108 THIRD SERMON might see and admire the stones of the temple without, who was not admitted to view the gold and curious workmanship within. The more intimate communion a man hath with God as a Redeemer, the more glo- rious and abundant praises can he render unto him. Besides, praise is the language of heaven ; the whole happiness of the saints there is to enjoy God, and their whole business is to praise him. And they who are to live in another country will be more solicitous to learn the language, and fore - acquaint themselves with the manners and usages of that country, than they who have no hopes nor assurance of coming thither. As they who have hope to be like Christ in glory will purify themselves, that they may in the mean time be like him in grace, ] John iii. 2, 3. so they that have hope to praise him for ever in heaven, will study the song of Moses and of the Lamb before they come thither. And indeed none can praise God but they that can abase and deny themselves ; wicked men in all duties serve and seek themselves. But the very formality of praise is to seek God, and to make him the end of our so doing. The apostle exhorts us "to offer ourselves a living sacrifice," Rom. xii. 1. that is to say, to separate ourselves for God and for his uses. The sacrifice we know was God's ; for his sake it was burnt, and broken; and destroyed. We must by such sacrifices, deny ourselves, be lost to ourselves, not serve, nor seek, nor aim at ourselves ; but re- solve to esteem nothing dear in comparison of God's honour, and to be willing any way, whether by life or by death, that he may be magnified in us, Acts xxi. 13. Phil. i. 20. Love of communion in natural creatures is stronger than self -love ; stones will move upward, fire downward, to preserve the universe from avacuity, and to keep the system of nature together. How
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=