earneftly and frequently pray for it; and cherish and improve it, when obtained. The means which God has prefcribed are undoubtedly proper and fuitable, powerful and effectual, to the attainment, prefervation, and increase of holiness; and all his ordinances have a divine virtue and energy in them, if they be but duly and confcientiously made ufe of. But if we do not watch; if we do not meditate; if we do not pray; if we expofe our felves to a vain and trifling converfation; if we indulge the body in all the ease it is inclined to, and put our felves upon no duties, practife no difcipline that we have any reluctancy for; 'tis not to be wondered at, if our virtue be crazy and fickly, if our performances be cold and unedifying, our faith weak, our affections low and groveling, our life unfteddy and unprofitable, our religion deftitute of true pleafure, and our latter end of any rational comfort, or well-grounded confidence. 'Tis naturally to be expected that the foul of the fluggard fhould be like his field. Prov. xxiv. 30. I went by the field of the flothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles bad covered the face thereof, and the ftone wall thereof was broken down: This is one plain cause, and commonly the first, of our halt halting between God and Baal; namely, our idleness and floth in religion, joined with pufillanimity and cowardife, which moves us to decline all difficulties, and difables us to make a bold refiftance against temptations: how criminal and guilty this muft render us in the fight of God, 'tis no difficulty to guefs. Is this the zeal, the revenge of an humble and active penitent? Is this to redeem the time, and efface the memory of our paft fins and provocations? Is this the converfation, that becomes the children of the light, and of the day? Is this our hunger and thirst after righteoufnefs? Is this our ambition, our paffion for an heaven? Finally, Is it thus we requite the mercies and obligations of God, and the love of Jefus, that paffeth knowledge? Shall fuch halting trimming Chriftians as thefe, think ye, ever be judged endued with a true and living faith, who exprefs in the whole tenour of their lives, fo much coldness and indifference for their falvation, which the Son of God thought worth the purchafing, by fo much travel and so much forrow, fo much fhame and fo much blood? 3. A third cause of our halting between God and Baal is fome degrees of infidelity. This was the cafe of Ifrael too. They they were ever prone to idolatry; partly trained up to it in Egypt, and elsewhere; partly being more capable of forming an idea of a finite and topical God, than of an infinite and univerfal one, Jer. xxiii. 23. partly being fond of following the fashions of other nations. And, lastly, moved, partly by that great and long profperity, which Egypt and other idolatrous nations enjoyed; and no doubt, comparing it too with the variety and uncertainty of their own fortune, and the frequent difappointment of their expectations, Hofea ii. never laying it to heart all the while; that the way to fecure their profperity, was to change, not their God, but their manners. I would to God, this were not too lively a defcripption of the state of too many Chriftians; and that we could not trace our lukewarmness and fickleness in religion, too plainly back to the fame fource or origin; namely, fome degrees of infidelity. I wish the profperity of the wicked do not fomewhat undermine the belief of a providence: I wifh, whatever we talk of a treasure in another world, we do not now and then think it wifeft to have our portion in this. I am afraid, that the decays and diffolutions of our nature in death, the rottennefs and corruption of the grave, and the variety of changes and fortunes our very duft undergoes, CC may may tempt us to fome fcruples and jealoufies about a pofthumous life. But however it be in these points, I am too too well affured, that we do often doubt, whether virtue be the true bleffedness of life whether there be that pleasure in righteousness the scripture affirms there is. I am confident, the notions of righteoufnefs and holiness, with which the fcripture furnishes us, are often blurred and blotted by the maxims and customs of the world; and perfwade myself, that there is fcarcely one of thofe, that are Laodiceans and trimmers in religion, that do not flatter themselves, that God will not be as fevere as his threats; and that he will receive them into heaven upon milder and fofter terms than the gofpel propofes. Some fuch kind of infidelity as this must poffefs the heart, where-ever the life is fo infinitely below our profeffion. When the word preached doth not profit, it is because it is not mingled with a due measure of faith in thofe that hear it. If we did truly believe the revelations of God; if we did fee the promises of God as evident and prefent by faith, though diftant in themfelves, 'twere impoffible but they muft move, but they must take us; 'twere impoffible but they muft enkindle in us another fort of defire, and this defire would foon produce another fort of endeavours, ano another fort of life. When Mofes beheld Canaan from Pifga, how paffionately did he defire to enter into that good land! When the difciples had feen Jefus ascend up into heaven, how were they transported with a defire of following him! how unfpeakable was their joy! how fervent their prayers! how lafting and enlarged their gratitude! They returned to Jerufalem with great joy; and were continually in the temple praifing and bleffing God. How does a profpect of gain captivate the covetous! How does the fancy or expectation of pleasure inflame the voluptuary! How does the fight of vanity and grandeur infect the proud! And the hope of glory fire the ambitious? What, hath the beauty and pleafure of holiness no attraction? Has heaven no charms in it? Has the favour and love of God, and of Jefus, no force, no power in them? Surely we have not the face to deny, but that the promifes of God are great and precious ones; and if they raise no paffion in us, it must not be through want of excellence and loveliness in them, but want of faith in us. And then judge you, how acceptable this kind of infidelity muft render us to God; what value can God have for a people whom no kindness can oblige, no arguments convince; with whom no miracles can gain belief; no affurances or Cc 2 pro |