SERM. too against the facrifice of fools, that is, unX. thoughtful men, who confider not that they

do evil. Again, be not rash with thy mouth, nor let thy heart be hafly to utter any thing before God. And the direction is particularly applied to the making of vows, which by the author's manner of treating it, I think, referreth not to the main and effential duties of a good life, but things, in their nature more indifferent, and to which men were not under antecedent indifpenfable obligations; though they might voluntarily lay themselves under, at leaft, a temporary reftraint of their liberty, and become bound by promise to alienate fome part of their property: And fuch engagements, as they are countenanced by pofitive laws, then in force, fo if wifely formed, and ftrictly executed, they might ferve good purposes. But the great error was, entering into them rafhly, in a fit of warm inconfiderate zeal, without duly weighing the grounds upon which they were made, the abilities and circumstances of the maker, and the difficulties which would attend the performance. And the confequence was, that frequently they were repented of and retracted, not without the imputation of reproachful weakness, and likewife profaneness.

From

X.

From all which it is evident, that mature SERM, deliberation is neceffary in religious exercises; and when they are undertaken without it, a fatal error is committed, whereby they are rendered both difpleafing to God, and unprofitable to ourselves. Religion hath the character of a reasonable fervice; and as upon examination it will appear most worthy of men, fo when their intellectual powers are, not employed in it, nothing can be more vain and infignificant,, the true ends of it cannot be obtained, and it yieldeth no fatisfaction to the mind. The purposes of the animal life are ferved by instincts, but the higher ends of the rational nature, can only be anfwered by the use of reason. Above all things, what account can any man be able to give himself of his own conduct, who beareth a part in the exterior forms of worship without confideration? He goeth to the house of God without any fore-thought about what is to be done in it; he acteth a formal part there, without prefence of mind, or any calm attention, and when the empty fhew is over, it is no more the fubject of any ferious reflection. It is not thus we behave ourselves in the affairs which we reckon of importance in life; we employ all the skill we are mafters of in forming our defigns: T 3

they

BERM. they are often in our thoughts before the X. execution, and in the execution itself, our

overborne by The great

moft vigorous attention is engaged. But the true cause of the difference, is, that in the one cafe our inclinations are ftrong, in the other they are very weak, violent contrary propenfities. springs of action in the human nature are the affections; they fet the thinking and the active powers at work, differently, according to the degree of their ftrength and prevalence. But the affections originally planted in the mind, are not the only fprings of action, nor do they operate neceffarily; from different occafions in life, and various ways of thinking, and by custom and habit, defires are contracted, which have a powerful influence on our conduct. By a customary indulgence of these, and the lower appetites of nature, they get the afcendant in the mind, and all its powers are under their direction, which becometh the prevailing temper, and the higher affections are fo weakened, that there is no relish for the objects of them. Still, however, we are confcious of acting voluntarily, and the higher, the virtuous and religious affections, enervated as they are, yet being fo deeply wrought into our conftitution, that they cannot be altoge

altogether extirpated, they make demands of SER M. respect, and even extort fome kind of com- X. pliance, though without that attention and that pleasure, which would accompany the exercife and the gratification of them in a natural and unperverted state of the mind: Hence arifeth hypocritical devotion, a spiritlefs form of godliness, while the power of it is denied; men in a lifeless manner make. folemn profeffions of homage to God, when they have no folicitude, nor take any thought about the fincerity or acceptance of their fervice; and the reason is because their tafte is fo vitiated, and their judgments darkened, through the prevalence of fenfual and worldly inclinations, that divine things are infipid to them; and they are scarcely fenfible of any reality in them: For the human mind is not capable of fuch indifference and inattention, where there is an affectionate sense of excellence in the objects of its thoughts, and their importance to itself. It appeareth then, that inconfideration, and unthoughtfulness about matters of religion, especially when we are employed in acts of immediate worship, and fo have the proper objects of attention folemnly presented to us, that, I fay, it is not a pitiable and excusable weakness, but highly criminal, as it is a T 4 neglect

SERM. neglect of the proper and moft becoming X. exercise of our thinking powers, for which

our hearts must condemn us; it proceedeth from a deep rooted depravity, from a difaffection to God and goodness, and the prevalence of the carnal mind, which is enmity against him. But there is a great difference in the degrees of this evil; unhappy is the state of that mind, in which it altogether prevaileth, and habitually; whofe devotions, as they are called, are nothing but a continued empty pageantry, a tedious circulation of thoughtless and taftelefs formalities. Even good men, though far from that abandoned hypocrify I have been mentioning, are thro' through their infirmity caught in abfence fometimes, or a thoughtless levity of mind, during the performance of worship; but it is generally otherwife; and as their failures of this kind are the fubject of their regret, they always watch against them, and endeavour habitually more and more to have their hearts fixed, and be of prefent fpirits in the fervice of God. My brethren, let us always regard it, as a matter of great importance, to acquit ourselves well in the pofitive and instrumental duties of piety, because of the excellent ends they ferve, and the great advantage to ourselves, of which they are most

ufeful