some reply to what is inquired after: the heart must answer, or else it were to little purpose to be alked to. An example of this we have in the 9th and 10th verses of the Psalm last quoted: "Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger, shut up his tender mercies? And I said, This is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High."

Now this self-communication may be considered either as direct, or by way of reflection.

1. Direct:

When the Understanding and Will debate on the subject of good or evil, with a view first to ascertain, and then to embrace or reject it. As thus: O my soul, here is such a path before me: it seems the path of duty; but am I sure it is so? have I taken proper care to inform myself whis ther it leads? What sayest thou, O my soul: shall I enter upon it or not? I foresee much difficulty, and some danger if I do: but if I were sure it was the right way, none of these things would move me.' Or thus: O my soul, here is something very offi cious in its attendance, and calls itself Pleasure; but I am ready to suspect it is not altogether what it pretends to be. Hadst thou not better be upon thy guard against it, and not allow it to be so very intimate? or, rather, would it not be best absolutely and immediately to discard it, and forbid it to come near thee any more? Mayest thou not run the hazard of losing real pleasures; pleasures infinitely more refined and durable than this impertinent can so much as pretend to offer thee? Take care therefore, O my soul, how thou art imposed upon by its artful insinuations.' This may be called direct self

communication. But there is another sort, which

is carried on,

2. By way of reflection:

and in such and such

And then it is little more than another name for conscience when the soul turns in upon itself, and inquires whether such a thing has been done, or such a thing has not been done: and then follows the accusing or excusing, which the Apostle speaks of in Rom. ii. 15. As thus: O my soul, was my conduct right at such a time, company? when the rest were profane and intemperate, ought I not to have reproved them, or left them? At another time, when business came so thick upon me as to encroach upon the time I used to devote to family duty, or secret duty, was not I to blame in suffering any thing to hinder me from attendance on God? Might I not have gained that, by prayer, which would have abundantly made up what I might have lost any other way? Could not I have ordered my business better? Might not I have gone about it sooner, or have left some of it till another time: or, at least, have borrowed a few minutes from my meals or sleep, rather than have wholly neglected, though only for one morning or one evening, my most important business with God?' This is self-communication by way of reflection.

I might have also divided it into Ordinary and Extraordinary. Ordinary which should be a soul's constant frame-to talk over every occur rence with himself. It is a Christian's everyday's work nothing of consequence should be undertaken without it. Extraordinary,-upon set and solemn occasions, when there is a than common call for self-consultation. But

more

as this will probably fall in our way again, when we come to inquire into the properest seasons for this duty, we may dismiss it for the present, and go on to the next general.

II. What should we commune with our own hearts about?

About all that concerns our souls and salvation : about God's dealings with us, and our compliance with the will of God; about our sins and our graces, our wants and enjoyments. Every thing that has regard to our spiritual state comes under this duty of heart-communication. We must commune with our hearts about something; and unless a fit subject be pitched upon, it will be to little purpose. There are many, who, if they were to talk to another person, have words at will; but when they attempt to speak to their own hearts, their tongues cleave to the roof of their mouths, and they cannot think of a word to say. As I hinted just now, it were endless to enumerate all the subjects that are proper to be communed upon with our own hearts: I need preach upon no other text as long as I live; for every religious subject should be talked over between a man and his own heart. But, as a help and direction to those who are unacquainted with this work, I will mention a few subjects, by way of specimen.

$

11. We should commune with our own hearts about our State. Lead (freɔ00 94d oraď u

And this divides itself into three particulars,our Former State, our Present State, and our Future State. bipod Isoted 3nd splinqe d Pag First. Our Former State what we wereliyor di 36 Most people are fond of history, especially where

it abounds with remarkable transactions and revolutions. If a kingdom be now flourishing and formidable, it is entertaining to trace it back to its original. We read with admiration the difficulties it had to struggle with, and how near it was being crushed in its infancy, and by what a strange concurrence of circumstances it rose almost from nothing to its present opulence and power. If a state

be reduced, and in a manner extinct, we delight to read the history of its pristine grandeur, and are astonished at the accounts we have of the respectable figure it once made in the world. Now there is no history so important and interesting, no memoirs so full of great events and surprising revolutions, as the first two or three chapters of Genesis, which give us an account of our own origin, our primitive dignity, and our unhappy fall. Let this, then, be the first subject of your conversation, which you may begin in some such manner as this:

O my soul, I have been reading the account which the Scripture gives of a state of innocence and happiness, in which the first parents of our race were created, and in which, if they had preserved their integrity, I might have been created too. What a happy state was that!-to be holy and upright, like God; the understanding, will, affections, all in strict conformity to the divine nature! And, then, to have free access to God at all times, and intimate communion with him! Happy pair! I was beginning to think, what would I give for such a privilege; but before I could give full scope to my thoughts on this delightful subject, the scene changed man being in honour abode not, but

5777

became like the beasts that perish." He knew that his continuance in that blessed situation depended on his abstaining from the fruit of one particular tree (the only thing in the whole creation that was denied him ;) and yet, ungrateful and daring as he was, he took this fruit and ate it. The immediate consequence was (what might naturally be expected,) the Lord was angry: "so he drove out the man;" forbad him his presence, and sent him away with a curse. The effect of this curse upon the ground was only an emblem of the more dismal effects of sin upon the soul. Briars and thorns, and every noxious weed, became the natural produce of the earth; and out of the heart proceeded evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, blasphemies, and all manner of uncleanness.--It would have affected me to read such a history of perfect strangers; but they were my own progenitors, and I stood and fell with them; as the Apostle tells me : Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. v. 12 ;) and, "Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation" (ver. 18;)---and, "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners" (ver. 19.) Indeed, I' need not Scripture to prove it; I have too many proofs of it in myself: such a hard heart, such a stubborn heart, such a carnal heart, such a filthy heart, could never be the immediate production of a pure and perfect Being; this could never be making" man in his own image, after his own likeness." ...O my soul, I blush, I weep, to remember from whence I am fallen! Mankind, and myself among