329 their Throats, or throwing themselves into the Fire. As for the fecond fort of Men, those that are hardned in Sin, God knows their State is likewife too much fixed, either for themselves or others easily to be deceived about it, unless perhaps in this refpect, that they may arrive to a greater pitch of Wickedness and Degeneracy than ever they intended. If any Judgment can be made of them as to what is future, it is this, that if God do not in mercy awaken them, and rouse them up by fome efpecial extraordinary Providence, they will grow worse and worse, and can never fix any Bounds to their wickednefs, for as the degrees of Vertue are infinite, fo are thofe of Vice too. So that by this you fee they are the third fort of Men, in which that deceitfulness of the Heart we are fpeaking of, doth generally take place. Those that are not perfectly fixed, either as to Vertue or to Vice; Thofe whofe Confcience is fo awake, that tho' it cannot always oblige them to do as they should do, yet it doth feverely teftify against them if they commit any great Sin These Men now are very uncertain, fometimes they are altogether in a good Humour, they are very forry for their Follies, they are infinitely convinced that they shall be undone to all intents and poses, if they do not change their courfe of Life; and accordingly they do fometimes refolve seriously to do it, and now and then pur make 330 make fome Attempts towards it. At other Times they are quite off the Hinges, yielding themselves up to the fway of their Lufts and Paffions, and closing with every Temptation that comes in their way. Now whereever Men are in thefe Circumftances, their Hearts are infinitely deceitful, and it is impoffible for them certainly to know in what State and Temper of Mind, as to God and Religion, they fhall be in a Month hence, and yet this is I believe the Condition of the greatest part of Men. But yet even of these Men there is fome difference, according as they more or less approach to Habits, either in Vertue or Vice; there is more or less Truft to be given to what their Hearts tell them, as to their future Behaviour. This is as near as I can guefs, a true Account of the deceitfulness of Mens Hearts, with reference to themfelves. All that now remains is in the fifth and laft Place to fay fomething about the Remedy of it. Now fince it appears from what has been faid, that our Hearts deceitfulness is caused by our fluctuating as it were, between Vertue and Vice, and that the nearer any one approaches to Habits of Goodness, the lefs deceitful will his Heart be: It is plain that the Cure of this deceitfulness must consist in the getting and increafing fuch Habits, and therefore whatever conduceth to that end is a proper Prescription in this Cafe. Now for the obtaining Habits of Vertue, every one will fee that thefe four Things are abfolutely neceffary. I fhall but juft name them and conclude. First of all, serious and hearty Refolutions to break loofe from our Sins, and to live a holy, vertuous and religious Life, whatever Pains or Trouble it may put us to, and those often repeated, not contenting our felves with refolving now and then at a good Time, but every Day renewing our Purposes and devoting our felves to God and his Service, and fortifying our Minds against all those Difficulties and Allurements that may be thrown in our way to divert us from the Good we have ingaged our felves in. Secondly, A conftant care and watchfulnefs over our felves and over all our Actions, and efpecially at thofe times when we are in the view of Temptations, then it will parti cularly concern us to ftand upon our Guard, and narrowly to attend the Motions of our own Minds. Thirdly, Frequent Tryals and exercising of our felves in the way of Vertue. Every one knows that a Habit of any Action is got by doing that Action often; if we would get a Habit of Devotion we must use our felves to fay our Prayers. If we would get a Habit of Meeknefs, we must take all Occafions of practising upon our felves, to fuppress the Anger and Refentments that arife in us upon Provocation. And thus as to all the ather Inftances of Vertue. any And 331 332 And let us remember this, that tho every Action of this kind may at the first be very troublesome to us, and withal very imperfect, yet every time we repeat the Action we fhall do it both with greater Eafe and with greater Perfection and Satisfaction to our felves, and if we continue on in this repetition of our Actions, we fhall in time get the Habit we defire. Efpecially in the last Place, if with all thefe Things we join conftant and fervent Prayer to God, and a hearty Faith in Christ, together with the use of those other Means that our Religion doth recommend to us; knowing the deceitfulness of our own Hearts, the weakness and inconftancy of our Tempers, we must fetch in other Aids and Succours befides thofe that we have in our felves, even the Aids and Succours of the Holy Spirit of God, which he never refuses to any Soul that earneftly prays for them, and endeavours to frame his Life according to those Inftitutions that Jefus Chrift hath laid down in the Gospel. These are the Methods, which if we conftantly practise we fhall undoubtedly grow in Vertue and Goodness, and our Hearts will by degrees be fo confirmed in pious Habits, that we fhall not need to fear they will ever deceive us. But we shall go. from strength to ftrength, till at last we come to appear before God in Sion, the Heavenly |