14z Sermon 3. they may, be reduced to thefe fax. The ift fort are they that make no Confcience at all of any thing in re- ligion, that never knew what it was to make Confcience to pray, read the word, confer on it, repent, or of any other duty ; What wonder is it, that finch perfons negle& to reflect and look-back on their way, and to examine themfelves ? For (as Yob faith, chap. 24. 17. of the morning to the adulterers) their way to them is as the padow of death : Yet even thefe would know for a cer_ tainty, that their Confciences will fpeak, and fo much the more terribly as now they negle& to take any notice of them. A zd fort make a kind of Confcience of external duties in religion, fuch as hearing, prayer, leading the fcripture, and the like ; but do negie& more fpiritual and inward duties, fuch as the mortifi- cation of fm, the humbling of the heart for it, wreftling with God to have vi &óry over it, meditatic.i, and the like. Now, this duty which we are preffing, be- ing of that fort, and fervi g not a little to further re- pentence and mortification, and to make ferious in pray- er, they muff, and cannot but, negle& it, becaufe they deign not, neither aim at, thefe ends to which it is fub- fervient. A 3d fort are fuch, who may now and then have a fort of tendernefs in the performance of force duties, and in abflaining from feveral fins ; and yet they mind not, nor make Confcience at all of this duty. I fup- pole, there are many of you, who have your own times for prayer, reading and the like, who take no time at all for this duty I would ask fuch of you, if you can make Confcience of other duties, becaufe God com- mands them, who make no Confcience of this ? feeing 'tis as clearly commanded as any of thefe ; deceive not yourfelves, God will not be mocked. A 4th fort are fuch as make fame effays, or rather mints to go about, even this duty, but are overly, general, confufed, in- dïítin&, loon fatisfied, and put to a ftand in it ; taking only a hafty view of it in the by, or a little tranfient look of it when they go to prayer; but fall not pur- pafly about ir, as a diftin& duty, and an uptaking work ; do not dwell upon, and infft in it, to have the ti Queltanccs of their c ons and way unfolded, laid
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=