great God Almighty, who art able to fubdue all "things to thyfelf, magnify thy power in my weak. "nefs; and let not fin reign in my mortal body, "that I fhould obey it, in the lufts thereof. O "let not thy enemies, Lord, keep under thy fer"vant. But make me fo free from fin, that I may "become the fervant of righteoufnefs; at liberty "to follow thee in thy holy ways, and able to mas "ter my rebellious lufts; and fo prevailing, by the

power of thy fanctifying Spirit, that over all "which affault and threaten my foul, I may have "the victory, and thy name may have the glory. "Amen."

MEDITATION LXIII.

Of the Shamefulness of fin.

OW grievous is it, O my foul, to fee any grown to that height of impudence, as to think that their vilenefs becomes them; and reckon it their gallantry to do wickedly? and run into the lewd knot, to fave their credit, that they may not be cenfured for despicable sneaks, and hiffed out of fociety for offering to live godly, but pointed at for fome of the blades that live above religion, and fcorn to be fo confined. The pious carriage towards God, is too poor and cringing for them; fo fhould they lose themfelves with many, that now count them confiderable. And the ftout finner is tied up, from turning to the Lord, left he should be thought to turn fool. To be twitted with his religion, and called one of the godly, and jeered at for Chrift's

fake,

fake, it will never down with his proud ftomach that is, he will not go to heaven for fhame, left he fhould hear of it, to his reproach; but to tun in drink lustily, fhall pafs for a noble quality; to fwear and fly in the face of God, a brave courage; to fpeak and act all villany, the fine fparkishness and bravery! ingenious fhame, is a covering out of fafhion with the hardened wretch, who is afhamed of nothing more, than to be fo afhamed!" Were "they afhamed, when they had committed abomi"nation? faith the Lord," Jer. vi. 15. « Nay,

they were not at all ashamed, neither could they "blufh." And, chap. iii. 3. "Thou hadft a "whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.” And, Ifa. xliv. 9. "They fee not, nor know; that they may be afhamed." They fhut their eyes against all that light, which would fhew them their filthiness; and brazen it out and flourish it off, as if they had done no harm at all, but fome very glorious exploits.

But however any may glory in their shame; fure their pranks are nevertheless shameful, because themfelves are so shameless. No, they act filly, and base, and dirty and after all their raised expectations of a mighty harvest, they fhall reap nothing, but a crop of disappointment and confufion. And then, after their fowing wheat, and finding nothing but "thorns, they shall be ashamed of the revenues," Jer. xii. 13. But, my foul, fhall their lies make me afhamed? if they will go, and all befmear their faces with dirt and dung; and then jeer me for being out of their fashion; must this oblige me to be and do like them? fhall I be hindered by them in the courfe of my religion; any more than I would be stopt on a journey of the most important bufinefs in the world, by a company of rude children, fhouting in my way? no, I fcorn their fcorns: and when they feem fo past fhame themselves; I am afhamed for them; that any

men

men of note or fenfe fhould debase themselves; to quarrey at fuch low, wretched game; and fo make boys and brutes of themfelves; to go and herd with the rafcally rout; which even any fpirit, or ingenuity might teach them to be ashamed of. And I doubt not, but they go confcious and confounded, within themselves; even when they bear it out with such a bold face before the world. Therefore, are many of their works of darknefs, for feeking corners, and fculking in private. And even all the wickedness, they ufe to difguise it, and put some fine paint over it; as counting it too ugly, to appear just like itself, but it muft pafs under fome other name than its own, and be called thirst, or great fpirit, a kind heart or pleasant temper, good humour, or good fellowship, &c. any thing to palliate, and a little to hide the na kedness and fhame. But call it what they will; and conceal or adorn it, all that ever they can: ftill it is the very fame, and not a jot the better; but themfelves ftill fo much the worfe, to put that upon the world, for commendable, or paffable; which God abhors: and his word brands, for abominable, and intolerable. They may get them a name, if they will; as Cain, and Saul, and Dives, and Judas did; to ftigmatize them, while they are alive; and to leave a filthy french behind them, when they are dead. But they muft pafs through the gulf of another fhame; if ever they come to the Cape of good Hope. They muft be afhamed of their fins; ere they fhall have any com fortable grounds of expecting God's pardon. For as long as they can entertain themfelves with their impiety, and debauchery and villany, as matters of merriment and drollery; they are gone, and loft. And then only do they indeed give hopes, when put to the blufh. (Erubuit, falva res eft.) To fhew themfelves abafhed at all the abomination, that will be. their highest commendation.

But whether they think fit to be fo afhamed, or

But

hot; "the wicked is lothfome, and cometh to shame," Prov. xiii. 5. No better effect can ever come of fuch doings. For fin and shame are twins, that entered the world together, and no fooner had our firft parents finned, but they were ashamed; and fought to hide that shame with the leaves, which they had uncovered with the fruit. As long as we are ourselves, fin will make us afhamed of ourselves: though there be no eyes but our own, to obferve it. So that we are not fecure, even in the greatest privacy; while we have but any confcience in us, for the spy; to find us out, and put us to confufion. A generous confidence and affurance rifes from integrity and worthy actions; that we can hold up our heads, and fhew our faces with courage, before God and man. to be wicked, is to go felf-condemned; as alfo odious to heaven; yea, and contemptible before the world. For how low does the credit of ungodly men run, among all the fober part of the world! how are they judged, and defpifed, by all men of understanding? nay, even fuch as applaud them, and join in their rants and exceffes with them, yet do not care to truft them: nor can really honour, but contemn them, in their hearts. Ah, who does not fee their deformity, and fhame? how often do their works of darkness fo come to light, as to put them to open fhame, even in this world; where they go branded then, as the public talk and fcorn. And how cheap is the vile wretch? and how does he lose himself even in the prefent evil world; by following the things that are of no good report? yea even they that are too like him can yet fcarce afford a good word for him. But however clofe and clandeftinely any may carry their iniquity; all will come out at laft, to their utter confufion. Even after they have flept in the duft of the earth, and all feems long forgotten," they fhall awake to fhame and everlafting contempt, xii. 2. Some that now hold up their heads high, fhall

" Dan.

not

not be able then to fhew their faces: but all their ftately building on the fands, will down, and have a fhameful fall.

Let me not then vainly imagine, my foul, that any praise of men fhall bring me off, for finning against the Lord: But let me take fhame to myfelf; before he put me to open fhame for it. But when I do well and hear ill; and am reproached for the name of Chrift: never let me hang my head at the matter. For that black cloud, under which any good man may lie, will foon be dispersed: And after fuch eclipfe he will but shine the brighter, Pfal. xxxvii. 6. God fhall bring forth his righteoufnefs, as the "light; and his judgment as the noon-day." So that they who diminish from his credit, do but crack their own; and fhall not long find belief. For true goodness does command a veneration, even from fuch as once had it in derifion. Let me not be afhamed then of any poverty of eftate, or deformity of body, or low parts of mind, or fcoffs and reproaches of the world; but only of that which is truly fhameful before men, for being finful against God. And fo let me carry in all good confcience, and integrity, towards my Lord; that I may not be fhy of him now, nor afhamed before him, at his coming.

I

THE PRAYER.

Am afhamed of myself, holy God; that I have been fo beguiled through the deceitfulness of "fin; that I have been guilty of fuch folly, and sub"mitted my foul to fo bafe an enemy. I have not "only dishonoured my God, but also myself; and "have done the things that I cannot answer to my "own reafon; and for which I am fo upbraided by my own confcious mind; that the fhame of my "face covers me: And I know not how to look to

"wards