The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

Nor is it more dishonest and unjust; then it is foolish and absurd, that the disposition, and tendency of thy soul, should be directly contrary to the only design of the Religion thou professest, and doest externally practice. Thy profession and practice are nothing but self-contradiction. Thou art continually running counter to thy self; outwardly pursuing what thou inwardly declinest. Thy real end (which can be no other then what thou really desirest, and settest thy heart upon) and thy visibly way are quite contrary. So that while thou continuest the course of Religion, in which thou art engaged, having taken down from before thine eyes, the end which thou shouldst be aiming at, and which alone Religion can aptly subserve; Thy Religion hath no design, or end at all (none at least which thou wouldst not be ashamed to profess and own.) Indeed this temper of heart I am now pleading against, an undesirousness, or indifferency of Spirit towards the eternal glory, renders Religion the vainest thing in the world. For whereas all the other actions of our lives have their stated proper ends; Religion hath in this case none at all; none to which it hath any designation in its nature, or any aptness to subserve. This monstrous absurdity it infers (and how strange is it, that it should not be reflected on?) That, ⟨p. 352⟩whereas, if you ask any man of common understanding what he doth this or that action for? especially, if they be stated actions done by him in an ordinary course, he can readily tell you for such and such an end. But ask him why he continues any practice of Religion; he cannot say (in this case) for what.

Nor is it more dishonest and unjust; then it is foolish and absurd, that the disposition, and tendency of thy soul, should be directly contrary to the only design of the Religion thou professest, and doest externally practice. Thy profession and practice are nothing but self-contradiction. Thou art continually running counter to thy self; outwardly pursuing what thou inwardly declinest. Thy real end (which can be no other then what thou really desirest, and settest thy heart upon) and thy visibly way are quite contrary. So that while thou continuest the course of Religion, in which thou art engaged, having taken down from before thine eyes, the end which thou should'st be aiming at, and which alone Religion can aptly subserve; Thy Religion hath no design, or end at all (none at least which thou would'st not be ashamed to profess and own.) Indeed this temper of heart I am now pleading against, an undesirousness, or indifferencie of Spirit towards the eternal glory, renders Religion the vainest thing in the world. For whereas all the other actions of our lives have their stated proper ends; Religion hath in this case none at all; none to which it hath any designation in its nature, or any aptness to subserve. This monstrous absurdity it infers (and how strange is it, that it should not be reflected on?) That,