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B01867 Gospel-worship, or, The right manner of sanctifying the name of God in general. And particularly in these three great ordinances, viz. [brace] 1. Hearing the Word, 2. receiving the Lords Supper, 3. prayer. / By Jeremiah Burroughs. At the end of the contents of this book is printed the titles of all the works of Mr. Ieremiah Burroughs, that are published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.] Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646. 1648 (1648) Wing B6084A; ESTC R173334 230,318 294

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Prayer and so in the OLD TESTAMENT too it was a kind of emblem of Prayer The offering up of our Prayers is the offering up of Incense to God and the Mercy Seat it was a Type of Jesus Christ Now the Incense should cover the Mercy Seat so our prayers must go up to Jesus Christ must be upon him and so must be accepted by the Father And as we read in Judg. 13.20 when Manoah offered a Sacrifice the text saith that the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame This Angel of God here was Jesus Christ as we might ea●●ly from this Scripture make it out and he ascends up in the flame from the Altar Now though we do not offer such kind of Sacrifices with Fire and Incense as they did in the time of the Law yet when we are offering up of our Incense there must be a flame of Fervency and Zeal But that is not enough together with the flame of the Altar the Angel of God Jesus Christ the great Angel of the New Covenant for Angel signifies nothing but Messenger the great Messenger that is come into the world about that great Errand of his to reconcile the world to himself he must ascend up in the flame and so God will account his Name to be Sanctified the Name of God is not Sanctified but through Jesus Christ The Acting of our Faith upon Christ as Mediator is a special ingredient to the Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties as you know the Scripture saith that the Altar doth Sanctifie the gift offered upon the Altar Jesus Christ is the Altar upon whom all our Spiritual Sacrifices are to be offered and this Altar doth Sanctifie the gift that is offered upon it let never so great a gift be offered upon any other Altar it was not accounted holy nor accepted so let men by their naturall strength or power that they have offer up the most glorious and speciousest Service to God It is not accepted unless it be offered up upon the Altar Jesus Christ we have an Altar now not the communion Table but Jesus Christ himself is our Altar upon whom we are to offer all our Sacrifices and this Altar must Sanctifie the gift we can never have our gift sanctif●ed no nor Gods Name sanctified in this gift except it be offered upon this Altar and our Faith acted upon Jesus Christ People little think of this but of other things viz. That when we worship God we should worship him with fear and reverence and with humility and with strength of Intention such kind of things every one that hath any enlightening of conscience will think of at some time or other but people do least think of this which is the greatest ingredient of all that is required in the Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties that is to come and tender up all to the Father in the Name of Jesus Christ How many men and women that have been Professors of Religion 20 or 30 yeers and yet not acquainted with this great mystery of godliness to tender up all to God in the Name of his Son This is that that upon divers occasions I have spoken unto and am willing upon every occasion as I meet with it to speak of because it is a principle part of the great mystery of the Gospel without which all our duties are rejected of God and cast away Now then put all these Nine things together and see by them what we ought to do that we may Sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties But there is something further to be spoken that may help you to Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties and that is several workings of hearts suitable to the several Attributes of God for that is to Sanctifie Gods Name to have the duty to be such as is some way suitable to such a God as we are now worshipping Now then let us consider what the Scrip ure saith of God and then let us see what suitable dispositions we should have in us unto those things that the Scripture saith of God 1 First You know the Scripture saith that God is a Spirit in Joh 4.24 Then presently Christ saith That he that worships him must worship him in Spirit that is there must be a suitableness in our worship to what God is Is God a Spirit then all that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth that is thus When I am to go to worship God I must consider of him as he is an infinite and glorious Spirit well then surely bodily worship is not sufficient for me Though I do kneel down in Prayer or do come and present my body to hear the Word or my body to receive the Sacrament this is not to worship God as a Spirit If indeed that our God were as the Heathens that were corporeal then it were another matter then bodily worship would serve the turn but God being a Spirit he must have Spiritual Worship therefore my soul and all that is within me magnifie his Name saith David my Soul magnifie his Name not my lips only but my Soul The Apostle in 1 Tim. 4.8 saith that bodily exercise profits little it is no great matter for the body God looks but very little at bodily exercise but it is godliness that is profitable it is the work of the Spirit when we come to pray we must pray in the Spirit that is we must pray with our Souls we must poure forth our souls before God and when we come to hear our hearts must not go after our coveteousness we must set our hearts to what we hear we must hear with our hearts as well as with our ears our Souls must be at work in hearing of the Word when you hear it is not enough for you to come and fit in a Pew and have the sound of a mans voice in your eares but your Souls must be at work And so when you come to receive the Sacrament your Souls must feed upon Jesus Christ Bodily worship without Soul-worship is nothing but Soul-worship may be accepted without bodily worship therefore it is the Soul that God doth principally look at in holy duties If you be not able to worship God in your bodies you may worship him in your Souls and God regards that bodily exercise in holy duties is little worth somewhat it may be worth I confess sometime bodily exercise may further the soul as a reverend carriage of the body and the like but it is nothing in comparison the great work is the work of the Soul for God is a Spirit and must be worshipped in Spirit And God is said to be a Spirit not only in that he is not of so thick a Corporal substance but it notes the simplicity of God he is without any composition whatsoever is in God is God himself he is absolutely one there are not divers things in God now then those that come to worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth
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 cōmunion 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 f●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-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
the world You will say If a man have business in the world how can this be Yes though they have business in the world yet they carry the Heavenliness of their hearts along with them Our Conversation is in Heaven saith the Apostle Phil. 3. Now the word that is translated our conversation it is a word that signifies our City converse our trading is in Heaven When we go to the City or the Exchange or about any business yet our trading is alwaies in Heaven But now there are other sorts of people that had need at all times to look to their hearts in way of preparation As First Those that first set upon the duties of Religion young beginners that begin at first to set their faces towards Heaven to worship God they had need look to their hearts they should spend some time in Preparation when they come to holy duties and the truth is when the conscience of a man or woman is at first enlightened and awakened they will be very carefull in preparing to holy duties the fear of God it is mighty upon their spirits at first and it should not be less afterward the constancy of Gods fear should bring their hearts to such a holy temper as to make them fit for holy duties alwaies Secondly Those men and women that at any time shall sin against conscience shall commit such sins as shall in a kind even lay wast Conscience shall break their peace between God and their souls they had need spend some time in preparation for holy duties they cannot come into the presence of God to enjoy communion with God but they had need before hand be very serious in the examination of their hearts and to endeavour the working of their hearts into mourning for their sinne and to labour to possesse their souls with the presence of God even before they come These two sorts of people such as have not been acquainted with the wayes of godliness or such as have broken their peace with God by some evill carriage of theirs towards God in some vile way I say it is required of them to be more solemne in the worke of Preparation 2 But now for the Second Case which indeed is the main Suppose when we come to duties and begin to examine our hearts and begin to bethink our selves whether we be prepared yea or no to holy duties and we do not find our hearts prepared according to that that we do desire Whether then we may let the duty go for that time and forbear the performance of it as suppose Prayer or receiving the Sacrament or coming to the Word or any other holy duty And the reason of this doubt is because when any man or woman is consciencious they think with themselves that they must Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties now if they cannot find their hearts in a fit disposition to sanctify the Name of God in holy duties they are ready to think thus Were it not better to neglect his duty and lay it aside for the present Will God accept of a duty when I perform it and am not fit for it Therefore for the answer to this because it is a temptatation that sometimes carnal hearts have and they are ready to take this temptation and willing to neglect the duty upon such a thoughts as this that they are not prepared And the truth is they are more glad to let the duty fall than they are sorry for want of the preparation of their hearts for the duty I beseech you consider of this whether you have not found it so that sometimes when you have not been fit to performe a holy duty there hath not been a more secret willingness of the heart to let the duty go than a sorrow of the heart because you are not fit for the duty This is a very evil sign that the heart is very much distempered Those that are godly indeed when they find not their hearts prepar'd for the duty it is the trouble of their souls it is that that goes neer to their hearts when they think with them selves that they are now like to lose a duty of the Worship of God they are now like to lose their communion with God in a holy duty they even look upon themselves in an evil case in regard of this and it makes them watchful for time to come to take heed of those things that have put them in such an unpreparation as they find their hearts to be in at this time Now if it be so with thee it is a good sign that thy heart may be upright with God though through infirmity it comes at such a time to be unprepared for the duty But yet suppose I find I am not prepared I am griev'd and troubled at it for that must be premised whether were I better to leave the duty for this time than to fall upon it in such an unpreparation as this is Now for the Answer to this Question 1 First That which I would answer to it is this The omission of a duty or the laying of a duty aside will never fit the soul for a duty afterwards it is no way to make thy soul more fit afterwards because thou hast laid it aside now for the present do but observe your own hearts that way and you wil finde this by experience Such a time you have been bu●e in the world and occasions have hindred you so as your heart is out of temper and frame for a duty you lay it as●de now are you more f●t the next day If you do neglect duty in the morning upon any business are you fitter to perform duty at night because of it ● you will not find it to be so The forbearing a duty now will not make the Soul fitter for a duty afterwards ●●erefore it is no wisdom to forbear a duty for want of preparation because the forbearance will never help to further preparation but will make the Soul more unfit for duty It is an excellent speech that I read that Luther hath concerning himself I have learned this by experience that the oftener I do omit duty the oftener do I make my self the more unfit for duty and cause I have to abhor my self It is not the deferring that makes thee the more fit 2 Therefore consider that this is but a temptation and that is the Second thing that I would propound to those that shall omit a duty because they are not prepared That this is but a Temptation to keep thee from it to tell thee that thou art not prepared and if thou shalt forbear it because thou art not prepared in this thing thou doest gratifie the Devil and the Devil hath what he would have and so would be encouraged to tempt thee another time because he hath now what he would have in causing thee to forbear the duty First he laboureth to unfit thee for it and then he tempts thee to forbear it because thou art unfit this
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 wi●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 God● 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