For instance : —
[1.] For the first notion, God's being. Then is our worship right, when it doth proclaim to all that shall observe us, or we that ob- serve ourselves, there is a great, an infinite, eternal power, which sits at the upper end of causes, and governeth all according to his own pleasure. Alas ! the worship of many is flat atheism ; they say in their hearts either there is no God, or believe there is no God. There- fore, do you worship him as becomes such a glorious being ? Is his mercy seen in your faith and confidence, his majesty in your humility and reverence, his goodness in your soul's rejoicing, his greatness and justice in your trembling before his throne ? The worship must be like the worshipped, it must have his stamp upon it.
[2.] For the other notion, God is a spirit, therefore the soul must be the chief agent in the business, not the body, or any member of the body. Spirits they converse with spirits : the body is but employed by the soul, and must not guide and lead it, but be led by it. There- fore see whether there be the spirit, otherwise that which is most essential to the worship is wanting. To have nothing employed but the tongue, and the heart about other business, is not to carry your- selves as to a God, and a God that is a spirit. Kecollect yourselves ; where is my soul in this worship, and how is it affected towards God ?
Secondly, As there must be thoughts to direct us in his being and nature, so also in his relation as a father, as one that is inclinable to pardon, pity, and help you. We have the spirit of adoption given us for this very end and pm'pose, that we may cry, ' Abba, Father ; ' and, Gal. iv. 16, ' Because you are sons, therefore he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father ; ' and, Kom. viii. 15, 'We have received the Spirit of adoption, crying, Abba, Father ; ' that we may come to God in a child-like manner, dealing with him as with a father, acquainting him with our wants, neces- sities, burdens, with a hope of relief and supply.
Object. Ay, saith a distressed soul, if my heart be thus carried up to God, if I could discern such a Spirit of adoption prompting me to go to God as a father, then it would be better with me.
To this I answer : —
1. ]\Iany times there is a child-like inclination where there is not a child-like familiarity and boldness. What is that child-like incli- nation ? The soul cannot keep away from God, and that is an im- plicit owning him as a father: Jer. iii. 19, 'Thou shalt call me, My father ; and shalt not turn away from me.' It is a child-like act to look to him for all our supplies, and to recommend our suit. As when a child wants anything, he goes to his father.
Mat. VI. 6-8.] exposition of the lord's prayer. 35
2. There is a child-like reverence many times when there is not a child-like confidence. The soul hath an awe of God when it cannot explicitly own him as our God and Father, yet it owns him in the humbling way : Luke xv. 18, ' I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am not worthy to be called thy son.' Though we cannot confidently approach to God as our reconciled Father, yet we come with humility and reverence. Lord, I would fain be^ but I deserve not to be, called thy child.
3. There is a child-like dependence upon God's general ofier, though we have not an evidence of the sincerity of our particular claim. God oflfereth to be a Father in Christ to all penitent believers. Now, when a broken-hearted creature comes to God, and looks for mercy upon the account of the covenant, though he cannot see his own in- terest ; for then we come to God, though not as our Father, yet as ' the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ; ' and that is a relief in prayer, as Eph. i. 3, ' Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ; ' and, ver. 17, ' The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory ; ' and, Eph. iii. 14, ' I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Mark, when we come to him as the Father of Christ, we believe what God ofiereth in the covenant of grace — namely, that he will deal kindly with us as a father with his children ; that he will be good to those that come to him by Christ. The term Father is not only to be considered with respect to the dis- position or qualification of the persons, but the dispensation they are under. It is the new covenant. In the new covenant God under- takes to be fatherly — that is, to pity our miseries, to pardon our sins, to heal our natures, to save our persons. Now all that come for refuge to take hold of this hope set before them, may come to God as a father, if they believe the gospel in general, though they are not assured of God's love to themselves.