which I was formerly afraid to lose, I now rejoice to banish; it was thou, O Lord, who didft thrust them out; it is thou, O Lord, who art entered in, who art sweeter than all sweetness, &c."

Lord let this example move me to a blessed imi. tation of this bleffed faint, to take heed of holding conference with fatan, to labour to repel the very first motions to fin; If I delight in his discourse, I fhall foon confent to his counsel: if he feel me refist, I fhall find him give ground. Lord, let me remember what I fight for, and follow my advantage with courage and success, that when my days of warfare shall determine, I may fay, with joy and comfort, with thy bleffed apoftle, "I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, I have finished my course, from henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, fhall give me at that day, and not unto me only, but unto all those that love and expect the day of his appearing." 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8.

66

LORD,

THOU haft often seen the weakness of thy finful fervant, how willingly, how wretchedly I have been yielding to the falle allurements of my finful flesh; how bafely I have given ground, even upon the very first affault, without defire of refiftance, without care of repentance.

I have hitherto been fo far from forrowing for this fin, that I have much delighted in it, and often grieved thee, my God, in framing of excufes for it.

Bleffed God, how rich is that peace which I enjoy by thee, how glorious that hope which I poffefs in thee, how wonderful that mercy I obtain from thee? and yet, how carelessly, how coldly have I parted from thee? Lord forgive what is paft, restrain what is prefent, prevent what is to come: O let me enjoy no sweetness but in thee, who art nearer to me than I can be to myself, who art fweeter to me than the sweetness of those earthly pleasures.

O give me fuch a bleffed frame of heart, fuch angel-like integrity of soul, that my thoughts may be chaste, my desires holy, my words gracious, my actions good.

Give me a double portion of thy blefed fpirit, that I may double my obedience to thy fweet commands, that I may taste the comforts of my heavenly joys, and utterly abhor the false allurements of this finful world.

Let the fweet fhowers of thy diftilling graces allay these motions of concupifcence, extinguish thefe devouring flames of luft, that I may constantly and happily oppose this darling fin to my last hour, and joyfully triumph with thee for ever,-AMEN.

CHAP. XIX.

UPON IMMODERATE MIRTH, AND THE SINFULINCONVENIENCES THEREOF.

LORD,

IF I was this day to die; if thou fhould t now fay unto me, give an account of thy ftewardfhip, for thou shalt be no longer fteward; if my audit was at this instant to be given up, and all mine actions this present hour to be accounted for, how fadly fhould I look upon that loft time which hath been spent in fin? How many vain items must needs appear to my deserved fhame, and endless forrow? So many minutes wafted in unclean and wanton cogitations; fo many days and nights in frivolous and idle difcourfe; fo many weeks, and months, and years, in vain and finful actions: how full of horror and confufion would this account appear, even to mine own eyes; with what face fhould I dare present it unto thine? what would I not now give to purchase but fome fmall refpite to redeem this woeful wafte, this vain expenfe of time? what serious vows and faithful promifes fhould I now make of amendment? what conftant hours would be now dedicated to thy fervice? my whole life

would now feem too little to bewail my folly, to redeem my loss.

O what madness is it then, while I have days of mercy, to despise them, to abuse them, to be utterly neglective of them? What is it, Lord, that I fo eagerly pursue? Even the very height of all mine outward happiness, is but a short crackling of thorns, a sudden blaze, which may seem to warm me, but can never thoroughly heat me: woe be to that foul for ever, that can find no refreshment but in this momentary fire; if thy grace, Lord, cannot warm me, thy glory will not comfort me.

There can be no true joy but in godly forrow, "the heart of the wife is in the houfe of mourning, the heart of fools in the houfe of mirth," Eccl. 7. 6. The luxurious wanton may be carnally joyful, but the penitent chriftian is cordially merry.

There is no better trial of this truth (Lord) than from thine own mouth, who wert a man of forrows; thou, O Lord, haft told me, that I fhall weep, but that the world shall rejoice; that I fhall forrow, but my forrow shall be turned into joy, and my joy fhall no man take from me, Job 16. 20.

Deceive not thyfelf therefore, (O my foul) for if thou walkeft too far in this enticing path, thou art out of thy way to heaven; and thou mayeft go fo

far in it as to lofe thyfelf, and by a cuftomary freedom of thy chriftian liberty, foon find fo great an indisposition unto God, and goodness, that unless the bleffed Shepherd of thy foul vouchsafe to find thee, by his faving grace, it is improbable, nay, is impoffible that thou shouldft ever return.

Canft thou be fo fenfeless to believe that thou art Chrift's difciple, when thou wilt not bear his cross? Did ever any of his followers enjoy heaven without violence, without beating down their bodies, without cherishing their fouls? without much weeping, fafting, praying, fighing, groaning for their fins? without being crucified unto the world, and the world unto them? without checking and controuling their unruly lufts? without utterly forfaking all this earthly rash, and joyfully accounting it at loss and dung to poffefs Chrift ?.

Look upon the prophets, apoftles, martyrs, virgins, fathers of the church, and all the bleffed company of faints, in all times, places, ages of the world, and thou shalt find them all to use this world as if they used it not, quietly, fparingly, foberly; Isaac at his evening devotion in the folitary fields, Elijah at private carmel, the Baptist in the defart, St. Paul in his defires out of the body, and with Christ, holy Simeon in his pillar, St. Jerome in his cave;