II. Wonder not then^ if thou fee fo many dreadful

Spe(5lacles of Affliction in the World ; nor murmur, .when thou thy felf art bound in the fame Fetters, and fore loaden with the Burthen of Adverfity. But re- member that God is righteous^and thou and thefe Peo- ple are wicked ; that he is holy and juft, as well as good ; and, tho' he do not willingly grieve the Chil- dren of Men, yet their Iniquities put a fort of Vio- lence upon him,which he cannot refift. They quite weary him out, and render it impoffible, (that is, in- confiftent with the other Attributes and the Perfedi- ons of his Nature) to let fuchMen go always unpu- iii(hed.Nay,eveninthofeinfinicely more dreadfulTor- ments of another World, his Perfections are concern- ed to vindicate themfelves • for, tho' thefe be terri- ble, above what we are able to exprefs or conceive,ye£ are they juft. And, at the fame time that we may be apt to queftion, whether fo great Severity be confi- ftent with the Character of our Judge, we prove the Wifdom of our Lawgiver, and, that even Eternal •Pains were neceffary ; fince even all this will not con- tain us in our Duty, and efFedtually reftrain us froni -Sinning. - Vk'>^
. III. And this, my Soul, is thy Cafe. Thefe ever* Rafting Plagues -are the deferved Wages of thy Wickf .ednefs. For do but defcend into thy Self, (as itb^* cotpes thee to do, now more efpecially) and thei^e take an exa thy raging Paffions, and ungovern'd Appetites ; Ask thySelf,what-Abufes and Mifemployments of Health thou haft been guilty of. Whether thou have notrieg- leded and forgot God and Heaven too much, arid been too full of Care and FDudnefs for this prefent World ; Whether tHou have not omitted his Worfhip and Sacraments, difregardeid his Word, or wheth'^^ thefe have not been frequented formally and coldly« .fixamine theHeavinefs of thy'AfFcdions, the Wan-
d rings
fo^$>tcft^erfon0. i
drings and NegHgence of thy Mind, in publick and private Devotions. [ Here it may he ccnvenient to in- fiance in any other V articular a^ainfi our Duly to Godi, ] See again the Violation ofjuilice and Charity to thy Neighbour, whether thou haft faithfully difcharged the Offices of the fcveral Capacities and Relatious God hath placed thee in j [_A hlushand cr JVifey a Mafier or Mifirefsj a Son or Daughter^ a ALigiflrate, a Suhjecl^ a Parent, a Brother or Sifter, and the like.'] If thou have not been guilty of grofs and palpable Injultice in thy Dealings, yet haft thou doneVV^rong to noMan'sSouI, by ill Advice, or ill Example ? Nor to the Bodies of any, by Malice or Contempt, by ill Treatment, fe- vere Ufage, want of Compaffion and Care for their infirmities ? What Reputations halt thou injured by Scandal and Cenfure ; by falfe and uncharitable Judg- ments ; by bufy meddling with Matters that concern thee not; by oflficioufly fpreading, or too haitily belie- ving ill Reports ; by encouraging, repeating, and be- ing pleafed with. Detracting or feve re Re Meet ions; or if by none of thefe, yet at leaft by neglecting to re- prove, or to difcountenance a (landerous Tongue, and to deliver the Innocent from its fecrec Stabs ? \^Here again be particular in any other Sins you ha've been gmlty of a gain (l your Neighbour.'] Turn thy Eyes inward onc more ; and behold the Breaches of that Duty thou ow- eft to thy Self; the Intemperance and Irregularity of thy Defires ; the Murmurings and Difcontents ; the infirmities indulged ; the Paffions unfubdued ; the Negligence in thy greateft Concerns ; the Love of unlawful , and the Abufe of lawful^, Diverfions and Delights. Thefe are things fo incident to our State^ that no Mans Confcience can fpe-ik Peace to him in them all ; and happy art thou in thofe, where thine condemns thee not. But know withal, that God is greater than thy Heart, and know- sch all things j He keeps cxad account of ^ ^*^- '" ^°'"
A a thy
1 6 *®eDitations anhptavtvs
thy lurking Corruptions^ and Secret Paul cs 3- the unob- ferved, or the long fincc forgotten, Mifdemeanors of thy Life. The black Catalogue whereof, could they be fet before thee, would give a difnial Profpeil:, full of Horror and Confulion, and intolerable Amazement. So that thou mud of neceffity acknowledge thy felf a Mafs of Filth and Mifery ; a Wretch, that, if God (hould enter into Judgment with thee, haft reafon to exped: nothing better than Indignation and Fury; to be fct up as a Mark of his Vengeance, and by fome fwifc exemplary Deftrudion fwepc violently away into the hctreft Flames of Hell.