whole assembly of you should come to the ordinances as to a banquet prepared of the Lord ; or as the sick and diseased came to our Lord in the days of his flesh, each feeling his own ma- lady, and determined, if possible, to obtain a cure : however difficult it may be to gain access to him, you should press through the crowd, as it were, to touch but the hem of his garment ; or seek to be let through the tiling of the house, so that you may by any means find admittance into his presence, and obtain the blessings which you stand in need of. In a word, Christians should be satisfied with nothing short of a perfect conformity to the Divine will ; and should come to the house of God with hearts so melted, as easily to be poured into the mould of the Gospel, and permanently to retain the very image of their God.]
2. To display the efficacy of them in the sight of
all men —
[The Thessalonians were " ensamples," not to the world only, but to believers also, and that throughout all the regions of Macedonia and Achaia. This is what we also should endea- vour to be : we should " shine as lights in the world," and in every situation and relation of life we should so make our light to shine before men, that all who see us may glorify our Father which is in heaven. We should bear in mind, that the honour of God is greatly affected by our conduct ; and that our fellow- creatures also may either be " won by our good conversation," or be eternally ruined by our misconduct. We should, from these considerations, take especial care never to lay a stumbling- block in the way of others ; but so to walk, that we may be able to say unto all around us, " Whatsoever ye have seen and heard in me, do ; and the God of peace shall be with you." Thus we should " shew to all what manner of entrance the Gospel has had amongst us," and what are its genuine effects : and thus putting to silence the ignorance of foolish men, we should constrain them to acknowledge, that the doctrines we profess are holy, and " that God is with us of a truth."]
We conclude with one or two inquiries :
1. What entrance has the Gospel had amongst us?
[Has it so wrought, as to attract the attention, yea, and excite the admiration also, of all around us ? Alas ! in how many has it produced no change at all ! and in how many a change in profession only, or in external conduct, whilst the heart is as worldly, and the temper as unsubdued, as ever!
Look to it, brethren, that ye do not thus receive the
grace of God in vain : for if the Gospel be not unto you a savour of life unto life, it will be a savour of death, to your more aggravated condemnation.]