Gospel Worship, Sermons · Sermon 7
SERMON VII.
LEVITICUS. 10. 3.
I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me.
WEE are coming now to the concluſion of this great Argument of Sanctifying Gods Name in holy duties for the generall. God expects that we ſhould all in our drawings neer to him in the duties of worſhip, Sanctifie his Name. Now we are to conſider of divers reaſons why God will be Sanctified in all the duties of his worſhip.
1 The Firſt Reaſon is this, It is the very nature of God to Will himſelf the laſt end, and all other things to work ſuitable to the lifting up of himſelf as the laſt end: I ſay it is as eſſentiall to him as any thing, for him to will himſelf as the higheſt end, and that all things ſhould work ſo as to be ſuitable vntounto that Glory of his for the furtherance of it: God ſhould ceaſe to be God, if ſo be he ſhould not will himſelf asthe higheſt end, and ſo will that all things that have any being ſhould ſome way or other work for himself: This is the very nature of God. It is that which I conceive the very nature of Gods holinſſe conſiſts in, the willing himſelf as the laſt end, and ſo to work all things as is ſuitable unto his own infinit excellencie. Now as this is Gods holineſſe, ſo it is the holineſſe that God requires in his Creatures (that are capeable of holineſſe) that they ſhould will him as the laſt end, and all things ſuitable to that infinit excellencie of his. Now if this be the nature of God, and this be his holineſſe, then certainly it muſt needs be a neceſſarie duty in all thoſe that would have communion with God and would honour God, to will as God himſelf doth will, that is that all things ſhould work ſuitable to the infinite excellencie of God, that God may attain the glory of his infinit excellencie, and this makes it to be a neceſſary duty that when we come to worſhip him we ſhould Sainct…fie his name: So that the firſt reaſon is taken from the very nature of God, it is the very being of God that all things ſhould work to himſelf, and in ſuch a ſuitable way as to lift up his excellencie and glory.
2 Secondly, We muſt Sanctifie God in the duties of his Worſhip, becauſe it is the ſpeciall glory that God hath in the world to be actively honoured; for his paſſive glory, that is, to be glorified in a paſſive way, that he hath in hell, but the ſpeciall glory that God would have it is that he might be glorified actively: Now there is no ſuch way of glorifying the Name of God actively as by worſhipping of him in a holy manner, and therefore God ſtands much upon this, That when we come to worſhip him we ſanctifie his Name; For ſaith God, If I be not ſanctified in my worſhip, what active glory have I in the world? It is the ſpeciall active glory that God hath in the world, the Sanctifying of his Name in the duties of his worſhip.
3 Thirdly, That which we have intimated before, That the duties of Gods worſhip are the moſt precious things, the ſpecial conveyances of the choice mercies that he intends to beſtow on his Saints, and therefore though he loſes his glory in any thing elſe, he would not loſe it in that wherein he doth eſpecially convey his mercy and goodneſſe to his people. But that we ſpake too in ſhewing how we draw nigh to God in holy duties and it may well come in here again as an Argument why we ſhould ſanctifie Gods name.
4 A Fourth Reaſon is this, Becauſe there is no way for us to be fitted for the receiving of Mercy from God through thoſe duties of worſhip, but by our Sanctifying of Gods name; when thou comeſt at any time to worſhip God, what wouldeſt thou have? there is ſome communion that thou wouldeſt injoy with God, now there is no way to make thee a fit ſubject of Mercy, or capable of the injoyment of Communion with God, but by ſuch a behaviour of Soul as this is that hath been ſpoken of, to, Sanctifie the Name of God: thou wouldeſt be loath to loſe thoſe duties of worſhip that thou doeſt performe, therefore it is required of thee to ſanctifie his Name leſt thou doeſt loſe all, for 'tis this that makes thee the only capable ſubject of what good is to be had there.
5 We muſt Sanctifie Gods Name in holy duties, becauſe otherwiſe we ſhould certainly never hold out in duties, but vaniſh and come to nothing; now God would be worſhipped ſo by his creatures, as to be conſtantly worſhipped, he would have thoſe that do worſhip him, to worſhip him alwaies, to worſhip him for ever, and he would have this worſhip that we perform to him, but to be the beginning of that eternall worſhip that he ſhall have from us in heaven. And ſo the Saints do Worſhip God now, the worſhip which they performe, it is but as the beginning of that worſhip that hereafter in heaven they ſhall tender up to God, though there may be ſome difference in it, as there our prayers will be turned into praiſes, and it will not be in ſuch outward Ordinances as now we worſhip God in there will be no Preaching, nor Sacraments: yet notwithſtanding the Soul-worſhip that is now, will be in effect the ſame as it ſhall be in heaven. God would have us ſo to worſhip him, as to continue to worſhip him: Now I ſay, unleſſe his Name be Sanctified in our worſhipping of him we will certainly fall off; and the truth is, this is the very ground of all Apoſtacie in Hypocrites; Some that have been very forward in the worſhipping of God when they were young ones, and afterwards they have fallen off, they were wont conſtantly in their families, and in ſecret in their chambers to be worſhipping of God, and they accounted it the very joy of their lives for the preſent to be worſhipping of God; but it is not ſo with them now as it was yea they are fallen off it may be from their very profeſſion of Religion, and turned loſe: And now to be in vain company, to drink, or play, is better to them then any ſervice or worſhip of God, they prize more to be in company with their ſports then to hear a Sermon, or to be in Communion with the people of God in Prayer: Heretofore they would not have changed one ſhort time of private communion with God, for the injoyment of a great deal of pleaſures and content in the world; but now it is otherwiſe with them. How comes it to paſſe that theſe are Apoſtatiſed thus from God? Surely here is the ground of it, That they did not Sanctifie Gods name in holy duties, at the moſt it was but a work of conſcience that put them upon them, and they had but ſome flaſhes, there was no reall ſanctification of their hearts whereby they did ſanctifie the name of God in holy duties, and upon this it is that they have left off. This I dare ſay, That there was never any ſoul that did know what it was to ſanctifie Gods Name in worſhip, that ever was weary of worſhipping God.
It may be ſome of you may ſay, We have heard that there is much required in Sanctifying Gods Name in duties, and that is the only way to weary the Soul, and to make it fall off; Oh no (as we ſaid the laſt day there is not any one thing that hath been opened for the Sanctifying of Gods name in duties that any gracious heart can tell how to miſſe, and the more we do Sanctifie his Name, the more we ſhall be in love with worſhip. For it is from hence that thoſe that Sanctifie Gods name in worſhip will hold out, becauſe they will find the ſweetneſſe of worſhip, they will meet with God in holy duties, and ſo they come to be incouraged in worſhip, but as for others who do worſhip God in a formall way, their worſhip will prove to be tedious to them, for they performe the duties, but do not find God in the duties in that Spirituall way as the Saints do; If they think they meet with God, it is but an imagination rather then any reall meeting with him; they do not find the influence of God in their ſouls in holy duties, ſo as thoſe do that ſanctifie Gods name in holy duties; here then you ſee the Reaſons why we are to Sanctifie Gods name in holy duties.
Now then for the Application of all this.
1 If all this which you have heard be required of us for the Sanctifying of Gods Name: Hence we ſee how little cauſe we have to reſt upon any duty of worſhip that we do performe, certainly the duties of worſhip that we performe are no ſuch things as are fit to be reſted upon for life and for ſalvation and yet for the moſt part there is ſcarce any thing that people have to reſt upon, or to tender up to God for acceptation to eternall life but only their prayers, and their coming to hear, and receiving of the Communion, and ſuch duties that they perform; this is all they have to tender up for life and for ſalvation perhaps they may ſometimes ſpeak of Chriſt, but the truth is that which their hearts reſt upon for acceptation to eternall life is this. And is it but this? It is a weak prop, a rotten reed that thou haſt to reſt upon; Let the duties of worſhip be performed never ſo well; Suppoſe we did ſanctifie Gods Name to the uttermoſt that is poſſible for any creature to do in this world, yet ſuch duties are not to be reſted upon: Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, and the Apoſtles, the moſt holy men that ever did perform duties in the moſt holy manner, yet wo to them if they have nothing to reſt upon but their duties; conſider therefore of this, that what thou muſt reſt upon for acceptation to eternall life, it muſt be that that muſt have ſo much worth in it, as muſt ſatisfie for all thy ſins that formerly thou haſt committed; yea and for all the ſins that ever thou ſhalt commit. Now I appeal unto any ones conſcience, is that which thou performeſt, is prayer, or receiving the Sacrament, or hearing of the word, ſuch a work as in thy conſcience thou canſt think, it hath ſo much worth in it, as to ſatisfie God for all the ſins that ever thou dideſt or ſhalt commit? I am perſwaded if people that have reſted upon duties heretofore, would but ſeriouſly have this thought in their minds, That I muſt reſt upon nothing for my acceptation for life and Salvation, but that that muſt have ſuch worth in it, as to ſatisfie God for all my ſins that ever have been committed, or ſhall be committed; this would take them off for ever from reſting in duties. Yea, and it muſt be ſuch as muſt be the object of the infinite holineſſe of God to take content in, Surely the duties that we performe are no ſuch duties to reſt upon: the truth is, If we would ſeriouſly conſider what they are, as they come from us, we would even abhor our ſelves in duſt and aſhes, and account of them as the Prophet ſpeaks of his own righteouſneſſe as menſtruous cloaths, they are ſuch as if God ſhould deal with us, as juſtly he may do, he might caſt them and us to the dogges, for they are (as the Prophet ſaith) torne and rent Sacrifices; now if a man in the time of the Law ſhould bring to the Lord a ſacrifice that was all torne and rent before he brought it, would ſuch a ſacrifice have been accepted? All the duties we performe as they come from us they are ſnch; we read in Exod. 22. 31. concerning ſuch things as were torne and rent, that they ſhould caſt them to the dogges. Ye ſhall be holy men unto we (ſaith he verſe ult) neither ſhall ye eate any fleſh that is …orne of beaſts in the field, ye ſhall caſt it to the dogs, becauſe ye are holy men unto me: Muſt the people of Iſrael manifeſt their holineſſe in this, That they muſt eate nothing torne by beaſts, but caſt it unto dogs? Or was the holineſſe of the people of Iſrael ſuch as God required them, that they muſt eate nothing that was torne by beaſts? What then is the holineſſe of the infinite God? our ſervices that we performe are of themſelves ſuch as are torne by our beaſtly luſts many times: how many are there that bring ſacrifices to God that are as a carrion that ſwine have been tearing before hand, and yet theſe are the Sacrifices that they bring to God, and not only think that God ſhould accept of them, but they do reſt upon them for their acceptation to eternall life. How infinitly are theſe people miſtaken… how little do they know of God, or of the way of acceptation to eternall life! That is the Firſt Uſe.
2 Secondly, If all this be required for the Sanctifying of Gods Name in duties, That we cannot performe the duties of Worſhip without this behaviour of Soul; hence we ſee that the work of Religion is a hard and difficult work to fleſh & bloud. A main work of Religion is the work of worſhipping of God, for indeed thoſe that are not religious and godly, they never worſhip God to any purpoſe: then we come to worſhip God when we begin to be religious and godly. Now it muſt needs be a buſie work to be a religious and a godly man, becauſe there is ſo much required in the ſanctifying of Gods name in holy duties: many people think it a very eaſie matter to worſhip God, and the worſhip that they tender up to God is an eaſie matter, there is little in it. If it were nothing elſe to worſhip God but meerly to go and ſay a few prayers, and come and hear a Sermon, and take a peice of Bread and Wine, then it were the eaſieſt matter in the world to come and worſhip God; but there is more required in the duties of Gods worſhip then thou haſt been acquainted with; there is a power of godlineſſe in it. That Text of Scripture is a very famous one that ſhewes the difficulty that there is in the Worſhip of God, and how men are miſtaken in thinking it ſuch an eaſie and ſlight matter to worſhip God: It is in Joſh. 24. 16. 19. where Joſhua doth call upon the people to worſhip God, and they came off preſently, and ſaid, They would worſhip him (ſo you ſhall find them profeſſe, verſe 16.) But mark what the Text ſaith in verſe 19. And Joſhua ſaid unto the people, Ye cannot ſerve the Lord, for he is an holy God, he is a jealous God, and he will not forgive your tranſgreſſions and your ſins, As if he ſhould ſay, You think it is nothing to ſerve the Lord, and that it is an eaſie matter to ſerve him, you think to put off God with any thing: Alas you cannot ſerve the Lord, for he is a holy God, and a jealous God and you muſt have other manner of hearts then yet you have, and you muſt underſtand his worſhip in another manner then yet you do, the Lord will be Sanctified in thoſe that draw nigh him, and therfore untill you underſtand God, and his waies and worſhip, you cannot ſerve the Lord. Know that the work of Religon is a very hard and difficult work, for it requireth all this, and therfore the Soule had need be very diligent and laborious that would come to worſhip God in a right way.
3 Thirdly, hence is a uſe of humiliation to us all, even to the beſt of us; oh how little, how little hath the beſt of us all Sanctified the name of God! how far have we all come ſhort of the Sanctifying of Gods name in holy duties! And when we look abroad in the world and ſee what poor ſervice God hath generally from the Men and women of the earth, it ſhould make our hearts bleed within us. Where almoſt is the man or woman that according to that text in Iſa. Stirs up himſelf to take hold on God. And I verily beleeve that in the opening of this point of Sanctifying the name of God in holy duties, that I have bin in the boſoms of as many as in the opening of any point whatſoever; and as many may have cauſe to lay their hands upon their hearts and ſay, Certainly I have come ſhort of what is required here, and have not bin acquainted with this way, this myſterie of godlines in Sanctifying Gods name in holy duties as I ought to be: O be humbled for this, for all the uncleanneſie of your hearts in the performance of duties In Exod 27 4, 5. you read, that at the Altar where the …acrifices we…e to be offered, the Lord required that there ſhould be a grate made. Thou ſhalt make for it (meaning the Altar) a grate of net-work of braſſe, and upon the net ſhalt thou make four braſen rings in the four corners thereof, and thou ſhalt put it under the compaſſe of the Altar beneath, that the net may be even to the middeſt of the Altar. There was as it were a grate for the aſhes of the Altar to go through, as you have grates in your fires to make them burn cleer, and for the aſhes to fal down, ſo the Lord would have ſuch a grate for the aſhes of the Altar to fall down: We had need of ſuch a grate. Oh the aſhes, and dirt, and filth, that there is in our ſervices when we come to offer and tender them up to God! So that we have cauſe I ſay to be humbled for holy offerings. There be many godly people that through Gods mercy are able to keep from groſſe ſins, they do not find it any great matter to keep from company, ſwearing, drinking, uncleanneſſe, lying or wronging of others, and ſuch kind of ſins as thoſe are, ſo that they ſee not ſuch need of humiliation in this regard, unleſſe it be for that their natures are as corrupt as any, though they break not forth into thoſe actuall groſſe ſins, but the maine work of the humiliation of thoſe that are godly, it is to be humbled for their thoughts, for the miſpending of time, and for not ſanctifying of Gods name in holy dnties, thoſe are the maine things that are the ſubject of the humiliation of the Saints, beſide the body of ſin and death that they carry about with them. And it would be a good ſign that thy heart hath ſome tenderneſſe in it when thou makeſt theſe to be the matter of thy humiliation: Carnall people little are troubled for theſe, if they fall into ſuch ſins, as their Conſciences do fly in their faces, then they are troubled and humbled. But for ſuch things as theſe are they are ſeldome humbled: To be humbled for thy holy offerings is a good ſign of a gracious heart. We read of the Cherubims that they had ſix wings, and with two of their wings the text ſaith they covered their faces, ſo my brethren we had need have wings as it were to cover our beſt duties they had wings, and with two they covered their legs, and with two their faces: We had need, not only of a covering for our lower parts and meanner duties, but a covering of our holy duties, to cover our faces our beſt duties of all, the moſt heavenly duties we perform had need be purged by the bloud of Chriſt. In Levit. 16. 14. 16. we read of their holy things, that there was need of purging of them by bloud; and ſo it ſhould be in our holy duties: Let us be humbled for our beſt performance that ever we performed in our lives: The beſt had need be ſo, but then as for others that have made little or no conſcience of Sanctifying of Gods name, how had they need be humbled? Thou haſt ſomething more to repent of then thou thoughteſt of; for the truth is, thoſe that have not made conſcience of Sanctifying of Gods Name in holy duties, they never in all their lives did any ſervice for the honour of God, thou haſt lived perhaps 30. or 40. it may be 60. years or more, and dideſt never yet honour God in any one thing that ever thou dideſt in all thy life.
You will ſay, God forbid: Have not I prayed, and heard the word much, and received the Communion often, and yet have I never honoured God?
If thou haſt not bin aquainted with this myſterie of godlineſſe in Sanctifying his name in theſe things, This is ſaid from God to thee this morning, That thou haſt never done any one action to the honour of God: Thou hadeſt need begin preſently for thy time is not long, and wilt thou go out of this world and the name of God never to be honoured by thee?
Yea and further, Thou haſt loſt all thy duties, all the time hath bin loſt that thou haſt been in performance of duties, now it is an ill thing to idle away time in the things of the World: When a man hath an opportunity for to gain in the world, If ſo be he loſes his time and neglects it, we account it a very ſad thing to him, but now to loſe our trading time for heaven (for the times of the worſhipping of God are our trading times for heaven) that's ſad indeed: And yet thou that makeſt not conſcience of Sanctifying the Name of God in holy duties, all the time thou haſt ſpent is loſt.
And yet further, You that have been falſe in the performance of duties, and hypocrites, not only all your pains and labour is quite loſt (for if that were all it might be well with you) but you have aggravated your ſins by your holy duties. Thoſe duties that others have injoyed communion with God in, and furthered their eternall life by, thou haſt aggravated thy ſins by them, yet it was thy duty to do them: but I ſay, by not ſanctifying of Gods Name, thou haſt aggravated thy ſins ſo much the more. As thoſe that are godly, they work out their ſalvation, even in their naturall actions they ſanctifie Gods Name, in eating and drinking, and following their buſineſſe; they performe thoſe actions in ſuch a holy manner, as they honour God in them, and further their eternall peace; but as they in their naturall and civill actions work out their ſalvation; ſo thou in the very religious actions doeſt work out thy damnation: Certainly wicked men that are not acquainted with this work of godlineſſe to ſanctifie Gods name in holy duties, they work out their damnation even in the performance of them.
You will ſay, Then they had better not do them.
Yes, they are bound to do them; but they are bound to do them in a right manner, as ſometimes I have given you this inſtance, and it is a ful and a cleer one, to ſhew that men are bound to performe holy duties and not to leave them undone, and yet they may further their own damnation while they are doing of them: As for example, If ſo be that a Prince ſhould appoint a man to come into his preſence ſuch a day to Petition for his life, which he hath forfeited by the Law, if he do not come he may be a dead man: But now if this man be drunk on that day, and come drunk into the Kings preſence, he may be a dead man too, for preſuming to come drunk before him; ſo wicked and ungodly men, whether they worſhip or worſhip not, they are in danger to periſh: But of this more when we come to ſhew that God will be Sanctified.
In the Fourth place here is a uſe of Exhortation, that ſeeing we have this truth thus preſented to us and opened before us; O that we had hearts to apply our ſelves now to it with all our might, to ſeek to ſanctifie the name of God when we draw nigh to him. The Lord hath ſhewen thee what it is that he requires of thee; make conſcience of it for time to come, thou doeſt not know what bleſſed Communion thou maieſt have with God if thou doeſt make conſcience of this, the truth is, If you have not been acquainted with this, you have not been acquainted with the way of a Chriſtian in his injoyment of Communion with God, thou doeſt not know what the comfort of a Chriſtian life meanes; do but make tryall of this for time to come, and thou wilt find more comfort in the waies of godlineſſe, and more thriving in them in one quarter of a year then thou haſt done before in ſeaven years, one Chriſtian that keeps cloſe to God in holy duties and ſanctifies the name of God in them, I ſay finds more comfort with God, and growes on in godlineſſe more in one quarter of a year, then the other doth in ſeven years that goes on in an ordinary, dull, and formall way in the performance of the duties of Worſhip: Some there are in our time that cry out of duties, and what need we trouble our ſelves ſo much? thoſe that know not how to ſanctifie Gods name they think lightly of them; but now do you apply your ſelves fully as you are able to this that I am ſpeaking of, and you will find yourſelves to be as it were in another world, you will be able to ſay, Well, I have not yet underſtood what it was to injoy communion with God in Prayer, in Word, and in Sacraments before, this will make your faces ſhine in your converſations if you would do it; and now to that end that you may do it, there are theſe two or three things that I would propound to you.
1 In the Firſt place, Learn to know God more with whom you have to do, and preſent thoſe things that you have heard before you in your meditations, when as you are to come to God in Prayer, or in any other duty, and when you are worſhipping of God, remember that you have to do with God and none elſe. You are every time you come to performe holy duties to be as a man or woman ſeparated from all things. Valerius Maximus tels a ſtory of a young noble man that attended upon Alexander while he was ſacrificing, this noble man held his Cenſer for Incenſe, and in the holding of it, there fell a coal upon his fleſh and burnt it ſo as the very ſcent of it was in the noſtrils of all that were about him, and becauſe he would not diſturb Alexander in his ſervice, he reſolutely did not ſtir to put of the fire from him; but holds ſtill his Cenſer: If heathens made ſuch adoe in their ſacrificing to their Idoll gods, that they would mind it ſo as no diſturbance muſt be made what ever they induted: What care ſhould we have then of our ſelves when we come to worſhip the high God? And ſo Joſephus he reports of the Preiſts that were ſacrificing in the Temple when Pampey brake in to them with armed men, and though they might have fled and ſaved their lives, yet they would not leave off their ſacrificing but were ſlain by the ſouldiers. They did ſo mind it as a matter of great conſequence: Oh that we could mind the duties of Gods worſhip as matters of great moment, that ſo we might learn to Sanctifie the name of God in the performance of them more then ever we have done.
2 When thou comeſt to worſhip, take heed thou doeſt not come in thine own ſtrength. For there is more required in ſanctifying the name of God then thy ſtrength is able to carry thee on in, and therefore act thy Faith upon Jeſus Chriſt every time thou comeſt to worſhip God, not only as I ſaid before, to tender up thy ſervices in his name, but act thy faith upon Chriſt to give thee ſtrength to do what thou haſt to do. & what ſtrength thou haſt received from Chriſt be ſure to ſtir it up many godly men & women have more ſtrength then they know of themſelves; & if they would but ſtir up that ſtrength that they have received, they might Sanctifie the Name of God a great deal more then they do. Therfore remember that text before mentioned, None ſtirs up himſelf to take hold on God: Quicken up thy heart, and rouze up thy Spirit when thou art to worſhip God.
3 When ever thou art worſhipping of God, do not ſatisfie thy ſelf meerly in the duty done, but conſider, do I ſanctifie Gods Name in the duty? every time thou worſhipeſt him, examine thy heart whether thou doeſt it yea or no. And if thou findeſt that thou haſt not attained in ſome comfortable meaſure to this that hath been preſented to thee… let the ſhame and the ſorrow for that abide upon thy Spirit untill the next time thou comeſt to worſhip God; at ſuch a time I have been worſhipping of God, and God knows I have been ſtirring up my heart in ſome meaſure… but I find my heart dead, wandering ſluggiſh, and dull I ſay, when thou findeſt thou canſt not do it according to what is required in any comfortable meaſure: Let the ſhame and ſorrow of heart for it abide upon thee till the next time thou comeſt to worſhip God, and that will mightily help thee: Thou art now praying, and thou canſt not now get up thy heart to what is required; The next time thou comeſt to prayer, come in the ſhame and ſorrow of thy heart for the want of ſanctifying Gods name the laſt time; And ſo for hearing of the Word, or receiving the Sacraments. And this will further thee mightily for the Sanctifying the Name of God in holy duties.
But now that all may be ſealed up unto you, and ſo that we may cloſe the point, know that God will be ſanctified in thoſe that … draw nigh to him… And there are theſe Two things in the Point;
Firſt, If we do not ſanctifie Gods Name, God will ſanctifie his Name in a way of juſtice.
Secondly, If we do Sanctifie his Name, then he will ſanctifie his Name in a way of mercy towards us.
For the Firſt, God will manifeſt that he is diſpleaſed with ſuch duties that thou doeſt performe, he will manifeſt it one way or other that he is a holy God, and he doth not accept of ſuch unholy things as thou doeſt tender up to him; for the truth is, if God ſhould accept of ſuch unholy things from men, God may be ſaid to be like unto themſelves. As a man if he doth entertain any as his familiar friend that is naught and wicked, it is his diſgrace and diſhonour; a man may ſometimes imploy in ſome buſineſſe thoſe that are naught and wicked, and it may be no diſgrace to him, but if he doth entertain one in his houſe that is wicked, it is a diſhonour to him: So God may imploy the moſt wicked men in the world in ſome outward ſervices, but if he ſhould accept of them in his Worſhip, it would be a diſhonour to God, and therefore God that he might ſanctifie his own Name, he will manifeſt his diſpleaſure at one time or other againſt ſuch duties of worſhip you that performe worſhip in a formall manner, and with unclean vile hearts; I ſay, it ſtands upon the honour of God if he will manifeſt himſelf a holy God, he muſt manifeſt ſome diſpleaſure againſt that way of thy worſhipping of him: This one meditation one would think, ſhould mightily ſink into the heart of any man that hath an inlightened conſcience, to think thus, It ſtands upon the holineſſe of God, And he cannot appear to be a holy God except he doth ſome way or other appear to be againſt me in ſuch duties that I tender up unto him.
Now you will ſay, How doth God appear, that he doth not accept of them? He will appear in theſe three things:
1 Firſt by blaſting thoſe that do worſhip him thus in a formall way: It ſhall at Firſt be ſecret, but afterwards it will appear more apparantly, and we ſee it by experience, that ſuch as have bin profeſſors of Religion, and worſhip God in hypocriſ…e, and in formality, they have been blaſted in their parts and common gifts.
The judgement of God upon Nadab and Abihu that did not ſanctifie Gods Name it was ſecret at firſt: It ſtruck them dead, and though by fire, yet if you read the ſtory you ſhall find that their cloathes were not burnt, and yet they were burnt in their bodies: So the Lord ſome times doth blaſt men inwardly in their Spirits, in their Souls, in their Parts, in their common Gifts …he blaſts them I ſay inwardly though it doth not appear outwardly, yet at length it will appear before men that they are blaſted: and in theſe times of the Goſpel the Lord doth come with ſpirituall judgments rather then with outward temporall judgements. In the time of the Law, thoſe that did not ſanctifie the Name of God in holy duties, the Lord did appear by ſome externall and viſible way upon their bodies; but now in the time of the Goſpel there God comes with more ſpirituall judgements upon mens Souls, and thoſe are the moſt terrible judgements: We have a notable Scripture for this in Iſa. 29. 13. How God doth blaſt thoſe that do not ſanctifie his name in holy duties. Wherefore the Lord ſaid, For aſmuch as this People draw neer me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men: Mark what follows: Therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvelous work amongſt this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wiſdome of their wiſe men ſhall periſh, and the underſtanding of their prudent men ſhall be hid. What do they come and draw neer me with their lips and their hearts are far from me, and do they worſhip me in a formall way? Ile take away the wiſdom from the wiſe, and the underſtanding from the prudent: And that is the reaſon why ſo many great ſcholars are blaſted in their very parts, becauſe they would worſhip God according to the precepts of men, in a formall way; and ſo all hypocrites and formall worſhippers the Lord doth blaſt them in one way or other, the judgements of God upon the ſpirits of men were ſometimes in the time of the Law; But in the times of the Goſpel there we find generally the judgements of God to be more ſpirituall upon the hearts and conſciences of men; we find it by experience God doth diſcover that he doth not accept of ſuch as thoſe are; and therefore when you ſee any that have made profeſſion of Religion, that had excellent Parts at firſt, many common Gifts, and now are as we ſay, no body; Remember this Text, That God will be ſanctified in thoſe that come nigh me.
Secondly the Lord doth manifeſt that he will be Sanctified in thoſe that draw nigh him, by awakeing their conſciences many times upon their ſick beds and death beds, the Lord doth force them to give glory to him, and there to acknowledge that they did not worſhip God in uprightneſſe but in Formality. And now they are in horrour of conſcience and cry out in the anguiſh of their ſoules upon the apprehenſion of the dreadfull wrath of God that is upon them: Take heed for the Lords ſake of this thing, when you are performing of the duties of worſhip, do not reſt in the outward duties for they will never comfort you upon your ſick and death beds, you may perhaps put off your conſciences a little for the preſent, but when you come upon your ſick beds there will be no comfort unto you, and then you will be forced to ſay, well all this while I have but taken the name of God in vain, and now God hath rejected me and all my ſervices and you will then ſpeak to thoſe that come about your beds ſide, and bid them take warning by you, take heed that when you worſhip God you worſhip him to purpoſe, I have ſpent time in prayer, and hearing but for want of this I find I have no comfort at all, but the Lord appeares to be terrible to my ſoule, and comes out againſt me as an enemy I ſay now Gods name is Sanctified; what ever becomes of thee, he will force glory from thee one way or other, and it may be even here in this time of thy life, but however, at the great day, when the ſecrets of all hearts muſt be diſcloſed before men and Angels, then the Lord will apeare to be a holy God by rejecting all ſuch ſervices that thou dideſt tender unto him, and it will then be a great part of the work of the day of Judgment for God to be Sanctified in thoſe that did worſhip him; by declaring before men and Angels, how he did reject ſuch formal and hypocritical worſhip that they did tender up unto him, Oh that God would ſtrik this upon your hearts, that it may abide upon you every time you come to worſhip him, to think thus, let me look to it to Sanctifie his name now, for I hear that God will Sanctifie it himſelfe if I do not do it.
But then on the other ſide if ſo be that thou makeſt Conſcience of Sanctifying Gods name in duties, then he will Sanctifie his name in a way of Mercy; that is, he will manifeſt how he doth accept of the leaſt degree of holines though there be much mixture: God hath a way to take a way the mixture by the bloud of his Son, and then to accept of any holineſſe he ſees in thee, he will Sanctifie his name by meeting with thee, and revealing his glory to thee when thou art worſhiping of him: There is an excellent ſcripture for this, Exod: 29. 43. There I will meet with the Children of Iſrael and the Tabernacle ſhall be ſanctified by my glory. Thou that haſt a gratious heart and art worſhiping of God in Sincerity, thou art as a Tabernacle of God, and God hath his ſervice and worſhip from thee, thou art as the Temple of God, and there will I meet with thee (ſaith God) and I will Sanctifie my Tabernacle by my glory. God will Sanctifie thy heart by his glory if thou doeſt Sanctifie his name.
Further; thou ſhalt it may be not alwaies have ſuch glorious comforts, the full beames of the Sun riſing upon thee, but at one time or other the Lord will break in upon thee and manifeſt his glory to thee, and its like if thou haſt not ſuch full comforts now, yet upon thy ſick bed, though God doth not then alwaies manifeſt himſelf fully, for ſomtimes the diſeaſe may be a hinderance, yet it is ordinary that thoſe that in their conſtant way did Sanctifie Gods name in holy duties they do lie comfortably upon their ſicke beds, and a glorious entrance is made for them into the everlaſting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.
And then againe all things are Sanctified unto them: as on the other ſide, thoſe that do not Sannctifie Gods name all things are curſed to them, if thou doeſt not make Conſcience of Sanctifying Gods name in duties, God cares not to Sanctifie any thing for thy good: But now, thoſe that make conſcience of Sanctifying Gods name in holy duties, the Lord takes care, that all things ſhall be Sanctified for their good, for the furtherance of their eternal good.
And how ever it be here, yet hereafter at the great day of judgment it will be a part of the glory of God to manifeſt before men and Angels how he did accept of thoſe holy ſervices that thou dideſt tender up to him; when hypocrites ſhall be caſt away and abhorr'd, and thou who hadeſt an upright ſincere heart ſhalt be owned before God, and before men and Angels at that great day; and God ſhall ſay, well, it is a part of the glory of my holineſſe to make it appeare, that I have accepted of theſe holy things, that theſe my poore ſervants have tendered up to me. And this now is of marveilous uſe for the comforting of a gracious heart; thoſe duties that thou doeſt now think thou haſt loſt, and there will nothing come of them, thou ſhalt certainly hear of them another day, God will make it appear, there is nothing that he ſtands more upon then the glory of his holineſſe, and it is the glory of his holineſſe that is thy ſtrength in this thing and that makes it certain to thee that there muſt be a manifeſtation of thy acceptance; and therefore take theſe truthes into thy heart about Sanctifying the name of God. You have had only the point in generall opened to you Oh that the Spirit of God would bring things unto your remembrance.