586 THE HOLINESS OF PLACES OF WORSHIP. being made: new creatures. Shall I take the freedom to address you, more particularly, who belong to this congregation, and who usually meet together for divine services ? Fathers and masters, do you bring your families with you to theplace of worship, and never concern yourselves, whether this blessing of Sion attend your household ? Whether your children or your servants be born again there ; Or, whether they continue still in their state of nature, guilt, and wretchedness ? Tender mothers, are you contented to have your sons and daughters attend you to the solemn assembly, and still be the children of the first Adam, in all the ruins of his fall, the children of Satan and the children of wrath ? And cart eyes look upon them with satisfaction and pleasure, and never drop a tear of pity on their circumstan- ces, while they are not yet become the sons and daughters of the living God? Speak each of you to your own hearts in secret, and charge them never to be at rest in a thoughtles indolence, never to cease your addresses to the mercy-seat till you can see some of the happy effects of this promise manifested to your- selves, and to all that are near and dear to you. 3. It is foretold concerning Sion and the church of God, that the crown of David shall flourish there, that his horn shall be made to bud, and his enemies be clothed with shame ; Psal. cxxxii. Ií3. Jesus Christ, the true David, shall have his head crowned with glory and honour, in the assemblies of his people, where God has recorded his name. Here shall he receive the first homage of numerous subjects ; they shall be madea willing people in the day of his power; Psal. cx. 3. Hither shall they come from the family of sin, and Satan, and death, and here shall they be made living subjects of Jesus their king. His horn shall bud, his power shall reveal itself, he shall havea new seed to serve him, growing up continually under the instructions of the sanctuary. The Lord shall send the rod of his strength out of Zion, and Jesus shall rule and reign in the midst of his enemies, and melt and soften the hearts of thousands of them into willing subjects. Satan, hisgrand enemy, shall be put to shame, by the loss of so many souls out of his dominions : All his arts of mis- chief to ruin mankind shall be confounded ; the church of Jesus our king shall never be lost or die, thegates of hell shall not pre- vail against it ; Mat. xvi. 18. I persuade myself this promise hasbeen fulfilled and acknowledged in your former place of wor- ship':.Jesus your king has beenhonoured in all his variousoffices, graces and glories. His empire has been enlarged by the addi- tion of many subjects : Your own souls are thankful witnesses of his grace, and we cannot but hope and pray, that this new- erected building, and those that attend on God here, shall be wit- nessess of the same honours done to theblessed Saviour, and a large increase of his kingdom.
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