them;" by the rule of contraries, we are commanded to bow down to God, and worship Him. A public worship then God must have, by His own command; and the governors of the Church have prescribed this form of worship for that public service and worship of God in this Church, which being so prescribed, becomes God's service and worship by His own law, as well as the lamb was His sacrifice.s

For the clear understanding of this, we must know that some laws of God do suppose some human act to pass and intervene, before they actually bind; which act of man being once passed, they bind immediately. For example, " thou shalt not steal," is God's law, which law cannot bind actually, till men be possessed of some goods and property; which property is not usually determined by God Himself immediately, but by the laws of him, to whom He hath given authority to determine it. God hath given the earth to the children of men, as He gave Canaan to the Israelites in general; but men cannot say this is mine, till human laws or acts determine the property; as the Israelites could not claim a property on this or that side Jordan, till Moses had assigned them their several portions, but when their portions were so assigned, they might say this is mine, by God's as well as man's law; and he that took away their right,

8 Exod. xxix.

:

sinned not only against man's, but God's law too, that says, "Thou shalt not steal." In like manner God hath in general commanded a public worship and service, but hath not, under the Gospel, assigned the particular form and method; that He hath left to His ministers and delegates, the governors of the Church, to determine agreeable to His general rules; which being so determined, is God's service and worship not only by human, but even by Divine law also and all other public services whatsoever, made by private men, to whom God hath given no such commission, are strange worship, because not commanded; for example, as under the law, when God had appointed a lamb for a burnt offering," that alone was the right daily worship, the "savour of rest," because commanded, and all other sacrifices whatsoever, offered up in the place of that, though of far more value and price than a lamb, suppose twenty oxen, would have been strange sacrifice: so now the public worship of God prescribed as we have said, by those to whom He hath given commission, is the only true and right public worship; and all other forms and methods offered up instead of that, though never so exactly drawn, are strange worship, because not commanded. It is not the elegancy of the phrase, nor the finenesss of the composition, that makes it acceptable to God, as His worship and

service; but obedience is the thing accepted. "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."w

This holy service offered up to God by the priest, in the name of the Church, is far more acceptable to Almighty God than the devotions of any private

man.

For, first, it is the service of the whole Church, which, every man that holds communion with that Church, hath consented to, and said, Amen and agreed that it should be offered up to God by the priest in the name of the Church, and, if what any two of you shall agree to ask upon earth, it shall be granted; how much more, what is asked of God or offered up to God by the common vote and joint desire of the whole body of the Church?

Besides, this public service and worship of God is commanded by God, i. e. by those whom He hath empowered to command and appoint it, to be offered up to Him in the behalf of the Church, and therefore must needs be most acceptable to Him, which is so appointed by Him; for what He commands He accepts most certainly. Private devotions and services of particular men, which are offered by themselves, for themselves, are sometimes accepted, sometimes refused by God, according as the persons are affected to vice or virtue; but this public

w I Sam. xv. 22. v Matt. xviii. 19.

worship is like that lamby commanded to be offered by the priest for others, for the Church, and therefore accepted, whatsoever the priest be that offers it up. And therefore King David prays, "Let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice,"z i. e. as surely accepted as that evening sacrifice of the Lamb, which no indevotion or sin of the priest could hinder, but that it was most certainly accepted for the Church, because commanded to be offered for the Church.a

This public service is accepted of God, not only for those that are present, and say Amen to it; but for all those that are absent upon just cause, even for all that do not renounce communion with it and the Church; for it is the common service of them all, commanded to be offered up in the names of them all, and agreed to by all of them to be offered up for them all, and therefore is accepted for all them, though presented to God by the priest alone, as the lamb offered up to God by the priestb was the sacrifice of the whole congregation of the children of Israel, 66 a sweet smelling savour, a savour of rest," to pacify God Almighty daily, and to continue His favour to them, and make Him dwell with them.c

Good reason therefore it is, that this sweet

y Exod. xxix. cxl. vol. v. p.

z Psalm cxli. 2. 430. B. C. D.

a St. Chrysostom, Homily on Psalm b Exod. xxix. c Exod. xxix. 42, 45.

d

smelling savour should be daily offered up to God morning and evening, whereby God may be pacified and invited to dwell amongst His people. And whatsoever the world think, thus to be the Lord's remembrancers, putting Him in mind of the people's wants, "Being as it were the angels of the Lord," interceding for the people, and carrying up the daily prayers of the Church in their behalf, is one of the most useful and principal parts of the priest's office. So St. Paul tells us, who in the 1 Ep. to Tim. chap. ii. exhorts Bishop Timothy, that he should take care first of all that this holy service be offered up to God. "I exhort first of all, that prayers and supplications, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings," &c. "What is the meaning of this first of all? I will that this holy service be offered up daily, and the faithful know how we observe this rule of St. Paul, offering up daily this holy sacrifice morning and evening."e St. Paul in the first chapter of this Epistle, at v. 18. had charged his son Timothy to "war a good warfare, to hold faith and a good conscience;" and presently adds, "I exhort therefore, that first of all, prayers, &c. be made." As if he had said, you cannot possibly hold faith and a good conscience in your pastoral office, unless "first of all," you be careful to make and offer up d Isai. lxii. e St. Chrysostom, Hom. vi. I Timothy ch. ii. vol. xi. p. 579. A.