Hope and Dependance they also are not willing to forgo These Men place that Hope on their own Works and Righteousness which true Christians place on Christ and so unbelief in them throws Christ quite away they having no need of him 1. What is Unbelief but an actual or vertual denial of the Truth of the Gospel when Men do not assent to the Doctrine of it by an act of the Understanding 2. 'T is a refusal to accept heartily of Christ upon the Terms of the Gospel which is opposite to justifying-Justifying-Faith when there is not a fiducial Motion to Christ as the Center When Christ the only Foundation and chief Corner-Stone is laid aside and the Need and Worth of him not believed This Sin binds all the Guilt of all their old and new Sins upon their Souls 't is a Sin against the highest Goodness of God and casts Contempt upon it for never did God manifest such sovereign Goodness unto his Creatures as in Jesus Christ God hath said there is no Life no Salvation any other way but by the Lord Jesus But these Men do not assent to this Truth do not believe the Report God hath given concerning the want of perfect Righteousness and Regeneration and Self-debasement c. Nay they seem to contradict the Will of God by their going about to establish their own Righteousness and so not submitting to the Righteousness of God In a word 't is a denying of Christ and a disesteeming the Price of his Blood as it also reflects on the Wisdom of God in fixing on this way to save Sinners 'T is an invaluating the Excellency of Christ's Person Blood and Merits As Faith counts all things Dung in Comparison of Christ so Unbelief accounts the Person Offices and Doctrine of Christ but as Dung in Comparison of the Excellency of Self-Righteousness Self-Wisdom Self-Sufficiency c. These Men are the worst Neglecters of the great Salvation they do not only neglect it but slight and contemn it there being in their Thoughts not any need to look for Salvation this way They that sin against the Law fly to the Gospel but these sin against the Cure held forth and extended in the Gospel Whither must these fly since there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin if this be slighted no other way or means is ordained for Salvation Such who refuse the Covenant of Grace and depend on the Covenant of Works how woful is their Condition And what hope a Law often transgress'd can give a Malefactor is saith a worthy Person easy to imagine Millions have perished by it none can be secured by it as none ever by it were or could be saved At first these Persons transgressed against the Rule but now they transgress against the Rule and Remedy too None but Unbelievers are despised by God none but these shall taste of his Wrath and Divine Vengeance this is the condemning Sin this is Satan's strongest hold hither he retreats after all and here he keeps as in chains his miserable Captive He that believes not shall be damned And what is Faith but a going out of a Mans self to Christ for Life and Righteousness as a poor wretched and miserable Sinner But these Men now see not themselves to be in such a State Earthly Hypocrisy it appears from the whole which hath been said is another of those evil Spirits that is entered into this Man Hypocrisy is opposed to that inward Simplicity of the Heart and all counterfeit Professors are guilty of it though all do not act the part of an Hypocrite with an Intention i. e. are not convinced they are Hypocrites some deceive their own Hearts they are the grosser sort others their Hearts deceive them these are most to be pitied a Man may doubtless be an Hypocrite and he may not know it he may go on in a way of Duty and do all things as he thinks exactly according to the Letter of the Word and in Uprightness as he may judg and yet be unsound certainly thus it was with the foolish Virgins Hypocrites may be nevertheless discerned our Saviour hath given the Character of them 1. They are commonly most zealous from the lesser things of Religion i. e. for paying Tithes of Mint Anise and Cummin but neglect the weightier things of the Law Judgment Mercy Faith and the Love of God They strain at a Knat and swallow a Cammel They make a stir about external Rights Observation of Days and Meats but to the Power of Religion and Godliness are Strangers and experience nothing of a Divine change on their Souls 2. As they lay the greatest stress upon the least things so they are commonly partial in their pretended Obedience they lay hard things or heavy Burdens upon others but they themselves will not touch them with one of their Fingers What they preach and press on others they do not themselves they will not obey Christ nor follow him in the hardest things nor do they obey in Love or always 3. They are commonly finding Faults in other Men can spy the Mote in their Brother's Eye but cannot see the Beam that is in their own As it is a Sign of notorious Hypocrisy and Impudence to censure and judg others for those Sins which Men live in themselves so it is a Sign of like Hypocrisy to spy Faults in others and reproach them for those Faults and yet the Person is guilty of worse himself What they preach and press on others they do not themselves they will not follow Christ in the most hard and difficult things of Religion but pick and chuse will do some things that they like of and not only neglect others but quarrel with them who contend for it and faithfully subject to Christ in it And as they are not universal in their Obedience so they do not obey in Love nor do they obey always as sincere Christians do as David intimateth 4. They are generally very confident touching the Goodness of their own Condition not questioning their Salvation thus were the Pharisees they judged others were in a damnable State but as touching themselves did not doubt but they were the only People and blessed God they were not as other Men whereas a true Christian is full of Fear and doubts about the Truth of Grace received and Goodness of his Condition 5. They are vain-glorious do what they do to be seen of Men like the Pharisees They love the Praise of Men more than the Praise of God their Hearts are kept up by the good Opinion others have of them they like their Predecessors love greetings in the Markets and uppermost Rooms in Feasts and to be called of Men Rabbi they also are subject to Envy or have their Hearts rise against such who they hear out-do them and would be looked upon as the chiefest of Men in Learning Parts and Wisdom 6. They are commonly very zealous to make Men Proselytes to their own
THE Counterfeit Christian OR The Danger of Hypocrisy Opened in TWO SERMONS Containing an EXPOSITION of that Parabolical Speech of our Blessed Saviour Matth. xii 43 44 45. When the Unclean Spirit is gone out of a Man c. By BENJAMIN KEACH Author of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pastor of the Church of Christ meeting on Horsly-down in Southwark Ezek. 33. 31. And they come unto thee as the People cometh and they sit before thee as my People and they hear thy Words but they will not do them for with their Mouth they shew much Love but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness Mat. 23. 25. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites 2 Pet. 2. 21. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness c. London printed and are sold by John Pike at the upper end of Bread-street just by Cheap-side and by the Author at his House near Horslydown in Southwark 1691. Price stitch'd 6d To the Reader IT is more than a Year since I began a Morning-Exercise on the Lord's-Day at seven a Clock when I entred upon an Exposition of all the Parables and express Similitudes contained in the four Evangelists according to the measure of Light and Knowledge received though by reason of a Journey into the Country it has not been continued The Explication of this Parabolical Speech of our Saviour I have been prevailed with to make publick And if this meets with Acceptance I may in a short time publish Proposals for printing the whole which in regard of the greatness of the Charge cannot be done but by Subscriptions And though I must confess my Ability to perform so great a Work to be much inferiour to many others yet by God's Assistance I shall do what I can And the Consideration of the kind Acceptance my other Labours have had amongst God's People has caused me to take the more pains God having blessed the Writings of divers of his Servants to the Conversion of many Souls and Comfort of others yet if I have not sufficient encouragement from Christian Friends I must desist this great Essay Reader The second Sermon I have much enlarged scarcely half of it was delivered when preach'd thinking to have preached a third time upon the Text but was prevented by laying down that Lecture for the Reason afore-mentioned Neither have I been so large on other Parables already opened nor intend to be on those I purpose to explain so that the first Sermon is rather a proper Specimen of the whole Work than the second As touching some part of this dark Parabolical Saying of our Saviour I may differ in my Conceptions 't is probable from divers Men 〈…〉 inclined 't is like to believe that the Man or Men here mentioned are such only that Satan overcomes after they have made a profession of Religion with the same scandalous Sins and so they turn with the Dog to their old Vomit I grant this may be true in respect of some of them yet I do not believe the Lord Jesus intends to shew hereby they do all after manner fall from their 〈◊〉 Religion and Profession 'T is evident to me he applies it to the Pharisees and other People of that Generation but many of them never became openly Prophane yet was their State worse by many degrees than whilst they abode under the Power of gross and scandalous Sins and died in their Vnbelief and Hypocrisy which 't is to be feared many now do If the Scope of the 〈◊〉 be considered That our blessed Saviour designed by this Parable to see 〈◊〉 the State of the Pharisees is evident as may be seen if you begin at the 24th Verse of the Chapter where they charged him with casting out Devils by Bâ—â—lzebub the Prince of the Devils From whence his 〈◊〉 an occasion to set forth the sadness of their Conditions 〈…〉 Zeal and outward Sanctity shewing 〈◊〉 Vers 33 34 35. that their Hearts were not made good but like an Evil and corrupt Tree Then soon after follows these words When the Unclean Spirit is gone out of a Man c. Reader I shall not trouble thee further what Weakness thou findest in these Sermons I hope Chairty will 〈◊〉 it If any Profit thou shalt receive thereby bless God and be 〈…〉 of resting in a Form of Religion being not brought into 〈◊〉 Union with Jesus Christ nor under the Power of true 〈…〉 let me have a part in thy Prayers who is 〈…〉 them being attended with many Troubles and 〈…〉 but doubt not but God will make them all work together for good and will at last I hope through his infinite Grace bring to his quiet peaceable and everlasting Rest His poor Servant thy unworthy Friend and Brother in the Gospel BENJ. KEACH From my House near Horsly-down this 27th of the 3 d Month called May 1691. ERRATA PAge 33. line 28. for Pride read Proud c. l. 34. for regulate r. regular l. 35. blot out by P. 35. l. last f. they r. we and f. thereby r. there â—â— The Counterfeit Christian OR The Danger of Hypocrisy CONTAINING An Exposition of that Parabolical Speech of our Saviour Mat. 12. 43 44 45. SERMON I. When the unclean Spirit is gone out of a Man he walketh through dry places seeking Rest and finding none Ver. 43. Then he saith I will return into my House from whence I came out and when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished Ver. 44. Then goeth he and taketh with him seven other Spirits more wicked than himself and enter in and dwell there and the last State of that Man is worse than the first Ver. 45. THIS place of Holy Scripture is generally acknowledged to be hard to be understood most Expositers and Annotators I have met with say but little to it Some call it a Parable and others a parabolical Speech or a Similitude By the Scope and Coherence of the place it is evident our Saviour setteth forth by it the direful State and Condition of the Scribes and Pharisees and other People of the Jews who boasted of their external Holiness or seeming Sanctity they being not prophane or notorious Sinners or as they themselves foolishly said Not Extortioners unjust or Adulterers like as the Publicans were Luke 18. 11. Yet the Lord Jesus sheweth by this Parable how they were deceived for though they were delivered from that prophane and debauched unclean Spirit yet was their State worse than the State of gross and wicked Sinners which is signified by the entering into them seven other unclean Spirits worse or more wicked than the first that were gone out of them That the Words may be applied to them and other People of that Generation is evident from the sequel of ver 45. Even so shall it be with the People of this froward Generation Yet no doubt our blessed Saviour in this place may have Reference to a Man in the like State or as Beza
That by the drawing here is not meant of any coaction or force upon the Will is out of Question the Will acts freely according to the Nature of that Faculty but as it is acted and influenced by the Spirit according to that Text in the Psalms My People shall be willing in the Day of my Power But that it is to be understood only of a rational drawing by Arguments used in the Ministry of the Word we do deny though in this sense some do take it and conclude it is of the same import with that compelling mentioned Luk. 14. 23. for the Ministers of the Gospel as one observes have no other Power to compel But the Act of drawing here is not ascribed to the Servants but to the Master not the Preacher but the Father therefore doubtless it signifies a Divine Power put forth upon the Soul of Man by which the Lord opens the Heart as he did the Heart of Lydia so that he is made obedient to the call of God and willing to close with the Offer of Christ And that this must be the meaning of the Text it is rational to conclude considering the nature of the motion in coming unto Christ which is the motion of the Soul to a sublime spiritual Object to do which as no Soul hath any power of it self such is the darkness of the Mind the obstinacy of the Will and pravity of the Affections unless influenced and wrought upon by the Spirit So in like manner nothing is proud Man naturally more averse to cannot indure to think he is such a poor Miscreant a mere beggarly Wretch that he has not so much as a bit of Bread to eat nor a Garment in a spiritual sense to cover him but must be beholden to his Neighbour for all For as no Soul is able without supernatural Grace to apprehend spiritual Things cannot discern them so there is in his mind enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be From all which I have said it appears Faith as before hinted is not the Condition of Justification tho the Way or Means appointed to receive that Righteousness that doth justify the Sinner so likewise Faith is God's Gift Yet 't is foolish to say Man doth not believe but rather the Spirit for him because he cannot believe by any natural Power inherent in him till he is divinely influenced by the Holy Ghost For such may as well say Lazarus did not live or it was not his Life which he had after quickned because it was infused into him by the Power and Spirit of Christ Therefore this and the former Objection are both gone and the supposed Condition of the New Covenant vanquished since Faith it self being the Fruit of it cannot be the Condition thereof But saith the Objector If Faith and Repentance be not Conditions of the Covenant of Grace then those whom God hath appointed to Salvation shall be saved whether they believe or repent or no. To which we answer That Faith and Repentance c. are Promises of the New Covenant as well as Justification and Eternal Life and he that hath ordained the End hath also ordained the Means I will put my Law into their inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from doing them good but I will put my Fear into their Hearts that they shall not depart from me That God who hath promised to make us Happy hath also promised to make us Holy he hath promised Grace to us here and to change our Hearts of Stone and to give us Hearts of Flesh as well as he hath promised to give us Glory hereafter Our being called in Time is but the effect of God's eternal Love before Time because he hath loved us with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness hath he drawn us We are called by the free Grace of God according to his purpose as well as justified and eternally saved We are predestinated that we may be conformable to the Image of his Son in Holiness here on Earth as well as in Heaven hereafter If Men are left under the power of their Sins or only to the bare improvements of their own natural Abilities in a meer reformed Life and never brought by the free Grace of God to believe in Jesus Christ and so to have real Union with him 't is an evident sign they shall never be saved they being none of them that the Father hath given to Christ for saith he all that the Father giveth to me shall come unto me and in these only are infused the Divine Habits of Saving-Grace The Apostle positively affirms that God hath chosen us in Christ before the Foundation of the World that we should be Holy and without blame before him in love not only chosen to Salvation which is the End but to Holiness as the Means Not because we are Holy are we chosen but that we may be Holy but this ought not to take any Soul from the use of the Means And as a clear demonstration and illustration of this I might mention that passage concerning Paul's Voyage to Rome in respect of that assurance God gave him of the Lives of all that were with him in the Ship the Angel of God appeared to him and said And lo God hath given thee all them that sail with thee Wherefore Sirs be of good chear for I believe God that it shall be as it was told me This Promise was absolute yet see what Paul said to them Except ye abide in the Ship ye cannot be saved That God that hath promised us Salvation doth not save us without the use of Means although the efficaciousness and truth of the Promise does no ways depend upon the virtue of the Means but the Means are made effectual by virtue of the Promise yet whoever neglects the Means under any pretence of a free Promise he does but tempt God but doth not as some observe rightly believe in him Seventhly Amongst the wicked Spirits that are entred into this Man namely into this Counterfeit Christian that horrid and wicked Spirit of Unbelief must not be left out for tho this Sin of Sins is in all unconverted Persons yet it reigns and triumphs more in this sort of People than in others Prophane Persons are kept up by a false Faith depending as they will tell you on the Death and Merits of Christ tho 't is only cursed presumption in them for that cannot be a true Faith which changes not the Heart and Life of the Creature But they believe not by reason of love to their Sins which they are not as yet willing to forgo But these believe not on Christ because of that love which they have to their own seeming Righteousness which in point of Trust
bear the Image of the Devil by Corruption they understand not the Nature and Extent of Original Sin the pravity of their natural Faculties the lameness and impotency of their own natural Powers nor the sinfulness of the first motions of their Hearts boasting as one observes of self-Ability in the midst of utter Weakness and an affection to God under prevailing and horrid Enmity Pride commonly arises from a conceit of some excelling Quality whether Beauty Parts or Knowledg or affected Piety and these Men never being convinced of their own natural Deformity Filthiness and Pollution of Sin that contagion of the Soul the universal stain of Nature nothing but Pollution succeeding in the place of original Purity are swelled up in spiritual Pride and self-conceitedness The Pharisees were the proudest of all People and they were the most ignorant of Gospel-Truths they would have their Opinion a Rule to all the People and that must be a Truth which they so esteem to be and that an Error which they conceit so to be Pride being the Devil's Sin is hateful to God He that looks upon himself too much looks upon God too little If God hides the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven from any 't is from the Wise and Prudent The Design of God in the glorious contrivance of the way of Salvation by Christ is to confound and destroy the Pride of Man and because Man's corrupt Reason cannot comprehend the Sacred Mysteries of the Doctrine of Faith they contemn and disbelieve the revelation of it No Religion nor Ordinance of God is valued by some Men but what suits with their own affected Principles and Notions from hence the Greeks counted the Gospel Foolishness and the Jews were so wedded to their own legal Righteousness that unto them Jesus Christ was a stumbling-block the pride of their Knowledg and Attainments was the Mother and Nurse of their incredulity Have any of the Pharisees believed on him These Men sin as I have often told some of you against the Remedy and fence against the Edge of that Sword by which their Souls should be wounded and they die if ever they come to live indeed therefore what hopes is there of them Alas Men swelled up with an Opinion of their own good Estate and Condition without Christ are unfit for Faith This is one of the strong Holds exalting it self against the Knowledg of God How loth is a proud Man to become a Fool that he may be wise or to captivate his Reason to the obedience of Faith to be justified by another's Righteousness and that our own Righteousness which is so pleasant and acceptable in our sight and in the sight of Men should be as filthy Rags or a loathsome thing in the sight of God is to these sort of People a strange Paradox Lucifer as some pretend is one of the chief of Devils who is called also the King of Pride If so certainly he is one of those wicked Spirits that entred into this Person Now what but infinite Power can throw out this Devil this Pride and bring this Soul to the foot of the cross and make it strike its swelling Sails to Jesus Christ and become nothing in it self and to hate and loth its own Righteousness by reason of that impurity and pollution that cleaves to every best Duty they do or can perform Thus this unclean Spirit raises up strong Fortifications against the way of Salvation the way of Faith or going to Jesus Christ for all as poor and undone Sinners These Enemies in Hypocritical and Self-righteous Persons stand armed in the Breaches of Nature as one observes to beat off all Assaults of the Gospel and therefore the latter State of these Persons is worse than the first Thirdly Self-confidence may be another evil Spirit that is entred into these Persons and which renders their State so bad 'T is impossible to perswade them that their Condition is nought and damnable you may as I hinted before quickly bring a vile and debauched Person to acknowledg his State is dangerous tho there is no turning him from his evil course yet he stands not upon self-justification but rather readily yields to you if you deal with him at a seasonable time with Wisdom and tell him he is a very wretched Creature I know I am so saith he the Lord have Mercy upon me But the Man out of whom the debauched Devil is gone is in his own Eyes become another Person a seeming Saint one that hears Sermons Prays and gives Alms and yet not renewed nor his evil Habits changed O 't is no easy thing to bring him once to doubt or question the Goodness of his Condition he blesses God for that help he has had to change his former course of Life God I thank thee I am not as other Men nor as this Publican I was as bad as other but I am become religious now I am no Swearer Whoremonger Drunkard Extortioner c. To this purpose you have the Pharisee boasting and praising of God this renders his state lamentable with a witness What made the foolish Virgins so bold as to go forth to meet the Bridegroom Was it not that confidence they had that their condition was good A wise Man saith Solomon feareth and departeth from iniquity but a Fool rageth and is confident Confidence is opposed to Fearing so that this sort of Men are secure and unsensible of their Danger till it is too late As in the Case of the Foolish Virgins they saw not their fearful State till the Mid-night Cry was heard And hence our Saviour told the Scribes and Pharisees that Publicans and Harlots went into the Kingdom of Heaven before them Which fully confirms what we say from this dark Scripture viz. That openly prophane Persons and notorious Sinners are not in so dangerous a condition as a false Professor or counterfeit Christian who having passed under a seeming change of Life and left the gross Acts of Sin though never throughly wrought upon by regenerating Grace and I conclude this of Self-confidence is one of those more wicked Spirits that are now entered into him Behold thou art called a Jew and rests in the Law and makes thy boast of God c. And art confident that thou thy self art a Guide of the Blind a Light to them that sit in Darkness c. Thus these Persons proudly with great Self-confidence arrogate all Wisdom and Knowledg to themselves and are like the Sluggard Solomon speaks of i.e. wiser in their own conceit than seven Men that can render a Reason Tremble ye who fear nothing who conclude all Wisdom and Knowledg is with you and that you need not be taught more than you already know Some Men tho openly prophane glory and boast of their Church and Christianity and doubt not but in that Faith to be saved But if those who are of a good moral Life and zealous for the external Parts of true
necessity of Faith and Regeneration These are not only averse to all humane Innovations and Traditions of Men and so contend for God's Holy Institutions in respect of his visible Worship as I told you before but seem to be inlightned very much into that internal Work of God's Grace upon the Soul c. but never come themselves under those saving Operations of the Spirit but rest in the Speculative Knowledg of those Mysteries and are meer empty and formal Persons and Strangers to that Divine Life and sacred Change of which they speak and yet possibly may not be throughly convinced of that deceit and delusion they are under but may hope all is well with them but since they are not savingly renewed but only reformed having not Jesus Christ dwelling in their Hearts nor the Power of the Holy Ghost to enable and influence their Souls in the performance of their Duties and in mortification of their Sins and Corruptions they are frequently overcome by Satan and horrid Evils prevail and predominate in them by which means they bring great reproach upon Religion and all those who do profess it hence the Apostle calls this sort the Enemies of the Cross of Christ Phil. 3. 18. and this further aggravates their Sin and Misery for whilst openly prophane and not pretending to Religion and Godliness they could not injure the Name of God nor expose the Gospel and Professors thereof to that scorn and reproach as now they do Sinners openly wicked though notorious and vile Enemies to God yet the hurt and wrong they do is especially to their own Souls but these by their carnal earthly Prâ—â—â— loose and formal walking hinder the promulgation of the Gospel and Conversion of the Souls of Men besides their weakning the Hands and grieving the Hearts of the truly Godly Moreover they also pollute and defile too often the Church of Jesus Christ and bring great trouble upon the same Hence there is in most Congregations who keep up a strict and regular Discipline 〈◊〉 so much Church-work which makes the Communion of the Saints the more uncomfortable to them for though it cannot be denied but sincere Persons may fall under Sin and Temptation and so all the trouble of Churches and Reproach that falls upon Religion doth not arise from these counterfeit Christians or formal Professors yet doubtless the chiefest part of them do It is said Offences will come but wo to them by whom the Offence comes From all which considerations their state seems worse in many degrees than before Sixthly The wicked Spirit or abominable Sin that some of these Mens Souls are also possessed with is Legality And though this clearly appears by what I have already said yet I shall speak a little more fully and distinctly unto it All that these Persons do and perform is in a legal Spirit and that I may shew you what I mean by Legality in short it is this i. e. They act and do for Life look upon themselves to be under a conditional Covenant and whilst they live up to that Law or Rule which they judg they are bound to observe and keep in order to Justification they have Peace rendring the Gospel and Covenant of Grace by their false Apprehensions of it no better than a legal Ministration or conditional Covenant as was hinted before in respect of another sort of Men For like as the Jews of old acted in a legal Spirit and sought to be justified by the Works of the Law so these perform all their Services and Duties in the same Spirit viz. not from Life or a Divine Principle of Saving-Faith but for Life To keep the Commandments of God and live religiously is absolutely necessary But then this must be done from a renewed Nature and flows from Faith it being the proper Effect or Fruit thereof but to strive to live a sober and holy Life and obey God's Precepts and rest upon their so doing and look to be accepted with God and justified thereby is that which too many of this sort of People do and this is to act in a legal Spirit Possibly a Man may say I know I cannot perfectly keep the Law but I will do by the help of God what I can and wherein I through weakness do transgress the Lord is merciful and I trust will forgive me But let me remember what God saith viz. That he will in no wise clear the Guilty Moreover what the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law that all Mouths may be stopped and the whole World become guilty before God 'T is evident as God will not forgive an impenitent Person so he will not forgive the Penitent except they believe in Jesus Christ 'T is not for the sake or worth of Repentance that God forgives any Man the Penitent as well as the Impenitent are guilty all have broke the Law all are under Sin and Wrath Repentance will not do a holy Life will not do Prayer and hearing Sermons will not do By the Deeds of the Law and by any thing we can do no Flesh shall be justified If Men believe not on Christ let them be what they will Professors or Prophane they shall die in their Sins God pardons no Sinner as a simple Act of his Mercy without a respect had to the Satisfaction Christ hath made to his offended Justice by his Death And hence it is that the Apostle saith All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God Therefore God doth not accept of our Obedience in keeping the Precepts either of the Old or New Testament and forgive all our Deviations as a meer Act of his Mercy for if this way Righteousness and Justification were attainable 't is evident Christ died in vain as I said before for could not God have done this if Christ had never come to shed his precious Blood I remember some Years ago I heard of a Man who lying on his Death-bed when a Godly Person desired him to look out for a Christ answered He had lived a godly Life all along and why said he do you tell me of a Christ or to that effect He thought 't is evident none needed a Christ but prophane Persons and I fear many are of his Mind tho they express it not as he did with their Tongues But possibly some may say We do not think that our Righteousness justifies us any otherwise than through Christ ' s Merits To which I answer 'T is not throug our personal Righteousness though joined or coupled with Christ's Merits that we are justified but through the personal Righteousness of Christ alone and the Merits of his Blood received by Faith 't is in this way
Notions of Religion though may be false and corrupt Notions but if they can but bring a Person to receive their Principles and external Ordinances then they glory tho hereby he is made twofold perhaps sevenfold more the Child of Hell than before the poor deceived Wretch thinking this change of Religion is a true Conversion and so never looks out for any other but speaking Peace to his own Soul judging all is well within They doubt not but they have Religion enough when it doth commend them to Meâ— and are taken for Saints by Saints their greatest Labor is to keep up their Name and Credit in Religion so that if they may pass unsuspected amongst their Fellow-Creatures or have the Approbation of Men and that if none can charge them justly with any immoral Actions they rest satisfied whereas the greatest Care of a true Child of God is so to walk and labour that he may be accepted of God and have his Approbation 7. Self is commonly in the bottom In all they do they aim not at the Glory of God but have a carnal Design Self-Advantage or Self-Applause c. This moves and quickens them and animates them in all they perform in religious Services and if they miss of their end be it what it will they soon are weary and grow cold and flat in their Spirits and become quarrelsome and seek Offences and disturb the Peace of the Church to whom they belong 8. Moreover they are not the same at Home which they are Abroad not in Private what they seem to be in Publick may be seldom pray either in their Family or Closet or if they do 't is with little Zeal Enlargedness or Affection to God There are divers other Marks and Characters of Hypocrites and of these false Professors which I must pass by because I would speak a word or two of Application In the last place The latter State of these Men is worse than the first 1. Because God oftentimes leaves them to judicial Blindness and to the hardness of their own Hearts According as it is written God hath given them the Spirit of Slumber Eyes that they should not see and Ears that they should not hear unto this day Even thus as God dealt with the Unbelieving Jews or the People of that Generation so I say he oftentimes deals with other formal Hypocrites c. and for the very same Cause Doubtless it was for those Spiritual Sins Unbelief and Hypocrisy the Pharisees and other People of Israel were rejected and cast off And O what Wrath were they laid under the Wrath of God is said to come upon them to the uttermost Moreover some of these false and counterfeit Professors also fall into the very same Sins and horrid Abominations they were guilty of before they made any profession of Religion nay and they prove more vile and notorious in Wickedness than ever It hath often been seen that this sort of Men who forsake the Ways of God which they seemed to own and profess have at last appeared more impudent in Sin than the vilest Men being ring-leaders to all lewd and cursed Practices and Deeds of Darkness so that the same unclean Spirit returneth into some of them in the same shape also though I cannot see any ground to believe it happens so to them all for doubtless many of them retain their seeming Zeal and external Profession of Religion and outward Holiness until they die Evident it is our Saviour applies this direful Doom on the People of that Generation viz. the Jews particularly to the Scribes and Pharisees see the 38th verse Yet certain it is many of them never turned to open Prophaneness but died in their Unbelief whilst they abode proud and zealous Pharisees Yet I see no reason to question but this returning Devil and those seven other Spirits more wicked is applied to them as well as to others who fell away from their seeming Piety and Profession But of some of them especially it hath happened according to what St. Peter speaks For if after they have escaped the Pollutions of the World through the Knowledg of Jesus Christ and are again overcome the latter end of that Man is worse than the first that is such a knowledg of Christ as brings with it or doth produce an outward reformation of Life For as the Elect cannot be deceived so they cannot fall finally having the seed remaining in them cannot sin unto Death they are said to have eternal Life abiding in them Because saith Christ I live ye shall live also He that hath begun that good work in them will perform it to the Day of Christ They are passed from Death unto Life and shall not come into condemnation But as to these false-hearted or hypocritical Persons it happeneth to them that is to some of them according to the true Proverb The Dog is turned to his own Vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire The Apostle comparing them to Dogs and Swine shews what fort they were viz. such who never passed under an effectual change of Heart but were whilst they made a great or high profession like unclean Beasts A restraint may be put on an evil Beast or on a filthy and unclean Nature where there is not a change of nature 't is one thing to have the Life washed or cleansed and another to have the Heart cleansed Furthermore Some of this sort who have received those high though common Illuminations of the Spirit even to such a degree as they are said to be inlightned and to have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost c. that is in the common Gifts and Graces thereof and yet after all they fall away nay and so fall that they can never be renewed again by Repentance Therefore some of these Persons are they who sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost that shall never be forgiven Prophane Persons doubtless do not sin this Sin nor can true Christians commit it they cannot sin unto Death No no these are those miserable Souls those cursed Apostates who are liable and in danger to sin the unpardonable Sin Nay and observable it is that the Lord Jesus in the verses before he spake this Parable intimates that those very Pharisees c. were guilty of or in danger of being charged with this Sin see vers 30. they shewed so much Malice against our blessed Saviour as to charge him with a Devil and that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub But when the Pharisees heard it they said This Fellow doth not cast out Devils but by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils And from hence he said All manner of Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven to Men but the Sin against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto Men. And therefore he bids them to make the Tree good intimating whilst the Heart was evil and under diabolical Influences
Portion and take that to be his that belongs to an Hypocrite as an Hypocrite on the other hand mistakes that which belongs to him and applies that to himself which is the Portion of sincere Christians but Grace is like a small Seed at first that cannot be soon espied in the House i.e. the Heart especially when there is much Smoak and Darkness yet remaining But may be some may say What you have said tends to take us off of Holy Duties and Obedience God forbid for though we would not have you rest or depend upon your Duties and Obedience yet let me tell you a godly Man or he that is a true Christian hath such Righteousness wrought in him and by him that exceeds the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees if he had not he could in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 1. His Obedience and Righteousness flows from a Principle of Divine or Spiritual Life or from a Principle of saving Grace or else they would be all but dead Works and from thence he acts and doth all that he performs Godward 2. He acts from a Principle of Faith his Obedience flows from thence seeing himself justified and accepted only in Jesus Christ 3. He acts from a Principle of Love to Christ and is also always the same and for the hardest part of Religion as well as for the easiest part of it Moreover he is as careful to â—eep a good Conscience towards God as to keep a Conscience void of Offence towards Men he takes up all the Duties of Religion in Point of Performance though he lays them all down in Point of Dependance He is as careful of his Heart and Ways that he â—â—y please God and glorify him as much as a Man can be that expects to merit God's Favour thereby he knows he must attend upon the means of Salvation as well as to expect Salvation it self 4. He exceeds all others in his end which is the Honour and Glory of God or to live to God on Earth as well as to live with God in Heaven Lastly How severely doth what we have said look upon all Self-righteous Persons and those proud People that boast of their Holiness and Perfection that think they need no Repentance O that they would consider it and tremble before it is too late and they perish eternally for rejecting the chief Corner-stone Remember unless ye believe that Christ is he ye shall die in your Sins Also it looks severely on all formal and carnal Christians who have nothing but a Name Alas Sirs If the painted Hypocrite he that is so gloriously garnished with many great Gifts Parts Wisdom Learning and seeming Piety is in a damnable Condition what will become of you Mourn O England what a Number of filthy debauched treacherous proud drunken swearing and unclean Christians as they are called hast thou in the Bowels of thee they shew their Sin as Sodom and hide it not and yet glory as if they were the only People of God Awake Sinners before God's Judgments are poured out upon you for certainly great Wrath is at the Door God hath wrought Wonders for the Deliverance of this Nation but ye slight and contemn them Neither Judgments nor Mercy will humble you what would you have since nothing God doth pleases you Certainly the Almighty will not bear with you much longer if you repent not But ye who are truly pious and sincere ones rejoice you who mourn for your own Sins and for the Sins of the Land you are secured from the hungry Lion your Day is coming the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is near your Redemption is at hand lift up your Heads and praise God for ever SAtan a Spirit is unclean From whom all Filth doth flow A wicked Heart his House has been There still he dwells also As all true Holiness O Lord Is from they self alone So we do find from thy bless'd Word Sin 's from that wicked one And that he in a filthy Heart Takes up his curs'd Abode So thou so good to thy Saints art In them to dwell O God And that thou mightst Possession have Satan thou hast cast out And from all Filth our Souls to save Strange things hast wrought about Let such who garnish'd are by Art And common Graces fear Whilst all those sing with joyful Heart Who are indeed sincere Let Sinners and each Hypocrite Consider their sad doom Whilst Saints do sing having in sight The Glory that 's to come The latter State of some Men will Be worser than before But Saints are happy and safe still And shall for ever-more FINIS The whole will contain 100 or 120 Sheets in Folio Preached August 10. 1690. Matth. 12. 45. * Mark 5. 8. * Luke 22. 3. †Acts 5. 3. ‖ Ephes 2. 2 3. Luke 18. 11. * Job 1. 7. * 1 John 2. 14. †1 John 5. 18. 2 Pet. 2. Mat. 23. 27 29. Doct. I. 1 John 3. 8 12. * John 8. Doct. II. Rom. 8. 7. Doct. III. Doct. IV. This Hymn was sung at the close of the first Sermon Morning-Exercise on Horsely-Down August 17 1690. Mat. 12. 45 Rev. 3. 17. Joh. 9. 41. 1 Tim. 4. 2. 2 Cor. 10. 12. Mat. 18. 11. Rom. 10. 3. Ròm 7. 9. Rom. 2. 17 18. Rom. 2. 22. Charnock Mat. 11. 25. 1 Cor. 1. Joh. 7. 48. Charnock Prov. 14. 16. Mat. 21. 32 33. Rom. 2. 17 18 19. Prov. 26. 16. 1 Cor. 1. ult 1 Cor. 1. 30. Phil. 3. 8 9. Rom. 7. 9. Rom. 7. Rom. 3. 10. Isa. 65. 5. Mat. 9. 20. Ephes. 2. 1 2. Ephes. 1. 18 19 20. 2 Cor. 5. 17. 1 John 3. 8. Rom. 8. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 17 18. Mat. 13. Quest Answ Jer. 4. 3. Isa. 1. Rom. 2. 19 20. Annotators John 4. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Isa. 66. 3. Counterfeit Christians are not all of one sort Rom. 3. 19 Joh. 8. 24. Rom. 3. 24 25. Object Answ 1 Cor. 3. 11. Mar. 16. 16 Act. 15. 24 Rom. 10. 3. Rom. 11. 8. Rom. 11. 6. Annotat. Object Answ Annotat. Rom. 4. 5. Annotators Phil. 1. 29. Joh. 6. 65. Joh. 6. 44. Ps. 110. 5. Rom. 8. 7. Object Answ Jer. 31. 33. Jer. 32. 40. Jer. 31. 3. Rom. 8. 29. Joh. 6. 37. Eph. 1. 4. Act. 27. 24 25 31. Annotators on the place Charnock Acts 4. 12. Rom. 10. 3. Phil. 3. 8 9 10. Mark 16. 16. Mat. 25. Mat. 23. 23 24. Luke 11. 42. Mat. 23. 4. Mat. 7. 3. John 12. 43. Mat. 23. 6 7. Mat. 23. 15. Rom. 11. 8. 2 Pet. 2. 20. 1 Joh. 3. 15. Joh. 14. 19 Phil. 1. 6. 2 Pet. 2. 22. Heb. 6.4 Mat. 12. 24 28. Vers. 31. What the Sin against the Holy Ghost is that shall not be forgiven Annotators Heb. 10. 29 Heb. 6. 6. Obs. 1. Obs. 2. Obs. 3. Obs. 4. Obs. 5. Obs. 6. Obs. 7. Obs. 8. Informat 1. Informat 2. Mat. 25. Reproof 1. Rom. 4. 11 12. Versâ— 13. Reproof 2. Reproof 3. Reproof 4. Doth God allow of nothing for Ornament We say all immodest and fantastical Garbs and Dresses are loathsom and to be abominated See Wall 's Baptism anatomized Though this Man has abused me and my Brethren yet I do not think such a scurrillous Adversary worthy of an Answer See the Narrative of John Child's Life and Death three or four years ago printed Reproof 5. Reproof 6. Examinat Sincerity described Rom. 8. 7. 1 Pet. 2. 7. Object Answ Mat. 5. 20. Quakers condemned Acts 4. 11. John 8. 24. Comfort Sung at the Close of the second Sermon