in the text, which is really vanity, if it SERM. doth not entitle men to God's approbation, X. but expose them to his difpleasure, and bringeth deftruction upon the work of their hands, which is fully intimated in the 6th verfe, how unhappy is the disappointment? I therefore think it may be very useful and inftructive to you, to lay open the defects and ill confequences of fuch a fhew and pretence of piety, that so you may avoid them. And, first of all, let it be observed, that Solomon fpeaketh here of a kind of religion which confifteth wholly in acts of devotion, which is perfected in them, without taking in the practice of other virtues, but rather, it would feem, may be separated from them. He mentioneth going to the house of God, fpeaking many words to him, offering facrifices, making vows, the common forms and modes of worship; not a word of judgment, mercy, fobriety, honesty, and faithfulness, nor of true inward piety; rather, indeed, that is fet against the formal, fo called, religious fervice, which he here defcribeth; for in the 7th verse, as a prefervative from the forementioned deceitful fhew of godliness, and the unhappy effects of its infincerity, we have this direction, but fear thou God. It SERM. must be a bad fort of religion against which X. the fear of God is a remedy, whereas it is the great principle of true religion. But it is worthy of our obfervation, that the fear of God, so often enjoined in fcripture, and reprefented as the fum of religion, is never once, I believe, particularly, and by way of distinction applied to the duties of divine worship; it always comprehendeth univerfal righteoufnefs or obedience to the whole moral law, which includeth justice, mercy, and temperance, as well as piety towards God. So Solomon himself, in the conclufion of this book before referred to, fpeaketh of keeping God's commandments, as having a neceffary connection with, and being the genuine effect of the fear of him; and when the Pfalmift undertaketh to teach the fear of the Lord, Pfalms xxxi. 11. how doth he explain himself, and what are his particular inftructions? He doth not once mention going to the house of God, offering facrifice, and prayers, and making vows; though these things were not to be left undone; but his fpecial directions are, keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from Speaking guile; depart from evil and do good, feek peace and pur fue it. But how many are there who place the the whole of their religion in an exact con formity formity to the modes of inftituted worship, SERM. neglecting altogether the rest of their be- X. haviour, and abandoning themselves to a wicked courfe of life? This was the way of the hypocritical Jews, even before Solomon's time. The prophet Samuel, i Book xv. 22. when Saul had, in violation of God's exprefs commandment fpared the Amalekites cattle, under the pretence of referving them for facrifice, feverely reproveth him, and leaveth this folemn inftructive declaration, as a warning to the worshippers of God at all times, bath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and facrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than facrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams; for rebellion is as the fin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. The Pfalmift infifteth largely on the fame fubject in the 50th Pfalm, proving by the plaineft and most convincing arguments, that facrifices which were of divine appointment, and by parity of reafon, other external acts of worship could not please the Deity, and that we cannot reafonably hope for his approbation, without thanksgivings, and other du ties of moral and perpetual obligation, together with the effectual amendment of our lives. In the writings of the following proVOL. IV. T phets, SERM. phets there are many declarations to this purX. pofe, fhewing that the high peculiar privileges of the Jewish nation, and the appointed folemnities of their religious fervice, in which the hypocrites among them vainly trufted, would never recommend them to the divine acceptance, if they did not love mercy, and do justly; nor fcreen them from the punishment due to their tranfgreffions: While their hands were full of blood, and other crimes, God would have no regard to their new moons and fabbaths; and instead of being pleased with their going to his house, their most folemn meetings would be an abomination to him. The fame difpofition continued among the Jews down to our Saviour's time, and he fetteth it in a juft light, representing its odious nature and unhappy confequences for a perpetual warning to his followers, that they might not fall into the fame error; which yet many of them have done, placing all their religion in acts of devotion and forms of worship of the fame. nature and fignificancy with thofe referred to in the text, while they neglect the weightier matters of the moral unalterable law. It ought always to be remembered, that external rites which God hath appointed, are not our principal duty, but in their own na ture ture, and according to his defign, only meant SERM. to promote righteousness, true holiness, and X. charity, in which the divine Image confisteth, and the effence of godliness. And for that reason, far from thinking our religion completed in the performance of fuch outward acts, we ought to use the utmost care and circumfpection in performing them fo, that they may answer their end; and this leadeth me to a more particular confideration of the faults attending the religious fervice here represented, on account whereof it is charged with divers vanities. The fecond obfervation, therefore is, that one principal failure in religious performances, which introduceth many more, is temerity and precipitance. This runneth through the whole defcription, Solomon, you fee, beginneth with this grave advice, keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, look well to the difpofitions of your mind, and your whole behaviour, when you enterin to an affair of such folemnity and importance, as the fervice of God; as a man engaged in business of the greatest moment, or in the presence of his fuperiors, would use the utmost caution that he may not make a false step, which cannot be easily retrieved: He warneth us |