1 Cor. 10. 13. where the Charge runs

Whether ye eat or Drink, or whatever ye do, let all be done to the Glory of God: Now 'tis certain that if we have an eye to the Glory of God in all that we do, this is an Aim that will fanctifie all our Actions, tho' in themselves indifferent, as Eating and Drinking and the like: But on the contrary, fo long as we have not an Eye to this general End, all the Mals of our Indifferent Actions become an Irrational and Profufe wafting of that precious Time which God has given us for better uses, i. es to devote and give it back again to himfelf. Now to fix fuch a General Purpose is the proper bufinefs of Holy Meditation; putting the Queftion often to our foul, Dic anima, quo tendis & in quod dirigis arcum: Say my Soul, at what rate liveft thou? Whi ther aimeft thou? Whither tends the Common Level of thy Actions? Hast thou the Glory of God in Profpect? Or elfe fhooteft thou at Rovers, and on

by

ly beateft the Air? This kind of Reflection will Confecrate the Soul in all The does does, and make every Natural Act turn into Religious; and make us meet God every where; and converse with his Wifdom, Goodness, Provi dence, in our walk, at our business, at our Table; and render us more Holy to God even at our Work, than, without fuch Preparation of Thought, we can be at our Prayers.

To conclude The Purpose of all have faid is to recommend the Duty, of Holy Contemplation, and to engage Men to allow Stated feafons to Meditate on Heavenly Things, as being the fureft Method to fecure a Bleffing up. on the Reft of our Time: I have fhew'd the particular Ufefulness of the Duty, I fhall refer what may more be faid to the Commenting of your. own Private Thoughts upon that Text of the Pfalmift, Whofo is wife will ponder, these things, and they shall understand the loving Kindness of the Lord.

2

The Heavenly Pattern:

A

SERMON

ON

St. MATT. VI. 10,

Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Hea

ven.

S

Uch is the Corruption of our Nature and fo is that Corruption improved by finful Cuftom that there is almost a Constant standing Oppofition between God's will and our own God's will is the Streight Rule, requiring fuch things as are Honeft, pure, Holy and of Good Report; Our own

will is the crooked Rule; requiring fuch things as please our selves, our fense, our Humour, Lufts: fo long therefore as Sin and Senfuality have hold of us, this is the Controverfie we lay debating ....Whether we fhall follow the Crooked Rule or the Streight? Whether we fhall please God or Our felves? and our Souls hang Wavering and Distracted under this foolish unreasonable Doubt.

It paffes with us into a Proverb, that Let Children have their Wills, and they will undo themselves, because they want Understanding to choose what is good for themselves: But 'tis as true, that let Men have their Wills and they will undo themselves much more; Because they that are finful are much more foolish in their Choices, than they that are Children; and they that want Grace have less Understanding than they that want Years.

Whither does the iffue of our own wills lead us but to Intricacies and Mazes,

and Grief and Shame and Repentance, or elfe to Confequences that are much more unhappy than thefe? Whereas, on the other hand, to do the Will of God is our Wildom and our welfare, our fecurity and our Freedom, our Peace and our Salvation.

And this is the Ground and Reason, of that Petition in the Text; Wherein we must interpret our felves to pray unto God that he would reftrain us by his Grace from doing our own will, till fuch time as his will becomes Ours and that he would affift us to do his Will and Obey it to all well pleafing, even as it is done in Heaven,

But it is not my purpose to speak more at present Concerning either, the Reason, or Rule,or Nature of our Obedience; I shall rather choose to confine my felf to the Pattern of it, propofed in the Text, and that is the Holy Angels; For 'tis they are meant to do the Will of God in Heaven, in such a man

ner,