Of the Bl fednefs of the Pure in Ileart. 337 gion, becaufe of their direft and immediate S ER m. tendency to holinefs and virtue ; It is there - XIII. fore juftly called in fcripture, an evil heart"'''' of unbelief in departing from the living God. 1 rom this it is neceffary, firfl of all, our minds fhould be pure, that fo they may feel the force of the great motives to piety and virtue, or that an hefitation concerning them may not render us unflable in the praäice of it. But corrupt affections indulged produce that impurity which vitiateth the heart, whether a difblief of religious truths, or wa- vering about them be the effeâ of it or not. Prevalent vicious inclinations and habits do not always make men infidels or fcepticks, though fometimes they do, but they always make them infincere : Very often, through inconfideration and not attending to the ut- ter inconfìflency which there is between the principles of piety and their wicked difpofi- tions and practices, bad men retain the lat- ter without giving up the former, and flatter themfelves that they are as found bLlievers as any at all, nay, and make a merit of their orthodoxy, though they live wickedly in defiance of it. But whatever our belief be, fuppofe our perfuafion of religious principles to be ever Aa3 fo
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