صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

CHAP. V.

SECT. 1. Of unlawful self, it is twofold, 1st. In religion. 2d. In morality. 2. Of those that are most formal, superstitious and pompous in worship. 3. God's rebuke of carnal apprehensions. 4. Christ drew off his disciples from the Jewish exterior worship, and instituted a more spiritual one. 5. Stephen is plain and full in this matter. 6. Paul refers the temple of God twice to man. 7. Of the cross of these worldly worshippers. 8. Flesh and blood make their cross, therefore cannot be crucified by it. 9. They are yokes without restraint. 10. Of the gaudiness of their cross, and their respect to it. 11. A recluse life no true gospel abnegation. 12. A comparison between Christ's self-denial and theirs : his leads to purity in the world, theirs to voluntary imprisonment, that they might not be tempted of the world. The mischief which that example, followed, would do to the world. It destroys useful society, honest labour. A lazy life the usual refuge of idleness, poverty, and guilty age. 13. Of Christ's cross in this case. The impossibility that such an external application can remove an internal cause. 14. An exhortation to the men of this belief, not to deceive themselves.

SECT. 1. I AM now come to unlawful self, which, more or less is the immediate concernment of much the greater part of mankind. This unlawful self is twofold. 1st, That which relates to religious worship: 2dly, That which concerns moral and civil conversation in the world. And they are both of infinite consequence to be considered by us. In which I shall be as brief as I may, with ease to my conscience, and no injury to the mat

ter.

Sect. 2. That unlawful self in religion, that ought to be mortified by the cross of Christ, is man's invention

and performance of worship to God, as divine, which is not so either in its institution or performance. In this great error, those people have the van, of all, that attribute to themselves the name of Christians, that are most exterior, pompous, and superstitious in their worship; for they do not only miss exceedingly, by a spiritual unpreparedness, in the way of their performing worship to God Almighty, who is an eternal spirit ; but the worship itself is composed of what is utterly inconsistent with the very form and practice of Christ's doctrine, and the apostolical example. For whereas that was plain and spiritual, this is gaudy and worldly: Christ's most inward and mental; theirs most outward and corporeal; that suited to the nature of God, who is a spirit; this accommodated to the most carnal part. So that instead of excluding flesh and blood, behold a worship calculated to gratify them as if the business were not to present God with a worship to please him, but to make one to please themselves. A worship dressed with such stately buildings, and imagery, rich furniture and garments, rare voices and music, costly lamps, wax-candles and perfumes; and all acted with that most pleasing variety to the external senses, that art can invent, or cost procure as if the world were to turn Jew or Egyptian again or that God was an old man, indeed, and Christ a little boy, to be treated with a kind of religious mask, for so they picture him in their temples; and too many in their minds. And the truth is, such a worship may very well suit such an idea of God: for when men can think him such an one as themselves, it is not to be wondered, if they address to him, and entertain him in a way that would be most pleasing from others to them. selves.

Sect. 3. But what said the Almighty to such a sensual people of old, much upon the like occasion?" Thou thoughtest I was such an one as thyself, but I will reprove thee, and set thy sins in order before thee. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. But to him that

ordereth his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation of God." This is the worship acceptable to him, "To do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God;" for he that "searcheth the heart and tries the reins of man, and sets his sins in order before him, who is the God of the spirits of all flesh," looks not to the external fabric, but internal frame of the soul, and inclination of the heart. Nor is it to be soberly thought, that he, who is "clothed with divine honour and majesty, who covers himself with light, as with a garment, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, who layeth the beams of his chambers in the deep, who maketh the clouds his chariots, and who walks upon the wings of the wind, who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire, who laid the foundation of the earth that it should not be moved for ever," can be adequately worshipped by those human inventions, the refuge of an apostate people, from the primitive power of religion, and spirituality of christian worship.

Sect. 4. Christ drew off his disciples from the glory and worship of the outward temple, and instituted a more inward and spiritual worship, in which he instructed his followers, "Ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem (says Christ to the Samaritan woman) worship the Father. God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth." As if he had said for the sake of the weakness of the people, God descended in old time, to limit himself to an outward time, place, temple and service, in and by which he would be worshipped: but this was during men's ignorance of his omnipresence, and that they considered not what God is, nor where he is. But I am come to reveal him to as many as receive me. And I tell you that God is a spirit, and he will be worshipped in spirit and in truth. People must be acquainted with him as a spirit, consider him, and worship him as such. It is not that bodily worship, nor these ceremonious services, in use among you now.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

that will serve, or give acceptance with this God that is a spirit no, you must obey his spirit that strives with you, to gather you out of the evil of the world; that by bowing to the instructions and commands of his spirit in your own souls, you may know what it is to worship him as a spirit; then you will understand, that it is not going to this mountain, nor Jerusalem, but to do the will of God, to keep his commandments; and commune with thine own heart, and sin not, take up thy cross, meditate in his holy law, and follow the example of him whom the Father hath sent.

Sect. 5. Wherefore Stephen, that bold and constant martyr of Jesus, thus told the Jews, when a prisoner at their bar for disputing about the end of their beloved temple, and its services, but falsely accused of blasphemy, "Solomon (said Stephen) built God an house; how beit, God dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool; what house will ye build me, saith the Lord? Or what is the place of my rest? Hath not mine hands made all these things?" Behold a total overthrow to all worldly temples, and their ceremonious appendences! the martyr follows his blow upon those apostate Jews, who were of those times, the pompous, ceremonious, worldly worshippers: "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost; as did your fathers, so do ye." As if he had told them, no matter for your outward temple, rites, and shadowy services, your pretensions to succession in nature from Abraham, and by religion from Moses; you are resisters of the spirit, gainsayers of its instructions: you will not bow to its counsel, nor are your hearts right towards God; you are the successors of your father's iniquity; and though verbal admirers, yet none of the successors of the prophets in faith and life.

But the prophet Isaiah carries it a little farther than is cited by Stephen. For after having declared what is

[blocks in formation]

not God's house," the place where his honour dwells," immediately follow these words: "But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." Behold, O carnal and superstitious man, the true worshipper, and the place of God's rest! This is the house and temple of Him whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain; an house self cannot build, nor the art nor power of man prepare or

consecrate.

Sect. 6. Paul, that great apostle of the Gentiles, twice expressly refers the word temple to man once in his first epistle to the church at Corinth; "Know ye not (says he) that you are the temples of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God?" &c. and not the building of man's hand and art. Again, he tells the same people, in his second epistle, "For ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said ;" and then cites God's words by the prophet, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." This is the evangelical temple, the Christian church, whose ornaments are not the embroideries and furnitures of worldly art and wealth, but the graces of the spirit; " meekness, love, faith, patience, self-denial, and charity." Here it is, that the eternal wisdom, that was with God from everlasting, before the hills were brought forth, or the mountains laid, chooses to dwell," rejoicing, (says Wisdom) in the habitable part of the earth, and my delights were with the sons of men ;" not in the houses built of wood and stone. This living house is moré glorious than Solomon's dead house; and of which his was but a figure, as he, the builder, was of Christ, who "builds us up an holy temple to God." It was promised of old, that the glory of the latter should transcend the glory of the former;" which may be applied to this: not one outward temple or house to excel another in

f Isa. lxvi. 2.

i Prov. viii. 22, 23, 25, 31.

g 1 Cor. vi. 19.
* Hag. ii. 9.

h 2 Cor. vi, 16. ́

H

« السابقةمتابعة »