No worship is acceptable to him but that which is fpiritual* His faithful fervants are importunate at the throne of grace ] They "rejoice in Chrift Jefus " [They do not merely acknowledge him to be the Meffiah They make daily application to him as the only ground of their hopes Their hearts are lifted up with devout affection towards himThey delight in him as their all-fufficient Redeemer"] They have no confidence in the fle!" [They are deeply convinced that "in them dwelleth no good thing They fee the folly of trufting to their own ftrength or wifdom" They acquiefce fully in Solomon's direction — II. What is the reft which remaineth for them They have already in fome refpect entered into rest [They are freed from the terrors of a guilty confcienceThey feel a delight in ordinances and fabbaths Their minds are fully fatisfied with the gofpel falvationThey experience the truth of our Lord's promife—] But the reft which awaits them is far fuperior to that they now poffefs They will enjoy a freedom from all labours and forrows [They are conftrained to labour as long as they are in the world Their whole life refembles a race or warfare They can obtain nothing without ftrenuous exertions — And of neceffity they are encompaffed with many for rows But in heaven they will ceafe from their labours *— Nor will their happinefs have any intermiffion or alloy-] They will be exempt from all influence of fin or temp [Sin now defiles their very beft fervices Satan is alfo unwearied in his endeavours to corrupt them Thefe are fources of much pain to them at prefentBut the fouls of all in heaven are made perfectNor can any unclean thing enter to defile them Their triumph will be complete and everlafting -] They will dwell in the immediate prefence of their God [Their capacity of enjoying God will be wonderfully enlarged They will behold him not darkly, as now, but face to face d The Saviour's glory will be the object of their devoutest admiration Their delight in him will furpafs their prefent conceptions They fhall know that their happinefs will be eternal —— Then will every defire of their heart be fully fatisfied "—] INFER 1. How defirable is it to be numbered among God's people! [The reft defcribed is the portion of them alone God himself declares that the wicked have no part in it — Their portion will be very different And its duration alfo will be endless 1— Who then would not wish to be numbered with the faints? Who does not defire to participate their inheritance ?But we muft firft be conformed to their character We muft renounce felf-confidence, and believe in ChriftIt was unbelief which excluded the Ifraelites from Canaan " Let us fear left the fame evil principle rob us of the heavenly reft -] 2. With what delight may God's people look forward to death! [The hour of death is often an object of terror to the godly But it should be welcomed as a feason of joy Does not the hufbandman rejoice in his wages, the mariner in his haven, the foldier in the fpoils of victory ?-- Much more fhould the Chriftian rejoice in the approach of his reft Let us then long after it, like the holy apoftle And let us labour to attain it in full confidence of fuc cefs-] · 2 Cor. v. 2. P 2 Cor. v. 6, 8, 9. LVIII. THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN STRENGTHENING MEN FOR SUFFERING OR DUTY. Rom. viii. 26. Likewife the Spirit alfo helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itfelf maketh interceffion for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. AN hope of eternal happiness is as an anchor to the troubled foul It enables a perfon to bear up under the heavieft afflictions But the mind of a believer would foon faint, if it were not ftrengthened from above-- God therefore communicates his Spirit to his people under their trials By his Spirit he enables them to go forward in the way of duty St. Paul has been speaking of fufferings as the Chriftian's portion here He has mentioned " hope" as a principal fupport to the foul under them " He now specifies the Holy Spirit's agency as another mean of confirming and eftablishing the foul This agency of the Spirit we may confider I. In feafons of fuffering Men are, in theinfelves, too weak to fuftain many or fevere trials [There is much impatience in the heart of every manIt too often difcovers itfelf even in thofe who are, on the whole, pious Sometimes it is called forth by fmall and trifling occafions How paffionately did Jonah refent the lofs of his gourd ! How a Ver. 17, 18. Ver. 24. © Jonah iv. 8, 9. How bitterly would the difciples have revenged an act of unkindnefs! There is no trial fo finall but it would overcome us, if we were left to ourselves And they who have endured heavy trials, often faint under fmall ones-] But God fends his Spirit to help the infirmities of his people [We cannot exactly difcriminate between the Spirit's agency and theirs- Indeed the Spirit acts in and by their endeavours He leads them to fee the fource and tendency of their trialsHe ftrengthens the natural vigour of their mindsHe fuggefts to them many confolatory thoughts Thus he fulfils to them his gracious declarations -] Thefe operations of the Spirit are yet more manifest 11. In feafons of prayer God's people "know not even what to pray for" [A great variety of paffions may agitate their mindsWhen this is the cafe, their petitions may be unbecoming and finful Even a fenfe of guilt will often stop the mouth before God Sometimes alfo trouble itself will utterly overwhelm the foul, and incapacitate it for prayer Our Lord himself feems to have experienced fuch a perturbation of mind1 Nor are there any praying perfons who have not often found themselves ftraitened in the exercife of prayer-] It yet oftener happens that they know not how to pray as they ought [We may easily utter good and fuitable words before God But it is by no means eafy to pray with fervent importunity An infurmountable languor or obduracy will fometimes come upon the foul— Nor though we were ever fo fervent can we always exercife faith Luke ix. 54. Many • This is implied in the termn συναντιλαμβάνεται "Metaphora ab oneribus fumpta, quæ, utrinque admotis manibus, fublevantur." Beza in Luc. x. 40. Feeble therefore as our ftrength is, we must exert it: and if we cheerfully put our hands to the work, the Holy Spirit will always afford us effectual fuccour. Pf. cxlvii. 3.. Pf. lxxvii. 4. 8 Compare Pf. xxxii. 3. & 5. ▲ John xii. 27. Many have felt the fame workings of mind with David At fuch feafons they cannot pray as they ought-] But the Holy Spirit will " make interceffion for them [Chrift is properly our advocate and interceffor – But the Spirit alfo may be faid to "intercede for us The Spirit intercedes in us at the throne of grace, while Chrift intercedes for us at the throne of glory He fometimes enables us to pour out our hearts with fluency This he does by difcovering to us our wants, quickening our affections, and testifying to us God's willingness to answer prayer He does not, however, always operate in this way-] He will make interceffion "with unutterable groans [The joy of Chriftians is reprefented as being fometimes inexpreffible m But frequently a fenfe of fin overwhelms them- Then fighs and groans are the natural language of their hearts Nor are fuch inarticulate prayers unacceptable to GodWe have a remarkable inftance of their fuccefs in the hiftory of our Lord" Perhaps no prayers are more pleasing to God than these °—] INFER 1. How many are there who live all their days without prayer! [Those in whom the Spirit intercedes are often made to feel their inability to pray aright Under a fenfe of their infirmities they are constrained to cry to God for the help of his Spirit But many pafs all their days without any painful sense of their weakness They fatisfy themselves with a formal performance of their duties Such perfons never pray in an acceptable manner — And it is in vain to think that we have the fpirit of grace, if we have not alfo the fpirit of fupplication May we therefore never be of thofe who fulfil that prophecy!-] 2. What comfort may this paffage afford to praying people! * Pf. lxxvii. 7—10. Ifai. Ixiv. 7. 1 John ii. 1. m • Pf. li. 17. [Many 1 Pet. i. 8. P John iv. 23. • Matt. xv. 7, 8. |