Serm:CXL. the Power ofGodhnefs. This the Pharifees of old did much applaud themfelves in, they fa/led twice a week; And this is dill a great part ofthe Religion of many in the Romil Church; they in pole ftri& penalties and corporal feverities upon themfelves; abftain from feveral forts'of Meats and Drinks, watch and afflict their Bodies with feveral forts of rigours: whereas one fevere refolution of a good life weltprofecúted, is a thou- fand times better thanall this. Forexperience flìews us, that Men may be very fevere to their bodies, and yet favourable to their tufts. The Pharifees indeedplied often, but they were very ra- venous in another kind, they devoured widows hoirfes. It is poflìble that Men may kill themfelves by corporal aufterities, and yet never mortifie one tuft; they may fubmirto a thou-find penances, and yet never truly repent of one fin; they may turnPilgrini , and go as far as 7ertafalem to vifìt our Saviour's Sepulchre, and yet never"know the power of his death. Fafting may be a good inftrunaent of Religion, if it be difcreetly ufed; and as it maybe ufed, there mayhe no Religion in it. But as for thofe other kind of fe- verities, they are abfurd and fuperftittous, and taken up upon a great miftake of the Nature of God as if he were never well pleas'd, but when we do fomething very difpleafing to our felves; as if he were extremely delighted in the tnifery and torment of his Creatures; and to be cruel and unmerciful to our felves, were the only way to move his compaffion towards us. Theft are barbarous and heathenifh conceits. of God ; and the abfurd practices grounded upon themare no where recommended to us in Scripture, nor haveany example there, but only inBaal's Priefts, who lancedandcut themfelves, believing that tobe a good way to encline their God's to hear them. Thefe are voluntary Su- perflitions, which God bath required at no Man's hands. And nowifeMan can doubt,but that hethat really mortifies his tufts, and fubdues his pallions, may be a good man, tho' he never whipt himfelfin all his life; and that hethat lives foberly, and righteoufly, and godly, may juftly be accounted religious, without turning va- grant, and rambling idly up and down the world. Thefe are foci Forms ofReligion as can haveno Efteem and Reputation, but in avery fuperftitious Church andAge. V. An imperfect Repentance, and partial Reformation. By an impeded Repentance, I mean a trouble and forrow for fin, without the forfaking of it, and the amendment of our lives; or when, if men do reform in fonte things, they continue in the love and practice ofother fins. This is not trueRepen- tance; for he that bath truly repented, is heartily troubled for all his offences againft God, and refolv'd not to commit the like again; but he that retains anyluft, and al- lows himfelf in thepra&ice of it, is not troubled that he bath offendedGod, but hath left his.fins for fume other reafon. For whatever arguments and confiderati- ons refpeding God will move a Man to quitany one luft, ought upon the fame ac- count to prevail with him to abandon all. So that whatever trouble and forrow a Man may pretend for his fins, there is no furer fign ofan infincere Repentance, than if after this he continue in the habitual practice of any known fin. VI. The appearance andoftentation of fome particular Grace andVirtue. A Manmay be inov'd by the inclination of his Nature, or upon fome intereft and defign, to the practice of fome particular Virtue. Some are tender and com- paflìonate in their Nature, and that excites them to Charity; others of quiet and eafiedifpofitions, and that makes them patient and meek and peaceable; others af- fume one or more virtuous qualities out of vain-glory, or to ferve fome-other in- tereft. The Pharifees were much in giving Alms, becaufe this is a piece of Reli- gion univerfally applauded and well fpoken of; and therefore though they omit- ted many other neceffary parts of Religion, yet they were fo cunning that they wouldnot be defective in this; not out of regard to God, but themfelves and their own Reputation. For, as our Saviour obferves, they did their Alms with fach cirèuñiftances of vain-glory as quite blafted the glory of them. They caus'd a trumpet to be foosided before them in the Synagogues and in the fireets, that they might be feen of men, and have glory of them. Now though the exercise of every Grace andVirtue be materially a fubftantial part of ReLQicA, yet eh. practice of oneVirtue with the neglect of others is a U u fhrewd 3?ÿ
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