occasional intercourse with their fellow-saints, who by season- able advice have "strengthened their hands in God'1."]
When wisely regulated, too, it is deserving of high
commendation —
[Doubtless the conversation of those who profess religion may easily degenerate, and not unfrequently does degenerate, into the mere " talk of the lips, which tendeth only to penury1." But when it is humble, modest, spiritual; when it has a divine savour in it, and nothing is sought but the glory of God, and the edification of the soul; then it is an ordinance of the Lord, which he will honour with his more immediate presence, agreeably to what he has said, that "where two or three are gathered together in His name, there he will be in the midst of them."]
But of this, we shall see more, by considering dis- tinctly, II. The approbation given —
God, in testifying his approbation of his people's conduct, speaks of,
1. That which he himself felt in secret —
[Inexpressibly beautiful is the image here presented to our view. We are not to suppose that God needs to listen, in order that he may know what is said ; or to write it down, in order that he may remember it. These terms are merely used for the purpose of conveying to our minds, by a familiar image, what, if conveyed in a more abstract form, we should not so readily comprehend. God here represents himself as a parent overhearing the conversation of his little children. In itself, the observation of a child is not worth the attention of a man : but when uttered by a man's own child, it becomes extremely interesting, especially when it is on a subject which denotes the presence of early piety. Hence God represents himself as greatly interested by the conversation which he, as it were accidentally, overhears. The very accents seem to be such as his holy mind will approve: "he hearkens; he hears;" he is, if I may so speak, struck with astonishment; he is exceedingly delighted ; he determines not to forget it ; he takes a book, " the book of his remembrance, and writes it down," that from time to time he may refresh his memory with it, and, if occasion offer, bring it to the remembrance of the child himself. Can we conceive any thing more expres- sive of approbation than such a representation as this, more especially when we consider that it is the Almighty God who
h 1 Sam. xxiii. 16, 17. ' Prov. xiv. 23.