folved that he would do, fuppofing all Ifrael fhould revolt from God. And thus did the Prophet Elijah, in a time of general apoftacy, when Ifrael had forfaken the covenant of their God, and thrown down his altars, and flain his prophets; Elijah was left, as he thought, alone, 1 Kings xix. 10. and yet this did not at all abate his zeal for his God: in fuch a cafe, it is much better to stand alone, and ferve God by one's felf, than perish with a multitude. Fashion, that models our garb and dress, fhould have nothing to do with our religion. Once more 4.) A good man will resolve and endeavour, that not only himself, but his family with him, may ferve the Lord. As for me, and my boufe, we will ferve the Lord; he will ferve the Lord alone, if none will join with him; but he earnestly defires, and will do all that he can, that others may ferve him and glorify him too, and especially those who are of his own family. Thus, it is mention'd in the word of God, to Abraham's everlafting honour, that he would use all his endeavours to promote religion in his house and family. I know him, faith God, that he will command bis children, and his boufhold after him, and they fhall keep the way of the Lord, Gen. xviii. 19. and it is recorded of Cornelius, and mention'd as an excellent inftance of his piety, that he feared God with all his house, and prayed to God alway, Acts x. 2. Masters, Masters, and heads of families, have, cer tainly, a trust committed to them from God, with refpect to the fouls of those who are put under their care: it can never be thought, that the care of their bodies fhould be fo great duty, as the Apostle reprefents it, 1 Tim. v. 6. fo that to neglect it, is, in effect, to renounce christianity; and yet that the care of their fouls, the nobler and immortal part, fhould be no duty at all. If he be worse than an infidel, who careth not, and provideth not for the bodies of his children and fervants ; what must he be? Worfe than a brute fure! who does not care and provide, in the best manner he can, for their fouls. We may suppose the great God and Judge of all, questioning with fuch perfons at the great day, as once he did with Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? Where are thy fons, and thy daughters, and thy fervants, whom I did, by my providence, commit to thy care and charge? What care haft thou taken of their precious fouls? Didft thou teach them and command them to keep the way of the Lord? Didft thou pray in thy houfe? and haft thou done what thou couldft do to fave the fouls of all that dwelt under thy roof? These are serious queftions; it greatly concerns all, who are parents and heads of families, to confider, now before hand, how they will answer them at the great day. But I muft not stay upon this head at present. I am to direct my discourse chiefly to young perfons; and I take it, that it will be very suitable to fuch a defign, to enlarge upon the third obfervation, which I have raised from the text, viz. That whatever others do, and whatever choice others make, it is both our duty, and our prudence to ferve the Lord. Fashion and cuftom are, commonly, very weighty confiderations with younger minds; and fingularity is the abhorrence of the brifk and gay "I fhall be nothing but laugh'd at, fays the young perfon, if I don't do as "other young people do of my age and "condition; fhould I fet up for precifedefs "and piety fo foon, I must never shew my "head among my companions any more ". But who can think of this? what young perfon can bare to be made a jeft of? as any young perfon may propably enough expect to be, who will dare to make Joshua's refolution, that let others do what they will, he will ferve the Lord. Now to remove this prejudice against fingular piety, and to fhew the reasonablenefs and advantage, as well as the neceffity of it, even to young perfons, fhall be the defign of this difcourfe. And for this purpose I fhall, I. Confider Joshua's refolution and choice. III. I fhall make fome practical improve ment. L. Let us confider, what it was that Jobua chofe chofe and refolved upon. It was, that he would ferve the Lord; as for this phrafe, to Serve the Lord, I take it to comprehend in it the whole of religion; and feveral fuch general phrases are to be met with in fcripture; as, the knowledge of God, and the fear of God, which are fometimes put for all that practical regard which creatures owe to God, or for the whole of what we call religion. It is most natural and eafy to understand this phrase, in our text, in the fame general and comprehenfive fenfe: when Joshua declares that he was refolved to ferve the Lord, he means no lefs, than that he was determined to be whatever God would have him be, and to do whatever God would have him do. Thus much, however, you may particularly obferve from the phrafe in our text, that true religion is not a mere name and profeffion only, but a real and practical bufinefs; 'tis ferving the Lord, and we must make a business of it if ever we are accepted of God; for not every one that faith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, fays Chrift, but be that doth the will of my Father, which is in heaven, Matt. vii. 21. Religion does not lie only in notion and opinion, but it is a fervice, which requires labour and diligence to perform it faithfully, and fo as to obtain the master's approbation at laft. Our bleffed Saviour compares it, in one of his parables, to the work of a labourer in a vineyard; and elsewhere to the toils of a foldier in the wars. He tells us that we muft Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate, and that we muft even ufe violence to get into the kingdom of heaven. Religion, then, according to the fcripture account of it, is a practical business: 'tis the ferving of God, which must undoubtedly imply these two things. First, That those who refolve to ferve God, muft renounce and forfake all foreign fervice, which is contrary to God's fervice., And fuch is the fervice of the world, and of the flesh, and of the Devil. Ye cannot ferve two masters, God and mammon, says Christ, and his fervants ye are, to whom ye yield yourfelves to obey, whether of fin unto death, or of obedience unto righteoufnefs, fays the Apostle, Rom. vi. 16. it can't be both, but it must be one, or the other. If we refolve, with Joshua, to serve the Lord, we must resolve, at the fame time, that we will ferve fin no more for ever; we must renounce the Devil as our master, and the world as our portion, and the gratifying of our fleshly luft as our chief intereft. The language of fuch a refolution and choice muft be, and will be, like that in Ifaiah xxvi. 13. O Lord our God, other lords befides thee have bad dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. "From this very moment I change my mafter, I will ferve the Devil and the "world no more: I am forry that I have .66 " ferved |