, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or in the
morning;" whereas those who first come to Him for the gift of grace,
and then neglect to wait for its progressive accomplishment in their
hearts, how profanely they act! it is as if to receive the blessing in
mockery, and then to cast it away. Surely, after so great a privilege,
we ought to behave ourselves as if we had partaken some Divine food and
medicine (if great things may be compared to ordinary), which, in its
own inscrutable way, and in its own good time, will "prosper in the
thing whereunto God sends it"--the fruit of the tree of life which Adam
forfeited, which had that virtue in it, that it was put out of his
reach in haste, lest he should take and eat, and live for ever. How
earnest, then, should be our care lest this gracious treasure which we
carry within us should be lost by our own fault, by the unhealthy
excitements, or the listless indolence, to which our nature invites us!
"Quench not the Spirit," says the Apostle; surely our privilege is a
burden heavy to bear, before it turn to a principle of life and
strength, till Christ be formed in us perfectly; and we the while, what
cause have we to watch, and pray, and fulfil all righteousness, till
the day dawn, and the day-star arise in our hearts!

Nor let us suppose that by once or twice seeking God in this gracious
ordinance, we can secure the gift for ever; "Seek the Lord and His
strength, seek His face evermore." The bread which comes down from
heaven is like the manna, "_daily_ bread," and that "till He come,"
till His "kingdom come." In His coming at the end of the world, all
our wishes and prayers rest and are accomplished; and in His present
communion we have a stay and consolation meanwhile, joining together
the past and future, reminding us that He has come once, and promising
us that He will come again. Who can live any time in the world,
pleasant as it may seem on first entering it, without discovering that
it is a weariness, and that if this life is worth any thing, it is
because it is the passage to another? It needs no great religion to
feel this; it is a self-evident truth to those who have much experience
of the world. The only reason why all do not feel it is, that they
have not lived long enough to feel it; and those who feel it more than
others, have but been thrown into circumstances to feel it more. But
while the times wax old, and the colours of earth fade, and the voice
of son