fhall they escape, if they neglect so great a falvation?" This fubject may be improved, Hereby we may try whether we be meek and poor or not. What relish have we for gofpeltruths? The meek, the poor in fpirit, (and fuch all must be who are true Chriftians), have a fingular relish for the word of the gospel. It tastes to them very differently from what it does to any in the world befides. Job fays, "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my neceffary food," chap. xxiii. 12. David fays, "They are more to be defired than gold, yea, than much fine gold; fweeter alfo than honey, and the honey-comb," Pfal. xix. 10.--For, 1. They are admitted to partake of the kernel of the word, while others break their teeth on the fhell. It comes to them as it did to the Theffa lonians, Theff. i. "not in word only, but alfo in power, and in the Holy Ghoft, and in much affurance." It has not been a dry channel to them, or a dead letter, but the miniftration of the Spirit. Therefore the apoftle fays, 1 Pet. ii. 2. 3. "As new-born babes, defire ye the fincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby; if fo be that ye have tafted that the Lord is gracious." And this firft tafte of it leaves a relish behind it; the drawing by of the vail has discovered the treafure in the earthen veffels. 2. It is their food, food proper and suitable to their new nature: Deut xxxii. 47. "For it is not a vain thing for you, becaufe it is your life." All living creatures have their proper food; thus one relishes and delights in that which another does not defire. The new creature is nourished by the fincere milk of the word, 1 Pet. ii. 2. This is natural natural to them, for the faints have had their life by it, they are born again by the incorruptible feed of the word of God, I Pet. i. 23. Thus the faints have a peculiar relish for the word of God, while others do not regard it; more than the dog does the hay, which, though the ox feeds fweetly on it, yet it is not agreeable to the dog. Laftly, All their hopes are in it; it is all their falvation, and all their defire, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5.; take this from them, and what have they more? Hence they are content to part with all to buy this field, Matth. xiii. 44. and to part with life itself rather than the gofpel, Mark, viii. 35What wonder is it that a landed man fhould have a delight in reading his charter, the pardoned criminal in reading the king's pardon, which another has not? As natural is it that the Christian should have a delight peculiar to himself in reading and hearing the gofpel.-Here occurs a ૨. Question, Since hypocrites may have a relish of the good tidings of the gofpel, how fhall I diftinguish between their relifh and the relish of a fincere Chriftian, who is meck and poor in spirit ?— To this I Anwer, Hypocrites may have fome defires, and wait upon public ordinances, Ifa. lviii. 2. Like the ftony-ground hearers, they may receive the word joyfully, Matth. xiii. 20.; but yet there are great differences betwixt their defires and those of a fincere Christian.--Such as, 1. The fincere Chriftian relishes the good ti dings of the gofpel as good, yea, as the best for him, so as that he can lay the weight of his falvation, for time and eternity, upon this word, and chufe it for his portion, Pfal. cxix. 111.; whereas the hypocrite may relish them as good, but not as the best for him: So that, for all the relish he has of the word, he has another thing which he looks looks on as ftill better for him. He has fomething else on which he is disposed to lay at least part of his weight before the Lord; for he is never poor in fpirit, nor fhaken out of his own righteousness. But the Chriftian has no confidence in the flesh, Phil. iii. 3. 2. The Chriftian gets his relifh for the gospel, by feeling the extreme bitterness of fin: Acts, ii. 37. "When they heard this, they were pricked to the heart, and faid unto Peter and the rest of the apoftles, Men and brethren, what fhall we do?" But the hypocrite comes eafier by his : "When he hears the word, he anon with joy receives it," Matth. xiii. 20. No man can relish health at the rate one does who is brought back from the gates of death. Many relish the fweetnefs of the word to whom fin: was never made bitter; or if it was, it was never the bittereft of all things. Hence the relish for fuch is very fuperficial. But God puts in more and more bitternefs in fin to his own people, till it becomes of all bitters the bittereft; and then they truly relish the good tidings of the gospel. 3. The Chriftian's relish for the gospel is the most powerful and overcoming relish which he has. The hypocrite's is not fo: Pfal. xxvii. 4. "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I feek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." So fays the Chriftian, but of the hypocrite it is faid, Ezek. xxxiii. 31. 66 They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they fit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they fhew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetoufnefs." The fincere Chriftian chufes Christ VOL. III. peremptorily, G peremptorily, if they fhould beg with him. They fee fuch a fuitablenefs in him to their cafe, that they must have him on any terms; whereas the hypocrite gets only half a look of Chrift in the gospel. Hence he has only half affection for him, a kind of hankering after him. Chrift is fweet to them, but ftill fome one luft is sweeter; fo that, like Orpah, they leave him, but not without fome affection for him. But the Chriftian-like Ruth cleaves unto him, and thereby is brought to ho nour. Laftly, The Chriftian relishes all the tidings of the gofpel in every particular of them, whereas the hypocrite has always fomething in them which he does not approve of. The Chriftian without fhame has refpect to all God's commandments, Pfal. cxix. 6. He relishes the goodnefs of the promises, and also the holiness of the commandments. "He efteems all God's precepts concerning all things to be right," ver. 128. Herod heard John gladly till his beloved luft was touched. And fo do many, they love the word, with the exception of that which strikes against their beloved lufts. This fubject may be improved, As ever you would relish the good tidings of the gofpel, labour to be meek and poor in fpirit. Would you have your fouls refreshed at ordinances? Would you partake of the goodness of our Lord's houfe, and find that in ordinances, which is the hidden manna, which the carnal world knows not of? Well, take this courfe; it is the way to prepare yourselves for it. 1. Keep up always a deep fenfe of your own finfulness, wretchedness, and abfolute need of Christ. Our Lord was called the friend of pu blicans, blicans and finners, because they who faw the least good in themselves got most of his converse: I Pet. v. 5. "God refifteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." The low valleys have the waters running in them, when they run off the high hills as fast as they come on: Ifa. xl. 4. "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill thall be made low." The man who feels his disease prizes the remedy, while he who is raving and infenfible difregards it. 2. Be of a teachable difpofition; this is true meekness: Pfal. xxv. 9. "The meek will he teach his way." They who fit down to judge the word, rather than to be judged by it, may meet with what may difguft or please their fancy, but are out of the way of the true fpiritual relish for the word: James, i. 21. "Wherefore, lay apart all filthinefs and fuperfluity of naughtinefs, and receive with meeknefs the ingrafted word, which is able to fave your fouls." How many a weak Chriftian's foul is refrefhed with that word, in which men who have knowledge, but not grace, find nothing. They will be fure to profit who lie down at the Lord's feet, to learn and receive the word as the word of God. 3. Be much in reviewing and mourning over your spiritual wants. Look not fo much to what you have attained, as to what you are yet short of. Imitate Paul, in "forgetting the things that are behind, and reaching forth to thofe things that are before," Phil. iii. 13. Mourn over your darknefs, deadness, and unholinefs. Let these be your continual burden, and you shall not want a word in feafon, Ifa. 1. 4. Jesus hath the tongue of the learned, to fpeak a word in feason to him that is weary. This would make you lie at the catch for a word from the Lord, like Benhadad's |