all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength: seek his face evermore." (Ps. cv. 1-4.) "Seek ye his face"--his favour, the light of his countenancea sense of the divine presence.

How descriptive this of the increasing desires of the believer's soul, to obtain sensible enjoyments of the presence of God, and the love of Christ! We may remember, perhaps, what triumphs we gained over sin and self, in months that are past, when the secret of God was upon our tabernacle, and his candle shined upon our heads, and therefore feel more jealous of the darkness, and dulness, and deadness of our present state. And it is not impossible, that the hand of proud self-righteous legality, stretched out to steady our expectation, may have grieved the Spirit of God, and slain our hope. But yet there is a going out of the soul hard after God, for a more sensible manifestation of God's presence the sealing of the Spirit, the Spirit of Christ to bear witness with our spirit. Sensible communion with God becomes now more a matter of serious attention and earnest solicitude. Yes, brethren, as we go forward, and grow great in grace, our standard becomes higher and higher. There is more nearness to God in our own souls, and more distinctive tokens that we are near unto him.

III. A more prayerful regard of religious ordinances. David, assured that the happiness of a people depended much upon the ordinances of religion, designed in his heart in the next place to build a temple for the Lord, that they might be more reverently attended, and devotionally observed. And though the Lord did not accept this at his hand, yet no service offered unto the Lord, though it have but the desire, the design, the will, ever goes unrewarded. The Lord blessed David in this, and said to him, "Thou didst well that it was in thy heart." (1 Kings viii. 18.) And mark, dear brethren, the rich reward of those who seek the Lord, and are jealous for his name. God, by his prophet, opens out his heart unto David; promises him a son to succeed him, and speaks of the glory of his house, for a great while to come, so that the heart of David is at once overwhelmed with an inundation of wonder, delight, the most grateful feelings, the most sanctified affection, and holy love to God. "Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God: but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come : and is this the manner of man, O Lord God? And what can David say more unto thee? for

M

thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these good things, to make thy servant know them. Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears." (2 Sam. vii. 18— 22, see chapter throughout.) Thus David's zeal for God and his house is met and rewarded by inward peace and a divine blessing.

They who hold most secret communion with God, are those who value public ordinances, and generally derive most profit and delight in them. They experience them to be, under God, the nursery of spiritual peace and holiness, which is the spring-head of all happiness in God. All peace with God is based in holiness, and the joys of salvation the quietness and confidence of it, will ever keep pace with its growth and progress. Not that holiness is the meritorious cause of peace. No! Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the meritorious cause he is our peace, our peace-maker. The efficient cause of peace is the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of holiness, but holiness in us is the manifestative cause; it is the repercussion of the rays of the Sun of Righteousness, the shining of the light, the fruit of the Spirit. For if we bear in us, and upon us, the fruits of the Spirit, it is thereby manifested that

we have the Spirit of Christ, and are in him, are quickened by him, and have an interest in him, and hence we have peace-not only peace in believing, in the act of faith, but peace in holiness: the fruits of faith, the peaceable fruits of righteousness, and increasing holiness bring with them increasing peace, quietness, and confidence. The quietness of our spirits, and the confidence of our minds, our inward comforts, and repose of soul, will go on and grow great, as we advance in a holy walk. They will grow with our growth, and mature with our strength. And one great means to this all-important end, in union with secret prayer, is the sanctuary,-the public ordinances of grace, ordained of God for that express

purpose.

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SERMON XII.

NO GRADE OF PIETY, HOWEVER EXALTED, IS
A SECURITY AGAINST TEMPTATION
SIN.

AND

2 SAMUEL Xi. 27.

And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

WE have followed David through a most eventful history to the very pinnacle of honour and human greatness. The blessing of the Lord was upon him, who had declared by his prophet, "Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever." (2 Sam. vii. 16.) He was king over Israel and Judah, the glory of his people, and the dread of his enemies. His cup was made to run over, and we might now reasonably expect that