SERM. who is greater than my heart, and knoweth all things.

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4. I thought on my ways. It may be herein implied, I have done it frequently.

I thought on my ways: This is a practise, which I have supposed to be incumbent on me. The heat of action, and the hurrie and businesse of life, occafion much inconfideration. And various circumstances there are, which throw us off our guard: and temptations prevail, before we are aware.

Various are the temptations of this world. And my strong affections are apt to carry me beyond the bounds of reafon. In the multitude of my words, in my many thoughts and actions, I fear there has not wanted fome, if not much fin and follie. I have therefore thought it, in the course of my life, a fit and proper practise, frequently to review my conduct, and call my-felf to an account, and not to fuffer any long space of time to pass, without this exercise of my mind.

5. I thought on my ways: and when I did fo, I carefully compared them with the rule of right; the reason of things, and the revealed will of God.

As

As already observed, I have recollected SERM.

my past conduct: I have reviewed it seriously and deliberatly: fincerely and impartially: and frequently, laying hold of all fit opportunities for so doing. And whenever I did so, it was my concern, carefully to compare my actions by the rule of right; the reason of things, and the will of God, as revealed in his word.

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I then observed the intrinfic excellence, and the beauty and comelinesse of virtue, and all holinesse: and the real evil and foul deformity of vice. I difcerned the reasonablenesse and perfection of God's precepts : that what he commands is fit to be done, and that what he forbids ought to be avoided by every rational being. All the statutes of Pf. xix. 8. the Lord are right, and should be steadily regarded by his creatures. I perceived therefore, that all my thoughts and actions, which agreed not with the rule of God's word, were foolish and wicked, such as ought to be condemned by me, of which I have reason to be ashamed, and for which I now humble and abase my-felf. All fuch actions have been contrarie to the will and pleasure of my fovereign, and unsuitable to the dignity

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SERM. nity of my nature. And all the while I have wandered from the right way of holinesse and obedience to God, I have been weakening and finking the powers of my mind, and have more and more indisposed my-felf for the enjoyment of true happineffe.

6. I thought on my ways: and when I did so, I confidered the several advantages I have enjoyed, and the peculiar obligations I. have been under: and was thereby led to take notice of the many aggravations of my tranfgreffions, and my defects.

Every thing contrarie to truth, purity and righteousnesse is evil, in all beings who have reason and understanding. But the guilt of tranfgreffors encreases in proportion to the knowledge they have of the will of God, and the reafonablenesse and equitablenesse of what is required of them. Some have clearer discoveries concerning duty, than others. And by the many blessings, vouchsafed them in the course of Providence, they have been laid under special obligations to attend to the indications of the divine mind.

When I thought on my ways, I could not but own this to be my cafe. The divine

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will, and motives to obey it, have been often SERM, set before me in a clear and affecting manner. I have had many means and helps for ~ preventing fin, and securing a virtuous conduct. And the favours of divine Providence have laid me under strong obligations to emprove those helps, and to excel, and be steady in virtue.

I see reason therefore to own, that I have acted against convictions of duty, and that by temptation I have been induced to act contrarie to resolutions, formerly made. I can recollect too, that I have not kept that strict watch over my-felf, which I knew to be fit and needful in this present world, so beset with dangerous snares and temptations.

Upon the whole, in recollecting and reviewing my conduct I difcerned many things, for which no good excuse or apologie can be made: and therefore, I faw great reason to condemn and blame my felf on that account. And confidering the advantages, which I have enjoyed; my many paft tranfgreffions, and my still remaining defects are attended with no small aggravations.

SERM.
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7. I thought on my ways, and confidered the rewards and encouragements of virtuous conduct, and fincere obedience to God: and the fad consequences of fin, and the unavoidable ruin and miserie of such as persist in it.

For a difference there is in things, as I am fully perfuaded, and fee plain reason to believe. And God, the Lord and Governour of the world, is perfectly righteous and holy. And he certainly will some time make a difference between the obedient and faithful, and the disobedient and unfaithful among his creatures. It is altogether fit and reasonable, he should do so. It is impossible therefore for me to reconcile the hopes of happinesse with wilful fin, persisted in, and unrepented of. It must be confefsed, and forsaken: or I can never think of finding mercie with God, so as to entertain any profpect of the reward, that shall be bestowed on the righteous.

This is what is implied in the duty of confideration, or thinking on our ways.

H. Let