274 How Divine Worfbip S E R M. phets there are many declarations to this pur- X. pole, fhcwing that the high peculiar privi- `'" leges of the 7ewifh nation, and the appoint- ed 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 jolly ; nor fcreen them from the punifliment due to their tranfgrefiions : While their hands were full of blood, and other crimes, God would have no regard to their new moons and fabbaths ; and inflead of being pleafed with their going to his houle, their molt folemn meetings would be an abomination to him. The fame difpofition continued among the yews down to our Sa- viour's time, and he fetteth it in a juft light, reprefenting 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 de- votion and forms of worfhip 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 exter- nal rites which God bath appointed, are not cur principal duty, but in their own na- ture AMR
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=