church of God, than has been in a and one great reason of it will be, th time, God will give much greater li people, to distinguish between true re its counterfeits; for he shall purify, them as gold and silver, that they ma the Lord an offering in righteousn then shall they return, and discern be righteous and the wicked: between serveth God, and him that serveth hi

"It is by the mixture of counterfei with true, not discerned and distinguis the devil has had his greatest advantag the cause and kingdom of Christ, a hitherto. It is plainly by this mean pally, that he has prevailed against a ings of religion, that ever have been, founding of the christian church. By hurt the cause of christianity, in, and apostolic age, much more than by all secutions of both Jews and heathens: t tles, in all their epistles, shew themselv more concerned at the former mischi the latter. By this, Satan prevailed ag reformation, begun by Luther, Zuingl to put a stop to its progress, and bring disgrace; ten times more, than by a bloody, cruel, and before unheard of tions of the church of Rome: and by th cinally has he prevailed against all rev

have learned well to distinguish between true and false religion, between saving affections and experiences, and those manifold fair shews, and glistening appearances by which they are counterfeited; the consequences of which, when they are not distinguished, are often inexpressibly dreadful. By this means, the devil gratifies himself, by bringing it to pass, that that which is offered to God, by multitudes, under a notion of a pleasing acceptable service to him, is indeed above all things abominable unto him. By this means, he deceives great multitudes about the state of their souls; making them think they are something, when they are nothing; and so eternally undoes them; and not only so, but establishes many in a strong confidence of their eminent holiness, who are in God's sight some of the vilest hypocrites. By this means, he many ways damps and wounds religion in the hearts of the saints, obscures and deforms it by corrupt mixtures, causes their religious affections wofully to degenerate, and dreadfully ensnares and confounds the minds of others of the saints, and brings them into great difficulties and temptations, and entangles them in a wilderness, out of which they can by no means extricate themselves. By this means, Satan mightily encourages the hearts of open enemies of religion, and strengthens their hands, and fills them with weapons, and makes strong their fortresses; when, at the same time, religion

and the church, lie exposed to them, without walls. By this means, he bri pass, that men work wickedness, under of doing God service, and so sin restraint, yea, with earnest forwardn zeal, and with all their might. By this he brings in even the friends of religion sibly to themselves, to do the work mies, by destroying religion in a f effectual manner than open enemies under a notion of advancing it. By this the devil scatters the flock of Christ, a them one against another, and that wi heat of spirit, under a notion of zeal fo and religion by degrees, degenerates in jangling; and during the strife, Sata both parties far out of the right way, each to great extremes, one on the rig and the other on the left, according as they are most inclined, or most easily and swayed, till the right path in the mi almost wholly neglected. And in the m this confusion, the devil has great oppo to advance his own interest, and make it in ways innumerable, and get the gover of all into his own hands, and work hi will. And by what is seen of the terribl sequences of this counterfeit religion, wh distinguished from true, God's people in

many are brought into doubts, whether there be any thing at all in religion; and heresy, and infidelity, and atheism greatly prevail.

"Therefore, it greatly concerns us to use our utmost endeavours, clearly to discern, and have it well settled and established, wherein true religion does consist. Till this be done, it may be expected, that great revivings of religion will be but of short continuance: till this be done, there is but little good to be expected of all our debates, in conversation and from the press, not knowing clearly and distinctly what we ought to contend for."

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS TO PART I.

IT will be perceived, from what has gone. before, that not only those who are brought to respect religion, observe its precepts, and diligently attend the word; may nevertheless be wholly unacquainted with the saving operations of the spirit of God; but we shall also perceive, that there is no conclusive evidence that those are born again, who put on the most ardent zeal, think themselves the chief of. saints, and are forward to declare the goodness of the Lord, praise him aloud, and make the greatest possible show of religion. A clamorous, loud and boisterous spirit, is indeed always to be looked upon, rather as an unfavorable mark than otherwise. It is often, too much like the abundant and forward praises of a de

ceitful friend, (such as we often meet with in our journeyings through life,) and it but ill accords with the meekness and simplicity of the gospel of the lowly Jesus. All these great appearances of religion, are frequently, only the activity or workings of the creaturely and unsanctified part of man, influenced by causes entirely aside from the spirit of God. The corrupted Jews, on fasting, caused their voices to be heard on high and the Pharisees no doubt prayed loud, as well as long. And see how Baal's prophets cried out unto Baal; how they leaped upon the altar; and through the earnestness of their zeal, cut themselves with knives, till the blood gushed out. All these characters, now, were blind, deluded, and depraved. Publicans and harlots, were less an abomination unto the Lord than they were, after all their zeal and great show of religion.

The tree, we are told, is to be known by its fruit. But, if loud speaking, long prayers, and a great outward show of religion, were to be taken for the fruit of a right heart and spirit; the false prophets in old time, and the worshippers of Baal, must have been very good people; for, they really exceeded the true worshippers in these things: and the Scribes and Pharisees, moreover, must have had a great deal of religion. The truth is, Satan does not care how much people pray, sing, preach, or profess, or how much they attend to the externals of religion, if he can only keep possession of the heart, and inspire them with false zeal,