So the people of God do speak, so they pray, and even so they open tlieir conditions : These look like saints, but are none. The third is to see so many real saints, in whom the spirit of truth is, who yet, through the impetuous workings of their corruptions, and neg- lecting of the watch over their hearts, do often fall into such scanda- lous practices, that they look like hypocrites, though they are not so.
These are three sad sights indeed, and O that my head were wa- ters, and mine eyes fountains of tears, that I may weep abundantly over them all !
For the^r^^, I would mourn heartily, considering that they (so con- tinuing) must be damned eternally, % Thess. i, 8, 9. 1 Cor. vi. 9.
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For the second^ 1 would both weep and tremble, considering that they (so abiding) must be damned doubly, Matth. xxiv. 51.
And for the third no less than any of the rest, because, though they themselves may, and shall be saved, yet their examples make fast the bonds of death upon both the former, Matth. xviii. 7. 2 Sam. xii. 13, 14
Alas ! that ever they should shed the blood of others souls, for whom Christ shed his own blood ! That ever they should be cruel to others who have found Christ so hind to them ! I know they dare not do it directly and intentionally, but so it proves occasionally and eventually. Suffer me here to digress a little, and expostulate with these prejudiced and hardened souls, I will presently return to you again. O why do you mischieve your own souls by other men's ex- amples ? Because they stumble and break their shins, will you fall and break your necks ? I desire all such as harden themselves by these things, and take up a good opinion of their own deplorable condition, would soberly consider, and answer these three queries.
Query 1. Doth religion any way countenance or patronize the sin- ful practices of its professors ? Or doth it not rather impartially and severely condemn them ? It is the glory of the Christian religion, that it is pure and undefiled, Jam. i. 27. No doctrine so holy, Psal. xix. 8. Nor doth any make more provision for an holy life. Tit. ii. 11,42. Indeed there is a case wherein we may charge the evil prac- tices of men upon their principles, but that is when their practices naturally flow from, and necessarily follow their principles: As for example, if I see a Papist sin boldly, I may charge it upon his prin- ciples, for they set pardons to sale, and so make way for looseness. If I see an Arminian slight the grace of God, and proudly advance himself, I may cry shame upon his principles, which directly lead to it : But can I do so where such practices are condemned and provided against by their own avowed principles, who commit them ?
Query % Is it not a most irrational thing to let fly at religion because of the scandalous ways of some, whilst, in the mean time, you wholly slight and over-look the holy and heavenly conversation of many others ? Are all that profess godliness loose and careless in their hves ? No, some are an ornament to their profession, and the glory of Christ : And why must the innocent be condemned with the guilty ? Why the eleven for one Judas ?
Query 3. If you condemn religion because of the scandalous lives of some that profess it, must you not then cast off" all religion in the world, and turn down-right atheists ? Surely this is the consequent of it : For what religion is there, but some that profess it walk con- trary to their profession ? Arid then, as Constantine told the Nova- tian, you must set up a ladder, and go to heaven by yourself.
But alas ! it is not our printed apologies for religion, but the visible reformations of its profeisorjii, that must both salve its honour, and re-
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move those fatal stumbling-blocks at which the blind world strikes and falls into eternal perdition.
Now there are two ways by which this may be effected : Firsts By convincing the consciences of professors of their miscarriages, and the evil aggravations of them. Secondly, By medicating the heart, and cleansing the fountain whence they proceed. In the Jirst of these, a worthy and eminent servant of Christ hath lately laboured, holding a clear gospel-glass before the See GospeU faces of professors, which truly represents their spots glass. and blemishes : If he that reads it Avill consider, appl}-, and practise, it shall doubtless turn to his salvation ; but if it turn to no good account to him that reads it, I know it shall turn to a tes- timony for him that wrote it. The second is a principal design of this small treatise, the subject whereof is exceedingly weighty, and of daily use to the people of God, though the manner of handling it be attended with many defects and weaknesses : every one cannot be excellent, who yet may be useful.
I will exercise your patience no longer than whilst I tell you,
1. Why I publish it to the view of the world.
2. Why I direct it particularly to you.
First, For the publication of it, take this sincere and brief account, That as I was led to this subject by a special providence, so to the pub- lication of it by a kind of necessity. The providence at first leading me to it, was this, a dear and choice friend of my intimate acquaint- ance being under much inward trouble, upon the account of some special heart-disorder, opened the case to me, and earnestly requested some rules and helps in that particular ; whilst I v/as bending my thoughts to that special case, divers other cases of like importance (some of which were dependent upon that consideration) occurred to my thoughts, and this scripture, which I have insisted upon, pre- sented itself, as a fit foundation for the whole discourse ; which being lengthened out to what you see, divers friends requested me to tran- scribe for their use, divers of the cases here handled, and some others begged me to publish the whole, to which I was in a manner neces- sitated, to save the pains of subscribing, which to me is a very tedious, and tiresome work: and just as I had almost finished the copy, an opportunity (and that somewhat strangely) offered to make it public. So that from first to last, I have been carried beyond my first inten- tions in this thinff.
Objection. If any say, The world is even cloyed with books, and therefore though the discourse be necessary, yet the publication is needless.
Solution. 1. I answer. There are multitudes of books indeed, and of them many concern not themselves about root-truths, and practi- cal godliness, but spend their strength upon impractical notions, and frivolous controversies ; many also strike at root-truths, and endea-
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