Q34 APPEARANCE BEFORE GOD. [SEI}M. RIII. this salvation, I surrendered myself as the subject of his saving grace: And though now I behold God in the same glorious and dreadful attributes as before, and behold myself still defiled and sinful, yet I humbly dare appear before him daily and hourly, for Jesus is my in- tercessor, he is my propitiation, he is the Lord my right- eousness, and my God sits upon a mercy -seat sprinkled with the blood of this heavenly sacrifice. My sins are .many and great, and the matter of my daily groaning; I hear the threatenings and curses of his holy law, but they affright me not from his presence; for in the name of my Mediator I come, who hath borne the curse for me : With humble penitence, and with a lively faith, I draw near to a reconciled God, and give eternal thanks t2, Reconciler." (IV. Remark. What a blessing it is to have many houses of God in the nation where we dwell, and those houses of God near us? God may say to us, as to Is- rael, Deut. xxx. 12. Say not, who shall ascend into heaven to bring the word to us, that we may hear it ? Or, who shall go over the sea? &c. for the word is very nigh to us. We need not travel so far as the Jews, three times every year, to public worship; and yet they went from strength to strength ; till they appeared before God in Zion, Ps. lxxxiv. 7. Consider some nations where God is not worshipped aright, and hath no dwelling- place consider how far some poor creatures come even in this island, many miles from their own dwelling, to appear before God in his ordinances ; but God seats his throne, as it were at our doors ; there are many syna- gogues of God in our land, for us to appear before him, and many near us, in the city where we dwell, and near us too in this place of retirement. How valuable, a privilege is it to dwell in a religious family, in a house of God, where there is a church in the house, as Phil. ver. 2. where we often appear before God ? How gladly would many persons (who are in . better circumstances in the world than some of us enjoy) exchange those better circumstances for spiritual advan- tages such as we have; But some of you perhaps may say,.. " We may be saved without so much religion, with- , out so much ado about the worship of God in families or in churches." Let me tell you, if a religious family
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