It Is Good for Every Man to Draw Near to God

It is good for every man to draw near to God.

*PSAL. 73:28.* But it is good for me to draw near to God.

There are two great truths asserted in this Psalm, from both of which these words are an inference.

1. That God is good to his servants, notwithstanding all the evils which may befal them in the world (ver. 1): Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. Though such may meet with many afflictions, yet God is good, yes and good to them in all. He intends them good and not hurt by the temptations which they may at any time be exercised with. Now if God be so good to his people, it must needs be good, and the best course they can take to draw near to him.

2. Another thing asserted in this Psalm, is, that though wicked men who are strangers to God may be in present prosperity, yet it will not be long before they utterly perish (ver. 27): For lo, they that are far from you shall perish, you have destroyed all them that go a whoring from you. And therefore he concludes that it is good to draw near to God. If they perish that are far off, the best and safest course is to get and keep near. Inasmuch as it cannot be ill with those that are with him, nor well with those that are without him, its a rational and a necessary conclusion that it is good to draw near. And whereas the Psalmist says, It is good for me, two things are implied.

1. That for his own part he was resolved to practise according to what he here makes profession of. 2. That though the generality of men did not draw near to God, yet it would be good for them so to do. He does not intend that it would be good for himself only, but it is equally true of all other men, and so they should find it, would they be persuaded to make the experiment.

The doctrine then is,

That it is good for every man to draw near to God.

Drawing nigh to God is not only in itself a good thing, but its good for them that sincerely do so.

Here two things are to be enquired into. 1. When a man may be said to draw near to God. 2. How it does appear that it is good so to do.

QUEST. 1. When may a man be said to draw near to God?

ANSW. 1. When he is brought out of a state of nature into a state of grace, he is brought near to God. There is a drawing nigh to God in respect of a man's state, as well as an actual drawing nigh to him. A sinner is in a state of separation from God. Therefore men in a state of sin are described to be a far off (Ephesians 2:13). It is said of the Prodigal, that he was a great way off (Luke 15:20). Sin has made a vast and woeful distance between the blessed God and the souls of men: it has set their souls at an infinite distance from him. But by true conversion they are brought near to him again. The Prodigal Son, when he came to himself, said, I will arise and go to my father. A repenting sinner goes to God. Hence repentance is sometimes called a drawing nigh to him (James 4:8): Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you, cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double minded. The Apostle having showed the evil of several vices, he prescribes one catholic remedy for them all, namely repentance, which he calls a drawing nigh to God, a cleansing the hands, a purifying the heart, an humbling of themselves, etc. There must be union and reconciliation before there can be communion. Amos 3:3: Can two walk together except they be agreed? You and I (says God) are not agreed, and therefore how can we hold communion? A sinner is an enemy to God, but a converted sinner is become reconciled to him. He is made nigh by the blood of Christ, and so has access to the Father (Ephesians 2:13, 18). Men by being [illegible] nigh, they draw nigh: being by faith and repentance brought near to God through Jesus Christ, they ever after draw near to him. This lays the foundation of all that communion which we have with God. It necessarily implies union and reconciliation with him.

2. When men enter into covenant with God, they draw near to him. Such are said to join themselves to the Lord (Jeremiah 50:5; Isaiah 56:6). As they that are wholly strangers to the covenant are said to be without God (Ephesians 2:12) and to be far off (Acts 2:39), so the Lord's covenant people are said to be near to him (Isaiah 57:19): I create the fruit of the lips, peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near. That is, to the Gentile and to the Jew. Paul has respect to that Scripture in Isaiah, when he says, Christ came and preached peace to you that were a far off; that is, to the Gentiles who were strangers to the covenant: and to them that were nigh, that is, to the Jews, who were nigh to God in respect of the covenant (Ephesians 2:17). On this account the children of Israel were nearer to God than any other nation in the world (Psalm 148:14): The children of Israel, a people near to him. There is an external covenanting with God; such may be really far from God, yet they are as to their visible state near to him (Jeremiah 12:2): You are near in their mouth, and far from their reins. And there is an internal covenanting with God, when men give not their names only, but their hearts to God, devoting themselves entirely to his fear, and renouncing all other lords and lovers in comparison of him, and for his sake. They draw near to God, who can truly say as his people do (Isaiah 26:13): O Lord our God, other lords have had dominion over us, but by you only will we make mention of your name.

3. When men worship God, they draw nigh to Him. Thus the Chaldee Interpreter paraphraseth upon the Text, It is good for me to come to the worship of God. There is a special presence of God where He is worshiped; especially in His public worship. In all places where I record my Name, I will come to you (Exodus 20:24). When men come to worship, they are said to gather round about the holy God whom they serve (Psalms 89:7). God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of His saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him. Hence the Priests of old were said in a peculiar manner to draw nigh to God, because they were constantly employed in holy ministrations (Exodus 19:22). The Priests which come near to the Lord — their whole employment was a divine service. They shall come near to me, to minister to me, and they shall stand before me, to offer to me the fat and the blood, says the Lord God (Ezekiel 44:15). When men come to hear the Word, they draw near to God: they approach into His special presence, and must therefore attend with all humility and reverence, because in coming to hear, they present themselves into the presence of the Infinite Majesty. Keep your foot, that is, be reverent in your behavior; for among the Eastern Nations, uncovering the foot did signify the same that uncovering the head does with us, being a testification of humble and reverend respect, when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to offer the sacrifice of fools (Ecclesiastes 5:1). Which words show that in hearing the Word, men have to do with God. They come into his house, and approach into his solemn presence. In prayer also, men draw near to God. Having such a high priest, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith (Hebrews 10:22). The Apostle's meaning is, let us in sincerity of heart pray to God, being fully assured that He will accept of us for the sake of Jesus Christ. Prayer is called a visiting of God (Isaiah 26:16). A knocking at His door (Matthew 7:7): Knock and it shall be opened to you. By prayer men knock at heaven's door. Prayer is nothing else but the soul's going up to God. To you O Lord do I lift up my soul (Psalms 25:1). When the Psalmist says it is good for me to draw near to God, part of his meaning is, it is good for me, that I should hear the Word of God, and that I should pray to Him.

4. When men join themselves to the Church and people of God, they draw near to him. For there is a special presence of God in His Church. The name of that place is Jehovah Shammah, that is, The Lord is there (Ezekiel 48 [illegible]). His Church is his house. That particular Church in Ephesus was the house of the living God (1 Timothy 3:15). Every Church is a sanctuary. Therefore God dwells therein (Psalms 26:8). I have loved the habitation of your house, and the place where your honor dwells. His honor, that is, God Himself (Who is expressed by the name of Honor, as also by the name of Majesty and of glory), dwells in His sanctuary. He is to be seen there. One thing have I desired, that is, one thing in a more peculiar manner, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His holy Temple (Psalms 27:4). So that the Lord appears in His beauty to those that are in His house, and there make enquiry after him. To see your power and glory, as I have seen you in the sanctuary (Psalms 63:2). Every true and pure Church is a sanctuary, where much of God is to be seen. He walks in the midst of his golden candlesticks (Revelation 2:1). Those holy ordinances whereof the Church is the proper subject have much of God in them. Hence the Spouse speaks as in Canticles 1:4, The King has brought me into his chambers, and chapter 2, verse 4, He brought me to the banqueting house. The holy ordinances of God are Christ's chambers, and his Church is the banqueting house where He does feed and feast the souls of his people. It is in a very peculiar manner true with respect to that ordinance of the Lord's Supper, which is not regularly administered but in a Church assembly, that believers draw near to God therein, as near as is possible for men to do in this world. There the Lord is wont to show himself after a gracious manner to the souls of his people, who do by faith attend upon Him. When Joseph and his brethren did eat and drink together in the same room, there was an intimacy of communion between them, so there is between Christ and believers in that ordinance of the Lord's Supper. Christ Himself is in the same room, yes, and at the same table with them.

When men exercise grace, then they draw near to God. This is the best drawing nigh to God; that which is most acceptable to Him, and most profitable to the souls of men. And it is peculiar to true believers. There is a drawing near to God externally; so hypocrites may draw nigh to him. Matthew 15:8. "You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." There is, moreover, an internal drawing near to God, which hypocrites are strangers to. They may have communion with duties, but they have not real communion with God in duties. This internal communion with God consists in those inward actings of grace whereby the soul is carried out towards God. As now, when the affections, which are as it were the feet and wings of the soul, are earnestly carried out after God. The soul that does indeed pant and breathe after communion with God draws near to him. Psalm 42:1, 2. "As the hart pants after the water brooks; so pants my soul after you, O God: my soul thirsts for God, for the living God, when shall I come and appear before God?" The soul which loves and longs to be where God is, has communion with him. Isaiah 26:9. "With my soul have I desired you in the night, yes with my spirit within me will I seek you early." When there are actings of love and delight in God, the soul draws near to Him. Love is a marvellous uniting affection. 1 John 4:16. "He that dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him." Therefore the more a Christian does exercise that grace of love to God, the nearer will his communion with God be. So when a man does renew and exercise repentance towards God, he draws near to him. Therefore the Psalmist says, the Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart (Psalm 34:18). He that confesses sin, with a broken heart for it, draws nigh to God, and God draws nigh to him. The like is to be said concerning the actings of faith: as the workings of unbelief in the heart are a soul-departure from God (Zephaniah 3:2, "She trusted not in the Lord, she drew not near to her God"), so when the soul does indeed act faith upon Jesus Christ, when there is not only prayer but faith in prayer, then there is a drawing near to God.

This drawing near to God implies constancy in the way of obedience. The Hebrew word [Kirbath] which is here used signifies to cleave to. Some read the words, Bonum est mihi adhaerere Deo, It is good for me that I should cleave to God. This is called a walking with God and an abiding with God (1 Corinthians 7:24). They that are constantly careful to walk so, as not to displease the Lord, He delights to meet them, and to hold communion with them. Isaiah 64:5. "You meet him that rejoices and works righteousness." And therefore the Lord Jesus Christ has said, "If a man love Me, he will keep my words, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him" (John 14:23). But thus for the 1st enquiry; we proceed 2ndly to enquire, how it does appear that it is good for every man to draw near to God?

Several things may be mentioned which are clear demonstrations of the truth and doctrine now before us.

To be separated from God is the greatest evil. Therefore to draw near to Him must needs be good. It is a dismal thing to be banished out of the Lord's presence. Hosea 9:12. "Wo to them when I depart from them!" A greater wo than that there never was, nor can there be. When the sun withdraws, nothing but darkness follows. A great part of the punishment of the apostate angels is in their being eternally separated from the face and favor of that God which made them. Guilty, trembling Cain thought his punishment intolerable in this respect. Genesis 4:13. "Cain said to the Lord, my punishment is greater than I can bear." Why, how so? Verse 14. "From your face I shall be hid." Verily, the damned in hell have not a greater punishment than that inflicted on them. Matthew 25:41. "Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire." The first and saddest word in that dreadful sentence is, DEPART from ME. There is more of terror in that, than in all the fire and brimstone of hell. In God's favor is life, and His loving kindness is better than life: therefore to be cast out of his favor is worse than any death. And if so, to have communion with Him is the greatest happiness.

God is the Chief Good. There have been great disputes among those whom the world has accounted wise men, about the Chief Good. Austin observes that there were no less than two hundred eighty eight opinions among the old philosophers about the Chief Good. But we are sure, that there is no Chief Good but God only. The young nobleman in the Gospel did not know that Christ was God, and therefore when he called Him good, the Lord said to him, Why call you me good? there is none good but One, that is God (Matthew 19:17). There is no Chief Good but God. He is infinitely good: He is an all-sufficient good. His Name is El-Shaddai: that is, the God who is sufficiency. He has enough in Himself to satisfy his own infinite Self: And therefore more than enough to satisfy all creatures, whatever the wants, whatever the desires of the souls of men may be; there's enough in God to satisfy them all. God is a universal good; so that it is impossible for a man to be miserable, if he has God. This, doubtless was the reason why Jacob said, I have all (Genesis 33:9). It is translated, I have enough, but that was no more than Esau said: The Hebrew expression is, Ieshli-Col, that is, To me there's all, namely, because of his interest in God. Though a soul should have nothing else, if he has God, he has enough, he has all. All outward losses are easily made up in God. Hence our Lord said, There is no man that has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for My sake and the Gospel's, but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time (Mark 10:30). Why! he shall have that comfort in God which all these creatures could afford, and a hundred times more. The Chief Good is eminently all good. So that though a man should lose all his worldly possessions, if he has drawn near to God, he may truly say, I have lost nothing: he may stand upon the ruins of the whole world, and say I have lost nothing. And therefore may rejoice in all afflictive changes and bereavements (Habakkuk 3:17-18). "Although the fig tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the vine, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Observe how full and particular the prophet's expressions are: here is the fig tree, and the olive tree, and the vine, and the field, and the flock, and the herd, if one of these should fail, relief might be hoped for from another of them. No, but, says he, though they should all fail, though all creatures in the world should fail, God will never fail, and there's comfort enough in that: happiness is in the fruition of Him.

To draw near to God, is the way to be delivered from evil. The name of the Lord is a strong tower which the righteous run into and are safe. In evil times God is good to Israel. Let what will happen in the world, they that draw near to him are safe. The wise man says, surely I know that it shall go well with them that fear God (Ecclesiastes 8:12). Such as are very careful to walk with God, do sometimes experience wonderful temporal preservations: as we see in Noah, to whom God said, Come you and all your house into the Ark, for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation. And in the prophet Jeremiah, whose very life was struck at and sought after, and that by the great ones of the world, but God hid him: he appeared for God, and God appeared for him. So He does often for his servants that keep in with Him. He is to them a very present help in the time of trouble. He shall hide them in the secret of his presence from the pride of men, and keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. However they shall have spiritual preservations: the Lord will deliver them from every evil work, and will preserve them to his heavenly kingdom. And if a Christian be grieved with inward, perplexing thoughts, by drawing near to God, he may obtain help against them. This was the case of the Psalmist, as the context shows: he was almost gone: his unbelieving thoughts had like to have been too hard for him: but he went into the sanctuary, and there by drawing nigh to God in prayer, and hearing of His Word, he got the victory over his temptations, and a further establishment in the ways of God. All his temptations issued in this, that he was made more sensible of his own infirmity, and had a more clear discovery of divine grace. This did he get by drawing near to God.

Communion with God, is a most sweet and comfortable thing to a gracious soul. Indeed unregenerate men do not think so, because they never had experience of it, but they that know what communion with God means, have found sweetness and delight therein which cannot be expressed. Hence David could say, One day in your courts, is better than a thousand elsewhere (Psalm 84:10). Excellent was the reply of a noble Protestant, when the Papists tempted him with offers of money to forsake the truth, and to turn Papist, Let that man's money perish with him, that does not prize one hour's communion with God, above all the gold and silver in the world. Communion with God in hearing his Word is sweet. Hence the Church says of Christ, His mouth is most sweet (Canticles 5:16). When a promise is set home upon the soul by the Spirit of God, how sweet is it! Or, when a man has been in great doubts and darkness about his spiritual estate, or concerning his way and duty, but some word of God does enlighten and direct him, how sweet is it! what refreshing does his soul within him find! The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart, sweeter also than the honey and the honeycomb (Psalm 19:8, 10). And communion with God in prayer is sweet (Isaiah 56:7): I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. Some of God's children have found that joy and comfort therein, as to make them forget their outward afflictions. A holy man once having buried a child who was dear to him, after he had gone and poured out his soul before God in secret, was cheerful, an intimate friend enquiring the reason, he gave this answer, I could be content to bury a child every day, on condition that I might meet with as much of God every day as I have done this day.

The soul that draws near to God, is bettered thereby. Many times consolation follows thereon, but if not, that which is better than comfort, that is, more holiness is the fruit of sincere approaches to God. Never any man did draw near to God after a right manner but he was the more holy for it. The more communion men have with God, the less communion they will have with sin. Every act of real communion with God tends to mortification of sin. This is one reason why the saints in glory become impeccable. The beatifical vision makes them that they cannot sin. The more intimacy of communion with God any soul shall attain to, the more like will he be to God. Among men, he that shall converse much with another, will be apt to be like to him, and to drink in something of his spirit with whom he holds a free and familiar conversation; so they that converse much with God, will surely become more like to him than what can be said of any other men. When Moses had near and intimate communion with God in the mount, divine impressions were left upon his face: so are there upon the face of that soul which shall be much in communion with God. Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18).

All the saints of God have found it good for them to draw near to Him. So that universal experience proves the truth of my doctrine. As it is said in Job, to which of the saints will you turn you? So I say, ask any of them whether it be not so, and they will every one of them answer and say as the Psalmist here does, It is good for me to draw near to God. Enquire of them, You have been at the Lord's Table, but did you ever find it good to be there? They'll say, we have met with God there, and we never met with him, but we found it good for us. Enquire again, Have you not found it good to draw near to God in the word and prayer? And they will give the same answer. Some of them have spent many whole days in secret prayer to God, and some of these have they found to be like days of heaven. How has the great God condescended to reveal himself to his servants after a wonderful manner, when drawing near to him in that duty! It is related concerning that eminent saint Mr. Brewer, that not long before his death, he had such enlargements in his closet-duty as made him wholly regardless of this lower world. Once when his near relation told him she feared he had injured himself by his rising so early, he replied, If you had seen such glorious things as I saw this morning in private prayer with God, you would not have said so; for they were so wonderful and unspeakable, that whether I was in the body, or out of the body with Paul I cannot tell. This indeed was extraordinary: but where is there a godly man, but he can truly say, he has found that of God in secret prayer which he would not be without for all this world? And if we could speak with the saints in glory, they would every one of them say it is good for me to draw near to God. As Peter said when he saw Christ transfigured on the holy mount, It is good for us to be here. So do the saints in heaven say, Here we have our fill of communion with God, it is good for us to be here. This is the heaven of heaven itself. A life of uninterrupted communion with God, that's heaven. To be with Christ which is far better (Philippians 1:23). There's marvellous rhetoric in that expression: [illegible] it is much more better: the Apostle uses comparative upon comparative, which rises higher than the superlative degree. Nothing is better, nothing is so good as to live a life of everlasting communion with God and with Jesus Christ. One well says, that the saints in glory are always experiencing, and yet ever learning this truth to eternity.

It is matter of heart-bleeding lamentation, that there are so few who draw near to God. Alas, how many are there that content themselves to live in a state of estrangement from God! They are aliens to the life of God, yes to a life of communion with him. The natural man knows not what it is to have communion with God: all our communion with God in this world is in some ordinance or other, either prayer, or meditation, or hearing the word, or reading, or in some other ordinance, but are not these neglected? Church-fellowship and the Lord's Supper are divine institutions. It is lamentable to consider that so many of the rising generation, do neither prize nor prepare themselves for such enjoyments, they sin grievously against the hope of their fathers. For our fathers came into this wilderness for no other end, but only that so they might build a sanctuary for the name of God, and enjoy communion with him therein. Now that their children after them should so many of them be careless about things of this nature, is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation. And are there not more than a few, that live in the neglect of prayer? Ah ungodly souls! The Scripture says, every one that is godly shall pray (Psalm 32:6). He then that lives without prayer, has no godliness, no grace in his soul. Are there not some that don't so much as pray in their families? Men may make excuses for such neglects if they will, but there is a Scripture which falls upon them like a thunderbolt of death, and they cannot escape it, I mean that in Jeremiah 10:25, Pour out your fury upon the families which call not on your Name. If there be a prayerless family in Boston, if there be a prayerless family in New-England (as alas there are many) let them look to it, for the fury of the Almighty is ready to be poured out upon them. Others there are who neglect closet prayer. Verily, I cannot see how such a man can have the true fear of God in his heart, that does in his ordinary course live a whole day together without secret communion with God.

USE. 2. For Exhortation

Let men, yes, let every man be so good to himself as to draw near to God. Consider the present times call for this. It's a dark and cloudy day: without doubt there is a gracious day of mercy and salvation to the Church of God near at hand. It may from Scripture and history be demonstrated that the twelve hundred and sixty years allowed for the Beast's continuance is almost expired. But a little before break of day, how dark is it like to be. Now a child is not afraid though he be in the dark, if his Father has him by the hand. No more need we be afraid of evil tidings, if we draw near to God. It is now a great question, What shall we do that we may be accounted worthy to escape those things that are coming on the world? The best answer which I can think of is this, Let us draw near to God and one another in the Lord. And then God will either keep the storm from coming to us, or if it do come, it will but blow us the sooner to Heaven.

For direction.

1. Take heed of sin. A great sin is like a violent blast which blows the soul far from God suddenly. Sin and guilt upon the conscience makes a man afraid to look God in the face. When Adam had sinned he endeavoured to run away from God, and to hide himself (had it been possible) from His holy presence. Therefore watch against sin. Especially against such sins as will break peace with God, and interrupt communion with Him. All scandalous sins will do so; yes, and sins of infirmity, if they be not mourned for.

2. In all our approaches to the holy God, let us be sure to bring Jesus Christ with us. Let every soul make sure of an interest in Him, without Whom there is no drawing near to God. When the Law was given at Mount Sinai, the people stood afar off: so Christless sinners who are only concerned in the Covenant of Works, are afar off. The Lord says to them as sometimes Joseph to his brethren, Except you bring Christ with you, you shall not see my face. And believers must depend upon Christ for all acceptance with God, and that as to every duty. The Apostle speaks of a better hope by which we draw nigh to God (Hebrews 7:19). What is that better hope but the priestly office, the merit and mediation of Jesus Christ? Were it not for that we should have no hope. How should sinners come near that God who is a consuming fire, without a Mediator? Christ is the way, and none can come to the Father but by Him.

Tibi Domine,