felf-deceit a dreadful and fatal ftate, which counteracs all means of recovery, and makes men, inftead of applying religion to the correcting of their inward vices, effecting the reformation of their evil ways, forming them to real holinefs, and infpiring a love to duty and virtue, to confider and prostitute it as a patronefs for their crimes, a skreen for their iniquities, and a protection against the threatened confequences of criminal indulgence.

A perfon muft indeed have gone great lengths in iniquity, muft have corrupted his mind to a fhocking degree, and have had many an hard ftruggle with his natural principles, before he can arrive to fuch a pitch of self-deceit and after all he will be very diftant from real fatisfaction in that kind of religion he has recourfe to: he may wish it would prove fufficient, but cannot hope it will: there will remain in his mind the tormenting fear, that it will not avail him: despair will infeft him in fome degree, after his utmost efforts, will increase upon him as the symptoms of diffolution approach, will imbitter the cup of affliction, and fadly blacken the departing fcene.

The too current manner of feparating religion and morals, of confidering it as fomething diftinct from, and fuperior to the virtues of a good life, (which has been the general fault of religious writers and inftructors) has given no small occafion to this kind of felf-deception: whereas had religion been more faithfully represented, as the grand auxiliary

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auxiliary to virtue, as deriving its whole value. from its being the life, fupport and comfort of goodness, as perfected only by good works, and dead without them; had the preachers of religion, instead of wickedly inventing and blindly following fanciful fyftems, instead of dealing in vain words, inculcating falfe opinions, unprofitable fpeculations, abfurdities and incomprehenfibles, been preachers of righteousness, perpetually infifted upon, and ferioufly urged the fupreme importance, and indispensable eternal obligation of God's morali law; mankind would have had more difficulty in deceiving themfelves. However the mifunderftanding of religion in any of its effential points, must be a voluntary and criminal thing: it muft fpring from fome evil root. Men do not thus effentially mistake religion, because they cannot, but because they will not understand it: they deceive themselves: they take pains, to do fo: it is a point they labour hard and find no fmall difficulty in for it is more easy to believe religion to be what it is, than what it is not.

True religion is congenial to the natural underftanding of man,, and its great lines are clearly and ftrongly expreffed in the word of God. God has plainly fhown man what is good, and what he requires of him. Whoever therefore depends upon falfe, to the neglect of true religion; we may be certain, has, from vicious principles, done his utmost to deceive himself. Indeed through the prejudices of education and the weakness of their

minds,

minds, truly upright and well-meaning perfons may be under the influence of fome falfe princi ples, and imagine religion to require both the belief and practice of certain things which it does not; but then along with fuch mistakes they have also true religion: fuch errors are their weakness and unhappiness, not their crime: they do not deceive themfelves and fuch errors, though they may in fome degree hinder their prefent comfort, will be no bar at all to their acceptance with God. However the more we can rife above the influence of all falfe religion, and the more clear, ftrong and lively a fenfe we can gain of true religion; the happier it is: our conduct will have the better direction, and our minds the more comfort. But any mistakes perfons may fall into through the imperfection of the understanding, and wherein dishonesty of heart has no fhare, will be innocent ones and of no very bad confequence. If there really be a fincere difpofition to know and do our duty; we shall be in no danger of erring effentially as to the nature of religion. Self-deception is quite a diftinct thing from involuntary errors. The felf-deceiver has an inward enmity against the truth: he is very defirous religion should be, what his own confcience tells him it is not: he loves darknefs rather than light, becaufe his deeds are evil : he cannot perfuade himself to defert his vices, and therefore would very gladly perfuade himself that it is not neceffary to do fo, and that the favour of God

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God and final acceptance, may some how or other be obtained without it: he is against truth because truth is against him. Such conduct however is folly in perfection: for truth is immutable: the terms of acceptance with God are unchangably fixed the nature of religion is unalterable. Perfons may as well attempt to extinguish the fun with a fpunge, or to pluck the ftars from the firmament, as think of recommending themselves to a righteous God, by any thing but real virtue of heart and life. I do not mean to infinuate a rigid notion of the Deity, as if he expected perfection from imperfect creatures. equity and mercy belong to God. allowances will undoubtedly be made. But without fincerity, the reality of virtue, a prevailing integrity and an habitual keeping of the moral commandments of God; reafon and the gofpel affure us, there can be no falvation. It is a maxim unchangeable as the nature of God and the nature of things, that without holiness no man fhall fee the Lord.

Candour, All fitting

Perfons are generally cautious enough not to deceive themselves in things relating to this prefent life. If they have any temporal end in view; they use their utmost care to take the most effectual means to fecure it, and guard in the best manner they can against every thing that might occafion a disappointment: they are willing to fee their way before them, and go upon clear and

folid

folid ground. But in religion many discover far greater indifference, and feem very little folicitous whether their religion be right or wrong, true or falfe, if it do but fuit their cafe and inclination. With reference to the nature of religion, the condition of their acceptance with God, and their eternal falvation, they often betray a ftrange willingness to deceive themselves; though that is a concern compared with which all temporal confiderations are less than nothing and vanity, a concern wherein deception is moft of all to be dreaded, as being of the most fatal consequence.

To deceive themfelves in temporal cafes may be attended with fome prefent inconveniences and difficulties but to deceive themselves in religion may terminate in utter ruin and irremediable destruction. This important point indeed, the terms of acceptance with God and final everlasting felicity, is not in itself an abftrufe affair: it is a plain matter, and very eafily determinable by an honeft, upright mind, that is willing to fee the truth: none can err with respect to this but fuch as err wilfully. If religion be hid; it is hid to fuch as are loft; to fuch as are flaves to their lufts, mifled by the trivial temptations of this prefent life, and blinded by evil paffions. They cannot think of parting with their vices; neither can they think of giving up all hopes of divine favour and future felicity. This leads them to practise every art of felf-delufion, and to contrive for them felves