on which their chearful ferving of God doth all in all depend; and the Confequence hereof will be, that tho' perhaps they began very brifkly, and found a great deal of Peace and Joy when they firft entered upon the Way of Religion and Devotion; yet if they use themselves at this Rate for any long Time, they will not hold out, but will miferably flag before they be half at the End of their Journey: If therefore any one means to go on vigorously and chearfully in the Love of God, and avoid this Dulness and Flatnefs of Affection that is here complained of, let him not harafs his Mind and his Body with too conftant Serioufnefs and Thoughtfulness, but let him unbend himfelf at due Times, let him follow his worldly Affairs and Bufinefs with all Chearfulness, let him not think that he is always to be so intent upon the Business of Devotion, but that he may recreate and divert himself as other Men do, and indulge his Conftitution in its innocent Cravings.

But I need not infift upon this, because there are not many that ftand in need of this Sort of Advice: God knows the most of us rather need Spurs to quicken our Endeavours and our Diligence in the Worfhip of God, than Reins to hold us in: But there is another Point of Indifcretion in the Conduct of ourselves, which I ought, upon this Occafion, to caution against, be

cause

cause it often proves the Cause of the Decay of our Brifkness and Vigour in the Service of God, and makes Religion and Devotion. very heavy and burdenfome to those that ufe it, and that is, the too much tying up and fettering ourselves with Rules and Forms of our own making. As for Instance, when we make Refolutions to pray fo often every Day, and fo long, and in fuch a Form, to read fo much of a good Book, to forbear wholly the Use of this or the other indifferent Thing, not to give above fuch a Portion of our Time to our Business, or to our Company, or to our Recreations, or the like; this exact methodizing of our Actions and our Devotions before-hand, tho' it be very lawful, and tho' we meet with it as recommended in many godly Books, nay, and at fome time it ferves really to good Purposes, yet it often proves a Snare to him that thus ties up himfelf (efpecially if he be a Perfon of that Temper we are now speaking of); for tho' perhaps the Rules we fet ourselves were very prudent, and did exactly befit our Circumftances at the Time that we made them, yet if our Temper or Circumftances do alter, as they often do, they will ceafe to do fo; and that which at firft was both profitable and delightful, will, in Time, prove not only inconvenient, but intolerably trouble fome, and, by degrees, perhaps eat out the Heart

and Brifkness of his Devotion and Religion: We should fo order all our religious Exercifes, as to put as little Conftraint upon ourfelves as may be ; and the Way to do that, is to leave ourselves at Liberty, as to the particular Modes and Methods, and Times and Circumftances of them; if we do but fecure the Performance of our Duty, we do our Work. The best Way to fecure it is not by binding ourfelves to this or the other Method, but by making it as easy as we can to our prefent Circumftances: We must rely, if we mean to keep up the Edge and Fervour of our Minds towards fpiritual Things, and would not fall into that Loathing and Disgust of them, nor feel that Tedioufnefs in them that we are now complaining of: We muft, I fay, indulge a great deal to our Humours and Tempers, and not always be forcing ourselves upon this or the other Exercife, which is againft the Grain of our prefent Inclination: Thus, for Inftance, if I find that my Attention will not hold out to the Length of my ordinary Devotions, why, in this Cafe, let me not fcruple to fhorten and contract them: If I cannot pray with Devotion and Affection in my ufual Form, let me take another that pleafeth me better at that Time, or ufe no Form at all, but pray as my Affections lead me: If Praife and Thanksgiving do better fit my prefent Humour than con

feffing

feffing my Sins, let me chufe that, and let the other all alone.

Thus alfo in all the other Actions of Religion, where no exprefs Law of God hath interpofed (for as for the Rules of Devotion, that you meet with in Books, they are no Laws to you, tho' they may be good Directions; I fay, where no exprefs Law of God hath interpofed), there it is the wisest way to comply with our own Inclinations, and not needlefly to crofs and teaze ourfelves. By this means we shall make Religion and Devotion, by degrees, natural, and eafy, and pleasant to us, and in a great measure avoid that Coldnefs of Affection, those Wanderings of Thought, that Tedioufnefs, and Dulness, and Dryness of Spirit, which the unneceffary Restraint and Öbligations that Men lay upon themselves in thefe Matters, are oftentimes the Occafion of.

And this is all that I have to fay upon this Cafe.

Confider what ye have heard; and the Lord, &c.

SERMON

254

SERMON XII.

EXODUS XX. 8.

Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.

IS Majefty, in his late Letter to the Bishops, requires, That all H the Clergy be ordered to preach frequently against those particular

Sins which are most prevailing in this Realm; as, namely, against Blafphemy, Swearing and Curfing, against Perjury, against Drunkenness, and against Profanation of the Lord's Day: And that they do alfo read to their People fuch Statute Law or Laws, as are provided against that Vice or Sin which is their Subject on that Day.

I intend, at this Time, to treat of one of thefe Arguments; namely, that which concerns the Obfervation of the Lord's Day; and for that Reafon the Statute that concerns this Matter was now read to you, and

I