4. This nearness may be understood of his visible presence in his
104 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SKR. CLXIX.
ordinances, or of that spiritual inwardness and saving union and com- munion that is between God and his converted people, or those that are brought home to him by Christ, and are the members of his mys- tical body. In some sense it is the privilege of the visible church to have God near them, because they have the signs of his presence among them ; as in the former place, Deut. iv. 7, ' What nation hath God so nigh unto them ? ' It was the common privilege of the nation, in comparison of the pagans about them, who were a people afar off, and strangers to the covenants of promise. So Jer. xiv. 9, ' Thou, 0 Lord God, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name ; leave us not.' Thus God is said to be nigh because he dwelleth in the churches and walketh in the midst of them ; but those that are con- verted indeed are in a straiter union with God. All those that are members of the visible church, and are united to Christ by a visible and political union, they have great privileges, for they are a society under God's special care and government, and enjoy the means of grace and the offers of salvation, and great helps by the gifts bestowed upon the body, and so have God nearer to them than others, though they have not the saving fruits of union with Christ and communion with God. Once more, a people that are nigh unto God visibly and politically may be cast off; as Jer. xiii. 11. 'For as a girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the Lord ; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory ; but they would not hear ; ' ' yet I will cast them away as a rotten girdle that is good for nothing,' ver. 10. These words are the application of a charge given to Jeremiah, to get him a girdle, and hide it till it was rotten, and then to bring it forth and tell the people the meaning of this ceremony. He was to get a girdle, not leathern, nor woollen, such as were commonly worn by the ordinary sort ; but a linen girdle, such as the better sort of persons were wont to wear. He was not to wet it, or put it in water, to imply that neither God nor aught from him had been the cause of the general corruption and destruction of this people ; but to hide it in a dry place near Euphrates till it was corrupted. Thus God would lay visibly before their eyes their own state ; they were as near about him, girded as close to him, as a girdle about a man's loins, yet then good for nothing. But for those to whom God is near by saving benefits they cannot be lost, for where the nearness is really begun, it will continue, and never be broken off. You may as well separate the leaven and the dough, im- possibile est massam a pasta sejxirare, &c.
5. In those that are living members of Christ's mystical body we must distinguish between a state of nearness and acts of nearness. By converting grace we are brought into a state of nearness unto God, and in worship we actually draw nigh unto him, and he to us. The state of nearness is the state of favour and reconciliation with God into which we are admitted who were before strangers and enemies : Col. i. 21, 'And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.' And also our participation of the divine nature : 2 Peter i. 4, ' Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you
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might be partakers of the divine nature ; having escaped the corrup- tion that is in the world through lust ; ' or life of God, from which we were formerly alienated by sin : Eph. iv. 18, ' Having their under- standings darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.' For these three do always go together, the favour of God, the image of God, and fellowship with God. When Adam lost one, he lost all: when he lost the image of God, he also lost the favour of God, or fel- lowship with God, or nearness to him. So then our state of nearness lieth in the recovery of the favour of God, and the image or life of God, when we stand right in his grace, and live his life : they are both great mercies, and both the ground of our fellowship with God, or nearness to him. 0 Christians ! think with yourselves. Is it not a great privilege for poor sinful creatures, that could not think of God without horror, or hear him named without trembling, or pray to him. without great dejection of heart, to look upon God as reconciled, and willing to receive us and bless us ! So for the life of God, to have a life begun in us by the Spirit of God, and maintained by the continual influences of his grace, till all be perfected in glory, what a privilege is this ! None but they that live this life can have communion with God. Things cannot converse that do not live the same life ; as Adam had no companion or help-meet, but was alone, though all the creatures came and subjected themselves to him, trees, beasts, men, &c. : Gen. ii. 18, ' And the Lord said, It is not good for man to be alone ; I will make him an help-meet for him.' But besides this state of nearness, there are special acts of nearness, both on God's part and ours ; he is nearer to us sometimes than at others, when we have more evidences of his favour inward or outward : inward evidences, when he quickens, comforts, supports the soul, filletli the heart with joy and peace in believing ; at such a time God is near, we feel him sensibly exciting and stirring up his own work in us. The soul always dwelleth in the body, but it doth not always act alike ; it is ever equal in point of habitation, but not in point of operation. So Christ doth always dwell in the heart by his Spirit, but he doth not always act alike, but kclt evSoKiav, 'according to his good pleasure/ Phil. ii. 13. God is not alike always present with his people, but never withdraweth that influence that is necessary to the being of grace : Ps. lxxiii. 23, ' Nevertheless I am continually with thee : thou hast holden me by my right hand.' So outwardly ; sometimes God hideth himself, some- times seemeth not to mind the affairs of his people, at other times all the world shall know that they are near and dear to him : he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye : those that will not see, shall see and be ashamed for their envy at his people, Isa. xxvi. 11. So on our part there is a standing relation between us and God, but our hearts are more or less towards him in worship ; we especially then draw near unto him, though there be a communion in walking with God in our whole course. These things must be distinguished, for actual intercourse may be interrupted or suspended, when our state of nearness to God ceaseth not.