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whofe glory is their fhame, who mind earthly things.

Many there are who profefs and hope well of themselves, as to another life, who yet are loose and carnal, wicked and l'centious in their lives and walkings: they do not watch and keep their gar. ments, but wallow in the mire of their lufts and poll tions: they ftain their profeffion with foul, grofs and fcandalous fins; at leaft they live and allow themselves in fome fecret way and haunt of finning, indulging this and the other luft: but my .. beloved, thefe are far indeed from being ready for a dving hour; and muft expect to be caft off from God and Christ for ever.

Such were thofe, Matt. 7. 22, 23. They came and cried, Lord, Lord: came with their gifts, parts, : and privileges; but Christ sent them away, with a "depart from me ye workers of iniquity."

So in Jer. 7. and beginning: we read of fome that made profeffion of God and his ways, and yet walked in fin, and wallowed in all manner of abomination: and what is the iffue ? verse the 15th, faith God, I will caft you out of my fight: God will at last caft off all loose, licentious walkers; Palm 21. 9. David prays thus, gather not my foul with finners. And truly, if you would not

be gathered with sinners at last, you must not walk in fin with finners now: and as for the faints themfelves, fo far as they let down their watch, and neglect their walking with God; fo far as they give. way to a loose, vain, heedefs, way of living; fo far they have things out of order with them, and they are unready for a dying hour.

Behold, I come as a thief (faith Chrift) blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, left he walk naked, and they fee his fhame, Rev. 16. 15. So far as the faints carry it unbecoming their high and holy profeffion (which is too frequent with them) fo far they are short of that compleat readiness for death and eternity they should prefs after.

purity and holiness We must be pure.

Secondly, Labour for much in your hearts and affections. and holy within as well as without; in our hearts and affections, as well as in our lives and walkings, if we would have all right indeed for a dying hour. Who fhall afcend into the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? The answer is, he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, Pfal. 24. 3, 4. And Christ expressly tells us, bleffed are the pure in heart, for they fhall fee Go!, Mat. 5. 8. Indeed impure hearts are unfit to fee God: he is a pure and holy God, nor may impure-hearted ones expect that bleffed fight.

I remember a faying which I have read in one of the antients, (which I look upon to be a great faying) "Woe and alas! O Lord (faith he) how prepofterous is it? How rafh and unadvised? How inordinate ? How remote from the rule of the word of thy truth and wifdom for a man to defire to fee God with an unclean heart?" Oh, have a watchful eye upon your hearts: and labour to keep them as free from any taint and tincture of fin as poffibly you can.

First, Be sure you fuffer no luft to get up into the throne, where it is too often found. When fin is confented to by the will, the luft is on the throne in the heart; and indeed it is wonderful to think, how foon one or another corruption will mount up into the throne in the foul, if we let down our watch but a little: but oh, take heed of this; fo far as any one luft what oever is predominant within us, so far we are marvellously unready for a dying hour. And not only fo: but,

Secondly, Watch narrowly against the very first 1ifings and motions of fin within; nip luft, if pol fible, in the very bud and bloffom. It is true, this calls upon us to have a very curious eye upon our hearts; and indeed, fuch an eye we fhould have upon them, we must have upon them, if we mean to be chriftians indeed.

Grace will teach a man, not only to oppofe the acts of fin, and to watch against the reign of any heart-luft; but also to oppofe the very first motions and rifings of fin in the foul. And the more you do this, the better pofture you are in for a dying hour.

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began with that beauty of holiness, which thou thyfelf art, and is effentially contained in thee, fo my foul's defire is to end with that bleffedneis, which we thy faints enjoy, even in this vale of milery, and is eternally derived from thee; that fo I may begin, and end with thee, who art the beginning and end of thy creature, that I may lead thy fervants from the pure fountain of true holiness, to the sweet streams of inward happiness, wherein we may securely bathe our weary fouls in rest and quietness, until thy gracious goodness fhall condu& us home, unto the full fruition of those joyful rivers of thine endless pleasure.

I am no fooner entered upon this blessed search, but I find my foul ravished with admiration at the greatnefs, with apprehenfion of the goodness, with contemplation of the freeness of thy love and favor towards me. I fee the great and glorious God of

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