James and John. And when John, the beloved disciple, was favoured with those wonderful visions of Christ, and of his future dispensations towards the church, and the world, which are recorded in the Revelation, he was alone in the Isle of Patmos. I do not deny that there are also instances of great favours received by the saints when in company with others; or that there is not much in Christian conversation, and in social and public worship, tending greatly to refresh and elevate the minds of the saints. All I aim at by what I have said, is to show that true grace, however much it loves Christian society, in a peculiar manner delights in retirement, and secret communion with God. If persons are much engaged in social religion, and but little in the religion of the closet; and but little moved when alone with God; there is reason to doubt the reality of their religion.

XI. Gracious affections, the higher they are raised, the more is a spiritual appetite increased.

The more a person loves God with a gracious affection, the more he desires to love him; and the more he hates sin, the more he desires to hate it. The kindling of gracious affections is like the kindling of a flame, the higher it is raised, the more ardent it is. It is as natural for one who is born spiritually, to thirst after growth in holiness, as it is for a child to desire its mother's breast, 1 Pet. ii. 2, 3. The highest enjoyment of the saints in this world, is but a taste, a prelibation of their future glory; and the greatest eminence at which they arrive in the present state, has no tendency to satisfy them, or to abate their desires after more. On the contrary, the advances which they have already made, induce them to press forward with

greater eagerness: "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark. -Let us therefore, as many as be PERFECT, be thus minded," Phil. iii. 13—15.

The more we possess of holy affections, the more we have of that spiritual taste of which I have spoken elsewhere, by which we perceive the beauty, and relish the sweetness of moral excellence, or holiness. The more grace we possess, while in this state of imperfection, the more are we sensible of our distance from what we ought to be; and of course the more we feel our need of grace. Besides, grace, so long as it is imperfect, is of a growing nature, and in a growing state. All animated beings, while in a state of imperfection, seek after growth; and so much the more as they are healthy and thriving. The more we possess of spiritual discoveries and affections, the more do we become earnest supplicants for grace, or spiritual food, that we may grow thereby; and the more earnestly do we seek it, in the use of appointed means; for gracious longings after holiness, are not feeble, ineffectual desires.

But it may be said, Is this consistent with what all allow to be the case, that spiritual enjoyments are of a soul-satisfying nature? I answer, there will appear no inconsistency in this, if it is considered in what respects spiritual enjoyments are said to be soul-satisfying. Certainly they are not of a cloying nature.--They satisfy the soul,

First. As they are adapted to its nature, its capacity and its wants; so that, possessing them, we desire no other kind of enjoyment.

Secondly. They always answer our expectations. Thirdly. The gratification and pleasure arising from spiritual enjoyments, are permanent,

Fourthly. There is such a fulness and sufficiency in spiritual blessings, that were obstacles arising from our depravity removed, they would satisfy to the utmost extent of our wishes.

But we are not to conclude.from these things, that a person who has tasted of spiritual blessings, has no appetite excited after more, or that his appetite will not increase the more he tastes, until he arrives at a state of perfect enjoyment. Bodies attracted to the earth, tend to it the more strongly the nearer they approach. Spiritual good is of a satisfying nature, and for that very reason, the person who tastes it, will thirst after it; and the more he experiences, the more he knows of its satisfying sweetness, the more earnestly will he hunger and thirst for those blessings, until he arrives at absolute perfection. Hence it is that spiritual affections, the greater they are, the more ardent are our desires and endeavours after grace and holiness.

But with false religious affections, it is que otherwise. If at first there is an ardent desire after more grace, in proportion as these affections rise, that desire ceases, or is abated. Perhaps the mere professor, while under legal convictions, and much afraid of hell,earnestly desires spiritual light in his understanding, faith in Christ, and love to God; but now that those false affections are produced, he no longer feels anxious for light and grace, for his end is answered; he is confident that his sins are forgiven, that he is in the path to heaven, and so he is satisfied. Very high false religious af fections put an end especially to ardent desires after grace and holiness. The subject of these affections, is far from appearing to himself as a poor, empty creature; on the contrary, in his own estimation, he is rich, and increased with goods, and

hardly conceives of any thing more excellent than what he has already obtained.

Hence there is an end to the earnestness of many persons, when they have obtained what they call their conversion; or, at least when they have enjoyed those high affections which make them fully confident that they are converted. While

they regard themselves as in a state of nature, they seek after God, and cry earnestly for grace in the use of means; but afterwards they act as if their work was done, they live upon their past experience, and there is an end of their striving for divine things. On the other hand, the holy principles which actuate the real saint, have a far more powerful influence in producing earnestness after God and holiness, than that servile fear which stimulates the exertions where nothing more is experienced than mere legal convictions. Hence seeking God is mentioned as one of the distinguishing characteristics of the real saints. Psa. xy-6, Ixix. 6, 32, lxx. 4. The scriptures every where represent our seeking, striving and labour, as being chiefly subsequent to our regeneration, and our regeneration as forming only the commencement of our work. And almost all that is said in the New Testament respecting watchinggiving earnest heed to ourselves-running the race that is set before us,-striving and agonizing, -wrestling not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers,--fighting,--putting or the whole armour of God,--pressing forwards,reaching forth,--continuing instant in prayer,-crying to God day and night,--is addressed immediately to saints. But there are many professors at present, who have adopted a strange anti-scriptural notion about having all their striving and wrestling before they are converted; so as to ho

an easy time of it afterwards, enjoying themselves in sloth and indolence. Without doubt there are some hypocrites, who will think themselves well able to abide this test, and who will readily say that they desire not to rest satisfied with present attainments, that they are pressing forward, longing after God, and desiring greater degrees of holiness. But the truth is, their desires are not properly after holiness for its own sake, but anly for selfish ends. They long after clearer discoveries, that they may be better satisfied as to the state of their souls; or because, in great discoveries self is gratified, in being so highly favoured of God, and so exalted above other persons. Or perhaps they have a kind of forced longing: they must, they think, long for more grace, otherwise their state would be doubtful. But such things as these are far different from the thirsting of the new man after God and holiness. There is an ardent desire after holiness, as natural to the new creature, as vital beat is to the body. There is a holy panting after the Spirit of God, for an increase of holiness, as natural to the new creature, as breathing is to the animated body. Holiness, or sanctification, is more directly the object of these desires, than any manifestation of the love of God. Where we read in the scripture of the desires, longings and thirstings of the saints, righteousness, and the law of God, are much more frequently mentioned, as their object, than any thing else. The saints desire the sincere milk of the word, not so much to testify the love of God towards them, as that they may grow thereby in holiness. Grace is the good man's treasure, Isa. xxxiii. 6. Godliness is the gain of which he is covetous, 1 Tim. vi. 6.--Hypocrites long for discoveries, more for the present comfort of them, and from