And those who have no experience hereof in their attend- ance unto them, do, as hath been said, fall into pernicious extremes. Some continue their observance with little regard unto God, in cursed formality. So they make them a means of their ruin by countenancing of them in their security.
Others utterly reject them, at least the most solemn of them, and therein both the wisdom, and grace, and authority of, God by whom they are appointed : because through the power of their own unbelief they find nothing in them.
This being the immediate end of all divine institutions ; this being the only way whereby we may give glory unto God in their observance, which is their ultimate end in this world; and this being the design in general of believers in that obedience they yield unto the Lord Christ in their diligent observation of them; we may consider how, in what way, and by what means, those whose affections are spiritually renewed, do and ought to apply their minds and souls unto their observance. And we may consider herein, first, what they do design ; and then what they endeavour to be found in the exercise and practice of, in their use and enjoyment.
1. They come unto them with this desire, design, and
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expectation, namely, to be enabled, directed, and excited by them, unto the exercise of divine faith and love. When it is not so with any, where there is not this design, they do in various degrees take the name of God in vain, in their ob- servance. These are 'approximationes Dei,' the ' ways of draw- ing nigh unto God,' as they are every where called in Scrip- ture. To suppose that a drawing nigh unto God may con- sist merely in the outward performance of duty, whatever be its solemnity, is to reject all due reverence of him. ' For- asmuch,' saith the Lord, * as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have re- moved their hearts far from me, therefore I will proceed against them ;' Isa. xxix. 13. The mouth and lips are put, by a synecdoche, for all the means of outward worship and honour. These men may use, diligently attend unto, whilst their hearts are from God ; that is, when they do not draw nigh to him by faith and love. But all this worship is re- jected of God with the highest tokens of his displeasure and indignation against it. -
1. Our souls then have no way of approach unto God' in duties of worship, but by faith ; no way of adherence or cleaving unto him, but by love; no way of abiding in him, but by fear, reverence, and delight. Whenever these are not in exercise, outward duties of worship are so far from being a means of such an approach unto him, as that they set us at a greater distance from him than we were before, at least are utterly useless and fruitless unto us. So indeed they are unto the most who come unto them they know not why, and behave themselves under them they care not how : nor is there any evil in the hearts and ways of men whereof God complaineth more in his word, as that which is accompanied with the highest contempt of him. And be- cause these ordinances of divine worship are means which the wisdom and grace of God hath appointed unto this end, namely, the exercise and increase of divine faith and love, and therefore doth sanctify and bless them thereunto ; I do not believe that they have any delight in the exercise of these graces, nor do design growth in them, by whom these great means of them are despised or neglected.
And although I have seen those valleys of public worship forsaken, either on pretences of higher attainments in faith,
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light, and love, than to stand in need of them any more, or on a foolish opinion, that they cease npon the dispensation of the Spirit, which is given unto us to make them useful and effectual, or on some provocations that have been given unto some men, or which they have taken unto themselves, which they have thought they could revenge by a neglect of pub- lic administrations, or through slavish peace and negligence in times of diflSculty, as is the manner of some, who forsake the assemblies of the saints; Heb. xvi. 25. yet, 1 never saw but it issued in a great decay, if not in an utter loss of all exercise of faith and love, and sometimes in open profane- ness. For such persons contemn the way and means which God in his infinite wisdom and goodness hath appointed for their exercise and increase; and this shall not prosper. We may, therefore, do well to consider, that the principal way whereby we may sanctify the name of God, in all duties of his worship, and obtain the benefit of them to our own souls, is by a conscientious approach unto them with a holy desire and design to be found in the exercise of faith and love on God in Christ, and to be helped and guided therein by them.
To be under an efficacious influence from this design, is the best preparation for any duty. So David expresseth his delight in the worship of God. ' How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts! my soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord : my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God;' Psal. Ixxxiv. 1, 2. He longed for the tabernacle, and the courts of it; but it was the enjoy- ment of God himself, the living God, that he desired and sought after. This was that which made him so fervent in his desires after those ordinances of God. So he expresseth it, Psal. Ixiii. 2. ' To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.' David had had great commu- nion with, and delight in, God, by faith and love, in the solemn duties of his worship. And this was that which inflamed him with desires after renewed opportunities unto the same end.