deceive thee: and whether as men use to talk against learning, that have none themselves, so such men prate against conversion and the Spirit of God, because they have no such thing themselves.

Quest. 1. I pray ask them, whether it be a Puritan or Fanatic opinion, that men must die? And, what all the pomp, wealth, and pleasure of the world, will signify to a departing soul? Ask them whether they will live on earth for ever, and their merry hours and lordly looks will have no end? And whether it be but the conceit of hypocrites and schismatics, that their carcase must be rotting in a darksome grave?

Quest. 2. Ask them, whether men have not an immortal soul, and a longer life to live when this is ended? Luke xii. 4, 5.

Quest. 3. Ask them, whether reason requires not every man to think more seriously of the place, or state, where he must be for ever, than of that where he must be for a little while, and from whence he is posting day and night? And whether it be not wiser to lay up our treasure where we must stay, than where we must not stay, but daily look to be called away, and never more to be seen on earth?

Quest. 4. Ask them, whether God should not be loved with all your heart, and soul, and might? Matt. xxii. 37. and, whether it be not the mark of an ungodly miscreant to be a lover of pleasure more than God, 2 Tim. iii. 4. and a lover of this world above him, 1 John ii. 15. and whether we must not seek, first, God's kingdom and his righteousness, Matt. vi. 33. and labour most for the meat which never perisheth, John vi. 27. and strive to enter in at the strait gate, Luke xiii. 24, and give all diligence to make our calling and election sure? 2 Pet. i. 10.

Quest. 5. Ask them whether without holiness any shall see God? Heb. xii. 14. Matt. v. 8. Titus ii. 14. and, whether the carnal mind is not enmity to God, and to be carnally minded is not death, and to be spiritually minded is not life and peace? and whether, if you live after the flesh, you shall not die and be condemned:

and whether they shall not live and be saved that walk after the Spirit? and whether any man be Christ's that hath not the Spirit? Rom viii. 1–10. gnor* bag

Quest. 6. Ask them, whether any man hath treasure in heaven, whose heart is not there? Matt. vi. 21. And whether this be not the difference between the wicked and the godly, that the first make their bellies their god, and mind earthly things, and are enemies to the cross of Christ, (though perhaps not in name,) and the latter have their conversation in heaven, and, being risen with Christ, do set their affections on things above, and not on things that are on the earth, to which they are dead, and their life is hid (or out of sight) with Christ in God, till Christ shall appear, and then shall they appear (even openly to all the world) with him in glory? Phil. iii. 18, 19, 20. Col. iíì. 1, 2, 3, 4.

Quest. 7. Ask them, whether it be credible or suit able to God's word or working, that he that will not give the fruits of the earth without their labour, nor feed and clothe them without themselves, will yet bring them to heaven without any care, desire, or labour of their own, when he hath bid them not care for the one, and called for the greatest diligence in the other? Matt. vi. 31, &c. Yea, ask them whether these be not the two first articles in all faith and religion: 1. That God is; 2. That he is the rewarder of all them that diligently seek him.

Quest. 8. Ask them, yea, ask your eyes, your eats, your daily experience in the world, whether all or most that call themselves Christians, do in good earnest thus live to God in the Spirit, and mortify the flesh with its affections and lusts, and seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, love him above all, and lay up treasure and heart in heaven; or rather, whether most be not lovers of the world, and lovers of pleasure, more than God, and live not after the flesh, and mind not most the things of the flesh? I mention not now the drunkards, the flesh-pleasing gentlemen, that live in pride, fulness, and idleness, and sport and play away their precious time; nor the filthy fornicator, nor the

merciless oppressor, nor the malignant hater of a godly life, nor the perjured betrayers of men's souls and the gospel, or of their country's good; nor such other men of seared consciences, whose misery none questions, but such as are blind and miserable: it is not those only I am speaking of, but the common, worldly, fleshly, and ungodly ones.

Quest. 9. Ask them, whether the name of a Christian will save any of these ungodly ones? And whe ther God will like men the better for lying and calling themselves Christians, when indeed they are none? And, whether they dare preach to the people, that a Christian-drunkard, or Christian-fornicator, or oppressor, or a Christian-worldling, needeth no conversion?

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4Quest. 10. Ask them, whether they say not themselves that hypocrisy is a great aggravation to all other sin? And whether God hath not made the hypocrites and unbelievers to be standards in hell? Matt. xxiv. 51. And, whether seeking to abuse God by a mock religion doth make such false Christians better than the poor heathens and infidels, or much worse? And, whether he be not a hypocrite, that professeth to be a Christian and a servant of God, when he is none, nor will be? And, whether he that knoweth his master's will, and doeth it not, shall not have the sorest stripes or punishment? Luke xii. 47.

Quest. 11. Ask them, whether in their baptism (which is their christening as a covenant) they did not renounce the flesh, the world, and the devil, and vow and deliver up themselves to God their Father, their Saviour, and their Sanctifier? And whether all or most men perform this vow? And whether a perjured covenant-breaker against God, is fitter for salvation than one that never was baptized?

Quest. 12. Ask them, whether the holy nature of God be not so contrary to sin, as that it is blasphemy to say that he will bring to heaven, and into the bosom of his eternal delights, an unholy and unrenewed soul? 2 Pet. i. 15, 16.

Quest. 13. Ask them, why it was that Christ came into

the world, whether it was not to save his people from their sins, Matt. i. 21, and to destroy the works of the devil, 1 John iii. 8. and to purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, Tit. i. 14. and to bring home straying souls to God, Luke xv. and to be the way to the Father? John xiv. 6. And whether Christ will save that soul that is not converted by him, and cleansed from his sins? Or whether it be the dead image only of a crucified Jesus that is all their Sa viour, while they have no more of him?

Quest. 14. Ask them, why they believe, and wère baptized in the Holy Ghost? And, whether a man can enter into the kingdom of heaven that is not born of the Spirit as well as of water? John

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3, 6, 7. and that is not converted, and begins not the world as it were anew, in a teachable and tractable newness of life like a little child? Matt. xviii. 30 And whether it be not a certain truth, that if any man have not the Spirit of God, he is none of his? Rom. vii. 9.

Quest, 15. Ask them, why Christ gave the world so many warnings of the damnableness of the Pharisees hypocrisy, if hypocritical Christians may be saved? And what were these Pharisees? They were the mas ters of the Jewish church, the Rabbies, that must have high places, high tithes, ceremonies, and formal gar ments, and must be reverenced of all; that gave God lip-service without the heart, and made void his com mands, and worshipped him in vain, teaching for doc trine the commandments of men; and strictly tithed mint and cummin, while love, mercy, and justice, were passed by; who worshipped God with abundance of cere monies, and built the tombs and garnished the sepulchres of the saints, while they killed and persecuted those that did imitate them, and hated the living saints, but honoured the dead: they were the bitterest enemies and murderers of Christ, on pretence that he was a blasphemer, and a seditious enemy to Cæsar and the common peace, and one that spoke against the temple; they were the greatest enemies of the Apostles, and silencers of those that preached Christ's gospel, and

persecuted them that called upon his name. And had these no need of Conversion, because they could say, God is our Father, (when the devil was their father, John viii. 44.) and that they were Abraham's seed? And are not hypocritical Christians, drunken Christians, fornicating Christians, carnal, worldly, infidel Christians, (the contradiction is your own,) persecuting Christians, false-named, hypocritical Christians, as bad, yea, worse, as they abuse a more excellent profession? Matt. xv. 7, 8, &c.

Quest. 16. Doth not the Holy State, or heaven, require holiness in all that shall possess it? Can an unholy soul there see, and love, and praise, and delight in God for ever, and in the holy society and employment of the saints? Is he not more like a Mahometan than a Christian, that looketh for a sensual and unholy heaven?

Quest. 17. What is the difference between the church and the world? Is not the church a holy society of regenerate souls? Yea, the church visible is only those that in baptisin vow holiness, and profess it Look these hypocrites in the face, and see whe ther they do not blush when they repeat in the Creed, "I believe in the Holy Ghost; I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, and the Communion of Saints," who shall have the forgiveness of sin, and life everlasting. Ask them, whether they mean holy adulterers, holy worldlings, holy perjured persons? Ask them, whether they mean a communion of saints in a tavern, in a play-house, in a gaming-house, in a whorehouse, or a jesting, canting stage-play communion? If the church be holy, be holy if you will be of the church: if it be a communion of saints, make it not a communion of swine; and make not saints and their communion seem odious, neither their infirmities, for their crossness to your carnal interest or conceits.

Quest. 18. Ask them, whether there be a heaven and a hell or not? If not, why are they pretended Christrans? If there be, will God send one man to heaven,