up in which, there is nothing fuited to affect the imagination by fenfible objects. And, therefore, when men think themselves wife, and profess to defpife the pageantry which captivates the vulgar, their wisdom affords them no real advantage, if they have nothing better to substitute, in the room of what they reject as infignificant. The very appearance of devotion will languish, they will grow remifs, and neglect the fabbath and public affemblies, for want of fomething to keep their attention. We have abundant proof of this, in our own land, and at this time. Proteftants pride themselves in not being papifts, but, when the proteftant religion is understood to mean no more, than a renunciation of the fuperftitious ceremonies of the church of Rome, it is, with refpect to individuals, little, if at all, better than popery itself. Among us enlightened proteftants, no expedient but preaching the gospel of Chrift, will be found fufficient to retain people in a stated obfervance of the Lord's day. But true believers, who understand and love the gospel, do indeed draw nigh to God; and they account a day in his courts VOL. II. G g better better than a thousand *, because they can take a part in the fongs of heaven, and, in spirit and in truth, worship him that fitteth upon the throne, and the Lamb who redeemed them to God by his blood. They know by happy experience, that his promise, to be in the midft of thofe who affemble in his name, is truth. Their worship is not a mere bodily fervice, a lifelefs form, a round of obfervances, which neither warm the heart, nor influence the conduct; but they are inftructed, comforted and ftrengthened, by waiting upon God. Their spiritual senses are exercised; they behold his glory in the glafs of the gofpel, they hear his voice, they feel an impreffion of his power and prefence, they tafte his goodness, and the virtue of that name which is as ointment poured forth, perfumes their tempers and conver fation. III. Though the Lamb is worthy of all bleffing, and honour, and glory, and power; there is a diftinct afcription of praise, to him that fitteth upon the throne. The fcripture, which alone can teach us to form right conceptions of God, and to * Pf. lxxxiv. 10. 8 worship worship him acceptably, guides us in a medium, between oppofite errors and mistakes. Too many perfons, ignorant of their own ftate as finners, and of the awful majefty and holiness of the Moft High, prefume to think of him, to speak of him, and, in their way, to speak to him, without being aware of the neceffity of a Mediator. But they who are without Chrift, who is the only door and way to the Father, are without God, atheists in the world *. There is a mistake likewife on the other hand, when, though the Deity of the Saviour be acknowledged, yet, what we are taught of the ineffable diftinction in the Godhead, is not duly attended to. It is written, In the beginning,-the Word was God. It is likewife written, The Word was with God. This latter expreffion undoubtedly has a meaning, which, though perfectly confiftent, is not co-incident, with the former. The truth contained in it, is propofed, not to our curiofity, as a fubject of fpeculation, but to our faith. I do not attempt to explain it. But, what God exprefly declares, we are bound, upon the principles of right reafon, to believe. * Eph. ii. 12. For he is Truth, + John i. 1. and cannot deceive us. bear record in heaven, and the holy Spirit *. quently spoken of in There are three that the Father, the Word, These three are frethe fcripture—to each of them a distinct part in the economy of falvation is afcribed; to each of them the perfections and honours of Deity are attributed. Yet there are not three Gods, but one. Confequently, these three are one God. This doctrine may be above our comprehenfion, but cannot be contrary to our reafon, if it be contained in a revelation from God. If it be fimply received, upon the authority of the Revealer, it approves itself to be true, for it is found to be a key to the whole scripture, which renders the general fenfe, and scope, every where confiftent and plain. They who proudly reject it, and yet admit the Bible to be a divine revelation, are involved in difficulties from which all their fagacity and learning cannot free them. In vain they labour by fingular interpretations, by the minutia of criticism, and by an appeal to various readings, and ancient verfions, which, in a few paffages, differ from the copies more generally received—in vain they endeavour, by these refinements, to relieve themselves, when preffed by the obvious and natural fenfe of a thousand texts, which. confirm the faith and hope of plain chriftians. The gofpel is defigned for the poor. But the poor and unlearned, would be at a great disadvantage, if the fcripture could not be rightly understood, without the affiftance of fuch learning, and fuch criticism, as we often fee preffed into the fervice. But the holy Spirit graciously leads those who pray for his teaching, into fuch views of this high subject, as are fufficient to comfort their hearts, and to animate their obedience. The faith of those who are taught of God, is exercised in their approaches to him, under two different modifications. Both are fcriptural, and therefore both are safe, and witneffed to by his gracious acceptance and bleffing. 1. They come to God by Chrift. They have access though him *. Unworthy to fpeak for themselves, they bow their knees. in his name t. Chriftians are fufficiently distinguished and defcribed by faying, They come to God by him ‡. They come to God, * Eph. ii. 18. + Phil. ii. 10. ↑ Heb. vii. 25. they Gg 3 |