SERMON XXXVI. 505 ments of, hair worn upon their flesh, and their multitudes of repeated latin prayers ? What are theyall but toilsome and pain- ful labours, invented by men, to make atonement for the sins' of the soul ? Reflection. " Blessed be the name of our God, who has delivered our nation from this bondage of iniquity, from these foolish yokes and burdens of superstition ; these profane dis- honours done to thesacrifice and atonement of.Jesus ourSaviour. We are ready to look on popery now as lying afar off, across the seas, as an evil thing at -a great distance, and are not so much impressed with a grateful sense of our preservation from it. We ` are too soon forgetful of our narrow escape from this mischief, by the late revolution, and the protestant succession ; by`the arm of God, and'by the two best of kings, William our deliverer, and .Gorgeour defender. Had it not been for these providences of heaven, and these princes on earth, our land inight have been filled with these superstitions, and they'might havebeen imposed on us, under the penalties of imprisonment and poverty, torment and death. And how could we stand in the fiery trial ? Awake, O my heart, and let my tongue awake into songs of praise and salvation, that I am not tempted or compelled to disgrace the blood of my Saviour by having other atonements for sin imposed on my conscience. And in the midst of. thy praises to God, O my.soul, drop a tear of pity on thy.hrethren, who dwell in the midst of these- temptations, and in the language of christian sym- pathy, lift up a groan to heaven for them, and say, How long, O Lord, how long But let my thoughts return home from the popish countries and their superstitions. It is not enough for me to renounce the inventions of men, as anypart of my righteousness, to procure my pardon and acceptance in the sight of God, but even the duties which God himself has required, the duties of faith and love, of repentance and new obedience, must never- stand in the room of the atonement of Christ. They are all poor defective works, and want to be sprinkled with the blood of his sacrifice.! They were never designed tojoin with the obedience of Christ, in pro- curing thefavour of an ofbnided God. I-Iave a care, therefore, O my soul, of resting in the best of thy holy serviles, or of making them a matter of merit, to introduce thee before his presence. When thou art raised nearest to heaven in the practice of . christian graces and duties, fail down before the throne, confess thy unworthiness, and say; Ps. cxxx. 3, 4; If thou, O Lord, shou/dst mark iniquities, who can stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, and plentiful redemption by the bloodof Jesus. _ There lies all my hope. Thus 1 have finished the two inferences_for instruction, I
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