those wonders of redemption, which he hath provided for us, work in our hearts fo powerfully, that through his gracious affiftance, we may fo pass through things temporal, as finally to gain the things that are eternal. SERMON XLVI. PSALM iv. 4. COMMUNE WITH YOUR OWN HEART. O commune with our own hearts, is a rule, which fuits the world, as well as religion. Here however it is applied wholly to religion. It enjoins us to examine ourselves frequently in the way of religious exercise to call our ways to remembrance -to fee where we want amendment—and to apply it, where neceffary. But tho' we are not to confider the paffage before us as a rule of worldly prudence; it would be happy if we made as much ufe of it in matters of religion, as the man of business does in matters of prudence. Examine him in his fhop, or in his counting-house, and you will fee how eager he is to discover what mistakes he hath made in his accounts accounts-where he hath been mifled-where he hath loft fight of his real intereft-who have dealt unfairly with him-and who under the pretence of fair-dealing have had defigns upon him. All this is matter of his greatest care: he communes with his own heart; endeavours to find out the good or ill defigns of those he deals with; and fuffers not himself to be deceived again by any person who hath deceived him once. It would be well for the religious man, if he were always difpofed to commune thus with his heart-if he could thus ftrip temptation of its various difguifes-examine where he hath been deceived by -appearances; and never fuffer the fame deception to mislead him a fecond time. We all have our failings; and every man's heart, if he commune with it in earneft, will fuggeft them to him. I fhall however, in the following difcourfe, endeavour to affift your memory a little in this matter, by mentioning fome of thofe faults, into which we are most apt to fall. And each of you, as I go on, may commune with his own heart, and apply to himself what seems to touch his own particular cafe.I fhall begin with open, grofs fins, and proceed to deficiencies in duty. Perhaps, Some fins produce Perhaps, on communing with your own heart, you find you are addicted to the fin of fwearing. I will not fuppofe you fuch a profligate as to be notoriously guilty of it-to fwear on every occafion. I will fuppofe only that your converfation is not guarded; and that the oath too frequently makes a part of it. But now commune with your own heart a little on this fubject. Confider what advantage you have ever reaped from fwearing at all. It is a wickedness no doubt-that you must allow. But it will be fomething gained, if you have been, in any respect the better for it. at least worldly advantages. what advantage of any kind hath arisen from fwearing. If you can recollect none, I should think a very little communing with yourself might be fufficient.-If it be a wickednefs, as you must allow, and no advantage arifes from that wickedness, surely, you are very abfurd in risking damnation for nothing.-Perhaps you recollect, that it is chiefly in anger you fwear. Refolve therefore, as far as you can, never to fuffer yourself to fall into these lawlefs paffions: and when you happen to be in one, endeavour to get a custom of watching all your words with attention. For you know, that fwearing is but a custom, and that, if you you pleafe, you may get a cuftom of not fwearing: It is just as eafy: for every thing may be learned, and unlearned alfo by cuftom: and when you have gotten a custom of not fwearing, you will find that fwearing is quite unnatural to you. Together with fwearing leave off all invocations on God. What occafion have you to exprefs your wonder, by exclaiming Good God! or Good Lord! It is offenfive to serious people-it borders nearly on fwearing-and cannot but be difpleafing to God. It is certainly one mode of taking his name in vain. Perhaps you are not accustomed to fwearing: your chief fault is drinking. own heart a little on this head. Commune with your You recollect that many times, when your intention was only to indulge a little, you have been led on by bad company, or perhaps more properly by your own bad inclination, a little farther; and ftill a little beyond that; till at length-you recollect with forrow the confequence-you have quarrelled with your friends-you have abufed your neighbours→→ you have terrified thofe, whom you were bound to love-you have expofed your follies-and have fpent, perhaps in one night's drinking, what would |