EVIDENCES OF FORGIVENESS. 1G7 of us in any part of his worship, should employ it to the same end. Hath God enlarged our hearts in prayer '? hath.he given us an answer to any of our supplications'? hath he refreshed our hearts in the preaching and dis- pensation of the word, or any other ordinance 1 We are not to rest in the particular about which we have been communing with him. Our doing so is the cause why we lose our experiences. They lie scattered up and down, separated from their proper root, and so are ea- sily lost. But this is what we should do : improve such particular experiences in the worship of God to the confidence that God has pardoned our sins and accept- ed our persons; for without trust in him, none of our worship or service can please him or be accepted. By prescribing worship, God lets us know that he deals with us upon new terms; so that, notwithstanding sin, we may enjoy his love and favor. For this we have the engagement of his truth, and he cannot deceive us; but by this command for his worship we should be de- ceived, if there were not forgiveness with him. For it gives us encouragement to expect, and assurance of finding acceptance with him, which without it cannot be obtained. This, then, God declares by his institu- tion of worship, namely, that there is nothing that shall indispensably hinder those who give up themselves to the obedience of God's commands, from enjoying his love and favor, and communion with him. The matter of-fact is known and confessed, that God bath appointed a worship for sinners to perform. Ail the institutions of the Old and NewTestament bear witness hereto. God was the author of them. And men know not what they do when they either neglect them, or would be intermixing their own imaginations with them. What can the mind of man conceive or invent in his worship that may have any influence to secure to the souls of believers their acceptance with Godl Is
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