Z$ Go/elConverfation of the Town with a great ftrength ; That's no argument to ex. cure hire ; for ifyou knew that that was the weakeft part, you .could not but know that if the enemy knew of it he would conic againft that with his greateft ftrength,and therefore you fhonld have manic' that part rather than any ocher part of the Town; fo let not us fay,O the temptation came ftronglie upon me in fuch a thing : we fhould watch the more againft that that the temptation comes ftrongeft upon us in, for the Devil knows wherein we are the weakeft. And that s the third Rule for the helpingofus in our Converfations. ` Fourthly obferve this, Take heedofde, ,irwournaives *ith the fans of the times *herein you live. That the-Lord cloth expert from everie Chriftian that he fhould look tohimfelf in regard of tti prefent times wherein he lives, and confider what's the fpecial fin of the Time,Age, or ofthe Place; cömonlie as there are forne truths that are more eminentlie revealed in one Age than ano- ther, fo there are forne fins that more prevail in one Age than a nother, and in one Place than another, everie Countrie alm`eft have their fins that are molt predominate ; you fhould confider (I fay) what are the fins of the Times, of the Places where you live ; manie they think to excufe themfelves becaufe that which they do it is but what others do, it is the common finof the Time and Place where they live, thou fhouldit b fo much the more careful to avoid it, that thou maieft keep thy felfundefi- led in thy way ; and that's a fourth Rule for the helping oi'us inour Converfations. A fift Rule for the helping ofour Converfations is, To live to thatyour lives /ball be convincing' lives. Then take heed ofanie fecret fin take heed ofkeeping anie fin at all within thy heart, for it will break out, take heed of entertaining fin fo much as in thy thoughts or affec`iions ; what's the reafon that forne that have been Profeffors ofReligion a great while and feem'd to be verle glorious in their profelfion, and yet at length break out into force vile fcandalous fin ? Surelie the reafon is, they have kept hid forne corruption within, and they havé thought it were a vene horrible thing that this corruption in my heart and thought thou d break out, Oh God forbid (faith he) I hope i fhall never live to that time to be fo left ofGod asto commit
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