intent on their worldly business, and have their hearts so engaged in it, as scarcely to have any zeal left for better things. Some are occupied with this or that favourite study, in comparison of which the Bible, and prayer, and communion with God, have no charms for them. Some are inflamed by politics, and are never happy but when they are declaiming upon the affairs of state. Some are so intent upon the circumstantials of religion, such as Baptism or Church-government, that they seem to think an agreement with them in their opinions on those subjects as essential to salvation as even piety itself. Some again are heated by controversy about certain doctrines, while, alas! they pay but little attention to their duties, especially the duties of humility and love. What wonder if the soul languish, when its eternal interests are thus postponed to matters of inferior importance? If we would adorn our holy profession, we must be penetrated throughout with a fervent regard to God; and all other things must be subordinated to the one thing needful.] Having traced the causes of spiritual decay, let us notice, II. The symptoms— Agreeably to what has been observed in relation to the Israelites, we shall mention three marks, which, in the progressive stages of decay, will shew themselves in a declining soul: 1. Inward weakness [The exercises of religion require our utmost efforts: without a fixedness of purpose, an intenseness of thought, an ardour of desire, and a resoluteness of conduct, we cannot get forward in our Christian course. But when we have declined from God, all these are proportionably relaxed. The bow is unstrung, and cannot send the arrow to the mark. We take up the Bible; but it is a sealed book: we address ourselves to prayer; but our mouths are shut, and we cannot utter a word before God. The duties which once were easy, are become arduous and irksome. The temptations which once had lost all their force, now obstruct our way, and entangle our feet. The cross, which was once an object of holy glorying, and served only to animate us to fresh exertions, now becomes an object of terror; and instead of taking it up with cheerfulness, we study as much as possible to avoid it. Let us look and see, whether "strangers have not devoured our strength," and whether "the things which remain in us be not ready to die."] 2. Outward proofs of that weakness— ["Grey hairs" are indications of declining strength. They are first thinly interspersed; and afterwards diffused over the whole head. Thus are the symptoms of decline small at first, and scarcely visible, except upon close inspection. They will however appear, when the inward weakness has commenced. There will be a visible alteration in the temper: a proud imperious spirit will be more ready to shew itself: fretfulness and impatience will more easily arise. A change will be found in our dealings with the world. We shall be less open, less generous, less scrupulous about adhering to truth, or practising the tricks of trade. In our families also will a deterioration of our state be manifest. There will be less attention paid to their spiritual interests. The word of God will not be read to them with such practical and interesting remarks: nor will the devotions be conducted with life; but will degenerate into a mere form. In the closet, more especially, the symptoms of our decay will be seen. Prayer will probably be a mere lip-service, and not unfrequently be entirely omitted. The sacred volume will either be glanced over in haste, or lie wholly neglected. In short, there will be no delight in God, no peaceful serenity of mind, no joyful hope of immortality. These things will be exchanged for gloom and melancholy, for sighs and sorrows, for an accusing conscience, and a dread of death.] 3. Insensibility under that weakness— [Things have proceeded far when this mark appears. But it is the natural effect of sin to blind the eyes, and harden the heart, and sear the conscience1. Twice is it said of the Israelites in the text, "They knew it not:" they had contracted a stupid indifference, bordering on judicial blindness and infatuation. And this is the state to which many professors of religion are reduced. Others see their grey hairs, but they see them not: they have ceased to look into the glass of God's law, or to examine themselves: they have quieted their minds by some carnal expedient of business, or company, or by comparing themselves with others. Deplorable indeed is their condition! and if they be not soon roused from their lethargy, they will have reason to wish they had never been born, or never seen the light of Gospel truth'.] ADDRESS 1. Those who are resting in a formal religion [Religion is a state of holy active exertion in the things pertaining to God. God says to us, "My son, give me thy h 1 John ii. 11. Heb. iii. 13. 1 Tim. iv. 2. i 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21. heart." Without this, our services are of no value. Look to it then, my Brethren, that ye get your hearts quickened by the Spirit of God. You must not be satisfied with seeking: "you must strive to enter in at the strait gate!." You must "take the kingdom of heaven by violencem." Beg then that you may be "renewed by the Spirit in your inward man," and be enabled, so to fight as to conquer, so to run as to win the prize ".] 2. Those who profess to experience "the power of godliness" [Astonishing is the deceitfulness of the human heart. We all see in others defects, of which they themselves are not conscious. And can we suppose that we ourselves also are not blind to our own defects? Yes and perhaps the very locks which we think our greatest ornaments, are full of grey hairs. Our graces perhaps are rather the resemblance, than the reality, of virtue: our humility may be affectation, our zeal pride, our confidence presumption. Let us "be jealous over ourselves with a godly jealousy." Let us search and try ourselves; and beg of God also to search and try us. Let us be careful that we set out well, and then labour to "go on from strength to strength, till we appear before God in Žion 1."] k Prov. xxiii. 26. 1 Luke xiii. 24. • 2 Cor. xi. 2. r Ps. lxxxiv. 7. m Matt. xi. 12. P Lam. iii. 40. MCLX. GUILT AND DANGER OF AN UNCONVERTED STATE. Hos. vii. 13. Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me. SUCH is the infatuation of unregenerate men, that they always promise themselves security in the ways of sin but it is certain that they are never more in danger than when they fancy themselves most secure they may be well compared to a bird that is allured to a net: it hears the notes that call and invite it to the society of some kindred bird: fearless of danger, it obeys the summons: it hastens to the place from whence the sound issues, little thinking that, instead of a companion, it shall find a foe. The fowler, however, who has spread the net, sees that the unsuspecting bird is quickly to resign its liberty, and perhaps its life. Thus it is with those who listen to the enchanting voice of sin: they follow it, but know not that it is for their life: The word of Jehovah is gone forth, nor can it ever be reversed: it says, "Woe unto the wicked, it shall go ill with him;" and, "when he saith, Peace and safety, then shall sudden destruction come upon him as travail upon a woman with child, and he shall not escape." To this purpose God speaks to the Israelites in the passage before us: he says, "Ephraim is like a silly dove, without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria: but when they go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven." Having thus represented their danger in figurative expressions, he declares it plainly in the most awful terms: "Woe unto them, for they have fled from me! destruction unto them, because they have transgressed against me! though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me." From these words, we will endeavour to set before you, I. The state of men in general [To those who can see nothing but the outward conduct, there may appear to be a very considerable difference between the states of different men: the moral and decent may be esteemed exceeding righteous and good, while the openly vicious and profane are execrated as exceeding vile. And it must be acknowledged, that, as far as the conduct of these different persons respects society, there is a great difference between them; but God, who looks at the heart, and estimates every thing by the respect it has to him, sees that all men are very nearly, if not altogether, upon a level; all men appear to him as "sepulchres, full of all uncleanness:" some indeed appear whited and outwardly adorned, while others are open, and discover all their deformity. Still, however, inwardly they are all the same. In the first place, all " flee from him." Adam had no sooner sinned, than he lost his delight in God, and fled from the presence of his Maker. From that time, all his descendants have felt the same aversion to intercourse with the Deity: they love not the ordinances where God reveals himself to men: when God calls them, "they all begin with one consent to make excuse:" some plead their social engagements; others the pressure of worldly business; all have some plea to make; all say, in effect, I can not, or, I will not, come. In dangers or in troubles, they will rather go to the creature than to God: even under a sense of sin, they will rather flee to their own resolutions, and trust in their own endeavours, than they will rely upon the strength and righteousness of the Lord Jesus. When God calls, they turn a deaf ear to his invitations. When he follows them, as it were, by the convictions of his Spirit, they actually "flee from him:' they shake off the thoughts that trouble them; they endeavour to drown reflection in business or pleasure; and the whole language of their hearts and actions is, like theirs in Job, "Depart from us; we desire not the knowledge of thy waysb." But the aversion to God which carnal men feel, is carried much further: they not only flee from him, as finding no pleasure, no satisfaction in his presence, but they also "transgress against him." The law is yet in a measure written on their hearts, but they will not comply with its dictates: they see clearly, in many things, that such or such a course of action must be displeasing to God, and "that they who do such things are worthy of death; yet they both do these things themselves, and have pleasure in those that do them;" choosing them for their companions, and countenancing them in their actions: nor is this occasionally only, and through temptation or inadvertence: no; it is the settled course and tenour of their lives. The commands or prohibitions of God have no weight with them: whatever is reputable in the world, or agreeable to themselves, that they do; whenever their sensual inclinations or worldly interests strongly bias them to any line of conduct, it soon appears that they have cast off the yoke of God, and that they feel no restraint whatever, except that which arises from temporal considerations. Nor is this all: they "speak lies against God:" they declare, in the face of the whole world, that the service of sin and Satan is to be preferred before the service of God. In every transgression they commit, they virtually speak to this effect; This is happiness: as for obedience to God, that would be an insupportable restraint: true happiness consists in renouncing all allegiance to God, and in following our own will.' Moreover they say, like those of old, "The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil;" i. e. if we serve him, we shall have no profit; nor shall we sustain any loss if we |