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I. That there are certain Places which SERM. God is pleased to diftinguish with his VIII. fpecial prefence, and which therefore ought to be observed as his houses or places of peculiar refidence. This is none other but the house of God. II. That these places are made the means of communion between God and men, wherein both he is pleased to manifeft himself to Mankind, and they are allowed to addrefs themselves to him, and find an entrance into the glories of his kingdom: For this fame place which is faid to be the house of God, is moreover declared to be the gate of beaven. And,

III. That, upon both accounts, fuch places ought to be confidered and approached with awe and reverence. How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

I. FIRST, It may be collected from these words, that there are certain places which God is pleased to diftinguish with his fpecial prefence, and which therefore ought to be confider'd as his Houfes, or places of peculiar refidence: This is none other (says Jacob) but the house of God.

Immediately as he awoke it was his first remark, furely the Lord is in this place, and

SERM. I knew it not. But what! could he be igVIII. norant that he who created the whole frame

of nature muft needs be himself effentially in all places, and fill heaven and earth with his Divine presence? Could he think him like the vain, fictitious, Heathen dei ties, circumfcribed by place, and capable of local motion, fit to be enclosed by walls, and fortified with bulwarks? No furely; in this acceptation the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands, as faith the Prophet, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool where is the houfe that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? But tho' he be prefent throughought all nature, yet is he pleased to declare and manifeft his presence in a more efpecial manner in fome places than in others, and in that refpect to choose them as the houses in which he will delight to dwell Infomuch that Solomon fcruples not to mention it as a mighty honour to the house which he had built, that God fhould there condefcend to dwell with men upon the earth. And tho' the place be not always pointed out by vifion or immediate revelation, as in the cafe of the Patriarch before us, or by exprefs precept and injunction, as in the cafe of the Levitical Tabernacle, and the Temple of Jerufalem, yet his people have always thought them*Acts vii. 48. Ifai. lxvi. 1.

felves warranted by fuch examples, or even SER M. authorised by the reafon of the thing, to VIII. appropriate places to his honour and fervice, to invocate his gracious Prefence, and implore his aufpicious refidence among

them.

Need I mention the example of the ancient Patriarchs, before the giving of the law, who, wherever they came, erected altars for Divine worship, and without waiting for fpecial or exprefs appointment, thought it highly reasonable in the nature of the thing, that some places there should be for their approaching to God, and fupplication of his aid and favour?

Need I add the example of the first Chriftians, who had their fixed and stated places of affembly, at firft thofe vegwa, or upper rooms mentioned in the new teftament, and afterwards more fumptuous and convenient edifices, as their outward condition and circumftances would allow ?

Nor was this only calculated for their own convenience, who could not well have come together, without fome place previoufly known and appointed for that purpofe, but the Place fo appointed was looked upon as fingularly honoured with the Prefence of God, and therefore facred and appropriate to his fervice. This, to omit the many teftimonies which might be laid together from antiquity, may fufficiently ap

pear

SERM. pear from that fingle expoftulation of the VIII. Apostle, with regard to the fcandalous abuse of the Corinthians, What, have ye not boufes to eat and to drink in? or defpife ye the Church of God *? Where, that the church is put for the place of affembly, and not for the perfons there assembled, is evident from hence, that it is opposed to their own private houses, and that their common feastings were more proper to be held in one than in the other.

It is not to be denied but that the word innλyoía does strictly, and in its prime notion, refer to the collective body of people met together: But, who knows not that the names of fynagogue, and college, and the like, which do likewise primarily denote an affembly, or company of men, are nevertheless used, in common acceptation, for the building, or place where they affemble?

Now, as in moft inftances there is a near analogy between the old and new Teftament, fo our churches fucceed as the houses or dwelling-places of God, in like manner as the Tabernacle firft, and afterwards the Temple. And as there he appointed continual facrifices, for a record or memorial of his name, fo we have a perpetual commemorative representation of the facrifice of Christ, which is termed, after *I Cor. xi. 22.

the

the fame manner, the remembrance or me- SERM. morial of him. And as the Ifraelites were VIII. promised, that in every place where God's name fhould be recorded, he would come unto them, and bless them*, so we make no doubt but the analogy continues, and his gracious prefence is vouchfafed to us.

The manner by which this fpeciality of prefence is diftinguished, (and he whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, is nevertheless pleased to condefcend to dwell with men upon the earth) we have not obfcurely hinted to us in fcripture (as learned perfon of our nation obferves †) to confift in that train or retinue of Angels which is represented to attend him, whereever he is pleased more particularly to dif play or manifeft himself. To this purpose the Law is termed the word spoken by Angels ‡, because when The Lord came from Sinai, and rofe up from Seir unto Ifrael, be fbined forth from mount Paran (as Mofes expreffes it) he came with ten thousands of his faints, or with his holy ten thousands, as it thould have been tranflated. To which the Royal Pfalmift very plainly alludes, when he fays, The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of Angels; the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place §. So has the Prophet Daniel ex+ The great Mr. Mede. | Deut xxxiii. 2, § Pf. lxviii. 17. preffed

* Exod. xx. 24. Heb. ii. 2.

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