The new birthThe nevv birth

And this excellent virtue of remembering God, doth stand betwixt him, and the tentations to sin, as it were strong barriers, that do mightily restrain his forward flesh from committing it. For why? saith he to himself, doth not the God of heaven see and know and understand? how then shall I do this wickedness, and sin against him to his face? Further, his memory serves his turn also for the things of God. The commandments, threats, promises of the word, the works of God, either of mercy or ⟨p. 79⟩justice, the infinite and eternal reward of well doing, the intolerable and endless punishment of irrepentant sinning, and the like, are always before his eyes, and he makes none end of minding himself of such divine things, as may frame him to holiness. There is a natural power of memory consisting in the ability of retaining, and making repetition of things that one hath heard or seen. This ability as following the temperature of the body, the sanctified man (perhaps) may want, (and if nature have not bestowed it upon him, he must want it; for grace doth not add a greater natural perfection to the powers of mans soul, but alone makes the perfections it hath strait and right, and guideth them to God ward): but that memory which God hath given him, he can use for the good of his soul to godly purposes, in all the sanctified performances of memory. He can retain good things, according to that strength of retainment which nature affords him: but that that he doth retain (and here indeed he shows his memory to be sanctified), he hath at hand for the benefit of his soul in due season: fruitfully recalling it, in the instant of tentation, in the very time of need, when it may avail him to resist sinful suggestions of Satan or the flesh, and to quicken him against his backwardness and unwillingness to duties commanded. So his memory becomes a principal instrument of order, both to his heart and to his life: for example; A godly man and an unregenerate, come both to one sermon. It is made against filthiness or covetousness, or any vice, as it falleth out. The unsanctified man may (perhaps) be able to repeat ten times more, and more orderly, then the sanctified, (this is a fruit of nature not of grace); but ⟨p. 80⟩when some time is past, and that both shall be tempted to covetousness or filthiness;

And this excellent vertue of remembring God, doth stand betwixt him, and the tentations to sinne, as it were strong barriers, that doe mightily restraine his forward flesh from committing it. For why? saith he to himselfe, doth not the God of heauen see and know and vnderstand? how then shall I doe this wickednes, and sinne against him to his face? Further, his memory serues his turne also for the things of God. The commandements, threats, promises of the word, the workes of God, either of mercy or