And if he be drawn unwarily into a Temptation, he will remark it for a future Caution. Say, thou Child of GoD, art thou not even thus fearful of Temptations? Fearful of them, because thou fearest being drawn into Sin? Every Day of thy Life fhall witness for thee, that thou dareft not venture upon needlefs Danger; that as far as may be, and with all the Prudence thou canst use, thou keepest thy felf from Temptation; living as in a World infected with Sin. Yes, thou fearest Temptation, because thou hateft Sin; because thou haft tafted the Gall and Wormwood there is in it; because thou griev eft for the Wounds it gave thy dearest Lord.

IF this be thy Cafe; how different art thou from what poffibly thyfelf once was, from what others are! Men, who live in the Midst of Danger without Fear; adventure ever and anon into Temptations; nor confider, that thefe are the Doors, by which Sin gains Admittance: Who fin, and complain of their Weakness; and yet fin again, and are again felf-reproved; but will not avoid the Snares by which they fall. O the Infincerity of these Men, frail as Water, and yet abiding refolutely in Circumftances, where even the Strength and Conftancy of an Apostle could not but falter. Alas! my Friends, why is the careless Perfon your Companion? And why are you caufelefly. *A...

to

be

to be found within the Walls, where Debauchery and Luft dwell? Why are you loading yourfelves with Cares, which you cannot manage, and do not need? Why will ye preffing fo importunately after Distinction, and Preeminence, and Wealth? Why all this, unless that ye are poffeffed with a fecret Craving after prefent Gratification, and your Hearts are unacquainted with seeking after, and Delight in the Lord? But,

4. THE true-hearted Chriftian doth not come under the Power of any lawful Thing. Hitherto we have feen him fteering his Courfe through what is unlawful, whether Sin known, or Sin fufpected, or needlessTemptation. We must fee now, how he orders. himself in Things lawful, yet capable of Abuse: How wary he is, that they do not hurt him; that his Soul receive no Damage, in the Use he makes of them.

IT is a needful, as well as lawful Thing, to wear decent and becoming Apparel; requifite it is, that we take the Refreshments. of Meat, and Drink, and Sleep; it is allowed, that Men may use proper Recreations. But, according to the Manner of using them, they become hurtful or not. Eafy it is to fee, that we may dress vainly; eat, drink, and fleep, with Indulgence; and both forget ourfelves, and lofe much Time in Recreation. So that it. is a filly, though but too common Saying, What Harm is there in

Such

fuch Things? Why truly, none at all in the Things themselves, but a great deal in the Abule of them, or (as the Apoftle calls it) the being brought under the Power of them (g). If you drefs beyond your Station, puffing up your Heart with Finery; if you eat and drink, to the pampering your Body; or fleep without Moderation, ftupifying your Soul by fuch Indulgences; if your Recrea tions diforder the Frame of your Mind, rendring you lefs, inftead of more fit for the more ferious Offices of Devotion and Bufinefs: Surely there is fome Harm in all this; and whoever fhall be in the Ufe of these lawful Things, in this Manner, to the evident Hindrance of his Soul, may be affured that he cannot be of the new Creature's Character. Nor tell me, thefe are little Things. If they be fo, and yet you continue enflaved by them, fo much a ftronger Evidence they become of a cold and unrenewed Heart dwelling in you. In truth, little as they may feem, they keep your Soul in a ruinous State; yours, and I fear ten thousand others. To convince you in a Word (for I must not stay to enlarge) when you will rather indulge yourself in Bed, than get up, to meet GoD in Prayer, and to be about your Business and will be eating and drinking to the full, inftead of keeping your Body under, and bringing it into Subjection (b), by a moderate (3) Cor, vi. 12. (6) 1 Cor. ix. 27.

Diet: When you are contriving your Dress for Vanity, more than for Use and Decency: When you will use those very Recreations, which you find by Experience are inconsistent with a religious Turn of Mind, rendring you perpetually forgetful and vain: How can you once think, that you mind Things above, love GoD, delight in keeping his Commandments; that you are feeking his everlasting Favour and Prefence through Jefus Chrift; that you have the leaft Refemblance of a miferable Sinner, laboring for Salvation, and preffing after the high Prize of bis Calling with Fear and Trembling, left by any Means he fhould come fhort of it?

HEAR, how differently the new Creature ufes all these Things. He fleeps for Refreshment only: And when that hath been obtained, he bethinks himself in such a Way as this."Away thou Ease, which wert not "made for Man. We must be up, my Soul, "to blefs GOD for the Protection of the

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Night; to meet him with our Praises in "the early Morning. Let us come before "Gon to dress thee for the Day! We have "precious Hours before us, in which we

may not be idle. The Glory of our GoD

is intrusted with us, the appointed Labor "of Life must be gladly maintained. Up "then, my Soul, and afk the Protection of

Heaven for the renewed Day! A Day, which if not the laft we have to live,

66 yet

"yet which will bring us fo much nearer "the important Eternity! A Day, for the "Ufe of which we fhall have Need either "to rejoice or grieve, when our laft Sleep "approacheth!"-He clothes himself with Decency, and for Convenience. Could you fee his Heart, you might read there, if not thefe, yet some fuch serious Reflexions : "Our Parent was afraid and hid himself, becaufe he was naked: Why then should we

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pride ourselves in that, which was only "given us to cover our Shame! Sin brought "Shame into the World; and that Shame "made Raiment needful. We can have "little Caufe to boast of that, which is the "ftanding Badge of our Reproach and Sin! "I will put you on to hide the Shame of "Man; to remind me, that I am a fallen

Creature. Imay not be proud of you: Ye "might have been another's, and not "mine: But thankfully according to my "Station in Life, I will ufe you as a De

fence, which GoD provided for my weak "Body against the Heat, the Rain, and the "Çold." He eats too, and drinks with Moderation, to preferve the Health and Vigor of his Body, not to indulge his Palate. Bleffing and praifing God for the Supply of his good Things afforded him; he puts the Knife to his Throat, careful that he do not abufe the Giver in the Ufe of them: Not ftupifying his Senfes, nor injuring his Reason, not

nurfing