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they were to live to the age of Methuselah. Secondly, To all conditions. Our refolutions must be made for the hour of temptation, and the time of trial; fuch as may hold in spite of the moft plausible infinuations, and the moft formidable attempts to the contrary. Then it is that we have the greatest use of them; and they will fignify very little to us, if they fail us at fuch a time of need. It is an easy matter to serve God, fo long as it fuits with our own temper, and is agreeable to our natural inclinations, and ferves to promote our fecular interefts and defigns. But the proof of our fidelity is, when we keep close to our duty, in defiance of all the most violent oppofition the tempter can raise against it. And till we have fixed our resolutions fo as to prepare us for fuch a time of trial, they will be in apparent danger of proving like Egypt's broken reed, which is of no real use, no stability or ftrength; but (z) if a man lean upon it, will go into his hand, and pierce it. Sixthly, We must refolve, not only upon the duties to be performed by us, but upon the means neceffary for the performance of them; not only against all fins, but likewise against the temptations and inducements to them. Otherwife all our refolutions are like to prove of very little advantage to us. For let a man refolve against drunkenness, this will fignify little to him, unless he refolve, at the fame time, against fuch companions as have been formerly, and are still most like to be the unhappy inftruments of betraying him into it. Let another refolve against cheating, yet he will very hardly keep clear of it, unless he refolve likewife to keep out of the way of fuch temptations, as have rarely failed of putting him upon it. Let a third refolve against all idolatry; yet, unless he fhall call to mind, to what barbarities fuch a refolution may not improbably expose him, and refolve to bear them all, rather than part with his integrity; there is (≈) Ifa. xxxvi. 6.

little reafon to hope a general resolution will carry him through them. In fhort, a man may as well refolve to be learned without reading, to acquire an eftate without fobriety and industry, to be healthful without obferving any of the rules that may conduce to make him fo, or fafe without keeping out of the way of danger and harm; as to be good, and holy, and religious, without refolving in like manner upon the proper helps and inftruments of virtue, religion, and holiness. Seventhly, and laftly, That our refolutions may prove effectual to the good ends for which they are defigned, another requifite is, that we faithfully and diligently apply ourselves to put them in practice. It is by no means enough to have resolved well, nor will ever prove of any advantage to us, unless we be mindful to live well too. The only way, (a) as a great man speaks, to recover ourselves to a christian temper of mind, after a vicious courfe of life, is in truth the very fame, by which a man recovers bis bealth after a long difeafe, viz. by God's bleffing upon the diligent use of fit means; and any other way is no more now to be expected, than prophecy and miracles. Thus I have inftanced, in the feveral ingredients, that go to the making up a truly chriftian refolution of ferving God, as the Gofpel requires; and have observed, that they are not to be counterfeit and hypocritical, nor loose and indifferent, but ferious and hearty; are to be upon a firm and folid principle, that may make them like a house built upon a rock, immoveable, and not to be fhaken with wind or tide; and not hafty or inconfiderate, but upon mature deliberation, and a thorough inquiry into the divers inconveniencies and difficulties that may occur, in the performance of them; that they are to be perfect and intire, so as to take in the whole of our duty, and provide against all kinds of fin; and fuited to all times and ftates, fo as to hold out in whatever circumftances; and are (a) Dr. Calamy, Serm. 10. p. 347.

there

therefore to reach to, not only the duties requir'd, but the means too, that are neceffary in order to the discharge of them; and, in the last place, that we are not to acquiefce in refolving, but muft vigorously fet ourselves, and ufe our utmoft diligence and application, to reduce our refolutions to practice, that fo we may see thofe happy fruits and effects of them, without which, they will be of no ufe to any of us, nor ferve to any other purpose, than to heighten our guilt, and add to our condemnation. And now I fhall only beg your farther patience, till I briefly fubjoin these three following directions, in order to the better fuccefs of fuch our refolutions: First, That they be repeated and renewed day by day; because this will fix them in our minds, and increase the danger of departing from them; and fo will make us the more diligently obfervant of them, that they prove not an occafion of our heavier deftruction. Next, That they be prefently inade known to the world, fo as that it may appear we are not ashamed to own, to all we converfe with, that we are become a different fort of men from what we had been formerly. This will be an especial means of making us the more obfervant of them, left other wife we become a fcorn and derifion to thofe, to whom we made this declaration, who will be apt to triumph over us, and mock and laugh at us, if they fee us give back again, after proceeding thus far towards a reformation; and will befides be a fingular prefervative against the affaults of others, who will not be fo forward to entice us to any kind of fin, when they are fully inform'd beforehand, that their attempts will be in vain, and that we have already declar'd againft giving ear to them. And again, thirdly, That we do not truft to our own ftrength for the performance of them, but earnestly fue to God for his grace and affiftance, that having begun fo good a work in us, he will perform it until the day of Jefus Chrift. Without the

help

help of his Holy Spirit, we fhall foon flag and falter, and can never hope for fuccefs in what we fo vainly attempt through our own power. And we must therefore be fure at all times to look up to him, and depend upon his ftrength, for carrying us through all difficulties and trials. And fo, but not otherwise, if we use our own hearty endeavours, and be continually upon our watch, we may promife ourselves, that our good purposes fhall not fail us, but that we shall find the happy effect of them, to our joy and comfort here, and our eternal falvation in the other world.

Timoth. I thank you, good Theophilus, for the pains you have fo long together taken for my information; and I faithfully promife, I will endeavour to make the beft ufe I can of your good inftructions, for the benefit both of my felf and others. Though, I thank God, I have never allowed myfelf in the practice of any known vice, as confidering how highly difpleafing that is to Almighty God, what horrid ingratitude it argues to our bleffed Saviour, who has done and fuffered fo much for me; what an affront it is to the Holy Spirit of God, what a contradiction to our own reason, and especially to the covenant I enter'd into at my baptifm, and which I have made profeffion of carefully and confcientiously obferving ever fince; of what mischievous confequence it would be at present, and how intolerably deftructive hereafter; yet have I not had fuch a conftant fenfe of religion upon my mind, nor been fo diligent and induftrious in the ways of holiness, as I am fenfible I ought to have been. But, by the grace of God, I will become more watchful for the future, not only to abstain from evil, but to do good; to ferve and worship God, and promote his honour, according to my abilities and opportunities; to improve my own mind, that I may more readily run the way of his commandments; and to do what fervice I can to my neighbours and acquaintance. This is my fixed purpofe and resolution: and that I may faithfully put it in execution,

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A Prayer for Grace to fulfil our good Purposes and Refolutions.

Gracious God, without whom nothing is firong, no

thing is holy, infufe, I beseech thee, fuch a measure of grace into my heart, as that I may spend the remainder of my days in thy fervice, and to thy glory. Confirm and strengthen my good refolutions, and fix them more and more in my mind, that they may be always before me, and may be a means of quickening my diligence, and making me vigorous and unwearied in thy fervice. I am thine by creation, by redemption, and by a voluntary dedication of myself to thee; fuffer me not to be remiss and negligent in answering fuch weighty obligations. But as I have fworn, fo let it be my daily fludy, and the = great and chief endeavour of my life to perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. Let a confideration E of the great work I have upon my hands, and the little time I have to do it in, and withal, that this little time may poffibly be much less than I imagine it to be; let these thoughts, I beseech thee, have their proper influence upon me, and not fuffer me one day longer to forbear fulfilling all the good purposes thou haft begotten in me; that, without any delay, I may fet myself to make the best amends I fall be able, for my paft mifcarriages, by becoming fo much the more circumspect, and the more defirous to pleafe thee for the future. Whilst I live in the world, preferve me from the fnares and temptations of

it's

and enable me to perfect holiness in thy fear, that I may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift; may walk worthy of the vocation wherewith I am called, and be fruitful in all good works; and whatever shall become of me here, I may make fure of a happy eternity with thee hereafter, in the bigbeft Heavens, through the merits and mediation of Jefus Chrift, our Lord and only Saviour. Amen.

Theoph. You appear, Timotheus, to be truly affected with what has been faid. I befeech the Almighty to convince you more and more, not only of the necefH

fity,

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