which is said to contain better promises then the former hath this as the first I le write my law in their heart and put it in their mind that is in their inwards Hebr. 8. 9. 10. But instead of lighting a candle to the sunne I shall endeavor shortly to make a brief Anatomic of this Jew or Christian that is one inwardly and how he is distinguished from him that is so outwardly 1. There is in every true Christian an inward and spiritual man this is called The new man Ephes 4. 24. The inward Rom 7. 24. 2 Cor. 4. 16. A dead man may have inward parts but he hath not an inward man because there is no soul so an outward Christian may have inward parts a dead knowledge a dead heart dead affections but no inward man because there is no work of grace in him and this is called an inward man because as corruption spreading over the whole man is called the old man so this inward renewing grace spreading into and over the whole man the mind will affections is called an inner man and this inner man is that which knows God believes in Christ loves fears thirsts after grace delights in Gods Commandments and hath a continual opposition to the old man counter-lusting counter-desiring and counter-standing it Christ dwells in your hearts saith the Apostle The holy Spirit is within you saith Christ but as the soul never is in a dead body because where it dwells life is so Christ never is in a man that is dead where he is life is there is an inward man he that hath not in him this inward man cannot be a Christian inwardly Secondly There is an inward work of God that goes to the forming and begetting of this inward man Outward Ordinances may make a Christian in the Letter but an inward work makes a Christian in Spirit I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Jer 31. 33. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit 〈◊〉 put into you Ezek. 36. 26. I will put my Law into their minds and write it in their hearts Heb. 8. 10. These are Covenant-promises performed to all that are Covenant people In this inward work we have but the Ministry but the writing is by the Spirit as it 's said 2 Cor. 3. 3. Ministred by us but written by the Spirit of the living God Thirdly In this inward man wrought by an inward work consists the being of a true Christian for without this he that is called a Christian is no more a Christian than he that acts the part of a King is a King the name of a Christian is given or may follow from the outward profession but the nature is in this inward man He that begets communicates his Nature to the begotten he that paints a man imploys Art only but communicates no Nature God in a Christians new birth communicates holiness which is the Divine Nature but in an Hypocrite there is nothing but Art as I may say or some outward work for the outward forms may be painted yet inward forms cannot the lineaments of a Christian may be drawn to the life upon the white wall of an Hypocrite but the inward man which is that quod dat esse gives being to a Christian that cannot be but in a true Christian Fourthly He that is inwardly a Christian hath some marks of difference and distinction from the outward Christian forma dat distingui this inward work diffâ—renceth him from all sorts of them that are nominates and Christians outwardly First He is distinguished from the carnal Jew or Christian that professes Christ but lives in sin for though the outward Jew or Christian may hate some sins Thou abhorrest Idols thou hatest Popery and dost many good works yet that is out of some peculiar and particular indisposition to a particular sin and some particular approbation or liking of some good works but this hate of any sin or this inclination to a performance of any good works ariseth not from an inward nature or gracious principle as it doth in him that is a Christian inwardly and the reason is that contrariety to sin which is in a true Christian arising from this inward gracious Nature is to the whole species or kind of sin and is irreconcileable to any sin whatsoever as contrarieties of Nature are to the whole kind as light is contrary to all darkness and fire to all water so that this contrariety to sin arising from the inward man is universal to all sin though not an universal victory yet there is an universal contrariety victory argues strength contrariety argues nature hence it is that an outward Christian may hate one sin and love another becsuse there is not a gracious Nature in him which would be contrary to all And so also he may do good works but not out of a Nature that is in him for if it were from an inward Nature there would be an universal sympathy with and inclination towards God and all that is of God his Children his Commandments 1 Joh. 5. 12 3. Therefore saith the Apostle I delight in the Law of God according to the inner man Rom. 7. 22. not a particular good inclination but the Law in the whole of it It 's the victory of a Christian over corruption may not be full the performance of good may not be perfect but the inward Nature of a Christian is to be judged by the universal contrariety of his inward man to all sin and his universal inclination to God and holiness and that universal contrariety will beget a combate against all sin and that universall inclination to God an endeavour to all good but whether that combat be victorious or that performance be perfect though it may be much to shew the strength of a Christian yet it shewes not his inward nature but the other this universal contrariety to sin can be in no man but him that hath an universal sympathy with God and his whole law and image in his children they are both in him that is a Christian inwardly and they argue an inward nature of grace in him in which nature he differs from the carnal Christian who may oppose some sins and do some good works out of other principles and reasons Secondly This inward Christian is distinguished from a moral man that to his dogmatical faith and profession of Christ addeth moral vertue for there is as great difference between grace and virtue as between the sweet flowers spread upon a dead carkass and inward life a man be full of virtue 〈◊〉 and emptie of grace as a room exquisitely painted without light moral virtue is like flowers of needle work that are made by art but never grow from any living root natural temper disposition education produce moral virtues but now this inward man of a Christian is as I may say made up of Christ the knowledge faith love the tastes and rellish of Christ are
Gentile grant in Chap 1. that they did or possibly might know God by the foot-steps that he had left of himself in the Creation and the government of the world but that knowledg amounted to no more than of his Being or Properties not of his Worship especially that which you call positive and so they neither glorified him as God nor shewed that wisedom which as Philosophers they professed for professing themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they became foolish ver 22. As for them that assert the Sun and Moon to be Preachers of Christ the Mediator to the Heathen I think I may joyn them together with that Philosopher who had a conceit that the heavens do make an harmony by their motion which Musick I dare say he never heard As concerning the Jew the Apostle brings him in cap. 2. ver 11. pleading his difference from the Gentile and it is granted cap. 3. ver 1. that much every way is the advantage of the Jew and the profit of Circumcision For Circumcision verily profits if thou keep the Law cap. 2. ver 25. but if as we say of some Planets their great light be joyned with ill Aspects and irregular motion so if you that have a form of knowledge and truth in the Law if thou be a breaker of the Law and live contrary to thy own Principles then thy circumcision is made uncircumcision for an honest heathen that is uncircumcised is better than thou and shall condemn a dishonest though circumcised Jew ver 26 27. and the reason is because God measures not men by their external accomplishments which they have by being Churches and the priviledges of them but by the inward power of godliness accompanying their outward profession For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly c. In which words there is First A distinction Secondly A description or definition Thirdly An estimate or valuation First The distinction is not between divers persons as of a Jew and no Jew Circumcision and no Circumcision for that sounds as a distinction of Christian and Heathen but it is of one that it a Jew and no Jew of Circumcision that is and yet is not Ciâ—cumcision as of Christians that are and yet are not Christians for so it is always when you speak of equivocals So the Pouâ—â—raiâ—re of Caesar pictured in the Table is not Caesar so he is not a Jew that is one outwardly Secondly The description of both is the Jew that is no Jew is one that is so by 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or visible profession or if you will oâ—tenâ—â—tion oâ— Religion but he is nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in secret or inwardly if he have not that which in our Covenant is exprest in these words the law written in his heart and put into his mind the circumcision that is not circumcision is the visible mark they carry in the flesh but no inward purity of heart and mortification of lust the one of these is in the letter the other in the spirit What is the meaning of this phrase How comes this word not in the letter to signifie outwardness in opposition to Spirit or inward grace so it signifies in the new testament or in Scripture and I think peculiarly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a line made by a pencil as well as a letter made by pen and so may signifie a meer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a portraiture or mathematical body that consist of lines of no depth and substance an outward form and nothing else or a writing with Ink as the Epistle 2 Cor. 3. 3. the Epistle of Christ not written with Ink but by or with the Spirit and so the Scripture that knowes another writing viz. by the Spirit in the heart doth fitly oppose thereunto that other manner of delineation which is outward by pen or pencil and so circumcision by a mark in the flesh is said to be in the letter not that the Apostle decries the ordinances of the Jewes or their profession in sensu composite but only in sensu diviso when the form goes without the power for even Christianity which is not so outward in all respects as Judaisme was hath a form of doctrine a form of worship or else no sacraments and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a form of godly conversation so it s called whatsoever they that call themselves Antiformalists but are indeed Formalists do quibble to the contrary Thirdly The valuation that is made of both these the Jew or the circumcision outwardly that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may have the praise of men The Apostle before his knowledg of Christ valued himself at a great rate by those things that were but outwardly as a visible Church-member past all contradiction but the Jew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the circumcision of the heart the power and purity of Godliness within hath the commendation of and acceptance with God I shall need say no more for the general opening of these words only before you go any further change the scene and lay the measure to your silves he is not a Christian that is one outwardly in form whose baptisme is the sprinkling of his face with water but he that is a Christian indeed reputatively and as to Church-membership thou maist have praise of men for thy profession for man sees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the outside but God measures the real members of his covenant by their faith for it s his peculiar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father that sees in secret Math. 64. The observations to be made upon the words shall be short and plain and the Uses we will take altogether at the close Observ 1 First Here we have an excellent example for preaching of distinguishing doctrine especially to such professors whose pride and outwardness in the true Religion makes them seem to themselves to be some body when they are indeed nothing distinguish a Christian professor from the Heathen a Protestant from a Papist and you shall say too little to them that are Christians inwardly and too much sometimes to feed the pride of them that are so outwardly they that know no more of Christianity but that which is outward will be ready to object when you beâ— them down so flat that which the Apostle inferrs as the Jewes objection against his distinguishing doctrine Rom. 3. 1. what advantage then hath the Jew or what is the profit of circumcision I Answer as the Apostle doth much every way but when I have said all all saving grace is discriminant and differencing and so should all saving doctrine be sharp but wholsome cutting but convincing teaching others what they should be by shewing what manner of men they are that have the praise of God As to a visible station in Church order the Apostle distinguishes 1 Cor. 5. 12. between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that are without those that are within that is within the pale of the Church both the
matter co-eternal with God which I should not do God requires not in his call that the matter be sitted to his hand he creates us of nothing For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus 2 Eph. 10. And that you may see there is nothing in the work of man that gives any being and rise to Conversion and Regeneration you may note that it is so wrought in us as it is compared to that which was brought forth at first out of nothing in 2 Cor. 4. 6. Whereas in the first Creation there was darkness and then light was called out of darkness by the word of Gods command So saith the Apostle God commands light to shine out of darkness in every one that is converted to him he brings him into a state of light and knowledge out of just nothing as the light was at first commanded to shine out of darkness having no pre-existency in the darkness as any seed of light I know this is quotidianum argumentum an every days argument and therefore I will go on to the next Which signifies the greatness of this work a Resurrection or Resuscitation on mans part and passively a resurrection on Gods part and actively a raising of them that are dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2. 1. called a quickening of men together with Christ that were dead before which clearly resembles it to a miraculous work For such is the raising of the dead Were not they miracles whereby Christ raised the dead And though I confess the similitude between natural and spiritual death is not to be squeezed into impertinencies yet I say that those that shall make natural man to be as it were sick and wounded and only in fetters and not stark dead in spirituals they wrong the grace of God whereby man is converted and as the saying is that which gains in one part loses in another so look where man gains in this point God loses They take from God the eminency of his power so much as they give to man and so enrich man by robbery of God himself and so make it a less work then indeed it is it being a less work and wonder to heal a sick then to raise a dead man That word Regeneration or second Birth doth also denote the gracious act of Gods great power whereby he brings man into a new estate for generation even in nature if it be but of a chicken out of an egg it is full of admiration and worthy to be the object of the enquiry of the learnedst men And therefore what shall we think of Regeneration of this second Birth as it s called which Nicodemus in John 3 wondred and marvelled what it should be why should not we think this to be a great work which is said not to be of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God 1 John 13. And our Saviour shews me thinks a natural reason That which is born of the flesh is flesh like it self for the flesh can beget nothing to the spirit And that which is born of the spirit is spirit the spirit begets not to the flesh nor the flesh unto the spirit but every thing begets unto its like John 3. 6. And therefore if this be so Regeneration must be a great work That 's my first Argument from the titles that are given unto it Secondly the greatness of the work is manifested by the greatness of the change wrought in them that are converted Lay your hearts unto the marks and note for every man converted is changed from contrary to contrary from death to life from darkness to light from the remotest terms that can be self and God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For man exalts self and hates and opposes God Now this man shall be changed from self to God Be ye met amorphosed saith the Text be ye changed in the spirit of your minds Rom. 12. 2. Now look by way of comparison for we may well compare Scripture things with Scripture As the resurrection of the body is attended with a change of that body that rises into a spiritual and incorruptible body He shall change our vile bodies that it shall be like unto his glorious body 1 Cor. 15. So the resurrection of the soul is accompanied with a mighty change of natural disposition and of those habitual principles of lust and corruption which had first taken root and haply by time custome and education more fixt in you Rooted they are naturally and therefore when you come to be changed in these do not you think as great a change follows in this resurrection as on the resurrectection of the body Nothing makes so great a change as this converting grace whereby God draws man to Christ Jesus The moral Philosopher teaches vertue excellently to appalliate the nature of man for indeed he can teach no further that is he can teach amendment of vice by vertue but they know not the meaning of those Scripture-words Creation Resurrection Regeneration these they are very great strangers unto emendation of life is all they speak of Justin Martyr in his second Apology shews what a wonderful change was wrought in them that were religious in them that were called In his time the people did observe it the libidinous are chaste the drunkards made sober the worldlings that had great estates and were tenacious hard enough sell their estates and communicate to them that were converted with them and so goes on to shew as the Scripture speaks the professors of Magical Arts and such ungodly Impostures sold and made away their books and Paul that had destroyed the faith preacht it We preach men not only out of sin but out of vertue for Conversion is a change extended thus far as bringing man into grace and unto Christ Our Saviour called the young Ruler beyond the vertue that he professed Follow me saith he Oh beloved to come to Christ Jesus and to be converted by spiritual grace is beyond all the vertue that you profess And therefore we preach men not only out of vice but vertue Nothing lies nearer our self-love then our lands and houses right hands right eyes and the like yet Christ calls men to the loss of these and he calls to no more then grace enables easily to perform The greatest conquest of spiritual grace in any man is over self-love and self-seeking and therefore for a man to deny himself in any case that is for the excellency of Christ is the greatest change that can be wrought in any man For a man to deny himself upon a force is nothing but to do it out of sympathy is much As we find this change described in Isa 11. 6. where you must allow to the Prophet such expressions The wolf and the lamb shall dwell together the leopard and the kid the calf and the lyon You must not think this is to be understood of wilde beasts but of wilde men whose dispositions being
faith and repentance but God requires not the performance of the conditions by mans own power for therefore the Covenant is altered from Do this and live unto Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved they are both exprest Rom. 10. 5 9. because man fallen man could not abide such a condition of life as must rest upon his own power to performance which was before possible to him while he stood in integrity but now is impossible to him in sin this objection may be further pursued and then I confess you make a hard knot of it Obj. Still it seems the condition continues impossible for man by a natural power cannot perform personal and perfect obedience neither can he believe neither keep the law nor obey the Gospel neither perform the condition of works nor yet of Faith and what are we then the better Answ You must distinguish between a natural power and a power restored by grace as to the natural power there is no more in man to believe in Christ then to perform the law to a natural power both these conditions are impossible let me not offend you in words for to Do this and live you do not pretend to but to Believe and come to Christ that you say you can But the text saith no man can come to me Oh that you could but feel this impotency in your selves but then the power restored is a power to believe in Christ which is not restored to keep the law of works but unfeignedly to believe in and love Christ and this power is given by the drawing of God to all that do indeed come to Christ those that are not drawn do not come all that come are drawn and impowred to believe Gods drawing and mans coming are both of one latitude one measure one extent as many as the Lord works upon and draws they do come ver 45. And those that are not drawn do not come ver 44. and this I call the restored power not restored to man to keep the Law but to believe in and receive Christ Jesus And so the power to perform the condition of the Covenant is a restored power but to perform the condition of the Covenant of works there is no power restored therefore Austin saith God will not that it should pertain but only to his Grace that man should come to him that being come he should not recede from him And that God would not have the condition of this Covenant to be built on mans power of performance I prove by three Reasons Reas 1 First God is pleased that his promise or Covenant should be sure to all the seed Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of faith that it may be by grace to the end that the promise might be sure to all the seed not to all the world but to all the seed and how unsure it had been if it had stood and bottomed on man the experience of the first man Adam doth teach who though in his integrity made shipwrack of all by defection from it much more may be said of man under sin were he not supported by the power of a better prop the Mediatour God will have it sure to all the seed And therefore will not establish it on the works of man because he betrayed it and brought shipwrack on it at first and there shall come a shipwrack on it no more Reas 2 Secondly God doth not expect that the conditions should be performed by man only calls for it as a duty that I owe but not as standing in my power But God makes promises of the very conditions which he requires not of the benefits of the Covenant only but of the graces of it that they may keep it Mark the promises of the Covenant I will put my Law into their hearts and write it in their minds and they shall all know me Heb. 8. 10 11. I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Jer. 32. 40. I will will put my spirit within them and cause them to walk in my statutes Ezek. 36. 27. I will take away a heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh Ezek. 11. 19. And who will say that these promises are built on any conditions in man Reas 3 Thirdly Because of this Covenant Christ is surety which in the first Covenant was not If we deal with a poor or suspected man we lie hard at him for a surety happily we will take a rich mans word Though there was no surety of the first Covenant for Adam had none yet now there is a surety given that must stand at stake and therefor it is said God hath made him a Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 7. 22. and this surety-ship of Christ shews that man is not to be trusted but upon surety And what undertaking Christ performs may be seen in his account he makes of his sheep John 17. 8. I have manifested thy word unto them and they have received it and have known that I came out from thee And believed that thou hast sent me this is an excellent undertaker and a good Accountant for his sheep not one of them is lost they have received thy word they have believed A rare comfort for all that are Christs they are undertaken for Christ is accountable for them to God 7. Lastly Since the glory of God is thus kept intire that all things are of him through him to him Rom. 11. ult and that rectum est index sui obliqui the right line is index of it self and the oblique or Crooked Let whatsoever doctrine that makes not all to be of him through him and unto him be hence confuted by this excellent test as First That which makes man a beginner of Conversion and God a helper of those beginnings that affirms assisting but not preventing Grace that which makes grace the nurse not the mother that brings forth a crutch for the lame but not life to quicken the dead that which makes God the finisher but not the author of Faith this is not Scripture doctrine this makes not all to be of him Secondly That which affirms that though there be no merit in Justification yet there is a power in man for Sanctification because it deals unequally with a long arm and a short one allows no merit and yet assumes a power that sounds not well neither yet this is a thought that is in many a mans heart Oh that God would pardon me and for walking with God let me alone Oh that God would forgive me my sins and I le cleanse my self I le live to God you will not assume the merit of Justification but you may not set your power in the place of the spirit of God in point of sanctification no more then merit in place of the Lord Jesus for Justification for in Psal 103. he forgives all thy sin and heals all thy disease ver 3. where in one verse you may see both
not we lovers of our selves covetous proud boasters c. having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3. 2. c. I might go on and rather make a parallel than a difference between these two and therefore as the Apostle concludes this Jew to be no Jew so we may of this Christian and if those that preach the Gospel will do any good among a formal people they must take their Christianity from them you have a ground for it the Apostle took away Judaism from the Jews you must tell them that 't is not Christianity will profit and bring them to heaven if they be saved they must be convinc'd of this and then that Rule will follow He that thinks himself somewhâ—t when he is nothing deceives himself Gal. 6. 3. and many thousands are so deceived amongst you Use 2 Secondly If this be true Doctrine then rest not till you find in your selves some proof of an inward work some brokenness and softness of heart the heart of stone taken away some newness of spirit something of Christ Jesus Had the Jew found out the entrails of his Religion he had found Christ there over and over but he dreamed of a National salvation as I may almost say by virtue of a Covenant that had Inwards in it but he saw little Let me say to you You have spiritual Ordinances look for Christ in them he is the kernel of all Ordinances Go to God and pray Lord it is thy Covenant-promise to put thy Law into the Inwards of thy people Jer. 31. 33. and that there called Inwards the Apostle calls the writing of the Law in the heart and mind Heb. 8. 10. There are some that are otherways great men that when they come to die whither do they fly Bear me witness I die in the Protestant Faith I die in the Faith and Confession of the Church of England which I have pitied them in for that shews the rightness of the Faith which they profess but not the savingness of their Faith and profession as to them except they look as the Jews did for a National salvation because they are all of the true profession Others there are that when they have incorporated themselves into such a Body whereof the Characteristical mark is a separate opinion from other men then they think they are come into a state of salvation that they have been in Egypt all this while now they are come to Canaan Alas poor souls you will find something else wanting as the Apostle saith Others there are that depend much upon a holiness of their own making Pharisaically Papistically I never like this frame let the holiness that God hath appointed stand and let us stand to that and when all is said that I can say unto you here must be the great work to find an inward work of holiness in your souls though the Ordinances or form be of God as the Jews were much more when the holiness is of your stamping and therefore look for this inward work that ye be not only the Epistle of Christ written with ink in Letter but in the Spirit of the living God 2 Cor. 3. 2. There are two places that I will give you to set home this Exhortation from the most glorious Church that we read of in all the New Testament of highest elevation for variety of spiritual giâ—ts and abilities and they had greatest blots too which was the Church of Corinth to them the Apostle gives this Item in 1 Cor. 10. 5. Brethren I would not have you ignorant that our Fathers speaking in an Ecclesiastical sence did all eat of the same spiritual meat honoured with Sacraments extraordinary the Rock the Manna and both were Christ Yet with many of them God was not wel pleased and he gives the reason of it for they were tempters of Christ they had such sins upon them which you may charge upon your selves mutatis mutandis and yet this Church though they were so high he humbles them with such an exhortation as might shame them that is to a strange thing Examine whether ye be in the Faith and had Christ within them 2 Cor. 13. 5. We are I know not how many forms above that question and yet be sure though profession be never so high that 's the main thing to be inquired for Iâ— Christ in you you can talk of Christ without you but as gallant as you are you must prove your selves if Christ be in you and know that he is in you except you be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reprobates you are saved by a Christ in you The third Use of this Point is for reproof and I will willingly though I do it sorrowfully put my self into the number of the reproved Let every man therefore reprove himself for the exceeding great outwardness in Religion that abounds amongst us there is fire wanting in us time was and it was indeed the worst of times when Christians the professors of Christian Religion in England were practical and exceedingly addicted to practical holiness keeping a sweet inward communion with God and among themselves their conferences were savoury and their inward experiences communicated were excellent edifying and building up and Christ was 〈◊〉 set out to sale in all markets he was the penniworth held out in all Christian meetings but in these daies I may not wish for persecution I may say that the stomach they say makes better digestion in cold than in hot weather so when times are troublesome and unsafe the heat goes inward to make good digestion now there is necessity to call men to inwardness this and that opinion this and that conceit such a controversie blowing of a feather up and down between man and man matters of no concernment as he said and he was a very observing man do so take us up that the tree of knowledg is in greater request then the tree of life exceptis paucissimis omnis câ—tus Christianorum sentina vitiorum We may see our outwardness easilie and for it tax our selves our sabbath discourses what are they but tales or news We preachers preach our parts and you pray your gifts Nay St James saith sometimes you pray your lusts we studie our religion that we may conform to rising times parties customes we set our dials by the countenances of mortal men and which way that looks we set our profession our worship is but a carcass because we are but carkasses in it not answerable to that God who is a spirit whom we should serve in spirit and truth we conferre our notions or some lighter ware when we meet together we are seldome or rare in the duties of self-examination run over the daily circuit of our devotion that we have chosen to perform in our families as a post-horse runs his stage our fastings are but disguised self-seeking and our Religion it self a kind of Policie What need I go on to instance in those things that you take to