<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2014-01-27</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed text and corrected markup.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B11881">
<STC T="S">4235.5</STC>
<STC T="C">S120630</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99855825</BIBNO>
<VID>176981</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1">
<P>THE SIGNES OF THE WICKED <HI>MAN.</HI></P>
<P>Together with Directi|ons that &s;hew how the &s;eue|rall Gifts and Graces of Gods Spirit may be attained.</P>
<P><HI>NEEDFVLL</HI> For &s;uch as want tho&s;e Graces, and for &s;uch as de&s;ire to increa&s;e in them.</P>
<P>By N. BIFIELD, Preacher of Gods Word at <HI>I&s;leworth</HI> in <HI>Middle&s;ex.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by GEORGE PVRSLOVV for RALPH ROVNTHVVAITE, and are to be &s;old at his Shop, at the Flower de-luce and Crowne in <HI>Pauls</HI> Church-yard.</P>
<P>1619.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE MVCH Honoured Lady: the Lady BRIDGET TRA|CY, NICHOLAS BI|FIELD wi&s;heth all pro&s;|perity in the things of the Kingdome of <HI>CHRIST.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>MADAM,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_BEING de&s;|titute of a bet|ter gift to be&s;tow vpon your Ladi&s;hip, to te&s;tifie my thankefulne&s;&s;e or ob|&s;eruance, I pre&s;ent this lit|tle Treati&s;e vnto you. It may haue more v&s;e then
<PB REF="3"> it &s;hewes for: for if things &s;hine more cleerely when their contraries are &s;et by them; then may this de|&s;cription of the e&s;tate of a wicked man by Signes, &s;erue much to e&s;tabli&s;h the godly in the point of A&s;&s;urance, when hee &s;eeth him&s;elfe freed from tho&s;e fearefull &amp; forlorne marks. And if men v&s;e to make much of all tho&s;e directi|ons by which any gaine or trea&s;ure may be certainely compa&s;&s;ed: then ought the Directions not to bee de&s;pi&s;ed, that &s;hew how the Spirit of God, and the graces thereof may bee at|tained:</P>
<PB REF="3">
<P>For by the&s;e di|rections, both tho&s;e that want the true graces of Chri&s;t, may here learne how to get them, and &s;uch as haue them but in weake mea&s;ure, may by the &s;ame Rules learne how to in|crea&s;e them.</P>
<P>I haue been induced to thinke of your Ladi&s;hip in this Dedication, partly in acknowledgement of the great re&s;pect due to the Family out of which you came, as it hath beene a principall meanes of cau|&s;ing the light of the Go&s;|pell for many yeares to &s;hine in tho&s;e places where
<PB REF="4"> the people had &s;itten in darkene&s;&s;e, and in the &s;ha|dow of death: And part|ly drawne by the many pray&s;es I haue ob&s;erued in your Ladi&s;hip, &s;ince the time of your &s;oiourning in the noble Family you now liue in: Your great re&s;pect of my Mini&s;tery, and your con&s;tant paines to employ your &s;elfe about Religious duties, de&s;erue from mee more acknow|ledgement then &s;o meane a gift as this can di&s;charge. Madam, you are happy aboue many, that GOD hath inclined your heart to beare the yoke of
<PB REF="4"> Chri&s;t in your youth, and di&s;cerne the glory of the &s;pirituall Kingdome of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. Your meeke|ne&s;&s;e a&s;&s;ures me liberty to be&s;eech you to goe on in the good way of God, and to cleaue fa&s;t with all hearty affection vnto the Truth, as you haue lear|ned Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, It &s;hall be a great increa&s;e of your glory, to increa&s;e in the knowledge and grace of Chri&s;t, and (in &s;ound de|nyall of your &s;elfe, and con|tempt of the world) to fa|&s;hion your &s;elfe to all the cour&s;es by which you may be plea&s;ing in the eyes of
<PB REF="5"> God, whiles multitudes in the Gentry of the Land of both Sexes, by following fooli&s;h vanities, for&s;ake their owne mercy.</P>
<P>Now the God of peace &s;anctifie you throughout, and &s;o pro&s;per his owne worke in you, that your whole &s;pirit, and &s;oule and body may bee pre&s;erued blamele&s;&s;e vnto the com|ming of our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>March.</HI> 9. 1618.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Ladi&s;hips to bee commanded in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, N. BIFIELD.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="5">
<HEAD>The Contents.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>THE Preface, &s;hew|ing the nece&s;sity of the tryall of mans e&s;tate, and the cau&s;es why wicked men will not try them&s;elues; and al&s;o why diuers godly per&s;ons are negligent herein, page 1. to 18.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>CHAP. I.</HI> THirty &s;ignes of an open wicked man. p. 18. to 33</ITEM>
<PB REF="6">
<ITEM><HI>CHAP. II.</HI> THirteene &s;ignes of an Hypocrite. p. 33. to 40</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>CHAP. III.</HI> SIxteene Signes of &s;uch Profe&s;&s;ors as are likely to fall away. p. 40. to 47</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>CHAP. IIII.</HI> SEVEN Arguments of hope, that &s;hew a wic|ked man that hee may bee &s;aued, if he will be direc|ted. p. 47. to 52</ITEM>
<PB REF="6">
<ITEM><HI>CHAP. V.</HI> HOw hee may get faith. p. 53. to 59</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>CHAP. VI.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>HOw hee may get to bee poore in &s;pirit. p. 59 to 68</ITEM>
<ITEM>How hee may attaine godly &s;orrow. p. 68. to 77</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>CHAP. VII.</HI> HOw the Spirit of Adop|tion may be had. pa. 78. to 81</ITEM>
<ITEM>How hee may get a loue to the
<PB REF="7"> Word. p. 81. to 86</ITEM>
<ITEM>How he may get the gift of prayer. p. 86. to 94</ITEM>
<ITEM>How hee may attaine to the feare of God. P. 94. to 95</ITEM>
<ITEM>How he may be made to loue his enemies. p. 96. to 99</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>CHAP. VIII.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>HOw &s;auing knowledge may bee gotten and increa&s;ed. p. 99. to 102</ITEM>
<ITEM>How the loue of God may be wrought in vs. p. 102. to 106</ITEM>
<ITEM>How the loue of the godly may bee attained, and how it may bee pre&s;erued. pag. 106. to 111</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<PB REF="7">
<ITEM><HI>CHAP. IX.</HI> HOw vprightne&s;&s;e and &s;ound &s;incerity of con|uer&s;ation may bee attai|ned. p. 111. to the end.</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="8">
<PB N="1" REF="8">
<HEAD>The Preface to the Chri&s;tian and carefull <HI>READER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_HOw nece&s;&s;a|ry it is for al &s;orts of men in the vi&s;i|ble Church to try their e&s;tates whether they bee true Chri&s;tians or no, may appeare by the expre&s;&s;e charge giuen in the Scrip|tures
<PB N="2" REF="9"> concerning it. The Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> chargeth men to <HI>examine them&s;elues whether they be in the faith, and whether Chri&s;t Ie&s;us be in them, vnle&s;&s;e they be re|probates, 2. Cor.</HI> 13. 5. And the Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> would haue all Chri&s;tians, <HI>dili|gent to make their Calling and Election &s;ure, 2. Pet.</HI> 1. 10. And the like comman|dement lay vpon men in the Church of the Iewes in the old Te&s;tament, as may appeare by that exhortati|on, <HI>Lam. 3. 40. Let vs &s;earch and try our wayes, and turne againe vnto the Lord:</HI> and the Prophet <HI>Dauid</HI> in this
<PB N="3" REF="9"> ca&s;e, chargeth men to <HI>commune with their owne hearts, P&s;al.</HI> 4. 4. How can men <HI>draw neere vnto God in the full a&s;&s;urance of faith,</HI> if they will not bee at the paines to examine them|&s;elues? <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 22. Or how &s;hall wee euer <HI>know that wee are of God,</HI> or at|taine vnto any <HI>confidence of faith,</HI> as we ought to do? 1. <HI>Ioh. 5. 19. Ephe&s;.</HI> 3. 12.</P>
<P>How fearefully this point of &s;ound tryall is neglected, and how mi&s;e|rably mo&s;t men are decei|ued for want of it, may ap|peare by this ob&s;eruation, which may v&s;ually bee
<PB N="4" REF="10"> made of men in the mo&s;t places, <HI>viz.</HI> that many that are carnall men, &s;ay they are godly; and many that are godly men, &s;ay they are but carnall: Be&s;ides that a multitude of men, both good and bad, liue in &s;e|curity; the one not caring to get out of &s;o woefull an e&s;tate; and the other not regarding the riches of A&s;&s;urance.</P>
<P>The cau&s;es of this mi|&s;erable &s;ecurity, may bee ob&s;erued and noted both in wicked &amp; in godly men.</P>
<P>In wicked men the&s;e things may bee ea&s;ily di&s;|cerned.</P>
<P N="1"><PB N="5" REF="10">1. A lothne&s;&s;e to exa|mine<NOTE PLACE="marg">Why wic|ked men neglect the triall of their e&s;tates. 1. Becau&s;e they are afraid all is not wel.</NOTE> them&s;elues and try their e&s;tates exactly, for feare le&s;t they &s;hould find that they are not in a good e&s;tate: Their hearts &s;ecret|ly condemne them, and they thinke, if they &s;hould take particular notice of their owne condition, it would be found, that they haue indeed no true grace in them; and therefore they rather choo&s;e to liue in that doubtfull e&s;tate, then to bee put out of doubt, and made to know, that they haue yet no right to the kingdome of hea|uen; neuer con&s;idering
<PB N="6" REF="11"> that the knowledge of our mi&s;ery may be one degree to get out of it.</P>
<P N="2">2. In &s;uch as &s;ee all is<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. They are &s;loth+full.</NOTE> not well with them: the cau&s;e is <HI>&s;lothfulne&s;&s;e,</HI> min|gled with horrible <HI>pre|&s;umption;</HI> they had rather weare out their daies in danger, then bee at the paines to v&s;e the meanes for their owne repentance and reformation: They will wretchle&s;ly put it to the venture.</P>
<P N="3">3. Others will aduen|ture<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. They re&s;t vpon the com|mon hope</NOTE> vpon their <HI>common hope of mercy:</HI> They haue certaine generall confu|&s;ed apprehen&s;ions of mer|cy
<PB N="7" REF="11"> in God, vpon which they wilfully engage their hopes, without care of re|formation, or the parti|cular warrant of their hopes from the Word of God, and &s;o mi&s;erably peri&s;h: their hopes pro|uing, but <HI>as the hou&s;e of the &s;pider;</HI> and, the imagina|rie mercy failing them, they die either as &s;tockes, without &s;ence; or as <HI>Iudas,</HI> in horrible de&s;paire.</P>
<P N="4">4. Others re&s;t them|&s;elues<NOTE PLACE="marg">Or 4. vpon their out|ward pro|fe&s;&s;ion of Religion.</NOTE> vpon their outward <HI>profe&s;sion of Religion,</HI> and &s;ome generall things wrought in them, and the good opinion others haue
<PB N="8" REF="12"> of them, and &s;o being &s;omewhat <HI>neere the king|dome of God,</HI> they are con|tent to re&s;t there, as the I&s;raelits did neere <HI>Canaan,</HI> though they neuer po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ed it. Wee &s;ee many thinke, there needs no more to be &s;ure they are in a good condition, then to heare Sermons, and ab|&s;taine from gro&s;&s;e out|ward prophanene&s;&s;e, and to bee well reputed of a|mong the godly, &amp;c. plea|&s;ing them&s;elues with the <HI>&s;hew of godline&s;&s;e,</HI> though as yet they <HI>deny the power of it,</HI> as hauing attained no other righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,
<PB N="9" REF="12"> <HI>then the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of the Scribes and Phari&s;es.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. In multitudes of<NOTE PLACE="marg">Or 5. they haue euill opinions about A&s;|&s;urance.</NOTE> men there are &s;eated euill opinions about a&s;&s;urance: They thinke either it is <HI>impo&s;sible</HI> to be had, or it is <HI>needle&s;&s;e,</HI> or it is <HI>pre&s;umpti|on</HI> to &s;eeke it.</P>
<P N="6">6. All wicked men are hindred by their <HI>beloued</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">6. They are letted by their belo|ued &s;innes</NOTE> <HI>&s;innes,</HI> which they are not willing to part with, but of purpo&s;e forbeare the care of heauen, that they may the more &s;ecurely liue in &s;inne.</P>
<P>Thus of wicked men: It is true al&s;o, that many godly Chri&s;tians haue
<PB N="10" REF="13"> beene, and are extremely<NOTE PLACE="marg">Why &s;ome that are godly, neg+lect, the triall of their e|&s;tates.</NOTE> faulty in neglecting the triall of their e&s;tates, and their A&s;&s;urance: and the cau&s;es of this negligence in them are diuers: As</P>
<P N="1">1. Some are &s;o much<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Euill o|pinions.</NOTE> <HI>mi&s;-led</HI> by the &s;urmi&s;es of their owne hearts, that they thinke that A&s;&s;u|rance would breed &s;ecu|rity, and that it is a better way to keepe their owne hearts humble, to be &s;ome|what doubtfull: not know|ing, that vnbeleefe is the chiefe cau&s;e of &s;lothful|ne&s;&s;e and &s;ecurity; and that the a&s;&s;urance of faith is the chiefe meanes to
<PB N="11" REF="13"> purge the heart, and quiet the &s;oule, and workes ef|fectually in all the duties of loue.</P>
<P N="2">2. In the mo&s;t, <HI>Igno|rance</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Igno|rance.</NOTE> of their owne gifts and Gods promi&s;es, is the cau&s;e: for if Chri&s;tians did &s;ee di&s;tinctly, how far the Lord had brought them by his grace, and withall did behold the eui|dences of their faith, and hope in Gods promi&s;es, they could not faile of comfort, &amp; e&s;tabli&s;hment of heart.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Smothering of doubts</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Smo|thering of doubts and temp|tations.</NOTE> and temptations, is a great let in many: Diuers Chri&s;|tians
<PB N="12" REF="14"> are &s;ecretly, and dai|ly a&s;&s;aulted with certaine &s;trange doubts; which if they did propound, and get &s;ound an&s;wer vnto, their hearts would heale within them, and the work of faith pro&s;per.</P>
<P N="4">4. Some Chri&s;tians are<NOTE PLACE="marg">They are wicked o|uermuch.</NOTE> kept without A&s;&s;urance, through the ouermuch <HI>viewing of their owne daily infirmities</HI> in all parts of Gods &s;eruice: They <HI>are wicked ouermuch;</HI> where|as if they would &s;tudy tho&s;e Scriptures, that &s;hew how graciou&s;ly the Lord &s;tands inclined toward his people, notwith&s;tanding
<PB N="13" REF="14"> their daily wants, their hearts would bee much ea|&s;ed, and their minds cleer|ly re&s;olued to tru&s;t vpon the euerla&s;ting mercies of their God.</P>
<P N="5">5. In &s;ome, the cau&s;e is<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. Melan|choly.</NOTE> found in the di&s;ea&s;e of their bodies: <HI>Melancholy,</HI> when it is growne to a di|&s;ea&s;e, is a mo&s;t &s;tiffe and pertinacious aduer&s;arie to Comfort and A&s;&s;urance: It doth fill the heart with &s;o many &s;ad conceits and fancies, and is a humor &s;o vnteachable, that comfort for the mo&s;t part is as wa|ter &s;pilt vpon the ground: And the more difficult it
<PB N="14" REF="15"> is to remoue this let, be|cau&s;e v&s;ually the parties po&s;&s;e&s;t by this humour, are &s;o far from &s;eeking helpe, that they will not bee per|&s;waded that they are trou|bled with any &s;uch di&s;ea&s;e.</P>
<P N="6">6. Some Chri&s;tians are<NOTE PLACE="marg">6. Pa&s;&s;ions</NOTE> hindred by their owne <HI>Pa&s;sions;</HI> they are &s;o fro|ward and vnquiet in their di&s;po&s;itions, that their hearts are daily lifted off from the benefit of &s;ettled A&s;&s;urance by their owne habituall di&s;contents: Fro|wardne&s;&s;e is a mi&s;chieuous di&s;temper, that weakens both body and minde; and a&s;&s;urance and &s;trength of
<PB N="15" REF="15"> faith, &s;eldome dwels in an vnquiet minde.</P>
<P N="7">7. Others want a&s;&s;u|rance,<NOTE PLACE="marg">7 Neglect of the meanes.</NOTE> becau&s;e they <HI>neg|lect the meanes of A&s;&s;u|rance:</HI> they do not <HI>try all things, and keep that which is good;</HI> or <HI>they call not vp|on God</HI> daily, feruently, and con&s;tantly, to giue them the <HI>&s;pirit of reuelation,</HI> to &s;hew them <HI>the hope of their Calling,</HI> and their glorious Inheritance, <HI>Ephe.</HI> 1. 18, 19.</P>
<P N="8">8. <HI>A barren life</HI> is an<NOTE PLACE="marg">8. A bar|ren life.</NOTE> vncomfortable life: and contrarywi&s;e, to <HI>abound in</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15. 58.</NOTE> <HI>good workes,</HI> hath &s;tedfa&s;t|ne&s;&s;e, and a &s;ecret re&s;t of heart, as an vn&s;eparable
<PB N="16" REF="16"> companion of it.</P>
<P N="9">9. The <HI>loue of earthly</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">9. Too much loue of earthly things.</NOTE> <HI>things</HI> is another great im|pediment: many Profe&s;|&s;ors haue their thoughts and cares &s;o eaten vp with worldline&s;&s;e, that they cannot &s;eriou&s;ly &s;eek Gods Kingdome, nor con&s;tant+ly hold out in any cour&s;e for the attainement of A&s;&s;urance: This degree of faith requires &s;ome de|gree of the contempt of the world.</P>
<P N="10">10. In &s;ome, there lod|geth<NOTE PLACE="marg">10. Secret &s;inne.</NOTE> &s;ome <HI>&s;ecret &s;inne,</HI> which they know, and do not iudge them&s;elues for, and doth daily preuaile in
<PB N="17" REF="16"> them; and this either keeps out faith, or keepes it downe in the cradle, that it can get no &s;trength. When I &s;ay <HI>&s;ecret &s;innes,</HI> I mean &s;ecret from others, not from them&s;elues. For &s;innes of meere ignorance God doth not &s;courge in his &s;eruants &s;o, as to with|hold his graces from them.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="18" REF="17">
<HEAD>CHAP. I.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Containing the &s;ignes of o|pen wicked men.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>_THE try|all of the e&s;tates of all &s;orts of Chri&s;|tians, may bee per|formed by examining them&s;elues by two &s;orts of &s;ignes; &s;ome are &s;uch
<PB N="19" REF="17"> as de&s;cribe the wicked man, and &s;ome &s;uch as de|&s;cribe the godly man; and of the tryall of the godly man, I haue intreated be|fore. Wicked men in the Church are not all of a &s;ort: for &s;ome are mani|fe&s;tly prophane and care|le&s;&s;e of the Kingdome of God; and &s;ome are in out|ward &s;hew, &s;uch as profe&s;&s;e the &s;eeking of Gods King|dome, but yet in deed and in heart are without God and without Chri&s;t, and &s;uch are all Hypoctites. Wicked men of the fir&s;t &s;ort, are di&s;cerned by &s;uch markes as the&s;e: and &s;o
<PB N="20" REF="18"> he is a wicked man,</P>
<P N="1">1. That can &s;pend whole<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Hee is a wicked man, 1. That liues with|out God.</NOTE> dayes or weekes <HI>without &s;eeking after God,</HI> or Chri&s;t, that accounts it no part of his care to looke after God, or any &s;ecret ac|quaintance or communi|on wirh God in Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, that liues, as the A|po&s;tle &s;ayth, <HI>without God, and without Chri&s;t,</HI> and therefore <HI>without hope</HI> in the world: that &s;eldome or neuer thinkes &s;eriou&s;ly of God, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 12.</P>
<P N="2">2. That continually<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. That a|uoids the &s;ociety of the godly.</NOTE> &s;huns and &s;triues to auoyd the company and &s;ociety of &s;uch as feare God, and
<PB N="21" REF="18"> in his heart loues not &s;uch as be religious, and make con&s;cience of their wayes: This man is certainely in <HI>darkene&s;se,</HI> that <HI>hates</HI> Gods children, as the Apo&s;tle <HI>Iohn</HI> often &s;hewes in his fir&s;t Epi&s;tle; e&s;pecially when he hates them, be|cau&s;e they follow good|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. That <HI>&s;auours</HI> only <HI>the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3. That &s;a|uours only earthly things.</NOTE> <HI>things of the fle&s;h,</HI> that finds a ta&s;te and relli&s;h on|ly in earthly things, that placeth al his contentment in the things of this life: <HI>Rom. 8. 1. Ioh.</HI> 2. 15.</P>
<P N="4">4. That is vncapeable and <HI>vnteachable</HI> in the
<PB N="22" REF="19"> things of God, and god|line&s;&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. That is, di&s;cerns not the things of God.</NOTE> hauing the Go&s;pell and the glory of Religion hid from his heart, &s;o as he &s;ees nothing in the King|dome of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t to be admired, and de&s;ired of him, and when he enioyes the meanes, cannot di&s;|cerne the things of God, 1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.</P>
<P N="5">5 That willingly <HI>haunts</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">5. That &s;orts with wicked men.</NOTE> <HI>with wicked</HI> and prophane per&s;ons, and delights in them, and choo&s;eth them for the companions of his life, <HI>P&s;al. 50. 2. Cor.</HI> 6.</P>
<P N="6">6. That of malice per|&s;ecuteth<NOTE PLACE="marg">6. That of malice per&s;ecu|teth the Truth.</NOTE> and reprocheth &amp; de&s;pighteth the knowne
<PB N="23" REF="19"> Truth, &s;peaking euill of the good way of God, which hee him&s;elfe hath knowne, and acknowledged before, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.</P>
<P N="7">7. That hath in him<NOTE PLACE="marg">7. That al|lows him|&s;elfe in A|thei&s;ticall thoughts.</NOTE> thoughts of <HI>Athei&s;me</HI> raig|ning, conceiuing vile things of God, without &s;orrow or trouble of heart for them, or rather de&s;i|ring he could proue them to be true, wi&s;hing there were no God at all, <HI>P&s;alme</HI> 14. 1.</P>
<P N="8">8. That calls not vpon<NOTE PLACE="marg">8. That calls not vpon God</NOTE> the name of the Lord, who is &s;uch a one, as who|ly neglects this &s;eruice of God in him&s;elfe and his
<PB N="24" REF="20"> Family, vnle&s;&s;e it bee for fa&s;hions &s;ake, without care or vnder&s;tanding, <HI>P&s;alme</HI> 14. 4.</P>
<P N="9">9. That was neuer cha&s;t|ned<NOTE PLACE="marg">9. That is not cha&s;te|ned of God.</NOTE> of the Lord: For they are ba&s;tards and not &s;ons, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.</P>
<P N="10">10. That can &s;pend his<NOTE PLACE="marg">10. That neuer ex|amines him&s;elfe in known &s;inne.</NOTE> dayes without examining him&s;elfe, whether Ie&s;us Chri&s;t bee in him or not: That mindes it not to bee &s;ure, that he is in the faith, 2. <HI>Cor. 13. 5. Ioh.</HI> 17. 3.</P>
<P N="11">11. That flattereth him|&s;elfe<NOTE PLACE="marg">11. That applauds him&s;elfe in known &s;inne.</NOTE> in his owne eyes, when hee is threatned for &s;in, and <HI>ble&s;&s;eth him&s;elfe in his heart, when his iniquity
<PB N="25" REF="20"> is found worthy to bee hated,</HI> P&s;al. 36. 1, 2. Deut. 29. 19.</P>
<P N="12">12. That &s;ecretly lothes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">12. That lothes the Word of God con|&s;tantly.</NOTE> and contemnes, and in his heart con&s;tantly frets at the Word, when it is con|&s;cionably and powerfully preached, that findes in the good word of God <HI>a dead|ly &s;auour, 2. Cor.</HI> 2. 15.</P>
<P N="13">13. That liues in hypo|cri&s;ie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">13. That allowes him&s;elf in Hypocri&s;ie</NOTE> and knowes he di&s;|&s;embles con&s;tantly in the &s;eruice of God, and doth not de&s;ire to leaue it, nor take any cour&s;e to re&s;i&s;t it, or humble his &s;oule in &s;e|cret for it.</P>
<P N="14">14. That <HI>de&s;ires not the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">14. That refu&s;eth knowlege.</NOTE> <HI>knowledge of Gods wayes,</HI>
<PB N="26" REF="21"> and &s;eriou&s;ly accounts good cour&s;es to be vnpro|fitable cour&s;es, <HI>Iob</HI> 21. 14, 15, 16.</P>
<P N="15">15. That hauing the<NOTE PLACE="marg">15. That in great di&s;|tre&s;&s;es humbles not him|&s;elfe.</NOTE> hand of God vpon him, &amp; liues in &s;orrow and mi&s;ery, &amp; yet neuer &s;eekes to God, nor humbles his &s;oule before God, nor acknow|ledgeth Gods hand, or if he doe, doth not labour to make his peace with God, 2. <HI>Cor. 7. 10. Ier.</HI> 5. 2, 3.</P>
<P N="16">16. That cannot be tou|ched<NOTE PLACE="marg">16. That cares not for the af|flictions of the godly.</NOTE> with compa&s;&s;ion, or care for the afflictions of the Church and people of God, <HI>Amos</HI> 6. 5. and is mer|cile&s;&s;e, <HI>Mat. 25. Iam. 2. 1. Ioh.</HI> 3.</P>
<P N="17"><PB N="27" REF="21">17. That hath no de&s;ire<NOTE PLACE="marg">17. That will not vnder|&s;tand to do good.</NOTE> to be taught to doe good, but either cares not for Heauen and godline&s;&s;e, or thinkes him&s;elfe wi&s;e e|nough to finde the way without asking, <HI>P&s;alme</HI> 36. 1, 3.</P>
<P N="18">18. That is not affected<NOTE PLACE="marg">18. That is in&s;en&s;i|ble of &s;pi|rituall Iudge|ments.</NOTE> with feare or &s;orrow vnder &s;pirituall iudgements, &s;uch as the famin of the Word, ab&s;ence of God, hardne&s;&s;e of heart, or the like.</P>
<P N="19">19. That is a cu&s;toma|ry<NOTE PLACE="marg">19. That is an ordi|nary &s;wea|rer.</NOTE> &s;wearer, and repents not of it: God threatens he will not iu&s;tifie &s;uch offenders, but pur&s;ue them as his e|nemies, <HI>Com.</HI> 3.</P>
<P N="20"><PB N="28" REF="22">20. That makes not con|&s;cience<NOTE PLACE="marg">20. That is carele&s;&s;e of Gods Sabbaths.</NOTE> to keepe Gods Sabbath: for God hath gi|uen the <HI>Sabbath as a &s;igne</HI> between him and the peo|ple in the point of their <HI>Sanctification:</HI> &s;o, hee that cares not to prophane the Sabbath, by that &s;igne is known to be none of Gods people, <HI>Exod.</HI> 31.</P>
<P N="21">21. That not only com|mits<NOTE PLACE="marg">21. That is a worker of iniqui|ty.</NOTE> &s;innes again&s;t his knowledge, but &s;erues &s;in, and is <HI>a worker of iniquity,</HI> loues it, defends it, and re|&s;olues to continue in it, &amp; placeth his felicity in it.</P>
<P N="22">22. That <HI>beleeues not in</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">22. That beleeues not in Chri&s;t.</NOTE> <HI>the Sonne of God,</HI> as they do
<PB N="29" REF="22"> not, that either deny his comming in the fle&s;h, or his per&s;on, or his offices, or el&s;e re&s;t not vpon him for life and happine&s;&s;e, <HI>Marke 16. Iohn 3. 17. 1. Iohn</HI> 4.</P>
<P N="23">23. That in any one<NOTE PLACE="marg">23. That hates to be reformed.</NOTE> particular &s;inne, knowing it to be a &s;inne, <HI>hates to be re|formed,</HI> P&s;al. 50.</P>
<P N="24">24. That hath not the<NOTE PLACE="marg">24. That hath not the Spirit of Chri&s;t.</NOTE> Spirit of Chri&s;t. For <HI>if any man haue not the Spirit of Chri&s;t, the &s;ame is not his,</HI> Rom. 8.</P>
<P N="25">25. That cannot <HI>forgiue</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">25. That cannot forgiue his enemies.</NOTE> <HI>his enemies,</HI> nor pray for them that hate him, and wrong him, <HI>Mat.</HI> 6. For if men forgiue not vnto men
<PB N="30" REF="23"> their tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, neither will God forgiue them their &s;ins, as is likewi&s;e &s;hewed by the parable, <HI>Mat.</HI> 18. 32.</P>
<P N="26">26. That loues not God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">26. That loues not God.</NOTE> and &s;hewes it,</P>
<P N="1">1. By an habituall for|getfulnes of God, of which before.</P>
<P N="2">2. By his vnwillingnes to doe Gods worke, his com|mandeme~ts being alwaies <HI>grieuous</HI> vnto him, and it <HI>&s;eeming euill to him to &s;erue the Lord,</HI> 1. Ioh. 5. 3.</P>
<P N="3">3. By in&s;en&s;iblene&s;&s;e of the di&s;honor of God.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>By louing his plea&s;ures,</HI> or profits, more then God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">27. That feare not God.</NOTE></P>
<P N="27">27. That feares not God,
<PB N="31" REF="23"> and &s;hewes it,</P>
<P N="1">1. By not caring for Gods di&s;plea&s;ure, &s;o hee might e&s;cape Gods pu|ni&s;hment.</P>
<P N="2">2. By comming into Gods pre&s;ence con&s;tantly, without any awfull regard of Gods Maie&s;ty.</P>
<P N="3">3. By &s;inning in &s;ecret withall &s;ecurity, being one|ly carefull to auoide the eyes of men.</P>
<P N="4">4. By contempt of the threatnings of God in his Word.</P>
<P N="28">28. That is <HI>dead in tre&s;|pa&s;ses</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">28. That is dead in &s;inne.</NOTE> <HI>and &s;innes,</HI> Ephe&s;. 2. 1, 2. that can be guilty of ma|ny and mon&s;trous crimes,
<PB N="32" REF="24"> and that as if hee were a dead man, continues vnder the burthen of them with|out &s;orrow, or feare, or re|morce, or care of amend|ment, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 1.</P>
<P N="29">29. The Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">29. That is guilty of any of his &s;innes in the Apo|&s;tles Ca|talogue.</NOTE> puts a number of offen|ders in diuers gro&s;e &s;innes into a <HI>Catalogue,</HI> and pro|nounceth of them all, that without repentance they cannot inherite the King|dom of Heauen, 1. <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 9 Fornicatours, Idolaters, Adulterers, the Effemi|nate, Sodomites, Theeues, Couetous per&s;ons, Drun|kards, Reuilers, and Extor|tioners: and &s;o in the <HI>Gal.</HI></P>
<P N="30"><PB N="33" REF="24">30. All tho&s;e that <HI>ca~not re|pent,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">30. That cannot re|pent.</NOTE> that is &s;uch as cannot pray, nor co~fe&s;&s;e their &s;ins to God, nor bewaile them, nor any way &s;et them&s;elues &s;oundly to reforme them.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. II.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Containing the &s;ignes of Hy|pocrites.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THus of the markes of notorious and wicked men: The &s;ignes by which hypocrites may be known, follow, and the&s;e are of two &s;orts.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, &s;uch as de&s;cribe<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. &s;orts of the&s;e &s;ignes</NOTE> them &s;o, that them&s;elues
<PB N="34" REF="25"> may thereby know them|&s;elues.</P>
<P>Secondly, &s;uch as giue occa&s;ion to men to feare their &s;oundnes, and &s;hew, that they are likely to fall a|way, though for the pre|&s;ent they make &s;hew and profe&s;&s;ion of Religion, and doe e&s;cape much of that filthine&s;&s;e, which is in the outward liues of others.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, the&s;e are the &s;ignes of an hypocrite.</P>
<P N="1">1. To profe&s;&s;e Gods<NOTE PLACE="marg">13 Signes of hypo|crites.</NOTE> Couenant with his mouth; and deny it in his workes, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50. 16.</P>
<P N="2">2. To do his workes of purpo&s;e to be &s;een of men,
<PB N="35" REF="25"> when hee might conceale the knowledge of them, &amp; doth this of purpo&s;e chief|ly, becau&s;e he would haue the prai&s;e and applau&s;e of men, not &s;eeking the ap|probation, or prai&s;e of God, <HI>Mat. 6. Rom.</HI> 2. 26.</P>
<P N="3">3. To make cleane the out-&s;ide of the platter, and let the in&s;ide be foule: To bee like a painted &s;epul|chre: To auoide apparant outward faults, and yet to harbour a world of wic|kedne&s;&s;e in his heart, with|out any true repentance for it, <HI>Math.</HI> 23.</P>
<P N="4">4. To cen&s;ure &s;mall matters in others, and be
<PB N="36" REF="26"> guilty of great crimes him|&s;elfe: To &s;ee a moate in another mans eye, and not care to ca&s;t out the beame in his owne eyes, <HI>Math.</HI> 7.</P>
<P N="5">5. To pretend care of piety towards God, and yet be vnmercifull to men; or neglect works of mer|cy to the poore, that hee is able to do; and yet vn|con&s;cionably omits it, <HI>Iam.</HI> 1. 26.</P>
<P N="6">6. To require many things of others in their practice; and yet make no con&s;cience of ob&s;er|uing them in his owne practice: To <HI>binde heauy burthens vpon other mens
<PB N="37" REF="26"> &s;houlders, and not to touch them with his owne finger, Math.</HI> 23.</P>
<P N="7">7. To arrogate to him|&s;elfe the titles of godli|ne&s;&s;e, and yet enuy and hate goodne&s;&s;e in others, and to endeuour to hinder them, or oppo&s;e them, that would <HI>enter into the King|dome of heauen, Math.</HI> 23.</P>
<P N="8">8. To prai&s;e the dead, or the ab&s;ent &s;eruants of God, and yet de&s;pi&s;e and per&s;ecute &s;uch of Gods faithfull &s;eruants, as are &s;et ouer them, and to di&s;obey them, <HI>Math.</HI> 23.</P>
<P N="9">9. To &s;peake faire to mens faces, and behinde
<PB N="38" REF="27"> their backes to reuile and &s;lander them.</P>
<P N="10">10. To draw neere to God with his lips, when his heart is far from him: In the daily &s;eruice of God to allow him&s;elfe in the habite of di&s;tractions, making no con&s;cience to wor&s;hip God in his &s;pirit, <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 28.</P>
<P N="11">11. Neuer in &s;ecret to make con&s;cience of prayer to God; and not to cry to God, except it be in &s;icke|ne&s;&s;e, or great aduer&s;ity; di&s;-regarding prayer in health, and pro&s;perity, <HI>Iob.</HI> 17. 9, 10.</P>
<P N="12">12. With prophane|ne&s;&s;e
<PB N="39" REF="27"> to neglect Gods commandements, and to be onely diligent to vrge &amp; ob&s;erue mens precepts, or the traditions of men, <HI>Math.</HI> 15.</P>
<P N="13">13. To puni&s;h, or re|proue &s;inne in &s;ome, be|cau&s;e he hates them; or to forbeare reproofes or pu|ni&s;hments of others, be|cau&s;e he feares or fauours them.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="40" REF="28">
<HEAD>CHAP. III.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Containing the &s;ignes of &s;uch as are likely to bee vn&s;ound, and will not hold out.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THus of the fir&s;t &s;ort of &s;ignes of Hypocrites: Now follow &s;uch proba|ble &s;ignes of hypocrites, as men may take notice of, and doe v&s;ually fore|&s;hew their falling away at length, though for the pre|&s;ent they make great &s;hewes. Among&s;t them<NOTE PLACE="marg">16. Signes of an vn|&s;ound Profe&s;&s;or.</NOTE> then that make profe&s;&s;ion of Religion aboue the
<PB N="41" REF="28"> common &s;ort of people; the&s;e are likely to bee vn|&s;ound, and not hold out&punc;</P>
<P N="1">1. That ioyne not them|&s;elues to Gods people, but forbeare con&s;tantly, or for&s;ake apparantly their fellow&s;hip, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 24.</P>
<P N="2">2. That are not care|full and de&s;irous to re|forme their hou&s;holds, &amp; to &s;et vp Gods wor&s;hip in their Families; that are good abroad, but practi&s;e not godline&s;&s;e at home.</P>
<P N="3">3. That cu&s;tomarily liue in any &s;inne knowne to bee &s;o to them&s;elues, without &s;orrow, or amendment, whether it be in their par|ticular
<PB N="42" REF="29"> Calling, or gene|rall Conuer&s;ation.</P>
<P N="4">4. That con&s;tantly and with delight choo&s;e out vngodly men to bee their chiefe companions and friends.</P>
<P N="5">5. That are wilfull in the v&s;e of the vanities of the world, and will not be reclaimed from their ex|ce&s;&s;es, or offences that way.</P>
<P N="6">6. That are &s;tiffe-nec|ked, and will not abide re|proofe and admonition, but &s;hew them&s;elues con|ceited, and &s;elfe-willed.</P>
<P N="7">7. That are full of ra&s;h zeale, and &s;hew it by pa&s;|&s;ions,
<PB N="43" REF="29"> and violent furies about le&s;&s;er matters, and yet haue &s;ome notable faults in them&s;elues, wich they make no con&s;cience of.</P>
<P N="8">8. That are &s;wift to &s;peake, and full of words, and forward to expre&s;&s;e their ma&s;terlike conceits, when they neither haue calling, nor fitne&s;&s;e, or power of the holy Gho&s;t. The language of an hum|ble Chri&s;tian, that hath true grace, differs wonder|fully from the empty and impertinent language of the hypocrite, who is &s;eldome a&s;&s;i&s;ted with effi|cacie
<PB N="44" REF="30"> of matter.</P>
<P N="9">9. That liues inordi|nately, being idle, and at|tends not the labours of a lawfull Calling, that is found ordinarily in his neighbours hou&s;e, and is apparantly negligent and &s;lothfull in the duties of his Calling.</P>
<P N="10">10. That is more vexed for want of re&s;pect from others, then for his owne di&s;abilities in his conuer|&s;ation.</P>
<P N="11">11. That &s;eemes glad of the company of &s;ome that feare God, but can|not abide others, either for the meanne&s;&s;e of their
<PB N="45" REF="30"> place, or becau&s;e the world contemnes them, though without cau&s;e, &amp; though there be no iu&s;t exception again&s;t their &s;incerity. They that haue Religion <HI>in re&s;pect of per&s;ons,</HI> loue not any for Religions &s;ake.</P>
<P N="12">12. That liue cu&s;toma|rily in the &s;inne of &s;wea|ring, or lying.</P>
<P N="13">13. That is carele&s;&s;e of the <HI>&s;anctification</HI> of Gods Sabbath.</P>
<P N="14">14. That hath had no maner of affliction of &s;pi|rit for particular &s;innes.</P>
<P N="15">15. That is pertinacious in the defence of gainfull
<PB N="47" REF="31"> and delightfull &s;innes.</P>
<P N="16">16. That confirmes him&s;elfe in the cu&s;tomary neglect of &s;ome of Gods Ordinances altogether, ei|ther publike, or priuate.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. IIII.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Shewing vnto the wicked the hope to bee &s;aued, if the fault bee not in him|&s;elfe.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>HItherto of the &s;ignes of wicked men, who mu&s;t bee per&s;waded to a|bide the triall without de&s;|paire; for the &s;ignes doe not &s;hew them, that they
<PB N="46" REF="31"> cannot be &s;aued; but one|ly, that for the pre&s;ent they are not in the e&s;tate of &s;al|uation <HI>actually,</HI> which though it may, and ought to be grieuous vnto them, to con&s;ider in what feare|full mi&s;ery and &s;inne they liue in: yet they haue rea|&s;on to know and beleeue, that they <HI>may bee &s;aued</HI> as well as others: yea, the acknowledgement of their mi&s;ery is one &s;tep to &s;alua|tion.</P>
<P>Now that wicked men may not die, but take a cour&s;e to bee &s;aued, two things are by them to bee attended: fir&s;t, the <HI>argu|ments
<PB N="48" REF="32"> of hope,</HI> that prooue<NOTE PLACE="marg">Argume~ts of hope.</NOTE> they <HI>may bee</HI> &s;aued, and that there is a <HI>remedy</HI> for their mi&s;ery. Secondly, the <HI>rules,</HI> that &s;hew them what they mu&s;t do, which being done, they may bee <HI>certaine</HI> of their &s;aluation.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, that they be &s;aued, the&s;e things may hopefully a&s;&s;ure:</P>
<P N="1">1. That <HI>God hath &s;worn,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Gods oath.</NOTE> that <HI>hee de&s;ires not that the wicked &s;hould die, but ra|ther that hee &s;hould turne from his euill waies, and liue, Ezech.</HI> 18. 21.</P>
<P N="2">2. That <HI>God</HI> hath with<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Gods patience.</NOTE> &s;ingular <HI>patience</HI> borne with him all this while,
<PB N="49" REF="32"> and hath not laid him be|neath for all his &s;innes, who long &s;ince de&s;erued Hell; and the Lord hath taught it too, that hee is <HI>patient, that men might re|pent and bee &s;aued, Rom. 2. 4. 2. Pet.</HI> 3. 9.</P>
<P N="3">3. That <HI>God offers his</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3. The of|fer of grace to all.</NOTE> <HI>grace to all,</HI> and hath made no exception again&s;t a|ny particular man, and therefore why &s;houlde&s;t thou except thy &s;elfe from &s;aluation, when Gods grace is tendered to thee as well as others? God &s;ends his <HI>Go&s;pell to euery creature,</HI> euen to all Nati|ons, <HI>Mark.</HI> 16. 13.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="50" REF="33">4. That <HI>God hath &s;ent</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Suffici|ent &s;ati&s;|faction made by Chri&s;t.</NOTE> <HI>his owne Sonne</HI> to be a <HI>&s;uf|ficient &s;acrifice</HI> and <HI>propiti|ation</HI> for the &s;innes <HI>of all men:</HI> Hee <HI>is the Lambe of God, that taketh away the &s;innes of the world, Ioh. 1. Rom. 3. 25. 1. Ioh.</HI> 2. 1. and <HI>in him is God well plea&s;ed,</HI> and would haue all men know, that hee is content to take &s;ati&s;faction from Chri&s;t, <HI>Math.</HI> 3. 17.</P>
<P N="5">5. That God hath pla|ced<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. The meanes continued</NOTE> them in the vi&s;ible Church, and doth yet continue the meanes that is <HI>able to &s;aue their &s;oules, Act. 20. 32. Iam.</HI> 1. 21.</P>
<P N="6">6. That God hath de|clared
<PB N="51" REF="33"> him&s;elfe concer|ning &s;inne, that there is one onely &s;inne that in it<NOTE PLACE="marg">6. One onely &s;in &s;imply vn|pardona|ble.</NOTE> &s;elfe is &s;imply vnpardona|ble; All the re&s;t may bee forgiuen.</P>
<P N="7">7. That God hath &s;aued<NOTE PLACE="marg">7. As great &s;inners &s;a|ued.</NOTE> as great &s;inners as they, &s;uch as were <HI>Mana&s;&s;es, Mary Magdalene, Dauid, Paul:</HI> Many among&s;t the <HI>Corinthians</HI> were fornica|tors, drunkards, raylors, and the like, yet were <HI>iu&s;|tified, &s;anctified, and &s;aued, 1. Cor.</HI> 9. 10, 11. And the&s;e haue <HI>obtained mercy, that in the~ Ie&s;us Chri&s;t might &s;hew forth all long-&s;uffering, for a pattern to them which &s;hould
<PB N="52" REF="34"> afterwards beleeue to euer|la&s;ting life, 1. Tim.</HI> 1. 13, 16.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. V.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Shewing how faith may bee gotten.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THE rules of directi|on follow. This then is the que&s;tion: What &s;hould a man doe, that he may be &s;ure of his &s;aluati|on, the man, I &s;ay, that for the pre&s;ent doth not finde the grace of Chri&s;t in his heart? I an&s;wer: That his principall care mu&s;t bee to v&s;e all meanes to get the graces of the godly Chri&s;|tian
<PB N="53" REF="34"> formed in his heart: And herein the Lord hath &s;hewed vnto men &s;ingular mercy, that as hee hath &s;hewed wayes in his <HI>Word,</HI> how his &s;eruants may <HI>di&s;|cerne</HI> the graces, that are as &s;o many <HI>&s;ignes</HI> &amp; pledges of Gods loue, and their own &s;aluation; &s;o hath hee in the &s;ame Word laid downe cleere <HI>directions,</HI> that &s;hew how euery grace may bee attained and for|med, and nouri&s;hed in the hearts of men.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Que&s;t."> And fir&s;t I will beginne with faith, &amp; the Que&s;tion is: What &s;hould a man do, that he might attain faith?</P>
<PB N="54" REF="35">
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;."> He that would beleeue, mu&s;t ob&s;erue the&s;e rules.</P>
<P N="1">1. Hee mu&s;t in the fir&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. He mu&s;t con&s;ider of Gods promi&s;es.</NOTE> place betake him&s;elfe to Gods <HI>promi&s;es:</HI> For with|out the promi&s;e of grace it is vnpo&s;&s;ible, faith &s;hould euer be formed aright in a man, hee mu&s;t labour to &s;ee what the Lord &s;aith di&s;tinctly vnto &s;inners: I will in&s;tance in that one promi&s;e, <HI>Ioh. 3. 16. God &s;o loued the world, that hee &s;ent his onely begotten Son, that who&s;oeuer beleeueth in him, &s;hould not peri&s;h, but haue life euerla&s;ting:</HI> Now his care mu&s;t bee, &s;eriou&s;ly to marke, and cleerely to vn|der&s;tand
<PB N="55" REF="35"> Gods meaning, which in this promi&s;e is to a&s;&s;ure &s;aluation to any in the world, that will beleeue in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. Hee mu&s;t then con|&s;ider<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. He mu&s;t take no|tice of Gods co~|mande|ment to beleeue.</NOTE> <HI>Gods commandement</HI> concerning faith, that God doth require him to be|leeue, and is &s;o farre from being di&s;plea&s;ed with him for beleeuing in Chri&s;t, that for this cau&s;e hee will damne him in Hell, if hee beleeue not, <HI>Ioh. 3. 17. 1. Ioh.</HI> 3. 23. Hee doth as exactly require vs to relye vpon this cour&s;e of &s;aluation by Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, as hee doth require any thing of vs in
<PB N="56" REF="36"> the Morall Law: and as we ought not to &s;weare, or commit adultery, or &s;teale; &s;o ought we not to dare to liue without beleefe in Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. Hee mu&s;t pray hear|tily<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. He mu&s;t pray for faith.</NOTE> to God to giue him a heart to beleeue, and to forme faith in him; for <HI>faith is the gift of God, Eph.</HI> 2. 8. Hee &s;hould pray ouer the promi&s;es, and be&s;eech God to incline his heart to re&s;t vpon them, as the be&s;t trea&s;ures in the world: cry vnto the Lord, <HI>Lord help my vnbeleefe.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. Hee mu&s;t ab&s;olutely lay a&s;ide all thought of his
<PB N="57" REF="36"> <HI>owne righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e by the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">4. He mu&s;t renounce his owne righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> <HI>workes of the Law,</HI> and look onely to Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and the <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e in him,</HI> el&s;e hee will <HI>faile of the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of God, Rom.</HI> 10. 3.</P>
<P N="5">5. Hee mu&s;t waite vp|on<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. He mu&s;t waite vpo~ the Word preached.</NOTE> the powerfull <HI>Prea|ching of the Go&s;pell,</HI> as the onely outward <HI>ordinary meanes</HI> to beget faith, offe|ring his &s;oule daily vnto God, and attending to the Word of God, ready to obey the motions of the Spirit, knocking at the doore of his heart in the Mini&s;terie of the Word, knowing that from this
<PB N="58" REF="37"> Ordinance of God, hee is to expect the <HI>gift of faith:</HI> Hee &s;hould betake him|&s;elfe to it, with re&s;olution to waite with daily expec|tation, till the Lord bee plea&s;ed to <HI>&s;end the Holy Gho&s;t</HI> into his heart: And this is a generall rule for this, and all other graces of the Spirit: as men loue their owne foules, &s;o they mu&s;t prouide to liue where the Word of God is prea|ched con&s;tantly, &amp; in the power of it: for from thence they &s;hall receiue vn&s;peakeable help and fur|therance in all the wayes of God, <HI>Rom.</HI> 10. 14.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="59" REF="37">
<HEAD>CHAP. VI.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Shewing how true humiliati|on may be attained.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THVS of faith: In the next place he mu&s;t la|bor for true and &s;ound hu|miliation for his &s;innes: and to this end hee mu&s;t di&s;tinctly &s;triue to get for|med in him two things: 1. Pouerty of &s;pirit, 2. godly &s;orrow, for to the&s;e two belong all the branches of true humiliation.</P>
<P>For the attaining of &s;pi|rituall<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Gather a Catalogue of thy &s;ins, either&punc; by memory,</NOTE> pouerty, the&s;e rules are of great v&s;e:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, make a Catalogue
<PB N="60" REF="38"> of thy &s;innes, which thou mai&s;t do either by memo|ry or by booke: By memo|ry thus: Goe a&s;ide, &s;et thy &s;oule before the Lord, as if thou we re&s;t pre&s;ently to be iudged of him; call to minde particularly, what|&s;oeuer thou can&s;t remem|ber by thy &s;elfe; con&s;ider thy wants, thy Omi&s;&s;ions, and Commi&s;&s;ions of euill, in youth or riper age: in heart, or life, in things that concerne God, or men, or thy owne &s;oule, and di&s;po|&s;ition, thoughts, affections, words, or deedes. Thou mai&s;t then &s;ee an Army of rebellious euils thou ha&s;t
<PB N="61" REF="38"> beene guilty of. By book<NOTE PLACE="marg">Or by booke.</NOTE> thus? Procure thee the la|bour of &s;ome reuerend Diuine, that hath briefely gathered the &s;ins of euery Commandement, and from thence gather out &s;o many &s;ins, as thou know|e&s;t by thy &s;elfe that thou ha&s;t beene guilty of: Lay tho&s;e &s;ins dayly before thy con&s;cience, and con&s;ider how many wayes thou ha&s;t made thy &s;elfe guilty.</P>
<P>Secondly, con&s;ider then<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. con&s;ider Gods&punc; Iu&s;|tice.</NOTE> the Iu&s;tice of God, how he hateth all &s;inne, which thou mai&s;t be a&s;&s;ured of, if thou remember how hee plagued our fir&s;t Parents,
<PB N="62" REF="39"> the old World, Sodome, &amp; Gomorrha: how feare|fully he neglected the Gen|tiles, ca&s;t off the Iewes, yea how he <HI>&s;pared not his owne Son</HI> Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, when he became a &s;urety for other mens &s;innes.</P>
<P>Thirdly, thinke of the<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Thinke of his threat|nings.</NOTE> terrible woes, and threat|nings, and cur&s;es which are denounced euery where in Scripture again&s;t &s;uch offences as thou art guilty of.</P>
<P>Fourthly, force vpon<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Remem|ber thy latter end.</NOTE> thy &s;elfe the remembrance of thy latter end, and thy appearance before <HI>the tri|bunall &s;cate</HI> of Chri&s;t, <HI>to re|ceiue
<PB N="63" REF="39"> according to all that thou ha&s;t done in thy fle&s;h.</HI></P>
<P>Fifthly, ob&s;erue with<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. Ob&s;erue Gods Iudge|ments vp|on the wicked.</NOTE> what iudgements the Lord euery day fights again&s;t wicked men, in all parts of the world, &s;ometimes by common Plagues, &s;ome|times by &s;peciall and par|ticular calamities.</P>
<P>Sixtly, aboue all things,<NOTE PLACE="marg">6. E&s;peci|ally Gods goodne&s;&s;e to thee.</NOTE> marke with all thy heart Gods goodne&s;&s;e to thee in particular; in during all this at thy hands, his ble&s;|&s;ings of all &s;orts dayly be|&s;towed vpon thee, chiefely his mercy offered to thee in Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, that can be content to forgiue thee all
<PB N="64" REF="40"> thy debts, &s;o thou be &s;orry, and weary of offending. Nothing can more breake thy heart, then to ob&s;erue how God dealeth with thee, euen with thee in particular, that ha&s;t de|&s;erued &s;o much euill at his hands.</P>
<P>Seuenthly, try thy &s;elfe<NOTE PLACE="marg">7. Try thy &s;elf by the &s;ignes.</NOTE> by a particular examinati|on of thy owne e&s;tate, by e|uery particular of the &s;ignes of Gods children, and then thou mai&s;t &s;ee, what a poore creature thou art, what &s;hew &s;oeuer thou make&s;t in the world, and what naturall gifts or prai&s;es &s;oeuer thou ha&s;t;
<PB N="65" REF="40"> for then thou &s;halt finde, how exceeding empty thy heart is of &s;ollid gifts, and the be&s;t graces, and that many a poore creature, that maketh little &s;hew in the world, hath a heart bet|ter graced by farre then thine.</P>
<P>Eighthly, thou mu&s;t beg<NOTE PLACE="marg">8. Beg an humble heart of God.</NOTE> heartily an humble heart of God, and a greater di&s;|cerning of thine own vile|ne&s;&s;e. The Lord will bee &s;ought vnto, &amp; he is ready to be fou~d, if thou &s;eek him con&s;tantly and diligently: It is not a &s;mall worke to breake the pride and &s;to|nine&s;&s;e of thy heart. It
<PB N="66" REF="41"> needes power from a|boue.</P>
<P>Ninthly, prouide to liue,<NOTE PLACE="marg">9. Liue vn|der a &s;ear|ching mi|ni&s;tery.</NOTE> if it may be, vnder a force|able mini&s;try: where thou mai&s;t heare &s;uch doctrine dayly, as will &s;earch thy heart, &amp; ran&s;acke thy life; where thou mai&s;t feele the Word of God goe downe into thy heart and reines.</P>
<P>Tenthly, marke what<NOTE PLACE="marg">10. Watch again&s;t the things thou art naturally proud of.</NOTE> things they are, which by nature thou art proud of, and labour &s;eriou&s;ly both by arguments &amp; re&s;traint, to alienate thy affections from them: In particular, take heed of the &s;nare that is in gay clothes, delicious
<PB N="67" REF="41"> fare, worldly titles, and the like.</P>
<P>Eleuenthly, &s;hun and a|uoide<NOTE PLACE="marg">11. Auoide the flatte|rer.</NOTE> with dete&s;tation the flatterer, and &s;eeke vnto thee a righteous compani|on, that may &s;mite thee for thy faylings, and <HI>re|prooue thee, and not hate thee in his heart.</HI></P>
<P>Twelfthly, labour to<NOTE PLACE="marg">12. Thinke &s;till of &s;om of thy wor&s;t fruits.</NOTE> keepe in thy memory and thoughts, 6. or 8. or more, or fewer of thy faults, that thou would&s;t bee more a|&s;hamed off, and thou ha&s;t more offended in, &amp; com|pel thy &s;elf daily to remem|ber them: this will won|derfully do thee good&punc; and
<PB N="68" REF="42"> tame thy pride, and make thee more meeke &amp; more tractable, and mercifull, all the day after thou ha&s;t duely thought of them.</P>
<P>Thus of the way how to get thy &s;pirit to bee truely poore and humble.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Que&s;t."> The next que&s;tion is, what a man &s;hould doe to get a &s;oft heart, and true godly &s;orrow, that hee might bee able to mourne for his &s;innes, before God.</P>
<P N="1"><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;."> 1. He mu&s;t fir&s;t con&s;ider<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Co~&s;ider Gods pro|mi&s;e about a &s;oft hart.</NOTE> of Gods promi&s;es, who hath bound him&s;elfe by couenant <HI>to take away the &s;tony heart, &amp; giue a heart of fle&s;h</HI> vnto them that &s;eek vn|to
<PB N="69" REF="42"> him for it, <HI>Ez.</HI> 36. 26, 32.</P>
<P N="2">2. He mu&s;t dayly in the be&s;t words he can, keepe a<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Dayly confe&s;&s;e thy &s;ins to God,</NOTE> con&s;tant cour&s;e in the con|fe&s;&s;ion of his &s;innes before God, begging of God with al importunity this mercy,<NOTE PLACE="marg">And beg &s;orrow.</NOTE> that hee would melt, and &s;often his heart, &amp; re&s;olue, that he would neuer &s;tand before the Lord, but hee would remember this peti|tion, alwayes iudging him|&s;elfe, giuing glory to God: It may bee the Lord will heare at the fir&s;t, or &s;econd time of prayer, but if he do not, thou mu&s;t re&s;olue to watch and pray &s;till, with|out limiting God to the
<PB N="70" REF="43"> time of effecting thy de|&s;ire, as knowing that it ought not to &s;eeme grie|uous vnto thee, that the LORD doth not pre|&s;ently worke what thou praye&s;t for, con&s;idering how long the Lord hath called vpon thee, and thou did&s;t not an&s;were, and withall the Lord is well plea&s;ed with the&s;e prepara|tions in thy heart, and ac|cepts thy endeuour to mourn becau&s;e thou can&s;t not mourne.</P>
<P N="3">3. Hee mu&s;t ob&s;erue<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Be tha~k|full for e|uery mer|cy in pray|er.</NOTE> how the Lord deales with him in prayer, and be &s;ure with all thankefulne&s;&s;e to
<PB N="71" REF="43"> acknowledge any mercy God &s;hewes him in pray|er, as if hee make him wil|ling to pray, or giue him words in prayer, or let him feele any ioy in the time of prayer, or that he finde his heart in any degree to melt, hee &s;hould bee won|derfull thankefull, if he can get but one teare in pray|er, or that he find his heart in any degree to melt: and this ob&s;eruation of Gods goodne&s;&s;e letting him know, that hee regards his particular reque&s;ts, will melt his heart indeed fur|ther, and perhaps &s;et him all on a flame in de&s;ires to
<PB N="27" REF="44"> prai&s;e God, and to aba&s;e him&s;elfe euen to the du&s;t before the Lord, <HI>Ho&s;h. 3. 5. 1. The&s;&s;.</HI> 5.</P>
<P N="4">4. That Rule of the<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Ac|knowlege thy faults to others.</NOTE> Apo&s;tle <HI>Iames</HI> is &s;ome|times of &s;ingular v&s;e in this ca&s;e of breeding &s;oft|ne&s;&s;e of heart, and that is <HI>acknowledging your &s;innes one to another,</HI> when in &s;e|cret we make our moanes to wi&s;e &amp; mercifull Chri&s;|tians, and &s;hame our &s;elues for our &s;peciall offences, it many times hath melting of heart ioyned with it: &s;o as that heart, that before &s;eemed hardened and dry, now ea&s;ily di&s;&s;olues
<PB N="73" REF="44"> into teares, <HI>Iam.</HI> 5.</P>
<P N="5">5. To go into the <HI>hou&s;e</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">5. Go into the hou&s;e of mour|ning.</NOTE> <HI>of mourning</HI> may bee in this ca&s;e profitable: re&s;ort to &s;uch as be in &s;orrow for the hand of GOD vpon them, e&s;pecially &s;uch as mourne through the af|fliction of their Spirits: Conuer&s;e with humble &amp; tender-hearted Chri&s;tians, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 7.</P>
<P N="6">6. In all the &s;eruices of<NOTE PLACE="marg">6. Take heed of di&s;traction in Gods &s;eruice.</NOTE> God be &s;ure to <HI>draw neere to God,</HI> and keep thy minde from <HI>di&s;traction</HI> and hypo|cri&s;ie: The Sunne cannot haue &s;uch force to melt the waxe, as the beames of Gods pre&s;ence haue to
<PB N="74" REF="45"> melt the heart, <HI>Iam.</HI> 4. 6, 7.</P>
<P N="7">7. The Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> be|ing<NOTE PLACE="marg">7. Studie the tenth Comman|dement.</NOTE> a &s;turdy Phari&s;e, had his heart beaten to powder with the feare of the tenth Commandement, that told him, <HI>hee mu&s;t not lu&s;t:</HI> The knowledge and con&s;i|deration of the aboun|dance of &s;inne-guiltine&s;&s;e hee had drawne vpon him&s;elfe, by the inward fruits of his euill nature, kil'd him out-right, brake his pride, and mortified him, as hee at large re|peates, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7.</P>
<P N="8">8. Remember the Pa&s;|&s;ion<NOTE PLACE="marg">8. Remem|ber the &s;orrowes of Chri&s;t for thy &s;in.</NOTE> of thy Sauiour, the pouerty, bani&s;hment, ig|nominy,
<PB N="75" REF="45"> temptations; the apprehen&s;ion, for&s;aking, arraignement, condem|ning, and cruell death, which hee &s;uffered for thy &s;innes: <HI>Looke vpon him that was pierced for thy &s;ake, Zach.</HI> 12. 12.</P>
<P N="9">9. If of thy &s;elfe thou<NOTE PLACE="marg">9. Get o|thers to pray for thee.</NOTE> can&s;t not yet attaine vnto &s;orrow for thy &s;innes, get &s;ome godly Chri&s;tian, that is endued with the gift of prayer, to ioyne with thee in priuate, that &s;o the Lord may bee plea&s;ed to grant in heauen, what we of him doe aske on earth.</P>
<P N="10">10. La&s;tly, If al other means<NOTE PLACE="marg">10. V&s;e fa&s;ting.</NOTE> faile, then &s;et a day apart
<PB N="76" REF="46"> by fa&s;ting; for the day of a fa&s;t was called the day of <HI>afflicting, or humbling the &s;oule, Leu.</HI> 16. both becau&s;e it was the maine duety to bee &s;triuen after on that day, and be&s;ides, becau&s;e the Lord v&s;ually did ble&s;&s;e his owne Ordinance &s;o, as he gaue an humbled heart to tho&s;e, that &s;ought it of him.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="77" REF="46">
<HEAD>CHAP. VII.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Shewing how the Spirit of Adoption may bee attai|ned, and al&s;o how the &s;e|uerall gifts of the Spirit may be framed in vs.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THus of humiliation: It followeth that I &s;hew how hee may attaine to the other &s;acred gifts, which are markes of a godly man: as in the fir&s;t &s;ort of gifts, how hee may attaine to the loue of the Word, the gift of Prayer, the feare of God, the loue of his enemies, and the de&s;ire of the comming of
<PB N="78" REF="47"> Chri&s;t: But before I enter vpon the&s;e, it is nece&s;&s;arie to &s;hew him how hee may attain the Spirit of Adop|tion, which is nece&s;&s;arie for the&s;e and all other gra|ces.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Que&s;t."> And concerning the<NOTE PLACE="marg">How the Spirit of Adoption may bee had.</NOTE> Spirit of Adoption, if a|ny aske how it may be ob|tained: Or rather, how it may bee &s;tirred vp in vs, that we may feele his wor|king in vs?</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;."> I an&s;wer, that hee is had<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. He mu&s;t pray for it</NOTE> and &s;tirred vp by inuoca|tion: God is plea&s;ed to declare him&s;elfe willing, and ready to be&s;tow his holy Spirit vpon men, if
<PB N="79" REF="47"> <HI>they aske him of him</HI> by hearty prayer: Hee that hath <HI>giuen vs his Sonne,</HI> will not deny vs the <HI>Spirit of his Sonne</HI> to be giuen in|to our hearts, <HI>Gal.</HI> 4. 7. And this our Sauiour Chri&s;t a&s;&s;ures vnto vs in the Para|ble, <HI>Luke</HI> 11.</P>
<Q><P N="9">9. <HI>And I &s;ay vnto you, Aske, and it &s;hall be giuen you: Seeke, and yee &s;hall finde: Knock, and it &s;hall be opened vnto you.</HI></P>
<P N="10">10. <HI>For euery one that asketh, receiueth, and he that &s;eeketh, findeth, and to him, that knocketh, it &s;hall be opened.</HI></P>
<P N="11">11. <HI>If a &s;onne &s;hall
<PB N="80" REF="48"> aske bread of any of you, that is a father, will hee giue him a &s;tone? Or if hee aske a fi&s;h, will hee for a fi&s;h, giue him a Ser|pent?</HI></P>
<P N="12">12. <HI>Or if hee aske an Egge, will hee giue him a Scorpion?</HI></P>
<P N="13">13. <HI>If yee then, which are euill, can giue good gifts vnto your children, how much more &s;hall your heauenly Father giue the Holy Gho&s;t to them, that de&s;ire him?</HI></P></Q>
<P N="2">2. We mu&s;t waite vp|on<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Waite vpo~ Prea|ching.</NOTE> the preaching of the Go&s;pell, where the Holy Gho&s;t v&s;ually falls vpon
<PB N="81" REF="48"> the hearts of men.</P>
<P N="3">3. When wee feele the<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Cheri&s;h the moti|ons of the Spirit.</NOTE> motions of the Spirit knocking at our hearts&punc; or any way &s;urpri&s;ing vs, wee mu&s;t with all readine&s;&s;e open the doores of our hearts, that the King of Glory by his Spirit may enter into vs.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Que&s;t."> The next que&s;tion is<NOTE PLACE="marg">How wee may get a loue to the Word.</NOTE> then, what we &s;hould do to get and pre&s;erue in vs the con&s;tant loue to the VVord?</P>
<P N="1"><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;."> 1. The an&s;wer is: fir&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Settie vnder a powerfull Mini&s;tery.</NOTE> that we &s;hould &s;eeke to &s;et|tle our &s;elues vnder the powerful preaching of the Word; euen &s;uch a Mi|ni&s;tery
<PB N="82" REF="49"> as doth &s;et out the glory of the Truth, and of the Kingdome of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. Wee mu&s;t make a<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Pray God to quicken thee.</NOTE> con&s;cience of it to pray vnto God to quicken vs, and inflame our hearts to the loue of his Lawes, as <HI>Dauid</HI> often did, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.</P>
<P N="3">3. Take heed of exce&s;|&s;iue<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Take heed of worldly cares.</NOTE> cares, and the ouer|teaching of thy de&s;ires in the imployments of the world, or the immoderate v&s;e of worldly delights; for tho&s;e <HI>choake the &s;eed of the Word,</HI> and alienate the affections from it; and &s;o doth any gro&s;&s;e, or belo|ued
<PB N="83" REF="49"> &s;inne, <HI>Heb. 3. Math.</HI> 13.</P>
<P N="4">4. Take heed al&s;o of<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. And of per&s;onall di&s;cord with &s;uch as feare God.</NOTE> per&s;onall <HI>di&s;cord</HI> with &s;uch as feare God, e&s;pecially with thy <HI>Teachers;</HI> for this doth by &s;ecret degrees make the heart carele&s;&s;e and negligent, and in &s;ome things wilfull; and if it bee not looked to in time, will bring men from the li|king of the Word, as they haue beene drawne from the liking of &s;uch as loue the Word.</P>
<P N="5">5. Take heed of vn+godly<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. And of vngodly company.</NOTE> company: For in &s;uch company is quen|ched the &s;parkles of liking&punc; when they are kindled; yea,
<PB N="84" REF="50"> and the flames of affecti|on are much dulled, in whom they are be&s;t exci|ted, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 115.</P>
<P N="6">6. Such, as finde &s;ome<NOTE PLACE="marg">6. And of neglect of the in|crea&s;e hereof:</NOTE> beginnings of de&s;ire after the Word, and liking to it, mu&s;t take heed, that they e&s;trange not them|&s;elues from the exerci&s;es thereof: For if they heare, or reade but now &amp; then; either the heart will neuer be throughly heated, or if it bee, it will ea&s;ily waxe cold againe: and yet here|in<NOTE PLACE="marg">Or exce&s;&s;e</NOTE> &s;ome are to be warned to take heed of di&s;ordered exce&s;&s;e; for that will breed dulne&s;&s;e, as well as neg|lect:
<PB N="85" REF="50"> As when they will reade daily for diuers houres; or when they pro|uide vnto them&s;elues a heape of Teachers, as &s;ome that liue in great Ci|ties, thinke it Religion to heare all &s;orts of men, and all the Sermons can bee come vnto: As if the pow|er of godline&s;&s;e lay onely in the v&s;e of the meanes of godline&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="7">7. Wee mu&s;t practi&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">7. Practi&s;e what thou heare&s;t.</NOTE> what we heare, and labour to &s;hew forth the fruit of the doctrine. Hee that would be in loue with hu&s;|bandry, mu&s;t &s;ow his &s;eed in his ground, and then
<PB N="86" REF="51"> the gaine of the Harue&s;t will &s;till allure him to like the Trade: If we be fruit|le&s;&s;e hearers of the Word, we cannot loue it; or if we doe, it will bee but for a fla&s;h, or &s;mall time.</P>
<P>Thus of the loue to the Word.</P>
<P>Hee that would learne<NOTE PLACE="marg">To attain the gift of prayer.</NOTE> to pray, mu&s;t follow the&s;e directions:</P>
<P N="1">1. Hee mu&s;t go to God<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Pray God to teach thee</NOTE> in the name of Chri&s;t, and be&s;eech him to <HI>giue him words,</HI> and by his Spirit to teach him to pray: It is God onely can make a man &s;peak <HI>a pure language;</HI> for hee onely can in&s;truct
<PB N="87" REF="51"> the heart of man, and in|due it with this heauenly gift, <HI>Rom. 8. 26. Ephe&s;.</HI> 3. 9.</P>
<P N="2">2. It will much helpe<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Ioyne with &s;uch as can pray.</NOTE> him to ioyne him&s;elfe to &s;uch as <HI>call vpon the name of the Lord with a pure heart,</HI> e&s;pecially in the daies of their humiliation, 2. <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 22.</P>
<P N="3">3. There are three di&s;|tinct<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. How he may fur|ni&s;h him|&s;elfe in e|uery part of prayer.</NOTE> things, which a man may with &s;ingular profite propound vnto him&s;elfe in his prayers: Confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes: Petition for grace: and thanke&s;giuing for mercies receiued. Now the weake&s;t Chri&s;tian may be, through Gods ble&s;&s;ing,
<PB N="88" REF="52"> comfortably furni&s;hed for his own particular, if hee take &s;uch a cour&s;e as this; To go a&s;ide, and with all<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Que&s;|tions.</NOTE> &s;ecre&s;ie, and attention of heart before the Lord, aske him&s;elfe the&s;e three Que&s;tions:</P>
<P N="1">1. What &s;innes haue I committed, which either now do trouble me; or, if I were to die, would make me afraide? Let him &s;et them downe in a paper, or in his memory di&s;tinctly, till hee can bethinke him|&s;elfe of no more. It is no great matter for the order, how he &s;ets them down, &s;o hee bee &s;ure hee haue the
<PB N="89" REF="52"> chiefe &s;innes, in which hee daily offends, or hath of|fended.</P>
<P N="2">2. What would I haue the Lord do for mee, if I might haue what I wi&s;h? Let him &s;et the particulars downe till he can remem|ber no more: As for ex|ample, I would haue him forgiue me my &s;innes, and I would haue him giue me knowledge; and I would haue him giue me &s;trength again&s;t &s;uch and &s;uch &s;ins; &amp; I would haue him giue me faith and a&s;&s;urance; and I would haue him giue me heauen, when I die: and &s;o go on with all the things
<PB N="90" REF="53"> he feeles a de&s;ire in his heart to &s;eek of God, till he can remember no more: and if at any other time hee remember &s;ome &s;peci|all thing, which he would further haue, which hee hath not in his Cata|logue, let him &s;et it down, as from time to time hee &s;ees cau&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. What &s;peciall fa|uours hath God &s;hewed to me, which I &s;ee I ought to take &s;peciall notice of. Let him &s;et them downe di&s;tinctly, whether they be deliuerances, or &s;uch and &s;uch &s;pirituall or outward mercies, pre&s;eruing the
<PB N="91" REF="53"> memorie principally of the chiefe&s;t of them.</P>
<P>Now when hee hath thus furni&s;hed the&s;e three heads with things, that in particular concerne him|&s;elfe, they being all mat|ters of weight, hee mu&s;t now carry the&s;e things, or the chiefe of them in his minde, and frame his heart to &s;peake to God in the be&s;t words hee can get, to &s;ignifie his dete&s;tation of tho&s;e &s;innes, his humble reque&s;ts for tho&s;e graces, and his vnfaigned thanke|fulne&s;&s;e for tho&s;e ble&s;&s;ings: How&s;oeuer hee may bee rude, or vnperfect in his
<PB N="92" REF="54"> language about the&s;e at the fir&s;t, yet exerci&s;e will bring him to a ripene&s;&s;e, and by this cour&s;e he &s;hall be &s;ure to &s;peak of things, that concerne him&s;elfe neerely; and that God, which hath taught parents to regard the vnperfect language of their little children, when they begin to &s;peake vnto them, will him&s;elfe much more de|light to <HI>heare the de&s;ires of his &s;eruants,</HI> that are grie|ued, that they cannot &s;peake in a better &s;ort vn|to him: The profite and comfort of this cour&s;e will appeare by experience to
<PB N="93" REF="54"> bee exceeding great; Be|&s;ides, it is an ea&s;ie way, when there is in any a true de&s;ire to bee at the paines to learne this language of &s;peaking to God by pray|er, and Gods Spirit will helpe and teach the poore Chri&s;tian, and draw his Petitions for him, and prompt him both with words and affections; and the Chri&s;tian mu&s;t know this, that when hee hath confe&s;&s;ed his &s;innes, and &s;hewed what hee would haue God doe for him, with the be&s;t words hee could in the truth of his heart, hee hath made a
<PB N="94" REF="55"> mo&s;t effectuall prayer to God.</P>
<P>Thus of Prayer.</P>
<P>The awfull feare of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">How the feare of God may be begot|ten in vs.</NOTE> and the reuerent dreading of God, may be begotten and increa&s;ed in vs, if wee throughly remember and deeply ponder vpon,</P>
<P N="1">1. The &s;urpa&s;&s;ing glo|ry and tran&s;cendent excel|lencie and perfection of his Nature, his ab&s;olute Purity, and exact Iu&s;tice, and Holine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">2. The wonderfull works of God, e&s;pecially tho&s;e &s;tanding miracles &s;hewed in the hanging of this mighty earth, and tho&s;e
<PB N="95" REF="55"> huge heapes of water in the clouds, and the boun|ding of the&s;e mighty feas, and &s;uch like.</P>
<P N="3">3. His fearefull threat|nings of all &s;orts of woes again&s;t the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions of men.</P>
<P N="4">4. The terrour of the la&s;t Day, and the dreadful|ne&s;&s;e of death and Iudge|ment.</P>
<P N="5">5. The fearefull and &s;udden iudgements which haue falne vpon wicked men; either recorded in Scripture, or reported in Hi&s;tories, or ob&s;erued in experience.</P>
<P N="6">6. E&s;pecially, if wee
<PB N="96" REF="56"> thinke much and &s;eriou&s;ly of the great goodne&s;&s;e of God to vs, how hee hath &s;triuen with vs to ouer|come vs with his mercies.</P>
<P>Thus of the feare of God.</P>
<P>Wee &s;hould &s;triue to &s;tir vp in vs affection, and loue to our very enemies, by &s;uch con&s;iderations as the&s;e:</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e Chri&s;t, to whom wee are infinitely bound, hath expre&s;ly char|ged vs to look to this, that wee do loue our enemies; and therefore for his &s;ake we &s;hould deny our &s;elues, and our owne corrupt de|&s;ires,
<PB N="97" REF="56"> and affections, and &s;triue to &s;hew the truth of our loue euen towards them, that hate and per|&s;ecute vs.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is none &s;o wic|ked, but they haue &s;ome|thing good in them, and worthy to be re&s;pected.</P>
<P N="3">3. Our enemies doe vs good, though they intend it not, we ought to like the very rod that mends vs, and regard the water that wa&s;heth vs white, &amp; make much of the &s;tone that tryes vs, and the gla&s;&s;e that &s;hewes vs our &s;pots, and not mi&s;-like the tents that &s;earch our wounds.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="98" REF="57">4. If euer God turne their hearts, they will be effectuall in&s;truments of our prai&s;e and Gods glory in the day of their vi&s;ita|tion, they will then wil|lingly beare the &s;hame of their owne &s;infull oppo&s;i|tions.</P>
<P>I forbeare to &s;et downe the directions for the at|tainement of the loue of the appearing of Chri&s;t, becau&s;e I haue at large handled that point in the Treati&s;e of the <HI>Cure of the feare of Death.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="99" REF="57">
<HEAD>CHAP. VIII.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Thus of the directions that concerne the fir&s;t &s;ort of gifts, concerning the at|tainement of the other graces: the directions now follow.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>ANd fir&s;t, for the attain|ment<NOTE PLACE="marg">How to get and increa&s;e &s;auing knowledge. 1. He mu&s;t be wi&s;e for him&s;elfe.</NOTE> of &s;auing know|ledge, and the increa&s;e of it, the&s;e directions are of excellent v&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1. Fir&s;t, in hearing or reading the Scriptures he mu&s;t <HI>bee wi&s;e for him&s;elfe,</HI> that is, marke di&s;tinctly what hee heareth or rea|deth,
<PB N="100" REF="58"> that may &s;pecially concerne him&s;elfe, <HI>Prou.</HI> 9. 12.</P>
<P N="2">2. He mu&s;t &s;tudy tho&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. He mu&s;t &s;tudy only profitable things.</NOTE> things exactly, which mo&s;t concerne him, <HI>auoiding vaine que&s;tions,</HI> and fruite|le&s;&s;e contemplations, and <HI>vaine ianglings,</HI> and con|trouer&s;ies: he mu&s;t e&s;peci|ally labour to know <HI>Gods Nature</HI> aright, and the di&s;|tinct <HI>manner of Gods true Wor&s;hip,</HI> how he may &s;erue him: hee mu&s;t &s;tudy to know <HI>his owne particular of|fences,</HI> and <HI>Christ crucified as his Sauiour,</HI> with the be|nefits of his meditation, &amp; the nece&s;&s;ary things that
<PB N="101" REF="58"> concerne his owne Iu&s;tifi|cation, Sanctification, and finall Saluation.</P>
<P N="3">3. Hee <HI>mu&s;t redeeme the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3. He mu&s;t redeeme the time.</NOTE> <HI>time,</HI> and by foreca&s;t, and order prouide &s;o, that &s;om time may be dayly allow|ed for holy &s;tudies to re|couer his former time lo&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4. He mu&s;t <HI>inquire and</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">4. He mu&s;t propound his doubts.</NOTE> <HI>take coun&s;ell,</HI> hee mu&s;t take heede of &s;mothering his doubts, but mu&s;t carefully &s;eeke &s;atisfaction to his con&s;cience, as occa&s;ion a|ri&s;eth. There is more pro|fit in this rule, then many<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. He mu&s;t not con|&s;ult with fle&s;h and bloud.</NOTE> Chri&s;tians are aware of.</P>
<P N="5">5. Hee mu&s;t take heede of <HI>con&s;ulting with fle&s;h and
<PB N="102" REF="59"> bloud:</HI> He mu&s;t not regard other mens opinions, or his owne carnall rea&s;on; but re&s;olue to giue the glory to Gods Word, &s;o as to &s;ubmit him&s;elfe to what hee &s;hall finde there|in required to bee belee|ued, or done, or auoided.</P>
<P>Other Rules he may find in the directions for the priuate reading of the Scriptures: as al&s;o in the Rules of life.</P>
<P>Thus of Sauing Know|ledge.<NOTE PLACE="marg">How the loue of GOD may bee wrought in thee.</NOTE></P>
<P>That thou mai&s;t inflame in thy heart the loue of God:</P>
<P N="1">1. Thou mu&s;t auoide
<PB N="103" REF="59"> with &s;peciall care, the&s;e things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Forgetfulne&s;&s;e of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Thou mu&s;t a|uoide for|getfulnes of God, &amp; the loue of the world.</NOTE> <HI>God;</HI> Thou mu&s;t not dare to goe whole daies, or weekes, without commu|nion with God, or remem|bring his holy pre&s;ence.</P>
<P>Secondly, the <HI>loue of the world:</HI> Wee cannot loue the Father, while our harts dote vpon any earthly things: Of nece&s;&s;ity, &s;ome degree of the contempt of the world mu&s;t be bred in vs, before wee can loue God.</P>
<P N="2">2. We mu&s;t labour for<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Thou mu&s;t &s;tudy Gods pray&s;es.</NOTE> a di&s;tinct <HI>knowledge</HI> of the dreadfull <HI>prai&s;es</HI> of Gods
<PB N="104" REF="60"> Nature and Workes, as they are de&s;cribed in the Scriptures, or may be ob|&s;erued by experience: This is a needfull direction, and mi&s;erably neglected.</P>
<P N="3">3. Wee mu&s;t <HI>frequent</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Thou mu&s;t fre|quent his hou&s;e.</NOTE> <HI>his Hou&s;e;</HI> e&s;pecially when his glory doth mo&s;t &s;hine in the power of his Ordi|nances in his Sanctuary.</P>
<P N="4">4. Wee &s;hould e&s;peci|ally<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Thou mu&s;t &s;tudy Gods mer|cies.</NOTE> &s;tudie the mercies of God, and all the good things hee hath promi&s;ed, or giuen vnto vs, that wee may after a &s;olid manner cau&s;e our hearts to know, how infinitely wee &s;tand bound to God.</P>
<P N="5"><PB N="105" REF="60">5. We &s;hould ob&s;erue<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. Thou mu&s;t ob|&s;erue thy daily infir|mities.</NOTE> carefully and daily, our owne &s;infulne&s;&s;e and vile|ne&s;&s;e, and vnworthine&s;&s;e: For vnle&s;&s;e we ca&s;t out &s;elf. loue, we &s;hall neuer get in the true loue of God.</P>
<P N="6">6. Wee &s;hould pray<NOTE PLACE="marg">6. Thou mu&s;t pray much.</NOTE> much; for a holy cour&s;e in prayer doth breed in men a wonderfull loue of God, and admiration of that fellow&s;hip, which thereby they haue with God.</P>
<P N="7">7. Wee &s;hould re&s;ort<NOTE PLACE="marg">7. Thou mu&s;t re|&s;ort to ex|perienced Chri&s;tians</NOTE> often to &s;uch, as v&s;e to &s;peake much of the prai&s;es of God, and marke the experience of Gods won|derfull prouidence, or the
<PB N="106" REF="61"> glory of his Word.</P>
<P N="8">8. It will much further<NOTE PLACE="marg">8. Thou mu&s;t be|haue thy &s;elfe lo|uingly to|wards the godly.</NOTE> the loue of God, to get and increa&s;e in vs a louing re&s;pect of, and behauiour towards &s;uch, as feare God, and beare his Image.</P>
<P>Thus of the loue of God.</P>
<P>Concerning the loue of the brethren, two que&s;ti|ons may bee demanded:<NOTE PLACE="marg">What we mu&s;t doe to get the loue of the godly.</NOTE> The one what wee mu&s;t doe to get a hearty loue to the godly: And the other what wee mu&s;t doe to pre|&s;erue it when it is gotten.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, hee that would heartily be affected towards all the godly with a brotherly loue, mu&s;t ob|&s;erue
<PB N="107" REF="61"> the&s;e Rules:</P>
<P N="1">1. He mu&s;t not haunt<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Auoide the com|pany of the wic|ked.</NOTE> with vicious per&s;ons, nor goe with di&s;&s;emblers, nor hold needle&s;&s;e &s;ocietie with &s;uch, as hate godli|ne&s;&s;e, and godly per&s;ons, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 26. 4, 5.</P>
<P N="2">2. Hee mu&s;t much me|ditate<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Medi|tate much of Gods loue to vs.</NOTE> of Gods loue to him, and of the great things were done by Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and of tho&s;e rich mercies are offered him in Chri&s;t, and of the won|derfull loue, that God and Chri&s;t doe beare to true Chri&s;tians, and how glo|rious they &s;hall bee in the Kingdome of heauen.</P>
<PB N="108" REF="62">
<P>The arguments taken from Gods loue to vs, or Chri&s;ts &s;uffering for vs, are often v&s;ed in the fir&s;t Epi&s;tle of <HI>Iohn,</HI> to per|&s;wade vs to the loue of the brethren, as 1. <HI>Ioh. 4. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. P&s;alm.</HI> 16. 2, 3.</P>
<P N="3">3. He mu&s;t take notice<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Con&s;i|der Gods comman|dement.</NOTE> of Gods peremptory com|mandement, who requi|reth this of him as one principall duty, that hee loue the godly; with an vtter di&s;claiming of him, if hee doe not loue them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">For the pre&s;erua|tion of our loue 3 things mu&s;t bee looked to.</NOTE> 1. <HI>Ioh.</HI> 3. 10, 11, 12, 23.</P>
<P>For the &s;econd, that hee would continue &amp; increa&s;e and abound in loue.</P>
<P N="1"><PB N="109" REF="62">1. Hee mu&s;t &s;eeke, and hold, and not for&s;ake the fellow&s;hip that hee hath with the godly in the Go&s;|pell, but make them the con&s;tant companions of his life, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 25.</P>
<P N="2">2. When hee finds his affections &s;tirred vp, hee mu&s;t make v&s;e of all op|portunities, by his deeds to &s;hew the fruites of his loue vpon all occa&s;ions of mercy, and wel-doing, el&s;e affections will die in him. The fruits of righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e mu&s;t bee &s;owed by practice, 1. <HI>Ioh.</HI> 3. 18. If affection be onely in &s;hew or in words, or in the cor|ruptions
<PB N="110" REF="63"> of the hart, &amp; be not expre&s;&s;ed and made fa&s;t by the engagements of practice, it will much decay, if not wholly bee lo&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. He mu&s;t by all means take heed of di&s;cord with any of them, &s;triuing for a re&s;olution to take things in the be&s;t part, to beleeue all things, and endure all things, &s;uffering long, with|out enuy, or reioycing in iniquity, doing all things without rea&s;onings or murmurings, or cen&s;uring, or complaining; auoiding vaine ianglings, and &s;elfe|conceitedne&s;&s;e, begging
<PB N="111" REF="63"> of God an abilitie to beare with the infirmities of o|thers. See further directi|ons about this point, in the Rules of life.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. IX.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>Hitherto of the directions that concerne the attaine|ment of the &s;acred gifts of the minde: now it fol|loweth to &s;hew, what thou mu&s;t doe that in all thy waies thou might&s;t walke vprightly, and attain vn|to &s;ound &s;inceritie of heart and life.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>HEE that would walke vprightly, or take a
<PB N="112" REF="64"> &s;ound cour&s;e to continue<NOTE PLACE="marg">How &s;ou~d &s;incerity of con|uer&s;ation may bee formed in thee.</NOTE> in his vprightne&s;&s;e, mu&s;t earne&s;tly looke to the&s;e Rules:</P>
<P N="1">1. If thou haue bin guil|ty of any gro&s;&s;e &s;in, know it is vnpo&s;&s;ible, thy heart &s;hould be vpright, till thou haue with &s;peciall repen|tance humbled thy &s;elfe, before God for that &s;inne, and that al&s;o by con&s;cio|nable practice thou keepe thy &s;elfe from the great tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion: <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 19. 13.</P>
<P N="2">2. Thou mu&s;t in a &s;pe|ciall manner <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ch, and &s;triue again&s;t Hypocri&s;ie, and that in two things chiefely: Fir&s;t, that in thy
<PB N="113" REF="64"> &s;etting out into Religion, thou fa&s;hion not thy cour&s;e more to get credit then grace. 2. Secondly, that in Gods &s;eruice thou by all meanes auoide di|&s;tractions, and &s;o re&s;i&s;t and check thy pronene&s;&s;e of heart thereunto, iudging thy &s;elfe &s;euerely, when thou &s;o offende&s;t, till thou be able in &s;ome happy de|gree to &s;erue God with thy &s;pirit as wel as with thy bo|dy: The habite of di&s;&s;em|bling with GOD is ex|tremely dangerous.</P>
<P N="3">3. In thy conuer&s;ation take heede of that fearefull carele&s;ne&s;&s;e of the mo&s;t
<PB N="114" REF="65"> men, &s;hewed in the known and wilfull practice of &s;in, vpon pretence that it is but a &s;mall offence, or &s;ecret: Take heed of the &s;innes of deceit, how gainefull &s;oe|uer they might be to thee: thou mai&s;t together with vprightne&s;&s;e lo&s;e the King|dome of heauen, for da|ring &s;o wilfully to breake one of tho&s;e little co~man|dements, <HI>Math.</HI> 5. 19. Take heed in generall of a &s;tiffe and wilfull heart: They are &s;eldome vpright, that are heady and peremptorie, and hard to be per&s;waded, <HI>Iam. 3. 17. Prou. 21. 29. Hab.</HI> 2. 4.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="115" REF="65">4. As much as may be, accu&s;tome thy heart to the ob&s;eruing of Gods pre|&s;ence, walk, as before him, <HI>Gen.</HI> 17. 2.</P>
<P N="5">5: Yeeld thy &s;elfe ouer to bee wholly guided by Gods Word; <HI>Without knowledge the minde cannot bee good, Prou.</HI> 19. 2. and he, that <HI>walketh according to this rule, &s;hall haue peace</HI> in his heart and con&s;cience, <HI>Gal.</HI> 6. 16. Let <HI>Gods Law bee the light for thy feete, and the lanthorne for thy pathes, P&s;al.</HI> 119. Labour therefore to get a particular warrant for the lawfulne&s;&s;e of thy practice in the occa&s;ions
<PB N="116" REF="66"> of thy Calling, either ge|nerall or particular, where thou doubte&s;t enquire, &s;o &s;halt thou walke in <HI>a &s;ure way,</HI> and <HI>delight thy &s;elfe in much peace.</HI></P>
<P N="6">6. Take heed of idle|ne&s;&s;e, and prouide to walke faithfully and diligently in &s;ome hone&s;t calling of life.</P>
<P N="7">7. Bee &s;ure thou hold a con&s;tant cour&s;e of confe&s;|&s;ion of thy &s;ins to God, &amp; doe it without hiding, or extenuating; iudging thy &s;elfe for euery knowne &s;in and e&s;pecially praying a|gain&s;t, and re&s;i&s;ting the &s;in thou art mo&s;t prone vnto.</P>
<P N="8">8. Be not well plea&s;ed
<PB N="117" REF="66"> with thy &s;elfe, till thou can&s;t approue thy care to bee good at home, as well as abroad; looke to this Rule, and take heed of fro|wardne&s;&s;e, and peruer&s;e behauiour in thy Family; Thou wilt hardly get any co~fortable euidence, that thou art &s;ound at heart, if the v&s;uall Family &s;innes raigne in thee.</P>
<P N="9">9. Thou might&s;t won|derfully aduance, and e&s;ta|bli&s;h vprightne&s;&s;e of heart in thee, if thou would&s;t carefully but acknowledge this honour to God in his VVord, that when&s;oeuer thou did&s;t feele thy con|&s;cience
<PB N="118" REF="67"> wounded, or &s;mit|ten for any particular of|fence, by the VVord of God, that then without de|lay thou would&s;t in &s;ecret go to God, and humble thy &s;elfe by confe&s;&s;ion, and from that time forward re|member to &s;triue again&s;t that &s;inne: And &s;o likewi&s;e when God with &s;ome &s;pe|ciall glory of his truth doth affect thee in the hea|ring of &s;ome needfull du|ty to bee done, not to dare to delay, but ha&s;te to the obedience of that good Word of God.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="67">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
