to those thou hast wronged and for the future be thou resolved never to steal or rob or cheat any more for ever t is the holy counsel of St. Paul Let him that stole steal no more Eph. 4.28 and that no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter because that the Lord is the avenger of all such as I have forewarned and testified 1 Thes 4.6 1 Thes 4.6 §. XIII Disobedience and Rebellion S. 63 And now because in these later times iniquity doth abound and therefore souls are in great peril of being tainted with every wickedness and that both natural and religious ties and obligations are broken to the wounding of mens consciences and shipwrack of Faith and it may be thou mayst be one of those that art guilty of the sins of these perilous times and amongst others these are specified 2 Tim. 3.1 to verse 6. Disobedience to Parents Truce-breakers Treason or Rebellion S. 64 Such kind of sinners there are too many who notwithstanding the command of God Eph. 6.2.3 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15 17. Eph. 6.5 1 Tim. 6.1 Tit. 2.9 10 which is that we should honour and obey our superiors 1. Such as are our natural parents from whom we descend 2. Our superiors by Gods appointment as 1. the King as supreme or 2. Governors appointed by him for so is the will of God 3. and also Masters and Heads of families must be obeyed by their servants in all lawful possible and just commands or else servants trangress the Gospel rule 4. And Ministers such as have a power over the people to rule and guide them in the business of their souls Eph. 4.11 12. 2 Cor. 5.20 1 Pet. 4.19 who are called Pastors spiritual Guides and Embassadors of Christ and Ministers of the grace of God for the good of souls and to such we must give obedience in the Lord Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves Heb. 13.17 for they watch for your souls S. 65 Now it may be thou hast been under all these relations and yet art under them and hast been a transgressor of the Laws of the Gospel concerning these several relations as a child as a subject as a servant or as under the Gospel Ministry Examine thy heart and actings and see wherein thou hast been faulty And S. 66 1. If thou hast at any time or art now in a state of disobedience to thy natural parents in their lawful commands if thou hast reviled reproched strucken cursed them or thy heart rise up against them in hatred or contempt or scorn of them or if thou bearest not due respect to them Ex. 21.19 Lev. 20 9. Pro. 20.20 Deut. 27.17 Pro. 15.20 if thou hast crossed and vexed them by thy looseness vanity and wickedness to the grief of their souls and undoing of thy self by thy naughty courses if thou hast already engaged in any company course and marriage or intendest to do any of these contrary to the counsel and consent of thy natural Parents who intend and seek thy good then I advise thee to repent and leave off to be disobedient and learn obedience and exercise love reverence respect and hearken to Parental admonitions and follow their counsel cease to displease them for assuredly as long as thou art in a state of disobedience to thy Parents thou canst not be assured of the favour of God not his blessing nay thou art all this while under the displeasure of God and a rebell to his commands and untill reformation come thy Case is sad read the texts Deut. 21.18 Rom. 1.30 2 Tim. 3.2 1 Sam. 2.25 S. 67 2. If thou being a subject a person born or living within the dominions of a lawfull King whose right it is to Rule under Christ within his dominions over the outward man by Gods appointment and art bound in conscience to submit unto him and yeild obedience in all things lawfull according to the will of God as t is Gods will thou shouldest for Magistracy is the ordinance of God Therefore let every Soul be subject unto the higher powers ordained of God Rom. 13.1 2 3 4 5. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves DAMNATION For he is the Minister of God to thee for good Therefore must ye needs be SUBJECT not onely for wrath but also for CONSCIENCE sake And another command is 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. submit your selves for the Lords sake to the KING AS SUPREME or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that doe well For so is the will of God that you Love the brotherhood v. 17. Fear God Honour the King Now this being a clear duty as thou art a Christian to submit to and obey the cheif Christian Magistrate in all things lawfull and honest and to honour him and love him Therefore if thou hast at any time resisted his person or office or hast a rebellious disposition against him seeking by secret and treacherous conspiracie to subvert his rule or mischeif the life or safety of thy Soveraign If thou hast spoken reprochfully of him or cursed him with thy mouth or despised government If thou hast done these things then art thou to be accounted of as such who are condemned for presumptious leud sinners and hast this mark on thee who dost boldly speake evil of dignity Jude v. 8. 2 Pet. 2.10 and despise dominions and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness ver 13. And they that RESIST their lawfull owned Prince and Soveraign SHALL RECEIVE DAMNATION for so Resisting If they repent not Traytors and Rebells shall not escape the revengefull hand of God Rom. 13.2 his Justice will find them out Zimri that slew his Master had not immunity 2 Sam. 20.22 nor Sheba that rebelled against his Soveraign nor Absolon that rose up against king David 2 Sam. 18.9 10. Num. 16.1.32 nor Korah and his associates who appeared against Moses their Prince S. 69 Therefore if thou hast been guilty of this disobedience and rebellion Repent thee speedily lest thou come to ruine both body and soul S. 70 And if thy sin be aggravated by thy actuall fighting against his person and authority and in pursuance of thy Malicious design hast shed the blood of others or hazard thy own life to accomplish thy rebellious purpose then hast thou added murther to rebellion and if thou hast violated a sacred oath and perfidiously broken a Covenant then is thy sin yet the greater by perjury And if thou hast imbrued thy hands in the blood of thy Soveraign or contrived his death or consented to it then hast thou heightned thy guilt to an ABOMINABLE CRIME such as nature and nations and all good men and true Christians abhor and such as the Scripture condemneth and the righteous holy God will one day punish
with hell except thou repent speedily severely deeply and unlesse this thy repentance be accompanied with many prayers and many teares and great manifestation of thy sorrow for this sin I cannot think of any way imaginable how thou mayst escape the condemnation and damnation S. 71 Oh then examine thy heart and actings and see how thou art guilty of this sin of resisting lawfull authority and repent in time lest the curse overtake thee that is the reward of disobedience to Magistrates treason and rebellion S. 72 3. Hast thou or art thou a servant under a Master and hast thou disobeyed thy Master in his lawfull and possible commands hast thou been unfaithfull to his honest trust hast thou wasted his goods or wronged his person hast thou betrayed him out of malice or for reward into the hand of his enemies hast thou hated thy master and studied to mischeif him in life liberty goods children or reputation then thou hast been a disobedient servant a false and wicked person I exhort thee if guilty to repent of this also lest the curse of Judas who betrayed his Master fall upon thee S. 73 Art thou one that hast owned Christianity for thy profession and Christ for thy Saviour and Lord and the word of God for the rule of thy faith and life and yet dost in thy heart and practice renounce despise and gainsay the ministry of this dispensation If thou refuse this subjection and obedience to the faithfull dispensers of the Gospel the Pastors and Ministers of Christ over thee in the Lord for the good of thy soul S. 74 If thou hate the Ministers of the word for their works sake 1 Kings 22.8 if thou continue and despise them and their ministry if thou mock or any wise abuse vilifie and resist them in their ministry Luke 10.16 2 Chron. 36.16 2 Kings 2.23 Deut. 17.12 Hos 4.4 Acts 5.39 if thou make light of their serious exhortations admonitions and reproofs from the Lord by them and refusest to conforme thy heart and life thy judgment and actions so far as it concerns thy soul to the doctrine of Christ concerning faith in him and imitation of Him faithfully and truly preached by the minister of Christ Then art thou guilty of the sin of disobedience and rebellion against the Minister of Christ and in him against Christ who hath said he that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10.16 2 Cor. 5.20 And as Paul speaks their office and work We are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God S. 75 Now examine how thou hast carried thy self always to the Gospell-Ministry that ordinance of God and toward those pastors set over you in the Lord and know if thou art in any of these forementioned Instances guilty either by wronging their persons or slighting or reproching their office in the ministry of Holy things then must thou repent and become a reformed person in this point also unlesse you will venter to bear the wrath of God and the punishment for such wickedness 2 Chr. 36 15 16. see in Chron. The Lord God sent to them by his messengers because he had compassion on his people but they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his prophets untill the wrath of the Lord rose against the people till there was no remedy And thou mourn at the last when thy flesh and thy body is consumed and say how have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers nor enclined my ear to them that instructed Pro. 5.11 12 13. S. 76 Now I have warned thee of these things because thou livest in an Age very sinfull in these kinds of disobedience and I have told thee thus much lest falling among perilous men of these last and perilous times thou it may be hast been seduced and art fallen unawares into this sin of resisting thy Superiours in the Lord and art one of those that despisest dominion 2 Pet. 2. Jud. v. 8. and speakest evil of dignities and art fallen under the temptation of wicked gainsaying and reprochfull men whose mouthes are full of cursing and hearts and hands full of violence and malice against the Lords Ordinances Magistracy and Ministry And if thou art yet pure as to these sins Bless God for it and be carefull and pray lest thou fall into this temptation of disobedience to Parents lawfull Magistracy Masters and Ministry and at last for thy sinfull disobedience fall under the condemnation of Hell Rom. 13.2 for they that resist the Ordinance of God shall receive to themselves damnation therefore look to thy self in time § XIV Pride and Vain-glory. S. 77 Art thou tainted with Pride and Vain-glory a sin it is hatefull to God and destructive to souls a temper no wise consisting with true Grace in any one but stands in opposition to Christ and Holinesse for Pride of life is not of God Jo. 2.16 but of the world Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord and he shall not go unpunished Prov. 16.18 Psal 119.21 Esa 2.11 12. Jam. 4.6 Luk. 1.51 Mal. 4.1 Prov. 8.13 The proud are cursed and the lofty haughty proud man whoere he be shall be brought down and made low for God resisteth the proud c. and will scatter the proud in the imaginations of their heart and they shall be as stubble to the fire of Gods wrath that are proud for God hates pride in any All this is against Pride and all this is against thee if thou be proud or haughty in heart or life therefore examine now thy self see if this pride be in thee if thou art guilty of pride Art thou lifted up with a conceit of thy self as more excellent then others and despisest those whom thou undervaluest to thy self by thy supposed advantages of birth Breeding Beauty Power Place Parts Gifts Riches Rayment Gate Arts Tongues Learning Wisdom Policy c. S. 78 A fond desire and seeking for Fame Reputation Applause if thou proceed to bragging or boasting of what thou seemest to thy self to be and wouldest be accounted and esteemed of as such and art angry if disappointed of thy expectation or when contradicted and reproved then art thou a proud person pride hath seised on thee S. 79 Dost speak great words of vanity glorying in thy self and bringest thy self to the view that thou mightest be admired for some singular excellency then art thou a vain-glorious person and seekest praise of men and pride hath exalted it self in thee and thou art grievously infected S. 80 Yet further there is a kind of pride which lies at the bottom of grace and holy duties which duties would be acceptable to God were it not for the pride that doth infect them
before the Lord as others with an unwilling mind and hast offered to him in Sacrifice the blind and maimed and hypocriticall heart cold and discomposed distracted prayers when thou hast prayed by thy self or with others S. 14 Thou hast it may be hated from the very Heart the strict wayes of holinesse in soul and life and turned from saving admonition as a detestable thing S. 15 Thou hast slighted Gods invitation resisted grace teaching refused Christ reigning reproched and scoffed at the Ministers of Christ earnestly perswading these things thou hast done and in all or some of these cursed courses thou hast continued so long that it is grown to a custom and as naturall to thee to sin in one kind or other every day as to breathe the aire to move eat or drink or sleep is it not S. 16 And to make up thy measure full of wickedness all this while thou hast abused the wonderfull patience mercy and long-suffering of the Lord thy God S. 17 But we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against you that commit such things for that they which have committed such things should repent and forsake them all yet do not but adding this to all Rom. 2 v. 4 5 6. that by despising the riches of Gods goodness forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee not to sin or continuance in sin but to repentance but by this thy hardness and impenitent heart treasu est up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God who will render to every one according to his deeds S. 18 O read and consider well this dreadfull place and see doth it belong to thee art thou such an one as is herein condemned bethink thy self what thou hast been and what thou art what thou hast done consider thy ways and the frame and tendency of thy spirit S. 19 It may be thou hast been guilty in all these wayes of sinning and if thou wert t is pity thy life t is pity such a wretch such a monster should be nourished But alas if thou art in a state of sinning habitually though but in any one kind that were enough to destroy thee for ever and cut thee short of happiness yea although it were which I am past doubt it is not that thou hadst not been notoriously guilty of any of these sins which are the Issues of depraved nature and naturall product of the evill disposition in thee and which are necessarily brought forth in the outward man if not restrained yet if these be frequently in thy thoughts if they be nourished and allowed there t is all one to him who sees the inwards of the Soul and with what company it keeps the Lawes of God reach unto the heart Ps 50.21 Hos 7.2 they are spirituall and Christ rules the inward man as well as the outward dost thou not know that all thy sins where and when committed are upon Record before the Lord S. 20 But if this make thee not yet know thy self then know farther and let this be to thee as it is in it self an eternal Truth a decreed Law That except thou whoever thou art either notoriously bad or seemingly tolerable to thy self be converted reformed so as to leave off in heart and life all thy known sins and lay apart all thy ungodliness and lead an holy sober and righteous life and that to the end thou canst not be saved S. 21 Before Conversion comes before that gracious method of Regenerating souls pass upon thee and thou be reformed and brought out of the state of sinful nature into a state of holy reformation there is no hope for thee of thy salvation Nature and sin note thee a child of Adam Grace and conversion declare thee a child of God and an heir of a glorious Eternity S. 22 Well then thou art either unreformed in whole or reformed but in part to the one all is wanting to the other something is yet lacking to make thee a sound Christian each of you is the person to whom I address my present swasion S. 23 And I hope thou so bad as thou hast been hitherto art not past all cure remediless and I am sure thou art not unless thou still refuse and hardness hath taken up thy heart as a judgment from God I doubt not but through the grace of God in the use of these spiritual means thou mayst of a vile Barbarian become a sound Christian of a child of wrath an heir of glory of a foul sinner a fair Saint if thou be not resolved against thine own happy reformation S. 24 Poor soul thou hast so much to begin withall towards thy saving change thou hast Reason wilt thou let it but work and wilt thou yeeld to reason S. 25 Thou hast Faith some kind of faith wilt thou believe what God by his Word hath revealed of his mind concerning thee and every man in thy case and consent to Truth S. 26 Thou hast Consideration wilt thou be serious and consider wisely for thy self thy own soul how thou mayst become reformed that thou mayst become happy Consider wisely it is thy own concernment it is thy own soul must pay dearly for it if thou art not reformed soundly and speedily it is thy own soul snall reap richly by conversion if thou defer not to come in and give not out until it be completed S. 27 Thou hast now an opportunity put into thy hâ—nd thou art once again called to and perswaded to be reformed wilt thou follow this Call and yeeld ere it be too late Now again it is offered thee Christ is ready and grace is ready grace to assist thee Christ to receive thee the Word of God to guide thee and holy Spirit to convert thee and I thy hearty well-wisher to thy excellent soul do in the Name of Christ earnestly entreat thee Now 't is put to thy choice whether thou embrace it or no now is the acceptable time the day of grace To day therefore O thou that carest for thy soul after so long a time while it is to day for if night come if death come before thy work of conversion be sinished thou must lie down in sorrow and possess an eternity of horrid darkness and woful misery S. 28 Come Man I think thou hast so much Reason so much Faith so much Consideration so much Experience as to understand and believe that thy eternal happiness lieth not here below in this terrestrial world but in Heaven with God above in glory and that thou wert made for some higher end than to live among visible creatures to eat drink work play and sleep sure thou art perswaded there are other things to be looked after by one of an immortal principle than to gather terrene riches and to taste bodily and sensual delights and honors in this present life S. 29 Know excellent Creature know believe thy Creator and
years and art of a longer standing it may be twenty thirty fourty fifty sixty years thou hast all this while enjoyed the plentifull meanes of grace and so long hath God been bearing with thee still expecting from thee somewhat of all that beneficence of his toward thee and now at last coming to thee and findes no fruit on thee onely a few leaves of profession may he not say in high displeasure never fruit grow on thee more henceforth by this time thou mightest have been strong and well rooted in faith abundant in charity and well knowing in the things of God and of thy own soul able by thine own experience and example to instruct the younger by this time thou mightest have been able to resist the strongest temptations and have understood the wiles of Satan and decei fulness of sin have been sufficiently guarded from their prevalencies by this time thou mightest have overcome the world and have been crucified to all the worldly pleasures honors riches and have had thy love delight and happiness placed on God and Heaven long ere this hour of the day of thy life hadst thou not been unfaithfull to thy Lord and Master Christ and unfruitfull under the meanes of grace mightest thou have been one prompt and ready to and zealous of good works and thy life might have been an ornament to the Gospel and the doctrine of our Saviour in all things of piety and charity Titus 2.10 and thou thy self a shining light Phil. 2.16 Mat. 5.16 holding forth the word of life and faith in all manner of good works as becometh Christianity to the glory and praise of Gods free grace towards thee but is it so with thee or not hast thou continued all this while as at first unfruitfull S. 157 Try thy heart and wayes and if thou hast profited and laboured in the things of religion piety charity humility righteousness sobriety bless God for it goe on to perfection and give not out to the last moment being never weary of well-doing abounding alwayes in the work of the Lord Gal. 6.9 1 Cor. 15.58 2 Cor. 7.1 Heb. 13.1 2. perfecting holiness in the fear of God lay aside every weight and run the rest of your race before you with patience looking to Jesus the author and finisher of your raith believing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. But if hitherto thou hast been unfruitfull then let the consideration of it prick thee to the heart repent repent thee speedily for all thy unfruitfulness and barrenness and redeem thy time for all is lost and thy soul will be lost for ever if thou repent not of this sin even this of unfruitfulness and henceforth learn to doe well and apply thy heart withall to bring fruit unto the Lord even the fruit of his care and Gospel-mercies in Christ unto thy soul Doe not slight this admonition and warning 't is from the Lord for thy good therefore see to it in time CHAP. VI. An Enumeration of more sins and wayes by which man offends God and contracts guilt to his soul of which he must be reformed S. 1 I Have in the foregoing Sections given you a particular of some of the most gross and notorious sins their names nature and condemnation all or any one of them if thou art guilty and meanest to live in will bring damnation to thy body and soul most certainly S. 2 And there are many more sins then those mentioned which lay claim to Hell for their reward which the holy book of God and the spirituall guides of thy soul if thou consult them would sufficiently instruct thee about how thou mayst either avoid and prevent them or repent and forsake them all though lying within thy heart thoughts words or actions for Gods Spirit would conduct thee also S. 3 And further things sometimes tolerably lawfull to be done may through circumstances time and place become unlawfull and a sin to thee if thou dost them and there are some things some persons may doe at some times in some cases which another may not doe without a sin nor the same person at another time or under another relation but it will be a fault It were easie to instance in examples of this kind but they would be a subject fit for determination of cases of Conscience which now I am not about yet this I would advise thee if thou meanest to walk circumspectly and exercise a good conscience always that in things doubtfull and disputable take the surest part that part of the question which is surely no sin for instance is dicing or carding lawfull or to wear black spots as the manner of some is or to put money to usury With some this may be a question but for my part I would thus resolve it that it may be unlawfull and a sin to play at cards or dice or to put on those strange fashions or to practise usury c. but not to play at either or with either at any time at all nor to lend upon usury nor to conform to the fantastical fashions of dressing is doubtless no sin and a wise soul would take the safest course and walk in the surest way and avoid all appearance of sin as well as all sins and he that doth not doe that that is shun as much as possible all appearance of evil transgresseth a Gospel-rule 1 Thess 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evil S. 4 There are also other sins which lie somewhat closer that make not so great a noise nor so suddenly wast the conscience yet the amount of them may prove an eternal guilt and men may often flatter themselves into hell with them under pretence that they are but little ones and sins of infirmity onely which as men are apt to think have a certain divine indulgence waiting on them of course S. 5 And indeed many foul and il-favoured sins to which men give full consent and delight are choked with the name and maintained in heart and practice with an opinion that they will be accounted of as lesser irregularities deviations humane frailties and infirmities for men are pleased to think they may live in sins of infirmities safely and laudably and therefore are willing to believe that all their omissions of good duties and commissions of evil works are but as so many infirmities and easily pardoned without either forsaking them or striving against them or repenting of them S. 6 But say the best thou canst of thy infirmities either natural or moral either thy inclination and propension of nature to evil or slipping into a fault through a sudden surprisal and violent temptation or ignorance and inconsiderateness or suppose they be onely the defects in our duty as wandring thoughts sometimes dulness drowsiness and weariness in our service of God or thy backwardness to every good work thy want of proportionable zeal for Gods glory and the Church S. 7 Or grant it to be but
pleasure or emolument by sinning no not for the whole worlds riches or honours I must not deny my Master Christ to whom I am a sworn servant he is one that will maintain me and keep me and stick by me and give me heaven at last if I forsake him not and cast not off his yoke nor go back from my engagement he will never leave me nor cast me out if I never leave him nor turn Apostate as I shall do if I yeild to sins motions and consent to sins temptations and return to that filthy vomit of former sinfull practises remember always thy vow forget not thy obligations thy duty and thy Master Christ thy Saviour Lord Redeemer thy own soul and the last judgment and then this will both take thee off from thy sinfull course and preserve thee from falling again into the hand of temptation and practise of sin any more VII Direction S. 11 7. Call thy self every day to an account for what every day you do whether you have omitted your duty or committed a sin and repent every day this is a work will prove advantagious if well performed for by his practise you will learn to know your self still better and better and amend more and more and you will be happy if Christ find you so doing when he calls you to account S. 12 Besides if you do this constantly and sincerely every day you shall have but a days sins to repent of and the same day you are a dying and then the last act of your repentance will be the completing of all the former acts of penitence and then onely will death-bed repentance be accounted of when it is the conclusion of a watchfull serious holy penitent life and the last act of that habituall grace but if all be left to the last day or minute and that which should have been done every day hath been put off to the last O what a burden of foul sins will lie then upon thee poor weak wretch if all be let alone till then Oh how canst thou think that God will pardon all thy sins upon the last minuts repentance when that last is thy first and last a sorry repentance it is indeed if it be but a little sorrow an expiring sigh and groan after an ages sinning and a vitious life Therefore now begin and continue till thy dying day to reckon with thy self every evening for what thou hast done the day and every morning for what thou hast acted in darknesse of night and what thou hast done foolishly repent and for what thou hast done well in the duties of sobriety chastity charity and piety rejoyce and give God thanks when thou hast fallen into or by a temptation be sorry and more watchfull for afterward and when upon examination you have found you have resisted and overcome a temptation and avoided a sin give God the praise of his assisting and preventing grace and likewife for thy consciencious tenderness that would not let thee commit a sin nor omit a duty VIII Direction S. 13 8. The next counsell I would have thee consent to follow is this That you take heed in all the work of reformation of a shifting and deceitfull heart The heart is deceitfull above all things Jer. 4.9 and desperately wicked it will pretend one thing and do another there is much double-dealing it will seek evasions and find excuses to put off a duty but especially this of reall reformation thy heart will hold up faiâ— shews with foul practises it will make many proffers and promises of repentance and amendment and if you trust your own heart you shall have nothing of it but promises and good purposes for afterward still I will repent hereafter and amend hereafter next week or next month or next year and yet delayeth still and will do so untill death and then it is too late Oh how often hath thy heart deceived and betrayed thee already to deferre untill a more convenient time how long hast thou been about to repent and reform and yet nothing done towards it but a company of promises and pretences and all this while instead of doing your necessary work you have added sin to sin and day unto day uttereth excuses and this day the heart saith to reformation go and come again to morrow and what is this but heaping up wrath and filling up the measure and adding more weight to the burden of sin and binding my self faster with the cords of my own twisting and rendring my bands more irrefragable and my guilt more damnable and yet thus it hath been with every man that trusteth a deceitfull heart and will be so with thee if thou admit of its excuses and lettest it alone to shift cog and deceive and to play such pranks as the heart of foolish inconsiderate man doth delight in S. 14 Now if ever you will be serious and do any thing to purpose in the necessary business of thy eternal concernment never give way to delay thy reformation let the pleasures be never so fair or ever so many be not deceived by thy self but be thou a doer of the work and not a pretender to it only 't is a deceiving and a deceived heart that makes thee hitherto either deferre the duty or do it slightly IX Direction S. 15 9. If you would be throughly reformed converted and saved in time then forthwith give up thy self to Jesus Christ and to the word of his grace let Christ be thy Physitian go to him which is the fountain opened for sin and for uncleannesse Zac. 13.1 1 Jo. 1.7 't is the blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin flee unto him and yield up thy self unto him shew thy wounds and beg his healing carry thy burthen and let him ease thee Come unto me saith Christ all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 29. take my yoke upon you and learn of me and ye shall find rest for your souls Let the word of Gods grace teach thee and rule thee be often at those ordinances where Christ is applyed to thy soul and the Spirit of Christ is working conversion give up and resign thy self to the teachings of the spirit by the word hear that word and obey it which discovereth and debaseth sin and searcheth the heart frequent that preaching that advanceth Christ and holiness that wooes thee off thy sins unto Christ and holy walking S. 16 If thou be converted it must be by those means that God hath appointed to convert souls and bring them to saving faith and repentance all true converts can say that God of his own will begat them with the word of truth Wherefore lay apart all filthiness Jam. 1.18.21 22. and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls But he ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves and every one that is made a new creature must say 1