Knâ—wing this that our Old Man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be Dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. As if he had said The End of Christs Coming is to turn People from their Sins and that those who persist in their Disobedience resist the Benefits that come by him Let not Sin therefore reign in your mortal Body that ye should obey it in the Lusts thereof Neither yield ye your Members as Instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin but yield your selves unto God as those that are Alive from the Dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteousness For when ye were the Servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness What Fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the End of those things is Death But now being made Free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your FRUIT UNTO HOLINESS and the End Everlasting Life For the Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. To Conclude nothing can be more apparent then that Freedom from Actual Sinning and giving Newness of Life to the Souls of Men was the great Reason of Christs Coming and the End for which he hath given us out of his fulness of Grace and Truth and Grace for Grace and that to be under Grace and not under the Law is not to have Liberty to do that now which ought not to have been done before as the Ranters interpret it but to be Freed from the Condemnation of the Law First through Remission of the Sins that are past upon Faith and Repentance and next by Fulfilling the Righteousness of the Law in receiving and obeying the Light and Grace that comes by Jesus Christ Very pertinent is that Passage of the Apostle Paul to Titus to our present purpose for it seems to comprehend the End of Christ's Coming the Faith and Duty of his people which our Great Selden after all his Painful Readings and Curious Inquisitions said but a little before his Death was the Most-Weighty Passage of the whole Bible to him as the Bible was the best of Books in the World viz For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World looâ—ing for that Blessed Hope and the Glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from ALL INIQUITY and purify unto himself a peculiar people Zealous of Good Works In which Comprehensive Passage we find the End of Christ's Coming to be Our Redemption from all Iniquiquity both to blot out our Sins that are past to purify our Hearts from the Sin that remains We have the means that works and brings this Salvation into our Souls which is the Grace and the Way by which this Grace doth accomplish it is by Teaching us to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World Which has this great Encouragement joyned to it that those who so live have only right to look for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ I will add the Testimony of his Beloved Disciple John who has defined to us the End of Christ's Coming thus Whosoever committeth Sin Transgresseth also the Law and ye Know that he was manifested to take away our Sins And to shew that this is understood not only of the Guilt of Sins past but of the Nature and present Power of Sin in Man observe what follows Whosoever abideth in him Christ SINNETH NOT. As if this Apostle had foreseen the present Mischief Christianity labours under both on the side of Evil Men and but too many Mistaken Professors he adds Little Children let no Man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous he that committeth Sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinned from the Beginning Now comes his most express Passage to the Matter in hand For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might DESTROY the Works of the Devil Which is more than the Remission of Sins that are past here is the DESTRUCTION of the Power and Kingdom of Satan They that know not this know not Christ for as we so our Lord is known by his Fruits by the Works which he works in us therefore it is said that His own Works praise him He therefore that lives in Sin denyes Christ by denying the End of his Coming The Fool did not say with his Mouth but in his Heart There is no God yet but too many now adays plead with their Tongues and Pens for Sin Term of Life by endeavouring to shew the Impossibility of overcoming Sin But what saith this Apostle further of the Business Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother But if you walk in the Light as God is in the Light we have fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Again He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himself also so to walk even as Christ walked A little lower in the same Chapter he says I have written unto you Young Men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have OVERCOME the Wicked One I will add one Scripture-Testimony more in the present Case and it is this Herein saith John is our Love made perfect that we may have Boldness in the Day of Judgment because as he is so are we in this World Behold now the true End of Christ's Coming viz. To SAVE FROM SIN and to purge us from all Iniquity that he might present us to God without Spot or Blemish Let us not then Flatter our selves for we shall be the Loosers neither let us make the Impossibility through our Infidelity which a Grain of Sincere Faith can make not only Possible but Easie What has been may be again nay in this Case must be Did the First Christians overcome the VVicked one so must the Last Christians too were those Ages led by the Holy Spirit and taught by the Grace of God to live God-like or like God in the World so must we of these Latter Ages too if we will be blessed forever that having put off the Old Man the Devil and his Works we may put on Christ the new and heavenly
is but FIGMENT they have peremptorily concluded and confidently imposed upon others a Necessity of Entertaining Conclusions of that Nature and to strengthen themselves have broken out into Divisions and Factions opposing Man to Man Synod to Synod till the Peace of the Church vanished without all Possibility of Recall Hence arose those Ancient and many Separations amongst Christians Arianism Eutychianism Nestorianism Photinianism Sabellianism and many more both Antient and in our Time And as he hath told us one great Occasion of the Disease so he offers what follows for the Cure And were Liturgies sayes he and Publick Forms of Service so framed as that they admitted not of particular and private Fancies but contained only such things as in which all Christians do agree Schisms on Opinion were utterly vanished Whereas to load our Publick Forms with the Private Fancies upon which we differ is the most-soveraign Way to perpetuate Schism unto the World's End Remove from them whatsoever is scandalous to any Party and leave nothing but what all agree on and the Event shall be that the Publick Service and Honor of God shall no wayes suffer For to charge Churches and Liturgies with Things Unnecessary was the First Beginning of all Superstition If the spiritual Guides and Fathers of the Church would be a little sparing of Incumbring Churches with Superfluities and not over-rigid either in reviving Obsolete Customs or imposing New there were far less Danger of Schism or Superstition Mean while wheresoever false or suspected Opinions are made a piece of the Church Liturgy he that separates is not a Schismatick for it is alike Unlawful to make Profession of known or suspected Falshoods as to put in Practice Unlawful or Suspect Actions He further tells us in his Sermon of Dealing with Erring Christians That it is the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace and not the Identity or Oneness of Conceit which the Holy Ghost requires at the Hands of Christians A better Way my Conceit cannot reach unto then that we should be willing to think that these things which with some Shew of Probability we deduce from Scripture are at the best but Our Opinions For this peremptory Manner of setting down our Conclusions under this High Commanding Form of Necessary Truths is generally one of the greatest Causes which keeps the Churches this Day so fâ—r assunder whenas a Gratious Receiving of each other by Mutual Forbearance in this kind might peradventure in time bring them nearer together Thus much of this Great Man concerning Schism the Cause and Cure of it and for the Notion of Hereticks he will help us altogether as well For though they are generally taken for such as err in Judgment about Doctrines and Articles of Faith yet if this Man may have any Credit and perhaps none of his Profession has deserv'd more he tells us that Heresie is an Act of the Will not of Reason and is ind eeda Lye not a Mistake else sayes he how could that known Speech of Austin go for true Errare possum Haereticus esse nolo I may err but I am unwilling to be an Heretick And indeed this is no other than what Holy Scripture teacheth A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being CONDEMNED OF HIMSELF Which is as much as to say that no body is an Heretick but he that gives the Lye to his own Conscience and is Self-condemned Which is not the Case of Men meerly Mistaken or who only err in Judgment And therefore the Term of Heretick is as Untruly as Uncharitably flung upon those that Conscientiously dissent either in point of Discipline OF Doctrine from any Society of Christians and it is not hard to observe that those who have best merited it have most liberally bestow'd it But to show you that neither true Schismatick who is One that unnecessarily and unwarrantably separates from that part of the Visible Church of which he was once a Member nor true Heretick who is a Wilful Subverter of True or an Introducer of false Doctrines a Self-condemned Person can ever shelter himself under this Common Confession of Christianity sincerely made Let us consider that who-ever so declares Jesus to be the Messiah and Anointed Saviour of God to Men must be supposed to believe all that of him with respect to which he is so called Now that for which he is so denominated is that which God sent him to do the Reason and End of his coming he could best tell who hath told us thus I am come that ye may have Life and that ye may have it more abundantly The World was as dead in Trespasses and Sins the guilt and defilement of Transgression had kill'd the Soul as to Spiritual Life and Motion and from under this powerful Death he came to redeem the Soul unto Life in short to restore Man from this Fearful Degeneracy his Disobedience to God had reduced him to The Way he took to accomplish this Blessed Work was First To preach Repentance and the Approach of the Kingdom of God which is his Rule and his Authority in the Hearts of men which brings us to the Second thing to be believed namely What he Taught 1. First his Doctrine led Men to Repentance Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand No Man could receive the Kingdom of God whilst he lived under the Kingdom and Power of Satan so that to Repent is not only to bring their Deeds to the Light which Christ exhorteth Men to but to forsake that which upon Examination appeared to be Evil. Wherefore I conclude that such as have not been acquainted with this Holy Repentance do not sincerely believe neither can Rightly confess Jesus to be the Christ the Son of God the Saviour of the World Therefore saith the Apostle Let him that nameth the Name of the Lord depart from Iniquity plainly implying that those do rather Prophane than Confess the Name of the Lord who do not Depart from their Iniquities And saith the Apostle in another place No man can call Jesus LORD but by the Holy Ghost Which opens to us the Nature of the True Confession to wit That the True Confession of Jesus to be both Lord and Christ is from such a Belief in the Heart as is the work of the Holy Ghost and those that do not Confess him or call upon him by Virtue of the Overshadowings of this Divine Spirit and Power are not truly Christians true Worshippers Believers and Disciples Furthermore they that receive Christ receive his Kingdom his Power and Authority in their Souls the strong Man that kept the house becomes bounâ— and his Goods spoil'd by this stronger man the LORD 's CHRIST who is come from Heaven to dwell in us and be the Hope of our Glory for so he was preached to the Gentiles This Kingdom the Apostle tells us stands in Righteousness Peace and Joy
but keeping the Law of God Great Peace have they that love thy Law said David that had known the Trouble of Breaking it Therefore it is that Grace and Truth is come by Jesus Christ to help us to fulfill the Law not to Excuse our Disobedience of the Law And what before we were Unable this gives us Force to do So that Christianity is not an Indulgence of people under Weakness and Disobedience but the Compleating and Perfection of that Righteousness which without him was but Short and Imperfect through that Grace and Power that came by Jesus Christ Give me leave I beseech you for I have a Godly Jealousy upon me I fear lest the very End of Christs Coming is Mistaken And of how Dreadful a Consequence such a Mistake would be you cannot possibly be Ignorant that believe there is No Salvation in another Name Let us hear the Testimony of Scripture They are the Words of Christ himself I must peach the Kingdom of God for therefore am I sent Now what is this Kingdom of God but God's Government and where is this Kingdom and Government to be set up Christ also tells us Behold the Kingdom of God is within you So that the Reason of this being sent is to destroy the Kingdom and Government of the Devil the Strong Man that kept the House the Heart and to erect and establish the Kingdom and Government of God in the Soul Thy Kingdom come thy Will be done Would to God people would but consider what they Pray for For they are scandal'd at the thing they ask and both neglect and revile the Substance of their own Prayers Thy Kingdom come and thy Will be done but believe neither It was the Office God designed his Son to The Thief says Christ does not come but to kill to steal and to destroy That is To steal away the Heart from God and to kill and to destroy all Good Desires and Inclinations in the Soul for the Devil is this Thief and Destroyer But I am come says Christ that they might have Life and that they might have it more abundantly O Death 〈◊〉 will be thy Death as if he had said I will kill that which kill'd the Soul I will breath the Breath of Life into it again and by my Spirit and Grace I will beget Holy Motions and kindle Heavenly Desires in it after God after the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof This is the Newness of Life And I will not only restore that Life the Soul has lost but I will encrease it I will add to it that it may have Life more abundantly Indeed he was Anointed of God for this Purpose and is therefore called the Restorer of Paths the Repairer of Breaches and the Builder up of Waste Places that is he is ordained of God for the Recovery of Man from his Fallen and Disobedient State This is the Reason of his Name Thou shalt call his Name Jesus said the Angel for he shall save his People from their Sins Not from Wrath only but from Sin which is the Cause of Wrath. That is Of Bad Men he will make them really good Men and of Sinful and Unholy he will make them Holy and Righteous Men who truly believe in him This is the Burden of John's Testimony There is one says he that cometh after me is mightier than I he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire whose Fan is in his hand he will THROUGHLY PURGE his Floor And seeing Jesus coming to him said Behold the Lamb of God which TAKETH AWAY the SIN of the World I know the Use that too many make of these Scriptures as if they were an Hebraism borrow'd from the Old Sacrifices which may be said To take away Sin by taking away the Guilt and not that the Natures of Men are restored and perfected And indeed this is that Sense which I dread above all others because it perverts the End of Christs Coming and lodges Men in a Security pernitious to their own Souls For though it is most true that Remission of Sins was and is preached in his Name and Blood and that Sin in a Sense may be said to be Taken away when the Guilt of the Sins is removed by Remission yet this is only of Siâ—s past that upon Repentance are forgiven But this is not the Whole Full and Evangelical Sense as Christ's own words do plainly import For says he the Son of Man is come to save that which was Lost And upon another Occasion he expresseth himself to the same purpose and almost in the same words For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was Lost Now who is this that is Lost but Man and in what Sense can Man be said to be Lost but by Sin and Disobedience that which cast him out of the Presence and Garden of God and put him in a Condition of Eternal Misery If Christ then came to Save Lost Man he must be understood to Save him from that which puts him into a Lost Condition that is Sin for The Wages of Sin is Death and the Servant of Sin is a Son of Perdition Christ has determin'd this Point beyond all Exception in his Discourse with the Jews John 8. 31 32 33 34. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed vn him if ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you Free What Freedom was this Certainly from Sin sutable to that passage in his Prayer Sanctify them through thy Truth thy Word is Truth But some Jews present proud of their Priviledges apprehended not the Liberty Christ spoke of and therefore answer'd him thus We are Abraham's Seed and were never in Bondage to any Man how sayest thou Ye shall be made Free Jesus answered them Verily verily I say unto you whosoever committeth Sin is the Servant of Sin In which place it is very remarkable that Men are only to be distinguish'd by their Works that no Claims Priviledges Successions or Dissents are available but He that commits Sin is the Servant of Sin So that Christ's Free Man is he that is Freed from Sin this is his Follower and Disciple And as Christ oppos'd the Works of the Jews who unjustly sought to kill him to their Pretensions they made to Abraham's Seed so must we oppose the Actions of Ill Men to their better Professions we must faithfully tell them He that commits Sin is the Servant of Sin From which Servitude Christ came to Save his people and is therefore called The SAVIOUR and the REDEEMER This Doctrine is closely followed by the Apostle Paul in his sixth Chapter to the Romans Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life