6 Honey the bell Prefervative Vol. 1. a hearty delre to do the Will of God, is the belt Prefervative againft fatal Errors and Miftakes in Matters of Religion ; & v i is 1</;) ,voic+v. If any Man delre to do bis Will, he fball know of the Doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I fpeok ofmy felt There are Two dangerous Mistakes in Religion: To reje&any thing which really comes from God ; and To receive and entertain any thing as from God, which doth not really come from him. Firfl, To reje& any thing which really comes from God. This Miftake the 7ews frequently fell into, when they rejef&ed the true Prophets which God from time to time fent to them, fighting their Meffage, and perfecuting their Perfons: But they mifcarried molt fatally and remarkably in their contempt of the true Meglas, that great Prophet whom they had fo long expe&ed, and whom God fent at laft, to bring Salvation to them ; but when he carne, they knew him not nor would receive him, but ufed him with all the defpight and contempt ima- ginable, not as a Teacher come from God, but as a Deceiver, and Impoftor. Now the danger of rejefting any thing that comes from God, conlifs in this, that it cannotbe donewithout the higheft Affront to the Divine Majefty. To reje& a Divine Meffage, or Revelation is to oppofe God, and fight again/ him. So our Saviour tells the Jews that in defpifing him, they defpifedhim thatfont him. Secondly, There is alfo another dangerous Miftake on the other hand, in enter- taining any thing as a Revelation from God, which is not really from him. And this likewife the yews were frequently guilty of, in receiving the falfe Pro- phets which fpake in the name of the Lord, when he had not fent them. And this is commonly the temper ofthole who reje& the Truth, greedily to fwallow Error and Delufion. So our Saviour tells us of the 7ews, John 5. 43. I am come in my Father's Name, andye receive me not ; ifanother(hallcome in his own name, him ye will receive. This Predi&ion of our Saviour's concerning the yews, was fully accoiriplith'd ; for after they had reje&ed him, who gave fuch abundant evidence that he was the true Mefas, and a Teacher fent frein God, they re- ceived others, who really came' in their own names, and ran after thofe who pre- tended to be the MejJlas, and were in great numbers deftroyed with them. And this is very just with God, that thofe who receive not the truth in the love of it, fhould be given up to firong delufious, to believe lies. Now thefe being the Two great dangerous Miftakes in Religion which Men are liable to, my Work at this time shall be to thew, how a fincere defire and en- deavour to do the will of God, is a fecurity to Men againft both thofe dangers; and it will appear to be fo, upon thefe Two accounts. a. Becaufe he who fincerely delires and endeavours to do the Will of God, is hereby better qualified and difpofed to make a right Judgment of Spiritual and Divine Things. II. Becaufe God's Providence is more efpecially concerned to fecure fuch Per- fons from dangerous Errors and Miftakes in things which concern their Eternal Salvation. Thefe shall be the Two Heads of my following Difcourfe. Firfl, becaufe he who fincerely delires and endeavours to do the Will of God, is hereby better qualified and difpofed to make a right Judgment of Spiritual and Divine Things, and that for thefe Two Reafons, r. Becaufe fuch a Perfon hath a truer Notion ofGod, and Divine Things. 2. Becaufe he is more impartial in his fearch and enquiry after Truth. t. Becaufe fuch a Perfon bath a truer Notion of God and Divine Things. No Man is fo likely to have clear and trueApprchenfions of God, as a good Man, becaufe he hath tranfcribed the Divine Perfe&ions in his own Mind, and is himfelf in force meafure and degree what God is. And for this Reafon it is, that the Scripture fo often lays the Foundation of all Divine Knowledge in the pra&ice of Religion. Yob 28. 28. Thefear ofthe Lord, that is Wifdom, and to depart from Evil, is Underfiánding ; and Pfal. tam. to. The fear of the Lord is the begin- ning of Wifdom, that is, the Principle and Foundation of it ; agood underflanding bate all they that do his Commandments : Whereas the Vices and Lulls of Men darken their Keafon, and diftort their Underftandings, and fill the Mind with grofs an
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