strike at the root of prevailing delufions: In oppofition to which I taught.

1. That true holinefs will not admit of leaving out of fome duties, and that the devotees, while they withdrew from the world, omitted, 1. A teftimony to the usefulness of the Lord's inftitutions of worship. 2. Usefulness among men. 3 Diligence in their particular calling.

2. That holiness confifts not in a strict obfervance of felf devifed rules, fuch as many of theirs are.

3. That when men pretend to holiness in their walk, and neglect the institutions of worship; then none can conclude, that in any thing they are influenced by the authority of the Lord Jefus ; for that fame authority binds to the one as well as the other.

4. That the most effectual inducement to obedience, is a conftant improvement of the blood of Chrift by faith, and a fenfe of forgiveness kept upon the foul. Lord bear home truth,

Containing his judgment concerning feveral cafes, ef pecially with refpect unto his own exercise and practice.

Concerning times of Trial.

Oncerning fears of falling in times of trial, I was much affaulted, and was quieted with the following remarks.

1. These fears of this which difquiet are a part of that thoughtfulness for futurity which is forbidden.

2. These fears are bottom'd on many wild fuppofitions, as that I ould have ftrength proportioned to trials before they come, unto trials that may ne

ver

4

ver come: That they that live upon the promifes have not a fure bottom, &c.

3. That in 2 Cor. i. 9. We have the fentence of death in ourselves, that we may not truft in ourjelves, was quieting. But,

4. My great relief was that which has been my life,that promife, 1 Cor. x. 13. There hath no temp'tation taken you, but such as is common to man: But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation alfo make a way to efcape, that ye may ⚫ be able to bear it ;' 'Tis no what I have that makes me promise or expect throw-bearance, but what is in Chrift and in the promises.

6

I

Of Eternity and Immortality.

Had fome strugglings about the belief of eternity and immortality; but was very much quieted, 1. By a clear view that eternity was wrapt up and imply'd in every truth of religion. 2. Efpecially by much light accompanying that fcripture, Wherefor haft thou made all men in vain ? Pfalm. lxxxix. 47. If there be not eternity, man anfwers no valuable purpose with refpect to God, or with respect to himself; and fo is indeed made in vain : This did more establish my foul than ever it had been in this truth, which let me fee how foon God can make unbelief give back, and give peace in believing,

Of Minifters confulting People in Minifterial Duties.

While

I had occafion to speak and hear of fome minifters, their being fwayed much by the advice of good people, in dark steps of their minifterial work, I was fatisfied in the evident clearness of the following rules.

I, That it is very dangerous to lay too much stress

upon

upon the advice and apprehenfions of the best of peo ple as to what may be fin or duty in matters that belong not to their ftation; for the promise of the fpirit's teaching belongs not to them as to what may be the duty of the minifter's station; therefor,

2. It is fafer to defire the help of their prayers, that God may according to his promife clear us, or discover to us what is duty, than to learn them to ftep out of their stations, and advise in things that belong not to them.

3. In confulting with others for light, regard would be had to the different talents of men, and most regard thould be had in matters of foul exercife, to thofe whom the Lord has fitted with endowments that way; In matters of government, most regard fhould be had to those whom the Lord has fitted that way.

4. In judging if fuch are liklieft to know the Lord's mind, who walk the most clofly, we would confider, when we judge of the clofsnefs of walk, not only what mens walk is, but what their temptations are ; for one's walk may be much influenc'd that way, and grace may be more in one in whom it appears not fo much, than in others who appear to have more, when the one's grace is continually tried with floods of temptations plunging on it, and the other's is free.

Obferve, Minifters for most part are more shaken about the truths of religion, and the foundations, than about their own ftate; people more about their state than about the truths of religion. Minifters are helped to clear people, as to what they are ftraitned about and people are, or may be helpful to minifters in what they are in the dark about. Thus they mutually excell, and are excelled; to humble both, and keep both in their stations.

To

To find Duty in Doubtfull Cafes.

I was much refreshed with fomewhat that oceur'd clearing up a doubt to me, when at a stand which way to chufe.

i. There is ever a byafs to one way or other.

2. Seek to get that remov'd, and cry that God may bring your heart to an equal willingness to take either, or neither way.

3. When this is attain'd to, than use reason, and take the most feasible way; and,

4. Cry to him that he may put 2 stop, if ye be out of the road."

5. If the Lord afford light in any other particular way, ufe it; but mind to feek light foberly, ufe it tenderly, and be wary in the application of it.

Of legal Preaching.

I faw the evil of legal preaching, which lies in one of two things or in both; 1. In laying too much trefs upon the works of the law, our duties and ftrength: Or, 2. In preffing evangelical doctrines without an eye to that which is the fpring of the church's edification, the fpirit of the Lord. Some prefs to duties, fo that they feem to think, that their reafonings are able to enforce a compliance; or at leaft, they do not take care to keep up upon themfelves and hearers, both a conftant fenfe of the contrary, in order to engage in eagernefs in dependance upon the fpirit of the Lord; This is legal preaching. Lord, thou knows how much of it is in this poor church The gofpel's glory is, that it is the miniftration of the fpirit: The great privilege of believers is, that the Lord manifefts himself to them, as he does not to the world. When he manifefts his authority in the command, 'tis then powerful: When he manifefts his

good

goodness and truth in the promife, 'tis full of fweetnefs: When he manifefts his wrath in the threatning, it awes the foul: When he manifests his glory in the face of Chrift, 'tis ravishing, reforming, at tracting,

Atheism the root of Sin..

Wo things I fhall note, i. The Lord gave me a fweet difcovery this day in keture, of the atheifm of the hearts of men in rejecting the word (notwithstanding there are moe, and more evident prints of God on it, than on all his other works of creation) because they cannot get through fome difficulties in it; whereas there are many moe difficulties in the works of God: The light whereby this was fet home and illuftrated in particular inftances, was fweet. 2. Some days ago, reading Exod. ix. and x. chapters, and finding this, that ye may know that I am God, frequently repeated, and elfe where in places innumerable, as the end of God's manifefting himself in his word and works; I obferve from it, that athe. ifm is deeply rooted even in the Lord's people, feeing they need to be taught this fo much.

Deut. iv. 35.

That it is a high attainment in religion to win to know that God is the Lord; and to believe that all fin is refolvable in darkness and unbelief as to this one point, that God is the Lord, and confequently, that all fin is reducible to atheifm.

That the great difficulty which the whole of the divine revelation grapples with, is Atheism; and that its ftruggle is to recover man to his firft impreffions of a God: This one point comprehends the whole of man's recovery; as Atheism the whole of man's apoftacy.

The Lord faw meet to bring him through many fharp trials, and to keep him under much foul exer