Truth Held Forth and Maintained, Part 1 · Chapter 7
Concerning the true Worſhip of God in Spirit.
EVen at this day, as in days paſt, among the Peop… of the World there are many Wayes of Worſhip▪ but with the People of the Lord, his way of Worſhip is but one, in which they worſhip God in the Spirit and in the Truth; for God is a Spirit, and they which are true Worſhippers of him, they worſhip in the Spirit and in the Truth. Then how can any be true Worſhippers of God which abide not in his Truth; for Chriſt is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and they that are not in …hriſt, are out of his Truth, and ſo not in the true Worſhip of God; ſo as they are not in Chriſt the… are not in the …, but out of that ſpiritual Life in which the true Worſhip of God remaineth. Now this we know, that all men are in the worſhip of ſome one thing or another, all pretending that their Worſhip is the right and true way of Worſhip. Then ſeeing that all are Worſhippers, How is the true Worſhipper known from the falſe? Even as the Tree is known by its Fruit, ſo are Worſhippers known one from the other; for the good Tree bringeth forth good Fruit, but the evil Tree bringeth forth corrupt Fruit; for men do not expect to gather Grapes of Thornes, nor Figs of Thiſtles, neither can any man be a true Worſhipper of God in Spirit, that doth not bring forth Fruits of the Spirit, which are Love, Joy, Peace, Long-Suffering, Gentleneſs, Goodneſs, Faith, Meekneſs, Temperance, againſt ſuch there is no Law, Gal. 5.22, 23. for they live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit with Chriſt, ſuch are the true Worſhippers of God in Spirit and Truth; but ſuch Worſhippers that draw in ſin as an Ox draweth in Water, their beſt Performances in Worſhip, are ſin, unto which the Lord hath no regard; for we know that God heareth not ſinners, but if any man be a true Worſhipper of God, and he doth his will, him he heareth, John ….31. Now to think that God will accept any mans Work wherein ſin remaineth, that man deceiveth himſelf; for all Works wherein ſin remaineth, it is not of the Spirit of God, but of the Devil; for he is a ſinner from the beginning, and the Truth abideth not in him; for in the time of the Law, the Peoples Offerings before the …ord were to be perfect, without blemiſh Lev. 22.21. and their weight and meaſure were to be perfect before the God or their Salvation, Deut. 25.15. Which did ſignifie ſpiritual Obedience to …hriſt, the Lamb of God, without blemiſh, ſpot or wrinkle, who requires in this Goſpel Day, under the Light of his …ovenant of Grace, Light and Life, unto which not any thing of mans imperfect Gift, and Offerings can find place, to enter into Covenant with the Lord of Life for the Salvation of their immortal Souls; for as God hath perfected his work of Grace in Jeſus Chriſt, for the Salvation of Peoples Souls, ſo moſt their work be alſo perfect, by the Power of God, in and through Chriſt, for the Salvation of them that are ſaved, in and through him the Lord of Life, of whoſe Spirit there is a gift given to the Sons and Daughters of men, which is for this end, that through perfect Obedience thereunto, they may work out their Salvation by true Faith in Jeſus Chriſt, who is Author and Finiſher of his own Work in the hearts of them that in him believe; for he is given a Light to the Gentiles, and a Rule of Life for all to walk by. So here is no occaſion of ſtumbling, as the heart and mind attends its Rule, which Rule directs the heart and mind in to the true and living Way, which leads to the Kingdom of Heaven, where they that worſhip out of the Spirit and Truth can never come; for though they may not profeſs to worſhip a falſe God, as many do, yet they profeſs a worſhip of the true God in a falſe way, by which their worſhip is a falſe Worſhip, which the …ord will deſtroy; for contrary to the mind and will of God they have ſet …p a falſe Worſhip, teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men, Mat. 15.9. For the hour cometh, and now is, …hen the true Worſhipper ſhall worſhip the Father in Spirit …d in ruth, for the Father ſeeketh ſuch to worſhip him, …ob. 4.23. By which its man…eſt, That all words in De…arations, Preaching and Praying, with all whatſoever …ſe that men pretend to the Worſhip of God, being not …ad thereunto by the Power of God, it is no more before … Lord, than he that cuts off a Dogs Neck or …fforeth S…ines …lood. Iſa. 66.…. For the …ord is o… … pure Eyes …an to behold Iniquity, or to regard Iniquity; for be will not have regard to that Worſhip in which Obedience is not yeilded to the gift of his own Spirit of Truth, which calls for Silence in the heart and mind of all ſuch People whoſe Worſhip is not in the Spirit and in Truth; for the fleſhly part muſt be ſubdued, and the natural Thoughts of the heart, and the intents of the natural Mind muſt be ſubdued by the Power of God, unto which Obedience is to be yeilded, that every wandering Thought may be brought into ſubjection by the Power of God, then the Lord will have regard unto the Soul of him that ſo worſhippeth; for ſuch Worſhippers are they of the Circumciſion, which worſhip in the Spirit, and rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus, having no Confidence in the Fleſh, Phil 3 3. Now this is the main Reaſon why People do not pront, but in their Worſhip, as themſelves confeſs, go round in their Duties, even like a Horſe in the Mill, and a Door on the Hinges, ſtill remaining where they were, becauſe they offer to God with a falſe weight and meaſure, which is of their own Imperfection, in a belief that they ſhall never be free from Sin in this Life, whereby their Debt is in larged, and cauſeth them to fall ſhort of a true Hope by Jeſus Chriſt, who will not accept that imperfect Offering, which would not profit in the Time of the Law; for this is the Day of Gods Grace by Jeſus Chriſt, in which if any man will hear, let him not harden his heart, through a falſe Belief, begotten by the denyal, that in this day of ſo large a Diſpenſation of Light by Jeſus Chriſt, that God will receive the imperfectneſs of Mans own Work, which indeed is that which the …ords Soul abhors; for the Devil, and Enemy of Mans Peace, hath ſeated himſelf in the heart and mind of Man, and exalted himſelf above all that is called God, or that is worſhipped, ſo that he as God fitteth in the Temple of God, ſhewing himſelf that he is God, Theſ. 2.4. and unto him the natural Mind inclineth to ſerve, by which the Soul remaineth in Sin and Tranſgreſſion againſt God, whoſe Gift of divine Light is vailed from the Underſtanding, which alſo becomes Dark, in which ſtate they walk in the light of their own wayes, which leads in the Paths of Death; which fulfills Chriſts ſaying, If the Eye be evil, the whole Body ſhall be full of Darkneſs, then how great is that Darkneſs, Mat. 6.23. which Darkneſs drowns the Underſtanding of the inward Man, that it cannot come to perceive the Light of the glorious Goſpel of Chriſt Jeſus, which is the Power of God to Salvation, in them that believe in the Light of it, which if it be hid, it is only to the Diſobedient, who yeild their Obedience to their hearts Luſts, which luſteth after Sin and Evil, being alſo deſirous to know God, without Obedience to the gift of his Spirit of Grace, in which ſtate the Devil hath the ruling part in the heart, which luſteth after ſome outward Work, in pretence of worſhipping God, only for the outward Name of Chriſtian amongſt Men, ſuch Worſhippers the Lords Soul doth abhor; for Mans natural Will is Enmity with God, and in that ſtate mans Time in Worſhip is not that Time which the Lord doth accept; but the Lords Time, in which he doth accept Mans Offering, is, when by the Power of his own Spirit, the heart is moved to worſhip him, the only true God, in the only true way of his Worſhip, which is, in the Spirit and Truth. So all are commanded to keep ſilence before the Lord, and to hear him for the profit of their own Souls, before they can ſpeak or declare any one thing for the ſpiritual Edification of another; for he that nameth the Name of the Lord, is firſt to depart from Iniquity, and to wait for the Teachings of Gods holy Spirit, which hath commanded Silence to all Fleſh before hîm, Hab. 2.20. Ezek. 2.13. alſo Pſal. 3.25, 28 Let all the Earth keep Silence before the Lord: I patiently waited on the Lord: Truely my Soul waiteth on God, from him cometh my Salvation. So that God requireth a free and willing Mind, to be free from all Incumberments, and love of viſible things, which are below the true Wiſdom of God, which unto the wiſe-learned in the things of this World, is counted fooliſhneſs, to ſee the Lords Children ſit together in Silence, waiting on God, to hear the Voice of his inward Call, by the gift of his Spirit of divine Grace, Life and Light, in which is the true Worſhip of God in Spirit and Truth. So here is to be no giving way to any ſtragling Thought of the Heart, nor Intent of the Mind; for all that is of Self, is (by the Power of God) to be brought into Subjection to his holy Will, which is the true worſhipping of God in Spirit and Truth; for all Thoughts and Intents which proceed not from the Power of Gods Spirit, they are Thieves and Robbers, which keep lurking, through the Devils Power, to deceive the Soul of that benefit, which if they were obedient to the command of the Lord, they might receive; for as the true Worſhippers in all Ages have been ſound in the ſilent waiting, their ſtrength hath been renewed; for they that wait upon the Lord ſhall renew their ſtrength, they ſhall mount up with Wings, as Eagles, they ſhall run and not be weary, and th…y ſhall walk, and not be faint, Iſa …0.31. for they come to witneſs the Renewings of Gods Grace from day to day, and from time to time, which increaſes their Faith in the hope of Gods heavenly Riches in Jeſus Chriſt, whoſe Spirit of Grace gives Utterance to preach, pray add ſing in the Spirit of Holineſs, to the praiſe and honour of God, and to the edification and comfort of one another, which is the true worſhipping of God in the Spirit and Truth. And in this Worſhip have all been in, whoſe Minds have been turned from Darkneſs to Light, and from the Power of Satan to the Power of God, through which their Souls were made alive in Jeſus Chriſt, without whoſe Spirit of Grace, all preaching, praying and ſinging avails not the Soul in the ſight of God; for whatever men practice, as to the worſhipping of God, if it do not proceed from the drawings of Life by his own Spirit, in and through the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, it is no more but what is by and from their own Works of Righteouſneſs, which will not juſtifie in the ſight of God, to ſave from his Wrath to come, in which Day it will be ſaid, Who required theſe things of you? Therefore it is expedient for People which are in their ſeveral ways of Worſhip, to be deeply concerned about theſe things, and to make a diligent ſearch with the Light of the Lord in their own hearts, which through Obedience they may ſoon find how it ſtands between God and their Immortal Souls, which muſt come to witneſs the Lords ſpiritual …ppearance in their Worſhip, which if other ways it is not the true worſhipping of God in the Spirit and Truth, but is a falſe Worſhip, which differs not from the Worſhip of them that worſhip a falſe God; all which are built without the Spirit of God, ſtand upon ſandy Foundation, which the Lord in his own due time will overthrow; for no Worſhip ſhall remain, but that which is in the Spirit and Truth; for that is the true worſhip of God, and the Father ſeeks ſuch to worſhip him; for they are the true Worſhippers, and their building remains upon the Rock of Ages and Foundation of many Generations, on which the holy men of God in dayes paſt built their Faith in him, who gave them an aſſurance in the Hope of their Salvation, who in their day were perfect Obedient Children to the gift of Gods divine Light, and quickening Word of his Spirit, which made them able Miniſters, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit, by which they were lead and guided in a holy fear to perform the Work of God, according as they were moved thereunto by the Power of his own Spirit, in and through the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the gift of whoſe Light, and movings of whoſe Spirit in his People, is that which is as much derided and evil ſpoken of among Profeſſors in this Day, as his holy Servants of Truth were by that profeſſing People, the Rebellious Jews, in days paſt, vvho had a zeal for God, but not according to true Knowledge, even as it is vvith many vvho profeſs to vvorſhip the true God, but vvorſhip in a falſe vvay in this Day; but bleſſed are they vvhoſe Works are governed by the Spirit of God, in and through Jeſus Chriſt, ſuch are they that vvorſhip God in the Spirit and Truth; for, as I have ſaid, and that by experience, that God is Worſhipped by his ovvn, and not by or from any thing of mans ovvn natural Will, but all are to wait the Lords Time, that his Will in all things may be done to the honour and praiſe of his own holy Name, and the overlaſting comfort of them that continue in the vvell doing, unto them belongs a Revvard, vvhichwhich is that heavenly Portion of Gods Riches in Chriſt Jeſus, vvho is the Author and Finiſher of his ovvn Work, in them that love him, and keep his Commandments. Concerning vvhichwhich things it is good for People to conſider, vvhile Time is, before Time be no more; for every Man and Woman have a Soul, which muſt either live vvith the Lord of Life, or eternally periſh, vvhichwhich vvill be the ſtate of all them who at the Lords coming ſhall by him be found to have been Worſhippers of falſe Gods, or that have been falſe Worſhippers of him who is the true and living God, whom all men are commanded to worſhip in the true and living way, which is in the Spirit and Truth, which is the deſire of my Soul, that all may do, that ſo they may come to witneſs true Peace with God, through the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who is God of all, and over all, bleſſed be his holy Name for evermore, for in him is the Riches of God, which belongs to them that worſhip him in the Spirit and Truth.