truths upon the Lords day if you would hide them thus in your hearts and keep them all the week they would help you against the many temptations that you meet withall you go abroad on the week daies into company and there you meet with a temptation and it overcomes you and you complain Alas I am weak I have met with a temptation and it hath foyld me But had you hid the word that you heard on the Lords day in your heart it would have kept you from the strength of your temptation that it should not have overcome you those that are truly godly they have a care to hide the word in their hearts when they hear it they think this word shall help me against such and such sins which I am prone to by nature and when a temptation comes to that sin I hope I shall have use of the word that I have heard this day As now suppose you hear a word against passion then you should hide that word in your hearts against that time that temptation comes to passion And you hear a word against sensuallity and abuse of the creatures you should hide that word against that temptation cometh And you hear a word against unrighteousnesse and unjust dealings when a temptation comes to that sin you should hide that word against that time So you hear a word that speaks of obedience to parents and servants duties to governors now you should hide that word in your hearts against that time I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sin against thee You say that you would fain withstand and not be overcome with temptations why here is the way hide the word within thee that thou mayest not sin against him And so in Pro. 2. 1. you have a Scripture to the same purpose about hiding the commandements within us And then in 1 Joh. 2. 14. I write unto you young men because you are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one I have written to you young men you are youug you have strong natures and so strength of nature for God But how comes this to passe You are strong and the word of God abideth in you here is an excellent Scripture for all young men you have your memories fresh and if you will exercise your memories about any thing it should be in the word of God it is a comely and an excellent thing to see young ones to have the word of God abiding in them that if you come to them not only a week but a month after they have heard the word they are able to give you an account of it I am verily perswaded that there are many young ones in this place that are able to give you old ones If you ask them an account of what it is to Sanctifie Gods name in the duties of worship and why because the word of God abideth in them It is the honour of young men to have the word of God to abide in them and hereby they overcome the wicked one And on the other side many young people that do come to hear the word it may be they are drawn to it by others or it may be they love to have a walk in the morning but the word of God abideth not in them and therefore when the wicked one comes with temptations the week after they are overcome by him but those that have the word of God abiding in them they overcome the wicked one And so in Job 8. 31. you have a very remarkable Scripture for this purpose of keeping the word after we have heard it Then said Jesus to those which beleeved on him if you continue in my word then are you my Disciples indeed I beseech you observe it It is said that the Jewes did beleeve in Christ and yet saith Christ If ye continue in my word then are you my Disciples why were they not the Disciples of Christ that did beleeve in him By this beleeving therefore we must understand some kind of general notion that they had of Christ they began to think that Christ might be the true Messias some kind of imperfect beleeving they had but they were not throughly brought off now saith Christ If you continue in my word you are my Disciples As if he should say Do not you think it enough that you come to hear me and that you are taken by what I say you must continue in my word and then you are my Disciples Christ will not own that man or woman to be his Disciple that doth not continue in his word O that you would consider of this you that satisfie your selves in having some flashes of your affections when you are hearing the word but do not think that you are the Disciples of Christ because of them In Tit. 1. 9. Holding fast the faithfull word as you have been taught that is the thing you should labour for to hold fast the faithful word hold it fast that it may not be taken from you and so you shall come to Sanctifie the name of God in the hearing of his word 11 The last that I shall speak to is this If thou wouldest Sanctifie the Name of God in hearing his word turn it into practice or otherwise the Name of God is blasphemed or at least is taken in vain by thee if thou doest not turn what thou hearest into practice So you have it in Jam. 1. 22. He that is not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the word this man saith he shall be blessed in his deed And vers 22. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves The word here that is translated Deceiving your own selves it s a word taken from Logicians and signifies to make a false Sylogisme A man that hears the Word and doth not do it he doth as it were reason thus Those that do come to Church as we use to say those surely are Religious people but I come to Sermons and therefore I am Religious Now this is a false reasoning and thou doest but cozen thy self Be not a hearer only but a doer of the word that thou maiest not deceive thine own soul So in Rom. 2. 3. Thinkest thou this O man that judgest them that do such things doest the same that thou shalt escape the judgement of God As if he should say You have the word and you are able to judge thereby what you hear but yet still you are wicked in your lives this is dispising of the riches of the goodnesse of God towards you And in Phillipians 2. 16. you have a remarkable text where the holy Ghost saith of the Philipians That he would have them hold forth the word of Life It were a most excellent thing if it might be said of this Congregation that as they come diligently to hear and are willing to take pains to get out of their beds so earely in the mornings
man doth not accomplish the Righteousnesse of God there are some other particulars which being laid down we shall come to the 3 main points SERMON II. LEVITICUS 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE began these words the last day and shewed the scope of them and opened the meaning of them and spake of divers Notes of Observation that we gathered from this story of Nadab and Abihu and of Gods dealing with them From the general story of it there were many Points of notable Observation that were drawn from thence I le adde some few now and so come to the main Doctrinal Point in the Text. A further Note of Observation is this That many times even the dear Saints of God do meet with very sore and grievous afflictions in their Children That the most eminent Saints of God are not freed from very grievous afflictions even in their Children It was one of the sorest afflictions that almost ever any Saint of God met withall in his Children this affliction of Aaron at this time That two of his Sons and as I told you the last day renowned men in Israel newly consecrated to the Office of Priesthood that the very first day they came to offer in their office they were strucke before all the people with fire from heaven and consumed Oh what a sad affliction was it to Aaron their Father when he saw his Sonnes in such a manner destroyed by God himself Consider of this you that have Children and are ready to murmur and complain of every little affliction that is upon you in respect of your Children If so be that your Children be but a little sick or there be any miscarriage of them you think it is a heavy hand of God But especially if God take away your Children by death then you mourn and will not be comforted Yea but though God have taken away your Children by death yea perhaps it may be by a violent death as being drowned c. yet they have not been strucken with fire from heaven by God and they have not been of such publick use These here were renowned men and taken away in their very sin too your Children which have gone upon their lawfull imployments and God hath taken away their lives there 's no such cause of murmuring here but when God takes away Children in their sins and in such a way as by fire from heaven thus God took away Aarons Children and he was as dear to God as you are And yet thus God deals with his Saints with Aaron in regard of his Children and with his Elder Children and with two of them together This example may be enough to still and quiet the hearts of men and women that are afflicted in respect of any calamity befals their Children You see what a hand of God is against the very Children of Aaron A further Note is this That Gods judgements we see sometimes though the effect of them be visible yet they come in an invisible way For you shall find if you read on in this story That they were smote with fire from heaven but it did not appear what fire for it did not so much as consume their cloaths nor their bodies but went through and struck them dead and no body could tell how Gods judgements do come in a way that is invisible if it had been in a visible flame of fire all would have seen it and it would have burnt their cloaths or their bodies but you shall find in the 5 verse That they were carried away from the Sanctuary in their cleaths they were not burnt Another Note is this That though the lives of men be dear and precious to God yet they are not so precious as his glory The Glory of his Name is a thousand thousand times more dear unto God then the lives of thousand thousands of people the lives of Nadab and Abihu must go that God may be â—anctified If it comes so in the way as I may so say he lives of men and the Sanctifying of Gods Name the Glory of God must passe on and mast have its course let the lives of men go which way they will We think much to have the lives of men taken away but if we know 〈◊〉 Glory of God meant and what infinite reason there is that God should be gâ—â—ned we would not think it much that the lives of never so many men should go for the Glory of God 〈◊〉 'T is mercy that our lives have not gone many times for Gods glory How often might God have glorified himselfe in taking away our lives Wee have cause to blesse him that our lives have been preserved so long as they have Again Note That the neerer any men are to God the more they had need take heed that they glorifie him for they must expect to be spared the lesse if they sin against him Nadab and Abihu the Priests of God and they came neer to God yet by their transgression though I told you We do not find in any place of Scripture directly in words that this fire is forbidden but they should have gathered Gods mind by consequence And therefore by the way I only Note That we must not think to urge upon men in all things strict commands in very words but if it be commanded so as we may draw it by any consequence it 's a command as now here for the Negative they had not a Negative prohibition in words yet they had it by Consequence So for the Affirmative though we have not the affirmative in expresse words yet if we may have it by consequence it is an affirmative as well as the negative when we have it by consequence But now the Note of Observation is That the neerer any comes to God if they sin against him they must not expect to be spared Do not think that God will spare you the more because you are professors of Religion or because you do often worship him I suppose you that are acquainted with Scripture know that place in Amos 3. 2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Another Note is this That when a judgement is exemplary then we should have recourse to the Word of God to see how God doth make his Word good in that judgement So Moses doth This is that which the Lord hath said Do you see any remarkable hand of God in the execution of a judgement upon one have recourse to Gods Word and presently begin to think this What is there in Gods Word against that sin that this man hath been guilty of If you see a judgement of God upon a Drunkard remember the threats in the Word of God against drunkennesse and so the judgements of God upon unclean Persons swearers Sabbath breakers lyars or any prophane and ungodly persons have recourse to the judgements of God threatned
in the Word against such and so likewise concerning Scorners and Opposers of Religion remember what is said in the Word of God against such and so learn to Sanctifie Gods Names We might have mentioned some particular threats of God against particular sinners for the helping of you that when you see exemplary judgements to have recourse to the Word of God But we let that passe A further Note from this story is this That the great honour that God intends to his Name It is the making of his Name Holy I will be Sanctified in them that draw nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified As if Moses should say in Gods name Why I must have glory from the people and how By making my name appear to be holy this is the glory that I stand upon above all other things that my Name may appear to be holy that I may appear to be a holy God I beseech you brethren consider of this God stands upon nothing more then to appear to all the world to be a Holy God there 's the glory of Gods Name in an eminent way God doth not so much stand upon this to appear to be a strong God to appear to be a powerfull God to be a God of patience long-suffering God doth not so much stand to be an Omniscient God though these Attributes are dear to God but that he may appear to be a Holy God that he stands upon Whatever glory of the Name of God that God shall be content to have eclipsed in the world for a while yet he is resolved he will have the Glory of his holinesse above all things and therefore the Angels when they are celebrating the glory of God they do not say Lord Almighty Almighty Almighty or Lord Omniscient Omniscient Omniscient but Holy Holy Holy Those three together the Holinesse of God therein appears the glory of God above all God stands upon it that he will appear to be a Holy God Oh that those who professe themselves to be the Servants of God that they would especially indeavour to hold forth Gods Holinesse you that are neer to God you that hope you are Gods Children and make profession of his Name labour you to hold forth the glory of his Holinesse above all things in your holy lives and conversations for God stands upon this To have his Name to be Sanctified I will he Sanctified saith God and I will be Glorified so he doth interpret the glory of his Name by being Santified As if God should say That 's the glory that I look for That my Name may be extolled as Holy And therefore the very first Petition that Christ teaches us to pray in the Lords prayer it is Hallowed be thy Name which is all one with this Sanctified be thy Name Oh let the Name of God appear to be holy in the World that 's another Note that these two are joyned together I 'le be Sanctified in those that draw nigh me and I will be Glorified before the people Again observe That it is the part of true friendship to help friends in their distresses and seek to comfort them from the Word Though we our selves be in afflictions yet we should seek to comfort our friends that are in greater afflictions and to comfort them by the Word for so did Moses Moses comes to comfort Aaron and applies the Word This is that which the Lord hath said I will be Sanctified Now mark no question Moses was afflicted upon this heavy hand of God for he was their Uncle but though it was heavy upon the Uncle yet it was heavier upon the Father and therefore though Moses was troubled yet he knew that Aaron was more troubled and therefore he goes to Aaron and seeks to comfort him and he makes use of the Word in his comforting of him Learn this then to go and comfort your brethren for Aaron was Moses brother go and comfort them in thier afflictions and think not because that you have some afflictions upon you that therefore you should not be a comfort to your brethren their affliction is greather then yours and when you come to comfort them come not in a meer carnal way and say Brother you must be content but you must come and apply somewhat of the Word of God to comfort them and say This is that which the Lord hath spoke and to that end you should labour to be exercised in the Word of God that so you may be able to go to your brethren and comfort them in any affliction for there is no particular affliction but there is some word of God that is suitable to that particular affliction and those who are well exercised in the Word of God they can apply some word to every affliction And indeed this is an excelent friend and such a friend is worth his weight in gold that can come to another friend in any affliction and ever more hath some what of the Word of God to apply to that affliction The Last Observation is this That Aaron held his peace From whence we may Note That there is no such way to quiet a gracious heart under any afflictions in the World as that God will fetch out his honour by it It is grievous to me but God fetches out his glory and honour by it The applying of the Word and the consideration that God hath his way to fetch out his glory in our afflictions is the only way to quiet a gracious heart All these Points might take up a great deal of time but I will let them passe and come to the main Point of all I will be Sanctified in all those that come nigh me There are these Three Points in these words 1 First That in the Worship of God men and women draw nigh to God 2 Secondly That we ought to Sanctifie Gods Name in drawing nigh to him 3 Thirdly That if we do not Sanctifie it God will Sanctifie his own Name upon us First That in Worshipping of God there is a drawing nigh to God Quest Why is not God in every place Answ Yes certainly we can never be in any place but we are nigh to God God stands by us and looks upon us It is not only when you are Worshipping of God that you are nigh him but when you sin against him when thou art swearing prophaning his Name his Day God stands looks upon thee thou art nigh him And it may be said or written upon every place what was said of the City in the last words of the Prophecie of Ezek. 48. 35. The name of the City was Jehâ—â—ab-Shammah that is the Lord is there the Lord â—ehovah he is there he is present in this place Oh that you would remember when you are in any place that the name of that place is â—â—chovah-Shammah The Lord is there In him we live we move 〈…〉 being therefore we are alwaies nigh him yea but though we are alwaies nigh
comfortable to us then our lives but our sin makes Gods presence grievous and terrible A Child sometimes when it hath offended the Father and is conscious to its self of the offence that it hath given the Father it had rather be in the Kitching among the Servants then to come into the Hall or Parlour where the Father is because it hath offended him and so it is with a guilty conscience when it is conscious to its self of some haunt of evil that it hath given it self unto it hath no mind at all of coming into the presence of the Father but hangs off My Brethren the very presence of God in the communion of his Saints is terrible to a guilty conscience the very looking upon a godly man is terrible to a guilty conscience When as thou hast bin abroad c. bin loose c. wicked in thy waies I appeal to thy conscience when thou comest into the presence of some holy gracious man or woman that lives close with God doth it not daunt thee Now is the presence of God in the very faces of his Saints terrible to a guilty conscience How terrible is the presence of God in his Ordinances then Indeed those men and women whose consciences are not inlightened but are ignorant and sottish they can sin against God and go into his presence without any trouble you shall have men swear and be drunken over night and come to the Sacrament the next day What 's the reason Because there is no light in their consciences their consciences are in darknesse they are besotted in their sin but I speak now of one who hath an inlightened conscience the presence of God is terrible to such a one A Third Use is this Here is the Reason why Hypocrites do meet with such vengeance from God as they do I confesse we shall meet with this more especially afterwards only by the way take notice of it Hypocrites above all men may expect the severest judgements of God upon them because they come so nigh God for they come often to the duties of Gods Worship now they that will come so nigh Gods presence and come with base and ungodly hearts to cloak their villany of all in the world they must expect to have the severe vengeance of God let out upon them they that stand nighest the bullet must expect to have the strength of it to be the more upon them so when the wrath of God proceeds out upon sinners wicked men that stand nighest him they have the greatest strok of Gods wrath but of that more when I come to the Third Point That God will be Sanctified in those that draw nigh him The Fourth Use is this If to Worship God be to draw nigh him then to neglect Gods Worship is to depart from him that must needs follow and this is a dreadfull thing it is the sentence that shall be at the last day of judgement Depart from me Thou now art willing to depart from God Oh consider of this you that neglect Worship the Worship of God in your families and in your closets and in the congregation in the communion of the Saints thou hast little minded or regarded the Worship of God it may be all thy daies what hast thou been doing all this while thou hast been departing from God all this while when thy conscience shall be but inlightened and awakened to see how far thou art from God how terrible will it be to thee Remember this you that have no mind to the duties of the Worship of God but love the Commission of sin you neglect Gods Worship you were wont to Worship him in a constant way in your closets and families but now you grow more loose and so you grow more dead every day then other you go off from God more and more Surely there can be no good to neglect Gods Worship And those that are loth to Worship God because they cannot Worship him as they ought from this Point it appears plainly That there can be no good gotten by neglecting Gods Worship for it is departing from God whatsoever plea there may be by any temptation to neglect Gods Worship certainly there is danger in it and therefore never listen to any such temptation as shall draw your hearts from the duties of Gods Worship There are a Generation of wantons in these times that make little matter of continuing the duties of Gods Worship they were wont constantly to worship God and to attend upon the Word but now it is nothing to them and they are even ready to thank God for it that they make not such conscience as they were wont to do in the duties of the Worship of God It may be they will say That heretofore some slavish terror did carry them on in the duties of Gods Worship more then the understanding of the freenesse of the grace of God would admit of But shall the understanding of the freedom of the grace of God carry thee on lesse then thy slavish terrour did Oh blind and wanton spirit that knowest not the waies of God nor the freenesse of the grace of God nor the riches of it Oh what a dishonour art thou to Jesus Christ and to the freenesse of his grace that now canst go up and down from day to day and never Worship God! Did Jesus Christ come into the world to that end for to cause thee to depart more from God 'T is plain out of the Word That the duties of Gods Worship are those duties whereby the Soul comes to draw nigh to God And I beseech you brethren observe these men whither there be that holinesse in their lives that spiritualnesse as there was wont to be no you shall find them by degrees to grow loose yea run sometimes into grose sins grow many times to lying and deceiving and to drunkenesse and company keeping yea to worse things by degrees Perhaps they are at first ready to say Is thy Servant a dead Dog that I should do this But by departing from God they grow dead to holy duties We find it by experience That the professors of Religion have not that holinesse heavenlinesse spiritualnesse as they were wont to have in former times And no marveile for now they keep not so nigh to God as they were wont You that are Sea-men and Travelours sometimes you are neer the Sunne and then you are hot but the further off the Sunne you go you grow to be colder and colder And so those that neglect the Worship of God they go from the warm Sun they go from the light of Gods countenance and from the presence of God and so they grow cold and chill and by degrees they grow to prophanesse and it is to be feared that many of them will grow to meer Athisme Another Use is this A Use of Exhortation that we would be incouraged to Worship God and to be much in the Worship of God In Heb. 10. 22. Let
Worshipping of God 1 First the strength of Intention We must intend our work as if it were for our lives If ever we were seriously Intentive or Attentive about any thing it must be when we are worshipping of the Name of God When you are coming to Pray be Intent about it You shall see some when they are going in the street when they have much intention about their businesse their friends meet them and they never mind them one may perceive as they are going that they are mightily intent about their businesse My Brethren look upon every duty of worship as a great thing which you must be intent in your thoughts about and not give way to the wandring of your thoughts I have read of one Martyr that when he was to die and the fire a kindling saith an Officer What will not you speak when you see the fire kindling saith he I am speaking to God that is he was praying and he minded not at all what they were doing O what little things do take our thoughts away from holy duties When every toye every feather every light matter cals them off Is this to Sanctifie Gods Name Would not we account it a dishonourable thing if we were talking to one about serious businesse and when we are talking every one that comes by he should be looking after them and turning aside to talk with them If a Superiour be talking with you he doth expect that you should mind what he saith But when God is speaking to you and you are speaking to God every vain thought that comes by you are turning aside too as if it were a greater thing to talk to vain thoughts and temptations then to the great glorious God Therfore now that is the very time that the Devil chuses for to bring temptations when we are in holy duties for the Devil knows then he doth two works at once he doth disturb us in our duties and call off our hearts to that that is wicked and doth aggravate our sin exceedingly It may be thou wilt not dare to commit that sin that the temptation doth turn thy thoughts upon yea but the Devil hath spoyled the duty by it The Lord doth expect that there should be strength of Intention when thou art upon the duty and there is no time to parlie with temptations now what ever thoughts come in The truth is though they be good thoughts that should come into thy mind and that time that thou art Praying yet if they be not pertinent to the duty thou must cast them away as the temptation of the Devil You will say Can any thing that is good come from the Devil Certainly that that is materially good and coming unseasonably may be from the Devil the Devil may take advantage by what is in it self materially good and bring in that in an unseasonable time and so he may turn it to evil As now when thou art hearing the Word it may be the Devil thinks he cannot prevaile to cause thee to have thy heart running about uncleannesse yea but saith the Devil If I can inject good thoughts I will put into their minds some place of Scripture that is no way pertinent to this only to divert them The Devil gets much by this therefore look to it and know that God expects the strength of thy Spirit in duty that is strong intention thou art a worshipping of God and therefore thou hadest need be intent about what thou art a doing Indeed some-times before you are aware evil thoughts will come into your minds as when a man is keeping of a door and there is a croud of people without that would come in perhaps the man doth open the door for some Gentleman that he hears is at the door but when he opens it for one that is to come in forty others wil crowd in and so it is many times with the Soul that when it opens the door for some good thought a great many evill thoughts will crowd in those people might come in if they would stay their time but they should not now come in So about worldly businesses that are not in themselves unlawfull if they will stay the time they may come in but they must be bar'd out now at this time There is required strength of Intention 2 Secondly strength of Affection is required also That is the affections must work mightily after God striving with God in prayer If ever thou hadest a heart inflam'd in any thing it should be when thou art praying or attending upon the Word as the Heathens that worshipped the Sun sometimes I have told you that they would not have a Snail but a fâ—ying Horse they would offer that that was swift so when we come to the living God we must have living affections our affections boyling and that will be the way to cure vain thoughts as the flies will not come to the hony if it be boyling hot but when it is cold So if the heart be boyling hot and the affections a working it will keep out vain thoughts and temptations It is a sign of the breath of life when it is warm but artificiall breath you know it is cold as now the breath that comes out of the body that is warm but the breath that comes out of a pair of bellowes that is cold So the breath of many people in prayer it is discovered to be but artificiall breath because it is so cold but if there were spirituall life then it would be warm There must be strength of Affection 3 Thirdly There must be likewise the strength of all the Faculties We should stir up what ever we are or have or can do to work in prayer then the bent of mind and conscience and will and affection yea and the body should be put to it too and those that worship God to purpose they spend their bodies in nothing so much as in the worshipping of God It will be a sad thing another day when this shall be charged upon many Thou hast spent the strength of thy body upon lusts but when didest thou spend any strength of thy body about any holy duty What a riddle is this to most people to tell them of spending the strength of their bodies in prayer or hearing of the word or Sanctifying a Sabbath they think the Sabbath is a time of rest I confesse it is a time of rest from an outward labour but it is a time of spending strength in a spirituall way and those that shall worship God aright on the Sabbath will find it a spending of a great deal of strength and blessed is that strength that is spent in the worship of God rather then in the waies of sin as most spend their strength If God gives thee a heart to spend thy strength in his worship thou mayest think thus Lord thou mightest have left me to have spent my strength in sin how much better is it spent in the worshipping of thy
you are not in trouble and fear then it puts not on the heart to performance of duty but the Spirit of God puts on the Soule to duty when there is most peace and comfort 6 A little will serve the turn to satisfie a naturall conscience so be it they performe the duty it is enough but one that is acted by the Spirit of God in duty must meet with much of God or else he is not satisfied he goes mourning in the day time if he hath not met with much of God in the morning in the performance of duty Thus you see there 's much difference between the Actings of naturall parts and conscience in duty and the acting of the Spirit of God There be only now Two things more for the Sanctifying of Gods Name in duty and then we are to come to shew how we should Sanctifie Gods Name in duty in reference to the severall Attributes of God But First for those Two Heads further 8 The Eight thing is this When you come to performe holy duties if you would Sanctifie Gods Name you must consecrate your selves to God there must be a resignation of soul and body estate and liberty name and all you are have or can do unto God This is to Sanctifie Gods Name the consecration of your selves to God And the professing of this in the performance of duty when you are to pray were a very good thing actually to professe your selves to be Gods to professe that you do give up all that you are have or can do to God Lord I am thy servant take all Faculties of Soul and Members of body and improve all lay out all to thine own praise to the uttermost to bring glory to thy great name If every time you came to God in prayer you did this this were to Sanctifie your selves to God I spake before of a Sanctified heart but now this is in a profession of your selves to God do it secretly at least in your own thoughts if you do not every time expresse it in words yet in your own thoughts do it devote your selves to God every day Of admirable use it would be if every day when men and women worship God either in their closets or families they did professedly devote and consecrate themselves to God and so likewise every time they came to hear the Word or to receive Sacraments God would account his name to be Sanctified in such a work as this is 9 Lastly That that must make all up and without which all the other is nothing it is that you must tender up all your worship in the name of Jesus Christ let a man or woman worship God never so well yet when they have done all if they do not tender it up in the Name of Jesus Christ God will not account his Name to be Sanctified thou must by Faith look upon Jesus Christ as the glorious Mediator that is come into the world by whom thou hast accesse unto the Father And act thy Faith upon Christ and give up thy duties into his hand as the hand of a Mediator to be tender'd up to the Father by him though thou hast laboured what thou canst to performe duty as well as thou art able yet thou must not think to tender it up by thine own hand unto God but thou must tender it up to the Father by the hand of Jesus Christ the Mediator and so thou shalt Sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties We read in Levit. 16. 13. that when Aaron was to tender up the Incense he was to put the Incense on the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the Incense may cover the Mercy Seat that is upon the testimony that he die not Mark it is as much as his life is worth whether he doth it or doth it not Now Incense it is in the NEW TESTAMENT called Prayer and so in the OLD TESTAMENT too it was a kind of emblem of Prayer The offering up of our Prayers is the offering up of Incense to God and the Mercy Seat it was a Type of Jesus Christ Now the Incense should cover the Mercy Seat so our prayers must go up to Jesus Christ must be upon him and so must be accepted by the Father And as we 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 easily from this Scripture make it out and he ascends up in the flame from the Altar Now though we do not offer such kind of Sacrifices with Fire and Incense as they did in the time of the Law yet when we are offering up of our Incense there must be a flame of Fervency and Zeal But that is not enough together with the fame 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 speciall 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 Spirituall 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 unlesse 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 sanctified no nor Gods name sanctified in this gift except it be offered upon this Altar and our Faith acted upon Jesus Christ People little think of this but of other things viz. That when we worship God we should worship him with fear and reverence and with humility and with strength of Intention such kind of things every one that hath any inlightening of conscience will think of at sometime 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 years and yet not acquainted with this great mysterie of godlinesse to tender up all to God in the name of his Son This
and in another part it grows so in one â—ew the seed of the word is lost and in another â—ew it grows up But now if people that are compared to the ground would so hear the word as Gods name may be sanctified in it their hearts must be plowed â—as if one should sow seed upon green soil sow it in the fields upon green grasse what would become of it The ground must first be plowed for the preparation of the seed But you will say what is the meaning of the plowing of our hearts for the preparation of the word The meaning is nothing else but this The work of humiliation the humbling of the soul before the Lord when it doth come to hear Gods word Humble it in these two regards First be humbled for your ignorance that you know so little of Gods mind as you do Secondly be humbled for all the sinfulnesse of your hearts be senceable of the sinfulnesse and wretchednesse of your hearts and the miserable condition that you are in if you can get your hearts broken with the sence of your sin and misery and come so to hear the word it is very like the word may be of mighty use and Gods name may be very much Sanctified in your hearing of the word You will say Must we plow up our hearts before we come to hear It must be the word that must plow us the word is the plow and so the Ministers of God are compared to plowmen in the word he that puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of heaven It is true it cannot be expected that the heart should be throughly plowed as it ought but by the word therefore at the first coming to hear there is not hope that men will Sanctifie Gods name till the word gets in to plow them and so by geting at one time into their hearts they come to be prepared for hearing at another time And yet some what may be done before by that natural knowledg that men have they may come to know themselves to be sinners and come to understand themselves to be very weak and ignorant by some knowledg that they may have by the works of God and by conferrence with others and by reading and the like and so they may in some measure come to have their hearts to be humbled And it is good to make use of these to humble the heart but now You that have heard the word often and yet have not Sanctified Gods name there be truths that you have heard heretofore that if you had made use of in private to have plowed up your hearts they would have prepared your hearts for the next time in hearing of the word If therefore you would hear the word with a great deal more profit then formerly your hearts must be plowed by humiliation 2 Secondly the heart must be plowed by labouring to get out those thorns that are in the heart those lusts that grow deep in the heart as thorns grow in the ground labour to pluck them out that is when thou comest to hear the word get thy heart into that frame as to be willing to professe against every known sin that thou hast found in thy heart labour to find out those lusts that are in thy heart and then professe against them that thou art willing to have them to be rooted out of thy heart if men and women would but do thus when they come to hear that God might see this in them that they have before they come profest against every known sin This would be an excellent thing indeed 3 Again in the third place which will follow from hence When thou comest to hear the word come with a Resolution to yeeld to what ever God shall reveal to be his mind I am now going to hear thy word oh Lord to wait upon thee to know what thou hast to say to me And thou that art the searcher 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 which I know not teach thâ—u me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more In Isa 2. 3. you have a prophesie of the Centils how they should come to the word And many people shall go and say Comeye 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 disposition when you come to hear the word Some of you come together in streets and lanes 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 sincear milk of the word that you may grow thereby Do it as new born babes Now you know little babes they do not desire milk to play withall 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 then 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 then what it self of its 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 effiâ—acy in its self it is not able to reach to such effects as I expect that is to have my heart spoken too and quickned 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 aâ—t 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 speech 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 the 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 is not a vain thing it is your life when you come to hear the word give diligent attention to what you hear In Act. 3. 6. it is said The people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake They gate 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 sometimes to give such heed as a Disciple gives unto his Master so they gave heed to the Word So in Prov. 2. 1 2. My Son if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments with thee so that thou incline thine eare unto wisdome We must diligently attend and not to suffer our eyes 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 He 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 Ministery of his Word as if so be that the Lord should spake 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 â—ount But mark in vers 19. We have also a mere 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 well 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 Dispise not Prophesie 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 vers 3. he describes his Son And being made so much better then the Angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they If a Prophet should come and speak 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 then the Angels and it is Christ that is in 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 flight 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 Ministery of the Word among the Churches the Angels they attend and come to some knowledge in the Mysteries of godlinesse for so the Scripture saith That they have it by the Churches there the greatest things of Gods will the greatest Counsels 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 great counsels of God wherein the depth of the wisdome of God comes to be revealed to the children of men and therefore this cals 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 concerns your Souls and eternall estates Your Souls and everlasting estates do lie upon the Ministery of the Word if that be made effectuall to you you are sav'd if that be not made effectuall 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 for ever 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 she was troubled about his entertainment Lâ—â—k 10. 41. Martha Martha thou art carefull and troubled alâ—o tâ—mâ—ry things but one thing is needfull and Mary hath 〈◊〉 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 then 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 bestir 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 to that we should be diligent in drawing nigh to the word and give eare unto it because you find that the Lord doth expresse himself in the Scripture how he gives eare to us when we speak to him God is said to incline his eare sometimes to open his eare 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 eare bend his eare open his eare cause his eare to hear much more should we when we come to attend upon him 2 Secondly as 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 creaturs 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 O 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 carefull 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 marvelons use and it concerns not only Ministers in general to lay before people the doctrine of the Gospel but to aply it And know that it concerns you as well as Ministrs 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 owne 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 then 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 this awakens them now God many times doth speak to your hearts but you should apply it you know
my soul And we must receive it with joy too as well as with love Prov. 2. 10. When wisdome 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 described those that did receive the word so as to sanctifie Gods Name in it by this that they gladly received the word and were baptized and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls There were three thousand in one day that did gladly receive the word What an auditory had Peter at this time Then the word it did them good when they gladly received it Quest But it may be said We read in Matt. 13. of the stony ground the hearers that were not good and did not profit by the word so as to be saved yet they received the word with joy And Herod it is said of him That he heard John Baptist gladly It seems then that it is not enough to receive it with gladnesse 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 confesse Therefore when I speak of gladnesse and joy know that I mean another kind of joy then the stony ground had and so certainly the pleasantnesse that is spoken of in Prov. which I mentioned before And the gladnesse that the three thousand did receive the Word withall is different from the gladnesse of the stony ground If you ask me wherein it differs I would Answer it differs thus The gladnesse 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 honour 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 gladnesse that is spoken of in the Acts and in the Proverbs it is the gladnesse that ariseth from the apprehension of the spirituall 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 holinesse and the spirituall excellencie 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 glasse of Gods holinesse in his word I feel that in the word that may bring my Soul to God wherein my soul injoyes 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 receive the Word into honest hearts This you have in Luk. 8. 15. in the Parable of the Sower you shall find there that there are divers grounds that do receive the seed and by those divers grounds are meant divers sorts of hearers There is First the high-way ground that is such as hear the word and never regard what they hear and as soon as ever they go out of the Congregation the seed of the Word is quite gone and is as if they had not heard at all And then there is the stony ground and the thorny ground that is those that hear with joy as was spoken of before but the cares of the world choak the seed of the word as soon as ever they are gone they are upon their worldly businesse and their thoughts and hearts runs that way But then there is the good ground that is Those that receive the seed of the Word into a good and honest heart a good and an honest heart they are both joyned together By a good heart is meant a heart that hath not malice in it a heart that doeth desire to empty it self of every thing that is against the Word and which is not suitable to the spiritualnesse of the Word A heart I say that entertaines nothing in it that any way makes against the word A good heart is a heart which as the Apostle saith in Jam. 1. 21. and that place may very well come in here to be opened is clensed from all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse The word that is there translated filthinesse it signifies Excrements that which is unclean that which comes from the body such is the sinfulnesse of your hearts you come to hear the word if it be with evil hearts you mingle that very filthinesse which is as vile before God as excrements are And superfluity of naughtinesse by that I take is meant as if the holy Ghost should say Do not think it enough for to purge away filthinesse that is notorious stinking evils abominable sins that you do not come with such filthy vile hearts but whatsoever there is in your heart that is any way against the work of Grace it is a superfluity of naughtinesse all kind of evill thoughts and evill affections that are more then needs Look into your hearts and affections and see whatsoever you find there that is more then ought to be runing out unto any thing that they should not labour to purge out that saith he do not satisfie yourselves in any kind of evill whatsoever It may be you are clensed from the notorious evils of the World but if there remaines any naughtinesse any kind of drossinesse in your hearts that is not grace it is to be purged out for it is a superfluity So then that is a good heart that entertaines no kind of evill in it It may be there is some evill but it doth desire to purge out not only that that is filthy nastie and abominable but if there be any thing that should not be there a good heart is against it And that is a good heart that is willing to receive any thing that God reveals As we use to say Such a
so all the week after they hold forth the word of God You that are servants it may be your masters are naught and the families naught from whence you come now when you go home though it may be they will not let you repeate the Sermon yet you are to hold forth the Sermon in your practice and conversation How is the Name of God glorified when we hold forth his word this is to let not only your light shine but the light of the word shine before men that they may behold it and glorifie your Father which is in heaven So that now put all these Eleaven Particulars together and then you have made good that expression we find in Act. 13. 48. That the word of God was glorified And to the same purpose we have another expression in 2 Thess 3. 1. Finally brethren Pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you This is the commendation of a people that they do glorifie the word of God I beseech you brethren in the Name of Jesus Christ this morning that you that are hearers of the Word would glorifie the Word and glorifie the Name of God in the word Oh that not one of you would be a disgrace or shame to the word of God this is the charge that God this morning laies upon you as ever you expect to receive any good from the word or to look upon the face of God with comfort whose word this is do not be a shame to his Word and to the Ministers of his word Put all these things together I say and learn to make conscience of Sanctifying Gods Name in hearing the Word that so there may be none of you that may give any just occasion to others to say Is this to hear Sermons Do you get nothing else but this by hearing Sermons If you should open the mouths of men to say so of you the Word of God as much as lies in you would be disgraced by you you should rather think thus It were better for me that I should die and that I were under the ground and rotting there then that the Word of God should ever be disgraced by me Let me hold forth the glory of the Word the Word is that that hath done good to my soul the Word is that that I would not for ten thousand worlds but have heard it and shall I disgrace this Word shall I give any occasion that this word of the Lord should be spoken ill of by reason of me O God forbid Therefore if you regard not your selves and your own honour yet regard the honour of the Word If ever you have got any good by the Word you should go away with this resolution Well I will labour all the daies of my life to honour this Word of God that I have got so much good by If this were but the resolution of every one of your hearts this morning it would be a blessed mornings work SERMON X. LEVITICUS 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me NOW follow the Reasons why God stands so much upon it that he will have his Name Sanctified in this Ordinance of Hearing his Word 1 First It is because there is so much of God in his Word and therefore we should Sanctifie Gods Name If it were possible there could be sin in heaven that sin would be greater then sin committed here therefore the sin of the Angels when they were in Gods presence in a more especial manner was the greater The name of God being in any thing the greater will be the evill if we do not sanctifie Gods Name in it now there is very much of God in his word more of God there then in all his works of Creation and Providence In Ps 138. 2. Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name There being therefore so much of God in his word we must Sanctifie the Name of God in it 2 Secondly God hath appointed his Word to be the great Ordinance to convey the special mercies that he intends for the good of his people That we spake to before in the generall in shewing how the duties of Gods Worship are as a channel for the conveyance of speciall good to the Saints But none more then the Word that 's the Ordinance to convey the First Grace to those that belong to Gods election The Sacrament is for frengthning and therefore there is rather more in the Word then in the Sacrament and yet every one thinks in conscience that he is bound to come carefully to the Sacrament and to look to Sanctifie Gods Name there It is an easier matter to convince men and women that they are bound to Sanctifie the name of God when they come to receive the holy Communion then for the hearing of the Word they think not so much of that but certainly the Word is appointed to be an Ordinance of conveying more blessing then the Sacrament because it is appointed to convey the first Grace and to convey strength of Grace as well as the Sacrament Now being appointed to convey such great things to the souls of the elect both the first grace and strengthning of grace and comfort and assistance thereof the Lord expects to have his Name Sanctified in it 3 Thirdly The Name of God must be sanctified in the Word because the word is very quick and lively it works men or women to life or death to salvation or damnation In Heb. 4. 12. The word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper then any two edged sword peircing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit c. It is very quick of opperation the text saith that is when God hath to deal with men by his word he will not stand dallying and trifling with them but he is very quick with them either to bring their souls to life or to cast them away The time of mens ignorance God winks at but now he cals all men to repent Let them look to it now God did forbear in the time of ignorance but he will not forbear so when the word comes Now is the Ax laid to the root of the tree And when was that When John Baptist came to preach repentance because the kingdom of heaven is at hand Though the tree were barren before and did not bring forth good fruit yet it might stand still and not be cut down but when the powerfull ministration of the Word comes then the Ax is laid to the root of the Tree either now come in and be saved or resist the word and perish And therfore that is very observable when Christ sends out his Disciples to preach in Mark 16. 15 16. saith he Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature and he that beleeveth and is Baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned As if he should say There shall be quick
treasure that may be Another sort to be rebuked are those who are so far from falling down before the Lord to receive the word with meeknesse as they can blesse themselves in their wicked waies notwithstanding the word comes and meets with them I only name this because of that notable Scripture we have In Deut. 29 18 19. saith Moses there to them Take heed lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood what 's that root that beareth gall and wormwood And it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart c. Take heed there be not among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood This is a bitter root in mens hearts when they can hear the word of God and have their hearts rise aganst it and think with themselves that there is no such matter these are but meer words but meer wind let the Minister say what he will and talk as long as he will I will go on in my way I shall do well enough that which he saith it is but his opinion I say when men can blesse themselves thus in their way and when there are such tumultuous and rebellious thoughts rising in their hearts this is a root of gall and wormwood and take heed of it it will bring forth bitter fruit one day But I should quickly be prevented if I should lanch into this argument to reprove the several waies of sinning against God in the hearing of his word And therefore I leave those and come to shew what a fearful thing it is for men and women not to Sanctifie the name of God in the hearing of his word that so you may see that God will have his name Sanctified upon them And they are these 1 In the first place You that do not Sanctifie Gods name in hearing his word in those waies that have been opened to you first you loose the greatest and happiest opportunity of good that ever creatures had for an outward opportunity indeed when God moves by his Spirit if that be neglected that opportunity is more then meerly hearing the word but otherwise except it be at such a time when God adds his Spirit together with his word I say you that are cast by the providence of God in such a place where the word of the Gospel is preached to you applied and urged upon you if you Sanctifie not the name of God to hear as you ought and to profit by it I say you lose the greatest opportunity for good that is in the world Oh what hast thou lost that hast lived many yeers under the Ministry of the Gospel and yet hast not been acquainted with this mystery of godliness in sanctifying Gods name in the word There are many thousand souls that are and shall be blessing God to all eternity for what of God they have met with all in the word but thou hast fifteen under it stupid as a block dead and barren and no good hath been done Wherefore is there a prize in the hand of a fool and he hath no heart to get wisedome this will lie upon thee heavy one day the losse of such an opportunity and that is the first 2 In the Second place know that this word that is appointed by God for the conveyance of so much mercy to his elect it will prove to be the greatest aggravation of thy sin that can be This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light This is The condemnation If so be that light had not come among you then the condemnation had not been so great your sin had not bin so great your punishment had not bin so great In Mat. 10. 14 15. where speaking of those that did injoy the word and yet did not sanctifie Gods Name in it Whosoever shall not receive you saith Christ to his Disciples nor hear your words when ye depart out of that house or City shake off the dust of your feet Verely I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorah in the day of judgement then for that City It is a most dreadfull Scripture their very dust must be shaken off in token of indignation and it shall be more easie for the Land of Sodom and Gomorah in the day of judgment then for that place You would be very loth to be in a worse condition then Sodom and Gomorah that was consumed by fire from heaven And now suffer the vengeance of eternall fire Jude 7. Certainly they shall not be so deep in judgments as those that live under the Ministry of the word and sanctifie not the Name of God in it Your sin is of a deeper dye then the sin of the Heathens yea and in some respects then the sin of the Devils they never had the word of the Gospel sent to be preached to them and therefore this will aggravate your sin not only beyond heathens but beyond devils Look to it then that Gods Name be Sanctified in the hearing of his Word 3. Thirdly Know that so much as the word is rejected Jesus Christ is rejected Luk. 10. 16. He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me It is Christ himself that is rejected when the word is rejected thou hast not to do with man so much as with Jesus Christ in the hearing of the word And the power of Jesus Christ is to be put forth either to do the good by the word or to avenge thy neglect of the word Therefore in Matt. 28. 18 19. when Christ sends forth his Disciples to preach he makes this preface All power is given unto me in heaven and earth go ye therefore and teach As if he should say I having received all power in heaven and earth through the power I received I send you to preach and I 'le be with you to the end of the world that is All power in heaven and earth shall go along with you to assist your Ministry either for the good of those that shall imbrace it or for the Misery of those that shall reject it So that whosoever stands out against the Ministry of the Word stands out against all the power in heaven and earth that is given to Christ Do not think that thou doest resist a poor weak mortall man but thou doest resist all the power in heaven and earth And is not this a dreadfull thing then to be guilty of not sanctifying of Gods Name 4 Fourthly It is an Argument of extreame hardnesse of heart not to be wrought upon by the word Luk. 16. 31. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead saith Abraham Certainly that man or woman that shall not be wrought upon by the word so as to
Sanctifie Gods Name in it I say to such If one should rise from the dead they would not have their hearts wrought upon and therefore much lesse are they like to be wrought upon by afflictions It may be some of you think when you are upon your sick beds then you will repent no surely if this that is the great Ordinance to bring men to God shall not work upon you so as God shall be honoured in it you cannot expect that sicknesse and affliction should do it no if one should come from the dead to tell you of all the miseries that were there certainly if the word work not upon you that will not do it But you will say One would think that there should be more power to work upon the heart truly no because that is not such an Ordinance appointed by God for working such great works upon the hearts and consciences of men as the word is It is true the word is but a weak thing in it self but here lies the strength that it is an Ordinance of God appointed for to work upon the hearts of men therefore if this work not upon you to give God glory in the hearing it there is no other means is like to do it 5 Fiftly When the word works not upon men it is a dreadful sign of Reprobation If our Gospel be hid saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 4. 3. it is hid to those that are lost It is a dreadfull Argument that here is a lost creature one that God intends no good to One the Lord works upon perhaps he lets passe another one in a family and not in another Now where it is so that the word worketh not I say there is no such dreadfull brand of Reprobation as this is It is true we cannot give any certain sign of Reprobation therefore I cannot say of any man he hath now such a mark upon him as doth evidently prove that he is a Reprobate we cannot tell that because we know not what God may do afterwards but we may say this That it is as dreadfull a sign as any There are not any more dreadfull signs then these two First For a man to be suffered to prosper in a sinful course For God to let men go on and have their hearts desire satisfied in an ungodly way And then Secondly For the Lord to leave them to themselves so as the Ministry of the word shall not work upon them that they shall be by Gods providence so disposed of as to live under a faithfull and powerful Ministry and that it should not work upon them These are the two blackest signs of Reprobation and therefore it is a most dreadfull thing to sit under the Ministry of the word and not to sanctifie Gods Name in it 6 In the next place Surely there can be nothing Sanctified to thee who doest not sanctifie Gods Name in his word The Scripture saith That every thing is sanctified by the Word and Prayer And how canst thou expect that the word should sanctifie any thing to thee seeing that thou doest not make conscience of Sanctifying Gods name in the word The godly think thus 'T is the word that must Sanctifie all things to my Soul and I had need then sanctifie Gods name in that from which I expect the sanctified use of all blessings You therefore that can fit under it and make not conscience of sanctifying Gods name in it I say you cannot expect no sanctified use of any thing that you have in this world 7 Such as do not sanctifie Gods name in the word are very nigh to a curse There is a notable Scripture for this in Heb. 6. 7 8. where the Apostle compares the word to the rain that fals upon the ground For the earth that drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But saith he that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned The meaning is this plainly The rain here is the word and the good hearers they are like the ground that receive the rain and bring forth fruit and receive a blessing But now ill hearers that do not sanctifie Gods name in his word they are like ground that receive the rain as much as the other hear as many Sermons as the other but they bring forth nothing but thorns and briers and mark what a dreadfull expression is against them First It is rejected Secondly It is nigh to cursing Thirdly Whose end is 〈◊〉 burned Thou rejectest the word doest thou The Lord rejecteth thy Soul If thou hast no need of the word the word hath no need of thee it is a dreadfull thing to be rejected of God And then thou art nigh unto cursing It may be the Lord may for the time withdraw himself from the Soul and manifest that it is as it were rejected but yet the Soul hath not the curse of God upon it to say Well let this Soul perish for ever but some there are that are under an actual curse and saith God Well my Word shall never do good to this â—oul such a one hath sate under it thus long and hath rejected it my word shall never do good to him Like as in Luk. 14. where those that made excuses when they were bidden to the Supper the text saith at length That the Master of the feast was angry which was God himself that invited them by the Gospel to partake of his Son and when men would not come in but make excuses and refused the offer of the Gospel Verily saith he none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my Supper They shall never partake of any good of the Gospel This is a dreadfull curse Now the Lord deliver you from having this curse pronounced against you but yet I beseech you tremble at this Scripture in the Hebrews They are nigh to cursing Who knows how nigh some soul in this place may be to this curse for God to say This soul hath been often invited and yet hath made excuses and put off all he shall never taste of my Supper of the good things in Jesus Christ the word that hath been so rejected shall never do them good more you had better never been born then to have this curse actually upon you Oh fear and tremble lest your condition be such as to be nigh to cursing Who knows what a day a week may bring forth It may be the Lord may spare and be willing to passe by the neglect of former Sermons but who knows what the next actuall rebellion against the Lord in his word may do to bring the curse upon thee And then if so the next part of the verse will prove to be thy portion Whose end is to be burned Oh! It is a dreadfull thing to sin against the Word God stands much upon it 8 Eightly Know that if Gods name
be not Sanctified in it the end that God hath appointed it for will be turned quite contrary to thee The proper end that God hath appointed his word for it is to save souls but now where Gods name is not Sanctified it is turned quite contrary so the Apostle in 2 Cor. 2. 16. To the one we are the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life It is a dreadful thing that the good word of God in which there is such treasures of Gods mercy wherein the counsels of God concerning mans eternal estates comes to be revealed that this should prove to be the favour of death unto death unto any soul that is to have such an efficacy in it as to kill them by the very scent of it as it were As some things have such a poyson in them as the very scent is enough to poyson one So saith the Apostle to some our word hath that efficacy being turned quite to the contrary end some souls are sav'd and are and shal be blessing God to al eternity for the word and thy soul is dam'd by the word so as thou wilt hereafter curse the time that ever thou camest to hear it That will be a dreadful thing that the same word that others shall be blessing of God eternally in heaven for that thou shalt be cursing eternally in hell for it will be turned to the quite contrary end If it works not in the right way it will work the other the truth is it hardens mens hearts if it brings them not to God there is nothing that doth harden the hearts of men more then the Ministry of the word yet by accident not by its self there is no men in the world have such hard hearts as those that are wicked under the Ministry of the word It is not only an argument that their hearts are hard but they are hardened by it That in Isa 6. 9. 10. is remarkable for this and the rather because I find it so often quoted by Christ I think it is quoted three or four times in the Gospel And he said go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their heart and convert and be healed This is a strange Scripture what must a Prophet go to them to make their hearts fat and to shut their eyes why the word is appointed to open mens eyes but here the Prophet is sent to shut their eyes that they might not be converted this is dreadful this is for the punishment of some former neglect of the word of God sent unto this people above all Judgements you should be afraid of this It is not so much that a fire should be upon your houses as that God should make his word to be a means to harden your hearts In Ezek. 14. we have a dreadful expression to this purpose by the Prophet there where the Lord saith that the people did come to inquire of him with setting up their Idols in their hearts but saith God I will answer them according to their Idoll If men come to the Ministry of the word with their beloved sins and resolve that they will not part with them the Lord many times in his just judgment suffers some things in the word to be accidentally a means to harden them in that sin of theirs I will answer them according to their Idoll those men are in a dreadful estate whose hearts come to be hardened by the word 9 Ninthly If thou doest not Sanctifie Gods name in the hearing of the word what comfort canst thou ever have by the word in the day of thy affliction certainly when the day of thy affliction comes then there is nothing can comfort thee but the word Vnlesse thy law had been my delight saith David I should then have perished in mine affliction but thou having been exercised in the word so much and Gods name not Sanctifed thou must not expect to have thy soul comforted in the day of thy affliction No marvail then though the word hath been applied again and again to your hearts and nothing would stick I remember it was an expression of one in a great deal of terror of conscience many came to apply comfortable Scriptures to him and he himself for a while did take those Scriptures and lay them upon his heart to passifie his troubled conscience but a little before he dyed he cries out with a most fearful terror there is a fair plaister made but it will 〈◊〉 on it will not stick on so dyed despairing so there is in the word such a plaister as may help a wounded and troubled conscience but 〈◊〉 thou expect that hast not Sanctified Gods name in thy life time that it shall stick upon thy soul in the day of thy affliction never expect it for the Lord hath said otherwise Prov. 1. Because when I cryed and call'd ye would not hear you shall cry and call and I will not hear The Lord in his word cries to thee Oh thou sinful soul who art going on in the waies of sin and eternal destruction Return return that is the way that will bring thee to eternal miseries but here is the way that will bring thee to life and eternal salvation Thus the Lord cries and cals to day to day and thou stoppest thy eare Oh how just is it with God to stop his eare from thy crying and calling in the day of thy affliction 10 Further Know that thou that doest not Sanctifie the name of God in his word that all the word of God will be made good one day upon thee God hath his time to magnifie his Law and to make it honorable Isa 42. 21. You sight Gods Law you slight his word and despise it but God will magnifie it and make it honorable there is not any sentence that thou hast heard in the word but it shall be made good whatsoever becomes of thy soul Thou thinkest that God is a merciful God he will not damn thee but though God be merciful hath regard to his creatures yet the Lord hath ten thousand times more regard to his word then to all the souls of men and women in the world and God will stand to make that good he will not have such regard to that wretched vile sinful soul of thine as not to honour his word he will honour his word whatsoever becomes of thee and all that thou hast heard and rejected shall be made good upon thee one day 11 Again the word that thou doest reject and sin against it shall be the word that shall judge thee Joh. 12. 48. Look to it as well as you will this book of God out of which we preach and those truths that we delivered to you from this word
they must be called over again at the great day to judge your souls by the sentence of every one of your eternall estates must be tryed out of this book Oh look upon it as the word that must judge your Souls at the last day and then you will see it a dreadfull thing not to sanctifie Gods Name in it And then when the word doth judge you you shall obey it whether you will or no. Now the word convinces you and you will not obey it but when God comes to judge you by the word then you shall obey it Then when God comes to read that sentence out of the word Go ye cursed into everlasting fire then I say you shall be forced to obey it 12 Lastly There is yet one thing more which should have been mentioned before which is very remarkable That those men which do not sanctifie Gods Name in his word they will be blasted even here while they live their parts and common gifts that they yet have will be blasted wither and come to nothing We find it ordinarily that many that are young had very good beginnings and very good parts that were very hopefull and would speak very favourly where they came afterwards beginning by degrees to neglect the Word the Lord hath blasted them their gifts have withered the common gifts of the Spirit have been taken from them I will give you one Text for that in Luk. 8. 18. Take heed therefore how ye hear It is an Exhortation that follows upon the parable of the Sower that went out to sow because it is so that when the word is sowen as seed there is so little of it doth prosper and most hearers do not Sanctifie Gods name in it therefore look to your selves Why For whosoever hath to him shall be given and whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have You had need look to your selves how you hear for the truth is all depends upon it under God have you got any common gifts of the Spirit of God or any abilities to do any service for God do not be proud of them neither be jolly nor think that you are able to do better then others and that those are but ordinary things that the Minister speaks and you are gotten into a higher forme Look to your selves take heed you come not to the word with a proud Spirit be not offended at the plainnesse of the word take heed how you hear for if you do not that that you seem to have shall be taken from you saith Christ You seem to have excellent gifts yea you seem to have grace too but take heed how you hear for all this whatsoever parts you have got though you be highly esteemed in the company where you come and you are able to do things more then others yet I say Take heed how you hear for otherwise that that you have will be taken away from you have have we not seen this in our own experience and it is apparent that they began to be withered and to be blasted by neglecting of the Word And therefore I beseech you look to this that you do Sanctifie the name of God in his word and let your hearts bow unto it as unto the Ordinance of God and waite upon it in the Ministry of it lest you wither and be blasted and come to nothing And thus I have shewen the great evill of not Sanctifying Gods Name and how God will be Sanctified I shall be very brief in the Use of Exhortation Oh that the Lord by this would cause some thing to stick upon your hearts that what hath been preached in this point may be made usefull for many Sermons afterwards that it might be said of you in this place as it was said of them in Act. 13. 48. When the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Oh that God would make every one of you to be a means to glorifie the word of God! That should be our care that the word of God may be glorified by us we come to hear the word but take heed that the word of God be not dishonoured by us In 2 Thess 3. 1. Finally Brethren pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you Oh that we were able to say so and yet through Gods mercy in some degree we hope we can say so and I could heartily pray that the word of God might be glorified in all places as it hath been with many of you but yet go on in this and labour every one of you that it may be more glorified that you may manifest the power of the word in your conversations that all that do behold you may glorifie the word and say Oh what hath the Lord wrought in such a place in such families families that were wretched vild carnal and liv'd without God in the world Prophane Swearers foul-mouth'd Unclean Now since they have attended upon the word how hath it wrought upon them what a change is there in such men and women That the carnal husband may say since such time as my wife hath attended upon the word I have seen a Beauty in her conversation shee is more holy more gentle and meek and so my servant more submissive and faithful and so my children more obedient then before Oh that the word may be thus glorified Take heed I beseech you that the word be not blasphemed by any of you In Tit. 2. 5. there the Apostle gives divers exhortations and among others to wives and to servants To be 〈◊〉 chast◠keepers at home good obedient to their own husbands that the 〈◊〉 God be not blasphemed you must perform your duties unto your husbands and why that so the word of God be not blasphemed that is that neither your husbands nor any of your friends may blasphem the word and say what do you get this by going to sermons Oh it should peirce your hearts when as your consciences tell you that you have given cause whereby the word of God should be blasphemed and so he exhorts servants and others and all in the strength of this argument that the word of God be not blasphemed you get up early in a morning to hear the word that 's good but take heed you give no occasion that the word be blasphemed Now I shall shew what an excellent thing it is so to Sanctifie Gods name in the hearing of his word as to honour it and how God will Sanctifie his owne name in mercy to you 1 First All the good in the word is thine if thou doest Sanctifie Gods name There is aboundance of good in this word that we preach it is the word of the Gospel and to have all the good in that to be thine that must needs be an excellent thing you will say some times I
sight of God and our Father Knowing Brethren beloved your election of God Why For our Gospel came not to you in word only but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance And know this excellency there is in sanctifying Gods name in hearing the word I beseech you mark it that it is a more blessed thing then if you did bear Jesus Christ in your wombes You that are women would not you have accounted it a great happines if Christ had been borne in your wombes Now if thou comest to the hearing of the word and sanctifiest Gods name in it thou art in a better condition and hast a greater blessing upon thee then if thou hadest borne Jesus Christ in thy womb In Luk. 11. 27. 28. And it came to passe as he spake these things that a certain woman of the company lift up her voice and said unto him Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked Seeing Christ and what gracious things came from him she spake so But he said Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God keep it That is Labour to sanctifie my name as hath been opened in the particulars rather is that women blessed that do so then the woman that bare Christ Me thinks this one scripture should be such a scripture for women to cause them to sanctifie Gods name in hearing of the word instead of a hundred scriptures certainly thou maiest be so blessed if thou wilt beleeve the word that comes from Christs mouth 3 Do you sanctifie the name of God in the Word that wil sanctifie you by that your souls come to be sanctified it wil comfort you in the day of your affliction it will save you at last 4 You that do sanctifie Gods name in the hearing of his Word you will be the glory of the Ministers of God at the great day of judgement You will be an honour to them before the Lord and his Saints and Angels In Phil. 2. 16. Holding forth saith the text the word of life This is the duty of all the hearers of the word that they must hold forth the word of life when you go home you must hold forth the power of the word you hear well what will become of that That I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not runne in vain neither laboured in vain Let that be one motive among the rest saith the Apostle this will be such a glory to me that I in the day of Jesus Christ shall rejoyce that I have not laboured in vain I shall blesse God for all my studies and care and all the pains that ever I have taken and ventring my self for this People I shall blesse God in the day of Jesus Christ Would it not be a comfortable thing to you that all the Ministers of God that come to preach the word faithfully to you If at the day of Jesus Christ you should hear them blessing God that ever he did send them to preach the Gospel in such a place and you should hear them saying Oh Lord it may be had I been sent to another place I should have spent all my strength in vain but through thy mercy I was sent to a teachable people that were ready to imbrace thy word Oh this is my crown and glory Would it not do good to any whose hearts are faithful to think this that their holding forth the word of life will not only be a glory to God which is the cheif but it will be a glory to the Ministers to recompence all their labours that you shall not only be saved your selves in the day of Jesus Christ but you shall adde to the glory of his faithful Ministers likewise when they do appear before Christ 5 I shall adde one particular more There is a time coming when God shall magnifie his word before men and Angels In Iâ—â— 22. 21. He will magnifie his Law and make it honorable What a joy shal it be to thee when the Lord before men and Angels shall come to magnifie his word and make it honorable for thee then to think This is the word that spoke to my heart at such and such a time this is that word that I did reverence that I did obey that I did love that I made to be the joy of my heart this word the Lord now doth magnifie and make to be honorable This will be comfortable to thy Soul The Eleventh SERMON The Eleventh SERMON LEVITICUS 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me THE last day we finished the point of Sanctification of the name of God in the hearing of his Word and now wee will proceed to the Sanctification of the name of God in receiving the Sacrament that 's the next duty of worship Now first for the word Sacrament I confesse wee have not that word in all the Scripture as neither have we the word Trinitie and divers other words that Ministers make use of to set forth the Mysteries of Religion by but yet it is usefull to consider the meaning why Ministers in the Church have given this name unto those signes and seals that the Church receives Sacrament is to hallow a thing or to dedicate because in the Sacraments there are outward things that are made holy for holy and spirituall ends Secondly wee our selves do as it were hallow or dedicate our selves unto God in the use of these Ordinances that 's one reason from whence it hath the name Or otherwise as some will have it Sacramentum because it is to be received Sacramente with a holy mind and therefore cald the Sacrament The Churches have used it a long time in Tertullians time which was above fourteen hundred years agoe he was the first that we find used this word and most that would open the word unto us say that especially it was taken from the practise of Souldiers who when they came and listed themselves bound themselves in a solemne oath to be faithful to their Captaine and to the Cause that they did undertake and the oath they were wont to call Sacramentum A Sacrament Now in regard that Christians when they come to this Ordinance they come to seale a Covenant with God and though they doe not formally and explicitely take an oath yet they bind themselves in a holy Covenant which hath the strength even of an oath in it For a solemne Promise to the high God hath the strength of an oath in it and from thence they were cald by these names Sacraments but that for the word that you may understand it But the word the Scripture useth to set out this Sacrament by that now I am speaking of is the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ so you have it in 1 Cor. 10. 6. The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we break is it
Q Questions Two questions God will ask his worshippers 87 Quick God is quick in way of judgement with some 17 The word of God is quick in working 196 Quiet The best way to quiet the heart in affliction 25 R Ready What will make the heart ready for duty 54 Readinesse to hear the word wherein it consists 166 Reading Reading not to be preferr'd before hearing 167 Reprobation Not to sanctifie Gods Name in hearing the word a sign of Reprobation 202 Two fearfull signs of Reprobation 203 Resign In Gods worship we must resign all to God 90 Resolution We must hear the word with resolution to yeild to it 170 resolution against wandring thoughts in prayer 287 S Sabbath Sabbath see Strength Sacrament Sacrament the meaning of the word 225 Sacrament a part of Gods worship 226 We must sanctifie Gods name in receiving the Sacrament 228 Vnworthy receiving the Sacrament severely threatned 229 How we sanctifie Gods Name in receiving the Sacrament 291 Whether Judas received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 238 Safety Safety wherein it consists 38 Salt Salt of the Sacrifice what it signifieth 67 Sanctifie Sanctifie what it signifieth 5 Gods name Sanctified two waies ibid Gods name to be Sanctified when we draw nigh to him 42 How Gods Name is Sanctified in drawing nigh to him ibid How duties must be performed that Gods name may be Sanctified 62 The heart must be Sanctified in regard of Gods greatnesse 67 Sanctification the parts of it ibid Sanctification of the heart double 68 Sanctifying of Gods Name the only way to fit us for mercies 105 Exhortation to Sanctifie Gods Name 113 Nothing Sanctified to them that do not Sanctifie God in his word 203 See Sacrament Satisfied Naturall Consciences is satisfied with a little duty 90 See Sin Schisme No Schisme to depart from a Church that hath not al Christs Ordinances 243 Schisme what ibid Difference between Schisme and Apostacie ibid Secret Men acted by naturall parts are not enlarged in secret 88 See The Sacrament so to be delivered as all may see what is done 262 Self Self not to be our end in our duties 74 Where self is the highest end God regards not the duties 75 Service Hearing the word is Divine Service 164 Shadow Shadow of Gods wing what 39 Shift Of those that shift off the word closely applyed 199 Silence Silence what 7 Sin The committing of one sin prepares for another 60 No salvation without satisfying for sin 108 The heart must be purged from sin to receive the Sacrament 249 Motives in the Sacrament to abhor sin 250 Sin the great evill of it 269 Singing Singing Psalmes in the time of the Sacrament unfit 265 Singing after the Sacrament requisite 266 Sitting Sitting at the Sacrament the fittest gesture 263 Soul The price of the salvation of a Soul 269 Spirit Spirituall We must be acted by the Spirit in our worship 87 God must be worshipped in Spirit 93 Spirituall things may be absolutly prayed for 277 How to know when the Spirit helps our prayers 291 See Glory Sweet Strange see Fire Strength Strength required in Gods worship 80 Strength required to spend the Sabbath 83 Naturall conscience gives not Strength to duty 88 We must not come to duties in our own Strength 115 Strugling Strugling alone against corruption oft times en snares us 61 Subjection Subjection required in hearing the word 182 Sufferings The Sufferings of Christ chiefly represented in the Sacrament 246 Ground of suffering for Christ 268 Superstition Superstition what 9 Sutable see Judgement Sweet Breathings of the Spirit sweet 292 T Table Those that come to the Sacrament should come neer the table 261 Tares Tares what meant by them 238 Temptation Time of temptation the time of worship 81 We must hide the word in our hearts against temtation 191 Terrible see Place Thankfulnesse Thankfulnesse required in receiving the Sacrament 255 Motives to thankfulnesse 256 Time Preparation makes us do much in a little time 52 See Holy Thornes Thornes must be plucked out of the heart when we hear the word 169 Thoughts In the worshipping of God we must have high thoughts of God 71 Wicked men have many times wicked thoughts in prayer 282 Thoughts are to God as words are to men ibid See Wandring Tremble We should tremble at hearing the word 181 Truth We must pray in truth 292 Truth what meant by it ibid V Vain Where wicked men are willingly admitted to the sacrament Gods name is taken in vain 241 Unchangeable God is unchangeable 96 Understanding We must pray with understanding 280 Uncertainty The righteousnes of the law leaves at uncertainty 212 W Wait We must wait Gods leasure in regard of time 86 Ground of waiting from Gods eternity 95 Wandring WaÌ„dring thoughts in prayer 281 Directions against wandring thoughts in prayer 286 All wandring thoughts in prayer sinfull 288 See Birds Humble Devil c. Warrant see Command Watching Watching required in preparation to duty 50 Weaknesse God passeth by weaknes where the heart is prepared to duty 53 Weary A man that makes himself his end will be weary of duty 76 Wicked Wicked men are to be cast out or with drawn from in the sacrament 235 Every man in the congregation to look to the caâ—ing out of wicked men 241 Ground of excluding wicked men 258 Will Willing We must he willing not will worshippers 10 Things in Gods worship depend only upon his will 11 God requires that we will as he willeth 104 Our prayers must be according to Gods will 276 Wisdom Wisdom of God what to learn from it 99 Wisdom of God to be our guid ib. Womb Those that sanctifie Gods name in hearing the word it is a greater blessing then to bear him in their womb 213 Word To comfort afflicted friends from Gods word 24 The heart must be plowed by the word 196 The word must be glorified 194 Word what should make us esteem it 186 Word hath much of God in it 195 The word a means to convey speciall merices ibid. The word wherein the strength of it lies 202 All the good in the word for whom 210 The devil gets advantag by fastening il words upon the good 244 The word in what respect above the Sacrament 251 The word sanctified by prayr 273 Worship Difference between civil things Gods Worship 9 Natural helps in Gods worship ibid We should be humbled for false worship 11 Worship of God what 27 Worship of God the means to convey his choice mercies 28 To heed what we do in worship 32 Exhortation to be much in the worship of God 34 Hearing the word a Part of Gods worship 162 What makes hearing the word a worship 163 Prayer put for the whole worship of God 273 See Command Little c. World In preparation the heart must be taken from the world 49 In Prayer the heart must be taken from the world 275 Wrath Preachers that reveal Gods wrath should conceal their own 19 FINIS THE CONTENTS OF
worship 96 5 God is a living God and what we should learn thence ibid 6 God is Almighty what that should teach us in our worship 97 7 God is Omniscient and what that should teach us 98 8 God is a God of Wisdom and what that should teach us 99 9 God is Holy and what that should teach us in our worship ibid 10 God is Mercifull and what that should teach us 100 11 God is just and what that should teach us 101 12 God is Faithfull and what we should learn thence 102 SERMON VII Reasons why God will be sanctified in all the duties of his Worship 1 God doth will himself the last End 104 2 The especiall glory God hath in the world is to be actively honoured 105 3 The duties of worship are the means to convey Gods choicest mercies ibid 4 We are not fitted to receive mercies but by sanctifying Gods Name ibid 5 Else we shall not hold out in duty 106 Application 1 We have no cause to rest on our duties 107 2 The work of Religion is hard to flesh and blood 109 3 We should be humbled that we have no more sanctified Gods Name 110 4 Exhortation to sanctifie Gods Name 113 1 To consider we have to deal with God in worship 114 2 Not to come in our owne strength 115 3 Not to be satisfied with the duty done ibid 5 God is displeased with the duties of wicked men 116 1 God blasts such men 117 2 God opens their eyes on their death bed to see what they have done 118 6 Those that sanctifie Gods name he will sanctifie it in a way of mercy 119 SERMON VIII Of sanctifying Gods name in hearing of the word 161 Hearing the word is a part of Gods worship 162 1 We professe our dependance upon God for the knowing of his mind 163 2 In hearing we wait on God in the way of an Ordinance ibid In hearing the word 1 There must be preparation 165 Which is 1 To hear the word as the word of God 166 2 To hear the word as Gods Ordinance for our good ibid 2 To plow up the fallow ground of the heart and what is meant by it 168 3 Resolution to yeild to all truths delivered 170 4 A desire after the word ibid 5 Prayer before we hear the word 171 The behaviour of the Soul in hearing the word 1 Carefull attention to it ibid Means to help attention ibid 2 An opening of the heart to receive it 175 3 Carefull applying of the word ibid 4 It must be mixed with Faith 177 How the word is to be mixed with Faith ibid SERMON IX 5 The word must be received with meeknesse 179 6 It must be heard with a trembling heart 181 7 With humble subjection to the word 182 8 It must be received with love and joy 184 9 It must be received into an honest heart 186 10 We must hide the word in our hearts 189 11 We must turne the word into practice 192 SERMON X Why God will be glorified in them that hear the word 195 1 Because there is so much of God in it ibid 2 God hath appointed it to convey speciall mercies ibid 3 It is quick and lively in working 169 Use 1 Reproof of severall sorts of men concerning the word neglected 197 The fearfull estate of those that do not sanctifie God in his word 200 1 They lose the choicest opportunity ibid 2 The word will be a great aggravation of sin ibid 3 They that reject the word reject Christ 201 4 It is an argument of hardnesse of heart 202 5 It is a sad sign of Reprobation ibid 6 To such there can be nothing sanctified 203 7 They are nigh to a curse ibid 8 It will turn to their damnation 205 9 It will not comfort them in afflictions 206 10 God will make his word good upon them 207 11 The word shall judge them ibid 12 God will blast them that sanctifie not his name in his word 208 Use 2 Exhortatio to glorifie the word of God 209 God will sanctifie his Name in mercy upon those that sanctifie it in hearing the word 210 1 All the good in the word is theirs ibid 2 It is a certain evidence of their election 213 3 God will sanctifie them by the word 214 4 They will be the glory of the Ministers at the day of Christ ibid 5 It will rejoyce them hereafter when God shall magnifie his word 215 SERMON XI Of Sanctifying the Name of God in receiving the Sacrament 225 1 Receiving the Sacrament is a part of Gods worship 226 2 Gods Name must be sanctified in our receiving the sacrament 228 1 Because there are presented the greatest Mysteries of salvation ibid 2 It is an Ordinance that Christ hath left out of his love ibid 3 It is the Sacrament of our Communion with Christ 229 4 The Covenant of Grace is sealed in it ibid 2 No duty is urged with more strength and severity ibid 3 Nothing striks more upon mens Consciences 230 How many are to Sanctifie Gods Name in the Sacrament 231 1 Those that receive it must be holy 232 1 Because it is the seal of the Covenant ibid 2 It is an Ordinance of spirituall nourishment 233 3 Because we are required to examine our selves ibid 4 It is a Sacrament of Communion with God and the Saints 234 2 It must be received in a holy Communion ibid Wicked men not to be admitted to this Communion 235 SERMON XII Addition to the former conerning holy Communion 242 The qualifications in the Soul to fit it for receiving the Lords Supper 244 1 Knowledge ibid 2 A broken heart 246 3 Actuall purging the heart from sin 249 4 Hungring and thirsting after Jesus Christ 251 5 Exercise of Faith 252 6 Exercise of Spirituall joy 255 7 Thankfulnesse ibid 8 Renewing of Covenant 257 9 Renewing of love towards God and our brethren 258 SERMON XIII We must keep to the institution in the Sacrament 261 1 For the gesture 262 2 Delivering it to all in generall and not into every particular mans hand 264 3 That the Communicants be all the while exercised in their thoughts about the death of Christ 265 Mediations in receiving the Sacrament 267 1 That the way of mans salvation it is through a Mediator ibid 2 This Mediator between God and man is true man ibid 3 That his body was broken and his blood shed for us 268 4 It was the body and blood of that person that is God that reconciles us ibid 5 To consider the dreadfulnesss of Gods justice ibid 6 The price of saving a Soul 269 7 The greatness of the evill of sin ibid 8 The infinite love of God to mankind ibid 9 That beleevers shall be nourished to eternall life ibid 10 To meditate upon the Covenant of grace to beleevers 270 Holy disposition to be actuated in receiving the Sacrament 271 Of Sanctifying the name of God in Prayer 272 What preparation we are to make to Prayer 274 1 Concerning the matter of Prayer 276 2 Concerning the manner of prayer 280 Concerning wandring thoughts in Prayer 281 SERMON XIV A further enlargement concerning wandring thoughts in Prayer 283 5 Rules to help against wandring thoughts 286 1 Set a high price upon the duties of Prayer ibid 2 To renew resolutions against wandring thoughts 287 3 To set the presence of God before us 288 4 To account all wandring thoughts evill ibid 5 To bless God if at any time he did help us against them 289 3 For sanctifying Gods name in Prayer there must be the breathings of the spirit 290 4 There must be pure hearts and hands 292 5 We must call upon God in truth ibid What it is to call upon God in truth ibid 6 We must pray in faith 293 7 In the spirit of adoption 294 8 We must pray with constancy 295 9 We must pray in humility ibid 10 We must tender up al our prayers in the name of Christ 296 Conclusion of all 297 FINIS 1 Observ 2 Observ Observ Observ 5 Observ 6 Observ 7 Observ 8 Observ 9 Observ 10 Obser 11 Obser 12 Obser 13 Obser Stepney Nov. 16. 1645. 14 Obser 15 Obser 16 Obser 17 Obser 18 Obser 19 Obser 20 Obser 21 Obser That we draw nigh to God in Holy Duties What it is to worship God The Second respect wherein the Soule is said to draw nigh to God in holy duties Applic. 1 Applic. 2 Applic. 3 Applic. 4 Applic. 5 By drawing nigh to God often we increâ—se 〈◊〉 grâ—â—ts We come to live holy lives A special signe of our adoption We come to be put in mind of the life of heaven Our drawing nigh to God delightfull to him By coming into Gods presence there is a blessed familiarity betweeÌ„ God and the soul Our familarity with God makes us to be potent with him By our communion with God the terror of death wil be taken away Safety in being neer to God Stepney Nov. 30. 1645. Applic. 6 Great honour God puts upon his servants Doct. 2. Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Reason 4 Reason 5 Reason 6 Stepney Decem. 7. 1645. Stepney Dec. 14 1645. Stepney Dec. 21 1645. Stepney Janu. 4. 1645. Stepney Janu. 11 1645. Stepney Janu. 25. 1645. Stepney Febr. 1. 1645.
ends that we aimest at when we are Worshipping God we should have our hearts above al creatures and above ourselves Let not our hearts then be groveling upon the ground mingled with base and drossie things when we come to Worship the Lord indeed it is fit that we should have our hearts low as we shall shew hereafter in regard of humility but not low in regard of any basenesse of Spirit to mix with any base and low ends Now there are low and base ends in Worshipping of God As. First We must take heed we do not subject the Worship of God unto our lusts that is a cursed thing thou art far from Sanctifying Gods Name in Worshipping of him that shalt subject his Worship to thy base Lusts this is an abominable and a cursed thing indeed You will say Who doth thus who is the man or where is he that will do this subject the Worship of God to his base lusts To that I Answer Whosoever doth make use of any duty of Worship as Prayer Hearing the Word or what ever it be to cloak any kind of wickednesse whosoever is conscious to himself of any kind of secret wickednesse and yet shall think to cover it by the performance of duties and shall reason in this manner who will think me to be guilty of such a vile thing when I pray so as I do and am so carefull to hear the Word and I hope I shall cover some wickednesse this way If there be any in this place whose conscience tels them that they subiect the Worship of God to such a base end as this is the Lord rebuke them this day and speak to their hearts If I knew any I would set mine eyes upon them and say as the Apostle to Simon Magus I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitternesâ—e and in the bond of iniquity and as he said to him that did seek to draw the Deputy from the Faith O thou child of the Devil and full of all subtilty to damne and undo thy self eternally that seekest to cloak any wicked way by any duty of Gods Worship Is it a great evill for a man or woman to make use of any of Gods creatures to be serviceable to their lusts as meat and drink c. What a damnable thing is it then to make use of any duty of Gods Worship sometimes extraordinary worship as Fasting and Prayer to be a cloak to cover their wickednesse Thou art so far from Sanctifying Gods Name that thou pollutest Gods Name thou doest what in thee lies for to cast even dirt in the face of God himself that doest so The Second Base end is to subject the duties of Gods Worship to the praise of men as to performe duties of Gods Worship for the esteem of men and because we shall be well thought of take heed of this you young ones and others you would fain be eâ—eem'd well of by those that you live withall It is a desireable thing to have a good esteem from those that are godly but take heed that you do not subject the duties of Gods Worship to this Indeed it may be an incouragement to you as David saith I sal 52. 9. This is good before thy Saints David did incourage himself to praise God because it was good before Gods Saints and I confesse it may be an incouragement because holy duties are good before Gods Saints but take heed that this be not thy highest end that thou aimest at and that which carries thee on in the work meerly to get the praise of men and that they shall think that thou hast good gifts and parts and therefore thou art inlarged in that regard take heed of that know that now thou doest not Worship God but thou Worshippest men thou doest make the praise of men to be thy God for whatsoever thou doest lift up in the highest place that 's thy God whatsoever it be therefore if thou liftest up the praise of men and makest that thy end thou makest that thy God and so thou art a worshipper of men but not a worshipper of God Thirdly Take heed of making Self thy end there are some that are not so base low in their hearts as to make the praise of men their end but they aime and look at themselves that is they aime at their own peace and satisfying their own Consciences in the performance of duties now though it 's true when we performe duties of Gods Worship we may expect to receive some good to our selves and we may be incouraged to the duties by the expectation of good to our selves yet we must look higher we must look at the honour and praise of God that the name of the blessed God may be honoured Now I am going to Prayer Oh that I may pray so as I may lift up Gods Name I am going to Hear Oh that I may hear so as God may be honored by my hearing t is this that carries me on to hearing the Word and makes me rise readily and to go forth chearfully I hope that God may have some honour by my hearing this day God knows that this is the thing that I aim at I do not come for company nor to be seen of men neither do I come meerly to satisfie mine own Conscience Others go and hear such Truths of God as do good to their Souls and if I should neglect them meerly for mine own ease my Conscience would not let me be quiet howsoever there are many whose Consciences will be quiet enough though they lose am opportunity in the Worship of God but yet there are others whose Consciences cannot do so their Consciences would tell them when they are lying and turning themselves upon their beds how do you know but that God had some thing to speak to thy heart this morning that may never be spoken to thy heart at any other time therefore they cannot be at quiet except they attend upon God in the duties of his Worship but still this is not enough meerly to satisfie Conscience thy main end it must be that thou mayest this day know some part of the mind of God that God may speak to thy heart that so thou mayest be fitted to honour the Name of God that thou mayest be inabled to live to his honor the week following so much the better As in this manner thy thoughts should be Lord I find a drossie carnall heart I am busie in the world in the week time and I find that my heart is fullied and defiled with the businesse of the World and intangled but lord thou hast appointed thy Sabbath and Word to be a means to Sanctifie my heart and to clense it Oh Lord communicate thy grace to my Soul through thy Ordinances upon this day that so I may be inabled the week following the better to live to thine honour Lord I come into thy presence to that end that I might know some part of thy Will and that
I might get thy Spirit to be conveyed through this Word of thine into my heart this should be thy end when ever thou comest and not only Self I will give you two or three Scriptures to shew that God regards little any duties where self is the higheâ— end the First is in Hos 7. 14. They howled upon their beds saith the Text there but they cryed not to me The Lord there did acknowledge that they were very much affected in their Prayers but what was it it was but a howling upon their beds and how so it was because only they did cry for themselves They have not cryed unto me saith the Lord with their heart when they howled upon their beds It was but meerly for Corn and Wine and Cyle but not unto me they aim'd at themselves and not at me And in Amos 5. 22. there the Lord professes that he did reject the fat of their peace offerings Though ye offer me saith he burâ—â—t offerings and your meat offerings I will not accept them neither will I reâ—ard the peace offering of your fat beasts They were carefull to offer their fattest beasts in their peace offerings and will not God regard them It was in their peace offerings that they offered their fat beasts and there they were to eate a grat part of it themselves Indeed the burnt offering was wholly offered unto God God had all that but the peace-offering those that did offer it they did eat a great part of it themselves now they were very carefull in those offerings that they should partake of themselves to offer fat beasts you do not see that the Holy Ghost takes any notice of fat beasts in their burnt-offerings Now the Note from hence is this That in those things where men are interested themselves they will be very carefull to have the best things But now the Lord rejected the fat beasts of their peace-offerings saith God you were very carefull to offer fat beasts in your peace-offerings where you may feed your selves but for those offerings wherein I have all there you are not so carefull and therefore I regard them not The Third Scripture is in Zach. 7. 5. there they did keep many daies in seeking of God it is an observable Scripture for these times Speak unto all the people of the land and to the Priests saying When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month even those seventy years did ye at all fast unto me even unto me Mark the phrase you fasted in the fifth and seventh month and for seventy years together but saith the Lord Did you at all fast unto me and then mark how it is doubled To me even unto me Noting that when we fast or pray or do any thing in the Worship of God we should be sure to aime at God more then our selves that God may not say of us another day Do you do it to me even to me You may ask me this Question How may I know that I am acted by self ends in holy duties for it is a hard thing for one to know ones own heart when one is acted by principles of 〈◊〉 and when we aime at God in holy duties Now for that I will give you these notes to try whither you be acted from your selves or no. The First is this If a man loves holy duties though he finde no present good comes in by them because they are such things as God requirs and therefore though I get nothing by them yet this is enough to carry me on and to carry me on readily and willingly in the worship of God those that can delight in Gods worship even at that time though they find nothing coming into themselves But now when we find not that coming in that we do desire we begin to be weary of worship and say Why have we fasted and thou seest it not This is an Argument that thou art acted by Self rather then by God Secondly To know whether we be acted by self ends or rather by high ends for God Those men that can rejoyce in others that are able to honour God in holy duties more then themselves they may have a good evidence to their own Souls that when they worship God they are acted by higher ends then self but now such as are streightned themselves and when they see others more inlarged in the worship of God they rather envy them are greiv'd and troubled know that Self is a great ingredient in those duties that thou doest performe if thy heart were raised high to God though thou canst not thy self be inlarged in holy duties yet thy soul would be glad that any others are though I have a wretched and vile heart of my own yet blessed be God that there are any others that can worship God better then I can Thirdly A man that is acted by self in holy duties he regards holy duties but little save in time of extremity in time of fear or of sicknesse or in dangers But now one that hath high ends in holy duties makes the duties of Gods worship to be the joy of his soul in the middest of his prosperity and that is an evident sign that thou art not acted by self ends but by higher ends Canst thou in the middest of thy abundance say Lord thou givest me all conveniencies in this world and all outward things that I want but Lord this is that which is the â—oy of my Soul this is that which makes my life comfortable even communion with thy self in the duties of thy worship that I have free accesse unto the Throne of thy Grace to worship thee the Lord and there meet with thee when I am in the performance of holy duties O Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that this is the â—hing that makes my life comfortable It is not that I have a Table furnished with variety of dishes and that I can have liberty of time to go into company and spend according as I please but Lord those incomes of thy Spirit that I do find in the duties of thy worship those are the things that makes my life bleâ—â—ed indeed unto me Such a man as is able thus to appeale to God surely when he worships God he is acted by high-ends and not by self ends And that is the Third thing that is necessary for Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties thou muâ—â— have a Sanctified heart high thoughts of God and high ends In the Fourth place There must be much reverence and much fear when thou comest into the presence of God to worship him thou doest not glorifie God as God except thou doest come into his presence with much fear reverence of his great Name Fear in worshipping of God it is so necessary that many times in Scripture we â—â—nd that â—he very worship of God is called The feâ—â— of God they are put both for one I might give you divers Scriptures for it and hence it was that the