A30585:427
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. Secondly as there must be attending to the Word of God, so there must be an opening of the heart to receive what God speaks to you; it is true, it is the work of God to open the heart, but God works upon men as upon rational creatures, and He makes you to be active in opening your hearts, so that when you have any truth come to be revealed, you should open your understandings, your conscience, and will, and affections, Oh Lord, thy truth which thou art presenting here to my soul at this time, let it come in, let me receive it, as the expression is in Prov. 2. 1. My Son, if thou wilt receive my words, and then in ver. 10. When wisdom entereth into thy heart: The words of wisdom, the Words of God, they must enter into the heart, get in; it may be they get into thy ear, but that's not enough, they must get into thy heart in Job. 8. 37. There Christ complains that His Word had no place in them; that's a sad thing when the Word of God shall have no place in the heart. If a temptation to sin comes, that hath a place in the heart; but when the Word comes, that hath no place in the heart; I say, it is a very sad thing that we can find no room for the Word; we should get room for the Word, Open ye gates, Stand open ye everlasting doors, that the King of Glory may come in: Know that when you come to hear the Word, the Lord is knocking at the doors of your hearts; have not you felt it sometimes? Open, O open the doors, let all be opened to receive the Word into your hearts. That is the second thing for the behaviour of the soul in hearing.
2. Secondly as there must be attending to the Word of God, so there must be an opening of the heart to receive what God speaks to you; it is true, it is the work of God to open the heart, but God works upon men as upon rational creatures, and He makes you to be active in opening your hearts, so that when you have any truth come to be revealed, you should open your understandings, your conscience, and will, and affections, Oh Lord, thy truth which thou art presenting here to my soul at this time, let it come in, let me receive it, as the expression is in Prov. 2. 1. My Son, if thou wilt receive my words, and then in ver. 10. When wisdom entereth into thy heart: The words of wisdom, the Words of God, they must enter into the heart, get in; it may be they get into thy ear, but that's not enough, they must get into thy heart in Job. 8. 37. There Christ complains that His Word had no place in them; that's a sad thing when the Word of God shall have no place in the heart. If a temptation to sin comes, that hath a place in the heart; but when the Word comes, that hath no place in the heart; I say, it is a very sad thing that we can find no room for the Word; we should get room for the Word, Open ye gates, Stand open ye everlasting doors, that the King of Glory may come in: Know that when you come to hear the Word, the Lord is knocking at the doors of your hearts; have not you felt it sometimes? Open, O open the doors, let all be opened to receive the Word into your hearts. That is the second thing for the behavior of the soul in hearing.