deceive you. It is eafy to carry this Remark into any other Sin, which Men repeatedly fall into. But I have inftanced in the Sin of Drunkenness, because of the efpecial Need there is I fhould bear Teftimony against it; having Reason to believe, that this Way of drinking, and repenting of it, (as it will be called) is the Practice of too many among you.

2. THE new Creature hath not any thing in his Course which he fufpects to be finful. This will prove a notable Mark of the Difference between a renewed and an unrenewed Mind.

ARE you one of those who go on adventuroufly, without Fear and Caution; either not at all apt to fufpect, that there may be Sin in many Things you do; or, if you have Sufpicion of fomewhat or other, not altogether right, yet paffing it over without ferious Inquiry, as a Thing of little Confequence, and what the Generality do not stick at? Have you fome fufpicious Things in your Courfe, which you have not carefully examined, induftriously turned your "Thoughts away from an inquifitive Search into them; and fome, which you cannot perfuade your Confcience to approve? Are you rafh and hardy in this Manner, your Confcience not tenderly fwaying you to the fafer Side? You may not think that your Heart is changed; that you love God, hate 24

Sin,

Sin, and are more afraid of committing it, than of the foreft prefent Evil; the Fear of doing what is finful, outweighing whatever Convenience or Pleasure the fufpected Action could be able to promife you. You have no more Pretence to the Simplicity and godly Sincerity of the new Creature, than the rafh Youth, who drives his Veffel forward, without regard to Rocks or Sands that may be in her Way, can fet up for the Title and Character of an experienced, cautious, and good Pilot.

JUST the contrary to this, is the Manner of one who is renewed in the Spirit of his Mind. With him the Rule ftands good, whatfoever is not of Faith is Sin (f). Whatever he fufpects, he ftops to fearch it out, bringing it to the Law and the Teftimony: Nor will do, what is not determined to be allowable, any more than what he perfectly knows to be wrong. He doth not hearken to Scruples indeed, after faithful Inquiry; tho' he still keeps his Mind open to better Information: But he dares not do any doubtful Thing, without Inquiry. Still he keeps on the fafe Side. He cannot clearly determine upon it: It may be finful, for ought he knows; he cannot do amifs, if he abstain.. Like a Perfon travelling in a bad or miry. Road, if he see the Way fufpicious at any Time he turns out of it. Or rather, like. f) Rom, xiv, 23.

an

an honest Servant, if he fufpects any thing may prove injurious to his Master's Interest, he avoids it, and would charge himself with Unfaithfulness, should he adventure upon it. The new Creature hates Sin with an irreconcileable Hatred, and when any thing looks doubtful; when he knows not what to make of it, whether it be finful or no ; the facred Jealoufy roufes his Difguft, and he paffes by on the other Side. Thus he keeps his Course clear, the Practice of no doubtful Thing clogs him; he fubmits not to the very Sufpicion of Evil. He can approach in these honest Sentiments; "Lord, behold

cr

thy Servant; thou feeft the Simplicity of "my Heart, that I fear nothing, as I do the "offending of thee; yea, thou feest that I "dare not, that I would not, adventure into "the leaft Thing which might displease "thee. Holy Father, thou haft taught me "to hate all evil Ways; and to the Praise "of thy Grace I will avouch it, that thou "haft fet me this Day free from all fufpected "Evil in my allowed Courfe." Looking about upon his Business, his Company, his Amusements, he can make this Appeal to the Searcher of Hearts. And herein, how will he be distinguished from thofe, who are neither apt to fufpect any thing, nor to heed the Rifings of Sufpicion, when the Conscience doubts and gives Warning of Sin! 3. THE

3. THE renewed Man keeps from all needless Temptations. By Temptations, I mean any thing which may be the Inftrument of leading and drawing into Sin; of feducing the Heart into Pride and Vanity, into Worldly-mindedness and Dishonesty, into Lewdness, Drunkenness, Gluttony, or Idlenefs. Pride, Worldliness, and Luft, are the strong Holds of Sin: And all that is about us, affords continual Matter for inflaming the one and the other within us. Efpecially apt to enfnare the Heart are Eminence of any Sort, and being distinguifhed, perpetual Hurry of Business, a ceafelefs Round of Amusement in the midst of Eafe; and all these lie on every Hand of us.

THIS the Man, whofe Soul is fashioned for Heaven, knows; he fees himself fet in the midft of many Dangers, and is afraid of all thefe Things which are in the World. In every Thing he finds a Snare; and holds off, as well as he may, from whatever might corrupt the Purity and Integrity of his Heart. He lives at a Distance from riotous Company and boisterous Mirth; paffes by the Doors of Lewdness; nor makes the vain Perfon his familiar Friend. He enters into Business with religious Fear; is content, if he be not rich; if he be, is the more afraid; nor will take more upon him, than confiftently with his greater Interefts

he

he can manage. He doth not set himself loofe in Pursuit of Advancement and Honor: And he will be cautious in meddling with Inquiries, which are only curious. He will give as little Occafion to Luft, or Love of the prefent World, or Vanity, to take Advantage of him, as he poffibly can: And where ought looks towards Sin, he will not needlefly run upon it. I cannot better illuftrate the Conduct of a good Man with regard to Temptations, than by comparing him to a fearful Perfon, confined in a Place where fome peftilential Disease rages. Such an one, you may well think, would not be running Hazards; would cautiously avoid, as much as poffibly he could, the People and the Places, which might give him the Infection. He could not be out of Danger in fuch a Circumftance: No doubt, he muft fometimes bring himself unadvisedly into Danger: But it would be his greatest and prevailing Care to keep himself from being infected. Juft fuch another infected Place the good ivian finds the World to be; fick with the Peftilence of Sin; and every thing which is in it, fpreading the Infection to thofe that dwell thereon. He is shut up in it; he cannot escape: But with how much peculiar and incomparable Fear doth he walk, because the Disease which overfpreads it, is fo utterly deadly! He will be as little in the Way of the Infection, as it is poffible:

And