refining and bettering our spirits? As it is void of spiritual delight, it is void also of spiritual benefit; for certainly our spirits are likely to embrace and retain nothing, in which they can take no pleasure. How vain then is that religion, by which we can neither please God, nor profit

ourselves.

It ought to be considered how foolish a thing it is, and unworthy of a reasonable creature, to do that in a continued course and series of actions, wherein we can have no design, and aim at nothing. Even they that place their religion in things so remote and alien to the spirit and power of it, do yet spend a considerable part of their life-time in those things. And how unbecoming is it of a man to have spent so much of his time in doing nothing, and that from week to week or from day to day the seasons should return, of which he has constantly this to say, "Now comes the time of doing that, whereof I can give no account why I do it!" Is this a wise provision for eternity? What, man, a few empty unimproved notions! a by opinion or two! the flourishes of a little pedantic art, tickling thy toyish fancy! the motion of thy busy tongue! the thirst and satisfaction of thy vain ear! the bowing of thy hypocritical knee! Are these all that thou designest for thy soul? Are these likely to supply the place of living religion, to serve thee instead of inward acquaintance with God, instead of being really and habitually good and holy, instead of doing good and walking in the path of life? What a soul hast thou, that can

live upon chaff and air, and be sustained by the wind! Hast thou no need of quickening influence from God, no hunger after the heavenly hidden manna and the fruits of the tree of life? What use makest thou of thy understanding or of the reason of a man, when thou thinkest such empty vanities, as thou trustest in, can do the office, or attain the ends of true religion? How much more rational were it to pretend to nothing of religion at all, than to think such a one will serve the turn!

Consider, what reflections are like to be made upon this matter hereafter, when thy short course in this world is run out. Will it be a grateful remembrance to thee, that thou wast so long hovering about the borders of religion, and wast at the very door, and wouldest not enter in? -that thou didst so often think and speak, and hear, of the things wherein religion stood, but wouldest never allow thyself to taste the pleasant relishes thereof?-to have been so nigh to the kingdom of God, and yet an alien to it, alien to righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, wherein it consists? Will not these be wounding thoughts?

Let it be seriously pondered, how offensive it must be to the jealous God, that any should thus trifle with him and his holy things under a show and pretence of religion and devotion to him. Not to please him by the sincerity and truth of our religion, loses the end and reward we would expect. But that is not all. To provoke him by the hypocritical pretence and abuse of it, cannot

but bring on a sharp revenge, which, it may be, we expected not.

And, let us bethink ourselves, how high the provocation is. Either we design to please honour and enjoy him by that irrational and undelightful course of religion, or we do not. If we do not, this signifies nothing but highest contempt and defiance of him, and that we care not for his favour, nor fear his displeasure: yea, inasmuch as such religion is pretended as an homage to him, it is nothing really but most profane and insolent mockery; as if we would join in the same breath and in the same act, "Hail Jesus" and "Crucify him,"-at once invest him with the purple robe, and spit in his face. But if we have such a design, and do really think to please him by such trifling with him, and that these vain fancies and formalities shall make amends for all our neglects of him through the whole course of our lives besides, then how vile thoughts have we of him! what do we make of the God we serve? How justly may that be applied to us, Ye worship ye know not what! Who gave us our idea of that ever blessed Being? It is not God, but a despicable idol of our own creating, we are thinking to please. We may see how well he is pleased with the external show and the appendages of religion,-which, being his own appointments, would in conjunction and in subserviency thereto have signified somewhat, but disjoined from it, and accompanied with the

a John iv. 22.

a

cut off a dog's neck;

neglect and abandoning of real piety and righteousness, signify nothing but an affront to himin that remonstrance by the prophet, "He that killeth an ox, is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol." He is pleased with their religion as he would be with murder, profaneness and idolatry. And is it strange this should be his estimate, when he is hereby practically represented as such a one that will not be displeased with real wickedness, and that will be pleased with the thinnest and most superficial show of devotion? These therefore make a false pretence of their religion, and are so far from pleasing God by it and advantaging themselves, that they wound their own souls, (as they are most like to do, that handle so awkwardly such an edged tool,) and render God their most avowed enemy.

The religion, then, which has no delight in it, has so much of folly incommodity and mischief, that, measuring it by the rules which were premised, we may see sufficient reason, why such a religion should not be chosen or rested in, and that we are concerned to look further.

a Isaiah lxvi. 3.

CHAPTER II.

Directions for improving in Religion. Of the Study of its practical truths. Of the cultivation of habitual holiness. Of attention to the state of Mind. Of the motives and principles of a religious life. Of dependence on God, and obedience. Solemn appeal to the reader's conscience.

WE proceed next, to the other head we proposed: What religion is fit to be chosen, and wherein we may safely acquiesce;-whereof we shall only give the account, which the subject, we have in hand, allows to be here given, i. e. that it be such as is in itself rationally and justly delectable. And though religion is not to be chosen only, or chiefly, for the delightfulness of it; yet since, as we have seen, only that religion is true which is delightful, that only which is delightful is fit to be chosen. So that this is a certain character, though not the chief cause, of the eligibleness of religion. And, when it is so expressly enjoined us as a duty, "to delight ourselves in the Lord," if (as has been shewn,) this be within the meaning of the precept, that we delight ourselves in the way and course of religion, it is plain such religion only can be meant or intended, as can afford us matter of delight, or as is in itself truly and really delectable.

Here we shall not need to repeat what has been so largely discoursed of in the former part, tending to shew the rich matter of delight, which the several exercises of true living religion, and all the actions influenced and directed by it,