is called the miniftration of the Spirit. And in opposition to all ceremonial and local worship, our Saviour fays, John iv. 23. 24. "But the "hour cometh, and now is, when the true "worshippers fhall worship the Father in fpirit "and in truth; for the Father feeketh fuch to "worfhip him. God is a spirit; and they that "worship him, muft worship him in spirit and "in truth." But are there not fome amongst us who may be justly charged with guilt in this respect or rather, who is there amongst us that does not in fome degree fall under the reproof? Are there not fome who reft in the form of worship, and are ftrangers to the fpirit of it? Are there not fome who value and trust in their forms while they are regardless of the fpirit? Nay, are there not fome who not only fubmit to, but are pleased with the form, and yet have no relish for that nearness to God, and fense of his prefence, which constitutes the spirit of worship? How many finful motives may bring us to the house of God! If you come to avoid the reproach of men, is that a real facrifice to God? If you come from oftentation, to be seen of men, is that an offering acceptable to God? If you come to gratify your fancy, by hearing the performance of man, you are offering the incenfe to the creature that is due only to God. Confider further, how often we may be finfully employed in the house of God. Are carelefs inattentive perfons offering ac ceptable

ceptable facrifices to God? Are thofe who indulge vain, proud, fenfual, covetous thoughts in worfhip, offering facrifice to God? Are thofe who

come to cenfure or admire the fpeaker offering facrifice to God? In all fuch cases, without any difparagement to the holieft inftitutions of God, or rather from a just concern to defend them from profanation, we may fay, in the words of the text, "Behold, to obey, is better than fa"crifice; and to hearken, than the fat of: "rams."

4. In the last place, obedience is opposed to facrifices as they are misplaced and unseason. able. In the ancient difpenfation, time and place were as much afcertained as any circumstance that belonged to the temple-fervice; and nothing could be more contrary to the spirit of that œconomy, than taking any liberty with the order which God himself had established. There are feveral inftances of heavy judgements denounced against princes, whofe chief fault feems to have been, offering the appointed facrifices in forbidden places, or at improper feafons. If, there fore, he would not fuffer any variation in circumstances which he had prescribed, how could Saul fuppofe, that he would accept of a facrifice in the place of a duty which he had commanded? It is alfo to be observed, that the duties of the moral law are perpetually binding; and therefore, when in providence any example of them occurs, ftrengthened with the urgent call

of neceffity and mercy, they become exceptions to an ordinance of a positive nature. Thus our Saviour does not contradict the law of Mofes in what he teaches concerning the fabbath; but fhows in what manner that command was, or ought always to have been understood by the Jews themselves. See an inftance of this, Luke xiii. 14. 15. 16. "And the ruler of the "fynagogue answered with indignation, because "that Jefus had healed on the fabbath-day, and "faid unto the people, There are fix days in "which men ought to work; in them therefore " come, and be healed, and not on the fabbath"day. The Lord then anfwered him, and faid, "Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you

66 on the fabbath loofe his ox, or his afs, from "the ftall, and lead him away to watering? "And ought not this woman, being a daughter "of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo"thefe eighteen years, be loofed from this bond "on the fabbath-day?" See alfo two other

in the 12th chapter

examples of the fame thing, of the gospel according to Matthew; in fupport of which our Lord cites a paffage from the Old Teftament, ver. 7. "But if ye had known "what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and "not facrifice, ye would not have condemned the "guiltless."

The fame general rule is to be observed at all times. We must attend to the intimations of Providence, and as far as they can be clearly dif

cerned,

cerned, discharge thofe duties to which we are immediately called. Every thing is beautiful in its place and season, and is then not only most acceptable to God, but most useful to men. It is fo far from being any disparagement of sacrifices, that it is their very excellence, to be confined to their time and place. And the maxim in the text will apply with equal propriety to every duty of the moral law. The most excellent of them may be mifapplied. True religion and undefiled before God and the Father, is, to visit the fatherless and the widow; and yet, if the time of divine worship be unneceffarily chofen for that purpose, or if too much time be confumed in it by those whofe prefence cannot be useful, it is a rejected facrifice. Feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked, is the character that shall meet with the approbation of our final judge; and yet, if any fhall, out of oftentation, feed the poor abroad, and starve their families at home, or perform this duty at the expence of any other more immediately binding, he falls under the condemnation of the prophet in the text : "Behold, to obey, is better than facrifice; and "" to hearken, than the fat of rams." To conclude this head, we fhall greatly, misinterpret this paffage of fcripture, if we pretend to honour one part of religion to the prejudice of another. The facrifices condemned by the prophet are not to be understood of positive duties, as opposed to moral, nor of acts of worship, as oppofed to the duties of the second table; but

of

of every act of religion, however excellent in itself, or neceffary in its place, if it is done from an ill principle, with a finful purpose, in a finful manner, or substituted in the room of that which God in his providence doth immediately require.

III. I PROCEED now to make fome practical improvement of what hath been faid. And,

1. From what hath been faid, you may learn what are the great characters of acceptable obedience; and, I think, they may be reduced to the three following. 1. It must be implicit obedience. It must be founded immediately and directly on the authority of God. We must not take upon us to judge of the moment and importance of any part of his will, further than he hath made it known himself. It is a very dangerous thing for us to make comparisons between one duty and another, especially with a view of difpenfing with any of them, or altering their order, and fubftituting one in another's place. 2. A fecond character of true obedience is, that it be felf-denied and impartial, that it be not directed or qualified by our present interest. It was the best of the fpoil that Saul and the people faved; that which was vile and refuse, they utterly deftroyed. It is too common, that our own interest both points out the object, and affigns the measure of our obedience; and, in that cafe, it, does not deserve the name of obe

dience