343 SERMON XLIX. Inílituted Religion not intended to undermine Natural. MATTHEW 9. 13. But goye and learn what that meaneth ; I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice. ON E of the moti fuccefsful Attempts that have been made upon Reli- gion, by the Devil and his Inftruments, bath been by Petting the Laws of God at variance with themfelves, and by dathing the feveral parts of Religion, and the two Tables of the Law againft one another, to break all in pieces; and under a pretence of advancing that part of Religion which is Infli- toted and Revealed, to undermine and deftroy that which is Natural, and of pri- mary obligation. To manifeft and lay open the mifchievous Confequences of this Defign, I (hail at this time (by God's Affittance) endeavour tomake out thefe two Things. Firfl, That Natural Religion is the foundation of all Inflituted and Revealed Religion. Secondly, That noRevealed or Inflituted Religion was ever defigned to take away the obligation ofNatural Duties, but toconfirm and eftablith them. And to this purpofe, I have chofen thefe words of our Saviour for the founda- tion of my following Difcourfe ; But go ye and learn, what that meaneth ; Iwill have Mercy, and not Sacrifice. The occafion of which words was briefly this ; The Pharifees found fault withhim for keeping Company, and eating with Pub- licans and Sinners. He owns the thing which they ohje ted to him, and endea- vours to vindicate himfelf from any crime or fault infodoing ; and that, thefe two ways. I. By telling them, that it was allowed to a Phyfician, and proper for his Of- fice and Profeflïon, to converte with the tick, in order to their Cure and Reco- very. He may abflain, ifhe pleafeth, from the converfation ofothers ; but the lick have need of him, and are his proper Care, and his Bufinefs andEmployment lies among them; hefaid unto them, they that be whole need not a Phyjieian, but they that are fre% ; Icame not to call the righteous, butfnners to repentance ; they who were already good, needed not to be calla upon to amend and reform their lives ; and they that were fo conceited of their own Righteoufnefs, as the Pha- rifees were, and fo confident that they were found and whole, would not admit of a Phyfician, and thereby rendred themfelves incapable ofCure; and therefore he did not apply himfelf to them ; but to the Publicans and Sinners, who were acknowledged on all hands, both by themfelves and others, to be bad Men ; fo that it couldnot be denyed to be the proper work ofa Spiritual Phyfician to con- verfe with fuch Perlons. 2. By endeavouring to convince themof their Ignorance of the true nature of Religion, and of the Rank and Order of the feveral Duties thereby required ; but goye and learn what that meaneth ; Iwill have Mercyand not Sacrifice ; which faying is quoted by him, out of the Prophet Hofea, chap. 6. 6. I defired mercy, and not facrifice ; and the knowledge ofGod more than burnt Offerings ; whichText our Saviour cites and applies upon two feveral Citations ; the confidering and comparing ofwhich, will give full Light to the true meaning of it. The
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