6j8 :O,piritual PerfeElion. ------· --------:-:-----:-:----:-:---------- r. Dd1indtn compar111g our Actions with the Rul~, t hat u c may underfiand the de. fctts of our bell Duties, and t he aggravations of o~ r S;ns: the J.,w cnj?ins the Subfiance a.nd Circum~anccs of our Duti(s, and forbids all k1ntls and degrees of ,:,m. The more particul ar the thfcufTion i~, the more perfeCt. ~t. ) Ir mufl _be ferious. a_nd wi_rh fio ~ere Judg:n c~ t, as previou~ to ou~ Trya! at God's Tnbu_O;l/. Tlus Confide~auon wd l cxcac the Co~~ctencc, wt11ch IS the dJre{tj\'e and ap. plicativc _!\1tnd, to be vigt !:mt and impartial in !i!t:n(? our [~Ives,_ t hat no Sin of omiffion or comm1nion may be paH over; for what a high fl:ratn of. folJy IS it, ro be fubtle to concc.:d any C.n from our (tlve~, \~· b;.:h :ire opm r~ the all-feetng Eyes ?f God? Men are apt t.o be i nfcr~~b l e of fms of omtfTion, but there .Js no nu re fin ol omdTion; for it proceedS fr~m ~ ddhkc of £he com~P.and~d ~uty , wht cl~ expo((s to Judgmen t. The more the Mmd IS mendt.:d :111d renewed, It thfcovcrs the Stns t!tar ~nre und11ccm'd. ( 3 ) 1 berc rnu fi be a fixed rcfolution to reform ou r Lives , wherein we ha ve been cnlpablc. The Soul can never recover its lapfe from above, bur by returning thither; th:n is, .by a real pcr_formance of the Durie.~ ~f the La\\'1 that fu JJy reprefenr the ~aw·givcfs Wtll nnd So\'c ra :gnty . ~o~ the reAcCbng upon ou r Hearts and Lives, to tmpHH'c the good, and correct the evd 10 them, is very ufeful fo r tha t end. (4.) It mull be frcguer.r, lefi we b<eome ignorant and forgetful of our (dves. Some tacit.b.: lm of the wifer Heathens made a fcrutiny of their ACtions every day. 'Tio: re!ared of Sextius ~:~:£f~ ~;.:~~ ~~~~;:~~/~d:J/ :~:;,d;;~:~:::~'refffe~h:o;ng~~J:ate~:; ~t:,:, 1~:~~~ ~ .. ~~; ·mfiunw' ' 'l 111 - tells us it was his daily pr3Cticr , to give an accoum of his Actions bc:fore the Jodicatory ;;~:~;;;,.·['';,.. of Confcicnce. The Aut hor of the Golden i< Verfcs ~iv<s Counfi I in orde r to proficiency in nimu•nfurun, Venue, to revife in our thoughts at N1gh t , 1Vhuem havr!ltranfgrefi'd, what have /tk 11 t ~;~~::?:%:: ~t': toarv~:,~~~~~~/in1(,~o;,~~d~ni:, itwc *~ 1i~p:~s~r~: ~0p~~c~~~~fv~~~d~~~nd:; ~~rdi7~[~ t1jil? ~ap111'- fl:ir.g of Rcmorfe fol!.ows our omffions of g~od, and ~ommifiions of evil, and a divine Joy ~u:~;;; ;;:d is f~lt in remembrance of ou.r Progrefs in HoltneC~, thts will. be a confianr motive to re~ m~eaufamdl· flr am u~ from difordc rly A~wns, and to form us to Perfe~wn • . Bcfides, there is a grett !0 • ~en.d~ Int. difference bet \\.-ecn the hab1 ts of the ~ody, and of the Mmd; the firfi wear and decay ~~~ .~;Jn~ by cont inual ufe, the habi ts of the Mmd by frequ ent pradice, whether vicious or venu71 J ~: .:t • 71 ous, increa(e :tnd are confirm'd. And ftncc in the mofi excellent Saints there remains r~ Ai;, 11'1!. fins of unavoidable weakn~fS, the ~enc~· ing ou~ Repenrance every day is nece~ary to obt:lin the pudon of our Sms, \\ h1ch ts promtfcd t o all that mourn and finve againtl tin; We arc commanded not to let tl;e Sun go drm.-'n on our JVratb, much Iefs on Goci's In thort, let us every Morning confider the Duty of the Day, which is a valuable pan of ou r Li\'es} and the proprr feafons of doing it, and charge our fouls with a diligent rega rd to it. 'fis pn:drnr Advice how to make fl orhful Servanrs induflrious; in N~tO.- t.f/ hqm_i· t he Morning to prcfcribe t hei r Wor k, in the Evening to rcquir~ an account what is done, :~n~:!~'!j;n;;,., or left und one, and to commend or cen(urc, to rewa rd or pun1fl1, according w their dill· qru.,Hptmtx gcnce or nrglcCc. There ~re rarely found Servants of (o depraved a temper, (o rebellious • 01 ' · ro Authoriry and Reafon, fo unrraCb~le, but they wi! l mend by this managing. If this DJty be ccnfiamly practifcd in a due manner, it wiJJ I re of infinite profit to us. We read in the procefscf rhe Creation: that God revis'd the Worl<sof every day, andfowthe,wue ~~~e ~;llf1i~n ~~~r~{~~· ~~~u'ttf ;:~e:~l;~?vf::'~f":U;rt~T::: - !~~a~~~ oau;~~~~e~~~i~~~~; (Jecn in. godly iinccrity, th a ~ we have been faithful to God and ou r fouls in firivin~ after PerfeCt-ton, thi s refledion ~\ tll produce Reil and Joy unfpeakah!e; Joy that centres m the Hea rt, and .is un it ed to the fubfiance of the foul; Joy that will flourifl1 in Adverfity, when Carnal Joy \\it hers ; a Joy that will not leave us at dearh, bur pa(s with us inro the erer~ nal World. This OJI of gladnefi will make us more adivc and chearful in our uoiverfal DJt)': l3ut if ".I.'C have been flack and carelefs i~ ~dr~ion ; if fins h1ve been eafily e~terr:ain'd, and c~f,Iy exc.:u~ 'd , the remembrance wiiiimbitter fin, and make us more vigdant for the future. To make this Duty more profitable, we tlwuld compare our (elves with our felves, and wirh orhtrs. 1. \Vith our f..lvcs, that we may underOand whetln:r we are advancing towards PerfeCli· on. Sometimes rbcre is a gradual declenfion in the' S1ints 1hcmfclves, not obferved. When Sampfon had 1 ~11 his myfie!ious ~a ir, upon the prefe~ving of whic~ his fi~ength depended, and the J'hiliflines had fer zed h1m, he awoke cut of hJJj!erp, and fazd, I n•tllgo ont:::
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