How to Worjhip God in Church .;fjfemblies. CHAP. IX. How to beiMW o11r felws i11 tl1e publick Ajfeniblies, and the worjhip tl,ere pe1[orm~ ed, and after t/,em. See myTrear. I Have purpofely given fuch particular Di.re~ions in 1om. 2. on .this fubjet'r, and written of the Lords fo many Books about it, and faid fo much alfo 1n the Cafes of Confctence, that I fhall here only d1y, and my caft in a few common Directions, leil th_e Readerthink ~make a baw~. . . ~~~~c~:Div. Direct. r. Let your prepuations m fccret and m your famtly on the begmnmg of the Dirtl1. 1 • Lords dayes, be fuch as conducc to fit you for the pub\kk Worihip. Run not to Church as un· Ecd. r. 1 , 1 , godly people do, with a carnal heart, that never fought God before you went, nor confidered what 3, .,. you go about; As if all your Rdigion were to make up the number of the: auditors ; and you t Ptt. 2..1, 2.. rhought God mufi not be wor01ipped and obeyed, at home, .but only in the Church. God may in P";;·•· ';t' mercy meet with an unprepared heart, and open his eyes and heart, and fave him; But he hath tot een • made no promi(e of it to any fuch. He that goeth to Wor01ip that God at Church, whom he forgerreth and defpifeth in his heart and houfe, '?ay expect to be defpifed by hirr_>· 0 confider what it is for a!inner that mu{\ lhorrly d!C, to go with the fervants of God to worfh1p h1m? to pray for his falvarion, and to hear what God bath to fay to him by his Miniflcr, for the •life of his immortal foul? ' · Direct. 2· Enter not into the holy Affembly either (uperflitioufly or unrevercntly. Not as if Direl/. 2• the bending of the knee, and mumbling over a few words with a carelefs ignorant mine\, and fpending an hour there ascareltfly, would fave your fouls: Nor yet as if the Relation which the rPOrjhip, theworjhippers and the dedicated Place have unto God, deferved not a fpccial honour and tegud. Though God be ever with us, every where; yet every Time, and Place, and perfon, and bufinefs is not equally Related to God. And Holintfs is no unfit attribution, for that Company or that Place, which is Relared to God, though but by the lawful ftparation and dedicarion of man. To be uncovered in thofc Countreys where uncovering fignifieth Reverence, is very well becoming a reverent foul ; except when the danger of cold forbids it. It is an unhappy effect of our ·Contentions, that many that fcem moll reverent and holy, in their high regard of holy things, do yet carry themfclves with more unreverent deportment, than thofc that themfelves account prophanc. God is the God of Soul and Body, and mufl be wor01ipped by both: And while thty arc united, the actions of one are helpful to the mher, as well as due and decent. Direct. 3· If you can come at the beginning, that fOU may !hew your attendance upon God, and Df ttl• • your efieem of all his wor01ip. Erpecially in our Affemblics, where fo great a part of the duty, (as r 3 Confdfion, Praifes, Reading the Scriptures,) arc all at the beginning. And it is meet that you theu:by (hew that you prelcr publick worn1ip before private, and that necdlcfs bufinetfcs keep you notaway. Direct. 4· If you arc free, and can do it lawfuJly, choofe the mofl able holy Teacher that you can • have, and be nor indifferent whom you hear: t'or 0 how great is the difference; and how bad arc D'retJ. 4• our hearts? and how grear our ncceffity of thedrarrj! doctrine, and the Livclycfl helps. Nor be you indifferent what manner o( people you}oyn vuth, nor what manner of worUJipis there performed; But in all choofe the Bdl when you are free. But where you are nOt free, or can have no better, refufe not to make ufe of weaker Teachers, or to communicate with faulty Congregations in a defective faulry manner of worfl1ip, fo be it, you are not compelled to fin. And think not chat alJ the faulrs of the Prayers, or ~ommunicants are imputed to all that joyn with them in that worlhip. For then w~c lhould joyn wirh none in allrhe World. ' Direct. 5· When the Miniflcr is weak, be the more watchful againfl prejudice and fluggiflme!S of v· {1 heart, le,fl you lofeall. Mark that Word of God which he readetb to you, and r<verence and Love, '" '5• ~nd lay up that. It was the Law Read and mcditatrd on, which David faith the Godly do delight Pfal. r. ,, l· m. The facred Scnptures arc not fo obfcure and ufelefs as the Pap1fis do pretend, but convert the Pfal. u.. 6, ;. foul, and are abl: to make us wife unto falvation. Chrifi went ordinarily to the Synagogaes where & 19. 7, S, 9• even bad men, d1d read Mojis and the Prophers enry Sabbath day. Thtre are thoufands that cannot Read themfclvcs, who mull come to the Alfcmbly to hear that word read, which they cannot read or hear at home. EvC"ry fc:ntence of Scripture hath a divine excellency and therefore had we nothing buttheReading of it, and that by a bad malt, a holy foul may 'profi; by it. D.n/.l:. 6. Mmd not fo much rhe caf< of otlms prrfent as your jilvu: And think not fo much how DirrC1. (;. bld fitch an~ fuch. aone is, and unworthy to be there, as hpw ba~ y~u arc your fdves, and unworthy of commumon w1th the peopL: of che Lo~d_, and what a mercy tt ts thtt you ha..ve admittance, and arc not cafl out from thofe holy opportumtl<s. Direct.
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