This will teach us not to rest upon a bare faith that Christ The rules by died for our fins; or, a prefumption that we are of which to try the number of God's elect, and are decreed to falour state. vation, which is rather the phrenfy of a distempered brain, than the effects of a rational judgment founded on the word of God: But it will call us to the law and the covenant, by which we are to be tried at the last day, and convince us that our faith and all our hopes are vain, which are not strictly conformable to the gospel of Chrift; by which we are taught, that whoever continues in the practice of any one fin, and defiance of God's commands, cannot ever hope to find mercy, without timely repentance. Seeing then that our life is no more than a guft of breath in our noftrils, we cannot reasonably fuppofe ourselves to be in the favour of God, till we are made fenfible of our own weak and momentary ftate, and are thoroughly perfuaded of the neceflity to exercise ourselves in holy affections; as in love and defire of what is good; in hatred and deteftation of what is evil; in forrow, fhame, and self-abhorrence, for having tranfgreffed in any particular; in praise and thanksgiving for having been inabled in any tolerable measure to have done our duty; in adoration and imitation, in faith, in hope and charity, and in refignation of ourselves to the Almighty. But would they be perfuaded frequently to meditate upon death and judgment; would they reprefent to their minds what a vast difproportion there is betwixt time and eternity, and confider that the pleasures of fin, at best, are but for a season, but that its punishment is endless and intolerable; I fay, could men be brought to think of these things with any ferioufnefs, I doubt not but fuch thoughts would in time have their proper effect, and would fo effectually convince them of the great folly and danger of fin, as to make them in good earnest set about the great work of their falvation. Confideration hath an univerfal influence upon the whole life of a chriftian, and is an admirable inftrument to quicken our progrefs in all the graces of the Holy Ghoft; and illuminates our understandings with the knowledge of our duty; and ftores our memories with all fuch arguments as are proper to excite us to the performance thereof. This habituates our minds to spiritual objects, objects, and raises them above the perishing things of this world: this ftrengthens our holy purposes, arms us against temptations, and inflames all the faculties of our fouls with earnest defires of attaining and enjoying our chiefest happinefs. And The want of this confideration is the cause why men go on stupidly in an evil way, and are not fenfible of the The danger danger of their prefent course; because they do of inconfinot attend to the confequences of it: Therefore deration. certainly if men would seriously confider what fin is, and what shall be the fad portion of finners hereafter, they would refolve upon a better courfe of life. Can it be thought that any man would live in the lufts of the flesh and of intemperance, or out of covetoufness defraud or opprefs his neighbour, did he seriously confider, that God is the avenger of fuch? In most men it is not fo much a positive disbelief of the truth, as inadvertency and want of confideration, that makes them go on fo fecurely in a finful state. Confequently, would men confider what fin is, and what will be the fearful confequence of it, probably in this world, but most certainly in the other; they could not chufe but flee from it, as the greatest evil that can befal them. Again, we must confider our actions both before we do them, and after they are done. We must not be of our acrash and headstrong: for, would men but take a tions. serious and impartial view of their lives and actions; would they but confider the tendency of a finful course, Before we and whither it will bring them at laft, would the do them. vicious and diffolute man but look about him, and confider how many have been ruined in that very way that he is in, how many lie flain and wounded in it, that it is the way to hell, and leads down to the chambers of death; the serious thought of this could not but check him in his course, and make him refolve upon a better life for the future. Whence we may conclude, that this is the defperate folly of mankind, that they feldom think seriously of the confequences of their actions; and leaft of all, of fuch as are of concernment to them, and have the chief influence upon their eternal state. None of thofe confider what mifchief and inconveniency a wicked life may plunge them into in this world; what trouble and disturbance it may give them when they come to die; what horror and confufion it may fill them withal, when they are leaving this world, and paffing into eternity; and what intolerable mifery and torment it may bring upon them for ever. Therefore would men but let their thoughts dwell upon these things, it is not credible that the generality could lead fuch prophane and impious, fuch lewd and diffolute, fuch fecure and careless lives as they do, without thought or temorfe. But, whether we confider it or not, our latter end will come; and all those dismal confequences of a finful course, which God has fo plainly threatened, and our own confciences do fo much dread, will certainly overtake us at laft; and they cannot be avoided nor prevented, by not thinking of these things. Nothing is more certain than death and judgment; and then an irreversible fentence will pass upon us, according to all the evil we have done, and all the good we have neglected to do in this life; under the heavy weight and preffure whereof we must lie groaning and bewailing ourfelves for ever. are done. We must also confider our actions when they are paft; and After they by their confequences judge whether they be good and according to the rules of the gofpel. Such a recollection as this is of great comfort and advantage: if they appear to be good, they become the fubject of our joy; and if they are found to be evil, they call us to immediate repentance, and a thankfulness to God, who gives us time to reconcile ourselves to his favour. From whence We learn the great ufe of fuch a confideration: for as every fin must be particularly repented of, before it can be pardoned; fo the oftener we call our actions to mind, the better we fhall be able to find them The frequency of confideration. out, and repent and refolve against the like for the future. And let him who dares to put this duty off, and lie down to fleep before he has done it, remember that Danger of dreadful voice, Thou fool, thy foul fhall be requi mitting it. red of thee this night; and what then will become of the unrepenting finner? SUNDAY SUNDAY XIV. I. Of contentedness, including its contraries, murmuring, ambition, covetoufnefs, envy. II. Helps to and the neceffity of contentedness. III. Of watchfulness against fin, which includes induftry in improving the gifts of nature, fortune, and grace, and the danger of idleness, especially in tradef men and fervants. IV. Of the power the devil has to tempt mankind and the means to conquer temptations. V. Of those duties which concern cur bodies, as chastity, including the feveral degrees and fin of uncleanness and fornication; and of its mifchiefs both to foul and body, VI. Helps to chastity, and means to avoid uncleanness. I. A Nother great proof of our obedience and resignation to the will of God is CONTENTEDNESS, or contentment; which is fuch an acquiefcence of the Contentedmind in that portion of outward things, which we nefs. poffefs, upon a perfuafion of its being fufficient for us, as makes us well pleased with the condition we are in, and suffers not the defire of any change, or of any particular thing we have not, to trouble our fpirits, or difcompofe our duty; and, to bring ourselves to this frame of mind, it may not be improper to confider, In the first place, that this virtue, in which is founded the very eafe and comfort of our own fouls, takes off Contrary to all anxiety and murmuring against God and his murmuring. wife providence. For contentment includes a refpect to divine providence in all our circumstances, and an humble fubmiffion to the difpofal thereof. Happiness is more equally dealt, than we, in our melancholy hours, are apt to imagine. This is certain that one part of the world are tolerably easy under fuch circumftances, as would be infupportable to the other. If the poor envy the rich, as exempt from that drudgery to which they are fubject; the rich may fometimes with more juftice envy the induftrious and temperate poor: because that very drudgery prevents that idle fwarm of restlefs thoughts, that fpleen, diftafte, and want of health, which high enjoyment of life, luxury, and inaction fometimes breed in them. After we have used a reasonable industry to attain the neceffaries of this prefent life, we ought not to be any further anxious and follicitous about them; but to rely on the providence of God for a continual fupply of these things by his bleffing upon our juft endeavours; and to be content with what proportion of them he is pleased to bestow upon us in the ways of righteousness. And if we fret, instead of helping ourselves, we, by making him our enemy, increase our difficulties. The reafons or arguments why we ought thus contentedly to rely upon the providence of God are founded upon these words of our Saviour, Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? He that first gave you life and being, without your contributing any thing towards it yourselves; will he not much more beftow upon you, in the ways of virtue and integrity, things neceffary for the fupport and prefervation of that life? To ambi Secondly, It is contrary to ambition: which is an unlawful defire of dominion and power, large poffeffions tion. and profufe living. For the contented person will with pleasure fay, Though I have not fo large a fhare as fome others, yet have I enough to procure the neceffaries of life: Though I have not a provision for time to come, yet hath God hitherto given me my daily bread; and what occafion have I to distrust him in his promises? Though I have not enough to gratify every random inclination; yet I have fufficient to fupply real neceflities: Though fome profper more; yet the diftrefs of others is greater: Though I live more upon providence; yet have not goodness and mercy followed me? and why should I doubt that in the way of duty they will follow me as long as I live: Though I have not every thing I wish for; yet I have more than I deferve at the hands of God: Though I am really poor; yet poverty has not always the nature of an affliction, or judgment from God; but is rather merely a state of life, appointed by God for the proper trial and exercise of the virtues of contentment, patience, and refignation. Again let us from hence be inftructed never to judge of God's love or hatred to perfons by the outward circumstances that |