An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications…

1. There are some Duties of Worship, that imply a Profession of God's Covenant: whose very Nature and Design is an Exhibition of those vital ⟨p. 115⟩active Principles and inward Exercises, wherein consists the Condition of the Covenant of Grace, or that Union of Soul to God, which is the Union between Christ and his Spouse, entered into by an inward hearty consenting to that Covenant. Such are the Christian Sacraments, whose very Design is to make and confirm a Profession of Compliance with that Covenant, and whose very Nature is to exhibit or express the uniting Acts of the Soul: those Sacramental Duties therefore can't, by any whose Hearts do not really consent to that Covenant, and whose Souls do not truly close with Christ, be attended, without either their being self-deceived, or else wilfully making a false Profession, and lying in a very aggravated Manner.

1. There are some Duties of Worship, that imply a Profession of God's Covenant: whose very Nature and Design is an Exhibition of those vital ⟨p. 115⟩active Principles and inward Exercises, wherein consists the Condition of the Covenant of Grace, or that Union of Soul to God, which is the Union between Christ and his Spouse, entred into by an inward hearty consenting to that Covenant. Such are the Christian Sacraments, whose very Design is to make and confirm a Profession of Compliance with that Covenant, and whose very Nature is to exhibit or express the uniting Acts of the Soul: those Sacramental Duties therefore can't, by any whose Hearts do not really consent to that Covenant, and whose Souls do not truly close with Christ, be attended, without either their being self-deceived, or else wilfully making a false Profession, and lying in a very aggravated Manner.

2. There are other Duties, which are not in their own Nature an Exhibition of a Covenant-Union with God, or of any Compliance with the Condition of the Covenant of Grace; but are the Expression of general Virtues, or Virtues in their largest Extent, including both special and common. Thus Prayer, or asking Mercy of God, is in it's own Nature no Profession of a Compliance with the Covenant of Grace: 'Tis an Expression of some Belief of the Being of a God, an Expression of some Sense of our Wants, some Sense of our need of Help, and some Sense of a need of God's Help, some Sense of our Dependence, &c. but not only such a Sense of these Things as is spiritual and saving. Indeed there are some Prayers proper to be made by Saints, and many Things proper to be expressed by them In Prayer, which imply the Profession of a spiritual Union of Heart to God through Christ, but such as no Heaven, no Heretic, nor natural Man whatever, can or ought to make. Prayer in general, and asking Mercy and Help from God, is no more a Profession of Consent to the Covenant of Grace, than Reading the Scriptures, or Meditation; or performing any Duty of Morality and natural Religion. A Mahometan may as well ask Mercy, as hear Instruction: And any natural Man may as well express his Desires to God, as hear when God declares his Will to him. 'Tis true, when an unconverted Man prays, the Manner of his doing it is sinful. But when a natural Man, knowing himself to be so, comes to the Lord's Supper, the very Matter of what he does, in respect of the Profession he there makes, and his Pretension to lay Hold of God's Covenant, is a Lie, and a Lie told in the most solemn Manner.