ought to abide by, and to acquiefce in. For there is (erudita nequitia,) wicked wit, employed to hide a cheat, and to beguile unstable fouls; and how many are hard at work, to gain profelytes; who yet know not whom they have believed, nor whereabout they are themselves, having deferted and flighted the holy fcriptures; they are never like to find fure footing any where elfe. But they that fix on this holy ground are fafe, and deceivers come too late then, to make a prey of them. For "whofoever abideth "not in the doctrine of Chrift, has not God, but he that abideth in the doctrine of Chrift, hath "both the Father and the Son," 2 John 9. And they that have right learned Chrift, have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jefus, Eph. iv. 21. That is, to know truly, fo as he propounds it to the foul. By which means they have a fatisfying conviction, that the way which they are upon is of God, and leads to him, and ends in everlafting bleffedness with him. And then being fettled in fo good a choice, they go on in a steady courfe. For from the well eftablished mind, comes the good regular life. And when ftedfaft and unmoveable in the faith, they are like to "abound in the work of the Lord,” i Cor. xv. 58. After come to a full refolution for their religion, it is loft labour then to attempt the fetching them off that way whereof they know so much, not only of the holy truth, but of the heavenly goodnefs, by their own experience.

This then, my foul, may help to refolve the queftion, what the illiterate fhall do, among the variety of religions, contended for in the world, where every one seems so confident of his being in the right? muft they turn over all books of controverfy, to fee what is faid for every fect and party, no need of that, there is a more compendious course, and much furer way to be taken. As long as they have the gospel in their hands, and eyes in their heads, VOL. I.

X x

they

they may fee plain enough, what the will of the Lord concerning them is, and what will do their bufinefs, to bring them fafe to heaven. The word of God is the fountain of truth, the light of our eyes, and the guide of our feet; a fufficient rule, that is fo infallible, we need not fear trufting it, if we do but understand it, and fo plain too, that we cannot mifs of understanding it, (in all points needful for us,) if the fault be not our own. For "the "teftimony of the Lord is fure, making wife the fimple, Pfal. xix. 7. The entrance of thy words giv. "eth light; it giveth understanding to the fimple," Pfal.cxix. 130. Though it does not make them scholars, nor free them from all manner of errors, yet will it secure them from erring to their ruin; and make them wife to the faving of their fouls. And then, for the many things hard to be understood; if they ne ver understand them, yet may they do never the worse. "The fecret of the Lord is with them that "fear him :" (let them be learned, or unlearned;) "and he will fhew them his covenant," Pfal. xxv. 14. "And if any man (whofoever,) will do his will, he "fhall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God," John vii. 17. He fhall know it, by feveral criterions, and convincing evidences, as by its staining the pride of man, and glorifying the grace of God, in our falvation by Jefus Chrift, by its tendency to fupprefs fin and wickednefs, and to promote a holy good life by its drawing the heart and mind away from earthly temporal things, to the heavenly and eternal; by its carrying us out of forms and carnal rites, to worship our God in fpirit and in truth; and by its efficacy to fettle the confcience in folid peace with God, through the confidence of his love to us, in his foul's beloved. For thefe are certain meafures, to keep any man of common fenfe in the way of falvation. And thus comes the believer to have "the witnefs in himself," 1 John v. 1o. Not to hang

all

all upon the judgment and courtesy of others; nor only to fuppofe, but to feel the truth, by the powerful influence that it has upon himself, to transform him into a fuitableness to what he believes; which does more confirm him, than all the authority of the biggest men in the world can do. So that he will never be put out of that, which he has once been taught of God, for ever to do him good,

I

THE PRAYER.

BLESS thy name, O Lord, that I am not yet to choose my religion, but upon a thorough dif "quifition, impartial comparifon, and mature deli"beration, I have a clear conviction, and full fatis"faction, as to that whereof I make profeffion. That "I am not like Reuben, unftable as water, nor as "the fceptics, that can fix no where: because I am "not left only to my own uncertain reason, but "have the bleffed advantage of thy infallible revela"tion, nor do I believe, only because of the church's

faying, but have the witnefs in myself; and have "found him, of whom Mofes in the law, and the "prophets did write, and do know, that this is in"deed the Chrift, the Saviour of the world. And "whether fhould I go from him, that has the words "of eternal life; and has fo plainly taught the word "of God in truth; that by what is written, I may "believe on the name of the Son of God; and "believing may have life, through his name; and "by doing his will, may know the doctrine to be of "God? having found him then, O may I never let "him go, but hold him and the profeffion of my "faith faft, without wavering, and ftill be as true to "his gofpel, as the gofpel is true in itself. So help me, O my God, and keep me in the truth; and "make me faithful unto death. Amen."

I

MEDITATION LXXIII.

Of making a good Profeffion before the World.

CANNOT but wonder at fome, (with whom yet I am loth to be offended; while I take them to be religious, and found at the bottom;) that they fhould be fo very close and referved, and keep their religion as fuch a mighty fecret, which nobody must be aware of; and fteal to Chrift in great privacy? like Nicodemus by night, as if they were afhamed of him, in a generation that does not care for him: or as if they were engaged in a fcandalous caufe; and carrying on fome works of darknefs, to make their way fo clandeftinely to heaven, that none fhall fufpect whether they are going. My foul, what needs all this fculking and latency, that faithful fervants fhould be fo fhy to own a Lord, of whom they have fuch cause to be proud, and afraid to be feen in the way, that is fo much to their honour: away with this ill-placed modefty, nay, this proud bafhfulness; that we cannot do our duty for fhame; and are not hardy enough to be trufty to our Lord, for fear of the flouts and fcorn of men. In God's name, let us dare to appear for him, whofe we are, and never fear deeply and thoroughly to engage in his caufe; who is fo well able to bear us out.

But I think my offence and indignation is very juft, at another fort, who not only refufe to be profeffors themfelves, but condemn and exclaim of it in others and fcarce ever fhew fo much zeal, as they do, again those that are more forward and zealous for the holy caufe than themfelves, as if they did

not

not know a greater fault in the world, than for a man to fhew himself on the Lord's fide: and what a value and love he has for the word and ways of God, and how he is clearly for the faith, and service, and following of his Saviour. O this profeffion fticks on their ftomachs; and all profeffors at a venture, are (with them) a company of hypocrites. So heartily do they hate all piety, that they cannot abide any thing which but looks like it. And then to colour the malice, the rallying must be at hypocrify. They hate this hypocrify, they are not for making a flantering fhew: they are even as you fee them, (and that is bad enough;) they have the good hearts, tho' they keep not fuch ado. But what blind striking is here; when the beam is in their own eye? for do not themfelves all this while, profefs to be Chriftians, and how can any man in the world profefs higher than fo? for it is to profefs the most pure and heavenly religion, that ever was or can be. But if they be no Chriftians indeed, as well as in name, how then wil they put from their own door the difhonefty and hypocrify fo much declaimed against ? and can any known fwearers, drunkards, fornicators, muckworms, fcoffers at holinefs, be right Chriftians? nay, is this their Chriftianity, fo to confront its bleffed Author, as to call it their humility? to put their light under a bufhel; when he commands them to let it fhine before men? that is, to make their boast, "that they "will not do, what their Lord charges them to do,' Matth. v. 16. Though too true it is, that one may be a bad man, under a good profeffion: yet no lefs true is it, that one cannot be good without it. Both because our Lord commands it, and alfo because his grace feated in the heart, will not endure there to be pent up; but will from that fountain ftream out, to be heard of in the mouth, and to be feen in the life.

I must confefs, that fometimes I have been check

ed