reason to be fatisfied in himself.

And there

fore let me put you in mind, what those grounds are in the cafe before us, which is of no lefs concern than our everlasting falvation.

First of all then; Whatever else is implied in fincerity, it undoubtedly includes the keeping of God's commandments. We truft, that God will accept the fincere doing of his will; but then we must be sure that it be done, and not truft in vain words, as if fincerity would ferve us instead of well doing.

If we understand what we fay, we can mean nothing lefs by fincerity towards God, than a religious fenfe of God's authority, and of his infinite perfections; and to make this the end and reafon of our actions, that we please him in all our ways. So that it fignifies, a pious disposition of mind, which leads us to all obedience, and which indeed makes our service fit to be regarded.

And therefore it is a foolish thing, to make the pretence of that, an excuse for many and great faults; which, in the truth and reality thereof, is the undoubted cause of committing the feweft. It stands not

with common fenfe to imagine, that instead. of recommending our obedience, it should recommend our fin, to the acceptance of God. We may as well thank a man for his good meaning, in a thing wherein he hath dealt very treacherously,

If it were allowable thus, for our own cafe, to divide a fincere mind from a good life; be certainly would need a great deal of fincerity, whose confcience is loaded with the repetition of most grievous fins a and yet, if we will not talk abfurdly, he hath very little of it, if any at all.

It is true indeed, that a fincere man may fall into heinous tranfgreffion; but then, fo far as the temptation hath made him an evil doer, fo far it hath corrupted his fincerity; and he hath no way to return into the grace of God, but by repentance, and reformation.

The Scripture describes the uprightness of Job, by his fearing God, and efchewing evil. Thus St. Paul's rejoicing was grounded upon this, that he had his converfation in the world in fimplicity and godly fincerity, -And this very place, where he prays that the Philippians might be fincere, he farther explains

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explains himself by adding, and without offence till the day of Chrift, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jefus Chrift, unto the praise and glory of God.

The truth is, he that prefumes upon his fincerity, but confiders not how he has lived, begins at the wrong end. For there is no place for that queftion, whether we be fincere or not, till we are first conscious of well doing. When we have eschewed evil, and done the thing that is good; then, and not till then, it is reasonable to inquire, whether we have in thus doing been influenced by pious and virtuous intentions, or whether we have fpoiled all by directing our good deeds to corrupt ends. And tho' we should not be unwilling to admit this in the general; yet it is impoffible we should deny it, when we come to particulars. For instance, we are to give alms; not for this end, to be seen of men; but in obedience to God, in charity to the poor, and in belief of God's rewards: But furely he is in no condition to make this question, Whether he gives to be feen of men, who gives no alms at all.

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The greatest difficulty is, to convince men, that a fincere and honest mind doth neceffarily fuppofe, the understanding of that duty which God requires, and the behief of that truth which he hath revealed, to bring us to repentance and obedience. For it may be faid perhaps, that tho' it be in a man's power, to conform his practice to his judgment; yet his belief is not in his own power. If things appear to him otherwife than they are, how can he help that? If he be mistaken, he is rather to be pitied than condemned; it seems to be his unhappiness, but not his fault.

Now indeed, this may be reafonably faid in feveral cafes, where the mistake lies in things.of leffer moment, and where it doth not lead to any evil practice: And I do not fay, that fincerity fuppofes a man to be free from all error in questions of religion; for then no man could be honeft, unless he were infallible. But then, there are some things, in which it is not confiftent with the honefty of a chriftian, or of a man, to be deceived; namely, where the truth is plain by natural reafon, or by particular revelation, and where the error is grofs, and

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of dangerous confequence; if the truth be propounded with due evidence, and if there be fufficient means to discover the error.

There are many points, in which it is evident that an honeft man cannot be miftaken; and they are fuch as these: That all men are bound to rules of common juftice: That children fhould honour their parents; and the like. Let us now fuppofe, that a man believes fome doctrine repugnant to these, and all other rules of morality: For instance, that there is no other rule of right, but power; and that a man may lawfully do any thing that he has force enough to justify; and that, in pursuance of this perfuafion, he should opprefs his neighbours that are weaker than himself, and feize upon all that he could fafely lay his hands on, without respect to right or wrong, properly fo called; I believe none of us would count him an honeft man, tho' he acts according to principles which he heartily believes, but rather the farther from being honeft, for being corrupted to fo great a degree, as to have loft the fense of good and evil. Experience, as well as Scripture, fhews, that men may have a reprobate fenfe,