But, 1. It is lawful to speak the same words from fulness and fervency of zeal; 2. And when we are afraid to give over lest we have not yet prevailed with God. 3. And in God's solemn praises (sung or said) a word or sentence oft repeated sometimes hath an elegancy, and affecting decency; and therefore it is so often used in the Psalms; yea, and in many Scripture prayers. 4. In such cases, to bring a serious urgency of spirit to the repeated words, and not to quarrel with the repetitions, is the duty of one that joineth with true christian assemblies, as a son of piety and peace.[329]
[328] Matt. vi. 18.
[329] Psal. cxxxvi.; cvii, 8, 13, 21, &c.
Quest. LXXXVI. _Is it lawful to bow at the naming of Jesus?_
_Answ._ The question either respecteth the person of Jesus, named by any of his names, or else this name Jesus only. And that either simply in itself considered; or else comparatively, as excluding, or not including, other names.
1. That the person of Jesus is to be bowed to, I never knew a christian deny.
2. That we may lawfully express our reverence by bowing, when the names, God, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, &c. are uttered, I have met with few christians who deny, nor know I any reason to deny it.
3. Had I been fit to have prescribed directions to other ministers or churches, I would not have persuaded, much less commanded, them to bow at the name of Jesus, any more than at the name of God, Jehovah, Christ, &c. for many reasons which the reader may imagine, though I will not now mention them.
4. But if I live and join in a church where it is commanded and peremptorily urged to bow at the name of Jesus, and where my not doing it would be divisive, scandalous, or offensive, I will bow at the name of God, Jehovah, Jesus, Christ, Lord, &c. one as well as the other; seeing it is not bowing at Christ's name that I scruple, but the consequents of seeming to distinguish and prefer that name alone before all the rest.[330]
[330] Mic. vi. 6; Jer. xxiii. 27; Isa. lii. 5, 6; xxix. 24; xlii. 8, 9; Psal. ii. 10, 11; Phil. ii. 2, 9-12; Psal. xxxiv. 3; lxvi. 2; lxviii. 4; lxxii. 19; lxxvi. 1, 2; xcvi. 2; c. 4; cxi. 9; cxlviii. 13; cxlix. 3; Isa. ix. 6, 7; xii. 4; Psal. cxxxviii. 2, 3; Rev. xv. 4; 1 Chron. xxix. 20; 2 Chron. xxix. 30.
Quest. LXXXVII. _Is it lawful to stand up at the gospel as we are appointed?_
_Answ._ 1. Had I been a prescriber to others myself, I should not have required the church to stand up at the reading of one part of a chapter by the name of the gospel, and not at the same words when the whole chapter is read.
2. But if I live where rulers peremptorily command it, (I suppose not forbidding us to stand up at the gospel read in chapters, but selecting this as an instance of their signified consent to the gospel, who will do no more,) I would obey them rather than give offence, by standing up at the reading of the chapters and all; which I suppose will be no violation of their laws.
Quest. LXXXVIII. _Is it lawful to kneel when the decalogue is read?_
_Answ._ 1. If I lived in a church that mistook the commandments for prayers, as many ignorant people do, I would not so harden them in that error. 2. And if I knew that many of the people present are of that mind, I had rather do nothing that might scandalize or harden them in it.
But, 1. That the thing in itself is lawful, is past doubt: as we may kneel to the king when we hear him or speak to him; so it is lawful to kneel to God, when we read a chapter or hear it read, and specially the decalogue so terribly delivered, and written by his own finger in stone. 2. And if it be peremptorily commanded, and the omission would be offensive, I would use it though mistaking persons are present, (1.) Because I cannot disobey, and also differ from the whole assembly, without a greater hurt and scandal, than seeming to harden that mistaking person. (2.) And because I could and would by other means remove that person's danger, as from me, by making him know that it is no prayer. (3.) And the rather in our times, because we can get the minister in the pulpit publicly to tell the people the contrary. (4.) And in catechising it is his appointed duty so to do. (5.) And we find that the same old silly people who took the commandments for a prayer, took the creed to be so too; when yet none kneeled at the creed; by which it appeareth that it is not kneeling which deceived them.
Quest. LXXXIX. _What gestures are fittest in all the public worship?_
_Answ._ 1. The customs of several countries, putting several significations on gestures, much varieth the case.
2. We must not lightly differ from the customs of the churches where we live in such a thing.