they not be alike precious to all, if all desired to make a suitable improvement of them ? The truth is, that the gene- rality of persons attend them only as a mere form, without any consciousness of the ends for which they have been ap- pointed. What if we viewed them as our mother's breast, to wliich we were invited for the support and nourishment of our souls ? What if we came to them, " desiring the sincere and unadulterated milk of the word, that we might grow thereby*^? " Verily we should then find such communications from the Lord Jesus, as would fill us with unutterable joy '^. But we feel not our need of mercy : we have no real desire after the Saviour : we are content with a " godliness which consists in mere form, without any thing of power." No wonder, then, that the house of God has no charms for us. True, indeed, persons may affect divine ordinances, just as they would a fine concert, on account of the eloquence of the person by whom they are administered^; or they may set a value on them as means of fostering a high conceit of their own goodness^: but as means of access to God, and as a medium of communion with him, they find no real delight in them. To enter into the experience of David, and obtain a conformity of mind to his, religion must be our one great and paramount concern. If once Christ become our supreme joy, whatever brings us near to liim, and him near to us, will be " as marrow and fatness to our souls."]
2. What are the prospects of those in whom this experience is found —
[Truly, they are blessed among men. They need not envy any other people upon earth. They possess what is far superior to all the delights of sense. View a man at the foot- stool of the Most High : view even the poor publican, who, through a consciousness of his own extreme unworthiness, dared not so much as to lift up his eyes to heaven. Who that knows with what complacency Almighty God beheld him, and with what pleasure he listened to his sighs, and treasured up his tears in his vial, would not congratulate him on the state of his soul, and on the prospects that were before him ? The truth is, that every such person has "his sins put away from him, as far as the east is from the west;" and " his name is written in the Lamb's book of life." For every such person is prepared " a crown of glory, that fadeth not away." He now beholds his God by faith : and soon shall he behold him face to face. He now draws nigh to God in a temple made with hands : and he shall soon commune with him in his temple
^ 1 Pet. ii. 2. « John iv. 10. and vii. 37, 38.
f Ezek. xxxiii. 31, 32. s Isai. Iviii. 2.