presented the greatest mysteries of salvation ibid 2 It is an Ordinance that Christ hath lest out of his love ibid 3 It is the Sacrament of our communion with Christ 229 4 The Covenant of grace is sealed in it ibid 2 No duty is urged with more strength and severity ib. 3 Nothing strikes more upon mens consciences 230 How many are to Sanctifie Gods Name in the Sacrament 231 1 Those that receive it must be holy 232 1 Because it is the seal of the Covenant ibid 2 It is an Ordinance of spiritual nourishment 233 3 Because we are required to examine our selves ib. 4 It is a Sacrament of communion with God and the Saints 234 2 It must be received in an holy communion ibid Wicked men not to be admitted to this communion 235 SERMON XII Addition to the former concerning holy communion 242 The qualifications in the soul to fit it for receiving the Lords Supper 244 1 Knowledg ibid 2 A broken heart 246 3 Actual purging the heart from sin 249 4 Hungring and thirsting after Jesus Christ 251 5 Exercise of Faith 252 6 Exercise of spiritual Joy 255 7 Thankfulness ibid 8 Renewing of Covenant 257 9 Renewing of love towards God and our brethren 258 SERMON XIII We must keep to the institution in the Sacrament 261 1 For the gesture 262 2 Delivering it to all in general and not into every particular mans hand 264 3 That the Communicants be all the while exercised in their thoughts about the death of Christ 265 Meditations in receiving the Sacrament 267 1 That the way of mans salvation it is through a Mediator ibid 2 This Mediator between God and Man is true Man ibid 3 That his Body was broken and his blood shed for us 268 4 It was the Body and blood of that person that is God that reconciles us ibid 5 To consider the dreadfulness of Gods justice ibid 6 The price of saving a soul 269 7 The greatness of the evil of sin ibid 8 The infinit love of God to mankind ibid 9 That Beleevers shall be nourished to eternal life ib. 10 To meditate upon the Covenant of grace to Beleevers 270 Holy dispositions to be actuated in receiving the Sacrament 271 Of Sanctifying the Name of God in Prayer 272 What preparation we are to make to prayer 274 1 Concerning the Matter of Prayer 276 2 Concerning the Manner of Prayer 280 Concerning wandring thoughts in Prayer 282 SERMON XIV A further enlargement concerning wandring thoughts in in Prayer 283 Five Rules to help against wandring thoughts 286 1 Set an high price upon the duties of prayer ibid 2 To reuew resolutions against wandring thoughts 287 3 To set the presence of God before us 288 4 To account all wandring thoughts evil ibid 5 To bless God if at any time he did help us against them 289 3 For sanctifying Gods Name in prayer there must be the breathings of the spirit 289 4 There must be pure hearts and hands 292 5 We must call upon God in truth ibid 6 We must pray in faith 293 7 In the spirit of adoption 294 8 We must pray with constancy 295 9 We must pray in humility ib. 10 We must tender up all our prayers in the Name of Christ 296 Conclusion of all 297 Books printed by Peter Cole at the Printing-Press in Cornhil London Seven Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published As also the Texts of Scripture up in which they are grounded 1 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment Phil. 4 11. Wherein is shewed 1 What Contentment is 2 It is an holy Art and Mystery 3 The Excellencies of it 4 The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Aggravations of it 2 Gospel-Worship on Levit. 10. 3. Wherein is shewed 1 The right manner of the Worship of God in general and particularly In Hearing the Word Receiving the Lords Supper and Prayer 3 Gospel-Conversation on Phil. 1. 17. Wherein is shewed 1 That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the light of Nature 2 Beyond those that lived under the Law 3 And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal 17. 14. 4 A Treatise of Earthly-mindedness Wherein is shewed 1 What Earthly-mindedness is 2 The great Evil therof on Phil. 3. part of the 19. vers Also to the same Book is Joyned A Treatise of Heavenly-mindedness and walking with God on Gen. 5. 24. and on Phil. 3. 20. 5 An Exposition on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea 6 An Exposition on the eighth ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 7 An Exposition on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea being now compleat Twelve several Books of Mr. William Bridg Collected into one Volumn Viz. 1 The great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 2 Satans Power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of His People under Temptation 3 Thankfulness required in every Condition 4 Grace for Grace or the Overflowings of Christs Fulness received by all Saints 5 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 6 Evangelical Repentance 7 The Spiritual-Life and In-being of Christ in all Beleevers 8 The Woman of Canaan 9 The Saints Hiding-Place in time of Gods Anger 10 Christs Coming is at our Midnight 11 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 12 Grace and Love beyond Gifts Six Sermons Preached by Dr. Hill Viz. 1 The Beauty and Sweetness of an Olive Branch of Peace and Brotherly Accommodation budding 2 Truth and Love happily married in the Saints and in the Churches of Christ 3 The Spring of Strengthning Grace in the Rock of Ages Christ Jesus 4 The Strength of the Saints to make Jesus Christ their Strength 5 The Best and Worst of Paul 6 Gods Eternal Preparations for his dying Saints A Godly and Fruitful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Minister of the Word of God at Dedham in Essex A Platform of Church-Discipline Gathered out of the Word of God and agreed upon by the Elders and Messengers of Churches assembled in the Synod at Cambridg in New-England Tears of Repentance Or a further Narrative of the Progress of the Gospel amongst the Indians in New-England Setting forth not only their present state and condition but sundry Confessions of sin by diverse of the said Indians wrought upon by the saving Power of the Gospel Together with the manifestation of their faith and hope in Jesus Christ and the Work of Grace upon their hearts The Wonders of the Load-stone by Mr. Samuel Ward of Ipswich An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist St. Matthew by Mr. Ward Clows Chyrurgery Marks of Salvation Christians Engagement for the Gospel by John Goodwyn Six several Books by Nich. Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrology 1 The Anatomy of the Body of Man Wherein is
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
the heart prepared in things that are good vers 13. If thou prepare thine heart c. and then vers 15. Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not fear When the heart is prepared for that that is good when it comes into the presence of God it is able to lift up it self without fear in a stedfast comfortable way and this will quit the cost of any labor Secondly If the heart be prepared it will do a great deal in a little time In a Chron. 29. 36. it is said That Hezekiah rejoyced and all the poeple that God had prepared the people for the thing was done suddenly The thing came off freely and suddenly when as that they were prepared Hezekiah rejoyced and blessed God for such a mercy as this was It is a great mercy to have the hearts of people prepared unto a good work And so in 2 Chron. 27. 6. the text saith Jotham became mighty because he prepared his waies before the Lord his God Jotham he grew mighty by this And so certainly the way to grow to be very strong mighty to be able to do a great deal in a little time it is to make preration there may be as much work done in one hour so as in ten times so much time when the heart is not prepared for it In Ezra 7. 10. you shall find that the reason is given why Ezra had such good success in his journey it was because he had prepared his heart Make preparation for holy duties and you shall have success in holy duties There is a notable Scripture for that in Psal 10. 17. where the holy Ghost saith that God prepares the heart And what then when God doth prepare the heart he doth then cause his ear to hear There was never a prayer made wherein the heart was prepared for it but that prayer was heard they go both together Lord thou wilt prepare their heart and thou wilt cause thine ear to hear if God hath once prepared thy heart thou wilt be sure to be heard then Is it not worth a world for to know ones self to be accepted of God in every duty of Worship that we tender up to him this one Scripture Psal 10. 17. will shew it Oh the excellency that there is in preparation to duty There is one thing more that is very observable and that is this Where the heart is prepared to Duties there the Lord will pass by weaknesses and imperfections in duties When thou comest to perform holy duties thou art troubled Will the Lord have regard to such a duty as this is Thou maiest have certain assurance that the Lord will have regard if thou canst make this point good to thine own soul that it was thy care to make preparation for this duty Canst thou say Lord I have endeavored and done what I could to fit my heart for duty but O Lord I find when I am at it wonderful distractions much deadness and vanity What shall I do Why canst thou make good the former and appeal to God that indeed it was thy care to make preparation I 'le give thee one Scripture then for the quieting of thy heart in this That the weakness of the duty shall be pardoned and past by where there is care to prepare beforehand the Scripture is in 2 Chron. 33. 18 19. But Hezekiah prayed for them saying The good Lord pardon every one what every one every one that prepareth his heart to seek the Lord God of his fathers though he be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary As if he should say Oh Lord there are many things amiss in this People they are not in many regards purified according to the order that thou hast set but Lord if thou doest but see any heart prepared to seek thee though they fail in such particulars Lord heal them and pardon them and did God hearken to his prayer Mark the following words And the Lord hearkned to Hezekiah and healed the people Nay saith God I wil not stand so much upon the purification of the Sanctuary if they have prepared their hearts to seek me Take this Scripture know it 's written for thine instruction and thou mayest make use of it to thine own soul this day if thou canst appeal to God that thou art careful to prepare thy heart though thou shouldest not have that pureness of thy heart as thou doest desire the Lord will pardon thee and heal thee make conscience of preparation to holy duties Again further By being careful to make preparation for duties within some little time thou wilt bring the heart to such a frame as it will alwaies be ready for duty without much ado Indeed at first it is somewhat hard You will say Are we bound to spend some time every time we go to prayer beforehand or every time we come to the Word That should have been one of the Cases of Conscience but I cannot come to Answer that but this we may say Be careful to prepare for duties you that are yong beginners or you that have made profession a longer time but yet have not had the weight of this duty upon your spirits now be careful for a while to prepare for every duty of Gods Worship that God calls you to and I say within a little time thou mayest bring thy heart into such a temper as thou mayest be ready at all times to perform holy duties because you shall be able to come to that temper and frame that the Apostle exhorts to Pray continually for indeed so it should be with us we should be alwaies prepared either for Prayer hearing the Word or receiving Sacraments Now because Sacraments are so rare those that have any enlightened conscience they think they dare not but prepare for Sacraments but you should be alwaies in a preparation for the receiving of the Sacraments as the primitive Christians did And those that have been acquainted with this Point that I am upon of preparing for duties they have come to such a frame of spirit as that there is not so much time required of them as of others for they are in a constant fitness so that there is no instant of time in the whol day but if God calls them to prayer they could presently fall down upon their knees and pray so as to Sanctify Gods Name in prayer that were an excellent temper indeed if you could find it so that you walk so spiritually and holily before God as there could be never a quarter of an hour from morning to night nor from the beginning of the week to the end but if you were cal'd to pray or to receive the Sacrament you had your heart fitted that you could come into Gods presence with a prepared heart and were able to sanctify Gods Name in the duty Acquaint your selves with this work of Preparation and so you may have hearts fitted to come into
soul of man than the sight of God and the great reason of the pride of all mens hearts is because they never knew God If thou didest but see God thy heart must needs be abased And when doth the soul see God if not when it comes to worship him In Job 42. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now my eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Now this humility must be in the sense of our own meanness and baseness Ps 34. 6. This poor man cryed to God They are poor souls that come into Gods presence that sanctifie Gods Name most even those souls that do apprehend and are sensible of their own baseness and meanness before God This poor man cried to God we use to say Give that poor man somewhat It doth affect the heart of God when he sees much poverty of spirit when we come before Him we must be sensible of our infinite dependance upon God Come as the woman of Canaan O Lord even dogs do receive crums and though I be a dog yet let me receive crums here is humility of spirit Now this humility of Spirit appears in these things 1. First admiring Gods goodness that we do live at this time and that we have liberty to come before him we might have been past praying and worshiping of God think thus What a mercy is it that we are not banished out of Gods presence that the Lord hath not spurn'd us out of his sight as filth and cast us out as an everlasting abhorring while others have been praying we might have bin yelling under the wrath of the eternal God Come with this apprehension of thy self and adore Gods goodness that thou art alive to pray and alive to hear Gods Word And that it is not only a duty but a rich priviledg and mercy that God will admit of thee to come into His Presence Again it is the goodness of God that He will vouchsafe to look upon the things that are done in Heaven then if the Lord doth humble Himself to behold the things that are done in Heaven then how doth the Lord humble Himself to behold me a poor vile captive as I am in my self and yet that God should not only behold me before Him but invite me to come into His presence What mercy and goodness is this 2. Our hearts must be taken off from the thoughts and apprehensions of all excellencies in our selves we must not come in the pride of our hearts because we have abilities more than others what do all thy parts commend thee to God thou hast ability in expressing of thy self in prayer why do thy parts commend thee to God Whatever is natural in any of our duties is nothing to God only that which is from his own Spirit and therefore thou shouldest come in thine own thoughts as vile as if thou hadst no parts and abilities at all Lay aside all such apprehensions of thy self for the truth is some poor broken hearted sinner that can but sigh out a few groans to God and is not able to speak two or three sentences together in a right language but only breath out his soul to God may be a thousand thousand times more acceptable to God than thou that art able to make great Orations when thou comest before Him 3. Thou must come without any righteousness of thy own thou must never come to Gods presence but as a poor worm and if there be any difference that is made between thee and others in outward respects it is nothing to thee when thou art in the presence of God thou art as a base vile worm though thou beest a Prince or Emperor 4. Thy heart must be taken off from what thou doest If thou hast any abilities of grace yet thy heart must be taken off there there may be pride not only from ones parts but it may be God hath given me enlargements in Prayer the Devil will come in and seek to puff up thy heart even because of this But thy heart must be taken off there and thou must deny thy self in all when thou hast done the best service of all yet thou must conclude thou art an unprofitable servant when thou hast prayed the best yet rise with shame and take heed of having thy heart puft up even through the assistance of the graces of the Spirit of God in holy Duties 5. Lastly Thou must come with a humble resignation of thy self to God to be content to wait upon God as long as he pleases to wait upon God in regard of the time and of the measure and of the manner of the Communication of himself in regard of the means by which he will please to communicate himself wait upon him Let me have mercy though at the last hour This now is an humble heart in Prayer and when we come with such a poverty of spirit as this is we may expect that the Lord will accept of us Give this poor man somewhat will God say This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him In the Seventh place We must bring that which is Gods own in sanctifying Gods Name I spake to this before in the Point of Preparation Viz. That in Gods Worship we must give him his own I will only mention it here in the sanctifying of Gods Name in two regards 1. First To give God His own for the matter of it 2. Secondly To give God His own that is what comes from the work of His own Spirit or else we do not sanctifie Gods Name I will give you one text further about the matter of it in Exod. 39. if you reade the Chapter you shall find that there is ten times said that they did as God had commanded Moses And then in the close of the Chapter when they had done as God had commanded in His Worship the text saith Moses blessed them That people is a blessed people that do observe the Worship of God as God hath commanded them But the main thing is all that we do it must be acted by the Spirit of God it is not enough to have true silver and gold but it must have the rigbt stamp or else it cannot go for current coyn And so it is not enough that the things that we offer to God in His Worship be Gods own be what we have warrant for out of Gods Word but it must have the stamp of the Spirit of God In the Worship of God there be two Questions that He will ask First Who required this at your hands But then if you can answer thus Thou O Lord didst require it It is well But then God hath another Question Whose Image and Superscription is this If thou canst not give an Answer to that it will be rejected too Thou must be acted by Divine Principles in all that thou doest there must be the stamp of the Spirit upon that which is tendered to God else it is nothing To
Angels and Men that I do acknowledg that the Lord is present with me in this duty 4. Fourthly Consider God is an unchangable God immutable That is another Attribute of God He is unchangeable First Therefore our hearts must be taken off from these mutable things and set upon God as that unchangable good Secondly We must be humbled for our fickleness and unconstantness there is no shadow of change in God and there is no shadow of constancy in us Thirdly When we come into the presence of a God who is unchangable then we should look upon God as being the same now that ever He was heretofore He hath as much displeasure against sin now as ever he had and that God that hath done such great things for his Church in former times is the same God to do good to His people as ever he was And make use of this When you reade the Word and there find how God hath made Himself appear to be glorious for His people and now every time I am to worship God I should think that I am to deal with God that is the same that ever he was a merciful and gracious and just and powerful as ever he was and so my heart is to work towards him 5. Fiftly When I am to Worship God I am to look upon Him as the Living God as that God that hath life in Himself and gives life unto his Creatures Then what sutable behavior doth become me I must come before His presence with fear It is a fearful thing to fall into his hands that is the living God that hath my life under his feet He hath the absolute dispose of my present and eternal condition He gave me my life he hath preserved my life and so may take it away when he pleases and bring death eternal death unto me These things may marvelously help your meditation when you are to come before Him you who are barren in your meditations go over the Attributes of God thus and consider what you may be able to draw from thence God He is the living God What behavior then doth beseem me towards this living God Oh let me be afraid lest my soul depart from the living God Let me bring a living Service to Him I must not bring a dead heart let me take heed how I come before the living God with a dead heart and with a dead service to sacrifice that which is dead before it comes it 's like a carrion that lies dead in the ditch Oh let us be humbled for our dead hearts and dead sacrifices it is a living God that I am worshiping and therefore I must pray Lord turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken my heart in thy Law Psal 119. 37. Remember when thou comest to worship that thou come with a quikned heart for thou hast to deal with a living God A man or woman that is of an active spirit cannot endure a dull and heavy servant in the family but the Lord is a pure act and nothing else but act and therefore he doth expect that all his people should have quick active and lively spirits 6 When you come to worship God you are to look upon Him as Almighty And so are First To fear his great Power when you come before Him And Secondly Then you are not to be discouraged by any difficulties I come to seek for some great thing and I come to seek to a great God that hath all Power in Heaven and Earth and infinitely more power than there is in all creatures in Heaven and Earth I am praying to a God that can create peace create help My condition cannot be so desperate but this Infinite Almighty God is able to help me Let me make him the object of my faith as he is so infinitely Almighty What a full object of faith is this God that hath all power in Him Let me therefore come to him as a strong Tower Run to the Name of God as a strong Tower that can help in all straights whatsoever There would be much drawing forth of our Faith if we could present the Lord before us as an infinite Almighty God when we see outward helps and means neer at hand then we can beleeve that we may have some succour from him but when all outward helps and means fail then we are discouraged we do not sanctifie Gods Name but we rather take this Name of God in vain when as our hearts are discouraged with any difficulties now the Lord expects that all his Children that come to worship him should worship him as the Almighty God and so have their hearts working towards him there would be mighty workings of Spirit towards God if we saw him by the eye of Faith as well as Reason 7. Look upon God as an Omniscient God as a God infinitely understanding all things Now what doth this call for First If God be a God of infinite understanding then let not me bring a blind Sacrifice to God then let not me bring an ignorant heart to God this is the excellency of an understanding creature to know the rule and end of its own Actions now thou comest to worship an infinite God of infinite understanding then know the rule of what you do and know the end of what you do and come with understanding in His presence Secondly If He be so understanding come with a free open heart to open whatsoever is in thine heart to God take heed of keeping any secret resolutions in thine own heart God knows thee and can tell how to find thee out God knows all that is in thine heart before all the secret baseness that is in thine heart the Lord doth understand it the Lords eye is a piercing eye He sees thorow and thorow thy heart It 's a vain thing for thee to come and conceal any thing before Him You will say If God understand a mans heart what need he come and confess Yes He requires it as thy duty that thou shouldest come and open all before him In spight of thy heart thou canst not cover any thing from the Lords eyes but the Lord will see whether thou beest willing of thy self that He should understand al God doth not require us to come and confess our sins that so he might know that which he knew not before but for this end That there might be a testimony that thou art willing that he should know all that is in thy heart therefore now when thou comest to worship him ransack every corner of thy heart and confess all before the Lord and give glory to his Name as that God that is an All-seeing God that knows all the windings and turnings of thy heart Now meditate of these things that be presented to thee and it will be a mighty means to help thee to sanctifie his Name 8. God is a God of infinite Wisdom therefore when we come to worship God let us be ashamed of our folly When thou comest
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
abominable thoughts rising from the stream and corruption of their hearts such thoughts as their hearts do close withal in prayer and they can roll those thoughts about in their minds as a Child will roll a piece of Sugar in its mouth and this is the wickedness of manie men and womens hearts Take but this one Note with you That all those dreadful vile unclean covetous thoughts of thine in Prayer they have been to God as if you had spoken them in words thoughts to God are all one with him as words are to men for God is a Spirit and the Spirit doth converse with God in thoughts as well as men do converse with men in words and what a woful guiltines would have been upon you had you spoken such vile and wicked things to men as somtimes hath been in your minds even when you have been praying to God how would the company have even spit in your faces and kick'd you from them none that have any face of godliness would have endured you in their company and yet here 's the evil of it your hearts are not troubled but you rise off your knees and away you go thou hast a cauterised conscience a seared conscience that canst entertain such vile thoughts at any time without having thy spirit afflicted and going away with shame and confusion as if the greatest evil had befallen thee therefore take heed of this SERMON XIV Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE are first to sanctifie Gods Name in regard of the matters of our Prayers And secondly in regard of the manner For the first we made an end of it the last day and came unto the manner and there where two things mentioned First That we must pray with understandining Secondly we must give up our selves to Prayer Now in the close of the exercise we had occasion to fall upon that Argument about the wandering of our thoughts in Prayer and by that we come to take Gods name in vain instead of sanctifying of His Name God expects that we should have our thoughts and wills and affection our whol souls acting upon him in the duty of prayer or els we do not pray to God as unto a God vain thoughts in Prayer doe pick up the Sacrifice like the brids that Abraham drove away from the Sacrifice that they should not pick it Wicked lusts in mens hearts are like swine to take the meat and al to hale it in the dirt so their Prayers are filthy and durty with their lusts but those that are otherwise Godly yet by their vaine thoughts the beauty and excellency of there prayers is taken away as Wine and Beer that have the spirits of them gone so the life and spirit of our duties are gone by our vain thoughts and therefore vain thoughts do dead the heart very much So saith David in the 119. Psal Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in thy Law while our eyes look upon vanity there will be no quickness in our hearts in any service that we tender up to God now many of Gods people have experience of the evil of this and they groan under the burden of this as I said the last time if so be that the Lord should speak from Heaven to them and ask them what he should have they having already the asurance of his love in Christ they would ask the deliverance from a vain spirit in the performance of 〈◊〉 Duties Bring no vain Oblation saith God in Isa 1. 13. Oh what vain Oblation do we bring by the vanity of our thoughts in prayer 'T is true the best of us al will have vain thoughts somtimes but yet as one compares the vain thoughts of men in paryer like to a Spaniel that goes out with a man he walkes perhaps but half a mile but the Spaniel will be runing up and down this way and that way and if all the space of ground which the Spaniel hath gone over should me measured it may be while you are walking half a mile the Spaniel fetching compasses here and there would be halfe a dozen miles so our fances are like a Spaniel which will have fetches about this way and that way in a thousand vain thoughts but thus now it is with a godly man as a Spaniel though running from his master yet if he give him a call he is able to call him to him presently and it were well if it were so with us though our fances be wild yet if we were able to call in our fances and to have them at command it were well with us And I find very much that those that are new comers they complane much of the vanity of their thoughts they were wount to pray before and they never had such vane thoughts as now they have the reason why there is so much vanity of thoughts or at least so much taken notice of It is first because there is but a little grace in the midst of a great deal of corruption in yong converts like a spark of fire in the midst of a great deal of ashes now if there lies a heap of ashes and nothing else you do not stir them but if there be ashes and some fire then you will stir them and be blowing those sparks to kindle another fire by Now when you come to make any motion then the ashes wil flie about wheras before they lay still So it is here before God wrought upon thy heart there was nothing else but ashes upon thy soul and then they lay still but now God hath kindled some sparks of grace in thy heart and God is blowing them up to a greater heat and is bringing of them to a flame upon this motion that is in thy heart and the stirring to kindle those sparks further in thy heart it is that the ashes of thy corruption do as it were flie about thine ears and that there is such stirrings of corruption more than there was before 't is not because there is more corruption than there was formerly but before there being nothing else but corruption it lay still and now because there is something else therefore it is that corruption doth so stir and besides you know a man that was wont to keep lewd company if God turn him that he will keep that company no more at first he shall be more troubled with them than he was before and they will keep oftener knocking at his door and laboring to get him to them again so 't is here when the soul vanity and lusts were as friends together there was no disturbance and taking notice of any thing then but now when the soul is casting out those sinful distempers and will have no more of them they for the present will be more importunate active and stirring than they were before And besides the Lord doth this to humble thy heart the more that thereby thou mayest come to see the great
What fear we must have in Gods worship 78 In fear natural conscience puts on to duty 89 Fervency Fervency required in prayer 225 Fire Fire from heaven Two-sold 2 Fire that slew Aarons sons what 3 Strange fire what 19 Folly To be ashamed of our folly when we come to God 99 Follow The soul is to follow after God as a God 65 Free see Grace Friend see Word Friends who are the best Page 25 G Gesture Gesture in the Sacrament not meerly indifferent 262 Guilty see Blood Guilty consciences flee the worship of God why 31 Guilt to be removed when we come to pray 274 God Duties must be performed to God as a God 23 The word to be heard as the word of God 166 We are reconciled by the blood of that person that is God 268 Good Good heart what 187 The word will be made good on the abusers of it 207 We are to pray for our own good 277 Gospel Gospel the tenour of it 257 Glory Glory of God dear to him 7 Glory of God dearer to him than the lives of men 22 Glory of God is the lustre of all his Attributes together 102 The active Glory of God is the especial honor he hath 105 Glory of God in his Word the greatest 182 Why God will be glorified in them that hear the word 209 Those that will obey the word will be the glory of the Ministers 214 We should have apprehensions of Gods glory in prayer 275 The glory of God is the chief thing we should pray for 176 Spiritual things neerest the glory of God Page 277 Grace Grace to be acted especially in Gods worship 29 Grace the freeness of it should make us more diligent in the worship of God 34 Graces encreased by drawing nigh to God 35 Graces to be acted and stirred up in the Sacrament 271 We must act our own graces in prayer together with the Spirit 291 See Covenant Great A people are great that have God nigh them 40 we should prepare to Gods worship because he is great 43 The duties of Gods worship are great 44 How to sanctifie Gods Name in respect of his greatness 67 Great things to be expected from God 100 We must hear the word with attention because of the greatness of him that sends it 172 We must be attentive because the matters delivered are great 173 H Habitual Habitual sanctification 68 Harden Nothing doth harden the heart more than the word by accident 205 Hand Faith is a hand to take Christ in the Sacrament 253 The Cup in the Sacrament not to be delivered into every particular hand 246 Heart Our hearts naturally prepared for duty Page 46 The heart in preparation to be taken from every sinful way 49 As the heart is so are the duties 70 The heart is not changed by the acting of natural parts 87 Good heart what 187 The Word of the Law not in the heart 211 A broken heart required in-receiving the Sacrament 246 Hearing Of sanctifying Gods Name in hearing the Word 161 Hearing the Word a part of Gods worship 162 How to know that God hears our prayers 294 Heathen Heathens attend to worship their Idols 46 Heaven Being oft in Gods presence minds us of Heaven 36 The Worship of God here the beginning of that in Heaven 106 Hide We must hide the Word in our hearts 189 Highest What we lift highest in our worship that is our God 74 See Thoughts Ends. Hindrance Hindrances in Gods Worship many 46 Holy Holiness Holiness the greatest Honor of Gods Name 23 Holiness of God to be held forth by his servants 24 Drawing nigh to God makes us holy 36 Time and place said to be holy how 50 God infinite holy 99 Those that receive the Lords Supper must be holy 232 Honest We must receive the Word into honest hearts Page 186 Honest heart what 188 Honest amongst men who 189 Honor To quiet the heart in affliction is to know that God will have honor by it 25 Humble Humbled Humility Humility of spirit requisite in the Worship of God 84 To be humbled for not sanctifying the Name of God aright Humiliation in preparing to hear the Word 168 Wandring thoughts in prayer suffered by God to humble us 285 Humility required in our prayers 295 See Worship Hungring There must be hungring after Christ in the Sacrament 251 I Incense Incense what it signifieth 91 Incomprehensible Incomprehensibleness of God what it should teach us in our Worship 95 Infinite There is an impression of Gods infinitness upon the duties of his servants 64 Infirmities Infirmities of others to be passed by of those that receive the Sacrament 258 Infirmities how helped by the spirit 290 Institution Institution of the Sacrament to be kept close to 261 Intention Strength of intention required in the Worship of God 81 Joy The mercy of God should make us come to him with joy Page 100 The word to be received with joy 184 Difference in the joy of hypocrites and true Christians 186 Spiritual joy required in receiving the Sacrament 255 A broken spirit may consist with spiritual joy ibid Judg Judgment Sinners may meet with judgments never threatned in the word 16 God is quick with some in the way of his judgments 17 Judgments many times sutable to the sias 18 Gods judgments many times invisible 21 The Word of God shall judg those that abuse it 207 Justice Justice of God seen in the death of Christ 268 K Knowledg Knowledg required in receiving the Lords Supper 244 Knowledg in other points necessary to them that receive the Sacrament 245 Knowledg actual required in receivers 246 L Leaven Leaven how cast out by the Jews 249 Life Living Gods goodness in sparing our lives to worship him 84 That God is a living God what it should teach us 96 The things delivered in the Word concern our lives 174 Beleevers nourished to eternal life 269 Limited The duties of Gods Children not limited Page 65 Little In matters of Worship God stands upon little things 11 Lose The ground why we lose so many prayers 296 Love Natural conscience makes not the heart love a duty 88 The Word must be received with love 184 The Sacrament ordained by Christ out of love 228 Love to be renewed in the receiving the Sacrament 258 The infinite love of God seen in the death of Christ 269 Lust The Worship of God not to be subjected to our lusts 72 Who they be that subject it to their lusts M Man The Mediator between God and Man is Man 276 Mean Mean men not to envy great ones and why 13 Mediator The way of a mans salvation is by a Mediator 267 Meditation Meditation in preparing the heart to holy duties 49 Meditations in the receiving the Sacrament 297 Meekness The word must be received with meekness 179 Mercy Merciful God is merciful 100 Mercy of God should teach us to be merciful to others Page 101 The duties of Worship the way to convey Gods choyce mercies 105 The
Sitting Sitting at the Sacrament the fittest gesture 263 Soul The price of the salvation of a Soul 269 Spirit Spiritual We must be acted by the spirit in our worship Page 87 God must be worshiped in spirit 93 Spiritual things may be absolutely prayed for 177 How to know when the spirit helps our prayers 291 See Glory Sweet Strange see Fire Strength Strength required in Gods Worship 80 Strength required to spend the Sabbath 83 Natural conscience gives not strength to duty 88 We must not come to duties in our own strength 115 Strugling Strugling alone against corruption oft times ensnares us 61 Subjection Subjection required in bearing the Word 182 Sufferings The sufferings of Christ chiefly represented in the Sacrament 246 Ground of suffering for Christ 268 Superstition Superstition what 9 Sutable see Judgment Sweet Breathings of the spirit sweet 292 T Table Those that come to the Sacrament should come neer the Table 261 Tares Tares what ment by them 238 Temptation Time of temptation the time of worship 81 We must hide the Word in our hearts against temptation 191 Terrible see Place Thankfulness Thankfulness required in receiving the Sacrament Page 255 Motives to thankfulness 256 Time Preparation makes us do much in a little time 52 See Holy Thorns Thorns must be plucked out of the heart when we hear the Word 169 Thoughts In the worshiping of God we must have high thoughts of God 71 Wicked men have many times wicked thoughts in prayer 282 Thoughts are to God as words are to men ibid See Wandring Tremble We should tremble at the hearing of the Word 181 Truth We must pray in truth 292 Truth what meant by it ibid V Vain Where wicked men are willingly admitted to the Sacrament Gods Name is taken in vain 241 Unchangable God is unchangable 96 Understanding We must pray with understanding 280 Uncertainty The righteousness of the Law leaves at uncertainty 212 W Wait We must wait Gods leisure in regard of time 86 Ground of waiting from Gods eternity 95 Wandring Wandring thoughts in prayer Page 281 Directions against wandring thoughts in prayer 286 All wandring thoughts in prayer sinful 288 See Birds Humble Devil Warrant see Command Watching Watching required in preparation to duty 50 Weakness God passes by weakness where the heart is prepared to duty 53 Weary A man that makes himself his end will be weary of duty 76 Wicked Wicked men are to be cast out or withdrawn from in the Sacrament 235 Every man in the Congregation to look to the casting out of wicked men 241 Ground of excluding wicked men 258 Will Willing We must be willing not will worshipers 10 Things in Gods Worship depend only upon his Will 11 God requires that we will as he willeth 104 Our prayers must be according to Gods Will 276 Wisdom Wisdom of God what to learn from it 99 Wisdom of God to be our guide ibid Womb Those that sanctifie Gods Name in hearing the Word it is a greater blessing than to bear him in their Womb 213 Word To comfort afflicted friends from Gods Word 24 The heart must be plowed by the Word 196 The Word must be glorified 194 Word what should make us esteâ—m â—t Page 186 The Word hath much of God in it 195 The Word a means to convey spectal mercies ibid The Word wherein the strength of it liâ—s 202 All the good in the Word for whom 210 The Devil 〈◊〉 advantage by fastning ill Words upon thâ— good 244 The Word in what respect above the Sacrament 251 The Word sanct fiâ—d by Prayer 273 Worship Difference between civil things and Gods Worship 9 Natural helps in Gods Worship ib. We should be humbled for false Worship 11 Worship of God what Page 27 Worship of God the means to convey hâ—â— choyce mercies 28 To heâ—d what we do in Worship 32 Exhortation to be much in the Worship of God 34 Heaâ—ing the Word a part of Gods Worship 162 〈◊〉 makes hearing the Word a Worship 163 Prayer put for the whâ—â— Worship of God 173 See Comman Liâ—d c. World In preparation the heart must be taken from the World 49 In prayer the heart must be taken from the world 275 Wrath Preachers that 〈◊〉 Gods wrath should conceal their own 19 FINIS COLE Stepney Novemb. 16. 1645 Stepney Dec. 21. 1645. Stepney Jan. 4. 1645. Stepney Jan. 11. 1645.
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
carrying forth the filthiness out of our hearts so as to be fit for a duty And in Job 11. 13 14. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand towards him What then If iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles These Two must be together 3. A Third thing is this The preparation of the heart it is The dis-intangling of the heart from the world and from all occasions and businesses in the world I am to worship God but how is my heart insnared and intangled in this and the othere business Now when I come to worship God I must lay aside all for there 's the preparation of the heart the separating of it for such a work for that 's the nature of Sanctification the separating of a thing from a common use I am to worship God now I must labor to separate my heart from a common use At other times God gives me liberty to let out my heart to common uses but now when I come to worship him I must separate my heart from all common uses that my heart may be wholly for God I remember it is said in the story of Cicil which was Lord Treasurer that when he went to read he would lay his gown off and say Lie there Lord Cicil So when we go to duty we should say Lie by world and by laying aside the world I mean laying aside of all houshold affairs or affairs in trading c. I must be as one that hath nothing to do in the world for that time It is true the time cannot be said to be holy for this as the time of the Sabbath day is holy You will say Why may not any time be said to be holy that I spend in holy duties No that is not enough to make time holy for the time that God makes holy it is not holy because of the duties that I perform in it but the duties that I perform then are more acceptable because they are done in such a time and so that makes a place holy not because it is appointed for holy duties and uses but because it is so appointed by God and the performing a duty in that place is more acceptable to God than in another place But now though we cannot make our time holy in that second sense yet in the first it is time set apart for a holy use and in that regard it is holy and so we should look upon it as not to have our outward business to devour that time that is holy in that regard as Nehemiah When Tobiah and Sanballat sent to him to come and confer with them No saith he I cannot go for the work is great that I have to do So we must not intangle our selves to meddle with other things when we are to come to worship God for our work is great The Fourth thing for preparation is To Watch and to Pray We should watch over our hearts lest they be made unfit for duties So we should prepare for Prayer all day long in this sense that is we should watch over our hearts that they be not let out so far as to hinder us in prayer when we come to do it I remember that Tertullian saith That the Christians did so sup as if they were to pray So when thou art in company thou shouldest watch unto prayer Oh that you did so you cannot but be conscious to your selves that oftentimes when you have bin in company your hearts have been put out of tune and frame that you have been no way fit for prayer when you come home your house and family finds it so You that take such delight in company and sitting up late I appeal to your consciences whether you can come home and find your selves fit either in your family or closet to go and open you hearts to God This is one Note by the way wherby you may come to know whether you have been immoderate in company at any time God gives not men liberty to be busie in any outward occasions so as to unfit them for his Service Preparation consists in that in watching over your hearts that you may not be unfitted for any holy duty when God calls you to it but that you may be ready even to every good work The Fifth Note is this Preparation consists in the readiness of the faculties of the Soul and the Graces of the Spirit of God ' presently to act upon the setting upon an holy Duty When a man or woman shall find the faculties of their soul and the graces that are in them to be ready to act assoon as ever they fall upon duty Just as you see a company of Ringers when they have made all preparation for the raising of the Bells then in an instant when thy begin to pul all the Bels go in that tune that according to their skil they set them in And so it should be with our hearts the faculties of our souls and graces though now we are not upon duty yet we should be so ready that as it were upon a pul all the faculties of our souls and the graces of Gods Spirit should work in a melodious way There are those that keep their hearts so prepared as at the very first moment that they set about the duty of Worship all faculties and graces begin to act and stir and are working towards God As a fire when all the matter is ready laid presently it comes to be kindled and flame out and thus it should be with our hearts So that now you see wherein preparation of our hearts to Duty consists The next thing is The Excellency of this Preparation and that may be in way of Application to you to make you to be in love with preparation for holy duties There is abundance of good in it As First By this means we come to make every Duty of Worship easie to us Things are difficult when we come upon them unprepared If you have a friend come to dinner or supper to you and should come suddenly and you have nothing prepared there would be a great deal of stir in the house but if you have every thing prepared it would be carried on in an easie way And the reason why people complain so much of difficulty in duty it is because their hearts are not prepared Indeed we have naturally many things that keep us off from God but when the heart is prepared for a holy duty it goes off as easie to God even into the infinite Ocean of all mercy and goodness as a Ship goes off to be lancht when you have made preparation for it so the heart can go with an holy holdness to God when you have made preparation for holy duties In Job 11. the place which I quoted before for the work of preparation do but consider a verse or two further and you shall find what abundance of good there comes upon the keeping of
Gods presence at any time SERMON III Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE proceed now to what remains There are only for the perfecting of this Point two Cases of Conscience to be resolved And then we are to proceed to other things The First is Whether we ought at all times to set apart some time for Preparation to every duty of Gods Worship Secondly Suppose we do not find our hearts prepared as we do desire Whether it were better to leave off the duty than perform it For the First of these Viz. Whether we are alwaies bound to set some time apart for preparation to the duty that we are to perform The answer to that is this we must distinguish of persons There are some that are exercised in the way of godliness and do keep their hearts close with God in the waies of holiness now for them it may be supposed that through their exercise in the waies of Godliness and keeping of their hearts constant with God in communion with him walking with God closely that they are at all times prepared to every good work and fitted to fulfil that command of the Apostle Pray continually that is in the disposition of their hearts they are fit to pray at any time there is no day in the week nor no hour in the day but they if God call them to it could fall down to solemn Prayer And indeed this is an excellent condition and a good evidence of the hearts walking close with God that there is no time but they are fit to pray and fit for any Ordinance yea to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper It is possible to keep the heart so close to God as to be fit for Prayer and for the hearing of the Word and for receiving the Sacrament every day or any hour in the day but this needs a very close walking with God and communion with God and the truth is this is very rare most men let out their hearts so much to other things as their consciences cannot but tell them that if God call them to Prayer at such a time in the day they are altogether unfit for it If they were called to receive the Sacrament their consciences would accuse them and tell them they are unfit for it but it is not so with those that walk close with God though they be in the world You wil say If a man have business in the world how can this be Yes Though they have business in the world yet they carry the heavenliness of their hearts along with them Our Conversation is in Heaven saith the Apostle Phil. 3. Now the word that is translated Our Conversation it is a word that signifies Our City Converse our trading is in Heaven when we go to the City or Exchange or about any business yet our trading is alwaies in Heaven But now there are other sorts of people that had need at all times to look to their hearts in way of preparation As First Those that first set upon the duties of Religion yong beginners that begin at first to set their faces towards Heaven to worship God they had need look to their hearts they should spend some time in Preparation when they come to holy Duties and the truth is When the conscience of a man or woman is at first enlightned and awakened they will be very careful in preparing to holy duties the fear of God it is mighty upon their spirits at first and it should not be less afterward the constancy of Gods fear should bring their hearts to such a holy temper as to make them fit for holy duties alwaies Secondly Those men and women that any time shall sin against conscience shall commit such sins as shall in a kind even lay wast conscience shall break their peace between God and their souls they had need spend some time in preparation for holy duties they cannot come into the presence of God to enjoy communion with God but they had need beforehand be very serious in the examination of their hearts and to endeavor the working of their hearts into mourning for their sin and to labor to possess their souls with the presence of God even before they come These two sorts of people such as have not been acquainted with the waies of Godliness or such as have broken their peace with God by some evil carriage of theirs towards God in some vile way I say it is requied of them to be more solemn in the Work of Preparation 2. But now for the Second Case which indeed is the main Suppose when we come to duties and begin to examine our hearts and begin to bethink our selves whether we be prepared yea or no to holy duties and we do not find our hearts prepared according to that that we do desire Whether then we may let the duty go for that time and forbear the performance of it as suppose Prayer or receiving the Sacrament or coming to the Word or any other holy Duty And the reason of this doubt is Because when any man or woman is consciencious they think with themselves that they must Sanctifie Gods Name in Holy Duties now if they cannot find their hearts in a fit disposition to sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties they are ready to think thus Were it not better to neglect this duty and lay it aside for the present Will God accept of a duty when I perform it and am not set for it Therefore for the Answer to this because it is a temptation that sometimes carnal hearts have and they are ready to take this temptation and willing to neglect the duty upon such a thoughts as this that they are not prepared And the truth is they are more glad to let the duty fall than they are sorry for want of the preparation of their hearts for the duty I beseech you consider of this whether you have not found it so that sometimes when you have not been fit to perform a holy duty there hath not been a more secret willingness of the heart to let the duty go than a sorrow of the heart because you are not fit for the duty This is a very evil sign that the heart is very much distempered Those that are godly indeed when they find not their hearts prepar'd for the duty it is the trouble of their souls it is that which goes neer their hearts when they think with themselves that they are now like to lose a duty of the Worship of God they are now like to lose their communion with God in a holy duty they even look upon themselves in an evil case in regard of this and it makes them watchful for time to come to take heed of those things that have put them in such an unpreparation as they find their hearts to be in at this time Now if it be so with thee it is a good sign that thy heart may be upright with God
that Solomon when he was preparing for the Temple he would build a great Temple why Because God was a great God that he would build it too So that the Worship of God must be some great thing because the Lord is a great God and it must be sutable to his greatness Now if you ask me in what particulars doth the behavior of the soul consist that is very sutable to the greatness of God in the general There are many things in this The first is You must be careful to bring a sanctified heart You cannot tender up a worship sutable to his greatness except you bring a sanctified heart with you there must be holiness in the heart Under the Law you know if any one came to offer a sacrifice in his uncleanness he must be cut off and so it must be here we must look to it that we offer not to God in our uncleanness Wash you and make you clean in Isa 1. and then Come let us reason together There is no coming to God without washing and making clean in Psal 93. 5. Holiness becometh thy House O Lord for ever Holiness becometh the presence of God for ever we must look to get a sanctified heart Sanctification consists in those two parts Mortification and Vivification there must be a mortifying of the lusts of the heart We reade in the Law that every Sacrifice was to be salted with salt that did signifie the mortification of our hearts when we come to offer up our selves as a Sacrifice to God the salt did eat out the raw humors and kept the flesh from putrifying so doth the grace of God in mortifying our lusts In Heb. 9. 14. you have a notable Scripture for the clensing of our hearts when we come to offer any service to God How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God So that you cannot serve the living God until your consciences be purged from dead works And how comes your consciences to be purged from dead works It is through the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God he must purge your consciences So that here 's the way of sanctifying Gods Name by applying of Jesus Christ who was offered to God without spot that our consciences might be purged from dead works that we might be purged from that natural filthiness and uncleannness in which we all were for the whol world doth lie in filth as a carrion doth lie in his slime Now if we would worship God so as to Sanctifie him we must apply Christ to our souls and get our conscience purged from dead works and to have the Spirit of Christ in us to quicken up our hearts in the waies of holiness to have the Image of Jesus Christ in us whereby we may be holy according to our proportion even as he himself is holy this is the sanctifying of the heart There must be an habitual sanctification and actual sanctification of the heart An Habitual that is that the heart must be changed through the work of Regeneration there must be a Regeneration in the heart there must be Divine Principles of the Graces of the Spirit of God in the heart But you will say May not an unregenerate man Pray To that I answer It is true it is his duty to pray Powr forth thy wrath upon the Heathen and upon the families that call not upon thy Name But it 's as true that they cannot sanctifie Gods Name in doing of it But if we would sanctifie Gods Name in it there must be an Habitual holiness in the heart for every thing doth act according to its Principles in Nature it is so and so doth the heart when it comes to worship God it doth act according to the Principles that it hath And then there must not only be Habitual sanctification but Actual sanctification likewise as in Exod. 19. 10 11. there you see what ado there was to fit them for the hearing of the Law because God was to come among them God is to come among us and we are to come to God when we are to perform holy duties therefore it is not enough to have Grace but there must be an improving of Grace there must be an acting of Grace not only when you come to receive the Sacrament to think that then there must be an acting of Grace but every time you pray and hear there must be an acting of Grace A purging out of your corruptions and an acting of Grace So that one cannot sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties unless he come thus far to be able to say Lord thou that knowest all things knowest there is nothing that thou doest reveal to be contrary to thy Will but my heart is against it that 's the least thou canst not have any peace of conscience in drawing nigh to God until thou come thus far to have thy heart to work thus against sin and to be set upon every good that God reveals to be his mind You know when a man of quality comes to your house what a deal of stir there is not only in sweeping but in making all things as clean and tite and shining as possible can be Thus it should be when thou comest to God And the Reason why there must be this sanctifying of the heart is First Because the Lord doth first accept of the Person before he doth accept of the action Men indeed do accept of the persons of men because they do good actions but God accepts of the actions of men because thesr persons are good If indeed we see a man do good then we love him and accept of the person of the man but God first will accept of the person before the action As the Lord accepted of Abel first and then he accepted his offering So you must look to that to have your persons first accepted of God before any duty can be accepted You think though you be wicked and sinful yet if you amend your life God will accept of you you go that way to work but certainly that is the wrong way you must first look after means of acceptation of your persons which is through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and through the sanctification of his Spirit whereby you come to have his Image and Life and so are accepted and then all that proceeds from you comes to be accepted There is not any action which comes from you that comes to be accepted to eternal life until your persons be accepted before God and therefore there must be a sanctifying of the heart before there can be a sanctifying the Name of God in the duties of his Worship Therefore when you come to perform any duties of Gods Worship you should consider this Is my heart Sanctified I must sanctifie Gods Name and how can I do that except my heart be sanctified
Secondly Our hearts must be sanctified because the Lord doth look more to the principle from whence a thing comes than at the the thing it self As indeed were our hearts right as they should then all the good things that come to us we would not so much regard what the things are that we do enjoy from God as what the principle is from whence they come that is Whether what we do enjoy from God is from the love of God in Jesus Christ or no Whether it it be from the general Bounty and Patience of God or from the special love of God in Jesus Christ Our hearts would regard that most if we were spiritual now then look as a godly man is not satisfied with enjoying any good thing from God except he knows it comes from a principle of love to him in Jesus Christ So God is not pleased with any thing that comes from us except he knows that it comes from a principle of Love Grace and Holiness in our hearts Thirdly According as the heart is so will the service be Certainly if the heart be unclean the duty will be unclean perhaps the words may be fine and brave but if there be an unclean heart the duty will be unclean As it is with a man that hath the Plague suppose he makes a brave Oration yet his breath is infectious so it is in our services with God If so be that our hearts within us have the plague then certainly the breath that comes from us all our duties will be unclean and therefore that is the first thing that we are to look for in the sanctifying Gods Name in holy duties Look to have thy heart sanctified and consider from what principle it comes 't is for want of this that thousands of our duties are cast aside and God never doth regard them But this is the first Particular there are many more to speak of SERMON V. Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE proceed The next thing therefore for the behavior of the soul in the sanctifying Gods Name in Worship is this When we come to Worship God if we would sanctifie Gods Name we must have high thoughts of God we must look upon God as he is upon his Throne in Majesty and in Glory as in Isa 9. 1 2. you shall find that the Prophet saw the Lord upon his Throne It is an excellent thing when all who come to worship God every time they come to worship Him have their eyes darted up to Heaven and behold the Lord God sitting in his Glory upon his Throne So you shall find in Rev. 4. the 24. Elders that worshiped God they saw him upon his Throne in his Glory and so they worshiped him they worshiped God to purpose indeed when they saw the Lord in that Majesty as he was We should at all times have high thoughts of God take heed of having low thoughts and apprehensions of the infinite Majesty of God at any time but especially when thou art to worship the great God then look upon the Lord in that infinite distance that there is between him and thy self yea that infinit distance that there is between him and all creatures in the world look upon the Lord as lifted up in glory not only above all creatures but above all excellencies that all Angels and Men in Heaven and Earth are able to imagine Look upon the Lord as having all Excellencies in Himself joyned in one and that immutably look upon him as the Fountain of all excellency good and glory that all creatures in the world have and look upon the Lord every time thou comest to worship him as that God whom Angels do adore and before whom the Devils are forc'd to tremble behold him in this his Glory and this will help thee to sanctifie his Name when thou comest to him The great Reason why people come and worship God in a slight way it is because that they do not see God in his glory 't is a great Mercy for God to give unto us a sight of himself a sight of his glory here in this world while we are worshiping of him this would keep our eyes and our thoughts from wandring if we had a sight of the glory of God and had high thoughts of God What 's the reason why we wander so as we do but meerly because we see not God As now suppose you were in your house and looking after every feather that were flying up and down if you should hear that the King were come into the room or any great Person it would compose your spirits because you have high thoughts of such as of those that are above you So let us look upon God as in his excellency and His glory and have high thoughts of him and this is that whereby we are to sanctifie Gods Name when we come before Him in holy duties And that 's the second thing First a sanctified heart and then high thoughts of God 3. A third thing is High-ends Raised-ends in the worshiping of God Prov. 15. 24. The way of life is above to the wise It is on high in this respect when he worships God his heart is lifted up on high there is a holy raising of the heart which is well pleasing to God Our hearts should be on high in regard of the high ends that we aim at in holy duties Lift up thy prayer saith Hezekiah to the Prophet in another case so I may say Lift up thy soul when thou comest to worship God in regard of the high ends that thou aimest at when we are worshiping God we should have our hearts above all creatures and above our selves Let not our hearts then be groveling upon the ground mingled with base and drossie things when we come to worship the Lord Indeed it is fit that we should have our hearts low as we shall shew hereafter in regard of humility but not low in regard of any baseness of spirit to mix with any base and low ends Now there are low and base ends in worshiping of God As First We must take heed we do not subject the Worship of God unto our Lusts that is a cursed thing thou art far from sanctifying Gods Name in worshiping of Him that shalt subject His Worship to thy base lusts this is an abominable and a cursed thing indeed You will say Who doth thus who is the man or where is he that will do this subject the Worship of God to his base lusts To that I answer Whosoever doth make use of any duty of Worship as Prayer Hearing the Word or what ever it be to cloak any kind of wickedness whosoever is conscious to himself of any kind of secret wickedness and yet shall think to cover it by the performance of duties and shall reason in this manner Who will think me to be guilty of such a vile thing when I pray so as I do and am so careful to hear
open this Point fully will ask some time First Therefore I will shew you how we may know when our duties are acted by our natural parts rather than by the Spirit of God Secondly How we may know whether our duties be acted by natural Conscience rather than by the Spirit of God 1. First If thou art acted by natural parts they will not change thy heart Men that do perform duties by the strength of natural parts they may be as large as others and speak to the edification of others but those duties do never change their hearts now if thou beest acted by the Spirit of God thou wilt be changed into the very Image of his Spirit 2. Secondly If men are acted by Natural parts they will not carry them through difficulties and discouragements but now the Spirit of God if thou hast acted by him though thou doest meet with never such difficulties and discouragements thou wilt be carried through them all 3. Thou maiest know it by this wherein dost thou account the excellency of a duty to consist either in thy self or others Thou performest a duty now it may be thy parts do act very lively and to thy credit and yet thy conscience tells thee that thy heart was straightened Now canst thou rise up with joy because thou hast thy ends At another time perhaps thy heart is more troubled and broken But thou doest not express thy self so much then thou art discouraged And when thou seest another perform a duty if thou seest but any failing in their expressions thou pitchest upon that and lookest upon it as a poor thing thou art not able to see an excellency in holy duties except there be an excellency of natural parts but those that have the Spirit of God they can find the Spirit of God acting in others though they have not such natural parts 4. Those that are acted by their natural parts in secret they are less enlarged than they are before others a great deal Their parts act much before others But what is there between God and their own souls 5. They that be so acted will not be very constant you shall have yong ones that begin to look towards Religion their parts are a little fresh and they are mightily enlarged in holy duties and the thing is good for them to make use of their parts but how ordinary it is that after a few yeers they are deader and duller than they were before and have less mind to the duties of Gods Worship than they had formerly Were this the Spirit of God you would find as much savour and relish in them afterwards as there was at that time Secondly For natural Consciences which sometimes puts men upon acting of duties and indeed is better than meerly natural parts 1. If it be only natural Conscience it puts upon duties but gives no strength to do them but when the Spirit of God puts thee upon a duty it gives thee some strength to perform it some strength whereby thou gettest some Communion with God 2. If it be natural Conscience it puts upon the duty but makes not the heart glad of the duty and to love the duty but if it be the Spirit of God it makes thee to delight in it and to love it 3. If it be natural Conscience thou doest not by that encrease thy communion with God thou doest thy duties as in a round but now when the Spirit of God puts thee upon holy duties it is not a task done but thou findest more and more encrease in communion with God thy heart more raised to God and more closing with the Lord and so still more and more in the course of thy life I had a little converse with God at first when God began to acquaint my soul with His Waies but through His mercy now I find more communion with Him and so thou 〈◊〉 bless thy self in God in that converse that thou hast in communion with Him thou wouldst not lose that Communion thou hast with God in holy duties for all the world others have their companions that they have their communion withal much good may do them but the Lord hath shewen me another manner of communion which my soul can have with himself in which it hath sweet satisfaction And thus you have had Seven Particulars for the Sanctifying of the Name of God in Holy Duties SERMON VI. Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me 4. AGain As Natural Conscience doth give no strength to do the duty so it makes not the duty to be strong to the soul that is thus Thre's no strength got by the duty they are not by one duty prepared for another But the way of the Lord is strength to the upright that is when a gracious heart is in the way of Gods Worship it finds the very duty of the Worship of God to be strength to it and so it fits it for another Duty 5. Further A Natural Conscience limits its self and is bounded that is so much as will serve the turn for its own peace and quiet so much it will do and no more But when one is acted by the Spirit of God one is enlarged without any limits at all not bounded to ones own peace for the more peace a gracious heart hath in duty the more it is enlarged in duty Now a Natural Conscience that puts to duty and will act you when you want peace when you are in trouble and fear but when you are not in trouble and fear then it puts not on the heart to performance of duty but the Spirit of God puts on the Soul to Duty when there is most peace and comfort 6. A little will serve the turn to satisfie natural conscience so be it they perform the duty it is enough but one that is acted by the Spirit of God in duty must meet with much of God or else he is not satisfied he goes mourning in the day time if he hath not met with much of God in the morning in the performance of duty Thus you see there is much difference between the acting of Natural parts and conscience in duty and the acting of the Spirit of God There be only now Two things more for the Sanctifying of Gods Name in Duty and then we are to come to shew how we should sanctifie Gods Name in Duty in reference to the several Attributes of God But First for those Two Heads Further 7. The Seventh thing is this When you come to perform holy duties if you would sanctifie Gods Name you must consecrate your selves to God there must be a resignation of Soul and Body Estate Liberty Name and all you are have or can do unto God This is to sanctifie Gods Name the consecration of your selves unto God And the professing of this is the performance of duty when you are to pray were a very good thing actually to profess your selves to be Gods to profess that you do
give up all that you are have or can do to God Lord I am thy servant take all Faculties of Soul and Members of Body improve all lay out all to thine own praise to the uttermost to bring glory to thy great Name If every time you came to God in Prayer you did this this were to sanctifie your selves to God I spake before of a sanctified heart but now this is in a profession of your selves unto God do it secretly at least in your own thoughts if you do not every time express it in words yet in your own thoughts do it devote yourselves to God every day Of admirable use it would be if every day when men and women worship God either in their closets or families they did professedly devote and consecrate themselves to God and so likewise every time they come to hear the Word or to receive Sacraments God would account his Name to be sanctified in such a work as this is 8. Lastly That that must make all up and without which all the other is nothing it is That you must tender up al your worship in the Name of Jesus Christ let a man or woman worship God never so well yet when they have done all if they do not tender it up in the Name of Jesus Christ God will not account his Name to be sanctified thou must by Faith look upon Jesus Christ as the glorious Mediator that is come into the world by whom thou hast access unto the Father And act thy Faith upon Christ and give up thy Duties into his hand as the hand of a Mediator to be tender'd up to the Father by him though thou hast labored what thou canst to perform Duty as well as thou art able yet thou must not think to tender it up by thine own hand unto God but thou must tender it up to the Father by the hand of Jesus Christ the Mediator and so thou shalt sanctifie the Name of God in holy Duties We reade in Levit. 16. 13. that when Aaron was to tender up the Incense he was to put the Incense on the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the Incense may cover the Mercy-seat that is upon the Testimony that he die not Mark it is as much as his life is worth whether he doth it or doth it not Now Incense it is in the New Testament called Prayer and so in the Old Testament too it was a kind of emblem of Prayer The offering up of our Prayers is the offering up of Incense to God and the Mercy-seat it was a Type of Jesus Christ Now the Incense should cover the Mercy-seat so our Prayers must go up to Jesus Christ must be upon him and so must be accepted by the Father And as we reade in Judg. 13. 20. when Monah offered a Sacrifice the text saith that the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame This Angel of God here was Jesus Christ as we might easily from this Scripture make it out and he ascends up in the flame from the Altar Now though we do not offer such kind of Sacrifices with Fire and Incense as they did in the time of the Law yet when we are offering up of our Incense there must be a flame of Fervency and Zeal But that is not enough together with the flame of the Altar and the Angel of God Jesus Christ the great Angel of the new Covenant for Angel signifies nothing but Messenger the great Messenger that is come into the world about that great Errend of his To Reconcile the World to Himself He must ascend up in the flame and so God will account his Name to be sanctified the Name of God is not sanctified but through Jesus Christ The acting of our Faith upon Christ as Mediator is a special ingredient to the Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy Duties as you know the Scripture saith That the Altar doth Sanctifie the Gift offered upon the Altar Jesus Christ is the Altar upon whom all our Spiritual Sacrifices are to be offered and this Altar doth sanctifie the Gift that is offered upon it let never so great a gift be offered upon any other Altar it was not accounted holy nor accepted So let men by their natural strength or power that they have offer up the most glorious and speciousest Service to God it is not accepted except it be offered up upon the Altar Jesus Christ We have an Altar now not the Communion Table but Jesus Christ himself is our Altar upon whom we are to offer al our Sacrifices and this Altar must sanctifie the Gift we can never have our Gift Sanctified no nor Gods Name sanctified in this Gift except it be offered upon this Altar and our Faith acted upon Jesus Christ People little think of this but of other things viz. That when we worship God we should worship him with Fear and Reverence and with Humility and with strength of Intention such kind of things every one that hath any enlightening of conscience will think of at some time or other but people do least think of this which is the greatest ingredient of all in the Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties that is To come and tender up all to the Father in the Name of Jesus Christ How many men and women that have been Professors of Religion twenty or thirty years and yet not acquainted with this great Mystery of Godliness To tender up all to God in the Name of his Son This is that that upon divers occasions I have spoken unto and am willing upon every occasion as I meet with it to speak of because it is a principal part of the great Mystery of the Gospel without which all our duties are rejected of God and cast away Now then put all these Nine things together and see by them what we ought to do that we may sanctifie the Name of God in holy Duties But there is something further to be spoken that may help you to sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties and that is Several workings of heart sutable to the several Attributes of God for that is to sanctifie Gods Name to have the duty to be such as is some way sutable to such a God as we are now worshiping Now then let us consider what the Scripture saith of God and then let us see what sutable dispositions we should have in us unto those things that the Scripture saith of God 1. First You know the Scripture saith that God is a Spirit in Joh. 4. 24. Then presently Christ saith That he that worships him must worship him in Spirit that is there must be a sutableness in our worship to what God is Is God a Spirit then all that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth that is thus When I am to go to worship God I must consider of him as he is an infinite and glorious Spirit well then surely bodily worship is not sufficient for me Though I do kneel down in prayer or
do come and present my body to hear the Word or my body to receive the Sacrament this is not to worship God as a Spirit If indeed that our God were as the Heathens that were corporeal then it were another matter then bodily worship would serve the turn but God being a Spirit he must have Spiritual Worship therefore my soul and all that is within me magnifie his Name saith David my Soul magnifie his Name not my lips only but my soul The Apostle in 1 Tim. 4. 8. saith that bodily exercise profits little it is no great matter for the body God looks but very little at bodily exercise but it is godliness that is profitable it is the work of the Spirit when we come to pray we must pray in the Spirit that is we must pray with our souls we must powr forth our souls before God and when we come to hear our hearts must not go after our covetousness we must set our hearts to what we hear we must hear with our hearts as well as with our ears our souls must be at work in hearing of the Word when you hear it is not enough for you to come and sit in a Pew and have the sound of a mans voice in your ears but your souls must be at work And so when you come to receive the Sacrament your souls must feed upon Jesus Christ Bodily-worship without Soul-worship is nothing but soul-worship may be accepted without bodily-worship therefore it is the Soul that God doth principally look at in holy duties If you be not able to worship God in your bodies you may worship him in your souls and God regards that bodily exercise in holy duties is little worth somewhat it may be worth I confess sometime bodily exercise may further the soul as a reverend carriage of the body and the like but it is nothing in comparison the great work is the work of the soul for God is a Spirit and must be worshiped in Spirit And God is said to be a Spirit not only in that he is not of so thick a Capital substance but it notes the simplicity of God he is without any composition whatsoever is in God is God Himself He is absolutely One there are not divers things in God now then those that come to worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth that is there must not be a heart and a heart there must not be a compounded heart but you must bring simple hearts before God without any composition of dross in your selves and of any kind of falsness but in the simplicity of your hearts you must come to worship God and thus you shall worship him with such worship as is some way sutable to him as he is a spirit 2. Further consider God as he is an eternal God what sutable disposition doth this require of me when I am to look upon God as an eternal Being it requires this only That therefore thy heart must be taken off from all temporal good things and set upon that eternal good thou mayest indeed desire these outward good things but in order to thy eternal good Then further Thou art worshiping an eternal God hence then whatsoever sin thou doest confess although committed 20. or 40. yeers ago thou must look upon it as if it were now presently committed and be humbled as much before the Lord as if it were now committed at this present You will say Why so Because God is an Eternal God Yes For if I understand Gods Eternity I know that there is no succession in Gods Being therefore the sins that I committed in my youth if I come to confess them they are before God as if they were now a doing in regard of time and therefore I must as much as I can look so upon them and be humbled for them as if they were sins lately committed Many people are troubled for their sins the very day after they commit them but a little time wears off their trouble but if you did consider that you had to deal with an eternal God then you would look upon your sins though a long time since committed as if they were but now done Likewise there will be this required from the consideration of Gods eternity You must come with such a disposition of heart as not to think much though what you desired be deferred and not granted in your time when you would have it For if there be no time that alters with God but a thousand yeers are with God as one day then that that we account long before it s done it is nothing with God and therefore we must have our hearts so work towards God as towards an Eternal God as one with whom there is no alteration of time at all with whom there is no succession of time If we come to a man and seek any thing of him if he doth not answer us presently we will think that he will forget it and other things will come into his mind but when we come to worship God we must look upon him as an Eternal Being and that time alters nothing with him Thus understanding God in a right way wil much help us in his Worship and to Sanctifie his Name We cannot Sanctifie Gods Name without knowing his Name without having serious thoughts about his Name and getting our hearts to work accordingly 3. Thirdly Look upon God when you come to Worship Him in His comprehensible Being that is as a God that fils all places His being is real in the room that we are praying in the place that we are meeting in as it is in Heaven Now then when we come to worship Him we must consider that that infinite glorious Being stands before us looks upon us is at our elbow and therefore especially when you worship in secret consider this it is good to consider it when you are with others but especially I say consider it when you are in secret and know that when you are most private you have one that looks on you and takes notice of you who is more than if you had ten hundred thousand witnesses standing by you and looking upon you For it is the Lord that stands by you and sees your behavior sees what you do in your worshiping of Him take heed therefore that there be nothing done by you that is unbeseeming the presence of such a God as the Lord is Suppose that some of you were praying and there were some godly able Minister stood neer you it would be some means to stir up your hearts to mind what you did but now the Lord He is not in the next room only but in the same room and stands by you Let there be nothing done therefore unbeseeming the presence of that infinite holy God that stands by you and hold this truth forth The Lord is present with me I acknowledg it and I own it and therefore I carry my self thus and all because I would witness to
yeer than thou hast done before in seven yeers one Christian that keeps close to God in holy duties and sanctifies the Name of God in them I say finds more comfort with God and grows on in godliness more in one quarter of a yeer than the other doth in seven yeers that goes on in an ordinary dull and formal way in the performance of the duties of Worship Some there are in our time that cry out of duties And what need we trouble our selves so much those that know not how to sanctifie Gods Name they think lightly of them but now do you apply your selves fully as you are able to this that I am speaking of and you will find your selves to be as it were in another world you will be able to say Well I have not yet understood what it was to enjoy Communion with God in Prayer in Word and in Sacraments before this will make your faces shine in your conversations if you would do it and now to that end that you may do it there are these two or three things that I would propound to you 1. In the first place Learn to know God more with whom you have to do and present those things that you have heard before you in your meditations when as you are to come to God in Prayer or in any other Duty and when you are Worshiping of God remember that you have to do with God and none else You are every time you come to perform holy duties to be as a man or woman separated from all things Valerius Maximus tels a story of a yong Noble-man that attended upon Alexander while he was sacrificing this Noble-man held his Censer for Incense and in the holding of it there fell a coal upon his flesh and burnt it so as the very scent of it was in the nostrils of all that were about him and because he would not disturb Alexander in his service he resolutely did not stir to put of the fire from him but holds still his Censer If Heathens made such ado in their sacrificing to their Idol-gods that they would mind it so as no disturbance must be made what ever they endured What care should we have then of our selves when we come to worship the high God And so Josephus he reports of the Priests that were sacrificing in the Temple when Pompey brake in to them with armed men and though they might have fled and saved their lives yet they would not leave off their sacrificing but were slain by the Soldiers They did so mind it as a matter of great consequence Oh that we could mind the duties of Gods Worship as matters of great moment that so we might learn to sanctifie the Name of God in the performance of them more than ever we have done 2. When thou comest to worship take heed thou doest not come in thine own strength For there is more required in sanctifying the Name of God than thy strength is able to carry thee on in and therefore act thy Faith upon Jesus Christ every time thou comest to worship God not only as I said before to tender up thy services in his Name but act thy faith upon Christ to give thee strength to do what thou hast to do And what strength thou hast received from Christ be sure to stir it up many godly men and women have more strength than they know of themselves and if they would but stir up that strength that they have received they might sanctifie the Name of God a great deal more than they do Therfore remember that text before mentioned None stirs up himself to take hold on God Quicken up thy heart and rouze up thy spirit when thou art to worship God 3. When ever thou art worshiping of God do not satisfie thy self meerly in the duty done but consider Do I sanctifie Gods Name in the duty Every time thou worshipest him examine thy heart whether thou doest it yea or no. And if thou findest that thou hast not attained in some comfortable measure to this that hath been presented to thee let the shame and the sorrow for that abide upon thy spirit until the next time thou comest to worship God at such a time I have been worshiping of God and God knows I have been stirring up my heart in some measure but I find my heart dead wandring sluggish and dull I say when thou findest thou canst not do it according to what is required in any comfortable measure let the shame and sorrow of heart for it abide upon thee till the next time thou comest to worship God and that will mightily help thee Thou art now praying and thou canst not now get up thy heart to what is required The next time thou comest to prayer come in the shame and sorrow of thy heart for the want of sanctifying Gods Name the last time And so for hearing of the Word or receiving the Sacraments And this will further thee mightily for the sanctifying the Name of God in holy duties But now that all may be sealed up unto you and so that we may close the Point know That God will be sanctified in those that do draw nigh to Him And there are these two things in the Point First If we do not sanctifie Gods Name God will sanctifie his Name in a way of Justice Secondly If we do sanctifie his Name then he will sanctifie his Name in a way of mercy towards us For the first God will manifest that he is displeased with such duties that thou doest perform he will manifest it one way or other that he is a holy God and he doth not accept of such unholy things as thou doest tender up to him for the truth is if God should accept of such unholy things from men God may be said to be like unto themselves As a man if he doth entertain any as his familiar friend that is naught and wicked it is his disgrace and dishonor a man may sometimes imploy in some business those that are naught and wicked and it may be no disgrace to him but if he doth entertain one in his house that is wicked it is a dishonor to him So God may imploy the most wicked men in the world in some outward services but if he should accept of them in his Worship it would be a dishonor to God and therefore God that he might sanctifie his own Name he will manifest his displeasure at one time or other against such duties of worship you that perform worship in a formal manner and with unclean vile hearts I say it stands upon the Honor of God if he will manifest Himself a holy God He must manifest some displeasure against that way of thy worshiping of him This one meditation one would think should mightily sink into the heart of any man that hath an enlightned conscience to think thus It stands upon the holiness of God And he cannot appear to be a holy God except he doth some
sometimes the disease may be a hinderance yet it is ordinary that those that in their constant way did sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties they do lie comfortably upon their sick beds and a glorious entrance is made for them into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ And then again All things are sanctified unto them as on the other side those that do not sanctifie Gods Name all things are cursed to them if thou doest not make conscience of sanctifying Gods Name in duties God cares not to sanctifie any thing for thy good But now those that make conscience of Sanctifying Gods Name in holy duties the Lord takes care that all things shall be sanctified for their good for the surtherance of their eternal good And however it be here yet hereafter at the great day of Judgment it will be a part of the glory of God to manifest before Men and Angels how he did accept of those holy services that thou didst tender up to him when Hypocrites shall be cast away and abhor'd and thou who hadst an upright sincere heart shalt be owned before God and before men and Angels at that great Day and God shall say Well it is a part of the glory of my Holiness to make it appear that I have accepted of these holy things that these my poor servants have tendered up to me And this now is of marvelous use for the comforting of a gracious heart those duties that thou doest now think thou hast lost and there will nothing come of them thou shalt certainly hear of them another day God will make it appear there is nothing that he stands more upon than the glory of his Holiness and it is the glory of his Holiness that is thy strength in this thing and that makes it certain to thee that there must be a manifestation of thy acceptance and therefore take these Truths into thy heart about sanctifying the Name of God You have had only the Point in general opened to you Oh that the Spirit of God would bring things unto your remembrance SERMON VIII Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE have as you may remember Preached many Sermons upon that Point Of Sanctifying the Name of God in the Duties of his Worship We have spoken unto the Point in the General the last day we finished it I do not intend to look back to any thing that was said but we are to proceed to shew how the Name of God should be Sanctified in the Particular Duties of his Worship Now the Duties of Gods Worship are especially these Three 1. The Hearing of the Word 2. Receiving of the Sacrament 3. And Prayer Other things come under Worship but yet these are the three chief duties of Worship and I intend to speak to al these three and to shew how we should Sanctifie the Name of God in drawing nigh unto him in the Word Sacrament and Prayer We might chuse several Texts for all these but they fall full within the General and therefore it shall be sufficient for to ground the Sanctifying of Gods Name in these Duties of Worship upon this Text. 1. Of Sanctifying the Name of God in the Hearing of the Word THat which we are to speak to this morning it is the Sanctifying of the Name of God in the hearing of his Word If you would have the ground of what we are to say concerning this in a particular Scripture you may have it in Luke 8. 18. take heed therefore how ye hear It is not enough to come to hear the Word that is good and no question but God is pleased with the willingness of people to come to hear his Word but you must not rest barely in hearing but take heed how you hear Now this is a Point of great consequence and I hope it may do good to help to make many Sermons to be profitable to you and the Point I hope is seasonable and will be very sutable unto you For those that come to hear so soon in a morning and are willing even in hard weather to come out of their beds they give some good testimony that they do desire to honor God in their hearing and to get good by their hearing and 't is pity that labor and pains should be bestowed and no profit but hurt rather got by it which God forbid Therefore now I am to speak to a Point that may help you so to hear as may recompence all your labor and pains in hearing In preaching to those that come to hear so that they may get good and benefit by it there is a great deal more encouragement than to such as come in a formal way because they use to come therfore this Point being a great Point I shall open it somewhat largely and cast into this Method First I shall shew you That the hearing of Gods Word is a part of the Worship of God for otherwise I could not ground it upon my text Secondly I shall shew you How we are to sanctifie Gods Name in the hearing of his Word either in regard of preparation unto it or our behavior in hearing of the Word Thirdly Why it is that God will be sanctified in this Ordinance of his Fourthly How God will sanctifie himself in such as do not sanctifie his Name in the hearing of his Word Fifthly How God will sanctifie his Name in waies of mercy to those that are careful to sanctifie his Name in the hearing of the Word These are the Five Principal things that concern this Argument For the first That the hearing of Gods Word it is a part of Gods Worship You heard in the opening of the Worship of God in the general what it was I told you it was a tendring up of the creatures homage to God as testimony of the respect that the creature did owe to God Now if that be the nature of Worship certainly the hearing of Gods Word it is a part of the Worship of God for in the hearing of Gods Word we First Do profess our dependance upon God for the knowing of his Mind and the way to Eternal Life Every time we come to hear the Word if we know what we do we do thus much We do profess that we do depend upon the Lord God for the knowing of his Mind and the Way and Rule to Eternal Life we do as much as if we should say Lord of our selves we neither know thee nor the way and means how we should come to be saved and therfore that we might testifie our dependance upon thee for this thing we here present our selves before thee Now this is a Testimony of the high respect we owe to God Secondly The hearing of Gods Word is a part of his Worship because in it we come to wait upon God in the way of an Ordinance to have that good conveyed to us by way of an Ordinance beyond what the thing in it self
Faith with the Word or otherwise it will do us but little good Apply it and then beleeve it In Heb. 4. 2. it is said that The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Wherefore there must be a mixture of Faith to beleeve the Word that the Lord brings unto you Now concerning that I 'le but propound these few particulars You will say Must we beleeve every thing that is spoken sometimes there are some things spoken that we cannot tell how to beleeve I do not mean so to beleeve every thing meerly being spoken for you must take heed what you hear as well as how you hear but do thus much at least 1. In the first place Whatsoever comes in the Name of God to you except you know certainly it is not according to the written Word you owe so much respect to it as to examin it at least to try it whether it be so or no as it is said of those Well-bred men that I spake of that they did examin whether things were so or no. Do not cast off any thing presently that comes in the Name of God Now any thing that hath the broad Seal upon it you must not disobey You will say It may be counterfeit but do not disobey it till you be sure it be counterfeit Oh that men would give but this respect to all things that they hear never to cast them off till they have examined and tried whether they be so or no. 2. Secondly Do but grant this respect to the Word that is spoken to you as to think thus What if all that I hear spoken against my sin which laies open the dangerous condition that my soul is in prove to be true what a case were I in then This hath been the beginning of the conversion of many souls the having but such a thought as this It may be things are not so terrible as I hear but what if they do prove so then I am undone for ever Dare I venture my soul and my eternal estate upon hopes that these things are not so bad as I hear I beleeve if you would put your selves to it you would think it a bold adventure and the comfort that any of you have grounded upon this meerly hoping that things are not so bad as you hear it is a cursed comfort that hath no sure bottom Grant that respect therefore to the Word 3. Thirdly consider this It may be I do not see cleerly that these things are so which are delivered I do not see enough to beleeve them now but what if I were now dying what if I were now going to receive the sentence of my eternal doom Would I not then beleeve these things would I not then think what I hear out of the Word to be true It is an easie matter for men to reject the Word while they have their healths and prosperity But if you were to die and upon your sick and death bed if you saw the infinit Ocean of Eternity before you what would you say then were the Word true yea or no would you give belief unto the suggestions of the Devil then We find it by exprience That men that could easily cast off the Word in their healths yet when they have come to lie upon their sick bed and death bed they found the Word true Beleeve it now as well as then 4. Consider If thou doest not beleeve what a case art thou in Am I worse than the Devils themselves The Scripture tels me That the Devils beleeve and tremble Why Lord do I come to hear Sermons and am I more hard to beleeve than the very Devils themselves They do beleeve that Word that I cast off and they tremble at it but my soul is not at all stirred as if there were no reallity in such things that have been spoken to me There be other things which may further help us towards beleeving of the Word of God but these shall suffice And certainly my brethren till we come to this to beleeve the Word though we should sit under it many yeers it will do us little good and we shall never sanctifie the Name of God in the hearing of it SERMON IX Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me THE next thing for the right behavior of the soul for sanctifying Gods Name is this We must receive the Word with meekness of spirit that you have in Jam. 1. 21. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted Word which is able to save your souls Receive with meekness The former part of this Scripture I confess concerns somewhat that was before about the preparation of the soul and we shall perhaps afterwards in the Application come to open the former part of this vers Lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness But only now we quote the place for this Receive with meeknes the ingrafted Word which is able to save your souls Let there be a quietness in your spirits in attending upon the Word no hurrying There is a twofold distemper of passion in many people that is a great hindrance to the profit of the Word and sanctifying Gods Name in hearing it 1. The first is a distemper of passion in those that have some trouble of concience in them they are troubled for their sin and their spirits are in a discontented froward humor because they have not that comfort that they do desire and therefore the Word of God when it come to be preached to them if it doth not every way sute with their hearts and if they do not find present comfort by it their spirits are in a distemper and frowardness and cast it off and if at any time there be never such comfortable things spoken in the Word yet there is an anger in their spirits because they are not able to apply the word to themselves and they think This doth not concern me Now there should be meekness of spirit in those that are in trouble of conscience above all they should quietly attend upon the Word and wait for the time that God will speak peace to their consciences And if I cannot find the Word sutable to me at this time yet I may at another time let me attend with meekness let me receive every thing with meekness the Word is above me and if ever I have good it must be by the Word at last It doth much concern those that are in trouble of conscience to have meek spirits 2. There is another distemper in others and that is worse that is Such as when they find the Word come neer unto them relating those sins that their consciences tells them they are guilty of their hearts rise against God and His Word and Ministers too because it would pluck away some beloved corruption because it rebukes them for some haunt of evil some distemper of heart that
they have been or are guilty of it puts a shame upon them and therefore their hearts do rise against it It is a dreadful thing to have the heart rise against the Word As we reade of that froward Prince Jehoiakim in the Prophesie of Jeremiah that when the Roll was read in his hearing sitting in the winter time by a great fire he took a penknife and cut it in pieces and threw it into the fire in anger and I have read that the Jews kept a Fast every yeer to mourn for that great sin and yet this Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah whose heart did melt at the hearing of the Word he had an humble and meek heart when the Law was read and yet see what a different spirit Jehoiakim had either from his Father or Grand-Father It is a great dishonor to the Name of God for men to give liberty to their passions to rise against the Word take heed of passion either while you are hearing the Word or after the Word as many of you while you are discontented with what is said when you come in company what a fury are many men in upon the hearing of some things in the Word that comes close to their hearts Remember when you are hearing of the Word that it is that which is above you and it is not fit for one that is an inferior to shew himself passionate in the presence of a Superior It is true the Ministers they may be in as low a condition as you and in a lower but the Word they speak it is above all the Princes and Monarchs upon the face of the Earth and it is fit therefore we having to deal with God that we should behave our selves in a meek disposition 6. The next thing for the sanctifying Gods Name in the hearing of the Word is this We must hear it with a trembling heart with fear as well as meekness and for that you have that famous Scripture in Isa 66. beginning Thus saith the Lord The Heaven is my Throne and the earth is my Foot-stool where is the house that the build unto me and where is the place of my rest For all those things hath my hand made and all those things have been saith the Lord but to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word This is a most admirable Scripture Mark how God lifts up himself in his Glory so great a God as the Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Foot-stool where is that house that ye will build unto me But then may a poor soul say How shall I be able to stand before this God that is so glorious Saith God Be not discouraged poor soul who doest tremble at my Word for I look to you And then this is a further thing observable That God hath a regard to that soul that trembles at this Word rather than to any that should build the most sumptuous buildings in the world for him for saith God here The Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Foot-stool where is the house that ye build unto me and where is the place of my rest They have built a glorious Temple to God but what do I regard that saith God I regard one that trembls at my Word more than that great house that you have built unto me It is a notable Scripture to shew what a high respect God hath to one that trembles at his Word he regards them more than this glorious Temple that was built unto him If you were able to build such a place as this was for the service of God you would think it a great matter it is not so much regarded as if you could bring a trembling heart to Gods Word that 's a special thing wherein the sanctifying of the Name of God consists when we come to see the dreadful Authority that there is in the Word of God when we are able to see more Glory of God in his Word than in all the works of God besides for there is more of his Glory in the Word than there is in the whol Creation of Heaven and Earth take the Sun and Moon and Stars you that are Marriners you have seen much of the Glory of God abroad that one would think might strike terror into all your hearts but know That there is more of the dreadfulness of Gods Name in his Word than in all his Works In Psal 138. 2. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name the Word it is magnified above all the Name of God whatsoever and it is a very good sign of a spiritual enlightened soul that can see the Name of God more magnified in his Word than in al his Works besides I appeal unto your consciences in this thing Have you ever seen the Name of God to be more magnified in his Word than in all his Works I may with very good confidence affirm this That there is no godly soul upon the face of the Earth that hath the weakest degree of grace but hath seen more of the glory of God revealed in his Word than he hath seen in all the VVorks of God besides and his heart hath been more taken with it It requires therefore a trembling frame of heart when we hear it And then further When this is considered that the word is that which bindeth the soul over either to life or death mens eternal estates are to be cast by the word certainly then it requires a trembling heart to hear that by which the eternal estate of man is to be cast we do not sanctifie Gods Name when we come to hear the word except we come with trembling hearts and they are the most likely of all men and women to understand the mind of God as for such as come with conceited spirits that they understand as much before they come and think their reach of wit or capacity is beyond the capacity of any that shall open the word unto them yet that were not so much if it did but only rest upon the man and not reflect upon the word it self Now these that are rich in their own thoughts and understandings are sent empty away but those that come with trembling hearts to the word they are the men that are like to understand Gods Counsels revealed in his word In Ezra 10. 2 3. Shechaniah the Son of Jehiel one of the Sons of Elam answered and said unto Ezra We have transgressed against our God have taken strang wives c. Yet now there is hope ni Israel concerning this thing now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God according to the counsel of my Lord and of those that tremble at the Commandement of our God So that those that tremble at Gods Word and such as are fittest to counsel they understand most of Gods mind and that 's another particular of the behavior of the soul in sanctifying Gods Name in hearing
His Word 7. The next is a humble subjection to the Word that we hear our hearts must bow to it must lie under the Word that we hear it is a very remarkable Scripture that we have in 2 Chron. 36. 12. There it is said concerning a great King Zedekiah He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. It is a very strange expression as any we have in the Book of God that Zedekiah a great King should be charged with this as a great sin that he did not humble himself Humble himself before whom you will say We are bound to humble our selves before God but here it is that he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the Prophet Why before the Prophet Because he spake from the mouth of the Lord. If it be any messenger that speaks from the mouth of the Lord God expects that we should humble our selves so that if any truth comes to be delivered unto you the Lord expects that you should fall down and yeild obedience to it whatsoever your thoughts your judgments your opinions have heretofore been if there come any thing in the Word against it you must submit your judgments submit your very consciences you must submit your wills whatsoever your hearts have been set upon though it hath been never so contentful to your spirits before yet now submit and yeild though it go never so cross unto your minds your wills your ends yet all must be submitted and laid down flat before the Word so as to be willing to deny your selves of any thing in the world When a man or woman can say thus Lord it is true I confess before I heard thy word opened in the evidence and demonstration or the Spirit unto me I was of such a mind and my heart went after such and such contentments and I thought it was impossible that ever my heart should be taken from them but O Lord thou hast been pleased plainly to shew to me by the opening of thy Word in the evidence of thy Spirit what thy mind is Now whatsoever becomes of my name of my comforts of my contentments in this world Lord here I cast down al before thee I submit unto thy Word this is a gracious frame Now is the Name of God extol'd and lifted up in hearing of the Word the Name of God is sanctified in such a word of spirit as this is I have read of a German Divine writing to Oecolampadius another famous German Divine he hath this expression Oh let the Word of God come and though we had 600 necks we would all submit them unto the Word of God saith he So it should be the temper of such as hear the Word and desire to sanctifie Gods Name in it let the Word of God come this morning let God speak and we will submit had we 600. necks we will submit all we are or have to this Word of the Lord it is the Word of God that we are willing should triumph over us To have a Congregation to lie down under the Word of God that is preached to them is a most excellent thing and Gods Name is much sanctified we do not brethren desire you should lie under us we are not only willing but we are very desirous that you would examin what we speak to you whether it be according to the Word of God or no. But look to it that if we do speak to you that which is the Word from the mouth of the Lord know then that God expects that you should submit your estates your souls your bodies all that you are and have to this Word and that is another particular in the sanctifying of the Name of God in hearing the Word there must be an humble submission of the soul unto it 8. Another particular wherein the behavior of the soul for the sanctifying of Gods Name consists is this the Word it must be received with love and with joy it is not enough for you to be convinc'd of the authority of it and to think thus well I must yield to it this is the Word of God and if I do not yield to it I must expect the plagues and judgments of God to follow it that is not enough but you most yield to it with love and with joy except you receive the Word with love and with joy it is not sanctified you do not sanctifie Gods Name nor is it sanctified unto you You must receive the Word not only as the true Word of the Lord but as the good Word of the Lord. In Thess 2. 10. we find it to be the cause of mens being given over to a spirit of delusion because they received not the Word of God in love It is spoken of Antichrist that at his coming he shall come with all deceivableness and he shal prevail with them that perish Who are they They that receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved It is not enough my Brethren to receive the truth that we might be saved but we must receive the love of the truth if ever we would be saved Good is the Word of the Lord to my soul And we must receive it with joy too as well as with love Prov. 2. 10. When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul then discretion shall preserve thee understanding shall keep thee c. That is a great matter when the Word reveals some truth to thy understanding and thou canst so receive it as it should be pleasant to thy soul that thy soul rejoyces in it it is a good Word it is that which doth me good at the heart When a people can hear the Word and the Word coming near unto them they can say This Word doth me good at the heart it is pleasant to my soul that is excellent In Act. 2. 41 the godly are described those that did receive the Word so as to sanctifie Gods Name in it by this That they gladly received the Word and were baptized and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls There were three thousand in one day that did gladly receive the Word What an Auditory had Peter at this time Then the Word it did them good when they gladly received it Quest But it may be said Wâ— reade in Matth. 13. of the stony ground the hearers that were not good and did not profit by the Word so as to be saved yet they received the Word with joy And Herod it is said of him That be heard John Baptist gladly It seems then that it is not enough to receive it with gladness Answ To that I Answer First There must be that which Hypocrites may have if there be want of that we cannot sanctifie Gods Name But you will say We must go further or else Gods Name is not sanctified That I confess Therefore
or no Saith Christ in Job 8. 47. He that is of God heareth my Word ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God Certainly he that hath the knowledg of God and any interest in God and that belongs unto Him nothing is more sweet to him than the hearing of His Word but because ye are not of God saith Christ Therefore you hear not his Word Those men and women that have no interest in God but live without God in this world they regard not to hear His Word O how many have we that belong to this place that do so How many live without God in the world and do declare to all the world that they are not of God they have no part nor portion in God in that they hear not His Wâ—â—â— Some there are that come to hear it but they come to hear it as a meer matter of indifferency in a meer formal and customary way or for companies sake or to give content to others These are poor and low ends thou shouldest come to hear the Word as expecting God should speak to thy soul for the furtherance of thy eternal good but your consciences may tell you what vain and wandring heart you have when you come to hear it The eyes of the fool saith Solomon are in all the corners of the earth up and down wandring little minding that you are to com to hear God Himself speak to you in the Ministry of man And if so be that it be minded yet ordinarily the hearts of men do put off the Word and if it come any thing neer to them they think to shift it from themselves to others We have a notable Scripture in Heb. 12. 25. for such men as shift off Gods Word when it comes many times very neer to them See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from Him which speaketh from Heaven See that ye refuse not him that speaks the Word see that you do not put him off And that is the signification of it if you compare it with Luke 12. 18. you should find that there is the same word used where speaking of those that were invited to the supper it is said They all with one consent began to make excuse they began to shift it off that is the same word Oh take heed of this that when you are hearing the Word and Christ comes and speaks to your hearts and you begin to think that it way concern you and your consciences begin to stir take heed that you do not shift him off take heed that you do not put away the Word from you by any kind of pretence whatsoever It may be you will say If I were certain it were the Word of God and that God spake to me God forbid but that I should submit unto it But though it may be the hearts of men are not so notoriously rebellious as to resolve to sin against the Word which they will acknowledg to be the Word of God yet this is the deceit of the heart when the heart hath no mind to obey it will shift off the Word and have pretences and put-offs Oh take heed that you do not shift off him that speaks from Heaven by making any kind of excuse whatsoever but when thou hearest if the Word of God come to thy conscience do not listen to vain reasonings that are against it Others there are that cannot tell how to shift off the Word but it will come upon them when they are hearing it may be they are a little stir'd but it is presently gone so that they are far from holding the Word far from keeping it in their hearts Oh! How many of you have been stir'd when you have been hearing the Word and how happy had it been for you if you had hid those words in your heart that the Lord hath spoken to you in the Ministry of it If you had but the Invitations of the Spirit now that sometimes you have had how happy were it for you But it is with many in hearing the word just as with you Marriners when you are to go abroad Your friends come with you take their leaves of you and then you see them stand upon the shore a while but when you sail a little further your friends are out of sight and then you see only the shore you sail on a little further and then you see only the houses you sail a little further and then you see only the steeples and such high places and you sail yet a little further and then you see nothing but the Ocean So it is in hearing the Word It may be when you go home there are some things fresh in your mind but on the munday morning you have lost some but then there are some others that do yet present themselves before you and then you lose more and more untill you have lost the sight of all all truths are gone you see no more of the Word as if you had never heard it this is not to sanctifie Gods Name you should treasure up the Word as the most rich Treasure that may be Another sort to be rebuked are those who are so far from falling down before the Lord to receive the Word with meekness as they can bless themselves in their wicked waies notwithstanding the Word comes and meets with them I only name this because of that notable Scripture we have in Deut. 29. 18 19. saith Moses there to them Take heed lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood what 's that root that beareth gall and wormwood And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart c. Take heed there be not among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood This is a bitter root in mens hearts when they can hear the Word of God and have their hearts rise against it and think with themselves that there is no such matter these are but meer words but meer wind let the Minister say what he will and talk as long as he will I will go on in my way I shall do well enough that which he saith it is but his opinion I say when men can bless themselves thus in their way and when there are such tumulcuous and rebellious thoughts rising in their hearts this is a root of gall and wormwood and take heed of it it will bring forth bitter fruit one day But I should quickly be prevented if I should lanch into this argument to reprove the several waies of sinning against God in hearing of his word And therefore I leave those and come to shew what a fearful thing it is for men and women not to sanctifie the Name of God in the hearing of his word that
say there is more in this Sacrament to break the heart for sin than such a sight as that You will say If you should haue Christ to be crucified again before your eyes if you should see the body of Christ hanging upon the Cross and there behold him crucified and hearing of him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me you would think if your hearts did not break for sin then that they were desperately hard know every time that thou hast come to receive the Sacrament thou hast come to see such a sight and it is as great an aggravation of the hardness of thy heart if it hath not broken at this sight as it would be if it should not break at that sight We reade in Gal. 3. 1. of Pauls speaking of the preaching of the Gospel he saith that Christ was crucified before those that did hear the word and foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you he doth not mean that Christ was crucified in Galatia but that where the word was preached he was evidently set forth and crucified among them but now my brethren the crucifying of Christ in the Word is not such a real evident and sensible setting forth of Christ crucified as when he is set forth in this Sacrament and t is that which works with more efficacie to break the heart than that other sight and the reason that I give is this Because you do never find that God did set that apart as an Ordinance an institution appointed to that end that they should come to look upon that for the breaking of there hearts there was indeed a naturalness in it that if they did behold Christ it might break there hearts but it was not such an Ordinance it was not a Sacrament as this is now this being in a Sacramental way in the use of an Ordinance appointed by Jesus Christ to set forth his sufferings and al the riches of the Covenant of grace to the soul there may be expected here a further blessing than in the other though it 's true the other might work mightily upon the heart but yet this being a great ordinance of Christ in the Church a great institution of Jesus Christ for the setting out of his sufferings it hath a more special blessing that goes along with it every Ordinance hath a promise and a more special blessing than any other thing that is not an Ordinance So when you come here to behold Christ crucified before you you cannot see Christ naturally crucified as upon the Cross but you have Christ crucified before you in the way of a Sacrament in the way of a solemn institution of Jesus Christ that hath a special blessing which goes along with it therfore if the heart be not broken here there is an aggravation of the hardness of the heart as great as if we should behold Jesus Christ upon the Cross and our hearts not broken there and indeed this is a special reason why those are said to be guilty of the body and blood of Christ that receive unworthily as if a man had been then alive and had been before the Cross and there have seen how the blood of Jesus Christ was shed for sin and should not have been affected with it but should have accounted it as a common thing this man in some regard might have been said to be guilty of His death that is to have joyned and consented with those that 〈◊〉 crucifie Him for if a man sees another commit a sin if he 〈◊〉 affected with that sin and it does not stir his heart he may come to be partaker of his sin so that those that come to see Jesus Christ crucified and have not their hearts at all stir'd with the crucifying of Christ they are in som regard truly said to be guilty of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ And that 's the second thing brokenness of spirit is sutable to the light of a broken Christ 3. The Third thing that is here to be done in the Sanctifying of Gods Name is the purging and clensing of the heart from sin and actuall clensing and purging the heart from sin there ought to be The Jews in there Passover were to cast out all leaven and those that were of the custom of the Jews say that they were wont to do three things in the casting out of their Leaven 1. they made diligent search for Leaven they lighted Candles to look into every corner lest there should be any bit of Leaven left in the house 2. When they found it they cast it out 3. They used an execration they did curse themselves if they should willingly keep any leaven in the house So my brethren when we come to partake of this holy Ordinance there should be a diligent inquisition for sin for sin in Scripture is compared to leaven thou shouldest make a diligent search what sin there is in thy heart in any of the faculties of thy soul what sin there is in thy thoughts in thy conscience in thy understanding in thy will in any of thy affections what sin there hath been in thy life what family sins what personall sins thou shouldest make a diligent search to see whether there be not some leaven some evil in thy heart and what ever sin thou shalt come to find out in thy heart there must be a casting of it out that is thy soul must be set against it to apose it with all thy might what ever beloved sin whatever gainfull sin whatsoever become of thee thy soul must renounce that sin of thine yea and in a kind of execration of thy life that 's thus Lord as ever I expect to receive any good by this Body and Blood of Christ that I come now to receive so Lord here I profess against every sin that I have found out in my heart I desire to find out all and profess against all and renouuce all and would do to the uttermost that I am able for delivering of my soul fully from every known or beloved sin Oh that there might not be any remaining in my heart this must be the disposition of the soul coming hither and it must needs be thus or else we cannot sanctifie Gods Name because there is nothing more sutable than this disposition unto the receiving of the Sacrament for we come here to profess That we do acknowledg that sin did cost so much as it did that it cost the Blood of the Son of God now this cannot chuse but cause the heart to renonnce sin If indeed I do beleeve that sin hath cost the Blood of Christ that it cost him so deer as it did that it did trouble Heaven and Earth that there must be such a mighty wonderful way of satisfaction to God for my sin committed against him Certainly sin hath a dreadful evil in it Oh let me
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
upon the heads of the wicked therefore Gods Name is to be sanctified in Prayer It is to be sanctified first in preparation Psalm 10. 17. Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear It is the Lord that prepareth the heart and then he causes his ear to hear and therefore in 1 Pet. 5. 7 we are there required to watch unto prayer men and women should keep a narrow watch over their hearts and minds that they may not be hindred in their prayers that they may be alwaies in a fit posture to pray watch unto prayer it 's that that would help us against many temptations to evil if I give way not to such and such temptations it will hinder my prayers I shall not have that freedom and enlargement in prayer as otherwise if I give way to such and such things therefore let me take heed of this or it will hinder my prayers As if the Apostle should say this should be the care of Christians then they are like to sanctifie the Name of God in prayer if this be their great care that there is nothing in the world that shall hinder their prayers O let me take heed I do nothing to hinder my prayers if I go abroad into company and am merry and jocond and there game and drink and sprot my self in company will not this hinder my prayers will not this hinder the spiritualness of my heart in Communion with God in prayer when I come home at night I appeal to you have you had that freedom in prayer afterwards surely no therefore watch unto prayer Now for the preparation of the heart to prayer we must understand either First What is to be done in the course of ones life Or. Secondly What 's to be done just when one comes to prayer For the first The course of ones life labor to keep all things even and cleer between God and your souls that so you may not come with shakles about your legs with guiltiness I mean upon your consciences men that have given way to any base sinful way when thay come to prayer the guilt of there hearts doth even sink them but those that can keep their peace with God in the course of thier lives they have other manner of freedom in prayer than you that walk loosly and contract guiltiness upon your spirits And then the second thing is To keep our hearts sensible of our continual dependance upon God sensible how we depend upon God for whatsoever we are whatsoever we have whatsoever we do for the blessing of all is from God The beams of the Sun do not so depend upon the Sun as we upon God that if he doth but withdraw Himself never so little from us we all sink down to nothing and perish for ever that soul that every day and hour is sensible of the infinite dependance it hath upon God for its present and eternal estate will be fit for prayer and that should be our care for to carry our selves as any hour in the day or minute in the hour we might be fit to go to prayer and that 's one meaning of that place in the Thessalonians Pray continually not that every moment we should be praying but that we should keep our hearts in a praying frame some of you when you have let out your passions and are in a distemper what will you go to prayer now your conscience will tell you that you are not fit to go to prayer at that time Certainly if you be not fit to pray you are not fit to live you are in an ill condition at any time if you be not fit to pray and there can be no excuse whatsoever that can be sufficient to plead for your selves why you should not be fit to pray at any time there is that continual dependance upon God for all and that need you have of the blessing of God for every thing that there is reason you should be in a fit condition for praying at all times but now when you come to prayer at the set time then there should be a special preparation First You should prepare your selves by getting fresh and powerful apprehensions of the glory of God before whom you go prepare by meditation about the glory of that infinite God that you are now addressing your self unto possess your selves with thoughts and meditations of the glory of the great God that 's the first Secondly Labor to get your hearts sensible of what you go for I am now going to God for what for pardon of sin or for assurance of his love or for power against sin or for such and such mercies let me by meditation work my heart to be sensible of these things that I am going to God for to set a due price upon those mercies that I am praying for and to get my heart affected with them Thirdly Labor to get your hearts separated from the world and from all things that are here below in the world and that should have been a third thing in the course of your lives you should never let out your hearts to any creature either to businesses or pleasures in the world so but that you may have command of your hearts to call them when you will to call them in to God in prayer and then when you come to prayer there should be an actual separation of your hearts from all things in the world dedicating your selves to God for this time as one that hath nothing to do with the world nothing to do with anie thing but this dutie that now you are about this is the preparation of your hearts to prayer in the course of your lives Now then for the Prayer its self First We must consider of the Matter of Prayer And Secondly Of the Manner of it First for the Matter of it We must look to it that it be according to Gods will 1 John 5. 14. This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us therfore for the Matter we must be sure it must be good that we pray for it must be for the Glorie of God for the good of our selves and the good of our Brethren First for the Glorie of God that should be the chief matter that we are to pray for so Christ when he teacheth us to pray he begins the very first Petition Matthew 6. 9 1â— Hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdom come thy Will be done First begin with the Glorie of God mind that in the chief place above all other things God gives you leave to pray for outward things but first for the Glorie of God minding that before your own benefit before the pardon of sin and your dailie bread how few do sanctifie Gods Name in this people have little mind to pray but when they are in outward afflictions when they are upon their sick beds then they wil pray or at Sea in storms then they
soul upon the assistance of the Spirit of God thou art to look upon the holy Ghost as appointed by the Father and the Son to that Office to be a helper to his poor servants in the duties of Worship and especially in that great duty of prayer now upon the reading of this text and having it thus opened this is one good help for thee in prayer reade this text and then exercise thy faith upon it Lord hast thou not said that thy Spirit helps our infirmities when we know not what we pray for nor how to pray for any thing as we ought but the Spirit will come now Lord make good this Word of thine to my soul at this time and let me have the breathings of the Spirit of God in me alas the breaths of men if it comes from gifts and parts I know thou wilt never regard it except there be the breathings of the holy Ghost in me in prayer now if you would know whether the Spirit of God doth come in or no you may know it by this the Spirit of God carries unto God and it makes the Prayer sweet and delightful so much of the Spirit of God as is there it comes to the soul in the duty and it leaves a savour behind it a gracious savour is alwaies left behind when the Spirit of God comes to breath O the breath of the Spirit of God is a sweet breath and it makes prayers sweet it never comes into the soul but after it hath done any work it came for it leaves a sweet scent after that the soul finds a sweetness in that prayer now many of you have been in the morning at prayer but I appeal to you what sweet savor of the Spirit of God is left behind certainly if the Spirit hath been there it is like Civit that is put into a little box though you should take out the Civit yet there will be a sweet savor left behind so though the Spirit of God in respect of the present assistance withdraws it self yet it leaves a sweet savor behind The fourth thing is puritie of heart pure hearts and hands in Heb 10 22. Rev. 5. 8. having every one of them harps and golden vials ful of odors which are the prayers of Saints mark the prayers of Saints are odours in golden vials the golden vials I may compare to the heart the hearts of the Saints must be as golden vials and then their prayers will be as odours in 1 Tim. 2. 8. the holy Ghost giving directions how we should pray it is with this qualification I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy handes without wrath and doubting the outward conversation must be pure and the heart pure in Job 22. 26. mark what 's said concerning that holy man there 's a promise made to him for the lifting up of his face to God putting away iniquitie from his Tabernacle that by putting away evil from our Tabernacles and from our hearts we may be able to lift up our hearts with joy to go and that 's the fourth thing puritie of heart and hands The fift thing is in truth when we come to call upon God we must call upon him in truth Psalm 145. 18. vers the Lord is nigh unto all to all that call upon him in truth you will say What is the meaning of that to that I answer First There must be inward dispositions answerable to the expressions as for instance when I come to express the greatness of the Majestie of God then I must have an inward disposition sutable to this expression I must have a fear and reverence of the infinite Majestie of God Secondly When I come to confess my sin to judg my self for my sin there must be an inward disposition sutable to such a confession O how many men and women will come and speak great things against themselves for their sins and judg themselves for their sins and yet there is no such disposition in their hearts sutable to their words you shall have some in praying with others they will be a means to break the hearts of others they will so follow their sin and take such shame and confusion upon themselves for their sin and yet God knows their hearts not stir'd all this while and then they will call upon God for pardon of sin and for power against their sin and yet God knows that their hearts do close with their sin and are loth to part with their sin in the mean time this is falsness of heart when the inward disposition is not answerable to outward expressions I beseech you my brethren consider of the prayers you have made and especially you that pray much with others look what expressions you have made and see whether there be answerable dispositions to the expressions you have made and how that the Lord doth remember every expression that you have made Thirdly We must call upon God in truth that is Conscionably to performe the engagements of prayer prayer puts an engagement upon the heart now those that call upon him in truth are conscionable to perform the engagements as now do I pray for any good thing I am engaged to endeavour in the use of al means for the attaning of the good thing When you confess a sin why you are engaged by that means to endeavour all your might against that sin and when you pray for my grace you are engaged to make use of all means you can for the attaining of that grace and then besides in prayer there is much profession unto God for our sinceritie and uprightness and of our willingness to be at his dispose perform these engagments that thou makest to God in prayer if God should present to us all our professions that We have made to him in prayer and tell us how we have come short of them it would make us be in shame and confusion in our own thoughts Another thing in prayer must be faith pray without doubting as in the former Scripture the prayer of faith prevails much James 1. 6 7. a man that wavereth and doubteth must not think to obtaine any thing of God But I should have opened what that faith is that we should have in prayer we must have faith to beleeve that the thing that we do pleaseth God and faith in Gods promises and faith in Gods providence this should be exercised in the time of our prayers And therefore after we have done to go away beleeving as Hannah in 1 Sam. 1. 18. we read of her that after she had been praying she went away and lookt no more sad the text saith noting that after we have been powring forth our souls to God we should beleeve and exercise faith and not go in as drooping a way as ever we did Object You will say Yea if we knew certainly that God would hear us Answ The way to be assured that God will hear you is by casting your selves upon God
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
God they by their very strugling to prepare themselves many times do ensnare themselves It may be thou hast thoughts of Atheism or other wickedness the very strugling with those thoughts may ensnare thy heart now the better way were to fall upon prayer and to cry to God to help thee against them for while thou art strugling and striving with those thoughts thou art striving with the corruption of thy heart and with the Devil all alone but now when thou fallest to the duty thou callest in the help of God and of Jesus Christ and that is a great deal better while thou art musing plodding and troubling thy heart that way I say thou art strugling alone but now when thou fallest upon the duty then thou callest in help from God and so thou art more able to the performance of the duty than thou wert before And therefore it is the best way to fall upon a duty though thou canst not find thy heart prepared as thou doest desire the very falling upon it will fit thee for it And thus much for the Answer unto those two Cases of Conscience Now then we are to proceed further in the opening of the Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties Thus much for the preparation of the heart But when the heart comes to it in what manner should the duty be performed so as the Name of God may be sanctified in the duty or what is the behavior of the soul in the sanctifying of Gods Name when it is in the very act of the duty To that I answer First in general thus When the soul labors to perform duties so as God may have such glory from the duty aâ— is fit for a God to have in some measure then do I Sanctifie Gods Name You will say this is a very hard thing to perform a duty so as that we should give God the glory that is fit for a God to have Certainly this is not done by every manner of performance of a duty of Worship yet you shall hear this opened to you and I hope you shall have it made very plain before you First therefore I shall shew you that when we are to perform a duty of Worship we should set our selves to glorifie God as a God that is to do it in that manner that God may have that Glory that is fit for a God to have As now in the duty of Praise Psal 66. 2. Make his Praise glorious that is do it so as you may lift up His Name in it and that God may be glorious in your praise And Rom. 1. 21. there the Apostle speaking of the Heathens he doth rebuke them For what It was for this Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful now this is spoken especially of the Worship of God for he saith afterwards ver 23. That they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible men c. So that it 's spoken of the Worship of God that they glorified not God as God That is then to sanctifie Gods Name to glorifie God as God and therefore our Savior in the 4. of John when he spake to the woman of Samaria he tels her that God is a Spirit and must be worshiped in spirit and truth that is we must labor to suit our worship to what therâ— is in God that our worship my be proportionable in some measure even to the nature of God himself And therfore God being a Spirit His Worship must be a Divine Worship I have read of some of the Heathens that dip worship the Sun for a God and they would offer to the Sun something sutable therefore because they did so admire at the swiftness of the motion of the Sun they would not offer a Snail to the Sun but a fâ—ying Horse a Horse with wings now a Horse is one of the swiftest creatures and the strongest creature to continue in motion for a long time together and they added wings to the Horse and they thought that sutable to be a sacrifice for the Sun So when we come to worship God that is to sanctifie His Name we must behave our selves so as to give him the glory that is fit for a God to have As now in those three particulars which I opened to you when I shewed you wherein we draw nigh to God This was one I told you that when we come to worship God we come to tender up some present to God now then we must tender up such a present as is sutable to Gods excellency If a man should come to a poor man to give a present if it were not worthy twelve pence yet it may be taken well but if you were to tender up a present to a Prince a Monarch an Emperor then you must tender a present that is fit for the quality of the preson Therefore in Malachi 1. 8. When the Lord rebukes them for their sacrifices that they were such poor things Go saith God and tender up this to your Governor and see whether he will accept of it or no. So certainly that which may be accepted of by a mean man would be accounted a scorn if you should tender it up to a Prince or an Emperor Now when we come to worship God we must consider that we are to tender up our service to God who is the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords But you will say Is it possible for any creature which comes to tender up its worship to God to tender up that which is fit for a God to have This may rather be a discouragement unto prayer or any other duty of worship than an encouragment To that I answer thus Though we be very poor and mean yet it doth not hinder but we may tender up that to God which God will acknowledg to be sutable to his infinite excellency as First If we tender up to God all that we have Though we be never so poor and mean yet if God hath the strength of our souls God accepts it For we are to know that God doth not stand in need of what we have or of what we do but that we might shew our respect to Him Therefore if we give all that we have God accepts it As a Child if it puts forth all its strength that it hath to do a business which the father bids him whether the business be doue or no the father looks upon it and accepts it as sutable to the childs strength and it shews the respect that the child hath to his father And as it is storied of an Emperor that when a poor man had nothing to offer him but a little water that he had taken up with his hand he having nothing else the Emperor accepts of it So that 's that which God looks for that the Creature should lift him above all If therefore when thou comes to worship God God hath more in thy heart than
ever any creature in the world had God accepts of that and that you must look unto Can you say so when you go to worship God Lord it is true there is much weaknes in my spirit but thou that knowest all things knowest That thou hast more of my heart than ever any creature in the world had This is sutable to God God will account this in the Covenant of Grace to be a present sutable to Himself As in the Law when they offered to the building of the Temple every one could not offer gold and silver and precious stones but some came and offered Badgers-skins and some women did spin and offered Goate-hair to the building of the Temple and so God accepted of that being the most they could do 2. In the second place When we do not only offer unto God the most we can but when we ad to this the grief of our souls that we can do no more when the soul shall strive to the uttermost it can and when it hath done all saith I am an unprofitable servant Oh that I could do more This is sutable to God 3. Thirdly The People of God though they be weak yet the weakest Servant of God is able to offer up to God somewhat that is sutable to the infinite Majesty of God upon this Third Ground because there is a kind of impression of Gods infinitnes in those services that a gracious heart doth tender unto God and therefore sutable unto God You will say God is an Infinite Glorious God Be it so He is Infinit that 's certain but the duty of Worship that a grations heart tenders unto God it hath an impression of Gods infinitness upon it How is that If that can be made out then indeed we may be encouraged to worship God Thus That that a gracious heart tenders up to God hath an impression of His infinitness in this regard because as God hath no limits of His Being so a gracious heart when it comes to worship God will not propound any limits or bounds but in the desires of it would fain be enlarged infinitly if it could If it were possible for a creature to been larged to God infinitly it would be Here lies I conceive the main difference between the most glorious Hypocrite in the world and one that hath true Grace yea that hath but the least degree of grace The most glorious Hypocrite in the world who it may be for the outward act doth more than one that hath true grace yet such a one doth limit himself he doth great things but he doth it so as he limits himself that is so much as may serve for such and such ends of his so much as may serve his turn either to satisfie his Conscience or to get credit and esteem to be accounted eminent in such a way so much he doth do but his duty is alwaies limited within such bounds and if he could conceive that he might go to Heaven and that he might have as much Credit and Honor and as much peace of Conscience with doing less he would do less But now one that hath grace though but little though but the least dram of grace he goes farther Indeed saith he Though through the little grace that I have I cannot do what another can do yet this doth so enlarge my heart that I would have no bounds set in what I do for God but I would have it enlarged to the uttermost latitude if it were possible beyond whatever yet was done for God in the world and the more I do the more I do desire to do That 's now a kind of infinitness that there is in the heart where grace comes I say grace enlarges the heart to a kind of infinitness that the more it doth the more it would do there is no Hypocrite but will have his periods he will rise thus and thus and thus high ordinarily you shall find that if he lives in some company there he is high but if he lives in other company there he is lower Now there is nothing doth limit a gracious heart but to all Eternity it would work and work more and more for God Here now is a Worship that is some way sutable to the infinite Excellency that there is in God Here 's a kind of proportion as I may so speak even between the Creature and God himself in this thing but it is the grace of God in the Creature here is the Image of God indeed because grace doth so enlarge the heart even to an infinitness as it were for God And thus you see in the general what it is to sanctifie Gods Name to tender up to God that which is some way sutable to the glory of the infinite God 2. You know there was a Second thing viz. That then I do sanctifie Gods Name when I come so to Worship God as my heart works and follows after God as a God so as it doth beseem the soul of a Creature to follow the infinite Creator and to work after the inâ—â—nit Creator So David in Psal 63. 5. My soul followeth hard after thee O God and mark it 's a very sweet Scripture thy right hand upholdeth me Those whose hearts follow hard after the Lord they have the right hand of God upholding of them It 's a mighty encouragement to put forth the heart to the uttermost because when 〈…〉 â—o the right hand of God upholds thee so that thy heart must follow after God more than it followed after any creature 3. When I come to draw nigh to God I come to present my self for the CoÌ„munication of the choicest of His Mercies so then I sanctifie Gods Name when I labor to prepare and open my heart for God as for the choicest Mercies that God 〈◊〉 to bestow upon His Creature When there is such a temper of heart that my conscience tels me it is sutable to that that is fit for a soul to have that expects to receive the choicest mercie from God but that we spake too more in the opening of our drawing nigh to God Now we are to come more particularly to this to open the Sanctifying Gods Name First In what particulars the behavior of the heart may be discovered to be sutable to God in respect of Gods greatness and glory Secondly What the behavior of the heart should be as sutable to the several Attributes of God It will cost us some time to open the particular things in the behavior of the heart as in reference to the greatness and Majestie of God considered more generally as in Psalm 48. 1. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised And so in Mal. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing why for I am a great King saith the Lord and therefore cursed is he that doth not offer a sacrifice sutable to my greatness And in 2 Chron. 2. 5. we find
Word a means to convey special mercies 195 Mercy-Seat Mercy-Seat a type of Christ 91 Mind We should pick out Gods mind from dark expressions 14 We come to know the mind of God when we come to hear the Word 163 Mysterie The greatest mysteries of Salvation presented in the Sacrament 228. 255 Mixture Mixture of mans inventions with Gods Ordinances unlawful 266 Mortification Mortification requisite to the sanctifying Gods Name 67 Mouth Faith the mouth of the soul to receive Christ 254 N Name No way to enjoy mercies but by sanctifying Gods Name 105 See Sanctifie Nature Natural Some duties of Worship are natural 261 Christ hath honored humane Nature by taking it 267 Neer Nigh God wil be sanctified in those that come neer him 6 Those that are neerest God should be most careful 22 In worshiping God we should draw nigh to him 26 In what respect we draw nigh to God in worship 27 The Word of the Gospel nigh 211 See Grace Delight Adoption Neglect Several sorts that neglect to sanctifie Gods Name in hearing the Word Page 197 Nourishment The Lords Supper an Ordinance of spiritual nourishment 233 Belevers are nourished to eternal life 269 O Omniscient What we should learn that God is Omniscient 98 Opening Ground of opening the heart to God 98 The heart must be opened to hear the Word 175 Opportunity The happiest opportunity to sanctifie Gods Name is in hearing his Word 200 Ordinance An Ordinance of God what 163 The Word an Ordinance of God to convey good to us 166 Men are not to be forced to Congregations where any of Christs Ordinences are wanting 237 The Lords Supper the great Ordinance appointed to set forth Christs sufferings 348 Own We must bring to God in his service that which is his own 86 P Parts How to know when men are acted by natural parts in Gods worship 87 Passion Passion hinders the right hearing of the Word 179 Wicked men in passion rise against God 180 Peace-offering Difference between Peace-offerings and Burnt-offerings Page 75 Person God accepts the person before he accepts the offering 69 Place The Lord is very terrible out of his holy places 18 God in his essential presence in every place 26 See Holy Plowing Plowing of the fallow ground of the heart what 168 Men may do somwhat toward the plowing of their hearts 169 See Word Potent Familiarity with God makes us potent with him 38 Prayer Prayer a great duty that needs preparation 45 Prayer required in preparation to duties 50 Vnregenerate men cannot sanctifie Gods Name in Prayer 68 We should pray before we hear the word 171 Of sanctifying the Name of God in Prayer 272 Prayer put for the whol Worship of God 273 See Preparation Wandring Praise Gods Worship must not be subjected to the praise of men 73 Preparation Preparation of the soul in the duties of Gods Worship 42 Preparation and sanctification all one 43 Preparation to Gods worship why ib. Preparation five things wherein it consists Page 48 Preparation the excellency of it in seveveral things 52 Those that walk closely with God are in continual Preparation 56 Preparation a special duty of yong beginners ibid Good men grieved for want of preparation 58 Where there is sincerity duties should be done though there want preparation 59 Preparation required in hearing the Word 165 Preparation to be made to prayer 273 See Prayer Great c. Prerogative Gods Prerogative appears most in his Worship 11 No Prerogative can secure from Gods stroke 12 Presence Presence of God even in the godly terrible to wicked men 32 Presence of godly men comfortable 35 To set Gods presence before us in prayer 288 See Guilty Present When we worship God we tender a present to him 63 Sin committed long since to be looked on as present 94 Principle God looks more at the principle of the duty than at the duty 69 Good men look at the principle of the things they enjoy from God 70 Prize To prize those mercies we beg in prayer 275 Prayer to be highly prized 286 Promise Every Ordinance of Christ hath a special promise 248 Publick Those that are in publick place have especially need of the fear of God Page 13 Pure We must lift up pure hands in prayer 292 Q Questions Two questions God will ask his Worshipers 87 Quick God is quick in way of judgment with some 17 The Word of God is quick in working 196 Quiet The best way to quiet the heart in affliction 25 R Ready What will make the heart ready for duty 54 Readiness to hear the Word wherein it consists 166 Reading Reading not to be prefer'd before hearing 167 Reprobation Not to sanctifie Gods Name in hearing the Word a sign of reprobation 202 Two fearful signs of reprobation 203 Resign In Gods Worship we must resign all to God 90 Resolution We must hear the Word with resolution to yield to it 170 Resolution against wandring thoughts in prayer 287 S Sabbath Sabbath see Strength Sacrament Sacrament the meaning of the word Page 225 Sacrament a part of Gods Worship 226 We must sanctifie Gods Name in receiving the Sacrament 229 Vnworthy receiving the Sacrament severely threatned 228 How we sanctifie Gods Name in receiving the Sacrament 291 Whether Judas received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 238 Safety Safety wherein it consists 38 Salt Salt of the Sacrifice what it signifieth 67 Sanctifie Sanctifie what it signifieth 5 Gods Name sanctified two waies ibid Gods Name to be sanctified when we draw nigh to him 42 How Gods Name is sanctified in drawing nigh to him ibid How duties must be performed that Gods Name may be sanctified 62 The heart must be sanctified in regard of Gods greatness 67 Sanctification the parts of it ibid Sanctification of the heart double 68 Sanctifying of Gods Name the only way to sit us for mercies 105 Exhortation to sanctifie Gods Name 113 Nothing sanctified to them that do not sanctifie God in his Word 203 See Sacrament Satisfied Natural consciences is satisfied with a little duty 90 See Sin Schism No schism to depart from a Church that hath not al Christs Ordinances 243 Schism what Difference between Schism and Apostasie Page ib. Secret Men acted by natural parts are not enlarged in secret 88 See The Sacrament so to be delivered as all may see what is done 262 Self Self not to be our end in our duties 74 Where self is the highest end God regards not the duties 75 Service Hearing the Word is Divine Service 164 Shadow Shadow of Gods wing what 30 Shift Of those that shift off the Word closely applied 199 Silence Silence what 7 Sin The committing of one sin prepares for another 60 No salvation without satisfying for sin 108 The heart must be purged from sin to receive the Sacrament 249 Motives in the Sacrament to abhor sin 250 Sin the great evil of it 269 Singing Singing Psalms in the time of the Sacrament unfit 265 Singing after the Sacrament requisite 266