This made the Jews of old so pertinaciously adhere unto the cere- monies and sacrifices of the law, and to prefer them above the gospel, “the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof,” Rom x. 3. They looked and sought for righteousness by them. Those who for many generations were kept up with great difficulty unto any tole-
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428 OF ‘SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. [PART IL.
rable observance of them, when they had learned to place all their hopes of a righteousness in them, would and did adhere unto them unto their temporal and eternal ruin, Rom. ix. 31-33. And when men were persuaded that righteousness was to be attained by works of munificence and supposed charity, in the dedication of their sub- stance unto the use of the church, they who otherwise were covetous, and greedy, and oppressing, would lavish gold out of the bag, and give up their whole patrimony, with all their ill-gotten goods, to attain it; so powerful an influence hath the desire of self-righteous- ness upon the minds of men. It is the best fortification of the soul against Christ and the gospel,—the last reserve whereby it maintains the interest of self against the grace of God.
Hence, I say, those that place their righteousness, or that which is the principal part of it, in the duties of religious worship, will not only be diligent in them, but ofttimes abound in a multiplication of them. Especially will they do so if they may be performed in such a way and manner as pleaseth their affections with a show of humility and devotion, requiring nothing of the exercise of faith or sincere divine love therein. So is it with many in all kinds of religion, whether the way of their worship be true or false, whether it be appointed of God or rejected by him. And the declaration hereof is the subject of the discourse of the prophet, Isa. i. 11-17; also, Mic. vi. 6-8.
4. The reputation of devotion in religious duties may insensibly affect the unrenewed minds of men with great diligence and delight in their performance. However men are divided in their apprehen- sion and practice about religion, however different from and contrary unto each other their ways of divine worship are; yet it is amongst all sorts of men, yea, in the secret thoughts of them who outwardly contemn these things, a matter of reputation to be devout, to be diligent, to be strict, in and about those duties of religion which, according to their own light and persuasion, they judge incumbent on them. This greatly affects the minds of men whilst pride is secretly predominant in them, and they love the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Especially will this consideration prevail on them when they sup- pose that the credit and honour of the way which they profess, in competition with others, depend much on their reputation as to their strictness in duties of devotion; for then will they not only be diligent in themselves, but zealous in drawing others unto the same observances. These two principles, their own reputation and that of their sect, constituted the life and soul of Pharisaism of old. Ac- cording as the minds of men are influenced with these apprehensions, so will a love unto and a delight in those duties whereby their repu- tation is attained thrive and grow in them.
CHAP. XIV.] DELIGHT IN THE DUTIES OF DIVINE WORSHIP. 429
I am far from apprehending that any men are (at least, I speak not of them who are) such wile hypocrites as to do all that they do in religion to be seen and praised of men, being influenced in all public duties thereby; which some among the Pharisees were given up unto. But I speak of them who, being under the convictions and motives before mentioned, do also yet give admittance unto this cor- rupt end of desire of reputation or the praise of men; for every such end, being admitted and prevalent in the mind, will universally influ- ence the affections unto a delight in those duties whereby that end may be attained, until the person with whom it is so be habituated unto them with great satisfaction.
5. I should, in the last place, insist on superstition. As this is an undue fear of the divine nature, will, and operations, built on false notions and apprehensions of them, it may befall the minds of men in all religions, true and false. It is an internal vice of the mind. As it respects the outward way and means of religious service, and con- sists in the devout performance of such duties as God indeed accepts not, but forbids, so it belongs only to religion as it is false and cor- rupt. How in both respects it will engage the minds of men into the performance of religious duties, and for the most part with the most scrupulous diligence, and sometimes with prodigious attempts to exceed the measures of human nature in what they do design, is too long a work here to be declared. It may suffice to have men- tioned it among the causes and reasons why men whose affections are not spiritually renewed may yet greatly delight in the diligent performance of the outward duties of religion. Our design in these things is, the discovery of the true nature of this grace and duty of being spiritually minded. Hereunto we have declared that it is necessary that our affections be spiritually and. supernaturally re- newed; and because there may be a great change wrought on the affections of men with respect unto spiritual things where there is nothing of this supernatural renovation, our present inquiry is, What are the differences that are between the actings of the affections of the one sort and of the other, whether spiritually renewed or occa- sionally changed? And whereas the great exercise of them consists in the duties of religious worship, I have declared what are the grounds and reasons whence men of unrenewed minds do delight ofttimes in the duties of divine worship and are diligent in the per- formance of them.