tation, with earnestness and solicitude; if these things engage many
of his thoughts; if his mind naturally and inadvertently runs out into
contemplations of them; if success in these respects greatly gladdens,
and disappointments dispirit and distress his mind; he has but too plain
grounds for self-condemnation. "No man can serve two masters." The world
is evidently in possession of his heart, and it is no wonder that he
finds himself dull, or rather dead, to the impression and enjoyment of
spiritual things.

But though the marks of predominant estimation and regard for earthly
things be much less clear and determinate; yet if the object which he is
pursuing be one which, by its attainment, would bring him a considerable
accession of riches, station, or honour, let him soberly and fairly
question and examine whether the pursuit be warrantable? here also,
asking the advice of some judicious friend; his backwardness to do
which, in instances like these, should justly lead him, as was before
remarked, to distrust the reasonableness of the schemes which he is
prosecuting. In such a case as this, we have good cause to distrust
ourselves. Though the inward hope, that we are chiefly prompted by a
desire to promote the glory of our Maker, and the happiness of our
fellow-creatures, by increasing our means of usefulness, may suggest
itself to allay, yet let it not altogether remove, our suspicions. It is
not improbable, that beneath this plausible mask we conceal, more
successfully perhaps from ourselves than from others, an inordinate
attachment to the pomps and transitory distinctions of this life; and as
this attachment gains the ascendency, it will ever be found, that our
perception and feeling of the supreme excellence of heavenly things will
proportionably subside.

But when the consequences which would follow from the success of our
worldly pursuits do not render them so questionable, as in the case we
have been just considering; yet, having such good reason to believe that
there is somewhere a flaw, could we but discover it, let us carefully
scrutinize the whole of our conduct, taking that word in its largest
sense; in order to discover whether we may not be living either in the
breach or in the omission of some known duty, and whether it may not
therefore have pleased God to withdraw from us the influence of his Holy
Spirit; particularly inquiring, whether the duties of self-examination,
of secret and public prayer, th