ISAIAH LVIII. 3. part 1, Wherefore have we fafted (fay they) and Thou feeft not? Wherefore have we afflicted our Soul, and Thou takeft no Knowledge? CARCE any Thing appeared more early or has all along been more diftinguishable, in the Nature of fallen Man, than a certain Reluctance, which he discovers upon almost every Occafion of Difappointment or Uneafinefs, against acknow ledging or even fufpecting the Cause to be within himself. Nor is this obfervable only in fingle Perfons, but often in Parties, and fometimes in whole Communities, of Men, In the Glory of any Publick Succeffes they can be very well contented to take their Share: But, when Affairs are less profperous, we find them equally difpofed to renounce all Pretenfions to the Blame; little folicitous where that may reft, provided it be not brought home to themselves. The Paffage before us will, I think, furnish us with a remarkable Inftance of what is here observed. - From feveral Parts of this a fublime Prophecy it appears, that the Jewish People were at this Time chargeable with many grofs Deviations from the Law of GOD, many abominable Corruptions both in Principle and Practice. Accordingly the Prophet is here ordered to cry aloud and not Spare; to fhew the People their Tranfgreffion, and the Houfe of Jacob their Sins. Such Information, one would imagine, might have been but little wanted in their Circumstances. And yet, it seems, all this while, as if their Behaviour had been in every respect irreproachable, they could be very affiduous in performing the outward Acts of Devotion, and even familiar with their Maker in their Expreffions of it. They feek me daily (faith GoD) and delight to know my Ways; as a Nation that did Righteoufnefs, and for fook not the Ordinance of GOD; they afk of me the Ordinances of Juf tice; they take Delight in approaching to GOD. Nay, so infenfible were they of their a Ifaiah LVIII. 1, 2, 3. Own own Degeneracy, or fo very little acquainted with God's Perfections, as to be at a Lofs to account for the Unfuccessfulness of their former Addreffes, and almost ready to ascribe it to a Want either of Power or Goodness in the Deity. Wherefore have we fafted, said they, and Thou feeft not? Wherefore have we afflicted our Soul, and Thou takeft no Knowledge? Strange! that a finful Nation, a People laden with Iniquity, a Seed of Evil-Doers, Children that were Corrupters, fhould want an Anfwer to this Queftion!-Let us, however, fufpend our Admiration till we have reflected a little, whether ourselves may not be in fome degree concerned in the foregoing Obfervation. a We of this Nation have already five feveral Times prefented ourselves before Almighty GOD; deprecating His Judgments of which we were justly afraid, and imploring His Bleffing on the Counfels and Arms of our Sovereign: And, in order to do this with the greater Solemnity and the more Succefs, we have (in Conformity with the pious Injunction of our Superiours, and with the Practice of the Church of GOD in all Ages) joined Fafting with our Prayers on these Occafions. Of what Efficacy all this may have been, it becomes not us to pronounce. But, without attempting any Comparison of our prefent Situation with that we were in at the Commencement of the War, or specifying any Events that have occur'd in the Progress of it; without defiring to rob God of the Glory of any of our Succeffes, or those brave Men, that have hazarded their Lives unto the Death, of our due Thanks for any feasonable Deliverances or unexpected Advantages, which by His Bleffing they have gained for us; I prefume, the Appointment of this Sixth Day of Humiliation will justify a Supposal, because it implies an Acknowledgment, that our former Fasts have not yet procured for us all thofe favourable Returns from Heaven, which we defired and hoped for from them. And what now is the Ufe we make of this? In Justice to our Governours indeed, it fhould be remembered, that they have in this very Appointment fuggefted the Confideration, which ought always to be uppermost in our Thoughts on this Subject. But, is this in fact the View wherein we are most apt to confider these Things? A little Conversation with Men full of Political Schemes will convince us of the Contrary. Talk, for instance, with Many of and You will hear much of the Perfi thefe ; dioufnefs |