fervants in another cafe, and receive the Lord's meffage greedily, as what in one way or another will profit you. 4. Cry much to God for communion with him in gofpel-ordinances. Come to ordinances in a believing expectation of enjoying it. Set yourfelves to receive the gofpel as the Lord's word to you, which worketh effectually in you that believe. The Lord appoints finners to meet with him there, faying, "In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee," Exod. xx. 24. Propose a meeting with him there alfo, and you may be fure it will hold. Like Jacob, you will prevail with God to blefs you, Hof. xii. 4. compare Gen. xxxv. 1. Chrift had promised the Spirit, and commanded the difciples to wait for him, Acts, i. 4. They continued in prayer, ver. 14. See the fruit of it, chap. ii. Lastly, Be thankful for the least of God's mercies, and be fubmiffive to the Lord under every trying difpenfation, as fenfible of your utter unworthinefs. When was it that Jacob got the bleffing? Was it not when in this frame, I am not worthy," faid he, " of the leaft of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou haft fhewed unto thy fervant; for with my staff I paffed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands." A fenfe of unworthiness as to the leaft mercies, cannot mifs to produce in you a relish for the great mercies of the gospel. There are many complaints as to the want of God's prefence in ordinances. There is not that found in them which was in former times.Many lay the blame of this on ministers; and I dare fay, there is not either a godly minifter in Scotland, or a godly Chriftian, acting as fuch, who who dare refuse that he has a real fhare in it.The clean, to caft ftones at the guilty, must come out from among those ministers and people who are ftrangers to their own hearts, and fee better into others than they do into themselves. But however it be, I dare promife, in the name of the Lord, that the hungry fhall not be fent empty away. The meek poor ones fhall be feafted in ordinances; and their hungry fouls fhall be refreshed with the gofpel, fare with others as it will: Pfal. xxii. 24. "The meek fhall eat, and be fatisfied." Matth. v. 6. "Bleffed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they fhall be filled."-O! but the spiritual relith for the word is well worth all the trouble which is neceffary for having it. For, 1. This is the hidden manna peculiar to God's hidden ones on earth: "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna," Rev. ii. 17. We read, Exod. xvi. 13. 14. of a dew under which the manna lay. The ordinances are that dew; communion with Chrift in ordinances, by relishing his word, is the manna under it. The ordinances are the cabinet; this is the opening of the cabinet; and the finding of the jewel, the drawing by the vail, and beholding the glory; the digging up the field, and falling on the treasure; the breaking the thell, and getting out the pearl. 2. This would make the Sabbath the most pleafant day in all the week, the hours of worship the moft pleasant hours, which now to most are a wearinefs. See how the gofpel, felt in its power, doth affect: Ifa. ix. 3. "They joy before thee. according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the fpoil." Compare ver. 2. If you had ever any experience of this relish, dare you fay but that these were your golden days, even G 3. the the best time ever you had in your life, and that all the world could never make up your lofs fince you wanted them? You who never tafted of it, believe others, fince you are not capable of judging in the matter: Pfal. lxxxiv. 10. "For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand." Believe those who have got that at ordinances, which has made them joyfully embrace perfecution, banish- ` ment, a fcaffold, and a fire. 3. This would readily hang about you all the weck, in a holy, favoury, tender difpofition, and make you rejoice at the return of the Sabbath : Pfal. cxxii... “I was glad when they faid unto me, Let us go into the houfe of the Lord." It is good being in Chrift's company in his fanctuary; wherever they go afterwards, they smell of his good ointments; knowledge is taken of them that they have been with Jefus, Acts, iv. 13. Remember what is faid of the gospel, 2 Cor. ii. 16. "To the one we are the favour of death unto death, and to the other the favour of life unto life." Alas! how rank and unfavoury are the converfations of moft, becaufe they never get a relish for the word. 7 4. This would make you useful Christians. The woman of Samaria, as foon as the relished the gofpel, the got another fpirit. As the bad been formerly a prop of the devil's kingdom, and an agent for him in the place where the lived; the now, when converted by grace, turns useful for others. This would make you naturally commend the way of God to others, would make you ufeful in your families, in the congregation, and in the country-fide. Laftly, This would be a heaven on earth. What is the happiness of the faints in glory? They en joy God, and this in the utmost perfection. You fhould relish that enjoyment of him, which in your measure you have for the prefent, as a prelude, an earneft of what fhall be your privilege hereafter. I SHALL have done with a word to all in general, and in particular to meek poor ones. To all in general, I would fay, Entertain the good tidings of the gofpel, flight them not, give them a fuitable entertainment. Believe them as undoubted truths. When God fpeaks, it is reasonable we believe; for he is Truth, he is the faithful and true Witnefs, Rev. i 14. The carnal mind is apt to fall into unbelief of the gospel, which reflects great difhonour upon God: 1 John, v. ro." He that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son." And this also makes the gospel unprofit able to ourselves: "The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it," Heb. iv. 2.-Embrace these tidings joyfully and thankfully; they are tidings of great joy, and fhould be received with the greatest joy and chearfulness; as a malefactor on the scaffold fhould receive the tidings of a pardon, or as an indemnity would be received by those who have forfeited their lives by their treafon. And the greater the danger is from which the gospel proclaims deliverance, the more welcome should the tidings be. Finally, lay the weight of your fouls on thefe tidings for time and eternity, fall in with the gofpel-contrivance, and embrace the covenant as well ordered in all things and fure, Matth. xiii. 44. Embrace the falvation; come away with the Redeemer, accept the ranfom, accept the indemnity, put your cafe in the hand of the great Phy fician, fician, and all shall be well. To prevail with you as to this, confider, for MOTIVES, From whence the tidings come. It is from a far country, from heaven, the throne of God, yea, the depths of the counsel of God, John, i. 18.. Behold tidings of love and good will from heaven, of a mercy-feat fet up there for poor finners, from whence they could have looked for nothing but wrath -Confider, Who brings the tidings, the Son of God. O! glorious meffenger, who left the Father's bofom and came down into this earth, to proclaim the glad tidings. And now that he is afcended into heaven, he has fent his minifters in his name to proclaim them, with this certification, That he who heareth you, heareth me; and he who defpifeth you, defpifeth me; and he who defpifeth me, de-. fpifeth him that fent me.-Confider, What are the tidings. Tidings of a falvation, a redemption, &c. They are good tidings, the best of tidings that ever came into the world.--Good to refresh and revive the fpirits of those whom nothing else can comfort, even finners depreffed under apprehenfions of wrath. And the more to be esteemed that they are peculiar to fin-ful men, not fallen angels. "Unto you, O men! I call, and my voice is to the fons of men.". Confider, 7 The need there was of thefe tidings in the world. Never did tidings come so seasonably to any, as thofe of the gofpel to the world ruined by fin. We were as Ifaac, with the knife at our throat, when the tidings came of Jefus Christ, as the ram caught in the thicket. Let us but fuppofe the world without the gospel, we will then have a fiery law, flaming on our faces, and no |