to the most accursed death, for us' men and our salvation. O, Theron! Have we been impressed with wonder at the contemplation of this goodness? Have our hearts glowed with gratitude under a sense of these mercies? Surely no man need be convicted of any other crime, at the great tribunal, than insensibility of such love, and ingratitude for such favours. This,, without the accession of horrid impieties, is enough to leave him absolutely inexcusable: this is enough to prove him one of the most disingenuous and detestable of creatures. Have we exercised ourselves in frequent thanksgiv ing? Many are the exhortations to this honourable duty. 'Praise thy God, O Zion ;' 'Praise him for his mighty acts:+ praise him according to his excellent greatness." Innumerable are the incitements to abound in this pleasant service. Every comfort has a voice, and cries in the ear of reason: O that men would therefore" praise the Lord for his goodness.' Every deliverance enforces the address, and furnishes fresh materials for the heavenly employ. The man after God's own heart declares, as an inviting example for our practice, 'I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth :6" Yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God.' Indeed, when we consider the inexhaustibly rich bounty of God our Creator, and the inconceivably tender mercy of God our Redeemer, it is both strange and deplorable, that the love of God is not always prevailing in our hearts, and the language of praise ever flowing from our lips. I will not suppose our character so irreligious, that Psal. cxlvii. 12. + Psal. cl. 2. 1 Among these exhortations, we may rank that beautiful and devout address to God, xmbana Psal. xxii. 3. "Thou that inhabitest,' light inaccessible, shall I say? The regions of Immensity, or the ages of eternity! No; but what is a more exalted character, the praises of Israel.' Finely signifying, that praise is a most acceptable sacrifice, to which the divine Majesty attends with the greatest delight. Intimating also, that the exercise of praise should not be an occasional thing, like a transient visit to a stranger's house: but a daily and almost unintermitted service, like the stated residence of a person in his own habitation. Psal. cxlvi. 2. Psal. xxxiv. 4. we have neglected the daily worship of God, either in our closet, or in our family; but have we prayed with that profound reverential awe which is due to the high and lofty one who inhabiteth eternity? Have we made our supplications with that fervent importunity which may, in some measure, correspond with the extreme indigence of our state, and the invaluable worth of the blessings we crave? Have our petitions been attended with that steady affiance which may glorify the good. ness, the power, the veracity of the Lord; may evidently declare, that he is rich in mercy to all that call upon him; that he is the Lord Jehovah, in whom is everlasting strength;'t that he is the God of truth, and faithful for ever?'t We call him Father, but have we trusted in him with that unsuspecting, cheerful, filial confidence which a child reposes on the fidelity and indulgence of such an earthly relative? Have we not entertained, too often entertained, narrow, dishonour. able, beggarly apprehensions concerning the treasures of his liberality, and the bowels of his pity; rating them even lower than our parents, our friends, or our own? Have we been careful to carry the spirit of our prayers into our ordinary conversation, and waited at the door, as well as approached to the throne of grace! Amidst the intervals of our solemn devotions, have we cultivated an ejaculatory intercourse with heaven? How highly would the ambitious courtier prize, and how frequently would he use a privy key, which should give him at all hours free admittance to his sovereign. This key of admittance, only to an infinitely more exalted potentate, we all possess in the practice of mental aspirations to God. It is certainly the noblest employ, and will be the richest improvement of our thoughts, to send them in such short embassies to the King of kings; and to derive, by such occasional sallies of Rom. x. 12. + Isa, xxvi. 4. t Deut. xxxii. 4. We have in Scripture very remarkable instances of the suc cess which has attended ejaculatory prayer. Observe Nehemiah; he stands before Ahasuerus, apprehensive of the monarch's dis pleasure, yet desirous to solicit him in behalf of Jerusalem. To be delivered from his fears, and to obtain his desires, what me thod does he use! The mean and servile arts of flattery? No, but the manly and devout epedient of prayer, I prayed,' says faith, a renewed supply from the fountain of all good. How great a loss then must it be to our spiritual interests, and how contemptuous a disregard of the ever present Jehovah, to omit entirely, or long to discon. tinue, this most beneficial practice of habitual adoration? Can you, my dear Theron, acquit yourself on this article of inquiry? Has not every day of your life been a day of negligence in this respect? been a perpe tual disobedience to our Saviour's injunction, ought,' in this manner, always to pray and not to faint?" men Have we sanctified the sabbath? Has the Lord's day, with all its solemn and sacred offices, been our delight? Have we remembered that distinguished portion of our the patriot, to the God of heaven. We cannot suppose that be fell on his knees, or spoke with his lips, while he continued in the royal presence. But he darted up his soul in silent supplication; which supplication pierced the clouds,' reached the eternal throne, and returned not again till a blessing was sent such as totally averted the wrath he dreaded, and procured favour and assistance, much larger than he expected. Neh. ii. 4. : When David heard that Ahitophel, the ablest politician in his kingdom, was revolted to Absalom, sensible what a loss his affairs had sustained, and what an advantage the rebellious party had acquired, he betook himself to his God. He staid not for an opportunity of retirement, but instantly and upon the spot cried, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahitophel into foolishness! A short address, but very efficacious. He who disap pointed the devices of the crafty, sent a spirit of infatuation among the rebels, and inclined them to reject the advice of that judicious statesman; which false step brought upon their horrid enterprise the ruin it deserved, and chagrined the wretched traitor even to rage, frenzy, and suicide. 2 Sam. xv. 31. xvii. 23. Amyntor, at a memorable period of his life, was under great distress of conscience, and harassed by violent temptations. He made his case known to an experienced friend, who said, 'Amyntor, you do not pray. Surprised at this, he replied, I pray, if such a thing be possible, too much. I can hardly tell how many times in the day I bow my knee before God, almost to the omis sion of my other duties, and the neglect of my necessary studies." You mistake my meaning; dear Amyntor. I do not refer you to the ceremony of the knee, but to the devotion of the heart; which neglects not any business, but intermingles prayer with all; which, in every place, looks upon the Lord, and, on every oc casion, lifts up an indigent longing soul for the supply of his grace. This (added he, and spoke with a peculiar vehemence), this is the prayer which all the devils in hell cannot withstand." This, I would farther observe, is the prayer which brings down somewhat of heaven into the heart; in which I would myself de sire to abound, and would earnestly recommend to all my acquaintance, and all my readers. Luke xviii. 1. time, as Jacob remembered the delightful interview at Peniel? Have we expected it, as merchants expect the arrival of a richly laden vessel? Have we improved it, as husbandmen improve the shining hours of the harvest? Have we wholly laid aside every earthly engage. ment, not speaking our own words, nor allowing ourselves in any gratifications that may interrupt our communion with the Father of Spirits? Has 'one day in his courts been preferable to a thousand't spent either in the works of our calling, or in the scenes of recreation? Have the memorials of our Redeemer's dying merits, and the seals of his unchangeable lovingkindness, been relished as a feast, and prized as a portion? Have we honoured God's holy word? What greater mark of disesteem than to despise a person's discourse, and not to think his speech worthy of our notice, espe cially when he addresses us with very great seriousness, and with the utmost affection? In our Bible, the God of glory speaks to his creatures, speaks with the most persuasive energy, and with all the yearnings of parental tenderness. Have we listened to our Creator with ro verence and delight, and rejoiced with trembling atThus saith the Lord?" Have we searched the oracles of truth, not merely as scholars, but as sinners; not from a spirit of curiosity, or with an air of formality, but with a solicitude and ardour becoming persons who inquire after the Saviour of their lost souls? Have we submitted our inmost thoughts to their impartial scrutiny, to receive convic tion of sin from their awful remonstrances, and to hear the sentence of condemnation at their righteous bar? Have we been willing to suffer the reproach of conscious baseness, while they have ripped up the dis guises of falsehood, laid open our secret iniquities, and brought all our evil ways to remembrance? Thus Josiah acted: His heart was tender, and he humbled himself before the Lord: he rent his clothes, and wept before the Lord, when he heard the words of the book of the law.' Have we hid the glad tidings of the gospel within our memories, within our hearts? Have we been diligent to suck this honeycomb of grace by concomitant meditation and subsequent prayer? Have we valued the precious promises, as gentlemen of wealth value the writings of their private estates, or as enfranchised bodies esteem the charter of their public privileges? Have we, like the princely patriarch, longed for those words of edification, exhortation, and comfort, more than for our necessary food,'+ and, like the royal prophet, prevented the night-watches, that we may be occu pied in those statutest and ordinances of heaven? We have hitherto confined the examination to a few instances of the affirmative kind: how dreadfully will the dark account be swelled, if instead of love and obedience, there be hatred and opposition-hatred of the name, glory, and worship of God-opposition to his interest, kingdom, and service! God is infinite perfection, worthy of all admiration, exalted above all praise: yet do not our thoughts more frequently, or more naturally, turn upon our own accomplishments, than upon the adorable and shining at tributes of the Almighty? This is in itself the most shameful dotage, and, in God's sight, the most abominable idolatry. Yet let us observe what passes within, and we shall probably find, that as damps arise in the mines, or fogs in the fenny grounds, so naturally and so copiously do these overweaning reflections arise in our depraved minds. God is an everlasting King. Have we not too often resisted his authority? Have we not, as far as in us lay, deposed the omnipotent Sovereign, and exalted self into the throne, made self-will our law, and self-pleasing our end, thus adding sacrilege to rebellion? God is transcendently gracious and amiable. Have we not turned our backs upon him by forgetting his mercies; nay, have we not spurned him from our af fections by being lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God?' Awake, conscience! bear thy impartial testimony; and I am persuaded the Pharisee in our breasts, * Cant. v. 1. ↑ Job xxiii. 12. Psal. cxix. 146. $ 2 Tim. iii, 4, |