The Practical Sabbatarian, Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII. How we muſt demean our ſelves in the Publick Aſſembly, on the Holy Sabbath.
HAving thus performed our Morning Exerciſes in private, Pſal. 84. 1, 2, Pſal. 122 1. Pſal. 87. 2.how chearfully ſhould we repair to the Publick Aſſemblies, and draw nigh to the publick Ordinances on this acceptable day of grace and ſalvation, when Chriſt Iſa. 2. 2, 3. Pſal. 42. 4.ſits in ſtate, ſcattering treaſures of grace among hungry and thirſty ſouls, who are poor in ſpirit, and wait for ſpirituall Almes? David admired the amiableneſs of Gods Tabernacles, Deus pluris facit preces in Eccleſiâ quàm domi factas, non ob locum, ſed ob conſiderationem multitudinis fidelium, deum communi conſenſu invocantium. Riv.Pſal. 84. 1. and he longed for the Courts of God, rejoycing, when they ſaid to him, Let us go to the houſe of the Lord, Pſal. 42. 4. And the Prophet Iſaiah ſpeaking of Goſpel times, ſeems to foretell the diſpoſition of Goſpel Saints, Many people ſhall go, and ſay, Come let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the houſe of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his wayes, and we will walk in his paths, Iſa. 2. 2, 3. And the Apoſtle adviſeth us, by no means to forſake the aſſembling of our ſelves together, as the manner of ſome is, Heb. 10. 25. whom he brands with reproof and reproach. Publick Ordinances they are our ſpiritual Exchange, our holy Mart, our heavenly Fairs, where we buy up, and fit our ſelves with all heavenly Commodities; In theſe ſeaſons we ſtore our ſelves with grace, knowledge and comforts, which may abundantly ſerve us till the revolution of another Sabbath. It was once the ſad complaint of the Church, That the wayes of Sion did mourn, becauſe none came to her Aſſemblies, Lam. 1. 4. The want of publick Ordinances might put a Nation in ſack-cloath, they being the badge of the Church, and the glory of the Kingdome. Indeed holy duties in private they are of great uſe, and have their bleſſing: But publick Ordinances are the chief work of the Sabbath. It is worthy our obſervation, that the Sabbath and publick ſervice are by God himſelf both joyned together: Ye ſhall keep my Sabbaths, ſaith God, and reverence Ezra 10. 1.my Sanctuary, Luke 19. 30. The Sabbath and the Pſal. 68. 26.Sanctuary are coupled, as being twins of happineſs. Every thing is beautifull in its Seaſon. Private duties are beautiful, Numb. 10. 3.and are in ſeaſon every day: But publick Ordinances are never ſo lovely and beautifull, never ſo much in their full ſea, as upon Gods holy day; Then they are in ſeaſon, as the harveſt in the year, as Courts of Judicature in the Term, as a Pſal. 111. 1.ſhining conſtellation in a dark night. Davids reſolution was to praiſe God in the great Congregation, Pſal. 29. 9. The Pſal. 89. 7.Lord eſteems it his glory, to have many beggars thronging at the beautifull gate of his Temple for ſpiritual gifts and charity; Pſal. 87. 2.how loud, nay, how lovely is the noyſe of many golden Trumpets, what an eccho do they make? How pleaſant is it, when the holy Convocation meet for holy worſhip, like the pleaſant flocks upon the mountain of holineſs. Many Quia potentiam illam, quam infans in ſtabulo occultat, eodem tempore in agro et in oriente, immò in coelo exerit hoc teſtimentum eſt, non aliquà indigentiâ, ſed voluntariâ humiliatione exinanitionem illam factam eſſe. Lyſer.skilfull muſicians playing together, elevate and ſweeten the harmony. The Congregation meeting together, do much reſemble the Coeleſtial Quire above, and ſeem to imitate that Troop and Hoſt of Angels which proclaimed Chriſts Nativity to the world, Luke 2. 13. In publick, God receives the higheſt praiſes, and there he beſtows the greateſt bleſſings, Pſal. 65. 4. The promiſe runs, God will create upon her Aſſemblies a cloud, Iſa. 4. 5. which Cloud was the aſſured teſtimony of the Divine preſence, which preſence includes and involves all varieties of good. Wine flows more plentifully from a Vintage then a Veſſel; in publick Ordinances God gives us the plenty of a Vintage. In Gods Courts we ſhall taſt of his goodneſs, not onelyonly of his good will and favour, Pſal. 65. 4. Pſal. 27. 4. Pſal. 50. 2. Cant. 4. 6. Cant 5. 5. Acts 3. 1. Acts 13. 23.but of his good things; we ſhall be refreſhed with pardoning grace, the joyes of peace, the ſmiles of love, and be captivated with the beauty of holineſs, Pſal. 96. 6. If you will know where believers ſee their beſt ſights, where …hey hear the moſt raviſhing ſounds, where they make the moſt delightfull meals, they will tell you, in the Aſſemblies of Gods people, Pſal. 68. 24. There they have been ſatisfied with marrow and fatneſs. Indeed when God denies publick Ordinances, he himſelf will be a little ſanctuary to his Choſen, Mat 12. 9.Ezek. 11. 16. But where he affords them, he expects they Mat 13. 54.ſhould be attended on. Chriſt himſelf went into the places Mark 3. 1.of publick reſort. It is ſignally to be obſerved, that in every Feſtival of the Jewes, there was to be an holy Convocation, a joynt meeting of Gods people, to evidence how pleaſing Iſa. 60. 8.it is to God, for his Doves to flock to the windows; the Per feneſtras intelligamus columbaria. Haec enim plena ſunt feneſtris, inſtar oculorum, per quas proſpicere gaudent Columbae, in eo que delectantur. Hieron.companies of his dear ones being the work-houſes of his grace, the ſtore-houſes of his bleſſings, and the true Goſhens where light and plenty dwells. So in the Feaſt of the Paſsover, Exod. 12. 16. a Convocation was to begin and ſhut up that feaſt, it was both to open and to end it, to be the Alpha and the Omega of that ſolemnity. So in the feaſt of the Sabbath, Lev. 23. 3. it was to be a day of reſt; but this reſt was given for holy meetings, for holy addreſſes, for holy worſhip. the Tabernacle and the Temple in the times of the Law, and the Synagogues in latter times were open, and frequented on the Sabbath, Mat. 1. 21. Mark 6. 2. when private affairs were laid aſide, and publick worſhip was to be in ure. And ſo in the feaſt of Pentecoſt, or firſt fruits, Lev. 23. 21. The Iſraelites were not to offer up theſe firſt fruits, the tribute their praiſe and thankſgiving, without burnt offerings, Lev. 23. 18. without ſin offerings and peace offerings, verſ. 19. nor without holy worſhip, verſ. 20. nor yet without a holy meeting and convocation, verſ. 21. Every ſolemn feaſt muſt be accompanied with a ſolemn meeting▪ the worſhip it ſelf not being gratefull without the worſhipers. And thus it was in the feaſt of Trumpets, Lev. 23. 24. In the day of Attonement, Lev. 23. 27. And ſo in the feaſt of Tabernacles Levit. 23 37. Levit. 23 40. Numb 28. 26. Numb. 29. 1, 7. 12or Booths, Lev. 23. 34, 35, 36. There was a holy convocation at the beginning and cloſe of that ſolemnity. And it is remarkable, that what is called a holy convocation, Lev. 23. 35. 36. is called a Sabbath, Lev. 23. 39. to intimate to us, that a Sabbath is not a Sabbath without the Aſſemblies of Gods people. Thus pleaſing are congregated Saints in holy worſhip, where God makes all his feſtivals of grace and love.
Now for our gratefull and acceptable deportment in publick Obſervatio ſubbati eſt caput veligionis, et totum dei cultunt continet. Willet.Ordinances, we muſt ſtudy;
1. To be ſtrict in our behaviours.
2. Spiritual in our duties.
3. Active in our graces. We will take them, and canvas them all in their order; for indeed the duties of this holy day require extraordinary diligence, they have a double die of holineſs upon them, they are double gilt; Gods eye is Non putes te in domo dei malè poſſe converſari, et occultari. Oleaſt. 1 Kings 9. 3.very much upon our behaviour in his houſe. Therefore in the Tabernacle, the place of publick worſhip it was commanded, Exod. 25. 37. Thou ſhalt make ſeven Lamps, and they ſhall light the Lamps that they may give light, to teach us, that nothing there eſcapes his fight, for in his houſe it is alwayes light. In the Sanctuary thou canſt not ſin in ſecret, there are ſeven Lamps to diſcover thy miſcarriages.
We muſt ſtudy a beſeeming behaviour in the publick Ordinances, and this is two-fold;Corpus eſt hoſtia vivens, quiaſe vivum per viva opera novae vitae ſpiritualis deo offert. 2. Et hoſtia eſt per actus mortificationis. Alap.
1. External of the body. We muſt compoſe our outward man to a ſuitable behaviour, when we approach to God in publick Ordinances: Conſidering
1. God is the Lord of our bodies, as well as our ſouls, and therefore the deportment of the body muſt be as criticall.
2. The Apoſtle adviſeth us, Rom. 12. 1. To offer up 1 Cor. 3. 16. 1 Cor. 6. 13.our bodies a reaſonable ſacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Eſpecially, this oblation muſt be made in publick worſhip; the Temple we know, was the uſual place for ſacrifice. Let Joſh 5. 14. Exod. 4. 32. John 17. 1.it be added:
3. The body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoſt, 1 Cor. 6. 19. as well as the heart is the lodging of Chriſt, Eph. 3. 17. David ſpeaks much of the comportment of the body in holy ſervices. The eye muſt look up, Pſal. 123. 4. The hands muſt be lift up, Pſal. 63. 4. The mouth muſt be filled with praiſes, Pſal. 63. 5. The ear muſt bow, and the knee Luke 21. 2.muſt bend, Pſal. 95. 6. The body is one of the two mites we indigent worſhipers can offer to God.
But for the better unfolding of this particular, (viz.) How we muſt comport our bodies in publick worſhip; there is ſomething to be acted, and ſomething to be avoided:
Firſt, Something the outward man muſt Act.
1. We muſt lift up our hands in prayer; this the Pſalmiſt enjoyn us, a a duty, Pſal. 134. 2. and propoſes his own example, Pſal. 119. 48. What ſpeaks more humility in prayer, then to lift up the hands to receive the Almes? Nor doth it ſhew leſs then our dependance upon God, when by the lifting up of our hands, we ſeem to point at our benefactor; The Prophet Jeremiah, 2 Lam. 19. joynes the pouring out of the heart, and the lifting up of the hands together. Moreover it pretends to a holy violence, when we lift up our hands to wreſtle with God, and to ſtorm heaven. Chriſt Luke 24. 50.lifted up his hands in benediction, and we muſt do the ſame Numb. 16. 22.in ſupplication.
Secondly, We muſt compoſe our countenances to holy Reverence. Dicit Maria, reſpexit humilitatem ancillae ſuae, non virginitatem. Bern.The Phariſees indeed disfigured their faces, Mat. 6. 16. But their hypocriſie muſt not diſcourage our piety: nothing doth more beautifie a ſerious worſhipper then a becoming gravity: Did we conſider the infiniteneſs of that Majeſty we are to deal withal, the brightneſs of his eye, the purity of his nature, the ſtrength of his hand, the ſeverity of his judgements, and likewiſe weigh the account we muſt give for Goſpel opportunities, this would put a holy aſtoniſhment upon our faces, and cover them with a reverential dread; Lev. 10. 3.we know the offering up of ſtrange fire but once, coſt two Prieſts their lives. God loves a trembling at his word, Iſa. 66. 2.Iſa. 66. 2. Slight carriages in worſhip more become a wanton Jupiter, then an awfull Jehovah, who is a conſuming fire.Heb. 12. 29.
Thirdly, We muſt bend the ear to the ſevereſt attention. How often doth our Saviour call for a hearing ear; this was Mat. 13. 43.the Epiphonema, and concluſion of every Sermon to his Auditours, Mat. 11. 15. Mark 4. 9. Luke 8. 8. Luke 14. 35. And Mark 7. 16.this was the winding up of every Epiſtle to the Churches, Rev. 2. 7, 11, 17, 29. Rev. 3. 6. 13, 22. It is ſaid of Chriſts Auditors foreign.that they did hang upon his mouth in hearing him, Luke 19. 48. They did ſit upon his lips, that no word might eſcape them, but they might arreſt it for ſoul advantage. The ear is the proper door to the heart; this is the poſtern to let in truth; ſtudy then to make it a door to ſalvation by a ſerious and diligent attention. Divine truths, like thoſe Angels who Gen. 19. 3.came to Lot, muſt not be ſhut out, but entertained, and the ear is the portal by which they muſt enter. Attention, Fides eſt donum dei, Eph. 2. 8. ſed non omnium, 2 Theſ 3. 2. electis ſolum datur, Tit. 1. 11. ſed hoc donum deus non inſtillat cordibus immediatè, ſed per auditum verbi ſui, auditum, ſc. externum operante intus ſp. ſancto: Praecones verbi ſonant auribus, aures ad mentem deſerunt.though it be not an onelyonly, yet it is a neceſſary duty; the ear lies in the way to the ſoul, as the light ſhines not into the houſe, but by the window. Faith, ſaith the Apoſtle, Rom. 10. 17. comes by hearing, and juſtification cometh by faith, Rom. 5. 1. So that attention in holy Ordinances layes the firſt ſtone in the ſtructure of glory. He who is an attentive and ſerious hearer layes a good foundation, a foundation of Jaſper to found the New Jeruſalem upon. The ear is the fort which the Miniſter is to aſſault, but the heart is the ſtrong hold which the ſpirit is to take, but if we are not attentive, and reſiſt the firſt on-ſet, that of the Miniſter, we ſhall lay diſcouragements before the ſecond, that of the ſpirit, we ſhall grieve the ſpirit of the Lord, Eph. 4. 30. But let not our careleſs attention obſtruct and hinder the ſpirits ſaving operation: And let us not looſe thoſe bleſſed truths by neglectfull hearing, which Chriſt hath bought by his painfull bleeding. Are the glad tidings of the Goſpel ſo Adeſt ſp. dei per doctrinam auribus hauſtam, mentem illuminans, &c.ſlight a meſſage? Are divine truths ſo mean a Doctrine? Are Sermons of faith and godlineſs ſuch low diſcourſes, that we will not be attentive in the hearing of them? Surely Luke 19. 47.this is below the Religion of the Jews, who diligently heard Luke 20. 1.Chriſt in the Temple, though afterwards they brought him to the Croſs. It was the great complaint of God, that the John 8. 20.people would not hear him, Iſa. 28. 12. L… us then be exact and very diligent in our outward attention, when we come to the publick Ordinances, alwayes remembring, that the outward Court brings to the inner Court, and that leads to the Holy of Holies.
But as we muſt watch our outward behaviour in publick worſhip to know what we are to act, ſo likewiſe to underſtand what we are to avoid.