-of the Religiou.r.. I! 1 ail the fcoffs an.d r~pro.aches they can in– "·ent and utter: which bath proved a mean /- -moft unhapily fuccesfuC to deter 1nany r weak 1ni11ds from goodnefs,..- making them chufe to be wicked, that they may not be 'laughed .at• .,. It is to difcover the groffnefs of diis n1i-C. take, andexpofe the abfurditi-es and unrea– fonablenefs of thefc principles and prac– tices; to vindicate the excellency .ofpiety:1 and to recommend it to all trulygenerous· fouls, that we have n1ade choice of thilf>, text; wpich tells us- in ihort and plain termst that the righteous ir more- excellent· than his neighbour. _ None can ·be fo little a·cquainted with the ftripture--dialecl, as not to know, that ·though rightcoufnefs in its trueft a{:cept'a– tion importeth onl-y the abfervationof thofe· duties w_e owe our neighbours, yet it is ufually taken· 1nore· largely for piery an.cf v irtue in .general. And good reafon too; fince there is no part of our duty but v1e· owe it as a debt unto·G.od; no- exercife of . relig·ion but it is an act of juftice. Whence· the clear importance of the text is, that whatever excellency other perfons may pre– t~nd to, the pious and religious men ,are the truly nobLe and g~nerous perfons in K z ilie
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