Barrenness, or unfruitfulness, may in general beft be understood by comparing it with a state of wickedness: from which, as it is usually diftinguished in the notion of the vulgar, fo does it really differ on many accounts. The one has in it an air of defiance, the other of unconcernment for religion; the one forgets God, the other contemns him; the one has no relish nor favour of that which is good, the other finds too much guft and pleasure in that which is evil; the one makes us by degrees enemies, the other ftrangers to God. In fhort, there is little doubt to be made, but that the omission of a duty, and the commiffion of a crime; lukewarmness in that which is good, and eagerness and confidence in that which is evil, may, and generally do, differ very widely in the degrees of guilt: from hence it is (the finner being always a partial and indulgent judge of himself) that it is not unufual for many, who seem to have fome abhorrence of wickedness, to be far enough from apprehending much evil, or much danger in unfruitfulness. This is a fatal error; it fruftrates the great defign of religion, and robs it of its trueft honour, good works. For what can religion effect by that man, who retains nothing of it but the bare form and profeffion, and dares promise himself not only impunity, but a heaven, A a heaven, in an ufelefs and uprofitable life? Unfruitfulness, if more particularly enquired into, confifts in two things; a neglect of duty; or a lifeless and unprofitable performance of it. The former I will call idleness; the latter lukewarmness, coldnefs, formality; and treat of each in or der; of the former in this, and of the latter in the following chapter. And becaufe each of them are encumbered with mif takes and errors, which arise not only from felf-love and partiality, but alfo from fhallowness of judgment, joined with tendernefs of confcience; I fhall endeavour fo to manage this fubject, as neither to difcourage the weak, nor embolden the carelefs. §. 1. Of idlenefs. The omission of a duty may be either habitual, or occafional and accidental: and accordingly the cafe of omiffion may be very different. 1. An habitual omiffion of duty cannot confift with fincerity: a general neglect of duty defeats the main end of religion, which is to honour God, adorn our holy profeffion, and promote the good of human fociety; all which can never be attained but by following after righteoufnefs, and abounding in the fruits of it. By this this rule, an idle, though innocent, life, muft neceffarily be accounted irreligious and vicious, being a flat contradiction to our excellent profeffion. He, who does not pray, nor meditate, nor pursue any end of charity, though he be otherwife civil and regular in his life; yet because he does not work righteoufnefs, because he is fo far from imitating the zeal and charity of the bleffed Jefus, that he acts directly repugnant to both; therefore muft he not be looked upon as a difciple of Jefus, but as an alien and a ftranger. He, whofe life is fpent in vanity or drudgery, in pleasure or bufinefs, though his pleasure be not impure, nor his business unjust; yet is he, before God, a criminal, because unprofitable; he has received the grace of God in vain; the light of the gofpel has rifen upon him in vain ; and he has ferved no intereft of virtue or religion in his generation; and therefore he will be excluded heaven, with the flothful fervant, who hid his Master's talent in a napkin, Luke xix. 20. 2. The case of an accidental or occafional omiffion of duty, is very different from that of habitual neglect of it; an occafional omiffion may be, not only lawful, but neceffary; but the neglect of duty never can be either. The circumftances of poA a 2 fitive fitive duty, and the measures and degrees of moral good, are not strictly fixed and fettled; and therefore a fingle omiffion, either in the one or the other, where-ever there is a fufficient reafon for it, can neither grieve the fpirit, nor fruftrate the defign of religion; nor confequently imply any corruption in the heart. But then we muft take care, 1. That our omiffion be not too frequent. We must always have regard, in this matter of duty, to the great end and defigns of its injunction; we must take care that our omiffions in moral duties be not so often, that either the honour of our religion, or the welfare of our neighbour, fuffer by it. Nor must we so often omit inftrumental duties, prayers, reading, the facrament, and the like, as thereby to abate, or much less extinguish, our fpiritual guft and fervour. Omiffion of duty, too often repeated, breeds a kind of indifference, or lukewarmnefs; and lukewarmnefs foon paffes into coldnefs and infenfibleness; and this often ends in a reprobate mind, and an utter averfion for religion. 2dly, We muft endeavour fome way or other to compenfate the omiffion of a duty; to make up by charity, what we have defalked from devotion; or to fupply by fhort ejaculations, what we have been for ced ced to retrench from fixed and regular offices of prayer. And he that watches for opportunities, either of improvement, or doing good, will, I believe, never have reason to complain of the want of them: God will put into his hands either the one or the other; and for the choice, he cannot do better, than follow God's. 3dly, A fingle omission must never pro·ceed from a finful motive; from a love of the world, or indulgence to the body; neceffity or charity is the only juft and proper apology for it. Inftrumental or pofitive duties may give way to moral ones; the religion of the means, to the religion of the end; and in moral duties, the lefs may give way to the greater. But duty must never give way to fin, nor religion to intereft or pleafure. Having thus briefly given an account, what omiffion of duty is, and what is not finful; and consequently fo fettled the notion of idleness, that neither the careless, nor the fcrupulous can easily mistake their cafe; I will now propofe fuch confiderations as I judge moft likely to deter men from it; and fuch advice as may be the best guard and preservative against it. 1. The first thing I would have every one lay to heart is, that a state of idleness is a ftate of damnable fin. Idlenefs is directly repugnant to the great ends of God, both A a 3 |