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
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
may not God since these Rebels had such working with them as that their minds by their understandings their will and affections by their judgment and consciences were somewhat taken and allured cause a withdrawing of these for tryal and to see if they would cry after him to return But we will let these things pass and call you again to a remembrance of what is in hand we are now shewing that there be them that name the name of Christ that yet depart not from iniquity and in shewing the cause of their not so doing one was for that the Gospel came to them in word only and the other was for that though it came to others in power yet not in power or in that power that effectually keepeth some to salvation Upon this second reason I now am and am shewing how it comes to pass that they that are under the power of the things that we have afore discoursed should notwithstanding that return to their vomit again One cause of this declension or going back to iniquity I have just now touched upon and we have some more behind Secondly Therefore such persons upon the withdrawing of those influences that at present are mighty upon them do forthwith forget both what they had and what work it made upon them Straightway they forget what manner of men they were 'T is said of Israel they sang his praises they soon forgot his word So these they forget 1. They forget what light and what conviction they had 2. They forget what sorrow for sin they had 3. They forget what tastes of Christ and his word they had 4. They forget what joy and comfort they had 5. They forget how fair for heaven they were 6. And they forget how cleansed once they were They have forgotten that they were purged from their old sins Now forgetfulness makes things that are past as nothings and if so then it can lay no obligations upon the mind to ingage it to the delight of them and to the injoying of them no not in the thoughts of them as if they were remembred by us Forâ—etfulness is a very dangerous thing â—t makes preaching vain profession â—ain faith vain and all to no purâ—ose Such profession is but a dream â—nd the professors but as dreamers â—ll vanishes in the morning This made Paul so caution the Corinthiâ—ns that they forgot not the preachâ—ng and the Author to the Hebrews â—o earnestly call them in their backâ—liding back to the remembrance of former days and to the recollecting of what it was that then had made them so willingly indure their great fight of affliction Forgetfulness I say makes things noâ—hings It makes us as if things had never been and so takes a way from the soul one great means of stay support and incouragement when choice David was dejected the remembrance of the Hill Hermon was his stay when he was to go out against Goliah the remembrance of the Lyon and the Bear was his support so when those that have had the power of the things of God upon them can think of this when they are withdrawn it will even the thinking of it will have some kind of operation upon the soul. And therefore you shall find that the recovering of a backslider usually begins at the remembrance of former things Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works 'T is marvelous to see how some men are captivated with this forgetfulness Those that sometimes have prayed cryed groaned and sighed for eternal life Those that sometimes thought no pains too much no way too far no hazzards too great to run for eternal life those who sometimes were captivated with the word and with the comforts and joy thereof and that had it been possible could have pulled out their eyes and have given them to a Gospel Minister so dear and sweet were the good tidings which they brought to such I say 't is marvelous to see how such men are captivated with the forgetfulness of this They are as if they never had been them men they are as if they never had had such things or as if they had never had thought about them Yea they are strange and carry it strangely to all those that still are under the power of that word and of that mighty hand by which sometimes themselves were guided Should one say to some Art not thou the man that I once saw crying under a Sermon that I once heard cry out what must I do to be saved and that sometime ago I heard speak well of the holy word of God how askew will they look upon one or if they will acknowledge that such things were with them once they do it more like images and rejected Ghosts than men They look as if they were blasted withered cast out and dryed to powder and now fit for nothing but to be cast into the fire and burned The godliness from which they are departed and the iniquity unto which again they have joyned themselves has so altered so metamorphosed and changed their heart and mind and ways This therefore is the second thing which shews why some that have been under something of the power of things are again with iniquity entangled and overcome Thirdly Another thing that makes these enlightened ones that they continue not to depart from iniquity is the persecution that always attends the word for persecution always attends the word that of the Tongue or that of the Sword Now these men that were once enlightened though they cannot remember what they were themselves yet Satan helps them to think that their neighbours remember what they were and having now lost the savor the sence of what they once had and sinned away that spirit that brought it to them they grow weak ye are above all men the most unable to stand up to abide the shock and tryal that for their profession is coming upon them Wherefore by and by they are offended to wit with their own profession and call themselves an hundred fools for being so heedless so witless and unwary to mind Gods holy things in such a time and day Then they bethink with themselves how to make an honourable retreat which they suppose they usually do by finding fault first with their own unadvisedness and of the over-perswasiveness of others they also now begin to say farewel conscience yea God and Heaven and all and joyn in confederacy with the world again Thus are they in fear where no fear is and the sound of a shaken leaf doth chase them And there are four things are the cause of this First For that notwithstanding the former power that attended the word to their hearts their hearts did still abide as hard as a rock there was no true and sound breaking nor softning in that wherefore there the word wanted depth of earth as our Lord is pleased to call it and anon when the Sun was up that
which remained was presently scorched and so withered away Secondly Notwithstanding what they had sometimes injoyed yet the grace of the fear of God was wanting in them so wanting that what should hinder but that they should return to go as they came and leave Christ the Gospel and the people of God to shift as well as they can for themselves Thirdly All that they injoyed did not estrange their heart from their lusts though when they were in the power of things they were deader to them than formerly I say than formerly And it is even with such as with them who are for a time taken off from what yet they love by some new imploy in which they are ingaged Saul went out to look for David to kill him but when he came at Naioth in Ramah the spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied But this lasted but for a while Saul soon returned to his old envy against the holy man again Fourthly It comes upon them even of judgment and wrath for since they so soon give way to sin and forget God suffereth them to fall into fear of men and to force their hearts to comply with bad things even as Judas and Demas did till they are swallowed up of that Gulph into which the ungodly descend As for such as turn aside unto their own crooked ways the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity When once God is angry with a people He can deal with them He can give them up to those lusts in judgment that they will not be separated from by mercy Yea he can make a way for his anger to overtake them that have made a way by the deceits of their hearts to go a Whoring from under him And these are the causes why those that were once inlightned and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come return with the Dog to his own Vomit again and so though they have or do name the name of Christ yet depart not from iniquity Thirdly A third Reason why they that name the name of Christ do not depart from iniquity may be because Grace is weak and corruption strong I speak now of them that are truly gracious for as those that never had nothing but notion did never at all depart from iniquity and as those that never had saving grace though common workings were with them do but a little depart from iniquity so those that yet have the grace of God in them in truth do not as they should depart from iniquity wherefore the exhortation is as much to them as it is to any body else And let them that name the name of Christ with gracious lips depart from iniquity For though there is a great difference 'twixt these and the two sorts that I mentioned before these having the true principles of holiness in them but the other nothing thereof yet they even they also have need of this exhortation for they do not as they should depart from iniquity Their graces as I said are weak and that is the reason thereof That these do not depart from iniquity as they should is clear 1. For that their highest acts of holiness are tainted therewith and made imperfect thereby this is manifâ—st because they sâ—ill are afraid to shew themselves before God in their own works and because they betake them for acceptation with God to the Priestly Office of Christ and pray by him Forgive us our trespasses 2. This is clear also because we are while in this world no where by the word said to have attained to the mark and point of absolute perfection but are bid to grow to follow on to press forward and to perfect holiness in the fear of God Yea the best of us all even the Apostles and Prophets have not only made it manifest by their imperfections that as yet they have not departed from iniquity as they should but they have confessed and denyed not that they were yet in the pursuit of righteousness and had not already attained 3. This is clear also for that the righteousness by the which the best of Saints are justified in the sight of God is a righteousness of another not their own the righteousness of another man for that there is not any upon earth that doth good and sins not And what need we pray forgive us our trespasses approach God in the perfâ—ctions of another and be bid to perfect holiness if we had already attained or were already perfect or were so departed from iniquity as we should 4. Alaâ— the complaints of God concerning this matter doth sufficiently testifie the truth of what I say When God came to his people in Egypt and bid them forsake the Idols of Aegypt they did not But they rebelled against me says he and would not hearken unto me they did not every man cast away the abominations of his eyes neither did they forsake the Idols of Aegypt Well He saved them out of Aegypt and brought them into the Wilderness and said to them there Obey my Laws and my Commandments But the House of Israel rebelled against me in the Wilderness they walked not in my Statutes they despised my judgments Well then he had them from the Wilderness to Canaan and then said to them Keep my Laws But when he had brought them into the Land then they also polluted themselves and sinned against him as before Again when God brought them out of captivity both they and every thing that they did was unclean To be short what says Paul in the seventh to the Romans what says James in the third Chapter of his Epistle And what says John in his first Epistle and first Chapter Do they not all confess though themselves were Apostles and so for Grace and Gifts beyond any that breath in this world that sin and iniquity was yet with them and so consequently that there was not as yet that departing by them therefrom as there should And the reason as I have said is because grace is weak weak in the best and most strong of the Saints of God Hence the greatest Saints use to complain when much assaulted with corruptions or attended with very hard service for God of their weakness and insufficiency as to a compleatness of doing the will of God 1. Moses when God did but bid him nourish and succour Israel in the Wilderness and carry them in his bosom as the Nursing-father beareth the sucking Child was stricken with such fear of miscarrying through the weakness of his graces and the power of his corruptions that he cryed to God saying I am not able to bear all this people alone because it is too heavy for me And if thou deal thus with me kill me I pray thee out of hand and let me not see my wretchedness 2. Job when he was for a proof of his integrity to be exercised awhile with some
attends the Closet which I may call by the name of vacancy When men have a Closet to talk of not to pray in a Closet to look upon not to bow before God in a Closet to lay up Gold in but not to mourn in for the sins of my life A Closet that could it speak would say my owner is seldom here upon his knees before the God of Heaven seldom here humbling himself for the iniquity of his heart or or to thank God for the mercies of his life Thirdly Then also a man is guilty of Closet-iniquity when though he doth not utterly live in the neglect of duty he formally carnally and without reverence and godly fear performs it Also when he asketh God for that which he cannot abide should be given him or when he prayeth for that in his Closet that he cannot abide in his house nor his life Fourthly Then also a man is guilty of Closet-iniquity when he desireth that the sound of the devotion he doth there may be heard by them without in the house the street or of those that dwell by For a Closet is only for the man and God to do things in secretly These things let the professor beware of lest he add to his iniquity sin untill he and it comes to be loathsom The Closet is by God appointed for men to wait upon him in and to do it without hypocrisie To wait there for his mind and his will and also for grace to perform it And how can a man that went last time out of his Closet to be nought have the face to come thither again If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer and if so then he will not meet me in my Closet and if so then I shall quickly be weary thereof being left to my self and the vanity of my mind It is a great thing to be a Closet-Christian and to hold it he must be a Close-Christian that will be a Closet-Christian When I say a Close-Christian I mean one that is so in the hidden part and that also walks with God Many there be that profess Christ who doe oftener in London frequent the Coffee-house than their Closet and that sooner in a morning run to make bargains than to pray unto God and begin the day with him But for thee who professest the name of Christ do thou depart from all these things do thou make conscience of reading and practising do thou follow after righteousness do thou make conscience of beginning the day with God for he that begins it not with him will hardly end it with him He that runs from God in the morning will hardly find him at the close of the day Nor will he that beginâ— with the world and the vanities thereof in the first place be very capable of walking with God all the day after 'T is he that finds God in his Closet that will carry the savour of him into his house his shop and his more open conversation when Moses had been with God in the Mount his face shone he brought of that glory into the Camp Sixthly I add again let those that name the name of Christ depart from the iniquity that cleavâ—th to opinions This is a sad age â—or that let opinions in themâ—elves be never so good never â—o necessary never so innocent â—et there are spirits in the world â—hat will entail iniquity to them â—nd will make the vanity so inseparable with the opinion that 't is almost impossible with some to take in the opinion and leave out the iniquity that by craft and subtilty of Satan is joyned thereto Nor is this a thing new and of yesterday It has been thus almost in all ages of the Church of God and that not only in things small and indifferent but in things fundamental and most substantial I need instance in none other for proof hereof but the doctrine of faith and holiness If faith be preached as that which is absolutely necessary to Justification then faith-fantastical and loosness and remisness in life with some are joyned therewith If holiness of life be preached as necessary to salvation then faith is undervalued and set below its place and works as to justification with God set up and made co-partners with Christâ— merits in the remission of sins Thuâ— iniquity joyneth it self with the great and most substantials of thâ— Gospel and 't is hard to receive anâ— good opinion what ever but iniquity will joyn it self thereto Wicked spirits do not only tempt men to transgress the moral law but do present themselves in heavenly things working there and labouring in them to wrest the judgment and turn the understanding and conscience awry in those high and most important things Wherefore I say we must be the more watchful and careful lest we be abused in our notions and best principles by the iniquities that joyn themselves thereto 'T is strange to see at this day how notwithstanding all the threatnings of God men are wedded to their own opinions beyond what the law of grace and love will admit Here 's a Presbyter here 's an Independent an Anabaptist so joyned each man to his own opinion that they cannot have that communion one with another as by the testament of the Lord Jesus they are commanded and injoyned What is the cause Is the Truth No! God is â—he author of no confusion in the Church of God It is then because every man makes too much of his own opinion abounds too much in his own sence and takes not care to separate his opinion from the iniquity that cleaveth thereto That this confusion is in the Church of Christ I am of Paul I of Apollo I of Cephas I of Christ is too manifest But what unbecoming language is this for the Children of the same Father members of the same body and heirs of the same glory to be accustomed to whether it is Pride or Hypocrisie or Ignorance or Self or the Devil or the Jesuite or all these joyntly working with the Church that makes and maintains these names of distinction This distance and want of love this contempt of one another these base and undervaluing thoughts of brethren will be better seen to the shame and confusion of some in the Judgment In the mean time I advise thee with whom I am at this time concerned to take heed of this mixture this sinful mixture of trutâ— and iniquity together And to help thee in this thing keep thine eye much upon thine own base self labour also to be sensible of the imperfâ—ctions that cleave to thy best performances be clothed with humility and prefer thy brother before thy self and know that Christianity lieth not in small matters neither before God nor understanding men And it would be well if those that so stickle by their private and unscriptural notions which only is iniquity cleaving to truth I say it would be well if such were more sound
in faith and morals and iâ— by their lives they gave better conviction to the world that the truth and grace of Christ is in them Sometimes so much iniquity is mixed with good opinions that it prevails not only to hurt men in this world but to drown them in misery everlasting 'T was good that the Jâ—ws did own and allow the ceremonies of the law but since the iniquity that joyned it self thereto did prevail with them to make those ceremonies copartners with Christ in those matters that pertained to Christ alone therefore they perished in them The Galatians also with many of the Corinthians had like to have been overthrown by these things Take heed therefore of that iniquity that seeketh to steal with the truth into thy heart thy judgment and understanding Nor doth one iniquity come without another they are linked together and come by companies and therefore usually they that are superstitious in one thing are corrupted in several other The more a man stands upon his points to justifie himself and to condemn his holy brethren the more danger he is in of being overcome of divers evils And it is the wisdom of God to let it be so that flesh might not glory in his presence His soul that is lifted up to wit with his good doings with his order and methods in religion his soul is not upright in him I have often said in my heart what is the reason that some of the brethren should be so shy of holding communion with those every whit as good if not better than themselves Is it bâ—cause they think themselves uâ—worthy of their holy fellowship No verily it is because they exalt themselves they are leavened with some iniquity that hath mixed it self with some good opinions that they hold and therefore it is that they say to others stand by thy self come not near me for I am holier than thou But what is the sentence of God concerning those Why these are a smoke in my nose a fire that burneth all the day Wherefore as I said before so I say now again take heed of the iniquity that cleaveth to good opinions The which thou wilt in no wise be able to shun unless thou beest clothed with humility But Seventhly Let them that name the name of Christ depart from Hypocrisies This exhortation is as the first general for hypocrisies are of that nature that they spread themselves as the leprosie of the body all over not the faculties of the soul only but all the duties of a man So that here is a great iniquity to be parted from an over-spreading iniquity This sin will get into all thy profession into every whit of it and will make the whole of it a loathsome stink in the nostrils of God Hypocrisie will be in the Pulpit in Conference in Closets in Communion of Saints in Faith in Love in Repentance in Zeal in Humility in Alms in the Prison and in all duties So that here is for the keeping of thy soul upright and sincere more than ordinary diligence to be used Hypocrisie is one of the most abominable of iniquities It is a sin that dares it with God It is a sin that saith God is ignorant or that he delighteth in iniquity It is a sin that flattereth that dissembleth that offereth to hold God as it were fair in hand about that which is neither purposed nor intended It is also a sin that puts a man upon studying and contriving to beguile and deceive his Neighbour as to the bent and intent of the heart and also as to the cause and end of actions It is a sin that perswadeth a man to make a shew of Civility Morality or Christian religion as a cloak a pretence a guise to deceive withal It will make a man preach for a place and praise rather than to glorifie God and save souls It will put a man upon talking that he may be commended It will make a man when he is at prayer in his Closet strive to be heard without doors It will make a man ask for that he desireth not and shew zeal in duties when his heart is as cold as senseless and as much without savour as a clod It will make a man pray to be seen and heard of men rather than to be heard of God It will make a man strive to weep when he repenteth not and to pretend much friendship when he doth not love It will make a man pretend to experience and sanctification when he has none and to faith and sincerity when he knows not what they are There is opposed to this sin simplicity innocency and godly sincerity without which three graces thou wilt be an Hypocrite let thy notions thy knowledge thy profession and commendations from others be what they will Helps against this sin there are many some of which I shall now present thee with 1. Believe that Gods eye is always upon thy heart to observe all the ways all the turnings and windings of it 2. Believe that he observeth all thy ways and marks thy actions The ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings 3. Believe that there is a day of judgment a coming and that then all things shall be revealed and discovered as they are For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed nor hid that shall not be known Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in light and that which ye have spoken in the ear in Closets shall be proclaimed upon the house tops 4. Believe that an Hypocrite with the cunning and shrouds for his hypocrisie can go unseen no farther than the grave nor can he longer flatter himself with thoughts of life For the triumphing of the wicked is short the joy of the Hypocrite but for a moment Though his exellency reach up to the heavens and his head reacheth unto the clouds yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung they which have seen him shall say where is he He shall fly away as a dream and not be found yea he shall be chased away as a vision of the night 5. Believe that God will not spare an Hypocrite in the judgment no nor punish him neither with ordinary damnation but as they have here sinned in a way by themselves so there they shall receive greater damnation Of all sins the sin of Hypocrisie bespeaks a man most in love with some lust because he dissembleth both with God and man to keep it For a conclusion upon this seven-fold answer to the question above propounded let me advise those that are tender of the name of Christ to have regard to these things First Be well acquainted with the word and with the general rules of holiness to wit with the moral law the want of this is a cause of much unholiness of conversation These licentious and evil times wherein we live are full of iniquity
It is urged from the dangerousness of the latter days Wouldest thou examin thy self then make not the lives of others any rule to thee in this matter 'T is prophesied long ago by Christ and by Paul concerning the latter times that iniquity shall abound and be very high among professors Therefore it will be a rare thing to find an exemplary life among professors Wherefore cease from man and learn of the word try thy self by the word receive conviction from the word and to take off thy self from taking of incouragemnt from others set the judgment before thine eyes and that account that God will demand of thee then and know that it will be but a poor excuse of thee to say Lord such an one doth so did so would do so and they professed c. Whether thou wilt hear me or not I know not yet this I know If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self but if thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it Let me then to press this use farther upon thee shew thee in a few particulars the danger of not doing of it that is of not departing from iniquity since thou professest First The iniquity that cleaveth to men that profess if they cast it not away but countenance it will all prove Nettles and Bryers to them And I will assure thee yea thou knowest that Nettles and Thorns will sting and scratch but ill-favouredly I went saith Solomon by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding And lo it was all grown over with Thorns and Nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken down Suppose a man were after work all day to be turned into a bed of Nettles at night or after a man had been about such a business should be rewarded with chastisements of Bryers and Thorns this would for work be but little help relief or comfort to him why this is the reward of a wicked man of a wicked professor from God Nettles and Thorns are to cover over the face of his Vineyard his Field his Profession and that at the last of all for this covering over the face of his Vineyard with Nettles and Thorns is to shew what fruit the slovenly slothful careless professor will reap out of his profession when reaping time shall come Nor can he whose Vineyard whose profession is covered over with these Nettles and Thorns of iniquity escape being afflicted with them in his conscience For look as they cover the face of his Vineyard through his sloth now so will they cover the face of his conscience in the day of judgment For profession and conscience cannot be separated long If a man then shall make profession without conscience of Gods honour in his conversation his profession and conscience will meet in the day of his visitation Nor will he whose condition this shall be be able to ward off the guilt and sting of a slothful and bad conversation from covering the face of his conscience by retaining in his profession the name of Jesus Christ For naming and professing of the name of Christ will instead of salving such a conscience put venom sting and keenness into those Nettles and Thorns that then shall be spread over the face of such consciences This will be worse than was that cold wet cloth that Hazael took and spread over the face of Benhadad that he died This will sting worse tear worse torment worse kill worse Therefore look to it 2. Nor may men shift this danger by their own neglect of inquiring into the truth of their separation from iniquity for that God himself will search them I search the reins and the heart saith he to give unto every one of you according to his ways There are many that wear the name of Christ for a Cloak and so make their advantages by their iniquity but Christ at death and judgment will rent this Cloak from off such shoulders then shall they walk naked yea the shame of their nakedness shall then appear Now since no man can escape the search of God and so not his judgment it will be thy wisdom to search thine own ways and to prevent judgement by judging of thy self 3. Christ will deny those to be his that do not depart from iniquity though they shall name his name among the rest of his people Depart from me saith he all you that departed not from iniquity Yea they that shall nâ—me his name religiously and not depart from iniquity are denyed by him all along 1. He alloweth them not now to call him Lord. And why call ye me Lord Lord saith he and do not the things which I say He cannot abide to be reputed the Lord of those that presume to profess his name and do not depart from iniquity The reason is for that such do but profane his name and stave others off from falling in love with him and his ways Hence he says again Behold I have sworn by my great name saith the Lord that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah 2. He regardeth not their prayers If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer And if so then what ever thou hast at the hand of God thou hast it not in mercy but in judgment and to work out farther thine everlasting misery 3. He will not regard their soul but at the last day will cast it from him as a thing abhorred by him As is evidently seen by that thirteenth of Luke but now noted in the margent Wherefore from these few hints thou whoever thou art maiest well perceive what an horrible thing it is to make a profession of the name of Christ and not to depart from iniquity Therefore let me exhort thee again to examin thy self if thou hast and dost since thou professest that name depart from iniquity And here I would distinguish for there is two parts in iniquity to wit the guilt and filth As for the guilt that is contracted by inquity I perswade my self no man who knows it needs to be bid to desire to depart from that nay I do believe that the worst Devil in Hell would depart from his guilt if he could and might but this is it to wit to depart from the sweet the pleasure and profiâ— of iniquity There are that call evil good iniquity good and that of professors too this is that to be departed from and these are they that are exhorted to forsake it upon the pains and penalties before threatened Therefore as I said let such look to it that they examin themselves if they depart from iniquity And come now thou art going about this work let me help thee in this matter 1. Ask thy heart what evil dost thou see in sin 2. How sick art thou of sin 3. What means dost thou use to mortifie thy sins 4. How much