a lamentation and name that Ichabod for the glory is departed from Israel and we the true Sons of the Church of England in the condition that Israel was in when they sate by the waters of Babylon and wept they hung up their Harps which were now grown uselesse because their sorrows for the desolations of Zion had silenced all their melody And yet we are call'd upon to believe that all these violences were design'd but to shake the dust out of the Badgers skins and to brush the Curtains and to Reform the Tabernacle that the pure gold of the Ark might shine the brighter in the simplicity of its own lustre That is just as the Souldiers came with Swords and Staves from the High Priests to apprehend and secure the Lamb of God and brought him before Pilate out of kindness that he might have the honour to clear and acquit himself But what became of the Ark of God in the midst of these disorders Why we heard of the same at Ephrata we found it in the wood Psal 132.6 some harmless Country people would tell us some tydings of it but it was in the wood like one bewildered strip'd of its due Attendants and Solemnities And yet as forlorn as it was its Captivity was a punishment not only to the Jews but also to the Philistims to them that triumph'd over it as well as to them that had lost the possession and forfeited the blessings of it The adversaries could not destroy it nor could they court it into their assistance The Dagon which they set up for themselves to worship fell before it with the loss of hands and head deprived not of strength only but of counsel too They provided a new Cart for it such was the new Discipline hewn out and rudely put together by Mr. Calvin and others in this last Century and the Classes were the Wheels of it and this the Faction drove on furiously for a while and stop'd not no not at the Red Sea they drove it into a Sea of blood but the Cattle that were yoked together to hurry it away were so unreasonable and head-strong they could not agree where or how to set it up and that they might not hurry it into utter ruine God was pleased to look thorow a frightful Cloud upon them Exod. 14.24 25. and took off their Chariot-wheels to trouble and discomfit them At last David the King being preserved and returnâ—n by as great a miracle of providence as the Ark it self in order to his own settlement he gives order to prepare the Tabernacle for the settlement of the Ark and summoneth all the heads of the Priests and Levites with the Nobles and Elders of the people So they brought the Ark of God c. We are no less happy then they in the decent situation of our Ark I pray God we may be no less dutiful in our gratulation for it To which purpose me â—hinks every devout soul should be a breathing out that Quaere of the Psalmist Psal 116. Quid Retribuam what shall I render unto the Lord for this great this signal benefit done unto us you can do no better than resolve with him I will come into thy house with burnt offerings I will pay thee my vows which I promised with my lips Psal 66.13 14. and spâ—ke with my mouth when I was in trouble for the Ark of God And because God takes no pleasure in the flesh of beasts neither will he drink the blood of Bulls or Goats but requires of us a spiritual a living and a reasonable Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service Having nothing else that can be acceptable to him who gave himself for us we should have the same devotion the same mind that was in the holy Martyrs we should have our hearts and wills prepared if duly call'd to it to be made a sacrifice by others in the mean time we should make an Oblation of our selves have our whole spirits souls and bodies devoted to Gods service and the service of his Church Such a devotion was in the great Apostle Phil. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If I be offered up as a libamen a liquid oblation upon the Sacrifice and Liturgy of your faith I joy and rejoyce with you all But Here is a twofold oblation recommended to us by the example before us in the Text. 1. A burnt sacrifice And 2. A peace-offering and such we must offer in a spiritual sense and we must offer 1. A burnt sacrifice and that upon a double account as such sacrifices use to be offered up upon 1. To acknowledge Gods Power and Dominion and Revere his signal Goodness herein demonstrated David hath furnished us with a Psalm to this purpose Psal 124. wherein the Church blesseth God for a miraculous deliverance of her self and the Ark of God setled in her possession If it had not been the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us Then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us Then the water had overwhelmed us the stream had gone over our soul Then the proud waters had gone over our soul Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are escaped Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth Non nobis Domine non nobis therefore not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy name be the praise Thou art worthy to receive glory and honour and praise but to us there belongeth nothing but shame and confusion of face for we contributed only to the reproach and captivity of Gods Ark and solemn worship its happy restitution and settlement we ow to thy signal power and goodness great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name Rev. 15.3 4. 2. A second design of our spiritual burnt sacrifice must be to make an atonement for those miscarriages which forfeited our interest in the Ark and betrayed it into captivity It was good advice of the Priests and Diviners to the Philistims when they consulted them about returning the Ark of God 1 Sam. 6.3 Oh! send it not away empty said they but in any wise return God a trespass-offering with it that you may be healed The captivity of that Ark wrought a strange conviction in the Philistims as well as in the Jews The Philistims saw clearly they had no reason to triumph in this defeat they had given Israel for though they had won the field they had got no
caused it to send forth a stinking savour * Eccles 10.1 but offering it out of a pure and free devotion without any such opinion Christ did both value and reward it Suppose we then that there be some things in the Solemnity of Gods Publick worship that he hath not required is it not enough as long as he hath no where forbidden them nor entred any caution to their prejudice is it not enough I say that I have the approbation of my own Conscience is it not enough that I am able to say I have used my best judgement and herein I have found mercy of the Lord to be faithful if this be not enough is it not enough that I have Gods acceptation is it not enough that I can hear God saying to me secretly as he said sometimes to David upon a like occasion by his Prophet it was well that it was in thy heart is it not enough that God is ready to reward this my freewill-offering my voluntary devotion But 3. Besides we have the equity of a Divine Law upon a parity of Reason for our warranty in this our practice and this ought to be of great force with us For 1. as far as I can perceive this is the firmest ground that the observation of the Lords day relies upon There are some insinuations for it indeed in the practice of the Apostles as their meeting together on that day to make Collections and the like but these will not amount to the authority of a Precept The Sabbath of the Jews without all peradventure was Typical Heb. 4.4 c. therefore abolished hereupon the Apostle exhorteth the Colossians Let no man judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an Holy-day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath-days which are a shadow of things to come Col. 2.16 17. But that God should be solemnly worshipped still upon several accounts and that some time should be set apart for that worship to be performed in there is a parity of Reason for it and so upon that account the equity of the fourth Commandment doth still bind us And 2. The strength of the Apostles Argument for the maintenance of the Gospel-Ministry as far as I can discern relies chiefly upon this bottom Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they that wait at the Altar 1 Cor. 9.13 14. are partakers with the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel We can find no such Ordinance as this is of Christs positive institution under the Gospel that which the Apostle speaks of therefore must be an Ordinance emergent out of the equity of the former Law of God upon a parity of Reason Under the Law God thought it equitable that such as waited at his Altar and devoted their time as well as their soul and strength to his service should have some setled maintenance allottâ—d them and their attendance upon the several parts of their holy Office requiring nothing less but rather much more diligence and attention under the New than under the Old Testament the equity of that Divine Right standâ— in full force and should prevail for an honourable support of the Ministry at least as much now as it did then And 3. Whether the Right and Title that the Infants of Believers have unto Baptism doth not ultimately relie upon this foundation let the learned judge Gods Law intitled them to the Sacrament of Circumcision upon the account of that faith which had engaged their Parents unto God in the holy Covenant the equity of that Institution upon a parity of Reason extends to the benefit of such Infants as are now born of Christian Parents and that speech of St Peter Acts 2. imports no less Vers 38 3â— Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost for the promise is unto you and to your children Now to apply these instances to our purpose I demand 1. Was there a solemn external worship of God required under the Law or no 2. Was it acceptable and pleasing to Almighty God yea or no if it were which cannot be denied then I demand Further 3. upon what account was that service required was it upon the account of Gods Supream Dominion and Sovereignty only or upon the account also of his Benefits his works of Creation Preservation and Redemption that it was upon this double account is evident Psal 29.1 2. Give unto the Lord O ye mighty give unto the Lord glory and strength give unto Lord the GLORY DUE UNTO HIS NAME worship the Lord in the BEAUTY OF HOLINESSE and Psa 150. Praise ye the Lord praise God in his Sanctuary praise him in the firmament of his POWER praise him for his MIGHTY ACTS praise him according to his EXCELLENT GREATNESSE praise him with the sound of the Trumpet praise him with the Psaltery and Harp praise him with the Timbrel and Dance praise him with stringed Instruments and Organs Well did God require to be worshipped so reverently and so solemnly then upon this account why how comes God to lose his Title how come these accounts to be altered hath God under the New Testament given out a dspensation unto dust and ashes to be insolent and saucy with him and in his own house and in his solemn and publick worship too or is Gods Dominion less Sovereign is his Majesty less Glorious then it was or did not he make us but we made our selves if we be his creatures if we be the sheep of his pasture then the invitation of the Psalmist lays hold upon us Psal 95.6 O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker if we do not the Elders that are before the Throne of God will shame us out of our irreverence for they fall down before him that sitteth upon the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their Crowns before the Throne saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Revel 4.10 11. And hath he not redeemed us too and what is the sum of our redemption was it our bodies only out of a temporal thraldom to be put into the possession of a land that flows with milk and honey was this all hath he not redeemed our souls too from the powers of darknesse and the wrath to come to inherit the blessings of eternal joy and glory hath he not thus redeemed us and how was this redemption wrought by a force of Arms or of Love by exchange of money or the price of his own blood if it be so and so it is then certainly here is all the equity in the world that we should pay him the
mercy to the Adversaries of this Church God hath filled their faces with shame that they might be induced to joyn with the Church in a due and decent conformity to seek his Name And so let all the Combinations of thy Churches enemies perish O Lord but let them that love thee and thy Church be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might Judges 5.31 that our Land may be filled with piety devotion and glory and so have rest to all generations God hath done great things for us already whereof we rejoyce and what he hath done he is pleased to make his ingagement to do more if we do not render our selves utterly unworthy and forfeit our Tenure by our obstinate perversities This is one ground of our hope And there is A 2d. The Church of England hath a praying people a people whose devotions are solid and fervent regular and constant a people that do frequent the Publick Prayers of the Church out of humility and obedience out of judgment and prudence and yet do importune God in their Closets day and night too though they love not so much to play the Hypocrite as to sound their Trumpet to tell the world they do so You know the interest of ten righteous persons was so considerable to Almighty God that it should have prevail'd with him for the preservation of five most lewd and vitious Cities and God be blessed we have that number I trust many hundred times told over But because if we continue in sin the Epha a Zach. 5. will be full at last and if we neglect so great salvation and the things that do belong unto our peace those things will be hidden from our eyes and we shall bring upon our selves swift destruction b 2 Pet. 7.2 and then the devotions of holy Prophets will be injoyned silence by Gods own Order Jer. 7.16 Pray not thou for this people for their good c Jer. 14.11 c. 11.14 neither lift up cry nor prayer for them neither make intercession to me for I will not hear thee And though they should pray earnestly and continue their importunity receiving no such express Order as that Prophet Jeremy had to the contrary yet their prayers in this case in this juncture of affairs when the harvest of sin is ripe how effectual soever for themselves would not prevail they would be fruitless as to the generality of persons and the calamity of the Nation for when I bring my sore judgments upon the Land though these three men Noah Daniel and Job were in it as I live Ezek. 14.14 10. saith the Lord God they should deliver neither son nor daughter they should but deliver their own souls by their righteousness Therefore to prevent this dreadful severity of Almighty God give me leave to propound some few Caveats and Directions to you touching your behaviour in reference to the Ark of God by which I understand his sacred Ordinances and so I shall conclude When God was about to descend upon Mount Sinai at the promulgation of the Law Exod. 19. he commanded Moses to set bounds to keep off the people that they might not press upon so dreadful a Majesty to their own ruine The presence of God with his holy Ark in his holy worship is no less sacred no less dreadful than it was on Mount Sinal I must therefore draw a line and set up rails about it as well to secure your interest in it as to preserve that respect and veneration that is due unto it These shall be made up of a six fold Caveat You must 1. Not over value or deifie it 2. Not undervalue or blaspheme it 3. Not invade or profane it 4. Not slander or belye it 5. Not intrude or pry into it 6. Not rifle or plunder it 1. You must not over-value or deifie it A very high esteem and reverence you must have for tthe Ark of God and you may relie upon Gods promise and confidently expect what God hath engaged to do for you by the Ministry thereof But you must not turn the Ark into an Idol exhibere cultum Dei creaturae est Idololatria saith Aquinas if you devote that service to it and place that affiance in it which is due to God alone you do then make an Idol of it You make the Type of Christ to become his Rival you make him jealous of his own Representative and you eclipse his honour by that shadow that was design'd to illustrate and set it off And yet there are some that do more then this worse then this amounts to they do Hyper-deifie it advance it above God yea against God for God will not patronize the guilty Christ will not save the impenitent 't is a desperate presumption to think they will if you expect this from the Ark you do not only turn it into an Idol set it up in Gods stead but you do more then so you exalt it above God you pretend to make it do what God will not do what Christ cannot do you make it a real Antichrist For Christ came to destroy the works of the Devil and to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself And if you make the Ark a Sanctuary for Malefactors you set it up in opposition to Christ and provoke him to Arm himself as it were against it in vindication of his own glory Upon this very account it was that he delivered the Ark under the Law into the hands of the Philistines 1 Sam. 4. and Jer. 7.3 Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel amend your ways and your doings and I will cause you to dwell in this place but trust ye not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord as if that had been a threefold fortification to secure them against all possible calamity But ye trust in lying words that cannot profit will ye steal murder and commit adultery and swear faâ—sly and burn incense unto Baal and waâ—k after other gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say we are delivered to do all these abominations is this house that is called by my name become a den of robbers in your eyes Behold even I have seen it saith the Lord But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh where I put my name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel c. That Ark which was the visible Symbol of his presence and the especial Instrument of his worship and service they set it up in opposition to his glory they would have it patronize their sin and protect them in their impenitâ—ncy against Gods severe judgements and this provokes God to give it up to be defiled by reproach and prophanation Let this be a Caveat to you therefore not to over-value or deifie the Ark of God 2. And yet
doubt at all but Dunne can doe 't These fire-Globes fitt'st intelligence he to swing And each their proper Apogaeum's bring Higher by th' head in sin hath been your station So should be your deserved exaltation B We your Brethren poor Erratiques be Well may we you * low vagrant Planets ken You as a Fixed Star we see You 'l ne're be rightly * fixed Stars till then Gowt-visits every Limb ' Pell'd out with Egypts plagues if that we be This is our healing and reforming tree B Down I goe next Visitation Poor man his pains fitts * visitation ended * Half-hour to th' purpose may be here* suspended Gowt This half year has Suspended me Off go your Jayl-bolts Sir Lord Gowt is gone This is a ne'r fayling Catholicon If well apply'd what you say * Graves can't doe B These Presb. Slaves Will not give over Preaching in their Graves Will cure all mal'dyes * and your Preaching too A thing by Villains marr'd to such misshaping If Jails want * perfumes Pulpits sure want scraping B-Prisons do want Perfuming most of all Well if both serve to free them and the Pews B-Item you play'd the Thief From deeper eating Leprosyes than Jews But your greatest Theft you Acted in the Church As for your * thieveries 't is granted on due search We find them greatest in and upon the Church B-Bishop and Ld Maior Have turn'd a Den of Thieves t'an House of Pray'r Where your long'st Pray'rs thieve most and 't may be so New-gate's both * Den and Oratory too This Thief devout th' old pocking-picking arts B-You stole mens hearts away Still using gets sure somewhat else than * hearts Chief at Church-robbing spreads his Pulpit-toyles Spoons bowles hand-ear-rings those Egyptian spoyles Melts to a Calf whose horns in time must fling And toss up House of Lords and gore the King One blow was Independent Caesar bore Twenty two Presbyterian stabs before B Thanks to the Bp Seer S But still these short-clok'd carrion Crows the * eyes First peck that boys may lead mock and despise Our Church like blinded Sampson whose rude strength Must needs pull ruine on it self at length Right Pharaoh's black-birds Th' White-Top Baskets Eye Stock at those Church well bak'd-meats there they spye One for his goodness wisdom care so great Boaz an Jachin both high as his seat For shame gives some breath spare this Age and Men In times un-taught you run th' old Round again Si Natura negat tamen Indignatio Versum Qualemcunque facit A DISCOURSE Occasioned by M R Calamies LATE SERMON INTITULED Eli trembling for fear of the Ark. 1 CHRON. 16.1 So they brought the Ark of God and set it in the midst of the Tent that David had pitched for it and they offered burnt Sacrifices and Peace-Offerings before God IT is the felicity of affliction that when it will suffer us to finde relief in nothing else it drives us unto God for refuge And the distressed soul that she may lay the stronger engagement for her succour upon God she doth usually lay a strict obligation of gratitude upon her self In his troubles David sware unto the Lord and vowed a vow unto the Almighty God of Jacob. a Psal 132.2 A Vow that could not but meet with a very gracious accepration for thus he resolves I will not come within the Tabernacle of my house nor climbe up into my bed I will not give sleep to mine eyes Ibid. or slumber to mine eye-lids Until I finde out a place for the Lord an Habitation for the mighty God of Jacob He would not enjoy any settlement in himself till he had provided a settlement for the Ark of God In this Vow his general aim was Gods glory but a collateral benefit would redound to himself by it for it is impossible we should entertain a designe to please God but to our own advantage He had sometimes been driven into banishment through the severity of a jealous Prince upon the suggestions of malicious Adversaries but the gall and wormwood of his exile was his sequestration from the Ark the holy Ordinances and worship of his God When I remember these things I pour out my soul in me Psal 42.4 for I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the House of God with the voice of joy and praise with the multitude that kept holy day But being now deprived of the comfort of this Communion and of these Solemnities he cries out As the Hart panteth after the water Brooks Verse 1 2. so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thir steth for God for the living God When shall I come and appear before God This this was the bitterness of his exâ—â—e the saddest strain and burden of his lamentation As soon therefore as he comes to be possess'd of peace as the fruit of those many Victories wherewith Almighty God had Crown'd him 2 Sam. 7.1 He resolves to perform his former Vow and tender it as a Peace-offering to the God of his Salvaâ—ion Now the Sovereign power is in his hands and the Kingdom at his disposal nothing shall excommunicate him from the visible symbols of Gods gracious presence C. 6.16 The City of David shall be the Seat of Gods solemn worship and a Tent shall be prepared wherein the sacred Ark shall keep its Residence and all Israel shall be invited to wait upon the Solemnity of its Inthronization So they brought the Ark of God c. In which words we have three general Parts 1. The Transportation or Conduct of the Ark So they brought the Ark of God 2. The Situation or placing of it And they set it in the midst of the Tent that David had pitched for it 3. The Gratulation or Thanks-giving for it And they offered burnt Sacrifices and Peace offerings before God The Object of all this Care this Indeerment and joy is the Ark of God Touching which I should give you an account of three things The Structure The Furniture And the Signification of it But of all these the great Apostle had not leasure enough to speak particularly no more have I Heb. 9.5 But I shall say what may be sufficient by way of Introduction to a needful Discourse for the undeceiving a miserably-cheated and seduced people 1. For the Structure of the Ark It was to be of Shittim Wood a most solid Wood that would not putrifie and that was to be over-laid with beaten Gold for as God delights in the incorruption and purity of things and persons Dedicated to his Service So he desires to make the Monuments of his own Love and Mercy everlasting to us It was stil'd the Ark of the Covenant because it contained the Law 1 Kings 8.21 which was the Condition upon which God did Espouse that people and promise to make them happy 2. It was stiled The Ark of the Testimony because it was the Evidence of Gods Will
the Apostle to such as prophaned the place of Gods worship with intemperance or despise ye the Church of God 1 Cor. 11.22 3. In the Tent or Tabernacle which David had pitched 2 Sam. 6.17 David did not make choice of a Tabernacle to save charges He was asham'd to see himself live in more State in respect of habitation then God did to see himself lodged in a Palace of Cedar and the Ark between course Curtains out of zeal therefore he designed a House for the Lord a House that should be exceeding magnifical of fame and glory among all Countries 1 Chro. 22.5 and although this was but a piece of will-worship in him having as yet received no command or order * 2 Sam. 7.7 1 Chro. 17.6 no direction or intimation for it yet God accepts of this pious intendment 1 Kings 8.18 and since David had intertain'd the thoughts of a Temple God would have it such a Temple to honour the zeal of his designs as should be a type of heaven a type of the Church triumphant †Rev. 11 1â— but then though he had piously contrived it David must not be allowed to build it * 1 Chron. 22.6 to 10. for David was a man of war and heaven is to be prepared for us by the Prince of Peace this work therefore must be reserved for Solomon But for the Church militant represented by a Tabernacle * Rev. 21.2 3. always in a moveable posture subject to storms and deportations a warlike Prince may protect and shelter endow and adorn that after this example of King David who pitch'd a tent for the Ark of God And now the Ark is brought under Davids roof I hope the Proverb is not verified in him The neerer to Church the further from God I hope it is not for State and Pomp that he designs this neighbourhood * Beati qui merentur proximi esse Dco Sed memento quod Scriptum est qui approximant mihi approximant igni Origen super Jes Nav. Hom. 4. k. with the Almighty No no it is that he may gain an opportunity at hand to celebrate the solemn service of God which he doth therefore religiously hansel with the Sacrifice of a dutiful gratulation for they offered burnt sacrifices and peace-offerings before God which is the last part of my Text. To be possess'd of God to sit under the shadow of his wings to communicate in the Ordinances of his worship and imbibe the influences of his Ministry what an ineffable blessing how much this Prince and People valued this injoyment how much their hearts were ravish'd with their success in this happy settlement we may collect from their oblations which were the best the Levitical Law had recommended God did require he did expect no better from them We may take a threefold view of them 1. In their nature or kind Burnt sacrifices what they were peace-offerings what they were 2. In their conjuncture and association burnt sacrifices and peace-offerings together 3. In their subordination and order first burnt sacrifices and then peace-offerings before God 1. For their kind and nature the burnt sacrifice was to be of the best in its kind a male and without blemish and â—hat I may in brief give you the History and the Mystery and the Morality of it it was stiled a Holocaust because herein neither the Priest nor the party that made the oblation was to have any share but it was wholly to be consumed by the sacred fire that it might ascend up in flames in reverence to the most high God It was a Testification of Gods Supream Dominion over them and so it was designed to make an acknowledgement of his Sovereignty to honour him and it was a Recognition of their subjection and dependency and so it was designed to make an atonement to render him placid and gracious The Offerer was to lay his hand upon the head of the Sacrifice to this effect Levit. 1.4 He shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him By this Rite and Ceremony of laying the hand upon the head of the Sacrifice 1. He did transfer all his interest in it upon God and dedicated it intirely to Gods honour 2. Manuum impositio symbolum oblationis crat testimonium reatus in hostiam translati Euseb apud Lapid in Lev. 1.4 He did hereby transfer the guilt of his own sin upon the Sacrifice and devoted it in his own head to the wrath of God for that guilt 3. He did transfer the propriety and interest that he had in himself and resign'd it up for the future to Gods service This was the signification of that Rite and Ceremony But there is a Mystery besides in this sacrifice it was a Type and prefiguration of the spotless Lamb of God who gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God Ephes 5.2 for a sweet smelling Savour And a twofold end was aim'd at in that oblation 1. Gods Honour 2. Our Atonement for he did glorifie God †John 17.4 and was the propitiation for our sins * 1 John 2.2 And if David offer'd such a sacrifice to God to shut up this great solemnity it may teach us modesty and caution not to be too confident not to relie upon the worth of our own performances but to suspect their imperfection and our own failing in them Job was afraid his sons might take a surfeit of pleasures in the freedom of their hospitable entertainment of one another and therefore his care and piety did always apply a burnt offering to them for an Antidote Job 1.5 it is not good to be too confident verebar omnia opera mea I was jealous of all my works saith Job * Job 9.28 we may be surprized in our devotion there may be iniquity in our holy things Our spiritual sacrifices do not always ascend in so pure a flame but some cloud may darken them It is the Angels Additional incense offer'd up with the prayers of the Saints Rev. 8 3 4. upon the golden Altar that makes them ascend like an acceptable perfume before the throne of God David perform'd this service for the Ark of God with a most exquisite devotion but lest some dead fly should be blown accidentally into this pot of precious oyntment lest some circumstantial miscarriage should have sullied the beauty and blemished the perfection and abated the worth of it he addes the cautionary atonement of a burnt sacrifice But 2. if you look upon this Sacrifice as designed to the honour of the Divine Majesty abstracted from all consideration of making him propitious to the offerer then it courts our devotions with this insinuation that we are not our own God hath an absolute dominion over us and therefore we are wholly at his service and ought to resign our selves up intirely to his disposal that no creature may share in that
amiable are thy dwellings O Lord of Hosts My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord for one day in thy Courts is better then a thousand Psal 84.1 2 4 10. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God blessed are they that dwell in thy house And there is nothing more welcome to a holy soul then an invitation to such a Coelestial entertainment I was glad when they said unto me Psal 122.1 2 we will go into the house of the Lord and there he desires to fix his station Our feet shall stand within thy gates O Jerusalem Yea they shall joy as the joy in harvest as the joy of those that divide the spoil a Isa 9.3 I will go unto the Altar of God unto God my exceeding joy b Psal 43.4 Such a joy of heart as overflows the banks thereof and causeth exultation in the body too My heart danceth for joy and not so only but my heart and my flesh also rejoyceth in the living God And much more the glory of the flesh the best member of it the tongue They shall sing in the ways of the Lord that great is the glory of the Lord. The service of God should be like the celebration of a solemn Jubilee Jubilate Deo O be joyful in the Lord all ye lands Psal 100.1 serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song and again O come let us sing unto the Lord Psal 95.1 let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our Salvation If we had that zeal of Gods glory or that sense of our own duty or if we had but that regard to our own interest and advantage that we should have it were impossible we should be either so slack in our approach or when present so cold and dull in our attention to Gods solemn service Are we not in some danger of Gods displeasure for this awkward carriage towards him does he not threaten his people for it Deut. 28.47 45. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulnesse and gladnesse of heart for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in want of all things he that cannot delight himself in the Solemnities of Gods house in that his gracious presence where there is in some sence a fulnesse of joy Psal 16. ult it is pity he should ever come to his right hand where are pleasures for evermore you must approach with Alacrity 3. You must approach the Ark with unanimity As Jerusalem was builded Psal 122.3 so it was govern'd as a City at unity in it self Psal 95.6 The kingly Prophet invites O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord O magnifie the Lord with me Psal 34.3 and let us exalt his name together And at that great solemnity of Solomon's when he dedicated the house of the Lord we find all Israel in consort with him 2 Chron. 7.4 The King and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. God hath an expectation it should be so amongst us too for he saith by his Evangelical Prophet And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains Isa 2.2 3. and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow unto it And many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his pathes For then as the Lord saith by another Prophet will I turn to the people a pure language Zeph. 3.9 that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent crouding in to the holy Assemblies with one shoulder as the original importeth And that it might be so amongst us how earnestly doth the Apostle conjure us in the persons of the Church of Philippi if there be therefore any consolation in Christ Phil. 2.1 2. if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels of mercies fulfil ye my joy and what is that that ye be like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind For Christ hath but one Church My love my undefiled is one there is one body and one spirit and ye are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism Eph. 4.4 5 5. one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all What a multiplicity of Arguments hath the blessed Apostle twisted together to make the unity that should be amongst Christians indissoluble And if the advantages hereof were duly weighed these alone were enough to make it so See Magal in Josh c. 6. §. 1. Annnot 3. Origen weighing that verse of the Psalmist Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound Psal 89.15 He quaeres what it is that renders a people blessed He saith not blessed are the people that do righteousness or blessed are the people that understand mysteries or are able to give an account of the heaven of the earth and of the stars but he saith blessed are the people that know the sound the jubilation In other places the fear of the Lord maketh blessed but it maketh but one man blessed for so it is said Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. Else where we find also that more are blessed as blessed are the poor in spirit blessed are the meek blessed are the peace makers blessed are the pure in heart But here in the Psalmist the blessedness is profuse and I know not what so great cause of blessedness is intimated that it should make the whole people blessed that hears the Jubilation Unde mihi jubilatio videtur indicare quendam concordiae unanimitatis affectum whereupon it seems to me that this Jubilation doth import an affection of concord and unanimity which if it clasps the hearts and hands of two or three Disciples together in Prayer it makes them so prevalent offering up their devotions in the name of Christ that the heavenly Father grants all they pray for And if it be so great a blessedness that a whole people are unanimous that they all speak the same thing being joyn'd together in the same mind and in the same judgment the united devotions of such a people may be as prevalent as theirs were in the Acts of the Apostles They were of one heart and of one soul Acts 2.1 Chap. 4.31.32 they were with one accord in one place and there was a great earth quake where they prayed in unanimity and the place being shaken the holy Ghost descended The joynt devotions of an unanimous faithful people might be thus effectual terrae motu facto destruentur