A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 156 (Question 46 cont.)
SERMON CLVI.
HOW ſo…en Man is to exerciſe this Faith in his Worſhipping of God? …. THAT God is the ultimate Object of …ith ſtill hath been before obſerved; but … becauſe Sin hath made a diſtance between … and us, we cannot now Worſhip him accep… but by and through a Mediat…, and there…r Faith must …rive its ſtrength and aff… … this way. And here,
… WE are to exerciſe our Faith in Acknow … the way in which he comes to be our God … viz. of Free Grace. And this is the …ion of right Evangelical Worſhip… we believe him to be our God, we … rightly Worſhip him. Now we have …er ground for this Faith, but the Grace … revealed in the New-Convenant. Here… can ſinful Men glorify God aright, … they aſcribe to him the Glory of thoſe …ous, which ſhine forth in their reco… the miſery under which they were …. And that which here peculiarly ſhines …, is his rich Grace, Eph. 2.8. For by grace … ſaved, through ſaith, and that not of your … it is the gift of God. And if we do not … our Faith and Hope into this, we do Worſhip him aright. For all the contri… of the way in which we are ſaved, was … deſign, Eph. 1.6. To the praiſe & glory …, wherein he hath made us accepted in …ed.
… are to perform all Worſhip of him, in … of the New Covenant, i.e. in and by a …. Our Faith muſt lay its hold on … by him we are to come unto God. … therefore told, Eph. 3.12. And the … of ſaith: but, the man that doth them, … in them. And here, … We are to exerciſe our Faith on Chriſt … the Aſſiſtance by which we may perform … Service to him. We muſt come to … all our Strength to do Duty aright. … us. Phil. 4.13. I can do all things … Chriſt which ſtrengthneth me. And Chriſt … hath aſſured us, in Joh. 15.5. Without … do nothing. And that we may have … carry us thro' our Duty, we muſt … to him with an eye of Faith. For …aſon he is ſet before us, as an Object …truſt on this account, Iſai. 16.3. Co. …. And we are aſſured, in Chap. 40. nlt. … that wait upon the Lord ſhall renew …th: they ſhall mount up with wings …, they ſhall run and not be weary, and … walk and not faint.
… AND by this Faith we muſt depend on … our Acceptance with God in our ſervice. … help us to do aright, ſo he muſt … for us the entertainment of what …alſe it will not be of a ſweet ſavour …. Eph. 1.6. Wherein he hath made us … in the beloved. There is great imper… cleaving to all, even the beſt that we do, for which we muſt be rejected, were it not for him; but he cor…s all under his perfect Obedience. Our Prayers muſt be offered with his Incenſe, Rev. 8.3.
(3.) IN ſum, Our whole Worſhip, in every part of it is to be done in his Name. There are other Duties beſides Faith belong to this Command, as will be preſently conſidered: But if we would do them aright; we muſt have on eye and reſpect to Chriſt in them all; Col. 3.17. And the reaſon is, becauſe ou… Salvation, which we are, in ſubordination up God's Glory, to ſeek in all our ſerving of him, i…tirely depends on him, Act. 4.12. Neither is there ſolvation in any other: for there i… name other name under heaven given among …, whereby we must be ſaved.
II. WE are to Worſhip God by an holy Fear of him. So eſſential is this to Natural Worſhip, that the whole of it is frequently ſtiled by it, and called the Four of God, becauſe there is no Duty in it, that can be performed as it ought without the influence of it. There is indeed a ſlaviſh fear of God to which fallen Man is ſubjected, which is not ſo properly a Duty, as a Miſery, which derives from the relation, which Sin hath contractral between God, and Sinners, viz. Enemies. And it is a great duty to ſeek a deliverance from this Spirit of Bondage, by ſeeking the removal of the Curſe, which hath occaſioned it, Rom. 8.15. For ye have not received the ſpirit of bondage again to ſear: but ye have received the ſpirit of adoption, whereby …e cry, Abb…, Father. But there is a natural fear of God, which is raiſed by an apprehenſion of his Glory and Greatneſs, and the vaſt diſtance that there is between him and us; which Fear was put into Man at firſt, and was ſanctifyed in him; whereby he was fitted to pay a due ſubjection to God, as his Sovereign Lord and Lawgiver. This is that which is commonly called a Reverential Fear, becauſe it procures an holy Reverence of God in our Hearts and Lives; and is abundantly preſſed on us in the Word of God, Pſal. 2.11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoyce with trembling. Deut. 10.12. And now Iſrael, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God. Pſal. 5.7. On this account God is called the Fear of his People, Gen. 31.53. Pſal. 76.11. Man loſt the due reverence of God by Sin, and it degenerated into that which is Servile: He obliterated true Fear out of him, Pſal. 36.1. But it is put into us again by the Grace of God in Converſion. Hence that, Prov. 1.7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but ſools deſpiſe wiſdom & inſtruction. And it is one of the Promiſes of the New Covenant, Jer. 32.40. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them,—I will put my ſear in their hearts.— This is that which we uſually call a Filial or Child-like Fear, and it flows from the Spirit of Adoption, which teacheth us to carry it towards God as our Father. And the want of this is the cauſe of all the Atheiſm, Irreligion, and Wickedneſs among Men. Se… Gen. 20.11. And there are two Things wherein … Fear of God doth eſpecially diſcover is ſelf.
1 IN a Reverential Reſpect which we bear toward him. And it hath a double reſpect,
(1.) To his Glorious Majeſty. When we view his Gr…a…n…s, and our own li…e…ſs; when we contemplate his In…ui… Perfections, his Incomprehenſible …caſtry, his Wonderful Omnipreſence, his Almighty Power, his Ad…ble Holineſs and J…ſt…es, his Suprenc… Sovereignty, and Dominion over all Second Doings; it …is us with an holy A…ef him. Hence that, Err… 15.11. Who …, O Lord, … the gals? who is like unto … in …ſs, fearful in praiſes, doing wonders? Jet. 10.7. Who would … fear thee, O King of uni…s? for to thee doth it appertain. And God himſelf thus argues with Men, Jer. 5.22. P… ye not me ſaith the Lord? will ye not tremble it my preſ…? This is that which ſhould make us to proſtrate our ſelves before him, lay our Crowns at his Feet, and pay him at…ſubmiſſive deference it our Words and Carriages at all ….
(2.) TO the Authority of all his Commands. We are by this Fear to acknowledge him to be our Maſter, M…. 1.6. If I be a …ſter, where is my ſear? ſaith the Lord of beſts. God hath laid us under the Obligation of Duty, and we are to look upon his Precepts, us coming from him with Sovereign Authority, and yield our ſelves voluntarily to the Authority of them; not during to reſiſt it, or ſo much as call it in queſtion or contend with him about the equity of them: much leſs may we dare to refuſe our Obedience, or ſay they are …aſt. Hence Fearing him, and keeping his Commands are inſeparable, Eccl. 12.13.
2. IN an awful Dread of Offending him in any thing. For tho' there is a deſperate fear of God's Judgments, ariſing from … impreſſion on Men's Conſciences, making them apprehenſive that they are under the Curſe and Condemnation of the Law, and putting them in a fearful expectation of the Execution, which drives them to horror and deſpair; which God's Children ought not to entertain, becauſe Chriſt hath delivered them from that danger: Yet there is an holy Fear of God's Judgments, which keeps his Children in awe In this World, and they cannot Worſhip him aright without it. Of this David ſpeaks, Pſal. …19.…20. My fleſh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments. And Job, Chap. 31.23. For destruction from God was a … to me, and by reaſ…m of his highneſs I could not endure. And tho' there was more of terror attending it in the times of the Law, yet it is to be exerciſed with Faith and Love under the Goſpel. This ſtimulated Paul to his work, a Cor. 5.11. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, …e p…rſmade men. And indeed if we Love God as a Father, it will make us afraid of offending him, leaſt we incur his Fatherly Diſpleaſure. And what other uſe have we to make of Evangelical Threat…ings, but to make us fearful not to offend God in any thing, leaſt we …poſ… our ſelves … juſt diſpleaſures. And accordingly … careful of our ways. As he, Pſal. 33.1. I … I will take beed to my ways, that I ſin … my r…g…. And whenſoever we draw … him to keep our diſtance.
III. WE are to Worſhip him by Praying … Not only is Prayer a Duty required of … Divine Proc…ps, but it truly belongs to … ral. Worſhip, and is required of … Firſt Command. And the very light … … ture reacheth Men this Duty, Jonah … the …rintre m…ve afra…d, and cried … to his god…. And the neglect or it is … which procures God's diſpleaſure again… … as are guilty of it. According to that. … 25. Po…r out thy fury upon the … thee not, and upon the families that call … thy name.
A diſtinct Conſideration of the Nature … Kinds of Prayer, belong to another … which follows afterwards, to which … he Adjourned. Only h…e in general … appear to belong to Natural Worſhip, … conſider the reaſon on which it is … which is our Natural De…da…ce upon … us his Creatures. That Prayer is a D… of Worſhip, and belongs to the Firſt Table, … can deny; becauſe in it we apply … to God in Chriſt, and therein pay our A… … dedgments to him as God, and expreſs, … whole reliance upon him for all go… … that we ſhould thus depend on him, … our ſelves to him, his Glory, & out … call for. As will appear if we con…
1. THAT our Being, Preſervation, … Supply, in…irely depends upon him. … told, Act. 17.28. For in him me love … and have our being. ver. 25. He gi… … …fe, & breath, & all things. Our … … ral and Spiritual Life are at his diſ… … 8….11. Whatever help we have by … Cauſes, yet all are ordered by him, … further avail, than as he pleaſeth.
2. THAT hence we can have nothing … be Beſtows upon us. There is indeed … of Means app…ted to be uſed by … … dience to his Command, but the … governed and determined by him, … 27, &c. And without his Bleſſing … Endeavours, our greateſt P…ndence, … … gence are in vain, Pſal. 127. begin.
3. THAT he hath the Sovereign … Diſpoſe of all his Gifts and Bleſſings, … not bound to the Creature, but is a … He oweth us nothing, but may do … own as he foes good. The beſt of … oblige him by any thing, Rom. 11.35. … ſinful Men hath provoked him.
4. GOD expects …o be Called up… … order to our obtaining theſe Fav…. … is a way of Communion between him … Ezek. 36.37. Thus ſaith the Lord … will yet for this be imp…ired of by the … Iſrael to do it for them. And reaſon … calls for it, not … we is any other … …etter declare our Dependance on him for all. Now to this right Worſhipping of God is prayer, it is requiſite,
(1.) THAT we profeſs our intire Dependence upon law. That we have no where elſe to go, …wrord… Chron. 20 12. Hereby we give him the Glory of his All-Efficiency. This therefore the Church profeſſeth, Pſal. 44.3, &c.
(2.) THAT we deny our even Worthineſs of my favour from him. That all muſt flow from … free benignity. Yea, that we acknowledge our demerit it of the contrary, and that we have …thing to rely upon, but his meer Mercy. Thus it becomes ſinful Men to addreſs him, … 9.8, 9. O Lord, to us belongeth confuſion of …: to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, becauſe we have ſinned againſt thee. To … our God belong mercies & forgiveneſſes, though we have rebelled againſt him.
(3.) THAT we ask all of him in the Name of Chriſt, and for his ſake. Our Saviour di… his Diſciples to this way, as that which for the only to ſpeed, Job. 14.24, 26. We are … …e to God through him, Heb. 7.25.
(4.) We muſt reſolve to Knock at no other …. We muſt ſeek our help no where elſe. We muſt acknowledge all other Succours …, Pſal. 60.11. And accordingly reſo… that, let others do what they will, we w… … entire reliance here. Pſal. 20 7.
IV. We are to Worſhip God, by placing our … wholly upon him, and hating of every thing … contrary to him. We one all our A… … unto God. by the Obligation of the … Command. This Love indeed is to be ex… is our Obedience to all the reſt, but … the root & riſe of it. The very light … challengeth our beſt Love to be ſet … God. For it in certain, that Goodneſs … Object, is that which attracts our cloſing affections after it; and hence the more … there is in it, the more intenſely … they to be let out upon it; whereas … it the chief Good, he is Goodneſs itſelf, … none Good as he is, Mat. 19.17. There i… … good but one, that is God. We there… glorify him, when we love him a…; and to love any thing more than … Co-ordination with him, is to diſ… him; but when we uſe all proper … to expreſs and teſtify our endeared … to him, as the moſt amiable Being, … Worſhip him. His Goodneſs there… offered as an Argument to excite us, …. 1. And 136.1. O give thanks unto the … he is good; for his mercy end …eth for …. And becauſe Love to the Object, infers … …ly an Hatred of whatſoever is contrary …, this alſo is a neceſſary ingredient of … Worſhip. Hence we have that Direction, …. 1…. Ye that love the Lord, hate evil. … Profeſſion, Pſal. 139.21, 22. D… not …, them O Lord, that hate thee? and am not … with thoſe that riſe up againſt thee? I … with prefect hatred: I count them ….
NOW there are diverſe things wherein we are to ſhew forth this Love of him, that we may ſo glorify him.
1. WE are to Love his Name. It is promiſed, Pſal. 69.36. The ſeed alſo of his ſervants ſhall inherit it; and they that love his name ſhall dwell therein. Now God's Name is ſometimes taken more largely, for all that whereby he diſcovers himſelf to us, and ſo it contains every particular now to be mentioned. Sometimes more limitedly, it points to his Divine Attributes, by which he declares who, or what manner or God he is. We ought then to contemplate theſe, ſuch as are mentioned in, Exod: 34.6, 7. And the Lord Paſſed by before him, and proclaimed. The Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, … ſuffering, and abundant in goodneſs and truth, keeping mercy for thouſands, forgiving iniquity, and tranſgreſſion and ſin, and that will by no means clear the guilty. And the Conſideration of every one of them, ſhould engage our Hearts to him, and we ſhould take delight, in giving him the Honour of them. And God's Children may well thus love him for them, becauſe he is all this to them, which is their Happineſs, Pſal. 18.1, 2.
2. We are to Love his Word and Ordinances. And this is a genuine improvement of the former, becauſe in them he diſplays ſo much of his Perfection. By this the Pſalmiſt proves his Sincerity or Uprightneſs in his Appeal to God, Pſal. 26.8. Lord, I have loved the habitatual of thy houſe, and the place where thing know dwelleth. And by his Preference of them before all other things, Pſal. 27.4. In nothing doth God ſo communicate himſelf to his own as in theſe Appointments of his; and if we love him, we ſhall love his Company, and ſo the means of having it.
3. We are to Love his Law. By this David approved his ſincere Love of God, Pſal. 119.97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. And what a Value he had for it, Pſal. 19 10. More to be deſired are they then gold, yea, then much fine gold: ſ…ceter alſo then hency, and the honey comb. And indeed, the Law is a diſcovery of God's Holineſs and Juſtice, ſo that if we love him, we muſt love that, Rom. 7.12. And we have Devid's Reſolation, Pſal. 56.10. In God will I praiſe his word: in the Lord will? praiſe his word. Now there are three things to be confidered in the Law, for all of which we are to love it: The Precepts enjoining Duty and forbidding Sin. And we are to expreſs our Love by freely acknowledging the Goodneſs and Equity of them, Pſal. 19.8.33.4.119.128. The Promiſes made to Obedience, which are great and precious, to which ſome apply but now cited Pſal. 56.10. And in this regard he ſaith, Pſal. 19.11. In keeping of them there is great reward. And the Threatnings againſt Diſobedience; theſe prejudice nagadly Men againſt his Law, but we are to love is for them too, becauſe therein he manifeſtſ his … Pſal. 119.119.
4. WE … Providences. By theſe God diſcovers …imters … of them he is to be admired & adored. We are told, Pſal. 145.10. All thy works ſhall praiſe thee, O Lord, and thy ſaints ſhall bleſs thee. And 9.16. And when we aſcribe to him the Honour that is his due, from the Obſervation of all his doings in the World, we then Worſhip him. Thus we are exhorted, Pſal. 66.2, 3. Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praiſe glorious. Say unto God, how terrible art thou in thy works? Hence that, Pſal. 86.9, 10. All nations whom thou hast made ſhall come and worſhip before thee, O Lord, and ſhall glorify thy name. For thou art great and doeſt wondrous things; thou art God alone. And 77.13, 14.
V. We are to Worſhip God by pacing our whole Hope on him. And indeed, if our Faith truſt in him, our Hope will wait upon him. This belongs to natural Worſhip. If we acknowledge him to be our God, we ſhall ſhew it by a dependance on him for all, which neceſſarily infers an Expectation of all from him. Hence we have the Pſalmiſt chiding himſelf for the contrary, and calling upon his Soul to the Exerciſe of this, Pſal. 42.5. And again, Pſal. 62.5, 6. And there are three things in which this Hope is mainly concerned to glorify God.
1. THAT we heartily recommend the whole diſpoſal of all our Affairs into his Hands. Thus in, Pſal. 10.14.31.5. We can truſt him with them; we believe that he is our God, and that he knows what is beſt for us, and thereupon we make all over to him, aſſuring our ſelves that we ſhall be no loſers by it. And this is from the Activity of Hope, but for which, we could never ſo do. And herein God is greatly glorified by us.
2. THAT we expect a… the good we want from him, and quiet our Souls in that Expectation. We not only depend upon him, as the fountain of all Mercy and Good to us, but it ſilenceth all diſquieting Turmoils in our Minds about it: we commend it to him, and now we are ſtill, as, 1 Sam. 1.18. Let what will come, we believe that this God is our God, and we are confident in it, Pſal. 27. begin.
3. IN this Expectation we comfort ourſelves in waiting for him. Let what Changes will come, be the face of Providence what God ſees meet, let things look as black and diſmal as may be ſuppoſed, yet we reſolve we will look out and rejoyce in our Hope, Hab. 3.17, 18. This David tells us that he did, Pſal. 40.1. And the Church concluded upon it to be good for any ſo to do, Lam. 3.26. And this belongs to natural Worſhip, for it flows from our acknowledging him, to be our God. And it is eſtabliſhed upon, 1. HIS Almighty Power, or his All-ſufficiency. Gen. 17.1. We look upon God as able to do for us beyond our Conceptions, Eph. 3.20. That there is nothing too hard for him to do For us, nor any Powers that are able to withſtand and hinder him in ſo doing; and hence this prevents our being diſcouraged by any thing that lies in the way, Zech. 4.7. 2. HIS all Working Providence. This eſtabliſhed the Churches Hope, Pſal. 115.3. And it is confirmed by the Obſervation of the mighty Works which he hath already done, beyond which, there can be nothing needed, for our help and ſuccour; all of which are food to Faith, by which Hope is ſtrengthend and eſtabliſhed, Pſal. 74.12, &c. 3. HIS Promiſe. And here this Hope norriſheth it ſelf; altho' it is ſatisfied by the Conſideration of his Power and Providence. Faith takes God at his Word, and Hope hereupon grows confident, that having ſuch a God freely engaged, he hath no need to fear or doubt, but that certainly he will be as good as his Word, Pſal. 116.10. I believed, therefore have I ſpoken. 4. HIS Fidelity. Though his Power helps us to rely upon him as our God, yet his Truth eſtabliſhed us on the Promiſe. If he had not purpoſed, he would not have engaged himſelf, and he cannot repent, or alter his Word, 1 Theſ 5.24. 5. HIS Wiſdom. Here alſo Hope is not a little confirmed. We acknowledge him the only wi…e God. Hence we believe, that he doth all by Counſel, and that ſatisfies us, Pſal, 73 24 Thou ſhall guide me with thy counſel. This ſatisfies us, that his way is the beſt way, and that he knows it tho' we are in the dark about it, and that his time is the beſt time; and this ſtops our precipitancy, Iſal. 28.26.
VI. WE are to Worſhip him, by Patience … all his Afflictive Diſpenſations towards us. Th… is not only active, but alſo paſſive Obedience, due to God from his People, in the right carriage of themſelves towards him, … they meet with Trials in this Life, of … kind or other, in which no ſmall part of … Worſhip due to him, is to be diſcovered. I is recorded concerning Job, Chap. 1.20. That Job ar…ſe, and rent his mantle, and ſh…, his head, and fell down upon the ground, and … ſhipped. Now we cannot better glorify … under ſuch Providences, than by a day exerciſe of Patience, 1 Pet. 4.14. … this Patience conſiſts in a ſteady, and cheerful holding on in the Service of … notwithſtanding the Trials which we … ter, which would diſcourage us. We … murmur at God, nor tire in our Minds, … can ſay concerning our Afflictions, … Church, Pſal. 44.17. All this is come … yet have we not forgotten thee, neither … dealt falſly is thy covenant. This alſo … to Natural Worſhip, and hath its R… and Motive.
1. FROM the Divine All-Efficiency. We ſee and acknowledge God's Hand is all, and that ſatisfies us. Pſal. 39.6. We tarry … Inſtruments, but look on them as …, and in his Hand; which Hand we adore, and anſwer all Temptations to impatience with that, Job 2 10. What, ſhall we receive good … the hand of God, and ſhall we not receive evill
2. FROM the Sovereignty of God in h… Governing of the World We not only cou… his Efficiency, but alſo his Supremacy; … …uly that he doth it, but that he hath all Right … Authority to do as he ſees good; that he …word do no wrong; there is no injuſtice with him, Job 42.2. I known that thou canſt do every thing. And if he doth us no injuty, we can … no reaſon to ſind fault with him.
3. FROM his End or Deſign in Afflicting his …ple. There is his Counſel in it, Pſal. 73.24. He hath promiſed that he will bring good to them our of all, Rom. 8.28. They … …o other but what he ſees them to ſtand i… …eed of, 1 Pet. …. 6. They are Chaſtiſements of …i…, and therefore there is no reaſon to … …lt with him for them, Lane. 3.39 And they are not for our hurt but advantage, by … away our Sin, Iſai. 27.9. And to pro… it is happy fruits, Heb 12.11. And the … of them ſhall be very glorious, 2 … 4.17.
… LET this ſerve to Convince us of, and … us for our ſhort comings in our Obed ence. … …ed look no further than this Firſt Command. and conſider the ſeveral D…ties required of us by it, to lay us in the duſt before God, and make us aſhamed of our ſelves, and tell us, how unable we are to hold up our Heads in the Judgment, or plead, not Guilty. Let us not juſtify our ſelves then, but be driven to ſeek his Mer…y and Forgiveneſs, through the Merits & Obedience of our Lord Jeſus chriſt, to ſay as he, Pſal 130.3, 4. If thou, Lord, ſ…uldeſt mark iniquities: O Lord, who ſhall ſtand? But there is forgiveneſs with thee that th… um…reſt be ſeared. This ſhould ri…eus to daily Repentance, and to ſeek of him his race, toſtrengthen and help us in our Wor… that we may in Sincerity and Uprightneſs glorify him: And …hat knowing him to be both God and ou… God, we may Worſhip and Serve him as …uch, all the days of our Lives, and God our Acceptance, in and through his own Son.
[JULY 29. 1…01.]