Resp. 2. To worship God in Spirit, is to worship him, 1. With Faith in the Blood of the Messiah, Heb. 11.9. And, 2. to worship him with the utmost Zeal and Intenseness of Soul: Acts 26.7. Our twelve tribes instantly serving God day and night, [Greek or Hebrew], with Intenseness of Spirit, not only constantly but instantly. This is to worship God in the Spirit. The more Spiritual any Service is, the nearer it comes to God who is a Spirit, and the more excellent it is; the spiritual part of Duty is the Fat of the Sacrifice, it is the Soul and Quintessence of Religion. The richest Cordials are made of Spirits, and the best Duties are such as are of a Spiritual Nature. God is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in Spirit: It is not Pomp of Worship but Purity which God accepts. Repentance is not in the outward Severities used to the Body, Penance, Fasting, and Chastising the Body, but it consists in the Sacrifice of a broken Heart; Thanksgiving doth not stand in Church-Music, the Melody of an Organ, but rather making Melody in the Heart to the Lord, Eph. 5.19. Prayer is not the Tuning of the Voice into an heartless Confession, or telling over a few Beads, but it consists in Sighs and Groans, Rom. 8.26. When the Fire of Fervency is put to the Incense of Prayer, now it ascends as a sweet Odour, that is, the true Holy Water, not which the Pope sprinkles, but what is distilled from the Limbeck of a Penitent Eye. Spirit-worship best pleaseth that God who is a Spirit, Joh. 4.23. The Father seeks such to worship him; to show the great acceptance of such, and how God is delighted with Spiritual-worship. This is the savoury Meat God loves. How few mind this, worshipping him who is a Spirit in the Spirit; they give him more Dregs then Spirits; they think it enough to bring their Duties, but not their Hearts, which hath made God disclaim those very Services he himself appointed, Isa. 1.12. Ezek. 33.31. Let us then give God Spirit-worship, this best suits with his Nature; a Sovereign Elixir full of Virtue, may be given in a few drops: a little Prayer, if it be with the Heart and Spirit, may have much Virtue and Efficacy in it. The Publican made but a short Prayer, God be merciful to me a sinner, Luke 18.13. but it was full of life and spirit, it came from the Heart, therefore was accepted.
Resp. 2. To worship God in Spirit, is to worship him, 1. With Faith in the Bloud of the Messiah, Heb. 11.9. And, 2. to worship him with the utmost Zeal and Intensness of Soul: Acts 26.7. Our twelve tribes instantly serving God day and night, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, with Intensness of Spirit, not only constantly but instantly. This is to worship God in the Spirit. The more Spiritual any Service is, the nearer it comes to God who is a Spirit, and the more excellent it is; the spiritual part of Duty is the Fat of the Sacrifice, it is the Soul and Quintessence of Religion. The richest Cordials are made of Spirits, and the best Duties are such as are of a Spiritual Nature. God is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in Spirit: It is not Pomp of Worship but Purity which God accepts. Repentance is not in the outward Severities used to the Body, Pennance, Fasting, and Chastising the Body, but it consists in the Sacrifice of a broken Heart; Thanksgiving doth not stand in Church-Musick, the Melody of an Organ, but rather making Melody in the Heart to the Lord, Eph. 5.19. Prayer is not the Tuning of the Voice into an heartless Confession, or telling over a few Beads, but it consists in Sighs and Groans, Rom. 8.26. When the Fire of Fervency is put to the Incense of Prayer, now it ascends as a sweet Odour, that is, the true Holy Water, not which the Pope sprinkles, but what is distilled from the Limbeck of a Penitent Eye. Spirit-worship best pleaseth that God who is a Spirit, Ioh. 4.23. The Father seeks such to worship him; to shew the great acceptance of such, and how God is delighted with Spiritual-worship. This is the savoury Meat God loves. How few mind this, worshipping him who is a Spirit in the Spirit; they give him more Dreggs then Spirits; they think it enough to bring their Duties, but not their Hearts, which hath made God disclaim those very Services he himself appointed, Isa. 1.12. Ezek. 33.31. Let us then give God Spirit-worship, this best suits with his Nature; a Soveraign Elixar full of Vertue, may be given in a few drops: a little Prayer, if it be with the Heart and Spirit, may have much Vertue and Efficacy in it. The Publican made but a short Prayer, God be merciful to me a sinner,
