2. In the outward part of duty, in corporal service, and in the pomp and solemnity of his worship, there we may do too much, and that which may be superfluous, more than we need to have done. Nature is mad upon its inventions, and therefore lovetli to serve God its own way, to have some crotchets of its own in the outward part of his worship ; therefore God loveth to bridle men up. In this respect they must look at what is written. It is connatural, saith Aquinas, for all men to be led with sensible things ; and therefore in these we usually exceed — Etdatur aliquid superfluumcultuiDei, asheproveth, 2a. 2d. Qucest. 932 Art.
In the worship of God, which is chiefly spiritual (John iv. 24), there may easily be too much of sense brought in, since we are so apt to be led by sense ; therefore we must have recourse to the rule, to what is written = It is an easy matter to be too pompous in a sacrament, and to sin against the plainness of the ordinance. Duties are like your coats of arms, best when they are plainest, and not overcharged with too many fillings ; or like wine, then most generous and sprightly when it is plemim sui ei immixtum alieni, pure and uncompounded. God's ordinances look better in their own plain coat, without welt or guard, than in all the trimmings and flourishing gaudiness of our own devices. The sacraments were to feed men's hearts, not to please their eyes or tickle their ears ; and plain bread and wine decently distributed by the minister looketh better, and is more seemly, than copes and altars, and golden candle- sticks and basins, and all the apish immolations that have been used of late. Prayer is a great deal more comely without the noise of the organs and the pomp of our great churches than with them. Bap- tism is more like itself without the cross than with it. And so, in aU the service of God, you shall find that is best which is wi'itten. And the ordinances are most like to themselves when they are divested of all then- outward pomp, and brought home to their native colours, to the plainness of the precept Brethren, we do not come to the sacrament to feed our eyes, but hearts ; therefore it is best to look to what is written. So ordinances nourish most when they come nearest to their primitive institution. We may, then, do too much here. A sense-pleasing religion is dangerous ; it is too, too much suitable to the bent of natural inclinations; and that is the reason why
344 ■ SERMONS ON THE SACRAMENTS.
country people are so much taken with these shows ; they do not love the native beauty that is in duties half so well as they do the painting of them: they love outward service intolerably, and dote upon it when it goeth beyond what is written. Brethren, it is a miserable thing when you will place religion in that for which you have no ground nor warrant. If you will find yourselves work, and not take that which is cut for you, you know who must pay you your wages. Mark that question of our Saviour to the pharisees, Mat. xv. 3, ' Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your traditions ? ' "Transgress, TrapajSatveiv rrjv evroXrjv, that is the phrase ; why do ye outpass, outdo the commandment ? Ye do not keep to the letter of the statute, but go beyond what is written by your traditions. They did overdo in the outward part. And indeed, hence they had their name of pharisees, as Epiphanius, cited by Spanhemius, testifies ; they were called pharisees because of their superabundant will-worship, by which they severed themselves from others. They had their Sevrepcoaei^, as he speaketh, their alterings and patchings which they set upon the commandments. They were not contented with what was written, but must have their own devices to set off the ordinance, as they think, the better. You see they are forbidden there, and_ so should you be. God will give you no thanks nor reward for outgoing the rule. If you will perform acceptable service, you must keep to the commandment, not go beyond what is written.
But you will say, Shall we observe nothing in the sacrament but what is in the institution ? What will you say, then, to the love-feasts used by the primitive church ? for they were founded upon no express command in holy writ ; it was a mere customof the church, to which all the poor people were invited upon the charges of the rich. And what will you say to ceremonies among us ? to that of the gesture, suppose standing, sitting, kneeling, or whatever it bej Since the institution and scripture is silent as to these things, either we must use no gesture at all, which is impossible, or go beyond what is written — do something at the ordinance that is not commanded.
I shall answer briefly.
1. In general, that certainly whatever is made a medium, or modm- cultus, a part or a manner of worship, a part of our duties, a way of serving God, without a warrant from the written word of God, is unlawful, and not to be used, Omnis cultus sine verho Dei, idolola- tria est, saith Mercer, a papist — All worship without footing in the word of God is but superstition and idolatry. Brethren, it is certainly very hazardous to place any religion in that which we have no precept for from scripture. It is not good to mingle our own chafty conceits and inventions with the ordinances of God, or in our addresses to God to do anything otherwise than it is written. The Lord would have his ordinances" speak a pure language : they must be pure, without mixture. If anything be done at the time of worship, it is good to put a difference between it and the duty, and not alike to make con- science of both. If we think the ordinances not perfect when the patch is gone and the ceremony taken away ; if we think the purity of religion is gone, as many ignorant people do — they say they have lost religion when the pomp of it is gone — it is a sign we have served