gent world: He is poffeffed of every poffible perfection, and amiable excellence; of every thing that can engage the esteem, and attract the love of his reafonable and intelligent creatures: a Being who is infinitely great, independent of all others; and who has fulness of perfection and bleffednefs in himself. This is that glorious Being whom we worship, and to whom we draw nigh. And must there not be fomething extremely animating to the foul, and affording the highest delight, in the contemplation of his excellence, and in communion with him?

It is delightful to the pious foul, to contemplate the excellency of the Supreme Being. Truth gives exquifite fatisfaction to the mind, just as it is agreeable to the eye to behold the light. But God is the unexhaufted fountain, and fource of truth; his nature comprehends infinite treafures of it. He is allglorious and lovely in himfelf; and his perfections, as well as his works, yield matter for heavenly contemplation: In a word, he contains in himself all the amazing scenes of nature, and the more tranfporting wonders of the world of grace. The mind, then, which contemplates him, must be employed in the very best manner. How delightful muft it be to meditate on his perfections, who is light, and in whom there is no darkness at all? How pleafant, to contemplate that unerring wisdom, that almighty power, that infinite goodness, that unblemished truth, and fpotless holinefs; thofe glorious perfections which fhine forth in all his works, and particularly in the work of our redemption? This is that beauty of the Lord, for the view of which, David defired to dwell in the fanctuary, that he might fee his power and his glory, and talk of his goodness in the midst of his temple.

It is likewife moft delightful, to enjoy communion and fellowship with God. There is nothing more agreeable in life, and nothing which tends more to cultivate and improve our natures, to alleviate our forrows, and heighten the pleafure of every enjoyment, than the friendship and converfation of wife

and

and good men. What, then, can be imagined more divinely fweet and ravishing to the pious foul, than the friendship of God, and the happy privilege of intercourse and communion with him? As he poffeffes all beauty and goodnefs in himself, as his loving-kindness is better than life, and as he is able to do more for us than we can ask or think; to love him, and have the pleafing sense of his love shed abroad in our hearts, must complete our happinefs. Hence, fays the Pfalmift, "Surely it is good for me that I "draw near to God:" And again, "How excellent "is thy loving-kindnefs, O Lord! therefore the chil"dren of men do put their truft under the fhadow "of thy wings: they fhall be abundantly fatisfied "with the fatnefs of thy houfe; and thou shalt "make them drink of the river of thy pleasures (b).” And to the fame purpose are all thofe expreffions of love and mutual complacency between Chrift and the Church, which we meet with fo frequently in the fcriptures; efpecially in that divine fong, the Song of Solomon. Indeed, the communications of divine love and favour, are furprisingly delightful and ravishing to the pious foul. Thefe afford ferene and fatisfying pleafures, which greatly tran fcend all earthly and carnal joys; as being infinitely more pure, fpiritual, and exalted; and of fuch a lafting and perfect nature, that they run through the various periods of the Chriftian's life: they fupport him at death, and, at laft, enter with him into the joy of his Lord.

2. The bleffedness of fuch an approach will further appear, if we confider his gracious promife, That he will draw nigh to them who draw nigh to him. This is the conftant language of facred Scripture. "The Lord is nigh," fays the Pfalmift, "unto all "them that call upon him; to all that call upon "him in truth (c)." And in the epiftle of James, this is exprefsly promifed; "Draw nigh to God, and "he will draw nigh to you." Now, we cannot imagine

(b) Pf. xxxvi. 7, 8.

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(6) Pf. cxlv. 18..

gine that this is a matter of trifling importance. Is it of little or no confequence to us to be in the gracious prefence of the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the Author of our mercies? Surely there is fomething in the very idea of his being near to us, that composes the fpirit, and fills the mind with joy and confidence. For, let us confider what it is to have God thus prefent with us. It is to have him for our effectual fupport, and never-failing friend; to have his infinite perfections engaged in our behalf in time, and through eternity: it is to have his Providence to protect, and blefs, and profper us, in all our concerns; and his Holy Spirit to lead, and fanctify, and comfort us. This prefence of God is accompanied with a comfortable experience of his goodnefs; leading us in the ways of peace and fafety; preferving us unfhaken amidst the various dangers of life; and cherishing the principles of goodefs in our hearts. And, to complete our happiness, there refults hence, the joyful and certain profpect of a future and endlefs reward, fuitable to our de-. fires, and lafting as the days of an immortal fpirit. Happy, furely, is the man, that is in fuch a cafe as this; happy is he whofe God is the Lord: for "the Lord God is a fun and fhield; the Lord will give grace and glory; and no good thing will he "withhold from them that walk uprightly." Who would not then with to draw near to God, when he has promised to draw near to us, and thus fill us with joy and peace in believing?

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3. The bleffednefs of approaching to God, might be further illuftrated, by a particular confideration of the various duties of religion in which we draw nigh to him; fuch as prayer, finging the praifes of God, reading, and hearing his holy word, and devout meditation. This would lead us into a large, though delightful field. We fhall therefore only take notice of that duty in which the Chriftian, with great pleasure and advantage, draws nigh to God, and

h we have the near profpect of folemnizing.

The

The limits of this difcourfe will not permit me to represent to you the many and great advantages which. accompany the devout performance of this duty. I fhall therefore only obferve, that it is of admirable fervice, to ftrengthen our faith in the efficacy of Chrift's death, and his willingness to accomplish our redemption; to inflame our love, and awaken in our minds a more lively fenfe of our obligations to him; to invigorate our hope, to confirm our good refolu tions, and enable us to fulfil them in all holy obedience; and finally, to fhed abroad in our hearts those joys of the Holy Ghoft, which are fo abfolutely ne ceffary to fupport us under affliction, to lead us comfortably through life; and which give us, at last, a joyful entrance into the everlasting kingdom of God our Saviour. Thofe, it must be confeffed, are great and ineftimable bleflings, which, one thould think, would engage us all to a frequent and devout participation of this holy ordinance. From our obfervations on this fubject, we may learn,

1. That a religious life is of all others the moft delightful. The men of this world are apt to be prejudiced against religion, as if it were a joylefs and melancholy thing, of little ufe but to damp the plea-fures, and embitter the comforts of life. But how unjust is this prejudice? There are no pleasures like: those of religion; none which fill the mind with. more pure and rational joy, or lead to more certain and delightful confequences. Without religion, thereis nothing which deferves the name of pleafure. In the opinion of the wifeft men of all ages, the plea-fures of fin are as unfatisfying in their nature, as they are of fhort continuance. Solomon compares them to the crackling of thorns under a pot; he calls themmadness, and exprefsly fays of them, that they are all vanity and vexation of fpirit. The pleafures of religion, on the other hand, are real and fubftantial;, they fatisfy the most enlarged defires of the rationali foul; and when every other joy shall vanish, and all the profpects of this life come to a termination, they shall

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be the ftrength and portion of the foul for ever. Tafte, and fee, then, that God is good. Make the experiment; try the pleasures of religion : and then you will find, "that a day in God's courts, is better than a thousand elsewhere; nay, this will put more "gladness in your hearts, than the wicked have when their corn and their wine are increased."

2. Let us with gratitude adore the infinite goodnefs and condefcenfion of God, in allowing us to draw near to him. How wonderful is it that the Most High God, the Holy One of Ifrael, fhould entertain thoughts of mercy for the impure and the unholy! But what manner of love is it? How infinitely more wonderful, that he should place his tabernacle among men, and cause them to approach to him! Juftly may we adopt the words of Solomon to exprefs our admiration: "But will God indeed dwell upon "earth? Behold the heaven, even the heaven of

heavens, cannot contain thee! O Lord, what is << man, that thou art mindful of him; or the fon of man, that thou fhouldft vifit him ?"

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3. Let us frequently delight in drawing near to God. Let us not live in a ftate of alienation from him, who is the Author of our being, and the Foun"tain of our happiness; but draw near in the duties of his appointment, and endeavour to maintain conftant intercourfe and communion with him. There is no other method of enjoying eafe, and comfort, and happinefs, even in this world. Do we not, by this means, walk with God, and in the light of his coun tenance ? Shall we not have more peace in our own minds, and more confidence in the mercy of God? This is the beginning of the heavenly life, a part of the fubftance of things not feen, and a confirmation to the heart that the full happiness awaits us. Let us, then, make religion our principal concern; let a fpirit of devotion run through our whole lives, and influence every part of our conduct. Particularly, beware of living in the neglect of fecret prayer, and of family religion. Let us be careful not to abe

fent