342 Of the great Duties of Natural Religion, &c. Vol. I. And now finely, after all this is come upon usfor our Sins, it is time for us to look up to him that (mites us, and to think of taking up this quarrel. 'Ti$ time to- inquire as they do in the Text, Wherewithal fiall we come before the Lord, end bow our ever before the high God ? And we are apt to take the fame course they did, to'endeavour toappeafe God by fome external Devotion. We have now betaken our felves to Prayer and Fatting, and 'twas very fit, nay neceffary we ibould do fo, but let us not think this is all God expe&s from us. There are but a Means to a further End, to oblige us for the future to the pra&ice of a good Life. The outward profetftón of Religion is not loft among(( us, there appears flill in Men a great and commendable Zeal for the Reformed Religion, and there bath been toomuch occafion for it ; but that which God chiefly expeas from us, is Reformed Lives. Piety and Virtue are in a great meafure gone from among us, the Manners of Men are ftrangely corrupted, the great and weighty things of the Law are neglefted, , fuflice and Mercy, Temperance and Cheffity, Truth and Fidelity, fo that we may take up David's Complaint, HelpLord! for the Righ- teous Man ceafeth, for thefaithful failfrom among the Children of Men. And till the Nation be brought back to a fober fenfe of Religion, from an Airy and Phantaftical Piety, to real and unaffe &ed Devotion, and from faaious con- tendon' about things indifferent, to the ferious pra&ice of what is neceffary; from our violent Heats and Animofities, to a more peaceable temper, and by a mutual condefcention on all fides, to a nearer and ftronger union among our felves, 'till we recover in fome meafure, our ancient Virtue and Integrity of Manners, we have reafon to fear, that God will hill have a Controverfie withus, notwith- (landing all our noife and zeal about Religion. This is the true, this is the only courte to appeafe the indignation of God, and to draw down his Favourand Bleffing upon a poor diftraited and gafping Nation. He bath (hewed thee, 0 man, what isgood; and what doth the Lord re- quire of thee, but to do jufily, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? I have but one word more, and that is toput you prefently upon the pra&ice of one of there Duties that I have been perfwading you to, and that is Mercy, and Alms to the Poor. If what I have already faid, have had its effe& upon you, I need not ufe any other Arguments; if it have not, I have hardly the heart to ufe any. I (halt only put you in mind again, that God values this above all our external Devotion, he will have mercy rather thanfacr,Tice, that this is the way to find mercy with God, and to have our Prayers fpeed in Heaven ; and without this, all our Falling and Humiliation fignifies nothing. And to this purpose I will only read to you thofeplain and perfwafive words of the Prophet, which do fo fully declare unto us the whole Duty of this Day, and particularly urge us to this of Charity, If:. 58. q, 6, 7, 8, g. Is it fucha Fall that I have chofen? aday for a Man to afflaEa his Sonl? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrufh, and to fpread fackcloth and afhes under him? Wilt thou call this a Fail, and an acceptable Day unto the Lord ? Is not this the Faf? that I have chofen ? to loofe the bands of wickednefs, to undo the heavy burthens, and to let the oppreffed gofree, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the Poor that are cafi out to thy hoofe ? when thou feefi the Naked, that thou cover.him, and that thou hide not thyfelf from thine own Flefh? Then(ball thy light break forth as the Morning, and thy Salvation (hall fpring forth fpeedily, and thy Righteoufnefs ¡hall go before thee, and the Glory of the Lord'hall be thy reward. Then thou¡halt call, and the Lord (hall anfwer 5 thou¡halt cry, and he 'hallfay, here I am. SER
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