that I think it not so convenient in Pulpits to meddle with such things as those are Those things I say which are suitable to mens own ends and waies them they will close withal but other things that do cross the flesh that are most opposite to loosness and would bring men most under the government of Christ those things men stand out against and they must have cleer and express words express and cleer warrant out of the word in so many terms or otherwise by no means they will not so much as yeild to it That 's a point that if God would but settle it upon our hearts might be of very great use A gracious heart will see the truth through a very little crevis But it is marvelous to consider what a do there is to convince a man before he is humbled of some part of Gods will and how easie it is to convince a man after he is humbled The Eighth Note is this That sinners may meet with some judgments of God that were never threatned in his Word God did never threaten before hand and say Whosoever offers strange fire I will consume them with fire from heaven But they meet with a judgment that was not theatned Consider of this it may be when we come and speak out of the Word and shew you plainly how God doth threaten such and such sins you are afraid then but know if thou venturest upon waies of sin thou mayest meet with dreadful judgments executed that never yet were threatned Besides all those judgments that are threatned in the Book of God thou mayest meet with judgments unheard of unexpected As God hath Mercies beyond what he hath expresly revealed in his Word for never was it heard since the beginning of the world what God hath laid up for them that love him So God hath judgments beyond what is in his Word Sometimes when the Ministers of God do open the threatnings that are in Gods Word you think that they are terrible But know that God in the treasury of his iudgments hath more dreadful things than yet ever hath bin revealed in his Word and therefore learn to tremble not only at what is revealed in Gods Word against thy sin but tremble at what there is in that infinit Justice Power and Wisdom of God to find out and execute upon sinners for thou that art a sinner and especially if thou beest a bold and presumptuous sinner thou mayest I say expect to meet with whatsoever evil an infinite wisdom is able to devise and that an infinite power is able to bring upon thee that thou art capable of Thou committest such and such a sin perhaps thou doest not know of any particular judgment that is threatned against it but think thus I that do provoke God by my sins what may I look for 'T is more than I know to the contrary but that whatsoever the infinite wisdom of God is able to find out and what misery so ever I am capable of that the Lord may bring upon me Consider of this and take heed of sin The Ninth Observation is this That God is very quick with some in the waies of his judgments It may be he may spare others for a long time but concerning thee he may say Thou shalt not offend twice If thou wilt venture the first act God may strike thee with death he did so here wi h Nadab and Abihu for they were but newly consecrated so I find it by Interpreters That they were to be in consecration for seven daies and this was the first day that they came to their place and in the very first act that they did God did smite them Let us tremble the Lord is quick towards some he is patient towards others but do not thou presume because he is patient to others he may take thee in the very first act of thy sin and be quick with thee The Tenth Note is this That the holiness of a duty will never bear a man out in the miscarriages of a duty This was a holy duty they were the true Priests of God they came to offer incense to the true God It was right incense that they offered there was but this one miscarriage They had not the same fire that God would have now this miscarriage God comes upon them for and all the good there was in the Duty it would not bear them out Consider of this you that performe many holy duties take heed of giving way to your selves in any miscarriage for do not think that because your duties are very good and holy that by doing therof you may venture upon mixture take heed of mixing any evil any miscarriage in a holy thing though you haue performed a thousand holy duties yet it will not bear you out in the miscarriage of them The Eleventh Note is this That the Lord is very terrible out of his holy plcaes The Note is the same that you have in Psal 68.35 The Lord is terrible out of his holy places When we have to deal with God who can stand before this holy God Our God is a consuming fire The Lord manifests himself here most dreadfully to strike with fire these two Priests as in Ezek. 9.6 Begin at my Sanctuary saith God God is terrible terrible towards those that shall dare to approach unto him and yet are wicked or ungodly in their approaching he is terrible to those that are neer unto him God would have us all to tremble at his presence In the Twelfth place Gods judgments are often very suitable to mens sins Here they sinned by fire and they are consumed by fire They offended by strange fire and God strikes them by a strange fire The judgments of God are very suitable to the sins of men oftentimes As here by fire so another time we find it by water Pharaoh he sins by drowning the Infants of the people of Israel in the waters and God drowns him in the Sea If you will be drowning by water you shall have water enough saith God And so here if you will be medling with strange fire you shall have strange fire saith God God doth many times proportion judgments to sinners that his righteousness might the more appear those very creatures in which we sin many times God makes them or others of the same kind to be the executioners of his wrath So it was with the Jews they would sell Christ for 30. pieces of silver and they were sold 30. of them for a penny afterwards And so the story of Adoni-bezek in the first of Judges that was so cruel in such a way to cut off Thumbs and Toes of Kings even so he was served in the like kind and it 's ordinary for men that are of cruel fiery spirits to meet with cruel fiery spirits too And I would apply it in this particular You that are stout Children to your Parents if God lets you live you many times meet with the very same in your
is that which the Lord hath said I will be Sanctified Now mark no question Moses was afflicted upon this heavy hand of God for he was their Uncle but though it was heavy upon the Uncle yet it was heavier upon the Father and therefore though Moses was troubled yet he knew that Aaron was more troubled and therefore he goes to Aaron and seeks to comfort him and he makes use of the Word in his comfortting of him Learn this then to go and comfort your brethren for Aaron was Moses brother Go and comfort them in their afflictions and think not because that you have some afflictions upon you that therefore you should not be a comfort to your brethren their affliction is greater than yours and when you come to comfort them come not in a meer carnal way and say Brother you must be content but you must come and apply somewhat of the Word of God to comfort them and say This is that which the Lord hath spoke and to that end you should labour to be exercised in the Word of God that so you may be able to go to your brethren and comfort them in any affliction for there is no particular affliction but there is some Word of God that is sutable to that particular affliction and those who are well exercised in the Word of God they can apply some word to every affliction And indeed this is an excellent friend and such a friend is worth his weight in Gold that can come to another friend in any affliction and evermore hath somewhat of the Word of God to apply to that affliction The last Observation is this That Aaron held his peace From whence we may Note That there is no such way to quiet a gracious heart under any afflictions in the world as that God will setch out His Honor by it It is grievous to me but God fetches out His Glory and Honour by it The applying of the Word and the consideration that God hath His way to fetch out His glory in our afflictions is the only way to quiet a gracious heart All these Points might take up a great deal of time but I will let them pass and come to the main Point of all I will be Sanctified in all those that come nigh me There are these Three Points in these words 1 First That in the Worship of God men and women draw nigh to God 2. Secondly That we ought to Sanctifie Gods Nume in drawing nigh to Him Thirdly That if we do not Sanctifie it God will Sanctifie His own Name upon us First That in Worshipping of God there is a drawing nigh to God Quest Why is not God in every place Answ Yes certainly we can never be in any place but we are nigh to God God stands by us and looks upon us It is not only when you are Worshipping of God that you are nigh Him but when you sin against Him when thou art swearing brophaning His Name His Day God stands and looks upon thee thou art nigh Him And it may be said or written upon every place what was said of the City in the last words of the Prophecie of Ezek. 48.35 The name of the City was Jehovah-Shammah that is The Lord is there the Lord Jehovah He is there He is present in this place Oh that you would remember when you are in any place that the name of that place is Jehovah-Shamma The Lord is there In him we live we move and have our being therefore we are alwaies nigh him yea but hough we are alwaies nigh God in regard of that essential presence of his yet there is a more peculiar and special drawing nigh to God in the duties of his Worship and that the Scripture seems to hold forth unto you First I 'le shew you how the Scripture holds it forth and then in what respects the Creature may be said to draw nigh to God in holy duties of Worship for so it was here they were coming to offer Incense 1 That we do draw nigh to God in holy duties see Jam. 4.8 Draw nigh to God so that you may be neerer God than you were that is by holy Services holy duties hence it is in Psa 95.2 Let us saith he come before his presence with thanksgiving so that there is a more peculiar coming before Gods presence when we come to Worship him than at other times And v. 6 O come let us Worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our maker So in Psal 1 0. 2. Let us come before his presence with singing for that 's one part of the Worship of God But the Scripture is plain that there is a special coming before God when we are coming to Worship him and in this respect the Servants of God in Psal 148.14 are said to be a people neer to God It is a very remarkable expression and sets forth much the honor of the Saints of God There 's the commendation of the excellent estate of the Saints He also exalteth the born of his people the praise of all his Saints even the children of Israel a people neer unto him The Saints of God the Children of Israel the Church of God are said to be a people neer to God Why neer him Because that they Worship God they are much exercised in the Worship of God This is one respect though there may be divers others mentioned yet in respect of their coming so much before God in his Worship therefore they are neer God Quest Neer him Why in what respects may a man be said to draw nigh to God when he Worships him Answ To that I Answer There are three respects in which a man when he is Worshipping of God may be said to draw nigh to God 1 First Because when we come to Worship God we come to tender up that homage and service unto him that is due from us as creatures to the infinite Creator that 's the very end of Worship If you would know what it is to Worship God it is this You come to tender up that homage and respect that is due from the creature to the Creator Now when a Subject comes to tender up his homage to his Prince he comes towards him when he doth it immediately So we have none to tender it up by but Jesus Christ and when we tender it up we must come our selves too for Christ doth not take our service and tender it up to God and we be absent but we must come with Christ and Christ takes us by the hand and so tenders it up to the Father while we are in presence so that we are said to come nigh to God in that respect because of the immediate tendering up of that Worship of ours to God I call it immediate in respect of any creature But in respect of Christ indeed he is a Mediator to do it but yet he doth it in a spiritual way and we have to do with none but
the praise of men to be thy God for whatsoever thou doest lift up in the highest place that 's thy God whatsoever it be therefore if thou liftest up the praise of men and makest that thy end thou makest that thy God and so thou art a worshipper of men but not a worshipper of God Thirdly Take heed of making Self thy end there are some that are not so base low in their hearts as to make the praise of men their end but they aime and look at themselves that is they aime at their own peace and satisfying their own Consciences in the performance of duties now though it 's true when we performe duties of Gods Worship we may expect to receive some good to our selves and we may be incouraged to the duties by the expectation of good to our selves yet we must look higher we must look at the honor and praise of God that the Name of the blessed God may be honored Now I am going to Prayer Oh that I may pray so as I may lift up Gods Name I am going to Hear Oh that I may hear so as God may be honored by my hearing 't is this that carries me on to hearing the Word and makes me rise readily and to go forth cheerfully I hope that God may have some honour by my hearing this day God knows that this is the thing that I aim at I do not come for company nor to be seen of men neither do I come meerly to satisfie mine own Conscience Others go and hear such Truths of God as do good to their Souls and if I should neglect them meerly for mine own ease my Conscience would not let me be quiet howsoever there are many whose Consciences will be quiet enough though they lose an opportunity in the Worship of God but yet there are others whose Consciences cannot do so their Consciences would tell them when they are lying and turning themselves upon their beds How do you know but that God had something to speak to thy heart this morning that may never be spoken to thy heart at any other time therefore they cannot be at quiet except they attend upon God in the duties of his Worship but still this is not enough meerly to satisfie Conscience thy main end it must be that thou mayest this day know some part of the mind of God that God may speak to thy heart that so thou mayest be fitted to honour the name of God that thou mayest be inabled to live to his honour the week following so much the better As in this manner thy thoughts should be Lord I find a drossie carnal heart I am busie in the world in the week time and I find that my heart is sullied and defiled with the businesse of the World and intangled but Lord thou hast appointed thy Sabbath and Word to be a means to Sanctifie my heart and to clense it Oh Lord communicate thy grace to my Soul through thy Ordinances upon this day that so I may be inabled the week following the better to live to thine honour Lord I come into thy presence to that end that I might know some part of thy Will and that I might get thy Spirit to be conveyed through this Word of thine into my heart this should be thy end when ever thou comest and not only Self I will give you two or three Scriptures to shew that God regards little any duties where self is the highest end the First is in Hos 7.14 They howled upon their beds saith the Text there but they cryed not to me The Lord there did acknowledge that they were very much affected in their Prayers but what was it it was but a howling upon their beds and how so it was because only they did cry for themselves They have not cryed unto me saith the Lord with their heart when they howled upon their beds It was but meerly for Corn and Wine and Oyle but not unto me they aim'd at themselves and not at me And in Amos 5.22 there the Lord professes that he did reject the fat of their peace-offerings Though ye offer me saith he burnt-offerings and your meat-offerings I will not accept them neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts They were careful to offer their fattest beasts in their peace-offerings and will not God regard them It was in their peace-offerings that they offered their fat beasts and there they were to eate a great part of it themselves Indeed the burnt-offering was wholly offered unto God God had all that but the peace-offering those that did offer it they did eat a great part of it themselves now they were very careful in those offerings that they were to partake of themselves to offer fat beasts you do not see that the Holy-Ghost takes any notice of fat beasts in their burnt-offerings Now the Note from hence is this That in those things where men are interested themselves they will be very careful to have the best things But now the Lord rejected the fat beasts of their peace-offerings saith God You were very careful to offer fat beasts in your peace-offerings where you may feed your selves but for those offerings wherein I have all there you are not so careful and therefore I regard them not The Third Scripture is in Zach. 7.5 there they did keep many daies in seeking of God is is an observable Scripture for these times Speak unto all the People of the Land and to the Priests saying When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month even those seventy yeers Did ye at all fast unto me even unto me Mark the phrase you fasted in the fifth and seventh month and for seventy yeers together but saith the Lord Did you at all fast unto me and then mark how it is doubled To me even unto me Noting that when we fast or pray or do any thing in the Worship of God we should be sure to aime at God more than our selves that God may not say of us another day Do you do it to me even to me You may ask me this Question How may I know that I am acted by self-ends in holy duties for it is a hard thing for one to know ones own heart when one it acted by principles of self and when we aim at God in holy duties Now for that I will give you these notes to try whether you be acted from your selves or no. The First is this If a man loves holy duties though he finds no present good comes in by them because they are such things as God requires and therefore though I get nothing by them yet this is enough to carry me on and to carry me on readily and willingly in the Worship of God those that can delight in Gods Worship even at that time though they find nothing coming in to themselves But now when we find not that coming in that we do desire we begin to be weary of Worship and say
except he could go to heaven and there see and reade Gods Book and so discover Gods mind concerning him or go down to hell and so know whether that place be appointed for him or not except I can do one of these I can not certainly tell meerly by the Law whether I shall go to heaven or hell As you that are Merchants and dealers abroad you are at a great deal of uncertainty what shall become of your estates Indeed if I could send one over to the Indies to tell me how my Ship prospered then I could be at a certainty then I should hear whether I were a rich man yea or no but except I could do such a thing I am at an uncertainty Such is the expression here As if a poor soul should say I would fain be saved and loth to perish eternally But all the while the soul remains under the Law it remains in an uncertain condition but now saith he The Word of the Gospel is nigh thee even in thine heart And that is the word that we preach that saith Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved As if he should say This word of the Gospel that is come into thine heart doth assure thy soul of thy eternall estate so that though thou canst not go up to heaven nor go down to hell yet thou hast that in thine heart that doth as it were assure thee that thou shalt be eternally saved as if thou wert able to go up to the highest heavens and fetch newes from thence Oh now the good word of the Gospel how should we prize it and keep it in our hearts for that 's in our hearts that wil assure us of our salvation to all eternity and of Gods eternal purpose to do the good in heaven You would account it a great happiness if there could be any art to send abroad to the Straits or to other place to know how things fare with you but now if thou hast the word of the Gospel within thee if that prevails in thy Soul thou hast alwaies got something in thy heart that will tell thee how things are with thee in heaven and what shall become of thee for all eternity Oh who would not Sanctifie the Name of God in hearing of his Word seeing it is such a blessed Word wherein the Gospel is opened with more clearness than it hath been to many of our fore-fathers 2 It is a certain evidence of your election in Thess 1.3 4 5. Remembring without ceasing your work of Faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father Knowing Brethren beloved your election of God Why For our Gospel came not to you in word only but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance And know this excellency there is in Sanctifying God Name in hearing the word I beseech you mark it that it is a more blessed thing than if you did bear Jesus Christ in your wombes You that are women would not you have accounted it a great happiness if Christ had been borne in your wombes Now if thou comest to the hearing of the word and Sanctifiest Gods Name in it thou art in a better condition and hast a greater blessing upon thee than if thou hadest born Jesus Christ in thy womb In Luk. 11.27 28. And it came to pass as he spake these things that a certain woman of the company lift up her voice and said unto him Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked Seeing Christ and what gracious things came from him she spake so But he said Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it That is Labor to Sanctifie my Name as hath been opened in the particulars rather is that woman blessed that do so than the woman that bare Christ Me thinks this one Scripture should be such a Scripture for women to cause them to Sanctifie Gods Name in hearing of the word instead of a hundred Scriptures certainly thou maiest be so blessed if thou wilt beleeve the word that comes from Christs mouth 3 Do you Sanctifie the Name of God in the Word that will Sanctifie you by that your souls come to be Sanctified and it will comfort you in the day of your affliction and it will save you at last 4 You that do Sanctifie Gods Name in the hearing of his Word you will be the glory of the Ministers of God at the great day of â—udgment You will be an honour to them before the Lord and his Saints and Angels In Phil. 2.16 Holding forth saith the text the word of life This is the duty of all the hearers of the word that they must hold forth the word of life when you go home you must hold forth the power of the word you hear well what will become of that That I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither laboured in vain Let that be one motive among the rest saith the Apostle this will be such a glory to me that I in the day of Jesus Christ shall rejoyce that I have not laboured in vain I shall bless God for all my studies and care and all the pains that ever I have taken and venturing my self for this People I shall bless God in the day of Jesus Christ Would it not be a comfortable thing to you that all the Ministers of God that come to preach the word faithfully to you If at the day of Jesus Christ you should hear them blessing God that ever he did send them to preach the Gospel in such a place and you should hear them saying Oh Lord it may be had I been sent to another place I should have spent all my strength in vain but through thy mercy I was sent to a teachable people that were ready to imbrace thy Word Oh this is my crown and glory Would it not do good to any whose hearts are faithful to think this that their holding forth the word of life will not only be a glory to God which is the cheif but it will be a glory to the Ministers to recompence all their labours that you shall not only be saved your selves in the day of Jesus Christ but you shall adde to the glory of his faithful Ministers likewise when they do appear before Christ 5 I shall adde one particular more There is a time coming when God shall magnifie his Word before men and Angels In Isa 22.21 He will magnifie his Law and make it honourable What a joy shal it be to thee when the Lord before men and Angels shall come to magnifie His Word and make it honorable for thee then to think This is the Word that spoke to my heart at such and such a time this is that
the soules of sinners and therefore if ever thou wert thankfull be thankfull here The Sabbath my Brethren that is appointed to be the set constant day of thanksgiving for the great mercies of God in Christ and there are other daies for national mercies now a special work of the Lords day is the celebration of this holy Sacrament and the Christians in former times were wont to do it every Lords day because that 's the day appointed by God for to be the day of thanksgiving for that great mercy the Lord Jesus Christ and that 's the reason why the Sabbath was changed the last day of the week was the Jewish Sabbath and that was to celebrate the memorial of the Creation of the world and the first day now it is to be the day of thanksgiving for all the work of God in mans redemption Eighthly A further thing is this if you would sanctifâ—e Gods Name you must be willing to renew your Covenant that 's the end of it there must be an actuall renewing of your Covenant with God that 's thus I come to receive this bread and this wine and this is to be as the Seale of the Covenant on Gods part now this will be emplyed in the nature of the thing that if I take the Seales of Gods Covenant that I must be willing to set to my Seale too to renew the Covenant that God cals me to now know all men and women that are sav'd they are sav'd by the vertue of the Covenant of grace and there God on his part promises and makes a Covenant that he will bestow his Son life and salvation through him and thou must likewise come in on thy part and beleeve on his Son and repent which is the Tenour of the Gospel now every time thou comest to receive this Sacrament thou comest to renew this Covenant As if thou shouldest say Lord thou hast been pleased to make a Covenant of grace as the first Covenant was broken and all men were cast by that Covenant now thou hast made a Covenant of grace and callest thy servants whom thou intendest to save that they should renew their Covenant with thee in this Sacrament of thine Lord here I come and Lord here I renew it and set to my seale to promise and Covenant with thee that as ever I expect to receive any good from Christ so Lord here I will be thine I will give up my selfe for ever to thee as thou hast given me the body and Blood of Christ for my salvation so Lord here I consecrate my body and blood to thee the last drop of my heart blood shall be given up to thee and so my strength and estate and name and whatever I am or have shall be thine Have you done thus when you have come to receive the Sacrament have you actually renewed your Covenant with God you that have taken the body of Christ have you given up your body to Christ what 's the reason then that you sin so much with your bodies that you abuse your body with uncleanness and drunkennesse and other wickednesse afterwards Oh you prophane the Name of God and the very body and blood of Christ in this except thou givest up thy body and soul to God in way of Covenant Ninthly In the last place for the Sanctifying of Gods Name there is required a renewing of Love the coming with lovely dispositions and the renewing of the grace of love not only towards God but towards our Brethren for it is the feast of the Lord and it is an act of Communion Communion not only with Christ but with his Churches with his Saints and as I have told you that there is a profession of our selves to be of the same body with Jesus Christ then the Lord requires that his children should not fall out that come to his Table but that there should be love and peace there 's a mighty bond upon thee when thou commest to the Sacrament and therefore first all heart-burnings and heart-grudges must be laid aside and Secondly you must come with a willingnesse to be reconciled one to another willingness to passe by all infirmities in thy Brethren here I have the Seale of Gods willingnesse to passe by all my sins and therefore I must be willing to passe by all infirmities in my Brethren I must now cast out all ill wishes towards others and come with a desire of all good unto them and with a heart ready to imbrace any opportunity to do any good thou doest lye unto God except thou comest with such a heart as this is Lord thou knowest that I am willing to take all opportunities to doe good to those that I now do communicate with for it is the nearest Communion that possibly can be in this world between one Creature and another and this is the reason why there should be that Ordinance of Christ set up every where to cast out those that are unworthy because it is the greatest union and Communion that possibly can be for it is the Sacrament and Communion of the same body they are the same members of Christ now if thou doest no think such a one to be a member of Christ why doest not thou what thou canst to have him cast out but so long as thou hast done nothing in private to him or in telling the Church thou doest own him to be a member of Jesus Christ if thou doest so take heed how thy heart be estranged from him take heed how thou behavest thy selfe to them take heed how thou livest in jarring way and a contentious way with them and holdest tâ—â—m off at staves end or walking at a distance from them though they be never so poor and mean know that thou doest prophane this holy Ordinance every time thou commest to it when thou commest with such a heart as this is if thou dost not find this renewed love Lord there began to be a strangenesse between me and those that have communicated with me but Lord thou art pleased to vouchsafe us to come once more to this Ordinance and Lord here we do professe that this Ordinance shall unite our hearts together more than ever they were I will study to doe what good possibly I can to my Brother that as we joyne here to the Feast of the Lord with comfort so we may live together in peace and love as it becomes the Saints of God and the members of the Body of Jesus Christ Oh how far are people from any such work of God as this is the Lord expects that this should be in you every time you come to the holy Communion Here hath been nine particulars now mentioned for the sanctifying of the Name of God when we come to partake of the Sacrament but oh Lord what cause have we to lay our hands upon our hearts for if this be to sanctifie thy Name then it hath been a riddle a mystery to us certainly my brethren these things are
this For to love to go into Gods presence As David said I was glad when they said Come and let us go up unto the House of the Lord. You shall have many that love to be in Gods presence so as they think on it over-night and long for the time while it comes I never am better than when I am with God me thinks when I get into Gods presence either in Prayer or any duty of Gods Worship I find my heart warmed and quickened c. They are ready to say with Peter Master it is good being here And that 's another thing It is that which will put us in mind of the life of heaven it is the only thing in heaven to be in the presence of God Why the more thou art nigh God in the Duties of Worship the more thou art in heaven and doest not thou pray That the will of God may be done in Earth as in Heaven Now the Saints and Angels are alwaies before God Worshipping of him then be as much as thou canst in the presence of God If thou wouldest be in heaven be there Many of the Saints they find it so It is not so with carnal hearts they are weary presently when they are in Prayer or hearing the Word it is not so to them yea that 's because thou hast not the presence of God as in Mal. 1. what weariness is there Thou canst be a gaming till one or two a clock at night and though thou shouldest lose thy supper or the work of thy family it is not tedious to thee to be exercised in those things that pleaseth the flesh but when thou comest to Worship God how quickly art thou tir'd now what wilt thou do in heaven where there is nothing else done to all eternity but Worshipping of God And then it must needs be delightful to God that thou shouldest come nigh him There is nothing in the world more pleasant to God then to have his Saints come into his presence What doth a Father more delight in than to have his Children about him Never did any Father or Mother love to have their Children by them so as God loves to have his Children come nigh him and be often with him And the truth is one great reason that God suffers you to fall into afflictions so much is that you may come running to him How doth the Child come running to the Father or Mother when it is afraid why the Lord is willing to permit men to do you wrong that you may run to him that he might have more of your presence Thou that art such a poor creature yet thou hearest this day that there is nothing in the world that God takes more pleasure in next to the presence of his own Son Jesus Christ and his Saints and Angels that he hath with him in heaven then to have his Saints come nigh him to have them alwaies to be under his wing And then by coming often into Gods presence in his Worship there will grow a sweet and blessed familiarity between God and thy soul for thou wilt be speaking to God and God will be speaking to thee too We know many times that dear friends who are very neerly linkt together yet if they be long absent one from another there grows a strangeness and so by degrees their friendship is deaded but now when they are together every day and there is an intercourse of love and friendship then their friendship is kept active and quick but now if they be absent long Indeed if they be absent in another Country when they cannot come together that they are sure it is not through any neglect then it will not damp their friendship but when they are neer and come not one to another then they think it is out of neglect and so they grow strange So it is with the Soul if there were no possibility of a coming into Gods presence then it would not hinder the sweetness of the love of God to us But now when we have those duties of Worship wherein we may draw nigh to God if we neglect them our familiarity with God will quickly be lost Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace God is willing to be acquainted with his Servants the Lord loves to be familiar with the poorest of his Saints and wilt not thou maintain that sweet familiarity with God These two benefits will follow upon thy familiarity with God First Those that are most familiar with God they are most potent with God As now a stranger cannot prevail in any Petition so as a familiar friend can Thus my brethren when strangers come into Gods presence God doth not so much regard them but when his familiars come into his presence the Saints of God that keep close with him in constant communion and converse in the duties of his Worship God doth take them as his familiar friends and they will prevail much with God Secondly By this means the terror of death will be taken away there is no such way to take off the terror of the thoughts of death as by keeping familiarity with God death then is joyful to those that converse with him That Reverend Divine that is now with God Docter Preston when he was to die he had this speech I shall but change my place I shall not change my company whereas it 's otherwise if thou growest estranged from God when death comes it will look with a terrible face for then thou hast to deal with God thou art then to go into the presence of the infinite dreadful God into whose presence thou never hadst any mind to go before but saith death I must now carry thee into the presence of God As thy Body returns to the dust so thy Soul must return to God that gave it that is to receive it's eternal doom c. But now saith a Saint what must my body return to dust and my Soul to God that gave it it is he which I have bin with every day and can say as he said My Soul go forth go forth why art thou unwilling to go forth to him that thou hast conversed with all thy daies And then what safety is there in being neer to God especially in these dangerous times in the times wherein we live it is safe to be neer God in Psal 22.11 Be not far from me for trouble is neer saith David Lord trouble is neer me be not thou far from me It 's a blessed thing to have God neer us when trouble is neer us trouble is neer many of you perhaps there 's not a spans breadth between death and us what a blessed thing is it then to have God to be neer us When the poor Chickin sees the Kite come neer it to seize upon it and is like to be surprized if the Hen be neer it runs to the Hen and the Hen covers it and keeps it safe So it should be with us for so Christ saith of Jerusalem
How often would I have have gathered thee as a Hen gathereth her Chickings There are a company of Kites abroad in the world and we are poor shiftless creatures now how happy are we then if we can run under the shaddow of Gods wing there is a kind of shaddow in the presence of God in the enjoyment of the creature but the shaddow of God that we have in His Worship that is as the shadow of His wing There is the shadow of a Tree and that may help from some kind of troubles but there 's another manner of shadow under the shadow of the wing of the Hen because that nourishes the Chickin The men of the world they have the shadow of the Tree as it were Gods general Providence which is over all Creatures but the Saints of God that draw nigh to God they have the shadow of Gods wing like the shadow of the Hens wing to the Chickin which doth comfort it and safegard it Let us by the duties of Worship thus draw nigh to God and keep nigh unto Him SERMON III. LEVITICUS 10.3 Stepney Nov. 30. 1645. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me I WILL onely adde one Particular more to what we said the last day and then proceed If in the duties of Worship we are nigh to God then hence appears the great honor that God puts upon His Servants that do Worship Him Certainly the Worshippers of God have great Honor put upon them because the Lord vouchsafes them to draw nigh unto Him they are such as are precious and honorable in His eyes I will not enlarge my self in this only give you three Scriptures that shew the great honour and respect that God puts upon those that He doth admit to come and Worship Him The first Scripture is in Deut. 4.17 There Moses speaking of the People of Israel and the great respect that God shewed to them more than others for saith he What Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon Him for What Nation is there so great as you are So great How doth it appear that the Nation of Israel is a greater Nation than other Nations are How That hath God so nigh unto them in all things that they call upon Him for herein any man or woman or Nation may be said to be great that is greatly honored by the Lord God in that they have the Lord nigh unto them and they are nigh unto Him here 's the greatness of a Nation You would think that if one would describe the greatness of a Nation it should be in their great Wealth their great Trading and Traffique that they have and the Fertile place that they live in No this is not the greatness of a Nation But what Nation is there so great that hath the Lord God so nigh to them There 's the greatness of a Nation and so a Spiritual heart would account greatness to consâ—st in having God to be nigh unto it The Second Scripture is in Num. 16.9 There we have Moses speaking unto the Sons of Korah rebuking them for their sin and he brings this aggravation to them of the greatness of their sin saith he Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you neer to Himself That is That you should come to Worship Him Is this a small thing to you Is not this honor enough As if Moses should have said Why do you contend for any more Honor the Lord hath separated you to bring you neer to Himself Object This you will say was spoken to the Priests Answ But it may be said of every gracious Soul for every Beleever Christ hath made a King Priest and Prophet unto Himself now there is no Beleever but Jesus Christ hath separated him or her from the rest of the world to be neer unto God This is the dignity that God hath put upon thee that thou art seperated by His grace to be one neer to Him whereas others of the world they depart from Him continually depart more and more from Him but I say the Lord by His grace hath set thee apart for Himself as He saith in Psal 4.3 The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself Thou art seperated from the world To what end It is that thou mightest be neer to Him this is thy priviledge and thou shouldest account it thy great honor thou hast not that honour and respect in the world as others have but thou art one of Gods seperate Ones that thou art neer to Him A Third Scripture is in Psal 33.28 There you may see how the Prophet David did highly esteeme of that great Honour that the Lord did put upon him in this in being neer to God But it is good for me to draw neer to God Mark how he speaks But it is good for me Why For loe they that are far from thee shall perish thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee As if he should say There are some that did seeme to be neer unto thee heretofore that were as the wife to the husband but they are gone a whoring from thee base Hypocrits base Apostats they are gone a whoring from thee their hearts being carnall they did not find that Contentment and satisfaction in thy Worship as thy Saints do and therefore they are gone a whoring from thee but it is good for mee to draw neer to thee It is an excellent Scripture Do you see any young ones or others that were very forward not many years ago and would speak of good things and seem to rejoyce in the word but now they are gone a whoring they are departed from God and His wayes and the pleasures of the flesh hath taken their hearts Thou wilt destroy them saith David that go a whoring from thee So thou shouldest think with thy 〈◊〉 Oh miserable is the condition of those who once were forward in the profession of Religion and now are gone a whoring from God But it is good for me to draw neer to God they are gone from thee and that wilt destroy them but it is good for me to draw neer to thee I bless my self in drawing neer to thee the Lord and bless the time that ever I did draw neer to thee and that ever I knew those waies wherein my soul hath drawn neer to God Such as Worship God aright and do delight in the worship of God they are such as have a great honor put upon them they do draw nigh to God And thus we have finished the first Point The Second Point is that will hold us sometime and that is The Sanctifying Gods Name in our drawing neer to God When we Worship God we draw nigh to Him but let us take heed how we draw nigh Heb. 10.12 Let us draw neer with a true heart
Look to thy feet when thou comest into the House of God Eccle. 5.1 Now for the Sanctifying of Gods Name in drawing nigh to Him we shall endeavour to open it 1 First in shewing you wherein the Sanctification of Gods Name consists or what we should do that we might Sanctifie the Name of God in drawing nigh to Him 2 The Reason why God will have His Name to be Sanctified in those that do draw nigh to Him How we should Sanctifie the Name of God in drawing nigh to Him it is under these two heads First There must be a due preparation unto the Worship of God that we exercise our selves in at any time Secondly A right behaviour of our souls in it in these two things consists the Sanctifying of Gods Name in His Worship Now under these Two Heads all that I shall speak about the opening of the Sanctifying of Gods Name will be contain'd At this time I shall only speak to the First The due preparation of the Soul unto the Duties of Gods Worship Therein consists a speciall part of the Sanctifying of Gods Name in drawing nigh to Him And that it is so we find it in Scripture That preparation for worship it is called the Sanctifying of our selves and by finding this in Scripture it hinted me upon this head to speak of the preparation unto Worship in our Sanctifying Gods Name because I find in Scripture that the Sanctifying our selves for Worship and the preparation of our selves for Worship are all one I le give you these two texts In 1 Sam. 16.5 you shall find there that Samuel when he was sent by God to Anoint David in Bethlem the text saith I am come to Sacrifice unto the Lord Sanctifie your selves and come with me tâ— the Sacrifice Do you come peaceably say they Yes what then Sanctifie your selves and come with me to the Sacrifice That 's all one as if he should have said Prepare your selves and come with me to the Sacrifice and so in Job 1.5 there you shall find that the holy man Job when his sons had been feasting he was somewhat afraid least there should be some miscarriage and that they had sinned against God in their feasting as it is very hard to give liberty to please the flesh and not to sin not to transgress bounds therefore Job though he did not hear of any notorious abuse of their feasting yet he was afraid least they should sin he knew how dangerous it was to have so much satisfaction to the flesh and not to transgress bounds therefore it is said he sent to his sons and sanctified them It was so saith the text when the daies of the feasting were gone about that Job sent and Sanctified them that Job sent unto them to prepare them to offer Sacrifice to prepare them for the Worship of God So that the Scripture holds forth this then that to prepare for Worship it is to Sanctifie for Worship and so it is one special thing that is required in our sanctifying of God in our drawing nigh to God to make a due preparation for his holy worship Now for the orderly handling of things 1 First I shal shew you That we must prepare for the worship of God 2 Secondly I shall shew you Wherein this preparation for the Worship of God doth consist 3 Thirdly The excellency that there is in this or what great good there is in preparation for Gods Worship 4 Fourthly I shall Answer a case of Conscience or two 5 Fifthly I will shew you what is the behaviour of the Soul in Sanctifying Gods Name 6 Sixthly The Reasons why God will be Sanctified in the duties of his Worship First That there must be preparation to the Worship of God For First that God that we come to Worship is a great and glorious God and we having to deal with such an infinite glorious dreadful Majesty it is fit that we should make preparation when we come nigh unto him therefore in Exod 19.10 when God came among the people to give them his Law he did require that they should be Sanctified to day and to morrow and that they should wash their cloaths and be ready against the third day for the third day the Lord would come down upon mount Sinai in the sight of the people God did not so much stand upon their cloaths but it was to signifie an inward washing Now my brethren if when God came to give the Law they were so to prepare then certainly when we are to come to Worship God in the way of the Gospel we are to prepare as well as they because God is coming For that that is observable is why they were for two daies together to make such preparation the argument is because of the presence of God The Lord said to Moses Go and Sanctifie the people tâ— day and to morrow and let them wash their cloaths and be ready against the third dayâ— Why for the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mâ—unt Sinai The Lord will come down the third day and therefore let them be Sanctified So when thou goest to Worship Gods thou expectest or shouldest expect that God will come to thee and that thy heart shall be drawn to God and therefore thou shouldest make some preparation For the time of preparation we shall speak to afterward when we come to the cases of Conscience about preparation for Worship And so in Chr. 22.5.14 David makes preparation for the House of God because it was the House of God that he had to build though he could not do it himself in his own time yet being the House of God what great preparation was made by David The morral of which is this That the house of God being a Type of the Church and the worship of God as well as of Christ it shews that there should be much preparation when we have to deal with God in his Ordinances Secondly As God is great that we draw nigh to so the duties of Gods worship are great duties they are the greatest things that doth concern us in this world and it is a sign of a very carnal heart to slight the duties of Gods Worship to make account of them as little matters Carnal hearts ordinarily the things that concern their businesses in the world they think great matters Oh I may not neglect that I may not neglect that I may not neglect such a business or I may not neglect to visit or gratifie such a friend but now for the worship of God it is good indeed but whether it be done or not it is no great maâ—ter therefore they can put off prayer if they have any business the time of prayer must pay for it they can put off that upon any slight occasion they do not account the duties of Gods worship great matters My brethren I beseech you learn this lesson this morning to account the duties of Gods worship great matters they are the greatest
is prepared to duties there the Lord will pass by weaknesses and imperfections in duties When thou comest to perform holy duties thou art troubled will the Lord have regard to such a duty as this is thou mayest have certain assurance that the Lord will have regard if thou canst make this point good to thine own soul that it was thy care to make preparation for this duty canst thou say Lord I have indeavoured and done what I could to fit my heart for duty but O Lord I find when I am at it wonderful distractions much deadness and vanity what shall I do Why canst thou make good the former and appeal to God that indeed it was thy care to make preparation I 'le give thee one Scripture then for the quieting of thy heart in this That the weakness of the duty shall be pardoned and past by where there is care to prepare before hand the Scripture is in 2 Chron. 30.18 19. But Hezekiah prayed for them saying The good Lord pardon every one what every one every one that prepareth his heart to seek the Lord God of his fathers though he be not clensed according to the purification of the Sancttuary As if he should say Oh Lord there are many things amiss in this people they are not in many regards purified according to the order that thou hast set but Lord if thou doest but see any heart prepared to seek thee though they fail in such particulars Lord heal them and pardon them and did God hearken to his prayer Mark the following words And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people Nay saith God I will not stand so much upon the purification of the Sanctuary if they have prepared their hearts to seek me Take this Scripture know it 's written for thy instruction and thou mayest make use of it to thine own soul this day if thou canst appeal to God that thou art careful to prepare thy heart though thou shouldest not have that pureness of thy heart as thou doest desire the Lord will pardon thee and heal thee make conscience of Preparation to holy duties Again further by being careful to make Preparation for duties within some little time thou wilt bring thy heart to such a frame as it will alwaies be ready for duty without much ado Indeed at first it is somewhat hard You will say Are we bound to spend some time every time we go to prayer before hand or every time we come to the Word That should have been one of the Cases of Conscience but I cannot come to Answer that but this we may say Be careful to prepare for duties you that are young beginners or you that have made profession a longer time but yet have not had the weight of this duty upon your spirits now be careful for a while to prepare for every duty of Gods Worship that God cals you to and I say within a little time thou mayest bring thy heart into such a temper as thou mayest be ready at all times to performe holy duties because you shall be able to come to that temper and frame that the Apostle exhorts to Pray continually for indeed so it should be with us we should be alwaies prepared either for Prayer hearing the Word or receiving Sacraments Now because Sacraments are so rare those that have any enlightened conscience they think they dare not but prepare for Sacraments but you should be alwaies in a preparation for the receiving of the Sacraments as the Primitive Chriâ—tian did And those that have been acquainted with this Point that I am upon of preparing for duties they have come to such a frame of Spirit as that there is not so much time required of them as of others for they are in a constant fitness so that there is no instant of time in the whole day but if God cals them to prayer they could presently fall down upon their knees and pray so as to sanctifie Gods Name in Prayer that were an excellent temper indeed if you could find it so that you walk so spiritually and holily before God as there could be never a quarter of an hour from morning to night nor from the beginning of the week to the end but if you were cal'd to pray or to receive the Sacrament you had your heart fitted that you could come into Gods presence with a prepared heart and were able to sanctifie Gods Name in the duty Acquaint your selves with this work of Preparation and so you may have hearts fitted to come into Gods presence at any time SERMON III. LEVITICUS 10.3 Stepney Decem. 7. 1645. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE Proceed now to what remains There are only for the perfecting of this Point two Cases of conscience to be resolved And then we are to proceed to other things The first is Whether we ought at all times to set apart some time for preparation to every duty of Gods Worship Secondly Suppose we do not find our hearts prepared as we do desire Whether it were better to leave off the duty than perform it For the first of these Viz. Whether we are alwaies bound to set some time apart for preparation to the duty that we are to perform The Answer to that is this we must distinguish of persons There are some that are exercised in the way of godliness and do keep their hearts close with God in the wayes of holiness now for them it may be supposed that through their exercise in the waies of godliness and keeping of their hearts constant with God in communion with Him walking with God closely that they are at all times prepared to every good work and fitted to fulfil that command of the Apostle Pray continually that is in the disposition of their hearts they are fit to pray at any time there is no day in the week nor no hour in the day but they if God call them to it could fall down to solemn prayer And indeed this is an excellent condition and a good evidence of the hearts walking close with God that there is no time but they are fit to pray and fit for any Ordinance yea to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper It is possible to keep the heart so close to God as to be fit for Prayer and for the Hearing of the Word and for Receiving of the Sacrament every day or any hour in the day but this needs a very close walking with God and communion with God and the truth is this is very rare most men let out their hearts so much to other things as their consciences cannot but tell them that if God cal them to prayer at such a time in the day they are altogether unfit for it If they were called to receive the Sacrament their consciences would fly in their faces and tel them they are unfit for it but it is not so with those that walk close with God though they be in
Why have wee fasted and thou seest it not This is an Argument that thou art acted by Selfe rather than by God Secondly To know whether we be acted by self-ends or rather by high ends for God Those men that can rejoyce in others that are able to honor God in holy duties more then themselves they may have a good evidence to their own souls that when they Worship God they are acted by higher ends than Selfe but now such as are streightned themselves and when they see others more enlarged in the Worship of God they rather envy them are greiv'd and troubled know that Self is a great ingredient in those duties that thou doest perform if thy heart were raised high to God though thou canst not thy self be enlarged in holy duties yet thy soul would be glad that any others are though I have a whetched and vile heart of my own yet blessed be God that there are any others that can Worship God better than I can Thirdly A man that is acted by Self in holy duties he regards holy duties but little save in time of extremity in time of fear or in fickness or in dangers But now one that hath high ends in holy duties makes the duties of Gods Worship to be the joy of his Soul in the mid'st of his prosperity and that is an evident sign that thou art not acted by self ends but by higher ends Canst thou in the mid'st of thy abundance say Lord thou givest me all conveniences in this world and all outward things that I want but Lord this is that which is the joy of my Soul this is that which makes my life comfortable even communion with thy Self in the duties of thy Worship that I have free accesse unto the Throne of thy Grace to Worship Thee the Lord and there meet with thee when I am in the performance of holy duties O Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that this is the thing that makes my life comfortable It is not that I have a Table furnished with variety of dishes and that I can have liberty of time to go into company and spend according as I please but Lord those incomes of thy Spirit that I do find in the duties of thy worship those are the things that makes my life blessed indeed unto me Such a man as is able thus to appeale to God surely when he worships God he is acted by high-ends and not by self-ends And that 's the Third thing that is necessary for Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties thou must have a Sanctified heart high thoughts of God and high ends In the Fourth place There must be much reverence and much fear when thou comest into the presence of God to Worship Him thou dost not glorifie God as God except thou dost come into his presence with much fear reverence of His great Name Fear in worshipping of God it is so necessary that many times in Scripture we find that the very Worship of God is called the fear of God they are put both for one I might give you divers Scriptures for it and hence it was that the Name of God was called The fear of Isaac Jacob did swear by The fear of his father Isaac because Isaac being a great Worshipper of God kept his constant times to worship God and worshipped him in such a constant way as except David and Daniel we do not find mention of the constancy of any in the worshipping of God as we do of Isaacs for it is said that he walked but into the fields in the evening as he was wont to do to Meditate and to Pray and therefore God is called The Fear of Isaac In Psal 89.7 is an notable Scripture for this drawing nigh to God with feare God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him God is to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him but in the assembly of His Saints He is greatly to be feared He is daunting terrible so the words are in the assembly of the Saints When thou comest nigh to God thou hadst need have thy heart possest with much fear So in Psal 2.11 the Kings and Princes of the earth are cal'd upon to serve the Lord with fear Let them be never so great yet when they come into Gods presence they must serve Him with fear And so in Psal 5.7 In thy fear will I worship toward thy holy Temple Now this fear of God it must not be a servile fear but a filial and reverentiall fear For my Brethren there may be a great deal of slavish fear where God is not honored there may be fear from some terrible apprehensions of God which yet is not owned by God to be this grace of fear I 'le give you Two notable Scriptures for that in Deut. 5.23 24. compared with the 29. It came to passe saith the text vers 23 when ye heard the voice out of the middest of the darkness for the mountain did burn with fire that ye came neer unto me even all the heads of your tribes and your elders And ye said Behold the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness and we have heard his voice out of the middest of the fire we have seen this day that God doth talk with man and he liveth now therefore why should we die for this great fire will consume us If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more then we shall die See with what a terrour they were struck at the apprehension of Gods appearance you would think surely these men did fear God much but mark in vers 29. O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me Why did they not fear the Lord Were they not struck with such fear that they thought they should die they saw his presence so terrible that they were afraid they should die and yet O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me So that it appears by this that one may be struck with much terrour in the apprehension of Gods presence and yet have no true fear of the Name of God So some of you it may be in time of thunder or danger are filled with terrour but yet may it not be said presently after O that there were the fear of God in the heart of this man or woman this youth or maid They are terrifed sometimes but yet there is not a filiall and reverential fear of God in them And I find in I King 19. where you have the story of Gods appearing in that most terrible manner unto the Prophet Elijah by Fire by Thunder and in a mighty Wind the Prophet was not so struck with fear of Gods presence when he did appear in the mighty wind or earthquake or fire as when God did appear in the small still voice therefore in vers 13. it
and the understanding from the prudent And that is the reason why so many great Scholars are blasted in their very parts because they would worship God according to the precepts of men in a formal way and so all hypocrites and formal worshippers the Lord doth blast them in one way or other the judgments of God upon the spirits of men were sometimes in the time of the Law But in the times of the Gospel there we find generally the judgments of God to be more spiritual upon the hearts and consciences of men we find it by experience God doth discover that he doth not accept of such as those are and therefore when you see any that have made profession of Religion that had excellent Parts at first many common Gifts and now are as we say no body Remember this Text That God will be Sanctified in those that come nigh Him Secondly The Lord doth manifest that he wil be Sanctified in those that draw nigh him by awaking their consciences many times upon their sick beds and death beds the Lord doth force them to give glory to him and there to acknowledge that they did not worship God in Uprightness but in Formality And now they are in horrour of conscience and cry out in the anguish of their souls upon the apprehension of the dreadfull wrath of God that is upon them Take heed for the Lords sake of this thing when you are performing of the duties of Worship do not rest in the outward duties for they will never comfort you upon your sick and death beds you may perhaps put off your consciences a little for the present but when you come upon your sick beds there will be no comfort unto you and then you will be forced to say wel all this while I have but taken the Name of God in vain and now God hath rejected me and all my services and you will then speak to those that come about your beds side and bid them take warning by you take heed that when you worship God you worship him to purpose I have spent time in prayer and hearing but for want of this I find I have no comfort at all but the Lord appears to be terrible to my soul and comes out against me as an enemy I say now Gods Name is Sanctified whatever becomes of thee he will force glory from thee one way or other and it may be even here in this time of thy life but how ever at the great day when the secrets of all hearts must be disclosed before men and Angels then the Lord will appear to be a holy God by rejecting all such services that thou didest tender up to him and it will then be a great part of the work of the day of Judgment for God to be Sanctified in those that did worship him by declaring before men and Angels how He did reject such formal and hypocritical worship that they did tender up unto him Oh that God would strike this upon your hearts that it may abide upon you every time you come to worship Him to think thus Let me look to it to Sanctifie His Name now for I hear that God will Sanctifie it Himself if I do not do it But then on the other side If so be that thou makest conscience of Sanctifying Gods Name in duties then he will Sanctifie his Name in a way of Mercy that is He will manifest how he doth accept of the least degree of holines though there be much mixture God hath a way to take away the mixture by the blood of his Son and then to accept of any holiness He sees in thee He will Sanctifie his Name by meeting with thee and revealing His glory to thee when thou art worshipping of Him There is an excellent Scripture for this Exod. 29.43 There I will meet with the Children of Israel and the Tabernacle shall be Sanctified by my Glory Thou that hast a gracious heart and art worshipping of God in Sincerity thou art as a Tabernacle of God and God hath His Service and Worship from thee thou art as the Temple of God and there will I meet with thee saith God and I will Sanctifie my Tabernacle by my Glory God wil sanctifie thy heart by his Glory if thou dost Sanctifie his Name Further Thou shalt it may be not alwaies have such glorious comforts the full beams of the Sun rising upon thee but at one time or other the Lord will break in upon thee and manifest his Glory to thee and it 's like if thou hast not such full comforts now yet upon thy sick-bed though God doth not then alwaies manifest Himself fully for sometimes the disease may be a hinderance yet it is ordinary that those that in their constant way did Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties they do lie comfortably upon their sick beds and a glorious entrance is made for them into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ And then again All things are Sanctified unto them as on the other side those that do not sanctifie Gods Name al things are cursed to them if thou doest not make Conscience of sanctifying Gods Name in duties God cares not to sanctifie any thing for thy good But now those that make conscience of Sanctifying Gods Name in holy duties the Lord takes care that all things shall be Sanctified for their good for the furtherance of their eternal good And however it be here yet hereafter at the great day of Judgement it will be a part of the glory of God to manifest before Men and Angels how He did accept of those holy services that thou didst tender up to Him when hypocrites shall be cast away and abhor'd and thou who had'st an upright sincere heart shalt be owned before God and before Men and Angels at that great Day and God shall say Well it is a part of the glory of my Holiness to make it appear that I have accepted of these holy things that these my poor servants have tendered up to me And this now is of marveilous use for the comforting of a gracious heart those duties that thou doest now think thou hast lost and there will nothing come of them thou shalt certainly hear of them another day God will make it appear there is nothing that He stands more upon than the glory of his Holiness and it is the glory of his Holiness that is thy strength in this thing and that makes it certain to thee that there must be a manifestation of thy acceptance and therefore take these Truths into thy heart about Sanctifying the Name of God You have had only the Point in generall opened to you Oh that the Spirit of God would bring things unto your remembrance SERMON VIII LEVITICUS 10.3 I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE have as you may remember Preached many SERMONS upon that Point of Sanctifying the Name of God in the duties of his Worship We have spoken
of the secrets of all hearts Thou knowest that I go with such a resolution to yeeld up my self to every truth of thine How would the Name of God be Sanctified if you did thus come to hear the Word If you did come with such a resolution Job 32.34 That wich I know not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more In Isa 2.3 you have a prophesie of the Gentils how they should come to the Word 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 waies and we will walk in his paths Here is a blessed disposiâ—ion when you come to hear the Word Some of you come together in streets and Ianes and over the fields when you come together and meet one with another as you walk over the fields make use of this text Oh that this prophesie might be fulfilled in your coming over the fields every Lords day morning and at other times that you would say one to another or when you call one upon another to go to hear Come let us go up to the house of the Lord and he will teach us of his waies and we will walk in his paths We are resolved that whatever the Lord shall teach us to be his waies we will submit unto it This is a due preparation of the heart for the Sanctifying of Gods Name in the hearing of his word 4 When you come to hear the word come with longing desires after the word come with an appetite to it As in 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that yee may grow thereby Do it as new born babes Now you know little babes they do not desire milk to play withal but only to nourish them Children of three or four yeers old they may desire milk to play with but new born babes never care for it but when they are hungry to nourish them And so it is true many come to hear the word to play with it But now you should come to hear the word as new born babes with a hungring desire after the word that your Souls may be nourished thereby That were excellent if every Lords day and at other daies you did come as hungry to the Word as ever you went to your dinner or supper The Word of God should be to you more than your appointed food And then you are like to grow by it and to Sanctifie Gods Name in it 5 Pray before-hand That God would open thine eyes and open thine heart and accompany His Word thus did David Open mine eyes O Lord that I may understand the wonders of thy Law And you know what is said of Lydia The Lord opened her heart to attend to the Word that was spoken Now seeing it is an Ordinance thou doest expect more good from than what it self of of it's own nature is able to convey thou hadest need to Pray Lord I go to such an Ordinance of thine and I know there is no efficacy in it's self it is not able to reach to such effects as I expect that is to have my heart spoken too and quickened and to have mine eyes opened but O Lord open mine eyes and open mine heart Lord my heart naturally is lockt up against thy Word there are such wards in my heart that except thou art pleased to put in a key that may fit my heart it will never open Man he is not able to know my heart and therefore he cannot fit a key to answer every ward to resolve every doubt to silence every objection but Lord thou canst do it Do thou Lord therefore fit thy Word this day that may meet with my heart Lord I have gone often to thy Word and the key hath stuck in it and it hath not opened but Lord if thou wouldest but fit it and turn it with thine own hand my heart would open Oh come with such a praying heart to the Word and thereby shalt thou Sanctifie the Name of God in hearing His Word this is to come to the Word as to the Word of God you must not come to the hearing of the word as to hear a Spech or an Oration but come in such a preparation as this is and so I say God will be glorified and you will be profited The next thing is What should be the behaviour of the Soul in tht Sanctifying Gods Name in the word when it is come Now to that there are these particulars 1 First There must be a carefull attention unto the Word you must set your hearts unto it as Moses in Deut. 32.46 he said unto the people Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie among you this day which you shall command your Children to observe to do for it is not a vain thing for you because it is your life Set your hearts to it for it iâ— not a vain thing it is your life when you come to hear the word give diligent attention to what you hear In Acts 8.6 it is said The people with one accord gave heed unto 〈◊〉 things which Philip spake They gave heed The word is used often in Scripture sometimes it is used for to beware of a thing Beware of the leven of the Pharisees Beware of them As a man when he sees an enemy and is aware of him he is very diligent to observe how to avoid him So there should be as much diligence to get good by the word as one would be diligent to avoid any danger whatsoever And the word signifies somtimes to give such heed as a disciple gives unto his master so they gave need to the word So in Pro. 2.1 2. My son if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandements with thee so that thou encline thine eaâ—e unto wisdome We must diligently attend and not to suffer our eyes and our thoughts to be wandring but diligently attend to what is said my brethren there is all things that may challenge attention in the word What would make you to attend to any thing First If he that speaks were much above you If it were a great Prince or Lord that spake to you then you would attend Now though it is true it is but a man that it may be is inferiour to most of you that speaks yet know in him it is the Lord of Heaven and Earth that speaks to you And so you know what Christ saith Hee that heareth you heareth me So though you would not attend in respect of the Messenger so much yet as it is the Son of God that is speaking to you it may challenge your attention This day if you should hear a voice out of the clouds from Heaven speaking to you would you not then listen the truth is we should listen as much to the voice of God in the Ministry of His Word as if so be
God shall have no place in the heart If a temptation to sin comes that hath a place in the heart but when the Word comes that hath no place in the heart I say it is a very sad thing that we can find no room for the Word we should get room for the Word Open ye gates Stand open ye everlasting doors that the King of Glory may come in Know that when you come to hear the Word the Lord is knocking at the doors of your hearts have not you felt it sometimes Open Oh open the doors let all be opened to receive the Word into your hearts That is the Second thing for the behaviour of the Soul in hearing 3 The third thing is the careful applying of the Word so in Pro. 2.2 There must be an applying of the heart to the word and an applying of the word unto the heart All action is by an application of the thing that doth act unto the subject there must be an application of the word to thy soul as now Suppose thou comest to hear the Word and thou hearest of some sin that it may be thou knowest thou art guilty of take the Word and lay it to thy heart and say The Lord hath met with my soul this day the Lord hath spoken to me to the end that I might be humbled for this sin and the other sin that my Conscience tels me I am guilty of So doth the Lord put thee upon a duty that concerns thee acknowledge this the Lord hath spoken to me this day and put me upon the reformation of my family and the reformation of my own heart Is there a word presented apply that and let not the trouble of thy heart cause thee to cast off that word that God hath spoken to thee The application of the word to the heart it is of marveilous use and it concerns not only Ministers in general to lay before people the Doctrine of the Gospel but to apply it And know that it concerns you as well as Ministers to apply it And not only when they come to that that is called use but all the way in the opening of the Word it concerns you all to apply it to your own souls and to consider How doth it concern me in particular My brethren there is no such way to honour God or get good to your own souls as the application of the Word unto your selves As a man that is asleep if there be annoise made it will not awake him so soon but come and call him by his name and say John or Thomas and that will awake him sooner than a greater noise will So when the Word makes a noise when it is delivered only in the general men take little notice of it but when the Word comes particularly to the souls of men and doth as it were call them by name thi awakens them now God many times doth speak to your hearts but you should apply it you know the word is compared to meat and it must be applyed to the body Then do we worship God in a right way when as we take notice of Gods Word as concerning us in particular as that notable Scripture that you have in 1 Cor. 14.25 Where there comes a poor man into the Church of God and hears Prophesying hears the Word opened and the text saith He is c nvinced of all 〈…〉 and then in verse 25. Thus are the secrets of his heart manifes◠and 〈◊〉 falling down on his face he worship◠God and reports that God is in you of a truth that is when the Word comes and meets with his Soul in particular that he finds himself to be aim'd at by the Word then he worships God and saith that God certainly is in them here 's the reason now that when you come to hear the word you do not worship God because you apply it not to your selves you are ready to say this was well spoken to such a one and it concerns such a one but how doth it concern thy soul in particular Sometimes the Lord doth even force men and women to apply it whether they will or no for that they think the Minister speaks to them in particular and that no body was spoken too in the Congregation but themselves This is a Mercy when the Lord doth it unto you but it is a greater Mercy when the Lord gives you a heart to apply it to your selves and although it may trouble you a little for the present yet be willing to apply it and account it a great Mercy from the Lord That the Lord will be pleased to speak in particular to your Souls 4 Fourthly We must mix Faith with the Word or otherwise it will do us but little good Apply it and then beleeve it In Heb. 4.2 it is said that The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Wherefore there must be a mixture of Faith to beleeve the word that the Lord brings unto you Now concerning that I 'le but propound these few particulars You will say Must we beleeve every thing that is spoken sometimes there are some things spoken that we cannot tell how to beleeve I do not mean so to beleeve every thing meerly being spoken for you must take heed what you hear as well as how you hear but do thus much at least 1 〈◊〉 the First place Whatsoever comes in the Name of God to you except you know certainly it is not according to the written Word you owe so much respect to it as to examine it at least to try it whether it be so or no as it is said of those Wel-bred men that I spake of that they did examine whether things were so or no. Do not cast off any thing presently that comes in the Name of God Now any thing that hath the broad Seal upon it you must not disobey You will say It may be counterfeit but do not disobey it till you be sure it be counterfeit Oh that men would give but this respect to all things that they hear never to cast them off till they have examined and tryed whether they be so or no. 2 Secondly Do but grant this respect to the Word that is spoken to you as to think thus What it all that I hear spoken against my sin which laies open the dangerous condition that my soul is in prove to be true what a case were I in then This hath been the beginning of the conversion of many Souls the having but such a thought as this It may be things are not so terrible as I hear but what if they do prove so then I am undone for ever Dare I venture my Soul and my eternal estate upon hopes that these things are not so bad as I hear I beleeve if you would put your selves to it you would think it a bold adventure and the comfort that any of you have grounded upon this meerly hoping that things are
in the word of God such a sutable behaviour there is in the heart of a man to it this is an honest heart So that there are those two things when a man is square with God in one thing as wel as another and when there is a sutableness to the behaviour of the Soul to what excellency there is in the Word when the heart of man will not abuse the Word at all but behaves it self honestly according unto the gravity holiness and weight that there is in the Word And thus now with such a good and honest heart we are to receive the Word if we will Sanctifie Gods Name in it 10 A tenth particular is this If we will Sanctifie Gods Name in the word we must hide the Word in our hearts we must not only hear the Word but keep it preserve it and then do we declare that we account the word of God to be worth something indeed For what is it to Sanctifie God as we have opened before in the general but such a behaviour towards Him as may testifie the Excellency of the Name of God so the behaviour of the soul in hearing the word must be such as must give a testimony to the Excellency of the word and manifest the high esteem I have of it Now if I received a thing that is of great value if I flight it and let any body take it from me I do not give a testimony to the excellency of that thing but if I take it and lock it up and keep it under lock and key I do thereby give a testimony of the esteem that I have of the excellency of that thing So now When I come to hear the Word and meet with truths that have gotten into my soul I close with them and am resolved within my heart as I am hearing of them well this truth I will keep through Gods grace this concerns me and I will make much of it and although I forget other things yet I hope I shall remember this to Sanctifie Gods Name in hearing of the word In Isa 42.23 Hear saith the holy-Ghost there for the time to come When we come to the word we must not only hearken for the present as many of us while we are hearing our hearts are stir'd for the present Oh that we could but have that affection of heart alwaies as we have when we are hearing of the word How many of you have said when you have been hearing such a Sermon Oh then me thought I could have gone through fire and water for God I but mark it you must hear for afterwards And in Psalm 119.11 There the Prophet David profest that he did hide the word in his heart the word was sweet unto him Thy Word saith he have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee You that come and hear those Truths upon the Lords day if you would hide them thus in your hearts and keep them all the week they would help you against the many temptations that you meet withall you go abroad on the week daies into company and there you meet with a temptation and it overcomes you and you â—omplain Alas I am weak I have met with a temptation and it hath foil'd me But had you hid the word that you heard on the Lords day in your heart it would have kept you from the strength of your temptation that it should not have overcome you those that are truly godly they have a care to hide the word in their hearts when they hear it they think this word shall help me against such and such sins which I am prone to by nature and when a temptation comes to that sin I hope I shall have use of the word that I have heard this day As now suppose you hear a word against passion then you should hide that word in your hearts against that time that temptation comes to passion And you hear a word against sensuallity and abuse of the creatures you should hide that word against that temptation cometh And you hear a word against unrighteousnesse and unjust dealings when a temptation comes to that sin you should hide that word against that time So you hear a word that speaks of obedience to parents and servants duties to governors now you should hide that word in your hearts against that time I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sin against thee You say that you would fain withstand and not be overcome with temptations why here is the way hide the Word within thee that thou mayest not sin against him And so in Pro. 2.1 you have a Scripture to the same purpose about hiding the commandements within us And then in 1 Joh. 2.14 I write unto you young men because you are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one I have written to you young men you are young you have strong natures and so strength of nature for God But how comes this to pass You are strong and the Word of God abideth in you here is an excellent Scripture for all young men you have your memories fresh and if you will exercise your memories about any thing it should be in the Word of God it is a comely and an excellent thing to see young ones to have the Word of God abiding in them that if you come to them not only a week but a month after they have heard the word they are able to give you an account of it I am verily perswaded that there are many young ones in this place that are able to give you old ones If you ask them an account of what it is to Sanctifie Gods Name in the duties of Worship and why because the Word of God abideth in them It is the honour of young men to have the Word of God to abide in them and hereby they overcome the wicked one And on the other side many young people that do come to hear the Word it may be they are drawn to it by others or it may be they love to have a walk in the morning but the Word of God abideth not in them and therefore when the wicked one comes with temptations the week after they are overcome by him but those that have the Word of God abiding in them they overcome the wicked one And so in Joh. 8.31 you have a very remarkable Scripture for this purpose of keeping the Word after we have heard it Then said Jesus to those which beleeved on him if you continue in my Word then are you my Disciples indeed I beseech you observe it It is said that the Jewes did beleeve in Christ and yet saith Christ If ye continue in my Word then are you my Disciples why were they not the Disciples of Christ that did beleeve in him By this beleeving therefore we must understand some kind of general notion that they had of Christ they began to think that
But now ill hearers that do not Sanctifie Gods Name in His Word they are like ground that receive the rain as much as the other hear as many Sermons as the other but they bring forth nothing but thorns and briers and mark what a dreadful expression is against them First It is rejected Secondly It is nigh to cursing Thirdly Whose end is to be burned Thou rejectest the word doest thou The Lord rejecteth thy soul If thou hast no need of the word the word hath no need of thee it is a dreadful thing to be rejected of God And then thou art nigh unto cursing It may be the Lord may for the time withdraw Himself from the soul and manifest that it is as it were rejected but yet the soul hath not the curse of God upon it to say Well let this soul perish for ever but some there are that are under an actual curse and saith God Well My word shall never do good to this soul such a one hath sate under it thus long and hath rejected it My word shall never do good to him Like as in Luk. 14. where those that made excuses when they were bidden to the Supper the text saith at length That the Master of the feast was angry which was God Himself that invited them by the Gospel to partake of His Son and when men would not come in but make excuses and refused the offer of the Gospel Verily saith he none of those men that were bidden shall tast of my Supper They shall never partake of any good of the Gospel This is a dreadful Curse Now the Lord deliver you from having this curse pronounced against you but yet I beseech you tremble at this Scripture in the Hebrews They are nigh to cursing Who knows how nigh some soul in this place may be to this curse for God to say This soul hath been often invited and yet hath made excuses and put off all he shall never taste of my Supper of the good things in Jesus Christ the word that hath been so rejected shall never do them good more you had better never been born than to have this curse actually upon you Oh fear and tremble lest your condition be such as to be nigh to cursing Who knows what a day a week may bring forth It may be the Lord may spare and be willing to passe by the neglect of former Sermons but who knows what the next actuall rebellion against the Lord in His word may do to bring the curse upon thee And then if so the next part of the verse will prove to be thy portion Whose end is to be burned Oh! It is a dreadfull thing to sin against the Word God stands much upon it 8 Eightly Know that if Gods Name be not Sanctified in it the end that God hath appointed it for will be turned quite contrary to thee The proper end that God hath appointed His Word for it is to save souls but now where Gods Name is not Sanctified it is turned quite contrary so the Aposte in 2 Cor. 2.16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life It is a dreadful thing that the good word of God in which there is such treasures of Gods mercy wherein the councels of God concerning mans eternal estate comes to be revealed that this should prove to be the savour of deah unto death unto any soul that is to have such an efficacy in it as to kill them by the very scent of it as it were As some things have such a poyson in them as the very scent is enough to poyson one So saith the Apostle to some our word hath that efficacy being turned quite to the contrary end some souls are sav'd and are and shal be blessing God to al eternity for the Word and thy soul is damn'd by the Word so as thou wilt hereafter curse the time that ever thou camest to hear it That will be a dreadful thing that the same word that others shal be blessing of God eternally in heaven for that thou shalt be cursing eternally in hell for it wil be turned to the quite contrary end If it works not in the right way it will work the other the truth is it hardens mens hearts if it brings them not to God there is nothing that doth harden the hearts of men more than the Ministry of the Word yet by accident not by it's self there is no men in the world have such hard hearts as those that are wicked under the Ministry of the word It is not only an argument that their hearts are hard but they are hardened by it That in Isa 6.9 10. is remarkable for this and the rather because I find it so often quoted by Christ I think it is quoted three or four times in the Gospel And he said Go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see yee indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed This is a strange Scripture what must a Prophet go to them to make their hearts fat and to shut their eyes Why the word is appointed to open mens eyes but here the Prophet is sent to shut their eyes that they may not be converted this is dreadfull this is for the punishment of some former neglect of the word of God sent unto this People above all Judgments you should be afraid of this It is not so much that a fire should be upon your houses as that God should make His word to be a means to harden your hearts In Ezek. 14. we have a dreadful expression to this purpose by the Prophet there where the Lord saith that the people did come to enquire of him with setting up their Idols in their hearts but saith God I will answer them according to their Idol If men come to the Ministry of the Word with their beloved sins and resolve they will not part with them the Lord many times in His just judgement suffers some things in the Word to be accidentally a means to harden them in that sin of theirs I will answer them according to their Idoll those men are in a dreadful estate whose hearts come to be hardned by the word 9 Ninthly If thou doest not Sanctifie Gods Name in the hearing of the Word what comfort canst thou ever have by the Word in the day of thy affliction Certainly when the day of thy affliction comes then there is nothing can comfort thee but the word Vnless thy Law had been my delight saith David I should then have perished in mine affliction but thou having been exercised in the word so much and Gods Name not Sanctified thou must not expect to have thy soul comforted in the day of thy affliction No marveil then
though the word hath been applied againe and againe to your hearts and nothing would stick I remember it was an expression of one in a great deal of terror of conscience many came to apply comfortable Scriptures to him and he himself for a while did take those Scriptures and lay them upon his heart to pacifie his troubled conscience but a little before he dyed he cries out with a most fearful terror There is a fair plaister made but it will not stick on it will not stick on so dyed dispairing So there is in the word such a plaister as may help a wounded and troubled conscience but canst thou expect that hast not Sanctified Gods Name in thy life time that it shall stick upon thy soul in the day of thy affliction never expect it for the Lord hath said otherwise Prov. 1. Because when I cryed and call'd ye would not hear you shall cry and call and I will not hear The Lord in his Word cries to thee Oh thou sinful soul who art going on in the waies of sin and eternal destruction Return return that is the way that will bring thee to eternal miseries but here is the way that will bring thee to life and eternal salvation Thus the Lord cries and call to day to day and thou stoppest thy eare Oh how just is it with God to stop his eare from thy crying and calling in the day of thy affliction 10 Further Know that thou that doest not Sanctifie the Name of God in his Word that all the Word of God will be made good one day upon thee God hath his time to magnifie his Law and to make it honourable Isa 42.21 You slight Gods Law you slight his Word and dispise it but God will magnifie it and make it honourable there is not any sentence that thou hast heard in the word but it shall be made good whatsoever becomes of thy soul Thou hinkest that God is a merciful God and he will not damn thee but though God be merciful hath regard to his creatures yet the Lord hath ten thousand times more regard to his word than to all the souls of men and women in the world and God will stand to make that good he will not have such regard to that wretched vile sinful soul of thine as not to honour his Word he will honour his Word whatsoever becomes of thee and all that thou hast heard and rejected shall be made good upon thee one day 11 Again the word that thou doest reject and sin against it shall be the word that shall judge thee Joh. 12.48 Look to it as well as you will this Book of God out of which we preach and those truths that we delivered to you from this word they must be called over again at the great day to judge your souls by the sentence of every one of your eternal estates must be tryed out of this book Oh look upon it as the word that must judge your Souls at the last day and then you will see it a dreadful thing not to Sanctifie Gods Name in it And then when the Word doth judge you you shall obey it whether you will or no. Now the word convinces you and you will not obey it but when God comes to judge you by the word then you shall obey it Then when God comes to reade that sentence out of the word Go ye cursed into everlasting fire then I say you shall be forced to obey it 12 Lastly There is yet one thing more which should have been mentioned before which is very remarkable That those men which do not Sanctifie Gods Name in his Word they will be blasted even here while they live their parts and common gifts that they yet have will be blasted wither and come to nothing We find it ordinarily that many that are young had very good beginnings and very good parts that were very hopeful and would speak very savourly where they came afterwards beginning by degrees to neglect the Word the Lord hath blasted them their gifts have withered the common gifts of the Spirit have been taken from them I will give you one Text for that in Luk. 8.18 Take heed therefore how ye hear It is an Exhortation that follows upon the parable of the Sower that went out to sow because it is so that when the word is sowen as seed there is so little of it doth prosper and most hearers do not Sanctifie Gods Name in it therefore look to your selves Why For whosoever hath to him shall be given and whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have You had need look to your selves how you hear for the truth is all depends upon it under God have you got any common gifts of the Spirit of God or any abilities to do any service for God do not be proud of them neither be jolly nor think that you are able to do better than others and that those are but ordinary things that the Minister speaks and you are gotten into a higher forme Look to your selves take heed you come not to the word with a proud Spirit be not offended at the plainness of the word take heed how you hear for if you do not that that you seem to have shall be taken from you saith Christ You seem to have excellent gifts yea you seem to have grace too but take heed how you hear for all this whatsoever parts you have got though you be highly esteemed in the company where you come and you are able to do things more than others yet I say Take heed how you hear for otherwise that that you have will be taken away from you have have we not seen this in our own experience and it is apparent that they began to be withered and to be blas ed by neglecting of the Word And therefore I beseech you look to this that you do Sanctifie the Name of God in his Word and let your hearts bow unto it as unto the Ordinance of God and wait upon it in the Ministry of it lest you wither and be blasted and come to nothing And thus I have shewen the great evil of not Sanctifying Gods Name and how God will be Sanctified I shall be very brief in the Use of Exhortation Oh that the Lord by this would cause some thing to stick upon your hearts that what hath been preached in this point may be made useful for many Sermons afterwards that it might be said of you in this place as it was said of them in Act. 13.48 When the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved Oh that God would make every one of you to be a means to glorifie the word of God! That should be our care that the word of God may be glorified by us we come to hear the word but take heed that the word of God be not
that the Lord should speak out of the clouds to us And I will give you a Scripture for that that the voice of God in His word should be as much regarded of you as if God should speak from heaven to you by an audible voice out of the clouds In 2 Pet. 1.18 19. This voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Means But mark in vers 19. We have also a more sure Word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed Mark We heard a voice from heaven saith Peter yea but we have a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do wel that ye take heed There was a voice from Heaven spake you will say If we had heard that voice we would have given heed to that saith the Apostle You have a more sure word of Prophesie Now Prophesie in Scripture is taken for Preaching Di pise not Pr phesie As if the Holy Ghost should say You must have regard to the word of Prophesie as you would have regard to any voice from Heaven Suppose an Angel should come and speak to you would not you attend to him then whatsoever thoughts you had they would be taken off for there is an Angel that is come down from Heaven to speak Now mark what is said in Heb. 1.1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past to the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last daies spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds And then in ver 3. He discribes His Son And being made so much better than the Angels as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they If a Prophet should come and spake that is not so much as if the Son of God comes no nor as if an Angel should come for Jesus Christ hath obtained a more excellent Name than the Angels and it is Christ that is the Ministry of His word He that heareth you heareth me 2 Secondly That which would cause attention is the greatnes of the matter propounded It is true if a man should speak of some slight and vain things there need not so much attention My Brethren the matters in the word are the great things of God it is the voice of God the great Mysteries of godlinesse those deep things that the Angels themselves desire to pry into Yea the Angels themselves by the Churches they come to have the knowledge of the Mysteries of God I make no question but in the Ministry of the Word among the Churches the Angels they attend and come to some knowledge in the Mysteries of godliness for so the Scripture saith That they have it by the Churches there the greatest things of Gods will the greatest Councels of God that were kept hid from all eternity are opened to you in the Ministry of the word We do not come to tell you tales and the conceits of men but to open the greaâ— Counsels of God wherein the depth of the wisdom of God comes to be revealed to the children of men and therefore this calls for attention 3 Thirdly Suppose they be great things yet if they do not so much concern us there is no such great reason of attention Therefore in the Third place That which we speak it is your life it is that that concerns your souls and eternal estates Your Souls and everlasting estates do lie upon the Ministery of the Word if that be made effectual to you you are sav'd if that be not made effectual to you you are damn'd and undone for ever If we should come to tell you of something whereby you might get some good bargain or of a way how to get great riches I make no question but you would rise though it were a cold or rainy morning But know when you are called to hear the Word you are called to hear that which may do you good forever that for which you may blesse God for to all eternity with the Angels and Saints in the highest Heavens If they be such things of so great concernment then there had need be a great attention You know what Christ said to Martha when â—e was troubled about His entertainment Luke 10.41 Martha Martha thou art carefull and troubled about many things but one thing is needâ—ull and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her What did Mary choose It was this That she did diligently attend upon Jesus Christ to hear the Word from His own mouth when Martha was busied in the house to provide for His entertainment but it is a better thing to attend upon the Word than to entertain Christ in your houses You that are of loving dispositions that if a good Minister shall come to your houses or a good Christian that you see but the Image of Christ in your hearts spring within you and you will do any thing to entertain them Well but what if Jesus Christ should come if you knew that such a man that came within your doors were the Son of God how would you beâ—â—r your selves to entertain him But know it is a more acceptable service to Jesus Christ to attend upon his Word then to provide for Him in your houses And there is great reason too that we should be diligent in drawing nigh to the Word give eare unto it because you find that the Lord doth expresse himself in the Scripture how he gives ear to us when we speak to him God is said to encline his ear sometimes to open his ear sometimes to bow his eare sometimes to cause his eare to hear and divers such expressions there are to that purpose Now if God when we that are poor wretches speak to him shall bow his ear bend his ear open his ear cause his ear to hear much more should we when we come to attend upon him 2 Secondly Aâ— there must be attending to the word of God so there must be an opening of the heart to receive what God speaks to you it is true it is the work of God to open the heart but God works upon men as upon rationall creatures and he makes you to be active in opening your hearts so that when you have any truth come to be revealed you should open your understandings your conscience and will and affections Oh Lord thy truth which thou art presenting here to my Soul at this time let it come in let me receive it as the expression is in Prov. 2.1 My Son if thou wilt receive my words and then in v. 10. When wisdom entereth into thy heart The words of wisdom the words of God they must enter into the heart get in it may be they get into thy eare but that 's not enough they must get into thy heart in Joh. 8.37 There Christ complains that his word had no place in them that 's a sad thing when the Word of