receive in that spiritual sense of divine love, which God by them will communicate.

So Christ, by his word, knocks at the door of the heart; if it be open by faith, he cometh in and suppeth with men, giving them a gracious refreshment, by the testimony of his own love, and the love of the Father; Rev. iii. 20. John xiv. 23. This believers look for in, and this they do in various measures receive by the ordinances of divine worship. And although some, through their fears and temptations, are not sensible hereof, yet do they secretly receive these blessed gracious supplies whereby their souls are held in life, without which they would pine away and perish. So he dealeth with them; Cant. iv. 5, 6. These are the gardens and galleries of Christ wherein he gives us of his love; Cant. vii. 12. Those who are humble and sincere, know how often their souls have been refreshed in them, and how long sometimes the impressions they have received of divine grace and love have continued with them unto their unspeakable consolation. They remember what they have received in the opening and application of the 'exceeding great and precious promises,' that are given unto them, whereby they are gradually more and more made 'partakers of the divine nature;' how many a time they have received light in darkness, refreshment under despondencies, relief in their conflicts with dangers and temptations, in and by them. For this cause do affections that are spiritually renewed cleave unto them. Who can but love and delight in that which he hath found by experience to be the way and means of communicating unto him the most invaluable mercy, the most inestimable benefit, whereof in this life he can be made partaker? He who hath found a hidden treasure, although he should at once take away the whole of it, yet will esteem the place where he found it. But if it be of that nature, that no more can be found or taken of it at once, but what is sufficient for the present occasion, yet is so full and boundless, as that whenever he comes again to seek for it, he shall he sure to obtain present supply, he will always value it, and constantly apply himself unto it. And such is the treasure of grace and divine love, that is in the ordinances of divine worship.

If we are strangers unto these things, if we have never received efficacious intimations of divine love unto our

souls, in and by the duties of divine worship, we cannot love. them and delight in them as we ought. What do men come to hear the word of God for? What do they pray for? What do they expect to receive from him? Do they come unto God as the eternal fountain of living waters? As the God of all grace, peace, and consolation? Or do they come unto his worship without any design, as unto a dry and empty show? Do they fight uncertainly with these things as men beating the air? Or do they think they bring something unto God, but receive nothing from him? that the best of their business is to please him in doing what he commands; but to receive any thing from him they expect not, nor do ever examine themselves whether they have done so or no? It is not for persons who walk in such ways, ever to attain a due delight in the ordinances of divine worship.

Believers have other designs herein; and among the rest, this in the first place, that they may be afresh made partakers of refreshing, comforting pledges of the love of God in Christ; and thereby of their adoption, of the pardon of their sins, and acceptance of their persons. According as they meet with these things in the duties of holy worship, public or private, so will they love, value, and adhere unto them. Some men are full of other thoughts and affections, so as that these things are not their principal design or desire, or are contented with that measure of them which they suppose themselves to have attained; or at least are not sensible of the need they stand in, to have fresh communications of them made unto their souls; supposing that they can do well enough without a renewed sense of divine love every day; some are so ignorant of what they ought to design, to look after, in the duties of gospel worship, as that it is impossible they should have any real design in them. Many of the better sort of professors are too negligent in this matter. They do not long and pant in the inward man after renewed pledges of the love of God; they do not consider how much need they have of them, that they may be encouraged and strengthened unto all other duties of obedience; they do not prepare their minds for their reception of them, nor come with expectation of their communication unto them; they do not rightly fix their faith on this truth, namely, that these holy administrations and duties are ap

pointed of God in the first place, as the ways end means of conveying his love and a sense of it unto our souls. From hence springs all that luke-warmness, coldness, and indifferency in and unto the duties of holy worship, that are growing among us. For if men have lost the principal design of faith in them, and disesteem the chiefest benefit which is to be obtained by them, whence should zeal for them, delight in them, or diligence in attendance unto them, arise? Let not any please themselves under the power of such decays; they are indications of their inward frame, and those infallible. Such persons will grow cold, careless, and negligent, as unto the duties of public worship; they will put themselves neither to charge nor trouble about them; every occasion of life diverts them, and finds ready entertainment in their minds; and when they do attend upon them, it is with great indifference and unconcernedness. Yet would they have it thought, that all is still well within, as ever it was; they have as good a respect unto religion as any. But these things openly discover an ulcerous disease in the very souls of men, as evidently as if it were written on their foreheads; whatever they pretend unto the contrary, they are under the power of woful decays from all due regard unto spiritual and eternal things. And I would avoid the society of such persons, as those who carry an infectious disease about them, unless it were to help on their cure.

But herein it is that affections spiritually renewed do manifest themselves. When we do delight in, and value the duties of God's worship, because we find by experience that they are, and have been unto us, means of communicating a sense and renewed pledges of the love of God in Christ, with all the benefits and privileges which depend thereon; then are our affections renewed in and by the Holy Ghost.

2. They come for supplies of internal, sanctifying, strengthening grace. This is the second great design of believers in their approaches unto God in his worship. The want hereof as unto measures and degrees they find in themselves, and are sensible of it. Yea, therein lies the great burden of the souls of believers in this world, All that we do in the life of God, may be referred unto two heads. 1. The observance of all duties of obedience. And, 2. The conflict with, and conquest over, temptations.

About these things are we continually exercised. Hence the great thing which we desire, labour for, and pant after, is spiritual strength and ability for the discharge of ourselves in a due manner with respect unto these things. This is that which every true believer groaneth after in the inward man, and which he preferreth infinitely above all earthly things. So he may have grace sufficient in any competent measure for these ends, let what will befall him, he desireth no more in this world. God in Christ is the only fountain of all this grace. There is not one drachm of it to be obtained but from him alone. And as he doth communicate it unto us of his own sovereign goodness and pleasure, so the ordinary way and means whereby he will do it, are the duties of his worship; Isa. xl. 28-31. 'Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.'

All grace and spiritual strength is originally seated in the nature of God; ver. 28. But what relief can that afford unto us who are weak, feeble, fainting? He will act suitably unto his nature, in the communication of this grace and power; ver. 29. But how shall we have an interest in this grace, in these operations? wait on him in the ordinances of his worship, ver. 31. The word as preached is the food of our souls, whereby God administereth growth and strength unto them; John xvii. 17. 1 Pet. ii. 2,3. 'Desire,' says he,' the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.' But what encouragement have we thereunto; "if so be,' saith he, 'ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.' If in and by the dispensation of this word, you have had experience of the grace, the goodness, the kindness of God unto your souls, you cannot but desire it and delight in it: and otherwise, you will not do so. When men have sat some good while under the dispensation of the word, and in the enjoyment of other ordinances, without tasting in them, and by

them, that the Lord is gracious, they will grow weary of it and them. Wherefore, prayer is the way of his appointment for the application of our souls unto him, to obtain a participation of all needful grace, which therefore he has proposed unto us in the promises of the covenant, that we may know what to ask, and how to plead for it. In the Sacraments the same promises are sealed unto us, and the grace represented in them effectually exhibited. Meditation confirms our souls in the exercise of faith about it, and is the especial opening of the heart unto the reception of it. By these means, I say, doth God communicate all supplies of renewing, strengthening, and sanctifying grace unto us, that we may live unto him in all holy obedience, and be able to get the victory over our temptations. Under this apprehension do believers approach unto God in the ordinances of his worship. They come unto them as the means of God's communication unto their souls. Hence they cleave unto them with delight, so far as their affections are renewed. So the spouse testifieth of herself; I sat down under his shadow with great delight;' Cant. ii. 3. In these ordinances is the protecting, refreshing presence of Christ. This she rested in with great delight:

3. As they come unto them with these designs and expectations, so they have experience of the spiritual benefits and advantages which they receive by them, which more and more engageth them unto them in their affections and delights. All these things, those who have a change wrought in their affections, but not a spiritual renovation, are strangers unto. They neither have the design before mentioned in coming to them, nor the experience of this efficacy now proposed in their attendance on them. But these benefits are great; as for instance, when men find the worth and effect of the word preached on their souls in its enlightening, refreshing, strengthening, transforming power; when they find their hearts warmed, their graces excited and strengthened, the love of God improved, their desponding spirits under trials and temptations relieved, their whole souls gradually more and more conformed unto Christ; when they find themselves by it extricated out of snares, doubts, fears, temptations, and brought unto sanctification and rest; they cannot but delight in the dispensation of it, and rejoice in it