Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	seek_v	spirit_n	worship_v	7,034	5	9.8542	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51669	The spiritual vvorship exalted. Or A treatise concerning the worship and service of God shewing how uncapable men are in their natural and unconverted state of worshipping and serving God acceptably in this Gospel day. And that it is the light, grace and spirit of Christ revealed in men, which doth renew, fit, prepare and [q]ualifie them for performing that pure spiritual and acceptable worship which was instituted by our Lord, and practiced by his disciples and followers. As also several other things here inserted, worthy of observation. By a lover of truth, and wel-wisher of the souls of all men, George Myers.	Myers, George, 1653?-1714.	1687 (1687)	Wing M3174; ESTC R213894	43,291	111

THE Spiritual Worship EXALTED OR A Treatise concerning the Worship and Service of God Shewing how uncapable men are in their natural and unconverted State of Worshipping and Serving God acceptably in this Gospel day And that it is the Light Grace and Spirit of Christ reveaved in men which doth Renew Fit Prepare and ●ualifie them for performing that Pure Spiritual and Acceptable Worship which was instituted by our Lord and practiced by his Disciples and Followers As also several other things here inserted worthy of observation By a Lover of Truth and Wel-wisher of the Souls of all men George Myers But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritualy discern'd 1 Cor. 2.14 But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him John 4.23 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth John 4.24 Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness Psal 29.2 THE PREFACE TO THE Reader FOrasmuch as Divine Worship is the supream act of mans Life and a duty incumbent upon all for that thereby we answer the end of our Creation and pay those Respects and Acknowledgments which we owe to the Divine Majesty for all his Bounties and Favours towards us It greatly behoves all People to be very serious and weighty in that respect and truly to inform themselves what that Worship is which is acceptable unto God and how People ought to be qualified for performing the same the want of a right understanding upon these accounts has occasioned great Miscarriages and Defects among People in Religions matters and is one great reason why there are so many Jars and Divisions about the several Forms and Ways of Worship now extant in the World. The consideration of these things together with the drawings of Divine Love have induced me to the publication of this following Treatise wherein divers things relating to the Worship and Service of God are declared and held forth and whereby it is manifest that it is the Light Grace and Spirit of Christ revealed in the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men that rightly Renews Fits Prepares and Qualifies them for Worshipping and Serving God acceptably and opens their Vnderstandings in Divine and Spiritual matters insomuch that in all acts of Worship and Service unto God the Holy Ghost is to have the Precedency so as to move act influence and assist the Persons exercised therein whether it be in publick Preaching Testimonies and Declarations for God and his Truth or in Prayers Praises and Thanksgivings unto him And also that those who in their own Will and Time do go about to perform acts of Worship and Service unto God in their Natural and Vnconverted State whilst they are despising and dis-regarding the Counsel Drawings and Directions of the Light and Spirit of Christ in themselves such Worshippers in that State and under those Circumstances may please themselves with such pretences but can no way perform that Divine and Spiritual Worship which is acceptable unto God in this Gospel day Although I might have produced divers Testimonies both of Antient and Modern Authors in favour of this Discourse yet for several Reasons I rather chuse to keep close to the Holy Scriptures inasmuch as I conceive those who are inclined to be Religious will not dare to make exceptions against that which is concluded to proceed from the Divine Spirit Let none be Offended that I do not admit of human Learning and natural Arts and Sciences to be of such absolute necessity for the Qualification of a Gospel Minister as some would have them For by what is here Written I do no way intend to undervalue human Learning or lessen its esteem in the minds of such as are inclin'd to make a right use thereof for I do grant that it is good and serviceable in its place yea it is and may be serviceable upon many accounts to a Gospel Minister where it is reduc'd to a blessed Subordination and Conformity to the Spirit of Truth but then if People will attempt to exalt it above the teachings of the Divine Spirit and lay that stress upon it for opening the Mysteries of Truth which the Holy Ghost will not admit of in that case I found my self concern'd to bear a Testimony for the Truth and against the Vanity of such as would extol human Learning and natural Arts and Sciences above their proper use and service Albeit the consideration of those many Treatises which have been writ by other Hands upon these accounts did at first seem to divert me from this undertaking yet for clearing of my Conscience in the sight of God and in performance of that Duty and Service which I owe to him I thought fit to cast my Mite into the Treasury desiring that what I have here Written in Humility may be Read and Expounded in Charity and that God Almighty who is the Author of all our Blessings may by his Grace and Goodness make this small Treatise effectual for informing the minds of People upon these accounts and for reducing them into that pure and spiritual Worship which is acceptable unto him through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen So desireth and so prayeth thy Christian Friend George Myers THE CONTENTS § 1. COncerning the Worship that was Instituted by Jesus Christ and Practiced by his People pag. 1. § 2. Concerning Mans incapacity of Worshiping and Serving God acceptably in his natural and unconverted State. pag. 4. § 3. Concerning the necessity of receiving the Light Grace and Spirit of Christ in order to quicken and renew to God and so to prepare and qualifie People for his Worship and Service pag. 10. § 4. Concerning the Gospel Church and Evangelical Temple pag. 15. § 5. Concerning silent waiting upon God for the help and concurrence of his holy Spirit in the performance of Divine Worship pag. 20. § 6. Concerning the Preparation Call and Ordination of Gospel Ministers pag. 25. § 7. Concerning Women Preaching pag. 34. § 8. Concerning the Rise of Gospel Performances the Qualifications of Gospel Ministers showing that they are not from Human Learning Worldly Wisdom and Natural Arts and Sciences but from the Divine Spirit pag. 43. § 9. Concerning outward Force and Violence in Religious matters and the unlawfulness of forceable resisting the temporal Magistracy p. 55. § 10. Concerning the Maintenance of Gospel Ministers pag. 63. § 11. Concerning Prayer pag. 75. § 12. Concerning Singing of Psalms and Artifical Musick pag. 88. The Conclusion pag. 98. THE Spiritual Worship EXALTED Section I. Concerning the Worship that was Instituted by Jesus Christ and Practiced by his People AFter the Lord God in his own appointed time saw meet to put an end to the Dispensation of the

Law which was delivered unto the Children of Israel by the Ministry of Moses it pleased him according to his determinate Will and everlasting Counsel to send his own Son the Lord Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem of Judea of whom Moses and the Prophets did write and whom John testified of to be the Lamb of God who taketh away the Sins of the World John 1.29 He perfectly fulfilled the Law and the Righteousness thereof and gave witness unto the Dispensation of the Gospel drawing Religion into the secret of the Heart he made it to consist in a higher state of Righteousness then that of the Law called Evangelical he also approved himself and the excellency of his Doctrine by many great and wonderful Signes and Miracles and sealed it with his Blood for that after he had preach't that heavenly Doctrine and wrought many Miracles among the Jews he was apprehended and by wicked hands was Crucified and Slain yet God raised him up again so that he triumphed over Death of which it was impossible for him to be held and after he was so raised up from the Dead he appeared to his Disciples and Followers who had believed in him comforting them with the hope and assurance of the pouring forth attendance of his Spirit by which he was to be with them unto the end of the World and by which they and all such as afterwards should come to believe in his holy Name might be rendered capable of bearing and holding forth a true certain and faithful Testimony for him whom God hath appointed for Salvation unto the ends of the Earth and also of performing that Worship and Service which was instituted by him which Worship is Spiritual and cannot be truly performed by the Art Strength Wisdom and Policy of men in their natural and unconverted state but only by those who are spiritually quickened and renewed unto God in some measure and whose Hearts and Souls are fitted and prepared by the Light Grace Spirit Power of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ That the Worship instituted by Christ is Spiritual is very plain from his own Words unto the Woman of Samaria John 4.21 22 23 24. Jesus said unto her Woman believe me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship for Salvation is of the Jews but the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth This is the chiefest and most ample Testimony that Christ gives of the Christian worship as different and contradistinguished from that under the Law he tyeth not his People to the Temple at Jerusalem nor unto any other place but plainly holds out that the season is now come wherein the worship must be in Spirit and in Truth he also gives the reason for it and excellently argues from the anology that ought to be betwixt the Object and the Worship directed thereunto viz. God is a Spirit therefore he must be worshipped in Spirit This Testimony of our Lord is so clear in the case that I need not enlarge much further upon it but only add the saying of the Apostle Paul to the Church at Philippi We are the Circumcision that worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus having no confidence in the Flesh Phil. 3.3 By which it appears that the Saints and People of God in those dayes were in the practice of that worship which was instituted by our Lord as aforesaid Section II. Concerning Mans incapacity of Worshipping and Serving God acceptably in his natural and unconverted State. THat Men in their natural and unconverted state are uncapable of performing this spiritual Worship is certainly true for that whilst they remain in that state they cannot do any thing that is really good and acceptable unto God being subject unto that depraved and ungodly Spirit which leads People into Iniquity and rules in all the Children of Disobedience it comes to pass that not only their Words and Deeds but also the Imaginations of their Hearts are evil continually their Thoughts Notions and Conceptions concerning Divine and Spiritual matters are unprofitable both to themselves and others which thing doth yet further appear from divers Testimonies in the Scriptures of Truth Moses said That God saw the Wickedness of man was great in the Earth and that every Imagination of the thoughts of his Heart was only evil continually and that it repented the Lord that he had made man on the Earth and it grieved him at his Heart Gen. 6.5 6. David saith The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the Children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God and says They are all gone aside they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth good no not one Psal 14.2 3. And again But unto the Wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldst take my Covenant into thy Mouth Psal 50.16 Jeremiah saith The Heart is deceitful and desperately wicked who can know it Jer. 17.9 Our Lord saith An evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things Matth. 12.35 Also the Apostle Paul alluding to the saying of David says Thero is none Righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Rom. 3.10 11 12. Thus it is to be observed that what is thus spoken relates to men in their natural and unconverted State wherein their Souls are dead unto God and the things of his Kingdom and cannot live unto him nor do any such lively act as to serve him until they receive the Lord Jesus Christ and know the vertue and power of his Grace Spirit inwardly to quicken them unto God That so they may serve him in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter Rom. 7.6 For alas it is not the bare performance of such things as are supposed to be religious duties that brings into acceptance with God unless the Heart Soul and Spirit of man be renewed fitted prepared and qualified by that which is holy and pure it s the rise of the performance that God looks at more then the outward act he that searches the Heart and tryes the Reins of men before whom all things are naked and bare looks not so much upon the external Fabrick as the internal frame of the Soul Vnto this man will I look saith the Lord even to him that is poor and of a contrite Spirit and trembleth at my Word Isa 66.2 We read that although the Jews were in the practice