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he was alone; and the Lord strengthened his faith by fuch experiences. Many times God's people have had fuch experiences of the Lord's bringing great things about by fmall beginnings, as the cloud like a man's hand, according to the promife, Prov. iv. 18. "But the path of the just is as the fhining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Hof.vi.3. "His going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." God has many ways of working in the experience of his people; and when he works by means, fometimes he does great things by fmall means, as the feeding of Elijah, the widow, and her fon, fo long on a handful of meal, and a little oil in a crufe; Haman's hellish plot is overturned by the king's falling from his reft one night, Efth. vi. 1. Sometimes by contrary means, as Elijah was fed by the ravens, who were more likely to have picked flesh from him, than to have brought it to him.

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But where is the God of Elijah at this day, when what we have feems to be blown upon, that it goes in effect to nothing? Our table is plentifully covered, yet our fouls are ftawed; our goodnefs fometimes looks as a morning-cloud, it blackens the face of the heavens, and promises a hearty fhower, but quickly proves as a little cloud, likę unto a man's hand, which is ready to go to nothing; yea, the generation is blinded by the means that have a natural tendency to give light. Ah! Where is the God of Elijah?

4. The experience of a gracious boldness to face the most daring wickedness of the generation he lived in, though it was one of the worst. This eminently appeared in his rencounter with Ahab,

1 Kings,

1 Kings, xviii. I.; his ftanding alone against four hundred and fifty of Baal's prophets; whatever was his natural temper, he owed this to the grace of God, for when he was left to his natural courage, it failed him, chap. xix. 2.-4.; but the Lord fpirited him then for the hard work he had to do, that he feared nothing in his Master's cause, Acts, iv.13. "When they faw the boldness of Peter and John, they marvelled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."

But where is the God of Elijah now, while the iniquities of our day meet with fuch faint refiftance, while a brow for the cause of God, a tongue to speak for him, and a heart to act, are so much wanting. The wicked of the world, though they have an ill caufe in hand, yet they purfue it boldly; but, alas! the people of God fhame their honest cause, by their cowardice and faint appearing in it. If God gives us not another fpirit, more fitted for fuch a day, we will betray our truft, and bring the curfe of the fucceeding generation on us.

5. The experience of a glorious and powerful manifestation of himself, in a folemn ordinance, even at the facrifice on mount Carmel, which was ufhered in with the fpirit of prayer in Elijah, I Kings, xviii. 37-39. "Hear me, O God, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou haft turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and confumed the burnt facrifice, and the wood, and the ftones, and the duft, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people faw it, they fell on their faces, and they faid, The Lord he is the God, The Lord he is the God." That was a glorious day's work, when Satan fell like lightning from heaven, from which day, no doubt, many dated their converfion, fome their re

vival, and people there generally felt fomewhat divine on their fpirits. Such glorious days the church has often had in ordinances, which have been as a high ftream-tide of the gofpel; fo that three thousand were converted at one fermon, A&s ii. 41.

But where is the God of Elijah, when fo little of the Spirit's influences is found in ordinances, even folemn ordinances? Here is the mantle, but where is the God of Elijah? Here are the grave. cloaths in which fometimes the Lord was wrapt up, but where is he himself? Communion-days have fometimes been glorious days in Scotland, and fometimes the gofpel hath done much good; fo that ministers have had almost as much to do to heal broken hearts, as now to get hard hearts broken; but where now is the God of Elijah?

6. The experience of being enabled to go far upon a meal, 1 Kings, xix. 8.; but where now is fuch experiences, while there is fo little ftrength in the meals to which we now fit down? This is a time wherein there is much need of fuch an experience; the Lord feems to be faying to his people," Rife and eat, for the journey is long;" and what a hard journey fome may have, ere they get another meal, who knows?

Laftly, The experience of the Lord's removing difficulties out of his way, when he himself could do nothing at them; Jordan divided; fo Peter had the iron-gate opened to him of its own accord : for when the Lord takes the work in hand, were it never fo defperate as to us, it will fucceed well with him. Sure we have need of his experience this day. How is the cafe of many fouls fo embarraffed at this day, that they cannot extricate themfelves, by reafon of long and continued departures from God! fo that all they can do is, that VOL. I.

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they are fighing and going backward. Ah! where is the God of Elijah, to dry up thofe devouring deeps? Enemies have furrounded the church, and brought her to the brow of the hill, ready to caft her over; where is the God of Elijah, to make a way for her to escape ?—I fhall next confider,

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II. How we should come to God for the fame entertainment, if we would come speed. were two things Elifha did, for the presence of God to be with him, as he had been with Elijah.

1. He prayed for it, fent his prayer to heaven for it; and if we would have the experience of God's prefence as in former days, we must ply the throne of grace for it this night. And there are three things in his prayer, which must be in ours.

(1.) A most preffing fenfe of need, where he faw he could not venture into Elijah's post without Elijah's God. Senfe of need makes earnest prayers. What is the reason we see not the glory` of the Lord as formerly? we reign as kings without it; men have found out ways of their own, to get comfort without communion with God; they have the creatures breafts to fuck at, when the Lord's confolations are not dropping into them. But if ever the Lord return to this generation, there will be a hunger raised in them, that all the world will not be able to fatisfy.

(2.) A most vehement defire of his presence: Where is the God of Elijah? There was a flame of defires after the Lord, that could not be fatisfied without him. Some have cbferved in nature, that the tongue is tied by a double ftring to the heart in man. If fo, it seems it has been defigned that the tongue fhould be a ftringed inftrument, to found out only the language of the heart. Were the

heart

heart more eager for the divine communications, we would wrestle with God in carneft, and not let him go till he blifs us; but, alas! our cauldrife prayers do but beg a denial.

(3.) There was great faith in his prayers: Where is the God of Elijah? Faithless prayers will be inefficacious prayers to the end; but the hand of faith will pierce through the cloud wherewith the Lord covereth himself. 1, He believed God could do what he fought, therefore he calls him Jehovah, and the God of Elijah, who had discovered his power in dividing the waters before. 2dly, He believed God would do it, he had God's call to the work; Elijah was taken away from him, but he had Elijah's mantle in his hand, for a token God would be with him, as with Elijah before; and he was not faithlefs, but believing. So we muft believe alfo, if we would see the glory of God; not only the power, but the good-will of God: Jer. xvii. 6. 7. "Bleffed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whofe hope the Lord is."

2. He ufed the means Elijah before him did, for attaining God's appearance and manifeftation of himself. He fmote the waters;

no matter

though the means be unlikely to produce the effect, if they be of God's appointment; and in faith we must stretch out the withered hand, if we would have it restored, and venture on the work upon the credit of the promife.

As a conclufion to this difcourfe, let me exhort you to go the Lord Jefus this night, and wrestle for his prefence as in former times; and let the confideration of God's prefence with his people in former times, take you to the fame God for the fame entertainment.

To prevail with you, I would offer the following MOTIVES.

1. Con

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