Sermon II - God Will be Sanctified in Those Who Draw Near to Him
he hath aiming at himself. Take heed of that, I believe you have had but little occasion of such a temptation in this place. But, however this I know, it is the duty of the Ministers of God to be sure to bring nothing but the fire of the Spirit of God, the fire that they have from the Altar, their tongues being touched with one of these coals, and not that they should come with their own passions to further the righteousness of God, no, "the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousness of God." There are some other particulars which being laid down we shall come to the three main points.
Sermon II God Will be Sanctified in Those Who Draw Near to Him
LEVITICUS 10:3
I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh Me.
We began these words the last day, and showed the scope of them, and opened the meaning of them, and spoke of divers notes of observation that we gathered from this story of Nadab and Abihu, and of God's dealing with them. From the general story of it, there were many points of notable observation that were drawn from thence. I'll add some more now, and so come to the main doctrinal point in the Text.
A further note of observation is this: that many times even the dear Saints of God do meet with very sore and grievous afflictions in their children. That the most eminent saints of God are not freed from very grievous afflictions even in their children, it was one of the sorest afflictions that almost ever any saint of God met with all in his children. This affliction of Aaron at this time that two of his sons,
and (as I told you the last day) renowned men in Israel, newly consecrated to the office of priesthood, that the very first day they came to offer in their office, they were struck before all the people with fire from heaven and consumed. Oh, what a sad affliction was it to Aaron, their father, when he saw his sons in such a manner destroyed by God himself!
Consider of this you that have children and are ready to murmur and complain of every little affliction that is upon you in respect of your children. If so be that your children be but a little sick, or there be any miscarriage of them, you think it is a heavy hand of God; but especially if God take away your children by death, then you mourn and will not be comforted. Yea, but though God have taken away your children by death, yea perhaps it may be by a violent death, as being drowned, etc., yet they have not been struck with fire from heaven by God and they have not been of such public use.
These here were renowned men and taken away in their very sin too; your children which have gone upon their lawful employments, and God hath taken away their lives, there's no such cause of murmuring here; but when God takes away children in their sins, and in such a way as by fire from heaven; thus, God took away Aaron's children, and he was as dear to God as you are. And yet thus God deals with His saints; with Aaron in regard of his children, and with his elder children and with two of them together. This example may be enough to still and quiet the hearts of men and women that are afflicted in respect of any calamity befalls their children. You see what a hand of God is against the very children of Aaron.
A further note is this, that God's judgements we see sometimes, though the effect of them be visible, yet they come in an invisible way. For you shall find if you read on in this story, that they were smote with fire from heaven, but it did not appear what fire, for it did not so much as consume their clothes, nor their bodies, but went through and struck them dead, and nobody could tell how. God's judgements do come in a way that is invisible. If it had been in a
visible flame of fire all would have seen it, and it would have burnt their clothes, or their bodies; but you shall find in verse 5 that they were carried away from the sanctuary in their clothes, they were not burnt.
Another note is this, that though the lives of men be dear and precious to God, yet they are not so precious as His glory. The glory of His Name is a thousand thousand times more dear unto God than the lives of thousand thousands of people; the lives of Nadab and Abihu must go that God may be sanctified. If it comes so in the way
(as I may so say) the lives of men and the sanctifying of God's Name, the glory of God must pass on, and must have its course; let the lives of men go which way they will.
We think much to have the lives of men taken away; but if we know what the glory of God meant, and what infinite reason there is that God should be gloried in, we would not think it much that the lives of never so many men should go for the glory of God. 'Tis mercy that our lives have not gone many times for God's glory. How often might
God have glorified Himself in taking away our lives? We have cause to bless Him, that our lives have been preserved so long as they have.
Again, note that the nearer any men are to God, the more they had need take heed that they glorify Him, for they must expect to be spared the less if they sin against Him. Nadab and Abihu, the priests of God, and they came near to God, yet by their transgression.
Though I told you we do not find in any place of Scripture directly in words that this fire is forbidden, but they should have gathered God's mind by consequence, and therefore by the way I only note that we must not think to urge upon men in all things strict commands in very words, but if it be commanded so as we may draw it by any consequence, it's a command; as now here for the negative, they had not a negative prohibition in words, yet they had it by consequence.
So, for the affirmative, though we have not the affirmative in express words, yet if we may have it by consequence, it is an affirmative as well as the negative when we have it by consequence.
But now the note of observation is that the nearer any comes to God, if they sin against Him, they must not expect to be spared. Do not think that God will spare you the more because you are professors of religion, or because you do often worship Him. I suppose you that are acquainted with Scripture know that place in Amos 3:2, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities."
Another note is this, that when a judgement is exemplary, then we should have recourse to the Word of God, to see how God doth make
His Word good in that judgement. So Moses doth, "This is that which the Lord hath said." Do you see any remarkable hand of God in the execution of a judgement upon one, have recourse to God's Word, and presently begin to think this, what is there in God's Word against that sin that this man hath been guilty of? If you see a judgement of God upon a drunkard, remember the threats in the Word of God against drunkenness, and so the judgements of God upon unclean persons, swearers, Sabbath breakers, liars, or any profane and ungodly persons, have recourse to the judgements of God threatened in the Word against such; and so likewise concerning scorners and opposers of religion, remember what is said in the Word of God against such, and so learn to sanctify God's Name. We might have mentioned some particular threats of God against particular sinners for the helping of you, that when you see exemplary judgements to have recourse to the Word of God. But we let that pass.
A further note from this story is this, that the great honor that God intends to His Name, it is the making of His Name holy. I will be sanctified in them that draw nigh Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.
As if Moses should say in God's Name, I must and will have glory from the people, and how? By making My Name appear to be holy, this is the glory that I stand upon above all other things, that My
Name may appear to be holy, that I may appear to be a holy God. I beseech you brethren consider of this, God stands upon nothing
more than to appear to all the world to be a holy God, there's the glory of God's Name in an eminent way, God doth not so much stand upon this, to appear to be a strong God, to appear to be a powerful
God, to be a God of patience, long-suffering, God doth not so much stand to be an omniscient God, though these attributes are dear to God, but that He may appear to be a holy God, that He stands upon.
Whatever glory of the Name of God, that God shall be content to have eclipsed in the world for a while, yet He is resolved He will have the glory of His holiness above all things. And therefore, the Angels when they are celebrating the glory of God, they do not say, Lord
Almighty, Almighty, Almighty or Lord Omniscient, Omniscient, Omniscient, but Holy, Holy, Holy. Those three together, the holiness of God, therein appears the glory of God above all. God stands upon it that He will appear to be a holy God.
Oh, that those who profess themselves to be the servants of God, that they would especially endeavor to hold forth God's holiness; you that are near to God, you that hope you are God's children, and make profession of His Name, labor you to hold forth the glory of His holiness above all things, in your holy lives and conversations. For God stands upon this, to have His Name to be sanctified. "I will he sanctified," says God, "and I will be glorified," so He doth interpret the glory of His Name by being sanctified. As if God should say, that's the glory that I look for, that My Name may be extolled as holy.
And therefore, the very first petition that Christ teaches us to pray in the Lord's prayer, it is, "Hallowed be Thy Name," which is all one with this, sanctified be Thy Name. Oh, let the Name of God appear to be holy in the world. That's another note, that these two are joined together, I'll be sanctified in those that draw nigh Me, and I will be glorified before the people.
Again observe, that it is the part of true friendship, to help friends in their distresses, and seek to comfort them from the Word.
Though we ourselves be in afflictions, yet we should seek to comfort our friends that are in greater afflictions, and to comfort them by the
Word, for so did Moses. Moses comes to comfort Aaron and applies the Word, "This is that which the Lord hath said, 'I will be sanctified.'" Now mark, no question Moses was afflicted upon this heavy hand of God, for he was their uncle; but though it was heavy upon the uncle, yet it was heavier upon the father, and therefore though Moses was troubled, yet he knew that Aaron was more troubled, and therefore he goes to Aaron and seeks to comfort him, and he makes use of the Word in his comforting of him.
Learn this then, to go and comfort your brethren, for Aaron was Moses' brother; go and comfort them in their afflictions and think not because that you have some afflictions upon you that therefore you should not be a comfort to your brethren. Their affliction is greater than yours, and when you come to comfort them, come not in a mere carnal way and say, brother you must be content; but you must come and apply somewhat of the Word of God to comfort them and say, this is that which the Lord hath spoke. And to that end you should labor to be exercised in the Word of God, that so you may be able to go to your brethren and comfort them in any affliction for there is no particular affliction but there is some Word of God that is suitable to that particular affliction, and those who are well exercised in the Word of God, they can apply some Word to every affliction.
And indeed, this is an excellent friend, and such a friend is worth his weight in gold, that can come to another friend in any affliction and ever more hath somewhat of the Word of God to apply to that affliction.
The last observation is this, that Aaron held his peace. From whence we may note that there is no such way to quiet a gracious heart under any afflictions in the world as that God will fetch out His honor by it.
It is grievous to me, but God fetches out His glory and honor by it.
The applying of the Word, and the consideration that God hath His way to fetch out His glory in our afflictions is the only way to quiet a gracious heart. All these points might take up a great deal of time, but I will let them pass and come to the main point of all, "I will be
sanctified in all those that come nigh Me." There are these three points in these words:
1 First, that in the worship of God, men and women draw nigh to God.
2 Secondly, that we ought to sanctify God's Name in drawing nigh to Him.
3 Thirdly, that if we do not sanctify it, God will sanctify His own Name upon us.
First, that in worshipping of God, there is a drawing nigh to God.
Quest. Why, is not God in every place?
Answ. Yes certainly, we can never be in any place, but we are nigh to God, God stands by us and looks upon us. It is not only when you are worshipping of God that you are nigh Him, but when you sin against Him, when thou art swearing, profaning His Name, His Day,
God stands and looks upon thee, thou art nigh Him. And it may be said or written upon every place what was said of the City in the last words of the prophecy of Ezek. 48:35, "The name of the city was
Jehovah-Shammah," that is, "The Lord is There," the Lord Jehovah He is there, He is present in this place. Oh, that you would remember when you are in any place, that the name of that place is JehovahShammah, The Lord is There. "In Him we live, we move and have our being." Therefore, we are always nigh Him, yea, but though we are always nigh God in regard of that essential presence of His, yet there is a more peculiar and special drawing nigh to God in the duties of His worship, and that the Scripture seems to hold forth unto you. First, I'll show you how the Scripture holds it forth, and then in what respects the creature may be said to draw nigh to God in holy duties of worship; for so it was here they were coming to offer incense.
1 That we do draw nigh to God in holy duties, see James 4:8, "Draw nigh to God" (so that you may be nearer God than you were) that is, by holy services, and holy duties, and hence it is in Psalm 95:2, "Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving", so that there is a more peculiar coming before God's presence when we come to worship Him than at other times. And verse 6, "O Come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker." So, in Psalm 100:2, "Let us come before His presence with singing" for that's one part of the worship of God. But the Scripture is plain, that there is a special coming before God when we are coming to worship
Him, and in this respect the servants of God in Psalm 148:14 are said to be "a people near unto Him." It is a very remarkable expression and sets forth much the honor of the saints of God. There's the commendation of the excellent estate of the saints. "He also exalteth the horn of His people, the praise of all His saints, even the children of Israel, a people near unto Him." The saints of God, the children of Israel, the Church of God are said to be a people near to God. Why near him? Because that they worship God, they are much exercised in the worship of God. This is one respect though there may be divers others mentioned, yet in respect of their coming so much before God in His worship, therefore they are near God.
Quest. Near Him! Why, in what respects may a man be said to draw nigh to God when he worships Him?
Answ. To that I answer, there are three respects in which a man when he is worshipping of God may be said to draw nigh to God:
1 First, because when we come to worship God, we come to tender up that homage and service unto Him, that is due from us as creatures to the infinite Creator; that's the very end of worship. If you would know what it is to worship God, it is this.
You come to tender up that homage and respect that is due from the creature to the Creator. Now when a subject comes to tender up his homage to his Prince, he comes towards him, when he doth it
immediately. So, we have none to tender it up by but Jesus Christ, and when we tender it up, we must come ourselves too, for Christ doth not take our service and tender it up to God and we be absent.
But we must come with Christ, and Christ takes us by the hand and so tenders it up to the Father while we are in presence, so that we are said to come nigh to God in that respect, because of the immediate tendering up of that worship of ours to God; I call it immediate in respect of any creature. But in respect of Christ, indeed He is a Mediator to do it, but yet He doth it in a spiritual way, and we have to do with none but God through Jesus Christ in the tendering up of our worship to Him.
We may make use of an institution that God hath appointed, but we do not tender up our worship to God through that creature, but in the use of that creature we do come to God, and our souls are to tender up that respect we owe to God immediately. Therefore, in Levit. 21:21 it is said of the priests in their sacrifices, when they were to come to worship God, "no man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire." So that when any come to offer any offerings of the Lord made by fire, it appears he came nigh to God. He came to bring a present to God, therefore he comes nigh. So, when we come to offer our spiritual sacrifices unto God, we come nigh to God to offer; it's the offering of a sacrifice to God. And that's the first thing, because the creature comes to bring a present to God, therefore he is said to draw nigh.
And secondly, the soul is said to draw nigh to God in holy duties, because it doth present itself before God in those ways through which God doth use to communicate His choice, precious, most excellent and glorious mercies to His people. I say, when we come to worship God, we come to set ourselves before God in those ways that God doth use to communicate the choice, most excellent and glorious rich mercies that He hath to communicate to His creature.
When we have to deal with creatures, as meat and drink and our outward businesses, we have to do with God in them; but when we come to worship God, we come to present ourselves before Him in those things that He doth use to let out Himself though in a more special and glorious manner to the souls of His people. What's the reason why heaven is said to be the presence of God, and why those that are in heaven are said to live with God? There they behold the face of God and are before Him in a special manner. Therefore, when Christ teaches us to pray, He teaches us to look up to heaven and to say, "Our Father which art in heaven," etc. Now certainly the essential presence of God is on earth as truly and really as in heaven, and God is not so as to have one part in one place, and another in another, but all God is in every place. But the reason why God is said to be in heaven, it is because the Lord makes known Himself there in a more glorious manner than in any other place, and therefore heaven is the presence of God in a more special way.
Now then if the communication of God unto a creature be enough to make the presence of God more special, if this be enough to make a creature to live with God, and to be before His face, because they are there where God doth most communicate Himself, then certainly when we come to worship God we come to be near God, and be with God because the duties of His worship are those means that the Lord hath appointed for the letting out of Himself in the glory of His goodness and mercy to His people. You may expect other manner of communication of God's goodness through the duties of His worship than in any other way. And that's the second respect wherein you may be said to draw nigh to God in holy duties.
Thirdly, you may be said to draw nigh to God because then we should (and if we worship God as we ought, we do) act our faith and humility, and all the graces of the Spirit. We do act them, as it were, upon God when we come to worship Him. That's required in every duty of worship, that you should stir up the faculties of your souls, and all the graces of the Spirit of God, and you should act them upon God when you are worshipping of Him. Tis not enough to come with
grace when you come to worship God, but there must be an acting of that grace upon God.
And so we find in Scripture that the acting of grace upon God, it is a drawing near to Him, therefore in Isaiah 29:13 the Lord complains there, "This people draws near to Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me," as if God should say, Indeed they come and speak to Me, and therefore they think they draw nigh to Me, but I expect that their hearts should be acting upon Me; that's the meaning. And in Zeph. 3:2, God complains there of His people that they did not draw near to Him as they should; and it appears plainly, it was from hence that their graces did not act so upon God as they ought, "She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God." So that acting faith upon God is a drawing nigh to God, and so acting any grace upon God is a drawing nigh to God.
Now when is there a time for the acting of our graces upon God so as when we come to worship God? And therefore in Isa. 64:7, the Lord complains there that no man did stir up himself to take hold on Him.
When we come to worship God, we should stir up ourselves to take hold of God. And thus, you see in what respects the soul may be said to draw nigh to God when it comes to worship him.
Now for the application of this point, and it is in divers particulars.
The first is this: Hence learn what you do when you come to worship God and consider of it every time you come to perform any act of worship. Truly this one thing would be of marvelous use, and it would help forward to the next point of sanctifying of God's Name.
This you are all convinced of, that it is your duty to worship God.
When you pray you come to worship God; when you come to hear His Word, you come to worship Him; and when you receive the sacrament you worship Him. Now if I should come from one end of the congregation to the other and ask every one of you this question, it is your duty to worship God, is it not? Yes, that you will all be ready to answer. And what do you do when you worship God? I fear that
this second question would gravel many. You will say, we must pray to God, and serve Him, and hear His word, and go to the communion. Yea, but what do your souls do in this work of worshipping of God? This should be the answer, and so you should think with yourselves, and charge this upon your own hearts: I am now going to worship God, either in prayer, word, or sacraments. I am now going to tender up that homage that is due from a creature to the infinite Creator, so that I must so pray, as I must manifest that high respect that I owe to God as my Creator. But that I shall speak to more afterward. Only now remember this, that you do profess every time you go to prayer, that you go to tender up that homage that you owe unto God and so every time you come to hear the Word, there is a profession that you come to tender up that respect and homage that you owe to the infinite God, and so likewise when you come to receive the sacrament. Now when we come to offer a present to men, we know how we prepare, and with what suitable presence we desire to offer, but of that afterward when we come to speak of sanctifying God's Name.
2 Secondly, remember, when I come to worship God, I come to set myself before the Lord in those ways that God doth let out the choice of His mercies to His people in. I have many mercies from God in the enjoyment of the creature, but when I come to worship Him, I expect the communication of His mercy in another way than through any creature in the world. The duties of His worship are the chief channels that God doth let out the choicest of His mercies to the hearts of His people through, and now I am going to worship Him, I am going to present myself before God. Indeed, there is a little glimmering of the light of God through other creatures to me, but the glorious beams of the light of God is through the duties of His worship.
3 And then thirdly, I am now going to act my soul upon God, so that if I have any abilities to close with God, to act my soul upon Him, it must be put forth now at this time. I am indeed at all times to labor to enjoy communion with God, when I see the creatures, the Sun and
Moon and stars to labor to lift up my heart to God, and when I see the glory of God in the sea, and for my meat and drink I am to bless
God, and to acknowledge God in all; but now when I come to worship God, then all the strength of my soul is to be acted upon God in a more special manner; I must then above all labor to stir up whatsoever I have in my soul to act upon God. This is now to worship
God.
Secondly, if to worship God, be to draw nigh to God, hence we see the reasons why guilty consciences have little mind to the duties of God's worship. When a man or woman hath given liberty to any licentious way and sinned against their consciences, if they have any light in their consciences, it is one of the most tedious things in the world to come to the duties of God's worship; they had rather do anything than to come to holy duties, as to prayer and especially to secret prayer. A man or woman that hath an enlightened conscience and is under the guilt of sin, the coming to God in holy duties is a very grievous burden to them. Why? Here's the reason, because to worship God is to draw nigh to God, and the guilt that is upon them hath made the presence of God terrible to them, and therefore they had rather go into their company and be merry, eat, drink, sport, or anything rather than to come into God's presence.
We know how it was with Adam, when God appeared in the Garden and called to him, he ran to hide himself. Why? Because he had guiltiness upon him. Oh, the evil that the guilt of sin brings upon the soul, it makes the presence of God terrible! The presence of God it should be more comfortable to us than our lives, but our sin makes
God's presence grievous and terrible. A child sometimes, when it hath offended the father and is conscious to itself of the offence that it hath given the father, it had rather be in the kitchen among the servants than to come into the hall or parlor where the father is, because it hath offended him. And so it is with a guilty conscience, when it is conscious to itself of some haunt of evil that it hath given itself unto; it hath no mind at all of coming into the presence of the Father but hangs off.
My brethren, the very presence of God in the communion of His saints is terrible to a guilty conscience, the very looking upon a godly man is terrible to a guilty conscience. When as thou hast been abroad, etc., been loose, etc., wicked in thy ways, I appeal to thy conscience; when thou comest into the presence of some holy gracious man or woman that lives close with God, doth it not daunt thee? Now is the presence of God in the very faces of His saints terrible to a guilty conscience? How terrible is the presence of God in His ordinances then? Indeed, those men and women whose consciences are not enlightened, but are ignorant and sottish, they can sin against God and go into His presence without any trouble; you shall have men swear and be drunken overnight and come to the sacrament the next day, what's the reason? Because there is no light in their consciences; their consciences are in darkness, they are besotted in their sin; but I speak now of one who hath an enlightened conscience, the presence of God is terrible to such a one.
A third use is this; here is the reason why hypocrites do meet with such vengeance from God as they do. I confess we shall meet with this more especially afterwards, only by the way take notice of it; hypocrites above all men may expect the severest judgements of God upon them because they come so nigh God, for they come often to the duties of God's worship. Now they that will come so nigh God's presence and come with base and ungodly hearts to cloak their villainy, of all in the world they must expect to have the severe vengeance of God let out upon them; they that stand highest the bullet must expect to have the strength of it to be the more upon them. So, when the wrath of God proceeds out upon sinners, wicked men that stand nighest Him, they have the greatest stroke of God's wrath. But of that more when I come to the third point that God will be sanctified in those that draw nigh Him.
The fourth use is this, if to worship God, be to draw nigh Him, then to neglect God's worship is to depart from Him; that must needs follow. And this is a dreadful thing, it is the sentence that shall be at the last day of judgement, "Depart from Me." Thou now art willing to
depart from God. Oh, consider of this you that neglect worship, the worship of God in your families, and in your closets, and in the congregation, in the communion of the saints; thou hast little minded or regarded the worship of God it may be all thy days, what hast thou been doing all this while? Thou hast been departing from God all this while, and when thy conscience shall be but enlightened and awakened to see how far thou art from God, how terrible will it be to thee? Remember this, you that have no mind to the duties of the worship of God but love the commission of sin, you neglect God's worship, you were wont to worship him in a constant way in your closets and families, but now you grow more loose, and so you grow more dead every day than other, you go off from God more and more. Surely there can be no good to neglect God's worship. And those that are loath to worship God because they cannot worship
Him as they ought, from this point it appears plainly, that there can be no good gotten by neglecting God's worship, for it is departing from God. Whatsoever plea there may be by any temptation to neglect God's worship, certainly there is danger in it, and therefore never listen to any such temptation as shall draw your hearts from the duties of God's worship.
There are a generation of wantons in these times that make little matter of continuing the duties of God's worship; they were wont constantly to worship God, and to attend upon the Word, but now it is nothing to them, and they are even ready to thank God for it that they make not such conscience as they were wont to do in the duties of the worship of God. It may be they will say that heretofore some slavish terror did carry them on in the duties of God's worship more than the understanding of the freeness of the grace of God would admit of. But shall the understanding of the freedom of the grace of God carry thee on less than thy slavish terror did? Oh, blind and wanton spirit that knows not the ways of God, nor the freeness of the grace of God, nor the riches of it! Oh, what a dishonor art thou to Jesus Christ and to the freeness of His grace, that now canst go up and down from day to day and never worship God! Did Jesus Christ come into the world to that end for to cause thee to depart more from
God? 'Tis plain out of the Word, that the duties of God's worship are those duties whereby the soul comes to draw nigh to God. And I beseech you brethren, observe these men, whither there be that holiness in their lives, that spiritualness as there was wont to be? No, you shall find them by degrees to grow loose, yea, run sometimes into gross sins, grow many times to lying and deceiving, and to drunkenness and company keeping, yea, to worse things by degrees.
Perhaps they are at first ready to say, is thy servant a dead dog that I should do this? But by departing from God, they grow dead to holy duties.
We find it by experience, that the professors of religion have not that holiness, heavenliness, spiritualness, as they were wont to have in former times. And no marvel, for now they keep not so nigh to God as they were wont. You that are seamen and travelers, sometimes you are near the sun, and then you are hot but the further off the sun you go, you grow to be colder and colder. And so those that neglect the worship of God, they go from the warm sun, they go from the light of God's countenance and from the presence of God and so they grow cold and chill, and by degrees they grow to profaneness, and it is to be feared that many of them will grow to mere Atheism.
Another use is this, a use of exhortation, that we would be encouraged to worship God, and to be much in the worship of God.
In Heb. 10:22, "Let us draw near" (saith the Text). Who would not draw near to God? Oh, what a good thing is it to be in the presence of God! Is not the Lord the fountain of thy life? Is it not a sweet thing to be in His presence? We think it a sweet thing to be in the presence of godly men; Oh 'that we might always live with such men and be nigh them! That martyr Doctor Taylor rejoiced in this, that ever he came into prison to be acquainted with that angel of God, holy Master
Bradford, and as I remember some among the heathens that professed, they would rather be in prison with Cato then be in the greatest glory with some other. It is a blessed thing to be in the presence of God, to be with Him that is the God of our lives, and the fountain of all good; let us draw nigh to God often, let us know that it
is a mercy that we may draw nigh to God; we might have been banished from the presence of the Lord long before this time.
This is that that the happiness of the glorious Church is set out by in Rev. 22:4, "They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads." This is the privilege of the Church. And that it is such a blessing to draw nigh to God, you may see it by that in Eph. 2:18,
"For through Him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father."
Through Him, through Christ we have access by one Spirit unto the Father, and now (saith he) "Ye that were strangers and foreigners, are made fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." And verse 13, "But now by Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ", and you have access through Christ. So, our coming nigh to God is such a privilege as cost the blood of Christ; and will not you improve it? You were far off in your natural condition, but now you are nigh through His blood. Lay but this text warm to your hearts this morning, that I that was far off am made nigh by the blood of Christ, made nigh to God. It will be a means for ever to draw your hearts to all those ways whereby you may draw nearest to God.
And by drawing nigh to God often, you will come to increase your graces abundantly. Your graces, how will they act? The presence of God will draw forth the acts of grace, as the presence of the fire draws forth our heat, so the presence of God will draw forth our graces. And by this means we come to live most holy lives. We read of Moses, he was upon the mountain forty days with God, and when he came down his face did so shine, that the people were not able to bear it: what's the reason? It was from hence, because he was so nigh to God: would you have your faces to shine in a holy conversation before men? Converse much with God, be often with God, be nigh to Him, and that will make you shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. We find it so with some that converse much with God, there is a shine upon their very countenances.
And further it is a special sign of our adoption to love to be nigh to God. What should a child love most but to be in the presence of his father? Would you know whither you have received the Spirit of adoption yea, or no? I can hardly give you any one sign so clear as this, for to love to go into God's presence, as David said, I was glad when they said, Come and let us go up unto the House of the Lord.
You shall have many that love to be in God's presence, so as they think on it overnight and long for the time while it comes; I never am better than when I am with God; me thinks when I get into God's presence, either in prayer or any duty of God's worship, I find my heart warmed and quickened, etc. They are ready to say with Peter,
Master, it is good being here.
And that's another thing, it is that which will put us in mind of the life of heaven, it is the only thing in heaven to be in the presence of God. Why, the more thou art nigh God in the duties of worship, the more thou art in heaven, and doest not thou pray that the will of God may be done in earth as in heaven? Now the saints and angels are always before God worshipping of Him; then be as much as thou canst in the presence of God; if thou wouldest be in heaven, be there.
Many of the saints they find it so. It is not so with carnal hearts, they are weary presently when they are in prayer, or hearing the Word, it is not so to them. Yea, that's because thou hast not the presence of God, as in Malachi 1, what weariness is there? Thou canst be a gaming till one or two o'clock at night, and though thou shouldest lose thy supper, or the work of thy family, it is not tedious to thee to be exercised in those things that pleaseth the flesh. But when thou comest to worship God, how quickly art thou tired? Now what wilt thou do in heaven where there is nothing else done to all eternity but worshipping of God?
And then it must needs be delightful to God that thou shouldest come nigh Him. There is nothing in the world more pleasant to God then to have His saints come into His presence. What doth a father more delight in than to have his children about him? Never did any father or mother love to have their children by them, so as God loves
to have His children come nigh Him and be often with Him. And the truth is, one great reason that God suffers you to fall into afflictions so much is that you may come running to Him. How doth the child come running to the father or mother when it is afraid? Why, the Lord is willing to permit men to do you wrong that you may run to Him, that He might have more of your presence. Thou that art such a poor creature, yet thou hearest this day that there is nothing in the world that God takes more pleasure in (next to the presence of His own Son, Jesus Christ, and His saints and angels that He hath with Him in heaven) than to have His saints come nigh Him, to have them always to be under His wing.
And then by coming often into God's presence in His worship there will grow a sweet and blessed familiarity between God and thy soul, for thou wilt be speaking to God, and God will be speaking to thee too.
We know many times that dear friends who are very nearly linked together, yet if they be long absent one from another there grows a strangeness, and so by degrees their friendship is deadened. But now when they are together every day, and there is an intercourse of love and friendship, then their friendship is kept active and quick. But now if they be absent long, indeed if they be absent in another country when they cannot come together, that they are sure it is not through any neglect, then it will not damp their friendship; but when they are near and come not one to another, then they think it is out of neglect and so they grow strange. So it is with the soul, if there were no possibility of a coming into God's presence, then it would not hinder the sweetness of the love of God to us. But now when we have those duties of worship wherein, we may draw nigh to God, if we neglect them, our familiarity with God will quickly be lost.
Acquaint thyself with God and be at peace. God is willing to be acquainted with His servants; the Lord loves to be familiar with the poorest of His saints, and wilt not thou maintain that sweet familiarity with God? These two benefits will follow upon thy familiarity with God.
First, those that are most familiar with God they are most potent with God. As now a stranger cannot prevail in any petition so as a familiar friend can. Thus, my brethren, when strangers come into God's presence, God doth not so much regard them; but when His familiars come into His presence, the saints of God that keep close with Him in constant communion and converse in the duties of His worship, God doth take them as His familiar friends, and they will prevail much with God.
Secondly, by this means the terror of death will be taken away, there is no such way to take off the terror of the thoughts of death as by keeping familiarity with God; death then is joyful to those that converse with Him. That Reverend Divine that is now with God
(Doctor Preston) when he was to die he had this speech, I shall but change my place, I shall not change my company," whereas it's otherwise if thou growest estranged from God, when death comes it will look with a terrible face for then thou hast to deal with God, thou art then to go into the presence of the infinite dreadful God, into whose presence thou never had any mind to go before, but saith death, I must now carry thee into the presence of God. As thy body returns to the dust so thy soul must return to God that gave it; that is, to receive its eternal doom, etc. But now saith a saint, "What, must my body return to dust and my soul to God that gave it?" It is He which I have been with every day, and can say as He said, my soul go forth, go forth, why art thou unwilling to go forth to Him that thou hast conversed with all thy days?
And then what safety is there in being near to God, especially in these dangerous times? In the time wherein we live it is safe to be near God; in Psalm 22:11, "Be not far from Me, for trouble is near," saith David. Lord, trouble is near me, be not Thou far from me. It's a blessed thing to have God near us when trouble is near us; trouble is near many of you, perhaps there's not a spans breadth between death and us. What a blessed thing is it then to have God to be near us?