So blessed St Paul, he weighed things after this fashion. He was an excellent man, and had excellent privileges to glory in. Oh but, saith he, I accoimt all ' dung and dross ' in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ that he had, Phil. iii. 8. Our blessed Saviour, that was the most able of all to judge, he would have all ' sold for the pearl,' that is, for the field where the pearl is (e), to buy that, to get the ordinances of God. He accounts him a wise man that will sell all for that. And when Martha and Mary enter- tained him, Mary sat at his feet to hear him expound the truth of God ; ' she chose the better part,' Luke x. 42, saith Christ. If we will beheve him ' in whom all the treasures of wisdom are,' in his judgment, ' Mary chose the better part ; ' ' One thing is necessaiy,' saith he. He justified David's choice, 'One thing have I desired;' and saith Christ, 'One thing is necessary.' All things in comparison of that are not necessary ; they may well enough be spared. Thus we see how we may come to love God * See note a, vol. I., p. 31.— G.
246 A BREATHING AFTER GOD.
in his ordinances, and to see the ' beauty of holiness,' the beauty of God
in his sanctuary.
4. And because there are two things needful to see a beauty, an object re-- vealed, and a sight, let us desire God to reveal himself in his ordinances to us more and more, and desire him to give us spiritual eyes more and more to see him. Sometimes he hides himself in his ordinances, that we cannot see the beauty of things. Let us therefore desire him to reveal himself, to take away that veil that is between us and holy things, and between us and grace, and comfort, that he would take away that spiritual veil, and reveal himself to us, and shine on us in Christ, that he would manifest his love to us, and give us spiidtual eyes to see him.
Prayer is an excellent means before we come ; and when we are there, and oft in attending on the ordinances, let us lift up our hearts to God to reveal his truths to us.
There are many veils between us and holy things. Let us desire God to take them all away — of error, and ignorance, and unbelief — and to shine so clearly to us by his Spirit, that we may see him more clearly. And ob- jects have a special influence when they are clearly discerned. Now a man may more clearly see and feel God at peace with him by the Spirit, and clearly see and feel the comfort of forgiveness of sins, and of any promise that is unfolded ; and it hath a marvellous influence upon the afl'ections, to comfort and to breed peace and joy. And that is one sign that we profit by the ordinance of God, when it is so with us ; when we find an influence from the things, upon our daily prayers, to work peace and comfort, and spiritual strength against temptations and corruptions. All in the ordi- nance is by the power of the Spirit. Therefore we are to pray to God that he would join his Holy Spirit, that he would reveal his secrets to us, and with revelation work an influence into our souls, that there may be a dis- tilling of grace and comfort through the ordinances to our souls. Prayer must accompany the ordinances ; because the ordinance of itself is an empty thing unless the Spirit accompany it.
To stir us up a little to this, more and more to see the beauty of God in his ordinances, to see the glory of God, as the Scripture speaks — indeed God is not only delightful and beautiful, but glorious in his ordinances ; and the ark is called the * glory of God,' Exod. xl. 34; and the knowledge of God in Christ it is a glorious knowledge, and the gospel is called a 'glorious gospel,' 1 Tim. i. 11 — this will only* make iis truly glorious. These things, they put a glory upon our souls. St Paul calls it ' the glorious grace,' Eph. i. 6. What a glorious thing is it when, by the ordi- nance of God, a weak man shall have power against the strong devil, against all the ' gates of hell,' Mat. xvi. 18 ; when a poor creatm-e, ' flesh and blood,' by some virtue distilled through the ordinance by the Spirit of God, shall have such a strong faith in the promise of forgiveness of sins ; such a faith in the promise that all such f turn to his good ; that God is recon- ciled to him in Chi-ist ; that all the gates of hell shall not prevail over a weak soul. And what a glorious grace is it when, by the use and attend- ance upon the ordinance of God, a poor soul shall have strength over these corruptions and sins that others are slaves to, and cannot get the victory over, that when they see the spiritual beauty in God's ordinances, they grow out of taste with all other things that others ai'e besotted with, that are of more excellent natural parts than they, what a glory of grace is this ! Therefore let us with all fear and reverence attend upon the ordinances of * That is, ' this only.'— G. t Qu. ' shall?'— Ed.