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2. The effect of it, "I turned my feet unto thy testimonies."
In the former verse, he beggeth mercy and the favour of God: now,
those that beg mercy, must be in a capacity to receive mercy.
ready to show mercy, but to whom? To the penitent, that humbly seek
it, and turn from the evil of their ways. We cannot expect God should be
favourable to us while we continue in a course of sin: therefore, David
showeth that he intreated God's mercy and favour upon God's terms, that
he was one of those converted by grace. "I thought on my ways," &c. :
some copies of the Septuagint have it, τας ὅδες σε διελογισάμην, I con-
sidered thy ways, much to the same purpose; for a serious considera-
tion of the excellency of God's ways is of use, as well as of the naughtiness
of our own. But other copies read better, according to the original
Hebrew, "I thought on my ways," our omissions, commissions, purposes,
practices; the course of our thoughts, words, deeds.

In the other part, when we are said to turn our feet unto God's testimo-
nies, it is meant of the conversion of the whole soul evidenced by the
course of our feet or practices. So, "Keep thy foot when thou goest to
the house of God" (Eccl. v. 1): the meaning is, Look to thy heart and
affections. We are sometimes said to turn to God, and sometimes to the
testimonies or commands of God. We turn to God, as the object or last
end; to his testimonies, as the rule of our conversation to lead us thither:
so that by it is meant an effectual conversion of the whole man to walk
according to the rule of God's word.

The text issueth itself into this one point:

DOCTRINE. That serious consideration of our own ways maketh way for sound conversion to God.

In the managing of this doctrine, I shall discuss two things:

1. The necessity of serious consideration in order to repentance.

2. How much it concerneth us, after we have considered effectually, to turn to the Lord.

I. The necessity of serious consideration in order to repentance. And there,

1. What is consideration.

2. The objects of it, or the things that must be considered.

3. I shall argue the necessity of this.

First, What is this consideration or thinking upon our ways.
In the
general, it is a returning upon our hearts, or a serious debating with our-
selves concerning our eternal condition. For the understanding whereof,
consider that a carnal man is mindless and altogether careless of his eter-
nal interests, like a fool, or madman, or one out of his wits. We were
sometimes foolish, ávóŋro (Titus iii. 3); like men asleep or distracted:
they do not know what they are doing, nor what will be the issue of things,
till God awaken their hearts to think of their condition; and then they
begin to act like men again, and to be sensible of their case. Thus it is
said of the prodigal, tíç ¿avròv ÿv, that "he came to himself” (Luke
xv. 17); as a man when he is drunk, we say he is not himself; he doth
not consider what he doth, nor consider the danger of his actions. And
the Psalmist, speaking of the conversion of the Gentiles, saith, "All the
ends of the world shall remember, and turn unto the Lord" (Psalm xxii.
27); that is, shall recollect themselves, and consider of the end of their
lives, whence they are, whither they are going, and what shall become of
them to all eternity; as if all this while they had forgotten the purpose for

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which they were sent into the world, who was their Maker, what was their
business. Alas! before this serious consideration, men in seeing see not, and
in hearing hear not; as a man that is musing of another matter is not
affected with what you tell him, he heareth and doth not hear. It is the awak-
ing of the heart which is God's first work, before he giveth other grace:
"Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give
thee light" (Eph. v. 14). First awake, and then arise from the dead;
before which, men have but such languid notions of God and Christ and
salvation by him, as men have in a dream; but, when we come to weigh
and scan things with affection and application, then the soul is awaked.
Now God bringeth us to this,-
Fixstand

Ist, Partly by his word, which showeth our "natural face" (James i. 23, 24), or natural estate and condition before God. It is appointed for restemt this purpose, to be the instrument to awaken men to discover them to opvagne themselves. Now, because this may make but a weak impression, such

as may soon be blotted out, avôpì πapakú↓avrı, they forget and fall asleep again; therefore to this God joineth his rod. Therefore,

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2ndly, Partly by afflictions; as the prodigal, when he was reduced to bouger tingt husks and rags, then he came to himself, and was brought to his rightYouandler beste mind. Again, "If they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent" (1 Kings viii. 47): the Hebrew is, bring it back to their hearts. Affliction is sanctified to this end, to open the eyes it bringeth us to ourselves. So, "Consider your ways" (Hag. i. 57); θέσθε τὰς καρδίας ἐπὶ τὰς ὁδὸς ὑμῶν, lay your hearts upon your ways. When they sowed much and brought in little, and what they earned was put into a bag with holes; that is, when the hand of God was upon them, and the visible curse of his Providence, when the word of God doth not effectually discover men to themselves; then he sends afflictions to put them upon a search, and by his rod whippeth them out of their sleepy dreams and carnal security. narette ventning 3rdly, By his Spirit; and the first effect of his operations is compunction: "When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts ii. 37 :) it makes them anxious and solicitous. I ascribe this work to the Spirit, because it was a time when the Spirit was newly poured forth. Well then; in the general, it is God's awakening the heart to a serious and anxious debate with itself concerning its eternal condition, before which we go on sleepily in a course of sin; but then the soul crieth out, 'What have I done? and what shall I do? how carelessly have I lived! and what shall become of me to all eternity?'

More particularly this thinking upon our ways involveth in its full latitude three grand duties:

1. As it relateth to our past estate, or the ways wherein we have walked; self-examining, or a serious searching and inquiring in what condition we are before God. This is necessary to conversion and turning to the Lord: "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord" (Lam. iii. 40). There needeth a serious calling ourselves to an account, or a strict view and survey of our former courses, if we would amend what is amiss in them; and still, as we renew our repentance, this course must we take.

2. As it relateth to present actions, or the ways wherein we are to walk; so it implieth prudent consideration before we do anything: let us see our

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warrant, that we may do nothing but what is agreeable to God's word: "Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil" (Prov. iv. 26, 27). We have a narrow line to walk by, but a foot of ground to go upon; and therefore we should not walk at hap-hazard, but with much exactness: "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise" (Eph. v. 15): therefore, we need to weigh all our actions in the balance of the sanctuary, that, if anything displease God, we may avoid it. The conscience of our weakness and the strictness of our rule should make us take the better heed to ourselves.

3. With respect to the tendency and issues of things; and so it noteth fore-consideration, or deliberation in order to choice. God biddeth his people, "Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein" (Jer. vi. 16); as travellers, when they are at a loss or in doubt of their way, seeing divers paths before them, are careful to inform themselves aright, that they may take the next, readiest, and best way for their journey's end. An awakened conscience is like Hercules in bivio; there are two ways present themselves, the way of sin and flesh-pleasing, and the way of God's commandments; or, as it is Matt. vii. 13, 14, the broad way and the narrow way. The broad way of sin seemeth pleasant and enticing; but it leadeth to death: the narrow way is rough and craggy, troublesome to flesh and blood; but the end is life and peace. Now, the soul debateth upon the choice which of these is better, by weighing the loss and gain on either side, and the final issue and tendency of both these ways: or, rather, the awakened soul is in the case of a man that is yet to choose; or like a man that is out of the way, and wants his usual marks: he bethinketh himself, 'If I go on in this broad, beaten road of corruption, I am sure to go down to the chambers of death, and perish evermore. Oh! but let me make a stop! It is better to take God's direction than the way of mine own heart; it is a way that will undo me for ever. Hitherto, I have gone awry; how shall I do to get into the right way? I would be happy, and this course will never make me so: surely, it is better to take God's counsel than to please the flesh.' No course will satisfy conscience, no course will make you happy, but a life led according to the word of God. Thus you see, it implieth,

1. An examination of our past course, or a looking into our own estate. 2. A careful watch over future actions.

3. A consideration of the issue and event of things. 'I have viewed my life past, I have been wrong, and I see it will be bitterness in the issue; therefore I purpose to give up myself to a course of obedience, and therefore to consider well of my actions for the future.' Now, this is a work that is not once to be done, but always. As often as we look to ourselves, we shall find something that needeth amendment; and therefore we need to press the heart with new and pregnant thoughts to mind our duty, and to use constant caution, and taking heed to our ways that we may not go wrong. Thus did David to keep his heart right: "I thought on my ways" (Psalm xxxix. 1).

Secondly, The objects of this consideration, or the things that must be considered; that may be gathered out of the former discourse. But, 1st, Who made thee? "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth" (Eccl. xii. 1). It is a great advantage to call to mind whose creatures we are; for this will shame us that we have done no more than we have done

for him from whom we have all that we have, and this in youth, when the effects of this creating bounty are most fresh upon our senses. In good earnest consider, who was it that made thee a reasonable creature? Not a stone, and without life; nor a plant, and without sense; nor a beast, and without reason; but a man, with reason, and understanding, and will, and affections, that thou mayest know him, and love him, and enjoy him. And hast thou never thought of the God that made thee? Art thou of those hair-brained fools that go on rashly in a course of sin, and God is not in all their thoughts? (Psalm x. 4.) How canst thou look upon the body, without thoughts of him whose workmanship it is? or think of thy soul, without thinking of God whose image and superscription it bears, and without whom thou canst not so much as think? Shall it be troublesome to thee to have frequent thoughts of God, when thou canst go musing of vanity all the day long? Shall every trifle find a room in thy heart, when God findeth no room there? He is not far from every one of us (Acts xvii. 27); but we are far from him. He is before thee, behind thee, round about thee; yea, within thee; or else thou couldst not keep thy breath in thy body for a moment; and wilt thou not then take some time to season thy heart with thoughts of God? The first miscarriage of men came from this: They did not like to retain God in their knowledge" (Rom. i. 28); thoughts of God, and right opinions of God, were a burthen to them; and therefore they gave up themselves to an ungodly course and evil state of mind. And wilt thou put such a scorn and contempt upon thy Creator as never seriously to think of him; yea, when thoughts of God rush in upon thy mind, to turn them out as unwelcome guests? This is to degenerate into the state of devils, a part of whose torment it is to think of God, they "believe and tremble:" the more explicit thoughts they have of the name of God, the more is their horror increased. Oh ! then, let thy meditations of God be sweet and serious (Psalm civ. 34). Everything that passeth before thine eyes, proclaimeth an invisible God, an infinite and eternal power, that made thee and all things else. Shall the heavens above, the earth beneath thee say, 'Remember God;' and every creature, every pile of grass thou treadest upon, call to thee, 'Remember God;' and wilt thou be so stupid and scornful as not to cast a look upon him? Then we begin to be serious, when thoughts of God are more fastened upon our hearts.

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2ndly, Why did he make thee? Not in vain; for no wise agent will make a thing to no purpose, especially with such advice, "Let us make man." Certainly not for a life of sin, to break his laws, and follow your lusts, and satisfy your fleshly desires: was this God's end, that the creature might rebel against himself? This is not consistent with his goodness, to make us for such an end; or, if so, why did he make the rules of justice and equity natural to us, so that man is a law to himself? (Rom. ii. 14.) Nor for sport and recreation, to "eat, drink, and be merry," or to melt away your days in ease and idleness. He spake rather like a beast than like a man, "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years;

take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry" (Luke xii. 19). If merely for pleasures, why did he give us a conscience? The brute beasts are fitter for such a use, who have no conscience, and therefore no remorse to embitter their pleasures. What was the end for which God made us? Was it to gather wealth, and that the soul might cater for the body, and we might live well here in the world? No; for then God's work would

terminate in itself. And why were such noble faculties given us, such a
high-flying reason that hath a sense of another world, if this were all God's
end, that we might grovel here upon earth, and scrape and heap up this
world's riches? We see they are the basest of men who are given up to
this kind of pursuits. Surely, this was not God's end; but why was it?
"The Lord hath made all things for himself" (Prov. xvi. 4), for his glory;
and so man, to glorify him and enjoy him. The beasts were made to
glorify him in their kind, but man to enjoy him. This is my end, to seek
after God, to please him, to serve him: "The Lord looked down from
Heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did under-
stand and seek God." (Psalm xiv. 2). God, that hath fixed his end, ob-
serveth what man doth in compliance with it; what affection and care they
have to find him, please him, glorify him. Reason will tell us, as well as
Scripture, that the first cause must be the last end, and we must end there
where we began at first: "Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, or whatever
ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. x. 31). Well then, I was not made
for nothing; not to sin away my life, nor to sport it away, nor to talk it away,
nor to drudge it away in the servile and basest offices of this life: my end
is to enjoy God, and my work and business is to serve and glorify him.

3rdly, How little you have answered this end. God complaineth of our backwardness to this work: "No man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done?" (Jer. viii. 6.) God, upon a review, found every day's work good, very good, in themselves, and their correspondence and frame (Gen. i. 31); but, when we consider our ways, we shall find (that all is evil, very evil e have too long gone on in a course of sin; pra den ret-and the more we go on, the more we shall go astray, and wander from the vilfare great end for which we were created, which was God's service and honour. Oh! consider your ways, especially when conscience is set awork by the smertes, word, or when we smart under the folly of our own wanderings, and God daarkal maketh us sensible of our mistake by some smart scourge. If we never

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seriously thought on our ways before, then is a time to think of them, and
to count it a mercy that we are not left to go on in a course of sin without
checks and disappointments. Oh! look upon the drift and course of
your Tives and actions, pry into every corner of them: What have I been
doing hitherto? Spending my days in vanity and sin? have I remem-
bered my Creator, made it my work to serve him, my scope to glorify

him? Have I looked after this as the unum necessarium, the great law
and business of my life? that might enjoy communion with God? Oh!
for how long a time hath God been kept out of his right, and I have been
sowing to the flesh, and never minded the great errand for which I was
sent into the world!' None can excuse himself.

4thly, The unkindness and baseness of such a course, that you may make it odious to the soul. God hath not only made me, but kept me, and provided for me day after day. "The God which fed me all my life long," saith Jacob (Gen. xlviii. 15). I have been fed at his table, clothed at his cost, defended, kept, when long ago God might have struck me dead in my sins; and yet all this while I have not thought of God, to pay the return of my thanks and obedience to my great benefactor. The very beasts are more dutiful in their kind to man, who, as God's instrument, provideth for them: "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider" (Isa. i. 3). How senseless have I been of the great obligations wherein I stand bound

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