some degree of
access and nearness to God, for then they become citizens as to external
right, in the commonwealth of the church, and have the offers of the
promises made to them, in respect of which visible standing, the apostle
speaks of the whole church of Ephesus, "but now ye are made near who were
far off," (ver. 13,) notwithstanding, that many of them were found
afterwards to have left their first love, Rev. ii. But yet, beloved, to
speak more inwardly, and as your souls stand in the sight of God, the
generality of those who are near hand in outward ordinances are yet far
off from God in reality,--"without God and without Christ," as really, as
touching any soul-feeling, as those who are altogether without. The bond
of union and peace was broken in paradise, sin dissolved it, and broke off
that nearness and friendship with God, and from that day to this day,
there hath been an infinite distance and separation betwixt man and God.
The steps and degrees of it are many. There is darkness and blindness in
men's minds. Such ignorance naturally possesseth the multitude, that it
wholly alienates them from the life of God, Eph. iv. 18. For what
fellowship can light, that pure light, have with such gross darkness as is
among us? This certainly is the removal of that Sun of Righteousness from
our souls, or the imposition of the clouds of transgression, that makes it
so dark a night in the souls of men. And then there is nothing but enmity
and desperate wickedness in the heart of man, and this keeps the
stronghold of the affections, Rom. viii., Jer. xvii. There cannot be a
further elongation or separation of the soul from God, than to turn so
opposite, in all inclinations and dispositions, to his holy will, for the
distance between God and us is not local in the point of place, for
whither shall we go from him who is everywhere? And thus he is near hand
every one of us, but it is also real in the deformity and repugnancy of
our natures to his holy will. But add unto this, that being thus separated
in affection, and disjoined, as it were, in natural dispositions, we
cannot draw near to God in any ordinance,--as the word, prayer, &c. Though
we may, as that people, draw near with our lips, and ask of him our duty,
and seem to delight to know him, yet there is this natural incapacity and
crookedness in the heart of man, that it cannot truly approach unto the
Father of spirits with any soul-desire and delight. But their hearts are