The Caul:, and Danger of Self-Deceit. 71 the eyes of their underftandings and corrupt- SERM. ting their moral judgment. What impurities, .III. wickednefs, and barbarities, have been corn-"v--' nutted in the world, while men thought they were doing God fervice ; at leaft fondly ima- gined they fufliciently reconciled themfelves to him by ceremonies of their own invention, or by complying with merely external obfer- vances which were originally of divine infti- tution, but never intended by their author to be fubftituted in the room of the weightier matters of his law ? But, though fiiperftition be one great means of felf-deceit in matters of religion, of vitiating the eye of the mind, or corrupt- ing the pra ±ical moral judgment; it is not the only one. Some men who have the jufteft notions of religion, placing it not in forms and ceremonies, but in righteoufnefs, temperance, godliriefs, and charity, yet corn- mit the molt grievous trefpaffes againft forñe of thofe virtues, 1E11 flattering themfelves that their Rate is good, at leaft, that they fhall efcape with impunity, and at laf die the death of the righteous. In order to this, fuch is the deceitfulnefs of fin, that even vice itfelfputs on the falfe appearance of virtue. Thus, extravagance is };eprefented to the deluded F 4 ima,
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