S a c r.Xl. inGods Stat,rtrs, and kerning his ftrdgtments. t5; of before; fo that he is ofabrutifh, blinde minde, an unclean healthat never, chewed the cud, who doth not confider and well advife about the worfhip of God, but takes every thingout ofcuftom, and what is obtruded uponhim c but a godly man is of a more noble rational fpirir, he will fearch the scripture whe- ther fuch things are to bedone or no. Fourthly, Therefore the godly arediligent in the pure tsorfhipofGod, beeuufeGod 4. draweth nigh in theft religious Deities'; where every thing is done according to his will, there he delights to be prelim ; How" many.glorious bleffings did God promife tohis pureworship in the Temple, till they defiled it by abomination and thenhedef Toyed both the Nation and theTemple. Where therefore the Pureworship andordinances ofGod are, there he walker!), there he poureth Qtit his leve. .The Church is then in noorange habit, but the beautiful) Orna- ments God bath decked her witb;and when Gods wotfhip is chus purelyperfor- med, he addeth to their graces ; Nonefeek Godsface in vain, his promifk and inft tution go along together; let a man a thoufand times over ufe fuch Cere- monies and worship God bath not commanded,hewill "never be the more holy: There cannot be any fpiriruall effefl communicated unto him, becaufe God willonely work where he bath promifed,and hispromife is onlytohisownin- ftitutions. Fi`thly,They are carefultoobfervehisStatate-worn%ip,becaafeitisaDotytoGd; i-1 f e is their Lord -and Goditheir Soveraign fromwhom they haveall,andoutward worship is a paying of homage to him, as an humble and fubmillive acknow- ledgement of God ; Come (faith the Pfalmifl) let osfalldown and ooríhip before him, becaufe he hathmade tee and not 'We our felves; All folemn religious Duties, they arenot onelyinftituted means of grace, but folemn teftifications and ac, knowledgemer.ts ofour humility, fubmiftîon, dependenceupon God, and es; altationof his great excellency ; fothat if thegodly man fhould be negligent here, he fhouldnot give unto-God that which is Gods : And hereby is greatly difcovered the falfhood and actogancy ofchore fpirits who think they are above Ordinances ; for fuppofe (which is not in this lifé') An thou were already fo holy and perfe.h that thou wert above any benefits by the Ordinances, that thou didft not need the benefit oftheWord preached, and the Sacraments; yet thon carat not be above them; asthey are cellification: of thy duty towards God :: Hence the Angels in Heaven they worship and ferve God according to their Men that way, and wilt thou (O vain man I) let up thy felfon fo high a pinacle,'as nöt obey are at . to worfhipGod ? RememberOrdinancesare notonly menns of grace, but lo- Ordinances. lemn reftificationsofour humility and dependancy on Gird. Vieof Examination; Try.thework ofgrace in you by this particular, how Oft. tender and carefall are youabout.the worfhip"of God ? Are you fatal who pray for thepurity ofOrr inances, to have every thing inChurch-affemblies done ac- cordingto the paten:in theScripeare?David cried opt,Haw omioble aredhyTaber. moles, OLord of hoffe ? In what zeal was Chrifl, when be law the Temple of God turnedintoo den of thieves ? What holy inve&ives doth Paul in his Epiftles makeagainfìfuperftitionswo tthip? yet how few are the men that Mimic the pure inllittoed wotfhipof. God, that would have the fountains of (five/ with= out themixture ofany mud in them? Outward oppreftions in Popery were ,no- thing fo heavy upon the godly, as the corrupt mixtures in Gods worship; but if you observe thegeneraldifpofltion.of men they are wholly carried out to fome fenfible fuperftitious wayesofworship. They lode not the frmplicity and purity of Gods wocfhip. It is great proficiency inChriftianity not to have our mends corrupted herein. As childrendelight in babies- lodomen in tome wor- Ihips ache* own that theyhave made. What is Popery but a meet ftageplay in theworíhipofGod? And if you ask of hundredsofCeremonies they have, Whofe ¡Marge andSoperfcriprionis upon them ? you fhail finde none of Gods im- printedtin them. There were the Statute§ titheHeathens,Levie.ao. and theft Cccc a the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=