SERMON VII.

What our Duties are in the Houfe of God; And how we ought to Perform them There.

The Third SERMON on this Text.

ECCLES. V. 1.

-Keep thy Foot when thou goest to the Houfe of God.

T

HE Four Things I proposed to confider are,

I. The Inftitution of the Sab

bath, both Jewish and Christian.

II. What

II. What Reasons we Chriftians have Religiously to keep the Chriftian Sabbath. III. How we are to Prepare ourselves for the Duties of it in the Houfe of God.

IV. What our Duty is There, and how we ought to perform it.

The three Former of these I have already fpoken to, and now come in the

IVth Place to confider, What our Duty is in the House of God, and how we ought to Perform it there.

For the more diftinct handling of which, I fhall confider,

I. The General Duty; and

II. The Particular Duties that we have to Perform there.

I.

As to the Ift, The General Bufinefs or Duty that we have to perform in the House of God, is the Worship of God.

By our Worship of God, I mean Our Solemn doing Homage to him as the Lord of All; upon the Score of the tranfcendent Excellencies and Infinite Perfection of his Nature; which comprehends all glorious Attributes; Unfearchable Wisdom, Uncontroulable Power, and infinite Majesty, Mercy, Holinefs and Truth; and all other Characters both of Greatness and Goodness in their moft Superlative Degree; and as fuch a Being, a Being infinitely Great and Good, we Admire and Adore him.

But

But we Worship him, not only as Great, and Good in himself, but as Good and Gracious unto Us; the Author and Preserver of our Beings, the Giver of all good Gifts, and of all the Bleffings and Comforts we enjoy, and the Foundation of all our Hopes.

Now all the Honour and Glory that We poor Creatures are capable of doing to God, is, by our Religious Worship of him; that is, by a profound fecret Veneration of his tranfcendent Excellencies in our Hearts and Minds, and by the open Acknowledgment, and Solemn Celebration of them.

This implies both an Internal and External Worship.

1. Internal or Inward Worship is Our Worshiping God with the Heart; It is the Bowing down and Humbling our Souls before him, in awful Apprehenfions of his glorious Majefty, his fpotlefs Purity, his Unfa thomable Wisdom and Almighty Power; and in full Belief of his Prefence with us, his Providence over us, and his conftant Inspection of all our Actions, and into all our Thoughts: And as to what concerns Ourselves, in humble Submiflion of Ourfelves, fuch as becomes poor Dependent Creatures before their Great Creator; and in fuch a deep Senfe of our own Vileness and Unworthinefs, as becomes Sinful Creatures before a God effentially Pure and Holy.

And

And this Inward Veneration of God will fhew itself, in Faith in Believing his Threats and Promifes, in Obedience to his Laws and Commandments, in perfect Submiffion to his Will, and to all the Difpenfations of his Providence, and in Hope and Trust in Him in all States and Conditions of Life.

But 2dly, Though this Internal Veneration of the Heart, and thofe pious Affections of Soul that spring from it, are what God chiefly regards as the very Life and Spirit of all, yet That is not fufficient of itself alone, without an Outward Visible Worship: Which Outward Worship comprehends all thofe Vifible Aas of Religion, whereby with all Reverence and Humility we ferve God, according to the beft Knowledge we have of his Will, performing carefully and conftantly all the Holy Duties that he has required, as well as we can, to the Praife and Glory of God, and to our Christian Edification.

This External Worship under the Law confifted very much in Sacrifices and Offerings. But now that under the Gospel Our Worfhip is refin'd and fpiritualiz'd, the most effential and principal Acts of Outward Wor Ship are, Our Solemn Offering up our Prayers and Praifes to God, and our Conftant and Devout Attendance on his Holy Ordinances, his Word and Sacraments, whereby we testify that we defire to live in Communion with God, and to ratify our Covenant with him,

When

When I call Prayers and Sacraments the Outward Acts of Piety, I do not thereby mean, the Love and Fear of God, nor Faith and Trust in him, which are the Spring of our Devotions, but I mean our Outward Attendance on God's Ordinances, and our Vifible Communion in them; Our Vocal Praises and Thanksgivings, and the Outward, Audible, or Vifible Expreffions of them: Nor by the Sacrament do I here mean those Inward Breathings and devout Affections of Soul, that bring us to it, and Prepare us for it, and accompany us in it; but the Outward Signification of them, the Visible Sacramental Participation of the Bread and Wine which the Lord hath commanded to be Received.

But thefe Acts of Worship, though they are in themselves External, yet are they to be accounted as a Part of our Spiritual Worship, inasmuch as they proceed from the good Motions, and are farther'd by the Affiftance of the Holy Spirit, and are Religious Duties of God's own Appointment, used as Spiritual Means, and directed to Spiritual Ends, God's Glory and our own Salvation.

And Thefe, these Outward Visible Acts of Worship, are the best Evidence and properest Testimony of the great Honour and Veneration that we have for God, and of our Belief of his Infinite Perfections: For we thereby plainly declare to the World,