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DIRECTIONS FOR
WEAK, DISTEMPERED CHRISTIANS.
PAGE
DedicATION
cclv
Preface
cclvi
The text opened. What it is to receive Christ. The nature
of justifying faith in its three essential acts. How to know that we have received Christ. What it is to walk in him.
What to be rooted, to be grounded, and built up, &c.
265
The Doctrine of the necessity of weak Christians seeking sta-
bility, confirmation, and increase of grace. What confir-
mation is, in the understanding, will, affections, and in the
life
271
Twenty Motives to convince weak Christians of the great
need of growth and confirmation
275
A Lamentation for the weaknesses of Christians : in their
knowledge, in their practice, in public worship, in inward
grace, in outward obedience, about known duties, confes-
sion, reproof, &c. their uncharitableness, backbiting,
pride, &c.
300
Ten more considerations to convince them that it is not tri.
fling, but great things which God requireth at their hands. 307
Twenty Directions for confirmation and increase of grace 321
THE CHARACTER OF A
SOUND, CONFIRMED CHRISTIAN.
PREFACE
ccclxxiii
To the Reader
ccclxxv
The Characters of a strong, confirmed Christian.
1. He liveth by such a faith of unseen things as governeth
his soul instead of sight :
382
2. He hath cogent reasons for his religion
384
3. He seeth the well-ordered frame of sacred verities, and the
integral parts in their harmony or concert ; and setteth not
up one truth against another
386
4. He adhereth to them, and practiseth them, from an inward
con-natural principle, called “ the Divine nature,” and
“ the Spirit of Christ.”
387
5. He serveth not God for fear only, but for love
388
6. He loveth God, 1. Much for his goodness to himself. 2.
And more for his goodness to the church. 3. And most of
all or his essential goodness and perfection ,
390
7. He taketh this love and its expressions, for the heart and
height of all his religion..
392
8. He hath absolutely put his soul, and all his hopes into the
hand of Christ, and liveth by faith upon him as his Saviour 393
9. He taketh Christ as the Teacher sent from God, and his
doctrine for the truest wisdom, and learneth of none but in
subordination to him
394
10. His repentance is universal and effectual, and hath gone
to the root of every sin
396
11. He loveth the light, as it sheweth him his sin and duty;
and is willing to know the worst of sin, and the most of duty 397
12. He desireth the highest degree of holiness, and hath no
sin which he had not rather leave than keep, and had ra-
ther be the best, though in poverty, than the greatest in
prosperity
399
13. He liveth upon God and heaven as the end, reward, and
motive of his life
401
14. He counteth no cost or pains too great for the obtaining
it, and hath nothing so dear which he cannot part with for it 402
15. He is daily exercised in the practice of self-denial, as
(next to the love of God) the second half of his religion 405
16. He hath mortified his fleshly desires, and so far mastereth
his senses and appetite, that they make not his obedience
very uneasy or uneven .
408
17. He preferreth the means of his holiness and happiness,
incomparably before all provisions and pleasures of the flesh 410
18. He is crucified to the world, and the world to him by the
cross of Christ, and contemneth it through the belief of the
greater things of the life to come
411
19. He foreseeth the end in all his ways, and judgeth of all
things as they will appear at last
413
20. He liveth upon God alone, and is content with his favour
and approbation, without the approbation and favour of men 415
21. He hath absolutely devoted himself, and all that he hath
to God, to be used according to his will
417
22. He hath a readiness to obey, and a quick and pleasant
compliance of his will to the will of God
419
23. He delighteth himself more in God, and heaven, and
Christ, and holiness, than in all the world : religion is not
tedious and grievous to him . .
420
24. He is conscious of his own sincerity, and assured of his
justification, and title to everlasting joys ...
424
25. This assurance doth not make him more careless and re-
miss, but increaseth his love and holy diligence
425
26. Yet he abhorreth pride as the firstborn of the devil, and is
very low and vile in his own eyes, and can easily endure to
be low aod vile in the eyes of others
426
27. Being acquainted with the deceitfulness of the heart,
and the methods of temptation, he liveth as among snares,
and enemies, and dangers, in a constant watch; and can
conquer many and subtle, and great temptations (through
grace).
429
28. He hath counted what it may cost him to be saved, and
hath resolved not to stick at suffering, but to bear the cross
and be conformed to his crucified Lord, and hath already in
heart forsaken all for him
29. He is not a Christian only for company or carnal ends, or
upon trust of other men's opinions, and therefore would be
true to Christ, if his rulers, his teachers, his company, and
all that he knoweth should forsake him
432
30. He can digest the hardest truths of Scripture, and the
hardest passages of God's providence....
434
31. He can exercise all his graces in harmony, without neg-
lecting one to use another, or setting one against another. 435
32. He is more in getting and using grace, than in inquiring
whether he have it, (though he do that also in its place).. ibid.
33. He studieth duty more than events, and is more careful
what he should be towards God, than how he shall here be
used by him
436
34. He is more regardful of his duty to others, than of theirs
to him, and had much rather suffer wrong than do it ... 437
35. He keepeth up a constant government of his thoughts,
restraining them from evil, and using them upon God, and
for him..
439
36. He keepeth a constant government over his passions, so
far as that they pervert not his judgment, his heart, his
tongue or actions.
ibid.
37. He governeth his tongue, employing it for God, and res-
training it from evil ..
441
38. Heart-work and heaven-work are the principal matters of
his religious discourse, and not barren controversies or im-
pertinencies
442
39. He liveth upon the common great substantials of religion,
and yet will not deny the smallest truth, or commit the
smallest sin, for any price that man can offer him ..... 443
40. He is a high esteemer, and careful redeemer of time, and
abhorreth idleness and diversions which would rob him of it 447
41. His heart is set upon doing all the good in the world that
able: it is his daily business and delight
448
42. He truly loveth his neighbour as himself.
449
43. He hath a special love to all godly Christians as such, and
such as will not stick at cost in its due expressions ; nor be
turned into bitterness by tolerable differences
450
44. He forgiveth injuries, and loveth his enemies, and doth
them all the good he can : from the sense of the love of
Christ to him
452
45. He doth as he would be done by; and is as precise in the
justice of his dealings with men, as in acts of piety to God.. 453
46. He is faithful and laborious in his outward trade or call-
ing, not out of covetousness, but obedience to God ... 455
47. He is very conscionable in the duties of his several rela-
tions, in his family or other society, as a superior, inferior,
or equal....
456
48. He is the best subject, whether his rulers be good or bad,
though infidel and ungodly rulers may mistake, and use him
as the worst ....
457
49. His trust in God doth overcome the fear of man, and set-
tle him in a constant fortitude for God
462
50. Judgment and zeal conjunct are his constitution; his
judgment kindleth zeal, and his zeal is still judicious 464
51. He can bear the infirmities of the weak; and their cen-
sures and abuses of himself; and requiteth them not with
uncharitable censure or reproach...
466
52. He is a high esteemer of the unity of Christians, and ab-
horreth the principles, spirit, and practices of division 468
53. He seeketh the church's unity and concord not upon par-
tial, unrighteous, or impossible, but upon the possible,
righteous terms here mentioned ....
475
54. He is of a mellow, peaceable spirit; not masterly, domi-
neering, hurtful, unquiet, or contentious
480
55. He most highly regardeth the interest of God, and men's
salvation in the world, and regardeth no secular interest of
his own, or any man's, but in subserviency thereto
484
56. He is usually hated for his holiness by the wicked, and cen-
sured for his charity and peaceableness by the factious and
the weak; and is moved by neither from the way of truth.. 488
57. Though he abhor ungodly, soul-destroying ministers, yet
he reverenceth the office as necessary to the church and
world; and highly valueth the holy, faithful labourers... 489
58. He hath great experience of the providence, truth, and
justice of God, to fortify him against temptations to unbelief 491
59. Though he greatly desireth lively affections and gifts, yet
he much more valueth the three essential parts of holiness,
1. A high estimation in the understanding of God, Christ,
holiness, and heaven, above all that be set in any competi-
tion. . A resolved choice and adhesion of the will, to
these above and against all competitors. 3. The seeking
them first, in the endeavours of the life. And by these he
judgeth of the sincerity of his heart
492
60. He is all his life seriously preparing for his death, as if it
were at hand; and is ready to receive the sentence with
joy; but especially he longeth for the blessed day of Christ's
appearing, as the answer of all his desires and hopes .... 493
Six Uses of these characters
498
GOD'S GOODNESS VINDICATED,
For the help of such (especially in melancholy) as are tempt-
ed to deny it, and think him to be cruel, because of the pre-
sent and future misery of mankind, with respect to the doc-
trine of reprobation and damnation
507
DIRECTIONS
AND
PERSUASIONS
TO A
SOUND CONVERSION.
FOR
PREVENTION OF THAT DECEIT AND DAMNATION OF SOULS, AND OF THOSE SCANDALS, HERESIES, AND DESPERATE
APOSTACIES, THAT ARE THE CONSEQUENTS OF A COUNTERFEIT OR SUPERFICIAL
CHANGE.