Clod leavesthem that leave the Çoj ell, nion of Swine and would have eaten of the huskes, ifany man would have given to him ; great is their bafèneff, fwiniih are their difpofitions , fhamefull is their fpirituall poverty and emptinefle, who forfake the houle of God, their Father, reject the labours ofGods Minifters, and fol- low their owne fancies : Abfence from the houle of God, argues Wont of love to God ; Can you love a man from day to day, inviting you, preparing a cooly feaft for you, and yet you, refute to come within the threfhold of his houle,, and to tafle ofhis. dainties ? Mans abfence from the hook of God proclaimesthe alienationofhis heart from God. HoW ccnß thou fay (faith Dalilah toSampfon) that thou loveft me, rsben thy heart ù not with me, How cant' thou o man fay that thou love(' God, when thy heart is not with God, exciting thee to corne to God, when thy foot is not with God, to carry thee to the houle of God, when thy care is not with God, to heare the word of God : He is far from God in his inward afflions , who wittingly denies God-. his bodily prefence ; Eftrangement from Gods ordinance provokes God, caufeth him to become a ftrauger to us, to rejed and leave us, and to walke as an- adverfary aDinft us. When Val/hi refufed to come to the Kings feaft at the, kings command, it was ordered that Vaffhi. mould come f no more before the King, and that her royall flareAmidbegi. van untoanother better theme, Many people refufing to coma, toGod, to partake of that leaf' whichGod filthprepared for them in his Gofpell, have been reje ed of the Lord , ex- cluded from his gracious prefence, and the Gofpell given untoothers. God will deny that man the comfort of his face and counteance,_ who denyes God hisprefence in his facred affembl'es ; fhamefull and foule-deftroying delrtion is the úfuall attendant ofmans refufall ofthe Gofpell. When9oa6 ' refufed to come tó, Abfòlon..inviting him, .elbfalon fent,and let fire in his corne fields : Mans reje Lion ofGods invi- tations,turnes his favour into anger, his mercy becomes fury. Great were Gods mercies towards Jerufalem, great was Jerufalems abufe of Gods gooduefl, patience , and long-! fuffering,and atthe laf'very difinall was lerufalems defolation;' Caper r
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