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BERM.
XI.1
THE
FELICITY
OF. CREATURES.
203
holiness,
we
unholy
creatures
are presented
before
God,
and
caused
to
approach
with glorious
acceptance.
Stand
still
here, O
ye
saints
of
the Most
High,
and
survey
your
privileges
and your
honours; and remem-
ber,
that
whensoever you draw
near
to
God
in
the 'courts
of
his house,
it
was
Jesus
who
drew
near
first,
it
is
Jesus
who still dwells
near
to make
you
acceptable: it
is
he
who
maintains the nearness
of
your
state,
and your peace
with
God,
by
ever presenting your natures
in
his
person:
He appears
in
the presence
of
God
for
us,
Heb.
ix.
24.
It
is
Jesus,
who, by his
Spirit,
lifts you
up near to
the
rather;
and
it
is
by
his
best beloved
and nearest
Son,
that
God
the
Father
-draws
near
'to
all
his
chil-
dren.
3.
Be
not
found amongst the mockers
of approach
to
God,
and holy converse
with him in
worship.
They de-
spise felicity itself. Such
there
have been
of
old,
and
such there are
in
our days; and
because they
are afar off
from
God
themselves, they
deny
all
nearness
to
him,
they
ridicule
our approaches
to
God,
as
the vain
effects
of a
wild
imagination, and the mere sensible commotions
of
a
warm
fancy.
But
is
it not
a
very
rational
and intelligible thing,
for
a
soul
in
public worship,
so to
-draw
near
to
God,
as to
learn more
of
him,
and
to know
more of
his
perfections
and
graces
than
he knew
before? May
not
such
a
wor-
shipper
have
his love
to
God
raised and warmed
by
such
advancing knowledge
!
And
may he
not
arise,
by
holy
inferences, to a livelier and
surer
hope
that
he
is
belov
ed
of God
too,
and
solace
himself
in
this
assurance?
What
is
there
in all
this
which
is
not
perfectly agreeable
to
reason,
or
that
should provoke
an-
impious
jest?
But
let
such have
a
care, lest they blaspheme
God
and
his
Spirit
;
let
them
take
heed,
lest they
be
thrust
.down
to
hell,
and
set
at
a
dreadful distance from God, without
remedy,
who
deride
the
joy of
heaven
4.
Take
heed
of
those deceits
of
being above
ordi-
nances,
lest
you
lose
true happiness
throu,h
pride and
vain conceit.
Abandon the
vain fancy
of
living
nearer
to
God
in
the neglect
of
them.
God
is
glorious
in
him-
self,
but
he
has
appointed
ordinances,
as
means where-
by
we
may
approach
and
see
him.
Some
stars,
though
large in
themselves,
yet are
not
visible
without glasses;