Is this any thing elfe than an offering of the torn and lame to God? But "curfed "be the deceiver which hath in his flock 66 a male, and voweth and facrificeth unto "the Lord a corrupt thing," Mal, i. 14. And can ye read this who follow fuch practices, and not fee your own doom? but though this fervice is not always gone about in the evening with fuch languor as has been defcribed, yet thofe who give the vigour of their spirits in the morning to the world, and referve only the dregs of the evening for God, I am afraid will come under this curfe the best you can make of it is only half fervice. Now, if a farmer pay the one half-year's rent never so punctually, if he still continue to neglect the other, will his landlord be fatisfied with his conduct? And think ye God will be well pleased with fuch a partial service? The omiffion of family duty is often followed with the neglect of fecret prayer, whereas the performance of the one is a ftrong indication of the obfervance of the other. The worship of God is a duty founded, not only on revelation, but even in nature itself; witness the worship which the heathens pay to their imaginary deities. blind heathens And fhall the poor put en From all this may I learn, like this poor man, evening and morning, to be prefenting my body a living facrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is my reafonable fervice, Rom. xii. 1. renouncing my own righteoufnefs, depending upon nothing in or about me or my fervices, for acceptance with God, but only in the merits of his Son Jefus Chrift alone: And fo may I close this evening, praying for a blessing upon my poor labours this day, both to myself and others, CONTENTS. SPRING DAY. |