115 / 514
$ERM. V1.3
SINS AND SORROWS
SPREAD BEFORE
GOD.
`
107
sake
of
Christ,
who has
purchased
all
the
blessings
of
the covenant,
that
a
saint
hopes to
receive
them
;
and
for the
sake
of Christ,
he pleads
that
God
would bestow
them.
But having
treated
largely on this subject,
in my
dis-
course,
entitled,
"A
Guide
to
Prayer,"
I
shall not re
peat
the same things here,
but
refer
the
reader
to the
first
chapter
of
that
book,
sect. 5.
It
remains
that
I
make a
few
useful reflections
on
the
whole foregoing discourse.
REFLEÇT1ON
I.
What
a
dull
and
uncomfortable a thing
is
religion,
with-
out
drawing
near
to
God
!
for this
is
the
very
business
for
which
religion
is
designed; the end and
aim
of
reli-
gion
is
getting nigh
to
God
;;
if it
attain not
this end,
it
is
nothing.
O the madness
of
hypocrites,
who satisfy
themselves
to toil
in
long forms
of
worship,
and
appear
perpetually
in
the shapes
of
religion,
but unconcerned
whether
they
ever get near
to
God
by
it or
no
!
They
lose
the
end
and
design for which
religion
was
made.
What
if
we
know all the
doctrines
of
the
gospel; what
if
we
cart
talk rationally about natural
religion
;
what
if
we
can
deduce
one
truth
from
another,
so
as to
spread
a
whole
scheme
of
godliness before
the
eyes
or
ears
of
those
we
converse
with
;
what
if
we
can prove all the
points
of
christianity, and
give
incontestable arguments for
the-
belief of
them
;
yet
we
have no religion,
if
our
souls
never
get
near
to
God
by
them. A
saint thinks
it
a very
melancholy thing
when he
is
at
a distance from God;
and cannot
tell
God
his
wants
and
sorrows.
Though he
be
never
so
much
studied
in divinity,
and
the
deep
things
of
God, yet
if
God
be
not
with
him;
if
he does
not
come
near
to
his
mercy -seat,
so
as to
converse with
him
as
his .friend,
the
soul
is
concerned. and
grieved,
and never rests
till this
distance
be
removed.
It
is
to
little purpose
that
we
get into churches,
join
in
the
fel-
lowship
of
the gospel,
and
attend
many seasons
of
prayer:
It
is
to very little
purpose
to
read chapters, and
to
hear
serinons, one day
after,
another
:
It
is
to
little
purpose
all
these forms
are maintained,
if
we
have
not
the substance and
power
of
godliness;;
if
our
God
be
not
near
us,
if
we
never
-get
near
to
God.