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part of its safe, preserving frame, or draws it off from its constant watchfulness against sin, and all the effects of it.

The second part of this general duty of the mind is, to keep the soul in a constant, holy consideration of God and his grace. This evidently lies at the spring-head of gospel obedience. The way whereby sin draws off the mind from this part of its duty is open, and known sufficiently, though not sufficiently watched against. Now, this the Scripture every where declares to be the filling of the minds of men with earthly things. This it placeth in direct opposition to that heavenly frame of the mind, which is the spring of gospel obedience : "Set your affections," or set your minds, "on things above, not on things on the earth;" as if he had said, On both together you cannot be set or fixed, so as principally and chiefly to mind them both. And the affections to one and the other, proceeding from these different principles of minding the one and the other, are opposed as directly inconsistent : "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world: if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him ;" and acting in a course suitable to these affections, are proposed also as contrary : "You cannot serve God and Mammon." These are two masters, whom no man can serve at the same time, to the satisfaction of both. Every inordinate minding, then, of earthly things, is opposed to that frame, wherein our minds ought to be fixed on God and his grace, in a course of gospel obedience.

Several ways there are whereby the deceitfulness

of sin draws off the mind in this particular; but the chief of them is by pressing these things on the mind, under the notion of things lawful, and, it may be, necessary. So all those who excuse themselves, in the parable, from coming to the marriagefeast of the gospel, did it on the account of their being engaged in their lawful callings. One about his farm, another his oxen, the means whereby he ploughed in this world. By this plea were the minds of men drawn off from that frame of heavenliness which is required to our walking with God; and the rules of not loving the world, or using it as if we used it not, are hereby neglected. What wisdom, what watchfulness, what serious frequent trial and examination of ourselves is required, to keep our hearts and minds in a heavenly frame, in the use and pursuit of earthly things, is not my. present business to declare. This is evident, that the engine whereby the deceit of sin draws off and turns aside the mind, in this matter, is the pretence of the lawfulness of things, about which it would have it exercise itself, against which very few are armed with sufficient diligence, wisdom, and skill. And this is the first and most general attempt that indwelling sin makes upon the soul by deceit : it draws away the mind from a diligent attention to its course, in a due sense of the evil of sin, and a due and constant consideration of God and his grace.

CHAPTER IX.

The Deceit of Sin in drawing off the mind from a due attendance to especial duties of obedience, instanced in Meditation and Prayer.

How sin, by its deceit, endeavours to draw off the mind from attending to that holy frame of walking with God, wherein the soul ought to be preserved, hath been declared. We now proceed to show, how it doth the same work, in reference to those especial duties, by which the designs, workings, and prevalency of it may, in an especial manner, be obviated and prevented. Sin, indeed, maintains an enmity against all duties of obedience; or rather, with God in them. "When I would do good," saith the apostle, "evil is present with me." Whenever I would do good, or what good soever I would do, that is, spiritually good, good in reference to God, it is present with me, to hinder me from it, to oppose me in it. And on the other side, all duties of obedience do lie directly against the actings of the law of sin. For as the flesh, in all its actings, lusteth against the spirit, so the spirit, in all its actings, lusteth against the flesh. And therefore every duty performed in the strength and grace of the Spirit, is contrary to the law of sin: "If ye, by the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the flesh." Actings of the Spirit of grace in duties, doth this work. These two are contrary. yet there are some duties which, in their own

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nature, and by God's appointment, have a peculiar influence to the weakening and subduing the whole law of sin, in its very principles and chiefest strengths and to these, the mind of a believer ought principally, in his whole course, to attend ; and from these doth sin, in its deceit, endeavour principally to draw off the mind. As in diseases of the body, some remedies, they say, have a specific quality against distempers; so, in this disease of the soul, there are some duties that have an especial virtue against this sinful distemper. I shall not insist on many of them, but instance only in two, which seem to me to be of this nature; namely, that, by God's designation, they have a special tendency towards the ruin of the law of sin. And then we shall show the ways, methods, and means, which the law of sin useth, to divert the mind from a due attendance to them. Now, these duties are, first, Prayer, especially private prayer; and, secondly, Meditation. I put them together, because they much agree in their general nature and end, differing only in the manner of their performance. For by meditation, I intend, meditating upon what respect and suitableness there is between the word and our own hearts; to this end, that they may be brought to a more exact conformity. It is our pondering on the truth as it is in Jesus, to find out the image and representation of it in our own hearts; and so it hath the same intent with prayer, which is, to bring our souls into a frame in swering the mind and will of God.

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the blood and spirits in the veins, same life, motion, and use. But yet, because per

sons are generally at a great loss in this duty of meditation, having declared it to be of so great efficacy for the controlling of the actings of the law of sin, I shall give briefly two or three rules for the directing of believers to a right performance of this great duty; and they are these:

First, Meditate of God with God; that is, when we would undertake thoughts and meditations of God, his excellencies, his properties, his glory, his majesty, his love, his goodness, let it be done in a way of speaking unto God, in a deep humiliation and abasement of our souls before him. This will fix the mind, and draw it forth, from one thing to another, to give glory to God in a due manner, and affect the soul, until it be brought into that holy admiration of God, and delight in him, which is acceptable to him. My meaning is, that it be done in a way of prayer and praise, speaking unto God.

Secondly, Meditate on the word in the word; that is, in the reading of it, consider the sense in the particular passages we insist on, looking to God for help, guidance, and direction, in the discovery of his mind and will therein, and then labour to have your hearts affected with it.

Thirdly, What we come short of in evenness and constancy in our thoughts in these things, let it be made up in frequency. Some are discouraged because their minds do not regularly supply them with thoughts to carry on their meditations, through the weakness or imperfection of their inventions. Let this be supplied by frequent returns of the mind to the subject promised to be meditated upon, whereby new senses will still be supplied to it.

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