author of. He would never have induced those to trust in him, whom he intended to disappoint. That free Spirit,-which, as the wind, blows where it listeth,-now permits itself to be brought under bonds, even the bonds of God's own covenant, whereof we now take hold by our faith; so that he will not fail to give forth his influence, so far as shall be necessary for the maintaining a resolution in us of stedfast adherence to God and his service, and retaining a dominion over undue inclinations and affections. How express and peremptory are those words, "This I say,"-as if he had said, I know what I say, I have well weighed the matter, and speak not at random,-"Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh!" And so much as this affords great matter of rational delight, though more sensible transports (which are not so needful to us, and in reference whereto the spirit retains its liberty) be not so frequent. Therefore, if we aim at the having our spirits placed and settled in the secret of the divine presence, and entertained with the delights of it, if we would know and have the sensible proof of that religion, which is all life and power and consequently sweetness and pleasure, our direct way is believing on the Spirit. That very trust is his delight, "He taketh pleasure in them that hope in his mercy." a It is that, whereby we give him divine honour, the homage and acknowledgment proper to a Deity; confessing a Ps. cxlvii. 11. a ourselves impotent and insufficient to think any thing as of ourselves, we rely upon his sustaining hand, and own our sufficiency to be from him. It is his delight to be depended on as a father by his children. He is pleased, that title should be given him-" The Father of spirits," "—to have the spirits, which are his offspring, gathering about him, especially those who, being revolted from him and become sensible of their misery by their revolt, now upon his invitation apply themselves, and say, "Lo, now we come to thee, thou art the Lord our God,"―craving his renewed communications, drawing from him vital influences and the breath of life, adoring his boundless fulness that filleth all in all. And when we thus give him his delight, we shall not long want ours. But then we must also add, secondly, subjection to our dependence-a willing obedient surrender and resignation of ourselves to the conduct and guidance of that blessed Spirit,-a dutiful yielding to his dictates, so that they have actually with us the governing binding force and power of a law, "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ." Great care must be taken of grieving and quenching the Spirit, of rebelling and vexing it, of resisting it, of striving against it, of despiting the Spirit of grace; a wickedness, aggravated by the very style and title there given f i e 1 Thess. v. 19. c Rom. viii. 2. f Isa. lxiii. 10. i Heb. x. 29. h it, the spirit of grace; and to which only such a vengeance, as is intimated in what follows, (which, it peculiarly belonged to God himself to inflict,) could be proportionable. When we permit ourselves entirely to the government of the Holy Ghost, thereby to have our spirits and ways framed and directed according to his own rules, his quickening influence and the pleasure and sweet relishes thereof will not be withheld. And if the experience of some Christians seem not constantly to answer this, who complain they pray often for the Spirit and desire earnestly its gracious communications, but find little of them, -they are concerned seriously to reflect and bethink themselves, whether their distrust or disobedience, or both, have not made them desolate. Surely we are altogether faulty in this matter; his promise and faithfulness do not fail, his Spirit is not straitened: but we either do not entirely commit and entrust ourselves to his guidance, or do not obediently comply with it; we indulge either our sluggishness or our contrary inclinations, resist his dictates, are intractable and wayward, not apt to be led by the Spirit, and hence provoke him to withdraw from us. Hereto we are in justice to impute it, that we find so little of that power moving in us, all the motions whereof are accompanied with so much delight. For excitation-Little, one would think, should be needful more than only that we should bethink ourselves, what all this while we have been directed to by this text. If that be once under stood, hath it not in itself invitation enough? Do we need further to be invited to a life of delight? Do we need to be pressed with arguments to choose delightful and wholesome food, rather than gall and wormwood, or even very poison? It is a sad argument of the deplorable state of man, that he should need arguments in such a case! But because much is to be said hereafter, to persuade unto delighting in God (considered in the stricter notion of it, such as will be applicable to this purpose), therefore little is intended to be said here. Only it is to be considered,-Do you intend to proceed in any course of religion, or no? If not, you are to be remitted to such discourses, as prove to you the reasonableness and necessity of it. But if you think that horrid, and resolve to own something or other of religion, will you here use your understanding and consider,—Is it indeed so horrid a thing to disavow all religion? what is it better, to pretend to it to no purpose? You find religion is all but show and shadow, mere empty vanity and mockery, which is not delightful. If you will not choose a better because it is delightful, (as you are not advised to do, for that as your chief reason,) yet at least choose that which is, in other more considerable respects, eligible, as being most honourable and pleasing to Him that made you, and only safe and profitable to yourself. What shall your religion serve for, that will not answer these purposes? If you will have a religion, and you have any reason for that resolution, by the same reason you must have the pleasant delightful religion we speak of. You have no other choice. There is no other that will serve your turn. And, therefore, what has been said to divert you from the other, ought to persuade you to the choice of this. Besides, since there is so much of secret delight in true substantial religion, that ought not to signify nothing with you. If we consider the delightfulness of it alone, upon that single account it surely challenges the preference, before that which is neither profitable nor delightful. Whether it is in itself so delightful, if you had nothing to inform you but the report of such as profess to have tried and found it so, methinks. that at least should provoke you also to try. How sluggish a temper doth it argue, not to be desirous to know the utmost that is in it! It were even a laudable curiosity, to resolve upon making trial; to get into the inmost centre of it; to pierce and press onward, till you reach the seat of life, till you have got the secret, and the very heart of religion and your heart meet and join in one. Did you never try experiments for your pleasure? try this one. See what you will find in withdrawing yourself from all things else, and becoming entirely devoted to God through the Redeemer, to live after his will and in his presence. Try the difference-between viewing truths to please your genius, or using divine ordinances to keep up the custom, and help to make a solemn show-and doing these things with a |