their joys, while they gather honey in abundance,

If any should impede them in their aerial journeys to or from the trees enriched with such dews, how should they be made to smart by their keen stings for such interruptions. In like manner, the saints delight in, and constantly attend on the stated ordinances of grace, but especially do they take pleasure in the more solemn ordinances of the gospel, even in the holy sacraments, these peculiar memorials of Christ's love and death: In these precious seasons, heavenly dews fall abundantly for the refreshment of his people; then it is believers call forth every grace, in lively exercise: before, they contented themselves with the ordinary institutions of the gospel, these salutary herbs and flowers planted in the church, but now they soar higher on the wings of faith and love, and feast on Christ himself, the tree of life, who inviteth them, saying, Eat, O "friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved," Cant. v. 1.

When such showers of blessing are falling, were the world, the devil, or the flesh,

2

to interrupt their joys, keenly would they draw out the sword of the Spirit against them, saying with Ephraim, "What have I to do

66

any more with idols?" Hos. xiv. 8. and with Nehemiah, " I am doing a great work, "so that I cannot come down," Nehem. vi. 3. and with David, Depart from me, ye evil doers, for I will keep the com"mandments of my God," Psalm cxix. 115.

Tinkling on brass or iron is very often used in the swarming of bees, for the purpose of alluring them' to settle and hive. In like manner, the joyful sound of the everlasting ing gospel is proclaimed, in order that sinners, who have been driven from resting in the old stock of Adam by the terrors of the law, and know not whither to fly for safety, may be induced to take refuge under the righteousness of Christ, the last Adam, 1 Cor.

XV. 45.

But as bees do not always halt, however one tinkle, nor yet, when clustered, take the hive without further assistance; so though all men hear the glad tidings of the everlasting gospel, yet to many it proveth but as "sounding brass, or a tinkling sym

bal," 1 Cor. xiii. 1. they come and go to ordinances, and are never a whit the better, either with respect to principles or practice; and even though many be enticed thereby to settle in Christ by a nominal profession, saying unto him, Lord, Lord!" yet will he profess unto them, he never knew them, Matth. vii. 21---23. unless through the energy of the Holy Ghost they be planted in him.

How much doth it then concern all gospel hearers to know whether divine efficacy have gone along with the word preached, uniting them by faith and love to Christ Jesus, seeing that "many are called, but few are cho<< sen," Matt. xxii. 14.

Owners of bees feed their stocks only in winter, rainy, and cold seasons, when these insects are not able to fly abroad in quest of their subsistence, or when no flowers are to be found in the fields: and is not the Lord very gracious in feeding the souls of his people in private and secret ordinances, when they are deprived of attending upon him in public, either through persecutions, diseases, infirmities, age, or other necessary

lets; but can those expect such supplies, who wilfully neglect, through idleness, sloth, or any other unwarrantable excuse, to wait upon him in the public ordinances of his appointment? No; but, on the contrary, may be afraid they shall be suffered to starve by the great Master, who neglect to improve such sweet seasons of his grace; and that they, who will not assemble with the saints here, in his ordinances of grace, at his footstool, shall not be allowed to assemble with them at his right hand on the great day of accounts, and so not in glory before his throne above.

Many select the Sabbath from all the other days of the week, for the purpose of seeing friends, visiting the sick, or taking medicine; so that they may not retard their work by so doing on other days; yet such would probably shudder at observing any of their fellows following their ordinary employment on that holy day,

Strange stupidity! do not they themselves virtually do so, who, rather than their labour should be interrupted on other days, or a single penny be lost by doing such things,

T

postpone all till Sabbath; and I am afraid, if grace prevent not, those who habitually do so, will be ranked among Sabbath-breakers, and despisers of the ordinances at last.

I remember a charge I have somewhere heard, which a considerable farmer used to give on Sabbath to his family and servants; which was, not to stay at home from the public ordinances of the gospel, unless they had such an excuse as they could carry to the judgment of the great day. O that this charge may sound freshly in the ears of my soul every Sabbath, and in the ears of all privileged with gospel opportunities!

In every hive, naturalists inform us, there are a number of drones (and these work not) which often fly about towards the approach of night, making a greater buzz than any of the other bees; yet are they necessary to be preserved for a while, being the only males, so that workers may be propagated.

And are there not likewise a number of drones in the world, even men who do nothing at all for the glory of God, or the good of society? These, like those drone bees, make