the Word and I hope I shall cover some wickedness this way If there be any in this place whose conscience tells them that they subject 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 bitterness 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 damn and undo thy self eternally that seekest to cloak any wicked way by any duty of Gods Worship Is it a great evil 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 wickedness 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 perform duties of Gods Worship for the esteem of men and because we shall be well thought of take heed of this you yong ones and others you would fain be esteem'd well of by those that you live withal It is a desirable 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 encouragement to you as David saith Psal 52. 9. This is good before thy Saints David did encourage â—â—â—self to praise God because it was good before Gods Saints and I confess it may be an encouragement 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 therfore thou art inlarged in that regard take heed of that know that now thou doest not worship God but thou worshipest men thou dost 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 they end thou makest that thy God and so thou art a worshiper of men but not a worshiper of God Thirdly Take heed of making Self thy end there are some that are not so base and low in their hearts as to make the praise of men their end but they aim and look at themselves that is they aim at their own peace and satisfying their own consciences in the performance of duties now though it 's true when we perform duties of Gods Worship we may expect to receive some good to our selves and we may be encouraged to the Duties by the expectation of good to our selves yet we must look higher we must look at the honor and praise of God that the Name of the blessed God may be honored 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 cheerfully I hope that God may have some honor by my hearing this day and 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 an 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 bed How do you know but that God had something 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 maiest this day know some part of the mind of God that God may speak to thy heart that so thou maiest be sitted to honor the Name of God that thou maiest be enabled 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 carnal heart I am busie in the world in the week time and I find that my heart is sullied and defiled with the business of the world and entangled 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 enabled the week following the better to live to thy Honor 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 wil give you two or three Scriptures to shew that God regards little any duties where self is the highest end The first is in Hosea 7. 14. They howled upon their beds saith the text there but they cryed not to me The Lord there did acknowledg 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 cried unto me saith the Lord with their heart when they howled upon their beds It was but meerly for Corn and Wine and Oyl 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 burnt offerings and your meat offerings I wil not accept them neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts They were careful 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 eat a great part of it themselves Indeed the burnt offering was wholly offered unto God God had all that but the Peace-offerings
Sacrament he gave thanks he gave thanks for what he gave thanks to God the Father that he was pleased to send him into the world to die for poor souls now shall Jesus Christ give thanks unto God the Father for that which did cost him his life yea saith Christ I see that here is a way to save souls and let it cost me my life if it will yet I bless thee O Father if souls may come to be saved though it cost me my life Christ rejoyced in his Spirit in thanking his Father for this then how should our hearts be enlarged with thankfulness when we come to this that the Ancients were wont to call the Eucharist that is a thanksgiving we are to give God thanks for every mercy you will not eat your own bread without giving of thanks but when we come to have this bread this bread of life here is matter of thankfulness here is matter of enlargment of soul thou that hast the deadest and dullest soul and straightest Spirit yet when thou comest hither and understandest what thou doest here thou canst not but see matter for the enlargment of thy heart and wish that thou hadst ten thousand thousand times more strength to express the praises of the Lord here is a thing that must be the subject of the Hallelujahs and doxologies that Angels and Saints must for ever sound out in the highest Heavens dost thou know what the Lord presents to thee here it is more than if the Lord should say I will make ten thousand worlds for the sake of this creature and give all these worlds to him thou wouldest think that thou wert bound to bless him then only when God in Bread and Wine reaches out to the the body and Blood of his Son here is more matter of praise then if ten thousand thousand worlds were given to thee and therefore God expects that thou shouldest say to thy soul My soul praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise His holy Name bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits who forgiteth all thine iniquitie who healeth all thy diseases O poor soul here is the foundation of all mercies dost thou praise God for Justification for sanctification here is a glorious application of the mercie of God to the souls of sinners and therefore if ever thou wert thankfull be thankfull here The Sabbath my Brethren that is appointed to be the set constant day of thanksgiving for the great mercies of God in Christ and there are other daies for National mercies now a special work of the Lords day is The celebration of this holy Sacrament and the Christians in former times were wont to do it every Lords day because that is the day appointed by God for to be the day of thanksgiving for that great mercy the Lord Jesus Christ and that 's the reason why the Sabbath was changed the last day in the week was the Jewish Sabbath and that was to celebrate the memorial of the Creation of the World and the first day now it is to be the day of thanksgiving for al the work of God in mans Redemption Eighthly A further thing is this If you would sanctifie Gods Name you must be willing to renew your Covenant that 's the end of it there must be an actual renewing of your Covenant with God that 's thus I come to receive this Bread this wine and this is to be as the Seal of the Covenant on Gods part now this will be emplied in the nature of the thing that if I take the Seals of Gods Covenant that I must be willing to set to my Seal too to renew the Covenant that God calls me to now know all men and women that are sav'd they are sav'd by the vertue of the Covenant of Grace and there God on his part promises and makes a Cavenant That he will bestow his Son Life and Salvation through him and thou must likewise come in on thy part and beleeve on his Son and repent which is the Tenour of the Gospel now every time thou comest to receive this Sacrament thou comest to renew this Covenant As if thou shouldest say Lord thou hast been pleased to make a Covenant of Grace as the first Covenant was broken and all men were cast by that Covenant now thou hast made a Covenant of Grace and callest thy servants whom thou intendest to save that they should renew their Covenant with thee in this Sacrament of thine Lord here I come and Lord here I renew it and set to my seal to promise and Covenant with thee That as ever I expect to receive any good from Christ so Lord here I will be thine I will give up my self for ever to thee as thou hast given me the Body and Blood of Christ for my salvation so Lord here I consecrate my body and blood to thee the last drop of my heart blood shall be given to thee and so my strength and estate and name or what ever I am or have shall be thine Have you done thus when you have come to receive the Sacrament have you actually renewed your covenant with God you that have taken the body of Christ have you given up your body to Christ What 's the reason then that you sin so much with your bodies that you abbuse your body with uncleanness and drunkenness and other wickedness afterwards Oh you prophane the name of God and the very Body and Blood of Christ in this except thou givest up the body and soul to God in way of Covenant Ninthly in the last place for the sanctifying of Gods Name there is required the renewing of Love the coming with lovely dispositions and the renewing of the grace of love not only towards God but towards our Brethren for it is the feast of the Lord and it is an act of communion Communion not only with Christ but with His Churches with his saints and as I have told you that there is a profession of our selves to be of the same body with Jesus Christ then the Lord requireth that His Children should not fall out that come to His Table but that there should be love and peace there 's a mighty bond upon thee when thou comest to the Sacrament and therefore first all heart burnings and heart grudges must be laid aside and secondly you must come with a willinness to be reconcilled one to another willingnes to pass by all infirmities in thy Brethren here I have the Seal of Gods wllingness to pass by al my sins and therefore I must be willing to pass by all infirmities in my Brethren I must now cast out all ill wishes towards others and come with a disire of all good unto them and with a heart ready to imbrace any opportunity to do any good thou doest lye unto God except thou comest with such a heart as this is Lord thou knowest that I am willing to take all opportunities to do good
This is that that the happiness of the glorious Church is set out by in Rev. 22. 4. They shall see his face and his Name shall be in their foreheads This is the Priviledg of the Church And that it is such a blessing to draw nigh to God you may see it by that in Ephes 2. 18. For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father Through Him Through Christ we have access by one Spirit unto the Father and now saith he Ye that were strangers and forreigners are made fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And vers 13. But now by Jesus Christ ye who somtimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ and you have access through Christ So our coming nigh to God is such a priviledg as cost the Blood of Christ And will not you improve it You were far off in your natural condition but now you are nigh through his Blood Lay but this Text warm to your hearts this morning That I that was far off am made nigh by the Blood of Christ made nigh to God it will be a means for ever to draw your hearts to all those waies whereby you may draw neerest to God And by drawing nigh to God often you will come to encrease your graces abundantly your graces how wil they act the presence of God wil draw forth the acts of grace as the presence of the fire draws forth our heat so the presence of God will draw forth our graces And by this means we come to live most holy lives We reade of Moses he was upon the mountain fourty daies with God and when he came down his face did so shine that the people were not able to bear it What 's the reason it was from hence because he was so nigh to God Would you have your faces to shine in a holy conversation before men converse much with God be often with God be nigh to him and that will make you shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation We find it so with some that converse much with God there is a shine upon their very countenances And further it is a special sign of our adoption to love to be nigh to God What should a Child love most but to be in the presence of his Father Would you know whether you have received the Spirit of aboption yea or no I can hardly give you any one sign so cleer as this For to love to go into Gods presence As David said I was glad when they said Come and let us go up unto the House of the Lord. You shal have many that love to be in Gods presence so as they think on it over-night and long for the time till it comes I never am better than when I am with God me thinks when I get into Gods presence either in prayer or any duty of Gods Worship I find my heart warmed and quickned c. They are ready to say with Peter Master it is good being here And that 's another thing It is that which will put us in mind of the life of Heaven it is the only thing in Heaven to be in the presence of God Why the more thou art nigh God in the Duties of Worship the more thou art in Heaven and doest not thou pray That the Will of God may be done in Earth as in Heaven Now the Saints and Angels are alwaies before God Worshiping of Him then be as much as thou canst in the presence of God If thou wouldest be in Heaven be there Many of the Saints they find it so It is not so with carnal hearts they are weary presently when they are in Prayer or hearing the Word it is not so to them yea that 's because thou hast not the presence of God as in Mal. 1. what weariness is there Thou canst be a gaming till one or two a clock at night and though thou shouldest lose thy supper or the work of thy family it is not tedious to thee to be exercised in those things that pleaseth the flesh but when thou comest to worship God how quickly art thou tir'd now what wilt thou do in Heaven where there is nothing else done to all eternity but worshiping of God And then it must needs be delightful to God that thou shouldest come nigh him There is nothing in the world more pleasant to God than to have His Saints come into His presence What doth a Father more delight in than to have his Children about him Never did any Father or Mother love to have their Children by them so as God loves to have His Children come nigh Him and be often with him And the truth is one great reason that God suffers you to fall into affliction so much is That you may come runing to him How doth the child come running to the Father or Mother when it is afraid why the Lord is willing to permit men to do you wrong that you may run to him that he might have more of your presence Thou that art such a poor creature yet thou hearest this day that there is nothing in the world that God takes more pleasure in next to the presence of his own Son Jesus Christ and his Saints and Angels that he hath with him in Heaven than to have his Saints come nigh him to have them to be alwaies under his wing And then by coming often into Gods presence in His worship there will grow a sweet and blessed familiarity between God and thy soul for thou wilt be speaking to God and God will be speaking to thee too We know many times that dear friends who are very neerly linkt together yet if they be long absent one from another there grows a strangeness and so by degrees their friendship is deaded but now when they are together every day and there is an intercourse of love and friendship then their friendship is kept active and quick but now if they be absent long Indeed if they be absent in another Country when they cannot come together that they are sure it is not through any neglect then it will not damp their friendship but when they are neer and come not one to another then they think it is out of neglect and so they grow strange So it is with the soul if there were no possibility of coming into Gods presence then it would not hinder the sweetness of the love of God to us But now when we have those duties of worship wherein we may draw nigh to God if we neglect them our familiarity with God will quickly be lost Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace God is willing to be acquainted with his servants the Lord loves to be familiar with the poorest of his Saints and wilt not thou maintain that sweet familiarity with God These two benefits will fallow upon thy familiarity with God First Those that are most familiar with God they
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 enlightened 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 drunk over night and come to the Sacrament the next day What 's the reason Because there is no light sn their consciences their consciences are in darkness they are besotted in their sin but I speak now of one who hath an enlightened conscience the presence of God is terrible to such an one A Third Use is this Here 's the reason why Hypocrites do meet with such vengeance from God as they do I confess we shall meet with this more especially afterwards only by the way take notice of it Hypocrites above all men may expect the severest judgments 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 down 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 stroke 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 dreadful thing it is the Sentence that shall be at the last day of Judgment 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 and when thy conscience shall be but enlightned 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 than 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 than the understanding of the freeness of the grace of God would admit of but shall the understanding of the freedom of the grace of God carry thee on less than thy slavish terror did Oh blind and wanton spirit that knowest not the waies of God nor the freeness of the grace of God nor the riches of it Oh what a dishonor art thou to Jesus Christ and to the freeness of his grace that thou canst go up and down from day to day and never Worship God! Did Jesus Christ come into the world for 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 whether there be that Holinese in their lives that Spiritualness as there was wont to be No you shall find them by degrees to grow loose yea run sometimes into gross sins grow many times to lying and deceiving and to drunkenness 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 Holiness Heavenliness Spiritualness as they were wont to have in former times and no mervel for now they keep not so nigh to God as they were wont You that are Sea-men and Travellers sometimes you are neer the Sun and then you are hot but the further off the Sun you go you grow to be colder and colder And so those that neglect the Worship of God they go from 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 prophaness and it is to be feared that many of them will grow to meer Athiesm Another Use is this An Use of Exhortation that we would be encouraged to worship God and to be much in the Worship of God In Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw neer saith the Text Who would not draw neer to God Oh what a good thing is it to be in the presence of God Is not the Lord the fountain of thy life Is it not a sweet thing to be in his presence We think it a sweet thing to be in the presence of godly men Oh that we might alwaies live with such men and be nigh them That Martyr Doctor Taylor rejoyced in this That ever he came into prison to be acquainted with that Angel of God holy Master Bradford and as I remember some among the Heathens that profest they would rather be in prison with Cato than be in the greatest glory with some other It is a blessed thing to be in the presence of God to be with him that is the God of our lives and the fountain of all good let us draw nigh to God often let us know that it is a mercy that we may draw nigh to God we might have been banished from the presence of the Lord long e're this time
Gods presence at any time SERMON III Leviticus 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me WEE proceed now to what remains There are only for the perfecting of this Point two Cases of Conscience to be resolved And then we are to proceed to other things The First is Whether we ought at all times to set apart some time for Preparation to every duty of Gods Worship Secondly Suppose we do not find our hearts prepared as we do desire Whether it were better to leave off the duty than perform it For the First of these Viz. Whether we are alwaies bound to set some time apart for preparation to the duty that we are to perform The answer to that is this we must distinguish of persons There are some that are exercised in the way of godliness and do keep their hearts close with God in the waies of holiness now for them it may be supposed that through their exercise in the waies of Godliness and keeping of their hearts constant with God in communion with him walking with God closely that they are at all times prepared to every good work and fitted to fulfil that command of the Apostle Pray continually that is in the disposition of their hearts they are fit to pray at any time there is no day in the week nor no hour in the day but they if God call them to it could fall down to solemn Prayer And indeed this is an excellent condition and a good evidence of the hearts walking close with God that there is no time but they are fit to pray and fit for any Ordinance yea to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper It is possible to keep the heart so close to God as to be fit for Prayer and for the hearing of the Word and for receiving the Sacrament every day or any hour in the day but this needs a very close walking with God and communion with God and the truth is this is very rare most men let out their hearts so much to other things as their consciences cannot but tell them that if God call them to Prayer at such a time in the day they are altogether unfit for it If they were called to receive the Sacrament their consciences would accuse them and tell them they are unfit for it but it is not so with those that walk close with God though they be in the world You wil say If a man have business in the world how can this be Yes Though they have business in the world yet they carry the heavenliness of their hearts along with them Our Conversation is in Heaven saith the Apostle Phil. 3. Now the word that is translated Our Conversation it is a word that signifies Our City Converse our trading is in Heaven when we go to the City or Exchange or about any business yet our trading is alwaies in Heaven But now there are other sorts of people that had need at all times to look to their hearts in way of preparation As First Those that first set upon the duties of Religion yong beginners that begin at first to set their faces towards Heaven to worship God they had need look to their hearts they should spend some time in Preparation when they come to holy Duties and the truth is When the conscience of a man or woman is at first enlightned and awakened they will be very careful in preparing to holy duties the fear of God it is mighty upon their spirits at first and it should not be less afterward the constancy of Gods fear should bring their hearts to such a holy temper as to make them fit for holy duties alwaies Secondly Those men and women that any time shall sin against conscience shall commit such sins as shall in a kind even lay wast conscience shall break their peace between God and their souls they had need spend some time in preparation for holy duties they cannot come into the presence of God to enjoy communion with God but they had need beforehand be very serious in the examination of their hearts and to endeavor the working of their hearts into mourning for their sin and to labor to possess their souls with the presence of God even before they come These two sorts of people such as have not been acquainted with the waies of Godliness or such as have broken their peace with God by some evil carriage of theirs towards God in some vile way I say it is requied of them to be more solemn in the Work of Preparation 2. But now for the Second Case which indeed is the main Suppose when we come to duties and begin to examine our hearts and begin to bethink our selves whether we be prepared yea or no to holy duties and we do not find our hearts prepared according to that that we do desire Whether then we may let the duty go for that time and forbear the performance of it as suppose Prayer or receiving the Sacrament or coming to the Word or any other holy Duty And the reason of this doubt is Because when any man or woman is consciencious they think with themselves that they must Sanctifie Gods Name in Holy Duties now if they cannot find their hearts in a fit disposition to sanctifie the Name of God in holy duties they are ready to think thus Were it not better to neglect this duty and lay it aside for the present Will God accept of a duty when I perform it and am not set for it Therefore for the Answer to this because it is a temptation that sometimes carnal hearts have and they are ready to take this temptation and willing to neglect the duty upon such a thoughts as this that they are not prepared And the truth is they are more glad to let the duty fall than they are sorry for want of the preparation of their hearts for the duty I beseech you consider of this whether you have not found it so that sometimes when you have not been fit to perform a holy duty there hath not been a more secret willingness of the heart to let the duty go than a sorrow of the heart because you are not fit for the duty This is a very evil sign that the heart is very much distempered Those that are godly indeed when they find not their hearts prepar'd for the duty it is the trouble of their souls it is that which goes neer their hearts when they think with themselves that they are now like to lose a duty of the Worship of God they are now like to lose their communion with God in a holy duty they even look upon themselves in an evil case in regard of this and it makes them watchful for time to come to take heed of those things that have put them in such an unpreparation as they find their hearts to be in at this time Now if it be so with thee it is a good sign that thy heart may be upright with God
though through infirmity it comes at such a time to be unprepared for the duty But yet suppose I find I am not prepared I am griev'd and troubled at it for that must be premised whether were I better to leave the duty for this time than to fall upon it in such an unpreparation as this is Now for the Answer to this Question First That which I would answer to it is this The omission of a duty or the laying of a duty aside will never fit the soul for a duty afterwards it is no way to make thy soul more fit afterwards because thou hast laid it aside now for the present do but observe your own hearts that way and you will find this by experience Such a time you have been busie in the world and occasions have hindered you so as your heart is out of temper and frame for a duty you lay it aside now are you more fit the next day If you do neglect duty in the morning upon any business are you fitter to perform duty at night because of it you will not find it to be so The forbearing a duty now will not make the soul fitter for a duty afterwards therefore it is no wisdom to forbear a duty for want of preparation because the forbearance will never help to further prepartion but will make the soul more unfit for duty It is an excellent Speech that I read that Luther hath concerning himself I have learned this by experience that the oftener I do omit duty the oftener do I make my self the more unfit for duty and cause I have to abhor my self It is not the deferring that makes thee the more fit 2. Therefore consider that this is but a temptation and that is the second thing that I would propound to those that shall omit a duty because they are not prepared That this is but a temptation to keep thee from it to tell thee that thou art not prepared and if thou shalt forbear it because thou art not prepared in this thing thou doest gratifie the Devil and the Devil hath what he would have and so would be encouraged to tempt thee another time because he hath now what he would have in causing thee to forbear the duty First he laboreth to unfit thee for it and then he tempts thee to forbear it because thou art unfit this is the subtilty of the Devil From whence is it that thou art unfit but from the temptation of the Devil And I find Luther again that was a man that had as much converse with God as any in his daies and a man that had as much to draw his heart away as many temptations and as many businesses as any for indeed the great cause of Christ in all the Christian world in a great measure under God lay upon his shoulders and yet saith he If any one think that prayer must be defer'd till the soul be purified from impure cogitations he doth no other than help the Devil who is powerful enough he thinks to be wise in deferring the duty because he is not fit and he hath many ill thoughts and troubles in his spirit he doth nothing else saith Luther but gratify the Devil that is strong enough without this Oh let us take heed of gratifying the Devil in his temptations therefore remember it is a temptation for thee to omit a duty meerly because thou art not prepared for the duty 3. In the Third place That which I would answer to this Question is this If any one perform a duty of Worship in that sincerity and strength that he is able to do it though he be not prepared as he ought yet it is better to do it than to neglect it It is true some do perform a duty in a meer formal way and to satisfie their consciences or to cloak and cover ther sins and the like perhaps they may so perform it as it might be better to be unperformed than to perform it as they do but if you do endeavor to the uttermost of your strength to do it though you be not prepared as you do desire yet it is better to do it than to omit the doing of it and you will find it so for one duty doth prepare for another Though it be not done as I desire it should be done yet the doing of it as well as I can at this time will help me to do it better at another time that is certain as one sin doth prepare the heart for another sin so one duty prepares the heart for another as now suppose a man commits a sin and he hath a conscience that is enlightened that doth hinder him from committing his sin with that full strength that he would do it many a man hath a mind to sin but through the enlightening of his conscience he cannot sin with that delight as he would because his conscience flies in his face and doth interrupt him but yet for all this through the strength of his corruption he will break through to that sin now though at first they cannot commit that sin with that delight and freedom as they do at other times yet if their corruptions be so strong as to break through the light of their consciences the next time they come to the committing of that sin they will commit it with more freedom and ease a great deal This is evident by experience there is none of you but if you well observe your hearts you will find this A temptation comes to a sin now you connot do it with so much freedom as you would but yet you break through it you will find that the next time you will commit it with more freedom and so one sin will prepare for another and it may be you have some trouble of conscience at first but the next time you will have less trouble till at length you can commit it freely without any trouble of Conscience at all As it is in sin so it is in godliness many times in some degree at the first you have a motion to a holy duty but through the stirrings of your corruptions you are not fit for it now do you but break through that difficulty and the next time you will be more fit and the next time after that you will be more fit and so still more and more fit as it is in sin If a man when he hath some trouble of conscience would but listen to his conscience and would not commit that sin his conscience would grow stronger upon him and strengthen him against that sin so if any man or woman listens to the temptation to defer duty and put it off because they are not prepared why after that the corruption will grow more strong therefore set upon the duty and the peformance of one duty will prepare for another 4. In the fourth place While men and women are strugling with their souls and the corruptions of their hearts and do not fall upon seeking
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. 8. 6. it is said The people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake They gave heed The word is used often in Scripture sometimes it is used for to beware of a thing Beware of the leaven 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 must be as much diligence to get good by the Word as one would be diligent to avoid any danger whatsoever And the word signifies somtimes to give such heed as a Disciple gives unto his Master so they gave heed to the Word So in Prov. 2. 1 2. My son if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandements with thee so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom We must diligently attend and not suffer our eyes and our thoughts to be wandring but diligently attend to what is said My brethren there is all things that may challenge attention in the Word What would make you to attend to any thing First If he that speaks were much above you if it were a great Prince or Lord that spake to you then you would attend Now though it is true it is but a man that it may be is inferior 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 Ministry of his Word as if so be that the Lord should speak out of the Clouds to us And I will give you a Scripture for that that the voyce 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 Mount But mark in vers 19. We have also a more sure Word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed Mark We heard a voice from Heaven saith Peter yea but we have a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto you do wel that ye take heed There was a voice from Heaven spake You will say If we had heard that voice we would have given heed to that Saith the Apostle You have a more sure Word of Prophesie Now Prophesie in Scripture is taken for Preaching Despise 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 than the Angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than 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 than the Angels it is Christ that is the Ministry of his Word He that heareth you heareth me Secondly That which would cause attention is the greatness of the matter propounded It 's true if a man should speak of some slight and vain things there need not so much attention My brethern the matters in the Word are the great Things of God it is the Voice of God the great Mysteries of Godliness 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 Godliness 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 tel you tales and the conceits of men but to open the great Counsels of God wherein the depth of the Wisdom of God comes to be revealed to the children of men and therefore this cals for attention 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 Eternal estates Your Souls and Everlasting Estates do lie upon the Ministry of the Word if that be made effectual to you you are saved if that be not made effectual to you you are damned and undone for ever If we should come to tel 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 bless 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 great attention You know what Christ said to Martha when she was troubled about his entertainment Luke 10. 41. Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things but one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her What did Mary choose It was this That she did diligently attend upon Jesus Christ to hear the Word from his own mouth when Martha was busied in the house to provide for his entertainment but it is a better thing to attend upon the
I am to withdraw from him and to profess against communion with him so that that 's enough to answer the case We reade likewise that there were divers wicked men among the Corinthians and of Tares that grew in the Wheat It 's true There where wicked men among them but they were enjoyned by the Apostle to cast out those wicked men and if they did not do it it was there sin and they were defiled by it And for Tares that were among the Wheat take it that this is meant concerning the Church suppose it where and yet Christ saith plainly that the field is the world and it 's the godly and the wicked living together in the world and so I find many Interpreters take it but howsoever take it that it is meant of the Church-communion yet thus far is cleer that it was through the fault of the Officers that there should be any Tares among the Wheat for so the text saith plainly that while the servants slept there did Tares spring up therefore there should have been none Secondly They were not such Tares as would spoil the Wheat but as Hierom saith in those Countries the Tares did grow much like Wheat all the while it was in the blade so that they were hardly to be distinguished though some that were of more understanding were able to discern them from the Wheat therefore though such as do grow up like unto the Wheat may be suffered and yet in this case only that is in case that it will prejudice the Wheat that is when they are so close to the Wheat as there will be danger by plucking them up to pluck up the Wheat too then they must be let alone Mark first it was through the negligence of the Officers they should have been kept out Secondly if they do get in yet while they grow so close to the Wheat as there will be danger that when you pluck out them to pluck out the Wheat too only in that case it must be forborn but this gives no libertie that therefore all sorts may be let into the Church and there should be no kind of Ordinance to cast out those that are venemous weeds that will do hurt and mischief But if you understand it as many do concerning the world then the meaning is thus The preaching of the Gospel that comes to a place and there 's only good Seed sown and is a means of the conversion of many but together with the conversion of some there are others that do hear the Gospel preached and the truth is they being mingled among the hearers of the Word instead of bringing forth good fruit according to the Gospel they bring forth the Tares now saith the servant Lord how comes it to pass that we preach such excellent Truths in this place and yet there are so many wicked men that bring forth such wicked fruit Lord is it thy mind that we should be wholly separated from them and have nothing to do with them that there should be a full separation while we live in this world no saith Christ not so for then the truth is if all godly men should wholly withdraw from wicked men and beleeve that they may not live among them they could not live in the world If you did beleeve it were your dutie not so much as to live neer a wicked man nor to have any thing to do in any kind of converse with him there would be no Wheat growing in this field of the world here and therefore you must be content when you live where the preaching of the Gospel is and the seed brings forth good fruit in some and in others it brings forth Tares you must not be offended by this that here in this world God doth not by some visible stroke of judgment come and strike them dead or that God doth not take some course that there should be a full separation here but that they might live together til the day of judgment here I say you shall not have such a full separation so that you see it carries a very fair sense to take the field to be the world and the Kingdom of Heaven there to be the preaching of the Gospel in any place and so we must be content while we live in this world to be where wicked and ungodly men are But it doth not follow from this place that we are to have converse in the closest communion in Church-communion with wicked men to be made body by eating the same Bread and drinking the same Wine it holds not forth such close communion as this is so that there 's little strength can be taken from that place but still it holds that wheresoever there is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper there must be a holy communion of Saints Object The Scripture only saith Let us examine our selves Answ I grant for the benefit of mine own soul I must look to examine my self more especially but now for another I am but only so far bound to look to him as to keep my self clean it is true I am not bound to go and pry into his life and all his waies so as to force him to give an account of things that are secret but I am bound to keep a watch and if any thing be done that offends me then I am bound to go to him according to the formet Rule of Christ and if he appears to be wicked then I am bound to see him purged from the Congregition for take but that other text in 1 Cor. 5. 6. Know you not that a little leaven leaveneth the whol lump If I do not do so much as concerns my duty than I am defiled by it So as that you must not think that it is nothing to you how many wicked men comes to the Lords Table and that it belongs only to the Ministers and they are to look to it the truth is that every one in his place is to look to it and every one may be defiled if he doth not perform this duty that God requires of him do not say What have I to do with my Brother am I my Brothers keeper It was the speech of Cain if thou beest of the same body you are to have a care of your Brother do not ye Judg those that are within there is some kind of judgment that every one may pass upon such as do joyn with them in the same Body surely it concerns me much what shall I do in such an action as to joyn with them to eat Bread whereby I must profess that I do beleeve my self to be of the same body that this Drunkerd is of that this Whoremaster is of that this Swearer is of whenever you receive the Communion with any company you do profess your selves to be of the same body with that Company only in this case If I have discovered any and can particularly profess against any one then I do not profess my self to be of the