the Lord a living and self-being Spirit Then must he not have Worshippers Beasts are not created for it it is you O sons of men whom he made for his own praise and it is not more suteable to your nature than it is honourable and glorious This is the great dignity and excellency you are priviledged with beyond the brute beasts to have spirits within you capable of knowing and acknowledging the God of your spirits Why then do you both rob and spoil God of his glory and cast away your own excellency Why do you love to trample on your ornaments and wallow in the puddle like beasts void of Religion but so much worse then beasts that you ought to be better were created for a more noble design O base spirited wretches who hang down your souls to this earth and follow the dictates of your own sense and lust have not so much as an externall form of worshipping God How farre are you come short of the noble design of your Creation the high end of your Immortall souls If you will not worship God know he will have Worshippers certainly he will not want it because he hath designed so many souls to stand before him and worship him and that number will not fail He might indeed have wanted worshippers For what advantage is it to him But in this he declares his love and respect to man that he will not want honour and service from him it is rather to put honour upon him and to make him blessed and happy than for any gain can amount to himself by it for this is indeed the true honour and happinesse of man not to be worshipped and served of other fellow-creatures but to worship and serve the Creator This is the highest advancement of a soul to lye low before him and to obey him have our service accepted of his Majesty I beseech you strive about this noble service Since he must have Worshippers O say within your souls I must be one if he had but one I could not be content if I were not that one since the Father is seeking Worshippers ver 23. O let him find thee Offer thy self to him saying Lord here am I Should he seek you who can have no advantage from you Should he go about so earnest a search for true VVorshipers who can have no profite by them And why do ye not seek him since since to you all the gain profite redounds Shall be seek you to make you happy and why do ye not seek him and happinesse in him It is your own service I may truly say and not his so much for in serving him thou dost rather serve thy self for all the benefit redounds to thy self thogh thou must not intend such an end to serve him for thy self but for thy names sake else thou shalt neither honour him nor advantage thy self I pray you let him not seek in vain for in these afflictions he is seeking Worshippers and if he find you you are found saved indeed Do not then forsake your own mercy to run from him who follows you with Salvation As none can be ignorant that God is and must be worshipped so it is unknown to the world in what manner he must be worshipped the most part of men have some form in worshipping God please themselves in it so well that they think God well-pleased with it but few there are who know indeed what it is to worship him in a manner acceptable to his Majestie Now you know it is all one not to worship him at all as not to worship him in that way he likes to be worshipped Therefore the most part of men are but self-worshippers because they please none but themselves in it it is not the worship his soul hath chosen but their own invention for you must take this as an undeniable ground that God must be worshipped according to his own will and pleasure not according to you◅ humour or invention therefore his soul abhorres will-worship devised by men out of ignorant zeal or superstition though there might seem much devotion in it much affection to God as in the Israelits sacrificing their childrē whatmore seem ing self-denyal And yet what more real self-idolatry God owns not such a service for it is not service obedience to his will and pleasure but to mens own will and humour therefore a man must not look for a reward but from himself Now it is not only will-will-worship when the matter and substance of the worship is not commanded of God but also when a commanded worship is not discharged in the appointed manner Therefore O how few true worshippers will the Father find True worship must have Truth for the substance and spirit for the manner of it else it is not such a worship as the father seeks will be pleased with divine worship must have truth in it that is plain but what was that truth it must be conformed to the rule pattern of worship which is Gods will pleasure revealed in the word of truth true worship is the very practise of the word of truth it caries the Image and superscription and command upon it which is a necessary ingredient in it and constituent of it Therefore if thy service have the Image of thy own will stamped on it it is not divine worship but will-worship Thus all humane ceremonies and ordinances enjoyned for service of God carry the inscription not of God but of man who is the author and original of them so are but adulterated and false Coyn that will not passe current with God I fear there be many rites and vain customes among ignorant people in which they place some Religion which have no ground in the word of God but are only old wives fables and traditions How many things of that nature are used upon a religious account in which God hath placed no Religion Many have a superstitious conceit of the publick place of worship as if there were more holinesse in it than in any other house so they think their Prayers in the Church are more acceptable then in their Chamber But Christ refutes that superstitious opinion of places so consequently of dayes meats and all such externall things The Jews had a great opinion of their temple the Samaritans of their mountain as if these places had sanctified their services But saith our Lord vers 21. The hour cometh when yee shall neither worship in this mountain c. but it s any where acceptable if so be ye worship in spirit and truth Many of you account it Religion to pray mutter words of your own in the time of publick prayer but who hath required this at your hand If you would pray your selves go apart shut the door behind thee saith Christ private prayer should be in private and secret But when publick prayer is your hearts should close with the petitions and offer them up
crosse thy corruptions and evidence the stamp of God on thy affections the more divine it is And therefore to serve God in these is to serve him in truth Practice hath more of truth in it then a profession When your Fathers executed judgement was not this to know me Duties that have more opposition from our natures against them and lesse sewel or oyl to feed the flame of our self love and corruption have more truth in them and if you should worship God in all other duties and not especially in those you do not worship him in truth Next let us consider the manner of Divine Worship And this is as needfull to true Worship as true matter that it be commanded and done as it is commanded that compleats true worship Now I know no better way or manner to worship God in than so to worship him as our worship may carry the stamp of his Image upon it as it may be a glasse wherein we may behold Gods Nature and Properties For such as himself is such he would be acknowledged to be I would think it were true worship indeed which had engraven on it the Name of the true living God if it did speak out so much of it self That God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him diligently Most part of our service speaks an unknown God carries such an inscription upon it To the unknown God There is so little either reverence or love or fear or knowledge in it as if we did not worship the true God but an Idoll It is said that the fool sayes in his heart that there is no God because his thoughts and affections and actions are so little composed to the fear and likenesse of that God as if he did indeed plainly deny him I fear it may be said thus of our Worship It sayes There is no God it is of such a nature that none could conclude from it that it had any relation to the true God our prayers denie God because there is nothing of God appears in them But this is true worship when it renders back to God his own Image and Name Unde repercussus redditur ipse sibi As it is a poor clean Fountain in which a man may see his shaddow distinctlie but a troubled fountain or myre in which he cannot be hold himself So it is pure worship which receives and reflects the pure Image of God but impure and unclean worship which cannot receive it and retain it I pray you Christians consider this for it is such Worshippers the Father seeks and why seeks he such But because in them he finds himself so to speak His own I mage and superscription is upon them His mercy isengraven on their faith confidence His Majestie power is stamped on their humility and reverence His goodnesse is to be read on the souls rejoicing His Greatnesse and Justice in the souls trembling Thus there ought to be some engravings on the soul answering the Characters of his glorious Name O how little of this is among them that desire to know something of God How little true Worship even among them whom the Father hath sought out to make true Worshippers But alas How are all of us unacquainted with this kind of Worship We stay upon the first principles practices of Religion and go not on to build upon the foundation Sometimes your Worship hath a stamp of Gods holinesse and justice in fear terrour at such a Majesty which makes you to tremble before him But where is the stamp of his mercy grace which should be written in your faith and rejoycing Tremble and fear indeed but rejoyce with trembling because there is mercy with him Sometime their is rejoycing and quietnesse in the soul but that quickly degenerates into carnal confidence makes the soul turn grace into wantonness and esteem of it self above what is right because it is not counterpoised with the sense and apprehension of his holinesse and justice But O to have these joyntly written on the heart in worship fear reverence confidence humility and faith That is a rare thing it is a divine composition and temper of spirit that makes a divine soul For the most part our Worship savours and smels nothing of God neither his power nor his mercy and grace nor his holinesse and justice nor his majesty and glory a secure saint formal way void of reverence of humility of servency and of faith I beseech you let us consider as before the Lord how much pains and time we lose and please none but our selves profit none at all Stir up your selves as in his sight for it is the keeping of our souls continually as in his sight which will stamp our service with his likenesse The fixed and constant meditation of God and his glorious properties this will beget the resemblance between our worship and the God whom we worship and it will imprint his Image upon it then it should please him then it should profit thee and then it should edifie others But more particularly The Worship must have the stamp of Gods spiritual Nature and be conformed to it in some measure else it cannot please him There must be a conformity between God and souls this is the great end of the Gospel to repair that Image of God which was once upon man and make him like God again Now it is the way that Jesus Christ repairs this Image brings about this conformity with God by the souls worshipping of God sutable to his Nature it is the more and more like God and happy in that likenesse Now God is a Spirit therefore saith Christ you must worship him in spirit truth The worship then of Saints must be of a spiritual nature that it may be like the immortal divine Spirit It is such Worshippers the Father seeks he seeks souls to make them like himself and this likenesse and conformity to God is the very foundation of the souls happinesse and eternall refreshment This is a point of great consequence I fear not laid to heart The Worship must be like the Worshipped It is a Spirit must Worship the Eternal Spirit it is not a body that can be the principle and chief Agent in the businesse What Communion can God have with your bodies while your souls are removed far from him more than with beasts All society and fellowship must be between those that are like one another A man can have no comfortable company with Beasts or with Stones and Trees It is men that can converse with men and a Spirit must worship the self-being-spirit Do not mistake this as if under the dayes of the Gospel we were not called to an external and bodily Worship to any service to which our outward man is instrumentall this is one of the deep delusions of this Age into which some men reprobate 〈◊〉 the Faith hath fallen That there should be no externall
Ordinances but that Christians are now called to worship all Spirit pure Spirit c. This is one of the Spirits spiritual Doctrines that call themselves so which ye must not receive for it is neither spirit of God nor of Christ that teacheth this nor the spirit of God the Creator because he hath made the whole man body and soul and so must be worshipped of the whole man He hath created man in such a capacity as he may offer up external actions in a reasonable manner with the inward affections as the Lord hath created him so he should serve him every member every part in its own capacity the soul to preceed and the body to follow the soul to be the chief worshipper and the body its servant imployed in the worship True worship hath a body and a soul as well as a true man and as the soul separated is not a compleat man so neither is the soul separated a compleat worshipper without the body the external Ordinances of God is the body the inward soul-affection is the Spirit which being joyned together makes compleat worship Neither is it the Spirit of Christ which teacheth this because our Lord Jesus hath taught us to offer up our bodies and spirits both in a reasonable service Rom. 12. 1 2. The sacrifice of the bodily performance offered up by the spiritual affection and renewed mind is a living sacrifice holy acceptable and reasonable That spirit which dwelt in Christ above measure did not think it too base to vent it self in the way of externall Ordinances He was indeed above all above the Law yet did willingly come under them to teach us who have so much need and want to come under them He prayed much he preached he did sing and read to teach us how to worship and how much need we have of Prayer and Preaching This was not the Spirit Christ promised to his Disciples and Apostles which spirit did breath most lively in the use of the external Ordinances all their dayes and this is not the spirit which was at the hour in which Christ spoke The hour is come and now is ver 23. in which the true worship of God shal not be in the external and Jewish Ceremonies and rites void of all life and inward sense of Piety but the true worship of God shal be made up of a soul and body of spirit and truth of the external appointed Ordinances according to the word of truth and the spirit of truth and of the spirit and inward soul-affection and sincerity which shal quicken and actuate that external performance There were no such worshippers then as had no use of Ordinances Christ was not such his Disciples were not such therefore it is a new Gospel which if an Angel should bring from heaven ye ought not to receive it As it is certain then that both soul and body must be imployed in this businesse so it is sure that the soul spirit must be the first mover and chiefest agent in it because it is a spiritual businesse and hath relation to the fountain-spirit which hath the most perfect opposition to all false appearances and externall shews that part of man that commeth nearest God must draw near in worshipping of God if that be removed far away there is no real communion with God man judges according to the outward appearance and can reach no further than the outward man but God is an all-searching spirit who tryeth the heart and rins and therefore he will passe another judgement upon your worship then men can do because he observes all the secret wandrings and escapes of the heart out of his sight he misses the soul when you present attentive ears or eloquent tongues there is no dallying with his Majesty painting will not deceive him his very Nature is contrary to Hypocrisie dissimulation and what is it but dissimulation when you present your selves to Religious exercises as his people but within are nothing like it nothing awaking nothing present O consider my beloved what a one you have to do with It is not men but the Father of Spirits who will not be pleased with what pleases men of your own flesh but must have a spirit to serve him Alas what are we doing with such empty names and shews in Religion Busied in the outside of worship only as if we had none to do with but men who have eyes of flesh all that we do in this kind is lost labour and will never be reckoned up in the account of true worship I am sure you know and may reflect upon your selves that you make Religion but a matter of outward fashion and externall custome you have never almost taken to heart in earnest you may frequent the Ordinances you may have a form of godlinesse consisting in some outward performances priviledges and O! how void and destitute of all Spirit and Life and Power not to speak of the removall of affection and the imploying of the marrow of your soul upon base lusts and creatures or the scattering of your desires abroad amongst them for that is too palpable but even your very thoughts mindâ—… are removed from this busines you have nothing present but an ear or eye your minds is about other businesse your desires your fears your joyes and delights your affections never did run in the channel of religious exercises all your passion is vented in other things but here you are blockish stupid without any sensible apprehension of God his mercy or Justice or wrath or of your own misery and want You sorrow in other things but none here none for sin you joy for other things but none here you cannot rejoyce at the Gospel Prayer is a burthen not a delight if your spiriâ—…s were chiefly imployed in Religious duties Religion would be almost your Element your pleasure and Recreation but now it is wearisome to the flesh because the Spirit taketh not the chief weight upon it Oh be not deceived God is not mocked you do but mock your selves with external showes while you are satisfied with them I beseech you look inwardly and be not satisfied with the outward appearance but ask at thy Soul where it is and how it is Retire within and bring up thy spirit to this work I am sure you may observe that any thing goes more smoothly and sweetly with you then the Worship of God because your mind is more upon any thing else I fear the most part of us who endeavour to some measure to seek God have too much drosse of outward formality much scumof filthy hypocrisie and guile O pray that the present furnace may purge away this scum It is the great ground of Gods present controversie with Scotland but alas the Bellows are like to burn we not be purged our scum goes not from us we satisfie our selves with some outward exercises of Religion custome undoes us all it was never more
knowledge and omniscience p. 128. SERMON XI Joh. 4. 26. The true knowledge that God is and that he is to be worshipped goes together HOw inexcusable they are who profess to believe a Diety do not worship him p. 129 It is the souls honour and happiness to worship God p. 130 It 's all one not to worship God at all and not to worship him as he hath commanded p. 131 What will-worship and what true worship is p. 132 The most part of worship though commanded hath no truth in it p. 133 Truth in worship is opposed to Ceremony p. 134 Many place all their Religion in externalls p. 135 Men ought to be most taken up with that in Religion upon which God layes most weight and wherein he is most delighted p. 136 It compleats our worship when the thing commanded is performed according as it is commanded p. 137 What is the right manner in worshipping God p. 138 The best litle acquainted with spiritual worship p. 139 True worship must have the stamp of Gods spiritual nature engraven on it p. 140 External worship necessary under the Gospel p. 141 The soul and spirit must be the first mover and chief agent in spiritual worship p. 142 The greatest part of our Religion is bodily exercise ibid. What makes Religion burdensome and unpleasant to us p. 143 Formality in worship the greatest controversie against the land ibid. SERMON XII Deut. 6. 4. 1 Joh. 5. 7. Of the Unity of Gods essence and the Trinity of Persons GOdliness and Mystery p. 144 There is an unlawfull curiosity in men to know those things that are kept secret p. 145 We are to believe the mystery of the Trinity though we know not how it is p. 146 The light of reason may convince men that there is but one God p. 147 Why Christ is called the Word p. 148 149 Of the three Witnesses upon earth p. 150 SERMON XIII Deut. 6. 4. Joh. 5. 7. Of the Unity of the God-head and Trinity of Persons THe whole Word of God profitable ibid. The unsearchableness of this mystery of the Trinity ought to compose our hearts to a reverend apprehension of Gods divine Majesty p. 151 Since there is but one God we ought to have no other besides him p. 152 153 We have much and strong consolation both from the thing witnessed and from the Witnesses that bear testimony p. 154 155 Faiths victory is from the object of it the Lord God Almighty p. 156 Few consider that Jesus Christ the Saviour is the Eternall Son of God and the sad consequences thereof p. 157 We are ready so far to mis-conceive of God as if the Father and the holy Ghost were not so well minded to the Salvation of sinners as Jesus Christ. p. 158 The mystery of the Trinity affords us this plain instruction how me ought to worship God p. 159 SERMON XIV Eccles. 1. 11. Job 23. 13. Of the Decrees of God GODS absolute self-sufficient perfection admits of no accession of blessedness from the things which he hath made p. 160 The Eternal purpose and Decree of God it it most wise p. 161 It is most absolute and free having no cause without himself p 162 It is the first rise of all things past present to come p. 163 It reaches to every particular being and act so that nothing falls out by chance p. 164 165 The purpose of God is one and unchangeable p. 166 167 How we are to understand those Scriptures which speak of his repenting p. 168 169 Whatever God hath purposed from Eternity that he executes in time p. 170 Gods commands do not so much signifie what he intends to effectuate as what is our duty ibid. How comfortable it is for a Christian to consider that whatsoever falls out is according to an Eternall Counsel p. 171 The Counsel of God irresistible p. 172 The consideration of Gods Eternal Counsel should teach us that sweet Lesson of submission wherein we are so much wanting and so unwilling to learn p. 173 Want of submission makes a mans yoke heavy and his bands strong p. 174 From the absolute Dominion of God over all things we are to learn confidence in him in all things and for all things p. 175 176 Who are heirs of the promise p. 177 It is a well-spring and fountain of consolation to the people of God that he is in one mind p. 178 SERMON XV. Eph. 1. 11. Rom. 9. 22 23. Of Predestination PRedestination a Mystery not to be curiously or boldly enquired into p. 179 For the right up-taking of Predestination we must know that there is not a plurality of purposes in God but one intire purpose concerning all things p. 180 As also that it is not the creature or any thing in the creature which is first in his mind but himself and his own glory p. 181 How men miscarry in conceiving of the purposes of God while they subject the most High to the Rules of Carnall Reason where of the Arminian fore-knowledge and how it derogates both from the Soveraignty of God and the wisdome of God ib. p. 182 Some make that first in his intention which is last in execution p. 183 184 185 186 187 Gods saving the vessels of mercy by a Redeemer is not simply to manifest the glory of his goodness but of his gracious and mercifull goodness p. 188 189 190 SERMON XVI Rom. 9. 22. Eccles. 11. Of Predestination HOw to silence all the secret surmises and mutinies of the heart concerning Predestination p. 191 192 How great wickedness it is to enquire into a cause of his will ibid. Men speak wickedly for God in the matter of Predestination p. 193 194 195 The Objections of Carnall Reason against Predestination tending to accuse God and justifie men answered p. 196 197 198 199 SERMON XVII Heb. 11. 3. Of Creation GOD is the Creator of all things these things which he hath made prove him to be God p. 200 201 When this visible world was made p. 202 The wickedness of mens curiosity in enquiring what God was doing before he made the world why he was so long in applying himself to this work ibid. p. 203 The Lord in the beginning of the world declares more manifestly his Eternity his Self-sufficiency and his Liberty p. 204 205 God made all things very good to declare his goodness and wisdome p. 106 The course of nature is one continued wonder ibid. The power of God doth eminently appear in making all things of nothing and how easie it was for him to do so p. 207 Why the Lord took six dayes to perfect the work of Creation p. 208 SERMON XVIII Heb. 11. 3. Heb. 11. 4. Of Creation IT is not believed or laid to heart that God made the Heaven and the Earth p. 209 210 The faith of Gods making the world is of singular use to a Christian through his whole course p. 211 212 213 SERMON XIX Gen. 1. 26. 27. Of the Creation of Man
mercy make thee not fear and tremble before him and do not separate thee from thy sins if remission of sins be not the strongest perswasion to thy soul of the removing of sin certaiuly thou dost in vain presume upon his mercy Now consider what influence all this glorious Proclamation had on Moses it stirs up in him reverence and affection reverence to such a glorious Majesty great desire to have him amongst them and to be more one with him If thy soul rightly discover God it cannot but abase thee he made bade haste to bow down and worship O Gods Majesty is a surprising and astonishing thing it would bow thy soul in the dust if it were represented to thee labour to keep the right and intire representation of God in thy sight his whole Name Strong Mercifull Iust Great and Holy I say keep both in thy view for half representations are dangerous either to beget presumption and security when thou looks on mercy alone or despair when thou looks on Justice and power alone Let thy soul consider all joyntly that it may receive amixed impression of all this is the holy composition and temper of a Believer Rejoice with trembling love with fear let all thy discoveries of him aime at more union communion with him who is â—…ch a self-sufficient al-sufficient and eternal Beeing Joh. 4. 24. God is a Spirit and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth WE have here something of the Nature of God pointed out to us somthing of our duty towards him God is a spirit that is his Nature and man must worship him that is his duty that in spirit in truth that is the right manner of the duty if these three were right pondered till they sink in to the bottome of our spirits they would make us indeed Christians not in the Letter but in the Spirit That is presupposed to all Christian worship walking to know what God is it s indeed the Primo cognitum of Christianity the first Principle of true Religion the very root out of which springs grows up walking sutably with worshipping answerably of a known God I fear much of our Religion be like the Athenians They builded an Altar to an unknown God and like the Samaritanes Who worshipped they know not what Such a Worship I know not what it is when the God worshipped is not known The two parents of true Religion are the knowledge of God and of our selves this indeed is the beginning of the fear of God which the wise Preacher cals the beginning of wisdom And these two as they beget true Religion so they cannot truly be one without the other It is not many notions and speculations about the Divine nature it is not high strained conceptions of God that comprises the true knowledg of him many think they know something when they can speak of these mysteries in some singular way and in some tearms removed from common understandings which neither themselves nor others know what they mean thus they are presumptuous self-conceited knowing nothing as they ought to know there is a knowledge that puffes up there is a knowledge that casts down a a knowledge in many that doth buâ—… swell them not grow them It s but a rumor full of wind a vain and empty and fâ—…othy knowledge that is neither good for edifying others nor saving a manâ—… self a knowledge that a man knows and reflects upon so as to ascend upon the height of it and measure himself by the degrees of it this is not the true knowledge of God which knows not it self looks not back upon it self but straight towards God his holinesse and glory our basenesse misery and therefore it constrains the soul to be ashamed of it self in such a glorious presence and to make haste to worship as Moses Iob Isaiah did This definition of God if we did truly understand it we could not but worship him in another manner God is a spirit Many ignorant people form in their own mind some liknesse and Image of God who is invisible you know how ye fancy to your selves some bodily shape when you conceive of him you think he is some Reverend and Majestick Person sitting on a Throne in Heaven But I beseech you correct your mistakes of him there is outward idolatry and there is inward there is idolatry in action when men paint or ingrave some similitude of God there is Idolatry in imagination when the fancy and apprehension runs upon some Image or likenesse of God The first is among Papists but I fear the latter be too common among us it is indeed all one to form such 〈◊〉 similitude in our mind and to ingrave or paint it without so that the God whom many of us worship is not the living and true God but a painted or graven Idol When God appeared most visible to the world â—…s at the giving out of the Law yet no man did see any liknesse at all he did not come under the percepâ—…ion of the most subtile sense he could not be perceived but by the retired understanding going aside â—…om all things visible therefore you do but fancy â—…n idol to your selves in stead of God when you apâ—…rehend him under the likenesse of any visible or senâ—…ble thing so what ever love or fear or reverence â—…ou have it is all but mispent superstition the love â—…nd fear of an idol 1. I know then that God is a Spirit and therefor he is like none of all these things you see or hear or smel or taste or touch The heavens are glorious indeed the light is full of glory but he is not like that If all your senses should make an inquiry and search for him throughout the world you should not find him though he be near hand every one of us yet your eyes and ears all your senses might travel the length of the earth and breadth of the sea and should not find him even as you might search all the corners of heaven ere ye could hear or see an Angel if you saw a man asunder and resolve him in atomes of dust yet you could not perceive a soul within him why Because these are spirits and so without the reach of your senses II. If God be a Spirit then he is invisible dwels in light inaccessible which no man hath seen or can see then ouâ—… poor narrow minds thaâ—… are drowned as it were and immersed into bodies of clay in this state of mortality receives all knowledge of the senses cannot frame any suitable notion of his spiritual and abstracted nature We cannot conceive what our own soul is but by some sensible operation flowing from it and the height that our knowledge of that noble part of our selves amounts to is but this dark confused conception that the soul is some inward principle of life and sense and reason
this God is near hand every one of us Who of us think of a Divine Majesty nearer us than our very souls and consciences in whom we live and move and have our being How is it we move think not with wonder of that first Mover in whom we move How is it we live persevere in being do not always cōsider this fountain-being in whom we live and have our being O the Atheism of many souls prosessing God! We do speak walk eat and drink go about all our businesses as if we were self-being independent of any never thinking of that all-present quickning Spirit that acts us moves us speaks in us makes us to walk and eat and drink as the barbarous people who see hear speak reason and never once reflect upon the principle of all these to discern a soul within This is bruitish in this Man who was made of a straight countenance to look upward to God to know himself and his Maker till he might be differenced from all creatures below is degenerated and become like the beasts that perish Who of us believes this al-present God We imagine that he is shut up in heaven and takes no such notice of affairs below but certainly he is not so far from us though he shew more of his glory above yet he is as present and observant below V. If he be a Spirit then as he is incomprehensible and immense in being so also there is no comprehension of his knowledge The nearer any creature come to the nature of a Spirit the more knowing and understanding it is life is the most excellent being and understanding is the most excellent life Materia est imers mertua the nearer any thing is to the earthly matter as it hath lesse action so lesse life and feeling Man is nearer an Angel then beasts and therefore he hath a knowing and understanding Spirit in him There is a spirit in man and the more or lesse this spirit of man is abstracted from sensual and material things it lives the more excellent and pure life and is as it were more or lesse deliverd from the chains of the body These souls that have never risen above retired from sensible things O how narrow are they how captivated within the prison of the flesh But when the Lord Jesus comes to set free he delivers a soul from this bondage he makes these chains fall off leads the soul apart to converse with God himself and to meditate on things not seen sin wrath hell and heaven the further it goes from it self the more abstracted it is from the consideration of present things the more it lives a life like Angels And therefore when the soul is separated from the body it is then perfectly free and hath the largest extent of knowledge A mans soul must be almost like Pauls whether out of the body or in the body I know not if he would understand aright spiritual things Now then this infinite spirit is an al-knowing spirit al-seeing spirit as well as al-present There is no searching of his understanding Isa. 40. 28. and Psal. 147. 5. Who hath directed this spirit or being his counsellour hath taught him Rom. 11. 34. Isa. 40. 1◅ He calls the Generations from the beginning and known to him are all his works from the beginning O that you would alwayes set this God before you or rather set your selves alwayes in his presence in whose sight you are alwayes How would it compose our hearts to reverence fear in all our actions if we did indeed believe that the Judge of all the World is an eye-witnesse to our most retired and secret thoughts and doings If any man were as privy to thy thoughts as thy own spirit and conscience thou wouldst blush and be ashamed before him If every one of us could open a window into one anothers spirits I think this assembly should dismisse as quickly as that of Christs when he bade them that were without sin cast a stone at the Woman we could not look one upon another O then Why are we so little apprehensive of the al-searching eye of God who can even declare to us our thought before it be How much Atheism is rooted in the heart of the most holy We do not alwayes meditate with David Psal. 139. on that al-searching and al-knowing spirit who knows our down-sitting up-rising understands our thoughts a far off and who is acquainted with all our wayes O How would we ponder our path and examine our words and consider our thoughts before hand if we set our selves in the view of such a Spirit that is within us and without us before us and behind us He may spare sinners as long as he pleases for there is no escaping from him you cannot go out of his dominions nay you cannot run out of his presence Psal. 7. 8. 9. He can reach you when he pleases therefore he may delay as long as he pleases Joh. 4. 24. GOD is a Spirit c. THere are two common notions engraved on the hearts of all men by nature That God is and that he must be worshipped and these two live and die together they are clear or blotted together According as the apprehension of God is clear distinct and more deeply engraven on the soul so is this notion of mans duty of worshipping God clear imprinted on the soul and when ever the actions of men do prove that the conception of the worship of God is obliterate or worn out when ever their transgressions do witnesse that a man hath not a live◅y ◅otion of this duty of Gods worship that doth al◅o prove that the very notion of a God-head is worn out and cancelled in the soul For How could souls conceive of God as he is indeed but they must needs with Moses Exod. 34 make haste to pray and worship It is the principle of the very Law of Nature which shall make the whole world inexcusable because that when they knew God they gloriesied him not as God A Father must have honour and a Master must have fear and God who is the common Parent absolute Master of all must have worship in which reverence and fear mixed with rejoycing and affection predomines it is supposed and put beyond all question that it must be He that worships him c. It s not simply said God is a Spirit must be worshipped no for none can doubt of it If God be then certainly Worship is due to him for who is so worshipfull And because it is so beyond all question therefore woe to the irreligious world that never puts it in practice O What excuse can you have who have not so much as a form of Godlinesse Do you not know that its beyond all Controversie that God must be worshipped Why then do you deny it in your practice which all men must confesse in their conscience Is not he God
not his whole soul to God cannot truly ingage any part of it to him p. 23. SERMON III. 2 Tim. 3. 16. Of the Scriptures THat which most men seek is not true happiness p. 24 The principles of reason and light of nature are become so dark that they cannot direct us in the path-way to everlasting blessedness p. 25 The authority of the Scriptures divine p. 26 How the Apostles and Prophets knew that they spake truth and how men may be perswaded that the Scriptures are the Word of God ibid. The simplicity and plainness of the Scripture p. 27 The Spirit of God must open a mans eyes before he understand the Scriptures p. 28 The Utility of the Scriptures p. 29 The Scriptures a Doctrine of Eternal life p. 30 The sharpness of the Scripture mingled with sweetness p. 31 Some cannot hear the word of reproof others prefer their own vain imaginations to the Word of God p. 32 33 SERMON IV. Joh. 5. 39. Eph. 2. 20. Of the Scriptures THe Lamp of the Word without and the light of the Spirit within necessary for directing us in the way to eternal life p. 34 Why the multitude find no sweetnes in the Scriptures p. 35 How eternal life is to be found in the Scripture p. 36 It may commend the Scriptures to us that Eternal life is to be found in them p. 37 We are to lay this present perishing life in the ballance with eternal life and compare both the happiness and miseries of this life with eternal blessedness p. 38 Many groundlessely fancy that they have a right to everlasting life p. 39 Most of the Hearers of the Gospel have either to knowledge at all or nothing but knowledge p. 40 Life Eternal is no where to be found out but of Jesus Christ. p. 41 42 Some foolishly think that if they do all they can then God ought to be pleased p 43 Christ the only pacificatory sacrifice p. 44 Christ is either the subject or end of all that is in the Scriptures p. 45 The march which divides between heaven and hell is coming to Christ. p. 45 46 The necessity of searching the Scriptures and what search it must be p. 47 The Rule whereby to measure our profiting in the Scriptures p. 48 49 SERMON V. Eph. 2. 20. Of the Scriptures BElievers the Temple of the living God p. 50 Christ in the Scriptures a sure foundation to build upon all other foundations sandy and unsure p. 51 How firm and stable a foundation the Word of the Lord is p. 52 A Promise layes an obligation on the Promiser which a command doth not on the commander p. 53 All the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ. ibid The chief point of Obedience is faith and what that is p 54 Christ is the Corner-stone as well as the foundation which should strongly perswade Christians to an union in Affection p. 55 What kind of foundation Christ is ibid. Some prefer their own imaginations to the Word of the Lord under the dark notion of new light p. 56 Many have nothing but the word of man for the foundation of their Faith p. 57. SERMON VI. 2 Tim. 1 13. Of the Scriptures ALL Religion may be reduced to these two what we are to believe and what we ough to do p. 58 God manifests himself differently to Man according to his different state p. 59 60 The marvellousness of mercy in saving of lost sinners p. 61 62 What manner of Persons Believers ought to be p. 63 64 â—…belief ruined man at first p. 65 A twofold mistake of the nature of Faith ibid. What course a soul is to take who questions its interest p. 66 67 The mistake of the nature of Faith leads many well-meaning persons into labyrinth p. 68 What Faith is p 69 What a soul ought to do that is sentenced by the law ibid. The faith of a Christian no fancy p. 70 71 Love is unitive and operative ibid. Love is put for all obedience and how it is the fulfilling of the. p. 72 God is pleased with no service that proceeds not from love and why p. 73 74 How to attain to the distinct knowledge of our love to God and the way to increase it p. 75 Who cannot hold fast the truth p. 76 When man lost his holiness he could not retain his happiness ibid. The necessity of holding fast the form of sound words and of forbearing strange words p. 77 SERMON VII and VIII Exod. 3. 13 14. Of the Name of God IT is impossible to declare what God is p. 78 How we may know that there is a God ibid. Naturall men are Atheists p. 79 God's Name a mystery that cannot be conceived or expressed p. 80 81 82 83. This name I AM THAT I AM imports his unsearchableness p. 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 His absolutness and soveraignity p. 94 His unchangeableness and Eternity p. 95 96 97 How impossible it is for a mortall creature to find out God to perfection yet so much may be known of him as is sufficient to teach us our duty and maâ—… us happy in obedience p. 98 99 The saving knowledge of God a self-emptying and self-abasing thing p. 100 101 Why God hath called himself by so many names ibid. SERMON IX Exod. 24. 5 6 7. What God is to us GOD is loath to depart even when he is provoked to go away p. 102 103 114 Infirmity and iniquity puts us into an incapacity of nearness with God p. 105 106 It is God himself who only can teach a soul to know what he is p. 107 One who considers how al-sufficient God is how empty and insufficient all other things are must needs cleave to him p. 108 God vents himself towards the creatures either in a way of Justice or Mercy p. 109 There is a Tribunall of Justice and a Throne of Mercy erected in the word so that every sentenced sinner may appeal from the Bar of Justice to Christ Jesus sitting on the Throne of Mercy p. 110 111. The Name of the Lord rightly considered is sufficient to answer all possible objections that a sinner can make against coming to Christ and what those objections are p. 112 113 114 115 116 117 Many souls suck delusion and destruction out of the sweet and saving Promises of life which are held forth in the Gospel p. 118 119. SERMON X. Joh. 4. 24. What God is THe knowledge of what God is presupposed to all true worship Christian walking p. 120 How mishapen apprehensions we have of God p. 121 That God is a spirit shews us that he is not like any visible thing p. 122 That he is invisible dwels in light inaccessible ib. That he is most perfect most powerful p. 123 124 That he cannot be circumscribed by any place p. 125 And there is no comprehension of his knowledge p. 126 127 It were of excellent use and advantage for us to be all the day in the faith of Gods infinite