suitable to the Divine Nature then are our Minds duly qualified and prepared to perform that Spiritual Worship which God is best pleas'd with and takes most delight in John 4.24 For God is a Spirit and will be worshipp'd in Spirit and in Truth And therefore 't is no wonder that of so many who frequent the Publick Worship of God so few reap Benefit by it because the Generality of Worshippers render themselves uncapable of receiving those Blessings which God offers them in his Holy Ordinances They come into God's Courts carelesly and negligently without a due Sence of the importance of those Duties they are going to perform their Minds are full of vain worldly and sinful Thoughts polluted with carnal Desires and Affections and then no wonder that they take so little delight in the Service of God and reap no more Benefit by it 2. If we would worship God in the Beauty of Holiness we must comport our selves after such a manner as is sutable to the Duty we are about and express the Zeal and Fervency of our Souls by becoming and expressive Gestures of our Bodies Did we consider That the place we tread is holy ground Exod. 3.5 that God and his Holy Angels look down upon us and behold us the House of God would strike a greater Awe and Reverence on our Minds than the Throne of any temporal Prince which will not fail of exacting from us the worship of our Bodies Gen. 28.17 How dreadful is this place says Jacob This is no other but the House of God this is the gate of Heaven A due Sense also of the importance of the Business we are about would have the same Effect for were we begging of God some temporal Blessing which we might well be without indifferency in our Behaviour would better become us but when the eternal Welfare of our Souls lies at stake when we are Candidates for an everlasting Inheritance we cannot be too earnest we cannot be too Devout had we a thousand hands and a thousand tongues they might all of them be employ'd to express the Devotion of our Souls and the Fervency of our Affections 'T is not a bare joyning in the Prayers of the Church a repeating the Responses and putting our selves in that Posture the Rubrick enjoyns 't is not the avoiding the Indecencies of a prophane or clownish Worshipper I am now pleading for this the Custom of the place good Manners and gentile Education will exact from us But that we go farther and by the Humility Gravity and Composedness of our Behaviour stir up Holy Affections in our own Minds and encourage others to imitate our Example Lastly the Beauty of Holiness doth also consist in the Decency and Solemnity of those Circumstances which Accompany our Worship Which tho' they consist of Rites and Ceremonies in their own Nature indifferent yet are ordain'd to an excellent end and are of admirable use for the promoting Devotion and Uniformity in the Service of God The Generality of Mankind are very much influenc'd by the shews and appearances of things and whatsoever is pleasing to the Eye has an easier Admission and makes a deeper Impression on the Mind And therefore it has been the Care of Holy and Devout Christians in all Ages of the World when Religion had the Countenance of Publick Authority and was in a flourishing Condition to build Churches for the Publick Worship of God to keep them in good Repair to furnish them with such Ornaments that the Worship of God may be perform'd orderly decently and solemnly and appear regular and beautiful in the Eyes of the Beholders and hereby raise up in their Minds awful and reverent Thoughts of that God who is there worshipped For 't is a Sign that Religion is vile and cheap in the Eyes of those Men who as the Prophet speaks can suffer the house of the Lord to lie wast whilst they dwell in ceiled roofs They spare no Cost to raise beautifie and adorn their own Houses They ceile them with Cedar Jer. 22.14 and paint them with Vermilion and yet will not contribute the least Mite to the Service of the Temple Quorsum perditio haec is their usual demand To what end is all this Cost and Charges were it not better that all this Money was spar'd and given to the Poor To whom I answer in the words of a Learned Knight which probably will give better Satisfaction Sir Edwin Sands in his Speculum Europae than if spoken from the mouth of a Clergy-man Tho' the Ornaments says he of such places as are Dedicated to God's Service ought to be rather Grave than Pompous yet it could never sink into my Heart to imagine that the allowance for furnishing them out should be measur'd by the Scanty Rule of meer Necessity a Proportion so low that Nature it self has gone beyond it even in the most ignoble Creature or that God has enrich'd this lower World with such wonderful Variety of things Beautiful and Glorious that they might serve only for the pampering mortal Man in his Pride and that to the immediate Service of the great Creator Lord and Giver of them only baser cheaper and less Beautiful things ought to be employ'd Especially seeing that as in Princes Courts so in the Service of God this outward State and Glory being well dispos'd doth beget encrease quicken and nourish the inward Reverence and respectful Devotion which is due to so Sovereign a Majesty Thus this truly Pious and Devout as well as excellently Learned Person To whom Assents the voice of all Antiquity 't is well known what Care was taken that the Tabernacle of Moses should be as rich and as Beautiful as Art could make it in what Glory Splendour and Beauty the Temple of Solomon was built how desirous David was to have been the Founder of it But since that Honour was reserv'd for his Son Solomon he made it his business to provide Materials and tells us Moreover because I have set my Affection to the house of my God 1 Chron. 29.3 I have of my own proper Goods of gold and silver which I have given to the house of my God over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house even three thousand talents of gold of Ophir and seven thousand talents of refin'd silver And when this House was destroy'd a second Temple was built which tho' much inferour to the former yet for Beauty and Magnificency was the wonder of the whole World And thus 't was not only under the Law but from the first planting of Christianity as soon as ever the Christian Religion was tolerated by the Civil Magistrate their great Care was to build Churches for the more Decent and Solemn Worship of God And when those Churches which were overthrown in the Dioclesian Persecution were re-edified adorn'd and Beautified under Maximinus The Historian tells us Euseb lib. 10. cap. 2. That the Hearts of all Men were fill'd with a
dii Charior est illis homo quam sibi Which is as much as to say Commit thy self and all thy Concerns to Divine Providence let him determine what is most convenient for thee what is most requisite in the Course of thy Affairs for God loves Man better than Man loves himself and doth him good oftentimes against his Will and though he denies him those things which are grateful and acceptable to his fleshly Appetites and Desires to his carnal Lusts and inordinate Passions yet he gives him other Blessings which are more wholsome and more profitable to him Thus a careful Physician prescribes safe and beneficial though unpalatable Medicines to his diseas'd Patient and thus God deals with Mankind mercifully and bountifully and frequently denies his Requests and Prayers out of Kindness to him that he may furnish him with those things which are more safe and more convenient for him This is an useful Lesson and to be learn'd from St. Paul's Experience as 't is contain'd in the Text and the two preceding Verses Least says he I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of Revelation there was given unto me a thorn in the Flesh the Messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me And he said unto me my Grace is sufficient for thee So that the words of the Text are an Answer to St. Paul's Prayer wherein God instead of delivering him from the buffeting of Satan which was the thing he pray'd for Promises to give him his Grace to endure it which would be far more commodious and advantageous to him My Grace is sufficient for thee That I may Discourse with the greater Profit upon these words I shall consider I. What it is which God Promises His Grace II. The measure and proportion of it Such as should be sufficient III. The Person to whom it was promis'd to the Apostle St. Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee As if God should have said thus unto him I will not answer thy Requests in exempting thee from thy manifold Troubles and Afflictions but least thou shouldest be opprest by them I will give thee what is more expedient for thee to wit my Grace which is sufficient for thee 1. What it is which God Promises viz. his Grace Which taken in the general denotes the Power and Efficacy of the Holy Spirit renewing the Soul to the Image of God and continually strengthning and guiding it in Obedience to his Will Now from the same Spirit proceeds Diversity of Grace there is Gratia gratis data or the miraculous Unction of the Holy Ghost whereby to one is given the Gift of Miracles to another speaking with Tongues to a third Prophecying but this is not the Grace meant in the Text 1 Cor. 10.12 for this was communicated to wicked as well as to good Men to Balaâ—â— and Saul and Caiphas and Judas as well as to the rest of the Apostles this was the occasion of tempting St. Paul to the Sin of Pride of which he speaks in the Verses before the Text. And those excellent Gifts and Endowments with which this Apostle was furnish'd tended to puff him up and expos'd him to the Buffettings and Temptations of the Devil But that Grace which upheld and strengthned him and was sufficient for him was what the School-men call Gratia gratum faciens or the Grace of Life Such as are all the saving Gifts and Graces of the Spirit which are wrought by his Help and Assistance in the hearts of Believers such as Faith Hope Charity Purity Humility and all other gracious Habits of the Mind which the Apostle calls the fruit of the Spirit and wherein the Image of God the Power of Godliness and the Spirit of Christianity do truly consist Eph. 1.6 This is that Grace which renders us acceptable unto God and is in effect eternal Life unto us This is that Grace which is best describ'd by its Effects Rom. 6.23 Which illuminates our Vnderstandings teaches us those things we know not 1 Joh. 2.27 and brings us to the Knowledge of the Truth this renews the Image of God in our Souls governs our perverse Wills and Affections Counsels and Actions God's holy Spirit leading guiding and directing us in all our ways Rom. 8.14 this unites us unto Christ our Head Comforts us in all our Affliction and Distress whether of Body or Soul and therefore the holy Spirit is call'd the Comforter Joh. 15.26 Psal 45.8 and the Oyl of Gladness And lastly It helps us in all our Streights and Supports us in times of the greatest Distress and Extremity it keeps us from despairing of God's Mercy when we consider our manifold Sins and Transgressions or from questioning his Providence because of our Miseries and from back-sliding and falling off from Christ for fear of Danger or any other worldly Respects In short it enables us to do all things Phil. 4.13 which God requires of us through Christ that strengthens us Which brings me to the 2. Observable in the Text. The measure and proportion of this Grace 't is such as is sufficient to enable us to undergo whatsoever God shall please to lay upon us My Grace is sufficient for thee 1 Thes 5.23 For since that God who gives this Grace is in himself All-sufficient therefore there is no question but that the Assistance which he affords will be sufficient to bring about those Ends for which he gave it God's Grace sanctifies all the Faculties of our Souls all the Powers of our Body it is sufficient in every State and Condition of Life it cheers us in Adversity it restrains us in Prosperity not suffering us either to be puft up with the one or to droop under the Burthen of the other It is a sufficient Remedy against all Temptations and fortifies our Souls against all sorts of Batteries Eph. 6.12 When we are afflicted it tells us That our Sufferings here are not worthy to be compar'd with that eternal weight of Glory Rom. 8.18 which shall be reveal'd in us or if we abound in Blessings or in Gifts natural or supernatural it tells us from whence they came and to what end they were bestowed upon us that we must not hide these Talents in a Napkin or abuse the Grace of God unto Wantonness but promote as much as in us lies the Glory of God the good of our Neighbour and the eternal Welfare of our own Souls Tho' we offer up our Prayers to God without present Returns or apparent Success it tells us That God forbears to give us those good things we ask for that he may try our Patience and Perseverance and since he doth not see it expedient to grant them therefore 't is our Duty to wait the Determination of his good Pleasure Again God's Grace is sufficient for all Persons our heavenly Father is so merciful that he shines
in the neglect of God's Worship in private and too many there are who feel little or no Remorse in the Omission of their Closet Devotions but who can behold the Pious and Devout Soul prostrate before God repeating the Prayers of the Church with Fervency and Devotion and a Congregation united together both in Heart and Voice but he must needs be affected with it Psal 39.3 While he thus muses the Fire will kindle in his breast and he cannot forbear speaking with his tongue the Praises of God How often have prophane and wicked Wretches who came to the Publick Worship of God either out of Fashion or Custom to look and gaze about them or on some worse Design been touch'd by a Coal from the Altar how often have their Hearts glow'd within them and they have taken up serious and Solemn Resolutions of serving and worshipping God better for the future And I am perswaded were but these good Resolutions seconded did not Men divert those good Thoughts and put them out of their Minds by Business or Pleasure they would not fail of having a lasting influence on their Lives and Conversations Innumerable are the Benefits which we receive by joyning together in the Publick Offices of Religion which every Pious and Devout Person is sensible of tho' 't is a Difficult matter to form in others a sutable Notion or Idea of them Who can declare the wonderful Blessings which God bestows on all such as delight in his Sanctuary Here are those living waters which allay the Thirst after sensual Enjoyments that Bread which is the natural Food and Nourishment of our Souls By by these Ordinances our Faith is strengthned our Hope confirm'd our Charity enlarg'd our Devotions render'd more fervent and by the Force of our united Prayers we take even Heaven it self God pours out a double Portion of his Holy Spirit upon such as frequent his Ordinances Matth. 18.20 and our Saviour Christ has promis'd that when two or three are gathered together he will be in the midst of them Who then would omit one opportunity of serving God in Publick who would neglect to joyn himself to the Congregation of God's People one Lord's Day when he knows not but he loses that Season of Grace which would be most beneficial to his immortal Soul Let us therefore neglect no opportunity of serving God for we know not when the Spirit of God will work most powerfully on our Hearts The poor impotent Man had lain a long while at the Pool of Bethesda and yet had he been absent but that one time when our Saviour came thither 't is highly probable he had never been cur'd And therefore let no excuse Serve let no Business divert us from making our constant Approaches unto God's Altar For the Spirit blows when as well as where it listeth and we must blame our selves if thro' our own neglect we lose the Benefit of his Operations Some indeed pretend that tho they are not so frequent at the Church yet they make it up in their Closets but God will not thus be compounded with Our private Devotions are unquestionably our Duty our particular Wants call for our private Prayers and our particular Mercies for our private Thanksgivings but we shall not reap any Benefit by them when they occasion the neglect of our Duty in Publick When two Duties stand in Competition one with another we ought to apply our Minds to that Duty whereby most Glory will accrue to God most Benefit to our Neighbour and which will best serve to promote the good of our own Souls And since all these Ends are best obtain'd by the Publick Worship of God 't is but reasonable that our Private Devotions should give place to it And yet there is no necessity that either of them should be neglected every good Christian will find convenient Times and Opportunities for both of them But when there is a necessity that one of them should be omitted we may assure our selves God will be best pleas'd when we make the most Publick Acknowledgments of his Goodness and joyn together to implore his Mercy These are some few of those many Obligations which ought to prevail with us to give a constant Attendance on the Publick Worship of God I proceed to shew II. That this Worship ought to be perform'd in the most solemn and decent manner imaginable in that Beauty of Holiness which becomes every devout Worshipper and which the Text requires of us That we may understand the full import of this Expression it will be useful to consider that the words in the Original are differently render'd by Interpreters Some will have them translated in ornatu Sanctitatis and then they denote that true Faith and those Holy Affections of Soul with which every devout Worshipper ought to approach the Throne of God Others chuse rather to render them cum decenti Sanctimonio which more plainly denotes That Reverence and Decency of Behaviour which certainly becomes every one who speaks to the great Creator and Governour of the World The Septuagint following the literal Sence of the Words reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with reference to the Place in which God was worship'd amongst the Jews denoting to us that the fittest Place for the Publick Worship of God is that which is Consecrated and Dedicated to that Purpose That God will afford his more immediate Presence in that Place Ezra 6.12 In which he has chosen to set his Name and will there dispence to us the larger Effusions of his Grace For tho' God is present at all Times and in all Places and hearkens even to the Sighs of the Prisoner who lies in the deepest Dungeon Yet the Church is as it were his Throne from whence he gives Publick Audience where we have most reason to expect a speedy Answer to our Petitions And therefore the Psalmist so often repeats that Exhortation of comming and appearing before God in his Courts And Strength and Beauty are in his Sanctuary The 6th and 8th Verses of this Psalm I shall take in all these different Versions and then they will give us the meaning of worshipping God in the Beauty of Holiness in its utmost Latitude Which consists in these three things I. In the good Disposition of our Souls II. In the becoming and suitable Behaviour of our Bodies III. In the Decency and Solemnity of those Circumstances which attend our Worship 1. The Beauty of Holiness consists in the good Disposition of our Souls when our Understandings are fill'd with gloriour Ideas of God's Power Majesty and Goodness our Wills resign'd to his Divine Will and our Affections drawn out after him when the Consideration of his Majesty produces an Holy Awe and Reverence in our Souls his Truth and Fidelity Trust and Reliance on him his Goodness Gratitude and Thankfulness for his Mercies Love and Charity towards all Men in short when the Contemplation on God's glorious Attributes begets in our Souls Affections