A Help to Holy Walking OR A GUIDE TO GLORY CONTAINING Directions how to Worship God and to Walk with him in the whole Course of our LIVES Gen. 5.24 And Enoch Walked with God and he was not for God took him Gen. 6.9 Noah was a Just Man and Perfect in his Generation Noah Walked with God John 4.23,24 The Hour cometh and now is when the True Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to Worship him God is a Spirit and those that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and Truth By EDWARD BVRY Late Minister of Great Bolas in Shropshire LONDON Printed by F. L. for Nevil Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1675. TO The Right Worshipful truly Noble and really Religious Lady the Lady Wilbraham of Woodhey in the County of Chester the Pattern of Piety the Honour of her Family Sex and Countrey E. B. wisheth all Happiness External Internal and Eternal Madam SEeing Custom seems to plead prescription and most Writers Religious or Prophane make bold to prefix some Great Name before their Writings the better to Commend them to the World I having these Papers by me designed for the Press and not being willing to break Custom and having as much need of Protection as any was not long in determining but quickly made choice of your Ladyship partly emboldned thereto by your thankful Acceptance of a former Tract My Ends in this Dedication is not to Interest you in any of my Errors or Mistakes if any such be found let them be charged upon me and I assure you when they are Discovered I shall be ready to throw the first stone at them and were I Conscious of any such I should be loath to prefix yours or my own Name before it Neither is it that I think you need it for I know not of any thing herein contained that you are Ignorant of however it may not be un-useful to mind you of the things you know Phil. 3.1 2 Pet. 1.12 Neither is it to tell the World how much I am ingaged to you and to the Worthy branches of your Family for though I own your Courtesies thankfully yet I know they were not bestowed to this End that others should take Notice of them But it is to let the World know how High an Esteem I have of you and that I think you are fitter to Judge of Writings of this Nature than many others it being but a real History of your own daily Practice And also that I may point out unto the World who are better led by Example than by Rule a Pattern for their Imitation for in you they may see these Directions reduced into Practice which otherwise they may think inpracticable And also that the World may be convinc'd who in this looser Age is apt to think the contrary that Gentility and true Piety may Lodge together in the same Breast and that our Age as well as the Apostles 2 John 1.13 doth afford some Elect Ladies and that they may not think that Gentility and Debauchery are termius convertabiles and he that owns one must own the other also but that there are some and alas too few Noble and Generous Spirits that the Temptations of the Devil nor the Allurements of the World neither Riches Honours nor Pleasures can draw or drive away from Christ And Madam though those that know you take Notice of many Excellent Qualifications in you as Humility Self-denial Prudence Temperance Charity c. Yet real Holiness true Piety and the power of Godliness is the most fragrant Flower in your Garland and the most Orient Jem that doth Adorn you without which the rest would not be so resplendant for by Sincerity Virtues are Adopted Graces The World I know is as always it hath been not only out of their way but also out of their Wits in matters of Salvation and stark blind in Spirituals and only dote upon gilded Vanitie and Worship a Golden Calf yet the time is coming their minds will change when they shall see all their Glory how high soever it flye vanish like Smoak before their Eyes into nothing Now they take them all to be Fools or Mad men that run Counter to the Courses of the World and the Corruptions of the Times and most men had rather be Honourable than Religious Great than Good But when they have cast up their Accounts at Death they will find there was a mistake in the Reckoning They will then see Holiness was the best Fashion though lest worn and that all the Pomp in the World was but gilded Rottenness a dead Carkass stuff'd with Flower and that at Death all the Gold in the Indies signifies no more than a handful of Dirt or Dung The Time is at Hand and long it cannot be that one Dram of Grace will be worth a World and one glymps of God's Favour worth a Thousand Crowns and Kingdoms Humility and Self-denial are two Soul-adorning Graces though seldom seen worn in the Breast of great Persons they are the first Lesson Taught in the School of Christ though few ever take them out they are Beautiful in Great men as well as Poor And submissive Devotion in Religious Duties doth not wrong Majesty it self Virtue is better than a Thousand Escutchions and 't is true Nobility where God is the top of the Kin and Religion lyes at the bottom 'T is a greater Honour to be a Child of God than to be Born of Princes and to be Espoused to Christ speaks more of Honour and Happiness than the World can conferr Riches of themselves make not the Souls better or worse neither doth God think ever the better of men for Wealths sake except they take Christs Counsel and make Friends with this Unrighteous Mammon and by this means have their Riches made up into a Crown for their Head in the World to come If these things seem Questionable to any a little time may resolve the doubt when it will plainly appear that a bare profession of Religion will serve no mans turn for Salvation Mat. 7.22 25.1,2 c. The Lamp of Profession may Light a man to Death never to Heaven Madam I Write not these things for your Instruction but I had need to speak them out that others may hear My Prayers to God are that you may go on in Honouring him who hath Honoured you And improve all for his Glory from whom you have received all knowing you cannot do too much or suffer too much for him who hath done so much and suffered so much for you you cannot buy this Gold too dear the World you may buy too dear and most men do with the loss of their Souls Madam as to this unpolished Piece though I am conscious to my self of many wants yet I hope a Will to do good is not wanting He that did receive a Turtle for a Sacrifice when a Lamb was wanting and a little Goats Hair when no