Dicct. 14. Let the constant work of Faith be, to take you off the life of fense, by mortifying all the concupifsence of the flesh, and over-powering al tbe obje&s of sense.

The neerness of things fonsible, and the violence and unreasonableness of the senses and apperite, do accessitate Faith to be a conflicting grace. Its usc is to illuminate; clevate and corroboratc Rcalon, and help it to maintain its authority and government. The life of a Believer is but a conquering warfare between Faitband Sense, and b.cween things unseen, and the things that are seen. Thesefore it is said, that they chat are in the flesh cannot please God; because thc Ach b:ing the predominant principle in them, they most favour and mind the things of the fesh; and therefore they can do more with them, than the things of the Spirit can do, when both arc set before them, Rom. 8:5, 6, 7, 8.

Dirca. 15. Lee Faitb fer sbe example, forft of Cbrift, and next of bio bolieft servents, Atill before you.

Ac that purposely lived among men in ftesh, lifc of holiness and patience, and contempt of she world, to be a pattern or example to us, doth expeã that it be the daily work of Faith to imitate him; and therefore that we have chis Copy Hill before our cycs. kwill help us when we arc Auggill, and fit down in low and common things, to for more noble things before us. It will help us when we are in doubt of the way of our duty; and when we are apt to favour our corruptions : It will guide our minds, and quicken our defires, with a holy ambition and covecousacīs to be more holy :: It will forve us to infecr.all that the world or Aclh can say, from the-contrury eximples of finning men : If any tell us what great mcn, or learned men chink, orsay, or do, agsinf Religion, and for a finfal lifs ; it is cnough, if Faith do but tell us presently, what: Christ, and his Apostles and Saints and Martyrs, have thought, and said, and done to the contrary, Mat. 11, 28,29. 1 Pet.2.21.. Jobe 13. 15. Pbil. Z. 17. 2 Tbef. 3.9. 1 Tim.4. 12. Ephef. 5.1.. Heb. 6. 12. 1 Tbif. 1.6. & 2.14

Dirca. 16. Let your Faith fet el graces on work in tbeir proper order and proportion ; and carry on the work of bolinefs and obedience in barmony; and not set one part against anorber, mor, look at one wbile yon forget or negled another.

+

Every grace and duty is to be a help to all the reft : And the Want or negle&t of any.onc, is a hinderance to all : As the want of one whcel or smaller particle in a clock or watch, will make all Aand Mill, or go out of order. The new crcaturc confifteth of all duc parts, as the body doth of all its members. The soul is as a mufical inftrument, which muft neither want one Aring, aor have one out of tune, nor neglected, without spoiling all the maclady. A fragment of the moft excellent work, or one member of the comlief body cut off, is not beautiful: The beauty of a holy soul and lisc, is not only in the quality of cach grace and duty, but much in the proportion, feature and barmony of all. Therefore cvery part hath its proper armour, Epbef. 6. 11,12,13,14. And the pobole armour of God muft be put on : Because all fulness dwelab in Chrift's we are compleet iubim, as being sufficient to communicate every gracc. Epa. pbras laboured alwsies fervently in prayers for the Cologians, that they might Aond perfe& and compleet in all tbe Wil of God, Col. 4. 12. James F. 4. Let patience love ber perfed work, the ye: may be perfed and entire, wanting motbing. We oft comfort our felvés, that I bougb we want the perfeâion of degrees, yet we. have the perfe&ion of parts, or of integrity. But many are fain to prove this only by inferring, thac hc that hath onc grace, hath all; but as to the difccrning and orderly wfe of all, they are yet to fock.

CHAP. XI.

Of the Order of Graces and Duties.

Ecause I find not this infined on in any Writers for the

pcoples inftrudion, as it ought, I will not pass over fo. needful o point without fome further advertisement about it. I will therefore lsw you, s. What is the compleatnel and the barmony to be defired ... 2. What are our contrary defeats and difempers :: 3. What are the causes of them, and what must be the cure: 4. Some useful Inferences hence urifing.

I. He that will be compkes and entire, must have all these. Gracks and Duties following.

AR: 3

1. A solid and clear undertanding of all the great, the need. ful and pra&ical matters of the sacred Scriptures, e Tim.

3.16. (And if he have the understanding of the Scripturc languages, and the customs of those times, and other such helps, his un derstanding of the Scripture will be the more complcat, nes 26. 3. If he have not, he must make use of other mons.)

2. A settled well grounded Belief of all Gods fupernatural Revelations ( as well as the knowledge of natural veritics.)

3. Experience to make this knowledge and belief to be Gatisfactory powerful and firm. Especially the experience of the Spirits effc&ual operations in our felves, by the means of this word, Rom. 5. 4. & 8.9. Gal. 4.6.

4. The historical knowledge of the Scripture matters of fad, and how God in all ages (sincc Scripture times) hach fulfilled his Word, both promises and thrcatnings, and what Chrift, and Satan, Grace and Sin, have been doing in the world. Therefore the Scripture is written so much by way of history, and therefore the Jews were so often charged to tell the history of Gods works to their children, 1 Cor. 10.1,2, 6,7, 11. Exoch 12. 29. Deut. 26. 22. Joh. 4. 6, 21, 22. & 223 24; 27. Therefore the writing of Church-history is the duty of all ages, because Gods Works

are to be known, as well as his Word: And as it is your forcfathers duty to write it, it is the childrens duty to learn it (or ello the writing it would be vain.) He that knoweth not what state the Church and world is in, and hath been in, in former agès, and what God hath been doing in the world, and how 'errour and lin have beca refifting him, and with what succcfs, doth want much to the compleating of his knowledge.

5. And he muft have prudence to discern particular cafes ; and to consider of all circumftances, and to compare things with things, that he may discern his duty, and the scalons and manner of it; and may know among inconfiftent seeming duties, which is to be preferred ; and when and what circumftances or accidents do make any thing a duty which else would {be no duty orla fin, and what nocidents maloo that a fin whick without them would be a dety. This is the knowledge which muk make a Chriftian entire or compleit.

.. And

2. And in his Will there must be 1. A full refignation and fubmiffion to the Wil of God his Owner ; and a full subje&ion and obedience to the Will of God his Governour ; yielding readily, and constantly, and resolutely to the commands of God, as the Scholar obcycth his Mifter, and as the second whcel in the clock is moved by the first: And a closc adbering to God as his obief Good, by a Thankful Reception of his Bencies; and a defirons fucking to enjoy, and glorifie him, and please his Wil: In a word, loving him as Gods, and taking our chicfek compla. cency in plcaling him ; ia loving him, and being loved of him.

2. And in the fame will there maf be a well regulated Love, to all Gods works, according as he is manifefted or glorified in them : To the bumanity of our Redeemer; to the glory of Headen, as it is a created thing; to the blessed Angels, and perfetta od pirits of tbe just , to the Scripture, to the Church on earth, to the Saints, thc Paftors, the Rulers, thc boly Ordinances, to al mankind, even to our enemies ; to our selvcs, our souls, our bodies, our relations, our cftatcs, and percics of every rank.

3. And herewithall must be a hatred of cvery fin in our selves and others : Of former fin, and prefent corruption, with a penitencial displicence and gricf;,and of pogible for, with a vigilancy and resistance to avoid it.

3. And in the Affe&tions there must be a vivacity and sober fervency, answering to all these motions of the Wið; in Love, Delight, Delire, Hope, Hatred, Sorrow, Aversation and Anger; the complexion of all which is godly Zeal.

4. In the vital and executive Power of the soul, there muft be a holy adivity, promptitude and fortitude, to be up and doing, and to see the sluggish faculties on work, and to bring all knowledge and volitions into praktice, and to affault and conquer enemies and difficulties. There must be the Spirit of Power (though I know that word did chiefly then denote the Spirit of Miracles, yet not only) and of Live, and of a found mind.

5. In the out ward members there muft be by use a habic of ready obcdicnt execution of the souls commands : As in the songue a readiness to pray, and praise God, and declare his Word, and cdific others, and so in the reft. 6. In the senses and apperise, there must by sofy be a habit

of

of yielding obedience to Reason; that the fenfes do not rebel and rage, and bear down the commands ofthe mind and will.

7. Lastly, In the Imagination there must be a clearness or purity from filtbinefs, walice, covet oufnej, pride and vanity; and there mud be the impressions of things that are good and ufs. ful; and a ready obedience to the superiour faculties, that it may

be the inftrument of holiness, and not the shop of temptations and fin, por a wild, unruly, disordered thing.

And the barmony of all these muft bc as well observed as the matter: As

1. There muft be a juft Order among them: every duty muft keep its proper place and feason.

2. There muft be a just proportion and degree: fome graces muft not wither, whild others alonc arc chcrifhcd nor fomc duties take up all our heart and time, whild others aro almoft laid by. 3. There muft be a juft nativity and exercise of every grace.

4. And a juft conjundion and respect to one another, that cvery onc be used fo as to be 1 help to all the ref.

1. The Order 1. Or Intelle&ual graces and duties, muft be this. s. In order of Time, the things which are fenfible are known before the things which are beyond our fight and other fenfes.

2. Beyond these the frl thing known both for certainty and for excellency, is, that tbere is a God.

3. This God is to be known as one Being in his threc Elfential Principles, Vital Power, Intelled and Will.

4. And these as in their Effential Perfeâions, Omnipotency, Wisdom and Goodness (or Love.)

5. And also in his perfc&tions called Modal and Negative, &c. (as Immenfity, Eternity, Independancy, immutability, &c.)

6. God must be next known in his Three Personalties ; as the Father, the Word, or Son, and the Spirit.

7. And these in their thrce Caufalities ; efficient, dirigent and final. 8. And in their three great works, Creation, Redemption,

Sandification,