Page:Two godly letters of the pious martyr Mr. James Renwick.pdf/16

( 16 ) more and more abound in you, that he may perfect what concerns you, and make you persevere unto the end, and himself be your exceeding rich reward. I hope I need not desire you to pray for me. I am,

Right honourable and dearly beloved,

Your obliged friend and obedient

Servant in the Lord,

Mr. 's NEGATIVE DUTIES are,

(1.) Ye must not be given to wine: Ye must not be Lovers, nor followers of strong drink, nor tipple away time in Ale-houses. (2.) Ye must not be covetous, nor greedy of filthy Lucre. (3) Ye must not be soon angry, neither upon real, nor conceived cause of provocation. (4) Ye must not be strikers nor brawlers, nor given to quarreling and contentions. (5) You must not be self-willed, adhering pertinaciously, and without reason, to your own judgments, and refusing to hearken to the judgment of your brethren, tho' sound and wholesome. (6) Ye must not be novices, or such as are newly come to the faith, lest ye be puffed up with pride, and fall into the condemnation of the devil: The spirits of novices are not yet well ballasted, nor brought low by frequent exercises of the Cross; and so come to be more easily puffed up: Therefore there is need that ye be excercised soldiers of Jesus Christ, and who by experience are taught to know the wiles of the devil, and are able to endure hardness.

FINIS.