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I'll not think much of any labour that will bring me to the house of God; I'll submit to any dif ficulties, so I may abide and dwell there : I would take all opportunities of waiting upon him; omit no season of meeting with him; I would be as often, as much as poffible, in his com pany now; and press on, with the utmost ear neftness, towards that state, where there will be no fear of feparation, or distance more. These are fome of the properties of the faints defire, that he may dwell in the house of the Lord for

ever.

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(2.) Let us briefly fee from whence it springs. Why a child of God thus defires to dwell in his house; both as to his lower house or church bere, and the upper, better, one in heaven ?

In general, Wherever any fuch defire is found, 'tis owing to his own spirit. We did not bring it into the world with us, and we could not pro duce it ourselves. For ever fince our primitive apoftacy, 'tis a character that agrees to all in theirn natural state, viz. that they are without God in the world: they are so in point of choice; this is the mournful account given us, after a folemn view God had taken of his lapsed creatures, Pfal. xiv. 2. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand and feek God. But they are all gone afide. So far from defiring to dwell in his house, to enquire in his temple, that they say unto God, Depart from us, we defire not the knowledge of thy way, Job xxi. 14. They had much rather, be in the world than in the church, saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may fell corn, and

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the fabbath, that we may set forth wheat? Amos viii. 4.

! Whence is it that the cry should be so vastly altered, and any of the degenerate race should vent themselves in language so very contrary to what they used before? To mention it as the one thing they defire, viz. that they may dwell in the house of God for ever? Whence fuch a change, but from the Spirit of God? 'Tis one of his children that thus defires to dwell in his house: And we are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, John i. 13. A change of temper by the Spirit of God, making us like him, is the ground of a real defire to dwell in his house. And the same spirit that lays a foundation for fuch a defire, also excites and maintains it, wherever 'tis found, and draws it forth in whatever degree of intenseness it

works.

His influence is to go along with all the other things that are to be mentioned, as ministring to fuch a defire. And here,

ift, As to God's house on earth.

(1.) A child of God defires to dwell there, and seeks after it, as sway'd by his father's command, to which something within inclines him readily to yield. The will of God in his word, has a counter-part in the heart. He therefore says in general, Speak Lord for thy fervant heareth; and as to seeking God, or attending upon him in his house, when he calls, grace teaches the foul, in which it dwells, readily to answer, Thou faidft, feek ye my face, my heart faid unto thee, thy face, Lord will I feek. Plahn xxvii. 8

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2. The amiable conceptions they have of God, according to the representations he has given of himself, feed their defires to dwell in his house.

He is "the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ," and for his fake the "God of all grace;" and, as such, every renewed foul has a special interest in him, a special relation to him; and well may his children defire to dwell in the house of their reconciled heavenly father. As holy and juft, had they to do with an abfolute God, his terrors would make them afraid, and they could no more defire to dwell with him than to dwell with devouring fire. But there is, now, a high priest over the house of God, JESUS, whose blood sprinkled on the throne, has pacified justice, and fprinkled on their fouls has taken away their guilt, and through him God would be conceived of, in his house, as fitting on a throne of grace, a mercy feat, ready and willing, in the most endearing manner, to converse with them; to speak kindly and comfortably to them. Now, being able to fay my God, every one of his children may go on, and add with the Pfalmist, early will 1 feek thee. I cannot be too foon, too often, or too long, with him: Is the living God the father of mercies; I defire to dwell in his house all the days of my life.

3. The delight and fatisfaction the children of God have fometimes met with in his house, excite and feed their defires to dwell there.

O my foul, What fights have I seen in the house of God? what provifions have I tasted? what entertainments have I had? what enlargements in prayer, and answers thereto? what impreffion

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preffion under his word? what entertainment at his table, as he has fometimes brought me into his banquetting-house, and his banner over me has been love? And though I cannot, it may be, say so much of this as some others; yet what I have found, I cannot but remember with thankfulness, and defire more : and as this was in the house of God, here would I still defire to dwell.

Lastly, A sense of their continual need keeps up their defire to dwell in the house of the Lord all their days.

If I am in the family, how low is my state ? how little my strength? Where should I dwell but in the house of God? Whither shall I go if I leave it? Here my strength may be repaired, my wants supplied, my doubts refolved, my difeases healed. There is food and phyfick in the house of the Lord; and as I shall have occafion and need of these as long as I live: this is the one thing I defire that I may live near to God.

2. As to his upper house in heaven. In this also they defire to dwell; and many things may be mentioned as giving birth, life, and strength to it. I shall mention three.

1st. The heavenly principle they are endued with. Grace comes from heaven; and as it difposes the foul for glory, in fome measure it fets it a longing to be there.

2. The difference there is between their state below and that above. As to the place: This earth is but the viler part of the creation? how much inferior to heaven? As to the inhabitants: bere are a mixture of all forts; but, above, all will te of a fort, and all like God. As to their circumStances

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stances without: Here, they are subject to the rage of the world, the temptations of Satan, and a thousand snares, as the fruits of fin; but above there will be nothing of this. As to their condition with respect to themselves: Here they are clog'd with corruption, imperfect as to grace; but above, the one thall be done away, and the other compleat. As to their work: Here they have conftant need to watch against what they fear, pray and cry for what they want, lament over what they feel: but above, all ground of complaint shall be removed, and prayer turned into everlasting praise.

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3. The foretaste they sometimes have of what is to be enjoyed above. We that have the firstfruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves. Having tafted of Canaan's grapes, they can't but long to fee the good land. For if it be so defireable to behold the beauty of the Lord in his house below, what will it be to fee the King in his glory, and the Lord that is afar off?

We come now to the

IIld Thing. The aim he professes have herein, viz. to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. Here I might confider,

1. The beauty he would behold.

2. The enquiries he would make.

1. The beauty he would behold. And here

I shall show,

(1). Of what 'tis be understood ?

(2.) That the beholding this is what the faint

aims at.

(3.) Why

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