give up all that you are have or can do to God Lord I am thy servant take all Faculties of Soul and Members of Body improve all lay out all to thine own praise to the uttermost to bring glory to thy great Name If every time you came to God in Prayer you did this this were to sanctifie your selves to God I spake before of a sanctified heart but now this is in a profession of your selves unto God do it secretly at least in your own thoughts if you do not every time express it in words yet in your own thoughts do it devote yourselves to God every day Of admirable use it would be if every day when men and women worship God either in their closets or families they did professedly devote and consecrate themselves to God and so likewise every time they come to hear the Word or to receive Sacraments God would account his Name to be sanctified in such a work as this is 8. Lastly That that must make all up and without which all the other is nothing it is That you must tender up al your worship in the Name of Jesus Christ let a man or woman worship God never so well yet when they have done all if they do not tender it up in the Name of Jesus Christ God will not account his Name to be sanctified thou must by Faith look upon Jesus Christ as the glorious Mediator that is come into the world by whom thou hast access unto the Father And act thy Faith upon Christ and give up thy Duties into his hand as the hand of a Mediator to be tender'd up to the Father by him though thou hast labored what thou canst to perform Duty as well as thou art able yet thou must not think to tender it up by thine own hand unto God but thou must tender it up to the Father by the hand of Jesus Christ the Mediator and so thou shalt sanctifie the Name of God in holy Duties We reade in Levit. 16. 13. that when Aaron was to tender up the Incense he was to put the Incense on the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the Incense may cover the Mercy-seat that is upon the Testimony that he die not Mark it is as much as his life is worth whether he doth it or doth it not Now Incense it is in the New Testament called Prayer and so in the Old Testament too it was a kind of emblem of Prayer The offering up of our Prayers is the offering up of Incense to God and the Mercy-seat it was a Type of Jesus Christ Now the Incense should cover the Mercy-seat so our Prayers must go up to Jesus Christ must be upon him and so must be accepted by the Father And as we reade in Judg. 13. 20. when Monah offered a Sacrifice the text saith that the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame This Angel of God here was Jesus Christ as we might easily from this Scripture make it out and he ascends up in the flame from the Altar Now though we do not offer such kind of Sacrifices with Fire and Incense as they did in the time of the Law yet when we are offering up of our Incense there must be a flame of Fervency and Zeal But that is not enough together with the flame of the Altar and the Angel of God Jesus Christ the great Angel of the new Covenant for Angel signifies nothing but Messenger the great Messenger that is come into the world about that great Errend of his To Reconcile the World to Himself He must ascend up in the flame and so God will account his Name to be sanctified the Name of God is not sanctified but through Jesus Christ The acting of our Faith upon Christ as Mediator is a special ingredient to the Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy Duties as you know the Scripture saith That the Altar doth Sanctifie the Gift offered upon the Altar Jesus Christ is the Altar upon whom all our Spiritual Sacrifices are to be offered and this Altar doth sanctifie the Gift that is offered upon it let never so great a gift be offered upon any other Altar it was not accounted holy nor accepted So let men by their natural strength or power that they have offer up the most glorious and speciousest Service to God it is not accepted except it be offered up upon the Altar Jesus Christ We have an Altar now not the Communion Table but Jesus Christ himself is our Altar upon whom we are to offer al our Sacrifices and this Altar must sanctifie the Gift we can never have our Gift Sanctified no nor Gods Name sanctified in this Gift except it be offered upon this Altar and our Faith acted upon Jesus Christ People little think of this but of other things viz. That when we worship God we should worship him with Fear and Reverence and with Humility and with strength of Intention such kind of things every one that hath any enlightening of conscience will think of at some time or other but people do least think of this which is the greatest ingredient of all in the Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties that is To come and tender up all to the Father in the Name of Jesus Christ How many men and women that have been Professors of Religion twenty or thirty years and yet not acquainted with this great Mystery of Godliness To tender up all to God in the Name of his Son This is that that upon divers occasions I have spoken unto and am willing upon every occasion as I meet with it to speak of because it is a principal part of the great Mystery of the Gospel without which all our duties are rejected of God and cast away Now then put all these Nine things together and see by them what we ought to do that we may sanctifie the Name of God in holy Duties But there is something further to be spoken that may help you to sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties and that is Several workings of heart sutable to the several Attributes of God for that is to sanctifie Gods Name to have the duty to be such as is some way sutable to such a God as we are now worshiping Now then let us consider what the Scripture saith of God and then let us see what sutable dispositions we should have in us unto those things that the Scripture saith of God 1. First You know the Scripture saith that God is a Spirit in Joh. 4. 24. Then presently Christ saith That he that worships him must worship him in Spirit that is there must be a sutableness in our worship to what God is Is God a Spirit then all that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth that is thus When I am to go to worship God I must consider of him as he is an infinite and glorious Spirit well then surely bodily worship is not sufficient for me Though I do kneel down in prayer or
therefore it was not an ordinary Fire it was some Coelestial Fire struck into them to slay them for so saith the text in the 4. ver Come neer carry away your Brethren from before the Sanctuary out of the Camp and so they went and carried them in their crats out of the Camp so that their cloathes and bodies were not consumed only they were kil'd by the Fire they were struck with a sudden death and that in the presence of the Lord such a death as God had never threatned in the Word before God had never threatned the Priests and said If you offer strange Fire you shall be consumed by Fire but yet God smites them with death by Fire they had not time to seek God no not so much as we use to say as to say Lord have mercy upon me they had no time to promise amendment at all now upon this heavy judgment the heart of Aaron could not possibly but be very much troubled yea and the spirit of Moses too for Moses was their Unkle and Aaron their father they could not but be exceedingly much grieved but Moses being the brother of Aaron seeing his spirit no question exceedingly troubled being under such a sad affliction and that such a Godly man even as Aaron was should have such a sad judgment befal his children Moses comes and speaks comfortably to him and labors to support his spirit and how doth he do it He comes not as ordinarily you use to visit your brethren Oh! you must be content with this no but he comes and applies the Word of God and shews how God must be sanctified and by that he comes to quiet the heart of his brother Aaron This is that which the Lord hath spoke saith Moses He seeks to stay the heart of his brother with that which God spake But where do we find that God spake this It 's hard to find in any Scripture these very words in terminis before this time and therefore Augustin thinks it was only the word God spake but not written and so they had it from hand to hand by tradition as many other things as the Prophesie of Enoch that the Apostle Jude speaks of you do not find it written in the Book of God and yet the Apostle speaks of it so that indeed it was from hand to hand yea and we find in the new Testament when Paul speaks of a thing that Christ should say how that our Lord saith It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive you find it not recorded in the Gospels that Christ said so So this is that which the Lord said though it was not written from the beginning of Genesis to this very place or otherwise though it be not recorded in express terms yet somthing is recorded to the same purpose and effect and so it may seem to have reference to that Scripture Exod. 29. 43. there we have a Scripture comes as neer to it as any I know And there wil I meet with the children of Israel and the tabernacle shal be sanctified by my glory that 's as much in effect as I will be sanctified in those that come nigh me in those that come to worship me in my Tabernacle I will be sanctified in all things that concern my Worship I will be sure to be sanctified there I will be sanctified I will be Hallowed for it is the very same that you have in the Lords Prayer Hallowed be thy Name only that 's the Greek word and this is the Hebrew but if you would translate this word into Greek you must translate it by the same word that Christ spake when he taught his Disciples to pray Hallowed be thy Name Hallowed and Sanctified is all one Lord let thy Name appear to be Holy so I will be Sanctified that is I will have my Name appear to be Holy I will be made known unto my People and to all the world that I am a Holy God that 's the meaning of I will be Sanctified I will be known to all the world that I am a Holy God And before all the people I will be Glorified so it is in the latter part of the verse as if God should say I account it to be my glory that I should be manifested to be Holy before all the world I will be Sanctified that is I will have my People to demean and carry themselves so as to hold forth their acknowledgment of my Holiness so as by their carriage I may appear to be a Holy God I will be sanctified by them or otherwise if they shall not in an active way Sanctifie my Name that is if they shall not demean themselves so as to hold forth the glory of my Holyness then I will be sanctified upon them I will demean and carry my self towards them so as by my actions upon them I will make it appear what a Holy God I am So God is Sanctified two waies either by the Holiness of his People in their carriage towards him holding forth the glory of Gods Holiness and so in that 1 Pet. 3. 15. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts the Saints do Sanctifie God in their hearts when they fear God as a Holy God and Reverence him and Love him as a holy God and so sanctifie him in their lives when their lives do hold forth the glory of Gods Holiness then God is Sanctified But then if we do not do so then God sanctifies himself that is in waies of Judgment upon those that do not in waies of Holiness sanctifie his Name And thus you have it Ezek. 28. 22. And say Thus saith the Lord God Behold I am against thee O Zidon and I wil be glorified in the midst of thee and they shal know that I am the Lord when I shall have executed judgment in her and shal be sanctified in her And this is al one with I wil be glorified in the midst of them And in the 38. of Ezek. 16. 23. you have to the same purpose And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel as a cloud to cover the Land it shal be in the latter daies and I wil bring thee against my Land that the Heathen may know me when I shall be sanctified in thee O Gog before their eyes And in the 23. ver Thus wil I magnifie my self and sanctifie my self and will be known in the eyes of many Nations and they shall know that I am the Lord in the way of the execution of Judgment thus I will sanctifie my self so I will be sanctified in those that draw nigh me In those that are nigh me Nigh ones so it may be read that is especially the Priests that did approach to God Ezek. 42. 13. they approach to God especially But it is meant generally of all those that shall have to deal in my Worship whosoever shall come to Worship me let them look to it they must sanctifie my Name they must so demean themselves in
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
ever any creature in the world had God accepts of that and that you must look unto Can you say so when you go to worship God Lord it is true there is much weaknes in my spirit but thou that knowest all things knowest That thou hast more of my heart than ever any creature in the world had This is sutable to God God will account this in the Covenant of Grace to be a present sutable to Himself As in the Law when they offered to the building of the Temple every one could not offer gold and silver and precious stones but some came and offered Badgers-skins and some women did spin and offered Goate-hair to the building of the Temple and so God accepted of that being the most they could do 2. In the second place When we do not only offer unto God the most we can but when we ad to this the grief of our souls that we can do no more when the soul shall strive to the uttermost it can and when it hath done all saith I am an unprofitable servant Oh that I could do more This is sutable to God 3. Thirdly The People of God though they be weak yet the weakest Servant of God is able to offer up to God somewhat that is sutable to the infinite Majesty of God upon this Third Ground because there is a kind of impression of Gods infinitnes in those services that a gracious heart doth tender unto God and therefore sutable unto God You will say God is an Infinite Glorious God Be it so He is Infinit that 's certain but the duty of Worship that a grations heart tenders unto God it hath an impression of Gods infinitness upon it How is that If that can be made out then indeed we may be encouraged to worship God Thus That that a gracious heart tenders up to God hath an impression of His infinitness in this regard because as God hath no limits of His Being so a gracious heart when it comes to worship God will not propound any limits or bounds but in the desires of it would fain be enlarged infinitly if it could If it were possible for a creature to been larged to God infinitly it would be Here lies I conceive the main difference between the most glorious Hypocrite in the world and one that hath true Grace yea that hath but the least degree of grace The most glorious Hypocrite in the world who it may be for the outward act doth more than one that hath true grace yet such a one doth limit himself he doth great things but he doth it so as he limits himself that is so much as may serve for such and such ends of his so much as may serve his turn either to satisfie his Conscience or to get credit and esteem to be accounted eminent in such a way so much he doth do but his duty is alwaies limited within such bounds and if he could conceive that he might go to Heaven and that he might have as much Credit and Honor and as much peace of Conscience with doing less he would do less But now one that hath grace though but little though but the least dram of grace he goes farther Indeed saith he Though through the little grace that I have I cannot do what another can do yet this doth so enlarge my heart that I would have no bounds set in what I do for God but I would have it enlarged to the uttermost latitude if it were possible beyond whatever yet was done for God in the world and the more I do the more I do desire to do That 's now a kind of infinitness that there is in the heart where grace comes I say grace enlarges the heart to a kind of infinitness that the more it doth the more it would do there is no Hypocrite but will have his periods he will rise thus and thus and thus high ordinarily you shall find that if he lives in some company there he is high but if he lives in other company there he is lower Now there is nothing doth limit a gracious heart but to all Eternity it would work and work more and more for God Here now is a Worship that is some way sutable to the infinite Excellency that there is in God Here 's a kind of proportion as I may so speak even between the Creature and God himself in this thing but it is the grace of God in the Creature here is the Image of God indeed because grace doth so enlarge the heart even to an infinitness as it were for God And thus you see in the general what it is to sanctifie Gods Name to tender up to God that which is some way sutable to the glory of the infinite God 2. You know there was a Second thing viz. That then I do sanctifie Gods Name when I come so to Worship God as my heart works and follows after God as a God so as it doth beseem the soul of a Creature to follow the infinite Creator and to work after the inâ—â—nit Creator So David in Psal 63. 5. My soul followeth hard after thee O God and mark it 's a very sweet Scripture thy right hand upholdeth me Those whose hearts follow hard after the Lord they have the right hand of God upholding of them It 's a mighty encouragement to put forth the heart to the uttermost because when 〈…〉 â—o the right hand of God upholds thee so that thy heart must follow after God more than it followed after any creature 3. When I come to draw nigh to God I come to present my self for the CoÌ„munication of the choicest of His Mercies so then I sanctifie Gods Name when I labor to prepare and open my heart for God as for the choicest Mercies that God 〈◊〉 to bestow upon His Creature When there is such a temper of heart that my conscience tels me it is sutable to that that is fit for a soul to have that expects to receive the choicest mercie from God but that we spake too more in the opening of our drawing nigh to God Now we are to come more particularly to this to open the Sanctifying Gods Name First In what particulars the behavior of the heart may be discovered to be sutable to God in respect of Gods greatness and glory Secondly What the behavior of the heart should be as sutable to the several Attributes of God It will cost us some time to open the particular things in the behavior of the heart as in reference to the greatness and Majestie of God considered more generally as in Psalm 48. 1. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised And so in Mal. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing why for I am a great King saith the Lord and therefore cursed is he that doth not offer a sacrifice sutable to my greatness And in 2 Chron. 2. 5. we find
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
Angels and Men that I do acknowledg that the Lord is present with me in this duty 4. Fourthly Consider God is an unchangable God immutable That is another Attribute of God He is unchangeable First Therefore our hearts must be taken off from these mutable things and set upon God as that unchangable good Secondly We must be humbled for our fickleness and unconstantness there is no shadow of change in God and there is no shadow of constancy in us Thirdly When we come into the presence of a God who is unchangable then we should look upon God as being the same now that ever He was heretofore He hath as much displeasure against sin now as ever he had and that God that hath done such great things for his Church in former times is the same God to do good to His people as ever he was And make use of this When you reade the Word and there find how God hath made Himself appear to be glorious for His people and now every time I am to worship God I should think that I am to deal with God that is the same that ever he was a merciful and gracious and just and powerful as ever he was and so my heart is to work towards him 5. Fiftly When I am to Worship God I am to look upon Him as the Living God as that God that hath life in Himself and gives life unto his Creatures Then what sutable behavior doth become me I must come before His presence with fear It is a fearful thing to fall into his hands that is the living God that hath my life under his feet He hath the absolute dispose of my present and eternal condition He gave me my life he hath preserved my life and so may take it away when he pleases and bring death eternal death unto me These things may marvelously help your meditation when you are to come before Him you who are barren in your meditations go over the Attributes of God thus and consider what you may be able to draw from thence God He is the living God What behavior then doth beseem me towards this living God Oh let me be afraid lest my soul depart from the living God Let me bring a living Service to Him I must not bring a dead heart let me take heed how I come before the living God with a dead heart and with a dead service to sacrifice that which is dead before it comes it 's like a carrion that lies dead in the ditch Oh let us be humbled for our dead hearts and dead sacrifices it is a living God that I am worshiping and therefore I must pray Lord turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken my heart in thy Law Psal 119. 37. Remember when thou comest to worship that thou come with a quikned heart for thou hast to deal with a living God A man or woman that is of an active spirit cannot endure a dull and heavy servant in the family but the Lord is a pure act and nothing else but act and therefore he doth expect that all his people should have quick active and lively spirits 6 When you come to worship God you are to look upon Him as Almighty And so are First To fear his great Power when you come before Him And Secondly Then you are not to be discouraged by any difficulties I come to seek for some great thing and I come to seek to a great God that hath all Power in Heaven and Earth and infinitely more power than there is in all creatures in Heaven and Earth I am praying to a God that can create peace create help My condition cannot be so desperate but this Infinite Almighty God is able to help me Let me make him the object of my faith as he is so infinitely Almighty What a full object of faith is this God that hath all power in Him Let me therefore come to him as a strong Tower Run to the Name of God as a strong Tower that can help in all straights whatsoever There would be much drawing forth of our Faith if we could present the Lord before us as an infinite Almighty God when we see outward helps and means neer at hand then we can beleeve that we may have some succour from him but when all outward helps and means fail then we are discouraged we do not sanctifie Gods Name but we rather take this Name of God in vain when as our hearts are discouraged with any difficulties now the Lord expects that all his Children that come to worship him should worship him as the Almighty God and so have their hearts working towards him there would be mighty workings of Spirit towards God if we saw him by the eye of Faith as well as Reason 7. Look upon God as an Omniscient God as a God infinitely understanding all things Now what doth this call for First If God be a God of infinite understanding then let not me bring a blind Sacrifice to God then let not me bring an ignorant heart to God this is the excellency of an understanding creature to know the rule and end of its own Actions now thou comest to worship an infinite God of infinite understanding then know the rule of what you do and know the end of what you do and come with understanding in His presence Secondly If He be so understanding come with a free open heart to open whatsoever is in thine heart to God take heed of keeping any secret resolutions in thine own heart God knows thee and can tell how to find thee out God knows all that is in thine heart before all the secret baseness that is in thine heart the Lord doth understand it the Lords eye is a piercing eye He sees thorow and thorow thy heart It 's a vain thing for thee to come and conceal any thing before Him You will say If God understand a mans heart what need he come and confess Yes He requires it as thy duty that thou shouldest come and open all before him In spight of thy heart thou canst not cover any thing from the Lords eyes but the Lord will see whether thou beest willing of thy self that He should understand al God doth not require us to come and confess our sins that so he might know that which he knew not before but for this end That there might be a testimony that thou art willing that he should know all that is in thy heart therefore now when thou comest to worship him ransack every corner of thy heart and confess all before the Lord and give glory to his Name as that God that is an All-seeing God that knows all the windings and turnings of thy heart Now meditate of these things that be presented to thee and it will be a mighty means to help thee to sanctifie his Name 8. God is a God of infinite Wisdom therefore when we come to worship God let us be ashamed of our folly When thou comest
they have been or are guilty of it puts a shame upon them and therefore their hearts do rise against it It is a dreadful thing to have the heart rise against the Word As we reade of that froward Prince Jehoiakim in the Prophesie of Jeremiah that when the Roll was read in his hearing sitting in the winter time by a great fire he took a penknife and cut it in pieces and threw it into the fire in anger and I have read that the Jews kept a Fast every yeer to mourn for that great sin and yet this Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah whose heart did melt at the hearing of the Word he had an humble and meek heart when the Law was read and yet see what a different spirit Jehoiakim had either from his Father or Grand-Father It is a great dishonor to the Name of God for men to give liberty to their passions to rise against the Word take heed of passion either while you are hearing the Word or after the Word as many of you while you are discontented with what is said when you come in company what a fury are many men in upon the hearing of some things in the Word that comes close to their hearts Remember when you are hearing of the Word that it is that which is above you and it is not fit for one that is an inferior to shew himself passionate in the presence of a Superior It is true the Ministers they may be in as low a condition as you and in a lower but the Word they speak it is above all the Princes and Monarchs upon the face of the Earth and it is fit therefore we having to deal with God that we should behave our selves in a meek disposition 6. The next thing for the sanctifying Gods Name in the hearing of the Word is this We must hear it with a trembling heart with fear as well as meekness and for that you have that famous Scripture in Isa 66. beginning Thus saith the Lord The Heaven is my Throne and the earth is my Foot-stool where is the house that the build unto me and where is the place of my rest For all those things hath my hand made and all those things have been saith the Lord but to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word This is a most admirable Scripture Mark how God lifts up himself in his Glory so great a God as the Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Foot-stool where is that house that ye will build unto me But then may a poor soul say How shall I be able to stand before this God that is so glorious Saith God Be not discouraged poor soul who doest tremble at my Word for I look to you And then this is a further thing observable That God hath a regard to that soul that trembles at this Word rather than to any that should build the most sumptuous buildings in the world for him for saith God here The Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Foot-stool where is the house that ye build unto me and where is the place of my rest They have built a glorious Temple to God but what do I regard that saith God I regard one that trembls at my Word more than that great house that you have built unto me It is a notable Scripture to shew what a high respect God hath to one that trembles at his Word he regards them more than this glorious Temple that was built unto him If you were able to build such a place as this was for the service of God you would think it a great matter it is not so much regarded as if you could bring a trembling heart to Gods Word that 's a special thing wherein the sanctifying of the Name of God consists when we come to see the dreadful Authority that there is in the Word of God when we are able to see more Glory of God in his Word than in all the works of God besides for there is more of his Glory in the Word than there is in the whol Creation of Heaven and Earth take the Sun and Moon and Stars you that are Marriners you have seen much of the Glory of God abroad that one would think might strike terror into all your hearts but know That there is more of the dreadfulness of Gods Name in his Word than in all his Works In Psal 138. 2. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name the Word it is magnified above all the Name of God whatsoever and it is a very good sign of a spiritual enlightened soul that can see the Name of God more magnified in his Word than in al his Works besides I appeal unto your consciences in this thing Have you ever seen the Name of God to be more magnified in his Word than in all his Works I may with very good confidence affirm this That there is no godly soul upon the face of the Earth that hath the weakest degree of grace but hath seen more of the glory of God revealed in his Word than he hath seen in all the VVorks of God besides and his heart hath been more taken with it It requires therefore a trembling frame of heart when we hear it And then further When this is considered that the word is that which bindeth the soul over either to life or death mens eternal estates are to be cast by the word certainly then it requires a trembling heart to hear that by which the eternal estate of man is to be cast we do not sanctifie Gods Name when we come to hear the word except we come with trembling hearts and they are the most likely of all men and women to understand the mind of God as for such as come with conceited spirits that they understand as much before they come and think their reach of wit or capacity is beyond the capacity of any that shall open the word unto them yet that were not so much if it did but only rest upon the man and not reflect upon the word it self Now these that are rich in their own thoughts and understandings are sent empty away but those that come with trembling hearts to the word they are the men that are like to understand Gods Counsels revealed in his word In Ezra 10. 2 3. Shechaniah the Son of Jehiel one of the Sons of Elam answered and said unto Ezra We have transgressed against our God have taken strang wives c. Yet now there is hope ni Israel concerning this thing now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God according to the counsel of my Lord and of those that tremble at the Commandement of our God So that those that tremble at Gods Word and such as are fittest to counsel they understand most of Gods mind and that 's another particular of the behavior of the soul in sanctifying Gods Name in hearing
never have to do with such sin that was the cause of such sufferings to my Savior that did shed his Blood If so be that thou sawest a knife that had cut the throat of thy dearest child would not thy heart rise against that knife Suppose you come to a Table and there is a Knife laid at your Trencher and it was told you This is the Knife that cut the Throat of your Child or Father if you could use that Knife as another Knife would not any one say There was but little love to your Father or Child So when there is a Temptation comes to any sin this is the Knife that cut the Throat of Christ that pierc'd his Sides that was the cause of all his sufferings that made Christ to be a curse now wilt not thou look upon that as a cursed thing that made Christ to be a curse Oh with what detestation would a man or woman fling away such a Knife and with the like detestation it is required that thou shouldest renounce sin for that was the cause of the death of Christ I remember it is reported of Anthony when Caesar was slain he comes to stir up the people against those that had slain Caesar and he takes the cloaths that were bloody and holds them forth to the people and saith Here is blood of your Emperor and upon that the people were enraged against those that had slain him and went and pulled down their houses upon them So when thou comest to this Sacrament thou seest the blood of Christ gushing out and for thy sin if ever thy sin be pardoned either thy soul must be eternally damn'd for thy sin or else thy sin cost the gushing out of the blood of Christ now when thou seest this this should cause an holy rage in thy soul against sin that caused this surely the putting away sin the rising of the heart against sin must needs be a disposition sutable to such an Ordinance as this is And that 's the Third thing required in sanctifying of Gods Name in this Ordinance the purging out of sin and rising of the heart against it 4. The Fourth thing that is to be done for the sanctifying of Gods Name here it is the hungring and thirsting of the soul after Jesus Christ whosoever comes hither he comes to a feast and the Lord exspects that all his Guests should come with stomachs unto his feast come with hungring and longing for Jesus Christ this should be the disposition of the soul Oh that my soul might enjoy Communion with Jesus Christ now this is the end that I am come for Oh! the Lord that knows the workings of my heart knowes that this is the great desire of my soul that I might enjoy Communion with Jesus Christ Oh! that I might have more of Christ that I might meet with Christ that I might have some further manifestation of Jesus Christ that I might have my soul further united to the Lord Christ and so have further influence of Christ to my soul I come with thirst after the Lord Christ knowing my infinite need of him and the infinite excellency that there is in Jesus Christ my soul doth famish and perish for ever without Christ but in the enjoyment of Christ there is a fulness for the satisfying of my soul that I have had of Christ somtimes in the Word and somtimes in Prayer that have been sweet unto me but I expect a further communion with Christ here for this is the grand Ordinance for Communion with Jesus Christ indeed the word in this respect it is beyond this Ordinance that is it is not only for the increase of Grace but for the begetting This is only for the increase of Grace and not appointed for the begetting now in that respect the Word is above the Sacrament but now this Sacrament is a more full Ordinance for Communion with Jesus Christ this is the Communion of the body of Jesus Christ and of his blood and therfore there ought to be hungring and thirsting desires of the soul after Jesus Christ therefore you must take heed you do not come with your stomachs full of trash as children when they can get Plums and Pears and fill their stomachs with them when they come to your Tables though there be never so much wholsome diet they have no mind at all to it so it is with men of the world they fill their hearts with the trash of this world and with sensual delights and hence it is that when they come to such a great Ordinance to enjoy communion with Jesus Christ that then they feel no want at all of Christ only they come and take a little piece of bread and a draught of wine but for any strong pausing desires to meet with Jesus Christ there in the Ordinance to come so as they know not how to live without Christ even as a man that is an hungred cannot live without his meat and drink and so for the soul to have such a disposition after Christ this is a rare thing but know that Gods Name is not sanctified unless thou doest come in such a way unto his holy Sacrament that 's the fourth thing hungry and thirsty desires after Christ from a deep sence of the need of him and the apprehension of the excellency in him 5. In the fift place there must be an exercise of faith for the Sanctifying of Gods Name here Faith that is both the hand and the mouth of the taking of this spiritual meat and spiritual drink when thou comest to the Feast of the Lord Faith first is the eye and then the hand and mouth it is the eye of thy soul to give a real sight to what there is here you are not able to discern the body of the Lord but by the eye of Faith if thou comest only with bodily eyes to look upon what is here thou seest nothing but a little Bread and Wine but now where the eye of Faith is there is a real apperance of Jesus Christ to the soul as if Christ were bodily present and we need not have the bread truned in to his body for Faith cannot see the body of Christ through the bread and the blood of Christ gushing in the Wine And it is a mighty thing to have Christ and such sprituall things made real and not to be a fansie If one look upon the fire that is painted one cannot heat ones self in cold wether with that but fire that is really burning upon the harth so those that come to receive the Sacrament and not come with Faith that have only the eye of their bodies they only see as it were a painted Christ they do not see Christ really his body and blood and those great mysteries of the Gospel are not presented as real things to their souls and hence it is that they go away and get nothing but now when the soul comes with the eye of Faith the soul sees the
wonderful things of God it is the most glorious sight in the world al the glory of God in the Heavens and Earth is not like this Sight of Jesus Christ and the mysteries of the Gospel that do appear to the eye of Faith therefore you may by this know whether you have come with Faith or no to the Sacrament whether you have seen the most glorious Sight that ever your eyes did behold Alas with our natural eyes we behold a Minister coming with a piece of Bread and a little Wine but when the eye of Faith is opened then we behold the glorious things of the Gospel Many times when you come to hear the Word your hearts burn within you as they that went to Emaus but when you are breaking bread the eye of Faith that must look upon Jesus Christ and in this sense those that have pierced Christ must look upon him that Scripture is fulfilled in Zachariah 12. latter end They shall look on him whom they have pierced by their Sins and then mourn and lament This eye of Faith will cause mourning and lamenting for Sin And then As Faith is the eye to make what is here real so Faith is the hand to take it When you come to a feast you must have something to take the meat to you so saith Christ he brake bread and gave it unto his Disciples saying Take eat this Take it how shal we take it By reaching out of the hand if you sanctifie Gods Name in this Ordinance as you reach out your hand to take the Bread and Wine so there must be an actual reaching out of the soul by Faith putting forth an act of Faith to receive Jesus Christ unto the soul to apply the Lord Jesus Christ unto thy soul with all his merits and good things that he hath purchased when the Minister doth give out that Ordinance 〈◊〉 should look upon God the Father giving out his Son as if this were your condition I am now in the presence of the eternal Father who now doth actually give out his Son to my soul and saith Soul here receive a new this day my Son with all that he hath purchased for thy good now then the soul acts upon this and by stirring up an act of faith comes and closes with this gift of the Father and casts its selfe upon Jesus Christ and saith as it were Amen to what the Father gives Oh Lord here I come and imbrace thy Son as my life as my Savior as the Fountain of all my good in whom I expect all the good I am like to have either here or to all eternity so that there must be a stirring up of the act of faith in an actual taking of Christ if thou beest a Beleever Canst thou remember what thou didst when first thou didst take Jesus Christ when the Lord in the preaching of His word did reveal Jesus Christ to my soul what didst thou then Oh soul how did thy soul work in closing with Christ as thy soul did then in closing with Christ so it must now renew the work there must be a renewal of the work at that time So that when you come to the Sacrament you must not think that it is then a time to listen to doubts fears and Scruples no but it is a time that God cals for the exercise of faith the casting of the soul upon Christ and His merits for life and for salvation or else the Name of God is not sanctified as it ought thou doest not Sanctifie Gods Name when thou art busying thy soul in doubts and scruples in thy receiving of the Sacrament And then faith is as the mouth when thou comest to eat and drink how canst thou if thou hast not a mouth thou hast a bodily mouth to take in Bread and Wine but know that without faith thy soul cannot take in Christ faith is as it were the mouth that is by the act of faith the soul doth open it self for Jesus Christ and not only opens it self but takes in Christ to the soul and makes Christ and the soul as one as our Bread and Wine is made one with our Body so faith takes in Christ and makes him as one with thee and turns Christ into the nourishment of thy soul and thou and Christ by faith are made as truly one as the Bread and Wine that is put into thy Body is made one with thy body This is the work of faith without which we cannot Sanctifie the Name of God Sixthly There must be spiritual Joy that must be exercised here for it is a feast here we come to sit with Christ at his Table we come as Children to our fathers Table and to sit there with Jesus Christ our Elder Brother now as a father doth not love to have his child sit in a sullen and dogged way at his Table or to be crying but he would have the child sit in comfort and with a holy cheerfulnes with a holy freedom of spirit not in a sullen way but as a child in the presence of his father and not as a servant with the master Obiect You told us before that there should be brokenness of spirit and sence of our sin Answ That may be and joy we rejoyce with trembling therefore that brokennese of spirit that I meant must not be slavish horror and fear but a kindly melting of the soul from the apprehension of the love of God unto it in Jesus Christ that was willing to be at so great cost to purchase the pardon of sin such a gracious mourning as may stand with joy and the truth is that that sorrow for sin in the Sacrament that is not mixt with joy is a sorrow that doth not Sanctifie Gods Name godly sorrow and evangelical joy may stand together very well And therefore know that this is not the time neither to give liberty to have your hearts sink no there must be no sinking sorrow of heart but such a sorrow of heart as in the midst of it you may be able to look upon God as a reconciled Father to you and have a cheerfulness of spirit as in the presence of God you must look upon your selves as Gods guests to be merry at his Table now this is a great mystery of godliness that there should be at the same time the sight of Christ crucified and yet at the same time a spiritual cheerfulness in the assurance of the love of God in Jesus Christ I say it is a mystery and only those that are Beleevers are able to understand this mystery how to have their hearts break and yet how to rejoyce at the same time in that unspeakable love of God that is here presented unto them in this Sacrament Seventhly In the next place There must be thankfulness therefore it is called the Eucharist and in one of the Evangelists where it is said Christ blest the Bread in another it is said Christ gave thanks Christ when he instituted this
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
soul upon the assistance of the Spirit of God thou art to look upon the holy Ghost as appointed by the Father and the Son to that Office to be a helper to his poor servants in the duties of Worship and especially in that great duty of prayer now upon the reading of this text and having it thus opened this is one good help for thee in prayer reade this text and then exercise thy faith upon it Lord hast thou not said that thy Spirit helps our infirmities when we know not what we pray for nor how to pray for any thing as we ought but the Spirit will come now Lord make good this Word of thine to my soul at this time and let me have the breathings of the Spirit of God in me alas the breaths of men if it comes from gifts and parts I know thou wilt never regard it except there be the breathings of the holy Ghost in me in prayer now if you would know whether the Spirit of God doth come in or no you may know it by this the Spirit of God carries unto God and it makes the Prayer sweet and delightful so much of the Spirit of God as is there it comes to the soul in the duty and it leaves a savour behind it a gracious savour is alwaies left behind when the Spirit of God comes to breath O the breath of the Spirit of God is a sweet breath and it makes prayers sweet it never comes into the soul but after it hath done any work it came for it leaves a sweet scent after that the soul finds a sweetness in that prayer now many of you have been in the morning at prayer but I appeal to you what sweet savor of the Spirit of God is left behind certainly if the Spirit hath been there it is like Civit that is put into a little box though you should take out the Civit yet there will be a sweet savor left behind so though the Spirit of God in respect of the present assistance withdraws it self yet it leaves a sweet savor behind The fourth thing is puritie of heart pure hearts and hands in Heb 10 22. Rev. 5. 8. having every one of them harps and golden vials ful of odors which are the prayers of Saints mark the prayers of Saints are odours in golden vials the golden vials I may compare to the heart the hearts of the Saints must be as golden vials and then their prayers will be as odours in 1 Tim. 2. 8. the holy Ghost giving directions how we should pray it is with this qualification I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy handes without wrath and doubting the outward conversation must be pure and the heart pure in Job 22. 26. mark what 's said concerning that holy man there 's a promise made to him for the lifting up of his face to God putting away iniquitie from his Tabernacle that by putting away evil from our Tabernacles and from our hearts we may be able to lift up our hearts with joy to go and that 's the fourth thing puritie of heart and hands The fift thing is in truth when we come to call upon God we must call upon him in truth Psalm 145. 18. vers the Lord is nigh unto all to all that call upon him in truth you will say What is the meaning of that to that I answer First There must be inward dispositions answerable to the expressions as for instance when I come to express the greatness of the Majestie of God then I must have an inward disposition sutable to this expression I must have a fear and reverence of the infinite Majestie of God Secondly When I come to confess my sin to judg my self for my sin there must be an inward disposition sutable to such a confession O how many men and women will come and speak great things against themselves for their sins and judg themselves for their sins and yet there is no such disposition in their hearts sutable to their words you shall have some in praying with others they will be a means to break the hearts of others they will so follow their sin and take such shame and confusion upon themselves for their sin and yet God knows their hearts not stir'd all this while and then they will call upon God for pardon of sin and for power against their sin and yet God knows that their hearts do close with their sin and are loth to part with their sin in the mean time this is falsness of heart when the inward disposition is not answerable to outward expressions I beseech you my brethren consider of the prayers you have made and especially you that pray much with others look what expressions you have made and see whether there be answerable dispositions to the expressions you have made and how that the Lord doth remember every expression that you have made Thirdly We must call upon God in truth that is Conscionably to performe the engagements of prayer prayer puts an engagement upon the heart now those that call upon him in truth are conscionable to perform the engagements as now do I pray for any good thing I am engaged to endeavour in the use of al means for the attaning of the good thing When you confess a sin why you are engaged by that means to endeavour all your might against that sin and when you pray for my grace you are engaged to make use of all means you can for the attaining of that grace and then besides in prayer there is much profession unto God for our sinceritie and uprightness and of our willingness to be at his dispose perform these engagments that thou makest to God in prayer if God should present to us all our professions that We have made to him in prayer and tell us how we have come short of them it would make us be in shame and confusion in our own thoughts Another thing in prayer must be faith pray without doubting as in the former Scripture the prayer of faith prevails much James 1. 6 7. a man that wavereth and doubteth must not think to obtaine any thing of God But I should have opened what that faith is that we should have in prayer we must have faith to beleeve that the thing that we do pleaseth God and faith in Gods promises and faith in Gods providence this should be exercised in the time of our prayers And therefore after we have done to go away beleeving as Hannah in 1 Sam. 1. 18. we read of her that after she had been praying she went away and lookt no more sad the text saith noting that after we have been powring forth our souls to God we should beleeve and exercise faith and not go in as drooping a way as ever we did Object You will say Yea if we knew certainly that God would hear us Answ The way to be assured that God will hear you is by casting your selves upon God