The Happiness of Drawing Near to God
Psalm 73:28. But it is good for me to draw near to God.
This Psalm is no less elegant than sacred: It is calculated for the Meridian of God's Church in all times; but especially it is fit for the godly to meditate upon in times of calamity. It is entitled a Psalm of Asaph. Asaph was a man divinely inspired, a Prophet; as also one of the Masters of music; It is called a Psalm of Asaph, either because he composed it, or because it was committed to him to sing. This holy man here seems to have a dialogue with himself concerning providence. He was ready to call God's providences to the bar of reason, and inquire the equity of them. How does it seem just, that they who are evil should enjoy so much good; and they who are good should endure so much evil? While Asaph was debating the case with himself, at last his faith got above his sense; he considered that the wicked were set in locis lubricis, in slippery places. And like such as go upon ice, their feet would soon slide; or like such as walk on mines of powder, they would soon be blown up, Verse 18. This did both resolve his doubt, and compose his spirit.
The proaemium or entrance into the Psalm is not to be forgotten; Truly God is good to Israel; so the Hebrew renders it, certainly: Without dispute, this is a golden maxim that must be held.
In the Septuagint it is vox admirantis, it is set out by way of admiration, O how good is God to Israel! What Angel in Heaven can [reconstructed: express]! The vulgar reads it, veruntamen, yet, God is good; as if the Psalmist had said, though the candle of prosperity shines on the wicked, they have not only what their heart can wish, but more than heart can wish, Verse 7. And though the godly are sorely afflicted, mingling their drink with weeping; yet for all this, God is good to Israel. Here is the Fountain, the Stream, the Cistern: the Fountain, God; the Stream, Goodness; the Cistern into which it runs, Israel. Indeed God is good to all (Psalm 145:9). The sweet dew falls upon the thistle as well as the rose. But though God be good to all, yet not alike good to all. He is good to Israel in a special manner. The wicked have sparing mercy, but the godly have saving mercy. And if God be good to his people, then it is good for his people to draw near to him. So it is in the [reconstructed: Text], It is good for me to draw near to God.
1. We may look upon the words in Hypothesi; here is something implied, namely, that by nature we are far off from God. Drawing near implies a strangeness and distance. In our lapsed estate we lost two things, the image of God, and communion with God (Psalm 58:3). The wicked are estranged from the womb. Every step a sinner takes is a going further from God. The Prodigal's going into a far country (Luke 15:14) was an emblem of the sinner's going afar off from God. How far are they distant from God, who have been traveling forty or fifty years from their Father's house! And which is worse, sinners are not only far from God, but they do not desire to be near him (Jeremiah 4:10). They have loved to wander; sin does not care to be near holiness. The wicked get as far as they can from God: Like Cain, who went out from the presence of the Lord (Genesis 4:16). That is the Church of God, where were the visible signs of God's presence: he estranged himself from God as much as he could: he [reconstructed: fell to building], thereby thinking to drown the noise of his conscience, as the Italians of old were wont to drown the noise of thunder by ringing their bells. Sinners think God's company may be best spared (Isaiah 30:11). Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. Let us shut God out of our company; let him be no more named among us. A bad eye loves not to be near the sun.
Let us be deeply humbled for our fall in Adam, which has set us at such a distance from the blessed God. Heaven and earth are not so far asunder as God and the sinner. The further we are from God, the nearer we are to Hell. The further a man sails from the East, the nearer he is to the West. Let us think of returning to God by repentance. Say as the Church (Hosea 2:7), I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now.
2. Let us consider the text in Thesi; it is good for me to draw near to God.
The text falls into these parts.
- 1. The Person, me. - 2. The Act, draw near. - 3. The Object, God. - 4. The excellency of the Act, it is good.
The Proposition is this,
That it is a great duty incumbent upon Christians to draw near to God.
(Hebrews 10:22) Let us draw near with a true heart. For the illustration of the Proposition, four things are to be inquired into.
1. How we are capable of drawing near to God.
2. Where we draw near to God.
3. The manner of our drawing near to God.
4. Why we must draw near to God.
1. How we are capable of drawing near to God. By nature we stand in opposition to God (Colossians 1:21), alienated and enemies. How then can we approach near to God? Answer: It is through a Mediator. Out of Christ God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). But Jesus Christ is the [reconstructed: screen] between us and divine justice. Christ as our High Priest assumes our flesh. Christ's flesh is called a veil (Hebrews 10:20). As Moses when his face shone so exceeding bright, put a veil upon it, and then Israel might approach near to him, and look upon him: So Christ having veiled himself with our human nature, we may now draw near to God and behold him.
And as Christ makes way for us into the Holy of Holies by his Incarnation; so by his Crucifixion: he died to make God and us friends. The divine law being infringed, God's justice was provoked, and satisfaction demanded, before we could approach to God in an amicable way. Now here Christ as our priest [reconstructed: shed] his blood for our sins, and so made the atonement (Colossians 1:20). Having made peace through the blood of his Cross. As Joseph being so great at Court, made way for all his brethren to draw near into the king's presence (Genesis 47:2). So Jesus Christ is our Joseph, that does make way for us by his blood, that we may now come near [reconstructed: into] God's presence. Through Christ God is pleased with us; he holds forth the golden Scepter, that we may draw near, and touch the top of the Scepter.
2. Where we draw near to God.
In the use of his ordinances. In the Word we draw near to his holy oracle; in the sacrament we draw near to his table. In the one we hear his voice; in the other we have his kiss. Besides, we do in a special manner draw near to God in Prayer. Prayer is the soul's private converse and intercourse with God. Prayer whispers in God's ears (Psalm 18:6). My prayer came before him, even into his ears. In prayer we draw so near to God, that we take hold of him (Isaiah 64:6). God draws near to us by his Spirit, and we draw near to him in prayer.
3. The modus, or [reconstructed: manner] of our drawing near to God. God's special residence is in Heaven, and we draw near to God not by the feet of our bodies, but our souls. The affections are the feet of the soul; by these we move towards God. David drew near to God in his desires (Psalm 73:25). There is none in earth I desire besides you. He did shoot his heart into Heaven by pious ejaculations. Spirits may have intercourse at a distance.
4. Why we must draw near to God.
Because he is our Maker, in him we live. He has given us our bodies; they are his curious needlework (Psalm 139:15). And as he has wrought the cabinet; so he has put the jewel in it, the precious soul; and surely if we had our being from him: we cannot breathe without him: there is good reason we should draw near to him in a way of homage and observance.
God is our benefactor; he crowns us with variety of blessings; he gives health and estate; every [reconstructed: bit] of bread we eat is reached to us by the hand of divine bounty. Is there not great reason we should draw near to him that feeds us? Give a beast provender, and he will follow you all the field over. Not to draw near to him who is our benefactor, is worse than brutish.
God is the summum bonum, the chief good. There's enough in God to satisfy the immense desire of the angels. He is omnimode dulcis, the quintessence of sweetness; in him all perfections are concentrated, wisdom, holiness, goodness: he has rivers of pleasure, where the soul shall bathe itself forever with infinite delight (Psalm 36). So that here is ground sufficient for our drawing near to God; he is the chief good. Everything desires to approach to its happiness.
1. See the right genius and temper of a gracious soul, [reconstructed: it] is ever drawing near to God; it loves to converse with him in private. A person truly regenerate is not able to stay away long from God (Psalm 63:8). My soul follows hard after God. A pious soul cannot but draw near to God.
Out of the entire love which he bears to God. It is the nature of love to draw the heart to the object loved.
He that loves his friend will often give him a visit: He that loves God will visit him. The heart ascends to God in a fiery chariot of love.
A gracious soul cannot but draw near to God, because of the intimate relation between God and him. God is a Father (Isaiah 64:8). Doubtless you are our Father. Does not the child delight to draw near to his Father? No Father like to God for love: his children shall never want: he has land enough to give to all his heirs. He loves his children so entirely, that he will never disinherit them. How then can believers keep away from their Father? They know not how to be long out of his presence.
A gracious soul cannot choose but draw near to God, because he has found so much sweetness and content in it. While he has drawn near to God, he has drawn virtue from him. Never did Jonathan taste so much sweetness when he dipped his rod in the honeycomb (1 Samuel 14:27), as the soul finds in communion with God. In drawing near to God, a Christian's heart has been warmed and melted; the Lord has kindled his sacrifice from Heaven. In his approaches to God, he has had the inflows of the Spirit, the gifts of God's love, the foretastes of glory: God has given him a bunch of grapes by the way; he has tasted that the Lord is good; no wonder then he is so frequent in his approaches to the divine majesty; he has found the comfort of drawing near to God.
2. It reproves them, who instead of drawing near to God, draw near to the world. The world engrosses all their time and thoughts (Philippians 3:19), who mind earthly things. A good Christian uses the world for his necessity, but his main work is to draw near to God. Whoever he compounds with, and pays short, he will be sure God shall not be a loser. He gives God a daily sacrifice; he follows God fully (Numbers 14:14). But covetous persons make the world their treasure, and what is their treasure, that does most command their hearts. Worldlings live by sense; and to talk to them of drawing near to God, is to speak riddles and paradoxes to them. They can no more live out of the earth, than the fish out of the water. They have the Serpent's curse upon them to lick the dust. Things of a worldly aspect draw away the heart from God. They are retinacula spei (as Tertullian says) they hinder our passage to the holy land. Had not the fall beat off men's head-piece of wisdom, they would think thus with themselves: If there be any beauty in the world, what is there in God that made it? He gives the flower its color and odor; he gives the diamond its lustre; he gives food its delicious taste; and if there be such sweetness in creatures, what is there in God? He is infinitely better than all. Shall these poor things draw off our hearts from God? Shall the drop draw us from the fountain? Shall the light of the taper draw us from the sun? Shall we admire the gift, and forget the giver? Solomon speaks of a generation of men — madness is in their heart (Ecclesiastes 9:3). Sure they who draw near the world, and leave God, madness is in their heart. O how empty and insignificant are all other things without God! They are in their matter earthly, in their procuring painful, in their fruition surfeiting, in their duration dying, in their operation damning.
2. It reproves them who draw near to God, but it is hypocritically; they draw near with their lips, but not with their hearts (Isaiah 29:13). The Jews (says one) use great shows of adoration, and in their Synagogues burn lamps to the honor of God, but no inward devotion can be perceived. What is pomp without piety? Sinners give God the worship of their bodies, but keep their hearts for something else they love better. The heart is a virgin God himself is suitor to (Proverbs 23:26): My Son give me your heart. To draw near to God with the body, but not the heart, is to abuse God. It is as if one should come into an apothecary's shop and ask for cordial water, and he should give him an empty glass. To draw near to God without a heart, is to play at devotion, and to go to Hell covered with Religion's mantle.
3. It reproves them who instead of drawing near to God, draw back from God: these are renegades; they once seemed to put forth their blossoms, and gave good hope of their conversion, but their spring is changed to autumn. Either fear of persecution, or hope of preferment has turned them away from the profession of religion. Such were Bolsecus, Petrus Carolus, and others (Hosea 8:3): Israel has cast off the thing that is good. At Ausborough the Papists give ten florens a year to such as revolt from the Protestant Faith. Men draw back from God, because they never had the Spirit of God to confirm them. Such as have the Spirit's indwelling, never take their final leave of God. The Spirit in the heart is called an earnest, not a pawn. A pawn may be called for again, and taken away, but an earnest remains, and is part of the sum behind. O how odious is it to draw back from God! The name Judas is had in abomination at this day. Sure no Protestant would baptize his child Judas. And how dismal was his end! He who had no bowels to an innocent Christ, his bowels gushed out. If it be good to draw near to God, it must needs be evil to draw back from him (Psalm 37:27): You have destroyed all them that go a whoring from you.
3. It exhorts us all to draw near to God. It is more ingenious to draw near to God voluntarily, than to be drawn near to him by affliction. God is the terminus ad quem; where should the soul go but to God? Where can the bee rest but in its hive? To draw near to God is as well a privilege as a duty. There are but two motives I shall use to persuade to this drawing near to God.
1. The first is in the text; to draw near to God is a good thing. It is good for me. That it is good, appears several ways.
To draw near to God, is our wisdom. The price of wisdom is above rubies (Job 28:18). No jewel we wear does so adorn us as wisdom; and wherein is our wisdom seen more than in our drawing near to God? It is judged wisdom to keep in with great men (Proverbs 19:6): Many will entreat the favor of the prince. A prince's love is mutable. How often does the sunshine of his royal favor set in a cloud. But it is wisdom to draw near to God, he is the sweetest friend, and the sorest enemy.
To draw near to God is our honor. It is counted an honor to converse with noble personages. What a high dignity is it, that the great God will suffer sinful dust to draw near to him! Surely the Apostle did speak it with a holy boasting (1 John 1:3): Our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus — as if he had said, we do not walk with the pedants of the world; we are of the blood royal of Heaven; we live above other men; our fellowship is with the Father. That the King of Kings will hold forth a golden scepter to us, invite and welcome us into his presence, and bid us draw near; this is no small favor ([reconstructed: 1 Samuel 22:2]): Every one that was distressed and in debt, drew near to David, and he became a captain over them. So that we who are distressed and in debt, may draw near to God; and that he will not only be our captain, but our husband (Isaiah 54:5). What transcendent dignity is this! It is a wonder God does not kick us out of his presence, but that we should be admitted to see the King's face; and that he should send us dainties off from his own table, is an honor fitter for angels than men.
To draw near to God is our safety. God is a strong tower (Proverbs 18:10). It is good in times of danger to draw near to a fort or castle (Habakkuk 3:4). He had horns coming out of his hands, and there was the hiding of his power. The horns coming out of God's hands are to push his enemies; and the hiding of his power is to safeguard his people. God is an impregnable stronghold. Indeed there is no safety, but in drawing near to God. If the sheep straggles from the fold, it is in danger of the wolf; if we straggle and wander from God, we are in danger of Satan.
To draw near to God is our peace. The only thing which breaks our peace is when we do not keep close to God: but what harmony, indeed heaven is in the soul when it draws near to God! Psalm 119:165: Great peace have they that love your law. This peace, like pearl in broth, is cordial. David drew near to God, for he was ever with him (Psalm 139:17). And this made his pillow soft when he went to sleep (Psalm 4:8): I will lay me down in peace. As the honey-dew falls upon the leaf: O that sweet serenity which drops as honey upon the soul, while it is drawing near to God! How comfortable is it to draw near the sun! And how sweet is it to approach near to the Sun of Righteousness!
To draw near to God is our riches. 'Tis good drawing near a golden mine. If we draw near to God, he will enrich us with promises and divine consolations; he will enrich us with the pearl of price (Ephesians 3:8). He will reward us as a king, indeed, as a God. He will make over his land and jewels to us; he will give us the spring-flowers of joy here, and the harvest of glory hereafter.
If we draw near to God, he will draw near to us. If we draw near to him in duty, he will draw near to us in mercy. When the prodigal approached to his father, his father drew near to him, and fell on his neck and kissed him (Luke 15:20). If we draw near to God with repenting hearts, he will draw near to us with a compassionate heart. David prayed (Psalm 69:18): Draw near to my soul. It is good to have God draw near to us. How sweet is his presence! He is light to the eye, joy to the heart. How happy was it for Zacchaeus, when Christ drew near to him! This day is salvation come to your house (Luke 19:9). When God draws near to the soul, heaven and salvation draw near.
There is a time coming, when we shall wish we had drawn near to God. We are shortly drawing near to our grave (Psalm 107:18): They draw near to the gates of death. The wicked who care not for God, yet at death they would draw near to him. Then they cry as in Matthew 8:25: Lord save us, or we perish; then mercy, mercy! They run to God in distress, as in a storm men run to a tree for shelter. But God will not shelter his enemies. The Lord gives the sinner abundance of mercy in his lifetime (as you have seen a loving father bribing a prodigal son with money to see if he can reclaim him), but if the sinner be not wrought upon with mercy, then at death the sun of mercy sets, and a dark night of wrath overtakes the sinner. They who would not draw near to God as a friend, God will draw near to them as an enemy.
How shall we do to draw near to God?
Let us contemplate the excellencies of God. He is the God of Glory (Psalm 29:3), full of orient beauty: in comparison of whom both angels and men are but as the small dust of the balance. He is the God of love (2 Corinthians 13:11), who triumphs in acts of mercy. Well may this encourage our approaches to him who delights to display the banner of free grace to sinners. If we should hear of a person of honor, who were of a lovely disposition, obliging all that came to him by acts of kindness and civility, it would make us ambitiously desirous to ingratiate ourselves with him, and get into his acquaintance. God is the most sovereign good, the wonder of love, ready to diffuse the silver streams of his bounty to indigent creatures; this if anything will make us willing to draw near to him, and acquiesce in him as the center of felicity.
If we would draw near to God, let us study our own wants. Let us consider in what need we stand of God, and that we cannot be happy without him. The prodigal never drew near to his father, till he began to be in want (Luke 15). A proud sinner who was never convinced of his want, minds not to come near God; he has a stock of his own to live upon (Jeremiah 2:31): We are lords, we will come no more to you. A full stomach despises the honeycomb. 'Tis the sense of want brings us near to God. Why did so many lame and paralytic resort to Christ, but because they wanted a cure? Why does the thirsty man draw near a fountain, but because he wants water? Why does a condemned man draw near his prince, but because he wants a pardon? When a poor soul reviews its wants — I want grace, I want the favor of God, I am damned without Christ — this makes him draw near to God, and be an earnest supplicant for mercy.
If we would draw near to God, let it be our care to clear our interest in God (Hebrews 10:22). Let us draw near in full assurance of faith. When we know him to be our God, then we draw near to him. The spouse, by virtue of the conjugal union, draws near to her husband (Psalm 48:14): This God is our God.
Let us beg the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God has a magnetical virtue. Corruption draws the heart from God; the Spirit draws it to him (Song of Solomon 1:4): Draw me, we will run after you. The Spirit, by his omnipotent grace, draws the heart to God suavitèr, but fortitèr — sweetly, but powerfully.
Let us get our hearts fired with love to God: which way the love goes, that way the heart is drawn. If God be the treasure delighted in, our hearts will be drawn to him. Servile fear makes the soul fly from God; sacred love makes it fly to [reconstructed: God].
Finis.
