come with more eager appetite Be more careful to digest
the word afterward by meditation and prayer And look,
not so much to the manner in which the word is preached, as to Christ in the word ; since he is that bread of life which alone can nourish your souls ; and which, if eaten by faith, will surely nourish them unto life eternal' ]
2. Of consolation —
•^ 1 Sam. xii. 22. <" Heb. xiii, .5. See the Greek.
^ 2 Sam, xiii. 4. e jgai. xxiv. IG. f Mai. iv. 2.
g Dan. i. 12 — 15. '' Ps. cvi. 15. i John vi. 51.
VOL. vii. H
[Some may put away from them this promise, under the idea that tliey are not of the character to whom it belongs. Now, though we would by no means encourage any to apply the promises to themselves in a presumptuous manner, and thereby to deceive their own souls with ungrounded expecta- tions, yet we would not that any should refuse the consolation that properly belongs to them. Suppose then that any cannot absolutely number themselves among the righteous, yet, " if they hunger and thirst after righteousness, they are blessed, and shall be filled ''." This is the word of God to their souls ; and we would have them expect assuredly its accomplishment in
due season Let them " desire the sincere milk of the
word, and they shall grow thereby^" ]
k Matt. V. 6. 11 Pet. ii. 2.
Prov. X. 4. He hecometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand ; hut the hand of the diligent malceth rich.
IT is certainly true, that men's circumstances in life depend on their own exertions, so far at least, as to justify the declaration in the text. Sometimes indeed God is pleased to raise men to opulence by labours not their own ; and sometimes to withhold success from the industrious. But though this ine- quality is sometimes found in the dispensations of his Providence, we never see it in the dispensations of his grace. After the first communications of grace to the soul, men's progress or decay will always be proportioned to their own care and vigilance : the propositions in the text may be advanced without any exception ; —
I. Remissness will impoverish the soul —
Many there are who " deal with a slack hand" —
[This may be said of men ivhen they imjJrove not the means of spiritual advancement. God has appointed reading^, and meditation^, and prayer", and self-examination "i, as means of
furthering the welfare of the soul But, if we be remiss
in these, we resemble a man who neglects to cultivate his fields :
a Col. iii. 16. b Ps. i. 2. c 1 Thess. v. 17.
^ Ps. iv. 4. and Ixxvii. 6. and 2 Cor. xiii. 5.