J Gal. iii. i. ^ jsjuj^b. xxiii. 21. J Eph. v. 27.
047.] David's love to god's ordinances. 73
great is his beauty"'!" And how often, in rapturous admiration of him, do we pray with the Psalmist, " Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us !" In truth, it is by thus " behold- ing as with unveiled face the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord"."
Nor have we less the advantage of David in relation to the things which we would ask of God: for we are able to inquire more explicitly and distinctly of our God than he could. He indeed might say with Moses, " Lord, shew me thy glory :" and God would, as in the case of Moses, " make all his goodness to pass before him°." But audible sounds conveyed nothing to them in comparison of what shall be disclosed to us by the still small voice of God's Holy Spirit, speaking in us through the written word. To us all the blessings of the Covenant are laid open : and, as God, when he revealed them, said, " I will be inquired of concerning these things to do themP," we are at liberty to take that covenant, and spread it before the Lord, and to ask of him every distinct blessing that is contained in it. We may lay hold on every promise that we can find in the Inspired Volume, and plead it with God, and have it ful- filled to our souls Besides, ive can ask i?i the name of
Jesus Christ; which none of the Prophets ever could. And with what confidence can we do that, when we reflect on the relation which subsists between the Father and the Son, and the express engagement which the Father has made to answer every petition which is offered in his Son's name'i ! Moreover, the par- ticular promise of the Lord Jesus to be more immediately with his people in the public ordinances, and to grant whatever any number of his congregated people shall agree to ask"", is a still further encouragement to us to frequent the House of God : for experience proves, that still, as formerly, " God loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob ^"]
We should therefore desire it no less than David did—
[We should make a point of attending on all stated occa- sions the ordinances of our God. We should not suffer any trifling matter to detain us from them : and, if we are kept from them by any means, it should fill us with grief rather than com- placency : and we should determine as soon as possible to remove the obstacle that deprives us of so great a blessing.
More particularly, we should keep in mind what it is that we should go thither to obtain ; nor ever consider the true object of the ordinances as attained, unless we be enriched with brighter
views
•^ Zech. ix. 17. » 2 Cor. ill. 18. " Exod. xxxiii. 18, I9.
P Ezek. xxxvi. 37. 1 John xvi. 23, 24. [ Matt, xviii. I9, 20. ' Ps. Ixxxyii. 2.