CONCERNING MY CONVERSATION IN GENERAL — RESOLUTION I.

HAVING thus far determined in general, to form resolutions for the better regulating of my life, I must now descend to particulars, and settle some rules with myself, to resolve my future life and conversation wholly into holiness and religion. I know this is a hard task to do; but I am sure, it is no more than what my God and my Father has set me; why therefore should I think much to do it? Shall I grudge to spend my life for him, who did not grudge to spend his own blood for me? Shall not I so live that he may be glorified here on earth, who died that I might be glorified in heaven, especially considering, that if my whole life could be sublimated into holiness, and moulded into an exact conformity unto the will of the Most High, I should be happy beyond expression? Oh, what a heaven should I then have on earth! What ravishments of love and joy would my soul be continually possessed with! Well; I am resolved by the grace of God, to try; and to that end do, this morning, wholly sequester and set myself apart for God, resolving, by the assistance of his grace, to make all and every thought, word, and action, to pay their tribute unto him. Let this man mind his profit; a second, his pleasures; a third, his honours; a fourth, himself; and all, their sins; I am resolved to mind and serve my God, so as to make him the Alpha and Omega, the first and last of my whole life. And, that I may always have an exact copy before me, to write and frame every letter of this my life by:

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to make Christ the pattern of my life here, that so Christ may be the portion of my soul hereafter.

LET the whole world go whither it will, I am resolved to walk in the steps that my Saviour went in before me: I shall endeavour in all places I come into, in all companies I converse with, in all the duties I undertake, in all the miseries I undergo, still to behave myself as my Saviour would do, were he in my place. So that wheresoever I am, or whatsoever I am about, I shall still put this question to myself, Would my Saviour go hither? Would he do this or that? And, every morning, consider with myself, Suppose my Saviour was in my stead, had my business to do, how would he demean himself this day? How meek and lowly would he be in his carriage and deportment? How circumspect in his walking? How savoury in his discourse? How heavenly in all, even his earthly employments? Well, and am I resolved, by strength from himself, to follow him as near as possible. I know, I can never hope perfectly to transcribe this copy, but I must endeavour to imitate it in the best manner I can, that so by doing as he did, in time I may be where he is to all eternity. But, alas! his life was spiritual, and I am carnal, sold under sin;' and every pretty object that doth but please my senses, will be apt to divert and draw away my soul from following his steps. In order, therefore, to prevent this,