the word is compared to meat and it must be applyed 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 comes 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 particular 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 it 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 Faith with the Word or otherwise it will do us but little good Apply it and then beleeve it In Heb. 4. 2. it is said that The word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Wherefore there must be a mixture of Faith to beleeve the word that the Lord brings unto you Now concerning that I le but propound these few particulars You will say Must we beleeve every thing that is spoken sometimes there are some things spoken that we cannot tell how to beleeve I do not mean so to beleeve every thing meerly being spoken for you must take heed what you hear as well as how you hear but do thus much at least 1 In the First place whatsoever comes in the name of God to you except you know certainly it is not according to the written Word you owe so much respect to it as to examine it at least to try it whether it be so or no as it is said of those Welbred men that I spake of that they did examine whether things were so or no. Do not cast off any thing presently that comes in the Name of God Now any thing that hath the broad Seal upon it you must not disobey You will say It may be counterfeit but do not disobey it till you be sure it be counterfeit Oh that men would give but this respect to all things that they hear never to cast them off till they have examined and tryed whether they be so or no. 2 Secondly Do but grant this respect to the Word that is spoken to you as to think thus What if all that I hear spoken against my fin which laies open the dangerous condition that my soul is in prove to be true what a case were I in then This hath been the beginning of the conversion of many Souls the having but such a thought as this It may be things are not so terrible as I hear but what if they do prove so then I am undone for ever Dare I venture my Soul and my eternal estate upon hopes that these things are not so bad as I hear I beleeve if you would put your selves to it you would think it a bold adventure and the comfort that any of you have grounded upon this meerly hoping that things are not so bad as you hear it is a cursed comfort that hath no sure bottome Grant that respect therefore to the word 3 Thirdly consider this It may be I do not see cleerly that these things are so which are delivered I do not see enough to beleeve them now but what if I were now dying What if I were now going to receive the sentence of my eternall doome would I not then beleeve these things Would I not then think what I hear out of the word to be true It is an easie matter for men to reject the word while they have their healths and prosperity But if you were to die and upon your sick and death bed if you saw the infinite ocean of eternity before you what would you say then were the word true yea or no would you give beleif unto the suggestions of the Devill then We find it by experience That men that could easily cast off the word in their healths yet when they have come to ly upon their sick bed and death bed they found the word true Beleeve it now as well as then 4 Consider If thou doest not beleeve what a case art thou in Am I worse then the Devils themselves The Scripture tels me That the Devils beleeve and tremble Why Lord do I come to hear Sermons and am I more hard to beleeve then the very devils themselves They do beleeve that word that I cast off and they tremble at it but my Soul is not at all stirred as if there were no reallity in such things that have been spoken to me There be other things which may further help us towards beleeving of the word of God but these shall suffice And certainly my brethren till we come to this to beleeve the word though we should sit under it many years it will do us little good and we shall never Sanctifie the Name of God in the hearing of it SERMON IX LEVITICUS 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me THE next thing for the right behaviour of the Soul for Sanctifying Gods Name is this We must receive the Word with meeknesse of Spirit that you have in Jam. 1. 21. Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls Receive with meekness The former part of this Scripture I confesse concerns some what that was before about the preparation of the Soul and we shall perhaps afterwards in the Application come to open the former part of this vers Lay apart all filthiness superfluity of naughtiness But only now we quote the place for this Receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls Let there be a quietnesse in your Spirits in attending upon the word no hurring There is a twofold distemper of passion in many people that is a great hinderance to the profit of the Word and
sight of God and our Father Knowing Brethren beloved your election of God Why For our Gospel came not to you in word only but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance And know this excellency there is in sanctifying Gods name in hearing the word I beseech you mark it that it is a more blessed thing then if you did bear Jesus Christ in your wombes You that are women would not you have accounted it a great happines if Christ had been borne in your wombes Now if thou comest to the hearing of the word and sanctifiest Gods name in it thou art in a better condition and hast a greater blessing upon thee then if thou hadest borne Jesus Christ in thy womb In Luk. 11. 27. 28. And it came to passe as he spake these things that a certain woman of the company lift up her voice and said unto him Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked Seeing Christ and what gracious things came from him she spake so But he said Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God keep it That is Labour to sanctifie my name as hath been opened in the particulars rather is that women blessed that do so then the woman that bare Christ Me thinks this one scripture should be such a scripture for women to cause them to sanctifie Gods name in hearing of the word instead of a hundred scriptures certainly thou maiest be so blessed if thou wilt beleeve the word that comes from Christs mouth 3 Do you sanctifie the name of God in the Word that wil sanctifie you by that your souls come to be sanctified it wil comfort you in the day of your affliction it will save you at last 4 You that do sanctifie Gods name in the hearing of his Word you will be the glory of the Ministers of God at the great day of judgement You will be an honour 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 will become of that That I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not runne in vain neither laboured in vain Let that be one motive among the rest saith the Apostle this will be such a glory to me that I in the day of Jesus Christ shall rejoyce that I have not laboured in vain I shall blesse God for all my studies and care and all the pains that ever I have taken and ventring my self for this People I shall blesse 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 faithfully to you If at the day of Jesus 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 Oh 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 forth the word of life will not only be a glory to God which is the cheif but it will be a glory to the Ministers to recompence all their labours that you shall not only be saved your selves in the day of Jesus Christ but you shall adde to the glory of his faithful Ministers likewise when they do appear before Christ 5 I shall adde one particular more There is a time coming when God shall magnifie his word before men and Angels In Iâ—â— 22. 21. He will magnifie his Law and make it honorable What a joy shal 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 The Eleventh SERMON LEVITICUS 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me THE last day we finished the point of Sanctification of the name of God in the hearing of his Word and now wee 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 confesse wee have not that word in all the Scripture as neither have we the word Trinitie and divers other words that 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 signes 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 wee our selves do as it were hallow or dedicate our selves unto God in the use of these Ordinances that 's one reason from whence it hath the name Or otherwise as some will have it Sacramentum because it is to be received Sacramente with a holy mind and therefore cald the Sacrament The Churches have used it a long time in Tertullians time which was above fourteen hundred years agoe he was the first that we find used this word and most that would open the word unto us say that especially it was taken from the practise of Souldiers who when they came and listed themselves bound themselves in a solemne oath to be faithful to their Captaine and to the Cause that they did undertake and the oath they were wont 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 doe 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 solemne Promise to the high God hath the strength of an oath in it and from thence they were cald by these names Sacraments but that for the word that you may understand it But the word the Scripture useth to set out this Sacrament by that now I am speaking of is the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ so you have it in 1 Cor. 10. 6. The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we break is it
this or what great good there is in preparation for Gods Worship 4. Fourthly I shall Answer a case of Conscience or two 5. Fiftly I will shew you what is the behaviour of the Soul in Sanctifying Gods Name 6 Sixthly The Reasons why God will be Sanctified in the duties of his Worship First That there must be preparation to the Worship of God For First that God that we come to Worship is a great and glorious God and we having to deal with such an infinite glorious dreadfull Majesty it is fit that we should make preparation when we come nigh unto him therefore in Exod. 19. 10. when God came among the people to give them his Law he did require that they should be Sanctified to day and tomorrow and that they should wash their cloaths and be ready against the third day for the third day the Lord would come down upon mount Sinai in the sight of all the people God did not so much stand upon their cloaths but it was to signifie an inward washing Now my brethren if when God came to give the Law they were so to prepare then certainly when we are to come to Worship 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 dayes 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 to morrow 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 the third day and therefore let them be Sanctified 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 therefore 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 1 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 morral 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 shewes 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 carnall heart to slight the duties of Gods Worship to make account of them as little matters Carnall 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 businesse or I may not neglect to visit or gratifie such a friend but now for the worship of God it is good indeed but whither it be done or not it is no great matter therefore they can put off prayer if they have any businesse 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 concerne 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 communicats 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 Businesse of great consequence we make preparation for indeed if a businesse be a slight businesse we can fall upon it on a sudden you make not preparation to go in a Boat in 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 performe 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 evill to lose any part of the time of worship Christians I beseech you account highly of the time of your worship you have bin so long time at prayer yea but how much of it hath been lost because you have not prepared before hand 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 businesse they come together and they are a long time before they can buckle to the businesse that they came about because there was no preparation but if there be preparation made that every man knows before hand 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 Spirituall and holy things but by nature our hearts grovell in the dirt and we are carnal sensual drossie dead slight sottish and vain altogether unfit to come into the presence of God Oh that we were but apprehensive and senfible of the unfitnesse of our hearts to come into Gods presence Perhaps because thou knowest not God thou canst rush into his presence without any more adoe 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 unfit to come into his presence Fourthly There had need be preparation because of the great hinderances of the Worship
Name There is one notable Scripture in Jer. 8. 2. that shewes how much strength the Idolaters put forth in the worshipping 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 when they have sought and whom they have worshipped 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 worshipped there is all these severall expressions to shew the strength of their spirits in following after their Idols And that is the Fift thing in our Sanctifying of 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 read 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 Soul of man then 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 eare but now my eye seeth thee wherefore I abhorre my self and repent in dust and ashes Now this humility must be in the sense of our own meanness and basenesse 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 senseable of their own basenesse and meannesse before God This poor man cryed to God we use to say Give that poor man some what It doth affect the heart of God when he sees much poverty of Spirit when we come before him we must be senseable of our Infinite dependance upon God Come as the woman of Canaan O Lord even doggs do receive câ—ums and though I be a dogg 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 worshipping of God think thus What a Mercy is it that we are not banished out of Gods presence that the Lord hath not spurnd us out of his sight as filth and cast us out as an everlasting abhorring while others have bin praying we might have bin yelling under the wrath of the eternal God Come with this apprehension of thy self and adorre Gods goodnesse that thou art alive to pray and alive to heare Gods word And that it is not only a duty but a rich priviledge and mercy that God will admit of thee to come into his presence Againe it is the goodnesse 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 cative 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 goodnesse 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 then 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 What ever 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 hadest 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 then thou that art able to make great Orations when thou comest before him 3 Thou must come without any righteousnesse of thy own thou must never come into 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 though beest a Prince or Emperour 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 inlargements in Prayer the Devil will come in and seek to puffe 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 waiâ— upon God in regard of the time and of the measure and of the manner of the Communication of himself in regard of the meanes 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 poore man some what will God say This poore 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 owne for the matter of it 2 Secondly To give God his owne that is what comes from the
service God hath generally from the Men and women of the earth it should make our hearts bleed within us Where almost is the man or woman that according to that text in Isa Stirs up himself to take hold on God And I verily beleeve that in the opening of this point of Sanctifying the name of God in holy duties that I have bin in the bosoms of as many as in the opening of any point whatsoever and as many may have cause to lay their hands upon their hearts and say Certainly I have come short of what is required here and have not bin acquainted with this way this mysterie of godlines in Sanctifying Gods name in holy duties as I ought to be O be humbled for this for all the uncleannesie of your hearts in the performance of duties In Exod 27 4 5. you read that at the Altar where the â—acrifices weâ—e to be offered the Lord required that there should be a grate made Thou shalt make for it meaning the Altar a grate of net-work of brasse and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof and thou shalt put it under the compasse of the Altar beneath that the net may be even to the middest of the Altar There was as it were a grate for the ashes of the Altar to go through as you have grates in your fires to make them burn cleer and for the ashes to fal down so the Lord would have such a grate for the ashes of the Altar to fall down We had need of such a grate Oh the ashes and 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 grosse sins they do not find it any great matter to keep from company swearing drinking uncleannesse 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 unlesse it be for that their natures are as corrupt as any though they break not forth into those actuall grosse sins but the maine 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 dnties those are the maine 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 tendernesse in it when thou makest these to be the matter of thy humiliation Carnall people little are troubled for these if they fall into such sins as their Consciences do fly in their faces then they are troubled and humbled But for such things as these are they are seldome humbled To be humbled for thy holy offerings is a good sign of a gracious heart We read of the 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 and meanner duties but a covering of our holy duties to cover our faces our best duties of all the most heavenly duties we perform had need be purged by the bloud of Christ In Levit. 16. 14. 16. we read of their holy things that there was need of purging of them by bloud 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 then 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 honour of God thou hast lived perhaps 30. or 40. it may be 60. years or more and didest never yet honour God in any one thing that ever thou didest 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 honoured God If thou hast not bin aquainted with this mysterie of godlinesse 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 honour of God Thou hadest 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 honoured by thee Yea and further Thou hast lost all thy duties all the time hath bin 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 worshipping 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 performance of duties and hypocrites not only all your pains and labour is quite lost for if that were all it might be well with you but you have aggravated your sins by your holy duties Those duties that others have injoyed communion with God in and furthered their eternall 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 naturall actions they sanctifie Gods Name in eating and drinking and following their businesse they performe those actions in such a holy manner as they honour God in them and further their eternall peace but as they in their naturall and civill actions work out their salvation so thou in the very religious actions doest work out thy damnation Certainly wicked men that are not acquainted with this work of godlinesse 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 performe holy duties and not to
worship him to think thus let me look to it to Sanctifie his name now for I hear that God will Sanctifie it himselfe 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 holines though there be much mixture God hath a way to take a way the mixture by the bloud of his Son and then to accept of any holinesse 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 gratious 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 will Sanctifie thy heart by his glory if thou doest Sanctifie his name Further thou shalt it may be not alwaies have such glorious comforts the full beames 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 its like if thou hast not such full comforts now yet upon thy sick bed though God doth not then alwaies manifest himself fully for somtimes 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 sicke beds and a glorious entrance is made for them into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And then againe all things are Sanctified unto them as on the other side those that do not Sannctifie 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 furtherance of their eternal good And how ever 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 didest tender up to him when hypocrites shall be cast away and abhorr'd and thou who hadest 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 holinesse to make it appeare that I have accepted of these holy things that these my poore servants have tendered up to me And this now is of marveilous 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 then the glory of his holinesse and it is the glory of his holinesse 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 truthes into thy heart about Sanctifying the name of God You have had only the point in generall 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 generall 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 cheiâ— duties of Worship and I intend to speak to all 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 choose severall Texts for all these but they fall full within the generall and therefore it shall be sufficient for to ground the Sanctifying of Gods Name in these duties of worship upon this Text I 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 Wordâ— If you would have the ground of what we are to say concerning this in a particular Scripture you may have it in Luk. 8. 18. take heed therefore how you hear It is not enough to come to hear the word that is good and no question but God is pleased with the willingnesse 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 the point I hope is seasonable will be very suitable 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 honour God in their hearing and to get good by their hearing and it is pity that labour 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 labour and pains in hearing In preaching to those that come to hear that so they may get good and benefit by it there is a great deal more incouragement then to such as come in a formall way because they use to come therefore this Point being a great point I shall open it some what largely and shall cast it 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 any 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 behaviour in the 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 that do not sanctifie his
treasure that may be Another sort to be rebuked are those who are so far from falling down before the Lord to receive the word with meeknesse as they can blesse themselves in their wicked waies notwithstanding the word comes and meets with them I only name this because of that notable Scripture we have In Deut. 29 18 19. saith Moses there to them Take heed lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood what 's that root that beareth gall and wormwood And it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart c. Take heed there be not among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood This is a bitter root in mens hearts when they can hear the word of God and have their hearts rise aganst it and think with themselves that there is no such matter these are but meer words but meer wind let the Minister say what he will and talk as long as he will I will go on in my way I shall do well enough that which he saith it is but his opinion I say when men can blesse themselves thus in their way and when there are such tumultuous and rebellious thoughts rising in their hearts this is a root of gall and wormwood and take heed of it it will bring forth bitter fruit one day But I should quickly be prevented if I should lanch into this argument to reprove the several waies of sinning against God in the hearing of his word And therefore I leave those and come to shew what a fearful thing it is for men and women not to Sanctifie the name of God in the hearing of his word that so you may see that God will have his name Sanctified upon them And they are these 1 In the first place You that do not Sanctifie Gods name in hearing his word in those waies that have been opened to you first you loose the greatest and happiest opportunity of good that ever creatures had for an outward opportunity indeed when God moves by his Spirit if that be neglected that opportunity is more then meerly hearing the word but otherwise except it be at such a time when God adds his Spirit together with his word I say you that are cast by the providence of God in such a place where the word of the Gospel is preached to you applied and urged upon you if you Sanctifie not the name of God to hear as you ought and to profit by it I say you lose the greatest opportunity for good that is in the world Oh what hast thou lost that hast lived many yeers under the Ministry of the Gospel and yet hast not been acquainted with this mystery of godliness in sanctifying Gods name in the word There are many thousand souls that are and shall be blessing God to all eternity for what of God they have met with all in the word but thou hast fifteen under it stupid as a block dead and barren and no good hath been done Wherefore is there a prize in the hand of a fool and he hath no heart to get wisedome this will lie upon thee heavy one day the losse of such an opportunity and that is the first 2 In the Second place know that this word that is appointed by God for the conveyance of so much mercy to his elect it will prove to be the greatest aggravation of thy sin that can be This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light This is The condemnation If so be that light had not come among you then the condemnation had not been so great your sin had not bin so great your punishment had not bin so great In Mat. 10. 14 15. where speaking of those that did injoy the word and yet did not sanctifie Gods Name in it Whosoever shall not receive you saith Christ to his Disciples nor hear your words when ye depart out of that house or City shake off the dust of your feet Verely I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorah in the day of judgement then for that City It is a most dreadfull Scripture their very dust must be shaken off in token of indignation and it shall be more easie for the Land of Sodom and Gomorah in the day of judgment then for that place You would be very loth to be in a worse condition then Sodom and Gomorah that was consumed by fire from heaven And now suffer the vengeance of eternall fire Jude 7. Certainly they shall not be so deep in judgments as those that live under the Ministry of the word and sanctifie not the Name of God in it Your sin is of a deeper dye then the sin of the Heathens yea and in some respects then the sin of the Devils they never had the word of the Gospel sent to be preached to them and therefore this will aggravate your sin not only beyond heathens but beyond devils Look to it then that Gods Name be Sanctified in the hearing of his Word 3. Thirdly Know that so much as the word is rejected Jesus Christ is rejected Luk. 10. 16. He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me It is Christ himself that is rejected when the word is rejected thou hast not to do with man so much as with Jesus Christ in the hearing of the word And the power of Jesus Christ is to be put forth either to do the good by the word or to avenge thy neglect of the word Therefore in Matt. 28. 18 19. when Christ sends forth his Disciples to preach he makes this preface All power is given unto me in heaven and earth go ye therefore and teach As if he should say I having received all power in heaven and earth through the power I received I send you to preach and I 'le be with you to the end of the world that is All power in heaven and earth shall go along with you to assist your Ministry either for the good of those that shall imbrace it or for the Misery of those that shall reject it So that whosoever stands out against the Ministry of the Word stands out against all the power in heaven and earth that is given to Christ Do not think that thou doest resist a poor weak mortall man but thou doest resist all the power in heaven and earth And is not this a dreadfull thing then to be guilty of not sanctifying of Gods Name 4 Fourthly It is an Argument of extreame hardnesse of heart not to be wrought upon by the word Luk. 16. 31. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead saith Abraham Certainly that man or woman that shall not be wrought upon by the word so as to
they must be called over again at the great day to judge your souls by the sentence of every one of your eternall estates must be tryed out of this book Oh look upon it as the word that must judge your Souls at the last day and then you will see it a dreadfull thing not to sanctifie Gods Name in it And then when the word doth judge you you shall obey it whether you will or no. Now the word convinces you and you will not obey it but when God comes to judge you by the word then you shall obey it Then when God comes to read that sentence out of the word Go ye cursed into everlasting fire then I say you shall be forced to obey it 12 Lastly There is yet one thing more which should have been mentioned before which is very remarkable That those men which do not sanctifie Gods Name in his word they will be blasted even here while they live their parts and common gifts that they yet have will be blasted wither and come to nothing We find it ordinarily that many that are young had very good beginnings and very good parts that were very hopefull and would speak very favourly where they came afterwards beginning by degrees to neglect the Word the Lord hath blasted them their gifts have withered the common gifts of the Spirit have been taken from them I will give you one Text for that in Luk. 8. 18. Take heed therefore how ye hear It is an Exhortation that follows upon the parable of the Sower that went out to sow because it is so that when the word is sowen as seed there is so little of it doth prosper and most hearers do not Sanctifie Gods name in it therefore look to your selves Why For whosoever hath to him shall be given and whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have You had need look to your selves how you hear for the truth is all depends upon it under God have you got any common gifts of the Spirit of God or any abilities to do any service for God do not be proud of them neither be jolly nor think that you are able to do better then others and that those are but ordinary things that the Minister speaks and you are gotten into a higher forme Look to your selves take heed you come not to the word with a proud Spirit be not offended at the plainnesse of the word take heed how you hear for if you do not that that you seem to have shall be taken from you saith Christ You seem to have excellent gifts yea you seem to have grace too but take heed how you hear for all this whatsoever parts you have got though you be highly esteemed in the company where you come and you are able to do things more then others yet I say Take heed how you hear for otherwise that that you have will be taken away from you have have we not seen this in our own experience and it is apparent that they began to be withered and to be blasted by neglecting of the Word And therefore I beseech you look to this that you do Sanctifie the name of God in his word and let your hearts bow unto it as unto the Ordinance of God and waite upon it in the Ministry of it lest you wither and be blasted and come to nothing And thus I have shewen the great evill of not Sanctifying Gods Name and how God will be Sanctified I shall be very brief in the Use of Exhortation Oh that the Lord by this would cause some thing to stick upon your hearts that what hath been preached in this point may be made usefull for many Sermons afterwards that it might be said of you in this place as it was said of them in Act. 13. 48. When the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Oh that God would make every one of you to be a means to glorifie the word of God! That should be our care that the word of God may be glorified by us we come to hear the word but take heed that the word of God be not dishonoured by us In 2 Thess 3. 1. Finally Brethren pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you Oh that we were able to say so and yet through Gods mercy in some degree we hope we can say so and I could heartily pray that the word of God might be glorified in all places as it hath been with many of you but yet go on in this and labour every one of you that it may be more glorified that you may manifest the power of the word in your conversations that all that do behold you may glorifie the word and say Oh what hath the Lord wrought in such a place in such families families that were wretched vild carnal and liv'd without God in the world Prophane Swearers foul-mouth'd Unclean Now since they have attended upon the word how hath it wrought upon them what a change is there in such men and women That the carnal husband may say since such time as my wife hath attended upon the word I have seen a Beauty in her conversation shee is more holy more gentle and meek and so my servant more submissive and faithful and so my children more obedient then before Oh that the word may be thus glorified Take heed I beseech you that the word be not blasphemed by any of you In Tit. 2. 5. there the Apostle gives divers exhortations and among others to wives and to servants To be 〈◊〉 chast◠keepers at home good obedient to their own husbands that the 〈◊〉 God be not blasphemed you must perform your duties unto your husbands and why that so the word of God be not blasphemed that is that neither your husbands nor any of your friends may blasphem the word and say what do you get this by going to sermons Oh it should peirce your hearts when as your consciences tell you that you have given cause whereby the word of God should be blasphemed and so he exhorts servants and others and all in the strength of this argument that the word of God be not blasphemed you get up early in a morning to hear the word that 's good but take heed you give no occasion that the word be blasphemed Now I shall shew what an excellent thing it is so to Sanctifie Gods name in the hearing of his word as to honour it and how God will Sanctifie his owne name in mercy to you 1 First All the good in the word is thine if thou doest Sanctifie Gods name There is aboundance of good in this word that we preach it is the word of the Gospel and to have all the good in that to be thine that must needs be an excellent thing you will say some times I
mixture among them thus wee should sanctifie the name of God in receiving this holy Sacrament you have had divers things propounded to you whereby you may come to know and easily to see that there hath been a great deale of dishonour done to this Sacrament and the beauty and glory of it hath been darkened and the sweet that the Saints might otherwise have received in plucking hath been exceedingly hindred There is but one thing more that I shall propound to you and that is the severall meditations that we should meditate on in receiving of the Sacrament the most concerning meditations are suggested in the holy Communion that are in any thing whatsoever more concerning more efficacious more various meditations wee have suggested here then in any thing and it is a great figne that men and women do not discerne the Lords body if so be their meditations be barren at that time I will therefore suggest some nine or ten meditations that that Ordinance of God may hold out very plainly and familiarly to every Communicant for the busying of their thoughts all the time that action is a doing Meditation 1. As first that the way of mans salvation it was by a Mediator it is not only by Gods mercy Gods saying that hee is offended by sin but he will be content to passe it by no but it is through a Mediator now this meditation is suggested thus when I see the bread and wine if I disceren what that signifyes it will hold forth this to me that the way of mans salvation it is not meerly from hence that God saith well I will pardon them and no more but there is required a great worke of God to make an aronement between sinners and himselfe this Sacrament doth hold forth thus much unto us wherefore else have we bread and wine but to signifie that the way of our rconciliation it must be through a Mediator Med. 2. The second Meditation is this that this Mediator that stands between God and us is verily and truely man hee hath taken our nature upon him the bread that puts us in mind of the body of Christ and the wine of his bloud and therefore we are to meditate of the humane nature of Iesus Christ and this is a meditation that hath abundance that might spring out of it what hath the Son of God taken our nature upon him hath hee body and bloud and humane nature upon him oh how hath God honoured humane nature then let me not abuse my body to lust to wickednesse seeing that Jesus Christ hath taken the body of man upon him humane nature upon him let me honour humane nature that is so neerly united to the divine nature that 's the second Meditation Meditation 3. Here 's presented unto us what this Mediator hath done for the reconciling of us unto God that his body was broken he hath subjected himself to the breaking of his body and to the pouring forth of his blood for the reconciling of us it is not meerly as before that God saith I le pardon them but Christ undertaking to make peace between his Father and us it cost him the breaking of his body and the pouring forth of his blood this is a usefull Meditation Oh what should we be willing to suffer for Jesus Christ in our bodies even to resist unto blood seeing Christ hath been content to have his precious body broken and his blood shed for us Meditation 4 Againe a fourth Meditation is this that here we come to see we have occasion of meditating of that the Scripture saith that we are by the blood of God saved it is the blood of God they crucified the Lord of glory that 's the Scripture phrase we should consider when we see the Wine poured out and so put in mind of blood whose blood and whose body is this It is no other but the body and blood of him that was truly God the second Person in Trinity This is the great Mystery of the Gospel and this is very needfull for us to be thinking of when we see the body broken and the blood poured out What will the breaking of the body and shedding of the blood of a meere creature be sufficient to make peace between God and Man surely no therefore you must meditate whose body this is and whose blood this is it is the body and blood of him that was God It s true God hath no body nor no blood but the same person that was God had a body and blood that body and blood was united unto the divine nature in a hypostaticall union and from thence it came to have an efficacie for to satisfie God for to reconcile God and us together this is the great mystery of godlinesse Med. 5. Another Meditation is this when you see Bread broken and Wine poured out oh the infinite dreadfulnesse of the justice of God! how dreadful is the justice of God that coming upon his own Son and requiring satisfaction from him that should thus break him and bruise him that should have his blood that should require such sufferings even from his Son dreadfull is Gods justice the justice of God it is to be feared and to be trembled at here we see what is required for the sinne of man and nothing would be bated to Jesus Christ himself Med. 6. Another Meditation is this here I see presented to me what every soul that shall be saved cost whoever shall have his soul sav'd he hath it sav'd by a ransom by a price paid that is more worth then ten thousand thousand worlds thou slightest thine owne soule but if it prove to be saved it cost more then if thousands of worlds had been given for thee even the shedding of the blood of Christ every drop of which was more precious then ten thousand worlds Meditation 7. Again from hence see what is the evill of sin how great it is that hath made such a breach between God and my soule that only such a way and such a means must take away my sinne I must either have laine under the burden of my sinne eternally or Jesus Christ that's God and man must suffer so much for it oh what Meditations are these to take up the hearts of men Meditation 8. Behold the infinite love of God to mankind and the love of Jesus Christ that rather then God would see the children of men to perish eternally he would send his Sonne to take our nature upon him and thus to suffer such dreadfull things herein God shows his love it is not the love of God so much in giving you a good voyage and prospering you outwardly in the world But so God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne And it pleased the Father to break his Sonne and to poure out his blood here is the love of God and of Jesus Christ oh what a powerfull mighty drawing efficacious Meditation should this be unto us Med. 9. Those that are
beleevers they shall be nourished to eternall life so that there is no feare that ever a beleever should quite fall off from God and die in his sin Why Because the body and blood of Christ is given unto him for his spirituall nourishment though a beleever be never so weak yet seeing God hath appointed the body and blood of his Sonne for him to feed upon and to drink in a spirituall way surely then the weakest in the world will be strengthned to goe through all the hazzards and dangers that there are in the world t is this that strengthens beleevers to encounter with all kind of dangers it s this that preserves the weakest grace in a beleever namely the spirituall nourishment that God the Father hath appointed to them even the feeding upon the body and drinking the very blood of his Son this is meat indeed and drinke indeeed that will nourish to eternall life Med. 10. the last Meditation is this when you come to this seeing the bread broken and the wine powred out you have an occasion to meditate of the whole new Covenant the Covenant of grace that God hath made with sinners for so the words of institution are This is the Cup of the new Testament the new Testament which is all one with the new Covenant only different in this particular it containes the substance of the new Covenant but calld Testament in this regard to shew that the Lord doth do all in the new Covenant that is he doth not only promise such and such mercies upon condition of our beleeving and repenting but he doth work beleeving and repenting and works grace and therefore the same thing that is sometime cald a Covenant is calld a Testament that is the will of God wherein the Lord doth bequeath his rich legacies to his Children to those that shall be eternally saved so that all the good things in the Covenant of grace they are bequeathed by way of Testament as well as Covenant and this is a mighty comfortable meditation to the Saints for indeed when they look upon the way of the Gospell as in a way of Covenant why then they thinke this this requires somewhat of our parts to be done and indeed God will keep Covenant on his part but it may be we shall not keep Covenant on ours and so we may faile at last but now when thou lookest upon all the good things in the Gospel dispensed in the way of a Testament that is the will of God the legacies that God doth bequeath to his servants this is a mighty comfort to the soule that all the precious things of the Gospel come to mee in the way of a Testament and that 's the meaning of the new Testament that is the mercies of God in Christ comming now in the way of another administration then they did before t is not only new in respect of the Covenant of workes that God made with Adam but new in respect of the administration our forefathers the Patriarchs they had the same thing in substance but administred in a darker way and many differences there are but now when wee heare of the new Testament there is presented unto us all the riches of the Covenant of grace in the way of a legacie and in the administration of it with cleernesse and with a great deal of mercy and goodnesse of God the terrour and harshnesse of the old administration being taken away Now these are the meditations by which wee should labour to sanctifie our hearts when we are receiving of the Sacrament and in the working of these meditations upon our hearts wee shall come to sanctifie the name of God when we are drawing nigh to him in that holy Ordinance of his thus for meditation The next thing when wee are there must be an actuating of these holy dispositions that before wee spoke of t is not enough for a Christian to bring grace to the Sacrament but there must be a stirring of that grace at that time or otherwise the name of God is not sanctifyed in the receiving of the Sacrament and above all graces the actuating of the grace of faith t is not enough that thou beest a beleever but thy faith must act at that very instant as thus First when thou hearest the Minister in the name of Christ say thus this is the body of Iesus Christ which was given for you take eat thou shouldest have thy faith so acting upon the mercy of God in giving Iesus Christ for the nourishment of thy foule to eternall life as if thou didst heare a voice from heaven saying here is the body of my Sonne given for thee particularly take it and eat apply it to thee and so make Christ one with thee by faith as the bread is made one with thy body when thou doest eat it And then when thou commest to take hold of the bread thou art to put forth an act of faith faith being as the hand of the soule and at that instant when thou takest the bread and puttest it into thy mouth to eat thou shouldest stirre up the act of faith afresh laying more hold upon Jesus Christ look as once thou didst in thy first conversion when Christ was presented to thee in the word or in any other way there was an act of faith drawne forth whereby thy soule did cast it selfe and roule it selfe upon Jesus Christ so shouldest thou renew it renew the same work of faith that thou didst find in thy very first conversion and thereby thou shalt come to have renewed comfort in the renewing of that act I might name thee other graces and dispositions how there should be a stirring and an acting of them onely remember I leave all this point with this note that grace is not enough for partaking the Sacrament of the Lords supper except there be an actuating and a stirring up of that grace many Christians are carefull to prepare and examine before whether they have grace or no but at that time when they come to receive then there is not a lively working and stirring of that grace and so they come to lose the comfort benefit of that Ordinance Thus much shal suffice for this point of sanctifying Gods name in receiving the holy Communion I shall now come to the last point which is the sanctifying the name of God in prayer Sanctifying the name of God in Prayer NOw this argument might take us up many Sermons but upon occasion of the dayes of prayer and humiliation I have preached divers Sermons about the point of prayer therefore I shall be breife and only now reckon up together and set before your view the severall things that are to bee done for the sanctifying of the name of God in prayer First for prayer in that wee draw nigh to God and its a duty of Gods worship that I suppose all of you cannot but acknowledge and that it is a naturall duty of worship the other was instituted but
Q Questions Two questions God will ask his worshippers 87 Quick God is quick in way of judgement with some 17 The word of God is quick in working 196 Quiet The best way to quiet the heart in affliction 25 R Ready What will make the heart ready for duty 54 Readinesse to hear the word wherein it consists 166 Reading Reading not to be preferr'd before hearing 167 Reprobation Not to sanctifie Gods Name in hearing the word a sign of Reprobation 202 Two fearfull signs of Reprobation 203 Resign In Gods worship we must resign all to God 90 Resolution We must hear the word with resolution to yeild to it 170 resolution against wandring thoughts in prayer 287 S Sabbath Sabbath see Strength Sacrament Sacrament the meaning of the word 225 Sacrament a part of Gods worship 226 We must sanctifie Gods name in receiving the Sacrament 228 Vnworthy receiving the Sacrament severely threatned 229 How we sanctifie Gods Name in receiving the Sacrament 291 Whether Judas received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 238 Safety Safety wherein it consists 38 Salt Salt of the Sacrifice what it signifieth 67 Sanctifie Sanctifie what it signifieth 5 Gods name Sanctified two waies ibid Gods name to be Sanctified when we draw nigh to him 42 How Gods Name is Sanctified in drawing nigh to him ibid How duties must be performed that Gods name may be Sanctified 62 The heart must be Sanctified in regard of Gods greatnesse 67 Sanctification the parts of it ibid Sanctification of the heart double 68 Sanctifying of Gods Name the only way to fit us for mercies 105 Exhortation to Sanctifie Gods Name 113 Nothing Sanctified to them that do not Sanctifie God in his word 203 See Sacrament Satisfied Naturall Consciences is satisfied with a little duty 90 See Sin Schisme No Schisme to depart from a Church that hath not al Christs Ordinances 243 Schisme what ibid Difference between Schisme and Apostacie ibid Secret Men acted by naturall parts are not enlarged in secret 88 See The Sacrament so to be delivered as all may see what is done 262 Self Self not to be our end in our duties 74 Where self is the highest end God regards not the duties 75 Service Hearing the word is Divine Service 164 Shadow Shadow of Gods wing what 39 Shift Of those that shift off the word closely applyed 199 Silence Silence what 7 Sin The committing of one sin prepares for another 60 No salvation without satisfying for sin 108 The heart must be purged from sin to receive the Sacrament 249 Motives in the Sacrament to abhor sin 250 Sin the great evill of it 269 Singing Singing Psalmes in the time of the Sacrament unfit 265 Singing after the Sacrament requisite 266 Sitting Sitting at the Sacrament the fittest gesture 263 Soul The price of the salvation of a Soul 269 Spirit Spirituall We must be acted by the Spirit in our worship 87 God must be worshipped in Spirit 93 Spirituall things may be absolutly prayed for 277 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 Naturall 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 en snares us 61 Subjection Subjection required in hearing 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 Judgement Sweet Breathings of the Spirit sweet 292 T Table Those that come to the Sacrament should come neer the table 261 Tares Tares what meant by them 238 Temptation Time of temptation the time of worship 81 We must hide the word in our hearts against temtation 191 Terrible see Place Thankfulnesse Thankfulnesse required in receiving the Sacrament 255 Motives to thankfulnesse 256 Time Preparation makes us do much in a little time 52 See Holy Thornes Thornes must be plucked out of the heart when we hear the word 169 Thoughts In the worshipping 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 hearing 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 Unchangeable God is unchangeable 96 Understanding We must pray with understanding 280 Uncertainty The righteousnes of the law leaves at uncertainty 212 W Wait We must wait Gods leasure in regard of time 86 Ground of waiting from Gods eternity 95 Wandring WaÌ„dring thoughts in prayer 281 Directions against wandring thoughts in prayer 286 All wandring thoughts in prayer sinfull 288 See Birds Humble Devil c. Warrant see Command Watching Watching required in preparation to duty 50 Weaknesse God passeth by weaknes 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 with drawn from in the sacrament 235 Every man in the congregation to look to the caâ—ing out of wicked men 241 Ground of excluding wicked men 258 Will Willing We must he willing not will worshippers 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 guid ib. Womb Those that sanctifie Gods name in hearing the word it is a greater blessing then 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 esteem it 186 Word hath much of God in it 195 The word a means to convey speciall merices ibid. The word wherein the strength of it lies 202 All the good in the word for whom 210 The devil gets advantag by fastening il words upon the good 244 The word in what respect above the Sacrament 251 The word sanctified by prayr 273 Worship Difference between civil things Gods Worship 9 Natural helps in Gods worship ibid We should be humbled for false worship 11 Worship of God what 27 Worship of God the means to convey his choice mercies 28 To heed what we do in worship 32 Exhortation to be much in the worship of God 34 Hearing the word a Part of Gods worship 162 What makes hearing the word a worship 163 Prayer put for the whole worship of God 273 See Command Little 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 reveal Gods wrath should conceal their own 19 FINIS THE CONTENTS OF
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 ibid 10 God is Mercifull and what that should teach us 100 11 God is just and what that should teach us 101 12 God is Faithfull and what we should learn thence 102 SERMON VII Reasons why God will be sanctified in all the duties of his Worship 1 God doth will himself the last End 104 2 The especiall glory God hath in the world is to be actively honoured 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 shall 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 owne strength 115 3 Not to be satisfied 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 bed 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 of the word 161 Hearing the word is a part of Gods worship 162 1 We professe 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 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 ibid 2 To plow up the fallow ground of the heart and what is meant by it 168 3 Resolution to yeild to all truths delivered 170 4 A desire after the word ibid 5 Prayer before we hear the word 171 The behaviour of the Soul in hearing the word 1 Carefull attention to it ibid Means to help attention ibid 2 An opening of the heart to receive it 175 3 Carefull applying of the word ibid 4 It must be mixed with Faith 177 How the word is to be mixed with Faith ibid SERMON IX 5 The word must be received with meeknesse 179 6 It must be heard with a 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 turne 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 speciall mercies ibid 3 It is quick and lively in working 169 Use 1 Reproof of severall sorts of men concerning the word neglected 197 The fearfull estate of those that do not sanctifie God in his word 200 1 They lose the choicest opportunity ibid 2 The word will be a great aggravation of sin ibid 3 They that reject the word reject Christ 201 4 It is an argument of hardnesse 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 ibid 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 shall judge them ibid 12 God will blast them that sanctifie not his name in his word 208 Use 2 Exhortatio to glorifie the word of God 209 God will sanctifie his Name in mercy upon those that sanctifie it in hearing the word 210 1 All the good in the word is theirs ibid 2 It is a certain evidence of their election 213 3 God will sanctifie them by the word 214 4 They will 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 left 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 ibid 3 Nothing striks 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 spirituall nourishment 233 3 Because we are required to examine our selves ibid 4 It is a Sacrament of Communion with God and the Saints 234 2 It must be received in a holy Communion ibid Wicked men not to be admitted to this Communion 235 SERMON XII Addition to the former conerning holy Communion 242 The qualifications in the Soul to fit it for receiving the Lords Supper 244 1 Knowledge ibid 2 A broken heart 246 3 Actuall purging the heart from sin 249 4 Hungring and thirsting after Jesus Christ 251 5 Exercise of Faith 252 6 Exercise of Spirituall joy 255 7 Thankfulnesse 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 generall 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 Mediations 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 dreadfulnesss of Gods justice ibid 6 The price of saving a Soul 269 7 The greatness of the evill of sin ibid 8 The infinite love of God to mankind ibid 9 That beleevers shall be nourished to eternall life ibid 10 To meditate upon the Covenant of grace to beleevers 270 Holy disposition 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 281 SERMON XIV A further enlargement concerning wandring thoughts in Prayer 283 5 Rules to help against wandring thoughts 286 1 Set a high price upon the duties of Prayer ibid 2 To renew resolutions against wandring thoughts 287 3 To set the presence of God before us 288 4 To account all wandring thoughts evill 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 290 4 There must be pure hearts and hands 292 5 We must call upon God in truth ibid What it is to 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 ibid 10 We must tender up al our prayers in the name of Christ 296 Conclusion of all 297 FINIS 1 Observ 2 Observ Observ Observ 5 Observ 6 Observ 7 Observ 8 Observ 9 Observ 10 Obser 11 Obser 12 Obser 13 Obser Stepney Nov. 16. 1645. 14 Obser 15 Obser 16 Obser 17 Obser 18 Obser 19 Obser 20 Obser 21 Obser That we draw nigh to God in Holy Duties What it is to worship God The Second respect wherein the Soule is said to draw nigh to God in holy duties Applic. 1 Applic. 2 Applic. 3 Applic. 4 Applic. 5 By drawing nigh to God often we increâ—se 〈◊〉 grâ—â—ts We come to live holy lives A special signe of our adoption We come to be put in mind of the life of heaven Our drawing nigh to God delightfull to him By coming into Gods presence there is a blessed familiarity betweeÌ„ God and the soul Our familarity with God makes us to be potent with him By our communion with God the terror of death wil be taken away Safety in being neer to God Stepney Nov. 30. 1645. Applic. 6 Great honour God puts upon his servants Doct. 2. Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Reason 4 Reason 5 Reason 6 Stepney Decem. 7. 1645. Stepney Dec. 14 1645. Stepney Dec. 21 1645. Stepney Janu. 4. 1645. Stepney Janu. 11 1645. Stepney Janu. 25. 1645. Stepney Febr. 1. 1645.