several ages of the Church have given sad experience of this we have therefore need to look to our selves and from what hath been already said and made good from Scripture we may judge how careful people should be to see that they go upon right grounds in the worship of God Do we not in worship seek God if we do not then there is no reason in our worship we are no better than bruits Well if we would find God or have any benefit by our worship we must be able to say We worship that we know We must have the knowledge of God and a knowledge of his Will must understand how he is to be worshipped must therefore look into his Word must see what he hath appointed there and must take directions from thence I have been long enough in the Context therefore I will stay no longer from the Text An approach to the Text. wherein we have the very pith and highest pitch of our Saviour his discourse with the Samaritan woman The immediate connection of the words But before I fasten upon the Text it will be convenient to shew you the more immediate Connection of the words The Dialogue or Colloqui between Christ and this woman is from the nineteenth verse plainly about the Worship of God concerning which the Woman puts forth a Question to Christ and desires to be resolved by him in the twentieth verse Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain and ye say that in Jerusalem men ought to worship Whether are we or you in the right Our Saviour's first Answer was as I have already hinted to this effect That she needed not to be be solicitous about this because neither of these two worships was long to continue Believe me woman The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father Here he teacheth her that there shall be an abrogation of Moses his Ceremonies and of the whole Levitical Service for under the name or title of the place of worship Jerusalem he comprehends the whole Jewish worship which for the most part of the Ceremonies was by God's appointment to be performed there and not elsewhere Well but though neither of these worships must long continue yet for the present one is right or one is better than the other Which is that Not yours saith Christ but ours Yours is stark naught for ye worship ye know not what your worship hath no word of God instituting or warranting it but we worship that we know our worship is grounded upon the Word of God Rom. 3.2 For Salvation is of the Jews i. e. to them are committed the Oracles of God The saving Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace is among the Jewes Diod. in loc with them is that word wherein they have a saving manifestation of God in Christ though not yet so clear as shall be and a discovery of the right way of worshipping God unto Salvation and surely this is the right worship which is taught and warranted by the Word of God Object But if the Jewish worship be grounded upon the Word of God how shall it be abolished Sol. To this Christ answers that God had prescribed and appointed that way of Mosaical worship not for perpetuity but only to continue till the fulness of time should come Gal. 4.1 2 3 4. Heb. 9.10 till the time of Reformation i. e. till the time of the New-Testament when all that was signified by those Ceremonies and outward Services being fulfilled in Christ that temporary Ceremonious worship shall be changed into a spiritual and more excellent worship which shall neven be abrogated And Christ tells the Woman that now the term of that Levetical worship is expired the Messiah being come to put an end to it Here is the summe of Christ his Answer There is a double Word of God respecting his worship One Word concerning the Levitical worship delivered by Moses which was to be in force till the coming of the Messiah that word belongs not to the New-Testament worshippers There is another word concerning the Spiritual Worship of God that is perpetual which word also the Patriarchs before the Law and the godly under the Law did observe though both before and under the Law it was hooded and cloathed as it were with certain Ceremonies appointed by God but now in the New-Testament this is the voice and plain open expression of the Gospel-word The true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth This is the Connection of the words which I have made out as plainly and as briefly as I might The Text is an assertion of the true nature and state of right Gospel-worship Text devided with a double reason to confirm it Gospel-worship is asserted to be a worship in Spirit and in Truth Now of this there are two Demonstrations 1. The first Demonstration is drawn from the Will of God The Father requireth such to worship him God stands upon it to have such Worshippers and this is the worship which he commandeth which will please him 2. The second Demonstration is taken from the Nature of God he is a Spirit a pure spiritual Essence therefore the worship done to him must be Spiritual answerable to his Nature The true Nature and state of Gospel-worship is asserted in the former part of the Text The true Worshippers shall now worship in Spirit and in Truth I shall a little open these words and then conclude something from them opened The hour cometh i. e. the time is at hand Here he teacheth that the Mosaical Ordinances were not perpetual but imposed onely for a time and that they were at this time even out of date Yea the hour now is viz. in part Christ being come hath already obscured the grace of the legal-worship and Now is the time of reformation Now the time is come that the true worshippers shall worship after another manner The Temple and Priest-hood and ritual worship which hitherto have been used with approbation must henceforth be laid aside and now the Father must be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth To let pass these various acceptions of the terms Spirit and Truth I shall onely shew you what is the import of these tearms here what it is to worship in Spirit and in Truth That we may understand this we must note the Antithesis here intended by our Saviour he opposeth Gospel-worship to both the former worships spoken of in the Context that of the Samaritans and that of the Jews the Samaritan worship was hypocritical and counterfeit not that which God had appointed for the internals or externals of it it was heartless devotion and uninstituted worship and the Jewish worship as to the external part of it as instituted by God stood in Meats and Drinks and divers Washings and Carnal Rites and Ordinances so called by the Apostles Heb. 9.10 and the institution of that worship is said to be The Law
which we our selves shall choose we must not do what seems good in our own eyes 2. Men desire to satisfie the flesh and therefore delight in a sense-pleasing worship Thus the Papists have a Worship pompous and outwardly glorious meerly sensual pleasing their eyes with their goodly Images as the Prophet calls them and with their costly Furniture and pleasing the ear with their Musick and the smelling with incense and persumes All Worship of God is the exercise of Faith and to draw out spiritual Meditations not to please the senses That Worship which is most pleasing to the flesh is to be suspected as most displeasing to God 3. Antiquity is a great prop of false Worship and traditions of Fathers are much pleaded by the Superstitious but what saith Christ Call no man Father on earth i. e. so as to relie on his Authority and what said Cyprian Christ is Antiquity to me Antiquitas mihi Jesus c. and not Custome but Christ is the Truth 4. The Name of a Church goes very far with many Thus the Papists will be bound up wholly by the Determinations and Constitutions of the Church whatever they be and they cry out What will you go against the Church and if you enquire what is the Church it will be found to be nothing else but the will and resolution of a proud Pope or the Antichristian Prelacy Mr. A. B. Indeed the Authority of a true Church shining with Scripture-light must not be a Cypher but it must not be all things VVell Beloved If we profess our selves Christians it greatly behoveth us to be well settled in the right foundation of religious Worship that as touching what we do herein we may be able to answer this Question Who hath required it otherwise God and Christ will reject our Religion and Worship as not being in Truth not being Gospel-worship and it will be found an empty vain thing by which we are no way advantaged and for which there is no reward laid up Vse 2 Well to proceed in Application Instruction Having inserted some clear consequences from the Doctrine I come now in the second place to a Use of Instruction 1. We are here taught wherein the Worship and Service of God doth principally consist viz. in the inward motions and affections of the heart This is Spirit-worship this is to worship God in Spirit and Christ tells us here that this is true Worship He that doth not thus serve God with his Spirit worshipping him with the inward motions and affections of the heart doth but mock God in saying his Prayers as ignorants phrase it and in coming to Church and hearing a Sermon c. Such a one deals with God as the Poets fable that Prometheus dealt with Jupiter in giving him bones covered with skin when all the meat was taken off 2. Learn here That as in God's VVorship we must feel inward motions stirring and the affections must be up so these motions and affections must be spiritual excited in us by the Spirit of God or else we cannot truly be said to worship God in Spirit Now 1. This doth make against all unregenerate persons or hypocrites that are not rerenewed by the Spirit of God however they may feel sometimes some flashings of affection in their Devotion yet these motions are not from the santifying Spirit of God and so they are not true Worshippers 2. It makes against all Idolatrous and Superstitious Worshippers commonly such mens Devotions are very dead usually false worship is grosly hypocritical This people saith God draw near me with their mouth Isa 29.13 and with their lips do honour me but have removed their heart far from me and why Their fear toward me i e. their Worship is taught by the Precepts of men Or if such Worshippers be not grosly hypocritical yet there is a secret hypocrifie and want of spirituality in their Worship The inward motions and affections of the heart which they may feel stirring are not Spiritual but Carnal arising from their own deceitful hearts This is a sure Rule Mr. D. D. said an emiuent Divine The Author of any Worship is in a manner the performer of it Now God his Spirit is not the Author of an Idolatrous or Superstitious Worship but Satan and Man's brain are the Authors of it and surely the Spirit of God owes their inventions no such Service as to attend upon them and help them in the performance of such Worship Let them talk what they please of the usefulness of their Inventions and Additaments and devised Ceremonies for working upon the affections and to excite Devotion The truth is that only the Spirit of God excites true Devotion and in doing this he blows with his own bellowes there is good ground therefore to supect that Devotion which is stirred up by such means as men talk of 3. Learn here that in performing any solemn Service to God there must be a Conjunction of Spirit and Truth There must be a true matter of Worship grounded upon the Word of God it must be no devised Worship and there must be a true manner of Worship it must be done with the very Spirit and come from the heart it must be no formal complemental Worship As one speaks wittily and also solidly Though it must not be Will-worship as opposed to prescribed Worship it must not be a Worship according to our own imaginations or humours or wills yet in regard of performance it must be Will-worship i. e. it must be performed with the Will and Affections These are the two common Errours in men's Worship If there be Truth so that it be a true Worship for the matter of it yet they worship not in Spirit with a true heart and fervent affections Again if there be Spirit some blind kind of Zeal some affections in the service performed yet there is no Truth the Worship is like that of the Samaritans in Mount Gerizim it wants the Truth of God's Word to warrant it Thus some are Samaritans some Jewes either a false Worship or a true Worship with a false heart there are few true worshippers You see here that true Gospel-worship is a Worship in Spirit and in Truth Vse 3 Now there are these Counsels which I would Exhortation from the Text and Doctrine suggest to you and press upon you Is true Gospel-worship a Worship in Spirit and in Truth and is there much Worship in the world among those that pretend to Christianity which is no right Gospel-worship Then Counsel 1 1. Let there be a due examination and tryal of Worships of that which the Word of God commands and commends and of those wayes and modes of Worship which men prescribe and use and which the flesh is ready to close with Let us compare the one with the other and consider which is the best for us to pitch upon and stick to This is a great reason of peoples miscarriage in point of Worship as well as
external act of worship is put forth when there is nothing done in point of worship that may fall under the notice of man But this I pray observe That worship which is meerly External is not to speak properly any worship at all but meer hypocrisie and formality and carnal compliance and conformity to custome so that you are not true worshippers before God and in his account and so are not right Gospel Professours and real Christians if your worship be onely External if you satisfie your selves in performing the outward acts of duties not drawing neer to God with the heart this is to bring flesh to God for an Offering and this is not reasonable service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for God is a Spirit and it is reasonable to offer to him that which is suitable to him spiritual service And as they are not Gospel-professors or true Christians in the account of God who worship not him with an internal spirit-worship though they be never so frequent and constant in external acts of Religion so they that will not afford God the service of the outward man in publick and private actions of Religion and Worship do declare themselves to men not to be real Christians or Gospel-professors because they are not Worshippers of God For as God observeth the heart and judgeth according to what he findeth there so man judgeth according to the outward appearance They who have no care or desire to worship God outwardly in the way of his own Ordinances it is sure that they do not worship him inwardly do not acknowledge him nor believe in him nor love him nor fear him in their hearts Thus you see that true Worship takes up the inward and the outward man Concl. 3 3. As God is to be worshipped with the whole man so with whole Worship Our Worship must extend to all duty God must be observed and obeyed in all things commanded by him in point of Worship we must do that which God hath commanded onely that and all that and as commanded by God 1. Onely that which God hath commanded Seeing all Worship is to be directed to God we must for the matter and substance of Worship be directed and ordered by God that we may know it pleaseth him and that what we do may not be excepted against with a Quis injunxit Who required this at your hands The Word of God is the Christian's Rule for his whole practice nothing ought to be done but what the Scripture commands or allows 2. In worshipping and serving God we must have respect to the whole revealed Will of God to do all that he hath commanded Ye shall observe all my Statutes Lev. 19.37 and all my Judgements and do them Mat. 28.20 Ye shall teach them to observe and do all things whatsoever I have commanded you We must not half it with God in the business of Religion 3. That which we do in the Worship of God the matter whereof is God his Command must be done as commanded with conscience of Gods Command in Obedience to it with respect to God's Will that in doing it we may please him I will praise the Name of God saith David Psa 69.30.31 This shall please the Lord Paul prayeth for the Colossians that they may Walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleasing Col. 1.10 This is that which a Christian should look to in all his services This is my duty God hath commanded it and in doing this I shall please God therefore I will do it Thus I have briefly shewed you the extent of worship respecting the matter of it all duty omne praeceptum all that God hath commanded with a limitation tantum praeceptum onely that which is commanded and a regulation quâ praeceptum as commanded Concl. 4 1. What we do in point of Worship must be done in Faith through Jesus Christ the Mediator There are divers significations of the Word Faith in Scripture which I shall not now trouble you with but shall plainly shew the meaning of this fourth Conclusion for the opening of our description of Worship 1. We must worship God i◠Faith i. e. with knowledge being well resolved in our ow◠judgment and conscience that what we do suits with the mind of God and so that it is his worship that which he requires and approves of as the Apostle in the case of indifferent things in point of eating or not eating such and such Meats and touching the observation of dayes saith Rom. 14.5 Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind This is the Apostle his meaning there Though to eat or not to eat be indifferent in it self yet let every man take heed in eating or forbearing to eat and see that he doth it with knowledge being well perswaded that what he doth is pleasing unto God Let him that eateth be sure that he doth not sin in eating and let him that forbeareth be sure that he offends not God or his brother in forbearing Now whereas the Apostle requires such a full perswasion about things indifferent much more is it required about necessary things which God hath commanded or forbidden that in these matters we be well resolved of what we take up in practice A man may do that which God commands and forbear that which he prohibits and yet sin in such an action or omission because what he doth he doth not with knowledge his action proceeds not from a judgement well informed and so he doth it not upon good grounds It greatly concerns us that our worship be according to knowledge Whatsoever is not of Faith in this sence is sin It is sin for us to do any thing in the worship of God ignorantly and doubtingly we must be well perswaded that the action pleaseth God as knowing that he hath commanded it or allowes it 2. There must be Faith in our worship i. e. Faith to eye God and to deal with him in every religious duty or exercise Faith to believe in Prayer that God can and will hear and help and give us that which we ask in his Son's Name Faith in reading and hearing the Word of God to believe that it is true in its predictions and promises and threatenings and to apply it to our selves Faith in the use of all Ordinances to believe that God will accept us in them and bless them to us for good There must be Faith to see assistance in the power of God and to fetch strength from the promise T. M. and to see acceptance in the Grace of God and a Reward in the Bounty of God This Faith must be in our Worship that it may be pleasing to God and profitable to us 3. God must be worshipped and obeyed in Faith through Jesus Christ the Mediator i. e. There must be an application of the promise of Grace and an affiance on Jesus Christ for the acceptance of our persons and services Without a Mediator we cannot
for he did this against his Conscience as appeareth by his speech to David about it 1 Chron. 21.3 Why doth my Lord require this thing why he will be a cause of trespass unto Israel Thus we have seen wherein and how far we are to obey the Higher powers Soli Deo sine exceptione parendum humanae obedientiae pietas justitia metae sint Not in all things without exception so God onely is to be obeyed but so far forth as the matter of the Command hath not impiety or injustice in it 3. How in what manner must we obey the Higher Powers I shall speak to this Negatively and Affirmatively One word in the Negative It must not be constrained or grudged Obedience properly and truly Obedience is a willing free service a readiness to receive and do Commands Affirmatively 1. We must obey with that reverence and respect already spoken of 2. There must be submissive humble Obedience 1 Pet 2 13. in an acknowledgement of subjection Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King c. The word rendred Submit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies a submitting of the neck to the yoke 3. We must obey in singleness of heart in the fear of the Lord for Conscience sake and not being led by our own interests and hopes of advantaging our selves in the world Where Self is the motive and end of obedience to superiours so that a man obeys the higher powers with respect mainly to his own temporal emolument or advancement there will be a readiness to obey men against God violating his Laws and violencing the Conscience but when we submit our selves to every Ordinance of man For the Lord's sake with respect to his Command as serving and honouring him in our submission and obedience to men then we shall make God's Word the Rule and his Will the ground of our Obedience and so shall have a conscientious respect to the due extent and the just limitation of our obedience obeying in all things in the Lord so far as men have God's warrant to command and we have the allowance of God his Word to act This is Christian Obedience to perform civil duties upon grounds of Religion within the bounds of Religion and Conscience and this is a main thing to be lookt to in our obedience to men to have a Conscience therein toward God and to serve the Lord Christ to whom we must give account and by whom we shall be rewarded for our obedience and service to men which is done as unto him Now here I shall take occasion briefly to discuss this Question Quest Whether Humane Laws or the Commands of men do bind the Conscience so that the Command of lawful Authority lays upon the Subject an Obligation to and necessity of Obedience Answ Divines reputed Orthodox have differed in their judgement about this some denying others asserting an Obligation laid upon the Conscience by the Laws of men Now for the reconciling of these seeming differences in judgment among the Orthodox I shall shew 1. What Conscience is 2. What it is to bind the Conscience or to be binding in Conscience 3. How many wayes this Obligation in Conscience is made or induced Then I shall conclude something positively concerning this matter 1. What is Conscience The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Latine word Consciencia of Con and Scire now Conscire is to know together so that Conscientia sounds as much as Scientia cum alio Well then Conscience is a knowledge and inward sense of our own judgement and of the judgement of another viz. of God either approving our actions as good or condemning them as evil Now Conscience is either good or evil A good Conscience is a knowledge and perswasion of the Legality and Regularity of our actions and of the approbation of God and of men that judge right An evil Conscience is a knowledge and apprehension of the Illegality and Irregularity of our actions for which our own hearts condemn us so that we fear the judgement of God or Man for our evil deeds Quest Now the Question is Whether Humane Laws do bind in Conscience so that the violation of them makes an evil Conscience Sol. In order to the Solution of this here is to be considered how Conscience refers to God and how to Men. Strictly Conscience is referred onely to God so that an evil Conscience is a sense of sin committed against God and a fear of God's judgement for it More largely Conscience bears respect also to men thus the Apostle saith that herein he did exercise himself Act. 24 16. to have a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men being careful to avoid offences against either Table of the Law both in general and particular so that an evil Conscience is a sense of sin as against God so against men and a fear as of being judged for it by God so of being censured by men or of falling under disgrace So much as to the first special enquiry in order to the Solution of the main Question I have shewed you what Conscience is a good Conscience and an evil Conscience 2. What is it to bind the Conscience or to be bound in Conscience This is to be understood either strictly or more largely Strictly and properly There is an Obligation to Obedience under a fear of offending God or under the danger of a moral sault More largely and improperly there is an obligation upon the Conscience under a fear of offending men or under the danger only of a civil offence which is a matter of ill report among men The Question is properly concerning the obligation of the Conscience as Conscience respecteth God So that the doing or not doing of a thing brings on a moral culpableness with which a man's heart may charge him a sin against God Well then 3. How many wayes is this obligation in Conscience induced with respect to the Laws of man 1. The Conscience is bound either onely in general i. e. by vertue of God's general Command to honour Superiours or also in special i. e. with respect to singular or positive Laws of Superiours 2. A special Law or Constitution of the civil Powers may be said to bind the Conscience either per se or per accidens A civil Constitution or Injunction is obligatory per se when it so binds the Conscience that it must necessarily be observed and cannot be crossed or neglected without offending God and that by reason of the special command of the Powers Again Sometimes such a Law or Sanction is obligatory binding the Conscience only by accident as when any thing is commanded with respect to good order and the keeping of a due decorum and the avoiding of scandal The Conscience is bound by this Command so far as the violation of it
or interests they will break the King's Laws as well as God's but shew me a good Christian and I will shew you a good Subject that obeys for Conscience sake he that truly fears God will be afraid to break the Laws of God and Man And now there is an inference of the Magistrate's concernment depending hereupon and issuing from hence If true Religion make good Subjects and true Piety be the surest ground and bond of Loyalty then it greatly concerns Christian Rulers to maintain and keep up the true Religion among their Subjects and to promote Piety and to protect countenance and encourage those that are truly religious and pious This will prove to be a true point of State Policy for it is matter of life or death political to any Kingdom as it doth well or ill understand it 's own Interest Now I say This is the great concernment and interest of Soveraignty Qui vere civilis est vult cives bonos efficere legibus obtemperantes Arist l. 1. Eth. c. 13 and ruling Authority to take the most effectual course for the making of good Subjects and that is undoubtedly this to take order that principles of Religion may be instilled into men and fixed in them and that the power of godlinesse may be promoted and to this end that the exercises of Religion both publick and private may be encouraged and that care be taken that the Lord's day be sequestred and applied to holy exercises and that an able godly faithful practical Ministry be planted throughout the Prince his dominions and that insufficient negligent and scandalous Ministers be not promoted or suffered in the Church This would be the way to make good men and good Christians and consequently good Subjects tied fast to the Ruling Powers by the bond of Conscience without this other politick courses will prove ineffectual for till obedience be willingly yielded unto God it will not be conscionably and so not constantly yielded to his Deputies but Christians well informed from the Word of God and seasoned with Scripture Principles know that they must needs be subject not onely for wrath but for Conscience sake Again one word more with respect to Magistrates If Subjects be limited by the Word of God in point of their obedience so that though they be bound to subjection yet they are bound not to obey in any thing contrary to the Word Conceditur libertas utendi legibus c. itatamen ut substantia legum Divinarum non calcetur abjiciatur aut negligatur Szeged Bp. Babington Then Magistrates are likewise thus limited in their Commands and Injunctions so that though they have Power and Authority to make Laws and give Commands yet they are bound not to make any Law cross to God's Law not to command any thing contrary to the Word of God but all the Lawes and orders of Superiours should be subservient to the Laws of God or consistent with them Piety and Charity are the limits of the Magistrates command and our obedience It is the Magistrate ' sin to command that to be done in doing whereof the Subject finneth directly against God and in such a case of contrariety to the Divine Law the Maker as well as the observer of Laws abaseth the Eternal God setting him below the creature As Christ comandeth his Kingdom to be subject to Princes and Potentates so he commandeth all Princes and Potentates to be subject to his Kingdom Ps 2.12 Kiss the Son Every Calling and Profession hath some rule to go by and mens excellency in any calling stands in their conformity to the Rule Now the Word of God in a special manner propounded and enjoyned to Magistrates as their directory and Rule Josh 1.8 Deut. 17.18 19. 2 Chron. 23.11 See the Texts in the Margin When Joash was Crowned King the Testimony the Book of God's Law was given into his hand It was a Wise and a Religious saying of that famous Queen Elizabeth when a Bible was presented to Her as She passed thorow Cheap-side in London This hath been my delight and this shall be the Rule whereby I will frame my Government And doubtless if it must be the Subject his Rule for obeying it must be the Ruler his Rule for Commanding Vse 3 Let us approve our selves good Christian Subjects Exhortation yielding due subjection to the higher powers obeying for Conscience sake with a good Conscience in and for the Lord Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are God's Fear God and honour the King Let not these two Precepts be divided let not this Scripture order be inverted Obligatio erga Deum absoluta erga homines conditionalis si nihil vel impium vel injustum praecipiant Obediendum est Magistratui quatenus ea praecipit quae praecipi possunt a Ministro Dei et ei conveniunt qui gladium gestat malorum vindicem bonorum defensorem FINIS