TO A SOUND CONVERSION, God. in thy meditations, and fill thy thoughts with him, and dwell upon those thoughts. Remember he is always with thee : and wherever thou art, or what- ever thou art doing, most certainly he seeth thee.- As sure as thou art there, the Lord is there.. He knows thy thoughts; he hears thy` words, he sees all thy ways.. And is such a God as this is, to be provoked and despised ? Were it not better to provoke and despise all the world?' Is his favour to be slighted ? Were it not better to lose the favour of all the world? Consider on this. . 2. Another thing that I would have you often think of, is, what end you were made for, and what business it is that you carne for into the world. You may , well think that God made you not in vain and that,he made you for no lower end, than for him- self: and that he would never have made, nor so long preserved you, if he had not cared what you do. He' would never have endued you with .a reasonable and immortal soul, but for some high, and noble, and immortal end. Surely it was, that you might be hap- py in knowing him, that he made you capable of kno g him; for he made nothing in vain. It is useful for a horse to know his pasture, and proven- der, and work, and perhaps his master ; but he needs not know whether there be a God: and accordingly he is qualified. But it is sure man's chief concern- ment Iii know that there is a God, and what he is, and- -mow to serve him, and what he is and will be to us ; or else we should never have been capable of such things. And he would never have made you capable of loving him, but that you should be exercised and made happy in that love. The frame, and faculties, and capacity, of your souls, and the scope of scripture, do all declare, that you were sent into this world to seek after God, and to love him, and obey him, and rejoice in him, in your measure; and to prepare for a life of nearer communion, where you may enjoy him and please him in the = highest perfec- tion. Consider with yourselves, whether a life of sin be that which you were made for? Or whether God 427
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