Sermon V - Sanctifying the Name of God in Holy Duties
2 Secondly, our hearts must be sanctified because the Lord doth look more to the principle from whence a thing comes, than at the thing itself. As indeed were our hearts right as they should, then all the good things that come to us, we would not so much regard what the things are that we do enjoy from God, as what the principle is from whence they come, that is, whether what we do enjoy from God is from the love of God in Jesus Christ or no? Whether it be from the general bounty and patience of God, or from the special grace of God in Jesus Christ? Our hearts would regard that more if we were spiritual; now then look as a godly man is not satisfied with enjoying any good thing from God except he knows it comes from a principle of love to him in Jesus Christ. So, God is not pleased with anything that comes from us, except He knows that it comes from a principle of Love, Grace, and Holiness in our hearts.
3 Thirdly, according as the heart is, so will the service be. Certainly, if the heart be unclean the duty will be unclean; perhaps the words may be fine and brave, but if there be an unclean heart, the duty will be unclean. As it is with a man that hath the plague, suppose he makes a brave oration, yet his breath is infectious; so it is in our services with God. If so be that our hearts within us have the plague, then certainly the breath that comes from us, all our duties will be unclean, and therefore, that is the first thing that we are to look for in the sanctifying God's Name in holy duties. Look to have thy heart sanctified and consider from what principle it comes; tis for want of this that thousands of our duties are cast aside and God never doth regard them. But this is the first particular, there are many more to speak of.
Sermon V
Sanctifying the Name of God in Holy Duties
LEVITICUS 10: 3
I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me.
We proceed. The next thing, therefore, for the behavior of the soul in the sanctifying God's Name in worship is this:
When we come to worship God, if we would sanctify God's Name, we must have high thoughts of God; we must look upon God as He is upon His throne, in majesty, and in glory as in Isa 6:1, 2, you shall find that the prophet saw the Lord upon His throne. It is an excellent thing when all who come to worship God, every time they come to worship Him, have their eyes darted up to heaven and behold the Lord God sitting in His glory upon His throne. So you shall find in Rev. 4, the 24 elders that worshipped God, they saw Him upon His throne in His glory and so they worshipped Him; they worshipped
God to purpose indeed when they saw the Lord in that majesty as He was. We should at all times have high thoughts of God; take heed of having low thoughts and apprehensions of the infinite majesty of God at any time, but especially when thou art to worship the great
God, then look upon the Lord in that infinite distance that there is between Him and thyself, yea, that infinite distance that there is between Him and all creatures in the world, look upon the Lord as lifted up in glory, not only above all creatures, but above all excellencies that all angels and men, in heaven and earth are able to imagine. Look upon the Lord as having all excellencies in Himself, joined in one, and that immutably; look upon Him as the fountain of all excellency, good, and glory that all creatures in the world have.
And look upon the Lord every time thou comest to worship Him as that God whom angels do adore and before whom the devils are forced to tremble; behold Him in this His glory and this will help thee to sanctify His Name when thou comest to Him.
The great reason why people come and worship God in a slight way, it is because they do not see God in His glory. 'Tis a great mercy for God to give unto us a sight of Himself, a sight of His glory here in this world while we are worshiping of Him; this would keep our eyes and our thoughts from wandering, if we had a sight of the glory of God and had high thoughts of God. What's the reason why we wander so as we do, but merely because we see not God? As now suppose you were in your house and looking after every feather that were flying up and down. If you should hear that the King were come into the room, or any great person, it would compose your spirits because you have high thoughts of such, as of those that are above you. So let us look upon God as in His excellency and His glory, and have high thoughts of Him, and this is that whereby we are to sanctify God's Name when we come before Him in holy duties. And that is the second thing: first, a sanctified heart and then high thoughts of God.
A third thing is high-ends, raised-ends in the worshipping of God.
Prov. 15:24, "The way of life is above to the wise," it is on high in this respect, when he worships God, his heart is lifted up on high; there is a holy raising of the heart which is well pleasing to God. Our hearts should be on high in regard of the high ends that we aim at in holy duties. Lift up thy prayer, saith Hezekiah to the Prophet in another case. So, I may say, lift up thy soul when thou comest to worship God in regard of the high ends that we aimest at. When we are worshipping God we should have our hearts above all creatures, and above ourselves. Let not our hearts then be groveling upon the ground, mingled with base and drossy things. When we come to worship the Lord indeed it is fit that we should have our hearts low
(as we shall show hereafter) in regard of humility, but not low in regard of any baseness of Spirit to mix with any base and low ends.
Now there are low and base ends in worshipping of God.
First, we must take heed we do not subject the worship of God unto our lusts, that is a cursed thing. Thou art far from sanctifying God's
Name in worshipping of Him that shalt subject His worship to thy
base lusts, this is an abominable and cursed thing indeed. You will say, who doth thus, who is the man or where is he that will do this, subject the worship of God to his base lusts? To that I answer, whosoever doth make use of any duty of worship as prayer, hearing the Word, or whatever it be, to cloak any kind of wickedness, whosoever is conscious to himself of any kind of secret wickedness, and yet shall think to cover it by the performance of duties, and shall reason in this manner, who will think me to be guilty of such a vile thing, when I pray so as I do, and am so careful to hear the Word, and I hope I shall cover some wickedness this way. If there be any in this place whose conscience tells them that they subject the worship of God to such a base end as this is, the Lord rebuke them this day, and speak to their hearts. If I knew any, I would set mine eyes upon them and say as the Apostle to Simon Magus, I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity; and as he said to him that did seek to draw the deputy from the faith, O thou child of the Devil, and full of all subtilty, to damn and undo thyself eternally, that seekest to cloak any wicked way by any duty of God's worship. Is it a great evil for a man or woman to make use of any of God's creatures to be serviceable to their lusts as meat and drink, etc. What a damnable thing is it then to make use of any duty of God's worship, sometimes extraordinary worship as fasting and prayer, to be a cloak to cover their wickedness! Thou art so far from sanctifying God's
Name that thou pollutest God's Name; thou doest what in thee lies for to cast even dirt in the face of God Himself that doest so.
The second base end is to subject the duties of God's worship to the praise of men, as to perform duties of God's worship for the esteem of men, and because we shall be well thought of; take heed of this you young ones, and others, you would fain be esteemed well of by those that you live withal. It is a desirable thing to have a good esteem from those that are godly but take heed that you do not subject the duties of God's worship to this. Indeed, it may be an encouragement to you, as David saith in Psalm 52:9, "This is good before Thy saints." David did encourage himself to praise God because it was good before God's saints; and I confess it may be an
encouragement because holy duties are good before God's saints; but take heed that this be not thy highest end that thou aimest at, and that which carries thee on in the work merely to get the praise of men, and that they shall think that thou hast good gifts and parts, and therefore thou art enlarged in that regard. Take heed of that, know that now thou doest not worship God, but thou worshippest men, thou doest make the praise of men to be thy God, for whatsoever thou doest lift up in the highest place, that's thy God, whatsoever it be. Therefore, if thou liftest up the praise of men and makest that thy end, thou makest that thy God, and so thou art a worshipper of men, but not a worshipper of God.
Thirdly, take heed of making self thy end; there are some that are not so base and low in their hearts as to make the praise of men their end, but they aim and look at themselves, that is, they aim at their own peace, and satisfying their own consciences in the performance of duties. Now though it's true, when we perform duties of God's worship, we may expect to receive some good to ourselves, and we may be encouraged to the duties by the expectation of good to ourselves; yet we must look higher, we must look at the honor and praise of God, that the Name of the blessed God may be honored.
Now I am going to prayer, oh that I may pray so as I may lift up God's Name. I am going to hear, oh that I may hear so, as God may be honored by my hearing. 'Tis this that carries me on to hearing the Word and makes me rise readily and to go forth cheerfully. I hope that God may have some honor by my hearing this day, and God knows that this is the thing that I aim at. I do not come for company nor to be seen of men, neither do I come merely to satisfy mine own conscience. Others go and hear such truths of God as do good to their souls, and if I should neglect them merely for mine own ease, my conscience would not let me be quiet; howsoever there are many whose consciences will be quiet enough, though they lose an opportunity in the worship of God; but yet there are others whose consciences cannot do so; their consciences would tell them when they are lying and turning themselves upon their beds, "How do you know but that God had something to speak to thy heart this morning,
that may never be spoken to thy heart at any other time?" Therefore, they cannot be at quiet except they attend upon God in the duties of His worship. But still this is not enough merely to satisfy conscience; thy main end it must be that thou mayest this day know some part of the mind of God, that God may speak to thy heart, that so thou mayest be fitted to honor the Name of God, that thou mayest be enabled to live to His honor the week following so much the better.
As in this manner thy thoughts should be, "Lord, I find a drossy carnal heart; I am busy in the world in the week-time, and I find that my heart is fulfilled and defiled with the business of the world, and entangled, but Lord, thou hast appointed Thy Sabbath and Word to be a means to sanctify my heart, and to cleanse it; Oh Lord, communicate Thy grace to my soul through Thy ordinances upon this day, that so I may be enabled the week following the better to live to Thine honor; Lord, I come into Thy presence to that end, that I might know some part of Thy will, and that I might get Thy Spirit to be conveyed through this Word of Thine into my heart." This should be thy end whenever thou comest and not only self. I will give you two or three Scriptures to show that God regards little any duties where self is the highest end. The first is in Hosea 7:14, "They howled upon their beds," (saith the text there,) "but they cried not to Me."
The Lord there did acknowledge that they were very much affected in their prayers, but what was it? It was but a howling upon their beds; and how so, it was because only they did cry for themselves. "They have not cried unto Me (saith the Lord) with their heart, when they howled upon their beds. It was but merely for corn, and wine, and oil, but not unto Me, they aimed at themselves and not at Me."
And in Amos 5:22, there the Lord professes that He did reject the fat of their peace offerings. "Though ye offer Me," saith He, "burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them, neither will
I regard the peace offering of your fat beasts." They were careful to offer their fattest beasts in their peace offerings, and will not God regard them? It was in their peace offerings that they offered their fat beasts, and there they were to eat a great part of it themselves.
Indeed, the burnt offering was wholly offered unto God, God had all that, but the peace-offering, those that did offer it, they did eat a great part of it themselves. Now they were very careful in those offerings that they should partake of themselves to offer fat beasts; you do not see that the Holy Ghost takes any notice of fat beasts in their burnt offerings. Now the note from hence is this, that in those things where men are interested themselves, they will be very careful to have the best things. But now the Lord rejected the fat beasts of their peace-offerings. Saith God, you were very careful to offer fat beasts in your peace-offerings where you may feed yourselves, but for those offerings wherein I have all, there you are not so careful, and therefore I regard them not.
The third Scripture is in Zech. 7:5, there they did keep many days in seeking of God, (it is an observable Scripture for these times) "Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests saying, 'When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto Me, even unto Me?'" Mark the phrase, "You fasted in the fifth and seventh month, and for seventy years together," but saith the Lord, "did you at all fast unto Me," and then mark how it is doubled, "to Me, even unto Me?" noting that when we fast or pray, or do anything in the worship of God, we should be sure to aim at God more than ourselves, that God may not say of us another day, "Do you do it to Me, even to Me?"
You may ask me this question; how may I know that I am acted by self-ends in holy duties? For it is a hard thing for one to know one's own heart when one is acted by principles of self, and when we aim at God in holy duties. Now for that I will give you these notes to try whether you be acted from yourselves or no.
The first is this, if a man loves holy duties (though he find no present good comes in by them) because they are such things as God requires and therefore, though I get nothing by them, yet this is enough to carry me on, and to carry me on readily and willingly in the worship of God. Those that can, delight in God's worship even at that time,
though they find nothing coming into themselves. But now when we find not that coming in that we do desire, we begin to be weary of worship, and say, why have we fasted, and Thou seest it not? This is an argument that thou art acted by self rather than by God.
Secondly, to know whether we be acted by self ends, or rather by high ends for God, those men that can rejoice in others, that are able to honor God in holy duties more than themselves, they may have good evidence to their own souls that when they worship God, they are acted by higher ends than self. But now such as are straightened themselves, and when they see others more enlarged in the worship of God, they rather envy them, are grieved and troubled; know that self is a great ingredient in those duties that thou doest perform. If thy heart were raised high to God, though thou canst not thyself be enlarged in holy duties, yet thy soul would be glad that any others are, though I have a wretched and vile heart of my own; yet blessed be God that there are any others that can worship God better than I can.
Thirdly, a man that is acted by self in holy duties he regards holy duties but little, save in time of extremity, in time of fear, or of sickness, or in dangers. But now, one that hath high ends in holy duties makes the duties of God's worship to be the joy of his soul in the midst of his prosperity; and that is an evident sign that thou art not acted by self ends but by higher ends. Canst thou in the midst of thy abundance say, "Lord, thou givest me all conveniences in this world and all outward things that I want; but Lord, this is that which is the joy of my soul, this is that which makes my life comfortable, even communion with Thyself, in the duties of Thy worship, that I have free access unto the throne of Thy grace to worship Thee the Lord, and there meet with Thee when I am in the performance of holy duties. O Lord, Thou that knowest all things, knowest that this is the thing that makes my life comfortable. It is not that I have a table furnished with variety of dishes, and that I can have liberty of time to go into company and spend according as I please, but Lord those incomes of Thy Spirit that I do find in the duties of Thy
worship, those are the things that makes my life blessed indeed unto me." Such a man as is able thus to appeal to God, surely when he worships God, he is acted by high-ends, and not by self ends. And that is the third thing that is necessary for sanctifying of God's Name in holy duties, thou must have a sanctified heart, high thoughts of God, and high ends.
In the fourth place, there must be much reverence and much fear when thou comest into the presence of God to worship Him; thou doest not glorify God as God, except thou doest come into His presence with much fear and reverence of His great Name. Fear in worshipping of God it is so necessary that many times in Scripture we find that the very worship of God is called the Fear of God, they are put both for one. I might give you divers Scriptures for it, and hence it was that the Name of God was called the Fear of Isaac.
Jacob did swear by the fear of his father Isaac because Isaac, being a great worshipper of God, kept his constant times to worship God, and worshipped Him in such a constant way. As except David and Daniel, we do not find mention of the constancy of any in the worshipping of God as we do of Isaac's; for it is said that he walked but into the fields in the evening as he was wont to do, to meditate, and to pray; and therefore, God is called, The Fear of Isaac. In Psalm
89:7 is a notable Scripture for this drawing nigh to God with fear, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him." God is to be had in reverence of all of them that are about Him, but in the assembly of His saints He is greatly to be feared, He is daunting terrible (so the words are) in the assembly of the saints. When thou comest nigh to God, thou hadst need have thy heart possessed with much fear. So, in Psalm 2:11 the kings and princes of the earth are called upon to serve the Lord with fear. Let them be never so great, yet when they come into God's presence, they must serve Him with fear. And so, in Psalm
5:7, "In Thy fear will I worship toward Thy holy temple."
Now this fear of God, it must not be a servile fear, but a reverential fear. For my brethren, there may be a great deal of slavish fear,
where God is not honored; there may be fear from some terrible apprehensions of God, which is not owned by God to this grace of fear. I will give you two notable Scriptures for that in Deut. 5:23-25 compared with verse 29. "It came to pass (saith the text verse 23) when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, for the mountain did burn with fire, that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders, and ye said, 'Behold the Lord our God hath showed us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth, now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore, then we shall die.'"
See with what a terror they were struck at the apprehension of God's appearance; you would think surely these men did fear God much, but mark in verse 29, "O, that there were such a heart in them that they would fear Me." Why, did they not fear the Lord? Were they not struck with such fear that they thought they should die? They saw
His presence so terrible that they were afraid they should die and yet, "O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear Me!"
So that it appears by this, that one may be struck with much terror in the apprehension of God's presence, and yet have no true fear of the Name of God. So, some of you it may be in time of thunder or danger are filled with terror; but yet may it not be said presently after, O that there were the fear of God in the heart of this man or woman, this youth or maid. They are terrified sometimes, but yet there is not a filial and reverential fear of God in them. And I find in 1 Kings 19,
(where you have the story of God's appearing in that most terrible manner unto the Prophet Elijah by fire, by thunder, and in a mighty wind) the Prophet was not so struck with fear of God's presence when He did appear in the mighty wind or earthquake or fire, as when God did appear in the small still voice. Therefore, in verse 13 it is said, "And it was so when Elijah heard it (that is, the soft voice, after the fire and earthquake, and the mighty wind) that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entering in of the
cave, and behold there came a voice unto him and said, "What doest thou here Elijah?" Then his heart was more struck with fear where was most of God's presence, (though it was in a soft voice) than when the fire and earthquake did appear.
It is a good sign of a gracious fear when the soul can be struck with more fear from the Word, and from the sight of God in enjoying of communion with Him in His worship, than when God appears in the most terrible way of His works; or when there is terror in a man's conscience through fear of hell, when God appears as though He would send him down presently to hell, though God expects to be feared then. But when the soul in enjoying communion with God in holy duties and the more communion he hath with God the more is he struck with reverence and the fear of God, this is a sign of sanctified fear, and then doth the heart sanctify the Name of God indeed when it is so possessed with fear in the duties of worship.
Now this fear of God should be indeed in the soul and expressed outwardly when you are in the assembly by such reverent carriage in prayer, as if a heathen should come in, he may see God's Name sanctified, and may say, how great is this God that this people do worship! And in your families, a reverent carriage, not lying all along in prayer upon the elbows sleeping but carrying yourselves so that if a heathen should come into your families they may say, O how great is this God that this people do worship! And likewise this fear it must be an abiding fear, not only at that instant when you are worshipping of God, or speaking of any of God's titles and names, but a fear that must abide upon your hearts after duty is over; that is, after you are come out from your closets one may perceive the fear of God upon you, and so walking all the day long in the fear of God as it becomes those that have been solemnly setting themselves to worship Him.
Now this fear and reverence is contrary to the slightness, vanity, the boldness, and presumptuousness that there is in the hearts of men and women when they are worshipping of God.
Fifthly, the duties of God's worship must be full of strength, for they are not suitable to God else, because God is a God infinite in power and glory Himself, therefore God cannot endure vain worshipping.
In Isa 1:13, "I hate vain oblations." Vanity of spirit in worshipping of God is very hateful to God; it doth defile the Name of God. God is dishonored by the vanity of men's spirits. Now this strength is threefold:
1 First, the strength of intention.
2 Secondly, the strength of affection.
3 Thirdly, the strength of all the faculties of the soul, and the strength of body too, as much as we are able should be put forth in the worshipping of God.
1 First, the strength of intention. We must intend our work as if it were for our lives. If ever we were seriously intentive or attentive about anything, it must be when we are worshipping of the Name of God. When you are coming to pray, be intent about it. You shall see some when they are going in the street when they have much intention about their business, their friends meet them, and they never mind them; one may perceive as they are going, that they are mightily intent about their business. My brethren, look upon every duty of worship as a great thing which you must be intent in your thoughts about, and not give way to the wandering of your thoughts.
I have read of one martyr that when he was to die and the fire a kindling, saith an officer, what, will not you speak when you see the fire kindling? Saith he, "I am speaking to God," that is, he was praying, and he minded not at all what they were doing. O, what little things do take our thoughts away from holy duties! When every toy, every feather, every light matter calls them off, is this to sanctify
God's Name? Would not we account it a dishonorable thing if we were talking to one about serious business, and when we are talking, every one that comes by he should be looking after them, and turning aside to talk with them? If a superior be talking with you, he doth
expect that you should mind what he saith. But when God is speaking to you, and you are speaking to God, every vain thought that comes by you are turning aside too, as if it were a greater thing to talk to vain thoughts and temptations, than to the great and glorious God.
Therefore, now that is the very time that the Devil chooses to bring temptations when we are in holy duties, for the Devil knows then he doth two works at once; he doth disturb us in our duties and call off our hearts to that that is wicked, and doth aggravate our sin exceedingly. It may be thou wilt not dare to commit that sin that the temptation doth turn thy thoughts upon, yea, but the Devil hath spoiled the duty by it. The Lord doth expect that there should be strength of intention when thou art upon the duty; and there is no time to parley with temptations now, whatever thoughts come in.
The truth is, though they be good thoughts that should come into thy mind, and that time that thou art praying, yet if they be not pertinent to the duty, thou must cast them away as the temptation of the Devil.
You will say, can anything that is good come from the Devil?
Certainly, that which is materially good, and coming unseasonably, may be from the Devil; the Devil may take advantage by what is in itself materially good and bring in that in an unseasonable time, and so he may turn it to evil. As now, when thou art hearing the Word, it may be the Devil thinks he cannot prevail to cause thee to have thy heart running about uncleanness; yea, but saith the Devil, if I can inject good thoughts, I will put into their minds some place of Scripture that is no way pertinent to this, only to divert them. The Devil gets much by this, therefore look to it, and know that God expects the strength of thy spirit in duty, that is, strong intention; thou art worshipping of God, and therefore thou hadest need be intent about what thou art doing.
Indeed, sometimes before you are aware, evil thoughts will come into your minds as when a man is keeping of a door, and there is a crowd of people without that would come in; perhaps the man doth open
the door for some gentleman that he hears is at the door, but when he opens it for one that is to come in, forty others will crowd in. And so, it is many times with the soul, that when it opens the door for some good thought, a great many evil thoughts will crowd in. Those people might come in if they would stay their time, but they should not now come in. So about worldly businesses that are not in themselves unlawful, if they will stay the time they may come in; but they must be barred out now at this time. There is required strength of intention.
2 Secondly, strength of affection is required also. That is, the affections must work mightily after God, striving with God in prayer.
If ever thou hadest a heart inflamed in anything, it should be when thou art praying or attending upon the Word. As the heathens that worshipped the sun, sometimes I have told you, that they would not have a snail, but a flying horse; they would offer that that was swift so when we come to the living God, we must have living affections, our affections boiling; and that will be the way to cure vain thoughts; as the flies will not come to the honey if it be boiling hot, but when it is cold. So, if the heart be boiling hot, and the affections a-working, it will keep out vain thoughts and temptations. It is a sign of the breath of life when it is warm, but artificial breath you know it is cold; as now, the breath that comes out of the body, that is warm, but the breath that comes out of a pair of bellows, that is cold. So, the breath of many people in prayer, it is discovered to be but artificial breath because it is so cold, but if there were spiritual life, then it would be warm. There must be strength of affection.
3 Thirdly, there must be likewise the strength of all the faculties. We should stir up whatever we are, or have, or can do to work in prayer; then the bent of mind, and conscience, and will, and affection; yea, and the body should be put to it also; and those that worship God to purpose they spend their bodies in nothing so much as in the worshipping of God. It will be a sad thing another day when this shall be charged upon many, thou hast spent the strength of thy body upon lusts, but when didst thou spend any strength of thy body
about any holy duty? What a riddle is this to most people, to tell them of spending the strength of their bodies in prayer, or hearing of the Word, or sanctifying a Sabbath; they think the Sabbath is a time of rest. I confess it is a time of rest from an outward labor, but it is a time of spending strength in a spiritual way; and those that shall worship God aright on the Sabbath will find it a-spending of a great deal of strength and blessed is that strength that is spent in the worship of God rather than in the ways of sin, as most spend their strength.
If God gives thee a heart to spend thy strength in His worship, thou mayest think thus, Lord, thou mightest have left me to have spent my strength in sin, how much better is it spent in the worshipping of Thy
Name? There is one notable Scripture in Jer. 8:2 that shows how much strength the idolaters put forth in the worshipping of their idol, they would not do it in a slight and vain way, but their hearts were much in that false worship, saith the text, "And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, (mark now) whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and when they have sought, and whom they have worshipped." All these are put together in reference to their idols; Oh, that it could be said so of us in reference to God when we come to worship Him whom we have loved, and whom we have served, and after whom we have walked, and whom we have sought, and whom we have worshipped; there is all these several expressions to show the strength of their spirits in following after their idols. And that is the fifth thing in our sanctifying of God's Name.
6 The sixth is, if thou wilt sanctify God's Name in worship, there must be an humble frame of spirit, worship Him with much humility of soul. Abraham did fall upon the ground before the Lord, and dust and ashes (saith he) hath begun to speak unto thee; yea, we read of Jesus Christ groveling upon the earth, and the angels they cover their faces in the presence of God, and so should we be humble when we come before the Lord. There is nothing more abases the soul of man
than the sight of God; and the great reason of the pride of all men's hearts is because they never knew God. If thou didst but see God, thy heart must needs be abased; and when doth the soul see God if not when it comes to worship Him? In Job 42, "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye seeth Thee, wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Now this humility must be in the sense of our own meanness and baseness. Psalm 34:6, This poor man cried to God. They are poor souls that come into God's presence that sanctify God's Name most; even those souls that do apprehend and are sensible of their own baseness and meanness before God.
This poor man cried to God; we use to say, Give that poor man somewhat. It doth affect the heart of God when He sees much poverty of spirit; when we come before Him, we must be sensible of our infinite dependence upon God. Come as the woman of Canaan, O
Lord, even dogs do receive crumbs, and though I be a dog, yet let me receive crumbs; here is humility of spirit. Now this humility of spirit appears in these things.
1 First admiring God's goodness that we do live at this time, and that we have liberty to come before Him; we might have been past praying and worshipping of God. Think thus, what a mercy is it that we are not banished out of God's presence, that the Lord hath not spurned us out of His sight as filth, and cast us out as an everlasting abhorring, while others have been praying, we might have been yelling under the wrath of the eternal God. Come with this apprehension of thyself, and adore God's goodness, that thou art alive to pray, and alive to hear God's Word. And that it is not only a duty, but a rich privilege and mercy that God will admit of thee to come into His presence. Again, it is the goodness of God that He will vouchsafe to look upon the things that are done in heaven; then if the Lord doth humble himself to behold the things that are done in heaven, then how doth the Lord humble Himself to behold me, a poor vile captive as I am in myself, and yet that God should not only behold me before Him, but invite me to come into His presence.
What mercy and goodness is this!
2 Our hearts must be taken off from the thoughts and apprehensions of all excellencies in ourselves; we must not come in the pride of our hearts because we have abilities more than others; what, do all thy parts commend thee to God? Thou hast ability in expressing of thyself in prayer; why, do thy parts commend thee to God? Whatever is natural in any of our duties is nothing to God, only that which is from His own Spirit, and therefore thou shouldest come in thine own thoughts as vile as if thou hadst no parts and abilities at all. Lay aside all such apprehensions of thyself, for the truth is, some poor brokenhearted sinner that can but sigh out a few groans to God and is not able to speak two or three sentences together in a right language, but only breath out his soul to God, may be a thousand-thousand times more acceptable to God then thou that art able to make great orations when thou comest before Him.
3 Thou must come without any righteousness of thy own, thou must never come into God's presence but as a poor worm; and if there be any difference that is made between thee and others in outward respects, it is nothing to thee; when thou art in the presence of God, thou art as a base vile worm, though thou be a Prince or Emperor.
4 Thy heart must be taken off from what thou doest. If thou hast any abilities of grace, yet thy heart must be taken off there; there may be pride not only from one's parts, but it may be God hath given thee enlargements in prayer; the Devil will come in and seek to puff up thy heart even because of this, but thy heart must be taken off there; and thou must deny thyself in all when thou hast done the best service of all; yet thou must conclude thou art an unprofitable servant when thou hast prayed the best; yet rise with shame, and take heed of having thy heart puffed up even through the assistance of the graces of the Spirit of God in holy duties.
5 Lastly, thou must come with a humble resignation of thyself to God, to be content to wait upon God as long as He pleases, to wait upon God in regard of the time, and of the measure, and of the manner of the communication of Himself, in regard of the meanness
by which He will please to communicate Himself, wait upon Him; let me have mercy though at the last hour. This now is an humble heart in prayer, and when we come with such a poverty of spirit as this is, we may expect that the Lord will accept of us, give this poor man somewhat, will God say, "This poor man cried and the Lord heard him."
In the seventh place, we must bring that which is God's own in sanctifying God's Name. I spoke to this before in the point of preparation, Viz. That in God's worship we must give Him His own. I will only mention it here in the sanctifying of God's Name in two regards:
1 First, to give God His own, for the matter of it.
2 Secondly, to give God His own, that is, what comes from the work of His own Spirit, or else we do not sanctify God's Name. I will give you one text further about the matter of it, in Exod. 39. If you read the chapter, you shall find that there is ten times said that they did as God had commanded Moses. And then in the close of the chapter, when they had done as God had commanded in His worship, the text saith, Moses blessed them. That people is a blessed people that do observe the worship of God as God hath commanded them. But the main thing is, all that we do it must be acted by the Spirit of God. It is not enough to have true silver and gold, but it must have the right stamp or else it cannot go for current coin. And so it is not enough that the things we offer to God in His worship be God's own, be what we have warrant for out of God's Word, but it must have the stamp of the Spirit of God. In the worship of God there be two questions that He will ask, first, who required this at your hands? But then if you can answer thus, Thou O Lord, did'st require it. It is well, but then
God hath another question, whose image and superscription is this?
If thou canst not give an answer to that, it will be rejected, too. Thou must be acted by Divine principles in all that thou doest; there must be the stamp of the Spirit upon that which is tendered to God else it is nothing. To open this point fully will ask some time.
First, therefore, I will show you how we may know when our duties are acted by our natural parts rather than by the Spirit of God.
Secondly, how we may know whether our duties be acted by natural conscience rather than by the Spirit of God.
1 First, if thou art acted by natural parts, they will not change thy heart. Men that do perform duties by the strength of natural parts, they may be as large as others, and speak to the edification of others, but those duties do never change their hearts; now if thou beest acted by the Spirit of God, thou wilt be changed into the very image of His
Spirit.
2 Secondly, if men are acted by natural parts, they will not carry them through difficulties and discouragements; but now the Spirit of God if thou hast acted by Him, though thou doest meet with never such difficulties and discouragements, thou wilt be carried through them all.
3 Thou mayest know it by this, wherein doest thou account the excellency of a duty to consist either in thyself or others? Thou performest a duty, now it may be thy parts do act very lively and to thy credit, and yet thy conscience tells thee that thy heart was straightened. Now canst thou rise up with joy because thou hast thy ends? At another time (perhaps) thy heart is more troubled and broken. But thou doest not express thyself so much, then thou art discouraged. And when thou seest another perform a duty, if thou seest but any failing in their expressions, thou pitchest upon that and lookest upon it as a poor thing. Thou art not able to see an excellency in holy duties, except there be an excellency of natural parts; but those that have the Spirit of God, they can find the Spirit of God acting in others, though they have not such natural parts.
4 Those that are acted by their natural parts, in secret they are less enlarged than they are before others a great deal. Their parts act
much before others, but what is there between God and their own souls?
5 They that be so acted will not be very constant. You shall have young ones that begin to look towards religion; their parts are a little fresh, and they are mightily enlarged in holy duties, and the thing is good for them to make use of their parts; but how ordinary is it, that after a few years they are deader and duller than they were before, and have less mind to the duties of God's worship than they had formerly? Were this the Spirit of God, you would find as much savor and relish in them afterwards as there was at that time.
Secondly, for natural conscience, which sometimes puts men upon acting of duties, and indeed is better than merely natural parts.
1 If it be only natural conscience, it puts upon duties, but gives no strength to do them. But when the Spirit of God puts thee upon a duty, it gives thee some strength to perform it, some strength whereby thou gettest some communion with God.
2 If it be natural conscience, it puts upon the duty, but makes not the heart glad of the duty, and to love the duty; but if it be the Spirit of God, it makes thee to delight in it, and to love it.
3 If it be natural conscience, thou doest not by that increase thy communion with God, thou doest thy duties as in a round, but now when the Spirit of God puts thee upon holy duties, it is not a task done, but thou findest more and more increase in communion with God; thy heart more raised to God, and more closing with the Lord, and so still more and more in the course of thy life. I had a little converse with God at first when God began to acquaint my soul with His ways, but through His mercy now I find more communion with Him. And so thou canst bless thyself in God in that converse that thou hast in communion with Him; thou wouldest not lose that communion thou hast with God in holy duties for all the world; others have their companions that they have their communion