and tills was it that God took so kindly at his hands, for which he obtained a testimony from God himself, that he was righteons. Whereas Cain thought it enough, if not too much, to give him a little of the fruit of the ground ; had the wretch but considered who God was, and what his end in requiring an ofi'ering at his hands, he could not have thought rationally, that a handful or two of corn was that which he prized, or looked at any further, than to be a sign of that inward and spiritual worship, which he expected to come along with the outward ceremony. But he shewed what base and unworthy thoughts he had of (Jod, and accordingly he dealt with him. O Christians ! remember when 3'ou engage in any duty of religion, that you go to do your homage to God, who will be worshipped like himself. ' Cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing ; for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.' This made David so curious about the temple, which he had in his heart to build, 'because the palace was not for man, but the Lord God,' 1 Chron. xxix. 1 ; therefore, ver. 2, he saith, ' He prepared with all his might for the house of his God.' Thus should the gracious soul say, when going to any duty of religion ; It is not man, but the Lord God, I am going to minister unto, and therefore I must be serious and solemn, holy and humble, &c.
Secondly, The second end God hath appointed divine ordinances and religious duties for, is to be a means whereby he may let out himself to his people, and comnmnicate the choicest of his blessings into their bosoms. 'There,' saith the psalmist, speaking of the mountain of Zion, where the temple stood, the place of God's worship, 'commanded he the blessing, even life for evermore,' Psa. cxxxiii. S ; that is, he hath appointed the blessing of life spiritual, grace and comfort, which at last shall swell into life eternal, to issue and stream thence. The saints ever drew their water out of these wells: 'Their souls shall live that seek the Lord,' Psa. Ixix. 32 ; and their souls must need die, that seek not God here. The husbandman may as well expect a crop, where he never ploughed and sowed ; and the tradesman to grow rich, who never opens his shop doors to let customers in; as he to thrive in grace or com- fort, that converseth not with the duties of religion. The great things God doth for his people, are got in communion with him. Now here appears the power of holiness, when a soul makes this his business, which he follows close, and attends to, in duties of religion, to receive some spiritual advantage from God by them ; as a scholar, knowing he is sent to the university to get learning, gives up himself to pursue this, and neglects other things ; it is not riches or pleasures he looks after, but learning. Thus the gracious soul bestirs him, and flies from one duty to another, as the bee from flower to flower, to store itself with more and more grace : it is not credit and reputation to be thought a great saint, but to be indeed such, that he takes all this pains for. The Christian is compared to a merchantman, that trades for rich pearls; he is to go to ordinances, as the merchant that sails from port to port, not to see places, but to take in his lading, some here, some there. A Christian should be as much ashamed to return empty from his traffic with ordinances, as the merchant to come home without his lading. But, alas ! how little is this looked after by many that pass for great professors ! who are like some idle persons that come to the market, not to buy provision, and carry home what they want, but to gaze and look upon what is there to be sold, to no purpose. O my brethren, take heed of this! Idleness is bad anywhere, but worst in the market-place, where so many are at work before thy eyes, whose care for their souls both adds to thy sin, and will, another day, to thy shame. Dost thou not see others grow rich in grace and comfort, by their trading with those ordinances from which thou comest away poor and beggarly? And canst thou see it without blushing? If thou hadst but a heart to propound the same end to thy soul when thou comest, thoumightest speed as well as they. God allows a free trade to all that do value Christ and his grace, according to their preciousncss. 'IIo! every one that isathirst, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat, yea, come,^ buy wine and milk without money, and withcmt price,' Isa. Iv. I. The Spirit of God seems, in the judgment of some, to allude to a custom in maritime towns; when a ship comes with commodities to be sold, they use to cry them about the town, Ho! all that would have such and such commodities, let them come to the
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