govern him throughout, and make him uniformly wife and holy. For which purpose I fhall take leave to recommend two or three plain but useful confi derations. 1. And firft, he that fets about this work, must be fure that his belief is right and found at the bottom. For 'tis generally the uncertainty and waveringness of this, that produces all that unevennefs and diforder in the life and practice of mankind. A fudden heat of devotion, or the fear of what will become of a man in the other world, will carry him fometimes into mighty refolutions of quitting fin and living well for the future. But thefe wear off quickly and come to nothing; because they arofe only from prefent paffion, and were not built on any good foundation, on any strong and full conviction of the mind. They are "the feed which fell upon ftony r places, where they had not much earth; and "forthwith they sprang up, because they had no "deepness of earth: But when the fun was up". (when an hot temptation prefented itself afresh) "they were fcorched; and because they had no "root, they withered away," Matt. xiii. 5, 6. Let him therefore, who would pursue this cure to purpose, "look to himself, left there be in him an evil heart of unbelief," Heb. iii. 12. Let him enquire diligently of himself, whereon it is that his faith ftands; how he comes to be perfuaded of the truth of natural principles, and of those of revealed religion. And let him (if he has it not already) procure to himself fuch an evidence of these things, as is not to be fhaken, Za 2 For when this principle is once well fixed in his heart, virtue will go out from it into his life and actions; and it will work wonders towards making him all harmonious, and of a piece. When he has gone thus far, let him, 2. In the next place, confider well what that particular weight was, that in the days of his irrefolution still hung upon him, and clogged all his virtuous endeavours. What it was, that, .when his foul had made fome effort towards goodness, overbalanced it ftill, and fwayed it fecretly again towards nature's fide: For that too is very often the cafe. There is fome particular fin of our conftitution, fome great and ruling infirmity, that damps all our good motions, and fpoils all our beft refolutions; and will continue to do fo, till, by a direct oppofition of ourselves to it, we have conquered and removed it. When we have cut off this right hand, plucked out this right eye, facrificed the darling luft of our heart, we may then hope, that the greatest part of the difficulty is over, and that no lefs powerful temptation will be able to draw us afide. But till this be done, in vain are all our other attempts and defigns. While the great offence has yet any hold upon us, nothing will be done to purpofe; but he that has been divided in his opinion, and wavering in his practice, will be divided and wavering ftill. 3. When he has thus fettled his faith upon good grounds, and armed himself well againft that fin which does fo eafily befet him," Heb, xii. 1. he must take care (in the next place) not to fuffer himself to come within reach of any thing that that may any ways unfaften his refolutions, whilft they are yet young and tender. He must admit of no debate within him about a principle, but throw off all fuch thoughts, as enemies to the peace of his mind. He muft liften to no sceptical difcourfe; no loose reasonings of carnal men, fuch as pervert the truth. For these are the chief engines of Satan to draw him back again into his former unfettlednefs; and his good purposes may happen to be blafted in the bud, if they are ventured too soon amongst them. No! No! but let him root and ground himself in the faith first by an answerable life and converfation; fo fhall it happen, that as his good practice took rife at first from his good opinions, so fhall his opinions be ftrengthened afterwards by his practice; till both being confirmed in him, fhall enable him to "ftand in the evil day," Eph. vi. 13. and not to be afraid of whatever it is that would thake his ftedfaftness. 4. If to these endeavours he (laftly) joins fervent and unwearied prayer to Almighty God, for the aids and fupports of his grace, he fhall affuredly from thence be made perfect at last, be "stablished, strengthened, fettled." He fhall have a new heart created in him, that fhall enable him to "be ftedfast, immoveable, always abound"ing in the work of the Lord," I Cor. xv. 58. A SER A Farewel SERMON Preached at St. BRIDE'S December 11, 1698. Of Living Peaceably. ROM. xii. 18. If it be poffible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men. HERE are many excellent precepts and rules of duty laid together by the apoftle toward the end of this chapter; but none of greater mo ment to be earnestly inculcated upon Chriftians and duly observed, than this which I have pitched upon for the fubject of my following difcourfe. And I have the rather chofen it, at this particular time, because it is the laft opportunity I fhall have of befpeaking you under that character, which I have hitherto born towards you. And it being likely therefore that the conteft now on foot, may, end in the fame little animofities and mifunder Standings, |