of Life. This is the Measure he would hold with GOD. He would enjoy the World, and withal that both GOD fhould not fee it with Difpleafure, and should also uphold him in it. He hath not the leaft Inclination to GoD as a Portion: But fo obftinately is he bent the other Way, that he will have the World, though he knows it is upon the Forfeiture of God's Favour, and at the Hazard of his Wrath. He will have the Enjoyments of Life at any Rate; and his continual Conduct is but a Scene, which evidences, how cheap he holds GOD, in Comparison with his Eafe and Intereft: Every Action befpeaks a Denial of Go D, and a Refufal of him in his Heart, feeing he affiduously lays that out upon any thing, and next to nothing, rather than GOD.

THE formal Perfon hath indeed a better Appearance. He looks like one concerning whom you might be ready to conceive better Hope; imagining from his Exactnefs and Decency, that his Heart was indeed whole with God. Nay, and no Doubt himself imagines no lefs. But let him be brought to the Scrutiny; and no more fhall he be found to have given his Heart to GOD, than his thoughtlefs Neighbour: Say thou, who art fair to look upon; doft thou know, what it is to have made a full, free, and deliberate Choice of GOD for thy Por

tion,

tion, thy present and eternal Portion, fo as thou canst say from the Bottom of thy Heart, "Here fhall be my Reft for-ever, I have

none in Heaven but thee, nor is there any "upon Earth that I defire befide thee?" Art thou fo well difpofed toward the Perfections and Majefty of GOD, that thou canst find an intire Satisfaction of thy Soul in his Favor, Prefence, and Love; and count the Lofs of every other Thing but little, if this may be allowed thee? Doft thou not find thyfelf fecretly declining the Offer; that thou canst not for thy Life bring thy Heart up to it? Haft thou not many Referves to make, many pleafing Endearments of Life, which interpofe and leave GOD but the Second in thy Choice? When GoD demands thy whole Heart of thee, hast thou no Oxen to prove; no Ground that thou wouldft go and fee; no Wife that thou haft married, that thou canst not come to him as yet? Doth not Experience hew thee, thou art better pleased with one Thing and another in the World; feduced by which, thou art content to forget GOD, and art but holden of Constraint, when thou approacheft to worship Him?

BUT the new Creature hath no Referves; he goes over to GOD through Chrift with the full Bent of his Will; nor thinks, he hath done any great Matter, that he rejects

every other Thing in Respect of him. He can see Happiness no where elfe; let him have GOD, and he cares for nothing befide. He can find no fubftantial Happiness here, but in the Nearness of GOD with him; and he acquiefces with full Content in the Expectation of that Bleffedness, which the Prefence of GOD fhall minifter hereafter: Jealous he is over himself, left God in all Things fhould not be preferred, watching with a facred Jealoufy that his Heart be not feduced, and cafting out with Indignation that Luft, which would be fetting up an Intereft within him againft his Heavenly Father. In a word, he hath fo evident a Conviction of the Juftice of God's Claim in him; and from Experience, as well as Promise, fo clearly discovers, that Happiness directs him this Way; as, without Gainfaying of Heart, to prefer fpiritual to fenfual Gratifications, an eternal GOD to a perifhing and wicked World. Could you look into his Soul, you might read fuch Determinations as these ftrongly graven there. Away from me, "ye Trifles of Life and Time, ye Kingdoms "of the World, and all the Pomp which "belongs to you. Wealth and Magnifi"cence, airy Grandeur and Reputation,

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gilded Vanity and naughty Pleasure, I will "none of you all. GOD is my Portion. "GOD unchangeable and eternal, ye fading

と

Joys, ye Phantoms which feem to be what “ ye are not, is my Inheritance. Here will I "reft, in God the chief, the onlyGood. GoD "in Chrift is all I can need, and infinitely "more: Let me have HIM, and I am fa"tisfied; I can have no more. And with"out thee, thou Fountain of Life and Bliss, "all befide were nothing worth."

(2.) So again, of the two different Courses, Obedience to GOD and pleafing ourselves, he refuses his own Pleasure, and determines for God's Will. This the natural Man doth not: The Determinations of his Choice, are all on the Side of his own Pleafure; he wills, after the Flesh. He hath exactly, the wrong Bent, leans always to the Part of Indulgence, and starts afide from Submiffion. Nor in this Matter, is there the leaft Difference between the Formal and the Careless Only that bears not fuch Evidence of a perverted Choice as the other; and therefore must be under greater Likelihood of continuing to be deceived. A Man of an unconverted Heart may, by his own Reflections, or by the Pains of others, be brought to fee the Fitness of choofing GOD's Will, and refufing his own Pleasure in Comparison therewith. Perhaps, being convinced that he ought fo to be determined, he is ready to perfuade himself, that he actually is now come to so just a Choice; I

seeing

seeing he finds himself fully purposed about the Matter for the future: But the Heart being unchanged, the Fit foon goes off, the Purpofe dies away, and the Man remains juft as he was before. Outfides here are nothing to the Purpose, where the Inquiry is, whether a Man rejects Sin, with the free and conftant Diflike of his Heart, and as freely and conftantly cleaves to God's Will. No Man chooses Sin for the Sake of finning, in downright and avowedOppofition to GoD: This were too horrid, perhaps, for any thing, but Satan. And therefore no one may cheat himself by conceiting, that he rejects Sin merely because, directly looking upon it, he cannot but difapprove it. The Matter is, whether there be a fteady and determinate Denial in the Heart of all fuch Things, as, being contrary to God's Will, are finful. This the natural Man doth not, nor can do ; he conftantly inclines to them, and as constantly declines from all thofe Things, wherein Obedience to GOD doth confift: And this pervertedChoice manifefts itself in him,every Hour and Moment of his Life. Search out your Spirit, I pray you. Do you find upon the Trial, that you regard Sin as a greater Evil, than Suffering, or Reproach, or Lofs of Reputation; that the main Inquiry, you make about every thing you do, is, whether it be finful, or leads to Sin; that you

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