Lectures Upon John 4, Part 7 · Lecture 25
Lecture the fiue and twentieth, September 12. 1609.
IT remaineth now, that we come to the second of those three principall points I told you were to be obserued in this verse. viz. The question she mooueth vntounto Christ; which is about the true worship; about the most publike and solemne worship of God, as I shewed you the last day. Now the word that the Euangelist vseth to expresse this worship by, that he speaketh of, is foreign, which signifieth to adore, so that the words may be plainely and fitly thus translated; Our Fathers adored in this mountaine, &c. Now, adoration (to speake properly of it) is an outward and bodily worship, when by some reuerent gesture of the body, we testifie the inward reuerence, and subiection of the heart. And the Greeke word which the Euangelist here vseth (in his primitiue sence) signifieth to giuegive a kisse vntounto another, and it is taken from a custome they had in old time, to testifie the reuerence and subiection they did beare to any, by giuing them a kisse. So soone as Samuel had annointed Saul to be King to testifie his homage to him, he giues him a kisse. 1. Sam. 10. 1. When the Lord would describe his people that had not giuen religious worship vntounto Baal, he calls them such as had not bowed their knee to him, nor giuegive him a kisse with their mouthes. 1. King. 19. 18, And when the Prophet would exhort the great men of the world to worship Christ, and to acknowledge him their Lord and King, he bids them kisse the Sonne least he be angry, Psal. 2. 12.
Now the thing that we are first of all to obserue at this time is, that the true worship of God is called adoration. In the foure verses following Christ calls all that doe any true worship vntounto God, such as doe adore him. So the whole worship whereto the Gentiles should be called, is signified vnderunder this Phrase, Esay 45. 23. vntounto me eueryevery knee shall bow. And in this verse you see, they that did performe publique and solemne worship to God in his Temple, are said to adore him. Acts 8. 27. The Eunuch is said to hauehave come to Ierusalem to adore, and Acts 24. 11. Paul saith of himselfe, he came to Ierusalem to Adore. And from hence we hauehave this to learne for our instruction:
That no man can performe any Part of Gods worship well, (specially of his publike and solemne worship) without some signification of Doct. 4.his reuerence and subiection vntounto God, euen in the outward gesture and behauiour of his body. It is true, 1. That this is not enough, for the chief est part of Gods seruice; but when with the soule wee worship him, for thus farre an hypocrite may goe. 2. It is a high degree of contempt done to God, when we thinke it enough to giuegive him the knee, if the heart bow not to him, if we scrue him not with the heart: it is as the offering of the blind, lame and sicke in Sacrifice, of which the Lord saith, Mal. 1. 8. is that no euill? offer it to thy Prince, &c. Yet is the seruice of the body also necessary, and a part of Gods worship. The chiefe worship we doe vntounto God, is done not with the body, but with the soule and Spirit; as we shall heare when we come to speake of the 23. verse of this Chapter, when in true reuerence and subiection we bow our hearts vntounto him, to walke in his waies, and whatsoeuer reuerence we can make shew of with our bodies, if our hearts doe not withall thus bow vntounto him, it is but abhominable hypocrisie in the sight of God. But yet is it not sufficient to worship God with our soules and hearts, if in eueryevery part of his worship we doe not also adore, and giuegive bodily worship vntounto him, and by the reuerent behauiour of our body, testifie the inward submission and reuerence of our hearts vntounto him, though our soules therein were neuer so full of reuerence and deuotion, yet doe we but serue him by the halues, neither can our seruice be acceptable vntounto him.
You shall heare this confirmed to you by the examples of Gods seruants that are commended to vsus by the Holy Ghost. See the conscience Gods people hauehave made of this in all the parts of Gods worship. Obserue it in fiue points,
1. In prayer, when they euen in priuate hauehave prayed to God, they hauehave beene wont to kneele. For this we hauehave the example of Daniel, Dan. 6. 10. and of our Sauiour himselfe, Luke 22. 41.
2. When they hauehave giuen thanks (though but in priuate) they hauehave vsed adoration. When Abrahams seruant perceiued that God had prospered his iourney so far forth as to bring him, and guide him safely to Bethuells house, presently he lifted vp his heart in thankfullnesse to God, yet thought not that enough, but Gen. 24. 26. The man bowed himselfe and worshipped the Lord. And as his successe increased, so his thankefullnesse to God increased, and so did the outward reuerence of his body also, verse 52. When Abrahams seruant heard them giuegive consent that Rebecca might goe with them, then he bowed himselfe to the very earth to the Lord. So Iacob being to giuegive thankes vntounto God, and vnable through weakenesse to stand or kneele, yet in token of reuerence, raised himselfe vp to his beds bead, and being not able through feeblenesse to sit vpright, he leaned, and bore himselfe vponupon his staffe, and so adored God, Gon. 47. 31. Heb. 11. 21. See the conscience the good old man made of this duty, and the paines he tooke in it.
3. When they hauehave taken an oath, they hauehave beene wont to vse such gestures of their body as might stirre vp reuerence in their hearts, Gen. 14. 22. Abraham when he sware, he lift vp his hand to the Lord, the most high Possessour of heauen and earth.
4. When a message hath beene brought them immediatly from the Lord, they hauehave beene wont in token of their reuerence, to rise and stand vp. Iudges 3. 20. When Ehud told Eglon that he had a message to doe to him from God, presently Eglon rose out of his throne, though he was a wicked man, yet this he (doubtlesse) had learned, from the custome and practice of Gods people. So did Balaam likewise require Balaac the King to doe: Num. 23. 18. Rise vp Balaac and heare. Nehem. 8. 5. When Ezra opened the booke of the Law to reade, all the people stood vp. Rise vp yee women that bee at ease (saith the Lord) Esay. 32. 9. heare my voice, alluding (doubtlesse) in that speech to the holy custome vsed among Gods people at the first intimation giuen them of a message from God.
5. Lastly in the publike, and solemne worship of God specially, they hauehave held themselues bound to shew this outward reuerence, Psal. 29. 1, 2. The Psalmist calls vponupon great men to giuegive to God the glory due to his name, and tels them how they may doe that, adore him, bow your selues to him in his glorious Sanctu…y. So Psal. 95. 6. Marke how many words the Prophet vseth to perswade to this, when he calls men to the publike worship. Come, let vsus adore, and fall downe, and kneele, before the Lord our maker. Therefore the reuerence to be done in Gods publike worship, is made a chiefe meanes to preserue Religion, and coupled with the obseruation of the Sabboth, Leu. 19. 30. and 26. 2. Ye shall keepe my Sabboths, and reuerence my Sanctuary.
The Reasons of this Doctrine are of two sorts: Some concerne the outward Reason.reuerence to be vsed, in all the parts of Gods worship, whether priuate, or publike; some peculiarly concerne the publike & solemne worship of God.
1. The humility that befits eueryevery one, euen the greatest person to shew 1.when he hath to do with God. See this in Dauids speech to Michol, 2. Sam. 6. 20. 22. when he danced before the Arke she scoffed at him, he answers, it was before the Lord, and adds, I will be more vile, and I shall lose no honour by it. It is no disparagement for the greatest to debase, and humble himselfe to the very dust before the Lord, nay we can neuer be humbled enough, Behold now (saith Abraham, Gen. 18. 27.) I hauehave taken vponupon me to speake vntounto the Lord which am but dust and ashes, and indeed who are we (euen the best of vsus) that we should presume to speake vntounto God, or to appeare before him: It becomes all men to cast downe their crownes before him, as the 24. Elders did, Reu. 4. 10. Yea the holy Angels (Esay 6. 2.) couer their faces in his presence. No seruice we can doe is pleasing to him, vnlesse it proceed from an heart humbled in the sense of his high Maiesty, and our owne vilenesse. Psal. 2. 11. Serue the Lord with feare. Mic. 6. 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow my selfe before the high God. Eccl. 5. 1. Be not rash with thy mouth, neither let thine heart be hasty to vtter a matter before God, for God is in the heauens and thou in the earth, &c.
2. Our bodies are the Lords as well as our soules, and therefore he will be 2.serued with the body also. They are his by right of Creation, Redemption, Sanctification, This Reason the Apostle giues, yee are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods, 1. Cor. 6. 20.
3. That the humility and reuerent gesture of the body, may helpe to humble 3.and worke reuerence in the heart. Our hearts are profane, and stand in need of all good outward helpes, to stirre vp deuotion in them. That is a chiefe reason why it was vsed both by Daniell 6. 10. and Christ, Luke 22. 41. euen in secret prayer, and if they needed to doe so, how much more doe wee.
4. To professe and testifie the humility of the heart, and reuerence of the 4.soule. Therefore is this put for the whole profession of our homage and obedience to God, VntoUnto me eueryevery knee shall bow, Esay 45. 23. Because in matter of Gods seruice, hypocrites are wont to pretend, they hauehave as good hearts as the best, the Lord is wont also to call so oft for the seruice of the body, Let not sinne reigne in your mortall body, Rom. 6. 12. and present your body as a liuing sacrifice, holy, acceptable vntounto God, Rom. 12. 1. and glorifie God in your body, 1. Cor. 6. 20.
The reasons of that outward reuerence that is to be vsed specially in the publike and solemne worship of God, are three.
1. The presence of Gods people. There is a reuerence due from the greatest Prince to the meanest of Gods seruants, his brother must not seeme vile vntounto him, no not then when by any fault he hath made himselfe worthy of punishment, Deut. 25. 3. Matth. 18. 10. See that ye despise not one of these little ones: but specially to the congregation of Gods people, when they are assembled to serue him. This reason the Apostle giues against certaine abuses in the congregation of Corinth, 1. Cor. 11. 22. hauehave ye not houses to eate and drinke in (he might hauehave said, if he had liued amongst vsus, to sleepe in, to talke, and laugh in) despise ye the Church of God.
2. The presence of the holy Angels, which as they hauehave a charge from God to minister and doe seruice to his people, Heb. 1. 15. and to pitch their tents about them, Psal. 34. 7. so specially at that time when they are assembled together to serue the Lord. This was figured to Gods people vnderunder the law. The curtaines that the Tabernacle was made of, were full of Cherubins, Exod. 26. 1. So were the walls of Salomons Temple round about. 1. King. 6. 29. to typifie the presence and attendance of the holy Angels vponupon the whole Church and body of Gods people for their protection and safety, as at all other times, and in all other places, so specially in their Church assemblies. This reason the Apostle giues, why women should hauehave modest attire in the congregation. 1. Cor. 11. 10. The woman ought to hauehave power on her head because of the Angels.
3. The presence of the Lord himselfe, who though he be eueryevery where, (Ier. 23. 24. Doe not I fill heauen and earth saith the Lord, Acts 7. 48. The most high dwelleth not in Temples made with hands) yet is he in a speciall sort present in the congregation of his people, as is euident by those two promises made by our blessed Sauiour, Matth. 18. 20. and 28. 20. In which respect the publike worship of God is called the face and presence of God, Psal. 105. 4. and 42. 2. And Cain being for his murder depriued of the benefit of Gods publike worship, complaines he should now be hid from his face, Gen. 4. 14. That is the reason of Dauids desire, to dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his life: Psal. 27. 4. That I may saith he behold the beauty of the Lord. And Psal. 48. 9. We waite for thy louing kindnesse O Lord in the midst of thy Temple. The place of Gods publike worship vnderunder the Law, is called the glorious Sanctuary. Psal. 26. 2. because the glory of the Lord did sensibly appeare in the Tabernacle, Exod. 40. 34. and the Temple, 1. King. 8. 10. And the Assemblies of Gods people now may as well be called glorious, because the glory of the Lord appeares also in them, though not so sensibly, yet no lesse comfortably and effectually, as is plaine by that comparison the Apostle makes betweene that ministry and worship of God that was vnderunder the Law and this that is vnderunder the Gospell, and by his preferring this (for glory and excellencie) far aboue the other, 2. Cor. 3. 8, 9. 11.