§. 6. Paul refers the temple of God twice to man. §. 7. Of the cross of thefe worldly worshippers. §. 8. Flesh and blood make their cross, therefore cannot be crucified by it. §. 9. They are yokes without restraint. §. 10 Of the gaudiness of their cross, and their refpect to it. §. 11. A reclufe life no true gospel abnegation. §. 12. Comparison between Chrift's felf-denial, and theirs: his leads to purity in the world, theirs to voluntary imprisonment, that they might not be tempted of the world. The mischief which that example followed would do to the world. It deftroys useful fociety, honeft labour. A lazy life the ufual refuge of idleness, poverty, and guilty age. §. 13. Of Christ's Crofs in this cafe. The impoffibility that fuch an external application can remove an internal cause. §. 14. An exhortation to the men of this belief, not to deceive themselves.

§. I.I AM now come to unlawful felf, which, more or lefs, is the immediate concernment of much the greater part of mankind. This unlawful felf is two-fold. First, that which relates to religious worship: fecondly, that which concerns moral and civil converfation in the world. And they are both of infinite confequence to be confidered by us. In which I fhall be as brief as I may, with ease to my confcience, and no injury to the matter.

§. II. That unlawful felf in religion, that ought to be mortified by the cross of Chrift, is man's invention and performance of worship to

God, as divine, which is not fo, either in its inftitution or performance. In this great error, those people have the van, of all that attribute to themselves the name of Chriftians, that are most exterior, pompous, and fuperftitious in their worship: for they do not only mifs exceedingly, by a spiritual unpreparedness, in the way of their performing worship to God Almighty, who is an Eternal Spirit; but the worfhip itself is compofed of what is utterly inconfiftent with the very form and practice of Christ's doctrine, and the apoftolical example. For whereas that was plain and fpiritual, this is gaudy and worldly: Chrift's most inward and mental, their's most outward and corporeal: that fuited to the nature of God, who is a fpirit, this accommodated to the moft carnal part. So that inftead of excluding flesh and blood, behold a worship calculated to gratify them as if the bufinefs were not to prefent God with a worship to please him, but to make one to please themselves. A worship dreffed with fuch stately buildings, and imagery, rich furnitures and garments, rare voices and mufic, coftly lamps, wax candles, and perfumes; and all acted with that most pleafing variety to the external fenfes, that art can invent, or coft procure; as if the world were to turn Jew or Egyptian again; or that God was an old man indeed, and Christ a little boy, to be treated with a kind of religious mask: for fo they picture him in their temples, and too many in their minds. And the truth is. fuch a worship may very well fuit fuch an id

of God: for when men can think him fuch an one as themselves, it is not to be wondered if they addrefs him, and entertain him in a way that would be moft pleafing from others to themselves.

f. III. But what faid the Almighty to fuch a fenfual people of old, much upon the like ccafion? Thou thoughteft I was fuch an one as thyself, but I will reprove thee, and fet thy fins in order before thee. Now confider this, ye that forget God, left I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. But to him that ordereth his converfation aright, will I fhew the falvation of God." This is the worfhip acceptable to him, To do juftice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. For he that fearches the heart, and tries the reins of man, and fets his fins in order before him, who is the God of the fpirits of all flesh," looks not to the external fabric, but internal frame of the foul, and inclination of the heart. Nor is it to be foberly thought, that he, who is clothed with divine honour and majefty; who covers himfelf with light, as with a garment; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain; who layeth the beams of his chambers in the deep; who maketh the clouds his chariots, and walks upon the wings of the wind; who maketh his angels fpirits, and his ministers a flaming fire; who laid the foundation of the earth, that it fhould not be moved for ever; can be adequately worshipped by thofe human inventions, the refuge of an apoftate people from the pri

mitive power of religion, and spirituality of Christian worship.

§. IV. Chrift drew off his difciples from the glory and worship of the outward temple, and inftituted a more inward and fpiritual worship, in which he instructed his followers, Ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerufalem, fays Chrift to the Samaritan woman, worship the Father; God is a fpirit, and they that worship him, muft worship him in fpirit and in truth. As if he had faid, For the fake of the weakness of the people, God condefcended in old time to limit himself to an outward time, place, temple, and fervice, in and by which he would be worshipped; but this was during men's ignorance of his omniprefence, and that they confidered not what God is, nor where he is; but I am come to reveal him to as many as receive me; and I tell you that God is a fpirit, and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth. People must be acquainted with him as a fpirit, confider him and worship him as fuch. It is not that bodily worship, nor these ceremonious fervices, in ufe among you now, that will ferve, or give acceptance with this God that is a fpirit: no, you must obey his fpirit that ftrives with you, to gather you out of the evil of the world, that by bowing to the inftructions and commands of his spirit in your own fouls, you may know what it is to worship him as a fpirit; then you will understand, that it is not going to this mountain, nor Jerufalem, but to do the will of God,

to keep his commandments, and commune with thine own heart, and fin not; take up thy cross, meditate in his holy law, and follow the example of him whom the Father hath fent.

§. V. Wherefore Stephen, that bold and conftant martyr of Jefus, thus told the Jews, when a prifoner at the bar for difputing about the end of their beloved temple, and its fervices, but falfely accused of blafphemy; Solomon, faid Stephen, built God an houfe; howbeit, God dwelleth not in temples made of hands; as faith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool, what house will ye build me, faith the Lord? Or what is the place of my reft? Hath not my hand made all these things? Behold a total overthrow to all worldly temples, and their ceremonious appendencies. The martyr follows his blow upon those apoftate Jews, who were of those times, the pompous, ceremonious, worldly worshippers: Ye ftiff-necked and uncircumcifed in heart and ears, ye do always refift the Holy Ghoft; as did your fathers, fo do ye. As if he had told them: No matter for your outward temples, rites, and fhadowy fervices, your pretenfions to fucceffion in nature from Abraham; and by religion from Moses; you are refifters of the fpirit, gainfayers of its inftructions: you will not bow to his counsel, nor are your hearts right towards God: you are the fucceffors of your fathers' iniquity; and though verbal admirers, yet none of the fucceffors of the prophets in faith and life.

Acts vii. 47, 48, 49, 50. e Acts vii. 54.