DISCOURSE III. 583 true christian worship, such as God will accept ;; Eph. ii. 18. Both Jews and Gentiles have access by this one Spirit unto the Father, andboth grow up together as an holy temple in the Lord. We are all builded togetherfor an habitation of God through the Spirit; verse21, 22. 4. If we would see the nameof God yet further recorded upon his worship, " let us take care to awaken every christiati virtue and, grace into exercise, whensoever we are engaged in religious actions." Let us worship him in spirituality, and in sincerity of soul, God loves those only who adore him in spirit and in truth: Let us pay our honours to his Majesty, with great humility and self-abasement at his foot, rememberingwe are, not only feeble creatures made out of thedust, but sinful crea- tures bowing before an almighty being of perfect holiness : Let us pray to him with fervency of spirit, and awaken all the powers of our nature to attend upon his word, with devout re- verence and submission. 'When he speaks to us in the ministry thereof, we should diligently guard against every wandering thought, and keep out every flying vanity from our hearts. Let our hope in his promises be stedfast and lively, and our depend- ance be on his grace. Let us take heed, that we haveno false, or carnal, or hypocritical designs in our appearance before God, and our addresses to him ; but let it be our zealous and affec- tionate 'desire to glorify our heavenly Father, to honour our great Mediator, and to seek the eternal happiness of ourselves and our fellow-creatures. Where these things are found, God has certainly recorded his name : There he dwells in such an assembly, and will encourage every sincere worshipper. But this brings me to the last proposition. VII. " Wheresoever public worship is performed according to the will of' God, in the instances before-mentioned, we have everlasting encouragement to hope, that he will condescend to meet his people and bless them." His ancient promise, which he sent by Moses to his chosen people in my text, continues its force through all generations. It is in Sion, that he assures us often in the Old Testament, that he will meet his people : There he has commandedthe blessing, even lifefor evermore; Ps. cxxxiii. 3. Every gospel church, constituted according to the appoint- ment of Christ, is a little sanctuary, a little Sion, and hath the blessings of Sion belonging to it. Many of the promises,which are literally made to Israel, and Jerusalem, and mount Sion, are applied to christians, under the New Testament, by the apostles themselves ; and by their example, we are encouraged in the same manner to apply them. Our blessed Saviour himself also has given us assurance ; Mat. xviii. 20. That where two or three of his followers are met together in his name, and according to his institutions, there he
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=