the preparation and that may be in way of Application to you to make you to be in love with Preparation for holy duties There is abundance of good in it First By this meanes we come to make every duty of worship easie to us things are difficult when we come upon them unprepared If you have a friend come to dinner or supper to you and should come suddenly and you have nothing prepared there would be a great deal of stir in the house but it you have every thing prepared it would be carried on in an easie way and the reason why people eâ—mplaine so much of difficulty in duty it is because their hearts are not prepared Indeed we have naturally many things to keep us off from God but now when the heart is prepared for a holy duty it goes off as easie to God even into the infinite ocean of All mercy and goodnesse as a ship goes off to be lansht when you have made preparation for it and the heart can go with a holy boldne e to God when you have made preparation for holy duties In Job 11. the place which I quoted before for the work of preparation do but consider a verse or two further and you shall find what abundance of good there comes upon the keeping of the heart prepared in things that are good Vers 13. If thou prepare thâ—ne heart c. And then Vers 15. Then shalt thou life up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be steadfâ—st and shalt not fear When the heart is prepared for that that is good when it comes into the presence of God it is able to lift up its self without fear in a steadfast comfortable way and this will quit the cost of any labour 2 Secondly if the heart be prepared it will do a great deal in a little time In 2 Chron. 29. 36 it is said That Hezekiah rejoyced and all the people that God had prepared the people for the thing was done suddenly The thing came off freely and suddenly when as that they were prepared Hezekiah rejoiced and bleâ—ed God for such a mercy as this was it is a great mercy to have the hearts of people prepared unto a good work And so in 2 Chr. 27. 6. the text saith Jothâ—m became mighty because he prepared his waieâ— before the Lord his God Jothâ—m he grew mighty by this and so certainly the way to grow to be very strong and mighty to be able to do a great deal in a little time it is to make preparation there may be as much work done in one hour â—â— as in ten times to much time when the heart is not prepared for it In Ezra 7. 10. you shall find that the reason is given why Ezra had such good successe in his journy it was because he had prepared his heart Make preparation for holy duties and you shall have success in holy duties There is a notable Scripture for that in Psal 10 17 where the holy Ghost saith that God prepares the heart and what then when God doth prepare the heart he doth then cause his eare to hear There was never a prayer made wherin the heart was prepared for it but that praier was heard they go both together Lord thou wilt prepare their heart and thou wilt cause thine eare to hear it God hath once prepared thy heart thou wilt be sure to be heard then Is it not worth a world for to know ones self to be accepted of God in every duty of Wo-ship that we tender up to him this one Scripture Psal 10. 17. will shew it Oh the excellency that there is in Preparation to duty There is one thing more that is very observable and that is this Where the heart is prepared to duties there the Lord will passe by weaknesses and imperfections in duties When thou comest to perform holy duties thou art troubled will the Lord have regard to such a duty as this is thou mayest have certain assurance that the Lord will have regard if thou canst make this point good to thine own soul that it was thy care to make preparation for this duty canst thou say Lord I have indeavoured and done what I could to fit my heart for duty but O Lord I find when I am at it wonderful distractions much deadnesse and vanity what shall I do Why canst thou make good the former and appeal to God that indeed it was thy care to make preparation I 'le give thee one cripture then for the quieting of thy heart in this That the weaknesse of the duty shall be pardoned and past by where there is care to prepare before hand the â—cripture is in 2 Chron. 30â— 18 19. But Hezekiah prayed for them saying The good Lord pardon every one what every one every oâ—e that prepareth hâ—â— heart to seek the Lord God of his fathers though he be not clâ—aused according to the purifie â—tion of the Sanctuary As if he should say Oh Lord there are many things amisse in this people they are not in many regards purifâ—ed according to the order that thou hast set but Lord if thou doest but see any heart prepared to seek thee though theâ— fail in such particulars Lord heal them and pardon them and did God hearken to his prayer Mark the following words And the Lord hearkned to Hezekiah and heaâ—ed the people Nay saith God I will not stand so much upon the purification of the Sanctuary if they have prepared their hearts to seek me Take this Scripture know it 's written for thine instruction and thou mayest make use of it to thine own soul this day if thou canst appeale to God that thou art carefull to prepare thy heart though thou shouldest not have that purenesse of thy heart as thou doest desire the Lord will pardon thee and heaâ— thee make conscience of Preparation to holy duties Again furthe by being carefull to make Preparation for duties within some little time thou wilt bring thy heart to such a frame as it will alwaies he ready for duty without much adoe Indeed at first it is somewhat hard You will say Are we bound to spend sometime every time we go to prayer before hand or every time we come to the Word That should have been one of the Cases of Conscience but I cannot come to Answer that but this we may say Be carefull to prepare for duties you that are young beginners or you that have made profession a longer time but yet have not had the weight of this duty upon your spirits now be carefull for a while to prepare for every duty of Gods Worship that God calls you to and I say within a little time thou mayest bring thy heart into such a temper as thou mayest be ready at all times to performe holy duties because you shall be able to come to that temper and frame that the Apostle exhorts to Pray continually for indeed so it should be with us we should be alwaies
work of his owne 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 read 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 right stamp or else it cannot go for current coyn And so it is not enough that the things we offer to God in his worship be Gods owne 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 did'st 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 open this Point fully will ask some time First Therefore I will shew you how we may know when our duties are acted by our naturall parts rather then by the Spirit of God Secondly how we may know whether our duties be acted by naturall Conscience rather then by the Spirit of God 1 First If thou art acted by naturall parts they will not change thy heart Men that do performe duties by the strength of naturall parts they may be as large as others and speak to the edification of others but those duties do never change their hearts now if thou beest acted by the Spirit of God thou wilt be changed into the very Image of his Spirit 2 Secondly If men are acted by naturall parts they will not carry them through difficulties and discouragements but now the Spirit of God if thou hast acted by him though thou doest meet with never such difficulties discouragements thou wilt be carried through them all 3 Thou mayest know it by this wherein doest thou account the excellency of a duty to consist either in thy self or others Thou performest a duty now it may be thy parts do act very lively and to thy credit and yet thy conscience tels thee that thy heart was streightned Now canst thou rise up with joy because thou hast thy ends At another time perhaps thy heart is more troubled and broken But thou doest not expresse thy self so much then thou art discouraged And when thou seest another performe a duty if thou seest but any failing in their expressions thou pitchest upon that and lookest upon it as a poor thing thou art not able to see an excellency in holy duties except there be an excellency of naturall parts but those that have the Spirit of God they can find the Spirit of God acting in others though they have not such naturall parts 4 Those that are acted by their naturall parts in secret they are lesse inlarged then they are before others a great deal Their parts act much before others but what is there between God and their own Souls 5 They that be so acted will not be very constant you shall have young ones that begin to look towards Religion their parts are a little fresh and they are mightily inlarged in holy duties and the thing is good for them to make use of their parts but how ordinary is it that after a few years they are deader and duller then they were before and have lesse mind to the duties of Gods Worship then they had formerly Were this the Spirit of God you would find as much savour and relish in them afterwards as there was at that time Secondly for naturall Consciences which sometimes puts men upon acting of duties and indeed is better then meerly naturall parts 1 If it be only naturall Conscience it puts upon duties but gives no strength to do them but when the Spirit of God puts thee upon a duty it gives thee some strength to performe it some strength whereby thou gettest some communion with God 2 If it be naturall Conscience it puts upon the duty but makes not the heart glad of the duty and to love the duty but if it be the Spirit of God it makes thee to delight in it and to love it 3 Thirdly If it be naturall Conscience thou doest not by that increase thy communion with God thou doest thy duties as in a round but now when the Spirit of God puts thee upon holy duties it is not a task done but thou findest more and more increase in Communion with God thy heart more raised to God and more closing with the Lord and so still more and more in the course of thy life I had a little converse with God at first when God began to acquaint my Soul with his waies but through his mercy now I find more communion with him and so thou canst blesse thy self in God in that converse that thou hast in communion with him thou wouldest not lose that Communion thou hast with God in holy duties for all the world others have their companions that they have their communion withall much good may do them but the Lord hath shewen me another manner of communion which my Soul can have with himself in which it hath sweet satisfaction And thus you have had Seven particulars for the Sanctifying of the Name of God in holy duties SERMON VI. LEVITICUS 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me 4 AGAINE as Naturall Conscience doth give no strength to do the duty so it makes not the duty to be strong to the Soul that is thus there 's no strength got by the duty they are not by one duty prepared for another But the way of the Lord is strength to the upright that is when a gracious heart is in the way of Gods worship it finds the very duty of the worship of God to be strength to it and so it fits it for another duty 5 Further A Naturall Conscience limits its self and is bounded that is so much as will serve the turn for its owne peace and quiet so much it will do and no more But when one is acted by the Spirit of God one is inlarged without any limits at all not bounded to ones own peace for the more peace a gracious heart hath in duty the more it is inlarged in duty Now a Naturall Conscience that puts to duty and will act you when you want peace when you are in trouble and fear but when
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 basenesse that is in thine heart the Lord doth understand it the Lords eye is a peircing eye he sees through and through thy heart It s a vaine thing for thee to come and conceale any thing before him You will say If God understand a mans heart what need he come and confesse Yes he requires it 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 all God doth not require us to come and confesse 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 confesse 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 Wisdome therefore when we come to worship God let us be ashamed of our folly When thou comest to have to deal with God look upon him as a God of infinite wisedome and I say be thou ashamed of thy folly then and do thou exercise the grace of wisdom too when thou comest to God that is by propounding right ends of which we spake before That is one part of wisdome to have right ends and right meanes towards those ends so that the meditation of the wisdome of God when we come to worship him will further us to Sanctifie his Name And further This is to Santifie Gods Wisdome when thou comest into Gods presence in thy greatest streights deny thy own wisdome come with a resolution to be guided by the wisdome of God in this manner Lord I know not how to order my steps there is much folly and vanity in my heart but thou art a God of infinite wisdome I come to thee for direction and I professe here I am willing to give up my whole Soul to be guided by thy wisdome If every time we come to worship God we came thus Oh Lord whatsoever our thoughts have been heretofore yet if thou shalt but reveale thy mind to us we will hearken to thee Lord we beleeve that thy wisdome it is thy self and therefore we professe to give up our selves to thy Wisdome Now this is to Sanctifie the Name of God 9 Consider the holinesse of God God is a God infinitly pure from all sin and therefore when we come to worship God we must be ashamed of our unholinesse as the Prophet in Isa 6. when he heard the Seraphins cry Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts he fals down and saith Wee is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips And is God a holy God Then let me take heed when I come before him that I bring not with me a love to any sin for the Lord hates it and let me take heed that I do not cast dirt in the very face of Gods holinesse but give up my Soul to be rul'd wholly by him And labour that there may be a suitablenesse between the holinesse of thy heart and of the infinite God Now this is to Sanctifie Gods Name when the consideration of this Attribute of God hath such effect upon my heart that I labour upon this to come with a suitable heart before God 10 When thou comest before God Consider that thou comest to a mercifull God And what should this work First It should make me come joyfully into his presence as a God that is willing to do good to his poor Creatures that are in misery Secondly It should make me to come with a heart senseable of the need of this mercy O Lord I have had my heart let out to other vain things heretofore but now Lord thy mercy it is that my Soul comes for as that wherein my chief and only good consists Thirdly It should make me come with expectation of great things from God do not come unto God as unto an empty Vine but as unto a full Vine and the more thy Faith is raised to expect great things from God the more acceptable art thou to God Certainly the higher any ones faith is raised when they come into his presence to expect the greatest things the more acceptable It is otherwise with God then men if you come to men to begge a little thing you may be welcome but if you come to ask a great matter they will look a skew upon you but the truth is the greater the things are that we come to God for the more welcome are we into Gods presence and those that are acquainted with God they know it and therefore they come the more fully When they come to ask Jesus Christ himself and his Spirit that is more worth then ten thousand worlds they come with more freedom of Spirit then when they come to ask their healths and the like Fourthly It will be likewise another means of Sanctifying this Attribute of God when thou comest to him If thou doest come with a mercifull heart towards thy brethren Take heed whensoever you come to worship God that you come not with a rugged and cruell heart towards any of your brethren therefore you find that Christ laies this upon you in teaching how to pray you must say Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our brethren that trespasse against us And you find it repeated again If you forgive then your heavenly Father will forgive and not otherwise As if Christ should say When you come to begge mercy be sure you bring mercifull hearts Fifthly It is a good way to Sanctifie the Name of God in this Attribute for the Soul to be solicitous with it self What is that that will hinder me from the mercy of God and let me avoid it It is otherwise a taking of the name of God in vain for me to come to professe what need I have of Gods mercy and yet for al that never regard to avoid those things that may hinder the work of his grace upon me 11 Consider the Justice of God that is another Attribute Consider that thou hast to deal with an Infinite Righteous and Just God Do not think that if thou beest a beleever that thou hast nothing to do with the Justice of God for certainly thou art to Sanctifie the Justice of God Now you will say How should a beleever Sanctifie the Justice of God Thus First He should be apprehensive senseable
I am going to God for to set a due prior upon those mercies that I am praying for and to get my heart affected with them Thirdly labour to get your hearts separated from the world and from all things that are here below in the world and that should have been a third thing in the course of your lives you should never let out you hearts to any creature either to businesses or pleasures in the world so but that you may have command of your hearts to call them when you will to call them in to God in prayer and then when you come to prayer there should be an actuall separation of your hearts from all things in the world dedicating yourselves to God for this time as one that hath nothing to do with the world nothing to do with any thing but this duty that now you are about this is the preparation of your hearts to prayer in the course of your lives Now then for the prayer its selfe First we must consider of the matter of prayer And Secondly of the manner of it First for the matter of it we must look to it that it be according to Gods will 1 John 5. 14. this is the confidence that wee have in him that if wee ask any thing according to his will hee heareth us therefore for the matter we must be sure it must be good that we pray for it must bee for the glory of God for the good of our selves and the good of our Brethren First for the glory of God that should be the cheife matter that we are to pray for so Christ when he teaches us to pray he begins the very first petition Matth. 6. 9 10. hallowed be thy name thy Kingdome come thy will be done first begin with the the glory of God mind that in the cheife place above all other things God gives you leave to pray for outward things but first for the glory of God minding that before your own benefit before the pardon of sin and your daily bread how few doe sanctifie Gods name in this people have little mind to pray but when they are in outward afflictions when they are upon their sick beds then they will pray or at sea in stormes then they will pray then it seemes that the maine matter of your prayer is onely for your selves but how hath the matters of the glory of the great God and the good of the Churches taken your hearts all this while how have your hearts been affected with this that the name of God hath been so little sanctifyed in the world and that the Kingdome of God hath not come and that the will of God hath not been done have these things taken up your hearts in prayer the matters of the glory of God and the good of the Churches though your selves have not any particular interest in them if these things did but take up your hearts in prayer then when you are at sea you would remember the cause of the Churches as much as your selves the Church is as it were in the midst of the sea tost up and downe and in a great storme now why do not you pray as earnestly for the Kingdome of Christ among his Churches as for your selves when you are in a storme at sea yea and spirituall things should be the cheife matter of your prayer for they are the neerest to the glory of God though God hath his glory from other things yet spirituall things are neerest the glory of God now in these dayes of prayer many will come to pray that they might be freed from danger that they might have outward peace this is good but spirituall things are the cheife things and therefore the strength of your spirits should be thus powred forth to God O that I could get my heart to God and the assurance of the love of God! O that I could get the shine of his face O that I could get power over such and such corruptions And I beseech you observe this that spirituall things may be prayed for absolutely but outward things must be prayed for conditionally I may pray and never put any condition in at all that the Lord would pardon my sins and help me against my corruptions c. But when I pray for the health of my body I ought to pray if this bee according to thy will then restore mee to the health of my body or the health of my husband or the health of my wife but thou mayst pray Lord convert the soule of my husband or the soule of my wife without any condition at all when your estates at Sea are in danger when you pray for them you must make conditions Lord as thou seest best for me so do thou deale with me this shewes the excellencie that there is in spirituall things above outward things surely spirituall things are more to be desired for they are to be prayed for absolutely and the other to be prayed for only conditionally that 's for the first In the second place we are to pray for our own good God doth give us leave so to doe only here comes in a question Quest Whether it be sinfull to pray for afflictions as sometimes some will be ready to do Answ To that I answer first take it absolutely considered we may not pray that God would afflict us because affliction is in its selfe materially an evill thing and a fruit of the curse therefore we may not I say absolutely pray for it but thus farre wee may pray for afflictions disjunctively conditionally comparatively Disjunctively thus Lord either grant unto me a sanctified use of such a mercy or otherwise let me rather be without it let me have a sanctified use of my sicknesse or otherwise let my sicknesse be continued to mee thus now you may pray for continuing in sicknesse Or thus conditionally Lord if thou seest that my heart be so vile and wretched that I will abuse through my corruption such and such mercies Lord rather take them from mee and let mee be without them if thou seest that there be no way to break this proud heart of mine but such a way Lord let that be thy way to break it if thou seest it according to thy will as the fittest way Then comparatively thus Lord rather let mee have any affliction then sin rather let me suffer losse of my estate then sin against thee then depart from thee any thing Lord rather then sin Thus you may pray for afflictions but not absolutely You must not pray that God would send you afflictions absolutely for you doe not know your hearts it may bee if afflictions should come your hearts may be as stubborne under your afflictions as they are now for affliction hath no power in it selfe to do us any good And then for the good of others for Christ teaches us to pray Our Father There comes in here a rebuke of the wicked practice of divers in cursing and then a question
of God For this speech of Moses is upon occasion of the Judgment of God upon Aarons Sonnes for offering strange fire They offered fire that God had not commanded Hence I say that all things in Gods worship must have a warrant out of Gods word must be commanded It 's not enough that it is not forbidden I beseech you observe it it is not enough that a thing is not forbidden and what hurt is there in it But it must be commanded I confesse in matters that are Civil and naturall there this may be enough If it be but according to the rules of prudence and not forbidden in the word we may make use of this in Civill and naturall things But now when we come to matters of Religion and the Worshipp of God we muâ—â— either have a command or somewhat out of Gods Word by some Consequence drawn from some Command wherein God manifests his will either a direct command or by comparing one thing with another or drawing consequences plainly from the Words Wee must have a warrant for the Worship of God One would have thought that these Preists offering Incense to the true God what hurt was there in taking other Fire But there was no Command for it and therefore it was not accepted It 's true there are somethings in the Worship of God that are Naturall and Civil helpes and there we need not have any Command As for instance when we come to Worship God the Congregation meets they must have a convenient place to keep the Ayre and weather from them now this is but a naturall help and so far as I Use the place of worship as a naturall help I need have no Command But if I will put any thing in a Place beyond what it hath in it's owne nature There I must look for a Command For if I account one place more Holy then another or to thinke that God should accept of worship in one place rather then in another This is to raise it above what it is in its owne Nature So that when any Creature is raised in a Religious way above what it hath in it by Nature if I have not Scripture to warrant mee I am therein Superstitious It is a very usefull rule for to help you If any Creature that you make any use of in a way of Religion beyond what it hath in its owne Nature If you have not some warrant from the Word of God whatsoever specious shew there may be in it it is Superstition As now for the place there was a place that was Holy but then it had an Institution from God And so for garments to use those that are decent the light of reason is enough but if I wil put any thing upon them beyond what there is in them in their owne nature as heretofore in a Surplis what had that any more decencie in its owne nature but only mans Institution Now when man shall put a Relgious respect upon a thing by vertue of his owne Institution when he hath not a warrant from God Here 's Superstion wee must al be willing worshippers but not Will worshippers We must come freely to worship God but we must not worship God according to our own wils and therefore what ever we do in the Worship of God if we have not a warrant for it when this is said Who requireth this at your hands It will stop our mouths another day In Matthew 15. 9. In vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrine the commandments of men In vain it is a vain thing to Worship God when there is nothing but a commandment of man for this Worship If you would Worship God you must have a Commandment of God for the Worship And in Isa 29. 13. there is a place to the same purpose that shews how the Lord is offended with any man that shall teach his fear by their own precepts Wherefore the Lord said For asmuch as this people draw neer me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but have removed their heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men Mark it Now if this be so the Lord have mercy upon us in this thing You have cause to be humbled every one of you I believe in some degree or other this Congregation very much and most Congregations that have had the fear of God taught them by the precepts of men How many things have there been in the Worship of God that you can shew no warrant in the Word for A great many things meerly mans inventions however they are now cast out because Authority came in and cast them out and so you submit to it but that 's not enough for you to submit to it because Authority would have it so but you ought to be humbled before God for all you Will-worship for all your yeildings to any thing in the Worship of God that was taught by the precepts of men You see how severe God was to Nadab and Abihu for but taking other fire then that which God had appointed to offer up Incense though there was no direct commandment against it If the Lord hath spared you and not manifested any displeasure upon you you have cause to acknowledge Gods mercy and to be humbled for all your false Worship certainly God doth expect it from this Land to be humbled for their Will-worship or otherwise they few among thornes All the Reformation that is among us if there be not an humiliation before for our false Worship 't is not enough that we set up now the true Worship of God but we must be humbled for our false Worship And that 's the first Note That in the Worship of God there must be nothing but what God commands The Second Note is In the matters of Worship God stands upon little things Such things as seem to be very small and little to us yet God stands much upon them in the matter of Worship For there is nothing wherein the Prerogative of God doth more appear then in Worship as Princes they stand much upon their Prerogatives now God hath written the Law of natural Worship in our hearts as that we should love God fear God truâ— in God and pray to God this God hath written in our hearts but there are other things in the Worship of God that are not written in our hearts that only depend upon the Will of God revealed in his Word which were no duties except they were revelead in his Word And these are of such a nature as we can see no reason for but only this because God will have them As now there are many kind of Ceremonies to manifest honour to Princes that there is no reason for them at all but meerly because it is a Civil Institution so appointed so God would have some waies for the honouring of him that the creature should not see into the reason of them but meerly the will
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
humble us 285 Humility required in our prayers 295 See Worship Hungring There must be hungring after Christ in the Sacrament 251 I Incense Incense what it signifieth 91 Incomprehensible Incomprehensiblenesse of God what it should teach us in our worship 95 Infinite There is an impression of Gods infinitnesse upon the duties of his servants 64 Infirmities Infirmities of others to be passed by of those that receive the Sacrament 258 Infirmities how helped by the spirit 290 Institution Institution of the Sacrament to be kept close to 261 Intention Strength of intention required in the worship of God 81 Joy The mercy of God should make us come to him with joy 100 The word to be received with joy 184 Difference in the joy of hypocrites and true Christians 186 Spirituall joy required in receiving the Sacraments 255 A broken spirit may consist with spiritual joy ibid Judge Judgement Sinners may meet with judgements 〈…〉 in the word 10 God is quick with same in the way way of his judgements 17 Judgements many times sutable to the sins 18 Gods judgements many times invisible 21 The word of God shall judge those that abuse it 207 Justice Justice of God seen in the death of Christ 268 K Knowledge Knowledge required in receiving the Lords Supper 244 Knowledge in other points necessary to them that receive the Sacrament 245 Knowledge actuall required in receivers 246 L Leaven Leaven how cast out by the Jewes 249 Life Living Gods goodness in sparing our lives to worship him 84 That God is a living God what it should teach us 96 The things delivered in the word concern our lives 174 Beleevers nourished to eternall life 269 Limitted The duties of Gods Children not limitted 65 Little In matters of worship God stands upon little things 11 Lose The ground why we lose so many prayers 296 Love Naturall conscience makes not the heart love a duty 88 The word must be received with love 184 The Sacrament ordained by Christ out of love 228 Love to be renewed in the receiving the Sacrament 258 The infinite love of God seen in the death of Christ 269 Lust The worship of God not to be subjected to our lusts 72 Who they be that subject it to their lusts 73 M Man The Mediator between God and man is man 276 Mean Mean men not to envy great ones why 13 Mediator The way of mans salvation is by a Mediator 267 Meditation Meditation in preparing the heart to holy duties 49 Meditations in the receiving the Sacrament 267 Meeknesse The word must be received with meeknesse 179 Mercy Mercifull God is mercifull 100 Mercy of God should teach us to be mercifull to others 101 The duties of worship the way to convey Gods choice Mercies 105 The word a means to convey speciall Mercies 195 Mercie-Seat Mercie-Seat a Type of Christ 91 Mind We should pick out Gods mind from dark expressions 14 We come to know the mind of God when we come to hear the word 163 Mysterie The greatest Mysteries of Salvation presented in the Sacrament 228. 255. Mixture Mixture of mans inventions with Gods Ordinances unlawfull 266 Mortification Mortification requisite to the sanctifying Gods name 67 Mouth Faith the mouth of the soul to receive Christ 254 N Name No way to enjoy mercies but by sanctifying Gods Name 105 See Sanctifie Nature Naturall Some duties of worship are naturall 261 Christ bath honoured humane nature by taking it 267 Neer Nigh God wil be sanctified in those that come neer him 6 Those that are neerest God should be most carefull 22 In worshipping God we draw nigh to him 26 In what respects we draw nigh to God in worship 27 The word of the Gospel nigh 211 See Grace Delight Adoption Neglect Severall sorts that neglect to sanctifie Gods Name in heating the word 197 Nourishment The Lords Supper an Ordinance for Spirituall nourishment 233 Beleevers are nourished to eternall life 269 O Omniscient What we should learn that God is Omniscient 98 Opening Ground of opening the heart to God 98 The heart must be opened to hear the word 175 Opportunity The happiest opportunity to sanctifie Gods Name is in hearing his word 200 Ordinance An Ordinance of God what 163 The word an Ordinance of God to convey good to us 166 Men are not to be forced to Congregations where any of Christs Ordinances are wanting 237 The Lords Supper the great Ordinance appointed to set forth Christ sufferings 348 Own We must bring to God in his service that which is his own 86 P Parts How to know when men are acted by naturall parts in Gods worship 87 Passion Passion hinders the right hearing of the word 179 Wicked men in passion rise against God 180 Peace-Offering Difference between Peace-Offerings and Burnt-Offerings 75 Person God accepts the person before he accepts the offering 69 Place The Lord is very terrible out of his holy places 18 God in his essentiall presence in every place 26 See Holy Plowing Plowing of the fallow ground of the heart what 168 Men may do somewhat toward the plowing of their hearts 169 See Word Potent Familiarity with God makes us potent with him 38 Prayer Prayer a great duty that needs preparation 45 Prayer required in preparation to duties 50 Vnregenerate men cannot sanctifie GODS Name in prayer 68 We should pray before we hear the word 171 Of sanctifying the Name of God in prayer 272 Prayer put for the whole worship of God 273 See Preparation Wandring Praise Gods worship must not be subjected to the praise of men 73 Preparation Preparation of the soul in the duties of Gods worship 42 Preparation and sanctification all one 43 Preparation to Gods worship why ibid Preparation 5 things wherein it consists 48 Preparation the excellency of it in severall things 52 Those that walk closely with God are in continuall preparation 56 Preparation a speciall duty of young beginners ibid Good men greived for want of preparation 58 Where there is sincerity duties should be done though there want preparation 59 Preparation required in hearing the word 165 Preparation to be made to prayer 273 See Prayer Great c. Prerogative Gods Prerogative appears most in his worship 11 No Prerogative can secure from Gods stroke 12 Presence Presence of God even in the godly terrible to wicked men 32 Presence of godly men comfortable 35 To set Gods presence before us in prayer 288 See Guilty Present When we worship God we tender a present to him 63 Sin committed long since to be looked on as present 94 Principle God looks more at the principle of the duty then at the duty 69 Good men looke at the principle of the things they enjoy from God 70 Prize To prize those mercies we beg in prayer 275 Prayer to bee highly priz'd 286 Promise Every Ordinance of Christ hath a speciall promise 248 Publick Those that are in publick place have especially need of the fear of God 13 Pure We must lift up pure hands in prayer 292
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.
Gospel-worship OR The Right manner of Sanctifying the Name of God in generall And particularly in these 3. great Ordinances viz. 1. Hearing the Word 2. Receiving the Lords Supper 3. Prayer By JEREMIAH BURROUCHES The Gospel-Preacher to two of the greatest Congregations in England viz. Stepney and Criple-gate LONDON LONDON Printed for Peter Cole and R. W. at the signe of the Printing-Presse in Cornhill at the Royall Exchange 1648. To the Reader OUR purpose in this Preface is not to speak either of the eminent worth of the Author whose memory is blessed in the hearts of all the godly in this Nation or of this Piece it self here published But only to assure thee that it is His. And although it riseth not up to that exactnesse and perfection that might have been in them had he publisht them himself Yet with that different allowance which is to be given Notes taken from his mouth in ordinary and frequent Preaching We doubt not but that in their use and benefit they may be as profitable to the Saints as other of his Writings being as full of weighty and Divine materials having also the impresse of the Spirit and language of this holy Man one of the greatest Preachers of this age stampt all along upon them We to whom this our Brother was most deare and precious being intrusted with the publishing of his Sermons have thought good first to usher abroad these few which if they receive that welcome they deserve many other excellent Pieces of his may soon after have encouragement to appear in publick view The points treated of in these are of great concernment and therefore we conceive the Author though in handling of them he had roome enough for the discussing many of the controversies of the times yet he purposely waved it and bent himself to the single delivery of that which tended most to edification and best suited with such a popular Auditory as that was to whom he spake The Lord of heaven blesse them to thy spirituall advantage and enable thee by such means as these to sanctifie his Name in the use of all his Ordinances which is the desire of Thomas Goodwin William Greenhill William Bridge Sidrach Simpson Philip Nye Sept. 15. 1647. Gospel-worship OR The right manner of drawing nigh to God in generall And particularly in those three great Ordinances Viz. 1 Hearing of the Word 2 Receiving the Lords Supper 3 Prayer LEVITICUS 10. 3. Then Moses said unto Aaron This is it that the Lord spake saying I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the People I will be glorified And Aaron held his peace THESE words are the speech of Moses to Aaron his Brother indeavouring to quiet and comfort his heart which was no question exceedingly troubled upon that sore and great affliction that was upon him in the strange death of his two Sonnes Nadab and Abibu the story is this After Aarons Sonnes were consecrated to the Priestly Office they coming to attend this their Office the very first day after their consecration to offer Incense unto God they ventured to offer incense with strange fire with other fire then God had appointed Upon that the fire of Gods wrath broke out upon them and slew them both presently in the very Sanctuary before all the people for it was a solemne time being the beginning of the solemn Consecration of the Priesthood Upon this the spirit of Aaron could not but be exceedingly troubled to see his two Sonnes thus struck Now Moses comes to him and saith This is that which the Lord spake I will be Sanctified in them that draw nigh me and before all the people I will be glorifyed And upon this Aaron held his peace We reade that once fire came downe from Heaven in a way of Mercy to consume the sacrifices but now fire comes downe from heaven in a way of Judgement to consume the sacrificers even Nadab and Abihu they were Aarons sonnes the sonnes of a godly man the sonnes of the High-Priest they were his eldest sonnes for Aaron had other sonnes besides Nadab and Abihu Eleazer and Ithamar but these were his two eldest sonnes they were two voung men they were struck in the very prime of their age they were two that were newly consecrated in the Priests office for so you finde it in the 9. Chap. And they were two men of renown in the country and before all the people of Israel two men that God had much honoured heretofore as you shall find in the 24 Chap of Exod. and the beginning this Nadab and Abihu were men of great repute and great renown that God did much honour in former times for when God called Moses and Aaron with the Elders to come up to him Hee singles out Nadab and Abihu amongst the rest and names them And hee said unto Moses Come up unto the Lord thou and Aaron Nadab and Abihu and 70. of the Elders of Israel Moses and Aaron Nadab and Abihu are only named and then 70. of the Elders in generall but Moses Aaron Nadab and Abihu as if these were the foure eminent men of renown among all the people of Israel hee names none of the 70. Elders but these two besides Moses and Aaron therfore these two that were consumed by strange fire were renowned men and newly consecrated into their Office What was their Sinne Their sinne it was offering of strange fire so the Text saith that they offred strange fire which God commanded them not in the beginning of the Chapter But had God ever forbidden it where doe wee find that ever God had forbidden them to offer strange Fire or appointed that they should offer onely one kind of fire There is no Text of Scripture that you can find from the beginning of Genesis to this place where God hath sayd in terminis in so many words expresly You shall offer no fire but one kind of fire And yet here they are consumed by fire from God for offering strange fire I finde in the 30 `of Exod. ver 9. that there they were forbidden offering strange Incense but I doe not find that they were forbidden offering strange fire In Levit. 6. 13. and divers verses in that Chapter we find that God had appointed that they should keep constantly the fire on the Altar burning and never to let it go out Now that was it seemes Gods intention that therefore they should make use of that fire and that fire onely God would have them to pick out his meaning God sent fire downe from heaven upon the Altar so in the latter end of the 9. Chap. God sent downe fire from heaven gave them a charge to keep that fire on the Altar constantly and never to let it goe out so that it seemes God would have them pick out his meaning that because he had sent down fire from heaven upon the Altar and gave them power to keep that constantly God would have them therfore to understand that
God in regard of that essentiall presence of his yet there is a more peculiar and speciall drawing nigh to God in the duties of his Worship and that the Scripture seems to hold forth unto you First I le shew you how the Scripture holds it forth and then in what respects the Creature may be said to draw nigh to God in holy duties of Worship for so it was here they were coming to offer Incense 1 That we do draw nigh to God in holy Duties see Jam. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God so that you may be neerer God then you were that is by holy Services holy Duties hence it is in Ps 95. 2. Let us saith he come before his presence with thanksgiving so that there is a more peculiar coming before Gods presence when we come to Worship him then at other times And v. 6. O come let us Worship and how down let us kneel before the Lord our maker So in Psal 100. 2. Let us come before his presence with singing for that 's one part of the Worship of God But the Scripture is plain that there is a speciall coming before God when we are coming to Worship him and in this respect the Servants of God in Psal 148. 14. are said to be a people neer to God It is a very remarkable expression and le ts forth much the honour of the Saints of God There 's the commendation of the excellent estate of the Saints He al 's 〈◊〉 the hâ—rn of his people the praise of all his Saints even the children of Israel a people neer unto him The Saints of God the Children of Israel the Church of God are said to be a people neer to God Why neer him Because that they Worship God they are much exercised in the Worship of God This is one respect though there may be divers others mentioned yet in respect of their coming so much before God in his Worship therefore they are neer God Quest Neer him Why in what respects may a man be said to draw nigh to God when he Worships him Answ To that I Answer There are three respects in which a man when he is Worshipping of God may be said to draw nigh to God 1 First Because when we come to Worship God we come to tender up that homage and service unto him that is due from us as creatures to the infinite Creator that 's the very end of Worship If you would know what it is to Worship God it is this You come to tender up that homage and respect that is due from the creature to the Creator Now when a Subject comes to tender up his homage to his Prince he comes towards him when he doth it immediately So we have none to tender it up by but Jesus Christ and when we tender it up we must come our selves too for Christ doth not take our service and tender it up to God and we be absent but we must come with Christ and Christ takes us by the hand and so tenders it up to the Father while we are in presence so that we are said to come nigh to God in that respect because of the immediate tendering up of that Worship of ours to God I call it immediate in respect of any creature But in respect of Christ indeed he is a Mediator to do it but yet he doth it in a spirituall way and we have to do with none but God through Jesus Christ in the tendering up of our Worship to him We may make use of an institution that God hath appointed but we do not tender up our Worship to God through that creature but in the use of that creature we do come to God and our souls are to tender up that respect we owe to God immediately Therefore in Levit. 21. 21. it is said of the Priests in their Sacrifices when they were to come to Worship God No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the Priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire So that when any come to offer any offerings of the Lord made by fire it appeares he came nigh to God he came to bring a present to God therefore he comes nigh So when we come to offer our spirituall Sacrifices unto God we come nigh to God to offer it 's the offering of a Sacrifice to God And that 's the first thing because the creature comes to bring a present to God therefore he is said to draw nigh And Secondly the Soul is said to draw nigh to God in holy duties because it doth present it's self before God in those ways through which God doth use to communicate his choice precious most excelent and glorious mercies to his people I say when we come to Worship God we come to set our selves before God in those waies that God doth 〈◊〉 to communicate the choice most excelent and glorious rich mercies that he hath to communicate to his creature When we have to deal with creatures as meat and drink and our outward businesses we have to do with God in them but when we come to Worship God we come to present our selves before him in those things that he doth use to let out himselfe though in a more speciall and glorious manner to the souls of his people What 's the reason why heaven is said to be the presence of God and why those that are in heaven are said to live with God There they behold the face of God and are before him in a speciall manner therefore when Christ teacheth us to pray he teacheth us to look up to heaven and to say Our Father which â—rt in heaven c. Now certainly the essentiall presence of God is on earth as truly and really as in heaven and God is not so as to have one part in one place and another in another but All God is in every place but the reason why God is said to be in heaven it is because the Lord makes known himself there in a more glorious manner then in any other place and therefore heaven is the presence of God in a more speciall way Now then if the communication of God unto a creature be enough to make the presence of God more speciall if this be enough to make a creature to live with God and to be before his face because they are there where God doth most communicate himself then certainly when we come to Worship God we come to be neer God and be with God because the duties of his Worship are those means that the Lord hath appointed for the letting out of himself in the glory of his goodnesse and mercy to his people You may expect other manner of communication of Gods goodnesse through the duties of his Worship then in any other way And that 's the Second respect wherein you may be said to draw nigh to God in holy duties Thirdly You may be said to draw nigh to God
because then we should and if we Worship God as we ought we do act our faith and humility and all the graces of the Spirit We do act them as it were upon God when we come to Worship him That 's required in every duty of Worship that you should stir up the faculties of your souls and all the graces of the Spirit of God and you should act them upon God when you are Worshipping of him T is not enough to come with grace when you come to Worship God but there must be an acting of that grace upon God And so we find in Scripture that the acting of grace upon God it is a drawing neer to him therefore in Isa 29. 13. the Lord complaines there This people draws neer to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me as if God should say Indeed they come and speak to me and therefore they think they draw nigh to me but I expect that their hearts should be acting upon me that 's the meaning And in Zeph. 3. 2. God complains there of his people that they did not draw neer to him as they should And it appears plainly it was from hence that their graces did not act so upon God as they ought She obeyed not the voice she received not correction she trusted not in the Lord she drew not neer to her God So that acting faith upon God is a drawing nigh to God and so acting any grace upon God is a drawing nigh to God Now when is there a time for the acting of our graces upon God so as when we come to worship God And therefore in Isa 64. 7. the Lord complains there That no man did stir up himself to take hold on him When we come to Worship God we should stir up our selves to take hold of God And thus you see in what respects the Soul may be said to draw nigh to God when it comes to worship him Now for the Application of this point and it is in divers particulars The First is this Hence learn what you do when you come to Worship God and consider of it every time you come to performe any act of Worship Truly this one thing would be of marveilous use and it would help forward to the next Point of Sanctifying of Gods Name This you are all convinced of That it is your duty to Worship God when you pray you come to Worship God when you come to hear his Word you come to Worship him and when you receive the Sacrament you Worship him Now if I should come from one end of the Congregation to the other and ask every one of you this Question It is your duty to Worship God is it not Yes that you will all be ready to answer And what do you do when you Worship God I fear that this Second Question would gravell many You will say We must pray to God and serve him and hear his Word and go to the Communion◠yea but what do your Souls do in this Work of Worshipping of God This should be the answer and so you should think with your selves and charge this upon your own hearts I am now going to Worship God either in Prayer Word or Sacraments I am now going to tender up that homage that is due from a creature to the infinite Creator so that I must so pray as I must manifest that high respect that I owe to God as my Creator but that I shall speak to more afterward only now remember this That you do professe every time you go to Prayer That you go to tender up that homage that you owe unto God and so every time you come to hear the Word there is a profession that you come to tender up that respect and homage that you owe to the infinite God And so likewise when you come to receive the Sacrament Now when we come to offer a present to men we know how we prepare and with what suitable presence we desire to offer but of that afterward when we come to speak of Sanctifying Gods Name 2 Secondly Remember when I come to Worship God I come to set my self before the Lord in those ways that God doth let out the choice of his mercies to his people in I have many mercies from God in the enjoyment of the creature but when I come to Worship him I expect the communication of his mercy in another way then through any creature in the World The duties of his Worship are the chief chānels that God doth let out the choicest of his mercies to the hearts of his people through and now I am going to Worship him I am going to present my self before God Indeed there is a little glimmering of the light of God through other creatures to me but the glorious beames of the light of God is through the duties of his Worship 3 And then Thirdly I am now going to act my Soul upon God so that if I have any abilities to close with God to act my Soul upon him it must be put forth now at this time I am indeed at all times to labour to injoy communion with God when I see the creatures the Sun and Moon and Stars to labour to lift up my heart to God and when I see the glory of God in the Sea and for my meat and drink I am to blesse God and to acknowledge God in all but now when I come to Worship God then all the strength of my Soul is to be acted upon God in a more speciall manner I must then above all labour to stir up whatsoever I have in my Soul to act upon God this is now to Worship God Secondly If to Worship God be to draw nigh to God hence we see the reasons why guilty consciences have little mind to the duties of Gods Worship When a man or woman hath given liberty to any licentious way sinned against their consciences if they have any light in their consciences it is one of the tediousest things in the World to come to the duties of Gods Worship they had rather do any thing then to come to holy dutys as to Prayer and especially to secret prayer A man or woman that hath an inlightened conscience and is under the guilt of sin the coming to God in holy duties is a very grievous burden to them Why Here 's the Reason Because to Worship God is to draw nigh to God and the guilt that is upon them hath made the presence of God terrible to them and therefore they had rather go into their company be merry eat drink sport or any thing rather then to come into Gods presence We know how it was with Adam when God appeared in the garden and called to him he ran to hide himself Why Because he had guiltinesse upon him Oh the evill that the guilt of sin brings upon the Soul it makes the presence of God terrible The presence of God it should be more
CoÌ„munication of the choicest of his Mercies so then I Sanctifie Gods Name when I labour to prepare and open my heart for God as for the choicest Mercies that God hath to bestow upon his Creature When there is such a temper of heart that my conscience tels me it is suitable to that that is fit for a Soul to have that expects to receive the choicest Mercies 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 of Gods Name 1 First In what particulars the behaviour of the heart may be discovered to be suitable to God in respect of Gods greatnesse and glory 2 Secondly What the behaviour of the heart should be as suitable to the severall Attributes of God It will cost us some time to open the particular things in the behaviour of the heart as in reference to the Greatnesse and Majestie of God considered more generally as in Psal 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 fâ—ock 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 suitable to my Greatnesse And in 2 Chron 2. 5. we find that Solomon when he was preparing for the Temple he would build a great Temple why because God was a great God that he would build it too So that the Worship of God must be some great thing because the Lord is a great God and it must be suitable to his greatnesse Now if you ask me in what particulars doth the behaviour of the Soul consist that is very suitable to the greatnesse of God in the generall there are many things in this 1 The First is You must be carefull to bring a Sanctified heart You cannot tender up a worship suitable to his greatnesse except you bring a Sanctified heart with you there must be holinesse in the heart Under the Law you know if any one came to offer a Sacrifice in his uncleannesse he must be cut off and so it must be here we must look to it that we offer not to God in our uncleannesse Wash you and make you clean in Isa 1. and then come let us reason together There is no comming to God without washing and making clean in Psal 93. 5. Holinesse becometh thine house O Lord for ever Holinesse becometh the presence of God for ever we must look to get a Sanctified heart Sanctification consists in those two parts Mortification and Vivification there must be a mortifying of the lusts of the heart We read in the Law that every Sacrifice was to be salted with Salt that did signifie the mortification of our hearts when we come to offer up our selves as a Sacrifice to God the Salt did eat out the raw humors and kept the flesh from putrifying so doth the Grace of God in mortifying our Lusts In Heb 9. 14. you have a notable scripture for the clenâ—ng of our hearts when we come to offer any service to God How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God So that you cannot serve the living God untill your consciences be purged from dead works And how comes your consciences to be purged from dead works It is through the blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself without spot to God he must purge your consciences So that here 's the way of Sanctifying Gods Name by applying of Jesus Christ who was offered to God without spot that our consciences might be purged from dead works that we might be purged from that naturall filthinesse and uncleannesse in which we all were for the whole world doth lie in filth as a carrion doth lie in his slyme Now if we would worship God so as to Sanctifie him we must apply Christ to our Souls and get our consciences purged from dead works and to have the Spirit of Christ in us to quicken up our hearts in the waies of holinesse to have the image of esus Chriâ—â—in us whereby we may be holy according to our proportion even as he himself is holy this is the Sanctifying of the heart There must be an habituall Sanctification and an actuall Sanctification of the heart An Habituall that is that the heart must be changed through the work of Regeneration there must be a Regeneration in the heart there must be Divine principles of the Graces of the Spirit of God in the heart But you will say May not an unregenerate man Pray To that I Answer It is true it is his duty to pray Poure forth thy wrath upon the Heathen and upon the families that call not upon thy Name But it 's as true that they cannot Sanctifie Gods Name in doing of it But if we would Sanctifie Gods Name in it there must be an Habitual holinesse in the heart for every thing doth act according to its principles in nature it is so and so doth the heart when it comes to Worship God it doth act according to the principles that it hath And then there must not only be Habitual Sanctification but Actual Sanctification likewise as in Exod. 19. 10 11. there you see what a doe there was to fit them for the hearing of the Law because God was to come among them God is to come among us and we are to come to God when we are to performe holy duties therefore it is not enough to have Grace but there must be an improving of Grace there must be an acting of Grace not only when you come to receive the Sacrament to think that then there must be an acting of Grace but every time you pray and hear there must be an acting of Grace A purging out of your corruptions and acting of Grace So that one cannot Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties unlesse he come thus far to be able to say Lord thou that knowest all things knowest there is nothing that thou doest reveale to be contrary to thy will but my heart is against it that 's the least thou canst not have any peace of conscience in drawing nigh to God untill thou come thus far to have thy heart to work thus against sin and to be set upon every good that God reveals to be his mind You know when a man of quallity comes to your house what a deale of stir there is not onely in sweeping but in making all things as clean and tite and shining as possibly can be Thus it should be when thou comest to God And the Reason why there must be this Sanctifying of the heart is 1 First Because the Lord doth first accept of the person before he doth accept oâ— the Action Men indeed do accept of the persons of
God that God may attain the glory of his infinit excellencie and this makes it to be a necessary duty that when we come to worship him we should Sainctâ—fie his name So that the first reason is taken from the very nature of God it is the very being of God that all things should work to himself and in such a suitable way as to lift up his excellencie and glory 2 Secondly We must Sanctifie God in the duties of his Worship because it is the speciall glory that God hath in the world to be actively honoured for his passive glory that is to be glorified in a passive way that he hath in hell but the speciall glory that God would have it is that he might be glorified actively Now there is no such way of glorifying the Name of God actively as by worshipping of him in a holy manner and therefore God stands much upon this That when we come to worship him we sanctifie his Name For saith God If I be not sanctified in my worship what active glory have I in the world It is the speciall active glory that God hath in the world the Sanctifying of his Name in the duties of his worship 3 Thirdly That which we have intimated before That the duties of Gods worship are the most precious things the special conveyances of the choice mercies that he intends to bestow on his Saints and therefore though he loses his glory in any thing else he would not lose it in that wherein he doth especially convey his mercy and goodnesse to his people But that we spake too in shewing how we draw nigh to God in holy duties and it may well come in here again as an Argument why we should sanctifie Gods name 4 A Fourth Reason is this Because there is no way for us to be fitted for the receiving of Mercy from God through those duties of worship but by our Sanctifying of Gods name when thou comest at any time to worship God what wouldest thou have there is some communion that thou wouldest injoy with God now there is no way to make thee a fit subject of Mercy or capable of the injoyment of Communion with God but by such a behaviour of Soul as this is that hath been spoken of to Sanctifie the Name of God thou wouldest be loath to lose those duties of worship that thou doest performe therefore it is required of thee to sanctifie his Name lest thou doest lose all for 't is this that makes thee the only capable subject of what good is to be had there 5 We must Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties because otherwise we should certainly never hold out in duties but vanish and come to nothing now God would be worshipped so by his creatures as to be constantly worshipped he would have those that do worship him to worship him alwaies to worship him for ever and he would have this worship that we perform to him but to be the beginning of that eternall worship that he shall have from us in heaven And so the Saints do Worship God now the worship which they performe it is but as the beginning of that worship that hereafter in heaven they shall tender up to God though there may be some difference in it as there our prayers will be turned into praises and it will not be in such outward Ordinances as now we worship God in there will be no Preaching nor Sacraments yet notwithstanding the Soul-worship that is now will be in effect the same as it shall be in heaven God would have us so to worship him as to continue to worship him Now I say unlesse his Name be Sanctified in our worshipping of him we will certainly fall off and the truth is this is the very ground of all Apostacie in Hypocrites Some that have been very forward in the worshipping of God when they were young ones and afterwards they have fallen off they were wont constantly in their families and in secret in their chambers to be worshipping of God and they accounted it the very joy of their lives for the present to be worshipping of God but it is not so with them now as it was yea they are fallen off it may be from their very profession of Religion and turned lose And now to be in vain company to drink or play is better to them then any service or worship of God they prize more to be in company with their sports then to hear a Sermon or to be in Communion with the people of God in Prayer Heretofore they would not have changed one short time of private communion with God for the injoyment of a great deal of pleasures and content in the world but now it is otherwise with them How comes it to passe that these are Apostatised thus from God Surely here is the ground of it That they did not Sanctifie Gods name in holy duties at the most it was but a work of conscience that put them upon them and they had but some flashes there was no reall sanctification of their hearts whereby they did sanctifie the name of God in holy duties and upon this it is that they have left off This I dare say That there was never any soul that did know what it was to sanctifie Gods Name in worship that ever was weary of worshipping God It may be some of you may say We have heard that there is much required in Sanctifying Gods Name in duties and that is the only way to weary the Soul and to make it fall off Oh no as we said the last day there is not any one thing that hath been opened for the Sanctifying of Gods name in duties that any gracious heart can tell how to misse and the more we do Sanctifie his Name the more we shall be in love with worship For it is from hence that those that Sanctifie Gods name in worship will hold out because they will find the sweetnesse of worship they will meet with God in holy duties and so they come to be incouraged in worship but as for others who do worship God in a formall way their worship will prove to be tedious to them for they performe the duties but do not find God in the duties in that Spirituall way as the Saints do If they think they meet with God it is but an imagination rather then any reall meeting with him they do not find the influence of God in their souls in holy duties so as those do that sanctifie Gods name in holy duties here then you see the Reasons why we are to Sanctifie Gods name in holy duties Now then for the Application of all this 1 If all this which you have heard be required of us for the Sanctifying of Gods Name Hence we see how little cause we have to rest upon any duty of worship that we do performe certainly the duties of worship that we performe are no such things as are fit to be rested upon for life and for
sanctifie his Name in a way of mercy towards us For the First God will manifest that he is displeased with such duties that thou doest performe he will manifest it one way or other that he is a holy God and he doth not accept of such unholy things as thou doest tender up to him for the truth is if God should accept of such unholy things from men God may be said to be like unto themselves As a man if he doth entertain any as his familiar friend that is naught and wicked it is his disgrace and dishonour a man may sometimes imploy in some businesse those that are naught and wicked and it may be no disgrace to him but if he doth entertain one in his house that is wicked it is a dishonour to him So God may imploy the most wicked men in the world in some outward services but if he should accept of them in his Worship it would be a dishonour to God and therefore God that he might sanctifie his own Name he will manifest his displeasure at one time or other against such duties of worship you that performe worship in a formall manner and with unclean vile hearts I say it stands upon the honour of God if he will manifest himself a holy God he must manifest some displeasure against that way of thy worshipping of him This one meditation one would think should mightily sink into the heart of any man that hath an inlightened conscience to think thus It stands upon the holinesse of God And he cannot appear to be a holy God except he doth some way or other appear to be against me in such duties that I tender up unto him Now you will say How doth God appear that he doth not accept of them He will appear in these three things 1 First by blasting those that do worship him thus in a formall way It shall at First be secret but afterwards it will appear more apparantly and we see it by experience that such as have bin professors of Religion and worship God in hypocrisâ—e and in formality they have been blasted in their parts and common gifts The judgement of God upon Nadab and Abihu that did not sanctifie Gods Name it was secret at first It struck them dead and though by fire yet if you read the story you shall find that their cloathes were not burnt and yet they were burnt in their bodies So the Lord some times doth blast men inwardly in their Spirits in their Souls in their Parts in their common Gifts â—he blasts them I say inwardly though it doth not appear outwardly yet at length it will appear before men that they are blasted and in these times of the Gospel the Lord doth come with spirituall judgments rather then with outward temporall judgements In the time of the Law those that did not sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties the Lord did appear by some externall and visible way upon their bodies but now in the time of the Gospel there God comes with more spirituall judgements upon mens Souls and those are the most terrible judgements We have a notable Scripture for this in Isa 29. 13. How God doth blast those that do not sanctifie his name in holy duties Wherefore the Lord said For asmuch as this People draw neer me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but have removed their heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men Mark what follows Therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvelous work amongst this people even a marvelous work and a wonder for the wisdome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid What do they come and draw neer me with their lips and their hearts are far from me and do they worship me in a formall way I le take away the wisdom from the wise and the understanding from the prudent And that is the reason why so many great scholars are blasted in their very parts because they would worship God according to the precepts of men in a formall way and so all hypocrites and formall worshippers the Lord doth blast them in one way or other the judgements of God upon the spirits of men were sometimes in the time of the Law But in the times of the Gospel there we find generally the judgements of God to be more spirituall upon the hearts and consciences of men we find it by experience God doth discover that he doth not accept of such as those are and therefore when you see any that have made profession of Religion that had excellent Parts at first many common Gifts and now are as we say no body Remember this Text That God will be sanctified in those that come nigh me Secondly the Lord doth manifest that he will be Sanctified in those that draw nigh him by awakeing their consciences many times upon their sick beds and death beds the Lord doth force them to give glory to him and there to acknowledge that they did not worship God in uprightnesse but in Formality And now they are in horrour of conscience and cry out in the anguish of their soules upon the apprehension of the dreadfull wrath of God that is upon them Take heed for the Lords sake of this thing when you are performing of the duties of worship do not rest in the outward duties for they will never comfort you upon your sick and death beds you may perhaps put off your consciences a little for the present but when you come upon your sick beds there will be no comfort unto you and then you will be forced to say well all this while I have but taken the name of God in vain and now God hath rejected me and all my services and you will then speak to those that come about your beds side and bid them take warning by you take heed that when you worship God you worship him to purpose I have spent time in prayer and hearing but for want of this I find I have no comfort at all but the Lord appeares to be terrible to my soule and comes out against me as an enemy I say now Gods name is Sanctified what ever becomes of thee he will force glory from thee one way or other and it may be even here in this time of thy life but however at the great day when the secrets of all hearts must be disclosed before men and Angels then the Lord will apeare to be a holy God by rejecting all such services that thou didest tender unto him and it will then be a great part of the work of the day of Judgment for God to be Sanctified in those that did worship him by declaring before men and Angels how he did reject such formal and hypocritical worship that they did tender up unto him Oh that God would strik this upon your hearts that it may abide upon you every time you come to
worship him to think thus let me look to it to Sanctifie his name now for I hear that God will Sanctifie it 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
work made with them go and preach those that belong to my election shall be brought in to beleeve and be saved and the others shall be damned As if God should say If they will come in and imbrace the Gospel they shall be saved If they will not they shall be damned and there is an end of them So that I say we have need to look to it that we sanctifie the Name of God in his Word upon these Three Grounds Because there is so much of God in his word Because he hath appointed it to convey the greatest Mercies to his Saints And because God is very quick in his Word one way or other We shall now proceed to the Application of this Point And First by way of reprehension to all those that do not Sanctifie Gods name in hearing the word and herein we shall shew their fearful condition and how God will Sanctifie his name upon them in waies of judgement and then when we come to the use of exhortation to exhort you to Sanctifie the name of God there we shall shew you likewise how God will Sanctifie his name in waies of mercy upon those that do Sanctifie him in waies of obedience in hearing of his word 1 For the first Certainly if that be to Sanctifie the name of God that we have spoken of Gods name is but very little Sanctified by people that do come to hear his word and we have no cause to wonder that there is so little good got by the word because there are so few that make conscience to Sanctifie Gods name in hearing it Some there are that are so far from Sanctifying Gods name in it as they altogether neglect it and make it a matter of nothing whither they come to hear it or no Saith Christ in Joh. 8. 47. He that is of God heareth my word ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God Certainly he that hath the knowledge of God and any interest in God and that belongs unto him nothing is more sweet to him then the hearing of his word but because ye are not of God saith Christ therefore you hear not his word Those men and women that have no interest in God but live without God in this world they regard not to hear his word O how many have we that belong to this place that do so How many live without God in the world and do declare to all the world that they are not of God they have no part nor portion in God in that they hear not his word Some there are that come to hear it but they come to hear it as a meer matter of indifferency in a meer formall and customary way or for companies sake or to give content to others These are poor and low ends thou shouldest come to hear the word as expecting God should speak to thy Soul for the furtherance of thy eternal good but your consciences may tell you what vain and wandring hearts you have when you come to hear it The eies of the fool saith Solomon are in all the corners of the earth up and down wandring little minding that you are come to hear God himself speak to you in the Ministry of man And if so be that it be minded yet ordinarily the hearts of men do put off the word and if it come any thing neer to them they think to shift it from themselves to others We have a notable Scripture in Heb. 12. 25. for such men as shift off Gods word when it comes many times very neer to them See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him which speaketh from heaven See that ye refuse not him that speaks the word see that you do not put him off And that that is the signification of it If you compare it with Luke 12. 18. you shall find that there is the same word used where speaking of those that were invited to the supper it is said They all with one consent began to make excuse they began to shift it off that is the same word O take heed of this that when you are hearing the word and Christ comes and speaks to your hearts and you begin to think that it may concern you and your consciences begin to stir take heed that you do not shift him off take heed that you do not put away the word from you by any kind of pretence whatsoever It may be you will say If I were certain it were the word of God and that God spake to me God forbid but that I should submit unto it But though it may be the hearts of men are not so notoriously rebellious as to resolve to sin against the word which they will acknowledge to be the word of God yet this is the deceit of the heart when the heart hath no mind to obey it will shift off the word and have pretences and put offs O take heed that you do not shift oft him that speaks from heaven by making any kind of excuse whatsoever but when thou hearest if the word of God come to thy conscience do not listen to vain reasonings that are against it Others there are that cannot tell how to shift off the word but it will come upon them when they are hearing it may be they are a little stirr'd but it is presently gone so that they are far from houlding the word far from keeping it in their hearts Oh how many of you have been stirr'd when you have been hearing the word and how happy had it been for you if you had hid those words in your heart that the Lord hath spoken to you in the Ministry of it If you had but the Invitations of the Spirit now that sometimes you have had how happy were it for you But it is with many in hearing the word just as with you Marriners when you are to go aboard your friends come with you take their leaves of you and then you see them stand upon the shore a while but when you sail a little further your friends are out of sight and then you see only the shore you sayl on a little further and then you see only the houses you sayl a little further and then you see only the steeples and such high places and you sayl yet a little further and then you see nothing but the Ocean So it is in hearing the word It may be when you go home there are some things fresh in your minds but on the munday morning you have lost some but then there are some others that do yet present themselves before you and then you loose more and more until you have lost the sight of all all truthes are gone you see no more of the word as if you had never heard it this is not to Sanctifie Gods name you should treasure up the word as the most rich
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
and with a holy cheerfulnesse with a holy freedome 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 Object You told us before that there should be brokennesse of Spirit and sence of our sin Answ That may be and joy we rejoyce with trembling therefore that brokennesse of Spirit that I meant must not bee slavish horrour and feare but a kindly melting of the soule from the aprehension 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 evangelicall joy may stand together very well And therefore know that this is not the time neither to give liberty to have your hearts sinke 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 cheerfulnesse of Spirit as in the midst of it you must look upon your selves as Gods guest to be merry at his Table now this is a great mystery of godlinesse that there should be at the same time the sight of Christ crucified and yet at the same time a spirituall cheerfulnesse in the assurance of the love of God in Iesus 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 unspeakeable love of God that is here presented unto them in this Sacrament Seventhly In the next place there must be thankefulnesse 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 Sacrament hee gave thanks he gave thanks for what he gave thanks to God the Father that he was pleased to send him into the world to die for poor soules now shall Iesus Christ give thanks unto God the Father for that that did cost him his life yea saith Christ I see that here is a way to save soules and let it cost me my life if it will yet I blesse thee O Father if soules may come to be sav'd though it cost me my life Christ rejoyced in his Spirit in thanking his Father for this then how should our hearts be inlarged with thankefulnesse when we come to this that the Ancients were wont to call the Eucharist that is a thanksgiving we are to give God thankes for every mercy you will not eate your owne bread without giving of thankes but when wee come to have this bread this bread of life here is matter of thankefulnesse here is matter of inlargement of soule thou that hast the deadest and dullest soule and straightest Spirit yet when thou comest hither and understandest what thou doest here thou canst not but see matter for the inlargement of thy heart and wish that thou hadst ten thousand thousand times more strength to expresse the praises of the Lord here is a thing that must be the subject of the Hallelujahs and doxologies that Angels and Saints must for ever sound out in the highest heavens dost thou know what the Lord presents to thee here it is more then if the Lord should say I will make ten thousand worlds for the sake of this creature and give all these worlds to him thou wouldest thinke that thou wert bound to blesse him then only when God in the Bread and wine reaches out to thee the body bloud of his Sonne here is more matter of praise then if ten thousand thousand worlds were given to thee and therefore God expects that thou shouldest say to thy soule my soul praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases O poor soule here is the foundation of all mercies dost thou praise God for justification for sanctification here is a glorious application of the mercy of God to the soules of sinners and therefore if ever thou wert thankfull be thankefull here The Sabbath my Brethren that is appointed to be the set constant day of thankesgiving for the great mercies of God in Christ and there are other dayes for nationall mercies now a speciall work of the Lords day is the celebration of this holy Sacrament and the Christians in former times were wont to do it every Lords day because that 's the day appointed by God for to be the day of thankesgiving for that great mercy the Lord Jesus Christ and that 's the reason why the Sabbath was changed the last day of the week was the Iewish Sabbath and that was to celebrate the memoriall of the Creation of the world and the first day now it is to be the day of thanksgiving for all the work of God in mans redemption Eightly A further thing is this if you would sanctifie Gods name you must be willing to renew your Covenant that 's the end of it there must be an actuall renewing of your Covenant with God that 's thus I come to receive this bread and this wine and this is to be as the Seale of the Covenant on Gods part now this will be emplyed in the nature of the thing that if I take the Seales of Gods Covenant that I must be willing to set to my Seale too to renew the Covenant that God calls me to now know all men and women that are sav'd they are sav'd by the vertue of the Covenant of grace and there God on his part promises and makes a Covenant that hee will bestow his Son life and salvation through him and thou must likewise come in on thy part and beleeve on his Son and repent which is the Tenour of the Gospel now every time thou comest to receive this Sacrament thou commest to renew this Covenant As if thou shouldest say Lord thou hast been pleased to make a Covenant of grace as the first Covenant was broken and all men were cast by that Covenant now thou hast made a Covenant of grace and callest thy servants whom thou intendest to save that they should renew their Covenant with thee in this Sacrament of thine Lord here I come and Lord here I renew it and set to my seale to promise and Covenant with thee that as ever I expect to receive any good from Christ so Lord here I will be thine I will give up my selfe for ever to thee as thou hast given me the Body and bloud of Christ for my salvation so Lord here I consecrate my body and bloud to thee the last drop of
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
this is naturall its naturall for the creature to draw nigh to God in prayer wherein the creature tenders up his homage to God and manifests his profession of his dependance upon God for all good that he hath and acknowledges God as the Author of all good therefore this is worship and its a great part of worship prayer it is such a part of worship as sometimes in Scripture it s put for the whole worship of God Hee that calls upon the name of God shall be sav'd that is hee that worships God aright Jerem. 10. 25. and Pour out thy wrath upon the Heathen that know thee not and on the families that call not on thy name that do not pray that is that do not worship thee there one part of worship is put for the whole as being a principall part of the worship of God Surely we must sanctifie Gods name in prayer for it is that that sanctifies all things to us 1 Tim. 4. 5. every thing is sanctifyed by the word of God and prayer And if the argument of Christ was right as no question but it was that the Temple was greater then the gold upon the Temple because the Temple did sanctifie the gold and the Altar was greater then the offering that was offered upon it because it did sanctifie the offering then prayer must needs be a mighty great Ordinance a greater thing then any other because that it sanctifies all things The word sanctifies the creatures but prayer sanctifies the very word unto our use and therefore when wee read the word we are to pray for a sanctified use of the word Prayer is a great Ordinance a great duty of worship that sanctifies all prayer hath a casting voice as I may say in all the great works of God in the world the great affaires of the Kingdome of God the Kingdome of his power and the Kingdome of Christ I say prayer hath a kind of a casting voice and doth order under God the great things of the world they are according to the prayers of the Saints they bring down blessings upon the godly they poure forth judgements on the wicked the prayers of the Saints they are the vyalls that are poured forth in a speciall manner upon the heads of the wicked therefore Gods name is to bee sanctifyed in Prayer It is to be sanctifyed first in preparation Psalme 10. 17. Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear it is the Lord that prepareth the heart and then he causes his eare to hear and therefore in 1 Pet. 5. 7. we are there required to watch unto prayer men and women should keep a narrow watch over their hearts and minds that they may not be hindred in their prayers that they may be alwaies in a fit posture to pray watch unto prayer it s that that would helpe us against many temptations to evill if I give way to such and such temptations it will hinder my prayers I shall not have that freedome and inlargement in prayer as otherwise if I give way to such and such things therefore let me take heed of this for it will hinder my prayers As if the Apostle should say this should be the care of Christians then they are like to sanctifie the name of God in prayer if this be their great care that there is nothing in the world that shall hinder their prayers O let me take heed I doe nothing to hinder my prayers if I goe abroad into company and am merry and jocond and there game and drinke and sport my selfe in company will not this hinder my prayers will not this hinder the spiritualnesse of my heart in Communion with God in prayer when I come home at night I appeal to you have you had that freedome in prayer afterwards surely no therefore watch unto prayer Now for the preparation of the heart to prayer wee must understand either First what is to be done in the course of ones life or Secondly What 's to be done just when one comes to prayer For the first the course of ones life labour to keepe all things even and cleare between God and your soules that so you may not come with shakels about your legs with guiltinesse I mean upon your consciences men that have given way to any base sinfull way when they come to prayer the guilt of their hearts doth even sink them but those that can keepe their peace with God in the course of their lives they have other manner of freedome in prayer then you that walke loosely and contract guiltinesse upon your Spirits And then the second thing is to keep our hearts sensible of our continuall dependance upon God sensible how wee depend upon God for whatsoever we are whatsoever we have whatsoever we do for the blessing of all is from God The beames of the Sun do not so depend upon the Sun as we upon God that if he doth but withdraw himselfe never so little from us wee all sinke downe to nothing and perish for ever that soule that every day and houre is sensible of the infinite dependance it hath upon God for its present and eternall estate will be fit for prayer and that should be our care for to carry our selves as any houre in the day or minute in the houre we might be fit to go to prayer that 's one meaning of that place in the Thessalonians pray continually not that every moment wee should be praying but that we should keepe our hearts in a praying frame some of you when you have let out your passions and are in a distemper what will you goe to prayer now your conscience will tell you that you are not fit to go to prayer at that time certainly if you be not fit to pray you are not fit to live you are in an ill condition at any time if you be not fit to pray and there can be no excuse whatever that can be sufficient to plead for your selves why you should not be fit to pray at any time there is that continuall dependance upon God for all and that need you have of the blessing of God for every thing that there is reason you should bee in a fit condition for praying at all times but now when you come to prayer at the set time then there should be a speciall preparation First you should prepare your selves by getting fresh and powerfull apprehensions of the glory of God before whom you goe prepare by meditation about the glory of that infinite God that you are now addressing your selfe unto possesse yourselves with thoughts and meditations of the glory of the great God that 's the first Secondly labour to get your hearts sensible of what you go for I am now going to God for what for pardon of sin or for assurance of his love or for power against sin or for such and such mercies let me by meditation work my heart to be sensible of these things that
that if God should speak to them as he spake unto Solomon and bade him aske what he should give him I verily beleeve there are many in this Congregation that have already good assurance of Gods love in Christ if they had not that that would be the maine thing that they would aske but having attained that if God would speak from heaven and say what shall I give you for your selves if he should aske you in the Generall it may be you would aske something for the Churches but if it be for your selves you would put up this petition oh Lord that I may be delivered from a wandring spirit in holy duties and especially in the duty of prayer that I may thereby come to enjoy more holy communion with thy selfe then ever yet I enjoyed and they would account this to be a greater mercy then if God should give them to be Kings or Queens over the whole World if God should put these two into the balance either the whole world to possesse or otherwise to have more free hearts in comming to God in prayer and to be delivered from that that hath so much hindred their communion with God in prayer they would despise and scorne the world in comparison of such a mercy as this is howsoever carnall hearts they think little of it but those that are the servants of God they finde it to be very grievous to them but being the time is past I shall reserve that to speak yet a little more largely for the helpe of those that are under the burthen of it I 'le only speak one thing further now and that shall be to those that are wicked and vile that not only have vaine wandring thoughts in prayer but even in the very duty of prayer many times have wicked and ungodly thoughts how horrible are they unclean thoughts murderous thoughts it may bee and most abominable I confesse even those that are godly may sometimes have some blasphemous thoughts cast into them for the devill is never more busie then at the time of prayer but they rather come from the devill then from the stream and corruption of their own hearts which may be we may make out more cleerely afterward but now I speak to such as have most wicked abominable thoughts rising from the stream and corruption of their hearts such thoughts as their hearts doe close withall in prayer and they can roule those thoughts about in their minds as a child will roule a piece of sugar in its mouth and this is the wickednesse of many men and womens hearts Take but this one note with you that all those dreadfull vile unclean covetous thoughts of thine in prayer they have been to God as if you had spoken them in words thoughts to God are all one with him as words are to men for God is a spirit and the spirit doth converse with God in thoughts as well as men doe converse with men in words and what a wofull guiltines would have been upon you had you spoken such vile and wicked things to men as some times hath been in your minds even when you have been praying to God how would the company have even spit in your faces and kickt you from them none that have any face of godlinesse would have indured you in their company and yet here 's the evill of it your hearts are not troubled but you rise off your knees and away you go thou hast a cauterised conscience a seared conscience that canst entertain such vile thoughts at any time without having thy spirit afflicted and going away with shame and confusion as if the greatest evill had befalne thee therefore take heed of this SERMON XIIII LEVITICUS 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE are first to sanctifie Gods Name in regard of the matter of our prayers And Secondly in regard of the manner For the first we made an end of it the last day and came unto the manner and there were two things mentioned First that wee must pray with understanding Secondly wee must give up our selves to prayer Now in the close of the exercise wee had occasion to fall upon that Argument about the wandring of our thoughts in prayer and by that we come to take Gods name in vaine in stead of Sanctifying of his Name God expects that we should have our thoughts and wills and affections our whole soules acting upon him in the duty of prayer or ese we doe not pray to God as unto a God vaine thoughts in prayer do pick up the sacrifice like the birds that Abraham drove away from the Sacrifice that they should not peck it Wicked lusts in mens hearts are like swine to take the meat and all to hale it in the dirt so their prayers are filthy and dirty with their lusts but those that are otherwise godly yet by their vaine thoughts the beauty and excellencie of their prayers is taken away as wine and beer that have the spirits of them gone so the life and spirit of our duties are gone by our vaine thoughts and therefore vaine thoughts do dead the heart very much So saith David in the 119. Turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken mee in thy Law while our eyes look upon vanity there will be no quicknesse in our hearts in any service that we tender up to God now many of Gods people have experience of the evill of this and they groan under the burden of this and as I said the last time if so be that the Lord should speak from heaven to them and aske them what they would have they having already the assurance of his love in Christ they would aske the deliverance from a vain spirit in the performance of holy duties Bring no vaine Oblations saith God in Isa 1. 13. Oh what vain oblations doe wee bring by the vanity of our thoughts in prayer t is true the best of all will have vaine thoughts sometimes but yet as one compares the vaine thoughts of men in prayer like unto a spaniel that goes out with a man he walks perhaps but halfe a mile but the spannel will be running up and down this way and that way and if all the space of ground which the spaniel hath gone over should be measured it may be while you are walking halfe a mile the spaniel fetching compasses here and there would be halfe a dozen miles so our fancies are like a spaniel which will have fetches about this way and that way in a thousand vaine thoughts but thus now it is with a godly man as a spaniel though running from his master yet if he give him a call he is able to call him to him presently and it were well if it were so with us though our fancies be wild yet if we were able to call in our fancies and to have them at command it were well with us And I find it very much that those that are new commers they
tryall of this thou hast lost 〈◊〉 prayer by vaine thoughts and thou hast been troubled for 〈◊〉 and yet they come againe do but try for this weeke as I remember I said in the point of passion and anger that we should resolve with our selves well whatsoever fals out this morning I am resolved I will beare it so bethink thy selfe how many prayers thou hast lost by vaine thoughts and now 〈◊〉 thy resolutions and Covenant with God that for this prayer I will 〈◊〉 my selfe against them whatsoever paines I take I will be sure yet withall to look up to Gods grace to assist one I will be sure this prayer to keep my heart close to what I am about perhaps that will helpe you a little but yet some vain thoughts will come for all that then the next night renew them again and the next morning renew them again and that till thou commest to a habit of keeping thy heart close to the duty though now thou feelest thy heart so wild that thou thinkest it is impossible to bring it into order but certainly by such a means thy heart will be brought into order Thirdly Be sure to set the presence of God before you in prayer have a reall light of the infinite greatnesse Majestie and glory of that you present your selves unto when you are are calling upon him if so be that thou canst have a reall fight of God in his glory it wil keep thy heart close to the duty as if a man be wandring with his eyes and looking after every feather if the King or some great person come into the Room all his thoughts would be about the King or the great person that were comming in so if you would present the Lord in his glory and greatnesse excellencie majestie and power before you and what a dreadfull God he is in himselfe and yet what a mercifull God hee is to us in his Sonne this would mightily compose our hearts certainly men and women that are so wandring in their prayers it is because their eyes are not open to look upon God in his glory they are as it were dreaming and do not apprehend that God stands and looks upon them and observes them and that God takes notice of every wandring thought that comes from them they doe not consider that God doth converse with the thoughts of men as well as men do with the words of men that 's a third rule Fourthly Take heed thou beest not deceived because that those thoughts thou hast in prayer doe not appeare to be very evill in themselves This is a great deceit and hinder many in the sanctifying of Gods name in prayer there is sometimes damed in some vain thoughts now because the thought hath no great evill in it selfe therefore they thinke they may play with it and their hearts close with it and so 〈◊〉 along with it as the fish doth with the bait if the Devill casts in a thought of blasphemie that makes thee quake and shake but if thy thoughts have no 〈◊〉 evill 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 doe not concerne the present duty they are sinfull before God though the thoughts for the matter of them be never so good yet thou art to abandon them as sinfull at that time Therefore never be deceived with this that the thoughts are not very sinfull 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 duty and thou hast had Communion with him blesse God for that blesse God for that helpe t is a rule of very great use for us to get further assistance from God in any thing if so bee our hearts be inlarged to blesse God for any assistance wee have had heretofore and the reason why we gaine 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 glory for mercyes formerly received and therefore God takes little or no delight in comming in with further mercyes to us as if you had a young nursery of trees and they began to thrive very well but there comes a company of Caterpillars and spoiles almost all the young 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 spoild 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 many others are spoil'd and so doe thou view thy prayers and consider how many hath been spoiled as it were by these Caterpillars for I compare wandring vaine 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 thinke that these blustering stormes and the hand of God that hath been out against us should have clensed our thoughts and soules from these Caterpillars that have been upon our dutyes but many duties have been spoiled yet thou maist say that through Gods mercy such a Morning in my closet the Lord hath preserved a prayer to himselfe and I have gotten power over this vaine heart of mine blesse God for this and so the Spirit of God will be more ready 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 duty 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 sanctifyed that in Rom. 8. 26. is cleere 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 selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered if any of you should say how can wee sanctifie Gods name we are poore and weak we can doe little marke it is said here that the Spirit helpeth our infirmities to pray and the word is exceeding emphaticall in the originall in your books t is but meerly helping our infirmities but the meaning of the word is in these two things the Spirit helpes that is look how a man that is taking up a heavy peece 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
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
discouragement unto prayer or any other duty of worship then an incouragement To that I Answer thus though we be very poore and mean yet it doth not hinder but we may tender up that to God which God wil acknowledge to be suitable to his infinite excelencie as First if we tender up to God all that we have Though we be never so poore and mean yet if God hath the strength of our soules 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 it's strength that it hath to do a busines which the father bids him whether the busines be done or no the father looks upon it and accepts it as sutable to the childs strength and it shewes the respect that the child hath to his father And as it is storied of an Emperour that when a poore man had nothing to offer him but a little water that he had taken up with his hand he haveing nothing else the Emperour accepts of it So that 's that which God looks for that the Creature should lift him above all If therfore when thou comest to worship God God hath more of thy heart then 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 weakness in my spirit but thou that knowest al things knowest that thou hast more of my heart then 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 Coats-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 adde 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 suitable 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 suitable to the infinite Majesty of God upon this Third Ground because that there is a kind of impression of Gods infinitnes in those services that a gracious heart doth tender unto God and therefore suitable unto God You will say God is an Infinite Glorious God Be it so He is Infinite that 's certain but the duty of Worship that a gracious heart tenders unto God it hath an impression of Gods infinitnesse upon it How is that If that can be made out then indeed we may be incouraged to worship God Thus That that a gracious heart tenders up to God hath an impression of his Infinitnesse 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 inlarged infinitly if it could If it were possible for a creature to be inlarged to God infinitly it would be Here lies I conceive the maine difference betweene 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 then 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 esteeme 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 lesse he would do lesse 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 inlarge my heart that I would have no bounds set in what I do for God but I would have it inlarged to the uttermost Latitude if it were possible beyond what ever 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 infinitnes that there is in the heart where Grace comes I say Grace inlarges the heart to a kind of infinitnesse 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 suitable to the infinite excellencie 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 inlarge the heart even to an infinitnesse as it were for God And thus you see in the generall what it is to Sanctifie Gods Name to tender up to God that which is some way suitable 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 infinite 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 is a mighty encouragement to put forth the heart to the uttermost because when thou doest so the right hand of God upholds thee so that thy heart must follow after God more then it followed after any creature 3 When I come to draw nigh to God I come to present my self for the