Opening the text

The works of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. in nine volumes (volume 1 of 9)Watts, Isaac

Religion

The works of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. in nine volumes (volume 1 of 9)

Name: The works of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. in nine volumes (volume 1 of 9)
Author: Watts, Isaac

Watts, Isaac

Dissenters, Religious -- England; Sermons, English -- 18th century; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century

in their presence? And has not the spiritual presence of the great God
as much real, though invisible awfulness and majesty in it!

How do persons both of the polite and the vulgar world, all agree to
dress fine and gay, and make the best figure of all the week, to appear
before men on the day of the Lord? But let us remember that we come not
only before men, but before the living God, in whose sight, ornaments of
the body are of no account, and, O, what pains ought we to take, to put
on our best ornaments of the mind! To see that our graces all shine,
when we are to stand before God! And not to suffer one vain thought, one
corrupt affection to work in us; nor _a spot or blemish_, if possible,
to be found upon us!

Alas! what millions of hypocrites have we in the world? How many may we
fear in every congregation? How many come to attend at prayers, but
never seek to join in their own wishes and desires with the words of him
who speaks? How many voices follow the tune in a psalm, but their souls
feel no joy, no inward elevation of praise? How many hear the word as
the word of man, and their hearts have no sense of God speaking to them?
_They sit before God as his people, but their heart goes after their
covetousness_; Ezek. xxxiii. 31. after their idols of business, or
carnal pleasure, after every vain object of their eyes, or vainer images
of the fancy. Let us take heed therefore, how we shut our eyes, or
harden our hearts against a present and a speaking God; _for the word of
the Lord is quick and powerful_; God speaking by his eternal word, or by
his ministers in the sanctuary, pierces the secret recesses of the soul
and spirit: God sits there: _discerning the intents and thoughts of the
heart; all things are naked and open before his eyes with whom we have
to do_; Heb. iv. 13.

II. Remark. In attendance on public worship, we should fix all our hope
and expectation of profit upon the presence of God in it; for the design
of ordinances is to bring us to _appear before God_. Now, if in things
of this life, God should be our chief hope, much more in things of
another; Ps. lxii. 5. _My soul, wait thou only upon God, my expectation
is from him._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The works of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. in nine volumes (volume 1 of 9)Watts, Isaac

Religion

The works of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. in nine volumes (volume 1 of 9)

Watts, Isaac

Dissenters, Religious -- England; Sermons, English -- 18th century; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century

in their presence? And has not the spiritual presence of the great God
as much real, though invisible awfulness and majesty in it!

How do persons both of the polite and the vulgar world, all agree to
dress fine and gay, and make the best figure of all the week, to appear
before men on the day of the Lord? But let us remember that we come not
only before men, but before the living God, in whose sight, ornaments of
the body are of no account, and, O, what pains ought we to take, to put
on our best ornaments of the mind! To see that our graces all shine,
when we are to stand before God! And not to suffer one vain thought, one
corrupt affection to work in us; nor _a spot or blemish_, if possible,
to be found upon us!

Alas! what millions of hypocrites have we in the world? How many may we
fear in every congregation? How many come to attend at prayers, but
never seek to join in their own wishes and desires with the words of him
who speaks? How many voices follow the tune in a psalm, but their souls
feel no joy, no inward elevation of praise? How many hear the word as
the word of man, and their hearts have no sense of God speaking to them?
_They sit before God as his people, but their heart goes after their
covetousness_; Ezek. xxxiii. 31. after their idols of business, or
carnal pleasure, after every vain object of their eyes, or vainer images
of the fancy. Let us take heed therefore, how we shut our eyes, or
harden our hearts against a present and a speaking God; _for the word of
the Lord is quick and powerful_; God speaking by his eternal word, or by
his ministers in the sanctuary, pierces the secret recesses of the soul
and spirit: God sits there: _discerning the intents and thoughts of the
heart; all things are naked and open before his eyes with whom we have
to do_; Heb. iv. 13.

II. Remark. In attendance on public worship, we should fix all our hope
and expectation of profit upon the presence of God in it; for the design
of ordinances is to bring us to _appear before God_. Now, if in things
of this life, God should be our chief hope, much more in things of
another; Ps. lxii. 5. _My soul, wait thou only upon God, my expectation
is from him._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The works of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. in nine volumes (volume 1 of 9)

The works of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. in nine volumes (volume 1 of 9)

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