ment, oh then remember this is not the presence of God, this is not the presence of God ! Here is a gracious yoke-fellow, here are hope- ful children, here is a pleasant habitation, here is brave air, here is a gainful trade, &c., but what are all these to me, so long as my sun is set in a cloud, and God has withdrawn his presence from me ? Re- member this once for all, that the whole world is but a barren wil- derness without the countenance and presence of God, Ps. Ixiii. 1-3. But,
Response 7. Seventhly and lastly, Patiently and quietly wait upon him in the loay of his ordinances for the recovery of his presence. Consult the scriptures in the margin. l Here God dwells, here he walks, here he makes known his glory, here he gives forth his love, here he vouchsafes his presence. When God is withdrawn, your great business is to prize ordinances, and to keep close to ordinances, till God shall be pleased to lift up the light of his countenance and vouchsafe his presence to you. You will never recover the divine presence by neglecting ordinances, nor by slighting ordinances, nor by turning your back upon ordinances, nor by entertaining low thoughts of ordinances. He that thinks ordinances to be needless things, con- cludes— (1.) That the taking away of the kingdom of heaven from the Jews was no great judgment. Mat. xxi. 43. (2.) That the bestowing of it upon other people is no great mercy. If God be gone, it is good to lie at the pool till he returns, John v. 2-10. There are many dear Christians who have lost their God for a time, but after a time they have found him again in the way of his ordinances ; and therefore let no temptation draw thee off from ordinances ; say. Here I will live, here I will lie, here I will wait at the pool of ordinances, till the Lord shall return in mercy to my soul.
I shall follow this discourse of the divine presence with my earnest prayers that it may from on high be so signally blest, as that it may issue in the furtherance of the internal and eternal good, both of Writer, Reader, and Hearer.'^
Soli ®w Gloria in ^Eternuni.
* Exod. XX. 24; Mat. xviii. 20; Tsa. Ixiv. 5; Ps. xxvii. 4, and Ixv. 4; Rev. ii, 1; Ps. xl. 1-3; Isa. viii. 17 ; Mic. vii. 7-9 ; Isa. xxvi. 8, 9.
* Here follows this notice, ' Thus ends the second part of the Golden Key ; ' but see Note prefixed to this second half of the volume. — G.
BALI.ANTYNE AND COMPANY, PRINTEKS EDlNJUUBOM.