or have been and all the Godly thoughout the world and all that ever had experience of a holy life And what art thou that thou shouldst scorn all these Art thou wiser than all the Ministers and godly persons in the world Than all the Apostles and holy Martyrs of Christ that ever were Yea than God himself § 33. 8. Didst thou ever mark how unlike the speech of Christ and his Apostles was to thine Did they deride men for being too diligent for the pleasing of God and saving of their souls Read but thâ—se places following and judge Matth. 5. 8 11 20. 6. 33 21. 7. 13 14. 1 Pet. 4. 18. 2. Pet. 3. 11. 1. 10. Heb. 11. 6. Matth. 5. Rom. 8 1 5 6 7 8 9 13. Phil. 3. 18. 19. Heb. 12. 28 29. § 34. 9. Dost thou not thy self do as much for the world as those that thou opposest do for Heaven Art thou offended that they preach and pray so long Art not thou longer about thy worldly business Are not Gallants longer at a feast or visit or games and recreations Art thou offended that they talk so much of Heaven And dost not thou talk more of earth And which of these dost thou think in thy Conscience doth better deserve to be sought and talked of Which will prove better at the last And whose labour will be more worthy of derision § 35. 10. What gain would it be to thee if thou hadst thy will and Praying and Preaching and Holiness were as much banished from the world as thou wouldst have it And if men to please thee should displease God and cast away their souls for ever Would it do thee good for earth to be so like to Hell It is the grief of godly men already to think how little Holiness is in the world There is scarce a sadder thought that ever came into my heart than to survey all the Nations of the earth and to think how ignorance and ungodliness abound and how few there be that are truly holy And what an inhumane creature is that who yet would have them fewer and scorn out of the world the little Rom. 11. 1 2 wisdom and piety that is left And would it be any pleasure to thee in Hell if men should accompany thee thither to humour thee Nay it would be thy everlasting torment to see there so many for ever undone by hearkning to thy wicked counsel Say not that thou art not so cruel and it is not their damnation that thou desirest No more it is not thy own that thou desirest But all 's one as to the effect if thou desire the way to it Thou maist as well give one man poyson and deride at another for eating and drinking and yet say it is not your death that I desire But die they must if they ruled by thee § 36. 11. Were not he a cruel man that would not do as much for the saving of his neighbours soul as that which thou deridest them for in the saving of their own If thou wert sick should I refuse to pray for thy life Or if I knew that it might save anothers soul should I think any means or pains too much If not methinks I may be allowed to do as much for my self as charity bids me do for another § 37. 12. Is it a season to mock at Holiness when at the same time there are so many millions of souls in Heaven that all came thither by the way of Holiness And so many millions of souls in Hell that all came thither for want of Holiness And while thou art prating against it they are crying out in despair of the folly of their neglecting it Would one of the souls in Heaven regard thy mocks if he were to live on earth again Or would one of the souls in Hell be mocked thither if they were but tryed with another life If thou sawest at this hour what unholy souls in Hell are suffering and what holy souls in Heaven enjoy wouldst thou ever mock again at Holiness For shame consider what thou dost and see by faith the things that mortal eyes behold not § 38. 13. What if men should yield unto thy derisions and forsake a holy life to please thee Wouldst thou undertake to justifie them or be answerable for them before that God that required Holiness and will condemn all the unholy Wouldst thou bring them off and save them from damnation Alas poor soul how unable wilt thou be to save thy self And wilt thou take them for wise men if they displease the Lord and go to Hell to humour such a one as thou § 39. 14. Thou wilt not thy self be mockt out of thy House or Land or Right nor from thy meat or drink or rest wouldst thou â—ast these away if another should mock but thee for using them I think thou wouldst not And wouldst thou have wise men be mockt out of their Salvation § 40. 15. Thou wouldst not think it reasonable that thy Children or Servants be derided for loving or obeying thee Or thy very horse dispraised for serving thee And do they owe thee more than we all owe God § 41. 16. God highly honoureth them and dearly loveth them for that very thing that thou hâ—tâ—st and deridest them for Joh. 16. 27. 14. 21. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that Loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Psal. 11. 7. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright Psal. 146. 8. The Lord loveth the righteous 2 Cor. 6. For ye are the temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord and Allmighty And darest thou scorn the sons and daughters of the Allmighty Even for that very thing for which he hath promised to receive them and to be a Father to them How contrary then art thou to God Mal. 3. 16 17 18. A Book of remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name and they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Iewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him And darest thou scorn Gods Iewels and those that are thus pretious to him 1 Sam. 2. 30. For them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed And wilt thou be one of his despisers opposing that in others for which God himself hath promised to honour them § 42. 17. To hate and scorn at Holiness is to hate and scorn at
62. But I suppose thou wilt say that thou art willing to amend and leave thy sin but thou canst not do it because flesh is frail and company is tempting and God giveth thee not grace Willing thou art but yet unable But stay a little God will not so let thee carry it and smooth over thy wickedness with a lye Thy meaning if thou speak out is not that thou art willing presently and heartily willing to forsake thy sin but only that thou wouldst be willing if the drink and the Devil did not tempt thee And so thou wilt be willing to love God and be saved when nothing shall tempt thee to the contrary And wouldst thou thank thy Wife for such a willingness to forsake adultery when no body will tempt her to it or thy servant to do thy work when he hath nothing to tempt him to idleness or neglect Judge by this what thanks thou deservest of God for such a willingness But dally not with God and mock not thy Conscience but speak to the question Art thou willing to give over thy company and tipling from this day forward or art thou not Take heed what thou saist If thou say No God may say Nay to all thy cryes for mercy in the day of thy misery and distress But if still thou say that thou art willing but not able I will convince thee of thy falshood § 63. Quest. 1. Tell me then what force is used to make thee sin against thy will Wast thou carryed Quest. 1. to the Ale-house or didst thou go thy self Wast thou gagg'd and drencht Was it poured down thy throat by violence or didst thou take the Cup and pour it down thy self Who was the man that held opon thy mouth and poured it in Nay if it had been thus it had not been thy sin for no will no sin Or did they set a Sword or Pistol to thy breast and so force thee to it If they had that had not proved thee unwilling but only that they forced thee to be willing And their force is no excuse For God threatned Hell and thou shouldst have feared that most § 64. Quest. 2. Didst thou love the Drink or loath it when thou wast drinking it Didst thou Love it Quest. 2. against thy will when love and willingness are all one § 65. Quest. 3. Wilt thou forbear the next time till thou art carryed to it and till it is forcibly poured Quest. 3. down with a horn If not confess it is thy will § 66. Quest. 4. Couldst thou not forbear if the Iudge or the King stood by And canst thou not Quest. 4. forbear when God stands by If thou wilt thou canst § 67. Quest. 5. Couldst thou not forbear if thou wert sure to be put to death for it If the Law Quest. 5. hang'd all Drunkards and the Hangman were at thy back Surely thou couldst And canst thou not then forbear if thou wilt when God hath made it worse than hanging and when Death is coming to fetch thee to execution § 68. Quest. 6. Couldst thou not forbear it in sickness if thy Physicion required it and told thee if Quest. 6. thou drink it will be thy death I doubt not but thou couldst If not thou art very unworthy to live that canst not deny thy self a Cup of drink for the saving of thy life And thou art as unworthy to be saved if thou wilt not do that to save thy soul which thou wouldst do to save thy present life § 69. Quest. 7. Yea couldst thou not forbear if it were but to save the life of thy Wife or Child or Quest. 7. Friend or Neighbour If thou knewest that forbearing thy forbidden Cup would save the life of any one of them couldst thou not Nay wouldst thou not do it If not thou tellest the world what a Husband what a Father what a Friend and what a Neighbour thou art that wouldst not forbear a Cup of Drink to save a Friend or Neighbours life I should think thee an unworthy friend if thou wouldst not do that much at thy friends request though there were no such necessity lay upon it It this be so I 'll never take a Drunkard for my friend for he would not forbear a Cup of Drink for ☞ my sake no not if it were to save my life If thou say God forbid I would do more than that Why then didst thou say Thou canst not forbear Mark how thy tongue reproves thy falshood And canst thou not do that for thy own soul which thou couldst do for the life or at the request of a Friend or Neighbour § 70. Quest. 8. Couldst thou not forbear if it were to get a Lordship or a Kingdom yea or to save Quest. 8. thy own estate if it were all in danger and this would save it I doubt not but thou couldst Why then dost thou say thou canst not do it § 71. Quest. 9. If thou wert certain that thou werest to dye to morrow wouldst thou be drunk to Quest. 9. night Or if thou wert sure to dye within this Week or Month wouldst thou be drunk ere then I do not believe thou wouldst Fear would so long shut thy mouth Thou seest then that thou canst forbear if thou were but willing and were but awakened out of thy stupidity and folly § 72. Quest. 10. What if thou wert sure that there were an ounce of Arsenick or other such poyson Quest. 10. in the Cup Couldst thou not then forbear it Yes no doubt of it It is plain therefore that thou speakest falsly when thou saist that thou canst not And is not Gods wrath and curse in thy Cup much worse than poyson § 73. Quest. 11. What if thou sawest the Devil standing by thee and offering thee the Cup and perswading Quest. 11. thee to drink it couldst thou not then forbear Yes no doubt of it And is he not as certainly there tempting thee as if thou sawest him Well the matter is proved against thee to thy own conscience that if thou wilt forbear thou canst § 74. Quest. 12. But if yet thou canst not bethink thee whether thou canst better bear the pains Quest. 12. of Hell For God is not in jeast with thee in his threatning If thy thirst be harder to bear than Hell then choose that which is easiest to thee But remember hereafter that thou hadst thy choice § 75. Yet art thou willing to let go thy sin for I am sure thou art able so far as thou art willing I will take thy case to be as it is that is that thou hast some half uneffectual willingness or lazy wish which will not conquer a temptation and that thou art some times in a little better mood than at other times and that thou lovest thy sin and therefore wouldst not leave it if thou couldst choose but thou lovest not Hell and therefore hast some thoughts of parting with thy Cups against thy will
to honour the names of Peter and Paul and Stephen and Iohn of Augustin Hierom Chrysostom and other such saints of God And yet wilt thou make a scorn of those that strive to imitate them Search and see if any of these men did after their conversion live in luxury carding dicing prophaneness and if any of them was against a Holy life against much Praying Hearing Reading the Scriptures meditating exact obedience to God then let not the shame be thine but mine He that is most unlike them let him have the scorn § 25. 19. Thou deridest men for Repenting of their former sins and for accepting that mercy which Christ hath purchased and God hath offered them and sent his messengers to intreat them to accept Can they Repent of their former ungodliness and not turn from it and amend If thou knewest what they know thou wouldst repent thy self and not deride men for repenting If thou knewest the gift of God thou wouldst beg it and gladly accept of it thy self and not deride them that accept it § 26. 20. Thou scornest men for keeping that Covenant which thou also madest with God in thy Baptism thy self At the same time thou speakest against the Anabaptists that will not have their children baptised and deridest those that keep their Covenant which in baptism they made What a monster of contradictions is an ungodly Hypocrite Didst thou not in Baptism renounce the flesh the world and the Devil and give up thy self in Covenant to God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost And dost thou not yet know what thou didst But scorn them that perform it What is it to be given up to God in Baptism but to take him for thy God thy Saviour and Sanctifier whom thou must Love and seek and obey in Holiness with all thy Heart and Soul and Might He is a Covenant-breaker indeed that hates the keeping of it I have hitherto been shewing thee what it is that thou opposest and deridest I shall now tell thee further what thou dost in shewing thee the Aggravations of thy sin and its importance § 27. 2. Consider in all this what an open enemy thou art to God and an open Souldier for the Devil What canst thou do more against God and do thy worst than make a scorn of all his work and sâ—â—vants He feareth not thy power or rage thou canst not hurt him How many millions of such woâ—ms as thou can he tread to Hell or destroy in a moment It is in his servants and service that he is honoured or opposed here and that mortals shew their Love or hatred to him And how canst thou devise if thou wouldst do thy worst to serve the Devil more notoriously than by opposing and deriding the service of God If such be not Satans Servants he hath none § 28. 3. Consider what a terrible badge of misery thou carriest about thee thou bearest the mark of Satan Death and Hell in thy forehead as it were If there were any doubt whether a Swearer or drunkard or Fornicator may be in a state of Grace yet it is past all doubt that a Scorner of Godliness is not It were strange indeed for that man to be Holy that derideth Holiness There is scarce any sort of men in the world that are more undoubtedly in a state of damnation than thou art It is dark to us what God will do with Infidels and Heathens that never had the means of salvation But what he will do with all the unbelieving and ungodly that have had the means we know past doubt much more what he will do with those that are not only void of Holiness but deride it I deny not but yet if thou be converted thou maist be saved And O that God would give the repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that thou mightest escape out of the Devils snares who leads thee captive at his will 2 Tim. 2. 25. 26. It is written of Basil that by his prayers he caused the Devil to give back a writing by which a wretched man had sold his soul to him that he might enjoy his Masters daughter and that the man repented and was delivered If thou maist be so recovered it will be a happy day for thee But till then it is as sure as the Scripture is sure that thou art a miserable creature and an undone â—â—â—â—iâ—â—us Arriaâ—â—â—â—um Episâ—â—â—â—uâ— Hâ—â—nâ—riâ—â—m Râ—gâ—m pâ—rsâ—â—sit non pâ—sâ—â— pacaâ—um atque longaevum obtinere regnum nisi nomen perderet innocentum Qui tamen Dei judicio post non mulâ—os dâ—es turpâ—ssâ—ma moâ—te prâ—ventus scateâ—s vermibus expiravit Victor Vâ—ic p. 369. man if thou die in that condition that thou art in O with what fear shouldst thou rise and lie down if thou hadst thy wiâ—s about thee lest thou shouldst die before thou art converted § 29. 4. To scorn at Holiness is a defiance of grace as if thou didst renounce Gods mercy Thou dost thy worst to drive away all hope and make thy case uncurable and desperate For if ever thou be saved it must be by this gâ—â—ce and Holy life which thou deridest And is scorning grace the way to get it And is it likely that the Holy-Ghost will come and dwell in the man that scorneth his sanctifying works § 30. 5. To scorn at Godliness is a daring of God to give over his patience and presently to execute his vengeance on thee Canst thou wonder if he should make thee a monument of his Justice and set thee up for all others to take warning by Who is fitter for this than the scornful opposers of his grace and service Hasten not vengeance man it will come time enough Will a worm defie the God of Heaven § 31. 6. How little dost thou understand of all that thou opposest Didst thou ever try a holy life If thou hadst thou wouldst not speak against it If thou hadst not art thou not ashamed to speak evil of that which thou dost not understand It is a thing that none can througly know without experience Try it a while and then speak thy mind § 32. 7. Didst thou ever consider how many judgements are against thee and whom thou dost contradict and scorn 1. If thou scorn at serious Godliness at Preaching hearing reading Praying Meditating and strict avoiding sin thou contradictest God himself for none in all the world is so Holy or so much for Holiness as he And therefore ultimately it is him that all thy malice is against even God the Father and the Redeemer and the Sanctifier 2. Thou settest thy self against all the evidence of Scripture 3. And against all the works of God For all conspire to call the world to Holiness and strict obedience to God 4. And thou contradictest all the Prophets and Apostles and all the ancient Fathers of the Church and all the Martyrs and Saints of God that ever were in the world and all the learned faithful Ministers and Pastors of the Church that are
from Vineyards and Wine as the Rechabites were nor every man to go forth to Preach in the garb as Christ sent the twelve and seventy Disciples Nor every man to administer or receive the Lords Supper in an upper room of a house in the Evening with eleven or twelve only c. nor every one to carry Pauls Cloak and Parchments nor go up and down on the messages which some were sent on And here in precepts about Worship you must know what is the thing primarily intended in the command and what it is that is but a subservient means For many Laws are universal and immutable as to the matter primarily intended which are but local and temporary as to the matter subservient and secondarily intended As the command of saluting one another with a holy Kiss and using Love feasts in their sacred Communion primarily intended the exercising and expressing holy Love by such convenient signes as were then in use and suitable to those times But that it be done by those particular signes was subservient and a local alterable Law as appeareth 1. In that it is actually laid down by Gods allowance 2. In that in other places and times the same signes have not the same signification and aptitude to that use at all and therefore would be no such expression of Love or else have also some ill signification So it was the first way of Baptizing to dip them overhead which was fit in that hot Countrey which in colder Countreys it would not be as being destructive to health and more against modesty Therefore it is plain that is was but a local alterable Law The same is to be said of not-eating things strangled and blood which was occasioned by the offence of the Jews and other the like This is the case in almost all precepts about the external worshipping gestures The thing that God commandeth universally is a humble reverent adoration of him by the mind and body Now the adoration of the mind is still the same but the bodily expression altereth according to the custome of Countreys In most Countreys kneeling or prostration are the expressions of greatest veneration and submission In some few Countreys it is more signified by sitting with the face covered with their hands In some it is signified best by standing kneeling is ordinarily most fit because it is the most common sign of humble reverence but where it is not so it is not fit The same we must say of other gestures and of habits The Women among the Corinthians were not to go uncovered because of the Angels 1 Cor. 11. 10. and yet in some places where long hair or covering may have a contrary signification the case may be contrary The very fourth Commandment however it was a perpetual law as to the proportion of time yet was alterable as to the seventh day Those which I call Universal Laws some call Moral But that 's no term of distinction but signifieth the common nature of all Laws which are for the Governing of our Manners Some call them Natural Laws and the other Positive But the truth is There are some Laws of Nature which are Universal and some that are particular as they are the Result of Universal or Particular Nature And there are some Laws of Nature that are perpetual ☜ which are the result of an unaliered foundation and there are some that are Temporary when it is See the Advertisement before my Book against Infidelity some Temporary alterable thing in Nature from whence the duty doth result So there are some Positive Laws that are Universal or unalterable during this World and some that are Local particular or temporary only § 24. Direct 13. Remember that whatever duty you seem obliged to perform the obligation still Direct 13. supposeth that it is not naturally impossible to you and therefore you are bound to do it as well as you can See Mr. Trumans book of Natural and Moral Impotency And when other mens force or your natural disability hindereth you from doing it as you would you are not therefore disobliged from doing it at all but the total omission is wâ—rse than the defective performance of it as the defective performance is worse than doing it more perfectly And in such a case the Defects which are utterly involuntary are none of yours imputatively at all but his that hindereth you unless as some other sin might cause that As if I were in a Countrey where I could have liberty to Read and Pray but not to Preach or to Preach only once a moneth and no more It is my duty to do so much as I can do as being much better than nothing and not to forbear all because I cannot do all Obj. But you must forbear no part of your duty Answ. True but nothing is my duty which is Object 1. naturally impossible for me to do Either I can do it or I cannot If I can I must supposing it a duty in all other respects but if I cannot I am not bound to it Obj. But it is not suffering that must deter you for that is a carnal reason and your suffering Object 2. may do more good than your preaching Answ. Suffering is considerable either as a pain to the flesh or as an unresistible hindrance of the work of the Gospel As it is meerly a pain to the flesh I ought not to be deterred by it from the work of God But as it forcibly hindereth me from that work as by Imprisonment death cutting out the tongue c. I may lawfully foresee it and by lawful means avoid it when it is sincerely for the work of Christ and not for the saving of the flesh If Paul foresaw that the Preaching of one more Sermon at Damascus was like to hinder his preaching any more because the Jews watcht the gates day and night to kill him it was Pauls duty to be let down by the wall in a basket and to escape and preach elsewhere Act. 9. 25. And when the Christians could not safely meet publickly they met in secret as Ioh. 19. 38. Act. 12. 12 c. whether Pauls suffering at Damascus for Preaching one more Sermon or his preaching more elsewhere was to be chosen the interest of Christ and the Gospel must direct him to resolve That which is best for the Church is to be chosen § 25. Direct 14. Remember that no material duty is formally a duty at all times that which Direct 14. is a duty in its season is no duty out of season Affirmative precepts bind not to all times except only to habits or the secret intention of our ultimate end so far as is sufficient to animate and actuate the means while we are waking and have the use of reason Praying and Preaching that are very great duties may be so unseasonably performed as to be sins If forbearing a prayer or Sermon or Sacrament one day or month be rationally like to procure
called Love of benevolence But properly it is only to be called A will to make Paul good and lovely It being only God himself who is the original and ultimate end of that will and purpose and himself only which he then loveth there being nothing but himself to Love till in that instant that Paul is existent and so really lovely For Paul in esse cognito is not Paul Yet no reality doth oriri de novo in God but a new respect and denomination and in the creature new effects Of which elsewhere Quest. 4. Must I love every one as much as my self in degree or only some Quest. 4. Answ. You must love every one impartially as your self according to his goodness and you must wish as well to every one as to your self But you must love no man complacentially so much as your self who is not or seemeth not to have as much loveliness that is as much goodness or as much of God as your self Quest. 5. Must I love any one more than my self Quest. 5. Answ. Yes every one that is and appeareth better that your self Your sensitive Love to another cannot be as much as to your self And your beneficence ordinarily must be most to your self because God in nature and his Laws hath so appointed it And your benevolence to your self and to others must be alike But your rational estimation and Love or complacence with the honour and praise attending it must be more to every one that is better than your self For that which is best is most amiable and that which hath most of God Quest. 6. Will it not then follow that I must love another mans wife and children better than my own Quest. 6. when they are really better Answ. Yes no doubt but it is only with that rational estimative Love But there is besides a Love to Wife and Children which is in some measure sensitive which you are not obliged to give to others And rationally they are more amiable to you in their peculiar relations and respects though others are more amiable in other respects And besides though you value and rationally love another more yet the expressions must not be the same For those must follow the Relation according to Gods command You may not cohabite nor embrace nor maintain and provide for others as your own even when you rationally love them more The common good requires this order in the expressive part as well as Gods command Quest. 7. Who is my neighbour whom I must love as my self Quest. 7. Answ. Not Devils nor damned souls who are under justice and from under mercy and are none of our society But 1. Every natural man in via being a member of Gods Kingdom in the same world is to be loved as my natural self And every spiritual man as a member of the same Kingdom of Christ must be loved as my spiritual self And every spiritual man as such above my natural self as such And no natural man as such so much as my spiritual self as such so that no man on earth is excluded from your love which must be Impartial to all as to your self but proportioned to their goodness Quest. 8. Is not Antichrist and those that sin against the Holy Ghost excepted out of this our Love and Quest. 8. out of our prayers and endeavours of their good Answ. Those that with Zanchy think Mahomet to be Antichrist may so conclude because he is dead and out of our Communion Those that take the Papacy to be Antichrist as most Protestants do cannot so conclude Because as there is but one Antichrist that is one Papacy though an hundred Popes be in that seat so every one of those Popes is in via and under mercy and recoverable out of that condition And therefore is to be loved and prayed for accordingly And as for those that blaspheam the Holy Ghost it is a sin that one man cannot certainly know in another ordinarily at least and therefore cannot characterize a person unfit for our love and prayers and endeavours Quest. 9. May we not hate the enemies of God How then must we love them as our selves Quest. 9. Answ. We may and must hate sin in every one And where it is predominant as God is said to hate the sinner for his sin so must we And yet still love him as our selves For you must hate sin in your selves as much or more than in any other And if you are wicked you must hate your selves as such Yea if you are Godly you must secundum quid or in that measure as you are sinful abhor and loath and hate your selves as such And yet you must Love your selves according to the measure of all that Natural and Moral Goodness which is in you And you must desire and endeavour all the good to your selves that you can Just so must you hate and love another Love them and hate them impartially as you must do your selves Quest. 10. May I not wish hurt sometimes to another more than to my self Answ. You may wish a mediate hurt which tendeth to his good or to the good of others but you Quest. 10. must never wish any final hurt and misery to him You may wish your friend a vomit or blood-letting for his cure And you may wish him some affliction when it is needful and apt to humble him and do him good or to restrain him from doing hurt to others And on the same accounts and for the publick good you may desire penal Justice to be done upon him yea sometimes unto death But still with a desire of the saving of his soul. And such hurt you may also wish your self as is necessary to your good But you are not to wish the same penalties to your self 1. Because you have somewhat else hisâ— to wish and do even to repent and prevent it 2. Because you are not bound ordinarily to do execution upon your self It is more in your power to repent your self and make penalty less necessary by humble confession and amendment than to bring another to repentance Yet I may add also that hypothetically you may wish that destruction to the enemies of God in this life which absolutely you may not wish That is you must desire first that they may repent and secondly that they may be restrained from hurting others But if neither of these may be attained that they may be cut off Tit. 2. Directions for Loving our Neighbours as our selves Direct 1. TAke heed of selfishness and Covetousness the two great Enemies of Love of which I have Direct 1. spoken more at large before Direct 2. Fall out with no man or if you do be speedily reconciled For passions and dissentions Direct 2. are the extinguishers of love Direct 3. Love God truly and you will easily Love your Neighbour For you will see Gods Image Direct 3. on him or interest in him and feel all his precepts and mercies