Disstance which is betwixt Him and us And so we read that Abraham and Moses and David and all the Prophets and Servants of GOD in the Scripture used to bow down and fall upon their Face to the Ground when they appeared before GOD or that he appeared unto them Yea GOD himself expresly required this of Moses and Ioshua at these Manifestations of his presence unto them which we find Exod. 3. 5. Iosh 5. 15. For there he commanded them to put off their shoes from off their feet which according to the custom of the Eastern Nations was then a Testimonie of Respect and Reverence And indeed seing we bear no proportion to the Greatness of God there is nothing more Proper or Reasonable then that we should Reverence and Exalt him by such depressing of our selves and humbling of our Bodies in his Sight The very Angels these Glorious Spirits are said to vail and cover their faces when they appear before God And how much more Reason is it that we be abashed and humbled who dwell in houses of clay and whose foundation is in the dust Certainly if there be any Gesture or Posture more humble then anoher it becomes us to use it and it doth bespeak little Reverence to God to use that Gesture and Carriage when we speak to him or he speaks to us which we would not make use of but when we were conversing with our Equals or Inferiours Sitting therefore at Prayer and having the head covered when Divine Worship is performed are very undecent and unbecoming things I wonder how ever this creept in or came to be in fashion amongst us and I think it yet more strange that there should be some who take upon them to defend that which is condemned not only by the practice of all the Saints and Servants of God we read of in Scripture but also by the Custome of all Nations whatsoever For even the very Heathens would account it irreverence towards their False Gods which many Christians in this Country are not ashamed to do towards the True and Living God What the Lord saith by the Prophet Malachy in another case will be very applicable here a Son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master if then I be a Father where is my honour and if I be a Master where is my fear offer this now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy Person saith the Lord of Hosts Mal 1. 6. 8. Nay to pass Kings and Princes and those of the best quality even the meaner sort of Gentlemen would look upon themselves as affronted and uncivilly Treated if they had not greater respect payed them then what some shew to God who would not be incens'd and provock'd if his Tennent or any other Poor mean Fellow should thrust into his presence without uncovering his Head and sit down and talk with him I doubt not but there are some who would be ready to cause kick such all manner'd Persons to the doore and I cannot see how that can be reckoned as reverence and a sign of devotion to God which men look upon as rudenesse and incivility There be some which very much mistake that place of the Prophet Isai. 29. 13. Where the Lord complains of his People of Old that they drew near Him with their Mouth and that they honoured him with their lips as if that were a discharge of all externall Worship or of outward reverence therein whereas it is not the outward honour and reverence which the Lord there finds fault with but only that their hearts were far from him God values not the Body without the Soul for then it is but a dead Carcase he cares not for our outward reverence and Prostrations when the inward Spirit of devotion is wanting but as he calls chiefly for the Heart and Mind because it is the better part of Man so he expects that having the inward the outward man will follow and indeed what God hath joyned together should not be put asunder The Apostle enjoyns the honouring of God outwardly as well as inwardly when he saith Glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods 1 Cor 6. 20. ' Tits true superstition is a fault but it is not the best way to redresse it to turn Profane and irreverent God is not pleased with the humblest postures of our bodies when our hearts and souls do not accompany them but to make up that want we must not turn away from the necessary and becoming testimonies of devotion and reverence What our Saviour said on another occasion to the Scribes and Pharises I may well apply here these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Matth 23. 23. As hypocrisie may be joyned to the outward acts and expressions of humility and reverence so it is as certain that there is little true sense of God within when the outward behaviour is not Grave modest and Humble wherefore it is the saying of One I will as sure believe him temperat who is staggering in the Streets with drink and him chaste whose eyes are full of Adultery him mercifull whose hands are imbru'd in blood as that he can truely fear God who sheweth no outward reverence in his worship The outward reverence of the Body is not only necessary to testifie the inward respect of the mind but it is also requisite for the quickning and stiring it up as the outward Pomp and Grandeur of Princes and Magistrats is necessary to put People in mind of their Power and Authority which otherwayes they would be readie to forget or to be too bold with so the outward Humiliation of our Bodies serves to cherish and to keep up in us the sense of God's greatness and Glory which otherwayes perhaps would slip out of our minds Thus we have spoken to that reverence both Inward and Outward which is due to GOD which is always One of the fruits of his fear The other effect thereof consists in a great care and circumspection not to offend or displease him And indeed if this be wanting there is no true Fear of GOD nor will any Reverence which we shew towards him find acceptance with him As Children who truly honour and respect their Parents are alwayes very loath to give them any manner of offence and as they are grieved when at any time they chance to do it though they do not Fear nor apprehend to be chastised so such as are sincerly acted with the Fear of GOD will carefully watch against all manner of sin and will have an aversion from it though there where no ground to dread Hell or other punishments but even because that this is contrarie to him whom they intirely love and honour And when they have sinned the consideration of the offence which is given GOD thereby will afflict them more then these bitter fruits which sin alwayes produceth Therefore the True fear of GOD doth alwayes restrain Men from doing these
fixed Staâ—…ion in this World but are either by their â—…hoice willingly or through necessity changing their Habitations and Imployments When we think our selves most secure and are building to our selves Houses and Tabernacles of Residence hoping that here we shall fix and settle behold presently some thing or other occurs which defeats our Design and alters our Purpose and constrains us to make Tryal of some State and Condition we little thought upon And thus all Men almost from their own Experience may say that their Life and Condition heâ—…e is like that of a Traveller and Pilgrime But however true it hold in a Literal sense it is alwayes Morally true that Man while upon Earth is but a Sojourner and Stranger whatever be his Lot and Portion For first GOD hath not intended us a Sure and Lasting Abode here he hath resolved not to suffer us to make any long or considerable stay on the Earth he designs only that we should take a short view of things take a turn or two and then remove hence Man's Life here is but of few dayes even those who attain to the greatest number of years their life if compared to Eternity is but a span-long and seeing that thus we have but so short and so uncertain Possession of this World our stay therein cannot be counted other then a Sojourning It cannot be said properly that we dwell here but only that we lodge For we are not true Inhabitants but only way-faring Men who take a Nights Lodging and afterwards are gone We can call no place here our Home we never go Home till we descend into the Grave and pass over into the other World that is our Home because there is no changing of it nor flitting from it Secondly As we are to account our selves Sojourners because our Life is short so Strangers because of the want of an agreeable Habitation All Creatures have a proper Element whither also their Natural Propensitie inclines them that is the Proper and Natural Element of any Beeing which is suitable to its Nature and Quality and where it finds Rest and Ease but on the contrary that is Improper and Unnatural which agrees not with its Disposition and where it lives with Difficultie and in much pain Thus the Air is an improper Element for Fishes as the Water for Fowls and Terrestrial Creatures and consequently this World is not the proper place and habitation of Spirits and Rational Beings And therefore also not of Men seeing we are of this Order by our better part The Creatures to be met with here below are not capable of Converse with us and all the Delights and Enjoyments here can only gratifie the Body and be profitable for chearing those frail Tabernacles we carry about with us But 't is little service they can do the Soul and therefore however proper these lower Regions may be for Bodies yet certainly our Souls soar higher and aspire after a Happiness beyond what is to be found here Wherefore whiles we are upon Earth we may be truely called Exiles and said to suffer Banishment for Heaven only is our Native Sâ—…yle it is in yonder Regions above that we can only expect to find a sutable Habitation and abode The very Heathens had this Sentiment they accounted their Stay here a perfect banishment and esteemed the Body the Prison which detained the Soul from its Native Countrey So Anexagoras being asked whither he had any Care or Concernments for his Countrey because he troubled not himself with the Publick Affairs and Transactions His answer was GOD forbid that it should be otherwise indeed my mind is greatly towards my Countrey pointing with his finger to Heaven That is a Man's Home where his Friends and Relations live where his Wealth and Estate and the Possessions wherein his Happiness lyes are reserved where his Heart and Affections are placed And so Heaven is and should be only our Home Thither should we aim for our Souls are descended thence there GOD our Father liveth and IESUS CHRIST our elder Brother and Angels and Seraphims and the Spirits of just Men made perfect our Friends and Companions and Fellow-Citizens and there be the Treasures of our Happiness That Good which our Souls crave and seek after is shut up there and no where else This World affords no perfect Contentment or true solid Happiness All we can expect here is some little Refreshing to keep us from Fainting and Languishing This World is an Inne too narrow and scanty for to give Satisfactorie ease and fulness this is only to be looked for when we come to our Fathers house where there are many Mansions and all Richly and well Furnished In his Presence there is fulness of joy and at his Right Hand there are Rivers of Pleasures for evermore Psal. 16. 11. This Earthly Canaan which was here promised to Iacob was a type of Heaven and given as a Pledge thereof It is not to be doubted but that the Patriarch had a prospect beyond the Land wherein he was though it was the pleasantest upon Earth he had already tasted these Delights which Canaan upon Earth afforded and albeit they were good enough of their kind yet he could not but be sensible that they were far short of of satisfying the Appetite of the Soul And that therefore there was something to be desired more then what is to be found even in the best Countrey here Iacob had certainly the best and most vertuous Education of any in the World he was preserved from Vice and Immorality which render Men brutish and so enfeeble their Minds that they can Dream of nothing but what savours of the Flesh he was early taught all Natural Wisdom and Knowledge and Instructed also in things which Natural light could not reach to And therefore he certainly knew and was persawded that there was something within him besides Flesh and Bones even a Divine Soul capable of and designed for a more noble kind of Life then what Man enjoyes at present Because the Promises made to the Patriarchs expressed in Scripture are Temporal we must not from thence conclude that they had no other Spiritual Eternal Blessings were Vailed under these and might perhaps also be Promised a part though they be not particularly mentioned No doubt more was Revealed to them then what we have an account of but what is written was only necessarie to be known to us for the pointing out of the Messias It is very unreasonable to think that they who were so Dearly Beloved of GOD Honoured with many Particular Revelations and whose Wisdom and Vertue was more then Ordinary I say it is unreasonable to think that they were left ignorant of a future state Such a thought is injurious to the Love of GOD and also inconsistent with that Character they deserve as questionless they had a Curiosity to know whither there was another better life hereafter So GOD would not refuse to satisfie the same it being very Laudable and
is both lovely in it self and in the eyes of all the World this gains the Hearts and wins the Affections of all Wit Learning Dexterity and Courage will be talkâ—…d of indeed with some Admiration but Bounty and Charity is truly lov'd and Esteemed instances of these do tickle the Fancy chiefly but this really affects the Hearts of all who know it Every ones heart is open to embrace him whose hands are alwayes ready to the relief of the Poor and Miserable every Mouth blesseth him and every tongue speaks of his Praise People honour his Presence Pray for his Life and count it a Blessing and when he is gone hence his memory is dear to them Such an one needs no Brass Statue or Marble Tomb to perpetuate his Name it never rots but lasteth to many Generations and like precious Ointment has still a sweet Savour which refresheth the Spirits of those who smell it The Righteous saith the Psalmist that is the Charitable Man as appears from the context shall be in everlasting remembrance Ps. 112. 6 And how can it be otherwise for Thirdly Charity is a God-like thing it makes a Man truly resemble GOD in the most Lovely of his Attributes if I may be allowed to speak so GOD'S Omnipotence and Omniscience are proper Objects of fear and Reverence but 't is the consideration of his Goodness which especially begets our Love to him yea 't is this which makes him most Glorious therefore when he shewed his Glory to Moses he did it by proclaiming his Name the LORD GOD Merciful and Gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness c. Exod 34. 6. Because Goodness is the chiefest of the Divine Attributes therefore the rest are set on work for the manifestation thereof his Wisdom contrives and his Power Acts that by both he may shew his Goodness his Mercies are over all his Works Now as 't will be acknowledged the Highest Perfection to be like GOD so the best and truest Likeness to him is to study to be good and Merciful as he is Good and Merciful Though we could come to some resemblance of his Wisdom and Power 't would neither endear us to Him nor to others so much as the imitation of his Goodness Who therefore would be Like GOD who are Acted with such an High and holy Ambition let them busie themselves in doing good and according to their Power let them abound in Works of Charity and Mercy For hereby they shall become partakers of the Divine Nature and shall purchase a right to the same Tittles which GOD takes to himself in Scripture and indeed glories in as the Father of Mercies and Comforts the Helper of the helpless the Reliever of the needy such as are distressed c. The half of the Money which some lay out for Worldly Tittles would procure these Divine Designations which are by far preferrable and upon many considerations more Honourable Fourthly this Duty of Charity is most pleasant and taking 't is not more for the Comfort of the distressed then 't is for the satisfaction of the Charitable Man himself wherefore our Saviour said It is more blessed to give then to receive Acts 20. 35. Acts of Bounty and Charity truly rejoice the Heart and fill the Soul with large measures of solid joy there is far more Joy in Spiritual Exercises then in any other other pleasures are but skin deep they are only some Titillations in the Body which soon evanish but the Joy which results from Vertue and Religious exercises peirceth the Heart and causeth the very Spirit to exult and there is in Particular a special Pleasure in doing Good As the desires of doing Good are of all other the Noblest which made a Heathen Poet to call them Sensus pars Optima Nostri so certainly the fulfilling thereof is attended with the Chiefest Satisfaction has a gust and relish proper to delight a Heaven born Soul 'T is but small delight which cometh from dainty Morsels quaffing of Healths for these are Bruitish exercises and inferiour to the Dignity of our Natures But to feed the hungry to afford drink to the thirsty Soul to cloath the naked to comfort those who mourn to save the life which is ready to perish and other the like Charitable deeds are Exercises worthy of GOD himself he delights in them and how can it but delight and rejoyce us to be so Nobly and Divinely imployed If Men have reared up magnificent Structures great Buildings and made fine Gardens about them they are ready to contemplate them with vanity as Nebuchadnedzar did his Babylon saying Is not this great Babylon which I built O how mean a thing is it to be vain of these works which Wind and Weather can deface Storms batter down and time wear out But certainly there is Reason to rejoyce in being instrumental to rear up living fabricks to repair the Temples of the Holy Ghost and to preserve those who are capable to sound forth the praises of GOD to all Eternity If People will but consult their Reason and reflect on their own little Experience they cannot but be perswaded of the unspeakable Pleasure in doing Good in contributing seasonable comfort and relief to their fellow Brethren in being able to step in and pull them out of some Sad Straite or to hold off the weight of a Crosse whose pressure is likely to fill them with excessive grief 'T is only the consideration of this pleasure which makes Worldly Greatness desireable or Supportable for abstracting from this 't is an uselesse burden and a great impertinence which a Wise Man would shun and seek to be rid of Fifthly Acts of Charity and Bounty are most profitable and that upon many Accounts First they are Profitable because hereby the Creatures of GOD are Sanctified to our use and our enjoyment of them becomes Lawful Every creature of GOD is good saith the Apostle and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving 1 Tim 4 4. The Creatures are only good then when thanksgiving is Joined to the use of them which thanksgiving doth consist in a deep sense of GODS Propriety in the Creatures and of his goodness in bestowing them upon us this sense must be expressed not only in Words but Deeds The violating the Signs of GODS Dominion over the Creatures brought a curse upon them for this cause the Earth was cursed to us and this curse is not removed but by returning to our Allegiance by making an acknowledgement of GOD'S Right and Dominion in paying the Tribute which is due and which he requires The neglect of this keeps GOD from blessing our enjoyments this is the reason why some as the Prophet Haggai speaks sow much and bring little eat but have not enough drink but are not filled with drink Cloath themselves but are not warm earn wages but 't is put as 't were into a bagge with holes Hag 1 6 And as the giving GOD his due sanctifieth the Creatures by taking
do for us and how many things he may contrive and make to occur for relieving us out of the Straits and Troubles we fall into But for preventing Mens mistakes it will not be amiss to add a Caution and it is this That we do not think that we are only beholden to GOD and his Providence when we meet with such extraordinary occurrences for GOD must still be acknowledged the Author of all our Comforts when they come to us in wayes Ordinar and Common as well as when they are brought about by Miraculous Means and Methods He is the Preserver of our Life and Health when we Eat Drink and Sleep no less then if we should live without either of these Our Prosperity is to be ascribed to him when it follows our Diligence and Industry in our Imployments no less then when it falls out by Wayes and Methods extraordinary and unthought of to convince us of which GOD doth sometimes blast Natural Means for that shews the Effects doth not wholly depend upon them And as GOD must still be acknowledged the Author of all the good we enjoy by what ever Means or Instruments it comes to us so we must not expect any extraordinary manifestation of his favour and Providence but in extraordinary cases that is to say when ordinary means and methods fail and that such special and singular instances of the Divine Power and goodness are requisitâ—… for Supporting a staggering Faith and the engaging our selves and others to a chearfull dependance upon GOD in times of Trouble and Calamity And though even in these cases GOD should not interpose himself thus extraordinarly on our behalf yet there were no Reason to complain of the Want of special Care of us we must not think they are all deserted of GOD who do not find Miraculous help and relief upon the want of Ordinary Means for GOD may see it as much for their Spiritual good to leave them in these straits and difficulties then it would be for their temporal good to be relieved out of them so his Love is as great the one way as the other But thirdly though the Divine Presence should not thus signally manifest it self in procuring External Successes and Advantages yet it rendereth one happy in that Peace and Tranquillity Joy and Gladness doth ever flow from it and the sense thereof Inward Peace and Contentment and Gladness of Heart every man covets but few rightly understand where or how it is to be had It doth not flow from an abundance of Temporal things and an Affluence of Worldly enjoyments one may have as much of these as heart can wish and yet be without inward peace and Satisfaction and however it is but a weak and brittle peace a very slender comfort which a man can suck from these outward and perishing enjoyments when these things are not considered as tokens and expressions of the Divine Favour they can yield no more but vanity and vexation of Spirit as Soloman proves by his manifold experiences True Peace and Joy can be built upon no other foundation then GOD Himself it results only from the enjoyment of him and a sense and Assurance of his Favour and Love if he be with us he both can and will give us a Peace which the whole World cannot give and which none can take from us Thou will keep him saith the Prophet in perfect Peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Isa. 26. 3 when others were earnestly craving and gaping for this and the other Worldly delight saying who will shew us any good David prayes seriously LORD lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us And he adds the reason why he desired this so much above all other things because saith he Thou hast put Gladness in my heart more then in the time that their Corn and Wine encreased Psal. 4. 6. 7. That is he had more Joy from GOD'S Presence Favour then Men use to have in the time of Harvest when all things most abound with them This Peace and Comfort which GOD giveth is not necessarily annexed to outward Plenty and Prosperity nor alwayes attended with it There may be outwardly nothing but Want and Poverty Sickness and Distress Trouble and Affliction and yet even in this case GOD may inwardly afford a joy unspeakable and a peace which passeth all understanding Wherefore Christ tells his Disciples that in the World they should have trouble but in me ye shal have peace as if he had said be not afraid for the trouble you meet with in the World shall not bereave you of that peace I promise and therefore also Solomon saith Prov. 14. 14. That a good man shall be satisfied from himself that is his satisfaction comfort depends not on External enjoyments or things without him but he can draw it from within through the intimat presence of GOD which doth alwaies attend him And thus you see how desireable a thing the Presence of GOD is and how happy he must needs bewhom GOD is with Wherefore let all of us be so wise as to imitat Iacob to seek this in the first place and to prefer it before all things Let us Pray to GOD that he may be with us and even convenant with him as Iacob doth here for this end that in him and by him we may be supported Doth not our experience tell every one of us that we are not able to sustaine our selves and that we must be propt and upholden or else we cannot choose but droup and fall Man is like unto the Hop or Ivie and such other weak Plants which cannot stand of themselves nor bear their own weight but must have something to lean to How miserable would we be if we were left to our selves and destitute of all external help how insignificant would one be if he had no other supplies but what he could furnish from and by himself We have certainly no sufficiency or subsistence of our selves and therefore we ought to cleave unto him who only can stay and support us If we lay the stress and comfort of our Souls upon any other thing besides GOD it will be but like the Hop or Ivie's clasping about a Thistle or Nittle for want of an Oake which brings both to the ground Alas the generality of the World trust to the Creatures And how foolish a thing is it For they prove to them as the staffof Egypt which the Prophet compares to a broken reed whereon if a man lean it will go unto his hand and pierce it Isa 36 6. The Creatures and all things in the World of themselves are but fleeting vanities and so must needs be but miserable comforters they are not durable and though they were yet they are not sufficient not stedable to all ends and purposes they are so far from lessening ones vanity that oft-times they encrease it so far from easing his mind or supporting his burden that they produce â—…ome more vexation
a filial fear such a fear as a Son carrieth to his Father whom he loveth dearly a fear which breedeth love and delight which makes a Man to rejoyce in God and glad that he is whereas the other fear makes one wish there were no God and is inconsistent with love and doth fill one with dread and horrour Of which kind of Fear it is that the Apostle speaketh when he saith There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment he that feareth is not made perfect in love 1 John 4 18. This true Fear of GOD is founded upon his Nature and doth proceed from the right Knowledge of GOD and a deep Sense of his Glorious Attributes and Perfections Some say Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion But it is quite contrarie for the more one knows of GOD and the greater apprehensions he hath of these infinite excellencies which are in him the more he both Fears and Loves Him and therefore it is we find that those to whom God revealed himself most did ever Fear him most Abraham and Moses seemed to have had GOD in greater reverence then all other Men because they were most intimate with Him and certainlie the Angels in Heaven do yet Fear him more then any the most eminent Saint upon Earth because they see him more clearlie and know him more fully For it is certain the more ones worth and perfection is known it is alwayes the more valued and esteemed and as there is no Love nor Desire of a good unknown so it is a small regard which any can have to the Worth and Perfections which they are Ignorant off Wherefore that we may be possessed with the true fear of God it is necessary that we get the right knowledge of Him we must learn what he is and how great he is we must furnish our minds with true and proper nations of his Almighty Power his unsearchable wisdom his infinite goodness his unspotted holiness his admirable greatness his unspeakable glory his strict and severe justice and his Soveraign Dominion over all things which made David to say my flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements Psal 119. 120. I say we should labour to know these things and should let them have a deep impression on our Spirits and should ever bear the Sense of them about with us or else we can never truely fear God And as this is the way to come to the true fear of God so it expresseth it self alwayes in two things viz. 1. in reverence towards his Name and Person 2ly in a care not to offend him First if we truly fear God we will highly honour and reverence Him and that both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly by having him in a high Esteem and thinking upon him alwayes with a holy regard and Humble Deference When ever God comes into our mind or that we present our selves before him our Spirit should be struck into fear and â—…w we should lay aside all Vanity and Lightness and become Grave Serious and Composed as is sutable to so High and Holy a presence The serious Thoughts of God should make us stoop and humble our selves and be very submissive when we consider God and his Greatness we should strip our selves of all Pride and Self-conceit and look upon our selves and all things else as little and inconsiderable yea as very nothing for what else are we or any Creature nay all Creatures together when compared to God Behold saith the Prophet the Nations are as the drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the Ballance behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him less then nothing and vanity he sitteth upon the circle of the Earth and the inhabitants thereof are as Grashoppers Isai 40 15 17 22. They who are proud of themselves or big with conceit of any other thing do either not know God or they doe little reflect upon him for as the lesser Stars disappear when the Sun ariseth and as the Diamond doth obscure with its brightness the Peeble and counterfeit Stones when it is set beside them so certainly when God is seriously considered and thought upon he will make all things appear small and inconsiderable the sense of his Greatness and Glory will cast a shadow upon the Beautie Lustre Excellencie even of the best of other things The Right fear of GOD will not suffer him who hath it to be proud but doth alwayes fill him with low and mean thoughts of himself and with a high esteem of God and greater reverence for him yea also it maketh a Man to admire the least Act of Favour and Condescension which cometh from GOD. Thus we find Abraham humbled himself when he talked with GOD and shewed what a high esteem he had of him behold saith he Now I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD which am but dust and ashes Gen 18 27. Iob likewise when he had a clear Sight of GOD he was base in his own eyes behold I am vain saith he what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth And again I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eyes seeth thee wherefore I abhorre my self and repent in dust and ashes Iob 40 4 42 5. And when David had considered the Heavens the works of God's Fingers the Moon and the Stars and was drawn by them to the consideration of of the greatness of the Maker he presently looks down with contempt and disdain upon himself and all Mankind and admires GOD'S Goodness unto them Lord saith he what is Man that thou art mindfull of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him Psal. 8 4. Thus it appears that the fear of God doth alwayes make us to reverence and esteem him highly in our minds and thoughts and also to contemn and undervalue our selves and all other things out of respect unto him But as we must thus reverence God Inwardly by studying to have great worthy thoughts of him mean low thoughts of our selves all things besides for his cause so we ought to shew reverence towards him Outwardly by a Grave and Humble deportment of the Outward man before him All reverence of the Divine Majestie must not be confined within us it must sometimes appear without also and certainly if there be much Within there will something of it Kyth Outwardly The Inward Thoughts Sentiments and Inclinations of the Soul are always to be discerned by the Outward behaviour and therefore if we Inwardly fear GOD and reverence him we will discover it both by speaking alwayes of him with great Respect and Deference and also by such Acts and Gestures of the Body when we set about his Worship or present our selves before Him as are proper to express and speak out the sense of that Infinite
doing this our House and Family shall be a little Sanctuary unto GOD who will gracionsly vouchsafe to dwell in them and to establish with us his Comfortable Presence which should afford us greater Peace and quiet and Satisfaction and should prevent those Unnatural Tarres and Disorders which fall out too commonly amongst those of the same Family If GOD were much among them these things would not be and he is not among them because his Name is not called upon nor his Worship observed by them Thirdly we may see by what hath been said how much it is our Duty to frequent the House of of GOD for as it is Religion to erect Churches and Temples so 't is with a Design to use them and to come up unto them to call upon GOD and to hear what he will say to us When Iacob resolved to build GOD an House he did not mean to shut the door thereof and to be a Stranger thereunto but to visit it often that he might have Opportunity of meeting and conversing with His GOD. If civility and kindnesse draw us to the House of our Neighbour and if such as are about Kings Courts be oblidg'd to come and attend the King's person at those hours when the Court opens up or that he presents himself sure we should think our selves much more oblidg'd to come up to the House of GOD and to wait upon him at these times and hours which he hath appointed for meeting with us What a Honour and happinesse is it to have the freedom to stand in his presence and the Liberty to speak unto Him The Psalmist it seems thought it a great happinesse when he cryed out Blessed is the Man whom thou choosest O LORD and causest to approach unto Thee that he may dwell in thy Courts we shall be satisfied with the goodnesse of thy house even of thy holy Temple Ps. 65. 4. And again How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My soul longeth yea fainteth for the Courts of the LORD Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will be still praising thee Ps. 84. Hereby it appears that he looked upon the Priests and Levits as very happy whose Office oblidg'd them to a continuall attendance on GOD'S House their Lot he thought was worthy of his ambition for though he was a King and upon that account might have commanded the Chiefest Pleasures and Delights of the Sons of Men yet he undervalued them all in comparison of the Priviledge of being in GOD'S House A day in thy Courts saith he is better then a thousand I had rather be a door keeper in the house of my GOD then to dwell in tents of Wickedness This favour he sought above all things and preferred before all things as he plainly tells us Ps. 27. 4. where he saith One having have I desired of the LORD that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the dayes of my life to behold the Beauty of the LORD and to enquire in his Temple And certainly whosoever comes up to the House of GOD with a sincere Love to and desire after Him shall receive much Comfort and Good thereby It is not an Honour only but an advantage also to be in GOD'S presence for he still leaves a Blessing behind him and hath expresly promised to meet with us in His House to blesse us as you have it Exod. 20. 24. In token hereof the Ministers of GOD are appointed to blesse in His Name as appeared from Deut. 10. 8. which in all Reason must be extended to Evangelical Ministers seing GOD'S Goodnesse is not narrower but larger then it was of old We are not then to look upon Pastoral Benedictions especially in the solemn assemblies only as intimations of their own good wishes but as Authoritative declarations of the Good will of GOD which are effectuall upon such as are worthy See Mat. 10. 13. Let none therefore withdraw from the House of GOD but let all accept of all Occasions of coming up thereto as David who tells us I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the House of the LORD Ps. 122. 1. For our coming shall not be in vain GOD will not suffer such as sincerely seek him to return without profite I said not to any of the seed of Iacob seek ye Me in vain Isa. 45. 19. They speak Ignorantly and unadvisedly who say they will not be the better by coming to the Church and that they may profite themselves as well at home For seing GOD hath promised to be there such as are truly dispos'd and seek Him in sincerity shall undoubtedly find Him they shall feel the influences of His Spirit moving on their Hearts and shall be made to taste and see his Goodness that by Experience as well as by Reason they may understand it is good for them to draw near to God It is true God is not tyed to the Church or Publick meetings but may will manifest himself to his Servants also in other places yet they are not likeliest to find him at home who stay there out of a contempt of the Church which is the place he himself hath appointed for a Solemn meeting with his People We ought not to despise or neglect those means of Comfort and Happinesse which GOD hath prescribed but to use them Piously and Thankfully waiting humbly upon Him that in and by them he may blesse us 'T is a tempting of GOD to expect or desire he should shew himself or conveigh his blessings by wayes extraordinary while the ordinary means may be had What is better then to find GOD What is more desireable then to receive Expressions of His favour And where shall we seek him Or where may we with greater assurance expect these then where he hath promised to be found to wit in His House and Ordinances Let us then resort thither and we shall find Him whom our Soul Loveth who shall resolve our Doubts and Advise us in the Way we should take he shall ease our Hearts of our Secret Grief comfort us against all our Troubles and shall Refresh us with new Strength and vigour to enable us to endure patiently to the End of our Race that so we may obtain the Crown of life I have known some and I believe 't will be found nothing extraordinary who upon their coming to Church have received a Resolution of their Particular Doubts Comfort for their Particular Troubles and who when they little expected it have had their present Case touched as if the Preacher had mainly aimed at them when yet he neither knew them norintended them Weak Preachers will drop now and then good and usefull Speeches and though their Discourse in the grosse be not Learned nor Eloquent yet sometimes they let fall short sentences which may be and often prove more beneficial then more fine and Elaborat Sermons I have known Digressions in Sermons what is usually termed a running from the
in the Church afterwards and certainly the want hereof is such a defect as doth more then spoile the Beauty of a Church it is a main cause of the decay of all true piety and therefore the ignorance and stubbornness of the Generality of this Nation is much to be lamented which discourage our Governours from Establishing this Dayly Worship of GOD in Towns Cities and other populous Places which I may confidently call a Necessary as well as a Reasonable Service But as we ought thus to hallow every Day by devoting some part thereof to the publick Service of GOD so we are oblidg'd to Sanctify for this end one whole Day in seven viz. the first day of the Week commonly called the Lord's Day partly because of its being peculiarly consecrate to the Service of GOD and partly because of that special Honour whiich the LORD IESUS CHRIST conferred on this Day by his Triumphant resurrection from the Dead which was the Reason for its consecration we should set a part one day of the seven not that this portion appears necessary by Natural Light but because 't was expresly exacted of the Iews and that we are unjust if our expressions of Piety and Devotion towards GOD be lesse then what was sought of them and what oblidgeth us to the observation of the first day particularly is the practice of the Holy Apostles who either had an expresse command for what they did themseves and enjoyned others in the Worship of GOD or were led thereto by the holy Ghost Now their practice in this particular is declared to us Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 2. And is witnessed by a constant universal Tradition of the Church Besides the LORD'S Day no other is strictly necessary to be kept except in obedience to our Rulers Civil and Ecclesiastical who without all question may as well as the Iewish Church and State formerly appoint dayes for the publick Worship and service of GOD upon the account either of some particular emergency wherein Church or State is concerned or of some special Mercy granted them But they ought to be careful neither to burden People with too many such appointments nor yet to give them a disgust by ordering Solemn Dayes upon mean silly accounts if Men be not serious in these Solemn Addresses they are a meer Mockery and Dishonour to GOD and it is impossible to make them Serious when the cause and occasion of them is frivolous and unworthy to be made the matter of Divine Worship And so the Church of Rome has miserably transgressed for first she hath so multiplied her Fasts and Festivals that the number of them almost exceeds the dayes of the Year the year would need to be enlarg'd if all their Holy Dayes should be distinctly and exactly keept And though it be pretended that all are not required to observe each of them yet there be too many imposed upon every person and every place so that the French King was necessitate to deall with the Pope lately for the dispensing with a great many in his Kingdom Again the Church of Rome is not only to blame for enjoyning such an intollerable burden of dayes but also because the Reason of these injunctions for the most part are frivolous scarce worthy of a Man's serious attention much lesse of being the matter and occasion of solemn Devotions as for example the invention of some pitiful Relicts the dedication of Bells some ridiculous passage of their Legendary Saints c. and as most of their Holy-dayes are in honour of their Saints so the most of their Saints according to their own relation did nothing memorable their lives are more Foolish and impertinent then Old Wives Fables or the Tales of Children as we might shew by several instances did we not fear to be tedious But leaving this we come next to speak to the Nature of this Worship which should be payed unto GOD publickly and to shew the Particulars whereof it should consist which ought especially to be considered And First as to the General nature of this Worship it must first answer the end thereof which is the Glory of GOD the Celebration and Praise of his Greatness Wisdom Goodness and other Glorious perfections that the Souls of the Worshippers may be enflamed with the love of GOD and that they may be excited to Fear Trust and Obey Him 2ly It must be agreeable to the Will and Mind of GOD and altogether free of what he hath forbidden or signified his displeasure with otherwayes it will be so far from being acceptable that it will be very abominable 3ly It must not only contain all the parts of Natural Religion but besides carry Characters of the Gospel for it is not only Reasonable but Necessary that the Worship of GOD be Regulate by special dispensations of his Grace and made to expresse the particulars of such Dispensations the Iews were required to Worship God in a different Manner from what is discernable by Natural Light and so those who believe the Truth and Mysteries of the Christian Religion must have a Peculiar Worship that is distinct from such as own no Revelation or only that of the old Testament Fourthly from these considerations it follows that Christians must Worship GOD together in spirit and Truth For so our Saviour directed us Iohn 4. 23. Where he saith The hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth For the Father seeketh such to Worship him GOD is a Spirit and they that Worship must Worship him in Spirit and Truth Which words whither we consider them abstractly in a general notion as delivering a certain Natural Truth or with a reference to the way of Worshipping GOD then usual in the World I say which way so ever we consider them they teach us that GOD will now be Worshipped not by a Multitude of carnal and external Observances or a number of Mysterious and almost unintelligible rites and Ceremonies as the Gentiles used to doe and as he thought fit for a time to impose upon the Iews But by actions of a Spiritual Nature and whose signification and use is Reasonable and easily understood The Law considered Men as in a weak Infant State and so prescribed a Worship sutable to such a State but the Gospel endeavours to bring us to the full Stature of perfect Men and considers us as such and therefore our way of worshipping GOD now must speak out more perfect Reason and understanding The worship required of Christians is not a Pompous shew of Ceremonies which may affect Children or Childish Persons but Real and Substantial expressions of Faith Love Fear Ioy and Confidence in GOD There must not be more or other Ceremonies used in the Worship of GOD then what is requisite for Order and Decency or necessary to Excite and Fix the inward attention of our minds for that is not True or proper Worship which is wholly External and doth not come