VERM. v.1 THE SOUL DRAWING NEAR TÓ GOD. 83 seat, I would order my causebefore him, I would plead with him." The soul that gets near to God, sees him sitting upon a seat of judgment, as an omniscient God : he looks like the judge of all the earth, and his eyes are like a flame of fire to search our souls to the centre, and to know our most hidden thoughts : the soul then at- tempts no more to conceal itself, no more to hide its guilt or its wretchedness ; for it beholds those eyes of God that see through all things, that search into the deepest hypocrisy, and it is impossible that any thing should be concealed from him. " Behold I am before that God, says the soul, before whom nothing can he hid; before whom all things are naked and open; and it is with him that I have to do; therefore I open my heart before.him, and I spread open all my inward pow- ers, for he. sees and knows them all, should I attempt to conceal them." I behold him in his infinite and inflexible justice, as well as in his all.seeing knowledge; and I cry out,. If thou, O Lord, shouldest mark iniquity, O Lord who should stand ?" Ps. cxxx. 3. This is the language of the holiest saint getting near to God here on earth, as seated upon a seat of judgment." Thesoul beholds him also as girt with resistless' power to execute his own laws; and the thunder of his power, says Job, who can understand ? xxvi. 14. He has ar- mies of angels, ministers of fire, attendants on his tri- bunal, and swift to execute the sentence of his mouth. The saint sees him thus invested, thus surrounded, and adores and fears before him. The soul beholds himwith rewards in one hand, and . punishments in the other; infinite rewards, and in-, finite punishments ; ,distributing to the unseen world perpetual blessedness, and perpetual pains. " I behold him arrayed in this glory, saith the saint, I expect my sentence from his lips, from whence eternal blessings, and eternal curses, are dispensed to all the regions of heaven and hell; but he will not plead against me with his great power; the sentence that comes forth from his mouth, I trust,* shall be on my side. 3. He appearsas sitting upon a throne of grace. The majesty and judgment that belong tohis seat, do not for- bid mercy to attend him ; he sits upon a seat of mercy, d
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