Manfions of Glory, where Chrifts fits at the Right-hand of GOD; and with the joyful Quire of Saints and Angels, and the Bleed Spirits of Juft Men made perfect, chant forth thy Praifes to all Eter nity.

RESO

f

Refolutions

Form'd from the foregoing

ARTICLES.

A

S Obedience without Faith is impoffible, fo Faith without Obedience is vain and unprofitable: For as the Body, fays St. James without the Spirit is dead, fo Faith without good Works is dead alfo, Jam. 2. 26. Having therefore, I hope, laid a fure Foundation, by refolving what, and how, to Believe, I fhall now, by the Grace of GOD, refolve so to order my Converfation, in all Circumftances and Conditions of Life, as to raise a good Superstructure upon it, and to finish the Work GOD has given me to do, i. e. So to Love and Please GOD in this World, as to enjoy and be happy with Him for ever in the Next. And 'tis abfolutely neceffary that

153

I fhou'd be fpeedy and ferious in these Refolutions; especially when I reflect with myself, how much of my Time I have already spent upon the Vanities and Fol-、 lies of Youth, and how much enhanc'd and encreas'd this Work by acquir'd Guilt, by fettl'd and repeated Habits of Sin, which are not, without great difficulty, to be atton'd for and remov'd.. My Heart, alas, is now more harden'd in Iniquity, more puffed with Pride, and more averfe from GOD, than when I first enter'd into Covenant with Him: And I have added many actual Sins and Provocations to my Original Guilt and Pollution; inftead of Glorifying GOD, I have Dishonour'd Him; and instead of Working out my own Salvation, I have taken a pleasure and delight in fuch things as wou'd, in the End, be my Ruine and Destruction. So that before I can be able to make any Progrefs in the Duties of Religion, or walk in the Paths that lead to Life, I must first be freed and difentangl'd from thefe Weights and Incumbrances that clog and detard me in my Spiritual Courfe; I must have my Heart cleans'd and foften'd, humbl'd and converted to GOD, and all my Tranfgreffions purg'd and pardon'd by the Merits of my Redeemer. And then, being fully perfuaded, that there is no

way

way for me to come to the Joys of Heaven, but by walking according to the ftricteft Rules of Holiness upon Earth, I must endeavour, for the future, by a thorough Change and Reformation of my Life, to act in conformity to the Divine Will and Pleafure in all things, and perfe Holiness in the fear of the Lord: For the moft High has told me, in his Word, that without Holiness no man shall fee the Lord.

In order, therefore, to qualify myself for this Happiness, it will be neceffary for me to fettle firm and fteady Refolutions, to fulfil my Duty in all the feveral Branches of it to GOD, my Neighbour, and myself; and to take care thefe Refolutions be put in practice according to the following Method.

RESO

I.

RESOLUTION

I am refolv'd, by the Grace of GOD, to walk by Rule, and therefore think it necessary to refolve upon Rules to walk by.

A

Nd this the rather, because I perceive

the want of fuch Rules has been the occafion of all, or moft of iny Mifcarriages. For what other Reafon can I aflign to myfelf for having trifl'd and finn'd away fo much Time, as I have done in my younger Years, but because I did not throughly refolve to spend it better? What is the reason I have hitherto liv'd fo unferviceably to GOD, so unprofitably to others, and fo finfully againft my own Soul but because I did not apply myself with that fincerity of Refolution, Diligence and Circumfpection as a Wife-man ought to have done, to discharge my Duty in these Particulars. I have, indeed, often refolv'd to bid adieu to my Sins and Follies, and enter upon a new Courfe of Life; but thefe Refolutions being not rightly form'd upon steady Principles, the firft Temptation made way for a Relapse, and

the