Remember this, we have we know not what to go through withal in this valley of tears. That speech of Barzillai was good and excellent, who being by David himself invited to the court, answered, ' I am now grown old, I am not fit for the court, for my senses are decayed and gone,' 2 Sam. xix. 32, seq. Even so the time will come when our sense of relishing earthly plea- sures will utterly be lost. We are sure to go to our graves, and we know not what particular trouble w'e may meet with in this world and go through, if we live to a full age. Alas ! what are all comforts here to the comforts of eternity ? "When our days are spent on earth, then comes in the eternity of pleasure or everlasting sorrow. Oh then if, when we shall leave all be- hind us, we have the joy of the Holy Ghost in our hearts, it will advance us above all the suggestions of sin or Satan, and bring us cheerfully above to the tribunal seat of Christ. Labour therefore to have a spiritual relish of soul, to grow in grace and comforts of the Holy Ghost; for the time will come when we shall wish that we had had more than we have. Every one will repent of looseness and slackness in the ways of holiness. Therefore let us labour earnestly to be good husbands for our souls for the time to come.
THE THIRD SERMON.
And in tJiis mormtain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast, d-c. And he uill di'stroy in this mountain the face of the coverinfi cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. — Isaiah XXV. 6, 7.
I HAVE heretofore spoken of the feast that God makes to his church, spe- cially in the latter times, which was specially performed at the fii'st coming of Christ, when the Gentiles came in ; but the consummation and perfec- tion of all will be at the day of judgment. Then God will spread a table for his to all eternity.
We have spoken heretofore at large of the resemblance of spiritual good things, by this comparison of a feast. God sets out spiritual things by outward, because we cannot otherwise conceive of them ; the best things in grace, by the best and sweetest things in nature. And thus God enters into our souls by our senses, as we see in the sacrament.
But we have spoken at large of this. Our care must be to have a special taste, a spiritual appetite to relish this feast that God provides. Naturally we are distasteful. We relish not spiritual and heavenly things ; we savour not the things of God. And the Spirit of God must alter our savour and taste, as he doth. "Wlieresoever there is spiritual life, there is spiritual relish of heavenly truths.
Now let me add this further, that though it he made by God, yet ice must
ISA. XXV. 6, 7.] BETW'EEN CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH. 459
bring snmethinri to this feast. Christ feasteth with us, as ye have, Rev. iii. 20. He sups with us, not that we have gi'ace from ourselves, or cau bring anything ; he bringeth his own provision with him when he suppeth with us ; but yet by the covenant of grace whereby he enters into terms of friend- ship with us, we must sup with him, we must have grace to entertain him, though it is at his own cost ; yet we must have something. He doth not require us to pay our debts, but he giveth us wherewith. Secretly he bids us come, but giveth a secret messenger to draw us ; he sends his Spirit certainly. Certainly he will have us bring something when we come to feast, but it is of his own gi'ving. And that we are to bring is humble and empty souls, wherein we are to delight ourselves in sense of our unworthi- ness ; and the spirit of faith to beUeve his promises. That pleaseth him, when we can honour him with a spii-it of faith, and then a spirit of love, and new obedience springing from a spirit of faith and love. These be the things Christ requires we should have. Oui* souls must be thus furnished that Christ may delight to dwell with us ; and therefore it is a good impor- tuning of God, * Lord, I desire thou shouldst dwell in me, and prepare my soul as a fit temple ; ' vouchsafe me the graces thou delightest in, and delightest to dwell in. So we may beg of God his Holy Spuit to furnish our souls, so as he may dwell and delight in us.
But we have spoken largely of the former verse. I will now speak of the next that followeth.
' And I will destroy in this mountain the face of covering cast over all people, and the veil spread over all nations, to swallow up death in victory; the Lord will wipe away tears from all fixces ; and the rebukes of his people shall be taken from the earth, for the Lord hath spoken it.'
These depend one upon another, being the several services of the feast. He promiseth a feast in the sixth verse. And what be the several semaces ? He will destroy in this mountain, this church, the face of covering cast over all people, &c. He ■n-ill take away the veil of ignorance and unbehef, that they may have special sight of heavenly things, without which they cannot relish heavenly things ; they can take no joy at this feast.