OP SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. 279 tasy, when any ' fall into a neglect of them.' Iieb. x. 25-27. These things are.,Inanifest and unquestionable. But our present inquiry is only, what it is which believers do so delight in, in the ordinances and institutions of divine gospel worship, and what it is that engageth their hearts and minds to .a diligent observance of them; as also how and wherein they exercise their love and delight l And I say, in general, that their delight in all ordinances of divine worship, as is evi- dent in the testimonies before produced, is in Christ himself, or God in Christ. This alone is that which they seek after, cleave to, and are satisfied with. They make use of the streams but only as means of commu- nication from the spring, When men are really renew- ed in the spirit of their minds, it is so. Their regard to ordinances and duties of divine worship, is, as they are appointed of God, a blessed means of communion and intercourse between himself in Christ, and their souls. By them doth Christ communicate of his love and grace to us ; in and by them do we act faith and love on him. It is thetreasure hid in the field, which, when a man hath found, he purchaseth the whole field; but it is that he may enjoy the treasure which is hid therein. Mat. xiii. 14. This field is the gospel, and all the ordinances of it. This men do purchase sometimes at a dear rate, even with the loss of all they enjoy. But yet if they obtain nothing but the field, they will have little cause to rejoice in their bargain. It is Christ the treasure alone, that pearl of price, that will certainly enrich the soul. The field is to be used only, as to find and dig up the treasure that is in it. It is, I say, Christ alone, that in the preaching of the gospel, renewed affections cleave to as the treasure,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=