my Soul; and come, my Chriftian Friends; and particularly come you, my dear Friend, who fent in the above Cafe, and are defirous of a Revival; come, and let us examine, wherein we have provoked God to withdraw. What has been the Reafon of our late Coldnefs and Formality? How came we to lofe any of our Zeal for Chrift? How is it we have been led to omit fpiritual Duties of Prayer, Meditation, &c.? Why is it we have not experienced the Prefence of the Spirit in Ordinances, drawing our Souls after Jefus, and shedding abroad his Love in our Hearts? Oh! why is it, that it is not with us as in Months paft, when we fat under the Shadow of the Lord, and his Prefence filled our Souls with unfpeakable Joy? We have Reason to be jealous of our wicked Hearts, and to fear that they have led us afide, and fo we have grieved the Holy Spirit, and he has dif covered his Displeasure - Let us make the Inquiry - Perhaps we have been too much elated with Pride. Pride is a great Enemy to the divine Life. It has often provoked the Spirit to withdraw his Prefence, that, being in fome Measure left to ourselves, we might be humbled, and not think of ourselves beyond what we ought. 'Twas Pride that provoked God to leave Pêter; and see how fhamefully he fell. Luke xxii. 33, 57, 58, 59, 60. The Apostle Paul was like to be carried away with Pride, even under those high Enjoyments he was favoured with; therefore he had a Messenger of Satan fent to buffet him. 2 Cor. xii. 1-7. Some are proud of the World. They grow in Riches; and their Hearts are lifted up, as if they were more amiable, or had more Interest in God, than others. Is this your Cafe, my Friends? Examine; have not temporal or spiritual Enjoyments lifted you up too much? Have not these vain Hearts been flattering you, as Perfons of fome pe B 3 culiar culiar Worth? and have you not been ready to fwell with the Thought, and, from fuch an Apprehension, to look with an unchriftian Air upon others? Again, Perhaps you have been led by your Enjoyments to indulge a Security and Carelessness of Spirit. Through the fad Wickedness of our Hearts, we have often been guilty here, and fo have fuffered an unfpeakable Lofs. It has often been fuggefted to us after fpiritual Enjoyments, that our State is safe and secure; there is no depriving us of the promised Inheritance; God has given us an evident Token of his everlasting Love to our Souls; therefore we need not be so much in Duty, but may indulge a little Liberty, and enjoy a few of the Pleasures, and Comforts of the present Life, and all this confiftent with our Hopes of a better. These Thoughts perhaps we have too eagerly fucked in, from their having a plaufible Appearance; and they have proved Poison to our Souls: For, whilft we have been taking this innocent Liberty, we have infenfibly grown careless and fecure, and have loft our fpiritual Joy. This may be the Cafe also as to temporal Enjoyments. Inquire therefore ; have not these led you to a Carelessness and Security of Spirit? God has perhaps increafed your Subftance, and given you every Thing richly to enjoy. You are like many of the World, you abound with Comforts; and you must be like them too in Frame and Spirit. Oh, there is great Danger here! They apprehend themfelves to be too rich to be religious, that God will pay a Deference to them on account of their Station. And has not this been a Temptation to you at Times, and fo you have funk in your Zeal, and in close Communion and Converse with God?! Again, Perhaps you have loved this World too much. If any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not not in him. I John ii. 15. Though you may not love the World in the Senfe of the Apoftle; yet your Affec tions may be so much set upon it, as to make a jealous God withdraw the fpecial Tokens of his Love from you. 'Tis every Way unfuitable to our Profeffion of Love to God to be fo fond of present Things. 'Tis of fering the greatest Affronts to our adorable Emmanuel ; as if there was more Excellency in the World than in him, or as if he was not a fufficient Portion for us. O Chriftians, inquire; inquire, my Friend, how your Heart ftands as to the World, Have you been flighting your Lord, your Husband, your best of Friends, by valuing the World too much? Again, Perhaps, through a Multiplicity of Engagements, you have been tempted to neglect thofe Duties, in which Chriftians meet with God, and by which they find their Souls enlivened. Every Duty is beautiful in its Season. There is a Time to mind the World, and a Time to attend to the Affairs of the Soul, To be diligent in our Calling is doubtless a Duty. A Chriftian who is careless and flothful in his worldly Affairs, is no Honour to Religion. I would not throw one Reflection upon Industry in the Pursuit of our lawful Business, but ra→ ther applaud it. But then we should remember, that the World has not a Right to all our Time. Martha was incumbered about making Provifion for our Lord, when the ought to have been at his Feet, hearing his Doctrine: Lake x. 38-42. So the Chriftian is often in the World, when he should be in his Family, or in his Closet. Perhaps your Engagements are great; you are obliged to be much in Company. This is a Temptation to you to neglect fome important Duties; Duties that have been made fweet and pleasant to your Souls. You will permit me, my dear Friends, to be B 4 quite quite free. The Cafe under Confideration gives me an Opportunity for it; and the Profperity of our Souls. is a Matter of fuch Importance, that it requires it. I cannot but be inclined to think that Evening Clubs, fo frequent even amongst Professors, are injurious to the Chriftian Life. Let me here explain myself, for fear of a Mistake. I mean not, that we are to avoid all Company and Conversation in an Evening. Chriftian Converfation is neceffary, and greatly useful. Nay, whilst we are engaged in the Affairs of this Life, it will be often necessary for a Christian to mix with those that perhaps are not fo. But, when fo much Time is spent in Evening Vifits, Clubs, &c. as interferes with, and often fets afide, the Duties of the Family and the Closet, or leaves but little Time for thefe Things, no Wonder we then lofe Ground in the divine Life, especially if this is too much our Practice. We fhould remember, that real Religion lies not in much Talking, but in a fecret Converse with God, and in an Experience of his quickening Prefence and Grace. Christian Conversation, indeed, has an excellent Tendency to promote this: And oh that it was more found amongst us! But there is a great Beauty, and a good deal of Chriftian Skill lies in timing of Things. One Duty fhould not justle out, or prevent the Discharge of another. Let me appeal to your Confcience, O Profeffor, and afk you a few Questions. Is it your ufual Practice to spend your Evenings abroad? What is the Confequence? Do you find your Family in a fuitable Difpofition to attend to focial Worship at your coming home? Rather, are they not wearied with the Hurries of the Day, and wishing for Reft? The Duty is oftentimes in such a Circumftance fadly curtailed, if not totally neglected. And how is it with the Closet? That has feldom an Even 1. ing Vifit. You have no Time to look into your Soul, to mourn over the Sins of the Day, or to call over its Mercies; no Time for Reading or Meditation. One Neglect of this Kind makes Way for another; and the Profeffor can content himself with it. Oh! Chriftians, has this been the Case with any of you? Has this been the Cafe with you, my Friend? Has the Multiplicity of your Affairs, or have your Engagements, prevented your often being in your Clofet? What have you loft! But, alas! you are contented, and think that none can blame you, fo long as you have been in Company with fome of the Friends of Jefus. Go on fo, and fee what will be the Confequences. You will gradually lose a Relifh for the Power and Pleasures of Religion, and your Zeal will too much degenerate into Controverfy. You may talk much of God; but you will walk but little with him. Pardon my Freedom, my dear Friends: I bring no Charge against you, but what I would bring against myself; and would therefore put myself upon the Enquiry, as well as you. Thus examine into the Occafions of your Decline-I have given you fome Instances to direct and help your Inquiries. But ftop not here, but carefully examine every Thing by which you may have provoked God to withdraw his fpecial Prefence from you. II. When you have found the Occafions of your Decline, humble yourselves before the Lord, guard carefully against them for the future, get your Hearts fenfibly affected with your Lofs, and earneftly pray that the Spirit may not depart from you, but graciously return unto you. This was the Cafe with David, of whom we have already fpoken. When he was brought to a Senfe of his Sins, how humble! He fell down proftrate before God, acknowledged and bewailed his Backflidings. He was jealous, |