nor can he put any glorious effect into such his commanded meanes that they shall beare weight with the Judgement or helpe the affections and so they remain obscure and darke as man himselfe is in heavenly things and so unsutable to Gods glorious worship To be carelesse in obscure darke hidden good is a small matter but to be carelesse about eminent good as Gods worship is eminent and apparent sin 4. A reverent or fearfull Name Deut. 28.58 Psal 111.9 Gods Name is such a name as considered of doth strike with reverence and feare the holines of it the greatnesse of it things holy and great have a Majesty in them Gods worship is a holy worship and a great worship therefore a fearfull worship Now to take in vain light and triviall matters is a small thing but to take in vain a reverent and fearfull worship argues senselessnes 5. God will not hold him guiltlesse that doth take his Name in vain as a man doth his worship by carelessnes 1. How ever men performing Gods worship onely outwardly with the outward man may go for innocent with men none will say that they have sinned yet God will not count them innocent unlesse they have performed the same carefully which is a weighty consideration When men have been at the Sacrament or word or prayer they thinke all now is well but God accounts them sinners if they have not performed the same with their best affections he holds them guilty they are sinners in his account and if sinners he will so deâ—le with them and so he profesâ—â—â—â— Mâ—l 1.14 Cursed bâ— the deceiver that hath a male in his flock c. He is a deceiver there is his sinne his guiltines cursed be the deceiver there is Gods dealing with him as guilty A deceivâ—r as if God should say I observe such men all the week about their owne occasions they are up early and down late they sweat hard but when they come to serve me on my day they are heavy and carelesse they are deceivers they have better affections to bestow then they do bestow upon me Cursed be the deceiver what 's that evil shall befall him evil of punnishment Losse of good Presence of evil Losse of good what Gods acceptance Gods recompence Gods acceptance promised Ezek. 20 41. I will accept you with your sweet savour Gods recompence promised Isai 36.7 I will make you joyfull in my house of prayer Isai 58.14 Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord. .i. encrease their delight more and more delight inlargement of heart in duty is an evidence of Gods acceptance what God prepares he will accept joy in duty fitnes for and forwardnes unto duty is Gods recompence when the more we pray read heare or receive the more we joy therein and are forward thereunto They that are carelesse in Gods worship shall neither finde Gods assistance nor joy therein nor willingnes thereunto but shall be bound up and backward unto the same Positive evil shall befall carelesse worshippers Jer. 17.5 6. Cursed be the man whose heart departeth from God and pitcheth elsewhere why he shall inhabit the parched places of the wildernes the sunne of Gods wrath shall light upon him and parch soul and body and estate dry up graces and affections and if body and estate prosper yet the soul and the good thereof shall be much more parched so experience shews Carelesse worshipers of God are barren of spirituall good Vse Information 1. The perfection of the law of God it reacheth to the inward and spirituall part of man yea to the utmost of that As it is said of the sunne Psal 19.6 Nothing is hid from the heat thereof the beames peirce into the bowels of the earth so not the heart not the extent of the heart which is most spirituall and comes nearest God is hid from the command of the law a signe the author thereof is above man in knowledge in power 2. The dignity of Gods worship the best part of man yea the best of the soul the utmost of it is but meet for it if any thing in the soul be better then other it must be drawn forth This was shadowed out in the sacrifices of the law Gods sacrifices were to be without blemish and the fat the best of the beast was specially his If civil worship have the body the outward man it is sufficient because it is done unto men that can look no further are capable to receive no more this is as much as will be honour to them before men but religious worship requires the soul and the best of the soul because it is done to that God that searcheth the hearts and trieth the raines is capable of the best and most honoured thereby 3. All performance of worship is â—â—t equally good and equally pleasing unto God he requires fervencie God is life and the more lively worship the more sutable and delightfull unto him 2. To reprove 1. Neglect of Gods worship this is a contrary extream unto instant worshipping of God when men pray not at all go not to the assembly on the Lords day sanctifie no Sabbath but their whole soul and body and strength of both are taken up about the world or about their lusts this is fervencie and strength either of ignorance or of disobedience Do not men know that God is to be worshiped that some time is appointed for his worship that is grosse ignorance what God have no worship who is your King your maker works of creation and providence do cry aloud against this ignorance Act. 17.26 27 28. And if we know God is to be worshipped and time is sanctified for that end and yet neglect do we not manifest strength of disobedience great frowardnes of heart 2. Our inconstancy and partiality in the worship and service of God our inconstancy sometimes we take it up at other times we lay it downe some will pray and be very reliâ—ious in affliction or on the Sabbath-day or at least against they go to the Sacrament but not ordinarily others will ordinarily worship God for a time but they have their interruptions and breakings off one while they will pray and another while they will be unpraied these have their cold fits the fire of love were that in their hearts would consume these interruptious Others are partiall in Gods worship they will come to the word not to the Sacraments some will come to both these yet do not strive to joyn with the Congregation in prayer these have but halfe hearts to Gods worship the rule of their worshipping of God is not love to God for then they would be found in all his worship and expresse their love in all 3. Our constant carelesnes in Gods ordinary worship though we observe part and are observant of appointed times with Gods people yet we make it not matter of feare we do not stir up our affections thereunto or therein we are not of Davids spirit who would not offer that
us as children and friends we may expresse our reverence otherwise by uncovering the head by gravity of countenance and behaviour in all the actions thereto appertaining 4. Neglect of singing Psalms witâ— the Coâ—gregation a faâ—lt in many indeed some through age or weaknes of body or want of voiâ—e cannot and are to be excused for will whâ—n power is wanting is accepted of God But not to sing where we have no such impediment the case of very many is to despise that ordinance of God and so to sin for what doth hinder them but a mean and low esteem of this ordinance they want not strength or body nor voice What then Nothing but respect and esteem of the duty Indeed they are to be blamed who give occasion of this disrespect by altering the tune or singing before or after others but it doth not excuse them who are drawn hereby to disrespect Gods ordinance they should rather increase their esteem 5. Whispering one to another in time of praier singing reading or preaching Needles whispering in civill societies is a disrespect thereto for so the company and occasions in hand are neglected much more needlesly to whisper in holy Assemblies though no publike action be in hand is disrespective of them because more reverence is due thereto When we meet for publike ends private actions are unsuitable some to be talking in one place and some in another a publike expectation of publike exercises were more meet and a generall composing of our affections and behaviour fit for the same We should come into such places with a respect of those holy ends we come for and all our carriage till we depart thence should expresse to much Most of all doth it expresse disrespect to whisper to one another whil'st the service of God is in hand when we are speaking to him or of him or he speaking unto us to turn aside and speak one to another doth not suit with that reverence we owe to God Nay if we speak one to another of that which is in hand which is the fairest excuse that can be made yet if it take away our ear and affection from that which follows it doth shew a disesteem of Gods ordinance and so is sin Nay whatsoever doth but weaken our affection and attention to Gods worship as this must needs do at the least doth therein weaken our esteem and so make us sin 6. Smiling and laughing in time of Gods worship Judge you what Assembly more grave then an Assembly met at Gods command to worship him And would not smiling or laughing of some particular persons in a most grave Assembly argue a disrespect of the same doth it not argue a lightnes or inconsideratenes of the person or the lightnes of the matter both which do carry a disesteem of Gods worship God hath promised Zech 8.4 that the streets of Jerusalem shall be full of boies and girles playing therein but for men and women our boies and girles to be toying laughing and smiling when they are worshipping is a sleighty carriage arguing sleighty thoughts of Gods worship God may send such a sudden full and forcible joy into the heart that it may change the sadnes of the countenaâ—ce into smiling but to laugh and smile though the ordinance gives no such occasion bâ—t from some vain thought that comes to the minâ—e or some â—olly a man seeth in others is a despisiâ—g of Gods holy things and so sinne The presence of betters might command more respect much more of Saints and Angels and most of all the presence of God himselfe 7. Standing up to gaze about We read that all the people stood up when Ezra opened the book of the law in the sight of them all Nehemiah 8.5 and when our Saviour had read his text the eyes of the people were fastned on him Luk. 4.20 but to stand up to gaze about us to see whom of our freinds we can espy or who comes in or what apparell others weare and that in time of singing of Psalmes or reading the word or preaching the word doth shew a disesteeme of Gods Ordinances Can we finde something more to be attended to then Gods worship a signe we thinke but meanly of that 8. Sleeping in time of Gods worship a thing which our neighbours equall to us would count a sleighting of them much more may God Suppose a man should be speaking to his neighbour or speaking some good of him in his presence or hearkning to his speech and he should fall asleep would he not look at it as a sleighty carriage how much more if a man should thus behave himself before his betters and especially before his Prince and cheif govenrour so is the case in publike worship either we are speaking unto God as in prayer or speaking of God as in reading the word and singing of Psalmes or hearing God speak to us as in the preaching of the word if we sleepe in all or any of these do we not shew that we lightly esteeme them that we do but little respect what we say unto God or of God or what he saith unto us which how great a sinne it is I leave to you to judge Not but that some by reason of age or weaknes of body or want sometimes of convenient rest or constitution of body may be subject to heavines who yet doe highly esteeme Gods worship but where there is a giving way unto this and it is not borne as a burden which for the present a man would shake off and after is humbled for it shewes a great disesteeme and disrespect of Gods worship 2. To humble Gods people in regard of the guiltines of this sinne meane and low thoughts of Gods worship In this sense we need Peters exhortation 1 Pet. 1.13 to gird up the loynes of our mindes our thoughts of Gods worship hang too loose and low and had need be girt up closer and higher We should call the sabbath the honourable of the Lord Isai 38.13 Glorious things are spoken of thee O city of God Ps 87.3 of the Church and Ordinances We should looke to our foote when we goe into the house of God Eccles 5.1 but our late comming our heavines our whisperings do shew that our thoughts are too low for were our thoughts higher our carriages would be more reverent This is our sinne and should be our shame And to humble us the more consider either there is much ignorance in us of the worth of Gods worship or much carelessenes of that worth we know or much corruption and but little grace much of the old man and but little of the new 3. To fortifie them that respect Gods worship against the speeches and carriages of them that disrespect them Many have a good esteeme of reading and prayer of private and Church ordinances but when they see and hear others sleight the same they pray not they read not they come not to the assembly but they speake ill of others that use
vanity when he seeth us that way disposed 4. Greive the spirit of God to see his Temple in that guise and dresse On the contrary a reverent behaviour of body that will 1. Beget respective thoughts in our mindes 2. Effect the like reverent carriage in others which will be helpefull to us 3. Take advantage from Satan when he seeth no opportunity 4. Content the spirit of God when he seeth his Temple in a comely habit and he will delight to be more there 5. Looke up to the Lord Jesus to make these considerations usefull and to effect more of this reverence in use He shewed the greatest respect that ever was shewed to Gods Ordinances when he whipped out the profaners of the Temple and he as head of the Church hath fullâ—es to bestow Ob. Thâ— Ordinances â—â—eme to be weake and foolish â—hinâ— and not to deserve such reverence for men to speake to God and God to speake his minde unto us by men a poore thing Ans The Apostle hath answered this to my hand 1 Cor. 1. â—5 The foolishnes of God is wiser then men and the weaknes of God stronger then men What though they may seeme foolishnes and weaknes grant them so to be yet they are Gods foolishnes and weaknes God can make that a strong way which is in it self weake and that a wise way which is in it self foolish that which hath the wisedome of God and the strength of God with it cannot be foolish cannâ—t be weake however it may seeme abstracted therefrom Gods wisdome is an infinite and hidden wisdâ—â—e all of God is not thereâ—o 〈◊〉 â—ke and foolish because we see not the strength and wisdome of it Let us conclude our blindnes folly and weaknes rather then charge Gods means of folly and weaknes CHAP. III. Of the second hinderance of instant worshipping of God wandring thoughts ISA. 29.13 Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth and do honour me with their lips but have removed their hearts farre from me HAving finished the first hindrance of our instant worshipping of God despising of Gods worship we come to a second seated in the same faculty of the soul the minde and it is wandring or roving thoughts in Gods worship For the handling whereof I have made choice of this text wherein the Lord doth blame it in the Israelitish worshipers of him By heart here we are to understand the whole inward man the minde will affections for iâ— stands opposed to the whole oâ—tâ—ard man included in a paâ—t expressed the mouth and lips In the like sense heart put alone is taken Mat. 15. â—9 out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murthers adulteries i. e. out of the whole inward man part whereof is the heart proceeds evil thoughts the work of the minde and murthers adultâ—riâ—s the work of the will and aâ—â—â—tions manifested in the outward man I am particularly to speak of the absence of one power of the minde from God the thoughts N. The absence of our thoughts in Gods worship doth weaken our worshiping of God Wandring thoughts in Gods worship do hinder our earnest worshipping of God God complains here that his people drew near him with their mouths but their hearts were gone from him if the absence of the heart and particularly of the minde and more particularly of the thoughts of the minde did not weaken and hinder their worship why should the Lord complain of the absence Nay why should he punish the absâ—nce so admirably as here he threatneth to do Mat. 15.7 our Saviour calleth them that worship God with their bodies and their heart farre from him hypocrites such worship therefore hath hypocrisy in it and the more wandring of minde the more hypocrisy and if so it is but weak worship The Lord by the Prophet doth particularly discommend the hearing of the wicked Ezek. 33.31 that so farre as concerned the outward man they did hear as well as a people could they came duly and sate respectively and attended and were somewhat affected with the Word as men are with pleasant musick but their hearts walked after their covetousnes their bodies were in one place but their thoughts and affections in another their bodies were sixed but their souls were roving and this made their hearing to become sinne and God to threaten that the day should come when they should know by lamentable experience that they had a Prophet and the Word amongst them and were hearers of it but sinned by the wandring of their hearts When David Psal 103.1 calls upon his soul to be exercised in the duty of praise he explaineth in the later end of the verse what he meaneth by soul all that is within me praise his holy Name If the duty of praise and so other duties have not all that within us and consequently our thoughts it hath not its due and so Gods praise is short To this agrees that of our Saviour summing up all Commandements of the first Table in this one Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy minde One branch of this love of God is the manner of worshipping God which must be with all the minde as well as all the heart and soul and if with all the minde then with all the thoughts of the minde and so much as the thoughts are absent in Gods worship so much love to God is absent therefore the worship of God is hindred Two things we must consider of for our understanding of this point 1. What wandring thoughts in Gods worship are 2. How wandring thoughts do hinder our earnest worshipping of God 1. What are wandring thoughts in Gods worship Ans We may know the nature of them by the description of the holy ghost in this place and in Ezekiel Isaiah describeth them by their place they are farr from God there is a distance betwixt God and them and that in opposition to the nearnes of the body to him those thoughts that are further from God in his worship then the body that are not busied about the same action that the body is are wandring thoughts and do hinder Gods worship Ezekiel describeth them by their motion and wandring their heart goeth or walketh after their coveteousnes when the body is set and sixed the 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 and thoughts are up and walking not about the service in hand but about other things These wandring thoughts according to the objects they are conversant about may be reduced to two heads Thoughts about evil things and thoughts about good things 1. Wandring thoughts about things evil in themselves thoughts simply and materially evil Amos 8.5 6. Thus the Iews are brought in Saying When will the new moone be gone and the sabbath why that they may sell corne and set forth wheat Is that all No there is a worse matter beside making the Ephah small and the shekel great and falsifying the balances by deceit That we may buy the poor
the spirit of God These wandring thoughts in Gods worship imploied about things good in themselves earthly good or spirituall good things are therefore sinfull because wandring and therefore 1. Impertinent and so a part of disorder and confusion which God is not the authour of they are out of their place and ranke they should not come in when other occasions and duties take place they have no due place now they doe but usurp 2. Being wandring they are unseasonable out of their time and therefore undecent uncomely for time doth give a beauty to things 3. Being wandring they are distracting they goe from the duty in hand take away part of the souls strength and thereby weaken the performance of duty and thus pertinent thoughts sometimes gain the name of wandring thoughts from the effect because they make the soul to wander Having seen the nature and kindes of wandring thoughts in Gods worship Let us now consider how they do hinder our earnest worshipping of God Ans Two waies 1. As they weaken the inward power of the soul to worship God 2. As they weaken the assisting power of the spirit of God 1. Wandring thoughts do weaken the inward power of the soul to worship God and so hinder our fervent and affectionate worshipping of God First As they take up part of the minde so that Gods worship hath not the whole minde as it should have Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy minde A man doth not pray with all his minde nor hear with all his minde part is bestowed elsewhere let a river be parted into two streams and it cannot runne so full in both as it would in one No finite minde can be so strong about many objects at same time as about one Wandring thoughts make God to be worshipped with a divided parted minde with a piece of the minde therefore weakly 2. Wandring thoughts in worship do not onely take up part of the minde and so weaken the power of the soul to worship God but they do take off the minde from the worship in hand so God saith the heart is removed farre from me and their hearts goeth after their covetousnes that is the minde is much nearer such thoughts and more taken up with them then with the Word or praier the minde is wholly with them or at least chiefly with them As it is often seen when doggs are following an hare if a new one be started they follow that and leave the other so when we are praying reading hearing if new thoughts arise in our hearts we let go our thoughts of the duty and follow them and so God hath scarce a part of our minde in his worship if any it is the least part 3. Wandring thoughts do weaken the power of the soul to worship God not onely because they take up part of the minde and take off the minde from Gods worship but also because in so doing they take up and take off the affections and endeavours the desires and delights of the soul and the actions of the body What a man doth not think of he cannot desire or delight in and what he doth but little think of he will but little desire and delight in and consequently will take little pains about Thus wandring thoughts carrying away the minde from Gods worship do also carry away the affections and outward man and if God hath neither minde nor affections nor body or but little of them then he hath but weak service 2. Wandring thoughts do hinder our thorow worshipping of God as they do weaken the power of the assisting spirit in our hearts and that they doe three waies 1. As they draw us from present spirituall thoughts about the worship in hand which are the work of Gods spirit concurring with grace in the heart We cannot think a good thought in a duty without the assistance of Gods spirit All our sufficiency saith Paul 2 Cor. 3.5 is of God and he instanceth in the smallest power of the soul thoughts we cannot think any thing of our selves when therefore wandring thoughts do take us from such thoughts as the assisting spirit hath wrought in us doth it not weaken the power of the assisting spirit 2. Wandring thoughts being evil and sinfull do grieve the spirit of God and so weaken the assisting power of the spirit when a man is grieved he will have no minde to shew his love and power Ephes 4.30 Grieve not saith the Apostle the holy spirit of God unholines is contrary to the nature of the spirit therefore doth grieve it and wandring thoughts in holy duties are unholines because they separate the soul from God when the body comes near him they are therefore contrary and grievous to Gods spirit and makes it unwilling to shew it self 3. Wandring thoughts doe weaken the power of the assisting spirit of God Because they hinder us in the way of the spirit the Word Praier Sacraments wherein the spirit is wont to conveigh himself more unto us Wandring thoughts do prevent our carefull use of the ordinances and so a greater measure of the spirits assistance which we should have in those Ordinances were wandring thoughts absent If wandring thoughts do weaken the power of Gods assisting spirit in our hearts they must needs hinder our fervent worshipping of God for the exercise of the strength of our souls depends upon the assistance of the spirit But it may be demanded further what are the causes of these wandring thoughts and how comes it to passe that the godly are troubled with them in good duties that do so hinder them in the due worshipping of God Ans There is a three-fold cause of them 1. Our selves 2. Satan 3. God 1. We our selves are the causes of wandring thoughts in Gods worship How Surely many waies 1. As we have a remnant of originall corruption a root and stock yet living and fruit bearing and one fruit is evil thoughts Matth. 13.19 out of the heart proceed evil thoughts i. e. the heart being an evil tree It is the happines of a good tree to bring forth fruit in season Psal 1.3 good and seasonable good and it is the curse of corruption a bad tree to bring forth fruit out of season good thoughts but out of season More particularly sinne hath brought a vanity upon our mindes Ephes 4.17 and there is yet a remnant of it in us i. e. the more worth and weight and excellency is in aâ—y thing the lesse we in our mindes suit with it and the more light and empty any thing is the more our mindes agree thereto now thoughts on the by have not that worth and excellency in holy duties that pertinent thoughts inlarging our affections Besides the more any thing requires the fixing setling and holding close of the thoughts as good duties do the lesse do our mindes suit therewith our mindes are vain inconstancy variety change and alteration of thoughts do best please them Experience tells us that it is
moved Nay what is the cause of Gods absence in his worship that the godly cannot see him feel him have communion with him Surely wandring thoughts are the cause if not all the cause yet one cause and a first cause they carry away the soul from Gods worship and leave only the body and God is a spirit and doth converse with our spirits if they be absent God allso will be absent for there is no suitablenes between him and our bodies a meer bodily worship is sit onely for idol Gods that are all body God is a spirit and spirituall worship only doth agree unto him 3. To teach the godly and to presse them 1. In their soul-searchings and examinations to finde out their sins to remember their wandring thoughts in Gods worship which are no small part of the sinne of their souls especially when we come to look over the manner of the performance of holy duties forget not our wandring thoughts but consider them and look into them these do as well robbe and spoil the worship of God of its due as other sins these neglected in our hearts may make God angry with us and we not aware of the cause The more these are removed from the sight of others the more need we have to look after them because they are the more easily overskipped and forgotten they have the excuse of secrecy 2. In their humiliations to humble their souls for their wandring thoughts these are part of their sin an offence and injury to God therefore should be part of their humiliation Foure things considered may help our humiliation in this respect 1. We sin by wandring thoughts in all the ordinances of God none excepted in praier wherein we come neerest to God when we speak unto the highest majesty of some things our thoughâ—s are busy about other things yea in extraordinary praier when we specially separate our selves unto communion with God and have nothing or little to do with the creatures lest they should hinder us in the worship of God yet we cannot separate our selves from wandring thoughts nor in the word when God speaks unto us nor in the Sacraments when we come to binde our selves from wandring thoughts 2. We sin much by wandring thoughts in all parts of Gods worship If our wandring and pertinent thoughts were compared for the most part it were hard to say which would be the most so often do our hearts runne out in duty and sometimes long stay out ere they returne especially in such duties wherein we join with others to be sure our wandring thoughts would be found to be very many 3. We continually at all times do much offend by wandring thoughts in all parts of Gods worship though sometimes more then at other yet all times much not one time excepted 4. Though we offend so much in all the ordinances of God and so continually yet we are but little sensible of our sin this way We complain of our other sins in publique private and secret but littâ—e do we complain of this sin though we offend more and more continually by it theÌ„ by words ordeeds 3. To labour in the use of all appointed and sanctified means to prevent wandring thoughts in Gods worship Though we cannot altogether prevent them yet let us do what we can though we cannot attain to what we desire yet it will be our comfort that we have done our duty Is not my doctrine argument sufficient that they weaken Gods worship i. e. make our praiers hearing crackt vessels that they cannot hold and carry that measure of glory to God that otherwise they would nor that good to us The very best thing we do or can do is to worship God We do well when for Gods sake we do right unto our neighbour but we do best when we worship God for we do that which is most his command the other is the second command but this is the first and great Commandement We do that which is most for Gods glory we do that which is nearest our work in heaven for there we shall worship God even when we shall have no outward works of justice or mercy to do one to another Should we not be carefull to do our best work the worship of God in the best manner and if in the best manner then with as much of our hearts as may be for they are the best part then take we heed our thoughts do not wander But beside let me use some other arguments to presse us to take heed of wandring thoughts in holy duties 1. They make a Christian to play the part of an hypocrite in Gods worship what is it to be an hypocrite but to seem to be that which he is not When we bring our bodies to the worship of God we seem to worship him earnestly but when our thoughts wander we do nothing lesse we seem to do that we do not and therefore play the part of an hypocrite so much as our thoughts wander in good duties so much do we as hypocrites do though our hearts be sincere yet herein we play the part of hypocrites This is contrary to the nature of grace which desires a man may have truth though he have never so little and may do what he doth in truth though he do never so little now the lesse our hearts wander the more truth we expresse in Gods worship and the more truth the more acceptable to Gods grace 2. Wandring thoughts considered in themselves and their own nature are a curse God may and certainly doth sanctify them to his own people to be means of humiliation of watchfulnes of more dependance upon Christ but in themselves they are a curse For what is a curse but separation from God the fountain of blessing the fountain of good in whose presence is all good nothing but good and out of whose presence is all evil nothing but evil Matth. 25.41 Depart ye cursed therefore cursed because they must depart from God never to come near him again Wandring thoughts they do carry the heart from God God comes near to his people in his worship wandring thoughts do carry the heart farre from the worship of God therefore farre from God So saith God they draw neer me with their mouths and honour me with their lips but their hearts are removed farre from me and the first instrument of removing of the heart is the wandring of the thoughts Will not the name of a curse prevail with us to perswade us to take heed of wandring thoughts Oh consider when wandring thoughts come to us in holy duties the curse comes and when they stay with us the curse staies with us We come to the Ordinances of God for a blessing and to have a curse instead of a blessing in time of blessing is a double curse Prophane ignorant Esau when the blessing was denied him he lift up his voice and wept he had so much understanding that he thought the blessing was worthy
with wisdom 4. Accustom our selves to meditation so we shall get a skill of thinking well Meditation in its nature is the composing setling and congealing of our thoughts It is to our roving sluent mindes as a damme to running water when much water is gathered together the damme makes it there to stand So when many thoughts are gathered together in the soul meditation makes them there to stand keeps them from running out again The nature of it being a setling of the minde the effect of it must needs be so and the use of it frequently must needs perfect the effect more and more settle our mindes When Paul desired to have a good conscience alwaies the means he used was to exercise himself therein so Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.7 Exercise thy self unto godlines the way to gain the trade and skill of godlines is to exercise our selves therein ver 15. Mâ—ditate on these things give thy self wholly unto them that thy profiting may appear unto all If Timothy would be busied wholly in stirring up the gift of God all should see his profiting So if we would give our selves to meditation be much in it it would apparently settle our mindes It is made the property of a blessed meditating man to bring forth fruit in season Psal 1.3 Why so because he is as a tree planted by the rivers of waters As a tree planted by the rivers of waters cannot want fitnes to bring forth fruit in season bâ—cause it hath abundance of nourishment So the meditating soul cannot want fitnes to bring forth fruit in season good thoughts in holy duties because it is planted amongst Gods springs the fulnes of the assisting spirit 5. Adde to these watchfullnes wandring thoughts will not be prevented without watching Watch 1. Thy minde it needs watching for it is nimble therefore will soon be gone and go far in a little time 2. Watch thine eie a rolling eie a wandring heart if thou give libertie to thy eie that will set the minde at liberty Job 31.1 I have made a Covenant with mine eies why should I think on a maid the eie depends on the minde else why should he make one Covenant to binde them both So he argues I have made a covenant with mine eies why should I think It might be said though the eie be bound by covenant yet the minde is at liberty The answer is that the eie is the servant of the minde made to help that therefore in binding the eie the minde is bound for if it cannot have the help and service of the eie it hath not full liberty if the minde should not be bound why should the eie to which it serves 3. Watch thy ears when thou art hearing or praying the Devil will cause some sound or other to draw away thy ear he is that cunning charmer that labours to inchant our ears he will make us think that we hear some pleasant melody of our profit or pleasure or honour if we keep not our ears stopped with attention thickned with watchfullnes 4. Watch thy affections 1. That they be affected and moved with the duty in hand dead affections make a wandring minde if what is thought on do not affect the minde will think of something else that may affect this is one reason of wandring thoughts because present thoughts do not affect the minde doth naturally serve the affections the more they are delighted the more content the minde hath for it hath its ende if duties in hand delight not the minde will wander till it hath found matter of delight 2. Watch thy affections that they continue as they begin if they be affected A bowe continuing bent doth carry the arrow levell to the mark but if it slip the arrow wanders So if our affections continue in that vigour and life wherein they begin they will keep our mindes steady but if our affections tire and wax weary our mindes will rove Though by watchfulnes we cannot wholly prevent wandring thoughts yet we shall in part prevent them hereby we shall more easily discern them and resist them this is a way of command therefore a sure way Ob. But when we have used all means still we shall be troubled with wandring thoughts Answ True therefore when we have done God the best service in his Ordinances that is attainable these three things must allwaies follow 1. Sense of our failings 2. Recourse unto the Lord Jesus for renewment of repentance and pardon and increase of power 3. Confidence of Gods acceptance in and through Christ of what he enableth us unto CHAP. IIII. Of the third hinderance of instant worshipping of God unpreparednes PSAL. 57.7 My heart is fixed oh God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise THis verse doth afford us an help and means to the better praising of God i. e. fixednes firmnes or preparation of heart and soul which gives us just ground to speak of another hinderance of our earnest worshipping of God viz. unsetlednes loosenes and unpreparednes of heart N. God cannot so well be worshipped without a fixed or prepared heart unpreparednes of heart doth weaken our worshipping of God What is said of thanksgiving which is one part of Gods worship is true of all for there is the same reason of one and of all Preparation of heart doth commend all thanksgiving even unto God himself and in like manner doth it commend all other parts of worship and the want of it doth discommend the worship performed and therefore discommend it because it doth weaken it for had the worship its full and due strength and worth without it how should the want thereof discommend But this is clear in the Text ver 8. That worship that is performed with a sleepy drousy body is a weak worship but the Psalmist here makes the awaking of the body to be the fruit and effect of the preparation of the heart awake my glory awake lute and harp I my self will awake early why so My heart is prepared the heart prepared and thereby awaked will awake the body To worship God therefore without a prepared heart is to worship him with a drousy body because with a drousy heart and therefore weakly Three things will fully manifest the truth of this point 1. The command of God for preparation see it both in ordinary and in extraordinary worship God requires preparation unto ordinary worship A generall command that reacheth unto all parts of ordinary worship expressely is the fourth Commandement There are foure things in that which do call for preparation 1. Remember the Sabbath day and he that setteth down no particular time when we should remember it means all time a signe there is somewhat more in that day then in other daies that we must remember it more then any other yea then all other surely for some end we must remember it 2. Keep it holy and ver 11. The Lord sanctified it there is a difference between this and other daies we
worshipping of God is to weaken that worship But to neglect preparation is to neglect that which the servants of God have practised as a way of due worshipping God Therefore to neglect preparation is to weaken that worship 3. God hath generally put it into the mindes of men as a point of wisdom to make preparation for matters of lesse moment Prov. 24 2â— prepare thy work without and make it ready for thy self in the field and afterwards build thine house When men build an house they first bring materialls to the hill as we say and then fit and prepare those materialls that they may sit the work intended and then they build they do not build without preparation Pro. 21.31 The horse is prepared against the day of battell the horse is not used in battell out of hand nor will any ordinary common horse serve for that end but the horse is prepared against the day of battell by exercising unto warlike skill by fit keeping by harnessing Men prepare their ground by mannuring and plowing ere they cast in the seed Isa 28.24 25 26. Doth the plow-man plow all day to sowe doth he open and break the clods of his ground when he hath made plain the face thereof doth he not cast abroad the sirches and scatter the cummin and cast in the principall wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place And why doth he thus prepare the ground ere he sowe ver 26. for his God doth instruct him unto discretion and doth teach him Is it wisdom to prepare ere we build a materiall house for man to dwell in And is it not much more wisdom to prepare for that house that it want nothing which must entertain the God of heaven Isa 66.1 2. Heaven and earth are Gods he hath made them and they are ready prepared but what house will they make for God The Lord tells them what house he chuseth more then heaven and earth To him will I look that is poor and contrite and that tremblâ—th at my word a prepared heart to worship God is Gods hoâ—se a poor heart sensible of its emptines of grace a contrite heart that is ground to dust and powder in regard of sin and a heart that trembles at Gods word that is deeply affected therewith and wrought upon thereby Let me adde one instance more which comes a little more nearer to the matter in hand When we are to come to the house of God we prepare our bodies in regard of the company we come unto we wash our selves and change our apparell and see that it be clean we put on some clothes that were not worne since they were washed but are prâ—pared in the week for that day and we should condemn a man of uncomelines rudenes of rashnes indiscretion that should come unprepared in body Nay many that go abroad all the week yet will not come to Church on the Lords day and all the reason is because they have no better clothes had they nâ—w clothes they would come as well as any and the reason why this doth hinder them is becaâ—â—â— aâ—l mâ—â— tâ—ke â—â—re to come iâ—â—â—â—â—l◠〈◊〉 thâ—s to the Câ—â—râ—h â—nâ— they should be 〈…〉 bâ—dy Nay more tâ—â—â— tâ—â—â—â—â—â—t comely cloâ—â—â—â— o◠〈◊〉 own do count it a lesse matter to humble themselves to borrow clothes then to come unhansomâ—ly Nay yâ—t a little furtâ—er many when they come to the Sacrament rather tâ—â—n thâ—y will not have their bodiâ—s prepâ—â—ed as they think they will deprive themselves of food necessary to the comfort of their bodies they will come fasting though our blâ—ssâ—d Saviour and his Apostles did celebrate the Lords supper after they had eaten the passeover which I suppose was a competent meal for they were to be no more at it then could well make an end of the paschall lamb If the body cannot come well into the presence of man without preparation can the soul come well into the presence of God without preparation to worship him The body comes to meet men the soul to meet God the body men count unfit till it be prepared and is the soul sit without preparation shall we make the presence of men of greater consequence then the presence of God Beside the principall end why the body comes to Church is that the soul might meet with God and we trim the handmaid but not the mistris that which hath least use in the present occasion not that which hath most just as if you should trim the hoâ—se you ride upon to Church but not your selves which were a ridiculous thing This argument therâ—fore doth conclude strongly and sensiâ—ly If matters of a lesse moment cannot be so well done without preparation then not the worship of God But lesse matters cannot so well be done without preparation as appears by instance Therefore not the worship of God God will at last day bring out meâ—s plowing to witnes against them and condemn them and this shall be so sensible and plain an argument that men shall have nothing to say As when the Lord said to the man that wanted the wedding garment Friend how camest thou hither not having a wedding garment What come a wedding and not have on a wedding garment The argument was so sensible and plain that he was speechles So when God shall say to us as he will do at the last day â—â—iâ—nd didst not thou prepare thy ground for thy seed What and not thy heart for my worship This shall be so sensible and manifest an argument as men shall n t be aâ—le to say any thing against it but be speeâ—hles What is unpreparednes of heart to worship God It stands in three things 1. Rashâ—â—s 2. Prophanâ—nes 3. Unaptnes or indisposednes 1. Rashnes a rash heart is an unprepared heart and begins the unpreparednes of the heart at the highest faculty of the soul the minde Eccles 5.2 Be not rash wâ—th thy mouth nor let thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God God hath given a man a power to deliberate and consult with himself about matters what is fit to be done and what not fit how matters may best be done and hovv not and hereby the mold and patern of things is made in the minde according to which the outward man doth them and vvithout this a man is not fit to do any thing much lesse the vvorship of God for he doth the same in great part vvithout the soul is carried thereunto by the force of sense and blinde affection and herein represeâ—tâ—th the brâ—te beasts It is called Prov. 22.2 A devouring of holy things It is a snare to a man that devoureth holy things and after vowes to make enquiry When a man devoures holy duties performs them at all adventurâ—s considers not time nor place nor manner nor end such a man is in a snare the food he hath devoured is vvithin a net and hath an hook vvithin it evil vvill befall him after such duties anguish
in heart and outvvard trouble And after vows to make enquiry is a snare When a man ha h vowed to enquire whether he hath done vvell or no and to vvish he had his vow in again vvere it to do again he vvould not do it this is rash vowing and brings a man into a snare he should have better considered aforeâ—â—nd Eccles 5.6 Say not thou before the Angel It was an errour why should God be angry at thy voice do not so vow as that afterward thou should'st have cause to say thou wert mistaken that vvere to make God angry vvith thee To vvorship God rashly is not to consider of six things before vve go about any part of Gods solemn vvorshâ—p 1. The persons worshipping 2. The person vvorshipped 3. The vvorship it self 4. The means of assistance and acceptance 5. The manner 6. The end 1. We must consiâ—er the persons that do worshâ—p Eccles 5.2 By this argument the spirit of God disswaâ—es from rashnes in praier or vows We are on earth dust and aâ—hes base and vile that considered would make us more serious and weighty So Abraham when he was further to speak unto God doth consider he was but dust and ashes Gen. 18.27 Job also chap. 40.40 When he was to converse with God acknowledgeth his own vilenes Behold I am vile this consideration doth stirre up our humility yea and our repentance for we cannot think of our vilenes but we must be put in minde of our sinne which hath had the chief hand in it 2. We must consiâ—er the person worshipped Eccles 5.2 Be not â—ash with thy mouth Why God is in heaven thou hast to do with an high holy powerfull God thou canst not be too serious and deliberatâ— So Abâ—â—ham Gen. 18.27 I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord who am but dust and ashes God is the Lord a person of greatest place and authority Abraham bust dust and ashes great difference between dust and ashes and the Lord this consideration will further our reverence and respect of God yea and our repentance the geater God is the greater is our sin against him when Iobs eie did see God chap. 41.16 i. e. he had a clear knowledge of God he abhorred himself in dust and ashes It will help our faith also God having a power above us and others can do that for us which neither we nor others can do 3. We must consider the worship it self whether it be ordinary or extraordinary more or lesse solemn for â—ore iâ— required in the one then in the other and what part of ordinary worship it is we must consider for beside the heart which must be imploied in all we have more speciall use of the ear in hearing the Word and the hand and eie in the supper of the Lord and by the well using of them our hearts are helped the worship of God is a separate way an holy way a way above an high way Prov. 15.24 a way of converse and communion with God 4. We must consider the means of assistance and acceptance the Lord Jesus Christ we have no ability of our own to worship God nor have we any worth to commend our duties unto God when we have done them this consideration will stirre up our humility and faith ouâ— humility for we have no strength of our selves to do any good nor is there any thing in us that can procure savour and acceptance of Gods hands of what we do and they that have no strength nor worth had need by faith depend upon him that hath perfection Heb. 11.4 Faith depending upon Christ for assistance and acceptance did make Abels sacrifice excell Cains which it may be did not exceed in matter 5. We must consider the manner of Gods worship how God will be worshipped with inward affections and the life of them with willingnes and cheerfullnesse with reverence love humility repentance faith Eccles 5.1 be more ready to hear then to offer the sacrifice of fools i. e. do not satisfy thy self with an outward performance of duty or with some other service beside that in hand which thy self dost fancy which a fool may do one that hath no spirituall understanding but be more ready to hear attend and give thine eare unto the present ordinance which doth argue inward reverence and affection 6. We must consider the end of Gods worship which is double His glory Our good His glory more immediatly fully then in other works which yet honour God Our good the good of our souls more immediatly fully thâ—n in other occasiâ—â—s wherein yet is a blessing If we consider not of these things before we worship God we are rash and not prepared and the more serious solemne and set any worship is at any time the more must we consider of them 2. The second part of an unprepared heart is prophanenes or unholines of heart Prophanenes and unholines are all one Ezek. 22.26 They put noe difference betweene the holy and prophane the holy and prophane are contrary therefore these two unholy and prophane are al one and unsanctified and unprepared are all one for prepared and sanctifâ—â—d are all one 2 Châ—o 29. â—9 An heart is prophane common or polluted two waies in relation to the worship or God 1. When it lies under an act of sin unrepâ—nted of Sin doth pollâ—te and defile â— Cor. â— 17 touch no unclean thing cap 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filâ—hines of flesh and spirit sin is the unclean thing and doth defile for it takes the soule from God which was set apart for him and from the holy way and nothing but repentance will wash away this defilement Ier. 4.14 O Ierusalem wash thine heart from wickednes how long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee To come therefore to worship God with sin unrepented of is to come with a defiled heart Ezek. 23.38 they have defiled my sanctuary and prophaned my sabbaths and how doth he prove it ver 39. for wâ—en they had slaine their children to their Idols then they came into my sanctuary to prophane it they came from their Idolatry unto the sanctuary of God without repentance and so they prophaned it by making no difference between it and an unholy place and especially did they first defile their hearts by making no difference between an holy unclean heart Numb 9.7 We are defiled by the dead body of a man why are we kept from offeringe an offeringe to the Lord in his season amongst the children of Israel that uncleannes was a sinfull uncleannes though ceremoniall hindring them from preparednes unto the passeover till they were washed shadowing out that defilement we get by touchinge sin and sinners which are dead things Exod. 2.48 No uncircumcised person shall eat thereof uncircumcision was a sinfull uncleannes that did unfit them for the passeover and to this the Apostle alludes when he speaks of preparednes to beare the word Iam. 1.21 Lay aside all superfluitie of naughtines
particular act of unworthy receiving for God doth not so correct for unavoidable infirmities but for carelessnes for God did not so afflict them at other times there was some diffeÌ„rence therefore betweene them at that time and at other times the difference was not in the frame and habit of grace for then they had not been truly godly therefore in the exercise of grace see it in an example There is a generall affection in fire allwayes to burne but suppose fire be covered over with ashes it is not fit to burne in that present state because it hath a present particular hinderance but when that is removed it will actually burne so Gods grace in our hearts hath a generall fitnes to worship God but when a spirit of security and sloth lyes upon the soul if ye bring the soule to the word to prayer it hath not a present fitnes for grace is not ready at this time to be exercised because hindered by security and sloth and therefore unprepared till that be removed Let us recollect what hath been said An unprepared heart to worship God is 1. A rash heart that doth not consider what a poore creature it is that doth worship what an high and holy God he is that is worshipped what an holy and high way Gods worship is that Christ is our strength and acceptance that God will be worshiped inwardly and spiritually thâ—t Gods glory and our soules good must be our speciall aimes in Gods worship 2. An unprepared heart is a prophane heart that comes to worship God in sinne unrepented of or in worldly thoughts and affections 3. An unprepared heart is an heart indisposed to exercise grace to put forth holy and gracious affections in the worship of God Quest It followes in the next place that we make enquiry after the reason why unpreparednes of heart doth weaken our worshiping of God or the manner how it doth it Ans An unprepared heart doth weaken the worship we performe three wayes 1. As it makes the soul an unmeet instrument to worship God If the soul cannot be sit to worship God without preparation then unpreparednes makes it unfit But the soul cannot be fit to worship God without preparation That I shall make manifest many wayes 1. Take the soul in the best preparation when the soul hath walked in all the preparing wâ—y of God and taken all the paines that humane frailty allow it will be but in measure fit because there will be but a mâ—asure of grace and readines to exercâ—se grace in the heart perfection of these alone will bring perfection of fitnes to worship God We on earth pray that we may doe Gods will as it is done in heaven onely they that are in heaven are a perfect paterne of worshiping God Nay I appeale to the experience of the people of God when they have endeavoured to renew their repentance to pitch their thoughts and affections upon heavenly things to stirre up their graces and doe lâ—oke upon the r preparation with eyes awaked and cleare fighted in measure doe they not see but little preparation rather what they want then what they have there is such difference between the one and the other If the soul prepared hath but a measure of fitnes yea but a small measure then a soul without preparation cannot be fit at all 2. We cannot be fit to worship God without preparation because we continually disfit our selves between time and time of Gods service In the generall the flesh doth lust against the spirit uncessantly Gal. 5.17 As grace doth make a man willing to worship God and desirous to be imploied about that so corruption on the contrary doth make a man backward thereto nay forward to sin this is that Paul saith Rom. 7.21 When I would do good evil is present with me When his regenerate will chuseth good his unregenerate will out of hand chuseth evil And the effect of this lusting of the flesh against the spirit is this saith the Apostle ye cannot do what ye would though there be a will to be prepared for duty yet the corrupt will will hinder the act of the regenerate will or at least weaken it More particularly we do continually unfit our selves for the worship of God two waies 1. We sin continually in all our actions and every act of sin doth strengthen the habit and weaken the contrary habit of grace Not only we do sin necessarily and unavoidably but through carelesnes for want of watching to avoid occasions and to take hold of advantages against sin And the more of the will in sin the lesse opposition it meeteth with all the more doth it gather strength and weaken grace because grace is lesse exercised Isa 59.2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God Sin doth not only separate us from God as a fountain of comfort but as a fountain of grace so that the more we sin the lesse communion we have with God in grace and the lesse communion we have with God in grace the more unfit to worship him It fares with us in this case as with Samson when he had given way that the hair of his head should be cut which was to break his covenant a sin rather of carelesnes then of presumption he thought to have risen up and gon from the Philistines as at other times but he knew not that God was departed from him sin had bereaved him of his strength So when we have been carelesse of our watch as we generally are and have let loose our thoughts affections speeches we think to pray hear meditate with the same spirituall life and strength that we have formerly done but we know not that God is absent from our hearts and so our strength is absent 2. We do specially unfit our selves for Gods worship by the use of our callings and the comforts of this life Neither our callings nor outward good things do of themselves unfit us to worship God for God would not then have given man a calling and set him in midst of outward comforts in innocency But we abuse our callings and comforts to make us unfit for Gods worship and that we do three waies 1. We spend too much affection upon them 2. Too much time 3. Too much labour 1. We bestow the strength of our affections upon our callings and outward comforts contrary to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.30 31. and they that buy as if they possessed not and they that use the world as not abusing it teaching us a weaned affection from them we should be in regard of setting our hearts upon them when we are in the midst of them as if we wanted them But we not only use them but let our hearts go into them we too much care about them when we want them which made our Saviour take so much pains with his Disciples Matth. 6. from ver 25. to the end to prevent this did not care make Martha unfit to hear our Saviour
him in another Not be confident or proud for though they have found God much in an Ordinance yet they may misse him in the next Where they least expect to finde God there many times they finde him most therefore not be discouraged and on the other side where they are most confident to finde God they many times misse him trust not Ordinances therefore but the God of Ordinances in all 2. Set awork thy faith in the promise the condition whereof thou hast in thy heart Psal 10.17 Thou wilt prepare the heart thou wilt bow thine ear these two go together if God do prepare the heart he will bow the ear he will do thee good thou maiest believe it thy preparation is an earnest a pledge thou maiest thereby help thy faith Thus did Manoahs wife comfort him when he was afraid they should die because they had seen an Angel of God Judg. 13.22 23. If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have accepted a sacrifice at our hands nor have shewed us such things as these so if God had not intended thee good in his worship he would not have accepted thy preparation 3. Thou must difference the different effects of Gods presence or else thou maiest wrong God as well as thy self to say he was not with thee when yet he was Not onely are there more manifest and evident fruits of Gods presence in duties as much liberty of spirit much joy peace assurance of faith but also there are more inward and reserved fruits of his presence as sense of want sorrow for want desire of enjoyment willingnes unto further duties to finde that which we want in some in the former God is with us and we know he is with us in the later God is with us but we know not so much an instance of the later we have in the two Disciples going to Emaus Luk. 24.16 Their eies were holden that they could not know him yet afterward when they did know him they remembred that they had sufficient evidence of his presence even when they knew him not ver 32. did not our hearts burne within us when he talked with us by the way and opened to us the Scriptures Whence was that fire in their hearts but from the spirit of Christ conveighed in his word Yet till they knew him they made no account of this The godly cannot see God in Ordinances though present because sometimes their eies are altogether pitched upon those more evident fruits of his presence sometimes also they stumble upon the presence of God sleight make no account of such fruits as are put forth sense of many failings in duties makes them think God was not there whereas that sense is from God in the Ordinances who is the father of lights CHAP. III. Of the fourth hinderance of instant worshipping of God Wearines AMOS â— Part of the 5 vers When will the new moone be gon and the sabbath TWo things are in the verse whereof the words read are a part 1. A desire 2. The reason Their desire is that the new moon and sabbath were gon laid down interrogatively to shew the greater vehemency and earnestnes of it When will the new moon be gon and the sabbath they thought the time long that they continued their stay was a burden unto them when a mans dâ—sire meets with hinderance his greife takes place so the new moon and sabbaths were matter of greif and burden unto them and they were weary of them because they hindred for present their civill commerce The reason of their desire that the new moon and sabbath were gon is that they might sell corne that they might follow their worldly occasions wherein they would oppresse We have to do with the first particular Their desire that the new moon were gon and the sabbath ended Why what was the matter that they had enough and too much of the new moon and sabbath Why did they stand in their way for buying and selling Ans At every new moon or in the beginning of every moneth they had a great solemnity speciall sacrificing to God Numb 28.11 a solemne feast day Psal 81.3 wherein they were wont to heare from God by the prophets for when the Shunammitish woman would go to the prophet for her dead son her husband disswaded her from the ordinary unseasonablenes of the time Wherefore wilt thou go to day it is neither new moon nor sabbath 2 Kings 4.23 A signe the people did communicate with the prophets in the counsels of God in the new moons and sabbaths and speciall seasons and times appointed for that purpose And whether here be meant the weekly Sabbath or by this generall name be intended all the Sabbaths or dayes of rest mentioned Levit. 23. it comes all to a reckoning in regard of their exception for in the weekly Sabbath and day of atonement or humiliation they might do no worke Levit. 23.3.28 and on the other Sabbaths or dayes of rest feast dayes they might do no servile worke Levit. 23.7 which is expounded in case of the passeover which was one of the feasts Exod. 12.16 no manner of worke shall be done save about that which every man must eat no worke might be done but about providing meat for the feast they might not do any worke of service or labour about their callings as plowing and sowing buying and selling They therefore wish the new moon and Sabbath gon that they might sell corne because that was forbidden worke in those times and seasons they are therefore weary of them and gladly would be shut of them could they sanctifie these holy daies or performe fervent and hearty worship to God in the same when all their desire was that they were gon whence we have just occasion to lay ground for handling a fourth hindrance of our earnest worshipping of God N. Wearines hinders our earnest worshipping of God When the worship we performe is a burden to us we do but weakly performe the same This people being weary of the new moon and Sabbath instead of setting their hearts upon solemne worship of God therein performed they set their hearts upon the end of the same they do not say O when will the new moon and Sabbath come or O that they would stay long but when will they be gon no daies so long as those daies of solemne worship in them the sunne seemes to stand still or to go back they passe not away fast enough and if the end of these solemne services have all the heart what shall God have in the performance of them This God complains of both in preists and people Mal. 1.13 That they had said of his worship What a wearines is it and that worship is poorely performed which is but a weary worship Though some take this place otherwise yet this sense suits well with that despising of Gods name blamed vers 6.7 for what a man thinks meanly of he will be weary of and what did their offering of
arguments that the most are weary of Gods service some whereof will fall upon some and others upon others and one or other upon the most 1. That comming after the beginning of Gods worship and going away before the end of it which I blamed heretofore as an act of despising of Gods worship will prove wearines in this place Were it matter of delight Gods worship then the more of it the more delight the sooner men come the longer they stay the more delight if men come with the first and stay with the last they shall have more delight but if it be a burden the lesse of it the more delight Were man to go to a delightfull recreation they would be there with the first and stay with the last upon this ground lest they should lose part of their delight let not men say they have many hinderances when they should come and they have many things to hasten them when they should go home for delight would break thorow hinderances and make a man forget what would take him off Do not men forget their meat and sleep when they are about pleasant occasions And were the worship of God delighfull men would forget their occasions at home till the worship of God be ended 2. That allowance of the forenoon only on the Lords day to the worship of God and reservation of the afternoon by some which is a clipping of the Kings coin of heaven for the Sabbath is the Lords day in a speciall respect all the dayes of the week are Gods in respect of creation and end but the Sabbath is the Lords as the Kings coin is his it bears the Lords image of holines it is an holy day set apart from common use unto Gods worship to take away the afternoon of that therefore is to clip the Kings coin yea though a man should spend so much time in private reading as he is wont to spend in publike worship seeing therefore there is such variety of Gods Ordinances such convenient time of rest and refreshing between the forenoon and afternoon exercise and due and timely finishing of the afternoon exercise what but wearines doth keep men from it Nay many do take so liberally of Gods good creatures on that day which most will have on that day more then any other though it be fit for very few bodies that their bodies are made unfit to performe Gods service Suppose the day be cold or rainy as it doth sometimes fall out on that day and it may be to try whether that will keep men away would not delight break thorow will not men do the like for their callings and recreations 3. That hasty hearty and full speech of the world and worldly occasions on the Lords day in some when the service of God is finished morning and evening as if the Sabbath were a market day a day of bargening paying receiving rather then of worshipping of God or seeking the good of the souls of men If the Sabbath be holy then nothing must be spoken or done that day but what is directly holy or done directly for an holy end to further Gods worship to helpe our hearts Were not men weary of holy duties would they so soon be gotten to earthly occasions would they be so hot and fervent in the same would there not be some remembrance of the duties newly past but that men lay aside a burden when they finish them 4. The neglect of all private duties by some on the Lords day If they were not tired with and weary of Gods publike worship would they not pray in their families speak something of the word they have heard though it were the lesse the Sabbath being appointed only for holy duties But if a man should go from family to family how few should he finde that pray on the Lords day night or speak any thing of the word preached but spend the time in idle talking a signe they have enough of Gods service are tired therewith 5. The haste that some make out of the house of God into the alehouse wherein they can sit longer then at the worship of God All these things which fall upon the most some or other of them do shew what weary service God hath generally performed and consequently weak service 2. The weak service God hath done him by his own people for it is weary service as appeares 1. In that they are not so willing of the approach of the Sabbath that light is not so pleasant unto them they think it comes too soon could wish it would stay a little longer 2. Their hearts are not so chearfull in Gods service nay many times the Lords day is the saddest day in the week they are more merry before it comes and when it is gone then in it 3. They give too much way to wandring thoughts and affections in holy duties they are not so unpleasant and burdensome to them they do not strive against them 4. Secret wishings and desires that the Sabbath were gone to the end they might go about other occasions 5. Too much gladnes of the end of the Sabbath too much ease and rest in their hearts these things shew how weak service God hath because so weary 3. Their sin that take course to weary soul and body so as to make them unfit for Gods worship for they take course to weaken his worship they that overcharge their bodies with surfeting and drunkennes that overtire them with labour that suffer their affections to run at their will upon earthly things do take course that God might have but poore service to do God but poore service is a sin but to take course that God may have but poore service is a double sinnne that argues we are willing he should have but weak service or at least are carelesse of the strength of his worship 2. To reprove 1. Our generall wearines of Gods worship If we consider it it may shame us 1. A signe we have lost Gods creation Is it likely that God would make creatures on purpose for his service and make them so that it should be a burden to them when it was in his power to make them otherwise Thou art weary of the word of prayer canst rest no where dost continually wish the minister had done oh be ashamed God did not make thee thus thou hast lost his image wiped off his spot should a father take paines and be at cost with a childe to learn him the skill of some trade and he should have lost it when he should come to exercise it would he not be ashamed thou hast lost the skill of serving of God which God gave thee wherein he was at more paines and cost then in making the rest of his creatures Me thinks this should make men hang down their heads for shame when they finde themselves weary of Gods worship they were sometimes fit to do Gods service but now unfit 2. There is no matter of wearines in Gods worship for it
of evil is this 1. A man may possibly prevent evil expected 2. Or at least he may labour to prepare for it and so the evil will be mitigated but sudden and unexpected evil hath this aggravation a man can neither prevent it nor is prepared to bear it so it shall be here vers 9. I will make the sunne to go down at noon and darken the earth in the clear day for the sunne to go down at night is no strange thing but to go down at noon who expects that to have the earth darkned in a clear day vvho doth look for it so here vvhen their sunne shall be at the height their joy at the greatest vvhen their day shall be most clear and likely so to continue yet then their sunne shall set and their day darken their joy shall turne into sorrow 3. The kinde of evil that shall cause this sorrow shall aggravate it vvere it some outward affliction that in it the soul might be safe though uncomfortable it vvere lesse matter but it shall be such an affliction vvherein the soul shall neither be comfortable nor safe a famine of hearing the vvords of the Lord a scarcity of that vvorship they have been vveary of which evil is many wayes aggravated 1. By comparison not a famine of bread though the famine of the body be grievous as experience doth prove yet this shall be greater that shall be nothing to this 2. If God did take away spirituall hunger together vvith food it vvere something but they shall hunger and thirst be pinched and pained spiritually finde it may be more emptines and inward gnawings of spirit then when they had the meanes 3. Might they with little adoe doe and some small paines be supplyed it were lesse matter but they shall take weary paines wander from sea to sea runn to and fro they were weary of going to a set place of Gods worship but now they shall wander to and fro go to seek it they know not whither places unlikely as well as likely they were weary of going to Gods worship though had with ease but now they shall runne to and fro weary themselves with taking paines 4. Might they finde what they seek with paines taking they should finde rest after paines tâ—king but they shall not finde it after their paines taking they shall still be to seek which makes the evil more heavy because remediles Let the godly feare and tremble lest their wearines of Gods worship bring this evil the change of greatest joy into greatest sorrow and that when we least exp ct it and which is most of all by the irrecoverable losse of that worship of God we have been weary of Touching the benefit of delight in Gods worship on the contrary the 112. Psal will inform us where the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in his commandements is pronounced a happy man And because outward blessings do carry the greatest shew of happines to the eyes of men therefore the holy ghost doth especially insist upon them they may be ranked to three heads 1. Injoyment of outward good things children riches honour 2. 3 9. He shall not have these mercies barely and nakedly as others but with a threefold addition 1. Inward dispositions of graciousnesse mercy righteousnes discretion to improve well his riches giving unto some lending unto others 2. Establishment and firmnes of estate vers 3.9 his rightenesse endureth for ever he shall have ability to give and lend not for a time only but for ever his outward condition shall not be a flourish onely but a setled condition 3. Succession of these mercies to his seed and posterity vers 2. his children shall come into his place and mercies be heires of his blessings that a man may see and say his seed is blessed Psal 37.26 2. Change of darkenes into light vers 4. He may be in darkenes in affliction but that shall not alwayes continue light shall arise and as vvhen the morning is at the darkest the light breaks out so vvhen they and others think the night vvill alwayes continue they shall perish in darknes then shall light break out Isa 58.10 as chear hath arisen in his heart in the difficulties of Gods service so light shall arise in the darknesse of his condition 3. Establishment of heart against seares of evil vers 6 7 8. tidings of evil may come to his eare but his heart shall be armed against them to keep it's present temper it shall be fixed established he shall be confident of Gods preservation in whose service he hath delighted he shall rather see his desire upon his enemies then they their desire upon him His good shall be so great every way that it shall be matter of great envy even to the consuming of the wicked Having thus exhorted the godly now unto direction 1. How may we remedy the wearinesse of the soul Ans Two things are this way usefull 1. Generally labour to be more suitable to Gods worship get increase of grace Prov. 21.15 It is joy to the just to do judgment judgment is suitable to that inward justice is in him therefore a joy unto him Rom. 7.22 I delight in the law of God after the inward man so much grace so much delight in Gods worship were we more holy spirituall heavenly as the worship of God we should be more affected to it More particularly 1. Labour to increase love to God 1 John 5.3 This is the love of God that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not greivous love to God makes the commandements of God good pleasant easie love takes away the difficulty of an action and makes it delightfull 2. Labour the increase of perfection of heart these two go together 1 Chron. 28.9 serve him with a perfect heart and willing minde the more perfect the heart is in regard of Gods service the more willing Why is the heart unwilling but because parted and divided set too much upon other things 2 Chron. 15.15 they rejoyced at the oath because they had sworn with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire 1 Chron. 29.9 3. Labour the increase of uprightnes of heart these two go together 1 Chron. 29.17 when we desire and delight in the worship of God for by respects or affections will vary be more or lesse according to those respects but when we desire and delight in the worship of God for right ends the purity thereof Psal 119.140 Gods command Gods glory these will ever continue the same to draw our affections 2. Frequently exercise Gods worship communion doth increase affection hereby we shall see more the good of Gods worship and feel the sweetnes of it Vse will take away difficulty which doth hinder affection what men disuse they are unwilling to they will say it is out of their fingers so if we neglect Gods worship it will grow out of our hearts The more we worship God in secret the fitter shall we
that which makes the torment of hell is this that God takes his glory because men will not give it him All the godly though they do not think so do seek Gods glory above their own salvation as they should do for they desire their salvation as a way unto Gods glory now the way that serves unto the end is lesse desired then the end whereto it serves The worship we performe is the worship of Jehovah the fountaine of being therefore the author of our being from him we have all unto him therefore we must give all all is his we have nothing of our owne our most lively affections are his owne he is not beholding to us for them we cannot without injustice and robbery with-hold them will we with-hold that which is Gods will we dispose of that which is Gods Not only doth David acknowledge the outward wealth liberally given to the Temple to be Gods own but the willingnes and joy of their hearts whereby and wherewith they gave so liberally to come from God also 1 Chron. 29.18 in that he prayes God to keepe this frame in them and to prepare their hearts towards him he that must keepe that willing and chearfull frame of heart in him hath surely made the same and he that must prepare their hearts at other times hath prepared them now The worship we performe is the worship of Jehovah his name who hath promised this fervency unto his people Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power .i. in the day of the powerfull preaching of the Gospel these shall with earnest affection attend upon Gods ordinances God having promised fervent affections in his service by labouring after the same and expressing the same we shall confirme and establish the truth of God and on the contrary as the Apostle saith 1 John 5.10 He that believeth not maketh God a liar so he that doth not fervently worship God doth what lies in him to falsifie the word of God to make him a liar for God hath said his people shall be fervent 3. Gods worship is the worship of the Lord thy God therefore to be performed with earnestnes His name it is who is not onely the Lord but our God a God in Covenant with us he hath promised to be wholly ours all that he is or can do shall be for us and we have promised to be wholly his to be all that we are or can do for him If we bestow the utmost of our affection upon him in his service we do no more then he hath done for us and what can we give to him if we give all we have in comparison of what he gives to us Not only doth he give to us that strength of affection in comparison of which all ours is nothing but he begins to us he gives first he gives not only more then we can give but before us we may well follow him with lesse what though others serve God they know not how they have lesse reason to shew strength of affection to God then we though they have reason enough for God hath not bestowed himself wholly upon them as upon us Beside being our God the service that is done to him redounds upon us be it well or ill done because the Covenant doth not only imply relation but union it is a marriage-Covenant God becomes ours and we become his A man loves his wife not because shee is a friend and loves him but because shee is himself they are no more twain but one in loving her he loveth himself and so much as he doth not love her though shee do not deserve he doth not love himself for shee is one with himselfe A man doth not love himself because of desert but because he is nearest to himself he is his own so a mâ—n loves his wife because his own nearest unto him So God is our own he is by the humane nature of Christ one with us and we with him did not God therefore deserve our best affections which he infinitly doth yet we were bound to bestow the same upon him in his service because he is our own we have made him as our own soules by entering into a marriage-Covenant with him so much as we fall short in affection to him we fall short in affection to our selves Furthermore having promised the best of our affections unto him in his service truth doth binde us do we not hate to be liars false Covenant-breakers men and women of no truth do we not glory in our truth that if we have said it we will do it our word shall be as good as our band then must we bestow our best affections upon God in his service for so we have promised 4. Carelesse worship is a taking of Gods Name in vaine vaine worship What an evil it is to take Gods Name in vain it will appeare if we consider 1. It is an holy Name Psal 111.9 Holy is his Name Holynes is so lively an image of God that it commandeth respect from the light of nature and holy things are carefully handled Gods worship is an holy worship free from all impurity and pollution take we heed that we do not prophane it by carelesse use of it 2. A great Name Psal 76.1 His Name is great in Israel A Name above all names no worship like Gods worship because no person like him no lawes of worship like his no subject like the subject of Gods worship the whole man soul and body the strâ—â—gâ—h of both the whole earth and heaven none too great to worship God to take in vain a small name a poorâ— mean worship is an evil but to take in vain agreat Name a powerfull worship is more evil 3. A Glorious Name Deut. 28.58 a worship of eminent worth breaking out and manifesting it self to all that have seeing eyes for man to pray to the God of heaven to open all his heart to him for man to deliver the minde and counsell of God for man to seal a Covenant with the God of heaven these are glorious things of great worth even at first sight Here by the way in a word and under correction I must needs acknowledge that since I had any glimps of light to discern the glorious worship of God I could never get over that unsutablenesse that is between these obscure additaments to Gods worship amongst us and his glorious worship What is the vestment to prayer what the Crossing of the fingers to baptisme Indeed sprinkling of water in baptisme or dipping the childe therein bread and wine in the supper are but small things in appearance but when we consider the glorious God hath commanded and appointed these and doth produce glorious effects by them that puts a glorious lustre and brightnes upon them but when nothing can be shewed but mans command obscure and darke man in Divine things his command cannot put glory upon Divine Ordinances wherefrom he borroweth light but can adde none thereto
worth spirituall therefore above the reach of nature 1 Cor. 2.14.15 spirituall things are spiritually discerned therefore onely by spirituall men John 4.23 The true worshippers There are different apprehensions of Gods worship because different worshippers some true some false some in true light others in darknes some left in the darknes of nature others called into light 1 Cor. 1.23 24. The preaching of the Gospel to the Jewes a stumbling block to the Greeks foolishnes but to them that are called the wisdome of God and the power of God to them that are called out of darknes into marvellous light such as have a manifesting differencing discerning knowledge the godly know thus but in measure therefore esteeme but in measure 2. Where there is some knowledge of the worth of Gods worship yet there wants attendance to that light 2 Pet. 1.19 Ye do well to take heed as to a light that shineth in a darke place it is one thing to have light another thing to attend to it to heed it men forget they consider not the weight and worth of Gods worship Eccles 3.1 Keepe thy foot when thou goest to the house of God be more ready to hear there is an inconsideratenes in us in Gods worship we doe not deliberate about it because we are too thoughtfull about other things 3. The worship of God is contrary to nature because holy spirituall self-humbling and emptying this includes a defect of love to it and where love is wanting something will be imagined to worke disrespect That despising of Gods worship is an hinderance of fervencie and how it is an hinderance appeares 1. From consideration of the dependance of affections and endeavours upon the judgement if the thoughts be but low the affections and endeavours will be but low and on the contrary if the thoughts be high they will carry up affection and endeavours 2. It is against the nature of wisdome and therefore folly to bestow much affection and endeavour about things of small worth wisdome doth proportion affection and endeavours to the worth of things 3. The motive of the will is good the more or lesse good is apprehended the more or lesse the will is moved and so lesse or more fervencie of desire and endeavour If Gods worship be despised little good is apprehended and so little to move the will and affections if it be of little or no benefit as despisers apprehend why should we earnestly chuse it desire it take pains about it it will yeild small delight and satisfaction Desp siâ—g sometâ—â—â—s prevâ—â—â—â—â— to a totall neglect of duty much more to measure of neglect Vse 1. To convince of sinne the body of our people 1. Such as neglect Gods private worship reading and prayer in their families catechising and calling over the word which they have heard the fountaine of this neglect is dâ—spising they thinke it more honourable to be unpraid unread to leave children untaught the word unrepeated they thinke meanly of good duties that the practice of them comes out of simplicity and weaknes of judgement The greatnes of their sin in the effect and cause will the better appear if we consider Gods opinion of them and dealing with them 1. God thinks no better of them then of doggs swine Mat. 7.6 who trample under foot pearls brutish unreasonable creatures they are not base that pray but they that despise praier God makes account none will despise praier but doggs and swine such as are deprived of reason as farre below themselves as their thoughts are below Gods worship as if he should say Never take them for men and women again that tread under foot holy things that speak ill of reading conference praier God calls them doggs and swine so must we who can skill of nothing but the bones and akorns of the world 2. God will reject them when they would be most esteemed Heb. 12.16 17. Esau was rejected his suit was not regarded he despised the birthright and was himself despised when he would have had the blessing and though men prevail by earnest desires and tears to change the mindes of men yet he could not move the minde of God though he sought diligently with tears So men that despise praier or other parts of Gods worship when afterwards they would pray themselves or have others pray for them when they greatly need and earnestly desire the benefit of that worship they have despised they shall be rejected Prov. 1.24 25 28. Zech. 7.13 2. Such as come to the publike worship of Gods Word Sacraments Prayer but care not with what affections they come have no desire no delight there to be busied they bring their bodies but leave their hearts behinde them they trim and adorn their bodies but not their hearts They are farre from David spirit Psal 83.10 who esteemed one day in Gods house better then a thousand and again Psal 26.6 I will wash my hands in innocency and so will I compasse thine altar he will not come carelesly but with painfull preparation such as washing in the laver of repentance is clean hands become clean work these had rather be any where else then at Gods Ordinances any triviall occasion or idle company will keep them away they say Such as oâ—◠〈◊〉 despâ—sing do negâ—â—ct private may dâ—spisâ—n ly perform publike worship they can spend the time as well at home in reading some good book or in discoursing about some profitable subject as in the ordinances used in publike Assemblies Did not authority command and generall example forcibly perswade and desire to avoid shame constrain they would not afford their company at all and when they do come they bring the same affections where with they go about other occasions And why so They see no good in preaching praier sacraments What profit is in them What good comes by them these have too low thoughts of Gods worship as if it were onely outward and did only deserve the worst part the presence of the body which is their sinne And how should they do otherwise who make their own blindenes the judge of the worth of Gods ordinances not the word of command not the person regarded not the promise annexed to the worship not the the presence therein manifested Iudge you is it not a despising of Gods worship to think that any affections are good enough if a man do but get out of his bed and have but so much time as to get him ready he is fit to go to the Assembly though he have no spirituall thoughts no sense of his unfitnes by reason of the sinnes of the week past no praier to God for preparednes of heart doth not such a man think meanly of God he would set his thoughts and affections more in order were he to go into the presence of a King or to do some publike action these sinfull low thoughts are fruitfull in low affections and actions these weak expressions do manifest such men to be weak
mindeed men in reference to Gods service 3. Sundry carriages about and in the publike worship of God that do expresse despising of it 1. Comming too late and going away too soon some come not till the worship of God is begun till the Word be read and Psalms be sung yea some not till praier be ended and some go away before Sermon or praier or at least the blessing be finished I would know of these whether they do not think that that which is past when they come and behinde when they go away is part of Gods worship as well as that whereat they are present and whether their presence at that part doth not manifest their respect they cannot deny but what they neglect in the beginning or ending of publike Assemblies comming too late or going away too soon is Gods worship and their presence would shew their respect therefore their absence doth expresse disrespect despising if it be not necessary and so is sin And I do not call that necessary absence from the beginning which is caused by mens oversleeping themselves or not minding how the morning passeth or having more busines to do on the Sabbath-day morning then can well be done in due time or spending that time in private duties which should be spent in publike Nâ—r do I call that necessary absence from the ending which is caused not by ordinary infirmity of body or unusuall faintnes and weaknes but from spirituall fulnes the usuall cause the aâ—fection is cloied why should they tarry any longer they have preaching enough and praier enough or from vanity of minde that cannot endure to be fixed long in any way be it never so good they must have change though they change from the better to the worse from Gods house to the ale-house from the assembly of Saints to the society of sinners from the speciall presence of God to the speciall presence of Satan for in the ordinances God is specially present and to go from them is specially to transgresse therefore specially to go into Satans presence for he hath most to do where God hath least When men therefore are walking and talking in the Church or Chappell-yard or lying along in the grasse or going homeward when the Word of God is in hand they sin in despising the worship of God and little know that they go into the midst of the Devils Kingdom and power 2. Kneeling down or putting the hat and hand before the face to pray when the Word is in reading or Psalms are in singing or the Word in preaching a thing much used in some places and held to be a point of great devotion This private praying is a sin for it is a despising of the worship of God in hand That such private praying is a despising of Gods publike worship in hand is evident from the open and manifest neglect of it not onely is the minde withdrawn in the sight of God but the body also in the sight of men disrespect is cast upon the worship of God in the sight of men It will be answered that we do indeed not attend unto the worship in present use for a time but it is not out of purpose or desire to neglect Gods worship but out of respect to and desire of better preparation for the same hereby To this I say of the intention alone I will not speak which I conceive to be very good in many that use it unlesse that good intention could make a good action but that the action performed with this good intention is a despising of Gods worship I prove for it doth thrust publike worship out of its season and puts private in the room when publike and private worship stand in choice it takes to private it puts more vertue and efficacy into private for heart preparation then into pâ—blike It is an errour and too much sleighting of Gods publike worship to think that singing with the Congregation if they be singing when we come in will not fit us to sing and reading the Word with them will not fit us to read and hearing the Word preacheâ— will not fit us to hear better then private praier for shall they be judged to be instruments of all other spirituall good and not of preparing the hâ—â—â—t if unprepared 3. Sitting elected and chosen without any necessity in tiâ—e of publike praier we have exaâ—ples of kneeling and standing in publikeÌ„ praier but not of sitting Nehem. 9.2 They stood and confessed their sinnes and the iniquities of their fathers and ver 5. the Levites bid the people stand up Standing is the reverence that a servant expresseth to his Master kneeling the reverence and worship that a subject expresseth to his Prince but sitting is a gesture of familiarity and honour I remember not that any of the godly in solemn private praier did sit but they kneeled or lay along or stood That of David 2 Sam. 7.18 Divines interpret continuing before the Lord. See Tremel upon the place and Piscator Indeed our Saviour and his company being set down on the grasse to eat meat did crave a blessing sitting which doth warrant the like custom in this Countrey where they usually sit down to meat before they crave a blessing but 1. That was no solemn praier as that in Gods publike worship iâ— but a short blessing of the creatures which yet our Saviour did reverently perform for he lift up his eies to Heaven 2. It is one thing to pray shortly being sâ—t without change of the gesture and another thing to make choice of that as a praier-gesture in Gods solemn worship i. e. when others do chuse to kneel or stand for a man to chuse to sit in this case it shews a sleighting of Gods worship because a man chuseth a gesture of familiarity in praier wherein a man comes neerer God then in any ordinance and in publike praier wherein for examples sake we should be more reverent Lest any should take advantage or be unsatisfied about sitting at the Sacrament becau e I say sitting is a gesture that doth not expresse that reverence let me answer in a word and by the way 1. Had we not the example of Christ and his Apostles in the first institution for some kinde of sitting it were more considerable 2. It sufficeth that it is a gesture of freedom and honour such as parents admit their children unto and friends their friends though farre under them It is meet we should goe to God humbly he may with his honour allow us more freedom when he comes to us 3. Though sitting in it self be not a gesture of reverence yet they that sit may sit reverently And it is an ordinary phrase to our children sitting before their betters that they should sit reverently that is fitly composing all the parts of their bodies as those that had an awe of their betters and would expresse their respect of them If sitting therefore doth expresse the freedom and honour which God allows
God and reading Gods word the meanes are his meanes under his authority and for his glory you cannot separate God and them when men speake ill of professours for praying reading they thinke they speake ill of men and that not for goodnes but nicenes and overstrictnes but they speake ill of God in men they speake ill of godly men who do read and pray not because it is their own minde but Gods minde and shall we run into such horrible profannes to speake ill of God 3. Despising of Gods worship is the way to quench the spirit in our hearts and in the ordinances These two are put together as depending one upon another 1 Thes 3.19 20. Quench not the spirit Despise not prophesying implying that to despise prophesying is the way to quench the spirit It is observable when the Apostle speaketh of other sins Ephes 4 2â— as lying sinfull anger stealing corrupt communication he saith Grieve not the holy spirit but when he comes to speak of despising prophesying he saith Quenâ—h not the holy spirit shewing us that any sin if it be but corrupt speech will grieve the spirit make it sad in our hearts withdraw its lively and comfortable working but despising or prophesying doth quench the spirit it doth take a course quite to put out the fire of the spirit for it takes away the sewel of the spirit that which should nourish and increase its slame If a man despise Gods ordinances either he will not make use of them at all or never the better and then the nourishment of the fire of the spirit is taken away and so it is quenched As therefore we would have the spirit slame in our hearts and in the ordinances let us take heed of despising the ordinances Do we not finde a damp of Gods spirit in our hearts and in the ordinances the cause is here we have taken away the fewel by sleighting the ordinances It may be said How may we be helped against this despising of Gods worship Answer By the contrary reverence a fâ—ame of minde called much for in the book of God Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with fear rejoice with trembling Psal 3.7 In thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple Prov. 13.13 Fear is opposed to dispising who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandement shall be rewarded the way not to despise the Word is to fear it Psal 66.2 To him will I look that trembleth at my word tremblinâ— i◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—t of the boâ—y springâ—â—â— fâ—oâ—â—â—â—â—â—rence or 〈◊〉 â—n act of the minde apprehending an excellency and worth an excelling overpowâ—â—ng worth and excellency How shall we get this reverence Answ For obtaining the truth and beginning of reverence there is no way but one chanâ—e of heart for that brings both â—ight and love which two make reverence light to discern worth and love to affect it to be willing it should be there and to acknowledge it to be there If a man receive light from the spirit to see an excellency in Gods worship in preaching in praier yet if there be not love a man will at one time or other shut out that light and so despise the ordinances notwithstanding them No wonder if unregenerate men be careles of the Word Sacraments Praier yea after many years preaching it will not be helped nor can it be expected otherwise till the heart be changed For the help of the measure and increase of our reverence and so our earnest worshipping of God it will be usefull 1. To labour to increase our knowledge of the worth of Gods ordinances which we shall do two waies 1. By considering that Gods ordinances are means of conveighing glory to God yea the greatest glory and good to us yea the greatest good They are means of conveighing honour to God therefore they are called Gods worship because they do defer and carry worship and honour to God yea the greatest honour more then the works of God for they do declare Gods worth more then his works more clearly mâ—re abundantly and they do work more deep and constant expressions of Gods honour in our thoughts affections words and actions then the works of God That which conveighs honour to God as appointed means is honourable that which conveys most honour to God is most honourable so do the ordinances of God therefore they are most honourable As the ordinances do convey the greatest honour to God so they convey the greatest good to us In Gods providence we have many sweet mercies which we could not want as health estate friends guidance protection but in the ordinances we finde God and Christ and eternall life Prov. 8.34.35 They that wait at the gates of wisdome and attend at the posts of her doores are blessed for they finde Christ and with him life and savour at Gods hands Is not that of great worth and greatly to be respected that brings unto us the greatest good good incomparable and invaluable so do Gods Ordinances And that we may have the knowledge of this worth ready at hand for use we are to call it often to minde and to consider of it for what a man hath forgotten it is all one to him as if he had never knowne it and especially when we are to come to them let us consider of their worth make present our knowledge by meditation 2. To increase our knowledge of the worth of Gods Ordinances let us observe and remember the effects and workings of Gods Ordinances sometimes in one sometim s in another our hearts are humbled quickned comforted satisfied yea sometimes when our hearts have been at a low â—bb when we have despaired of helpe and thought all â—â—ans in vain when much hearing and use of private means would do no good these are sensible arguments of the worth of Gods Ordinances we know they have done us good when no other means could 2. Consider the examples of the servants of God This is their description and hereby they differ from others they tremble at Gods Word Ezra 9.4 David will worship God with fear Psal 3.7 Josiahs heart melted at the hearing of the word 2 King 22.11 Habakkuk trembled Hab. 3.16 these were deepe expressions a signe they had deepe thoughts Wilt not thou be like Gods people what and call God father Wilt not thou expresse the image of his children 3. Consider this frame of minde hath the promise of speciall favour Isai 66.2 God will have an eye to them that tremble at his word Josiah should not see the evil God would bring Habakkuk should rest in the evil day 4. Endeavour after a reverent carriage of body there is that nearnes betweene soul and body that they are helps or hinderances one to another An irreverent behaviour will 1. Increase the irreverence of the minde provoke and procure sleighty thoughts 2. Beget the like irreverent behaviour in others which will reflect upon our hurt 3. Give advantage to satan to suggest and move unto
good go forward and would have our communion with God in holy duties furthered we must look to our thoughts for they are the beginning 2. Our thoughts are the rise and well-spring of all evil No evil is at any time in tongue or life but was first in thought Such breakings out in tongue as men are ashamed of did first make a gap in the thoughts Actuall sins in Scripture are called inventions Eccles 7.9 God made man upright but he hath found out many inventions the first apostasy and fall of our parents was a finding out of many inventions Psal 99.8 He took vengeance of their inventions Actuall sins the sins of the outward man are therefore called inventions because f you follow any sin to the fountain and spring you shall finde it was an invention it began in a device an imagination Art thou aware that the furthest sin goeth the worse and would'st thou stop it in the beginning then look to thy thoughts regard them if any anger swearing lying come into thy tongue they will be first in thy thoughts and if thou wouldst keep them out of thy tongue thou must regard thy thoughts 3. Little dost thou or any man know to what one thought may grow be it good or evil behold saith the Apostle Iam. 3.5 how much a little fire kindleth a thought is but a spark yet a spark of fire that will kindle wonderfull much if not quenched there To see the stream and spring of some river a man would hardly believe that so great a stream came from so small a fountain The greatest good and evil that ever was in the world was at first but a little thought Thoughts therefore are to be regarded yea chiefly to be regarded If a good thought come into thy heart and thou cherish it and the spirit of God move upon it thou canst not tell what may proceed from it If an evil motion come into thy heart and thou let it go without controll and the Devil be suffered to hatch it it will grow to a monster of sin 4. Thou maiest sin in thought and not sin in word or deed but thou canst not sin in word or deed but thou must first sin in thought Sin in thought is more easily and suddainly committed and more independently then in word or deed therefore thoughts are chiefly to be looked unto Many will blesse themselves from such and such sins in life which others runne into and they look carefully to their steps not considering they may commit the same sin in their thoughts which they give liberty unto though not in life and therefore they should look first to their thoughts 2. Generall and common carelesnes of thoughts in Gods worship is to be reproved Is it not a fault for men to be careles how they worship God who is so great and so good so great that none is like him so good that he gives us rain from heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnes yea giveth us his statutes and ordinances he hath not so dealt with all his people Is it not carelesnesse in Gods worship to be carelesse what we think therein whether good or evil whether impertinent good or pertinent Thus they rob God of a part of their soul who hath made all requires all and deserves all That there is a common carelesnesse in men of thoughts appears in that they do not set their thoughts in order when they come to Gods worship but rather bring that with them which may distract them viz. thoughts of meeting with such and such and speaking with them about some worldly busines and when they are there suffer their eies to wander and rove and to delight themselves with variety of objects They that take no care of their eies take no care of their thoughts for the eies do feed the thoughts the thoughts depend upon the eies God out of his care of his glory and our good spirituall temporall and eternall hath appointed his worship is it not our great sin to be carelesse of it Our own thoughts will in time accuse us and passe this reproof upon us when it shall be an evil day of affliction with us or when the word shall be a light in our mindes and a terrour in our hearts Time of sicknes is a time of thoughts then our hands and feet are bound onely our thoughts are at liberty which will then toil and busy themselves about our wandring in good duties and thereby vex and torment us The more carelesse we have been of our thoughts in Gods worship the more carefull will our thoughts be to disquiet us for conscience must and shall do its office and there is more matter of disquiet 3. The particular carelessenes of Gods people of their thoughts in Gods worship is particularly to be reproved their mindes are in part sanctified they know the weight of Gods worship the worth of good thoughts the evil of wandring thoughts how comfortable the one leaves the heart and how sad the other yet they take but little care to keep their minde close to Gods worship I speak not of that infirmity which doth follow necessarily upon the remainings of corruption and is common to all the godly some wandring thoughts in good duties but I speak of their carelessenes and negligence to prevent wandring thoughts whereupon follows store and abundance of them The former is their sin because unavoidable wandring thoughts are the fruits of our sin our first voluntary Apostasy from God but this is an addition of sin to sin an increase of sin not only a neglect of Gods worship but also a neglect of our first injuring of God and his worship by our fall For were we sensible of our sinfull frame of minde that doth as necessarily and naturally send out wandring thoughts as the fire doth heat were we troubled that we have brought upon our selves a necessity of wandring and roving from God in his worship we would take care that this originall corruption should not be fruitfull I appeal to the consciences of the godly do not your thoughts accuse you for carelessenes of your thoughts in Gods worship Were there nothing else to convince the godly of the carelessenes of their thoughts in Gods worship and their fault therein this were sufficient the fruit of their wandring thoughts What makes Sabbaths so wearisome to the godly but this that they cannot keep their thoughts to God the more the day and our thoughts suit the more contentment and delight therein and the lesse out thoughts and the day suit the more wearisome the day will be What makes the ordinances so unprofitable the hearts of the godly are not affected in the word in praier because of these wandring thoughts as the thoughts are taken up about any thing so the affections do work if the thoughts be but sleighty the affections will be but sleightly moved if the thoughts be deeply possessed with a thing the affections are strongly
having though it cost dear So on the contrary wandring thoughts being a curse are worthy preventing though it cost us tears to God yea many tears and much pains with our own hearts 3. The Lord hath threatned to punish these wandring thoughts which carry away the heart in his worship and make it only a bodily exercise without spirit and life with a secret but sure blasting of inward spirituall good that as God hath but a shadow and outside of worship so they shall have but a shadow and shew of spirituall wisdom and prudence Isa 29.14 Therefore the wisdom of the wise shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid Therefore why Because they have drawn neer to God with their mouths and have removed their hearts farre from him They gave God a body without an heart therefore he will give them a body without an heart the shape of wise men without wisdom and prudence a suitable judgement What is the reason that Christians are so much shadows and shews of Christians rather then substance and truth when they should come to bear injuries and wrongs to forget and forgive they can do it no more then other men when they should expresse their dependance upon God and submission unto God in willing and chearfull parting with comforts and friends when God will have it so they can no more do it then other men they hold comforts fast as if they should part with God and all when they part with them and they hold friends fast and will not let them go as if friends were made more to serve one another then to serve God and when friends and comforts are gon they grieve as if all their joy were gone When they should bear quietly the crosse and grieving passages of Gods providence as those who have learned in whatsoever state they are to be content knowing they are in heavines if need be they cannot bear but carry themselves as untamed heifers that would rather shake off the yoke then bear it they have the shew of these graces in their profession but they want that measure of substance the reason is because their service of God is more in shew then substance therefore they are Christians more in shew then substance As we spend our Sabbaths so will our week daies be spent and as we perform holy duties so will our conversation be Is it not a heavy judgement to be inwardly worse then we think our selves or others think us to be to be unable to use grace when we have most need to exercise it yet thus hath God threatned to afflict us and he will make his Word good if we suffer our thoughts to wander in his service Quest By what means may we prevent wandrings in Gods worship Answ First labour the increase of grace Heb. 13.9 It is good that the heart be established with grace i. e. with gâ—acious knowledge of old and well known truths which the Apostle opposeth to new and strange doctrine And when the Apostle would direct the people of God to keep their own stedfastnes yea though the errour of the wicked took course to draw them away He gives them counsell to grow in grace 2 Pet. 3.17 18. Which places do shew that grace is of an establishing setling nature and so indeed it is for 1. It is contrary to vanity and inconstancy being the nature of God who is stable and firm alwaies one and the same 2. It sets the soul in order puts every faculty into its place and sets it about its own proper office and so it doth establish 3. It doth establish as it is the work of the free or liberall spirit Psal 51.12 David praieth that God would establish him with his free spirit grace doth establish a man as it is the work of the free spirit because it maketh a mans spirit free and liberall like to the spirit of God to sleight earthly things in comparison and to minde heaven and heavenly things earthly things do unsettle they are themselves changeable and do change the thoughts and affections pitched upon them Let a man pitch his thoughts and heart upon his nearest friends he hath in the world to whom nature society interchange of love Christianity hath bound him yet his thoughts and affections placed upon these nearest friends shall change and not alwaies contitinue one and the same because they change and are not alwaies the same therefore the thoughts pitched upon them do change also spirituall and heavenly things are of the nature of the spirit and heaven steady and stable immoveable unchangeable therefore will establish the affections pitched upon them Now the more grace we have the more we shall minde heavenly things and so be the more established 2. Labour the increase of thy reverence and high esteem of the worship of God According to thy thoughts of the worship of God so much-what will thy thoughts be in it Psal 48.9 We have thought of thy loving kindnes oh God in the midst of thy Temple They professe their thoughts were busied about Gods loving kindnes in his Ordinances why so because of their high thoughts thereof ver 2 3. beautifull for situation the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion God is known in her palaces for a refuge And herein were they helped by the report of their fathers ver 8. as we have heard so have we seen in the City of the Lord of hosts they had seen Gods mighty presence and protection in and about his own Ordinances but they had also heard so and that before they had seen it To help our reverence of Gods worship it is good to talk with ancient Christians that have lived long before us to hear what they will say we may be helped by their experience when we have none or but little of our own and if we have experience of the worth of the Ordinances we may be further helped by their experience 3. Prepare our selves aforehand Prov. 18.1 Through desire a man having separated himself intermedleth with all wisdom if a man have a desire to meddle with matters of wisdom and would do it as becomes such occasions and as may be for profit he will first separate himself not passe immediately from common and triviall matters to matters of wisdom but he will have some time betwixt the leaving off of the one and taking to the other If we passe from our callings to Gods worship without separating our selves how is it ordinarily possible but that we should have the same thoughts in Gods worship that we bad in our callings There are some separating duties that do prepare unto others as examination meditation praier and they do prepare by stirring up the grace of God and providing an heavenly assistance to begin with us in the duty If thou canst not alwaies have separating time betwixt other occasions and Gods worship Yet have some separating thoughts ere thou enter upon the duty thou art not fit else to meddle
may and must spend them in our own occasions but we must keep it holy as a day set a part for his glory and how shall we keep the day holy if we our selves be unholy 3. It is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God as in Revel 1.10 The Lords day he hath reserved it for himself the six daies are our daies allowed us for our occasions and shall we make no difference between Gods day and our own If the King will have the coronation day kept as his day If a Landlord will have his marriage be kept as his day we difference the same by change of apparell and shall we not difference Gods day from other daies by change of spirit 4. Six daies thou shalt labour and do all thou hast to do and ver 11. In it thou shalt do no manner of work What is this but a charge to prepare when we are commanded to get all our earthly occasions dispatched ere that day come And if it be a difficulty so to do yet we must labour and take pains for that end and if we must have none of our occasions to do on the Lords day which are lawfull all the six daies much lesse must we have our sinfull occasions to do on that day which are never lawfull Another generall place is Eccl. 5.1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God It is spirituall worship chiefly that is performed in Gods house therefore it is a spirituall foot that is here chiefly meant and the foot of the soul is the inclination or disposition of the soul for all the faculties of the soul do move and work by the dispositions thereof good or evil by them we walk towards God and converse with God Phil. 3.19 20. The Apostle speaking of the wicked saith they minde earthly things but of the godly he saith their conversation is in heaven i. e. as men by the help of their feet carrying them from place to place do converse amongst men so the godly by means of their understanding do walk to heaven though they live here upon earth do converse with God The feet of the soul must be kept when we goe into the house of God then our minde will and affections must be in speciall compasse and under speciall command and that will not be without preparation we have them not at a beck As the Scripture doth plainly command in generall that we prepare unto all the worship of God so doth it plainly command preparation in particular parts of Gods worship For hearing the Word of God Jer. 4.3 Break up the fallow ground of your hearts and sowe not among thornes The ground the heart must be prepared by the plow of repentance the very inwards of the heart must be fastned and opened thereby and the weeds plucked up by the roots Luke 8.18 Take heed how you hear it must be done with caution not with carelesnes he doth not say you need not heed how you hear but take heed how you hear For praier Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God we must not rush upon praier nor rashly pour out words in that duty but be well advised and ponder well what we say For singing psalms be filled with the spirit and then sing Ephes 5.18 19. For the passover the paschall lamb was not to be killed till the fourteenth day of the moneth Exod. 12.6 but it was to be taken up on the tenth day ver 3. What was this but to prepare them The paschall lamb was set apart foure daies before the celebration of the passeover So in regard of the Lords supper 1 Cor. 21.28 Let a man examine himself and so let him eat not first eat and then examine himself The like command we may finde for extraordinary parts of Gods worship When the people were to hear the Word from Gods own mouth he commanded Exod. 19.10 11. That they should be sanctified two daies together Go sanctify the people to day and to morrow and be ready against the third day Joel 2.15 16. Sanctify a Fast and how shall the people be fitted Sanctify the Congregation When God was about to bring inexpressible evil upon his people and would set them an effectuall way to prevent it he bids them prepare to meet him meet him but not without preparation Amos 4.12 The like command lies upon vows which are the companions of extraordinary speciall praier Eccles 5.4 5 6. The summe of this first argument to prove that the want of preparation doth weaken the worship of God is this To want that which God hath commanded as an help to his worship ordinary and extraordinary is to weaken that worship But to want preparation is to want that which God hath appointed as an help to his worship ordinary and extraordinary therefore to want preparation is to weaken that worship 2. The examples of the servants of God agreeable to this command Psal 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compasse thine Altar oh God David alludeth to a command injoined to the Priests who served at the Altar viz. to wash their hands and their feet when they went to do the service of the Tabernacle Exod. 30.18 19 20. This no doubt was exemplary to the people to teach them with what preparation they should worship God and David saith he will wash his hands in innocency i. e. put away the evil of his doings and then come to worship God as Isa 1.15 16. God excepted against their duties because their hands were full of blood cruell hands and must be washed 2 Chron. 35.6 It was Iosiahs command that the Priests should prepare themselves and sanctify their brethren against the passeover what a pithy letter did Hezekiah write to his Subjects to fit them for the passeover 2 Chron. 30. A letter of instruction shewing them how they should prepare themselves a letter of exhortation pressing them thereto a letter of consolation shewing the benefits that would thence flow and vvhen he perceived the peoples hearts vvere prepared yet they vvanted some ceremoniall preparation he vvas not satisfied but praied to the Lord to heal them Notable vvas Jacobs care to fit his family for a day of extraordinary thanksgiving Gen. 35.1 2. and if he were so carefull to prepare many surely he was not carelesse of one of himself He said to his household Put away the strange Gods that are amongst you and be clean and change your garments put away the strange Gods more open and grosse sins be clean from more secret sins change your garments the frame of their hearts from earthly to heavenly Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 20.3 When he was in danger set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a Fast turned his face from other occasions and set it towards that great occasion From this argument we may reason thus To neglect that which the servants of God have practised as a way of due
the fore-kin was a superfluitie therefore to be cut off so sin is a superfluity wee may well spare it and it must be cut off when wee come to heare the word if wee would be clean 2. The heart is then unâ—lean and prophaâ—e when it come to worship God not having laide aside earthly thoughts and affections these thoughts and affections are common not set apart untâ—o Gods worship therefore do defile the heart in Gods worship because they make it common when it should be set apaâ—t for God Common is as well opposed to holy as sinfull 1. Sam. 21.4 There is no common bread under my hand but hallowed common or ordinary bread in comparison of hallowed bread is unholy and so common ordinary thoughts and affections inreference to holy worship are prophane and unholy and make the heart a prophane vessel Nehe. 13.17 Nehemiah did contend with the Nobles because they did prophane the sabbath How did they prophane the sabbath viz. in suffering wares to be sold and tradesmen to be imploied in their trades on the sabbath-day much more did they that were imploied in them prophane the sabbath and especially their hearts by intermedling with such occasions Isa 58. â—3 Thou shalt not do thine owne wayes nor finde thine own pleasure on my holy day the day and duties are Gods therefore the workes and word yea and thoughts and affections too must in a speciall manner tend to God upon that day This was shadowed by Gods command to Moses when he drew nigh to the bush where God did manifest himselfe in glory setting the bush on fire yet keeping it from being consumed put off thy shoes from thy feet Exod. 3 5. why For the place whereon thou standest is holy â—round Those shoes those affections whereby wee tread upon the earth converse with men and with earthly occasiâ—ns must be put off when wee come to Worship God else they will make our hearts unholy and uncleane because common 3. A third part of the unpreparednes of the heart is unaptnes or indisposednes suppose a man lie under one sin unrepented of and lay aside wordly thoughts and affections yet experience proves a man may be unwilling and backward to the Worship of God or may have an indifferencie or carlesnes of spirit that he could as well let it alone as do it a spirit of luke-warmenes that doth neither strongly incline to the Worship of God nor from it but stands in a middle way This unaptnes is not only a want of Grace without which a man wants a will for God works the will till God worke a will in a man to that which is good he hath none but also a want of readines in grace to be put in exercise in Gods worship by reason of spirituall sloth the case of the wise virgins who by reason of their slumbring had their lamps to trim when the bridegroom was comming ere they could be prepared the orbe of grace grew low and so their lampes of profession did burne obscurely they awaking and using the meanes got supplye of oyl from Christ and so their lamps recovered their brightnes and the want of that which Paul calls upon Timoâ—hy for 2. Tim. 1.6 Stir up the gift of God there are gifts and graces but they are like fire in the ash-heaps not fit to kindle and flame the ordinances of God being put to them because the ashes of security lye between grace and the ordinances of God unblowne away This we finde in Iacobs preparing of his family Gen. 35.2 First put away the strange gods that was all manifest and open sinne Secondly be ye clean i. e. from all ceremoniall pollutions Thirdly change your garments not onely put off those they had on but put on others The garments of the soule are the dispositions of the soule Isai 61.3 a garment of praise is opposed to a spirit of heavines a spirit of heavines is a sad or mournfull disposition a garment of praise on the contrary is a ioyfull and thankfull disposition We must change our garments put off our earthly and worldly dispositions thoughts desires cares about the world and not there rest but we must be clothed with heavenly thoughts affections graces have them in a readines to expresse themselves in the worship of God This is the wedding garment spoken of Matth. 22.2 for by the marriage feast there is meant all the ordinances of God word sacraments prayer for in all doth God give our soules liberall and honourable entertainment doth set all his dainties before us with great solemnity the wedding garment is our fitnes and disposednes unto the ordinances by reason of certain heavenly sutable dispositions in a readines in our soules appearing to Almighty God and in measure to the godly by our outward carriage and behaviour If we take Christ for the wedding garment as some do how doth he fit us for the ordinances but by imputing his righteousnes unto us which is our worth and communicating to us heavenly dispositions to make us meet They that put on wedding garments do first put off their ordinary common apparel and then put on comely pleasant apparel meet for such an occasion so when we come to the feast of Gods ordinances where God is the feast-maker and Christ the feast and Angels entertainers and attenders we must not onely put off our ordinary and common affections but we must put on such affections as are meet for the ordinances of God sanctified and holy affections for holy duties as reverence humility love repentance faith these in a readines do make the heart apt and disposed and these not put on by new care and diligence in use of meanes and dependencie upon Christ do make us unapt and indisposed and so unprepared If a man take not care to stirre up holy thoughts and holy affections when he cometh to the ordinances of God he hath an unprepared heart because his heart having no holy affections ready to meet and close with holy dueties hath no fitnes unto them because no present ready suitablenesse unto them It is one thing to have grace in the heart another thing to have it ready for exercise and so it is one thing to have a generall fitnes for the ordinances another thing to have a particular and present fitnes at this and that time for this and that ordinance A childe of God that hath grace in his heart hath a generall fitnes for the ordinances because the same holines that is in the ordinances is in his heart and they must needs fit one another but the same childe of God if his grace be not fit for exercise through some impediment at a particular time and in a particular ordinance may want a perfect and particular fitnes for that ordinance If this were not so a childe of God could never performe any duety unworthyly as to bring speciall judgements of siâ—knes â—eaknes and death upon them as the Corinthians did 1 Cor. 11 3â— for a
yea so change her into care that she would have hindred Mary also yea and charged it as a neglect upon our Saviour himself that he did not relieve her in this immoderate care Luk. 10.40 Master dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone bid her therefore that she help me her immoderate care made her think that Mary had too little care and our Saviour also Is not the reason rendered why cares immoderate do unfit us for Gods worship Luk. 21.34 Take heed that your hearts be not overcharged with surfeting and drunkennes and cares of this life Immoderate cares are to the soul as a surfet of drink too much drink unto the body the body is overcharged with it and so unfit for occasions so the soul is over-burdened with immoderate cares therefore unfit for a farther weight of Gods worship Why do cares choak the seed of the Woâ—d Matth. 13.22 but because they choak the soil draw away the strength of the heart and affections When we are about our callings and enjoy the comforts of this life we lose our hearts in love and delight and if they have the strength of our joy and desire God cannot have it also No man saith our Saviour can serve two masteâ—s for he will love thâ— one and hate the other Matth. 6.24 Ye cannot serve God and mammon If these worldly good things have the best of our love God cannot also have it If we be at any time busied about the worship of God our hearts will go after our covetousnes the good things we have coveted will have our thoughts and affections when God should have them 2. We bestow too much time upon our callings Psal 127.2 It is vain for you to rise early to sit up late shewing that ordinarily our care is to gain all time for our callings and occasions hardly can we spare time daily for the worship of God and when the Sâ—bbath doth approach all the time that we can any way get we lay hold of lest God should have too much no time will be allowed for preparation not only so long as light will permit men will they be labouring about their callings on saturday night but so long as sleep will suffer them when we are counselled Ephes 5.16 to redeem the time part of the meaning is out of the hands of our callings unlesse we can prove that they do not take up too much time Luk. 14.18 19. The foundation of their refusing to come to the supper the ordinances of God was this they could not spare time from their callings We bestow too much pains and labour about our callings too much spend the vigour and strength of our bodies that they become unfit to serve our souls in the worship of God What means our sleepy praiers every night in our families but the over-wearying of our bodies What means our sleepy Sabbaths but the overtiring of our bodies on the week daies 3. We cannot be fit to worship God without preparation because of Satans continuall main endeavour to make us unfit for Gods worship Satan is more Gods enemy then ours because God stands more directly opposite unto him then we do God is the greatest good Satan is the greatest evil What is more opposite to the greatest good then the greatest evil We have somewhat like Satan therefore he is not so great an enemy unto us God is altogether unlike him and contrary to him therefore he is an utter enemy to him so that though Satan will endeavour to unsit us for our own callings yet chiefly for Gods worship for that doth most concern Gods glory and in that he doth more immediately and fully oppose God When did Satan put that thought into Judas heart of betraying Christ but when the passeover did approach And experience tells the godly that they have never more confusion of thoughts then when they desire to meditate and to fit themselves thereby for praier 4. Unpreparednes of heart doth weaken the worship of God performed by us as it doth hinder the breathing and working of the spirit in our hearts If the spirit assist us not we shall but weakly worship God therefore it is said to help our infirmities in praier and so in other duties Rom. 8.26 Whereas the burden of duty is too heavy the spirit of God doth help to lift the burden If the soul come unpreparedly the spirit of God will not ordinarily assist 1. Because a lesser breathing of the spirit is neglected and will the spirit lay out more when lesser is not prized and improved The spirit of God doth allwaies move and provoke the soul unto all the will of God and therefore unto preparation if men therefore come without preparation they come wâ—th neglect of the spirits motion unto preparation and if lesse of the spirit be not improved will he be lavish of more assistance 2. The spirit will not ordinarily assist the unprepared heart because it is out of the way and road of the spirit the spirit of God is a spirit of promise Eph. 1.13 and is therefore conveighed to the soul in a way oâ— promise but the unprepared heart is out of the way of promise and therefore out of the way of the spirit Indeed the spirit of God will sometimes meet an unprepared heart in a duty but it goeth out of the ordinary way at such a time as it must do when we are out of the way the spirit of God must first come out of its ordinary way to us ere we can get into our way but the effect of the spirit meeting a soul unprepared is to make it ashamed of unpreparednes and more watchfull thereunto for time to come 3. Unpreparednes of heart doth weaken our worshiping of God as it doth give advantage to Satan to interrupt and hinder us in the same To what end serves preparation is not this a main end to prevent impediments in worship and Satan the master of them When the Apostle 1 Pet. 5.8 would have us be vigilant upon this ground that Satan walketh about seeking whom he may devoure doth he not give us to understand that the more carelesse we are the more advantage Satan hath against us and the more watchfull we are the lesse harme can he doe us This was our Saviours counsell to his three disciples in the garden in the very houre of temptation watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation implying that it is not sufficient for the preventing of Satans temptations to performe dueties unlesse we adde watching that we be fit to performe them It is not dueties that weaken Satan but dueties performed in the power of the spirit Gal 5.16 walke in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh so much as we expresse the spirit we oppose sin and Satan The devil makes great advantage of dueties of mens hearing reading praying Into whom doth he enter with the unclean spirit but into the house that is
swept of grosse and foule sinnes and garnished with common gilts and performances of dueties The scribes and Pharisees made a cloke of their long prayers to cover their oppression The devil himself will sometimes put on the forme of an Angel of light and herein doe his instruments imitate him as a way of more effectuall deceiving 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. so that duties performed unpreparedly do more advantage Satan then otherwise But that we may see more fully how unpreparednes of heart doth give advantage unto Satan let us enter into some particulars 1. The heart unprepared is indisposed unto good duties hath no readines unto them but disposed unto other things unto sinne or unto worldly occasions the soul is ever working because it is sometimes indisposed to good duties it is not therefore indisposed to every thing else but it stands inclined to other things Now no disposition of the soul is so contrary to Satan as a disposition unto that which is good for that is Gods image and the devil can make least advantage of it for though he make great advantage of good duties yet for the most part it is when the heart is indisposed but when the heart is unprepared and so hath no readines unto that which is good but rather unto other things it doth come nearer the devils disposition and so gives more advantage to Satan it is more fit to close with his suggestions and unfit to resist them 2. When the heart is unprepared the spirit of God is withdrawne for that is the principall cause of the unpreparednes of the heart the absence of the spirit and if the spirit be absent in any measure the greatest enemy and opposite of Satan is absent the light and power of the soul is absent light to discerne Temptations and power to resist them and if Satan hath the advantage of the darknes and weaknes of the soul hath he not great advantage 3. Unpreparednes of heart doth weaken the grace of faith whereby we should draw strength from Christ both to perform duty and to resist Satans temptations in duty The ground of faith is the promise unpreparednes of heart doth take the soul out of the way of the promise therefore takes away the ground of saith and faith being weakned Satans temptations are strengthened for faith is the shield that quencheth the fiery darts of the Devil Ephes 6.16 The lesse use of faith in the heart the more fire in Satans temptations 4. As unpreparednes of heart doth weaken faith so at the same time it doth weaken the comfort of the soul and bring in doubts in the room thereof so much want of faith in the heart so much want of comfort if the soul be out of the way of assistance in duty as in unpreparednes it is what comfort or chear can it have to go about the worship of God It will be full of doubts and fears and that will be Satans advantage for as the joy of the Lord is our strength Neh. 8.10 so the sorrow of the heart and doubt of the heart is the weaknes of the heart and that is Satans advantage The heart allready doubting is sit to have doubts multiplied by Satan the doubts of the soul do darken the soul and so Satan may with lesse notice and discerning scatter his temptations in the heart Vse This doctrine doth prove foure things 1. The fall The worship of God cannot be so well performed by the servants of God without preparation a signe they are not alwaies fit to worship God a signe of their imperfection and imperfection is a signe of their fall Did God send us out of his hand imperfect If we were perfect we had no unpreparednes unto that which is good God made us in his image and likenes and Gods image is ready and free unto that which is good we are not therefore as we were made Hence the Apostle saith we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Ephes 2.10 our first creation unto good works was not in Christ Jesus but before we can have any disposednes unto that which is good we must be created again through the power of the Lord Jesus we are not therefore the same cretion we were at first but have lost it and the signe hereof we carry continually about us an unreadines to that which is good 2. The evil of the fall What greater evil then to be allwaies out of frame to what is good any further then the heart is set in temper All evils of punishment do spring from the distemper of the heart and are appointed to punish that therefore that is greater then them all It is the Lords greatest good and so his greatest glory to be allwaies disposed unto good and never unto evil And it is the greatest evil that the fall hath brought upon us that naturally we are allwaies disposed unto evil but never unto good and when we are regenerate we are allwaies more ready unto evil then unto good 3. The miserable estate of unregenerate persons such as are in the same estate wherein they were borne If Gods people that are new creatures that have Gods image renewed in them cannot be fit to worship God till they have prepared their hearts and stirred up grace unto particular act and exercise how should they be sit to worship God that have no grace at all no generall reddines Unregenerate men may read pray hear the word receive the Sacraments but they can never be fit for those duties whilst they remain in an unregenerate estate And what a misery is it to be unfit for Gods service which is the best work we can do a work we shall never repent of a work that tends to Gods glory and to our best good And the misery is the greater if we consider unregenerate men are fit for any thing else but to serve God fit for their own occasions fit to sin against God they are wise to do evil but to do well they have no understanding Jer. 4.12 put the case that a subject should finde himself fit to do any busines of his own yea also fit to warre against his Prince but unfit to do him any service would he not think himself in a miserable temper Nay suppose a man should finde himself unfit to do for the best friend he hath in the world that which he would have him to do and what might pleasure and honour him but fit to do the minde of his greatest enemy would he not think himself in an evil and lamentable temper So it is with unregenerate men they are fit to do their own occasions fit to do against Gods minde and against Gods honour but unfit to do for him yea fit to do for their greatest enemy Satan but unfit to do for God their greatest friend and is not this an evil temper who would rest in this condition 4. The necessity of regeneration unto glory If Gods worship cannot be so well performed without
particular preparation then it cannot be performed well at all where there is no preparation as in the unregenerate there is not And can they be fit for heaven that are not fit for Gods service What fit for wages and not fit for work They that partake in the inheritance of heaven have it among them that are sanctified Act. 26.18 and what is it to be sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus but to be set apart unto God and his service to be purified for Christ zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 Change of place will not change the dispâ—sition of the soul no not heaven it self could an unregenerate man come thither no more then a man comming from hell and relating his experimentall knowledge of the torments there would change the soul Luk. 16.31 If therefore men be unfit for the service of God here they will be much more unfit for the service of God in heaven where more perfection and continuall worshipping of God is required 2. To reprove the usuall and ordinary generall and common unpreparednes of Gods people unto Gods worship It is not the fault of some particular Christians onely but of all the people of God generally and their fault it is not at some particular times onely but ordinarily No one thing I am perswaded the godly are more failing in then in preparing themselves for Gods worship They cannot be ignorant that it is a way of Gods command and a way of promise therefore of advantage and benefit unto them therefore in neglecting it they sin against Gods soveraignty and their own good Do not the practices of Gods severall servants in Scripture cast shame upon them Nay do not their own consciences reprove them when they are out of temper in holy duties and cannot finde God Do not their consciences whisper to them and tell them that they may thank their unpreparednes Nay doth not the thing it self deeply reprove them and take away all excuse what come unprepared to Gods worship Suppose that God would not at all hide himself when his people come unprepared to his worship and they were sure of so much yet were it their fault to come unprepared should not they suit themselves according to the presence they come unto and the work they go about Doth not reason teach as much Can we without fault lesse prepare for eternall waies for waies that concern Gods glory and our good most then for other matters Gods worship is an eternall way though this and that particular worship of God be not eternall yet some worship of God is eternall and shall remain with us for ever in heaven and all the worship of God doth tend more to Gods glory and our good then any thing else yet we prepare more for any thing else More particularly we are to be reproved for sundry things that tend to our unfitting to the worship of God 1. The godly do not remember the sabbath in the week day That remember which the Lord hath prefixed before that commandement rather then any other doth imply as a necessity of speciall remembrance of that so an easines to forget that a difficulty to remember it or else the Lord would not have set this remember before it And if the godly consider they shall finde that the Sabbath comes seldome into their mindes the week thorow though it be the most solemne day in the week and of more weight then all the dayes in the week 2. The godly do not ordinarily keepe up their watch and so advantages for grace are overslipped and sinne is committed through carelessenes which doth exceedingly unfit the heart for Gods worship sinne makes grace unto the performance of duty as a knife to cut without an edge 3. They do not spiritualize their callings and earthly businesses by going about them in the strength and wisdome of the spirit of God and propounding Gods glory as their aime and end and making some spirituall use of passages therein by meditation often raising up their thoughts and desires to heaven so that they grow earthly and carnall like the occasions they meddle with and so unfit for heavenly and spirituall worship 4. The times of their vacancie from their callings and of libertie they spend in empty and unprofitable wayes letting loose their thoughts and speeches unto vain and empty things which tend to no profit and so the heart is more empty whereas if the people of God would but season the times of their repast and recreation with some sprinklings of good discourse as salt or winde up the same with some good discourse or with prayer or with some heavenly thoughts their bodies would be more fit for Gods worship and their spirits not the more unfit 5. The people of God do their worldly occasions unto the utmost period of time on the Saturday night that sleepe will allow them to take and doe not improve their time that day that they might get their occasions dispatched and have some time to prepare their hearts Herein I perswade my self the godly that use our Saturday markets do exceedingly faile in that they do come home so late not through necessity of busines but carelessenes much time is spent on that day which they can give no good account of when they come to recollect themselves Nothing but sleepe doth part the Lords day and their dayes with them beside ordinary duties Will sleepe change the frame No surely but as they left with the world last when they went to sleepe so they shall meet with that first when they awake in the morning That which may the more reprove the godly is the consideration of a treble cause of this unpreparednes 1. The difficulty of it it is an harder matter to prepare the heart then to performe a dutie for the godly do not ordinarily neglect duties but they ordinarily neglect to prepare their hearts were it as easie to prepare the heart as to performe duty they would doe that as well And if difficulty hinder is not spirituall sloth the cause and what more lothsome then to neglect that which might exceedingly tend to Gods glory and their good for want of taking a little paines 2. A second cause why the godly doe no more prepare themselves is an opinion that a little preparation will serve for if they did not thinke a little would serve if they were perswaded that God would not take a little well they would prepare more And if this opinion did spring from meere ignorance because they know no better it were lesse matter but it doth spring from heedlessenes and carelessenes because they do not attend to and consider of the light they have for did they but consider the command of God the practice of the servants of God and their own practice in other matters they cannot but know that a little preparation will not serve 3. A third cause is confidence in duties done did they thinke duties would do them no good without preparation they would
more prepare but they thinke if they pray heare read receive the Sacrament with any hearts these duties will helpe their hearts What is this but to make idols of the ordinances to make gods of them to thinke they can helpe our hearts without any further helpe onely God can helpe the heart without any other helpe no ordinance can helpe our hearts without the helpe of other ordinances As the godly are to be reproved for their unpreparednes in ordinary ordinances so especially in extraordinary a frequent fault with the godly and if seene in nothing else yet in the fruitlessenes of such duties It is a sin to come unprepared unto ordinary ordinances but a double sin to come unprepared unto extraordinary ordinances It is a taking of Gods name in vain to come unprepared to ordinary worship but it is a taking of Gods name in vain in an high degree to come unprepared to extraordinary worship Hence God doth often make them to be of contrary effect straitning hardning burdensome wearisome 3. To provoke the godly to take heed of unprepared worshipping of God my doctrine is argument sufficient It will weaken the worship we performe and we cannot serve a better master nor do better worke and therefore no where better bestow the strength of soul and body I know if thou have the spirit of a childe in thee the spirit of reverence and the spirit of love and thou know aforehand what would helpe or hinder thee in the worship of thy heavenly father thou wilt avoid the one and use the other But because the wise man saith Eccles 12.11 that the words of the wise are as nailes fastned by the masters of the assemblies and consequently the more loose any naile of wisdome sticks in the heart of the godly the more and harder blowes must be given and because it will be confessed that this word of wisdome preparation for holy duties hangs loose in the hearts of the godly therefore by force of argument I shall endeavour to fasten it I will use a double motive one from the evil of unpreparednes another from the benefit of preparednes 1. Consider the evil of unpreparednes 1. It is a tempting of God What is it to tempt God but to move him to go out of his own ordinary way Math. 4.6 7. when Satan willed our Saviour to cast himself from the pinacle of the temple upon this ground that God would give his Angels charge over him our Saviour answered him Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Wherein should our Saviour have tempted the Lord by casting himself down because that was not the ordinary way to go down and therefore not the ordinary way of preservation we may gather that from the devils leaving out part of the scripture in all thy wayes without which it would not have served his turne The like is here thou comest to an ordinance to finde God to get good to thy soul with an unprepared heart thou now putst God to go out of his way or at least temptest and triest the Lord whether he will go out of his way or no for if he meet with thee and do thy soul good at this time he must go out of his ordinary way for his ordinary way of meeting the soul is preparation It is a greivous sin to tempt God 1. It is a presuming of Gods mercy and goodnes that he will be good above all he hath revealed which doth imply a secret unthankfullnes for Gods mercy revealed as if that were not enough for if it be enough why should we presume of more 2. It is a lording it over God instead of subjecting our selves unto him when thou preparest thou subjectest thy self to Gods will but when thou commest for Gods blessing in unpreparednes thou desirest and expectest that God should let go his own will and stoop to thine God saith thou shalt have it in unpreparednes thou sai'st in unpreparednes his will is thou shouldst prepare thy self thy will is to be unprepared and thou lookest that God should stoop to thy will for thou commest for his blessing in a way of thine own will 3. It is a falsifying of Gods truth God saith he will bow his ear to the prepared heart Psal 10.17 We say God will draw near to us though unprepared and this we professe when we come unpreparedly to seek God we might as well say God indeed hath said he will bow his ear to the prepared but he will not stick to his word he will go from it 2. The god y complain they cannot meet God in ordinances they do not affect move work upon them here is the cause we are not prepared and so we are like the deaf adder Psal 58.4 5. upon whom the charmer cannot prevail charm he never so wisely because his ears are stopped A man findes no sweetnes in his meat the reason is not because his meat is unsavoury but because his taste is distempered the Ordinances are sometimes sweet and would allwaies be so were the souls palate allwaies in the same temper 3. The godly complain they cannot profit they get no strength by Ordinances corruptions are still strong and grace unready for exercise Let me ask a question Why doth not meat nourish some bodies Because they do not digest it Why do they not digest it Because their stomacks are not prepared though the meat may please the appetite well so the heart may be affected with the Word may purpose and resolve upon obedience but some sin in the heart or some immoderate affection may keep off the heart that it cannot so meditate upon the Word or pray over it and so it comes to no perfection 4. If thou come unpreparedly and meet God a great part of thy comfort will be abated before and after before thou canst not have the comfort of thy faith that God will meet thee because thou art out of the way of the promise thou canst finde no promise to suit with thy unpreparednes afterward thy heart will be grieved Gods comforts are not heat and warmth comfort and refreshment onely but light allso to discover the sinfullnes of the soul When David found help in the sanctuary Psal 73.17 his comfort was abated from sight of his former distemper vers 22. otherwise he had had his comfort without that mixture of sorrow so if we finde God in unpreparednes our comfort will be more mixt comfâ—rt 2. The benefit of preparation â— The more we prepare our selves the more in ordinary course we finde God Indeed God doth sometimes hide himself when his people are prepared because he will not have them make an idol of preparation to think that therefore God will draw neare to them as if that deserved so much No he will have them know that it is of meer mercy if he be found of them though in preparation he is not bound in justice sâ—tting aside his promise to reward their preparation it 's but their duty and he can
â—spy in it matter of displeasure But ordinarily the godly finde God according to their preparatiâ—nâ— hereto the currâ—â—t of â— r pâ—â—â—â—e â—oth bâ—are witnesse they that seeke the Lord shall praise him Psal â—2 26 open your gâ—â—es and the king of glory shall come in Psal 24. â—â— If any man open to me I will come in to him Revel 3.20 and the experience of the godly doth second it 2. Some of the godly complain of difficulty of understanding and weaknes of memory but if they prepare God will clear and open their understandings Preparation also will empty their memories and so strengthen them it may be they are too full If they say their momories are weak also for other things yet preparation will strengthen them for so they shall stirre up and improve the good in their memories and bring in the assistance of the holy spirit 3. Others of the godly complain they cannot finde peace and sweet communion with God they have prayd heard the Word received the Sacrament yet cannot finde peace Let them be perswaded to try this one way more prepare unto prayer prepare unto the Word prepare unto the Sacraments There is a promise Job 11.13 14 15. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards him c. Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot It may be thou hast stretched out thine hands thou hast prayed earnestly but now prepare thy heart see if there be not somewhat amisse in thy hand or family that might hinder then thou shalt have comfort in thy heart and boldnes in thy countenance guilt of heart makes a man hang down the head as spots make a man to hide his face 4. If God do not meet with thee yet thou shalt not have this increase of thy burden that thou wert unprepared but on the contrary thou shalt have assurance that God who hath prepared thy heart will beaâ—e witnesse to it and hath some good for thee in store which he will prepare thee for in a further measure by present withdrawings Quest How should we helpe our selves unto preparednes for Gods worship There are three helps Examination Meditation Prayer 1. Examâ—nation This is made an helpe unto p ayer Lam. 3.40 41. Let us search and try our wayes let us lift up our hearts with our hands so Psal 4.4.5 Commune with your own hearts offer to God the sacrifices of righteousnes thou must be a soul-searcher Examine 1. What the generall frame and temper of thy heart is whether in a better or worse temper then formerly 2. What particular failings have lately escaped thee that mâ—ght specially indispose thy soul 3. What graces are specially to be exercised in the worship we go about 4. What are the speciall occasions for which our souls desire to meet God 2. Meditation Psal 119.59 David will looke over his wayâ—s on every siâ—e ere he will set his feet into Gods wayes Meditation is of a separating and settling nature it separateth heavenly thoâ—ghts and affections from earthly and setleth the heart in heavenly thoughts and affections for it often goeth over with thoughts It is as the bellows of the soul that doth kindle and inflame holy affections and by renewed and more forcible thouâ—hts as by renewed and stronger blasts doth renew and increase the slame 3. Prayer David prayes to God to prepare the heart of the people 1 Chron. 29.18 God prepared the people 2 Chron. 29. ult pray therefore to him 1. To pardon our originall indisposednes and particular failings 2. To give successe to examination and meditation 3. To supply his spirit unto the heart which hath put grace into the heart therefore can revive and bring out the same Ob. I cannot get time thus to prepare Ans In diligence in thy calling thou servest God but if thou be so imployed in it as to shut out preparation thou servest Satan more then God because thou dost more his minde and for his advantage then Gods Ob. I am a childe or servant under government and cannot get time having not my time at mine own dispose Ans 1. Thy governours ought to allow thee time for Gods service thou art more Gods servant then theirs If they will not yet 1. By diligence gain time 2. If thou canst not do that take it from thy meat or sleep If neither father nor mother nor master will take care of thy soul yet do thou take care of it Before I leave this point of preparation the want whereof doth weaken that worship of God which we performe I will take occasion to answer some cases of conscience which may fall in the way of the people of God and trouble them for want of light 1. Quest Whether are we bound to prepare more for the Sacrament then for the word I will premise foure things and then answer to the question 1. The Sacrament is an ordinary ordinance of God and so stands in the same ranke of ordinances with the word that it is an ordinary ordinance appeares in that it is oft to be celebrated and that without the condition of speciall and extraordinary occasions 1 Cor. 11.25.26 do this as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me for as oft as ye eat this bread c. It is an ordinance often to be used without speciall occasion and and for an ordinary end the remembrance of Christs death 2. The question is not between the whole word and the Sacrament but between a particular Sermon and the Sacrament whether we be bound more to prepaâ—e for the Sacrament then a particular Sermon going before the Sacrament 3. The question is of those who in regard of grace received are generally and habitually prepared both for the word and supper for of the unregenerate more preparation is required to admit them to the supper then to the woâ—d 4. The Sacrament in some respect hath it's place below the word in that the word is the covenant yea a particular Sermon doth contain part of the Covenant and the Sacrament is the seal now the seal doth receive necessary force from the covenant but not the covenant from the seal the seal is of no force without the covenant but the covenant is of force without the seal therefore the promise is called an immutable thing Heb. 6.18 the seal doth but increase the validity and force of the covenant add a further degree and measure The seal follows the covenant and serves unto it To the question then I answer That it should seem there is not more preparation required unto the Sacrament then unto the Word This truth will more plainly appear if the objections be cleared which are brought to the contrary Ob. Of a Sermon it can but be said This is my Word but of the Sacrament it is said This is my body and more reverence is due to the body of the Lord then to the word of the Lord and so more preparation to be made for the Sacrament then for the Word
to be but as the Publican and the Heathen and the Publican and Heathen may hear the Word But all may not receive the Sacrament for that is the seal of the Covenant and the seal doth belong to none but them who by the Word are brought into the Covenant 2. Where there is a meeting of more Ordinances more preparation is required but where the Sacrament is administred together with the Word is a meeting of more Ordinances therefore more preparation is required were this Ordinance more frequently used men would better be acquainted with the preparation due thereto Quest Suppose a man come to Church on the Lords day and the Sacrament be administred there beyond his expectation whether may he receive not knowing of that aforehand to prepare himself for it Answ 1. If a man doubt whether he may receive lawfully or no he shall do best to forbear for in this case holds that of the Apostle Rom. 14.23 Whatsoever is not of faith is sin if a man do an action and knoweth not whether he shall do well or no he sinneth in that action for the rule of our obedience is the Word of God if therefore I do not know that such an action is according to the Word I do not obey in it and therefore sin 2. If thou be prepared for the Word thou art in measure prepared for the Sacrament for those duties of examination meditation praier which do prepare us for the Word do not onely stirre up those affections and graces that are more properly requisite unto the Word but those also that more peculiarly belong to the Sacrament 3. God may increase the beginnings of thy preparation by the Word further provoking and stirring up thy graces especially thy faith and repentance 4. Though there be some defect in thy preparation before thou didst come yet if thy hearts desire be set to seek and finde the Lord he will have such respect to the praiers of the Congregation that he will pardon thy unpreparednes and conveigh to thee the blessing so 2 Chron. 30.18 19 20. Many of the people whose hearts were prepared yet were ceremonially unclean did eat the passeover contrary to the law but Hezekiah praid for them saying The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek the Lord God of his fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary and God hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people Quest Suppose there be a day of fasting kept and I know not of it till the morning of it whether may I go unto it it being an extraordinary duty and requiring extraordinary preparation and I unprepared not knowing of it Answ A day of fasting ought to be kept from even to even Levit. 23.32 therefore to be known before the morning and they that hinder such knowledge of it are like to bear their sinne 2. If thy soul be earnestly desirous to seek God in that Ordinance unwilling to misse the opportunity and sensible of thy unpreparednes the bare want of extraordinary preparation need not hinder thee if thou do not lie under the guilt of some sin unrepented of for thy unpreparednes is not through any neglect of him It is not bare want of such a measure of preparation that doth displease God so as to disrespect our duties but neglect and sleighting of it God requires no more then he gives had God given thee time of extraordinary preparation by fore-knowledge of the duty he would have required the same but having not given thee that time he will not require that Nay it may be God will specially prepare thy soul by want of speciall preparation humble and soften thy heart Ob. But the scrupulous heart as the most conscientious are will be ready to say If God would have had them to partake in the duty he would have given them time of preparation Answ Not so God may give thee the substance of preparation disposednes of heart but deny the circumstances of preparation viz. time and performance of preparing duties Preparation serves unto the worship of God the measure and time thereof cannot strictly be set down but the rule thereof is the measure of the souls unpreparednes God hath commanded extraordinary preparation for extraordinary duties because the heart usually is extraordinarily unfit but suppose by affliction or some other way the heart be more then ordinarily prepared then extraordinary preparation is not required for it is allready done some other way so if thy soul be much humbled and quickned by want of preparing time and means it is all one as if thou hadst them True it is God requires preparation as well as duty but preparation is the lesser part of Gods minde though a necessary part when therefore thou maiest do a greater part of Gods minde thou art not to neglect it though thou canst not do a lesser when that not doing of the lesse doth not proceed from any known and willing neglect of thine which alters the case For if a man have time and do not prepare he doth presumptuously not believingly pâ—rform holy duties To be sure this case may put the godly in minde what need they have to keep their hearts continually in a good frame that so they may have a continuall preparednes unto every good work Quest Suppose I labour in the use of means to prepare my heart and cannot finde it prepared what should I then do Answ 1. Thy soul may be prepared and thou not sensible of it it is the measure of preparation and evidence of the spirit in the heart that makes a man sensible of his preparation 2. Sense of preparation is a separable fruit of the use of the means part of the successe it is but may be separated from the use of the means when thou therefore hast prepared thy self thou hast done part of thy duty thou must not now stay from going about the Ordinances which is a further part of thy duty till thou be sensible of thy preparednes which is part of the successe and so Gods part thy duty is to prepare thy heart and when thou hast prepared to go about the worship though God for reasons best known to himself doth withdraw his part the sense and feeling of preparation Let a man examine himself and so let him eat not forbear when he hath examined himself because he findes not matters as he would Quest Suppose I finde God helping my heart in preparation and withdrawing himself in the worship prepared unto there my heart is dead carelesse what should I then do Answ 1. The godly are apt in experience to runne upon extreams if their heart be not assisted in preparation they are discouraged if they be much assisted they grow proud and confident therefore God withdraws himself sometimes in one way and sometimes in another that they might not be discouraged nor be confident Not be discouraged if they do not finde God in one way of promise yet they may finde
the blinde lame sick torn manifest but wearines of Gâ—ds worship that it was a burden the actions of the weary and tired are blinde sicke lame divided and distracted actions When the Apostle Gal. 6.9 2 Thes 3.13 doth call upon the people of God not to be weary of well doing doth he not give them to understand that wearines will be an hinderance to them in well doing and therefore they must not give way unto it though the way of God be laborious and painfull When God would direct his people how they might be kept from doing their own minde on the Sabbath Isai 58.13 and so might thorowly sanctifie it he adviseth them to call the Sabbath a delight i. e. not only inwardly to delight in it but to grow to such a measure of delight to call it so openly professe and make it manifest that it is our delight let that be the name we give it as God termeth his people Isai 62.4 my delight is in her let others see by our speeches and actions that it is the day of our delight otherwise if we be weary of it and it be a burden unto us we will not be kept from doing our own pleasure What is it to be weary of Gods worship Ans There is a wearines of the soul that reflects upon the body and a wearines of the body that reflects upon the soul The wearines of the soul stands in the absence of two affections which are the strength of the soul desire and delight and the presence of two which are the weaknes of the soul unwillingnes no desire no delight uncheerfulnes backwardnes greif When God in Scripture commendeth the fervencie and strength of any action he commendeth it from these two affections willingnes and delight 1. Willingnes or desire makes any action strongly to be performed when there is a sutablenes or agreement betwixt the will and the action a man doth chuse to do it and that rather then any other such an action must needs have the power of the soul for the will commands the whole soul 1 Chron. 29.14 17. the people of God did offer willingly and therefore abundantly to the building of the temple that David admires and joyes at the offering The fervent worshipping of God prophesied of in the daies of the Gospel is comprehended in this affection of desire or willingnes Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the day of the powerfull preaching of the Gospel the worship of Gods people should be willing free-hearted worship not constrained The Bereans hearing of the word was hearing indeed commended above that of Thessalonica Act. 17.11 they received the word with all readinesse of minde they had a forward affection a forth-putting desire to heare and embrace the word Act. 16.14 God opened the heart of Lydia to attend to the word her ear was open and ready to hear and that open ear came from an open heart a desire to heare 2. Ioy or chearfullnes makes an action strongly to be performed when the soul is cheared and comforted in the doing of it then will it do it in the best manner and measure because it 's comfort and delight is the greater Psal 19.5 when the psalmist would expresse how strongly the sun doth run his course he saith It rejoyceth as a strong man to run his race 2 Cor. 8.2 The Apostle saith of the Macedonians that the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality though their poverty was abundant and so unfit for liberality yet their joy being abundant in that Christian action made their liberality to abound so that according to their power yea and beyond their power they ministred to the necessity of the Saints their joy in the action carried them to forget themselves in measure They prayed Paul and his companions with much intreaty to take the gift such was their comfort in the action that if Paul would not take their gift they should misse of their comfort Psal 100.2 we are commanded to serve the Lord with gladnes the joy and mirth of our hearts in Gods service doth better the service performed But on the contrary when desire and joy are wanting the strength and vigour of the soul is gon and it is weary of such actions as it performeth unwillingly and sadly 1. What a man doth unwillingly backwardly he doth as a burden and therefore weakly because wearily Thus the wicked expresse their wearines of Gods waies Job 21.13 we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes they have no desire to be acquainted with the worship of God therefore will but poorly performe it if they performe any 1 Pet. 5.2 feed the flock of God not by constraint but willingly 2 Cor. 9.7 as every man hath purposed so let him give not grudgingly or of necessity whatever dutie a man performeth if he have no minde no desire no will unto it if somewhat without move him to it and not somewhat within if he had rather not do it or rather do somewhat else he doth it without strength therefore wearily it is a burden unto him Exod. 25.2 God willed Moses to take an offering of every one whose heart was willing towards the service of the Tabernacle Ex. 35.21 They came every one whose heart stirred him up and every one whom his spirit made willing to offer God would accept none but from the willing heart there would have been no strength in their offerings had the will been wanting 2. That which a man doth sadly and unchearfully with inward greif of heart he doth without strength of his soul and therefore wearily for such a man doth but bear a burden and carry a load all the while he doth the action and therefore will not care how soon it be done Not but tâ—at a man may be sad in Gods worship David saith Psal 6.8 God heard the voice of his weeping as if his teares did prevail more with God then his prayers We are also commanded to serve the Lord with trembling Psal 2.11 and we know that trembling proceeds from the affection of fear which is of a sadding nature But when our greif is pitched not upon our sinnes which are just matter of acceptable greif yea when we come to joy before God but upon the duty we are sad because we must pray or heare or keepe the Sabbath because we must fall to that imployment and may not go to any other or when sorrow for other causes become a floud so great that it over-whelmes and drownes our joy then the duty is a wearisome duty the soul doth it with no joy with no comfort therefore with no strength In this case when the people wept sore upon that day of thanksgiving Nehem. 8.10 they are commanded not to weepe nor to be sorry for the joy of the Lord is your strength so to weepe and to be sorrowfull as to drown or eclipse their joy on that day was to
continueth wearines doth continue and increase 2. It makes a man desire to change the present service for some other imployment a weary man would have new work to take away his wearines and to bring him contrary comfort and delight Can that be fervent service which a man thinks to be evil the end whereof he more desireth then the doing of it which he would change for any other imployment such service doth wearines make Quest It may be said you told us lately what some causes are of the wearines of the body in Gods service tell us now what the causes of the wearines of the soul are in the same service of God Answ 1. Remnants of corruption which do alwaies strive to draw the strength of the minde and affections another way and sometimes do prevail by our carelessenes and Satans watchfullnes Thus David when he was acted by corruption having looked too much upon the worlds prosperity and his own affliction without reflecting upon the end of both he was ready to throw off all the service of God Ps 73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed mine hands in innocency if all the fruit of his piety be affliction and all the fruit of the worlds prophanenes be prosperity then hath David spent a deal of labour in vain and it is time to make an end but this was the faulse suggestion of corruption so Jer. 28.8 9. When he was mocked and reproached daily for his ministery he said he would make mention of the Lords name no more he grew weary of his ministery if he could see no better fruit of his labour but reproach he would give it over but then he was acted by corruption as appears by his bitter cursing the day of his birth Thus the godly have sometimes their spirituall sick sits and so are spiritually weary of spirituall things More particularly 1. Ignorance of the inward worth and excellency of Gods worship and service So much know so much desire and delight and no more we cannot desire and delight in what we know not for so we might desire and delight in evil as soon and as much as in good which cannot be we do but little know the good of Gods worship and so can but little delight in it and where is but little delight will be wearines 2. Imperfect suitablenes of soul to Gods worship suitablenes and agreement is the cause of desire and delight Amos 3.3 Can two walk together except they be agreed Can they desire and delight in one anothers company unlesse they suit and agree in disposition Prov. 27.19 As in water face answereth to face so doth the heart of man to man Why doth a man love some particular man with a more inward free strong love because as in water face answereth to face a man may see the image of his face in water the represented face hath the likenes of the true face So a man sees the image and representation of his own affections and dispositions in some more then in others he sees himself in him and every man loves himself more then others and consequently such men in whom he sees himself more then in others Psal 40.8 The more suitablenes and agreement the more desire and delight we are but in a small measure suitable to the worship of God because the Image of God is but in part renewed in us and if there be but a measure of likenes in us to Gods worship there will be but a measure of delight and therefore wearines present likenes alone doth exclude wearines beside there will be a measure of unlikenes and that naturally causeth wearines 3. Immoderate desire and delight in other things even lawfull callings occasions and comforts so in my text Why are they weary of the new Moon and of the Sabbath the reason is rendred That we may sell corne and set forth wheat and why should they sell corn that they might gather riches When they were in the midst of Gods worship they had a greater desire and delight to their callings and worldly busines the strength of their souls went that way therefore they were weary of Gods worship 4. So much earthly converse with our callings and earthly occasions I say earthly converse after the manner of men who are altogether earthly for it is not the use of our callings that draw our hearts from heaven to earth but the manner of our use of them when we do not set awork grace in them do not use them as an appointed way to fit us for Gods worship and therefore watch our hearts that they be not drawn too much unto the things we have to do with We do not use them with fear lest there be a snare in them we do not use them with dependance upon God with strife against our naturall earthly mindednes therefore they steal away our hearts 5. Over-length of duties there is but a measure of desire and delight in us therefore duties should have but a set time in heaven when our affections shall be perfect there shall be no time to measure duties by but they shall be immeasurable The measure of the affections is regulated by judgement and discretion when therefore duties are drawn out beyond discretion they are burdensom or indiscretion beside the soul hath other occasions to attend beside Gods worship even on the Lords day works of mercy and necessity if therefore time be taken up so that convenient time is not reserved for these the soul growes weary because it cannot do all its work so in a family duties are then wearisom when they do not consist with our particular callings 6. Absence of the all-filling and quickning spirit It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and life Joh. 6.63 As the body is dead without the spirit so the Ordinances without Gods quickning spirit it must both quicken our desire and delight and stirre up the good of the Ordinances Psal 84.10 11. David exceedingly prizeth a door in Gods house why the Lord is a sunne when there is such a presence of God that is both light and heat to discover the good in the Ordinances and to warm our hearts therewith then are they delightfull 2 Cor. 3.18 When the spirit shews us the face of God peace comfort grace in the glasse of the promise and so reflects the sunne upon us that whilst we behold Gods favour we are at peace with him whilst we behold his grace we are made gracious whilst we behold his comfort we are made comfortable then are the Ordinances delightfull but if the spirit be absent there is no affection stirring Vse This Doctrine doth manifest First that God hath but weak service at the hands of the most weak praying weak hearing because but weary service But because all will say they come willingly and cheerfully to Gods worship I will shew by severall instances as so many
is Gods work therefore all good God can command but what is good and in that which is all good is no matter of wearines Esai 43.23 I have not made thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with incense these God commanded but there was no matter of wearines in them as appeares by the contrary Thou hast made me to serve with thy sinnes and wearied me with thine iniquities in sinne is matter of wearines If thou be weary of that which is good thou hast Satans image upon thee in measure for that is his image to be weary of good as good John 8.44 when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own the Devil can call nothing his own but sinne and falshood for there is no truth in him he hath no disposition unto truth and will not this shame thee to be like the Devil 3. This wearines in good is the road way unto wearines in and by evil and affliction for temporall tiring evil the word of God is expresse Deut. 28.47 48. because thou servest not the Lord thy God with joyfullnes and gladnes of heart for the abundance of all things thou shalt serve thine enemies in hunger and thirst and nakednes and want of all things and he shall put a yoke of iron about thy neck untill he have destroyed thee they that serve God with a weary heart instead of being in the hands of God a freind they shall be in the hands of enemies a weary condition instead of serving God they shall serve their enemies those whom they do not love those who will not recompense their labour for they shall serve them in hunger c. they shall have hunger but no meat to eat thirst but no drink to drink nakednes but no clothing to put on no though they serve for it and so deserve it a weary condition yet if they might have any liberty it were lesse matter but they shall put a yoke of iron about thy neck untill they have destroyed thee a yoak shews restraint but an iron yoak shews wearisome restraint yea so wearisome as it shall bring on death They that are weary of Gods service the way of life must make account of wearisome bondage the way to death No joy of Gods service who is the God of thy life no joy of life Look into the conditions of men that are much weary of Gods worship and see if they have not some wearying tiring affliction like an iron yoak that they can neither break nor chearfully beare if God would open their eyes they might see herein wearines in Gods worship A notable example see 2 Chron. 12.1 when Rehoboam was strengthned in his kingdome he forsook the law of the Lord and all Israel with him they grew weary of the Lords worship whereupon he sent the King of Egypt to take the fenced cities of Iudah and to make towards Ierusalem the Lord sends a prophet to tell them that he had left them in the hands of their enemies because they had forsaken him this word seconding the Lords work did draw them to humiliation yet the Lord would not wholly deliver them and he renders the reason vers 8. they shall be his servants that they may know the difference between my service and the service of the kingdomes of the countries They might have served God and none else but they would not his service was a bondage and burden unto them therefore they shall serve their enemies whom they would not till they know by experience that Gods worship is the more easie yoke and by such experience be made to delight in it And for heaven they that are naturally weary of Gods service must never looke to come there unlesse their natures be changed for we pray that we may do Gods will on earth as they do in heaven a signe all that are in heaven do Gods will chearfully for were they weary of it we might not we need not pray to do it like them we might not it were sinne we need not for we can do it wearily of our selves a signe also that as we looke to come to heaven to be hereafter as they are already that are in heaven we must do Gods will chearfully in measure upon earth as they do it in heaven Though God suffer to come into the earth and to tarry upon the earth such as worship him but wearily yet he will not suffer them to come into heaven earth is a place of change in heaven is no change Nay heaven would more weary such a man then he is wearied here for there is the same work for substance but more of it more earnestly more constantly done and if a little weary men more will weary them much more Should I aske you one after another what you hope will be your condition in another world you would say you desire to go to heaven and you hope to goe to heaven But your wearines of Gods worship doth say to the contrary heaven shall never have you till you be altered for heaven could not keepe you if it had you for you would take no contentment there for the delights there would increase your discontent and wearines The most curious and exquisite musicke doth increâ—se the sadnes of a sad heart The godly have experience that when their hearts are out of temper the worship of God good duties are an increase of their burden and when their hearts are very uncomfortable the very comforts of God do increase their discomforts And if weary services of God cannot come to heaven they must to hell which every body judge to be a weary condition Math. 25.30 and cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkenes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Why was this servant unprofitable who must be cast into this weary conâ—ition the reason is found vers 24. I knew thee that thou wert an hard man reaping where thou hast not sowed he thought God an hard master and his worke a weary worke therefore he would not meddle with it Therefore his wages is wearisome no light no comfort utter darknes weeping and gnashing of teeth 2. To reprove the godly in speciall as more blame worthy in regard of their wearinesse Nor doe I mean that wearinesse which proceeds from infirmitie which yet may shame us because it is our sinne and the fruit of our sinne but I mean that wearines which doth proceed from carelessenes the godly not bearing the same a their burden not using means to remedy it but rather neglecting it and suffering it to increase in their soules whilst they content themselves with the outward performance of good duties this is the speciall fault of the godly and for this they deserve specially to be blamed and that upon my doctrine as a sufficient reason it weakens the worship of God make their prayer hearing reading lean sacrifices let them but consider whom they serve so poorely because wearily that God who is not hath not been
a pretence put upon their unwillingnes for what a man is willing of he will get some skill in he will try what he can do when he hath no skill he will inquire of others and by exercise gain skill so had men a will to be religious in their families they would get skil they would first pray betwixt God and their own souls they would begge skill of God to pray in their own families they would get some body to pray for them in their families their wives if they be able or children or servants or some friend they would first learn a praier out of a book after pray of themselves what is it that will will not do Have not men just cause to be out of love with themselves who naturally have no will unto Gods service They are willing to do their own works as here When will the New moon be gon that we may sell corn they have more minde of selling corn then of Gods service they are willing to do sins work Prov. 2.13 14. evil men do not onely leave the paths of uprightnes to walk in the waies of darknes but they rejoice to do evil and delight in the frowardnes of the wicked Are these not bad hearts that can delight in any thing but what is best More then thus our hearts do not onely make us unfit to go to heaven because they make Gods worship a burthen to us but they make us unwilling to go to Heaven No unregenerate man can be willing to go to Heaven as he is unregenerate You will say every unregenerate man desires and is willing to go to Heaven I answer no you are deceived no unregenerate man is willing to go to Heaven for he is not willing unto the worship of God the necessary way to Heaven Indeed if you consider Heaven and Gods service as parted then they may be willing of Heaven and not of Gods service but if you consider Heaven and Gods service inseparably knit together then if he be unwilling of Gods service he is unwilling of Heaven because he cannot possibly have heaven but in a way of Gods service Ruth 4.3 c. Boaz tells Elimelechs next kinsman that Naomi selleth a parcell of land that was Elimelechs and he is next to redeem it he saith he will redeem it Boaz tells him that what time he redeem the inheritance he must take Ruth the wiâ—e of the dead then he saith he cannot redeem it though he were willing to redeem the inheritance yet because he was not willing to redeem it in that way wherein it was to be redeemed he was not willing to redeem it at all so he plainly saith I cannot redeem it In like manner because unregenerate men cannot be willing of Gods service the way to heaven they cannot be willing of heaven are not those natures to be loathed that love not heaven Object The Scripture doth bear witnesse that unregenerate men have delighted in the worship of God Isa 58.2 They seek me daily and delight to know my waies they take delight in approaching to God Herod heard John Baptist gladly Mark 6.20 The stony ground heare the Word with joy Matth. 13.20 Answ Unregenerate men may have some willingnes unto and delight in the service of God in three cases 1. When Gods service is a leading way unto some end that suits with corrupt nature and so it is not Gods pure worship that they love but their corrupt end for they love Gods worship no further then serves to that corrupt end Thus Iohn shewed abundance of zeal in destroying the house of Ahab and the idolatry of Baal that thereby he might establish the Kingdom to his posterity and get himself a great name â— King 10.16 Come with me and see my Zeal for the Lord he was so full of vain glory herein that he cannot hold in but is forced to break out And that he was forward unto Gods service onely for a corrupt end appears plainly by the testimony of the Holy ghost concerning him ver 31. He took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart he did walk in some part of the law but not with all his heart the service of God had but a piece of his heart he was no further willing unto it and forward in it then served his corrupt ends that he did not walk in the law of God with all his heart the spirit of God makes it plain in the later end of the verse for he departed not from the sins of Ieroâ—oam who made Israel to sin had he destroied Baals Idolatâ—y because it was Gods will he would also have destroied Ieroboams Idolatry because that also was Gods will but that in worldly policy would have been against his own ends for that Idolatry was set up in policy as a means to establish the Kingdom 1 King 12 26. Ieroboam said in his heart that if the people should go up to the house of God to worship in Ierusalem then their hearts would turne again to the King of Iudah and then his Kingdom were gon therefore he made two calves and put this pretence upon it It is too much for you to go up to Ierusalem but his intent was to preserve the Kingdom to himself and so it is likely that Iehu let them alone in the same policy for he spared them out of the unsoundnes of his heart 2. When the matter of worship or manner of dispensation doth suit with his disposition An understanding judicious man may love preaching that is judicious and understanding fit to increase knowledge and to perfect his understa ding A man of meeknes may delight in a Sermon of peace peace may be refreshed with smooth soft milde quiet preaching A temperate man may joy in a Sermon that is tart and bitter against drunkennesse uncleannes the liberall man may delight in severe preaching against covetousnes a man musically affected may delight in singing Psalms because these things suit with their dispositions The gifts of Ministers may have an affecting pleasingnes they may expresse their mindes in such sit terms or so pathetically or they may have such a grace in utterance so ready so smooth so distinct with such comely carriage of body as may affect c. Ezek. 33.32 So many no doubt may be very forward to Gods Ordinances ordinary and extraordinary as a way unto their credit and good name Isa 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our souls and thou takest no knowledge they thought they deserved to be regarded highly for their fasting even of God himself and expostulate with God for disregarding them a signe they made account of that and aimed chiefly at that in doing the duty otherwise they would rather have complained of the sins found in those duties a God doth Matth. 6.5 Our Saviour speaking of hypocrites saith they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners
of the streets they doe not onely pray in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets but they love to pray there they have an affection thereto a delight therein why not in regard of the duties themselves or Gods glory but their own ends that they may be seen of men get praise and glory to themselves 3. Unregenerate men may have some affection to and delight in the service of God by reason of some work of the spirit of God upon them for the time As 1. A work of illumination giving some clear discerning of that good is in Gods worship more then in any other imployment and the apprehension of such good whilest it lasteth will somewhat stirre the affection 2. Awaking and exciting the conscience to do its office which by promises of good on the one hand and threatnings of evil on the other assisted by the spirit of God hath a power to command the desire and delight of the soul to work Felix his conscience awaked by the preaching of Paul stirred his affection of fear And when the conscience doth charge it upon the affections as a duty to joy in Gods worship and to be willing unto it a duty which God will reward the contrary whereto God will punish it may forcibly compell and draw out the affections 3. Lifting up the affections of desire and delight by an heavenly power of experience As a man which dips his finger in some sweet liquour and tasteth the sweetnes of it doth afterward desire and delight therein So God doth by the work of his spirit sometimes drench the affections of unregenerate men in the sweetnes of his worship doth so make their affections and the good of the Ordinances to meet that they feel and taste a sweetnes which make them affected afterward to the means thereof Heb. 6.4 5. Such as afterward fall away may taste of the powers of the world to come may dip their finger in the rivers of the pleasures of Heaven But this work of the spirit making unregenerate men willing to and cheerfull in the worship of God is rather a work upon them then in them a forced work not naturall rather a flash then a fire of affection The affections are lifted up not altered and changed acted onely by an outward principle the work of the spirit the experience the spirit hath forcibly and powerfully wrought not by an outward and inward principle both the spirit of God and the suitablenes of the affection to that which is good as in the godly If this were well considered that mens natures have no affection to that which is good it would keep them from priding themselves in their knowledge wisdom wit gifts it would keep them from pride in beauty and trimming their bodies considering there is no part of the body but gives it self away to sin and is wholly unwilling to bestow it self in the service of God 2. As there is great cause that unregenerate men should grow out of love with themselves on the one hand so in love with the image of God on the other hand that and that onely can affect their hearts with Gods worship for Gods Image is that in the heart which the law of God is in the book of God Act. 13.22 I have found a man after my own heart saith God of David which shall fulfill all my will David was therefore fit to fulfill all Gods will because his heart was after Gods own heart and what this is to be after Gods own heart we shall know if we consider David expressing his willingnes to do the will of God in other terms Psal 40.8 I delight to do thy will oh my God yea thy law is within my heart David therefore delighted to do Gods will outwardly because he had the law of God within in his heart Who would not have an heart like Gods heart an heart adorned with the good law of God Till thou have this heart thou canst not from within taste sweetnes in and readily come unto the worship of God Oh therefore thou that findest thy self in an unregenerate condition and the worship of God a burden to thee go to God tell him that indeed it was his goodnes to make thee after his image in Adam when thou couldest willingly and cheerfully have served him but it was thy sin in Adam to make away that image which now thou perceivest the want of tell him he hath promised to wri e his law in the hearts of his people a second time pray him to make good that promise to thee thou canst not else serve him with thy heart as the good will be thine so the glory will especially be his 2. Having thus spoken to the unregenerate to perswade them to grow out of love with themselves and in love with the Image of God as the way to grow in love with Gods worship and so to remedy their wearines let me now turn my speech to the people of God who are sensible of wearines bear it as a burden and would gladly be rid of it and that upon this ground which they are well aware of because it hinders them in Gods worship Let me first exhort and then direct them to get rid of this wearines in a greater measure First let me exhort them and for that end I will use a double argument 1. The first shall be my Doctrine Wearinesse makes us perform weak service unto God which every childe of God hath great reason to remedy The weight of this first argument will appear if we consider Time Past Present Future or to come 1. Time past we may call to minde that before God brought us home to him we did the work of sin both willingly and cheerfully Eph. 2.3 The Apostle saith of the converted Ephesians that in times past they had their conversation in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh they were willing to do whatsoever corruption desired would deny it nothing if that did but desire it must be done Tit. 3.3 Paul puts in himself and Titus and the rest of the godly and saith We our selves were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures not onely had we to do with sinfull lusts and desires but pleasures sweet sins that did bring us delight and joy and these we served were commanded by them they were our masters and we did them as willing and cheerfull service as ever servant did his Master The Holy Ghost speaking in the language of young men that will not be reclaimed from their sinfull waies saith Let thine heart chear thee in the daies of thy youth and walk in the waies of thine heart not onely doe young men and others walk in the waies of their hearts but their hearts are cheered therein Prov. 10.23 It is a sport to a fool to do mischief and all unregenerate men are fools Paul saith of himself Titus and the godly before conversion they were foolish And cannot we
to chuse his apostles the next day And in the place where our text is when he was presently to be betrayed by Iudas and apprehended by the souldiers he prayed and prayed again and had no sleep in his eies though his disciples were so sleepy that they could not hold open their eies When Paul was to depart on the morrow and the disciples to see his face no more he continued his speech untill midnight without any drousines If we will spend the night in holy duties there must be something beside the bare duties to keep us awake some awaking necessity or speciall occasion it will not be sufficient that we are loth to spend the day there must be some circumstance which will so stirre the the affection that it will stirre and disease the body Nor is it good to put off family duties till late at night unlesse we think God will be served with sleeping instead of praying These instrumentall causes I have been speaking of are over ruled by the principall cause God to punish such sinnes as these 1. Idlenesse in our particular callings Is it not just with God that they who are drousie in the occasions that concern their bodies should be drousie in the matters that concern their soules 2. Overmuch labour in their callings Is it not just with God that they who spend too much paines upon their own callings should spend too little upon his service too much upon their bodies and too little upon their soules 3. Heartlesse worship of God when men bring God a body only and take no care to bring the soul it is just with God they should not give so much as a body but rather sleep 4. Pride in spirituall abilities Is it not just with God that they who are conceited of strength should expresse weaknesse as they do that sleep and shall we think the Devil hath his hand out of this sleeping It is sure we oppose him in Gods service more then elsewhere therefore he will oppose us most He helps men to over-weary themselves in the week whereby they are unfit for the Sabbath He helps them to chuse the Saturday night to spend till late in triviall occasions for ordinarily of all dayes in the week men chuse Saturday night and Sabbath night for occasions of least moment the worst chosen time in tâ—e week for Saturday night they should be preparing them selves and Sabbath night considering how they have spent the Sabbath a signe the Devils hand is in the choise He suggests unto men that there is no benefit in watching no danger in sleeping he helps men that are naturally heavy to settle themselves easily to hang down their heads and shut their eies as furtherances He can if God permit cast an heavinesse upon a man He is compared to the fowls that picke up the seed and is not this our way shutting up the soul by sleep stopping the eare Quest How doth sleep hinder our earnest worshipping of God Ans We need not go farre to know that sense and experience doth teach every man the nature of sleep doth answer this question why is death compared to sleep but because they agree in somethings a sleeping man hath no more use of his senses then a dead man they are for the time bound up and suspended from their use if a man be in a fast sleep so that he cannot worship God at all For though the soul be able to worship God without the body as appeares by the working of the phansie in sleep and the separation of the soul from the body in heaven yet in those duties wherein the soul must be helped by the body as in all outward worship with others it cannot worship God if the body be asleep for herein the soul is directed by the eye and by the eare what part of worship to set about when to begin and when to make an end what order and decorum to keep for in publike duties we are so to worship God as not only God may be glorified by us and we bettered in our soules but also others may be edified in their worshipping of God which they cannot be by the works of our soules any farther then they appeare and break out in our bodies the actions whereof do flow into the eyes and eares of others If our sleep be not fast but rather a slumbring a drousines and heavines our service of God is marred for our bodies are unto our soules in this case as an hollow trunk stopped in the midst our eyes do but half see and our eares but half heare the sight dies in the eye and sound in the eare they come not to the soul there is no distinct understanding of the worship in hand much lesse any affection moved but a man in respect of hearing praying singing is like unto that man in a dream spoken of Isa 29.8 He dreameth he is eating and behold he awaketh and is hungry he dreameth he is drinking and behold he awaketh and is thirsty so men think they pray but when they a wake they know not what is prayed they think they heare but when they awake they know not what is spoken Vse The application of this point shall be first to them whom God helpeth against this sinne of sleeping in time of his worship they are waking and watchfull lively and stirring in holy duties sleep doth not then trouble them their duty is 1. To be thankfull unto God it is a mercy and a mercy denied unto many others Hereby we are kept from sinne and from much sorrow of heart which befalls others of the godly hereby we have that advantage to worship God and get good to our soules that others want It is not because thy heart is better or thy body better by nature then others nor because thou hast more grace or hast better improved grace then others but as Christ saith in case of knowledge To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God so say I to you it is given to wake and watch in holy duties it is nothing of your own but Gods free gift be thankfull therefore It is no small mercy to do God lively service hereby our good is the more abundant the more sensible 2. Take heed of despising or hardly câ—nsâ—ring them that aâ—e very heavy in Gods worship though they sinne yet do not thou sinne also rather mourn thou that God should have such poor service and pity them that lose they know not what good who knows what a man loseth when he sleepeth a sermon while or prayer while If Peter had watched and prayed he had not so denied his master nor the disciples had fled and left their master for our Saviour bad them watch and pray that they might not enter into temptation had they watched and prayd they had not been so overcome of temptation who knows what the young man might have gotten for his soul by Pauls last Sermon had he not slept 3.
especially sinne the greatest affliction when sinne must be the souls cure the cure will be found but smarting But this may be some comfort to us when we do desire the good of our people and they walk in a contrary way better they should smart then perish If thine eye offend thee 〈◊〉 thy â—â—â—t saith Châ—ist plâ—â—k â—â—t the one â—ut off the othâ—â—â—â—tter go to heaven 〈◊〉 th◠〈◊〉 eye and halting 〈…〉 eyes and 〈…〉 â—inâ—ll and deâ—r 〈…〉 better thou perish◠〈…〉 comfort and â—â—â—â—ure a little trouble for a time then misse the comfort of the whole and endure the trouble of the whole for ever Hearers that profit not by carefull attention may and shall profit if they belong to God by the sinne and smart of their carelesnesse and that which is their good may be our comfort so far as it is their good 2. To comfort them to whom sleeping is a burden It cannot be denied but it doth him erour worshipping of God but there is comfort in tâ—at case if it be a burden Let us try that first 1. Thou wilt lay in against it before thou go to the house of God in thy prayer thou wilt 〈◊〉 in of it and desire helpe against it 2. In the Ordinances thou wilt stâ—ive against it stirre up thy selfe disease thy self desire others to awake thee be thankfull when they do it 3. After duties thy heavy head will be turned into an heavy heart when thou goest to God in prayer when thou goest to thy meat and to thy rest thy heart will be weary If thuâ— thou finde thy sleeping a burden there is comfort 1. The obedience of Christ for the sake whereof thy obedience is accepted was a wakefull lively obedience what was wanting in thine was â—â—â—und in his obedience for theâ— 2. Thy obedience is presented to Goâ— by the intercession of Christ without any defect as it is in thy will not in performance 3. For Christs sake God will make thy sinne thy physicke both to discover thy self to thy self and to humble thy heart 3. For information 1. God hath but weak service at the hands of very many for sleeping is very generall To speak first of Gods publique worship How many sorts of sleepers are found some sleep from the beginning to the end as if they come for no other purpose but to sleep as if the Sabbath were made onely to recover that sleep they have lost in the week for love of their own occasions as if Gods Ordinances were rather a cradle to rock them asleep then the office of the watchmen of God to awaken sleepers Some sleep from the beginning of the Ordinance till praier or Sermon begin as if they came to the house of God not well awaked or wanted part of their morning sleep Some after some time of waking and watching do fall asleep as if the service of God were the onely unpleasant tiresom work Some their serving of God consists of short sleeps and short wakings as if they met with a continuall intercourse of startling and quieting in Gods service Some have a continuall heavines and lumpishnes in Gods service as if it were night rather then day their heads are so leaden and weighty that they cannot hold them up and their eies so heavy that they cannot hold them open And if we set aside these sleepers the severall sorts of them how many waking watchfull worshippers of God shall we finde If there be so many and such variety of sleepers on the Lords day in the day time having rested the night before and resting from their labours in the day how much more will these be found in family duties performed late at night and after weary labour which makes it manifest that God hath but weak service in publique or private from the most 2. The effect of sin it doth prevent the course and frame of nature and grace both sleep was appointed of God for the refreshing of the weary body that so it might wake and be the more cheerfull in Gods service but siâ— makes the body sleep when it is not weary when it should especially wake and makes a man unfit for Gods worship Were there no other evidence of our sullen estate and condition this were sufficient Would men made according to the Image of God sleep in his service who made them fit to wake in it And if there were nothing else to bring us out of love with sinne this were enough it doth unfit us to serve God 3. The coldnes of their hearts in Gods worship who fall asleep in it especially that give way to sleeping It hinders them in Gods worship therefore were their hearts fervently bent to the worship of God they would hinder that It is not onely the motion of the body in mens callings nor chiefly that which keeps them awake but the intention of their thoughts and fervency of their affections and though there be not the like stirring of body in Gods service yet if the soul were so bent upon it as upon other occasions that would keep the body awake 4. For reproof 1. Generally of them that sleep in Gods worship We are commanded to love the Lord with all our strength as well as with all our soul but we by sleeping deny the strength of our bodies and thereby the strength of our souls also God reproveth some for drawing neer to him with their lips when their hearts were absent but sleeping sets the body farre from God as well as the soul But that we may be more ashamed of this sin of sleeping let us consider the aggravations of it 1. It is a needlesse or at least a carelesse sinne We except against swearing in ordinary speech because it is a needlesse sin men are not put upon any necessity it doth not grace their speech nor bring credit to their speech so sleeping in Gods service is hereby aggravated that it is a needlesse sinne Have not men houses and beds and time allowed them to sleep in they have no need to sleep in Gods worship God hath suffered his own commands to be transgressed in case of necessity Matth. 12.3 4. David might rather eat holy bread then his body should come to any hâ—rm by hunger which yet might not have been done had not God given allowancâ— and câ—mmand but to transgresse the command of Gâ—â— when there is no neâ—essity upon us how great a sin is that What is this but a despising of the command of God a setting light by it as if a man should say Indeed it is a command of God we should not sleep but it is no matter whether we keep it or no it it not worthy observation It was the aggravation of Davids adultery 2 Sam. 12.9 His despising of the command of God how did that appear because no necessity lay upon him to commit that sin he had wives of his own had he not sleighted the command of God he would not have done it So men have no
the way if he were an enemy we were bound to do it for God hath more care of men then of Oxen 1 Cor. 9.9 10. Much more if he were a friend should we do it Exod. 23.5 If thou see the Asse of him that hateth thee lying under his burden and wouldest forbear to help him thou shalt surely help with him A man was bound to help up his enemies Asse lying under a burthen and in case new and fresh thoughts of hatred came into his minde and he should say in his heart he is mine enemy I have no good will unto him I will not do to him that good turne he was to lay aside all and in any case to help him to lift it up And is not a sleeping man in Gods worship under his burden even the heaviest burden sin which sinks the soul to hell and doth not waking take off this burden and doth not sleeping continue this burden on them and they that suffer them to sleep suffer them to lie under their burden which shews a want of mercy which God would not have us to shew unto the beast that lies under the burden no not the beast of an enemy much lesse to the beast of a friend and least of all to our neighbour himself This fault is the greater if we shall enquire into the same in the causes thereof 1. It proceeds from want of love Were there that affection to our neighbours good should be we would not suffer them to lose that good they might get nor to sin by sleeping but as sin hath made man defective in love to himself therefore he sleeps in Gods worship so much more hath it made him scant in love to his neighbour and therefore he suffers him to sleep Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him Why must a man rebuke his neighbour and not suffer sin upon him The reason is rendred thou shalt not hate thy brother So when we suffer others in sin and particularly in sleeping and do not labour to help them it is from want of love To neglect a duty to our brother is a sin but to neglect it for want of love is a greater sin not to awake a sleeping brother is a sin but not to wake him for want of love to him is a double sin yet thus it is we do not awake those that sleep because we are wanting in love unto them 2. Another cause why we doe not wake sleepers is a conceit an ungrounded conceit that God hath not committed to us the care of our neighbours but it is enough if we look unto our selves the common proverb though ungodly shews what is in mens mindes every man for himself and every one look to one That there is such a conceit in mens mindes as appears further by Cains answer to the Lord which was no put off for that time but did spring no doubt from a principle seated in his understanding The Lords question did import a care that lay upon Cain concerning his brother Gen. 4.9 Where is Abel thy brother Cains answer doth acknowledge no such duty of care belonging to him I cannot tell Am I my brothers keeper he knew not where he was nor did he conceive it to be his duty to know what became of him he did not apprehend that the care of his brother did lie upon him So surely men think it is not their duty to take care of their neighbours contrary to the Commandements of the second table which are summed up in this one word Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self what care we take of our selves in the first place we must take of our neighbour in a second place To neglect our duty to our neighbour is a sin but to neglect it upon this ground because we think it is no duty is a double sin to deny both our duty and the command of God 3. A third cause why we do not waken sleepers is a base and unchristian fear that we shall anger them they will be displeased at us grant it be so Shall we runne upon Gods displeasure to avoid mens If thou awake thy neighbour he will be displeased and if thou awake him not God will be displeased make thy choice of Gods displeasure or mans shew thy self holy and not corrupt let holy fear of Gods displeasure banish corrupt fear of mans displeasure Wilt thou esteem thy affliction a greater evil then their sin when they stand in competition If thou do awake them and they be angry it is but thy affliction which is thus sweetned that it befalls thee in a way of obedience thou dost endure it for doing thy duty if thou suffer them to sleep thou sufferest them to sin nay thou sinnest thy self in that thou doest not thy duty to keep them from sin Not to awake them is a sin but to forbear upon this ground lest we should procure trouble to our selves is a greater sin to preferre our comfort before the preventing of their sin and our own Many objections come to be answered in this case 1. I see one sleep indeed but I cannot reach him he is so farre from me Answ If thou cannot reach him thy self yet speak to some body else if thine eie cannot make use of thy hand to wake him yet let it make use of some other mans hand if thou stirre up and provoke another to doe it it is all one as if thou thy self didst it beside I have seen some lengthen their arm with a staffe to call others into their seats and had they as much affection to the souls of their neighbours as to expresse coursity they would lengthen their arms with a staffe also to waken them 2. Object They who are neerer then I will not do it though I be within reach and why should I doe it since they that might better will not Answ The question is not what they who are neerer doe but whether they do well or ill if they doe well in not waking them do thou follow them if they doe ill thy best way is not to follow them Exod. 23.2 God saith Thou shalt not follow a â—â—ltitude to doe evil much lesse one man What argument is this others will not obey Gods command will not help their neighbours out of sin will expresse hatred unto them therefore I will do so toâ— because others neglect thou shouldest resolve the rather to do it neglected obedience is the more obedience because neglected it will not be done at all unlesse thou doe it This is one reason why Gods people are called his portion because they make up that losse of service God sustaineth in the world Object 3. They are my betters that sleep and it will be thought presumption and unmannerlinesse in me to awake them Answ 1. Thou maiest then desire those to doe it that are equall to them or neerer equality then thou 2. If
in the streets nothing but death and destruction lies before him So many think that frequency and earnestnes in good duties much praying hearing reading is the onely way to bring malancholly distractions and madnes upon the soul and diseases upon the body Whereas it is the way of greatest promise therefore of greatest blessing and good The godly often think with David 1 Sam. 27.1 They shall one day fall never hold out never goe thorow the difficulty of holy waies nor the danger of them they shall never hold up their heads with comfort Elijah desires he might die 1 King 19. he thinks he can never keep his life and uprightnes both now Iezabell is so incensed against him whereas the waies of wisdom are waies of pleasantnes and all his paths are peace no waies are peaceable and pleasant but the waies of wisdom and all her waies are so Prov. 8.9 All the words of wisdom are plain to him that understandeth so are the waies of wisdom plain to grace though obscure and dark to corrupt nature Prov. 14.6 Knowledge is easy to him that understandeth to the spirituall understanding knowledge is easy 3. Spirituall sloth is improved and increased by neglect of good duties or carelesse performance of them Neglect of good duties doth weaken diligence for strength not exercised doth decrease and doth increase sloth because strength of opposition is removed yea sloth is exercised Carelesse performance doth increase sloth because it is an act of it and every act doth increase the habit Let a man pray or hear carelessely and he shall be fitter to doe so another time Let a man spend one Sabbath carelesly not minding whether he be at any publique exercise and he shaâ—l be fitter to doe so another day and at length he shall come to think that there is no difference between the Lords day and another day and no matter how he spends it 4. Spirituall sloth is improved and increased by too much use of sensible comforts or carnall sensuall use of them When we are much in recreation given to our appetite to please and content our selves in sensible things it will cherish a love of ease and an abhorring of trouble Amos 6.1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion How doe they further themselves in ease We finde in the sequel of the chapter On the one hand they put farre away the evil day they will not suffer thoughts of trouble to come neer them on the other hand they eat the calves out of the stall they drink wine in bowls they invent to themselves instruments of musick they chant to the sound of the violl they bring neer them all things that might please and content nature that it increaseth the love of that ease and delight and aversenesse unto trouble they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph grief can get no place with them be there never so great need 2. If we doe not exceed in the measure of sensible good things if we misse it in the end of the use of them we desire sensible comforts for themselves onely the comfort of them and not to fit us for Gods service if ease be all our end love and desire of ease will be cherished by the use of them Means doe not onely bring unto the end but increase the desire of the end by bringing the desire and the end together good the more enjoyed the more desired because by enjoyment we have experience of the good of it If we desire outward good things for ease sake and comfort sake because we would be freed from trouble then the more we enjoy them the more we shall love ease because we shall more free the sweetnesse and content of it unto nature whereas if we did use outward mercies and sensible comforts that we might be sitter for Gods service we should finde our selves fitted by the use of them for his service and finde our affection thereto increased Means used for a sanctified end doe increase ability sanctified ability to attain that end Quest How doth sloth hinder our earnest worshipping of God Answ Three waies 1. As it stands in opposition to fervency and so fights against it Sloth stands in opposition to fervency because it opposeth diligence without which fervency in Gods worship will not be attained That fervency in Gods worship will not be had without diligence and pains-taking appears by the command of God to seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousnesse thereof Matth. 6.33 To work out our salvation Phil. 2.12 To stirre up the gift of God 2 Tim. 1.6 To contend for the faith Jude 3. Which were in vain if carelesnesse would serve the turne It appears also by the different affectednesse in Gods worship in different Christians the diligent and carelesse May not they that observe it see some more affected and taken up in the Ordinances and they are not the idle carelesse Christians but such as take pains and make a labour of Gods service It appears further by the experience of the most diligent Christians who finde a manifest difference in the hearts-warmth and liberty of their hearts in holy duties when they take pains with them and when they are carelesse ordinarily they finde most presence and life of the spirit in worship when they have taken most pains to cleanse and empty the vessell of their hearts fit for the breathing of the spirit and have laboured most to stirre up grace in their hearts fit to meet with Gods Spirit Though it appear to be a truth that fervency in Gods worship will not be had without diligence yet let us further see it in the causes thereof which are 1. The weaknesse of grace considered in it self The weaknesse of grace is this that it is imperfect we have not that full measure of strength which we should have and which we had in innocency we have but a part of it but a little part as Job saith Iob 26.14 These are part of Gods waies but how little a portion is heard of him So could the godly look into their own hearts they would admire what little grace they have and that little they have is above and contrary to that which is our nature since the fall and is subject to be made lesse to be weakned To make weak grace bring forth strong acts such as fervent worshipping of God is will need pains and labour things very weak are hardly strengthened Hence is that exhortation of the Apostle Heb. 12.12 Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees He compares grace to faint hands and feeble knees which are not easily strengthened Let a man lift up hands that are weak in the joints they will presently fall down again he must make a continuall labour and work of it Let a man lift up feeble knees it will cost him some pains and they will presently sink down again So if we will fervently worship God we doe not lift up strong hands and knees
to the house of God on the Lords day as they have done to go to the alehouse in the week dayes had they searched Gods book but as much as they have tossed the cards and tables yea it may be on the Lords day they had been Saints in heaven 3. To perswade the godly to shake off this sloth If we prize the manner of Gods worship and affect it we must do so if we care not how we pray or hear if we think any affections are meet for him we may continue our sloth We finde this commanded Josh 22.5 Take diligent heed to keep the commandment which Moses charged you to love the Lord your God to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul take heed and diligent heed Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence we finde it commended Act. 18.25 Apollo being fervent in spirit taught diligenly the things of the Lord. 2 Cor. 8.7 The Apostle makes it part of the commendation of the Corinthians that they did abound in all diligence Of our Saviour the head of the Church that he went about doing good Act. 10.38 he did not onely do good but was diligent therein To discourage the more from sloth and bring in love with diligence consider how the wisedome of the holy Ghost doth compare them in Solomons Proverbs all which comparisons we may improve with advantage against spirituall sloth and for spirituall diligence spirituall sloth being a greater sin and lying under an heavier curse and spirituall diligence being a greater grace and attended with an happier blessing 1. For wealth Prov. 10.4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand but the hand of the diligent maketh rich It holdeth especially true in spirituall riches the slothfull Christian is poor in grace the diligent Christian is rich hath store and abundance of precious grace Prov. 18.8 He that is slothfull in his work is brother to him that is a great waster if a man have a good stock of grace yet by slothfullnesse he will waste it not labouring to increase it he will diminish it Prov. 20.4 the slugard shall beg in harvest and have nothing they who have nothing of their own nor no interest in them that have something are poor indeed God will shut up the hearts of men towards slothfull Christians when they come to beg counsell and prayers when they come to complain of their spirituall wants and poverty 2. For honour see how they are compared Prov. 12.24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule but the slothfull shall be under tribute A diligent Christian shall be a King in his own soul and amongst the people of God God will set him up give him authority and rule in their hearts they that can rule themselves are fit to rule others so do the diligent but the slothfull Christian shall be an underling in his own soul and amongst the people of God he shall be a slave and tributary to his lusts Prov. 22.29 3. For fruit of pains-taking see how they are compared Prov. 12.27 The slothfull man rosteth not that which he took in hunting but the substance of the diligent man is precious When a slothfull Christian hath taken some pains for want of taking a little more he loseth that pains as if an huntsman should take pains to kill an hare and then through lazines should suffer the dogs or some other to run away with it for instance a man is at pains to come to the house of God to pray in the word or prayer his heart is much affected he goes his way and thinks no more of it that man doth in great measure lose his labour but the substance of a diligent man is precious what he getteth by labour he doth not easily part with he makes precious account of it that help of heart which a diligent Christian findeth in the Ordinances of God he thinks oft of he improves by prayer by praise by treasuring up the same he can tell you what it cost him to get down such a corruption to get to such a frame of heart to obtain such a mercy how oft he praid how long he waited therefore he maketh a precious account thereof Lastly That which is not the least to discourage us from sloth it is full of pride and conceitednesse Prov. 26.16 put the wisdome of seven men together the sluggard conceits he goes beyond it and no wonder for he neither knows what he hath nor what he wants and ignorance is the mother and nurse of pride If a man knew the thoughts of sluggish Christians he should finde that they think all is well with them though a man may be able to convince them by reason that things cannot be well with them And the devil will not stick to tell them all is well to keep them from taking pains It is a misery to have an heart empty of good but to think an empty heart full is a double misery so is it with the slothfull Christian To help against sloth and unto diligence it will be usefull first To ponder these weighty considerations 1. Fervency in Gods worship and ease cannot possibly stand together whilst so great opposition remains both within us and without us 2. The difficulty and toil found in Gods service is a bitter afflictive fruit of sin Shall we not bear the burden we have brought upon our selves willingly though not cheerfully It is a signe sinne is pardoned when we have patience to bear the chastisement of sinne it is a great favour when there is a will to bear where there is no power to shake off 3. The deceitfull ease that proceeds from sloth is both Gods losse and thine and who would covet that ease whereby God and himself his best friends must lose 4. The more painfull the service of God is the more sweet for that sweetnes comes out of the strong it is the delightfull fruit of a powerfull conquest over corruption of more honour done to God of the condition of the promise performed with a greater measure of heavenly assistance 5. If sloth prevail in thy soul it will shut out diligence but at the same time it shuts in more disquiet then ease for sin is shut up in that ease the disquiet of lawfull labour is but affliction the ease of sloth is sin and sin is attended with more trouble then ease it will prove more easy to taste the sower of affliction then the sweet of sin 2. It will be usefull to inure our selves to the serious and thorough examination of our hearts and waies of our spirituall estate this will discover what need we have of diligence and what hurt sloth hath done us This cured Davids lazines Psalm 119.59 60. Though he were slow-paced in his obedience in the neglect of this yet when he was once past this difficult usefull duty he made haste he lost no time nor ground as formerly 3. It will be usefull not to cherish our pride by poring upon what we have atained but to strengthen humility by frequent and serious meditation of what we want and what is to be attained This helped Paul Phil. 3.13 14. what he was come to was behind him he could not so redily and constantly look upon that but what he was to come to was before him in his eye to alure and draw him forward Looke we also upon what is before us Hast attained some measure of fervency stay not gazing upon that but look right forth look onward dost see what thou wantst Look not so much upon thy work as thy patterâ— the affection not onely of the best of creatures upon earth but also and chiefly in heaven the spirits of just men made perfect yea the flaming Angels yea the Lord Jesus Christ who had zeal enough to carry him through the flames of hell to do his fathers will in whose brest alone that fire of heavenly love dwels that hath inflamed Saints on earth and Saints in heaven which we shall finde inflaming us more and more as we draw near to look upon him as our pattern with desire of imitation The close of all containing an help in all that hath gon before as prayer comes after the severall pieces of the spirituall armour to help our skill in all and the usefulnes of all Ephe. 6.18 may fitly be Davids prayer when the people were warm hearted in their offering to the building of the Temple for the publike solemn worship of God 1 Chron. 29.18 O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their heart unto thee Finis