Point I have done with the Act and the Object Worship the Lord onely remember I beseech you How vve must worship and how the Lord it followes Where the Lord vvill be vvorshipped O worship the Lord in the beautie of holinesse In his holy Courts in his holy Sanctuarie in his glorious magnificent Sanctuarie Thus Interpreters varie But Vatablus joynes with the Chaldee and our Translation followes both In decore sanctitatis in the beautie of holinesse And the Scripture calls the Sanctuarie it selfe the beautie of holinesse because it was full of beautie and holinesse So if yee marke it the Points are three The Lord will be worshipped in a certaine place proper for his worship And the most proper place is a sacred place or a place of Holinesse And a place of Beautie as well as Holinesse O worship the Lord in the beautie of holinesse And it is well we are directed to a certaine Place for should the Place be uncertaine our Service would be as uncertain as the Place Time and Place have beene ever of singular moment in Gods Service Were no Time prescribed It were much to be doubted When and were no Place appointed it were hard to say where we would worship Wee may justly feare it were no place assigned adorate Dominum would bee soone out of Date For who would thinke to worship when hee saw not where We may note it successively in all ages never any tooke upon them to worship the Lord but the place was resolved on Can we imagine but Cain and Abel had where to bring their sacrifices And they that called on the name of the Lord Gen. 4. had a place for their meetings a meete place After the flood Noah had his Altar where to adore Gen. 8. And so had Abraham his even where the Lord appeared unto him Gen. 12. expresly called the place of the Altar Gen. 13. Isaac also erected an Altar and there he called on the name of the Lord Gen. 26. And when we reade that Rebeckah went to enquire of the Lord quò perrexit whither went shee may wee thinke even to the place of his holy worship where the Lord would answer her Gen. 25. And had not father Iacob his Bethel named by himselfe the house of God and the gate of heaven Gen. 28. When afterward the Children of Israel were upon often remooves in the wildernesse the Lord ordained them a mooveable Tabernacle to which every one resorted that sought the Lord Exod. 33.7 and it was therefore called The Tabernacle of the Congregation But when the Church began to be happy in a setled state in the dayes of King David his religious heart could no longer endure the Arke should abide within Curtaines when he dwelt himselfe in a house of Cedar 2 Sam. 7 And thereupon he vowed a vowe unto the mightie God of Iacob Psal 132. But Salomon built him an house Act. 7.47 And now the Lords people come hither all whether to receive instruction or expresse devotion Here they addresse their vowes commence their prayers present their oblations before the Lord And this was the manner till Christ came in the flesh And what when our Lord was incarnate did he ever disallow of this locall Adoration no but in his infancie it pleased him to bee presented in the Temple And at twelve yeeres old to dispute in the Temple Luk. 2. And after his baptisme he daily taught in the Temple and preached in the Synagogues After his ascention where were his Apostles but continually in the Temple Luk. 24. Or where were the faithfull but daily with one accord in the Temple Act. 2.46 Now when the Temple was demolished by Titus Vespatian not a stone left upon a stone as our Saviour had foretold Then Christian Churches began to be frequent which yet were extant afore in Saint Pauls time for see I pray you what disparitie hee puts betwixt ordinary houses and the house of God What have yee not houses to eate and to drinke in or despise yee the Church of God 1. Cor. 11. Againe Let your women keepe silence in the Churches and let them aske their husbands at home 1. Cor. 14. Now let Saint Ignatius speak for the next Generation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All to one place all to the Temple of God in his undoubted Epistle to the Magnesians As for succeding Ages all testimonies are superfluous the furious edicts of persecuting Tyrants for rasing and ruinating Churches abundantly shew how Churches did abound And is not this enough to put to silence those unreasonable men with their sectaries that survive who in the height of malice and sacriledge endeavoured presumptuously this last age to lay desolate and wast all the Synagogues of God in the land What should the Prophet have said to such a generation O worship the Lord Where no matter where in a Barne or a Shop or a Wood no but the Prophet hath told us where and the practise of the Saints make it manifest that before the Law under the Law and under the Gospell there have beene ever due to the celebration of Gods worship sequestred places either Altars or Tabernacles or Temples or Churches or Chappels or the like that wee are justly directed by the Prophet here to a proper place Let us now descend to the properties of the place And an holy place it is a place of Holinesse and a beautifull place the very beautie of Holinesse O worship c. In atrio Sancto or in Sanctuario In his holy Courts or in his holy Sanctuary for who can doubt but the beautie of Holinesse must needs bee holy And that apparantly in a double regard First because the place of Gods worship was hallowed ever and set apart to holy uses for so were Altars afore the Law and after them the Tabernacle and after that the Temple And by the same right Churches and Chappels at this Day The dedication of the Tabernacle we have at large let down Numb 7. The dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8. And it stands with all good reason and religion that houses of God be sequestred now by solemne consecration as well as heretofore For wherefore I pray you did Salomon dedicate the Temple and after him Ezra the Priest upon the restauration And the Priests againe under Iudas Maccabeus when it had beene polluted Or wherefore did Iacob consecrate a pillar of stone by powring oyle upon it Gen. 28. Did the Lord command him or Salomon or any of them all where it will no where be found It was rectified reason and godly wisedome which directed them by a publique dedication as it were by a publique declaration to manifest to the world the religious conveiance of Sacred places to Sacred uses And then it followes that as Bethel of old and the Sanctuary so likewise our Bethels are holy being solemnly hallowed and devoted in the name of God and to the glory of God as they were Holy againe because our
Lord God most holy doth inhabite and possesse them as his proper Mansion or dwelling House for did he not take possession when the Cloud covered the Tent and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle Exod. 40.34 What did hee else by that sacred inumbration but take as it were Liverie and Seisin And just so it was at the finishing of the Temple The glory of the Lord filled the House of the Lord 1. Kings 8. And they were thereupon called and counted his dwelling Place for ever after by David O thou that dwellest betweene the Cherubins Psal 80. by our Saviour Who so shall sweare by the Temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth therein Matth. 23.21 And can any Christian doubt whether hee bee present in our Christian Congregations where holy Prayers are powred forth his holy Gospel preached his holy Sacraments administred his most holy Body and Blood communicated Is it not deepe infidelitie and heresie to thinke Christ to bee absent from his Body and Blood Most certainely present he is though not by his glorious yet in a singular way by his gracious presence Yee may as well saith S. Chrysostome shut God out of Heaven S. Chrys horn 36. in 1. Cor. as exclude him hence For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this indeed is Heaven upon Earth and here the Tabernacle of God is with men and God himselfe is with them Revel 21. Holy then wee see because the Lord is there by his holy presence And now it begins to be open day with us we may clearely perceive why the Prophet would have us worship rather in the place of holinesse than elsewhere Because the Lord is sure to be found there And wee are to seeke the Lord as well where as while hee may be found Where will yee enquire of the Master but at his House And the House of God is the House of Prayer Esa 56. Where shall yee hope to finde the King so soone as in his Court So the King of Heaven will be found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his holy Court above any other place True the Lord will be found of his humble devout servants in what place soever and I would have nothing understood to the prejudice of private prayer For Moses in the Sea Iob on the Dunghill Ieremie in the Dungeon Daniel in the Den Ionas in the Whale the Children in the Furnace S. Peter and Paul in Prison calling upon God were heard as S. Basil noteth And therefore the Apostle would have men pray every where lifting up holy hands 1. Tim. 2. Yes every where with holy hands But are holy hands every where What shall the sinner doe that is destitute of holy hands What else but to the Temple with the Publican There he shall meete with holy hands in the holy Assembly and may speed the better be graciously accepted for their sakes as Iobs friends for his sake Iob 42. In my devotions let me joyne with the righteous and then his prayer I shall hope will make way for mine Nay and how shall my charitie be augmented my zeale kindled my faith confirmed when I heare the whole congregation quasi manu factâ to implore and send up an army of prayers Tertull. for the pardon of my sinnes For thus it is ever in these sacred meetings All for every one and every one for all that God may be gracious and have mercy upon all great reason then we should worship there And so often as we worship there would God wee would remember where we are that the place whereon we stand is holy ground It vvas certainly part of the Prophets meaning that the very name of Holinesse should make us beware of prophanenesse He termes it rather a place of Holinesse than the Tabernacle or the Temple to put us in minde of that venerable grave religious behaviour evermore requisite and expected here For Holinesse becommeth thy House O Lord for ever Psal 93. to put us in minde to looke well to our feete when wee goe to the House of God Eccl. 4. To our Feete not to make that a walking place and to our Tongues not to make that a talking place and to our Eyes not to make that a gazing place And he that whipt the buyers and sellers out of the Temple would he not thinke we have silenced our praters in the House of Prayer and have charged our Church-walkers to leave the Church Antiquitie so understood it I am sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 36. in 1. Cor. In the Church unlawfull even to speake but to a neighbor saith S. Chrysostome and much more unlawfull to contrive drive a Bargaine there as if at a Mart or common Market And how unsufferable then that the Church should be made a place of rude contentions and uncivill contestations But was not Antiquitie too precise No they knew Religion is upheld by nothing more than Reverence that wee can never bee too cleane in the Sanctuarie nor too holy in the place of Holinesse where we are to meete with our Maker and to worship the Lord most high and most holy Let us passe on now from this holy place as it is holy and behold it a while as beautifull for beautifull it is as well as holy even the beautie of Holinesse O worship c. Expositors finde themselves at a losse and therefore strive to make it up as they may by various expressions Some say in Sanctuario magnifico in the stately Sanctuarie Some in magnificentiâ Sanctitatis in the sumptuousnesse or magnificence of Sanctitie Some in splendore Sacrarii in the splendour or glory of his holy Place Some in decore Sanctitatis in the comelinesse or Beautie of Holinesse Now put them together and the Place recommended is holy comely stately sumptuous glorious not more holy than comely nor more sacred than sumptuous A most fit Place this to worship the Lord in O worship the Lord in the beautie of Holinesse But is not our Prophet mistaken heere Or is not this combination made up of inconsistents For can Holy and Stately Beautie and Sanctitie runne in a Line Yes may and ought as much as may be and where they part and goe asunder both abate of their perfection for as nothing magnifies Greatnesse more than Godlinesse so nothing sets off Godlinesse more than Greatnesse Poore and godly are as little esteemed of the many as poore and wise and yee know what the Wise man sayes and shewes too The poore mans wisdome is despis'd Eccl. 9.16 And on the other side what is a great ungodly man without amendment but like a great unsound Cedar every day fitter and fitter for the fire But where Greatnesse and Goodnesse Highnesse and Holinesse Sanctitie and Sublimitie meet there Gods worship is in the full there God is magnified indeed and wee cannot but hope the Lord will goe on to magnifie with the full measure of his Blessings And wee shall quickly perceive Gods worship to be advanced as well
beyond all discovery Holinesse hath had her habitation As for Tatnai and Shetherbosnai and Sanballat open or clandestine enemies to the beauty of Holinesse Fill their faces with shame that they may seeke thy name O Lord That we and they and all that lay claime to true Holinesse may preferre the beauty of Holinesse before all other beauties and with cleane hands and pure hearts delight to worship the Lord in the proper place of his Worship the beauty of Holinesse I haue done at last with the properties of the place Holy and beautifull Now followes the Prophets entreaty which I shall treate of in very few words and so conclude O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holinesse Take it joyntly together and it is not more a Precept than a Prayer a very emphaticall obsecration full of holy importunitie and which argues in our Princely Prophet an extraordinarie love to the Place and the Service here commended that his chiefe delight was there For How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts Ps 84. And how disconsolate when hee was driven thence Woe is mee that I am constrained to dwell in Mesech and to have my habitation among the Tents of Kedar Ps 120. seemes to envie the filly Birds The Sparrowes and Swallowes may lay their young even by thine Altars O Lord of Hosts my King and my God nor so desirous though to be there alone but there with his people I was glad when they said unto me We will goe into the House of the Lord Ps 122. It joyed him to be seene In medio Ecclesiae in the midst of the Congregation will I prayse thee Ps 22. Hee would pay his Vowes in an exemplarie way in the presence of all his people Ps 116. And wee cannot otherwise understand him here Come children hearken unto me doe as yee see mee doe adorate and adorabo went together we may be sure And a blessed sight it was to see Religion countenanced and the people religious not more by his Regall Precepts and Edicts than his Presence and Practice Now blessed are the people that be in such a case Looke we then to the practice of King David what he was wont to doe in Gods House and wee shall soone discerne why hee is so earnest to send us thither Thither went David as well for resolution as devotion and his religious attention was a good part of his adoration there I will hearken what the Lord God will say Psal 85. Et quaeram in Templo ejus and I will enquire in his Temple Psal 27. And he tells us hee could not be satisfied till hee went into the Sanctuary of God Psal 73. For the Sanctuary of old was the set place for satisfaction in doubtfull cases even from Moses to David omnis populus qui habebat aliquam quaestionem Exod. 33. All that had ought to say any doubt to bee resolved resorted thither for expedition Prince and People all without exception And now it is a cleere case it might vvell import him as a King to be earnest in this point that his people vvould goe and receive instruction in publique in the place appointed the right place because Conventicles and private meetings under colour of Religion too often serve unto dangerous practises Seditious opinions and turbulent positions have beene ever first invented and vented in private There it is that peremptory pens and sawcie tongues are thought consciencious because audacious and hee commonly reputed the best man that is the worst subject Or consider him if yee please as a Prophet so I am sure he could not be too earnest for worship in publique For the only way this to preserve Religion and the truth untainted to have Holinesse duely taught in the beautie of Holinesse Your intermingling and adulterate doctrines have beene still begotten in private and have passed by peece-meale from the Chamber to the Chappell and so to Church For when or where I pray you did the envious man sowe his tares it was dormientibus hominibus while men slept in all likelihood in some private meeting about midnight when the watchmen of Israel were asleepe Wee may not doubt but peace and truth both depend upon it that we assemble to worship the Lord in the proper place of his worship But David they will say though a King and a Prophet was under the Law and is he a fit president for professours of the Gospell Let them appeale then if they will from David to the sonne of David our blessed Saviour And how stood he affected That he was all in all for the publique most manifest it is by the good confession which he made Ioh. 18.20 I spake openly to the world I ever taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither the Iewes daily resort and in secret have I said nothing Heare this you that love to whisper it in a corner that stand so much for Privatus aliquis a private spirit or a private brother in a private place how directly contrary are you to Christ you for omnia Christ for nihil in occulto good Christians in the meane while For that our Saviour could not away with this Parlour-preaching and these Chamber-congregations plaine it seemes by that charge which he left to his Church Matt. 24.26 If they shall say unto you behold hee is in the desart goe not forth behold he is in the secret chambers beleeve them not For I beseech you where hath beene the meeting place of our Anti-Canonicall Canonists and where have they enacted their Antisynodicall Sanctions but in deserto or in Cubiculo there is therefore no beleeving them Alas when they have set up once in private the great idoll of their own imaginations have consulted their grand Oracle I was saying at the Idols table they will not sticke to say and decree any thing No appealing then from David to the son of David in this case both are for the publique for the solemne assembly both for the Temple and the holy place the beautie of Holinesse And now represent we David to our thoughts as a King or a Prophet we must needs confesse that this entreatie here is to singular good purpose that it makes very much for truth and unitie and pietie Now the God of peace and truth leade us into all truth and bring us unto that peace which passeth all understandding bring us all in mercy from the beautie of Holinesse in the kingdome of Grace to the Holy of Holies in the kingdome of Glory Amen FINIS
by the dignitie of the place as the person And it will not doe amisse to appeale in this case to common experience for doe vvee not finde our selves otherwise affected vvhen vve come into a naked deformed ruinous Temple adorned with nothing but dust and cobwebs and vvhen vve come into a goodly reverend beautifull Church wherein we may behold on every side remarkeable testimonies of devout Magnificence Doth not the very Fabricke and fashion and solemne accommodation beget in our hearts a religious regard and venerable thoughts True a sort of Christians there are so transelementated and refined as to despise all succours and supplies of this kinde as matter of distraction and palpable inducements to superstition Talke as if God regarded no longer any other Temples but the bodies and soules of his Saints And we cheerefully professe wee can never too carefully preserve the inward beautie of these living Temples for that is the beautie of Holinesse indeed and if any man shall pollute this beautie or defile this temple him shall God destroy 1. Cor. 3. But how the inward grace of these living Temples should be thought prejudiciall to the outward grace of the beautie of Holinesse is I confesse beyond my capacitie For whether wee looke backe to the manner of Gods Service under the Law or to the choisest times under the Gospel wee shall soone discover Beautie and Holinesse sweetly accorded till the love of the World had gotten the upper hand of the love of God For first what can wee almost imagine more rich and gorgeous than the Tabernacle was vvherein all the Instruments and Vtensils were of pure Gold even to the Snuff-dishes Exod. 25. And afterward the Temple what was it else but very matter of wonder and astonishment a glorious Spectacle of admiration to all the World When the Queene of Sheba beheld it the majesticall beautie and service thereof so filled her heart that there was no more spirit in her 1. Kings 10.5 And very memorable it is when the foundation of the later House was layd the Fathers and ancient men mourned and wept because it was like to be lesse glorious than the first Ezr. 3.12 Now what might be the reason of this incredible magnificence in the first or of this religious emulation in the second Temple Take the reason from King Salomon who had studied the point The house which I build is great for great is our God above all Gods 2. Chron. 2.5 And if quia magnus Deus be a good argument the Lord at this day is as great as ever and then is this argument as good as ever And had not thinke wee the Founders of Churches in Christendome a speciall Eye to his glorious Majestie for whose service they were erected yes verily This made Constantine the Great and Iustinian the Emperour and Charles the Great and Charles the fourth to honour the Gospell of Christ with so many stately monuments of their pietie all the world over Saint Cyrill describing one of them in Hierusalem calles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Catech. 14. A Church all adorned and embossed with silver and gold And Eusebius reporting of the spacious and beautifull Church at Tyre which was built anew by the famous B. P. Paulinus sayes the lusture and splendour was such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 10. as made beholders amazed to behold it And generally thus it was wheresoever Churches of note were repaired which infidels had desolated they evermore added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb lib. 10. a more exquisite beautie than ever before alleadging for themselves by way of encouragement The glory of the latter house shall be greater than that of the former Hag. 2. and that of our Prophet Great is the Lord and greatly to bee praised in the Citie of our God Psal 48.1 But yet it must bee granted this Christian zeale for the beautie of Holinesse was not every where alike decencie and comelinesse in all the houses of God but Magnificentia Sanctitatis this state of Holinesse Holinesse in state was not usually seene save in Cities and populous Places whither huge multitudes resorting very ample and capacious Receits were requisite which anon by the bountifull largition of devouter Christians became as sumptuous as capacious and there was no iniquitie in such inaequalitie For the beautie of Holinesse doth well admit of Magis and Minus worship and Holinesse and beautie like the three Graces should goe hand in hand but yet so as where more worshippers there more holinesse and then more beautie there as a kinde of portion and dowrie of Holinesse The Iewes had their beautie of holinesse more conspicuously in the Tabernacle and the Temple but Christians more especially in their Diocesian and mother Churches even ever since the Gospell and Christian Faith were well setled And it is strange to reade how the Iewes did excell in bountie for better preserving that eminent beautie Exerc. pag. â—84 For as Casaubon and Cuneus have faithfully collected all even they also of the dispersion P. Cun. lib. 2. cap. 12. 23. Ex Ioseph lib. 16. cap. 10. from all parts and quarters sent yeerely Contributions to Hierusalem for the maintenance of the Temple Because they delighted in the stones thereof and had pitie on the dust thereof Psal 102. And here I cannot but congratulate the present times wherein the Beautie of Holinesse in Citie and Countrey seemes to revive and flourish as never more It argues Religion hath life in it and that wee are in love with Religion And I beseech you give mee leave to condescend a little to particulars and to magnifie the Lord in the words of Ezra the Priest Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers who hath put such a thing as this in the Kings heart to beautifie the house of the Lord which is in Hierusalem Ezra 7.27 And blessed bee those many Worthies which have strengthned the hands of the workemen to take away the reproach from Israel by removing the abomination of desolation And blessed be all that incourage the worke by their cheerefull beneficence even to the poore widow that shall cast in her two mites Let them prosper upon earth and let their names be recorded in the Booke of Life And oh how were it to be wished that they which were at laying the first stone might live to behold the consummation That they and all the Benefactors and above all our most gracious Zerubbabel might when all is finished worship the Lord in that beautie of Holinesse Howsoever this shall bee written for the generations to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord for this honourable onset For what can make a more honourable testimony or truer evidence of our unfeined esteeme of Holinesse of our love to God of our zeale for his Gospell than thus to reach out a liberall hand to the supportation and a bountifull hand to the exornation of that sacred edifice where from age to age
A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE KING at White-Hall the third of December By Robert Skinner Chaplaine in Ordinary to His MAIESTIE Published by His MAIESTIES command LONDON Imprinted by I. L. for Andrew Hebb 1634. PSAL. 96. VERS 9. O worship the Lord in the beautie of Holinesse INTERPRETERS vary about the occasion of this Psalme Some referring vs to the placing of the Arke of God in the citie of David when with great solemnity it was brought from the house of Obed-Edom Some resolving it was ordered to be sung at the finishing of the Temple but others when the Temple was re-edified after the Captivity And the truth is all three opinions may well consist and be true all For that it was sung at the placing of the Arke we have it expressely 1. Chron. 16. And all inducements according why might it not serve and be sung as well in the Temple as before the Arke and in the second Temple as well as in the first which occasioned the Seventie to inscribe it as they did A Song 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the Captivity upon the restauration of the house of God It matters not whether exposition wee take all give equall light to my Text shew us what to vnderstand by the beauty of Holinesse even the solemne place of his holy service whom we are to worship O worship the Lord in the beauty of Holinesse In the words at first hearing foure particulars are observable I. An humble devout religious act Adorate worship II. the proper and peculiar object of this Act Dominum the Lord. III. The speciall place of this worship recommended unto us by two properties for first it is an holy place in atrio Sancto a place of Holinesse Then it is a beautifull place in decore Sanctitatis in the beauty of Holinesse IIII. We meete with a strong perswasion an earnest entreaty Thus in this place to worship the Lord O worship the Lord c. We see therefore what we must doe we must worship And whom we must worship the Lord And where the Lord will bee worshipped in his holy place that if either beauty here or sanctity or dutie or the Lord by his presence can winne vpon vs wee will bee worshippers all the powerful1 example of a King the awfull incitement of a Prophet both in the Text shall incline our hearts and bend our knees and direct our steps O worship the Lord in the beautie of Holinesse What first Adorate Dominum where afterward worship the Lord wee must So we are commanded but we cannot worship him aright before we rightly conceive what it is to worship Now take it at large and to worship truly is to give honor to another according to his worth secundum excellentiam according to some excellent worth For vvorship is not due to any but to that which is vvell worthy and that is of eminent vvorth To worship one that is no way eminent nor in any sort above us is an act of unworthinesse nor doe we so much honour him as dishonour our selves yee may call it basenesse or flatterie or pusillanimitie to all which true worship is a stranger Honour and Worship in the judgement of S. Paul belong to some certaine persons Honour to whom Honour belongeth Rom. 13. And who are they eminent at least nay but the highest Honour is not due save potestatibus supereminentibus to those of the highest ranke that are supereminent True wee are taught by the same Apostle In giving honour to goe one before another but wee shall finde it to hold upon this ground That in lowlinesse of minde each esteeme other better than themselves Phil. 2. Hee must bee our better so wee must esteeme him for some grace or other wee cannot so properly honour him else and if not honour him much lesse adore him for adorare is a great deale more than honorare Yee may honour him for his singular gifts whom yee never saw by a gracious tongue or some honourable favour but to adore is so farre to honour as to bow downe before him As when David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed himselfe before King Saul 1. Sam. 24. And Nathan the Prophet bowed himselfe before King David with his face to the ground 1. King 1. To adore then is to honour in the highest degree that is with the lowliest expression briefely to acknowledge anothers exaltation by our owne humiliation For that I be not long in laying a foundation there is ever implyed in Adoration a three-fold act first an apprehension of some excellencie or other for if no kinde of preeminence be apprehended wee doe not adorare but adulari worship wee know not what whereas all true worshippers are readie to say as our Saviour to the woman of Samaria We know what we worship Ioh. 4.22 Nor is it sufficient to apprehend what is excellent but wee must acknowledge also what wee apprehend and our acknowledgement must be serious and unfained there will be otherwise in stead of Adoration plaine derision Nay moreover it is not complete worship without a cleare Demonstration of our subiection without genuflection or prostration or some other inclination or submission of the body The very word here doth import as much for the word in Hebrew so often rendered by adorare properly signifies incurvari to assure us our adoration is lame and imperfect unworthy the name without an outward manifestation And we may note it in the Wise-men that tooke so long a journey to worship and knew the right forme wee may bee sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They fell downe and worshipped Matth. 2.11 And let me tell you this was the manner of old when they came into the Sanctuarie Venite adoremus O come let us worship and fall downe yes and when they went out from the Sanctuarie too good Hezekiah and all his companie when they had made an end of offering bowed themselves and worshipped 2. Chron. 29. ver 29. And now perceiving what it is to worship let us further consider whom we are to worship O worship the Lord c. Dominum the Lord even the Lord that made us and not we our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord Paramount Lord of Lords and God of Gods even Iehovah the Lord Almightie And none I hope is so gracelesse as to sticke at his worship All will adore their Maker and Redeemer the Author and preserver of all things Certainely none are exempted or quit of his worship Not the Angels in heaven of them it is written And let all the Angels of God worship him Hebr. 1. Not any that are called Gods on earth they are all commanded to doe their homage Worship him all yee Gods Psal 97. Not any Saints above They all cast downe their crownes and fall downe and worship him that liveth for ever and ever Rev. 4.10 Nor any Saints below They daily cry out with the Prophet Exalt the Lord our God and fall downe before his footestoole for
the Lord our God is holy Psal 99. There can be no question all are to worship à vermiculo ad Angelum from the basest worme to the most glorious Angell from him that sitteth on the throne to her that grindeth at the Mill all come under Adorate Dominum And know they must in adoring the Lord they honour themselves approaching thereby and drawing neere unto the Lord for if to be neere about a gracious King bee iustly counted a singular grace what an honor must it needs be to be joyned to the Lord 1 Cor. 6. to adhere and cleave to the King of Kings to goe boldly to the throne of grace and all this is daily done by adoring Wee see then the dutie is generall All are to worship the Lord all and that because he is Lord of all A chiefe point will be for the manner how for we may not imagine when the Prophet enjoynes us to worship the Lord that his meaning is wee should worship him ad libitum every one his owne way according to his owne fancie Indeed wee would have it so are strangely taken with our owne inventions and were wee at a Loose what a various prodigious worship would be found amongst us For the manner one sitting another standing a third kneeling a fourth walking a fifth leaning For the matter when their tongues were their owne once one seditious a second ridiculous a third blasphemous and yet if yee beleeve them all true worshippers for all that No but Dominus the Lord the very Name puts us in minde how he will be worshipped with what preparation and with what devotion Doe but remember what a Lord and then resolve what kinde of vvorship vvill sute him best If such a Lord as none like him fit his vvorship should be such as none the like As no Lord equall to him so no vvorship equall to his No but as we are praise him so vve are to vvorship him both according to his excellent greatnesse Psal 150. All Lords have one sort of vvorship or other Soveraigne Lords ad terram usque downe to the ground Thus to the King and thus to the man whom the King will honour Hest 6. But when all is done all is but bodily worship and that too Civilly intended in Civill re-respects because indeed their highest Iurisdiction jus vitae necis extends no further is confined to the body They have power only saith our Saviour to kill the body and after that have no more that they can doe Luk. 12.4 But the Lord here hath absolute power over soule and body and all we have and so we to worship him with all our soule he inspired our body hee ordained our worldly goods vvhat vve have he gave unto us and our worship should bee answerable shall I shew you how As briefely then as may be God is a spirit saith Saint Iohn and they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth Ioh. 4. and looke vve vvell unto it there is no deceiving him for He searcheth the heart and tryeth the spirits Ier. 17. He is styled by Moses the god of all spirits and all spirituall worship is due unto him So peculiar is it to the Creatour as uncommunicable to any creature Nor Saints nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers have any Dominion over the soule to save or to destroy it and therefore the bowings and bendings of the soule belong not to them Nay but all religious Divine devout Adoration of the spirit or in the spirit is entirely to be offered to the Father of spirits If imparted to any other sive humilitate nimiâ De C. D. lib. 10. cap. 4. sive adulatione pestiferâ as Saint Augustine speaks whether by too much humilitie or too much flattery cleere it is they that doe it rob God of his honour vvhich he tels us he vvill not endure I am the Lord that is my name and my glory will I not give to another neither my praise to graven Images Esai 42.8 And when vve vvorship God vvith our bodies is it not also in a singular vvay else it is not as it should be for Nathan to bow himselfe before the Lord and to bow before the King was it all one thinke vve True his body vvas the same and his bowing much alike but infinite ods in his Adoration Before the King as the Lords anointed as the supreme minister of God for the Common good In our Churches phrase In thee and for thee according to thy blessed word and ordinance But before the Lord as the work of his hands and that by a word of his mouth in a plenary subjection as well for being as well being Before the King within certaine circumscriptions of time and place and occasion But before the Lord unrestrainedly in all places at all times upon all occasions whereby we confesse his illimited power his eternall essence his ubiquitary presence when we worship the Lord without bodies it ought to bee with a speciall Adoration Quoniam si honos idem tribuitur allis Lib. a. Instit ipse omnino non colitur A good rule it is in Lactatius If the same worship be given to any other God is not worshipped at all What King will admit of a sharer or co-partner in his tribute or Homage and what saith the Prophet I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts Mal. 1.14 It were sacriledge them to offer him a sharer Now for our Temporall estate Adorate Dominum extends and comes up to that also Honour the Lord with thy substance so vve are commanded Pro. 3.9 and good reason for it for the blessing of the Lord it maketh rich Pro. 10. And vvithout this blessing in vaine vvere it to rise up early and sit up late and eate the bread of carefulnesse And though the World be unapt to beleeve it incredulous ever in vvhat is chargeable the Lord expecteth vve honour him as vvell vvith our personall estates as vvith our persons And how may that bee By giving to the Lord in a proper way by devoting some part of your plentie and superfluitie to those sacred uses vvhich redound immediately to Gods glory The truth is the Prophet chiefely intends it here the vvords immediately afore my Text are Bring an offering and come into his Courts an Oblation vvas ever of old accounted a part of Adoration but I forbeare Bring and offer are no pleasing vvords I know though it be to the Lord Take away and hold fast vvithout any thought of restitution this is the manner of too many that yet vvould bee thought to deale very worshipfully too to vvorship God as vvell as the best vvhen they spoyle him of that should maintaine his vvorship And will a man rob God Mal. 3. Yes and make the World beleeve they doe it for his honour but their doome followes vvithout repentance Cursed with a curse vers 9. But I leave them to the mercie of God And it is high time I left this