I thank thee, uncreated Sun, That thy bright beams on me have shin'd: Thee will I love, my joy, my crown! What was the result of this discovery and per suasion of his love to your soul? Certainly this; "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." And as the sabbaths have succeeded weeks of toil and family care, when some man of God spake of the glorious honour of his Majesty and of his wondrous works, or told of his terrible acts, and declared his greatness, abundantly uttered the memory of his great goodness and exulted in his righteousness, what a glow of celestial gratitude has filled your bosom for such tidings!-How little have you envied the worldling his joys! How trifling have all your trials appeared, when contrasted with the present privilege of such heavenly intercourse, and the hope of dwelling in the house of the Lord for ever! Oh! how does it endear God to the heart, to have found him sensibly present in the sanctuary, refreshing the soul with dews of spiritual comfort in the midst of fiery trials. And as you believe the Lord your God, so shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. Wherever there is a hungering and thirsting after righteousness, a sincere desire to be intimately acquainted with God, through the person and work of Christ, to be rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith as we have been taught; and for this purpose diligence in the means of grace, attention to the instructions of ministers, and association with the people of God; that soul shall find God faithful to his promise; "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of : thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." A second means of becoming acquainted with an individual is, READING THE HISTORY OF HIS LIFE, AND DESCRIPTION OF HIS CHARACTER. Biography makes us familiar with the habits of our ancestors, and introduces us to an acquaintance with the lives of eminent men of all ages and countries. The character of God in Christ is drawn in scripture with an unerring hand. There you have a delineation of his perfections, and a history of his ways towards the children of men. There he is seen glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders. And to be habitually acquainted with him, you must habitually study his word. This is the decree and promise: "If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasure; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God." God has remarkably connected our happiness with our industry. An indolent saint is a miserable being; so unlike him whose image he partially bears, as almost to destroy the likeness. How can such persons expect to arrive at the acquaintance David and Paul and Jeremiah enjoyed? Their acquaintance was perpetuated, not by occasional visions or revelations, but by a constant and assiduous search into God's revealed will. "Thy words were found, and I did eat them: and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. O, how I love thy law: it is my meditation all the day. From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation." Peter saw the transfiguration of Christ on the mount, and beheld his glory; but lest we should suppose such revelations essential to our present peace, he directs us to the word of God, that secure and infallible basis. "We have a more sure word of prophecy," more sure than that very glorious manifestation which he saw; "unto which we do well to take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place." All is darkness respecting God, without this light. None can reveal to us what the infinite God is, but himself. This he has done in his word: and how can we then find out the place of the Lord, or the habitation of the mighty God of Jacob, or go even to his seat, so as to dwell with him, till this is a lamp to our feet? Reading, meditating, and digesting this word, adds a lustre to the character, a heavenly dignity to the mind. We are strong when the word of God abideth in us: having our loins girt about with truth, we run without weariness, and walk without fainting. The Bereans took not upon trust any thing the Apostles asserted, but were more noble than those of Thessalonica, in that they searched the scriptures daily, to see if these things were so; and therefore many believed. The first of all the commandments is, "Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." Our Saviour puts the knowledge of God before the love |