stirreth up in me a greater fear of schisms, and divisions, and sects, than I had before. I pray you, therefore, add a short character of each sect, telling me what that evil is in each one which I must avoid.

P. That I must not do now, 1. Lest I be tedious. 2. And what I give you in writing will not be read by any of those sects, if they find a word against themselves.

I will now conclude with these five graces and duties, which must be your general helps against all temptations whatsoever. I. You must grow in holy knowledge: children and fools are more easily cheated than the wise.

h

II. You must come to a full resolution. Resolve rather to die than wilfully sin. An unresolved person encourageth the tempter, and is more than half overcome already.

III. Be fearful of sinning, as conscious of your badness, and the multitude of temptations; and let watchfulness be your constant work.

IV. Be sure that your heart and life be wholly given up to God, and filled with good, and still employed in his service; and then the tempter will never find you disposed, or at leisure, for his turn. An empty heart (much more a carnal) and an idle life, is ready to entertain any motion unto sin.

V. Look still by faith to Christ and his Spirit, as your only strength. And trust not to your own understanding, goodness, or resolutions for man, of himself, is very mutable. The Lord that hath converted you, confirm you, and preserve you.

:

THE SIXTH DAY'S CONFERENCE.

Instructions for a Holy Life.

1. THE NECESSITY, REASON, AND MEANS OF HOLINESS.

11. THE PARTS AND PRACTICE OF A HOLY LIFE.

1. FOR PERSONAL DIRECTION.

2. FOR FAMILY INSTRUCTION.

Speakers.-Paul, a Teacher; Saul, a Learner.

PAUL. Come, neighbour, methinks by this time you should so well understand your own condition, as to know yourself what further instructions to desire. What would you have me teach • you next?

1 Pet. ii. 2; 2 Pet. iii. 18; 2 Thess. i. 3; Eph. i. 17, 18; Phil. i.9; Col. i. 9, and iii. 10; Prov, xiv. 16.

SAUL. You have already, in your familiar conference, made known to me what is the nature of Christianity and holiness, and what are the temptations which must be resisted. And I truly approve your wisdom in rather acquainting me with them beforehand, that I may be prepared, or may prevent them, than (as many do) to stay till I come to you in a temptation for resolution to help me out. For I know it is easier and cheaper to prevent the kindling of this fire than to quench it. And sometimes it falls among stubble, or gunpowder, and hath done its work before the sinner cometh to a minister for help. They are strange physicians who choose rather to cure diseases at the height, than to teach men how to prevent them. But I would yet entreat you to give me in writing some distinct instructions for a holy life. My reasons are, 1. I am afraid I shall not well set together what you gave me in conference, nor well remember it; and therefore would have it orderly before my eyes. would have somewhat to instruct my family with; and therefore desire you to write it me so as I may oft read it to them. P. What is it particularly that you would have?

S. I. I would have you distinctly to write me down the true reasons and means of conversion and a holy life; for I know that it is the same reasons which made me a Christian which must keep me one. And, therefore, I would oft review them, as if I had never been converted; for if I forget what moved and turned my heart to God by Christ, I shall be ready to lose the effect, and to turn back. And I would read the same reasons often to my family.

II. I would desire you to set before me all the duties of a christian life, that I may see them together, and have the sum of. them imprinted on my mind, and know how to enjoin them in my practice. And this summary, also, I would read often to my family.

P. Your desires are reasonable and seasonable: and both these are done in the two sheets which I published for families, some years ago. It is them, therefore, that I shall give you in answer to your desires.

But I must tell you, that the necessity of brevity constrained me to bring much into so narrow a room, that the style is too close and concise for your ignorant family; unless you will read it very often over to them, and remember that every word is to be marked, and explain it to them in more words as you go. For once reading, especially if it be carelessly, will not serve for the

understanding of so short and close a style. Ignorant hearers cannot receive much in few words; but must have a little matter in many words, oft and oft repeated, that their wits may have leisure to work upon it. And this will serve you instead of a catechism, while, in one discourse, all the heads of the catechism are delivered in a plain and practical manner. So that if you will read it over once a month to your family, and make them learn the heads of the second part by memory, it will help them unto a practical knowledge. But yet that you may have the same thing several ways, for fear of losing it, I will hereafter give you a catechism for your family besides; but this shall serve for this day's work.

I. The Necessity, Reason, and Means of Holiness. 1. To keep up the resolutions of the converted; and 2. To instruct those in families that need them.

Though the saving of souls be a matter of inexpressible importance, yet (the Lord have mercy upon them) what abundance are there that think it not worthy of their serious inquiry; the reading of a good book one hour in a week. For the sake of these careless, slothful sinners, I have here spoken much in a little room, that they may not refuse to read and consider so short a lesson, unless they think their souls worth nothing. Sinner, as thou wilt shortly answer it before God, deny not to God, to thyself, and me, the sober pondering, and faithful practising, these few directions.

I. Begin at home, and know thyself: consider what it is to be a kman. Thou art made a nobler creature than the brutes: they serve thee, and are governed by thee; and death ends all their pains and pleasures. But thou hast reason to rule thyself and them; to know thy God, and foresee thy end, and know thy way, and do thy duty. Thy reason, and free-will, and executive power, are part of the image of God upon thy nature; so is thy dominion over the brutes, as (under him) thou art their owner, their ruler, and their end. But thy holy wisdom, and goodness, and ability, is the chief part of his image, on which thy happiness depends. Thou hast a soul, that cannot be satisfied in knowing, till thy knowledge reach to-God himself; nor can it be disposed by any other; nor can it (or the societies of the Mark viii. 36; Matt. vi. 33; Job xxi. 14, and xxii. 17; Psalm i. 2, 3; xii., and xiv.

1

Psalm viii. 4—6; Gen. i. 26, 27, and ix. 6; Col. iii. 10.

1 John xvii. 3, and iv. 6, 7; Jer. ix, 21.

m

world) be well governed, according to its nature, without regard to his sovereign authority, and without the hopes and TM fears of joy and misery hereafter; nor can it be "happy in any thing, but seeing, and loving, and delighting in this God, as he is revealed in the other world. And is this nature given thee in vain? If the nature of all things be fitted to its use and end, then it must needs be so with thine.

II. By knowing thyself, then, thou must needs know that there is a God; and that he is thy Maker, and infinite in all perfections; and that he is thy Owner, thy Ruler, and thy Felicity, or End. He is mad that seeth not that such creatures have a cause, or maker, and that all the power, and wisdom, and goodness of the world is caused by a power, and wisdom, and goodness, which is greater than that of all the world. And who can be our owner, but he that made us? and who can be our highest governor · but our owner; whose infinite, power, wisdom and goodness, maketh him only fit thereto. And if he be our Governor, he must needs have laws, with rewards for the good, and punishments for the bad, and must judge and execute accordingly. And if he be our chiefest Benefactor, and all that we have is from him, and all our hope and happiness is in him, nothing can be more clear than that the very nature of man doth prove that, in hope of future happiness, he should absolutely resign himself to the will and disposal of this God, and that he should absolutely obey him, and that he should love and serve him with all his powers; it being impossible to love, obey, and please that God too much who is thus our Cause, our End, our All.

III. By knowing thus thyself and God, it is easy to know what primitive holiness and godliness is. Even this hearty, entire, and absolute resignation of the soul to God, as the infinite Power, Wisdom, and Goodness, as our Creator, our Owner, Governor, and Felicity, or End; fully submitting to his disposals, obeying his laws, in hope of his promised rewards, and fear of his threatened punishments; and loving and delighting in himself, and all his appearances in the world; and desiring and seeking the endless sight and enjoyment of him in hea venly glory, and expressing these affections in daily prayer, thanksgiving, and praise. This is the use of all thy faculties,

m Luke xii. 4, 5.

n Psalm xvi. 5-11.

0 Isa. xlv. 18.

P Psalm xiv. 1; xlvi. 10; ix. 10; c.; xxiii.; xix. 1-3, and xlvii. 7; Gen. i. 1, and xviii. 25; Rev. i. 8; Rom. i. 19, 20; Ezek. xviii. 4; Mal. i. 6.

9 Matt. xxii. 37, and vi. 20, 21; Jer. v. 22; 2 Cor. v. 8, 9; viii. 5 ; vi. 16-18, and iv. 17, 18 ; Tit. ii. 14; 1 Pet. ii. 9; Psalm x.; xxxvii. 4, and xl. 8; Col. iii. i. 2.

the end and business of thy life, the health and happiness of thy soul. This is that holiness or godliness which God doth so much call for.

IV. And by this it is easy to know what a state of sin and ungodliness is. Even the want of all this holiness, and the setting up of carnal self instead of God. When men are proudly great, and wise, and good, in their own eyes, and would dispose of themselves, and all their concernments, and would rule themselves, and please themselves, according to the fleshly appetite and fancy; and therefore love most the pleasures, and profits, and honours of the world, as the provision to satisfy the desires of the flesh; and God shall be no further loved, obeyed, or pleased, than the love of fleshly pleasure will give leave; nor shall have any thing but what the flesh can spare. This is a wicked, a carnal, an ungodly state, though it break forth in various ways of sinning.

V. By this, experience itself may tell you that most men," yea, all, till grace renew them, are in this ungodly, miserable state, though only the Scripture tells us how this came to pass. Though all are not fornicators, nor drunkards, nor extortioners, nor persecutors, nor live not in the same way of sinning; yet selfishness, and pride, and sensuality, and the love of worldly things, ignorance, and ungodliness, are plainly become the common corruption of the nature of man; so that their hearts are turned to the world from God, and filled with impiety, filthiness, and injustice; and their reason is but a servant to their senses; and their mind,' and love, and life is carnal: and this carnal mind is enmity to the holiness of God, and cannot be subject to his law. This corruption is hereditary, and is become, as it were, a nature to us, being the mortal malady of all our natures. And it is easy to know that such an unholy, wicked nature must needs be loathsome to God, and unfit for the happy enjoyment of his love," either here, or in the life to come; for what communion hath light with darkness?

VI. Hence, then, it is easy to see what grace is needful to a man's salvation. So odious a creature, such an unthankful rebel, that is turned away from God, and set against him, and defiled with all this filth of sin, must needs be both renewed

* Psalm i., and xiv.; Heb. xii. 14; Rom. viii. 13, 19; xiii. 14, 15, and vi. 16; John iii. 3, 5, 6; 1 John ii. 15, 16; Luke xviii. 23, and xlv. 26, 33. s Rom. iii., and v. 12, 17, 19; Psalm xiv.; Eph. ii. 2, 3; John iii. 6. Rom. viii. 5-7.

Psalm iv. 3; 2 Cor. vi. 14, 17.