276 A. CAVEAT AGAINST INFIDELITY. as soon as it appears to the mind, as a man that seeks after hid- den treasure, would chearfully receive every hint of discovery, would follow the first glimmerings of the gold or silver ore, and traceout the rich vein through the bowels of the earth. If we would prove ourselves sincere, we must not be tired or discou- raged by a few obstacles in our way. Wemust search for wisdom as silver, and dig for understanding, asfor hidden treasures: Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, andfind the knowledgeof God ; Prod. ii. 4; 5. Whereas manyof our modern infidels, when in their searches they find a dark sentence, and a few difficulties in the language of scripture, they labour not after a solution of them, but gladly lay hold of every objection, and content themselves with these little eavils as a sufficient argument to reject it all at once, to abandon the law of Moses, and the prophets, Christ and his gos- pel. Such a temper and spirit, such a cavilling and contentious practice, will fly in the face- of a man, when he shall pretend to plead sincerity before God. IV. as Perseverance in this honest and diligent enquiry is another ingredient of a sincere search after truth." It is not the work of an hour or two, or the labour of a few days, but accord- ing to our state and circumstances in the world, we must continu- ally search till we havefound some solid satisfaction, and till our minds can rest in somèdoctrines of religion, upon just and rea- sonable grounds; Hos. vi. 3. Then shall ye know the Lord, if se follow onto know him. V. Sincerity in searching out the truth, requires also" great humility and meekness of spirit, a holy sense of the importance of this enquiry, a consciousness of our own weakness, and of the many prejudices, the false lights, and the dangers that attend and surround us both within and without in our enquiries, together with constant and importunate prayer to God for his assistance. All these. are necessary ingredients of such a sincerity in the search after true religion, as will approve itself to God. We must not be self sufficient and conceited of our reasoning powers, but under a sense of our weakness and danger of mistake, we must be instant petitioners daily at the throne of God, that he would not suffer any delusive prejudice to blind our minds, nor well-coloured errors to .:ad us astray ; that he would order all things in the course of his providence in so favourable a manner, as may tend to guide us into the path of truth. A sincere en- quirer is able to appeal to God who knows all things, " Thou seest the honest desire of my soul, and the sincere, inward and intense breathings of my heart, to find out the way to thy fa- vour : All my desire is to know and please thee my Creator, and therefore I daily seek thy directions." We must notonly incline our ears to wisdom, and apply our heart to understanding, but we
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=