outward appearances; and under the notion of rendering a dutiful obedience to his commands, they are gratifying in a very high degree both their pride and their floth. The one they flatter, by offering incense to this wretched obedience, of which they fo much boaft as their Saviour, to the intire neglect, if not contempt of Christ and his grace. And the other they foothe, by placing a few external actions in the room of the more difficult and important duties of restraining and fubduing the corrupt affections of the heart. Nay we may carry the matter still farther, and affirm, that even his notions of religion are mistaken, who, while he rightly confiders the government of the paffions as the grand object of it, nevertheless fets about this work on falfe principles, vainly presuming that he can of himself make a facrifice of his depraved affections to God, and infolently expecting that when he hath fo done, he fhall have a juft claim upon him for his favor. Such a temper stands directly opposed to the genuine fpirit of evangelical piety; and a little reflection would convince men, that while it pretends to religion, it abfolutely defeats its own pretences. For in this case, here is a slender restraint laid on one paffion, merely merely with a view to gratify another. That therefore can never be real religion, which hath only the external duties of morality, or even of devotion for its object; nor that either, which though it may extend in fome fort to the affections of the mind, yet hath no other principle to put vigor and efficacy into it, except the dread of incurring the wrath of God, or the vanity of meriting his favor. But while we are thus attempting to rescue the injured rights of religion out of their hands, who would reduce it to the ftandard of mere morality, how are we inftantly feconded, or rather prevented in the attempt, by the furious and licentious zeal of those, 2. Who run their notions into the quite oppofite extreme! "True," fays the man of this character, enjoying an intire satisfaction in his own fuperior discernment, “a legal fpirit is a diabolical fpirit. Far be "the very fhadow of it from me! No-re ligion confifts in none of these things. "It is such a clear apprehenfion, and such 66 an unshaken belief of the fublime truths " of the gospel, as at once fets the mind "free from all the shackles of flavish doubts and fears, raises it above the drudgery of duties, puts an end to the fruitless labor " of "of keeping the heart, and, while it takes "the attention wholly off from itself, so "fixes it upon Chrift, as to relieve it of all "dull anxiety about inward holiness and "perfonal obedience." And thus, having difcovered the grand fecret how to compofe his confcience, amidst the violent fever of inward lufts, if not the open indulgence of vice, he looks down with a contemptuous fneer on those who are lamenting the remainders of indwelling fin, and humbly aiming at a conformity to the divine likeness, as a company of weak and deluded perfons, if not artful and designing hypocrites. But if this be religion, it may be truly faid of it, that it is in word only. It is literally speaking, a vain and empty found; of no other use than to puff up the heart with pride, and to lay the confcience gently asleep in fin. Nay it carries, upon the very face of it, the evident marks both of abfurdity and impiety. It is indeed true that a legal flavish temper of mind is very unfuitable to the free, generous and animating spirit of the gofpel. It difgraces that glorious scheme of falvation, which abhors the least approach to the doctrine of merit, and which fo overpowers the humble Christian with the riches of divine grace, as to oblige him to treat his best attainments with the utmost contempt in the fight of an infinitely holy God. Christ is all in all; his propitiation is the only ground of a finner's hope towards God; in him the beloved we are accepted'; and by his obedience we are made righteous*. But if our regards to him are to be confidered in no other view, than as a means thus to relieve us of our fears, and to make us eafy and fecure; the grand business of religion is overlooked, yea I may add, the main intent of it is defeated. For if there be fuch a thing, it ftands to reason that the principal object of it must be, to recover men from their apoftacy, wherein confifts their mifery. But what are fuch perfons the better, yea how much are they the worfe, for a knowledge which teaches them to break the bands of duty and conscience, and for a faith which enables them, amidst all their affected expreffions of humility, to riot in pride and wantonness? Nay they are guilty, fo deceitful is the human heart! of the very fame thing they condemn in those of the oppofite character, that is, of fecretly building their hopes on themselves, instead of Chrift. For while the others lay the whole * Eph. i. 6. A Rom. v. 19. ftrefs ftrefs of their everlasting interefts on their external reformation, or their zealous attachment to forms, or fome flight restraint of their more furious paffions; these lay the same stress, though perhaps unperceived by themselves, on the clearness of their notions, and the imagined steadiness of their faith. Thus have we seen then wherein confifts the religion, which our text tells us, is in word only. And however it may be differently modified, and affume various other appearances befides those which have been mentioned; yet the leading principles of it are every where the fame: and by a diligent obfervation of them, the impofture, though it be artfully concealed, may I think be eafily detected. DISCOURSE |