A guide to Christ. Or, The way of directing souls that are under the…

2. There is a great difference between loving Godly men for their Piety, and loving them for their Morality. Godly men are moral men some of them are eminent for Justice, Sobriety and Faithfulness, and these are very lovely things in the eyes of many natural men; they love them upon that account, Dan. 6.3.18. Darius had a great love to Daniel, but it was not upon the account of his Piety, but his Prudence and Morality: Morality is lovely in the eyes of many carnal men. Some love Godly men, because they are related to them; some because they are friendly to them, and some because of their moral qualifications, that have not any love to them upon the account of their Piety. The moral Carriages of the People of God flow from a spirit of Piety; but Morality & Piety are very different things, and some persons that have a love to them upon the account of their Morality, may have no love to them upon the account of their Piet•

Another Scripture that he may build a confidence on, is, 1 Joh. 5.11. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. By this Rule he says he is in a good condition, he does believe this, therefore is Regenerate. In this Case he may be told,

That the believing here spoken of, is the receiving of it as certain upon the testimony of God. Many men have a common persuasion that Christ is the Son of God from tradition, and from his Miracles, which is in a more general ⟨p. 31⟩acceptation called believing.