2. Secondly, The next consideration of the words is, as they respect Christians already converted and called ; and so the sense is, draw more near to God every day in a holy communion, and you shall have more grace from him. The note is : —
Ohs. That gracious hearts should always be renewing their accesses to God by Christ. So 1 Peter ii. 5, ' Coming to Christ as a living stone;' always coming to him in every duty, in every want. This maintaineth and increaseth grace, and maketh your lives sweet and comfortable, Drawing nigh to God is not the duty of an hour, or in season only at first conversion, but the woik of our Avhole lives.
And he toill drcm ni(jh to y^.u ; that is, he will make us find that he is near to us by his favoui- and blessing. You have the like pro- mise, Zech. i. 3, ' Turn unto me, and I will turn unto you.' So Mai. iii. 7, ' Keturn unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.'
Obs. 1. Observe, that the way to have God to turn to us in mercy, is to turn to him in duty. This is the standing law of heaven; God will not vary from it; it is the best way for God's glory, and for the creatures' good. Mercies are most sweet and good to us when we are prepared for them by duty. Do not divide then between mercy and duty. Expectations in God's way cannot be disappointed. The prophet saith, Hosea x. 11, ' Ei)hraim is an heifer that is taught, and loveth-to tread out the corn,' but not to break the clods. The mouth of the beast that treadeth out the corn was not to be muzzled ; in that work they had plenty of food. The meaning — E[)hraim would have blessings, but could not endure the yoke of obedience. We are apt to lie upon the bed of ease, and securely look what God will do, but do not stir u\) ourselves to what we should do.
Obs. 2. God will be near those that are careful to hold communion with him. See Ps. cxlv. 18, ' The Lord is nigh to all that call upon hirn, to all that call upon him in truth.' Nigh to bless, to comfort, to (piicken, to guide, to support them. Let it encourage us to come to (jod, yea, to run to him ; we are sure to speed. The father ran to mett the returning ])rodigal, Luke xv. 18. He will prevent us with loving-kindness: ' When they call I will answer, when they cry I will say, Here am 1,' Isa. Iviii. !). What have you to say to me ? what would you have from mo? Here am I to satisfy all your desires. Kay, elsewhere it is said, Isa. Ixv. 24, ' Before they eall, I will answer,'
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&c. When they do address themselves to seek Grod, he is nigh to counsel, to quicken, to enlighten, to defend; ready with blessing ere your imperfect desires can be formed into a request. So Ps. xxxii. 5, * I said, I will confess, and thou forgavest,' &c. As soon as David had but conceived a repenting purpose, he felt the comfort of a pardon.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, &c. — From the connection of this precept with the former you may observe : —
Ohs. That unclean persons can have no commerce with God, You must be holy ere you can draw nigh to him ; conformity is the gi'ound of communion: Mat. vi. 9, 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' So Josh, xxiv, 19, ' You cannot serve the Lord, for he is an holy God,' &c. Without holiness God cannot endure our presence; he 'will not take the wicked by the hand,' Job viii. 20. And we cannot endure his presence : ' The sinners in Zion will be afraid,' Isa. xxsiii. 14. Well, then, when you would have free converse with God, come with a holy heart; there is special purgation required before worship. The Israelites were to wash themselves when they heard the law, Exod. xix. And David saith, Ps. xxvi. 6, ' I will wash mine hands in innocency : and so compass thine altar, 0 Lord.' He bath respect to the solemn washing, which God had appointed for such as came to the altar, Exod. xl. Again, if you would have sweet converse with God in your ways, walk holily ; the Spirit of God loveth to dwell cleanly. See Ps. xxiv. 3, 4, ' He that hath clean hands, and an holy heart, shall stand in his holy hill.' Generally it was the custom of the eastern countries to wash before worship. The very heathen gods would be served in white, the emblem of purity.
Cleanse your hands. — It noteth good works ; as pureness of heart implieth faith and holy affections. Thus it is often taken in scripture, as Job xvii. 9, ' The righteous shall hold on his way, and he that is of pure hands shall grow stronger and stronger.' Therefore washing the hands was a sign of innocency, as Pilate did in the matter of Christ. Thus the apostle Paul biddeth us, 1 Tim. ii. 8, to ' lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting.' So God telleth the Israelites, Isa. i. 15, 16, ' Your hands are full of blood ; wash you, make you clean,' &c. When we come to empty the fountain of goodness, we must not do it with impure hands. The hands in all these places are put synec- dochically for the whole body, and all the external organs of the soul, because they are principally employed in the accomplishing of many sins, as in bribes, rapine, lust, fights, &c.