co off,/PawlHearing the Word, and peace, now there isno need for a Chriftian to have it adwayes. I will Pour floods of water on dry ground : Be- loved, if there fhould be nothing but rain, rain eve- ry day and night,theground would be glutted with rain, and fo turned into a puddle;but when the land is dry and thirfly, now the ground hath need of rain : Let the Earth make ufe ofthat rain it hath > and when it is dry and thirfly, I will give more, faith the Lbrd. So the Lord he gives the foul joy and peace;Now,if it fhould continue, the very peace and joy of God, would not be pleafant to the foul ; or at leaft, not fo pleafant as it will be, when the Lord takes it away, and gives it the foul again. A Chriflians comes ro the meeting- houfe, and the Lord fills the failes ofa poor foul, that he wonders the Lord fhould meet him, and (peak fo fuitably to him : But as foon as he is gone out again, this is thecomplaint of the foul, all is loft again ; now the foul it fals a mour- ning again. It is not for the glory of God to give the foul fuch peace out ofhis Ordinances, as he doth in them; the foul it would not prize the Ordinances ofthe Lord fomuch ; yet there it is ; and when they comeagain, the Lord, he either gives them the fame refrefhings a- gain, or elfe there is a new fining. 3,The eternall efficacyof the word andvoyce ofGod a it may be preferved in an internall fpirit of prayer, for the continuance of it while he hash it, and for the re- turn ofit when it is loft. Pfalm. 119. 4, q. Thou haft commanded us to keep thyprecepts diligently. Davidhe knew his own weaknefs ; yet he intimates with what power it came on his heart : Oh that my foul were direfled to keep thy atutes; When the foul fees the beantyof a command," and thegood will of God, how fweet it is, and how ami- able the way and workof God is ; Oh that my heal were direlled to keep thy filatutes. And fo when it is gone, Fla!: 63. 3, My foul thirfeth after thee, Lord, faith David, that I may fee thy glory and power, as I havefeen thee in thy fanfluary. He doth not fay, that I may fee thy glory and power in thy fanauary, though that might be too;no, but that I may fee thy glory and pewer, as I have Peen thee in thyfanífuary. David he did find a want of feeing him as he had done; yet the venue of it did remain in a fpi- rit ofthirfting, and defire : My foul thirrfterh for thee, as in a dry landwhere no water is, that I may fee thee. A Chriflian may have at fume time It;eh aglimpfeein hearing the 3.
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