confifts in his Train or Retinue; a King is there where his Court is; and fo God is there fpecially prefent, where the Angels keep their Station. This is the Meaning of that Expreffion, the Gate of Heaven, i. e. Heaven's Court; for the Gate was wont to be the Judgment-Hall, and the Place where Kings, attended by their Guards and Ministers, used to fit to hear Caufes, and to grant Petitions. At the 3d ch. of Exod. v. 2, &c. there is another Inftance of God's more im mediate Prefence, when the Angel of God ap peared and fpake to Mofes out of the midst of the Burning Bush. "And Mofes faid, I will "now turn afide, and fee this great Sight, why "the Bufh is not burnt. And when the Lord "faw that he turned afide to fee, God called "unto him out of the midft of the Bush, and "faid, Mofes, Mofes; and he said, Here am I. "And he faid, Draw not nigh hither, put off "thy Shoes from off thy Feet, for the Place "whereon thou ftandeft is holy Ground." The Angel of the Lord appeared; that is, the Sche chinab, which had appeared so often to the Pa triarchs. Put off thy Shoes; which was in those Eastern Countries an Act of external Respect, as pulling off the Hat is amongst us. The Reason affigned for God's commanding him to pay Mark of Reverence was, because the Ground was holy. It was made holy by the efpecial Prefence of God, who is most holy, and makes every thing relating to him to be holy too.

this

From this Account we may observe, in anfwer to Barklay, the great Apoftle of the Qua

kers,

3

kers, that a Diftinction and Confecration of Places in religious Worship, is not a piece of Jewish Superftition, but prior to the ceremonial Law of Mofes, and coæval with Adam; and that it is no Superftition at all to pay external Reverence to Places more immediately related to God. Parallel to this Inftance of Mofes, we meet with another in Joshua, Chap. v. Ver. 13, &c. when God appeared to him by Jericho; Loofe thy Shoe from off thy Foot, for the Place whereon thou ftandeft is holy Ground. And this is a true Account of the Holinefs of the Jewish Tabernacle and Temple. There were, indeed, great Myfteries concealed under Types and Ceremonies, but it was the fpecial Prefence of God, and not the Types and Ceremonies, that made the Holinefs of the Place. I know no Writer that has treated this Subject fo well as Dean Sherlock in his Sermon on Religious Affemblies; and from thence 1 fhall give the Reader a fuccinct Account of the Matter.-When Mofes had set up the Tabernacle, a Cloud covered the Tent of the Congregation, and the Glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle, Exod. xl. 34. Thus at the Dedication of Solomon's Temple, when the Priests were come out of the holy Place, the Cloud filled this House of the Lord, fo that the Priests could not ftand to minister because of the Cloud; for the Glory of the Lord had filled the

1 Kings viii, 10, &c.

Houfe of the Lord +,
This was a vifible Sign

+ When the fecond Temple was rebuilt, it was folemnly dedicated, though there were not the fame vifible Tokens of God's Acceptance of it for his House.

that God had taken Poffeffion of this Houfe, and would dwell there, as Solomon expounds it, ver. 12. Then fpake Solomon, The Lord faid that he would dwell in the thick Darkness: I have furely built thee a Houfe to dwell in, a fettled Place for thee to abide in for ever. For this Reafon it is called the Houfe of God, his Habi tation, his Dwelling-place, his Gate, his Courts, and (which is the true Interpretation of all this) his Prefence. Let us come before his Prefence with Thanksgiving, Pfal. xcv. 21. to his House and Temple, where God is prefent; which is therefore called appearing before the Lord, as all the Tribes of Ifrael were commanded to do three times every Year, at three folemn Feftivals; and this appearing before the Lord, was their coming up to Jerufalem to worship at the Temple.

What I have faid, I hope, fufficiently proves that before and under the Law, God, who is ef Jentially prefent in all Places, was yet fo peculiarly prefent in fome Places, as he was not in others.

But for the better underftanding That, we must enquire what this fpecial and peculiar Prefence of God is? For this feems a great Difficulty to fome Men, that God fhould not be equally prefent in all Places; but the Account of this is plain and fhort; that tho' God is prefent every.. where, he is not equally prefent in all Places to all Purposes; which is the only poffible Diftinction that can be made concerning the Prefence of an omniprefent Being. God is present in Heaven, in Earth, and in Hell; but he mani

fefts

fefts himself very differently in each, and these different Manifeftations are a different Kind of Prefence:

As, to keep to my prefent Subject, God is present in all the Earth, as the fupreme Lord, Governor, and Preferver of all Things; but, in fome Places, he was peculiarly prefent to reveal his Will to Men, and to receive their Homage and Adorations; and this is that which is ресиliarly called the Prefence of God in Scripture.

But, is not God prefent in all Places to hear the Prayers of good Men who call upon him? Yes, moft certainly; and fo he was both before and under the Law; and, yet, we fee that he fanctified fome Places with his more peculiar Prefence for the publick and folemn Acts of Worship. Thus, a Prince may receive a private Petition from a private Hand, wherever hè is prefent, but yet may think it very fitting tó appoint a Prefence of State to receive the publick Homage and Addreffes of his Subjects.Thus, in fact, it was in the Jewish Temples; and it was as reasonable as the publick Solemnities of Worship are, without which Religion itfelf would be banished the World: For, did Men but believe that they could worship God as well at Home as at Church, that God is no more present in religious Affemblies, than in their private Closets, there were an End of publick Worship, and of Religion too. This is too vifible in those who have entertained this Opinion. But when God, who has his Throne in Heaven, has his Footstool and Presence on Earth,

I 4

Earth, where he commands us to pay our Ho mage; this preferves the Senfe of God, and of Religion, alive in the World, and gives a juft Awe and Reverence for God when we approach his Prefence.

This is a very fenfible Reason for appropriated Places of Worship, where God vouchsafes his more peculiar Prefence. If this were not originally a divine Institution, as the Inftances already given fairly intimate that it was, then mere natural Reafon taught it all Mankind ; for there never was any Nation, which worshipped any God, but they erected Temples for their Worship. And it is as evident, that all Nations did believe, that the Gods whom they worshipped, were peculiarly prefent in their Temples. The Pagans did not believe their Gods to be omniprefent, and therefore endeavoured, by magical Spells and Charms, to shut them up in their Images and Temples, that they might know where to find them. And in THIS Notion the antient Chriftians abominated the Thoughts of Temples and Images, fince they worshipped a God who fills Heaven and Earth with his Prefence. This indeed was a Corruption of natural Religion, as Polytheism and Idolatry were; but it fhews how neceffary they thought a divine Prefence to a Place of Worship. The Jews understood better, that God could not be confined to any Place; that the Heaven of Heavens could not contain him, as Solomon owns in his Prayer of Dedication; but yet begs, that God would be graciously pleased

to