Fourthly, Beware of curiosity. He is half gone into error that vainly covets novelties, and listens after every new-fangled opinion. We read of itching ears, 2 Tim. iv. .'} : this itch commonly ends in a scab of error. Tamar lost her chastity by gadding ; castitas mentis est fides incorrupta ; the chastity of the mind is its soundness in the faith. And this they are in danger to lose, who will go into all companies, and lend an ear to all doctrines that are preached. First, be a hearer, and then a disciple of them. Many indulge themselves so far in this curiosity of conversing with every sect and opinion, that at last they turn sceptics, and can settle upon nothing as truth. Augustine confesseth of himself that he had gone through so many errors and delusions of the Manichees, (which he once cried up for truths, but afterwards saw them abominable errors,) that at last he was afraid of truth itself, which he heard Ambrose preach. tJt malum medlcum ei-pertus, etknn bono t'niwdt se conim'Utere. 'As,' saith he, ' one that hath had experience of an unskilful physician, is at last afraid to put himself in the hands of him that is skilful.' O take heed that you who will now hear anything, come not in the end that you will believe nothing!
Fifthly, Humbly beg an established judgment of God. No travellers lose their way sooner than they who think they know it so well, as they need not ask it. And no professors are in such danger of being drawn from the truth as they who lean to their own understanding, and acknowledge not God in their way, by consulting with himself daily. Mark, pride, however it may seem to soar, hath such a mercy in store for them, they may, with Nebuchadnezzar, ' bless the Most High,' and acknowledge him at their return, whom they neglected so unworthily at their setting forth. O take heed therefore of pride, which will soon make thee a stranger at the throne of grace ! Pride takes little delight in begging : it turns humble praying for truth into a busy, stickling, and ambitious disputing about truth : there is honour to be got here ; and thus many, to get victory, have lost truth in the heat of the battle. Lay this deep in thy heart, that God, which gives an eye to see truth, must give a hand to hold it fast when we have it. What we have from God we cannot keep without God ; keep therefore thy acquaintance with God, or else truth will not keep her acquaint- ance long with thee. God is light ; thou art going into the dark, as soon as thou turnest thy back upon him. We stand at better advantage to find truth, and keep it also, when devoutly praying for it, than fiercely wrangling and contending about it : disputes toil the soul, and raise the dust of passion ; pi-ayer sweetly composeth the mind, and lays the passions which disputes draw forth ; and I am sure a man may see further in a still, clear day, than in a windy and cloudy. When a person talks much, and rests little, we have great cause to fear his brain will not long hold ; and truly, when a person shall be much in talking and disputing about truth, without a humble spirit in prayer to be led into it, God may justly punish that man's pride with a spiritual frenzy in his mind, that he shall not know error from truth.
Sixthly, Look thou takest not offence at the difference of judgments and opinions that are foimd amongst the pi-ofessors of religion. It is a stone which the papist throws, in these divided times especially, before our feet. How know you, saith he, which is truth, when there are so many judgments and ways amongst you? Some have so stumbled at this, that they have quitted the truth they once professed, and by the storm of dissensions in matters of religion have been, if not thrown upon the rock of atheism, yet driven to and fro in a fluctua- tion of mind, not willing to cast anchor anywhere in their judgment till they see this tempest over, and those that are scattered from one another by diver- sity of judgment, meet together in an unity and joint consent of persuasions in matters of religion. A resolution, as one saith very well, as foolish and pernicious to the soul, if not more than it would be to the body, if a man should vow he would not eat till all the clocks in the city should strike twelve just together ; the latter might sooner be expected than the former.
Seventhly, Rest not till thou feclcst the efficacy of every truth thou boldest in thy judgment upon thy heart ; one faculty helps another. The more clear truth is in the understanding, the more abiding in the memory; and the more operative
gig HAVING YOUR LOINS