The Rules of a Holy Life, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Shewing how we should carry our selues in Gods House.
HItherto of the rules to bee obserued in all parts of Gods worship generally.
The speciall rules concerne 1. eyther,Rules about the publike worship of God. Gods publike worship in his House: 2. or else the particular parts of Gods worship each by themselues.
The godly Christian ought with all care to lay before him the rules that binde him to the good behauiour in Gods House, & to striue to fashion his nature and practice, as may become the glory of Gods publike seruice and presence, and so there bee diuers things which in a speciall manner he must looke to in performing Gods publike seruice.
For concerning these publike duties, these rules must be obserued.
First,1. All must come. that all sorts & degrees of men must appeare before God publikely to doe him homage and seruice. None must bee spared or freed, men, women, and children must all take notice of it, that they are bound hereunto, Deut. 31. 11, 12.
Secondly,2. With all possible reuerence we must come our selues with all possible reuerence, and looke to our feete when we enter into the house of God, and striue to shew before all men our most carefull respect of God and his holy ordinances: For God will be sanctified in them that come nigh him, and he lookes for it at our hands by our reuerend behauiour, to bee glorified before all the people, Leuit. 10. 3. Eccl. 5. 4. Wee should then shew a most holy feare of Gods name, and presence, Psalm. 5. 7.
Thirdly,3. And zeale. in publike duties, that of the Prophet Dauid should be true of vsus: The zeale of Gods house should eate vsus vp,And this zeale wee should shew six waies. Psal. 69. 9. and this speciall zeale wee should shew:
1. By louing Gods house aboue all the places in the world, our hearts should be fired in vsus in that wee respect, that wee may truely say with Dauid, O how I louelove thy house! Psalm. 26. 8.
2. By confirming our own hearts in a resolution to resort to Gods house with all ioy and gladnesse, notwithstāding the scornes and oppositions of worldly men and persons.
3. By stirring vp others with all importunity to go vp with them to worship God in Sion, Esay 2. 2.
4. By making haste to Gods worship, going to the house of God with the first, & with willing hearts, with a holy thirst after the meanes, flocking and flying thither as the clouds, or as so many doues to their windowes, Zach. 8. 21. Psal. 110. 3. Esay 35. 1. & 60. 8.
5. By forwardnes and cheerefulnesse in contributing towards the maintenance of Gods House, and seruice in the means thereof, Isaiah 60. 8, 9.
6. By grieuing heartily, because other men neglect or contemn the House of God, and hauehave no more mind to keepe Gods Law, Psalm. 119. 136.
Thus of that speciall zeale wee should shew about Gods publike worship.
4. Fourthly,4. With one consent. we should in all publike dueties serue God with one consent and one heart. There should appeare in Gods seruants a wonderful desire of Vnanimity and concord. They should serue the Lord vvith one shoulder, that when they speake to God, it may be as the voyce of one man, when the Lord speakes to them, they should heare with one heart. It is a maruellous glory in Religion, when people can come once to this, to serue the Lord with one shoulder, Zephan. 3. 9.
Lastly, in the 52. Psalm. v. 8, 9.Three other rules gathered out of Psal. 52. 8, 9. we may gather three other rules, which in a speciall manner fitte vsus for a right behauiour in Gods house.
1. First, wee should alwaies be as green Oliue trees in the house of the Lord. Howsoeuer it go with men in the world, yet when wee come before the Lord, our hearts should reioyce and reuiue, and our spirits bee fresh and cheerefull, and our affections should bee healed of all the cares or distempers were before in them. Gods ordinances should hauehave such a power ouer vsus, as to make a sudden fresh spring of desires, and holy thoughts in vsus. There is this power in the ordinances of God to effect this, if the fault be not in vsus, I meane, when these ordinances are exercised in the power & life of thē.
2. Secondly, wee must trust on the mercy of GOD, bringing a heart ready to beleeue eueryevery good word of God, resoluing, that if the Lord will speake comfortably to his seruants, we will not dishonor his cōsolations through carelesnes, or vnbeleefe: but receiue them with all our hearts, and establish our selues in the safe keeping of his good word.
3. Thirdly, we must resolue to be thankefull, with all tendernesse for all experiences of Gods presence and goodnesse towards vsus in the means, vowing with Dauid, to praise him for euer for them. And if the Lord doe with-hold his power and presence for a time, so as we feele not the effectualnesse of his ordinances: yet we should resolue without distemper, to wait vponupon the Lord, and obserue him according to the seasons of his grace.