Sermon VII - Why God Will Be Sanctified in the Duties of His Worship
Sermon VII Why God Will Be Sanctified in the Duties of His Worship
LEVITICUS 10:3
I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me.
We are coming now to the conclusion of this great argument of sanctifying God's Name in holy duties for the general. God expects that we should all in our drawings near to Him in the duties of worship, sanctify His Name. Now we are to consider of divers reasons why God will be sanctified in all the duties of His worship.
1 The first reason is this, it is the very nature of God to will Himself the last end, and all other things to work suitable to the lifting up of Himself as the last end. I say it is as essential to Him as anything, for Him to will Himself as the highest end, and that all things should work so as to be suitable unto that glory of His for the furtherance of it. God should cease to be God, if so be He should not will Himself as the highest end, and so will that all things that have any being should some way or other work for Himself. This is the very nature of God.
It is that which I conceive the very nature of God's holiness consists in, the willing Himself as the last end, and so to work all things as is suitable unto His own infinite excellency.
Now as this is God's holiness, so it is the holiness that God requires in His creatures (that are capable of holiness) that they should will
Him as the last end and all things suitable to that infinite excellency of His. Now if this be the nature of God, and this be His holiness, then certainly it must needs be a necessary duty in all those that would have communion with God and would honor God, to will as God Himself doth will, that is that all things should work suitable to
the infinite excellency of God, that God may attain the glory of His infinite excellency, and this makes it to be a necessary duty that when we come to worship Him we should sanctify His Name. So that the first reason is taken from the very nature of God, it is the very being of God that all things should work to Himself, and in such a suitable way as to lift up His excellency and glory.
2 Secondly, we must sanctify God in the duties of His worship because it is the special glory that God hath in the world to be actively honored; for His passive glory, that is, to be glorified in a passive way, that He hath in hell, but the special glory that God would have it is that He might be glorified actively. Now there is no such way of glorifying the Name of God actively as by worshipping of Him in a holy manner, and therefore God stands much upon this, that when we come to worship Him, we sanctify His Name, for saith
God, If I be not sanctified in My worship, what active glory have I in the world? It is the special active glory that God hath in the world, the sanctifying of His Name in the duties of His worship.
3 Thirdly, that which we have intimated before, that the duties of God's worship are the most precious things, the special conveyances of the choice mercies that He intends to bestow on His saints, and therefore though He loses His glory in anything else, He would not lose it in that wherein He doth especially convey His mercy and goodness to His people. But that we spoke too in showing how we draw nigh to God in holy duties, and it may well come in here again as an argument why we should sanctify God's Name.
4 A fourth reason is this, because there is no way for us to be fitted for the receiving of mercy from God through those duties of worship, but by our sanctifying of God's Name; when thou comest at any time to worship God, what wouldest thou have? There is some communion that thou wouldest enjoy with God, now there is no way to make thee a fit subject of mercy, or capable of the enjoyment of communion with God, but by such a behavior of soul as this is that hath been spoken of, to sanctify the Name of God. Thou wouldest be
loath to lose those duties of worship that thou doest perform, therefore it is required of thee to sanctify His Name lest thou doest lose all, for 'tis this that makes thee the only capable subject of what good is to be had there.
5 We must sanctify God's Name in holy duties because otherwise we should certainly never hold out in duties but vanish and come to nothing; now God would be worshipped so by His creatures as to be constantly worshipped, He would have those that do worship Him to worship Him always, to worship Him forever, and He would have this worship that we perform to Him but to be the beginning of that eternal worship that He shall have from us in heaven. And so the saints do worship God now, the worship which they perform, it is but as the beginning of that worship that hereafter in heaven they shall tender up to God, though there may be some difference in it, as there our prayers will be turned into praises, and it will not be in such outward ordinances as now we worship God in there will be no preaching, nor sacraments. Yet notwithstanding the soul-worship that is now will be in effect the same as it shall be in heaven. God would have us so to worship Him, as to continue to worship Him.
Now I say, unless His Name be sanctified in our worshipping of Him we will certainly fall off; and the truth is, this is the very ground of all apostasy in hypocrites; some that have been very forward in the worshipping of God when they were young ones, and afterwards they have fallen off, they were wont constantly in their families and in secret in their chambers to be worshipping of God, and they accounted it the very joy of their lives for the present to be worshipping of God; but it is not so with them now as it was, yea, they are fallen off it may be, from their very profession of religion, and turned loose. And now to be in vain company, to drink, or play, is better to them than any service or worship of God; they prize more to be in company with their sports than to hear a sermon, or to be in communion with the people of God in prayer. Heretofore, they would not have changed one short time of private communion with God for the enjoyment of a great deal of pleasures and content in the
world, but now it is otherwise with them. How comes it to pass that these are apostatized thus from God? Surely here is the ground of it, that they did not sanctify God's Name in holy duties, at the most it was but a work of conscience that put them upon them, and they had but some flashes; there was no real sanctification of their hearts whereby they did sanctify the Name of God in holy duties, and upon this it is that they have left off. This I dare say, that there was never any soul that did know what it was to sanctify God's Name in worship, that ever was weary of worshipping God.
It may be some of you may say, we have heard that there is much required in sanctifying God's Name in duties, and that is the only way to weary the soul, and to make it fall off; Oh no (as we said the last day) there is not any one thing that hath been opened for the sanctifying of God's Name in duties that any gracious heart can tell how to miss, and the more we do sanctify His Name, the more we shall be in love with worship. For it is from hence that those that sanctify God's Name in worship will hold out, because they will find the sweetness of worship, they will meet with God in holy duties, and so they come to be encouraged in worship, but as for others who do worship God in a formal way, their worship will prove to be tedious to them, for they perform the duties, but do not find God in the duties in that spiritual way as the saints do. If they think they meet with God, it is but an imagination rather than any real meeting with Him; they do not find the influence of God in their souls in holy duties, so as those do that sanctify God's Name in holy duties; here then you see the reasons why we are to sanctify God's Name in holy duties.
Now then for the application of all this.
1 If all this which you have heard be required of us for the sanctifying of God's Name, hence we see how little cause we have to rest upon any duty of worship that we do perform, certainly the duties of worship that we perform are no such things as are fit to be rested upon for life and for salvation. And yet for the most part there is
scarce anything that people have to rest upon, or to tender up to God for acceptation to eternal life but only their prayers, and their coming to hear, and receiving of the communion, and such duties that they perform. This is all they have to tender up for life and for salvation; perhaps they may sometimes speak of Christ, but the truth is, that which their hearts rest upon for acceptation to eternal life is this.
And is it but this? It is a weak prop, a rotten reed that thou hast to rest upon; let the duties of worship be performed never so well.
Suppose we did sanctify God's Name to the uttermost that is possible for any creature to do in this world, yet such duties are not to be rested upon. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the Apostles, the most holy men that ever did perform duties in the most holy manner, yet woe to them if they have nothing to rest upon but their duties.
Consider therefore of this, that what thou must rest upon for acceptation to eternal life, it must be that that must have so much worth in it, as must satisfy for all thy sins that formerly thou hast committed; yea, and for all the sins that ever thou shalt commit. Now
I appeal unto anyone's conscience, is that which thou performest is prayer, or receiving the sacrament, or hearing of the word, such a work as in thy conscience thou canst think, it hath so much worth in it as to satisfy God for all the sins that ever thou didest or shalt commit?
I am persuaded if people that have rested upon duties heretofore would but seriously have this thought in their minds, "That I must rest upon nothing for my acceptation for life and salvation, but that that must have such worth in it, as to satisfy God for all my sins that ever have been committed, or shall be committed," this would take them off for ever from resting in duties. Yea, and it must be such as must be the object of the infinite holiness of God to take content in, surely the duties that we perform are no such duties to rest upon.
The truth is, if we would seriously consider what they are, as they come from us, we would even abhor ourselves in dust and ashes, and account of them as the Prophet speaks of his own righteousness as menstruous cloths, they are such as if God should deal with us, as
justly He may do, He might cast them and us to the dogs, for they are (as the Prophet saith) torn and rent sacrifices.
Now if a man in the time of the Law should bring to the Lord a sacrifice that was all torn and rent before he brought it, would such a sacrifice have been accepted? All the duties we perform as we read in Exod. 22:31 concerning such things as were torn and rent, that they should cast them to the dogs. "Ye shall be holy men, neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field, ye shall cast it to the dogs, because ye are holy men unto Me." Must the people of Israel manifest their holiness in this, that they must eat nothing torn by beasts, but cast it unto dogs? Or was the holiness of the people of Israel such as God required them, that they must eat nothing that was torn by beasts? What then is the holiness of the infinite God?
Our services that we perform are of themselves such as are torn by our beastly lusts many times; how many are there that bring sacrifices to God that are as a carrion that swine have been tearing beforehand, and yet these are the sacrifices that they bring to God, and not only think that God should accept of them, but they do rest upon them for their acceptation to eternal life. How infinitely are these people mistaken, how little do they know of God, or of the way of acceptation to eternal life! That is the first use.
2 Secondly, if all this be required for the sanctifying of God's Name in duties, that we cannot perform the duties of worship without this behavior of soul, hence we see that the work of religion is a hard and difficult work to flesh and blood. A main work of religion is the work of worshipping of God, for indeed those that are not religious and godly, they never worship God to any purpose; then we come to worship God when we begin to be religious and godly. Now it must needs be a busy work to be a religious and a godly man, because there is so much required in the sanctifying of God's Name in holy duties; many people think it a very easy matter to worship God, and the worship that they tender up to God is an easy matter, there is little in it. If it were nothing else to worship God but merely to go and say a few prayers, and come and hear a sermon, and take a piece of
bread and wine, then it were the easiest matter in the world to come and worship God; but there is more required in the duties of God's worship then thou hast been acquainted with; there is a power of godliness in it.
That text of Scripture is a very famous one that shows the difficulty that there is in the worship of God, and how men are mistaken in thinking it such an easy and slight matter to worship God. It is in Josh. 24:16-19, where Joshua doth call upon the people to worship
God, and they came off presently and said they would worship Him (so you shall find them profess, verse 16.) But mark what the Text saith in verse 19, "And Joshua said unto the people, 'Ye cannot serve the Lord, for He is an holy God, He is a jealous God, and He will not forgive your transgressions and your sins,'" As if he should say, You think it is nothing to serve the Lord, and that it is an easy matter to serve Him, you think to put off God with anything. Alas, you cannot serve the Lord for He is a holy God, and a jealous God and you must have other manner of hearts than yet you have, and you must understand His worship in another manner than yet you do; the Lord will be sanctified in those that draw nigh Him and therefore, until you understand God and His ways and worship, you cannot serve the Lord. Know that the work of religion is a very hard and difficult work, for it requireth all this, and therefore the soul had need be very diligent and laborious that would come to worship God in a right way.
3 Thirdly, hence is a use of humiliation to us all, even to the best of us; oh, how little, how little hath the best of us all sanctified the Name of God! How far have we all come short of the sanctifying of God's Name in holy duties! And when we look abroad in the world and see what poor service God hath generally from the men and women of the earth, it should make our hearts bleed within us.
Where almost is the man or woman that, according to that text in Isaiah, "Stirs up himself to take hold on God," and I verily believe that in the opening of this point of sanctifying the Name of God in holy duties, that I have been in the bosoms of as many as in the
opening of any point whatsoever; and as many may have cause to lay their hands upon their hearts and say, Certainly I have come short of what is required here, and have not been acquainted with this way, this mystery of godliness in sanctifying God's Name in holy duties as I ought to be. O, be humbled for this, for all the uncleanness of your hearts in the performance of duties.
In Exod. 27:4, 5, you read that at the Altar where the sacrifices were to be offered, the Lord required that there should be a grate made.
"Thou shalt make for it (meaning the Altar) a grate of network of brass, and upon the net shalt thou make four brass rings in the four corners thereof, and thou shalt put it under the compass of the Altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the Altar." There was as it were a grate for the ashes of the Altar to go through, as you have grates in your fires to make them burn clear, and for the ashes to fall down, so the Lord would have such a grate for the ashes of the Altar to fall down. We had need of such a grate. Oh, the ashes, and dirt, and filth, that there is in our services when we come to offer and tender them up to God! So that we have cause, I say, to be humbled for holy offerings.
There be many godly people that through God's mercy are able to keep from gross sins, they do not find it any great matter to keep from company, swearing, drinking, uncleanness, lying or wronging of others, and such kind of sins as those are, so that they see not such need of humiliation in this regard, unless it be for that their natures are as corrupt as any, though they break not forth into those actual gross sins. But the main work of the humiliation of those that are godly, it is to be humbled for their thoughts, for the misspending of time, and for not sanctifying of God's Name in holy duties, those are the main things that are the subject of the humiliation of the saints, beside the body of sin and death that they carry about with them.
And it would be a good sign that thy heart hath some tenderness in it when thou makest these to be the matter of thy humiliation.
Carnal people little are troubled for these if they fall into such sins, as their consciences do fly in their faces, then they are troubled and humbled; but for such things as these are, they are seldom humbled.
To be humbled for thy holy offerings is a good sign of a gracious heart. We read of the cherubims that they had six wings, and with two of their wings the text saith they covered their faces. So, my brethren, we had need have wings as it were to cover our best duties.
They had wings, and with two they covered their legs, and with two their faces: we had need, not only of a covering for our lower parts and meaner duties, but a covering of our holy duties, to cover our faces, our best duties of all, the most heavenly duties we perform had need be purged by the blood of Christ.
In Levit. 16:16, we read of their holy things, that there was need of purging of them by blood; and so it should be in our holy duties. Let us be humbled for our best performance that ever we performed in our lives, the best had need be so. But then as for others that have made little or no conscience of sanctifying of God's Name, how had they need be humbled? Thou hast something more to repent of then thou thoughtest of; for the truth is, those that have not made conscience of sanctifying of God's Name in holy duties, they never in all their lives did any service for the honor of God; thou hast lived perhaps thirty, or forty, it may be sixty years or more, and didest never yet honor God in any one thing that ever thou didest in all thy life.
You will say, God forbid: have not I prayed, and heard the Word much, and received the communion often, and yet have I never honored God?
If thou hast not been acquainted with this mystery of godliness in sanctifying His Name in these things, this is said from God to thee this morning, that thou hast never done any one action to the honor of God: thou hadest need begin presently for thy time is not long, and wilt thou go out of this world and the name of God never to be honored by thee?
Yea and further, thou hast lost all thy duties, all the time hath bin lost that thou hast been in performance of duties, now it is an ill thing to idle away time in the things of the world. When a man hath an opportunity for to gain in the world, if so be he loses his time and neglects it, we account it a very sad thing to him, but now to lose our trading time for heaven (for the times of the worshipping of God are our trading times for heaven) that's sad indeed. And yet thou that makest not conscience of sanctifying the Name of God in holy duties, all the time thou hast spent is lost.
And yet further, you that have been false in the performance of duties, and hypocrites, not only all your pains and labor is quite lost
(for if that were all it might be well with you) but you have aggravated your sins by your holy duties. Those duties that others have enjoyed communion with God in, and furthered their eternal life by, thou hast aggravated thy sins by them, yet it was thy duty to do them. But I say, by not sanctifying of God's Name, thou hast aggravated thy sins so much the more. As those that are godly, they work out their salvation, even in their natural actions they sanctify
God's Name, in eating and drinking, and following their business; they perform those actions in such a holy manner, as they honor God in them, and further their eternal peace; but as they in their natural and civil actions work out their salvation so thou in the very religious actions doest work out thy damnation. Certainly, wicked men that are not acquainted with this work of godliness to sanctify God's
Name in holy duties, they work out their damnation even in the performance of them.
You will say, then they had better not do them.
Yes, they are bound to do them; but they are bound to do them in a right manner, as sometimes I have given you this instance, and it is a full and a clear one, to show that men are bound to perform holy duties and not to leave them undone, and yet they may further their own damnation while they are doing of them. As for example, if so be that a King should appoint a man to come into his presence such a
day to petition for his life, which he hath forfeited by the Law, if he do not come he may be a dead man. But now if this man be drunk on that day, and come drunk into the King's presence, he may be a dead man too, for presuming to come drunk before him; so wicked and ungodly men, whether they worship or worship not, they are in danger to perish. But of this more when we come to show that God will be sanctified.
In the fourth place here is a use of exhortation, that seeing we have this truth thus presented to us and opened before us; O that we had hearts to apply ourselves now to it with all our might, to seek to sanctify the Name of God when we draw nigh to Him. The Lord hath shown thee what it is that He requires of thee; make conscience of it for time to come, thou doest not know what blessed communion thou mayest have with God if thou doest make conscience of this.
The truth is, if you have not been acquainted with this, you have not been acquainted with the way of a Christian in his enjoyment of communion with God, thou doest not know what the comfort of a Christian life means; do but make trial of this for time to come, and thou wilt find more comfort in the ways of godliness, and more thriving in them in one quarter of a year than thou hast done before in seven years. One Christian that keeps close to God in holy duties and sanctifies the Name of God in them, I say finds more comfort with God, and grows on in godliness more in one quarter of a year, then the other doth in seven years that goes on in an ordinary, dull, and formal way in the performance of the duties of worship.
Some there are in our time that cry out of duties, and what need we trouble ourselves so much? Those that know not how to sanctify
God's Name, they think lightly of them. But now do you apply yourselves fully, as you are able, to this that I am speaking of, and you will find yourselves to be, as it were, in another world; you will be able to say, well, I have not yet understood what it was to enjoy communion with God in prayer, in Word, and in sacraments before, this will make your faces shine in your conversations if you would do
it; and now to that end that you may do it, there are these two or three things that I would propound to you.
1 In the first place, learn to know God more with whom you have to do, and present those things that you have heard before you in your meditations, when as you are to come to God in prayer, or in any other duty, and when you are worshipping of God, remember that you have to do with God and none else. You are every time you come to perform holy duties to be as a man or woman separated from all things.
Valerius Maximus tell a story of a young noble man that attended upon Alexander while he was sacrificing, this nobleman held his censer for incense, and in the holding of it, there fell a coal upon his flesh and burnt it so as the very scent of it was in the nostrils of all that were about him, and because he would not disturb Alexander in his service, he resolutely did not stir to put off the fire from him, but holds still his censer. If heathens made such ado in their sacrificing to their idol gods that they would mind it so as no disturbance must be made whatever they endured, what care should we have then of ourselves when we come to worship the high God? And so, Josephus he reports of the priests that were sacrificing in the temple when
Pompey brake into them with armed men, and though they might have fled and saved their lives, yet they would not leave off their sacrificing but were slain by the soldiers. They did so mind it as a matter of great consequence. Oh, that we could mind the duties of God's worship as matters of great moment, that so we might learn to sanctify the Name of God in the performance of them more than ever we have done.
2 When thou comest to worship, take heed thou doest not come in thine own strength. For there is more required in sanctifying the Name of God than thy strength is able to carry thee on in, and therefore act thy faith upon Jesus Christ every time thou comest to worship God, not only as I said before, to tender up thy services in His name, but act thy faith upon Christ to give thee strength to do
what thou hast to do. And what strength thou hast received from Christ be sure to stir it up; many godly men and women have more strength than they know of themselves; and if they would but stir up that strength that they have received, they might sanctify the Name of God a great deal more than they do. Therefore, remember that text before mentioned, none stirs up himself to take hold on God.
Quicken up thy heart and rouse up thy spirit when thou art to worship God.
3 Whenever thou art worshipping of God, do not satisfy thyself merely in the duty done, but consider, do I sanctify God's Name in the duty? Every time thou worshipest Him, examine thy heart whether thou doest it yea or no. And if thou findest that thou hast not attained in some comfortable measure to this that hath been presented to thee, let the shame and the sorrow for that abide upon thy spirit until the next time thou comest to worship God. At such a time I have been worshipping of God, and God knows I have been stirring up my heart in some measure, but I find my heart dead, wandering sluggish, and dull; I say, when thou findest thou canst not do it according to what is required in any comfortable measure, let the shame and sorrow of heart for it abide upon thee till the next time thou comest to worship God, and that will mightily help thee.
Thou art now praying, and thou canst not now get up thy heart to what is required; the next time thou comest to prayer, come in the shame and sorrow of thy heart for the want of sanctifying God's
Name the last time, and so for hearing of the Word, or receiving the sacraments and this will further thee mightily for the sanctifying the Name of God in holy duties.
But now that all may be sealed up unto you, and so that we may close the point, know that God will be sanctified in those that draw nigh to Him. And there are these two things in the point.
First, if we do not sanctify God's Name, God will sanctify His Name in a way of justice.
Secondly, if we do sanctify His Name, then He will sanctify His Name in a way of mercy towards us.
For the first, God will manifest that He is displeased with such duties that thou doest perform, He will manifest it one way or other that He is a holy God, and He doth not accept of such unholy things as thou doest tender up to Him; for the truth is, if God should accept of such unholy things from men, God may be said to be like unto themselves.
As a man if he doth entertain any as his familiar friend that is naught and wicked, it is his disgrace and dishonor; a man may sometimes employ in some business those that are naught and wicked, and it may be no disgrace to him, but if he doth entertain one in his house that is wicked, it is a dishonor to him.
So God may employ the most wicked men in the world in some outward services, but if He should accept of them in His worship, it would be a dishonor to God, and therefore God, that He might sanctify His own Name, He will manifest His displeasure at one time or other against such duties of worship; you that perform worship in a formal manner, and with unclean vile hearts, I say, it stands upon the honor of God if He will manifest Himself a holy God, He must manifest some displeasure against that way of thy worshipping of Him. This one meditation one would think should mightily sink into the heart of any man that hath an enlightened conscience, to think thus, it stands upon the holiness of God, and He cannot appear to be a holy God except He doth some way or other appear to be against me in such duties that I tender up unto Him.
Now you will say, how doth God appear, that He doth not accept of them? He will appear in these three things:
1 First by blasting those that do worship Him thus in a formal way: it shall at first be secret, but afterwards it will appear more apparently, and we see it by experience that such as have been professors of religion, and worship God in hypocrisy, and in formality, they have been blasted in their parts and common gifts. The judgement of God
upon Nadab and Abihu that did not sanctify God's Name it was secret at first; it struck them dead, and though by fire, yet if you read the story, you shall find that their clothes were not burnt, and yet they were burnt in their bodies. So, the Lord sometimes doth blast men inwardly in their spirits, in their souls, in their parts, in their common gifts. He blasts them, I say, inwardly though it doth not appear outwardly, yet at length it will appear before men that they are blasted, and in these times of the Gospel the Lord doth come with spiritual judgments rather than with outward temporal judgements.
In the time of the Law, those that did not sanctify the Name of God in holy duties, the Lord did appear by some external and visible way upon their bodies; but now in the time of the Gospel there God comes with more spiritual judgements upon men's souls, and those are the most terrible judgements.
We have a notable Scripture for this in Isa. 29:13, 14, how God doth blast those that do not sanctify His Name in holy duties, "Wherefore the Lord said, 'Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear towards Me is taught by the precepts of men.'" Mark what follows, "'Therefore behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work amongst this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.'" What do they come and draw near Me with; their lips and their hearts are far from Me, and do they worship Me in a formal way? I'll take away the wisdom from the wise, and the understanding from the prudent. And that is the reason why so many great scholars are blasted in their very parts, because they would worship God according to the precepts of men, in a formal way; and so, all hypocrites and formal worshippers the Lord doth blast them in one way or other, the judgements of God upon the spirits of men were sometimes in the time of the Law. But in the times of the Gospel there we find generally the judgements of God to be more spiritual upon the hearts and consciences of men; we find it by experience
God doth discover that He doth not accept of such as those are; and
therefore when you see any that have made profession of religion, that had excellent parts at first, many common gifts, and now are, as we say, no body, remember this text, "That God will be sanctified in those that come nigh Me."
Secondly the Lord doth manifest that He will be sanctified in those that draw nigh Him by awakening their consciences many times upon their sick beds and death beds; the Lord doth force them to give glory to Him, and there to acknowledge that they did not worship God in uprightness but in formality. And now they are in horror of conscience and cry out in the anguish of their souls upon the apprehension of the dreadful wrath of God that is upon them.
Take heed for the Lord's sake of this thing, when you are performing of the duties of worship, do not rest in the outward duties for they will never comfort you upon your sick and death beds. You may perhaps put off your consciences a little for the present, but when you come upon your sick beds there will be no comfort unto you, and then you will be forced to say, well, all this while I have but taken the Name of God in vain, and now God hath rejected me and all my services. And you will then speak to those that come about your bedside and bid them take warning by you, take heed that when you worship God, you worship Him to purpose; I have spent time in prayer, and hearing; but for want of this I find I have no comfort at all, but the Lord appears to be terrible to my soul and comes out against me as an enemy. I say now God's Name is sanctified; whatever becomes of thee, He will force glory from thee one way or other, and it may be even here in this time of thy life. But however, at the great day, when the secrets of all hearts must be disclosed before men and angels, then the Lord will appear to be a holy God by rejecting all such services that thou didest tender up to Him. And it will then be a great part of the work of the day of Judgment for God to be sanctified in those that did worship Him, by declaring before men and angels how He did reject such formal and hypocritical worship that they did tender up unto Him. Oh, that God would strike this upon your hearts, that it may abide upon you every time you come to worship Him to think thus, let me look to it to sanctify His
Name now, for I hear that God will sanctify it Himself if I do not do it.
But then on the other side, if so be that thou makest conscience of sanctifying God's Name in duties, then He will sanctify His Name in a way of mercy; that is, He will manifest how He doth accept of the least degree of holiness though there be much mixture. God hath a way to take away the mixture by the blood of His Son, and then to accept of any holiness He sees in thee, He will sanctify His name by meeting with thee, and revealing His glory to thee when thou art worshiping of Him. There is an excellent Scripture for this, Exodus
29:43, "There I will meet with the children of Israel and the Tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory." Thou that hast a gracious heart and art worshiping of God in sincerity, thou art as a Tabernacle of God, and God hath His service and worship from thee, thou art as the Temple of God, "and there will I meet with thee (saith
God) and I will sanctify My Tabernacle by My glory." God will sanctify thy heart by His glory if thou doest sanctify His Name.
Further, thou shalt (it may be) not always have such glorious comforts, the full beams of the sun rising upon thee, but at one time or other the Lord will break in upon thee and manifest His glory to thee, and it is like if thou hast not such full comforts now, yet upon thy sick bed, though God doth not then always manifest Himself fully, for sometimes the disease may be a hinderance, yet it is ordinary that those that in their constant way did sanctify God's
Name in holy duties they do lie comfortably upon their sick beds, and a glorious entrance is made for them into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And then again, all things are sanctified unto them; as on the other side, those that do not sanctify God's Name all things are cursed to them, if thou doest not make conscience of sanctifying God's Name in duties, God cares not to sanctify anything for thy good. But now, those that make conscience of sanctifying God's Name in holy duties,