nurfing up his Body for Luft. He would not have his Body become lefs ferviceable, by too much or too little Self-denial: But keeping a due Mean, that it may be fit for, and fubfervient to, the Purposes of the Soul. -His Recreations alfo, are with much Confultation and Advisedness. Thofe he chooses, which are intirely innocent; fuch as he hath proved to be no Way hurtful to the religious Frame and Temper of his Soul. He will have none of thofe Amusements, which shall engage all his Thoughts long before they come, and leave him almoft incapable of Reflexion when they are over; more confufed and burdened than they found him. Nor will he spend much Time in them: They are his little Intervals of Relaxation from the ferious and important Affairs of Life, that he may return to them again with recruited and new Vigour. Thus he ufes thefe lawful Things, becomingly heedful of them and indifferent to them.

And

hereby as he fhews an intire Contrariety from thofe, who live, as if made on Purpose to drefs, indulge, and fquander away Time; fo alfo a continual and excellent Testimony of the more noble and higher Regards which poffefs his Heart.

5. To complete the negative Part of this Character, as it relates to external Conduct, I add in the last Place, that he labors to give no Offence in any thing. And how great the Difference

Difference here! How clear the most convincing Evidences of the renewed and unchanged Heart! While the tender Regard of the one bears an amiable Refemblance of the Love of Jefus, and the Indifference of the other is but too much like the Cruelty of his Enemy.

You will not forbear your own Way, to please or profit any: Will not confider your Conduct, as others are, or may be, affected by it: Nor retrench any thing of your Freedom, however much your Neighbour may be enfnared by the Ufe you make of your Liberty: You do not trouble yourself to think about other People. Scripture bears the strongest Testimony against the Character, of which you are. It must needs be that Offences come; but Wo to that Man, by whom the Offence cometh. It were better for him that a Millstone were banged about bis Neck, and that he were drowned in the Depth of the Sea, than that he should offend one of thefe little ones (i.) And why sỏ, you will be apt to fay? Am I my Brother's Keeper (k). I have no Design of Drawing him into Sin. I do not bid him follow my Example: Nor defire that he fhould encourage himself in doing Ill, from the innocent Freedoms which I take. Nothing is farther from my Thoughts, than being a (7) Matth. xviii. 6, 7. (k) Gen: iv. 9.

Snare

Snare and an Hindrance to others. While therefore I do but follow my own Humor, which every Man hath a Right to do in indifferent Matters, why fhould the Faults of others be thus laid at my Door? For the plaineft Reason in the World: Because by fuch a Conduct you give up the Interests of him, whom you call your Mafter; evidently fhewing no Concern about his Kingdom and Glory; and suffering, with much Indifference, Satan to gain Advantage by your means. In truth, no lefs may be faid of it, you are doing the Work of Satan, however little you may defign it. And judge now in Conscience, if you can be the Child of God. What! a Child of God, and so void of all Zeal for his Honour, that you care not though you be the Occafion, that his Creatures, and your Brethren, difgrace and difobey him! A Child of God, through Jesus Chrift; and fo unlike him, through whom you call GOD your Father, that you will not constrain yourself in the leaft Degree, to fave those from Ruin, for whose fake he shed his most valuable Blood! Surely, upon Reflexion, you cannot believe it yourself.. Nor is it any fort of Excufe, that you have no Thought of feducing Men into Sin, or of hardning them in it. Be it allowed, that you have no fuch Thought: that you do but go on your own Way, and follow your

own

own Humor. Truly it is the very Want of Thought about the Matter, which condemns you. This is the very Thing I insist upon, as the Proof of your being altogether out of the right Way, and still alienated from the Life of God, that you have no Thought about the Hurt which your Conduct may poffibly be doing to others, or about the Snares which your Ufe of allowed Freedom may lead them into. Had you been the ferious Character you profefs, you would both have thought of, and have directed your Conduct accordingly.

FOR it is the new Creature's Manner to mind the Things of others. Godly Zeal and affectionate Charity, burn in his Breaft. He knows a thousand Searchings of Heart, for the Glory of GoD trod down of Men, and for the many Souls in the Road to Deftruction. He cannot bear there fhould be the least thing in his Conduct which might contribute to the lamented Scene of Rebellion and Ruin, which he fees about him: He knows not, that there is any fuch Thing; he studies that there may be none. The Voice of Compaffion cries within him, it lifts up a forrowful Lamentation: "I am "borribly afraid for the Ungodly. How long, ye fimple ones! What till Death, the Meffenger of the Lord, arreft you, and Judg"ment fend you into Hell: I am troubled for you, my Brethren. Wo is me, for 66 you,

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૬. you, and for myself! Wo is me that I "have carelefly contributed to your Mifery, "and made your Hands ftronger to Sin. "Forgive me, Children of Wrath, whom I "have either begotten or nourished! Alas, "that I fhould be your Ruin! How shall I "almost endure to hear you sentenced at "the Judgment? O return unto the Lord, "from whom I have led you! If I cannot "prevail, yet I fhall mourn over you. I "will labor to do no more fuch irreparable

Wrong to God and my Brother. Rather, "O Lord, cut me off in the midst of my "Days, than leave me to propagate Ini

quity. Thou knoweft, I have this Day, "through thy Grace, caft off all Things "which offend: If any remain, they are "hid from me. But if ftill there be with

me any thing behind, which difhonors "thee, or wounds my Neighbour, O take "it from me. Be it what it will, innocent, "pleafing, or useful, I yield it up with Joy." In this Manner he thinks; and his Conduct is directed upon this Plan.Moft convincing to yourself will be the faithful Answer of your Confcience upon this Point, that you have the Mind of Chrift in you.

TAKE now the Whole together, and fee with Self-Application the wide Oppofition between the one and the other, in this negative Description.

THE