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upon all outwartd things as accomodations only in his paffage, but at Heaven as his home and happineffe. He will cordially defire and endea vour fo to walk in his particular Calling, as be be faithful alfo in his general, and may fe cure his foul to eternal life.

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3. Be careful to get a distinct and clear knowledge of the things that concern your falvation. Ignorance will not excufe any man when 'tis cauf ed by his own negligence. The main things that concern falvation, you may know, if you will give your minds to it. God hath not left you in darkneffe, take heed of fhutting your eyes.

4. Take heed of neglecting or flighting the publick Ordinances, and means of Grace. To have no appetite to the Word, to apprehend no great need of it, and to find no profit by it, is a mark of a dead and graceleffe heart.

5. Take heed of formality and refting in a meer outward performance of religious fervices. Learn to diftinguish between Religion the end, and Religion the means. Religion the end is, To attain a gracious frame of Spirit, to enjoy God, to fear him, love him, and have our natures conform'd unto him. Religion the means is, to perform fuch religious duties and fervices as God hath appointed for the attaining this end. Now if we reft in the means, i. e. in a bare performance of religious duties, without defiring to enjoy God in them or labouring to get our

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hearts into a better frame by them, and aiming at thofe higher ends to which they were appointed, our fervices are rather a mocking of God, than a true and fincere worshipping of him. It will do us no good to be of the right Religion as to external profeffion, if we be flight, and formal, and perfunctory in the duties of that Religion. Take heed therefore of having only a form of Godlineffe, and denying, or fecretly hating the power thereof.What will it profit any man to be thought godly and religious, if God know him to be ungodly? Our Saviour hath told us that except our righteousness exceed the righte oufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees(and yet theirs was outwardly a very strict religioufneßwe cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, Mat.5.20.

6. Take heed of contenting your felves with meer civil honesty, and a fair, just outward converfation. This is very commendable, yea and neceffary, but this is not fufficient to falvation. Without regeneration and true converfion there is no falvation to be expected. Not only loofe livers, but meer civil perfons need a further change. There are many people that applaud themselves in their own righteoufneffe; they give every one their own; they defraud no man; they pay what they owe to all men. Do they fo? I am glad of it. But let us a little examine whether they be fo juft as they pretend. Poffibly they give every man his due,and would not defraud

any

any man willingly or knowingly of any thing. I commend them for it, But do they give God his due? They owe their hearts to him: They owe fincere obedience and fpiritual worship to him: They are bound to love him above all, and delight in communion with him, and to make Confcience of the duties and fervices he requires. They ought to fear and reverence his holy Name, to delight in his Word, to fanctifie his day, to attend upon his Ordinances, to be tender of his honour, to decline all waies of finning against him, either by wicked thoughts, irregular affections, finful words, evil actions. Their whole life ought to be a living unto God, and his Glory ought to be their end and aim in all their undertakings. They ought to renounce the devil, the world and the flesh, and to serve him faithfully all their daies. Now then come, and let us confider, Do they do thus? Do they indeed give every one his own? Do they give unto God, what of right is due unto him? They make Confcience of being juft towards men (and they do well in it) but are they careful alfo of paying God what they owe to him? And what kind of righteoufneffe call you this, to be righteous towards men, and unrighteous and unjust toward God? Is this a righteoufneffe any man dare stand upon, and plead for his juftification before Gods Tribunal? You fee then there is more requi red than an honeft, outward, fair converfation to fave the foal. 7. Take

7. Take heed of deceiving and ill-grounded hopes of Heaven. Secure your ftate in Grace, and then your title to Glory is unquestionable: Look to your evidences for Heaven. Take heed of miftakes about the great work of repenting and believing in Chrift. Many think they have thofe Graces, when indeed they have only a fhadow of them. Examine your felves whether ye be in the Faith: Prove your selves. Whoever is in Chrift is a new Creature, old things are paffed away, old carnal principles, old finful inclinations, old wicked practifes, old ungodly company are paffed away and left by them that are true converts. Ask your felves whether your repentance be a repentance unto life whether your Faith be a faving Faith? What the true characters of Repentance and Faith are, you may find in the 2 and 3 Chapters of the second Part of this Treatife.

'Tis carnal hopes that deceive the world, and hinder people from looking after a faving converfion. Content not your felves therefore to fay, you hope you fhall be faved, but prove and try whether you are fuch perfons as God hath promised falvation to. Prove by marks of Grace in your fouls that you are true converts, and then hope for falvation, and pare not, and the Lord confirm your hopes. Great things and of everlasting confequence, fhould be made as fure as is poßible. Ask your felves what evidences you have you are

converted. 'Tis proof must carry it, and not confident prefumption. Take God in Chrift for your only happineffe and end: And Chrift as Mediatour, for your only Lord and Saviour. Accept him for your Sovereign, as well as for your Saviour. Be fenfible of your continual need of his Bloud, Spirit and interceffion, and give up your felves fincerely to him, to be ju Aified, fanctified, guided, directed and everlaftingly saved by him. Let his Intereft be permoft in your fouls, and you are bleffed for

ever.

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8. Pray earnestly unto the Lord to be eftablished in the truth, and to be preserved from Errour, giddineffe, and apoftacy, which is the fin and fhame of these times. Let not the different Opinions that are now going, be an offence unto you. Remember that though men are mutable, and change from one opinion to another, and grow wanton and wild-headed, yet God and Chrift, and the Scripture, and Heaven, and the way thither, are ftill the fame: These change not: Mind you these things. Take heed of that threefold Apoftacy that this age is too guilty of. Namely,

1. Of Judgment, from the Truths of God. 2. Of Affection, from the Ordinances of God,

3. Of Converfation, from that fober, bum ble, and circumspect walking, which all true Christians

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