He must know very little of himself and of religion, who is not fenfible of this struggle; and he must still have a lefs value for his own happiness, who does not defire, at least, to bring his mind to a greater certainty, and to refolve one way or other, either that the care of his foul ought to be his great concern, or that he may follow the defires of his heart, and the ways of the world, without any great hazard.

A very little confideration, one would think, might convince any man, that if religion (as we all feem to believe) be neceffary to obtain the favour of God, and to efcape that punishment which our fins have deserved, why then fo much must be neceffary as may enable us to obtain thofe ends. And yet, as eafy as it is to fee this, people will not be perfuaded, but that a great deal lefs religion and concern for their fouls will ferve their turn, than God hath exprefsly required; and are but too apt (with those mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy) to bless themselves in their hearts, faying, We shall have peace, though we walk in the imaginations of our hearts. Notwithstanding the dreadful curfe there pronounced against all that fhall thus flatter themfelves.

I know not, therefore, whether one can do a greater fervice to the fouls of men, than to endeavour to fet this matter in a true light. That fuch as have any true concern for themfelves,

Chap. xxix. 19.

felves, may be convinced how very dangerous it is, as well as perplexing, to have two minds or hearts, one for God and another for the world: fince the man, whofe character this is, is as fure to be undone, as if he had no religion at all.

To be more effectually convinced of this, let us first confider that God, being the author of all good to us, exprefsly requires this of us, that we should love him with all our heart and foul; that this love fhould prevail over all other paffions, and should direct us in all our ways. And if the love of God rule in our hearts, these will certainly be the effects: we fhall defire to know the will of God, that we may obey him more faithfully; we shall fear nothing fo much as to displease him; we fhall check our hearts when they run out upon things that cannot profit us. In one word; we shall keep our minds intent upon the place and happiness we were made for, that we may not wander out of our way upon every temptation we meet with.

Now, this is that fingle eye, that fingleness of heart, fo much recommended by the Spirit of God; by which we are able to make a right judgment of things; by which we are able to fee, that the happiness of heaven ought to be our chief aim;-that we cannot ferve and please God as we ought to do, if our hearts are too much fet upon the things of this present world;-that if we are distracted betwixt

betwixt felf-love and the love of God, we shall be miferable both here and hereafter;-and that, how far foever we come fhort of this fingleness of mind, fo far we fhall come fhort of that peace and happiness we strive for.

For this is God's gracious defign in disappointing us fo conftantly, whenever we look for happiness any where but in him, and in the knowledge of his ways; that finding nothing but uneafinefs in every thing else, we may at last think fit to feek for peace where it may be found, namely, in the way of God's commandments.

And having once furrendered our hearts and affections, and all that belongs to us, into the hands of God, we fhall then find by experience, that this only can give us peace of mind and confcience in the midst of a diftracted world; this only can moderate all our eager defires after things uncertain and perishable; this only can make us content under the disappointments and croffes, which by the providence of God we fo often meet with; and lastly, this, and this only, can make the thoughts of death tolerable to flesh and blood. In short, this is to follow the advice of our bleffed Lord, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteoufnefs; to the obfervance of which he has promifed all other bleffings, the bleffings of this life, and of that which is to come.

The

The double-minded man, as his character is, fo is his condition, oppofite to this we have just mentioned. He dares not for his life have no religion; and yet he cannot find in his heart to give up himself entirely to God's fervice. He confeffes that it is reasonable, and his interest, to take care of his foul; and yet the pleasures or the business of life will not suffer him to do it in good earnest. If he prays to God, it is out of custom, and not for grace to make him better. He confults his own inclinations in every thing he does; and while he does fo, he knows that he fhall never get out of this snare.

One need not describe the unhappiness of fuch a state of life, which makes a man always difpleased and weary with himself; afraid of danger, and yet not refolved to take the way to escape it; ftriving to avoid the fight of himself, because of the confufion and diforder he finds in his own breaft; one while purpofing to break through all things that oppofe his converfion, and presently diverted by new temptations; wondering at his own inconftancy; lamenting his condition, wishing it were otherwife; refolving to take up for good and all, and foon forgetting his good purposes.

I appeal to your experience, whether this is not the cafe of very many, who notwithstanding hope that all will be well with them at the last.

But

But I am afraid they have not well confidered the extreme danger of fuch a state. Let us but represent to ourselves a mind faintly refolved to live as becomes the gospel, and ftrongly inclined to the defires of the body, a man who has made a thousand refolutions of reforming, and yet has kept none of them, or but very imperfectly.

Let us fuppofe, (what is really true) that the longer he has gone on in this uncertain way, the greater difficulty he will still find to do what he purpofeth: let us further fuppofe, (and it is what generally happens) that he will thus go on refolving and doing nothing in good earneit, till death furprize him, unprepared for fo great a change. And can I defcribe, or you imagine, a cafe more defperate or lamentable? And yet (fuch is our blindness) this is too often the cafe of those who will not believe they are in danger, only because they fully refolve not to die in that condition; and yet they do die in that condition, because they do not apprehend the danger of living in it.

And indeed the danger is greater for this very reason, that it is not feared. Great and crying fins, like great and bloody wounds, make people uneafy, until they have taken fome care about them. And yet, after all, a ftate of indifference, a general neglect of duty and religion, like a gangrene that is fcarce perceived, is as hard to be cured, and makes a

man