Q38 APPEARANCE BEFORE GOD rSERM. ICITI. that he makes of his wisdom and grace in his churches, with all the promises of the covenant, with all the words of love that God hath written in his book, or publishes in his ordinances by the ministry, of men. He feeds upon .heavenly provisions in his Father's house ; and whenhe departs, he maintains on his soul a sweet savour of heaven. But, alas I there is a great withdrawment of the Spirit of God from his churches; a deadness ofheart Lias seized believers in our day, and they grow carnal : o pray that the Spirit may return to the sanctuary again ! II. Remark. How comfortable a thing would it be, to feel our souls longing for divine ordinances more ear- nestly after restraint ! We should learn the language of Jonah, when in the belly of the whale ; Lord, I am east out of thy sight, yet Iwill look again toward thy holy temple, Jonah ii. 4. I will look while I am at a distance, and pray toward the mercy-seat, in hope and desire to corne near the sanctuary. We are too ready to grow indifferent, and think we can do well enough without this appearing before God ! We grow, as it were, strangers to him by long absence ; and .though the sacred correspondence in public be lost, yet sometimes it is not much regretted : This is a fre- , fluent distemper of the soul. When fasting increases a regular appetite, it is a sign o a healthy constitution ; but weakly natures are sp overwhelmed with a little fasting, that their appetite is gone too) Many christians may complain of this, and say, " Though I find some relish of pleasure when I am in the house of God, and amongst his saints; and though it was very painful to me to endure the first months of confinement, yet a long restraint has brought me under the spiritual disease, that my appetite and desire grow feeble, and my heart too indifferent to public worship." Now in order to enquire into the temper of our spi- rits, and to awaken us to greater longings after divine ordinances, let us consider what are the two chief ends of a christian in his appearance before God : It is either to do something for God by a public profession of his tame among men, or to receive something from him in' order to our 'own comfort and salvation. Ifwe hope to receive, this calls faith into.exercise; if we endeavour to
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