Directions and persuasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation…Directions and perswasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation…

But the Opinionists, even when they speak of the most weighty Truths, do speak of them but as Opinions; and when they discourse of God, of Christ, of Grace, of Heaven, it is but as they discourse of a point in Philosophy, or little better. They go not through the shell to the kernel: they look after the Truth, but they have but little relish of the Goodness.

The like may be said of their reading, and hearing of Sermons. The sound Convert feeleth life, spirits in that which is little savoury to the Opinionist. It is one thing in a Sermon, or Text that is pleasant to a true Christian, and another thing usually that is most pleasant to the Opinionist. The true Christian delighteth in, and feedeth on the inward life of Spiritual Doctrine, and the Good which they offer him; that is, indeed, it is upon God, and Christ himself, that he is feasting his Soul in reading, and hearing: For this is the Soul of all, without which, letters, and words are but a carcass. But the superficial Opinionist is much more taken up, either with the History, or the Elegance of Speech, or with the rational light of the discourse, still sticking in the bark, and savouring not Christ, and the Father in all. As a man that reads the deeds, or lease of his own Lands, delights in one thing; and a clerk that reads the same, or the like in a book of Presidents, for his learning, delights in another thing. So is it in this case.

The like may be said of their reading, and hearing of Sermons. The sound Convert feeleth life, spirits in that which is little savory to the Opinionist. It is one thing in a Sermon, or Text that is pleasant to a true Christian, and another thing usually that is most pleasant to the Opinionist. The true Christian delighteth in, and feedeth on the inward life of Spiritual Doctrine, and the Good which they offer him; that is, indeed, it is upon God, and Christ himself, that he is feasting his Soul in reading, and hearing: For this is the Soul of all, without which, letters, and words are but a carcass. But the superficial Opinionist is much more taken up, either with the History, or the Elegancy of Speech, or with the rational light of the discourse, still sticking in the bark, and savouring not Christ, and the Father in all. As a man that reads the deeds, or lease of his own Lands, delights in one thing; and a cleark that reads the same, or the like in a book of Presidents, for his learning, delights in another thing. So is it in this case.