2. This coming to God is by all divine ordinances or acts of worship. The use of our liberty to approach to him in these duties is one special way of coming to him by Christ. To come to him in the word as our teacher, in the Lord's Supper as the master of the feast, in prayer as our king and almighty helper, is a very great privilege and comfort. Oertainly if at any time, then we come to God. We come to him in worship ; for then we turn our backs upon all things else, that we may present ourselves before his throne. But now thus we can only come by Jesus Christ. If we come to receive a blessing in the word, we come to receive the fruits of his purchase : John xvii. 19, ' And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified through the truth ; ' Eph. v 26, ' That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.' If we come to the Lord's Supper, that duty was instituted for the remembrance of Christ, that his flesh might be meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed. But especially in invocation or solemn calling upon God in a way of prayer or praise, into which all duties issue themselves.
[1.] In a way of prayer. The mediation of Christ doth especially respect that duty, and you must put your suits into his hand if you mean to speed : John xvi. 23, ' Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.' There is no speaking to God or hoping for anything from God but by Christ. Having such a mediator to present our desires and requests, we may come boldly to him. The Father is well pleased with these requests. We cannot have sufficient sense enough of our unworthiness and his worth and merit.
270 SERMON UPON 1 CORINTHIANS YIII. 6.
[2.] In a way of praise : Col. iii. 17, ' Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.' All the success of our lawful undertakings or expectations is to be ascribed to God through Christ. All good things derived to us from God as the prime author is by Christ's media- tion : Eph. V. 20, * Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ/ For all things, temporal, spiritual ; success of all ordinances, providences. His merit procured the mercy, and maketh the duty acceptable.
3. We come to God in the practice of all commanded duties. A christian is always with God ; he liveth with him, and walketh with him. He that is a stranger with God in his ordinary conversation can never be familiar with him in his worship ; and the grace of faith, hope, and love are acted, not only in worship, but ordinary practice. Whilst having a deep sense of an invisible God, and a constant aim at an in- visible world, love doth level and direct all our actions, that we may please this God, and attain the happiness of that unseen world. Every righteous action is done in obedience to God and an aim at heaven, either by a noted thought or the unobserved act of a potent habit. Sure I am that a great part of our communion with God is carried on in our ordinary conversation : 1 John i. 7, ' But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.' And every holy action is a step towards heaven, as every sinful one is in itself a step to hell. Now this can only be by Christ. Unless we are in him, and be assisted by his Spirit, how can we bring forth fruit unto God? Phil. i. 11, ' Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.' He is the root of your life, and you live as upon him and by his life. The apostle saith in one clause that we are fo? him, in the other that we are by him ; whole we, not only some actions of ours, but God hath put our life into his hands ; and ' because he liveth, we live also,' John xiv. 19. We do not use Christ only at our need, but as the branches the root, or the members the head. We can do nothing apart from him, but in all businesses and in all conditions we must live in him to God. Now this is to come to God by Christ.
Use 1. To press us to improve this for our comfort and use.
1. It is an encouragement in our expectations from God, and those communications of grace which he exhibiteth to us in the covenant of grace ; for here is ' one God and Father, from whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus, by whom are all things.' God is set before you as an all-sufficient fountain of grace, and Christ as an all-powerful mediator.
[1.] Here is 'one God and Father, from whom are all things.' Where shall we find comfort if not in God ? He can supply all our wants, cure all our diseases, overcome all enemies, deliver us out of all dangers. God in the new covenant is represented under the notion of God all-sufficient, Gen. xvii. 1. He offereth himself under that notion to engage us to trust him alone. The people of God gather it from their covenant interest : Ps. xxiii. 1, ' The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.' So elsewhere there is an infinite latitude in the object of faith. This one God and Father is every way sufficient to do us good. No pain so great but he can mitigate and remove it ; no danger so dreadful^