is spiritual. It was formed for God : and nothing but what comes from God, and leads to God, can support it. The word of God, for instance, is food on which it may subsist : and hence " the new-born babe desires the unadulterated milk of the word, that he may grow thereby e." On this the saints of old sub- sisted : " Thy words were found, and I did eat them : and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heartf." The presence of God also is that which strengthens the believing soul : " for that it hungers and thirsts, even to see his power and glory, as they are revealed in the sanctuary : and, when a sense of his loving-kindness is imparted to it, the soul is filled as with marrow and fatness, and praiseth him with joyful lipsB." In a more particular manner the Christian is nourished by the flesh of Christ and the blood of Christ ; on which he feeds continually, and which he finds to " be meat indeed, and drink indeed11." As for the things of time and sense, they are but as husks which the swine eat of: and to attempt to feed on them, is only to " feed upon the wind'," and to " fill the belly with the east windk.]
2. Unsatisfying —
[To all who go to the creature for happiness, the prophet says, " Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not ? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness1." In confirmation of the reproof here given, I will venture to appeal to all, even to those who have drunk deepest of the cup of pleasure, and feasted them- selves most largely with carnal delights ; ' Has any thing that you have ever enjoyed, afforded you permanent satisfaction?' " Was your eye ever satisfied with seeing, or your ear with hearing ?" or, " Was any man that loved silver, ever satisfied with silverm?" There is but one testimony on this head, from every child of man. Vanity is written upon all human enjoy- ments ; and vexation invariably follows in the pursuit of them.]
3. Injurious —
[As ashes, if taken into the stomach, would soon injure the constitution of the body, so all endeavours to satisfy the soul with carnal enjoyments will of necessity deprave and vitiate all its faculties. Such food will indispose the soul for every thing that is spiritual and divine : it will weaken all its ener- gies ; and debase all its powers ; and reduce it to the lowest possible state of degradation, causing it to nauseate every thing which God has ordained for its good, and to affect every thing
e 1 Pet. ii. 2. f Jer. xv. 16. Ps. cxix. 103.
s Ps. lxiii. 1—5. h John vi. 53 — 55. » Hos. xii. 1.
k Job xv. 2. i Isai. lv. 1,2. ™ Eccl. v. 10.