it neceffary, that there fhould be an infallible church, in the communion whereof every man may be fecured from the dangers of a wrong belief. But it seems God hath not thought this neceflary: If he had, he would have revealed this very thing more plainly than any particular point of faith whatsoever. He would have told us exprefly, and in the plaineft terms, that he had appointed an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith, and would likewife have told us as plainly who he was, and where we might find him, and have recourfe to him upon all occafions: because the fincerity of our faith depending upon him, we could not be safe from mistake in particular points, without fo plain and clear a revelation of this infallible judge, that there could be no mistake about him; nor could there be an end of any other con troverfies in religion, unless this infallible judge (both that there is one, and who he is) were out of controverfy. But neither of these are fo: It is not plain from fcripture, that there is an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith; much less is it plain who he is; and therefore we may certainly conclude, that God hath not thought it neceffary that there should be an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith, because he hath revealed no fuch thing to us, and that Bishop, and that church who only have arrogated infallibility to themfelves, have given the greateft evidence in the world to the contrary; and have been detected and stand convinced of the greatest errors: and it is in vain for any man, or company of men, to pretend to infallibility, fo long as the evidence that they are deceived is much greater and clearer than any proof they can produce for their infallibility.

If then God hath not provided an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith; there is fome other way whereby men may be fecured against dangerous and damnable errors in religion, and whereby they may difcern truth from imposture, and what do &trines are from God, and what not; and this our Saviour declares to us here in the text, namely, that an honest and fincere mind, and a hearty defire to

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do the will of God, is the best prefervative against fatal errors and mistakes in matters of religion; v Tis Dean wolen• If any man defire to do his will, he fhall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

There are two dangerous mistakes in religion: To reject any thing which really comes from God; and to receive and entertain any thing as from God, which doth not really come from him.

First, To reject any thing which really comes from God. This mistake the Jews frequently fell into, when they rejected the true Prophets which God from time to time fent to them, flighting their meffage, and perfecuting their perfons: but they mifcarried moft fatally and remarkably in their contempt of the true Meffias, that great Prophet whom they had fo long expected, and whom God fent at last, to bring falvation to them; but when he came, they knew him not, nor would receive him, but ufed him with all the defpight and contempt imaginable, not as a teacher come from God, but as a deceiver and impoftor.

Now the danger of rejecting any thing that comes from God, confifts in this, that it cannot be done, without the highest affront to the divine majefty. To reject a divine meffage or revelation, is to oppofe God, and fight against him. So our Saviour tells the Jews, that in defpifing him, they defpifed him that fent him.

Secondly, There is also another dangerous mistake on the other hand, in entertaining any thing as a revelation from God, which is not really from him. And this likewife the Jews were frequently guilty of, in receiving the falfe Prophets which fpake in the name of the Lord, when he had not fent them. And this is commonly the temper of those who reject the truth, greedily to fwallow error and defufion. So our Saviour tells us of the Jews, John v. 43. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. This prediction of our Saviour's concerning the Jews was fully accomplished; for after they had rejected him, who gave fuch abundant evidence B 3

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that he was the true Meffias, and a teacher fent from God, they received others, who really came in their own names, and ran. after thofe who pretended to be the Meffias, and were in great numbers deftroyed with them. And this is very juft with God, that those who receive not the truth in the love of it, should be given up to ftrong delusions, to believe lies.

Now thefe being the two great dangerous mistakes in religion which men are liable to, my work at this time fhall be to fhew, how a fincere defire and endeavour to do the will of God, is a fecurity to men against both thefe dangers; and it will appear to be fo, upon these two accounts:

1. Because he who fincerely defires and endeavours to do the will of God, is hereby better qualified and difpofed to make a right judgment of fpiritual and divine things.

II. Becaufe God's providence is more especially concerned to fecure fuch perfons from dangerous errors and mistakes in things which concern their eternal falvation. Thefe fhall be the two heads of my following difcourfe.

I. Because he who fincerely defires and endeavours to do the will of God, is hereby better qualified and difpofed to make a right judgment of fpiritual and divine things, and that for these two reafons:

1. Becaufe fuch a person hath a truer notion of God, and divine things.

2. Because he is more impartial in his search and enquiry after truth.

1. Becaufe fuch a perfon hath a truer notion of God and divine things. No man is fo likely to have clear and true apprehenfions of God, as a good manz because he hath transcribed the divine perfections in his own mind, and is himself in fome measure and degree what God is. And for this reason it is, that the fcripture fo often lays the foundation of all divine knowledge in the practice of religion, Job xxviii. 28. The fear of the Lord, that is wijdom, and to depart from evil, is understanding; and Pfal. cxi. 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, that is,

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the principle and foundation of it; a good understand. ing have all they that do his commandments: whereas the vices and lufts of men darken their reason and diftort their understandings, and fill the mind with gross and fenfual apprehenfions of things, and thereby render men unfit to difcern thofe truths which are of a fpiritual nature and tendency, and altogether indifpofed to receive them. For though the vices of men be properly feated in their wills, and do not poffefs their understandings; ; yet they have a bad influence upon them, as fumes and vapours from the ftomach are wont to affect the head.

Nothing indeed is more natural to the mind and understanding of men, than the knowledge of God; but we may abuse our faculties, and render them unfit for the difcerning even of their proper objects.

When men, by wicked practices, have rendered themfelves unlike to God, they will not love to retain the knowledge of him in their minds, but will become vain in their imaginations concerning him, What clouds and mifts are to the bodily eye, that the lufts and corruptions of men are to the understanding; they hinder it from a clear perception of heavenly things; the pure in heart, they are best qualified for the fight of God.

Now according as a man's notions of God are, fuch will be his apprehenfions of religion. All religion is either natural or revealed. Natural religion confifts in the belief of a God, and in right conce ptions and apprehenfions concerning him, and in a due reverence and obfervance of him, and in a ready and chearful obedience to thofe laws which he hath imprinted upon our nature; and the fum of our obedience confifts in our conformity to God, and an endeavour to be like him. For fuppofing God to have made no external revelation of his mind to us, we have no other way to know his will, but by con fidering his nature, and our own; and if fo, then he that resembles God moft, is like to understand him beft, because he finds those perfections in fome meafure in himself, which he contemplates in the divine nature; and nothing gives a man fo fure a notion

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of things, as practice and experience. Every good man is in fome degree partaker of a divine nature, and feels that in himself which he conceives to be in God: /So that this man does experience what others do but talk of; he fees the image of God in himself, and is able to difcourfe of him from an inward fenfe and feeling of his excellency and perfections.

And as for revealed religion, the only defign of that is, to revive and improve the natural notions which we have of God, and all our reasonings about divine revelation are neceffarily gathered by our natural notions of religion: And therefore he that fincerely endeavours to do the will of God, is not apt to be impofed upon by the vain and confident pretences of divine revelation; but if any doctrine be propofed to him, which pretends to come from God, he measures it by thofe fteady and fure notions which he hath of the divine nature and perfections, and by thofe he will eafily difcern whether it be worthy of God, or not, and likely to proceed from him: He will confider the nature and tendency of it, and whether it be (as the Apoftle expreffes it) a doctrine according to godliness, fuch as is agreeable to the divine nature and perfections, and tends to make us like to God: If it be not, though an Angel from heaven fhould bring it, he will not receive it: If it be, he will not reject it upon every idle pretence, and frivolous exception that prejudiced and ill-minded men may make against it; but after he is fatisfied of the reasonablenefs and purity of the doctrine, he will accept of fuch evidence and confirmation of it, as is fit for God to give to his own revelations ; and if the perfon that brings it, hath an attestation of miracles (which is neceffary in cafe it be a new doctrine) and if he carry on no earthly intereft and defign by it, but does by his life and actions make it evident that he aims at the glory of God, and the good of men; in this cafe a good man, whofe mind is free from paffion and prejudice, will eafily affent, that this man's doctrine is of God, and that he does not speak of himself. This was

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