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careless, inconfiderate meditations; hypocritical, pharifaical faftings; popular alms-deeds, having only the fhew of godliness, but denying the power thereof: all these, and whatsoever else are like to thefe, are odious to God, abominable to good men, and most destructive to their fouls that are deluded by them..

When, by the sweet affistance of the heavenly goodness, and gentle breathings of his blessed spirit, we are drawing nearer to our heaven; when the anguish distempers of the foul are abated, and her native and radical heat is grown ftrong and vigorous; then the fervency of our zeal is a rich evidence of the liveliness of our faith, of the certainty of our hope, of the perfection of our charity; when our affections are inflamed with God's love, and our actions aim only at his glory; when we are grown up to that happy ftate of grace, that our consciences are purè, our resolutions godly, our conversations unblamable; altho' we dare not then propose these base, and by respects, these outward aims, unto ourselves, yet how cunningly and closely will corruptions fteal in upon us, even in thefe very bleffed acts of grace? This is too truly proved, too fadly experienced, even by the very beft of chriftians: (Lord, in thy rich mercy) give us eyes to difcern it, hearts to avoid it.

How often may we find pride in our humility, luft in our defires of chastity, our own private ends in our propofals of God's public intereft ? when we bear a part amongst the mourners of Sion, when we are caft down for fome human frailty, we prefently conceive highly of our own holiness, and very meanly of others in their relations unto happinefs; while we have fought to become better, by the propofal of some strict rules, to preferve chaftity, have we not many times become worse, by poisoning those defires by very unclean thoughts, and unclean actions? How many while they have fincerely aimed at God's glory, by the holy propofal and happy performance of fome real good for the benefit of his children, have been fecretly furprized with the bye-end of their own deferved praife; Lord, how readily have I now met with mine own fins, to thy great glory, and mine own deferved fhame? I willingly confefs that I am guilty of all this, and infinitely more than this; even these very lines are witneffes against me, of my fecret corruptions; O let this my forrowful thy precion confeffion purchase for thee my free and full remifd chedd fion, that thou mayeft have the glory, I the com- death

fort, of these weak endeavours.

AND now Lord, feeing I am thus impure, and finful in mine own eyes, even in the very best of my performances, how loathfome must I needs ap

pear in thy fight, who art purity itfelf, and canst not behold iniquity! Bleffed Lord, as thou haft given me the light of thy word to discover me unto myself, so give me also the sword of thy fpirit, to deliver me from myself.

Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man, from mine own secret corruptions, and unknown abo

minations.

Although I am unto mine own foul both ruin and destruction; yet let my bleffed Saviour be unto me fafety and falvation.

Search my heart (O Lord) and try my reins; O let no base and by-respects inhabit there, to rob thee of thine honor; no falfe and vain refpects, to cheat me of my present holiness, and future happiness.

Pardon and pafs by the fecret and unknown errors of my finful life, fupprefs the great difturbances of my corrupt affections, although they many times prevail against me, yet let thy faving grace (Lord) be sufficient for me.

Lord, make me purely and entirely holy; let me love holiness, neither for fear of thy punishments nor for hope of thy rewards, but for thy fake only,

(O my God) who art holiness itself. Let me never think myself holy enough, but forget all thofe holy. actions which are paft, and prefs hard forward towards the mark, for the rich price of the high calling in Chrift Jefus,

Lord, crown my holy defires with happy performances, and blessed perfeverance, that at the end of my race I may receive the end of my hopes, the falvation of my precious foul, and that for his fake, and perfect holiness by whom I trust these weak, and finful endeavours of mine, fhall be graciously accepted, and faithfully rewarded.AMEN.

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UPON THE

CHAP. XXXVIII.

UNRULINESS OF THE TONGUE, WITH NECESSARY CAUTIONS TO RESTRAIN IT.

LORD,

THY fervant David is faid to be a man after thine own heart, and yet I find him setting a watch before his lips, that he might not offend with his tongue; if fuch a chofen veffel as he had fo much need of circumfpection, what holy cautions had I need to use, what ftrict rules to observe, who am so far from David's purity, that I am nothing else but wilful impiety? I am too far Lord, from being at union with thee, that I am even enmity itself against thee.

In vain had holy David fet a watch before his lips, unless he had first fet a guard upon his heart, where the fountain is impure the streams can never be wholesome; if the heart be full of finful corruption, the tongue will foon overflow with corrupt and finful communication.

Lord, I need none other proof of this point, than mine own finful failings; how often have I provoked thee to anger, and displeasure against me,

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