217 / 514
SERM.
XII.
THE SCALE
OF
BLESSEDNESS.
209
Christ. This
is
the
great
end
of
all
the privileges before
-
mentioned,
which
either Jew
or
Gentile
;ere
partakers
of:
This
was
the design
of
all the
approaches
that.
God
made
towards them.
Peace
and salvation were
preached
to
those which were
afar
off,
and
to them
that
were nigh,
and
Christ died
to
reconcile both unto
God;
and
that
through
him
both might have an
access
by
one
Spirit
unto
the
Father.,
Eph.
Vii.
16, 17, 18.
1Vhy
are
ail the
alluring glories
of
the
Lord
displayed before
us, in
his
gospel,
but
that
we
might
be
drawn
to
love
him? Why
are these wonderous manifestations
of
his
grace made
to
us,
but
that
we
might become the objects
of
his love,
and
taste
of
his
special goodness.
Happy
persons
«rho
are
weary
of
their
old
estrange-
ment
from
God,
who have
heard
and have received
the
offers
of
his
mercy, who have
made
their
solemn
ap-
proaches
to
God
by
Jesus
the
Mediator,
and
are
joined
to the
Lord
in
a sweet
and
everlasting-
covenant
!..Hap,
py
creatures,
who
behold the beauties
of their Maker's
face with
double pleasure, who
love him with all
their
souls,
and
begin
to taste
the love
of
his
heart
too
!
This
is
a
matter of
special privilege.
Blessed
are the men
who
are
thus
chosen
by
divine grace, and whom he has
caused
to
approach
to
himself
by
the
converting
power
of
his own
Spirit!.
Let
them come,
let them
come,
and
give
up
their
names
to his
churches;
let, them take up
their
places,
and
dwell in his
courts
on
earth, and thus
make
á
nearer approach
to his
court
of
heaven.
O
that
sinners
would
once
be
convinced
that there are
divine pleasures
in
religion,
and joys
which the
stranger
intermeddles
not
with
!
O
that
they
would
be
once
brought
to
believe,
that
happiness consists
in
approach-
ing
to
God
!
That
they would but
give
credit
to
the
re-
port
of
wise
and
holy men, who
have
lived in
humble con-
verse
with
God
many years
!
What
a
sacred
and supe-
rior
pleasure
it
is,
above all the joys
of
sense, to
love
the great
and
blessed
God,
and
to know
that
he loves
me! To
walk all the
day
in
the light
of
his
countenance
!
To
have
hirn
near
me as
a counsellor,
whose
advice
I
may ask
in
every
difficulty
of
life
!
To
be
ever
near
lh
m
as
my
guard, and to
fly
from every
danger
to
the wing
of
his
protection! To
have such an almighty
Friend
with
VOL.
I.
g