Mr. Jenkins's afternoon Sermon., 2. The PreCenceof God is a fpiritual Pretence, in the Religious Cervices and. performances of his People,in the place of their Meet- ings and Affemblies. Now concerning the firft of thefe. z. The Pretence of God, by the morevifible and lafting tokens of his Pretence, which was chiefly afforded in the time oftheLevi- tical Pedagogue ; fo the Altar, Temple, Ark, and, Mercy,feat, were fymbols of Gods Prefence among that People, by them. God figni- fied his Prefence, he recorded his Name there by thole vifible to- kens of his Pretence; and therefore the Ark was faidto be Gods face: and when the Ark was lifted up, it was laid, Let Godarife, and let his Enemies be fcattered. Hence they fo muchrejoyced when the Ark came into the City of David, becaufe it was the fign of Gods Pretence, andmourned when it was. taken away captive. And God is laid to deliver hisglory into Captivity, that is, the token of his glorious Pretence: and as long as this continued, God was looked upon as there pretent; and thither the. People went to pray, and offer Sacrifice. And thus God more fixedly declared his durable re- lation to a place by there tokens, and while thefe continued in a place, he was looked upon to be there.. 2. God's ordinary pretence is confiderable in the Religious ter. vice ofhis People, and this I call the rather the more fpiritual pre- tence of God ; this is that Pretence of God in the Ordinances, which we 'have, we hope this day, and which Chrift did promife, Matth. 18. 20, Where ever two or three are met together in my Name, there am Iprefent in the midli of them ; not in the. midit of the place, but of them,when theydo perform holy and inffitute worfhip. This .fpiritual pretence ofGod is that, that is afforded in the cafe ofthole Ordinances of Praying, Hearing, and Adminiftration of Sacra- ments ; his Pretence is there to accept of thefe, and biers them, and make them operative,& to affiff in thefe,& to enable both Minifter People to go through their duty by his own power. Nor can Gods Pretence be ordinarily expeaed,but.in this his own way. Now then 2. You muff know, that as the Pretence ofGod is the foundati- on ofa places fanftity, and as it is feveral, fo yoi muff kriow,Gods propriety in, and relation to a place is declared by his Precept ; the precept of God, is Gods propriety in a place, as well as his pretence; thus it belongs to him by command to make it holy, he may do what he will, and chooreout whatplaces he will to be holy. He to whom all things belong, finely may have fome places and things more proper to hinatelf and peculiar ; fo the Temple of 0,14a, and the Tabernacle, thole placesof Levitical and Ceremonial w,o flip, was feparated and let apart by God, by Divine Inffitntion. Hence we have many commands, r God
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