Gospel-worship, or, The right manner of sanctifying the name of God in general. And…

9 Ninthly, If thou doest not Sanctify Gods Name in the hearing of the Word, what comfort canst thou ever have by the Word in the day of thy affliction? Certainly when the day of thy affliction comes, then there is nothing can comfort thee but the word. Unless thy Law had been my delight (saith David) I should then have perished in mine affliction: but thou having been exercised in the word so much, and Gods Name not Sanctified, thou must not expect to have thy soul comforted in the day of thy affliction. No marvel then though the word hath been applied again and again to your hearts, and nothing would stick: I remember it was an expression of one in a great deal of terror of conscience; many came to apply comfortable Scriptures to him, and he himself for a while did take those Scriptures and lay them upon his heart to pacify his troubled conscience, but a little before he dyed, he cries out with a most fearful terror, There is a fair plaster made but it will not stick on, it will not stick on, so dyed despairing. So there is in the word such a plaster as may help a wounded and troubled conscience, but canst thou expect that hast not Sanctified Gods Name in thy life ⟨p. 207⟩time that it shall stick upon thy soul in the day of thy affliction? never expect it, for the Lord hath said otherwise, Prov. 1. Because when I cried and called ye would not hear, you shall cry and call and I will not hear; The Lord in his Word cries to thee, Oh thou sinful soul who art going on in the ways of sin and eternal destruction, Return, return, that is the way that will bring thee to eternal miseries, but here is the way that will bring thee to life and eternal salvation: Thus the Lord cries and call to day to day, and thou stoppest thy ear, Oh how just is it with God to stop his ear from thy crying and calling in the day of thy affliction.

9 Ninthly, If thou doest not Sanctifie Gods Name in the hearing of the Word, what comfort canst thou ever have by the Word in the day of thy affliction? Certainly when the day of thy affliction comes, then there is nothing can comfort thee but the word. Ʋnless thy Law had been my delight (saith David) I should then have perished in mine affliction: but thou having been exercised in the word so much, and Gods Name not Sanctified, thou must not expect to have thy soul comforted in the day of thy affliction. No marveil then though the word hath been applied againe and againe to your hearts, and nothing would stick: I remember it was an expression of one in a great deal of terror of conscience; many came to apply comfortable Scriptures to him, and he himself for a while did take those Scriptures and lay them upon his heart to pacifie his troubled conscience, but a little before he dyed, he cries out with a most fearful terror, There is a fair plaister made but it will not stick on, it will not stick on, so dyed dispairing. So there is in the word such a plaister as may help a wounded and troubled conscience, but canst thou expect that hast not Sanctified Gods Name in thy life