our Acceptance with God. 39 perfon judge otherwife of its defign; fince it SERM. is a law, the end of it mull be obedience : II. and fince it is a law binding the confciences of -^^-1 men, and regulating not merely external ac- tions, but the inward difpofitions and pur- pofes of the heart, the end of it mull be obe- dience, that is, the practice of virtue and cha- rity out of a pure heart, and a good confiience, and faith unfeigned. When we confider with what contempt, and even denuncia- tions of divine wrath, the facred writers fpeak of infincere profeffions, that is, which are not accompanied with a good life, and the molt fhining folemnities of religious wor- fhip, it is a wonder any chriftians fhould thus impofe upon themfelves. But indeed our natural notions of the Deity, and the very firft principles of religion might be fuf- ficient to guard men againfl this grofs delu- fion. If we believe that the fupreme Being is infinitely wife, perfectly righteous and good, can it ever enter into our hearts, that he will be pleafed with outward profeffions, inflead of good works, and formal alts of homage, contradited by vicious practices, inflead of a fincere imitation of his moral at- tributes ? Indeed, the profeflìon itfelf is in this cafe difcredited, ftript of all its virtue, D 4 Pay
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