the end; it cannot, with all its pleafures, countervail that bitterness that will most certainly attend it; nor can it give any fecurity against it. Suppose thou art folicited to a thought or act of injuftice, impurity, or intemperance, if thou wilt needs be talking with the temptation, afk it, Whether it be not a fin against that God, in whofe hands thy foul is? and if it be, 'whether his anger and difpleasure be not a neceffary 'confequence of that fin? and if it be, may not he

inflict the iffues of that wrath of his, when, and in 'what measure he pleafeth? and if he may, what fe curity can this temptation give against it? hath it an arm of omnipotence to fecure me against the power of him that is omnipotent? and if he cannot, what compenfation or amends can it make me, to countervail the damage of his wrath, or the very danger of it? Can the pleafure or contentment of the fin do it? alas! the pleafure will pafs away in, it may be, a life, a day, a moment; but the guilt and torment continues to eternity."

1

MOTIVES TO WATCHFULNESS,

IN REFERENCE TO

THE GOOD AND EVIL ANGELS.

As we fee plants in a nursery, when they come to a due growth, are tranfplanted into orchards; and those that are unufeful, are pulled up and caft into the fire; or, as we fee boys in a free-fchool, fuch as are undisciplinable, are, after fome years of probation, fent away to mechanical employments; and thofe that are ingenious and diligent are tranfplanted to the univerfities: So among the children of men in this life, thofe that are vicious and incorrigible, are by death rooted out and caft into a fuitable condition; and those that are ves fels fit for the mafters ufe, towardly plants, are by death transplanted into another region, a garden of happiness and comfort. And poffibly, by continuance of time, they received improvement and perfection here: So in that other region they add to their degrees of perfection, and are promoted to further acceffions, and degrees, and ftations of happiness and glory, till they come to the ftate of fpirits of just men made perfect.

Could we fee the invifible regiment of the world, by the fubordinate government of good and evil angels, as once Elifba's fervant faw the fiery chariots and horsemen in the mount, it would give us another kind of representation of things, than now they appear to us. We have just reafon to believe that there are infinite numbers of Spirits of both kinds, that have their paffings

to

to and fro, and negotiations, as well among themselves, as among the children of men; and as ravens, kites, and other kind of unclean birds, haunt carrion, and as vermine haunt after putrefaction, and are bufy about it; or as diforderly, debauched companions and ruffians, ever haunt out, and hang upon a diffolute and foolish heir, till they have fucked out all his fubftance and wealth; fo the impure and corrupted angels haunt and flock about a man given over to vice, till they have wholly corrupted and putrified his foul; and those good men whom they cannot win over to them, they pursue with as much malice and envy as they can posfibly; and although they cannot come within them, yet as far as they can, they raife up external mifchiefs against them, watch opportunities to enfnare or blemish them, though the vigilancy of a better guard, and their own prudence and circumfpection, do for the most part difappoint and prevent them. Befides the difpleasure of the great God, there be fome confideration even in reference to thofe good and evil angels, to make good men very watchful, that they fall not into the prefumptuous or foul fins.

1. It cannot choose but be grief to the good angels, to be prefent, and fpectators of the enormities of those, for whose prefervation they are employed 1.

2. It must in all probability work in them a naufeoufnefs, and retiring themfelves from fuch offenders, at leaft till they have renewed, and wafhed themfelves by repentance, and made their peace with God in Christ: For there is no greater antipathy than between these pure and chaste spirits, and any fin or foulnefs.

3. It cannot choose but be a moft grateful fpectacle to these envious and malignant evil jpirits, who upon the discovery of fuch a fall of a good man, call their impure company together, and make pastime about fuch an object, as boys do about a drunken man, and upbraid the facred and pure angels, 'Look here is your

Luke xv. 10. Matth. xii. 10.

pious man, your profeffor: come fee in what a con• dition he is, and what he is about.’

4. It lays open fuch a man to the power and malice of thofe envious fpirits; they have gotten him within their territories and dominions; and unlefs God in great mercy restrain them, render a good man obnoxious to their mischief. And as the contagion and noifomeness of fin drives away the pure and holy fpirits; so it attracts and draws together thofe impure and malignant fpirits, as the fmell of carrion doth birds and beafts of prey. It concerns us therefore to be very vigilant against all fin; and if through inadvertence, infirmity, and temptation, we fall into it, to be diligent to make our peace, and wash ourfelves as we can, in the blood of Chrift and water of repentance.

OF

THE MODERATION

2

OF

THE AFFECTIONS.

PHIL. 4. 5.

LET YOUR MODERATION BE KNOWN UNTO ALL MEN.

MODERATION is that grace of virtue whereby a Man governs his fenfual appetite, his Paffions and Affections, his Words and Actions, from all excefs and exorbitancy.

It Refers, 1. To the Senfual Appetite: 2. To the Paffions of the Mind: 3. To Speech and Words: 4. To the Actions of our Life.

1. Moderation in the fenfual appetite: Anthis is properly temperance, which is a prudent retta nt of our appetite from all excefs in eating, drinking, and thofe other inclinations that gratify our fenfes.

And certainly this becomes us not only as Christians, but as reasonable creatures; for the fenfual appetite, and thofe inclinations that tend to the gratification of our external fenfes, are in a great measure the fame in men and brutes, and they are in their due order and ufe good and convenient for both: we cannot live without them. But Almighty God hath given tó mankind a higher and a nobler nature; namely, understanding and reason, which in the right pofture and conftitution of the human nature is to govern, guide, moderate, and order that inferior faculty that is common to the brutes, as well as to man. And that man

that