168 NEA$NESS TO GOD. the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, how much less any house that is built for thee ?" Yet the Lord is near to the churches of his saints, when they worship him ; he is near to all that call upon him, to all that call upon him intruth ; Ps. cxlv. 18. And his word is' near us, even in our hands, and on our lips ; that word which teachesus the way to approachGod, and ensures the blessedness. O give glory to God, the great and holy God, that he should ever be willing to let sinners approach him ; that the Majesty of Heaven, and the supreme Lord of all, who had been highly provoked by his rebellious creatures, should ever come into terms of reconciliation ; that he himself should provide a reèonciling sacrifice, to satisfy his oWn governing justice, and a reconciling spirit to reduce the rebel man to his obedienceand love. This divine condescension, O my soul, demands thy wonder and thy worship. 2. Adore the mysteryof the incarnation, andbless God incar- nate ; for this is the ground of all our habitual nearness to God, and all our actual approaches to him and heaven. It was the Son of God, who is one with the Father, that stooped down, and approached to our nature, and took a part of it into union with himself, that wemight approach to the Deity : No man cometh to the Father but by the Son ; John xiv. 6. For ever hadwe, the wretchedoffspring of Eve, been banished from the courts, and the presence of God, had not this man Jesus the Son of Mary, been caused first to draw near, and to dwell near ; and blessed be his name for ever. We rejoice with all the powers of our souls, to think how near to God the man Jesus is, for since he approaches the throne, we shall approach too; Rev. iii. 21. We shall be blessed through his blessedness ; Gal. iii. 8. 14. He was first chosen to draw near, and zee chosen in him ; Eph. i. 4. Nearness to God is still a matter ofdivine choice and distinction : He approaches to God above,, acceptedin his own spotless righteousness, and we in him : He is in a more transcendant manner one with God, and we must be united to God by him, and so madesomewhat like him ; John xvii. 24. When our Mediator approaches to the Father in worship, he, as our High-priest, bears the name of the whole church in heaven and earth, on his breast, and on his shoulders ; Ex. xxxviii. 12-29. Ínhis beauty of holiness,we unholy crea- tures 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 remember that whenso- ever you draw near to God in the courts ofhis house, it was Jesus who drew near first, it is Jesus whostill dwells near to make you
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