The Power of Holiness is Expressed in the Duties of God’s Worship 2/2

           

Second. In a close and vigorous pursuance of those ends for which God hath appointed them.  Now there is a double end which God chiefly aims at in duties of his worship.  1. God intends that by them we should do our homage to him as our sovereign Lord. 2. He intends them to be as means through which he may let out himself into the bosoms of his children, and communicate the choicest of his blessings to them.  Now here the power of holiness puts forth it­self, when the Christian attends narrowly to reach these ends in every duty he performs.

1. God appoints them for this end, that we may do our homage to him as our sovereign Lord.Were there not a worship paid to God, how should we de­clare and make it appear that we hold our life and being on him?  One of the first things that God taught Adam, and Adam his children, was in divine worship.  Now if we will do this holily, we must make it our chief care so to perform every duty, that by it we may sanctify his name in it, and give him the glory due unto him.  A subject may offer a present after such a ridiculous fashion to his prince, that he may count himself rather scorned than honoured by him.  The soldiers bowed the knee to Christ, but they ‘mocked him,’ Matt. 27:29, and so does God reckon that many do by him, even while they worship him. By the carriage and behaviour of ourselves in religious duties, we speak what our thoughts are of God him­self.  He that performs them with a holy awe upon his spirit, and comes to them filled with faith and fear, with joy and trembling—he declares plainly that he believes God to be a great God and a good God—a glorious majesty and a gracious.  But he that is care­less and slovenly in them, tells God himself to his face that he hath mean and low thoughts of him.  The misbehaviour of a person in religious duties, ariseth from his misapprehensions of God whom he wor­ships.  What is engraven on the seal, you shall surely see printed on the wax.  And what thoughts the heart hath of God, are stamped on the duties the man per­forms.  Abel showed himself to be a holy man, and Cain appeared a wicked wretch, in their sacrifice. And how? but in this—that Abel aimed at that end which God intends in his worship—the sanctifying {of} his name—but which, Cain minded not at all.  This may appear by comparing Abel’s sacrifice with his, in two particulars.

           (1.) Abel is very choice in the matter of his sac­ri­fice—not any of the flock that comes first to hand, but ‘the firstlings;’ nor does he offer the lean of them to God, and save the fat for himself, but gives God the best of the best.  But of Cain’s offering no such care is recorded to be taken by him.  It is only said, that he, ‘brought of the fruit of the ground, an offering unto the Lord,’ but not a word that it was the first fruit or the best fruit, Gen. 4:3, 4.  Again,

           (2.) Abel did not put God off with a beast or two for a sacrifice; but with them give his heart also.  ‘By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,’ Heb. 11:4.  He gave God the inward wor­ship of his soul; and this was it that God took so kindly at his hands, for which he obtained a testi­mony from God himself that he was ‘righteous.’ Whereas Cain thought it enough—if not too much —to give him a little of the fruit of the ground.  Had the wretch but considered who God was, and what was his end in requiring an offering at his hands, he could not have thought rationally that a handful or two of corn was that which he prized or looked at, any further than to be a sign of that inward and spiritual worship which he expected to come along with the outward ceremony.  But he showed what base and un­worthy thoughts he had of God, and accordingly he dealt with him.  O Christians! remember when you engage in any duty of religion, that you go to do your homage to God, who will be worshipped like himself.  ‘Cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen,’ Mal. 1:14.  This made David so curious about the temple which he had in his heart to build, ‘because this palace is not for man, but for the Lord God,’ I Chr. 29:1; therefore he saith, he ‘prepared with all my might for the house of his God,’ ver. 2.  Thus should the gracious soul say, when going to any duty of religion, ‘It is not man, but the Lord God, I am going to minister unto, and therefore I must be serious and solemn, holy and humble,’ &c.