in this State of Imperfection so fully Comprehend proceeds meerly from the Pride of those Men who disdaining to own the Decays of our Reason as well as of other the Powers of the Soul ever since the Fall which every Modest Man's Experience does make him too sensible of in a thousand Instances do over-value their Talent of Wit far beyond what they ought And this therefore being such a proud Luciferian Temper it ought to be Renounc'd as the most Impious of all the Sinful Lusts of the Fleshly Mind And let this suffice to be spoke concerning our Renouncing of the Sinful Lusts of that sort The Corrupt Will what and how to be Renounc'd 2. Let us next consider the WILL and the Innate Corruption which Residing in that Faculty renders it Fleshly and tending in all its Choices towards the Creature and so the proper Matter of the Christians Renuntiation And as to this Faculty we are to consider how that God gave to Man a Righteous Law which was to be the Rule of his Will and while it was conformable to this it was conformable to the Will of God and consequently beautiful and regular but instead thereof there is now a Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.2 And this Law subdues the Law of the Mind and brings the Soul into Captivity to the Law of Sin Rom. 7.23 And the Will being thus Captivated is made Carnal and filled with Enmity against God and that Law which he once planted in us to be the Rule of our Will so that it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be whilst we remain unregenerate Rom. 8.7 But in its corrupt State being always Averse to the Directions of God's Laws and Right Reason it perversly chuses those things which please only the Senses and so becomes in the most proper and immediate Sense of the Word a Sinful and Fleshly Lust But as obstinately bent as the Corrupt Will is found to be against complying with the Laws of God which would guide our Souls upwards we must bring our selves to that Habit of Self-denial so as readily to submit our Wills to God's Laws to be Govern'd by 'em the reason is we are not our own and therefore our own depraved Wills ought not to bear Rule in us but we are God's Creatures and his Subjects and Servants and therefore his All-wise Will and Pleasure should be the Rule and Measure of and preside over all our Actions And this it must do in the most difficult Cases when his Laws seem most to thwart our Reason and his Dispensations seem most hard and severe Thus did Abraham the Father of the Faithful when God commanded him even to slay his only Son Isaac he readily obey'd he did not stand to dispute the case Gen. 22.10 And thus did Job in reference to the Dispensations of God's Providence when he was stript naked of his vast Possessions and even of his dear Children he even then blest God for it kissing as it were the Rod that stroke him The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord Job 1.21 III. The Affections in the Carnal Man do sadly degenerate into what may too properly be call'd the sinful Lusts of the Flesh 3. The Affections what and how to be Renounc'd Our Passions and Affections are indeed in themselves of singular use to the perfecting of our Natures They are the Wings of the Soul to carry it forth with eagerness in the pursuit of that which is good and with Aversation and Flight from that which is Evil. They are variously numbred up but the Master Affections are Love and Hatred which when they are rightly govern'd all the rest are so too but when they are misplac'd and out of order so in the same proportion are all the others And accordingly whereas then it is that our Love is rightly fix'd 1. When we place it upon a proper Object And 2. When we steer towards the Thing we Love with Desires proportionable to the Good that is in the Object that is When the best and greatest Things are pursu'd with our Chiefest Passions middle Things with a less and the lowest with the least So it is that so long as a Person remains Unregenerate he either first places his Love upon that which he should Hate which is the wrong Object as upon sinful Profits and Pleasures or secondly he loves Things of an Indifferent Nature such as are Earthly Things with an over Intense Affection beyond their true Worth and Value And so on the contrary as to Hatred the Carnal Mind hates that which he should love Viz. God and Vertue The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God nor is it Subject to the Law of God Rom. 8.7 Or else he hates some Things as the chiefest of all Evils viz. Sufferings and Afflictions when indeed they are of that Nature that upon due Consideration a Man shall be able to say That it is good for him that he has been Afflicted And accordingly when our Affections of either kind are either misplac'd upon wrong Objects or are disproportionate to the true worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or evilly Affected in Moderate Degrees In either of these cases I say our Affections shall become Sinful Lusts of the Flesh and are necessary to be Renounced by us 1. As they are Misplac't upon wrong Objects And 1. Those Affections of Love and Hatred must be utterly Renounc'd which we shall find our selves to have misplac't upon wrong Objects that is instead of Loving we must utterly Hate and Abhor all Sin and Sinful Pleasures So the Psalmist Psal 97.10 Ye that Love the Lord hate Evil. Now Sin is the greatest Evil in the World as being most directly contrary to the Holy Nature and Will of God and it is the Cause of all the Evils which befal us and therefore to take pleasure in Sin is so perverse a thing that so long as any Person remains thus wickedly Dispos'd he is an Enemy of God and no better than a Child of the Devil 1 John 3.10 Thus must we not misplace our Love upon that greatest of all Evils which is Sin And so 2. Instead of Hating God and Vertue against whom the Carnal and Vnregenerate are at Enmity we must Entirely and Affectionately Love both which is so plain and palpable a Truth as needs neither proof nor Enlargement And thus we are to Renounce the Affections of Love and Hatred whenever they are misplac'd upon undue Objects 2. As they are Disproportionate to the Love Worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or evilly Affected in Moderate Degrees 2. And we must so far Renounce 'em as they are Disproportionate to the true Worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or Evilly Affected in Moderate Degrees That is 1st We must not Love God
to leave off having any Communication or Agreement with him and any Hand in his base and ungrateful Rebellion against God so to Renounce his Works of Sin was to Disclaim Abandon or Forsake all and every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil and in the real Meaning of it no less than a throwing off God's Authority and a dis-owning of his Power This I say was the first Meaning of the Words in the first Ages of the Church Nor are they to be Interpreted in a much different Sence at this Day For Satan has his Kingdom still in the World The Words are to be understood in much the same Sence at this day Satan having his Kingdom still in the World and even amongst Christians and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of his Kingdom being still Obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of that his Kingdom are Obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind The Barbarous Nations amongst the Pagans do directly serve him at this Day and it is many a Christian's Lot who is cast amongst 'em to be forced either to Join with 'em in such Impious Service or to suffer Death with Torments for refusing And even in the Christian Pale tho' his Power is much weaken'd here since the Coming of our Saviour to what it was before yet still as Christ has his Church so Satan has his Synagogue amongst us and too many there are within the Limits of Christendom who do openly and avowedly Obey no other than the Laws of his Kingdom All your Atheists and Deists who Blaspheme God and the Christian Religion and all your Profane Swearers and Cursers whom you shall hear every Hour in the Day to Dare God as it were by their horrid Oaths and Imprecations to Damn 'em that is to send 'em to the Devil and all those who Resort to Charmers and Conjurers and Fortune-tellers as many Thousands do in this Nation All these I say are the open and profest Subjects of Satan's Kingdom And how many Lewd and Riotous Livers are there amongst us who do little else but the Works of the Devil and Obey no other Laws but those of Sin So that as you will Renounce the Devil and all his Works in that Sence wherein the Church does at present understand the Words you are with all possible care to avoid being of the Number of such Men. And I know no more that need be said at present This Renunciation for the most Part the same with Repentance to explain the Importance of the words Renounce the Devil and all his Works except it be this That if we consider such a Renunciation as the Act of One who has been heretofore a Slave to Satan and a Servant to Sin then it signifies to Forsake and Abandon the Service of Sin and the Devil formerly Liv'd in and so being a Ceasing to do Evil and a Learning to do well is the same with Repentance But if it be the Act of One of those who may be said to need no Repentance of which sort are Infants who have never committed Actual Sin then to Renounce the Devil and all his Works does mean a firm Resolution never to side with him in his Rebellion against God and as carefully as he can to avoid the committing of any Sin as being that whereby God's Rightful Authority is cast off and the Devil 's Vsurpt Dominion submitted to And so much for the Meaning of Renouncing the Devil and all his Works The Devil â—nd all his â—orks of Sin â—ust be absoâ—utely and enâ—rely Renounâ—ed because And now Lastly it remains that I should shew you how that it is necessary we should Absolutely and Entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works As to those other Enemies to our Souls the World and our own Flesh there is some Temper to be us'd being neither of 'em are Absolutely and in themselves Evil but only by accident when the World is too intensely Belov'd and our Flesh too much Indulg'd to the Prejudice and Hurt of the Soul and therefore there are some Degrees of Affection and Regard allow'd to both them But the Devil is the Evil One and he is by way of Eminence and Singularity styl'd the Wicked One in the Holy Scripture as Matth. 13.19 There is noâ—hing but Eâ—il proceeds â—rom Satan and 1 Joh. 2.13.19 So that there 's not the least Good and nothing but Evil proceeds from him and therefore no manner of Agreement is to be made with him What Concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.15 Nor are we to imagine we can divide our Service betwixt God and him We cannot serve God and Mammon Matth. 6.24 So that the Devil is Absolutely and Entirely to be Renounc'd by us And Sin â—hether we â—â—nsider it in 〈◊〉 original â—ause and â—ature 〈◊〉 in its sad â—ffects and â—onsequents 〈◊〉 the utmost â—vil And so likewise must his Works of Sin Sin as Sin is entirely Evil Consider it in its Original Cause and Nature and consider it in its Effects and Consequents and there is not a worse Evil in the World than Sin View it in its Original and first Cause and it is a Brat of the Devil 's the First-born of Hell And view it again in its Nature and it is a Choosing of quite other Ends than what the Wise and Good God has Appointed us and ordain'd us for and is a Going quite cross to those Laws and Rules which he has given us And then consider it next in its sad Effects and Consequents and there is no Evil in the World to be Compar'd to it It is a Sin says One which turn'd glorious Angels into hideous Devils and tumbl'd them down from Heaven to Hell It is Sin that fill'd the the World with Woes and Plagues brought Death and Diseases and a vast and endless Summ of Miseries into it It is Sin that torments and terrifies the Conscience that kindles Hell Flames Exposes the Soul to the eternal and direful Revenges of the great God And in a word Sin is so perfectly and only Evil that the worst of Things here were they free from the Contagion and Evil of Sin would be Excellent and Amiable So that Sin also is Absolutely and Entirely to be Renounc'd by us and there is no one Sin nothing in the least of Sin that may willingly be comply'd with â—herefore no â—ne Sin nor â—ny thing the â—ast of Sin â—ust willingâ—â— be comply'd â—ith I say No One Sin nor any the least of Sin for so Poisonous a thing it is in spoiling of every thing that is Good in Man that if we shall allow our selves but in One single Sin it will utterly spoil all our other Righteousness If a man keep the whole Law and yet offend in one Point he is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 And One such single Allowance will stop God's Ears against all our Prayers If I regard Iniquity in my
Heart the Lord will not hear me Psal 66.18 Nay so absolutely an Evil is Sin and so Absolutely and Entirely it is to be Renounc'd by us that the least Sinful Action is not to be committed in order to attain the greatest Good So little a Sin as an Officious Lie must not be told no not to save a Man's Life Nor a Pious Fraud nor a Holy Cheat committed to promote the Good of the Church and to Secure and Propagate what we take to be the True Religion For if the Truth of God hath more Abounded through my Lie unto his Glory why yet am I judged as a Sinner Whereas he who telleth such a Kind and Serviceable Lie will certainly be Judg'd as such and as it follows Whosoever shall say Let us do Evil that Good may come of it his Damnation is just Rom. 3.7 8. So that every Christian must Absolutely and Entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin And indeed it is but to consider And indeed if the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either be well consider'd it is hardly possible not absolutely and entirely to Renounce both as well as know the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either of them and it is impossible any should not Absolutely and Entirely Renounce that is utterly Detest and Avoid and Beware of them As for the Devil why Even the Perversest of People the Israelites when it was solemnly put to their Reason and Consideration who to serve God or the Devil could not without the utmost Detestation think of the latter If it seems Evil unto you says Joshua to them Josh 24.15 16. to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will serve whether the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell and those Gods were no other than Devils but as for me and my house said he we will serve the Lord. And the Result was That the People answered and said God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other Gods God forbid The very Thoughts of such a Thing when they came to Consider it was Odious to them And if we did but Consider the odious Nature of Sin we should not more Abhor the Devil himself than Abandon every Sin For why He that committeth Sin is of the Devil we are told 1 Joh. 3.8 Such a One is of the Devil's Party he is a Sharer in the Devil's Rebellion against God and in his wicked Designs to destroy God's Authority And tho' he be not a Devil himself yet he is near A-kin to him and shall Partake with him as in his Rebellion so in his Punishment And who that Considers this can stick Entirely to Abandon and to Abhor so foul a Thing as Sin is But however whether People will Consider it or no However this if we do not do we shall forfeit all Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth in the Covenant of Grace so necessary it is that every Christian should absolutely and entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin that this if you do not do you will forfeit all your Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth to you in the Covenant of Grace and Purchas'd for you by the Blood of Christ If you do not utterly Renounce the Devil by having nothing to do with him in his foul Rebellion against God you will be accounted no Members of Christ's Church but of the Synagogue of Satan as the Apostatizing Gnosticks those great Enemies of God are call'd Rev. 2.9 and that for their Halting betwixt God and Satan And except you do also utterly Renounce his Works of Sin by abandoning every known Sin as that whereby the Divine Authority is thrown aside and his Power disown'd you will be so far from being the Children of God that you will be styl'd no better than Children of the Devil For whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin it is said 1 Joh. 3.9 that is does keep himself strictly from all deliberate Sin And in this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God as the same Apostle goes on ver 10. And who else is it think ye but he who Overcometh both the Devil and all his Works of Sin that shall ever Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Why he and none else shall Inherit so inestimable a Blessing we are assur'd Rev. 21.7 8. He that Overcometh shall Inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son But the Fearful and Vnbelieving and the Abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liars shall have their part in the Lake that Burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the Second Death So necessary upon these several Accounts it is that according as has been Explain'd you should Renounce that is Disclaim Abhor and Abandon the Devil and all his Works of Sin Which that you may all of you do God Almighty grant of his infinite Mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE Tenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works I Have already shew'd you First who the Devil is and Secondly in Part what are his Works All Sin whatsoever I have shew'd you is a Work of the Devil but there are some particular Sins which being more directly level'd against God's Authority and expressing more of the natural Temper and Disposition of Satan and being more his own Practice than others do more particularly deserve the Title and Character of the Works of the Devil and what they are I have shew'd you Secondly And as Sin so his Tempting of us to Sin is another main and principal Work of the Devil And I have reserv'd this Subject of Satan's Temptations to be particularly handled in some set Discourses by themselves that so I might have more room to Expose 'em to you there being no subject in Practical Divinity of greater Consequence and Concernment to our Souls than to be throughly Informed in the Ways and Methods of Satan's Temptations Now to Tempt one in the general Notion of the Word To Tempt is to make a Tryal of a Person does barely signify to make Tryal of a Person either by Words or Signs by Promises or Threats whether or no he will do such a thing And the Tempting of a Person may be Morally Good or Evil according to the End for which such a Tryal is made If the Tryal be of a Person 's Vertue To Tempt a thing morally Good or Evil according to the End thereof only that Occasion may be afforded him to give an Experiment and Proof thereof that so if he do well he may be Rewarded if Ill that his Hypocrisy and the Corruption of his Heart may be discovered and he himself Humbled with the Sight and Sence thereof to his Amendment There is nothing may
many Places of the Scripture particularly Matth. 4.3 and 1 Thes 3.5 he is styl'd the Tempter and from his unwearied Diligence in Tempting us he is said to be continually walking about seeking whom he may Devour He is here by way of Eminence call'd the Tempter because he is the Chief of all those Enemies of ours which would withdraw us into Sin He is the grand Engineer that puts the World and the Flesh on work that does Order and Appoint which way they shall Batter us and does Direct and Manage their several Temptations And now The vast concernment it is to us to know his Temptations as it does infinitely concern you to Know his Temptations and in what Ways and Methods he usually Tempts Men Lest Satan should get an Advantage over you So by the Help of God I will discover to you his manifold Policies and Wiles for tho' he be himself a Spirit and his ways also are not always visible to mortal Eyes yet through the Discoveries that God has made to us in his Holy Scripture we are not Ignorant of his Devices 2 Cor. 2.11 And I do think they may all of them in a manner be Reduc'd to these Four Heads First Such whereby he Attempted the whole Race of Mankind The several Heads of Satan's Temptations to draw it off from Obedience to God to do Service to him Secondly Such as he levels against the Church of Christ the true Servants of God either utterly to destroy it from off the Face of the Earth or at least-wise to Corrupt its Notions of God and Religion so that by our very Religion we might Dishonour him Thirdly Such whereby he Attempts to Overthrow Men of greater Eminency on the account of their Station Order or Piety upon whose Fall many Others are likely to Reâ—olt over to him And Lastly Such whereby he Applies himself to any Persons indâ—fferently to draw them into Sin All these his Methods of Temptation I shall consider severally and distinctly and shall discover 'em to you that you may avoid the Force of ' em And I shall confine my self mostly to such Discoveries as the Scripture does give us There being no other certain way of distinguishing Satan's Temptations from those which arise from other Principles but by Revelation only By what Methods he first Tempted our first Parents and still does continue to Tempt us And First Let us Consider his first and more general Temptations those whereby he Attempted the whole Race of Mankind to draw it off from Obedience to God to do Service to him No sooner did God Create Mankind but this Inveterate Enemy to the Divine Authority had the Boldness to Attempt the drawing off from their Allegiance the whole Race of Men to join with him in his wicked Rebellion against their Maker This he did in Corrupting our First Parents Knowing that if the Fountain were Poison'd all the Streams that Issue thence must needs run muddy and defiled as it accordingly happen'd For By that One Man Sin Enter'd into the World and Death by Sin and so Death passed upon all Men for that all have Sinned Rom. 5.12 And the Means whereby he Attempted the Universal Rebellion of Mankind were I. By insinuateing into the Minds of Adam and Eve false Notions of God and an ill Opinion of their Maker and Governour particularly with respect to his Justice and Mercy First By Insinuating into the Minds of Adam and Eve false Notions of God and an ill and mean Opinion of their Maker and Governour This is the Method of all great Traytors who Head a Party against their Prince either to create unreasonable Jealousies and Fears or undue Thoughts concerning him especially concerning the Proceedings of his Justice and Mercy in the Minds of his Subjects And this Policy as Satan does Inspire 'em with So he Practiced it himself to the Destruction of Mankind Yea and hath God said says he slily to the Woman Ye shall not Eat of every Tree of the Garden Gen. 3.1 This is a most cruel Piece of Tyranny and Oppression to lay before a Man Objects that are grateful and pleasing to his Appetites and Senses and then to forbid him the Use of ' em And what tho' you may Eat of all the Trees but One why not of every Tree Why should a Man's Appetites be restrain'd from any Thing that is delightful in this World But however you need not be afraid for tho' God does deal so hardly with you as to deny you those proper Enjoyments you might take yet it cannot be that he will destroy you for your Disobedience in so reasonable a case He will be more favourable to you in the End however he threatens you now What Of the Fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden hath God said ye shall not Eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye dye And the subtle Serpent said unto the Woman Ye shall not surely dye It cannot be but he must be more Favourable to you than so he may Threaten you to Frighten you But ye shall not surely dye But all such â—onceits of 〈◊〉 are to And by this very Method of Satan's Infusing by our Entertaining false Notions of God's Justice and Mercy of his Justice as if he commanded us unreasonable Things and laid greivous Restraints upon our Lusts and Appetites And by Entertaining false Notions of God's Justice and Mercy do Men generally Encourage themselves in Sin at this Day and by conceiving unduly of his Mercy as if notwithstanding the severity of his Threatnings he would in time Relent and like an Easy and Fickle-minded Man Reverse his own Judgment and Decrees against sinners By these ill Notions I say of God's Justice and Mercy do the general Part of Mankind to this Day Encourage themselves in sinning against their God and in Rebelling against his Authority This is One of the more General Policies of Satan whereby he did at first and does still endeavour to draw all Mankind to venture upon a Revolt from God But whatever Conceits of this Kind do at any time enter into your Hearts you are to Renounce and Abhor But all such Conceits of God are to be utterly renounc'd and cast out of our Thoughts as Diabolical Suggestions most destructive to our Souls and immediately to cast them out of your Thoughts as the undoubted Suggestions of Satan on purpose to take off your Fears and to lull your Souls into a most dangerous security in a Course of Sin No sure the Laws of God which he has given us you must consider are most Just and Reasonable in themselves and yet farther to Encourage us to Obey 'em in the most difficult Cases he has Propounded infinite Rewards in Heaven to those who shall persevere to the End in well-doing but on the contrary to discourage Disobedience he does Threaten as infinite and eternal Punishments in Hell to all licentious and wicked Living And as he
therefore I shall bespeak such in the words of St. Peter 2 Epist 3.17 18. Ye therefore Beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the Error of the Wicked fall from your own stedfastness but grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ In a word and to summ up in short what has been spoke on this Point I have at length shew'd you that next to the Destroying and Perverting of whole Churches the Devil 's great Industry is to gain over to his Party or to Tempt to the Commission of some grievous Sin such Persons as are more than ordinarily Eminent for their Rank or Quality their Order or their Piety in the Church of God And this being so since such are the great Mark of Satan it concerns those excellent Persons who are eminently Great or Good that they do especially and above all other Men absolutely and entirely and utterly Renounce and Resist all and every the Temptations of Satan so as not to yield to any of ' em Such are to look upon themselves as the great Commanders in the Church Militant who are to lead and to go before others in the Battles of the Lord against Sin and Satan but if any such should Cowardly Give back in the day of Battle and Temptation they put a stumbling Block and are an occasion to fall in their Brothers way Rom. 14.13 And what says our Saviour in such a Case Matth. 18.6 7. Whoso shall offend One of those little Ones which Believe in him that is discourage and drive from the Christian Practice by his scandalous Life any the meanest of his Disciples It were better for him that a Mill-stone were hanged about his Neck and he were drowned in the Depth of the Sea Woe unto the world because of Offences he adds It must needs be that Offences come but Woe to that Man by whom the Offence cometh So much it concerns Persons Eminent in any Kind that they be Good as well as Great THE Thirteenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh HAVING shew'd you Who the Devil is and What are his Works of Sin and how we must Absolutely Renounce both him and them And as to that other great Work of his his Tempting of us to Sin having shewed you First By what Methods he over-threw the whole Race of Mankind at first and Secondly how he does still Endeavour the Ruine of the Church of Christ and especially Thirdly of those who are most considerable for their Rank or Order or Piety therein I am now Lastly Lastly what Temptations Satan levels against all Persons indifferently consider'd in order to a more full Display of that great Work of the Devil his Tempting us to Sin to discover to you some of the more remarkable Temptations at leastwise whereby he applies himself to all Persons indifferently consider'd in the Church of Christ be they High or Low to draw them into sin In the former Attempts upon all Mankind upon the Church of God and upon those considerable and leading Persons therein whose Fall sweeps Multitudes along with 'em into Sin and Ruine Satan shew'd more of his Ambition and Pride as in setting up for a Dominion in direct Opposition to God's So in waging a War with the greatest Bodies of Men and the most considerable Leaders in the Church Militant But in these his latter Attempts upon particular Persons whereby that Spirit appears not content to Foil greater Numbers but moreover pursues his Victory to the picking up here and there every particular Stragler he expresses more of his Inveterate Malice in that he is so wholly bent upon Mischief and Destruction as to stick at no Pains and to leave no Methods untry'd whereby he may destroy every particular Soul amongst the the Sons of Men. And indeed the Devil's Temptations are the more dangerous The Devil's Temptations not easily known to be his nor always distinguishable from those of the World and the Flesh which are â—nag'd and â—ected by 〈◊〉 in that they are not easily known when they are his and cannot always be distinguisht from such as the World and our own Flesh do give us for which Reason at the motion of these two latter we do those things without Fear which if we knew the Devil had a Hand in we should tremble at the Thoughts of Committing And indeed it is but seldom the Devil does immediately by himself actuate any One to do Evil but generally he makes use of the World and our own Flesh as his immediate Instruments to move us to it Whilst he himself stands behind the Curtain managing and directing those our other Enemies to take their Advantages against us However so far as the Scripture does discover to us any Methods of Temptations to be his â—ome of the â—st considerâ—e of his â—thods of â—mpting us â—covered we may safely ascribe 'em unto him And some of the more considerable and dangerous of 'em I will lay before you As First The Devil does miserably delude People into his Power by letting 'em alone to be Obedient to God in some Particulars the better to detain 'em perfect Slaves to himself in others I. â—e permits 〈◊〉 not furâ—r some in â—artial Oâ—ience to â—d in some â—rticulars 〈◊〉 better to â—ain them â—fect Slaves himself in â—ers This is call'd a Dividing between God and Mammon Matth. 6.24 And indeed amongst the manifold Delusions of Satan there is not a more fatal and mischievous One to the Souls of Men than the Hypocrisy of a partial and Ununiform Obedience which the Devil does willingly enough allow us in I say The Devil does willingly enough allow Persons to be partially or in part Obedient for when this Cunning Deceiver cannot prevail on some to be meer Libertines to throw off all the Bonds and Ties of Religion to be as Outragious in Profaneness Impieties Villanies Whoredoms and all sort of Wickednesses as some of his Black Disciples are he is then willing to Compound the matter with such and so that they will be his a little he 'll contentedly allow 'em to be God's very much Knowing very well that if we hold out One disloyal Fort against God retain but One Rebel-Lust and give not up the whole Man unto Christ it will as certainly Condemn us tho' not to so great Degrees of Punishment as if we were wholly Devoted to Satan and gave our selves up to follow all our Brutish Lusts the word of God assuring us that Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and offend in Point is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 And our Saviour declaring to us that he will not be serv'd by Halves nor endure the Devil to share with him in his Kingdom over us Ye cannot serve God and Mammon Luk. 16.13 Thus the Devil knows it is his Interest to allow
upon our Lives and more powerfully to restrain us from a course of Sin and to unite us to the Practice of Vertue and Holiness than others and when they have done this to send us to God the Father to seek for Acceptance meerly through Christ his Son And upon these and the like accounts therefore such Truths as these are more particularly necessary to be Believed by us in order to our Justification before God and to our Salvation in the other World and are therefore called the Articles of our Christian Faith being a Summary and Collection of such Doctrines out of the Holy Scriptures as are of a more Concerning Nature than the rest And must therefore be distinctly Known and explicitely Believed All those other Truths of what Nature soever contained in the Holy Scriptures are indeed necessary also to be Believed at leastwise Implicitely that is we are to be possess'd with a General Perswasion that they are all certainly true because God has Reveal'd them as such But these latter which we call the Articles of our Christian Faith must be positively and Explicitely Believed that is we must throughly understand 'em and be assuredly and distinctly perswaded of each single Truth contained in 'em as without which understanding and perswasion a Good and Christian Life will not be wrought in us nor a reliance on God's Merits in Christ for the acceptance thereof Created in our Souls Such for instance is the Belief that there is a God Some Instances of such Truths for this is the very first Principle of all Religion and must necessarily make us stand in awe and fear of offending him if we throughly believe and consider it Such is the Belief that he is our Father who Created us and all the World for this will make us love him who gave us our Being And such again is the Belief that he Exercises a just and a wise Providence in the Government of the World for this will make us submit our selves to all his Dispensations as being the Appointments of one who knows better than our selves what is best for us And to instance also in some which are the Truths purely of Reveal'd Religion Such is the Belief that the Son of God came down from Heaven to suffer Death for us to Redeem us from the Punishments of Hell for this as it shews us how Odious a thing Sin is when nothing less could satisfie God's Justice against it than the precious Blood of the Son of God and consequently does extreamly tend to create in our Hearts an utter hatred to all Sin So hereby we are taught that Christ has made a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World And such lastly is the Belief for I need not now stand to mention every Article that all our Bodies shall rise again at the General Resurrection that then we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to Receive a Just Sentence for whatever we have done in the Body whether it be good or bad for this will make us careful how to lead our Lives so in this World that we may not be Condemned in the next These now are some of those Articles of our Christian Faith and are such Divine Truths as are more particularly necessary to be Believed by us as containing in them the greatest reason in the World to restrain us from all manner of Sin and to encourage us in the Practice of all Religious Duties And yet are Doctrines withal of extraordinary force to remove all conceit out of our Minds concerning our own Merits and to make us rely solely upon God's Mercies in Christ for the Acceptance of our most Holy Performances And let this suffice as to the first thing proposed which was to declare unto you something in general of the Nature of the Objects or of those Truths to be Believed the Articles of our Christian Faith And now Secondly I will also shew you what it is to BELIEVE these Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness And if it be ask'd how we must Believe these things What it is to Believe those Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness why we must be so throughly and firmly perswaded of their undoubted Truth as to be accordingly Influenced as I have now said by the Belief thereof to the Practice of Good Works and then to betake our selves to Jesus Christ to Interceed with the Father for their Gracious Acceptance Our Belief thereof must be Operative and Practical I say our Faith must be such as does Influence us to a Good Life for such is the Faith that St. Paul tells us is now required in the Christian Religion in order to Salvation Gal. 5.6 In Jesus Christ says he neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love Some render the words and that more rightly Faith that is perfected by Love which does more expresly signifie the Apostles meaning that that Faith which will save us must be such which is perfected by the addition of those Duties which we owe to God and our Neighbour And St. James does with great Industry shew that the Christian Faith which has the promise of Justification and Salvation is a Powerful Practical Belief and that none other has any Promise What says St. James 2.14 doth it profit my Brethren tho' a Man saith he hath Faith and hath not Works can Faith save him Faith if it have not Works is dead being alone v. 17. and is no more than what the Devils have for the Devils believe and tremble v. 19. Such was the Faith of Abraham and of all the Saints And the Faith indeed for which the Holy Patriarchs and Saints were renowned of Old and are now so highly Rewarded in Heaven was a Powerful Practical and Working Faith indeed which excited them to the highest and the hardest Acts of Obedience that it was possible for Men to perform Thus Heb. 11.17 18. we read that by Faith Abraham when he was tryed offered up Isaac and he that had received the Promises offered up his only begotten Son and he a Son too in whom God had promised him great Blessings And yet at God's Command he readily Obeyed believing that God would be as good as his promise to him tho' it was by raising him again from the Dead By Faith Moses when he was come to Years refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward v. 24 25 26. It was a great temptation to Moses to be made a Prince if he pleased in which Estate he might enjoy the highest Pleasures this World could afford but he Believing that God would infinitely reward him
Articles of the Christian Faith will not avail us to our Justification and Salvation which brings me Lastly To shew you what it is to Believe ALL the Articles of our Christian Faith What to Believe All the Articles of the Christian Faith And 1. To Believe ALL these Articles does Import that we must Assent with a through perswasion of their undoubted Truth and of their Divine Authority to all and every one of those great Articles of Christian Doctrine contained in the Apostles Creed 1. To Believe them All does Import that we must Assent to all and every one of those great Articles of Christian Doctrine contained in the Apostles Creed This Collection or Summary of Christian Doctrine is called by St. Paul Rom. 6.17 That Form of Doctrine which was deliver'd to the Christians that is that Summary of Christian Doctrine to the Belief and Practice of which they were deliver'd up and solemnly Consecrated in their Baptism And the same is call'd 2 Tim. 1.13 The Form of sound words which was heard of the Apostle himself and we are commanded to hold it fast that is to take care not to depart from it in any part thereof And as we must not shrink from the Confession and Belief of any one of those Articles which have been handed down to us from the Apostles in that Summary or Form of sound words which makes up the Body of our Christian Faith so we must content our selves with the Belief of All those saving Truths and must not think there is any thing more to be Believ'd by our selves or others as necessary to Salvation But especially we must take care of possessing our Minds with a Perswasion of the Truth of such Articles as do tend to destroy what the true Genuine Doctrines of Christianity viz. All the Articles of our Christian Faith Such as tend to destroy a good Life and send us to other Mediators than Christ to interceed with the Father for its Acceptance no Articles of Christian Faith do Build as do all or most at leastwise of the New Articles impos'd upon the Belief of Christians in the Romish Church Some of those Articles in the Romish Creed do plainly take away the necessity of a Good Life as might be easily made appear were it proper here to inlarge on that Point And other Doctrines of that Church do as apparently take Men off from depending solely upon the Mediation of Christ with his Father that he would graciously accept and pass by the Imperfection of the good they do teaching 'em to apply themselves to the Blessed Virgin and other Saints as Mediators with God for ' em Nay and some of their Doctrines as that of Merits and of Works of Super-errogation do teach 'em proudly to overvalue their own Performances and to boast themselves in their Merit And therefore so far must we be from suffering our selves to be perswaded of the Truth of All these and the like Doctrines as Articles of our Christian Faith that we must utterly dissent from them all as Unjust and Unreasonable Impositions on the Belief of Christians In a word as we must strengthen our selves in the Belief of All those True and Genuine Articles of the Christian Faith so to Believe All these as necessary to Salvation is enough But to Believe more under the Character of Articles of a Christian's Faith especially if they be such Doctrines as do take off the fears of Sinning and send us to other Mediators betwixt God and Man besides the Man Christ Jesus this is indeed a Belief not only superfluous as being a Belief of more than All the necessary Articles of a Christian's Faith but is a very sinful and criminal and superstitious Perswasion 2. To Believe ALL the Articles of the Christian Faith is not only to Assent to All and every of those Articles in the Gross but to be fully perswaded of all and every of those single Truths contained in each of those Articles 2. To Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith is to be fully perswaded of all and of every of those single Truths contained in each of those Articles Every one of the Articles of our Christian Faith is full of a great deal of Meaning and many of them do contain Truths of various Kinds and Importance Thus for instance To believe that Jesus Christ was Crucify'd Dead and Buried does import this Comfortable as well as Fundamental Doctrine of Christianity That the Only Son of God suffered Death upon the Cross for our Redemption and that he made there by that one Oblation of himself once offered a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World And accordingly it is said 1 Pet. 3.18 That Christ once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God And 21.24 it is said That he himself did bear our sins in his own body on the Tree But then this is not the whole that is meant in that Grand Article but also this other Doctrine That he suffered to Redeem us from all Iniquity that is he suffered on the Cross the punishment of our Sins that we seeing how odious a thing Sin is which could not be Aton'd for by a Sacrifice less valuable than the Blood of the Son of God might therefore abhor it and forsake it And this is also taught us in the very place now cited from St. Peter viz. 1 Ep. 2.24 He his own self bear our sins in his own Body upon the Tree that we being dead to Sin should live unto Righteousness And now a Person may become Guilty of Heresie by believing only one of those Truths contained in the Articles A Heretick may be such by Believing only of one of those Truths contained in the Article And accordingly there are two opposite Heresies which do at this day most grievously afflict the Church of Christ amongst us and they do divide these two great Doctrines contain'd in this one Article betwixt ' em And they are therefore Heresies because they do so divide 'em and do not each of 'em Believe both these important Doctrines The Antinomians do Believe indeed that Christ did satisfie the Divine Justice for our Sins but so as to leave no Conditions to be perform'd by them And the Socinians on the other side owning that he came to draw us off from Sin deny that he made any Satisfaction for us So that both do fundamentally Err in the Faith tho' they Believe the Article in the gross that Christ was Crucify'd Dead and Buried because neither of them Believe the whole Truth contain'd in that Article And therefore as you must Believe All the Articles so All those Divine and Necessary Truths which are contain'd in every Article of your Christian Faith according to the full Explication and Meaning thereof given us in the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds These Creeds do not contain more or different Articles of Faith than
imputed to your Condemnation Nor Secondly What you do unwillingly commit through Inconsideration 2d Inconsideration We sometimes do things we do not think nor consider the Evil of 'em when we commit 'em and so their Sinfulness being unseen is also unchosen and these Slips do so steal from us without our Consideration and thinking of 'em Inconsideration excuses 1. When through surprize several ways either first by surprize and a sudden Temptation And thus St. Paul upon an unexpected occasion was surprized into a sudden Anger and into an unadvised Irreverence towards the High Priest Acts 23.1 2 3. And the beginnings of a single Passion whether of Anger or Envy and the unadvised Slips of the Tongue generally enter this way Or secondly we venture upon several Actions without thinking of their sinfulness through our natural Weariness and the length and constancy of a Temptation Thus in times of Affliction or Sickness 2. When through natural weariness and the length and strength of a Temptation by the uneasiness of the Flesh and the hardness of Man's Condition a Person is sometimes tempted to fret and murmur and to be peevish and repining And so we find it was with Job who though a Man patient to a Proverb and one to whom by the Testimony of God Himself there was none Equal in the whole Earth a perfect and an upright Man one who feared God and eschewed Evil Job 1.8 Yet this Man I say of admirable Constancy and Patience was wearied out of his Watchfulness by a tedious trial of Afflictions and in that time of his Unadvisedness uttered many Things impatient with his Lips as appear from his whole History And lastly we sometimes inconsiderately and unadvisedly do an ill Thing by reason of the violent Discomposure and Disturbance of our thinking Powers when our Mind is so disturbed that on a sudden we cannot think what we do Lastly When by the violent discomposure of our Thinking Powers our Minds are so disturbed that we cannot think what we do as upon a sudden Grief Anger or Fear And thus Samuel who was a Person so dear to God that if he could be intreated by any Man he tells us it would be by him or Moses standing to intercede before him did yet in an instance that would have drawn him into the hazard of his Life dispute God's Command when he should have perform'd it and question where in Duty it became him to Obey for when God did bid him go and Anoint David King which Service was sure to draw upon him the implacable Hatred of Saul through the sudden force of that frightful Thought instead of Obeying he answers again saying How can I go for if Saul hear of it he will kill me 1 Sam. 16.1 2. So that as for those Slips which we do unwillingly commit through either of these Causes of Inconsideration they are a matter of God's Mercy and will be graciously born with and forgiven now under the Gospel and Covenant of Grace for all those Persons now mentioned as guilty of the like St. Paul Job and Samuel were in a state of Grace and the dear Children of God I say therefore they will be graciously born with and forgiven Provided first we never be guilty of 'em Ignorance and Inconsideration excuse not these Sins 1. Which we have time to understand and observe nor 2. Crying Sins nor 3. Those we do not endeavour against nor lastly Which we are not sorry for when we have understanding of and time to observe 'em nor secondly in any great and crying Sin as Murder Adultery c. for no Man can pretend he did unwittingly commit such things as a Man's Conscience will presently start at Provided thirdly we do endeavour and strive and watch against 'em And lastly after we find that we have fallen into 'em provided we be sorry and earnestly beg God's pardon for ' em Provided thus such Slips and Infirmities as we do commit unadvisedly and inconsiderately shall not be laid to our charge And thus you see that our unavoidable Infirmities and our unwilling Transgressions which through an unaffected Ignorance and an involuntary Inconsideration we do commit shall not be imputed to our Condemnation now under the Gospel or Covenant of Grace And this is the first great Difference between the First Covenant wherein the least Sin was Unpardonable and this Second Covenant or the Covenant of Grace wherein through the Mediation of CHRIST all our Unwilling Involuntary Infirmities shall be graciously pass'd by The Second great Difference is That even our wilful and more heinous Sins when by our Repentance we bewail and forsake 'em and take better care to avoid 'em for the future they also through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us The 2d Difference betwixt Legal and Evangelical Obedience That our wilful and more heinous nous Sins when Repented of through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us and not prejudice our being Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Among the Jews according to the strictness of Moses's Law the Punishment took place upon the first wilful breach He that despised Moses 's Law saith the Apostle if it were in an instance where the Law threatned death died without Mercy Heb. 10.28 A Man that had committed Adultery or Murder or any other Crime whereof Death was the establish'd Punishment was to the without Remedy for no Sacrifice would be accepted for him nor would the Law admit of any Favour or Dispensation But when Christ came into the World his Business was to abrogate all the Rigour of Moses's Law as well as that of the First Covenant and to preach an Universal Pardon upon Repentance Now under the Covenant of Grace God doth not cast us off upon the commission of every Sin but as he is heartily desirous that we should repent of it according to that of Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I do not delight in the death of a Sinner but rather that he return and live So when we repent he has oblig'd Himself by his Truth and Faithfulness to forgive it according to that of St. John Epist 1.9 If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins This is the great Doctrine of the Gospel which is a Covenant of Remission of Sins upon our Repentance Remission of Sins upon Repentance the great Doctrine of the Gospel and therefore our Saviour when he began himself to preach it he said Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Matth. 4.17 And when he left the World he commanded his Disciples that they should declare to the World the Pardon of Sins upon their Repentance for so St. Luke tells us Ch. 24.47 that he gave 'em in charge That Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preach'd in
â—o preserve us safe and innocent as it has done thousands before us amidst all the Persecutions of evil Men on the one hand or the Allurements of the World on the other withdrawing us or frighting us into Sin so that in the strength of the Hopes of such an Inheritance we may be prevail'd upon faithfully and conscientiously to discharge this our Covenant with God And thus you see what mighty Arguments the several Mercies of the Covenant made over to us on God's part do yield us and what inviolable Obligations they do all of 'em lay upon us â—aithfully and conscientiously to discharge this our Covenant with God But Fourthly and lastly Another vast Obligation lying upon us to do the same and which ought especially to be here considered is That Promise and Vow made for us in our Baptism accordingly to discharge this our Covenant 4. As having promised and vowed in our Baptism accordingly to discharge our Covenant with God Do'st thou not think that thou art bound to Believe and to Do as they have promised for thee That is the Question which is ask'd you to which you are taught to Answer Yes verily and thereby to acknowledge the vast Obligations lying upon you on the account of that Promise and Vow to perform that your Covenant and a mighty Obligation too it lays upon us there being nothing more sacred and inviolable than â— â—â—w made unto God and more severely punish'd if it be ever violaâ—ed A Vow in general â—â—dâ—fined to be a solemn Promise made unto God whereby we do in a peculiar manner engage our selves unto him to the performance of something The matter of a Vow sometimes not a Duty 'till â—â—wed And there are two sorts of these Vows which are to be distinguish'd according to the matter of which the Vow is made For sometimes the thing which we have vowed to do was not a Duty upon us 'till such time as we made such a Vow as when a Person does solemnly promise to God that he well set apart such a Portion of his Time such a Day of the Week for the more immediate Service of God in Fasting and Prayer or that he will devote such a part of his Estate or Gains for pious or charitable Uses Secondly again the matter of a Vow may be what was incumbent upon us before only the Vow is added to strengthen the Obligation And such is the Vow was made in our Baptism Sometimes antecedently incumbent upon us and such is the matter of our Baptismal Vow whereby we were solemnly and in a peculiar manner Devoted and Consecrated to God's Service and to live to his Glory which though it was a Duty upon us before yet now we have farther obliged our selves thereunto having solemnly vowed so to do Generally the matter of a Vow is of the former sort something to which we were not obliged before as when Jacob did vow to build an House to God Gen. 28.22 And of this nature are all those Lands and Possessions over and above the Tythe or tenth Part which have been devoted and given by the Piety of well-disposed Persons for the maintenance of the Ministers and the Worship of God for the Education of Children in Schools and the Relief of the Poor in Hospitals Before they were devoted to pious and charitable Uses they were so far in the Power of the Party who own'd 'em as that he might dispose of 'em how and to what Uses he pleased But after a Vow is once made by our selves or Forefathers whereby such a Part of an Estate is determinately set aside for sacred Uses it is then a devoted thing And I will be bold to add and I will endeavour to prove it that for that very reason of its having been Vowed and Devoted to God it is one of the most provoking Sins in the World to rob God of it 'T is a provoking Sin to rob God of what has been once Vowed and Devoted to him tho' of the former Nature This is plainly seen in the case of Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5 1 2 3 4 5. These two Persons stirr'd up at first as is probable with a like pious Zeal for the promotion of Religion with many others of the first Converts to Christianity had sold a Possession and given it to the Church which according to the Circumstances of those Times was of more use than if setled upon it but Covetousness afterwards prevailing upon their Hearts they kept back part of the Price and laid a share of it only at the Apostles feet v. 3. But observe how severely Peter rebukes 'em for this Sacrilege Before they had devoted it he tells 'em they might have done what they would with it but first to bestow it wholly on the Church and then to keep back part of the Price of the Land he calls this a Lying to the Holy Ghost and immediately for the terrour of other sacrilegious Invaders of Things devoted punishes it with one of the most sudden and fearful Deaths that we find recorded either in the Scripture or profane Story This Sin of with-holding or seizing of any thing once Vowed and Devoted by our selves or others to sacred Uses is called the Sin of Sacrilege and is spoke of as seems by the manner of expression Rom. 2.22 as a Sin equalling the Guilt even of Idolatry it self And nothing is more plain to be observed than the Anger of God God's Anâ—â—â— observabâ—◠〈◊〉 on such â—â—â—â—â—â—ons even in this Life towards those who have sacrilegiously invaded God's Portion which has been once Vowed unto him either by our selves or our Forefathers and have robbed him in his Tythes and Offerings as he calls it a robbing of Himself Mal. 7.8 and threatens it with a heavy Curse of the Execution whereof if I had time I could give several instances But let this suffice to shew how heinous a thing it is to violate a Vow to God even where the matter of the Vow hath been something to which there was no Obligation before such Vow And will it be less provoking then think ye to violate those Vows wherein by solemn Engagements Men have promised to do that which before such Vows and Promises they were obliged to from the Law of Nature 'T is much more provoking to violate Vows to perform which were antecedently obliged by the Law of Nature and as a Debt due for their very Creation and Being In this case there is a double Obligation to perform such Vows When that which was commanded to be done and is necessary upon other accounts is with all solemnity engaged to be performed then the Vow does add to the Command a new and farther Obligation which will make it more criminal and a far more heinous Sin to break such Vows There are many of this kind recorded in the Scripture particularly the first part of that Vow of Jacob Gen. 28.21 is of this kind and so is our Baptismal Vow to
will punish Faults as well in his Children as others if you profess your selves the Children of such a Father pass the time of your sojourning here in fear is the Inference the same Apostle makes from this Relation of being the Children of God And indeed except we do give up our selves sincerely and faithfully to obey God and in all Points to discharge our Covenant with him we are in effect not the Children of God however Baptized and so in Profession but in reality are the Children of the Devil and from him must expect our Reward So St. John assures us 1 Epist 3.8 9. He that committeth Sin is of the Devil that is he that committeth any act of known Sin is in that so far from being a Child of God that he is a Child of the Devil of whom and not of God he is an Imitator For whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God That is as the Learned Hammond does Paraphrase upon the same place whosoever is a true Child of God keeps himself strictly from every deliberate Act of Sin and the reason is Because that contrary Principle of Regeneration or Sonship from which he is said to be born of God if that continue to have any Life or Energy in it is utterly contrary and incompatible with Sin And then does follow that Characteristical distinguishing Mark he does give of a Child of God and a Child of the Devil shewing the grand difference between one and the other In this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God v. 10. In a word to conclude this Argument also As it is almost natural and therefore ever expected that Children should imitate the Life and Manners of their Parents and if they prove dissolute and of loose Behaviour it does usually redound to the Parents disgrace as generally supposed to proceed from slackness of Government so should we who are Children of God be Covenant-Breakers prove lawless and dissolute Livers it will extreamly tend to the Dishonour of our Heavenly Father whose Name is then hallowed amongst Men when we his professed Sons and Servants do dutifully and sincerely fulfill our Engagements to Him but on the contrary is then blasphemed when we live ungodly Lives So that this grand Favour and Privilege of being the Sons of God is another most powerful Argument to render us faithful in our Covenant with Him And so likewise it is Thirdly To be an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven 3. As Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven What restraint will it put upon a young Heir and how careful will it make him to please his Parents when a great Estate is like to descend upon him but yet so that he shall certainly be disinherited of it except he behave himself soberly and regularly and dutifully to those his Parents And if so how infinitely more circumspect and wary and diligent should we all of us be to please our Father which is in Heaven by discharging our Covenant-Engagements to him inasmuch as the Heavenly Inheritance is of infinite more value than an Earthly one can be I shall not stand now to give you a description of that Exceeding Weight of Glory and of those Vast and Immense Treasures of Happiness which are laid up in Heaven for those who shall faithfully perform their Covenant with God I shall only in short shew you that such is the Nature and Constitution of the Covenant of Grace that there is no Hopes nor Expectations of ever obtaining it without a faithful discharge of all our Covenant-Engagements to God and if so then certainly there cannot be greater Obligations possible to the performance of ' em And as to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace surely one would think it were needless to prove that the Conditions of it must be performed or we cannot expect to inherit the Promises This is of the Nature of all Covenants whatsoever which consist of certain Promises and Benefits to be made good on one part not without certain Conditions to be performed on the other And why then should any so fondly expect Justification and Happiness to be conferred upon 'em except they do Repent heartily Believe practically and Obey sincerely the only Conditions of this Covenant Kingdom of Heaven not to be expected but by those who are faithful in their Covenant as has been often shewed Why sure none that look into the Gospel and see and consider how that all along Happiness is only promised to the Obedient can ever expect it upon other Terms But so it is that a sort of Antinomian Hereticks do spread abroad their pestilent Doctrines teaching that Christ by his Sacrifice and Satisfaction for us has purchased Justification and Happiness without any Conditions to be perform'd on our part and that what he has done will wholly excuse us from Duty and Obedience But this is one of the most Antichristian Errours in the World as undermining the whole design of Christ's Coming and his Preaching the Gospel amongst us which was to tie us up to higher Rules of Righteousness than were before given to the Sons of Men. It was infinitely far from the Design of him who came to save and deliver us from the Power and Dominion as well as from the Guilt and Punishment of our Sins to do any thing that should encourage us in Sin and render us secure when at any time we commit it But that which Christ has done for us amounts to this that he has purchased by his Blood-shedding an Abrogation of the First Covenant wherein was no Happiness without an Unsinning Obedience and then has procured for us this most gracious Covenant with these abatements of rigour That we shall have all that unspeakable Bliss and the Inheritance of Heaven conferred on us on condition we shall repent of and forsake our Sins and knowingly and willingly not offend him for the future And a most encouraging Argument this will be to all considering and serious Persons to make 'em faithful and diligent to perform their Covenant No People either Jews or Gentiles ever before us had the like The Jews by the Law of Moses or the meer Covenant of Works had plainly and expresly the Assurances only of a temporal Canaan and the Promises of a peaceable and prosperous Possession thereof to encourage their Duty And the poor Pagans had little Inducements to vertuous living more than the present Tranquility of Mind which arises from the meer exercise of Vertue neither of 'em Considerations strong enough to bear us up against great Temptations to sin and the difficulties in the way of our Duty But this one Consideration of an eternal Weight of Glory an Inheritance laid up in Heaven a Crown of Life infallibly ensured to those who shall be faithful unto Death This is enough to encourage us in Well-doing and