the fame Bait that firft allur'd me, has no fooner been thrown in my way, but I have been as ready to catch at it again, and as greedy to fwallow it as ever. At other times again I have acted without any Thought or Refolution at all; and then, tho' fome of my Actions might be good in themselves, yet being done by chance, without any true Defign or Intention, they cou'd not be imputed to me as good, but rather the quite contrary: So that, in this refpect, the want of Refolution has not only been the occafion of my finful Actions, but the Corruption of my good ones too. And fhall I ftill go on in this fame loofe and careless manner, as I have formerly done? No, I now refolve with myself, in the Presence of the most High and Eternal GOD, not only, in general, to walk by Rule, but to fix the Rule I design to walk by; so that in all my Thoughts, and Words, and Actions, in all Places, Companies, Relations, and Conditions, I may ftill have a fure Guide at hand to direct me, fuch a one as I can fafely depend upon, without any danger of being deceiv'd or mislead, i.. the Holy Scripture. And therefore, RESO RESOLUTION II.. I am refolv'd, by the Grace of GOD, to make the Divine Word the Rule of all the Rules I propose to myself. S the Will of GOD is the Rule and Meafure of all that is Good, fo there is nothing deferves that Name, but what is agreeable and conformable thereto: And this Will being fully reveal'd and contain'd in the Holy Scripture, it will be neceffary for me, in directing my Course over the Ocean of this World, that I fhou'd fix my Eye continually upon this Star, fteer by this Compafs, and make it the only Landmark by which I am to be guided to my wifh'd for Haven. I muft not therefore have recourse to the inward Workings of my own roving Fancy, or the corrupt Dictates of my own carnal Reafon Thefe are but blind Guides, and will certainly lead me into the Ditch of Error, Herefy, and Irreligi on, which, in thefe our felf-admiring Days, fo many poor Souls have been plunged in. Alas! how many hath the impetuous torrent of blind Zeal and erroneous Confcience, born down into a う any Will-worship and voluntary Subjection of themselves to the fpurious Offspring of their own deluded Fanfies. If the Light that is within them doth but dictate thing to be done, or rather, if the Whimfey doth but take them, that they must do thus or thus, they presently fet about it, without ever confulting the Sacred Writings, to fee whether 'tis acceptable to GOD, or difpleafing to Him. Whereas, for my own part, I know not how any thing fhou'd be worthy of GOD's Accepting, that is not of GOD's Commanding. I am fure the Word of GOD is the Good Old Way that will certainly bring me to my Father's House; for how fhou'd that Way but lead me to Heaven, which Truth itfelf has chalk'd out for me? Not as if it was neceflary that every one of my Refolutions fhou'd be contain'd, Word for Word, in the Holy Srriptures; 'tis fufficient that they be imply'd in, and agreeable thereto. So that tho' the manner of my Expreffions may not be found in the Word of GOD, yet the Matter of my Refolutions may clearly be drawn from thence. But let me dive a little into the depth of my finful Heart, what's the reafon of my thus refolving upon fuch an exact Conformity to the Will and Word of GOD? Is it to work work my Way to Heaven with mine own Hands? To purchase an Inheritance in the Land of Canaan, with the price of my own Holiness and Religion? Or to fwim over the Ocean of this World, into the Haven of Happinefs, upon the empty Bladders of my own Refolutions? No. RESOLUTION III. I am refolv'd, That as I am not able to think or do any thing that is Good, without the Influence of the Divine Grace; fo I will not pretend to merit any Favour from GOD, upon account of any thing I do for his Glory and Service. Α put this Nd may very well Refolution amongst the reft, for fhould I refolve to perform my Refolutions by mine own Strength, I might as well refolve never to perform them at all: For Truth itself, and mine own woful Experience, hath convinc'd me, that I am not able of myself so much as to think a good a good Thought: And how then shall I be able, of myself, to refolve upon Rules of Holiness, according to the Word of GOD, or to order my Converfation according to these Resolutions, without the concurrence of the Divine Grace? Alas! fhould the Great GOD be pleased to leave me to myself, to refolve upon what is agreeable to my corrupt Nature, what ftrange kind of Refolutions fhould I make? What fhould I refolve upon? Certainly upon nothing but to gratify my Carnal Appetite with fenfual and finful Pleafures, to indulge myself in Riot and Excefs, to fpend my Time, and ravel out my Parts and Talents in the revels of Sin and Vanity. But now to live holily, righteously, and godlily in this prefent world, to deny my own, that I may fulfil the Will of GOD, alas, fuch Refolutions as these would never fo much as come into my Thoughts, much lefs would they discover themselves in my outward Conversation. But fuppofe I fhou'd be able to make good Refolutions, and fulfil them exactly in my Life and Actions, yet, what fhou'd I do more than my Duty? And what fhou'd I be esteem'd of for doing that? Alas, this is fo far from puffing me up, that I am verily perfuaded, fhou'd I spend all my Time, my Parts, my Strength, my N Gifts |