258 --SERMONS upon Serm.XXXVI. and caufes are to be judged by him, He doth perfe &ly under(land them ; and every one of us is clearly and fully known to God, both as to our hearts and a &ions; or elfe He were uncapable to judg us: This is ofteA urged, Pfal. 94. to. He that chaftifeth the Na- tions, f7î411 not he correc`l ? He that teacheth men knowledge, (hall not he know? He that gi- veth laws to men, demandeth exa& obedience to thefe precepts, and will chaflife and punish mens difobedience. So Heb. 4. 13. All things are naked to the eyes of him with whom we have to do; that is, in the judgment. 2. That they that would worship God aright, had need be deeply pogefed with this. 1. From the nature of worship in general, which h a Converse with God, or a letting our felves immediately before the Lord. In folemn duties, we come to a& the part of Angels, and to behold the face of our Heavenly Father. As in prayer we come to (peak to Cod, and in the word wecome to hear God fpeak to us; in the Lord's Supper to be feared at his Table. God is every where with us, but we are not always and every where with God. We profefs to be with him, when we come to wort i.p ; to turn back upon all other things, that we may (land before the Throne of God. Prayer is the moli fami- liar converfe with God that we are capable of while we dwell in fle(h, called therefore a vifiting of God, and an acquainting our felves with him , a drawing nigh to him, a calln, upon God. 'Tis unneceffary to cite places. Now none of this can be done, unless we believe him to be prefetit and confcious to all that we do or fay; for all elfe is but an empty formality. Therefore when we pray, we muff remember that we converse with him that fearcheth the heart, and knoweth what and how we ask, as a Kings 8. 39. Hear thou in thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do to every man according to his ways, whofe heart thou knowefi : for thou even thou, only knowefl the hearts of all the children of men. All the faith, the ferioufnefs, the comfort of prayer dependeth upon the belief of this for who would call upon him of whom he is not perfwaded that he heareth him; or be ferious in a duty that knoweth not whether God regardeth, yea or .no? or what comfort can be taken in having prayed, and made known his delires to God, unlefs he be perfwaded thofe prayers come unto the ears of the Lord of Roth. So for hearing the word, that which bindeth us to reverence is, that we are in the fight of God, Ads io. 33. We are all here present before the Lard, to hear all things which are commanded thee of God; other- wife men will come to fee and be feen, rather than to be taught and inftruâed. God is every where,buthe is especially there where his ordinances are and we are to be fo fe- rioufly attentive, as if God himfelfdid fpeak to us by oracles,when this meffage is brought to us; otherwife it will have no effeet upon us,1 Thef2. x3. re rec.' ved it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effe :sallly 'orketh alfa in you that believe. 2 Cor. 5. an. As though God did befeech you by us. We life up our hearts to him, and set him before our eyes, as having to do with God himfelf ; rWs only begets feriouf. nefs in hearing. So for the Lord's Supper, which is a middle duty; etween the word and prayer, and compounded of both ; we hear God tendring his Covenant, affuring us of his blefings promised, and commanding us to fulfil the requifite duties, that we may be capable of them. We promifing and praying, by refolving and promifing, teftify our confent to the Covenant thus ftated 5 by prayers and groans our dependance. Now there is no Covenanting with one that is abfent 5 you will fay he is presnt in his inftitution; he is fo, and that is an help to faith ; therefore vifible figns are appointed to be an iniance of Gods prefence with us ; but all his internal work is immediately tranfa&ed between our fouls and God hinifelf. We look on him as present, that feeth and heareth all, Deut. 1o. 12. .Tis'to the foul God fpeaketh, 1 am thy God, Pfal. 35. 3. Say unto my foul, 1 am thy falvation5 And the foul fpake unto God, Thou art my portion, faith my foul. Either as to promife of obedience, Pfal. 119. 57. or dependance, Lam. 3. 24. Two outward witneffes are confcious to what is done between God and our fouls. So Pfal. 16.2. 0 my foul, thou haftPaid unto Gód, thou art my God: upon this inward foul covenantingdo all our priviledges depend t and if God knoweth ncit all things, nor engageth his heart to draw nigh unto him , How can this be ? 2. From the danger ofdijembling with God in ails of worship, or putting him off with feigned pretences. The Scripture fèts forth three phrafes, a mocking of God, a lying to God, and a tempting of God. A mocking of God, Gal. 6. 7. Be not deceived, God is not mocked:That is,lmpune,fhere is no efcaping the accurate fearch ofthe all - Peeing God. Ana- nias & Saphiras s fin was h1 pocrife,in keeping back part of what was devoted ;They would feem liberal and pious, as others who were joyned to the Church, and fo by a part of godlinefi leek to be excufed from the whole : And whileft they ob(etve externals, negle& internals,
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