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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91733	Rules for the government of the tongue: together, with directions in six particular cases. [brace] 1 Confession of our faults to men. 2 Confession of Christ before men. 3 Reprehension of faults in others. 4 Christian communication. [brace] Vrbanity and eloquence. 5 Consolation of the afflicted. 6 Self-commendation, and a disproof of perfection in this life. Added, as a supplement, to the Rules for governing [brace] 1 the thoughts, 2 the affections, in the Precepts for Christian practice, or, The rule of the new creature, new model'd. / By Edward Reyner, minister of the Gospel in Lincolne.	Reyner, Edward, 1600-1668.; Reyner, Edward, 1600-1668. Precepts for Christian practice.	1656 (1656)	Wing R1230; Thomason E1594_2; ESTC R208861	220,132	401

pleased the Father that all comfort should bee laid up in Christ as in a Treasury or Store house for all his people and that Christ should send forth the same to them as the fountain doth water 3 By Dispensation or by Office as he is our Prophet Isa 61.1 2 3 which he executes and so comforteth us by his Spirit which he hath given us 3 God the Holy Ghost is the Author of Consolation by application of it to us for that is his proper work of all that comfort to our hearts which the Father hath appointed to us and which Christ hath obtained and keeps for us As by Baptism wee are dedicated to the service and committed to the protection of the Trinity Father Son and Spirit so we should devote our selves freely to the imitation of the blessed Trinity as in Sanctification to be holy as all the three Persons Father Son and Spirit are holy so in compassion and in consolation to be merciful as they are merciful and to comfort others as they are all comforters wee should count it our glory to be followers of the glorious Trinity herein Secondly To comfort others hath been the practice of the godly even of the most eminent Servants of God as of Job the most rich and religious man in the East Behold Job 4.3 4 saith Eliphas thou hast instructed many and thou hast strengthened the weak hands and the feeble knees thy words have upholden him that was falling Thus to support the weak and comfort the faint was not only Jobs practice but his praise therefore it is ushered in with an ecce Behold c. for so Eliphas speaks of it as a thing that many could attest to Jobs commendation and of the Prophets in the Old Testament Isa 40.1 2 to whom God gave charge to comfort his people And of the Apostles in the New Testament and of their Ministers and Fellow-labourers as Timotheus Tychicus Titus and others And of the Primitive Christians no doubt according to Apostolick injunctions Paul had confidence in Philomous obedience Philem. 21 knowing that he would do even more than hee said and great joy and consolation in his love because the bowels of the Saints were refreshed by him Vers 7. How Ans By commiseration consolation contribution intercession and the like Reas 4. From the equity of the duty in respect of us we ought to comfort others 1 Because we would bee comforted by others in our distress and whatever we would that others should do to us we should do the same to them Mat. 7.12 for this is the Law and the Prophets This duty should be mutual and reciprocal among Christians even those that comfort others may stand in need to be comforted by others as Eliphaz told Job Job 4.4 5 Thou comfortedst others c. But now it that is the affliction and misery is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled i.e. Thou now hast as much need to be comforted by others as others had to be comforted by thee Is not this thy fear and thy confidence c. Vers 6. This was the errour of Jobs friends to lay down good premises and to infer bad conclusions by misapplying the same to Job as if he were an Hypocrite Vers 7 and all his Graces counterfeit 2 Because all true Christians have an interest in comfort it is their portion in comforting them wee give them that which is their own and in not doing it we with-hold from them what of due belongs to them 3 To this end God gives us abilities and experiences that we may be able to comfort others upon the account whereof wee are Debtors to others 2 Cor. 1.4 God comforteth us in all our Tribulations saith Paul that wee may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort where-with wee our selves are comforted of God that even as persons of ability keep Bottles of Strong Waters Cordials and other comfortable things to refresh their friends or strangers when sick or faint we should keep the like in the closets of our hearts to comfort others in their afflictions As the Moon and Starres receive light from the Sun not to hoard it up in themselves like dark Lanthorns but to reflect it upon the earth and things below so we receive comfort freely from the Lord to the end we should give comfort freely to others 4 Lastly This is our Office as wee are members of the same body with others As the Stomack first feeds it self with the food it concocts then communicates nourishment to all other members the Heart and Liver send forth spirits and bloud throughout the body when they have received nourishment and strength so every Joynt or Member in Christs mystical Body should make a supply of consolation or instruction c. that is of what may nourish strengthen and encrease to his fellow-Fellow-members Ephes 4.16 according to the measure of that gift or grace hee hath received from his head Christ Jesus The bond of Brother-hood that is among Christians ties them thereunto to communicate what they have received from the Lord to the good of others Jude 20. Edifie your selves in your most holy faith To this end Love knits Christians together to make them communicative of good one to another and receptive thereof one from another to make them partakers in the graces and comforts one of another as the members of the body being tied together receive nourishment one from another Q. How may we comfort afflicted consciences that are wounded and dejected with sense of sin and of Gods Wrath and want of grace and draw nigh to the pits brink of despair and refuse to be comforted Ans 1. Set before them and apply to them as before our selves in the like case these Eight Grounds of consolation 1 The boundlesness and freeness of Gods pardoning reconciling accepting healing mercies to Sinners infinitely exceeding all their sins Psal 103.11 12 Vers 17 and all their unworthinesses in multitude and in magnitude in all dimensions and in duration Gods mercy is like the great deep Ocean without bank or bottom which can as easily swallow up mountains of sins as mole-hills or motes Therefore to doubt or despair or to give way to despondency of mind is to forsake our own mercy to sin against mercy which is one of the highest and most confounding aggravations of sin Lam. 3.22 Set also before them the bowels of Gods compassions which are most tender and yearning and fail not the riches of his free Grace which are the Treasures of Eternity that cannot be diminished by distribution but rather like the five Loaves wherewith Christ fed the five thousand men beside women children they multiply with breaking and the freeness unchangeableness and everlastingness of his love to poor sinners Hos 14.4 Jer. 31.3 that never deserved it or any thing from God but Wrath and Judgement Obj. But God

at both cannot rule their tougues It s hard to find so strong a Bit as to bridle the tongue so stirring a helm as to steer the course thereof aright Franare linguam est difficilius difficilimo saith Pareus To rule the tongue is more difficult than that which is most difficult 6 Hee compares the tongue that is ungoverned to things that are little in themselves yet do much mischief as fire vers 5 6. and poison vers 8. which two set forth the power of the tongue to evill the vigorous force whereof is very hardly restrained A little fire even a spark may consume great houses yea whole Towns to ashes very suddenly -Behold how great a matter or wood a little fire kindleth saith James Cap. 3.5 Fire is as we say a good servant but an ill Master how hardly●s it stopt or quenched when it hath got the upper hand and prevails as in scale-fires A little poison will kil a great man destroy the whole body and dissolve body and soul How difficult is it to temper poison that it may not hurt to conquer it that it may not kill So the Tongue though a little member is full of deadly poyson Jam. 3.8 How hard a matter is it to correct and temper the Tongue well that it may not infect either our selves or others For the Tongue infects and corrupts the whole World The Tongue also is a fire saith the Apostle Jam. 3.6 It is difficult to order it or keep it within compass as fire in the hearth that it may not break forth as fire in the Thatch or to the house-top nor undoe or consume our selves or others nor defile us with the black coals of evil or idle words As the fire not only burns but blacks Iam. 3.6 even so is the Tongue amongst our members it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course or wheel of Nature totius Naturae curriculum saith Piscator which comprehends 1 The Members of our bodies The Tongue is an Incendiary to lust and by wanton speech fets the whole man on a flame of uncleannesse and to revenge for it provokes the head to contrive mischief the hands to fight it makes the eyes to sparkle the feet swift to shed blood yea it inflames the heart in passion 2 The course of our lives and societies by Divisions Contentions Seditions Combustions Doth not the Tongue both kindle and blow the coals of all these It can do no otherwise till it be sanctified and well governed Vers 6. because it is set on fire of Hell i. e. by the Devil whence the Tongue hath all its guile and falshood for hee is the Father of lyes its malice clamour and bitternesse for Satan is the Author thereof its venome and poyson for Satan the old Serpent infuseth the same into it who drives it therefore it must needs run As fire so the Tongue is a good Servant but a bad Master For servants may be ruled so cannot Masters When the Tongue is its own Master to speak what it pleaseth it is like a Servant on horse-back and the Understanding which is as a Prince walking as a servant Eccles 10.7 or Lackey to it which is most unsafe and unseemly yea preposterous and ridiculous Vers 6. Then folly is set in great digmty Seeing the Tongue is so unruly there is great reason why it should be kept under good government Reas 2 The Excellency 2. From the excellency of the good order and use of the Tongue in respect of Action Commendation Perfection Imitation and Distinction 1 Of Action though the Tongue bee but a little member yet it acteth or can do great things So Calvin and Piscator understand those words in James 3.5 Even So the Tongue is a little member and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s rendered boasteth great things or doth magnifically lift up it self but signifieth and sets forth the power of the Tongue to good or comprehends the vertues of it as Veracity Modesty Taciturnity Constancy c. James his scope here saith Calvin is not to tax the vain boast of the Tongue for that suites not with the Bridle and the Helm to which hee compares the Tongue but to shew Linguam esse magnarum rer●m effectricem ●t magnâ vi pollere that the Tongue is a doer of great matters that it bears sway with great force and authority The most conceive the coherence of this fifth verse James 3. to bee with the third and fourth verses by way of similitude as a reddition to the proposition of the two former comparisons 1. Of Horses and bits in vers 3. 2. Of Ships and Helms ver 4. Both which are very remarkable therefore ushered in with two Ecce's as Trumpets to sound forth the fame thereof Behold Behold c. Behold As a little Bit will tame a great Horse and a very small Helm will turn about a great ship Even so the Tongue is a little member and effects great things of greater consequence than horses or ships or the service or benefits of both can bee Even such things as pertain to Gods Glory and mans salvation and to the good of others both publick and private 2 In respect of Commendation the Tongue well ordered bears the Bell away from all the other members It is the praise of the righteous man Psal 37.30 that his mouth speaketh wisdome and his Tongue talketh of judgement and of the vertuous woman that shee openeth her mouth with wisdome Prov. 31.26 and in her Tongue is the Law of kindnesse How was our Saviour commended and admired for the grace of his Lips as Truth Wisdome Purity Power sincerity c All bare him witnesse and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth Never man spake like him Luk. 4.22 Joh. 7.46 It was Jobs b Iob 2.10 praise in all this that is in all the calamities and miseries that befell him Job did not sinne with his lips by murmuring blaspheming or the like It is a high Act of Grace to guide the Tongue well in the deeps of Affliction God gave this Testimony of Job as matter of wonder in him and of honour to him Is there Iniquity in my Tongue said Job to his c Iob 6.30 friends q. d. have I spoken any thing contrary to Rule or Right It was Jeremiahs praise that which came out of his Lips was right before d Ier. 17.16 God and the commendation of the 144000 the Lambs Company standing with him on Mount e Rev. 14.1.5 Sion in their mouth was found no guile as it was the Character and praise of Israel They are Children that will not lye Isa 63.8 Zeph. 3.13 neither shall a deceitfull Tongue bee found in their mouths No part of Man is esteemed more praise-worthy among men than a good Tongue 3 In respect of Perfection for hee is a perfect man saith James Iames 3.2 that offends not in word

13.12 for here wee know but in part but in Heaven wee shall know as wee are known and see Christ as hee is 1 Joh. 3.2 The knowledge we have of God and Christ here is the beginning of life eternal Joh. 17.3 but the end or Perfection of it is in Heaven 2 Obedience Christ directs us to pray only for that which God would have us to do For Christ framed his plat-form of prayer he gives us in Mat. 6.10 according to the Will of God his Father Now hee hath taught us to pray Thy will bee done on Earth by us as it is done in Heaven by Angels and Saints to wit cheerfully sincerely holily fully constantly or as wee shall do it in the Kingdome of glory when wee shall sin no more This Petition implyes that no mans obedience is perfect because that wee pray for is not yet attained the good things wee do wee cannot perfect them Prayer presupposeth both want of that wee ask and Impotency in our selves to attain it or that it is out of our power A thing is said to bee done which is so in doing that it shall certainly bee finished In doing Gods Will wee should indeavour to write after the coppy and to come as neer the pattern Christ set us or proposed to us as wee can here though wee cannot perfectly conform to it till wee come in Heaven 3 The Saints Union or Unity This is 1 Very much pressed as their duty Ephes 4.3 to 8. Phil. 2.1 2. I beseech you Brethren saith Paul to the Corinthians by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that yee all speak the same thing that there bee no divisions among you but that yee bee perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement 1 Cor. 1.10 2 It is prayed for by Christ for all beleevers That they all may bee one as thou Father art in mee and I in thee that they also may be one in us Joh. 17.21 I in them and thou in mee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may bee made perfect in one or perfected into one that is perfectly compacted and conjoyned vers 23. Piseator in Joh. 17.23 That they may by one faith bee tyed together as Members of one body whereof Christ is the Head and by love bee knit together and cleave one to another But though the Saints Union among themselves bee begun and carryed on on earth yet not brought to Perfection till they come in Heaven For four Reasons 1 Because the means of their Union as Faith and Love are both of them imperfect here and something is still lacking in them both 2 There are remains of darknesse and corruption in them so long as they continue here which cause divisions and differences in opinion and affections 3 Till wee all come into the Unity of the Faith Ephes 4.13 and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ which cannot be till we all come into Heaven wee cannot come to perfect Vnity in Judgement and Affection Ioh. 17.23 4 Christ seems in that petition to have respect to the consummation of this Vnion in Heaven not only among themselves but with him and his Father because hee prayeth in the next verse for their glorification that all true beleevers may bee with him Ioh. 17.24 where hee is and behold his glory that is in Heaven where they shall bee companions with him in glory Col. 3.4 for ever Though the Vnion between Christ and Beleevers here bee very near and sure and indissoluble yet it is not so full and clear nor perfected untill wee bee joyned unto the Lord by sight in Heaven as wee are by faith on earth 2 Cor. 5 6 7. knowing saith the Apostle that while wee are at home in the body wee are absent or from home from the Lord. 4 Glorification This should bee sought for here though it cannot bee found or attained till hereafter Wee are commanded to strive in this life to enter in at the strait gate Luk. 13.24 Yet wee cannot come to this gate to wit of Heaven much lesse enter in at it till wee dye Paul laboured by all means while hee lived Phil. 3.11 to attain to the Resurrection of the dead that is to the estate of Grace and Glory that follows after it for both body and soul Obj. 2 Did not Christ command or counsel the young man to bee perfect here who asked him Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life Mat. 19.16 21. Is not Perfection then attainable in this life Ans Christs Counsel or Command to the young man If thou will bee perfect go sell that thou hast c. was special to him for Tryall Conviction and Discovery like that of God to Abraham Go offer thy Son Isaac for a burnt Offering not general given to all The man glorying in his works that he had kept all the Commandements from his youth up affected the praise of perfection what lack I yet Christ to convince him of his pride errour and vanity therein said unto him If thou wilt bee perfect c. as if hee had said if thou art really that which thou boastest thy self to be to wit perfect give a proof hereof in selling and giving all that thou hast and following mee Or if thou would bee as thou pretends perfect in Righteousnesse and Charity then go and sell all and give to the poor and come and take up the Crosse and follow mee So Mark hath it chap. 10.21 Or Christ spake this to convince him of his imperfection when hee boasted of his Perfection All these Commandements have I kept from my youth yet lackest thou one thing saith Christ Sel all and distribute to the poor Luk. 18.21 22. Christ might have said thou art therefore guilty of breaking all the Commandements because thou bragst thou hast kept them all and thou therefore lackst every thing because thou art conceited that thou lackest nothing Having declared in what sense the Saints are said in Scripture to bee perfect I proceed to the Second thing That no man can bee fully perfect or without sin in this life which I shall prove by six Arguments The first Argument To bee fully perfect without sin in this life is contrary to Scripture to Experience yea to the state of the Saints here 1 To the holy Scriptures which expresly deny the same as was declared before 1 King 8.38 46. Prov. 20.9 Eccles 7.20 2 This is contrary to the universal experience of all Gods servants who have felt and bewailed corruption in themselves even till death and have acknowledged the same before God and man and have disowned Iob 9 20. yea disclaimed all thoughts of their own Perfection in this life as Job did and Paul at large in Rom. 7.14 to the end though a holy Apostle complains bitterly of the sinfull corruption that did

more sinnes in one word you heard before in the multitude of words there wants no sinne That saying hath I beleeve a truth in it A mans most and worst sinnes are his words 1 His most sinnes because the Tongue formeth and increaseth iniquity more than any other member of the body 2 His worst sinnes as blasphemies against God especially against the Holy Ghost the sinne of which man cannot repent and which God will not forgive The lip of Truth hath spoken it whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not bee forgiven him noither in this world nor in the world to come Math. 12.31 32. The Holy Ghost describes the sinne of the Tongue in a greater circumference or compasse than the sinnes of any other part of the body James saith the Tongue is not a Hill or Mountain not a Town City or Countrey but a world of Iniquity Chap. 3.6 Paul anatomizing the natural man from head to foot in Rom. 3.9 to 19. and declaring how all men naturally are subject in all parts of them to all sinnes discovers more evils in the Organs of Speech than in any other member of the body There is a grave in the throat to bury others in quick guile in the Tongue poyson in the Lips gall or bitternesse in the mouth The sinnes of the Tongue have an universal influence not onely upon all the members of the body as was shewed before to pervert pollute yea poyson them all but over all callings conditions relations in which a man stands The tongues of Tradesmenly for gain though Treasures gotten thereby are but vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death Prov. 21.6 Of States-men drives on their design and self-interest Of Church-men preach their own parts conceits ends not Christ his truth and glory The sinnes of other members decay with age but the sinnes of the Tongue continue if they do not encrease even in old age as swearing cursing frowardnesse bitternesse in the speeches of aged men and women The sins of the mouth leave both a stain and a sting in the soul Therefore perverseness in the Tongue is a breach in the spirit saith m Prov. 15.4 Solomon Is it needfull for us to keep our mouthes from evil so is it to guide our Tongues well Both are equally necessary the one as the end the other as the means The restraint of the Tongue will keep a world of sin out of the mouth and abundance of sin out of the World 2 To prevent the evil of misery both 1 Here and 2 Hereafter 1 To prevent the evil of miseryhere as 1 Gods anger 2 Hatred 3 Opposition 4 Separation 1 Gods anger at our words Why should God bee angry at thy voice saith the n Eccles 5.6 Preacher that is when thou speakest rashly and unadvisedly Gods wrath was kindled against Eliphaz and his two friends for saith he yee have not spoken of mee the thing that is right as my Servant Job o Job 42.7 Ver. 8. hath that is So truly and rightly of his providential proceedings Therefore God prescribed them a course to make their peace with him scil to provide a great sacrifice and bring it to Job to offer and to pray for them lest I deal with you saith God after your folly or punish your foolishnesse in that yee have not spoken of mee the thing that is right Gods repetition hereof implies an aggravation of the fault and an inflammation of his anger against them for it Gods anger was kindled against Aaron and Miriam for speaking against Moses Numb 12.1.9 2 Gods hatred of our Tongues and lips for a lying Tongue is one of the six or seven things which the Lord hates and are an abomination to his p Prov 6.16 17 12.22.23 soul 3 Gods opposition to our persons or setting himself against us as an enemy for the abuse of our Tongues as hee did against the Prophets r Jer. 23.31 Behold I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that use their Tongues or that smooth their Tongues who speak placentia pleasing and plausible things to sooth up the people in their sins and perswade them it is the word of the Lord they deliver when it is nothing but their own fancies 4 A separation between us and our God which is made by Tongue-sins as well as by s Isa 59 2.3 hand-sins your iniquities saith the Prophet have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that hee will not hear what sins 1 The sins of the Hands and Fingers 2 Of the Lips and Tongue for your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity your lips have spoken lyes your Tongue hath uttered perverseness How needfull it is to govern our Mouths well that our words may not be the object of his anger nor our Tongues of his hatred that God may not estrange himself hide his face from us as not a friend to us nor set himself against us as an Enemy It were better for us to have all the World against us than God To keep our mouthes with al diligence is a means to keep our selves in the love and favour of God in neerness to and fellowship with God 2 To prevent Gods Judgements denounced against an evil Tongue or against man for the evils of his Tongue or evils executed upon that account as the Tongue of frowardness shall bee out out Prov. 10.31 like a bad branch that brings forth ill fruit God will cut off all flattering lips saith t Psa 12.3 David and the Tongue that speaketh proud or great things King Nebuchadnezzer for speaking proud u Dan. 4.30 Vers 31. words Is not this great Babylon that I have built c. while the word was in his mouth there fell a voice from Heaven like thunder as one saith with a bolt in it that he should be dis-throaned or unking'd yea unman'd and cast out of the society of men to live as a Beast Vers 32 33. and eat grasse among the Beasts of the field for seven years before his Reason returned to him A high and heavy punishment inflicted by God on a mighty Monarch for a proud speech the sin of his mouth for which hee was even taken in his vv Psal 59.12 pride scil as a bird in a snare God shut Moses out of temporal Canaan for speaking unadvisedly with his lips though hee much desired to go over and see that good land beyond Jordan Deut. 3.25 26. The sins of mens mouths prove the snares of their souls The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips saith x Pro. 12.13 Solomon that is his Tongue brings himself into trouble A fools mouth is neer destruction how neer scil at pits brink ready to drop in Prov. 10.14 yea a fools mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soul Prov. 18.7 Hee that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life but hee

Christ out of Heaven as if they had no grace at all because at present they can see none in themselves or were not the Lords because they are so deeply distressed as none of his ever were 5 To follow Satans prescripts or take Physick of him for the cure of Soul-troubles which is to lay aside all thoughts or cares about Soul-affairs to go into merry company and to give themselves to the pleasures of the flesh which remedy is farre worse than the disease This is to leap out of the pan into the fire Satans receits are rank poyson To hearken to Satan in any of these suggestions or perswasions is to do his lusts and his works for him to carry on his designs which mainly oppose and strike at Gods glory and the salvation of souls 4 Caution That they do not satisfie their disquieted hearts 1 By taking offence at the Lords dealings with them or at their present troubled state to be angry at God or to bee froward and sullen 2 By giving way to sad perplexed thoughts sufficient to sink them which is to prepare a Chariot for Satan to ride in triumph over their heads and hearts and to tread them both down to the dust 3 By venting or justifying the discontents and distempers of the heart as Jonah did his Anger before God Ionah 4. that they do well to bee angry 4 By putting away comfort from them in a froward peevish humour when it is tendred to them as Children throw away their Butter and Bread when they are pettish or displeased lest the Lord deal with them according to their desert Psal 18.26 and with the froward shew himself froward and fill their souls with Wormwood and Gall. Third Direction In dealing with afflicted souls or with your own souls in such afflictions have special respect to Three Graces to nourish and cherish the same in them which are their vitals in such a condition The First is Repentance for their sins those especially which are the cause of their troubles that their sorrow may bee sound and deep enough and go to the root or bottom of their hearts and of their lusts that their souls may lye low in humiliation before God for them for that is a foundation to build strong and high consolation upon those that are not rightly or throughly humbled for their sins are not fit for or capable of comfort The Second Grace is Faith labour to cherish and strengthen that in them by all means to trust still in God and his Mercies and Promises in Christ and his Merits and Mediation to lay fast hold on them and to stay themselves by them which are strong refuges to fly unto and sure foundations impregnable rocks to relye and rest their weary souls upon what evils soever they either 1 Feel So did David Psal 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me trust thou in God for I shall yet praise him 2 Or Fear So did Job Though he slay me Iob 13.15 Psal 56.3 yet will I trust in him And David What time I am afraid I will trust in thee Life is kept in poor souls and their heads above water that they shall neither faint nor sink though the sorrows of death compass them about so long as the actings of faith are maintained and incouraged in them for Faith is their life The just shall live by his faith they cannot be overcome of any evils Rom. 1.17 desertions tentations corruptions or of the evil one Satan so long as they beleeve for this is the victory that overcometh them all 1 Ioh. 5.4 even their faith When faith fails souls faint and dye away when Peter began to doubt he began to sink The Third Grace is Patience Perswade them to the constant Iam. 1.4 and continual exercise of Patience that it may have her perfect work in bearing his hand submitting to his will in waiting his leasure for refreshings from Gods presence for bringing their souls out of troubles for an answer of peace which will be life to their souls So long as Patience is kept in work Satan is kept out and they keep their souls in their own possession Tell them that by giving way to impatience they give place to the Devil who thereby gets within them and gets great advantage against them that heightens and greatens any affliction and makes it grievous to be born Let me adde labour to cherish good desires in them that the smoaking Flax or Wick may b● lighted and made to ●urn and shine and grow up to a flame When you see their poverty of spirit that they see their Soul-wants and breathe after supplies tell them from Jesus Christ Matth. 5.3 that upon this account they are blessed and theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Fourth Direction Take a right course for healing their distempers and troubles of Soul 1 By searching the Sore to the bottom to finde out the core and the cause thereof Till Physitians discover the cause of a Disease they cannot apply fit and proper Medicines for the Cure and by drawing the troubles of their heart to a head as their sorrow for sin in general to grieve for some one sin in special to let out the foul bloud or corruption of the Soul as a Chirurgion seeks to draw a tumour or swelling in the body to a head that the bad matter may issue out 2 By turning the stream of their passions into another Chanel as Physitians turn the course of their Patients bloud when they bleed much at the Nose by letting them bloud in the arm So labour you to turn their fear of Gods wrath and vengeance of Hell and Damnation into the chanel of holy fear of God and his goodness of offending God or sinning against him and their grief for paenal evils inward or outward into the chanel of godly sorrow for sin The fifth and last direction is this bear with their infirmities as ignorance frowardnesse Become all things to them for their refreshment and recovery like Paul 1 Cor. 9.20 who to the weak became as weak that hee might gain the weak stoop low in condescension to the lowest step of their dulness and dejection shew love to them with pitty and patience to bear all and hope all speak to them as sympathizing with them as having a fellow-feeling of their troubles and sorrows make it out to them that your words come more from your bowels than from your brains The sixth and last particular case is self-commendation Self-commendation It s lawfull for Gods people in some cases to commend themselves or to declare what God hath done for them and by them to speak of their graces God hath bestowed on them of their labours or works which God hath wrought by them yea also of their sufferings for God This hath been the practice of the most holy humble servants of God both in the old and new Testament some