their profession of faith in him a holy and blessed conversation Having thus briefly shewed you these things I shall come in the next place to shew you Why some that as to words rightly name the name of Christ do not depart from iniquity That it is incident to men to name the name of Christ religiously and not to depart from iniquity I have proved already and now I must shew you why it is so and the reasons are of three sorts First Some profess him yet have not saving faith in him nor yet received grace from him That some profess him that have not saith in him nor received grace from him I will make appear first And then that they do not depart from iniquity shall be shewn afterwards That the first is true consider Christ saies to his Disciples there are some of you that believe not And again For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him Now if they believe not they have none of his grace in them for faith is the first and head grace the beginning and leading grace he therefore that is destitute of that is empty of all the rest Besides other Scriptures also confirm this truth James calls some of the professors of Christ that were in his day vain or empty men that is men void of grace And the Apostle suggesteth in the very words below the Text that as in Gods house there are Golden and Silver Saints so their are also earthy and Wooden ones For in a great house as Gods is are not only Vessels of Gold and Silver but also of wood and of earth and some to honour and some to dishonour that is some for Heaven and some for Hell Now they are these Wooden and Earthy professors that he aimeth at in the Text to wit that they should depart from iniquity or else their profession would do them no good and these also that he despaireth of in the next words saying But but in this great house of God there will not only be Golden and Silver Christians but Wooden and Earthly ones And if any man purge himself from these from these mens companies and from these mens vices he shall be a vessel to honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared to every good work From all which it is gathered that there are some that name the name of Christ in a way of profession that have neither faith nor grace in them and so consequently that do not depart from iniquity For First These want that principle that holy and blessed principle that should induce them thereunto to wit the great and principal graces of the spirit and they are four First As I have said They want faith that heart purifying grace for the heart is purified by faith I have shewed you already that departing from iniquity must be with the mind and affections or with the heart but how can that be where the heart is not sanctified and made holy For an unsanctified mind cannot depart from iniquity no more than the Ethiopian can change his Skin but nothing can purifie the heart but faith Therefore nothing can make a professor depart from iniquity where faith is wanting So then when men professedly name the name of Christ without having holy faith in him they still abide by their iniquity they depart not from their iniquity but rather make of their profession a cloak for their iniquity for their malice and for their covetousness and the like It is not profession but faith that bringeth God and the Soul together and as long as God and the soul are at distance what ever profession is made there is not a departing not an heart departing from iniquity Wherefore to these professors James writeth thus Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded Men far from God cannot think reverently of him nor so speak and profess him as standeth with the nature of Gospel Religion wherefore God saith draw near hither that is by faith and again let them come near then let them speak then let them profess Without faith a man cannot please God because he cannot without it stand before him in the spotless righteousness of Christ nor yet depart from iniquity and live a holy life There are three things in Faith that directly tend to make a man depart from iniquity 1. It apprehendeth the truth of the Being and greatness of God and so it aweth the spirit of a man 2. It apprehendeth the love of this God in Christ and so it conquereth and overcometh the spirit of a man 3. It apprehendeth the sweetness and blessedness of the nature of the Godhead and thence perswadeth the soul to desire here communion with him that it may be holy and the injoyment of him when this world is ended that it may be happy in and by him for ever But without Faith these things cannot be apprehended and therefore those that want it whatever their profession is they will not depart from iniquity Secondly Repentance is another of the great and principal graces which the Holy Ghost worketh in the heart Wherefore without this also there can be no departing from iniquity It is in vain to expect it of any man let his profession be never so stately and great if he is a stranger to found repentance How many are there in our day since the Gospel is grown so common that catch up a notion of good things and from that notion make a profession of the name of Christ get into Churches and obtain the title of a Brother a Saint a member of a Gospel congregation that have clean escaped repentance I say they have catcht up a notion of good things and have through that adventured to name the name of Christ quite forgetting to take repentance with them Repentance should be and is one of the first steps into true Gospel profession but some know nothing of it untill they come to the end of all and their repentance will do them no good Repentance is not but where the true fear of God is yea the fear of God is one ground of repentance Repentance is the scouring grace 't is that which purges Repentance is as I may call it that bitter pill without the taking and sound working of which base and sinful humours will rest unstirred unpurged undriven out of the soul. Can repentance be where godly sorrow is not or can repentance be where the fruits of repentance are not O the fruits of repentance thick sown by preachers but it comes up but thinly Where shall the fruits of repentance be found Confession of sin is one fruit of repentance shame for sin is another fruit of repentance amendment of life is another fruit of repentâ—nce restitution for cousening cheating defrauding beguiling thy neighbour is another
transgressor and so concluded to be one that loveth not Christ tho' I make a noise of my obedience to Christ and of my partaking of his significative ordinances The Jews of old made a great noise with their significative ordinances whiles they lived in the breach of the moral Law but their practice of significative ordinances could not save them from the judgement and displeasure of their God They could frequent the Temple keep their feasts slay their Sacrifices and be mighty apt about all their significative things But they loved Idols and lived in the breach of the second Table of the Law Wherefore God cast them out of his presence hark what the Prophet saith of them Come to Bethel and transgress at Gilgal multiply transgression and bring your Sacrifices every morning and your tithes after three years And offer a Sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven and proclaim and publish the free-will offerings For this liketh you O ye Children of Israel saith the Lord God Thus as I said the hypocrite gives us the slip for when he heareth that love is in the keeping of the Commandments of God then he betakes him to the more external parts of worship and neglecteth the more weighty matters to the provoking of the God of Israel Secondly As love to God is shewed by keeping of his Commandments So love to my Neighbour is the keeping of the Commandments of God likewise By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments For this is the love of God in us both to God and Man that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous He that keepeth not Gods Commandments loves neither God nor Men. Thus then we must learn to love one anothâ—r He that keepeth Gods Commandment doth to his brother what is right for that is Gods Commandment He that keeps Gods Commandment doth to his Brother even as he would be done unto himself for that is Gods Commandment He that keeps Gods Commandment shutteth not up his bowels of Compassion from him for the contrary is his Commandment Further He that keepeth Gods Commandment sheweth his Brother what he must do to honour the Christ that he professeth aright Therefore he that keeps the Commandment loves his brother Yea the keeping of the Commandment is loving the Brethren But if all love which we pretend to have one to another were tryed by this one Text how much of that that we call so would be found to be nothing less Preposterous are our Spirits in all things nor can they be guided right but by the word and spirit of God the which the good Lord grant unto us plentifully that we may do that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yea and that there may by them be wrought sound repentance in us for all that hath been done by us amiss lest he give Jacob to the spoil and Israel to the Robbers for that they have sinned against him by not walking in his ways and by not being obedient to his Law Let me add lest God doth not only punish us in the sight and by the hand of the wicked but imbolden them to say it was God that set them on yea lest they make those sins of ours which we have not repented of not only there bye-word against us to after generations but the argument one to another of their justification for all the evil that they shall be suffered to do unto us saying when men shall ask them wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this Land What meaneth the heat of this great anger even because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers and walked not in his ways John Bunyan A HOLY LIFE THE BEAUTY OF Christianity 2. Tim. 2.19 And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity TImothy unto whom this Epistle was writ was an Evangelist that is inferior to Apostles and extraordinary Prophets and above ordinary Pastors and Teachers And he with the rest of those under his circumstances was to go with the Apostles hither and thither to be disposed of by them as they saw need for the further edification of those who by the Apostolical Ministry were converted to the Faith And hence it is that Titus was left at Creet and that this Timothy was left at Ephesus For they were to do a work for Christ in the world which the Apostles were to begin and leave upon their hand to finish Now when the Apostles departed from places and had left these Evangelists in their stead usually there did arise some bad Spirits among those people where these were left for the furtherance of the Faith This is manifest by both the Epistles to Timothy and also by that to Titus wherefore Paul upon whom these two Evangelists waited for the fulfilling of their Ministry writeth unto them while they abode where he left them concerning those turbulent Sprits which they met with and to teach them how yet further they ought to behave themselves in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth And to this purpose he gives them severally divers instructions as the judicious Reader may easily understand by which he incourageth them to the prosecution of that service which for Christ they had to do for those people where he had left them and also instructeth them how to carry it towards their disturbers which last he doth not only Doctrinally but also by shewing them by his example and practice what he would have them do This done he laboureth to comfort Timothy with the remembrance of the stedfastness of Gods eternal decree of Election because grounded on his foreknowledge saying tho' Hymeneus and Philetus have erred from the Faith and by their fall have overthrown the Faith of some Yet the foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his Now lest this last hint should still incourage some to be remiss and carnally secure and foolish as I suppose this Doctrine abused had incouraged them to be before Therefore the Apostle immediately conjoyneth to it this exhortation And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Two truths strangely but necessarily joyned together because so apt to be severed by the children of men for many under the pretence of their being elected neglect to pursue Holiness and many of them again that pretend to be for Holiness quite exclude the Doctrine and motives that election gives thereto Wherefore the Apostle that he might set mens notions as to these things right he joyns these two together signifying thereby that as electing love doth instate a man in the blessing of eternal Life so Holiness is the path thereto and that he that refuseth to depart from iniquity shall be damned notwithstanding he may think himself secured from Hell by
the act of Gods electing love For election designeth men not only to Eternal Glory but to holiness of Life a means thereto And the manner of this connexion of truth is the more to be noted by us because the Apostle seems to conjoyn them in an holy heat of Spirit Saying The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his And and let every one that shall but so much as name the name of Christ depart from iniquity Or as who should say God will be revenged upon them for all or notwithstanding they appropriate unto themselves the benefits of election In the Text we have 1. An Exhortation 2 The Extension of that Exhortation 1. The Exhortation is That men depart from iniquity 2. The Extension of it is to them all of them every one of them that name the name of Christ. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity In the Exhortation there are several things to be taken notice of because insinuated by the Apostle The first is That iniquity is a very dangerous and hurtful thing as to the Souls of sinners in general so to them that name the name of Christ. It is very a dangerous and hurtfull thing to men in general For 't is that which did captivate the world at the beginning and that made it a bondslave to the Devil It has also done great hurt to mankind ever since to instance a few things 1. 'T is that which hath stupefied and besotted the powers of mens Souls and made them even next to a Beast and Brute in all matters supernatural and heavenly For as the Beast minds nothing but his lusts and his belly by nature So man minds nothing but things earthly sensual and devilish by reason of iniquity 2. It has blinded and darkned the powers of the Soul so that it can neither see where it is nor which is the way out of this besotted condition 3. It has hardened the heart against God and against all admonition and counsel in the things of the Gospel of Christ. 4. It has alienated the will the mind and affections from the choice of the things that should save it and wrought them over to an hearty delight in those things that naturally tend to drown it in perdition and destruction 5. It has made man odious in Gods eyes it has provoked the Justice of God against him and made him obnoxious to Hell fire 6. Yea It so holds him so binds him so reserves him to this that not he himself nor yet all the Angels of Heaven can deliver him from this deplorable condition 7. To say nothing of the pleasure and delight that it makes him take in that way to Hell in which he walketh Never went fat Oxe so gamesomely to the shambles nor fool so merrily to the correction of the stocks nor silly bird so wantonly to the hidden net as iniquity makes men go down her steps to the pit of hell and damnation O 't is amazing 't is astonishing to consider what hurt sin has done to man and into how many dangers it has brought him but let these few hints at this time suffice as to this I will now speak a word to the other particular namely that as iniquity is dangerous and hurtful to the Souls of Men in general so it is to them that name the name of Christ. As to the so and so naming of him to that I shall speak by and by but at this time take it thus That religiously name his name And I say iniquity is hurtful to them 1. It plucks many a one of them from Christ and the religious profession of him I have even seen that men who have devoutly and religiously professed Jesus Christ have been prevailed withall by iniquity to cast him and the profession of his name quite off and to turn their backs upon him Israel saith the Prophet has cast off the thing that is good But why Of their Silver and their gold they have made Idols The sin of Idolatry drew their hearts from God their love to that iniquity made them turn their backs upon him Wherefore God complains that of forwardness to their iniquity and through the prevalence thereof they had cast him behind their back 2. As it plucks many a professor from Christ so it keeps many a one from an effectual closing with him How many are there that religiously profess and make mention of the name of Chriâ—t that yet of love to and by the interest that iniquity hath in their affections never close with him unto salvation but are like to them of whom you read in Paul to Timothy that they are ever learning and never come to the knowledg of the truth 3. And concerning those that have indeed come to him and that have effectually closed with him and that name his name to good purpose yet how hath iniquity hurt and abused many of them 1. It has prevailed with God to hide his face from them a thing more bitter than death 2. It has prevailed with God to chastize and to afflict them sorely a thing in which he taketh no pleasure 3. It has provoked God to give them over to the hand of the Enemy and to deliver them to the tormentors 4. It hath brought them to question their interest in Christ and whether they ever had grace in their Souls 5. And for those that have yet believed they were in his favour this iniquity has driven them to fear that God would cast them away and take all his good things from them Yea he that would know the hurt that iniquity hath done to them that name the name of Christ let him consider the cries the sighs the tears the bemoanings the bewailings the lamentations the sorrows the confessions the repentings and griefs wherewith they have been attended while they have complained that they have been put in the stocks laid in the dungeon had their bones broken suffered the terours of God been distressed almost to distraction and have been fed with Gravel Gall Wormwood and with the Water of astonishment for days yea years together By all which and many more which might be mentioned it appears that iniquity is a dangerous and hurtfull thing But I proceed and come in the next place to the Extension of the exhortation namely that it reacheth to all those that name the name of Christ. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity To handle this a little and First to shew you what the Apostle here means by naming of the name of Christ he meaneth not an irreligious naming of that worthy name nor those that name it irreligiously This is evident because he passeth by their manner of naming of it without the least reproof the which he would not have done had the fault been in their manner of naming of the
name of Christ. Now I say if he intendeth not those that name the name of Christ irreligiously then tho' the exhortation let every one seems to extend it self to all and all manner of persons that any ways name the name of Christ yet 't is limited by this to wit that rightly religiously or according to the way of the professors of Christ name his worthy name And it must needs be so taken and that for these reasons 1. For that as I said before the Apostle taketh no notice of their manner of naming of his name so as â—o reprove any undecency or unseemâ—iness in their Naming of him wherefore he alloweth of the manner of their naming of him 2. Because the Apostles design in this exhortation was and is that the naming of the name of Christ might be accompanied with such a life of holiness as might put an additional lustre upon that name when ever named in a religious way but this cannot be applied to every manner of naming the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man shall name the name of Christ unduely or irreligiously though he shall never so much there withall depart from iniquity and be circumspect to the utmost in all civility and morality yet he answers not the Apostles end which he seeks by this his exhortation For 1. Suppose a man should name the name of Christ vainly idlely in vain mirth wantonness false or vain swearing or the like and shall back this his manner of naming the name of Christ with all manner of Justness and uprightness of life would this answer the Apostle's end in this his exhortation Verily no for this manner of naming the name is worthy reprehension Thou shalt not take my name in vain or vainly make use thereof And moral goodness attending the so naming of the name of Christ will do more hurt than good 2. There is a reproachful and scandalous naming of the name of Christ such as the Jews and Pharisees did accustom themselves unto as to call him Jesus the deceiver and Christ in a way of scorn and contempt Nor were these men quite destitute of that which put a luster upon their opinions for said the Lord Christ himself unto them Ye indeed appear beautiful outward 3. There is such a naming of the name of Christ as to make it a cloak for false and dangerous Errors that men by the use of that name and the putting of it upon such errors and delusions may put off their errors to others the better Many shall come in my name to wit with their delusions presenting them in my name to the world and shall put them off in my name to the destruction of the Soul Now can any imagine that the Apostle should extend his exhortation to such that they thus continuing to name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity To what end should such be comprehended in this exhortation of his To no purpose at all for the more an erroneous person or a deceiver of Souls shall back his errors with a life that is morally good the more mischievous dangerous and damnable is that man and his delusions wherefore such a one is not concerned in this exhortation 4. There is a naming of the name of Christ magically and after the manner of Exorcism or conjuration as we read in the Acts of the Apostles The vagabond Jews the exorcists there say We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth Thus they called over them that had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus But what if these should cloth this their devilish art and devilish way of using or naming of the name of the Lord Jesus with departing from iniquity so as to commend their whole life to bye-standers for such as is morally good what advantage would Christ or Paul or the Gospel get thereby verily none at all but rather dammage and reproach as will soon appear to any mans reason if it be considered that goodness of life joyned to badness of principles is like the Devil clothed in white or Satan transformed into an Angel of light And Paul was grieved in his Spirit when the wench that had a spirit of divination did acknowledg him to be the servant of the most high God for he knew it would nothing further or help forward the Lords design but be rather an hindrance thereto For when Witches and Devils come once to commend or make use of the name of Christ Christ and Paul like it not therefore Pauls exhortation which here we are presented with by the Text is not extended to any of the four sorts aforenamed but First To those upon whom his name is called they should depart from iniquity I say those whom God has so far dignified as to put the name of Christ upon them and I will add that apply that name to themselves And the reason is because God is now concerned God has changed thy name from Pagan to Christian and thou chusest to call thy self by that â—ame saying I belong to Christ. Now thou must depart from iniquity for that notice is taken of thee both by Heaven and Earth that thou art become a Disciple and let every one that so nameth the name of Christ or that nameth it being himself by God and himself put under such circumstances as these depart from iniquity Secondly It is spoken to those that name the name of Christ either in the publick or priâ—ate worship of God being themselves professed worshippers of him and the reason is for that the ordinances as well as the name of God is holy and he will be sanctified in them that come nigh him He therefore that approacheth the presence of Christ in prayer or any other Divine appointment must take heed of regarding of iniquity in his heart else the Lord will stop his ears to his prayers and will shut his eyes and not take notice of such kind of worship or worshippers Thirdly Those that the Apostle in this place exhorts to depart from iniquity are such as have taken unto themselves the boldness to say that they are in him abide in him and consequently are made partakers of the benefits that are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked And the reason is because Christ is a fruitful root and a free conveyer of sap into the branches Hence it is written that the trees of the Lord are full of sap So then he that nameth the name of Christ by way of applying to himself his benefits and as counting that he is found of God in him and so abideth ought himself to walk even as he walked that he may give proof of what he saith to be true by bearing forth before men that similitude of righteousness that is in his Root and Stem For such as the stock or tree is such let the branches be but that cannot be known but
Grace of Christ the Faith the Repentance the Love and hope of the Gospel No marvel then if they abide among the wooden sort of professors No marvel then though the iniquity of their heels still follows them and that it droppeth from them whereever they go But so much for the first reason Why men do name the name of Christ and yet do not depart from iniquity Secondly The second reason why some that name the name of Christ depart not from iniquity is for that though they rest not in bare notions as those forementioned yet they take up as they short of the saving grace of God There are bare notions there are common workings and there is a work that is saving and that will do the soul good to eternity 1. There are bare notions and they that have them are such unto whom the Gospel comes in word only such whose Religion stands in word only and is not attended with a power sutable that is there goeth not along with the word a power sufficient to subdue and work over the heart to a cordial and gracious close with that word that comes to them Yet such is the noise and sound of the word that they are willing to become professors thereof there is some kind of musicalness in it specially when well handled and fingered by a skilful preacher And lo saith God unto such preachers when their auditory is made up of such kind of hearers And lo thou art unto them as a very lovely Song or as one that sings a Song of Loves of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument For they hear thy words but they do them not 2. But then besides these there is another sort and they go further than these For to them the word came not in word only but also in power though not in that or in such a power as is sufficient absolutely against all atempts whatsoever to bring the soul to glory Of these we read in several places to wit that they have tasted of the powers of the world to come but not so as to bring them safe to glory Yet thus far they go 1. They attain light or illumination to see much of their state by nature with 2. This light standeth not in bare speculation but le ts fall upon the conscience convincing arguments to the bowing and humbling of the spirit 3. They submit to these convictions and reform and may for a time not only come out from them that live in error but escape the pollutions of the world by the knowlege of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 4. Yea so powerful will this dispensation be that it will prevail with them to do and suffer many things for the vindication of the truth of that Gospel which they profess For 1. The word will be sweet unto them 2. Christ the gift of God will be relished by them 3. The powers of the world to come will be in them 4. Some workings of the Holy Ghost will be in them 5. And joy which is as oyl to the wheels will be with their souls Thus I say it is with some professors who yet cannot be said to depart from iniquity that is for all ado because the things that now are upon them abide with them but awhile For awhile they believe they rejoyce in the light for a season So they clean escape from them who live in error for a little or awhile and after that return to their old course and are again intangled with their inquities and overcome This is called A turning with the Dog to his own vomit again and with the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire And some of these are set forth by this and such like sayings When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and finding none 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 Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse than the first Now the causes of this declension returning or falling away again unto iniquity are many First One is for that this work this work of power that they have been made partakers of has not been thorough enough upon all the powers of their souls Their understandings their Judgments and Consciences have been dealt with but the power of God has not been upon their wills and minds and affections rightly to subdue them to the grace of the Gospel Indeed there seems to be a subjection of the will and an overruling of the mind and affections also else they could not for a time lay aside their iniquity come off from the pollutions of the world and for a season rejoyce in the word and be pleased with the light thereof But we may consider that this may be not for that a sound work of God hath passed upon these powers of the soul but that rather this was by reason of those reflex acts that the understanding now inlightened the judgment now informed and the conscience now convinced had upon these other powers of the soul. And I the rather think it so because willingness mindfulness of and affection for this Gospel lasted no longer than the light shined in their understandings or than the things were relished by their judgment and conscience So that when the light of their Candle went out and when the taste of this sugar-plumb was out of their mouth their wills and affections not being possessed with the fear of God they returned again to their course and went away as before with iniquity Nor do I by any thing here discoursed lay blame or fault at the door of God For 1. He is a free agent to do what he pleaseth and may if he please refuse to give any thing or if he gives something why may he not give what he pleases also He may give special grace to one and that which is not so to another he may open Baalams eyes and open Lydia 's heart he may give some but a taste and cause some to eat abundantly He may suffer some to fall away and keep others by his power through faith unto salvation 2. Besides Gods withdrawing to wit of those common workings if they were withdrawn without a cause given which yet I question yet why may they not be withdrawn from these as well as from his own peculiar ones He knows but little that doth not know that God oft-times hides his face from his own and also withdraws from them the light and great influences of the Holy Ghost and turns them over at least in their own apprehensions to the ungodly and to fallen Angels for their Chastisement or Tryal or Instruction c. 3. And why
from iniquity Because of the Ordinances of Christ for they are holy Men of old before they went in to meddle with holy things were to wash their hands and their feet in a vessel prepared for that purpose Now since they that name that name religiously do also meddle with Christs appointments they must also wash and be clean cleanse your hands ye sinners if you mean to meddle with Christ in his appointments Wash lest God cut you off for your not departing from iniquity Ninthly They that name the name of Christ religiously should depart from iniquity because of Christs observers There arâ— many that keep their eye upon Christ and that watch for an opportunity to speak against him even through the sides of those that profess him Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel And for a sign that shall be spoken against Some take occasion to speak against him because of the meanness of his person here some again speak against him because of the plainness of his doctrine also some speak against him because of the meanness of his followers and some speak against him because of the evil deeds of some that profess him But if he that gives just occasion of offence to the least of Saints had better be drowned in the Sea with a Mill-stone about his neck what think you shall his judgment be who through his mingling of his profession of Christs name with a wicked life shall tempt or provoke men to speak against Christ I come now to those arguments that respect God the Father First Then they that profess the name of Christ should depart from iniquity because of God the Father because God the Father has made Christ to be to us what he is to wit the Apostle and High-Priest of our profession He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him Nor can the Father be honoured by us but by our departing from iniquity All our talk and profession of Christ adds no glory to his Father who has made him our King and Priest and Prophet if it be not joyned to an holy conversation Wherefore if you profess the name of Christ and would hold the word in hand that you have believed in him depart from iniquity for the Fathers sake that hath sent him Secondly As it is the Father which has made Christ to us what he is so it is the Father who hath called us to partake of Christ and all his benefits Wherefore we must depart from iniquity that profess the name of Christ that we may glorifie him for his call He has called us to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ That is to partake of all that good that is in him as Mediator and to be done by him for those that trust in him Nor had we ever come out of a cursed and condemned condition to Christ for life and blessedness but by the call of the Father For 't is not of works but of him that calleth now since he has called us to this priviledge even us whom he has called and left others in their sins to perish by his judgments it is meet we should depart from iniquity Specially since the call by which he called us is heavenly and holy and because he has not only called us to glory but to vertue Thirdly We that religiously name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity because God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has commanded us so to do Wherefore gird up the loyns of your minds be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient Children not fashioning your selves according to your former lusts in your ignorance but as he that has called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation Because it is written Be ye holy as I am holy Fourthly They that religiously name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity that they may answer the end for which they are called to profess his name The Father has therefore called them to profess his name that they might be trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Dost thou then profess the name of Christ bring forth those fruits that become that holy profession that you may be called trees of righteousness and that God may be glorified for and by your professed subjection to the Gospel of his Son Fifthly They that name as afore the name of the Lord Jesus Christ should depart from iniquity that they may shew to the world the nature and power of those graces which God the Father has bestowed upon them that do religiously name the name of Christ. And the rather because he that religiously nameth that name declareth even by his so naming of him that he has received grace of the Father to enable him so to do Now he cannot declare this by deeds unless he depart from iniquity and his declaring of it by words alone signifies little to God or man Sixthly We therefore that religiously name the name of Christ should also depart from iniquity because the spirit of the Father will else be grieved The countenancing of iniquity the not departing therefrom will grieve the holy spirit of God by which you are sealed to the day of redemption and that is a sin of an higher nature than men commonly are aware of He that grieveth the spirit of God shall smart for it here or in Hell or both And that spirit that sometimes did illuminate teach and instruct them can keep silence can cause darkness can withdraw it self and suffer the soul to sin more and more and this last is the very judgment of Judgments He that grieves the spirit quenches it and he that quenches it vexes it and he that vexes it sets it against himself and tempts it to hasten destruction upon himself Wherefore take heed professors I say take heed you that religiously name the name of Christ that you meddle not with iniquity that you tempt not the spirit of the Lord to do such things against you whose beginnings are dreadful and whose end in working of judgments is unsearchable A man knows not whither he is going nor where he shall stop that is but entring into temptation nor whether he shall ever turn back or go out at the gap that is right before him He that has begun to grieve the Holy Ghost may be suffered to go on untill he has sinned that sin which is called the Sin against the Holy Ghost And if God shall once give thee up to that then thou art in the Iron cage out of which there is neither deliverance nor redemption Let every one therefore that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity upon this second consideration Thirdly In the next place I come now to those arguments that do respect
lacking but mixed there with Therefore I say since God has put his name into thy mouth to profess the same and grace into thy heart to season that profession with such carriage such behaviour such life and such conversation as doth become the same thou hast great cause to thank God A man into whose mouth God has put the name of Christ to profess it is as a man that is to act his part upon a stage in the Market-place if he doth it well he brings praise both to his Master and himself but if he doth it ill both are brought into contempt No greater praise can by man be brought to God than by joyning to the profession of the name of Christ a fruitful life and conversation Herein saith Christ is my my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit so shall ye be my Desciples Fruitful lives God expecteth of all that profess the name of Christ. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Bless God therefore if he hath kept thee from blotting and blemishing of thy profession if thy conversation has not been stained with the blots and evils of the times What thou feelest fightest with and groanest under by reason of the working of thine inward corruptions with that I meddle not nor is thy conversation the worse for that if thou keepest them from breaking out Thou also shalt be counted holy unto God through Christ if thou be of an upright conversation though plagued every day with the working of thine own corruption As Gods grace is the salt of Saints so Saints are the salt of God The one is the salt of God in the heart and the other is the salt of God in the world Ye are the Salt of the earth that is the salt of God in the earth For the earth would be wholly corrupt and would altogether stink if professors were not in it But now if the professor which is the salt shall indeâ—d lose his savour and hath nothing in his conversation to season that part of the earth in which God has placed him where with shall it be seasoned The place where he dwels as well as his profession will both stink odiously in the nostrils of the Lord And so both come to ruin and desolation Indeed as I have shewed the professor will come to the worst of it for that God doth deny further to give him salt If the salt has lost its savour wherewith shall it be salted wherewith shall the salt be salted with nothing Therefore it is thenceforth good for nothing No not for the Dunghill but to be casâ— out and troden under foot of men He thaâ— hath ears to hear let him hear How much therefore is the tender hearted and he that laboureth to beautifie his profâ—ssion with a Gospel conversation bound to bless God for the salt of his grace by the which his heart is seasoned and from his heart his conversation Secondly As such Christians should bless God so let them watch lâ—t them still watch let them still watch and pray watch against Satan and pray yet for more grace that they may yet more and more beautifie their profession of the worthy name of Christ with a suitable conversation Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garment that is his conversation clean nor is their any thing save the overthrowing of our Faith that Satan seeketh more â—o destroy He knows holiness in them that rightly as to doctrine name the name of Christ is a maul and destruction to his Kingdom an allurement to the ignorant and a cutting off those occasions to stumble that by the dirty life of a professor is laid in the way of the blind He knows that holiness of lives when they shine in those that profess the name of Christ doth cut off his lies that he seeketh to make the world believe and the slanders that he seeketh to fasten upon the professors of the Gospel Wherefore as you have begun to glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods so I beseech you do it more and more Thirdly To this end shun those profâ—ssors that are loose of life and conversation From such withdraw thy sâ—lf saith Paul and follow righteousness faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart If a man if a good man takes not good heed to himself he shall soon bring his soul into a snare Loose professors are defilers and corrupters a man shall get nothing but a blot by having company with them Besides as a man shall get a blot by having much to do with such so let him beware that his heart learn none of their ways Let thy company be the excellent in the earth even those that are excellent for knowledge and conversation He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed Be content to be counted singuler for so thou shalt if thou shalt follow after righteousness c. in good earnest for holiness is a rare thing now in the world I told thee before that it is foretold by the word that in the last dayes perilous times shall come and that men shall walk after their own lusts yea professors to their destruction Nor will it be easie to keep thy self therefrom But even as when the Pestilence is come into a place it infecteth and casteth down the healthful So the iniquity of the last times will infect and pollute the godly I mean the generality of them Were but our times duly compared with those that went before we should see that which now we are ignorant of Did we but look back to the Puritans but specially to those that but a little before them suffered for the word of God in the Marian days we should see another life than is now among men another manner of conversation than now is among professors But I say predictions and prophecies must be fulfilled and since the word says plainly that in the last days there shall come scoffers walking after their own lusts and since the Christians shall be endangered thereby let us look to it that we quit our selves like men seeing we know these things before lest we being led away with the error of the wicked fall from our own stedfastness Singularity in godliness if it be in godliness no man should be ashamed of For that is no more than to be more godly than to walk more humbly with God than others and for my part I had rather be a pattern and example of piety I had rather that my life should be instructing to the Saints and condemning to the world with Noah and Lot than to hazard my self among the multitude of the drossie I know that many professors will fall short of Eternal life and my judgment tells me that they will be of the slovenly sort of professors that so do And for my part I had rather