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worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him."

This language, which at once indicates the abolishing of the ancient dispensation, and the introduction of the new, may furnish a proper conclusion to the first part of this subject, and form a proper commencement of the second. But, in dismissing the former, let us not forget what it was, and what it is, which alone can confer true sanctity on all our devotional performances, or truly hallow the place, whether it be of an outward and visible, or of an inward and spiritual description, where the worship of the Most High is acceptably performed; and this is assuredly nothing less than a manifestation of his own presence, power, or Spirit, more or less sensibly vouchsafed.

It is only under the influence of this sacred qualification, that the true Jew could witness his "prayers to be set forth before the Lord as incense; and the lifting up of his hands to be as" an acceptable "evening sacrifice." And it is only under the same Divine Influence, that the true

disciples : "We worship God in the Spirit, and

rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."

Lecture XXII.

CONTINUATION ON PUBLIC WORSHIP.

"Jesus saith 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 worshipers 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 language of the Lord Jesus, addressed to the poor woman at Jacob's well, with whom He condescended to hold familiar, yet deeply instructive communication, is justly considered by all Christian professors, as predicting the near approach of the great change which was about to take place in the Divine Institutions. A change which principally consisted in the abrogation of all exclusively local and typical observances, and the introduction of such as should be of a substantial, abiding, and universal nature;

worship, whatsoever had not originated in Divine appointment.

The Most High had been pleased to manifest his power and his glory, in a manner visible to mortal sight, in places consecrated to this august purpose; and He was accordingly represented as "dwelling between the cherubim," and rendering holy the ground wheresoever such indications of His presence were vouchsafed. Thus Moses was directed to take his shoes from off his feet, while standing to behold that marvellous spectacle of a bush burning with fire, yet unconsumed.

Not only was the Divine presence, under that dispensation, externally revealed, but the acceptable condition of true worshipers was instructively represented by external rites; and the great propitiatory sacrifice to be accomplished in the person of the Saviour, was variously signified by appropriate emblems. Can it possibly be supposed that the true Jews or spiritually minded Israelites, were strangers to a measure of spiritual influence, correspondent with the nature and extent of those rituals? and hence they might be justly included under the description of true worshipers. Such were assuredly those, however small the

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number, who at the time of the birth of Jesus, are described as waiting for the consolation of Israel.

Previously to that distinguished era, when the minds of the faithful appear to have been signally prepared for the fulfilment of prophetic notices, pious individuals were qualified to testify, that "The Most High dwelleth not" essentially "in temples made with hands"—that even "the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Him." "Thus saith the High and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose Name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

The great change therefore about to be established was not a transition from error to truth, but from external to internal-from representative to substantial—from carnal as being necessarilly connected with bodily exercise, to purely spiritual, being no further dependent on the testimony of natural sense, or needing the instrumentality of the outward man, than as the intervention of

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