Sermon X - Why God will Have His Name Sanctified
Sermon X Why God will Have His Name Sanctified
LEVITICUS 10:3
I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me.
Now follow the reasons why God stands so much upon it, that He will have His Name sanctified in this ordinance of hearing His Word.
1 First, it is because there is so much of God in His Word, and therefore we should sanctify God's Name. If it were possible there could be sin in heaven, that sin would be greater than sin committed here; therefore, the sin of the angels when they were in God's presence in a more especial manner was the greater. The Name of God being in anything, the greater will be the evil if we do not sanctify God's Name in it; now there is very much of God in His
Word, more of God there than in all His works of creation and providence. In Ps. 138:2, "Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all
Thy Name." There being therefore so much of God in His Word, we must sanctify the Name of God in it.
2 Secondly, God hath appointed His Word to be the great ordinance to convey the special mercies that He intends for the good of His people. That we spoke to before in the general, in showing how the duties of God's worship are as a channel for the conveyance of special good to the saints, but none more than the Word, that's the ordinance to convey the first grace to those that belong to God's election. The sacrament is for strengthening, and therefore there is rather more in the Word than in the sacrament, and yet everyone
thinks in conscience that he is bound to come carefully to the sacrament, and to look to sanctify God's Name there. It is an easier matter to convince men and women that they are bound to sanctify the Name of God when they come to receive the holy communion, than for the hearing of the Word. They think not so much of that, but certainly the Word is appointed to be an ordinance of conveying more blessing than the sacrament, because it is appointed to convey the first grace, and to convey strength of grace as well as the sacrament. Now being appointed to convey such great things to the souls of the elect, both the first grace and strengthening of grace, and comfort, and assistance thereof, the Lord expects to have His Name sanctified in it.
3 Thirdly, the Name of God must be sanctified in the Word, because the Word is very quick and lively; it works men or women to life or death, to salvation or damnation. In Heb. 4:12, "The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit," etc. It is very quick of operation the text saith; that is, when God hath to deal with men by His Word, He will not stand dallying and trifling with them, but He is very quick with them, either to bring their souls to life, or to cast them away. "The time of men's ignorance God winks at, but now He calls all men to repent." Let them look to it now, God did forbear in the time of ignorance, but He will not forbear so when the Word comes, "Now is the ax laid to the root of the tree."
And when was that? When John the Baptist came to preach repentance because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Though the tree were barren before and did not bring forth good fruit, yet it might stand still and not be cut down; but when the powerful ministration of the Word comes, then the ax is laid to the root of the tree; either now come in and be saved or resist the Word and perish.
And therefore, that is very observable when Christ sends out His disciples to preach, in Mark 16:15, 16, "Saith He, 'Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned.'" As if He should say, there shall be quick work made with them, go and preach, and those that belong to My election shall be brought in to believe and be saved, and the others shall be damned.
As if God should say, if they will come in and embrace the gospel they shall be saved; if they will not, they shall be damned, and there is an end of them. So that I say, we have need to look to it that we sanctify the Name of God in His Word upon these three grounds because there is so much of God in His Word, because He hath appointed it to convey the greatest mercies to His saints, and because
God is very quick in His word, one way or other.
We shall now proceed to the application of this point, and first by way of reprehension to all those that do not sanctify God's Name in hearing the Word. And herein we shall show their fearful condition and how God will sanctify His name upon them in ways of judgement, and then when we come to the use of exhortation, to exhort you to sanctify the Name of God, there we shall show you likewise how God will sanctify His Name in ways of mercy upon those that do sanctify Him in ways of obedience in hearing of His
Word.
1. For the first, certainly if that be to sanctify the Name of God that we have spoken of, God's Name is but very little sanctified by people that do come to hear His Word, and we have no cause to wonder that there is so little good got by the Word, because there are so few that make conscience to sanctify God's Name in hearing it; some there are that are so far from sanctifying God's Name in it as they altogether neglect it, and make it a matter of nothing whither they come to hear it or no. Saith Christ in John 8:47, "He that is of God heareth My
Word, ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God."
Certainly, he that hath the knowledge of God and any interest in God, and that belongs unto Him, nothing is more sweet to him than the hearing of His Word, but because ye are not of God (saith Christ) therefore you hear not His Word. Those men and women that have no interest in God but live without God in this world, they regard not to hear His Word. Oh, how many have we that belong to this place
that do so! How many live without God in the world and do declare to all the world that they are not of God? They have no part nor portion in God in that they hear not His Word. Some there are that come to hear it, but they come to hear it as a mere matter of indifference, in a mere formal and customary way, or for companies' sake, or to give content to others. These are poor and low ends, thou shouldest come to hear the Word as expecting God should speak to thy soul for the furtherance of thy eternal good, but your consciences may tell you what vain and wandering hearts you have when you come to hear it. The eyes of the fool (saith Solomon) are in all the corners of the earth, up and down wandering, little minding that you are come to hear God Himself speak to you in the ministry of man.
And if so be that it be minded, yet ordinarily the hearts of men do put off the Word, and if it come anything near to them, they think to shift it from themselves to others.
We have a notable Scripture in Heb. 12:25, for such men as shift off God's Word when it comes many times very near to them, "See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh, for if they escaped not who refused
Him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from Him which speaketh from heaven." See that ye refuse not Him that speaks the Word, see that you do not put Him off. And that that is the signification of it; if you compare it with Luke 14:18, you shall find that there is the same word used where speaking of those that were invited to the supper it is said, "they all with one consent began to make excuse," they began to shift it off, that is the same word. Oh, take heed of this, that when you are hearing the Word and Christ comes and speaks to your hearts, and you begin to think that it may concern you and your consciences begin to stir, take heed that you do not shift Him off, take heed that you do not put away the Word from you by any kind of pretence whatsoever. It may be, you will say, if I were certain it were the Word of God and that God spoke to me, God forbid but that I should submit unto it. But though it may be the hearts of men are not so notoriously rebellious as to resolve to sin against the Word which they will acknowledge to be the Word of God, yet this is the deceit of the heart, when the heart hath no mind
to obey, it will shift off the Word and have pretences, and put offs.
Oh, take heed that you do not shift off Him that speaks from heaven by making any kind of excuse whatsoever, but when thou hearest, if the Word of God come to thy conscience, do not listen to vain reasonings that are against it. Others there are that cannot tell how to shift off the Word, but it will come upon them when they are hearing, it may be they are a little stirred, but it is presently gone so that they are far from holding the Word, far from keeping it in their hearts.
Oh, how many of you have been stirred when you have been hearing the Word, and how happy had it been for you if you had hid those
Words in your heart that the Lord hath spoken to you in the ministry of it. If you had but the invitations of the Spirit now that sometimes you have had, how happy were it for you? But it is with many in hearing the Word, just as with you mariners when you are to go aboard your friends come with you, take their leaves of you, and then you see them stand upon the shore a while, but when you sail a little further your friends are out of sight, and then you see only the shore, you sail on a little further, and then you see only the houses, you sail a little further and then you see only the steeples and such high places, and you sail yet a little further and then you see nothing but the ocean. So it is in hearing the Word; it may be when you go home there are some things fresh in your minds, but on the Monday morning you have lost some, but then there are some others that do yet present themselves before you, and then you lose more and more until you have lost the sight of all; all truths are gone, you see no more of the Word, as if you had never heard it. This is not to sanctify
God's Name; you should treasure up the Word as the most rich treasure that may be.
Another sort to be rebuked are those who are so far from falling down before the Lord to receive the Word with meekness as they can bless themselves in their wicked ways, notwithstanding the Word comes and meets with them. I only name this because of that notable
Scripture we have in Deut. 29: 18, 19, saith Moses there to them, take
heed, "Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood," (what's that root that beareth gall and wormwood?)
"And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying, 'I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart,'" etc. Take heed there be not among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood. This is a bitter root in men's hearts when they can hear the Word of God and have their hearts rise against it, and think with themselves that there is no such matter, these are but mere words, but mere wind, let the minister say what he will, and talk as long as he will, I will go on in my way, I shall do well enough, that which he saith it is but his opinion. I say when men can bless themselves thus in their way, and when there are such tumultuous and rebellious thoughts rising in their hearts, this is a root of gall and wormwood, and take heed of it, it will bring forth bitter fruit one day. But I should quickly be prevented if I should launch into this argument to reprove the several ways of sinning against God in the hearing of His Word. And therefore, I leave those and come to show what a fearful thing it is for men and women not to sanctify the Name of God in the hearing of His Word, that so you may see that God will have His Name sanctified upon them. And they are these.
1 In the first place, you that do not sanctify God's Name in hearing His Word in those ways that have been opened to you, first you lose the greatest and happiest opportunity of good that ever creatures had for an outward opportunity. Indeed, when God moves by His Spirit if that be neglected, that opportunity is more than merely hearing the Word, but otherwise except it be at such a time when God adds His
Spirit together with His Word, I say you that are cast by the providence of God in such a place where the Word of the Gospel is preached to you, applied and urged upon you, if you sanctify not the Name of God to hear as you ought and to profit by it, I say you lose the greatest opportunity for good that is in the world. Oh, what hast thou lost that hast lived many years under the ministry of the Gospel, and yet hast not been acquainted with this mystery of godliness in sanctifying God's Name in the Word. There are many thousand souls
that are and shall be blessing God to all eternity for what of God they have met with all in the Word, but thou hast fifteen under it stupid as a block, dead and barren, and no good hath been done. "Wherefore is there a prize in the hand of a fool, and he hath no heart to get wisdom?" This will lie upon thee heavy one day, the loss of such an opportunity, and that is the first.
2 In the second place, know that this Word that is appointed by God for the conveyance of so much mercy to His elect, it will prove to be the greatest aggravation of thy sin that can be, "This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light." This is [The] condemnation. If so be that light had not come among you, then the condemnation had not been so great, your sin had not been so great, and your punishment had not been so great. In Matt. 10:14, 15, where speaking of those that did enjoy the Word, and yet did not sanctify God's Name in it,
"Whosoever shall not receive you (saith Christ to His Disciples) nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet; Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgement than for that city." It is a most dreadful Scripture; their very dust must be shaken off in token of indignation, and it shall be more easy for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that place. You would be very loth to be in a worse condition than Sodom and Gomorrah that was consumed by fire from heaven, "and now suffer the vengeance of eternal fire," Jude 7. Certainly, they shall not be so deep in judgments as those that live under the ministry of the Word and sanctify not the Name of God in it. Your sin is of a deeper dye than the sin of the heathens, yea and in some respects than the sin of the devils; they never had the Word of the Gospel sent to be preached to them and therefore this will aggravate your sin not only beyond heathens but beyond devils. Look to it then, that God's Name be sanctified in the hearing of His Word.
3 Thirdly, know that so much as the Word is rejected, Jesus Christ is rejected. Luke 10:16, "He that despiseth you despiseth Me, and he
that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me." It is Christ Himself that is rejected when the Word is rejected, thou hast not to do with man so much as with Jesus Christ in the hearing of the Word. And the power of Jesus Christ is to be put forth either to do the good by the Word, or to avenge thy neglect of the Word. Therefore in Matt.
28:18, 19, when Christ sends forth His disciples to preach, He makes this preface, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and earth, go ye therefore and teach," as if He should say, I have received all power in heaven and earth; through the power I received I send you to preach,
"and I'll be with you to the end of the world." That is, all power in heaven and earth shall go along with you to assist your ministry, either for the good of those that shall embrace it, or for the misery of those that shall reject it, so that whosoever stands out against the ministry of the Word stands out against all the power in heaven and earth that is given to Christ. Do not think that thou doest resist a poor weak mortal man, but thou doest resist all the power in heaven and earth. And is not this a dreadful thing then, to be guilty of not sanctifying of God's Name?
4 Fourthly, it is an argument of extreme hardness of heart not to be wrought upon by the Word. Luke 16:31, "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead," saith Abraham. Certainly, that man or woman that shall not be wrought upon by the Word so as to sanctify God's Name in it,
I say to such, if one should rise from the dead, they would not have their hearts wrought upon, and therefore much less are they likely to be wrought upon by afflictions. It may be some of you think when you are upon your sick beds, then you will repent; no surely, if this that is the great ordinance to bring men to God shall not work upon you so as God shall be honored in it, you cannot expect that sickness and affliction should do it, no. If one should come from the dead to tell you of all the miseries that were there, certainly if the Word work not upon you, that will not do it. But you will say, one would think that there should be more power to work upon the heart; truly no, because that is not such an ordinance appointed by God for working such great works upon the hearts and consciences of men as the
Word is. It is true, the Word is but a weak thing in itself, but here lies the strength, that it is an ordinance of God appointed for to work upon the hearts of men; therefore, if this work not upon you to give
God glory in the hearing it, there is no other means is like to do it.
5 Fifthly, when the Word works not upon men, it is a dreadful sign of reprobation. If our Gospel be hid (saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 4:3) "it is hid to those that are lost." It is a dreadful argument that here is a lost creature, one that God intends no good to; one the Lord works upon, perhaps He lets pass another, one in a family and not in another. Now where it is so that the Word worketh not, I say there is no such dreadful brand of reprobation as this is. It is true, we cannot give any certain sign of reprobation; therefore, I cannot say of any man, he hath now such a mark upon him as doth evidently prove that he is a reprobate; we cannot tell that, because we know not what God may do afterwards, but we may say this, that it is as dreadful a sign as any.
There are not any more dreadful signs than these two: First, for a man to be suffered to prosper in a sinful course; for God to let men go on and have their heart's desire satisfied in an ungodly way. And then secondly, for the Lord to leave them to themselves so as the ministry of the Word shall not work upon them; that they shall be by God's providence so disposed of as to live under a faithful and powerful ministry, and that it should not work upon them. These are the two blackest signs of reprobation, and therefore, it is a most dreadful thing to sit under the ministry of the Word and not to sanctify God's Name in it.
6 In the next place, surely there can be nothing sanctified to thee who doest not sanctify God's Name in His Word. The Scripture saith that everything is sanctified by the Word and prayer. And how canst thou expect that the Word should sanctify anything to thee, seeing that thou doest not make conscience of sanctifying God's Name in the Word? The godly think thus, 'tis the Word that must sanctify all things to my soul, and I had need then sanctify God's Name in that
from which I expect the sanctified use of all blessings. You therefore that can fit under it and make not conscience of sanctifying God's
Name in it, I say you cannot expect no sanctified use of anything that you have in this world.
7 Such as do not sanctify God's Name in the Word are very nigh to a curse. There is a notable Scripture for this in Heb. 6:7, 8, where the Apostle compares the Word to the rain that falls upon the ground,
"For the earth that drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But (saith he) that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned." The meaning is this plainly. The rain here is the Word, and the good hearers they are like the ground that receive the rain and bring forth fruit and receive a blessing. But now ill hearers that do not sanctify God's Name in His Word, they are like ground that receive the rain as much as the other, hear as many sermons as the other, but they bring forth nothing but thorns and briers; and mark what a dreadful expression is against them. First, it is rejected; secondly, it is nigh to cursing; thirdly, whose end is to be burned.
Thou rejectest the Word, doest thou? The Lord rejecteth thy soul. If thou hast no need of the Word, the Word hath no need of thee; it is a dreadful thing to be rejected of God. And then, thou art nigh unto cursing; it may be the Lord may for the time withdraw Himself from the soul, and manifest that it is as it were rejected; but yet the soul hath not the curse of God upon it, to say, well, let this soul perish forever; but some there are that are under an actual curse, and saith
God, Well, My Word shall never do good to this soul, such a one hath sat under it thus long, and hath rejected it, My Word shall never do good to him. Like as in Luke 14, where those that made excuses when they were bidden to the supper, the text saith at length, that the Master of the feast was angry, (which was God Himself that invited them by the Gospel to partake of His Son; and when men would not come in but make excuses, and refused the offer of the Gospel,)
"Verily (saith He) none of those men that were bidden shall taste of
My supper." They shall never partake of any good of the Gospel. This is a dreadful curse.
Now the Lord deliver you from having this curse pronounced against you, but yet I beseech you tremble at this Scripture in the Hebrews, they are nigh to cursing. Who knows how nigh some soul in this place may be to this curse, for God to say, this soul hath been often invited, and yet hath made excuses and put off all, he shall never taste of My supper, of the good things in Jesus Christ, the Word that hath been so rejected shall never do them good more; you had better never been born than to have this curse actually upon you. Oh, fear and tremble lest your condition be such as to be nigh to cursing; who knows what a day, a week may bring forth? It may be the Lord may spare and be willing to pass by the neglect of former sermons, but who knows what the next actual rebellion against the Lord in His
Word may do to bring the curse upon thee? And then if so, the next part of the verse will prove to be thy portion, whose end is to be burned. Oh! It is a dreadful thing to sin against the Word; God stands much upon it.
8 Eighthly, know that if God's Name be not sanctified in it, the end that God hath appointed it for will be turned quite contrary to thee; the proper end that God hath appointed His Word for, it is to save souls. But now, where God's Name is not sanctified it is turned quite contrary, so the Apostle in 2 Cor. 2:16, "To the one we are the savor of death unto death, and to the other the savor of life unto life." It is a dreadful thing that the good Word of God in which there is such treasures of God's mercy, wherein the counsels of God concerning man's eternal estates comes to be revealed, that this should prove to be the favor of death unto death, unto any soul, that is, to have such an efficacy in it, as to kill them by the very scent of it as it were; as some things have such a poison in them as the very scent is enough to poison one. So saith the Apostle, to some our Word hath that efficacy being turned quite to the contrary end; some souls are saved and are and shall be blessing God to all eternity for the Word, and thy soul is dammed by the Word so as thou wilt hereafter curse the
time that ever thou camest to hear it. That will be a dreadful thing that the same Word that others shall be blessing of God eternally in heaven for, that thou shalt be cursing eternally in hell for; it will be turned to the quite contrary end if it works not in the right way, it will work the other.
The truth is, it hardens men's hearts if it brings them not to God; there is nothing that doth harden the hearts of men more than the ministry of the Word. Yet by accident, not by itself, there is no men in the world have such hard hearts as those that are wicked under the ministry of the Word. It is not only an argument that their hearts are hard, but they are hardened by it. That in Isa. 6: 9, 10 is remarkable for this, and the rather because I find it so often quoted by Christ. I think it is quoted three or four times in the Gospel, "And He said,
"Go and tell this people, 'Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed but perceive not; Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert and be healed.'" This is a strange Scripture. What must a prophet go to them to make their hearts fat, and to shut their eyes, why, the Word is appointed to open men's eyes, but here the prophet is sent to shut their eyes that they might not be converted. This is dreadful, this is for the punishment of some former neglect of the Word of God sent unto this people, above all judgements you should be afraid of this. It is not so much that a fire should be upon your houses, as that God should make His Word to be a means to harden your hearts.
In Ezek. 14, we have a dreadful expression to this purpose by the prophet there, where the Lord saith that the people did come to inquire of Him, with setting up their idols in their hearts, but saith
God, "I will answer them according to their idol." If men come to the ministry of the Word with their beloved sins and resolve that they will not part with them, the Lord many times in His just judgment suffers some things in the Word to be accidentally a means to harden them in that sin of theirs, "I will answer them according to their
idol," those men are in a dreadful estate whose hearts come to be hardened by the Word.
9 Ninthly, if thou doest not sanctify God's Name in the hearing of the Word, what comfort canst thou ever have by the Word in the day of thy affliction? Certainly, when the day of thy affliction comes, then there is nothing can comfort thee but the Word. "Unless Thy law had been my delight (saith David) I should then have perished in mine affliction." But thou having been exercised in the Word so much and God's Name not sanctified, thou must not expect to have thy soul comforted in the day of thy affliction. No marvel then though the Word hath been applied again and again to your hearts, and nothing would stick. I remember it was an expression of one in a great deal of terror of conscience; many came to apply comfortable Scriptures to him, and he himself for a while did take those Scriptures and lay them upon his heart to pacify his troubled conscience, but a little before he died, he cries out with a most fearful terror, "There is a fair plaster made but it will not stick on, it will not stick on," so died despairing. So, there is in the Word such a plaster as may help a wounded and troubled conscience, but canst thou expect that hast not sanctified God's Name in thy lifetime that it shall stick upon thy soul in the day of thy affliction? Never expect it, for the Lord hath said otherwise, Prov. 1, "Because when I cried and called, ye would not hear; you shall cry, and call and I will not hear." The Lord in His
Word cries to thee, oh thou sinful soul who art going on in the ways of sin and eternal destruction, return, return, that is the way that will bring thee to eternal miseries, but here is the way that will bring thee to life and eternal salvation. Thus, the Lord cries and calls, "Today, today," and thou stoppest thy ear; oh how just is it with God to stop
His ear from thy crying and calling in the day of thy affliction.
10 Further, know that thou that doest not sanctify the Name of God in His Word, that all the Word of God will be made good one day upon thee; God hath His time to "magnify His Law and to make it honorable," Isa. 42:21. You slight God's Law, you slight His Word and despise it, but God will magnify it and make it honorable. There
is not any sentence that thou hast heard in the Word, but it shall be made good. Whatsoever becomes of thy soul, thou thinkest that God is a merciful God, and He will not damn thee; but though God be merciful and hath regard to His creatures, yet the Lord hath ten thousand times more regard to His Word than to all the souls of men and women in the world, and God will stand to make that good. He will not have such regard to that wretched, vile, sinful soul of thine as not to honor His Word; He will honor His Word whatsoever becomes of thee, and all that thou hast heard and rejected shall be made good upon thee one day.
11 Again the Word that thou doest reject and sin against, it shall be the Word that shall judge thee, John 12:48. Look to it as well as you will. This Book of God out of which we preach, and those truths that we delivered to you from this Word, they must be called over again at the great day to judge your souls by, the sentence of every one of your eternal estates must be tried out of this Book. Oh, look upon it as the Word that must judge your souls at the last day, and then you will see it a dreadful thing not to sanctify God's Name in it. And then when the Word doth judge you, you shall obey it whether you will or no. Now the Word convinces you and you will not obey it; but when
God comes to judge you by the Word, then you shall obey it. Then when God comes to read that sentence out of the Word, "Go ye cursed into everlasting fire" then I say you shall be forced to obey it.
12 Lastly, there is yet one thing more (which should have been mentioned before) which is very remarkable, that those men which do not sanctify God's Name in His Word, they will be blasted, even here while they live their parts and common gifts that they yet have will be blasted, wither, and come to nothing. We find it ordinarily that many that are young had very good beginnings, and very good parts, that were very hopeful, and would speak very favorably where they came, afterwards beginning by degrees to neglect the Word; the Lord hath blasted them, their gifts have withered, the common gifts of the Spirit have been taken from them. I will give you one text for that in Luke 8:18, "Take heed therefore how ye hear." (It is an
exhortation that follows upon the Parable of the Sower that went out to sow) because it is so that when the Word is sown as seed, there is so little of it doth prosper, and most hearers do not sanctify God's
Name in it, therefore look to yourselves. Why? "For whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have." You had need look to yourselves how you hear, for the truth is, all depends upon it under God. Have you got any common gifts of the Spirit of God, or any abilities to do any service for God? Do not be proud of them, neither be jolly, nor think that you are able to do better than others, and that those are but ordinary things that the minister speaks, and you are gotten into a higher form.
Look to yourselves, take heed you come not to the Word with a proud spirit, be not offended at the plainness of the Word, take heed how you hear, for if you do not that, that you seem to have shall be taken from you, saith Christ. You seem to have excellent gifts, yea, you seem to have grace too, but take heed how you hear for all this; whatsoever parts you have got, though you be highly esteemed in the company where you come and you are able to do things more than others, yet I say, take heed how you hear for otherwise that that you have will be taken away from you; have we not seen this in our own experience? And it is apparent that they began to be withered and to be blasted by neglecting of the Word. And therefore, I beseech you look to this, that you do sanctify the Name of God in His Word, and let your hearts bow unto it as unto the ordinance of God, and wait upon it in the ministry of it, lest you wither and be blasted and come to nothing.
And thus, I have shown the great evil of not sanctifying God's Name, and how God will be sanctified.
I shall be very brief in the use of exhortation.
Oh, that the Lord by this would cause something to stick upon your hearts, that what hath been preached in this point may be made
useful for many sermons afterwards! That it might be said of you in this place as it was said of them in Acts 13:48, "When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed!" Oh, that God would make every one of you to be a means to glorify the Word of God! That should be our care that the Word of God may be glorified by us; we come to hear the Word but take heed that the Word of God be not dishonored by us. In 2 Thess. 3:1, "Finally, brethren, pray for us that the Word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you." Oh, that we were able to say so and yet through God's mercy in some degree we hope we can say so and I could heartily pray that the Word of God might be glorified in all places as it hath been with many of you. But yet go on in this, and labor every one of you that it may be more glorified, that you may manifest the power of the Word in your conversations, that all that do behold you may glorify the Word and say, Oh what hath the Lord wrought in such a place, in such families, families that were wretched, wild, carnal, and lived without God in the world, profane, swearers, foulmouthed, unclean. Now since they have attended upon the Word, how hath it wrought upon them; what a change is there in such men and women!
That the carnal husband may say, since such time as my wife hath attended upon the Word, I have seen a beauty in her conversation, she is more holy, more gentle, and meek; and so my servant, more submissive and faithful; and so my children more obedient than before. Oh, that the Word may be thus glorified! Take heed, I beseech you, that the Word be not blasphemed by any of you. In Titus 2:5, there the Apostle gives divers exhortations, and among others to wives, and to servants "to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed," you must perform your duties unto your husbands and why? That so the Word of God be not blasphemed, that is, that neither your husband, nor any of your friends may blaspheme the Word and say, what, do you get this by going to sermons? Oh, it should pierce your hearts when as your consciences tell you that you have given cause whereby the Word of God should be blasphemed. And so, he exhorts servants and others, and all in the
strength of this argument that the Word of God be not blasphemed.
You get up early in a morning to hear the Word, that's good, but take heed you give no occasion that the Word be blasphemed.
Now, I shall show what an excellent thing it is so to sanctify God's Name in the hearing of His Word, as to honor it, and how God will sanctify His own Name in mercy to you.
1 First, all the good in the Word is thine if thou doest sanctify God's Name. There is abundance of good in this Word that we preach, it is the Word of the Gospel, and to have all the good in that to be thine, that must needs be an excellent thing. You will say, sometimes I read and hear such things in the Word that if I were but sure that these things were my portion how happy should I be? Here's one sign by which thou mayest be assured that they are all thy portion; is it thy unfeigned care to sanctify God's Name in the hearing of His Word?
Oh, peace be to thee, all the good in the Word is thine. And here we might fall into a commendation of the Word of the Gospel, and if I should give way to that, a great deal of time would quickly be gone.
I will only give you one Scripture for your encouragement to sanctify God's Name in the hearing of His Word by way of commendation of it. It is Rom. 10: 5-8 (a place I am afraid you have not had the sweetness of it for the want of understanding it.) It is quoted out of Deuteronomy, "For Moses describeth the righteousness, which is of the Law, that the man which doth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven, that is, to bring Christ down from above, or who shall descend into the deep, that is, to bring Christ again from the dead? But what saith it? The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is the Word of faith which we preach." The text hath some difficulty and yet exceeding sweet to us to know it; I confess if the Apostle Paul had not quoted this place out of Deuteronomy and thus interpreted it, who could ever have thought in reading of Deuteronomy that by the one had been meant the Word of the Law, and by the other the Word of
the Gospel, therefore the meaning is this: here is a comparison between the Word of the Law, and the Word of the Gospel.
Concerning the Word of the Law, there is two things wherein that comes short of the Word of the Gospel.
First, it is not so nigh thee.
Secondly, it is not so certain to assure thy soul what shall become of thee to all eternity. The Word of the Law saith, who shall ascend into heaven, etc. But the Word of the Gospel is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart. You will say, why is not the Word of the Law as nigh one as the Word of the Gospel? I answer, the Word of the Law, you hear it in your ears, but it is not written in the heart as the Word of the Gospel is. The Law cannot work savingly upon the heart of a man to bring salvation; those that are merely legal they can hear the duties that are required, but that Word hath no power to write in their hearts what they do hear. But now when you come to hear the Word of the Gospel, that is nigh you, even in your very hearts as well as in your ears, God speaks in it, and it comes into your hearts and there it works efficaciously, which the Law cannot. The Law is but as a dead letter in comparison of the Word of the Gospel. If you come merely to hear the Law preached, and not in an evangelical way, you may hear it a hundred times and it will never be written in your hearts. But when you come to hear the Gospel in an evangelical way, that will come to be written in your hearts, so that the Word of the Gospel is nigh you.
But what is the meaning of the other, say not, who shall ascend up into heaven, etc.? The meaning is this, as if the Apostle should say, the truth is, while you have no other but the righteousness of the Law, you are at an infinite uncertainty about your eternal estates.
The Law saith, do and live, but you can never know when you have done enough so as to be certain that you are well for eternity. That saith, who shall ascend into heaven to know the mind of God concerning me, whether He will accept of me, and of that obedience and worship that I tender up to Him? Who shall go down into the
deep? Who shall go down to hell to know there whether that place be prepared for him or not? It is a phrase that only expresseth an uncertainty that one cannot be satisfied about his eternal estate, except he could go to heaven and there see and read God's book and so discover God's mind concerning him; or go down to hell and so know whether that place be appointed for him or not; except I can do one of these, I cannot certainly tell, (merely by the Law) whether I shall go to heaven or hell.
As you that are merchants and dealers abroad, you are at a great deal of uncertainty what shall become of your estates. Indeed, if I could send one over to the Indies to tell me how my ship prospered, then I could be at a certainty, then I should hear whether I were a rich man yea or no, but except I could do such a thing I am at an uncertainty.
Such is the expression here. As if a poor soul should say, I would fain be saved, and loth to perish eternally. But all the while the soul remains under the Law, it remains in an uncertain condition. But now saith he, the Word of the Gospel is nigh thee even in thine heart; and that is the Word that we preach that saith, Rom. 10:9, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." As if he should say, this Word of the Gospel that is come into thine heart doth assure thy soul of thy eternal estate, so that though thou canst not go up to heaven, nor go down to hell, yet thou hast that in thine heart, that doth as it were assure thee that thou shalt be eternally saved, as if thou wert able to go up to the highest heavens and fetch news from thence.
Oh, now the good Word of the Gospel, how should we prize it, and keep it in our hearts? For that is in our hearts that will assure us of our salvation to all eternity, and of God's eternal purpose to do the good in heaven. You would account it a great happiness if there could be any art to send abroad to the straits or to other place to know how things fare with you. But now if thou hast the Word of the Gospel within thee, if that prevails in thy soul, thou hast always got something in thy heart that will tell thee how things are with thee in
heaven, and what shall become of thee for all eternity. Oh, who would not sanctify the Name of God in hearing of His Word, seeing it is such a blessed Word wherein the Gospel is opened with more clearness than it hath been to many of our forefathers.
2 It is a certain evidence of your election, in 1 Thess. 1:3, 4, 5, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; knowing brethren beloved, your election of God,"
Why? "For our gospel came not to you in Word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." And know this excellency there is in sanctifying God's Name in hearing the Word, I beseech you mark it, that it is a more blessed thing than if you did bear Jesus Christ in your wombs. You that are women, would not you have accounted it a great happiness if Christ had been born in your wombs? Now if thou comest to the hearing of the Word and sanctifiest God's Name in it, thou art in a better condition and hast a greater blessing upon thee than if thou hadest born Jesus Christ in thy womb. In Luke 11: 27, 28, "And it came to pass as He spake these things, that a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said unto Him, 'Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.'" Seeing Christ and what gracious things came from Him, she spoke so. But he said, "Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it." That is, labor to sanctify
My Name, (as hath been opened in the particulars) rather is that woman blessed that do so, than the woman that bare Christ. Me thinks this one Scripture should be such a Scripture for women, to cause them to sanctify God's Name in hearing of the Word, instead of a hundred Scriptures; certainly, thou mayest be so blessed if thou wilt believe the Word that comes from Christ's mouth.
3 Do you sanctify the Name of God in the Word that will sanctify you, by that your souls come to be sanctified, and it will comfort you in the day of your affliction, and it will save you at last.
4 You that do sanctify God's Name in the hearing of His Word, you will be the glory of the ministers of God at the great day of judgement. You will be an honor to them before the Lord, and His saints, and angels. In Phil. 2: 16, "Holding forth (saith the text) the Word of life." This is the duty of all the hearers of the Word that they must hold forth the Word of life; when you go home, you must hold forth the power of the Word you hear. Well, what will become of that? "That I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain." Let that be one motive among the rest, saith the Apostle, this will be such a glory to me, that I in the day of Jesus Christ shall rejoice that I have not labored in vain. I shall bless
God for all my studies and care, and all the pains that ever I have taken, and venturing myself for this people, I shall bless God in the day of Jesus Christ. Would it not be a comfortable thing to you that all the ministers of God that come to preach the Word faithfully to you, if at the day of Jesus Christ you should hear them blessing God that ever He did send them to preach the Gospel in such a place, and you should hear them saying, Oh Lord, it may be had I been sent to another place I should have spent all my strength in vain, but through Thy mercy I was sent to a teachable people that were ready to embrace Thy Word, oh this is my crown and glory. Would it not do good to any whose hearts are faithful to think this, that their holding forth the Word of life will not only be a glory to God, which is the chief, but it will be a glory to the ministers to recompense all their labors, that you shall not only be saved yourselves in the day of Jesus
Christ, but you shall add to the glory of His faithful ministers likewise when they do appear before Christ?
5 I shall add one particular more. There is a time coming when God shall magnify His Word before men and angels. In Isaiah. 42:21, "He will magnify the Law and make it honorable." What a joy shall it be to thee when the Lord before men and angels shall come to magnify
His Word and make it honorable for thee then to think, this is the Word that spoke to my heart at such and such a time, this is that Word that I did reverence, that I did obey, that I did love, that I made
to be the joy of my heart, this Word the Lord now doth magnify and make to be honorable? This will be comfortable to thy soul.