reason and manner of things except they may see things plainly they will not believe Yet there is no sound Christian but he believes all Divine Truth implicitely that is he believes the Scriptures to be most certainly true and all things therein contained though there are many things to be found there which he hath no distinct knowledge of I pray mistake me not I am not for a Popish implicite Faith a believing as the Church believes but for our giving an assent universally to all that God hath said As there is a general repentance and humiliation for unknown sins so a general implicite belief of unknown Truths And further the true Christian hath an explicite belief of all Fundamental necessary Truth He must first stedfastly believe ere he can sincerely make a profession of the Truth or chearfully suffer for it Again some are unresolved concerning the present Truth As the times vary so doth mens opposition against the Truth Sometimes one Truth mainly opposed and sometimes another Now it is of very great consequence to be setled in the Truth of the Season As the Apostle Peter sayes of those to whom he writes 2 Pet. 1.12 that they were established in the present Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. in the Truth of the Gospel Non tantum promissa sed reipsa exhibita as Beza Christ was the Truth and substance of those Types and Shadows under the Law but he was further off from them then he is from Beleivers under the Gospel Therefore those legal Types and Shadows give place the Body and Truth being come This is one sense given of that passage But there is another interpretation given of it which is to my present purpose established in the present Truth i. e. in that Truth which at this present time is most under debate As that was the great question of those dayes Whether the way of the Gospel the Christian Religion or Judaism was the true way And thus several ages have raised controversies about Religion In every age there is some special Truth which is as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Shiboleth a mark of distinction betwixt sound Professours and such as are spurious As v. g. this Truth That Jesus is the Christ was the tryal of men at first when the world stormed at him and at all that confest his Name Afterwards when Arrianism sprung up and prevailed in the world the Deity of Christ His being one in essence with the Father was the touch-stone whereby Professors were tried Where Arminianism is rife the point of special Free Grace becomes a main note of discovery Sometimes that false and absurd Opinion of Christ's real corporal presence in the Sacrament hath been cried up by men of corrupt minds as their great Diana and persecution set on foot and raised up against those who would not come over to that grosse conceit then those that were sound in the Faith would be at more then ordinary pains to be clear in the Doctrine of the Sacraments Where Popery prevails and mens traditions and inventions are set up in the room of and as of equal credit or profit with the Ordinances and Institutions of our Lord Christ the Authority and absolute perfection of the Sacred Scriptures together with the Glorious Offices of Jesus Christ are plainly struck at desperately undermined Which points if men be not clear and stedfast in when the temptation comes they will easily be carried away with the error of the Wicked It is nothing to condemn old errors that are laid in their graves long since while one is not established in the present Truth Either not to hold this or to hold it loosely is of very dangerous consequence Only I grant in controversies about lesser matters men of sober and pious spirits may be either at a stand in the dark or of different apprehensions Yet it is to be noted that where such are in the dark and doubtful they would gladly be informed heartily pray for satisfaction and would be as thankful for it if once obtained so what opinion such embrace or receive it is not because such an opinion would some way accord with their worldly interest but because in their apprehension it looks likest to Truth A sound Christian receives the Truth in the love of it and you need do no more to work him to the entertaining of any truth in Religion then only satisfy his judgment that it is a truth He receives not Divine Truths for self-ends or by-respects neither dare he out of respect to carnal self reject any Truth But for any to cherish doubts in their minds upon design that they might have something to say for their parting with the Truth when it is dangerous to hold on in the profession of it to adventue no farther to Sea then if a storm should come they might soon get to shore again to engage no further in the profession of the Truth then they might face about and make a fair retreat when this meets with opposition though the men of this world will judge it a point of Policy yet indeed it is an argument of base hypocrisie and treachery And such studied Scepticks in Religion are next neighbors to downright Atheists But a thin mud-wall betwixt them that is soon broken down But so much of halting in principle Again there is halting in practice Unevenness in conversation when that is not ordered aright Now it must be acknowledged the best men on earth walk not so evenly with God as they ought But here take a distinction or two There is an halting in some particular steps or acts and in ones ordinary in a continued course I say 1. There is an halting in some particular steps or acts This is incident to the Saints themselves Such as walk uprightly in the main yet at one time or other have their sinful slips Faithful Abraham halted before Abimelech Yea that Grace which seemed strongest even his Faith was sinew-shrunk sometimes As Job's patience was otherwhiles sinking under his burdens So David the man after God's own heart turned aside once shamefully in the matters of Vriah Peter halted with the Jews Gal. 2. He is there charged amongst others that he did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foot it aright Thus the best of God's Saints have sometimes trod awry 2. But then there is halting in a continued course This is worse than the former The Faithful too oft meet with rubs in their way that for the present stop them but they recover themselves again and proceed on in a right course Whereas all natural men are quite upon a wrong byass Their heart is bent to backsliding from God As there is a phrase Isa 44.20 A deceived heart hath turned him aside Hypocrites have a corrupt byass within that is still drawing them aside into crooked paths And the double-minded man is unstable even in all his wayes Again there is an halting through infirmity from the remainders of corruption and a resolved deliberate
saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations Most disingenuous and ingrateful creatures If we cast him off now he would not have dealt so with us If we forsake him he would not have forsaken us With an upright man he will shew himself upright Psal 18.25 This motive the Apostle useth to perswade unto Christian stedfastness and constancy Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised God would be true to us then should not we be true to him 9. Others obstinacy in their false and evil wayes should provoke us to stedfastness in the wayes of God Jer. 2.11 How many rooted in their errors that there is no stirring of them how many wedded to Superstition how many doting upon their old heathenish customs like those Jer. 44.16 17. no taking them off How many hardned in sin so resolved upon the pursuit of their lusts as there is no turning of them And do not all these shame and condemn us if our hearts are not as much fixed upon God if we cleave not as close to Him his Truth and Wayes 10. I add but a word more How should we fear to halt with God lest it provoke the Lord even to depart from us O Sirs do you desire it may go well with the Land whereof you are Inhabitants with the Church of which you are Members would you have it to go well with England then take ye heed of halting in Religion See Josh 22.18 If we turn away from following the Lord to day to morrow he may be wroth with the whole Congregation If such as profess his Name are turning further back from him how may such provoking of his sons and daughters cause the Lord to abhor us will not this make a way to his Anger or rather make the gap wider like a great breach of the Sea never more to be repaired I say halting in Religion may provoke the Lord to depart As we read of the Israelites Psa 78.57 to 62. They turned back and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers they were turned aside like a deceitful bow When God eard this he was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel so that he forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh c. I come now to the Directions I promised with which I conclude And would you halt no more in Religion 1. Get a clear sight and knowledge of your way Labour for a distinct knowledge both in matters of Faith and Practice Thus get your way made plain He that walks in the dark goes he knows not whither and stumbles at he knows not what He that walks in the Light is not in that danger of stumbling We must first know before we can be established in the Truth 2 Pet. 1.12 First prove and then hold fast 1 Thes 5.21 We must know the certainty of those things wherein we have been instructed that they may be most surely believed of us Luke 1.1 4. They that receive the Word with much assurance as the believing Thessalonians did 1 Thess 1.5 there is hope that they will venture all rather than renounce or part with the Truth 2 Tim. 3.14 Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of There must be a learning of the Truth and assurance that it is the Truth if we would continue in the Truth So Col. 1.23 Here 1. Be very clear in thâ— grounds of Religion They that would â—ot be fluctuating in Religion must get their minds well ballasted with the knowledge of the grounds of Religion They that would stand in a storm must see they have a basis of their own a good foundation laid that they do not pin their Faith on others Indeed I know not what should hinder but an ignorant Protestant may soon turn a confident Papist But Catechism Instruction in the Principles of Christianity was one main engine whereby our Reformers battered down Popery The foundation is a principal part of the building so the lowest Principles as it is observed the lowest Principles of Religion in one sense are the highest Principles If you would have the house to stand lay the foundation well an errour in the foundation is destructive to the building 2. Get your minds established in the present Truth It concerns Christians to be very clear in those Truths for which they may be called to suffer And when ye are assured you have the Truth on your side you may go on boldly you need not fear Let the world storm you have a strong City Isa 26.1 2. Be established I say in the present Truth And so be at pains to aquaint your selves with your present duty Be wise concerning the times to know what you ought to do While you know you are in away of duty let others censure reproach or persecute you yet what should hinder but you may go on chearfully O how comfortable a thing it is to know and be assured that if troubles do befal me in the way I take they overtake me in a way of duty This greatly emboldened the Prophet Daniel to pray before his God as he did afore-time Dan. 6.10 Come on 't what wil he is sure it was his duty to pray after that manner While we are in way of duty we may trust God to bear us out Or if we suffer in his service we should yet have no cause to complain of an hard service He that considered Nebuchadrezzar what hazards and hardships he had been put upon in serving His Providence and would not let it go unrewarded Ezek. 29.18 c. much more that he considers his suffering Servants who are exercised with many troubles here that attend their observing his Commands who commit themselves to Him in wel-doing 2. Get your hearts set right This is another general Direction The upright heart will hate every false way But where the heart is not right such a soul is not stedfast with God Psal 78.8 A generation that set not their heart arigth then it follows and whose spirit was not stedfast with God As we would not halt as we desire to walk in a streight and even course our eye must be single 3. Be humbled in the sence of your former sinful warpings They that are pained and afflicted in the sence and remembrance of their former sinful slips and falls will look better to their feet and take more heed to their wayes When the soul hath experienced that it is an evil thing and bitter to forsake the Lord it will fear to turn aside from him again On the other hand where men are not humbled for the irregularity of their former course they will be likely to go on in the same course still Jer. 44.10 They are not humbled even unto this day neither have they feared nor walked in my Law But deep humiliation is a proper means to cure halting We never read that Peter denied Christ after his repentance and humiliation for that sin nay how boldly
given Him the Tongue of the Learned to speak a word in due season to him that is weary anointed Him to comfort them that mourn and he giveth his Disciples a Cordial to keep them from swooning and fainting something to allay their grief and bear up their hearts they could ill let him go except he bless them and He giveth them a rich Legacy My Peace I give unto you John 14.27 and here a Blessing which proved very effactual to turn their grief into Joy For it followeth in the next verse after my Text They returned to Jerusalem with great Joy 5. Jesus Christ would have all his People know That He will pour down Showrs of Blessing on his Church and People to the End of the World This Blessing at his parting shall prevail on all Ages to the strong Consolation of Believers The Efficacy of it abideth and shall be on the head of Joseph on the top of the heads of such as are chosen out of the world Christ's good Will was not only to his Disciples but also to all that shall believe through their word John 17.20 6. Jesus Christ ascended Blessing that he might arm his Disciples against Persecutions and Difficulties which they must afterwards encounter He knew they must meet with much Contradiction in preaching of the Gospel that they must seal his Truths with their Blood and drink of the Cup which he drank And to animate them he will have them eye-witnesses of his Ascension and as Elijah let his Mantle fall on Elisha he lets a Blessing alight upon them 7. The Lord Jesus would declare That he hath taken away the Curse from his People and hath Authority to bless Gal. 3.13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us that the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles Christ by his Death and Sufferings hath turned the Curse into a Blessing blotting out the hand-writing against us and as Conquerours use to give gifts so He in his Ascension gave and pronounced Blessings among his People It was his Coronation Day the Day of the gladness of his heart he was entring into his Ivory-Palace with gladness where all the Host of Heaven must ascribe Glory to Him And He will have some of his Oyl of Gladness run down upon his Members here on Earth 8. Lastly Jesus Christ would well fill up all Relations in which he stood to his Disciples and be as good and better in point of Love and Faithfulness in such Offices and Relations than ever any was Four sorts of Offices and Relations used to bless especially at parting 1. Parents did bless their Children so did the godly Patriarchs and Job and David c. 2. Masters their Housholds and Servants Abraham blessed his Servant Gen. 24.7 3. Kings and Rulers blessed their People Moses Solomon Hezekiah and Esther prayed for their People Melchisedec King of Salem blessed Abraham Gen. 14.18 Blessed be Abraham of the Most High God 4. Ecclesiastical Officers Priests and Levites and Prophets under the Law Melchisedec Priest of the Most High God blessed Abraham And Ministers extraordinary and ordinary under the Gospel bless People Now Jesus Christ stood in such Relations to his People He is their Father Isa 9.6 Heb 2.13 14. and puts the Blessing of a Father on them their Master and blesseth the Houshold of Faith Their King and fulfilled that Type of Melchisedec's Blessing Heb. 7.1 6. As Prophet and Priest yea Apostle and High Priest of our Profession at his entring into Heaven he with hands lift up imparteth a Blessing on his People I come now to make some use of this point And first Seeing the Lord Jesus went to Heaven blessing his Disciples let us all learn of him to bless and not curse yea to bless them that persecute us Rom. 12.14 Here you have an exact patern the best Teacher follow his steps Render not railing for railing but contrariwise Blessing for ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a Blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 Here is a fair Copy to write after a good Lesson well becoming true Christians When Christ was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not 1 Pet. 2.23 His last farewel was Blessing Alas Christians we know not what spirit we are of for trivial injuries ready to be calling for fire from Heaven and to have our tongues full of deadly poyson and set on fire of Hell Therewith bless we God even the Father and therewith curse we man made after the similitude of God Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing My Brethren these things ought not so to be Jam. 3.8 9.10 O consider for the moderating of our spirits and tongues Jesus Christ suffered Contradiction of sinners was spit upon and had the highest injuries and greatest affronts offered him and though he could have commanded twelve Legions of Angels to have aided him yet he came as a Lamb to the slaughter and opened not his mouth nay he prayed Father forgive them Luke 23.34 His own Disciples shewed a great deal of unbelief and disobedience forsook him in the hour of darkness and had many ambitious thoughts and much selfiish discourse yet his Love covered a multitude of faults so as he blessed them at parting O let the same mind be in you that was in Christ be meek and lowly be courteous and pittiful forbearing one another and forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Let the Fruits of the Spirit Love and Peace and Meekness be found in you and abound 2. Use Christ going to Heaven solemnly blessing should teach us to expect all Blessings from Heaven only through Christ and that all the Blessings of the New-Covenant are dispensed by the hand of the Mediator only in him shall men be blessed Mens blessings are but blanks cyphers vain and of no value except Christ bless There is that blesseth himself in his wickedness saying I shall have peace Deut. 29.19 but in vain God's anger will smoke against that man There is no peace to the wicked The wicked flattereth himself Psal 26.2 but his iniquity will be found to be hatefull There are that bless the covetous but the Lord abhoreth them Psal 10.3 A sorry bargain to have mâ—n acquit and the Lord held guilty mans blessing will stand in little stead when the Lord shall say Depart ye cursed It is not in all the creatures to render him a blessed man whom Christ doth not bless To proceed There is no blessing to be had from God but only through Christ Christ is the Emmanuel through whom there is peace on Earth and goodwill towards men he is the true Mercy-Seat with the wings of the Cherubims spread over it whence the Lord will commune with his People He is the true Jacobs Ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven from the top whereof the Lord declareth he is his Peoples God and will be with them in all places whithersoever
God's Grace is great Comfort and Security for a departing Minister to commend his People unto This is the second part of the Remedy I shall be brief herein Now I commend you to this Word 1. Because it is of indispensible Necessity Happiness is the great principle Nature hath implanted in every creature all its motions are in tendency to its rest and tranquility Now the happiness and chiefest good of the rational Creatures is God who is the Fountain and supream End of all good to enjoy him is an Heaven to his People here on Earth and the Heaven of heavens to Saints and Angels to behold and enjoy his beatificial Vision And though the light of Nature works of Creation and Providence do manifest that there is a God his Goodness Lordship and Sovereignty over all as to leave men inexcusable Rom. 1.19 yet are they not sufficient to give that Knowledge of God and his Will which is necessary to Salvation 1 Cor. 1.21 2.13 14. How little doth the Book of Nature teach us what an one God is that there is a Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity three Persons and but one God every of the three Persons God the Father God the Son God the holy Ghost God yet not three Gods but one God! How little doth it teach us how this God will be worshiped how little doth it acquaint us with the excellent state of our Creation our miserable Apostacy how God came to be displeased with man and how he must be reconciled it tells us nothing of our Redemption from Sin Satan the Wrath of God by the Incarnation Death and Suffering of the Son of God it saith nothing of the Day of Judgement and Resurrection of our Bodies it tells us nothing and though it may possibly acquaint us with an immortal State yet what that Happiness is and what that Misery is how we came to be deprived naturally of that Happiness and how it must be recovered and who they be that shall enjoy it it saith nothing all which must be known before they can be believed Rom. 10. and they must be believed before we can be saved John 3.16 And therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and by divers manners to reveal himself and declare his Will to his Church Heb. 1.1 and afterward for the better preserving and propagating the Truth and for more sure establishment comfort of the Church against the corruptions of the flesh the malice of Satan and the World that she be not drowned in prophaness dejected by persecution blinded by ignorance misled by errours poysoned by heresies superstition and idolatry it pleased God to commit the same to writing which makes the sacred Scriptures most necessary those former wayes of God's revealing his will to his People being now ceased The Sun is not more necessary to enlighten warm and make fruitful this inferiour the World than the Word of God is for the World better to want the Sun in the Heavens than the Word of God in the World 2. I commend you to this Word because it is a compleat Word it is perfect as well as necessary such is the perfection of this Word that nothing is to be added to it nor diminished from it Deut. 4.2 Ye shall not add unto the Word I command you nor diminish from it Yea if an Angel from Heaven should preach and reveal another word than this he is accursed Gal. 1.8 9. God threatens that if any man shall add to the things wrote in his Word to add to him all the Plagues wrote in the Book And if any man shall take away from the Words of the Prophecy God will take away his part out of the Book of Life Rev. 22.18 19. all which Commands and Threatenings had not been given if God's Word had not been perfect it is compleatly perfect for the information of our understanding and will in things to be believed and for our direction in things to be avoided and practised 2 Tim. 3.17 18. All Scripture is of Divine Inspiration and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the man of God may be perfect and thorowly furnished unto every good Work This teacheth you all things necessary to be known and believed in order to Salvation that there is a God and what an one this God is it teacheth you that there is a Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity that there is three Persons and but one God every one of the Persons God the Father God the Son God the Holy Ghost-God yet not three God's but one God It teacheth you what an one God is in his Attributes in his Works of Nature and of Grace This tells you what was our Primitive Excellency and Happiness in Creation our Deformity and Misery in our Fall This perfectly declares our Redemption from Sin Satan Gods Wrath by the Incarnation Death and Passion of Jesus Christ the Son of God that as Mediator and Redeemer he is the Priest Prophet and King of his Church what he hath done suffered and purchased for Us Pardon and Justification Peace with God and Reconciliation Adoption Grace and Glory It assures us of a Day of Judgement and Resurrection of all Persons from the Grave Of the blessed Estate of the Godly of the Misery of the Ungodly and the Eternity of both This directs you in things to be avoided all Duties of your several Relations to be practised Duties of your general and particular Calling Duties of Piety in the first Table Duties of Righteouss Charity and Temperance in the second Table as Husbands and Wives as Children and Parents as Masters and Servants according to your Relations of Consanguinity Affinity Friendship and Neighbourhood and therefore we are commanded to lay the Word up in our hearts richly in all Wisdom Col. 2.16 and to speak of it to our Children when we sit down in our houses walk by the way when we lye down and when we rise up Deut. 11.18 19. Yea Kings and supream Authorities of a Nation must reade in this Book all their dayes that they may fear God and administer Justice and Judgement to the People that they may relieve the Oppressed to be Encouragements and Defenders of the Good and Terrours to Evil-doers 3. I commend you to this Word because of its daily Usefulness and Profitableness every day and in every condition it is useful and profitable unto you and very suitable 1. It is a Light to enlighten and guide you How useful and comfortable is Light to man shut up in a dark Dungeon How useful and beneficial is a Light to a Traveller when the night is very dark the Moon and Stars covered with pitchie Clouds the way very miry and dirty dangerous by pits and precipices and easie to be mistaken By nature your souls are like a dark Dungeon having no saving knowledge of God of your selves your sin and misery nor of Christ the Sovereign Remedy But this Word
Where you have 1. A chiding expostulation How long halt ye Why halt ye How inexcusable is it you should halt in so plain a path be in doubt unresolved where the case is so clear Again that you should continue so long unsetled contracting an ill habit to your selves As an arm or leg put out of joint and not looked to in time hardly ever keeps its right place again 2. A serious Exhortation If the Lord be God follow him What is here added if Baal follow him is spoken by way of concession but indeed forbids the worshipping of Baal til it could be made out that Baal was God How long There is an Emphasis here Thus the Prophet sets an Accent upon their sin of halting Note That long continuance in any sinful course is a great aggravation of sin It is sad at any time to fall into sin but far worse to lie in sin Therefore he says not Why halt ye but more emphatically How long Many such expostulations in Scripture Exod. 16.28 HOW LONG refuse ye to keep my commandments Num. 14.11 HOW LONG will this people provoke me And HOW LONG will it be ere they believe me for all the signs which I have shewed among them Jer. 31.22 HOW LONG wilt thou go about O thou back-sliding Daughter Hos 8.5 HOW LONG will it be ere they attain to innocency How long halt ye The speech is metaphorical to set forth their inconstancy unresolvedness in Religion their dividing betwixt God and Baal As one that halts inclines his body now to one hand and straightway to the other so the Israelites would profess themselves the people of God and seemed in some things to follow his Word when in other things they were quite turned aside to Idolatry They were circumcised and thereby engaged to the service of the true God and yet were drawn over to the Worship of Baal and bowed to that Heathenish Abomination Now but that I like not to strain Metaphors and writhe them besides their proper scope I might hint this note from the phrase of speech here used that they are but lame Services and Sacrifices that men of divided hearts present unto God If the Lord be God follow him Here the Prophet assayes to reason them out of their Idolatry to argue them into the right way the true Worship of God As the Lord reasoneth with them Mal. 1.6 If I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my fear Note by the way That nothing is more reasonable than the true Religion The Lord never enjoined his servants to pluck out their right eyes No we may be his servants on better and more honourable terms I grant indeed some points of Doctrine to be believed are most mysterious yet what duties to be performed that are not plain It must be confessed some Articles of Faith are above the reach of Reason so that we cannot comprehend them e.g. the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the God-head the incarnation of the Son of God c. yet being revealed by God in his Word our belief of them is most reasonable Because it is impossible we should have greater evidence of the truth of any thing in the world than the Testimony of the God of Truth who can neither deceive nor be deceived What better proof can we desire than the Word of God that cannot lye But then as for the Rules of practice laid down in God's Word how sweetly do these comport with right Reason As Reason will demonstrate that there is a God an Eternal Infinite Essence who hath His being of Himself and gives being unto all things else so it will teach us that this God ought to be worshipped should have homage from all his creatures And that he ought to be worshipped according to his own Will and Mind as he himself is pleased to prescribe and appoint rather than according to mens fancies and inventions That the honour which is due to God should not be given to others to idols As Elijah here If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him They that fall off from the true Religion fall from right Reason too They thâ—â— do not act like men that forsake the true God to follow idols as is implied Isa 46.8 Remember this and shew your selves men q. d. One would not think ye were men who would take you for reasonable creatures if ye dare to prefer or compare dumb idols to the living and only true God Now the Doctrine I would speak to from these words you may observe from the first clause here Doct. Halting in Religion is very sad and sinful This point I shall endeavour with the Lord's assistance to explain first then to confirm and last of all to apply First For explication that you may understand what it is to halt in Religion take a few distinctions Thus there is an halting in Principle and again there is halting in practice Again Halting in Principle is two-fold As this evil quality is seated either in the directing or in the commanding-power of the soul There is an halting in the heart or will and in the mind or judgement 1. When the heart is unfixed unstedfast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the double-minded man he that has an heart and an heart is partly for God and partly for Mammon he that is not resolved for God that is not brought to center wholly upon God and that cleaves not to him with full purpose of heart is one that halts in God's sight be his outward course and carriage before men never so fair and smooth The Weathercock may point towards the Sun while the wind is in a right corner or it may seem to be fixed when cross winds are not abroad and yet it is a Weather-cock A false heart an hypocrite may seem to look towards God and Religion for a time may seem well-grounded in Religion who yet will turn aside will turn about when the winds are contrary 2. When the Judgement is not setled when men are wavering in opinion like Reeds shaken with the wind like children tossed to and fro now of one perswasion by and by of another It is sad thus to halt How can the traveller go on chearfully who is uncertain whether he be in the way or no Indeed some are too credulous Prov. 14.15 The simple believeth every word but the prudent man looketh well to his goings The sober wise traveller when he is a little at a stand he deliberates with himself and when others tell him his way lies here or there if he understands the coast of the Countrey that helps him to judge whether they set him right or no. But the simple is ready to believe every one he meets with and hence he is oft turned out of his way I say some are of too easie belief Again some are slow to believe like Nichodemus How can these things be Like Thomas except they may see and understand the