caused it to send forth a stinking savour * Eccles 10.1 but offering it out of a pure and free devotion without any such opinion Christ did both value and reward it Suppose we then that there be some things in the Solemnity of Gods Publick worship that he hath not required is it not enough as long as he hath no where forbidden them nor entred any caution to their prejudice is it not enough I say that I have the approbation of my own Conscience is it not enough that I am able to say I have used my best judgement and herein I have found mercy of the Lord to be faithful if this be not enough is it not enough that I have Gods acceptation is it not enough that I can hear God saying to me secretly as he said sometimes to David upon a like occasion by his Prophet it was well that it was in thy heart is it not enough that God is ready to reward this my freewill-offering my voluntary devotion But 3. Besides we have the equity of a Divine Law upon a parity of Reason for our warranty in this our practice and this ought to be of great force with us For 1. as far as I can perceive this is the firmest ground that the observation of the Lords day relies upon There are some insinuations for it indeed in the practice of the Apostles as their meeting together on that day to make Collections and the like but these will not amount to the authority of a Precept The Sabbath of the Jews without all peradventure was Typical Heb. 4.4 c. therefore abolished hereupon the Apostle exhorteth the Colossians Let no man judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an Holy-day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath-days which are a shadow of things to come Col. 2.16 17. But that God should be solemnly worshipped still upon several accounts and that some time should be set apart for that worship to be performed in there is a parity of Reason for it and so upon that account the equity of the fourth Commandment doth still bind us And 2. The strength of the Apostles Argument for the maintenance of the Gospel-Ministry as far as I can discern relies chiefly upon this bottom Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they that wait at the Altar 1 Cor. 9.13 14. are partakers with the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel We can find no such Ordinance as this is of Christs positive institution under the Gospel that which the Apostle speaks of therefore must be an Ordinance emergent out of the equity of the former Law of God upon a parity of Reason Under the Law God thought it equitable that such as waited at his Altar and devoted their time as well as their soul and strength to his service should have some setled maintenance allottâ—d them and their attendance upon the several parts of their holy Office requiring nothing less but rather much more diligence and attention under the New than under the Old Testament the equity of that Divine Right standâ— in full force and should prevail for an honourable support of the Ministry at least as much now as it did then And 3. Whether the Right and Title that the Infants of Believers have unto Baptism doth not ultimately relie upon this foundation let the learned judge Gods Law intitled them to the Sacrament of Circumcision upon the account of that faith which had engaged their Parents unto God in the holy Covenant the equity of that Institution upon a parity of Reason extends to the benefit of such Infants as are now born of Christian Parents and that speech of St Peter Acts 2. imports no less Vers 38 3â— Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost for the promise is unto you and to your children Now to apply these instances to our purpose I demand 1. Was there a solemn external worship of God required under the Law or no 2. Was it acceptable and pleasing to Almighty God yea or no if it were which cannot be denied then I demand Further 3. upon what account was that service required was it upon the account of Gods Supream Dominion and Sovereignty only or upon the account also of his Benefits his works of Creation Preservation and Redemption that it was upon this double account is evident Psal 29.1 2. Give unto the Lord O ye mighty give unto the Lord glory and strength give unto Lord the GLORY DUE UNTO HIS NAME worship the Lord in the BEAUTY OF HOLINESSE and Psa 150. Praise ye the Lord praise God in his Sanctuary praise him in the firmament of his POWER praise him for his MIGHTY ACTS praise him according to his EXCELLENT GREATNESSE praise him with the sound of the Trumpet praise him with the Psaltery and Harp praise him with the Timbrel and Dance praise him with stringed Instruments and Organs Well did God require to be worshipped so reverently and so solemnly then upon this account why how comes God to lose his Title how come these accounts to be altered hath God under the New Testament given out a dspensation unto dust and ashes to be insolent and saucy with him and in his own house and in his solemn and publick worship too or is Gods Dominion less Sovereign is his Majesty less Glorious then it was or did not he make us but we made our selves if we be his creatures if we be the sheep of his pasture then the invitation of the Psalmist lays hold upon us Psal 95.6 O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker if we do not the Elders that are before the Throne of God will shame us out of our irreverence for they fall down before him that sitteth upon the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their Crowns before the Throne saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Revel 4.10 11. And hath he not redeemed us too and what is the sum of our redemption was it our bodies only out of a temporal thraldom to be put into the possession of a land that flows with milk and honey was this all hath he not redeemed our souls too from the powers of darknesse and the wrath to come to inherit the blessings of eternal joy and glory hath he not thus redeemed us and how was this redemption wrought by a force of Arms or of Love by exchange of money or the price of his own blood if it be so and so it is then certainly here is all the equity in the world that we should pay him the
divine honour which we so deservedly ow and should as worthily render to him for his glory he will not give unto another 2. The Peace-offering was a Sacrifice whereof the blood and the fat went to the Altar * God was to have the fat that grew about the inwaâ—ds â—he Kiâ—â—â—ies with thâ— Cauâ—e that covered the Live L v 3.3 4. the breast and the right shoulder to the Priest the rest was to be eaten by the Offerer In this the Priest and the people did communica eâ—wiâ— God and with one another like friends feasting together upon one and the same stock of enteâ—tainment This oblation was offer'd either by way of gratulation and thanks for some benefit already received †â—ev 7 12 16. according to some former vow voluntarily made to that purpoâ—e of which the Psalmist speaketh Psal 116.12.13 14. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of salvation The first ex grato animo and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people The â—â—â—â—d ex spâ—impâ—trandi Aâ—nsw Not. ad Psal 116.13 This cup waâ— an attendant upon this oblation for of the peace-offering they did communicate and rejoyce before the Lord and took a cup of wine which was called the cup of salvation and the cup of blessing because they gave solemn thanks and blessed God for his saving health and benefiâ—s Or 2. Gerhard Loo Com de leg Cer. c 2 § 2. This oblation was offer'd by way of Vote and Option for some ensuing favour The Israeliteâ— had a just cause but very ill success Thom. 12. q. 102. ar 3. â— Ex debito beneficii vel accipiendi vel accepti in their expedition against the Benjamites They received two deâ—eaâ—s with the loss of 40000 men but that they might prevail with God to assist and prospâ—r them in their next engagement They came unto the house of God and wept and sate there before the Lord and fasted that day until Even and offered burnt offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord Judg. 20.26 and so 1 Chron. 21.26 here the design â—n these oblations was to make atonement and pâ—evâ—il for future peace and salvation And methinks in the very nature of these â—fferings there is an insinuation of the necessity of our perseverance and of Gods continual grace and assistance to that effect The very same oblation was offer'd not only by way of gratulation in thankfulness for a benefit already past but also by way of vow for the impetration of one to come When we arrive at heaven our sacrifices shall be nothing else but the adoration of acknowledgements in a way of praise and thanksgiving but while we are Militant here on earth our praises are to be attended with atonement and our thanksgivings with Litanies and supplications We must not think that we have the goal presently because me have Gods blessing and assistance at our setting forth We may begin well and yet fall short of the mark we may run for a fit a heat or two and yet lose the prize it is perseverance that wins the Crown and Gods grace that enables us to hold out to the attainment of it The design of our peace-offerings therefore must be not only to acknowledge the mercy of God that did prevent us but also to engage * Unde Psal 116.13 I will take the cup of salvation and I will call upon the name of the Lord. his favour that it may follow us all the days of our lives and such were these oblations in the Text they offer'd burnt sacrifices they offer'd peace offerings before the Lord. This for the nature and kind of their oblations 2. For the association and conjuncture of them Burnt sacrifices and peace-offerings God is to be adored and worshipped for his own sake out of reverence to his excellent Majesty this is signified by the burnt sacrifice †Hujusmodi enim sacrificium offerebatur Deo specialiter ad reverentiam majestatis ipsius c. Thom. ubi supra and he is to be adored and worshipped out of Gratitude for his goodness towards us this is signified by the peace-offering The first is to give him praise The second to give him thanks and whoso offereth me praise and thanks he honoureth me Psal 50. they are put both together there in the Psalm and here upon the Altar We must be mindful to acknowledge and honour God and we must be mindful to relieve and save our selves but Gods glory is to be sought in the first place our own advantage in the second and in a way of subordination to it The burnt sacrifiâ—â— first and then the peace offering to second it that is the third the Order in these Oblations Gods interest must be prefer'd before our own his glory before our salvation and because God heareth not sinners the atonement should be made first to reconcile our persons that our services of gratitude may find a gracious acceptation Psal 51.7 9 14 19. Hence the Psalmist Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities Deliver me from blood-guiltiness and then * Cum ego perfecte reparatus justificatus fuero Bellar in Psal 50. when my atonement is thus made then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of right cousness And if they be offer'd up in the memory and virtue of Christ that great Holocaust through him God will accept both of us and of our offerings which are no otherwise acceptable unto eternal life but only through Jesus Christ our Lord. And the Royal Prophet could not chuse but remember him in this solemnity for as well the Ark as the sacrifice was a Type of him and so they brought the Ark of God into the City of David and set it in his place in the tent which David had pitched for it and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace-offerings before God Would you know Davids inducements to perform all this service for the Ark they were four his need of it his love to it his interest in it and his advantage by it 1. His need of it and that we find him the more sensible of in his exile from it as men for the most part do Magis carendo quà m fruendo they understand the usefulness of things better by the want of them then by their enjoyment here was his Abyssus Abyssum Psal 42.7 one deep calling upon another for he was brought very low many times brought into inextricable perplexities why art thou cast down Psal 43.7 O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me He was in the â—â—â—k and wanted comfort and nothing but the Ark of God could relieve and afford him Cordials O send out thy light and thy truth let them lead me Ibid. Vers 3. and lest my heaviness
Countries We thought Abana and Parphar Rivers of Damascus better then all the waters of Israel Men grew precise and squeamish they would not wash and be clean unless they might have Cisterns of their own hewing out nor drink of the water of life though it ran never so freely unless it were conveyed to them in new Pipes of their own casting Some there were that did strictly hold themselves to the Form of godliness the Solemn Worship of God established in the Church who notwithstanding in the looseness of their lives did shamefully deny the power thereof Others there were that did pretend to be so over-born with the power of godliness that they would allow no Form at all for the regulation and exercise of it All the innocent Ceremonies that had constantly attended the solemn devotions of pious Antiquity were look'd upon as the very dress and trimmings of Hypocrisie Reverence in Gods Worship was accounted superstitious and the holy Incense of Morning and Evening Prayers no better then abomination Even such of the people which make up the greatest number of its adversaries as never had judgment or wit enough to understand it had yet malice enough infused into them to deride and scorn the Holy Service of the Church And as an evidence that this disease was grown desperate our greatest quarrel was at those Physitians whose practice and prescriptions were the most probable means to reduce us to our Christian temper When I consider the carriage of the people Israel under Gods gracious dispensations 2 Chron. 36.15 16. methinks I see the Character of our English Nation in these late years The Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his Word and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy For when the Patient grows so raving so out of temper as to strike his Physitian and throw away his Antidotes there remain no ordinary methods that can cure him And then the Bedlam and the chain the whip and the skrews all the violences of a severe discipline are the best instances of our kindness Such was the condition of Israel Hosea 4.1 2 4. The Lord hath a Controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing Adultery they break out and bloud toucheth bloud Therefore shall the Land mourn Yet let no man strive nor reprove another for this people are as they that strive with the Priest When sin begins to spread amongst a people what remedy does Almighty God use to apply to heâ—l and stop it there is the Authority of a Judge to oppose it and the Reprehension of the Priest to give a check to it But when God does inhibite these his Officers from using their Authority and exercising their Jurisdiction 't is a sign that people is grown obstinate shameless and incorrigible When they grow so insolent as to contradict the Priest in his own office wherein doubtless he is Gods Vicegerent that people is past Grace as it runs in the ordinary Channel and unless God useth some other methods of Discipline there is no hopes of their amendment So it follows in the Prophet Hosea 4.5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day When they had the clear light of heaven shining round about them the light of knowledge and the light of comfort and prosperity in this noon day Thou shalt stumble and fall faith the Lord and the Prophet also shall fall with thee in the night the false Prophet shall be benighted and lose himself in the darknesse of his own vain imaginaâ—ions and I will destroy thy Mother saith the Lord the Church and Nation from whose womb thou hast had thy birth in whose bosome thou hast had thy breeding and to whose blessings thou owest the procurement of thy prosperity We may mâ—ke England the Scene of that Prophesie as well as Jerusalem for the whole Tragedy hath been acted over in all its parts amongst us with a full solemnity God he took notice of our misdemeanours under his most gracious dispensations towards our Superiours his Vicegerents both Civil and Ecclesiastical and he was wroth and upon so great provocations as we were guilty of he did to us as he had done to Israel He delivered our strength into Captivity and our beauty into the Enemies hands That Ark that Form of Gods Worship that had procured such miracles of mercy for us in 88. and at the intended powder-plot That Ark whose virtue had been so often tryed to good effect in times of war pestilence and famine And our Beauty that Form of Solemn Worship which rendred the Church of England amiable above all the Reformed Churches and a true Copy of that Holy City that New Jerusalem which S. John saw coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband Rev. 21.2 For our many provocations He delivered This our strength into Captivity and This our beauty into the Enemies hands The glory was upon departing from our Israel and I had almost said That the abomination of desolation was set up in the holy place When the most magnificent House of God that we had in our Land was turned into a stable and many men yea many Priests such was their Apostacy had no more reverence for it then the very beasts that perished by a strange vengeance inflicted without doubt upon that sort of Cattle for that Sacrilegious prophanation That Faction which had tyred out the patience of two great Princes * Queen Elizabeth and K. James with Petitions solliciting to have those Walls of Church Government levelled that Garrison dismantled wherein the Ark of God was in safe custody amongst us They that so often attempted to fire it out with their Squibs of scoffing Pamphlets and to batter it down with their paper-bullets for want of better Arguments At last assoon as opportunity and advantage favour'd them for their rage could stay no longer they assaulted it how unlike Christs Lambs and the Servants of the Prince of peace I need not tell you but with Swords and Pistols Pikes and Cannons they assaulted it And because this Ark could not otherwise fall into their hands the chief Priest yea and the Prince too must fall before it as a Sacrifice to their fury And which is more that they might utterly extinguish our hopes and cut off all possibility of its Restitution as much as in them lay they did cut off the Royal line that should protect it and the succession of a regular Priesthood that should minister unto it And now might the devout soul that was pregnant with the passions of grief and love fall in travel and for want of other issue give birth to
amiable are thy dwellings O Lord of Hosts My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord for one day in thy Courts is better then a thousand Psal 84.1 2 4 10. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God blessed are they that dwell in thy house And there is nothing more welcome to a holy soul then an invitation to such a Coelestial entertainment I was glad when they said unto me Psal 122.1 2 we will go into the house of the Lord and there he desires to fix his station Our feet shall stand within thy gates O Jerusalem Yea they shall joy as the joy in harvest as the joy of those that divide the spoil a Isa 9.3 I will go unto the Altar of God unto God my exceeding joy b Psal 43.4 Such a joy of heart as overflows the banks thereof and causeth exultation in the body too My heart danceth for joy and not so only but my heart and my flesh also rejoyceth in the living God And much more the glory of the flesh the best member of it the tongue They shall sing in the ways of the Lord that great is the glory of the Lord. The service of God should be like the celebration of a solemn Jubilee Jubilate Deo O be joyful in the Lord all ye lands Psal 100.1 serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song and again O come let us sing unto the Lord Psal 95.1 let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our Salvation If we had that zeal of Gods glory or that sense of our own duty or if we had but that regard to our own interest and advantage that we should have it were impossible we should be either so slack in our approach or when present so cold and dull in our attention to Gods solemn service Are we not in some danger of Gods displeasure for this awkward carriage towards him does he not threaten his people for it Deut. 28.47 45. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulnesse and gladnesse of heart for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in want of all things he that cannot delight himself in the Solemnities of Gods house in that his gracious presence where there is in some sence a fulnesse of joy Psal 16. ult it is pity he should ever come to his right hand where are pleasures for evermore you must approach with Alacrity 3. You must approach the Ark with unanimity As Jerusalem was builded Psal 122.3 so it was govern'd as a City at unity in it self Psal 95.6 The kingly Prophet invites O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord O magnifie the Lord with me Psal 34.3 and let us exalt his name together And at that great solemnity of Solomon's when he dedicated the house of the Lord we find all Israel in consort with him 2 Chron. 7.4 The King and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. God hath an expectation it should be so amongst us too for he saith by his Evangelical Prophet And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains Isa 2.2 3. and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow unto it And many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his pathes For then as the Lord saith by another Prophet will I turn to the people a pure language Zeph. 3.9 that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent crouding in to the holy Assemblies with one shoulder as the original importeth And that it might be so amongst us how earnestly doth the Apostle conjure us in the persons of the Church of Philippi if there be therefore any consolation in Christ Phil. 2.1 2. if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels of mercies fulfil ye my joy and what is that that ye be like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind For Christ hath but one Church My love my undefiled is one there is one body and one spirit and ye are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism Eph. 4.4 5 5. one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all What a multiplicity of Arguments hath the blessed Apostle twisted together to make the unity that should be amongst Christians indissoluble And if the advantages hereof were duly weighed these alone were enough to make it so See Magal in Josh c. 6. §. 1. Annnot 3. Origen weighing that verse of the Psalmist Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound Psal 89.15 He quaeres what it is that renders a people blessed He saith not blessed are the people that do righteousness or blessed are the people that understand mysteries or are able to give an account of the heaven of the earth and of the stars but he saith blessed are the people that know the sound the jubilation In other places the fear of the Lord maketh blessed but it maketh but one man blessed for so it is said Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. Else where we find also that more are blessed as blessed are the poor in spirit blessed are the meek blessed are the peace makers blessed are the pure in heart But here in the Psalmist the blessedness is profuse and I know not what so great cause of blessedness is intimated that it should make the whole people blessed that hears the Jubilation Unde mihi jubilatio videtur indicare quendam concordiae unanimitatis affectum whereupon it seems to me that this Jubilation doth import an affection of concord and unanimity which if it clasps the hearts and hands of two or three Disciples together in Prayer it makes them so prevalent offering up their devotions in the name of Christ that the heavenly Father grants all they pray for And if it be so great a blessedness that a whole people are unanimous that they all speak the same thing being joyn'd together in the same mind and in the same judgment the united devotions of such a people may be as prevalent as theirs were in the Acts of the Apostles They were of one heart and of one soul Acts 2.1 Chap. 4.31.32 they were with one accord in one place and there was a great earth quake where they prayed in unanimity and the place being shaken the holy Ghost descended The joynt devotions of an unanimous faithful people might be thus effectual terrae motu facto destruentur