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Acts xvii. 23 As I paffed by, and beheld your Devotions, I found an Altar with this Infcription, To THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly wORSHIP, him declare I unto you.

24. God that made the WORLD, and all THINGS therein, feeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth, dwelleth not in Temples made with Hands:

25. Neither is wORSHIPPED With Mens HANDS, as though he needed any thing, feeing he giveth to all LIFE, and BREATH, and all Things. Phil. i. 3. We are the CIRCUMCISION, which wORSHIP GOD in the SPIRIT, and rejoice in Chrift Jefus, and have no Confidence in the FLESH.

Heb. i. 6. And again, when he bringeth in the First-begotten into the World, he faith, And let all the ANGELS of Gon worship him.

Chap. xii. 28. Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have GRACE, whereby we may ferve God acceptably, with Reverence and GODLY Fear.

29. For our GOD is a CONSUMING FIRE.

1 Pet. iii 15. SANCTIFY the LORD GOD in your Hearts: and be ready always to give an Answer to every Man that asketh you a Reafon of the HOPE that is in you, with MEEKNESS and FEAR.

Chap. ii. 5. Ye alfo as lively Stoncs, are built up a fpiritual House, an holy Priesthood, to offer up fpiritual SACRIFICES, acceptable to GOD by Fefus Chrift.

Rev. xiv. 7. Saying with a loud Voice, Fear Gon, and give Glory to him, for the Hour of his JUDGMENT is come: and WORSHIP him that made Heaven and Earth, and the Sea, and the Fountains of Waters.

Chap. xv. 4. Who fhall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy Name? for thou only art holy: for all Nations fhall come and wORSHIP before thee; for thy Judgments are made manifeft.

Chap. iv. 8. And the four Beafts had each of them fix Wings about him, and they were full of Eyes within; and they reft not Day and Night, faying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

10. The four and twenty Elders fall down before him that fat on the Throne, and WORSHIP him that liveth for ever and ever, and caft their Crowns before the Throne, faying,

11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive GLORY, and HONOUR, and PowER: for thou haft created all Things, and for thy Pleasure, they are and were created.

The Nature of true Charity, reprefented in the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Luke AND behold, a cerX.25.1 tain Lawyer flood up, and tempted him, faying, Mafter, what fhall I do to inherit Eternal Life?

26. He faid unto him, What is written in the Law? how readeft thou?

27. And he answering, faid, Thou fhalt love the LORD

thy GOD with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Strength, and with all thy Mind; and thy NEIGHBOUR as thy felf.

28. And he faid unto him, Thou haft anfwered right This Do, and thou fhalt LIVE. 29. But he willing to juftify himself, faid unto fefus, And who is my Neighbour? 30. And Jefus answering, faid, A certain Man went down from Ferufalem to fericho, and fell among Thieves, which tripped him of his Raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31. And by chance there came down a certain PRIEST that way; and when he faw him, he paffed by on the

other fide.

32. And likewife a LE VITE, when he was at the Place, came and looked on

him,

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IMY'S OX or his Afs go

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ing aftray, thou fhalt surely bring

Deut. xxii. 1. Thou shalt not fee thy Brother's Ox or his Sheep them; thou fhalt in any cafe bring go aftray, and hide thy felf from them again unto thy Brother.

2. And if thy Brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him

not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own House, and it fhall be with thee until thy Brother seek

after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.

3. In like manner fhalt thou do with his Afs, and fo fhalt thou do

with his Raiment, and with all lost thing of thy Brother's, which he harh loft, and thou haft found, fhalt thou do likewife.

ther be waxen POOR, and fallen in Levit. xxv. 35. And if thy BroDECAY with thee, then thou fhalt relieve him: yea, though he be a Stranger, or a Sojourner; that he

may live with thee.

Pfalm xviii. 25. With the MERCIFUL thou wilt fhew thy felt merciful; with an UPRIGHT MAN

thou wilt fhew thy felf upright.

Pf. xli. 1. Bieffed is he that confidereth the Poor, the Lord will deliver him in time of Trouble.

and keep him alive, and he thall 2 The Lord will preferve him, be bleffed upon the Earth; and thou wilt not deliver him into the Will

of his Enemies.

3. The Lord will strengthen him upon the Bed of languifhing: thou wilt make all his Bed in his Sick

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186

The Nature of true Charity.

him, and paffed by on the
other fide.

33. But a certain Samari-
tan, as he journey'd, came
where he was: and when he
faw him, he had COMPAS-
SION on him.

34. And went to him, and bound up his Wounds, pouring in Oil and Wine, and fet him on his own Beaft, and brought him to an Inn, and took care of him.

35. And on the Morrow, when he departed, he took out two Pence, and gave them to the Hoft, and faid unto him, Take Care of him; and whatfoever thou spendcft more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

36. Which now of thefe three, thinkeft thou, was NEIGHBOUR unto him that fell among the Thieves?

and if he be thirsty, give him Wa

ter to drink :

22. For thou fhalt heap Coals of Fire upon his Head, and the Lord fhall reward thee.

Rom. xii. 19. Dearly beloved, avenge not your felves, but rather give Place unto Wrath for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, faith the Lord.

20. Therefore if thine Enemy hunger, feed him, if he thirit, give him drink: for in fo doing thou fhalt heap Coals of Fire on his

Head.

29. Be not overcome of EVIL, but overcome Evil with Good.

Gal. vi. 9. Let us not be weary in WELL-DOING: for in due Sea

fon we fhall reap, it we faint not.

10. As we have therefore Opportunity, let us do Goon unto all of the Houthold of Faith. Men, efpecially unto them who are

Col. iii. 12. Put on therefore (as

the Elect of God, holy and beloved)
BOWELS of MERCIES, Kindness,
Humbleness of Mind, Meekness,
Long-fuffering;

14. And above all things put on CHARITY, which is the Bond of PerfeЯnefs.

I Cor. xiii. 1. Though I fpeak with the Tongues of Men and of Angels, and have not CHARITY, I am become as founding Brafs, or a tinkling Cymbal.

37. And he said, He that fhewed MERCY on him. Then faid Jefus unto him, Go, and do thou likewife. 2. And though I have the Gift of Prophecy, and understand all My teries, and all Knowledge; and though I have all Faith, fo that I could remove Mountains, and have no CHARITY, I am nothing.

3. And though I beltow all my Goods to feed the Poor, and though I give my Body to be burned, and have not CHARITY, it profiteth me nothing.

4. CHARITY fuffereth long, and is kind; CHARITY envicth not; CHARITY vaunteth nct itself, is not puffed up;

5. Doth not behave itfel unleemly, feeketh not her own, is not canly provoked, thinketh no Evil,

6. Rejoiceth not in Iniquity, but rejoiceth in the Truth:

7. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8. CHARITY never faileth: But whether there be Prophecies, they fhall tail; whether there be Tongues, they fhall ceafe; whether there be Knowledge, it fhall vanifh away.

13. And now abideth FAITH, HOPE, and CHARITY, these three ; but the greateft of thefe is CHARITY.

1 John iii. 11. For this is the Mcffage that ye heard from the Beginning, that we fhould LOVE one another.

12. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and flew his Brother.

CHRIST'S

Chrift's Difcourfe against the Scribes,&c. 187

CHRIST'S Difcourfe to the Scribes and Pharifees, wherein he feverely reproves them for their Pride, Hypocrify, Covetoufnefs, and Oppreffion; and denounceth fevere Judgments against them.

CHRIST difputes with the Pharifees about the Traditions of the Elders, and reprefents the great Wickedness and Deceit that is in the Hearts of Men.

[Mr.]

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HEN came together unto [M] Jefus, [Mr.] the Pharifees, and certain of the Scribes which came from Jerufalem. And when they faw fome of his Difciples eat Bread with defiled (that is to fay, with unwafhen) Hands, they found fault. For the Pharifees, and all the Jews, except they wafh their Hands oft, eat not; holding the Tradition of the Elders. And when they come from the Market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other Things there be, which they have received to hold; as the washing of Cups and Pots, brafen Veffels, and of Tables. Then the Pharifees and Scribes asked him, Why walk not thy Difciples according to the Tradition of the Elders, but eat Bread with unwafhen Hands? [M] But he answered and faid unto them, Why do you alfo TRANSGRESS the COMMANDMENT of God by your TRADITION? [Mr.] Well hath Efaias prophesied of you HYPOCRITES, as it is written, This People

*Sce fa. xxix. 13, &c.

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(a) Pfalm xxviii. 3. Draw me with the Workers of INIQUITY: away with the WICKED, and which speak l'eace to their Neighbours, but MISCHIEF is in their Hearts.

Prov. XXX. 12. There is a Generation, that is PURE in their own Eyes, and yet is not WASHED from their Filthinefs.

Ifai. lxv.2. I have spread out my Hands all the Day unto a rebellious that was not good, after their own People, which wALKETH in a Way THOUGHTS

3. A People that provoketh me to Anger continually to my Face: come not near to me, for I am но5. Which fay, Stand by thy felf, LIER than thou: Thefe are a Smoke in my Nofe, a Fire that burneth all the Day.

of Hofts, the God of Ifrael, Amend your WAYS and your Doings, and I will caufe you to dwell in this

-People HONOURETH me with their Lips, (a) but their HEART is far from me. Howbeit, in VAIN do they WORSHIP me, teaching for DOCTRINES the COMMANDMENTS of MEN. For laying afide the Commandment of God, ye hold the Tradition of Men, as the washing of Pots and Cups and many other fuch like Things ye do. And he faid unto them, Full well ye reject the Commandment of God, that ye may keep your own Tradition; [M] for God commanded, faying, Honour thyer. vii. 3. Thus faith the Lord Father and thy Mother: and whofo curfeth Father or Mo, ther, let him die the Death. But ye fay, if a Man fhall fay to his Father or Mother, It is Corban, that is to fay, a Gift, by whatsoever thou mighteft be profited by me, he fhall be free and ye fuffer him no more to do ought for his Father or his Mother, [M] and honour not his Father or his Mother. Thus have ye made the Commandment of God of none Effect by your Tradition, [Mr.] which ye have delivered ; and many fuch like Things ¿n ye. And when he had called all the People unto him, be faid unto them,

of

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sch unto me every one

and understand [ Not that which gono the Mouth defileth * Man; out that which cometh

Place.

4. TRUST ye not in lying Words, faying, The Temple of the Lord, ple of the Lord, are thefe. the Temple of the Lord, the Tem

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Ezek. xxxiii. 30. Alfo thou Son of Man, the Children of thy People (till are taiking against thee by the Walls, and in the Doors of the Houfes, and fpeak one to another, every one to his Brother, faying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the WORD that cometh forth from the Lord.

31. And they come unto thee as the People cometh, and they fit beHEAR thy Words, but they wil fore thee as my People, and they

not po them: for with their Mouth

they fhew much Love, but their Heart goeth after their COVETOUS

NESS.

Col. ii. 8. Beware left any Man fpoil you through Philofophy and vain Deccit, after the TRADITION of Men, after the RUDIMENTS OF the World, and not after Christ.

Heb. xiii. 9. Be not carried about for it is a good thing that the Heart with divers and ftrange Doctrines: be eftablifhed with GRACE,

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