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we find we have a power over our own thoughts, and can turn them to, or from particular objects. Now, how is it that sinful objects engage our thoughts? Is it not by striking deep into the passions, and settling a pleasing kind of correspondence with them? Let us then give good objects, such as God, our duty, our salvation, &c. the same advantage, by turning our thoughts frequently and strongly, and attaching our passions, to them. How comes it that we find it so easy to entertain good and banish bad thoughts in the time of affliction? Is it not, that the power and displeasure of God, together with our own infirmity and danger, and the vanity of the world, are then more feelingly apprehended? Let us endeavour then to retain the same fear of God, the same humility, the same vigilance, when brighter days, and more comfortable thoughts return. Nay, let us then increase our fears and watchfulness, because it is then we most need them; for then our enemy, who had been dislodged for a time, comes back with his recruit of 'seven spirits worse than himself;' then our vicious passions having been awhile bent down, and held back by an outward force, return, with a kind of spring, to their wonted objects.

How comes it to pass, that even the presence of a person, whom we do not fear in the least, is sufficient to hinder us from committing many of those crimes, which we scruple not in secret? Does not this shew, that the fear of human censure or punishment is strong enough so to bridle even our most inveterate habits, and our keenest desires, as to hinder us from acting in obedience to them? Does not this shew us, that our thoughts, or at least our actions, are still in our power? And if it is the presence of a witness that awes us, how carefully should we guard our hearts, when we know that he who seeth in secret, who is now our witness, and shall one day be our judge, hath his eye full upon us, and is looking us through and through in our most secret moments? It is because we do not see him, that we do not fear him? Surely if we knew a man saw us, though we could not see him, it would effectually destroy our privacy. But there is no such thing as secrecy or privacy. We have always unnumbered eyes upon us. We are perpetually surrounded with invisible beings, and continually in the presence and sight of God. To pretend to hide our crimes in the midst of

so clear and so severe an inspection, is as absurd, as it would be in a blind man, to attempt a theft in the midst of an exchange at noon-day.

I know nothing that could so powerfully suppress evil thoughts, and so totally prevent wicked actions, as the strong and sensible apprehension of God's continual presence. The penitent ought therefore to possess his whole imagination with it, and strike it deep into his heart. If he could but once bring himself to an impossibility of wandering in his thoughts from the presence of God, that alone would perfect the work of repentance in him; that by itself would regulate his whole behaviour, and ensure his salvation.

The penitent should find out virtuous entertainments for his desires, as one of the best preservatives against vicious ones. He should never want an honest employment; for while he is busied in that, he can neither be pursuing unjust gains, nor be so much at leisure for criminal pleasures. He should always consider the shortness and uncertainty of life, and the infinite difference between the things of this world and the next. The grateful sense of God's goodness, the awful fear of his just displeasure, the continual expectation of his judgment, the delightful hope of eternal glory, and the alarming dread of everlasting torment, should take it in their turns to engage his thoughts in deep meditations.

And on those thoughtful occasions he should thus reason with, and question himself:

What am I doing? Which way am I going? Am I doing the work of God, and travelling in the way of his commandments? No. Whom then am I serving? The devil, the world, and the flesh? What! am I in a party with devils? Am I gratifying the devil, and offending God? Am I serving the author of my ruin, against the author of my being and my Redeemer? And how do these masters of my own choosing pay me for my drudgery? In vanity and vexation of spirit, in disappointment and anxiety, in shame and remorse; and, lest the wages of sin should not be fully paid, in death, in eternal death. But what if they paid me with all the pomps and pleasures of the whole world? Would that be an equivalent for my losses? By no means: 'What shall it profit me, if I shall gain the whole world, and shall lose my own soul; and what shall I give,' or what shall I

take, 'in exchange for my soul?' Am I labouring then to undo myself? Miserable man that I am! Would God so reward me, if I served him? No; he would pay me with at least peace of mind here, and an eternal crown hereafter. Shall I not then repent, and return to him? Yes; but may not that be done time enough a while hence? No time is not at my disposal; and besides, I find, while I defer this work, it becomes every day more difficult, so that in a little time, if I go on, I shall have brought my soul into such a state of sin, that neither that, nor my body, shall have strength enough left to bear its cure; my soul will want resolution, my mind will not be able to endure such trouble, nor my body such disorders, as are necessary to correct and rouse me; and so distraction or death must come upon me, before my amendment can be effected. I perceive then I have not a moment to lose.

I will, therefore, afflict my spirit, I will rent my heart, and to my God will I return.' But will God receive me after so many horrid provocations? Yes; if I can return, he is still 'gracious and merciful; he is slow to anger, and of great kindness.' But how shall I return and persevere? Am I able to change and regenerate my nature? With God's assistance I may. I will therefore call to my aid all my own reflections on God's justice, on his mercy, on my own danger, on the uncertainty of life, on the foulness of sin, on death, judgment, heaven, and hell; and having summed up all the reasons for repentance, having summoned all my strength, and cried mightily for God's assistance, will fall heartily to the great work. I will frequent the company of good men, and God's ministers, and call earnestly on them for advice and help. I will watch;' I will 'pray;' I will fly to God's house; I will hasten to his table; and being pursued for my life and my soul by the enemy, will cling to the horns of the altar.

May God fill us with such thoughts and resolutions as these; may he sanctify and strengthen them by the assistance of his Holy Spirit; and may he then be pleased to accept of them, through the merit and mediation of Christ Jesus; to whom, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be honour, and majesty, and glory, for ever. Amen.

DISCOURSE XXX.

THE WEAK SHOULD BE WATCHFUL.

1 COR. x. 12.

Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.

THERE is no strength nor firmness in man, nor constancy in human affairs. All things, as well within as without us, are in motion; and the ground whereon we are placed, is both steep and slippery. It is however chiefly from within ourselves, from the fickleness of our own hearts, and the violence of various passions, that all our giddy changes, our dangerous agitations, and unhappy lapses, proceed: yet we are too vain to think ourselves so weak, and too apt, when we fall, to blame the circumstances we are in, the accidents that befell us, or the persons we had to do with, for throwing us down. Like children, turning swiftly about, we imagine the whole world is running round, and so vainly endeavour to stop the supposed motion of the world, when we ought rather to fix ourselves. In this whirl we turn ourselves so quickly from one object, desire, or pursuit, to another, that few enjoyments or designs of any kind are brought to perfection. All things seem to dance round us, to present themselves in a swift succession, and retire along the circle, till the megrim of life grows too strong for our heads, and then ensues a fall, into some folly, or crime, or affliction, from whence we rise not again, till the head recovers, and repentance, which is little else than turning the contrary way, resettles all our thoughts and passions.

Some, who think themselves in a firm and standing posture, are nevertheless carried about by swift and various motions; and others, who do really stand for some time, vainly imagine themselves safe against the danger of all future alterations or falls. Yet the caution given to him, 'who thinketh he standeth, to take heed lest he fall,' will be found a very necessary one to him, who actually stands, if we consider either our own weakness, or the sense of standing or falling in this passage of Scripture.

As to our own weakness, we need be at no farther trouble to be convinced of that, than to recollect our past follies, our many and great miscarriages, from whence the too apparent danger of falling into the like again may be easily concluded.

By him, who in the text is said to stand, is to be understood a person, who having embraced the principles of eternal life contained in the gospel, lives not only in the belief, but practice of them. By falling is to be understood, a relinquishing of those principles, either entirely or in part, or acting contrary to them. The former is represented to us here, and in other parts of Scripture, by the figure of standing, because that posture denotes action, resolution, and strength; the latter by that of falling, which shews weakness, failure, and defeat.

The better to know the usefulness of this caution, let us consider a little more at large the weakness of mankind, first in regard to principles, and then in regard to actions; after which it will be necessary to think of some methods to bear us up in such principles or practices, as may be said to give the soul an erect and upright posture.

Our weakness in the choice of principles themselves, as well as in respect to their influence on our actions, is very great; for the mind of man is capable of choosing opinions, not only upon examining and judging by reason, but in some measure upon the recommendation of mere liking and inclination. It is also capable of admitting by those means contrary principles at different times, and even at the same. time, when the contrariety is not at all, or but faintly, perceived; which often happens.

This being the case, and our minds so pliant, whatsoever principles education may have instilled during youth, when we come to the use of thought, and begin to feel our passions and desires violently drawing us towards various objects, we find it in some sort necessary to bring those principles to a re-examination, in order to a choice of our own making. But it generally so falls out, that before this examination can be had, or this choice made, we usually fix on some object, or espouse some design, for better, for worse, which our affections have engaged us to. Hence it happens, that such principles, as serve our pre-engagements,

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