2. The Word, or Son of God, is also the object of worship; He is thy Lord, and worship thou him, Psal. xlv. 11. Baptism is administered in his name equally as in the Father's. It is said, Prayer shall be made for him continually; it may as well be rendered, as some think, Prayer shall be made to him continually, Psal. Ixxii. 15. His disciples are sometime describ ed by those that called upon his name, Acts ix. 14. Stephen, the proto-martyr, when expiring, called upon God, saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit, Acts vii. 59. He was worshipped by Jacob, Gen. xlviii. 16. by Joshua, Josh. v. 13-15. by the wise men, by his disciples, and by angels; Let all the angels 3. The Holy of God worship him, Heb. i. 6. Rev. v. 12, 13. Spirit is also the object of worship, equally with the Father and the Son. He is with them the one God, possessed of all divine perfections. Baptism is administered in his name, equally as in the name of the Father and of the Son, Matt. xxviii. 19. Prayer is made unto him, 2 Thess. iii. 5.

II. God only is the object of worship, to the exclusion of all others. 1. All idols of whatsoever kind are excluded, not only images, but also the idols set up in a man's heart, Ezek. xiv. 4. The idol the worldling is enamoured with is gold and silver, Eph. v. 5. Of the epicure, or voluptuous person, his god is his belly, Rom. xvi. 18. and the self-righteous man makes an idol of his righteousness, Luke xviii. 9. 11. Every creature in the heavens, or on the earth, are excluded from divine worship. As the sun, moon, and stars; and heroes and mighty kings, famous for their exploits. Angels are excluded from divine worship; this sort of idolatry was introduced in the times of the apostles but condemned, Col. ii. 18. and rejected by angels themselves, Rev. xix. 10. and xxii. 9.

OF INTERNAL WORSHIP.

GODLINESS is the ground work of internal worship, without which there can be no worshipping God aright, and therefore it deserves our first consideration. Godliness is sometimes used for evangelic doctrine. Sometimes it signi

fies a holy life and conversation, 2 Pet. iii. 11. Sometimes it intends some particular duty of religion, or rather some particular grace, Add-to patience godliness, to godliness bro therly love, that is, exercise these. But in the subject I am upon I consider it as an assemblage of graces.

I. Such a gracious disposition God-ward is not to be found in unregenerate men, only in such who are truly partakers of the grace of God. 1. Not in unregenerate men; their character is this, that they are after the flesh, Rom. viii. 5. II. But in such who are partakers of the grace of God in truth; for, 1. Their character is, that they are after the Spirit. Hence, 2. They mind the things of the Spirit. 3. The disposition of their souls is God-ward, and to his service. 4. These are truly godly persons, eusebeis, persons well disposed to the worship of God, which is called eusebeia, or godliness, and stands opposed to bodily exercise, or external worship.

II. Godliness as has been explained, is the ground work of true religion; for, 1. Without the knowledge of God there can be no true worship of him; the Samaritans worshipped they knew not what, and so their worship was not right. 2. Without faith in God, which is another branch of powerful godliness, there can be no true worship of God; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. 3. Without the fear of God, there can be no worship of him. The fear of God is absolutely necessary to worship God in an acceptable manner, Heb. xii. 28. 4. Spiritual internal worship cannot be performed without love to God; Deut. x. 12. affectionate, cordial, and hearty service is only acceptable to him. 5. They are spiritual worshippers that God seeks, and spiritual worship only is acceptable to him. 6. Nor can a man worship God sincerely, if he has only the form and not the power of godliness, Isai. xxix. 13. from all which it appears how necessary godliness is to the worship of God.

This gracious disposition of the mind God-ward, is an assemblage of all the graces of the Spirit, and every grace is a gift; knowledge, hope, fear, love, as they come from God, point to God again.

III. Great is the profit and many the advantages that accrue from godliness to the possessors of it. 1. That itself is said to be gain to the persons that have it; Godliness with contentment is great gain, 1 Tim. vi. 6. The merchandize of it is better than the merchandize of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 11. Godliness is said to be profitable unto all things, 1 Tim. iv. 8. whereas bodily exercise, or a presentation of the body only in an attendance on public worship, profiteth little, but godliness, powerful vital godliness, internal religion, is profitable unto all things; profitable to the health of a man's body, but more especially to promote the welfare of the soul. 111. Godliness has the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come, 1 Tim. iv. 1. 1. Of the present life, both temporal and spiritual. 2. Of the future life of happiness and glory.

As inward powerful godliness is an assemblage of every grace, in the exercise of which all internal worship and experimental religion lies, I therefore begin with it, and shall in 'the following chapters consider the branches of it in which it

opens.

OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

IT is a false maxim of the Papists, that "ignorance is the mother of devotion;" it is so far from being true, that it is the parent of irreligion, will-worship, superstition, and idolatry. Now,

I. Let it be observed, that whilst men are in a natural state, they 'are destitute of divine knowledge; Adam was created a very knowing creature, being made after the image and in the likeness of God. Yet our first parents not being content with the knowledge they possessed, but listening to the temptation of Satan, lost in a great measure that knowledge they had; driven from the presence of God, and deprived of communion with him, darkness siezed the understanding and overspread it, and this is the case of all men, Eph. iv. 18. This darkness and ignorance are increased through a course of sin: consci

ence is cauterized, as with a red-hot iron; so that it is become past feeling, and insensible to the distinction of good and evil. There is in many an affected ignorance, which is very criminal; they are willingly ignorant, simple ones, love simplicity, and fools hate knowledge. Some because of their sinful lusts, and their contempt of the means of knowledge, are given up to judicial hardness of heart; others have been left under the power of Satan, the same with the power of darkness, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them, 2 Cor. iv. 4.

Whilst men are in an unrenewed state, and in such a state of darkness and blindness, they are ignorant of God, of Christ, of the Spirit, of themselves, and of sin and the sad effects of it.

II. In every renewed person there is a knowledge of God, and of divine things, Col. iii. 10. Concerning which may be observed,

1. The object of it, God, Gal. iv. 8, 9. there is a threefold knowledge of God. 1. There is a knowledge of God by the light of nature; but then such knowledge was always insufficient to teach men the true worship of God. 2. There is a knowledge of God by the law, the law of Moses, and the ceremonial law. 3. There is a knowledge of God which comes by the gospel; this is a spiritual and experimental knowledge of God, and attended with faith; such knowledge always includes in it love to God, for he who loveth not, knoweth not God, 1 John iv. 1.

Now this knowledge of God may be considered as respec ing the three divine persons in the godhead distinctly. 1. Every renewed soul has knowledge of God the Father. I write unto you little children, says the apostle John, 1 epist. ii. 13. because ye have known the Father. 11. Every renewed soul has knowledge of Christ the Son of God, John xvii. 3. They have knowledge of him in all his offices; they know him in the various relations he stands in to them, as their everlasting Father, as their head of eminence over them: as

their husband; as their brother; and as their friend that loves at all times. This knowledge which such souls have of Christ is, 1. Not merely notional; but, 2. An affectionate knowledge, or a knowledge joined with love and affection to Christ. 3. Their knowledge is a knowledge of approbation; they say of him as Job did, Job xiii. 15, 16. 4. Their knowledge of him is fiducial; they know his name, and therefore they put their trust in him. 5. It is experimental, and, 6. Appropriating; My beloved is mine, and I am his, John xx. 28. 11. Every renewed soul has knowledge of the Spirit of God; our Lord speaking of him says, Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, neither his person, nor his office, nor his operations; But ye know him, meaning his apostles and followers; and gives a very good reason for it for he dwelleth in you, and shall be with you; and therefore they must have a feeling and experimental knowledge of him, John xiv. 17. They have knowledge of him as the Comforter; as the Spirit of Adoption; as a Spirit of grace and of Supplication, and as the Spirit of truth.

To this head of the object of knowledge all divine things. may be reduced that are knowable, that are to be known, or should be known by the Christian. Secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed, belong unto us, and to our children forever, Deut. xxix. 29. 11. The causes of this knowledge, and from whence is springs. 1. The efficient cause is God, John vi. 45. 2. The impulsive cause is his sovereign will and pleasure, Matt. xi. 25, 26. 3. The instrumental cause or means is the word of God, Rom. x. 17.

III. The properties of this knowledge deserve notice. 1. It is practical. 2. It is soul-humbling. 3. It is pleasant, savoury, and satisfying. 4. It is excellent, yea, super-excellent; the apostle Paul counted all things but lost for the excellency of it, Phil. iii. 8. 5. This knowledge indeed is but imperfect in this life; those that know most only know in part, yet it is progressive 6. There are various means which should be