The pernicious Tendency of Idleness. TILLOTSON.

DLENESS is the Bane and Ruin of Children;

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it is the unbending of their Spirits, the Ruft of their Faculties, and as it were the laying of their Minds fallow; not as Husbandmen do their Lands that they may get new Heart and Strength, but to impair and lofe that which they have. Children that are bred up in Laziness are almoft neceffarily bad, because they cannot take the Pains to be good; and they cannot take Pains, because they have never been inured and accuftomed to it; which makes their Spirits reftive, and when you have Occafion to quicken them and fpur them up to Bufinefs, they will stand stock fill. The Devil tempts the Active and Vigorous into his Service, knowing what fit and proper Inftruments they are to do his Drudgery: But the Slothful and Idle no body having hired them and fet them to Work, lie in his Way, and he stumbles upon them as he goes about; and they do as it were offer themfelves to his Service, and having nothing to do, they even tempt the Devil himself to tempt them, and to take them in his Way.

The Vanity of Good Refolutions, without fuitable

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Sincere Refolution of a better Course does imply a Refolution of the Means, as well as of the End; he that is truly refolved against any Sin, is likewife refolved against the Occafions and Temptations that would lead and draw him to it;

otherwife he hath taken up a rash and foolish Resolution which he is not like to keep, because he did not refolve upon that which was necessary to the keeping of it. So he that refolves upon any Part of his Duty, must likewife refolve upon the Means which are neceffary to the Difcharge and Performance of it; he that is refolved to be just in his Dealing, and pay his Debts, muft be diligent in his Calling, and mind his Bufinefs, because without this he cannot do the other; for nothing can be more vain and foolish, than for a Man to pretend that he is resolved upon doing his Duty, when he neglects any Thing that is neceffary to put him into a Capacity, and to further him in the Discharge of it. This is, as if a Man fhould refolve to be well and, yet never take Phyfic, or be careless in obferving the Rules which are prescribed in order to his Health. So for a Man to refolve against Drunkenness; and yet to run himself upon the Temptations which naturally lead to it, by frequenting the Company of lewd and intemperate Perfons, this is, as if a Man fhould refolve against the Plague, and run into the Peft-house. Whatever can reasonably move a Man to be refolved upon any End, will, if this Resolution be wife and honeft, determine him as strongly to use the Means which are proper and necessary to that End.

The Reverence due to Confcience. TILLOTSON.

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E fhould reverence our Confciences, and stand in Awe of them, and have a great Regard to their Teftimony and Verdict: For Con

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fcience is a domestic Judge, and a Kind of familiar GOD: And therefore, next to the fupreme Majefty of Heaven and Earth, every Man should be afraid to offend his own Reafon and Confcience, which, whenever we knowingly do amifs, will beat us with many Stripes, and handle us more feverely than the greatest Enemy we have in the World: So that, next to the dreadful Sentence of the great Day, every Man hath Reafon to dread the Sentence of his own Conscience. "GOD indeed is greater than "our Hearts, and knoweth all Things;" but under him, we have the greateft Reason to fear the Judgment of our own Confciences: For nothing but that can give us Comfort, and nothing can create so much Trouble and Difquiet to us.

The Comforts of a good Confcience. TILLOTSON.

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HERE is certainly no fuch Comfort under the Evils and Afflictions of this Life, as a faithful Witnefs in our Breafts of our own Innocency and Integrity: When we are afflicted by GOD, or perfecuted and reviled by Men, it cannot but be a mighty Confolation to us, to be confcious to ourselves of our own Sincerity. For tho' no Man can acquit and justify himself before God, as to the perfect Innocency of his Life, yet as to the general Courfe and Tenor of an unblamable Life, a good Man may appeal to GoD, and even when he afflicts him, may look upon him as a tender and compaffionate Father, and not as an angry and revengeful Judge. But, above all other Times, the Comforts of a good Confcience is moft fenfible,

and moft confiderable at the Hour of Death: For as nothing dejects a Man's Spirits more, and fends him down with fo much Sorrow to the Grave, as the Guilt of an evil Confcience; fo on the other Hand, there is nothing that revives and raises the fainting Spirits of a dying Man, like the Confcience of a holy and useful Life, which hath brought Glory to GoD, and good to Men.

Divine Goodness in the Creation.

WATTS.

HE moft univerfal and confpicuous Appearances both of the Earth and Sky, are defigned for the Convenience, the Profit and Pleasure of all the Animal Creation: All that we see above us, and all beneath us, is fuited to our Nourishment or to our Delight. What is more neceffary for the Support of Life, than Food? Behold the Earth is cover'd with it all around; Grafs, Herbs, and Fruits for Beafts and Men, were ordained to overfpread all the Surface of the Ground, fo that an Animal could fcarce wander any where, but his Food was near him. Amazing Provision for such an immenfe Family!

"What is more joyful than the Light? Truly the Light is feet, (fays the wifeft of Men) and a pleafant Thing 'tis to behold the Light of the Sun. See the whole Circuit of the Heavens is replenish'd with Sun-beams, fo that while the Day lafts, wherefoever the Eye is placed, 'tis furrounded with this Enjoyment; it drinks in the eafy and general Eleffing, and is thereby entertained with all the

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particular Varieties of the Creation. "Tis Light conveys to our Notice all the Riches of the Divine Workmanship; without it Nature would be a huge and eternal Blank, and her infinite Beauties for ever unknown.

Again; What are the sweetest Colours in Nature, the most delightful to the Eye, and moft refreshing too? Surely the Green and the Blue claim this Preeminence. Common Experience, as well as Philofophy, tells us, that Bodies of Blue and Green Colours fend us fuch Rays of Light to our Eyes, as are leaft hurtful or offenfive; we can endure them longeft; whereas the Red and the Yellow, or Orange Colour, fend more uneafy Rays in Abundance, and give greater Confufion and Pain to the Eye; they dazzle it sooner, and tire it quickly with a little intent Gazing; therefore the divine Goodness drefs'd all the Heavens in Blue, and the Earth in Green. Our Habitation is overhung with a Canopy of most beautiful Azure, and a rich verdant Pavement is spread under our Feet, that the Eye may be pleas'd and eafy, wherefoever it turns itself, and that the most univerfal Objects it has to converfe with might not impair the Spirits and make the Sense weary.

1. When GOD the new-made World furvey'd,
His Word pronounc'd the Building good;
Sun-beams and Light the Heavens array'd
And the whole Earth was crown'd with Food.

2. Colours that charm and ease the Eye, His Pencil spread all Nature round; I 3

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