heaven, to direct him in the way he should walk, Acts x. 3. Take heed, Christian, therefore, thou neglectest not any one duty ; how knowest thou hut that is the door at which Christ stands waiting to enter at into thy soul? The Spirit is free, do not bind him to this or that duty, but wait on him in all. It is not wisdom to let any water run beside thy mill, which may be useful to set thy soul agoing heavenward. May be. Christian, thou findest little in those duties thou performest, they are empty breasts to thy soul. It is worth thy inquiry, whether there be not some other thou neglectest. Thou hearest the word with little profit may be ; I pray tell me, dost thou not neglect sacra- ments? I am sure too many do, and that upon Aveak grounds, God knows. And wilt thou have God meet thee in one ordinance, who durst not meet him in another? Or if thou frequentest all public ordinances, is not God a great stranger to thee at home, in thy house and closet? What communion dost thou liold with him in private duties ? Here is a hole wide enough to lose all thou gettest in public, if not timely mended. Samuel woidd not sit down to feast with Jesse and his sons, till David, though the youngest son, was fetched, who was the only son that was wanting, 2 Sam. xvi. 11. If thou wouldest have God's company in any ordinance, thou must wait on him in all ; he will not have any willingly neglected. O fetch back that duty which thou hast sent away ! though least in thy eye, yet, it may be, it is that God means to crown with his choicest blessing in thy soul.
Secondly, In a close and vigorous pursuance of those ends for which God hath appointed them. Now there is a double end which God chiefly aims at in the duties of his worship. First, God intends that by them we shoidd do our homage to him as our sovereign Lord. Secondly, he intends them to be as means through which he may let out himself into the bosoms of his chil- dren, and communicate the choicest of his blessings to them. Now here the power of holiness piits forth itself, when the Christian attends narrowly to reach these ends in every duty he performs.
First, God appoints them for this end, that we may do our homage to him as our sovereign Lord. Were there not a worship paid to God, how should we declare, and make appear that we hold our life and being of him ? One of the first things that God taught Adam, and Adam his children, was divine worship. Now if we will do this holily, we must make it our chief care so to pei'form every duty, that by it we may sanctify his name in it, and give him the glory due unto it. A subject may ofler a present after such a ridiculous fashion to his prince, that he may covmt himself rather scorned than honoured by him. The soldiers bowed the knee to Christ, but they mocked him. Matt, xxvii. 29 ; and so does God reckon many do by him, even while they worship iiim. By the carriage and behaviour of ourselves in religious duties we speak what our thoughts are of God himself. He that performs them with a holy awe upon his spirit, and comes to them filled with faith and fear, with joy and trembling, he declares plainly that he believes God to be a great God, and a good God, a glorious Majesty and a gracious ; but he that is slightly and slo- venly in them, tells God himself to his face, that he hath mean and low thoughts of him. The misbehaviour of a person in religious duties ariseth from his mis- apprehensions of God, whom he worships. What is engraven on the seal, you shall surely see printed on the wax : and what thoughts the heart hath of God are stamped on the duties the man performs. Abel shewed himself to be a holy man, and Cain appeared a wicked wretch, in their sacrifice ; and how ? but in this ; that Abel aimed at that end which God intends in his worship, the sanc- tifying his name, which Cain minded not at all ; as may appear by comparing Abel's sacrifice with his, in two particulars.
First, Abel is very choice in the matter of his sacrifice, not any of the flock that comes first to hand, but the firstlings ; neither did he offer the lean of them to God, and save the fat for himself, but gives God the best of the best. But of Cain's offering, no such care is recorded to be taken by him ; it is only said, ' that he brought of the fruit of the ground, an offering imto the Lord,' Gen. iv. 3, 4 ; but not a word that it was the first fruit, or best fruit.
Again, Abel did not put God off with a beast or two for a sacrifice, but with ihem gives his heart also : ' By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,' Heb. xi. 4 ; he gave God the inward worship of his soul :
THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. p,\\