The Parts and Practice of a Holy Life

Ii. The Parts and Practice of a holy life for personal and family instructions. All is not done when men have begmi a religious life.” All trees that blossom prove not fruitful, and all fruit comes not to perfection. Many fall off who seemed to have good beginnings; and many dishonour the name of Christ, by their scandals and infirmities. Many do grieve their teachers’ hearts and lamentably disturb the Church of Christ, by their ignorance, errors, self-conceitedness, unruliness, headiness, contentiousness, sidings and divisions: insomuch that the scandals and the feuds of Christians are t the great impediments of the conversion of the infidel and heathen world, by the exposing Christianity to their contempt and scorn, as if it were but the error of men as unholy and worldly and proud as others, that can never agree among themselves. And many by their passions and selfishness are a trouble to their families and neighbours where they live. And more by their weaknesses and great distempers, are snares, vexations and burdens to themselves. Whereas Christianity in its true constitution is a life of such holy light and love, % such purity and peace, such fruitfulness and heavenliness, as, if it were accordingly shewed forth in the lives of Christians, would command admiration and reverence from the world and do more to their conversion than swords or words alone can do: and it makes Christians useful and amiable to each other and their lives a feast and pleasure to themselves. I hope it may prove some help to those excellent ends and to the securing men’s salvation, if in a few, sound experienced directions I open to you the duties of a Christian life.

I. Keep still the true form of Christian doctrine desire and duty., orderly printed on your fuinds: that is, understand it clearly and distinctly and remember it, I mean the great

* I Corinthians i. 25: Hebrews iv. i: 2 Peter ii. 22: i Corinthians iii.: Galatians iii. and iv.: Matthew xiii. 41, and xviii. 7. t Philippians iii. 18, 19: Acts xx. 30. X Matthew V. 16: i Peter ii. 18: 2 Corinthians i. 21. II 2 Timothy i. 13, and iii. 7: Hebrews v. 12: Philippians i. 9: Romans w. 14.

points of religion contained in Catechisms. You may still grow in the clearer understanding of your Catechisms, if you live an hundred years. Let not the words only but the matter, be as familiar in your minds as the rooms of your house are. Such solid knowledge * will establish you against seduction and unbelief and will be still within you a ready help for every grace and every duty, as the skill of an artificer is for his work. And for want of this when you come among infidels or heretics, their reasonings may ’ seem unanswerable to you, and shake if not overthrow your faith. And you will easily err in lesser points and trouble the Church with your dreams and wranglings. This is the calamity of many professors, that while they will be most censorious judges in every controversy about Church-matters they know not well the doctrine of the Catechism. II. Live daily by faith on Jesus Christ as the Mediator between God and you. Being well-grounded in the belief of the Gospel and understanding Christ’s office, make use of him still in all your wants. Think on the fatherly love of God, as coming to you through him alone: and of the Spirit as given by him your head: and of the covenant of grace as enacted and sealed by him: and of the ministry as sent by him: and of all times and helps and hopes as procured and given by him. When you think of sin and infirmity and temptations, think also of his sufficient, pardoning, justifying and victorious grace. When thou think est of the world, the flesh and the devil, think how he overcometh them. Let his doctrine and the pattern of his most perfect life, be always before you as your rule. In all your doubts and fears and wants go to him in the Spirit and to the Father by him and him alone. Take him as the root of your life and mercies, and live as upon

* Ephesians iv. 13, 14: Colossians i. 9, and ii. 2, and iii. 10: i Timothy vl. 4.

t John xvii. 3: Ephesians iii. 17, 18: Matthew xxviii. 19: Ephesians i. 22, 23, and iv. 6, 16: Romans v.: 2 Corinthians xii. 9: John xvi. 33: John v. 4: Hebrews iv. 14, 16, etc.

2 2 Instructions foi a Holy Life.

him and by his life; and when you die resign your soul to him that they may be with him ’ where he is and see his glory.’ To live as Christ and use him in every want and address to God, is more than a general confused believing in him.

III. To believe in the Holy Ghost as to live a?td work by him as the body doth by the soul.^ You are not baptized into his name in vain; t but too few understand the sense and reason of it. The Spirit is sent by Christ for two great works, i. To the apostles and prophets to inspire* them infallibly to preach the Gospel % and confirm it by miracles and leave it on record for following ages in the Holy Scriptures. 2. To all his members to illuminate and sanctify them to believe and obey this sacred doctrine — beside his common gift to many to understand and preach it. The Spirit having first indited § the Gospel doth by it first regenerate and after govern, all true believers. He is not now given us for the revealing of new doctrines but to understand and obey the doctrine revealed and sealed by him long ago. As the sun doth by its sweet and discreet *’^ influence both give and cherish the natural life of things, sensitive and vegetative: so doth Christ by his Spirit our spiritual life, ft As you do no work but by your natural life you should do none but by your spiritual life. You must not only believe and love and pray by it, and manage all your calling by it: for ’ holiness to the Lord ’ must be written upon all. All things are sanctified to you because you being sanctified to God devote all to him and use all for him; and therefore must do all in the strength and conduct of the Spirit.

* Galatians v. 16, 25. t Matthew xxviii. 19.

X John xvi. 13: Hebrews ii. 34.

il I Corinthians xii. 12, 13: Romans viii. 9, 13: John iii. 5, 6. § Spelled ‘indicted.’ G. ^2 Timothy iii. 15, 16: Jude 19, 20.

* Well-timed ’ or provident. G.

tt Ezekiel xxxvi, 27: Isaiah xliv. 3: Romans viii. 1,5:1 Corinthians vi. 1 1: Zechariah xiv. 20.

IV. Live wholly upon God as all in all: “^ as the first efficient, principal dirigent t and final cause of all things. Let faith, hope and love be daily feeding on him. Let

* our Father which art in heaven ’ be first inscribed on your hearts that he may seem most amiable to you and you may boldly trust him, and filial love may be the spring of duty. Make use of the Son and the Spirit to lead you to the Father: and of faith in Christ to kindle and keep alive the love of God. God’s love is our primitive holiness and especially called, with its fruits ’ our sanctification ’ which

* faith in Christ ’ is but a means to. Let it be your principal end in studying Christ, to see the goodness, love and amiableness of God in him. A condemning God is not so easily loved as a gracious reconciled God. You have so much of the Spirit as you have love to God. This is the proper gift of the Spirit to all the adopted sons of God, to cause them with filial affection and dependance to cry ‘Abba Father.’ Know not, desire not, love not any creature but purely as subordinate to God. Without him, let it be nothing to you, but as the glass without the face or scattered letters without the sense or as the corps without the soul. Call nothing prqsperity or pleasure but his love: J and nothing adversity or misery but his displeasure and the cause and the fruits of it. When anything would seem lovely and desirable which is against him, call it ’ dung.’ And hear that man as Satan and the serpent § that would entice you from him; and count him but vanity, a worm and dust, that would affright you from your duty to him. Fear him much but love him more. Let love be the soul and end of every duty. IT It is the end and reason of all the rest: but it hath no end or reason but its object. Think of no other heaven and end and happiness of man but love

* I Corinthians x. 31: Romans xi. 36: 2 Corinthians v. 7, 8: i John iii, i: Romans v, 1-3: Matthew xxii. 37: Ephesians i. 6: 2 Corinthians v. 19: Galatians iv. 4-6. t Sic: cf. Richardson under ‘dirge, dirige.’ G.

J Psalm XXX. 5, and lxiii. 3. II Philippians iii. 7, 8.

§ Matthew xvi. 13. If 2 Thessalonians iii. 5: 2 Corinthians xiii. 14.

the final act and God the final object. Place not your religion in anything but the love of God, with its means and firuits. Own no grief, desire or joy but a mourning, a seeking and a rejoicing love.

V. Live in the belief mid hopes of heaven., a?id seek it as youi” part and etid; and daily delight your souls in the forethoughts of the endless sight and love of God.* As God is seen on earth but as in a glass so is he proportionably enjoyed. But when mourning, seeking love hath done, and sin and enemies are overcome, and we behold the glory of God in heaven, the delights of love will then be perfect. You may desire more on earth than you may hope for. Look not for a kingdom of this world, nor for Mount Zion in the wilderness. Christ reigneth on earth — as Moses in the camp — to guide us to the Land of the promise. Our perfect blessedness will be when the kingdom is delivered up to the Father and God is all in all. A doubt, or a strange, heartless thought of heaven, is water cast on the sacred fire, to quench your holiness and your joy. Can you travel one whole day to such an end, and never think of the place that you are going to? which must be intended t in every righteous act — either notedly or by the ready unobserved act of a potent habit. When earth is at the best it will not be heaven. You live no further by faith, like Christians, than you either live for heaven in seeking it or else upon heaven in hope and joy.

VI. Labour to make religion your pleasure and delight. Look oft to God, to heaven, to Christ, to the Spirit, to the promises, to all your mercies. Call over your experiences, and think what matter of high delight is still before you, and how unseemly it is, and how injurious to your profes-

* Colossians iii. 1-4: Matthew vi. 19-21, 33: 2 Corinthians iv, 17, 18, and vli.: Luke xii. 20: Hebrews vi. 20: 1 Corinthians xv, 28: Ephesians iv. 6, and i. 23: Philippians iii. 18, 20: Psalm’ lxxiii. 25, 26: John xviii. 36.

t Psalm i. 2, 3: lxxxiv. 2, 10: lxiii. 3, 5: xxxvii. 4: xci. 19: cxix. 47, 70: Isaiah lviii. 14: Psalm cxii. 1: Romans xiv. 17, and v. i, 3, 5: i Peter i. 8: Matthew V. ii, 12: Psalm xxxii. 11.

sion for one that saith he hopeth for heaven, to live as sadly as those that have no higher hopes than earth. How should that man be filled with joy, who must live in the joys of heaven for ever! Especially rejoice when the messengers of death do tell you that your endless joy is near. If God and heaven with all our mercies in the way, be not reason enough for a joyful life, there can be none at all. Abhor all suggestions which would make religion seem a tedious, irksome life. And take care that you represent it not so to others for you will never make them in love with that which you make them not perceive to be delectable and lovely. Not as the hypocrite, by forcing and framing his religion to his carnal mind and pleasure: but bringing up the heart to a holy suitableness to the pleasures of religion.

VII. Watch as for your souls against this flattering, tempting world :^ especially when it is represented as more sweet and delectable than God and holiness and heaven. This world with its pleasures, wealth and honours, is it that is put in the balance by Satan, against God and holiness and heaven: and no man shall have better than he chooseth and prefereth. The bait taketh advantage of the brutish part when reason is asleep: and if by the help of sense it get the throne, the beast will ride and rule the man: and reason becomes a slave to sensuality. When you hear the serpent, see his sting and see death attending the forbidden fruit. When you are rising look down and see how far you have to fall! His reason as well as faith, is weak, who for such fools-gawds as the pomp and vanities of this world, can forget God and his soul and death and judgment, heaven and hell, yea and deliberately command them to stand by. What knowledge or experience can do good on that man who will venture so much for such a world, which

* Galatians vi. 14: i John ii. 15, 16: James i. 27 and iv, 4, 5: i John v. 4, 5: Romans xii, 2: Galatians i. 4: Titus ii. 12: Matthew xix. 24: Luke xii. 16, 21 and xvi. 25: James i. 11 and v. i, 2, 4: Luke viii. 14: Hebrews xi. 26.

26 Tnstriictio7is for a Holy Life.

all that have tried it, call vanity at the last? How deplorable then is a wordling’s case! Oh fear the world when it smileth or seems sweet and amiable. Love it not if you love your God and your salvation.

VIII. Fly from temptations and crucify the flesh and keep a constant government over your appetite ajid senses.^ Many who had no designed, stated vice or worldly interest, have shamefully fallen by the sudden surprise of appetite and lust. When custom hath taught those to be greedy and violent, like a hungry dog or a lusting boar, it is not a sluggish wish or purpose that will mortify or rule them. How dangerous a ca,se is that man in who hath so greedy a beast continually to restrain! that if he do but neglect his watch an hour, is ready to run him headlong into hell! Who can be safe that standeth long on so terrible a precipice? The tears and sorrows of many years may perhaps not repair the loss which one hour or act may bring. The case of David and many others, are dreadful warnings. Know what it is you are most in danger of: whether lust and idleness or excess in meats or drinks or play: and there set your strongest watch for your preservation. Make it your daily business to mortify that lust, and scorn that your brutish sense or appetite should conquer reason. Yet trust not purposes alone: but away from the temptation. Touch not, yea look not on the tempting bait: keep far enough off if you desire to be safe. What miseries come from small beginnings! Temptation leads to sin, and small sins to greater, and those to hell. And sin and hell are not to be played with. Open your sin or temptation to some friend, that shame may save you from danger.

IX. Keep up a constant skilful government over your passions and your tongues, t To this end keep a tender

* Romans viii. i, 13: Galatians v. 24: Romans xiii. 14: Galatians v. 17: Jude 8, 23: 2 Peter ii. 10: Ephesians ii. 3: i Peter ii. 11: Matthew vi. 13: xxvi. 41: Luke viii. 13.

t James i. 19: iii. 17: i Peter iii. 4: Matthew v. 5: Ephesians iv. 2, 3: Colossians iii. 12.

conscience, which will smart when in any of these you sin. Let holy passions be well-ordered; and selfish, carnal passions, be restrained. Let your tongues know their duties to God and man* and labour to be skilful and resolute in performing them. Know all the sins of the tongue, that you may avoid them: for your innocency and peace do much depend on the prudent government of your tongues.

X. Govern your thoughts with co7ista7it skilful diligeice, t In this, rigid habits and affections will do much by inclining them unto good. It’s easy to think on that which we love. Be not unfurnished of matter for your thoughts to work upon: and often retire yourselves for serious meditation. Be not so solitary and deep in musings as to over-stretch your thoughts and confound your minds or take you off from necessary converse with others. But be sure that you be considerate and dwell much at home, and converse most with your consciences and your God, with whom you have the greatest business. Leave not your thoughts unemployed or ungoverned, scatter them not abroad upon impertinent vanities! O that you knew what daily business you have for them. Most men are wicked, deceived and undone, because they are inconsiderate and dare not or will not, retiredly and soberly use their reason: or use it but as a slave in chains in the service of their passion, lust and interest. He was never wise or good or happy, who was not soberly and impartially considerate. How to be good, to do good and finally enjoy good, must be the sum of all your thoughts. Keep them first holy, then charitable, clean and chaste. And quickly check them when they look towards sin.

XI. Let time be exceeding precious in your eyes, a?id care-

* James i. 26: iii. 5, 6: Psalm xxxiv. 13: Proverbs xviii. 21.

t Deuteronomy xv. 9: 2 Corinthians x. 5: Genesis vi. 5: Psalm x. 4, and xciv. 19: cxix. 113: Proverbs xii. 5, and xv. 26: Psalm cxix. 59: Proverbs xxx. 32: Jeremiah iv. 14: Deuteronomy xxxii. 29.

fully and diligently redeem it. * What haste doth it make! and how quickly will it be gone! and then how highly will it be valued when a minute of it can never be recalled! O what important business have we for every moment of our time, if we should live a thousand years! Take not that man to be well in his wits or to know his God, his end, his work or his danger, who hath time to spare. Redeem it not only from needless sports and plays and idleness and curiosity and compliment and excess of sleep and chat and worldliness: but also from the entanglements of lesser good which would hinder you from greater. Spend time as men that are ready to pass into another world, where every minute must be accounted for; and it must go with us for ever as we lived here. Let not health deceive you into the expectation of living long, and so into a senseless negligence. See your glass running and keep a reckoning of the expense of time: and spend it just as you would review it when it is gone.

XII. Let the love of all in their several capacities., hecofne as it were your very nature: and doing them all the good you can be very much of the business of your lives. God must be loved in all his creatures, his natural image on all men and his spiritual image on his saints. Our neighbour must be loved as our natural selves, that is, our natural neighbour as our natural self, with a love of benevolence: and our spiritual neighbour as our spiritual self, with a love of complacence. In opposition to complacente we may hate our sinful neighbour, as we must ourselves, much more. But in opposition to benevolence we must neither hate ourselves, our neighbour or our enemy. O that men

* Ephesians v. 16: John xiv. i, 2: Acts xvii. 21: i Corinthians vii. 29: 2 Corinthians vi. 2: John ix. 4: Luke xix. 42, 44: Psalms xxxix. 4: Matthew xxv. 10, 12.

ti Timothy i. 5, 6: Matthew xix. 19; Romans xiii. 10: i John i. 16: Ephesians iv. 2, 15, 16: Colossians ii, 2, andi. 4: i Timothy vi. 11: James iii. 17: Philippians ii. 1,2: I Thessalonians iv, 9: John xiii. 35: Matthew v. 44, 45: i Corinthians xiii.: Jamqs iv. ii: Galalians vi. 10: Titus ii. 14: Philippians ii. 20, 21: Romans XV. I, 3.

knew how much of Christianity doth consist in love and doing good. With what eyes do they read the Gospel who see not this in every page? Abhor all that selfishness, pride and passion which are the enemies of love: and those opinions and factions and censurings and back-bitings, which would destroy it. Take him that speaketh evil of another to you without a just cause and call, to be Satan’s messenger, entreating you to hate your brother or to abate your love. For to persuade you that a man is bad is directly to persuade you so far to hate him. Not that the good and bad must be confounded: but love will call none bad without constraining evidence. Rebuke back-biters. Hurt no man and speak evil of no man; unless it be not only just but necessarily to some greater good. Love is lovely: they that love shall be beloved; hating and hurting makes men hateful. ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself,’ and ’ do as thou wouldst be done by,’ are the golden rules of our duty to men: which must be deeply wTitten on your hearts. For want of this there is nothing so false, so bad, so carnal which you may not be drawn to think or say or do against your brethren. Selfishness and want of love do as naturally tend to ambition and covetousness, and thence to cruelty against all that stand in the way of their desires, as the nature of a wolf to kill the lambs. All factions and contentions and persecutions in the world, proceed from selfishness and want of charity. Devouring malice is the devilish nature. Be as zealous in doing good to all as Satan’s servants are in hurting. Take it as the use of all your talents, and use them as you would hear of it at last. Let it be your business and not a matter on the by: especially for public good and men’s salvation. And what you cannot do yourselves, persuade others to. Give them good books: and draw them to the means which are most like to profit them.

XIII. Understand the right terms of Church-communion: especially the unity of the universal church and the univer-

30 Listructioiis fo7’ a Holy Life.

sal communion which you must hold with all the parts and the difference between the Church as visible and invisible. For want of these how woeful are our divisions! Read oft I Corinthians xii., and Ephesians iv. 1-17: John xvii. 21-23: Actsiv. 32; ii. 42: i Corinthians i. 10, 11, 13: iii. 3: Romans xvi. 17: Philippians ii. 1-4: i Thessalonians v.

12, 13: Acts XX. 30: i Corinthians xi. 19: Titus iii. 10: James iii.: Colossians i. 4: Hebrews x. 25: Acts viii. 12,

13, 37: I Corinthians i. 2, 13: iii. 3, 4: xi. 18, 21. Study these well. You must have union and communion in faith and love with all the Christians in the world. And refuse not local communion when you have a just call so far as they put you not on sinning. Let your usual meeting be with the purest church, if you lawfully may — and still respect the public good — but sometimes occasionally communicate with defective, faulty churches, so be it they are true Christians and put you not on sin: that so you may show that you own them as Christians, though you disown their corruptions. Think not your presence maketh all the faults of ministry, worship or people to be yours — for then I would join with no Church in the world. Know that as the mystical church consisteth of heart-covenanters, so doth the Church as visible consist of verbal-covenanters, which make a credible profession of consent: and that nature and scripture teacheth us to take every man’s word as credible, till perfidiousness forfeit his credit: which forfeiture must be proved, before any sober profession can be taken for an insufficient title. Grudge not then at the communion of any professed Christian in the Church visible* — though we must do our part to cast out the obstinately impertinent by discipline: which, if we cannot do, the fault is not ours. The presence of hypocrites is no hurt but oft a mercy to the sincere. How small else would the Church seem in the world! Outward privileges

♦Matthew xiii. 29, 41.

belong to outward covenanters and inward mercies to the sincere. Division is wounding and tends to death.* Abhor it if you love the Church’s welfare or your own. The wisdom from above is first pure then peaceable.’ Never separate what God conjoineth. It is the earthly, sensual, devilish wisdom which causeth bitter envying and strife and confusion and every evil word. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’

XIV. Take heed of pride a7id self -conceitedfiess in religion’^:. If once you over- value your own understandings, your crude conceptions and gross mistakes will delight you as some supernatural light; and instead of having compassion on the weak, you will be unruly and despisers of your guides and censorious contemners of all that differ from you, and persecutors of them if you have power, and will. think all intolerable that take you not as oracles and your word as law. Forget not that the Church hath always suffered by censorious, worldly professors on the one hand — and O what divisions and scandals have they caused! — as well by the profane and persecutors on the other. Take heed of both: and when contentions are afoot be quiet and silent and not too froward, and keep up a zeal for love and peace.

XV. Be faithful and conscio7iable in all your relatio7is. Honour and obey your parents and other superiors. Despise not and resist not government. If you suffer unjustly by them, be humbled for those sins, which cause God to turn your protectors into afHictors. And instead of mumiuring and rebelling against them, reform yourselves and then commit yourselves to God. Princes and pastors I will not speak to: subjects and servants and children, must obey their superiors as the officers of God.

* John xvi. 2: i Corinthians i. lo: Romans xvi. 17: James iii. 14-18.

1 1 Timothy iii. 6: Colossians ii. 18: i Corinthians viii. i; iv. 6: i Timothy vi. 4: 1 Peter v. 5: James iii, i, 17: Ephesians v. and vi.: Colossians iii. and iv.: Romans xiii. i, 7: i Peter ii. 13, 15.

XVI. Keep up the government of God in your families.’^ Holy families must be the chief preservers of the interest of religion in the world. Let not the world turn God’s service into a customary, lifeless form. Read the scripture and edifying books to them; talk with them seriously about the state of their souls and everlasting life; pray with them fervently; watch over them diligently; be angry against sin and meek in your own cause; be examples of wisdom, holiness and patience; and see that the Lord’s day be spent in holy preparation for eternity.

XVII. Let your callings he managed 17i holiness and labor ious7iess. Live not in idleness; be not slothful in your work be you bound or free; in the sweat of your brows you must eat your bread, and labour the six days that you may have to give to him that needeth: slothfulness is sensuality as well as filthier sins. The body that is able must have fit employments as well as the soul, or else body and soul will fare the worse; but let all be but as the labour of a traveller, and aim at God and heaven in all.

XVIII. Deprive not yourself of the benefit of an able faithful pastor, X to whom you may open your case in secret, or at least of a holy faithful friend :|| and be not displeased at their free reproofs.§ Woe to him that is alone! How blind and partial we are in our own cause! and how hard it is to know ourselves without an able, faithful helper! You forfeit this great mercy when you love a flatterer, and angrily defend your sin.

XIX. Prepare for sickness, sufferings and death, IF Overvalue not prosperity nor the favours of man. If selfish man prove false and cruel to you, even those of whom you have deserved best, marvel not at it, but pray for your

* Command iv: Joshua xxiv. 15: Deut. vi. 6-8: Daniel vi.

t Hebrews xiii. 5: Cojnmand iv.: 2 Thessalonians iii. 10, 12: i Thessalonians iv. 7: i Timothy v. 13: Proverbs xxxi.: i Corinthians vii. 29.

X Malachi ii. 7.

II Ecclesiastes iv. 10, 11. § Proverbs xii, i; xv. 30, 31: Hebrews iii. 13.

H Luke xii. 40: 2 Peter i. 10: PhiHppians i. 21, 23: Jeremiah ix. 4, 5: Matthew vii. 4, 5: 2 Corinthians v. 1-2, 4, 8.

enemies, persecutors and slanderers, that God would turn their hearts and pardon them. What a mercy is it to be driven from the world to God, when the love of the world is the greatest danger of the soul! Be ready to die and you are ready for anything. Ask your hearts seriously, what is it that I shall need at a dying hour? And let it speedily be got ready and not be to seek in the time of your extremity.

XX. Understand the true method of peace of conscience: and judge not the state of your souls upon deceitful grounds. xls presumptuous hopes do keep men from conversion and embolden them to sin: so causeless fears do hinder our love and praise of God, by obscuring his loveliness: and they destroy our thankfulness and our delight in God, and make us a burden to ourselves and a grievous stumbling-block to others. The general grounds of all your comfort are (i) the gracious nature of God* (2) the sufficiency of Christ t and (3) the truth and universality of the promise % which giveth Christ and life to all, if they will accept him. But this acceptance is the proof of your particular title, without which these do but aggravate your sin. Consent to God’s covenant is the true condition and proof of your title to God as your Father, Saviour and Sanctifier, and so to the saving blessings of the covenant: which consent, if you survive, must produce the duties which you consent to. He that heartily consenteth that God be his God, his Saviour and Sanctifier, is in a state of life. But this includeth|| the rejection of the world. Much knowledge, and memory, and utterance, and lively affection, are all very desirable. But you must judge your state by none of these, for they are all uncertain. But i. If God and holiness and heaven have the highest esti-

* Exodus xxxiv. 6. t Hebrews vii. 25.

X John iv. 42: John iii. 16: i Timothy iv. 10; ii. 4: Matthew xxviii. 19, 20: Rev. xxii. 17: Isaiah Iv. 1-3, 6, 7,

II Luke XIV. 26, 33: i John ii. 15: Matt. vi. 19, 20, 21, 33: Colossians iii. i, 2: Romans viii. i, 13.

34 Instructions f 01’ a Holy Life.

mation by your practical judgment, as being esteemed best for you: 2. And be preferred in the choice and resolution of your wills and that habitually before all the pleasures of the world: 3. And be first and chiefly sought in your endeavours: this is the infallible proof of your sanctification. Christian, upon long and serious study and experience I dare boldly commend these Directions to thee, as the way to God, which will end in blessedness. The Lord resolve and strengthen thee to obey them. This is the true constitution of Christianity: this is true godliness: and this is to be religious indeed: all this is no more than to be seriously such as all among us in general would prefer to be. This is the religion which must difference you from hypocrites, which must settle you in peace and make you an honour to your profession and a blessing to those that dwell about you. Happy is the land, the church, the family, which doth consist of such as these! These are not they that either persecute or divide the church or that make their religio?i a servant to their policy, to their ambitious designs or fleshly lusts; nor that make it the bellows of sedition or rebellion or of an envious hurtful zeal or a pistol to shoot at the upright in heart. These are not they that have been the shame of their profession, to hardening of ungodly men and infidels, and that have caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. If any man will make a religion of or for his lusts: of Papal tyranny, or Pharisaical formality, or of his private opinions, or of proud censoriousness and contempt of others: and of faction and unwarrantable separations and divisions and of standing at a more observable distance from common professors of Christianity than God would have them, or yet of pulling up the hedge of discipline and laying Christ’s vineyard common to the wilderness — the storm is coming when this religion founded on the sand will fall ‘^ and great will be the fall thereof” When the religion which consisteth in faith and love to God and man, in mortifying the flesh and crucifying the world, in self-denial, humility and patience in sincere obedience and faithfulness in all relations, in watchful self-government, in doing good and in a divine and heavenly life, though it will be hated by the ungodly world — shall never be a dishonour to your Lord nor deceive or disappoint your soul.