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A28157 A sermon preach'd to the Society for the reformation of manners in Kingston upon Hull on Wednesday, January the 10th, 1699/700. Billingsley, John, 1657-1722. 1700 (1700) Wing B2908; ESTC R31590 17,484 56

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eateth as a Canker 2 Tim. 2. 17. and bids us beware of such as we love our Souls Tit. 3. 10. 'T is little considered by many that a sound Faith is as necessary to Salvation as a good Life nay these two are indeed inseparable If the Plague of Leprosie be in the Head the whole Person is thereby rendred unclean Lev. 13. 44. He is in danger of perishing himself and his Society becomes infectious I know this Matter hath been carried too far by some who have rashly haereticated their Brethren See the Postscript and boldly usurped the Title of Orthodox to themselves and not knowing what Spirit they are of would cast out of the Church and if it were in their Power ou● of Heaven too all that cannot glibly pronounce their Shibboleth Yet if some reel into one Extreme it doth not follow that therefore we must reel into the other We are to contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. And the Corrupters of that Faith are to be looked upon as the most dangerous Enemies Religion hath Such as deny the Divine Authority of the Scripture as the Deists such as interpret away its vital Sense and Meaning as the Socinians such as subject it to a private Interpretation allowing no gloss but what their own Infallibility stamps upon it as the Romanists abroad and our modern Enthusiasts at home All these lay dangerous Snares for the Souls of ignorant and unstable Men. If our Faith be blind our Practice will be lame and both the one and the other of these will sadly find at last that they have but deceived themselves or been deceived by others with vain words Eph. 5. 6. 2. Yet while we are in the present probationary State there is hope that those who are involved in these Snares of Death may be rescued from them The great Shepherd and Bishop of Souls came to seek and to save that which was lost Luk. 19. 10. And the great Design of the Gospel is to publish Pardon and Life to the Penitent without Exception Jesus Christ the Apostle acquaints us came into the world to save sinners not excluding the very chief 1 Tim. 1. 15. And it is often seen that Publicans and Harlots enter in before proud Pharisees and confident Self-justitiaries Matth. 21. 31. Where the Gospel is duly preached it is glad tidings of great joy to all people Luke 2. 10. 'T is a black Catalogue to which the Apostle subjoins such were some of you 1 Cor. 6. 11. They who as to their external Conversation have been most blameless tho' that be commendable are not to be flattered as if they needed no Repentance or might get to Heaven without Regeneration and Faith in the Death and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ nor are the most guilty and abominable to be treated as if there were no hope for them upon true Repentance and Faith in the Redeemer There is certainly a great deal of Truth in that Assertion of sundry of our old English Divines viz. That all Men naturally have a strong Inclination to a Covenant of Works and would be as little beholden to the Redeemer and his Grace as ever they can True it is Great Transgressions call for deep Humiliation Yet we must take heed we think not of washing away our Guilt in our own Tears 't is only the Redeemer's Blood can do that And by virtue of that Blood together with the sanctifying Influence of the Divine Spirit purchased by it and dispenced by our ascended Redeemer there is hope that the vilest Sinners may become first justified and then glorified Saints 3. There are Means appointed by God and usually attended with his Blessing for the saving of Sinners from the Guilt Defilement and Dominion of Sin and from the Temporal and Eternal Judgments due to it God hath declared upon Oath That he hath no pleasure in the death of him that dieth Ezek. 18. 32. and ch 33. 11. And the long Exercise of his Patience towards guilty Sinners may abundantly assure us of it much more when we consider the Gifts that our risen and ascended Lord hath given to men Eph. 4. 8. the Ordinances he hath se●tled in his Church the Charge he hath entrusted every Man with not only of his own but likewise of his Brother's Soul So that the Preaching of the Word the Administration of Sacraments the Wise and Spiritual Management of Discipline Fraternal Correption the Shining Light of a Good Example Providential Chastisements are all so many proper Helps to reduce Sinners from the Error of their Ways and prevent that Ruine which will else certainly and speedily overtake them 4. It is the unquestionable Duty of Christian Magistrates and that by virtue of their Office to punish Vice and Profaneness The Magistrate is a Minister of God to us for Good a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil and one who beareth not the Sword in vain Rom. 13. 4. Whether or how far Errors even the most dangerous are punishable or restrainable by the Magistrate's Sword is a Question that hath been boldly ventilated but whether accurately decided or no of late I shall not determine But that the punishing of Vice and Profaneness is his Duty is what no body doth or can dispute All the Difficulty is to get Men to the Discharge of a Plain and Necessary Duty to the Performance of which they are under all the Obligations of Loyalty both to their Heavenly and Earthly King of Conscience to their Solemn Oaths of Interest if the Peace of their Consciences and their good Reputation among Men be looked upon by them as any part of their Interest But while the gratifying of a Friend or which is worse a deadly Enemy a base Lust is of more value with them as with some it most evidently is than all the above-mentioned Obligations there is but too much Cause to fear that the so necessary so much desired and so hopefully-begun Work of Reformation of Manners will die in their hands And then what Outcries their Consciences and their Posterity will e're long make against them I leave them to think I pray God they may in time 5. It is also the Duty of Ministers by sound Doctrine by serious Exhortation and by the shining Light of an Exemplary Behaviour to give all the Check they can to growing Error and Impiety This is their Office-Work to which they are specially to attend as called and consecrated thereunto They are in a peculiar manner the salt of the earth and the light of the world Matth. 5. 13 14. They are sent on this very Errand To turn men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. It ought to be their whole Business to save themselves and those that hear them 1 Tim. 4. 16. The Epistles to Timothy and Titus do thoroughly acquaint them with the Weight of their Work Obligations and Account On the heedful Reading whereof where is he to