He keeps a Guard upon his bodily Senfes, for by these it is that evil Thoughts do ordinarily enter into the Heart; he fhuns the Occafions of Evil; as often as they offer themfelves to him, he flies from them; he most carefully avoids all fuch Objects as are apt to fhoot a wicked Defire into his Soul.

He poffeffes his Mind with the Apprehenfions of God's Omniprefence. God is prefent every where, and nothing is hid from his infinite Knowledge; he obferves every Motion of the Soul, and pries into the most dark Receffes of the Heart; whatever we are doing there is an Eye that fees us, and an Hand that regiftreth our moft fecret Thoughts; this he firmly believes, and is fully convinc'd of the Truth of; and when wicked Thoughts of any fort arise in his Mind, his Conscience tells him, God is prefent with thee; the eternal God is now actually beholding thy vain and finful Thoughts, and taking notice of them. This immediately gives a Check to his loose Imaginations, and makes him caft them from him with Shame and Confufion. God is prefent, is enough, if duly confider'd, to blunt all the fiery Darts of the wicked one, and to dash all disorderly and exorbitant Thoughts out of Countenance.

But

But above all, he confiders what Numbers of evil Thoughts are continually thronging about his Heart, and endeavouring to infinuate themselves into his Affections; and to drive them all away, to keep his Heart pure and untouch'd by 'em, is a Work of great Labour and Difficulty. For this his own Strength is but small, and therefore he looks out for Help; he applies himself to the Throne of Grace, and begs the Assistance of him, without whom we cannot fo much as think a good Thought; he earnestly befeeches God to make clean his Heart within him, and to defend him from all evil Thoughts, which may affault and hurt his Soul.

Thus doth the good and charitable Man make it his fincere and utmost Endeavour to have the Thoughts and Defires of his Soul all right and well order'd. His inner Man, the inward Frame and Difpofition of his Mind, is his great Care; for he well knows, that if the Infide be free from Filth and Pollution, the Outfide will be fo too. Whatever things Mark vii. defile the outward Man, our bleffed Saviour tells us, do all come from within; and by confequence if the Heart be clean, all the Actions which proceed from thence will be clean likewife. And indeed how can we suppose that that Man should ever act any thing that is

21, 22.

evil, who doth not fo much as think of Evil in his Mind? How can we imagine that he will offer to rob or to cheat his Neighbour, who hath not the leaft defire after any thing that is another's? How can he be fo wicked as to kill and murder, who will not allow an angry Thought to abide in him? Or how can he be ever guilty of the grofs Act of Uncleannefs, who refufes to harbour fo much as a foul Imagination in his Bofom? Sin is always committed in the Heart before, it appears outwardly, and then certainly that Man can never be seduc'd to perform the outward Act of any Sin whatever, who is always careful to refift the inward Motions which he feels to that Sin, and extinguishes the very firft Thoughts that he difcerns in his Mind towards it. In a word, the good Man's Heart is full of Charity, and therefore nothing that is evil can find room in his Breaft; not the leaft wicked Thought or Paffion can disturb the Peace of his Mind, or violate the Order either of Reafon or Grace; all his inward Thoughts, and Defires, and Defigns, as well as his outward Actions, are conformable to the Will and Law of God; his whole Spirit and Soul, as well as Body, is preferved pure and blameless. Charity thinketh no Evil.

2

CHAP.

CHA P. IX.

Charity rejoyceth not in Iniquity, but rejoyceth in the Truth.

IX.

Harity* rejoyceth not in Iniquity, but rejoyceth in the Truth. Charity is fo far from rejoycing in the Sins of Men, and taking Pleasure in their Wickedness, that nothing doth more affect her with Grief, than to see their finful and ungodly Practices. To fee Men running on in a Course of Debauchery, commanded and hurry'd away by every unruly Appetite and Paffion, acting such Things as are a Reproach to their Reason, and a Scandal to their Religion; to see Christians living in Difobedience to the Laws of the Gospel, wallowing in Luft, and committing heinous Enormities with Greediness.

2

* Ου χαίος ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, (υγχαίος ἢ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. Non applaudit male agentibus, Grot. Pugnat cum 6xageranią, quæ vitium eft, quo fit, ut non modò gaudeamus aliorum peccatis, fed etiam avidè bibamus rumores, & cùm rumoribus fub. eft veritas, eâ re impensè delectemur, Cameron. Amat integritatem, vias rectas, nam danbera late patet ut & Hebræum

Ν. Grot. ἐκ αφραίνει, ὅταν τις αδικῆς καὶ ἐπηρεάζεται καὶ κακῶς πάχη, ἀλλὰ συγχαίος ἐπὶ τοῖς δοκιμέσι. Theophy last. μισεῖ τα χράνομα, φωσφράνεται τοῖς καλοῖς. Theodoret.

Such

136.

Such Doings as these afford Matter of great Sorrow and Trouble to the truly charitable Man; he laments their Follies, and mourns in fecret over their Tranfgreffions; his Heart is troubled because they difobey God, and his Eyes gush out with Water becaufe Men keep Pfal. cxix" not his Law. He unfeignedly defires the Welfare of all Men, and more especially their spiritual and eternal Welfare. What Grief then muft it needs be to him to behold Men foolifhly destroying themfelves, and labouring to make themselves for ever miferable, when they have it in their Power to avoid Misery, when by the Religion they profefs, they have fo many Opportunities of making themselves eternally happy? He hath a tender Regard for the Souls of Men, and his Heart's Defire Rom. is that they may be faved; and therefore he1· feels a diftafteful Regret and Commiferation in his Mind; his Bowels are stirred with a compaffionate Anguifh when Men act fo as to endanger the Lofs of their Souls, and are fo great Enemies to themfelves, as to run on in fuch a wicked Course of Life which will ruin them for ever.

Pfal. cxix.

Such a Charity as this was that of the holy Pfalmift, I beheld the Tranfgreffors, and was grieved, because they kept not thy Law. He 158. was exceedingly troubled to fee that there