The riot manner ofdreming nigh at in holyduties : Ifyou be not able to worfhip God in y bodies, you mayworfhip him in your fouls, and God reg s that bodily exercifein holy duties is little worth, fomewhat it may be worth, I confefs fometime bodily exercife may further the foul, as a reverend carriage of body,the and the like, but it is nothing in comparifon, the great work is the workof the foul, for God is a Spirit, and mutt be worlhiped in Spirit. And God is faid tobe a Spirit, not only in that he is not offo thick a Capital fubflance, but it notes the fimplicity of God, he is without awy compoficion, whatfoever is in God, isGodHimfelf He is abfolutely One, there are not divers things ingod; now then thole chat come toworfhipHim,muft worfhipHim in Spi- rit and inTruth;that is, there muff not be a heart and a heart, theremutt not be a compoundedhew, but you muff bring fim- ple hearas before God, without any compoficion ofdrofs in your felves, and ofanykind offalfnefs, but in the fimplicity ofyour hearts you muff come to worfhip God, and thus you Thal wor- fhiphimwith fuch worfhip as is fame way futable tohim as he is a fpirit. 2. Further confider, God as he is an eternal God, what futa- difpofition doth this require ofme when I am to look upon God atan eternal Being ? it requires this only,That therefore thy heart mutt be takenof from all temporal good chings,andfec up- on that eternal good, thou mayeft indeed defire thefe outward good things but inorder to thy eternal good. Then further, Thou art worfhiping an eternal God : hence then, whatfoever fin thou doet confefs, although committed 20. or 4o. yeers ago, thou mutt look upon it as ifit were now prefently committed, and behumbled as much before the Lord as if it were now committed at this prefeut ; Youwill fay, Why fo ? Bec-auie God is an Eternal God? Yes : For if I under/bud Gods Eternity, I know that there is no fucceffion in Gods Be- ing ; therefore the fins that 'committed in my youth, ifI come to confefsthetn, they are before God as if they were nowa do- ing in regardof time, and therefore I mutt f as much asI can lookfo upon them, and be humbled for them as if they were fins lately committed. Many peopleare troubled for their fins the very day after they commit them, but a little time wears off
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=