------------·--------- 6So How to Worjhip Got!. i11 a right Mamter. -----~--------------- CHAP. II. Vire8i011s about tbe Manner of Worjhip, tp a1Joid all corruptions, and falje tmac. ceptable Worjhippillg of God,. TH~ h.mcntablc cuntcn.ri?ns that have <~rifc.n about ~~e ~fanHer of Gods. worfhip, and the cru.. clry, and blood, an_!) divJfions, and un.c~autablc: rev1hngs whic_h have tHence followed, and al. fo the nccdTary regard thar every Cht~fttan muft have to wor!htp God according ro his Will do make it needful that I give you iOme Directions in this cafe. ' Dirrft. I• ~ I· Dire&. 1. Be furt tlw y.?u fcrioufly and faithfully prafti[e that in'R'ard 'R'orjhip ofGod in which the lift ofReligion dotiJ co1z{iff: M to lrJVe him above aU, I:J {tar him, believe hint, trujf him, dtfi 11 ht in Rc 3 d (ln this him, be ze,IloHI for hlm : and that yobr Heartr be {anaificd unto God, and{tt upon Heaven and Holi· f,~j,lh fma:I ntfi: for <hiswill be an unfpeakable help !O fct you rightin moft conrro.verfies about rhe woifhippi•g ~~ ;~~~~,1 flfGrJd. N~thmg hath ~o ~uch filled the Church wlthcontenuons, an~dtvifions, and cruelties about nlled CAihll'~ Gods wotflHp.{ as the ag1tarm& of thefe contro_verfies by unhoi.? unexptnenced perfons : when men thu li<k U<it]. hate a holy ltfc, and holy perlons, and the Holmefs of God h1mfelf, muft be they rhat difpute what manner of worfhip mull be offered to God by themfdves and others; and when the: comroverfies about Gods fervice are fallen in.to the hands _of thofe_ th1t hate all ferious ferving of him, you may eafily know whlt work they W1l1 make of Jt. As tf fie~ mm were to determine or difpure what meat and drink themfetvcs a':d a1~ other men_mu_ll live upon, and none muft ear but by their prcfcrJpts, moll hcalthful men would thmk 1t hard to hve 10 fuch a Countrey. As mtn are within, [Q will rhc:y incline to w,nOl;p God without. Outward worfhip is but the expreffion of inward worOUp : He rhat ·hath a heart rcplenilhed with the Love and Fear of God , will be apt fO exprefs it by fuch manner of wor!hip, as doth moll lively and ferioufly exrefs rhe lovt and fiar ofGod. If the heart be a ftraMer or an enemy toGod, no marvel if fuch Worfhip hirh accordingly. 0 could we but help all conu~dtrr about worlhip, to the inward light, and lift, and love, and experience of bol_y firioHr Chrijli.a;u, they would.find enough in themfelver, and their txperitncn, to decide abundance of controverlies of this kind: (Though llill th<re will be fame, th>! require al[o other helps to decide them), It is very obfervable in aH rime.s of the Church, how in Cunnoverlies about Gfldr wJrjhip the generality of the godly ferioru people, and the generality of the ungodly and ludicrous worfhippers, are ordinarily of dilfering judgements! and what a tlroke the remper of the foul harh in the dttermination of fuch cafes! Dirt&. 1 , ~- z, Direa. 2· Be fcri,us and diligent alfoin aU th•fe parts ofthe outward worfl,ip of God that •Ufober Chriftianr are agrud in• for if you b~ negligent and talfe in fo much as you confefr, your judge~ mcnt about the comroverted part is not much to be regarded. God is not fo likely to direct pro· fme ones and falfe hcarced hypocricc:s, and blcfs them with a found judgement in holy things, (where their Lives !hew that their priC!ic.ll judgements are corrupt ), as the fincere that obey him in tluc which he rcvelkth to them. We are all agreed that GJdsWord mufi be your daily mcdi.tati.oiz and ddigiJt : Pf1l. 1. 2- and !ha! you !hould !peak._ of it lying dawn a1td rijing up, at home a1td abroad, D~ut. 6. 6) 7, 8. and rlut we mull be conftant, and fuvent, and iniportmute in prayer, both in pub· lick and priva<e, 1TheJ[. 5· 17. Lul;e 18. •· James 5· ,6. Do you P"form tbi< much faithfully or nor> If you do, you may the more confidently exp,Cl:, that God !hould further reveal his'willlo you, and nfolve your doubts, and guide you in the way that is pleafing to him. But if you omit the duty which aU are agreedon, and be unfaithfu1 and negligent in what you know, how unmeet are )'OU to difjmte about the controverted circ:tm}i:~.nces of duty ? To what purpofe is it, rhu you meddle in fuch controverfies ? Do you do it wilfully to condemn your fclves before God, and thame your fc.lves before men ? bydeclaring the hypocrifie: which aggrav1tcth your ungodlir.efs? What a lothc– forne and pitiful thing is it, to hear a man bitterly reproach rhoft: that differ from him in fo'"'!-e cir– cumftances of wor!hip, when he himfelf never ferioufly woril1ipp:rh God at all> When he m'd1tatcth not on the Word of Gcd, and infiead of deligiJting in it 1 maketh light of it, as if it litde concerned him; and isacquainted with no other prayer than a little cultomuy lip f:::rvicc? [s fuch an ungodly neglel:tcr of all diC ferious worlhip of God, a tit perfon to till the wodd with qumds about the Mamrer of his wor(hip? Dire/1. 3· ~- 3· Direl:t. 3· Differ not in Godr r:'o>jhip from the eommJn fcnfc of the m,if! faithful godly Ch:ifli- ~J111, witbout J!.rtat fofi,ici(Jn of yrmr own uuder(!JndingJ, and a moft diligent try;~l of . the cafe: fqr 1f in tUch practical c.-fcs the common fen[t of the faichful be againtt you, ir is m be l_ufpefrcd th_u the ttllching ofGodr Spirit is againfi you: For the Spiri.t ofGod doth prit~cip;Uy teach h1s fcrvants m the marters of worj11ip and obedience. There arc fevcral errors that I am here w1rning you to avoid: 1. The error of them that nther incline
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=