of a vifible Church of Chrrfl, 95 dingne/ of their Youth, and the Love of their Ef o' fats, fome decay in their Zeal for God, and for his Worfhip. z. Such as neglea their Places in the Church, are guilty of the Breach of Promife, and that of the molt folemn Promife that ordinarily can be made ; the Promife which they made in the Face of the Congregation, when they firft fat down in Communion, to which the Lord himfelf is a Witnefs. Perfons at their firft imbodying do folemn- ly engage to attend the Worfhip of God in his Church, as God by his Providence ¡hall give them Opportunity. Who can abfolve himfelf of his Promife, or plead not guilty, if Negligence be the Can fe. of his Abfence ? Will not the Lord take notice of this ? I rememher thee, the Kindnefi of thy Youth, the Love of thine E /ßoxjals; in the Day thou fol'ozved/I me in the Wildernefs, Israel was Holinefs to the Lord, Jer. ii. 2, 3. And he doth alto obferve how negligent they were grown, and expoflulates the Cafe with them, as you may fee in the following Part of the Chapter. 3. The more Perlons neglea their Places, the more they may; I do not mean by allowance from the Word, but with growing more hard than they were at firft. It is much but Confcience will check them for the firfl neglet ; but if it be not hearkened to, it will in Time grow weary of Smiting, and by Degrees grow dead to the Difcharge of its Office, as Perfons grow dead to the Difcharge of their Duty. The way to keep Confcience keen and lively, is to hearken to it when it fpeaks. Yet obferve, when Con- fcience gives off (peaking, it will not be altogether idle. Confcience will keep a Regifle: of your Negligence, and will have a Time to fpeak again ; it will lay your Mifcarriages before you, it may be as far down as the Sirs of your Youth : And fuch as would not hearken to the Checks of Confcience, may poffiibly come to feel the Smart of a wounded Confcience, and find it a Burden too heavy for them to bear. The Spirit ofa Man swill fißain his Infirmities, lut a wounded Spirit who can hear? Prov. xviii. 4. Perlons do greatly prejudice themfelves by the Neg lea of their Place. (1.) They flip and lofe an Opportunity for Communion with God, the Enjoyment of whom is the higheft Enjoy- ment : The Lord dwe;`ls in Sion ; he avalheth in the Midfl of the
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