Exod. xxiv. 16. Though we wait long, and have not the thing waited for, yet let us continue doing our duty; shortly, God will call us from Heaven, come up hither, and we shall go from the mount of Faith to the mount of vision, and behold those glorious things which eye hath not seen, nor can it enter into man's heart to conceive.

But may a child of God say, I fear I am none of those violent ones that shall take HeaI find such a deadness of heart in duty, that I question whether I shall ever arrive at the kingdom.

ven:

This deadness of the heart may arise from natural causes. Weakness of body may occasion indispostion of mind. Thy prayer may be weak, because thy body is weak. A lute that is cracked cannot send forth so sweet a sound as if it were whole.

2. This indisposition of soul perhaps is only casual, and for a time; it may be in a deep fit of melancholy, or in desertion. When the sun is gone from our climate, the earth is as it were in desertion, and the trees are without blossom or fruit; but this is only for a time: Let but the sun return again in spring, and now the herbs flourish, and the trees put forth their fruit: So when God hides his face, there is a deadness upon a Christian's heart; he prays as if he prayed not: But let the Sun of Righteousness return, now he is divinely ani

mated, and is as vigorous and lively in his operation as ever, he now recovers his first love. Therefore thou weak Christian, be not discouraged, so long as thou dost not allow thyself in thy distemper; a dead heart is thy burden, look up to Christ thy High-Priest, who is merciful to bear with thy infirmities, and is mighty to help them.

THE

HAPPINESS

OF

DRAWING NEAR TO GOD.

PSALM 1xxiii. 28.

But it is good for me to draw near to God.

THIS psalm is no less elegant than sacred: it is calculated for the meridian of God's church in all times; but especially it is fit for the godly to meditate upon in times of calamity. It is intitled a psalm of Asaph. Asaph was a man divinely inspired, a Prophet; as also one of the masters of music: It is called a psalm of Asaph, either because he composed it, or because it was committed to him to sing. This holy man seems here to have a dialogue with himself concerning providence. He was ready to call God's providences to the bar of reason, and enquire the equity of them. How doth it seem just, that they who are evil should enjoy so much good; and those who are good should endure so much evil?While Asaph was debating the case with him

self, at last his faith got above his sense; he considered that the wicked were set in locis lubricis, in slippery places. And like such as go upon the ice, their feet would soon slide; or like such as walk on mines of powder, they would soon be blown up, verse 18. This did both resolve his doubt, and compose his spirit.

The prœamium or entrance into the psalm, is not to be forgotten, Truly God is good to Israel; so the Hebrew renders it certainly. Without dispute, this is a golden maxim must be held. In the Septuagint it is vox admirantis, it is set out by way of admiration, O how good is God to Israel! What angel in Heaven can express; The vulgar reads it, veruntanem, yet God is good; as if the Psalmist had said, though the candle of prosperity shines on the wicked, they have not only what their hearts can wish, but more than their hearts can wish, verse 7. And though the godly are sorely afflicted, mingling their drink with weeping; yet for all this, God is good to Israel. Here is the fountain, the stream, the cistern the fountain, God; the stream, goodness; the cistern into which it runs, Israel. Indeed, God is good to all, Psalm clxv. 9. The sweet dew falls upon the thistle as well as the rose. But though God be good to all, yet not alike good to all, He is good to Israel in a special manner. The wicked have sparing mercy, but the godly have saving mercy. And if God be good to his people,