From thence the Note is this:1 That Idolatry and False-worship doth not only continue in succession, but in every age there will be an addition. Oh my Brethren! let the True Worship of God then, not only continue, but multiply. Idolaters they will make this no argument, Why should we be wiser than our fore-fathers? No, they will go beyond their fore-fathers in way of false Worship, And yet, how many among us will be pleading against Reformation with this argument, Why should not we content our selves with what our fore-fathers did? our fore-fathers knew not of ⟨p. 82⟩such new ways of Worship as you tell us of. But now my Brethren, if our fore-fathers reformed a little, let us bless God for what they did, but let us add more, to raise up the Worship of God yet higher and higher, as in Psal. 71. 14. 2But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. The words may be read thus: I will ad unto thy praise, 3O Lord: Thou hast had praise, indeed formerly thou hadst praise from others; Oh! but I will do something to add to thy praise, I will praise thee more and more: so every generation should strive to praise God more & more, to add to Gods praise, to find out more of Gods Truths, to add to the purity of Gods Worship, and to cast out superstition more than our fore-fathers have done: it was an argument of a great deal of praise in our fore-fathers to do what they did, and (I say) we are to bless God for them,4 that the Lord put such a spirit into them, but know that that which was accepted of from our fore-fathers, will not be accepted of from us, God expects that we should add to the praise of God. Men desires to ad more and more to the States of their Progenitors,5 and so your Children they will add a little to the estates that you leave them; and so men account it their ambition to raise their families.6 My Brethren, we should have an holy Ambition by practice of Religion more and more in every age, as Jehu said in 2 King. 10. 18. Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu shall serve him much: So others; as he said of false worship, though in a feigned way; we should say of the true Worship of God, we have served the Lord a little, but we will serve him more; we have more mercies than they had, more light than they had, if they served God a little, we will serve him more.
From thence the Note is this:1 That Idolatry and False-worship doth not only continue in succession, but in every age there will be an addition. Oh my Brethren! let the True Worship of God then, not only continue, but multiply. Idolaters they will make this no argument, Why should we be wiser than our fore-fathers? No, they will go beyond their fore-fathers in way of false Worship, And yet, how many among us wil be pleading against Reformation with this argument, Why should not we content our selves with what our fore-fathers did? our fore-fathers knew not of ⟨p. 82⟩such new waies of Worship as you tell us of. But now my Brethren, if our fore-fathers reformed a little, let us bless God for what they did, but let us add more, to raise up the Worship of God yet higher and higher, as in Psal. 71. 14. 2But I will hope continually, and wil yet praise thee more and more. The words may be read thus: I will ad unto thy praise, 3O Lord: Thou hast had praise, indeed formerly thou hadst praise from others; Oh! but I will do something to add to thy praise, I will praise thee more and more: so every generation should strive to praise God more & more, to add to Gods praise, to find out more of Gods Truths, to add to the purity of Gods Worship, and to cast out superstition more than our fore-fathers have done: it was an argument of a great deal of praise in our fore-fathers to do what they did, and (I say) we are to bless God for them,4 that the Lord put such a spirit into them, but know that that which was accepted of from our fore-fathers, wil not be accepted of from us, God expects that we should add to the praise of God. Men desires to ad more and more to the States of their Progenitors,5 and so your Children they will add a little to the estates that you leave them; and so men account it their ambition to raise their families.6 My Brethren, we should have an holy Ambition by practice of Religion more and more in every age, as Jehu said in 2 King. 10. 18. Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu shall serve him much: So others; as he said of false worship, though in a fained way; we should say of the true Worship of God, we have served the Lord a little, but we will serve him more; we have more mercies than they had, more light than they had, if they served God a little, we will serve him more.
- 1Observ.
- 2Ps. 71. 14.
- 3illustrated.•llustrated.
- 4More expected of us than of our Ancestors.More expected of us than of our Ancesters.
- 5As in outward estates.
- 6Holy Ambition.
