and desirous to know what every man thinks of them, but thoroughly follow the advice of none, but perhaps take one medicine from one man, and one from another, and let most even of those lie by them in the box, and so perish more certainly than if they never meddled with any at all; so do most troubled souls hear what one man saith, and what another saith, and seldoin thoroughly follow the advice of any; but when one man's words do not cure them, they say, This is not the man that God hath appointed to cure me.' And so another, and that is not the man; when they should rather say, 'This is not the way,' than This is not the man.' This lazy complaining is not it that will do the work, but faithful practicing the directions given you.

But I know some will say, That it is near to Popish auricular confession, which I here persuade Christians to, and it is to bring Christians under the tyranny of the priests again, and make them acquainted with all men's secrets, and masters of their consciences.

Answ. 1. To the last, I say to the railing devil of this age, no more but "The Lord rebuke thee." If any minister have wicked ends, let the God of heaven convert him, or root him out of his church, and cast him among the weeds and briars. But is it not the known voice of sensuality, and hell, to cast reproaches upon the way and ordinances of God? Who knoweth not that it is the very office of the ministry, to be teachers and guides to men in matters of salvation, and overseers of them? and that they watch for their souls, as those that must give an account, and the people, therefore, are bound to obey them? Heb. xiii. 7. 17. Should not the shepherd know his sheep, and their strayings and diseases; how else shall he cure them? Should not the physician hear the patient open all his disease, yea, study to discover to the utmost every thing he knows; and all little enough to the cure? A disease unknown is unlike to be cured; and a disease well known is half cured. Mr. Thomas Hooker saith truly, it is with many people as with some over-modest patients, who having a disease in some secret place, they will not for shame reveal it to the physician till it be past cure, and then they must lose their lives by their modesty; so dɔ many by their secret and more disgraceful sins. Not that every man is bound to open all his sins to his pastor; but those that cannot well be otherwise cured, he must; either if the sense of the guilt cannot be removed, and true assurance of pardon obtained; or else, if power against the sin be not otherwise obtained, but that it still prevaileth; in both these cases we must go to those that God hath made our directors and guides. I am confident many a thousand souls do long strive against anger, lust, flesh-pleasing, worldliness, and trouble of conscience, to little purpose, who, if they would but have taken God's way, and sought for help, and

opened all their case to their minister, they might have been delivered, in a good measure, long ago. Answ. 2. And for Popish confession, I detest it. We would not persuade men that there is a necessity of confessing every sin to a minister, before it can be pardoned. Nor do we do it in a perplexed formality only at one time of the year; nor in order to Popish pardons or satisfactions; but we would have men go for physic to their souls, as they do for their bodies, when they feel they have need. And let me advise all Christian congregations to practice this excellent duty more. See that you knock oftener at your pastor's door, and ask his advice in all your pressing necessities: do not let him sit quietly in his study for you: make him know by experience that the tenth part of a minister's labor is not in the pulpit. If your sins are strong, and you have wounded conscience deep, go for his advice for a safe cure many a man's sore festers to damnation for want of this; and poor, ignorant and scandalous sinners have far more need to do this than troubled consciences. I am confident, if the people of my congregation did but do their duty for the good of their own souls in private, seeking advice of their ministers, and opening their cases to them, they would find work for ten ministers at least; and yet those two that they have, have more work than they are able to do already. Especially ministers in small country congregations, might do abundance of good this way; and their people are much to blame that they come not oftener to them for advice; this were the way to make Christians indeed. The devil knows this, and therefore so envies it, that he never did more against a design in the world; he hath got the maintenance alienated that should have maintained them, that so they may have but cne minister in a congregation, and then among the greater congregations this work is impossible for want of instruments; yea, he is abcut getting down the very churches and settled ministry, if God will suffer him. He setteth his instruments to rail at priests and discipline, and to call Christ's yoke tyranny; because while the garden is hedged in, he is fain, with envy, to look over the hedge. What if a man (like those of our times) should come to a town that have an epidemical pleurisy or fever, and say, 'Do not run like fools to these physicians; they do but cheat you, and rcb your purses, and seek themselves, and seek to be lords of your lives.' It is possible some do so; but if, by these persuasions, the silly people should lose their lives, how well had their new preacher befriended them? Such friends will those prove at last to your sculs, that dissuade you from cbeying the guidance and discipline of your overseers, and dare call the ordinances of the Lord cf glory tyrannical, and reproach those that Christ hath set over them. England will not have Christ by his officers rule over them, and

the several congregations will not obey him. But he will make them know, before many years are past, that they refused their own mercy, and knew not the things that belonged to their peace, and that he will be master at last, in spite of malice and the proudest of his foes. If they get by this bargain of refusing Christ's government, and despising his ministers, and making the peace, unity and prosperity of his church, and the souls of men, a prey to their proud misguided fancies and passions, then let them boast of the bargain when they have tried it. Only I would entreat one thing of them, not to judge too confidently till they have seen the end.

And for all you tender-conscienced Christians, whom by the ministry the Lord hath begotten or confirmed to himself, as ever you will show yourselves thankful for so great a mercy, as ever you will hold that you have got, or grow to more perfection, and attain that blessed life to which Christ hath given you his ministers to conduct you; see that you stick close to a judicious, godly, faithful ministry, and make use of them while you have them. Have you strong lusts, or deep wounds in conscience, or a heavy burden of doubtings or distress? Seek their advice. God will have his own ordinance and officers have the chief instrumental hand in your cure. The same means ofttimes in another hand shall not do it. Yet I would have you make use of all able private Christians' help also.

I will tell you the reason why our ministers have not urged this so much upon you, nor so plainly acquainted their congregations with the necessity of opening your case to your minister, and seeking his advice.

1. Some, in opposition to Popery, have gone too far on the other extreme; perhaps sinning as deeply in neglect as the Papists do in formal excess. It is a good sign that an opinion is true, when it is near to error. For truth is the very next step to error. The small thread of truth runs between the close adjoining extremes of

error.

2. Some ministers, knowing the exceeding greatness of the burden, are loath to put themselves upon it. This one work, of giving advice to all that ought to come and open their case to us, if our people did but what they ought to do for their own safety, would itself, in great congregations, be more than preaching every day in the week. What, then, is all the rest of the work? And how can one man, yea, or five, do this to five thousand souls? And, then, when it lieth undone, the malicious reproachers rail at the ministers, and accuse the people of unfitness to be church members; which, howsoever, there may be some cause of, yet not so much as they suggest; and that unfitness would best be cured by the dili

gence of more laborers, which they think to cure by removing the few that do remain.

3. Also, some ministers, seeing that they have more work than they can do already, think themselves incapable of more, and therefore that it is vain to put their people on it, to seek more.

4. Some ministers are over-modest, and think it to be unfit to desire people to open their secrets to them, in confessing their sins and corrupt inclinations, and opening their wants; and indeed any ingenuous man will be backward to pry into the secrets of others. But when God hath made it our office, under Christ, to be physicians to the souls of our people, it is but bloody cruelty to connive at their pride and carnal bashfulness, or hypocritical covering of their sins, and to let them die of their disease, rather than we will urge them to disclose it.

5. Some ministers are loath to tell people of their duty in this, lest it should confirm the world in their malicious conceit, that we should be masters of men's consciences, and would lord it over them. This is as much folly and cruelty as if the master and pilot of the ship should let the mariners govern the ship by the major vote, and run all on shelves, and drown themselves and him, and all for fear of being thought lordly and tyrannical, in taking the government of the ship upon himself, and telling the mariners that it is their duty to obey him.

6. Most godly ministers do tell people in general of the neces sity of such a dependence on their teachers, as learners in the school of Christ should have on them that are ushers under him the chief master; and they do gladly give advice to those that do seek to them: but they do not so particularly and plainly acquaint people with their duty, in opening to them the particular sores of their souls.

It is also the policy of the devil to make people believe that their ministers are too stout, and will not stoop to a compassionate hearing of their case; especially if ministers carry themselves strangely at too great a distance from their people. I would earnestly entreat all ministers, therefore, to be as familiar, and as much with their people, as they can. Papists, and other seducers, will insinuate themselves into their familiarity, if we be strange. If you teach them not in their houses, these will creep into their houses, and lead them captive. I persuade others of my brethren to that which myself am disabled from performing; being by constant weakness (besides unavoidable business) confined to my chamber. But those that can perform it, will find this a most necessary and profitable work. And let not poor people believe the devil, who tells them that ministers are so proud, only to discourage them from seeking their advice. Go try them once, before you believe it.

Lastly, Remember this, that it is not enough that you once opened your case to your pastor, but do it as often as necessity urgeth you to call for his advice; though not on every light occa sion. Live in such dependence on the advice and guidance of your pastor (under Christ) for your soul as you do on the advice of the physician for your body. Read Mal. ii. 7. And let minis

ters read 6, 8, 9.

Direct. XXXII. As ever you would live in peace and comfort, and well pleasing unto God, be sure that you understand and deeply consider wherein the height of a Christian life and the greatest part of our duty doth consist; to wit. In a loving delight in God, and a thankful and cheerful obedience to his will; and then make this your constant aim, and be still aspiring after it, and let all other affections and endeavors be subservient unto this.'

This one rule, well practiced, would do wonders on the souls of poor Christians, in dispelling all their fears and troubles, and help ing not only to a settled peace, but to live in the most comfortable state that can be expected upon earth. Write therefore these two or three words deep in your understandings and memory; that the life which God is best pleased with, and we should be always endeavoring, is a loving delight in God through Christ, and a thankful and cheerful obedience to him. I do not say, that godly sor rows, and fears, and jealousies are no duties; but these are the great duties, to which the rest should all subserve. Misapprehending the state of duty, and the very nature of a Christian life, must needs make sad distempers in men's hearts and conversations. Many Christians look upon broken-heartedness, and much grieving, and weeping for sin, as if it were the great thing that God delighteth in, and requireth of them; and therefore they bend all their endeavors this way, and are still striving with their hearts to break them more, and wringing their consciences to squeeze out some tears; and they think no sermon, no prayer, no meditation, speeds so well with them, as that which can help them to grieve or weep, I am far from persuading men against humiliation, and godly sorrow, and tenderness of heart. But yet I must tell you, that this is a sore error that you lay so much upon it, and so much overlook that great and noble work and state to which it tendeth. Do you think that God hath any pleasure in your sorrows as such? Doth it do him good to see you dejected, afflicted and tormented? Alas! it is only as your sorrows do kill your sins, and mortify your fleshly lusts, and prepare for your peace and joys, that God regards them. Because God doth speak comfortably to troubled, drooping spirits, and tells them that he delighteth in the contrite, and loveth the humble, and bindeth up the broken-hearted; therefore men, misunderstanding him, do think they should do nothing, but be still break