then be miserable by our own choice, when the grace of God has put it into our power to be happy?

II. I come, in the second place, to consider the success of this course, which David here took for the reforming of his life. It produced actual and speedy reformation; I turned my feet unto thy testimonies; I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. If we consider the matter thoroughly, and have but patience to bring our thoughts and deliberations to some issue, the conclusion must naturally be the quitting of that evil and dangerous course in which we have lived; for sin and consideration cannot long dwell together. Did men but consider what sin is, they would have so many unanswerable objections against it, such strong fears and jealousies of the miserable event of a wicked life, that they would not dare to continue any longer in it.

.I do not say that this change is perfectly made at once. A state of sin and a state of holiness are not like two ways just parted by a line, so as a man may step out of the one full into the other; but like two ways that lead to two very distant places; so that the farther we travel in the one, the farther we are from the other; and consequently the more time and pains it will cost us to reach it. It sometimes so happens, that a person, by a mighty conviction and resolution, and by a very extraordinary degree of God's grace, is almost perfectly

reclaimed at once, and all on a sudden translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son. Thus it was with many of the first converts to Christianity: as their prejudices against the Christian religion were violent, so the Holy Spirit of God was pleased to work mightily in them. But in the usual methods of God's grace, evil habits are subdued by degrees, and with a great deal of conflict; and many times, after they are routed, they raily and make head again; and 'tis a great while before the contrary habits of grace and virtue are grown up to any considerable strength, and before the sinner comes to that confirmed state of goodness, that he may be said to have conquered and mortified his lusts. But this ought not to discourage us. For so soon as we have seriously begun this change, we are in a good way; all our endeavours will have the acceptance of good beginnings, and God will be ready to help us; and if we pursue our advantages, we shall every day gain ground, the work will grow easier upon our hands; and we, who moved at first with so much slowness, shall after a while be enabled to run the ways of God's commands with pleasure and delight.

So much for the course prescribed in my text, and the success of it. To persuade men to take this course, I shall add,

1. That consideration is the proper act of reasonable creatures. This argument God

himself uses to bring men to reflect on their ways; Remember, and show yourselves men; bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Isa. xlvi. 8. To consider our ways, and to call our sins to remembrance, is to show ourselves men. 'Tis the great fault and infelicity of many, that they generally live without any consideration of the future consequences of things, and without fear but of a present and sensible danger; like the brutes who fear no evils but what are in view, and just ready to fall upon them: whereas, to a prudent and considerate man, a good or evil in reversion is capable of as true an estimation, proportionably to the greatness and distance of it, as if it were really present. And what do we think God has given us our understandings for, but to foresee evils at a distance, and to prevent them; to provide for our future happiness; to look up to God our Maker, who hath taught us more than the beasts of the earth, and made us wiser than the fowls of heaven; to consider what we do, and what we ought to do, and what makes most for our future and lasting interest, and what against it? Can a beast do worse than act without any consideration and design? than pursue his present inclination without any apprehension of true danger? The most stupid of all the brute creatures cannot exercise less, reason than this. So that for a man not to consider his ways, is, to every intent and purpose, to be without understanding, and like the beasts that perish.

2. To bring us to consideration is the end of God's patience and long-suffering towards us. The great design of his goodness is to lead men to repentance. He bears long with us, delays the punishment of our sins, and doth not execute judgment speedily, because he would give us the liberty of second thoughts, time to reflect upon ourselves, to consider what we have done, and to reason ourselves into repentance. Consider this, all ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none deliver you.

3. Consideration is what we must all come to one time or other. Time will come when we shall consider and cannot help it; when we shall not be able to divert our thoughts from those things on which we are now so loath to think. Our consciences will take their opportunity to bring our ways to remembrance when some great calamity is upon us. Thus it was with the Prodigal, when he was brought to the very last extremity, and was ready to perish with hunger, he came to himself. When we come to die, then we shall think of our ways with trouble; and how glad would we then be that we had time to consider them! Perhaps while we are wishing for more time, eternity will. swallow us up. But alas! it will then be too late to consider. Consideration will then serve only to aggravate our misery, to multiply our stings, and to give new life and rage to those vultures which will perpetually prey upon our hearts. How much wiser would it

be to consider these things in time, to think of them while we may redress them, than when our case is desperate, and past remedy?

And now what can I say more to persuade every one of us to consider our own ways? We are generally apt to busy ourselves in obe serving the errors and miscarriages of our neighbours, and are forward to mark and censure their faults and follies; but how few descend into themselves, and turn their eyes inward, and say, what have I done? It is an excellent saying of a great emperor, (Antoninus) No man was ever unhappy for not prying into the actions and conditions of other men; but that man is necessarily unhappy, who doth not observe himself, and consider the state of his own soul.

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I know it is a very unpleasant work, which I am now putting you upon; and therefore no wonder that men are generally so backward to it they whose lives have been very vicious are so odious a sight, so horrid a spectacle to themselves, that they cannot endure to reflect upon their own ways. Of all things they hate consideration, and are ready to say to it, as the evil spirit did in the gospel to our Saviour, What have I to do with thee? Art thou come to torment me before the time? But let not this affright us from it; for whatever trouble it may cause at present, it is the only way to prevent the anguish and the torments of eternity.