God in regard of that essentiall presence of his yet there is a more peculiar and speciall drawing nigh to God in the duties of his Worship and that the Scripture seems to hold forth unto you First I le shew you how the Scripture holds it forth and then in what respects the Creature may be said to draw nigh to God in holy duties of Worship for so it was here they were coming to offer Incense 1 That we do draw nigh to God in holy Duties see Jam. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God so that you may be neerer God then you were that is by holy Services holy Duties hence it is in Ps 95. 2. Let us saith he come before his presence with thanksgiving so that there is a more peculiar coming before Gods presence when we come to Worship him then at other times And v. 6. O come let us Worship and how down let us kneel before the Lord our maker So in Psal 100. 2. Let us come before his presence with singing for that 's one part of the Worship of God But the Scripture is plain that there is a speciall coming before God when we are coming to Worship him and in this respect the Servants of God in Psal 148. 14. are said to be a people neer to God It is a very remarkable expression and le ts forth much the honour of the Saints of God There 's the commendation of the excellent estate of the Saints He al 's 〈◊〉 the hâ—rn of his people the praise of all his Saints even the children of Israel a people neer unto him The Saints of God the Children of Israel the Church of God are said to be a people neer to God Why neer him Because that they Worship God they are much exercised in the Worship of God This is one respect though there may be divers others mentioned yet in respect of their coming so much before God in his Worship therefore they are neer God Quest Neer him Why in what respects may a man be said to draw nigh to God when he Worships him Answ To that I Answer There are three respects in which a man when he is Worshipping of God may be said to draw nigh to God 1 First Because when we come to Worship God we come to tender up that homage and service unto him that is due from us as creatures to the infinite Creator that 's the very end of Worship If you would know what it is to Worship God it is this You come to tender up that homage and respect that is due from the creature to the Creator Now when a Subject comes to tender up his homage to his Prince he comes towards him when he doth it immediately So we have none to tender it up by but Jesus Christ and when we tender it up we must come our selves too for Christ doth not take our service and tender it up to God and we be absent but we must come with Christ and Christ takes us by the hand and so tenders it up to the Father while we are in presence so that we are said to come nigh to God in that respect because of the immediate tendering up of that Worship of ours to God I call it immediate in respect of any creature But in respect of Christ indeed he is a Mediator to do it but yet he doth it in a spirituall way and we have to do with none but God through Jesus Christ in the tendering up of our Worship to him We may make use of an institution that God hath appointed but we do not tender up our Worship to God through that creature but in the use of that creature we do come to God and our souls are to tender up that respect we owe to God immediately Therefore in Levit. 21. 21. it is said of the Priests in their Sacrifices when they were to come to Worship God No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the Priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire So that when any come to offer any offerings of the Lord made by fire it appeares he came nigh to God he came to bring a present to God therefore he comes nigh So when we come to offer our spirituall Sacrifices unto God we come nigh to God to offer it 's the offering of a Sacrifice to God And that 's the first thing because the creature comes to bring a present to God therefore he is said to draw nigh And Secondly the Soul is said to draw nigh to God in holy duties because it doth present it's self before God in those ways through which God doth use to communicate his choice precious most excelent and glorious mercies to his people I say when we come to Worship God we come to set our selves before God in those waies that God doth 〈◊〉 to communicate the choice most excelent and glorious rich mercies that he hath to communicate to his creature When we have to deal with creatures as meat and drink and our outward businesses we have to do with God in them but when we come to Worship God we come to present our selves before him in those things that he doth use to let out himselfe though in a more speciall and glorious manner to the souls of his people What 's the reason why heaven is said to be the presence of God and why those that are in heaven are said to live with God There they behold the face of God and are before him in a speciall manner therefore when Christ teacheth us to pray he teacheth us to look up to heaven and to say Our Father which â—rt in heaven c. Now certainly the essentiall presence of God is on earth as truly and really as in heaven and God is not so as to have one part in one place and another in another but All God is in every place but the reason why God is said to be in heaven it is because the Lord makes known himself there in a more glorious manner then in any other place and therefore heaven is the presence of God in a more speciall way Now then if the communication of God unto a creature be enough to make the presence of God more speciall if this be enough to make a creature to live with God and to be before his face because they are there where God doth most communicate himself then certainly when we come to Worship God we come to be neer God and be with God because the duties of his Worship are those means that the Lord hath appointed for the letting out of himself in the glory of his goodnesse and mercy to his people You may expect other manner of communication of Gods goodnesse through the duties of his Worship then in any other way And that 's the Second respect wherein you may be said to draw nigh to God in holy duties Thirdly You may be said to draw nigh to God
because then we should and if we Worship God as we ought we do act our faith and humility and all the graces of the Spirit We do act them as it were upon God when we come to Worship him That 's required in every duty of Worship that you should stir up the faculties of your souls and all the graces of the Spirit of God and you should act them upon God when you are Worshipping of him T is not enough to come with grace when you come to Worship God but there must be an acting of that grace upon God And so we find in Scripture that the acting of grace upon God it is a drawing neer to him therefore in Isa 29. 13. the Lord complaines there This people draws neer to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me as if God should say Indeed they come and speak to me and therefore they think they draw nigh to me but I expect that their hearts should be acting upon me that 's the meaning And in Zeph. 3. 2. God complains there of his people that they did not draw neer to him as they should And it appears plainly it was from hence that their graces did not act so upon God as they ought She obeyed not the voice she received not correction she trusted not in the Lord she drew not neer to her God So that acting faith upon God is a drawing nigh to God and so acting any grace upon God is a drawing nigh to God Now when is there a time for the acting of our graces upon God so as when we come to worship God And therefore in Isa 64. 7. the Lord complains there That no man did stir up himself to take hold on him When we come to Worship God we should stir up our selves to take hold of God And thus you see in what respects the Soul may be said to draw nigh to God when it comes to worship him Now for the Application of this point and it is in divers particulars The First is this Hence learn what you do when you come to Worship God and consider of it every time you come to performe any act of Worship Truly this one thing would be of marveilous use and it would help forward to the next Point of Sanctifying of Gods Name This you are all convinced of That it is your duty to Worship God when you pray you come to Worship God when you come to hear his Word you come to Worship him and when you receive the Sacrament you Worship him Now if I should come from one end of the Congregation to the other and ask every one of you this Question It is your duty to Worship God is it not Yes that you will all be ready to answer And what do you do when you Worship God I fear that this Second Question would gravell many You will say We must pray to God and serve him and hear his Word and go to the Communion◠yea but what do your Souls do in this Work of Worshipping of God This should be the answer and so you should think with your selves and charge this upon your own hearts I am now going to Worship God either in Prayer Word or Sacraments I am now going to tender up that homage that is due from a creature to the infinite Creator so that I must so pray as I must manifest that high respect that I owe to God as my Creator but that I shall speak to more afterward only now remember this That you do professe every time you go to Prayer That you go to tender up that homage that you owe unto God and so every time you come to hear the Word there is a profession that you come to tender up that respect and homage that you owe to the infinite God And so likewise when you come to receive the Sacrament Now when we come to offer a present to men we know how we prepare and with what suitable presence we desire to offer but of that afterward when we come to speak of Sanctifying Gods Name 2 Secondly Remember when I come to Worship God I come to set my self before the Lord in those ways that God doth let out the choice of his mercies to his people in I have many mercies from God in the enjoyment of the creature but when I come to Worship him I expect the communication of his mercy in another way then through any creature in the World The duties of his Worship are the chief chānels that God doth let out the choicest of his mercies to the hearts of his people through and now I am going to Worship him I am going to present my self before God Indeed there is a little glimmering of the light of God through other creatures to me but the glorious beames of the light of God is through the duties of his Worship 3 And then Thirdly I am now going to act my Soul upon God so that if I have any abilities to close with God to act my Soul upon him it must be put forth now at this time I am indeed at all times to labour to injoy communion with God when I see the creatures the Sun and Moon and Stars to labour to lift up my heart to God and when I see the glory of God in the Sea and for my meat and drink I am to blesse God and to acknowledge God in all but now when I come to Worship God then all the strength of my Soul is to be acted upon God in a more speciall manner I must then above all labour to stir up whatsoever I have in my Soul to act upon God this is now to Worship God Secondly If to Worship God be to draw nigh to God hence we see the reasons why guilty consciences have little mind to the duties of Gods Worship When a man or woman hath given liberty to any licentious way sinned against their consciences if they have any light in their consciences it is one of the tediousest things in the World to come to the duties of Gods Worship they had rather do any thing then to come to holy dutys as to Prayer and especially to secret prayer A man or woman that hath an inlightened conscience and is under the guilt of sin the coming to God in holy duties is a very grievous burden to them Why Here 's the Reason Because to Worship God is to draw nigh to God and the guilt that is upon them hath made the presence of God terrible to them and therefore they had rather go into their company be merry eat drink sport or any thing rather then to come into Gods presence We know how it was with Adam when God appeared in the garden and called to him he ran to hide himself Why Because he had guiltinesse upon him Oh the evill that the guilt of sin brings upon the Soul it makes the presence of God terrible The presence of God it should be more
I might get thy Spirit to be conveyed through this Word of thine into my heart this should be thy end when ever thou comest and not only Self I will give you two or three Scriptures to shew that God regards little any duties where self is the higheâ— end the First is in Hos 7. 14. They howled upon their beds saith the Text there but they cryed not to me The Lord there did acknowledge that they were very much affected in their Prayers but what was it it was but a howling upon their beds and how so it was because only they did cry for themselves They have not cryed unto me saith the Lord with their heart when they howled upon their beds It was but meerly for Corn and Wine and Cyle but not unto me they aim'd at themselves and not at me And in Amos 5. 22. there the Lord professes that he did reject the fat of their peace offerings Though ye offer me saith he burâ—â—t offerings and your meat offerings I will not accept them neither will I reâ—ard the peace offering of your fat beasts They were carefull to offer their fattest beasts in their peace offerings and will not God regard them It was in their peace offerings that they offered their fat beasts and there they were to eate a grat part of it themselves Indeed the burnt offering was wholly offered unto God God had all that but the peace-offering those that did offer it they did eat a great part of it themselves now they were very carefull in those offerings that they should partake of themselves to offer fat beasts you do not see that the Holy Ghost takes any notice of fat beasts in their burnt-offerings Now the Note from hence is this That in those things where men are interested themselves they will be very carefull to have the best things But now the Lord rejected the fat beasts of their peace-offerings saith God you were very carefull to offer fat beasts in your peace-offerings where you may feed your selves but for those offerings wherein I have all there you are not so carefull and therefore I regard them not The Third Scripture is in Zach. 7. 5. there they did keep many daies in seeking of God it is an observable Scripture for these times Speak unto all the people of the land and to the Priests saying When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month even those seventy years did ye at all fast unto me even unto me Mark the phrase you fasted in the fifth and seventh month and for seventy years together but saith the Lord Did you at all fast unto me and then mark how it is doubled To me even unto me Noting that when we fast or pray or do any thing in the Worship of God we should be sure to aime at God more then our selves that God may not say of us another day Do you do it to me even to me You may ask me this Question How may I know that I am acted by self ends in holy duties for it is a hard thing for one to know ones own heart when one is acted by principles of 〈◊〉 and when we aime at God in holy duties Now for that I will give you these notes to try whither you be acted from your selves or no. The First is this If a man loves holy duties though he finde no present good comes in by them because they are such things as God requirs and therefore though I get nothing by them yet this is enough to carry me on and to carry me on readily and willingly in the worship of God those that can delight in Gods worship even at that time though they find nothing coming into themselves But now when we find not that coming in that we do desire we begin to be weary of worship and say Why have we fasted and thou seest it not This is an Argument that thou art acted by Self rather then by God Secondly To know whether we be acted by self ends or rather by high ends for God Those men that can rejoyce in others that are able to honour God in holy duties more then themselves they may have a good evidence to their own Souls that when they worship God they are acted by higher ends then self but now such as are streightned themselves and when they see others more inlarged in the worship of God they rather envy them are greiv'd and troubled know that Self is a great ingredient in those duties that thou doest performe if thy heart were raised high to God though thou canst not thy self be inlarged in holy duties yet thy soul would be glad that any others are though I have a wretched and vile heart of my own yet blessed be God that there are any others that can worship God better then I can Thirdly A man that is acted by self in holy duties he regards holy duties but little save in time of extremity in time of fear or of sicknesse or in dangers But now one that hath high ends in holy duties makes the duties of Gods worship to be the joy of his soul in the middest of his prosperity and that is an evident sign that thou art not acted by self ends but by higher ends Canst thou in the middest of thy abundance say Lord thou givest me all conveniencies in this world and all outward things that I want but Lord this is that which is the â—oy of my Soul this is that which makes my life comfortable even communion with thy self in the duties of thy worship that I have free accesse unto the Throne of thy Grace to worship thee the Lord and there meet with thee when I am in the performance of holy duties O Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that this is the â—hing that makes my life comfortable It is not that I have a Table furnished with variety of dishes and that I can have liberty of time to go into company and spend according as I please but Lord those incomes of thy Spirit that I do find in the duties of thy worship those are the things that makes my life bleâ—â—ed indeed unto me Such a man as is able thus to appeale to God surely when he worships God he is acted by high-ends and not by self ends And that is the Third thing that is necessary for Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties thou muâ—â— have a Sanctified heart high thoughts of God and high ends In the Fourth place There must be much reverence and much fear when thou comest into the presence of God to worship him thou doest not glorifie God as God except thou doest come into his presence with much fear reverence of his great Name Fear in worshipping of God it is so necessary that many times in Scripture we â—â—nd that â—he very worship of God is called The feâ—â— of God they are put both for one I might give you divers Scriptures for it and hence it was that the
Name of God was called the fear of Isaac Jacob did swear by The fear of his father Isaac because Isaac being a great worshipper of God kept his constant times to worship God and worshipped him in such a constant way as except David and Daniel we do not find mention of the constancy of any in the worshipping of God as we do of Isaacs for it is said that he walked but into the fields in the evening as he was wont to do to Meditate and to Pray and therefore God is called The fear of Isaac In Psal 89. 7. is 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
know mee when I shall be Sanctified in thee O Gog before their eyes And in the 23. ver Thus will I magnifie my selfe and Sanctify my selfe and I will be knowne in the eyes of many Nations and they shall know that I am the Lord In the way of the execution of Judgment thus I will Sanctifie my self so I will be Sanctified in those that draw nigh me In those that are nigh mee Nigh ones so it may be read that is especially the Priests that did approach to God Ezek. 42. 13. they approach to God especially But it is meant generally of all those that shall have to deale in my Worship whosoever shall come to Worship me let them look to it they must Sanctifie my name they must so demeane themselves in my Worship as to hold forth my Name to be Holy or otherwise I will manifest my selfe against them in the wayes of Judgment for I will appeare to be a holy God I will have the glory of my Holynesse one way or other saith God in those that come neere Mee As if God should say Though it 's otherwise with men they indeed will be ready to favour those that are neere them but I will not doe so Men will sooner passe by the offences of those that are neer them then those that are not as suppose that a stranger commits an offence you would be severe towards him but suppose it were one of your owne Children or kinsmen what would you doe then Doe not we see that men will rather favour their owne kindred then strangers though the offence be the same But I will not doe so saith God Suppose it be one of your own family will not you be ready to excuse them Suppose it were your own Child that should cōmit such an offence Oh! what friends would you make to take him off from punishment Though men will do so towards their own yet be bitter and severe towards strangers Yet I will not be so saith God Let those that are neer me looke to it I will be Sanctified by them I will be sanctifyed in those that draw neere me Now upon this when Moses said thus That God would be sanctified in those that draw neere him this was Moses scope to Aaron as if Moses should say Aaron though I confesse the hand of God is heavy upon you this day Yet it is fit for you to submit to God 't is fit that God should be glorified what ever becomes of you you are deare to God but Gods Name is dearer to him then you are what ever the lives of your Sonnes were yet it is fit that God should be honoured and his name Sanctified what ever becomes of your Sonnes or of your Comforts and therfore let your heart be quieted you have had a great loss and affliction upon you but God hath had glory God hath glorified himselfe How hath God glorified himselfe Very much by this way for God by this way hath done an act to make all the People of the Land feare before him to cause them to Worship him with all reverence All the people of the Land seeing such a Judgment as this and hearing of it they will learne for ever to feare and Reverence this God they will say How shall wee appeare before this Holy God Wee had need take heed how we appeare in his presence and Worship him according to the way that Hee himselfe would be Worshipped As if Moses should say This Honour that God hath by this meanes in the hearts of his people it is that that you should account a greater good then the Lives of your Children what ever they are This is the Scope of Moses speech to Aaron Now upon this the Text saith Aaron held his peace Hee was silenced It may be before Hee was expressing himselfe in greife and sorrow'd exceeding much in words but now he was quiet and had nothing to say he did by his silence acknowledge his Children were dear to him but it 's fit that God should be glorified what ever becomes of his Children and therefore Aaron holds his peace But the word that is here translated Holds his peace It hath more in it then meere silence for the Hebrews have another word to signifie meere silence of speech but this signifies a staying of the heart that it doth not further proceed in any trouble of Spirit a silence in the very heart and staying of it a staying of the motions of the heart I find the same word to be used in Scripture when Joshua said to the Sunne si and still stay thy selfe on Gibeon Jos 10. 12. It 's the same word that is here translated and Aaron held his peace that is he was stayed from further vexing or troubling of himselfe or being disquieted Whereas his heart was in a strong violent motion Now Moses speech did stop him and gave a stop to his heart to make it stand still in a wonderfull manner as the Sunne when Joshua spake to it to stand still As if the Lord should have spoken to his heart Aaron thy heart is in a mighty strong motion but consider that I must be Sanctifyed in those that drawe nigh mee and let all those motions of thy heart be stopt and quiet Thus now you see the meaning of the Scripture and the scope of it Now in this scripture you have these three speciall and notable points 1 That in worshiping of God there is a drawing nigh unto him 2 That when wee doe drawe nigh to God wee should take heed to our selves that wee Sanctifye Gods name 3 If wee doe not Sanctifye Gods name in our drawings nigh to him then certainly God will Sanctifye his owne Name upon us These are the three points that I intend to handle And especially the second to handle largely among you I confesse upon another occasion in one Sermon I have spoke out of these words but now I intend not onely in generall to shew you how you should sanctifie Gods Name in Worship but likewise in the particular Acts of Worship As Sanctifying his name in Prayer in Receiving the Sacrament in Hearing the Word in the severall chief parts of the Worship of God how his Name should be sanctified For in all these you do draw nigh to God And for that end I have pitcht my thoughts upon this Scripture But before I come to these three great Points that are the principall points in the words read unto you I shall take up divers other notes of observation that ly up and down as it were scattered that are of great use and will help us further to make use of this scripture in the other points that I shall come to afterwards and handle more largely The first Note is this That in Gods Worship there must be nothing tendered up to God but what hee hath commanded what soever wee meddle with in the Worship of God it must be what wee have a warrant for out of the word
of God For this speech of Moses is upon occasion of the Judgment of God upon Aarons Sonnes for offering strange fire They offered fire that God had not commanded Hence I say that all things in Gods worship must have a warrant out of Gods word must be commanded It 's not enough that it is not forbidden I beseech you observe it it is not enough that a thing is not forbidden and what hurt is there in it But it must be commanded I confesse in matters that are Civil and naturall there this may be enough If it be but according to the rules of prudence and not forbidden in the word we may make use of this in Civill and naturall things But now when we come to matters of Religion and the Worshipp of God we muâ—â— either have a command or somewhat out of Gods Word by some Consequence drawn from some Command wherein God manifests his will either a direct command or by comparing one thing with another or drawing consequences plainly from the Words Wee must have a warrant for the Worship of God One would have thought that these Preists offering Incense to the true God what hurt was there in taking other Fire But there was no Command for it and therefore it was not accepted It 's true there are somethings in the Worship of God that are Naturall and Civil helpes and there we need not have any Command As for instance when we come to Worship God the Congregation meets they must have a convenient place to keep the Ayre and weather from them now this is but a naturall help and so far as I Use the place of worship as a naturall help I need have no Command But if I will put any thing in a Place beyond what it hath in it's owne nature There I must look for a Command For if I account one place more Holy then another or to thinke that God should accept of worship in one place rather then in another This is to raise it above what it is in its owne Nature So that when any Creature is raised in a Religious way above what it hath in it by Nature if I have not Scripture to warrant mee I am therein Superstitious It is a very usefull rule for to help you If any Creature that you make any use of in a way of Religion beyond what it hath in its owne Nature If you have not some warrant from the Word of God whatsoever specious shew there may be in it it is Superstition As now for the place there was a place that was Holy but then it had an Institution from God And so for garments to use those that are decent the light of reason is enough but if I wil put any thing upon them beyond what there is in them in their owne nature as heretofore in a Surplis what had that any more decencie in its owne nature but only mans Institution Now when man shall put a Relgious respect upon a thing by vertue of his owne Institution when he hath not a warrant from God Here 's Superstion wee must al be willing worshippers but not Will worshippers We must come freely to worship God but we must not worship God according to our own wils and therefore what ever we do in the Worship of God if we have not a warrant for it when this is said Who requireth this at your hands It will stop our mouths another day In Matthew 15. 9. In vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrine the commandments of men In vain it is a vain thing to Worship God when there is nothing but a commandment of man for this Worship If you would Worship God you must have a Commandment of God for the Worship And in Isa 29. 13. there is a place to the same purpose that shews how the Lord is offended with any man that shall teach his fear by their own precepts 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 it Now if this be so the Lord have mercy upon us in this thing You have cause to be humbled every one of you I believe in some degree or other this Congregation very much and most Congregations that have had the fear of God taught them by the precepts of men How many things have there been in the Worship of God that you can shew no warrant in the Word for A great many things meerly mans inventions however they are now cast out because Authority came in and cast them out and so you submit to it but that 's not enough for you to submit to it because Authority would have it so but you ought to be humbled before God for all you Will-worship for all your yeildings to any thing in the Worship of God that was taught by the precepts of men You see how severe God was to Nadab and Abihu for but taking other fire then that which God had appointed to offer up Incense though there was no direct commandment against it If the Lord hath spared you and not manifested any displeasure upon you you have cause to acknowledge Gods mercy and to be humbled for all your false Worship certainly God doth expect it from this Land to be humbled for their Will-worship or otherwise they few among thornes All the Reformation that is among us if there be not an humiliation before for our false Worship 't is not enough that we set up now the true Worship of God but we must be humbled for our false Worship And that 's the first Note That in the Worship of God there must be nothing but what God commands The Second Note is In the matters of Worship God stands upon little things Such things as seem to be very small and little to us yet God stands much upon them in the matter of Worship For there is nothing wherein the Prerogative of God doth more appear then in Worship as Princes they stand much upon their Prerogatives now God hath written the Law of natural Worship in our hearts as that we should love God fear God truâ— in God and pray to God this God hath written in our hearts but there are other things in the Worship of God that are not written in our hearts that only depend upon the Will of God revealed in his Word which were no duties except they were revelead in his Word And these are of such a nature as we can see no reason for but only this because God will have them As now there are many kind of Ceremonies to manifest honour to Princes that there is no reason for them at all but meerly because it is a Civil Institution so appointed so God would have some waies for the honouring of him that the creature should not see into the reason of them but meerly the will
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
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
himself That is That you should come to Worship him is this a small thing to you is not this honour enough As if Moses should have said Why do you contend for any more honour the Lord hath separated you to bring you neer to himsef Object This you will say was spoken to the Priests Answ But it may be said of every gracious Soul for every Beleever Christ hath made a King Priest and Prophet unto himself now there is no Beleever but Jesus Christ hath separated him or her from the rest of the world to be neer unto God This is the dignity that God hath put upon thee that thou art separated by his grace to be one neer to him whereas others of the world they depart from him continually depart more and more from him but I say the Lord by his grace hath set thee a part for himself as he saith in Psal 4. 3. The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself Thou art separated from the world to what end It is that thou mightest be neer to him this is thy priviledge and thou shouldest account it thy great honour thou hast not that honour and respect in the world as others have but thou art one of Gods separated ones that thou art neer to him A Third scripture is in Psal 33. 28. There you may see how the Prophet David did highly esteeme of that great honour that the Lord did put upon him in this in being neer to God But it is good for me to draw neer to God Mark how he speaks But it is good for me Why For loe they that are far from thee shall perish thou hast desiroyed all them that go a whoring from thee As if he should say There are some that did seeme to be neer unto thee heretofore that were as the wife to the husband but they are gone a whoring from thee base Hypocrites base Apostates they are gone a whoring from thee their hearts being carnall they did not find that contentment and satisfaction in thy Worship as thy Saints do and therefore they are gone a whoring from thee but it is good for me to draw neer to thee It is an excellent Scripture do you see any young ones or others that were very forward not many years agoe and would speak of good things and seem to rejoyce in the word but now they are gone a whoring they are departed from God and his wayes and the pleasures of the flesh hath taken their hearts Thou wilt destroy them saith David that go a whoring from thee So thou shouldest think with thy self Oh miserable is the condition of those who once were forward in the profession of Religion and now are gone a whoring from God but it 's good for me to draw neer to God they are gone from thee and thou wilt destroy them but it is good for me to draw neer to thee I blesse my self in drawing neer to thee the Lord and blesse the time that ever I did draw neer to thee and that ever I knew those waies wherein in my soul hath drawn neer to God Such a Worship God aright and do delight in the worship of God they are such as have a great honour put upon them they do draw nigh to God And thus we have finished the First Point The Second Point is that will hold us some time and that is The Sanctifying Gods Name in our drawing neer to God When we Worship God we draw nigh to him but let us take heed how we draw nigh Heb. 10. 12. Let us draw neer with a true heart Looke to thy feet when thou comest into the house of God Eccle. 5. 1. Now for the Sanctifying of Gods Name in drawing nigh to him we shall indeavour to open it 1 First in shewing you wherein the Sanctification of Gods name consists or what we should do that we might Sanctifie the Name of God in drawing nigh to him 2 The Reason why God will have his name to be Sanctified in those that do draw nigh to him How we should sanctifie the name of God in drawing nigh to him it is under these two heads First There must be a due preparation unto the Worship of God that we exercise our selves in at any time Secondly A right behaviour of our souls in it in these two things consists the Sanctifying of Gods Name in his worship Now under these two heads all that I shall speak about the opening of the Sanctifying of Gods Name will be contain'd At this time I shall only speak of the First The due preparation of the Soul unto the duties of Gods Worship Therein consists a speciall part of the Sanctifying of Gods Name in drawing nigh to him And that it is so we find it in Scripture That preparation for worship it is called the Sanctifying of our selves and by finding this in Scripture it hinted me upon this head to speake of the preparation unto worship in our Sanctifying Gods Name because I find in Scripture that the Sanctifying our selves for worship and the preparation of our selves for worship are all one I 'le give you these two texts In 1 Sam. 16. 5. you shall find there that Samuel when he was sent by God to Anoint David in Bethlem the text saith I am come to Sacrifice unto the Lord Sanctifie your selves and come with me to the Sacrifice Do you come peaceably say they Yes what then Sanctifie your selves and come with me to the Sacrifice That 's all one as if he should have said Prepare your selves and come with me to the Sacrifice and so in Job 1. 5. there you shall find that the holy man Joh when his sons had been feasting he was some what afraid least there should be some miscarriage and that they had sinned against God in their feasting as it is very hard to give liberty to please the flesh and not to sin not to transgresse bounds therefore Job though he did not hear of any notorious abuse of their feasting yet he was afraid least they should sin he knew how dangerous it was to have so much satisfaction to the flesh and not to transgresse bounds therefore it is said he sent to his sons and sanctified them It was so saith the text when the daies of the feasting were gone about that Job sent and Sanctified them that Job sent unto them to prepare them to offer Sacrifice to prepare them for the Worship of God So that the Scripture holds forth this then that to prepare for worship it is to Sanctifie for Worship and so it is one speciall thing that is required in our sanctifying of God in our drawing nigh to God to make a due preparation for his holy worship Now for the orderly handling of things 1. First I shal shew you That we must prepare for the worship of God 2 Secondly I shall shew you Wherein this preparation for the Worship of God doth consist 3 Thirdly The excellencie that there is in
of God This businesse and the other businesse would hinder the intanglements they would hinder the temptations of the Devill they would hinder sometimes the indisposition of our bodies doth mightily hinder and the stirrings of the passions of our minds they hinder if there be any businesse fals out amisle in the family and any thing go but crosse how are we put off the hinges made unfit for holy duties There had need be preparation therefore because there are so many hinderances in the way many of you will complain that you are much hindered but do you do what you can to make preparation before hand Do the hinderances that you complain of put you on to be so much the more carefull to make due preparation for holy duties Fiftly We find that the heathens themselves by the light of nature when they did but worship their Idol gods they would make some preparation such as was suitable to those gods that the worshipped therefore they would wash their flesh and purge themselves but though their preparation was but very poor yet they taught us thus much That they were convinst in their consciences that when God was to be Worshipped people should be prepared The Sixt last reason hath a great deal in it which I beseech you consider of we find that the Scripture doth make the uprightnes of the heart much to consist in preparation for worship and doth make the falsenesse of the heart to consist in this that men do not prepare Perhaps you have not so much thought of this but yet it is of excellent use unto you We shall find the Scripture doth make the very uprightnesse of the heart to consist in the preparation for duty and the falsenesse of a mans heart to consist in this that he makes not conscience to prepare his heart for God and his worship And this I will shew unto you very plainly and cleerly take these two examples The first of Rehoboam and the second of Jehoshaphat one a wicked man whose heart was false and the other a godly man whose heart was right with God The falsenesse of the heart of the one is in 2 Chron. 12. 14. there you have what Gods thoughts of Rehoboam were in the verses before but now he brings the reason of his sentence upon him and saith the text he did evill because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord there were many good things that Rehoboam did I might shew you some things as how he did obey the Prophet of God when he was seeking to avenge himselfe upon those that did rend themselves from his obedience the Lord did but send his Prophet and though he had an army ready to revenge himselfe upon those that in a way of Rebellion did rend themselves from under his government he obeyed the word of the Lord but for al that he did evil in the fight of the Lord God look'd upon him as a man that had no uprightnes in him why for he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord saith God I look upon all Rehoboam did as nothing I look upon his waies as evil and himself as a wicked man Why Because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord if his hart had bin upright with me he would have prepared his heart to seek me I beseech you now lay this text to your hearts do you prepare your hearts to seek God when you go to prayer can you say that you take paines in preparing your hearts for it and in hearing the word and so likewise for receiving the Sacrament Now for Jehoshaphat a godly man in 2 Chron. 19. 3. there you may see what the Lord saith of Jehoshaphat that was godly Neverthelesse there are good things found in thee in that thou hast taken away the greves out of the land and hast prepared thine heart to seek God Jehoshaphat was found guilty in joyning himself to wicked men too much the Prophet comes and saith to him Wouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. Jehoshaphat here we see was very faulty in joyning with those that were wicked and is rebuked by the Prophet from the Lord What wilt thou joyne with the wicked the wrath of God is upon thee Well but for all that I beseech you observe it That at that time when the Lord is most displeased against Jehoshaphat and sends his Prophet in his name to pronounce this that the wrath of God is out against him yet for all this God cannot but take notice of this that he had an upright heart though he failed in that particular yet there is some good found in thee in that thou hast prepared thy heart to seek God Indeed through some sudden temptations thou art drawn aside in this particular act Yea but it hath been thy care to prepare thy heart to seek me and in that regard I do look upon thee as having an upright heart And thus you see how much the Scripture puts upon the preparation of the heart to seek God And so in 1 Sam. 7. 3. you shall find that the Scripture makes the uprightnesse of the heart to consist in this And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel saying If ye do returne unto the Lord with all your hearts what then why then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him only As if Samuel should say If you will return indeed to the Lord if indeed your hearts be upright according to what you seeme to professe in turning to God why then prepare your hearts to seek the Lord. You do not in truth turne to God except you make conscience to prepare your hearts Therefore you that yet never knew what it was to make conscience to prepare your hearts for holy duties know that you have not turned with all your heart unto the Lord there hath not been the true turning of your hearts unto the Lord. Thus now you see there is much lies upon preparation to the duties of Gods worship Well you will say seeing there lies so much in it I pray open it wherein it doth consist To that I Answer It consists in these five things which I shall but briefly name First In the possessing the heart with the right apprehension of that God before whom we come to tender our duties Then do we make conscience to prepare our hearts when we labour upon our going to worship God to get our hearts before hand possessed with right apprehensions of the Majesty of that God that we are going to Worship and of the greatnesse and weight of the duty that we are setting about the nature of it the manner how it is to be performed the rule by which we are to be guided the end that we are to aime at Meditation is a good preparation to holy duties And these are the
Worshipping of God 1 First the strength of Intention We must intend our work as if it were for our lives If ever we were seriously Intentive or Attentive about any thing it must be when we are worshipping of the Name of God When you are coming to Pray be Intent about it You shall see some when they are going in the street when they have much intention about their businesse their friends meet them and they never mind them one may perceive as they are going that they are mightily intent about their businesse My Brethren look upon every duty of worship as a great thing which you must be intent in your thoughts about and not give way to the wandring of your thoughts I have read of one Martyr that when he was to die and the fire a kindling saith an Officer What will not you speak when you see the fire kindling saith he I am speaking to God that is he was praying and he minded not at all what they were doing O what little things do take our thoughts away from holy duties When every toye every feather every light matter cals them off Is this to Sanctifie Gods Name Would not we account it a dishonourable thing if we were talking to one about serious businesse and when we are talking every one that comes by he should be looking after them and turning aside to talk with them If a Superiour be talking with you he doth expect that you should mind what he saith But when God is speaking to you and you are speaking to God every vain thought that comes by you are turning aside too as if it were a greater thing to talk to vain thoughts and temptations then to the great glorious God Therfore now that is the very time that the Devil chuses for to bring temptations when we are in holy duties for the Devil knows then he doth two works at once he doth disturb us in our duties and call off our hearts to that that is wicked and doth aggravate our sin exceedingly It may be thou wilt not dare to commit that sin that the temptation doth turn thy thoughts upon yea but the Devil hath spoyled the duty by it The Lord doth expect that there should be strength of Intention when thou art upon the duty and there is no time to parlie with temptations now what ever thoughts come in The truth is though they be good thoughts that should come into thy mind and that time that thou art Praying yet if they be not pertinent to the duty thou must cast them away as the temptation of the Devil You will say Can any thing that is good come from the Devil Certainly that that is materially good and coming unseasonably may be from the Devil the Devil may take advantage by what is in it self materially good and bring in that in an unseasonable time and so he may turn it to evil As now when thou art hearing the Word it may be the Devil thinks he cannot prevaile to cause thee to have thy heart running about uncleannesse yea but saith the Devil If I can inject good thoughts I will put into their minds some place of Scripture that is no way pertinent to this only to divert them The Devil gets much by this therefore look to it and know that God expects the strength of thy Spirit in duty that is strong intention thou art a worshipping of God and therefore thou hadest need be intent about what thou art a doing Indeed some-times before you are aware evil thoughts will come into your minds as when a man is keeping of a door and there is a croud of people without that would come in perhaps the man doth open the door for some Gentleman that he hears is at the door but when he opens it for one that is to come in forty others wil crowd in and so it is many times with the Soul that when it opens the door for some good thought a great many evill thoughts will crowd in those people might come in if they would stay their time but they should not now come in So about worldly businesses that are not in themselves unlawfull if they will stay the time they may come in but they must be bar'd out now at this time There is required strength of Intention 2 Secondly strength of Affection is required also That is the affections must work mightily after God striving with God in prayer If ever thou hadest a heart inflam'd in any thing it should be when thou art praying or attending upon the Word as the Heathens that worshipped the Sun sometimes I have told you that they would not have a Snail but a fâ—ying Horse they would offer that that was swift so when we come to the living God we must have living affections our affections boyling and that will be the way to cure vain thoughts as the flies will not come to the hony if it be boyling hot but when it is cold So if the heart be boyling hot and the affections a working it will keep out vain thoughts and temptations It is a sign of the breath of life when it is warm but artificiall breath you know it is cold as now the breath that comes out of the body that is warm but the breath that comes out of a pair of bellowes that is cold So the breath of many people in prayer it is discovered to be but artificiall breath because it is so cold but if there were spirituall life then it would be warm There must be strength of Affection 3 Thirdly There must be likewise the strength of all the Faculties We should stir up what ever we are or have or can do to work in prayer then the bent of mind and conscience and will and affection yea and the body should be put to it too and those that worship God to purpose they spend their bodies in nothing so much as in the worshipping of God It will be a sad thing another day when this shall be charged upon many Thou hast spent the strength of thy body upon lusts but when didest thou spend any strength of thy body about any holy duty What a riddle is this to most people to tell them of spending the strength of their bodies in prayer or hearing of the word or Sanctifying a Sabbath they think the Sabbath is a time of rest I confesse it is a time of rest from an outward labour but it is a time of spending strength in a spirituall way and those that shall worship God aright on the Sabbath will find it a spending of a great deal of strength and blessed is that strength that is spent in the worship of God rather then in the waies of sin as most spend their strength If God gives thee a heart to spend thy strength in his worship thou mayest think thus Lord thou mightest have left me to have spent my strength in sin how much better is it spent in the worshipping of thy
Name There is one notable Scripture in Jer. 8. 2. that shewes how much strength the Idolaters put forth in the worshipping of their Idol they would not do it in a slight and vain way but their hearts were much in that false worship saith the text And they shall spread them before the Sun and the Moon and all the host of Heaven mark now whom they have loved and whom they have served and after whom they have walked and when they have sought and whom they have worshipped All these are put together in reference to their Idols Oh that it could be said so of us in reference to God when we come to worship him whom we have loved and whom we have served and after whom we have walked and whom we have sought and whom we have worshipped there is all these severall expressions to shew the strength of their spirits in following after their Idols And that is the Fift thing in our Sanctifying of Gods Name 6 The Sixth is If thou wilt Sanctifie Gods Name in Worship there must be an humble frame of Spirit worship him with much humility of Soul Abraham did fall upon the ground before the Lord and dust and ashes saith he hath begun to speak unto thee yea we read of Jesus Christ groveling upon the earth and the Angels they cover their faces in the presence of God and so should we be humble when we come before the Lord there is nothing more abases the Soul of man then the sight of God and the great reason of the pride of all mens hearts is because they never knew God If thou didest but see God thy heart must needs be abased and when doth the Soul see God if not when it comes to worship him In Job 42. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now my eye seeth thee wherefore I abhorre my self and repent in dust and ashes Now this humility must be in the sense of our own meanness and basenesse Ps 34. 6. This poor man cryed to God They are poor Souls that come into Gods presence that Sanctifie Gods Name most even those Souls that do apprehend and are senseable of their own basenesse and meannesse before God This poor man cryed to God we use to say Give that poor man some what It doth affect the heart of God when he sees much poverty of Spirit when we come before him we must be senseable of our Infinite dependance upon God Come as the woman of Canaan O Lord even doggs do receive câ—ums and though I be a dogg yet let me receive crums here is humility of Spirit Now this humility of Spirit appears in these things 1 First admiring Gods goodness that we do live at this time and that we have liberty to come before him we might have been past praying and worshipping of God think thus What a Mercy is it that we are not banished out of Gods presence that the Lord hath not spurnd us out of his sight as filth and cast us out as an everlasting abhorring while others have bin praying we might have bin yelling under the wrath of the eternal God Come with this apprehension of thy self and adorre Gods goodnesse that thou art alive to pray and alive to heare Gods word And that it is not only a duty but a rich priviledge and mercy that God will admit of thee to come into his presence Againe it is the goodnesse of God that he will vouchsafe to look upon the things that are done in heaven then if the Lord doth humble himself to behold the things that are done in heaven then how doth the Lord humble himself to behold me a poor vile cative as I am in my self and yet that God should not only behold me before him but invite me to come into his presence What mercy and goodnesse is this 2 Our hearts must be taken off from the thoughts and apprehensions of all excellencies in our selves we must not come in the pride of our hearts because we have abilities more then others what do all thy parts commend thee to God thou hast ability in expressing of thy self in Prayer why do thy parts commend thee to God What ever is natural in any of our duties is nothing to God only that which is from his own Spirit and therefore thou shouldest come in thine own thoughts as vile as if thou hadest no parts and abilities at all Lay aside all such apprehensions of thy self for the truth is some poor broken hearted sinner that can but sigh out a few groans to God and is not able to speak two or three sentences together in a right language but only breath out his Soul to God may be a thousand thousand times more acceptable to God then thou that art able to make great Orations when thou comest before him 3 Thou must come without any righteousnesse of thy own thou must never come into Gods presence but as a poor worm and if there be any difference that is made between thee and others in outward respects it is nothing to thee when thou art in the presence of God thou art as a base vile worm though though beest a Prince or Emperour 4 Thy heart must be taken off from what thou doest If thou hast any abilities of grace yet thy heart must be taken off there there may be pride not only from ones parts but it may be God hath given me inlargements in Prayer the Devil will come in and seek to puffe up thy heart even because of this But thy heart must be taken off there and thou must deny thy self in all when thou hast done the best service of all yet thou must conclude thou art an unprofitable servant when thou hast prayed the best yet rise with shame and take heed of having thy heart puft up even through the assistance of the graces of the Spirit of God in holy duties 5 Lastly Thou must come with a humble resignation of thy self to God to be content to wait upon God as long as he pleases to waiâ— upon God in regard of the time and of the measure and of the manner of the Communication of himself in regard of the meanes by which he will please to communicate himself wait upon him Let me have mercy though at the last hour This now is an humble heart in Prayer and when we come with such a poverty of Spirit as this is we may expect that the Lord will accept of us Give this poore man some what will God say This poore man cryed and the Lord heard him In the Seventh place we must bring that which is Gods own in Sanctifying Gods Name I spake to this before in the point of Preparation Viz. That in Gods Worship we must give him his own I will only mention it here in the Sanctifying of Gods Name in two regards 1 First To give God his owne for the matter of it 2 Secondly To give God his owne that is what comes from the
salvation and yet for the most part there is scarce any thing that people have to rest upon or to tender up to God for acceptation to eternall life but only their prayers and their coming to hear and receiving of the Communion and such duties that they perform this is all they have to tender up for life and for salvation perhaps they may sometimes speak of Christ but the truth is that which their hearts rest upon for acceptation to eternall life is this And is it but this It is a weak prop a rotten reed that thou hast to rest upon Let the duties of worship be performed never so well Suppose we did sanctifie Gods Name to the uttermost that is possible for any creature to do in this world yet such duties are not to be rested upon Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the Apostles the most holy men that ever did perform duties in the most holy manner yet wo to them if they have nothing to rest upon but their duties consider therefore of this that what thou must rest upon for acceptation to eternall life it must be that that must have so much worth in it as must satisfie for all thy sins that formerly thou hast committed yea and for all the sins that ever thou shalt commit Now I appeal unto any ones conscience is that which thou performest is prayer or receiving the Sacrament or hearing of the word such a work as in thy conscience thou canst think it hath so much worth in it as to satisfie God for all the sins that ever thou didest or shalt commit I am perswaded if people that have rested upon duties heretofore would but seriously have this thought in their minds That I must rest upon nothing for my acceptation for life and Salvation but that that must have such worth in it as to satisfie God for all my sins that ever have been committed or shall be committed this would take them off for ever from resting in duties Yea and it must be such as must be the object of the infinite holinesse of God to take content in Surely the duties that we performe are no such duties to rest upon the truth is If we would seriously consider what they are as they come from us we would even abhor our selves in dust and ashes and account of them as the Prophet speaks of his own righteousnesse as menstruous cloaths they are such as if God should deal with us as justly he may do he might cast them and us to the dogges for they are as the Prophet saith torne and rent Sacrifices now if a man in the time of the Law should bring to the Lord a sacrifice that was all torne and rent before he brought it would such a sacrifice have been accepted All the duties we performe as they come from us they are snch we read in Exod. 22. 31. concerning such things as were torne and rent that they should cast them to the dogges Ye shall be holy men unto we saith he verse ult neither shall ye eate any flesh that is â—orne of beasts in the field ye shall cast it to the dogs because ye are holy men unto me Must the people of Israel manifest their holinesse in this That they must eate nothing torne by beasts but cast it unto dogs Or was the holinesse of the people of Israel such as God required them that they must eate nothing that was torne by beasts What then is the holinesse of the infinite God our services that we performe are of themselves such as are torne by our beastly lusts many times how many are there that bring sacrifices to God that are as a carrion that swine have been tearing before hand and yet these are the Sacrifices that they bring to God and not only think that God should accept of them but they do rest upon them for their acceptation to eternall life How infinitly are these people mistakenâ— how little do they know of God or of the way of acceptation to eternall life That is the First Use 2 Secondly If all this be required for the Sanctifying of Gods Name in duties That we cannot performe the duties of Worship without this behaviour of Soul hence we see that the work of Religion is a hard and difficult work to flesh bloud A main work of Religion is the work of worshipping of God for indeed those that are not religious and godly they never worship God to any purpose then we come to worship God when we begin to be religious and godly Now it must needs be a busie work to be a religious and a godly man because there is so much required in the sanctifying of Gods name in holy duties many people think it a very easie matter to worship God and the worship that they tender up to God is an easie matter there is little in it If it were nothing else to worship God but meerly to go and say a few prayers and come and hear a Sermon and take a peice of Bread and Wine then it were the easiest matter in the world to come and worship God but there is more required in the duties of Gods worship then thou hast been acquainted with there is a power of godlinesse in it That Text of Scripture is a very famous one that shewes the difficulty that there is in the Worship of God and how men are mistaken in thinking it such an easie and slight matter to worship God It is in Josh 24. 16. 19. where Joshua doth call upon the people to worship God and they came off presently and said They would worship him so you shall find them professe verse 16. But mark what the Text saith in verse 19. And Joshua said unto the people Ye cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God he is a jealous God and he will not forgive your transgressions and your sins As if he should say You think it is nothing to serve the Lord and that it is an easie matter to serve him you think to put off God with any thing Alas you cannot serve the Lord for he is a holy God and a jealous God and you must have other manner of hearts then yet you have and you must understand his worship in another manner then yet you do the Lord will be Sanctified in those that draw nigh him and therfore untill you understand God and his waies and worship you cannot serve the Lord. Know that the work of Religon is a very hard and difficult work for it requireth all this and therfore the Soule had need be very diligent and laborious that would come to worship God in a right way 3 Thirdly hence is a use of humiliation to us all even to the best of us oh how little how little hath the best of us all Sanctified the name of God! how far have we all come short of the Sanctifying of Gods name in holy duties And when we look abroad in the world and see what poor
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
this is naturall its naturall for the creature to draw nigh to God in prayer wherein the creature tenders up his homage to God and manifests his profession of his dependance upon God for all good that he hath and acknowledges God as the Author of all good therefore this is worship and its a great part of worship prayer it is such a part of worship as sometimes in Scripture it s put for the whole worship of God Hee that calls upon the name of God shall be sav'd that is hee that worships God aright Jerem. 10. 25. and Pour out thy wrath upon the Heathen that know thee not and on the families that call not on thy name that do not pray that is that do not worship thee there one part of worship is put for the whole as being a principall part of the worship of God Surely we must sanctifie Gods name in prayer for it is that that sanctifies all things to us 1 Tim. 4. 5. every thing is sanctifyed by the word of God and prayer And if the argument of Christ was right as no question but it was that the Temple was greater then the gold upon the Temple because the Temple did sanctifie the gold and the Altar was greater then the offering that was offered upon it because it did sanctifie the offering then prayer must needs be a mighty great Ordinance a greater thing then any other because that it sanctifies all things The word sanctifies the creatures but prayer sanctifies the very word unto our use and therefore when wee read the word we are to pray for a sanctified use of the word Prayer is a great Ordinance a great duty of worship that sanctifies all prayer hath a casting voice as I may say in all the great works of God in the world the great affaires of the Kingdome of God the Kingdome of his power and the Kingdome of Christ I say prayer hath a kind of a casting voice and doth order under God the great things of the world they are according to the prayers of the Saints they bring down blessings upon the godly they poure forth judgements on the wicked the prayers of the Saints they are the vyalls that are poured forth in a speciall manner upon the heads of the wicked therefore Gods name is to bee sanctifyed in Prayer It is to be sanctifyed first in preparation Psalme 10. 17. Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear it is the Lord that prepareth the heart and then he causes his eare to hear and therefore in 1 Pet. 5. 7. we are there required to watch unto prayer men and women should keep a narrow watch over their hearts and minds that they may not be hindred in their prayers that they may be alwaies in a fit posture to pray watch unto prayer it s that that would helpe us against many temptations to evill if I give way to such and such temptations it will hinder my prayers I shall not have that freedome and inlargement in prayer as otherwise if I give way to such and such things therefore let me take heed of this for it will hinder my prayers As if the Apostle should say this should be the care of Christians then they are like to sanctifie the name of God in prayer if this be their great care that there is nothing in the world that shall hinder their prayers O let me take heed I doe nothing to hinder my prayers if I goe abroad into company and am merry and jocond and there game and drinke and sport my selfe in company will not this hinder my prayers will not this hinder the spiritualnesse of my heart in Communion with God in prayer when I come home at night I appeal to you have you had that freedome in prayer afterwards surely no therefore watch unto prayer Now for the preparation of the heart to prayer wee must understand either First what is to be done in the course of ones life or Secondly What 's to be done just when one comes to prayer For the first the course of ones life labour to keepe all things even and cleare between God and your soules that so you may not come with shakels about your legs with guiltinesse I mean upon your consciences men that have given way to any base sinfull way when they come to prayer the guilt of their hearts doth even sink them but those that can keepe their peace with God in the course of their lives they have other manner of freedome in prayer then you that walke loosely and contract guiltinesse upon your Spirits And then the second thing is to keep our hearts sensible of our continuall dependance upon God sensible how wee depend upon God for whatsoever we are whatsoever we have whatsoever we do for the blessing of all is from God The beames of the Sun do not so depend upon the Sun as we upon God that if he doth but withdraw himselfe never so little from us wee all sinke downe to nothing and perish for ever that soule that every day and houre is sensible of the infinite dependance it hath upon God for its present and eternall estate will be fit for prayer and that should be our care for to carry our selves as any houre in the day or minute in the houre we might be fit to go to prayer that 's one meaning of that place in the Thessalonians pray continually not that every moment wee should be praying but that we should keepe our hearts in a praying frame some of you when you have let out your passions and are in a distemper what will you goe to prayer now your conscience will tell you that you are not fit to go to prayer at that time certainly if you be not fit to pray you are not fit to live you are in an ill condition at any time if you be not fit to pray and there can be no excuse whatever that can be sufficient to plead for your selves why you should not be fit to pray at any time there is that continuall dependance upon God for all and that need you have of the blessing of God for every thing that there is reason you should bee in a fit condition for praying at all times but now when you come to prayer at the set time then there should be a speciall preparation First you should prepare your selves by getting fresh and powerfull apprehensions of the glory of God before whom you goe prepare by meditation about the glory of that infinite God that you are now addressing your selfe unto possesse yourselves with thoughts and meditations of the glory of the great God that 's the first Secondly labour to get your hearts sensible of what you go for I am now going to God for what for pardon of sin or for assurance of his love or for power against sin or for such and such mercies let me by meditation work my heart to be sensible of these things that