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2. In case we are brought unto a loss and disorder in our minds, on the contemplation of any one infinite property of God, it is good to divert our thoughts unto the effects of it, such as whereof we have, or may have, experience ; for what is too great or high for us in itself, is made suitable to our understandings in its effects. So the * invisible things of God, are known in and by the things that are seen.' And there is indeed no property of the divine nature, but we may have an experience of it as unto some of its effects in and upon ourselves. These we may consider, and in the streams taste of the fountain which we cannot approach. By them we may be led unto a holy admiration of what is in itself infinite, immense, incomprehensible. I cannot comprehend the immensity of God's nature; it may be I cannot under- stand the nature of immensity ; yet if I find by experience, and do strongly believe, that he is always present wherever I am, I have the faith of it, and satisfaction in it.
Secondly, With thoughts of the Divine Being, those of his omnipresence and omniscience ought continually to ac- company us. We cannot take one step in a walk before him, unless we remember that always and in all places he is pre- sent with us ; that the frame of our hearts and our inward thoughts are continually in his view no less than our out- ward actions. And as we ought to be perpetually under an awe of, and in the fear of, God in these apprehensions, so there are some seasons wherein our minds ought to be in the actual conception and thoughts of them, without which we shall not be preserved in our duty.
1, The first season of this nature, is when times, places, with other occasions of temptation, and consequently of sinning, do come and meet. With some, company doth constitute such a season ; and with some, secrecy with op- portunity do the same. There are those who are ready with a careless boldness to put themselves on such societies as they do know have been temptations unto them and occa- sions of sin ; every such entrance into any society or com- pany, unto them who know how it hath formerly succeeded, is their actual sin, and it is just with God to leave them to all the evil consequents that do ensue. Others also do either choose, or are frequently cast on, such societies ; and no sooner are they engaged in them, bat tliey forget all re-
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gard unto God, and give themselves up not only unto vanity, but unto various sorts of excess. David knew the evil and danger of such occasions; and gives us an account of his behaviour in them, Psal. xxxix. 1 — 3. 'I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue : I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence ; I held my peace, even from good, and my sorrow w^as stirred : my heart was hot within me ; while I was musing, the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue.' As for their evil words and ways he would have no communication with them. And as unto good discourse, he judged it unseasonable to cast 'pearl before swine.' He was therefore silent as unto that also, though it was a grief and trouble to him. But this occasioned in him afterward those excellent meditations which he expresseth in the fol- lowino- verses. In the entrance of these occasions, if men would remember the presence of God with them in these places, with the holy severity of the eye that is upon them, it would put an awe upon their spirits, and imbitter those jollities, whose relish is given them by temptation and sin. He doth neither walk humbly nor circumspectly, who being unnecessarily cast on the society of men, wicked or profane (on such occasions wherein the ordinary sort of men give more than ordinary liberty unto corrupt communication or excess in any kind), doth not in his entrance of them call to mind the presence and all-seeing eye of God, 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, engagement of trade, carnal relations, and the common course of communication in the world, with a supposition that all sorts of society are allowed for diver- sion, 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 evi- dence 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
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know assuredly, that if they awe not their hearts and spirits continually with the thoughts and apprehensions of the om- nipresence and omniscience of God, that he is always with them, and his eye always upon them, they will not be pre- served from snares and sinful miscarriages.