they "made themselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel," (v. 29.) Such were those of whom Isaiah says, "The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink: they are swallowed up of wine," (c. xxviii. 7.) "Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink: and to-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant," (c. lvi. 12.) Therefore, saith he," the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and the seers hath he covered; and the vision of all is become unto you, as the words of a book that is sealed," (c. xxix. 10, 11.) Such also were those of whom he saith, "His watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant; they are all dumb dogs; they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Greedy dogs, which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand. They all look to their own way, every one for his gain from his quarter,” c. lvi. 10, 11.

Little better were those of whom the prophets that followed have left us so dreadful an account; "both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord. And from the prophets of Jerusalem, is profaneness gone forth into all the land," (Jer. xxiii. 11, 15.) "Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and the profane, and I am profaned among them," (Ezek. xxii. 26.) "If I be a father, where is mine honour; and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of Hosts unto you, O priests that despise my Name," Mal. i. 6.

Yea, some of them were fallen into the grossest sins. "The company of priests (said Hosea) commit lewdness: there is whoredom in Ephraim, Israel is despised," (c. vi. 9, 10.) "I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem (saith God by Jeremiah) a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies," c. xxiii. 14.

18. And those who were clear of this were deeply covetous. "Who is there among you that would shut the doors

for nought? Neither do ye kindle fire on my altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of Hosts," (Mal. vi. 10.) "The priests of Zion preach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money. Yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us?" (Mic. iii. 11.) "Thus saith the Lord, The prophets bite with their teeth, and cry peace: and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him,' (c. iii. 5.) Therefore "the word of the Lord came unto Ezekiel, saying, Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, and say, Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves: should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat and ye clothe you with the wool; but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick; neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost, but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered because there is no shepherd, and they became meat to all the beasts of the field. Yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search and seek after them," c. xxxiv. 1-6.

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19. To the same effect do the other prophets declare, "Ye are departed out of the way, ye have caused many to stumble. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people," (Mal. ii. 8, 9.) "From the prophet even unto the priest, every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace," (Jer. vi. 13, 14.) "They prophesy lies in my name," (c. xiv. 14.) "They say still unto them that despise me, the Lord hath said, ye shall have peace; and they say unto every man that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you," (c. xxiii: 17.) "The prophets of Jerusalem strengthen the hands of the evil-doers, that none doth return from his wickedness, (v. 14.) "They have seduced my people, and one built up

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a wall, and, lo! others daubed it with untempered mortar," (Ezek. xiii. 10.) "With lies they have made the hearts of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life," (v. 22.) "Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot; they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness,” (Jer. xxii. 10.) "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst of her, like a roaring lion, ravening the prey. They have devoured souls," (Ezek. xxii. 25.) "Thus saith the Lord, feed the flock of the slaughter, whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty, and they that sell them, say, Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich; and their own shepherds pity them not," Zach. xi. 4, 5.

II. 1. Such is the general account which the Scriptures give of the Jews, the ancient church of God. And since all these things were written for our instruction, who are now the visible church of the God of Israel, I shall in the next place appeal to all who profess this, to every one who calls himself a Christian, how far in each instance the parallel holds, and how much we are better than they.

And, first, Were they discontented? Did they repine at the providence of God? Did they say, Is the Lord among us or not? when they were in imminent danger, or pressing want, and saw no way to escape? And which of us can say, 1 am clear from this sin: I have washed my hand and my heart in innocency? Have not we who judge others, done the same things? murmured and repined times without number? yea, and that when we were not in pressing want, nor distressed with imminent danger? Are we not in general, (our own writers being the judges,) have we not ever been from the earliest ages, a repining, murmuring, discontented people, never long satisfied either with God or man? Surely in this we have great need to humble ourselves before God; for we are in no wise better than they.

But "Jeshurun forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation." And did not England

too? Ask ye of the generations of old, inquire from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof, whether there was ever a people called by his name, which had less of "God in all their thoughts?" Who in the whole tenor of their behaviour shewed so "light an esteem for the Rock of our salvation ?"

Could there ever be a stronger cause for God to cry out, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!" For hath he not "nourished and brought us up as his children?" "And yet, how have we rebelled against him!" If "Israel of old did not know God," if his ancient people “ did not consider;" was this peculiar to them? Are not we also under the very same condemnation? Do we, as a people, know God? Do we consider him as God? Do we tremble at the presence of his power? Do we revere his excellent Majesty? Do we remember at all times, God is here? He is now reading my heart: he spieth out all my ways; there is not a word in my tongue but he knoweth it altogether: is this the character of us English Christians? The mark whereby we are known from the Heathen? Do we thus know God? Thus consider his power, his love, his all-seeing eye? Rather, are we not likewise a "sinful nation, who have forgotten him days without number! A people laden with iniquity, continually forsaking the Lord, and provoking the Holy One of Israel?"

2. There is indeed a wide difference in this respect between the Jews and us; they happened (if I may so speak) to forget God, because other things came in their way: but we design to forget him: we do it of set purpose, because we do not like to remember him. From the accounts given by Jeremiah, we have reason to believe, that when that people was most deeply corrupted, yet the greatest men in the nation, the ministers of state, the nobles and princes of Judah, talked of God sometimes, perhaps as frequently as upon any other subject. But is it so among us? Rather, is it not a point of good breeding to put God far away, out of their sight? Is he talked of at all among the great? The nobles, or ministers of state in England? VOL. XII.

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Among any persons of rank or figure in the world? Do they allow God any place in their conversation? From day to day, from year to year, do you discourse one hour of the wonders he doth for the children of men? If one at a gentleman or a nobleman's table were to begin a discourse, of the wisdom, greatness, or power of God, would it not occasion (at least) as much astonishment, as if he had began to talk blasphemy? And if the unbred man persisted therein, would it not put all the company into confusion? And what do you sincerely believe the more favourable part would say of him when he was gone? But that—” He is a little touched in his head!" or, "Poor man! he has not seen the world?”

You know, this is the naked truth. But how terrible is the thought to every serious mind! Into what a state is this Christian nation fallen! Nay, the men of eminence, of fortune, of education! Would not a thinking foreigner, who should be present at such an interview, be apt to conclude, that the men of quality in England were Atheists? That they did not believe there was any God at all; or, at best only an Epicurean God, who sat at ease upon the circle of the heavens, and did not concern himself about us worms of the earth? Nay, but he understands every thought now rising in your heart. And how long can you put him out of your sight? Only till this veil of flesh is rent in sunder. For your pomp will not then follow you. Will not your body be mingled with common dust? And your soul stand naked before God? O that you would now "acquaint yourself with God," that you may then be clothed with glory and immortality!

3. Did God complain of the Jews, "even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them ?" And how justly may he make the same complaint of us! For how exceedingly small a proportion do we find of those in any place who call themselves Christians, that make a conscience of attending them! Does one third of the inhabitants in any one parish throughout this great city, constantly attend public prayer and the