SECTION III. 287 their souls with the strictest care ; for if it should be found here- after, that there was external light and evidence enough for their conviction, and the fault lay only in their prejudices or their in- attention, this will justly expose them to the terrible and con- demning sentence Of God. Question III. Is not sincerity in the practice of what we believe, of much more importance in religion, than the truth of our opinions ? Is not sincerity even in the practice of a true reli- gion, the only thing acceptable to God therein ? And if there be the'same sincerity in the practice of a false religion, surely God will accept of man's sincere endeavours to serve him, and will easily pardon and pass by all his ignorance, his errors and mis- takes. Answer L Though sincerity be a necessary ingredient in all the practices of true religion that can he acceptable to God, yet it is not sincerity alone that is made the term of our justifi- cation and acceptance, in the constitution of the gospel, but faith in Jesus Christ, or trust in the mercy of God through Jesus the Mediator. Moses describes the righteousness ofthe law, that is, the way of justification by the covenant of works, as it is figured out tous in the external legal covenant of Sinai, in this manner ; Rom. x. 5. The man that doth these thingsshall livi in them: But the righteousness offaith which wepreach, saith the apostle, that is the way' of justification and salvation under the gospel, speaks thus, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God bath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved : For with the heart man believeth'unto righteousness, andwith the mouth confession is made unto salva- tion; v. 8-10. So Rom. i. 16, 17. The gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth, for it is written, the just shall live by his faith. Mark xvi. 16. He that believes shall be saved. Eph. ii. 8, 9. By grace ye are saved throng faith; and that not of yourselves, it i.s the gift of God. Not o f' works lest any man should boast. Neither Abraham nor David amongst the Jews, were justified by works, but by faith, that is, not by the sincerest works of righteousness, which they them- selves performed, but by trust in the divine mercy, according to therevelations of it in their various ages, and in various degrees. Rom. iv. 3 -6. Blessed is the man to whom God imputed' righte- ousness without works, to him that worked' not, but believeth on hint that justfieth the ungodly,.his faith is accountedfor righte- ousness, that is, his faith.or dependence on the pardoning mercy of God through a Mediator, is the 'only appointed way of obtain- ing justification : It is not his own works, for he has none suffi- By sincerity in practice I here understand, a performing the duties of religion, according to the best of our present knowledge, and the utmost of' ens eb,liti's.
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