The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

But who is so hardy to look the holy God in the face and sin against him? what an astonishment is it when he watches over present sin; or brings forth former sins out of secret darkness and sets them in the light of his countenance? ⟨p. 309⟩Who that understands any thing of the Nature, and Majesty of God, dare call him for a witness of his sinning? The worst of men would find themselves under some restraint, could they but obtain of themselves to sit down sometimes and solemnly think of God. Much more would it prove an advantage, (them whom I most intend) to such as sin within the nearer call, and reach of mercy; that sin not to the utmost latitude. Even such as lead the strictest lives, and are seldom found to transgress, are not their sins found to begin with forgetting God? Did they eye God more, would they not sin less frequently and with greater regret? You his Saints that have made a Covenant with him by Sacrifice, that profess the greatest love and devotedness to him, and seem willing your selves to become sacrifices, and lay down your lives for his sake; what is it a harder thing to give him a look, a thought? or is it not too common a thing, without necessity (and then not without injury) to withhold these from him? Let us bethink our selves, are not the principal distempers of our Spirits, and disorders yet observable in our lives to be referred hither? As to enjoined services, what; should we venture on omissions, if we had God in our eye? or serve him with so declining backward hearts? Should we dare to let pass a day, in the Even whereof we might write down nothing done for God this day? Or should we serve him as an hard Master, with sluggish, despondent Spirits? The Apostle forbids servants to serve with eye• service, as men-pleasers, meaning they should ⟨p. 310⟩eye men less, and God more. Sure, as to him, our service is not enough eye-service. We probably, eye men more than we should, but we do not eye Him enough. Hence such hanging of hands, such feebleness of knees, such laziness, and indifferency, so little of an active zeal, and laborious diligence, so little fervency of Spirit in serving the Lord. Hence also such an aversion to hazardous services, such fear of attempting any thing (though never so apparent important Duty) that may prove costly, or hath danger in it. We look not to him that is invisible.