Calling, or in the Scenes of Recreation?-Have the Memorials of our REDEEMER's dying Me. rits, and the Seals of his unchangeable Lovingkindness, been relished as a Feast, and prized as a Portion?

Have we honoured GOD's holy Word?-What greater Mark of Difesteem, than to defpife a Perfon's Difcourfe; and not to think his Speech worthy of our Notice? Efpecially, when he addreffes us with very great Serioufnefs, and with the utmost Affection. In our Bible, the GOD of Glory fpeaks to his Creatures; fpeaks with the moft perfuafive Energy, and with all the Yearnings of parental Tenderness. Have we liftened to our CREATOR, with Reverence and Delight; and rejoiced with Trembling at-Thus faith the LORD?

Have we fearched the Oracles of Truth, not merely as Scholars, but as Sinners; not from a Spirit of Curiofity, or with an Air of Formality, but with a Solicitude and Ardour, becoming Perfons, who inquire after the SAVIOUR of their loft Souls? Have we fubmitted our inmoft Thoughts to their impartial Scrutiny; to receive Conviction of Sin from their awful Remonftrances, and to hear the Sentence of Condemnation at their righteous Bar?Have we been willing to fuffer the Reproach of confcious Baferefs, while they have ripped up the Difguifes of Falfhood; laid open our fecret Iniquities; and brought all our evil Ways to Remembrance? Thus Jofiah acted. His Heart was tender, and he humbled himself before the LORD; he rent. his Clothes, and wept before the LORD, when he heard the Words of the Book of the Law *.

Have we hid the glad Tidings of the Gospelwithin our Memories, within our Hearts? Have we been diligent to fuck this Honeycomb of Grace by

2 Chron. xxxiv. 27.

+ Cant. v. I.

con

concomitant Meditation, and fubfequent Prayer?Have we valued the precious Promifes, as Gentlemen of Wealth value the Writings of their private Eftates; or as infranchifed Bodies efteem the Charter of their public Privileges?-Have we, like the princely Patriarch, longed for those Words of Edification, Exhortation and Comfort, more than for our neceffary Food*? And, like the royal Prophet, prevented the Night-watches, that we may be occupied in those Statutes + and Ordinances of Heaven?

We have hitherto confined the Examination, to a few Inftances of the affirmative Kind; how dreadfully will the dark Account be fwelled, if, instead of Love and Obedience, there be Hatred and Oppofition-Hatred of the Name, Glory, and Worfhip of GOD-Oppofition to his Intereft, Kingdom, and Service!

GOD is infinite Perfection: worthy of all Admiration: exalted above all Praife. Yet do not our Thoughts more frequently, or more naturally turn upon our own Accomplishments, than upon the ado rable and fhining Attributes of the ALMIGHTY? This is, in itself, the moft fhameful Dotage; and, in GOD's Sight, the most abominable Idolatry Yet, let us obferve what paffes within, and we fhall probably find, that as Damps arife in the Mines, or Fogs in the fenny Grounds, fo naturally, and fo copiously do these over-weaning Reflections arife in our depraved Minds.

GOD is an everlasting King. Have we not too often refifted his Authority? Have we not, as far as in us lay, depofed the omnipotent SOVE. REIGN, and exalted Self into the Throne? Made Self-will our Law, and Self-pleafing and Self-pleafing our End? Thus adding Sacrilege to Rebellion?

GOD is tranfcendently gracious and amiable.
Have

* Job xxiii. 12. + Pfal. cxix. 148.

Have we not turned our Backs upon him, by for getting his Mercies! Nay, have we not fpurned him from our Affections, by being Lover's of Plea fure, more than Lovers of GOD *2-Awake, Confrience bear thy impartial Teftimony: and I am perfuaded, the Pharifee in our Breafts, like the Man unfurnished with the Wedding-garment, muft be ftruck dumb; must be covered with Confufion.

:

Is our Heart warm with brotherly Love & — Goodmanners will put Expreffions of Civility into our Mouths; but has a Power from on High implanted the royal Law of Charity in our Breafts! The Cha racter of a Gentleman requires a Deportment accef fible, obliging, and courteous: has the Spirit of Christianity taught us to love, not in Word or plaufible Appearance only, but in Deed and in Truth †? -Do we love our Neighbours, not merely on account of fome Relation they bear us, or fome Services they have done us? But, because they are Creatures of the bleffed GOD; are the Objects of his providential Care; and capable at least of being conformed to his Image? Do we love them, becaufe we hope, that the LORD JESUS CHRIST has bought them with his Blood; is willing to make them Partakers of his SPIRIT, and Members of his Mystical Body?

7

Are we fincerely concerned for their present Welfare, and their eternal Happiness? Do we embrace all Opportunities of promoting, both the one, and the other? Embrace them with the fame Alacrity, and improve them with the fame Zeal, which actuate as in feeking our own Felicity? If they exceed us in all that is amiable,, and all that is profperous, do we contemplate their fuperior Excellence with a real Complacency, and their more abundant Succefs with a real Satisfaction?

Do

* 2 Tim. iii. 4.

† 1 John iii. 18.

Do we diflike to hear, and abhor to fpread, deamatory Tales; even when our Adverfaries are the Vien, whom they tend to blacken? - When rudely ffronted, or caufèlefly abused, do we pity the Of enders, for the Wrong done to their own Souls; raher than kindle into Refentment, at the Indignity offered to ourselves? When greatly injured, are ve flow to Anger, and not eafily provoked? Are ve much more willing to be reconciled, than to foment Displeasure, and profecute Revenge? In a Word; do we love our Enemies; bless them, that urfe us; do Good to them, that hate us: and pray for them, which defpitefully ufe us, and perfecute us *? -Without this loving and lovely Difpofition, we abide, fays the Apostle, in Death ||; are deftitute of fpiritual, and have no Title to eternal Life.

Let me add-Are all our Graces, and all our Works, clothed with Humility? This fhould be the Drefs, in which they feverally appear; as well as the Bond of Connection, which unites them all t.Do we maintain a very low Opinion of our own Accomplishments, and in Honour prefer others to ourfelves + Habitually fenfible, that we are lefs than the least of the divine Mercies, and the very chiefft of Sinners?

I might easily have branched out the preceeding Subjects,

* Matt. v. 44. What Manner of Love is this? How disinterested! how extenfive! how triumphant! Must not all the boasted Benevolence of the Philofopher and Moralift, ftrike Sail to this evangelical Charity? Muft not both Moralift and Philosopher acknowledge the Neceffity of a divine Operation, thus to inlarge, exalt, and refine their focial Affections.?

t1 Pet. 4. 5.

I

John.iii. 14.

The unufal Word snoubacard is fuppofed to have both these Significations.

Rom. xii. 10.

Subjects, into a much greater Variety of interroga tory Articles. But I intend only to present you with a Specimen. Your own Meditations will inlarge the Sketch, and fupply what is defective. Only let me beg of you, my dear Friend, to try your State by this Touchstone; to prove your Conduct by this Standard. And may the FATHER of Lights give you an Understanding, to difcern the exact Pu rity and fublime Perfection of his holy Law!

Have you lived in the uninterrupted Obfervance of all thefe Duties; avoiding whatever is forbidden, and obeying whatever is commanded? your outward Behaviour, I know, has been free from notorious Violations; but has your inward Temper been preferved, from all ungodly Motions, and from every irregular Defire? Is there no Enmity in your Heart to any of the Precepts; nor any Backwardnefs, nor any Failure in performing each and every Injunction? When you put thefe Queftions to yourself, remember, That if you fail in one Point, or in any Degree, you are guilty of all. If your Confor mity be not perfevering as well as perfect, you incur the Penalty, and are abandoned to the Curfe. You ftand charged, before the JUDGE of the World, with all the Guilt of all your Sins, both original and actual: and there is not one Circumftance, nor one Aggravation, of any of your Iniquities, overlooked or forgotten-UNLESS, renouncing all your perfonai Perfomances, you place your whole Affiance on a SAVIOUR's Atonement, and a SAVIOUR'S Righteousness. I think, you will not dare to put the Iffue of your everlasting State upon the former Footing. Which is not only hazardous, but muft be inevitably ruinous. You will infinitely rather choose, to acknowledge yourself a poor Infolvent;

* James xi. 10. Gal. iii. 10.

and