me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness: but, say they, where fore have we fasted, and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge, Isa. lviii. 2, 3. Though these complaints were unjust, yet, what is very remarkable, God sometimes paid attention to them; for though. he sees the bottom of men's hearts, and distinguishes real from apparent piety, yet he hath so much love for repentance, that he sometimes rewards the bare appearance of it. See how he conducts himself in regard to Ahab. Ahab was a wicked king. God denounced judgments against him, and was about to inflict them. Ahab tore his garments, covered himself with sackcloth and ashes, and lay in the dust. What said God to Elijah? Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? Because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil, 1 Kings xxi. 29. Not bring the evil! Why, hath Ahab prohibited idolatry? Hath he restored Naboth's vineyard? Hath he renounced his treaties with the enemies of God? No. Yet Ahab humbleth himself, and because he humbleth himself I will not bring the evil. So true it is, that God sometimes rewards a mere shadow of repentance.

The Jews knew this condescension of God, and they insulted it in the most odious manner. Come let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn, and he will heal us, he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive ùs, in the third day he will raise us up; and when he hath raised us up, and re-established us, we will follow our former course of life. When the tempest is over, we will again blaspheme the Creator of storms. Is not this the very height of injustice?

3. There is, let us observe, a manifest contradiction between these two periods of life, between

that of our devotion and that of our sin. What destroys one, necessarily subverts both, and a reasonable man acting consistently ought to choose, either to have no periods of devotion, or to perpetuate them. Yes, we should choose, either a real inward piety to influence our practice, or none of the superficial sentiments, that produce a profession of it. We should choose either to act openly like an unmovable philosopher, or shall I rather say a brute beast, when we seem to be upon the verge of the grave, or that the piety excited then should continue as long as we live in case of recovery. There is a palpable contradiction in having both these dispositions. When the state is in danger, and a solemn fast is kept, what is supposed? That there is a just God governing the universe, dispensing good and evil, sooner or later destroying rebellious nations, and exercising a justice more or less severe according to the duration of his patience. If we believe all this, we should endeavor to regulate the state by these principles, and if we do not believe it, we should not humble ourselves and fast, and bow down our heads like a bulrush. What is supposed by the prayers, and tears, and protestations we bring to the table of Jesus Christ? That God loves us, that he hath so loved us as to give us his Son, that a christian ought to return Jesus Christ love for love, and life for life. If we believe this, we ought to be always faithful to God, and if we do not believe it, we ought not to communicate, to pray, to weep, to promise. What is supposed by all the appearance of devotion we have in sickness? That the soul is immortal, that there is a future state, that an eternity of happiness or misery awaits us. If we believe this, we ought to regulate our actions by these truths, and if we do not believe it, if the soul be not immortal, if

heaven and hell be phantoms, we ought not to put on an appearance of religion in prospect of death. But such is our littleness, when we lose sight of a thing, we think it ceases to be. When we find the art of forgetting truth, it should seem truth is no When we cease thinking of our judge, it seems to us there is no judge. We resemble children, who shut their eyes to hide themselves from the sight of their nurses.

more.

4. Every part of devotion supposes some action of life, so that if there be no such action the whole value of devotion ceases. We hear a sermon, in this sermon we are taught some truth of religion, which hath a close and inseparable connection with our moral conduct. We are told that a judge must be upright, a friend disinterested, a depositary faithful. We do well to be attentive to this sermon but after we have heard it, we violate all the rules, if we be corrupt judges, ungrateful friends, faithless depositaries, and if because we have heard our duty we think ourselves discharged from the necessity of doing it, do we not prevent the order and destination of this discourse? We receive the Lord's supper, there we go to confirm our faith, to detach ourselves from the world, to prepare ourselves for a future state. We do well to receive the Lord's supper: but if after we have received it we become lax in believing, fastened to the world, and without thought of a future state, and if we neglect these duties under pretence that we took steps relative to these duties, do we not pervert the Lord's supper? This reasoning is so clear, that it seems needless to pretend to illucidate it. Yet many people reason in this manner, I have been to a place of worship, I have heard a sermon, I have received the communion, and now I may give a loose to my passions: but it is because you have

been to a place of worship, it is because you have heard a sermon and received the communion, it is on account of this, that you ought wholly to employ yourself about that work, to promote which all these devotions were appointed.

5. Transient devotions are inconsistent with the general design of religion. This design is to reform man, to renew him, to transform him into the likeness of glorified saints, to render him like God. But how does a rapid torrent of devotion attended with no moral rectitude contribute to this end? If while I fast I eradicate the world from my heart, if while I acknowledge the enormity of my past life I endeavor to reform it, if while I give mortal blows to the old man I form the new man in my heart, and if I thus build the edifice of grace, where once the temple of depravity stood, then I erect a fast day toward the great end of religion. But what saith God of another kind of fasting? Is it such a fast that I have chosen, that a man should afflict his soul for a day? Is it to bow down the head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Isa. lviii. 5. And what saith God of exterior devotions in general? To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord. I am full of burntofferings and incense. Your new moons I cannot away with. Who hath required this at your hand? chap. i. 11. The answer seems ready. Didst not thou, Lord, establish this worship, order an elegant temple to be built, and command the Jews to go up to Jerusalem? Sabbaths, solemn assemblies, new moons, do they not owe their origin to thee? No; when they are destitute of love and obedience I hate new moons and sabbaths, and solemn assemblies I cannot away with. In like man

ner, of all devotions of every kind, when they are not attended with uniform moral obedience, we say, and in particular of the Lord's supper we say, I am weary of your preparations, I hate your sighs, your tears are an abomination to me, I am full of momentary devotions, and your pretended holy resolutions I cannot away with. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

6. Transient devotions must render promises of grace to you' doubtful, even suppose you should ever, after a thousand revolutions of transient piety, be in possession of true and real religion. What think you of this question? A man, who hath spent his life in sin, is taken extremely ill. His illness, a review of his life, and a fear of death rouse his conscience. He sends for a minister, he opens to him all his heart, he confesses his sins, he weeps, he groans, he protests ten thousand times that he hates his past life, and that he is determined to reform. He persuades himself, and all about him, that he is really converted. The minister promises him peace, and displays before him all the comfortable declarations, which it hath pleased God to bestow in the gospel. The sick man recovers his health, returns to the world, forgets all his designs of conversion and repentance, and pursues his former course of intrigue, and passion, and arrogance. He falls sick a second time, sends a second time for his minister, and again he opens his heart, accuses himself, sheds floods of tears, and once more vows amendment and conversion. The minister on the same principle as before encourages him to hope again. He recovers again, and perjures himself again, as he did the first time. A third time his illness returns, and he takes the same