Chapter XXVIII.—Of the Spiritual Victim, Which Prayer is.

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.