larged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer." (ver. 1.) The counsel of our text, to whomsoever it was immediately spoken, equally concerns us all; and therefore I shall proceed to explain and enforce it, under the following general heads:

I. What it is to commune with our own hearts. II. What we should commune with our hearts about.

III. When we should commune with our own hearts.

IV. Why should we commune with our own hearts.

V. How should we commune with our own hearts.

Let us inquire,

I. What it is to commune with our own hearts.

Remember it is your own heart that you have now to do with. There is much discoursing with other men, and much discoursing of other men's hearts-a great deal too much sometimes-prying into them, judging them, censuring them. But the communication here recommended is to be with your own heart, and not with another's. Communication supposes two persons at least; but here, a man's own heart must supply the place of both. It is what we call soliloquy. Here is the soul's inquiry into itself, and of itself. There is something proposed, by way of question, from the soul to itself; as it is expressed in Psal. lxxvii. 6: I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with my own heart, and my spirit made diligent search." And then there is the soul's answer to itself-for in communication there must be

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 Wili 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 whither 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 officious 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 soff, which is carried on, stil ut snow ti sals 10,13wang jum 112. By way of reflection? siqiezs nA of bad's

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, and in such and such company? when the rest were profane and intemperate, sought 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. 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 'more than common call for self-consultation.

rence with himself.

VOL. II.

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But

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?

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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 un acquainted with this work, I will mention a few subjects, by way of specimen.

1. We should commune with our own hearts about our State.

And this divides itself into three particulars,our Former State, our Present State, and our Future State.

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First. Our Former State-what we were

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