SERMON VIII.

PREACHED NOVEMBER 2, 1828.

JOHN, iv. 24.

God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth.

NATURAL reason, unaided by revelation, has, in every age of the world, acknowledged that the nature of worship must be guided by the character of its object. None ever presented the olive branch to the god of war; or sought to propitiate the goddess of peace by human sacrifices. Our blessed Lord, in the text I have read, only refers this acknowledged truth to the intercourse between God and man. Now none will deny that the God we worship is a Spirit,-an infinite Spirit; that omniscience and omnipresence are his attributes; that the God of the spirits of all flesh, knows every movement

66

of the spirits he has made; that while "man looketh upon the outward appearance, the Lord looketh on the heart;" that the sacrifices of God are a "broken spirit and contrite heart;" and that the kingdom of God is within us," firmly established in the souls of his believing people; yet how often do we act, as though he were a being like ourselves, to be deceived by the outward show, and satisfied with the bending of the knee, while there is no homage of the understanding and the heart. How often is it considered as an act of piety to bring the listless body to the house of prayer, while the mind wanders at large. after its own imaginations! How often does the hand hold, and the eye peruse, the word of life, while there is no desire of the soul, to behold wondrous things in his law! How often is the outward form made the end instead of the means of our devotion! To visit the house of God, or to read his word, is considered a finished offering, while in truth these should only be considered as opportunities of lifting up the heart in prayer, and of learning his will that we may walk thereby.

Let the conscience of each present testify in how many things he acts, as though God saw only the outward ap

pearance, and looked not on the heart; but on this occasion I will confine our attention to the one important point of public worship.

Among the many blessings and privileges we enjoy, none appears to me a subject of greater thankfulness, than the scriptural Liturgy which the mercy of God, through the means of our church, has provided for our use, It takes the members of the Church of England in a great measure out of the power of man; whatever the minister may be, however false his doctrine, or however feeble his words, we are sure of having the truths of Scripture presented to our mind, and put into our mouths with the most impressive emphasis. Our Prayer-book is in fact a beautiful compilation from the Bible it scarcely contains a sentence, whether of exhortation or confession, praise or prayer, which we do not find paralleled in Scripture. Our daily services consist of almost the very words written by "holy men of old, who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," so arranged by the compilers of our liturgy, as to be suitable for the public worship of a Christian congregation.

I hesitate not to assert that no heart uninfluenced by the Spirit of God could

justly adopt the language of our prayers as its own; but I dare not say, I dare scarcely hope, that in any one congregation every heart echoes the words uttered by the lips. A large proportion of mankind is included in the condemnation"This people draweth nigh to me with their mouths, but their heart is far from

Oh, if every spirit joined in the words they repeat, how richly would the incense of a Saviour's merits arise to heaven in our behalf, presented on the golden censer of united hearts! But is this the case? Do we never permit the thoughts of worldly business, or worldly pleasure, to accompany us to the house of prayer, and raise a cloud of earth-born vapours between us and our God? Too often, alas! will wandering thoughts disturb the most sincere devotion; but they are dreaded and resisted by the Christian, while they are allowed, if not encouraged, by the mere professor and if we are tempted to excuse them, because they tend to our lawful engagements, or even our duties, let us remember that the doves and the lambs, from which the temple was purged, were intended for sacrifices to God; but that was not their place.

It has been well, though quaintly observed, “In time of service seal up both thine eyes, and send them to thine heart." But even where the object for which we meet, does occupy our attention, do we indeed, "in spirit and in truth," feel the words which habit teaches us to follow? Do we deliberately, and with deep abasement before God, acknowledge ourselves" sinners," "miserable sinners;" who "have left undone the things which we ought to have done, and have done the things which we ought not to have done," and that for Christ's sake alone we can hope for pardon? Do we "in spirit and in truth, acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness," so that "the remembrance of them is grievous unto us, the burden of them is intolerable?" Do we in truth cry for mercy through the merits of a Saviour's blood? Do we really wish to be kept, even this one day, without sin," though sin should appear in her most bewitching and besetting form? Do the blasphemer, the scoffer, and the drunkard, desire to lead "a godly, righteous, and sober life?" Does he who is cherishing resentment as a support of his dignity, pray "in spirit and in truth," "From

66

66