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Show ~9' t668. ~ Chap. IV. (:hap. v. No C P. 0 S $, No CR. 0 W N. . Vot.: I. f.dv<r}ities are they cafi down : And why_? 1lec.aufc they are moderated in the one and comforted in ~he other, by hts Dtvine Prefence. In !h~rr~ Heaven is the Throne, and· the Earth but the Footfto~l of th~t Man that hlth Self under Foot. And thofe that know that Statton, will not ~afily be moved; fuch learn to number tluir Days, .rha~ they may not be.furprized with their Diffolution; and to redum rbetr Tm;e, becnufe. the Days are Evil; Remembri~g, tha~ they are. but Sreroards, ~nd muftdelive:r up their Accompts to an 1mparttal Judge. Th~efore not to Self; ~ut to htm they live, and in him dye, and are blell'ed W!th them that d1e 10 the Lord. And thus I conclude my Difcourfe of the nght Ufe of Lawful Self. CHAP y, §. I. I Arn now corne to Unlawful Self, which, rnore or lcfs, is the im: mediate Concernment of much the greater Part of Mankind. This Unlawful &If is twofold. 1ft. That rohich rt:laus to Religiom Worjhip: 2dly, That which concerns lJioral and Civil Converfation in the World. And they are both of Infinite Confequence, to be confidered by us. In which, I fhaJl be as brief as I may, with Eafe to my Confcience, and no Injury to the Matter. §. II. That Uniamfui Srlf in Religion, that ought to be n;>otti6ed by the Crofs of Chrift, is Alan's Invemion and Performttnce of Wor.foip to God, a1 Divine, which is not jo, either in it't Infl_itution or Performance. In rhi$ great Error, thofe People have the Van, of all, that attribute to themfelves the Name of Chrifliant, that are moft Exteriour, Pompo11s, and Superfiiti~ om in their Worjhip: For they do not only mtfs exceedingly, by a Spiriru .. a! Unpreparednefs, in the Way of their Perform in~ Worjhip to God Almigh· ty, who is an Eternal Spirit; but the Worjhip it 1elf. is compofed of what is utterly Inconfiftent, with the very Form and Praftice ofChrifr's Doih1ne, :and the Apoftolic:J.l Example. For whereas that was Plain and Spirit1111l, this is Gamdy and Worldly: Chrift's moft lnmard and .Mental, rheir's moft Outward and Corporal: That fuited to the Nature of God, who is a Spirit, this accommodated to the moft carnal Part. So that inftcad of excluding Flelh and Blood, behold a Worjhip calculated to gratifie thern , Ao if the Bufinefs were not to prefent God, with a Worfoip to pleafe him, but to make one to pleafe themfelves. A Worfoip drefs"d with fuch Stately Btti/Jingt, :md imagery, Rich Furnituru and GarmentJ", rare Voices ·and lt1.ujirll, Co/fly Lamps, Jl'ax--CanJles and Perfumes; and all afted with that moft plealing Variety, to the External Senfes, that Art can invenr, or Cofi procure: As if the World were to turn Jew or Egyptitm again; or that God was an o/4. J'11an, indeed, and C~ritta liulr Boy, to be treated With a Kind of Rehti· ous Majl; for :lo they piEl:ure him in their Temples; and roo maJ?,}' in their Minds. And rhe Troth is, fuch a Worfoip, may very well fuit fuch an Idr:a of God: For when Men c:J.n think him fuch an one as themfelves, it is not to be wondered, if thev add refs to him, and enterlain him in :t Way that wolild be rnoft pleafing ·from othero to themfelves. . §. III. ·' Voi. i. No C:kos:S, No cR.otvN. §: lll. But what faid the Almighty to fucfi a fenfual People of old t66S muc;h upon the like Occafion? Thou thougbufl I uuu fucb an one a1 tbj ~v Jr:Jf, but I_ will reprove thee, and fer thy Sins in_ Order before thee. Now ChaP,. V. confider tim, ye thtr~forget God, 1(/l I tear yau m PieceJ", and tb,ere be 71one Pfal. ~o, ~s; to deliver. But to h1m tbat ordr:retb his Converfation aright, will I fhew the 22• 2]. • Salvation of God. This is the Worjhip acceptJblc to him, To do Juflice Love ftfefCy, and. walk humbly fiJith. Gotl. For he that fear(hetb the Hr:;rt ttnd Mic. 6. t. tries the Rerm of Man, and feu bit Sins in Order before him, wbo it the · · God of tbt Spirits of all F!tjh, looks not to the Extmtal Fa brick, but In· ternal Frame of the Soul, and Inclination of the Heart. NOr is it to he fo~ · berly thought~ that h~, wh.o is daath~d with Divi11e H011our and Mttjejly, who cover_J" bmzfelf _w1th Lrght, a1 wrth a Garment, who flrercb(r OJJt the Heavm.r ltke a Curtmn, w~o laye!h the lkamt of bU Cbambert in the Der:p• · w~o ma!r.etb the Qou_ds hu Cbarro!r? and wh<? wal~.r .u,;on the Wings of the TV'mtl, whomakr:tb hu A11.Jelt Sp1rrtr, aml hu Mmzjterr a Jlldmin_t Fin, who laid the Foundatian oj the Eartb1 that itjhould not be movedjortvir can be adequately Worfoipped by thofe lfumane Inventiont, the Refuge of :aJ Apoftate People, from the Primitive Power ofReligiorl', and Spirituality of t" Chriftian W orfhip. §. IV. Chrifi drew off his Difciples from the Glorr. and Worfhip of the out.ward ~emple, and.Jnftituted a more inwar~ and Spiritual WorChip, in wh1ch he 1nfirutl:ed hts Followers, Te jbal1 neuber in this Mountain nor fohri .f• i~~ yet a~ Jeru.fa!em (fays Chrift to rh~ Stt~aritan Woma_n) fl!orjhip the F;ther, 2+o God u a Spmt, and they that wor.fotp bun, mufl wOrfolp hu11 in Spirit and in Trutb. As if he had faid: For the Sokt of tbe Wtdnifr of the Ptoplc, God &ontlifrended zn old Ttme, to hmzt hrmfelf to an outward Time Place Temple ~nd Service, in and by 'a!birb be would be wor!hipped: B~t, tb;; f»U du_rrng M_ens lgnorance of_ hu Omniprefenu, ttnd that they confidered not f!Wat Gad u. nor mhere be zt. ·But I am -'~me to reVeal him, to as many 11r rr:~t.ve mr: •. .And I t~ll you that God U a 8_p1rzt, and be will be Wor]hipped ilt Sfmt and zn T':ut~. People miiJ! ~~ arguarnted o;itb him as a Spirit, confider btm,, and worf!Jtp b~m ar Jucb. Tu not that Bo~t!y Worjhip, nor theft Cere• m~nzom_Servue.r, ''! Vfe ~~ong yau-now, that tDtll feroe, or give Jitceptance 111zth thu God that u a Sprrzt: JV'o, you mull obey bit Spirit thor jlrivet v.1itB yo¥, to gather you ·Out of the Evil of the World, that by bowing to the Jn ... ftr1f0ionran~ Cofl!mandt Of.J!it Spirit in you_r own ~ou/s, you may ldtow what zt u r_o wor.fotp frrm at 11 Sptrzt; then you wzll undeffland, that 'til not going to tfJlt Mount am, nor ]erufalem, but to do the Witi of God to Reep bit Com .. mandmentJ"! an~ &o"!mune with thine own Heart, and jilt ~ot, take up thy Croft, medttatc.rn hu Holy Law, and ·[oliow the &le qfhim rubom tbt p,;. tbtr botb ftnt. §. V, Wherefore Stt~b'!'• that bol~ and confiant Martyr of 1erus, thus told t~e Jewr, when a Pnfocer at th.e1r Bar for d1fputing about thC End of theu beloved Temple, and its Services, (but falfly accufed of Blafphemy) , Solomon (fa1d S!ephen) butlt Go~ an Houft; borobeit, Gdd dw,elletb not in Alh7. 47;~ Templu m~de Wttb Hands; as faltb the Pr_ophet, _Heaven U my Tbrdne, tifld ~~~ the Ea_rth It my Foot-Jioo/; what Houfe wrOye build me,faitb the Lord?~ Ifii66. '• ~ mh11t u the Place of my R~ft? Haih-n'ot my Hand mt~de all tbefe Thihgt ? Be: hold a total Overthrow to all Worldly Temples, and their Ceremonious Ap· pendencies I The Martyr follows his Blow upon thofe Apolhre. ]ewt who ' were. of thofe Times, the Pompous, CeremonioUs, Worldly Worfhi.Ppers : Te fliff-neclud a'!d uncir(umcijed in Heart and Ears, ye do alt»4].t rejijlt~ Holy Gbojl; at dtd your Fatbtrt, Jo do ye. As if he had told tbem : Nt .Matter for yo11r out!"ard Temple, Rites, and jh11dowy Serviur, ~r: Pre-tenjiont ttJ Suu~ffion tn Na.tu_re fro!"- .t\hraham,_ and by Religionfrum M_ofts; you are Rejiflert of thr: Sptrrt, Gam•fayert.o[ tt't Inflr•Oioitt l Tou OJtll Jtot how to its Cou,{el, nor •re ')'Ollr Hr:art& right totiJtird~ God: To• '•re the s.( .. uffort of your 1'otbu's Iniquity; and tbou{h Ytr~•l Aimifm, ytt nont if tilt Sucuffors of tbt Propbm in Faith 1111d LiJt. . - . . , .. • |