3. Thirdly, The spirit hath a being of itself, and praiseth, loveth and rejoiceth in God when it is out of the body ; and the body is stirred up to this duty only by the spirit, being of itself senseless as a block; and outward worship without inward ' is but the carcase of worship. The prayer of a wicked man is abominable, because he regards inquity in his heart, Ps. Ixvi. 18. And^is spirit of ours, without the Spirit of God, cannot worship him ; and therefore every one that is not changed makes God an idol.
Use. This may deprive all such of comfort as care not for this spiritual worship, thinking they have done enough if they have mumbled a few idle words over. God accepts it no more than if they had sacrificed a dog's bead, as he saith, Isa. kvi. 3. And verily, what other is popery, but a body without a soul, when they worship in blind sacrifices, in a strange language ? Is this a spiritual worship, when they neither know what they do nor say ? Let us shew that we are not of their number. Come we
72 EXPOSITION OF
■with love, and with the intension* of all our affections ; and this will sway the wliolc man, body and soul ; and so shall we worship him in truth, and not in hypocrisy, as many do, that bring their idols with them. Their minds are on their pleasures and riches, though their body be present before God. And it hath over been an error in the world, this limiting and tying God's worship to outward worship of the body, with a kind of ceremonious gesture ; and it is very much liked for such like reasons as these are.
First, The outirard gesture : as holding up hands, bending the knee, casting up the eyes, they are things that may easily be done.
Secondly, Tlieii make a (jlorious sJww ui the ei/es of the uorld. It is a commendable and good quality to be religious, especially if they be observed so to be.
Thirdly, It is beneficial to men, whenas hereby they are known to bo no atheists, and therefore not that way incapable of preferment or the like.
Fourthly, Outward worship satisfies conscience a little. Men know they must worship God, and go to church, that these are means to save men, aud they think that in doing so they stop the cries of their consciences. Alas ! alas ! these sleepy, blinded consciences of theirs will at length awake, aud will accuse them, for the outward ceremonious hypocritical worship of him that requires the Spirit to worship him with.
Ohj. But some men say. How shall we know whether we serve God in spirit or no ?
Jns. I answer. Observe these properties.
First, Whether thou lamentest thy defects in the best actions thou dost, and are not puffed up with conceit of the sufficiency of thy performances. Paul found this in him ; for although he lived, being a Pharisee, as con- cerning the law unrebukable, yet when he was converted he saw much corruption which before he knew not, and laments and bewails it, Rom. vii. 23, 24.
Secondly, Examine thyself, whether thou makest conscience of private closet duties. Of prayer in thy study when none sees thee. Of thy very thoughts. Dost thou serve God with thy affections and thy very soul ? Dost thou weep in secret for sins, yea, for thy secret sins ? Dost not thou do good duties to be seen of men, as the Pharisees did ? Con- trariwise, wilt thou omit no place nor time, but always and in all places thou wilt worship God ? This must be done ; for God is always and for ever God ; and he is in all places, in private as well as public ; and there- fore a Christian's heart must be the sanctum sanctorum,\ where God must remain present continually. And therefore he makes conscience of, and is humbled for, the least sins, yea, those that the world esteems not of, and counts them as niceties ; and that in as great a measure as ordinarily men are for the greatest sins they commit.
Thirdlj^ Canst tJiou endure the search of thyself and thy infirmities by all means ? By thyself, by others, by the word, by private friends? Nay, canst thou desire this search, that thou mayest know thy sin more and more, for this end, that thou mayest truly hate it wdth a more perfect hatred ? Canst thou truly appeal to God, as Peter did to Christ, ' Thou knowT.st that I love and prefer thee above all ' ? John xxi. 15. It is a sure sign of thy sincerity which the world cannot have ; aud therefore when they see their sins laid open, they spm-n at the ordinances, and spite the minister and their true friends, that put them in mind of their faults, accounting them
* That is, 'stretch,' = earnestness. — G. t That is, ' holy of holies.' — G.
PHILIPPIANS CHAP. Ill, VER. 3. 73
as their only enemies. Surely they shall never be able to endure the search of God hereafter ; and the last day when he shall lay them open, they shall be overcome with shame.