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it is the state and portion of Chriftendom at this day: . He that killeth an ox, is as if he flew a man; he that < facrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he

that offereth an oblation, as if he offered fwine's blood; • he that burneth incense, as if he bleffed an idol. Yea, they have chofen their own ways, and their foul delighteth in their abominations.' Let none fay we offer not these kinds of oblations, for that is not the matter; God was not offended with the offerings, but offerers. These were the legal forms of facrifice by God appointed; but they not presenting them in that frame of fpirit, and under that right difpofition of foul that was required, God declares his abhorrence, and that with great aggravation; and elsewhere, by the fame prophet, forbids them to bring any more vain • oblations before him: incenfe (fays God) is an abomi<nation to me: your fabbaths and calling of affemblies • I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the folemn meeting. And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; when you make many prayers, I will not hear you "." A moft terrible renunciation of their worship; and why? Because their hearts were polluted; they loved not the Lord with their whole hearts, but broke his law, and rebelled against his fpirit, and did not that which was right in his fight. The cause is plain, by the amendments he requires: Wash you (fays the Lord) make you clean, 'put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes: cease to do evil, learn to do well: feek judgment, relieve the oppreffed, judge the fatherlefs, plead for the widow.' Upon these terms (and nothing short) he bids them come to him, and tells them, that though their fins be as fcarlet, they fhall be white as snow; and though they be as crimson, they 'fhall be white as wool.'

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So true is that notable paffage of the Pfalmift: Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare • what he hath done for my foul: I cried to him with

Ifa. i. 13 to 18.

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my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. But verily God hath heard me, he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Bleffed be God ⚫ which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.'

§. X. Much of this kind might be cited, to fhew the difpleasure of God against even his own forms of worship, when performed without his own spirit, and that neceffary preparation of the heart in man, that nothing elfe can work or give: which above all other penmen of facred writ, is most frequently and emphatically recommended to us by the example of the Pfalmift, who, ever and anon calling to mind his own great flips, and the cause of them, and the way by which he came to be accepted of God, and obtain strength and comfort from him, reminds himself to wait upon God. Lead me ‹ in thy truth, and teach me, for thou art the God of my falvation; on thee do I wait all the day long *.' His foul looked to God for falvation, to be delivered from the fnares and evils of the world. This fhews an inward exercise, a fpiritual attendance, that stood not in external forms, but an inward divine aid.

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And truly, David had great encouragement fo to do, the goodness of God invited him to it, and ftrengthened him in it. 'For,' fays he, ‹ I waited patiently upon the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me out of the miry clay, and fet my feet upon a rock.' That is, the Lord appeared inwardly to confolate David's foul, that waited for his help, and to deliver it from the temptations and affiictions that were ready to overwhelm it, and gave him fecurity and peace. Therefore he fays, The Lord hath established my going;' that is, fixed his mind in righteousness. Before, every step he took bemired him, and he was scarce able to go without falling: temptations on all hands; but he waited patiently upon God; his mind retired watchful and intent to his law and spirit; and he felt the Lord to in

i Pfal. lxvi. 16, 20. * Pfal. xxv. 5. Pfal. xl. 1, 2, 3.

cline to him. His needy and fenfible cry entered heaven, and prevailed; then came rescue and deliverance to David, (in God's time, not David's) ftrength to go through his exercises, and furmount all his troubles. For which he tells us, a new fong was put into his mouth, even praise,' fays he, to our God.' But it was of God's making and putting, and not his own. Another time, we have him crying thus: As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, fo panteth my foul after thee, O God. My foul thirfteth for God, for the living God; when fhall I come and appear before him? This goes beyond formality, and can be tied to no leffon. But we may by this fee, that true worship is an inward work; that the foul must be touched and raised in its heavenly defires, by the heavenly spirit, and that the true worship is in God's prefence. When fhall I come and appear?' Not in the temple, nor with outward facrifices, but before God, in his prefence. So that the fouls of true worfhippers fee God, make their appearance before him; and this they wait, they pant, they thirst for. O how is the better part of Christendom degenerated from David's example! No wonder, therefore, that this good man tells us, truly my foul waiteth upon God;" and that he gives it in charge to his foul fo to do; 'O my foul, wait thou upon God; for my expectation ' is from him.' As if he faid, None else can prepare my heart, or supply my wants; fo that my expectation is not from my own voluntary performances, or the bodily worship I can give him; they are of no value: they can neither help me, nor please him. But I wait upon him for ftrength and power to prefent myself fo before him, as may be moft pleafing to him, for he that prepares the facrifice, will certainly accept it. Wherefore in two verfes he repeats it thrice, I wait ' for the Lord-My foul doth wait-My foul waiteth 'for the Lord, more than they that watch for the 'morning".' Yea, fo intenfely, and with that un

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weariedness of foul, that he says in one place,

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eyes fail, while I wait for my God".' He was not contented with fo many prayers, fuch a fet of worship, or limited repetition; no: he leaves not till he finds the Lord, that is, the comforts of his prefence; which bring the answer of love and peace to his foul. Nor was this his practice only, as a man more than ordinarily inspired; for he speaks of it as the way of worship then amongst the true people of God, the spiritual Israel, and circumcifion in heart, of that day. Behold (fays he) as the eyes of fervants look to the hand of their mafters, and as the eye of a maiden unto the hand of her miftrefs, fo our eyes wait upon the • Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.' In another place, 'Our foul waiteth for the Lord, he is our help and our fhield. I will wait upon thy name, for it is good before thy faints'.' It was in request with the truly godly of that day, and the way they came to enjoy God, and worship him acceptably. And from his own experience of the benefit of waiting upon God, and the faints practice of thofe times, he recommends it to others: Wait upon the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thy heart: wait, I fay, upon the Lord.' That is, wait in faith and patience, and he will come to fave thee. Again, Reft in the Lord, and wait patiently upon him':' that is, caft thyself upon him; be contented, and wait for him to help thee in thy wants: thou canst not think how near he is to help thofe that wait upon him: O try, and have faith! Yet again, he bids us, wait upon the 'Lord, and keep his way.' Behold the reason so few profit! they are out of his way, and fuch can never wait rightly upon him. Great reafon had David for what he faid, that had with fo much comfort and advantage met the Lord in his bleffed way.

§. XI. The prophet Ifaiah tells us, that though the chaftifements of the Lord were fore upon the people for

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P Pfal. xxxiii. 20.

4 Pfal. xxvii. 14. • Pfal. xxxvii. 7.

• Pfal.

their backflidings, yet in the way of his judgments (in the way of his rebukes and displeasures) they waited for him, and the defire of their foul (that is the great point) was to his name, and the remembrance of him. They were contented to be chid and chastised, for they had finned; and the knowledge of him fo, was very defirable to them. But, what! did he not come at last, and that in mercy too? Yes, he did, and they knew him when he came, (a doctrine the brutish world knows not) This is our God, we have waited for him, and he will 'fave us".' O bleffed enjoyment! O precious confidence. Here was a waiting in faith, which prevailed. All worship, not in faith, is fruitless to the worshipper, as well as difpleafing to God: and this faith is the gift of God, and the nature of it is to purify the heart, and give fuch as truly believe victory over the world.' Well! but they go on: We have waited for him, we will be glad, and rejoice in his falvation "." The prophet adds,Bleffed are all they that wait upon God:** and why? For they that wait upon the Lord, fhall re

new their strength; they fhall never faint, never be ? weary: The encouragement is great. O hear him once more! For fince the beginning of the world, ⚫ men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither ⚫ hath the eye seen, O God! befides thee, what he hath

prepared for him that waiteth for him.' Behold the inward life and joy of the righteous, the true worshippers! thofe whofe fpirits bowed to the appearance of God's fpirit in them, leaving and forfaking all it appeared againft, and embracing whatever it led them to. In Jeremiah's time, the true worshippers alfo waited upon God: and he affures us,

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'Lord is good to them that wait for him, to the foul 'that feeketh him.' Hence it is that the prophet Hofea exhorts the church then, to turn and wait upon God: Therefore turn thou to thy God; keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually 2.

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