the sins and miscarriages of his life; I thought on my ways; that is, I called my sins to remembrance.

1. This thinking on our ways may signify a general examination of our lives, respecting indifferently our good and bad actions: Ithought on my ways; that is, I examined my life, and called myself to a strict account for the actions of it; I compared them with the law of God, the rule and measure of my duty, and considered how far I had obeyed that law, or offended against it; how much evil I had been guilty of, and how little good I had done, in comparison of what I might and ought to have done; that by this means, discerning how many and great my faults were, I might amend whatever was amiss, and be more careful of my duty for the future.

And it must be of excellent use for men to set apart some particular time for the examination of themselves, that they may rightly judge of their religious state. A wise heathen (Pythagoras) particularly recommends this practice to his scholars, " every night before they slept, to call themselves to account for the actions of the day past, inquiring wherein they had transgressed; what good they had done or omitted to do." And this, no doubt, is an admirable means to improve us in virtue; a most effectual way to keep our conciences continually waking and tender, and to make us

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stand in awe of ourselves, and afraid to sin, when we know beforehand that we must give so severe an account of every action.

It is certainly great wisdom to make up our accounts as frequently as we can, that our repentance may in some measure keep pace with the errors and failings of our lives; and that we may not be oppressed by the insupportable weight of the sins of a whole life falling upon us at once, perhaps at the very worst time, when we are sick and weak, and have neither understanding nor leisure to recollect ourselves. For there is nothing to be done in religion when our reason is departed from us. But though we were never so sensible, when death is near, and should do all we can at that time; yet after all this, how it will go with us, God alone knows. I am sure it is too much presumption for any man to be confident that one general and confused act of repentance will serve his turn for the sins of his whole life. Therefore there is great reason why we should often examine ourselves, both in order to the amendment of our lives, and the ease of our consciences when we come to die.

2. This thinking on our ways may particularly refer to the sins and miscarriages of our lives. I thought on my ways; that is, I called my sins to remembrance; I took a particular account of the errors of my life, and laid them seriously to heart; and reasoning the matter

thoroughly with myself, came to a fixed resolution of betaking myself to the obedience of God's laws. And the consideration of our ways, taken in this sense, (which seems to be the more probable meaning of the words) may reasonably imply in it these following particulars:

1. The taking a particular account of our sins, together with the several circumstances and aggravations of them. And to this end we may do well to reflect particularly upon the several stages of our lives, and to recollect at least the principal miscarriages belonging to each of them. The better to enable us to do this, it will be useful to have before our eyes some abridgment or summary of the laws of God, containing the chief heads of our duties and sins, of virtues and vices; which will help to bring many of our faults and neglects to our remembrance, that otherwise perhaps would have been forgotten by us. We should like

wise consider the several relations wherein we have stood to others, and how far we have transgressed or failed of our duty in any of these respects.

And having thus far made up our sad account, we may in some measure understand the number and greatness of our sins, abating for some particulars which have slipped our memory, and for sins of ignorance and daily infirmities, which are innumerable: by all which we may see what grievous offenders

we have been, especially if we take into consideration the several circumstances of our sins, which above measure aggravate them; the heinousness of many of them as to their nature, and the injurious consequences of them to the person, estate, or reputation of our neighbour; their having been committed against the clear knowledge of our duty, against the frequent checks of our consciences, against so many motions of God's Holy Spirit, so many admonitions from others; and contrary to our own most serious vows renewed at several times, especially upon receiving the blessed sacrament, and in times of sickness and distress and all this, notwithstanding the plainest declarations of God's will to the contrary; notwithstanding the terrors of the Lord, and the wrath of God revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men; notwithstanding the cruel sufferings of the Son of God for our sins, and the most merciful offers of pardon and reconciliation in his blood. Add to this, the scandal of our wicked lives to our holy religion; the ill example of them to the corrupting of others; the affront of them to the divine authority; and the horrible ingratitude of them to the mercy, and goodness, and patience of God, to which we have such infinite obligations. Thus we should set our sins in order before our eyes, with the several aggravations of them.

2. The consideration of our ways may imply

a hearty trouble and sorrow for sin: I thought on my ways; that is, I laid my sins sadly to heart. And surely, whenever we remember the faults and follies of our lives, we cannot but be sensibly grieved at the thoughts of them; we cannot but be in pain and heaviness. I know that the tempers of men are different; and therefore I do not say that tears are absolutely necessary to repentance, but they very well become it; and a thorough sense of sin will almost melt the most hard and obdurate disposition. To be sure, the consideration of our ways should cause inward trouble. The least we can do, when we have done amiss, is to be sorry for it; to condemn our own folly; to be full of indignation against ourselves for what we have done, and to resolve never to do the like again. Let us make sure that our sorrow for sin have this effect, to make us leave our sins; and then we shall need be the less solicitous about the outward expressions of it.

3. The thinking on our ways may imply, a serious consideration of the evil and unreasonableness of a sinful course. Sin is the stain and blemish of our natures, the reproach of our understandings, the disease of our souls, the great enemy of our peace, and the cause of all our fears and troubles. Whenever we do a wicked action, we go contrary to the clearest dictates of our reason, to our true interest, and to the strongest ties and obligations of duty and gratitude. And, which renders it still more