Imatges de pàgina
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the cheapeft food and rayment which is fufficient to our lawful ends; and ufe not our appetites, and fenfe, and fantafic to fuch delight and fatisfaction as either increaseth luft, or corrupteth the mind, and hindereth it from fpiritual duties and delights, by hurtful delectation or diverfion: nor b:ftow that, upon our felves, which the poor about us need to fupply their great neceffities. This is to be poor in fpirit; and this is the life of abftinence and mortification, which these fenfual profeffors will not learn. Nay, rather than their throats thall not be pleased, if they be children in their Parents Families, or Servants, they will freal for it, and take that which their Parents and Matters (they know) do not confent to,nor allow them: And they are worfe thieves than they that steal for bunger and meet neceffity; because they fteal to latisfie their afpetites and carnal lufts; that they may fare better than their fuperiours would have them. And yet perhaps be really confcientious and religious in many other points, and never humbled for their fleshly minds, their gluttony and thievery; efpecially if they fee others fare better than they: and they quiet their confciences, as the most ungodly do, with putting a hanfome name upon their fin, and calling it, taking, and not ftealing, and eating, and drinking, and not fulness of bread, or. carnal gulofity. Abundance of fuch inftances of mens partiality in avoiding fin, I mufi omit, because it is fo loga work.

6. Yea in the inward exercise of Graces, there are few that use them compleatly, entirely, and in order, but they neglec one, while they fet themselves wholly about the exercise of another or perhaps ufe one against another. Commonly they set themselves a great while upon nothing fo much as labouring to affect their hearts with forrow for fin, and melti g ly to weep in their confeffions (with fome endeavours of a new life.) But the Love of God, and the thankful fenfe of the mercy of Redemption, and the rejoycing hopes of endless Glory, are things which they take but little care about: and when they are convinced of the errour of this partiality, they next turn to fome Antinomian whimfie, under the pretence of valuing Free Grace; and begin to give over penitent confef fioms, and the care and watchfulness against fin, and diligence

in.

in a holy fruitful life, and fay that they were long enough Legal fts, and knew not Free Grace, but lookt all after doing, and Jomething in themselves; and then they could have no peace; but now they fee their errour, they will know nothing but Chrift. And thus that narrow foolish foul cannot ufe Repentance without neglecting Faith in Chrift; and cannot use Faith, but they muft neglect Repentance; yea fet Faith and Repentance, Love and Obedience in good works, like enemies or bindrances against each other: They cannot know themselves and their finfuln ß, without forgetting Chrift and his righteoufnefs: And they cannot know Chrift, and his Love, and Grace, without laying by the knowledge or refiftance of their fin. They cannot magnifie Free Grace, unless they may have none of it, but lay by the use of it as to all the works of holinefs, because they muft look at nothing in themselves, They cannot magnifie Pardon and Juftification, unless they may make light of the fin and punishment which they deserve, and which is pardoned, and the charge and condemnation from which they are juftified: They cannot give God thanks for remitting their fin, unless they may forbear confeffing it, and forrowing for it. They cannot take the Promife to be free, which giveth Chrift and pardon of fin, if it have but this condition, that they fhall not reje& him: Nor can they call it the Gospel, unless it leave them mafterlefs and lawlefs; whereas there is indeed no fuch thing as Faith without Repentauce, nor Repentance without Faith: No love to Chrift without the keeping of his Commandments; nor no true keeping of the Commandments without Love: No Free Grace without a gracious fanctified heart and life; nor no gift of Chrift and Juftification, but on the condition of a believing acceptance of the gift; and yet no fuch believing but by Free Grace: No Golpel without the Law of Chrift and Nature; and no mercy and peace but in a way of duty. And yet fuch Bedlam Chriftians are among us, that yon may hear them in pangs of high conceited zcal, infulting over the folly of one another, and in no wiser language, than if you heard one lunatick perfon fay, I am for bealth, and not for medicine, and another, I am for medicine, and not for the taking of it; and another, I am for the Phyfick, and not for the Phyfician; and

another,

another, I am for the Physician, and not the Phyfick; and another, I am for the Phyfick; but not for bealth. Or as if they contended at their meats, I am for meat, but not for eating it, and I am for putting it into my mouth, but not for chewing it; or I am for chewing it, but not for swallowing it; or I am for Swallowing it, but not for digesting it, or I am for digefting it, but not for eating it, &c.

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Thus is Chrift divided among a fort of ignorant proud Profeffors and fome are for his Sacrifice, and fome for his Intereefton, fome for his Teaching, and fome for his Commands, and fome for his Promifes; fome for his Blood, and fome for his Spirit; fome for his Word, and fome for his Minifters, and his Church; and when they have made this ftrange proficiency in wifdom, every party claim to be this Church themselves; or if they cannot deny others to be parts with them of the Myftical Church, yet the true ordered Political difciplined Church is among them, the matter of their claim and competition, and one faith, It is we, and the other, no but it is we; and the Kitchin, aud the Cole-house, and the Sellar go to Law, to try which of them is the Houfe. Thus when they have divided Chrifts garments among them, and pierced, if not divided himself, they quarrel rather than caft lots for his coat.

7. I perceive this Treatife swelleth too big, or elfe I might next fhew you, how partial men are in the fenfe of their dangers.

8. And in the refifting of Temptations; he that fcapeth fenfuality, feareth not worldliness; or he that feareth both, yet falleth into Herefie or Schifm; and he that fcapeth errours, falleth into fleshly fins.

9. And what partial regard we have of Gods mercies.

10. And how partial we are as to our Teachers, and good Books.

II. And alfo about all the Ordinances of God, and all the the helps and means of grace.

12. And how partial we are about good works, extolling ope, and fenflefs of another; and about the opportunities of good. In a word, what lame apprchenfions we have of Religion, when men are fo far from fetting all the parts together in a well-ordered frame, that they can scarce forbear the

Fff

dividing

dividing of every part into particles: and muft take the food of their fouls as Phyfick, even like Pills which they cannot get down, unless they are exceeding small.

III. The Causes of this Calamity I muft for brevity but

name,

1. The natural weakness of mans mind, doth make him like a narrow-mouthed bottle that can take in but a little at once, and fo must be long in learning and receiving.

2. The natural lazinefr and impatience of men, will not give them leave to be at fuch long and painful studies, as compleatness of knowledge doth require.

3. The natural pride of mens hearts will not give them leave to continue fo long in a humble fenfe of their emptiness. and ignorance, nor to fpend fo many years in learning as Difciples but it prefently perfwadeth them that their firft apprchenfions are clear and right, and their knowledge very confiderable already; and they are as ready to dispute and cenfure the ignorance of their Teachers, if not to teach others themfelves, as to learn.

4. The poverty and labours of many, allow them not leisure to search and study fo long and seriously, as may bring them to any comprehenfive knowledge.

5. The most are not fo happy as to have judicious,methodical and laborious Teachers, who may poffefs them with right principles and methods, but deliver them fome truths, with great defectiveness and diforder themselves; and perhaps by their weakness tempt the people into pride, when they fee that they are almoft as wife as they.

6. Moft men are corrupted by company and converfe with ignorant erroneous,and felf-conceited men,and hearing others (perhaps that are very zealous) make fomething of nothing, and make a great matter of a little one, and extolling their own poor and lame conceits, they learn also to think that they are fomething when they are nothing, deceiving themselves, Gal.6. 3,4

7. Moft Chriftians have loft the fenfe of the need and ufe of the true Minifterial Office, as it confifteth in personal counfel

and

and affiftance, besides the publick Teaching; and most Minifters by neglecting it, teach them to overlook it.

8. Every man hath fome feeming Interest in fome one Opi mion, or Dury, or Way, above the reft, and selfishness caufeth him to reel that way, that intereft leadeth him.

9. Education ufually poffeffeth men with a greater regard of fome one opinion, duty, way or party, than of the reft. 10. The reputation of fome good men doth fix others upon some particular waics or notions of theirs above others.

11. Prefent occafions and neceffities fometime do urge as harder to fome means and ftudies, than to others: efpecially for the avoiding of fome prefext evil, or cafing of fome prefent trouble; and then the rest are almost laid by.

12. Some Doctrines deeplier affe&tus in the hearing, than others; and then the thoughts run more on that, to the neglect of many thing as great.

13. Perhaps we have had special experience of fome Truths and Duties, or Sins, more than others; and then we fet all our thoughts about those only.

14. Ufually we live with fach as talk most of some one duty, or against fome one fin, more than all the rest; and this doth occafion our thoughts to run molt in one fiream, and confine them by bearing and custom to a narrow channel.

15. Some things in their own quality, are more cafie and near to us, and more within the reach of fenfe. And therefore as corporal things, because of their fenfibility and nearnefs, do poffefs the minds of carnal men, inftead of things fpiritual and unfeen; even fo Paul, and Apollo, and Cephas this good Preacher, and that good Book, and this Opinion, and that Church-fociety, and this or that Ordinance, do poffefs the minds of the more carnal narrow fort of Chriftians, inftead of the harmony of Chriftian truth, and holy duty! ST

16. Nature it felf as corrupted, is much more against fome truths, and against fome duties, internal and external, than against others. And then when thofe that it is lefs averfo to, are received, men dwell on them, and make a Religion of them, wholly or too much, without the reft. As when fome veins are stopped, all the blood is turned into the reft; or when one part of the mould is flopped up, the metal all runneth inte

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