come neer unto God our best services are so faulty and so filthy that in themselves they are rather a dishonouring of God than otherwise and therefore cannot be pleasing to God but onely through Jesus Christ in whom the Father is well pleased Therefore when we worship God we must gather into Jesus Christ and lay hold upon his Righteousness and present our services to God through Christ and leave our duties with Christ to be offered by him to his Father and our Father that they may be accepted through him as from him and for his sake I shall insist a little longer upon this forth Position that we are in hand with further to evince the necessity of Faith in the Mediator unto a right worshipping of God First I shall shew it respecting Prayer in particular and then respecting all Worship in general First respecting Prayer Faith is necessary To set Prayer on foot and To carry on the work and duty of Prayer and To the concluding of Prayer with an Amen and To keep the heart in a right frame after Prayer 1. It is necessary to set Prayer on foot or to bring the Soul to Prayer Can a man have any stomack to go and crave and make request where he hath no hope to speed Now where effectual Faith is not there can be no hope to speed in any suit to God and that upon this twofold account 1. It is upon account of the relation in which any soul standeth unto God that it can have any hope of obtaining that which it seeketh from God It is the consideration of God his Father-Hood and our Son-Ship that must bring us to Prayer giving us encouragement to go to God with our petitions The Prodigal saith I will arise Luk. 15.18 and go to my Father A Child hath reason to hope that his Father will hear him and do for him when he cannot expect it from a stranger Now how come we into the Religion of God to have him to be our Father How come we to have the Son-ship of Christ upon us by vertue of which we may be admitted into the presence of God and be received by him See that Scripture John 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he this Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Priviledge to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name Ye are all the children of God Gal. 3.26 saith the Apostle by Faith in Christ Jesus 2. We cannot stand before God without Righteousness and this the Soul hath not of its own in it self We cannot look upon our selves but as sinful guilty persons nor upon our duties but as very defective The Righteousness which we must have that we may be accepted of God must be a Righteousness out of our selves another's Righteousness viz. the Righteousness of Christ which yet must be ours that it may do us good Now it becomes ours by Faith the Righteousness which gives us access to God by Jesus Christ is the Righteousnes of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.22 the Righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe Now for as much as without this Righteousness we can have no hope God-ward How can we with any confidence draw neer to God till such time as by Faith we close with Jesus Christ and apply his Righteousness to our selves Upon this account Faith is necessary to set Prayer on foot to set the Spirit of Prayer on work 2. Faith is necessary to carry on the work of Prayer and for the discharging of the duty 1. That we may with humble holy boldness with a Child-like confidence pray unto God Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the Faith of him 2. That we may lift up holy hands in Prayer I will saith the Apostle that men pray every where 1 Tim. 2.8 lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting It is Faith that purifies the heart 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these promises let us cleanse our selves form all filthyness of the flesh and spirit Revelations concerning the Love and good Will of God concerning Christ and Grace do purge the Soul that takes them in 3. Faith is necessary for the enlarging of the heart in Prayer and to make us lively and earnest in praying I believed therefore have I spoken The believing Soul will utter it self and even pour it self forth before the Lord being perswaded it shall through Christ obtain at the hands of God that Grace which it sues for but the Unbelieving heart is straitned and where Faith is not fervency cannot be and where fervency is not the success of prayer is doubtful at least The effectual fervent Prayer of the Righteous man availeth much 3. Faith is necessary to the concluding of our prayers with an Amen testifying as our desires to have our petitions granted so our reliance on God and a penswasion that he will for Christ his sake grant our requests For it is by Faith that we leave our prayers with Christ in whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen 4. Faith sets and keeps the Soul in a right frame after Prayer 1. It sets the heart at rest and keeps it quiet When I consider that Christ hath the offering up of my prayers and that God will not throw aside any of the petitions which his dear Son brings to him this quiets my heart 1 Sam. 1.18 When Hanna had prayed she did eat and her countenance was no more sad If she had not Faith her stomack would have been no better nor her heart quieter after Prayer than it was before but now believing that God had looked on the affliction of his Hand-maid and that he would give her that blessing which she prayed for now I say she goes away rejoycing in the goodness of God apprehended by Faith and eats her bread with a merry heart David being among many enemies and in the midst of dangers Psa 3.5 having prayed could lye down and take his rest believing that the Lord would preserve and deliver him as he had prayed 2. Faith sets the Soul and keeps it in a patient waiting frame and this is that which God requires and that which he loves psa 27.13 14. I had fainted saith David unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living wait on the Lord c. David's Faith resting on the promise of God upheld him to wait on the Lord for the accomplishment of his promise The Apostle tells us Hebr. 10.36 We have need of patience that after we have done the Will of God viz. in praying and using such means as God hath appointed we may receive the Promises There is a Promise of God to waiting Souls Isai 30 18 Blessed are they that wait for him Now it is onely the believing Soul that is a waiting Soul Isai 28.16
into such conserence with her Well Nearer The nearer occasions were 1. Christ his coming to Jacob's Well and sitting there 2. The Womans coming to draw water 3. Christ his asking of water together with her untoward Answer and refusal to give it These I shall pass by II. The Conference it self Now as to the Discourse or Conference it self herein we may observe 1. How Christ labours to set this Woman on thirsting after himself and his Grace 2. How successful his endeavours are 3. How having provoked her thirst he satisfies it First First He sets her on thirsting by shewing her 1. Excellency of Christ his Grace The Excellency of Christ and his Grace 2. The facility of obtaining it 3. The need that she had of it First Set forth by The Excellency of Christ and his Grace is set forth By the names that are given to it and by the effects of it 1. 1. Its Names By the names that are given to it it is tearmed The gift of God and That living Water Christ with his Merit for Justification and his Spirit for Sanctification are thus called by our Saviour The Gift of God and that living Water I shall note something very briefly from each of these Titles Note 1 Christ is the principal-Gift of God the Father he is that Gift the Gift of Gifts an incomparable Gift and there are wonderful rich Treasures of Grace laid up in Christ and offered with him What childish folly is it then that when God holds forth in his Right Hand the Richest Jewel Christ and in his left Hand an Apple or Nut the Belly-blessings of this life we should chuse the Apple before the Jewel these Earthly things before Christ O that we may rather be like unto Paul than like the Gadarens let us account all things as loss for Christ that we may winne him and let such as have laid hold on Christ hold him fast and let go all rather than let go this Gift of God Alas poor creatures do not understand what that Gift of God is and therefore they do not desire it and seek it nor accept of it when it is offered Note 2 Christ his Grace his Merit Spirit are fitly compared to living water or spring water in respect of necessariness and motion and vertue and perpetuity But I shall hasten toward the Text. 2. 2 It 's Effects The Excellency of this living Water Christ and his Grace is set forth by the effect of it one effect there is of the apprehension and knowledge of it another effect of the enjoyment of it 1. The effect of the knowledge of this Gift is this that it excites desire vers 10. If thou knewest thou would'st have asked Note He that knows Christ truly will desire him and long after him and no man can truly desire him till he hath some knowledge of him till the eyes of his understanding be opened to see the worth of Christ and the preciousness of his Grace The want of affection in the soul towards Christ is from the blindness of the mind 2. There is a notable effect of Christ and his Grace enjoyed which is this Note That this gift being received so enricheth the Soul that it is sweetly contented with it This water being drunk satisfieth the Soul so that it thirsteth no more Now the Soul's fulness and satisfaction by drinking this living Water is not opposed to a thirst of desire with respect to the same for they who have drank of this Water who have tasted the sweetness of Christ do thirst more after him desire to have more of Christ but it is opposed to a thirst of total indigence to the drought of the Soul The Soul shall never more be wholly without moisture there shall never be an utter failing of the energy and comfort of Grace received but it shall be in him a Well or Fountaine of water springing up to Eternal Life Christ will never leave him the life of Grace shall never fail but the spiritual life begun here shall be perfected in Glory The ascent of water is answerable to it's descent so that in the passage thorow Conduit-pipes or any ways of conveyance it will rise as high as the Spring-head This water which we are speaking of as it comes from Heaven so it riseth again to Heaven Now the perfection that is in Christ his water the excellency of this living water in point of satisfactoriness is illustrated by the defectiveness of the water in Jacob's Well the unsatisfactoriness of all things besides Christ and without him Whosoever drinks of this water shall third again Note The Soul cannot have full or true content in any eartuly thing Austine expresseth this hand somely by way of speech to God Domine fecisti nos propter te c. Thou Lord hast made us for thy self therefore our heart finds no rest till it rest in thy self Nothing can fill the heart but the fulness that is in Christ Vse 1. Now this may serve for a check to ambition and covetousness to the worlding his itch and thirst Isa 55.2 Wherefore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Quo plus sunt petae plus sitiuntur aquae He that drinketh of the waters of pleasure or profit or preferment thirsteth more afterward than he did before Wherefore should we so eagerly pursue these earthly things from which we can have no satisfaction 2. Looking to the former note whereof this latter is an illustration we may see matter of great comfort to Believers and Saints who have received Christ by Faith and have true Grace in their hearts they have that which is satisfactory and that which will stay with them to minister comfort and delight to them for ever They can never fall away wholly and return to their former estate to be without Christ to be destitute of Grace and Spiritual life but the Fountaine is still theirs and that which flows from the Fountain to them into them doth prove a Fountain in them and we know that a Fountain cannot be exhausted or dried up However the great water brooks of hypocrites fail in Summer's drought yet the little Fountain water of God his Children holds out and though true Christians may have their thirstings and may be as the parched ground as David complains Psal 32.4 that his moisture was turned into the drought of Summer yet the godly shall not thirst so but that this living water Christ and his Grace shall be a Fountain springing up and yielding water to releive their thirst so that it shall not be a killing thirst Excellently saith Chrys-stome Sicut is non potest sirire c. As he cannot thirst who hath a Fountain springing in the very bowels of him so they who have Christ dwelling in their hearts by Faith and by his Spirit for asmuch as they have a Fountain of living
is verbal only or that which is real as well as verbal and the profession real may be either regular or irregular A Verbal profession practically contradicted is invalidated by such a contradiction so that it is to be accounted as no profession He that in word professeth himself to be of the Christian Religion i. e. a Worshipper of God in Christ and yet in practice is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that doth not worship God surely he is no true Professor Nor is he a true professor of Religion who though he doth act something in the worship of God yet acteth not according to the rule of true Religion and worship Religion and Christianity is not a meer Notion but it is something Practical it notes not only the Minds reception of and the Wills subscription to the principles and rules of Christianity but also the framing of the heart and of the whole man to be acting and working in those Principles and Rules Thus stands the Argument A true profession of Christianity is real there is practical Religion and Christianity in the life and it is Regular so that the business of Religion the true Professour acteth according to Rule therefore they who truly professe the Christian Religion and are true real Christians are real and regular Worshippers of God the Father 2. It must needs be 2. Demonstration that true Christians are real worshippers of God because they are possessed and acted by the Spirit of God and Christ which Spirit is the efficient of holy Worship leading Souls to it and acting them in it Every thing acteth according to it's Principles Principiatum respondet suis principiis Christians are principled by the Spirit of Christ which doth efficaciously incline and govern them to do that which is pleasing to Christ The Spirit 's in-Being is argued by the Spirit his working in the Soul The Spirit of Christ is a sanctifying Spirit that sets the heart right toward God and orders the conversation aright in all points of holy Obedience so that they who have this Spirit must needs be worshippers of God Now I have dispatched the Doctrinal part of my Discourse Application I come to Application I shall make but two Uses of the Point The first for Conviction the other a Use of Exhortation Vse 1 First for Conviction And as the way or Medium to the Conviction aimed at Conviction I shall propound this clear Inference from the Doctrine If all true Gospel-professors be true Worshippers then they who are not true Worshippers are no◠true Professours Now if we come to try the hearts and practices of people by the description of true worship what a multitude of nominal Christians shall we find that are by our Doctrine shut out of the number of true Professors and real Christians How few Souls that are religiously observant of God and obedient to him Where there i◠no observance of God and obedience to him there is no true profession of Religion where there is no care to conform to the mind of Christ there is no rea◠Christianity What a number o◠Souls are there that do not believe do not love God do no◠turn to him do not thankfully acknowledg his goodness toward them do not set themselves to glorifie him for his Mercies Ah Souls Do you choose God for your portion and cheif good Do you affectionately accept of Jesus Christ to be your Saviour and Lord not only acknowledging his Sufferings and accepting of Pardon and Salvation through him but also acknowledging his Soveraignty and submitting to his Government and way of saving Where there is not such a choice of God and such an acceptation of Christ there is not that Faith which is a part of Internal Worship Do you love God above all inferiour earthly things loving these things but with a love subordinate to the love of God Where God is not thus loved the Soul doth not worship him Now alas how doth Self-love Creature-love love of the World yea and the love of Lusts shut God out of the affections of very many of us Where is that fear of God to be found which in all addresses to God composeth the Spirit by an awful apprehension of that infinite distance which is betwixt God and Us Where is that fear of God which fenceth the Soul against temptation unto sin and is operative and instrumental unto holy walking How few true Penitents are there that disallow and detest fin and carefully abstain from it and do actually resist it and turn from all sin unto God unto Piety and acts of Religion Now Friends If you do not believe do not love God and fear him and turn to him what Religion is in you what is your Profession where is your Christianity And now for external Worship to try men upon that account Some are not worshippers so much as in appearance practise no worship in their Families and seldome appear in the place of publick Worship And some there are alas how many that are worshippers only in appearance their Worship is meerly External they draw not near to God with their Spirits in any act of Worship nor is that which they do in point of Worship done with Conscience of God's Command or with any respect to his Glory or with Faith in the Mediator And how much vain Worship is taken up which is not ordered by God but by men which is not according to pure holy divine Institutions but according to corrupt rotten human inventions Now gather up all this and hence take conviction home to your selves You that do not acknowledge God in your hearts and lives You that do not believe his Revelations and believe in his Son You that love the world and love sin but love not God You that do not reverence the Holiness and the Majesty of God that stand not in awe of his Word that are not afraid to sin against him You that will not turn from your sins unto God You that regard not to worship God in publick and in private and you whose Worship is meerly External Take Conviction to your selves that you are not right Gospel-professors or real Christians forasmuch as you are not true Worshippers Vse 2 Being thus convinced learn what it is truly to Worship God Exhortation and become true Worshippers Labour to know the Lord and acknowledge the true God and believe in God and love God and fear God and worship him regularly according to the Scripture-rule as ever you desire that God should look upon you as Christians and own you as true Professors of Religion Now that you may be a little quickened Motives If you look into the Word of God you may thence take up Arguments fit for you to press upon your selves that you may be perswaded to give your selves up unto this Counsel The Apostle tells us Heb. 11.6 that God is a plentiful rewarder of them that diligently seek him that call upon his
9.10 as the Apostle calls them And the generality of the Jews were so grosly carnal in their apprehensions of the business of Religion that they stuck in the outward Ceremonies having no respect at all to Internal and Spiritual Worship norminding that which was signified by those carnal Rites and Shaddows though the understanding godly true Worshippers that were among the Jews worshipped Spiritually with their Spirits and truly in Truth so that the Worship under the Law which God approved of was in its Soul and substance Spiritual yet the Worship then was cloathed with such a dress of Ceremonies that as to the Shew and External part of it in respect of the outward Form and Body it was but carnal Worship Whereas the New-Testament Worship is ordered to be in Spirit i. e. without such a carnal body or covering of Ceremonies and in Truth i. e. without Figures and Shadows Well it is clear that Gospel-worship is here put in opposition to the Carnal Ceremonious Worship of the Jews and to the heartless devised Worship of the Samaritans which was a false Worship wanting the truth of God's Word appointing and warranting the matter of it as well as the truth of a good heart and holy Devotion in the manner of performing it Now we may easily see what is the import of this expression in Spirit and in Truth First as for the tearm Spirit it notes 1. A renewed mind and a renewed heart and affections together with due expressions of those affections in suitable actions of Religious Worship 2. A Spiritual kind of Worship in opposition to that which is carnal and Ceremonious a Worship stript of that cloathing and dress of Ceremonies to which the people of God were tied under the Law which are abolished by the coming of Christ Note Note by the way That they who burden the Church with a multitude of Ceremonies go about to destroy Gospel-worship which must not be Ceremonious do what in them lies to cast Christ out of the Church and to bring in Moses in his stead and that they who affect and plead for and delight in a Ceremonious Worship seem to forget that these are Gospel-times and do in effect deny that Christ is come for it is most evident that our Saviour here points out the difference between Jews and Christians in point of Worship and it is clear that the difference is not in the inward Substance and Soul of Religion but in the outward Form and Body Well you see how the tearm * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirit is here to be understood Secondly The tearm * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth signifies 1. Sincerity as opposed to hypocrisie 2. It signifies the very kernel and substance of Religion that Worship which is real and substantial which standeth in the truth of those ancient Figures and Shaddows that which was figured by the offering of legal Sacrifices and by Ceremonious observances 3. Truth signifies a Consonancy to the Word of God that which is according to Truth written True Gospel-worship is that which is commanded and ordered by Christ that which is exercised according to the simplicity of Gospel-Institution True Gospel-worship is a Worship performed in Spirit and in Truth i. e. it is Cordial Holy Sincere Spiritual Substantial Instituted Scripture-worship that which hath the Word of God for it's Foundation and Rule Proof The Text is as a clear foundation so a full proof of our Doctrine and our Saviour tells the Pharisees Mat. 15.9 that In vain do they worship God teaching for Doctrine the Commandments of men That is a vain idle Worship an unprofitable Worship which is ordered otherwise than God hath appointed which is not directed to the true God rightly conceived of and performed in a right manner suitable to his Will and Nature and which hath not God's Word for its foundation and Rule This was an observation which you had from the 22 verse which Christ saith Ye worship ye know not what Now for demonstration of the point We have two demonstrations in the Text. This assertion That true Gospel-worship is a Worship in Spirit and in Truth is proved 1. 1. Demonstration From the Will of God The Father seeketh such to worship him This is the argument here used They that worship God must see that their Worship be such as will please God Now onely such spiritual sincere instituted-worship pleaseth him Therefore onely such Worship is to be performed 2. A second reason is drawn from the Nature of God God is a Spirit he is a pure spiritual Essence and he must be worshipped with a Worship suitable to his Nature Thus to worship God is reasonable service God is a Spirit in a kind of singularity and excellency and eminency above all Spirits God is a most Intelligent Spirit his understandig is infinite They who satisfie themselves with a carnal external Worship such as is but a Carcaise without any Soul of Heart-devotion in it without holy spiritual motions and affections of the inward man these apprehend not God to be a Spirit the God and Father of spirits and the searcher of hearts but deny his Spiritual Nature and make him a God of flesh while they bring stesh to him for an Offering If God be a Spirit he must be worshipped with our Spirit and truly he calleth for this My Son give me thy heart Prov. 23.26 he re-requires a preparation of the heart for Worship and the activity of the inward man in the performance of Worship and the Soul's intentness upon the work in hand God loveth spiritual performances Again God is a Spirit most simple void of all Composition and uncapable of division Such must our Worship be suitable to the most simple Nature and Being of God It must be uncompounded undivided Worship 1. There must be no Composition in it no mixture of our own conceits and devices or any humane inventions a patched sophisticated linsey-woolsey-worship fuits not with the simplicity of God the Object of Worship 2. There must be no division in our Worship it must be whole entire Worship head and heart understanding and affections Soul and Body all must joyn unanimously in the Worship of God I will adde one Demonstration more Arg. 3 3. Corrupt Worship is not true Gospel-worship that which is expected from Gospel-professors But that Worship which is not performed in Spirit and in Truth according to the import of those tearms as they have been opened to you is corrupt Worship For Worship is corrupted these three wayes 1. In respect of the Object as Worship corrupted 3 wayes when something else is worshipped in stead of God or when other Objects of Worship are taken up besides God and together with him so also when people have carnal gross unsuitable apprehensions of God and so worship not the true God with a Worship suitable to his Nature a spiritual simple pure Worship 2. There is a corruption in the manner of Worship when
in other matters because they indulge their own humours taking up unadvisedly that which best likes them or may suit best with their carnal aims and interests not weighing things in the Scales of an unbiassed Judgement or in the ballance of the Sanctuary not impartially considering which is the best indeed If we do consider we must needs be convinced that the way of God his appointment is better than the wayes that are of man's invention and that God is to be obeyed rather than man therefore let us consider Counsel 2 2. Let us not shut our eyes against the light or harden our hearts against conviction so as to give our vote for or give our selves up to any other Worship pleasing to the flesh or favoured by the times against clear Demonstrations of the betterness or bestness and onely goodness of this Worship in spirit and in truth Let us prefer in our judgements and adhere in affection and practice to that which appears really to be the best Consulting with flesh and blood and advising with carnal reason and attending to carnal policy is that which doth strangely blind mens eyes and byass their judgements carrying them the wrong way if this be best why should I enter into a consultation Whether it be better for me to fix here or elsewhere Counsel 3 3. When in our judgement we prefer this true spiritual Worship before other Worships let us single it out to our selves and single our selves out to it disclaiming all Worship that comports not with true Gospel-worship David having chosen the way of truth hated every false way Counsel 4 4. Let us resolve as to single our selves out to true spiritual Worship with a denial of all false hypocritical carnal sophisticated superstitious will-worship so to stick to it against all discouragements and opposition with a denyal of shame and fear resolving through God and by the help of grace herein to keep a good conscience Counsel 5 5. Let us be careful religiously and zealously to act that true spiritual Worship which we are convinced is the only good Worship and which we make choice of and resolve to stick to O let us be true Worshippers in practice as well as in judgement and profession seriously and zealously worshipping God in spirit in truth Let us labour to get our minds and hearts more renewed and let us see that our Religion be not defective in the vital parts that there be spirit and life true heart-devotion and fervency of affection in our Worship Let us manage holy work with a holy heavenly mind giving God the kernel of spiritual Devotion as well as the shell of Adoration and let us be pleased with the simplicity of Gospel-Ordinances and delight in the simple pure plain institutions of Christ and let us in our practice keep as close as may be to Gods Commands not turning aside to the right hand or to the left Let us be Scripture-men in this point making the Scripture both the Foundation and Rule of our Worship and adhering thereunto Then we shall be sure and constant in our way For as the truth is the same yesterday and to day and for ever so will the Scripture-man be of the same mind and the same frame and the same practice in Religion whereas they who build not upon this foundation will be like that Bishop of Alexandria who was called Euripus because of his ebbing and flowing his going this way and that way in matters of Religion For a Bishoprick he would swear to the Nicene Council and then to keep his place when the Tyde turned he would again forswear it But he that fixeth upon God's Word will be constant and this constant man shall have peace shall have peace in Christ as our Saviour saith to his Disciples though in the world he may have tribulations Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this Rule peace be unto them And that you may enter into and persevere in a right course of true Gospel-worship such as is pleasing to God 1. There must be a sincere desire to be true worshippers and so a seeking unto God by prayer to have your judgement rightly informed and well settled in this matter and to have your hearts carried to true and spiritual Worship and to be guided and managed by the Spirit of God in your Worship Beg of God that you may understand and affect and act that which is right 2. We must captivate our own fleshly wisdom and carnal reason which may judge this or that Worship to be lawful and convenient and prudential and approvable though not the very best Corrupt reason must not be set up in the place of a Judge to give sentence in the matters of God nor must it be suffered to dispute Christ his Commands but this must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ Where we have a clear Word we must learn to obey without reasoning not examining the matter by the judgement of corrupt reason Our corrupt minds will reason against duty and reason us off from it therefore reason must be subjugated to the Word of God to the Law of Christ 3. We must labour to work out of our hearts all inordinate love of earthly things Hag. 1.2 4. We shall find Haggai 1. that the peoples care and love to build their own houses made them to neglect the building of God's house Thus Covetousness put the Pharisees upon corrupt interpretations oâ— the Scripture When mens hearts are set upon the world they will part from their Religion rather than their Riches and they will take up any Worship for their wordly advantage When men delight more in the glory of their own houses than in the spiritual beauty of Ordinances no wonder if they stand little upon Christ his order Counsel 6 6. We must not attend to carnal policy which will make us to suit our selves to the times for the keeping of our selves in credit and in outward prosperity Some mens consciences are as a learned man hath well noted like Diogenes his Tub Mr. A. B. to be turned every way from the Sun and to the Sun and according as the wind blows Carnal respect is a Loadstone to a number of men Fac me Episcopum Romanum ero Christianus Make me Bishop of Rome said he once and I will be a Christian The carnal Politician so that he may be great and in favour with the Times will be for any Worship of any profession or party Carnal policy will make men to alter for their own carnal ends therefore we must take heed of this Counsel 7 7. That we may pitch upon the way of true spiritual Worship 〈◊〉 and may be fixed in it we must get our spirits fortified against temptations reproaches and persecutions There will be Scare-crows and there will be snares and our hearts naturally are fearful and we are too apt to catch at baits and to joyn with the world Now therefore here iâ—
He that believeth will not make hast The godly are spoken of Psal 123.2 as having confidence in God and waiting for his goodness 3. Faith keeps the heart in a praying disposition frame sets the Soul on work to pray again and again often to ask the same things till we have a clear and full Answer from God And Faith makes the Soul importunate with God still rising higher and higher in holy importunity I believe that this Mercy will come in answer to Prayer therefore I will pray instantly that it may come and constantly till it doth come Thus Faith is necessary with respect to prayer-worship which is indeed a principal part of the Worship of God Secondly Faith is necessary to the Worship of God in general or to all Worship and that upon this account or for these reasons 1. Because to the worship of God there is required a knowledge of his Will and of the Rule of Worship and an assent unto and approbation of the Truth and Holiness and goodness of his Revelations and an Interest in him Can a man worship he knows not whom or when he understands not how he is to worship or when he is not perswaded in his own conscience that what he doth is right or when the Soul hath no recumbency on the Object of Worship Now this knowledge and this assent and this perswasion and this recumbency is Faith 2. Without Faith the Soul hath no way to God and so cannot draw nigh to him in Worship Jesus Christ is our onely way to God in him we have access with boldness and confidence to the Throne of Grace Now it is Faith in Jesus Christ which gives us the benefit of this way no Faith no Christ no Christ no way to God no possibility of any approach unto him without a Mediator for God out of Christ is a consuming Fire and poor Christless Souls have cause to fall into trembling when they think of God Now faithless souls are Christless and without Faith the Soul hath no access unto God or communion with him therefore Faith is necessary to the Worship of God It is only in this way of recumbencie by Faith on Jesus Christ that the Soul hath any peace toward God and hope and comfort in it's approaching unto him While we look unto weak corrupt sinful Self and upon our own imperfect faulty sinful performances there must needs be doubts and fears and unquietness of spirit Being justified by Faith Rom. 5.1 we have Peace toward God Peace i. e. that tranquility of Conscience or that comfort and joy which a Believer hath in a Conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ and that boldnesse which he hath toward God as being his Father in Christ Jesus 3. Faith is necessary to the worship of God because where Faith is not there can be neither will nor ability for any hold action for any duty of worship What desire can the Soul have to draw near to God till it hath some hope through Christ of it's acceptance with God till it hath some hold-fast on the Covenant of God his Love so long as the Soul is estranged from Christ it is a stranger to God and God is a stranger to it Till there be an Vnion between Christ and the Soul even a Marriage Vnion there will be no desire of Communion or Spiritual Intercourse Christ his Spouse is delighted to see him even thorough the lattices to hear his voice at the door but she rejoyceth greatly to be with him in the Galleries to have his company in the Chamber delighteth to enjoy him in Ordinances and converse with him in worship Where there is such an Union to Christ there is pleasure in seeing him and hearing him joy to be with him The Soul having tasted the sweets of his Love desires to be led up to a more full enjoyment of him and so is making toward him in the use of means in attending on Ordinances and performing Duties Now this Union between Christ and the Soul is by the means of Faith it is by believing that the Soul comes to be one with Christ and so to be desirous of conversing with him to delight in his Ordinances and Worship Again It is by Faith that the Soul being made one with Christ doth fetch strength and abilities from Christ without whom we can do nothing that good is Of Christ his fulness the believer receiveth grace for grace Christ dwelling in the heart by Faith makes a holy heart is the worker of Grace in the heart and furnisheth the Soul with abilities for Duty that the Soul being justified and so sanctified by him may serve God and worship him acceptably Lastly There is one thing more which is considerable in the description of Worship viz. the End of it concerning which our Conclusion is this Concl. 5 5. The main end which we must aim at in all our Worship and Service is That God may be glorified by us This is God his great end of all his Works of all his appointments and Commands even his own Glory God hath made all things for himself and he will have all to be done to him 1 Cor. 10.31 Do all to the glory of God we are called upon to glorifie God in our souls 1 Cor. 6.20 and in our bodies Then may we be said to glorifie God when apprehending him to be such a God as he in his Word and Works hath discovered himself to be we make a sutable profession in Word and Deed really acknowledging his Power and Wisdom and Holiness and Goodness and Faithfulness and the rest of his Attributes and Properties reverently and humbly worshipping and serving the onely true God to whom all Worship and Service is due from us referring all our actions to the right end terminating all in him Paul would have the Philippians to be filled with the Fruits of Righteousess Phil. 1.11 which are by Christ Jesus to the praise and glory of God Thus I have finished the Explication of the Point explaining the Subject briefly and the Attribute more largely Proof Now for Proof of the Doctrine I shall refer you to the whole Sacred Story Look thorow the Book of God and you shall find it verified in all true Professors that the Scripture maketh mention of they were all worshippers of God I shall give you two words for the demonstration of the Point viz. That true Professors of the Christian Religion are worshippers of God according to the Principles and Rules of the Religion which they profess that real Christians do indeed worship the Father The first Demonstration shall be 1. From the true state of Religion 1. Demonstration and of a profession of Religion Religion properly notes a right acknowledgment and holy pure worship of God according to the rule laid down in his Word And Profession is a plain open declaration of our owning embracing and adhering to the true Religion Now Profession may be either that which
need of resolution with dependence upon God to strengthen us Counsel 8 8. Let us look forward to the end Look upon Heaven think upon the Day of Judgement and upon the Eternity of happiness o◠misery which will follow upon our choosing or refusing our delighting in or despising true Gospel-worship Excellently saith a learned man Mr. R. B. Faith looking at the things unseen would excite such a serious frame of spirit as would not suffer Religion to evaporate into Formality or to dwindle into Complement and Ceremony Vse 4 The fourth and last Use Consol for a close of all shall be by way of Consolation in two words 1. VVho hath not experience of a wandring mind and of a dull lazie heart in prayer and in other parts of Worship VVho is not conscious to himself of much weakness and of many failings in duty But here is our comfort it is not said The true worshippers shall worship God in spirit and perfection but in spirit and in truth with a true and honest spirit Sincerity is the Characteristical difference between an Hypocrite and a true Christian this is usually called by Divines Gospel perfection this maketh Worship to be real Oh! what rejoycing hath the Christian from the testimony of his Conscience concerning his Sincerity VVhere this Sincerity is God will cover many imperfections 2. Here is further comfort to those that worship in spirit and in truth The Father seeketh such to worship him this is the Worship which God regardeth Though men cast out such Worshippers with scorn and spite yet God approves of them and smells a sweet savour from them Pro. 15.8 The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight The poor naked prayer of a spiritual Worshipper is better accepted of God than all the bravery of the most pompous services of the formal Worshipper Men may require and act this and that in the Worship of God but God regardeth Spirit and truth bring that and you please him To the true Israelite the spiritual Worshipper the Preacher saith Go thy way eat thy bread with joy drink thy wine with a merry heart for God accepteth thy Worship Little Children keep your selves from Idols Amen Farewel My Beloved CAESAR's Right OR The Subject's Duty Due Subjection From Romanes 13.1 IN the beginning of this Chapter in the first seven verses the Apostle asserteth the Divine Right and Authority of Magistracy and thereupon inferreth and thence presseth the Duty of Subjection and Obedience to Magistrates It may not be amiss to touch a little upon the Apostle's scope here and the occasion and ground of this Assertion and Vindication of the rightful Authority of Rulers and of such earnestness in pressing Christians to Subjection and Obedience not onely here but elsewhere also more plainly Tit. 3.1 The Apostle had told these Romanes that Believers are not under the Law and he afterwards tells Christians that they must not be the servants of men 1 Cor. 7.23 Gal. 5.1 and calls upon them to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free Now the Apostle foreseeing that some might abuse the Doctrine of Christian liberty to a denyal of all Superiority and to the casting off the Yoke of Subjection and Obedience to such as God hath set over them as now Libertines cry out Liberty liberty Christ say they hath made us free and we are not under the power of any but Christ He is our King The Apostle I say foreseeing that among such as profess themselves Christians there might and would be unruly Anti-Magistratical Spirits that would despise Dominions and cast off the Yoke of Subjection doth therefore clean up this point teaching that Christianity doth not consume but confirm civil polity He urgeth Subjection upon Christians all Christians every soul shewing the equity and necessity of it and indeed the better Christian any man is the better Subject will he be He that hath no Religion may obey in some things for fear or for some other respects from some sorry principles but if a man be Religious a Christian indeed he will be subject and obedient for Conscience sake in all things that may be done by him with a good Conscience The Gospel doth not destroy but establish Civil Government Well now to look into the Text. There are two general parts of it 1. A Precept or Injunction of Duty Text divided Let every soul be subject c. 2. A Reason of the Command or Ground of the Duty For there is no power c. Or thus I choose rather to divide the Text. See here 1. A Proposition of a Truth 2. An Inference of Duty The Truth affirmed is the Divine Right and Authority of Magistracy There is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God The Duty inferred is Subjection and Obedience to Magistrates Let every soul therefore be subject to the higher powers In the Proposition we have 1. The subject of the Right or Authority proposed and asserted 2. The rise and ground of it which is expressed Affirmatively and Negatively 1. The Subject of the Superiority Authority here granted which is thus expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Powers higher powers under which expressions the Apostle by a Metonymie points out Civil Magistrates who are invested with power and Authority over others All Magistrates especially the chief Magistrate and he entitles them Powers intimating as is probably conjectured that he speaks not so much of particular persons in power as of the Order and Office it self 2. Here is the rise and ground of this Supereminency and Authority which is expressed two ways 1. Negatively There is no power but of God Here now is a Negation of power in any Creature to make Higher Powers to give Power and Authority to one over others a denyal I say of any other rise or original of Civil Government but onely from God Governours and Government are not from men as some affirm Though Magistracy be called 1 Pet. 2 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Ordinance of Man a humane Creation or Creature yet this is not to be understood originaliter as if Magistracy and Government were invented by man or had its original from man but it is said to be an Ordinance of Man either 1. Subjective because this Power and Authority is subjected in man and managed by man and the choice of the kinds of Magistrates or such and such a form of Government yea and of the persons to exercise the power Magistratical is for the most part lest to men and acted by men under the ordering disposing Providence of God Or 2. Objective because it is employed about Humane Affairs is conversant about the ordering and governing of man Or 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Finaliter Man is the end of Magistracy it was ordained for the good of Man and for the preserving of Humane Society In this