The Practical Sabbatarian, Chapter 32
CHAP. XXXII. Active graces do well become Holy Ordinances.
AND we muſt not only be ſtrict in our behaviours, and ſpiritual in our duties in the time of publick Ordinances; but we muſt likewiſe be very active in our graces in thoſe ſacred ſolemnities. There are three ſeaſons when our graces muſt be active and vigorous.Eph. 6. 13, 16.
1. In a time of temptation: Then faith is a ſhield, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, Eph. 6. 13, 16. Taking the whole armour of God, we ſhall be able …o withſtand in that evill day.Luke 21. 19.
2. In the day of affliction: Then patience keeps poſſeſſion, and ſelf-denyal breaks the ſtroke. Wind up the watch, and it goes as ſtedily in the night as in the day.
3. In Goſpel opportunities. The breaſt is full of Iſa. 12. 3.milk, but the Child muſt draw and ſtrive to get it out. A quae ſalutis ſunt ſacrae ſcripturae, & doctrina Evangelica quam h…imus á Chriſto. Hier. Orig.There is a life and ſweetneſs in Ordinances, but grace and deſire muſt draw it out, there muſt be a hand of faith to let down the bucket to bring up the water from the wells of Salvation. If any ask what ſpices muſt flow out, what graces muſt be acted in holy ordinances, it is anſwered
We muſt act our knowledge in holy duties; We muſt know it is God the infinite Jehovah with whom we have to do▪ All worſhip without the knowledge of the true God is a notion and empty ſpeculation. God alone is the object of a godly mans worſhip, Exod. 20. 2. His hope is in God, Pſal. 39. 7. His dependance is on God, Pſal. 62. 8. His dread is of God, Pſal. 119. 122. His love is to God, Pſal. 18. 1. in every Ordinance he approacheth to. God is the only object of his prayers, Pſal. 5. 3. If he come to Sermons, it is to Paulo quinto Vice-deo.hear ſomething of God and Chriſt, John 10. 3. In Ordinances we muſt not worſhip men, as the Samaritans worſhipped Antiochus Epiphanes, ſtiling him the mighty God; or as the Venetians petitioned Paul the fifth, Pope of Rome, giving him the title of Vice-god; nor muſt we worſhip the hoſt of heaven as the Ammonites, nor the Devill as the Indians, nor Ezr. 9. 1. Zeph. 1. 5. Phil. 3. 19. Col. 3. 5. Jer. 50 2. Judg 2. 13. Acts 19. 28. 2 Kings 5. 18. Jer. 51. 44. Chemoſh non poteſt defendere Moabitas à Babyloniis; Nec aurei vituli Iſraelitas ab Aſſyriis. Alap.the belly as the Glutton, nor intereſt as the Covetous, nor the Croſs as the Papiſts; nor muſt we worſhip falſe gods, not Belas as the Aſſyrians, nor Baal as the Tyrians, nor Diana as the Epheſians, nor Juno as the Samians, nor Rimmon as the Syrians, but we muſt worſhip the great God, the incomprehenſible Jehovah, God in Chriſt, and him only muſt we ſerve. In a word, we muſt be cautionated againſt a threefold worſhip.
Firſt, We muſt not worſhip deos mortuos, dead Gods, images, and reliques, &c. Nec deos mortales, nor dying gods, Men or Princes; Nec deos mortificos, deadly goods, our ſwaying luſts and corruptions. How neceſſary is it then for us to come with knowledge to holy worſhip, that we may ſeririouſly apprehend that infinite Majeſty, that moſt glorious Being, Pſal 82. 7. Nahum. 1. 5.at whoſe preſence the mountains quake, and the hills melt; and this is the God, the Jehovah Elohim, with whom we converſe in holy Ordinances.
We muſt act ſincerely in holy Ordinances. VVe muſt be hearty in our hearing; we muſt not only bring the ear, but Col. 3. 16.the heart to the truth of the word. Truth muſt dwell in us, Col. 3. 16. and muſt be not only our information, but Luke 2. 19.our inhabitant; it muſt be treaſured up as well as attended to. The truths of the Goſpel are as ſo many Jewels and rare Pearls, which muſt be lockt up. The ear is only as the Verbum dei intromittatur in domicilium cordis noſtri, ac verſetur aſſid…è in animis noſtris. Daven. Pſal. 17. 1. Heb. 10. 22. Lam. 3. 41. Notandum eſt, quod quae offeruntur in holocauſtum interiora ſunt; quod exterius eſt, non deo offertur, ut pell…. Orig.ſtall, the heart is the Cabinet. And indeed Satan can quickly pick truth out of the ear, he can eaſily open that window; but he cannot penetrate the heart, that lock is only broke open by Omnipotency. Truth is under lock and key, ſafely ſecured when laid up in the heart; and indeed it is never well houſed till it is folded up in the ſoul. And ſo we muſt be ſincere and hearty in our prayers. Tongue and heart muſt keep time and tune. The Jews have this ſentence written in their Synagogues where they meet for holy Ordinances, A prayer without the heart, is like a body without the ſoul. God looks not ſo much to the Elegancy of our prayers, how neat they are; nor to the Geometry of our prayers, how long they are; but to the ſincerity of our prayers, how cordiall they are. Thy prayers without thy heart will be a ſacriledge, not a ſacrifice. When the heart is Rector chori, the chief leader of the quire, then the voice is pleaſant in Gods ear. The heart though it be one of the leaſt parts of man, yet it is the beſt. And as we muſt be ſincere in our management of holy duties, ſo in the ends we propoſe. Acts 17 18.Some go to Ordinances as Athenians, to underſtand ſome Mat. 22. 15.new thing; ſome as Herodians, to carp and to catch; ſome to be gratified with ingenuity and wit, as thoſe who go to hear a noiſe of Muſicians: All theſe are as Children, who Ezek. 33. 32.go to Fairs to buy toys and trifles. But let us go to Ordinances, to gather thoſe flowers which grow in Eden, to advantage our better part, and to lay up treaſure for our immortal ſouls.
We muſt act faith in holy Ordinances. The Apoſtle avers it poſitively, That without faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God. This grace is the incenſe in our ſacrifices, the riſing Heb. 11. 6.perfume in all our offerings: The hand of faith ſprinkles the bloud of ſprinkling upon all our oblations. Faith is the Heb. 12. 24.eye of the ſoul to ſee the light of the Goſpel: faith is the hand of the ſoul to receive Chriſt offered in the Goſpel. Though faith be not the One thing neceſſary, yet it is the chief thing neceſſary in all our duties and ſervices. This Si non unicum neceſſarium, tamen primò neceſſarium eſt fides, ſacro & ſole…ni cultu efficox.grace doth not only juſtifie our perſons, Rom. 5. 1. Purge our hearts, Acts 15. 9. Nay eſpouſe us to Jeſus Chriſt, Eph. 3. 17. But it doth ſanctifie our duties, and make them authentical and effectuall. It is the believing ſoul alone enjoys an Ordinance profitably, and performs a ſervice acceptably; he only feeds upon the tree of life in the Paradiſe of Ordinances.
We muſt act holy and ardent deſire in holy Ordinances. We muſt come to the Ordinances, as the Hart to the brooks, Luke 17. 37. Pſal. 42. 1. Fides, quâ ſolâ apprehenditur Chriſtus, cujus juſtitiâ induimur, verbi praedicatione, & procreatur, & conſervatur. Cartw.or as the Eagle which flyeth upon the prey, or as the poor ſtooping Iſraelites who lapt at the water, Judg. 7. 6. Indeed there are many deſirable things in ordinances; there is a deſirable Chriſt, deſirable Grace, deſirable Life, a deſirable Soul to ſave, a deſirable heaven to enſure. It may be added, the Scriptures reſemble this bleſſed work to whatever may inflame deſire; It is light for its pleaſantneſs, John 3. 19. It is honey for its ſweetneſs, Pſal. 19. 10. It is food for its neceſſity, Job 23. 12. It is gold for its value, Pſal. 19. 10. We live by it, Mat. 4. 4. And we periſh without it, Prov. 29. 18. And let our deſires anſwer all theſe allurements. Indeed we ſhould come to Chriſt in ordinances, as the Bride to the bridegroom, with joy and delight; as the Husband-man to the Vine for a Vintage of ſatisfaction. David rejoyced and triumphed in his own ſoul when the multitude called him to go to the houſe of God; and indeed the Sanctuary is the Saints Bride-chamber on this ſide heaven. And thus we ſee how we may every way deport our ſelves in publick ordinances and opportunities.