Sermons preached on several occasionsSermons preach'd on several occasions

(1.) By possessing the Soul with a lively and solemn Sense of God's Presence, who is the Inspector and Judg of all our Actions. Joseph repelled the Temptation with this ⟨p. 84⟩powerful Thought, How shall I sin against God? The Fear of the Lord is clean; 'tis a watchful Sentinel, that resists Temptations without, and suppresses Corruptions within: 'Tis like the Cherubim placed with a flaming Sword in Paradise, to prevent the Re-entry of Adam when guilty and polluted. For this end we must, by frequent and serious Considerations, represent the Divine Being and Glory in our Minds, that there may be a gracious Constitution of Soul; this will be our Preservative from Sin: for although the habitual Thoughts of God are not always in act, yet upon a Temptation they are presently excited, and appear in the view of Conscience, and are effectual to make us reject the Tempter with Defiance and Indignation.

(1.) By possessing the Soul with a lively and solemn Sense of God's Presence, who is the Inspector and Judg of all our Actions. Joseph repell'd the Temptation with this ⟨p. 84⟩powerful Thought, How shall I sin against God? The Fear of the Lord is clean; 'tis a watchful Sentinel, that resists Temptations without, and suppresses Corruptions within: 'Tis like the Cherubim plac'd with a flaming Sword in Paradise, to prevent the Re-entry of Adam when guilty and polluted. For this end we must, by frequent and serious Considerations, represent the Divine Being and Glory in our Minds, that there may be a gracious Constitution of Soul; this will be our Preservative from Sin: for altho the habitual Thoughts of God are not always in act, yet upon a Temptation they are presently excited, and appear in the view of Conscience, and are effectual to make us reject the Tempter with Defiance and Indignation.

This holy Fear is not a mere judicial Impression, that restrains from Sin, for the dreadful Punishment ⟨p. 85⟩