'766 Chap. .,4. An E.vpofition upon the ßookof J o B Verf. 30, the purfenore then at God in all their holy fervices. "Many rake up a p.ofe ïìon of Religion, as all men take up aTrade, that they mayget, a. Livingby it ; the Apohle {-peaks of fuck (t Tim. 6.5.) who .urpofe that gain is god linefs whereas he faith (verf. 6.) Ged';r ;ofs w%th conte;.tment isgreat gain,they fay, Gain isgedlixofr ; And all they look at by their profettion of godl`inefs, is worldly gain. Religion is often made (as the Apollles word is, r 7lief] 2. 5.) a cloalrpefcovetoufnefs ; and he profefieth in the fame'plaèe, that in the ditpeufation of the Gofpel, he'had not ufed his Mini- fiery as filch a dealt, God was his wirnefs ; but there are-many a- gain i whom (though men cannot) yet theirown confciences do, andGod will witnefs, that their appearance in Religion is but the hidingof, or a cloak for their covetoufnefs. Rumor and Shechem ufed no other argument to perfwade their Citizens to take upon them the Peal of the Covenant, but only this, Shall net their car- tel, and theirfubflazce, and every beafi of theirs, be ours ? (Gen. 3q. 27.) And it feems the very mentionof their own emolument overcame them ; they thought it abargain well made, to fell a littleof their blood at fohigh a rate, and toexchange their fore- skins for fo manyhead of Cartel. And hence itis, that among thofe leven forts of Pharifees collets}.ed out of the Talmud, the firft are called Pharifai Shechemita, receiving (it feems) both their Order and Denomination from thefe Shechemites, becaufe as they turned Hebrewes, fo thefe became Pharifees upon the hopes of worldly benefit.And fuck were thofe Pharifees in truth, whatfoever their Titlewas, who (as was touched before) devoured widdows boufes, and ina pretence made long prayers. As it is avery great point ofungodlinefs (prophanenefs indeed) to fay, What profit is thereinferving the Lord ? So it is grofs hypocrite to take up Religion meetly for profit ; there is profit, even worldly pro- fit in Religion ; Godlinefs is profitable for all things, (a Tim. 4.8.) andbath the promifeofthis life as well as of that to come ; but wo to thofe that take it up defigning profit, and the filling either of ;heir purfes, or their bellies. Our Saviours Divine Spit ir quick- ly dilcovered this carnal fpirit in his followers, (John 6. 26.) Te fe&me not becaufe yefall, the miracles, bat becaufeye ebd eat of the loaves, and werefilled ; rudas followed Chrifl, but the motive of it, was inthe bag, (John 12. 6.) The zeal of Demetriau to his idol'DTana, was kindled by aspurea fire as the zeal of the fe hy- pocrites
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