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parts and abilities to get spiritual knowledge? Have you not great plenty of the means of knowledge, if you would but attend them, and make use of them.

Object." But I cannot read the bible, how fhall I learn knowledge ?"

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Anf. You are at a very great lofs indeed, it is hard to get ignorant perfons inftructed that cannot read: You ought to lament your lofs, and be the more in prayer for the fpirit of God to teach you, and make up that lofs; and the more defirous to hear others read, and to wait upon the public catechifing: And also, lay out yourselves with all care yet to learn to read.

Object." But I am too old to learn."

Anf Are you too old to feek after Chrift and falvation? Will your age fave you from hell and wrath, if you die Chriftlefs? will God fpare old folk dying in ignorance, more than the young? Many have learned to read, who have been as old as you › were you but willing and defirous, you would foon conquer all difficul ties. I have heard of fome fervants, who have been fo fond to learn, that they have offered to their masters or miftreffes to quit part of their meat and fee, upon condition they would teach them to read: And, are not your fouls as dear to you as theirs were to them?

Objet. "It was my parents fault that did not teach me when I was young.'

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Anf. Alas! that parents fhould be fo cruel to their children when young! But, wilt not thou be merciful to thyself, because they have been cruel? Their neglect will not excufe thine. As it was their fault that did not learn you in youth, fo it is yours now if you remain in ignorance, and will be your eternal ruin if tinue wilfully fo: Yea, you will thus not only bring your own blood on your head, but alfo the blood of your children and fervants when you get families; for you will not be capable to inftruct them yourselves, nor will you, in all likelihood, be at pains to cause others do it; and fo you will be guilty of the fame neglect to your children, that your parents were guilty of to you. Object.

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Object. "But I am ashamed to be learning at this "age."

Anf. It is indeed a fhame for old people to be ignorant, but no fhame to learn: Yea, though one foot were in the grave, and the other following, you should ftill be learning fomething for your foul. For, what is the world's shame and derifion to that woful confufion of face that will befall the ignorant, Chriftless finner at a day of judgment, and especially fuch as flight knowledge, and will not be at pains to learn? Read that fearful and thundering threatening, Prov. i. 26. 27. 28. "I will laugh at your calamity, when diftrefs and anguish cometh upon you; when ye call upon me, I will not answer; when ye feek me early, ye shall not find me." Oh! these words threaten against the ignorant, who refuse to learn, "punishment without pity, mifery without mercy, crying without comfort," and

torment without eafe." O what is the caufe, fay you, of all that fad vengeance? See verfe 29. "For that they hated knowledge," &c. As then you love your own fouls, and would efcape eternal damnation, as you would honour God and his Sabbath, fee that you learn to read, feek inftruction, and wait carefully upon all the means of knowledge.

III. Earthly-mindednefs doth greatly hinder the fanctification of the Lord's day; for, when the vanities of the world are entertained, they fo poffefs the mind, that there is no room left for other thoughts: The thoughts of the world fhut out the thoughts of God: The duft and smoke of this world fo blind the eyes of many, that they cannot difcern the beauty of Chrift or holiness, though the brightest discoveries be made thereof this day in the ordinances: Thus, alas! fatan defeats the whole defign of the gospel as to many; fo that, though minifters tell them from God's word of their foul's worth, hazard, and only refuge in Chrift, yet they are fo hot in pursuing the world, they do not hear or think on what is faid. This man hath his farm, the other his merchandize, the other his trade, to look after, Luke xiv. 18. fo that there is no time in their lives, no room in their hearts left for Chrift. It is in vain to tell many

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of fecuring a manfion or inheritance in heaven; they must have houses and lands on earth. It is needlefs to tell them of providing for their fouls; they have their families to provide for: Or to tell them of heavenly manna to their fouls, they must have bread to their mouths. It is to no purpose to tell them of a way to get juftice fatisfied, or the debt of fin paid; they must have their debts paid to their earthly creditors. It is in vain to prefs them to seek the favour and friendship of God; all their care is to get the countenance of this or the other man, that can do them kindness. And fo, upon these worldly confiderations, Chrift the pearl of price is flighted, the precious foul neglected, and Sabbaths and fermons are quite loft.

Again, it is a grofs profanation of this holy day, for people to allow themselves to think upon their trades and worldly commerce, when they are in God's house. As Christ whipped the buyers and sellers out of the temple when he was on earth, fo he will not fuffer you to make the public affemblies of his people a place of merchandize, by thoughtfulness about worldly gain and profit. Your bufinefs in God's houfe this day is with the great God only, and therefore you must attend to nothing but his work and fervice: But, if you indulge worldly thoughts, you will provoke God, and mar all your public performances.

Be not like Martha this day, " careful and troubled about many things," things that will not avail you at the dying hour, or through eternity; but imitate Mary this day, fit at Chrift's feet, mind the one thing neceffary, and chufe the good part which fhall not be taken from you.

Moreover, confider how dangerous this evil is to the falvation of your fouls. It may be faid of worldliness, compared with other fins, as was faid of Saul and David, when any one fin "kills its thousands, this flays its ten thousands:" O what havock makes it in the vilible church! What Pharaoh faid of the Ifraelites, Exod. xiv. 3. may well be applied to many profeffed Chriftians; they are intangled in the land, the wilderness hath hut them in. The world, like bird lime, clogs the

foul's

foul's wings, that it cannot mount up to heaven. Many, like Lot's wife, set out fairly for the Zoar of heaven; but their hearts hanker after the Sodom of this earth, which caufeth them to look ftill back, back, till they perish in the way.

Again, confider what a vain and empty thing the world is, though obtained. It fuits not the nature, nor fatisfies the defires of the immortal foul: It deceives all its lovers, and in midst of sufficiency leaves them in ftraits; fo that we ought rather to pity than envy a worldling, whofe portion is so small, happiness so short, miftake fo great, and mifery eternal.

Think what folly it is to dig for drofs with mattocks of gold, to bestow the precious affections of our fouls on white and yellow clay. How monftrous is it to see a man with his head and heart where his feet should be! to fee the world in the heart and on the throne, and Christ at the foot-ftool! to fee the world poffefsing God's room both week day and Sabbath-day, and getting the fervice which is due to him alone! How many are they, who, even on the Sabbath-day, worship the trinity of this world, mentioned 1 John ii. 16. more than the Trinity of heaven?

IV. Forgetfulness of God and Christ is a great evil, and greatly hinders Sabbath-fanctification. How can thefe fanctify the Sabbath, who never mind the Author nor the end of it? And, alas! there are too many who have nothing of God in their thoughts, either Sabbathday or week-day, Pfal. x. 4. Though the heart be still thinking, and hundreds of thoughts pass through it every hour of the day, yet God is in none of them. Strange that every worldly trifle should find room in the heart, and God can find no place in it! What is the reafon of this? You may fee it, Rom. i. 28. "They did not like to retain God in their knowledge." Surely there is nothing in the world that we have to frequent mementos of, as of God: How can we look to the heavens, earth, flowers, or grafs, without minding him? A very heathen could fay, " Præfentem refert quælibet herba Deum." Or, how can we look to our bodies, but their curious ftructure fhould prefently mind us of

God?

God? Yea, every time we breathe, every motion of our lungs, and beating of our pulfe, fhould be a prick or fpur to us to mind our Preferver; and in a fpecial manner, on the Sabbath day, every ordinance, every duty, every fentence, every word fpoken by the minifter, fhould mind us of God: But the matter is, the thoughts of God are burdenfome to all that live careless and ungodly lives; they cannot think upon him, but they mind their Judge.

But, O Chriftian, confider what a fin it is to forget God, especially on his own day. If we ought to spend every day in the fear of God, Prov. xxiii. 17. much more the Sabbath-day. What ingratitude is it to forget him this day that minded us in our low eftate, yea, minded us when we could not mind ourselves? The love of God in Chrift fhould swallow up all our thoughts this day. When we ferioufly confider what Chrift hath done for his people, one might think that Chrift would never be one whole hour together out of their minds, but that they should carry him up and down in their thoughts and defires, that they should lie down with thoughts of Chrift at night, and have him like a "bundle of myrrh lying all night betwixt their breasts," that is, in their hearts; and, when they awake," they fhould be still with him :" That their very dreams in the night fhould be fweet vifions of Chrift, and all their words thould favour of him.

V. Averfion to duty is another heart evil, that hinders the fanctification of the Sabbath. O how back. ward do we find our hearts to the duties of the Sabbath how glad to put them by with any frivolous excufe! how unwilling to pay God a vifit on his own day! We are flow to begin, and in haste to make an end; we are heavy while the duty is a doing, and glad when it is done. Many are driven to their clofets, as if they were going to the rack, or as if prayer were a penance rather than a privilege; they are conftrained to it, to fatisfy a natural conscience. It is rather a fervile than a fon-like performance. If confcience, like a tafk-mafter, did not lafh them to their duty, they would never perform it. Many, they would rather

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