they do actually make them. May God Almighty bless and profper all fuch as are thus religiously difpofed; all fuch as can thus fay with the Ifraelites, Nay, but we will ferve the Lord. But this it is fit they fhould be forewarned of, which Joshua infinuates to the Ifraelites, that it is a much eafier Matter to make Refolutions about ferving God, than to perform them after they are made. And confequently they, who mean to have their Refolutions come to any Effect, will be extremely concerned both to use their utmost Prudence and Confideration in the forming of them, and their utmost Care and Diligence in the keeping them afterwards.

These are the two Points upon which the Success of our pious Defires and Endeavours doth all in all depend. For which Reafon I think I cannot do better Service to well-difpofed Perfons, than to offer fomething for their Affiftance and Direction in both thefe Matters.

Two Things I fhall endeavour at this Time.

First, To fhew what Rules are to be
obferved by us in the framing our
good Refolutions. And,

Secondly, What Things are to be taken
care of after we have framed them,
that they may produce real Effects.
I begin

I begin with the first Point, viz.

I. The Rules that are to be obferved by us in making our Refolutions. They are these Five following:

1. That a Man throughly confider the Matter he refolves upon, and of the Arguments that may be urged for and against it.

2. That he confider likewife his own Temper and Humour when he doth refolve.

3. That he make his Refolutions as particular as may be.

4. That he not only refolve upon the End, but upon the Means likewise of attaining that End.

5. That he be prudent in his Refolutions, and do not burden himself with unneceffary Things.

Of these five Particulars as briefly as I

can.

1. The first Rule is, that we throughly confider of the Matter we refolve upon, and of the Arguments that may be urged for or against it. This, you fee, was the Method that Joshua took with the Children of Ifrael, when he had a Mind to fix them as firmly as was poffible to the Service of God.

He

laid before them the Difficulty on both Sides of the Queftion, and then bid them chufe whom they would ferve. Before he would enter them into this Covenant, he

lays

lays the Matter impartially before them; and as on one Side he reprefents to them the infinite Obligations they had to engage themselves to God's Service, and the mighty Advantages they would receive from it; fo on the other Side he fets before them the Difficulties they muft expect to encounter if they did engage in it, and that both upon Account of the great Strictness it required, and of the heavy Judgments they brought upon themselves if they were false v.19. to their Vows: Ye cannot, fays he, ferve the Lord; for he is a holy God, a jealous God: He will not pardon your Tranfgreffions nor your Sins.

Now when he had laid

this Matter before them, he leaves it to 15. them to determine themselves: If it feem evil unto you (fays he) to ferve the Lord, chufe you this Day whom you will ferve; whether the Gods which your Fathers ferved on the other fide the Flood, or the Gods of the Amorites in whofe Land ye dwell.

Now thus we muft deal with ourselves, if ever we mean to make firm Refolutions about any thing. It is the Fault and the Infelicity of a great many, that they take up Refolutions upon the Confideration of a very few Particulars. They chufe their Side before they have attended to what may be faid on the other Side. Now tho' they happen to chufe the right Side, yet, when afterwards fomething comes to be fairly reprefented to them to the Disadvantage of

it, which they never confidered or thought of before, it often falls out that they are wholly furprized and at a Lofs; and if the Refolutions they have taken up, prove to be against the Grain of their former Cuftoms or Inclinations, it is ten to one but they fall to nothing, and Nature will have its Course, tho' poffibly the Difficulty that occafions their Relapfe, is very inconfiderable and cafily answered.

It may be you have spent fome Time in confidering the unexceptionable Reafonableness of Virtue and Religion in general, and this hath made great Impreffions upon you; especially you are affected with the many Comforts and Conveniencies both as to Mind, Body, and Eftate, that it is attended with in this World, befides the vast unfpeakable Rewards which are promised to all those, who practise it, in the World to come. Upon thefe Confiderations you fet up your Refolutions. You will forfake all your vicious Courses; you will live virtuously, and ferve God heartily, ay, that you will. But this is but one Side of the Cafe that you have represented to your felves. Have you on the other hand confidered the Pains and the Uneafinefs that this Course of Life will put you upon; efpecially at the Beginning, and in cafe you have been heretofore engaged in a contrary Way? Have you thought what it is to cut Mat. 5.29 off a right Hand, or to pluck out a right and 18.8.

Eye

Eye (as our Saviour expreffeth it)? What it is to live in a Contradiction to your most natural Inclinations, and to debar your felves of thofe Things that you now moft love and hanker after? Befides, Are you provided to anfwer all thofe Objections and Arguments which will on every Side be made ufe of to divert you from the Course you are undertaking? The Queftion will, without doubt, be put to you, What Certainty you have of the Truth of this Religion that you make fuch a Stir about? Nay, whether it be not probable, that all the Bufinefs of Rewards and Punishments in another World is but mere Talk and Noife, the Invention of the Priests or Statefmen? Is your Faith now ftrong enough to bear up against these Affaults? Further yet; It may be, it will be infinuated to you, that you need not take so much Pains, or lead a Life of fuch Strictnefs, and Regularity, and Devotion, as you aim at, but that you may go to Heaven without all this ado; How now are you prepared to repel thefe Temptations?

But if these Things do not divert you, Are you fure it is not above your Strength and Ability to go thro' this Work after you have undertaken it? Is it in your Power, think you, if you fhould seriously endeavour it, to get fuch a Maftery over your Paffions, and to live a Life of such Tem

perance,