Service of the Redeemer. 'Tis not with us as it was with our Forefathers. We have not their Zeal, their Faith, their Love. We are not humble as they were, nor fo watchful as they against the Temptations and Sins to which we are expos'd. We discover not that Acquaintance with the Power of Religion which they had. We walk not fo clofe with God as they. In fine, We have the Name, the Form, but we have not fo much of the Life, the Spirit, the Power of Godliness, as our Forefathers had, who are now in Glory: we are more worldly, more selfish, more proud and haughty, more careless and negligent of our Frames and our Converfation, and have, in all Respects, more of the Appearance of Almoft-Christians, than they. Yet, bleffed be God, this is not the Cafe with every Individual.. There are a few who defire to honour God, by a lively Faith, a becoming Zeal, and a close and humble Walk a few, whofe Concern it is to make the greatest Advances in Grace, and to maintain daily Communion with God, amidst the various Hurries of Life. They, cannot live without God. They are never eafy but, when they are feeling his animating and quickening Prefence with them; and their Souls, in Confequence of it, warm'd, enliven'd, and breathing out Defires after him. This feems to be the Cafe with the Perfon who sent in the above Question. You know something of the Excellency of Communion with God, my dear Friend; you have found what it is to have a fweet Relifh for divine Things; and now you are full of Uneafiness at the fad Lofs you have fuftain'd through the Hurries and Enjoyments of this Life, and defirous of having your former Experience reviv'd, and to find your Soul again in a lively, healthful, and vigorous Condition. Herein you are not fingular. Many, I am perfuaded, fpeak the

fame Language you do, feel the fame Things, have the fame Defires, and are equally at a Lofs what to do. It is a Cafe of fome Importance. May the Spirit of God enable me to answer it in fuch a Manner as may, through a divine Bleffing, be effectual to bring your Soul and the Souls of others nearer to God, and quicken you to the Pursuit of that, which has a Tendency to promote your Growth in Grace, and make you flourishing and lively Chriftians! But, before I directly answer the Queftion, I would make two or three Observations upon it, that may give Encouragement to Perfons in fuch Circumftances, as well as be a Caution to them in their Purfuits of this World

And,

1. It is a peculiar Mercy, when we find our Souls in a declining Condition, to be immediately alarmed at it, and fenfible of it. When God is about to beftow the Bleffings of Salvation, he firft makes the Sinner fenfible of his Need of them: So, when he is about to revive his Work in the Soul that has been running aftray from him, he gives him first a Sense of his Decline, fhews him from whence he has fallen, what a Stranger he is to the Life of Religion, what Ingratitude he has been guilty of, how much he has loft of the Pleafures of the divine Life, and how much he has difhonoured that God, who called him out of Darkness into his marvellous Light. To lie afleep, as David did after his Adultery and Murder, is awful. Oh! Sin is of an hardening NaThe Chriftian is often ftupefied and benumbed with it. It shuts his Eyes, and it hardens his Heart. He has loft in fome Measure his Zeal and Livelinefs. His Graces are withering. His Duties are cold and formal; nay, he can oftentimes omit them. He has not that Communion with God he once enjoyed; and yet he appears to be contented. Melancholy Cafe! Bless God

ture.

B

God that this is not your Cafe. You appear to be fenfible of the unhealthy Condition your Soul is in. You fee it is not with you as in Months paft. Blefs God, Chriftians, if you are fenfible of any Decays, if your Eyes are open, and your Souls are impreffed with a deep Sense of the Lofs of Communion with God, the Neglect of Duty, or Formality in it.

2. We should efteem it a Mercy, if, when under a Decline, we are earnestly defirous of a Revival.. This appears to be the Cafe with you, my Friend, Methinks, I fee you viewing former Seafons of Communion, falling down before God, and, under a deep Senfe of your declining Circumstances, hear you humbly addreffing him in the following Manner: "Lord, fhew me "what thou wouldst have me to do. I would acknow"ledge my many Omiffions of Duty, my great Care

66

lefsnefs and Negligence, and would be deeply fenfi"ble of the Lofs I have fuftained. Oh! revive, thy "Work in my Soul, and let me not lie at this languifhing Rate! Lord, quicken, quicken this flothful Heart, enkindle the facred Spark afresh, and let 66 me be all alive for thee!"How happy is it, when we are enabled to speak fuch Language, and find our Souls in fuch a Frame as this! But, on the other hand,

2:

to be careless and unconcerned, to be eafy and contented in fuch Circumftances, is an awful Sign that Religion is languishing in our Souls, and that there is no prefent Appearance of an Alteration. David, when awake, was not only fenfible of the dangerous Condition he had been in, but was defirous of a Revival of the Work of God in his Soul, that he might again enjoy Communion with him, and flourish and profper in the divine Life. Therefore he earnestly prayed, that

God

God would graciously look upon him, and return to him. Pfal. li. 7.

3. It is a difficult Thing to have much to do with the World, and to grow in Grace. Through the Degeneracy of our Hearts, the World is become an Enemy to our Souls, an Hindrance in our Way to Heaven. Many, like the young Man, keep their Enjoyments, to the Lofs. of their Souls. The Chriftian himfelf, who has found the Emptiness of the World, and its Infufficiency to fa tisfy an immortal Defire, is notwithstanding ready to be too fond of it, and finds it a fad Clog and Hindrance to him at Times. He would often leave it behind him, when he goes to worship God: But it will follow him from Duty to Duty, interrupt his Communion with God, lead his Heart afide, and damp the Exercife of every Grace. How ready is the Chriftian to fwell with Pride on account of his flourishing Enjoyments? We have need of great Grace to keep us humble in profperous Circumstances either of Saul or Body Is the Christian immerfed in Cares? Here he is in Danger of being filled with too much Anxiety, and of employing too much of his Time in the World, to the Neglect of fome im portant Duties of Religion, in the fuitable Discharge of which the divine Life is kept up in the Soul. Thus it is difficult for thofe, who have much to do with the World, to grow in Grace. I mention this, to quicken the Chris ftian diligently to attend to thofe Means, that are ne ceffary for his keeping up a lively Senfe of the Things of God in his Soul; and to keep him from being dif couraged, if at any Time he fees he has loft his Frame, through his many anxious Cares, or through the Temptations arifing from this World. I doubt not but this is the Cafe with many. Many of you, my dear Friends, have known what it is to lofe Commu

B 2

:

nion

nion with God: through the Hurries of Life; what to have your Souls out of Tune; what to be tempted to the Omiffion of Duties. I would bring in myself with you, and lay my Hand upon my Mouth, crying out, guilty, guilty. What then fhall we do in fuch unpleafing Circumstances? This leads me directly to anfwer the Cafe; viz. What Methods we must take to recover a healthful and vigorous Frame of Soul, fo as to be able to maintain real and clofe Communion with God amidst the Hurries of Life? It requires a Perfon of great Experience to give a suitable Answer to fo important a Question. Sensible of my own Weakness here, I hope I have earnestly intreated the Affiftance of the Spirit of God; in Consequence of which my Mind, I trust, has been directed to the following Things, which I would now humbly suggest to you as neceffary in this Cafe

1. Examine carefully into the Occafion of your Decline. That God brings fome Afflictions upon his People in a Way of Sovereignty, is plain, if we look into his Word: But, when he withholds the special Influences of his Spirit from us, the Confequences of which are Lofs of Communion with him, the Withering of our Graces, and a Decline with regard to the Life of Religion in our Souls, we may immediately conclude, that we have difhonoured God in fome Inftance or other, and provoked him thus partly to leave us. It is neceffary then to inquire into the Occafions of God's Withdrawment, not only for our present, but for our future Guidance. Was Job anxious to know why God contended with him in a Way of Affliction, and fhall not we be folicitous to examine into the Reasons of our present Decline? To lofe fpiritual Enjoyments is much more melancholy, than to be under temporal Afflictions. Come then,

my