374 OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. [PART I.
and at his departure from them consider whether his deportment hath been such as became that presence and his being under that eye. But, alas! pretences of business and necessary occasions, engagements of irade, carnal relations, and the common course of communication in the world, with a supposition that all sorts of society are allowed for diversion, have cast out the remembrance of God from the minds of most, even then when men cannot be preserved from sin without it.
This hath sullied the beauty of gospel conversation amongst the most, and left in very few any prevalent evidence of being spiritually minded.
Wherefore, as unto them who, either by their voluntary choice or necessity of their occasions, do enter and engage promiscuously into all societies and companies, let them know assuredly that if they awe not their hearts and spirits continually with the thoughts and appre- hensions of the omnipresence and omniscience of God, that he is always with them and his eye always upon them, they will not be preserved from snares and sinful miscarriages.
Yea, such thoughts are needful unto the best of us all, and in the best of our societies, that we behave not ourselves indecently in them at any time.
Again; unto some, privacy, secrecy, and opportunity, are occasions of temptation and sin. They are so unto persons under convictions, not wholly turned to God. Many a good beginning hath been utterly ruined by this occasion and temptation. Privacy and opportunity have overthrown many such persons in the best of their resolutions. And they are so unto all persons not yet flagitiously wicked. Cursed fruits proceed every day from these occasions. We need no other demonstration of their power and efficacy in tempting unto sin but the visible effects of them. “And what they are unto any, they may be unto all, if not diligently watched against. So the apostle reflects on the shameful things that are done in the dark, in a concurrence of secrecy and opportunity. This, therefore, gives a just season unto thoughts of the omnipresence and omniscience of God, and they will not be wanting in some measure in them that are spiritually minded.
God is in this place; the darkness is no darkness unto him, light and darkness are with him both alike,—are sufficient consider- ations to lay in the balance against any temptation springing out of secrecy and opportunity. One thought of the actual presence of the holy God and the open view of his all-seeing eye will do more to cool those affections which lust may put into a tumult on such oc- casions than any other consideration whatever. A speedy retreat hereunto, upon the first perplexing thought wherewith temptation assaults the soul, will be its strong tower, where it shall be safe.
2. A second season calling for the exercise of our minds in thoughts
CHAP. IX.] NATURE OF MEDITATION ON GOD. 375
of the omnipresence and omniscience of God is made up of owr soli-
- tudes and retirements. These give us the most genuine trials whe- ther we are spiritually minded or no. What we are in them, that we are, and no more. But yet in some of them, as in walking and journeying, or the like, vain thoughts and foolish imaginations are exceeding apt to solicit our minds. Whatever is stored up in the affections or memory will at such a time offer itself for our present entertainment; and when men have accustomed themselves unto any sort of things, they will press on them for the possession of their thoughts, as it were whether they will or no. The psalmist gives us the way to prevent this evil: Ps. xvi. 7, 8, “I will bless the Lorn, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lorp always before me: because he is at my right hand,” etc. His “reins,’—that is, his affections and secret thoughts,—gave him counsel and instructed him in all such seasons, But whence had they that wisdom and faithfulness? In themselves they are the seat of all lusts and corruptions, nor could do any thing but seduce him into an evil frame. It was from hence alone, that “he set the LorD always before him.” Continual apprehensions of the presence of God with him kept his mind, his heart and affec- tions, in that awe and reverence of him as that they always instructed him unto his duty. But, as I remember, I spake somewhat as unto the due management of our thoughts in this season before.
8. Times of great difficulties, dangers, and perpleaities of mind thereon, are a season calling for the same duty. Suppose a man is left alone in his trials for the profession of the gospel, as it was with Paul, when “all men forsook him, and no man stood by him;” sup- pose him to be brought before princes, rulers, or judges, that are filled with rage and armed with power against him, all things being disposed to affect him with dread and terror ;—it is the duty of such an one to call off his thoughts from all things visibly present, and to fix them on the omnipresence and omniscience of God. He sits amongst those judges, though they acknowledge him not; he rules over them at his pleasure; he knows the cause of the oppressed, and justifies them whenever the world condemns, and can deliver them when he pleaseth. With the thoughts hereof did those holy souls support themselves when they stood before the fiery countenance of the bloody tyrant on the one hand, and the burning fiery furnace on the other: Dan. iii. 17, 18, “ Our God whom we serve is able to de- liver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” Thoughts of the presence and power of God gave them not only comfort and supportment under their distress, when