A30585:255
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.
You may ask me this Question, How may I know that I am acted by self-ends in holy Duties? for it is a hard thing for one to know ones own heart, when one is acted by principles of self, and when we aim at God in holy Duties. Now for that I will give you these Notes, to try whether you be acted from your selves or no.
The First is this, If a man loves holy Duties, though he finds no present good comes in by them, because they are such things as God requires, and therefore though I get nothing by them, yet this is enough to carry me on, and to carry me on readily, and willingly in the Worship of God: those that can delight in Gods Worship, even at that time, though they find nothing coming in to themselves: But now when we find not that coming in that we do desire, we begin to be weary of Worship, and say, Why have we fasted, and thou seest it not? This ⟨p. 77⟩is an Argument that thou art acted by Self rather than by God.
Secondly, To know whether we be acted by self-ends, or rather by high ends for God: Those men that can rejoice in others that are able to honour God in holy duties more than themselves, they may have a good evidence to their own souls, that when they worship God, they are acted by higher ends than Self, but now, such as are straitened themselves, and when they see other more enlarged in the Worship of God, they rather envy them, are grieved and troubled; know that Self is a great ingredient in those duties that thou doest perform: if thy heart were raised high to God, though thou canst not thy self be enlarged in holy duties, yet thy soul would be glad that any others are, though I have a wretched and vile heart of my own, yet blessed be God that there are any others that can worship God better than I can.
Secondly, To know whether we be acted by self-ends, or rather by high ends for God: Those men that can rejoyce in others that are able to honor God in holy duties more than themselves, they may have a good evidence to their own souls, that when they worship God, they are acted by higher ends than Self, but now, such as are straightned themselves, and when they see other more enlarged in the Worship of God, they rather envy them, are griev'd and troubled; know that Self is a great ingredient in those duties that thou doest perform: if thy heart were raised high to God, though thou canst not thy self be enlarged in holy duties, yet thy soul would be glad that any others are, though I have a wretched and vile heart of my own, yet blessed be God that there are any others that can worship God better than I can.