of it among Gods visible people yea too much among those that may have the Root of the matter in them and also because it 's very provoking to God and mischievous to them that use it Now I call that Formal Worship which is opposed to that which is in reality Paul opposes a Form of Godliness to the power of it 2 Tim. 3. 5. Such Pretenders make Perilous Times He intends such Persons as used an appearance without any reality a shew without any substance They made a profession of Godliness and used much Pretensive Devotion in Worship but there was nothing in it save an appearance and shadow only Vox preterea nihil an empty Form no powerful sincerity in their heart nor good fruit in their life And this Vizard men put on to deceive that they may walk incoginto in the World Formal Worship is Hypocritical Worship like a painted Tomb without but Corruption Rottenness within Fire without and Frost within A flame in the mouth but Ice in the Heart A perfect piece of Pageantry a Play where he that is in shew a King is in Reallity a Beggar Such lying Worship is thus Described by Christ Mat. 15 8 9. Drawing near to God with the Lip when the Heart is far from him near in look and gestures but far in heart and spirit this is the spirit of an Hypocrite When out of any low base inferiour end men are drawn or driven to those duties which indeed they have no Heart to this the Lord accounts lying in his Worship And the more external Preparations the more Cost and Grandeur there is in it the bigger the lye Christ reduceth all our Obedience whether in point of Worship or otherwise unto that one word Love now if not loving Worship its lying Worship there is an Idol in the Heart which has their Love while God has their Lips only they pretend Devotion to God but the Idol in the Heart has the Heart all the while When the Heart and Body do not go together in the Service of God the Body shews much love but the Heart is otherwise imployed Ezek 33 31. This lying worship is opposed to worshipping God in Spirit and Truth John 4. 24. Paul served God with his spirit Rom. 1. 9. But their Spirits Soul and Hearts are not concerned or engaged and so there is no Truth in their services because no Spirit in them they are not spiritual and so cannot be true for it is Truth in the inward parts that God requires Psal 51 6. Ephraim was called a silly Dove without an Heart Hos 7 11. And that is a silly sorry Sacrifice that has no heart in it nor can it be acceptable to God Who chiefly minds the Heart Jer. 30. 21. 22. And as the heart is to go with it so the Conversation is to be consonant thereto Want of either makes the worship a lye As a man thinks in his heart so is he Prov. 23. 7. But that is known to God only and himself But when the Conversation contradicts the Devotion his deceitfulness is Obvious to men also Tit. 1. 16. and here Christ gives this Direction for the knowing of men by their fruits Mat. 7. 16. And if the Heart be false the Conversation will not be right for the Heart governs the Conversation If the Heart go not with the tongue the Walk will to the Prudent observer at least often give the Tongue the lye but if heart and tongue joyns the Conversation among men will evidence 〈…〉 the sincerity toward God Now such Worship is called Lying deceiving 1. Lying which is either Verbal or Practical Verbal lying when he speaks not the Truth in his Heart Psal 15 2. Affirming that to be Truth which he knows to be untruth or doth not know to be Truth or denying that to be Truth which he knows at least thinks to be Truth or knows not but that it may be Truth Practical Lying is when a man pretends and professes what he neither intends nor performs when his works deny what his words Profess this is practical lying he lies in his way though he speaks right in his words â—it 1. 6. He assumes the Name of Religion but he practically denies the thing which consists not in words but in Power in Love in Righteousness Holiness Self-denial Mortification c. to which he is a stranger And this is the Lying which the Lord blames them for here and threatens else where Isa 1. 10. 16. Isa 58. 1 7. with Psal 50. 7. 22. 2. It 's called Deceit also They compass me with Deceit Thus Mal. 1. 14. He that has a Male in his Flock and offers a corrupt thing to the Lord is called a Deceiver and such an oblation is a piece of meer deceit A Deceiver is a sly subtil under hand Dealer one that plays Leger-de-main that cogs and cheats and designs to put a sham upon another and this is the aim and spirit of a Formatist in Gods Worship he contrives to put a cheat upon God indeed to mock him Gal. 6 7. And such a Worshipper is called a Deceiver 1. Because he defrauds the glorious God of his just due and of the true Homage and Service which belongs to him from his Creatures It 's true God cannot properly be deceived but he offers at it does what he may towards it and like a foolish ignorant Atheist imagines he may do it thinks God will not see when he turns him off with a bad Sacrifice for a good one a corrupt and lame one for a sound one Job 22. 12 14. Thus he robs God of his Right sends away the Heart about other business and complements God with a little Bodily Exercise or Tongue-Devotion The worm of his Lust doth eat the Kernel and then with some seeming solemnity he makes the Heart-searching and Heart-demanding God a Present of the empty shell A very shameful and affronting Cheat. 2. It may be called a piece of Deceit because it does really deceive others men that can only judge by the outward appearance are utterly deceived by him Samuel was deceived by Eliahs look and Philip by Simon Magus's Profession Come see my zeal for the Lord was enough to have Blinded a Jonadab save that the load Trumpeting his own commendation was too much like an Hypocrite Oh thinks a good and charitable Christian this is certainly an Excellent Man see his Parts Zeal Affection c. and his aim being to seem Religious before men he puts himself in his finest dress when he appears upon the Stage in open view turns the best side outward when he has a great many Spectators while a sincere Soul whose business is to approve himself to God is most engaged and enlarged in his Closet where none but he that sees in Secret can observe him 3. But finally he is called a Deceiver because he doth most miserably and fatally deceive himself Jam. 1. 22 26. He puts a Paralogism or Fallacy upon himself argues falsly
Heathen that never performed any duty of Worship to God in their lives While some Drink and Swear and Curse and Damn themselves to Hell others pray and â—ear themselves thither and into a deeper and hotter Hell too then others arrive at For men to-destroy themselves with a great deal of pains labour cost splendor and grandeur is the worst kind of Destruction Your Lying Deceitful Services and Performances are both the pretences that you Compass God with and the sparks that you Compass and comfort your selves with but the Reward you will receive at the hands of God will be to lye down in sorrow Isa 50. ult Such Worshippers of God are nevertheless counted forgotters of God and their Doom is To be Torn in Pieces without any to deliver them Psal 50 22. The Benefit of True and Sincere Worshipping of God This is a large Theam I shall but glance at a few hints What is said of keeping Gods Commandments in General Great is the Reward Psa 9. 11. is eminently true of the second Commandment which gives direction about Instituted Worship see Exod. 20. 6. And if you referr it to the Third Commandment where the Lord threatens the Breaker of it Not to â—old him guilâ—less it is a Meiosis and sorest wrath is intended therein and on the other-hand all manner of blessings are designed for the keeper of that Command If the Deceiver in Worship be Cursed Mala. 1 11. Then the sincere Worshiper is blessed Blessed with all spiritual blessings God accepts his Services remembers his Offerings will give him pardon peace joy the strength of his Right Hand c. see Psal 20. 1 6. He shall see the Lords goings in his Sanctuary And shall be able to attest to Davids Experience Psal 84. 10 One day in Gods House is worth a Thousand Blessed with all outward blessings also Seeking the Kingdom of God first of which no small part lies in a right performing the worship of the Kingdom has a promise of the Addition of all other things Mâ—â— 6. 33. God deâ—ls wiâ—h a professing people as they deal with him in his Worship If we Compass him with hearty sincere service he will Compasâ—â—â— with favour as with a Shield Psal â— 12 Mercy shall Compass us no good thing shall be waâ—â—ing to us While such kind of formal worshippers of whom we have been speaking say as they feel that it is in vain to serve God we shall speak as we find That it is good for us to draw near unto God Psal 23. 28. Directions for the Cure of this Malady 1. Be sure we fix upon the right and there is but one right Object of Worship Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Mat. 4. 10. The great God is the sole Object of Worship Let us not make our Bellies our God Gold our Hope the World our portion nor our own Righteousness Wisdom or Strength our Idol nor our selves our Saviours Sacrifice not to our own Net nor burn Incense to our own Drag Hab. 1. 16. 2. Be well acquainted with the Person whom we Worship and that will oblige us what we may to study a proportion between our Worship and the Object of our Worship The Knowledge of God will teach us that he is to be Worshipped and also how he is to be Worshipped will make us fear to neglect it and assist us in the due performance of it To cure the Deceiver that had a Male in his flock but offered a corrupt thing the Lord gives him to understand and wills him to consider that he was a Great King and had a Dreadful Name even the Lord of Hosts Mal. 1. 14. His being a Spirit will tell us that he is to be Worshipped in Spirit and Truth not after a carnal and lying manner Consider him as the first Being chiefest Good thence learn that the first best of our Hearts Abilities Time Spirits Souls are his due and that lame blind heartless lifeless Services are very much unbecoming him His Soveraignty as it commands Devotion so it will guard us from snuffing at his Service or sâ—ubbering over his Worship His Omnipresence will beget Reverence and promote Sincerity It 's no great matter how men carry it before an Idol that has no eyes but Reason much more Religion will direct us to look to our selves when we have such an eye upon us and will be useful to prevent that commonness of Heart and Carriage so unsuitable for his Presence His Omniscience will assure us that he will not be shamm'd nor imposed upon there 's no mocking him with shadows or pretences he is not to be treated after that manner He will say to every Hypocrite tho' under the greatest disguise why feignest thou thy self to be another person I have heavy Tidings for thee and a Curse upon the Deceiver is heavy Tidings His Omnipotence will represent him as a person that has in a readiness wherewith to avenge all Affronts and to assist all the Humble Souls that desire to serve him better His Holiness tells us that we must lift up holy hands and hearts before him and purge our selves in order to our being Vessels fitâ—ed for our Masters use His Justice will caution us from taking his Name in vain because he will not holâ— us Guiltless and when we take up his Worship without spirit heart life care labour seriousness we take his Name in vain His Bounty and Goodness will quicken us to serve him with Enlargedness of Heart who hath such a liberal hand to reward all his Servants His Truth and Faithfulness as they will put us beyond dispute about the certainty of the Reward if we serve him well so of the Punishment if trifling and slightly therein Thus right Conceptions of God will notably influence you into right Worship a due performance of it 3. Study well the right way in which God will be Worshipped and his own way is the only right way He hath plainly told us in his Word how he will be Worshipped if we bring him any other Worship than that of his own prescribing he will call it lying and deceit Beware therefore that none spoil you through vain deceit after the Traditions of men Col. 2. 8. A very good caution for Traditions of men in the Worship of God will spoil our Worship and spoil us also aand are rightly called deceitful and vain because they take us off from the only true acceptable and profitable Service of God Resolve upon it either Bible-Worship or none at all all other being as yea worse than none It 's lying worship if not warranted by God's Word whatever pretences it may make to Decency in it self or Authority from men Traditions from our Fore-fathers or the Commands of the Church God will say of it Bring no more vain oblations who has required these things at your hands Nor will God take it as an answer if we say that Ecclesiastical Authority enjoyned it
unless it agree with the Pattern in the Mount and be prescribed by the Lord of the House 4. Let us offer up all our worship by Christ God in Christ is the object of Divine Worship To goe to God in our Prayers or other Services immediately to God out of or without Christ is to lye in our services That General Rule of Doing all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Col. â— 17. holds most strictly in point of worship All our prayers are to be made in his Name Job 14. 41. And all our praises are to be Offered up by him Heb. 13. 15. Otherwise what-ever of Labour Care Zeal Cost may be put into our Oblations if there be nothing of Christ in them they signify nothing at all with God they are Lame Blind Lean and Dead Sacrifices and will be most displeasing in Gods most Pure Eies and the savour of them very offensive to his Nostrils if not perfumed with the Incense of his Merits which he is Offering up with the prayers of the Saints 5. See that our Hearts be in the worship fervently and frequently make that necessary Prayer Ps 119. â—0 Let my Heart be sound in thy Statutes especially sound in thy Statutes and my performances about Worship because God is eminently Jealous there Daily make Davids prayer That God will remove from us the way of lying Psal 119. 29. And that particularly when we draw near unto God in worship that we may do it with a true Heart Heb. 10. 22. Ingage the Heart to go along with our Bodies and Tongues when addressing the Heart-searching God yea do not only carry our Hearts thither but by an extraordinary care and watchfulness keep them there that they may not give you the slip and so render all your worship successless because heartâ—ess Then only do you worship God in Spirit and Truth when your Hearts are sincerely active in what you do Dare not offer unto God that which cost you nothing but a little Breath and Lip-labour remember that your Heart gives value to your two Mites the least piece of Hearty Service is in high esteem with God 6. Finally â—et our constant Walk be always consonant to our Worship our Deportment agreeable to our Devotions our whole Conversations such as become such Worshippers A loose Conversation gives the lye to a specious profession If what be said in words is contradicted in works God will call it lying and deceit Tit. 1. 16. To be zealous and warm in our Worship but luke warm and carnal in our Walk is most absurd and Contradictory Let us Live our Hearing Praying Sabbaths Sacraments c. and then we worship well And if we do indeed worship well our worship to God will observably Influence all our converse with men And Oh how amiable and pleasant is an Harmonious Agreement there And how unseemly the contrary That men walk no better before and after worship is an ill sign of their being insincere and false and deceitful in it To Conclude Thus you have heard one more very common and provoking sin declaimed against And note that when the Lord gave the Prophet Isa 58. 1. c. his Commission To shew unto his people their Transgressions And to the house of Jacob their sins this was the first sin that he directed him to lift up his voice and sound his Trumpet against There was much Worship but little Holiness many Sacrifices but no Righteousness frequent Approaches to God but little Walking with him And it 's evident that their design in these external performances was to conceal or get allowance for their wickedness as appears by quarrelling God that he took no more notice of their Fastings nor gave them expected Answers to their Prayers though the Lord sufficiently stopt their mouth by letting them know that while they lived in such palpable neglect of the Second-Table-Duties their pretended compliance with the First could very little avail them Of the like import is Psal 50. and Isa 1. in the latter of which he plainly tells them That the multitude of their Sacrifices was to no purpose they did but trouble him and not profit themselves God bids them give over verse 13. Not that he did abate them these Sacrifices or will abate us our Devotion no but bring no more vain Oblations so does God say to us bring no more lying Services make no more deceitful Prayers let me have no more of these formal Hypocriticâ—l Assemblings Upon the penalty of losing all our Prayers we had better lose all the Comforts we have in the World than lose our Prayers Upon the penalty of having them turned into sin a dreadful 〈◊〉 on upon Judas that monstrous Hypocriâ—e as appears by comparing Psal 109. 7. with Act. â— 20. and that which every such dissembling Worshipper may be afraid of Upon the penalty of losing all gracious converse with God of blocking up the way to prevent any good coming at thee for ever of having the Lord to kindle a fire in his Jealousie that shall burn to the lowest Hâ—ll of his rending thee in pieces there be none to deliver thee I say upon all these penalties and they are terrible ones leave off presently and utterly leave off All lying dissembling with God in his Worship Do not cast off worship because it is so dangerous to intermeddle with but engage in it sincerely heartily with Reverence godly fear shun the lying deceit that too often does attend it comply with the sincerity painfulness care conscience that always should attend it Sincerity will God approve of and countenance Infirmity especially when bemoaned resisted he will forgive overlook all the expence we are at in Worshipping God in spirit truth will be plentifully compensated by fulfilling that promise Exo. 20. 23. In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will Bless thee FINIS