of it, or in the Chriftian Manner of enjoining it, which can excuse our placing the Whole of our Religion in it, or lead us to think, that our Attendance upon this, will excufe our Neglect of other Duties. It is required of us, not as a Benefit to the Almighty, but to ourselves, and a Means to qualify us for other things: We are taught, that all Acts of Sacrifice are to give way to thofe of Mercy, when both cannot be performed; and the general Rule of Practice, with regard to the Frequency of Prayer, feems, therefore, to be this; That we ought fo to attend upon it, as will beft prepare, qualify, and affift us for and in the other Duties we owe to God,our Neighbours, and ourfelves; and that we ought so to regulate all our other Duties and Concerns, of whatever kind, as to leave ourselves Time and Opportunities enough to join often in this A& of Communion with the Saints on Earth, and to discharge the Obligation, and enjoy the Happiness of Converfing daily with The God of Heaven, and becoming acquainted with Him in Privacy and Retirement. The The Nature of worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth. SERMON VI. JOHN iv. 23: But the Hour cometh, and now is, when the true Worshippers Shall worship The Father in Spirit and in Truth: For The Father feeketh fuch to worship Him. T HE Woman of Sichar or Sichem, in the Country of Samaria, with whom we find our Bleffed Saviour converfing in this Chapter (and who by the Circumftances of this Story feems to deserve a better Character than fhe is generally fuppofed to have had) no fooner discovers Him to be a Prophet, but she defires Him to resolve the great Question, upon which the reciprocal Hatred of the Jews and Samaritans was vi. 128 SER MON SERMON VI. was in a great measure founded. She de fires Him to inform her, whether Mount Gerizim in Samaria, or Mount Zion in Judea, was the true Place which God had chosen to put His Name there; and confequently, whether the Worship paid by the Jews in the Temple on the one Mountain, or that paid by the Samaritans on the other, was most acceptable to God, and that which He did require. To which our Lord anfwers, That the Samaritans did not fufficiently understand even The Object of their Worship; whereas the true Knowledge both of Him and His Religion was to be learnt only from the Jews. Ye Samaritans worship ye know not what; we know what we worship; for Salvation, or, the faving Knowledge of The True God and His True Religion, is of the Jews". And, left fhe fhould be led by this Determination in Favour of the Jews, to conceive too high an Opinion even of their Worship, and think it unalterable; our Gracious Redeemer is pleased to inform her further in the Words of the Text, that the Time was coming, yea already come, when the Wor |