fence, may pass for him with the Vulgar : But no fooner doth he appear, than he is known and differenced from never-fo many, who prefume, without Title, to be of equal Birth with him. He thinks, he speaks, he acts, like the Son of the King of Heaven.

1. WITH Regard to his THOUGHTS. Now Thoughts are to God the fame Thing which Words and Actions (which are but the Interpreters of the Thoughts) are unto Men. For God knoweth the Thoughts of Man; all within us is naked and open to his Eye. And therefore a good Man labors to approve himself in God's Sight, by the Purity of his Thoughts, as well as by the Integrity of his Words and Actions. And indeed, by an holy Difcipline herein, he hath the best Grounds to be confident of his Sincerity towards GOD; and doth more evidence to himfelf the Simplicity of his Heart, than by any other Way whatever. For which Reafon, I fhall beg your fpecial Attention to this Matter of the Thoughts; as being least liable to leave us mistaken in the Judgment we make of ourfelves. Words and Actions, although they will regularly follow, where the Heart is rightly difpofed; yet are not fo diftinguishingly to us Proofs of a renewed Mind, as well-regulated Thoughts: Seeing both a Purity of Word and Action can avail nothing towards the new Creature, where the Thoughts of the Heart are defiled; and

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alfo, that Words and Actions, however pure in themselves, may fpring from undue Principles within. But when the Heart is clean in the Thoughts thereof, what paffes within us being a Matter merely between GoD and ourfelves, there can be no Room left of: Doubt. So that the Course and Conduct of our Thoughts,demands a very peculiar Place in our Inquiry after the new Creature. And under these Particulars I would give you a Notion of his Way of Thinking. He hath a ferious Turn of Thinking upon whatever paffes through his Mind; he hath an Aptnefs to fall into holy Meditation; -- he doth not entertain defiling Thoughts in his Heart.

(1.) He bath a ferious Turn of Thinking upon whatever paffes through his Mind. I fpeak not of the Matter of his Thoughts, what he thinks about; but of his Manner of Thinking. The Matter of his Thoughts may and must be often about the Things of this Life, and fuch as are common; but his Manner of Thinking about fuch ordinary and needful Things is fanctified. He thinks in fuch a way as this. When he reflects upon the House that covers him, the Bed that refreshes him, the Raiment that clothes him, the Food that nourishes him, the Friends that chear him, his Thought upon one and another of thefe is: " They are thy "Comforts, thy Bounties, O GOD; the preK 3 "fent

"fent Tokens of thy Love, the Pledge of "thy Tendernefs towards us." When he reflects upon his Succefs or Disappointment in his Business, “This is God's Doing, (he aptly fuggefts to himself)" and must be "patiently fubmited to; That is his Gift, “which must be received with Thankfulness, "and used with religious Care." When he enters into Company, he is ready to reflect, "What Temptations fhall I have here to "encounter? whatOpportunities of Ufeful"nefs?" When he retires from Company? "How have I acted my Part? Honorably "to God, profitably to my Neighbour, and "innocently, if not beneficially, to myself?" When he meets a Sinner, "What a Difhonor "to GOD, what an Object of Compaffion is "here! Ah! that it would pleafeGod to open "thine Eyes!" And when a good Man comes in his Way, "This is the Servant of the high "GOD; I would dwell with him; I would "be fuch as he is ;" is his fecret Reflection. When he hears of the Death of others," Art "thou ready, my Soul? We must away." When of the Afflictions and Troubles of others, "Turn them, O GOD, to their spi"ritual Improvement!" When of greater Calamities, "Now that thy Judgments are "in the Earth, may the Inhabitants of the "World learn Righteousness!" When of the fad Wickedness of the Times, the Blaf

phemy,

phemy, Infidelity, Corruption, Lewdness, Drunkenness, which abound; "Wo is me "for thy Difhonor, O Lord: Turn thou us, " and we shall be turned !" Let this ferve to fhew you his Manner, how the new Nature doth spiritualize his Way of Thinking about all the Things which pafs under his Notice.

BUT doth the feeming Chriftian think thus? Hath he a fecret Principle within him, which fuggefts to him this Manner of Thinking? Is he apt to think of the Sinner with Compaffion, and of the Good with Delight? Of worldly Profperity with Fear, and of Croffes, great or little, withSubmiffivenefs? Have the Objects, which present themselves to him, a ferious Turn of Thought upon his Mind, as he reflects upon them? Doth he think as a Stranger upon Earth; and doth Heaven fway and rule his Thoughts, as Home doth thofe of a Man upon a Journey? The formal Perfon, as foon as he hath done with the Task of Devotion, thinks just as other Men do, without Serioufnefs, in a vain, selfish, earthly Manner: Neither the Glory of God, nor Self-denial and Deadness to the World, nor Heavenly-mindedness, nor Humiliation, have entered into his Manner of Thinking. And although he often thinks about what is Good, yet never doth he think of it, as he should, humbly and charitably. So great a Difference is there between him K 4 and

and the new Creature, that while the new Créature thinks of the moft indifferent Thing religiously, he thinks of the most religious. Thing in a Manner unfanctified and perverse.

AND what fhall I fay of the careless Sinner? Are not the Thoughts of his Heart manifeft? Doft thou not think like a Child of the Earth, nothing in thy Manner testifying an higher Original? Are not thy Thoughts in fuch a Way as this? "This "will bring me Profit, and that Preferment "and Honor; this will hurt my Intereft, "and that will cross my Schemes; this will "gratify me, furnish my Table, my House, "that will enlarge my Influence and in

creafe the Number of my Dependents; this Man will be an Hindrance to me, "that Man may do me Service, and I myst "make him my Friend." Doft thou not think upon every thing with worldly Views and Principles? And when a Thought of GOD, Death, or Eternity, forces itself upon thee, is it not thy Manner to receive it with Diffatisfaction, and to forget it with all Indifference? To fhew thee thy Way of Thinking in its true Light: A good Man thou approveft, yet canft not think of him but with Difpleafure; an ill Man thou condemneft, and yet thy Thoughts are thofe of Peace, Nearnefs, and Reconciliation towards him; upon the Sight of the former, thy Heart crieth out within thee, Haft thou

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