stead of duty; then none can be said to be negligent or idle, while they are doing their duty. It is often supposed that Christians are negligent, while they are actually doing their duty. How often are Christians supposed to be negligent, while they are spending proper time in reading the Bible, and attending secret and social worship? or while they are omitting their own concerns, to take care of the poor, the sick, and other persons in distress? or while they are promoting the public good instead of their own? While any are benevolently doing these things in obedience to the divine commands, they are not to be blamed, as neglecting their duty. Those who labor to be useful, rather than to be rich, are not to be blamed as neglecting their duty, though they omit doing many things, which they know would more directly promote their own personal, private interest. Those who spend a proper portion of their property for the promotion of learning, virtue, and piety, cannot be blamed for neglecting their duty towards themselves, or their children, or friends. They only discharge a more necessary and important duty, instead of a less necessary and important duty; which is perfectly right and really pleasing to God. Every man misimproves his time and neglects his duty, if he spends his time or property for his own personal good, when the public good requires him to spend either for more benevolent and important purposes. When any employ more time, more labor, or more property in promoting their own private good, than is consistent with the public good, or with their own future and eternal good, they are the persons who criminally neglect their duty.

5. If men are naturally disposed to neglect their duty, which is altogether criminal, then we have reason to think that the principal guilt of all mankind consists in their neglect of duty. Notwithstanding the great majority of the world are very busy here and there, and indefatigably engaged in some desirable objects of pursuit, yet their great bustle, labor, and zeal are chiefly employed in doing something instead of duty; which is, in God's view, perfect idleness and negligence. They are either seeking their own temporal interests, instead of their own eternal interests; or seeking their own temporal interests in opposition to the temporal and eternal interests of those whose temporal and eternal interest it is their indispensable duty to seek; which is nothing else but idleness and negligence. The neglect

of duty prevails among all the nations of the earth, whether they call themselves Pagan, Jews, or Christians. God says, "they are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good; no, not one." Though these are hyperbolical expressions, yet it is strictly true, that there is none; no, not one, but what has been idle and neglected his duty. Idleness is the great God-provoking and soul-destroying sin. It has ruined thousands and thousands from age to age. But why do any, why do all stand more or less idle? Is it because God has not invited them to labor in his vineyard? Is it because he has not enough for them to do in his vineyard? Is it because he does not promise to give them a good reward for all they will do in his vineyard? Is it because the work he has for them to do, is not of more importance than any thing they have to do for themselves? These cannot be the reasons why any stand idle. But what other reasons can they give, or what other excuse can they make? There is none. The idle servant, you remember, was condemned out of his own mouth. It is absurd and vain for any to plead an excuse for the neglect of duty. It is absurd to acknowledge the neglect of duty, and then to plead an excuse for it. To be consistent, men must deny that they have been negligent. The slothful servant acknowledged that he had time and talent to do his duty; which justified his master in condemning him out of his own mouth. He had been actually negligent in doing his duty, because he had misimproved his time and buried his talent. And this is true of all who neglect their duty. God never did, and never will condemn men for any thing, for which they do not condemn themselves. Though men often pretend to excuse themselves for the neglect of duty, yet they never do find an excuse for their neglect, which they do not inwardly condemn, and which God will not condemn. Can parents find any excuse for neglecting their duty toward their children, which their own Consciences will not condemn, and which God will not condemn? Can children find any excuse for neglecting their duty toward their parents, which their own consciences will not condemn, and which God will not condemn? Can moral sinners find any excuse for not loving God supremely, which their own con

i nees will not condemn, and which God will not condemn ? Can open transgressors find any excuse for their neglecting

external obedience, which their own consciences will not condemn, and which God will not condemn? Now, if all men have neglected their duty, and must condemn themselves for it, then it is perfectly right that God should command all men everywhere to repent. It is the first and immediate duty of sinners to repent and reform. They ought to loathe and abhor themselves for neglecting to do what God has required them to do, and for doing what he has forbidden them to do. He has made them rational and immortal creatures, and formed them capable of doing great things to promote his glory, the interests of his kingdom, and their own eternal interests; but they have done nothing but trifle, and pursue lying vanities, and abuse all their time and talents. God has not forgotten them; but they have forgotten him. God has not neglected his duty to them; but they have neglected their duty to him, to themselves, and to all their fellow men. They have spent every day and every year of their lives in vain and worse than in vain. They have been cumberers of the ground, and constantly deserved to be cut down and destroyed. And it is of the Lord's mercies that they have not been consumed. There is no doubt but most of you will be busy here and there in this busy season of the year. But this will be no excuse for your neglect of duty, nor any reason why God should not call you from your farms. or your merchandise, or any other employment, out of time into eternity, and put you beyond the reach of mercy, before the summer is ended. You know not what a day may bring forth; and how can you escape, if you neglect so great salvation as is now offered to you, but may not be offered to you another Sabbath? Consider how long you have been idle; consider how much you have lost by being idle. You have lost the whole of your lives hitherto. Consider how much you have to lose by being idle the rest of your days. You will lose all the happiness of heaven, and all the good of the universe, in addition to all you can suffer forever. And what shall a man be profited, if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

SERMON XXXIII.

SEEKING THE LORD IN THE HOLY SUPPER

PREACHED JULY 28, 1822.

Bat Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed accord. ing to the purification of the sanctuary. — 2 Chronicles 30: 18, 19.

HEZEKIAH was the son of Ahaz, who became extremely corrupt, and corrupted the people whom he governed. He sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which were placed there by the king of Assyria, who carried away the ten tribes captive, for their following the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin. He gathered together and burnt the vessels of the house of the Lord. He made altars in every corner of Jerusalem; and in every city of Judah, he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the Lord God of his fathers. After he had done all this evil, he died; and left the kingdom of Judah to his son Hezekiah, who began to reign in the five and twentieth year of his age. This pious young prince, finding his people in a wretched state of spiritual declension, undertook the arduous work of reforming and bringing them back to the obedience and worship of the God of their fathers. In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them. He next brought in the priests and Levites, and commanded them to sanctify both themselves and the house of God. As soon as they had done these things, and informed Hezekiah of it, he rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went to the house of the Lord; where the priests offered sacrifices, and sang praises, and

performed all the usual parts of public worship in the usual manner. But Hezekiah was not satisfied with merely restoring order and regularity in the house and worship of God. He determined, if possible, to bring about an internal, as well as external reformation of religion. And for this purpose, he sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel. Though his letters and messengers were generally despised and disregarded by the ten tribes, who had long forsaken the house and worship of the true God, yet the men of Judah generally obeyed the commands of their king. But when the tribe of Judah and divers of Ashur, Manasseh, and Zebulon came together at Jerusalem to keep the passover, many were ceremonially unclean. Still Hezekiah regretted that they should be deprived of joining with their pious brethren in celebrating that ancient ordinance, which had been so long neglected. But though he thought it might be his duty, in such a peculiar case, to admit them to the passover, yet he prayed for them in the language of the text. "The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary." Such was the inward preparation necessary in order to an acceptable attendance on the passover under the Mosaic dispensation; and, since the sacrament of the Lord's supper comes in the room of the passover, under the Christian dispensation, we may justly conclude that the same inward preparation is equally necessary, in order to an acceptable attendance on an equally holy and solemn ordinance. The plain truth, therefore, which the text suggests to our present consideration is this:

That Christians should prepare their hearts to seek the Lord when they come to the holy sacrament. I shall,

I. Consider what it is to prepare their hearts to seek the Lord. And,

II. Consider why they should prepare their hearts to seek the Lord, especially at the holy sacrament.

I. We are to consider what it is for Christians to prepare their hearts to seek the Lord. This duty Hezekiah enjoined upon the people of God, when they were allowed to partake of