The Remaining Discourses on the Attributes of God, Sermon 11
SERMON XI.Vol. VII· The Spirituality of the Divine Nature.
JOHN. IV.24.
God is a Spirit, and they that worſhip him, muſt worſhip him in Spirit and in truth.
THeſe are the words of our Saviour to the Woman of Samaria, who was ſpeaking to him of the difference between the Samaritans and the Jews concerning Religion; v. 20. Our Fathers worſhipped in this mountain, but ye ſay, that in Jeruſalem is the place where men ought to worſhip. Chriſt tells her, The time was coming, when the worſhippers of God ſhould neither be confined to that mountain, nor to Jeruſalem; but men ſhould worſhip the Father in ſpirit and in truth, when this carnal, and ceremonial, and typical Worſhip of God ſhould be exalted into a more ſpiritual, a more real, and true, and ſubſtantial Religion, which ſhould not be confined to one Temple, but ſhould be univerſally diffuſed through the World. Now ſuch a Worſhip as this, is moſt agreeable to the Nature of God; for he is a ſpirit, and thoſe who worſhip him, muſt worſhip him in ſpirit and in truth. In the words we have,
Firſt, A Propoſition laid down, God is a ſpirit.
Secondly, A Corollary or Inference deduced from it, they that worſhip him, muſt worſhip him in Spirit and in truth. I ſhall ſpeak of the Propoſition, as that which concerns my preſent Deſign; and afterward ſpeak ſomething to the Corollary or Inference deduced from it, together with ſome other Inferences drawn from this truth, by way of Application.
Firſt, That God is a ſpirit. This expreſſion is ſingular, and not to be parallell'd again in the Scripture; indeed we have often mention made in Scripture of the ſpirit of God, and the ſpirit of the Lord, which ſignifies a Divine Power and Energy; and of the holy Spirit, ſignifying the third Perſon in the Trinity; God is call'd the God of the Spirits of all fleſh; Numb. 16.22.27.16. much in the ſame Senſe, as he is call'd the Father of Spirits, Heb. 12.9. that is, the Creator of the Souls of Men; but we no where meet with this expreſſion, or any other equivalent to it, that God is a ſpirit, but only in this place; nor had it been uſed here, but to prove that the beſt Worſhip of God, that which is moſt proper to him, is ſpiritual; ſo that the thing which our Saviour here intends, is not to prove the Spiritual Nature of God, but that his Worſhip ought to be ſpiritual; nor indeed is there any neceſſity that it ſhould have been any where ſaid in Scripture, that God is a ſpirit, it being the natural Notion of a God; no more than it is neceſſary that it ſhould be told us, that God is good, or that he is infinite, and eternal, and the like; or that the Scripture ſhould prove to us the Being of a God. All theſe are manifeſt by the Light of Nature, and if the Scripture mention them, it is ex abundanti, and it is uſually in order to ſome further purpoſe.
For we are to know, that the Scripture ſuppoſeth us to be Men, and to partake of the common Notions of Human Nature, and therefore doth not teach us Philoſophy, nor ſolicitouſly inſtruct us in thoſe things which are born with us, but ſuppoſeth the knowledge of theſe, and makes uſe of theſe common Principles and Notions which are in us concerning God, and the immortality of our Souls, and the Life to come, to excite us to our Duty, and quicken our Endeavours after Happineſs. For I do not find that the Doctrine of the immortality of the Soul, is any where expreſly delivered in Scripture, but taken for granted; in like manner that the Scripture doth not ſolicitouſly inſtruct us in the natural Notions which we have of God, but ſuppoſeth them known to us; and if it mention them, it is not ſo much in order to knowledge as to practice; and therefore we need not wonder that this expreſſion, which doth ſet forth to us the Nature of God, is but once uſed in Scripture, and that brought in upon occaſion, and for another purpoſe; becauſe it is a thing naturally known. Plato ſays, that God is foreign, without Body. In like manner Tully, Nec enim deus ipſe qui intelligitur a nobis alio modo intelligi poteſt, niſi mens quaedam ſoluta & libera, ſegregata ab omni concretione mortali; we cannot conceive of God, but as of a pure Mind, intirely free from all mortal compoſition or mixture. And Plutarch after him, foreign, God is a Mind, an abſtract being, pure from all matter, and diſintangled from whatever is paſſible or capable of ſuffering. So that Natural Light informing us that God is a Spirit, there was no need why the Scripture ſhould inculcate this; it is an excellent medium or argument to prove that the Worſhip of God ſhould chiefly be ſpiritual; and altho it was not neceſſary that it ſhould have been mention'd for it ſelf, that is, to inform us of a thing which we could not otherwiſe know, yet the Wiſdom of God, by the expreſs mention of this, ſeems to have provided againſt an Error which ſome weaker and groſſer Spirits might be ſubject to. You know God is pleaſed, by way of condeſcention and accommodation of himſelf to our capacity, to repreſent himſelf to us in Scripture by human Imperfections, and gives ſuch deſcriptions of himſelf, as if he had a Body, and bodily Members; now to prevent any error or miſtake that might be occaſion'd hereby, it ſeems very becoming the Wiſdom of God, ſomewhere in Scripture expreſly to declare the ſpiritual Nature of God, that none through weakneſs or wilfulneſs might entertain groſs apprehenſions of him. In ſpeaking to this Propoſition, I ſhall,
I. Explain what is meant by a Spirit.
II. Endeavour to prove to you, that God is a ſpirit.
III. Anſwer an Objection or two.
IV. Draw ſome Inferences or Corollaries from the whole.
I. For the explication of the Notion of a Spirit. I ſhall not trouble you with the ſtrict Philoſophical Notion of it, as that it is ſuch a ſubſtance as is penetrable, that is, may be in the ſame place with a Body, and neither keep out the Body nor be kept out by it; and that the parts which we imagine in it cannot be divided, that is really ſeperated and torn from one another, as the parts of a Body: but I will give you a negative deſcription of it. A Spirit is not Matter, it doth not fall under any of our Senſes, it is that which we cannot ſee nor touch; it is not a Body, not Fleſh, and Blood, and Bones; for ſo we find Spirit in Scripture oppoſed to Fleſh and Body; Iſa. 31.3. Their horſes are fleſh, and not ſpirit. So Luke 24. when Chriſt appeared to his Diſciples after his Reſurrection, they were terrified, and ſuppoſed it had been a ſpirit, v. 39. But he ſaid, Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I my ſelf; handle me, and ſee, for a ſpirit hath not fleſh and bones, as ye ſee me have. The moſt uſual deſcription of a Spirit is by theſe Negatives, it is not a Body, hath not Fleſh and Bones, doth not conſiſt of Matter, or of any thing that falls under our Senſes, that we can ſee or touch.
II. For the proof of this Propoſition, that God is a ſpirit. This is not to be proved by way of demonſtration, for there is nothing before God, or which can be a cauſe of him; but by way of conviction, by ſhewing the abſurdity of the contrary. The firſt and moſt natural Notion that we have of God, is, that he is a Being every way perfect, and from this Notion we muſt argue concerning the properties which are attributed to God, and govern all our Reaſonings concerning God by this; ſo that when any thing is ſaid of God, the beſt way to know whether it be to be attributed to him, is to enquire whether it be a Perfection or not; if it be, it belongs to him; if it be not, it is to be removed from him; and if any Man ask, why I ſay God is ſo, or ſo, a Spirit, or Good, or Juſt; the beſt reaſon that can be given, is, becauſe theſe are Perfections, and the contrary to theſe are Imperfections. So that if I ſhew that it would be an Imperfection for God to be imagined to be a Body, or Matter, I prove that he is a Spirit, becauſe it is an imperfection, that is, an abſurdity to imagine him any thing elſe. To imagine God to be a Body, or Matter, doth evidently codtradict four great Perfections of God.
1. His Infiniteneſs, or the immenſity of his Being. Grant me but theſe two things, that there is ſomething in the World beſides God, ſome other matter, as the Heavens, the Air, the Earth, and all thoſe things which we ſee; and grant me that two Bodies cannot be in the ſame place at once, and then it will evidently follow, that where-ever theſe are, God is ſhut out; and conſequently God ſhould not be infinite, nor in all places; and ſo much as there is of another matter in the World beſides God, ſo many breaches there would be in the Divine Nature, ſo many Hiatus.
2. The Knowledge and Wiſdom of God. It cannot be imagined how mere Matter can underſtand, how it can diſtinctly comprehend ſuch variety of Objects, and at one view take in paſt, preſent, and to come. Tully ſpeaking of Spirits, ſaith, Animorum nulla in terris origo inveniri poteſt; their original cannot be found upon Earth; for, ſaith he, there is no material or bodily thing, Quod vim memoriae, mentis, cogitationis habeat, quod & praeterita teneat, & futura provideat, & complecti poſſit praeſentia; quae ſola divina ſunt; which hath the power of Memory, of Ʋnderſtanding, of Thought; which can retain things paſt, forſee things future, and comprehend things preſent; all which Powers are purely Divine.
3. Freedom and Liberty. For the Laws of matter are neceſſary, nor can we imagine any foreign, any arbitrary Principle in it. This puzled the Epicureans, as we ſee in Lucretius, For if (ſaith he) all things move by certain and neceſſary Laws, and there be a connexion of the parts of matter unto each other, ſo that if you move this, that muſt neceſſarily be moved; whence, ſaith he, is Liberty? Ʋnde eſt hec inquam fatis avulſa voluntas; Whence is this Principle of Will, whoſe motions are not under any law of neceſſity.
4. Goodneſs. This follows from the former; for he is not good who does not know what he does, nor does it freely; ſo that take away Underſtanding and Liberty, and you take away Goodneſs; now take away from God Infiniteneſs, and Knowledge, and Liberty, and Goodneſs, and you diveſt him of his Glory; you take away his moſt eſſential Perfections. So that theſe great abſurdities following from the ſuppoſing of God to be mere Matter or Body, we are to conceive of him as another kind of ſubſtance, that is, a Spirit. So that I wonder that the Author of the Leviathan, who doth more than once expreſly affirm, that there can be nothing in the World, but what is material and corporeal, did not ſee that the neceſſary conſequence of this Poſition, is to baniſh God out of the World. I would not be uncharitable, but I doubt he did ſee it, and was content with the conſequence, and willing the World ſhould entertain it; for it is ſo evident, that by ſuppoſing the Divine Eſſence to conſiſt of Matter, the immenſity of the Divine Nature is taken away; and it is alſo ſo utterly unimaginable how mere Matter ſhould underſtand, and be endowed with liberty, and conſequently with goodneſs, that I cannot but vehemently ſuſpect the Man who denies God to be a Spirit, either to have a groſs and faulty underſtanding, or a very ill will againſt God, and an evil deſign to root out of the Minds of Men the belief of a God. I come in the
III. Place, to conſider the Objections.
1 Obj. Why then is God repreſented to us ſo often in Scripture by the Parts and Members of Mens Bodies? Anſ. I ſhall only ſay at preſent, that all theſe deſcriptions and repreſentations of God, are plainly made to comply with our weakneſs, by way of condeſcention and accomodation to our capacities.
2 Obj. How is it ſaid that Man was made after the the Image of God, If God be a Spirit, of which there can be no likeneſs nor reſemblance. Anſ. Man is not ſaid to be made after the image of God, in reſpect of the outward Shape and Features of his Body; but in reſpect of the Qualities of his Mind, as Holineſs and Righteouſneſs; or of his Faculties, as Underſtanding and Will; or which the Text ſeems moſt to favour, in reſpect of his Dominion and Soveraignty over the Creatures; for in the two former reſpects the Angels are made after the Image of God. Now this ſeems to be ſpoken peculiarly of Men; Gen. 1.26. Let us make man in our own image, after our own likeneſs, and let them have dominion over the fiſh of the ſea, and the fowls of the air, &c.
IV. I come now to draw ſome Inferences or Corollaries from hence, and they ſhall be partly ſpeculative, partly practical.
Firſt, Speculative Inferences.
1. That God is inviſible. The proper Object of ſight is Colour, and that ariſeth from the various diſpoſitions of the parts of Matter which cauſe ſeveral reflections of Light; now a Spirit hath no Parts nor Matter, and therefore is inviſible; 1 Tim. 1.17. Ʋnto the eternal, immortal, inviſible, the only wiſe God. Heb. 11.27. He endured, as ſeeing him who is inviſible; as ſeeing him by an Eye of Faith, who is inviſible by an Eye of Senſe. 1 Tim. 6.16. Whom no Man hath ſeen, nor can ſee.
When Moſes and the Elders of Iſrael are ſaid to have ſeen God, and Jacob to have ſeen him face to face, Exod. 2.9. Gen. 32.30. it is meant of an Angel covered with divine Glory and Majeſty, as we ſhall ſee if we compare theſe with other Texts. When Moſes is ſaid to have ſpoken to him face to face, that is familiarly; and ſo Micaiah, 1 Kings 22.19. is ſaid to have ſeen God upon his throne, and all Iſrael ſcattered up and down; this was in a Viſion. And it is promiſed, that in Heaven we ſhall ſee God, that is, have a more perfect knowledge of him and full enjoyment; as to ſee good days, is to enjoy them. Thoſe Texts where it is ſaid, No man can ſee God and live, Exod. 33.20. and John 1.18. No man hath ſeen God at any time, do not intimate that God is viſible, tho' we cannot ſee him; but ſeeing is metaphorically uſed for knowing, and the meaning is, that in this Life we are not capable of a perfect knowledge of God. A clear diſcovery of God to our Underſtanding would let in joys into our Souls, and create deſires in us too great for frail Mortality to bear.
2. That he is the living God. Spirit and Life are often put together in Scripture.
3. That God is immortal. This the Scripture attributes to him, 1 Tim. 1.17. To the King immortal, inviſible. 1 Tim. 6.16. Who only hath immortality. This alſo flows from God's Spirituality; a Spiritual Nature hath no principles of Corruption in it, nothing that is liable to periſh, or decay, or dye. Now this doth ſo eminently agree to God, either becauſe he is purely ſpiritual, and immaterial, as poſſibly no Creature is; or elſe becauſe he is not only immortal in his own Nature, but is not liable to be reduced to nothing by any other, becauſe he hath an original and independent Immortality, and therefore the Apoſtle doth attribute it to him in ſuch a ſingular and peculiar manner; Who only hath Immortality.
Secondly, Practical Inferences.
1. We are not to conceive of God as having a Body, or any corporeal Shape or Members. This was the groſs conceit of the Anthropomorphites of old, and of ſome Socinians of late, which they ground upon the groſs and literal Interpretation of many figurative Speeches in Scripture concerning God, as where it ſpeaks of his Face, and Hand, and Arm, &c. But we are very unthankful to God, who condeſcends to repreſent himſelf to us according to our Capacities, if we abuſe this condeſcention to the blemiſh and reproach of the Divine Nature. If God be pleaſed to ſtoop to our weakneſs, we muſt not therefore level him to our Infirmities.
2. If God be a Spirit, we are not to worſhip God by any Image or ſenſible repreſentation. Becauſe God is a Spirit, we are not to liken him to any thing that is corporeal; we are not to repreſent him by the likeneſs of any thing that is in Heaven above, that is, of any Birds; or in the earth beneath, that is, of any Beaſt; or in the waters under the earth, that is, of any Fiſh; as it is in the ſecond Commandment. For, as the Prophet tells us, there is nothing that we can liken God to; Iſa. 40:18. To whom will ye liken God? or what likeneſs will ye compare to him? We debaſe his Spiritual and Incorruptible Nature, when we compare him to corruptible Creatures; Rom. 1.22, 23. Speaking of the Heathen Idolatry, Who profeſſing themſelves wiſe, became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and to fourfooted Beaſts, and creeping things. They became Fools; this is the folly of Idolatry, to liken a Spirit, which hath no bodily ſhape, to things that are corporeal and corruptible. So that however ſome are pleaſed to mince the matter, I cannot ſee how the Church of Rome, which worſhips God by or toward ſome Image or ſenſible repreſentation, can be excuſed from Idolatry; and the Church of England doth not without very juſt cauſe challenge the Romiſh Church with it, and make it a ground of ſeparation from her.
3. If God be a Spirit, then we ſhould worſhip him in ſpirit and in truth. This is the Inference of the Text, and therefore I ſhall ſpeak a little more largely of it; only I muſt explain what is meant by worſhiping in ſpirit and in truth, and ſhew you the force of this Conſequence, how it follows, that becauſe God is a Spirit, therefore he muſt be worſhip'd in ſpirit and in truth.
1ſt. For the explication of it. This word Spirit is ſometimes apply'd to the Doctrine of the Goſpel, and ſo it is oppoſed to Letter, by which Name the Doctrine of Moſes is called; 2 Cor. 3.6. Who hath made us able Miniſters of the new Teſtament, not of the letter, but of the ſpirit; not of the Law which was written in Tables of Stone, but which Chriſt by his Spirit writes in the Hearts of Believers. Sometimes to the worſhip of the Goſpel; and ſo it is oppoſed to the Fleſh, Gal. 3.3. Having begun in the ſpirit, are ye now made perfect by the fleſh? that is by the works of the ceremonial Law, which is therefore call'd Fleſh, becauſe the principal ceremony of it, Circumciſion, was made in the Fleſh, and becauſe their Sacrifices, a chief part of their Worſhip, were of the Fleſh of Beaſts; and becauſe the greateſt part of their Ordinances, as waſhing, and the like, related to the Body. Hence it is the Apoſtle calls the worſhip of the Jews, the law of a carnal commandment, Heb. 7.16. and Heb. 9.10. Carnal Ordinances, ſpeaking of the Service of the Law, which, ſaith he, ſtood in meats, and drinks, and divers waſhings, and carnal ordinances. Now in oppoſition to this carnal and ceremonial Worſhip, we are to worſhip God in the Spirit. The Worſhip of the Jews was moſt a bodily ſervice; but we are to give God a reaſonable ſervice, to ſerve him with the ſpirit of our minds, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks; inſtead of offering the fleſh of bulls and goats, we are to conſecrate our ſelves to the ſervice of God; this is a holy and acceptable ſacrifice, or reaſonable ſervice.
And in truth. Either in oppoſition to the falſe Worſhip of the Samaritans (as in ſpirit is oppoſed to the Worſhip of the Jews) as our Saviour tells the Woman, that they worſhip'd they knew not what; or (which I rather think) in oppoſition to the ſhadows of the Law; and ſo it is oppoſed, John 1.17. The Law was given by Moſes: but grace and truth came by Jeſus Chriſt.
Not that the external Service of God is here excluded, not that we are to ſhow no outward reverence to him: but that as under the Law, the Service of God was chiefly external and corporeal, ſo now it ſhould chiefly be inward and ſpiritual; the Worſhip of God under the Goſpel ſhould chiefly be ſpiritual and ſubſtantial, not a carnal, and bodily, and ceremonious Devotion.
2dly. For the force of the Conſequence, it doth not lie in this, that juſt ſuch as God is, ſuch muſt our Worſhip of him be; for this would exclude all bodily and outward worſhip; our Worſhip of God muſt therefore be inviſible, eternal, &c. for ſo is he; and beſides the Will of God ſeems rather to be the rule of his Worſhip, than his Nature: but the force of it is this, God is of a ſpiritual Nature, and this is to be ſuppoſed to be his Will, that our Worſhip ſhould be as agreable to the Object of it, as the nature of the Creature who is to give it will bear; now ſaith Chriſt to the Woman, the Jews and the Samaritans they limit their Worſhip to a certain place, and it conſiſts chiefly in certain carnal Rites and Ordinances; but, ſaith 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 ſpiritual, and ſolid, and ſubſtantial Worſhip of God is to be introduced, which will be free from all particular Places and Rites, not tyed to the Temple, or to ſuch external Ceremonies, but conſiſting in the devotion of our Spirits, even the inward frame and temper of our Hearts; all outward Circumſtances (excepting thoſe of the two Sacraments which are poſitive) being left by the Goſpel to as great a liberty, as natural neceſſity and decency will permit.
We muſt worſhip God, and therefore it is naturally neceſſary that we ſhould do it ſomewhere, in ſome place; now ſeeing ſome body muſt determine this, it is moſt convenient that Authority ſhould determine it, according to the conveniency of cohabitation. We muſt not be rude, nor do any thing that is naturally undecent in the Worſhip of God; this Authority ſhould reſtrain; but further than this, I doubt not but the Goſpel hath left us free; and to this end, that the leſs we are tied to external Obſervances, the more intent we ſhould be upon the ſpiritual and ſubſtantial parts of Religion, the conforming of our ſelves to the Mind and Will of God, endeavouring to be like God, and to have our Souls and Spirits ingaged in thoſe Duties we perform to him. So that our Saviour's argument is this; God is a Spirit, that is, the moſt excellent Nature and Being, and therefore muſt be ſerved with the beſt. We conſiſt of Body and Soul, 'tis true, and we muſt ſerve him with our whole Man; but principally with our Souls, which are the moſt excellent Part of our ſelves; the Service of our Mind and Spirit is the beſt we can perform, and therefore moſt 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 ſincere, and ſubſtantial; we muſt not think to put off God with external obſervances, and with bodily reverence and attendance; this we muſt give him, but we muſt principally regard that our Service of him be reaſonable, that is, directed by our Underſtandings, and accompanied with our Affections. Our Religion muſt conſiſt principally in a ſincere love and affection to God, which expreſſeth it ſelf in a real conformity of our lives and actions to his Will; and when we make our ſolemn approaches to him, in the Duties of his Worſhip and Service, we muſt perform all acts of outward Worſhip to God with a pure and ſincere Mind; whatever we do in the Service of God, we muſt do it heartily as to the Lord. God is a pure Spirit, preſent 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 Worſhip would be very ſuitable to ſuch an end; but Religion is not intended to pleaſe Men, but God, and therefore it muſt be ſpiritual, and inward, and real.
And where-ever the external part of Religion is principally regarded, and Men are more careful to worſhip God with outward pomp and ceremony, than in ſpirit and in truth, Religion degenerates into Superſtition, and Men embrace the ſhadow of Religion, and let go the ſubſtance. And this the Church of Rome hath done almoſt to the utter ruin of Chriſtianity; ſhe hath clogged Religion, and the Worſhip of God, with ſo many Rites and Ceremonies, under one Pretence or other, that the Yoke of Chriſt is become heavier than that of Moſes; and they have made the Goſpel a more carnal Commandment than the Law; and whatever Chriſtians or Churches are intent upon external Rites and Obſervances, 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 conſiſts, they advance a Religion as contrary to the Nature of God, and as unſuitable to the genius and temper of the Goſpel, as can be imagined.
It is an Obſervation of Sir Edwin Sands, that as Children are pleas'd with Toys, ſo, ſaith he, it is a pitiful and childiſh Spirit that is predominant in the contrivers and zealots of a ceremonious Religion. I deny not but that very honeſt and devout Men may be this way addicted; but the wiſer any Man is, the better he underſtands the Nature of God and of Religion, the further he will be from this temper.
A Religion that conſiſts in external and little things, doth moſt eaſily gain upon and poſſeſs the weakeſt Minds, and whoever entertain it, it will enfeeble their Spirits, and unfit them for the more generous and excellent Duties of Chriſtianity. We have but a finite heat, and zeal, and activity, and if we let out much of it upon ſmall things, there will be too little left for thoſe parts of Religion which are of greateſt moment and concernment; if our heat evaporate in externals, the heart and vitals of Religion will inſenſibly cool and decline.
How ſhould we bluſh who are Chriſtians, that we have not learnt this eaſie truth from the Goſpel, which even the Light of Nature taught the Heathen; Cultus autem deorum eſt optimus itemque ſanctiſſimus atque caſtiſſimus, pleniſſimuſque pietatis, ut eos ſemper purâ integrâ & incorruptâ mente & voce veneremur, Tully. The beſt, the ſureſt, the moſt chaſt, and moſt devout worſhip of the Gods, is that which is pay'd them with a pure, ſincere, and uncorrupt Mind, and words truly repreſenting the thoughts of the Heart. Compoſitum jus faſque animi, &c. Serve God with a pure, honeſt, holy frame of Spirit, bring him a heart that is but generouſly honeſt, and he will accept of the plaineſt Sacrifice.
And let me tell you, that the ceremonious Worſhip of the Jews was never a thing in it ſelf acceptable to God, or which he did delight in; and tho' God was pleaſed with their obedience to the ceremonial Law after it was commanded, yet antecedently he did not deſire it; but that which our Saviour ſaith concerning the Law of Divorce, is true likewiſe of the ceremonial, that it was permitted to the Jews for the hardneſs of their hearts, and for their proneneſs to Idolatry. God did not command it ſo much by way of approbation, as by way of condeſcenſion to their weakneſs; it was becauſe of the hardneſs of their carnal hearts that God brought them under the Law of a carnal Commandment, as the Apoſtle calls it. See Pſal. 51.16, 17. Jer. 7.21.
The reaſon why I have inſiſted ſo long upon this, is to let you underſtand, what is the true nature of Chriſt's Religion, and to abate the intemperate heat and zeal which Men are apt to have for external and indifferent things in Religion. The Sacrifices and Rites of the Jews were very unagreeable and unſuitable to the Nature of God; Pſal. 50.13. Will I eat the fleſh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Spirits neither eat nor drink; it was a very unſuitable way of ſervice to kill Oxen and Sheep for God; and there's the ſame reaſon of all other Rites which either natural neceſſity or decency doth not require. Can any Man in earneſt think, that God who is a Spirit is pleaſed with the pompous bravery and pageantry which affects our Senſes? So little doth God value indifferent Rites, that even the neceſſary external Service of God, and outward Reverence, where they are ſeparated from ſpirit and truth, from real holineſs and obedience to the indiſpenſable Laws of Chriſt, are ſo far from being acceptable to God, that they are abominable; nay, if they be uſed for a Cloak of Sin, or in oppoſition to real Religion, and with a deſign to undermine it, God accounts ſuch Service in the number of the moſt heinous Sins.
You who ſpend the ſtrength and vigour of your Spirits about external things, whoſe zeal for or againſt Ceremonies is ready to eat you up, you who hate and perſecute one another becauſe of theſe things, and break the neceſſary and indiſpenſable Commands of Love, as an indifferent and unneceſſary Ceremony, go and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not ſacrifice, which our Saviour doth ſo often inculcate, and that Rom. 14.17. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, &c. And ſtudy the meaning of this, God is a Spirit, and they that worſhip him, muſt worſhip him in Spirit and in truth.