I. We are to defcribe the nature of that approach to God, which is a fruit of the divine choice and fa

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When we are faid to approach to God, our ap proach cannot refpect his effential prefence, which is equally alike in all places. God is neceffarily near to all his creatures, he is intimately prefent with every one of us; for in him, as the apoftle expreffes it, we live and move, and have our being. In this sense, therefore, we cannot be said to draw near to God, as we are always in his prefence, and cannot withdraw from his Spirit. But the expreffion, approaching to God, plainly respects his gracious prefence, which is difcovered in the blessings and benefits it beftows on mankind. In fome fenfe, indeed, the gracious prefence of God, as well as his effential prefence, is common to all; "for he makes his fun to rife on the " evil and on the good, and fendeth rain on the just "and on the unjust." But it is in a peculiar manner afforded to a few, even to fincere and good men, by the protection, affiftance, and confolation it communicates to them. In this fenfe, God is faid, in fcripture, to dwell in the hearts of the righteous, and with them that are of a humble and contrite fpirit; and his people may be faid to draw near to him, when they inwardly adore and exalt him; when they admire and blefs his glorious name; when their minds are poffeffed with awful and delightful thoughts of his perfections; in a word, when they exercise the various graces and virtues of the divine life, by which an intercourse is maintained between God and the foul. This is the approaching to God mentioned in the text; the peculiar privilege of thofe pious and devout fouls, who are chofen to this bleffing, and by divine grace made partakers of it. But, more particularly,

1. We may be faid to approach God in the duties of his worship, when we contemplate the divine perfections and providence, with the firm belief of their glory and excellence. Faith is the leading virtue of

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the Chriftian life, abfolutely effential in every approach to God, and indeed the very foundation of religion in the heart. "Without faith," fys the apoftle to the Hebrews, "it is impoffible to please him; for he that cometh to God, must believe that "he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that dili"gently feek him (a)." By the exercise of this heavenly grace, Chriftians raise their affections above this world, and converfe with things unfeen and eternal: they fee him who is invisible to the eye of fenfe, and, in contemplating his glorious perfections, they obtain fome degree of resemblance to them in their own hearts; "beholding, as in a glafs, the glory of the "Lord, they are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord." Faith reprefents him to the Chriftian in the moft awful, and at the fame time in the moft amiable and en

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gaging light, not as poffeffed of almighty power fupreme dominion alone, but of infinite wifdom and perfect goodness; not only as righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works, but as abundant in mercy, of tender compaflion, and ready to forgive; as a Spirit, who will be worshipped in fpirit and in truth as a lover of mankind, but a greater lover of holinefs: And under fuch views as these of the glory of God, the Chriftian inwardly adores him, and pays him that homage which is due to his infinite Majefty. Faith enables him to furvey the difcoveries he has made of himself in his works, with admiration and delight. Even thofe difpenfations of Providence, which feem to us dark and intricate, and on fome occafions inconfiftent with infinite wifdom and perfect goodnefs, appear to the eye of faith to be conducted in the best and wifeft manner. Amidst all the uncertainty and seeming imperfection in which he is involved, the Chriftian confiders the fecret hand of God as guiding the affairs of this world; and he refts fatisfied, that juftice and judgment are the habitation of his throne, and that mercy and truth go before his face.

(a). Heh. xi. 6.

face. But efpecially we draw near to God, when, by faith, we view the method of our falvation through Jefus Chrift; that wonderful difpenfation of divine grace to finners, in which mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have embraced each other. It is here the Chriftian has the fweetest and moft intimate accefs to God; he approaches under the shelter of a divine Mediator, and lifts up his eyes, with humble confidence, to his God, and his Saviour. 2. We draw near to God in the duties of his worfhip, when we cultivate in our minds a fupreme and prevailing love for him. This, indeed, is the natural confequence of a steady faith in the glory and excellence of his perfections; for love reigns and attracts the foul to God, when true faith influences the heart, and a sense of the divine glory poffeffes the mind. On this account, when the apoftle Peter is celebrating that fervent love which the firft Chrift ians bore to Chrift, he speaks of it as kindled in their breafts by faith; "whom having not feen ye "love, in whom, though now. ye fee him not, yet "believing, ye rejoice, with joy unfpeakable." Love is the very effence and perfection of religious wor fhip; it brings the foul near to God; and, in pròportion as our love is great, our devotion is more intenfe. If we are strangers to this heavenly affection, we will think ourselves happy at a distance from him, and perhaps happieft when leaft difturbed by the thoughts of his prefence. But it is far otherwise with devout and ferious Chriftians. They never think themselves too near; for they feel in their hearts that love, which is the most intimate, as well as the fweeteft bond of the foul's communion with God. The faints of God cannot cease to love him: the beauty and excellence of his nature, and the obligations which they owe, are circumftances which excite their higheft affection and regard. We love him, fays the apostle, becaufe he first loved us. Love is a noble and divine grace, the great fource of happiness in our communion with God on earth, and the effential and

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vigorous principle of immortal life. It enters into the happiness within the vail; and is the very element in which the faints in heaven live, and move, and have their being: for God is love, and he that dwel leth in love, d welleth in God, and God in him.

3. We draw near to God in the duties of his worship, when we earneftly defire an intereft in his favour, and intimate communion with him. This is the natural effect and conftant expreffion of genuine love.

The Chriftian knows that God alone is an object worthy of his best affections; and in him he finds every thing requifite for gratifying his most enlarged defires. He fees that his favour, which is better than life, can only be the fatisfying portion of an immortal foul; and therefore he ardently defires an interest in him. His language is, "I intreated thy favour "with my whole heart. Lord, lift upon me the "light of thy countenance. I defire no greater, no "other reward than this. The men of this world

may call the favourites of fortune happy; the great, "the rich, and the profperous: but may I be ac"cepted of God, and I am fatisfied. This is the fum " and the ultimate tendency of my wishes, which I "would not exchange for all the fading honours and "perishing enjoyments of the prefent life." To the fame purpose are the devout breathings of the pious Pfalmift. "As the hart panteth after the water "brooks, fo panteth my foul after thee, O God: "My foul thirfteth for God, for the living God; "when fhall I come and appear before God? O "God, thou art my God; early will I feek thee: 86 my foul thirfteth for thee, my flesh longeth for "thee, in a dry and thirsty land where no water "is, to fee thy power and thy glory, fo as I have "feen thee in the fanctuary (a)." Thus the pious foul will naturally exprefs its breathings after God; and this is the very language of true devotion.

4. We approach to God in the duties of his worhip, when we exercise a spiritual joy and delight in him.

(a) Pfal. xlii. 1, 2.

him. This is th higheft, and moft exalted inftance, of the divine life in the foul. To rejoice in God, and maintain a sense of our intereft in him, is the nearest approach we can make to God in this world. Hence, we find, this has been the exercise of the faints in every age. The Pfalmift, whofe writings. every where abound with devotion, is remarkable for his joy in God. My foul," fays he, "fhall make "her boaft in the Lord; O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." The prophet Ifaiah, whose predictions difcover fo much of an evangelical fpirit, declares his refolution to joy in God: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my "foul fhall be joyful in my God (a)." And to the fame purpose the apoftie Paul; "We alfo joy in God, "through our Lord Jefus Chrift." The Chriftian knows, that the perfections of God are the proper foundations of his joy; and he feels an inward complacency, in contemplating the divine character. But ftill, it is the sense of an interest in him, which gives him the highest and most fatisfying delight: this is that which transports the foul, and makes it break forth in the language of David, "The Lord "is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup; "thou maintaineft my lot. The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage." In a word, this fpiritual delight in God, in the duties of his worship, bears a near refemblance to the employment of heaven; it is a foretafte of future happiness, and the beginning of eternal joy.

II. We proceed, fecondly, To reprefent the bleffedness of such an approach to God; or to fhew you, that this drawing nigh in the duties of his worship, is attended with great pleasure and advantage to the foul. This will appear, if we confider,

1. The great and glorious Being to whom we approach. God is the fource whence all things are derived, and the first cause of the material and intelli

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(«) Ifa. Ixi. 12.

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