can men be happy in Him, in whom they take no delight? or delight in Him, to whom the very temper of their spirits is habitually unsuitable and repugnant? How plain are things to them, who are resolved not to see!

Wherefore, beware of contenting yourselves with the mere hope, that, upon your having admitted a conviction, and felt some regret in your spirits for former strangeness to God, you shall be pardoned; while yet you design not to redress, but to run on the same course as before, and, when you have hereby contracted a new score, and the load of your gilt begins to be sensibly heavy upon you, then to betake yourselves to God for a new pardon. What presumptuous trifling is this with the Lord of Heaven and Earth! And what do you mean by it, or seem to expect ? Is it not, that God should, instead of remitting your sin to you, remit your duty, cancel the obligation of that very supreme universal fundamental law of nature itself, and excuse you from loving him, delighting in him, or setting your heart upon him? Think not, then, forgiveness alone will serve your turn; it will signify as much as a pardon will do to a malefactor just ready to die of a mortal disease. He, poor man, as much needs a skilful physician, as a merciful prince; and so do you. Your case is nothing the worse, that the person of each is sustained by the same Jesus, and that both parts can be performed by the same hand. And know, that a restored rectitude of spirit toward God, a renewed healthiness and sound

ness of heart, with your actual delighting in God thereupon in your future course, stand in nearer and more immediate connexion with your final perfect delightful rest and blessedness in Him, than your being perpetually forgiven the not doing of it, if this were supposed possible without that but it is not indeed supposable,for if God would not therefore hereafter banish

you his presence, as presence, as now he does not, you would for ever banish yourselves, as now you do.

Let there be a solemn recognition and renewal of your engagement and devoting of yourself to God. Again take hold of his covenant, and see that it take faster hold of you. Do it as if you had never done it, as if you were now to begin with him;-only that your own sin and his grace ought now to appear greater in your eyes, that more odious, because you have added treachery to disaffection,-this more glorious and admirable, because he hath yet left open to you a door of hope, there is still a place for repentance, and he is ready to treat with you again on a new score. With what humility, shame, fear and trembling, distrust of yourself, resolution of future more diligent circumspection and observation of your own spirit, trust and dependence on his spirit, ought this transaction now to be managed with the holy God!

CHAPTER VI.

Directions how to improve in the Exercise of delighting in God.

WHEN you are thus returned into the way and course of your duty, then what follows may concern you in common with all others, who, being entered, desire direction, how to proceed and improve in this holy exercise of delighting in God.

Because, therefore, such as have been practised in this course, and, being convinced of the equity and excellency of it, desire to make progress therein, yet find a difficulty in it, somewhat is intended to be said, that possibly may, through the Lord's blessing, be of some use, as to that too common case.

First, then, let it be your great study and endeavour to get a temper of mind actually, ordinarily, and more entirely spiritual. We suppose the implantation of some holy and spiritual principles in you already; but that is not enough. For as a mind, wholly carnal, only savours the things of the flesh, and will perpetually withdraw and recoil, if you offer it any thing tending toward God; so, in whatsoever degree it is carnal, it will do thus in a proportionable degree. If you say, "Let me now apply myself to some delightful intercourse with God," while an earthly tincture

is fresh with you, and it was some carnal thing that made the last impression upon your spirit,many excuses will be found out, there will be manifold diversions, it will never be thought seasonable; many other things will be judged necessary to be minded first.

Wherefore, fence against the addictedness of your hearts to those other things. And whereas, through the great advantages that sensible things have upon your senses and imagination, you are in continual danger to be over-borne and held off from God; you must earnestly intend to watch and fortify those inlets, and not to give away your souls to sense and the things of sense. Trust not your senses and their objects to parley, but under strict inspection. Never suffer, that they should let in upon you what is suitable and grateful to them, at their own pleasure.

You need to have somewhat else than sense, even a spirit of might and power, that may countermand and overrule in every one of those ports, and turn the battle in the gate. Those used to be the places of most strength; and surely here there needs most. Your case and present state cannot admit, that you securely give up yourselves to unmixed unsolicitous delight, even in the best object. If you intermit care and vigilance, you will soon have such things come in upon you, as will make a worse mixture in your delight, and corrupt and spoil all. Your delight were better to be mixed with holy care, than with sinful vanity; that tends to preserve, this utterly to destroy it. Your state is that of conflict and

warfare; you must be content with such spiritual delight, as will consist with this state. In a time of war and danger, when a city is beset with a surrounding enemy, and all the inhabitants are to be intent upon common safety, their case will not admit that they should entirely indulge themselves in ease and pleasure. And surely it is better to bear the inconvenience of watching and guarding themselves, and enjoy the comforts which a rational probability of safety by such means will allow them, than, merely with the mad hope of procuring themselves an opportunity and vacancy for freer delights, to throw open their gates, and give up themselves and all their delectable things to the rapine and spoil of a merciless enemy. Understand this to be your case. Therefore strictly guard all the avenues of your inward.

It is better to resist there and combat your enemy, than within your walls. There cause every occasion and object, even what importunes and pretends business to you, to make a stand, and diligently examine the errand. Let also, for this purpose, a spirit of wisdom and judgment reside here, that may prudently consider what is to be entertained and what not; and determine and do accordingly. But if you will have no rule over your own spirit, but let it be as a city broken down and without walls, -if you will live careless and at ease, and think in this way to have delight in God,-your delight will soon

a Prov. xxv. 28.

a