worshipping the true God is inftituted by himfelf, and fo limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the fuggeftions of Satan, under any visible reprefentation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy fcripture b. II. Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and holy Ghoft; and to him alone c: not to angels, faints, or ftood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; fo that they are without excufe. Acts xvii. 24. God that made the world, and all things therein, feeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. Pfal. cxix. 68. Thou art good, and doft good; teach me thy ftatutes. Jer. x. 7. Who would not fear thee, O king of nations? for to thee doth it appertain; forafmuch as among all the wife men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. Pfal. xxxi. 23. O love the Lord, all ye his faints for the Lord preferveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Pfal. xviii. 3. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praifed; fo fhall I be faved from mine enemies. Rom. x. 12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the fame Lord over all, is rich unto all that call upon him. Pfal. lxii. 8. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Joshua xxiv. 14. Now therefore, fear the Lord, and ferve him in fincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers ferved on the other fide of the flood, and in Egypt: and ferve ye the Lord. Mark xii. 33. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the foul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt-offerings and facrifices. b Deut. xii. 32. What thing foever any I command you, obferve to do it: thou fhalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. Mat. xv. 9. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Acts xvii. 25. Neither is worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, feeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. Mat. iv. 9. And faith unto him, All these things will I give thee, If thou wilt fall down and worship me. v. 10. Then faid Jefus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, thou fhalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only fhalt thou ferve. (Deut. xv. to the 20. verfe.) Exod. xx. 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. v. 5. Thou shalt not bow down thyfelf to them, nor ferve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, vifiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth ration of them that hate me : And fhewing mercy unto thoufands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Col. ii. 23. Which things have indeed a fhew of wifdom in willworship and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honour to the fatisfying of the flesh. gene v. 6. II. c Mat. iv. 10. (See before in letter b.) With John v. 23. That all men fhould honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the . any other creature d: and, fince the fall, not without a Mediator; nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone e. III. Prayer with thanksgiving, being one fpecial part of religious worshipf, is by God required of all men g; and, that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son b, by the help of his Spiriti, according to his will k, with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perfeverance 7; and, the Father who hath fent him. And 2 Cor. xiii. 24. The grace of the Lord Jefus Chrift, and the love of God, and the communion of the holy Ghoft, be with you all. Amen. d Col. ii. 18. Let no man beguile you of your reward, in a voluntary humility, and worshipping of angels, intruding into thofe things which he hath not feen, vainly puft up by his fleshly mind: Rev. xix. 1o. And I fell at his feet to worship him: and he faid unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowfervant, and of thy brethren that have the teftimony of Jefus: worship God: for the teftimony of Jefus is the fpirit of prophecy. Rom. i, 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worfhipped and ferved the creature more than the Creator, who is bleffed for eAmen. ver. e John xiv. 6. Jefus faith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me. Tim, ii. 5. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Chrift Jefus. Eph. ii. 18. For through him we both have an accefs by one Spirit unto the Father. Col. iii. 17. And whatfoever ye do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jefus, giving thanks to God, and the Father by him. III. Phil. iv. 6. Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and fupplication with thankfgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. g Pfal. Ixv. 2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee fhall all flesh come. b John xiv. 13. And whatfoever ye fhall afk in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. v. 14. If ye fhall afk any thing in my name, I will do it. I Pet. ii. 5. Ye alfo as lively ftones, are built up a fpiritual houfe, an holy priesthood to offer up fpiritual facrifices, acceptable to God by Jefus Chrift. i Rom. viii. 26. Likewife the Spirit alfo helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we fhould pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itfelf maketh interceffion for us with gronings which cannot be uttered. I k1 John v. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we afk any thing according to his will, he heareth-us. / Pfal. lxxiv. 7. For God is the king of all the earth, fing ye praifes with underftanding. Eccl. v. 1. Keep thy foot when thou thou goeft to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the facrifice of fools: for they confider not that they do evil. v. 2. Be not rafh with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hafty to utter any thing before God: for God is in hea. ven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. Heb. xii. 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may ferve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Gen. xviii. 27. And Abraham anfwered H and IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful n, and for all forts of men living, or that fhall live hereafter o; but not for the dead p, nor for thofe of whom it may be known that they and, if vocal, in a known tongue m. and faid, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but duft and afhes. James v. 16. Confefs your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James i. 6. But let him afk in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth, is like a wave of the fea, driven with the wind and toffed. v. 7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Mark xi. 24. Therefore I fay unto you, What things foever ye defire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye fhall have them. Mat. vi. 12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. v. 14. if ye forgive men their trefpaffes, your heavenly Father will alfo forgive you. v. 15. But if ye forgive not men their trefpaffes, neither will your Father forgive your trefpaffes. Col. iv. 3. Continue in prayer, and watch in the fame with thanksgiving. Eph. vi. 18. Praying always with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance, and fupplication for all faints. 1 For m 1 Cor. xiv. 14. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my fpirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. IV. 2 (1 John v. 14. See letter k.) o 1 Tim. ii. 1. I exhort therefore, that first of all, fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men: v. 2. For Kings,, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honefty. John xvii. 20. Neither pray I for thefe alone, have but for them alfo who fhall believe on me through their word. 2 Sam. vii. 29. Therefore now let it pleafe thee to blefs the houfe of thy fervant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord God, haft fpoken it; and with thy bleffing let the houfe of thy fervant be bleffed for ever. Ruth iv. 12. And let thy houfe be like the houfe of Pharez (whom Tamar bare unto Judah) of the feed which the Lord fhall give thee of this young woman. p 2 Sam. xii. 21. Then faid his fervants unto him, What thing is this that thou haft done? thou didst faft and weep for the child while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst arife and eat bread. v. 22. And he faid, While the child was yet alive, I fafted and wept: for I faid, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? v. 23. But now he is dead, wherefore fhould I faft? Can I bring him back again? 1 fhall go to him, but he shall not return to me. (With Luke xvi. 25.) But Abraham faid, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedft thy good things, and likewife Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. v. 26. And befides all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed: fo that they who would pafs from hence to you, cannot; neither can they pafs to us, that would come from thence. Rev. xiv. 13. And I heard a voice from heaven, faying unto me, Write, Bleffed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth: yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from their labours: and their works do follow them. 91 John V. The reading of the fcriptures with godly fear r; the found preaching and confcionable hearing of the word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith and reverence t; finging of pfalms, with grace in the heart v; as alfo, the due adminiftration and worthy receiving of the facraments instituted by Chrift; are all parts of the ordinary religious worfhip of God w: befides religious oaths x and vows y, folemn faftings but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite fpirit, and trembleth at my word. q 1 John v. 16. If any man fee his brother fin a fin which is not unto death, he fhall afk, and he fhall give him life for them that fin not unto death. There is a fin unto death: I do not fay, that he shall pray for it. V. r Acts xv. 21. For Mofes of old time hath in every city, them that preach him, being read in the fynagogues every fabbath day. Rev. i. 3. Bleffed is he that readeth, and they that hear the word of this prophecy, and keep thofe things which are written therein for the time is at hand. 2 Tim. iv. 2. Preach the word, be inftant in feafon, out of feafon; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longfuffering and doctrine. t Jam. i. 22. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own felves. Acts x. 33. Immediately therefore I fent to thee; and thou haft well done, that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here prefent before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. Mat. xiii. 19. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and underftandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was fown in his heart: this is he, who received feed in the way-fide. Heb. iv. 2. For unto us was the gofpel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Ifa. lxvi. 2. For all thofe things hath mine hand made, and all thofe things have been, faith the Lord: Col. iii. 16. Let the word of Chrift dwell in you richly in all wifdom: teaching and admonishing one another in pfalms, and hymns, and fpiritual fongs, finging with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Eph. v. 19. Speaking to yourfelves in pfalms, and hymns, and fpiritual fongs, finging, and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. Jam. v. 13. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him fing pfalms. Mat. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghoft. (1 Cor. xi. 23, to Verse 29.) Acts ii. 42. And they continued ftedfaftly in the apoftles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Deut. vi. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and ferve him, and fhalt fwear by his name. With Neh. x. 29. They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curfe, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Mofes the fervant of God, and to obferve and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and his judgments and his ftatutes. y Ifa. xix. 21. And the Lord fhall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians fhall know the Lord in that day, and fhall do facrifice and oblation; faftings z and thanksgivings upon fpecial occafions a, which are, in their feveral times and feafons, to be used in an holy and religious manner b. VI. Neither Prayer, nor any other part of religious wor fhip, is, now under the gofpel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by, any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed c: but God is to be worshipped everywhere din fpirit and truth e; as in private families ƒ daily, yea, they fhall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it. With Eccl. v. 4. When thou voweft a vow unto God, defer not to pay it, for he hath no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou haft vowed. v. 5. Better is it that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou fhouldft vow and not pay. z Joel ii. 12. Therefore alfo now, faith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fafting, and with weeping, and with mourning. Efth. iv. 16. Go, gather together all the Jews that are prefent in Shehan, and faft yé for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night -nor day; I alfo and my maidens will faft likewife, and fo will I go in, unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perifh, I perifh. Mat. ix. 15. And Jefus faid unto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom thall be taken from them, and then fhall they falt. I Cor. vii. 5. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with confent for a time, that ye may give your felves to fafting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. a (Pfal. cvii. throughout.) Efther ix. 22. As the days wherein the Jews refted from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from forrow to joy, and from mourning unto a good day, that they fhould make them days of feafting and joy, and of fending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. b Heb. xii. 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may ferve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. VI. c John iv. 21. Jefus faith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye fhall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerufalem, worfhip the Father. d Mal. i. 11. For from the rifing of the fun even unto the going down of the fame, my name fhall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incenfe shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name fhall be great among the heathen, faith the Lord of hofts. 1 Tim. ii. 8. I will therefore, that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. e John iv. 13. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers fhall worship the Father in fpirit and in truth: for the Father feeketh fuch to worship him. v. 24. God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, muft worship him in fpirit and in truth. f Jer. x. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and confumed him, and have made his habitation defo |