* Consult Pearson, and also John Smith, in loc. — G. t That is, ' choose not.' — G.
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to Babylon ; being dazzled with the pomp of that church, not seeing the spiritual beauty of the ordinances of God with us. What think we of those that ought to join with visible congregations, that excommunicate them- selves willingly, such as schismatics, and such proftme separatists, that when they may, will not ; partly because they will not have their con- sciences awaked, and partly because they will give liberty to the flesh to other things at that time. Some are cast out, and some go out, some ex- communicate themselves. They are of the disposition of the devils, that will not be ' tormented before their time,' Mat. viii. 29. They think they shall hear somewhat that will awake their conscience, and they are very unwilhng to have conscience awaked, but they will have all their torment at once. All these are in a woeful condition. If the gracious presence of God be in the church above all other places in the world (as we see David desired ' to dwell in the house of God, that he might see the beauty of God') if there be a beauty in the divine ordinances, how miserable are those that are cast out, or that go out ! that rent themselves from the church, or willingly excommunicate themselves like wild creatures ? They are worse than Cain. He grieved when he was to depart the presence of God. He fell into a desperate temper. They are worse than he, that when they have the liberty of the ordinances of God, they go on in a wild licentious course, and neglect all means that God hath sanctified to bring them to heaven.
Use 2. But to come nearer, to make an use of trial, hoiv shall we know whether we have benefit by, and whether we be truly in love with, the beauty of God's house or no, because many come hither ? As in Noah's ark there were beasts that were clean and unclean, so there are many that come to the visible congregations ; they are in the church (as excrements are in the body), but they are not of it.
To know therefore whether we come to purpose, and heartily love the beauty of God in his ordinances, and comforts and gi-aces, as David did here or no, we may know it easily, for sight, as I said before, it works affection. We may know by our aftection whether we see the excellency of God or no in his ordinances. There is no sense that stirs up afi'ection answerable to sight ; the affection of love especially.
How shall we know that we love the ordinances of God ?
That is an a,fection that of all others is least to be concealed. What we love we will boldly profess ; we will joy and delight in it if we have it. You see how David joyed in the ordinance of God, how he danced before the ark. There was no joy that he had comparable. He preferred it before all other joy that he had whatsoever. It was a transcendent joy. And what we love and delight in we meditate much on. * Oh how I love thy law ! my meditation is on it continually,' Ps. cxix. 97. Oui- minds will run on it. Therefore we are exhorted to think of the word of God, to have it before our eyes, to have it written before us in our courses, that we may meditate upon it at home and abroad. Moses he gave those helps. ^Vhere there is love there is meditation. Those that love the good things of God, their minds will be often on them.
Again, there will be zeal for the holy things of God. A man will not endure them to be disgraced, but he will have a good word to speak in the de- fence of God's ordinances, of holy things and religion. Those that suffer rehgion to be betrayed in the company of base carnal people, they have never seen the beauty of God's house ; [they] that have not a word to say. Those that have seen God's beauty, and felt the comfort of the delights of
244 A BREATHING ATTEK GOD.
God's house, they are ahle to justify it against all opposers whatsoever, that there is good to be taken and done there, by their own experience, by the comfort they have felt. They will be able to tell others what ' the Lord hath done for their souls,' Ps. Ixvi. 16, and in their souls, what graces they have been strengthened in, what comfort they have felt. They can dis- cover this, and can justify all the ordinances of God from their own ex- perience. Do not we see daily under the ordinance of God by weak men, the blind see, the spiritually deaf hear, the spiritually dumb be able to speak, to pray to God ; the dead, those that are dead in sin, they receive life. Do not all these justify the excellency of God's ordinance, which gives spiritual life, and spiritual senses ? Those therefore that have been dead in former time in sinful courses, and have found the power of God's Spirit with his ordinances, they are able to justify it. Those that are not able to justify these things by some experience, they never felt any good by them. By these and the like evidences, we may try the truth of our affection, whether we have seen this beauty or no to purpose.