the wheels were off, it is a sign that his heart is not right with God, but it cleaves too much to the world. 2. It is likely our hearts are pure, and our intentions spotless, when we are not solicitous of the opinion and censures of men; but only that we do our duty, and be accepted of God. For our eyes will certainly be fixed there, from whence we expect our reward: and if we desire that God should approve us, it is a sign we do his work, and expect him our paymaster. 3. He that does as well in private between God and his own soul as in public, in pulpits, in theatres, and market-places, hath given himself a good testimony that his purposes are full of honesty, nobleness and integrity. For what Elkanah said to the mother of Samuel, "Am not I better to thee than ten sons?" is most certainly verified concerning God, that he, who is to be our Judge, is better than ten thousand witnesses. But he that would have his virtue published, studies not virtue but glory. "He is not just that will not be just without praise: but he is a righteous man that does justice, when to do so is made infamous; and he is a wise man who is delighted with an ill name that is well-gotten. And indeed that man hath a strange covetousness, or folly, that is not contented with this reward, that he hath pleased God. And see what he gets by it. He that does good works for praise or secular ends, sells an inestimable jewel for a trifle; and that which would purchase heaven for him, he parts with for the breath of the people, which at the best is but air, and that not often wholesome." 4. It is well also, when we are not solicitous or troubled concerning the effect and event of all our actions; but that being first by prayer recommended to him, is left at his dispose: for then in case the event be not answerable to our desires, or to the efficacy of the instrument, we have nothing left to rest in but the honesty of our purposes; which it is the more likely we have secured, by how much more we are indif If thy labours prove ferent concerning the success. unprosperous, if thou beest much troubled at that, it is certain, thou didst not think thyself secure of a reward for thine intention, which thou mightest have done, if it had been pure and just. 5. He loves virtue for God's sake and its own, that loves and honours it, wherever it is to be seen; but he that is envious or angry at a virtue, that is not his own, at the perfection or excellency of his neighbour, is not covetous of the virtue, but of its reward and reputation, and then his intentions are polluted. It was a great ingenuity in Moses, that wished all the people might be prophets; but if he had designed his own honour, he would have prophesied alone. But he that desires only, that the work of God and religion shall go on, is pleased with it, whoever is the instrument. 6. He that despises the world and all its appendant vanities is the best judge, and the most secure of his intentions, because he is the furthest removed from a temptation. Every degree of mortification is a testimony of the purity of our purposes: and in what degree we despise sensual pleasure, or secular honours, or worldly reputation, in the same degree we shall conclude our heart right to religion and spiritual designs. 7. When we are not solicitous concerning the instruments and means of our actions, but use those means which God hath laid before us, with resignation, indifferency and thankfulness, it is a good sign that we are rather intent upon the end of God's glory, than our own conveniency or temporal satisfaction. He that is indifferent whether he serve God in riches or in poverty, is rather a seeker of God than of himself; and he that will throw away a good book because it is not curiously gilded, is more curious to please his eye than to inform his understanding. 8. When a temporal end consisting with a spiritual, and pretended to be subordinate to it, happens to fail and be defeated, if we can rejoice in that, so God's glory may be secured and the interests of religion, it is a great sign our hearts are right, and our ends prudently designed and ordered. When our intentions are thus balanced, regulated and discerned, we may consider, 1. That this exercise is of so universal efficacy in the whole course of a holy life, that it is like the soul to every holy action, and must be provided for in every undertaking; and is of itself alone sufficient to make all natural and indifferent actions to be adopted into the family of religion. 2. That there are some actions which are usually reckoned as parts of our religion, which yet of themselves are so relative and imperfect, that without the purity of intention they degenerate and unless they be directed and proceed on to those purposes which God designed them to, they return into the family of common, secular, or sinful actions. Thus alms are for charity, fasting for temperance, prayer is for religion, humiliation is for humility, austerity or sufferance is in order to the virtue of patience: and when these actions fail of their several ends, or are not directed to their own purposes, alms are mispent, fasting is an impertinent trouble, prayer is but lip-labour, humiliation is but hypocrisy, sufferance is but vexation; for such were the alms of the Pharisee, the fast of Jezebel, the prayer of Judah reproved by the prophet Isaiah, the humiliation of Ahab, the martyrdom of heretics; in which nothing is given to God but the body, or the forms of religion, but the soul and the power of godliness is wholly wanting. 3. We are to consider that no intention can sanctify an unholy or unlawful action. Saul the king disspared the cattle of obeyed God's commandment, and Amalek to reserve the best for sacrifice and Saul the Pharisee persecuted the Church of God with a design to do God service; and they that killed the Apostles had also good purposes, but they had unhallowed actions. "When there is both truth in election and charity in the intention, when we go to God in ways of his own choosing and approving, then our eye is single and our hands are clean, and our hearts are pure. But when a man does evil that good may come of it, or good to an evil purpose, that man does like him, that rolls himself in thorns that he may sleep easily. I end this with the saying of a wise heathen: "He is to be called evil that is good only for his own sake. Regard not how full hands you bring to God, but how pure. Many cease from sin out of fear alone, not out of innocence or love of virtue," and they (as yet) are not to be called innocent but timorous. SECTION III. The third general instrument of holy Living: or the Practice of the Presence of God. THAT God is present in all places, that he sees every action, hears all discourses, and understands every thought, is no strange thing to a Christian ear, who hath been taught this doctrine not only by right reason, and the consent of all the wise men in the world, but also by God himself in holy Scripture. "Am I a God at hand (saith the Lord) and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? (saith the Lord). Do not I fill heaven and earth?1 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do2. For in him we live and move and have our being3. God is wholly in every place, included in no place, not bound with cords, (except those of love) not divided into parts, not changeable into several shapes, filling heaven and earth with his present power, and with 1 Jer. xxiii. 23, 24. 2 Heb. iv. 13. 3 Acts vii. 28. : his never absent nature and we can no more be removed from the presence of God than from our own being. Several manners of the Divine Presence. The presence of God is understood by us in several manners and to several purposes. : 1. God is present by his essence, which because it is infinite cannot be contained within the limits of any place and because he is of an essential purity and spiritual nature, he is not dishonoured when we suppose him in every of his creatures, and in every part of every one of them. He 2. God is every where present by his power. rolls the orbs of heaven with his hand, he fixes the earth with his foot, he guides all the creatures with his eye, and refreshes them with his influence: he makes the powers of hell to shake with his terrors, and binds the devils with his word, and throws them out with his command, and sends the angels on embassies with his decrees: he hardens the joints of infants, and confirms the bones, when they are fashioned beneath secretly in the earth. He it is that assists at the numerous productions of fishes, and there is not one hollowness in the bottom of the sea, but he shews himself to be Lord of it, by sustaining there the creatures that come to dwell in it: and in the wilderness, the bittern and the stork, the dragon and the satyr, the unicorn and the elk live upon his provisions, and revere his power, and feel the force of his Almightiness. 3. God is more specially present in some places by the several and more special manifestations of himself to extraordinary purposes. First, by glory. Thus his seat is in heaven; because there he sits encircled with all the outward demonstrations of his glory, which he is pleased to shew to all the inhabitants of those his inward and secret courts. And thus they "that die in the Lord" may be properly said to be gone to God; with whom although they were before, yet |