Useful instructions for a professing people in times of great security and degeneracy

3. Consider (though I speak not to excuse sin in any, where they may be guilty before God) yet consider why hath God lately taken away so many of his precious Servants in the Ministry, it is not to their damage or wrong, they are gone to their rest, have left a sinful and sorrowful world, to be invested with a Crown of Glory, and to be with Christ, which is best: but we are bereaved, the Lights are put out of our Candlesticks; they were despised here, and they are now received to honour and glory: and this may call us to solemn consideration. Consider Isa. 57. 1—

Secondly, Be it a singular sin, and let it centre where it will, it seems we are to seek about it; It tell you, the way to know it, is to reform what we do know. God reveals himself by degrees to a people according to their improvement. God hath told us of these and those things; why should he discover any more, since we mend not, but make so ill use of what he hath discovered. Let me tell you, and I can assure you of it to be a truth, prove it, and you shall have experience of it, If we repent from our hearts of our known sins, God will either remove the stroke off from us, or further discover what is provoking to him.

Secondly, Be it a singular sin, and let it center where it will, it seems we are to seek about it; It tell you, the way to know it, is to reform what we do know. God reveals himself by degrees to a people according to their improvement. God hath told us of these and those things; why should he discover any more, since we mend not, but make so ill use of what he hath discovered. Let me tell you, and I can assure you of it to be a truth, prove it, and you shall have experience of it, If we repent from our hearts of our known sins, God will either remove the stroke off from us, or further discover what is provoking to him.