gods of wood and of stone were " vanities;" but are not pleasure, and riches, and honour, " vanities" when put in competition with our God ? and does not the inordinate pursuit of them provoke him to jealousy, as much as the bowing down to stocks and stones ever did ? And if the rejection of Jesus by the Jews was that crime which filled up the measure of their iniquities, and brought the wrath of God upon them to the uttermost ; shall not " the crucifying of the Son of God afresh, and putting him to an open shame," as Christians do by their iniquities, be also considered as provoking the Most High God ? Let us not think then that the Jews alone can provoke God to anger, or that they alone can ever be cast off for their wickedness ; for he has expressly warned us by his Apostle, that he will cast us off, even as he did them, if we provoke him to jealousy by placing on the creature the affections that are due to him. Hear what St. Paul says ; " Be not high-minded, but fear : for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed, lest he also spare not theeV My Brethren, you cannot but see how grievously God is dishonoured by the Christian world : truly, " he is provoked by us every day ;" and we, no less than the Jews, are " a rebellious and stiff-necked people." Look at all ranks and orders of men amongst us, and see whether there be not a lamentable departure from primitive Christianity ? Compare the lives of the generality with the examples of Christ and his Apostles, and see, not merely how short they come of the pattern set before them, (for that the best amongst us do,) but how opposite they are in their conduct ; insomuch that, if they did not call themselves Christians, no one would ever think of calling them so, from their lives. Those who are in earnest about the salvation of their souls, are still " as men wondered at" amongst us ; so that instead of pointing at an unhappy few as exceptions to the Christian character, no one can tread in the steps of Christ and his Apostles, without becoming " a sign and a wonder" among his neigh-
a Rom. xi. 21. VOL. ir. K K