words of our bleffed SAVIOUR here in the text, SERM. CII. SERMON CII. Of the great duties of natural religion, with the ways and means of knowing them. MICAH vi. 6, 7, 8. Wherewith fhall I come before the LORD, and bow my with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firft-born for my tranfgreffion, the fruit of my body for the fin of my foul? He bath fhewed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy GOD? N the beginning of this chapter, the prophet tells the people of Ifrael, "that the LORD had "a controverfy with them;" and that he might direct them how to take up this quarrel, he brings in one making this inquiry in the name of the people; "wherewith fhall I come before the LORD, "and bow myself before the high GOD?" that is, by what kind of worship or devotion may I address my CII. 1647 myself to him in the moft acceptable manner? by SER M. what means may I hope to appease his difpleasure? to fatisfy this enquiry, he first inftanceth in the chief kinds of facrifices and expiations that were in use among the Jews and heathens; "fhall I come be"fore him with burnt-offerings?" the conftant facrifice that was offered to God by way of acknowledgment of his dominion over the creatures; "with "calves of a year old?" which was the fin-offering which the high-priest offered for himfelf. Or will he rather accept of thofe great and coftly facrifices which were offered upon folemn and publick occafions, fuch as that was which Solomon offered at the dedication of the temple?" will the LORD be plea"fed with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands " of rivers of oil?" Or if none of thefe will do, fhall I try to atone him after the manner of the heathen, by the dearest thing in the world, the first-born of my children? "fhall I give my first"born for my tranfgreffion, the fruit of my body "for the fin of my foul?" if GOD was to be appeased at all, furely they thought it must be by fome of these ways, for beyond thefe they could imagine nothing of greater value and efficacy. But the prophet tells them that they were quite out of the way, in thinking to pacify GOD upon these terms, that there are other things which are much better and more pleasing to him than any of thefe facrifices. For fome of them were exprefly forbidden by GOD," as the offering up of our chil"dren;" and for the reft, they were not good in themselves, but meerly by virtue of their institution, and because they were commanded. But the things SERM. which he would recommend to them, are fuch as are CII. good in their own nature, and required of us by GOD upon that account. "He hath fhewed thee, "O man, what is good, and what doth the LORD "require of thee, but to do juftly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" 66 So that in these words you have, First, an enquiry which is the best way to appease GOD when he is offended; " wherewith fhall I come "before the LORD, and bow myself before the high GOD?" Secondly, the way that men are apt to take in this cafe; and that is by fome external piece of religion and devotion; fuch as facrifice was both among Jews and Heathens. "Shall I come before him with burnt"offerings, &c." By which questions the prophet intimates that men are very apt to pitch upon this course. Thirdly, the courfe which God himself directs to, and which will effectually pacify him. "He hath "fhewed thee, O man, what is good; and what "doth the LORD thy God require of thee, &c." The first being a mere question, there needs no more to be faid of it; only that it is a question of great importance; what is the moft effectual way to appease GOD when we have offended him? for who can bear his indignation, and who can ftand before him, when once he is angry? Let us confider then, in the Second place, the way that men are apt to take to pacify God; and that is by fome external piece of religion and devotion, fuch as were facrifices among the Jews and Heathens, " fhall I come be "fore CII, "fore him with burnt-offerings?" This is the way SER M. which men are most apt to choose. The Jews, you fee, pitched upon the external parts of their religion, those which were moft pompous and folemn, the richeft and moft coftly facrifices, fo they might but keep their fins, they were well enough content to offer up any thing elfe to GOD; they thought nothing too good for him, provided he would not oblige them to become better. 1 4 And thus it is among ourselves, when we apprehend GoD is difpleafed with us, and his judgments are abroad in the earth, we are content to do any thing, but "to learn righteousness," we are willing to submit to any kind of external devotion and humiliation, to fast, and pray, to afflict ourselves and to cry mightily unto God; things fome of them good in themselves, but the leaft part of that which GOD requires of us. And as for the church of Rome, in case of publick judgments and calamities, they are the most inquifitive: and (as they pretend) the most skilful people in the world to pacify GoD; and they have a thousand folemn devices to this purpose. I do not wrong them, by reprefenting them enquiring after this manner. "Shall I go before a crucifix, "and bow myself to it, as to the high GOD? And "because the LORD is a great king, and it is per"haps too much boldness and arrogancy to make "immediate addreffes always to him; to which of "the faints or angels fhall I go to mediate for me, "and intercede on my behalf? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of pater-nofters, or with "ten thousands of ave-marys? Shall the hoft travel SERM." in proceffion, or myself undertake a tedious pil CII. 66 66 grimage? Or fhall I lift myself a foldier for the holy war, or for the extirpation of hereticks? "Shall I give half my estate to a convent for my tranfgreffion, or chastise and punish my body for "the fin of my foul?" Thus men deceive themfelves, and will fubmit to all the extravagant feverities, that the petulancy and folly of men can devife and impose upon them. And indeed it is not to be imagined, when men are once under the power of fuperftition, how ridiculous they may be, and yet think themfelves religious; how prodigiously they may play the fool, and yet believe they please GOD; what cruel and barbarous things they may do to themselves and others, and yet be " verily perfuaded "they do GoD good fervice." And what is the mystery of all this, but that men are loth to do that without which, nothing elfe that we do is acceptable to God? They "hate to be re"formed;" and for this reason, they will be content to do any thing, rather than be put to the trouble of mending themselves; every thing is easy in comparison of this task, and God may have any terms of them, fo he will let them be quiet in their fins, and excufe them from the real virtues of a good life. And this brings me to the Third thing, which I principally intended to speak to. The courfe which God himfelf directs to, and which will effectually pacify him. "He hath fhewed "thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the "LORD require of thee, but to do juftly, and to "love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" In the handling of which, I fhall, |