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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	angel_n	heaven_n	lord_n	10,698	5	3.8517	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12309	A sermon preached before the King at VVhite-Hall, the third of December. By Robert Skinner chaplaine in ordinary to His Maiestie. Published by His Maiesties command	Skinner, Robert, 1591-1670.	1634 (1634)	STC 22628; ESTC S121771	14,611	48

A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE KING at White-Hall the third of December By Robert Skinner Chaplaine in Ordinary to His MAIESTIE Published by His MAIESTIES command LONDON Imprinted by I. L. for Andrew Hebb 1634. PSAL. 96. VERS 9. O worship the Lord in the beautie of Holinesse INTERPRETERS vary about the occasion of this Psalme Some referring vs to the placing of the Arke of God in the citie of David when with great solemnity it was brought from the house of Obed-Edom Some resolving it was ordered to be sung at the finishing of the Temple but others when the Temple was re-edified after the Captivity And the truth is all three opinions may well consist and be true all For that it was sung at the placing of the Arke we have it expressely 1. Chron. 16. And all inducements according why might it not serve and be sung as well in the Temple as before the Arke and in the second Temple as well as in the first which occasioned the Seventie to inscribe it as they did A Song 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the Captivity upon the restauration of the house of God It matters not whether exposition wee take all give equall light to my Text shew us what to vnderstand by the beauty of Holinesse even the solemne place of his holy service whom we are to worship O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holinesse In the words at first hearing foure particulars are observable I. An humble devout religious act Adorate worship II. the proper and peculiar object of this Act Dominum the Lord. III. The speciall place of this worship recommended unto us by two properties for first it is an holy place in atrio Sancto a place of Holinesse Then it is a beautifull place in decore Sanctitatis in the beauty of Holinesse IIII. We meete with a strong perswasion an earnest entreaty Thus in this place to worship the Lord O worship the Lord c. We see therefore what we must doe we must worship And whom we must worship the Lord And where the Lord will bee worshipped in his holy place that if either beauty here or sanctity or dutie or the Lord by his presence can winne vpon vs wee will bee worshippers all the powerful1 example of a King the awfull incitement of a Prophet both in the Text shall incline our hearts and bend our knees and direct our steps O worship the Lord in the beautie of Holinesse What first Adorate Dominum where afterward worship the Lord wee must So we are commanded but we cannot worship him aright before we rightly conceive what it is to worship Now take it at large and to worship truly is to give honor to another according to his worth secundum excellentiam according to some excellent worth For vvorship is not due to any but to that which is vvell worthy and that is of eminent vvorth To worship one that is no way eminent nor in any sort above us is an act of unworthinesse nor doe we so much honour him as dishonour our selves yee may call it basenesse or flatterie or pusillanimitie to all which true worship is a stranger Honour and Worship in the judgement of S. Paul belong to some certaine persons Honour to whom Honour belongeth Rom. 13. And who are they eminent at least nay but the highest Honour is not due save potestatibus supereminentibus to those of the highest ranke that are supereminent True wee are taught by the same Apostle In giving honour to goe one before another but wee shall finde it to hold upon this ground That in lowlinesse of minde each esteeme other better than themselves Phil. 2. Hee must bee our better so wee must esteeme him for some grace or other wee cannot so properly honour him else and if not honour him much lesse adore him for adorare is a great deale more than honorare Yee may honour him for his singular gifts whom yee never saw by a gracious tongue or some honourable favour but to adore is so farre to honour as to bow downe before him As when David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed himselfe before King Saul 1. Sam. 24. And Nathan the Prophet bowed himselfe before King David with his face to the ground 1. King 1. To adore then is to honour in the highest degree that is with the lowliest expression briefely to acknowledge anothers exaltation by our owne humiliation For that I be not long in laying a foundation there is ever implyed in Adoration a three-fold act first an apprehension of some excellencie or other for if no kinde of preeminence be apprehended wee doe not adorare but adulari worship wee know not what whereas all true worshippers are readie to say as our Saviour to the woman of Samaria We know what we worship Ioh. 4.22 Nor is it sufficient to apprehend what is excellent but wee must acknowledge also what wee apprehend and our acknowledgement must be serious and unfained there will be otherwise in stead of Adoration plaine derision Nay moreover it is not complete worship without a cleare Demonstration of our subiection without genuflection or prostration or some other inclination or submission of the body The very word here doth import as much for the word in Hebrew so often rendered by adorare properly signifies incurvari to assure us our adoration is lame and imperfect unworthy the name without an outward manifestation And we may note it in the Wise-men that tooke so long a journey to worship and knew the right forme wee may bee sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They fell downe and worshipped Matth. 2.11 And let me tell you this was the manner of old when they came into the Sanctuarie Venite adoremus O come let us worship and fall downe yes and when they went out from the Sanctuarie too good Hezekiah and all his companie when they had made an end of offering bowed themselves and worshipped 2. Chron. 29. ver 29. And now perceiving what it is to worship let us further consider whom we are to worship O worship the Lord c. Dominum the Lord even the Lord that made us and not we our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord Paramount Lord of Lords and God of Gods even Iehovah the Lord Almightie And none I hope is so gracelesse as to sticke at his worship All will adore their Maker and Redeemer the Author and preserver of all things Certainely none are exempted or quit of his worship Not the Angels in heaven of them it is written And let all the Angels of God worship him Hebr. 1. Not any that are called Gods on earth they are all commanded to doe their homage Worship him all yee Gods Psal 97. Not any Saints above They all cast downe their crownes and fall downe and worship him that liveth for ever and ever Rev. 4.10 Nor any Saints below They daily cry out with the Prophet Exalt the Lord our God and fall downe before his footestoole for

Lord God most holy doth inhabite and possesse them as his proper Mansion or dwelling House for did he not take possession when the Cloud covered the Tent and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle Exod. 40.34 What did hee else by that sacred inumbration but take as it were Liverie and Seisin And just so it was at the finishing of the Temple The glory of the Lord filled the House of the Lord 1. Kings 8. And they were thereupon called and counted his dwelling Place for ever after by David O thou that dwellest betweene the Cherubins Psal 80. by our Saviour Who so shall sweare by the Temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth therein Matth. 23.21 And can any Christian doubt whether hee bee present in our Christian Congregations where holy Prayers are powred forth his holy Gospel preached his holy Sacraments administred his most holy Body and Blood communicated Is it not deepe infidelitie and heresie to thinke Christ to bee absent from his Body and Blood Most certainely present he is though not by his glorious yet in a singular way by his gracious presence Yee may as well saith S. Chrysostome shut God out of Heaven S. Chrys horn 36. in 1. Cor. as exclude him hence For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this indeed is Heaven upon Earth and here the Tabernacle of God is with men and God himselfe is with them Revel 21. Holy then wee see because the Lord is there by his holy presence And now it begins to be open day with us we may clearely perceive why the Prophet would have us worship rather in the place of holinesse than elsewhere Because the Lord is sure to be found there And wee are to seeke the Lord as well where as while hee may be found Where will yee enquire of the Master but at his House And the House of God is the House of Prayer Esa 56. Where shall yee hope to finde the King so soone as in his Court So the King of Heaven will be found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his holy Court above any other place True the Lord will be found of his humble devout servants in what place soever and I would have nothing understood to the prejudice of private prayer For Moses in the Sea Iob on the Dunghill Ieremie in the Dungeon Daniel in the Den Ionas in the Whale the Children in the Furnace S. Peter and Paul in Prison calling upon God were heard as S. Basil noteth And therefore the Apostle would have men pray every where lifting up holy hands 1. Tim. 2. Yes every where with holy hands But are holy hands every where What shall the sinner doe that is destitute of holy hands What else but to the Temple with the Publican There he shall meete with holy hands in the holy Assembly and may speed the better be graciously accepted for their sakes as Iobs friends for his sake Iob 42. In my devotions let me joyne with the righteous and then his prayer I shall hope will make way for mine Nay and how shall my charitie be augmented my zeale kindled my faith confirmed when I heare the whole congregation quasi manu factâ to implore and send up an army of prayers Tertull. for the pardon of my sinnes For thus it is ever in these sacred meetings All for every one and every one for all that God may be gracious and have mercy upon all great reason then we should worship there And so often as we worship there would God wee would remember where we are that the place whereon we stand is holy ground It vvas certainly part of the Prophets meaning that the very name of Holinesse should make us beware of prophanenesse He termes it rather a place of Holinesse than the Tabernacle or the Temple to put us in minde of that venerable grave religious behaviour evermore requisite and expected here For Holinesse becommeth thy House O Lord for ever Psal 93. to put us in minde to looke well to our feete when wee goe to the House of God Eccl. 4. To our Feete not to make that a walking place and to our Tongues not to make that a talking place and to our Eyes not to make that a gazing place And he that whipt the buyers and sellers out of the Temple would he not thinke we have silenced our praters in the House of Prayer and have charged our Church-walkers to leave the Church Antiquitie so understood it I am sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 36. in 1. Cor. In the Church unlawfull even to speake but to a neighbor saith S. Chrysostome and much more unlawfull to contrive drive a Bargaine there as if at a Mart or common Market And how unsufferable then that the Church should be made a place of rude contentions and uncivill contestations But was not Antiquitie too precise No they knew Religion is upheld by nothing more than Reverence that wee can never bee too cleane in the Sanctuarie nor too holy in the place of Holinesse where we are to meete with our Maker and to worship the Lord most high and most holy Let us passe on now from this holy place as it is holy and behold it a while as beautifull for beautifull it is as well as holy even the beautie of Holinesse O worship c. Expositors finde themselves at a losse and therefore strive to make it up as they may by various expressions Some say in Sanctuario magnifico in the stately Sanctuarie Some in magnificentiâ Sanctitatis in the sumptuousnesse or magnificence of Sanctitie Some in splendore Sacrarii in the splendour or glory of his holy Place Some in decore Sanctitatis in the comelinesse or Beautie of Holinesse Now put them together and the Place recommended is holy comely stately sumptuous glorious not more holy than comely nor more sacred than sumptuous A most fit Place this to worship the Lord in O worship the Lord in the beautie of Holinesse But is not our Prophet mistaken heere Or is not this combination made up of inconsistents For can Holy and Stately Beautie and Sanctitie runne in a Line Yes may and ought as much as may be and where they part and goe asunder both abate of their perfection for as nothing magnifies Greatnesse more than Godlinesse so nothing sets off Godlinesse more than Greatnesse Poore and godly are as little esteemed of the many as poore and wise and yee know what the Wise man sayes and shewes too The poore mans wisdome is despis'd Eccl. 9.16 And on the other side what is a great ungodly man without amendment but like a great unsound Cedar every day fitter and fitter for the fire But where Greatnesse and Goodnesse Highnesse and Holinesse Sanctitie and Sublimitie meet there Gods worship is in the full there God is magnified indeed and wee cannot but hope the Lord will goe on to magnifie with the full measure of his Blessings And wee shall quickly perceive Gods worship to be advanced as well