SERM. and thine Oxen: In all Places where Ire V. cord my Name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

THE Meaning of which Words is plainly this, That in all Places which are fet a-part for the Performance of the public Offices of Religion, by a lawful Authority, God will fhew himself in a particular Manner prefent, by affording a favourable Ear to their Requests, and bestowing upon them thofe Bleffings which they ask according to his Will.

THIS being the plain Senfe and Meaning of the Words, I shall treat of them, under thefe following Propofitions.

I. I SHALL fhew, that fome Places in a more particular Manner belong to God, than others.

II. THAT God honours thofe Places with his more peculiar Prefence.

III. THAT the Bleffings of God are in a more particular Manner conferred upon those Perfons, who frequent these Places, and there worship God after a due Manner.

I. THAT fome Places in a more pe culiar Manner belong to God, than others. Thofe Places in which God records his

Name

Name, or which is the fame Thing, SERM. which are called by his Name, because V. dedicated to him, and fet a-part for his Worship, do, in a more particular Manner, belong to God. God, indeed, is the abfolute and fupreme Proprietor of the whole World, as he was the Creator, and is the Governor of all Things but he justly claims a more particular Right to thofe Places where he records his Name, and to those Perfons and Things which belong to them. And this Right and Property in them he obtains, by the fame Means that one Man doth to those Goods which are in the Poffeffion of another Perfon; God treats with us according to thofe Rules of Juftice, which he has established in the World, and condefcends to make Use of the fame Weights and Measures in his Dealings with us, which we ought to do one with another. He accepts of our Offerings, though we can offer up nothing to him, but what was his own before; and efteems them not according to the Value, but the Will and the affectionate Gratitude of the Donor. Now fince Property amongst Men is tranfferred from one to another, either by Free-gift, or Purchase, by both thefe Ways Houfes and Lands may, in a peculiar H 2 Manner,

SERM. Manner, belong to God: For though we V. cannot, after the fame Manner, in which we transfer our Goods to Men, immediately intitle God to our Offerings, who is exalted above our Praife, much more above the Returns of our Gratitude; yet, fince God has been pleased to substitute Proxies to act for him, whatsoever we tranfact with them, according to his Will, and for his Honour, he acknowledges it, and takes it as kindly, as if it were done to himfelf. Thus, by giving or purchafing any Thing for holy Ufes, we may alienate the Right of any particular Perfon, and transfer the Property of it to God, by delivering it to God's more immediate Servants, for his Ufe; and, when thus it is dedicated to him, it cannot rightly be alienated to profane, i. e. to common Ufes; no more than what belongs to one Man can, without his Confent, be taken away and poffeffed by another.

INNUMERABLE are the Texts in Holy Writ, where God calls thofe Places which are dedicated to his public Worship, his Houfes; thofe Perfons who are fet a-part to the Service of the Temple, his Servants; and those Revenues which are appropriated to their Maintenance, his Tythes

and

and his Offerings; by which the least, that SERM. can be imported, must needs be, that they V. are God's in a more peculiar Manner, than any Thing in the fame Kind, or the fame Degree, are, or can be; which being granted, I proceed to fhew,

II. THAT God honours thofe Places where his Name is thus recorded, with his more immediate Prefence, and to make this good, I fhall confider,

First, IN what this particular Prefence of God doth confift; and then fhew,

Secondly, THAT God is thus peculiarly prefent, in our Chriftian Churches. And,

1. WHAT this Prefence of God is, which is peculiar to thofe Places, which are fet a-part for God's public Worship.

WE know that God is prefent in all Places, by his Effence, though he is contained by none, but, properly fpeaking, Place ought rather to be faid to be in God, than God to be contained in any Place. He was, before the World was created, and therefore, when we fay that God is in Heaven, or on Earth, we fpeak very improperly, though according to the best Notions, we poor, ignorant Creatures are poffeffed of; but this effential Prefence of God is not the Prefence we are here fpeaking of, whereby God is in a peculiar

H 3

SERM. peculiar Manner prefent in those Places, V. which he has chofen to record his Name

in; but this particular Prefence doth confift, either in fome vifible Symbol of his Prefence, fuch as the Schechinah, or Glory of God, which appeared in the firft Temple; or the invifible Effects of his Prefence, which being difpenfed in a more plentiful Manner in thefe Places, than others, fhew that God is here prefent of a Truth, though we know it not: And fince we are told, that the Angels are miniftering Spirits, and that it is their Employment and Delight to do Good to their Fellow-creatures, God making Ufe of their Ministry, in the Government of the World, to communicate both his temporal Bleffings and fpiritual Gifts unto Men; it has therefore been the Opinion of learned Men, countenanced both by Scripture and Reason, that Places dedica ted to God's public Worship, are frequented by thefe holy Spirits, who are fent thither to affift God's Servants in their Devotions, to help their Infirmities, and take great Pleasure and Delight, in bearing a Part in our earthly Choir, affifting good Men, in celebrating the Praises, and magnifying the Name of their gracious Lord and Mafter, the great God of Hea