Some general directions for a comfortable walking with God delivered in the lecture at…Some generall directions for a comfortable walking with God deliuered in the lecture at…

Occasions ministered by profane men, are such as these:

Occasions ministred by prophane men, are such as these:

1. First, They many times, when they find their consciences disquieted, their former courses controlled, their carnal humours crossed and contradicted, and themselves much diseased and disturbed in the securefull pursuit of their sensual pleasures, by the searching power of a conscionable Ministry: or when they plainly see that their unzealousnesse, lukewarmness, and formality in Religion, is censured and condemned by the forwardness, and zealous carriage and conversation of the Saints, they seek by all means, and labour might and main, to be meet with those Ministers which so vex them with their faithful Preaching; and those godly Christians, which silently disgrace them with their gracious life and zealous exercise of Christianity. And therefore sith many times, by Gods goodness, they cannot find any visible or conspicuous matter or miscarriage, to charge them with truly; because the Saints lie not in gross and notorious sins, such as are swearing, drunkenness, lying, uncleanness, Sabbath-breaking, idleness, the vanities of goodfellowship, &c. as themselves are wont; therefore, I say, they audaciously dive into their hearts with unhallowed censures, and lay unto their charges those invisible errors, which none can see but Gods All-seeing Eye; & from which they cannot be cleared and acquit, but only by their own consciences, and his highest Tribunal. So that they take order that such imputations, though groundless and false; yet shall be sure to cleave to the good name of Gods Children as certainly without redress or remedy, as they were devised without truth or charity. We may see this clearly in the present point, and the slander of hypocrisy, ⟨p. 277⟩which is also the ordinary portion of the best, from men of the world. When profane opposites unto grace pry curiously into all the ways of Gods Child, and can find nothing so faulty in his outward carriage, or reprovable in the ordinary course of his life, as they expect and desire; yet, left they should not show themselves the right children of Satan, the Accuser of the Brethren; they will be meddling one way or other; they will be nibbling at his good name, with some such speeches as these: Well, well, though he be an excellent Pulpit man, or a forward Professor, yet is he not so, and so? is not he as well given unto, and greedy of the world as other men?