Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

(2.) It renders the worship not only unacceptable, but abominable to God. It makes our Gold to become Dross; it soils our duties, and bespots our Souls. A carnal and unsteady frame shows an indifferency of Spirit at best; and luke warmness is as ungrateful to God, as heavy and nauseous meat is to the stomach, he spews them out of his mouth^*. As our gracious God doth overlook infirmities where intentions are good, and endeavours serious and strong; so he loathes the services where the frames are stark naught, Psal. 66.118. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my Prayer. Luke warm and indifferent services stink in the Nostrils of God. The heart seems to loath God when it starts from him upon every occasion, when it is unwilling to employ it self about, and stick close to him: And can God be pleased with such a frame? The more of the Heart and Spirit is in any service, the more real goodness there is in it, and the more savoury it is to God; the less of the Heart and Spirit, the less of goodness, and the more nauseous to God, who loves Righteousness and Truth in the inward parts^*. And therefore infinite Goodness and Holiness cannot but hate worship presented to him with deceitful, carnal and flitting affections: They must be more nauseous to God, than a putrefied Carcass can be to Man: They are the prophanings of that which should be the habitation of the Spirit: They make the Spirit, the seat of duty, a filthy dung-hill; and are as loathsome to God, as Money-changers in the Temple were to our Saviour.

(2.) It renders the worship not only unacceptable, but abominable to God. It makes our Gold to become Dross; it soyls our duties, and bespotts our Souls. A carnal and unsteady frame shews an indifferency of Spirit at best; and luke warmness is as ungrateful to God, as heavy and nauseous meat is to the stomach, he spues them out of his mouth^*. As our gracious God doth overlook infirmities where intentions are good, and endeavours serious and strong; so he loaths the services where the frames are stark naught, Psal. 66.118. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my Prayer. Luke warm and indifferrent services stink in the Nostrils of God. The heart seems to loath God when it starts from him upon every occasion, when it is unwilling to employ it self about, and stick close to him: And can God be pleased with such a frame? The more of the Heart and Spirit is in any service, the more real goodness there is in it, and the more savoury it is to God; the less of the Heart and Spirit, the less of goodness, and the more nauseous to God, who loves Righteousness and Truth in the inward parts