and with a holy cheerfulnesse with a holy freedome of Spirit not in a sullen way but as a child in the presence of his Father and not as a Servant with the Master Object You told us before that there should be brokennesse of Spirit and sence of our sin Answ That may be and joy we rejoyce with trembling therefore that brokennesse of Spirit that I meant must not bee slavish horrour and feare but a kindly melting of the soule from the aprehension of the love of God unto it in Jesus Christ that was willing to be at so great cost to purchase the pardon of sin such a gracious mourning as may stand with joy and the truth is that that sorrow for sin in the Sacrament that is not mixt with joy is a sorrow that doth not sanctifie Gods name godly sorrow and evangelicall joy may stand together very well And therefore know that this is not the time neither to give liberty to have your hearts sinke no there must be no sinking sorrow of heart but such a sorrow of heart as in the midst of it you may be able to look upon God as a reconciled Father to you and have a cheerfulnesse of Spirit as in the midst of it you must look upon your selves as Gods guest to be merry at his Table now this is a great mystery of godlinesse that there should be at the same time the sight of Christ crucified and yet at the same time a spirituall cheerfulnesse in the assurance of the love of God in Iesus Christ I say it is a Mystery and only those that are Beleevers are able to understand this mystery how to have their hearts break and yet how to rejoyce at the same time in that unspeakeable love of God that is here presented unto them in this Sacrament Seventhly In the next place there must be thankefulnesse therefore it is called the Eucharist and in one of the Evangelists where it is said Christ blest the bread in another it is said Christ gave thanks Christ when he instituted this Sacrament hee gave thanks he gave thanks for what he gave thanks to God the Father that he was pleased to send him into the world to die for poor soules now shall Iesus Christ give thanks unto God the Father for that that did cost him his life yea saith Christ I see that here is a way to save soules and let it cost me my life if it will yet I blesse thee O Father if soules may come to be sav'd though it cost me my life Christ rejoyced in his Spirit in thanking his Father for this then how should our hearts be inlarged with thankefulnesse when we come to this that the Ancients were wont to call the Eucharist that is a thanksgiving we are to give God thankes for every mercy you will not eate your owne bread without giving of thankes but when wee come to have this bread this bread of life here is matter of thankefulnesse here is matter of inlargement of soule thou that hast the deadest and dullest soule and straightest Spirit yet when thou comest hither and understandest what thou doest here thou canst not but see matter for the inlargement of thy heart and wish that thou hadst ten thousand thousand times more strength to expresse the praises of the Lord here is a thing that must be the subject of the Hallelujahs and doxologies that Angels and Saints must for ever sound out in the highest heavens dost thou know what the Lord presents to thee here it is more then if the Lord should say I will make ten thousand worlds for the sake of this creature and give all these worlds to him thou wouldest thinke that thou wert bound to blesse him then only when God in the Bread and wine reaches out to thee the body bloud of his Sonne here is more matter of praise then if ten thousand thousand worlds were given to thee and therefore God expects that thou shouldest say to thy soule my soul praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases O poor soule here is the foundation of all mercies dost thou praise God for justification for sanctification here is a glorious application of the mercy of God to the soules of sinners and therefore if ever thou wert thankfull be thankefull here The Sabbath my Brethren that is appointed to be the set constant day of thankesgiving for the great mercies of God in Christ and there are other dayes for nationall mercies now a speciall 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 thankesgiving 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 Iewish Sabbath and that was to celebrate the memoriall 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 Eightly A further thing is this if you would sanctifie 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 calls 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 hee 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 commest 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 bloud of Christ for my salvation so Lord here I consecrate my body and bloud to thee the last drop of
ends that we aimest at when we are Worshipping God we should have our hearts above al creatures and above ourselves Let not our hearts then be groveling upon the ground mingled with base and drossie things when we come to Worship the Lord indeed it is fit that we should have our hearts low as we shall shew hereafter in regard of humility but not low in regard of any basenesse of Spirit to mix with any base and low ends Now there are low and base ends in Worshipping of God As. First We must take heed we do not subject the Worship of God unto our lusts that is a cursed thing thou art far from Sanctifying Gods Name in Worshipping of him that shalt subject his Worship to thy base Lusts this is an abominable and a cursed thing indeed You will say Who doth thus who is the man or where is he that will do this subject the Worship of God to his base lusts To that I Answer Whosoever doth make use of any duty of Worship as Prayer Hearing the Word or what ever it be to cloak any kind of wickednesse whosoever is conscious to himself of any kind of secret wickednesse and yet shall think to cover it by the performance of duties and shall reason in this manner who will think me to be guilty of such a vile thing when I pray so as I do and am so carefull to hear the Word and I hope I shall cover some wickednesse this way If there be any in this place whose conscience tels them that they subiect the Worship of God to such a base end as this is the Lord rebuke them this day and speak to their hearts If I knew any I would set mine eyes upon them and say as the Apostle to Simon Magus I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitternesâ—e and in the bond of iniquity and as he said to him that did seek to draw the Deputy from the Faith O thou child of the Devil and full of all subtilty to damne and undo thy self eternally that seekest to cloak any wicked way by any duty of Gods Worship Is it a great evill for a man or woman to make use of any of Gods creatures to be serviceable to their lusts as meat and drink c. What a damnable thing is it then to make use of any duty of Gods Worship sometimes extraordinary worship as Fasting and Prayer to be a cloak to cover their wickednesse Thou art so far from Sanctifying Gods Name that thou pollutest Gods Name thou doest what in thee lies for to cast even dirt in the face of God himself that doest so The Second Base end is to subject the duties of Gods Worship to the praise of men as to performe duties of Gods Worship for the esteem of men and because we shall be well thought of take heed of this you young ones and others you would fain be eâ—eem'd well of by those that you live withall It is a desireable thing to have a good esteem from those that are godly but take heed that you do not subject the duties of Gods Worship to this Indeed it may be an incouragement to you as David saith I sal 52. 9. This is good before thy Saints David did incourage himself to praise God because it was good before Gods Saints and I confesse it may be an incouragement because holy duties are good before Gods Saints but take heed that this be not thy highest end that thou aimest at and that which carries thee on in the work meerly to get the praise of men and that they shall think that thou hast good gifts and parts and therefore thou art inlarged in that regard take heed of that know that now thou doest not Worship God but thou Worshippest men thou doest make 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 honour and praise of God that the name of the blessed God may be honoured 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 chearfully 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 am 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 some thing 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 honor the week following so much the better As in this manner thy thoughts should be Lord I find a drossie carnall heart I am busie in the world in the week time and I find that my heart is fullied 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
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 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 sweetnes 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 strnger cannot prevaile 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 prevaile 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 joyfull to those that converse with him That Reverend Divine that is now with God Doctor Preston when he was to die he had this speech I shall but change my place I shall not change my company whereas its otherwise if thou growest estranged from God when death comes it will look with a terrible face for then thou hast to deale with God thou art then to go into the presence of the infinite dreadfull 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 its eternall doome 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 time 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 is 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 gathered thee as a Hen gathereth her Chickins There are a company of Kites abroad in the world and we are poor shiftlesse 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 injoyment of the creature but the shadow 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 generall 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 safeguard it let us by the duties of Worship thus draw nigh to God and keep nigh unto him SERMON III. LEVITICUS 10. 3. 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 honour that God puts upon his Servants that do Worship him Certainly the Worshippers of God have great honour put upon them because the Lord vouchsafes them to draw nigh unto him they are such as are precious and honourable in his eies I will not inlarge 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 then 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 then 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 honoured by the Lord God in that they have the Lord nigh to them and they are nigh to him here 's the greatnesse of a nation you would think that if one would describe the greatnesse 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 greatnesse of a nation But what nation is there so great that hath the Lord God so nigh to them There 's the greatnesse of a nation and so a spirituall heart would account greatesse to consist in having God to be nigh unto it The Second Scripture is in Numb 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 greatnes 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
this or what great good there is in preparation for Gods Worship 4. Fourthly I shall Answer a case of Conscience or two 5. Fiftly 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 dreadfull 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 tomorrow 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 all 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 dayes together to make such preparation the argument is because of the presence of God The Lord said to Moses Go and Sanctifie the people to day and to morrow and let them wash their cloaths and be ready against the third day Why for the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai The Lord will come down the third day and therefore let them be Sanctified So when thou goest to Worship God 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 1 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 shewes 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 carnall heart to slight the duties of Gods Worship to make account of them as little matters Carnall 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 businesse or I may not neglect to visit or gratifie such a friend but now for the worship of God it is good indeed but whither it be done or not it is no great matter therefore they can put off prayer if they have any businesse 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 things that do concerne you here in this world for they are the homage that you tender up to the high God as you heard and those things wherein God communicats himself in his choise Mercies now being such great matters there is cause that we should prepare For that one thing of prayer saith Luther It is a great work and a difficult work and therefore there had need be preparation for it Businesse of great consequence we make preparation for indeed if a businesse be a slight businesse we can fall upon it on a sudden you make not preparation to go in a Boat in the Thames but to go a voyage you make great preparation Now if men and women would but understand the duties of Gods worship to be great they would see a necessity to make a preparation Many men for want of preparation to duties they lose a great part of the time when they come to performe a duty of Worship in prayer they spend half the time that is convenient to be spent in prayer before they begin to pray and so in hearing the word they are a long time before they can settle themselves to attend to the word or in any other kind of Worship I say a great deal of time in the worship is spent ordinarily before we can get our hearts to close with the worship now that is a sore and a great evill to lose any part of the time of worship Christians I beseech you account highly of the time of your worship you have bin so long time at prayer yea but how much of it hath been lost because you have not prepared before hand for it perhaps you kneel'd upon your knees but you were a long time before you could get your hearts warm at your work why you should have been warm before you had come It is so oftentimes with many men when they meet together and there is no preparation for their businesse they come together and they are a long time before they can buckle to the businesse that they came about because there was no preparation but if there be preparation made that every man knows before hand what his work is they can fall to it and they can dispatch as much in one hour as others do in two or three but of that we shall speak more afterwards Thirdly There must be preparation because our hearts are naturally exceedingly unprepared for every good work we are all naturally even reprobate to every good work the duties of Gods Worship are high and Spirituall and holy things but by nature our hearts grovell in the dirt and we are carnal sensual drossie dead slight sottish and vain altogether unfit to come into the presence of God Oh that we were but apprehensive and senfible of the unfitnesse of our hearts to come into Gods presence Perhaps because thou knowest not God thou canst rush into his presence without any more adoe but if thou knowest thy self and God thou couldest not but see thy self altogether unfit for his presence and so as to wonder that the Lord should not spurn thee out of his presence every time thou comest unto him there had need then be preparation because we are so unfit to come into his presence Fourthly There had need be preparation because of the great hinderances of the Worship
the preparation and that may be in way of Application to you to make you to be in love with Preparation for holy duties There is abundance of good in it First By this meanes we come to make every duty of worship easie to us things are difficult when we come upon them unprepared If you have a friend come to dinner or supper to you and should come suddenly and you have nothing prepared there would be a great deal of stir in the house but it you have every thing prepared it would be carried on in an easie way and the reason why people eâ—mplaine so much of difficulty in duty it is because their hearts are not prepared Indeed we have naturally many things to keep us off from God but now when the heart is prepared for a holy duty it goes off as easie to God even into the infinite ocean of All mercy and goodnesse as a ship goes off to be lansht when you have made preparation for it and the heart can go with a holy boldne e to God when you have made preparation for holy duties In Job 11. the place which I quoted before for the work of preparation do but consider a verse or two further and you shall find what abundance of good there comes upon the keeping of the heart prepared in things that are good Vers 13. If thou prepare thâ—ne heart c. And then Vers 15. Then shalt thou life up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be steadfâ—st and shalt not fear When the heart is prepared for that that is good when it comes into the presence of God it is able to lift up its self without fear in a steadfast comfortable way and this will quit the cost of any labour 2 Secondly if the heart be prepared it will do a great deal in a little time In 2 Chron. 29. 36 it is said That Hezekiah rejoyced and all the people that God had prepared the people for the thing was done suddenly The thing came off freely and suddenly when as that they were prepared Hezekiah rejoiced and bleâ—ed God for such a mercy as this was it is a great mercy to have the hearts of people prepared unto a good work And so in 2 Chr. 27. 6. the text saith Jothâ—m became mighty because he prepared his waieâ— before the Lord his God Jothâ—m he grew mighty by this and so certainly the way to grow to be very strong and mighty to be able to do a great deal in a little time it is to make preparation there may be as much work done in one hour â—â— as in ten times to much time when the heart is not prepared for it In Ezra 7. 10. you shall find that the reason is given why Ezra had such good successe in his journy it was because he had prepared his heart Make preparation for holy duties and you shall have success in holy duties There is a notable Scripture for that in Psal 10 17 where the holy Ghost saith that God prepares the heart and what then when God doth prepare the heart he doth then cause his eare to hear There was never a prayer made wherin the heart was prepared for it but that praier was heard they go both together Lord thou wilt prepare their heart and thou wilt cause thine eare to hear it God hath once prepared thy heart thou wilt be sure to be heard then Is it not worth a world for to know ones self to be accepted of God in every duty of Wo-ship that we tender up to him this one Scripture Psal 10. 17. will shew it Oh the excellency that there is in Preparation to duty There is one thing more that is very observable and that is this Where the heart is prepared to duties there the Lord will passe 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 deadnesse 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 cripture then for the quieting of thy heart in this That the weaknesse of the duty shall be pardoned and past by where there is care to prepare before hand the â—cripture is in 2 Chron. 30â— 18 19. But Hezekiah prayed for them saying The good Lord pardon every one what every one every oâ—e that prepareth hâ—â— heart to seek the Lord God of his fathers though he be not clâ—aused according to the purifie â—tion of the Sanctuary As if he should say Oh Lord there are many things amisse in this people they are not in many regards purifâ—ed according to the order that thou hast set but Lord if thou doest but see any heart prepared to seek thee though theâ— fail in such particulars Lord heal them and pardon them and did God hearken to his prayer Mark the following words And the Lord hearkned to Hezekiah and heaâ—ed 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 thine instruction and thou mayest make use of it to thine own soul this day if thou canst appeale to God that thou art carefull to prepare thy heart though thou shouldest not have that purenesse of thy heart as thou doest desire the Lord will pardon thee and heaâ— thee make conscience of Preparation to holy duties Again furthe by being carefull to make Preparation for duties within some little time thou wilt bring thy heart to such a frame as it will alwaies he ready for duty without much adoe Indeed at first it is somewhat hard You will say Are we bound to spend sometime 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 carefull 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 carefull for a while to prepare for every duty of Gods Worship that God calls 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
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 a notable Scripture for this drawing nigh to God with fear 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 â—errible 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 cald upon to 〈◊〉 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 â—liall and reverentiall fear For my brethren there may be a great deal of savish fear where God is not honoured there may be fear from some terrible apprehensions of God which â—er is not owned by God to this grace of fear He 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 middesâ— of the darknesâ—e 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 greatnesse 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 terrified sometimes but yet there is not a filiall and reverential fear of God in them And I find in 1 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 is said And it was so when Elijah heard it that is the soft voice after the fire and earthquake and the mighty wind that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entring in of the Cave and behold there came a voice unto him and said What doest thou here Elijah Then his heart was more struck with fear where was most of Gods presence though it was in a soft voice then when the fire and earthquake did appear It is a good sign of a gracious fear when the soul can be struck with more fear from the word and from the sight of God in injoying of communion with him in his Worship then when God appears in the most terrible way of his works or when there is terrour in a mans conscience through fear of hell when God appears as though he would send him down presently to hell though God expects to be feared then but when the Soul in injoying communion with God in holy duties and the more communion he hath with God the more is he struck with reverence and the fear of God this is a sign of Sanctified fear and then doth the heart Sanctifie the Name of God indeed when it is so possessed with fear in the duties of worship Now this fear of God should be indeed in the Soul and expressed outwardly when you are in the assembly by such reverent carriage in prayer as if a heathen should come in he may see Gods Name Sanctified and may say How great is this God that this people do worship And in your Families a reverant carriage not lying all a long in prayer upon the elbows sleeping but carrying your selves so that if a heathen should come into your families they may say O how great is this God that this people do worship And likewise this fear it must be an abiding fear not only at that instant when you are worshipping of God or speaking of any of Gods Titles and Names but a fear that must abide upon your hearts after duty is over that is after you are come out from your Closets one may perceive the fear of God upon you and so walking all the day long in the fear of God as it becomes those that have been solemnly setting themselves to worship him Now this fear and reverence is contrary to the slightnesse vanity the boldnesse and presumptuousnesse that there is in the hearts of men and women when they are Worshipping of God Fifthly The duties of Gods worship must be full of strength for they are not suitable to God else because God is a God infinite in power and glory himself therefore God cannot indure vain Worshipping In Isa 1. 13. I hate vain oblations Vanity of Spirit in Worshipping of God is very hatefull to God it doth defile the Name of God God is dishonoured by the vanity of mens Spirits Now this strength is Three fold 1 First The strength of Intention 2 Secondly The strength of Affection 3 Thirdly The strength of all the Faculties of the Soul and the strength of Body too as much as we are able should be put forth in the
sanctifie his Name in a way of mercy towards us For the First God will manifest that he is displeased with such duties that thou doest performe he will manifest it one way or other that he is a holy God and he doth not accept of such unholy things as thou doest tender up to him for the truth is if God should accept of such unholy things from men God may be said to be like unto themselves As a man if he doth entertain any as his familiar friend that is naught and wicked it is his disgrace and dishonour a man may sometimes imploy in some businesse those that are naught and wicked and it may be no disgrace to him but if he doth entertain one in his house that is wicked it is a dishonour to him So God may imploy the most wicked men in the world in some outward services but if he should accept of them in his Worship it would be a dishonour to God and therefore God that he might sanctifie his own Name he will manifest his displeasure at one time or other against such duties of worship you that performe worship in a formall manner and with unclean vile hearts I say it stands upon the honour of God if he will manifest himself a holy God he must manifest some displeasure against that way of thy worshipping of him This one meditation one would think should mightily sink into the heart of any man that hath an inlightened conscience to think thus It stands upon the holinesse of God And he cannot appear to be a holy God except he doth some way or other appear to be against me in such duties that I tender up unto him Now you will say How doth God appear that he doth not accept of them He will appear in these three things 1 First by blasting those that do worship him thus in a formall way It shall at First be secret but afterwards it will appear more apparantly and we see it by experience that such as have bin professors of Religion and worship God in hypocrisâ—e and in formality they have been blasted in their parts and common gifts The judgement of God upon Nadab and Abihu that did not sanctifie Gods Name it was secret at first It struck them dead and though by fire yet if you read the story you shall find that their cloathes were not burnt and yet they were burnt in their bodies So the Lord some times doth blast men inwardly in their Spirits in their Souls in their Parts in their common Gifts â—he blasts them I say inwardly though it doth not appear outwardly yet at length it will appear before men that they are blasted and in these times of the Gospel the Lord doth come with spirituall judgments rather then with outward temporall judgements In the time of the Law those that did not sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties the Lord did appear by some externall and visible way upon their bodies but now in the time of the Gospel there God comes with more spirituall judgements upon mens Souls and those are the most terrible judgements We have a notable Scripture for this in Isa 29. 13. How God doth blast those that do not sanctifie his name in holy duties Wherefore the Lord said For asmuch as this People draw neer me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but have removed their heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men Mark what follows Therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvelous work amongst this people even a marvelous work and a wonder for the wisdome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid What do they come and draw neer me with their lips and their hearts are far from me and do they worship me in a formall way I le take away the wisdom from the wise 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 formall way and so all hypocrites and formall worshippers the Lord doth blast them in one way or other the judgements 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 judgements of God to be more spirituall 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 me Secondly the Lord doth manifest that he will be Sanctified in those that draw nigh him by awakeing 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 uprightnesse but in Formality And now they are in horrour of conscience and cry out in the anguish of their soules 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 well 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 appeares to be terrible to my soule and comes out against me as an enemy I say now Gods name is Sanctified what ever 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 however at the great day when the secrets of all hearts must be disclosed before men and Angels then the Lord will apeare to be a holy God by rejecting all such services that thou didest tender unto 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 strik this upon your hearts that it may abide upon you every time you come to
and in another part it grows so in one â—ew the seed of the word is lost and in another â—ew it grows up But now if people that are compared to the ground would so hear the word as Gods name may be sanctified in it their hearts must be plowed â—as if one should sow seed upon green soil sow it in the fields upon green grasse what would become of it The ground must first be plowed for the preparation of the seed But you will say what is the meaning of the plowing of our hearts for the preparation of the word The meaning is nothing else but this The work of humiliation the humbling of the soul before the Lord when it doth come to hear Gods word Humble it in these two regards First be humbled for your ignorance that you know so little of Gods mind as you do Secondly be humbled for all the sinfulnesse of your hearts be senceable of the sinfulnesse and wretchednesse of your hearts and the miserable condition that you are in if you can get your hearts broken with the sence of your sin and misery and come so to hear the word it is very like the word may be of mighty use and Gods name may be very much Sanctified in your hearing of the word You will say Must we plow up our hearts before we come to hear It must be the word that must plow us the word is the plow and so the Ministers of God are compared to plowmen in the word he that puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of heaven It is true it cannot be expected that the heart should be throughly plowed as it ought but by the word therefore at the first coming to hear there is not hope that men will Sanctifie Gods name till the word gets in to plow them and so by geting at one time into their hearts they come to be prepared for hearing at another time And yet some what may be done before by that natural knowledg that men have they may come to know themselves to be sinners and come to understand themselves to be very weak and ignorant by some knowledg that they may have by the works of God and by conferrence with others and by reading and the like and so they may in some measure come to have their hearts to be humbled And it is good to make use of these to humble the heart but now You that have heard the word often and yet have not Sanctified Gods name there be truths that you have heard heretofore that if you had made use of in private to have plowed up your hearts they would have prepared your hearts for the next time in hearing of the word If therefore you would hear the word with a great deal more profit then formerly your hearts must be plowed by humiliation 2 Secondly the heart must be plowed by labouring to get out those thorns that are in the heart those lusts that grow deep in the heart as thorns grow in the ground labour to pluck them out that is when thou comest to hear the word get thy heart into that frame as to be willing to professe against every known sin that thou hast found in thy heart labour to find out those lusts that are in thy heart and then professe against them that thou art willing to have them to be rooted out of thy heart if men and women would but do thus when they come to hear that God might see this in them that they have before they come profest against every known sin This would be an excellent thing indeed 3 Again in the third place which will follow from hence When thou comest to hear the word come with a Resolution to yeeld to what ever God shall reveal to be his mind I am now going to hear thy word oh Lord to wait upon thee to know what thou hast to say to me And thou that art the searcher 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 which I know not teach thâ—u me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more In Isa 2. 3. you have a prophesie of the Centils how they should come to the word And many people shall go and say Comeye 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 disposition when you come to hear the word Some of you come together in streets and lanes 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 sincear milk of the word that you may grow thereby Do it as new born babes Now you know little babes they do not desire milk to play withall 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 then 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 then what it self of its 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 effiâ—acy in its self it is not able to reach to such effects as I expect that is to have my heart spoken too and quickned 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 aâ—t 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 speech 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 the 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 is not a vain thing it is your life when you come to hear the word give diligent attention to what you hear In Act. 3. 6. it is said The people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake They gate 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 sometimes to give such heed as a Disciple gives unto his Master so they gave heed to the Word So in Prov. 2. 1 2. My Son if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments with thee so that thou incline thine eare unto wisdome We must diligently attend and not to suffer our eyes 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 He 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 Ministery of his Word as if so be that the Lord should spake 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 â—ount But mark in vers 19. We have also a mere 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 well 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 Dispise not Prophesie 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 vers 3. he describes his Son And being made so much better then the Angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they If a Prophet should come and speak 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 then the Angels and it is Christ that is in 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 flight 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 Ministery of the Word among the Churches the Angels they attend and come to some knowledge in the Mysteries of godlinesse for so the Scripture saith That they have it by the Churches there the greatest things of Gods will the greatest Counsels 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 great counsels of God wherein the depth of the wisdome of God comes to be revealed to the children of men and therefore this cals 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 concerns your Souls and eternall estates Your Souls and everlasting estates do lie upon the Ministery of the Word if that be made effectuall to you you are sav'd if that be not made effectuall 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 for ever 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 she was troubled about his entertainment Lâ—â—k 10. 41. Martha Martha thou art carefull and troubled alâ—o tâ—mâ—ry things but one thing is needfull and Mary hath 〈◊〉 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 then 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 bestir 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 to that we should be diligent in drawing nigh to the word and give eare unto it because you find that the Lord doth expresse himself in the Scripture how he gives eare to us when we speak to him God is said to incline his eare sometimes to open his eare 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 eare bend his eare open his eare cause his eare to hear much more should we when we come to attend upon him 2 Secondly as 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 creaturs 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 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 O 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 carefull 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 marvelons use and it concerns not only Ministers in general to lay before people the doctrine of the Gospel but to aply it And know that it concerns you as well as Ministrs 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 owne 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 then 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 this awakens them now God many times doth speak to your hearts but you should apply it you know
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 complain Alas I am weak I have met with a temptation and it hath foyld 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 youug you have strong natures and so strength of nature for God But how comes this to passe 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 Job 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 Christ might be the true Messias some kind of imperfect beleeving they had but they were not throughly brought off now saith Christ If you continue in my word you are my Disciples As if he should say Do not you think it enough that you come to hear me and that you are taken by what I say you must continue in my word and then you are my Disciples Christ will not own that man or woman to be his Disciple that doth not continue in his word O that you would consider of this you that satisfie your selves in having some flashes of your affections when you are hearing the word but do not think that you are the Disciples of Christ because of them In Tit. 1. 9. Holding fast the faithfull word as you have been taught that is the thing you should labour for to hold fast the faithful word hold it fast that it may not be taken from you and so you shall come to Sanctifie the name of God in the hearing of his word 11 The last that I shall speak to is this If thou wouldest Sanctifie the Name of God in hearing his word turn it into practice or otherwise the Name of God is blasphemed or at least is taken in vain by thee if thou doest not turn what thou hearest into practice So you have it in Jam. 1. 22. He that is not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the word this man saith he shall be blessed in his deed And vers 22. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves The word here that is translated Deceiving your own selves it s a word taken from Logicians and signifies to make a false Sylogisme A man that hears the Word and doth not do it he doth as it were reason thus Those that do come to Church as we use to say those surely are Religious people but I come to Sermons and therefore I am Religious Now this is a false reasoning and thou doest but cozen thy self Be not a hearer only but a doer of the word that thou maiest not deceive thine own soul So in Rom. 2. 3. Thinkest thou this O man that judgest them that do such things doest the same that thou shalt escape the judgement of God As if he should say You have the word and you are able to judge thereby what you hear but yet still you are wicked in your lives this is dispising of the riches of the goodnesse of God towards you And in Phillipians 2. 16. you have a remarkable text where the holy Ghost saith of the Philipians That he would have them hold forth the word of Life It were a most excellent thing if it might be said of this Congregation that as they come diligently to hear and are willing to take pains to get out of their beds so earely in the mornings
Sanctifie Gods Name in it I say to such If one should rise from the dead they would not have their hearts wrought upon and therefore much lesse are they like to be wrought upon by afflictions It may be some of you think when you are upon your sick beds then you will repent no surely if this that is the great Ordinance to bring men to God shall not work upon you so as God shall be honoured in it you cannot expect that sicknesse and affliction should do it no if one should come from the dead to tell you of all the miseries that were there certainly if the word work not upon you that will not do it But you will say One would think that there should be more power to work upon the heart truly no because that is not such an Ordinance appointed by God for working such great works upon the hearts and consciences of men as the word is It is true the word is but a weak thing in it self but here lies the strength that it is an Ordinance of God appointed for to work upon the hearts of men therefore if this work not upon you to give God glory in the hearing it there is no other means is like to do it 5 Fiftly When the word works not upon men it is a dreadful sign of Reprobation If our Gospel be hid saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 4. 3. it is hid to those that are lost It is a dreadfull Argument that here is a lost creature one that God intends no good to One the Lord works upon perhaps he lets passe another one in a family and not in another Now where it is so that the word worketh not I say there is no such dreadfull brand of Reprobation as this is It is true we cannot give any certain sign of Reprobation therefore I cannot say of any man he hath now such a mark upon him as doth evidently prove that he is a Reprobate we cannot tell that because we know not what God may do afterwards but we may say this That it is as dreadfull a sign as any There are not any more dreadfull signs then these two First For a man to be suffered to prosper in a sinful course For God to let men go on and have their hearts desire satisfied in an ungodly way And then Secondly For the Lord to leave them to themselves so as the Ministry of the word shall not work upon them that they shall be by Gods providence so disposed of as to live under a faithfull and powerful Ministry and that it should not work upon them These are the two blackest signs of Reprobation and therefore it is a most dreadfull thing to sit under the Ministry of the word and not to sanctifie Gods Name in it 6 In the next place Surely there can be nothing Sanctified to thee who doest not sanctifie Gods Name in his word The Scripture saith That every thing is sanctified by the Word and Prayer And how canst thou expect that the word should sanctifie any thing to thee seeing that thou doest not make conscience of Sanctifying Gods name in the word The godly think thus 'T is the word that must Sanctifie all things to my Soul and I had need then sanctifie Gods name in that from which I expect the sanctified use of all blessings You therefore that can fit under it and make not conscience of sanctifying Gods name in it I say you cannot expect no sanctified use of any thing that you have in this world 7 Such as do not sanctifie Gods name in the word are very nigh to a curse There is a notable Scripture for this in Heb. 6. 7 8. where the Apostle compares the word to the rain that fals upon the ground For the earth that drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But saith he that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned The meaning is this plainly The rain here is the word and the good hearers they are like the ground that receive the rain and bring forth fruit and receive a blessing 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 dreadfull expression is against them First It is rejected Secondly It is nigh to cursing Thirdly Whose end is 〈◊〉 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 dreadfull 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 â—oul 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 taste of my Supper They shall never partake of any good of the Gospel This is a dreadfull 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 then 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 Apostle 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 counsels of God concerning mans eternal estates comes to be revealed that this should prove to be the favour of death 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 dam'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 shall be blessing of God eternally in heaven for that thou shalt be cursing eternally in hell for it will 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 then the Ministry of the word yet by accident not by its 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 ye indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their eares 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 might not be converted this is dreadful this is for the punishment of some former neglect of the word of God sent unto this people above all Judgements 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 inquire of him with setting up their Idols in their hearts but saith God I will answer them according to their Idoll If men come to the Ministry of the word with their beloved sins and resolve that they will not part with them the Lord many times in his just judgment 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 hardened 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 Vnlesse 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 Sanctifed thou must not expect to have thy soul comforted in the day of thy affliction No marvail then though the word hath been applied again and again 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 passifie 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 〈◊〉 on it will not stick on so dyed despairing so there is in the word such a plaister as may help a wounded and troubled conscience but 〈◊〉 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 cals 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 honorable Isa 42. 21. You sight Gods Law you slight his word and despise it but God will magnifie it and make it honorable there is not any sentence that thou hast heard in the word but it shall be made good whatsoever becomes of thy soul Thou thinkest that God is a merciful God 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 then 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
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 Gods name in hearing the word I beseech you mark it that it is a more blessed thing then if you did bear Jesus Christ in your wombes You that are women would not you have accounted it a great happines 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 then if thou hadest borne Jesus Christ in thy womb In Luk. 11. 27. 28. And it came to passe 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 keep it That is Labour to sanctifie my name as hath been opened in the particulars rather is that women blessed that do so then 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 wil sanctifie you by that your souls come to be sanctified it wil comfort you in the day of your affliction 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 judgement 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 runne 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 blesse God for all my studies and care and all the pains that ever I have taken and ventring my self for this People I shall blesse 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 Iâ—â— 22. 21. He will magnifie his Law and make it honorable 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 word that I did reverence that I did obey that I did love that I made to be the joy of my heart this word the Lord now doth magnifie and make to be honorable This will be comfortable to thy Soul The Eleventh SERMON The Eleventh SERMON LEVITICUS 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me THE last day we finished the point of Sanctification of the name of God in the hearing of his Word and now wee will proceed to the Sanctification of the name of God in receiving the Sacrament that 's the next duty of worship Now first for the word Sacrament I confesse wee have not that word in all the Scripture as neither have we the word Trinitie and divers other words that Ministers make use of to set forth the Mysteries of Religion by but yet it is usefull to consider the meaning why Ministers in the Church have given this name unto those signes and seals that the Church receives Sacrament is to hallow a thing or to dedicate because in the Sacraments there are outward things that are made holy for holy and spirituall ends Secondly wee our selves do as it were hallow or dedicate our selves unto God in the use of these Ordinances that 's one reason from whence it hath the name Or otherwise as some will have it Sacramentum because it is to be received Sacramente with a holy mind and therefore cald the Sacrament The Churches have used it a long time in Tertullians time which was above fourteen hundred years agoe he was the first that we find used this word and most that would open the word unto us say that especially it was taken from the practise of Souldiers who when they came and listed themselves bound themselves in a solemne oath to be faithful to their Captaine and to the Cause that they did undertake and the oath they were wont to call Sacramentum A Sacrament Now in regard that Christians when they come to this Ordinance they come to seale a Covenant with God and though they doe not formally and explicitely take an oath yet they bind themselves in a holy Covenant which hath the strength even of an oath in it For a solemne Promise to the high God hath the strength of an oath in it and from thence they were cald by these names Sacraments but that for the word that you may understand it But the word the Scripture useth to set out this Sacrament by that now I am speaking of is the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ so you have it in 1 Cor. 10. 6. The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we break is it
it may be it was through ignorance but it was at their perill if they were ignorant of the mind of God when it might be known though it were but darkly revealed and were to be pickt out from several places compared together it was at their perill It is a point that we have a great deal of need of for this is the vain heart of man That if there be any thing that God would have that is not suitable to his own ends he will stand wrangling against it and cavelling at it How doth it appear will he say can you bring expresse Scripture for it Bring me expresse Scripture in words for to prove it and then I will believe it and so stands out till you bring so many words of Scripture that forbids such a thing or commands such a duty Now my brethren if you be of this temper That you will forbear nothing nor set upon any thing but what you have directly express words of Scripture for you may run at your own perill into wofull dangers into wofull sins know that God hath so revealed a great part of his mind as it is only to be known by gathering one thing from another and by comparing one thing with another And God expects this from you That if upon examination of Scripture that one thing appear more likely to be his mind and will then another you are bound to go that way that is more likely I told you before That in matters of Worship we must have warrant from the Word but it doth not follow That we must have a direct expresse warrant in every thing As it is many times in some kind of picture the great art it is in the cast of the looks you cannot say it 's in the drawing of this line or the other line but altogether it is the cast of the looks that causes the beauty of the picture So in the Scripture you cannot say that this one line or the other line take it single that proves it but let them be laid all together and there will be a kind of aspect of Gods mind that we may see that this is the mind of God rather then the other and we are bound to go that way Now so far Nadab Abihu might have seen that they should rather have taken fire off the Altar then any other fire But they presum'd because they had not expresse Word and you see it was at their perill O take heed of standing out and wrangling against what is required because you have not expresse words the Lord hath laid things so and especially in the New Testament for the ordering of the Church in the New Testament as you have not expresse command for abundance of things but sometimes an example in some things and sometimes not a cleer example neither but compare one thing with another and that which seems to be neerest the mind of God that should be bond enough to us to tye us to go according to what the mind of God seems most probable to be in the Scripture and an humble teachable heart will soon be convinced when another man will not We find it cleerly That such things as are most suitable to mens own ends a little matter will serve the turn to perswade men to it though one might argue against it I could easily shew it but 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 wayes them they will close withall but other things that do crosse the flesh that are most opposite to loo senesse and would bring men most under the government of Christ those things men stand out against and they must have cleer and expresse words expresse and cleer warrant out of the word in so many termes 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 sâ—nners may meet with some judgements 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 judgement that was not threatned 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 fins you are afraid then but know if thou venturest upon wayes of sin thou mayest meet with dreadfull judgements executed that never yet were threatned Besides all those judgements that are threatned in the Book of God thou mayest meet with judgements 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 judgements 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 judgments hath more dreadfull things then 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 infinite Justice Power and Wisdome 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 evill an infinite wisdome 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 judgement that is threatned against it but think thus I that do provoke God by my sins what may I look for 'T is more then 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 wayes of his judgements 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 with Nadab and Abihu for they were but newly consecrated so I find it by Interpreters That they were to be in consecration for seven dayes and this was the first day that they came to their place and
in the very first act that they did God did siute them 〈◊〉 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 holinesse of a duty will never bear a man out in the miscarriages of a duty This was a holy duty they were the true Preists 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 thereof you may venture upon mixture take heed of mixing any evill any miscarriage in a holy thing though you have performed a thousand holy duties yet it will not bear you out in the miscarriage of them The Eleaventh Note is this That the Lord is very terrible out of his holy places The Note is the same that you have in Psal 68. 35. The Lord is 〈◊〉 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 Preists as in Ezek 9. 6. Begin at my Sanctuary saith God God is terrible terrible towards those that shall dare to approach into 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 judgements 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 judgements of God are very suitable to the sins of men oftentimes As here by fire so another time we find it by water Pharoah 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 righteousnes 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 Jewes they would fell Christ for 30 pieces of silver and they were sold 30 of them for a penny atterwards And so the story of Adoni-hezek in the first of Judges that was so cruell 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 cruell fiery spirits to meet with cruell 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 Children and when you that are Parents meet with stubborn Children you should reflect Doth not God come righteously upon me And so you that are Servants you are stout to your Masters why afterwards when you come to have Servants they will be so to you and perhaps you were unfaithfull to your Governors afterwards when you come to have Servants it 's a thousand to one but they will be so to you Now you should strike your hand upon your heart and say It 's just with God that it should be so and that he should come upon me in mine own kind Another Note is this They offered strange fire Le ts take heed all of us how we bring strange fire into Gods service Bring strange fire into Gods service What 's that I find divers writers speaking upon this saith Amâ—â—rose Lusts and covetousnesse are this strange fire That which I would have you consider of it this Above all strange fire take heed of the strange fire of Passion and Anger and especially in the Worship of God and at any time when you find your hearts heated and fired with Anger when you are about to Worship God remember this scripture Nadab and Abihu were consum'd by God with fire from God for coming into Gods presence with strange fire Now O Lord how often have â—â— come into thy presence with strange fire Perhaps your hearts have bin burning hot with Passion when you have bin coming into Gods presence You are to pray with fervency for so the Scripture saith we are indeed to be heat in Prayer by the Holy Ghoâ—t in our hearts but certainly not to come with the fire of Passion and Anger Lift up your haâ—ds without wâ—ath and doubting If you have been Passionate and your hearts have been heat that way be sure you get your hearts cold before you go to Prayer And so when you come to hear the Word if your hearts have been heat with Passion be sure you get them cold before you come to hear the Word Receive with meeknesse the ingrafted Word that may save your Souls And so when you come to the Lords Supper take heed of coming with Wrath and Malice for then you come but to offer strange fire It 's a speciall Consideration for Ministers that come to Preach they should take heed of bringing strange fire into their Pulpits that is of venting their own Passions That hath been ever a rule that I have been convinced of since I knew any thing of Preaching That that man that is appointed to reveal Gods wrath had need to conceal his own wrath that 's certainly a rule for all Preachers for the Lord sends his Preachers to make known his wrath against mens sins but now the more they make known his wrath the more they should conceal their own and so by that means when they come in the openest way to manifest Gods wrath the more their Preaching would be accepted Now it 's true a carnal heart would be ready to think That when a Preacher speaks out of true zeal to God he will be ready to say That he hath aiming at himself Take heed of that I believe you have had but little occasion of such a temptation in this place But however this I know it is the duty of the Ministers of God to be sure to bring nothing but the fire of the Spirit of God the fire that they have from the Altar their tongues being toucht with one of these coales and not that they should come with their own Passions to further the Righteousnesse of God no the wrath of