44 Hosea, V. 15. [1152.

as we are told in ver. 3, and 4, standing in the court : in ver. 19, he went yet farther ; "And the cherubims lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth, in my sight; and' every one stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above." In xi. 23, God goes to a yet greater distance ; "And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain, which is the east side of the city." See here, how many different removes there were, before God would utterly forsake them ; first from the ark to the threshold ; then to the court ; then to the gate ; and then to the mountain ; and even there he stood, if that by any means they might humble them- selves, and prevent his final departure. Now thus it is in his departure from the soul : when he sits enthroned, as it were, in the soul, all is well : the person thus highly honoured, is happy beyond description : his views of divine truth are clear, his apprehensions of it lively, and his enjoyment of it is unspeak- ably sweet and precious : having the light of God's countenance, and a sense of his favour, he has all that man can desire in this mortal state. But, when he becomes proud, or negligent, or worldly, when by any misconduct he begins to grieve the Holy Spirit, he soon perceives symptoms of the Divine displeasure : the effusions of Divine love in his soul are less abundant ; his discoveries of the Deity are less glorious ; his views and appre- hensions are darker ; his communion with God is less frequent, and less ardent ; and his holy intimacy with the Deity is sen- sibly diminished. If he do not instantly take the alarm, and humble himself before God, and implore his pardon, he finds gradually a veil drawn between his God and him : he cannot have that access to God that he was wont to enjoy : he loses that enlargement of heart which he used to experience ; his joys are in a great measure withdrawn : instead of abounding in praises, he finds it hard even to pray : it is comparatively seldom that he can break forth into songs of praise and adora- tion ; and, if now and then he feel some elevation of soul, he cannot adore God for what he is in himself, but only for what he has done for us. Thus, ere he is aware, his God has with- drawn himself; and, if now he do not call him back by earnest supplication, and by renewed faith in Christ as his Mediator and Advocate, he will find every thing decay : the beauty of the summer will fade away, the autumnal gloom will soon succeed, and every thing will quickly wear a wintry aspect : all the graces of the soul will languish, and the corruptions of the heart regain their former ascendancy. The departing sun does not more surely change the face of nature, than the departure of God from the soul will leave it destitute and forlorn : so truly is it said, "Woe unto them, when I depart from them!" But these are, as it were, the steps by which God departs from