fir knowing the Truth. 273 To conclude, if we would make profi-SERM. ciency in the moft ufeful knowledge and in X. the difcernment of religious truth, let us be L^^' diligent in the practice of our duty, fo far as we already underftánd it ; and. thus if we follow on to know, we 'hall know the Lord. The apoftle * fpeaks of a kind o " know- ledge ',which puféth up, but charity edeth. By it we make the belt and the fureft pro - grefs in true Chriftianity. And at the third verfe he fays, If any man love God, the fame is known of him ; rather it fhould be tranf- lated, the fame (hall be made to know him. It is not always the greateft genius and the moft penetrating judgment that underftands religion belt. Some men of the molt emi- nent abilities are the moft fubtlé defenders of error, when their minds are under the power of corrupt affed ions. Thus the apoftle ac- counts for the apoftacy of Chriftians, and experience juftifies his account t. Men àre drawn away with the deceits of impofture, becaufe they receivednot the love of the truth, and are abandoned to the efficacy of error to believe lies, becaufe they bad pleafiire in un- righteoa fkeft. But, an honeft heart, found * t Cor. viii. I. t z Thef ii. io, xi. VOL. II. T in
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