they do not abuse it. The fault reproved in the Jews, was not merely having houses for their use, but sit. ting themselves down at their ease, and without concern, in their elegant, ornamented seats, (for so the words in the original are explained by critics,) while they were little grieved at the ruinous state of the house of God. We may in lawful ways acquire, possess, and enjoy the outward blessings of providence; but our affections ought always to be set on things above. The kingdom of God and his righteousness should be first, and chiefly sought, and its interests preferred above our chief joy. And when true reli gion is low and decaying among a professing people, it is peculiarly improper for them to immerse themselves in worldly cares and amusements. They should be deeply affected with so sad and dangerous a state. Serious and awakened consideration of our state and ways, is a duty to which we are loudly called, when the days are evil.

In the first place, Let us consider how unfit it would be for a people professing a regard for religion to give themselves up securely to the cares and enjoyments of this world, when religion is evidently in a low, declining state among them. It is at all times very unbecoming a professor of christianity, to be of a worldly spirit, fondly indulging the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. But this is peculiarly unfit, when iniquity abounds, and true piety is visibly decaying. It shews a stupid insensibility of the evil and danger of such a state, and a disregard of the certain tokens of God's great displeasure. And it has a most direct tendency to prevent men's duly attending the proper means of recovering from their backslidings, or to render those means ineffectual to produce a reformation.

Let it then be considered, that whenever religion declines among a people, sin increases and prevails in equal proportion. And there is no evil so great as

the abounding of sin. The sorest afflictions in this world, are not so much to be dreaded. Sin is the procuring cause of all other evils, and while it reigns, is continually increasing in its malignity. Ought we not then to be affected with great sorrow and concern, when a deluge of irreligion and iniquity is flowing in upon us, threatening to swallow up every thing which is truly good. When the house of God is defaced, undermined, and apparently sinking, and his enemies, as it were, carrying all before them, ought not this to cool our ardor in pursuing, and abate our relish for enjoying the things of the world? Can we find a heart to solace ourselves in these things, when the cry of so much sin and guilt is loud against us, and God himself is incensed against us for our numberless provocations. The Psalmist was grieved, when he saw the transgressors. Rivers of waters ran down his eyes, because men kept not God's laws. And if we were of his spirit, we should not have a heart to be much pleased with any of our worldly possessions and enjoyments, when so bad a spectacle rises to our view on every side.

And as the sin of a backsliding people is very great, so it is certain that God is greatly displeased with them, and frowns awfully upon them. His withdrawing his sanctifying and quickening influence, and suffering their spiritual enemies to prevail to such a degree, as that a decay of vital religion becomes visible, is a terrible judgement; such a declining state is in itself very sinful, as has been said. It is also an evidence that their past sins have been very displeasing to God, since he has thereby been provoked to leave them in judgment to sink into such an unhappy, lánguishing condition; and the provocation will be aggravated, and the anger of God further enhanced, if they are so unaffected, unconcerned under such a frown, that they could be content to live as without God or religion, if they might have the good

things of this world richly to enjoy. Temporal judg ments are not so much to be dreaded by us, as for God to withdraw the influences and restraints of his grace, and leave us to pine away in our sins, to become mere cumberers of the ground, fit only to be cut down and cast into the fire. When our God, our glory, seems to be about to forsake us, our hearts must be stupid and hard as the nether millstone, if the plain tokens and evidences hereof do not awaken us; our worldly accommodations one would think should give us little pleasure or satisfaction when we find the house of God, the interests of his kingdom decayed, and that he is greatly displeased with us, frowning, and actually inflicting his judgments upon, us; even such judgments as threaten to deprive us of these privileges which ought to be most dear to us.

Must it not be very displeasing to God, when his professing people manifest so little cencern for the honor of his holy name, and the clearest and fullest revelation which he has made of his glorious and amiable perfections in the gospel. When the power of godliness decays so as not to appear in its proper effects among professors, the name of God is dishonored, and religion is exposed to the contempt of its open enemies. Can we then be easy and contented that this should continue to be the case with us? And will not a holy and jealous God, regard those with great displeasure, who are so bewitched with the idols of this world, as to slight his frowns, and be unconcerned for his honor?

Let it also be considered of what little importance our worldly interests and enjoyments are, compared

with the interests of our immortal souls and everlast

ing state. What should it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? If our souls prosper, it is a matter of unspeakably greater joy, than the increase of corn and wine. A christian In a right frame, has the building up of the church

so much at heart, that he cannot but greatly rejoice while it goes on prosperously, whatever his outward circumstances may be; and in the greatest flow of prosperity he would be restless and uneasy, if he found true religion declining, wickedness and impiety gaining ground. He would be grieved at his heart, to see the souls of men in jeopardy, entangled in the snare of the devil, and led captive by him at his will.

When the house of God lies waste, when there is a prevailing decay of piety among a people, their state is very dangerous. Many seem not to be sufficiently sensible of this: We often hear the low state of religion spoken of with so much coldness and indifference, as shows that they are not alarmed at it. Apostacy is a growing evil; every degree prepares the way, and opens a wider breach for further and greater evils to rush in. Like a cancer or a gangrene, it will naturally spread, and become more dangerous. When professed christians lose their relish and zeal for religion, and sink into a cold, careless, slothful, carnal frame, and indulge themselves in tempers, and a conversation unbecoming the gospel, the inclinations of corrupt nature will gain strength, and their power and resolution to resist them will be weaken. ed, the good spirit of grace, by whose help we mortify the deeds of the body, is quenched and grieved. By forsaking God, they provoke him to forsake them. more and more, and leave them more under the power of a carnal mind, and more exposed to the temptations of Satan, and the world, and less under the merciful restraints of his providence, and influences of his spirit. We need not wonder if corrupt principles and practices should then creep in fast, and prevail among them, and the enemies of true religion gain ground, till the candlestick of the church may at length be overthrown, its light extinguished, and a synagogue of Satan built up on its ruins. The

church of Ephesus was warned that this would be the consequence of leaving their first love, unless they should remember whence they had fallen, and repent and do their first works. And Christ also threatens the lukewarm Laodiceans, that he would spue them out of his mouth, unless they should become zealous, and repent. These threatenings have been executed long since on these churches, and on many others, and they are recorded for a warning to us, and all the churches.

It may also be added, that if we are content to let the house of God lie waste, provided our own houses may be suffered to stand, we may justly fear these will not stand very safely; but the curse of God, and his wasting judgments may pursue and blast us in our temporal interests, as it happened to the Jews in our context, as a punishment for want of zeal for the house of God,

The gracious presence of God is in his church. This is the house or temple in which he dwells among us. If this goes to ruin among us, he will retire, and prepare him a habitation in another place. But wo to us, if God depart from us. For he will then avenge the quarrel of his broken covenant. If then the power of godliness appears to be much declining in our churches, and even the profession of it gradually failing, have we not reason to tremble for fear of Gods's judgments? Is such a state to be rested in? Is it not high time to awake out of our sleep? Shall we compose ourselves to rest in our private cabins, when the bottom on which we are embarked is in so much danger?

Such a state of carnal security in the pursuit and enjoyment of the things of the world, would have a direct and powerful tendency to divert christians from giving a-due attendance on the proper means, in order to the bealing of their backslidings; and also to prevent the good effect of those means which may be used with