IO AN HUMBLE ATTEMPT, &C. an high affront to God and to the reason of man, to chatter over words and syllables before the God of heaven, and to address him about the important things of graceand salvation and eternal life, and yet know nothing of our wants or our petitions ! How serious, how fervent, how spiritual should our devotion be, in comparison of theirs who are taught to pronounce a little gibbe- rish in Latin instead of serious devotion ? Whenever I read of any instances of religious and devout Papists, and especially if they are persons of the lower rank of life, who have not the advantages of the men of learning among them ; and when I reflect to what heights here and there one of them have risen in the spiritual parts of religion, I blush and am ashamed of myself, who enjoy so much superior advantages, and sink so far below them in these divine exercises. We are not brought up in the superstitions and idolatries of the church of Rome ; we are not taught to worship saints and an- gels, nor requiredto bow down before a piece of bread in the hand of a priest, nor to pay religious honours to images of wood and stone, ofgold and silver ; we arenot taught to address ourselves to departedsaints and angels for mediators, to apply to the Virgin mother instead of Christ her Son, nor to address the apostles instead of their Master : we are directed only to the one Medi- ator, Christ the Son of God, who is all sufficient, to reconcile us to God, and to make our persons and our prayers acceptable before the throne ; whereas the disciples of the Pope distribute the care of their best interests amongst many mediators, and re- commend themselves to the protection of many saints and savi- ours. Well, let us enquire then, are our hearts united in the faith and love of. Jesus, the only Mediator, more than theirs? Are we better acquainted with Jesus the Son of God, to whom we have committed all our immortal concerns, since our thoughts and hopes, our wishes and prayers, are not divided amongst many intercessors ? Do we pay more honour to Jesus our only Saviour than they do, who have so many objects of their trust and worship to divide their hearts and devotion into slender streams ? What shall I say for our own excuse, if I should find some papists exceedingus in their love to God, in their devotion to Christ, and in their benevolenceto men ? I believe indeed their number is but small, but methinks it is a shame and reproach to us under our superior advantages, if there should be found any of that corrupt and superstitious church practising the christian religion, in the substantial duties of it, better than we. When I read Thomas a Kempis resigning himself to hisLord and Sa- vieur in such pious language, Giveme what thou wilt, and as in lick or little as thou wilt, and when thou wilt. Deal with me as thou hoarsest to be most proper, and as may bring thee most
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=