36 4 fir unmerciful' men to confider of. Seventhly, Know this, and this is a' Main thing," not only carnal" people, but many that do. profefs Religionare very guilty herein, they have many of them very ridgid and cruel! hearts, they think to put off vod with going to hear Sermons, praying in their fatnilyes, and it. may be keeping themfelves ; from the def Iements of the times, and they look after. ordi pances, and purity of ordinances, in thefe things they do well to do fo, but while thou artdoing fo, for thee to ¡light the work of mercy towards thole that are in mTery, know that all theie aels of thy Religion are thro vn by Gód as filth and dung in thy face ; hod cares for none of the acts of Religion where there is an unmerciful heart, be never. fo forward in hearing, in leraying, in failing, in any ordinances of God, yet when.thy heart -is unmerciful; the Lord defpifes thy o:fering,.. defpiies all the duties of Religion that thou performeii,- take two or three Scriptures for this th it are ohlerveable, the firfl is, that in.3ames'i. 27.. Pure Religion and undefiled before Clod and the Fatherris this,to vifit the fa:herlefs and widdows in their afiition,and to keep" himfclfunfpstted from the world. This is :pure Religion and undefiled before Cod and the Father, to vifit the £uherlels and widdows in their of liecion. If'this text were in the Old Teflament we il-ould have fame fay that this is a legal thing, but here you fee the Ahoffle ha :h it in the. New Tellameut, and tels you that pure Religion confifts in_ this You that would be kept from the defilements of the world; from defilements in woríhip,. and have your Religion more pure then others, look to your Religion to this, here's purity of Religion. Pure Religion and Undefiled before God and the Father, is this, to vi ft the fai herlefs and widdows 7ia tñe-r of f iUion. I would we had more Puritans of this kind, fuch "Puritans that are pure in this Religion, that have bowels of mercy towards others = 'And that scripture that you have Iikewüe inthe 58 of Ifrc: is very remarkable for this, if you read divers e3tpre'.1ons that you have there, it's exceeding ful, v: 3. Where `ore have we failed (fay they) and tl,9ufeefl nor, &c. lJeho'd ye fall for flri fie and debate, and to Pulse with the fig of wickednefJc: It were wel we. had never Any fuch falls, to fail for !rife.
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