ch a worship as the Father
seeks and will be pleased with. Divine worship must have truth in it,--that
is plain,--but what was that truth? It must be conformed to the rule and
pattern of worship, which is God's will and pleasure revealed in the word
of truth. True worship is the very practice of the word of truth. It
carries the image and superscription and command upon it, which is a
necessary ingredient in it, and constituent of it. Therefore, if thy
service have the image of thy own will stamped on it, it is not divine
worship but will-worship. Thus all human ceremonies and ordinances
enjoined for the service of God, carry the inscription not of God, but of
man, who is the author and original of them, and so are but adulterated
and false coin that will not pass current with God. I fear there be many
rites and vain customs among ignorant people, in which they place some
religion, which have no ground in the word of God, but are only "old
wives' fables" and traditions. How many things of that nature are used
upon a religious account, in which God hath placed no religion! Many have
a superstitious conceit of the public place of worship, as if there were
more holiness in it than in any other house; and so they think their
prayers in the church are more acceptable than in their chamber. But
Christ refutes that superstitious opinion of places, and so consequently
of days, meats, and all such external things. The Jews had a great opinion
of their temple, the Samaritans of their mountain,--as if these places had
sanctified their services. But saith our Lord, (ver. 21,) "The hour cometh
when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the
Father," but it is any where acceptable, if so be ye worship in spirit and
truth. Many of you account it religion to pray and mutter words of your
own in the time of public prayer; but who hath required this at your
hands? If ye would pray yourselves, go apart; shut the door behind thee,
saith Christ. Private prayer should be in private and secret; but where
public prayer is, your hearts should close with the petitions, and offer
them up jointly to God. It is certainly a great sleight of that deceitful
destroyer, the devil, to possess your minds with an opinion of religion in
such vain babblings, that he may withdraw both your ears and your hearts
from the public worship of God; for when every one is busied with his own
prayers, you cannot at all join in the public service o