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SERM. God in His name, resolving to live up to that measure of knowledge and power which God has given us; then may we be assured, that God will hear us, answer us, and do abundantly more for us than we can ask or think.

Thus you have seen what authority and reason we have for what we are doing, and what cause we have to rejoice in the work we have done. For this is the sum of what I have said:

In all places where the name of God is recorded, according to His will and Word, there God will meet His servants and bless them. How will He meet them? Why, He will order His holy angels to be present at their assemblies, to assist their devotions, to observe their behaviour, to bring up their petitions to the throne of grace, and to carry down the blessings they have rightly prayed for.

Now, it has ever been thought meet, that such places as are designed for this intercourse betwixt GOD and man should be sanctified by prayer; that is, set apart from common uses. The temple of Jerusalem was so consecrated; and God approved of the action after a most solemn manner.

After this, God declared, (as you have seen,) that in the days of the Messiah, in all places (as well as at Jerusalem) men should offer incense and a pure offering; and consequently should have places set apart for that service.

When this time came, the apostles of Jesus Christ, and their successors, observed this method as well as the circumstances of time and place would permit; they had their upper rooms, often mentioned in the New Testament; they went Acts 16. 13. to pray in such places, where prayer was wont to be made;they forbad all indecent behaviour in such places. And God 1 Cor. 11. visited the Christians for their taking the same liberties in His house that they took in their own.

And people are commanded to come to such places with reverence and decency, because of the angels of God, which are there present.

And lastly; here we are assured God will meet us, and give us the blessings we want and pray for: for we are the offspring of those Gentiles to whom the prophecy belongs.

We have called this place by His name; we have prayed

Him to vouchsafe us His presence; we resolve to offer Him no oblation or service, but such as He has commanded.

Why then should we despair of being favourably received? Only let us resolve and live like people who have the Lord for their God; then will God pour down His blessings upon us, and we shall be safe under His protection here, and hereafter dwell with Him for ever.

And now, having endeavoured to make you sensible of the reason and advantage of having a house set apart for the honour and service of God, where we may pay our devotions, and be sure to be heard, if it is not our own faults; it will be proper to consider the duty of people who enjoy such a blessing.

And first, it is our duty to possess our hearts with a true value for the benefit of the Divine presence dwelling among us.

The way to do this is, to consider the condition of our being; that we are creatures whose dependence is entirely upon God, for life, for health of body, for peace of mind, for comfort in this world, and happiness in the next. That it is therefore necessary, at all times, to apply to Him for these blessings, and to preserve His friendship by frequenting His house.

It is true, He makes His sun to shine upon the evil and the good; and we must not judge of our interest in His favour, by those outward dispensations only. And therefore these are not the things that we are to set our hearts upon, and pray for, in the first place.

But that which sure concerns us all to know and consider is this: that we are sinful creatures, and without God's pardon we are undone for ever; that we have many and powerful enemies, and without God's succour we are sure to be overcome; that we are extremely corrupted both in our understandings and affections, and without God's grace we can neither know nor perform our duty; that the happiness of heaven (which we all hope for) is not to be obtained but in keeping the commandments of God, and in communion with His Church.

He that considers these things will value the blessing of having God's house near him, where he can go for pardon

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SERM. when he has offended God; where he can go for help and grace, which he always stands in need of; and where he can hold a constant and open communion with the Church of Christ, and by that means can claim a share, and a right, in all the blessings there prayed for, in all the promises of Christ made to His Church, and in all the mercies He vouchsafes her.

1 Tim. 5. 20, 21.

From hence you may learn how careful Christians should be not to be guilty of such crimes as will deprive them of holding communion with the Church of Christ.

It is not every body that considers it, and yet every body ought to know it, that whoever is for his offences hindered from coming to the Sacrament, is in a state of damnation while he continues so, and does not endeavour by a true, humble, and sincere penance, to obtain absolution.

This is a thing so true, and a matter of so great concern, that St. Paul, in his letter to Timothy, charges him, before God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, openly to rebuke such sinners, that others may take warning, and see, and fear, and do no more wickedly.

Do we think that people in those days were not as subject to shame, and to like passions with us? Do not we think that they knew as well as we do, whether Church censures might be safely neglected or excused by friends or any other way? And yet we find that Christians then, even when there was no law to compel them, submitted to any censure in hopes of being restored to the communion of the Church which, by the way, was a mighty proof of the truth and power of Christianity.

;

It had been easy for offenders then to have escaped penance, and to have been revenged, if they had pleased, on those that censured them; they would have been rewarded for discovering the assemblies and pastors of the faithful; and yet they submitted to those very persons whom they had it in their power to ruin, forced thereto by the power of God, and the terrors of the world to come.

But God knows, there are more ways of being out of this blessed communion besides by Church censures.

If people will neglect the holy Sacrament, and the assemblies of the faithful; if they will live in secret, but wilful

sin, they are out of communion without the censures of the Church; and by that means, they are without hopes, without promises, and live without God in the world.

But it is not only our duty, and our interest, to hold communion with the Church of God, by frequenting its assemblies; but it is our duty in an especial manner, to take care how we behave ourselves there.

If the angels attend the worshippers of God, if we believe that they are indeed amongst us, how very careful should we be to behave ourselves with great decency and devotion, lest they, beholding our indifferency and slothfulness, even when our salvation is at stake, forsake our churches, return to heaven, and there report, that of a truth, the fear of God is not amongst us.

Rather let us consider, how it is we behave ourselves when any of us are to ask a favour of our betters: that we consider what we are going about; that we come before, and speak to them with great respect; that we patiently wait their time and pleasure; that we receive their favours with thankfulness; that we observe very diligently the commands they give us; and lastly, that we leave their presence with thankful hearts, and cheerful countenances; and that we do all this naturally, and without needing any body to tell us, that it is fit we should so behave ourselves.

And now, must it not argue great negligence, or a very profane disposition of heart, that when God is present with us, by His holy angels; when we are asking His pardon, praying for His favours, desiring that His judgments may not overtake us, which we have justly deserved; we do all this with as much carelessness and indevotion, as if we were sure God saw us not, or as if we cared not for it, though He did. But people that are serious, and well instructed, will not behave themselves so, when they appear before God.

They will consider what in reason is expected from them; they will think that it is not without grounds, that almost all nations and religions do shew some reverence when they enter into their temples.

And, above all, they will remember, that God has expressly commanded His worshippers to reverence His sanc- [Lev. 19. tuary; to look to their feet, (that is, to approach with reve

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SERM. rence His glorious presence,) when they go to the house

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of God.

And when they offer their sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving, they will take care it shall not be the sacrifice of fools, who think they have done all that is commanded or expected from them, when they have been at the house of God.

But thoughtful and good people will consider, that they come to Church to pray for pardon, having broken the commandments of God, and therefore they ought not to break them as soon as they leave God's house. They consider, that hither they come to pray for grace to enable them to know and to do their duty; that therefore they are bound to live up to what they know, and are enabled to do. They consider, that when they have been praising God at His house, it will by no means become them to dishonour Him abroad, in their lives and conversations. And these are the people we should imitate.

Thus far I have kept close to my subject: and I hope I do not go from it, when I put you in mind of your duty to those whom God has appointed His ministers in all places where He records His name.

Is it not an unaccountable thing, that people shall pretend to be thankful to God that they are Christians, and yet shall be well pleased to see that order of men despised, by whose hands they were received into the Church of Christ?

Rather learn to honour them as they are your betters, not as men, but as priests of the most high God.

Attend to what they preach; join with them devoutly when they pray; slight not their reproofs; despise not their absolution and blessing.

Do this for God's sake, and your own, that you may hold communion with Jesus Christ, with the holy angels, with the saints on earth, and those in heaven.

But then, if such an order of men are necessary to keep up this communion and friendship betwixt God and His worshippers, how worthily should such persons behave themselves in the Church of God? How blameless, how holy, how industrious, should they be, that they may not only stop the mouths of gainsayers, but be living examples of all the virtues they recommend to others!