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I

CHA P. XIII.

Of Perfeverance.

HAVE difcourfed against Relapfing into a finful course, not as if it were fufficient for us to forbear going backward, or to stand at a stay, but because in order to our progrefs in Virtue, it is the first thing neceffary, to ftand upon your Legs, and to be in a moving and walking posture.

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2. THE fecond thing therefore we are to be careful of, is, to remember the Promises and Refolutions we have made, and to pursue them fo as to transmit them into a fettled Practice of all manner of Virtue. This Direction confifts of several Branches.

1. WE are to keep our Vows of Amendment as fresh in our Memories as 'tis poffible. For the Understanding being the original Principle of Action, which governs the Lower Faculties of the Soul, according to thofe Idea's and Notions that it works by it felf, it is impoffible to act with any certain regularity, when a Man doth not Apprehend, or doth not Remember what he is to do. Notions that are

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quite loft have no more Power and Influence upon us, than if we had never entertained them: And this is one great caufe of the Decay of Religion, that Men do not fufficiently charge their Duty upon their Memories, nor revolve their Obli, gations in their Minds as they fhould do, but lay afide the thoughts of their former Engagements, like thofe unfruitful Hearers St. James fpeaks of, who though they find by the Precepts of Chrift how Undefiled and Pure their whole Man fhould be; yet inconfiderately drop all care of cleaning themselves from their Pollutions, as those who behold their natural face in a glaß, and then go their ways, ftreightway for getting what manner of Men they were that is, what Spots there are in their Faces which are neceffary to be wiped off, Jam. 1. 23, 24. when the confidera

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of those Resolutions we made at the Lord's Table, doth flide fo foon out of the mind, it is impoffible to conceive how they should bring any Fruit, unto Perfection, though many were ferious and ftrong for the time, because they are not rooted enough in the Heart to fpring up, like Corn caft into the Bofom of a Kindly Soyl, but are loft prefently for want of deep digeftion, like Seed (catter'd by the way fide, upon ftony ground, which

lies a little,to be picked up by the next Bird that comes. Due Confideration is very powerful to Invigorate the Faculties of the Soul, and to make them productive of a New Life; because it keeps the mind in fuch a conftant motion as maintains the whole Soul at its daily Work. Be fure therefore often to renew the remembrance of thofe Vows, which you made to God at this Covenant-Feast; confider and meditate upon them every day, as you fhould upon your Latter End; or, that I may allude to Mofes in another cafe, Lay up thofe Vows in your heart, and in your foul, and bind them for a fign upon your hand, that they may be as Phylacteries before your eyes; and think of them when you fit in your Houfes, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rife up, Deut. 11. 18, 19.

2. THE next bufinefs is, to transmit them into Practice. For neither are lazy Wishes to any purpofe; nor can feeble Refolutions or faint Endeavours ever anfwer the great Ends of Chriftianity. As Virtue is acquired by fingle Acts, fo is it Improved by repeated exercife, and Perfected by the affiduous Difcipline of Perfeverance. 'Tis a mistake to think, that Chrift's Spirit works after fuch a Phyfical Manner, as to Transform a Man

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perfectly in a moment, or to make him compleatly Religious all at once, by a fudden and uncontroulable Infufion of Habitual Holiness. His Operations are fucceffive; alluring, ftirring, and strength. ning Men to perfect Holiness in the fear of God gradually; and by helping them to Rectifie and Refine Humane Nature more and more, juft as evil Custom helps to deprave it. Therefore the Practice of Virtue is abfolutely neceffary, because it cannot be thought how the frequent Lufts of the Flesh can otherwise be mortified, or how a crooked Difpofition can other wife be Reformed and ftreightned; or how inveterate Habits can otherwise be eradicated to the full.

3. THIS, Thirdly, must be a fetled Practice, a State, a Tenour, a Life of Virtue. To refolve one Day upon a regular Progrefs, and then to let those Refolutions go off with ones firft Sleep, is but a parting with ones Sins in a kind of pet, like the parting of Lovers, whom the next opportunity reconciles. Many things may provoke People to fall out with their Lufts for a while; either the penetrating faculty of the Word of God; or a fudden and furprising profpect of. Hell; or the fnubbings and lafhes of a reftlefs Mind; or fome outward Calamity

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that reneweth the smart of an old Sore, and revives the fenfe of former Guilt, ås the Imprisonment of Jacob's Sons in E gypt brought it into their fresh remembrance how guilty they had been concering their Brother, Gen. 42. Nor do I deny, but fuch Paffions are fometimes preparatory to a true Repentance, if right reafon fteps in before the fit be over, and obtains full Liberty of Audience. But if these motions of the Soul do not fettle into a compofed State of Virtue, but are only Temporary and Tranfient things, like a Morning Cloud, and the early Dem that goeth away, to use the Propher's comparifon, Hof. 6. 4. They cannot profit as to the main, because they fall short of the Ends of our Religion, being not effectually perfective of our Natures.

4. FOR, Fourthly, our Refolutions fhould pafs into the practice of Univerfal Holiness. The Perfection of God himself confifts in the Infinite Glory and Rectitude of his Nature, that he is most perfectly Wife, Juft, Good, Pure, True, and the like; and that there is such an entire Harmony' within himself, that there cannot be the leaft Aberration or Declenfion of his Will from the Infinite Reason of his Mind; but that in all his Actions his Power is conducted by Reafons

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