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their own bowels refreshed, by the fpiritual counfel, advice, or inftructions, which themselves might draw. The establifhed Chriftian that has drunk into the Saviour's fpirit, has a divine fpring within him, which is often low for want of thirfty babes to draw it out. The Lord has promifed, that whofoever cometh unto him, and drinks, as the fcripture hath faid, out of his belly fhall flow rivers of living water; if the weak believer would grow, let him draw. John vii. 37, 38. 37,38.

And on the other hand, an experienced minifter, by being in company with young believers, and obferving their questions and answers, gets a more fatisfactory reafon of the hope that is in them, than he can get at an appointed church meeting, for which they have prepared themselves by premeditation; and are often abashed and confounded by an audience.

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Abimaaz. It is a great bleffing to a young Chriftian to have an experienced paftor to attend on, in his doubtful ftate; for the impreffions of God's laws on a finner's heart, are as difficult to read, as the hand-writing on the wall of Belfhazzar's palace. The king trembled when he faw the fingers that wrote. Dan. v. 5. And we tremble no lefs when we feel the hand-writing that is against us. Col. ii. 14. And he that becomes an interpreter, as Elibu was to Job, must have the spirit of God in him; for it is the infpiration of the Almighty that must give him understanding. Job xxxii. 8.

The

The queen of Babylon faw the need of this, when the perceived the emptiness and ignorance of the aftrologers and Chaldeans. There is a man, faid fhe, in thy kingdom, in whom is the fpirit of the boly gods [implying that the spirit of unholy devils was in the others]; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I fay, thy father, made mafter of the magicians, aftrologers, chaldeans, and footbfayers; for as much as an excellent fpirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and fhewing of hard fentences, and diffolving of doubts, were found in the fame Daniel, whom the king named Beltefbazzar: now let Daniel be called, and be will fhew the interpretation. Dan. v. 11, 12.

This woman has drawn a moft excellent portrait of a minifter of the fpirit; and as she found the need of fuch a spirit in her husband's confufion, fo many foolish virgins, who now call infpiration enthusiasm, will, in the great and terrible day of the Lord, call for the fame inspiration; give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out. Solomon, calls the divine impreffions of God's laws, made by the spirit of God, deep waters.

Cufbi. Yea, and when these deep waters are ftirred by a spiritual conversation, they will spring up, and influence both the affections and the tongue of the speaker as they rise. Counsel in the beart of man is like deep water; but a man of under

Standing

Aanding will draw it out. Prov. xx. 5.--And as these waters are drawn forth, fo they refresh, ftrengthen, purify, and comfort others that hear the conversation; as fpeaketh the wife man: The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters; and the well-fpring of wisdom as a flowing brook. Prov. xviii. 4.-An experimental believer has always fomething to say, when young Chriftians afk him queftions; for the heart of the wife teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. Prov. xvi. 23.

Abimaaz. Indeed, my brother, I feel the bleffed effects of what you affert on my own fpirit, for I find my understanding much enlightened into the word of God, my heart is enlarged, my affections are warmed, my bowels are refreshed, and my judgment much established. For my part, I never met with so precious a companion before. Such conversation leaves no guilt on the confcience; it does not send one home with a fecret fting, as has too often been the cafe with me, when I have left a company that had nothing to discourse about but worldly matters. I have felt the wretched effects of it afterwards in my closet, when I have come to face God in prayer; while on the other hand, divine converse furnishes the mind with a fuitable frame for prayer and praise; and I think this is Solomon's meaning, when he fays, A man fhall be fatisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth. Prov. xii. 14. But what would fome think of this converfation of ours. I believe it would appear

mere

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mere nonsense to many of our learned mafters of

arts.

Cufbi. As for master of arts, it appears to me an arrogant title. Profeffor of arts would found: much better; for there is a mystery in every art that has puzzled the best of them, and ever will. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning. He is the grand master of all; and in the stricteft fenfe there is no other; because there are fo many mysteries in every art that they are not masters of. Hence I have often thought that A. M. and M. A. have stood for two lies. The best art is divinity; and I believe this is one of the laft that many young students are put to the study of. They must be filled with heathenifi firft; and if God calls them by grace, their heathen ftock ferves for fuel, into which the devil often throws his darts, by tempting them to atheism and deifm. The man that knows God, and himself, is the happieft, the wifeft, the most useful, and always will appear the brightest character in the world: for it is faid that the king of Babylon communed with fuch, and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mihael, and Azariah; therefore stood they before the king: and in all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king inquired of them, be found them ten times better than all the magicians and aftrologers that were in all his realm. Dan. i. 19, 20.

The best botanift in the world is that man that can give the moft faving defcription of the

tree

tree of life, that bleffed plant of renown. Ezek. xxxiv. 29. Job tells you the root of it was found in him. Job xix. 28. Paul fays, the wild Gentiles were grafted into it, and partook of its fatnefs. Rom. xi. 19. John fays, the leaves of it are for the bealing of the nations;-compare Rev. xxii. 2. with Ifaiah liii. 5. Ezekiel tells us, the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. Ezek. xlvii. 12; and the spouse tells us its branches are for a fhadow. Song, ii. 3. The Lord favour you and me with an heart-felt union with this tree, then fhall our leaf never wither, nor fhall we ceafe from yielding fruit: He that abideth in me and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit;-fer without me ye can. do nothing..

Indeed the Chriftian has fomething to do with various arts. He is an aftronomer when he has found out the bright and morning ftar, Rev. xxii, 16, and fenfibly felt it rife in his heart, 2 Peter i. 19. This bleffed light is fucceeded by the heat of the Sun of Righteousness fhining on the foul The best with healing in his beams. Mal. iv. 2. ftar that ever the eastern fages found, was that which led them to Bethlehem, where the ftar of Jacob lay. Numb. xxiv. 17. We may say the fame of all other arts. God make us fuch navigators as fhall gain the haven of everlasting reft; and fuch geographers as. fhall find out the new. heaven and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righte

oufness.

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