VeK. 4.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI, 453
sacrifice. But Baal's priests might fetch blood from themselves, but not fire from heaven ; so carnal men may force nature, beat themselves, cut their flesli, but their sacrifice will not burn ; there is no holy flame by which their hearts are heightened and carried out as christians ; they act in their own strength, and to their own ends, therefore there must need be a difference.
Secondly^ Wherein lies the difterence between the worship of the godly and the worship of carnal men that live in the church ? I answer, In three things mainly — in the principle, in the manner, and in the end.
1. In the principle. Natural men do nothing out of the constraints of love, but out of the enforcement of conscience ; duty is not their delight, but burden, Cain's sacrifice was tendered rather like a fine, than an off'ering ; so are all their services. There are several sorts of principles of worship : some are altogether false and rotten, some tolerable, some good, and some are excellent
[1.] Some are altogether false and rotten ; as custom, and the statutes of men. Thus it is with wricked men, there is more of conformity than devotion ; their worship is not so much an act of religion as of man observance. Men do as they learn of their fathers, or as authority commands, or as others expect from them.
[2,] Some principles are more tolerable ; as enforcement of con- science, fear of eternal torment, natural desire of wehare and salvation. Men must pray, and keep up some worship, else they are afraid they shall be damned, Alas ! this is but a natural act of self-love. Our salvation is never regularly desired but with subordination to God's glory. Or else they do it out of hope of temporal mercies. Men pray that God may bless them in their calling ; constant observation of worship brings in a blessing, therefore they pray out of such a low end : Hosea vii. 14, ' They howl upon their beds,' saith the prophet, ' for corn, wine, and oil,' This is but a brutish cry - beasts will howl for things they stand in need of; so men may pray for outward conveniences without any grace. Consider, God's worship must not have an end beneath itself. We act preposterously, and not according to the laws of reason, when the means are more noble than the end, and worship is prostituted to such a base end as merely to serve our outward conveniences ; when self is the end of prayer, it is not worship, but self-seeking. All gracious actions are to have a reference and ordination to God, therefore the spiritual life is called 'a living to God,' Gal. ii. 10 ; much more acts of worship, which are more raised operations of the spiritual life ; there the addresses are more directly to God, and therefore must not be prostituted to a common use.
[3.] There are some good and sound principles, though in the lower form of good things , that is, when duties are done out of an enlightened conscience, and with respect to the command, and the general rewards and compensations of religion. It is true, acts thus done, upon these principles, are rightly done, because they are done in faith and obedience, which is that which constitutes and makes up the essence of a religious act ; and usually these are the first dispositions of the soul after grace is first received. Therefore the apostle saith, 'He that cometh' — 7rpoaepxofMevo<i, or is coming on — ' to God,' his main work is to ' believe
454 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XIV.
that God is, and that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,' Heb. xi. 6. He is to act his faith upon the reward God hath promised, and obedience upon the duty he hath required.
[4.] There aie more excellent and raised principles of worship; and that is when duties are done out of a grateful remembrance of God's mercy to us in Clnist, to testify our thankfulness to God : Luke i. 74, ' That we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear ; ' or else when they are done out of a pure love to God, because we delight in his presence. Job xxvii 10 makes that the note of a hypocrite, 'Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?' A vile carnal man, natural conscience will make him call upon God in his straits ; but doth he this out of delight? or else from the excellency and sweetness of the work of obedience? as, Ps. cxix. 140, 'Thy law is veiy pure, therefore thy servant loveth it,' when a man can love pure and holy duties because they are pure and holy, and for that very reason. Though there were no heaven nor hell, yet a child of God finds such a privilege in worship, and such a sweetness in communion with God, that he cannot omit it. What delight can be more sweet and ravishing to their souls than communion with God? God usually carrieth men on from one sort of principles to another : first from those that are sinful to those that are tolerable, then to those that are good; then to those that are rare and excellent. First he brings them on from custom to conscience ; then from conscience to obedience , then from obedience to delight, to see the beauty of his ordinances and sweetness of his ways.