on, but fee that we are really possessed of it; that we may experience and favour the Joys and Pleasures which flow from it. They who are in Want, or in any Diftrefs and Calamity, the Law of Self-prefervation directs them to feek and pray to God for a Supply of their Wants, and for the Removal of what is grievous and burthenfome to Nature: But to praife God after the Mercy is received fhews and discovers a grateful Acknowledgent of God, and his Goodness, which is very acceptable to him. The Generality of the World, after they have obtained what they defired, are apt to forget God, and make very poor, if any, Returns of Thanksgiving to him. There is need to call upon all, even good Men, to give themfelves more to this Duty, because there is a Proneness in us to be forgetful of our Almighty Friend, and moft gracious Benefac

tor.

Of the ten Perfons who were cleanfed, but one returned to give Glory to God; and of that good King HEZEKIAH 'tis remarked, that he rendered not to the Lord according to the Benefit received; fee Luke xvii. 18. II. Chron. xxxii. 25. Though he had been delivered from that Sentence of Death that was by the Prophet, in the Name of God, declared to him, and a Miracle was wrought to affure him of this Favour; yet we fee, by this Charge brought against him, what great K 2 Need

Need there is that all, even good Men, should be very watchful of their Hearts, that they may not be forgetful of God, and ungrateful for Benefits received. Let those who may have been in eminent Danger of Death, and who have been mercifully delivered from their Fears, be careful to pay their Tribute of Praise to God their Saviour; and let the Life God hath fpared be, with renewed Zeal, confecrated to his Service; which is the best Testimony of fincere Gratitude. Let the Day of the Lord, wherein you have the Privilege and Honour of Entering God's Gates with Thanksgiving, as 'tis a Day facred to GOD, be fpent in bleffing & magnifying his holy Name. Blefs God more especially for the invaluable Benefit of Redemption by Jefus Chrift, and for the Means of Grace; efpecially if you have found the Word of God beneficial to your Souls; if it has been the Means, by the Divine Bleffing, of moral & fpiritual Improvement in Knowledge, Faith, and Joy in God, and fo to infpire your Souls with brighter Hopes of that better World, where your Knowledge of God, Love to and Delight in him, will be confummate and perfect; and this your Happiness in knowing, loving, worshipping, and praifing God shall know no End, for in God's Prefence is Fulness of Joy, at his Right Hand are Pleafures for evermore. Of Thinking

Of Thinking on our Ways.

TWO SERMONS.

69

PSALM CXIX. 59.

I thought on my Ways, and turned my Feet unto thy Teftimonies.

T

HE Arguments which are made use of in the Word of God to move to Repentance, and promote a Religious Life, are very weighty and powerful. 'Tis fcarce to be conceived how any Rational Perfon can meditate on them (fuppofing that he believes the Divine Authority of the Sacred Scriptures) without manifefting fome good Effect of fuch Meditation in his Life and Practice. The two great Springs and Principles of Action are Hope and Fear: The Hope of obtaining fome valuable Good, or the Fear of fome impending Evil. And according to the Apprehenfions we have of the Greatness and Worth of that Good which is the Object of our Hope, fo we shall use anfwerable

fwerable Endeavours to acquire it; and according to the Nature of the Evil which is dreaded, fo Mankind are apt to ufe a proportional Care to guard against and avoid it. And to do fo is, no doubt, a prudential Way of acting. God, having given us Reafonable Natures, which are influenced and fwayed by Hope and Fear, hath in his Word propofed fuch Arguments for a virtuous Choice and Behaviour, as cannot fail of Succefs, if they are believed to come from God, and are seriously weighed. What will move our Hopes, if the Promife of eternal Life will not? What can move our Fears, if the awful Threatenings of future Miferies will not? God addreffes to us, in his Word, as to Rational Beings, and requires that all do exercise those Powers of Reason, Confideration, and Self-reflection, which he hath given, and that we do not fuffer ourfelves to be led away by prefent fenfible Appearances of Things, without any Thought of what will be the Confequence of our Choice and Actions. How can it be expected, that the most momentous Arguments which are propofed in the Word of God fhould have any good Influence upon the Hearts and Lives of Men, if they will not afford themfelves any Time to meditate on them, or only in a tranfient and fuperficial Manner think on them? Why is it that many will chufe

the

the Ways of Sin but because they will not confider the Wages of it, which is Death eternal? Vaft Multitudes refufe to walk according to God's Laws and Teftimonies, or to guide and govern their Actions by them; and the Reason is, because they will not think of their Ways, but will follow the Devices of their own Hearts, or the corrupt Examples of others.

The Pfalmift in thefe Words fhews us what was the happy Fruit of thinking on his Ways: I thought on my Ways, and turned my Feet unto thy Teftimonies. The Propofition containing the Senfe of the Words is this, That ferious Thoughtfulness, and Confideration of our Ways, is the firft neceffary Step to Converfion and Reformation. In difcourfing on them I fhall obferve the following Order and Method:

I. Shew in what Manner we should think of our Ways.

II. Why we should think on them.

III. The happy Fruit and Confequences of doing this, which, by the Blessing of God, will attend it.

IV. Make fome practical Inferences.

I. I fhall