Remains of that excellent minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Joseph Alleine being a collection…Remaines of that excellent minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Joseph Alleine being a collection…

Fourth Counsel. Be sure that none of those extraordinary providences do drive you from God, but that they drive you to God. I fear le•t this may be the issue of these providences ⟨p. 77⟩to many, that they may be driven off from God, that they will give over their diligence and zeal; and give up all for lost and gone. O this will be sad indeed! If these providences drive you from God, this will be a sad sign of reprobation; take heed that these drive you nearer to God. Be sure that the more frowning the providences of God are to you, the more do you cleave to him, the more tenderly do you walk before him. 'Tis a fearful sign of an unsound heart, never savoured, and seasoned with true grace, when afflicting providences do drive men farther and farther off from God. God doth intend by his Rod to whip his children home to him, to make them walk more tenderly; to caution them against sin, that he corrects them for. But now if any of you should make this use of his providences, that after all, you should go farther from God, oh how sad would this be! This is to be like King Ahaz. 2 Chron. 28. 22. O let these Chastisements from God, drive you every one the nearer to God. And cause you every one to enquire into his way, and the iniquity that is in his hand, that he may reform.

Fifth Counsel. Let your own eyes be your Overseers, when God deprives you of your public Overseers. The Ministers of Christ, they are termed Seers, and Overseers; Now God is like to deprive you of these, oh take the more careful Oversight every one of your selves; be the more strict in your inspection into your own ways, in the examining of, ⟨p. 78⟩and inquiring into your own hearts. Beloved it is a duty that I have some time since pressed upon you, and I hope you do yet make conscience of it, daily to examine your hearts and ways by those questions; which we gave you for this end, as a great help to this duty: I beseech you whatever you intermit, constantly to keep up, and maintain that duty. And now especially when God deprives you of your public Overseers, you should take care of your selves. I have never any hopes that you will come to any proficiency in the ways of God, unless you come up to the strict observation of these Rules, that so you may become sensible of your errors, that one days humiliation, may be the matter of the next days Reformation.