the New Teftament, the promises of Chrift's prefence by his Spirit, are fo rich and full, and these accomplished in fo remarkable a manner, that the apostle exprefsly calls it the miniftration of the Spirit (e). Nor was this prefence of Christ the peculiar privilege of the first churches; it is promifed without excep tion to the affemblies of the faints, to the

very end of time. "And lo, I am with you always," fays our Saviour himself, " even unto the end of the "world." Upon this promife we may ftedfaftly rely; for it is the promife of the faithful Witness. And may not every believer plead with him in the words of the Pfalmift; "Remember thy word unto thy "fervant, upon which thou haft caufed me to hope?"

3. From the experience of all those who have fincerely drawn nigh to him in the ordinances of public worfhip and though this fact be little regarded by those who are ftrangers to its truth, yet to the man who has experience of it, and tafted that the Lord is gracious, it will carry more conviction than ten thousand arguments. And, blessed be God, there is a cloud of witnesses to atteft this facred truth. How many, while waiting upon him in his ordinances, have had their minds enlightened, their fears difpelled, and their ftrength renewed! The hiftory of the Church, in former ages, abounds with teftimonies to this purpofe. Your time would fail me to mention the experiences of David, Afaph, and other Old Teftament faints; of whom it may be justly said in general, "They have seen thy goings, O God, even the goings "of their God, their King, in the fanctuary (4)." I fhall therefore only take notice of the triumphant language of the Church, in the Song of Solomon; "I fat down under his fhadow with great delight, " and his fruit was fweet to my tafte. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love."

(4) 2 Cor. iii, &.

(4) Pfal. Ixiii. 24,

And

And may I not even appeal to the experience of many in this affembly? Chriftians, are you not now faying, "I was in darknefs, but I went into the fanc

tuary, and there the Lord vouchfafed to give me "light; I was dead in fin, and there he quickened. "and raised me to a Divine life; I was mourning "and defpairing, and there I found a word of com"fort, and of facred joy?" Nay, have you not fometimes been made to fay of his ordinances, as Jacob did of Bethel; Surely the Lord is in this place, "this is none other but the houfe of God; this is "the gate of heaven?"-Whatever a blinded world may fay, you can no more doubt the reality of Chrift's prefence with you in ordinances, than you can doubt. the fun fhines, when you fee his light, and feel the warmth of his beams.

Lastly, From the fupernatural effects, which the ordinances produce on the fouls of men.

• Whence is it, that the fecure finner is awakened, and the fpiritually dead raised to life? Have the ore dinances any power in themselves to produce fuch ef fects? Or can the ableft and holiest ministers render: them effectual? Can the vanishing breath of a dying. man infpire fpiritual life into the fouls of others? Can he fearch the confcience, break the heart, and bow the will at his pleasure? No; the ordinances; in themfelves are but a dead letter, till the living Spi rit infufe his quickening influences and though a Paul fhould plant; and an Apollos water, it is God alone that can give the increafe. Let us therefore earneftly pray for this prefence and operation of Chrift with his ordinances, that it may be faid from time to time, "This d that man was born there (a).”

4

But not to infift on thefe particulars, fhall only mention a few of thofe gracious effects which the prefence of Chrift with his people, or his drawing nigh to them in ordinances, leaves on their fpirits.

2. H. 3

(4) Pfal. Ixxxvii. 5%

Andi

And the first I fhall mention, is the experience which is given them of fpiritual joy. Thus we find it was with the pious Pfalmift; "Because thy loving"kindnefs," fays he, "is better than life, my lips "fhall praife thee (a)." No fooner had the church found him whom her foul loved, than immediately fhe cries out, "I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved "is mine: he feedeth among the lilies." And what is this but a foretaste of celestial happiness, the first fruits of that joy, the fulnefs whereof is referved for heaven?

2. They find themselves more deeply humbled under a fpiritual fenfe of their own depravity. This was the effect it had on Job. "I have heard of "thee," fays he, "by the hearing of the ear; but

now mine eye feeth thee: wherefore I abhor my"felf, and repent in duft and afhes." And when the prophet Ifaiah had feen the glory of the Most High in the temple, and the Seraphim covering their faces, and crying one to another, "Holy, Holy, "Holy, is the Lord of Hofts," he discovers the temper of his mind in this moving and beautiful lamentation; "Wo is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen "the King, the Lord of Hofts."

3. They find a mighty ftrength and power actuating and enlivening their graces. At other times they are in a dead and lifelefs frame; their faith is weak, their hope is languifhing, and their duties performed in a cold and formal manner; but no fooner is Chrift present with them by his Spirit, than their bonds are loofed, their hearts are enlarged, and the flame of facred affection is kindled in their fous. Thus, when the two difciples at Emmaus recollected what paffed in their journey, while their Lord was converfing with them;" Did not our hearts," fay they, "burn within us, while he talked to us by the way, and

(4) Pfal. lxiii. 3

"opened

"opened to us the fcriptures?" Then, indeed, the Christian knows the meaning of that expreflion, "My "foul followeth hard after thee, and runs in the path "of commanded duty with cheerfulness and delight." 4. Chrift's prefence with his people in ordinances, produces a remarkable change in their temper and fpirit. It leaves the mind more refined and abstracted from grofs material things, and transformed into the image of God. As, when Mofes came down from the Mount, his face was observed to fhine; fo, when the believer is admitted to communion with Chrift, this neceffarily produces on him a resemblance of his. perfections, and by that means improves and brightens the Divine image within him. By every approach he makes to God, and every experience he obtains of his prefence, he becomes more and more like him, and retires with fomething that adds beauty to his foul. Thus, as the apoftle expreffes it," While we "all, with open face, behold as in a glafs the glory "of the Lord, we are changed into the fame image "from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Laftly, They experience more vehement longings after the full enjoyment of God. For having learned that the Lord is gracious, and tafted, as it were, the firft fruits of heaven, they are actuated with the most ardent defires to attain the full fruition.. Instead of confidering the moft elevated lot in the world as their portion, they cry out with Simeon, when he had Chrift in his arms, "Now, letteft thou thy fervant "depart in peace; for mine eyes have feen thy fal"vation:" Or with the Pfalmift, "O that I had the "wings of a dove, that I might fly away from this "polluted, this unquiet world, and be at rest."

It now only remains to make fome practical improvement.

1. How awfully folemn is every part of gospel worship; as in it we are concerned, not with men a

lone,

lone, but with Chrift himself, who is actually prefent! Happy were it, if, under this confideration, you received the word which we preach, as the Thef falonians did, not as the word of man, but as the word of God. For then it would work effectually int you, as it did in them. But, alas! our apprehenfions of the word are weak and feeble., The greater part of gofpel-hearers come to judge the ability of the fpeaker, rather than to have their minds inftructed, their confciences fearched, their lufts mortified, and their lives reformed: and hence it is, that the gofpel meets with fo little fuccefs. But if you would only confi der that Chrift himself is prefent in ordinances, and that you have to do with him whofe eyes are as a flame of fire; how would this reprefs your vain and wandering thoughts, and difpofe you to be ferious! Suppofe you faw the angels of heaven miniftering around you, and narrowly obferving your behaviour; would not this glorious appearance overcome your minds, and make you afhamed to triffe in the worthip of God? Nay, the prefence of an earthly monarch would compofe us to reverence; how much more then ought we to be compofed, when we confider that we are in the prefence of the great God, who is infinitely juft and holy, who knows our most fecret thoughts, and will render to every man according to his works!

2. How precious are gofpel-ordinances, and what ardent affection fhould every Chriftian bear to them! They are the fpiritual walks of Chrift, the places of refort and interview between him and his people, where he affords them the brighteft difcoveries of his glory, and the moft delightful experience of his love. There your fouls first met with Chrift; there your joy in him commenced; and there, fince that period, you have had many kind vifits from him, and much comfortable communion. What reafon, then, have you to prize and love the ordinances of religion,

and