Delight of Believers in the Holy Institutions of Divine Worship

Delight of believers in the holy institutions of divine worship. The grounds and reasons thereof. The evidence of being spiritually minded thereby, 8fc.

That all true believers, whose minds are spiritually “renewed, have a singular delight in all the institutions and ordinances of divine worship, is fully evident, both in the examples of the saints in the scripture, and their own experience, which they will never forego,

OF SPIRITUAL BIINDEDNESS. 27t

For this hath been the greatest cause of their suffering persecution, and martyrdom itself, in all ages. If the primitive Christians under the power of the pagan emperors, or the witnesses for Christ under the anti-christian apostasy, would, or could have omitted the observance of them (according to the advice and practice of the gnostics,) they might have escaped the rage of their adversaries. But they loved not their lives, in comparison to that delight which they had in the observance of the commands of Christ, as to the duties of evangelical worship. David gives us frequently an instance hereof in himself. Psal. xlii. 1 — 4. ‘As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, 0 God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I come and appear before God 1 My tears have been my meat day and night, wThile they continually say unto me, Where is thy God 1 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude $ I went with them to the house of God; with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy-day.5 Psal. lxiii. 1 — 5. ‘O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee, my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary. Because thy loving kindness is better than life: my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live. I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.’ Psal. lxxxiv. 1 — 4. ‘How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord:

my heart crieth out for the living God. The sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Seiah.’

But a greater than David is here. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself did upon all occasions declare his delight in, and zeal for, all the ordinances of divine worship, which were then in force by virtue of divine institution and command. For although he severely reproved and rejected whatever men had added thereto, under the pretence of a supererogating strictness, or outward order, laying it all under that dreadful sentence, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be plucked up, and cast into the fire; yet as to what was of divine appointment, his delight therein was singular, and exemplary to all his disciples. With respect hereto was it said of him, that the zeal of God’s house had eaten him up, by reason of the affliction which he had in his spirit, to-see the worship of it neglected, polluted, and despised. This caused him to cleanse the temple, the seat of divine worship, from the pollutors and pollutions of it, not long before his sufferings, in the face and to the high provocation of all his adversaries. So with earnest desire he longed for the celebration of his last passover. Luke xxii. 15. ‘With desire have I desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer.’ And it is a sufficient evidence of the frame of spirit and practice of his disciples afterwards. In reference to the duties of evangelical worship by his appointment; that the apostle gives it as an assured token of an unsound condition, and that which tendeth to final cursed apos* tasy, when any c fall into a neglect of them.’ Heb. x. 25 — 27.

These things are manifest and unquestionable. But our present inquiry is only, what it is which believers do so delight in, in the ordinances and institutions of divine gospel worship, and what it is that engageth their hearts and minds to a diligent observance of them; as also how and w7herein they exercise their love and delight 1 And I say, in general, that their delight in all ordinances of divine worship, as is evident in the testimonies before produced, is in Christ himself, or God in Christ. This alone is that which they seek after, cleave to, and are satisfied with. They make use of the streams but only as means of communication from the spring. When men are really renewed in the spirit of their minds, it is so. Their regard to ordinances and duties of divine worship, is, as they are appointed of God, a blessed means of communion and intercourse between himself in Christ, arid their souls. By them doth Christ communicate of his love and grace to us; in and by them do we act faith and love on him. It is the treasure hid in the field, which, when a man hath found, he purchaseth the whole field; but it is that he may enjoy the treasure which is hid therein. Mat. xiii. 14. This field is the gospel, and all the ordinances of it. This men do purchase sometimes at a dear rate, even with the loss of all they enjoy. But yet if they obtain nothing but the field, they will have little cause to rejoice in their bargain. It is Christ the treasure alone, that pearl of price, that will certainly enrich the soul. The field is to be used only, as to find and dig up the treasure that is in it. It is, I say, Christ alone, that in the preaching of the gospel, renewed affections cleave to as the treasure, and to all other things according as their relation is to him, or they have a participation of him. Wherefore, in all duties of religion, in all ordinances of worship, their inquiry is after him whom their souls love. Cant, i. 7.

But yet we must treat more particularly and distinctly of these things. Those whose affections are spiritually renewed, do love, adhere to, and delight in, ordinances of divine service and duties of worship; on the grounds and reasons ensuing.

First. In general they do so, as they find faith and love, and delight in God through Christ, excited and acted in and by them. This is their first and immediate end in their institution. It is a pernicious mistake to suppose that any external duties of worship, as hearing the word, prayer, or the sacraments, are appointed for themselves, or accepted for themselves.

Such thoughts the Jews of old had concerning their sacrifices 5 namely, that they were appointed for their own sakes, and were acceptable service to God, merely on their own account. Wherefore God, to deliver them from their pernicious mistake, affirms ofttimes, that he never appointed them at all: that is, for any such end. Jer. vii. 22, 23. Isa. i. 12, 13, &c. And now under the gospel, sundry things destructive to the souls of men have proceeded from such a supposition. Some hereon have always satisfied and contented themselves with the external observance of them, without desiring Or endeavoring any holy communion with God in them, or by them. This constitutes the state and condition mentioned, Rev. iii. 1. And by following this track, the generality of Christians wander out of the way; they cannot leave them, nor know how to use them to their advantage, until they come wholly to that woful state. Isa. xxix. 13. And some, to establish this deceit, have taught that there is much more in the outward work of these duties, than ever God put into them, and that they are sanctified merely by virtue of the work wrought.

But all the duties of the second commandment, as are all instituted ordinances of worship, are but means to express and exercise those of the first, as faith, love, fear, trust, and delight in God. The end of them all is, that through them, and by them, we may act those graces on God in Christ. Where this is not attended to, when the souls of men do not apply themselves to this exercise of grace in them, let them be never so solemn as to their outward performance, be attended to with diligence, be performed with earnestness and delight, they are neither acceptable to God, nor beneficial to themselves. Isa. i. 11. This therefore is the first general spring of the love of believers, of them whose affections are spiritually renewed, under the ordinances of divine worship, and their delight in them. They have experience, that in and by them, their faith and love are excited to a gracious exercise of themselves on God in Christ. And when they find it otherwise with them, they can have no rest in their souls. For this end are they ordained, sanctified, and blessed of God, and therefore, are effectual means of it, when their efficacy is not defeated by unbelief.

And those who have no experience hereof in their

attendance to them, do, as hath been said, fall into

pernicious extremes. Some continue their observance

with little regard to God, in cursed formality. So they

make them a means of their ruin by countenancing of

them in their security.

Others utterly reject them, at least the most solemn of them, and therein the wisdom, and grace, and authority of God, by whom they are appointed. Because, through the power of their own unbelief, they find nothing in them.

This being the immediate end of all divine institutions, this being the only way whereby we may give glory to God in their observance, which is their ultimate end in this world 5 and this being the design in general of believers in that obedience, they yield to the Lord Christ in their diligent observation of them; we may consider how, in what way, and by what means, those whose affections are spiritually renewed, do and ought to apply their minds and souls to their observance. And we may consider herein, first, What they design, and then what they endeavor to be found in the exercise and practice of, in their use and enjoyment.

First. They come to them with this desire, design, and expectation, namely, to be enabled, directed, and excited by them to the exercise of divine faith ancf love. When it is not so with any, where there is not this design, they do in various degrees take the name of God in vain in their observance. These are approcc* imationes Bei, the ways of drawing nigh to God, as they are every where called in scripture. To suppose that a drawing nigh to God may consist merely in the outward performance of duty, whatever be its solemnity, is to reject all due reverence of him. Forasmuch, saith the Lord, as this people draw near to me with their mouths, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, therefore I will proceed against them. Isaiah xxix. 13. The mouth and lips are put by a synecdoche, for all the means of outward worship and honor. These men may use, and diligently attend to, whilst their hearts are far from God, that is, when they do not draw nigh to him by faith and love. But all this worship is rejected of God with the highest tokens of his displeasure and indignation against it.

First. Our souls then have no way of approach to God in duties of worship, but by faith; no way of adherence or cleaving to him, but by love 5 no way of abiding in him, but by fear, reverence, and delight. Whenever these are not in exercise, outward duties of worship are so far from being a means of such an approach to him, as that they set us at a greater distance from him than we were before, at least are utterly use* less and fruitless to us. So indeed they are to the most who come to them, they know not why, and behave themselves under them, they care not how i nor is there any evil in the hearts and ways of men, whereof God complaineth more in his word, as that which is accompanied with the highest contempt of him. And because these ordinances of divine worship are means which the wisdom and grace of God have appointed to this end, namely, the exercise and increase of divine faith and love, and therefore do sanctify and bless them thereto. I do not believe that they have any delight in the exercise of these graces, nor design growth in theixij by whom these great means of them are despised or neglected.

And although I have seen those vallies of public worship forsaken, either on pretences of higher attainments in faith, light, and love, than to stand in need of them any more, or on a foolish opinion, that they cease upon the dispensation of the Spirit, which is given to us to make them useful and effectual, or on some provocations that have been given to some men, or which they have taken to themselves, which they have thought they could revenge by a neglect of public administrations, or through slavish peace and negligence in times of difficulty, as is the manner of some, who forsake the assemblies of the saints. Heb. vi. 25. Yet, 1 never saw, but it issued in a great decay, if not in an utter loss of all exercise of faith and love, and sometimes in open profaneness. For such persons contemn the ways and means, which God in his infinite wisdom and goodness hath appointed for their exercise and increase; and this shall not prosper. We may therefore do well to consider, that the principal way whereby we may sanctify the name of God, in all duties of his worship, and obtain the benefit of them to our own souls, is by a conscientious approach to them with a holy desire and design to be found in the exercise of faith and love on God in Christ, and to be helped and guided therein by them.

To be under an efficacious influence from this design, is the best preparation for any duty. So David expresseth his delight in the worship of God. ‘How amiable are thy tabernacles, 0 Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.’ Psal. lxxxiv. 1, 2. He longed for the tabernacle, and the courts of it, but it was the enjoyment of God himself, the living God, that he desired and sought after. This was that which made him so fervent in his desires after those ordinances of God. So he expresseth it, Psal. lxiii. 2. ‘To see thy power and thy glory, so as lhave seen thee in the sanctuary.’ David hid had great communion with and delight in God by faith and love in the solemn duties of his worship. Ai.d this was that which inflamed him with desires after renewed opportunities to the same end.

Secondly. This design is not general, inactive, useless, and slothful. But such persons diligently endeavor, in the use of these ordinances, and attendance to them, to be found in the exercise of these graces. They have not only an antecedent design to be so, but a diligent actual endeavor after it, not suffering their minds by any thing to be diverted from the pursuit of that design. Eccl. v. 1. Whatever is not quickened and enlivened hereby, they esteem utterly lost. Neither outward administrations nor order will give them satisfaction, when these things are wanting in themselves. Without the internal actings of the life of faith, external administrations of ordinances of worship are but dead things. Nor can any believer obtain real satisfaction in them, or refreshment by them, without an inward experience of faith and love in them, and by them. And it is that which, if we are wise, we shall continually attend to the consideration of. A watchful Christian will be careful lest he lose any one duty, by taking up the carcass of it. And the danger of so doing is not small. Our affections are renewed but in part. And as they are still liable to be diverted, and seduced from spirituality in duty, even by things earthly and carnal, through the corruption that remaineth in them; so there is a disposition abiding in them, to be pleased with those external things in religious duties, which others, as we have showed before, who are no way graciously renewed, satisfy themselves with. The grace and oratory of the speaker in preaching the word especially in these days wherein the foppery of fine language, even in sacred things, is so much extolled, the order and circumstances of other duties, with inclination and love to a party, are apt to insinuate themselves with great complacency in our affections, so far as they are unrenewed. And these things discover the true grounds whence it is that the ordinances of divine worship are so useless as they are, to many who seem to attend to them with diligence. They may he referred to these two heads:

(1.) They do not come to them, as the means appointed of God, for the exercise of faith and love to Christ, so as to make it their design in their approaches to them, without which, all that is spoken of advantage in and by other duties is utterly lost.

(2.) They do not in and under them labor to stir up faith and love to their due exercise.

(3.) They suffer their minds to be diverted from the exercise of these graces, partly by occasional temptations, partly by attendance to what is outward only in the ordinances themselves.

Spiritual affections find no place of rest in any of these things; such proposals of God in Christ, of his will, and their own duty, as may draw out their faith, love, godly fear, and delight, into their due exercise, is that which they inquire after, and acquiesce in.

Two things alone doth faith regard in all duties of worship, as to the outward administration of it. The one absolutely, the other comparatively; both with respect to the end mentioned, or the exercise, growth, and increase of grace in us. The first is, that they be of divine appointment. Where their original and observance are resolved into divine authority, there, and there alone, will they have a divine efficacy. In all these things, faith hath regard to nothing but divine precepts and promises. Whatever hath regard to any thing else, is not faith, but fancy. And therefore these uncommanded duties in religion, which so abound in the papal church, as that, if not the whole, yet all the principal parts of their worship consist in them, are such as in whose discharge it is impossible faith should be in a due exercise. That which it hath comparative respect to, is the spiritual gifts of them to whom the administration of the ordinances of the gospel, in the public worship of the church, is committed. With respect to them, believers may have more delight and satisfaction in the ministry of one than of another, as was touched before. But this is not because one is more learned than another, or more elegant than another, hath more ability of speech than another, or fervency in utterance than another, is more fervent and earnest in his delivery; but because they find the gifts of one more suited, and more effectual to stir up faith and love to a holy exercise in their minds and hearts, than what they find in some others. Hence they have a peculiar value for, and delight in, the ministry of such persons, especially when they can enjoy it in due order, and without the offence of others. And ministers that are wise, will, in holy administrations, neglect all other things, and attend to this alone, how they may be helpful to the faith, and love, and joy of believers, so far as they are the object of their ministry. This is the first reason and ground whereon affections spiritually renewed cleave to ordinances of divine worship with delight and satisfaction; namely, because they are the means appointed and blessed of God for the exercise and increase of faith and love, with an experience of their efficacy to that end.

Secondly. The second is, Because they are the means of the communication of a sense of divine love, and supplies of divine grace, to the souls of them that believe. So far as our affections are renewed, this is the principal attractive to cleave to them with delight and complacency.

They are, as was observed before, the ways of our approaching to God. Now we do not draw nigh to God, as himself speaks, as a dry heath, or a barren wilderness, where no refreshment is to be obtained* To make a pretence of coming to God, and not with expectation of receiving good and great things from him, is to despise God himself, to overthrow the nature of the duty, and deprive our own souls of all benefit thereby; and the want hereof is that which renders the worship of the most, useless, and fruitless to themselves. We are always to come to God, as to ah eternal spring of goodness, grace, and mercy, of all that our souls stand in need of, of all that we can de« sire in order to our everlasting blessedness; and all these things, as to believers, may be reduced to the two heads before mentioned.

First. They come for a communication of a sense of his love in Jesus Christ. Hence do all our peace, consolation, and joy, all our encouragement to do and suffer according to the will of God, all our supportments under our sufferings, solely depend; in these things do our souls live, and without them we are of all men the most miserable.

It is the Holy Spirit who is the immediate efficient cause of all these things in us. He sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts. Rom. v. 5. He witnesseth our adoption to us, (chap. viii. 15, 16,) and thereby an interest in the love of the Father, in God, as he is love. But the outward way and means wThereby he communicates these things to us, and effects them in us, is by the dispensation of the gospel, or the preaching of it ordinarily. He doth the same work also in prayer, and ofttirnes in other holy administrations. For this end, for a participation of this grace, of these mercies, do believers come to God by them. They use them as means to draw water from the well of salvation, and to receive in that spiritual sense of divine love, which God by them will communicate.

So Christ, by his word, knocks at the door of the heart; if it be opened by faith, he cometh in, and suppeth with men, giving them a gracious refreshment, by the testimony of his own love, and the love of the Father. Rev. iii. 23. John xiv. 3. This believers look for in, and this they do, in various measures, receive by the ordinances of divine worship. And although some, through their fears and temptations, are not sensible hereof, yet do they secretly receive those blessed gracious supplies, whereby their souls are held in life, without which they would pine away and perish. So he dealeth with them. Cant. iv. 5, 6. These are the gardens and galleries of Christ, wherein he gives us of his love. Cant. vii. 12. Those who are humble and sincere, know how often their souls have been refreshed in them, and how long sometimes the impressions they have received of divine grace and love have continued with them, to their unspeakable consolation. They remember what they have received in the opening and application of the exceeding great and precious promises that are given to them, whereby they are gradually more and more made partakers of the divine nature; how many a time they have received light in darkness, refreshment under despondencies, relief in their conflicts with dangers and temptations, in and by them. For this cause do affections that are spiritually renewed cleave to them. Who can but love and delight in that which he hath found, by experience, to be the way and means of communicating to him the most invaluable mercy, the most inestimable benefit, whereof in this life he can be made partaker 1 He who hath found a hidden treasure, although he should at once take away the whole of it, yet will he esteem the place where he found it; but if it be of that nature, that no more can be found or taken of it at once but what is sufficient for the present occasion, yet is so full and boundless, as that whenever he comes again to seek for it, he shall be sure to obtain present supply, he will always value it, and constantly apply himself to it. And such is the treasure of grace and divine love, that is in the ordinances of divine worship.

If we are strangers to these things, if we never received efficacious intimations of divine love to our souls, in and by the duties of divine worship, we cannot love them and delight in them as we ought. What do men come to hear the word of God for? What do they pray for 1 What do they expect to receive from him? Do they come to God as tb- eternal fountain of living waters? as the God of aii grace, peace, and consolation? Or do they come to his worship without any design, as to a dry and empty show] Do they fight uncertainly with these things, as men beating the air Or think they bring something to God, but receive nothing from him? That the best of their business is to please him in doing what he commands; but to receive any thing from him, they expect not, nor do ever examine themselves whether they have done so or not? It is not for persons who walk in such ways, ever to attain a due delight in the ordinances of divine worship.

Believers have other designs herein; and, among the rest, this in the first place, that they may he afresh made partakers of refreshing, comforting pledges of the love of God in Christ, and thereby of their adoption, of the pardon of their sins, and acceptance of their persons. According as they meet with these things in the duties of holy worship, public or private, so will they love, value, and adhere to them. Some men are full of other thoughts and affections, so as that these things are not their principal design or desire, or are contented with that measure of them which they suppose themselves to have attained; or, at least, are not sensible of the need they stand in to have fresh communications of them made to their souls; supposing that they can do well enough without a renewed sense of divine love every day: some are so ignorant of what they ought to design to look after, in the duties of gospel worship, as that it is impossible they should have any real design in them. Many of the better sort of professors are too negligent in this matter: they do not long and pant in the inward man after renewed pledges of the love of God; they do not consider how much they have need of them, that they may be encouraged and strengthened -to all other duties of obedience; they do not prepare their minds for the reception of them, nor come with the expectation of their communication to them; they do not rightly fix their faith on this truth, namely, that these holy administrations and duties are appointed of Cod, in the first place, as the ways and means of con- 1 dying his love, and a sense of it, to our souls. From hence spring that lukewarmness, coldness and indifferency in and to the duties of holy worship, that are growing among us: for if men have lost the principal design of faith in them, and disesteem the chiefest benefit which is to be obtained by them, whence should zeal for them, delight in them, or diligence in attendance to them, arise 1 Let not any please themselves under the powers of such decays, they are indications of their inward frame, and those infallible. Such persons will grow cold, careless, and negligent, as to the duties of public worship 5 they will put themselves neither to charge nor trouble about them 5 every occasion of life diverts them, and finds ready entertainment in their minds 5 and when they do attend upon them, it is with great indifferency and unconcernedness. Yet would they have it thought that all is still well within as ever it was, they have as good a respect to religion as any. But these things openly discover an ulcerous disease in the very souls of men, as evidently as if it were written on their foreheads; whatever they pretend to the contrary, they are under the power of woful decays from all due regard to spiritual and eternal things. And I would avoid the society of such persons, as those who carry an infectious disease about them, unless it were to help on their cure.

Secondly. They come for supplies of internal, sanctifying, strengthening grace. This is the second great design of believers in their approaches to God in his worship. The want hereof, as to measures and degrees, they find in themselves, and are sensible of it. Yea, therein lies the great burden of the souls of believers in this world. All that we do in the life of God may be referred to two heads.

First. The observance of all duties of obedience. And,

Secondly. The conflict with, and conquest over, temptations. About these things are we continually exercised. Hence the great thing which we desire* labor for, and pant after, is spiritual strength and ability for the discharge of ourselves in a due manner with respect to these things. This is that which every true believer groaneth after in the inward man, and which he preferreth infinitely above all earthly things. So he may have grace sufficient in any competent measure for these ends; let what will befall him, he desireth no more in this world. God in Christ is the fountain of all his grace. There is not one drachm of it to be obtained but from him alone. And as he doth communicate it to us of his own sovereign goodness and pleasure; so the ordinary way and means whereby he will do it, are the duties of his worship. Isa. xl. 28 — 31. ‘Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly faiL But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings, as eagles $ they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.’

All grace and spiritual strength is originally seated in the nature of God; (v. 28,) but, what relief can that afford to us, who are weak, feeble, fainting? He will act suitably to his nature in the communication of this grace and power; (v. 29,) but, how shall we have an interest in this grace, in these operations 1 Wait oil him in the ordinances of his worship, (v. 31.) The word, as preached, is the food of our souls, whereby

God administereth growth and strength to them. (John xvii. 17. 1 Pet. ii. 23.) ‘Desire, saith he, the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.’ But what encouragement have we thereto 1 if so be, saith he, you have tasted that the Lord is gracious! If, in and by the dispensation of this word, you have had experience of the grace, the goodness, the kindness of God to your souls, you cannot but desire and delight in it; and otherwise you will not do so. When men have sat some good while under the dispensation of the word, and in the enjoyment of other ordinances with* out tasting in and by them that the Lord is gracious, they will grow weary of it and them. Wherefore prayer is the way of his appointment for the application of our souls to him, to obtain a participation of all needful grace, which, therefore, he has proposed to us in the promises of the covenant, that we may know what to ask, and how to plead for it. In the sacraments the same promises are sealed to us, and the grace represented in them effectually exhibited. Meditation confirms our souls in the exercise of faith about it, and is the especial opening of the heart to the reception of it. By these means, I say, doth God communicate all supplies of renewing, strengthening, and sanctifying grace to us, that we may live to him in all holy obedience, and be able to get the victory over our temptations. Under this apprehension, believers approach to God in the ordinances of his worship: they come to them as the means of God’s communication to their souls; hence they cleave to them with delight, so far as their affections are renewed. So the spouse testifieth of herself — I sat down under his shadow with great delight. Cant. ii. 3. In these ordinances is the protecting, refreshing presence of Christ. This she rested in with great delight.

OF SPIRITUAL HANDEDNESS* 295

As they come to them with these designs and expectations, so they have experience of the spiritual benefits and advantages which they receive by them, which more and more engageth them to them in their affections and delight. All these things, those who have a change wrought in their affections, but not a spiritual renovation, are strangers to. They neither have the design before mentioned in coming to them, nor the experience of this efficacy now proposed in their attendance on them* But these benefits are great; as, for instance, when men find the worth and effect of the word preached on their souls, in its enlightening, refreshing, strengthening, transforming power; when they find their hearts warmed, their graces excited and strengthened, the love of God improved, their desponding spirits under trials and temptations relieved, their whole souls gradually more and more conformed to Christ 5 when they find themselves by it extricated out of snares, doubts, fears, temptations, and brought to satisfaction and rest; they can* not but delight in the dispensation of it, and rejoice in it as the food of their souls. And it is a great hin* derance to the increase of spiritual life, and obstruc* tion to fruitfulness, thankfulness, and consolation, when we are negligent in our meditation about the benefits that we receive by the word, and the advantages which we have thereby. For whilst it is so with us, we can neither value the grace of God, in granting us this inestimable privilege, nor perform any duty with respect to it, in a right manner. This renders it an especial object of our affections as spiritually renewed. That secret love to, and heavenly delight in, the statutes and testimonies of God, which David expressed, (Psal. cxix,) arose from the spiritual benefit and advantage which he received by them, as he con* stantly declares. And the sole reason, on the one hand, why men grow so careless, negligent, and cold, in their attendance to the preaching of the word, is because they have no experience of any spiritual benefit or advantage by it. They have been brought to it by one means or another, mostly by conviction of their duty. Their minds have been variously affected with it, to a joy in the hearing of it, and readiness to sundry duties of obedience: but after awhile, when a sense of those temporary impressions is worn off, finding no real spiritual benefit by it, they lose all delight in it, and become very indifferent as to its enjoyment. The frame which such persons at length arrive to is described, Mai. i. 13, and iii. 14. And none can give any greater evidence of the decay of all manner of grace in them, or of their being destitute of all saving grace, than when they apostatize from some degree of zeal for, and delight in, the dispensation of the Word of God, with such a cursed indifferency, as many are overtaken with. It cannot be otherwise. For seeing this is a way and means of the exercise of all grace, it will not be neglected, but where there is a decay of all grace however men may please themselves with other pretences. And when they are thus ensnared, every foolish prejudice, every provocation, every wanton opinion and imagination will confirm them, in, and increase their gradual backsliding.

And as it is with believers, as to the hearing of the word in general, so it is as to the degrees of advantage which they find by it. When men have enjoyed the dispensation of the word in a peculiar manner, spiritual and effectual; if they can be content to forego it f for that which is more cold and lifeless, provided it possesseth the same time and outward form with the other, it is no great evidence that their souls prosper. It is therefore those alone, who, having a sense of the efficacy of the word on their souls and consciences to all the holy ends of it, who cleave to it with spiritual love and delight. They continually remember what holy impressions it hath made on them, what engagements it hath brought their souls into, what encouragements to faith and obedience it hath furnished them with, and long after a renewed sense of its enjoyments. When we do not find in ourselves this foundation of spiritual delight in the dispensation of the gospel, we can have no great evidence that our affections are renewed.

So also it is in the duties of prayer and meditation. When the soul of a believer hath had experience of the communion which it hath had with God in them, or either of them; of the spiritual refreshment which it hath had from them; of the benefits and mercies which ire obtained by them, In recovery from temptations, snares, despondencies, in victory over sin and Satan, in spiritual impressions, working it to a holy watchful frame, which hath abode with it in other ways and occasions, with the like advantages wherewith fervent and effectual prayer, and sincere heavenly meditation are accompanied, it cannot but have love to them, and delight in them; but if, indeed, we have no experience of these things, if we find not these advantages in and by these duties, they cannot but be a burden to us, nor do serve to any other end but to satisfy convictions. He who had the benefit of a serene and wholesome air in a recovery from many diseases and distempers, with the preservation of his health so obtained, will love it and prize it 5 and so will he these duties, who hath been partaker of any of these saving mercies and privileges wherewith they are accompanied. Some have been delivered from the worst of temptations, and the nearest approach of their prevaleiiGy (as to destroy themselves,) by a sudden remembrance of the frame of their souls, and the intimations of God’s love in such, or such a prayer, at such a time. Some have had the same deliverance from temptations to sin; when they had been carried away under the power of their corruptions, and all circumstances had concurred under the apprehensions of it, a sudden thought of such a prayer or meditation, with the engagement they made of themselves therein to God, hath caused all the weapons of sin to fall out of its hands, and all the beauties of its allurements to disappear.

When others have been under the power of such despondencies and disconsolations, as that no present tenders of relief can approach to them, they have been suddenly raised and refreshed by the remembrance of the intimate love and kindness between Christ and their souls, that has evidenced itself in former duties. Multitudes in fears, distresses, and temptations, have found relief to their spirits, and encouragement to their faith, in the remembrance of the returns they have had to former supplications in the like distresses. These are grounds of spiritual delight in these duties.

Heartless, lifeless, wordy prayer, the fruit of convictions and gifts, or of custom and outward occasions, however multiplied, and whatever devotion they seem to be accompanied with, will never engage spiritual affections to them. When these things are absent, when the soul hath not experience of them, prayer is but a lifeless form, a dead carcass, which it would be a torment to a soul spiritually alive to be tied to. There may be a season, indeed, when God will seem to hide himself from believers in their prayers, so as they shall neither find that life in themselves which they have done formerly, nor be sensible of any gracious communications from him; but this is done only for a time, and principally to stir them up to that fervency and perseverance in prayer, as may recover them into their former, or a better estate than yet they have attained to. The like may be said concerning all other duties of religion, or ordinances of divine worship.

Fourthly. Believers, whose affections are spiritually renewed, delight greatly in the duties of divine worship, because they are the great instituted way whereby they may give glory to God. This is the first and principal end of all duties of religion, as they respect divine appointment, namely, to ascribe and give to God the glory that is his due; for in them acknowledgment is made of all the glorious excellencies of the divine nature, our dependence on him, and relation to him. And this is that which, in the first place, believer 3 design in all the duties of divine worship. And the pattern set us by our blessed Saviour, in the prayer he taught his disciples, directs us thereto. All the first requests of it concern immediately the glory of God, and the advancement thereof. For therein also all the blessedness and safety of the church is included. Those who fail in this design, err in all that they do; they never tend to the mark proposed to them. But this is that which principally animates the souls of them that believe in all their duties; this, their universal relation to him, and love in that relation, makes necessary. Wherefore, that way and means whereby they may directly and solemnly ascribe and give glory to God, is precious and delightful to them: and such are all the duties of divine worship. These are some of the things wherein the respect of affections spiritually renewed, to ordinances and. duties of divine worship, doth differ from the actings of affection towards the same object; which are not so sanctified and renew edc

There are yet other things accompanied with the same evidence of the difference between affections spiritually renewed, and those which have only a general change wrought in them by convictions, and some outward occasions which must, in one or two instances more, be insisted on, with the consideration of such cases as derive from them. For my design herein is not only to declare when our minds are spiritually renewed, but also what is the nature and operation of our affections, whereby we are consituted and denominated spiritually minded, which is the subject of our whole inquiry. Herein then we shall proceed.