our Acceptance with God. 43 in their own vain imaginations, that they al- SERM. fo on that account Rand faireft in the efteem II. of Chrift, and have the belt claim to his ap- 'v++ probation. This is certainly inexcufable, con - fidering the cafe exprefsly determined in the text : for if the higheft offices, and the molt eminent abilities and gifts, will not entitle thofe who profefs them to the kingdom of heaven, much lefs will thofe of a far inferior nature and importance. But in general, that the pretence itfelf is vain and infufficient, and that nothing of this kind can reafonably fupport the hopes of men in a future ¡late, if, as it is fuppofed in the text, they are workers of iniquity ; that, I fay, it is fo, will appear to any one who confiders it, not only from the exprefs decla- ration of our Saviour in the text, and in- deed the whole current of the fcripture de- clarations, which abfolutely require the prat. Lice of pure and undefiled religion, and a pa- tient continuance in it ; and from the inva- riable nature of things, that fenfe of good and evil which is imprinted on our minds, with a neceffary approbation of the one, and dif-. approbation of the other : from whence we infer, that good in us will be only approved by the Deity, and evil difapproved, if we fup- pofe
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