_Direct._ XXVIII. Come with humility and a sense of your ignorance, and not with arrogance and self-conceit; as if all must needs be wrong that your empty, foolish minds cannot presently perceive to be right. The famousest apostates that ever I knew, were all men of notorious pride and self-conceitedness.
_Direct._ XXIX. Provoke not God by wilful sinning against the light, which thou hast already received, to forsake thee, and give thee over to infidelity. 2 Thess. ii. 10-12, "Because men receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved; for this cause God sends them strong delusions to believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Obey Christ's doctrine so far as you know it, and you shall fullier know it to be of God, John vii. 17; x. 4.
_Direct._ XXX. Tempt not yourselves to infidelity, by pretended humility in abasing your natural faculties, when you should be humbled for your moral pravity. Vilifying the soul, and its reason, and natural free-will, doth tend to infidelity, by making us think that we are but as other inferior animals, incapable of a life above with God: whenas self-abasing, because of the corruption of reason and free-will, doth tend to show us the need of a physician, and so assist our faith in Christ.
_Direct._ XXXI. Judge not of so great a thing by sudden apprehensions, or the surprise of a temptation, when you have not leisure to look up all the evidences of faith, and lay them together, and take a full, deliberate view of all the cause. It is a mystery so great as requireth a clear and vacant mind, delivered from prejudice, abstracted from diverting and deceiving things; which, upon the best assistance and with the greatest diligence, must lay altogether to discern the truth. And if, upon the best assistance and consideration, you have been convinced of the truth, and then will let every sudden thought, or temptation, or difficulty seem enough to question all again, this is unfaithfulness to the truth, and the way to resist the clearest evidences, and never to have done. It is like as if you should answer your adversary in the court, when your witnesses are all dismissed or out of the way, and all your evidences are absent, and perhaps your counsellor and advocate too. It is like the casting up of a long and intricate account, which a man hath finished by study and time; and when he hath done all, one questioneth this particular, and another that, when his accounts are absent: it is not fit for him to answer all particulars, nor question his own accounts, till he have as full opportunity and help to cast up all again.
_Direct._ XXXII. If the work seem too hard for you, go and consult with the wisest, most experienced christians; who can easily answer the difficulties which most perplex and tempt you. Modesty will tell you, that the advantage of study and experience may make every one wisest in his own profession; and set others above you, while you have less of these.
_Direct._ XXXIII. Remember that christianity being the surest way to secure your eternal hopes; and the matters of this life, which cause men to forsake it, being such transitory trifles, you can be no losers by it; and therefore if you doubted, yet you might be sure that is the safest way.
_Direct._ XXXIV. Judge not of so great a cause in a time of melancholy, when fears and confusions make you unfit. But in such a case as that, as also whenever Satan would disturb your settled faith, or tempt you at his pleasure to be still new questioning resolved cases and discerned truths, abhor his suggestions, and give them no entertainment in your thoughts, but cast them back into the tempter's face. There is not one melancholy person of a multitude, but is violently assaulted with temptations to blasphemy and unbelief, when they have but half the use of reason and no composedness of mind to debate such controversies with the devil. It is not fit for them in this incapacity to hearken to any of those suggestions, which draw them to dispute the foundations of their faith, but to cast them away with resolute abhorrence; nor should any christian, that is soundly settled on the true foundation, gratify the devil so much as to dispute with him whenever he provoketh us to it, but only endeavour to strengthen our faith, and destroy the remnants of unbelief.
_Direct._ XXXV. Remember that Christ doth propagate his religion conjunctly by his Spirit and his word, and effecteth himself the faith which he commandeth. For though there be sufficient evidence of credibility in his word, yet the blinded mind, and corrupt, perverted hearts of men, do need the cure of his medicinal grace, before they will effectually and savingly believe a doctrine which is so holy, high, and heavenly, and doth so much control their lusts. See therefore that you distrust your corrupted hearts, and earnestly beg the Spirit of Christ.