SECTION III. 277 must cry after knowledge, and lift up our voice to heaven. For it is the Lord whogiveth wisdom; Prov. ii. 3, 6. VI. it belongs also to a sincere search after truth that we are " careful and zealousin the practice of every thing, that we have already foundout in religion." All the duties toward God and man, that reason and natural light discover to us, must be fulfilled by us, with a holy and religious industry and watchful- ness : And we must with a constant jealousy and solicitude of , soul, abstain from every thing that would disf lease God. It is for the righteous that God layeth up sound wisdwn ; Prov. ii. 7. " He giveth to, those that are good in his sight, wisdom and knowledge;" Ec. ii. 26. And our blessed Lord himself tells us; .John vii. 17. " If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of my- self." Doing the will . of God as far as it is known, is a neces- sary requisite in order to obtain farther knowledge. Now when our modern deists have fulfilled all these 'rules of sincerity in their search after the true way of salvation, I am verily persuaded they will continueno longer in their infidelity, but rejoice to re-. ceive the gospel of Christ. However, it will be time enough for them to make their own pretences of sincerity in the search after truth the ground of their expectations of divine favour, and to plead it at the bar of God, when triey have carefully practised all this sincerity, which has been now described. And yet if any should boldly declare they have practised all this sincerity, and yet they are not convinced of the truth of the gospel; before I quit this head, I would address my- self to them with one enquiry more, and that is, if you ima- gine that you are now truly sincere in your present search, have you been always thus sincere in your enquiries, ever since you began to doubt of christianity ? Have you not in- dulged such an immoral conduct, such sensuality, such a love to vicious pleasures, such pride of your own reason, such self-sufficiency, such a bantering spirit, such lusts of theflesh, or lusts of the mind, such criminal prejudices, or such guilty practices, as may have provoked God to punish you one of these two ways: 1. Either in the -course of his providence, " to take away those means and advantages for knowledge, which you have once enjoyed and abused :" Or, 2. " Towith- draw all the common influences of his Holy Spirit, and leave you to the weaknesses and wanderings of your own spirits, and to give you up to a judicial blindness, even though the outward means of knowledge may remain ?" There are many amongst the ancient Gentiles, and many amongst the later worshippers of anti christ, who have fallen under these just and heavy judgments. There have been riled whoheld thetruth in unrighteousness, and would not practise reli- s 3
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