Age hath rendered it very unfashionable; and made it look like a Piece of Singularity. But if it was reviv'd amongft us; if, as we have a fitting Occafion, we would be talking of the Things of God; communicating to one another the State of our Souls; our Fears and Hopes; our Improvements and Defects: If we would comfort and fupport one another, it is plain how much this would minifter to our Edification in Faith and Love, to the Growth and Improvement of our Repentance.

5. Fifthly, And I will add no more. The frequent Participation of the holy Eucharift in the Lord's Supper would exceedingly cherish and perfect our Repentance. There is nothing in that holy Adminiftration, which does not apparently crontribute thereto. How many Wife, and Impartial, and fearching Reflections does the antecedent Preparation put the worthy Communicant upon? What an unfeigned Humility; what a profound Awe of the Divine Majefty; what an ardent Love of Jesus Chrift does the Contemplation of the whole Mystery infuse and enkindle in the Soul? What firmnefs and refolution do we derive from fresh Vows, and repeated Engagements; and these offered up in the fight of God, and his holy Angels; in the Prefence and Company of the Congregation of Saints? How much, finally is the Habit of Holiness improved by that Spiritual Delight we take in each other's De votions by that Zeal, Vigilance, and Circumfpection, we there all oblige our felves to, in

the

the future Courfe of our Lives: When with Hands and Eyes, and Hearts lift up to God, we beg of him, for the Sake of his Son Fefus Christ, that he would forgive us all that is past and grant that we may ever hereafter ferve and pleafe him, in newness of Life. Can any Ordinance of our Religion oblige us to a more folemn Exercife of our Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jefus Chrift, and brotherly Love and Charity, and the Hope of Immortality and Glory? In a Word, here we prepare to meet God, as if we were going to die, and from thence to be called to Judg

ment.

A

And thus I have endeavoured to explain unto you, how, and by what means, a fincere Chriftian may attain to fuch a Repentance as is perfect and acceptable in the Sight of God. I am abundantly fatisfy'd that the Rules laid down are not only True, but very Practicable, and indeed fo fhould all Advices of this Nature be; otherwife they do but amufe and perplex, where they ought to inftruct and convince.

And would Men feriously, and without referve, refolve upon Repentance; and in order thereunto, try, and put in practice these Rules and Directions Ifhould not at all doubt but they would find the Comfort of them in their Lives, in their Deaths, and in that great Day when God fhall judge the Works of Men by Jefus Chrift.

There is one Head more behind, which I must leave to a further Opportunity.

SER

SERMON XIII.

The Mifery entailed upon
Pofterity, from Injustice,
Oppreffion, and Cruelty.

1 KINGS Xxi. 29.

But in his Son's Days will I bring the Evil upon his Houfe.

H

Aving fpoken to the foregoing Words of this Vere in a former Difcourfe; and therein confidered. I. The readiness of God to take notice of and fufpend his Judgments upon. Men's prefent Humiliation of themselves before him. II. The Infufficiency of a partial and imperfect Humiliation, which though it may mitigate or fufpend, yet it does not finally remove the Punishment: And both thefe

from

271

from the Cafe and Circumftances of Abab's Humiliation in this Chapter. Now from the Confideration of the Kind and Degree of his Humiliation before God; I proceed to confider that of his Sin, which was the Third general Head of Difcourfe laid down from the Words. viz. III. The particular Guilt of Injustice, Oppreffion, and Cruelty. These have an Hereditary Stain and Pollution in them; they de fcend downward, and entail a Curfe upon Pofterity. But in his Sons Days will I bring the Evil upon his Houfe. In fpeaking to which Head, I will do thefe Things.

1. I will shew the particular and neceffary
Oppofition which thefe Sins have to thie
Nature of God, and the Spirit of Piety.

2. The fingular and remarkable Punishment
which God hath threatened, and frequent-
ly inflicts upon them in this World.

3. The terrible Sentence and Doom they
will receive from God in the other World.

i. Let us confider the particular and neceffary Oppofition which thefe Sins of Injuftice, Oppreffion, and Cruelty, have to the Nature of God, and the Spirit of Piety. For they apparently fpring from the Principles of Infidelity and Prophaneness; from the Diftruft of God and his Providence. They are his moft dangerous Rivals and Competitors; they infenfibly

fteal

and Job.31.24.

fteal the Hearts of Men from him; and be-. tray them, if not into formal, yet (as the Schoolmen distinguish) into material Idolatry. Hence it is, that fuch Men are described in Scripture, as making Gold their Hope; and Saying to the fine Gold, thou art my Confidence: As falling down, and worshipping and praying. unto it. Saying, deliver me, for thou art my God. And our Saviour tells us, That we can- Mat. 6.24. not ferve God and Mammon. And St. Paul, That Covetousness is Idolatry; And again, Col. 3.5. Charge them that are Rich in this World, that 1 Tim. 6. they trust not in uncertain Riches, but in the 17. living God: Where the Antithefis or Oppofition plainly implies how ready and apt fuch Men are to place their Confidence, and to afcribe a fecret kind of Omnipotency to them.

And the Truth is, fuch Men are therefore incapable of the Inftructions of Religion, and of being truly Pious; because their Heart is poffeffed with a vain Devotion towards fomething befides God; their Affections are placed upon an Idol of Clay, upon a Heap of wellcomplexioned Earth curioufly wrought by the Hand of the Artificer; here is the Man's Heart, and here is his Soul; for this he labours and toils in, or all the Day; upon this he mu-fes and projects in the Night: For fays the wife Man, The abundance of the Rich will Eccles. §: not fuffer him to fleep. The Promifes of God 12. have no Efficacy upon his Faith, nor his Commands any Force or Awe upon his Confcience: T

He