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service. Hence are the Lord's frequent reproofs. and complaints of this. Hence the willingness in popery for outward work, for penances, and satisfactions of bodies and purses; any thing of that kind, if it might serve, rather than the inward work of repentance and mortification, the spiritual service and sacrifices of the soul: but the answer of all those from God, is that of the prophet, who hath required these things at your hands??

Indeed the sacred writers press works of charity, if they be done with a right-hand, and the left-hand not so much as acquainted with the business, as our Saviour speaks, Let not thy left hand know what thy right-hand doth. They must be done with a right and single intention, and from a right principle moving to them, without any vain opinion of meriting by them with God, or any vain desire of gaining applause with men; but merely out of love to God and to man for his sake. Thus they are one of these spiritual sacrifices; and therefore ought by no means to be neglected by christian priests, that is, by any that are christians.

Another spiritual sacrifice is, the prayers of the saints, Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. It is not the composure of prayer, or the eloquence of expression, that is the sweetness of it in God's account, and makes it a sacrifice of a pleasing smell or sweet odour to him, but the breathing forth the desire of the heart that makes it a spiritual sacrifice, otherwise it is as carnal and dead, and worthless in God's account, as the carcases of beasts. Incense can neither smell, nor ascend without fire: no more doth prayer, unless it arise from a bent of spiritual affection; it is that both makes it smell, and sends it heavenwards, makes it never leave moving upwards till it come before God, and smell sweet in his nostrils, which few, too few, of our prayers do.

• Psal. 1. Isa. i. &c. P Isa. i. 12. 4 Matth. vi. 3.
Revel. v. 8. Psal. cxli. 2.

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Praise also is a sacrifice; to make respectful and honourable mention of the name of God, and of his goodness; to bless him humbly and heartily', Offer unto God thanksgiving. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me. And this is that sacrifice that shall never end, but continues in heaven to eternity. Then a holy course of life is called the sacrifice of righteousness, where he shews what sacrifices succeed to those, that as he hath taught at large are abolished. Christ sacrificed for us, and that alone was powerful to take away sin; but our gratulatory sacrifices, praise and alms, are as incense burnt to God, of which, as the standers by find the sweet smell, so the holy life of christians smells sweet to those with whom they live; but the wicked, as putrified carcases, are of a noisome smell to God and man", They are corrupt; they have done abominable works.

In a word, that sacrifice, that includes all these, and without which none of these can be rightly offered, is ourselves, our whole selves. Our bodies are to be presented a living sacrifice, and they are not that without our souls. It is our heart given that gives all the rest, for that commands all. My son give me thy heart, and then the other will follow, thine eyes will delight in my ways. This makes the eyes, ears, tongue and hands, and all to be holy, as God's peculiar, being once given and consecrate to him; and therefore it becomes sacrilege to turn them to any unholy use. This makes

a man delight to hear, and speak of things that concern God, and to think on him frequently, to be holy in his secret thoughts, and all his ways. Iu every thing we bring him, every thanksgiving and prayer we offer, his eye is upon the heart, he looks if it be along with our offering; and if he miss it, he cares not for all the rest, but throws it back again.

The heart must be offered withal, and the whole
Phil. iv. 18.

* Heb. xiii. 15. Psal. l. 14, 23. t Psal. iv. 6.
u Ps. xiv. 4. * Rom. xii. 1.

Heb. xiii. 16.

heart, all of it entirely given to him: Se totum obtulit Christus pro nobis. In another In another sense, which crosses not this, it must not be whole but broken". But if thou find it unbroken, yet give it him, with a desire that it may be broken; and if it be broken, and if when thou hast given it him, he break it more, yea and melt it too, yet thou shalt not repent thy gift; for he breaks and melts it, that he may refine it, and make it up in a new and excellent frame, and may impress his own image on it, and make it holy, and so like, to himself.

Let us then give him ourselves, or nothing; and to give ourselves to him, is not his advantage but ours, as the philosopher said to his poor scholar, who, when others gave him great gifts, told him, he had nothing but himself to give: It is well, said he, and I will endeavour to give thee back to thyself, better than I received thee. Thus doth God with us, and a christian makes himself his daily sacrifice; he renews this gift of himself every day to God, and receiving it every day bettered again, still he hath the more delight to give it, as being fitter for God, the more it is sanctified by former sacrificing.

Now that whereby we offer all other spiritual sacrifices, and even ourselves, is love. That is the holy fire that burns up all, sends up our prayers, and our hearts, and our whole selves a whole burntoffering to God; and as the fire of the altar, it is originally from Heaven, being kindled by God's own love to us; and by this the church and each believer ascends like a straight pillar of smoke, as the word is, going even up to God perfumed with aloes and all the spices, all the graces of the Spirit received from Christ, but above all with his own merits.

How far from this is the common multitude of us, though professing to be christians! who considers his holy calling? As the peculiar holiness of the ministry should be much in their eye and thoughts

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that are called to it, as they should study to be answerably eminent in holiness, so all that are christians, consider you are priests unto God, being called a holy priesthood; thus you ought to be. But if we speak what we are indeed, we must say rather, we are an unholy priesthood, a shame to that name and holy profession; instead of the sacrifice of a Godly life, and the incense of prayer and praise, in families and alone, what is with many but the filthy vapours of profane speaking and a profane life, as a noisome smell arising out of a dunghill?

But you, that have once offered up yourselves unto God, and are still doing so, with all the services you can reach, continue to do so, and be assured, that how unworthy soever yourselves, and all your offerings be, yet they shall not be rejected.

The 3d thing here observable is the success of that service, accceptable to God by Jesus Christ". The children of God do delight in offering sacrifices to him but if they might not know that they were well taken at their hands, this would discourage them much; therefore this is added. How often do the Godly find it in their sweet experience, that when they come to pray, he welcomes them, and gives them such evidences of his love, as they would not exchange for all worldly pleasures? and when this doth not so presently appear at other times, yet they ought to believe it. He accepts themselves and their ways offered in sincerity, though never so mean; though they sometimes have no more, but a sigh or groan, it is most properly a spiritual sacrifice.

Stay not therefore away, because thou, and the gifts thou offerest, are inferior to the offering of others. No, none are excluded for that, only give what thou hast, and act with affection, for that he regards most. Under the law they that had not a lamb, were welcome with a pair of pigeons; so that the christian may say: "What I am Lord, I offer myself unto thee, to be wholly

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* Heb. xiii. 16.

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thine; and had I a thousand times more of out"ward or inward gifts, all should be thine; had I a greater estate, or wit, or learning, or power, "I would endeavour to serve thee with all. What "I have, I offer thee, and it is most truly thine, "it is but of thy own that I give thee." None needs forbear sacrificè for poverty, for that which God desires is the heart, and there is none so poor but hath a heart to give him.

But meanness is not all, there is a guiltiness on ourselves, and on all we offer; our prayers and services are polluted. But this hinders not neither; for our acceptance, is not for ourselves, but for one, who hath no guiltiness at all. Acceptable by Jesus Christ.] In him our persons are cloathed with righteousness, and in his cloathing, we are as Isaac said of Jacob in his brother's garments, as the smell of a field that the Lord hath blessed". And all our other sacrifices, our prayers, and services, if we offer them by him; and put them into his hand, to offer to the Father, then doubt not they will be accepted in him; for this by Jesus Christ, is relative both to our offering and acceptance. We ought not to offer any thing, but by him. And so we are well pleasing, for he is his well-beloved Son, in whom his soul is delighted; not only delighted and pleased with himself, but in him, with all things and persons that appear in him, and are presented by him.

And this alone answers all our doubts; for we ourselves, as little as we see that way, yet may see so much in our best services, so many wanderings in prayer, so much deadness, &c. as would make us still doubtful of acceptance; so that we might say with Job, Although he had answered me, yet would I not believe that he had hear kned to me, were it not for this, that our prayers, and all our sacrifices pass through Christ's hand. He is that Angel that hath much sweet odours, to mingle with the prayers of the Saints. He purifies them with his own

Gen. xxvii. 27.

c Heb. xiii. 15. d Job. ix. 16. C Rev. viii. 3, 4.

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