rash and hafty, without a due forefight and confideration both of the duties and the difficulties which we refolved upon; it will be quashed, when hardihips come that were not expected. If this resolution is too indulgent about means and expediences, and not ftrict enough against all occafions of fin; it leaves open a back door to let in many damnable offences: And on the other fide, if it is indiscreetly rigorous in these points, it will prove a fñare to us. If it is only a tranfient act, and is not frequently repeated, and renewed again; in a little time it will pafs off from us. A resolution of amendment may prove ineffective, and miscarry upon all these grounds; as is daily feen in the good purposes of awakened finners, which are every now and then raised in them, by fickness, or fome affecting providence, but vanish and come to nothing, ere they have wrought the reformation, for which they were defigned.

When our confciences are awakened then, with a frightful fense of our fins, and we think seriously of reforming, and leading new lives; great care must be

taken,

taken, fo to fix the bent of our hearts, and to form fuch a purpose of repentance, as may take effect, and bear us out in performing what we have defigned.

And this, I think, will be well provided for, in these particulars :

FIRST, our refolution of a new life must be confiderate, and well advised.

THEN it must be without all referve, full and perfect.

IT MUST be adequate to all times; or, a refolution to forfake fin, not only hereafter, but inftantly, and now at present.

IT MUST be a refolution to forfake it, not only when we are out of temptations, but also when we are under them; not only when we cannot act our fins, but also when we can act and repeat them.

IT MUST not only be upon the duties, but also upon the means and helps of duty; not only against the fins, but against the inducements and occafions that lead to fin likewife; that being once well formed, it may never wear off, but laft through all times.

AND LASTLY, it must not only be a tranfient act, but oftentimes repeated, and renewed thro' our whole lives.

Το

To each of which particulars I fhall fpeak fomewhat.

AND, FIRST; To form such a refolution of a new life, as may be like to take effect, it must not be a rash and indeliberate act, but well advised and confiderate.

When fome extraordinary providences, as great loffes and dangers, or severe fmart and fickness, have awakened men's confciences, and filled them with a great and painful dread of God's deferved wrath; to cure that dread, they refolve without more ado, to please him by a good life; never confidering what that is, or what pains it cofts, or whether it may not prove fuch a remedy, as afterwards they will fancy worse than the difeafe itfelf. And when they are thus rafh and unadvised in refolving on it, they quickly repent of fuch refolutions, when they find it worse than they imagined, and meet with hardships which they never expected.

To prevent this ficklinefs in our refolu-. tions of a good life, it is neceffary, that we view and confider it well, what it is, and what pains it requires, before we make

them;

them; and look on all fides to fee, both what may discourage us from, and what may move us to them.

And this our Saviour hath plainly directed, in two fimilitudes; that of a builder, who before he begins, confiders whether he hath enough to finish; and that of a king making war, who firft confults, whether he is strong enough at least to defend himself, if not to conquer; for speaking to those, who feemed defirous to become his disciples, he inftructs them first to confider, what they are going to undertake, in these two parables: Which of you (fays he) intending to build a tower, fitteth not down firft, and counteth the cost, whether he have fufficient to finish it? Or what king going to war, fitteth not down first, and confulteth whether he be able with ten thousand, to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? fo that he may proceed, not to fight, but feek a peace, if he find his numbers are in that difproportion.

Thus when we refolve upon a good life, if we would have that resolution take ef

VOL. IV.

F

fect,

fect, we must confider and weigh well what we do, before we make it. We muft bethink ourfelves, and attentively view, what that good life is which we refolve upon, and also what reafon we have to refolve upon it; and when we have thus confidered all before, there is the less caufe to fear, that any thing which we meet with afterwards, fhould make us alter, or recede from it.

A SECOND qualification of a purpose to repent is, that it must be, without all referve, full and perfect.

When we refolve to amend our lives, and become good, we muft not except any duties, for God excepts none; nor reserve to ourselves an allowance of any fins, for God forbids and most severely punishes all forts of fins.. Our refolution must know no other limits but our duty, and extend to every thing which God hath required of us.

And this compafs of religious purpose, the commandment exprefsly calls for, when we are enjoined to love God with all our

3

hearts.