An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications…

O that there were such an Heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my Commandments always, that it might be well with them and with their Children forever. The People were mistaken about their Disposition and Preparation of Heart to go through the Business of God's Service, as the Man in the Parable, that undertook to build a Tower without counting the Cost. Nor need it seem at all incredible, that that Generation who covenanted at Mount Sinai, should, the greater Part of them, be deceived, and think their Hearts thoroughly disposed to give up themselves forever to God, if we consider how much they had strongly to move their Affections; the Wonders wrought in Egypt and at the Red Sea, where they were led through on dry Ground, and the Egyptians were so miraculously destroyed; whereby their Affections were greatly raised, and they sang God's Praises: And particularly what they now saw at Mount Sinai, of the astonishing Manifestations of God's Majesty there. Probably the greater Part of the Sinners among them were deceived with false Affections; and if there were others that were less affected and who were not deceived, 'tis not incredible that they, in those Circumstances, should wilfully dissemble in their Profession, and so in a more gross Sense flatter God with their Lips, and lie to him with their Tongues. And these Things are more credible concerning that Generation, being a Generation peculiarly left to Hardness and Blindness of Mind in divine Matters, and peculiarly noted in the Book of Psalm• for Hypocrisy. And as to the Generation of their Children that owned the Covenant on the Plains of Moab, they not only in like Manner had very much to move their Affections, the awful Judgments ⟨p. 35⟩of God they had seen on their Fathers, God having brought them through the Wilderness, and subdued Sihon King of the Amorites, and Og the King of Bashan before them, Moses's affecting Rehearsal of the whole Series of God's wonderful Dealings with them, together with his most pathetical Exhortations; but it was also a Time of great revival of Religion and powerful Influence of the Spirit of God, and that Generation was probably the most excellent Generation that ever was in Israel;

O that there were such an Heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my Commandments always, that it might be well with them and with their Children forever. The People were mistaken about their Disposition and Preparation of Heart to go through the Business of God's Service, as the Man in the Parable, that undertook to build a Tower without counting the Cost. Nor need it seem at all incredible, that that Generation who covenanted at Mount Sinai, should, the greater Part of them, be deceived, and think their Hearts thoroughly disposed to give up themselves forever to God, if we consider how much they had strongly to move their Affections; the Wonders wrought in Egypt and at the Red Sea, where they were led through on dry Ground, and the Egyptians were so miraculously destroyed; whereby their Affections were greatly raised, and they sang God's Praises: And particularly what they now saw at Mount Sinai, of the astonishing Manifestations of God's Majesty there. Probably the greater Part of the Sinners among them were deceived with false Affections; and if there were others that were less affected and who were not deceived, 'tis not incredible that they, in those Circumstances, should wilfully dissemble in their Profession, and so in a more gross Sense flatter God with their Lips, and lie to him with their Tongues. And these Things are more credible concerning that Generation, being a Generation peculiarly left to Hardness and Blindness of Mind in divine Matters, and peculiarly noted in the Book of Psalm for Hypocrisy. And as to the Generation of their Children that own'd the Covenant on the Plains of Moab, they not only in like Manner had very much to move their Affections, the awful Judgments