33° The Foundation of S ERM. confidence towards God, or a well grounded XIII. hope of his gracious acceptance. But, the greateft difficulty attending this fubjea remaineth yet to be confidered; which arifeth from mens liablenefs to mif- take in the judgment they make of them - felves, even of their own moral charafters and aftions. The fcripture teacheth us, and experience confirmeth it, that there are many errors of this fort. On the one hands the ways of finners are often pure in their own Eyes, when God, who pondereth the heart, judgeth quite otherwife concerning them. What multitudes are there, who not only in outward profeffion but in their own deceived minds, make confident claims to the favour of God, which have no foun- dation at all ? And, particularly, fome through the deceitfulnefs of fin, and an habitual courfe of obftinate abandoned wickednefs, are hardened into an utter infenfibility, fo as to be paft feeling of their own guilt, and paff fear of the divine wrath ; their con - fciences, as the apoffle fpeaketh, feared as with an hot iron, ceafe to do their office in reproaching them for their crimes, and de- nouncing the judgments of God againff them. Is it to be thought that becaufe their own hearts do not condemn them, there - s fore
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