'530 CHARACTER OF A SOUND, ark, were the pretense for both. The sin of the Bethshemites, of Achan, of Gehazi, of Ananias and Sapphira, which had grievous punishments, would seem but little things to us. And it is a great aggravation of our sin to be chdsen, deliberate, justified, and father- ed upon God ; and to pretend that we do it for his service, for the worshiping of him, or the doing good to others, as if God would . own and bless sinful means, or needed a.lie to his service or glory ; when he ,hateth all the workers of iniquity, (Psal. v. 5.) and re- quireth only the sacrifices of righteousness; Psal. iv. 5. He ab- horreth sacrifice from,polluted hands ; they are to him as the offer- ing adog, and he will ask, Who bath required this at your hand ? See ):sal. 1. 8-14. Isa. i. 9-12, &c. lviii. 1 -4, &ç. Jer. vi. 19, 20. "'The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to 'the Lord ; " Prov. xv. 8.. xxi. 27. It is not pleasing to him ; " all thateat' thereof shall be polluted;" Hosea ix. 4. See Isa. lxvi. 1--6. The preaching, the praying; the, sacraments ofwillful sin- ners, especially when they choosesin as necessary to his service, are a scorn and mockery put' upon the most. HolyOne; as ifyour servant should set dung and carrion before you on your table for your food ; such offer Christ vinegar and gall to drink. 2. In all this the weakest Christian, that is sincere, is of the same mind, saving that, in his ordinary course, he useth to plate too much ofhis religion in controversies, and parties, and mode's, and ceremonies, (whether being for them or against. them,) and allow . too great a proportion in his thoughts, and speech, and zeal, and practice ; and hindereth the growth ofhis grace, by living upon less edifying things, and turning too much from the more substantial nutriment. 3. And the seeming Christians are here of different ways. One sort of them place almost all their religion in Pharisaical observa- tion of little, external, ceremonial matters ; as their washings,.and fastings, and tithings, and formalities, and the traditionof the elders ; or in their several opinions, and ways, and parties; which they call being of the true church ;' as if their sect were all the church. But living to God in faith and love, and in a,heavenly conversation, and. worshiping him in spirit and truth, they are utterly unac- quainted with. The other sort are truly void of these essential parts of Christianity, in the lift and power, as well as the former. But yet, being secretly resolvètl to take up no more of Christianity than will consist with their worldly prosperity and ends, when any sin seemeth necessary to their preferment or safety in the world, their way is to pretend their high esteem of greater matters, for the swallowing of such a sin as an inconsiderable thing. And then they extol those larger souls that live not upon circumstantials, but upon the great and common truths and duties, and pity those
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