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SERM. conduct, and act contrarie to former convicXVIII. tions, and their beft purposes and refolutions.

He who fears always is one, who is never unmindful of what is the great defign of life, and what will be the confequences of it. He is defirous of obtaining eternal falvation, even a better happineffe, than this prefent world affords any profpect of. And he dreads the being finally rejected of God, and excluded from his prefence. And as the reason of things, and the express declarations of the word of God, affure us, that final happineffe, or miferie, depends upon mens behaviour here; he is defirous, that his behaviour may be fuch, as fhall be approved in the end by the impartial and equitable fovereign and judge of the world.

But he is aware, that there is no small difficulty in executing this defign. He therefore fears always. In every state and condition, whether profperity or adverfity, he knows there are fnares and temptations. For which reafon he is at no time fecure: but has continually a kind of diftruft of himfelf, and is apprehenfive, leaft the ease and pleasure of the one should make him forget Godand another world: and leaft fome things in

the

the other condition, of which the afflictions SERM. are various, and very moving, fhould induce XVIII. him to caft off the fear of God, and say, religion is vain.

He has his fears and apprehenfions, arifing from folitude, and from companie: when alone, and when in converfation. He is aware, that there are fome fnares peculiar to retirement, others to bufineffe. Nor is there any age, or time of life, but has it's temptations.

He is not without his fears, when he en gages in the worship of God, leaft his fervices fhould be defective and unacceptable : and leaft through neglect, inattention, or prejudices, the opportunity afforded him fhould be unprofitable. And indeed, Solomon has a direction and caution to this purpose: Keep thy foot, when thou goest to the Eccl. v. boufe of God and be more ready to hear, than to give the facrifice of fools.

In undertakings for the honour of God, and the interests of religion among men, he is fometimes in doubt and suspense, whether his zeal, though well-meant, be right and just. And he admits a re-examination of his defign, that he may act according to know Cc 2 ledge,

1.

SERM. ledge, and upon the grounds of a well inXVIII. formed judgement: leaft what he does

should in the iffue be rather prejudicial, than advantageous to the good cause he would promote.

After worshiping God with fincerity and fervour, and partaking in those ordinances and privileges, which God has ordained for our emprovement, he does not trust to the ftrength, he has thereby gained: but still allows of apprehenfions, leaft he should act contrarie to what he has feen to be fit and right or fome way fail to execute the purpofes and refolutions, which he has made, and renewed in the prefence of God.

And as he was before-hand afraid, that he should not approve himself as he ought ; fo likewife, when through care and attention, he has, as he hopes, performed agreeably to his aims and wifhes; he is upon his guard, leaft fome improper opinion and selffufficience fhould arife in his mind, inconfiftent with that humility, which he would ever maintain.

Nor does the man who fears always prefume after the greatest fucceffes. And though he has proceeded for fome time

in a courfe of obedience to God's command- SERM. ments, and temptations have not hitherto XVIII. greatly prevailed against him, he studiously declines conceit and affurance. He is ftill ever apprehensive of fome new and unlooked for danger and doubts, whether fome time leffer temptations may not prevail, after greater have been vanquished.

Like fome General, who, the more victories he has gained, is the more cautious of engaging an enemie: least the honour of former fucceffes should be loft and forfeited by some unhappy disaster.

This is the man, who, in a religious fenfe, feareth always.

Cc 3

And

"3. Walk circumspectly at all times, and in all relations "and circumstances of life.... Let not fuccefs betray you "into fecurity. Perhaps you have not for fome time been

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importuned by temptations, or you have overcome them,

and made fome good progrefs in religion. But do not "therefore lay afide your vigilance, fince there may happen "fuch an alteration in your circumftances, or in your temper, that you may have as much occafion for it, as ever 66 you had in your lives, if not more. Bleffed is the 66 man, that feareth always. Pr. xxviii. 14. who has ever "upon his mind fuch an apprehenfion of the great evil of "fin, and his liableness to it, while he is in the body, as to "be continually watchful against it. By thus fearing always " he will be able to rejoyce always, both in the consciousness

of

SERM. XVIII.

And now we may juft obférve the connexion, which fome think there is between this and the preceding obfervation, though it is not very clear and certain. He that covereth his fins, fhall not profper: but whofo confeffeth and forfaketh them fhall find mercie. Happy is the man that feareth always : that is, if he would fecure the mercie he has found, the advantage he has gained; it will be of ufe, to preserve a fear of offending, and to be cautious and circumfpect in all his ac

tions.

II. Which leads us to the fecond point, the happineffe of this temper and difpofition of mind. Happy is the man, that feareth always.

The happineffe of fuch an one is this: He will not fall into mifchief. He will exceed his own fears and apprehenfions. He will behave better, and wifer, than he imagined. It is very probable, that this fear of offending will prevent a great deal of grief and

of his own integrity, and the hope of the heavenly re"ward." Mr. H. Grove's fecond volume of Additional Sermony. Serm. xvii. p. 450.

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