321 OfFajling and Humiliation~ The . p~rticular feafons of time are determined by Providence. Wherefore, they who would be practi– fers of them, mull: be religious obfervers of Provi– dence : otherwife God may be calling a]oud, for " weeping and ,mourning, and girding with fackcloth," 'While they not heeding ir, are indulging themfelves in.joy and gladnefs, Ifa. xii.' 12, 13. a dangerous ad• venture! Ver~ 14. ' Surely this iniquity !hall not be purged from you, till ye die, faith the Lord:' ~ence the moll: ferious and tender among knowing Chriflians, \\;ill readily be found the mofi frequent 'ill .thefe exercifes. It is on the ' pouring out of the Spi• rit, that the land is to mourn, every family apart, and their wives apart,' Zech. xii .. to, 12. Paul was a fcene, wherein corrupt nature fhew~d her curfed vigQur, he being, when he was bad, very bad ; and grace, in its turn, its facred power, he being, when he was good, very good, and then in faflings often; 2 Cor. xi. 27. · Thefe duties confifi ofan external and circuniflan· tial part, and an internal and fubfian tial part. T'o the exrernal and circumilantial part of them belong time, plate, and abfiinence. . Firjl of all, a proper time mufi be fet apart for thefe duties. And this is to be regulated by Ch'rifiian pru– dence, .as befi fuits the circumfiances of tke perfon or family. · \Ve find the faints in Scripture, ordinarily kept their fafl:s by day. But w,e have an inil:ance of a per– fonal fail: kept by night, 2 Sam. xii. 16. ' David fail– ed, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.' This I do the rather notice, to obv,iate the excufe of th~fe who quite negleCt this duty, ·under the pretence oftheir not being mafiers of their own time. If the heart can be brought to it, one will readily find fame . time or other for it, either by day, or elfe by night. It is recorded to the honour of one oft he weaker fex, · namely)! \ .
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