35o Inflituted Religion not intended Vol. I, them with the Judgments of God, if they did not reform and amend thefe faults. And now under the Gospel, the preceptive part of it is almoft wholly made tip of Moral Duties, namely, thofe which are comprehended under thole two great Commandments, 'of the love of God, and our Neighbour. In the Chriftian Religion there is very little that is meerly Pofitive and Inflituted, betides the two Sacraments, andpraying to God in the Name and Mediation ofjefusChrJ1. a. The moft perfe& Revelation that ever God made to Mankind (I mean that of the Chriftian Religion) doth furnifh us with the beft helps and advantages for the performance of Moral Duties; it difcovers our Duty more clearly to us; it offers us the greateff affi(ance to enable us to the performance of it it pre - fents us with -the moft powerful Motives and Arguments to engage us thereto; fo that this Revelation of théGofpel is fo far from weakning the obligation of natural Duties, that it confirms and (rengthens it, and urgeth us more forcibly CO the prá&rice of them. 3. The pofitive Rites and In(itutions of RevealedReligion are fo far from en- trenching upon the Laws of Nature, that they were alwaysdefigned robe fubordi- nate and fubfervient to them; and when ever they come in competition, it is the declared will ofGod, that pofitive Inflitutions fhould give way to natural Duties; and this I have (hewn to be plainly the meaning of this Saying in the Text, I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice. If Circumftances be fuch, that one part of Religion mu( give place, God will have the Ritual and Inflituted part to give way to thatzwhich is Natural and Moral. It is very frequent in Scripture, when the Duties of Natural Religion, and 'Rites of Divine Inflitution come in competition, to flight and difparage thefe in comparifon of Moral Duties, and to (peak of them as things which God hath no pleafure in, and which in comparifon of the other he will hardly own that he bath commanded. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hands? Ifa. t. e2. Thou defireli not Sacrifice, thou'delightefi not inBurnt-Offe- rings, Pfal. 5f. a 6. Will the Lord be pleafèd with thoufands ofRams, or ten thou- fands of Rivers ofOyl? He bath (hewed thee, 0 Man, what is good ; and what Both the Lord require of thee, but to dojufily, and to love mercy? But God no where makes any comparifon to the difadvantage ofNatural Du- ties; he never derogated from them in any Cafe; he never laid he would have fuch a thing, and not mercy, or that he had rather fuch a Rite of Religion fhould be performed, then that men fhould do the greatefl good, and ¡hew the greate/i Charity to one another. Ir is no where made a que(ion, will the Lord be pleafed that roe deal jufily every Man with his Neighbour, andfpeak the truth one to another ? that we be kind and tender-hearted, and ready to forgive ? that we be willing to dijlribute and give Alms to Mofe that are in need ? there is no fuch queflion as this put in Scrip- ture; nay it is pofitive in thefe Matters, that with fuchSacrifices God is well pleafed.. I inftance in this Virtue more efpeciall}' of Kindnefs and CompaJon, becaufe it is one of the prime inftances of Moral Duties; as Sacrifice is put for all the Ritual and Inflituted part of Religion, and this difpofition of Mind our Saviour makes the root of all Moral Duties; Love is the fulfilling of the Law; and the Apoftle fpeaks of it as the great End and Scope of the Gofpel; The end of the Command- ment is Charity. And this temper and difpofition of Mind he advanceth above Knowledge, and Faith, and Hope; The greatefl of thefe is Charity; and without this, he will not allow a Man to be any thing inChri(ianity ; this he makes our higheft perfe&ion and attainment, and that which abides and remains in the fu- ture (late ; Charity neverfails. This our Saviour moft effe&wally recommends to us, both in his Do&rine, and by his Example; this he preffeth as the peculiar Law of his Religion, and the proper Mark and Chara&er of a Difciple. This he requires us to exercife towards thofe who pra&ice the contrary towards us; to love our Enemies, and to do good to them that hate us. And of this, he hath given us the greate( Example that ever was; when we were Enemies to him, he loved us fo as hardly ever any Man did his Friend, fo as to lay down his life for us; and he Inflitured the Sacrament for
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