2. When men make merchandises of their private courtesies, and aim only at their own praise ; when men eye self in all they do, and have an aim only to advance themselves in the esteem of others, in all the public good they do, these are self-seekers indeed. The heathen poet could say, that is no alms, which we use as a way of trade and exchange, that it will bring no ])rofit to you at all. Still we must look to the pattern, Jesus Christ ; when he loved us, ' Ho pleased not him- self,' Eom. XV. 3. Therefore there should be nothing of self and private reflection upon our own interest or our own charity.
3. Persons envious, those that would have a monopoly of gifts to set ot themselves, and envy the gifts and graces of others. Whereas God would have us rejoice in each other's grace and labours. What is theirs by labour, is ours by love, by virtue of the mystical body ; whatever members do, the glory and good rebounds to all. We being in the body, we should not envy them, as the foot doth not envy the eye, because it is seated in a higher place. Envious persons are not members of the body, but wens, that grow monstrous by sucking, they seek to draw all to themselves, therefore canirct rejoice in the good of others.
SEVERAL SERMONS
PBEACHED Oy
PUBLIC OCCASIONS,
SOME OF WHICH EXPLAIN
THE NATURE, USE, AND END OF THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.
A FAST SEEMON.
But thou hast not called upon me, 0 Jacob ; hut thou hast been iveary of me, 0 Isi'ael. — Isa. xliii. 22.
In the front of the text there is an exceptive particle which referreth to the context — But. Now, if you consider the context before or after it, it containeth promises of mercy, of God's forming them into a state and people ; of forgiving their iniquities for his name's sake, &c. 'But' God promiseth mercy, though they had deserved judgment. The Lord was resolved for once, to make use of his prerogative, and to save them out of the mere and free motion of his own grace. Thus doth God sometimes work out of order and course, and show mercy when the state of a people is most sinful. He promiseth to restore Israel when they had neglected him, and were ready to cast him off. Such instances we have in like cases, 1 Cor. xi. 25. In the very night in which Christ was betrayed, he instituted the Lord's Supper ; he was consigning to the Church the food of life, when the world was designing and plotting against him a cruel death. So God was giving the law in the mount, while the people were worshipping the calf in the valley. Whilst Paul was persecuting the church, Christ appeareth from heaven to convert him, and make him an apostle. Acts ix. Free grace doth often step out of the way and beaten road to meet sinners in their wanderings. So here, God promiseth them great mercies ; yet he chargeth them with their sin and shameful neglect of him : ' But thou hast not called upon me, 0 Jacob ; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.'
For the verse, there are two distinct charges — ■
1. A neglect of prayer.
2. Growing weary of God.
I shall now insist upon the former, though not excluding the latter also. The point is this —
Doct. People are at a dangerous pass when they begin to neglect prayer.
Eliphaz layeth it as an heavy charge upon Job, chap. xv. 4, ' Surely thou restrainest prayer before God.' When conscience is clamorous, wants pressing, and yet men cannot find the heart to go to God, it is a sad case. Kestraint noteth the keeping in of a thing that would fain break out. So the heathen are described to be the families that all not upon his name, Jer. x. 25 ; that is, that do not acknowledge and worship him. So Ps. xiv. 4, ' The workers of iniquity,' of what
298 A. FAST SERJION.
religion soever the}' profess themselves to he, ' they call not upon the Lord.' The evil of this will appear if we consider —
1. The ends why this duty was appointed.
2. The causes why this is neglected.
First, Why the duty was appointed. God's command is reason enough for the practice of any duty. There needeth no other argu- ment to a gracious heart than this is the will of the Lord concerning you ; hut all God's institutions are full of reason, and in a condescen- sion to us ; he requireth nothing by way of mere task. The duties of religion are not a task, but a means to do us good ; so is this among the rest.
1. It is a notable part of God's worship, or a serious calling to mind his presence and attributes. It is a sin, not only to deny God, but to forget him, Ps. ix. 17. Now we are apt to forget God, who is an invisible being, though we have all things from him, and he be necessary to us continually. Therefore in prayer we present ourselves before him that we may solemnly remember God, and inure ourselves to a reverence of his majesty. Therefore they that neglect prayer / said to forget God : Jer. ii. 31, 32, ' We are lords, we will come/ more unto thee. Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride .„. attire ? Yet my peop)le have forgotten me days without number.' They carry themselves as if they had no need of God's support ; they do not regard him, nor preserve any reverence of him in their minds. To withdraw from prayer is to withdraw from God ; and to be unwilling to pray is to be unwilling to draw nigh to God, or to have any serious thoughts of his being and attributes.