Vol. VII.

fhip; our Worship of God muft therefore be invifible, eternal, &c. for fo is he; and befides the Will of God feems rather to be the rule of his Worship, than his Nature: but the force of it is this, God is of a fpiritual Nature, and this is to be fuppofed to be his Will, that our Wor fhip fhould be as agreable to the Object of it, as the nature of the Creature who is to give it will bear ; now faith Chrift to the Woman, the Jews and the Samaritans they limit their Worship to a certain place, and it confifts chiefly in certain carnal Rites and Ordinances; but, faith he, tho' God have permitted this for a time, because of the carnality and hardneẞ of their hearts, yet the time is coming, when a more fpiritual, and folid, and fubftantial Worship of God is to be introduced, which will be free from all particular Places and Rites, not tyed to the Temple, or to fuch external Ceremonies, but confifting in the devotion of our Spirits, even the inward frame and temper of our Hearts; all outward Circumflances (excepting thofe of the two

Sa

Sacraments which are pofitive) being left by the Gospel to as great a liber-Vol. VIL ty, as natural neceffity and decency will permit.

We must worship God, and therefore it is naturally neceffary that we fhould do it fomewhere, in fome place; now feeing fome body must determine this, it is moft convenient that Authority fhould determine it, according to the conveniency of cohabitation. We must not be rude, nor do any thing that is naturally undecent in the Worfhip of God; this Authority fhould reftrain; but further than this, I doubt not but the Gospel hath left us free; and to this end, that the lefs we are tied to external Obfervances, the more intent we should be upon the fpiritual and fubftantial parts of Religion, the conforming of our felves to the Mind and Will of God, endeavouring to be like God, and to have our Souls and Spi rits ingaged in thofe Duties we per form to him. So that our Saviour's

argument is this; God is a
God is a Spirit,
that is, the most excellent Nature and
Y

Being,

Being, and therefore must be served Vol. VII. with the best. We, confift of Body and Soul, 'tis true, and we must serve him with our whole Man; but princi. pally with our Souls, which are the moft excellent Part of our felves; the Service of our Mind and Spirit is the best we can perform, and therefore moft agreeable to God who is a Spirit, and the best and most perfect Being.

So that the Inference is this, that if God be a Spirit, we must worship him in Spirit and in truth; our Religion must be real, and inward, and fincere, and fubftantial; we must not think to put off God with external obfervances, and with bodily reverence and attendance; this we must give him, but we muft principally regard that our Service of him be reasonable, that is, directed by our Underftandings, and accompanied with our Affections. Our Religion muft confift principally in a fincere love and af fection to God, which expreffeth it felf in a real conformity of our lives and actions to his Will; and when

we

we make our folemn approaches to him, in the Duties of his Worship and Vol. VII Service, we muftperform all acts of outward Worship to God with a pure and fincere Mind; whatever we do in the Service of God, we must do it heartily as to the Lord. God is a pure Spirit, prefent to our Spirits, intimate to our Souls, and conscious to the most secret and retired motions of our Hearts; now because we serve the Searcher of Hearts, we must serve him with our Hearts.

Indeed if we did worship God only to be seen of Men, a pompous and external Worfhip would be very fuitable to fuch an end; but Religion is not intended to please Men, but God, and therefore it must be fpiritual, and inward, and real.

And where-ever the external part of Religion is principally regarded, and Men are more careful to wor fhip God with outward pomp and ceremony, than in fpirit and in truth, Religion degenerates into Superftition, and Men embrace the fhadow of Religion, and let go the substance, Y 2 And

And this the Church of Rome hath Vol. VII.done almoft to the utter ruin of Christianity; fhe hath clogged Religion, and the Worship of God, with fo many Rites and Ceremonies, under one Pretence or other, that the Toke of Chrift is become heavier than that of Mofes; and they have made the Gospel a more carnal Commandment than the Law; and whatever Chriftians or Churches are intent upon external Rites and Obfervances, to the neglect of the weightier Parts of Religion, regarding meats and drinks, &c. to the prejudice of righteousness and peace, wherein the kingdom of God confifts, they advance a Religion as contrary to the Nature of God, and as unfuitable to the genius and temper of the Gospel, as can be imagined.

It is an Obfervation of Sir Edwin Sands, that as Children are pleas'd with Toys, fo, faith he, it is a pitiful and childifh Spirit that is predominant in the contrivers and zealots of a ceremonious Religion. I. deny not but that very honeft and de