han all their outward riches. But what is my life? what is my treasure? what is my hope? Do I count heaven and the gospel my chief inheritance? Do I converse much with my Bible, and find food and upport there? Do I look at things unseen and ternal, and feed and rest upon the promised gloies of another world, when I meet with disappointbents here?

"They had a large share of christian experiences, rich stock of divine and spiritual observations, by much converse with God and with their own souls. What have I got of this kind for the support of my Boul? or are all these strange things to me?"

1

Believe me, my dear and honored friends, these are matters of infinite importance; I am sure you will think so one day; and I trust and persuade myself, you think them so now. I cannot give myself eave to imagine that you put these thoughts far from you. Some of you have made it appear that they lie next your heart, and that your souls are deeply engaged in the ways of God and goodness. O that every one of you would give the same comfort and joy to your friends! Be not satisfied with a mere negative holiness, an unspotted character in the eyes of the world; but let the world know that you dare be religious, and profess universal piety in a degenerate age. Let those that honor the memory of your parents, and love your souls, rejoice in your public christianity. Let them know, that there are the foundations of heavenly glory laid within you all, and the blessed work begun on earth, that shall surely be made perfect among the spirits of the just in heaven.

And methinks I would not have you contented with the lowest seat there, but stir up yourselves to a most unwearied pursuit of holiness in the sublimer degree of it. And thus laboring in the christian race, contend for some of the brighter prizes, some of the richer crowns of glory. Be not satisfied to sit

at a great distance below your parents departed, even in the heavenly country: but strive, with a holy ambition, that you may come near them, that the whole family together may arrive at some superior degrees of blessedness. And O may divine grace grant me the pleasure to be a witness to your exalt ed stations, and to worship and rejoice amongst you there! Amen.

TWO SERMONS

ON

OUR APPEARANCE BEFORE GOD

HERE AND HEREAFTER.

SERMON I.*

PSAL. Ixii. 2.-When shall I come and appear before God.

THE holy Psalmist was now absent from his usual place of public worship, and restrained from coming near to the ark of God, which was the token of the divine presence in the days of the Jewish church; and when he had been meditating on his past and present circumstances in this respect, both what he enjoyed heretofore, and what he was deprived of now, he brake out into a divine rapture; "As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." And he goes on to describe the frame of his spirit in this holy song: the substance and sense of the whole psalm is, as it were, epitomized and drawn up into these few words, "When shall I come and appear before God?”

I shall not spend time to show in how many senses "man" may be said "to appear before God;' but shall content myself to say, that in this place it signifies, Attendance on public worship, in the place where it was usually celebrated and performed.

* Delivered in Sir Thomas Abney's family at Theobalds in Hertfordshire, at the evening worship, Nov. 25th, and Dec. 9th, 1716.

In the words of the psalmist we may find the temof his heart expressed under these two general heads.

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I. A belief of the special presence of God in his ordinances of public worship.

II. An earnest longing after them on that account. I shall enlarge a little on each of these, and make remarks, as I go along, under each head.

First, The words express David's firm belief of the special presence of God in his ordinances, insomuch that he calls an attendance on them, an appearance before God. We are always in the view of God, and every creature is naked and open in his sight, and for ever appears before him as the all-seeing and all-knowing Creator and Governor of all things; but it is a peculiar, a gracious, and favorable presence of God that belongs to his sanctuary, his appointed worship: God is there taking special notice of our carriage towards him, and manifesting his designs of special mercy towards us.

David well knew this, that the great end of appointing public worship, was, that there might be a communication between God and man, who were so dreadfully separated by sin: he knew the gracious promise, that where God" recorded his name, there would he come and meet his people, and bless them," Exod. xx. 24. He knew what sensible tokens of divine presence were found in the sanctuary; there was the ark of God, and the mercy-seat that covered it, upon which God dwelt in a bright shining cloud, between the golden cherubims, to signify his dwelling in light among the glorious angels of hea ven; beside the many sweet experiences which David had of sensible discoveries of God in counsel and grace, strength and consolation, in his public wor ship.

And have not christians, under the gospel, as great a reason to expect the special presence of God among them in his ordinances? Are they not appointed on

purpose to bring God near to us, and to bring us near to God?

Have we pot an express promise of God himself, dwelling in flesh, "that where two or three are gathered together in his name, be will be in the midst of them," Matt. xvii. 20. and is not Christ worthy of credit?

Have we not his word there published and preached? Doth not God appear there very eminently, in the glory of his truth, in the beauty of bis holiness, in the purity of his commands, in the terror of his threatenings, in the sweetness of his promises, in the wonders of his wisdom and power, and more amazing works of his grace and love? Doth not the Lord discover himself there in the majesty of his government, in the miracles of his providence, and the divine glory of his foreknowledge in prophecies exactly fulfilled? Surely that man must be blind indeed, who sees not God in the holy scriptures.

Will you say, "All this may be seen and read at home in "private, as well as in a public assembly?” But you must remember, that even the written word of God was communicated to the most part of mankind only in public worship, for some thousands of years: for before the art of printing was invented, one Bible was scarce to be found in several hundred houses, and very few of the common people were capable of reading; nor could they know the written word, but by their attendance on the public ministrations of it. And in our day, how many are they who either do, or will know very little of religion, but what they hear at church.

Besides, the written word of God is given to be expounded by his ministers, that the gospel being preached at large, and the truths of it being particularly applied, his presence and glory may appear therein. Many parts of seripture are so obscure, that God stands, as it were, behind a veil, or a curtain, till in the ministry of the word the sense is ex