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v. 17. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. Neh. xiii. 15. In those days faw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the fabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as alfo wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerufalem on the fabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. v. 17. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and prophane the fabbath-day? v. 21. Then I testified against them, and faid unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the fabbath. v. 22, And I commanded the Levites, that they should cleanse themselves, and that they fhould come and keep the gates, to sanctify the fabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concern ing this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. v. 25. And I contended with them, and cursed them, and fmote certain of them, and pluck: off the hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their fons, nor take their daughters unto your fons, or for yourselves. v. 30. Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests, and the Levites, every one in his busi. ness. 2 Kings xxiii. 5. And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incenfe in the high places, in the cities of Judah, and in the pla. ces round about Jerufalem, them also that burn incense unto Baal, to the fun and to the moon, and to the

planets, and to all the host of heaven. v. 6. And he brought out the grove from the house of the Lord, without Jerufalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burnt it at the brook Kidron, and stampe it small to powder; and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people. v. 9. Nevertheless, the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren. v. 20. And he flew all the priests of the high places that were there, upon the altars, and burnt mens bones upon them, and returned to Jerufalem. v. 21. And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant. 2 Chrơn. xxxiv. 33. And jofiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Ifrael, and made all that were present in Israel to ferve, even to serve the Lord their God. and all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers. 2 Chron. xv. 12. And they entered into a covenant to feek the Lord God of their fathers, with all their heart, and with all their foul; v. 13. That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Ifrael, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. v. 16. And alfo concerning Maachab the mother of Ala the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron. Dan. iii. 29. Therefore I make a decree, That 'every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the cod of Shadrach, Melhach, 'and bed

CHAP. XXI. Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day.

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HE light of nature sheweth that there is a God who hath sovereignty over all; is good, and doth good unto all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the foul, and with all the might a. But the acceptable way of worship

Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god that can deliver after this fort. 1 Tim, ii. 2. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty. Ifa. xlix. 23, And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nurfing mothers; they shall bow down to thee, with their faces toward the earth, and lick up the duft of thy feet, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be a shamed that wait for me. Zech. xiii, 2. And it shall come to pass in that day, faith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembred: and also I will cause the prophets, and the unclean fpirit to pass out of the land. v. 3. And it thall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother, that begat him, shall fay unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his father and his mother, that begat him, shall thrust him through when he prophefieth.

1. a Rom. i. 20. For the invisible - things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and

Godhead; so that they are without excuse. Acts xvii. 24. God that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. Pfal. cxix. 68. Thou art good, and dost good; teach me thy ftatutes. Jer. x. 7. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forafmuch as among all the wife men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. Pfal. xxxi. 23. O love the Lord, all ye his faints: for the Lord preferveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Pfal. xviii. 3. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praited; so shall I be faved from mine enemies. Rom. x. 12. For there is no difference between the jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all, is rich unto all that call upon him. Pfal. Ixii, 8. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your hearts befare him: God is a refuge for us. Jofhua xxiv. 14. Now therefore, fear the Lord, and ferve him in fincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers ferved on the other fide of the flood, and in Egypt: and serve ye the Lord. Mark xii. 33. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the underftanding, and with all the foul, and with all the strength, and to love his H 3 neigh.

worshipping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of inen, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy scripture b.

II. Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to him alone c: not to angels, faints, or any other creatured: and fince the fall, not without a Media, tor; nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone e.

neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacri

ces.

b Deut. xii. 32. What thing foever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor di. minish from it. Mat. xv. 9. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Acts xvii. 35. Neither is worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. Mat. iv. 9. And faith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. v. 10. Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou ferve. (Deut. xv. to the 20. verse.) Exod. xx. 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. v. 5. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: v. 6. And shewing mercy unto thoufands of them that love me, and keep my commandments, Col, ii. 23,

III. Prayer

Which things indeed have a shew of wisdom in will worship and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honour to the fatisfying of the flesh.

II. c Mat. iv. 10. (See before in letter b.) With John v. 23. That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father who hath sent him.. And 2 Cor. xiii. 24. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

d Col. ii. 18. Let no man beguile you of your reward, in a voluntary humility, and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puft up by his fleshly mind. Rev. xix. 10. And I fell at his feet to worship him: and he said unto me, See thou do it not : I am thy fellow-fervant, and of thy brethren that have the teftimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rom. i. 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

e John xiv. 6. Jesus faith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me. 1 Tim. ii. 5. For there

III. Prayer with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship f, is by God required of all men g; and that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son b, by the help of his Spirit i, according to his will é, with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love and perfeverance 1; and,

is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Eph. ii. 18. For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father. Col. iii. 17. And whatsoever ye do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, and the Father by him.

III. Phil. iv. 6. Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and fupplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

g Píal. lxv. 2. O thou that heareft prayer, unto thee shall all flesh

come.

John xiv. 13. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorifi ed in the Son. v. 14. If ye shall afk any thing in my name, I will do it. 1 Pet. ii, 5. Ye also as lively ftones are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood to offer up spiritual facrifices, acceptable to God by Jefus Chrift.

Rom. viii. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh interceffion for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

At John v. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we afk any thing according to his will he heareth us.

/Pfal. 1xxv. 7. For God is the king of all the earth, fing ye praises with understanding. Eccl. v. 1. Keep thy foot when thou goest to

the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the fa-. crifice of fools: for they confider not that they do evil. v. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. Heb. xii. 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be noved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Gen. xviii. 27. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to fpeak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. James v. 16. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed: The effectual fer-vent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James i. 6. But let him afk in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth, is like a wave of the fea, driven with the wind and toffed. v. 7. For let not that rean think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Mark xi. 24. Therefore I say unto you, What things foever ye defire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mat. vi. 12. and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. v. 14. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will alfo forgive you. V. 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trefpaffes. Col. iv. 2 Continue in prayer, and watch

and, if vocal, in a known tongue m..

IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful n, and for all forts of men living, or that shall live hereafter 0: but not for the dead p, nor for those of whom it may be known that they have finned the fin unto death q.

V. The reading of the scriptures with godly fearr; the

in the same with thanksgiving. Eph. vi. 18. Praying always with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance, and supplication for all faints.

ma Cor. xiv. 14. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

IV. 2 (1 John v. 14. See letter k.) 01 Tim. ii. 1. I exhort therefore, that first of all fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men: v. 2. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. John xvii. 20. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall believe on me thro' their word. 2 Sam. vii. 29. There fore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it; and with thy blefling let the house of thy fervant be blessed for ever. Ruth iv. 12. And let thy house be Jike the house of Pharez (whom Tamar bare unto Judah) of the feed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.

p.2 Sam, xii. 21. Then faid his fervants unto him, What thing is this that thou haft done? thou didst fast and weep for the child while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst arife and eat bread.

found

v. 22. And he said, while the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I faid, Who can tell whether Cod will be gracious to me, that the child may live? v. 23. But now he is dead, wherefore should I falt 2 Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me, (With Luke xvi. 25.) But Abraham faid, Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewife Lazarus evil things: but now he is comfort. ed, and thou art tormented, v. 26. And besides all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf f6xed: so that they who would pafs from bence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Rev. xiv. 13. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, Bleffed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth: yea, faith the Spirits that they may reft from their lahours: and their works do follow them..

q 1 John v. 16. If any, man fee his brother fin a fin which is not to death, be shall ask, and he thall give him life for them that fin not unto death. There is a fin untol death; I do not say, that he shall pray for it.

V. r Acts xv. 21. For Moses of old time hath in every city, them that preach him, being read in the snagogues every fabbath day. Rev. i, 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they.

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