For first, That God that we come to worship, is a great and glorious God, and we having to deal with such an infinite, glorious, dreadful Majesty, it is fit that we should make preparation when we come nigh unto him: therefore in Exod. 19. 10. when God came among the people to give them his Law, he did require that they should be sanctified to day and to morrow, and that they should wash their clothes and be ready against the third day, for ⟨p. 44⟩the third day the Lord would come down upon mount Sinai in the sight of the people. God did not so much stand upon their clothes, but it was to signify an inward washing. Now my brethren, if when God came to give the Law they were so to prepare, then certainly when we are come to worship God in the way of the Gospel, we are to prepare as well as they, because God is coming, For that that is observable is, Why they were for two days together to make such preparation, the argument is because of the presence of God; The Lord said to Moses, Go and Sanctify the people to day and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day, Why? for the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai: The Lord will come down in the third day, and therefore let them be sanctified. So when thou goest to worship God, thou expectest, or shouldest expect that God will come to thee, and that thy heart shall be drawn to God, and therefore thou shouldest make some preparation. (For the time of preparation we shall speak to afterward when we come to the cases of Conscience about preparation for worship.) And so in Chr. 22 5. 14. David makes preparation for the House of God, because it was the House of God that he had to build, though he could not do it himself in his own time, yet being the House of God, what great preparation was made by David? The moral of which is this, That the House of God being a Type of the Church, and the Worship of God, as well as of Christ; it shows that there should be much preparation when we have to deal with God in his Ordinances.
For first, That God that we come to worship, is a great and glorious God, and we having to deal with such an infinite, glorious, dreadful Majesty, it is fit that we should make preparation when we come nigh unto him: therefore in Exod. 19. 10. when God came among the people to give them his Law, he did require that they should be sanctified to day and to morrow, and that they should wash their cloaths and be ready against the third day, for ⟨p. 44⟩the third day the Lord would come down upon mount Sinai in the sight of the people. God did not so much stand upon their cloaths, but it was to signifie an inward washing. Now my breathren, if when God came to give the Law they were so to prepare, then certainly when we are come to worship God in the way of the Gospel, we are to prepare as well as they, because God is coming, For that that is observable is, Why they were for two daies together to make such preparation, the argument is because of the presence of God; The Lord said to Moses, Go and Sanctifie the people to day and tomorrow, and let them wash their cloaths, and be ready against the third day, Why? for the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai: The Lord will come down in the third day, and therefore let them be sanctisied. So when thou goest to worship God, thou expectest, or shouldest expect that God will come to thee, and that thy heart shall be drawn to God, and therfore thou shouldest make some preparation. (For the time of preparation we shall speak to afterward when we come to the cases of Conscience about preparation for worship.) And so in Chr. 22 5. 14. David makes preparation for the House of God, because it was the House of God that he had to build, though he could not do it himself in his own time, yet being the House of God, what great preparation was made by David? The moral of which is this, That the House of God being a Type of the Church, and the Worship of God, as well as of Christ; it shews that there should be much preparation when we have to deal with God in his Ordinances.
