therefore it was not an ordinary Fire it was some Coelestial Fire struck into them to slay them for so saith the text in the 4. ver Come neer carry away your Brethren from before the Sanctuary out of the Camp and so they went and carried them in their crats out of the Camp so that their cloathes and bodies were not consumed only they were kil'd by the Fire they were struck with a sudden death and that in the presence of the Lord such a death as God had never threatned in the Word before God had never threatned the Priests and said If you offer strange Fire you shall be consumed by Fire but yet God smites them with death by Fire they had not time to seek God no not so much as we use to say as to say Lord have mercy upon me they had no time to promise amendment at all now upon this heavy judgment the heart of Aaron could not possibly but be very much troubled yea and the spirit of Moses too for Moses was their Unkle and Aaron their father they could not but be exceedingly much grieved but Moses being the brother of Aaron seeing his spirit no question exceedingly troubled being under such a sad affliction and that such a Godly man even as Aaron was should have such a sad judgment befal his children Moses comes and speaks comfortably to him and labors to support his spirit and how doth he do it He comes not as ordinarily you use to visit your brethren Oh! you must be content with this no but he comes and applies the Word of God and shews how God must be sanctified and by that he comes to quiet the heart of his brother Aaron This is that which the Lord hath spoke saith Moses He seeks to stay the heart of his brother with that which God spake But where do we find that God spake this It 's hard to find in any Scripture these very words in terminis before this time and therefore Augustin thinks it was only the word God spake but not written and so they had it from hand to hand by tradition as many other things as the Prophesie of Enoch that the Apostle Jude speaks of you do not find it written in the Book of God and yet the Apostle speaks of it so that indeed it was from hand to hand yea and we find in the new Testament when Paul speaks of a thing that Christ should say how that our Lord saith It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive you find it not recorded in the Gospels that Christ said so So this is that which the Lord said though it was not written from the beginning of Genesis to this very place or otherwise though it be not recorded in express terms yet somthing is recorded to the same purpose and effect and so it may seem to have reference to that Scripture Exod. 29. 43. there we have a Scripture comes as neer to it as any I know And there wil I meet with the children of Israel and the tabernacle shal be sanctified by my glory that 's as much in effect as I will be sanctified in those that come nigh me in those that come to worship me in my Tabernacle I will be sanctified in all things that concern my Worship I will be sure to be sanctified there I will be sanctified I will be Hallowed for it is the very same that you have in the Lords Prayer Hallowed be thy Name only that 's the Greek word and this is the Hebrew but if you would translate this word into Greek you must translate it by the same word that Christ spake when he taught his Disciples to pray Hallowed be thy Name Hallowed and Sanctified is all one Lord let thy Name appear to be Holy so I will be Sanctified that is I will have my Name appear to be Holy I will be made known unto my People and to all the world that I am a Holy God that 's the meaning of I will be Sanctified I will be known to all the world that I am a Holy God And before all the people I will be Glorified so it is in the latter part of the verse as if God should say I account it to be my glory that I should be manifested to be Holy before all the world I will be Sanctified that is I will have my People to demean and carry themselves so as to hold forth their acknowledgment of my Holiness so as by their carriage I may appear to be a Holy God I will be sanctified by them or otherwise if they shall not in an active way Sanctifie my Name that is if they shall not demean themselves so as to hold forth the glory of my Holyness then I will be sanctified upon them I will demean and carry my self towards them so as by my actions upon them I will make it appear what a Holy God I am So God is Sanctified two waies either by the Holiness of his People in their carriage towards him holding forth the glory of Gods Holiness and so in that 1 Pet. 3. 15. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts the Saints do Sanctifie God in their hearts when they fear God as a Holy God and Reverence him and Love him as a holy God and so sanctifie him in their lives when their lives do hold forth the glory of Gods Holiness then God is Sanctified But then if we do not do so then God sanctifies himself that is in waies of Judgment upon those that do not in waies of Holiness sanctifie his Name And thus you have it Ezek. 28. 22. And say Thus saith the Lord God Behold I am against thee O Zidon and I wil be glorified in the midst of thee and they shal know that I am the Lord when I shall have executed judgment in her and shal be sanctified in her And this is al one with I wil be glorified in the midst of them And in the 38. of Ezek. 16. 23. you have to the same purpose And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel as a cloud to cover the Land it shal be in the latter daies and I wil bring thee against my Land that the Heathen may know me when I shall be sanctified in thee O Gog before their eyes And in the 23. ver Thus wil I magnifie my self and sanctifie my self and will be known 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 me 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 deal in my Worship whosoever shall come to Worship me let them look to it they must sanctifie my Name they must so demean themselves in
my Worship as to hold forth my Name to be Holy or otherwise I will manifest my self against them in the waies of Judgment for I will appear to be a Holy God I will have the glory of my Holiness one way or other saith God in those that come neer Me As if God should say Though it 's otherwise with men they indeed will be ready to favor those that are neer them but I will not do so Men will sooner pass by the offences of those that are neer them than 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 own Children or Kinsmen what would you do then Do not we see that men will rather favor their own Kindred than strangers though the offence be the same But I will not do so saith God Suppose it be one of your own family wil 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 would do so towards their own yet be bitter severe towards strangers Yet I wil not be so saith God Let those that are neer me look to it I will be sanctified by them I will be sanctified in those that draw neer me Now upon this when Moses said thus That God would be sanctified in those that draw neer him this was Moses scope to Aaron as if Moses should say Aaron though I confess 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 dear to God but Gods Name is dearer to him than you are what ever the lives of your sons were yet it is fit that God should be honored and his Name Sanctified what ever become of your Sons 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 himself How hath God glorified himself Very much by this way for God by this way hath done an act to make all the People of the Land fear before him to cause them to Worship him with al reverence All the people of the Land seeing such a Judgment as this and hearing of it they will learn for ever to fear and reverence this God they will say How shall we appear before this Holy God We had need take heed how we appear in his presence and Worship him according to the way that He Himself would be Worshiped As if Moses should say This Honor that God hath by this means in the hearts of his people it is that that you should account a greater good than 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 He was silenced It may be before He was expressing himself in grief 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 deer 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 than meer silence for the Hebrews have another word that signifie meer silence of speech but this signifies a staying of the heart that it doth not further proceed in and 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 Sun stand still stay thy self on Gibeon Jos 10. 12. It is the same word that is here translated and Aaron held his peace that is he was stayed from further vexing or troubling of himself 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 wonderful manner As the Sun 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 sanctified in those that draw nigh me 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 special and notable Points 1 That in worshiping of God there is a drawing nigh unto Him 2 That when we do draw nigh to God we should take heed to our selves that we sanctifie Gods Name 3 If we do not sanctifie Gods Name in our drawings nigh to Him then certainly God will sanctifie his own Name upon us These are the Three Points that I intend to handle And especially the second to handle largely among you I confess upon another occasion in one Sermon I have spoke out of these words but now I intend not only in general 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 several chief parts of the Worship of God how his Name should be sanctified For in all these you do draw night to God And for that end I have pitch'd my thoughts upon this Scripture But before I come to these Three great Points that are the principal Points in the words read unto you I shall take up divers other Notes of observation that lie 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 afterward and handle more largely The first Note is this That in Gods Worship there must be nothing tendered up to God but what he hath commanded whatsoever we meddle with in the Worship of God it must be what we 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 Sons 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 confess in matters that are Civil and Natural 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 Civil and Natural things But now when we come to matters of Religion and the Worship of God we must either
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 evil any miscarriage in any holy thing though you have performed a thousand holy duties yet it will not bear you out in the miscarriage of them The Eleventh Note is this That the Lord is very terrible out of his holy places The Note is the same that you have in Psal 68. 35. The Lord is terrible out of his holy places When we have to deal with God who can stand before this holy God our God is a consuming fire The Lord manifests himself here most dreadfully to strike with Fire these two Priests as in Ezek. 9. 6. Begin at my Sanctuary saith God God is terrible terrible towards those that shall dare to approach unto him and yet are wicked and ungodly in their approaching he is terrible to those that are neer unto him God would have us all to tremble at his presence In the Twelfth place Gods Judgments are often very sutable to mens sins Here they sinned by fire and they are consumed by fire They offended by strange fire and God strikes them by a strange fire The Judgments of God are very sutable to the sins of men oftentimes As here by fire so another time we find it by water Pharaoh he sins by drowning the Infants of the people of Israel in the waters and God drowns him in the Sea If you will be drowning by water you shall have water enough saith God And so here if you will be medling with strange Fire you shall have strange Fire saith God God doth many times proportion Judgments to sinners that his righteousness might the more appear those very creatures in which we sin many times God makes them or others of the same kind to be the Executioners of his Wrath. So it was with the Jews they would sell Christ for 30. pieces of silver and they were sold 30. of them for a penny afterwards And so the story of Adoni-bezek in the first of Judges that was so cruel in such a way to cut off Thumbs and Toes of Kings even so he was served in the like kind and it 's ordinary for men that are of cruel fiery spirits to meet with cruel fiery spirits likewise 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 and afterwards when you come to have Servants they will be so to you and perhaps you were unfaithful 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 my own kind Another Note is this They offered strange fire Let 's take heed all of us how we bring strange fire into Gods Service Bring strange fire into Gods Service What 's that I find diverse Writers speaking upon this saith Ambrose Lusts and Covetousness are this strange Fire That which I would have you consider of is 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 consumed by God with fire from God for coming into Gods presence with strange fire Now O Lord how often have we come into thy presence with strange Fire Perhaps your hearts have been burning hot with passion when you have been 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 Ghost in our hearts but certainly not to come with the fire of passion and anger Lift up your hands without wrath 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 meekness 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 is a special Consideration for Ministers that come to preach they should take heed of bringing strange fire into ther 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 beleeve 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 Alter their tongues being touch'd with one of these Coals and not that they should come with their own passions to further the Righteousness of God no The wrath of man doth not accomplish the Righteousness of God There are some other particulars which being laid down we shall come to the Three main Points SERMON II. Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE began these words the last day and shewed the scope of them and opened the meaning of them and spake of divers Notes of Observation that we gathered from this story of Nadab and Abihu and of Gods dealing with them From the general story of it there were many Points of notable Observation that were drawn from thence I 'le ad some few now and so come to the main Doctrinal Point in the Text. A further Note of Observation is this That many times even the dear Saints of God do meet with very sore and grevous offlictions in their Children That the most eminent Saints of God are not freed from very grievous afflictions even
wonderful things of God it is the most glorious sight in the world al the glory of God in the Heavens and Earth is not like this Sight of Jesus Christ and the mysteries of the Gospel that do appear to the eye of Faith therefore you may by this know whether you have come with Faith or no to the Sacrament whether you have seen the most glorious Sight that ever your eyes did behold Alas with our natural eyes we behold a Minister coming with a piece of Bread and a little Wine but when the eye of Faith is opened then we behold the glorious things of the Gospel Many times when you come to hear the Word your hearts burn within you as they that went to Emaus but when you are breaking bread the eye of Faith that must look upon Jesus Christ and in this sense those that have pierced Christ must look upon him that Scripture is fulfilled in Zachariah 12. latter end They shall look on him whom they have pierced by their Sins and then mourn and lament This eye of Faith will cause mourning and lamenting for Sin And then As Faith is the eye to make what is here real so Faith is the hand to take it When you come to a feast you must have something to take the meat to you so saith Christ he brake bread and gave it unto his Disciples saying Take eat this Take it how shal we take it By reaching out of the hand if you sanctifie Gods Name in this Ordinance as you reach out your hand to take the Bread and Wine so there must be an actual reaching out of the soul by Faith putting forth an act of Faith to receive Jesus Christ unto the soul to apply the Lord Jesus Christ unto thy soul with all his merits and good things that he hath purchased when the Minister doth give out that Ordinance 〈◊〉 should look upon God the Father giving out his Son as if this were your condition I am now in the presence of the eternal Father who now doth actually give out his Son to my soul and saith Soul here receive a new this day my Son with all that he hath purchased for thy good now then the soul acts upon this and by stirring up an act of faith comes and closes with this gift of the Father and casts its selfe upon Jesus Christ and saith as it were Amen to what the Father gives Oh Lord here I come and imbrace thy Son as my life as my Savior as the Fountain of all my good in whom I expect all the good I am like to have either here or to all eternity so that there must be a stirring up of the act of faith in an actual taking of Christ if thou beest a Beleever Canst thou remember what thou didst when first thou didst take Jesus Christ when the Lord in the preaching of His word did reveal Jesus Christ to my soul what didst thou then Oh soul how did thy soul work in closing with Christ as thy soul did then in closing with Christ so it must now renew the work there must be a renewal of the work at that time So that when you come to the Sacrament you must not think that it is then a time to listen to doubts fears and Scruples no but it is a time that God cals for the exercise of faith the casting of the soul upon Christ and His merits for life and for salvation or else the Name of God is not sanctified as it ought thou doest not Sanctifie Gods Name when thou art busying thy soul in doubts and scruples in thy receiving of the Sacrament And then faith is as the mouth when thou comest to eat and drink how canst thou if thou hast not a mouth thou hast a bodily mouth to take in Bread and Wine but know that without faith thy soul cannot take in Christ faith is as it were the mouth that is by the act of faith the soul doth open it self for Jesus Christ and not only opens it self but takes in Christ to the soul and makes Christ and the soul as one as our Bread and Wine is made one with our Body so faith takes in Christ and makes him as one with thee and turns Christ into the nourishment of thy soul and thou and Christ by faith are made as truly one as the Bread and Wine that is put into thy Body is made one with thy body This is the work of faith without which we cannot Sanctifie the Name of God Sixthly There must be spiritual Joy that must be exercised here for it is a feast here we come to sit with Christ at his Table we come as Children to our fathers Table and to sit there with Jesus Christ our Elder Brother now as a father doth not love to have his child sit in a sullen and dogged way at his Table or to be crying but he would have the child sit in comfort and with a holy cheerfulnes with a holy freedom of spirit not in a sullen way but as a child in the presence of his father and not as a servant with the master Obiect You told us before that there should be brokenness of spirit and sence of our sin Answ That may be and joy we rejoyce with trembling therefore that brokennese of spirit that I meant must not be slavish horror and fear but a kindly melting of the soul from the apprehension of the love of God unto it in Jesus Christ that was willing to be at so great cost to purchase the pardon of sin such a gracious mourning as may stand with joy and the truth is that that sorrow for sin in the Sacrament that is not mixt with joy is a sorrow that doth not Sanctifie Gods Name godly sorrow and evangelical joy may stand together very well And therefore know that this is not the time neither to give liberty to have your hearts sink no there must be no sinking sorrow of heart but such a sorrow of heart as in the midst of it you may be able to look upon God as a reconciled Father to you and have a cheerfulness of spirit as in the presence of God you must look upon your selves as Gods guests to be merry at his Table now this is a great mystery of godliness that there should be at the same time the sight of Christ crucified and yet at the same time a spiritual cheerfulness in the assurance of the love of God in Jesus Christ I say it is a mystery and only those that are Beleevers are able to understand this mystery how to have their hearts break and yet how to rejoyce at the same time in that unspeakable love of God that is here presented unto them in this Sacrament Seventhly In the next place There must be thankfulness therefore it is called the Eucharist and in one of the Evangelists where it is said Christ blest the Bread in another it is said Christ gave thanks Christ when he instituted this
the implacable enemies of God and who were not as David praied against Judas so many hundred yeers before he was born by a prophetical spirit he knew that he was the child of perdition indeed if we could certainly know a man that were to be a cast-away eternallie from God it were another matter As the Church in the time of Julian because of his Apostasie being so abominable it was determined almost generally by them that he had committed the sin against the holy Ghost and upon that they curs'd him Now I say those that had an extraordinarie spirit that did know who these were they might do it but this is no example for us in an ordinarie way to wish evil and curses upon others But thus far we may do with the Enemies of the Church First We may curse them disjunctively Lord either take them out of the way or keep them that they may not do such mischief in the Church or thus conditionally If thou seest Lord that they be implacable thou knowest them if so let thy wrath and curse pursue them Lord thou seest what evil they are set upon and therefore rather than they should attain their mischievous designs let thy wrath and curse pursue them so we may do it but not absolutely to curse any though they should do us never so much wrong we are called to blessing But now in zeal to God take heed that we be not carried on in our own passion but being sure it is zeal to God we may wish the curses of God to pursue those that God knows to be implacable this is but an appealing to God and not at all fastning it upon any particular persons that we know but leaving it unto God for the execution of it and so in a zeal to the Glory of God we may do it and we are warranted so to do by the second Petition Thy Kingdom come for that Petition that requires us to pray for the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ doth also require that we should pray against all means that hinder the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ so that every time that the Church praies Thy Kingdom come or any praies Thy Kingdom come they do as much as say O Lord Do thou set thy self against all the Enemies of thy Kingdom if they belong to thy Election Lord convert them but otherwise Lord confound them Now thus we see how we are to sanctifie the Name of God in Prayer in regard of the Matter of the Prayer but now for the Manner of Prayer The most things I confess are there First When we come to prayer we must be sure to pray with understanding 1 Cor. 14. 15. What is it then I will pray with the Spirit and will pray with understanding also God doth not love the Sacrifice of fools we must not come babling to God in prayer to speak we know not what and to multiply words we know not wherefore but God doth require that those that come to prayer come with understanding that they offer to God a rational a reasonable an understanding sacrifice God is a Spirit and he will be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth now as it belongs to all other duties of Worship so especially in prayer to know what we do when we pray not to think to put off God with a meer emptie sound that 's the first thing The Second thing in the manner of Prayer it is The giving up all the faculties of our souls in it I spake to that in the Worship of God in general we shall apply it now particularly to prayer the giving up not only our understandings but wills thoughts affections strength in prayer in 2 Chron. 20. 3. it is said of Jehoshaphat that he set himself to seek the Lord he did give his whol self to seek the Lord we are to give our whol self and not to divide in Prayer Now this were an argument that indeed might well take up a whol Sermon in shewing the evil of the wandering of our spirits in prayer we should take heed of the wandering of our spirits in the hearing of the Word and receiving the Sacraments and so in prayer the people of God are much troubled with the wandering of their thoughts both in Word and Sacrament and it is their great burden and should be so but I never hear any more complainings of the wandering of their spirits than in the time of prayer the people of God are much pestered in their spirits with this evil it is very grievous unto them and many of them go under it as a grievous burden all their daies the chiefest burden that is upon their spirits is their wandering in prayer so that if God should speak to them as he spake unto Solomon and bade him ask what he should give him I verily beleeve there are many in this Congregation that have already good assurance of Gods love in Christ if they had not that that would be the main thing that they would ask but having attained that if God would speak from Heaven and say What shall I give you for your selves if he should ask you in the general it may be you would ask something for the Churches but if it be for your selves you would put up this Petition Oh Lord that I may be delivered from a wandring spirit in holy duties and especially in the dutie of Prayer that I may thereby come to enjoy more holy communion with thy self than ever yet I enjoied and they would account this to be a greater mercie than if God should give them to be Kings or Queens over the whol world if God should put these two into the ballance Either the whol world to possess or otherwise to have more free hearts in coming to God in prayer and to be delivered from that which hath so much hindred ther Communion with God in prayer they would despise and scorn the world in comparison of such a mercie as this is howsoever carnal hearts they think little of it but those that are the Servants of God they find it to be very grievous to them but being the time is past I shall reserve that to speak yet a little more largely for the help of those that are under the burden of it I 'le only speak one thing further now and that shall be to those that are wicked and vile and not only have vain wandring thoughts in prayer but even in the very dutie of prayer manie times have wicked and ungodly thoughts how horrible are they unclean thoughts murderous thoughts it may be and most abominable I confess even those which are godlie may somtimes have some blasphemous thoughts cast into them for the Devil is never more busie than at the time of prayer but they rather come from the Devil than from the stream and corruption of their own hearts which may be we may make out more cleerlie afterward but now I speak to such as have most wicked
they do not consider that God doth converse with the thoughts of men as well as men do with the words of men that 's the third Rule Fourthly Take heed thou beest not deceived because that those thoughts thou hast in prayer do not appear to be verie evil in themselves This is a great deceit and hinders manie in the sanctifying of Gods Name in Prayer there is sometimes darted in some vain thoughts now because the thought hath no great evil in it self therefore they think they may play with it and their hearts close with it and so run along with it as the fish doth with the bait if the Devil casts in a thought of blasphemie that makes thee quake and shake but if thy thoughts have no great evil in them but they are slight things matters of no moment one way or other upon that thy heart begins to be dandling and playing with them therefore remember this Rule That in the time of prayer whatsoever thoughts be in thy mind that do not concern the present dutie they are sinful before God though the thoughts for the matter of them be never so good yet thou art to abandon them as sinful at that time Therefore never be deceived with this that the thoughts are not verie sinful that 's another Rule In the last place observe this Rule If ever God hath helped thee at any time in prayer that thy heart hath been kept close to a dutie and thou hast had communion with him bless God for that bless God for that help 't is a Rule of verie great use for us to get further assistance from God in any thing if so be our hearts be enlarged to bless God for any assistance we have had heretofore and the reason why we gain and prosper so little in our Christian course it is because we do not take notice of what God hath done for us to give God glorie for mercies formerly received and therefore God takes little or no delight in coming in with further mercies to us as if you had a yong Nurserie of Trees and they began to thrive very well but there comes a companie of Caterpillars and spoils almost all the yong Trees that are set only two or three are kept from the Caterpillars a man goes into his Orchard and looks upon his Trees and this is spoiled and that is spoiled but he sees two or three and these flourish fairly and these are full of Buds and are like to come to something and he rejoyces mightily in those because they are sav'd when so manie others are spoil'd and so do thou view thy Prayers and consider how many nie hath been spoiled as it were by these Caterpillars for I compare wandring vain thoughts in Prayer unto Caterpillars that are upon the trees and we see that if stormy rainy weather comes the Caterpillars will fall and one would think that these blustering storms and the hand of God that hath been out against us should have clensed our thoughts and souls from these Caterpillars that have been upon our duties but manie duties have been spoiled yet thou maiest say that through Gods mercie such a morning in my closet the Lord hath preserved a prayer to himself and I have gotten power over this vain heart of mine bless God for this and so the Spirit of God will be more readie to come in and help thee another time But thus much shall suffice to speak to this That 's the second thing we must give up our selves wholly to this dutie The third thing for the sanctifying of Gods Name in Prayer is this There must be the breathings of the Spirit of God otherwise Gods Name is not sanctified that in Rom. 8. 26. is cleer for this Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered If any of you should say How can we sanctifie Gods Name we are poor and weak we can do little Mark it is said here That the Spirit helpeth our infirmities to pray and the word is exceeding emphatical in the original in your books it is but meerly helping our infirmities but the meaning of the word is In these two things the Spirit helps that is look how a man that is taking up an heavie piece of Timber at one end he alone cannot get it up but there comes another and takes it up at the other end and so helps him the word signifies such a kind of helping as when a man takes a thing at the other end or on the other side one standing the one way and the other standing the other way or one taking up one end and the other the other end that is the meaning of it he helps our infirmities the poor soul is pulling and tugging with its own heart and finds his heart heavie and dull like a log in a ditch And have not many of you found your hearts so but now when you are tugging with your hearts and would fain lift up your hearts to God in prayer there comes the Spirit of God at the other end and takes the heaviest end of the burden and helps you to lift it up If a Child were at one end of the log and that were but light and the other end very heavie if one come and take up the heaviest end a little strength will serve for the lighter end So the Spirit comes and takes up the heavier end in duty and so helps our infirmities helps together And then the other word is The Spirit that is together with the acting of the graces of the Spirit in our hearts you must not say so Alas what can I do it must be the Spirit of God that must do it It 's true he doth all First he gives converting and habitual grace and assisting and actuating grace but now when the Spirit hath wrought grace so as to convert the heart and hath given habitual grace in thy heart why then when the Spirit comes to assist it doth expect that thou shouldest stir up all the gifts and graces of the Spirit and the very strength of thy body the Spirit of God expects that thou shouldest act to the uttermost thou art able what power hath been given thee by God and when thou art in acting then the Spirit comes and helps together with us noting that we are to put forth what strength we have and thus Gods Name will be sanctified when as we putting forth the graces of the Spirit in us then the Spirit comes and helps and what comes from us now comes from the breathings of the holy Spirit in us and then God who knows the meaning of the Spirit will know now the meaning of our sighs and groans therfore when thou art going to prayer thou art to eye the Spirit of God thou art by the eye of faith to look upon the Spirit of God and to cast thy
how can you know that he will hear but by resting upon him I have been with God and I have been doing the duty of a poor creature and for the success I leave it to God and therfore it must be with faith But I have so many sins mixt with my prayers how can I beleeve You have an excellent Scripture for that to help a soul to exercise faith in prayer notwithstanding there hath been many infirmiities in psal 65. 2 3. O thou that hearest prayers unto thee all flesh shall come Thou hearest prayers but I haue a great manie sines that hinders no mark what though iniquitie prevails against me as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away Oh make use of this Scripture though you remember not other things yet you that have dejected hearts and are afraid that God will not hear your prayers see what text saith Thou hearest prayer Lord But will not my sins hinder no saith David Iniquity prevails against me as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away exercise faith in this and know that God doth not hear prayer because thou art not sinful because of thy worthyness but meerly for his free grace Another holy disposition in prayer should be this The soul should come with a holy freedom with the Spirit of adoption to God crying Abba Father if thou comest to God meerly as to a Judg though it 's true those that do not know that God loves them yet bound as creatures to pray but thou canst never sanctifie the Name of God til thou hast a child-like Spirit the spirit of adoption the Lord loves to have his Children come with freedom of Spirit to Himself in prayer to come as Children and not to come with dejected countenance and discouraged hearts but come freely to open thy heart to God as any child would open his heart to a gratious and loving Father Another disposition is fervency in Prayer the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much and that will be a means to help against vain thoughts too as when the Honey is scalding hot then the flies will not come to it if thy heart were as it were scalding hot in prayer thou wouldest not have such vain thoughts Next there must be constancie in prayer in 1 Thess 5. 17. by that I mean this never to give over until we have that we pray for or somthing else in leiu of it it may be thou heast prayed and nothing is come of it but not discouraged thou hast to deale with a great God and therefore pray againe and againe again and pray with this resolution Well let God do with me what he will I will as long as I live call upon Him and if God shall cast me away yet he shall cast me away calling upon Him as the poor woman of Canaan when Christ called her dog and discouraged her yet stil she will pray I but Dogs may have crums that heart is in an ill condition that is discouraged in prayer because it doth not get what he would and therefore to think themselves I had as good not pray at all take heed of any such thoughts Again If you would pray to God indeed so as to sanctifie his Name in Prayer there should be humility in your hearts so as to be sensible of your own unworthyness I spake somwhat about being sensible of the distance between God and us when I spake about sanctifying of Gods name in general The last that I shall speak of this is when you have done all this all these qualifications will not sanctifie Gods Name except all be tendered up in the Name of Jesus Christ and in the power of his merits let a man or woman pray with as much fervencie zeal constancie puritie in truth and sinceritie yet except he puts up all in the Name of Christ I say he cannot be accepted our spiritual offerings must be tendered up in His Name but I have preached much about that But now put all that hath been said together and this it is to pray That is when as I pray understandingly when I give my self to prayer when there are the breathings of the holy Ghost in my prayer when there is puritie of heart like a golden vial together with sinceritie when it is in truth of heart when it is in faith when it comes from a spiritual Adoption when it is in fervencie when in constancie reverence humilitie and all put up in the Name of Jesus Christ now a man prayes as it is said of Saul Behold he prayeth so I may say of those that are instructed in ths Art Behold they pray You see now that prayer is more than to reade in a book more than to say a few words ye see it is a verie hard thing to pray a work of great difficultie and no marval though we have lost so manie of our prayers as we have done we must not charge Prayer and God with it but look to our selves I mean not charge the Ordinance of Prayer but the vileness of our carriage in our prayers and let us for time to come know what a Christian life means It is said of Christ in Luke 9 29. that as he was praying the fashion of his countenance was changed Oh that s an excellent thing that when we have been in our closets at prayer to come away with our faces shining my Brethren could we but pray in such a manner as this is the very fashion of our countenances would be changed as Moses when he came from the presence of God upon the Mount or as Christ that had the fashion of His countenances changed Prayer it is the sweet ease of ones spirit it 's the help at a dead lift it 's the great Ordinance of our Communion with God in this world and therefore let us learn this Art of sanctifying Gods Name in prayer I shall conclude all in this you have heard the mysterie of the sanctifying the Name of God in worshiping God now I beseech you you that have been a long time in the School of Christ as it were Apprentices to Christ to learn Christianitie be ashamed that you have understood so little of this art in sanctifying the Name of God in Prayer It is an art and mysterie that you must be instructed in and you are not Christians till you are instructed in this as in an art and mysterie And that man and woman that shall be instructed truly in this art and mysterie in sanctifying Gods Name now in the worshiping of him such a man and woman shall be to all eternity sanctifying the Name of God in praising of him There is a time coming when all the Saints must be in the presence of God and be alwaies praising of him and they shall then sanctifie Gods Name for ever let us now learn this art of sanctifying Gods name in praying that we may eternally sanctifie his Name in praising of him The Alphabetical TABLE A
Absolutely SPiritual things to be prayed for absolutely Page 277 Accept Acceptation Acceptation of our persons the means of it 69 God accepts not the duties of wicked men 116 The services of the Saints accepted 120 Act Actual Action see Grace Actual sanctification 68 The Lord accepts the person before the Action 69 God is a pure Act and requires Actual service 97 Adoption Sign of adoption to desire to be oft in Gods presence 36 We must pray in the spirit of adoption 294 Affections Affections the strength of them required in Gods Worship Page 82 Aggravation Aggravation of sin to neglect due hearing of the Word 200 Afflictions see Honor They that sanctifie not God in hearing the Word can have no comfort from it in afflictions 206 Whether it be lawful to pray for afflictions 277 Afflictions in themselves materially evil 278 All All that we have must be given to God 63 All things sanctified to the godly 319 Altar Christ is the Altar upon which we must offer all our sacrifices 92 Angel Angel what it signifieth Page 91 Angels the aggravation of their sia 195 Anger Anger not to be brought into Gods service 19 Apply We must apply the Word in hearing it 175 Apostasie see Schism Apostasie the ground of it 106 Assurance The Gospel gives assurance of salvation 212 Attention Attention must be given in hearing the Word 171 B Beginners Beginners in Religion to be careful of preparation 56 Beleeving Beleeving the condition of the Covenant of grace 232 Birds Wandring thoughts in prayer as the birds to Abrahams sacrifice 283 Blast God blasts those men that sanctifie him not in Worship 117 God will blast those that neglect his word 208 Bless Many bless themselves in evil waies 198 To bless God for helping us against wandring thoughts in prayer 289 Blind Blind sacrifice not to be offered to God 98 Blood A fearful thing to be guilty of Christs blood 230 Breathing see Spirit Broken see Heart What kind of broken heart is required in receiving the Lords Supper Page 255 Christs body broken for us 268 C Children Gods Saints may meet with afflictions in their Children 20 Ground of Consentment in afflictions upon our Children 21 Church Church what it signifies 235 Church defiled by wicked men uncast out 236 Civil see Worship Christ All worship must be tendred in the Name of Christ 91 All must be tendred in Christ because of Gods Justice 101 They that reject the Word reject Christ 201 All our prayers must be tendered in the Name of Christ 296 Command Nothing must be tendred to God in worship but what he hath commanded 8 No express command for many things in the New Testament 15 Comfort see Word Communion Communion with God not encreased by duties done with natural conscience 88 The Sacrament the Ordinance of our Communion with Christ 229 The Sacrament must be received in a holy Communion 234 How far the presence of wicked men hinder this communion 234 No close Church communion with wicked men 240 More communion with Christ in the Sacrament than in the Word Page 251 Confession Ground of confession to God 98 Conscience Sinners against Conscience need great preparation to Duties 57 Duties acted by natural conscience 88 Natural conscience limits it self in duties 89 Trouble of conscience should make men meekly hear the Word 180 Consciences of wicked men troubled about the Sacrament 230 Constant Men acted by Natural parts are not constant in Duties 88 There must be constancy in our prayers 295 Contrary The Word will be made good on the contrary to those that abuse it 205 Conversion Conversion not wrought by the Sacrament 232 Covenant In the Sacrament we make a solemn Covenant 226 Covenant of grace sealed in the Sacrament 229 Those that receive the Sacrament must be in the Covenant of grace 232 Condition of that Covenant ibid Renewing of Covenant in the Sacrament 257 Crucified Christ crucified in the Sacrament 248 Curse They that neglect the Word are nigh to a curse 203 Cursing of others sinful 278 How far we may curse the Enemies of the Church 280 D Danger see Dignity Dark see Mind Dead Death Fear of death taken away how Page 38 We must not bring dead services and hearts to the living God 97 Consciences of carnal men opened upon their death bed 118 Death of Christ to be meditated on in the Sacrament 165 Dear see Glory Delight God delights in our drawing nigh to him 37 Depart To neglect Gods Worship is to depart from him 33 Dependance We should continually be sensible of our dependance on God 274 Desire We must hear the Word with a desire after it 170 Devil Devil gratified by omission of duties 59 Vnseasonable motions though materially good come from the Devil 82 Wandering thoughts in prayer suggested by the Devil 286 Difficulty Natural parts in performance of duties will not carry through difficulties 87 Not to be discouraged in difficulties considering Gods power 97 The work of Religion difficult 109 Dignity see Prerogative The more dignity the more danger 12 Dishonor It were a dishonor to God to accept the services of wicked men 116 Disposition Inward disposition in prayer 292 Divine see Service Doubt The time of receiving the Sacrament no time of doubting 254 We must pray without doubting Page 293 Duty The holiness of a duty will not bear men out in the miscarriage in it 17 Omission of duty will not fit for duty 58. 113 The doing of one duty prepares for another 60 Duties not to be rested on 103. 107 115 To be humbled for our best duties 111 All duties of carnal worshipers lost 112 Sin of hypocrites aggravated by holy duties ibid E Easie Preparation to make duties easie 52 Election Evidence of Election 213 End see Extremity Our ends must be high in the worship of God 72 Base ends of men in Gods worship ib. To have right ends a part of wisdom 99 It is the nature of God to will himself the last end 104 Engagement Engagements of prayer to be performed 293 Envy see Mean Eternity Eternity of God how to be considered in our Worship 94 Excellency Thoughts of our own excellency to be cast off in our worship 85 Exemplary Exemplary judgments should make us look into the word how God makes it good 23 Extremity Men that regard duties only in extremity make themselves their end 77 Examination Examination required in partaking of the Sacrament Page 233 Eye Faith as an eye to see Christ in the Sacrament 252 F Faith Faithfulness Faithfulness of God what it should teach us 102 Faith must be mixed in hearing the word 177 Faith exercised in receiving the Sacrament 252 Faith how to act it in the Sacrament 271 We must pray in faith 293 Faculties All the faculties of the soul to be given up in prayer 281 Familiarity see Potent Drawing nigh to God breeds familiarity 37 Benefit of familiarity with God 38 Falling away Falling away the ground of it 34 Fear see Publick
will pray then it seems that the main matter of your prayer is onlie for your selves but how hath the matters of the Glorie of the great God and the good of the Churches taken your hearts all this while how have your hearts been affected with this that the Name of God hath been so little sanctified in the world and that the Kingdom of God hath not come and that the Will of God hath not been done have these things taken up your heart in prayer the matters of the Glorie of God and the good of Churches though your selves have not anie particular interest in them if these things did but take up your hearts in Prayer then when you are at Sea you would remember the cause of the Churches as much as your selves the Church is as it were in the midst of the Sea tost up and down and in a great storm now why do not you pray as earnestly for the Kingdom of Christ among his Churches as for your selves when you are in a strom at sea yea and spiritual things should be the chief matter of your prayer for they are the nearest to the glory of God though God hath his glory from other things yet spiritual things are neerest the glory of God now in these daies of prayer many will come to pray that they might be freed from danger that they might have outward peace this is good but spiritual things are the chief things and therefore the strength of your spirits should be thus powered forth to God Oh that I could get my heart to God and the assurance of the love of God! Oh that I could get the shine of his face Oh that I could get power over such and such corruptions And I beseech you observe this That spiritual things may be prayed for absolutly but outward things must be prayed for conditionally I may pray and never put any condition in at all That the Lord would pardon my sins and help me against my corruptions c. But when I pray for the health of my body I ought to pray if this be according to thy wil then restore me to the health of my body or the health of my husband or the health of my wife but thou maiest pray Lord convert the soul of my husband or the soul of my wife without any condition at al When your estates at sea are in danger when you pray for them you must make conditions Lord as thou seest best for me so do thou deale with me this shewes the excellency that there is in spirituall things above outward things surely spiritual things are more to be desired for they are to be prayed for absolutly and the others to be prayed for only conditionally That 's for the first In the second place We are to pray for our owne good God doth give us leave to do so onely here comes in a Question Quest Whether it be sinfull to pray for afflictions as somtimes some will be ready to do Answ To that I answer frist Take it absolutely considered we may not pray that God would afflict us because afflione is in its self materially an evil thing and a fruit of the curse therefore we may not I say absolutely pray for it but thus far we may pray for afflictions disjunctively conditionally comparatively Disjunctively thus Lord either grant unto me a sanctified use of such a mercie or otherwise let me rather be without it let me have a sanctified use of my siknes or otherwise let my sickness be continued to me thus now you may pray for continuing in sickness Or thus conditionally ' Lord if thou seest that my heart be so vile and wretched that I will abuse through my corruption such and such mercies Lord rather take them from me and let me be without them if thou seest that there be no way to break this proud heart of mine but such a way Lord let that be thy way to break it if thou seest it according to thy will as the fittest way Then comparatively thus Lord rather let me have any afffiction then sin rather let me suffer loss of my estate than sin against thee than depart from thee any thing Lord rather than sin Thus you may pray for afflictions but not absolutly You must not pray that God would send you afflictions absolutely for you do not know your hearts it may be if afflictions should come your hearts may be as stubborn under your afflictions as they are now for affliction hath no power in it self to do us any good And then for the good of others for Christ teaches us to pray Our Father c. There comes in here a rebuke of the wicked practice of divers in cursing and then a question about it It is a wicked thing to use curses but it 's a most wicked thing to wish evil to others in way of prayer yet how manie doe so though it may be they do not think it they speak to God and desire him to bring such and such evils upon their neighbors yea somtimes parents upon their children this is a wicked practice of men what is it not wickedness enough for thee to have any desire that there should any evil befall thy brother but wilt thou dare to presume to call God to be an instrument of the execution of thy base sinfull wrath that God must be a drudg as it were to thy wrath and to thy passion this is abominable wickedness Any of you that ever have been guilty of this sin of cursing others Wives Children Servants or Friends the Lord rebuke you for this sin how far hast thou been from sanctifying Gods Name in Prayer whereas instead of sanctifying the holy Name of God thou hast called God to be a servant and a drudg to thy passion God must be call'd to help the venting of thy passion Oh! remember this you that have been at Sea and have been angry and things not going according to your mind have fallen a cursing and wishing such and such evils might come upon those you are angrie with that 's a kind of prayer but it 's a most fearful taking the Name of God in vain in the highest degree and certainlie God will not hold him guiltless that shall so take his Name in vain therefore be humbled for this sin Object But you will say Do not we reade in the Book of Psalms where many times the Prophet David doth curse the Enemies of God and wishes evil to come upon them Answ To that I answer First That the Prophet and those that pen'd the Psalms they had a prophetical spirit and those places that you reade that are in a way of cursing they are rather prophetical predictions of evil than direful imprecations they are rather fore-telling what shall be in a way of prophesie than wishing what should be Secondly If they be wishing what should be then I answer That those which were endued with such a prophetical spirit they did know who were