The Existence and Attributes of God, Volumes 1 and 2Charnock, Stephen
Religion
The Existence and Attributes of God, Volumes 1 and 2
Charnock, Stephen
God (Christianity) -- Attributes; Providence and government of God -- Christianity
_Prop. VI._ The service and worship the gospel settles is spiritual,
and the performance of it more spiritual. Spirituality is the genius
of the gospel, as carnality was of the law; the gospel is therefore
called spirit; we are abstracted from the employments of sense, and
brought nearer to a heavenly state. The Jews had angels’ bread poured
upon them; we have angels’ service prescribed to us, the praises
of God, communion with God in spirit, through his Son Jesus Christ,
and stronger foundations for spiritual affections. It is called a
“reasonable service;”[466] it is suited to a rational nature, though
it finds no friendship from the corruption of reason. It prescribes
a service fit for the reasonable faculties of the soul, and advanceth
them while it employs them. The word reasonable may be translated
“word‑service,”[467] as well as reasonable service; an evangelical
service, in opposition to a law service. All evangelical service is
reasonable, and all truly reasonable service is evangelical.
The matter of the worship is spiritual; it consists in love of
God, faith in God, recourse to his goodness, meditation on him, and
communion with him. It lays aside the ceremonial, spiritualizeth the
moral. The commands that concerned our duty to God, as well as those
that concerned our duty to our neighbor, were reduced by Christ to
their spiritual intention. The motives are spiritual; it is a state
of more grace, as well as of more truth,[468] supported by spiritual
promises, beaming out in spiritual privileges; heaven comes down in
it to earth, to spiritualize earth for heaven. The manner of worship
is more spiritual; higher flights of the soul, stronger ardors
of affection, sincerer aims at his glory; mists are removed from
our minds, clogs from the soul, more of love than fear; faith in
Christ kindles the affections, and works by them. The assistances
to spiritual worship are greater. The Spirit doth not drop, but is
plentifully poured out. It doth not light sometimes upon, but dwells
in the heart. Christ suited the gospel to a spiritual heart, and the
Spirit changeth the carnal heart to make it fit for a spiritual gospel.
He blows upon the garden, and causes the spices to flow forth; and
often makes the soul in worship like the chariots of Aminadab, in a
quick and nimble motion. Our blessed Lord and Saviour, by his death,
discovered to us the nature of God; and after his ascension sent his
Spirit to fit us for the worship of God, and converse with him. One
spiritual evangelical believing breath is more delightful to God than
millions of altars made up of the richest pearls, and smoking with
the costliest oblations, because it is spiritual; and a mite of spirit
is of more worth than the greatest weight of flesh: one holy angel is
more excellent than a whole world of mere bodies.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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