Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

Do we take opportunities to excite and quicken our Spirits to the performance, and cry aloud with David, awake, awake my glory? Are not our hearts asleep when Christ knocks; when we hear the voice of God, seek my face; Do we answer him with warm resolutions, thy face Lord we will seek^*? Do we comply with spiritual motions, and strike whiles the Iron is hot? Is there not more of reluctancy, than readiness? Is there a quick rising of the Soul in reverence to the motion, as Eglon to Ehud; or a sullen hanging the head at the first approach of it? Or if our hearts seem to be engaged, and on fire; What are the motives that quicken that fire? Is it only the blast of a natural Conscience; fear of Hell; desires of Heaven as abstracted from God? Or is it an affection to God; an obedient will to please him; longings to enjoy him, as a holy and sanctifying God in his Ordinances, as well as a blessed and glorified God in Heaven?

1. *Psal. 27.8.

What do we expect in our approaches from him? That which may make divine impressions upon us, and more exactly conform us to the divine nature? Or do we design nothing but an empty formality, a rolling eye, and a filling the Air with a few words, without any openings of heart to receive the incomes, which according to the nature of the duty might be conveyed to us? Can this be a spiritual worship? The Soul then closely waits upon him, when its expectation is only from him, Psal. 62.6. Are our hearts seasoned with a sense of sin; a sight of our spiritual wants; raised notions of God; glowing affections to Him; strong appetite after a spiritual fullness? Do we rouse up our sleepy Spirits, and make a Covenant with all that is within us to attend upon him? So much as we want of this, so much we come short of a spiritual worship: In Psal. 57.7. My heart is fixed, oh God, my heart is fixed. David would fix his heart, before he would engage in a praising act of worship: He appeals to God about it, and that with doubling the expression, as being certain of an inward preparedness: Can we make the same appeals in a fixation of Spirit?