SEAM. EMI HERE AND HEREAFTER. 227 when he had been meditating on his past and present circumstances in this respect, bothwhat he enjoyed here- tofore, and what he was deprived ofnow, he breaks out into a divine rapture : As the hart panteth after Me water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. And he goes on to describe the frame of his spirit in this holy song,: The substance and sense of the whole psalm is, as it were, epitomized and drawn up into these few words; when shall I come and appear before .God ? I shall not spend time to shew in how many senses man may be said to appear before God; but shall:content myself to say, that in this place it signifies attendance on public-worship, in the place where it was usually cele- brated and performed. In thewords of the Psalmist we may find the temper of his heart expressed under these two general heads. I. A belief of the special presence of God in his ordi- nances ofpublic-worship. II. An earnest longingafter them on that account. I shall enlarge a little oneach of these, and make re- marks as I go along, under each head. First, The words express David's firm belief of the special presence of God in his ordinances, insomuch that he calls an attendance on them, an appearance. before God. We are always in the view of God, and every, creature is naked and open in his sight, and for ever ap- pears before him as the all-seeing and all-knowing Crea- tor and governor of all things; but it is a peculiar, a gracious, and favourable presence of God that belongs to his sanctuary; his appointed worship; God is taking special notice of our carriage toward him, and manifest- ing his designs of special mercy towards us. David well knew this, that the great end of appointing public-worship, was, that there might be a communica- tion between God and man, who were so dreadfully se- parated by sin : He knew the gracious promise, that whereGod recorded his name there would he come and meet his people, and bless them, Ex. xx. 24\ Heknew what sensible tokens of divine .presence were found in the sanctuary ; there was the ark of God, and the mercy-seat that covered it, upon which God dwelt in a bright shining cloud between the golden cherubim, to signify his dwelling in light among . the glorious .angels Q
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