unto God without it The Apostle exhorteth us Rom. 12.1 to offer up our bodies a living sacrifice acceptable to God For it is said of Cain That he offered unto the Lord of the fruit of the ground Gen. 4.3 He brought an earthly dead liveless offering and was not accepted But Abel brought of the fat of the flock verse 4. He offered the Firstling of his fold a pure clean lively sacrifice unto which God had respect it was more excellent then his Brothers Heb. 11.4 How came this to pass The Apostle tells us it was by faith The life of faith is in death and by death that liveth when we are dead I am crucified with Christ yet I live and I live in the flesh by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 He had a life in the flesh after he was dead to the flesh Faith indeed shall cease but 't is not till the end of the second life The principal act of faith is exercised in death the death of Christ and is a conforming vertue or power unto the likeness thereof by mortification and offering up of the flesh with the affections and lusts unto death Gal. 5.24 God accepteth nothing but what is done in this faith by this faith in the Son of God John 15.5 Heb. 11.5 27. We read in 1 Sam. 15.9 That Saul spared Agag the King and the best of the spoil but that which was vile and refuse and good for nothing that he and the people utterly dastroyed Saul was an hypocritical Tyrant ambitiously aspiring to a Kingdom and got it God gave a King in his anger He that aimeth at the Scepter is not the best Saint 28. Saul was a right Machiavilian he knew the high way to the Crown When Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himself in Israel Hos 13.1 When he was mean and low in a poor condition and little in his own sight he could bow and cringe flatter fawn upon and comply with the vulgar bemoan and pitty the burdens of the poor people especially the good people of the land he could stand cap in hand to the meanest and like Absolom court them into a good conceit of his Clemency and care of their well-fare assuring them that if it were in his power to remedy it things should not be carried as they are but first he put himself into a souldiers posture 2. Sam. 15.1,2,3,4,5 Now he rode post in the right rode to be the head of the Tribes of Israel Commander in chief over the military Forces 1 Sam. 15.17 yea God himself might so far have his work to do under his proud design as to give him a Call to be King and fight his battles as is plain in the place cited which might confirm him in a good opinion of himself to undertake the Government especially if some musty Prophesies had been raked together and by a Court-Parasite particularly applyed to him 'T is as common for the highest as the meanest to be deluded and mistake or mis-use many passages of Gods Providence But now he is King he grows covetous and self-ended he falls upon the spoil and the prey of the enemy who seemed before to contemn all self-interest and advantage Sam. 15.19 His feigned and forged excuse of reserving it for Gods worship would not serve his turn How faulty then are those who do not so much as pretend any thing for Gods service but openly convert the common loss into their private gain This is that which will involve a Nation in broils and blood 29. But alas How many such Sauls hath the world seen since Sauls time who can part with that which is not worth the keeping but with-hold from God that which he requireth as his due If God call for the heart they bring him the lip and tongue only If God require spirit and Truth they offer in the mountain and at Jerusalem they put him off with complements out-side service formality and a State-Religion Dissembling Pharisees they exact and pay Tithe of Mint and Rue but neglect Judgement Mercy Faith the love of God and their Neighbour Mat. 23.23 When God commandeth the best and fattest to be given him they put him off with the leanest with the fruit of the ground If they pretend to dedicate the best unto God they intend to make their own advantage out of it They may refrain from Extortion Adultery c. but continue proud heady high-minaed covetous c. yet be very devout too fast twice in the week give a small Alms out of their superfluity and ill gotten goods pay Tithes give their Minister his due and applaud him censure all that be contrary-minded to them as prophane c. Isa 65.4,5 Luke 18.11,12 30. Those sacrifices are acceptable to God that are turned into ashes Psalm 20.3 This must be done by fire the heavenly fire of zeal and love which separateth and consumeth the gross body of flesh and turneth and reduceth all into a pure essential and spiritual body out of which ashet is made the savory salt of the heavenly nature which seasoneth all things And therefore the Lord is said to plead with all flesh by fire Isa 66.16 He hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Isa 31.9 with which refining fire he doth purifie the sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in Righteousness Mal. 3.3 Mat. 3.12 No oblation in Righteousness but by fire 't is the fire of the Spirit that consumeth the fuel of the flesh Rom. 8.13 We must pass through water and fire before we can come into the wealthly place Psalm 66.12 Without fire we cannot subsist in the natural life much less can we perform the Actions of the spiritual life without it 31. Under the Law the daily sacrifice was not to cease Num. 28.3,4 and this Oblation was to be made by fire He that causeth this to cease is the He-goat Dan. 9.29 Dan. 8.11,12,13 The vile person Dan. 11.21,31 the Beast the Whore the false Prophet that speaketh lyes in the name of the Lord It is Anti Christ that setteth up a Religion in the world without the Cross Whosoever is zealous toward God without Self-denial Mortification and conformity to the death of Christ his zeal is not according to knowledge which will make him seek to establish his own in stead of Gods Righteousness Rom. 10.2,3 Whosoever rejecteth the Cross can be no true Christian Wherefore think it not strange concerning this fiery tryal also which is to come upon you as though some strange thing happened unto you But rejoyce rather although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The righteous is not saved without great labour and pains hard strugling and striving sore Combats and Conflicts 1 Pet. 4.12,13,17,18 Make not that way too wide which God hath made strait All must go the narrow way who would enter into life For every one must be salted with fire and every sacrifice must be salted with salt Mar. 9.49 10. Tenthly 32.