For this is the spiritual victim [8936] which has abolished the pristine sacrifices. "To what purpose," saith He, "(bring ye) me the multitude of your sacrifices? I am full of holocausts of rams, and I desire not the fat of rams, and the blood of bulls and of goats. For who hath required these from your hands?" [8937] What, then, God has required the Gospel teaches. "An hour will come," saith He, "when the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and truth. For God is a Spirit, and accordingly requires His adorers to be such." [8938] We are the true adorers and the true priests, [8939] who, praying in spirit, [8940] sacrifice, in spirit, prayer, -- a victim proper and acceptable to God, which assuredly He has required, which He has looked forward to [8941] for Himself! This victim, devoted from the whole heart, fed on faith, tended by truth, entire in innocence, pure in chastity, garlanded with love, [8942] we ought to escort with the pomp [8943] of good works, amid psalms and hymns, unto God's altar, [8944] to obtain for us all things from God.

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Footnotes:

[8936] 1 Pet. ii. 5.

[8937] Isaiah 1:11. See the LXX.

[8938] John 4:23, 24.

[8939] Sacerdotes; comp. de Ex. Cast. c. 7.

[8940] 1 Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 6:18.

[8941] Or, "provided."

[8942] "Agape," perhaps "the love-feast."

[8943] Or, "procession."

[8944] Altare.