2. There are not a few yet, who are, and will be witneffes for God, against all the corruptions of the Lord's houfe, and ready to give their teftimony against the defections of the day wherein we live.

3. There are pure ordinances adminiftered in the houfe: the word and facraments adminiftered according to the gofpel-inflitution; and the doctrine of the gofpel preached in purity.

4. There are fome figns and evidences now and then of the Lord's prefence in thefe ordinances, and of his power in the fanctuary, reviving and ftrengthening the hearts of his hidden ones, and bringing them to the chambers of the King, even to the holy of holies, under the covert of the blood of Jefus.

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This leads me to an Ufe of Examination, for trying whether or not ye be fuch members of the house of God, as have been privileged with accefs to the invifible part of the house, the most holy place; and what effect this has wrought upon you, to make you holy, as the Lord your God is holy.

ift, Have you been admitted to the most holy place? Have you got boldness to enter into the holieft by the blood of Jefus, at this occafion, or formerly? If fo, then I will tell you,

1. You have loft all boldnefs and confidence in the flesh, Phil. iii. 3.; all confidence in yourfelf, all confidence in your own righteoufnefs and worthiness: nothing keeps you in countenance before God, but your view of the worthinefs and righteoufnefs of Jefus. Again,

2. What way got you into the holy place, or into the prefence of the moft holy God. Surely it is not without blood. Can you fay, that you was carried into the holieft, as it were, in a chariot paved with love, and the covering thereof was purple? Can you fay, I faw fomething like a rainbow about the throne of grace, and not only a purple covering over my head, but alfo a purple pavement under my feet; a pleasant pavement, laid partly with the white marble of the love of God, and partly with the red marble of the blood of Chrift; and, upon this pavement, laid before me in the gofpel, my heart went

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forward to the moft holy place; and I faw that the mot holy God was a reconciled God in Chrift, a well-pleafed God in Chrift.

3. Have you feen that the holy of holies is nothing elfe but a throne of grace, having grace above it, and grace beneath it, and grace round about it; and that, therefore, the molt holy place is a place meet for you to conie to, meet for you to reft in; for you, unworthy you, that cannot be faved any other way but by grace, free grace, venting thro' that blood of Jefus ?

4. Have you feen in that holy place, that the promises of God are all Yea and Amen in Chrift; that they are the New Teftament in his blood; and that, therefore, every promife is fure, being dipt in blood, fealed with blood, with juftice-fatisfying blood; and that, therefore, juftice requires, as well as mercy, that they be accomplished?

2dly, What fan&tifying effect hath this accefs to the moft holy place had upon you? Do you find yourself more fweetly bound to univerfal holine's? Why, fay you, I find myfelf under an obligation to be a most holy perfon; becaufe, I think, I have been admitted, in fome refpect, to the moft holy place: but I tremble to think of what you are now to fay, becaufe I find the lamentable want of holinefs, and cannot think you will give me a mark that will argue my being holy; and therefore fear my accefs to the holy place, that fometimes I thought I had, to be but delufion. I must tell you,

1. If you have been in the moft holy place, and got fome holy impreffions there, then ye will fee yourself to be moft vile; when Job was let in to the moft holy place, then he cries out, Behold, I am vile, chap. xl. 4. It is a fight of the holy God that makes us to fee ourfelves to be unholy creatures. You that value yourselves as good and holy, you have never seen a holy God in the face but thou that hateft thyfelf, and lotheft thyself as an unholy creature, faying, "Truth, Lord, I am a dog: fo foolish I am, and ignorant; I am as a beast before thee;" thou art a holy perfon.

2. Try your holiness by a queftion or two; What is your

your defire? Is it, O to be holy! O to be like unto Chrift! --What is your hope? Do you love to think of getting to heaven, because there you will be like him, by feeing him as he is?-What is your delight and love? Can you fay you love the law, because it is a holy law, and becaufe it is a law of love?-What is your lamentation? Is it, Oh! unholy finner that I am? O wretched man that I am! who fhall deliver me from the body of this death?"-What is your how long? Is it, "O how long fhall I fjourn in Mefech, and dwell in the tents of Kedar!"—What is your regard to the law of the houfe? Are you grieved to fee that it is violate by yourfelf and others? What is your regard to the members of the houfe? Do you love the faints, becaufe they are holy? Some chufe a drinking club and cabal before the company of the godly that lay them under a reftraint; but is your delight with the faints, the excellent ones of the earth? Again, what is your regard to the Lord of the houfe? Can you fay from the bottom of your foul, that, however unlicly you are, yet you love him becaufe he is holy, and can rejoice in him as a holy God that hates fin? This is a fweet mark that you have been in the holy place, and got the print of God's holinefs ftamped on your foul. A hypocrite may love God becaufe he is good and merciful, but I do not think he can love him, becaufe he is a holy God that hates fin. Is that the language of thy foul, "O give thanks at the remembrance of his holinefs?"-In a word, what is thy refolution thro' grace? Is it, that you will endeavour, in his ftrength, to glorify God by a holy walk, and yet are you feared to reft on your refolutions, and therefore turn your refolutions to prayers, faying, "Lord, let thy hand be upon the man of thy right-hand, the Son of man whom thou haft made ftrong for thyfelf, and henceforth we will not go back?" After trial, fee your duty.

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My laft ufe therefore, fhall be by way of exhortation. 1. To thefe who are without the houfe. 2. To thofe who have been admitted into the holy place.

1ft, To you that are without the houfe, that are not members of God's family, but are unbelievers.

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hort you to come into the houfe of God; "For without are dogs," unholy dogs, Rev. xxii. 15. Why, may fome think, are you calling us to come into the houfe, where there are fo many diforders, as you have been mentioning? It is beft to flay without doors: why, man, woman, when I call you to come into the houfe of God, it is, not only to the outer houfe, but to come into the moft holy place, and to enter into the holieft by faith; that is, come to God in Chrift. The outer houfe is only the vifible church, and the vifible glory is indeed much defaced in our day; but there is an invifible part of the houfe, the moft holy place, that we call you to come to: not to an outward vifible profeffion only; not to outward ordinances only; for, by your being within the walls of the houfe, you are feemingly come there already: but you may be visible church-members, and come to ordinances and facraments, and yet ftrangers to God, you have never come in to the most holy place by coming in to God in Christ. And, Oh! why ftand you without doors, contrary to the law of the house, inviting all to come in! Rev. xxii. 17. Let me tell you, while you ftay without doors, you are without hope, and without God in the world; neither fellow citizens with the faints, nor of the houfhold of God in a fpiritual fenfe: and the vifible outward advantages you enjoy, while you are only in the outer court, will aggravate your condemnation if ye come not in. I must tell you, while you are not within the house, in a spiritual sense, you are not under the law, The law of the boufe; I mean, the law of faith and love, but under the law of works, and fo under the curfe; for, " Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." The wrath of God abides on you, while you abide in unbelief, without coming in to the Surety, and clofing with his law-biding righteoufnefs. While you come not in to the moft holy place, you remain in a most unholy ftate and way; for, it is this holy place that makes a holy people: Chrift is the true temple, the holy place, the house where God dwells; and how can you see God, if you come not to his houfe? How can you fpeak with God, if you come not to his houfe? How can you

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up acquaintance with him, or attain conformity to him? If you do not behold the glory of God in the face of Chrift, you can never be changed into his image, from glory to glory. Without coming to Chrift, you fhall never have holinefs; and without holinefs, you shall never fee God in heaven.

Confider, O finner, The law of the houfe, with reference to you that are without.-It is the law of the house, that the door be open for all comers; "Whofoever will, let him come."-It is the law of the house, that all comers fhall be welcome; "He that cometh, I will in nowife caft out."It is the law of the houfe, that all that come in fhall be children of the family; "We are the children of God by faith in Chrift: Without are dogs," but within are children. It is the law of the houfe, that no objection be fuftained as lawful againft your coming into Chrift, or to the most holy place; for the law of grace is calculate, of infinite wifdom, for anfwering every objection: it is not lawful to object any thing againft coming into the holy place. Fear of God's infinite juftice is no lawful objection; for, here is a facrifice, fatisfying juftice. Your great fin and guilt is no lawful objection; for, here is guilt-expiating blood. Your total want of all good in yourself, is.no lawful objection; for, here is all fulness to fupply you. Your unworthinefs is no lawful objection; for, the worthinefs of the Lamb is the only thing that is regarded in the most holy place. Your poverty is no lawful objection; for, here are the unfearchable riches of Chrift, both to pay your debts, and bear your charges. Your rags and nakedness is no lawful objection; for, here is the robe of .righteousness to cover you, that the fhame of your nakedness may not appear. Your fear of God's having fome fecret purpofe against you, is no lawful objection, but a horrid thought; for, The law of the house makes nothing but God's revealed will your rule. Your weakness and inability is no lawful objection; for, "Strength and beauty are in his fanctuary; ftrength is within his holy place," to which you are called to come; and drawing power is put in the promife, such as that, "When I am lifted up, I will draw all men after me," that you may take his help, and look

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