4. Deal ingenuously with truth, and love it for itfelf; both in refpect of the ground upon which you receive it, and of the ufe you make of it. The certainty and affurance we have that it is truth, we receive from reafon and fcripture; that it may be out of confcience to God, not out of compliance with humour and luft, nor out of a refpect to a party or faction. To compromife, and refer ourselves, is only excufable for a while, as we are yet weak, and in the state of learners.

Make not truth fubfervient to bafe ends. Have religion only to honour God with, to do good to men, to fanctify and fave thy own soul.

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5. See the fatal iflue of wilfulness or wantonness of opinion, in the fhameful mifcarriages of fuch as have given themselves up to dreams and fancies. Hereof feveral hiftories give an account. Gtherwhere we love to hear of dangers, that we may provide against them, and avoid them. As good

examples are for our imitation; fo the bad are for our admonition and warning. If we be not careful of good fecurity of truth, we give advantage to the devil to put his delufions upon us. We fhall be obnoxious to all the cheats and impoftors of all counterfeits among men.

Those at Munster in Germany, much about the time of the reformation, proved a scandal to the reafon of the world, and a reproach to christianity. So are all those who make religion reproveable by fober reafon; or turn the e grace of God into wantonnefs. The Gnofticks of old, and their fucceffors in fpirit ever fince, did this. There is nothing of af

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ter-light of God in Chrift reconciling, fubject to reproof of the former light of God creating. The ufes to be made of this are,

I. Let us live in the fenfe of our fallibility, being fubject to error, liable to miftake. "Tis fafe to know where we are weak; the fenfe of it will make us lowly, temperate, cautious. Why should not fenfe of being fubject to error, make us careful to eftablish a right throne of judgment in our fouls for fecurity against mistakes; as well as fenfe of weak+ nefs makes us watchful against miscarriages in practice? Is a lafting fpot, that blemishes the foul's excellency, the apprehenfive part of the mind lefs than a tranfient act, a fingle irregularity in practice, and failure in converfation? Is a crooked principle lefs than a step awry? Efpecially fince the understanding is the leading part of our fouls; and all that follows is according to the dictates of mind and understanding. And a good meaning may do harm, if grounded in ignorance and mistake, and not directed by judgment and discretion, as occafioning a falfe zeal, Rom. x. 2. A zeal of God, but not accord ing to knowledge.

2. Although error be no where to be countenan ced, yet it is not every where feverely to be chal lenged. Particular errors and misapprehensions in fome thing is an incidency to uprightness of heart to honeft meaning. Yet the pure in heart have this advantage, from the principles of purity in them, that either their error is not grievous, or they will not long continue in it for they have within them a principle of felf-rectification and refinement.

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'Tis a due from every christian to another, where miftaken, as well as overtaken in a fault, to be reftored in the fpirit of meeknefs, Gal. vi. 1. our Saviour faid of the woman, John viii. 7. may be rather said in this cafe; he that is affured that he errs in nothing, let him fit in the chair and pafs the condemnatory fentence. Acts iii. 17. The apoftle fays, I wot that through ignorance ye did it : It could not be abfolute ignorance, but he makes the best of it, how could they be ignorant concerning one who did so much good, whether he were an innocent perfon? 'Twas ignorant zeal, miftaken knowledge at least.

3. Even he that is in a good eftate has ftill work to do to free his understanding from ignorance and error to advance knowledge to a just height, then to conform his life and practice to his rule and principle. We have not done our task, nor the work we have to do in the world, till we are wellinformed in point of judgment concerning right and wrong, true and falfe, good and evil till we are fuitably refined in spirit, to relish and taste; and reformed in life, to do and practise. When this is done then let a man think of dying; but before he is made ripe for eternity, he is not naturalized in spirit and temper to the employment and society of that heavenly state.

4. The fenfe hereof fhould make us modest and humble; preferve us from being peremptory and dogmatical; for there is in religion that which is not fo neceffary and immutable, clear and plain; in which good men may happen to be otherwife

minded, one than another, or otherwife than ought to be. If any be otherwife-minded.

III. There is reafon to think, that God will bring out of particular mistake, him that is right in the main. God shall reveal even this unto him.

There is otherwife minded one than another: that wherein they differ one from another; wherein one thinks otherwise than others think; perhaps thinks otherwise than he should, or otherwife than is true. But where men are honeft in the main; fincere and upright in the great points of faith, as is before expreffed; and as Heb. vi. 9. We are perfwaded better things of you, and things that accompany falvation. Where 'tis thus, God fhall reveal.

1. This is spoke reasonably, worthily, becomingly in refpect of God. Not as true only in a miraculous and extraordinary way; but as 'tis fit for us to think and speak concerning God.

2. This is spoken hopefully, and charitably in refpect of men. Good men do not love an error, and therefore are not likely to live and die in it.

This is fpoken becomingly with refpect to God, and charitably with respect to men: for I do not look upon the words as prophetical or extraordinary. The thing itself is likely and credible..

First, In respect of fomething on God's part. Secondly, In refpect of some thing on our part: And, Thirdly, In refpect of fomething on the part of truth. Firft, This is a thing likely and credible in refpect of fomething on God's part, and that for three reafons.

1. Because of God's relation to us; his difpofition towards us as his creatures and worshippers. God

is the father of our fpirits, and fo it is natural to him to guide our spirits: he teacheth man knowledge: the infpiration of the almighty giveth understanding. The eyes of all things look up unto God for bodily food, mind and understanding look up to God for intellectual communications. God hath not the leaft care of that part of his creation which doth most refemble him. God hath appointed the material fun to enlighten the world of fenfitives, and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof, Pfal. xix. 1, 6. God intended by himself, to enlighten reasonable fouls. The fpirit of a man is the candle of the Lord. As we are the creatures of God, we are fure of this; and as we are worshippers of God we shall be directed and affifted by him.

2. Because God hath fo declared and promifed.

The meek will be led in judgment; the meek will he teach his way, Pfal. xxv. 9. He fcorneth the corners, but giveth grace to the lowly, Prov. iii. 34. He refifteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble, Jam. iv. 6. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, John vii. 17. He will guide into all truth, John xvi. 13. The disciples of Christ were his fpecial inftruments to fpread the gofpel, by immediate infpiration the fucceffive generations have it by their writings.

3. Because God begins with us, with intention to go on, if we be not perverfe and wilful if we give him not offence; if a provocation to him do not, ponere obicem, put a bar as the murmuring of the Ifraelites in the wilderness, and their unbelief, ob." ftructed and delayed their entrance into the promi

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