carrying forth the filthiness out of our hearts so as to be fit for a duty And in Job 11. 13 14. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand towards him What then If iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles These Two must be together 3. A Third thing is this The preparation of the heart it is The dis-intangling of the heart from the world and from all occasions and businesses in the world I am to worship God but how is my heart insnared and intangled in this and the othere business Now when I come to worship God I must lay aside all for there 's the preparation of the heart the separating of it for such a work for that 's the nature of Sanctification the separating of a thing from a common use I am to worship God now I must labor to separate my heart from a common use At other times God gives me liberty to let out my heart to common uses but now when I come to worship him I must separate my heart from all common uses that my heart may be wholly for God I remember it is said in the story of Cicil which was Lord Treasurer that when he went to read he would lay his gown off and say Lie there Lord Cicil So when we go to duty we should say Lie by world and by laying aside the world I mean laying aside of all houshold affairs or affairs in trading c. I must be as one that hath nothing to do in the world for that time It is true the time cannot be said to be holy for this as the time of the Sabbath day is holy You will say Why may not any time be said to be holy that I spend in holy duties No that is not enough to make time holy for the time that God makes holy it is not holy because of the duties that I perform in it but the duties that I perform then are more acceptable because they are done in such a time and so that makes a place holy not because it is appointed for holy duties and uses but because it is so appointed by God and the performing a duty in that place is more acceptable to God than in another place But now though we cannot make our time holy in that second sense yet in the first it is time set apart for a holy use and in that regard it is holy and so we should look upon it as not to have our outward business to devour that time that is holy in that regard as Nehemiah When Tobiah and Sanballat sent to him to come and confer with them No saith he I cannot go for the work is great that I have to do So we must not intangle our selves to meddle with other things when we are to come to worship God for our work is great The Fourth thing for preparation is To Watch and to Pray We should watch over our hearts lest they be made unfit for duties So we should prepare for Prayer all day long in this sense that is we should watch over our hearts that they be not let out so far as to hinder us in prayer when we come to do it I remember that Tertullian saith That the Christians did so sup as if they were to pray So when thou art in company thou shouldest watch unto prayer Oh that you did so you cannot but be conscious to your selves that oftentimes when you have bin in company your hearts have been put out of tune and frame that you have been no way fit for prayer when you come home your house and family finds it so You that take such delight in company and sitting up late I appeal to your consciences whether you can come home and find your selves fit either in your family or closet to go and open you hearts to God This is one Note by the way wherby you may come to know whether you have been immoderate in company at any time God gives not men liberty to be busie in any outward occasions so as to unfit them for his Service Preparation consists in that in watching over your hearts that you may not be unfitted for any holy duty when God calls you to it but that you may be ready even to every good work The Fifth Note is this Preparation consists in the readiness of the faculties of the Soul and the Graces of the Spirit of God ' presently to act upon the setting upon an holy Duty When a man or woman shall find the faculties of their soul and the graces that are in them to be ready to act assoon as ever they fall upon duty Just as you see a company of Ringers when they have made all preparation for the raising of the Bells then in an instant when thy begin to pul all the Bels go in that tune that according to their skil they set them in And so it should be with our hearts the faculties of our souls and graces though now we are not upon duty yet we should be so ready that as it were upon a pul all the faculties of our souls and the graces of Gods Spirit should work in a melodious way There are those that keep their hearts so prepared as at the very first moment that they set about the duty of Worship all faculties and graces begin to act and stir and are working towards God As a fire when all the matter is ready laid presently it comes to be kindled and flame out and thus it should be with our hearts So that now you see wherein preparation of our hearts to Duty consists The next thing is The Excellency of this Preparation and that may be in way of Application to you to make you to be in love with preparation for holy duties There is abundance of good in it As First By this means we come to make every Duty of Worship easie to us Things are difficult when we come upon them unprepared If you have a friend come to dinner or supper to you and should come suddenly and you have nothing prepared there would be a great deal of stir in the house but if you have every thing prepared it would be carried on in an easie way And the reason why people complain so much of difficulty in duty it is because their hearts are not prepared Indeed we have naturally many things that keep us off from God but when the heart is prepared for a holy duty it goes off as easie to God even into the infinite Ocean of all mercy and goodness as a Ship goes off to be lancht when you have made preparation for it so the heart can go with an holy holdness to God when you have made preparation for holy duties In Job 11. the place which I quoted before for the work of preparation do but consider a verse or two further and you shall find what abundance of good there comes upon the keeping of
the heart prepared in things that are good vers 13. If thou prepare thine heart c. and then vers 15. Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not fear When the heart is prepared for that that is good when it comes into the presence of God it is able to lift up it self without fear in a stedfast comfortable way and this will quit the cost of any labor Secondly If the heart be prepared it will do a great deal in a little time In a Chron. 29. 36. it is said That Hezekiah rejoyced and all the poeple that God had prepared the people for the thing was done suddenly The thing came off freely and suddenly when as that they were prepared Hezekiah rejoyced and blessed God for such a mercy as this was It is a great mercy to have the hearts of people prepared unto a good work And so in 2 Chron. 27. 6. the text saith Jotham became mighty because he prepared his waies before the Lord his God Jotham he grew mighty by this And so certainly the way to grow to be very strong mighty to be able to do a great deal in a little time it is to make preration there may be as much work done in one hour so as in ten times so much time when the heart is not prepared for it In Ezra 7. 10. you shall find that the reason is given why Ezra had such good success in his journey it was because he had prepared his heart Make preparation for holy duties and you shall have success in holy duties There is a notable Scripture for that in Psal 10. 17. where the holy Ghost saith that God prepares the heart And what then when God doth prepare the heart he doth then cause his ear to hear There was never a prayer made wherein the heart was prepared for it but that prayer was heard they go both together Lord thou wilt prepare their heart and thou wilt cause thine ear to hear if God hath once prepared thy heart thou wilt be sure to be heard then Is it not worth a world for to know ones self to be accepted of God in every duty of Worship that we tender up to him this one Scripture Psal 10. 17. will shew it Oh the excellency that there is in preparation to duty There is one thing more that is very observable and that is this Where the heart is prepared to Duties there the Lord will pass by weaknesses and imperfections in duties When thou comest to perform holy duties thou art troubled Will the Lord have regard to such a duty as this is Thou maiest have certain assurance that the Lord will have regard if thou canst make this point good to thine own soul that it was thy care to make preparation for this duty Canst thou say Lord I have endeavored and done what I could to fit my heart for duty but O Lord I find when I am at it wonderful distractions much deadness and vanity What shall I do Why canst thou make good the former and appeal to God that indeed it was thy care to make preparation I 'le give thee one Scripture then for the quieting of thy heart in this That the weakness of the duty shall be pardoned and past by where there is care to prepare beforehand the Scripture is in 2 Chron. 33. 18 19. But Hezekiah prayed for them saying The good Lord pardon every one what every one every one that prepareth his heart to seek the Lord God of his fathers though he be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary As if he should say Oh Lord there are many things amiss in this People they are not in many regards purified according to the order that thou hast set but Lord if thou doest but see any heart prepared to seek thee though they fail in such particulars Lord heal them and pardon them and did God hearken to his prayer Mark the following words And the Lord hearkned to Hezekiah and healed the people Nay saith God I wil not stand so much upon the purification of the Sanctuary if they have prepared their hearts to seek me Take this Scripture know it 's written for thine instruction and thou mayest make use of it to thine own soul this day if thou canst appeal to God that thou art careful to prepare thy heart though thou shouldest not have that pureness of thy heart as thou doest desire the Lord will pardon thee and heal thee make conscience of preparation to holy duties Again further By being careful to make preparation for duties within some little time thou wilt bring the heart to such a frame as it will alwaies be ready for duty without much ado Indeed at first it is somewhat hard You will say Are we bound to spend some time every time we go to prayer beforehand or every time we come to the Word That should have been one of the Cases of Conscience but I cannot come to Answer that but this we may say Be careful to prepare for duties you that are yong beginners or you that have made profession a longer time but yet have not had the weight of this duty upon your spirits now be careful for a while to prepare for every duty of Gods Worship that God calls you to and I say within a little time thou mayest bring thy heart into such a temper as thou mayest be ready at all times to perform holy duties because you shall be able to come to that temper and frame that the Apostle exhorts to Pray continually for indeed so it should be with us we should be alwaies prepared either for Prayer hearing the Word or receiving Sacraments Now because Sacraments are so rare those that have any enlightened conscience they think they dare not but prepare for Sacraments but you should be alwaies in a preparation for the receiving of the Sacraments as the primitive Christians did And those that have been acquainted with this Point that I am upon of preparing for duties they have come to such a frame of spirit as that there is not so much time required of them as of others for they are in a constant fitness so that there is no instant of time in the whol day but if God calls them to prayer they could presently fall down upon their knees and pray so as to Sanctify Gods Name in prayer that were an excellent temper indeed if you could find it so that you walk so spiritually and holily before God as there could be never a quarter of an hour from morning to night nor from the beginning of the week to the end but if you were cal'd to pray or to receive the Sacrament you had your heart fitted that you could come into Gods presence with a prepared heart and were able to sanctify Gods Name in the duty Acquaint your selves with this work of Preparation and so you may have hearts fitted to come into
those that did offer it they did eat a great part of it themselves now they were very careful in those offerings that they were to partake of themselves to offer fat beasts you do not see that the holy Ghost takes any notice of fat beasts in their burnt offerings Now the Note from hence is this That in those things where men are interested themselves they will be very careful to have the best things But now the Lord rejected the fat beasts of their Peace-offerings saith God You were very careful to offer fat beasts in your Peace-offerings where you may feed your selves but for those offerings wherein I have all there you are not so careful and therefore I regard them not The third Scripture is in Zach. 7. 7. there they did keep many daies in seeking of God it is an observable Scripture for these times Speak unto all the People of the Land and to the Priests saying When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month even those seventy years Did ye at all fast unto me even unto me Mark the phrase You fasted in the fifth and seventh month and for seventy yeers together but saith the Lord Did you at all fast unto me and then mark how he doubled it To me even unto me Noting that when we fast or pray or do any thing in the Worship of God we should be sure to aim at God more than our selves that God may not say of us another day Do you do it to me even to me You may ask me this Question How may I know that I am acted by self-ends in holy Duties for it is a hard thing for one to know ones own heart when one is acted by principles of self and when we aim at God in holy Duties Now for that I will give you these Notes to try whether you be acted from your selves or no. The First is this If a man loves holy Duties though he finds no present good comes in by them because they are such things as God requires and therefore though I get nothing by them yet this is enough to carry me on and to carry me on readily and willingly in the Worship of God those that can delight in Gods Worship even at that time though they find nothing coming in to themselves But now when we find not that coming in that we do desire we begin to be weary of Worship and say Why have we fasted and thou seest it not This is an Argument that thou art acted by Self rather than by God Secondly To know whether we be acted by self-ends or rather by high ends for God Those men that can rejoyce in others that are able to honor God in holy duties more than themselves they may have a good evidence to their own souls that when they worship God they are acted by higher ends than Self but now such as are straightned themselves and when they see other more enlarged in the Worship of God they rather envy them are griev'd and troubled know that Self is a great ingredient in those duties that thou doest perform if thy heart were raised high to God though thou canst not thy self be enlarged in holy duties yet thy soul would be glad that any others are though I have a wretched and vile heart of my own yet blessed be God that there are any others that can worship God better than I can Thirdly A man that is acted by Self in holy duties he regards holy duties but little save in time of extremity in time of fear or in sickness or in danger But now one that hath high ends in holy duties makes the duties of Gods Worship to be the joy of his soul in the midst of his prosperity and that is an evident sign that thou art not acted by self ends but by higher ends Canst thou in the midst of thy abundance say Lord thou givest me all conveniences in this world and all outward things that I want but Lord this is that which is the joy of my soul this is that which makes my life comfortable even communion with thy self in the duties of thy worship that I have free access unto the Throne of thy Grace to worship Thee the Lord and there meet with thee when I am in the performance of holy duties O Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that this is the thing that makes my life comfortable It is not that I have a Table furnished with variety of dishes and that I can have liberty of time to go into company and spend according as I please but Lord those incomes of thy Spirit that I do find in the duties of thy Worship those are the things that makes my life blessed indeed unto me Such a man is able thus to appeal to God surely when he worships God he is acted by high ends and not by self-ends And that 's the Third thing that is necessary for sanctifying Gods Name in holy Duties thou must have a sanctified heart high thoughts of God and high ends In the fourth place There must be much reverence and much fear when thou comest into the presence of God to worship him thou doest not glorifie God as God except thou doest come into his presence with much fear reverence of his great Name Fear in worshiping of God it is so necessary that many times in Scripture we find that the very Worship of God is called The fear of God they are put both for one I might give you divers Scriptures for it and hence it was that the Name of God was called the Fear of Isaac Jacob did swear by the Fear of his father Isaac because Isaac being a great Worshiper of God kept his constant times to worship God and worshiped him in such a constant way as except David and Daniel we do not find mention of the constancy of any in the worshiping of God as we do of Isaac's for it is said that he walked but into the fields in the evening as he was wont to do to Meditate and to Pray and therefore God is called The fear of Isaac In Psal 89. 7. is a notable Scripture for this drawing nigh to God with fear God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him God is to be had in reverence of all them that are about him but in the Assembly of his Saints he is greatly to be feared he is daunting terrible so the words are in the Assembly of the Saints When thou comest nigh to God thou hadst need have thy heart possest with much fear So in Psal 2. 11. the Kings and Princes of the earth are called upon to serve the Lord with fear Let them be never so great yet when they come into Gods presence they must serve him with fear And so in Psal 5. 7. In thy fear will I worship toward thy holy Temple Now this fear of God it must not
that you should mind what he saith But when God is speaking to you and you are speaking to God every vain thought that comes by you are turning aside too as if it were a greater thing to talk to vain thoughts and temptations than to the great and glorious God Therfore now that is the very time that the Devil chuses for to bring temptations when we are in holy duties for the Devil knows then he doth two works at once he doth disturb us in our duties and call off our hearts to that that is wicked and doth agravate our sin exceedingly It may be thou wilt not dare to commit that sin that the temptation doth turn thy thoughts upon yea but the Devil hath spoiled the duty by it The Lord doth expect that there should be strength of Intention when thou art upon the duty and there is no time to parlie with temptations now whatever thoughts come in The truth is though they be good thoughts that should come into thy mind and that time that thou art Praying yet if they be not pertinent to the duty thou must cast them away as the temptation of the Devil You will say Can any thing that is good come from the Devil Certainly that which is materially good and coming unseasonably may be from the Devil the Devil may take advantage by what is in it self materially good and bring in that in an unseasonable time and so he may turn it to evil As now when thou art hearing the Word it may be the Devil thinks he cannot prevail to cause thee to have thy heart running about uncleanness yea but saith the Devil If I can inject good thoughts I will put into their minds some place of Scripture that is no way pertinent to this only to divert them The Devil gets much by this therefore look to it and know that God expects the strength of thy spirit in duty that is Strong intention thou art worshiping of God and therefore thou hadst need be intent about what thou art doing Indeed sometimes before you are aware evil thoughts will come into your minds As when a man is keeping of a door and there is a crowd of people without that would come in perhaps the man doth open the door for some Gentleman that he hears is at the door but when he opens it for one that is to come in fourty others will crowd in And so it is many times with the soul that when it opens the door for some good thought a great many evil thoughts will crowd in Those people might come in if they would stay their time but they should not now come in So about worldly businesses that are not in themselves unlawful if they will stay the time they may come in but they must be bard out now at this time There is required strength of Intention 2. Secondly Strength of Affection is required also That is The Affections must work mightily after God striving with God in Prayer If ever thou hadst a heart inflam'd in any thing it should be when thou art praying or attending upon the Word as the Heathens that worshiped the Sun sometimes I have told you that they would not have a Snail but a flying Horse they would offer that that was swift so when we come to the living God we must have living Affections our Affections boyling and that will be the way to cure vain thoughts as the Flies will not come to the Honey if it be boyling hot but when it is cold So if the heart be boyling hot and the affections a working it will keep out vain thoughts and temptations It is a sign of the breath of life when it is warm but artificial breath you know it is cold as now the breath that comes out of the body that is warm but the breath that comes out of a pair of bellows that is cold So the breath of many people in Prayer it is discovered to be but artificial breath because it is so cold but if there were spiritual life then it would be warm Ther must be strength of affection 3. Thirdly There must be likewise the strength of all the Faculties We should stir up whatever we are or have or can do to work in Prayer then the bent of Mind and Conscience and Will and Affection yea and the body should be put to it also and those that worship God to purpose they spend their bodies in nothing so much as in the worshiping of God It will be a sad thing another day when this shall be charged upon many Thou hast spent the strength of thy body upon lusts but when didst thou spend any strength of the body about any holy duty What a riddle is this to most people to tell them of spending the strength of their bodies in Prayer or hearing of the Word or Sanctifying a Sabbath they think the Sabbath is a time of rest I confess it is a time of rest from an outward labor but it is a time of spending strength in a spiritual way and those that shall worship God a right on the Sabbath will find it a spending of a great deal of strength and blessed is that strength that is spent in the Worship of God rather than in the waies of sin as most spend their strength If God gives thee a heart to spend thy strength in His Worship thou maiest think thus Lord thou mightest have left me to have spent my strength in sin how much better is it spent in the Worshiping of thy Name There is one notable Scripture in Jer. 8. 2. that shews how much strength the Idolaters put forth in the worshiping of their Idol they would not do it in a slight and vain way but their hearts were much in that false-worship saith the text And they shall spread them before the Sun and the Moon and all the host of Heaven mark now whom they have loved and whom they have served and after whom they have walked and whom they have sought and whom they have worshiped All these are put together in reference to their Idols Oh that it could be said so of us in reference to God when we come to worship him whom we have loved and whom we have served and after whom we have walked and whom we have sought and whom we have worshiped there is all these several expressions to shew the strength of their spirits in following after their Idols And that is the Fift thing in our Sanctifying Gods Name 6. The Sixth is If thou wilt Sanctifie Gods Name in Worship there must be an humble frame of spirit worship him with much humility of soul Abraham did fall upon the ground before the Lord and dust and ashes saith he hath begun to speak unto thee yea we reade of Jesus Christ groveling upon the earth and the Angels they cover their faces in the presence of God and so should we be humble when we come before the Lord there is nothing more abases the
Gospel-Worship OR The Right Manner of Sanctifying the Name of GOD in General And particularly in these Three great Ordinances Viz. 1. Hearing of the WORD 2. Receiving the Lords SVPPER 3. PRAYER By JEREMIAH BURROUGHS Being the Second of the Seven Volumns lately published by Thomas Goodwin William Bridge William Greenhil John Yates Sydrach Sympson Philip Nye William Adderly COLE 1216. London Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1653. TO the READER OVR purpose in this Preface is not to speak either of the eminent Worth of the Author whose memory is blessed in the hearts of all the godly in this Nation or of this Piece it self here published but only to assure thee That it is his And although it riseth not up to that exactness and perfection as might have been in them had he publish'd them himself yet with that different allowance which is to be given Notes taken from his mouth in ordinary and frequent Preaching We doubt not but that in their use and benefit they may be as profitable to the Saints as other of his Writings being as full of weighty and Divine Materials having also the impress of the Spirit and language of this holy Man one of the greatest Preachers of this Age stampt all along upon them We to whom this our Brother was most dear and precious being entrusted with the publishing of his Sermons have thought good first to usher abroad these few which if they receive that welcom they deserve many other excellent Pieces of his may soon after have encouragement to appear in publick view The Points treated of in these are of great concernment and therefore we conceive the Author though in handling of them he had room enough for the discussing many of the controversies of the times yet he purposely waved it and bent himself to the single delivery of that which tended most to edification and best suted with such a popular Auditory as that was to whom he spake The Lord of Heaven bless them to thy spiritual advantage and enable thee by such means as these to sanctifie his Name in the use of all his Ordinances which is the desire of Thomas Goodwyn William Greenhil Sydrach Sympson Philip Nye William Bridge John Yates William Adderly The CONTENTS of the several ensuing Sermons SERMON I. THe occasion of the words 1 The words opened 5 Observ 1 There must be nothing in Gods Worship but what he hath commanded 8 Obs 2. God stands upon little things in matters of his worship 11 Obs 3. No priviledg can secure from Gods stroke 12 Obs 4. The more dignity the more danger ibid Obs 5. The beginnings of great matters meet with difficulties 13 Obs 6. Those that enter into publick places have need of the fear of God ib. Obs 7. We should pick out Gods meaning from dark expressions in his word 14 Obs 8. Sinners may meet with judgments never threatned in the Word 16 Obs 9. God is very quick with some in the way of judgment 17 Obs 10. The holiness of a duty will not bear a man out in his miscarriage in it ib. Obs 11. The Lord is terrible out of his holy places 18 Obs 12. Gods judgments are oft sutable to mens sins ib. Obs 13. We should take heed of bringing strange fire to Gods service 19 SERMON II. Obs 14. Gods saints many times meet with afflictions in their children 20 Obs 15. Gods judgments come many times in an invisible way 21 Obs 16. Gods glory more precious to him than mens lives 22 Obs 17. The nearer any are to God the more careful they should be to glorifie him ib. Obs 18. When judgments are exemplary we should look to the word how God makes it good 23 Obs 19. The great honor of Gods Name in the making it holy ib. Obs 20. True friendship to comfort friends in distress from the Word 24 Obs 21. The way to quiet the heart in affliction is to think God wil have honor by it 25 Doct. 1. In worshiping God we draw nigh to him 26 In what respect we are said to draw nigh God in worship 27 Use 1. To take heed what we do when we worship God 30 Use 2. Why guilty consciences fly from the worship of God 31 Use 3. Why Hypocrites meet with such severe judgments 32 Use 4. To neglect Gods Worship is to depart from him 33 Use 5. Exhortation to be much in Gods worship 34 SERMON III. Use 6. The honor of Gods Servants to draw nigh him 39 Doct. 2. We must sanctifie Gods Name in drawing nigh to him 42 First In preparation to his worship ib. 1 Because he is a great God 43 2 The duties of Gods worship are great 44 3 Our hearts are naturally unprepared 46 4 The hindrances of Gods worship are many ibid 5 The Heathens prepared to worship ship their Idols ibid 6 Preparation shews sincerity of heart 47 Five things wherein preparation consists 48 1 A right apprehension of God 49 2 Taking the heart from sinful waies ibid 3 Taking off the heart from the world ibid 4 In watching and prayer 50 5 In acting the faculties and graces 51 Four things of the excellency of Preparation 52 1 It will make duties easie ib. 2 We shal do much in a little time ib. 3 The Lord will pass by weakness in duties 53 4 It will make the heart alway ready for duty 54 SERMON IV. Cases of Conscience 1 Whether we be alway bound to set some time apart for preparation to duties 55 2 Whether being not prepared the duty may be omitted 57 Answered in 4. particulars 1 The omission of duty will not fit the soul for duty 58 2 It is but a temptation to keep from duty 59 3 If the duty be done in sincerity though there be not due preparation it is better than to omit it ib. 4 While people struggle with their corruptions and seek not God they fall into snares 61 In what manner duties are to be performed that Gods Name may be sanctified ibid 1 We must perform them so that we may glorifie God as a God 62 Which is done 1 When we offer all we have 63 2 When we grieve that we can do no more 64 3 There is an impression of Gods infinitness on the duties of his Saints ibid 2 When the soul follows after God as a God 66 3 When the soul comes expecting the choicest mercies of God ib. How the heart must behave it self to sanctifie Gods Name in respect of his greatness and glory ibid 1 It must be a sanctified heart 67 1 Because the Lord accepts the person before he accepts the action 69 2 God looks more at the principle of the duty than at the duty ib. 3 According as the heart is so will the duty be 70 SERMON V. 2 In sanctifying Gods Name in Worship we must have high thoughts of God 71 3 We must have
not daunt thee Now is the presence of God in the very faces of his Saints terrible to a guilty conscience how terrible is the presence of God in his Ordinances then Indeed those men and women whose consciences are not enlightened but are ignorant and sottish they can sin against God and go into his presence without any trouble you shall have men swear and be drunk over night and come to the Sacrament the next day What 's the reason Because there is no light sn their consciences their consciences are in darkness they are besotted in their sin but I speak now of one who hath an enlightened conscience the presence of God is terrible to such an one A Third Use is this Here 's the reason why Hypocrites do meet with such vengeance from God as they do I confess we shall meet with this more especially afterwards only by the way take notice of it Hypocrites above all men may expect the severest judgments of God upon them because they come so nigh God for they come often to the Duties of Gods Worship now they that will come so nigh Gods presence and come with base and ungodly hearts to cloak their villany of all in the world they must expect to have the severe vengeance of God let down upon them they that stand nighest the bullet must expect to have the strength of it to be the more upon them so when the wrath of God proceeds out upon sinners wicked men that stand nighest Him they have the greatest stroke of Gods wrath But of that more when I come to the Third Point That God will be Sanctified in those that draw nigh Him The Fourth Use is this If to Worship God be to draw nigh Him then to neglect Gods Worship is to depart from Him that must needs follow And this is a dreadful thing it is the Sentence that shall be at the last day of Judgment Depart from me Thou now art willing to depart from God Oh consider of this you that neglect Worship the Worship of God in your Families and in your Closets and in the Congregation in the Communion of the Saints thou hast little minded or regarded the Worship of God it may be all thy daies what hast thou been doing all this while thou hast been departing from God all this while and when thy conscience shall be but enlightned and awakened to see how far thou art from God how terrible will it be to thee Remember this you that have no mind to the duties of the Worship of God but love the Commission of sin you neglect Gods Worship you were wont to worship him in a constant way in your closets and families but now you grow more loose and so you grow more dead every day than other you go off from God more and more Surely there can be no good to neglect Gods Worship And those that are loth to Worship God because they cannot worship him as they ought from this Point it appears plainly That there can be no good gotten by neglecting Gods Worship for it is departing from God whatsoever plea there may be by any temptation to neglect Gods Worship certainly there is danger in it and therefore never listen to any such temptation as shall draw your hearts from the duties of Gods Worship There are a generation of wantons in these times that make little matter of continuing the duties of Gods Worship they were wont constantly to worship God and to attend upon the Word but now it is nothing to them and they are even ready to thank God for it that they make not such conscience as they were wont to do in the duties of the Worship of God It may be they will say That heretofore some slavish terror did carry them on in the duties of Gods Worship more than the understanding of the freeness of the grace of God would admit of but shall the understanding of the freedom of the grace of God carry thee on less than thy slavish terror did Oh blind and wanton spirit that knowest not the waies of God nor the freeness of the grace of God nor the riches of it Oh what a dishonor art thou to Jesus Christ and to the freeness of his grace that thou canst go up and down from day to day and never Worship God! Did Jesus Christ come into the world for that end for to cause thee to depart more from God 'T is plain out of the Word That the duties of Gods Worship are those duties whereby the soul comes to draw nigh to God And I beseech you Brethren observe these men whether there be that Holinese in their lives that Spiritualness as there was wont to be No you shall find them by degrees to grow loose yea run sometimes into gross sins grow many times to lying and deceiving and to drunkenness and company-keeping yea to worse things by degrees Perhaps they are at first ready to say Is thy Servant a dead Dog that I should do this But by departing from God they grow dead to holy duties we find it by experience That the Professors of Religion have not that Holiness Heavenliness Spiritualness as they were wont to have in former times and no mervel for now they keep not so nigh to God as they were wont You that are Sea-men and Travellers sometimes you are neer the Sun and then you are hot but the further off the Sun you go you grow to be colder and colder And so those that neglect the Worship of God they go from warm Sun they go from the light of Gods Countenance and from the presence of God and so they grow cold and chill and by degrees they grow to prophaness and it is to be feared that many of them will grow to meer Athiesm Another Use is this An Use of Exhortation that we would be encouraged to worship God and to be much in the Worship of God In Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw neer saith the Text Who would not draw neer to God Oh what a good thing is it to be in the presence of God Is not the Lord the fountain of thy life Is it not a sweet thing to be in his presence We think it a sweet thing to be in the presence of godly men Oh that we might alwaies live with such men and be nigh them That Martyr Doctor Taylor rejoyced in this That ever he came into prison to be acquainted with that Angel of God holy Master Bradford and as I remember some among the Heathens that profest they would rather be in prison with Cato than be in the greatest glory with some other It is a blessed thing to be in the presence of God to be with him that is the God of our lives and the fountain of all good let us draw nigh to God often let us know that it is a mercy that we may draw nigh to God we might have been banished from the presence of the Lord long e're this time
though through infirmity it comes at such a time to be unprepared for the duty But yet suppose I find I am not prepared I am griev'd and troubled at it for that must be premised whether were I better to leave the duty for this time than to fall upon it in such an unpreparation as this is Now for the Answer to this Question First That which I would answer to it is this The omission of a duty or the laying of a duty aside will never fit the soul for a duty afterwards it is no way to make thy soul more fit afterwards because thou hast laid it aside now for the present do but observe your own hearts that way and you will find this by experience Such a time you have been busie in the world and occasions have hindered you so as your heart is out of temper and frame for a duty you lay it aside now are you more fit the next day If you do neglect duty in the morning upon any business are you fitter to perform duty at night because of it you will not find it to be so The forbearing a duty now will not make the soul fitter for a duty afterwards therefore it is no wisdom to forbear a duty for want of preparation because the forbearance will never help to further prepartion but will make the soul more unfit for duty It is an excellent Speech that I read that Luther hath concerning himself I have learned this by experience that the oftener I do omit duty the oftener do I make my self the more unfit for duty and cause I have to abhor my self It is not the deferring that makes thee the more fit 2. Therefore consider that this is but a temptation and that is the second thing that I would propound to those that shall omit a duty because they are not prepared That this is but a temptation to keep thee from it to tell thee that thou art not prepared and if thou shalt forbear it because thou art not prepared in this thing thou doest gratifie the Devil and the Devil hath what he would have and so would be encouraged to tempt thee another time because he hath now what he would have in causing thee to forbear the duty First he laboreth to unfit thee for it and then he tempts thee to forbear it because thou art unfit this is the subtilty of the Devil From whence is it that thou art unfit but from the temptation of the Devil And I find Luther again that was a man that had as much converse with God as any in his daies and a man that had as much to draw his heart away as many temptations and as many businesses as any for indeed the great cause of Christ in all the Christian world in a great measure under God lay upon his shoulders and yet saith he If any one think that prayer must be defer'd till the soul be purified from impure cogitations he doth no other than help the Devil who is powerful enough he thinks to be wise in deferring the duty because he is not fit and he hath many ill thoughts and troubles in his spirit he doth nothing else saith Luther but gratify the Devil that is strong enough without this Oh let us take heed of gratifying the Devil in his temptations therefore remember it is a temptation for thee to omit a duty meerly because thou art not prepared for the duty 3. In the Third place That which I would answer to this Question is this If any one perform a duty of Worship in that sincerity and strength that he is able to do it though he be not prepared as he ought yet it is better to do it than to neglect it It is true some do perform a duty in a meer formal way and to satisfie their consciences or to cloak and cover ther sins and the like perhaps they may so perform it as it might be better to be unperformed than to perform it as they do but if you do endeavor to the uttermost of your strength to do it though you be not prepared as you do desire yet it is better to do it than to omit the doing of it and you will find it so for one duty doth prepare for another Though it be not done as I desire it should be done yet the doing of it as well as I can at this time will help me to do it better at another time that is certain as one sin doth prepare the heart for another sin so one duty prepares the heart for another as now suppose a man commits a sin and he hath a conscience that is enlightened that doth hinder him from committing his sin with that full strength that he would do it many a man hath a mind to sin but through the enlightening of his conscience he cannot sin with that delight as he would because his conscience flies in his face and doth interrupt him but yet for all this through the strength of his corruption he will break through to that sin now though at first they cannot commit that sin with that delight and freedom as they do at other times yet if their corruptions be so strong as to break through the light of their consciences the next time they come to the committing of that sin they will commit it with more freedom and ease a great deal This is evident by experience there is none of you but if you well observe your hearts you will find this A temptation comes to a sin now you connot do it with so much freedom as you would but yet you break through it you will find that the next time you will commit it with more freedom and so one sin will prepare for another and it may be you have some trouble of conscience at first but the next time you will have less trouble till at length you can commit it freely without any trouble of Conscience at all As it is in sin so it is in godliness many times in some degree at the first you have a motion to a holy duty but through the stirrings of your corruptions you are not fit for it now do you but break through that difficulty and the next time you will be more fit and the next time after that you will be more fit and so still more and more fit as it is in sin If a man when he hath some trouble of conscience would but listen to his conscience and would not commit that sin his conscience would grow stronger upon him and strengthen him against that sin so if any man or woman listens to the temptation to defer duty and put it off because they are not prepared why after that the corruption will grow more strong therefore set upon the duty and the peformance of one duty will prepare for another 4. In the fourth place While men and women are strugling with their souls and the corruptions of their hearts and do not fall upon seeking
open this Point fully will ask some time First Therefore I will shew you how we may know when our duties are acted by our natural parts rather than by the Spirit of God Secondly How we may know whether our duties be acted by natural Conscience rather than by the Spirit of God 1. First If thou art acted by natural parts they will not change thy heart Men that do perform duties by the strength of natural parts they may be as large as others and speak to the edification of others but those duties do never change their hearts now if thou beest acted by the Spirit of God thou wilt be changed into the very Image of his Spirit 2. Secondly If men are acted by Natural parts they will not carry them through difficulties and discouragements but now the Spirit of God if thou hast acted by him though thou doest meet with never such difficulties and discouragements thou wilt be carried through them all 3. Thou maiest know it by this wherein dost thou account the excellency of a duty to consist either in thy self or others Thou performest a duty now it may be thy parts do act very lively and to thy credit and yet thy conscience tells thee that thy heart was straightened Now canst thou rise up with joy because thou hast thy ends At another time perhaps thy heart is more troubled and broken But thou doest not express thy self so much then thou art discouraged And when thou seest another perform a duty if thou seest but any failing in their expressions thou pitchest upon that and lookest upon it as a poor thing thou art not able to see an excellency in holy duties except there be an excellency of natural parts but those that have the Spirit of God they can find the Spirit of God acting in others though they have not such natural parts 4. Those that are acted by their natural parts in secret they are less enlarged than they are before others a great deal Their parts act much before others But what is there between God and their own souls 5. They that be so acted will not be very constant you shall have yong ones that begin to look towards Religion their parts are a little fresh and they are mightily enlarged in holy duties and the thing is good for them to make use of their parts but how ordinary it is that after a few yeers they are deader and duller than they were before and have less mind to the duties of Gods Worship than they had formerly Were this the Spirit of God you would find as much savour and relish in them afterwards as there was at that time Secondly For natural Consciences which sometimes puts men upon acting of duties and indeed is better than meerly natural parts 1. If it be only natural Conscience it puts upon duties but gives no strength to do them but when the Spirit of God puts thee upon a duty it gives thee some strength to perform it some strength whereby thou gettest some Communion with God 2. If it be natural Conscience it puts upon the duty but makes not the heart glad of the duty and to love the duty but if it be the Spirit of God it makes thee to delight in it and to love it 3. If it be natural Conscience thou doest not by that encrease thy communion with God thou doest thy duties as in a round but now when the Spirit of God puts thee upon holy duties it is not a task done but thou findest more and more encrease in communion with God thy heart more raised to God and more closing with the Lord and so still more and more in the course of thy life I had a little converse with God at first when God began to acquaint my soul with His Waies but through His mercy now I find more communion with Him and so thou 〈◊〉 bless thy self in God in that converse that thou hast in communion with Him thou wouldst not lose that Communion thou hast with God in holy duties for all the world others have their companions that they have their communion withal much good may do them but the Lord hath shewen me another manner of communion which my soul can have with himself in which it hath sweet satisfaction And thus you have had Seven Particulars for the Sanctifying of the Name of God in Holy Duties SERMON VI. Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me 4. AGain As Natural Conscience doth give no strength to do the duty so it makes not the duty to be strong to the soul that is thus Thre's no strength got by the duty they are not by one duty prepared for another But the way of the Lord is strength to the upright that is when a gracious heart is in the way of Gods Worship it finds the very duty of the Worship of God to be strength to it and so it fits it for another Duty 5. Further A Natural Conscience limits its self and is bounded that is so much as will serve the turn for its own peace and quiet so much it will do and no more But when one is acted by the Spirit of God one is enlarged without any limits at all not bounded to ones own peace for the more peace a gracious heart hath in duty the more it is enlarged in duty Now a Natural Conscience that puts to duty and will act you when you want peace when you are in trouble and fear but when you are not in trouble and fear then it puts not on the heart to performance of duty but the Spirit of God puts on the Soul to Duty when there is most peace and comfort 6. A little will serve the turn to satisfie natural conscience so be it they perform the duty it is enough but one that is acted by the Spirit of God in duty must meet with much of God or else he is not satisfied he goes mourning in the day time if he hath not met with much of God in the morning in the performance of duty Thus you see there is much difference between the acting of Natural parts and conscience in duty and the acting of the Spirit of God There be only now Two things more for the Sanctifying of Gods Name in Duty and then we are to come to shew how we should sanctifie Gods Name in Duty in reference to the several Attributes of God But First for those Two Heads Further 7. The Seventh thing is this When you come to perform holy duties if you would sanctifie Gods Name you must consecrate your selves to God there must be a resignation of Soul and Body Estate Liberty Name and all you are have or can do unto God This is to sanctifie Gods Name the consecration of your selves unto God And the professing of this is the performance of duty when you are to pray were a very good thing actually to profess your selves to be Gods to profess that you do
people But that we spake too in shewing how we draw nigh to God in holy duties and it may well come in here again as an Argument why we should sanctifie Gods Name 4. A Fourth Reason is this Because there is no way for us to be fitted for the receiving of mercy from God through those duties of Worship but by our sanctifying of Gods Name when thou comest at any time to worship God what wouldest thou have there it some communion that thou wouldest enjoy with God now there is no way to make thee a fit subject of mercy or capable of the enjoying of Communion with God but by such a behavior of soul as this is that hath been spoken of To sanctifie the Name of God thou wouldest be loth to lose those duties of worship that thou doest perform therefore it is required of thee to sanctifie his Name lest thou doest lose all for 't is this that makes thee the only capable subject of what good is to be had there 5. We must sanctifie Gods Name in holy Duties because otherwise we should certainly never hold out in Duties but vanish and come to nothing now God would be worshiped so by his creatures as to be constantly worshiped he would have those that do worship him to worship him alwaies to worship him for ever and he would have this Worship that we perform to him but to be the begining of that eternal Worship that he shall have from us in Heaven And so the Saints do Worship God now the Worship which they perform it is but as the beginning of that Worship that hereafter in Heaven they shall tender up to God though there may be some difference in it as there our prayers will be turned into praises and it will not be in such outward Ordinances as now we worship God in there will be no Preaching nor Sacraments yet notwithstanding the Soul worship that is now will be in effect the same as it shall be in Heaven God would have us so to worship him as to continue to worship him Now I say â—nless his Name bâ— sanctified in our worshiping of him we will certainly fall off and the truth is This is the very ground of all Apostacie in Hypocrites Some that have been very forward in the worshiping of God when they were young ones and afterwards they have fallen off they were wont constantly in their families and in secret in their chambers to be worshiping of God and they accounted it the very joy of their lives for the present to be worshiping of God but it is not so with them now as it was yea they are fallen off it may be from their very profession of Religion and turn'd loose And now to be in vain company to drink or play is better to them than any Service of Worship of God they prize more to be in company with their sports than to hear a Sermon or to be in Communion with the People of God in Prayer Heretofore they would not have changed one short time of private Communion with God for the enioyment of a great deal of pleasures and content in the world but now it is otherwise with them How comes it to pass that these are apostatized thus from God Surely this is the ground of it That they did not sanctifie Gods Name in holy Duties at the most it was but a work of conscience that put them upon them and they had but some flashes there was no real Sanctification of their hearts whereby they did sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties and upon this it is that they have left off This I dare say That there was never any soul that did know what it was to sanctifie Gods Name in worship that ever was weary of worshiping God It may be some of you may say We have hard that there is much required in sanctifying Gods Name in duties and that is the only way to weary the soul and to make it fall off Oh no as we said the last day there is not any one thing that hath been opened for the sanctifiing of Gods Name in duties that any gracious heart can tell how to miss and the more we do sanctifie His Name the more we shall be in love with worship For it is from hence that those that sanctifie Gods Name in worship will hold out because they will find the sweetness of worship they will meet with God in holy duties and so they come to be encouraged in worship but as for others who do worship God in a formal way their worship will prove to be tedious to them for they perform the duties but do not find God in the duties in that spiritual way as the Saints do If they think they meet with God it is but an imagination rather than any real meeting with him they do not find the influence of God in their souls in holy duties so as those do that sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties here then you see the Reasons why we are to sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties Now then for the Application of all this 1. If all this which you have be required of us for the sanctifying of Gods Name Hence we see how little cause we have to rest upon any duty of worship that we do perform certainly the duties of worship that we perform are no such things as are fit to be rested upon for life and for salvation and yet for the most part there is scarce any thing that people have to rest upon or to tender up to God for acceptation to eternal life but only their prayers and their coming to hear and receiving of the Communion and such duties that they perform this is al they have to tender up for life and for salvation perhaps they may sometimes speak of Christ but the truth is that which their hearts rest upon for acceptation to eternal life is this And is it but this It is a weak prop a rotten reed that thou hast to rest upon Let the duties of Worship be performed never so well Suppose we did sanctifie Gods Name to the uttermost that is possible for any creature to do in this world yet such duties are not to be rested upon Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the Apostles the most holy men that ever did preform duties in the most holy manner yet wo to them if they have nothing to rest upon but their duties Consider therefore of this That what thou must rest upon for acceptation to Eternal life it must be that which must have so much worth in it as must satisfie for all thy sins that formerly thou hast committed yea and for all the sins that ever thou shalt commit Now I appeal unto any ones conscience Is that which thou performest is Prayer or receiving the Sacrament or hearing of the Word such a work as in thy conscience thou canst think it hath so much worth in it as to satisfie God for all the sins that ever thou
way or other appear to be against me in such duties that I tender up unto him Now you will say How doth God appear that he doth not accept of them He will appear in these three things 1. First By blasting those that do worship him thus in a formal way It shall at first be secret but afterwards it will appear more apparantly and we see it by experience that such as have been Professors of Religion and worship God in hypocrisie and in formality they have been blasted in their parts and common gifts The Judgment of God upon Nadab and Abihu that did not Sanctifie Gods Name it was secret at first It struck them dead and though by fire yet if you reade the story you shall find that their cloathes were not burnt and yet they were burnt in their bodies So the Lord sometimes doth blast men inwardly in their Spirits in their Souls in their Parts in their common Gifts He blasts them I say inwardly though it doth not appear outwardly yet at length it will appear before men that they are blasted and in these times of the Gospel the Lord doth come with spiritual judgments rather than with outward temporal judgments In the time of the Law those that did not Sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties the Lord did appear by some external and visible way upon their bodies but now in the time of the Gospel there God comes with more spiritual judgments upon mens souls and those are the most terrible judgments We have a notable Scripture for this in Isa 29. 13. How God doth blast those that do not sanctifie his Name in holy duties Wherefore the Lord said Forasmuch as this people draw neer me with their mouth and with their lips do honor me but have removed their heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the Precepts of men Mark what follows Therfore behold I wil proceed to do a marvelous work amongst this people even a marvelous work and a wonder for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid What do they come and draw neer me with their lips and their hearts are far from me and do they worship me in a formal way I 'le take away the wisdom from the wise and the understanding from the prudent And that is the reason why so many great Scholers are blasted in their very Parts because they would worship God according to the precepts of men in a formal way and so all Hypocrites and formal Worshipers the Lord doth blast them in one way or other the judgments of God upon the spirits of men were sometimes in the time of the Law But in the times of the Gospel there we find generally the judgments of God to be more spiritual upon the hearts and consciences of men we find it by experience God doth discover that he doth not accept of such as those are and therefore when you see any that have made profession of Religion that had excellent Parts at first many common gifts and now are as we say no body Remember this Text That God will be sanctified in those that come nigh Him Secondly The Lord doth manifest that he will be sanctified in those that draw nigh him by awaking their consciences many times upon their sick beds and death beds the Lord doth force them to give glory to Him and there to acknowledg that they did not worship God in Uprightness but in Formality And now they are in horror of conscience and cry out in the anguish of their souls upon the apprehension of the dreadful wrath of God that is upon them Take heed for the Lords sake of this thing when you are performing of the duties of Worship do not rest in the outward duties for they will never comfort you upon your sick and death beds you may perhaps put off your consciences a little for the present but when you come upon your sick beds there will be no comfort unto you and then you will be forced to say wel all this while I have but taken the Name of God in vain and now God hath rejected me and all my services and you will then speak to those that come about your beds side and bid them take warning by you take heed that when you worship God you worship him to purpose I have spent time in prayer and hearing but for want of this I find I have no comfort at all but the Lord appears to be terrible to my soul and comes out against me as an enemy I say now Gods Name is sanctified whatever becomes of thee he will force glory from thee one way or other and it may be even here in this time of thy life but however at the great day when the secrets of all hearts must be disclosed before Men and Angles then the Lord will appear to be a holy God by rejecting all such services that thou didest tender up to him and it will then be a great part of the work of the day of Judgment for God to be sanctified in those that did worship him by declaring before Men and Angels how did he reject such formal and hypocritical worship that they did tender up unto him Oh that God would strike this upon your hearts that it may abide upon you every time you come to worship him to think thus Let me look to it to sanctifie his Name now for I hear that God will sanctifie it himself if I do not do it But then on the other side If so be that thou makest conscience of sanctifying Gods Name in duties then he will sanctifie his Name in a way of Mercy that is he will manifest how he doth accept of the least degree of holiness though there be much mixture God hath a way to take away the mixture by the blood of his Son and then to accept of any holiness he sees in thee He will sanctifie his Name by meeting with thee and revealing his glory to thee when thou art worshiping of him There is an excellent Scripture for this Exod. 29. 43. There I will meet with the Children of Israel and the Tabernacle shall be sanctified by my Glory Thou that hast a gracious heart and art worshiping of God in sincerity thou art as a Tabernacle of God and God hath his Service and Worship from thee thou art as the Temple of God and there will I meet with thee saith God and I will sanctifie my Tabernacle by my Glory God wil sanctifie thy heart by his Glory if thou dost sanctifie his Name Further Thou shalt it may be not alwaies have such glorious comforts the full beams of the Sun rising upon thee but at one time or other the Lord will break in upon thee and manifest his Glory to thee and it 's like if thou hast not such full comforts now yet upon thy sick bed though God doth not then alwaies manifest himself fully for
Word than to entertain Christ in your houses You that are of loving dispositions that if a good Minister shall come to your houses or a good Christian that you see but the Image of Christ in your hearts spring within you and you will do any thing to entertain them Well but what if Jesus Christ should come if you knew that such a man that came within your doors were the Son of God how would you bestir your selves to entertain him But know it is a more acceptable service to Jesus Christ to attend upon his Word than to provide for him in your houses And there is great reason too that we should be diligent in drawing nigh to the Word and give ear unto it because you find that the Lord doth express himself in the Scripture how he gives ear to us when we speak to him God is said to encline His ear sometimes to open His ear sometimes to bow His ear sometimes to cause His ear to hear and divers such expressions there are to that purpose Now if God when we that are poor wretches speak to Him shall bow His ear bend His ear open His ear cause His ear to hear much more should we when we come to attend upon Him 2. Secondly as there must be attending to the Word of God so there must be an opening of the heart to receive what God speaks to you it is true it is the work of God to open the heart but God works upon men as upon rational creatures and He makes you to be active in opening your hearts so that when you have any truth come to be revealed you should open your understandings your conscience and will and affections Oh Lord thy truth which thou art presenting here to my soul at this time let it come in let me receive it as the expression is in Prov. 2. 1. My Son if thou wilt receive my words and then in ver 10. When wisdom entereth into thy heart The words of wisdom the Words of God they must enter into the heart get in it may be they get into thy ear but that 's not enough they must get into thy heart in Job 8. 37. There Christ complains that His Word had no place in them that 's a sad thing when the Word of God shall have no place in the heart If a temptation to sin comes that hath a place in the heart but when the Word comes that hath no place in the heart I say it is a very sad thing that we can find no room for the Word we should get room for the Word Open ye gates Stand open ye everlasting doors that the King of Glory may come in Know that when you come to hear the Word the Lord is knocking at the doors of your hearts have not you felt it sometimes Open O open the doors let all be opened to receive the Word into your hearts That is the second thing for the behavior of the soul in hearing 3. The third thing is The careful applying of the word so in Prov. 2. 2. There must be an applying of the heart to the word and an applying of the word unto the heart All action is by an application of the thing that doth act unto the subject there must be an application of the word to thy soul as now suppose thou comest to hear the Word and thou hearest of some sin that it may be thou knowest thou art guilty of take the Word and lay it to thy heart and say The Lord hath met with my soul this day the Lord hath spoken to me to the end that I might be humbled for this sin and the other sin that my conscience tells me I am guilty of So doth the Lord put thee upon a duty that concerns thee acknowledge this the Lord hath spoken to me this day and put me upon the reformation of my family and the reformation of mine own heart Is there a word presented apply that and let not the trouble of thy heart cause thee to cast off that word that God hath spoken to thee The application of the word to thy heart is of mervelous use and it concerns not only Ministers in general to lay before people the doctrin of the Gospel but to apply it And know that it concerns you as well as Ministers to apply it And not only when they come to that that is called Use but all the way in the opening of the word it concerns you all to apply it to your own souls and to consider how doth it concern me in particular My brethren there is no such way to honor God or get good to your own souls as the application of the word unto your selves As a man that is asleep if there be a noise made it will not awake him so soon but come and call him by his name and say John or Thomas and that will awake him sooner than a greater noise will So when the word makes a noise when it is delivered only in the general men take little notice of it but when the word comes particularly to the souls of men and doth as it were call them by name this awakens them Now God many times doth speak to your hearts but you should apply it you know the word is compared to meat and it must be applied to the body Then do we worship God in a right way when as we take notice of Gods word as concerning us in particular as that notable Scripture that you have in 1 Cor. 14. 25. Where there come a poor man into the Church of God and hears Prophesying hears the word opened and the text saith he is convinced of all he is judged of all and then in vers 25. Thus are the secrets of his heart manifest and so falling down on his face he worships God and reports that God is in you of a truth That is when the word comes and meets with his soul in particular that he finds himself to be aim'd at by the Word then he worships God and saith that God certainly is in them Here 's the reason now that when you come to hear the Word you do not worship God because you apply it not to your selves you are ready to say This was well spoken to such a one and it concerns such a one but how doth it concern thy soul in particular Sometimes the Lord doth even force men and women to apply it whether they will or no for that they think the Minister speaks to them in partiticular and that no body was spoken too in the Congregation but themselves This is a mercy when the Lord doth it unto you but it is a greater mercy when the Lord gives you a heart to apply to your selves and although it may trouble you a little for the present yet be willing to apply it and account it a great mercy from the Lord That the Lord will be pleased to speak in particular to your souls 4. Fourthly We must mix
hearing of his Word you will be the glory of the Ministers of God at the great day of Judgment You will be an honor to them before the Lord and his Saints and Angels In Phil. 2. 16. Holding forth saith the text the Word of Life This is the duty of all the hearers of the Word that they must hold forth the Word of Life When you go home you must hold forth the power of the Word you hear well what wil become of that That I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither labored in vain Let that be one Motive amongst the rest Saith the Apostle This will be such a glory to me That I in the day if Iesus Christ shall rejoyce that I have not labored in vain I shal bless God for all my studies and care and all the pains that ever I have taken and venturing my self for this people I shall bless God in the day of Jesus Christ Would it not be a comfortable thing to you that all the Ministers of God that come to preach the Word saithfully to you if at the day of Christ you should hear them blessing God that ever he did send them to preach the Gospel in such a place and you should hear them saying O Lord it may be had I been sent to another place I should have spent all my strength in vain but through thy mercy I was sent to a teachable people that were ready to imbrace thy Word Oh! this is my crown and glory Would it not do good to any whose hearts are faithful to think this That their holding froth the Word of Life will not only be a glory to God which is the chief but it will be a glory to the Ministers to recompence all their labors that you shall not only be saved your selves in the day of Jesus Christ but you shall add to the glory of his faithful Ministers likwise when they do appear before Christ 5. I shall add one particular more There is a time coming when God shall magnifie his word and make it honorable What a joy shall it be to thee when the Lord before Men and Angels shall come to magnifie his Word and make it honorable for thee then to think This is the Word that spoke to my heart at such and such a time this is that Word that I did reverence that I did obey that I did love that I made to be the joy of my heart this Word the Lord now doth magnifie and make to be honorable This will be comfortable to thy soul THE ELEVENTH SERMON Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me THE last day we finished the Point fanctification of the Name of God in the hearing of his Word and now we will proceed to the sanctification of the Name of God in receiving the Sacrament That 's the next duty of Worship Now first for the word Sacrament I confess we have not that word in all the Scripture as neither have we the word Trinity and divers other words which Ministers make use of to set forth the Mysteries of Religion by but yet it is usefull to consider the meaning why Ministers in the Church have given this name unto those sings and seals that the Church receives Sacrament is to hallow a thing or to dedicate because in the Sacraments there are outward things that are made holy for holy and spirituall ends Secondly We our selves do as it where hallow or dedicate our selves unto God in the vse of these Ordinances That one reason from whence it hath the name Or otherwise as some will have it Sacramentum because it is to be received sacrament with a holy mind and therefore caled the Sacrament The Churches have vsed it a long time in Tertulliar's time which was above fourteen hundred years since he was the first that we find vsed this word and most that would open the word unto us say that especially it was taken from the practice of Solders who when they came listed themselves bound themselves in to a solemn Oath to be faithfull to their Captain and to the cause that they did undertake and the Oath they were wount to call Sacramentum A Sacrament Now in regard that Christians when they come to this Ordinance they come to seale a Covenant with God and though they do not formally and explicitely take an Oath yet they bind themselves in a holy Covenant which hath the strength even of an Oath in it For a solemn Promise to the high God hath the strength of an Oath in it and from thence they were call'd by these names Srcraments but that for the Word that you may understand it But the word the Scripture useth to set out this Sacrament by that that now I am speaking of is the communion of the body and blood of Christ so you have it in 1 Cor. 10. 6. The cup of blessing which we bless is it not Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ I say we are now treating about this point how we are to sanctifie the Name of God in that which the Scripture cals the Communion of the body and blood of Christ And now for the opening of that First we must know that this is a part of the Worship of God and we draw nigh to God in this or otherwise it will not come up to our point And then we shall shew that God is to be sanctified in this duty of worship And then thirdly how First We do in this draw nigh to God We worship God For when we are coming to receive these holy Signs and Seals we come to present our selves before God and we have to deale with God Himself in a service that He Himself requires of us in a Holy in a Divine service we come to present our selvess to God for blessing for communication of some higher good unto us than pobssily those Creatures that we have to deal with are able of themselves to convey to us we come for a higher good than to tast a pece of bread or to drink a draught of wine we come I say to present our selves to God that we might have Communion with him and that we might have the blessing of the Covenant of grace conveyed unto us through these things now certainly this is a drawing nigh to God for to present our selves for the conveyance of the blessing of the Covenant of Grace through these Creatures yea that we might have communion with God himself in them this is drawing nigh to him when we come to his Table therefore we draw nigh to God had not God instituted and appointed these Creatures Bread and Wine and the actions about them to be the means of conveyance of blessing unto us it had been Will-worship for us to have expected any further presence of God in such creatures than there is in the
high ends in worshiping God 72 Several base low ends in worshiping of God 1 In subjecting his Worship to our lusts ib. 2 Subjecting his worship to the praise of men 73 3 Making self our end in his worship 74 Which we do 1 when we are weary of duties if we find not that we desire 76 2 when men are streightned in worship and envy others that are enlarged 77 3 when men regard holy duties only in times of extremity ib. 4 There must be reverence and fear in Gods worship 78 5 There must be strength in the Duties of Gods worship 80 Strength of Intention 81 Affection 82 Faculties 83 6 There must be an humble frame of spirit 84 Which consists 1 In admiring Gods goodness that we are alive to come before him ib. 2 To have no thought of any Excellency in our selves 85 3 To come without our own righteousness ibid 4 To take off our hearts from all ability of grace ib. 5 To wait Gods leisure in regard of the time 86 7 In sanctifying Gods Name we must bring that which is his own ibid 1 The matter must be that which he hath commanded ibid 2 we must be acted by the spirit 87 When duties are acted by natural parts and not the spirit of God 1 If they change not the heart ib. 2 If they carry not through difficulties ibid 3 when men rejoyce in acting their parts ib. 4 When there is little enlargement in secret 88 5 when there is not constancy in duty ib. Duties acted by Natural Conscience 1 It gives no strength to do them ib. 2 The heart loves not the duty ib. 3 It doth not encrease communion with God ib. SERMON VI. 4 It makes not a duty strong to the soul 89 5 It limits it self in Duty ibid 6 It is satisfied with little 90 7 In the sanctifying Gods Name in Worship there must be a resignation of all to God ibid 8 All worship must be tendred in the Name of Jesus Christ 91 How to sanctifie Gods Name in reference to his Attributes 1 God is a spirit and to be worshiped in spirit 93 2 God is Eternal and how to worship him in that consideration 94 3 God is Incomprehensible and therefore seeth us in every place 95 4 God is unchangable what that should teach us in our worship 96 5 God is a living God and what we should learn thence ibid 6 God is Almighty what that should teach us in our worship 97 7 God is Omniscient and what that should teach us 98 8 God is a God of wisdom and what that should teach us 99 9 God is Holy and what that should teach us in our worship ib. 10 God is Merciful and what that should teach us 100 11 God is Just and what that should teach us 101 12 God is Faithful and what we should learn thence 102 SERMON VII Reasons why God wil be sanctified in all the Duties of his Worship 1 God doth will himself the last end 104 2 The especial glory God hath in the world is to be actively honored 105 3 The duties of worship are the means to convey Gods choicest mercies ibid 4 We are not fitted to receive mercies but by sanctifying Gods Name ibid 5 Else we should not hold out in duty 106 Application 1 We have no cause to rest on our duties 107 2 The work of Religion is hard to flesh and blood 109 3 We should be humbled that we have no more sanctified Gods Name 110 4 Exhortation to sanctifie Gods Name 113 1 To consider we have to deal with God in worship 114 2 Not to come in our own strenghth 115 3 Not to be satiisfied with the duty done ibid 5 God is displeased with the duties of wicked men 116 1 God blasts such men 117 2 God opens their eyes on their death-beds to see what they have done 118 6 Those that sanctifie Gods Name he will sanctifie it in a way of mercy 119 SERMON VIII Of sanctifying Gods Name in hearing the Word 161 Hearing the word a part of Gods worship 162 1 We profess our dependance upon God for the knowing of his mind 163 2 In hearing we wait on God in the way of an Ordinance ibid In hearing the Word 1 There must be a preparation 165 Which is 1 To hear the word as the word of God 166 2 To hear the word as Gods Ordinance for our good ib 2 To plough up the fallow ground of the heart and what is meant by it 168 3 Resolution to yield to all truths delivered 170 4 A desire after the word ib. 5 Prayer before we hear the word 171 The behavior of the Soul in hearing the Word 1 Careful attention to it ib. Means to help attention ib. 2 An opening of the heart to receive it 175 3 Careful applying of the word ibid 4 It must be mixed with faith 177 How the word is to be mixed with saith ibid SERMON IX 5 The word must be received with meckness 179 6 It must be heard wich ae trembling heart 181 7 With humble subjection to the word 182 8 It must be received with love and joy 184 9 It must be received into an honest heart 186 10 We must hide the word in our hearts 189 11 We must turn the word into practice 192 SERMON X. Why God will be glorified in them that hear the word 195 1 Because there is so much of God in it ibid 2 God hath appointed it to convey special mercies ib. 3 It is quick and lively in working 196 Use 1. Reproof of several sorts of men concerning the word neglected 197 The fearful estate of those that do not sanctifie God in his Word 200 1 They lose the choicest opportunity ibid 2 The word wil be a great aggravation of sin ibid 3 They that reject the word reject Christ 201 4 It is an argument of hardness of heart 202 5 It is a sad sign of Reprobation ibid 6 To such there can be nothing sanctified 203 7 They are nigh to a curse ib. 8 It will turn to their damnation 205 9 It will not comfort them in afflictions 206 10 God will make his word good upon them 207 11 The word shal judg them ibid 12 God will blast them that sanctifie not his Name in his word 208 Use 2. Exhortation to glorifie the word of God 209 God wil sanctifie his Name in mercy upon those that sanctifie it in hearing the Word 210 1 All the good in the world is theirs ibid 2 It is a certain evidence of their election 213 3 God will sanctifie them by the word 214 4 They wil be the glory of the Ministers at the day of Christ ibid 5 It will rejoyce them hereafter when God shall magnifie his word 215 SERMON XI Of sanctifying the Name of God in receiving the Sacrament 225 1 Receiving the Sacrament is a part of Gods Worship 226 2 Gods Name must be sanctified in our receiving the Sacrament 228 1 Because there are
presented the greatest mysteries of salvation ibid 2 It is an Ordinance that Christ hath lest out of his love ibid 3 It is the Sacrament of our communion with Christ 229 4 The Covenant of grace is sealed in it ibid 2 No duty is urged with more strength and severity ib. 3 Nothing strikes more upon mens consciences 230 How many are to Sanctifie Gods Name in the Sacrament 231 1 Those that receive it must be holy 232 1 Because it is the seal of the Covenant ibid 2 It is an Ordinance of spiritual nourishment 233 3 Because we are required to examine our selves ib. 4 It is a Sacrament of communion with God and the Saints 234 2 It must be received in an holy communion ibid Wicked men not to be admitted to this communion 235 SERMON XII Addition to the former concerning holy communion 242 The qualifications in the soul to fit it for receiving the Lords Supper 244 1 Knowledg ibid 2 A broken heart 246 3 Actual purging the heart from sin 249 4 Hungring and thirsting after Jesus Christ 251 5 Exercise of Faith 252 6 Exercise of spiritual Joy 255 7 Thankfulness ibid 8 Renewing of Covenant 257 9 Renewing of love towards God and our brethren 258 SERMON XIII We must keep to the institution in the Sacrament 261 1 For the gesture 262 2 Delivering it to all in general and not into every particular mans hand 264 3 That the Communicants be all the while exercised in their thoughts about the death of Christ 265 Meditations in receiving the Sacrament 267 1 That the way of mans salvation it is through a Mediator ibid 2 This Mediator between God and Man is true Man ibid 3 That his Body was broken and his blood shed for us 268 4 It was the Body and blood of that person that is God that reconciles us ibid 5 To consider the dreadfulness of Gods justice ibid 6 The price of saving a soul 269 7 The greatness of the evil of sin ibid 8 The infinit love of God to mankind ibid 9 That Beleevers shall be nourished to eternal life ib. 10 To meditate upon the Covenant of grace to Beleevers 270 Holy dispositions to be actuated in receiving the Sacrament 271 Of Sanctifying the Name of God in Prayer 272 What preparation we are to make to prayer 274 1 Concerning the Matter of Prayer 276 2 Concerning the Manner of Prayer 280 Concerning wandring thoughts in Prayer 282 SERMON XIV A further enlargement concerning wandring thoughts in in Prayer 283 Five Rules to help against wandring thoughts 286 1 Set an high price upon the duties of prayer ibid 2 To reuew resolutions against wandring thoughts 287 3 To set the presence of God before us 288 4 To account all wandring thoughts evil ibid 5 To bless God if at any time he did help us against them 289 3 For sanctifying Gods Name in prayer there must be the breathings of the spirit 289 4 There must be pure hearts and hands 292 5 We must call upon God in truth ibid 6 We must pray in faith 293 7 In the spirit of adoption 294 8 We must pray with constancy 295 9 We must pray in humility ib. 10 We must tender up all our prayers in the Name of Christ 296 Conclusion of all 297 Books printed by Peter Cole at the Printing-Press in Cornhil London Seven Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published As also the Texts of Scripture up in which they are grounded 1 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment Phil. 4 11. Wherein is shewed 1 What Contentment is 2 It is an holy Art and Mystery 3 The Excellencies of it 4 The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Aggravations of it 2 Gospel-Worship on Levit. 10. 3. Wherein is shewed 1 The right manner of the Worship of God in general and particularly In Hearing the Word Receiving the Lords Supper and Prayer 3 Gospel-Conversation on Phil. 1. 17. Wherein is shewed 1 That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the light of Nature 2 Beyond those that lived under the Law 3 And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal 17. 14. 4 A Treatise of Earthly-mindedness Wherein is shewed 1 What Earthly-mindedness is 2 The great Evil therof on Phil. 3. part of the 19. vers Also to the same Book is Joyned A Treatise of Heavenly-mindedness and walking with God on Gen. 5. 24. and on Phil. 3. 20. 5 An Exposition on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea 6 An Exposition on the eighth ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 7 An Exposition on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea being now compleat Twelve several Books of Mr. William Bridg Collected into one Volumn Viz. 1 The great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 2 Satans Power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of His People under Temptation 3 Thankfulness required in every Condition 4 Grace for Grace or the Overflowings of Christs Fulness received by all Saints 5 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 6 Evangelical Repentance 7 The Spiritual-Life and In-being of Christ in all Beleevers 8 The Woman of Canaan 9 The Saints Hiding-Place in time of Gods Anger 10 Christs Coming is at our Midnight 11 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 12 Grace and Love beyond Gifts Six Sermons Preached by Dr. Hill Viz. 1 The Beauty and Sweetness of an Olive Branch of Peace and Brotherly Accommodation budding 2 Truth and Love happily married in the Saints and in the Churches of Christ 3 The Spring of Strengthning Grace in the Rock of Ages Christ Jesus 4 The Strength of the Saints to make Jesus Christ their Strength 5 The Best and Worst of Paul 6 Gods Eternal Preparations for his dying Saints A Godly and Fruitful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Minister of the Word of God at Dedham in Essex A Platform of Church-Discipline Gathered out of the Word of God and agreed upon by the Elders and Messengers of Churches assembled in the Synod at Cambridg in New-England Tears of Repentance Or a further Narrative of the Progress of the Gospel amongst the Indians in New-England Setting forth not only their present state and condition but sundry Confessions of sin by diverse of the said Indians wrought upon by the saving Power of the Gospel Together with the manifestation of their faith and hope in Jesus Christ and the Work of Grace upon their hearts The Wonders of the Load-stone by Mr. Samuel Ward of Ipswich An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist St. Matthew by Mr. Ward Clows Chyrurgery Marks of Salvation Christians Engagement for the Gospel by John Goodwyn Six several Books by Nich. Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrology 1 The Anatomy of the Body of Man Wherein is
a Holy God I beseech you Brethren consider of this God stands upon nothing more than to appear to all the world to be a Holy God there 's the glory of Gods Name in an eminent way God doth not so much stand upon this to appear to be a strong God to appear to be a powerful God to be a God of patience long suffering God doth not so much stand to be an Omniscient God though these Attributes are dear to God but that he may appear to be a Holy God that he stands upon Whatever glory of the Name of God that God shall be content to have ecclipsed in the world for a while yet he is resolved he will have the glory of his Holiness above all things and therefore the Angels when they are celebrating the glory of God they do not say Lord Almighty Almighty Almighty or Lord Omniscient Omniscient Omniscient but Holy Holy Holy Those three together the Holiness of God therein appears the glory of God above all God stands upon it that he will appear to be a Holy God Oh that those who profess themselves to be the Servants of God that they would especially endeavor to hold forth Gods Holiness you that are neer to God you that hope you are Gods Children and make profession of his Name labor you to hold forth the glory of his Holiness above all things in your holy lives and Conversations for God stands upon this To have his Name to be Sanctified I will be Sanctified saith God and I will be glorified so he doth interpret the glory of his Name by being Sanctified As if God should say That 's the glory that I look for That my Name may be extolled as Holy And therefore the very first Petition that Christ teaches us to pray in the Lords Prayer it is Hallowed be thy Name which is all one with this Sanctified be thy Name Oh let the Name of God appear to be holy in the World that 's another Note that these two are joyned together I 'le be Sanctified in those that draw nigh me and I will be glorifyed before the People Again observe That it is the part of true friendship to help friends in their distresses and seek to comfort them from the Word Though we our selves be in afflictions yet we should seek to comfort our friends that are in greater afflictions and to comfort them by the Word for so did Moses Moses comes to comfort Aaron and applies the Word This is that which the Lord hath said I will be Sanctified Now mark no question Moses was afflicted upon this heavy hand of God for he was their Uncle but though it was heavy upon the Uncle yet it was heavier upon the Father and therefore though Moses was troubled yet he knew that Aaron was more troubled and therefore he goes to Aaron and seeks to comfort him and he makes use of this Word in his comforting of him Learn this then to go and comfort your Brethren for Aaron was Moses brother Go and comfort them in their afflictions and think not because that you have some afflictions upon you that therefore you should not be a comfort to your brethren their affliction is greater than yours and when you come to comfort them come not in a meer carnal way and say Brother you must be content but you must come and apply somewhat of the Word of God to comfort them and say This is that which the Lord hath spoke and to that end you should labor to be exercised in the Word of God that so you may be able to go to your brethren and comfort them in any affliction for there is no particular affliction but there is some Word of God that is sutable to that particular affliction and those who are well exercised in the Word of God they can apply some word to every affliction And indeed this is an excellent friend and such a friend is worth his weight in gold that can come to another friend in any affliction and evermore hath somewhat of the Word of God to apply to that affliction The last Observation is this That Aaron held his peace From whence we may Note That there is no such way to quiet a gracious heart under any afflictions in the world as that God will fetch out His Honor by it It is grievous to me but God fetches out His Glory and Honor by it The applying of the Word and the consideration that God hath his way to fetch out his glory in our afflictions is the only way to quiet a gracious heart All these Points might take up a a great deal of time but I will let them pass and come to the main Point of all I will be Sanctified in those that come nigh me There are these Three Points in these words First That in the Worship of God men and women draw nigh to God Secondly That we ought to Sanctifie Gods Name in drawing nigh to him Thirdly That if we do not Sanctifie it God will Sanctifie his own Name upon us 1. That in Worshiping of God there is a drawing nigh to God Quest Why is not God in every place Answ Yes certainly we can never be in any place but we are nigh to God God stands by us and looks upon us It is not only when you are Worshiping of God that you are nigh Him but when you sin against Him when thou art swearing prophaning His Name His Day God stands and looks upon thee thou art nigh Him And it may be said or written upon every place what was said of the City in the last words of the Prophesie of Ezek. 48. 35. The name of the City was Jehovah Shamma that is The Lord is there the Lord Jehovah He is there He is present in this place Oh that you would remember when you are in any place that the Name of that place is Jehovah Shamma The Lord is there In him we live we move and have our being therfore we are alwaies nigh him yea but though we are alwaies nigh God in regard of that essential presence of his yet there is a more peculiar and special drawing nigh to God in the duties of his Worship and that the Scripture seems to hold forth unto you First I 'le shew you how the Scripture holds it forth and then in what respect the Creature may be said to draw nigh to God in holy duties of Worship for so it was here they were coming to offer Incense 1. That we do draw nigh to God in holy duties see Jam. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God so that you may be neerer God than you were that is by holy services and holy duties and hence it is in Psal 95. 2. Let us come before his presence with thanks giving so that there is a more peculiar coming before Gods presence when we come to worship him than at other times And Vers 6. O come let us Worship and how down let us kneel before the Lord our
be acting upon me that 's the meaning And in Zeph. 3. 2. God complains there of his people that they did not draw neer to him as they should And it appears plainly it was from hence that their graces did not act so upon God as they ought She obeyed not the voice she received not correction she trusted not in the Lord she drew not neer to her God So that acting faith upon God is a drawing nigh to God and so acting any grace upon God is a drawing nigh to God Now when is there a time for the acting of our graces upon God so as when we come to worship God And therefore in Isa 94. 7. the Lord complains there That no man did stir up himself to take hold on him When we come to Worship God we should stir up our selves to take hold of God And thus you see in what respects the Soul may be said to draw nigh to God when it comes to Worship him Now for the Aplication of this point and it is in divers particulars The First is this Hence learn what you do when you come to Worship God and consider of it every time you come to perform any act of Worship Truly this one thing would be of marveilons use and it would help forward to the next point of Sanctifying of Gods Name This you are all convinced of That it is your duty to Worship God when you Pray you come to Worship God when you come to hear his Word you come to worship him and when you receive the Sacrament you Worship him Now if I should come from one end of the Congregation to the other and ask every one of you this Question It is your duty to Worship God Is it not Yes that you will all be ready to answer And what do you do when you Worship God I fear that this Second Question would gravel many You will say We must pray to God and serve him and hear his Word and go to the Communion yea but what do your Souls do in this work of worshiping of God This should be the answer and so you should think with your selves and charge this upon your own hearts I am now going to worship God either in Prayer Word or Sacrament I am now going to tender up that homage that is due from a creature to the infinit Creator so that I must so pray as I must manifest that high respect that I owe to God as my Creator but that I shall speak to more afterword only now remember this That you do profess every time you go to Prayer That you go to tender up that homage that you owe unto God and so every time you come to hear the Word there is a profession that you come to tender up that respect and homage that you owe to the infinite God And so likewise when you come to receive the Sacrament Now when we come to offer a present to men we know how we prepare and with what sutable presence we desire to offer but of that afterward when we come to speak of Sanctifying Gods Name 2 Secondly Remember when I come to Worship God I come to set my self before the Lord in those ways that God doth let out the choice of His Mercies to his people in I have many mercies from God in the enjoyment of the creature but when I come to worship Him I expect the communication of his mercy in another way than through any creature in the world The duties of his Worship are the chief channels that God doth let out the choicest of His Mercies to the hearts of His people through and now I am going to worship Him I am going to present my self before God Indeed there is a little glimmering of the light of God through other Creatures to me but the glorious Beams of the light of God is through the duties of His Worship 3. And then Thirdly I am now going to act my Soul upon God so that if I have any abilities to close with God to act my soul upon him it must be put forth now at this time I am indeed at all times to labor to enjoy Communion with God when I see the Creatures the Sun Moon and Stars to labor to lift up my heart to God and when I see the glory of God in the Sea and for my meat and drink I am to bless God and to acknowledg God in all but when I come to worship God then all the strength of my soul is to be acted upon God in a more special manner I must then above all labor to stir up whatsoever I have in my soul to act upon God this is now to worship God Secondly If to worship God be to draw nigh to God hence we see the reasons why guilty consciences have little mind to the duties of Gods Worship When a man or woman hath given liberty to any licentious way and sinned against their consciences if they have any light in their consciences it is one of the tediousest things in the world to come to the duties of Gods Worship they had rather do any thing than come to holy Duties as to Prayer and especially to secret Prayer A man or woman that hath an enlightned conscience and is under the guilt of sin the coming to God in holy duties is a very grievous burden to them Why Here 's the Reason Because to worship God is to draw to God and the guilt that is upon them hath made the presence of God terrible to them and therefore they had rather go into their company and be merry eat drink sport or any thing rather than to come into Gods presence We know how it was with Adam when God appeared in the Garden and called to him he ran to hide himself Why Because he had guiltiness upon him Oh! the evil that the guilt of sin brings upon the soul it makes the presence of God terrible The presence of God it should be more comfortable to us than our lives but our sin makes Gods presence grievous and terrible A Child sometimes when it hath offended the Father and is conscious to its self of the offence that it hath given the Father it had rather be in the Kitchin among the Servants than to come into the Hall or Parlor where the Father is because it hath offended him And so it is with a guilty conscience when it is conscious to its self of some haunt of evil that it hath given it self unto it hath no mind at all of coming into the presence of the Father but hangs off My Brethren the very presence of God in the Communion of his Saints is terrible to a guilty conscience the very looking upon a godly man is terrible to a guilty conscience When as thou hast been abroad and been loose and wicked in thy waies I appeal to thy conscience when thou comest into the presence of some holy gracious man or woman that lives close with God Doth it
are most potent with God As now a stranger cannot prevail in any Petition so as a familiar friend can Thus my brethren when strangers come into Gods presence God doth not so much regard them but when his familiars come into his presence the Saints of God that keep close with him in constant communion and converse in the duties of his Worship God doth take them as His familiar friends and they will prevail much with God Secondly By this means the teror of death will be taken away there is no such way to take off the terror of the thoughts of death as by keeping familiarity with God death then is joyful to those that converse with him That Reverend Divine that is now with God Docter Preston when he was to die he had this speech I shall but change my place I shall not change my company whereas its otherwise if thou growest-estranged from God when death comes it will look with a terrible face for then thou hast to deal with God thou art then to go into the presence of the infinite dreadful God into whose presence thou never hadst any mind to go before but saith death I must now carry thee into the presence of God As thy Body returns to the dust so thy soul must return to God that gave it that is to receive its eternal doom c. But now saith a Saint what must my boby return to dust and my soul to God that gave it it is he which I have been with every day and can say as he said My soul go forth go forth why art thou unwilling to go forth to him that thou hast conversed with all thy daies And then what safety is there in being neer to God especially in these dangerous times In the times wherein we live it is safe to be neer God in Psal 22. 11. Be not far from me for trouble is neer saith David Lord trouble is neer me be not thou far from me It 's a blessed thing to have God neer us when trouble is neer us Trouble is neer many of you perhaps there 's not a spans breadth between death and us what a blessed thing is it then to have God to be neer us When the poor Chickin sees the Kite come neer to seize upon it and is like to be supprized if the Hen be neer it runs to the Hen and the Hen covers it and keeps it safe So it should be with us for so Christ saith of Jerusalem How often would I have gathered thee as a Hen gathereth her Chickens There are a company of Kites abroad in the world and we are poor shiftless Creatures now how happy are we then if we can run under the shadow of Gods wing There is a kind of shadow in the presence of God in the enjoyment of the creature but the shadow of God that we have in his Worship that is as the shadow of his Wing There is the shadow of a Tree and that may help from some kind of troubles but there 's another manner of shadow under the shadow of the wing of the Hen because that nourishes the Chicken The men of the world they have the shadow of the Tree as it were Gods general providence which is over all creatures but the Saints of God that draw nigh to God they have the shadow of Gods Wing like the shadow of the Hens wing to the Chicken which doth comfort it and safe-guard it Let us by the duties of Worship thus draw nigh to God and keep nigh unto Him SERMON III Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me I WILL only add one Particular more to what we said the last day and then proceed If in the duties of Worship we are nigh to God then hence appears the great Honor that God puts upon His Servants that do Worship him Certainly the Worshipers of God have great Honor put upon them because the Lord vouchsafes them to draw nigh unto Him they are such as are precious and honorable in his eyes I will not enlarge my self in this only give you three Scriptures that shew the great honor and respect that God puts upon those that he doth admit to come and worship him The first Scripture is in Deut. 4. 17. There Moses speaking of the people of Israel and the great respect that God shewed to them more than others for saith he What Nation is there so great who hath God so Nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for What Nation is there so great as you are So great How doth it appear that the Nation of Israel is a greater Nation than other Nations are How That hath God so Nigh unto them in all things that they call upon him for herein any man or woman or Nation may be said to be great that is greatly honored by the Lord God in that they have the Lord nigh unto them and they are nigh unto him here 's the greatness of a Nation You would think that if one would describe the greatness of a Nation it should be in their great Wealth their great Trading and Traffick that they have and the Fertile place that they live in No this is not the greatness of a Nation But what Nation is there so great that hath the Lord God so nigh to them There 's the greatness of a Nation and so a spiritual heart would account greatness to consist in having God to be nigh unto it The second Scripture is in Numb 16. 9. There we have Moses speaking unto the sons of Korah rebuking them for their sin and he brings this aggravation to them of the greatness of their sin saith he Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you neer to Himself That is That you should come to worship him Is this a small thing to you Is not this honor enough As if Moses should have said Why do you contend for any more Honor the Lord hath separated you to bring you neer to himself Object This you will say was spoken to the Priests Answ But it may be said of every gracious soul for every Beleever Christ hath made a King Priest and Prophet unto himself now there is no Beleever but Jesus Christ hath separated him or her from the rest of the world to be neer unto God This is the dignity that God hath put upon thee that thou art separated by His grace to be one neer to Him whereas others of the world they depart from Him continually depart more and more from Him but I say the Lord by his grace hath set thee apart for Himself as he saith in Psal 4. 3. The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself Thou art separated from the world To what end It is that thou mightest be neer to Him this is thy priviledg and thou shouldest account it
God in the way of the Gospel we are to prepare as well as they because God is coming For that that is observable is Why they were for two daies together to make such preparation the argument is because of the presence of God The Lord said to Moses Go and Sanctifie the people to day and tomorrow and let them wash their cloaths and be ready against the third day Why for the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai The Lord will come down in the third day and therefore let them be sanctisied So when thou goest to worship God thou expectest or shouldest expect that God will come to thee and that thy heart shall be drawn to God and therfore thou shouldest make some preparation For the time of preparation we shall speak to afterward when we come to the cases of Conscience about preparation for worship And so in Chr. 22 5. 14. David makes preparation for the House of God because it was the House of God that he had to build though he could not do it himself in his own time yet being the House of God what great preparation was made by David The moral of which is this That the House of God being a Type of the Church and the Worship of God as well as of Christ it shews that there should be much preparation when we have to deal with God in his Ordinances Secondly As God is great that we draw nigh to so the duties of Gods Worship are great duties they are the greatest things that doth concern us in this world and it is a sign of a very carnal heart to slight the duties of Gods Worship to make account of them as little matters Carnal hearts ordinarily the things that concern their businesses in the world they think great matters Oh I may not neglect that I may not neglect that I may not neglect such a business or I may not neglect to visit or gratifie such a friend but now for the Worship of God it is good indeed but whether it be done or not it is no great matter therefore they can put off Prayer if they have any business the time of prayer must pay for it they can put off that upon any slight occasion they do not account the duties of Gods Worship great matters My brethren I beseech you learn this lesson this morning to account the duties of Gods Worship great matters they are the greatest things that do concern you here in this world for they are the homage that you tender up to the high God as you heard and those things wherein God communicates himself in his choise Mercies now being such great matters there is cause that we should prepare For that one thing of prayer saith Luther It is a great work and a difficult work and therefore there had need be preparation for it Business of great consequence we make preparation for indeed if a business be a slight business we can fall upon it on a sudden you make not preparation to go in a Boat one the Thames but to go a voyage you make great preparation Now if men and women would but understand the duties of Gods Worship to be great they would see a necessity to make a preparation Many men for want of preparation to duties they lose a great part of the time when they come to perform a duty of Worship in prayer they spend half the time that is convenient to be spent in prayer before they begin to pray and so in hearing the Word they are a long time before they can settle themselves to attend to the Word or in any other kind of worship I say a great deal of time in the worship is spent ordinarily before we can get our hearts to close with the worship now that is a sore and a great evil to lose any part of the time of worship Christians I beseech you account highly of the time of your worship you have been so long time at prayer yea but how much of it hath been lost because you have not prepared beforehand for it perhaps you kneel'd upon your knees but you were a long time before you could get your hearts warm at your work why you should have been warm before you had come It is so oftentimes with many men when they meet together and there is no preparation for their business they come together and they are a long time before they can buckle to the business that they came about because there is no preparation but if there be preparation made that every man knows beforehand what his work is they can fall to it and they can dispatch as much in one hour as others do in two or three but of that we shall speak more afterwards Thirdly There must be preparation because our hearts are naturally exceedingly unprepared for every good work we are all naturally even reprobate to every good work the duties of Gods Worship are high and spiritual and holy things but by nature our hearts grovel in the dirt and we are carnal sensual drossie dead slight sottish and vain altogether unsit to come into the presence of God Oh that we were but apprehensive and sensible of the unfitness of our hearts to come into Gods presence Perhaps because thou knowest not God thou canst rush into his presence without any more ado but if thou knowest thy self and God thou couldest not but see thy self altogether unfit for his presence and so as to wonder that the Lord should not spurn thee out of his presence every time thou comest unto him there had need then be preparation because we are so unsit to come into his presence Fourthly There had need be preparation because of the great hinderances of the Worship of God This business and the other business would hinder the intanglements they would hinder the temptations of the Devil they would hinder sometimes the indisposition of our bodies doth mightily hinder and the stirrings of the passions of our minds they hinder if there be any business fals out amiss in the family and any thing go but cross how are we put off the hinges and made unfit for holy duties There had need be preparation therefore because there are so many hinderances in the way many of you will complain that you are much hindered but do you do what you can to make preparation beforehand Do the hinderances that you complain of put you on to be so much the more carefull to make due preparation for Holy Duties Fiftly We find that the Heathens themselves by the light of Nature when they did but worship their Idol gods they would make some preparation such as was sutable to those gods that they worshiped therfore they would wash their flesh and purge themselves but though their preparation was but very poor yet they taught us thus much That they were convinc'd in their consciences that when God was to be worshiped people should be prepared
Gods presence at any time SERMON III Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE proceed now to what remains There are only for the perfecting of this Point two Cases of Conscience to be resolved And then we are to proceed to other things The First is Whether we ought at all times to set apart some time for Preparation to every duty of Gods Worship Secondly Suppose we do not find our hearts prepared as we do desire Whether it were better to leave off the duty than perform it For the First of these Viz. Whether we are alwaies bound to set some time apart for preparation to the duty that we are to perform The answer to that is this we must distinguish of persons There are some that are exercised in the way of godliness and do keep their hearts close with God in the waies of holiness now for them it may be supposed that through their exercise in the waies of Godliness and keeping of their hearts constant with God in communion with him walking with God closely that they are at all times prepared to every good work and fitted to fulfil that command of the Apostle Pray continually that is in the disposition of their hearts they are fit to pray at any time there is no day in the week nor no hour in the day but they if God call them to it could fall down to solemn Prayer And indeed this is an excellent condition and a good evidence of the hearts walking close with God that there is no time but they are fit to pray and fit for any Ordinance yea to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper It is possible to keep the heart so close to God as to be fit for Prayer and for the hearing of the Word and for receiving the Sacrament every day or any hour in the day but this needs a very close walking with God and communion with God and the truth is this is very rare most men let out their hearts so much to other things as their consciences cannot but tell them that if God call them to Prayer at such a time in the day they are altogether unfit for it If they were called to receive the Sacrament their consciences would accuse them and tell them they are unfit for it but it is not so with those that walk close with God though they be in the world You wil say If a man have business in the world how can this be Yes Though they have business in the world yet they carry the heavenliness of their hearts along with them Our Conversation is in Heaven saith the Apostle Phil. 3. Now the word that is translated Our Conversation it is a word that signifies Our City Converse our trading is in Heaven when we go to the City or Exchange or about any business yet our trading is alwaies in Heaven But now there are other sorts of people that had need at all times to look to their hearts in way of preparation As First Those that first set upon the duties of Religion yong beginners that begin at first to set their faces towards Heaven to worship God they had need look to their hearts they should spend some time in Preparation when they come to holy Duties and the truth is When the conscience of a man or woman is at first enlightned and awakened they will be very careful in preparing to holy duties the fear of God it is mighty upon their spirits at first and it should not be less afterward the constancy of Gods fear should bring their hearts to such a holy temper as to make them fit for holy duties alwaies Secondly Those men and women that any time shall sin against conscience shall commit such sins as shall in a kind even lay wast conscience shall break their peace between God and their souls they had need spend some time in preparation for holy duties they cannot come into the presence of God to enjoy communion with God but they had need beforehand be very serious in the examination of their hearts and to endeavor the working of their hearts into mourning for their sin and to labor to possess their souls with the presence of God even before they come These two sorts of people such as have not been acquainted with the waies of Godliness or such as have broken their peace with God by some evil carriage of theirs towards God in some vile way I say it is requied of them to be more solemn in the Work of Preparation 2. But now for the Second Case which indeed is the main Suppose when we come to duties and begin to examine our hearts and begin to bethink our selves whether we be prepared yea or no to holy duties and we do not find our hearts prepared according to that that we do desire Whether then we may let the duty go for that time and forbear the performance of it as suppose Prayer or receiving the Sacrament or coming to the Word or any other holy Duty And the reason of this doubt is Because when any man or woman is consciencious they think with themselves that they must Sanctifie Gods Name in Holy Duties now if they cannot find their hearts in a fit disposition to sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties they are ready to think thus Were it not better to neglect this duty and lay it aside for the present Will God accept of a duty when I perform it and am not set for it Therefore for the Answer to this because it is a temptation that sometimes carnal hearts have and they are ready to take this temptation and willing to neglect the duty upon such a thoughts as this that they are not prepared And the truth is they are more glad to let the duty fall than they are sorry for want of the preparation of their hearts for the duty I beseech you consider of this whether you have not found it so that sometimes when you have not been fit to perform a holy duty there hath not been a more secret willingness of the heart to let the duty go than a sorrow of the heart because you are not fit for the duty This is a very evil sign that the heart is very much distempered Those that are godly indeed when they find not their hearts prepar'd for the duty it is the trouble of their souls it is that which goes neer their hearts when they think with themselves that they are now like to lose a duty of the Worship of God they are now like to lose their communion with God in a holy duty they even look upon themselves in an evil case in regard of this and it makes them watchful for time to come to take heed of those things that have put them in such an unpreparation as they find their hearts to be in at this time Now if it be so with thee it is a good sign that thy heart may be upright with God
that Solomon when he was preparing for the Temple he would build a great Temple why Because God was a great God that he would build it too So that the Worship of God must be some great thing because the Lord is a great God and it must be sutable to his greatness Now if you ask me in what particulars doth the behavior of the soul consist that is very sutable to the greatness of God in the general There are many things in this The first is You must be careful to bring a sanctified heart You cannot tender up a worship sutable to his greatness except you bring a sanctified heart with you there must be holiness in the heart Under the Law you know if any one came to offer a sacrifice in his uncleanness he must be cut off and so it must be here we must look to it that we offer not to God in our uncleanness Wash you and make you clean in Isa 1. and then Come let us reason together There is no coming to God without washing and making clean in Psal 93. 5. Holiness becometh thy House O Lord for ever Holiness becometh the presence of God for ever we must look to get a sanctified heart Sanctification consists in those two parts Mortification and Vivification there must be a mortifying of the lusts of the heart We reade in the Law that every Sacrifice was to be salted with salt that did signifie the mortification of our hearts when we come to offer up our selves as a Sacrifice to God the salt did eat out the raw humors and kept the flesh from putrifying so doth the grace of God in mortifying our lusts In Heb. 9. 14. you have a notable Scripture for the clensing of our hearts when we come to offer any service to God How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God So that you cannot serve the living God until your consciences be purged from dead works And how comes your consciences to be purged from dead works It is through the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God he must purge your consciences So that here 's the way of sanctifying Gods Name by applying of Jesus Christ who was offered to God without spot that our consciences might be purged from dead works that we might be purged from that natural filthiness and uncleannness in which we all were for the whol world doth lie in filth as a carrion doth lie in his slime Now if we would worship God so as to Sanctifie him we must apply Christ to our souls and get our conscience purged from dead works and to have the Spirit of Christ in us to quicken up our hearts in the waies of holiness to have the Image of Jesus Christ in us whereby we may be holy according to our proportion even as he himself is holy this is the sanctifying of the heart There must be an habitual sanctification and actual sanctification of the heart An Habitual that is that the heart must be changed through the work of Regeneration there must be a Regeneration in the heart there must be Divine Principles of the Graces of the Spirit of God in the heart But you will say May not an unregenerate man Pray To that I answer It is true it is his duty to pray Powr forth thy wrath upon the Heathen and upon the families that call not upon thy Name But it 's as true that they cannot sanctifie Gods Name in doing of it But if we would sanctifie Gods Name in it there must be an Habitual holiness in the heart for every thing doth act according to its Principles in Nature it is so and so doth the heart when it comes to worship God it doth act according to the Principles that it hath And then there must not only be Habitual sanctification but Actual sanctification likewise as in Exod. 19. 10 11. there you see what ado there was to fit them for the hearing of the Law because God was to come among them God is to come among us and we are to come to God when we are to perform holy duties therefore it is not enough to have Grace but there must be an improving of Grace there must be an acting of Grace not only when you come to receive the Sacrament to think that then there must be an acting of Grace but every time you pray and hear there must be an acting of Grace A purging out of your corruptions and an acting of Grace So that one cannot sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties unless he come thus far to be able to say Lord thou that knowest all things knowest there is nothing that thou doest reveal to be contrary to thy Will but my heart is against it that 's the least thou canst not have any peace of conscience in drawing nigh to God until thou come thus far to have thy heart to work thus against sin and to be set upon every good that God reveals to be his mind You know when a man of quality comes to your house what a deal of stir there is not only in sweeping but in making all things as clean and tite and shining as possible can be Thus it should be when thou comest to God And the Reason why there must be this sanctifying of the heart is First Because the Lord doth first accept of the Person before he doth accept of the action Men indeed do accept of the persons of men because they do good actions but God accepts of the actions of men because thesr persons are good If indeed we see a man do good then we love him and accept of the person of the man but God first will accept of the person before the action As the Lord accepted of Abel first and then he accepted his offering So you must look to that to have your persons first accepted of God before any duty can be accepted You think though you be wicked and sinful yet if you amend your life God will accept of you you go that way to work but certainly that is the wrong way you must first look after means of acceptation of your persons which is through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and through the sanctification of his Spirit whereby you come to have his Image and Life and so are accepted and then all that proceeds from you comes to be accepted There is not any action which comes from you that comes to be accepted to eternal life until your persons be accepted before God and therefore there must be a sanctifying of the heart before there can be a sanctifying the Name of God in the duties of his Worship Therefore when you come to perform any duties of Gods Worship you should consider this Is my heart Sanctified I must sanctifie Gods Name and how can I do that except my heart be sanctified
soul of man than the sight of God and the great reason of the pride of all mens hearts is because they never knew God If thou didest but see God thy heart must needs be abased And when doth the soul see God if not when it comes to worship him In Job 42. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now my eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Now this humility must be in the sense of our own meanness and baseness Ps 34. 6. This poor man cryed to God They are poor souls that come into Gods presence that sanctifie Gods Name most even those souls that do apprehend and are sensible of their own baseness and meanness before God This poor man cried to God we use to say Give that poor man somewhat It doth affect the heart of God when he sees much poverty of spirit when we come before Him we must be sensible of our infinite dependance upon God Come as the woman of Canaan O Lord even dogs do receive crums and though I be a dog yet let me receive crums here is humility of spirit Now this humility of Spirit appears in these things 1. First admiring Gods goodness that we do live at this time and that we have liberty to come before him we might have been past praying and worshiping of God think thus What a mercy is it that we are not banished out of Gods presence that the Lord hath not spurn'd us out of his sight as filth and cast us out as an everlasting abhorring while others have been praying we might have bin yelling under the wrath of the eternal God Come with this apprehension of thy self and adore Gods goodness that thou art alive to pray and alive to hear Gods Word And that it is not only a duty but a rich priviledg and mercy that God will admit of thee to come into His Presence Again it is the goodness of God that He will vouchsafe to look upon the things that are done in Heaven then if the Lord doth humble Himself to behold the things that are done in Heaven then how doth the Lord humble Himself to behold me a poor vile captive as I am in my self and yet that God should not only behold me before Him but invite me to come into His presence What mercy and goodness is this 2. Our hearts must be taken off from the thoughts and apprehensions of all excellencies in our selves we must not come in the pride of our hearts because we have abilities more than others what do all thy parts commend thee to God thou hast ability in expressing of thy self in prayer why do thy parts commend thee to God Whatever is natural in any of our duties is nothing to God only that which is from his own Spirit and therefore thou shouldest come in thine own thoughts as vile as if thou hadst no parts and abilities at all Lay aside all such apprehensions of thy self for the truth is some poor broken hearted sinner that can but sigh out a few groans to God and is not able to speak two or three sentences together in a right language but only breath out his soul to God may be a thousand thousand times more acceptable to God than thou that art able to make great Orations when thou comest before Him 3. Thou must come without any righteousness of thy own thou must never come to Gods presence but as a poor worm and if there be any difference that is made between thee and others in outward respects it is nothing to thee when thou art in the presence of God thou art as a base vile worm though thou beest a Prince or Emperor 4. Thy heart must be taken off from what thou doest If thou hast any abilities of grace yet thy heart must be taken off there there may be pride not only from ones parts but it may be God hath given me enlargements in Prayer the Devil will come in and seek to puff up thy heart even because of this But thy heart must be taken off there and thou must deny thy self in all when thou hast done the best service of all yet thou must conclude thou art an unprofitable servant when thou hast prayed the best yet rise with shame and take heed of having thy heart puft up even through the assistance of the graces of the Spirit of God in holy Duties 5. Lastly Thou must come with a humble resignation of thy self to God to be content to wait upon God as long as he pleases to wait upon God in regard of the time and of the measure and of the manner of the Communication of himself in regard of the means by which he will please to communicate himself wait upon him Let me have mercy though at the last hour This now is an humble heart in Prayer and when we come with such a poverty of spirit as this is we may expect that the Lord will accept of us Give this poor man somewhat will God say This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him In the Seventh place We must bring that which is Gods own in sanctifying Gods Name I spake to this before in the Point of Preparation Viz. That in Gods Worship we must give him his own I will only mention it here in the sanctifying of Gods Name in two regards 1. First To give God His own for the matter of it 2. Secondly To give God His own that is what comes from the work of His own Spirit or else we do not sanctifie Gods Name I will give you one text further about the matter of it in Exod. 39. if you reade the Chapter you shall find that there is ten times said that they did as God had commanded Moses And then in the close of the Chapter when they had done as God had commanded in His Worship the text saith Moses blessed them That people is a blessed people that do observe the Worship of God as God hath commanded them But the main thing is all that we do it must be acted by the Spirit of God it is not enough to have true silver and gold but it must have the rigbt stamp or else it cannot go for current coyn And so it is not enough that the things that we offer to God in His Worship be Gods own be what we have warrant for out of Gods Word but it must have the stamp of the Spirit of God In the Worship of God there be two Questions that He will ask First Who required this at your hands But then if you can answer thus Thou O Lord didst require it It is well But then God hath another Question Whose Image and Superscription is this If thou canst not give an Answer to that it will be rejected too Thou must be acted by Divine Principles in all that thou doest there must be the stamp of the Spirit upon that which is tendered to God else it is nothing To
grate Oh the ashes dirt and filth that there is in our services when we come to offer and tender them up to God! so that we have cause I say to be humbled for holy offerings There be many godly people that through Gods mercy are able to keep from gross sins they do not find it any great matter to keep from company swearing drinking uncleanness lying or wronging of others and such kind of sins as those are so that they see not such need of humiliation in this regard unless it be for that their natures be as corrupt as any though they break not forth into those actual gross sins but the main work of the humiliation of those that are godly it is to be humbled for their thoughts for the mispending of time and for not sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties those are the main things that are the subject of the humiliation of the Saints beside the body of sin and death that they carry about with them And it would be a good sign that thy heart hath some tenderness in it when thou makest these to be the matter of thy humiliation Carnal people are little troubled for these if they fall into such sins as that their consciences do fly in their faces then they are troubled and humbled but for such things as these are they are seldom humbled To be humbled for thy holy offerings is a good sign of a gracious heart We reade of Cherubims that they had six wings and with two of their wings the text saith they covered their faces So my Brethren we had need have wings as it were to cover our best duties they had wings and with two they covered their legs and with two their faces we had need not only of a covering for our lower parts meaner duties but a covering for our holy duties to cover our faces our best duties of all the most heavenly duties we perform had need be purged by the blood of Christ in Levit. 16. 16. we reade of their holy things that there was need of purging them by blood and so it should be in our holy duties Let us be humbled for our best performance that ever we performed in our lives The best had need be so But then as for others that have made little or no conscience of sanctifying of Gods Name how had they need be humbled Thou hast something more to repent of than thou thoughtest of for the truth is Those that have not made conscience of sanctifying of Gods Name in holy Duties they never in all their lives did any service for the honor of God thou hast lived perhaps thirty or fourty it may be sixty years or more and didst never yet honor God in any one thing that ever thou didst in all thy life You will say God forbid Have not I prayed and heard the Word much and received the Communion often and yet have I never honored God If thou hast not been acquainted with this Mystery of Godliness in sanctifying his Name in these things this is said from God to thee this morning That thou hast never done any one action to the honor of God Thou hadst need begin presently for thy time is not long And wilt thou go out of this world and the Name of God never to be honored by thee Yea and further Thou hast lost all thy duties all the time hath been lost that thou hast been in performance of duties now it is an ill thing to idle away time in the things of the world When a man hath an opportunity for to gain in the world if so be he loses his time and neglects it we account it a very sad thing to him but now to lose our trading-time for Heaven for the times of the worshiping of God are our trading times for Heaven that 's sad indeed And yet thou that makest not conscience of sanctifying the Name of God in holy duties all the time thou hast spent is lost And yet further You that have been false in the performing of duties and hypocrites not only all your pains and labor is quite lost for if that were so it might be well with you but you have aggravated your sins by your holy Duties Those Duties that others have enjoyed Communion with God in and furthered their eternal life by thou hast aggravated thy sins by them yet it was thy duty to do them but I say by not sanctifying of Gods Name thou hast aggravated thy sins so much the more As those that are godly they work out their salvation even in their natural actions they sanctifie Gods Name in eating and drinking and following their business they perform those actions in such a holy manner as they honor God in them and further their eternal peace but as they in their Natural and Civil actions work out their salvation so thou in the very religiousest actions dost work out thy damnation Certainly wicked men that are not acquainted with this work of Godliness to Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties they work out their damnation even in the performance of them You will say Then they had better not do them Yes they are bound to do them but they are bound to do them in a right manner as sometimes I have given you this instance and it is a ful and a cleer one to shew that men are bound to perform holy duties and not to leave them undone and yet they may further their own damnation while they are doing of them As for example If so be that a Prince should appoint a man to come into his presence such a day to Petition for his life which he hath forfeited by the Law If he do not come he may be a dead man But now if this man be drunk on that day and come drunk into the Kings presence he may be a dead man too for presuming to come drunk before him So wicked and ungodly men whether they worship or worship not they are in danger to perish But of this more when we come to shew that God will be sanctified In the fourth place here is an use of Exhortation That seeing we have this truth thus presented to us and opened before us Oh that we had hearts to apply our selves now to it with all our might to seek to sanctifie the Name of God when we draw nigh to him The Lord hath shewen thee what it is that he requires of thee make conscience of it for time to come thou doest not know what blessed communion thou mayest have with God if thou doest make conscience of this the truth is If you have not been acquainted with this you have not been acquainted with the way of a Christian in his enjoyment of Communion with God thou doest not know what the comfort of a Christian life means do but make tryal of this for time to come and thou wilt find more comfort in the waies of Godliness and more thriving in them in one quarter of a
yeer than thou hast done before in seven yeers one Christian that keeps close to God in holy duties and sanctifies the Name of God in them I say finds more comfort with God and grows on in godliness more in one quarter of a yeer than the other doth in seven yeers that goes on in an ordinary dull and formal way in the performance of the duties of Worship Some there are in our time that cry out of duties And what need we trouble our selves so much those that know not how to sanctifie Gods Name they think lightly of them but now do you apply your selves fully as you are able to this that I am speaking of and you will find your selves to be as it were in another world you will be able to say Well I have not yet understood what it was to enjoy Communion with God in Prayer in Word and in Sacraments before this will make your faces shine in your conversations if you would do it and now to that end that you may do it there are these two or three things that I would propound to you 1. In the first place Learn to know God more with whom you have to do and present those things that you have heard before you in your meditations when as you are to come to God in Prayer or in any other Duty and when you are Worshiping of God remember that you have to do with God and none else You are every time you come to perform holy duties to be as a man or woman separated from all things Valerius Maximus tels a story of a yong Noble-man that attended upon Alexander while he was sacrificing this Noble-man held his Censer for Incense and in the holding of it there fell a coal upon his flesh and burnt it so as the very scent of it was in the nostrils of all that were about him and because he would not disturb Alexander in his service he resolutely did not stir to put of the fire from him but holds still his Censer If Heathens made such ado in their sacrificing to their Idol-gods that they would mind it so as no disturbance must be made what ever they endured What care should we have then of our selves when we come to worship the high God And so Josephus he reports of the Priests that were sacrificing in the Temple when Pompey brake in to them with armed men and though they might have fled and saved their lives yet they would not leave off their sacrificing but were slain by the Soldiers They did so mind it as a matter of great consequence Oh that we could mind the duties of Gods Worship as matters of great moment that so we might learn to sanctifie the Name of God in the performance of them more than ever we have done 2. When thou comest to worship take heed thou doest not come in thine own strength For there is more required in sanctifying the Name of God than thy strength is able to carry thee on in and therefore act thy Faith upon Jesus Christ every time thou comest to worship God not only as I said before to tender up thy services in his Name but act thy faith upon Christ to give thee strength to do what thou hast to do And what strength thou hast received from Christ be sure to stir it up many godly men and women have more strength than they know of themselves and if they would but stir up that strength that they have received they might sanctifie the Name of God a great deal more than they do Therfore remember that text before mentioned None stirs up himself to take hold on God Quicken up thy heart and rouze up thy spirit when thou art to worship God 3. When ever thou art worshiping of God do not satisfie thy self meerly in the duty done but consider Do I sanctifie Gods Name in the duty Every time thou worshipest him examine thy heart whether thou doest it yea or no. And if thou findest that thou hast not attained in some comfortable measure to this that hath been presented to thee let the shame and the sorrow for that abide upon thy spirit until the next time thou comest to worship God at such a time I have been worshiping of God and God knows I have been stirring up my heart in some measure but I find my heart dead wandring sluggish and dull I say when thou findest thou canst not do it according to what is required in any comfortable measure let the shame and sorrow of heart for it abide upon thee till the next time thou comest to worship God and that will mightily help thee Thou art now praying and thou canst not now get up thy heart to what is required The next time thou comest to prayer come in the shame and sorrow of thy heart for the want of sanctifying Gods Name the last time And so for hearing of the Word or receiving the Sacraments And this will further thee mightily for the sanctifying the Name of God in holy duties But now that all may be sealed up unto you and so that we may close the Point know That God will be sanctified in those that do draw nigh to Him And there are these two things in the Point First If we do not sanctifie Gods Name God will sanctifie his Name in a way of Justice Secondly If we do sanctifie his Name then he will sanctifie his Name in a way of mercy towards us For the first God will manifest that he is displeased with such duties that thou doest perform he will manifest it one way or other that he is a holy God and he doth not accept of such unholy things as thou doest tender up to him for the truth is if God should accept of such unholy things from men God may be said to be like unto themselves As a man if he doth entertain any as his familiar friend that is naught and wicked it is his disgrace and dishonor a man may sometimes imploy in some business those that are naught and wicked and it may be no disgrace to him but if he doth entertain one in his house that is wicked it is a dishonor to him So God may imploy the most wicked men in the world in some outward services but if he should accept of them in his Worship it would be a dishonor to God and therefore God that he might sanctifie his own Name he will manifest his displeasure at one time or other against such duties of worship you that perform worship in a formal manner and with unclean vile hearts I say it stands upon the Honor of God if he will manifest Himself a holy God He must manifest some displeasure against that way of thy worshiping of him This one meditation one would think should mightily sink into the heart of any man that hath an enlightned conscience to think thus It stands upon the holiness of God And he cannot appear to be a holy God except he doth some
sometimes the disease may be a hinderance yet it is ordinary that those that in their constant way did sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties they do lie comfortably upon their sick beds and a glorious entrance is made for them into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ And then again All things are sanctified unto them as on the other side those that do not sanctifie Gods Name all things are cursed to them if thou doest not make conscience of sanctifying Gods Name in duties God cares not to sanctifie any thing for thy good But now those that make conscience of Sanctifying Gods Name in holy duties the Lord takes care that all things shall be sanctified for their good for the surtherance of their eternal good And however it be here yet hereafter at the great day of Judgment it will be a part of the glory of God to manifest before Men and Angels how he did accept of those holy services that thou didst tender up to him when Hypocrites shall be cast away and abhor'd and thou who hadst an upright sincere heart shalt be owned before God and before men and Angels at that great Day and God shall say Well it is a part of the glory of my Holiness to make it appear that I have accepted of these holy things that these my poor servants have tendered up to me And this now is of marvelous use for the comforting of a gracious heart those duties that thou doest now think thou hast lost and there will nothing come of them thou shalt certainly hear of them another day God will make it appear there is nothing that he stands more upon than the glory of his Holiness and it is the glory of his Holiness that is thy strength in this thing and that makes it certain to thee that there must be a manifestation of thy acceptance and therefore take these Truths into thy heart about sanctifying the Name of God You have had only the Point in general opened to you Oh that the Spirit of God would bring things unto your remembrance SERMON VIII Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE have as you may remember Preached many Sermons upon that Point Of Sanctifying the Name of God in the Duties of his Worship We have spoken unto the Point in the General the last day we finished it I do not intend to look back to any thing that was said but we are to proceed to shew how the Name of God should be Sanctified in the Particular Duties of his Worship Now the Duties of Gods Worship are especially these Three 1. The Hearing of the Word 2. Receiving of the Sacrament 3. And Prayer Other things come under Worship but yet these are the three chief duties of Worship and I intend to speak to al these three and to shew how we should Sanctifie the Name of God in drawing nigh unto him in the Word Sacrament and Prayer We might chuse several Texts for all these but they fall full within the General and therefore it shall be sufficient for to ground the Sanctifying of Gods Name in these Duties of Worship upon this Text. 1. Of Sanctifying the Name of God in the Hearing of the Word THat which we are to speak to this morning it is the Sanctifying of the Name of God in the hearing of his Word If you would have the ground of what we are to say concerning this in a particular Scripture you may have it in Luke 8. 18. take heed therefore how ye hear It is not enough to come to hear the Word that is good and no question but God is pleased with the willingness of people to come to hear his Word but you must not rest barely in hearing but take heed how you hear Now this is a Point of great consequence and I hope it may do good to help to make many Sermons to be profitable to you and the Point I hope is seasonable and will be very sutable unto you For those that come to hear so soon in a morning and are willing even in hard weather to come out of their beds they give some good testimony that they do desire to honor God in their hearing and to get good by their hearing and 't is pity that labor and pains should be bestowed and no profit but hurt rather got by it which God forbid Therefore now I am to speak to a Point that may help you so to hear as may recompence all your labor and pains in hearing In preaching to those that come to hear so that they may get good and benefit by it there is a great deal more encouragement than to such as come in a formal way because they use to come therfore this Point being a great Point I shall open it somewhat largely and cast into this Method First I shall shew you That the hearing of Gods Word is a part of the Worship of God for otherwise I could not ground it upon my text Secondly I shall shew you How we are to sanctifie Gods Name in the hearing of his Word either in regard of preparation unto it or our behavior in hearing of the Word Thirdly Why it is that God will be sanctified in this Ordinance of his Fourthly How God will sanctifie himself in such as do not sanctifie his Name in the hearing of his Word Fifthly How God will sanctifie his Name in waies of mercy to those that are careful to sanctifie his Name in the hearing of the Word These are the Five Principal things that concern this Argument For the first That the hearing of Gods Word it is a part of Gods Worship You heard in the opening of the Worship of God in the general what it was I told you it was a tendring up of the creatures homage to God as testimony of the respect that the creature did owe to God Now if that be the nature of Worship certainly the hearing of Gods Word it is a part of the Worship of God for in the hearing of Gods Word we First Do profess our dependance upon God for the knowing of his Mind and the way to Eternal Life Every time we come to hear the Word if we know what we do we do thus much We do profess that we do depend upon the Lord God for the knowing of his Mind and the Way and Rule to Eternal Life we do as much as if we should say Lord of our selves we neither know thee nor the way and means how we should come to be saved and therfore that we might testifie our dependance upon thee for this thing we here present our selves before thee Now this is a Testimony of the high respect we owe to God Secondly The hearing of Gods Word is a part of his Worship because in it we come to wait upon God in the way of an Ordinance to have that good conveyed to us by way of an Ordinance beyond what the thing in it self
give an accompt of any one Sermon they have heard in all their lives hardly I say but the Word which they heard is presently taken away from them and yet these are accounted honest men in the world But this is not the honest heart the Scripture speaks of And many there are that go further than these that come to hear the Word with joy and yet they have not this honest heart Yea they may hear the Word so as to bring forth a Blade and yet not have this honest heart But this honest heart I take therefore to be meant this An heart that deals squarely and truly with God behaving it self in a beseeming manner sutable to that Authority and Excellency that there is in the Word of God As now for Example 1. First Among men he is accounted an honest man that deals squarely and truly with men in all actions such a man you will say is an honest man as honest a man as ever broke bread that is one that will deal squarely with men not only in one thing but turn him to any thing and you shall find a proportion between one action and another So this is an honest heart not one that only will be forward for God in some one action wherein he may enjoy himself as well as God but one that deals squarely with God let God put him upon duty upon any service God shall find him still to be the same man Put him upon any easie service as many will imbrace that or put him upon a difficult service it is all one if it be the mind of God you shall find him square in every thing though he be put upon that which he is like to suffer very much in yet he goes on according to his principles An honest heart is one that hath received gracious principles and accordingly he acteth all the world cannot take him off from his principles of godliness that the Lord hath put into his heart 2. Secondly An honest man is one that provides things honest before men that doth all things in a seemly way in all those relations that he hath unto others that we account honesty So when a mans behavior towards the Word is such as doth beseem the Word of that God with whom he hath to deal That look what excellency what glory there is in the Word of God such a sutable behavior there is in the heart of a man to it this is an honest heart So that there are those two things when a man is square with God in one thing as well as another and when there is a sutableness in the behavior of the soul to what excellency there is in the Word when the heart of man will not abuse the Word at all but behaves it self honestly according unto the gravity holiness and weight that there is in the Word And thus now with such a good and honest heart we are to receive the Word if we will sanctifie Gods Name in it 10. A tenth particular is this If we will sanctifie Gods Name in the Word we must hide the Word in our hearts we must not only hear the Word but keep it preserve it and then we do declare that we account the Word of God to be worth something indeed For what is it to sanctifie God as we have opened before in the General but such a behavior towards him as may testifie the Excellency of the Name of God so the behavior of the soul in hearing the Word must be such as must give a testimony to the Excellency of the Word and manifest the high esteem I have of it Now if I received a thing that is of great value if I slight it and let any body take it from me I do not give a testimony of the excellency of that thing but if I take it and lock it up and keep it under lock and key I do thereby give a testimony of the esteem that I have of the excellency of that thing So now when I come to hear the Word and meet with Truths that I have gotten into my soul I close with them and am resolved within my heart as I am hearing of them well This Truth I will keep through Gods Grace this concerns me and I will make much of it and although I forget other things yet I hope I shall remember this To sanctifie Gods Name in hearing of the Word In Isa 42. 23. Hear saith the holy Ghost there for the time to come When we come to the Word we must not only hearken for the present as many of us while we are hearing our hearts are stir'd for the present Oh that we could but have that affection of heart alwaies as we have when we are hearing of the Word How many of you have said when you have been hearing such a Sermon Oh! then me thought I could have gone through fire and water for God I but mark it you must hear for afterwards And in Psalm 119. 11. there the Prophet David profest That he did hide the Word in his heart the Word was sweet unto him Thy Word saith he have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee You that come and hear those Truths upon the Lords day if you would hide them thus in your hearts and keep them all the week they would help you against the many temptations that you meet withal you go abroad on the week daies into company and there you meet with a temptation and it overcomes you and you complain Alas I am weak I have met with a temptation and it hath foil'd me But had you hid the Word that you heard on the Lords day in your heart it would have kept you from the strength of your temptation that it should not have overcome you Those that are truly godly they have a care to hide the word in their hearts when they hear it they think This word shall help me against such and such sins which I am prone to by nature and when a temptation comes to that sin I hope I shall have use of the word that I have heard this day As now Suppose you hear a word against passion then you should hide that word in your hearts against that time that temptation comes to passion And you hear a word against sensuality and abuse of the creatures you should hide that word against that temptation cometh And you hear a word against unrighteousness and unjust dealings when a temptation comes to that sin you should hide that word against that time So you hear a word that speaks of obedience to Parents and servants duties to Governors now you should hide that word in your hearts against that time I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sin against thee You say that you would fain withstand and not be overcome with temptations Then here 's the way Hide the word within thee that thou maiest not sin against him And so in Prov.
the implacable enemies of God and who were not as David praied against Judas so many hundred yeers before he was born by a prophetical spirit he knew that he was the child of perdition indeed if we could certainly know a man that were to be a cast-away eternallie from God it were another matter As the Church in the time of Julian because of his Apostasie being so abominable it was determined almost generally by them that he had committed the sin against the holy Ghost and upon that they curs'd him Now I say those that had an extraordinarie spirit that did know who these were they might do it but this is no example for us in an ordinarie way to wish evil and curses upon others But thus far we may do with the Enemies of the Church First We may curse them disjunctively Lord either take them out of the way or keep them that they may not do such mischief in the Church or thus conditionally If thou seest Lord that they be implacable thou knowest them if so let thy wrath and curse pursue them Lord thou seest what evil they are set upon and therefore rather than they should attain their mischievous designs let thy wrath and curse pursue them so we may do it but not absolutely to curse any though they should do us never so much wrong we are called to blessing But now in zeal to God take heed that we be not carried on in our own passion but being sure it is zeal to God we may wish the curses of God to pursue those that God knows to be implacable this is but an appealing to God and not at all fastning it upon any particular persons that we know but leaving it unto God for the execution of it and so in a zeal to the Glory of God we may do it and we are warranted so to do by the second Petition Thy Kingdom come for that Petition that requires us to pray for the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ doth also require that we should pray against all means that hinder the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ so that every time that the Church praies Thy Kingdom come or any praies Thy Kingdom come they do as much as say O Lord Do thou set thy self against all the Enemies of thy Kingdom if they belong to thy Election Lord convert them but otherwise Lord confound them Now thus we see how we are to sanctifie the Name of God in Prayer in regard of the Matter of the Prayer but now for the Manner of Prayer The most things I confess are there First When we come to prayer we must be sure to pray with understanding 1 Cor. 14. 15. What is it then I will pray with the Spirit and will pray with understanding also God doth not love the Sacrifice of fools we must not come babling to God in prayer to speak we know not what and to multiply words we know not wherefore but God doth require that those that come to prayer come with understanding that they offer to God a rational a reasonable an understanding sacrifice God is a Spirit and he will be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth now as it belongs to all other duties of Worship so especially in prayer to know what we do when we pray not to think to put off God with a meer emptie sound that 's the first thing The Second thing in the manner of Prayer it is The giving up all the faculties of our souls in it I spake to that in the Worship of God in general we shall apply it now particularly to prayer the giving up not only our understandings but wills thoughts affections strength in prayer in 2 Chron. 20. 3. it is said of Jehoshaphat that he set himself to seek the Lord he did give his whol self to seek the Lord we are to give our whol self and not to divide in Prayer Now this were an argument that indeed might well take up a whol Sermon in shewing the evil of the wandering of our spirits in prayer we should take heed of the wandering of our spirits in the hearing of the Word and receiving the Sacraments and so in prayer the people of God are much troubled with the wandering of their thoughts both in Word and Sacrament and it is their great burden and should be so but I never hear any more complainings of the wandering of their spirits than in the time of prayer the people of God are much pestered in their spirits with this evil it is very grievous unto them and many of them go under it as a grievous burden all their daies the chiefest burden that is upon their spirits is their wandering in prayer so that if God should speak to them as he spake unto Solomon and bade him ask what he should give him I verily beleeve there are many in this Congregation that have already good assurance of Gods love in Christ if they had not that that would be the main thing that they would ask but having attained that if God would speak from Heaven and say What shall I give you for your selves if he should ask you in the general it may be you would ask something for the Churches but if it be for your selves you would put up this Petition Oh Lord that I may be delivered from a wandring spirit in holy duties and especially in the dutie of Prayer that I may thereby come to enjoy more holy communion with thy self than ever yet I enjoied and they would account this to be a greater mercie than if God should give them to be Kings or Queens over the whol world if God should put these two into the ballance Either the whol world to possess or otherwise to have more free hearts in coming to God in prayer and to be delivered from that which hath so much hindred ther Communion with God in prayer they would despise and scorn the world in comparison of such a mercie as this is howsoever carnal hearts they think little of it but those that are the Servants of God they find it to be very grievous to them but being the time is past I shall reserve that to speak yet a little more largely for the help of those that are under the burden of it I 'le only speak one thing further now and that shall be to those that are wicked and vile and not only have vain wandring thoughts in prayer but even in the very dutie of prayer manie times have wicked and ungodly thoughts how horrible are they unclean thoughts murderous thoughts it may be and most abominable I confess even those which are godlie may somtimes have some blasphemous thoughts cast into them for the Devil is never more busie than at the time of prayer but they rather come from the Devil than from the stream and corruption of their own hearts which may be we may make out more cleerlie afterward but now I speak to such as have most wicked
they do not consider that God doth converse with the thoughts of men as well as men do with the words of men that 's the third Rule Fourthly Take heed thou beest not deceived because that those thoughts thou hast in prayer do not appear to be verie evil in themselves This is a great deceit and hinders manie in the sanctifying of Gods Name in Prayer there is sometimes darted in some vain thoughts now because the thought hath no great evil in it self therefore they think they may play with it and their hearts close with it and so run along with it as the fish doth with the bait if the Devil casts in a thought of blasphemie that makes thee quake and shake but if thy thoughts have no great evil in them but they are slight things matters of no moment one way or other upon that thy heart begins to be dandling and playing with them therefore remember this Rule That in the time of prayer whatsoever thoughts be in thy mind that do not concern the present dutie they are sinful before God though the thoughts for the matter of them be never so good yet thou art to abandon them as sinful at that time Therefore never be deceived with this that the thoughts are not verie sinful that 's another Rule In the last place observe this Rule If ever God hath helped thee at any time in prayer that thy heart hath been kept close to a dutie and thou hast had communion with him bless God for that bless God for that help 't is a Rule of verie great use for us to get further assistance from God in any thing if so be our hearts be enlarged to bless God for any assistance we have had heretofore and the reason why we gain and prosper so little in our Christian course it is because we do not take notice of what God hath done for us to give God glorie for mercies formerly received and therefore God takes little or no delight in coming in with further mercies to us as if you had a yong Nurserie of Trees and they began to thrive very well but there comes a companie of Caterpillars and spoils almost all the yong Trees that are set only two or three are kept from the Caterpillars a man goes into his Orchard and looks upon his Trees and this is spoiled and that is spoiled but he sees two or three and these flourish fairly and these are full of Buds and are like to come to something and he rejoyces mightily in those because they are sav'd when so manie others are spoil'd and so do thou view thy Prayers and consider how many nie hath been spoiled as it were by these Caterpillars for I compare wandring vain thoughts in Prayer unto Caterpillars that are upon the trees and we see that if stormy rainy weather comes the Caterpillars will fall and one would think that these blustering storms and the hand of God that hath been out against us should have clensed our thoughts and souls from these Caterpillars that have been upon our duties but manie duties have been spoiled yet thou maiest say that through Gods mercie such a morning in my closet the Lord hath preserved a prayer to himself and I have gotten power over this vain heart of mine bless God for this and so the Spirit of God will be more readie to come in and help thee another time But thus much shall suffice to speak to this That 's the second thing we must give up our selves wholly to this dutie The third thing for the sanctifying of Gods Name in Prayer is this There must be the breathings of the Spirit of God otherwise Gods Name is not sanctified that in Rom. 8. 26. is cleer for this Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered If any of you should say How can we sanctifie Gods Name we are poor and weak we can do little Mark it is said here That the Spirit helpeth our infirmities to pray and the word is exceeding emphatical in the original in your books it is but meerly helping our infirmities but the meaning of the word is In these two things the Spirit helps that is look how a man that is taking up an heavie piece of Timber at one end he alone cannot get it up but there comes another and takes it up at the other end and so helps him the word signifies such a kind of helping as when a man takes a thing at the other end or on the other side one standing the one way and the other standing the other way or one taking up one end and the other the other end that is the meaning of it he helps our infirmities the poor soul is pulling and tugging with its own heart and finds his heart heavie and dull like a log in a ditch And have not many of you found your hearts so but now when you are tugging with your hearts and would fain lift up your hearts to God in prayer there comes the Spirit of God at the other end and takes the heaviest end of the burden and helps you to lift it up If a Child were at one end of the log and that were but light and the other end very heavie if one come and take up the heaviest end a little strength will serve for the lighter end So the Spirit comes and takes up the heavier end in duty and so helps our infirmities helps together And then the other word is The Spirit that is together with the acting of the graces of the Spirit in our hearts you must not say so Alas what can I do it must be the Spirit of God that must do it It 's true he doth all First he gives converting and habitual grace and assisting and actuating grace but now when the Spirit hath wrought grace so as to convert the heart and hath given habitual grace in thy heart why then when the Spirit comes to assist it doth expect that thou shouldest stir up all the gifts and graces of the Spirit and the very strength of thy body the Spirit of God expects that thou shouldest act to the uttermost thou art able what power hath been given thee by God and when thou art in acting then the Spirit comes and helps together with us noting that we are to put forth what strength we have and thus Gods Name will be sanctified when as we putting forth the graces of the Spirit in us then the Spirit comes and helps and what comes from us now comes from the breathings of the holy Spirit in us and then God who knows the meaning of the Spirit will know now the meaning of our sighs and groans therfore when thou art going to prayer thou art to eye the Spirit of God thou art by the eye of faith to look upon the Spirit of God and to cast thy
Sitting Sitting at the Sacrament the fittest gesture 263 Soul The price of the salvation of a Soul 269 Spirit Spiritual We must be acted by the spirit in our worship Page 87 God must be worshiped in spirit 93 Spiritual things may be absolutely prayed for 177 How to know when the spirit helps our prayers 291 See Glory Sweet Strange see Fire Strength Strength required in Gods Worship 80 Strength required to spend the Sabbath 83 Natural conscience gives not strength to duty 88 We must not come to duties in our own strength 115 Strugling Strugling alone against corruption oft times ensnares us 61 Subjection Subjection required in bearing the Word 182 Sufferings The sufferings of Christ chiefly represented in the Sacrament 246 Ground of suffering for Christ 268 Superstition Superstition what 9 Sutable see Judgment Sweet Breathings of the spirit sweet 292 T Table Those that come to the Sacrament should come neer the Table 261 Tares Tares what ment by them 238 Temptation Time of temptation the time of worship 81 We must hide the Word in our hearts against temptation 191 Terrible see Place Thankfulness Thankfulness required in receiving the Sacrament Page 255 Motives to thankfulness 256 Time Preparation makes us do much in a little time 52 See Holy Thorns Thorns must be plucked out of the heart when we hear the Word 169 Thoughts In the worshiping of God we must have high thoughts of God 71 Wicked men have many times wicked thoughts in prayer 282 Thoughts are to God as words are to men ibid See Wandring Tremble We should tremble at the hearing of the Word 181 Truth We must pray in truth 292 Truth what meant by it ibid V Vain Where wicked men are willingly admitted to the Sacrament Gods Name is taken in vain 241 Unchangable God is unchangable 96 Understanding We must pray with understanding 280 Uncertainty The righteousness of the Law leaves at uncertainty 212 W Wait We must wait Gods leisure in regard of time 86 Ground of waiting from Gods eternity 95 Wandring Wandring thoughts in prayer Page 281 Directions against wandring thoughts in prayer 286 All wandring thoughts in prayer sinful 288 See Birds Humble Devil Warrant see Command Watching Watching required in preparation to duty 50 Weakness God passes by weakness where the heart is prepared to duty 53 Weary A man that makes himself his end will be weary of duty 76 Wicked Wicked men are to be cast out or withdrawn from in the Sacrament 235 Every man in the Congregation to look to the casting out of wicked men 241 Ground of excluding wicked men 258 Will Willing We must be willing not will worshipers 10 Things in Gods Worship depend only upon his Will 11 God requires that we will as he willeth 104 Our prayers must be according to Gods Will 276 Wisdom Wisdom of God what to learn from it 99 Wisdom of God to be our guide ibid Womb Those that sanctifie Gods Name in hearing the Word it is a greater blessing than to bear him in their Womb 213 Word To comfort afflicted friends from Gods Word 24 The heart must be plowed by the Word 196 The Word must be glorified 194 Word what should make us esteâ—m â—t Page 186 The Word hath much of God in it 195 The Word a means to convey spectal mercies ibid The Word wherein the strength of it liâ—s 202 All the good in the Word for whom 210 The Devil 〈◊〉 advantage by fastning ill Words upon thâ— good 244 The Word in what respect above the Sacrament 251 The Word sanct fiâ—d by Prayer 273 Worship Difference between civil things and Gods Worship 9 Natural helps in Gods Worship ib. We should be humbled for false Worship 11 Worship of God what Page 27 Worship of God the means to convey hâ—â— choyce mercies 28 To heâ—d what we do in Worship 32 Exhortation to be much in the Worship of God 34 Heaâ—ing the Word a part of Gods Worship 162 〈◊〉 makes hearing the Word a Worship 163 Prayer put for the whâ—â— Worship of God 173 See Comman Liâ—d c. World In preparation the heart must be taken from the World 49 In prayer the heart must be taken from the world 275 Wrath Preachers that 〈◊〉 Gods wrath should conceal their own 19 FINIS COLE Stepney Novemb. 16. 1645 Stepney Dec. 21. 1645. Stepney Jan. 4. 1645. Stepney Jan. 11. 1645.
God they by their very strugling to prepare themselves many times do ensnare themselves It may be thou hast thoughts of Atheism or other wickedness the very strugling with those thoughts may ensnare thy heart now the better way were to fall upon prayer and to cry to God to help thee against them for while thou art strugling and striving with those thoughts thou art striving with the corruption of thy heart and with the Devil all alone but now when thou fallest to the duty thou callest in the help of God and of Jesus Christ and that is a great deal better while thou art musing plodding and troubling thy heart that way I say thou art strugling alone but now when thou fallest upon the duty then thou callest in help from God and so thou art more able to the performance of the duty than thou wert before And therefore it is the best way to fall upon a duty though thou canst not find thy heart prepared as thou doest desire the very falling upon it will fit thee for it And thus much for the Answer unto those two Cases of Conscience Now then we are to proceed further in the opening of the Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties Thus much for the preparation of the heart But when the heart comes to it in what manner should the duty be performed so as the Name of God may be sanctified in the duty or what is the behavior of the soul in the sanctifying of Gods Name when it is in the very act of the duty To that I answer First in general thus When the soul labors to perform duties so as God may have such glory from the duty aâ— is fit for a God to have in some measure then do I Sanctifie Gods Name You will say this is a very hard thing to perform a duty so as that we should give God the glory that is fit for a God to have Certainly this is not done by every manner of performance of a duty of Worship yet you shall hear this opened to you and I hope you shall have it made very plain before you First therefore I shall shew you that when we are to perform a duty of Worship we should set our selves to glorifie God as a God that is to do it in that manner that God may have that Glory that is fit for a God to have As now in the duty of Praise Psal 66. 2. Make his Praise glorious that is do it so as you may lift up His Name in it and that God may be glorious in your praise And Rom. 1. 21. there the Apostle speaking of the Heathens he doth rebuke them For what It was for this Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful now this is spoken especially of the Worship of God for he saith afterwards ver 23. That they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible men c. So that it 's spoken of the Worship of God that they glorified not God as God That is then to sanctifie Gods Name to glorifie God as God and therefore our Savior in the 4. of John when he spake to the woman of Samaria he tels her that God is a Spirit and must be worshiped in spirit and truth that is we must labor to suit our worship to what therâ— is in God that our worship my be proportionable in some measure even to the nature of God himself And therfore God being a Spirit His Worship must be a Divine Worship I have read of some of the Heathens that dip worship the Sun for a God and they would offer to the Sun something sutable therefore because they did so admire at the swiftness of the motion of the Sun they would not offer a Snail to the Sun but a fâ—ying Horse a Horse with wings now a Horse is one of the swiftest creatures and the strongest creature to continue in motion for a long time together and they added wings to the Horse and they thought that sutable to be a sacrifice for the Sun So when we come to worship God that is to sanctifie His Name we must behave our selves so as to give him the glory that is fit for a God to have As now in those three particulars which I opened to you when I shewed you wherein we draw nigh to God This was one I told you that when we come to worship God we come to tender up some present to God now then we must tender up such a present as is sutable to Gods excellency If a man should come to a poor man to give a present if it were not worthy twelve pence yet it may be taken well but if you were to tender up a present to a Prince a Monarch an Emperor then you must tender a present that is fit for the quality of the preson Therefore in Malachi 1. 8. When the Lord rebukes them for their sacrifices that they were such poor things Go saith God and tender up this to your Governor and see whether he will accept of it or no. So certainly that which may be accepted of by a mean man would be accounted a scorn if you should tender it up to a Prince or an Emperor Now when we come to worship God we must consider that we are to tender up our service to God who is the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords But you will say Is it possible for any creature which comes to tender up its worship to God to tender up that which is fit for a God to have This may rather be a discouragement unto prayer or any other duty of worship than an encouragment To that I answer thus Though we be very poor and mean yet it doth not hinder but we may tender up that to God which God will acknowledg to be sutable to his infinite excellency as First If we tender up to God all that we have Though we be never so poor and mean yet if God hath the strength of our souls God accepts it For we are to know that God doth not stand in need of what we have or of what we do but that we might shew our respect to Him Therefore if we give all that we have God accepts it As a Child if it puts forth all its strength that it hath to do a business which the father bids him whether the business be doue or no the father looks upon it and accepts it as sutable to the childs strength and it shews the respect that the child hath to his father And as it is storied of an Emperor that when a poor man had nothing to offer him but a little water that he had taken up with his hand he having nothing else the Emperor accepts of it So that 's that which God looks for that the Creature should lift him above all If therefore when thou comes to worship God God hath more in thy heart than