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SER M. Samaritans, which of the Two profeffed the truer Religion, ver. 20. To This, our Saviour gives her a twofold Anfwer. First, that the Jewish, and not the Samaritan, was the true Religion, ver. 22. for that in Jerufalem God had chofen to place his name; and in matters of Religion, the Command of God only, and not the Inftitutions of Men, are the Rule of Right. But then Secondly he tells her in' the next place, that neither the one nor the other of thefe Religions were to continue long, but that Both of them were quickly to give place to the more excellent and fpiritual Inftitution of the Gofpel: ver. 21, 23, 24. The Hour cometh, fays he, when ye hall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerufalem, worship the Father; But the true worshippers hall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth; For the Father feeketh fuch to worship him: God is a Spirit; and they that worship him, must worship him in Spirit and in Truth. In the following Difcourfe upon which Words, I fhall 1ft endeavour to explain, what is meant by God's being a Spirit; or how we are to understand That Attri

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bute of the divine Nature, which we call SER M. his Spirituality: And 2dly I fhall confider what our confequent Duty is, of worshipping him accordingly in Spirit and

in Truth.

I. I AM to endeavour to explain, what is meant by God's being a Spirit, or how we are to understand that Attribute of the divine Nature, which we call his Spirituality. And here 'tis to be obferved, that the Scripture, as it does not much infift upon proving to us the Being of God, but rather always fuppofes That to be already known by the Light of Nature; fo alfo, when it mentions any of the natural Attributes of the Divine Effence, it does not ufually enlarge either upon the Proof or Explication of them, but generally makes. mention of them occafionally only, and as prefuppofing them beforehand well known by men's Reason. Wherefore though the Scripture no where expreffly ftiles God a Spirit, but in this one fingle Paffage only; yet fince in numberlefs places it does by confequence fuppofe him to be fo, and founds our Duty to him often upon That Suppofition; 'tis very reasonable for us to inquire,

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ER M. inquire, fo far as our Faculties enable us, into the true Notion of fo excellent an Attribute of the divine Nature. And

Ift, THE firft and lowest particular that is included in the Notion of God's being a Spirit, is, that we are to conceive of him as of a Being infinitely removed from all thofe grofs Properties, which constitute the Nature of Matter or Body.

Thus, for Inftance, the nature of Matter or Body, is, that it is Tangible, and may be felt, or difcerned by the Touch; which a Spirit cannot be: This Diftinction our Saviour takes notice of, Luke xxiv. Handle me and fee; for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones, as ye fee me have.

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THE Nature of Matter is, to be Divifible into Parts, and to have its Frame diffolved; which a Spirit cannot be: This alfo is taken Notice of by our Saviour, Matt. x. 28. Fear not them which kill the Body, but are not able to kill the Soul.

THE Nature of Matter is, to be Visible to the Eyes: But a Spirit, is absolutely Invifible.

THE Nature of Matter is, to be passive only, or act only by neceffity, that is, (pro

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perly speaking) not to act at all, but only SER M. to be acted upon: But a Spirit, is in its nature a Living, Intelligent, Active Being. AND This is the first and lowest particular, included in the Notion of God's being a Spirit.

2dly, By the Scripture's affirming God to be a Spirit, we are directed to conceive of him, as of a Being not limited by human shape, or included under any other Form, whatsoever. In the darker and more ignorant Ages of the Church, there was a Sect of men, who received their denomination from the Notion they had, that God was to be understood as having really a Human Form. Yet perhaps it was not their intention to fet up a particular Sect, but might poffibly be merely an effect of their Ignorance, and want of Learning, or of their inability only to express themselves properly. Or perhaps more probably, it was nothing more, but that other people mifunderstood their manner of expreffing themselves, and ascribed to them an opinion which they meant not to maintain. However That be, it is certain that there are None Now fo ignorant, (who are arrived at years of any Understanding,) as

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SERM. to think that God has really a human or any other Shape. Yet because in expreffing the several Powers of God, and his different manners of acting, all language is fo deficient, that we are forced to make ufe of figurative ways of speaking, and of fimilitudes drawn from our own manners of acting to reprefent our conceptions of thefe divine Powers, to which the Faculties of Man bear but a very small and imperfect Analogy; it is therefore very neceffary, for preventing mistakes in this matter, that we attend with fome Care to the true Meaning of thofe many paffages in Scripture, which, in condefcenfion to the Vulgar, do fpeak concerning God after this figurative manner. For Example; When the Scripture, fpeaking of Him, who, being an infinite Mind, is therefore really prefent in every place alike, yet reprefents him as being in Heaven, as dweling or fitting there, and having the Earth for his footstool; This ought to be understood only as a Defcription of his Supreme Authority and Dominion over all. When mention is made of the Eyes, of Him who has no Parts; This must be understood of his perfect

Knowledge and