392 reftraining reasons, from doing a good which is materially grea- 9. Good is not to be measured principally by the Wil or 10. It followeth not that because the greatest good is ever to be preferred, that therefore we muft perplex and diftra& our felves, in cafes of difficulty, when the ballance feeme'h equal: For either there is a difference, or there is mone: And if any, it is difcernable, or mor. If there be no difference, there is room for taking one, but not for chufing one: If there be no difcernable difference, it is all one to us, as if there were none at all: If it be difcernable by a due proportion of enquiry, we muft labour to know it, and chufe accordingly: If it be not difcernable in fuch time, and by fuch measure of enquiry, as is our duty, we muft fill take it as undifcernable to us. If after just fearch, the weakness of our own understandings leave us doubting, we muft go according to the best understanding which we have, and chearfully go on in our duty, as well as we can know it, remembring that we have a gracious God and Covenant, which taketh not advantage of involuntary weakneffes, but accepteth their endeavours, who fincerely do their best. 11. Meer piritual or mental duties require moft labour of the mind; but corporal duties (fuch as the labours of our cal- ling) muft have more labour of the body. 12. All corporal duties mußt be also spiritual(by doing them from a fpiritual principle, to a spiritual end, in a fpiritual manner :) But it is not neceffary that every spiritual duty be allo corporal. 13. The duties immediately about God our end, are greater than those about any of the means (cæterio paribu.) And yet those that are about lower objects, may be greater by accident, 1 * and in their feafon: As to be faving a mans life is then greater than to be exciting the mind to the acting of Divine Love or Fear: But yet it is God the greatest object then, which puteth the greatness upon the latter duty; both by commanding it, and fo making it an act more pleasing to him and because that the Love of God is fuppofed to be the concurring spring of that Love to man, which we fhew in fecking their prefervation. 14. Our great duty about God our ultimate end, can never be done too much, confidered in it felf, and in refpe&t to the foul only; we cannot so love God too much: And this Love fo confidered, hath no extream, Matib. 22.37. 15. But yet even this may by accident, and in the circumAtances be too much: As 1. In refpect to the bodies weakneffes; if a man fhould fo fear God, or fo love him, as that the intenfenefs of the act, did ftir the paffions, fo much as to bring him to diffraction, or to diforder his mind, and make it unfit for that or any other duty: 2. Or if he thould be exciting the Love of God, when he should be quenching a fire in the Town, or relieving the poor that are ready to perish. But neither of thefe is properly called, A loving God too much. 16. The duties of the heart, are in themselves greater and nobler than the actions of the outward man, of themfelves ab fractedly confidered. Becaufe the foul is more noble than the body. 17. Yet outward duties are frequently, yea most frequently, greater than beart duties only, becaufe in the outward duty it is to be fuppofed that both parts concur (both foul and body.) And the operations of both, is more than of one alone and also because the nobler ends are attained by both together more than by one only: For God is loved, and man is benefited by them. As when the Sun fhineth upon a tree, or on the carth, it is a more noble effect, to have a return of its influences, in ripe and pleasant fruits, than in a meer fudden reflexion of the heat alone. 18. All outward duties muft begin at the heart, and it mus animate them all, and they are valued in the fight of God, no further than they come from a rectified will, even from the Love of God and Goodnels: However without this, they are good works materially, in respect to the Receiver: He may do good to the Church, or Common-wealth, or Poor, who doth none to himself thereby. 19. As the motion is circular from God to man, and from man to God again (Mercies received, and Duties and Love returned) fo is the motion circular between the beart and the ontward man: The beart moving the tongue and band, &c. and these moving the beart again; (partly of their own nature, and partly by divine reward:) The Love of God and Goodne produceth holy thoughts, and words, and actions; and thefe again increase the Love which did produce them, Gal. 5. 6.13. Heb.6.10. Heb. 10.24. 2 John 6. Jude 21. 20. The Judgment must be well informed before the Wil refolve. 21. Yet when God hath given us plain instruction, it is a fin to cherish cauftefs doubts and feruples. 22. And when we fee our duty before us, it is not every fcruple that will excufe us from doing it: But when we have more conviction that it is a duty, then that it is none, or that it is a fin, we muft do it, notwithstanding those mistaking doubts. As if in Prayer or Alms-deeds you thould fcruple the lawfulness of them, you ought not to forbear, till your fcruples be refolved, because you so long neglect a daty: Elle folly might juftific men in ungodliness and difobedience. 23. But in things meerly indifferent, it is a fin to do them doubtingly, because you may be fure it is no fin to forbear. them, Rom. 14. 23. 1 Cor. 8. 13, 14. 24. An erring Judgment intangleth a man in a neceffity of finning (till it be reformed) whether he act or not, according to it. Therefore if an erring perfon ask, What am I bound to? the true anfwer is, to lay by your crrour, or reform your Judgment firft, and then to do accordingly; and if he ask an hundred times over [But what muft I do in cafe I cannot change my Judgment?] the fame answer must be given him, [God till bindeth you to change your Judgment, and bath given you the neceffary means of informations and therefore be will not take up with your fuppofition, that you cannot: Hi Law is a fixed Rule, which telleth you what you must believe, and chufe, and do: And thie Rule will not change, though you be blind, and fay, I e cannes Cannot change my mind. Your mind must come to the Rule, for the Rule will not come to your perverted mind: Say what you will, the Law of God will be still the fame, and will ftill bind you to believe according to its meaning.] 25. Yet fuppofing that a mans errour fo entangleth him in a neceffity of finning, it is a double fin to prefer a greater fin before a leffer: For though no fin is an object of our choice, yet the greater fin is the object of our greater batred and refufal, and must be with the greater fear and care avoided. 26. An erring Confcience then, is never the voice or mefsenger of God, nor are we ever bound to follow it, because it is neither our God, nor his Law, but only our own Judgment which fhould difcern his Law. And mif-reading or mifunderftanding the Law, will not make a bad caufe good, though it may excufe it from a greater degree of evil. 27. The judicious fixing of the Wills, Refolutions, and efpecially the increafing of its Love, or complacency and delight in good, is the chief thing to be done in all our duties, as being the heart and life of all, Prov. 23. 26. 12. & 4. 23. & 7.3% & 22. 17. & 3. 1,2,3. & 4.4.21. Deut.30.6. Pfal.37.4. &.40.8. 119.16,35.70,47. & 1.2. Ifa. 58.14. & 28. The grand motives to duty, thuft ever be before our eyes, and fet upon our hearts, as the poife of all our motions and endeavours: (As the traveler's home and bufinefs, is deepeft in his mind, as the cause of every step which he goeth.) 29. No price imaginable muß seem great enough to hire us to commit the leatt known fm, Lake 13.4. & 14-26,28,33. Mat.10.39. & 16: 26. 30. The fecond great means (next to the right forming of the heart) for the avoiding of fin, is to get away from the temptations, baits and occafions of it. And he that hath most grace, muft take himself to be ftill in great danger, while he is under Atrong temptations and allurements, and when fin is brought to his bands, and alluring objects are close to the ap petite and fenfes. L. 31. The keeping clean our Imaginations, and commanding out Thoughts, is the next great means for the avoiding fin; and a polluted fantafie, and ungoverned thoughts are the nest where all iniquity is hatched, and the inftruments that bring it forth into act Ddd 2 32, The 32. The governing of the fenfes is the firft means to keep clean the Imagination. When Achau feeth the wedge of gold, he defireth it, and then he taketh it. When men wilfully fill their eyes with the objects which entice them to luft, to cove toufnefs, to wrath, the impreffion is presently made apon the fantafie; and then the Devil hath abundance more power to renew fuch imaginations a thoufand times, than if fuch im.. preffions had been never made. And it is a very hard thing to! cleanfe the fantafie which is once polluted. 33. And the next notable means of keeping out all evil Imaginations, and curing luft and vanity of mind, is conftant laboricus diligence in a lawful calling, which shall allow the mind no leifure for vain and finful thoughts; as the great nourifher of all foul and wicked thoughts, is Idlenefs and Vacancy, which inviteth the tempter, and giveth him time and opportunity. 34. Watchfulness over our felves, and thankful accepting. the watchfulness, fault-findings, and reproofs of others,, is a great part of the fafety of our fouls, Mar. 26. 41. & 25, 13, Mark 13.37. Luke 21.36. 1 Cor. 16:13. 1 Thef. 5. 6.2 Tim.4.5. Heb. 12. 17.1 Pet. 4. 7. + 35. Affirmative Precepts, bind not to all times; that is, no pofitive duty is a duty at all times. As to preach, to pray, to fpeak of God, to think of holy things, &c. it is not alwaics a fin to intermit them. 36. All that God commandeth us to do, is both a Duty and a Means; it is called a Duty in relation to God the efficient Law-giver, first and it is a Means next in relation to God the end, whole work is done, and whofe will is pleafed by it. And we must alwaies relpect it in both thefe notions infeparably. No Duty is not a Means; and no true Means is not a Duty; bnt many feem to man to have the aptitude of a Means, which are no duty but a fin; becaufe we fee not all things, and therefore are apt to think that fit, which is pernicious. 37. Therefore nothing must be thought a true Means to any good end, which God forbiddeth: For God knoweth better than we. 38. But we muft fee that the negative or prohibition be Universal, or indeed extendeth to our particular cafe and then |