away, and discover how little of the purer Mettal there was in the Lump. This will make.all the droffie part evaporate, and let you fee whether there be any thing of fubftance at the bottom. In this manner we are obliged to proceed in our Prayers and Supplications. Confideration must acquaint us, whether it be the defires of our Hearts, or the defires of our Lips only, that we offer unto God; whether it be a deep sense of our Spiritual Wants and Neceffities, and of the Greatnefs, Majefty, Purity, Holiness, Mercy, and Goodness of God that makes us Pray; or Custom, and Education, and Civility to our unruly Confciences?

So in our Diftributions to the Neceffities of others, Confideration must acquaint us, whether we give enough or no; whether we fullfil the Rules Chrift and his Apoftles have delivered concerning it; and whether it be Vain-glory and the applaufe of Men, that makes us both liberal, and fpeak of our liberality, or an honeft defign to advance the glory of God, and the good of our Neighbour? Whether that which puts us upon giving, be Compaffion and Tenderness,or a defire to be rid of the importunate Petitioner? Whether it is our yearning Bowels, or fear of being ill fpoken of by other Men, that engages us to fuch Offices of Humanity?

So in Fafting, Confideration must acquaint us, whether it be the outward performance we do regard more than the inward frame of the Soul? Whether it be a real, fincere Refolution to mortifie Sin, that engages us to this feverity, or an intent of giving God fatisfaction for the afG 3 fronts

fronts we have offered him ; and whether the aufterity makes Sin truly bitter to us, and works an eternal deteftation of it in our Hearts; or whether it difpofes us to fall on afresh, and tempts us upon the credit of that piece of Mortification, to venture into new Sins and Enormities? So in our Zeal for God, Confideration muft acquaint us whether we are more paffionate in things which concern the Honour of God,than in promoting of our own Intereft; whether it be a Zeal according unto Knowledge, and kindled by the Sun of Righteoufnefs; or furious, and lighted by the flames of the burning Lake; whether it be fingularity, peevifhnefs, fpleen, and malice, that makes us hot, or deliberate pondering of the affront that's put on the Divine Majeity. And whether we are zealous for the greater, as well as for the leffer matters of the Law; for Judgment, Faith and Mercy, as well as for paying Tythe of Mint, and Cummin, and Anife?

Without Confideration, our Souls must neceffarily remain under very great darkness and miflakes, and confequently run the hazard of being cheated in the work of Converfion. How fhould thefe Cheats be discovered but by our Reason? How fhall our Reafon judge of them but by Confideration? For Confideration calls them to an account, lays them open, examines their rife and progrefs, difcovers them to be dross, and fpies out the danger they involve the Soul in, and by that means works it into a faithful Refolution to take another course.

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CHA P. IV.

Of the various Impediments and Remora's of Confideration. Men fancy greater difficulty in it than there is indeed. Are continually imployed about fenfual Objects. Loth to part with their Sins. Ignorant of the pleasure of Confideration. Reflect upon the danger of lofing their unlawful Gain. Fear they shall fall into Melancholy, or go diftracted with fo much Serioufnefs. Are of opinion that Converfion, in that fenfe the Scripture Speaks of it, is needlefs. Miftake the nature of Confideration. Are difcouraged by evil Company. Neglect confulting with Minifters about this neceffary work. Delude themselves with the Notion of Christ's dying for the Sins of the World.

ONSIDERATION, a Duty fo great, so noble, fo neceflary, one would think fhould find fuitable entertainment with all Men that pretend to Reason, or Wisdom, or Discretion; For in not giving it respect and veneration, they call their own Reafon in question, difparage their Wisdom, and give juft occafion to their Neighbours to suspect, that Difcretion is a Flower which never grew in their Garden: The Guest being fo beneficial, who can imagine to the contrary, but every Man will spread open his Doors, and let it in? How! Lock the Gates against a good Angel!

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Keep out a Meffenger that brings glad Tidings? Darken the Room that I may not fee the Sun ! Confideration, that directs me how I may be a Friend of God, get room in his Bofom, fing with Angels, triumph with Seraphims, fit at the right hand of a glorified Redeemer, ftand before the Throne of God, ferve him day and night in his Temple, and be freed from all poffibility of Sin and Mifery, from all difcontent and vexation of Spirit! Is it poffible a Meffenger of that Worth, and Beauty and Excellency, can want a Lodging! Is it poflible, it should fare no better than the GREAT JESUS, be deftitute of a place where to lay his Head? Is it poffible Men should deal with it as the Inhabitants of Sodom did with the three Heavenly Meffengers that entred into Lot's Houfe? Quarrel with it; abuse it; offer Violence to it? be angry at its harmless language; fhew their spleen against that, whofe Prefence preferves them from being confumed ? and which, while it is among them, ftays the hand of Heaven, the hand of the deftroying Angel, that they perish not? Does not every Man defire to be happy? Did ever any Man hate his own flesh? Was ever any Man in love with Torment? Is it not every Man's Intereft to study how to prevent it? And then sure Confideration cannot but have the love and embraces of all perfons, that do not make sport with cafting firebrands, and death, and arrows, Prov. 26. 18, 19,

So an impartial serious Man would think, yet to our grief and forrow we find that Men run away from it as from the Plague, and do as carefully avoid it as they would do Ratsbane,

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or Sublimate, or Nightshade. This will oblige me in the next place to enquire what are the Remora's or Impediments that make Men neglect this Panacea, and, like mad Dogs, fhun the Water that would cure them, and flight the Remedy that would infallibly recover them. It's natural for Men to inquire into the Reafons of any Decay. If a Tree does not thrive, if Flowers do wither in the Bud, if a Child do not grow, or if the Water of a River fails, the first thing we do, is, to enquire where the Stop is, and what the Causes of the Defect are, and why things do not profper according to expectation? And he that hath aVineyard in a very fruitful Hill, and fences it, and gathers the ftones out of it, and plants it with the choicest Vine, and builds a Tower in the midst of it, and makes a Wine-prefs therein, may well ask the Queftion, Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth Grapes, brought it forth wild Grapes? Ifa. 5. 1, 2, 3, 4.

The Clogs and Impediments of Confideration are numberless, for indeed it's the Devil's Study and Contrivance Day and Night which way to prevent it. Where a Perfon dares extricate himfelf from the Snares of Senfe, and venture upon this Work, the Enemy juftly fears he fhall lofe a Subject, and a Soul will be fnatcht out of his Clutches, and he fhall not be able to hold the Sinner in his Egypt, or hinder him from facrificing to the Lord his God. He dreads this Land of Gofben; and to fee People walk that way, makes him fret and ftorm. It grates upon his Spirits to behold a Sinner fet his Face towards Jerufalem, he cannot endure to fee the Disciples

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