Almighty. I fear there is fome Reafon to believe, that a great many of us are leavened with those very Principles and Notions of Religion; I mean, that we are very zealous for, and lay a mighty Stress upon those Duties that concern the outward Worship of God, but are not proportionably zealous for the inward fpiritual Acts of Piety (that heavenly Frame and Temper of Mind that can alone recommend us to God) nor for the Duties that are next under it; I mean, that universal Righteoufnefs, Goodness and Charity, that is due to our Fellow-Creatures. Hath not the World Experience of fome, who would not, for any Confideration, fwear an Oath in their ordinary Converfation, (and in that they are highly to be commended) that yet will make no Scruple of using very indirect Arts for the promoting their own Interests, (I will call it by no heavier a Name) when they have a fair Opportunity offered them? There are thofe, who are very ftrict in keeping the Lord's Day, and attending the publick Ordinances of that Day; but yet they are not fo ftrict in keeping Faith and Truft, and preferving their Minds from all inward Pollutions of Worldlinefs and Senfuality. It is not unusual to find thofe Men in the World, that do, at folemn Times, receive the Sacrament with as great Devotion as is poffible (and that is the moft ferious

Ff4

ferious and folemn Act of our Worship) and yet, within a very little Time after (perchance upon the firft Temptation) return to the fame Sins they religioufly vow'd againft, and fo continue on in that Course of Life.

In naming of these Things, I reflect upon no particular Perfon in the World; for I am fure I think of none, and therefore can mean none. But, I doubt, the Matter of Fact is true as to all thofe Particulars; and therefore what muft we say of the Perfons that are concern'd in it? I dare not say that fuch Perfons are Hypocrites, in the ufual Senfe of the Word, because it is very probable they do not perform those Duties merely for a Shew, but are in good Earneft, and verily believe that these Things alone are fufficient to the attaining of God's Favour, and the entitling them to the Pardon of their Sins, and everlasting Happiness in the World to come; though they continue to indulge themselves in fuch wicked finful Practices, as their own Confciences cannot but continually fmite, and reprove, and condemn them for. Such Notions Men may have got concerning Religion, and the Terms of Salvation of fered by Jefus Chrift in his Gofpel. But tho' I will not call them Hypocrites, that is to fay, Diffemblers either with God or Man, yet, I think, we ought to call them outward

outward Pharifaical Chriftians, that are utterly devoid of the Life and Spirit of that Religion they do profefs. I do not blame them, but commend them, for the performing thofe Duties that they do; and I believe, if they had not this Respect for the outward Worfhip of God, they would, in a little Time, grow extravagantly and enormously wicked. But yet they are exceedingly to be blamed (and if they do not amend their Lives, they will blame themfelves to all Eternity) in that, to their outward Services they pay to God, they do not add an intire Refignation of the inward Man, their whole Souls and Spirits to be abfolutely ruled and governed by those Laws of Purity and Holiness, that are prefcribed to them in the Gofpel. Without this intire Devotion of our whole felves to God, all our Services will be little better than Hypocrify: But with it all our Frailties, and Faults, and Infirmities, how many foever they be, will be forgiven us; and notwithstanding them, we fhall find Favour with our heavenly Father, thro' our Lord Jefus Chrift.

Thus I have given you an Account of the outward Jew, that St. Paul speaks of, and fhewed you how very much many of our Chriftian Profeffors do refemble him in their Principles and Practices; which was the Thing I proposed.

And

And now it will be very needlefs to enter into a Description of the Perfon that St. Paul in the Text oppofeth to him, a Jew inwardly, whofe Circumcifion is that of the Heart, and whofe Praife is not of Men, but of God. For we may eafily form a Notion of fuch a Perfon by what has been faid of the other. Let us but affix the directly contrary Qualities to him, and then we have his Character. However, to fave you the Trouble of collecting it, I will give you the Heads of thofe Things, that go to the making up his Defcription.

1. First of all, the inward Jew, or he that is fuch an Ifraelite as our Saviour fpeaks of, an Ifraelite indeed, in whom there John 1.47 is no Guile; or, to fpeak in our own Language, a true Difciple of Chrift: He is, I fay, a Person, who is so far from vaunting himself, or refting in the outward Privileges he enjoys, that he draws from hence an Argument of working out his Salvation with greater Fear and Trembling, knowing, that by how much the greater Advantages he enjoys above others, by fo much the greater Obligations are laid upon him to out-ftrip them in Virtue and Holinefs: So as that if he do not improve thofe Mercies and Favours of God to the right Purposes, he is in a worfe Condition than those who never had them.

2. Secondly,

2. Secondly, he is a Perfon tractable and docible; one that hath quitted his Mind of all its finful Prejudices and Pre-poffeffions, fo that he is always prepared to receive and entertain any Truth of God, tho' convey'd to him by mean Inftruments, and tho' never fo disagreeable to his fenfual Delights and Interests.

3. Thirdly, he is a Person that doth not overvalue fome Duties and leffen others, but gives every Duty to God its due and juft Place in his Efteem, preferring inward Acts of Piety before the outward Service of God, yet not omitting that; and fo ordering his Devotions towards God, that they are inftrumental to, and great Promoters of the Duties he owes to his Neighbour.

4. Fourthly, he is a Perfon who endea1 yours to yield an univerfal Obedience to t the Laws of God, not picking and chufing out of them thofe to obferve, that are cafieft and leaft repugnant to his Nature and Interefts, and laying lefs Stress upon the reft; but doing what he can to obferve them all. Not contenting himself only to obferve them in his outward Actions, but endeavouring to bring his Mind and Spirit to a Conformity with them, labouring to regulate