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The more any person longeth for communion with God in the ordinances of his grace, the greater are his evidences for heaven; for he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Psalm cvii. 9. And our ever blessed Lord hath said, "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matt. v. 6.

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On the contrary, the less that any one longeth for communion with God in his ordinances, the less is his evidence for heaven. If they are pronounced blessed who hunger and thirst after righteousness, certainly they who do not so, nor ever will, are, and shall be cursed.

O may I then, whatever others do, often be communing with my own heart concerning what appetite I have for spiritual things, and praying, whatever this be, that it may be increased.

Water is very refreshing to the thirsty traveller; and so are the ordinances of divine

grace to the Zion pilgrim: to him they prove as refreshing and strengthening in his heavenly journey, as those wells which the Israelites dug in the dry valley of Bacca were to them when going to Zion. Psalm lxxxiv. 6, 8.

And as the spies who went to view the land of Canaan returned not without some of the fruits thereof, having brought from the brook Eschol a cluster of grapes, also of the pomegranates, and of the figs, Num. xiii. 23; in like manner, those who go to the ordinances of the gospel, in order to get a faith's 'view of the heavenly Canaan, will not return without tasting some of its fruits for by the brook of divine ordinances grow continually a large cluster of gospel promises; grapes, pomegranates, and figs of consolation, for the refreshing, comforting, and strengthening, of all true believers; of which precious fruits they may freely take, and eat, without money and without price. Isa. lv. 1. Nay, not only freely eat themselves, but even invite others, saying with the Psalmist, '“ O "taste, and see that the Lord is good."

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Psalm xxxiv. 8.

And this is one distinguishing mark of all who have tasted that the Lord is gracious, they would have others also to taste of his goodness.

This brook likewise putteth me in mind of that out of which the stripling David chose the five smooth stones with which he went against the giant of the Philistines, and who, by only using one of them, prevailed over that blustering defier of Israel. 1 Sam. xvii. 40---49. Just so every believer, though but a stripling, weak and insufficient of himself to combat against Satan, the world, and the flesh, in the brook of gospel-ordinances findeth five smooth stones; namely, saving faith in the merits of Christ, love to God, repentance unto life, a sight of his own emptiness, and a view of the fulness of Christ, by means of all which he prevaileth against, and finally overcometh those mighty giants.

May I then examine myself, whether I have ever found these smooth stones in the brook of divine ordinances; and if I have ever used them with the sling of divine grace

against my spiritual foes, and what success I have had in the attempt. Thus examining myself, through grace, I may come to know how I have profited by gospel ordinances; whether I have wrestled against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, Eph. vi. 12; and whether, like Paul, I have fought the good fight. 2 Tim. iv. 7.

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YONDER rustic, just come to angle in the brook, is preparing his rod, and running out his line. Now he views attentively the atmosphere, and anon considers the appearance of the liquid element; pauses a little, and selects from his hooks the fly which he judges best, and having put all in order, artfully throws the line, and raising his hand, gently leads the impostor, where the stream curls round the stone, by the cavity of the brow, or the prominent osier root: the unwary trout observes the deceitful fly, and is tempted from its covert. As if cautious of the danger, at first it springs at a little distance, but the temptation being renewed, it

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