our Acceptance with God. 37 mercy, and the love of God, the weightier SERM. matters of the law. Seeing, therefore, this II. has been fo ufual among men profefhng reli- `''`r`' gion, our Saviour had reafon to warn his dif. ciples againft fuch a fatal error, which many of them in all ages have run into, as expe- rience íhews, fome even in his own days and thofe of the apoftles, trufted to aform of god- finely, denying the power of it ; and named the name of Chrß, without departing from ini- quity. But, afterwards, the degeneracy of chriftians was more remarkable ; and depart- ing from that fimplicity of worfhip and fub- ftantial holinefs which the gofpel enjoins, religion was turn'd, among them; into empty form. Scarcely can any thing be more notorious, than that many chriftians, almoft whole fees of them, even the molt nume- rous, and fome of every felt, have nothing better to fupport their pretenfions to the chri- ftian charaéter and hopes, than a loud cry for the honour of Chrift, a vehement zeal for the truth of chriftianity, or what they ima- gine to be fo ; and an exact regularity in the outward forms of devotion, whilft the fruits of temperance, righteoufnefs, and charity do . not appear in their lives : fome have even got into opinions which favour this deceit ; fuch D as
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