God to have As now in the duty of Praise Psa 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 worshipped in spirit and truth that is we must labour to suit our worship to what there is in God that our worship may be proportionable in some measure even to the nature of God himself And therefore God being a Spirit his Worship mu â— be a Divine Worship I have read of some of the Heathens that did worship the Sun for a God and they would offer to the Sun somewhat 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 flying 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 worâ— ip 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 particular 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 worth twelve pence yet it may be taken well but if you were to tender up a present to a Prince a Monarch an Emperour then you must tender a present that is fit for the quality of the person 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 Governour 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 Emperour 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 when it comes to tender up it's 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 incouragement 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 wil acknowledge to be sutable to his infinit 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 al that we have God accepts it As a Child if it puts forth all it's strength that it hath to do a busines which the father bids him whether the busines be done 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 fa her And as it is stâ—â—ied of an Emperour 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 Emperour accepts of it So that s that which God looks for that the Creature should lift him above all If therefore when thou comest to worship God God hath more of 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 al things knowest That thou hast more of my heart than ever any creature in the world had This is sutable to God God wil 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 â—â—ones but some came and offered Badgers-skins and some women did spin and offered Goats-haire 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 adde 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 gracious 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 inf nitness 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 limit or boundâ— but in the desires of it would â—ain be enlarged infinitly if it could If it were possible for a creature to be enlarged to God infini ly it would be Here lies I conceiâ—e the main difference between the most glorious Hypocrite in the world and one that hath true Grace yea that hath but
Kingdome come they doe as much as say O Lord do thou set thy selfe against all the enemies of thy Kingdome if they belong to thy election Lord convert them but otherwise Lord confound them Now thus we see how we are to sanctife 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 â—â—irâ—â— and will pray with understanding also God doth not love the sacrifice of fooles 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 worshipped 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 empty 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 generall wee 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 himselfe to seeke the Lord he did give his whole selfe to seeke the Lord we are to give our whole selfe and not to divide in prayer Now there were an argument that indeed might well take up a whole Sermon in shewing the evill of the wandring of our spirits in prayer wee should take heed of the wandring 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 wandring of their thoughts both in Word and Sacrament and it is their great burthen and should be so but I never hear any more complainings of the wandring of their spirits than in the time of prayer the people of God are much pestered in their spirits with this evill it is very grievous unto them and many of them go under it as a grievous burthen all their daies the chiefest burthen that is upon their spirits is their wandring in prayer so that if God should speak to them as he spake unto Solomon and bade him aske 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 maine thing that they would aske but having attained that if God would speak from heaven and say What shall I give you for your selves if he should aske you in the Generall it may be you would aske 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 duty of prayer that I may thereby come to enjoy more holy communion with thy selfe than ever yet I enjoyed and they would account this to be a greater mercy than if God should give them to be Kings or Queens over the whole World if God should put these two into the balance either the whole world to possesse or otherwise to have more free hearts in coming to God in prayer and to be delivered from that that hath so much hindred their Communion with God in prayer they would dispise and scorn the the world in comparison of such a mercy as this is howsoever carnall 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 burthen of it I 'le only speak one thing further now and that shall be to those that are wicked and vile that not only have vain wandring thoughts in prayer but even in the very duty of prayer many times have wicked and ungodly thoughts how horrible are they unclean thoughts murderous thoughts it may be and most abominable I confesse even those that are godly may sometimes 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 Devill than from the stream and corruption of their own hearts which may be we may make out more cleerly 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 roule those thoughts about in their minds as a child will roule a piece of sugar in its mouth and this is the wickednesse of many men and womens hearts Take but this one note with you that all those dreadfull 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 doe converse with men in words and what a woful guiltiness would have bin upon you had you spoken such vile and wicked things to men as sometimes hath been in your minds even when you have been praying to God how would the company have even spit in your faces and kickt you from them none that have any face of godliness would have endured you in their company and yet here 's the evill of it your hearts are not troubled but you rise off your knees and away you go thou hast a cauterised conscience a feared 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 befalne thee therefore take heed of this SERMON XIIII LEVITICUS 10.3 I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE are first to Sanctifie Gods Name in regard of the matter 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 were two things mentioned First That wee must pray with understanding Secondly Wee must give up our selves to prayer Now in the close of the Exercise wee had occasion to fall upon that Argument about the wandring of our thoughts in prayer and by that we come to take Gods Name in vaine in stead of Sanctifying of his Name God expects that wee should have our thoughts and wills and affections our whol souls acting upon him in the duty of Prayer or else wee
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 work 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 of 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 behaviour 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 to think thus well I must yeeld to it this is the Word of God and if I do not yeeld to it I must expect the plagues and judgements of God to follow it that is not enough but you must yeeld 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 Thessalon 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 shall 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 that doth me good at the heart when a people can hear the word and the word coming neer 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 discribed 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 We reade in Mat. 13. of the stony ground the hearers that were not good and did not profit by the word so aâ— to be saved yet they received the word with j y And Herod it is said of him That he 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 that 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 when I speak of gladness and joy know that I mean another kind of joy then the stony ground had and so certainly the pleasantness that is spoken of in Prov. which I mentioned before And the gladness that the three thousand did receive the Word withal is different from the gladness of the stony ground If you ask me wherein it differs I would Answer it differs thus The gladness of an Hypocrite in receiving Gods Word it ariseth either from the novelty of it because it is a new thing and he gets new notions that he had not before or else he is joyful from some other carnal excellencies that he finds going together with the Word some esteem or honor that he shall get by it some selvishnesse there is that makes his heart to be glad for there is a great deal of natural and carnal excellency that goes along many times with the Word But now this gladness that is spoken of in the Acts and in the Proverbs it is the gladness that ariseth from the apprehension of the Spiritual excellencies that there are in the Word as that it is that word that reveals God and Christ to my soul that word that comes neerest to my soul to the mortifying of my Lusts and the Sanctifying of my heart This is that which makes me rejoyce in the Word the holiness and the spiritual excellency that I see to be in the Word Thy Word is pure saith David and therefore doth thy servant love it and rejoyce in it This no Hypocrite can say I see the Image of God in his Word I see the very glass of Gods holiness in his Word I feel that in the word that may bring my Soul to God wherein my soul enjoyes communion with God and Jesus Christ and it is this that glads my soul If we receive the Word with joy thus we shall come to Sanctifie the Name of God in the hearing of it And that is the Eight particular 9 The Ninth Particular is this If we would Sanctifie the Name of God in his Word we must receiue the Word into honest hearts This you have in Luk. 8.15 in the Parable of the Sowerâ— you shall find there that there are divers grounds that do receive the seed and by those divers groundâ— are meant divers sorts of hearts There is First the high way
the more I have of these the more shall I enjoy of God the more happy shall I be both here and for ever Now I had thought to have given you some Reasons why the Name of God must be Sanctified only I beseech you by all that hath been said go away with this thought what little cause is there that any of us should rest upon any of our duties If this be required of us thus to Sanctifie the Name of God in duty I say we have little cause any of us to rest on any duties that we performe There are many poor creatures that have no other Saviors to rest upon but their Prayers and coming to Church and taking the Communion Now if in all these the Lord expects that thou shouldst thus Sanctifie his Name Thou hast little cause to rest upon any thing that thou hast done thou hast cause rather to go alone and mourne for taking the Name of God in vain in the duties of His Worship Rest not in any of your performances labor to performe duties as well as you can but when you have done know that you are unprofitable servants after all and renounce all as in the point of Justification and rest upon something else otherwise you are undone for ever SERMON VII LEVITICUS 10.3 I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE are coming now to the conclusion of this great Argument of Sanctifying Gods Name in holy duties for the generall Stepney Dec. 28. 1645. God expects that we should all in our drawings neer to Him in the duties of Worship Sanctifie his Name Now we are to consider of divers Reasons why God will be Sanctified in all the duties of His Worship 1 The First Reason is this It is the very nature of God to Will Himself the last end and all other things to work suitable to the lifting up of Himself as the last end I say it is as essential to Him as any thing for Him to will Himselfe as the highest end and that all things should work so as to be sutable unto that Glory of His for the furtherance of it God should cease to be God if so be He should not will Himselfe as the highest end and so will that all things that have any being should some way or other work for Himself This is the very nature of God It is that which I conceive the very nature of Gods Holiness consists in the willing Himself as the last end and so to work all things as sutable unto His own infinit Excellency Now as this is Gods holiness so it is the holiness that that God requires in His creatures that are capable of holines that they should will Him as the last end and all things sutable to that infinite excellency of His. Now if this be the nature of God and this be His holiness then certainly it must needs be a necessary duty in al those that would have coÌ„munion with God and would honor God to wil as God himself doth will that is that all things should work sutable to the infinite excellency of God that God may attaine the Glory of His infinite Excellency and this makes it to be a necessarie duty that when wee come to Worship Him wee should Sanctifie his Name So that the first reason is taken from the very nature of God it is the very being of God that all things should work to Himself and in such a sutable way as to lift up his Excellency and Glory 2 Secondly We must Sanctifie God in the duties of His Worship because it is the speciall glory that God hath in the world to be actively honoured for his passive glory that is to be glorified in a passive way that he hath in Hell but the special glory that God would have it is that He might be glorified actively Now there is no such way of glorifying the Name of God actively as by worshipping of Him in a holy manner and therefore God stands much upon this That when we come to worship Him we sanctifie His Name For saith God If I be not sanctified in my worship what active glory have I in the world It is the special active glory that God hath in the world the Sanctifying of His Name in the duties of His Worship 3 Thirdly That which we have intimated before That the duties of Gods Worship are the most precious things the special conveyances of the choice mercies that He intends to bestow on His Saints and therefore though He loses His glory in any thing else He would not lose it in that wherein He doth especially convey His mercy and goodness to His people But that we spake too in shewing how we draw nigh to God in holy duties and it may well come in here again as an Argument why we should sanctifie Gods Name 4 A Fourth Reason is this Because there is no way for us to be fitted for the receiving of Mercy from God through those duties of Worship but by our sanctifying of Gods Name when thou comest at any time to worship God What wouldest thou have there is some communion that thou wouldest enjoy with God now there is no way to make thee a fâ—t subject of Mercy or capable of the enjoyment of Communion with God but by such a behaviour of Soul as this is that hath been spoken of to Sanctif e the Name of God thou wouldest be loth to lose those duties of Worship that thou doest perform therefore it is required of thee to Sanctifie His Name lest thou doest lose all for 't is this that makes thee the only capable subject of what good is to be had there 5 We must Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties because otherwise we should certainly never hold out in duties but vanish and come to nothing now God would be worshipped so by His creatures as to be constantly worshiped He would have those that do worship Him to worship Him alwaies to worship Him for ever and He would have this Worship that we perform to Him but to be the beginning of that eternal Worship that he shall have from us in Heaven And so the Saints do Worship God now the Worship wich they perform it is but as the beginning of that Worship that hereafter in Heaven they shall tender up to God though there may be some difference in it as there our prayers will be turned into praises and it will not be in such outward Ordinances as now we worship God in there will be no Preaching nor Sacraments yet notwithstanding the Soul-worship that is now will be in effect the same as it shall be in Heaven God would have us so to worship Him as to continue to worship Him Now I say unless His Name be Sanctified in our worshiping of Him we will certainly fall off and the truth is This is the very ground of all Apostacie in Hypocrites Some that have been very forward in the Worshipping of God when they were young
ones and afterwards they have fallen off they were wont constantly in their families and in secret in their chambers to be worshipping of God and they accounted it the very joy of their lives for the present to be worshipping of God but it is not so with them now as it was yea they are fallen off it may be from their very profession of Religion and turned loose And now to be in vain company to drink or play is better to them than any service or worship of God they prize more to be in company with their sports than to hear a Sermon or to be in Communion with the people of God in Prayer Heretofore they would not have changed one short time of private Communion with God for the enjoyment of a great deal of pleasures and content in the world but now it is otherwise with them How comes it to pass that these are Apostatized thus from God Surely here is the ground of it That they did not Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties at the most it was but a work of conscience that put them upon them and they had but some flashes there was no reall Sanctification of their hearts whereby they did Sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties and upon this it is that they have left off This I dare say That there was never any soul that did know what it was to Sanctifie Gods Name in worship that ever was weary of worshipping God It may be some of you may say We have heard that there is much required in Sanctifying Gods Name in duties and that is the only way to weary the Soul and to make it fall off Oh no as we said the last day there is not any one thing that hath bin opened for the Sanctifying of Gods Name in duties that any gracious heart can tell how to miss and the more we do Sanctifie his Name the more we shall be in love with worship For it is from hence that those that Sanctifie Gods name in worship will hold out because they will find the sweetness of worship they will meet with God in holy duties and so they come to be encouraged in worship but as for others who do worship God in a formal way their worship will prove to be tedious to them for they performe the duties but do not find God in the duties in that Spiritual way as the Saints do If they think they meet with God it is but an imagination rather than any real meeting with him they do not find the influence of God in their souls in holy duties so as those do that Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties here then you see the Reasons why we are to Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties Now then for the Application of all this 1 If all this which you have heard be required of us for the Sanctifying of Gods Name Hence we see how little cause we have to rest upon any duty of worship that we do performe certainly the duties of worship that we performe are no such things as are fit to be rested upon for life and for salvation and yet for the most part there is scarce any thing that people have to rest upon or to tender up to God for acception to eternal life but only their prayers and their coming to hear and receiving of the Communion and such duties that they perform this is all they have to tender up for life and for salvation perhaps they may somtimes speak of Christ but the truth is that which their hearts rest upon for acceptation to eternal life is this And is it but this It is a weak prop a rotten reed that thou hast to rest upon Let the duties of worship be performed never so well Suppose we did Sanctifie Gods Name to the uttermost that is possible for any creature to do in this world yet such duties are not to be rested upon Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the Apostles the most holy men that ever did perform duties in the most holy manner yet wo to them if they have nothing to rest upon but their duties consider therefore of this that what thou must rest upon for acceptation to eternal life it must be that that must have so much worth in it as must satisfie for all thy sins that formerly thou hast committed yea and for all the sins that ever thou shalt commit Now I appeal unto any ones conscience Is that which thou performest as Prayer or receiving the Sacrament or hearing of the word such a work as in thy conscience thou canst think it hath so much worth in it as to satisfie God for all the sins that ever thou didest or shalt commit I am perswaded if people that have rested upon duties heretofore would but seriously have this thought in their minds That I must rest upon nothing for my acceptation for life and Salvation but that that must have such worth in it as to satisfie God for all my sins that ever have been committed or shall be committed this would take them off for ever from resting in duties Yea and it must be such as must be the object of the infinite holinesse of God to take content in Surely the duties that we performe are no such duties to rest upon the truth is If we would seriously consider what they are as they come from us we would even abhor our selves in dust and ashes and account of them as the Prophet speaks of his own righteousness as menstruous cloaths they are such as if God should deal with us as justly he may do he might cast them and us to the dogs for they are as the Prophet saith torne and rent Sacrifices now if a man in the time of the Law should bring to the Lord a Sacrifice that was all torne and rent before he brought it would such a Sacrifice have been accepted All the duties we perform as they come from us they are such we reade in Exod. 22.31 concerning such things as were torne and rent that they should cast them to the dogs Ye shall be holy men unto me saith he verse ult neither shall ye eate any flesh that is torne of beasts in the field ye shall cast it to the dogs because ye are holy men unto me Must the people of Israel manifest their holiness in this That they must eat nothing torne by beasts but cast it unto dogs Or was the holiness of the people of Israel such as God required them that they must eat nothing that was torne by beasts What then is the holiness of the infinite God our services that we perform are of themselves such as are torne by our beastly lusts many times how many are there that bring Sacrifices to God that are as a carrion that swine have been tearing before hand and yet these are the Sacrifices that they bring to God and not only think that God should accept of them but they do rest upon them for their acceptation to eternal life
of the secrets of all hearts Thou knowest that I go with such a resolution to yeeld up my self to every truth of thine How would the Name of God be Sanctified if you did thus come to hear the Word If you did come with such a resolution Job 32.34 That wich I know not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more In Isa 2.3 you have a prophesie of the Gentils how they should come to the Word And many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his waies and we will walk in his paths Here is a blessed disposiâ—ion when you come to hear the Word Some of you come together in streets and Ianes and over the fields when you come together and meet one with another as you walk over the fields make use of this text Oh that this prophesie might be fulfilled in your coming over the fields every Lords day morning and at other times that you would say one to another or when you call one upon another to go to hear Come let us go up to the house of the Lord and he will teach us of his waies and we will walk in his paths We are resolved that whatever the Lord shall teach us to be his waies we will submit unto it This is a due preparation of the heart for the Sanctifying of Gods Name in the hearing of his word 4 When you come to hear the word come with longing desires after the word come with an appetite to it As in 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that yee may grow thereby Do it as new born babes Now you know little babes they do not desire milk to play withal but only to nourish them Children of three or four yeers old they may desire milk to play with but new born babes never care for it but when they are hungry to nourish them And so it is true many come to hear the word to play with it But now you should come to hear the word as new born babes with a hungring desire after the word that your Souls may be nourished thereby That were excellent if every Lords day and at other daies you did come as hungry to the Word as ever you went to your dinner or supper The Word of God should be to you more than your appointed food And then you are like to grow by it and to Sanctifie Gods Name in it 5 Pray before-hand That God would open thine eyes and open thine heart and accompany His Word thus did David Open mine eyes O Lord that I may understand the wonders of thy Law And you know what is said of Lydia The Lord opened her heart to attend to the Word that was spoken Now seeing it is an Ordinance thou doest expect more good from than what it self of of it's own nature is able to convey thou hadest need to Pray Lord I go to such an Ordinance of thine and I know there is no efficacy in it's self it is not able to reach to such effects as I expect that is to have my heart spoken too and quickened and to have mine eyes opened but O Lord open mine eyes and open mine heart Lord my heart naturally is lockt up against thy Word there are such wards in my heart that except thou art pleased to put in a key that may fit my heart it will never open Man he is not able to know my heart and therefore he cannot fit a key to answer every ward to resolve every doubt to silence every objection but Lord thou canst do it Do thou Lord therefore fit thy Word this day that may meet with my heart Lord I have gone often to thy Word and the key hath stuck in it and it hath not opened but Lord if thou wouldest but fit it and turn it with thine own hand my heart would open Oh come with such a praying heart to the Word and thereby shalt thou Sanctifie the Name of God in hearing His Word this is to come to the Word as to the Word of God you must not come to the hearing of the word as to hear a Spech or an Oration but come in such a preparation as this is and so I say God will be glorified and you will be profited The next thing is What should be the behaviour of the Soul in tht Sanctifying Gods Name in the word when it is come Now to that there are these particulars 1 First There must be a carefull attention unto the Word you must set your hearts unto it as Moses in Deut. 32.46 he said unto the people Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie among you this day which you shall command your Children to observe to do for it is not a vain thing for you because it is your life Set your hearts to it for it iâ— not a vain thing it is your life when you come to hear the word give diligent attention to what you hear In Acts 8.6 it is said The people with one accord gave heed unto 〈◊〉 things which Philip spake They gave heed The word is used often in Scripture sometimes it is used for to beware of a thing Beware of the leven of the Pharisees Beware of them As a man when he sees an enemy and is aware of him he is very diligent to observe how to avoid him So there should be as much diligence to get good by the word as one would be diligent to avoid any danger whatsoever And the word signifies somtimes to give such heed as a disciple gives unto his master so they gave need to the word So in Pro. 2.1 2. My son if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandements with thee so that thou encline thine eaâ—e unto wisdome We must diligently attend and not to suffer our eyes and our thoughts to be wandring but diligently attend to what is said my brethren there is all things that may challenge attention in the word What would make you to attend to any thing First If he that speaks were much above you If it were a great Prince or Lord that spake to you then you would attend Now though it is true it is but a man that it may be is inferiour to most of you that speaks yet know in him it is the Lord of Heaven and Earth that speaks to you And so you know what Christ saith Hee that heareth you heareth me So though you would not attend in respect of the Messenger so much yet as it is the Son of God that is speaking to you it may challenge your attention This day if you should hear a voice out of the clouds from Heaven speaking to you would you not then listen the truth is we should listen as much to the voice of God in the Ministry of His Word as if so be
that the Lord should speak out of the clouds to us And I will give you a Scripture for that that the voice of God in His word should be as much regarded of you as if God should speak from heaven to you by an audible voice out of the clouds In 2 Pet. 1.18 19. This voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Means But mark in vers 19. We have also a more sure Word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed Mark We heard a voice from heaven saith Peter yea but we have a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do wel that ye take heed There was a voice from Heaven spake you will say If we had heard that voice we would have given heed to that saith the Apostle You have a more sure word of Prophesie Now Prophesie in Scripture is taken for Preaching Di pise not Pr phesie As if the Holy Ghost should say You must have regard to the word of Prophesie as you would have regard to any voice from Heaven Suppose an Angel should come and speak to you would not you attend to him then whatsoever thoughts you had they would be taken off for there is an Angel that is come down from Heaven to speak Now mark what is said in Heb. 1.1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past to the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last daies spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds And then in ver 3. He discribes His Son And being made so much better than the Angels as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they If a Prophet should come and spake that is not so much as if the Son of God comes no nor as if an Angel should come for Jesus Christ hath obtained a more excellent Name than the Angels and it is Christ that is the Ministry of His word He that heareth you heareth me 2 Secondly That which would cause attention is the greatnes of the matter propounded It is true if a man should speak of some slight and vain things there need not so much attention My Brethren the matters in the word are the great things of God it is the voice of God the great Mysteries of godlinesse those deep things that the Angels themselves desire to pry into Yea the Angels themselves by the Churches they come to have the knowledge of the Mysteries of God I make no question but in the Ministry of the Word among the Churches the Angels they attend and come to some knowledge in the Mysteries of godliness for so the Scripture saith That they have it by the Churches there the greatest things of Gods will the greatest Councels of God that were kept hid from all eternity are opened to you in the Ministry of the word We do not come to tell you tales and the conceits of men but to open the greaâ— Counsels of God wherein the depth of the wisdom of God comes to be revealed to the children of men and therefore this calls for attention 3 Thirdly Suppose they be great things yet if they do not so much concern us there is no such great reason of attention Therefore in the Third place That which we speak it is your life it is that that concerns your souls and eternal estates Your Souls and everlasting estates do lie upon the Ministery of the Word if that be made effectual to you you are sav'd if that be not made effectual to you you are damn'd and undone for ever If we should come to tell you of something whereby you might get some good bargain or of a way how to get great riches I make no question but you would rise though it were a cold or rainy morning But know when you are called to hear the Word you are called to hear that which may do you good forever that for which you may blesse God for to all eternity with the Angels and Saints in the highest Heavens If they be such things of so great concernment then there had need be a great attention You know what Christ said to Martha when â—e was troubled about His entertainment Luke 10.41 Martha Martha thou art carefull and troubled about many things but one thing is needâ—ull and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her What did Mary choose It was this That she did diligently attend upon Jesus Christ to hear the Word from His own mouth when Martha was busied in the house to provide for His entertainment but it is a better thing to attend upon the Word than to entertain Christ in your houses You that are of loving dispositions that if a good Minister shall come to your houses or a good Christian that you see but the Image of Christ in your hearts spring within you and you will do any thing to entertain them Well but what if Jesus Christ should come if you knew that such a man that came within your doors were the Son of God how would you beâ—â—r your selves to entertain him But know it is a more acceptable service to Jesus Christ to attend upon his Word then to provide for Him in your houses And there is great reason too that we should be diligent in drawing nigh to the Word give eare unto it because you find that the Lord doth expresse himself in the Scripture how he gives ear to us when we speak to him God is said to encline his ear sometimes to open his ear sometimes to bow his eare sometimes to cause his eare to hear and divers such expressions there are to that purpose Now if God when we that are poor wretches speak to him shall bow his ear bend his ear open his ear cause his ear to hear much more should we when we come to attend upon him 2 Secondly Aâ— there must be attending to the word of God so there must be an opening of the heart to receive what God speaks to you it is true it is the work of God to open the heart but God works upon men as upon rationall creatures and he makes you to be active in opening your hearts so that when you have any truth come to be revealed you should open your understandings your conscience and will and affections Oh Lord thy truth which thou art presenting here to my Soul at this time let it come in let me receive it as the expression is in Prov. 2.1 My Son if thou wilt receive my words and then in v. 10. When wisdom entereth into thy heart The words of wisdom the words of God they must enter into the heart get in it may be they get into thy eare but that 's not enough they must get into thy heart in Joh. 8.37 There Christ complains that his word had no place in them that 's a sad thing when the Word of
God shall have no place in the heart If a temptation to sin comes that hath a place in the heart but when the Word comes that hath no place in the heart I say it is a very sad thing that we can find no room for the Word we should get room for the Word Open ye gates Stand open ye everlasting doors that the King of Glory may come in Know that when you come to hear the Word the Lord is knocking at the doors of your hearts have not you felt it sometimes Open Oh open the doors let all be opened to receive the Word into your hearts That is the Second thing for the behaviour of the Soul in hearing 3 The third thing is the careful applying of the Word so in Pro. 2.2 There must be an applying of the heart to the word and an applying of the word unto the heart All action is by an application of the thing that doth act unto the subject there must be an application of the word to thy soul as now Suppose thou comest to hear the Word and thou hearest of some sin that it may be thou knowest thou art guilty of take the Word and lay it to thy heart and say The Lord hath met with my soul this day the Lord hath spoken to me to the end that I might be humbled for this sin and the other sin that my Conscience tels me I am guilty of So doth the Lord put thee upon a duty that concerns thee acknowledge this the Lord hath spoken to me this day and put me upon the reformation of my family and the reformation of my own heart Is there a word presented apply that and let not the trouble of thy heart cause thee to cast off that word that God hath spoken to thee The application of the word to the heart it is of marveilous use and it concerns not only Ministers in general to lay before people the Doctrine of the Gospel but to apply it And know that it concerns you as well as Ministers to apply it And not only when they come to that that is called use but all the way in the opening of the Word it concerns you all to apply it to your own souls and to consider How doth it concern me in particular My brethren there is no such way to honour God or get good to your own souls as the application of the Word unto your selves As a man that is asleep if there be annoise made it will not awake him so soon but come and call him by his name and say John or Thomas and that will awake him sooner than a greater noise will So when the Word makes a noise when it is delivered only in the general men take little notice of it but when the Word comes particularly to the souls of men and doth as it were call them by name thi awakens them now God many times doth speak to your hearts but you should apply it you know the word is compared to meat and it must be applyed to the body Then do we worship God in a right way when as we take notice of Gods Word as concerning us in particular as that notable Scripture that you have in 1 Cor. 14.25 Where there comes a poor man into the Church of God and hears Prophesying hears the Word opened and the text saith He is c nvinced of all 〈…〉 and then in verse 25. Thus are the secrets of his heart manifes◠and 〈◊〉 falling down on his face he worship◠God and reports that God is in you of a truth that is when the Word comes and meets with his Soul in particular that he finds himself to be aim'd at by the Word then he worships God and saith that God certainly is in them here 's the reason now that when you come to hear the word you do not worship God because you apply it not to your selves you are ready to say this was well spoken to such a one and it concerns such a one but how doth it concern thy soul in particular Sometimes the Lord doth even force men and women to apply it whether they will or no for that they think the Minister speaks to them in particular and that no body was spoken too in the Congregation but themselves This is a Mercy when the Lord doth it unto you but it is a greater Mercy when the Lord gives you a heart to apply it to your selves and although it may trouble you a little for the present yet be willing to apply it and account it a great Mercy from the Lord That the Lord will be pleased to speak in particular to your Souls 4 Fourthly We must mix 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 〈◊〉 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 examine it at least to try it whether it be so or no as it is said of those Wel-bred men that I spake of that they did examine 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 tryed 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 it 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
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 His 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 trembls 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 whole 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 terrour 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 signe of a Spiritual enlightened Soul that can see the Name of God more magnified in His Word than in all 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 works of God besides and his heart hath bin 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 〈◊〉 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 wiâ—h 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 said unto Ezra we have transgressed against our God have taken strange wives c. Yet now there is hope in 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 Godâ— Word are such as are fitest to counsel they understand most of Gods mind and that 's another particular of the behaviour 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. 6.12 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 boud 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 yeeld obedience to it whatsoever your thoughts your judgements your opinions have heretofore been it 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 yeeld though it go never so cross unto your minds your wils 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 of 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 all before thee I submit unto thy Word this is a gracious
not see how Christ was under those elements both represented and exhibited unto them that 's the first thing there must be knowledge and understanding And now for the knowledge and understanding of the nature of the Sacrament there need be knowledge in other points of Religion for we can never come to understand the nature of this Sacrament without knowing God and knowing our selves knowing in what estate we were by nature knowing our Fall knowing the way of Redemption knowing Jesus Christ what he was and what he hath done for the making of an Atonement the necessity of Jesus Christ and what the way of the Covenant is that God hath appointed to bring mens souls to eternal life by The main points of Religion must be known but especially that that concerns the nature of a Sacrament Now this knowledge likewise must be actual not meerly habitual knowledge but there must be a stirring up of this knowledge that is by meditation I must be meditating have actual thoughts and meditations of what Ido know that ought to be the work of a Christian in coming to receive the Sacrament to quicken up his knowledge to have a renewed work of his knowledge by actual thoughts and meditations of the main points of Religion and especially of th nature and the end of this holy institution that is the first thing Secondly As we must come understandingly without which we cannot sanctifie Gods Name so we must come with hearts sutable to the work that we are about that is because the great thing that is here is the breaking of Christs body and the powring forth his blood A sutable disposition to this is brokenness of heart sence of our sin of that dreadful breach that sin hath made between God and the soul our sin should be upon our hearts so as to break them But this brokenness must be Evangelical it must be through the applying of the blood of Christ unto my soul I must come to be sensible of my sin but especially be sensible of it by what I see in the holy Sacrament that must make me sensible of my sin There are a great many things to make me sensible of my sin The consideration of the great God that thou hast sinned against and the Curse of the Law that 's due to thee the wrath of God that is incensed against thee for thy sin and those eternal flames that are prepared for sinners those everlasting burnings But now those are not the things that will break the heart in an Evangelical way in a gracious way the main thing by which the soul must come to break it's heart must the beholding of the evil of sin in the red glass of the blood of Jesus Christ the beholding him broken and truly there is nothing in the world that hath that power to break the heart for sin as the beholding of that which is to be beheld in the holy Sacrament and that heart is a hard heart that can see what is there to be seen and not break in the apprehension of sin when I here see what my sin cost what a price was made for my soul when I see the hatred of God against sin and the justice of God in not sparing his Son but in breaking his Son for my sin and in shedding the blood of his Son for my sins I see here that the making of my peace with God did cost more than ten thousand worlds is worth I see that by my sin such a breach was made between God and my soul that all the Angels in heaven and men in the world could never make up this breach only the Son of God he that was God and man that was thus broken by the burden of the wrath of his Father for my sins could do this The truth is when we come to this holy Communion we are to look upon Christ as if we saw him hanging upon the Cross suppose thou hadst lived at the time when Christ was crucifyed and hadst understood as much concerning the death of Christ as now thou doest and what Christ was if so be that thou shouldest have beheld him in the Garden and there sweating drops of water and blood lie goveling upon the ground crying if it be possible let this cup pass from me and shouldest have followed him to the Cross and there have seen his hands and feet nailed and his side pierced and the blood trickling down and have heard him crying out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me would not such a sight as this is have broken thy heart for thy sin the truth is there is more I won't say only so much but I 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 have Christ to be crucified again before your eyes if you should see the body of Christ hanging upon the Crosse 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 amomg 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 letting 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 their hearts there was indeed a naturalness in it that if they did behold Christ it might break their 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 all the riches of the Covenant of grace to the soul there may be expected here a further blessing than in the other though its 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
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 something else in lieu of it it may be thou hast prayed and nothing is come of it be not discouraged thou hast to deal with a great God and therefore pray again and again and 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 shal cast me away calling upon him as the poor woman of Canaan when Christ cal'd her dog and discouraged her yet still she would pray I but dogs may have crums that heart is in an il condition that is discouraged in prayer because it doth not get what it would and therfore to think with themselves I had as good not pray at al 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 unworthiness 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 is this when you have done all this all these qualifications will not sanctifie Gods Name except all be tendred up in the Name of Jesus Christ and in the power of his merits let a man or woman pray with as much fervencie zeale constancie purity in truth and sincerity 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 purity of heart like a golden vial together with sincerity when it is in truth of heart when it is in faith when it comes from a spiritual Adoption when it 's in fervencie when in constancie reverence humility 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 this 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 very hard thing to pray a work of great difficultie and no marveil though we have lost so many 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 vilenesse of our carriage in our prayers and let us for time to come know what a Christan 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 countenacnes 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 countenance 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 mystery of the sanctifying the Name of God in worshipping 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 Christianity be ashamed that you have understood so little of this art in Sanctifying the Name of God in Prayer It is an art and a mystery that you must be instructed in and you are not Christians till you are instructed in this as in an art and mystery And that man and woman that shall be instructed truly in this art and mystery in Sanctifying Gods Name now in the worshipping 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 FINIS AN EXACT ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF AL THE PRINCIPAL TRUTHS IN THE FOREGOING SERMONS A Absolutely SPirituall things to be prayed for absolutely Page 277 Accept Acceptation Acceptation of our persons the means of it Page 69 God accepts not the duties of wicked men Page 116 The services of the Saints accepted Page 120 Act Actual Action see Grace Actual sanctification Page 68 The Lord accepts the person before the action Page 69 God is a pure act and requires actual service Page 97 Adoption Sign of adoption to desire to be oft in Gods presence Page 36 We must pray in the spirit of adoption Page 294 Affections Affections the strength of them required in Gods worship Page 82 Aggravation Aggravation of sin to neglect due hearing the Word Page 200 Afflictions see Honor They that sanctifie not God in hearing the Word can have no comfort from it in afflictions Page 206 Whether it be lawfull to pray for afflictions Page 277 Afflictions in themselves materially evil Page 278 All All that we have must be given to God Page â—â— All things Sanctified to the godly Page 119 Altar Christ is the Altar upon which wee must offer all our sacrifices Page 92 Angel Angel what it signifieth Page 91 Angels the aggravation of their sin Page 195 Anger Anger not to be brought into Gods service Page 19 Apply We must apply the Word in hearing it Page 175 Apostasie see Schisme Apostasie the ground of it Page 106 Assurance The Gospel gives assurance of salvation Page 212 Attention Attention must be given in hearing of the Word Page 171 B Beginners Beginners in Religion to be carefull of preparation Page 56 Beleeving Beleeving the condition of the covenant of grace Page 232 Birds Wandring thoughts in Prayer as the birds to Abrahams sacrifice Page 283 Blast God blasts those men that sanctifie him not in worship Page 117 God will blast those that neglect his word Page 208 Bless Many blesse themselves in evill waies Page 198 To bless God for helping us against wandring thoughts in Prayer Page 289 Blind Blind sacrifice not to be offered to God Page 98 Blood A fearfull thing to be guilty of Christs blood Page 230 Breathing see Spirit Broken see Heart What kind of broken heart is required