PART i. SERMON XIII. 19 pleased to lead and, draw one to Christ, I saw such an all-suffici- ciencyof atonement and righteousness in him, that would answer all the demandsthat divine justice had upon me ; I joyfully ac- cepted of this salvation, I surrendered myself as the subject of his saving grace : And though now I behold God in the same glorious and dreadful attributes as before, and behold myself still defiled and sinful, yet I humbly dare appear before him daily and hourly, for Jesus is my intercessor, he is mypropitiation, he is the Lord my righteousness, and my God sits upon a mercy-seat sprinkled with the blood of this heavenly sacrifice. My sins are many and great, and the matter of my daily groaning ; I hear the threatenings and curses of his holy law, but they afliight me not from his presence; for in the name of my Mediator I come, who hath borne the curse for me : With humble penitence, and witha lively faith, I draw near to a reconciled God, and give eter- nal thanks to the Reconciler." IV. Remark. What a blessing it is tohave many houses of God in the nation where we dwell, and those housesof God near us! God may say to us, as to Israel ; Deut. xxx. 12. " Say not who shall ascend into heaven tobring the word to us, that we mayhear it? Or, who shall go over the sea, &c. for the word is very nigh tous." We need not travel so far as the Jews, three times every year, fo public worship ; and yet they " went from strength to strength, till they appeared before God in Zion ;" Ps: lxxxiv. 7. Consider some nations where God is not worshipped aright, and bath no dwelling.place ; consider how farsome poor creatures come even in this island, many miles from their own dwelling, to appear before God in his ordinances ; but God seats his throne, as it were, at our doors : thereare many synagogues of God inour land, for us to appear before him, and many near us in the city where we dwell, and near us too in this place of retirement. How valuable a privilege is it to dwell in a religious family, in a house of God,. where there is a church in the house, as Phil, verse 2. where we often appear before God ? How gladlywould manypersons (who are in better circumstances in the world than some of us enjoy) exchange those better circumstancesfor spiri- tual advantages such as we have : But some of you perhaps may say, " We may be saved Without so much religion, withoutso muchado about the worship of God in families or in churches." Let me tell you, if a religious family be not a pleasure to you, heaven itself cannot afford you pleasure ; for that is but onegreat religious family, of which Jesus Christ is the head : And if the business of that place be not your delight, you shall never have a' place there. Shall I ask the servants of this house, when you are called c 2
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