4. The delight which the people of God have

in his law, is holy. It is built upon an holy word, wrought in them, by the sanctifying Spirit, and leads to greater holiness, and so to more raised degrees of itself. It is acompanied with forrow for fin, contempt of the world, defire of heaven, and an earnest endeavour to become more and more meet for it.

5. It is a delight that is sometimes vigorous and strong.

God is willing that it should be so in all the heirs of promife: But there are degrees in this, as well as in grace. Some can fing in the way to Zion; others go mourning like the dove, so as to give room for that question of Eliphaz, Are the confolations of God small with thee? Job xv. 11. i. e. Are thy forrows so many and grievous, as to be more powerful to fink, than the confolations of God to help thee up? Is it a work too hard for God to put an end to thy afflictions, scatter the clouds, and turn thy forrow into joy? Can any thing be too hard for the Almighty ? And is not his goodness infinite and unmeasurable? His promises exceeding great and precious? Hath he not balm enough in store to heal thy wounds? and treasure enough in stock to repair thy loffes? Say, thy cafe is as dark and distressed as ever any ones was, thy sufferings as fore as thy will, they are but the sufferings of a creature; but the comforts before thee are the consolations of God. Are the confolations of God small with thee? But let the most dejected among the righteous know, that light is sown for them, and joy and gladness for the upright in heart.

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6. Lastly,

6. Lastly, The delight which the people of God have in his word, is the fore-taste of heaven, and is working upward to meet that fulness of joy which there is in God's prefence, and to mingle with those rivers of pleasure that flow at his right-hand for evermore.

APPLICATION.

1. Is there so much in the word of God to delight the foul? What a wonderful vouchsafement is the Bible to the world and church? O what a dark disconsolate place would this earth be without it? Let us bless God for this word, and feriously study it and meditate upon it.

2. Get into the number of the children of God, who are the only ones prepared to take the comfort of his word..

3. Under all your troubles run to the word of God for relief; and in converfing with it, pray for the Spirit to enlighten your minds, fanctify your hearts, fit you to take comfort in it, and so to work in you the comfort he hath fitted you for.

And as ever you would have folid confolation,

1. Value and labour after grace and holiness, as the ground of it. Be as earnest for grace, as you are for comfort and peace.

2. Expect the comfort you need in God's way, by humbling yourselves and turning to God in cafe of fin, and by attending his ordinances and the inftitutions of his house.

3. Wait for comfort in God's time, and presume not to prescribe to him, but continue to pray and look up for it.

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For

For your encouragement, consider his nature,

that he is ready and willing to comfort: Confider his relation to his people, he is their Father, and the most tender and compassionate one: And if earthly parents know how to give good things to their children, how much more will your heavenly Father give his holy Spirit, the Spirit of grace and comfort, to them that afk it of him? Consider his omniscence and omniprefence: He knows what comfort we want, in what season and to what degree; and he is able to raise up, how low foever we are reduced, and how long soever feemingly left. And may the depth of your distress under present trouble, add to your praising songs, when divine confolations shall change the scene, and your heavenly Father shall call to you, saying, Come up hither, the days of your mourning are ended.

SERMON VIII.

CANT. I. 12.

While the King fitteth at his table, my Spikenard Sendeth forth the smell thereof.

HESE words are the believers teftimony of the blessed effects which Chrift's presence in his ordinances hath upon pious fouls, which wait upon him under them.

In the fore-going verses, Christ takes notice with complacency of the graces wherewith his spouse or church was adorned: That her cheeks were comely with rows of jewels, and her neck with chains of gold. And the acknowledges the sensible comfort of her graces to be owing to influence from, and communion with him under his ordinances: For in the text she faith, While the king fitteth at his table, my spikenard sendetb forth the smell thereof.

In which words we have,

1. The title she gives Christ, The King: as shewing thereby the sense she had of his dignity and dominion, and also of her subjection to him, and dependance upon him. In the following verses, she calls him her beloved, or the object of her special affection: But this does not take off from her reverence for him, and godly fear of him: nor doth her reverence for him lessen her love to him. To them that believe, Christ is precious under every character he wears; as a King to command and rule, as a prophet to teach, and a priest to make atonement for their fins, and intercede for them with God the Father.

2. What she says of him from her own experience, as a witness to his condescension and grace, The King fitteth at his table: which may refer to all the ordinances of the gospel, in which, as at a feast, he meets and entertains his people, supping with them, and they with him, as his own expression is, Rev. iii. 20. His prefence in his institutions, and the gracious manifestations he makes of himself to his members who in the way of his appointments wait for him, are here meant, The King fitteth at his table. How far soever he is above us, he is yet pleased, in the most endearing way, to vouchsafe and give proofs of his presence with us.

3. The happy fruit or effect of Christ's fitting at his table, upon the believer who is admitted to fit with him. My spikenard fendeth forth the smell thereof.

This is a figurative description of the grace wherewith the believer is furnished from Chrift his living head; he receiving of his fulness, and grace for grace, John i. 16. and having that grace put into exercise, by his approach and influence as the fun of righteousness, under his L 4 ordinances.