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
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
thy self First Those that religiously name the name of Christ should must depart from iniquity because else our profession of him is but a lie If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie And walk in darkness that is and walk in iniquity and depart from a life that is according to the course of this World He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a lyer and the truth is not in him The truth that he professes to know and that he saith he hath experience of is not in him Every man that nameth the name of Christ is not therefore a man of God nor is the word in every mans mouth truth though he makes profession of that worthy name It is then truth in him and to others with reference to him when his mouth and his life shall agree Men may say they are Apostles and be lyers they may say they are Jews that is Christians and lie and be lyers and lie in so saying Now this is the highest kind of lying and certainly must therefore work the saddest sort of effects Thus mans best things are lies His very saying I know him I have fellowship with him I am a Jew a Christian is a lie His life giveth his mouth the lie and all knowing men are sure he lies 1. He lies unto God he speaks lies in the presence and to the very face of God Now this is a daring thing I know their lies saith he and shall he noâ— recompence for this See these Scriptures in the Margent and take heed I speak to you that religiously name the name of Christ and yet do not depart from iniquity 2. He lies unto men every knowing man every man that is able to judge of the tree by the fruit knows that that man is a lier and that his whole profession as to himself is a lie if he doth not depart from iniquity Thus Paul called the slow bellies the unsound professors among the Cretians liers They were so in his eyes for that their profession of the name of Christ was not seconded with such a life as became a people professing godliness They did not depart from iniquity But again 3. Such a man is a lier to his own soul. What ever such an one promiseth to himself his soul will find it a lie There be many in the world that profess the name of Christ and consequently promise their soul the injoyment of that good that indeed is wrapt up in him but they will certainly be mistaken hereabout and with the greatest terror will find it so when they shall hear that direful sentence Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity Christ is resolved that the loose-lived prâ—fessor shall not stand in the judgment nor any such sinners in the congregation of the righteous They have lied to God to men and to themselves but Jâ—sus then will not lie unto them He will plainly tell them that he hath not known them and that they shall not abide in his presence But Secondly Those that religiously name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity else as they are liers in their profession so they are self-deceivers I told you but now such lie to themselves and so consequently they deceive themselves But be ye doers of the word not hearers only deceiving your own selves 'T is a sad thing for a man in and about eternal things to prove a deceiver of others but for a man to deceive himself his own self of eternal life this is saddest of all Yet there is in man a propenseness so to do Hence the Apostle says be not deceived and let no man deceive himself And again If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans Religion is vain These words But deceiveth his own heart I have much mused about for they seem to me to be spoken to shew how bold and prodigiously desperate some men are who yet religiously name the name of Christ desperate I say at self deceiving He deceiveth his own heart he otherwayes perswadeth it than of its own self it would go Ordinarily men are said to be deceived by their hearts but here 's a man that is said to deceive his own heart flattering it off from the scent and dread of those convictions that by the word sometimes it hath been under perswading of it that there needs no such strictness of life be added to a profession of Faith in Christ as by the Gospel is called for or that since Christ has died for us and rose again and since salvation is alone in him we need not be so concerned or be so strict to matter how we live This man is a self deceiver he deceives his own heart Self deceiving and that about spiritual and eternal things specially when men do it willingly is one of the most unnatural unreasonable and unaccountable action in the world 1. It is one of the most unnatural actions For here a man seeks his own ruin and privily lurks for his own life We all cry out against him that murthers his Children his Wife or his own body and condemn him to be one of those that has forgot the rules and love of nature But behold the man under consideration is ingaged in such designs as will terminate in his own destruction he deceiveth his own soul. 2. This is also the most unreasonable act there can no cause nor crum of cause that has the least spark or dram of reason or of any thing that looks like reason be shewen why a man should deceive himself and bereave his soul of eternal life Therefore 3. Such men are usually passed over with astonishment and silence Be astonished O Heavens at this and be ye horribly afraid for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water But above all This as to this head is the most amazing place where 't is said that the self deceiver makes his self deceiving his sport Sporting themselves with their own deceivings These are a people far gone to be sure that are arrived to such an height of negligence carelesness wantonness and desparateness of spirit as to take pleasure in and make a sport of that which will assuredly deceive them forever But this is the fruit of professing of Christ and of not departing from iniquity The wisdom and judgment of God is such as to give such over to the sporting of themselves in their own deceivings Thirdly Those that religiously name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity because of the scandal that will else assuredly come upon Religion and the things of Religion through them Upon this head I may begin to write with a sigh For never more of this kind than now There is no place where