and trieth and valueth thy\nobedience to him the more, by how much the meaner work thou stoopest\nto at his command. But see that thou do it all in obedience to God,\nand not merely for thy own necessity; thus every servant must serve\nthe Lord in serving their masters, and from God expect their chief\nreward, Col. iii. 22-24; Eph. vi. 6, 7.\n\n\n           _Tit._ 2. _Directions against Idleness and Sloth._\n\n[Sidenote: What sloth and idleness is.]\n\nHere I must show you what idleness and sloth is, and what are the\nsigns of it; and then give you directions how to conquer it. Sloth\nsignifieth chiefly the indisposition of the mind and body; and\nidleness signifieth the actual neglect or omission of our duties.\nSloth is an averseness to labour, through a carnal love of ease, or\nindulgence to the flesh. This averseness to labour is sinful, when it\nis a voluntary backwardness to that labour which is our duty. Sloth\nshoweth itself, 1. In keeping us from our duty, and causing us to\ndelay it, or omit it: and, 2. In making us to do it slowly and by the\nhalves: and both these effects are called idleness, which is the\nomission or negligent performance of our duties through a\nflesh-pleasing backwardness to labour.\n\n[Sidenote: What it is not.]\n\nBy this you may see, 1. That it is not sloth or sinful idleness to\nomit a labour which we are unable to perform: as for the sick, and\naged, and weak to be averse to labour through the power of an\nunresistible disease or weakness; or when nature is already wearied by\nas much labour as it can bear. 2. Or when reason alloweth and\nrequireth us to forbear our usual labour for our health, or for some\nother sufficient cause. 3. Or when we are unwillingly restrained and\nhindered by others; as by imprisonment, or denial of opportunity: as\nif the magistrate forcibly hinder a preacher, or physician, or lawyer\nfrom that which otherwise he should do. 4. Or if a mistake or sinful\nerror only keep a man from his labour, it is a sin, but not this sin\nof sloth; so also if any sensual vice or pleasure besides this love of\nease take him off. 5. If it be a backwardness only to such labour as\nis no duty to us, it is but a natural and not a vicious sloth. But\ninvoluntary averseness to the labour of our duty through indulgence of\nfleshly ease, is the sinful sloth or laziness which we speak of.\n\n[Sidenote: The aggravations of it.]\n\nSloth and idleness thus described is a sin in all; but a far greater\nsin in some than in others.[572] And you may thus know what sloth it\nis that is the most sinful. 1. The more sloth is subjected in the mind\nitself, and the less it is subjected in the body, the greater is the\nsin. For the mind is the nobler part, and immediate seat of sin. 2.\nThe smaller the bodily distempers or temptations are which seduce the\nmind, the greater is the sin; for it shows the mind to be the more\ncorrupted and tainted with the disease of sloth. He that is under an\nunresistible indisposition of body, sinneth not at all (unless as he\nvoluntarily contracted that disease). But if the body's indisposition\nto labour be great, but yet not unresistible, it is a sin to yield to\nit; but so much the smaller sin, _c\u00e6teris paribus_, as the bodily\ndisease is greater. He that hath some scorbutical lassitude, or\nphlegmatic heaviness and dulness, doth sin if he strive not against it\nas much as he can, and as in reason he should: it is not every bodily\nindisposition that will excuse a man from all labour, as long as he is\nable to labour notwithstanding that disease; but if the disease be\ngreat, so that he resisteth his lassitude with a great deal of labour,\nthe sin is the less: but he that hath a body sound and able, that hath\nno disease to indispose him, sinneth most of all if he be slothful, as\nshowing the most corrupted mind. 3. He is most sinfully slothful who\nis most voluntarily slothful. As he that endeavoureth least against\nit, and he that most loveth it, and would not leave it; and he that is\nleast troubled at it, and least repenteth and lamenteth it, and\ncontriveth to accommodate his sloth. 4. The sloth is, _c\u00e6teris\nparibus_, the worst, which most prevaileth to the omission or\nnegligent performance of our duty; but that sloth which doth but\nindispose us, but is so far conquered by our resistance, as not to\nkeep us from our duty, or not much and often, is the smaller sin. 5.\nThat is the most sinful sloth, _c\u00e6teris paribus_, which is against the\ngreatest duties: to be backward to the most holy duties, (as praying,\nand hearing or reading the word of God, &c.) or to duties of public\nconsequence, is a greater sin than to be lazily backward to a common,\ntoilsome work. 6. That is the most sinful sloth and idleness which is\ncommitted against the greatest motives to labour and diligence:\ntherefore, in that respect, a poor man's sloth is more sinful than a\nrich man's, because he is under the pressure of necessity; and in\nanother respect the rich man's sloth is worst, because he burieth the\ngreatest talents, and is idle when he hath the greatest wages. A man\nthat hath many children sinneth more than another by his idleness,\nbecause he wrongeth them all whom he must provide for. A magistrate or\npastor of the church doth sin more incomparably than common people, if\nthey be slothful; because they betray the souls of men, or sin against\nthe good of many. As it is a greater sin to be lazy in quenching a\nfire in the city, than in a common, needless business; so it is a\ngreater sin to be slothful in the working out our salvation, and\nmaking our calling and election sure, when God, and Christ, and\nheaven, and hell are the motives to rouse us up to duty, and when the\ntime is so short, in which all our work for eternity must be done, I\nsay, it is a far greater sin, than to be slothful when only corporal\nwants or benefits are the motives which we resist. Yet indeed the will\nof God is resisted in all, who forbiddeth us to be \"slothful in\nbusiness,\" Rom. xii. 11.\n\n[Sidenote: The signs of sloth.]\n\nSloth is a thing that is easily discerned: the signs of it are, 1.\nWhen the very thought of labour is troublesome and unpleasing, and\nease seems sweet. 2. When duty is omitted hereby and left undone. 3.\nWhen the easy part of duty is culled out, and the harder part is cast\naside. 4. When the judgment will not believe, that laborious duty is a\nduty at all. 5. When that which you do, is done with an ill will, and\nwith a constant weariness of mind, and there is no alacrity or\npleasure in your work. 6. When you do no more in much time, than you\nmight do in less, if you had a willing, ready mind. 7. When the\nbackward mind is shifting it off with excuses, or finding something\nelse to do, or at least delaying it. 8. When you choose a condition of\ngreater ease and smaller labour, before a laborious condition of life\nwhich in other respects is better for you. As when a servant had\nrather live in an ungodly family where there is more ease (and\nfulness) to be had, than in a place of greatest advantage for the\nsoul, where there is more labour (and want). 9. When little\nimpediments discourage or stop you. \"The slothful saith, there is a\nlion in the way,\" Prov. xxvi. 13; xxii. 13. \"His way is an hedge of\nthorns,\" Prov. xv. 19. \"He will not plough by reason of cold,\" Prov.\nxx. 4. 10. When you make a great matter of a little business. It\ncannot be done but with such preparation, and so much ado, that shows\na slothful mind in the doer. Even the \"putting his hand to his mouth,\"\nand \"pulling it out of his bosom,\" is a business with the sluggard;\nthat is, he maketh a great matter of a little one, Prov. xxvi. 15;\nxix. 24. 11. Lastly, The fruits of slothfulness use to detect it, in\nsoul, and body, and estate; for it corrupteth, impoverisheth, and\nruineth all. The weeds of his field or garden, the vices of his soul,\nthe sins of his life, the duties omitted, or sleepily performed, the\ndisorders of his family or charge, and usually, or oft, his poverty,\ndo detect him, Prov. xxiv. 30; xii. 24, 27.[573]\n\nBy this much it is easy to discern the impudent folly of the quakers\nand some ignorant rustics, that rail against magistrates and ministers\nfor living idly, because they do not plough or thrash, or use some\nmechanic trade or labour; as if the labour of their highest calling\nwere no labour, but mere idleness. Thus proud men speak evil of that\nwhich they understand not! Had they tried it, they would have found\nthat the work of a faithful minister is further distant from idleness\nthan a thrasher is. Doth not Christ and the Holy Ghost oft call them\n\"labourers, fellow-labourers with Christ, and workmen, and their work\na labour?\" Luke x. 27; 1 Cor. iii. 9; 1 Tim. v. 17, 18; 2 Tim. ii. 15;\nMatt. x. 10; 1 Cor. iii. 13-15; ix. 1; Eph. iv. 12; Phil. ii. 30.\n\nHence also you may see, 1. That though all that can must labour, yet\nthere is great diversity of labours; and all men are not to do the\nsame work. Magistrates, and pastors, and lawyers, and physicians, must\nlabour diligently; but they are not all bound to plough, and thrash,\nand use the more servile labours of their inferiors. 2. That every man\nmust labour in the works of his own calling, \"and do his own\nbusiness,\" 1 Thess. iv. 11; 2 Thess. iii. 11; and take that for the\nbest employment for him, which God doth call him to, and not presume\nto step out of his place, and take the work of other men's callings\nout of their hands. 3. That a man that is paid for his labour by\nanother, (as lawyers, physicians, schoolmasters, servants,) do rob\nthem by their idleness, when they withhold from them any part of that\nwhich they are paid for.\n\n_Direct._ I. The first help against sloth, is to be well acquainted with\nthe greatness of the sin. For no wonder if it be committed by them that\nthink it small. First, therefore, I shall tell you what it is.\n\n1. God himself reckoneth it with heinous sins. \"Pride, fulness of bread,\nand abundance of idleness,\" Ezek. xvi. 49, (the very character of the\ndebauched part of the gentry,) is said to have been Sodom's sin, that\nwas consumed with fire from heaven. And the Thessalonians were forbidden\nto keep company with such as lived disorderly and did not work.[574]\n\n2. Idleness is a temporary destruction (as to their use) of all the\nfaculties of mind and body which should be exercised. It is contrary\nto nature; for nature made our faculties for use. You bury yourselves\nalive. If it be a sin to hide God's lesser talents, what is it to bury\nourselves and all our powers? If it be pity to see a dead man, because\nhe is unuseful to the world; is it not pity and shame to see one\nvoluntarily dead, that maketh himself useless by his sloth? Should not\nthe church-yard be the dwelling of the slothful, that he may be\nnearest them in place that he is nearest to in quality?\n\n3. Idleness and sloth are consumers of all the mercies of God. You are\nthe barren ground where he soweth his seed, and none comes up. You\nreturn him but a crop of thorns and briers, and such ground is \"nigh to\ncursing\" (the final curse); \"whose end is to be burned,\" Heb. vi. 8.\nDoth God daily feed, and clothe, and keep you, and protect and support\nyou, and teach and warn you, and all for nothing? Is idleness that for\nwhich he hired you? Will you accuse your Maker of so great imprudence,\nand your Redeemer of more, as if he created and redeemed you to do\nnothing, or that which is as bad or worse than nothing? He calleth to\nyou, \"Why stand you idle?\" Matt. xx. 3, 6. And it is a terrible sentence\nthat such shall receive, \"Thou wicked and slothful servant; cast the\nunprofitable servant into outer darkness,\" &c. Matt. xxv. 26.\n\n4. Idleness is a robbing God, who is the Lord of us and all our\nfaculties, and all our service is his due. You rob him of the honour\nand service that you might have done him by your diligence.\n\n5. And it is a robbing yourselves of all the good to soul or body,\nwhich by your labour and industry you might have got. The slothful man\nlieth wishing till he perish, Prov. xxi. 25.[575]\n\n6. And it is a robbing of the commonwealth, and of all those to whom\nyour labours, or the fruit of them, was due. You are burdens to the\ncommonwealth, like drones in the hive, Col. iii. 22.\n\n7. Slothfulness is a great consumer of time (as is showed, chap. v.)\nYou lose not only all the time when duty is omitted, but much of the\ntime in which you perform it, while you rid no work, and do it as if\nyou did it not. He that goeth but a mile an hour, loseth his time,\nthough he be still going, even as much as he that goeth two miles one\nhour and sits still the next. Oh what abundance of their lives do idle\npersons lose! When time is gone, they will better understand the\ngreatness of their sin and loss, that now make light of it.\n\n8. Idleness is not a single sin, but a continued course of sinning: an\nidle person is sinning all the while he is idle; and that is with some\na great part of their lives: and therefore it is the greater, because\nthe continuance showeth that it is not effectually repented of.\n\n9. Idleness is a destroyer of grace, and gifts, and natural parts;\nthey will rust for want of use. \"The slothful is brother to the great\nwaster,\" Prov. xviii. 9. Weeds will grow up and choke the fruit.\n\n10. Idleness and sloth is a fruit of flesh-pleasing; and so cometh\nfrom the most pernicious vice. It is but to please the flesh that one\nis drunk, and another gluttonous, and another a fornicator, and\nanother covetous; and your idleness and sloth is but pleasing the same\nflesh in another way, which is forbidden as well as those. \"And if ye\nlive after the flesh ye shall die,\" Rom. viii. 13.\n\n11. It is a strengthening the flesh against the Spirit, by indulging\nit in its ease and sloth; and maketh it not only unruly and\nunserviceable, but masterly and earnest for its own desires.\n\n12. Idleness is the mother and nurse of many heinous sins. 1. It\ncherisheth lust, and draweth people to fornication, which hard labour\nwould have much prevented. 2. It is the time for foolish sports, and\nvanity, and wantonness, and excess of riot, and all the mischiefs\nwhich use to follow it. 3. It is the time for idle talk, and meddling\nwith other folk's matters: and therefore Paul reprehendeth the idle as\nbusy-bodies, or meddlers with matters that concern them not, and\ntwattlers, and tale-carriers, 2 Thess. iii. 11: 1 Tim. v. 13; 1 Thess.\niv. 11.[576] They that do not what they should, will be doing what\nthey should not. 4. It is the time for gluttony, and drunkenness, and\ngaming, and all other sensuality. 5. Yea, it is the time for seditions\nand rebellions; as in armies it is the time for mutinies.\n\n13. Idleness is the season of temptation: it is Satan's seed-time. It\nis then that he hath opportunity to tempt men to malice, revenge, and\nall other villany that is committed.\n\n14. Idleness is \"a disorderly walking,\" 2 Thess. iii. 10, 11; out of the\nway that God hath appointed us to eat our bread in, and receive his\nblessing in. The large description of a virtuous woman, Prov. xxxi. 10,\nto the end, is worthy to be studied by the slothful. \"She seeketh wool\nand flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the\nmerchant's ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while\nit is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her\nmaidens. She considereth a field and buyeth it: with the fruit of her\nhands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and\nstrengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her\ncandle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and\nher hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor,\nyea, she reacheth forth her hand to the needy. She is not afraid of the\nsnow for her household: for all her household are clothed with\nscarlet.--She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not\nthe bread of idleness.\"[577] I desire our ladies and gentlewomen, that\ntake this pattern to be below them, to remember that it was not a\nploughman, but a king, and that the greatest that ever Israel had, that\ngave this counsel as received from his mother: who concludeth, ver. 30,\n31, \"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth\nthe Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and\nlet her own works praise her in the gates.\" But if our gallants should\nhave no meat or clothing but what were the fruit of their hands, it\nwould make a foul change in their garb and diet! And if their own works\nmust be the matter of their praise, instead of the names of their\nancestors, arms, lands, and titles, it would also make a foul change in\ntheir honours![578]\n\n15. Idleness usually bringeth poverty; and it is a just and merciful\nchastisement of God to cure the sin: but such can have little comfort\nin their wants; nor expect that others should pity them, as they would\ndo the diligent. Yea, many, when by idleness they are brought to\npoverty, by poverty are brought to murmuring and stealing, to the ruin\nboth of soul and body, and family and reputation.\n\n16. Idleness is a murderer of the body. Gluttony and idleness kill\nmost of the world before their time: no two sins more constantly bring\nthis curse along with them.\n\n17. Idleness maketh thee the shame of the creation. Seest thou not how\nall the world is in action? how the sun runneth his course for thee,\nthe waters flow, the ground bringeth forth, thy cattle labour for\nthee; and all things that are most excellent, are most active; and all\nthings that are most unactive, are most vile, and dead, and drossy.\nThe Scripture sendeth the slothful even to the ant to learn to labour,\nProv. vi. 6. And shall the ant, the bee, and every creature be\nwitnesses against thee to condemn thy sloth?\n\n18. Lastly, idleness disableth you from doing good to others: you should\n\"work with your own hands, that you may have to give to him that\nneedeth,\" Eph. iv. 28. Or if you give out of your superfluity that which\ncost you no labour, it is not so much to your honour or comfort, as if\nyou were purposely thrifty and laborious to do good; he that pleaseth\nhis flesh with ease and fulness, and giveth his leavings (how much\nsoever) to the poor, will never have that comfort and evidence of God's\nacceptance and grace in it, as he that pampereth not his flesh by his\nabundance, but giveth that to the poor which he getteth with his\ndiligence, and which he denieth to his inordinate desires.\n\n_Direct._ II. Those persons must be extraordinary watchful against\nthis sin of idleness, whose constitutions, unhappy educations,\ncondition of life, or company, do most strongly tempt them to it. It\nis a sin that some have but little temptation to in comparison of\nothers: and some have need of a great deal of care and resolution to\nescape it. 1. Those are most subject to this sin who have a phlegmatic\nconstitution, or dulness of spirits, or other bodily indisposition to\ncherish it: such therefore should strive the more against it, and not\ngive way to any sloth which they are able to resist. Though their\nbodies are like a dull or tired horse, they must use the rod and spur\nthe more. Such heavy persons are more given to sleep than others are;\nand yet they may resist it and rise early if they will, though they\nhave a greater sluggishness than others to overcome. So though they\nare more undisposed to labour than more active persons are, yet if\nthey will do their best, they may go as far as their strength of body\nwill enable them. And this they should the rather strive to do,\n(unless they have a disease that labour is hurtful to,) because that\ncustom doth much to the increasing or decreasing their bodily\nundisposedness, and labour is the most effectual means to cure them of\nthat fleshly heaviness which unfitteth them for their labour.[579]\n\n2. Those that have been unhappily bred up in idleness, have great cause\nto repent of their sinful life that is past, and to be doubly diligent\nto overcome this sin: if their parents have so far been their enemies,\nthey should not continue enemies to themselves. Though usually the\nchildren of the rich and proud have this for their peculiar original\nsin, and are very unhappy in their parentage and education in comparison\nof the children of wise, and humble, and industrious parents, yet their\nown understanding and willingness, by the help of grace, may overcome\nit. If your parents had trained you up to live by stealing, could not\nyou leave it if you will, when you come to know that God forbiddeth it?\nso though they have bred you up in idleness, and done their part to undo\nyou both in soul and body, to make your souls a sty for sin, and your\nbodies a skinful of diseases, yet if you will do your part you may be\nrecovered, at least as to your souls; and custom may conquer the fruits\nof custom. You cannot do worse than to go on, and spend the rest of your\nlife in sin. If you had been still-born, or murdered in your infancy, it\nhad been no sin for you to have lain idle in the common earth; but to\nteach a living soul to be idle, and to train up the living to a\nconformity to the dead, (save only that they eat, and spend, and sin,\nand carry their ornaments on their backs, when the dead have theirs for\na standing monument,) this was great cruelty and treachery in your\nparents: but you must not therefore be as cruel and treacherous against\nyourselves.[580]\n\n3. Those that abound in wealth, and have no need to labour for any\nbodily provisions, should be especially watchful against this sin.\nNecessity is a constant spur to the poor (except those that live upon\nbegging, who are the second rank of idle persons in the land); but the\nrich and proud are under a continual temptation to live idly; for they\nneed not rise early to labour for their bread; they need not work hard\nfor food or raiment; they have not the cries of their hungry children\nto rouse them up; they have plenty for themselves and family without\nlabour, and therefore they think they may take their ease. But it is a\nsad case with poor souls, when the commands of God do go for nothing\nwith them; or cannot do as much to make them diligent as poverty or\nwant could do; and when God's service seemeth to them unworthy of\ntheir labour, in comparison of their own. It may be, God may bring you\nunto a necessity of labouring for your daily bread, if you so ill\nrequite him for your plenty. But it is better that your idleness were\ncured by grace, than by necessity: for when you labour only for your\nown supplies, your own supplies are your reward; but when you labour\nin true obedience to God, it is God that will reward you, Col. iii.\n23, 24. I do, with very much love and honour, think of the industrious\nlives of some lords and ladies that I know, who hate idleness and\nvanity, and spend their time in diligent labours suitable to their\nplaces. But it is matter of very great shame and sorrow, to think and\nspeak of the lives of too great a number of our gallants: to how\nlittle purpose they live in the world! If they take a true account of\ntheir lives, (as God will make them wish they had done, when he calls\nthem to account,) how many hours, think you, will be found to have\nbeen spent in any honest labour, or diligent work that is worthy of a\nchristian, or a member of the commonwealth! in comparison of all the\nrest of their time, which is spent in bed, in dressing, in ornaments,\nin idle talk, in playing, in eating, in idle wanderings and visits,\nand in doing nothing, or much worse?[581] How much of the day doth\nidleness consume in comparison of any profitable work! Oh that God\nwould make such know in time, how dreadful a thing it is thus to\nimitate Sodom that was punished with the vengeance of eternal fire,\nEzek. xvi. 49; Jude 7, instead of imitating Christ. As for idle\nbeggars, they read not books, and therefore I shall not write for\nthem: they are in this more happy than the idle gentry, that the law\ncompelleth them to work, and leaveth them not to themselves.\n\n4. Those persons that live in idle company have special cause to fear\nthis sin; for such will entangle you in idleness, and greatly hinder\nyou from conscionable diligence.\n\n5. Those servants that live in great men's houses, and are kept more\nfor pomp and state than service, having little to do, should specially\ntake heed of the sin of idleness. Many such take it for their\nhappiness to live idly, and take that for the best service where they\nhave least work. But have you nothing to do for yourselves, for soul\nnor body? If you have leisure from your master's service, you should\nthankfully improve it in God's service and your own.\n\n_Direct._ III. Settle yourselves in a lawful calling, which will keep\nyou under a necessity of ordinary and orderly employment. As we\ncannot so easily bring our minds to a close attendance upon God, in\nthe week days when we have our common business to divert us, as we can\ndo on the Lord's day which is purposely set apart for it, and in which\nwe have the use of his stated ordinances to assist us; even so a man\nthat is out of a stated course of labour cannot avoid idleness so well\nas he that hath his ordinary time and course of business to keep him\nstill at work. It is a dangerous life to live out of a calling.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Take heed of excess of meat, and drink, and sleep; for\nthese drown the senses, and dull the spirits, and load you with a\nburden of flesh or humours, and greatly undispose the body to all\ndiligent, useful labours: a full belly and drowsy brain are unfit for\nwork. It will seem work enough to such, to carry the load of flesh or\nphlegm which they have gathered. A pampered body is more disposed to\nlust and wantonness, than to work.\n\n_Direct._ V. A manlike resolution is an effectual course against sloth.\nResolve and it will be done. Give not way to a slothful disposition. Be\nup and doing: you can do it if you do but resolve. To this end, be never\nwithout God's quickening motives (before mentioned) on your minds. Think\nwhat a sin and shame it is to waste your time; to live like the dead; to\nbury a rational soul in flesh; to be a slave to so base a thing as\nsloth; to neglect all God's work while he supporteth and maintaineth\nyou, and looketh on; to live in sloth, with such miserable souls, so\nnear to judgment and eternity. Such thoughts well set home will make you\nstir, when a drowsy soul makes an idle body.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Take pleasure in your work, and then you will not be\nslothful in it. Your very horse will go heavily where he goeth\nunwillingly, and will go freely when he goeth thither where he would\nbe. Either your work is good or bad: if it be bad, avoid it; if it be\ngood, why should you not take pleasure in it? It should be pleasant to\ndo good.\n\n_Direct._ VII. To this end be sure to do all your work as that which\nGod requireth of you, and that which he hath promised to reward; and\nbelieve his acceptance of your meanest labours which are done in\nobedience to his will. Is it not a delightful thing to serve so great\nand good a Master, and to do that which God accepteth and promiseth to\nreward? This interest of God in your lowest, and hardest, and\nservilest labour, doth make it honourable, and should make it sweet.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Suffer not your fancies to run after sensual, vain\ndelights; for these will make you weary of your callings. No wonder if\nfoolish youths be idle, whose minds are set upon their sports; nor is\nit wonder that sensual gentlemen live idly, who glut themselves with\ncorrupting pleasures. The idleness of such sensualists is more\nunexcusable than other men's, because it is not the labour itself that\nthey are against, but only such labour as is honest and profitable:\nfor they can bestow more labour in play, or dancing, or running, or\nhunting, or any vanity, than their work required; and it is the folly\nand sickness of their minds that is the cause, and not any disability\nin their bodies: the busiest in evil are slothfullest to good.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Mortify the flesh, and keep it in an obedient dependence\non the soul, and you will not be captivated by sloth. For idleness is\nbut one way of flesh-pleasing: he that is a sensual slave to his\nflesh, will please it in the way that it most desireth; one man in\nfornication, and another in ambition, and another in ease; but he that\nhath overcome and mortified the flesh, hath mastered this with the\nrest of its concupiscence.\n\n_Direct._ X. Remember still that time is short, and death makes haste,\nand judgment will be just, and that all must be judged according to\nwhat they have done in the body; and that your souls are precious, and\nheaven is glorious, and hell is terrible, and work is various and\ngreat, and hinderances are many; and that it is not idleness, but\nlabour, that is comfortable in the reviews of time; and this will\npowerfully expel your sloth.\n\n_Direct._ XI. Call yourselves daily or frequently to account how you\nspend your time, and what work you do, and how you do it. Suffer not\none hour or moment so to pass, as you cannot give your consciences a\njust account of it.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Lastly, watch against the slothfulness of those that\nare under your charges as well as against your own: some persons of\nhonour and greatness are diligent themselves, and bestow their time\nfor the service of God, their king and country, and their souls and\nfamilies (and I would we had more such): but if, in the mean time,\ntheir wives and children and many of their servants spend most of the\nday and year in idleness, and they are guilty of it, for want of a\nthorough endeavour to reform it, their burden will be found greater at\nlast than they imagined. In a word, though the labour and diligence of\na believing saint, and not that of a covetous worldling, is it that\ntends to save the soul, and diligence in doing evil is but a making\nhaste to hell; yet sloth in itself is so great a nourisher of vice,\nand deadly an enemy to all that is good; and idleness is such a course\nand swarm of sin, that all your understandings, resolution, and\nauthority, should be used to cure it in yourselves and others.\n\n\n          _Tit._ 3. _Directions against Sloth and Laziness in\n             Things Spiritual: and for Zeal and Diligence._\n\nZeal in things spiritual is contrary to sloth, and coldness, and\nremissness; and diligence is contrary to idleness. Zeal is the fervour\nor earnestness of the soul:[582] its first subject is the will and\naffections, excited by the judgment; and thence it appeareth in the\npractice. It is not a distinct grace or affection, but the vigour and\nliveliness of every grace, and their fervent operations.\n\n[Sidenote: The kinds of false zeal.]\n\n_Direct._ I. Be sure that you understand the nature and use of zeal\nand diligence, and mistake not a carnal, degenerate sort of zeal, for\nthat which is spiritual and genuine. 1. There is a zeal, and activity\nmerely natural, which is the effect of an active temperature of body.\n2. There is an affected zeal, which is hypocritical, about things that\nare good; when men speak, and make an outward stir, as if they were\ntruly zealous, when it is not so. 3. There is a selfish zeal: when a\nproud and selfish person is fervent in any matter that concerneth\nhimself; for his own opinions, his own honour, his own estate, or\nfriends, or interest, or any thing that is his own. 4. There is a\npartial, factious zeal:[583] when error, or pride, or worldliness hath\nengaged men in a party, and they think it is their duty or interest at\nleast, to side with the sect or faction which they have chosen, they\nwill be zealous for all the opinions and ways of their espoused party.\n5. There is a superstitious, childish, carnal zeal, for small,\nindifferent, inconsiderable things: like that of the Pharisees (and\nall such hypocrites) for their washings, and fastings, and other\nceremonious observances. 6. There is an envious, malicious zeal,\nagainst those that have the precedency, and cross your desires, or\ncloud your honour in the world, or that contradict you in your\nconceits and ways: such is that at large described, James iii. 7.\nThere is a peevish, contentious, wrangling zeal, which is assaulting\nevery man who is not squared just to your conceits. 8. There is a\nmalignant zeal, against the cause and servants of the Lord, which\ncarrieth men to persecute them. See that you take not any of these, or\nany such like, for holy zeal.\n\n[Sidenote: The mischiefs of false zeal.]\n\nIf you should so mistake, these mischiefs would ensue: 1. Sinful zeal\ndoth make men doubly sinful: as holy zeal is the fervency of our\ngrace, so sinful zeal is the intention and fervency of sin. 2. It is\nan honouring of sin and Satan: as if sin were a work, and Satan a\nmaster, worthy to be fervently and diligently followed. 3. It is the\nmost effectual violent way of sinning, making men do much evil in a\nlittle time; and making them more mischievous and hurtful to others,\nthan other sinners are. 4. It blindeth the judgment, and maketh men\ntake truth for falsehood, and good for evil, and disableth reason to\ndo its office. 5. It is the violent resister of all God's means; and\nteacheth men to rage against the truth that should convince them: it\nstops men's ears, and turns away their hearts from the counsel which\nwould do them good. 6. It is the most furious and bloody persecutor of\nthe saints, and church of Jesus Christ:[584] it made Paul once\nexceeding mad against them, Acts xxvi. 10, 11, and \"shut them up in\nprison, and punish them in the synagogues, and compel them to\nblaspheme, and persecute them even unto strange cities, and vote for\ntheir death.\" Thus \"concerning zeal he persecuted the church,\" Phil.\niv. 6. 7. It is the turbulent disquieter of all societies; a destroyer\nof love; a breeder and fomenter of contention; and an enemy to order,\npeace, and quietness. 8. It highly dishonoureth God, by presuming to\nput his name to sin and error, and to entitle him to all the\nwickedness it doth. Such zealous sinners commit their sin as in the\nname of God, and fight against him ignorantly by his own (pretended or\nabused) authority.[585] 9. It is an impenitent way of sinning: the\nzealous sinner justifieth his sin, and pleadeth reason or Scripture\nfor it, and thinking that he doth well, yea, that he is serving God\nwhen he is murdering his servants, John xvi. 2. 10. It is a\nmultiplying sin, and maketh men exceeding desirous to have all others\nof the sinner's mind: the zealous sinner doth make as many sin with\nhim as he can.\n\nYea, if it be but a zeal for small and useless things, or about small\ncontroversies or opinions in religion; 1. It showeth a mind that is\nlamentably strange to the tenor of the gospel, and the mind of Christ,\nand the practice of the great substantial things. 2. It destroyeth\ncharity and peace, and breedeth censuring and abusing others. 3. It\ndishonoureth holy zeal by accident, making the profane think that all\nzeal is no better than the foolish passion of deceived men. 4. And it\ndisableth the persons that have it to do good; even when they are\nzealous for holy truth and duty, the people will think it is but of\nthe same nature with their erroneous zeal, and so will disregard them.\n\n[Sidenote: The signs of holy zeal.]\n\nThe signs of holy zeal are these: 1. It is guided by a right judgment.\nIt is a zeal for truth and good, and not for falsehood and evil, Rom.\nx. 2. 2. It is for God, and his church or cause, and not only for\nourselves. It consisteth with meekness, and self-denial, and\npatience, as to our own concernments, and causeth us to prefer the\ninterest of God before our own, Numb. xii. 3; Exod. xxxii. 19; Gal.\niv. 12; Acts xiii. 9, 12. 3. It is always more careful of the\nsubstance than the circumstances; it preferreth great things before\nsmall; it contendeth not for small controversies to the loss or wrong\nof greater truths, Matt. xxiii. 22, 23; it extendeth to every known\ntruth and duty, but in due proportion, being hottest in the greatest\nthings, and coolest in the least; it maketh men rather zealous of good\nworks, than of their controverted opinions, Tit. ii. 14. 4. Holy zeal\nis always charitable; it is not cruel and bloody, nor of a hurting\ndisposition, Luke ix. 55, but is tender and merciful, and maketh men\nburn with a desire to win and save men's souls, rather than to hurt\ntheir bodies, 1 Cor. xiii.[586] Zeal against the sin is conjunct with\nlove and pity to the sinner, 2 Cor. xii. 21. 5. Yet it excludeth that\nfoolish pity which cherisheth the sin, Rev. ii. 2; 1 Kings xv. 13. 6.\nTrue zeal is tender of the church's unity and peace; it is not a\ndividing, tearing zeal: it is first \"pure and then peaceable, gentle,\nand easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits,\" James iii.\n17. 7. True zeal is impartial, and is as hot against our own sins, and\nour children's and other relations' sins, as against another's.[587]\n8. True zeal respecteth all God's commandments, and is not hot for\none, and contemptuous of another. It aimeth at perfection; and\nstinteth not our desires to any lower degree. It maketh a man desirous\nto be like to God, even holy as he is holy. It consisteth principally\nin the fervour of our love to God; when false zeal consisteth\nprincipally in censorious wranglings against other men's actions or\nopinions: it first worketh towards good, and then riseth up against\nthe hindering evil. 9. It maketh a man laborious in holy duty to God,\nand diligent in all his work;[588] and lieth not only in the heat of\nthe brain, or rigid opinions, or heat of speech. 10. It is not a\nsudden flash, but a constant resolution of the soul; like the natural\nheat, and not like a fever (though the feeling part is not still of\none degree); therefore it concocteth and strengtheneth, when false\nzeal only vexeth and consumeth.[589]\n\n_Direct._ II. When you are thus acquainted with the nature of true\nzeal, consider next of its excellency and singular benefits, that\nthere may be a love to it, and an honour of it in your hearts. To that\nend consider of these following commendations of it.\n\n[Sidenote: The excellency of zeal and diligence.]\n\n1. Zeal being nothing but the fervour and vigour of every grace, hath\nin it all the beauty and excellency of that grace, and that in a high\nand excellent degree. If love to God be excellent, then zealous,\nfervent love is most excellent.\n\n2. The nature of holy objects are such, so great and excellent, so\ntranscendent and of unspeakable consequence, that we cannot be sincere\nin our estimation and seeking of them, without zeal. If it were about\nriches or honours, a cold desire and a dull pursuit might serve the\nturn, and well beseem us; but about God, and Christ, and grace, and\nheaven, such cold desires and endeavours are but a contempt. To love\nGod without zeal, is not to love him, because it is not a loving him\nas God.[590] To seek heaven without zeal and diligence is not to seek\nit, but contemn it. To pray for salvation without any zeal, is but\nhypocritically to babble, instead of praying; for no desire of Christ,\nand holiness, and heaven is saving, but that which preferreth them\nbefore all the treasures and pleasures of the world; and that which\ndoth so, hath sure some zeal in it; so that some zeal is essential to\nevery grace, as life and heat are to a man.\n\n3. The integrity and honesty of the heart to God consisteth much in\nzeal:[591] as he is true to his friend that is zealous for him, and\nnot he that is indifferent and cold. To do his service with zeal is to\ndo it willingly, and heartily, and entirely. To do it without zeal is\nto do it heartlessly, and by the halves, and to leave out the life and\nkernel of the duty: it is the heart that God doth first require.\n\n4. Zeal is much of the strength of duty; and maketh it likeliest to\nattain its end. The prayer of the faithful that is effectual must be\n\"fervent,\" Jam. v. 16. Zeal must make us importunate suitors, that\nwill take no denial, if we will speed, Luke xviii. 1-8. \"The kingdom\nof heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.\" We\nmust \"strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many shall seek to\nenter and not be able.\" Not every one that striveth is crowned, nor\nevery one that runneth wins the prize; but he that doth it effectually\nso as to attain. No wonder if we be commanded to love God with all our\nheart, and soul, and might, which is a zealous love; for this is it\nthat overcometh all other love, and will constrain to dutiful\nobedience. As experience telleth us, it is the zealous and diligent\npreacher that doth good, when the cold and negligent do but little; so\nit is in all other duties; the diligent hand maketh rich, and God\nblesseth those that serve him heartily with all their might.[592]\n\n5. Zeal and diligence take the opportunity, which sloth and negligence\nlet slip. They are up with the sun, and \"work while it is day;\" they\n\"seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is\nnear;\" they know the day of their visitation and salvation; they delay\nnot, but take the \"accepted time.\" When the slothful are still\ndelaying and trifling, and hear not God's voice while it is \"called\nto-day,\" but \"harden their hearts,\" and sleep with their \"lamps\nunfurnished,\" and knock not till the \"door be shut.\"[593] They stand\nand look upon their work while they should do it; they are never in\nreadiness, when Christ and mercy are to be entertained; they are still\nputting off their duty till some other time; till time be done, and\ntheir work undone, and they are undone for ever.\n\n6. Zeal and diligence are the best improvers of time and mercy; as they\ndelay not, but take the present time, so they loiter not, but do their\nwork to purpose. As a speedy traveller goeth farther in a day, than a\nslothful one in many; so a zealous, diligent christian will do more for\nGod and his soul in a little time, than a negligent dullard in all his\nlife. It is a wonder to think what Augustine and Chrysostom did among\nthe ancients! what Calvin, and Perkins, and Whitaker, and Reignolds, and\nChamier, and many other reformed divines have done in a very little\ntime! and what Suarez, and Vasquez, and Jansenius, and Tostatus, and\nCajetan, and Aquinas, and many other papists, have performed by\ndiligence! When millions of men that have longer time, go out of the\nworld as unknown as they came into it; having never attained to so much\nknowledge as might preserve them from the reproach of brutish ignorance,\nnor so much as might save their souls from hell: and when many that had\ndiligence enough to get some laudable abilities, had never diligence\nenough to use them to any great benefit of others or themselves. Zeal\nand diligence are that fruitful, well-manured soil, where God soweth his\nseed with best success; and which returns him for his mercies a\nhundredfold, Matt. xiii. 8, 23; and at his coming giveth him his \"own\nwith usury,\" Matt. xxv. 27, 28. But sloth and negligence are the grave\nof mercies, where they are buried till they rise up in judgment against\nthe despisers and consumers of them. Aristotle and Plato, Galen and\nHippocrates, improvers of nature, shall condemn these slothful\nneglecters and abusers of nature and grace; yea, their oxen and horses\nshall be witnesses against many that served not God with any such\ndiligence, as these beasts served them; yea, many gallants of great\nestates never did so much service for the common good in all their lives\nas their very beasts have done. Their parts, their life, and all are\nlost by them.\n\n7. Zeal and diligence are the victorious enemies of sin and Satan.\nThey bear not with sin: they are to it as a consuming fire is to the\nthorns and briers. Zeal burneth up lust, and covetousness, and pride,\nand sensuality.[594] It maketh such work among our sins, as diligent\nweeders do in your gardens; it pulleth up the tares, and burneth them.\nIt stands not dallying with sin, nor tasting or looking on the bait,\nnor disputing with and hearkening to the tempter; but casteth away the\nmotion with abhorrence, and abstaineth from the very appearance of\nevil, and hateth the garment spotted by the flesh, and presently\nquencheth the sparks of concupiscence; it chargeth home, and so\nresisteth the devil that he flieth:[595] when sloth and negligence\ncherish the sin, and encourage the tempter, and invite him by a cold\nresistance. The vineyard of the sluggard is overgrown with nettles;\nhis heart swarmeth with noisome thoughts and lusts, and he resisteth\nthem not, but easily beareth them. If he feel sinful thoughts\npossessing his mind, he riseth not up with zeal against them; he hath\nnot the heart to cast them out, nor make any effectual resistance; he\nfamisheth his soul with fruitless wishes, because his hands refuse to\nlabour.[596] Negligence is the nurse of sin.\n\n8. Zeal and diligence bear down all opposition against duty with power\nand success. Those impediments which stop a sluggard, are as nothing\nbefore them; as the cart-wheels which go slowly are easily stopped by\na little stone or any thing in their way, when those that are in a\nswifter motion easily get over all. The lion that is in the sluggard's\nway, is not so much as a barking whelp in the way of a diligent,\nzealous christian. The cold doth not hinder him from ploughing.[597] A\nvery scorn, or mock, or threatening of a mortal man, will dismay and\nstop a heartless hypocrite; which do but serve as oil to the fire, to\ninflame the courage of the zealous so much more. The difficulties\nwhich seem insuperable to the slothful, are small matters to the\nzealous; he goeth through that which the slothful calls impossible.\nAnd when the slothful sits still and saith, I cannot do this or that,\nthe zealous, diligent christian doth it.\n\n9. Zeal and diligence take off the toil and irksomeness of duty, and\nmake it easy. As a quick-spirited, diligent servant maketh but a\npleasure of his work, which a lazy servant doth with pain and\nweariness; and as a mettlesome horse makes a pleasure of a journey,\nwhich a heavy jade goeth through with pain; so reading, and hearing,\nand prayer are easy to a zealous soul, which to another are an\nunwelcome task and toil.\n\n10. Zeal is faithful, and constant, and valiant, and therefore greatly\npleaseth God: it sticks to him through persecution; the fire consumeth\nit not; many waters quench it not. But others are false-hearted: and\nthose that have but a cold religion will easily be drawn or driven from\ntheir religion. They are so indifferent, that a little more of the world\nput into the balance, will weigh down Christ in their esteem. The hopes\nor fears of temporal things prevail with them, against the hopes and\nfears of things eternal. No wonder therefore if God disown such\ntreacherous servants, and turn them away as unworthy of his family.[598]\n\n_Direct._ III. Let the great motives of holy zeal and diligence be set\nhome and printed on your hearts:[599] and often read them over in some\nquickening books, that you may remember them, and be affected with\nthem. I have given you so many of these moving, exciting\nconsiderations, in the third part of my \"Saints' Rest,\" and my \"Saint\nor Brute,\" and \"Now or Never,\" and in my sermon against \"Making Light\nof Christ,\" that I shall be but very brief in them at present.\n\n[Sidenote: Motives of zeal.]\n\n1. When you grow cold and slothful, remember how great a Master you\nserve: should any thing be done negligently for God? And remember how\ngood a Master you serve; for whom you are certain that you can never\ndo too much; nor so much as he deserveth of you; nor will he ever\nsuffer you to be losers by him.\n\n2. Remember that he is always present; in your converse with others,\nin your prayers, your reading, and all your duties: and will you\nloiter in his sight? when a very eye-servant will work while his\nmaster standeth by.\n\n3. One serious thought of the end and consequence of all thy work, one\nwould think, should put life into the dullest soul! Say to thy sleepy,\nfrozen heart, Is it not heaven that I am seeking? Is it not hell that\nI am avoiding? And can I be cold and slothful about heaven and hell?\nMust it not go with me for ever according as I now behave myself? And\nis this the best that I can do for my salvation? Is it not God that I\nhave to please and honour? and shall I do it slothfully?\n\n4. One thought of the exceeding greatness of our work, one would\nthink, should make us be zealous and diligent! To think what abundance\nof knowledge we have to get! and how much of every grace we want! and\nhow much means we have to use! and how much opposition and many\ntemptations to overcome! The humble sense of the weakness of our\nsouls, and the greatness of our sins, should make us say, that\nwhatever the rich in grace may do, it is labour that becomes the poor.\n\n5. To remember how short our time of working is, and also how uncertain!\nHow fast it flieth away! how soon it will be at an end! And that all the\ntime that ever we shall have to prepare for eternity is now! and that\nshortly there will be no praying, no hearing, no working any more on\nearth![600] To look into the grave, to go to the house of mourning! to\nconsider that this heart hath but a little more time to think, and this\ntongue but a little more time to speak, and all will end in the endless\nrecompence; methinks this should quicken the coldest heart!\n\n6. To remember how many millions are undone already by their sloth and\nnegligence! how many are in hell lamenting their slothfulness on earth,\nwhile I am hearing, or reading, or praying to prevent it, one would\nthink should waken me from my sloth: what if I saw them, and heard their\ncries? would it not make me serious? What if one of them had time and\nleave and hope again as I have? would he be cold and careless?\n\n7. To think how many millions are now in heaven, that all came thither\nby holy zeal and diligence, and are now enjoying the fruit of all\ntheir labour and sufferings! to think of the blessed end of all their\npains and patience, and how far they are now from repenting of it!\nmethinks should stir us up to zeal and diligence.\n\n8. To foresee what thoughts all the world will have of holy diligence\nat last! how the best will wish they had been better, and had done\nmuch more for God and their salvation! and how the worst will wish,\nwhen it is too late, that they had been as zealous and diligent as the\nbest! How earnestly they will then knock and cry, \"Lord, open to us,\"\nwhen it is all in vain! and say to the watchful, diligent souls, \"Give\nus of your oil, for our lamps are gone out,\" Matt. xxv. To think how\nglad the most ungodly would then be, if they might but have \"died the\ndeath of the righteous, and their latter end might be as his!\" Numb.\nxxiii. 10. And what heart-tearing grief will seize upon them for ever,\nto think how madly they lost their souls, and sluggishly went to hell\nto spare their pains of that sweet and holy work that should have\nprevented it! Will not such forethoughts awaken the most sluggish,\nstupid souls, that will but follow them till they can do their work?\n\n9. Remember that thou must be zealous and diligent in this or nothing;\nfor there is nothing else that is worth thy seriousness, in comparison\nof this. To be earnest and laborious for perishing vanities, is the\ndisgrace of thy mind, and will prove thy disappointment, and leave\nthee at last in shame and sorrow; when holy diligence will recompense\nall thy pains.\n\n10. Remember also that thou hast been slothful and negligent too long!\nAnd how dost thou repent of thy former sloth, if thou wilt be as\nslothful still? Art thou grieved to think how many duties slothfulness\nhath put by, and how many it hath murdered, and frustrated, and made\nnothing of, and how much grace, and mercy, and comfort, it hath\nalready deprived thee of? and how much better thy case were, if thou\nhadst lived in as much holy diligence as the best thou knowest? And\nyet wilt thou be slothful still?\n\n11. Remember that thou hast thy life, and health, and wit, and parts,\nfor nothing else but by thy present duty to prepare for everlasting\njoys: that all God's mercies bind thee to be diligent; and every\nordinance, and all his helps and means of grace, are given to further\nthee in the work; and sun, and moon, and air, and earth, and all,\nattend thee with their help. And yet wilt thou be cold and slothful,\nand frustrate all these means and mercies?\n\n12. Remember how diligent thy enemy is: Satan \"goeth about even night\nand day, like a roaring lion seeking to devour!\" 1 Pet. v. 8. And wilt\nthou be less diligent to resist him?\n\n13. Think what an example of diligence Christ himself hath left thee!\nAnd how laboriously blessed Paul and all the holy servants of Christ\ndid follow their Master's work! Did they pray, and watch, and work as\nslothfully as thou dost?\n\n14. Remember how hot and earnest thou wast formerly in thy sin! and\nwilt thou now be cold and negligent in thy duty, when God hath set\nthee in a better way?\n\n15. Observe how eager and diligent worldlings are for the world, and\nflesh-pleasers for their sports and pleasures, and proud persons for\ntheir greatness and honour, and malignant persons to oppose the gospel\nof Christ, and their own and other men's salvation; look on them; and\nthink what a shame it is to thee to be more cold and remiss for God.\n\n16. Observe how an awakening pang of conscience, or the sight of death\nwhen it seems to be at hand, can waken the very wicked to some kind of\nserious diligence at the present; so that by their confessions, and\ncries, and promises, and amendments, while the fit was on them, they\nseemed more zealous than many that were sincere. And shall not saving\ngrace do more with you, than a fit of fear can do with the ungodly?\n\n17. Remember of how sad importance it is, and what it signifieth, to\nbe cold and slothful! If it be predominant, so as to keep thee from a\nholy life, it is damnable. The spirit of slumber is a most dreadful\njudgment. But if it do not so prevail, yet, though thou be a child of\nGod, it signifieth a great debility of soul, and foretelleth some\nsharp affliction to befall thee, if God mean to do thee good by a\nrecovery. The decay of natural heat is a sign of old age, and is\naccompanied with the decay of all the powers. And sicknesses and pains\ndo follow such decays of life. And as you will make your horse feel\nthe rod or spur when he grows dull and heavy, expect when you grow\ncold and dull, to feel the spur of some affliction, to make you stir\nand mend your pace.\n\n18. Remember that thy sloth is a sinning against thy knowledge, and\nagainst thy experience, and against thy own covenants, promises, and\nprofession; and therefore an aggravated sin. These and such like serious\nthoughts will do much to stir up a slothful soul to zeal and diligence.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Drown not your hearts in worldly business or\ndelights;[601] for these breed a loathing, and averseness, and\nweariness of holy things. They are so contrary one to the other, that\nthe mind will not be eagerly set on both at once: but as it relisheth\nthe one, it more and more disrelisheth the other. There is no heart\nleft for God, when other things have carried it away.\n\n_Direct._ V. Do all you can to raise your hearts to the love of God,\nand a delight in holy things, and then you will not be slothful, nor\nweary, nor negligent. Love and delight are the most excellent remedy\nagainst a slow, unwilling kind of duty. Know but how good it is to\nwalk with God, and do his work, and thou wilt do it cheerfully.\n\n_Direct._ VI. A secret root of unbelief is the mortal enemy of zeal\nand diligence; labour for a well-grounded belief of the word of God\nand the world to come, and stir up that belief into exercise, when you\nwould have your slothful hearts stirred up. When there is a secret\nquestioning in the heart, What if there should be no life to come?\nWhat if the grounds of religion be unsound? This blasteth the vigour\nof all endeavours, and inclineth men to serve God only with\nhypocritical halving and reserves; and maketh men resolve to be no\nfurther religious, than stands with present, fleshly happiness.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Take heed of debauching conscience by venturing upon\ndoubtful things, much more, by known and wilful sin.[602] For when once\nconscience is taught to comply with sin, and is mastered in one thing,\nit will do its duty well in nothing, and zeal will quickly be extinct;\ndiligence will die when conscience is corrupted or fallen asleep.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Live in a constant expectation of death. Do not\nfoolishly flatter yourself with groundless conceits that you shall\nlive long. There is a great power in death to rouse up a drowsy soul,\nwhen it is taken to be near; and a great force in the conceit of\nliving long, to make even good men grow more negligent and secure.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Live among warm and serious christians; especially as to\nyour intimate familiarity.[603] There is a very great power in the\nzeal of one to kindle zeal in others; as there is in fire to kindle\nfire. Serious, hearty, diligent christians, are excellent helps to\nmake us serious and diligent. He that travelleth with speedy\ntravellers, will be willing to keep pace with them; and tired\nsluggards are drawn on by others; when he that travelleth with the\nslothful will go slowly as they do.\n\n_Direct._ X. Lastly, Be oft in the use of quickening means: live, if\nyou can attain it, under a quickening, zealous minister. There is life\nin the word of God, which, when it is opened and applied livelily,\nwill put life into the hearers. Read the holy Scriptures, and such\nlively writings as help you to understand and practise them. As going\nto the fire is our way when we are cold, to cure our benumbedness, so\nreading over some part of a warm and quickening book, will do much to\nwarm and quicken a benumbed soul: and it is not the smallest help to\nrouse us up to prayer or meditation, and put life into us before we\naddress ourselves more nearly unto God. I have found it myself a great\nhelp in my studies, and to my preaching: when studying my own heart\nwould not serve the turn, to awake me to serious fervency, but all\nhath been cold and dull that I have done, because all was cold and\ndull within, I have taken up a book that was much more warm and\nserious than I, and the reading of it hath recovered my heat, and my\nwarmed heart hath been fitter for my work. Christians, take heed of a\ncold, and dull, and heartless kind of religion; and think no pains too\nmuch to cure it: death is cold, and life is warm; and labour itself\ndoth best excite it.\n\n\n                                PART II.\n\n         _Directions about Sports and Recreations, and against\n                        Excess and Sin therein._\n\n_Direct._ I. If you would escape the sin and danger, which men\ncommonly run into by unlawful sporting, under pretence of lawful\nrecreations, you must understand what lawful recreation is, and what\nis its proper end and use. No wonder else if you sin, when you know\nnot what you do!\n\n[Sidenote: What lawful recreation is.]\n\nNo doubt but some sport and recreation is lawful, yea needful, and\ntherefore a duty to some men. Lawful sport or recreation is the use of\nsome natural thing or action, not forbidden us, for the exhilarating\nof the natural spirits by the fantasy, and due exercise of the natural\nparts, thereby to fit the body and mind for ordinary duty to God. It\nis some delightful exercise.\n\n1. We do not call unpleasing labour by the name of sport or\nrecreation; though it may be better and more necessary. 2. We call not\nevery delight by the name of sport or recreation; for eating and\ndrinking may be delightful; and holy things and duties may be\ndelightful; and yet not properly sports or recreations. But it is the\nfantasy that is chiefly delighted by sports.\n\n_Qual._ I. All these things following are necessary to the lawfulness of\na sport or recreation, and the want of any one of them will make and\nprove it to be unlawful. 1. The end which you really intend in using it,\nmust be to fit you for your service to God; that is, either for your\ncallings, or for his worship, or some work of obedience in which you may\nplease and glorify him: I Cor. x. 31, \"Whether ye eat or drink, or\nwhatever you do, do all to the glory of God.\" It is just to your duty,\nas the mower's whetting to his scythe, to make it for to do his work.\n\n_Qual._ II. 2. Therefore the person that useth it, must be one that is\nheartily devoted to God, and his service, and really liveth to do his\nwork, and please and glorify him in the world: which none but the\ngodly truly do.' And therefore no carnal, ungodly person, that hath no\nsuch holy end, can use any recreation lawfully; because he useth it\nnot to a due end. For the end is essential to the moral good of any\naction; and an evil end must needs make it evil. Tit. i. 15, \"Unto the\npure all things are pure, (that is, all things not forbidden,) but\nunto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even\ntheir mind and conscience are defiled.\"\n\n_Quest._ But must all wicked men therefore forbear recreation? _Answ._\n1. Wicked men are such as will not obey God's law if they know it; and\ntherefore they inquire not what they should do, with any purpose\nsincerely to obey. But if they would obey, that which God commandeth\nthem is immediately to forsake their wickedness, and to become the\nservants of God, and then there will be no room for the question. 2.\nBut if they will continue in a sinful, ungodly state, it is in vain to\ncontrive how they may sport themselves without sin. But yet we may\ntell them that if the sport be materially lawful, it is not the matter\nthat they are bound to forsake, but it is the sinful end and manner.\nAnd till this be reformed they cannot but sin.\n\n_Qual._ III. 3. A lawful recreation must be a means fitly chosen and\nused to this end. If it have no aptitude to fit us for God's service\nin our ordinary callings and duty, it can be to us no lawful\nrecreation. Though it be lawful to another that it is a real help to,\nit is unlawful to us.\n\n_Qual._ IV. 4. Therefore all recreations are unlawful, which are\nthemselves preferred before our callings, or which are used by a man\nthat liveth idly, or in no calling, and hath no ordinary work to make\nhim need them. For these are no fit means, which exclude our end,\ninstead of furthering it.\n\n_Qual._ V. 5. Therefore all those are unlawful sports, which are used\nonly to delight a carnal fantasy, and have no higher end, than to\nplease the sickly mind that loveth them.\n\n_Qual._ VI. 6. And therefore all those are unlawful sports, which really\nunfit us for the duties of our callings, and the service of God; which,\nlaying the benefit and hurt together, do hinder us as much or more than\nthey help us! which is the case of all voluptuous wantons.\n\n_Qual._ VII. 7. All sports are unlawful which take up any part of the\ntime which we should spend in greater works: such are all those that\nare unseasonable; (as on the Lord's day without necessity, or when we\nshould be at prayer, or any other duty;) and all those that take up\nmore time than the end of a recreation doth necessarily require (which\nis too common).\n\n_Qual._ VIII. 8. If a recreation be profane, as making sport of holy\nthings, it is a mocking of God, and a villany unbeseeming any of his\ncreatures, and laying them open to his heaviest vengeance. The\nchildren that made sport with calling the prophet \"bald-head\" were\nslain by bears, 2 Kings ii. 23.\n\n_Qual._ IX. 9. They are unlawful sports which are used to the wrong of\nothers: as players, that defame and reproach other men; and hunters\nand hawkers, that tread down poor men's corn and hedges.\n\n_Qual._ X. 10. It is sinful to make sport of other men's sinning, or\nto act it ourselves so as to become partakers of it; which is too\ncommon with comedians, and other profane wits.\n\n_Qual._ XI. 11. Unclean, obscene recreations are unlawful; when\nfilthiness or wantonness is represented without a due expression of\nits odiousness, or with obscene words or actions. Eph. v. 3, 4, \"But\nfornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once\nnamed among you as becometh saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish\ntalking, nor jesting.\"\n\n_Qual._ XII. 12. Those sports are unlawful, which occasion the\nmultiplying of idle words about them; and engage the players in\nfoolish, needless, unprofitable prating.\n\n_Qual._ XIII. 13. And those sports are sinful, which plainly tend to\nprovoke ourselves or others to sin: as to lust, to swearing, and\ncursing, and railing, and fighting, or the like.\n\n_Qual._ XIV. 14. Those also are sinful, which are the exercise of\ncovetousness, to win other men's money of them; or that tend to stir\nup covetousness in those you play with.\n\n_Qual._ XV. 15. Cruel recreations also are unlawful: as taking\npleasure in the beholding of duellers, fighters, or any that abuse\neach other; or any other creatures that needlessly torment each other.\n\n_Qual._ XVI. 16. Too costly recreation also is unlawful: when you are\nbut God's stewards, and must be accountable to him for all you have,\nit is sinful to expend it needlessly on sports.\n\n_Qual._ XVII. 17. Unnecessary recreations forbidden by our lawful\ngovernors are unlawful. If they were before lawful to thee, yet now\nthey are not; because your king, your pastor, your parents, your\nmasters, have power to rule and restrain you in such things; and you\nmost obey them.\n\n_Qual._ XVIII. 18. Lastly, if you have the choice of divers recreations\nbefore you, you must choose the fittest: and if you choose one that is\nless fit and profitable, when a fitter might be chosen, it is your sin;\nthough that which you choose were lawful, if you had no other.\n\n[Sidenote: What to think of common stage-plays, gaming, cards, dice,\n&c.]\n\nBy all this it is easy to judge of our common stage-plays, gaming, cards\ndice, and divers other such kind of sports. If they have but any one of\nthese evil qualifications they are sinful. And when they are used\nwithout very many of them, 1. They are too commonly used by men that\nnever intended to fit themselves for their work and duty by them; yea,\nby men that live not at all to the pleasing and glorifying God, and know\nnot what it is to be obediently addicted to his service; yea, by men\nthat live not in any constant, honest labour, but make a very trade of\ntheir recreations, and use them as the chief business of the day.\n\n2. They are sports unfit for the ends of lawful recreation, as will\neasily appear to the impartial.[604] For it is either your bodies or\nyour minds that need most the recreations: either you are sedentary\npersons, or have a calling of bodily labour: if you are sedentary\npersons, (as students, scribes, and divers others,) then it is your\nbodies that have most need of exercise and recreation, and labour is\nfitter for you than sport; or at least a stirring, labouring sport.\nAnd in this case to sit at cards, or dice, or a stage-play, is,\ninstead of exercising your bodies, to increase the need of exercising\nthem: it stirreth not your parts; it warmeth not your blood; it\nhelpeth not concoction, attraction, assimilation, &c. It doth you much\nmore harm than good, as to your very health. But if you are hard\nlabourers, and need rest for your bodies and recreation for your\nminds; or are lame or sickly, that you cannot use bodily exercise;\nthen surely a hundred profitable exercises are at hand which are more\nsuitable to your case. You have books of necessity to read (as the\nword of God); and books of profit to your souls; and books that tend\nto increase your knowledge in common things, as history, geography,\nand arts and sciences. And should not these be any of them pleasanter\nthan your dice, and cards, and plays?\n\n3. At least it is plain that they are not the fittest recreations for\nany man that intends a lawful end. If you are students, or idle\ngentlemen, is not walking, or riding, or shooting, or some honest,\nbodily labour rather, that joineth pleasure and profit together, a\nfitter kind of exercise for you? Or if you are labouring persons, and\nneed only pleasure for your minds, should you not take pleasure in\nGod, in Scripture, in holy conference, meditation, or good books? Or\nif indeed you need a relaxation from both these, have you not\nprofitable history or geography to read? Have you not herbs, and\nflowers, and trees, and beasts, and birds, and other creatures to\nbehold? Have you not fields, or gardens, or meadows, or woods to walk\ninto? Have you not your near relations to delight in; your wives, or\nchildren, or friends, or servants? May you not talk with good, and\nwise, and cheerful men, about things that are both pleasing and\nedifying to you? Hath God given you such a world of lawful pleasures,\nand will none of them, nor all of them, serve your turns, without\nunlawful ones, or at least unfit ones (which therefore are unlawful):\nall these are undoubtedly lawful; but cards, and dice, and stage-plays\nare, at best, very questionable: among wise and learned men, and good\nmen, and no small number of these, they are condemned as\nunlawful.[605] And should one that feareth God and loveth his\nsalvation, choose so doubtful a sport, before such abundance of\nundoubtedly lawful ones? If you be so proud or rash as to reply, Why\nshould I leave my sport for another man's conceits or judgment? I will\ntell thee that which shall shame thy reply, and thee, if thou canst\nblush. 1. It is not some humorous, odd fanatic that I allege against\nthee, nor a singular divine; but it is the judgment of the ancient\nchurch itself. The fathers and councils condemn christians and\nministers especially, that use _spectacula_, spectacles, or behold\nstage-plays and dicing. 2. Even the oldest canons of our own church of\nEngland forbid dicing to the clergy, which is because they reputed it\nevil, or of ill report. 3. Many laws of religious princes do condemn\nthem. 4. Abundance of the most learned, holy divines condemn them. 5.\nThe soberest and learnedst of the papists condemn them. 6. And how\ngreat a number of the most religious ministers and people are against\nthem, of the age and place in which you live, you are not ignorant.\nAnd is the judgment of the ancient church, and of councils, and\nfathers, and of the most learned protestants and papists, and the most\nreligious people, besides many ancient laws and canons, of no force\nwith you in such a case as this? Will you hold to a thing confessedly\nunnecessary, against the judgment of so many that account them sinful?\nAre you and your play-fellows more wise and learned than all these? Or\nis it not extremity of pride, for such unstudied, empty men to prefer\ntheir sensual conceits, before such a concurrent stream of wiser and\nmore ponderous judgments? Read but Dr. J. Reignolds's Treatise against\nStage-plays, against Albericus Gentilis, and you will see what a world\nof witnesses are against you. And if the judgment of Voetius, Amesius,\nand other learned men against all lusory lots be of no authority, at\nleast it should move you that even Mr. Gataker and others, that write\nfor the lawfulness of them in that respect (as lusory lots) do yet lay\ndown the rest of the requisites to make them lawful, which utterly\ncondemn our common use of cards and dice, much more our gamesters: so\nthat all the sober divines that ever I read or heard, condemn all\nthese: and are you wiser than all of them?\n\n4. Besides this, your consciences know that you are so far from using\nthem to fit you for your callings, that you either live idly out of a\ncalling, or else you prefer them before your callings: you have no mind\nof your work, because your mind is so much upon your play: you have no\nmind of your home or family, but are weary of your business, because\nyour sports withdraw your hearts; and you are so far from using them to\nfit you to any holy duty, that they utterly unfit you, and corrupt your\nhearts with such a kind of sensual delight, as makes them more backward\nto all that is good; insomuch that many of you even grow so desperate as\nto hate and scorn it. This is the benefit it bringeth you.\n\n5. And you cannot but know what a time-wasting sin it is. Suppose the\ngame were never so lawful; is it lawful to lay out so many hours upon\nit? as if you had neither souls, nor bodies, nor families, nor\nestates, nor God, nor death, nor heaven to mind?\n\n6. And how much profaneness, or abuse of others, is in many of your\nstage-plays! How much wantonness and amorous folly, and representing\nsin in a manner to entice men to it, rather than to make it odious,\nmaking a sport and mock of sin; with a great deal more such evil! And\nyour cards and dice are the exercise usually of covetousness, the\noccasion of a great deal of idle talk and foolish babble about every\ncast and every card: and ofttimes the occasion of cursing, and\nswearing, and railing, and hatred of those that win your money; and\noft it hath occasioned fighting, and murder itself. And even your\nhuntings are commonly recreations so costly,[606] as that the charge\nthat keepeth a pack of hounds, would keep a poor man's family that is\nnow in want: besides the time that this also consumeth.\n\nSo that the case is clear, that our gamesters, and licentious,\nsportful gallants, are a sort of people that have blinded their minds,\nand seared their consciences, and despise the laws and presence of\nGod, and forget death and judgment, and live as if there were no life\nto come, neglecting their miserable souls, and having no delight in\nthe word or holy worship of God, nor the forethoughts of eternal joys,\nand therefore seek for their pleasure in such foolish sports, and\nspend those precious hours in these vanities, which, God knows, they\nhad need to spend most diligently, in repenting of their sins, and\ncleansing their souls, and preparing for another world.\n\nIf yet any impenitent gamester or idle time-waster shall reply, I will\nnot believe that my cards, or dice, or plays are unlawful. I use them\nbut to fit me for my duty. What! would you have all men live like\nhermits or anchorites, without all pleasure? I answer you but by this\nreasonable request: will you set yourselves as dying men in the\npresence of God, and the sight of eternity, and provide a true answer\nto these few questions; even such an answer as your consciences dare\nstand to at the bar of God?\n\n_Quest._ I. Dost thou not think in thy conscience that thy Maker, and\nRedeemer, and his work and service, and thy family and calling, and\nthe forethoughts of heaven, are not fitter matters to delight a sober\nmind, than cards or stage-plays? And what can it be but a vain and\nsinful mind that should make these toys so pleasant to thee, and the\nthoughts of God and heaven so unpleasant?\n\n_Quest._ II. Doth not thy conscience tell thee, that it is not to fit\nthee for thy calling or God's service that thou usest these sports,\nbut only to delight a carnal fantasy? Doth not conscience tell thee,\nthat it is more the pleasure than the benefit of it to thy soul or\nbody that draws thee to it? Dost thou work so hard or study so hard\nall the day besides, as to need so much recreation to refresh thee?\n\n_Quest._ III. Doth not thy conscience tell thee, that if thy sensual\nfantasy were but cured, it would be a more profitable recreation to\nthy body or mind, to use some sober exercise for thy body, which is\nconfined to its proper limits of time; or to turn to variety of\nlabour, or studies, than to sit about these idle games?\n\n_Quest._ IV. Dost thou think that either Christ or his apostles used\nstage-plays, cards, or dice; or ever countenanced such a temper of\nmind as is addicted to them? Or was not David as wise as you, that\ntook up his pleasure in the word of God, and his melodious praise?\n\n_Quest._ V. Doth not your conscience tell you, that your delight is more\nin your plays and games than it is on God? And that these sports do no\nway increase your delight in God at all, but more unfit and undispose\nyou? And yet every \"blessed man's delight is in the law of the Lord, and\nin it he meditateth day and night,\" Psal. i. 2. And do you do so?\n\n_Quest._ VI. Do you bestow as much time in praying and reading the\nword of God, and meditating on it, as you do in your sports and\nrecreations? Nay, do you not shuffle this over, and put God off with a\nfew hypocritical, heartless words, that you may be at your sports, or\nsomething which you love better?\n\n_Quest._ VII. Doth not conscience tell thee, that this precious time\nmight be much better spent, in the works that God hath appointed thee\nto do? And that thy sinful soul hath need enough to spend it in far\ngreater matters? Doth it become one that hath sinned so long, and is\nso unassured of pardon and salvation, and near another world, and so\nunready for it, to sit at cards or be hearing a stage-play, when he\nshould be making ready, and getting assurance of his peace with God?\n\n_Quest._ VIII. Wouldst thou be found at cards or plays when death\ncometh? If it were this day, hadst thou not rather be found about some\nholy, or some profitable labour?\n\n_Quest._ IX. Will it be more comfort to thee when thou art dying, to\nthink of the time which thou spentest in cards, and plays, and vanity,\nor that which thou spentest in serving God, and preparing for eternity?\n\n_Quest._ X. Darest thou pray to God to bless thy cards, and dice, and\nplays, to the good of thy soul or body? Would not thy conscience tell\nthee, that this were but a mocking of God, as praying for that which\nthou dost not intend, and which thy pleasures are unfit for? And yet\nno recreation is lawful, which you may not thus lawfully pray for a\nblessing on.\n\n_Quest._ XI. If you were sure yourselves that you sin not in your games\nor sports, are you sure that your companions do not? that they have no\nlust or vanity of mind at stage-plays, no covetousness, or sinful\npleasure, or passion at cards or dice? If you say, We are not bound to\nkeep all other men from sin, I answer, You are bound to do your best\ntowards it; and you are bound not to contribute willingly to their sin;\nand are bound to forbear a thing indifferent, though not a duty, to\navoid the scandalizing or tempting of another. If Paul would never eat\nflesh while he lived rather than make a weak person offend, should not\nyour sports be subject to as great charity? He saith, \"It is good\nneither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy weak\nbrother stumbleth, or is offended, or made weak.\"[607] _Object_. Then we\nmust give over our meat, and drink, and clothes, and all. _Answ._ It\nfolloweth not that we must forsake our duty to prevent another man's\nsin, because we must forsake our pleasure in things indifferent. If you\nknew what sin is, and what it is to save or lose one's soul, you would\nnot make a sport of other men's sin, nor so easily contribute to their\ndamnation, and think your sensual pleasure to be a good excuse. Rom. xv.\n1-3, in such cases, \"we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of\nthe weak, (that is, to compassionate them as we do children in their\nweakness,) and not to please ourselves (to their hurt). Let every one of\nus please his neighbour for his good to edification (that is, prefer the\nedifying of another's soul, before the pleasure of your bodies). For\neven Christ pleased not himself--\" If Christ lost his life to save men\nfrom sin, will not you lose your sport for it?\n\n_Quest._ XII. What kind of men are they that are most addicted to thy\ngames and plays, and what kind of men are they that avoid them, and\nare against them? Are there not more fornicators, drunkards, swearers,\ncursers, coveters of other men's money, and profane neglecters of God\nand their souls, among gamesters and players, than among them that are\nagainst them? Judge by the fruits.\n\n[Sidenote: To sportful youths.]\n\nAnd what I say to idle gamesters, is proportionably to be said to\nvoluptuous youths, that run after wakes, and May-games, and dancings,\nand revellings, and are carried by the love of sports and pleasure\nfrom the love of God, and the care of their salvation, and the love of\nholiness, and the love of their callings; and into idleness,\nriotousness, and disobedience to their superiors. For the cure of this\nvoluptuousness (besides what is said chap. iv. part ix.) consider:\n\n1. Dost thou not know that thou hast higher delights to mind? And are\nthese toys beseeming a noble soul, that hath holy and heavenly matters\nto delight in?\n\n2. Dost thou not feel what a plague the very pleasure is to thy\naffections? how it bewitcheth thee, and befooleth thee, and maketh\nthee out of love with holiness, and unfit for any thing that is good?\n\n3. Dost thou know the worth of those precious hours which thou playest\naway? hast thou no more to do with them? Look inwards to thy soul, and\nforward to eternity, and bethink thee better.\n\n4. Is it sport that thou most needest? Dost thou not more need\nChrist, and grace, and pardon, and preparation for death and judgment,\nand assurance of salvation? Why then are not these thy business?\n\n5. Hast thou not a God to obey and serve? and doth he not always see\nthee? and will he not judge thee? alas! thou knowest not how soon.\nThough thou be now merry in thy youth, and thy \"heart cheer thee, and\nthou walk in the ways of thy heart, and the sight of thy eyes, yet\nknow thou that for all these things God will bring thee into\njudgment,\" Eccles. xi. 9.\n\n6. Observe in Scripture what God judgeth of thy ways. Tit. iii. 3, \"We\nourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving\ndivers lusts and pleasures--\" 2 Tim. ii. 22, \"Fly youthful lusts: but\nfollow after righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call\non the Lord out of a pure heart.\" Read 1 Pet. iv. 1-4; 2 Pet. iii. 3;\n1 Tim. iii. 4, \"Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.\"[608]\n\n7. You are but preparing for your future sorrow, either by repentance\nor destruction; and the greater is your pleasure now, the greater will\nbe your sorrow and shame in the review.\n\nHaving spoken this much for the cure of sinful sports, I proceed to\ndirect the more sober in their recreations.\n\n_Direct._ II. When you understand the true nature and use of\nrecreations, labour to be acquainted just how much and what sort of\nrecreation is needful to yourselves in particular. In which you must\nhave respect, 1. To your bodily strength. 2. To your minds. 3. To your\nlabours. And when you have resolved on it, what and how much is\nneedful and fit, to help you in your duty, allow it its proper time\nand place, as you do your meals, and see that you suffer it not to\nencroach upon your duty.\n\n_Direct._ III. Ordinarily join profit and pleasure together, that you\nlose no time. I know not one person of a hundred, or of many hundreds,\nthat needeth any game at all: there are such variety of better\nexercises at hand to recreate them. And it is a sin to idle away any\ntime, which we can better improve! I confess my own nature was as much\naddicted to playfulness as most: and my judgment alloweth me so much\nrecreation as is needful to my health and labour (and no more). But\nfor all that I find no need of any game to recreate me. When my mind\nneedeth recreation, I have variety of recreating books, and friends,\nand business to do that. And when my body needeth it, the hardest\nlabour that I can bear is my best recreation: walking is instead of\ngames and sports; as profitable to my body, and more to my mind: if I\nam alone, I may improve that time in meditation; if with others, I may\nimprove it in profitable, cheerful conference. I condemn not all\nsports or games in others, but I find none of them all to be best for\nmyself: and when I observe how far the temper and life of Christ and\nhis best servants was from such recreations, I avoid them with the\nmore suspicion. And I see but few but distaste it in ministers (even\nshooting, bowling, and such more healthful games, to say nothing of\nchess and such other, as fit not the end of a recreation). Therefore\nthere is somewhat in it that nature itself hath some suspicion of.\nThat student that needeth chess or cards to please his mind, I doubt\nhath a carnal, empty mind. If God and all his books, and all his\nfriends, &c. cannot suffice for this, there is some disease in it that\nshould rather be cured than pleased. And for the body, it is another\nkind of exercise that profits it.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Watch against inordinate, sensual delight, even in the\nlawfullest sport. Excess of pleasure in any such vanity, doth very\nmuch corrupt and befool the mind. It puts it out of relish with\nspiritual things; and turneth it from God, and heaven, and duty.\n\n_Direct._ V. To this end keep a watch upon your thoughts and\nfantasies, that they run not after sports and pleasures. Else you will\nbe like children that are thinking of their sport, and longing to be\nat it, when they should be at their books or business.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Avoid the company of revellers, gamesters, and such\ntime-wasters. Come not among them, lest you be insnared. Accompany\nyourselves with those that delight themselves in God, 2 Tim. ii. 22.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Remember death and judgment, and the necessities of\nyour souls. Usually these sports seem but foolishness to serious men;\nand they say of this mirth, as Solomon, \"it is madness,\" Eccl. ii. 2.\nAnd it is great and serious subjects which make serious men. Death and\nthe world to come, when they are soberly thought on, do put the mind\nquite out of relish with foolish pleasures.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Be painful in your honest callings. Laziness breedeth\na love of sports; when you must please your slothful flesh with ease,\nthen it must be further pleased with vanities.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Delight in your relations and family duties and mercies.\nIf you love the company and converse of your parents, or children, or\nwives, or kindred as you ought, you will find more pleasure in\ndiscoursing with them about holy things or honest business, than in\nfoolish sports. But adulterers that love not their wives, and unnatural\nparents and children that love not one another, and ungodly masters of\nfamilies that love not their duty, are put to seek their sport abroad.\n\n_Direct._ X. See to the sanctifying of all your recreations, when you\nhave chosen such as are truly suited to your need; and go not to them\nbefore you need, nor use them beyond your need. See also that you lift\nup your hearts secretly to God, for his blessing on them; and mix them\nall along as far as you can with holy things; as with holy thoughts or\nholy speeches. As for music, which is a lawful pleasure, I have known\nsome think it profaneness to use it privately or publicly with a psalm,\nthat scrupled not using it in common mirth; whenas all our mirth should\nbe as much sanctified as is possible. All should be done to the glory of\nGod; and we have much more in Scripture for the holy use of music,\n(public and private,) than for any other use of it whatever. And it is\nthe excellency of melody and music, that they are recreations which may\nbe more aptly and profitably sanctified by application to holy uses,\nthan any other. And I should think them little worth at all, if I might\nnot use them for the holy exhilarating or elevating of my soul, or\naffecting it towards God, or exciting it to duty.\n\n_Direct._ XI. The sickly and the melancholy (who are usually least\ninclined to sport) have much more need of recreation than others, and\ntherefore may allow it a much larger time than those that are in\nhealth and strength. Because they take it but as physic to recover\nthem to health, being to abate again when they are recovered.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Be much more severe in regulating yourselves in your\nrecreations, than in censuring others for using some sports which you\nmislike. For you know not perhaps their case, and reasons, and\ntemptations; but an idle, time-wasting, sensual sporter, every one\nshould look on with pity as a miserable wretch.\n\n\n                               PART III.\n\n         _Directions about Apparel, and against the Sin therein\n                              committed._\n\n_Direct._ I. Fitness is the first thing to be respected in your\napparel, to make it a means to the end to which it is appointed. The\nends of apparel are, 1. To keep the body warm. 2. To keep it from\nbeing hurt. 3. To adorn it soberly so far as beseemeth the common\ndignity of human nature, and the special dignity of your places. 4. To\nhide those parts, which nature hath made your shame, and modesty\ncommandeth you to cover.\n\nThe fitness of apparel consisteth in these things: 1. That it be\nfitted to your bodies (as your shoe to your foot, your hat to your\nhead, &c.) 2. That it be suited to your sex; that men wear not apparel\nproper to women, nor women that which is proper to men. 3. That it be\nsuited to your age; the young and the old being usually hereby\nsomewhat distinguished. 4. That it be suited to your estate, or not\nabove it. 5. That it be suited to your place or office. 6. That it be\nsuited to your use and service. As, 1. To cover your nakedness so far\nas health, or modesty, or decency require. 2. To keep you from cold.\n3. And from hurt in your labour (as the shoe doth the foot, the glove\nthe hand, &c.) 4. For sober ornament, as aforesaid.\n\n_Direct._ II. Among the ends and uses of apparel the greatest is to be\npreferred: the ornament being the least, is not to be pretended\nagainst any of the rest. Therefore they that for ornament, 1. Will go\nnaked, in any part which should be covered; or, 2. Will go coldly to\nthe hurt or hazard of their health (as our semi-Evites, or half-naked\ngallants do); 3. Or will either hurt our bodies, (as our strait-laced\nfashionists,) or disable themselves from their labour, or travel, or\nfit exercise, lest they should be hurt by their clothes, which are\nfitted more to sight than use; all these cross the ends of clothing.\n\n_Direct._ III. Affect not singularity in your apparel; that is, to be\nodd and observably distinct from all those of your own rank and\nquality; unless their fashions be evil and intolerable, (in pride,\nimmodesty, levity, &c.) and then your singularity is your duty. An\nunnecessary affectation of singularity showeth, 1. A weakness of\njudgment. 2. A pride of that which you affect. 3. And a placing of\nduty in things indifferent. And on the contrary, an imitating of proud\nor immodest fashions, 1. Encourageth others in the sin. 2. Showeth a\ncarnal, proud, or temporizing mind, that will displease God himself to\nhumour men, and avoid their contempt and disesteem.\n\n_Direct._ IV. Run not into sordid vileness, or nastiness, or\nridiculous, humorous, squalid fashions, under pretence of avoiding\npride. For, 1. This will betray a great weakness of judgment. 2. It\nwill make your judgment, to men that discern it, the more contemptible\nand useless to them in other things. 3. It will harden them in their\nexcess, while they think nothing but humour, folly, or superstition\ndoth reprove them. 4. You sin by dishonouring human nature. God hath\nput a special honour upon man, and would have us do so ourselves; and\ntherefore hath appointed clothing since the fall: as nakedness, so\nover sordid or ridiculous clothing, wrongeth God in his creature.\n\n_Direct._ V. Be much more suspicious of pride and excess in apparel,\nas the more common and dangerous extreme. For nature is incomparably\nmore prone to this, than the other; and many hundreds, if not\nthousands, sin in excess, for one that sinneth in the defect; and this\nway of sinning is more perilous. Here I shall show you, 1. How pride\nin apparel appeareth. 2. What is the sinfulness of it.\n\n1. Pride appeareth in apparel, when the matter of it is too costly. 2.\nWhen in the fashion you are desirous to be imitating those that are\nabove your estate or rank; and when you so fit your apparel, as to\nmake you seem some higher or richer person than you are. 3. When you\nare over-curious in the matter, shape, or dress, and make a greater\nmatter of it than you ought: as if your comeliness were a more\ndesirable thing than it is, or as if some meanness or disliked fashion\nwere intolerable. 4. When your curiosity taketh up more time in\ndressing you, than is due to so small a matter, while far greater\nmatters are neglected. 5. When you make too great a difference between\nyour private and your public habit; going plain when no strangers see\nyou, and being excessively careful when you go abroad, or when\nstrangers visit you. These show that pride which consisteth in a\ndesire to appear either richer or comelier than you are.\n\nBesides these, there is a pride which maketh men desirous to seem more\nlearned than they are; which showeth itself in affecting as the\ntitles, so the habits of the learned: which hath some aggravations\nabove the former.\n\nAnd there is a pride which consisteth in a desire to seem more grave\nand reverend than you are: thus Christ blameth the Pharisees'\naffectation of long garments, Mark xii. 38. When you shall wear a\nhabit of more gravity than you have, it is hypocrisy.\n\nAnd there is a pride which consisteth in a desire to seem more\nmortified than you are, and more holy.[609] And so to affect those\ndiscriminating vestments which signify more of these than you have, is\nproud hypocrisy: and thus vile clothing is often the effect of pride;\nand if men fall into that sort of pride, as to desire to be noted as\nmost mortified persons, this is as suitable a badge for them, as\nbravery is for those that are proud of their comeliness, and grave\nclothing of those that are proud of their gravity.\n\n[Sidenote: How pride of gravity and holiness appeareth about apparel.]\n\n_Quest._ I. But may we as easily discern this sort of pride in clothing\nas the other? _Answ._ No, because the mean, and plain, and cheap\nclothing is commonly worn by persons really mortified and sober, and\nnecessarily by the poor, and grave clothing by persons that are really\ngrave. And therefore we are bound to judge them to be that, which they\nseem by their apparel to be, unless by some other evidences than their\napparel, their pride and hypocrisy appear; but when we judge a person\nvain that weareth vain clothing, and proud of their comeliness that are\ninordinately careful in setting it out, we judge but according to the\nfirst and proper signification of their clothing. Hypocrisy is a thing\nunseen to man: it is the visible signs according to their proper\nsignification that we must judge by; and therefore when we see persons\nwear vain and curious attire, we may judge thereby that they are vain\nand curious; and if we be mistaken, it is long of them that signified\nit; and when we see persons wear grave or humble clothing, we must judge\nby it that they are grave and humble, till the contrary appear.\n\n_Quest._ II. But how else will pride of gravity or mortifiedness\nappear? _Answ._ When they boast of these themselves, and are insolent\nin censuring and reproaching those that differ from them; when their\ndiscourse is more against those fashions which they avoid, than\nagainst any faults of their own; when they affect to be singular in\ntheir apparel, even from the grave and humble persons of their rank;\nbut especially when they make a noise and stir in the world with their\nfashions, to be taken notice of, and to become eminent, and persons\ntalked of and admired for their mortified garb. Thus many sects\namongst the popish friars go by agreement or vow, in clothes so\ndiffering from all other persons in seeming humility and gravity,\nwhich must be the badge of their order in the eye of the world, that\nthe boast and affectation is visible and professed. And thus the\nquakers, that by the notoriety of their difference from other sober\npersons, and by their impudent bawling in the streets and churches,\nand railing against the holiest and humblest ministers and people that\nare not of their sect, and this in the face of markets and\ncongregations, do make a plain profession or detection of their pride.\nBut where it is not openly revealed, we cannot judge it.\n\n[Sidenote: May not a deformity be hid by apparel or painting.]\n\n_Quest._ III. Is it not lawful for a person that is deformed, to hide\ntheir deformity by their clothing? And for any persons to make\nthemselves (by clothing, or spots, or painting) to seem to others as\ncomely and beautiful as they can? _Answ._ The person, and the matter,\nand the end and reasons, the principle and the probable consequents,\nmust all be considered for the right answering of this question. It is\nlawful to some persons, by some means, for some good ends and reasons,\nwhen a greater evil is not like to follow it, to hide their\ndeformities, and to adorn themselves so as to seem more comely than\nthey are: but for other persons, by evil means, for evil ends and\nreasons, or when it tendeth to evil consequents, it is unlawful. 1. A\nperson that is naturally very deformed, may do more to hide it by\ntheir ornaments, than one that hath no such deformity may do to seem\nmore comely; because one aspireth no higher than to seem somewhat like\nother persons; but the other aspireth to seem excellent above others.\nAnd a person that is under government may do more in obedience to\ntheir governors, than another may do that is at their own choice. 2.\nIf the matter of their ornament be but modest, decent clothing, and\nnot immodest, insolent, luxurious, vain, or against nature, or the law\nof God or man, it is in that respect allowable. But so is no cover of\ndeformity by unlawful means. 3. It may be lawful, if also it be to a\nlawful end, as to obey a governor, or only to cover a deformity, so as\nnot unnecessarily to reveal it; but it is always sinful, when the end\nis sinful. As, (1.) If it be to seem extraordinary beautiful or\ncomely, when you are not so; or if it be to be observed and admired by\nbeholders. (2.) If it be to tempt the beholders' minds to lustful or\nundue affections. (3.) If it be to deceive the mind of some one that\nyou desire in marriage: for in that case, to seem by such dissembling\nto be what you are not, is the most injurious kind of cheat, much\nworse than to sell a horse that is blind or lame, for a sound one.\n(4.) If it be to follow the fashions of proud gallants, that you may\nnot be scorned by them as not neat enough; all these are unlawful ends\nand reasons. 4. So also the principle or mind that it cometh from, may\nmake it sinful: as, (1.) If it come from a lustful, wanton mind. (2.)\nOr if it come from an over-great regard of the opinion of spectators;\nwhich is the proper complexion of pride.[610] A person that doth it\nnot in pride, is not very solicitous about it: nor makes no great\nmatter of it whether men take him to be comely or uncomely; and\ntherefore he is at no great cost or care to seem comely to them. If\nsuch persons be deformed, they know it is God's work, and not their\nsin; and it is sin that is the true cause of shame: and all God's\nworks are good, and for our good if we are his children. They know\nthat God doth it to keep them humble, and prevent that pride, and\nlust, and wantonness which is the undoing of many; and therefore they\nwill rather be careful to improve it, and get the benefit, than to\nhide it, and seem comelier than they are. 5. Also the consequents\nconcur much to make the action good or bad: though that be not your\nend, yet if you may foresee, that greater hurt than good will follow,\nor is like to follow, it will be your sin. As, (1.) If it tend to the\ninsnaring of the minds of the beholders in procacious, lustful, wanton\npassions, though you say, you intend it not, it is your sin, that you\ndo that which probably will procure it, yea, that you did not your\nbest to avoid it. And though it be their sin and vanity that is the\ncause, it is nevertheless your sin to be the unnecessary occasion: for\nyou must consider that you live among diseased souls! And you must not\nlay a stumblingblock in their way, nor blow up the fire of their lust,\nnor make your ornaments their snares; but you must walk among sinful\npersons, as you would do with a candle among straw or gunpowder; or\nelse you may see the flame which you would not foresee, when it is too\nlate to quench it. But a proud and procacious, lustful mind is so very\nwilling to be loved, and thought highly of, and admired and desired,\nthat no fear of God, or of the sin and misery of themselves or others,\nwill satisfy them, or take them off. (2.) Also it is sinful to adorn\nyourselves in such fashions, as probably will encourage pride or\nvanity in others, or seem to approve of it. When any fashion is the\ncommon badge of the proud and vain sort of persons of that time and\nplace, it is sinful unnecessarily to conform yourselves to them;\nbecause you will harden them in their sin, and you join yourselves to\nthem, as one of them by a kind of profession. As when spotted faces (a\nname that former ages understood not) or naked breasts, or such other\nfashions, are used ordinarily by the vain, and brain-sick, and\nheart-sick, proud and wanton party, it is a sin unnecessarily to use\nthem. For, (1.) You will hinder their repentance. (2.) And you will\nhinder the great benefit which the world may get by their vain attire:\nfor (though it be no thanks to them that intend it not) yet it is a\nvery great commodity that cometh to mankind by these people's sin:\nthat fools should go about in fools'-coats, and that empty brains, and\nproud and wanton hearts, should be so openly detected in the streets\nand churches; that sober people may avoid them; and that wise, and\nchaste, and civil people may not be deceived by such in marriage to\ntheir undoing. As the different clothing of the different sexes is\nnecessary to chastity and order; so it is a matter of great\nconvenience in a commonwealth, that sots, and swaggerers, and\nphrenetics, and idiots, and proud, and wanton, lustful persons should\nbe openly distinguished from others; as in a plague-time the doors of\ninfected houses are marked with a \"Lord, have mercy on us.\" And the\nwisest magistrate knew not how to have accomplished this himself by a\nlaw, as the wretches themselves do by their voluntary choice; for if\nit were not voluntary, it would be no distinguishing badge of their\nprofession. Now for any honest, civil people to join with them, and\ntake up their livery, and the habit of their order, is to profess\nthemselves such as they, and so to encourage and approve them, or\nelse to confound the proud and humble, the vain and sober, the wanton\nand the chaste, and destroy the benefit of distinction.\n\nBy this you may see, that it is not so much the bare fashion itself that\nis to be regarded, as the signification and the consequents of it. The\nsame fashion when used by sober persons, to better signification and\nconsequents, may be lawful, which otherwise is unlawful. Therefore those\nfashions that can hardly ever be supposed to have a good signification\nand consequents, are hardly ever to be supposed lawful.\n\nNote also, that any one of the aforesaid evils maketh a fashion evil,\nbut it must be all the requisites concurrent that must prove your\nfashions good or lawful.\n\n_Quest._ IV. Is it not sometimes lawful to follow the fashions?\n_Answ._ It is always lawful to follow the sober fashions of sober\npeople; but it is not lawful to follow the vain, immodest,\nill-signifying fashions of the riotous, proud, and wanton sort: unless\nit be in such cases of necessity as David was in, when he behaved\nhimself like a mad-man, or as Paul when he told them that he was a\nPharisee, Acts xxiii. 6, to escape in a persecution, or from thieves\nor enemies. 2. Or unless for a time it prove as conducible to the good\nof others, as Paul's circumcising Timothy was, or his becoming all\nthings to all men, that he might win some.[611] But to follow\nill-signifying fashions, unnecessarily, or for carnal ends, to avoid\nthe disesteem or evil speeches of carnal persons, or to seem to be as\nfine as they, this is undoubtedly a sin.\n\n_Direct._ VI. Be sure to avoid excess of costliness in your apparel.\nRemember that you must answer for all your estates. And one day it\nwill prove more comfortable to find on your accounts, So much a year\nlaid out in clothing the naked, than, So much a year in bravery or\ncuriosity for yourselves or your children. Costly apparel devoureth\nthat which would go far in supplying the necessities of the poor.\n\n_Direct._ VII. Be sure you waste not your precious time in needless\ncuriosity of dressing. I cannot easily tell you how great a sin, and\nhorrible sign of folly and misery, it is in those gallants that spend\nwhole hours, yea, most part of the morning, in dressing and neatifying\nthemselves, before they appear to the sight of others; so that some of\nthem can scarce do any thing else before dinner time, but dress\nthemselves. The morning hours that are fittest for prayer, and reading\nthe word of God, are thus consumed. They spend not a quarter so much\ntime in the serious searching and adorning of their souls, nor in any\nholy service of God; but God, and family, and soul, and all is thus\nneglected.\n\n_Direct._ VIII. Next to the usefulness of your apparel for your bodies\nand labours, let your rule be to imitate the common sort of the grave\nand sober persons of your own rank. Not here and there one that in\nother things are sober, who themselves follow the fashions of the\nproud and vain; but the ordinary fashion of grave and sober persons.\nFor thus you will avoid both the levity of the proud, and the needless\nsingularity of others.\n\n_Direct._ IX. Regard more the hurt that your fashion may do, than the\noffence or obloquy of any. For proud persons to say you are sordid, or\nnot fine enough, and talk of your coarse attire, is no great disgrace\nto you, nor any great hurt; but it is a greater disgrace to be\nesteemed proud. It signifieth an empty, childish mind, to be desirous\nto be thought fine: it is not only pride, but the pride of a fool,\ndistinct from the pride of those that have but manly wit. And you\nought not thus to disgrace yourselves, as to wear the badge of pride\nand folly, any more than an honest woman should wear the badge and\nattire of a whore. Moreover, mean apparel is no great temptation to\nyourselves or others to any sin; but proud and curious apparel doth\nsignify and stir up a lustful or proud disposition in yourselves; and\nit tempteth those of the same sex to envy and to imitate you, and\nthose of the other sex to lust or wantonness. You spread the devil's\nnets (even in the churches, and open streets, and meetings) to catch\ndeluded, silly souls. You should rather serve Christ with your\napparel, by expressing humility, self-denial, chastity, and sobriety,\nto draw others to imitate you in good, than to serve the devil, and\npride, and lust by it, by drawing men to imitate you in evil.\n\n_Direct._ X. Remember what a body it is that you so carefully and\ncuriously adorn: well is it called by the apostle a \"vile body,\" Phil.\niii. 21. What a silly, loathsome lump of dirt is it! What a thing\nwould the pox, or leprosy, or almost any sickness make it appear to\nbe! What loathsome excrements within, are covered by all that bravery\nwithout! Think what it is made of, and what is within it, and what it\nwill turn to! How long it must lie rotting in a darksome grave, more\nloathsome than the common dirt; and then must turn to common earth.\nAnd is purple and silk, Luke xix. 19, and a curious dress, beseeming\nthat body that must shortly have but a winding-sheet, and must lie\nthus in the grave, and it is to be feared the soul for this pride lie\nin hell? Luke xvi. 23, 25. Is all this cost and curiosity comely for\none that knoweth that he is returning to the dust?\n\n_Direct._ XI. Remember that you have sinful souls that have continual\ncause of humiliation, and that have need of more care and adorning\nthan your bodies. And therefore your apparel should express your\nhumiliation; and show that you take more care for the soul. How vile\nshould that sinner be in his own eyes, who knoweth what he hath done\nagainst God! what mercy he hath sinned against! what a God he hath\noffended! what a Saviour he hath slighted! what a Spirit of grace he\nhath resisted! and what a glory he hath undervalued and neglected! He\nthat knoweth what he is, and what he hath done, and what he hath\ndeserved, and in what a dangerous case his soul yet standeth, must\nneeds have his soul habituated to a humble frame. Every penitent soul\nis vile in its own eyes, and doth loathe itself for its inward\ncorruptions and actual sins; and he that loatheth himself as vile,\nwill not be very desirous to have his sinful, corruptible body seem\nfine, nor by curious ornaments to attract the eyes of vain spectators.\nHow oft have I seen proud, vain gallants suddenly cast off their\nbravery and gaudy, gay attire, and clothe themselves in plainness and\nsobriety, as soon as God hath but opened their eyes, and humbled their\nsouls for sin, and made them better know themselves, and brought them\nhome by true repentance! so that the next week they have not seemed\nthe same persons: and this was done by mere humiliation without any\narguments against their fashions or proud attire.[612] As old Mr. Dod\nsaid, when one desired him to preach against long hair: \"Preach them\nonce to Christ and true repentance, and they will cut their hair\nwithout our preaching against it.\" As pride would be seen in proud\napparel; so humility will appear in a dress like itself, though it\ndesire not to be seen. Mark 1 Pet. iii. 3-5, \"Whose adorning let it\nnot be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of\ngold, or of putting on of apparel; (that is, curious dressing or\nadorning the body beyond plain simplicity of attire;) but let it be\nthe hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even\nthe ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is\nof great price. For after this manner (that is, with inward holiness\nand outward plainness) in the old time the holy women also, who\ntrusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own\nhusbands.\" Oh that God would print those words upon your hearts! 1\nPet. v. 5, \"Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed\nwith humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the\nhumble.\" Plainness among christians is a greater honour than fine\nclothing, James ii. 2-5. 1 Tim. ii. 9, 10, \"In like manner also that\nwomen adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and\nsobriety, not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly\narray; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good\nworks.\" I entreat those that are addicted to bravery or curiosity, to\nread Isa. iii. from verse 16 to the end.\n\n_Direct._ XII. Make not too great a matter of your clothing, but use\nit with such indifferency as a thing so indifferent should be used.\nSet not your hearts upon it. For that is a worse sign than the excess\nin itself. \"Take no thought wherewith ye shall be clothed: but\nremember how God clothes the lilies of the field,\" Matt. vi. 28. If\nyou have \"food and raiment, be therewith content,\" though it be never\nso plain, 1 Tim. vi. 8.\n\n_Direct._ XIII. Be not too censorious of others for different fashions\nof apparel. Be as plain and modest yourselves as you can; but lay no\ngreater stress on the fashions of others than there is cause. If they\nbe grossly impudent, disown such fashions and seek to reform them: but\nto carp at every one that goeth finer than yourselves, or to censure\nthem as proud, because their fashions are not like yours, may be of\nworse signification than the fashions you find fault with. I have oft\nobserved more pride in such censures, than I could observe in the\nfashions which they censured. When you have your eye upon every\nfashion that is not according to your breeding, or the custom of your\nrank or place, and are presently branding such as proud or vain, it\nshoweth an arrogant mind, that steppeth up in the judgment-seat, and\nsentenceth those that you have nothing to do with, before they are\nheard, or you know their reasons. Perhaps their fashion was as common\namong the modest sort where they have lived, as your fashion is among\nthose that you have conversed with. Custom and common opinion do put\nmuch of the signification upon fashions of apparel.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nI should next have given you special directions about the using of\nyour estates;[613] about your dwellings; about your meat and drink;\nand about your honour or good name. But being loth the book should\nprove too tedious, I shall refer you to what is said before, against\ncovetousness, pride, and gluttony, &c.; and what is said before and\nafter, of works of charity and family government.\n\nAs to sacred habits, and the different garbs, laws, orders of life,\ndiet, &c. of those called religious orders among the papists, regular\nand secular, whether and how far such are lawful or sinful, they are\nhandled so largely in the controversies of protestants and papists,\nthat I shall pass them by. Only remembering the words of the clergy of\nRavenna to Carolus Junior, king of France, inter Epist. Hincmari\nRhemensis, _Discernendi a plebe vel c\u00e6teris sumus, doctrina non veste,\nconversatione non habitu, mentis puritate non cultu. Docendi enim\npotius sunt populi, quam ludendi, nec imponendum est eorum oculis, sed\nmentibus pr\u00e6cepta sunt infundenda._\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[567] See 1 Cor. ix. 6; 2 Cor. vi. 1; 1 Cor. xvi. 10; 2 Tim. ii. 15.\n\n[568] See before, chap. vi. tit. 4. of this: and in my \"Treat. of\nDivine Life,\" part iii.\n\n[569] Ezek. xlvi. 1; Deut. xvi. 15; ii. 7; Exod. xxxiv. 21.\n\n[570] Socrates was mightily addicted to the exercise of his body, as\nnecessary to the health of body and mind. Laert. Plutarch out of Plato\nsaith, that soul and body should be equally exercised together, and\ndriven on as two horses in a coach, and not either of them overgo the\nother. Prec. of Health.\n\n[571] Omnes qui sunt, quique erunt, aut fuerunt, virtutibus aut\ndoctrinis clari, non possunt unum ingenium accendere, nisi aliqu\u00e6 intus\nin animo scintill\u00e6 sint, qu\u00e6 preceptoris spiritu excitat\u00e6 et adjut\u00e6,\ngenerosum disciplin\u00e6 fomitem arripiant. Petrarch. dial. 41. li. 2.\n\n[572] It was one of Solon's laws: Is qui sectatur otium, omnibus\naccusare volentibus obnoxius esto. Ut Laert. in Sol. Num solum aquas\nhaurio, inquit Cleanthes? nonne et fodio et rigo et omnia facio\nphilosophis\u00e6 causa? when they asked him why he would draw water.\n\n[573] How little have some men (yea, ministers themselves) to show of\nall the good they might have done through all their lives! The work\nthey have done calls them idle.\n\n[574] 1 Thess. v. 12, 13; Prov. xviii. 9; xxi. 25; 2 Thess. iii.;\nProv. xii. 24; xii. 15; Eccl. x. 18.\n\n[575] Prov. x. 26; xviii. 9.\n\n[576] Prov. xxvi. 16; xxiv. 30.\n\n[577] See Psal. cxxviii. 2, \"Thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands.\"\nProv. xiv. 23; xiii. 11.\n\n[578] Cleanthes coactum aliquando stipem in medium familiarium\nintulit, dicens, Cleanthes alium Cleanthem posset nutrire si vellet.\nAnd when he was questioned in judgment, how he lived, Adeo robustus,\net tam boni habit\u00fbs, the gardener that he worked for, and the woman\nthat baked his meal, were the witnesses that acquit him. Hard labour\nand hard fare enabled him for hard study. Laert. in Cleanth.\n\n[579] Platonem tradunt cum vidisset quendam aleis ludentem increpasse:\net cum ille; Quam me in parvis reprehendis? diceret, respondisse, At\nest consuetudo non parva res. Laert. in Plat.\n\n[580] Callimachus, in Attila, reporteth that when certain players came\nbefore Attila, to show the agility of their bodies in their exercises,\nhe was offended to see such able, active bodies no better employed,\nand commanded them to be exercised in shooting and other military\nacts: which when they could not do, he commanded that they should have\nno meat but what they got by hunting at a great distance, and so\nexercised them till they became excellent soldiers. Page 353.\n\n[581] Ni sis bonus aleator, probus chartarius, scortator improbus,\npotator strenuus, profusor audax, decoctor et conflator \u00e6ris alieni,\ndeinde scabie ornatus Gallica, vix quisquam te oredet equitem. Erasm.\nColloq. p. 483. See more of this chap. v. and read Luke xvi. and James\nv.\n\n[582] Rev. iii. 15, 19.\n\n[583] Matt. xxiii. 15.\n\n[584] See Jam. iii.\n\n[585] Rom. x. 2; Acts xxi. 20, 22.\n\n[586] 2 Pet. ii. 7, 8; Ezek. ix. 4; 1 Cor. v.\n\n[587] Matt. vii. 4; Gen. xxxviii. 24; 2 Sam. xii. 5.\n\n[588] 2 Cor. viii. 3; Acts xviii. 25; Exod. xxxvi. 6.\n\n[589] Gal. iv. 15, 18.\n\n[590] Psal. lxix. 10; John ii. 17; Gal. iv. 18; 2 Cor. vii. 11; Tit.\nii. 14; Rev. iii. 15, 16, 19.\n\n[591] Jam. v. 16; Rom. xii. 11.\n\n[592] Matt. xi. 12; Rom. xv. 33; Luke xiii. 24; 2 Tim. ii. 5; 1 Cor.\nix. 24-26; Heb. xii. 1; Deut. vi. 5; Matt. xxii. 37; 2 Cor. v. 14;\nProv. l. 4.\n\n[593] John ix. 4; Isa. lv. 6; Luke xix. 42; Heb. iii. 7, 15; Matt. xxv.\n\n[594] Sam. ii. 23, 29; Rev. iii. 19.\n\n[595] 1 Thess. v. 22; Jude 23; Jam. iv. 7; 1 Pet. v. 9.\n\n[596] Eccles. x. 18; Prov. xxiv. 30; xxi. 25; xiii. 4.\n\n[597] Prov. xxii. 13; xxvi. 13; xx. 4.\n\n[598] Numb. xxv. 11, 13; Cant. viii. 6, 7; Heb. xx. 11; Dan. iii.;\nvi.; Matt. xiii. 20, 21; Rev. ii. 5; Rev. iii. 16; 2 Thess. ii. 10.\n\n[599] Read before chap. v. the cont. dir. for redeeming time.\n\n[600] 1 Cor. vii. 29, 30; 2 Pet. iii. 11; Rev. xii. 12.\n\n[601] Luke viii. 14.\n\n[602] Rom. xiv. 21, 22; 1 Cor. v. 6; Eph. iv. 29, 30.\n\n[603] Prov. xxii. 24, 25; xxvii. 17; Heb. iii. 13; x. 24, 25; Rom. xv.\n14.\n\n[604] Tanto cum strepitu ludi spectantur et artes. Hor.\n\n[605] Among the Ep. of Bonifac. Mog. there is a council held under\nCarloman, king of France, which saith in the king's name, Necnon et\nillas venationes et sylvaticas vagationes cum canibus, servis Dei\ninterdiximus. Similiter ut accipitres et falcones non habeant. And\nsure these are better than cards and dice, which yet some priests now\nuse too much.\n\n[606] It is one of the Roman laws, 12. tab. Prodigo bonorum suorum\nadministratio interdicta esto.\n\n[607] Rom. xiv. 21; 1 Cor. viii. 13.\n\n[608] 1 Pet. i. 14, 15; ii. 11, 12.\n\n[609] Matt. xxiii. 5; Mal. iii. 17.\n\n[610] Laertius saith, that when Cr\u0153sus sat in all his ornaments and\nglory on his throne, he asked Solon, An pulchrius unquam spectaculum\nviderit? Illumque dixisse: Gallos, gallinaceos, phasianos, et pavones:\nnaturali enim eos nitore et speciositate eximia vestiri.\n\n[611] Phil. iii. 10; Rom. xii. 2; Eph. v. 11.\n\n[612] And no wonder, when the light of nature reduced the serious sort\nof philosophers to so plain a garb; as Socrates, Zenocrates, with almost\nall the Stoics and Cynics, and many of the Academics and Pythagoreans.\n\n[613] Of the proportion of our estates to be given, see my Letter to\nMr. Gouge.\n\n\n\n\nTranscriber's Notes:\n\nObvious punctuation and spelling errors have been fixed throughout.\n\nInconsistent hyphenation left as in the original text.\n\nPage 73: The table has been reformatted from the original in order to\nfit in the width of the page.\n\nPage 112: The sentence ending in \"... next to nothing.)\" has no\nopening parenthesis, left as in the original.\n\nPage 227: The sentence containing \"... hereafter; (to say you ...\" has\nno closing parenthesis, left as in the original.\n\nFootnote 70: There is no opening parenthesis for the sentence\ncontaining \"...didicisse magnum dicitur)...\", left as in the original.\n\nFootnote 479: There is no anchor for this footnote, left as in the\noriginal text.","title":"A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":541300}