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the noble and the honourable, the learned and the wise, even the greatest number of men, never trouble themselves about religious ways, and why then should you be singular? You had much better do as the generality of men do, &c. Now the remedies against this device are these:

Remedy 1. Against this device of Satan, think upon those scriptures which make directly against following the sinful examples of men; as that in Exodus, Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil, neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.' The multitude generally are ignorant, and know not the way of the Lord, therefore they speak evil of that they know not; they are envious, and maliciously bent against the service and ways of God; and therefore they cannot speak well of them. This way is every where spoken against,' say they. So in Num. xvi. Separate from them, and come out from among them.' So the apostle, 'Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.' So Solomon, "Enter not into the way of the wicked, forsake the foolish and live.' They who walk with the

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John vii. 48, 49. 1 Cor. i. 26-28. Mic. vii. 2, 3, 4. The way to hell is broad, and well beaten; the way to be undone for ever, is to do as the most do; "The multitude is the weakest and worst argument," saith Seneca, Prov. iv. 14, ix. 6.

multitude shall perish with the multitude. They who live and act, as the greater part of men live and act, suffer and lie down in hell with them at last.* It is but a little flock, comparatively, to whom the kingdom of heaven is given. 'And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.' Come out in affection, in action, and in habitation; for else the infection of sin will bring upon you the infliction of punishment. So saith the wise man, He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed,' or as the Hebrew hath it, 'Shall be broken in pieces.' Multitudes may help thee into sin; yea, one may draw thee into it, but multitudes cannot help thee to escape punishments; as you may see in Moses and Aaron, who were provoked to sin by the multitude; but were shut out of the pleasant land, and fell by a hand of justice as well as others.

Rem. 2. Solemnly consider the worth and excellency of thy soul. Thy soul is a jewel worth more than heaven and earth. The loss of thy soul is incomparable, irreparable, and irrecoverable; if that be lost, all is lost, and thou art undone for ever. Is it madness and folly in a man to kill himself for company? And is it not

Sin and punishment are linked together with chains of adamant.

greater madness or folly to destroy thy soul, and damn it for company? Suspect that way wherein thou seest multitudes to walk, the multitude being a stream that thou must row hard against, or thou wilt be carried into that gulph, out of which angels cannot deliver thee, Is it not better to walk in the straight way alone, than to wander into crooked ways with company? Sure it is better to go to heaven alone, than to hell with a multitude.

I might add other things, but these may suffice for the present, and I am afraid, if these arguments do not stir you, others will have but little effect on you.

*What wise man would fetch gold out of a fiery crucible, or hazard his immortal soul, to gain the world, by following a multitude in those steps that lead to the chambers of death and darkness.

CHAPTER VII.

The seventh Device that Satan hath to keep souls from holy exercises and religious services, is,

BY casting in a multitude of vain thoughts, whilst the soul is seeking God, or waiting upon him; and by this device he hath cooled some men's spirits in heavenly services, and taken off, at least for a time, many precious souls from religious performances. I have, say some, no heart to hear or pray, nor any delight in reading, nor in the society of the saints, &c. Satan doth so follow me, and is casting in such a multitude of vain thoughts concerning God, the world, my own soul, &c. that I even tremble to think of waiting upon God in any religious service. Oh! the vain thoughts that Satan cast in, do so grieve, vex, perplex, and distract my soul, that they even make me weary of holy duties, yea, of my very life: Oh! I cannot be so raised and ravished, so heated and melted, so quickened and enlarged, so comforted and refreshed, as I should be, as I might be, and as I would be in religious services, because of the multitude of vain thoughts, that Satan is injecting into my soul, &c.-Now the remedies against this device of Satan are these:

Remedy 1. Against this device of Satan, pray that your hearts may be strongly affected with the greatness, holiness, majesty, and glory, of that God before whom you stand,* and with whom your souls converse in religious services. A man would be afraid of playing with a feather, when he is speaking with a king: ah! when men have poor, low thoughts of God, in drawing near to him, they tempt the devil to bestir himself, and to cast in a multitude of vain thoughts to disturb and distract them in waiting upon God. There is nothing will contribute so much to keep out such thoughts, as to look upon God as an omniscient, an omnipresent, an omnipotent God, a God full of all glorious perfections, a God whose majesty, purity, and glory, will not suffer him to behold the least iniquity. The reason why the blessed saints and glorious angels in heaven have not so much as one vain thought, is, because they are greatly affected with the greatness, holiness, majesty, and glory of God.

Rem. 2. Be peremptory in religious services, notwithstanding all those wandering thoughts your soul may be troubled with. This will be

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• When Pompey could not keep his soldiers in the camp by persuasion, he cast himself all along in the narrow passage that led out of it, and then said, Go if you will, but you must first trample upon your general;" and the thoughts of this overcame them. You are wise, and know how to apply it to the point in hand.

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