their teachers, they were likely to make unhappy scholars. As you will not have done with Christ, if he cure you not at once, nor give over praying, if you have not all your desires at once, (if you love yourselves,) so you must not have done with the counsel of your guides, if they satisfy not your doubts at once: As you cease not hearing them in public, though you have still your doubtings; so why should you cease advising with them personally upon that account? Use God's means, and be thankful, if by degrees they do cure, and prevail at last.

Object. But I find it is God only that can speak peace; and therefore it is vain to hang on men.'

I answer, God speaketh by his Word and Spirit: his word is to be delivered, expounded, and applied to you by his ministers if therefore you will have it from God, you must not refuse his own appointed ordinary means. The Spirit comforteth by the promise: As in conversion God useth not to do it by the Spirit, without, but in, and by the ministry of the word, so also in all our directions, and satisfaction and comfort afterwards. As he that will run from the ministry of the word, because it is God that must convert, doth indeed run from God, and is not likely to be converted; so is it in point of assurance and consolation. The teachers of the church " "are to be accounted of as the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God," (1 Cor. iv. 1,)" by whom the people have believed;" (1 Cor. iii. 5;) "not having dominion over their faith, but being helpers of their joy ;” (2 Cor. i. 24;)" who are comforted in all their tribulations, that they might be able to comfort them that are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith they themselves are comforted of God." (ver. 4.) They are to be "faithful and wise stewards, whom the Lord maketh rulers over his household to give them their portion of meat in due season." (Luke xii. 42.) Thus Christ has given "authority to his servants, and appointed to every man his work, (Mark xiii. 34,) and given pastors and teachers to his church, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man." (Eph. iv. 11-13.) These therefore being Christ's officers, and this their ap

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pointed work, we must receive so much of God's mercies by their hands, as belongeth to their office to administer. "If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness, then God is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom. (Job xxxiii. 23, 24.)

So that you see it is God's way to shew to man his uprightness, and to speak peace to souls by his messengers and interpreters that are fitted and authorised thereto.

Object. But it is but few that are able thus to discuss the case of unsettled, doubting souls, and to give them clear and safe directions, that may save both from presumption and despair: in many places the ministers are senseless of these things, and unacquainted with the concernments and works of conscience, and have nothing to say to us, unless to deride us as scrupulous and precise; and bid us not trouble our heads about such matters, seeing God is merciful, and Christ died for sinners. They will discourse with us long enough about news, or worldly businesses, or opinions, or controversies; but when we open to them the state of our souls, and desire their advice for the "making our calling and election sure," they have no sense or savour of such discourse: and many ministers that are truly conscientious, are yet so unskilful and so weak, that we have no encouragement to acquaint them with our state.'

To this I answer: It cannot be denied but all this is too true; and it is matter of lamentation, and must send us to God with the old petition which Christ himself hath put into our mouths, (Matt. ix. 37, 38,) " The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."

But consider that this is no wonder, or unusual thing: For all this, there is no nation under heaven that hath more able, faithful ministers of Christ, than are in these nations. Alas, how much of the church is guided by mere ignorant readers! And how much by superstitious deceivers ! Did you know the case of the poor Christians in the Ethiopian, the Greek, and the Roman churches, you would bless God that it is so well with us: even when the church was in a narrower room, yet God complained, (Jer. xii. 10,) "Many

my

pastors have destroyed my vineyard: they have trodden portion under foot: they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness: they have made it desolate: and being desolate it mourneth unto me:" And Jer. xxiii. 1, 2. "Woe be to the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, saith the Lord: therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people: Ye have scattered my flock and driven them away, and have not visited them behold I will visit on you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord. And I will set up shepherds over them, that shall feed them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed." Then was the church fain to take up this lamentation, Jer. x. 19-21. "Woe is me, my hurt! for my wound is grievous: but I said, truly this is a grief, and I must bear it: my tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains: for the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the Lord: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered."

But the voice of healing mercy saith, "Only acknowledge thine iniquity, &c.-Turn, O backsliding children, &c. and I will give you pastors according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." (Jer. iii. 13-15.)

You see in all other professions (that require not supernatural illumination), there are but few that attain to excellency: it is but in few that nature layeth the foundation, or giveth that capacity, to be excellent, which grace doth elevate and improve.

Take therefore the advice of the ablest you can get: If most physicians are weak and ignorant, do not therefore cast off all, nor yet cast yourselves upon one that is likely to kill you, because he is your neighbour. I will not persuade you to go always to the minister of your parish, to open the case of your souls, be he fit or unfit; but to the fittest that you can have access to: the Papists themselves will give men leave to choose others for their confessors. Where there is most of the heavenly illumination, and holy skill in the matters of the soul; where there is the soundest and most exact judgment, joined with experience and tender compassion, and faithful plainness, and cautelous secresy,

there open your hearts if you have opportunity, and take the help of such faithful counsellors to acquaint you with yourselves.

Object. But such ministers being few, and having more of greater work than they can turn them to, are not to be spoken with as oft as my necessity requireth help.'

Answ. Use then the best that are at leisure; and it is not only ministers that you must use, but any other Christian friend that hath such abilities and qualifications, as fit them to assist you: whosoever hath the light, refuse not to come to it; God's gifts and graces may be helpful to you in a parent, a husband, a neighbour, and not only in a minister.

Quest. But how far may a dark and doubting person take up and rest in the judgment of a minister, or of others, about the state of his soul, when he is not satisfied himself?? Answ. This question is of very great use, and therefore the more carefully to be resolved; I shall answer it therefore, 1. Negatively, and, 2. Affirmatively.

1. No man's judgment of your state is to be taken as absolutely infallible or Divine: nor is man to be believed as God is, with a Divine belief. When they tell you, that ‘If you are regenerate, you are justified,' then they do but tell you what God hath told you, and therefore this is to be taken as of infallible certainty, not as it is their word, but as it is God's: So also when they tell you, that If you are unconverted you are not forgiven.' But when they tell you, that you are converted or unconverted, pardoned or unpardoned,' this judgment is not to be taken as infallible or Divine.

2. For the bare matter of fact (whether you repent or not; whether you had rather be holy or unholy, &c.) there is no minister that can know your heart so well as yourselves may know it, except in case when melancholy or passion, or a weakness of understanding on one side, or a wilfulness of presumption on the other side, doth make men judge of their own condition quite contrary to the evidence that appeareth in their lives to others.

3. It is not safe to rest on the judgment of one that is either an enemy or stranger to the workings of a careful, troubled soul; or one that is drunk with any heresy, or fond. of any private opinion of his own, and layeth out his zeal to

form people into his opinion, as if the life of religion lay in that: nor yet of a weak unskilful man.

4. It is not safe for you to rest much in the judgment of one that knows you not, and is not acquainted (by himself, or by the report of others, or some good evidence) of the bent and manner of your lives, but must judge only by the present expressions of your own mouths.

5. It is not safe for you to rest on the judgment of any one single person, when the judgment of most of your judicious acquaintance is contrary to it. So much for the negative. 2. Affirmatively, I answer,

1. By a Divine faith you are bound to believe all the promises of Scripture that your pastor (or any other) shall acquaint you with.

2. As a disciple of Christ, you are bound to learn the meaning of those promises (and other passages of the Scripture) from your teachers, duly authorised to instruct you: and with such a human belief, as a scholar oweth to his teacher in arts or sciences, you are bound to believe your teachers concerning the meaning of the promises, in cases wherein you are unable yourselves to understand the word by its proper light and evidence, as well as they; and in case you see no evidence of falsehood in their exposition, nor have any special reason to distrust them. He that will believe nothing that his teacher telleth him, in order to his own understanding, shall never understand by teaching. If you know as much as he already, you need no teacher: if you do not, you must believe him, or else you can never learn of him. But this is not to take him for omniscient, or infallible in himself, but to credit him as a man.

3. You are bound, when he judgeth of your particular case, upon your opening to him the matter of fact, to allow him so much credit as is due to the proportion of his understanding. You tell him how you feel your hearts affected, and what the actions of your lives have been; when you have told it him, he judgeth by God's word, whether this be a state of saving grace which you describe, or not; if upon much stronger parts, or longer study, and more experience, he know more of the meaning of the word, and of the nature of grace, and so be abler to judge than you, modesty requireth that you do in that measure submit your understanding unto his, and believe him according to the measure of