6 2 Meditations and DiJcourfeJ piritual Experience of Believers ; as unto any re~ frefhing fenfe ofhis love, or the frefh communications of confolatory Graces. Thofe who never had experience of any fuch thing, who never had any refrefhing communion with him, cannot be fenfible of his Abfence, they never Wete fo of his Prefence. But thofe whom he harn vifited, td whom he hath given of his loves, with whom he hath made his abode, whom he bath refi·efhed, relieved and comforted, in whom he bath lived in the Power of his Grace,. they know what it is to be forfaken by him, tho but for a moment. And their trouble is increafed, when they feek him With diligence in the wonted ways of obtaining his prefence, and cannot find him. Our duty irt this cafe is, to perfevere in our enquiries after him in Prayer, Meditation, mourning, reading, and hearing of the Word, ih all Ordinances df Divine W orfhi pprivate and prtMi~k,in diligent obedienc~, until we find him, or he return unto us, as in forin er days. IT were we11 if all Churches · and Ptofeffots now would manifeft the fame 9iligence herein, as did the Church of old in this example. ~any ,of them, if they are not hardened by the deceirfulnefs of fin, ~a·nno.t b1It be fenfible that the Lord Chrift is vatiottfly withdrawn from them, if ever they had experience of the power of his prefence: Yet are the generality of them far from the!fi:ame Qf heart here defcribed in the fpoufe ; fot they ate florhfnJ, carelefs, negligent, anq ftir not up themfelves · tb enquit~e after him , ot his remrn un_ro· their fouls. So was it with L tzodicea of old, fo was it with. Sarrlis, and fo it is t0 be feared that l.t is with n1any ac pre[ent.But 1:0 return. GE'-
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