VII. Eioccdlencif. It is the end of all ordinances, and duties of religion. God hath instituted every ordinance, and duty, whe- ther public or private, to beget, and maintain communion betwixt himself and our souls. What are ordinances, duties, and graces, but perspective-glasses to give us a sight of God, and help us to communion with him ? God never intended his ordinances to be our rest, but mediums^ and instruments of communion with himself, who is our true rest. When we go into a hoat^ it is not with au intention to dwell, and rest there, but to ferry us over the water, where our business lies. If a man miss of communion with God in the best ordinances, or duty, it yields him little comfort. He comes back from it, like a man that hath travelled a great many miles to meet a dear friend, upon special and important business ; but met with disappointment, and returns sad and dissatisfied. God appoints ordinances to be meeting-places with himself in this world, Exod. xxv, 21, 22. " Thou shalt put the mercy-seat above " upon the ark, and in the ark thpu shalt put the testimony that " I shall give thee ; and there I will meet with thee, and I will " commune with thee, from above the mercy-seat, from between " the two cherubims.'' It was not the sight of the golde^i-chcrubims^ or of the arJc overlaid with pure gold, that could have satisfied Moses, had not the special presence of God been there, and he had had communion with him. *' O God, (saith David) my soul " thirsteth for thee, that I might see thy beauty, and thy glory, " so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary,'' Psal. Ixiii. 1, 2. Mag- nificient structures, artificial ornaments of the places of worship, are of little account with a gracious soul ; it is the presence of God, and communion with him, which is the beauty and glory the saints desire to behold.
VIII. Excellency. It is the evidence of our union with Christ and interest in him. All union with Christ must evidence itself by a life of communion with him, or our pretensions to it are vain and groundless. There be many of you (I wish there were more) en-
quiring after evidences and signs of your union with Christ ; why, here is an evidence that can never fail you : do you hve in commu- nion with him ? IMay your life be called a walking with God, as Enoch's w^as ? Then you may be sure you have union with him, and this is so sure a sign, as death itself (which uses to discover the Vanity of false signs) will never be able to destroy. 2 Kin. xx. 2, S. '' Remember now, O Lord, (saith Hezekiah) that I have walked *' before thee in truth, and in a perfect heart." O professors ? it will be a dreadful thing (whatever ungrounded hopes and false comforts you now have) to find them shrinking away from you, as certainly they will do at death ; and all upon this account : I have been a man of knowledge, I have been frequent in the external duties of religion, but my heart was not in them ; I had no communion with the Lord in them, and now God is a terror to< my soul. I am going to his awful bar, and have not one sound evi- dence to cany along with me. That is a remarkable place. Gal. V. 25. " If we hve in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit ;"" that is, let us evidence the life of grace in us by exercising that grace in a life of communion with God. When all is said> this is the surest evidence of our union with Christ ; and no gifts or performances whatsoever can amount to an evidence of our union tvith Christ without it.
IX. Excelleiicy. It is ease in all pains, sweet and sensible ease to a troubled soul. Look, as the bleeding of a vein cools, eases, and refreshes a feverish body ; so the opening of the soul by acts of communion with God, gives sensible ease to a burdened soul : griefs are eased by gi'oans heavenward. Many souls are deeply laden with their own fears, cares, and distresses ; no refreshment for such a soul^ no such anodyne in the whole world as communion with God is, Psal. xxxii. 1, 2, 3. How did troubles boil in David's soul? night and day God's hand was heavy on him ; his soul, as Elihu speaks, was like bottles full of new w ine ; he must speak to God that he may be refreshed : and so he did, and was refreshed by it, " I said, '* I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest *' the iniquity of my sin." It would grieve one to see how many poor distressed souls carry their troubles up and down the world, making their complaints to one and another ; but no ease. Away to thy God, poor Christian, get thee into thy closet, pour out thy soul before him ; and that ease which thou seekest in vain elsewhere, will there be found, or no where.
X. Excellency. It is Jbod to the soul, and the most delicious, pleasant, proper, and satisfying food that ever it tasted; it is hidden manna. Rev. ii. 17. " By these things, 0 Lord, do men *' live, and in them is the life of their soul," Isa. xxviii. 16. A regenerate soul cannot live without it \ their bodies can hve as
"^ell Xvithout bread or breath as their souls without comminiion with God : it is more than their necessary food. Here they find what they truly call marrow and fatness, Psal. Ixiii. 5, 6. O the satisfaction and support they suck out of spiritual things by thoughts and meditations upon them ! " To be spiritually minded is lif« " and peace,'" Rom. viii* 6. The delicacies upon princes tables are husks and chaff to this. Crozas and vultures can live upon the carrion of this world, but a renewed soul cannot subsist long with* out God. Let such a soul be diverted for a time from its usual re- freshments this way, and he shall find something within paining him like the sucking and drawing of an empty stomach. It is angePs food, it is that your souls must live upon tliroughout eter- nity, and most happily too.
XI, Excellency. It is the guard of the soul against the assaults of temptation. It is like a shield advanced against the fiery darts of that wicked one. Your safety and security lie in drawing nigh to God. Psal Ixxiii. 27, 28. " They that are fai' from thee shall " perish : but it is good for me to draw near to God.**' It is good indeed ; not only the good of comfort^ but the good of safety is in it. Deut. xxxiii. 12. *' The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety *' by him." You know the gracious presence of Grod is youif shield and safety ; and if you will have the Lord thus present with you in all your fears, straits, and dangers, see that you keep neaf to him in the duties of communion: " For the Lord is with you *' whilst you are with him^'' 2 Chron, xv. 2.