122 .THE- HIDDEN LIFE OF ñ CHRISTIAN. [SEAM. X. utmost powers, and beg of him renewed instances of the living Spirit, that the face of your soul may be like a ,watered garden, and the beauty of the divine life maybe -recovered again. IVth Instruction. See the reason why a lively christ tian desires and delights to be so much, and so often, where God and Christ are; for his life is with them. This was the divine temper and practice of the saints under a much darker dispensation than what we enjoy. How does the holy soul of David pant and long for the presence of God ! and he brings even his animal nature, the very ferments of his flesh and blood, into his devo Lions ; Ps. lxiii. 1. 111ysoul thirsteth,for thee, myflesh longethfor thee. Ps. lxxxiv. 2. My heart andmyflesh crieth out for the living God. In all the various and fervent language of sacred passion and transport, he breathes after God, who is the strength of his life and his salvation; Ps. xxvii. 1. The Jewish saints cleaved to the Lord, for he was their life, and the length of their .dáys, Deut. xxx. 20. And what sweet delight does St, Paul take in mentions ing the very name of Christ ? How does he dwell upon it in long sentences, and loves to repeat the blessed sound ! How often does he rejoice in the hope of dwell- ing' with him hereafter, and persuades the Colossians, in this context, to be much with him here ; ver. 1. Ifye are risen with Christ, and 'have derived a quickening virtue from him to work a divine life. in you, let your of, fections ascend above, where Christ your life is. Is not a man, whose very soul and life is wrapped ups in honour and ambition, 'desirous ever to be near the court? His life flourishes under the sunshine of the prince's eye, and therefore he would fain dwell there. Does 'not the covetous wretch love. to benear his hoards of gold or silver? He has put up his life in his bags, among his treasures, and he is not willing to he far dis- tant, nor long separated from them. Whatever a man lives upon, he would willingly be ever near it, that so he may have the pleasure of feeding upon what is his, greatest delight, and be refreshed and nourished by that which he feels to support him. Now, what honour is to the ambitious, what money is to the covetous, what alt the various delights of sense are to men of carnal 4
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