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for temporal bleffings, but we can ne ver be too importunate for fpiritual. With regard to them we may use a holy. violence with the Almighty; and may fay to him as Jacob to the angel, I will not let thee go except thou bless me. And to earnest prayers let us add fincere endeavours after holiness: otherwise our will be nothing but a mocking prayers of God, and a deceiving of ourselves. In a word: let us do as much as we, can, and faithfully improve all those talents and abilities which God hath bestowed upon us already: and then we shall have reafon to expect that he will be still more liberal to us. For unto every one who hath shall be given, and be fhall have more abundance; but from him who hath not, fhall be taken away even that which he bath.

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SERMON VII.

The duty and advantages of religious refolution.

Pfalm CXIX. 106.

I have fworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righte ous judgments.

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HIS Pfalm is full of the fentiments of a religious man, and discovers the author of it to have been a perfon of extraordinary piety. If to have a great relish of the word of God, and a fuperlative affection for it; if to 0 3

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pray heartily for divine affiftance in yielding obedience to it, and firmly to refolve to yield fuch obedience, are indications of a pious temper of mind, as certainly they are then the author of this pfalm must have been pious in an extraordinary degree; for never furely did any man speak with greater delight concerning the word of God, or express more earnest defires after conformity to it, or make more vigorous refolutions of obedience to the precepts of it. "Tis one of the laft of thefe, which I have chofen for the subject of my prefent difcourfe: I have fworn, &c.

By the judgments of God, in this place, we are to understand his laws or precepts. Indeed in common difcourfe the word bears another meaning, and stands for those punishments which God inflicts upon nations or particular perfons, for their fins. And it is fometimes used in this sense in fcripture: e. g. Ifaiah XXVI. 9. When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. But it is alfo frequently used in that other sense of laws or precepts: particularly in the books of Mofes. This title is prefixed to a large collection of laws in the XXIft, XXIId,

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and XXIIId chapters of Exodus. They are introduced in this manner: now thefe are the judgments which thou shalt fet before them. And in Leviticus and Deuteronomy it is often joined with the words ftatutes, teftimonies, laws, commandments; according to the custom of the eastern writers, who were wont to ufe a variety of expreffions for the fame thing. This pfalm in which my text is, affords another notable inftance of these words being put promifcuously one for another. There is fcarce a verfe in it, in which fome or other of them doth not occur; and yet any ordinary reader may perceive that they are all of the fame import. It is plain, that by the judgments of God in our text, cannot be meant those punishments which he inflicts upon men for their fins; for it would have been abfurd for the pfalmift to fay of them, that he would keep them but take it in the fenfe of laws, and then it is a very wife and rational refolution; as will appear hereafter, when we come to confider the precepts themselves. But before I do that, I fhall explain the nature of religious refolution, and fhew, that we may know when it is genuine; 0 4

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because many are apt to deceive themfelves in this matter, and think they have fulfilled it, when they have not. In difcourfing therefore on this text, I propose,

I. To lay before you the properties of religious refolution.

II. To recommend it to you from the confideration fuggefted in the text, viz. the righteousness of the divine commands.

I. I am to lay before you the properties of religious refolution. Now religious refolution, if it be genuine, hath thefe properties.

1. It is founded on mature delibe ration.

2. It is peremptory and unmoveable.

3. It refpects the time prefent, and admits of no delay.

4. It is univerfal, and refpects all God's commandments.

1. It is founded on mature deliberation. Sudden and hafty resolutions feldom come to any thing, because men often fee reafon to repent of them afterwards, when they fit down and con

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