It is like the loft piece of filver, Luke xv. 8, 9. Here' is a loft privilege I have found again; I thought the Lord would never have returned to me again; but now I have got him again.-Such a meeting is remarkable for the melting quality of it: it is like the meeting of two dear friends, that have been long afunder, that fall a-weeping for joy in one-another's arms. O the joy that a meeting between Chrift and his people caufes, after they have been long asunder.-It readily alfo is remarkable for the power and efficacy of it. It has a powerful and ftrong impreffion on them, when they meet with him, after he has been long away." It is a Bethel that they will not eafily forget; I will remember thee," fays the Pfalmift, from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, and from the hill Mizar,” Pfalm xlii. 6.

But again, in the fixth place, I would here alfo remark, "That thefe meetings with the Lord are very "rare." They are not to be expected from the Lord often they are feaft-days; and every day is not a feastday. They must come down from the mount; we must live here by faith, not by fight. The Lord's people, many times, cannot bear a full cup, far lefs carry with it for a long time.

But again, feventhly, I would here remark, "That "the Lord's coming and going, his peoples meeting "with him, and their miling of him, are remarkable "and difcernable, according to the degree of his com

66

ing and going."--Sometimes his coming unto them is more fudden and furprising; and then they readily know his coming. Sometimes it is more gradual, and less difcernable; fo it is alfo with his going. Sometimes he goes away more fuddenly, and they mifs him immediately; and fometimes he goes away gradually, and then they may not fo eafily know that he is gone; as it is faid of Samfon, "The Lord departed from him, and he wift it not."

But then I would remark, in the eight and laft place, "That this difpenfation of divine grace, his manifef ting himself, and allowing his people accefs to him, and fuch communication with him, as it is a rare,

"thing, fo it is a great myftery." It is even a myftery to them who know it; for they know but darkly: Now, we fee through a glafs darkly, but then face to face." It is a hidden mystery to the most part of the profeffors: it is like the holy of holies, that none but the priests entered into; fo none but these that are kings and priefts unto their God, know any thing of it.

Having offered these remarks concerning this his coming, and going from his people. I go on

III. To the third thing propofed, which was, To enquire in what refpects they may mifs him, where they enjoyed him; "God went up from him, in the place where he talked with him." On this head, there are thefe eight particulars I would fhortly touch at.

1. They may mifs him in the duties wherein they have enjoyed him. They may mifs him in the word wherein they have enjoyed him to their sweet experience; "I will remember thee," fays the Pfalmift, "from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, and from the hill Mizar," Pfalm xlii. 6. I will remember by-past experiences. But it feems, for all that, he miffed him there; for he fays in the next verfe," Deep calleth unto deep, at the noife of thy water-fpouts; all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me."-They may mifs him in the duty of reading the Scriptures, wherein fometimes they have enjoyed him. It is fometimes the food of their fouls; at other times it may be a fealed book to them. They may mifs him in the duty of meditation, where fometimes they have enjoyed him; "My meditation of him fhall be fweet," fays the Pfalmift, Pfalm civ. 34. But again, they may have it to fay, "I remembered God, and was troubled." They may mifs him in the duty of prayer, wherein they have frequently enjoyed him, and got him in their arms; they may fo miss him, as to be obliged to fay, "Why art thou fo far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? Wherefore hideft thou thyfelf from me?" But again,

2. They may not only mifs him in the duties wherein they have found him, but they may mifs him in the frames

frames wherein they have enjoyed him.-They may mifs him fometimes even in a mourning frame, and may go mourning without the fun. Mary feeks him weeping and mourning, and fhe miffes her Lord, though the was in that frame. Again, they may mifs him in a melting and a loving frame; fo it was with the church, when the fays, "I fought him, whom my foul loveth; but I found him not."-They may mifs him, even when in a right lively frame; "I fought him, (I was quickened to feek him) but I found him not."-They may mifs that prefence that fometimes they had, and that they would gladly be at. But again, in the next place,

"

3. They may mifs him in the beft cafes wherein they have enjoyed him: they may mifs him in that cafe they think to be beft, and that cafe which is really best. They may mifs him, when they think they are beft, viz. in a joyful cafe; yet they may mifs him, in regard of that measure and degree of prefence they would be at. They may mifs him in that case when it is really beft with them. When is it beft with them? It is beft when they are believing, and their heart is opening to the Son of God; and yet in that cafe they may mifs him; the fpoufe fays, Song v. 6. " I opened to my Beloved; but my Beloved had withdrawn himfelf, and was gone." When they have much and fweet enjoyment of him, they may fuddenly mifs him; and when they are opening the door of their heart to him, he may disappear. But again, in the

4. Place, They may mifs him not only in the best cafes, wherein they have enjoyed him; but they may mifs him in the worft cafes, wherein they have been prevented and furprized with the communications of his favour: for inftance, they may mifs him in confufed times, when the enemies of the Lord are making a tumult, and when all things are seeming to run to disorder and confufion, tho' the Lord ufes fometimes to refresh them in fuch circumftances, according to his word; "There is a river," fays the pfalmift, "the ftreams whereof fhall make glad the city of God," Pfalm xlvi. 4. I remember it is faid, Pfalm lxxxiii. 1. " Keep not thou filence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not ftill, O God; for to,

thine enemies make a tumult, and they that hate thee, have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and confulted against thy hidden ones :" and at the fame time it fuppofes, that the Lord is filent, was not taking notice as he used to do, and as they expected he would.Again, they may mifs him in the time of perfecution, when he uses to stand by his people, as Paul fays, “The Lord food by me;" even in fuch a time they may mifs his presence, as the church fays, Song v. 7." The watchmen, that went about the city, found me, they fmote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my vail from me:" there was perfecution, and at the fame time fhe is crying, and yet finds him not.-Again, they may mifs him in the time of temptation, when he ufes to ftand up in fuccouring them, making a way to efcape; thus it was with Paul, he was buffeted by Satan: he prays and prays again, yet the temptation continues; and he miffes him, until he goes on and finds him; and the answer the Lord gives him is, "My grace fhall be fufficient for thee, and my ftrength fhall be perfected in thy weaknefs." However, I fay, in the times of temptation they may mifs him.-Again, in times of tribulation and affliction, he ufes to come to them, according to his word; "When thou paffeft thro' the waters, I will be with thee; and thro' the rivers, they fhall not overflow thee: when thou walkeft thro' the fire, thou fhalt not be burnt, neither fhall the flame kindle upon thee," Ifa. xliii. 2. Yet even when going through fire and water, they may mifs him; as it was with Job, when, in great affliction, he cries unto the Lord, and he does not regard him; "Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: on the left-hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him; he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot fee him," Job xxiii. 8, 9. Oh! fay the Lord's people, I would think nothing of my affliction, if the Lord did not hide his face this is not a ftrange cafe; you may mifs him even then, as is evident from what I have faid.-Again,

5. In the next place, the Lord's people they may mifs him, in the words of grace, wherein fometimes

they

they have enjoyed him. The Lord manifefts himself fometimes in the word, and gives them his prefence by means of his word; and then they have it to fay, perhaps, with the pfalmift," The Lord hath spoken in his holiness, and I will rejoice," Pfalm 1x. 6. But at other times, they may fo far miss him, that they may cry out, "All men are liars." But how, Sirs, can believers make God a liar, but by making the prophets liars, and the words of the prophets lies? "Will the Lord caft off for ever? And will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger fhut up his tender mercies ?" Pfalm lxxvii. 7,8,9. They may at fome times meet with a promife, and rejoice therein; but at other times, that promise may be tastelefs to their fouls; they can fee nothing of God there. I fay, they may mifs him fometimes in the words wherein they have enjoyed him. Again,

6. In the next place, they may mifs him in the inftruments whereby they have enjoyed him; it may be fuch a minifter, and fuch an inftrument, is blafted to them. He comes to them fometimes with full breasts and they fweetly fuck out of these full breafts of confolation; but behold, at other times, he comes to them, with dry breasts, as it were; they can find nothing of God in his fermon, where they have formerly met with God by him. Why, Sirs, we minifters are the favour of life, juft as the Spirit of life is pleafed to go along with the word: and therefore we have little need to idolize inftruments. We may mifs him in the inftruments, whereby we have enjoyed him. Again, in the

7. Place, we may miss him in the fociety of the Lord's people, wherein we have enjoyed him. It is a commendable practice of fome of the Lord's people, that they meet for focial prayer, and conference, and the Lord many times countenances them in it. It is faid, Mal. iii. 16." They that feared the Lord, fpake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them

that