difficulties which remain in religion will not for every thing we look for, ought to live in move or disturb us much; and will, as we the thoughts and affections of his rational creaproceed, become gradually less and fewer. tures. "Through thee have I been holden up Whereas, if we begin with objections; if all ever since I was born: thou art he that took we consider about religion be its difficulties; me from my mother's womb: my praise shall but, most especially, if we permit the sugges- be always of thee." If there be such things tion of difficulties to drive us into a practical as first sentiments towards God, these words rejection of religion itself, and to afford us, of the Psalmist express them. That devotion which is what we wanted, an excuse to our-to God is a duty, stands upon the same proof selves for casting off its restraints; then the as that God exists. But devotion is an act of event will be, that its difficulties will multiply the mind strictly. In a certain sense, duty to upon us; its light grow more and more dim, a fellow-creature may be discharged if the outand we shall settle in the worst and most hope- ward act be performed, because the benefit to less of all conditions; the last condition, I will him depends upon the act. Not so with devoventure to say, in which any man living would tion. It is altogether the operation of the mind. wish his son, or any one whom he loved, and God is a Spirit, and must be worshipped in spifor whose happiness he was anxious, to be rit, that is, in mind and thought. The devoplaced; a life of confirmed vice and dissolute- tion of the mind may be, will be, ought to be, ness; founded in a formal renunciation of re- testified and accompanied by outward performligion. ances and expressions: but, without the mind He that has to preach Christianity to per-going along with it, no form, no solemnity can sons in this state, has to preach to stones. He avail, as a service to God. It is not so much must not expect to be heard, either with com- a question under what mode men worship their placency or seriousness, or patience, or even to Maker; but this is the question, whether their escape contempt and derision. Habits of mind, and thoughts, and affections, accompany thinking are fixed by habits of acting; and both the mode which they adopt or not. I do not too solidly fixed to be moved by human persua- say, that modes of worship are indifferent sion. God in his mercy, and by his providen- things; for certainly one mode may be more ces, as well as by his Spirit, can touch and sof-rational, more edifying, more pure than anoten the heart of stone. And it is seldom per- ther; but they are indifferent, in comparison haps, that, without some strong, and, it may with the question, whether the heart attend be, sudden impressions of this kind, and from the worship, or be estranged from it. this source, serious sentiments ever penetrate dispositions hardened in the manner which we have here described.

SERMON II.

TASTE FOR DEVOTION

But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit; and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. JOHN iv. 23, 24.

These two points, then, being true; first, that devotion is a duty; secondly, that the heart must participate to make any thing we do devotion; it follows, that the heart cannot be right toward God, unless it be possessed with a taste and relish for his service, and for what relates to it.

Men may, and many undoubtedly do, attend upon acts of religious worship, and even from religious motives, yet, at the same time, without this taste and relish of which we are speaking. Religion has no savour for them. I do not allude to the case of those who attend upon the public worship of the church, or of their communion, from compliance with custom, out of regard to station, for example's sake merely, from habit merely; still less to the case of those who have particular worldly views in so doing. I lay the case of such persons, for the present, out of the question; and I consider only the case of those, who, knowing and believing the worship of God to be a A TASTE and relish for religious exercise, or duty, and that the wilful neglect of this, as of the want of it, is one of the marks and tokens other duties, must look forward to future pu by which we may judge whether our heart be nishment, do join in worship from a principle right towards God or not. God is unquestion-of obedience, from a consideration of those conably an object of devotion to every creature sequences which will follow disobedience; from which he has made capable of devotion; con- the fear indeed of God, and the dread of his sequently, our minds can never be right to- judgments (and so far from motives of religion,) wards him, unless they be in a devotional frame. yet without any taste or relish for religious exIt cannot be disputed, but that the Author and ercise itself. That is the case I am considerGiver of all things, upon whose will and whose ing. It is not for us to presume to speak mercy we depend for every thing we have, and harshly of any conduct, which proceeds, in any

manner, from a regard to God, and the expec- who passed the greatest part of their time in tation of a future judgment. God, in his acts of devotion, and passed it with enjoyment, Scriptures, holds out to man terrors, as well" Anna, the prophetess, was of great age, as promises; punishment after death, as well which departed not from the temple, but serv as reward. Undoubtedly he intended those ed God with fastings and prayers, night and motives which he himself proposes, to operate day." The first Christians, so far as can be and have their influence. Wherever they ope- gathered from their history in the Acts of the rate, good ensues; very great and important Apostles, and the Epistles, as well as from the good, compared with the cases in which they subsequent account left of them, took great do not operate; yet not all the good we would delight in exercises of devotion. These seemdesire, not all which is attainable, not all which ed to form, indeed, the principal satisfaction we ought to aim at, in our Christian course. of their lives in this world. "Continuing daily, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of know- with one accord, in the temple, and breaking ledge: but calling it the beginning, implies bread,” that is, celebrating the holy commuthat we ought to proceed further; namely, nion, "from house to house, they eat their from his fear to his love. meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God." In this spirit Christians set out, finding the greatest gratification they were capable of, in acts and exercises of devotion.

To apply this distinction to the subject before us: the man who serves God from a dread of his displeasure, and therefore in a certain sense by constraint, is, beyond all comparison, A great deal of what is said in the New Tesin a better situation as touching his salva- tament, by St. Paul in particular, about “retion, than he who defies this dread and breaks joicing in the Lord, rejoicing in the Holy Ghost, through this constraint. He, in a word, who rejoicing in hope, rejoicing in consolation, reobeys, from whatever motive his obedience joicing in themselves, as sorrowful, yet always springs, provided it be a religious motive, is of rejoicing," refer to the pleasure, and the high a character, as well as in a condition, infinitely and spiritual comfort which they found in repreferable to the character and condition of ligious exercises. Much, I fear, of this spirit the man whom no motives whatever can induce is fled. There is a coldness in our devotions, to perform his duty. Still it is true, that if which argues a decay of religion amongst us. he feels not within himself a taste and relish Is it true that men, in these days, perform refor the service which he performs, (to say no-ligious exercises as frequently as they ought, thing of the consideration how much less ac- or as those did who have gone before us in the ceptable his services may be,) and for devotion itself, he wants one satisfactory evidence of his heart being right towards God. A further progress in religion will give him this evidence, but it is not yet attained: as yet, therefore, there is a great deficiency.

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Christian course? that is one question to be asked: but there is also another question of still greater importance, viz. do they find in these performances that gratification which the first and best disciples of the religion ac tually found? which they ought to find; and which they would find, did they possess the taste and relish concerning which we are discoursing, and which if they do not possess, they want one great proof of their heart being right towards God.

The taste and relish for devotion, of which we are speaking, is what good men in all ages have felt strongly. It appears in their history: it appears in their writings. The book of Psalms, in particular, was, great part of it, composed under the impression of this princi- | If the spirit of prayer, as it is sometimes ple. Many of the Psalms are written in the called, if the taste and relish for devotion, if truest spirit of devotion; and it is one test of a devotional frame of mind be within us, it the religious frame of our own minds, to ob-will show itself in the turn and cast of our me serve whether we have a relish for these com- ditations, in the warmth, and earnestness, and positions; whether our hearts are stirred as frequency of our secret applications to God in we read them; whether we perceive in them prayer; in the deep, unfeigned, heart-piercwords alone, a mere letter, or so many grate-ing, heart-sinking sorrow of our confessions ful, gratifying sentiments towards God in uni- and our penitence; in the sincerity of our grason with what we ourselves feel, or have be-titude and of our praise; in our admiration of fore felt. And what we are saying of the the divine bounty to his creatures; in our book of Psalms, is true of many religious books that are put into our hands, especially books of devotional religion; which, though they be human compositions, and nothing more, are of a similar cast with the devotional writings of Scripture, and excellently calculated for their purpose. We read of aged persons,

Amongst these I particularly recommend the prayers and devotions annexed to the new Whole Duty of Man, Bishop Burnet, in speaking of such kind of books, very

sense of particular mercies to ourselves. We shall pray much in secret. We shall address ourselves to God of our own accord, in our walks, our closet, our bed. Form, in these addresses, will be nothing. Every thing will

truly says, "By the frequent reading of these books, by the relish that one has in them, by the delight they give and the effects they produce, a man will plainly perceive whether his soul is made for divine matters, or not; what suitableness there is between him and them, and whe ther he is yet touched with such a sense of religion, as to be capable of dedicating himself to it,

come from the heart. We shall feed the flame | favours of Providence, which he enjoys above of devotion by continually returning to the many others, or more than most others; he subject. No man who is endued with the does not dwell upon distinctions alone; he taste and relish we speak of, will have God long out of his mind. Under one view or other, God cannot be long out of a devout mind. "Neither was God in all his thoughts," is a true description of a complete dereliction of religious principle; but it can, by no possibility, be the case with a man, who has the spirit of devotion, or any portion of that spirit, within him.

sees God in all his goodness, in all his bounty. Bodily ease, for instance, is not less valuable, not less a mercy, because others are at ease, as well as himself. The same of his health, the use of his limbs, the faculties of his understanding. But what I mean is, that, in his mind, he brings to church mercies, in which he is interested, and that the most general expressions of thankfulness attach with him upBut it is not in our private religion alone, on particular recollections of goodness, partithat the effect and benefit of this principle is cular subjects of gratitude; so that the holy perceived. The true taste and relish we so fervour of his devotion is supported; never much dwell upon, will bring a man to the pub- wants, nor can want, materials to act upon. lic worship of God; and, what is more, will It is the office, therefore, of an internal spirit bring him in such a frame of mind, as to en- of devotion to make worship personal. We able him to join in it with effect; with effect have seen that it will be so with thanksgivas to his own soul; with effect as to every ob-ing. It will be the same likewise with every ject, both public and private, intended by pub- other part of divine worship. The confession lic worship. Wanderings and forgetfulness, of sins in our liturgy, and perpaps in all liturremissions and intermissions of attention, there gies, is general; but our sins, alas! are parwill be; but these will be fewer and shorter, ticular: our conscience not only acknowledges in proportion as more of this spirit is preva- a deplorable weakness and imperfection in the lent within us; and some sincere, some hear- discharge of our duty, but is stung also with ty, some deep, some true, and, as we trust, remembrances and compunctions, excited by acceptable service will be performed, before we particular offences. When we come, there leave the place; some pouring forth of the soul fore, to confess our sins, let memory do its ofunto God in prayer and in thanksgiving; in fice faithfully. Let these sins rise up before prayer, excited by wants and weaknesses; I our eyes. All language is imperfect. Forms, fear also, by sins and neglects without number; and in thanksgivings, such as mercies, the most undeserved, ought to call forth from a heart, filled, as the heart of man should be, with a thorough consciousness of dependency and obligation.

intended for general use, must consist of general terms, and are so far inadequate. They may be rehearsed by the lips with very little of application to our own case. But this will never be so, if the spirit of devotion be within us. A devout mind is exceedingly stirred, Forms of public worship must, by their very when it has sins to confess. None but a harnature, be in a great degree general; that is, dened sinner can even think of his sins without must be calculated for the average condition of pain. But when he is to lay them, with suphuman and of Christian life; but it is one plications for pardon, before his Maker; when property of the devotional spirit, which we he is to expose his heart to God; it will alspeak of, to give a particularity to our wor-ways be with powerful inward feelings of ship, though it be carried on in a congrega-guilt and calamity. It hath been well said of tion of fellow Christians, and expressed in prayer, that prayer will either make a man terms which were framed and conceived for leave off sinning, or sin will make him leave the use of all. And it does this by calling up off prayer. And the same is true of confesrecollections which will apply most closely, sion. If confession be sincere, if it be such as and bring home most nearly to ourselves, those a right capacity for devotion will make it to terms and those expressions. For instance, in be, it will call up our proper and particular public worship, we thank God in general terms, sins so distinctly to our view, their guilt, their that is, we join with the congregation in a danger, their end; whither they are carrygeneral thanksgiving; but a devout man brings ing us; in what they will conclude; that, if to church the recollection of special and parti- we can return to them again without molescular mercies, particular bounties, particular tation from our conscience, then religion is not providences, particular deliverances, particular within us. If we have approached God in his relief recently experienced, specially and criti- worship so ineffectually as to ourselves, it is cally granted in the moment of want or dan- because we have not worshipped him in spi ger, or eminently and supereminently vouch-rit; we may say of all we have done, "we safed to us individually. These he bears in drew near with our lips, but our hearts were his thoughts; he applies as he proceeds; that far from him."

which was general, he makes close and cir- What we have said concerning thanksgiv cumstantial; his heart rises towards God, by ing and confession, is likewise true of prayer a sense of mercies vouchsafed to himself. He universally. The spirit of devotion will ap does not, however, confine himself to those ply our prayers to our wants. In forms of

worship, be they ever so well composed, it is I say, that the spirit of devotion removes impossible to exhibit human wants, otherwise from the worship of God the perception of tethan in general expressions. But devotion diousness, and with that also every disposi will apply them. It will teach every man, in tion to censure or cavil at particular phrases, the first place, to know how indigent, how or expressions used in public worship. All poor a creature without a continued exercise such faults, even if they be real, and such obof mercy and supply of bounty from God, he servations upon them, are absorbed by the imwould be; because, when he begins to enu- mense importance of the business in which we merate his wants, he will be astonished at their are engaged. Quickness in discovering blemultitude. What are we, any of us, but a mishes of this sort is not the gift of a pious complication of wants, which we have not in mind; still less either levity or acrimony of ourselves the power of supplying? But, be- them. side those numerous wants, and that common Moreover, the spirit of devotion reconciles helplessness, in which we all partake, every us to repetitions. In other subjects, repetition man has his own sore, his own grief, his own soon becomes tiresome and offensive. In dedifficulties; every man has some distress, votion it is different. Deep, earnest, heartwhich he is suffering, or fearing. Nay, were felt devotion, naturally vents itself in repetiworldly wishes satisfied, was worldly prospe- tion. Observe a person racked by excruciatrity complete, he has always what is of more ing bodily pain; or a person suddenly struck consequence than worldly prosperity to pray with the news of some dreadful calamity; or for; he has always his sins to pray against. a person labouring under some cutting anguish Where temporal wants are few, spiritual wants are often the most and the greatest. The grace of God is always wanted. His governing, his preventing, his inspiring, his insisting grace is always wanted. Here, therefore, is a subject for prayer, were there no other; a subject personally and individually interesting in the highest degree; a subject above all others, upon which the spirit of devotion will be sure to fix.

I assign, therefore, as the first effect of a right spirit of devotion, that it gives particularity to all our worship. It applies, and it appropriates. Forms of worship may be general, but a spirit of devotion brings them home and close to each and every one.

of soul; and you will always find him break. ing out into ejaculations, imploring from God support, mercy, and relief, over and over again, uttering the same prayer in the same words. Nothing, he finds, suits so well the extremity of his sufferings, the urgency of his wants, as a continual recurrence to the same cries, and the same call for divine aid. Our Lord himself, in his last agony, affords a high example of what we are saying: thrice he besought his heavenly Father; and thrice he used the same words. Repetition, therefore, is not only tolerable in devotion, but it is natural: it is even dictated by a sense of suffering, and an acuteness of feeling. It is coldness of affection, which requires to be enticed and gratiOne happy consequence of which is, that it fied by continual novelty of idea, or expresprevents the tediousness of worship. Things sion, or action. The repetitions and prolixity which interest us, are not tedious. If we find of pharisaical prayers, which our Lord cen worship tedious, it is because it does not in-sures, are to be understood of those prayers terest us as it ought to do. We must allow which run out into mere formality and into (experience compels us to allow) for wanderings and inattentions, as amongst the infirmities of our infirm nature. But, as I have already said, even these will be fewer and shorter, in proportion as we are possessed of the spirit of devotion. Weariness will not be perceived, by reason of that succession of devout feelings and consciousnesses which the several offices of worship are calculated to ex- Lastly, and what has already been intimatcite. If our heart be in the business, it will ed, the spirit of devotion will cause our prayers not be tedious. If, in thanksgiving, it be lift- to have an effect upon our practice. For exed up by a sense of mercies, and a knowledge ample; if we repeated the confession in our from whom they proceed, thanksgiving will liturgy with a true penitential sense of guilt be a grateful exercise, and not a tedious form. upon our souls, we should not, day after day, What relates to our sins and wants, though be acknowledging to God our transgressions not of the same gratifying nature, though ac- and neglects, and yet go on exactly in the companied with deep, nay, with afflicting cause same manner without endeavouring to make of humiliation and fear, must, nevertheless, be them less and fewer. We should plainly perequally interesting, or more so, because it is ceive that this was doing nothing towards salof equal concernment to us, or of greater. In vation; and that, at this rate, we may be sinneither case, therefore, if our duty be perform-ning and confessing all our lives. Whereas, ed as it ought to be, will tediousness be per- was the right spirit of confessional piety, viz. ceived. thoughtfulness of soul, within us at the time,

great length; no sentiment or affection of the heart accompanying them; but uttered as a task, from an opinion (of which our Lord justly notices the absurdity,) that they should really be heard for their much speaking. Actuated by the spirit of devotion, we can never offend in this way, we can never be the object of this censure.

SERMON JII.

THE LOVE OF GOD.

I JOHN iv. 19.

this would be the certain benefit, especially in the case of an often-repeated sin, that the mind would become more and more concerned, more and more filled with compunction and remorse, so as to be forced into amendment. Even the most heart-felt confession might not immediately do for us all that we could wish : yet by perseverance in the same, it would cer- We love him, because he first loved us.— tainly, in a short time, produce its desired effect. For the same reason, we should not, time after time, pray that we might thenceforward, RELIGION may, and it can hardly, I think, viz. after each time of so praying, lead godly, he questioned but that it sometimes does, righteous, and sober lives, yet persist, just as spring from terror, from grief, from pain, from usual, in ungodliness, unrighteousness, and punishment, from the approach of death; and, intemperance. The thing would be impossible, provided it be sincere, that is, such as either acif we prayed as we ought. So likewise, if real tually produces, or as would produce a change thankfulness of heart accompanied our thanks- of life, it is genuine religion, notwithstanding givings, we should not pray in vain, that we the bitterness, the violence, or, if it must be might show forth the praises of God, not only so called, the baseness and unworthiness, of with our lips but in our lives. As it is, thou- the motive from which it proceeds. We are sands repeat these words without doing a single not to narrow the promises of God; and acdeed for the sake of pleasing God, exclusive ceptance is promised to sincere penitence, withof other motives, or refraining from a single out specifying the cause from which it origithing they like to do out of the fear of dis-nates, or confining it to one origin more than pleasing him. So again, every time we hear another. There are, however, higher, and the third service at church, we pray that God worthier, and better motives, from which rewould incline our hearts to keep his command-ligion may begin in the heart; and on this acments; yet immediately, perhaps, afterwards, count especially are they to be deemed better allow our hearts and inclinations to wander, motives, that the religion which issues from without controul, to whatever sinful tempta- them has a greater probability of being sincere. tion entices them. This, I say, all proceeds I repeat again, that sincere religion, from any from the want of earnestness in our devo- motive, will be effectual; but there is a great tions. Strong devotion is an antidote against deal of difference in the probability of its being mind from which it sets out. sincere, according to the different cause in the

sin.

To conclude; a spirit of devotion is one of the greatest blessings; and, by consequence, the want of it one of the greatest misfortunes, love of God. There may be motives stronger The purest motive of human action is the which a Christian can experience. When it and more general, but none so pure. The reis present, it gives life to every act of worship ligion, the virtue, which owes its birth in the which we perform; it makes every such act soul to this motive, is always genuine religion, interesting and comfortable to ourselves. It always true virtue Indeed, speaking of reliis felt in our most retired moments, in our beds, gion, I should call the love of God not so much our closets, our rides, our walks. It is stir- the ground-work of religion, as religion itself. red within us, when we are assembled with So far as religion is disposition, it is religion our children and servants in family prayer. itself. But though of religion it be more than It leads us to church, to the congregation of the ground-work, yet, being a disposition of our fellow Christians there collected; it accom- mind, like other dispositions, it is the groundpanies us in our joint offices of religion in an work of action. Well might our blessed Saespecial manner; and it returns us to our viour preach up, as he did, the love of God. homes holier, and happier, and better; and It is the source of every thing which is good lastly, what greatly enhances its value to every in man. anxious Christian, it affords to himself a proof source, or that goodness can proceed from no I do not mean that it is the only that his heart is right towards God: when it other, but that of all principles of conduct it is followed up by a good life, by abstinence is the safest, the best, the truest, the highest. from sin, and endeavours after virtue, by Perhaps it is peculiar to the Jewish and Christian avoiding evil and doing good, the proof and dispensations (and, if it be, it is a peculiar excelthe satisfaction to be drawn from it are comlency in them) to have formally and solemnly plete. laid down this principle, as a ground of human action. I shall not deny, that elevated notions were entertained of the Deity by some wise and excellent heathens; but even these did not, that I can find, so inculcate the love of that Deity, or so propose and state it to their followers, as to make it a governing, actuating principle of life amongst them. This did