The Saints Sacrifice, Section 118
§. 118. Of holy boldneſſe in praiſing God.
III. *§. 115.GOds praiſes muſt be boldly ſet forth. We may not be daunted, or aſhamed therein, as men which do things ſecretly in a corner, but by doing this duty in the middeſt of populous places, manifeſt holy boldneſſe, as he that ſaid, aPſal. 10…. 30.I will praiſe him among the multitude. b—119. 46.I will ſpeake of thy testimonies alſo before Kings, and will not be aſhamed. c—138. 1▪Before the Gods will I ſing praiſe unto thee. Thus Saint Paul, though as a malefactor he was brought before dAct. 25. 23.King Agrippa and Bernice ſitting in great pompe, with Feſtus, the chiefe captaines, and principall men of the city, where were great multitudes of people, yet in declaring the admirable worke of God in his converſion, ſaith, e—26. 26:I ſpeake freely. Herein hath the Lord Chriſt made himſelfe a worthy patterne: for in this caſe thus he ſaith, fPſal. 22. 2…, 25 Heb 2. 12.In the middeſt of the congregation will I praiſe thee. My praiſe ſhalbe of thee in the great congregation.
The things which make men aſhamed, of no moment1 Such is the excellency, ſuch the neceſſity of praiſing God, ſo honourable, ſo acceptable unto God, ſo uſefull and beneficiall is it to us, by ſo many bonds are we bound thereunto, as if all the things in the world which can be pretended to make any aſhamed or afraid thereof, whether reputation, promotion, riches, friends, liberty, life, or any thing els, were put into one ballance, and the inducements to move us boldly to performe it, put into another, they would be found beyond all compariſon too light.
Benefits of boldneſſe.2 By Saints boldneſſe in praiſing God, as they who are like minded, are much affected and ſtirred up to bleſſe God, ſo the weake and faint-hearted are ſtrengthened and encouraged, and gaine-ſayers, ſcorners, and all ſorts of adverſaries daunted and put to ſilence.
Reprehenſion of mens timorouſneſſe in praiſing God.Great cauſe of juſt complaint may hence be taken, not onelyonly againſt impious and prophane perſons, who care not to give any praiſe at all to God, either in private corners, or in the middeſt of aſſemblies, but alſo againſt ſuch as in their judgements are convinced of the equity of the duty, and in their conſciences perſwaded of the neceſſity thereof: and thereupon are moved inwardly in their hearts, or ſecretly in their cloſets, or other like places to praiſe the Lord: but to do it in aſſemblies, in the middeſt of populous places, they are aſhamed. What is this but to preferre man to God, and applauſe of men to Gods approbation? May it not be Mat. 6. 2.ſaid of ſuch, They have their reward? Surely their owne judgement and conſcience are terrible witneſſes againſt Mar. 8. 38. Si ante reges & praeſides propter Dominum ſtemus, non conſuſi, ſed conſtantes eſſe debemus. Hier. Comment▪ in Pſal. 118. Exhortation to boldneſſe.them. Fearefull is the doome which Chriſt hath denonnced againſt them; For, ſaith he, Whoſoever ſhalbe aſhamed of me, and of my words in this adulterous and ſinfull generation, of him alſo ſhall the fonne of man be aſhamed, when he commeth in the glory of his father with the holy Angels. If therefore we ſtand before Kings and Governours for the Lord, we ought not to be aſhamed, but reſolute and conſtant.
Be bold, be bold, ye ſervants of the Lord, in ſounding forth the praiſes of your God. Goe into preſſes of people: and in the middeſt of them praiſe the Lord. Wicked men are over-bold in belching forth their blaſphemies to the diſhonour of God: they care not who heare them. They ſticke not to do it in the middeſt of cities. Shall they be more audacious to diſhonour God, then ye zeelous to honour him? Mat. 10. 32.Aſſuredly Chriſt will ſhew himſelfe as forward to confeſſe you, as you are, or can be to confeſſe him. This holy boldneſſe is the ready way to glory. To adde an edge to this exhortation, well obſerve theſe few rules following.
Rules for boldneſſe in praiſing God. Dan. 3. 16, 17.1 Duly conſider the difference betwixt God and man. It is diſ-reſpect of God, and too much reſpect of man, that maketh many aſhamed and afraid to declare before men that duty which they owe to God.
2 Take an invincible reſolution to doe what you ſee juſt Acts 21. 13, 14cauſe to do. Want of a ſetled reſolution makes men when they meet with any diſcouragements, to turne back, and to ceaſe proſecuting that, which in their conceipt cauſeth feare and ſhame.
3 Paſſe not for praiſe or diſpraiſe of men: but k2 Cor. 6. 8.By honour and diſhonour, by evill report and good report, approve your ſelves to be Gods ſervants, bound with the uttermoſt of your power to ſet forth his honour. He that ſaid, lHeb. 2. 12.In the middest of the Church will I praiſe thee, ſaid alſo, mIoh. 5. 41.I receive not honour from men. But n—1…. 42, 43they which loved the praiſe of men more then of God, though inwardly they believed in Chriſt, yet openly durſt not confeſſe him.
4 Contemne the world. Love of the world quencheth the heat of the love of God. The world is an inticing bait. Many are driven backe thereby. o2 Tim. 4. 10.Demas, that old Diſciple Demas, having ſet his heart on the world, which hee loved too much, grew aſhamed, and affraid to confeſſe Chriſt.
5 Give not reines to licentiouſneſſe. Turne not the grace of God into wantonneſſe. Such unworthy walking of the Iude verſ. 4.profeſſion of the Goſpell cannot but make aſhamed to appeare in the middeſt of ſuch congregations as are fit to have Gods praiſes ſounded forth among them.
Eph. 5. 7.6 Be not companions with impious and profane perſons. They will keepe thee out of the middeſt of the fore-mentioned congregations.
Pſal. 122. 1.7 Aſſociate your ſelves with them that are pious and zealous: That are not aſhamed themſelves in the moſt ſolemne manner that they can to praiſe God. Such companions will put life into you, and provoke you to doe as they doe. In them eſpecially are theſe proverbes verified, As iron ſharpeneth iron, ſo a man ſharpeneth tho countenance of his Prov. 27. 17, 19friend. As in water face anſwereth to face, ſo the heart of man to man.