Hopkins - HP BR75 .H65 1710

5· 5· 100 An Expojition upon the baptiz..ed wuy one of you if! the name of'Jcfus Chrift. And for the Communion of the BOdy and Blood of ~hn(t, fe~ ;Lule 22. 19. , Do this in remembrance of me. Which Command they do hcmoufly VIOlate., and refufe to give the moft evident Sign and 'Tejfera that they arc Chrifhans, who either totally negletl:, or elfc very feldom at· tend this moft Holy and Spiritual. Ordinance. Secondly, We ~nd that God doth f~verely both threaten.and punifh fuch as give externa~ Worllup to any otjler but h1mfelf: How often are the lfraclites reproved for bowmg the Knee to Baal, for baking Cakes to the Quee.n of Heaven? Yea, and very uli.Ja\ly Idolatry is fet forth in Scripture by fame of thofc vifiblc ACtions which fame of thefe falfe Worfhipcrs tifed to exprefs their Devotion towards their falfe Deities, as bowing the Body unto them; c:Jqjh. 23. r6. Serued orhe,·gods, and bowed your • folvtS unto them, ']ud?;es 2. I 2, I 7; &c. Kijfing the hand umo them in token of reverence. c:fob 31. 26.J 27. If /beheld the fun when it j!Jined, or the moon walking in brightnefs; mtd my heaft bath btcnfecrttly inticed, or my mouth hathkijfod my hand: This al{o were an iniquity to be punijhcd by the judge; for I j1m1ld have denied the God that is abtt'fle. So likewife bowing the Knee to any Idol, and kiffing it; Hof. T 3· 2. Let the men that facrifict, ki.fs the calves. And fo when Elijah complained of the tot1l defettion of the lfraelius from the Service of the true God, unto Idolatry; God to comfort and encourage him, tell~ him, That he alone was not fingnlar, but that there were [even thoufand in Jfrael, ':11 the htus that had not bowed unto !Jaal, and every mouth which had not ~iffid him, T Kmgs 19. 18. And therefore certamly fince he makes fa punttual a Compu-:- tJtion of thofe who had not alienated their Bodily Worfuip to the Service of an Idol he cloth refpetl: and accept: thofe who in Faith and Sincerity tender it to himfelf. Thirdly, God hath created the whole Man, both Sonl and Body for himfelf, and he fuftains b()th in their being; and therefore he expeCts Homage and Service from both: from the Soul as the chief feat ofWorlhip; from the Body as the bell Tcfl:imony of it. Fourthly, Not only our Souls, but our Bodies too are redeemed by Chrill:; and therefore both fhould be imployed jn his Worfhip and Service: The whole Man is bought with a Price, the whole is jull:ificd, the whole is fanCl::ified; yea, our very Bodies arc C1id to be the Temples of the Holy Gholl, I Or. 6 . 19. And where fl10uld God be worfhiped, or that Worfhip appear, but in his Temple? And therefore upon the account of that Purchafe which Chrift hath made of us to himfelf, the Apoftle draws this Inference in the aforepmentioned pla~e, Ye are not your own, for yt art bOught with a frict; wherefore ~!lo_rifit ~od in your bodies, and in your fpirits, whi~h are God's. Fifthly, The Body ts ltkew1fc to partake of the Blcffings of Obechence, and there~ fore it is but rcafonable it lhould partake of the Service of Obedience. Many Blef.. fings are promifcd to our outward Man here in this life, and hereafter it is to be made a glorious and incorruptible Body, like uilto the Body of our Lord Jcfus Chrift: It is to be cloathed with Light, and crown'd with Rays, never more to fuffer injuries without, or Difc.afes within; and therefore certainly Duty belongs to it, fince fo many gre3tand unfpeakable Privileges belong unto it. Thus you fee how rcafonably God requires from us the Service not only of the in.. ward, bnt of the outward Man: And therefore we arc not eo flight that outward Reverence which is neceffary to teftifie a due fenfe of his glorious prefence when we come before him; neither muft we rob him of any part either of his Service, or of his Servant, but facrifice our felves intirely unto him; our Bodies upon the Altar of our Souls, Hearts and AffeCtions, and both Soul and Body upon that Altar which a. lone can make both acceptable, even the Lord Jefiis Chrift. This is a fourth Pofition. Fifthly, All that outward Reverence which we thew towards God in his Worihip and Service, muftbe meafilred and eftimated according to the Cuftoms and Ufage of Plas;-es and Countries; fo that what they nfe a5 o fign an!1 expreffion of Honour to their Superiors, they ought much more to ufe it in the prefence of the great God, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. And therefore uncovering of the Head, hawing of the Body, an humble, fubmifs and fettled compofurcof the whole Man, \Vhich among us are but fitting figns ofRefpe8: ~nd Revercn~e; ':'hen we appear i': the prefence of thofe who ate much our Supenours, ought hkew1feto be ufed by us Ln the prefente Of God, who is infinitely fuch, not indeed that they arc effential parts of \V or!hip, but Signs and Tellimonies of it. Sixthly,

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=