An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

Fourthly, It's supernatural, and of God, even in respect of the manner of doing all things in the Church. Every solemn duty is to be done as from God, and through him, even in an holy and divine manner. The Minister must preach, as enabled of God: The hearer must hear, as strengthened thereunto of God. The Apostle praiseth the Thessalonians, That they received the Word, not as the word of man, but of God. As the Apostle speaks of his administration of the Gospel, 2 Cor. 2. 17. As of God in the sight of God, so ought all our Church-assemblies to be performed. What Jeremiah then hath his head full enough of water to make lamentation for the formality, customariness, and mere external service that is done to God in our Assemblies? Men are become like Idols, having eyes they see not, ears they hear not, hearts they understand not, whereas our praying, our hearing, our approachings in these Assemblies should be as of God; not Nature, or Custom, or the Laws of men, but the Spirit of God mightily working in us, should put us upon these things: Whereas now we see people in Church-assemblies, finding no more of the gracious power and presence of God, then if they were in their markets, or other civil meetings. As the Apostle said, Do ye seek an experiment of Christ in me? So ought it to be here, we are to demonstrate in our Church-assemblies, experimental works of Christ upon us. As the duty is of God, the Ordinance is of God, so should the frame, and disposition of our hearts be of God.

Fourthly, It's supernatural, and of God, even in respect of the manner of doing all things in the Church. Every solemn duty is to be done as from God, and through him, even in an holy and divine manner. The Minister must preach, as inabled of God: The hearer must hear, as strengthened thereunto of God. The Apostle praiseth the Thessalonians, That they received the Word, not as the word of man, but of God. As the Apostle speaks of his administration of the Gospel, 2 Cor. 2. 17. As of God in the sight of God, so ought all our Church-assemblies to be performed. What Jeremiah then hath his head full enough of water to make lamentation for the formality, customariness, and meer external service that is done to God in our Assemblies? Men are become like Idols, having eyes they see not, ears they hear not, hearts they understand not, whereas our praying, our hearing, our approachings in these Assemblies should be as of God; not Nature, or Custom, or the Laws of men, but the Spirit of God mightily working in us, should put us upon these things: Whereas now we see people in Church-assemblies, finding no more of the gracious power and presence of God, then if they were in their markets, or other civil meetings. As the Apostle said, Do ye seek an experiment of Christ in me? So ought it to be here, we are to demonstrate in our Church-assemblies, experimental works of Christ upon us. As the duty is of God, the Ordinance is of God, so should the frame, and disposition of our hearts be of God.