not be withus as it is It is the causa sine qua non of our c. 4. If you desire worse dayes and greater troubles I need not teach you what to do The way to attain your desire is but to hold fast your dear Friends your sins For then ye may with good reason expect times of greater troubles and dangers But methinks understanding and wise persons cannot see any sufficient cause to desire such times 5. The issue is this either attend to the instructions of faithful Ministers and reform and take heed to thy waies according to the word of God Psal 119. 9. or else look not for deliverance c. but additional afflictions and punishments according to the threatenings Lev. 26. 14. to the 39. and get a very strong faith and much humility that thou mayest possess thy soul under the Plows and Harrows in patience which one who is not thoroughly reformed will hardly attain Let me here answer some Arguments which may occasion some Professors to look on a more compleat Reformation than that which is wrought already as needless For peradventure it will be objected and said 1. That upon Abab's external humiliation God did not bring the evil upon his house in his daies but in the daies of his son 1 King 21. 29. A. Art thou content to have thy whole portion of good things as wicked men have theirs Psal 17. 14. in this life and to go whither Ahab went at the time of his death and to have the heads of 70 of thy sons within a few years after put into baskets 2 King 10. I think thou art not 2. That God hearkened to King Hezekiah's prayer and healed the people who were not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary 2 Chron. 30. 18 19 20. A. Is this any thing to thee He prayed only for those who prepered their hearts to seek God the Lord God of their Fathers v. 18 19. so that they did prepare their hearts and the only thing which they wanted was a ceremonial cleansing which also they wanted not because they were not willing to perform it but because they wanted time to perform it and he whose heart is prepared will not neglect the preparing of his waies And as for thee if thy heart be duly prepared to seek the Lord thou mayest really resolve to amend thy carriage as far forth as it is faulty as it were in a moment yea know that thy heart is not duly prepared unless thou be willing and careful to find out thy sins and to reform all the parts of thy conversation 3. That God seeing what the Ninevites did turned from his fierce wrath and did not destroy them A. It was much which they did more than some Professors do they believed God observed a Fast very solemnly cried mightily unto God and turned from their evil waies Chap. 3. 5. c. Go and do thou likewise Luke 10. 37. And yet God did but suspend the execution of his sentence against them for their City was destroyed I think some say about 40 years after and many of you would be loth to have your own houses destroyed forty years hence 4. That doubtless exceeding many of the Israelites were great sinners when they came out of Egypt yet God wrought for them miraculously c. A. Therein they were I think so a Type of Christ's peoples deliverance out of the bondage of Satan as it is of free grace 1 Tim. 1. 15 16. and yet withal they suffered as many of us would be loth to suffer the carcases of all their Males of 20 years old excepting Joshua and Caleb must fall in the wilderness and none of those enter into the Land of promise and when they and the rest be come near to it they must all turn back toward the Sea of Edom called the red Sea adjoyning to Egypt and so the younger sort have wandred forty years in the wilderness c. Num. 14. 21. to 35. 5. That God would have spared Sodom if there had been but ten righteous persons in it Gen. 18. 32. A. But he hath not bound himself by a Law to deal with all other places according to that rate 6. That Professors do pray A. They may ask and not have 1. John 5. 14 15. Jam. 4. 3. If thou dost regard iniquity in thy heart the Lord will not hear thee Psal 66. 18. O but our forms of godliness are long and beautiful A. Forms never brought any man to Heaven nor never will without the power of Godliness and this is part of those perillous times wherein there would be great plenty of such empty and sorry Christians 2 Tim. 3. 1 5. even a brave and Court like form is but a brave Bribe and Gods mouth will not be stopt nor his hand staid with Bribes See Marg. 94. 95 96. c. 101. 102 103. Ob. But we have prevailed for peace already A. Friends ye have heard of a Lightening before Death and Learned men do account the long-continued stillness of the Air a forerunner and sign of an Earthquake following it Let my counsel be acceptable to you be thankful for what ye have and amend whatsoever is amiss that it may be the lengthening of your tranquillity For God hath sometimes deferred the punishment of those who have sinned against him for a time in such a manner that in the holy Scriptures it is called a pardon and yet for all that in due time hath punished them as the Israelites Num. 14. 20 21 22 23. Psal 99. 8. Exod. 32. 34 35. 7. But some peradventure think God will spare them that they may teach their children Religion c. A. Verily some Professors do bestow little care or pains on this business 8. But we have many Professors to stand in the gap to keep out Gods wrath Ezek. 22. 30 31. A. But sometimes God is weary of repenting as he was Jâ—r 15. 6. There is a time when the wrath of the Lord doth arise against his people untill there is no remedy 2 Chron. 36. 16 17. c. When if Noah Daniel and Job were in the Land they should deliver but their own souls by their own righteousness no not so much as their own Sons or Daughters Ezek. 14. 14. to 20. yea God did forbid Jeremy to pray for the Jews chap. 7. 16. and 11. 14. and 14. 11. and I remember Dr. Usher the Bishop of Armagh told Mr. Froysell and me in Oxford when the Scots were in New-castle that his heart was bound up as he called it when he went to pray for England Take heed therefore to your spirits in your prayers Although some of them who seemed to be somewhat have done enough of late to strike them out of the gap as David once did 2 Sam. 24. 1. yet I hope we have still some Intercessors which are of great power with God and do pray unto him withall their might but how long they will be able to hold his hands from
and servants in the way wherein they should go Prov. 22. 6. as if they did believe the Devils old saying A young Saint and an old Devil O how careless many Professors be of preparing those who shall survive them to hold forth the name of Christ in a holy manner to his honour and the credit of his Gospel 2. Many Professors do suffer very much frothy vain idle foolish corrupt communication not tending to edification to proceed out of their mouths 3. Many Professors do profane and mispend much of the holy Salbaths For which sin and Idolatry especially as the Jews about two hundred years since have said the Lord did reject their Fore-fathers so that as they then said they could not take the Christians of those days to be the servants of the true Messias because they did live in those two sins 4. Many Professors be so full of pride under this Dispensation that by reason of it and the fruits of it men of knowledge can hardly get charity enough to think there is any fear of God before their eyes 5. It is a common thing with Professors to be silent at the sins one of another Which five things joyned together do amount to a foul heap of iniquity Part. 8. I come now to some down-right Reasons for this my belief that the greatest cause of the afflictions peculiar to Professors and the greatest impediment of their prayers for some good things expedient for them u the sins and iniquities of Professâ—rs R. 1. And first Gods Kingdom Wisdom and Power being such as it is and all mens hearts and times being in his hand Prov. 21. 1. Psal 31. 15. he might have established our King in all his Dominions and yet given us favour with him and his Parliaments as Gen. 39. 4 5 6 21 22 23. Dan. 1. 6. and bowed their hearts to confirm us in the places which we held 1659. with the means and liberty which we then enjoyed excepting the Kings revenue and some high Offices Neither hath it been at any time such a hard thing for God to better our Estates instead whereof notwithstanding Gods-love to his children which passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 19 and that the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much with him Jam. 5. 16. c. yet it hath pleased him in his infinite wisdom to afflict Professors in divers kinds wherein he hath not afflicted others yea to afflict us in our worldly Estates and to encrease the means of growing rich to others yea to augment the worldly Estates of others by diminishing ours to deprive us of our Benefices Offices and Preferments to make room for others yea ye know that since 1659. notwithstanding we have carryed our selves not seditiously but peaceably and quietly yet our condition is by degrees and steps grown from good to bad and from bad to worse Which sorry changes of our condition to what others may make a shift to impute them I know not but in my judgment they are to be ascribed to our sins who are called Professors of whom I believe many are not yet born again and many Sons and Daughters have and do by their sins provoke our heavenly Father to chastise and correct them For R. 1. Although the Lord scourgeth every Son and Daughter whom he receiveth Prov. 3. 12. Heb. 12. 6. yet he doth not afflict or grieve so much as one man or woman meerly for his pleasure Lam. 3â— 33. and when he judgeth and afflicteth any of his children his judgements are right he afflicts them in faithfulness Psal 119. 57. because according to his just and wise Method of making men meet to partake of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12 13. there is as Peter calls it 1 Pet. 1. 6. need either because they be not duly careful and diligent to find out their sins or because they be so far from hating sin as they ought as not to be throughly careful to humble themselves for and to cease from some of those sins whereof they be guilty Exod. 34. 6 7. or else for that they do not use due care and diligence to reach and attain some other end which they ought to seek if this clause doth contain any thing which the former clauses do not R. 2. A sinful agreement between Professors About forty years since if the Commonalty did mis-behave themselves and the Magistrates did not punish them for it nor the Ministers reprove them for it this they who were taught of God did look on as a fore runner of Gods wrath even as a sign that it was near at hand The reason of which opinion must of necessity be this that such a conspiracy is too like Jer. 5. 30 31. and doth provoke the LORD of Hosts unto great wrath Acts 5. 9. Which if it be true as I believe it is then we may well receive this for a truth that the nearer we Professors come to such a hellish consent the more probable it is that the wrath of God will seize upon us if it be not already upon us and if it be that this our consent hath brought it upon us or at least as much of it as is peculiar to us And the very truth is the sinful agreement which is between many of us is too like such a conspiracy as the holy Prophet Jeremy in that Chapter ver 30. calls a wonderful and horrible thing For 1. In the time of the Interruption I took notice wherein O. Cromwel and our Parliaments Armies Commitees Commissioners and Assembly of Divines and particular persons Round-heads c. did miss the right and did what they ought not to have done among other things over-recompensing their members for their losses one Father and Son as I have heard with 5000 l. for the pure loss of about or less than 5 l. 2. Since that time the Covetousness Pride and Iniquity of many Professors hath been very considerable 1. Whereof hath been no small part the Fashionmonging of Professors and particularly the gay Lady-like attire and ornaments of shop-keeping women in London But it is said concerning them that London doth allow what other Towns do not It may be so howsoever and although London hath been my Benefactor yet I shall not justifie the proudest of the Londoners in taking an Ell yea or half an Ell or a quarter of an Ell when they be allowed but an inch especially at such a time of Adversity as this is I had rather they would consider seriously concerning Apparel and Ornaments that which is written by Paul 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. and by Peter 1 Pet. 3. 3 4 5. praying and taking good heed lest they be weighed in the ballances and found wanting Dan. 5. 27. it may be to be nothing Gal. 6. 3. lest London be reduced to the state of some other Cities and that they fare as was prophesied Zeph. 1. 8. Es 3. 17. to the 24. 2. The children and servants of many religious Families
no great roughness and without a heavy load of Afflictions so as to cleanse our wayes and to let go our sins Isa 27. 7 8 9. But the Sword Pestilence Burning of houses and the like do call on us amain and with a very loud voice even for a full and compleat cleansing of all our wayes to the uttermost To speak home The Lord hath proved us as he did the children of Israel in divers manners Deut. 8. 2. c. some of us sharply before the late civil Wars and in the time of the Wars with losses and prosperity Plainly he hath tried us very variously with adversity and prosperity and adversity and we have dealt with him as the Israelites did Psal 95. 9 10 11. proved and tempted him and do still tempt him with our sins notwithstanding we have seen the great and strange works which he hath wrought for us and against us He hath drawn us with cords of love and we have not been drawn and driven us with Rods and we have not been driven purged us and we have not been purged Ezek. 24. 13. and humbled us and we have not been humbled We have not humbled our selves as we ought to have done but are many of us haughty and high-minded jolly and jocund followers of new and gaudy fashions We do adorn and trimour bodies and houses with things too fine and too costly Can this be without Rebellion which is as the sin of Witch craft and without stubbornness which is as Iniquity and Idolatry 2 Sam. 15. 22. or without despising the chastening of the Lord Prov. 3. 11. Heb. 12. 5. What not learn obedience by the sore things which we suffer Why it was a foul fault in Israel to put far away an evil day which was not yet come upon them Amos 6. 3. What is it then in us to carry our selves as if it were very far from us when not only an evil day is actually upon us but also we have just cause to think some men will endeavour to make it much sorer and more terrible than it is But Oh what hath already been done with God's permission at London since they who above all others should have stood in the gap and taken pains to make up the hedge have disfigured themselves O Lord God what will become of us 15. Our iniquity is greatly greatned by partaking of other mens sins For 1. As it is a sin to command or counsel or hire or request or seek by threatnings or sharp words or promises and fair words to draw or drive any manner of person to do any unlawful work or to speak any unlawful word or to omit any part of his duty so if the party so tempted shall yield to the Temptation then he who hath by any such ways prevailed with him or shall abet maintain or countenance a man in any sin is accessary to the sin which is committed and partaker of it with the personal Actor of it 2. If a man doth use his Christian liberty unseasonably whereby his Christian Brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weak he is partaker of his Brothers sin Rom. 14. 21 22. 3. If we do not instruct counsel admonish reprove and correct and punish others as far as we are bound in duty to use those means to work them out of their sins or to keep them from falling into sin then we are guilty of the sins wherein they are lying or whereinto they fall and the Omission of some of these duties made the Children of Israel accessary to the Theft of Achan and cost the lives of six and thirty of them Josh 7. 1 2 3 4 5. 22. 20. 4. We are partakers of other mens not only by being evil examples to them but also by not being good examples to them And O how often do we trespass in the three last of these wayes especially in the last of all Yet give me leave to speak somewhat more to you of some Gospel-matters Many Professors some unregenerate and some I believe regenerate do not make such use as they ought of the Doctrine Commandments Promises and threatnings of the Gospel 1. They do not duly consider them and what use they ought to make of them 2 Tim. 2. 7. Psal 119. 11. 2. They do not endeavour and stir up themselves with due diligence to believe the Doctrine Commandments Promises and Threats of the Gospel and to believe in Jesus Christ Mark 1. 15. John 3. 14 15 16 17 18 36. 1 Tim. 1. 15. 2 Pet. 1. 17. 1 John 5. 10. Deut. 18. 15. c. Acts 3. 22 23. 3. Nor mourn and grieve in relation to their sins Mat. 3. 2. Mark 1. 15. Acts 2. 38. 3. 19. 17. 30. 26. 18 20. 4. Nor turn from their sins Joel 2. Acts 3. 19. 5. Nor bring forth fruits deserving the name and credit of amendment of life Mat. 3. 8. Tit. 2. 11 12. Acts 26. 18 20. or else 1. Not turn from their sins universally and throughly Ezek. 18. 28 30 31 19 21 22 14. c. 2. And turn unto the Lord Jer. 3. 1. and 4. 1. Joel 2. 12 13. Acts 26. 18. 3. Or else not believe the Gospel-promises and Threats and in Jesus Christ with a strong faith and the whole heart Rom. 10. 10. Acts 8. 37. 1 John 5. 13. 4. Or not amend their ways and mourn for their sins according to God 2 Cor. 7. 9 10. upon Gospel grounds and Motives in regard of Gods love and free-grace and mercy toward them and Gods promises and their expectation of great matters from him hereafter 1 John 3. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. 6. 17 18. with 7. 1. and because by their sins they have polluted Gods name and grieved his holy spirit and disgraced his Gospel c. but repented and put away their sins only to escape Gods wrath which is but self-love and not for Gospel ends also viz. for God Rom. 11. 36. Prov. 16. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 31. Jam. 4. 3. very many of us do not duly consider how great a sin it is not to come by faith unto Jesus Christ that we may have life John 5. 40. Who will in no wise cast out him who cometh unto him John 6. 37. and how great the difference is before God between doing what we do throughly and doing by halves and between doing upon Gospel-grounds and for all Gospel-ends and doing for our own ends only which great errour it will be our wisdom to amend throughly and to Kiss the Son least he be angry and we perish from the way if his wrath be kindled but a little Psal 2. 12. And thus far of the sixth part of my proof Part. 7. 1. There are five sins of Professors whereof I shall here speak together notwithstanding I have already spoken of some of them because they be so common 1. Many Professors Ministers and others do neglect their Families not bestowing time and pains in educating and training up their children
For some will be most likely to mind thee of thine when thou mindest them of theirs 12. When thou art so happy as to hear Christ speaking unto thee by such a Preacher as Mr. Wroth was do what thou canst to be where he may take good notice of thee that if there be any Fault in thy conversation he may mind thee of it For I remember upon a time when Mr. Cradock and I heard Mr. Wroth Mr. Cradock stood just before him and after told me he had done it because he knew if Mr. Wroth had taken notice of any Fault in his behaviour he would have minded him of it before he had ended his Sermon 13. When thou art rebuked for any sâ—n take good heed of justifying or excusing thy self further then thou canst shew some very sufficient cause lest thy Friend be discouraged from doing the part of a faithful Friend to thee another time Psal 119. 75. Prov. 27. 5 7. 2. Stir up in your hearts a comfortable expectation of better times and a holy desire of the Churches welfare and zeal for Christs honour This may move you to be the more serious diligâ—nt and in amending every one himself and others as many as he can 3. If thou dost desire to be exalted be humble and resolve strongly by Gods help to walk humbly when thou shalt be exalted How to get humility see before Marg. 185. 4. Acknowledge and bewail thy spiritual weakness and want of ability to reform thy self without the strength of Christ John 15. 5. 2 Cor. 3. 5. and seek unto God for strength 5. Stir up your selves to trust in our Lord Jesus Christ for his assistance and for good success in seeking to reform Mat. 28. 20. and let prayer be joyned with every part of it Phil. 1. 19. and 4. 13. c. yea request others also to pray for the same 6. Hear gladly Ministers of reproving Ezek. 3. 26. I mean such as will reprove the sins of Professors c. 7. Hearken to the word of the Kingdom attentively and consider it seriously and be sure to take good notice of thy own portion especially if it doth concern the reforming of any part of thy behaviour 8. Use all good means to nourish Faith For that is of very great use and force in this business Acts 15. 9. Gal. 5. 6. 1 John 3. 3. and 5. 4 5. 9. Quench not the good motions which the Holy Ghost is pleased to stir up time after time in thy heart 1 Thes 5. 19. especially desires to have thy corruptions mortifyed and purposes to strive against them but do what thou canst by reading meditation conference and prayer to nourish augment and strengthen them 10. Pray unto the Almighty earnestly to strengthen thee with strength in thy soul Psal 138. 3. and to cleanse thee from secret Faults Psal 19. 12. 11. Compare thy wayes with the ways of the best Saints living and dead especially of Jesus Christ Mat. 11. 20. 1 John 3. 3. and set the Lord alwaies before thy eyes c. This may excite thee to imitate c. Consider well 2 Cor. 3. 18. Isa 6. 1. to 8. 12. Take heed continually to thy wayes according to the word of God Psal 119. 9. Be sober and watchful Luke 21. 34. 1 Pet. 5. 8. and when evil motions do arise in thy heart deny them speedily Tit. 2. 11 12 Practise this I pray thee 13. Make use of these Scriptures Heb. 12. 13. Eph. 5. 15 16. Mat. 5. 48. 2 Cor. 13. 11. 14. For the meaning and use of these Directions let such as doubt enquire of able Ministers 15. Of some special Meetings what is fit to be done at them c. 1 1. Let Ministers and some other fit persons meet sometimes apart by themselves 2. Let all these give due diligence to be exemplary in their conversation to be excellent patterns fit for other Professors to imitate 3. At those meetings let it be considered That the carriage of many Professors is so full of sins of Omission and commission that there is just cause of admonishing them thereof for their own good God's honour and the good of the Church that some of their sins do tend more than others to God's dishonour and more discredit Religion and more provoke God's wrath that some Professors be blind some lame or lamish some dumb or as it were tongue-tied some dull and heavy and slow some proud some too full of mirth and jollity some worldly and covetous some peradventure covetous three wayes some asleep or not thorougly awakened some stark dead in trespasses and sins meer Formalists and that for some of these evil qualities some Professors be affected with them in a greater measure than others Also at such Meetings let it be resolved what fit means shall God willing be used by this company to heal and reform such Professors but to deal with them all as their states require See 1 Cor 4. 21. Eph. 5. 14. 1 Tit. 1. 11 12 13. 2 Cor. 13. 2. and that special care shall be taken to find out and quell and beat down those sins which do most irritate the Almighty and most weaken and hinder prayers in regard of the sin it self or its aggravations and that every Professors heart may be set against his dearest sin which is that which he doth most favour and most spare and least or not at all strive wrestle and fight against To that effect Edward Green and rightly Gal. 5. 17. 1 Pet. 2. 11. which setting of the heart so against that sin is a sign of true grace Let it there also be concluded who of those that use to meet with this small company be fit to be reproved or admonished and of what fault and who of this small company shall deal with M. and who with N. c. and what tending to the reformation of Professors every one of them shall perform and by what times and that they will all of them hearken to hear and know the issue of their endeavours former and latter as Jeremy did Chap. 8. 6. that they may proceed as there shall be occasion Let it there also be concluded that due care shall be taken by this small company to destroy and remove the causes and occasions of the irregular conversation of Professors such as are I think ignorance unfaithfulness carnal and worldly fear diffidence not trusting in God carelessness and negligence not considering our selves and others c. pride covetousness voluptuousness not content with enough c. sinful silence and holding our peace at the fault sone of another luke-warmness and want of zeal for Christ and his Church These are part of the causes c. in Ministers and others Nay 't is true To which may be added preaching without due consideration of the Hearers that 's worthy to be mentioned twice and without due preparation And as to Ignorance my experience and charity tells me that even some Preachers be in part ignorant of the doctrine
trust in him before the sons of men that is not who trust in God rather than in men or more than in men but for them who by their carriage toward men and dealings with men do make it appear that they do really trust in God Truly Friends it is a wretched thing for a man to say God is his Father and that he trusteth in him for a mansion in Heaven and not to trust in and relie on him for his daily bread as if his Father were dead But now let me bestow some Rules on you concerning reproving 1. Know that thou art bound to deal concerning their sins not only with the Professors with whom thou usest to have fellowship in the Gospel at meetings but with other Professors also 2. Consider whom to reprove when where how c. whom first c. 3. Admonish and reprove with as much heavenly wisdom and fit humane discretion as thou canst begging wisdom of God who giveth to all men liberally Jam. 1. 5. and 3. 17. 1 Kings 3. 5. c. 4. As lovingly for true Christian love and as mildly and meekly as thou canst unless there be cause to deal otherwise Gal. 6. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 6 24 25. 1 Tim. 5. 20. 1 Cor. 4. 21. Jude ver 22 23. Gal. 2. 11. 5. Shew all due and fit respect to the credit of offendors c. Mat. 18. 15 16 17. 1 Cor. 4 6. 6. Having respect to the calling and age of the offendors according to Col. 4. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 2. and to the temper and disposition of their spirits generally 7. Consider also thy self thy own calling age c. For such Language did become our Saviour and Paul as would not have been fit for some of the ordinary Pastors Luke 24. 25. Gal. 3. 1. 8. Above all other Professors excepting thy self be sure as far forth as there is cause to admonish and request the Ministers and Preachers to apparel and adorn their Souls Bodies Sermons and Prayers and all their behaviour more like men professing Godliness Sobriety Modesty Mortification and Humility 1 Tim. 2. 10. Tit. 2. 3 4 5 8. and to conform more fully to the Doctrine and practise of Paul 1 Cor. 2. 1. c. 1 Cor. 14. 8 9. 1 Thes 2. 3 4 5 6 7 8. and to deal more faithfully and more plainly and more home with thee and other Professors than many of them use to do and not to cease from admonishing rebuking c till ther◠〈◊〉 an Universal Reformation Nay they who are not Preachers have Authority to admonish Ministers 1 Thâ—s 4. 8 and 5. 14. Hebr. 3. 12 13. Col. 4. 17. and according to the seeing of my eyes and my best intelligence the out-sides and silence and other sins of Ministers in London and elsewhere do require it 9. Imitate Abigail 1 Sam. 25. 36. Reprove no man whilst he is in his drink I have heard of some Professors that they have been drunk or in a passion for with that some mens minds are disabled as much as they would be wiâ—h excess of drink Yet here query whether a Professor ought not to bestow a few words of rebuke on his fellow-Professor who shews himself drunk or in a passion in the presence and sight of profane persons that they may not have occasion to say We do indulge and bear one with another carnally I mean whether he ought not to do so much forthwith One of the best times to reprove an offender should be when he hath been at some exercise of Religion as a Fast or hearing some wholsom instructions concerning the soul or at prayer especially praying apart from others If a Professor will not immediately or soon after that receive a Reproof with a quiet spirit I know not when he will but shall look on it as a very bad sign 10. Remember it is not an hundred and twenty years nor let it alone this year also nor yet forty dayes but to day Heb. 4. 7. Defer not this necessary work of reproving c. without just cause no not for a moment For we know not what a day may bring forth Prov. 3. 28. Prov. 27. 1. Jam. 4. 14. and many Professors have need of much help yea some I believe who have specious and large Forms of Godliness long prayers Eccl. 5. 1 2 3. Mat. 6. 7 8 9. c. Mat. 23. 14. c. and some who in their speeches at times do make a fair shew of true grace it may be of much of Zeal Humiliation Mortification Humility Sobriety Modesty tenderness of Conscience contempt of earthly things c. For that notwithstanding a considerable part of their ornaments and behaviour savours and smells what if I had said stinks of Pride Vanity Curiosity foolishness foolish-talking and unseemly jesting excessive mirth and jollity lasciviousness love of pleasure and ease palat-pleasing men pleasing c. one part of their behaviour contradicting the other part 2 Tim. 3. 5. Tit. 1. 16. O how piously religiously and holily for the words some will sometimes talk who are very little or just nothing for true Christians Like the legs of the lame which are not equal or a parable in the mouth of a fool Prov. 26. 7. As if a man should have 〈◊〉 Garlands or Ivy-bushes hanged at the door of his house and very little or no good drink within it What said Mr. Walter Cradock I protest quoth he these women are enough to make a man an Athiest speaking of some female Professors which he might well have spoken of some Male Professors also 11. Whosoever doubteth concerning any matter let him ask of them who are able to instruct him and also conscientious to direct him aright Vse 3. With all importune the Almighty alwayes and with all thy might and skill Luke 18. to reform Professors and to stir up Professors Preachers and else to do what they are able both privately and publickly when they be the mouth of God to men or the mouth of men to God and in all other cases toward the reforming of Professors especially in reproving them for their sins and trespasses and to encrease the abilities of such as are willing and to bless their praise-worthy enterprizes For as far as I see or have been informed and can remember very few Professors do pray for the Reformation of Professors under the name of Reformation I mean using that term Many use to speak as if they should say some Professors indeed might do well to amend some matters but their faults be so few and so small that the amendment of them would scarce or not at all deserve the name of a Reformation so that it is not very material whether they do amend or not But I am not of this judgment Vse 4. Let all those Professors who are fit to be reproved the number whereof is very great either prevent the Reprovers for I hope they will be many or else prepare themselves to receive Reproofs with a calm and thankful heart