THE PREFACE. 'r-rJS the ble!Jed Privilege obtain'd by o.ur Saviour. for his P.eop.le; that jincere thougb imperfe8 SanfJi(ication is g,racioujly accepted of God tbe Judge of all. Tbis jincere Holme{s is Slrt8ly and zndifpenjibly requir'd by the Law of Faith, in the Hand of the Mediator: Witbout it we cannot parta~e of the Trea{ures of Mercy and of G/or;' tbat are re· Veaf'd in tbe Gofpel. 'Tis tberefore a matter that infinitely concems us, botb in re- {pefJ of our pYFfent Peace and future Blejfednefs, .t? make a true 1Jifco1?ery of our Uprig,htnejs. And ufually al!tbe Fears and lnqumes ab,ut our Spmtual State iffue in tbis, wbetber we are upng,ht or not? The A§urance of our UprightnejJ, is d Fountain of Relief in all perplexing Jealoujies about tbe Fa1?0ur of God : For notwithflandiug our De{eas, be will fparc us, as a Father fpares his Son that fcrves him. This great f<...uejlion of our Sincerity may be clear'd by a due obferving our Hearts and Wa)'S: For Confcience IS all infeparable Faculty of rbe Soul, •nd e]len in tbe Heatben accus'd or excus'd, as their AfJions were exorbitant or regular according to the internal Law, and confequently ga"Ve Tefltmontes of tlmr Wzck,ednejs, or moral lnteg,rity. The Scripture i>.deed tells us, The Heart of Man is deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked, who can know ic? But tlm primarily refpefJs tbe difcerning it by otbers ; as the Apujlle faitb, Who knows the things of a Man, fave the Spirit of a Man which is in him? There rnay be tbe Affi8ation of tbe Name of Religzou, jo;n'd witb a di{affi8ion to the tbing: There mav be folemn Formality without cordial Godlimjs; an afJing of Piety and perjonating Devotion for 11ile Ends. But tbougb tbe zmpure Artijl under a Veil of Hyeocrzfze may be conceal'd ji-om others, yet be is not from the ConVtfJion of bis own Mmd. I jhall add further, that many from ignorance or carelefiJ<js, may prefume tbey are in a State of Salvation, when tbey are in the Gall of Birternefs, and Bond of Iniquity. There are many carnal SlnJis made u{e of to palliate the e"Vil Condition of Mens Souls, but tbeir Security proceeds from the neglefJ of due examming their Hearts and Lives. It wilt be a Vazn excufe at tbe lafl Day, w plead, the Serpent beguil'd me: For 'tzs not meerly our deceivablenefs, but JVtllmgnefs tobe decei"t>'d,. that expofes us to miSia~e our fpiritual Condition ~y tbe lnjinuations of Satan. As the wife Plnlofopher objeT'l?es, A Man zs tiJe firjl and princtpal Flatterer of bim- PC.r. de odu~ felf, and tberefore apt to be deceiwd by otber Flatterers. Bitt if we ta~e the Candle of the Lord, and impartially Jearcb our Jelws, tbougb the Heart be .fuch a dark Labyrinth, tbat ewry jecret turning cannot be difco1?ered ; tboug,b all tbe Dejleilions and Errors of our Ways cannot be exailly known, )'et we may zmderjland the habitual frame of our Hearts, and the courfe of our Lives. 'Tu t/;e End Pf tbe following Sermons,. to direfJ Men in tbe difcu!Jion of Confcience, that they may mt from an erring Mznd? and corrupt Heart, decei'l?e themfe!ves zn a Matter that.Jo nearly concerns tbem, and incur the double Punijhment in proportZOit to thezr Guzlt, as our Saviour f oretefls, When rbe BliiJd lead the Blind, borh fall inro the Ditch. ' Many
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