A30585:273
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.
2. Our hearts must be taken off from the thoughts and apprehensions of all excellencies in our selves; we must not come in the pride of our hearts, because we have abilities more than others, what do all thy parts commend thee to God? thou hast ability in expressing of thy self in prayer: why, do thy parts commend thee to God? Whatever is natural in any of our duties is nothing to God, only that which is from his own Spirit, and therefore thou shouldest come in thine own thoughts as vile as if thou hadst no parts and abilities at all. Lay aside all such apprehensions of thy self, for the truth is, some poor broken hearted sinner that can but sigh out a few groans to God, and is not able to speak two or three sentences together in a right language, but only breath out his soul to God, may be a thousand thousand times more acceptable to God than thou that art able to make great Orations when thou comest before Him.
3. Thou must come without any righteousness of thy own, thou must never come to Gods presence but as a poor worm; and if there be any difference that is made between thee and others in outward respects, it is nothing to thee: when thou art in the presence of God, thou art as a base vile worm, though thou beest a Prince, or Emperor.
4. Thy heart must be taken off from what thou doest: If ⟨p. 86⟩thou hast any abilities of grace yet thy heart must be taken off there, there may be pride not only from ones parts, but it may be God hath given me enlargements in Prayer, the Devil will come in and seek to puff up thy heart even because of this. But thy heart must be taken off there, and thou must deny thy self in all, when thou hast done the best service of all, yet thou must conclude, thou art an unprofitable servant; when thou hast prayed the best, yet rise with shame, and take heed of having thy heart puffed up even through the assistance of the graces of the Spirit of God in holy Duties.