All grace and spiritual strength is originally seated in the nature of God ; ver. 28. But what relief can that afford unto us who are weak, feeble, fainting ? He will act suitably unto his nature, in the communication of this grace and power ; ver. 29. But how shall we have an interest in this grace, in these operations ? wait on him in the ordinances of his wor- ship, ver. 31. The word as preached is the food of our souls, whereby God administereth growth and strength unto them; John xvii. 17. 1 Pet. ii. 2,3. 'Desire,' says he, ' the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.' But what encouragement have we thereunto ; * if so be,' saitli he, ' ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.' If in and by the dispensation of this word, you have had experience of the grace, the goodness, the kindness of God unto your souls, you cannot but desire it and delight in it : and other- wise, you will not do so. When men have sat some good while under the dispensation of the word, and in the enjoy- ment of other ordinances, without tasting in them, and by
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them, that the Lord is gracious, they will grow weary of it and them. Wherefore, prayer is the way of his appointment for the application of our souls unto him, to obtain a parti- cipation of all needful grace, which therefore he has pro- posed unto us in the promises of the covenant, that we may know what to ask, and how to plead for it. In the Sacra- ments the same promises are sealed unto us, and the grace represented in them effectually exhibited. Meditation con- firms our souls in the exercise of faith about it, and is the especial opening of the heart unto the reception of it. By these means, I say, doth God communicate all supplies of renewing, strengthening, and sanctifying grace unto us, that we may live unto him in all holy obedience, and be able to get the victory over our temptations. Under this apprehen- sion do believers approach unto God in the ordinances of his worship. They come unto them as the means of God's communication unto their souls. Hence they cleave unto them with delight, so far as their affections are renewed. So the spouse testifieth of herself; 'I sat down under his shadow with great delight ;' Cant. ii. 3. In these ordinances is the protecting, refreshing presence of Christ. This she rested in with great delight.
3. As they come unto them with these designs and expec- tations, so they have experience of the spiritual benefits and advantages which they receive by them, which more and more engageth them unto them in their affections and de- lights. All these things, those who have a change wrought in their affections, but not a spiritual renovation, are strangers unto. They neither have the design before mentioned in coming to them, nor the experience of this efficacy now pro- posed in their attendance on them. But these benefits are great ; as for instance, when men find the worth and effect of the word preached on their souls in its enlightening, re- freshing, strengthening, transforming power ; when they find their hearts warmed, their graces excited and strength- ened, the love of God improved, their desponding spirits under trials and temptations relieved, their whole souls gra- dually more and more conformed unto Christ ; when they find themselves by it extricated out of snares, doubts, fears, temptations, and brought unto sanctification and rest; they cannot but delight in the dispensation of it, and rejoice in it
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as the food of their souls. And it is a great hinderance unto the increase of spiritual life, and obstruction unto fruittul- ness, thankfulness, and consolation, when we are negligent in our meditation about the benefits that we receive by the word, and the advantages which we have thereby. For whilst it is so with us, we can neither value the grace of God, in granting this inestimable privilege, nor perform any duty with respect unto it, in a right manner. This renders it an especial object of our affections as spiritually renewed. That secret love unto, and heavenly delight in, the statutes and testimonies of God, which David expresseth, Psal.cxix. arose from the spiritual benefit and advantage which he re- ceived by them, as he constantly declares. And the sole reason, on the other hand, why men grow so careless, negli- gent, and cold in their attendance unto the preaching of the word, is because they have no experience of any spiritual benefit, or advantage by it. They have been brought unto it by one means or another, mostly by conviction of their duty. Their minds have been variously affected with it, unto a joy in the hearing of it, and readiness unto sundry duties of obedience. But after awhile, when a sense of those tem- porary impressions is worn off, finding no real spiritual be- nefit by it, they lose all delight in it, and become very in- different as unto its enjoyment. The frame which such per- sons at length arrive unto is described, Mai. i. 13. and iii. 14 . none can give any greater evidence of the decay of all man- ner of grace in them, or of their being destitute of all saving grace, than when they apostatize from some degree of zeal for, and delight in, the dispensation of the word of God, with such a cursed indifferency, as many are overtaken withal. It cannot be otherwise. For seeing this is a way and means of the exercise of all grace, it will not be neglected, but where there is a decay of all grace ; however men may please themselves with other pretences. And when they are thus insnared, every foolish prejudice, every provocation, every wanton opinion and imagination, will confirm them in, and increase, their gradual backsliding.