Four godly and learned treatises Entitled, I. A remedy against covetousness. II. An elegant…Foure godly and learned treatises Intituled, I. A remedy against covetousnesse. II. An elegant…

If then all that look for any interest in Christ,¹ must follow him; then in the first place, learn from hence not to be auricular but real Disciples; do not make a profession, get not knowledge in the brain only but act it too. This is the difference 'twixt Christs and other mens Disciples; if a man follow Aristotle or any others, it is enough to know and hold his tenets: but he that will follow Christ, must follow and do his precepts, must imitate him. The difference between Divinity and other Sciences, is this: in other Sciences if you understand them it is enough; but in this it is not enough to know it, you must do it. This is like lessons of Music, it is not enough to know them, but you must practise them: it is like a Copy of writing; you must not only read it, but you must act it, and learn to write after it. We must not only know what temperance, patience, and love are, and the like; but you must act and practise ⟨p. 253⟩them: we must believe and undergo the Cross, if we will belong to Christ: John 6.45. Every man that hath heard and hath learned of the Father, cometh to me. God makes us fit to follow Christ, he declares the truth, and bows the will: he teacheth the Creatures, the Bee, and the Stork to do thus and thus; he puts a secret instinct into them, which makes them do that they do; and so he doth with his Children: he makes them of Wolves, to become Lambs; he makes a thorough change in them: It is doing, that makes you Christs Disciples; if it were but to know, it was nothing. Consider what ye practise, and how far ye do Gods will: we look not only for the knowledge, the remembrance, and repetition of what we preach, (though it be good to repeat what we hear, and it is ill to omit it;) but we look you should practise what you hear; we would see the Milk, and the Fleece, not the Hay again: we would see your defects and weaknesses amended, and those duties performed that you neglect.

If then all that looke for any interest in Christ,¹ must follow him; then in the first place, learne from hence not to bee auricular but reall Disciples; doe not make a profession, get not knowledge in the braine onely but act it too. This is the difference 'twixt Christs and other mens Disciples; if a man follow Aristotle or any others, it is enough to know and hold his tenets: but he that will follow Christ, must follow and doe his precepts, must imitate him. The difference betweene Divinity and other Sciences, is this: in other Sciences if you understand them it is enough; but in this it is not enough to know it, you must doe it. This is like lessons of Musicke, it is not enough to know them, but you must practise them: it is like a Copy of writing; you must not onely reade it, but you must act it, and learne to write after it. Wee must not onely know what temperance, patience, and love are, and the like; but you must act and practise