me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord'; and they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds2. Hear ye that are far off, what I have done; and ye that are near acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites; who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?? Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition'? Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy concerning you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouths, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer; therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Wo unto you; for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves'. Wo unto you; for ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Wo unto you; for ye make clean the outside of the cup, and of the platter; but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Wo unto you; for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness; even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity". Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence you are; then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I know you not whence you are; depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. Not every one that sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity". SECT. 3. A due sense of this expressed in prayer to God. Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. Thou hast proved mine heart, thou hast visited me in the night, thou hast tried me, and shall find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress". Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doth evil to his Z Matt. xxiii. 23-28. § 3. Psal. xvii. 1. a Luke, xiii. 23-27. Matt. vii. 21, 22, 23. Psal. xvii. 3. neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour; in whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord; he that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not; he that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent; he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him; that seek thy face, O Jacob d. Examples of unaccepted worshippers, Cain, Korah, and Saul. "A wicked man presuming to worship, or any person pretending to worship in a different way from that appointed by God himself, cannot be accepted. The wicked Cain (soon after displayed by the murder of his brother) offering the firstlings of his flock, could not be regarded of God. Corah, Dathan, Abiram, and On, pretended to worship God in their own way, without regarding his institutions by Moses. Their judgment which followed their doing so, is recorded, Numb. xvi. 1-35. Saul, by offering a sacrifice which God had ordered to be offered by a priest only, incurred the indignation of God. The great rule to be observed is," To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not, and act not, according to this word, it is because there is no light in them". SECTION VII. OF THE DISPOSITIONS REQUIRED OF THOSE WORSHIPPERS WHO MAY HOPE TO BE ACCEPTED OF GOD. SECT. 1. Our hearts must be reconciled to our duty, and obedient to the will of God, before we can rightly worship him.-2. The mind and heart must be c Psal, xv. 1-5. d Psal. xxiv. 4, 5, 6. Isa. viii. 20. Gen. iv. S-8. engaged in the sacred act.-3. We must draw near to God in the name of our Lord Jesus.-4. Humility is required in every act of worship.-5. All our acts of worship must be attended with a grateful acknowledgment of the divine goodness.-6. Ardour and importunity are dispositions necessary to worshippers. 7. If our hearts are not reconciled to all mankind we cannot be accepted. 8. The above dispositions contained in the praises and prayers of the servants of God.-9. The courts and ordinances of God are objects of the warmest desires, and the delight of the Saints. SECT. 1. Our hearts must be reconciled to our duty, and obedient to the will of God, before we can rightly worship him. WHEREWITH shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God*? Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice; and to hearken than the fat of rams. Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High. And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him; because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And § 1. Micah, vi. 6, 7, 8. d Psal. 1. 23. 1 Sam. xv. 22. с * 1 John, ii. 21, 22. e Psal. l. 14, 15. if ye call on the Father, who, without respect of persons, judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear'. SECT. 2. The mind and heart must be engaged in the sacred act. My son, give me thine heart. For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart". God is a spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. If thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and sould. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Trust in him at all times, ye people, pour out your hearts before him'. If I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? Í will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned, say, Amen, at thy giving of thanks? Follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart". For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh'. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of man, but of God*. SECT. 3. We must draw near to God in the name our Lord Jesus. of "See this chapter, Sect. I. § 6. It is by Jesus Christ, as our Mediator, that we are allowed to draw near to God." I. 1 Pet. i. 17. §2. Prov. xxiii. 26. d Deut. iv. 29. 1 Cor. xiv. 14, 15, 16. *Rom. ii. 28, 29. VOL. 11. b 1 Sam. xvi. 7. e 1 Chron. xxii. 19. F John, iv. 24. 'Psal. Ixii. 8. '. Phil. iii. S. |