Prayer and so in the OLD TESTAMENT too it was a kind of emblem of Prayer The offering up of our Prayers is the offering up of Incense to God and the Mercy Seat it was a Type of Jesus Christ Now the Incense should cover the Mercy Seat so our prayers must go up to Jesus Christ must be upon him and so must be accepted by the Father And as we read in Judg. 13.20 when Manoah offered a Sacrifice the text saith that the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame This Angel of God here was Jesus Christ as we might eaâ—â—ly from this Scripture make it out and he ascends up in the flame from the Altar Now though we do not offer such kind of Sacrifices with Fire and Incense as they did in the time of the Law yet when we are offering up of our Incense there must be a flame of Fervency and Zeal But that is not enough together with the flame of the Altar the Angel of God Jesus Christ the great Angel of the New Covenant for Angel signifies nothing but Messenger the great Messenger that is come into the world about that great Errand of his to reconcile the world to himself he must ascend up in the flame and so God will account his Name to be Sanctified the Name of God is not Sanctified but through Jesus Christ The Acting of our Faith upon Christ as Mediator is a special ingredient to the Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties as you know the Scripture saith that the Altar doth Sanctifie the gift offered upon the Altar Jesus Christ is the Altar upon whom all our Spiritual Sacrifices are to be offered and this Altar doth Sanctifie the gift that is offered upon it let never so great a gift be offered upon any other Altar it was not accounted holy nor accepted so let men by their naturall strength or power that they have offer up the most glorious and speciousest Service to God It is not accepted unless it be offered up upon the Altar Jesus Christ we have an Altar now not the communion Table but Jesus Christ himself is our Altar upon whom we are to offer all our Sacrifices and this Altar must Sanctifie the gift we can never have our gift sanctifâ—ed no nor Gods Name sanctified in this gift except it be offered upon this Altar and our Faith acted upon Jesus Christ People little think of this but of other things viz. That when we worship God we should worship him with fear and reverence and with humility and with strength of Intention such kind of things every one that hath any enlightening of conscience will think of at some time or other but people do least think of this which is the greatest ingredient of all that is required in the Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties that is to come and tender up all to the Father in the Name of Jesus Christ How many men and women that have been Professors of Religion 20 or 30 yeers and yet not acquainted with this great mystery of godliness to tender up all to God in the Name of his Son This is that that upon divers occasions I have spoken unto and am willing upon every occasion as I meet with it to speak of because it is a principle part of the great mystery of the Gospel without which all our duties are rejected of God and cast away Now then put all these Nine things together and see by them what we ought to do that we may Sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties But there is something further to be spoken that may help you to Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties and that is several workings of hearts suitable to the several Attributes of God for that is to Sanctifie Gods Name to have the duty to be such as is some way suitable to such a God as we are now worshipping Now then let us consider what the Scrip ure saith of God and then let us see what suitable dispositions we should have in us unto those things that the Scripture saith of God 1 First You know the Scripture saith that God is a Spirit in Joh 4.24 Then presently Christ saith That he that worships him must worship him in Spirit that is there must be a suitableness in our worship to what God is Is God a Spirit then all that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth that is thus When I am to go to worship God I must consider of him as he is an infinite and glorious Spirit well then surely bodily worship is not sufficient for me Though I do kneel down in Prayer or do come and present my body to hear the Word or my body to receive the Sacrament this is not to worship God as a Spirit If indeed that our God were as the Heathens that were corporeal then it were another matter then bodily worship would serve the turn but God being a Spirit he must have Spiritual Worship therefore my soul and all that is within me magnifie his Name saith David my Soul magnifie his Name not my lips only but my Soul The Apostle in 1 Tim. 4.8 saith that bodily exercise profits little it is no great matter for the body God looks but very little at bodily exercise but it is godliness that is profitable it is the work of the Spirit when we come to pray we must pray in the Spirit that is we must pray with our Souls we must poure forth our souls before God and when we come to hear our hearts must not go after our coveteousness we must set our hearts to what we hear we must hear with our hearts as well as with our ears our Souls must be at work in hearing of the Word when you hear it is not enough for you to come and fit in a Pew and have the sound of a mans voice in your eares but your Souls must be at work And so when you come to receive the Sacrament your Souls must feed upon Jesus Christ Bodily worship without Soul-worship is nothing but Soul-worship may be accepted without bodily worship therefore it is the Soul that God doth principally look at in holy duties If you be not able to worship God in your bodies you may worship him in your Souls and God regards that bodily exercise in holy duties is little worth somewhat it may be worth I confess sometime bodily exercise may further the soul as a reverend carriage of the body and the like but it is nothing in comparison the great work is the work of the Soul for God is a Spirit and must be worshipped in Spirit And God is said to be a Spirit not only in that he is not of so thick a Corporal substance but it notes the simplicity of God he is without any composition whatsoever is in God is God himself he is absolutely one there are not divers things in God now then those that come to worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth
he comes to a feast and the Lord expects that all his guests should come with stomacks unto this feast come with hungring and longing for Jesus Christ this should be the disposition of the soul Oh that my soul might enjoy Communion with Jesus Christ now this is the end that I am come for Oh the Lord that knows the workings of my heart knows that this is the great desire of my soul that I might enjoy Communion with Jesus Christ Oh that I might have more of Christ that I might meet with Christ that I might have some further manifestation of Jesus Christ that I might have my soul further united to the Lord Christ and so have further influence of Christ to my soul I come with thirsting after the Lord Christ knowing my infinite need of him and the infinite excellency that there is in Jesus Christ my soule doth famish and perish for ever without Christ but in the enjoyment of Christ there is a fulnesse for the satisfying of my soule that I have had of Christ sometimes in the word and sometimes in prayer that hath bin sweet unto me but I expect a further Communion of Christ here for this is the grand Ordinance for Communion with Jesus Christ indeed the word in this respect it is beyond this Ordinance that is it is not only for the increase of grace but for the begetting this is only for the increase of grace and not appointed for the begetting now in that respect the Word is above the Sacrament but now this Sacrament is a more full Ordinance for Communion with Jesus Christ this is the Communion of the body of Jesus Christ and of his blood and therefore there ought to be hungring and thirsting desires of the soule after Jesus Christ therefore you must take heed you doe not come with your Stomacks full of trash as children when they can get Plums and Peares and fill their stomacks with them when they come to your Tables though there be never so much wholsome diet they have no mind at all to it so it is with men of the world they fill their hearts with the trash of this world and with sensual delights and hence it is that when they come to such a great Ordinance to enjoy Communion with Jesus Christ that then they feele no want at all of Christ only they come and take a little piece of bread and a draught of wine but for any strong pausing desires to meet with Jesus Christ there in the Ordinance to come so as they know not how to live without Christ even as a man that is an hungred cannot live without his meate and drink and so for the soule to have such a disposition after Christ this is a rare thing but know that Gods Name is not sanctified unlesse thou doest come in such a way unto this holy Sacrament that 's the fourth thing hungry and thirsty desires after Christ from a deepe sence of the need of him and the apprehension of the Excellency in him 5 In the fift place there must be an exercise of Faith for the sanctifying of Gods Name here Faith that is both the hand and the mouth for the taking of this spiritual meat and spiritual drink when thou comest to the Feast of the Lord Faith first is the eye and then the hand and mouth it is the eye of the soul to give a real sight of what there is here you are not able to discern the Body of the Lord but by the eye of Faith if thou comest only with bodily eyes to look upon what is here thou seest nothing but a little bread and wine But now where the eye of Faith is there is a reall appearance of Jesus Christ to the soul as if Christ were bodily present and we need not have the bread turned into his body for Faith can see the body of Christ through the bread and the blood of Christ gushing in the wine And it is a mighty thing to have Christ and such spiritual things made real and not to be a fansie If one look upon the fire that is painted one cannot heat ones self in cold weather with that but fire that is really burning upon the hearth so those that come to receive the Sacrament and not come with Faith that have only the eye of their bodies they only see as it were a painted Christ they do not see Christ really his body and blood and those great Mysteries of the Gospel are not presented as reall things to their souls and hence it is that they go away and get nothing but now when the soul comes with the eye of Faith the soul sees the wonderfull things of God it is the most glorious sight in the world all the glory of God in the heavens and earth is not like this fight of Jesus Christ and the mysteries of the Gospel that do appear to the eye of Faith therefore you may by this know whether you have come with faith or no to the Sacrament whether you have seen the most glorious fight that ever your eyes did behold alas with our naturall eyes we behold a Minister coming with a piece of bread and a little wine but when the eye of Faith is opened then we behold the glorious things of the Gospel many times when you come to hear the word your hearts burn within you as they that went to Emaus but when you are breaking bread the eye of Faith that must look upon Jesus Christ and in this sence those that have pierced Christ must look upon him that Scripture is fulfilled in Zach. 12. latterend They shall look on him whom they have pierced by their sins and then mourne and lament this eye of Faith will cause mourning and lamenting for sin And then as faith is the eye to make what is here reall so faith is the hand to take it when you come to a feast you must have something to take the meat to you so saith Christ he brake bread and gave it to his Disciples saying take eat this take it how shall we take it by reaching out of the hand if you sanctifie Gods Name in this Ordinance as you reach out your hand to take the bread and wine so there must be an actual reaching out of the soul by faith putting forth an act of faith to receive Jesus Christ unto the soul to apply the Lord Jesus Christ to thy soule with all his merits and good things that he hath purchased when the Minister doth give out that Ordinance you should look upon God the Father giving out his Son as if this were you condition I am now in the presence of the eternal Father who now doth actually give out his Sonne to my soule and saith soule here receive a new this day my Sonne with all that he hath purchased for thy good now then the soul acts upon this and by stirring up an act of faith come and closes with this gift of the Father
Why have wee fasted and thou seest it not This is an Argument that thou art acted by Selfe rather than by God Secondly To know whether we be acted by self-ends or rather by high ends for God Those men that can rejoyce in others that are able to honor God in holy duties more then themselves they may have a good evidence to their own souls that when they Worship God they are acted by higher ends than Selfe but now such as are streightned themselves and when they see others more enlarged in the Worship of God they rather envy them are greiv'd and troubled know that Self is a great ingredient in those duties that thou doest perform if thy heart were raised high to God though thou canst not thy self be enlarged in holy duties yet thy soul would be glad that any others are though I have a whetched and vile heart of my own yet blessed be God that there are any others that can Worship God better than I can Thirdly A man that is acted by Self in holy duties he regards holy duties but little save in time of extremity in time of fear or in fickness or in dangers But now one that hath high ends in holy duties makes the duties of Gods Worship to be the joy of his Soul in the mid'st of his prosperity and that is an evident sign that thou art not acted by self ends but by higher ends Canst thou in the mid'st of thy abundance say Lord thou givest me all conveniences in this world and all outward things that I want but Lord this is that which is the joy of my Soul this is that which makes my life comfortable even communion with thy Self in the duties of thy Worship that I have free accesse unto the Throne of thy Grace to Worship Thee the Lord and there meet with thee when I am in the performance of holy duties O Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that this is the thing that makes my life comfortable It is not that I have a Table furnished with variety of dishes and that I can have liberty of time to go into company and spend according as I please but Lord those incomes of thy Spirit that I do find in the duties of thy worship those are the things that makes my life blessed indeed unto me Such a man as is able thus to appeale to God surely when he worships God he is acted by high-ends and not by self-ends And that 's the Third thing that is necessary for Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties thou must have a Sanctified heart high thoughts of God and high ends In the Fourth place There must be much reverence and much fear when thou comest into the presence of God to Worship Him thou dost not glorifie God as God except thou dost come into his presence with much fear reverence of His great Name Fear in worshipping of God it is so necessary that many times in Scripture we find that the very Worship of God is called the fear of God they are put both for one I might give you divers Scriptures for it and hence it was that the Name of God was called The fear of Isaac Jacob did swear by The fear of his father Isaac because Isaac being a great Worshipper of God kept his constant times to worship God and worshipped him in such a constant way as except David and Daniel we do not find mention of the constancy of any in the worshipping of God as we do of Isaacs for it is said that he walked but into the fields in the evening as he was wont to do to Meditate and to Pray and therefore God is called The Fear of Isaac In Psal 89.7 is an notable Scripture for this drawing nigh to God with feare God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him God is to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him but in the assembly of His Saints He is greatly to be feared He is daunting terrible so the words are in the assembly of the Saints When thou comest nigh to God thou hadst need have thy heart possest with much fear So in Psal 2.11 the Kings and Princes of the earth are cal'd upon to serve the Lord with fear Let them be never so great yet when they come into Gods presence they must serve Him with fear And so in Psal 5.7 In thy fear will I worship toward thy holy Temple Now this fear of God it must not be a servile fear but a filial and reverentiall fear For my Brethren there may be a great deal of slavish fear where God is not honored there may be fear from some terrible apprehensions of God which yet is not owned by God to be this grace of fear I 'le give you Two notable Scriptures for that in Deut. 5.23 24. compared with the 29. It came to passe saith the text vers 23 when ye heard the voice out of the middest of the darkness for the mountain did burn with fire that ye came neer unto me even all the heads of your tribes and your elders And ye said Behold the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness and we have heard his voice out of the middest of the fire we have seen this day that God doth talk with man and he liveth now therefore why should we die for this great fire will consume us If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more then we shall die See with what a terrour they were struck at the apprehension of Gods appearance you would think surely these men did fear God much but mark in vers 29. O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me Why did they not fear the Lord Were they not struck with such fear that they thought they should die they saw his presence so terrible that they were afraid they should die and yet O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me So that it appears by this that one may be struck with much terrour in the apprehension of Gods presence and yet have no true fear of the Name of God So some of you it may be in time of thunder or danger are filled with terrour but yet may it not be said presently after O that there were the fear of God in the heart of this man or woman this youth or maid They are terrifed sometimes but yet there is not a filiall and reverential fear of God in them And I find in I King 19. where you have the story of Gods appearing in that most terrible manner unto the Prophet Elijah by Fire by Thunder and in a mighty Wind the Prophet was not so struck with fear of Gods presence when he did appear in the mighty wind or earthquake or fire as when God did appear in the small still voice therefore in vers 13. it
is said And it was so when Elijah heard it that is the soft voice after the fire and earthquake and the mighty wind that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entring in of the Cave and behold there came a voice unto him and said What dâ—est thou here Elijah Then his heart was more struck with fear where was most of Gods presence though it was in a soft voice than when the fire and earthquake did appear It is a good sign of a gracious fear when the soul can be struck with more fear from the Word and from the sight of God in enjoying of communion with him in his Worship then when God appears in the most terrible way of his works or when there is terrour in a mans conscience through fear of hell when God appears as though he would send him down presently to hell though God expects to be feared then but when the Soul in enjoying communion with God in holy duties and the more communion he hath with God the more is he struck with reverence and the fear of God this is a sign of Sanctifying fear and then Doth the heart Sanctifie the Name of God indeed when it is so possessed with fear in the duties of Worship Now this fear of God should be indeed in the Soul and expressed outwardly when you are in the assembly by such reverent carriage in prayer as if a heathen should come in he may see Gods Name Sanctified and may say How great is this God that this people do worship And in your Families a reverent carriage not lying all along in prayer upon the elbows sleeping but carrying your seves so that if a heathen should come into your families they may say O how great is this God that this people do worship And likewise this fear it must be an abiding fear not only at that instant when you are worshipping of God or speaking of any of Gods Titles and Names but a fear that must abide upon your hearts after duty is over that is after you are come out from your Closets one may perceive the fear of God upon you and so walking all the day long in the fear of God as it becomes those that have been solemnly setting themselves to worship him Now this fear and reverence is contrary to the slightness vanity the boldness and presumptuousness that there is in the hearts of men and women when they are Worshipping of God Fifthly The duties of Gods Worship must be ful of strength for they are not suitable to God else because God is a God infinite in power and glory himself therefore God cannot indure vain Worshipping In Isa 1.13 I hate vain oblations Vanity of Spirit in Worshipping of God is very hatefull to God it doâ—h defile the Name of God God is dishonored by the vanity of mens Spirits Now this strength is Three fold 1 First The strength of Intention 2 Secondly The strength of Affection 3 Thirdly The strength of all the Faculties of the Soul and the strength of body too as much as we are able should be put forth in the Worshipping of God 1 First The strengih of intention We must intend our work as if it were for our lives If ever we were seriously Intentive or Attentive about any thing it must be when we are worshipping of the Name of God When you are coming to Pray be Intent about it You shall see some when they are going in the street when they have much intention about their businesse their friends meet them and they never mind them one may perceive as they are going that they are mightily intent about their business My Brethren look upon every duty oâ— Worship as a great thing which you must be intent in your thoughts about and not give way to the wandring of your thoughts I have read of one Martyr that when he was to die and the fire a kindling saith an Officer What! will not you speak when you see the fire kindling Saith he I am speaking to God that is he was praying and he minded not at all what they were doing O what little things do take our thoughts away from holy duties When every toy every feather every light matter cals them off Is this to Sanctifie Gods Name Would not we account it a dishonorable thing if we were talking to one about serious business and when we are talking every one that comes by he should be looking after them and turning aside to talk with them If a Superiour be talking with you he doth expect that you should mind what he saith But when God is speaking to you and you are speaking to God every vain thought that comes by you are turning aside too as if it were a greater thing to talk to vain thoughts and temptations than to the great and glorious God Therefore now that is the very time that the Devil chuses for to bring temptations when we are in holy duties for the Devil knows then he doth two works at once he doth disturb us in our duties and call off our hearts to that that is wicked and doth aggravate our s n exceedingly It may be thou wilt not dare to coÌ„mit that sin that the temptation doth turn thy thoughts upon yea but the Devill hath spoiled the duty by it The Lord doth expect that there should be strength of Intention when thou art upon the duty and there is no time to parlie with temptations now what ever thoughts come in The truâ—h is though they be good thoughts that should come into thy mind and that time that thou art Praying yet if they be not pertinent to the duty thou must cast them away as the temptation of the Devil You will say Can any thing that is good come from the Devil Certainly that that is materially good and comming unseasonably may be from the Devil the Devil may take advantage by what is in it self materially good and bring in that in an unseasonable time and so he may turn it to evil As now when thou art hearing the Word it may be the Devil thinks he cannot prevaile to cause thee to have thy heart running about uncleanness yea but saith the Devil If I can inject good thoughts I will put into their minds some place of Scripture that is no way pertinent to this only to divert them The Devil gets much by this therefore look to it and know that God expects the strength of thy spirit in duty that is strong intention thou art a worshipping of God and therefore thou hadest need be intent about what thou art a doing Indeed sometimes before you are aware evil thoughts will come into your minds As when a man is keeping of a door and there is a croud of people without that would come in perhaps the man doth open the door for some Gentlemen that be hears is at the door but when he opens it for one that is to come in forty others wil
from the thoughts and apprehensions of all excellencies in our selves we must not come in the pride of our hearts because we have abilities more then others what do all thy parts commend thee to God thou hast ability in expressing of thy self in Prayer why do thy parts commend thee to God Whatever is natural in any of our duties is nothing to God only that which is from his own Spirit and therefore thou shouldest come in thine own thoughts as vile as if thou hadest no parts and abilities at all I ay aside all such apprehensions of thy self for the truth is some poor broken hearted sinner that can but sigh out a few groans to God and is not able to speak two or three sentences together in a right language but only breath out his Soul to God may be a thousand thousand times more acceptable to God than thou that art able to make great Orations when thou comest before him 3 Thou must come without any righteousness of thy own thou must never come into Gods presence but as a poor worm and if there be any difference that is made between thee and others in outward respects it is nothing to thee when thou art in the presence of God thou art as a base vile worm though thou beest a Prince or Emperour 4 Thy heart must be taken off from what thou doest If thou hast any abilities of grace yet thy heart must be taken off there there may be pride not only from ones parts but it may be God hath given me enlargements in Prayer the Devil will come in and seek to puffe up thy heart even because of this But thy heart must be taken off there and thou must deny thy self in all when thou hast done the best service of all yet thou must conclude thou art an unprofitable servant when thou hast prayed the best yet rise with shame and take heed of having thy heart puft up even through the assistance of the graces of the Spirit of God in holy duties 5 Lastly Thou must come with a humble resignation of thy self to God to be content to wait upon God as long as he pleases to wait upon God in regard of the time and of the measure and of the manner of the Communication of himself in regard of the means by which he will please to communicae himself wait upon him Let me have mercy though at the last hour This now is an humble heart in Prayer and when we come with such a poverty of Spirit as this is we may expect that the Lord will accept of us Give this poor man somewhat will God say This poore man cryed and the Lord heard him In the Seventh place we must bring that which is Gods own in Sanctifying Gods Name I spake to this before in the Point of Preparation Viz. That in Gods Worship we must give him his own I will only mention it here in the Sanctifying of God Name in two regards 1 First To give God his own for the matter of it 2 Secondly To give God his own that is what comes from the work of his own Spirit or else we do not Sanctifie Gods Name I will give you one text further about the matter of it in Exod. 39. if you 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 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 that we offer to God in His Worship be Gods own be what we have warrant for out of Gods Word but it must have the stamp of the Spirit of God In the Worship of God there be Two Questions that He wil ask First Who required this at your hands But then if you can Answer thus Thou O Lord didst require it It is well but then God hath another Question Whose Image and Superscription is this If thou canst not give an Answer to that it will be rejected too Thou must be acted by Divine principles in all that thou doest there must be the stamp of the Spirit upon that which is tendered to God else it is nothing To 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 than by the Spirit of God Secondly How we may know whether our duties be acted by natural Conscience rather than by the Spirit of God 1 First If thou art acted by naturall parts they will not change thy heart Men that do perform duties by the strength of natural parts they may be as large as others and speak to the edification of others but those duties do never change their hearts now if thou beest actd 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 wil not carry them through difficulties and discouragements but now the Spirit of God if thou hast acted by Him though thou dost meet with never such difficulties and discouragements thou wilt be carried through them all 3 Thou mayest know it by this wherein dost thou account the excellency of a duty to consist either in thy self or others Thou performest a duty now it may be thy parts do act very lively and to thy credit and yet thy conscience tells thee that thy heart was streightened Now canst thou rise up with joy because thou hast thy ends At another time perhaps thy heart is more troubled and broken But thou doest not express thy self so much then thou art discouraged And when thou seest another perform a duty if thou seest but any failing in their expressions thou pitchest upon that and lookest upon it as a poor thing thou art not able to see an excellency in holy duties except there be an excellency of naturall parts but those that have the Spirit of God they can finde the Spirit of God acting in others though they have not such naturall parts 4 Those that are acted by their natural parts in secret they are less enlarged than they are before others a great deal Their parts act much before others But what is there between God and their own souls 5 They that be so acted will not be very constant you shal have young ones that begin to look towards Religion their parts are a little fresh and they are mightily enlarged in holy duties and the thing is good for them to make use of their parts but how ordinary it is that after a few yeers they are
that is there must not be a heart and a heart there must not be a compounded heart but you must bring simple hearts before God without any composition of dross in your selves and of any kind of falsness but in the simplicity of your hearts you must come to worship God and thus you shall worship him with such worship as is some way suitable to him as he is a Spirit 2 Further consider God as he is an eternal God what suitable disposition doth this require of me when I am to look upon God as an eternal being it requires this only That therefore thy heart must be taken off from all temporal good things and set upon that eternal good thou mayest indeed desire these outward good things but in order to thy eternal good Then further Thou art worshipping an eternal God hence then whatsoever sin thou doest confess although committed 20. or 40. yeers ago thou must look upon it as if it were now presently committed and be humbled as much before the Lord as if it were now committed at this present you will say Why so Because God is an Eternal God Yes For if I understand Gods Eternity I know that there is no succession in Gods being therefore the sins that I committed in my youth if I come to confess them they are before God as if they were now a doing in regard of time and therefore I must as much as I can look so upon them and be humbled for them as if they were sins lately committed Many people are troubled for their sins the very day after they commit them but a little time wears off their trouble but if you did consider that you had to deal with an eternal God then you would look upon your sinnes though a long time since committed as if they were but now done Likewise there will be this required from the consideration of Gods Eternity You must come with such a disposition of heart as not to think much though what you desired be deferred and not granted in your time when you would have it For if there be no time that alters with God but a thousand yeers are with God as one day then that that we account long before it s done it is nothing with God and therefore we must have our hearts so work towards God as towards an Eternal God as one with whom there is no alteration of time at all with whom there is no succession of time If we come to a man and seek any thing of him if he doth not answer us presently we will think that he will forget it and other things wil come into his mind but when we come to worship God we must look upon Him as an Eternal being and that time alters nothing with him Thus understanding God in a right way wil much help us in his worship and to Sanctifie His Name We cannot Sanctifie Gods Name without knowing His name without having serious thoughts about His Name and getting our hearts to work accordingly 3 Thirdly Look upon God when you come to Worship Him in His incomprehensible being that is as a God that fils all places His being is as real in the room that we are praying in the place that we are meeting in as it is in Heaven Now then when we come to worship Him we must consider that that infinit glorious being stands before us looks upon us is at our elbow and therefore especially when you Worship in Secret consider this it is good to consider it when you are with others but especially I say consider it when you are in secret and know that when you are most private you have one that looks on you and takes notice of you who is more than if you had ten hundred thousand witnesses standing by you and looking upon you For it is the Lord that stands by you and sees your behaviour sees what you do in your worshipping of Him take heed therefore that there be nothing done by you that is unbeseeming the presence of such a God as the Lord is Suppose that some of you were praying and there were some godly able Minister stood neer you it would be some means to stir up your hearts to mind what you did but now the Lord He is not in the next room only but in the same room and stands by you Lâ—t there be nothing done therefore unbeseeming the presence of that infinite holy God that stands by you and hold this Truth forth the Lord is present with me I acknowledge it and I own it and therefore I carry my self thus and all because I would witnes to Angels and men that I do accknowledg that the Lord is present with me in this duty 4 Fourthly Consider God is an unchangable God immutable That is another Attribute of God He is unchangeable First Therefore our hearts must be taken off from these mutable things and set upon God as that unchangable good Secondly We must be humbled for our fickleness and unconstantness there is no shadow of change in God and there is no shadow of constancy in us Thirdly When we come into the presence of a God who is unchangable then we should look upon God as being the same now that ever He was heretofore He hath as much displeasure against sin now as ever He had and that God that hath done such great things for His Church in former times is the same God to do good to His people as ever He was and make use of this When you reade the Word and there find how God hath made Himself appear to be glorious for His people and now every time I am to worship God I should think that I am to deal with God that is the same that ever he was as merciful and gracious and just and powerful as ever He was and so my heart is to work towards Him 5 Fiftly When I am to Worship God I am to look upon Him as the living God as that God that hath life in Himselfe and gives life unto his creatures Then what sutable behaviour doth become me I must come before His presence with fear It is a fearfull thing to fall into His hands that is the living God that hath my life under His feet He hath the absolute dispose of my present and eternal condition He gave me my life He hath preserved my life and so may take it away when He pleases and bring death eternal death unto me These things may marveilously help your meditation when you are to come before Him you who are barren in your meditations go over the Attributes of God thus and consider what you may be able to draw from thence God He is the living God What behaviour then doth beseeme me towards this living God Oh let me be afraid lest my Soul depart from the living God Let me bring a living Service to Him I must not bring a dead heart let me take heed how I come before the living God
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 eternal 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 Devil then We find it by experience That men that could easily cast off the word in their healths yet when they have come to lie 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 than 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 than 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 suâ—â—â—ce And certainly my brethren till we come to this to beleeve the Word though we should sit under it many yeers 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 filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is 〈…〉 save your souls Receive with meekness The former part of his Scripture I confess 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 and 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 quietness in your spirits in attending upon the Word no hurring There is a twofold di emper of passion in many people that is a great hindrance to the profit of the Word and Sanctifying Gods 〈…〉 hearing it 1 The First 〈◊〉 distemper of Passion in those that have some trouble of conscience in them they are troubled for their sin and their spirits 〈◊〉 in a discontented froward humour because they have not that comfort that they do desire and therefore the Word of God when it comes to be preached to them if it doth not every way sure with their hearts and if they do not find present comfort by it their spirits are in a distemper and frowardness and cast it off and if at any time there be never such comfortable things spoken in the word yet there is an anger in their spirits because they are not able to apply the word to themselves and they think This doth not concern me Now there should be meeknesse of spirit in those that are in trouble of conscience above all they should quietly attend upon the word and wait for the time that God will speak peace to their consciences And if I cannot find the Word sutable to me at this time yet I may at another time let me attend with meekness let me receive every thing with meekness the Word is above me and if ever I have good it must be by the Word at last It doth much concern those that are in trouble of Conscience to have meek spirits 2 There is another distemper in others and that is worse that is Such as when they find the Word come neer unto them relating those sins that their Consciences tells them they are guilty of their hearts rise against God and His Word and Ministers too Because it would pluck away some beloved corruption because it rebukes them for some haunt of evill some distemper of heart that they have been or are guilty of it puts a shame upon them and therefore their hearts do rise against it It is a dreadfull thing to have the heart rise against the Word As we reade of that froward Prince Jehoiakim in the Prophesie of Jeremiah that when the Roll was read in his hearing sitting in the winter time by a great fire he took a pen-knife and cut it in pieces and threw it into the fire in anger and I have read that the Jewes kept a Fast every yeer to mourne for that great sin yet this Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah whose heart did melt at the hearinng of the Word he had an humble and a meek heart when the Law was read and yet see what a different spirit Jehoiakim had either from his Father or grand-Father It is a great dishonor to the Name of God for men to give liberty to their Passions to rise against the Word take hâ—ed of Passion either while you are hearing the word or after the word as many of you while you are discontented with what is said when you come in company what a fury are many men in upon the hearing of some things in the word that comes close to their hearts Remember when you are a hearing of the Word that it is that which is above you and it is not fit for one that is an inferiour to shew himselfe Passionate in the presence of a Superiour It is true the Ministers they may be in as low a condition as you and in a lower but the Word they speak it is above all the Princes and Monarchs upon the face of the Earth and it is fit therefore we having to deal with God that we should behave our selves in a meek disposition 6 The next thing for the Sanctifying Gods Name in the hearing of the word is this We must hear it with a trembling heart with fear as well as meekness and for that you have that famous Scripture in Isa 66. beginning Thus saith the Lord The Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my foot-sâ—ool where is the house that ye build unto me and where is the place of my rest For all those things hath my hand made and all those things have been saith the Lord but to this man will I look even to him that is poor and
of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word This is a most admirable Scripture Mark how God lifts up Himself in His Glory so great a God as the Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my foot-stool where is that house that ye will build unto me But then may a poor soul say How shall I be able to stand before this God that is so glorious Saith God Be not discouraged poor soul who doest tremble at my Word for I look to you And then this is a further thing observable that God hath a regard to that soul that trembles at His Word rather than to any that should build the most sumptuous buildings in the world for Him for saith God here The Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my foot-stool where is the house that ye build unto me and where is the place of my rest They have built a glorious Temple to God but what do I regard that saith God I regard one that trembls at my word more than that great house that you have built unto me It is a notable Scripture to shew what a high respect God hath to one that trembls at His word He regards them more than this glorious Temple that was built unto Him If you were able to build such a place as this was for the service of God you would think it a great matter it is not so much regarded as if you could bring a trembling heart to Gods word that 's a special thing wherein the Sanctifying of the Name of God consists when we come to see the dreadful Authority that there is in the word of God when we are able to see more glory of God in His Word than in all the works of God besides for there is more of his glory in the word than there is in the whole Creation of Heaven and Earth take the Sun and Moon and Stars you that are Marriners you have seen much of the glory of God abroad that one would think might strike terrour into all your hearts but know that there is more of the dreadfulness of Gods Name in His word than in all His works In Psal 138.2 Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name the Word it is magnified above all the Name of God whatsoever and it is a very good signe of a Spiritual enlightened Soul that can see the Name of God more magnified in His Word than in all His works besides I appeal unto your Consciences in this thing Have you ever seen the Name of God to be more magnified in His Word than in all His works I may with very good confidence affirm this that there is no godly soul upon the face of the earth that hath the weakest degree of grace but hath seen more of the glory of God revealed in His word than he hath seen in all the works of God besides and his heart hath bin more taken with it It requires therefore a trembling frame of heart when we hear it And then further When this is considered that the Word is that which bindeth the soul over either to life or death mens eternal estates are to be cast by the Word certainly then it requires a trembling heart to hear that by which the eternal estate of man is to be cast we do not Sanctifie Gods Name when we come to hear the Word except we come with trembling hearts and they are the most likely of all men and women to understand the mind of God as for such as come with conceited spirits that they understand as much before they come and think their reach of wit or capacity is beyond the capacity of any that shall open the Word unto them yet that were not so much if 〈◊〉 did but only rest upon the man and not reflect upon the word it self Now these that are rich in their own thoughts and understandings are sent empty away but those that come wiâ—h trembling hearts to the Word they are the men that are like to understand Gods Counsels revealed in His word In Ezra 10.2 3. Shechaniah the Son of Jehiel one of the Sons of Elam answered said unto Ezra we have transgressed against our God have taken strange wives c. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing now therefore let us make a covenant with our God according to the counsel of my Lord and of those that tremble at the Commandement of our God So that those that tremble at Godâ— Word are such as are fitest to counsel they understand most of Gods mind and that 's another particular of the behaviour of the Soul in Sanctifying Gods Name in hearing his Word 7 The next is a humble subjection to the Word that we hear our hearts must bow to it must lie under the word that we hear it is a very remarkable Scripture that we have in 2 Chron. 6.12 There it is said concerning a great King Zedekiah He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. It is a very strange expression as any we have in the Book of God that Zedekiah a great King should be charged with this as a great sin that he did not humble himself Humble himself before whom you will say We are boud to humble our selves before God but here it is that he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the Prophet Why before the Prophet Because he spake from the mouth of the Lord. If it be any messenger that speaks from the mouth of the Lord God expects that we should humble our selves so that if any truth comes to be delivered unto you the Lord expects that you should fall down and yeeld obedience to it whatsoever your thoughts your judgements your opinions have heretofore been it there come any thing in the word against it you must submit your judgments submit your very consciences you must submit your wills whatsoever your hearts have been set upon though it hath been never so contentful to your spirits before yet now submit and yeeld though it go never so cross unto your minds your wils your ends yet all must be submitted and laid down flat before the Word so as to be willing to deny your selves of any thing in the world When a man or woman can say thus Lord it is true I confess before I heard thy word opened in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit unto me I was of such a mind and my heart went after such and such contentments and I thought it was impossible that ever my heart should be taken from them but O Lord thou hast been pleased plainly to shew to me by the opening of thy Word in the evidence of thy Spirit what thy mind is Now whatsoever becomes of my name of my comforts of my contentments in this world Lord here I cast down all before thee I submit unto thy Word this is a gracious
But now ill hearers that do not Sanctifie Gods Name in His Word they are like ground that receive the rain as much as the other hear as many Sermons as the other but they bring forth nothing but thorns and briers and mark what a dreadful expression is against them First It is rejected Secondly It is nigh to cursing Thirdly Whose end is to be burned Thou rejectest the word doest thou The Lord rejecteth thy soul If thou hast no need of the word the word hath no need of thee it is a dreadful thing to be rejected of God And then thou art nigh unto cursing It may be the Lord may for the time withdraw Himself from the soul and manifest that it is as it were rejected but yet the soul hath not the curse of God upon it to say Well let this soul perish for ever but some there are that are under an actual curse and saith God Well My word shall never do good to this soul such a one hath sate under it thus long and hath rejected it My word shall never do good to him Like as in Luk. 14. where those that made excuses when they were bidden to the Supper the text saith at length That the Master of the feast was angry which was God Himself that invited them by the Gospel to partake of His Son and when men would not come in but make excuses and refused the offer of the Gospel Verily saith he none of those men that were bidden shall tast of my Supper They shall never partake of any good of the Gospel This is a dreadful Curse Now the Lord deliver you from having this curse pronounced against you but yet I beseech you tremble at this Scripture in the Hebrews They are nigh to cursing Who knows how nigh some soul in this place may be to this curse for God to say This soul hath been often invited and yet hath made excuses and put off all he shall never taste of my Supper of the good things in Jesus Christ the word that hath been so rejected shall never do them good more you had better never been born than to have this curse actually upon you Oh fear and tremble lest your condition be such as to be nigh to cursing Who knows what a day a week may bring forth It may be the Lord may spare and be willing to passe by the neglect of former Sermons but who knows what the next actuall rebellion against the Lord in His word may do to bring the curse upon thee And then if so the next part of the verse will prove to be thy portion Whose end is to be burned Oh! It is a dreadfull thing to sin against the Word God stands much upon it 8 Eightly Know that if Gods Name be not Sanctified in it the end that God hath appointed it for will be turned quite contrary to thee The proper end that God hath appointed His Word for it is to save souls but now where Gods Name is not Sanctified it is turned quite contrary so the Aposte in 2 Cor. 2.16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life It is a dreadful thing that the good word of God in which there is such treasures of Gods mercy wherein the councels of God concerning mans eternal estate comes to be revealed that this should prove to be the savour of deah unto death unto any soul that is to have such an efficacy in it as to kill them by the very scent of it as it were As some things have such a poyson in them as the very scent is enough to poyson one So saith the Apostle to some our word hath that efficacy being turned quite to the contrary end some souls are sav'd and are and shal be blessing God to al eternity for the Word and thy soul is damn'd by the Word so as thou wilt hereafter curse the time that ever thou camest to hear it That will be a dreadful thing that the same word that others shal be blessing of God eternally in heaven for that thou shalt be cursing eternally in hell for it wil be turned to the quite contrary end If it works not in the right way it will work the other the truth is it hardens mens hearts if it brings them not to God there is nothing that doth harden the hearts of men more than the Ministry of the Word yet by accident not by it's self there is no men in the world have such hard hearts as those that are wicked under the Ministry of the word It is not only an argument that their hearts are hard but they are hardened by it That in Isa 6.9 10. is remarkable for this and the rather because I find it so often quoted by Christ I think it is quoted three or four times in the Gospel And he said Go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see yee indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed This is a strange Scripture what must a Prophet go to them to make their hearts fat and to shut their eyes Why the word is appointed to open mens eyes but here the Prophet is sent to shut their eyes that they may not be converted this is dreadfull this is for the punishment of some former neglect of the word of God sent unto this People above all Judgments you should be afraid of this It is not so much that a fire should be upon your houses as that God should make His word to be a means to harden your hearts In Ezek. 14. we have a dreadful expression to this purpose by the Prophet there where the Lord saith that the people did come to enquire of him with setting up their Idols in their hearts but saith God I will answer them according to their Idol If men come to the Ministry of the Word with their beloved sins and resolve they will not part with them the Lord many times in His just judgement suffers some things in the Word to be accidentally a means to harden them in that sin of theirs I will answer them according to their Idoll those men are in a dreadful estate whose hearts come to be hardned by the word 9 Ninthly If thou doest not Sanctifie Gods Name in the hearing of the Word what comfort canst thou ever have by the Word in the day of thy affliction Certainly when the day of thy affliction comes then there is nothing can comfort thee but the word Vnless thy Law had been my delight saith David I should then have perished in mine affliction but thou having been exercised in the word so much and Gods Name not Sanctified thou must not expect to have thy soul comforted in the day of thy affliction No marveil then
except he could go to heaven and there see and reade Gods Book and so discover Gods mind concerning him or go down to hell and so know whether that place be appointed for him or not except I can do one of these I can not certainly tell meerly by the Law whether I shall go to heaven or hell As you that are Merchants and dealers abroad you are at a great deal of uncertainty what shall become of your estates Indeed if I could send one over to the Indies to tell me how my Ship prospered then I could be at a certainty then I should hear whether I were a rich man yea or no but except I could do such a thing I am at an uncertainty Such is the expression here As if a poor soul should say I would fain be saved and loth to perish eternally But all the while the soul remains under the Law it remains in an uncertain condition but now saith he The Word of the Gospel is nigh thee even in thine heart And that is the word that we preach that saith Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved As if he should say This word of the Gospel that is come into thine heart doth assure thy soul of thy eternall estate so that though thou canst not go up to heaven nor go down to hell yet thou hast that in thine heart that doth as it were assure thee that thou shalt be eternally saved as if thou wert able to go up to the highest heavens and fetch newes from thence Oh now the good word of the Gospel how should we prize it and keep it in our hearts for that 's in our hearts that wil assure us of our salvation to all eternity and of Gods eternal purpose to do the good in heaven You would account it a great happiness if there could be any art to send abroad to the Straits or to other place to know how things fare with you but now if thou hast the word of the Gospel within thee if that prevails in thy Soul thou hast alwaies got something in thy heart that will tell thee how things are with thee in heaven and what shall become of thee for all eternity Oh who would not Sanctifie the Name of God in hearing of his Word seeing it is such a blessed Word wherein the Gospel is opened with more clearness than it hath been to many of our fore-fathers 2 It is a certain evidence of your election in Thess 1.3 4 5. Remembring without ceasing your work of Faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father Knowing Brethren beloved your election of God Why For our Gospel came not to you in word only but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance And know this excellency there is in Sanctifying God Name in hearing the word I beseech you mark it that it is a more blessed thing than if you did bear Jesus Christ in your wombes You that are women would not you have accounted it a great happiness if Christ had been borne in your wombes Now if thou comest to the hearing of the word and Sanctifiest Gods Name in it thou art in a better condition and hast a greater blessing upon thee than if thou hadest born Jesus Christ in thy womb In Luk. 11.27 28. And it came to pass as he spake these things that a certain woman of the company lift up her voice and said unto him Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked Seeing Christ and what gracious things came from him she spake so But he said Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it That is Labor to Sanctifie my Name as hath been opened in the particulars rather is that woman blessed that do so than the woman that bare Christ Me thinks this one Scripture should be such a Scripture for women to cause them to Sanctifie Gods Name in hearing of the word instead of a hundred Scriptures certainly thou maiest be so blessed if thou wilt beleeve the word that comes from Christs mouth 3 Do you Sanctifie the Name of God in the Word that will Sanctifie you by that your souls come to be Sanctified and it will comfort you in the day of your affliction and it will save you at last 4 You that do Sanctifie Gods Name in the hearing of his Word you will be the glory of the Ministers of God at the great day of â—udgment You will be an honour to them before the Lord and his Saints and Angels In Phil. 2.16 Holding forth saith the text the word of life This is the duty of all the hearers of the word that they must hold forth the word of life when you go home you must hold forth the power of the word you hear well what will become of that That I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain Let that be one motive among the rest saith the Apostle this will be such a glory to me that I in the day of Jesus Christ shall rejoyce that I have not laboured in vain I shall bless God for all my studies and care and all the pains that ever I have taken and venturing my self for this People I shall bless God in the day of Jesus Christ Would it not be a comfortable thing to you that all the Ministers of God that come to preach the word faithfully to you If at the day of Jesus Christ you should hear them blessing God that ever he did send them to preach the Gospel in such a place and you should hear them saying Oh Lord it may be had I been sent to another place I should have spent all my strength in vain but through thy mercy I was sent to a teachable people that were ready to imbrace thy Word Oh this is my crown and glory Would it not do good to any whose hearts are faithful to think this that their holding forth the word of life will not only be a glory to God which is the cheif but it will be a glory to the Ministers to recompence all their labours that you shall not only be saved your selves in the day of Jesus Christ but you shall adde to the glory of his faithful Ministers likewise when they do appear before Christ 5 I shall adde one particular more There is a time coming when God shall magnifie his Word before men and Angels In Isa 22.21 He will magnifie his Law and make it honourable What a joy shal it be to thee when the Lord before men and Angels shall come to magnifie His Word and make it honorable for thee then to think This is the Word that spoke to my heart at such and such a time this is that
for the setting out of his sufferings it hath a more special blessing that goes along with it every Ordinance hath a promise and a more special blessing than any other thing that is not an Ordinance So when you come here to behold Christ crucified before you you cannot see Christ naturally crucified as upon the Crosse but you have Christ crucified before you in the way of a Sacrament in the way of a solemne institution of Jesus Christ that hath a special blessing which goes along with it therefore if the heart be not broken here there is an aggravation of the hardness of the heart as great as if we should behold Jesus Christ upon the Crosse and our hearts not broken there and indeed this is a special reason why those are said to be guilty of the body and blood of Christ that receive unworthily as if a man had been then alive and had been before the Crosse and there have seen how the blood of Jesus Christ was shed for sinne and should not have been affected with it but should have accounted it as a common thing this man in some regard might have been said to be guilty of his death that is to have joyned and consented with those that did crucifie him for if a man sees another commit a sin if he be not affected with that sinne and it does not stir his heart he may come to be partaker of his sin so those that shall come to see Jesus Christ crucified and have not their hearts at all stir'd with the crucifying of Christ they are in some regard truly said to be guilty of the body and blood of Jesus Christ And that 's the Second thing brokenness of spirit is sutable to the light of a broken Christ 3. The Third thing that is here to be done in the Sanctifying of Gods Name Is the purging and clensing of the heart from sin and actuall clensing and purging the heart from sin there ought to be The Jewes in their Passe-over were to cast out all leaven and those that write of the custome of the Jews say that they were wont to do three things in the casting out of their Leaven 1. They made deligent search for Leaven they lighted Candles to look into every Corner lest there should be any bit of Leaven left in the house 2. When they found it they cast it out 3. They used an execration they did curse themselves if they should willingly keep any Leaven in the house So my brethren when we come to partake of this holy Ordinance there should be a diligent inquisition for sin for Sin in Scripture is compared to Leaven thou shouldest make a diligent search what sin there is in thy heart in any of the faculties of thy soul what sin there is in thy thoughts in thy Conscience in thy understanding in thy will in any of thy affections what sin there hath been in thy life what family sins what personal sins Thou shouldest make a diligent search to see whether there be not some Leaven some evil in thy heart and what ever sin thou shalt come to find out in thy heart the must be a casting of it out that is thy soul must be set against it to oppose it with all thy might whatever beloved sin whatever gainful sin whatsoever become of thee thy soule must renounce that sin of thine yea and in a kind of execration of thy self that 's thus Lord as ever I expect to receive any good by this body and blood of Christ that I come now to receive so Lord here I profess against every sin that I have found out in my heart I desire to find out all and professe against all and renounce all and would do to the uttermost that I am able for delivering of my soule fully from every known or beloved sin Oh that there might not be any remaining in my heart this must be the disposition of the soul comming hither and it must needs be thus or else we cannot sanctifie Gods Name because there is nothing more sutable than this disposition unto the receiving of the Sacrament for we come here to professe that we do acknowledge that sinne did cost so much as it did that it cost the Blood of the Son of God now this cannot chuse but cause the heart to renounce sinne If indeed I do beleeve that sinne hath cost the blood of Christ that it cost him so deare as it did that it did trouble Heaven and Earth that here must be such a mighty wonderfull way of satisfaction to God for my sinne committed against him certainly sinne hath a dreadfull evill in it Oh! let me never have to doe with such sin that was the cause of such sufferings to my Saviour that did shed his blood If so be that thou saweh a knife that had cut the throat of thy dearest child would not thy heart rise against that knife Suppose you come to a Table and here is a knife laid at your Trencher and it was told you this is the knife that cut the throat of your childe or father if you could use that knife as another knife would not any one say There was but little love to your father or child So when there is a temptation comes to any sinne this is the knife that cut the throat of Christ that pierc'd his sides that was the cause of all his suffering that made Christ to be a curse now wilt not thou look upon that as a cursed thing that made Christ to be a curse Oh with what detestation would a man or woman fling away such a knife and with the like detestation it is required that thou shouldest renounce sin for that was the cause of the death of Christ I remember it is reported of Anthony when Caesar was slaine he comes to stir up the people against those that had slaine Caesar and he takes the cloathes that were bloody and holds them forth to the people and saith here is the blood of your Emperour and upon that the people were enraged against those that had slaine him and went and pul'd down their houses upon them So when thou comest to this Sacrament thou seest the blood of Christ gushing out and for thy sin if ever thy sin be pardoned either thy soul must be eternally damn'd for thy sin or else thy sin cost the gushing out of the Blood of Christ now when thou seest this this should cause a holy rage in thy soul against sin that caused this surely the putting away sin the risings of the heart against sin must needs be a disposition sutable to such an Ordinance as this is And that 's the third thing required in the sanctifying of Gods Name in this Ordinance the purging out of sin and rising of the heart against it 4. The fourth thing that is to be done for the sanctifying of Gods Name here it is the hungering and thirsting of the soul after Jesus Christ whosoever comes hither
unto the Point in the general the last day we finished it I do not intend to look back to any thing that was said but we are to proceed to shew how the Name of God should be Sanctified in the particular duties of His Worship Now the Duties of Gods Worship are especially these Three 1 The Hearing of the Word 2 Receiving of the Sacrament 3 And Prayer Other things come under Worship but yet these are the Three cheif duties of Worship and I intend to speak to al these Three and to shew how we should Sanctifie the Name of God in drawing nigh unto Him in the Word Sacrament and Prayer We might chuse several Texts for all these but they fall full within the general and therefore it shall be sufficient for to ground the Sanctifying of of Gods Name in these duties of worship upon this Text 1 OF SANCTIFYING THE NAME OF GOD IN THE HEARING OF THE WORD That which we are to speak to this morning it is the Sanctifying of the Name of God in the Hearing of His Word If you would have the ground of what we are to say concerning this in a particular Scripture you may have it in Luke 8.18 take heed therefore how you hear It is not enough to come to hear the Word that is good and no question but God is pleased with the willingness of people to come to hear His Word but you must not rest barely in hearing but take heed how you hear Now this is a point of great consequence and I hope it may do good to help to make many Sermons to be profitable to you the point I hope is seasonable and wil be very sutable unto you For those that come to heare so soone 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 labor and pains should be bestowed and no profit but hurt rather got by it which God forbid Therefore now I am to speak to a point that may help you so to hear as may recompence all your 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 encouragement than to such as come in a formal way because they use to come therfore this Point being a great point I shall open it somewhat largely and 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 my text Secondly I shall shew you how we are to Sanctifie Gods Name in the hearing of his Word either in regard of preparation unto it or one 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 Name in the hearing of his Word Fifthly How God will Sanctifie his Name in waies of mercy to those that are carefull to Sanctifie his Name in the hearing of the Word These are the Five Principall things that concern this Argument For the First That the hearing of Gods Word it is a part of Gods Worship You heard in the opening of the worship of God in the general what it was I told you it was a tendering up of the creatures homage to God a Testimony of the respect that the creature did owe to God now if that be the nature of Worship certainly the hearing of Gods Word it is a part of the Worship of God for in the hearing of Gods Word we 1 First do profess our dependance upon God for the knowing of his mind and the way to eternal life Every time we come to hear the Word if we know what we do we do thus much we do profess that we do depend upon the Lord God for the knowing of his mind and the way and rule to eternal life we do as much as if we should say Lord of our selves we neither know thee nor the way means how we should come to be saved and therefore that we might testifie our dependance upon thee for this thing we here present our selves before thee Now this is a Testimony of the high respect we owe to God 2 Secondly The hearing of Gods Word is a part of his worship because in it we come to wait upon God in the way of an Ordinance to have that good conveyed to us by way of an Ordinance beyond what the thing in it self is able to do and therfore 't is worship I wait upon God when I am hearing the word if I know what I do to have some spiritual good conveyed to me beyond what there is in the means it self this makes it worship When I am bufied in natural and civil actions there I must profess that these things can do me no good without God but I do not wait upon God in an ordinance for the conveyance of natural good beyond what God hath put into the creature 't is his blessing with it that God in the ordinary course of his providence doth convey such naturall or civill good in the use of those creatures But now when I come to hear his word I here come to wait upon God in the way of an Ordinance for the conveyance of some spiritual good that this Ordinance hath not in it's self take it materially but meerly as it hath an institution in it and is appointed by God for the conveyance of such and such things God doth appoint meat to nourish me and together with his appointment he hath given a natural power to meat to nourish my body that in an ordinary course of providence is enough for the nourishment of my body but now when I come to hear the Word I must look upon that not only as a thing appointed to work upon my soul and to save my soul by not as a thing that hath any efficacy put into it in a natural way as the other hath it is not the nature of the thing that carries such a power in it but it is the institution of God and the Ordinance of God in it Now then when I come to wait upon God in an ordinance for the spiritual good that is beyond the vertue of any creature to convey to me certainly I worship God that is a special part of worship to wait upon God in this way Therefore in these two respects the hearing of Gods Word it is a part of the Worship of God and I beseech you remember these two things every time you come to hear I come now to give a Testimony that I am not able to understand God and the way to eternal life of my self but I do depend upon God for the knowledge of it And here I come to wait upon God
for the conveyance of that good to my soul that is not in the power of any creature to convey Now I worship when I do these But further you shall find it more plain when we come to open how we should Sanctifie Gods Name in the hearing of his Word This is Divine Service as much as any service can be performed Heretofore our Prelates and those kind of men made all the Worship of God to be in their Divine Service as they call it which was of their own inventions and made light of the preaching or hearing of the Word but the Word is a great part of that Divine Service that God requires of us in his Worship and in it you do tender up your homage to God You therefore must not only when you come to hear think I come to get something I come to understand more than I did and to hear such a mans parts and the like but remember you come to tender up your homage to God to sit at Gods feet and there to profess your subjection to him That is one end of your coming to hear Sermons Now then you will say What should be done in the hearing Gods Word so as Gods Name may be Sanctified For that as we opened in the general that in the duties of God Worship there must be preparation and then an answerable behaviour of the soul So here there must first be a preparation of the soul to this work and then an answerable behaviour of the soul in it 1 There must be a preparation of the Soul so as when you come to hear you may with all readiness receive the Word the soul must be made ready in Act. 17.11 there it is said These were more noble than those of Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind The word is with all Alacriâ—y as well as readiness their minds were in a fit preparation to receive the Word and the text saith They were more noble The word that 's translated more noble it signifies Better bred for I do not take this Scripture as if it were meant only of men that were Earls or Lords that did thus receive the Word with readiness but they were of a more noble disposition They were well bred men so the Greek word signifies A man sometimes preaching to a company of rude people that never had any good breeding they will behave themselves rudely they slight the Word and like the Swine regard Acorns rather than Pearls And the Word is seldome so profitable to a company of rude people that have no breeding at all but now there is more hopes to Preach to men that have breeding Men that are exercised in Arts and Sciences and have some understanding and some ingenuity in them they will hearken to reason Now there is a great deal of spiritual reason in the word there is a great deal to convince men that are but rational men let a man be but a rational man and willing to attend to the Word I say there is a great deal of reason to convince him in it and it is a sign of good breeding of men of ingenuity to be willing to hear the Word Who are those in a Parish that so dis-regard the Word as not to hear it but the ruder sort There are many I confess that are men of parts perhaps the Word doth not prevail with their hearts to convert them yet if they have any good breeding at all if the Word be preached in a convincing way so that they see there is pains taken and preached as the Word of God to them they will vouchsafe their presence at least but the rude multitude that know nothing at all they had rather be in Ale-houses drinking and swilling they never care to hear the Word as in such a place as this There are very few of your miserable poor people that come to hear the Word What place is there fuller of miserable poor people than this place is and yet what a poor appearance is there of such people at the hearing of the Word But now those that have any ingenuity in them at all or any breeding for so the word is they will receive the Word with readiness But this breeding here spoken of was a little higher than natural breeding They were spiritually noble and so they had a readiness in their hearts in receiving the word Now this readiness of heart in receiving the word consists in these particulars First When you come to hear the Word if you would Sanctifie Gods Name you must possess your souls with what it is that you are going to hear That what you are to hear is the Word of God That it is not the speaking of a man that you are going to attend upon but that you are now going to attend upon God and to hear the Word of the eternal God Possess your souls with this you will never Sanctifie Gods Name else in the hearing of his Word therefore you find that the Apostle writing to the Thessalonians he gives them the reason why the Word did them so much good as it did It was because they did hear it as the Word of God 1. Thess 2.13 For this cause also saith he thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that beleeve Mark so it came effectually to work because they received it as the Word of God many times you will say Come let us go hear such a man preach Oh no let us go hear Christ preach for as it doth concern the Ministers of God that they preach not themselves but that Christ should preach in them So it concerns you that hear not to come to hear this man or that man but to come to hear Jesus Christ We as the Ambassadors of Christ do beseech you saith the Apostle 2 Possesse your hearts likewise with this consideration that I come to hear the Word as an ordinance appointed by God to convey spiritual good to my soul and this is a very usefull consideration and especially it concerns men of understanding and parts for the helping of them to hear For men that are of understanding and parts when they come to hear this temptation is ready to come upon them that except they hear some new thing that they did not understand before wherefore should they come I am able to understand as much in such a point as can be said And when I have come and heard many times I have heard but that I knew before and upon that they think there is no use of coming to hear Now this is a great mistake when you come to hear the Word you do not come alwaies to hear what you did not know it may be sometimes God may dart in some thing that you did not think of before