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fections in our felves, and when for his Sake we purify our felves from worldly and fenfual Lufts, and are disposed by fincere Charity and Good-will to do all good Offices towards every Man. And,

3. This is to be added alfo, to make the Worship of God in Spirit compleat, that this Piety and Virtue is to be Conftant and Habitual. For our Souls cannot be faid to be well or ill qualified upon any other Ac count, than as they are generally and habitually difpofed; as their Conftant and Natural Tenor is, fo they may be faid to be affected. An Irreligious Man may fometimes have a Fit of Piety; a Luftful Man may have his Times of reflecting upon his impure Life with Shame and Abhorrence; a Malicious and Uncharitable Man may now and then relent, and be touch'd with Compaffion: But the Temper of our Minds is good or bad, according to that Bent and Difpofition which prevails, and is become natural. And therefore to worship God in Spirit, is to be habitually pious in the Difpofition of our Minds towards God, and to serve him with that Purity from sensual and worldly Lufts, and that Charity towards all Men, which is conftant, and, as it were, is become the very Nature and Genius of our Minds. This is to worship God in Spirit.

2. This is alfo to worship him in Truth. For these Two Expreffions do not fignify X 3

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two different Things, but one and the fame Thing with different Refpects; as if it had been faid, the Spiritual Worship is his true Worship, and not Outward Worship, but this not as Truth is oppofed to Falihood, but as it is opposed to thefe two Things, 1. To that which is less perfect. And, 2. To Types and Figures.

1. To that which is less perfect. And fo it is opposed indeed to all External and Bodily Worship whatfoever, which is far lefs valuable in it felf, and lefs acceptable to God, than the Sacrifice of a Pious Mind, accompanied with Purity and Charity, but yet is neceffary and acceptable too. He that loves God with all his Heart, makes a more real Acknowledgment of his Goodnefs, than by all the good Words he can give him. He that bends his Will to the Will of God, doth really confefs his Authority more effectually, than by bowing his Kuce to him, which is but Flattery without the other. He indeed honours God, who is fo ravish'd with the Contemplation of the Divine Purity and Charity, that he learns of God to be pure and charitable himfelf, without this his verbal Praises would be Mockery.

2. This is faid to be true Worfhip in Oppofition to the Types and Figures of Mofes's Law, because this is that folid and fubftantial Way of ferving God, which was prefi

gured

gured by feveral Rules of outward Worship and Difcipline, given to the Children of Ifrael, and which were to continue till the Reformation that was to be made by Chrift. Part of the Ritual Religion of the Ifraelites was typical of what Jefus fhould do and fuffer for the Redemption of Mankind, and alfo Part of it was figurative of that Spiritual Service and more excellent Worship, which the Disciples of Jefus fhould perform to God; their Circumcifion had the moral Signification of Purity of Heart from fleshly and inordinate Lufts; their Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices were to be of the beft, not only to prefigure the immaculate Sacrifice of the Death of Christ, but the Innocence and Righteousness of his Difciples, who are to confecrate their Souls to God. And thofe Legal Sacrifices were to be offered up only in that Place which God made holy to himself, to instruct us that he would accept of no other Service than that which was offered by a pious Mind, which is the Temple God delighteth in, as he witnesses himfelf, Ifaiah 66. 1, 2. faying, Where is the Houfe that ye build unto me? And where is the Place of my Rest? To him will I look, faith the Lord, that is of a contrite Spirit, and trembleth at my Word. For the Mind

of a good Man is the true Temple, where God's Glory is indeed fpoken of, here his Name is honour'd, and his great PerfectiX 4

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ons ador'd, his immenfe Prefence, his infinite Power, Wisdom and Goodness, effectually acknowledg'd, not only by a bare Confeffion that there is a Being abfolutely good and perfect, but by Affections fuitable to the Divine Attributes, his Goodness being here lov'd, his Juftice fear'd, his Fidelity and Truth trufted, and his Sovereign Dominion own'd, by a Spirit of Obedience and Submiffion, and his Purity and Charity prais'd, by Imitation; and this is a more effectual Acknowledgment of the Divine Perfections, than whole Burnt-Offerings and Sacrinces, by how much it is better for a Man to give Himself to God, than to give him a Beaft. And this it is to worship God in Truth, that is, in the Reality and Substance of Divine Worship, which was indeed but fhadowed out by fome of those Laws, that were to hold the Jews no longer than till the Gospel was to be made known to the World.

And thus much concerning the Meaning of thefe Words, to worship God in Spirit and

in Truth.

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The third Point was to confider wherein the Force of that Reafon lies why we must worship God in Spirit and in Truth, because God is a Spirit. And the Force of the Reafon lies plainly in this, that this is the only Worfhip that is fuitable to the Nature of God. For because God is a Spirit, that is,

because

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because he is himself a Being of infinite Understanding and Reason, therefore he will not count himself ferv'd and honour'd by us, if we do not honour him with our Reafon and Will, that is, with our Minds, The reasonable Part of our Nature is incomparably the best Part of it, and that which makes us bear the Image of God, who is a Spirit; and therefore with our outward Pretences we do but mock him, as much as in us lies, if we do not reverence him, and love him, and submit our Souls to him. And because God is a Spirit of infinite Goodness and Purity, therefore no Worship, no Pretence of honouring him, can be grateful to him, if our Minds are affected a quite contrary way, that is, if they be impure and uncharitable. And tho' we can conceal our Contempt or Hatred of a Man from his Notice, under artificial Shews and Appearances of Service and Friendship, yet we cannot hide from God the Iniquity of our Hearts, by our Formal Pretences and Outward Profeffion of Service; and therefore the Sacrifice of the Wicked is an Abomination to the Lord. God to be fure cares not for the Complement of a Man that means not to ferve him, tho' his External Profeffions be never fo plaufible and fpecious. The best Inftance of Similitude, by which any one may come to a lively Senfe of this Thing, is that which is prompted by our Saviour in

the

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