I tell thee this is such a serious matter, and I fear thou wilt so little regard it, that the thoughts of the worth of the thing, and of thy too light regarding it, doth even make my heart ache whilst I am waiting to thee.  The Lord teach thee the way by his Spirit, and then I am sure thou wilt know it. So run.

Only, by the way, let me bid thee have a care of two things, and so I shall pass to the next thing. 1.  Have a care of relying on the outward obedience to any of God’s commands, or thinking thyself ever the better in the sight of God for that. 2.  Take heed of fetching peace for thy soul from any inherent righteousness.  But, if thou canst, believe that as thou art a sinner, so thou art justified freely by the love of God, through the redemption that is in Christ; and that God, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven thee, not because he saw any thing done, or to be done, in or by thee, to move him thereunto to do it.  Because this is the right way.  The Lord put thee into it, and keep thee in it!

THE SECOND DIRECTION.—­As thou shouldst get into the way, so thou shouldst also be much in studying and musing on the way.  You know men that would be expert in any thing, are usually much in studying of that thing; and so likewise is it with those that quickly grow expert in any thing.  This therefore thou shouldst do.

Let thy study be much exercised about Christ, who is the way; what he is, what he hath done, and why he is what he is, and why he hath done what is done; as why he took upon him the form of a servant, why he was made in the likeness of men; why he cried; why he died; why he bare the sins of the world; why he was made sin, and why he was made righteousness; why he is in heaven in the nature of man, and what he doth there.  Be much in musing and considering of these things.  Be thinking also, enough for thy warning, of those places which thou must not come near; but leave, some on this hand, and some on that hand; as it is with those that travel into other countries.  They must leave such a gate on this hand, and such a bush on that hand, and go by such a place, where standeth such a thing.  Thus therefore you must do.  Avoid such things as are expressly forbidden in the word of God.  “Withdraw thy foot far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house; for her steps take hold of hell, going down to the chambers of death.”  And so of every thing that is not in the way; have a care of it that thou go not by it; come not near it; have nothing to do with it. So run.

THE THIRD DIRECTION.—­Not only thus, but, in the next place, thou must strip thyself of those things that may hang upon thee, to the hindering of thee in the way to the kingdom of heaven:  as covetousness, pride, lust, or whatever else thy heart may be inclining unto, which may hinder thee in this heavenly race.  Men that run for a wager, (if they intend to win as well as run,) do not use to encumber themselves, or carry those things about them that may be a hindrance to them in their running.  “Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.”  That is, he layeth aside every thing that would be any wise a disadvantage to him; as saith the apostle, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us; and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”