564 The Promife of the Spirit, and walking S n c r. Xt. thepeople muff not go in, Ezek. ao. There areftatslesof our fathers We mut tut Walk, in: Oh there is too muchof this fuperftition Rill in men L Men by falle niaanni`feft have j ` , ` + +f , SERMON XCVI. Of Aighteoufnefs and Equity between man and man : And how tender and confcientious a true Conn ert is therein. Obferv. E z a x. 3637. flndp ¡hall keep my judgements, einddo them. IAm now upon the latter general Branch, into which the whole work of Converfiondivideth it felf. Religion toGod, andRighteeufnefs toman, are the twopillars upen which this fpiritual Temple is fultained t God path put thefe two together, yet howoften doth theDevil and manscorruption di. vide them ! Come attendwholly to theReligious Worfhip ofGod, Inmategrofly negleaive of righteous and jut things; others glorymuch in their righteouf. nets to man, but Phew nopiety at all in their lives to God. Nowwhere God giveth this new heart, there is a'tender confcience of both : And the firft bath been difpatched, under thenotion of Statutes, which ftrillly taken, relateth to the purity of Godsinitituted Worfhip. Wecome to the fecond particular; viz. Righteoufnefs and Equity to man, contained in thefewords, Keep my judgements, and do them : It cannot be de- nied, but thatthe word judgement in the Scripture, is of a vaft and large fig- nification, which 1 fhallnot enumerate atthis time : Here I take it ftriélly and diltinaly,as in otherplaces, for obediencetò thofeLaws ofGod, which contain righteoufnefs andequity between man&man;in which fence the Prophetsoften call upon the lfraelites, To dejudgement,andjuflice,and tobreak of the Ways ofvio- lence,epprefon,Wrong,andall unrighteonfnefs. So that we may obferve: AConvertedperfon is very confcientious and tender in all the duties of rigIteosaf- nefsand equity to others. He dareth not pray, hear, make a !Ida profeflion of- Religion to God; and yet lye, cozen, deal falfely, wrongor defraudany man in his dealings ; Ilehath a refpoll to all Gods Commandments, Pfal.i r9. he knoweth the fame Godwho commanded thePrecepts of the firft Table, containing dutyto, and worfhipof God; Both alto equally and indifpenfably require duties of faithfuinefs and rigbteoufnefs tomen. This point is of fingularufe, for wherein dothReligion get greater wounds, theGofpel more difhonor, then whenmen in repute for godlinefs, arefound guilay and blame- worthy in the ways of difhoneffy? To have wicked men lye, fwear and forfwear, to defraud and injure others, the world expc&s no better, looks for no other ; butfor thee, a profeffor of Re. ligion, -it expeas all truth, fidelity, righteoufnefs, elfe thou art a dead Elie in theboxof ointment, afcaudal and reproach to the ways of God; and thou hadit better never to have been born, then to prove fuch a (tumbling block in the waysof piety. Indeed, there are pallive fcandals, when men will malici- oufly and fallly eaite Handers and falle reports of the profeffors of Religion, laying
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=