A30585:248
Gospel-worship, or, The right manner of sanctifying the name of God in general and…
Gospel-worship, or, The right manner of sanctifying the name of God in general and particularly in these three great ordinances, viz. [brace] 1. hearing of the Word, 2. receiving the Lords Supper, 3. prayer / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being the second of the seven volumes lately published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]Gospel-worship, or, The right manner of sanctifying the name of God in general and particularly in these three great ordinances, viz. [brace] 1. hearing of the Word, 2. receiving the Lords Supper, 3. prayer / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being the second of the seven volumns lately published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1653
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The great Reason why people come and worship God in a slight way; it is because that they do not see God in his glory, 'tis a great Mercy for God to give unto us a sight of himself, a sight of his glory here in this world while we are worshipping of him, this would keep our eyes and our thoughts from wandering, if we had a sight of the glory of God, and had high thoughts of God. What's the reason why we wander so as we do, but merely because we see not God? As now, suppose you were in your house, and looking after every feather that were flying up and down, if you should hear that the King were come into the room, or any great Person, it would compose your spirits, because you have high thoughts of such, as of those that are above you: So let us look upon God as in his excellency, and His glory, and have high thoughts of him, and this is that whereby we are to sanctify Gods Name when we come before Him in holy duties. And that's the second thing. First a sanctified heart; and then high thoughts of God.
The great Reason why people come and worship God in a slight way; it is because that they do not see God in his glory, 'tis a great Mercy for God to give unto us a sight of himself, a sight of his glory here in this world while we are worshiping of him, this would keep our eyes and our thoughts from wandring, if we had a sight of the glory of God, and had high thoughts of God. What's the reason why we wander so as we do, but meerly because we see not God? As now, suppose you were in your house, and looking after every feather that were flying up and down, if you should hear that the King were come into the room, or any great Person, it would compose your spirits, because you have high thoughts of such, as of those that are above you: So let us look upon God as in his excellency, and His glory, and have high thoughts of him, and this is that whereby we are to sanctifie Gods Name when we come before Him in holy duties. And that's the second thing. First a sanctified heart; and then high thoughts of God.
3. A third thing is, High-ends, Raised-ends in the worshipping of God: Prov. 15. 24. The way of life is above to the wise: It is on high in this respect, when he worships God, his heart is lifted up on high; there is a holy raising of the heart which is well pleasing to God: Our hearts should be on high in regard of the high ends that we aim at in holy duties: Lift up thy prayer saith Hezekiah to the Prophet in another case; so I may say, Lift up thy soul when thou comest to worship God in regard of the high ends that thou aimest at: when we are worshipping God we should have our hearts above all creatures, and above our selves. Let not our hearts then be grovelling upon the ground, mingled with base and drossy things, when we come to worship the Lord: Indeed it is fit that we should have our hearts low (as we shall show hereafter) in regard of humility, but not low in regard of any baseness of spirit to mix with any base and low ends; Now there are low and base ends in worshipping of God. As,