A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm

4. Consider, That God hath not prescribed any Worship of himself, unto the Angels that sinned. They are indeed under his Power, and he useth them as he pleaseth to serve the ends of his holy Providence. Bounds he prescribes unto them by his Power, and keeps them in dread of the full execution of his Wrath. But he requires not of them that they should believe in him. They believe indeed and tremble. They have a natural Apprehension of the Being, Power, Providence, Holiness and Righteousness of God, which is inseparable from their Natures; and they have an expectation from thence of that punishment, and vengeance which is due unto them, which is inseparable from them as sinners. And this is their faith. But to believe in God, that is, to put their trust in him, to resign up themselves unto him, God requires it not of them. The same is the case with them also, as to Love, and Fear, and Delight, all inward Affections which are the proper Worship of God. These they have not, nor doth God any longer require them in them. They eternally cast them off in their first sin. And where these are not, where they are not required, where they cannot be, there no outward ⟨p. 177⟩Worship can be prescribed or appointed. For External instituted Worship is nothing but the way that God assigns, and chooseth to express and exercise the inward Affections of our minds towards him. He rules the fallen Angels per nutum Providentiae, not per verbum praecepti. Now as God dealt with the Angels, so also would he have dealt with mankind, had he left them all under the Curse without remedy or hope of relief. As he doth with them, he eternally satisfies himself in that Revenue of Glory which ariseth unto him in their punishment; so also he would have done with these, had there been no forgiveness with him for them. He would not have required them to fear, love or obey him, or have appointed unto them any way of Worship, whereby to express such affections towards him. For to what end should he have done it? What Righteousness would admit, that Service Duty and Obedience should be prescribed unto them, who could not, ought not to have any Expectation or hope of Acceptance or Reward? This is contrary to the very first notion which God requires in us of his Nature. For he that cometh unto God, must believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of all them that diligently seek him, Heb. 11. 6.