h68 THE HOLINESS OF PLACES OF WORSHIP. mansion to dwell in, ye shall worship me, said' he, upon an altar of earth, such as may be easily set up or took down without ex- pence of time and money : This shall be more acceptable to me than altarsof hewn or polished stone, with all the ornaments and fineries which you can contrive. It is God's own appointment of the forms and instruments of his own worship, that makes that worship acceptable tel him, whether the materials be of earth or gold. III. When God had briefly mentioned this matter of duty to the people, be adds a` rich promise of grace. In all, places where I record my name, I will cone unto thee, and Iwill bless thee. St. Paulobserves ; Eph. vi. 2. that honour thyfather and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land, is thefirst commandment with a promise, and a faw hours and minutes after that command was given, this order to worship-God according to his own appointment, was sent to them ; and it maybe properly called the second commandment with promise ; and a glorious promise it is indeed, of the presence of God with his people, to encourage to an exact and.punctual performance of all his insti- tutions in their worship. Now let me take a short survey of these words of promise, and explain them briefly in general terms. By God's recording bis own name, we are here to understand, his appointing any thing relating to leis honour by his own authority, or his giving some notice how or where he wouldbe worshippedby men ;- what place he has fixed, or what forms of adoration he bath stamped with his own name and authority : And wheresoever these his institutions are celebrated in all their appointed forms, there the name of God is recorded., By his owls coming to his people, which hehas here promised, we must understand, his favourable discoveries of himself to those who worshipbins in the place and manner which he ordains: and this he has often done by some signals . of his own gracious presence with them. He will let them know that he approves them, favours them and resides amongst them. By his blessing his people, he intends to signify, that he will not only accept the worship which is paid to him ac- cording to his own appointment, but the will make their attend- ances upon him effectual for some blessed ends : He will bestow those blessings of the covenant of grace, which are sought for by his people in their attendance on his worship. Now that we may raise such meditations from these words asmay suit our present purpose of beginning to wait upon God in a new erected place of worship, permit me to lead your thoughts along in order by thefollowing propositions : I. ". That God who has ordained his own worship, together with the special modes and forms of it, has often in ancient times appointed the particular place of his worship, on single Or
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