crowd in And so it is many times with the Soul that when it opens the door for some good thought a great many evill thoughts will crowd in those people might come in if they would stay their time but they should not now come in So about worldly businesses that are not in themselves unlawful if they will stay the time they may come in but they must be bar'd out now at this time There is required strength of Intention 2 Secondly strength of Affection is required also That is the affections must work mightily after God striving with God in Prayer If ever thou hadst a heart inflam'd in any thing it should be when thou art praying or attending upon the Word as the Heathens that worshipped the Sun sometimes I have told you that they would not have a Snail but a flying-Horse they would offer that that was swift so when we come to the living God we must have living affections our affections boyling and that will be the way to cure vain thoughts as the flies will not come to the hony if it be boyling hot but when it is cold So if the heart be boyling hot and the affections a working it will keep out vain thoughts and temptations It is a sign of the breath of life when it is warm but artificial breath you know it is cold as now the breath that comes out of the body that is warm but the breath that comes out of a pair of bellows that is cold So the breath of many people in prayer it is discovered to be but artificial breath because it is so cold but if there were spiritual life then it would be warm There must be strength of affection 3 Thirdly There must be likewise the strength of all the Faculties We should stir up whatever we are or have or can do to work in prayer then the bent of mind and conscience and will and affection yea and the body should be put to too and those that worship God to purpose they spend their bodies in nothing so much as in the worshipping of God It will be a sad thing another day when this shall be charged upon many Thou hast spent the strength of thy body upon lusts but when didest thou spend any strength of the body about any holy duty What a riddle is this to most people to tell them of spending the strength of their bodies in prayer or hearing of the Word or Sanctifying a Sabbath they think the Sabbath is a time of rest I confess it is a time of rest from an outward labour but it is a time of spending strength in a spiritual way and those that shall worship God aright on the Sabbath will find is a spending of a great deal of rength and blessed is that strength that is spent in the Worship of God raâ—her than in the waies of sin as most spend their strength If Gods gives thee a heart to spend thy strength in his worship thou mayest think thus Lord thou mightest have left me to have spent my strength in sin how much better is it spent in the worshipping of thy Name There is one notable Scripture in Jer. 8.2 that shews how much strength the Idolaters put forth in the worshipping of their Idol they would not do it in a sight and vain way but their hearts were much in that false worship saith the text And they shall spread them before the Sun and the Moon and all the host of Heaven mark now whom they have lived and whom they have served and after whom they have walked and whom they have sought and whom they have worshipped All these are put together in reference to their Idols Oh that it could be said so of us in reference to God when we come to worship him whom we have loved and whom we have served and after whom we have walked and whom we have sought and whom we have worshipped there is all these several expressions to shew the strength of their Spirits in following after their Idols And that is the Fift thing in our Sanctifying Gods Name 6 The Sixth is If thou wilt Sanctifie Gods Name in Worship there must be an humble frame of Spirit worship him with much humility of Soul Abraham did fall upon the ground before the Lord and dust and ashes saith he hath begun to speak unto thee yea we read of Jesus Christ groveling upon the earth and the Angels they cover their faces in the presence of God and so should we be humble when we come before the Lord there is nothing more abases the Soul of man than the sight of God and the great reason of the pride of all mens hearts is because they never knew God If thou didest but see God thy heart must needs be abased and when doth the Soul see God if not when it comes to worship him In Job 42. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now my eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Now this humility must be in the sense of our own meanness and baseness Psa 34.6 This poor man cryed to God They are poor Souls that come into Gods presence that Sanctifie Gods Name most even those Souls that do apprehend and are sencible of their own baseness and meanness before God This poor man cryed to God we use to say Give that poor man somewhat It doth affect the heart of God when he sees much poverty of Spirit when we come before him we must be sencible of our infinite dependance upon God Come as the woman of Canaan O Lord even dogs do receive crums and though I be a dog yet let me receive crums here is humility of Spirit Now this humility of Spirit appears in these things 1 First admiring Gods goodness that we do live at this time and that we have liberty to come before him we might have been past praying and worshipping of God think thus What a Mercy is it that we are not banished out of Gods presence that the Lord hath not spurnd us out of his sight as filth and cast us out as an everlasting abhorring while others have bin praying we might have bin yelling under the wrath of the eternal God Come with this apprehension of thy self and adore Gods goodness that thou art alive to pray and alive to hear Gods Word And that it is not only a duty but a rich priviledge and mercy that God will admit of thee to come into his presence Again it is the goodess of God that he will vouchsafe to look upon the things that are done in heaven then if the Lord doth humble himself to behold the things that are done in heaven then how doth the Lord humble himself to behold me a poor vile cative as I am in my self and yet that God should not only behold me before him but invite me to come into his presence What mercy and goodnesse is this 2 Our hearts must be taken off
that have no mind to the duties of the Worship of God but love the Commission of sin you neglect Gods Worship you were wont to Worship Him in a constant way in your closets and families but now you grow more loose and so you grow more dead every day than other you go off from God more and more Surely there can be no good to neglect Gods Worship And those that are loth to Worship God because they cannot Worship Him as they ought from this Point it appears plainly That there can be no good gotten by neglecting Gods Worship for it is departing from God whatsoever plea there may be by any temptation to neglect Gods Worship certainly there is danger in it and therefore never listen to any such temptation as shall draw your hearts from the duties of Gods Worship There are a generation of wantons in these times that make little matter of continuing the duties of Gods Worship they were wont constantly to worship God and to attend upon the Word but now it is nothing to them and they are even ready to thank God for it that they make not such conscience as they were wont to do in the duties of the Worship of God It may be they will say That heretofore some slavish terror did carry them on in the duties of Gods Worship more than the understanding of the freeness of the grace of God would admit of But shall the understanding of the freedom of the grace of God carry thee on lesse than thy slavish terror did Oh blind and wanton spirit that knowest not the waies of God nor the freeness of the grace of God nor the riches of it Oh what a dishonour art thou to Jesus Christ and to the freeness of His grace that thou canst go up and down from day to day and never worship God! Did Jesus Christ come into the world to that end for to cause thee to depart more from God 'T is plain out of the Word That the duties of Gods Worship are those duties whereby the soul comes to draw nigh to God And I beseech you Brethren observe these men whether there be that Holiness in their lives that Spiritualness as there was wont to be No you shall find them by degrees to grow loose yea run sometimes into grose sins grow many times to lying and deceiving and to drunkenesse and company-keeping yea to worse things by degrees Perhaps they are at first ready to say Is thy Servant a dead Dogge that I should do this But by departing from God they grow dead to Holy duties we find it by experience That the professors of Religion have not that Holiness Heavenlyness Spiritualnes as they were wont to have in former times no merveil for now they keep not so nigh to God as they were wont You that are Sea-men and Travelours sometimes you are neer the Sun and then you are hot but the further off the Sun you go you grow to be colder and colder And so those that neglect the Worship of God they go from warm Sun they go from the light of Gods Countenance and from the presence of God and so they grow cold and chill and by degrees they grow to prophaness and it is to be feared that many of them wil grow to meer Athisme Another Use is this A Use of Exhortation that we would be encouraged to Worship God and to be much in the Worship of God In Heb. 10.22 Let us draw neer saith the Text Who would not draw neer to God Oh what a good thing is it to be in the presence of God! Is not the Lord the fountain of thy life Is it not a sweet thing to be in his presence We think it a sweet thing to be in the presence of godly men Oh that we might alwaies live with such men and be nigh them That Martyr Docter Taylor rejoyced in this That ever he came into Prison to be acquainted with that Angel of God holy Master Bradford and as I remember some among the heathens that profest they would rather be in prison with Calo than be in the greatest glory with some other It is a blessed thing to be in the presence of God to be with him that is the God of our lives and the fountain of all good let us draw nigh to God often let us know that it is a mercy that we may draw nigh to God we might have been banished from the presence of the Lord long e're this time This is that that the happiness of the glorious Church is set out by in Rev. 22.4 They shall see his face and his Name shall be in their foreheads This is the priviledge of the Church And that it is such a blessing to draw nigh to God you may see it by that in Eph. 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one spirit unto the Father Through him Through Christ we have access by one Spirit unto the Father and now saith he Ye that were strangers and forreiners are made fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and vers 13. But now by Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were a far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ and you have access through Christ So our coming nigh to God is such a priviledge as cost the blood of Christ and will not you improve it You were far off in your natural condition but now you are nigh through his blood Lay but this text warm to your hearts this morning That I that was far off am made nigh by the blood of Christ made nigh to God it will be a means for ever to draw your hearts to all those waies whereby you may draw neerest to God And by drawing nigh to God often you will come to increase your graces abundantly your graces how will they act the presence of God will draw forth the acts of grace as the presence of the fire draws forth our heat so the presence of God will draw forth our graces And by this means we come to live most holy lives We read of Moses he was upon the mountain forty daies with God and when he came down his face did so shine that the people were not able to bear it What 's the reason it was from hence because he was so nigh to God would you have your faces to shine in a holy conversation before men converse much with God be often with God be nigh to him and that will make you shine as lights in the middest of a crooked and perverse generation We find it so with some that converse much with God there is a shine upon their very countenances And further it is a special sign of our adoption to love to be nigh to God What should a Child love most but to be in the presence of his Father Would you know whether you have received the Spirit of adoption yea or no I can hardly give you any one sign so cleer as
How often would I have have gathered thee as a Hen gathereth her Chickings There are a company of Kites abroad in the world and we are poor shiftless creatures now how happy are we then if we can run under the shaddow of Gods wing there is a kind of shaddow in the presence of God in the enjoyment of the creature but the shaddow of God that we have in His Worship that is as the shadow of His wing There is the shadow of a Tree and that may help from some kind of troubles but there 's another manner of shadow under the shadow of the wing of the Hen because that nourishes the Chickin The men of the world they have the shadow of the Tree as it were Gods general Providence which is over all Creatures but the Saints of God that draw nigh to God they have the shadow of Gods wing like the shadow of the Hens wing to the Chickin which doth comfort it and safegard it Let us by the duties of Worship thus draw nigh to God and keep nigh unto Him SERMON III. LEVITICUS 10.3 Stepney Nov. 30. 1645. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me I WILL onely adde one Particular more to what we said the last day and then proceed If in the duties of Worship we are nigh to God then hence appears the great honor that God puts upon His Servants that do Worship Him Certainly the Worshippers of God have great Honor put upon them because the Lord vouchsafes them to draw nigh unto Him they are such as are precious and honorable in His eyes I will not enlarge my self in this only give you three Scriptures that shew the great honour and respect that God puts upon those that He doth admit to come and Worship Him The first Scripture is in Deut. 4.17 There Moses speaking of the People of Israel and the great respect that God shewed to them more than others for saith he What Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon Him for What Nation is there so great as you are So great How doth it appear that the Nation of Israel is a greater Nation than other Nations are How That hath God so nigh unto them in all things that they call upon Him for herein any man or woman or Nation may be said to be great that is greatly honored by the Lord God in that they have the Lord nigh unto them and they are nigh unto Him here 's the greatness of a Nation You would think that if one would describe the greatness of a Nation it should be in their great Wealth their great Trading and Traffique that they have and the Fertile place that they live in No this is not the greatness of a Nation But what Nation is there so great that hath the Lord God so nigh to them There 's the greatness of a Nation and so a Spiritual heart would account greatness to consâ—st in having God to be nigh unto it The Second Scripture is in Num. 16.9 There we have Moses speaking unto the Sons of Korah rebuking them for their sin and he brings this aggravation to them of the greatness of their sin saith he Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you neer to Himself That is That you should come to Worship Him Is this a small thing to you Is not this honor enough As if Moses should have said Why do you contend for any more Honor the Lord hath separated you to bring you neer to Himself Object This you will say was spoken to the Priests Answ But it may be said of every gracious Soul for every Beleever Christ hath made a King Priest and Prophet unto Himself now there is no Beleever but Jesus Christ hath separated him or her from the rest of the world to be neer unto God This is the dignity that God hath put upon thee that thou art seperated by His grace to be one neer to Him whereas others of the world they depart from Him continually depart more and more from Him but I say the Lord by His grace hath set thee apart for Himself as He saith in Psal 4.3 The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself Thou art seperated from the world To what end It is that thou mightest be neer to Him this is thy priviledge and thou shouldest account it thy great honor thou hast not that honour and respect in the world as others have but thou art one of Gods seperate Ones that thou art neer to Him A Third Scripture is in Psal 33.28 There you may see how the Prophet David did highly esteeme of that great Honour that the Lord did put upon him in this in being neer to God But it is good for me to draw neer to God Mark how he speaks But it is good for me Why For loe they that are far from thee shall perish thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee As if he should say There are some that did seeme to be neer unto thee heretofore that were as the wife to the husband but they are gone a whoring from thee base Hypocrits base Apostats they are gone a whoring from thee their hearts being carnall they did not find that Contentment and satisfaction in thy Worship as thy Saints do and therefore they are gone a whoring from thee but it is good for mee to draw neer to thee It is an excellent Scripture Do you see any young ones or others that were very forward not many years ago and would speak of good things and seem to rejoyce in the word but now they are gone a whoring they are departed from God and His wayes and the pleasures of the flesh hath taken their hearts Thou wilt destroy them saith David that go a whoring from thee So thou shouldest think with thy 〈◊〉 Oh miserable is the condition of those who once were forward in the profession of Religion and now are gone a whoring from God But it is good for me to draw neer to God they are gone from thee and that wilt destroy them but it is good for me to draw neer to thee I bless my self in drawing neer to thee the Lord and bless the time that ever I did draw neer to thee and that ever I knew those waies wherein my soul hath drawn neer to God Such as Worship God aright and do delight in the worship of God they are such as have a great honor put upon them they do draw nigh to God And thus we have finished the first Point The Second Point is that will hold us sometime and that is The Sanctifying Gods Name in our drawing neer to God When we Worship God we draw nigh to Him but let us take heed how we draw nigh Heb. 10.12 Let us draw neer with a true heart
see what the Lord saith of Jehoshaphat that was godly Nevertheless there are good things found in thee in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land and hast prepared thine heart to seek God Jehoshaphat was found guilty in joyning himself to wicked men too much the Prophet comes and saith to him Wouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. Jehoshaphat here we see was very faulty in joyning with those that were wicked and is rebuked by the Prophet from the Lord What wilt thou joyne with the wicked the wrath of God is upon thee Well but for all that I beseech you observe it That at that time when the Lord is most displeased against Jehoshaphat and sends His Prophet in His Name to pronounce this that the wrath of God is out against him yet for all this God cannot but take notice of this that he had an upright heart though he failed in that particular yet there is some good found in thee in that thou hast prepared thy heart to seek God Indeed through some sudden temptations thou art drawn aside in this particular act Yea but it hath been thy care to prepare thy heart to seek me and in that regard I do look upon thee as having an upright heart And thus you see how much the Scripture puts upon the preparation of the heart to seek God And so in 1 Sam. 7.3 you shall find that the Scripture makes the uprightness of the heart to consist in this And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel saying If ye do returne unto the Lord with all your hearts what then Then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve Him only As if Samuel should say If you will returne indeed to the Lord if indeed your hearts be upright according to what you seeme to professe in turning to God Then prepare your hearts to seek the Lord. You do not in truth turne to God except you make conscience to prepare your hearts Therefore you that yet never knew what it was to make conscience to prepare your hearts for holy duties know that you have not turned with all your heart unto the Lord there hath not been the true turning of your hearts unto the Lord. Thus you see there is much lies upon preparation to the duties of Gods Worship Wel you wil say seeing thâ—re lâ—es sâ— much in it I pray open it wherein it doth â—â—nâ—iâ— To that I Answer it consists in these five things which 〈◊〉 bâ—t sly â—ame First In the possessing the heart with the right apprehension of that God before whom we come to tender our duties Then do we make conscience to prepare our hearts when we labour upon our going to Worship God to get our hearts before hand possessed with right apprehensions of the Majesty of that God that we are going to Worship and of the greatness and weight of the duty that we are setting about the nature of it the manner how it is to be performed the rule by which we are to be guided the end that we are to aime at Meditation is a good preparation to holy duties And these are the general heads of our me ditation for our preparation to duty Viz. What God He is we have to deal with meditate of God n his Attributes and then meditate of the weight of our duties and the nature of them and the rule of them and the end of them get your hearts possessed with meditations of this nature and in this as a special thing doth consist your preparation to holy duties and that 's the first thing 2 The Second thing wherein the preparation to a duty consists it is in this In the taking off of the heart from every sinfull way the endeavour at least If there be iniquity in thine hand or heart labour to put it out When thou art come into Gods presence Do not bring into the presence of God the love of any sin in thine heart but labour to put it from thy heart In 2 Chron. 29.5 We find there what is required to preparation the Text saith Hezekiah said unto them Hear me ye Levites Sanctifie now your selves and sanctifie the house of the Lord God of your fathers and carry forth the filthiness out of the Holy place that is sanctifying a thing to carry forth the filthynesse out of that thing that we would sanctifie So the sanctifying of our hearts it is by carrying forth the filthiness out of our hearts so as to be fit for a duty And in Job 11.13.14 If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand towards him what then If iniquity be in thy hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwel in thy tabernacles These two must be together 3. A Third thing is this The Preparation of the heart it is the dis-intangling of the heart from the world and from all occasions and businesses in the world I am to Worship God but how is my heart insnared and intangled in this and the other businesse Now when I come to worship God I must lay aside all for there 's the preparation of the heart the separating of it for such a work for that 's the nature of Sanctification the separating of a thing from a common use I am to worship God now I must labour to seperate my heart from a common use At other times God gives me liberty to let out my heart to common uses but now when I come to worship Him I must separate my heart from all common uses that my heart may be wholly for God I remember it is said in the story of Cicil which was Lord-Treasurer that when he went to reade he would lay his gown off and say Lie there Lord Cicil So when we go to duty we should say Lie by world and by laying aside the world I mean laying aside of al houshold affairs or affairs in trading c. I must be as one that hath nothing to do in the world for that time It is true the time cannot be said to be holy for this as the time of the Sabbath day is holy You will say Why may not any time be said to be holy that I spend in holy duties No that is not enough to make time holy for the time that God makes holy it is not holy because of the duties that I performe in it but the duties that I perform then are more acceptable because they are done in such a time and so that makes a place holy not because it is appointed for holy duties and uses but because it is so appointed by God and the performing a duty in that place is more acceptable to God than in another place But now though we cannot make our time holy in that second sense yet in the first it is time set apart for a holy use and in that
is prepared to duties there the Lord will pass by weaknesses and imperfections in duties When thou comest to perform holy duties thou art troubled will the Lord have regard to such a duty as this is thou mayest have certain assurance that the Lord will have regard if thou canst make this point good to thine own soul that it was thy care to make preparation for this duty canst thou say Lord I have indeavoured and done what I could to fit my heart for duty but O Lord I find when I am at it wonderful distractions much deadness and vanity what shall I do Why canst thou make good the former and appeal to God that indeed it was thy care to make preparation I 'le give thee one Scripture then for the quieting of thy heart in this That the weakness of the duty shall be pardoned and past by where there is care to prepare before hand the Scripture is in 2 Chron. 30.18 19. But Hezekiah prayed for them saying The good Lord pardon every one what every one every one that prepareth his heart to seek the Lord God of his fathers though he be not clensed according to the purification of the Sancttuary As if he should say Oh Lord there are many things amiss in this people they are not in many regards purified according to the order that thou hast set but Lord if thou doest but see any heart prepared to seek thee though they fail in such particulars Lord heal them and pardon them and did God hearken to his prayer Mark the following words And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people Nay saith God I will not stand so much upon the purification of the Sanctuary if they have prepared their hearts to seek me Take this Scripture know it 's written for thy instruction and thou mayest make use of it to thine own soul this day if thou canst appeal to God that thou art careful to prepare thy heart though thou shouldest not have that pureness of thy heart as thou doest desire the Lord will pardon thee and heal thee make conscience of Preparation to holy duties Again further by being careful to make Preparation for duties within some little time thou wilt bring thy heart to such a frame as it will alwaies be ready for duty without much ado Indeed at first it is somewhat hard You will say Are we bound to spend some time every time we go to prayer before hand or every time we come to the Word That should have been one of the Cases of Conscience but I cannot come to Answer that but this we may say Be careful to prepare for duties you that are young beginners or you that have made profession a longer time but yet have not had the weight of this duty upon your spirits now be careful for a while to prepare for every duty of Gods Worship that God cals you to and I say within a little time thou mayest bring thy heart into such a temper as thou mayest be ready at all times to performe holy duties because you shall be able to come to that temper and frame that the Apostle exhorts to Pray continually for indeed so it should be with us we should be alwaies prepared either for Prayer hearing the Word or receiving Sacraments Now because Sacraments are so rare those that have any enlightened conscience they think they dare not but prepare for Sacraments but you should be alwaies in a preparation for the receiving of the Sacraments as the Primitive Chriâ—tian did And those that have been acquainted with this Point that I am upon of preparing for duties they have come to such a frame of Spirit as that there is not so much time required of them as of others for they are in a constant fitness so that there is no instant of time in the whole day but if God cals them to prayer they could presently fall down upon their knees and pray so as to sanctifie Gods Name in Prayer that were an excellent temper indeed if you could find it so that you walk so spiritually and holily before God as there could be never a quarter of an hour from morning to night nor from the beginning of the week to the end but if you were cal'd to pray or to receive the Sacrament you had your heart fitted that you could come into Gods presence with a prepared heart and were able to sanctifie Gods Name in the duty Acquaint your selves with this work of Preparation and so you may have hearts fitted to come into Gods presence at any time SERMON III. LEVITICUS 10.3 Stepney Decem. 7. 1645. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE Proceed now to what remains There are only for the perfecting of this Point two Cases of conscience to be resolved And then we are to proceed to other things The first is Whether we ought at all times to set apart some time for preparation to every duty of Gods Worship Secondly Suppose we do not find our hearts prepared as we do desire Whether it were better to leave off the duty than perform it For the first of these Viz. Whether we are alwaies bound to set some time apart for preparation to the duty that we are to perform The Answer to that is this we must distinguish of persons There are some that are exercised in the way of godliness and do keep their hearts close with God in the wayes of holiness now for them it may be supposed that through their exercise in the waies of godliness and keeping of their hearts constant with God in communion with Him walking with God closely that they are at all times prepared to every good work and fitted to fulfil that command of the Apostle Pray continually that is in the disposition of their hearts they are fit to pray at any time there is no day in the week nor no hour in the day but they if God call them to it could fall down to solemn prayer And indeed this is an excellent condition and a good evidence of the hearts walking close with God that there is no time but they are fit to pray and fit for any Ordinance yea to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper It is possible to keep the heart so close to God as to be fit for Prayer and for the Hearing of the Word and for Receiving of the Sacrament every day or any hour in the day but this needs a very close walking with God and communion with God and the truth is this is very rare most men let out their hearts so much to other things as their consciences cannot but tell them that if God cal them to prayer at such a time in the day they are altogether unfit for it If they were called to receive the Sacrament their consciences would fly in their faces and tel them they are unfit for it but it is not so with those that walk close with God though they be in
the world You will say If a man have business in the world how can this be Yes though they have business in the world yet they carry the Heavenliness of their hearts along with them Our Conversation is in Heaven saith the Apostle Phil. 3. Now the word that is translated our conversation it is a word that signifies our City converse our trading is in Heaven When we go to the City or the Exchange or about any business yet our trading is alwaies in Heaven But now there are other sorts of people that had need at all times to look to their hearts in way of preparation As First Those that first set upon the duties of Religion young beginners that begin at first to set their faces towards Heaven to worship God they had need look to their hearts they should spend some time in Preparation when they come to holy duties and the truth is when the conscience of a man or woman is at first enlightened and awakened they will be very carefull in preparing to holy duties the fear of God it is mighty upon their spirits at first and it should not be less afterward the constancy of Gods fear should bring their hearts to such a holy temper as to make them fit for holy duties alwaies Secondly Those men and women that at any time shall sin against conscience shall commit such sins as shall in a kind even lay wast Conscience shall break their peace between God and their souls they had need spend some time in preparation for holy duties they cannot come into the presence of God to enjoy communion with God but they had need before hand be very serious in the examination of their hearts and to endeavour the working of their hearts into mourning for their sinne and to labour to possesse their souls with the presence of God even before they come These two sorts of people such as have not been acquainted with the wayes of godliness or such as have broken their peace with God by some evill carriage of theirs towards God in some vile way I say it is required of them to be more solemne in the worke of Preparation 2 But now for the Second Case which indeed is the main Suppose when we come to duties and begin to examine our hearts and begin to bethink our selves whether we be prepared yea or no to holy duties and we do not find our hearts prepared according to that that we do desire Whether then we may let the duty go for that time and forbear the performance of it as suppose Prayer or receiving the Sacrament or coming to the Word or any other holy duty And the reason of this doubt is because when any man or woman is consciencious they think with themselves that they must Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties now if they cannot find their hearts in a fit disposition to sanctify the Name of God in holy duties they are ready to think thus Were it not better to neglect his duty and lay it aside for the present Will God accept of a duty when I perform it and am not fit for it Therefore for the answer to this because it is a temptatation that sometimes carnal hearts have and they are ready to take this temptation and willing to neglect the duty upon such a thoughts as this that they are not prepared And the truth is they are more glad to let the duty fall than they are sorry for want of the preparation of their hearts for the duty I beseech you consider of this whether you have not found it so that sometimes when you have not been fit to performe a holy duty there hath not been a more secret willingness of the heart to let the duty go than a sorrow of the heart because you are not fit for the duty This is a very evil sign that the heart is very much distempered Those that are godly indeed when they find not their hearts prepar'd for the duty it is the trouble of their souls it is that that goes neer to their hearts when they think with them selves that they are now like to lose a duty of the Worship of God they are now like to lose their communion with God in a holy duty they even look upon themselves in an evil case in regard of this and it makes them watchful for time to come to take heed of those things that have put them in such an unpreparation as they find their hearts to be in at this time Now if it be so with thee it is a good sign that thy heart may be upright with God though through infirmity it comes at such a time to be unprepared for the duty But yet suppose I find I am not prepared I am griev'd and troubled at it for that must be premised whether were I better to leave the duty for this time than to fall upon it in such an unpreparation as this is Now for the Answer to this Question 1 First That which I would answer to it is this The omission of a duty or the laying of a duty aside will never fit the soul for a duty afterwards it is no way to make thy soul more fit afterwards because thou hast laid it aside now for the present do but observe your own hearts that way and you wil finde this by experience Such a time you have been buâ—e in the world and occasions have hindred you so as your heart is out of temper and frame for a duty you lay it asâ—de now are you more fâ—t the next day If you do neglect duty in the morning upon any business are you fitter to perform duty at night because of it â— you will not find it to be so The forbearing a duty now will not make the Soul fitter for a duty afterwards â—â—erefore it is no wisdom to forbear a duty for want of preparation because the forbearance will never help to further preparation but will make the Soul more unfit for duty It is an excellent speech that I read that Luther hath concerning himself I have learned this by experience that the oftener I do omit duty the oftener do I make my self the more unfit for duty and cause I have to abhor my self It is not the deferring that makes thee the more fit 2 Therefore consider that this is but a temptation and that is the Second thing that I would propound to those that shall omit a duty because they are not prepared That this is but a Temptation to keep thee from it to tell thee that thou art not prepared and if thou shalt forbear it because thou art not prepared in this thing thou doest gratifie the Devil and the Devil hath what he would have and so would be encouraged to tempt thee another time because he hath now what he would have in causing thee to forbear the duty First he laboureth to unfit thee for it and then he tempts thee to forbear it because thou art unfit this
the praise of men to be thy God for whatsoever thou doest lift up in the highest place that 's thy God whatsoever it be therefore if thou liftest up the praise of men and makest that thy end thou makest that thy God and so thou art a worshipper of men but not a worshipper of God Thirdly Take heed of making Self thy end there are some that are not so base low in their hearts as to make the praise of men their end but they aime and look at themselves that is they aime at their own peace and satisfying their own Consciences in the performance of duties now though it 's true when we performe duties of Gods Worship we may expect to receive some good to our selves and we may be incouraged to the duties by the expectation of good to our selves yet we must look higher we must look at the honor and praise of God that the Name of the blessed God may be honored Now I am going to Prayer Oh that I may pray so as I may lift up Gods Name I am going to Hear Oh that I may hear so as God may be honored by my hearing 't is this that carries me on to hearing the Word and makes me rise readily and to go forth cheerfully I hope that God may have some honour by my hearing this day God knows that this is the thing that I aim at I do not come for company nor to be seen of men neither do I come meerly to satisfie mine own Conscience Others go and hear such Truths of God as do good to their Souls and if I should neglect them meerly for mine own ease my Conscience would not let me be quiet howsoever there are many whose Consciences will be quiet enough though they lose an opportunity in the Worship of God but yet there are others whose Consciences cannot do so their Consciences would tell them when they are lying and turning themselves upon their beds How do you know but that God had something to speak to thy heart this morning that may never be spoken to thy heart at any other time therefore they cannot be at quiet except they attend upon God in the duties of his Worship but still this is not enough meerly to satisfie Conscience thy main end it must be that thou mayest this day know some part of the mind of God that God may speak to thy heart that so thou mayest be fitted to honour the name of God that thou mayest be inabled to live to his honour the week following so much the better As in this manner thy thoughts should be Lord I find a drossie carnal heart I am busie in the world in the week time and I find that my heart is sullied and defiled with the businesse of the World and intangled but Lord thou hast appointed thy Sabbath and Word to be a means to Sanctifie my heart and to clense it Oh Lord communicate thy grace to my Soul through thy Ordinances upon this day that so I may be inabled the week following the better to live to thine honour Lord I come into thy presence to that end that I might know some part of thy Will and that I might get thy Spirit to be conveyed through this Word of thine into my heart this should be thy end when ever thou comest and not only Self I will give you two or three Scriptures to shew that God regards little any duties where self is the highest end the First is in Hos 7.14 They howled upon their beds saith the Text there but they cryed not to me The Lord there did acknowledge that they were very much affected in their Prayers but what was it it was but a howling upon their beds and how so it was because only they did cry for themselves They have not cryed unto me saith the Lord with their heart when they howled upon their beds It was but meerly for Corn and Wine and Oyle but not unto me they aim'd at themselves and not at me And in Amos 5.22 there the Lord professes that he did reject the fat of their peace-offerings Though ye offer me saith he burnt-offerings and your meat-offerings I will not accept them neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts They were careful to offer their fattest beasts in their peace-offerings and will not God regard them It was in their peace-offerings that they offered their fat beasts and there they were to eate a great part of it themselves Indeed the burnt-offering was wholly offered unto God God had all that but the peace-offering those that did offer it they did eat a great part of it themselves now they were very careful in those offerings that they were to partake of themselves to offer fat beasts you do not see that the Holy-Ghost takes any notice of fat beasts in their burnt-offerings Now the Note from hence is this That in those things where men are interested themselves they will be very careful to have the best things But now the Lord rejected the fat beasts of their peace-offerings saith God You were very careful to offer fat beasts in your peace-offerings where you may feed your selves but for those offerings wherein I have all there you are not so careful and therefore I regard them not The Third Scripture is in Zach. 7.5 there they did keep many daies in seeking of God is is an observable Scripture for these times Speak unto all the People of the Land and to the Priests saying When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month even those seventy yeers Did ye at all fast unto me even unto me Mark the phrase you fasted in the fifth and seventh month and for seventy yeers together but saith the Lord Did you at all fast unto me and then mark how it is doubled To me even unto me Noting that when we fast or pray or do any thing in the Worship of God we should be sure to aime at God more than our selves that God may not say of us another day Do you do it to me even to me You may ask me this Question How may I know that I am acted by self-ends in holy duties for it is a hard thing for one to know ones own heart when one it acted by principles of self and when we aim at God in holy duties Now for that I will give you these notes to try whether you be acted from your selves or no. The First is this If a man loves holy duties though he finds no present good comes in by them because they are such things as God requires and therefore though I get nothing by them yet this is enough to carry me on and to carry me on readily and willingly in the Worship of God those that can delight in Gods Worship even at that time though they find nothing coming in to themselves But now when we find not that coming in that we do desire we begin to be weary of Worship and say
deader and duller than they were before and have less mind to the duties of Gods Worship than they had formerly Were this the Spirit of God you would find as much savour and relish in them afterwards as there was at that time Secondly For naturall Consciences which sometimes puts men upon acting of duties and indeed is better than meerly natural parts 1 If it be only natural Conscience it puts upon duties but gives no strength to do them but when the Spirit of God puts thee upon a duty it gives thee some strength to performe it some strength whereby thou gettest some Communion with God 2. If it be natural Conscience it puts upon the duty but makes not the heart glad of the duty and to love the duty but if it be the Spirit of God it makes thee to delight in it and to love it 3 Thirdly If it be natural Conscience thou doest not by that increase thy communion with God thou doest thy duties as in a round but now when the Spirit of God puts thee upon holy duties it is not a task done but thou sindest more and more increase in Communion with God thy heart more raised to God and more closing with the Lord and so still more and more in the course of thy life I had a little converse with God at first when God began to acquaint my Soul with His wayes but through his mercy now I find more communion with Him and so thou canst bless thy self in God in that converse that thou hast in communion with Him thou wouldst not lose that Communion thou hast with God in holy duties for all the world others have their companions that they have their communion withal much good may do them but the Lord hath shewen me another manner of communion which my Soul can have with Himself in which it hath sweet satisfaction And thus you have had Seven Particulars for the Sanctifying of the Name of God in holy duties SERMON VI. LEVITICUS 10.3 I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me Stepney Dec. 21. 1645. 4 AGAIN As Natural Conscience doth give no strength to do the duty so it makes not the duty to be strong to the Soul that is thus there 's no strength got by the duty they are not by one duty prepared for another But the way of the Lord is strength to the upright that is when a gracious heart is in the way of Gods Worship it finds the very duty of the Worship of God to be strength to it and so it fits it for another duty 5 Further A Naturall Conscience limits it's selfe and is bounded that is so much as will serve the turn for it 's own peace and quiet so much it will do and no more But when one is acted by the Spirit of God one is enlarged without any limits at all not bounded to ones own peace for the more peace a gracious heart hath in duty the more it is enlarged in duty Now a Natural Conscience that puts to duty and will act you when you want peace when you are in trouble and fear but when you are not in trouble and fear then it puts not on the heart to performance of duty but the Spirit of God puts on the Soule to dutie when there is most peace and comfort 6 A little will serve the turn to satisfie a natural Conscience so be it they performe the duty it is enough but one that is acted by the Spirit of God in duty must meet with much of God or else he is not satisfied he goes mourning in the day time if he hath not met with much of God in the morning in the performance of duty Thus you see there is much difference between the Actings of natural parts and conscience in duty and the Acting of the Spirit of God There be only now Two things more for the Sanctifying of Gods Name in duty and then we are to come to shew how we should Sanctifie Gods Name in duty in reference to the severall Attributes of God But First for those Two Heads Further 8 The Eight thing is this When you come to performe holy duties if you would Sanctifie Gods Name you must consecrate your selves to God there must be a resignation of soul and body estate liberty name and all you are have or can do unto God This is to Sanctifie Gods Name the consecration of your selves to God And the professing of this in the performance of duty when you are to pray were a very good thing actually to professe your selves to be Gods to professe that you do give up all that you are have or can do to God Lord I am thy servant take all Faculties of Soul and Members of body and improve all lay out all to thine own praise to the uttermost to bring glory to thy great Name If every time you came to God in prayer you did this this were to Sanctifie your selves to God I spake before of a Sanctified heart but now this is in a profession of your selves to God do it secretly at least in your own thoughts if you do not every time expresse it in words yet in your own thoughts do it devote your selves to God every day Of admirable use it would be if every day when men and women worship God either in their closets or families they did professedly devote and consecrate themselves to God and so likewise every time they came to hear the Word or to receive Sacraments God would account His Name to be Sanctified in such a work as this is 9 Lastly That that must make all up and witout which all the other is nothing it is that you must tender up all your worship in the Name of Jesus Christ let a man or woman worship God never so well yet when they have done all if they do not tender it up in the Name of Jesus Christ God will not account his Name to be Sanctified thou must by Faith look upon Jesus Christ as the glorious Mediator that is come into the world by whom thou hast access unto the Father And act thy Faith upon Christ and give up thy duties into his hand as the hand of a Mediator to be tender'd up to the Father by him though thou hast laboured what thou canst to performe duty as well as thou art able yet thou must not think to tender it up by thine own hand unto God but thou must tender it up to the Father by the hand of Jesus Christ the Mediator and so thou shalt Sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties We reade in Levit. 16.13 that when Aaron was to tender up the Incense he was to put the Incense on the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the Incense may cover the Mercy Seat that is upon the Testimony that he die not Mark it is as much as his life is worth whether he doth it or doth it not Now Incense it is in the NEW TESTAMENT called
ones and afterwards they have fallen off they were wont constantly in their families and in secret in their chambers to be worshipping of God and they accounted it the very joy of their lives for the present to be worshipping of God but it is not so with them now as it was yea they are fallen off it may be from their very profession of Religion and turned loose And now to be in vain company to drink or play is better to them than any service or worship of God they prize more to be in company with their sports than to hear a Sermon or to be in Communion with the people of God in Prayer Heretofore they would not have changed one short time of private Communion with God for the enjoyment of a great deal of pleasures and content in the world but now it is otherwise with them How comes it to pass that these are Apostatized thus from God Surely here is the ground of it That they did not Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties at the most it was but a work of conscience that put them upon them and they had but some flashes there was no reall Sanctification of their hearts whereby they did Sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties and upon this it is that they have left off This I dare say That there was never any soul that did know what it was to Sanctifie Gods Name in worship that ever was weary of worshipping God It may be some of you may say We have heard that there is much required in Sanctifying Gods Name in duties and that is the only way to weary the Soul and to make it fall off Oh no as we said the last day there is not any one thing that hath bin opened for the Sanctifying of Gods Name in duties that any gracious heart can tell how to miss and the more we do Sanctifie his Name the more we shall be in love with worship For it is from hence that those that Sanctifie Gods name in worship will hold out because they will find the sweetness of worship they will meet with God in holy duties and so they come to be encouraged in worship but as for others who do worship God in a formal way their worship will prove to be tedious to them for they performe the duties but do not find God in the duties in that Spiritual way as the Saints do If they think they meet with God it is but an imagination rather than any real meeting with him they do not find the influence of God in their souls in holy duties so as those do that Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties here then you see the Reasons why we are to Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties Now then for the Application of all this 1 If all this which you have heard be required of us for the Sanctifying of Gods Name Hence we see how little cause we have to rest upon any duty of worship that we do performe certainly the duties of worship that we performe are no such things as are fit to be rested upon for life and for salvation and yet for the most part there is scarce any thing that people have to rest upon or to tender up to God for acception to eternal life but only their prayers and their coming to hear and receiving of the Communion and such duties that they perform this is all they have to tender up for life and for salvation perhaps they may somtimes speak of Christ but the truth is that which their hearts rest upon for acceptation to eternal life is this And is it but this It is a weak prop a rotten reed that thou hast to rest upon Let the duties of worship be performed never so well Suppose we did Sanctifie Gods Name to the uttermost that is possible for any creature to do in this world yet such duties are not to be rested upon Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the Apostles the most holy men that ever did perform duties in the most holy manner yet wo to them if they have nothing to rest upon but their duties consider therefore of this that what thou must rest upon for acceptation to eternal life it must be that that must have so much worth in it as must satisfie for all thy sins that formerly thou hast committed yea and for all the sins that ever thou shalt commit Now I appeal unto any ones conscience Is that which thou performest as Prayer or receiving the Sacrament or hearing of the word such a work as in thy conscience thou canst think it hath so much worth in it as to satisfie God for all the sins that ever thou didest or shalt commit I am perswaded if people that have rested upon duties heretofore would but seriously have this thought in their minds That I must rest upon nothing for my acceptation for life and Salvation but that that must have such worth in it as to satisfie God for all my sins that ever have been committed or shall be committed this would take them off for ever from resting in duties Yea and it must be such as must be the object of the infinite holinesse of God to take content in Surely the duties that we performe are no such duties to rest upon the truth is If we would seriously consider what they are as they come from us we would even abhor our selves in dust and ashes and account of them as the Prophet speaks of his own righteousness as menstruous cloaths they are such as if God should deal with us as justly he may do he might cast them and us to the dogs for they are as the Prophet saith torne and rent Sacrifices now if a man in the time of the Law should bring to the Lord a Sacrifice that was all torne and rent before he brought it would such a Sacrifice have been accepted All the duties we perform as they come from us they are such we reade in Exod. 22.31 concerning such things as were torne and rent that they should cast them to the dogs Ye shall be holy men unto me saith he verse ult neither shall ye eate any flesh that is torne of beasts in the field ye shall cast it to the dogs because ye are holy men unto me Must the people of Israel manifest their holiness in this That they must eat nothing torne by beasts but cast it unto dogs Or was the holiness of the people of Israel such as God required them that they must eat nothing that was torne by beasts What then is the holiness of the infinite God our services that we perform are of themselves such as are torne by our beastly lusts many times how many are there that bring Sacrifices to God that are as a carrion that swine have been tearing before hand and yet these are the Sacrifices that they bring to God and not only think that God should accept of them but they do rest upon them for their acceptation to eternal life
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
God shall have no place in the heart If a temptation to sin comes that hath a place in the heart but when the Word comes that hath no place in the heart I say it is a very sad thing that we can find no room for the Word we should get room for the Word Open ye gates Stand open ye everlasting doors that the King of Glory may come in Know that when you come to hear the Word the Lord is knocking at the doors of your hearts have not you felt it sometimes Open Oh open the doors let all be opened to receive the Word into your hearts That is the Second thing for the behaviour of the Soul in hearing 3 The third thing is the careful applying of the Word so in Pro. 2.2 There must be an applying of the heart to the word and an applying of the word unto the heart All action is by an application of the thing that doth act unto the subject there must be an application of the word to thy soul as now Suppose thou comest to hear the Word and thou hearest of some sin that it may be thou knowest thou art guilty of take the Word and lay it to thy heart and say The Lord hath met with my soul this day the Lord hath spoken to me to the end that I might be humbled for this sin and the other sin that my Conscience tels me I am guilty of So doth the Lord put thee upon a duty that concerns thee acknowledge this the Lord hath spoken to me this day and put me upon the reformation of my family and the reformation of my own heart Is there a word presented apply that and let not the trouble of thy heart cause thee to cast off that word that God hath spoken to thee The application of the word to the heart it is of marveilous use and it concerns not only Ministers in general to lay before people the Doctrine of the Gospel but to apply it And know that it concerns you as well as Ministers to apply it And not only when they come to that that is called use but all the way in the opening of the Word it concerns you all to apply it to your own souls and to consider How doth it concern me in particular My brethren there is no such way to honour God or get good to your own souls as the application of the Word unto your selves As a man that is asleep if there be annoise made it will not awake him so soon but come and call him by his name and say John or Thomas and that will awake him sooner than a greater noise will So when the Word makes a noise when it is delivered only in the general men take little notice of it but when the Word comes particularly to the souls of men and doth as it were call them by name thi awakens them now God many times doth speak to your hearts but you should apply it you know the word is compared to meat and it must be applyed to the body Then do we worship God in a right way when as we take notice of Gods Word as concerning us in particular as that notable Scripture that you have in 1 Cor. 14.25 Where there comes a poor man into the Church of God and hears Prophesying hears the Word opened and the text saith He is c nvinced of all 〈…〉 and then in verse 25. Thus are the secrets of his heart manifes◠and 〈◊〉 falling down on his face he worship◠God and reports that God is in you of a truth that is when the Word comes and meets with his Soul in particular that he finds himself to be aim'd at by the Word then he worships God and saith that God certainly is in them here 's the reason now that when you come to hear the word you do not worship God because you apply it not to your selves you are ready to say this was well spoken to such a one and it concerns such a one but how doth it concern thy soul in particular Sometimes the Lord doth even force men and women to apply it whether they will or no for that they think the Minister speaks to them in particular and that no body was spoken too in the Congregation but themselves This is a Mercy when the Lord doth it unto you but it is a greater Mercy when the Lord gives you a heart to apply it to your selves and although it may trouble you a little for the present yet be willing to apply it and account it a great Mercy from the Lord That the Lord will be pleased to speak in particular to your Souls 4 Fourthly We must mix Faith with the Word or otherwise it will do us but little good Apply it and then beleeve it In Heb. 4.2 it is said that The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Wherefore there must be a mixture of Faith to beleeve the word that the Lord brings unto you Now concerning that I 'le but propound these few particulars You will say Must we beleeve every thing that is spoken sometimes there are some things spoken that we cannot tell how to beleeve I do not mean so to beleeve every thing meerly being spoken for you must take heed what you hear as well as how you hear but do thus much at least 1 〈◊〉 the First place Whatsoever comes in the Name of God to you except you know certainly it is not according to the written Word you owe so much respect to it as to examine it at least to try it whether it be so or no as it is said of those Wel-bred men that I spake of that they did examine whether things were so or no. Do not cast off any thing presently that comes in the Name of God Now any thing that hath the broad Seal upon it you must not disobey You will say It may be counterfeit but do not disobey it till you be sure it be counterfeit Oh that men would give but this respect to all things that they hear never to cast them off till they have examined and tryed whether they be so or no. 2 Secondly Do but grant this respect to the Word that is spoken to you as to think thus What it all that I hear spoken against my sin which laies open the dangerous condition that my soul is in prove to be true what a case were I in then This hath been the beginning of the conversion of many Souls the having but such a thought as this It may be things are not so terrible as I hear but what if they do prove so then I am undone for ever Dare I venture my Soul and my eternal estate upon hopes that these things are not so bad as I hear I beleeve if you would put your selves to it you would think it a bold adventure and the comfort that any of you have grounded upon this meerly hoping that things are
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
word that I did reverence that I did obey that I did love that I made to be the joy of my heart this Word the Lord now doth magnifie and make to be honorable This will be comfortable to thy soul The Eleventh SERMON LEVITICUS 10.3 I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me THE last day we finished the Point of Sanctification of the Name of God in the hearing of His Word and now we will proceed to the Sanctification of the Name of God in Receiving the Sacrament that 's the next duty of Worship Now first for the word Sacrament I confese we have not that word in all the Scripture as neither have we the word Trinity and divers other words that Ministers make use of to set forth the Mysteries of Religion by but yet it is useful to consider the meaning why ministers in the Church have given this name unto those signs and seals that the Church receives Sacrament is to hallow a thing or to dedicate because in the Sacraments there are outward things that ere made holy for holy and spiritual ends Secondly We our selves do as it were hallow or dedicate our selves unto God in the use of these Ordinances that 's one reason from whence it hath the name Or otherwise as some will have it Sacramentum because it is to be received Sacramente with a holy mind and therefore cal'd the Sacrament The Churches have used it a long time in Tertullians time which was above fourteen hundred years agoe he was the first that we find used this word and most that would open the word unto us say that especially it was taken from the practise of Souldiers who when they came and listed themselves bound themselves in a solemn oath to be faithful to their Captain and to the Cause that they did undertake and the oath they were wont to call Sacramentum A Sacrament Now in regard that Christians when they come to this Ordinance they come to seale a Covenant with God and though they do not formally and explicitely take an oath yet they bind themselves in a holy Covenant which hath the strength even of an oath in it For a solemn Promise to the high God hath the strength of an oath in it and from thence they were cal'd by these names Sacraments but that for the word that you may understand it But the word the Scripture useth to set out this Sacrament by that now I am speaking of is the Communion of the body and blood of Christ so you have it in 1 Cor. 10.6 The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ I say we are now treating about this point how we are to Sanctifie the Name of God in that which the Scripture cals the Communion of the body and blood of Christ And now for the opening of that First We must know that this is a part of the Worship of God and we draw nigh to God in this or otherwise it will not come up to our point And then we shall shew that God is to be Sanctified in this duty of worship And then thirdly how First We doe in this draw nigh to God We worship God For when we are comming to receive these holy Signes and Seals we come to present our selves before God and we have to deal with God himselfe in a service that he himselfe requires of us in a Holy in a Divine Service we come to present our selves to God for blessing for Communication of some higher good unto us then possibly those Creatures that we have to deal with are able of themselves to covey to us we come for a higher good than to tast a piece of bread or to drink a draught of wine we come I say to present our selves to God that we might have Communion with him and that we might have the blessing of the Covenant of grace conveyed unto us through these things now certainly this is a drawing nigh to God for to present our selves for the Conveyance of the blessing of the Covenant of grace through these Creatures yea that we might have Communion with God himself in them this is drawing nigh to him when we come to his Table therefore we draw nigh to God had not God instituted and appointed these Creatures Bread and Wine and the actions about them to be the means of Conveyance of blessing unto as it had been Will-worship for us to have expected any further presence of God in such Creatures than there is in the nature of them It is true God is present with every Creature when we eat and drink at our Tables God is present there but we cannot be said to draw nigh to God and worship God there for we there look for no further presence of God with us in them to convey further good than the Lord hath put into the nature of those things only when godly people take them and receive them as blessings sanctified by the word they take them as the blessings of God that come out of love to them But now when we come to receive that which is cal'd the Communion there we expect things that are beyond the nature of these Creatures to convey that that is by an institution of God set a part for supernatural uses and ends not to convey in any natural way such and such things but in a supernatural way through the institution of God and so it comes to be worship Had we not I say a command for this it were superstition and Idolatry for us to make use of such Creatures for such ends If any man in the world should have appointed a piece of Bread or a draught of wine to have signified and sealed the body and blood of Christ it had bin superstition in any and Wil-worship and sinful and abominable to you but we are to look upon God setting apart these Creatures for such holy and solemn ends and therefore when we come to be exercised in them we come to worship God and we come likewise to tender up our homage to God when we come to attend upon him in such Ordinances as these are to tender up that homage that is due from us poor Creatures unto such an infinite and glorious God and therefore we draw nigh to him in these Secondly We must sanctifie Gods Name in drawing nigh to him whatsoever we do whether we eat or drink we must do all to the glory of God Now if in our common eating and drinking we must do all to the glory of God then certainly in this spiritual eating and drinking there must be some special thing done for the glory of God in this 1. Because there is so much of God in it for here there is a presenting before us the great yea the greatest mysteries of salvation and the deep Counsels of God concerning eternal life are presented before us in
speak to more afterward only now remember this That you do profess every time you go to Prayer That you go to tender up that homage that you owe unto God and so every time you come to hear the Word there is a profession that you come to tender up that respect and homage that you owe to the infinite God And so likewise when you come to receive the Sacrament Now when we come to of er a present to men we know how we prepare and with what suitable presence we desire to offer but of that afterward when we come to speak of Sanctifying Gods Name 2 Secondly Remember when I come to Worship God I come to set my self before the Lord in those ways that God doth let out the choice of His Mercies to His people in I have many mercies from God in the enjoyment of the creature but when I come to Worship Him I expect the coÌ„munication of His mercy in another way then through any Creature in the World The duties of His Worship are the cheif ChaÌ„nels that God doth let out the choicest of His Mercies to the hearts of His people through and now I am going to Worship Him I am going to present my self before God Indeed there is a little glimmering of the light of God through other Creatures to me but the glorious Beams of the light of God is through the duties of His Worship 3. And then Thirdly I am now going to act my Soul upon God so that if I have any abilityes to close with God to act my soul upon Him it must be put forth now at this time I am indeed at all times to labour to enâ—oy Communion with God when I see the creatures the Sun Moon and Stars to labour to lift up my heart to God and when I see the glory of God in the Sea and for my meat and drink I am to bless God and to acknowledge God in all but now when I come to Worship God then all the strength of my Soul is to be acted upon God in a more special manner I must then above all labour to stir up whatsoever I have in my soul to act upon God this is now to Worship God Secondly If to Worship God be to draw nigh to God hence we see the reasons why guilty consciences have little mind to the duties of Gods Worship When a man or woman hath given liberty to any licencious way sinned against their consciences if they have any light in their consciences it is one of the tediousest things in the World to come to the duties of Gods Worship they had rather do any thing than come to Holy duties as to prayer and especially to secret prayer A man or woman that hath an enlightened conscience and is under the guilt of sin the coming to God in holy duties is a very grievous burden to them Why Here 's the Reason Because to Worship God is to draw nigh to God and the guilt that is upon them hath made the presence of God terrible to them and therefore they had rather go into their company be merry eat drink sport or any thing rather than to come into Gods presence We know how it was with Adam when God appeared in the garden and called to him he ran to hide himself Why Because he had guiltiness upon him Oh the evil that the guilt of sin brings upon the soul it makes the presence of God terrible The presence of God it should be more comfortable to us than our lives but our sin makes Gods presence grievous and terrible A Childe somtimes when it hath offended the Father and is conscious to its self of the offence that it hath given the Father it had rather be in the Kitchin among the Servants than to come into the Hall or Parlour where the Father is because it hath offended him and so it is with a guilty conscience when it is conscious to its self of some haunt of evil that it hath given it self unto it hath no mind at all of coming into the presence of the Father but hangs off My Brethren the very presence of God in the Communion of His Saints is terrible to a guilty conscience the very looking upon a godly man is terrible to a guilty conscience When as thou hast bin abroad bin loose and wicked in thy waies I appeal to thy conscience when thou comest into the presence of some holy gracious man or woman that lives close with God doth it not daunt thee Now is the presence of God in the very faces of his Saints terrible to a guilty conscience How terrible is the presence of God in His Ordinances then Indeed those men and women whose consciences are not enlightened but are ignorant and sottish they can sin against God and go into His presence without any trouble you shall have men swear and be drunken over-night and come to the Sacrament the next day What 's the reason Because there is no light in their consciences their consciences are in darkness they are besotted in their sin but I speak now of one who hath an enlightened conscience the presence of God is terrible to such a one A Third Use is this Here 's the Reason why Hypocrites do meet with such vengeance from God as they do I confesse we shall meet with this more especially afterwards only by the way take notice of it Hypocrites above all men may expect the severest judgments of God upon them because they come so nigh God for they come often to the duties of Gods Worship now they that will come so nigh Gods presence and come with base and ungodly hearts to cloak their villany of all in the world they must expect to have the severe vengeance of God let down upon them they that stand nighest the bullet must expect to have the strength of it to be the more upon them so when the wrath of God proceeds out upon sinners wicked men that stand nighest Him they have the greatest strok of Gods wrath but of that more when I come to the Third Point That God will be Sanctified in those that draw nigh Him The Fourth Use is this If to Worship God be to draw nigh Him then to neglect Gods Worship is to depart from Him that must needs follow And this is a dreadful thing it is the Sentence that shall be at the last day of Judgement Depart from me Thou now art willing to depart from God Oh consider of this you that neglect Worship the Worship of God in your families and in your Closets and in the Congregation in the Communion of the Saints thou hast little minded or regarded the Worship of God it may be all thy dayes what hast thou been doing all this while Thou hast been departing from God all this while when thy conscience shall be but enlightened and awakened to see how far thou art from God how terrible will it be to thee Remember this you