name of Christ. Now I say if he intendeth not those that name the name of Christ irreligiously then tho' the exhortation let every one seems to extend it self to all and all manner of persons that any ways name the name of Christ yet 't is limited by this to wit that rightly religiously or according to the way of the professors of Christ name his worthy name And it must needs be so taken and that for these reasons 1. For that as I said before the Apostle taketh no notice of their manner of naming of his name so as â—o reprove any undecency or unseemâ—iness in their Naming of him wherefore he alloweth of the manner of their naming of him 2. Because the Apostles design in this exhortation was and is that the naming of the name of Christ might be accompanied with such a life of holiness as might put an additional lustre upon that name when ever named in a religious way but this cannot be applied to every manner of naming the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man shall name the name of Christ unduely or irreligiously though he shall never so much there withall depart from iniquity and be circumspect to the utmost in all civility and morality yet he answers not the Apostles end which he seeks by this his exhortation For 1. Suppose a man should name the name of Christ vainly idlely in vain mirth wantonness false or vain swearing or the like and shall back this his manner of naming the name of Christ with all manner of Justness and uprightness of life would this answer the Apostle's end in this his exhortation Verily no for this manner of naming the name is worthy reprehension Thou shalt not take my name in vain or vainly make use thereof And moral goodness attending the so naming of the name of Christ will do more hurt than good 2. There is a reproachful and scandalous naming of the name of Christ such as the Jews and Pharisees did accustom themselves unto as to call him Jesus the deceiver and Christ in a way of scorn and contempt Nor were these men quite destitute of that which put a luster upon their opinions for said the Lord Christ himself unto them Ye indeed appear beautiful outward 3. There is such a naming of the name of Christ as to make it a cloak for false and dangerous Errors that men by the use of that name and the putting of it upon such errors and delusions may put off their errors to others the better Many shall come in my name to wit with their delusions presenting them in my name to the world and shall put them off in my name to the destruction of the Soul Now can any imagine that the Apostle should extend his exhortation to such that they thus continuing to name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity To what end should such be comprehended in this exhortation of his To no purpose at all for the more an erroneous person or a deceiver of Souls shall back his errors with a life that is morally good the more mischievous dangerous and damnable is that man and his delusions wherefore such a one is not concerned in this exhortation 4. There is a naming of the name of Christ magically and after the manner of Exorcism or conjuration as we read in the Acts of the Apostles The vagabond Jews the exorcists there say We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth Thus they called over them that had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus But what if these should cloth this their devilish art and devilish way of using or naming of the name of the Lord Jesus with departing from iniquity so as to commend their whole life to bye-standers for such as is morally good what advantage would Christ or Paul or the Gospel get thereby verily none at all but rather dammage and reproach as will soon appear to any mans reason if it be considered that goodness of life joyned to badness of principles is like the Devil clothed in white or Satan transformed into an Angel of light And Paul was grieved in his Spirit when the wench that had a spirit of divination did acknowledg him to be the servant of the most high God for he knew it would nothing further or help forward the Lords design but be rather an hindrance thereto For when Witches and Devils come once to commend or make use of the name of Christ Christ and Paul like it not therefore Pauls exhortation which here we are presented with by the Text is not extended to any of the four sorts aforenamed but First To those upon whom his name is called they should depart from iniquity I say those whom God has so far dignified as to put the name of Christ upon them and I will add that apply that name to themselves And the reason is because God is now concerned God has changed thy name from Pagan to Christian and thou chusest to call thy self by that â—ame saying I belong to Christ. Now thou must depart from iniquity for that notice is taken of thee both by Heaven and Earth that thou art become a Disciple and let every one that so nameth the name of Christ or that nameth it being himself by God and himself put under such circumstances as these depart from iniquity Secondly It is spoken to those that name the name of Christ either in the publick or priâ—ate worship of God being themselves professed worshippers of him and the reason is for that the ordinances as well as the name of God is holy and he will be sanctified in them that come nigh him He therefore that approacheth the presence of Christ in prayer or any other Divine appointment must take heed of regarding of iniquity in his heart else the Lord will stop his ears to his prayers and will shut his eyes and not take notice of such kind of worship or worshippers Thirdly Those that the Apostle in this place exhorts to depart from iniquity are such as have taken unto themselves the boldness to say that they are in him abide in him and consequently are made partakers of the benefits that are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked And the reason is because Christ is a fruitful root and a free conveyer of sap into the branches Hence it is written that the trees of the Lord are full of sap So then he that nameth the name of Christ by way of applying to himself his benefits and as counting that he is found of God in him and so abideth ought himself to walk even as he walked that he may give proof of what he saith to be true by bearing forth before men that similitude of righteousness that is in his Root and Stem For such as the stock or tree is such let the branches be but that cannot be known but
may not God since these Rebels had such working with them as that their minds by their understandings their will and affections by their judgment and consciences were somewhat taken and allured cause a withdrawing of these for tryal and to see if they would cry after him to return But we will let these things pass and call you again to a remembrance of what is in hand we are now shewing that there be them that name the name of Christ that yet depart not from iniquity and in shewing the cause of their not so doing one was for that the Gospel came to them in word only and the other was for that though it came to others in power yet not in power or in that power that effectually keepeth some to salvation Upon this second reason I now am and am shewing how it comes to pass that they that are under the power of the things that we have afore discoursed should notwithstanding that return to their vomit again One cause of this declension or going back to iniquity I have just now touched upon and we have some more behind Secondly Therefore such persons upon the withdrawing of those influences that at present are mighty upon them do forthwith forget both what they had and what work it made upon them Straightway they forget what manner of men they were 'T is said of Israel they sang his praises they soon forgot his word So these they forget 1. They forget what light and what conviction they had 2. They forget what sorrow for sin they had 3. They forget what tastes of Christ and his word they had 4. They forget what joy and comfort they had 5. They forget how fair for heaven they were 6. And they forget how cleansed once they were They have forgotten that they were purged from their old sins Now forgetfulness makes things that are past as nothings and if so then it can lay no obligations upon the mind to ingage it to the delight of them and to the injoying of them no not in the thoughts of them as if they were remembred by us Forâ—etfulness is a very dangerous thing â—t makes preaching vain profession â—ain faith vain and all to no purâ—ose Such profession is but a dream â—nd the professors but as dreamers â—ll vanishes in the morning This made Paul so caution the Corinthiâ—ns that they forgot not the preachâ—ng and the Author to the Hebrews â—o earnestly call them in their backâ—liding back to the remembrance of former days and to the recollecting of what it was that then had made them so willingly indure their great fight of affliction Forgetfulness I say makes things noâ—hings It makes us as if things had never been and so takes a way from the soul one great means of stay support and incouragement when choice David was dejected the remembrance of the Hill Hermon was his stay when he was to go out against Goliah the remembrance of the Lyon and the Bear was his support so when those that have had the power of the things of God upon them can think of this when they are withdrawn it will even the thinking of it will have some kind of operation upon the soul. And therefore you shall find that the recovering of a backslider usually begins at the remembrance of former things Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works 'T is marvelous to see how some men are captivated with this forgetfulness Those that sometimes have prayed cryed groaned and sighed for eternal life Those that sometimes thought no pains too much no way too far no hazzards too great to run for eternal life those who sometimes were captivated with the word and with the comforts and joy thereof and that had it been possible could have pulled out their eyes and have given them to a Gospel Minister so dear and sweet were the good tidings which they brought to such I say 't is marvelous to see how such men are captivated with the forgetfulness of this They are as if they never had been them men they are as if they never had had such things or as if they had never had thought about them Yea they are strange and carry it strangely to all those that still are under the power of that word and of that mighty hand by which sometimes themselves were guided Should one say to some Art not thou the man that I once saw crying under a Sermon that I once heard cry out what must I do to be saved and that sometime ago I heard speak well of the holy word of God how askew will they look upon one or if they will acknowledge that such things were with them once they do it more like images and rejected Ghosts than men They look as if they were blasted withered cast out and dryed to powder and now fit for nothing but to be cast into the fire and burned The godliness from which they are departed and the iniquity unto which again they have joyned themselves has so altered so metamorphosed and changed their heart and mind and ways This therefore is the second thing which shews why some that have been under something of the power of things are again with iniquity entangled and overcome Thirdly Another thing that makes these enlightened ones that they continue not to depart from iniquity is the persecution that always attends the word for persecution always attends the word that of the Tongue or that of the Sword Now these men that were once enlightened though they cannot remember what they were themselves yet Satan helps them to think that their neighbours remember what they were and having now lost the savor the sence of what they once had and sinned away that spirit that brought it to them they grow weak ye are above all men the most unable to stand up to abide the shock and tryal that for their profession is coming upon them Wherefore by and by they are offended to wit with their own profession and call themselves an hundred fools for being so heedless so witless and unwary to mind Gods holy things in such a time and day Then they bethink with themselves how to make an honourable retreat which they suppose they usually do by finding fault first with their own unadvisedness and of the over-perswasiveness of others they also now begin to say farewel conscience yea God and Heaven and all and joyn in confederacy with the world again Thus are they in fear where no fear is and the sound of a shaken leaf doth chase them And there are four things are the cause of this First For that notwithstanding the former power that attended the word to their hearts their hearts did still abide as hard as a rock there was no true and sound breaking nor softning in that wherefore there the word wanted depth of earth as our Lord is pleased to call it and anon when the Sun was up that
people could learn to dissemble likewise We shun not our own sins or the sins of our own company as we should Christians learn to be proud one of another to be covetous one of another to be treacherous and false one of another to be cowardly in Gods matters one of another to be remiss and negligent in Christian duties one of another Besides If I should go about to shew here how Christians will hide iniquity as David how they will excuse it as did Aaron how they will plead for it as did the men of the City of Joash for Baal and the like I might soon make it abundantly appear that Christians do not depart from iniquity as they should And therefore the exhortation stands good and of use to the best of Saints on earth that they and every of them should depart from iniquity Yea the observation also that they do not do it as they should doth still stand good against us Wherefore as it is true in those that have nothing but notion and that it is true in those that are wrought upon but not effectually so it is true upon those that are truly gracious observation proves it fears of damnation prove it the outcry of the world proves it and the confession of the best men proves it I come now to another observation with which I will present you and that is this namely that every one that in way of profession and religion names the name of Christ should depart from iniquity I say that every one that in a way of profession and Religion nameth the name of Christ should depart from iniquity This truth needs more practice than proof For I think there are none that have either Scripture or reason by them but will freely consent to this Nor is there any thing ambiguous in the observation that we need now to stand upon the explaining of For What iniquity is who knows not That it cleaves to the best who knows not That it is disgraceful to profession who knows not and therefore that it ought to be departed from who knows not But because the motives in particular may not be so much considered as they ought and because 't is Satans design to tempt us to be unholy and to keep iniquity and the professing man together therefore I will in this place spend some arguments upon you that profess and in a way of profession do name the name of Christ that you depart from iniquity to wit both in the inward thought and in the outward practice of it And those arguments shall be of four sorts some respecting Christ some his Father some our selves and some the World First The Christ whom you profess whose name you name and whose Disciples you pretend to be is holy Be ye holy for I am holy This is natural to our discourse for if Christ be holy and if we profess him and in professing of him declare that we are his Disciples we ought therefore to depart from iniquity that we may shew the truth of our profession to the world Secondly They that thus name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity because This Christ whose name we name is loving Those that have a loving Master a Master that is continually extending his love unto his Servants should be forward in doing of his will that thereby they may shew their sence and acceptation of the love of their Master Why this is his will that we depart from iniquity that we throw sin away that we fly every appearance of evil Thirdly They that thus name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity Because of the honour and reputation of their Lord. 'T is a disparagement to Christ that any of his servants and that any that name his name should yet abide by and continue with iniquity A son honoureth his Father and a servant his Master If then I be a Father where is mine honour and if I be a Master where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts unto you O Priests that despise my name and ye say wherein have we despised thy name Fourthly They that name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity because of his name that his name may not be evil spoken of by men for our holiness puts a lustre and a beauty upon the name of Christ and our not departing from iniquity draws a cloud upon it Wherefore we ought to depart from iniquity that the name of the Lord Jesus may be glorified and not reproached through us Fifthly They that name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity because of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ which they profess may not be evil spoken of by our neighbours The Gospel is called holy therefore let them be holy that profess it The which they can by no means be if they depart not from iniquity Men cannot serve the designs of the Gospel and their own worldly and fleshly designs But they that profess the name of Christ they should be tender of his Gospel that they keep that in good esteem and reputation in the world The which they can by no means do unless they depart from iniquity Sixthly They that name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity Because the very profession of that name is holy The profession is an holy profession Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord The vessels that is the profession for by that is as it were carried about the name and Gospel of Jesus Christ. We must therefore lay aside all iniquity and superfluity of naughtiness and do as persons professing Godliness as professing a profession that Christ is the Priest of the High-Priest of It is a reproach to any man to be but a bungleâ— at his profession to be but a sloven in his profession And it is the honour of a man to be excellent in the managing of his profession Christians should be excellent in the managment of their profession and should make that which is good in it self good to the Church and to the world by a sweet and cleanly managing of it Seventhly They that profess the name of Christ or that name it religiously should to their utmost depart from iniquity because of the Church of Christ which is holy He that religiously professeth the name of Christ has put himself into the Church of Christ though not into a particular one yet into the universal one Now that is holy What agreement then hath the temple of God with Idols I or any Pillar or Post or Pin or member of that temple One black sheep is quickly espied among five hundred white ones and one mangie one will soon infect many One also among the Saints that is not clean is a blemish to the rest and as Solomon says one sinner destroyeth much good Eightly They that profess the name of Christ or that name that name religiously should depart
It is urged from the dangerousness of the latter days Wouldest thou examin thy self then make not the lives of others any rule to thee in this matter 'T is prophesied long ago by Christ and by Paul concerning the latter times that iniquity shall abound and be very high among professors Therefore it will be a rare thing to find an exemplary life among professors Wherefore cease from man and learn of the word try thy self by the word receive conviction from the word and to take off thy self from taking of incouragemnt from others set the judgment before thine eyes and that account that God will demand of thee then and know that it will be but a poor excuse of thee to say Lord such an one doth so did so would do so and they professed c. Whether thou wilt hear me or not I know not yet this I know If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self but if thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it Let me then to press this use farther upon thee shew thee in a few particulars the danger of not doing of it that is of not departing from iniquity since thou professest First The iniquity that cleaveth to men that profess if they cast it not away but countenance it will all prove Nettles and Bryers to them And I will assure thee yea thou knowest that Nettles and Thorns will sting and scratch but ill-favouredly I went saith Solomon by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding And lo it was all grown over with Thorns and Nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken down Suppose a man were after work all day to be turned into a bed of Nettles at night or after a man had been about such a business should be rewarded with chastisements of Bryers and Thorns this would for work be but little help relief or comfort to him why this is the reward of a wicked man of a wicked professor from God Nettles and Thorns are to cover over the face of his Vineyard his Field his Profession and that at the last of all for this covering over the face of his Vineyard with Nettles and Thorns is to shew what fruit the slovenly slothful careless professor will reap out of his profession when reaping time shall come Nor can he whose Vineyard whose profession is covered over with these Nettles and Thorns of iniquity escape being afflicted with them in his conscience For look as they cover the face of his Vineyard through his sloth now so will they cover the face of his conscience in the day of judgment For profession and conscience cannot be separated long If a man then shall make profession without conscience of Gods honour in his conversation his profession and conscience will meet in the day of his visitation Nor will he whose condition this shall be be able to ward off the guilt and sting of a slothful and bad conversation from covering the face of his conscience by retaining in his profession the name of Jesus Christ For naming and professing of the name of Christ will instead of salving such a conscience put venom sting and keenness into those Nettles and Thorns that then shall be spread over the face of such consciences This will be worse than was that cold wet cloth that Hazael took and spread over the face of Benhadad that he died This will sting worse tear worse torment worse kill worse Therefore look to it 2. Nor may men shift this danger by their own neglect of inquiring into the truth of their separation from iniquity for that God himself will search them I search the reins and the heart saith he to give unto every one of you according to his ways There are many that wear the name of Christ for a Cloak and so make their advantages by their iniquity but Christ at death and judgment will rent this Cloak from off such shoulders then shall they walk naked yea the shame of their nakedness shall then appear Now since no man can escape the search of God and so not his judgment it will be thy wisdom to search thine own ways and to prevent judgement by judging of thy self 3. Christ will deny those to be his that do not depart from iniquity though they shall name his name among the rest of his people Depart from me saith he all you that departed not from iniquity Yea they that shall nâ—me his name religiously and not depart from iniquity are denyed by him all along 1. He alloweth them not now to call him Lord. And why call ye me Lord Lord saith he and do not the things which I say He cannot abide to be reputed the Lord of those that presume to profess his name and do not depart from iniquity The reason is for that such do but profane his name and stave others off from falling in love with him and his ways Hence he says again Behold I have sworn by my great name saith the Lord that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah 2. He regardeth not their prayers If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer And if so then what ever thou hast at the hand of God thou hast it not in mercy but in judgment and to work out farther thine everlasting misery 3. He will not regard their soul but at the last day will cast it from him as a thing abhorred by him As is evidently seen by that thirteenth of Luke but now noted in the margent Wherefore from these few hints thou whoever thou art maiest well perceive what an horrible thing it is to make a profession of the name of Christ and not to depart from iniquity Therefore let me exhort thee again to examin thy self if thou hast and dost since thou professest that name depart from iniquity And here I would distinguish for there is two parts in iniquity to wit the guilt and filth As for the guilt that is contracted by inquity I perswade my self no man who knows it needs to be bid to desire to depart from that nay I do believe that the worst Devil in Hell would depart from his guilt if he could and might but this is it to wit to depart from the sweet the pleasure and profiâ— of iniquity There are that call evil good iniquity good and that of professors too this is that to be departed from and these are they that are exhorted to forsake it upon the pains and penalties before threatened Therefore as I said let such look to it that they examin themselves if they depart from iniquity And come now thou art going about this work let me help thee in this matter 1. Ask thy heart what evil dost thou see in sin 2. How sick art thou of sin 3. What means dost thou use to mortifie thy sins 4. How much
hast thou been grieved to see others break Gods Law and to find temptations in thy self to do it For the First 1. There is a soul-polluting evil in iniquity 2. There is a God provoking evil in iniquity 3. There is a soul-damning evil in iniquity And untill thou comest experimentally to know these things thou wilt have neither list nor will to depart from iniquity For the Second I mean not sick with guilt for so the damned in hell are sick but I mean sick of the filth and polluting nature of it Thus was Moses sick of sin thus Jabez was sick of sin and thus was Paul sick of sin For the Third You know that those that are sensible of a sickness will look out after the means to be recovered there is a means also for this disease and dost thou know what that means is and hast thou indeed a desire to it Yea couldest thou be willing even now to partake of the means that would help thee to â—hat means that can cure thee of this disease There are no means can cure a man that is sick of sin but glory and the means to come by that is Christ and to go out of this world by the faith of him There is no grace can cure this disease yea grace doth rather encrease it For the more grace any man has the more is he sick of sin the greater an offence is iniquity to him So then there is nothing can cure this disease but glory but immortal glory And dost thou desire this Medicine And doth God testifie that thy desire is true not feigned I know that there are many things that do make some even wish to die but the question is not whether thou dost wish to die for death can cure many diseases but is this that that moveth thee to desire to depart to wit that thou mightest be rid quite rid and stript of a body of death because nothing on this side the grave can rid thee and strip thee off it And is hope that this day is approaching a reviving cordial to thee And doth the hope of this strike arrows into the heart of thy lusts and draw off thy mind and affections yet farther from iniquity To the Fourth How much hast thou beâ—n grieved to see others break Gods Law and to find temptations in thy self to do it I beheld the transgressors and was grieved said David because men kept not thy word The same also had Paul beâ—ause of that body of sin and death which was in him Professor I beseech thee be thou serious about this thing because it will be found whâ—n Goâ— comes to judge that those that profess Christ and yet abide with their iniquity are but wooden earthy professors and none of the silver or golden ones and to consequently such as shall be Vessels not to honour but to dishonour not to glory but to shame Secondly My next shall be a use of terror Has God commanded by the mouth of his holy Apostles and Prophets that those that name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity Then what will become of those that rebel against his word Where the word of a King is tâ—ere is power and if the wrath of a King be as the roaring of a Lyon what is and what will be the wrath of God when with violence it falls upon the head of the wicked Sirs I beseech you consider this namely that the man that professeth the name of Christ and yet liveth a wicked life is the greatest enemy that God has in the world and consequently one that God in a way most eminent will set his face against Hence he threatneth such so hotly saying And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together and that they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed But what sinners are these why the sinners in Zion the hypocrites in the Church So again The Lord shall purge out from among you the Rebels and them that transgress against him All the sinners of my people shall die with the sword which say the evil shall not overtake nor prevent us For though such do think that by professing of the name of Christ they shall prevent their going down to hell yet they shall go down thither with those that have lived openly wicked and profane Egypt and Judah the circumcised with them that are not for it is not a profession of faith that can save them Whom dost thou pass in beauty saith God wherein art thou bettered by the profession than the wicked go down and be thou laid wiâ—h the uncircumcised This in general But more particularly the wrath of God manifesteth it self against such kind of professors In that the Gospel and means of salvation shall not be effectual for their salvation but that it shall work rather quite contrary effects It shall bring forth as I said quite contrary effects As 1. The preaching of the word shall be to such the savour of death unto death and that 's a fearful thing 2. Yea Christ Jesus himself shall be so far off from being a Savour unto them that he shall be a snare a trap and a gin to catch them by the heel withal That they may go and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken 3. The Lord also will chose out such delusions for such as will best suite with the workings of their flesh as will effectually bring them down with the Bullocks and with the Bulls to the slaughter yea he will lead such forth with the workers of iniquity 4. Such above all lie open to the sin against the Holy Ghost that unpardonable sin that must never be forgiven For alas it is not the poor ignorant world but the enlightened professor that committeth the sin that shall never be forgiven I say 't is one inlightened one that has tasted the good word of God and something of the powers of the world to come 't is one that was counted a brother that was with us in our profession 't is such an one that is in danger of committing of that most black and bloody sin But yet all and every one of those that are such are not in danger of this but those among these that take pleasure in unrigâ—â—eousness and that rather than theâ— will lose that pleasure will commit it presumptously Presumptuously that is against light against convictions against warnings against mercies Or thus a presumptuous sin is such an one as is committeâ— in the face of the command in a desperate venturing to run the hazzard or in a presuming upon the mercy of God through Christ to be saved notwithstanding This is a leading sin to that which is unpardonable and will be found with suâ—h professors that do hanker after iniquity I say it is designed by the Devil and suffâ—red by the just judgment of God to catch and overthrow the loose carnal