has been provoked most bitterly by us while we have profaned his name making use of his Name his Word and Ordinances to serve our selves O Lord what wilt thou do to this Land We are every one looking for something even for something that carrieth terrour and dread in the sound of its Wings as it comes though we know not the form nor visage thereof One cries out another has his Hands upon his Loyns and a third is made mad with the sight of his Eyes and with what his Ears do hear And as their Faith hath served them about Justification so it now serves them about Repentance and Reformation it can do nothing here neither for though as was said Men cry out and are with their Hands upon their Loyns for fear yet where is the Church the House the Man that stands in the gap for the Land to turn away this Wrath by Repentance and amendment of Life Behold the Lord cometh forth out of his place and will come down and tread upon the places of the Earth and the Mountains shall be molten under him and the Valleys shall be cleft as Wax before the Fire and as the Waters that are poured down a steep place but what is the cause of all this For the transgression of Jacob is all this and for the Sin of the House of Israel It is that that is observed by them that can make Observation that all that God has done to us already has been ineffectual as to cause that Humility and Reformation by which his judgments must be turned away Repentance is rare this day and yet without doubt that without which things will grow worse and worse As for them that hope that God will save his people though but from temporal Judgments whether they Repent and Reform or do otherwise I must leave them and their Opinions together this I have found that sometimes the Repentance even of the Godly has come too late to divert such Judgments And how some of the Godly should be so indulged as to be saved from punishment without Repentance when the true and unfeigned Repentance of others will not deliver them leaves me I confess in a Wilderness But that which is most of all to be lamented is That sin through custom is become no sin The superfluity of naughtiness is at this day become no sin with many Surely this was the case with Israel else how could they say when the Prophets so bitterly denounced Gods judgments against them Because we are innocent surely his anger shall turn from us When custom or bad example has taken away the Conscience of sin it is a sign that Soul is in a dangerous Lethargy and yet this is the condition of the most that profess amongst us this day But to leave this and to proceed As there is a twofold Faith two sorts of good Works and the like so there is also A twofold love to Christ. The one standing or stopping in some passions of the mind and affections The other is that which breaks through all difficulties to the holy Commandment to do it Of both these there is mention made in the Scripture And though all true Love begins at the Heart yet that love is but little set by that breaks not through to practice How many are there in the World that seem to have the first but how few shew the second The young Man in the Gospel did by his running kneeling crying enquiring and intreating of Christ to shew him the way to Life shew that he had inward Love to Christ and his own Salvation but yet it was not a love that was strong as Death cruel as the Grave and hotter than the Coles of Juniper It was a Love that stopt in mind and affection but could not break out into Practice This kind of Love if it be let alone and not pressed to proceed till it comes into a labouring practising of the Commandment will love as long as you will to wit as long as Mouth and Tongue can wag but yet you shall not by all your skill drive this Love farther than the Mouth For with their Mouth they shew much Love but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness Nor may this Love be counted for that of the right kind because it is in the Heart for the Heart knows how to dissemble about Love as much as about other matters This is feigned Love or Love that pretends to dear affections for Christ but can bestow no cost upon him Of this kind of Love the world is full at this day especially the Professors of this Age but as I said of this the Lord Jesus makes little or no account for that it hath in it an essential defectiveness Thus therefore Christ and his Servants describe the love that is true and of the right kind and that with reference to himself and Church First with reference to himself If a man loves me saith he he will keep my Words And again He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me And He that loveth me not keepeth not my Sayings And The Word which you hear is not mine but the Fathers which sent me Behold you now where Christ placeth a sign of love it is not in word nor in tongue Not in great and seemingly affectionate gestures but in a practical walking in the Law of the Lord. Hence such and such only are called the undefiled in the way You know who sayes I am the way Blessed saith David are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. But here again the hypocrite will give us the slip by betaking of himself to exterior matters as to his mint anise and cummin still neglecting the more weighty matters of the Law to wit Judgment Mercy Faith Or else to the significative ordinances still neglecting to do to all men as he would they should do to him But let such know that God never ordained significative ordinances such as Baptism the Lords Supper or the like for the sake of Water or of Bread and Wine nor yet because he takes any delight that we are dipped in Water or eat that bread but they were ordained to minister to us by the aptness of the Elements through our sincere partaking of them further knowledg of the death Burial and Resurrection of Christ and of our death and resurrection by him to newness of life Wherefore he that eateth and believeth not and he that is Baptized and is not dead to sin and walketh not in newness of Life neither keepeth these ordinances nor pleaseth God Now to be dead to sin is to be dead to those things forbidden in the moral Law For sin is the transgression of that and it availeth not to vaunt that I am a Saint and under this or that significative ordinance if I live in the transgression of the Law For I am convicted of the Law as a
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
fruit of repentance yea if you would see the fruits of repentance as described by the Holy Ghost and put together for the further conviction and shame of the impenitent professor look into the Second Epistle to the Corinthians Chapter 7. vers 9 10 11. But this is a day that was never read of a day wherein conversion is frequent without repentance such a conversion as 't is and therefore doth the Church of God now swarm with them that religiously name the name of Christ yet depart not from iniquity Alas all Houses all Tables all Shops have hanging up in them the sign of the want of repentance To say nothing of the talk of the beds and the backs of most that profess by which of these is it that one of a thousand for Men and for Women one of ten thousand do shew that they have repentance No marvel then that the name of Christ is so frequently mentioned there where iniquity dwells yea reigns and that with the consent of the mind I would not be austere but were wearing of Gold putting on of apparel dressing up houses decking of children learning of complements boldness in women letchery in men wanton behaviours lascivious words and tempting carriages signs of repentance then I must say the fruits of repentance swarm in our Land but if these be none of the fruits of repentance then O the multitude of professors that religiously name the name of Christ and do not depart from iniquity But Thirdly Love is another of those great and principal graces which the Hâ—ly Ghost worketh in the heart wherefore let profession be never so high yet if Love be wanting there to be sure such professors depart not from iniquity Hence all profession and subjecting to profession are counted nothing where love is not Love is counted a most infallible sign that a man is in a state of Salvation He that loveth dwells in God is born of God and knoweth him Love divideth it self to God and to my Neighbour Love to God is that we keep his savings his commandments his Laws If a man love me saith Christ he will keep my words and he that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous So then that professor that hath not love cannot depart from iniquity 1. Where no love is men cannot be tender of the name of God they are not afflicted because men keep not Gods Law 2. Where no love is men cannot deny themselves of that which otherwise they might lawfully do lest the weak should fall and the world be destroyed 3. Where love to God is there is hatred against iniquity ye that love the Lord hate evil A man cannot love God that loves not holiness he loves not holiness that loves not Gods word he loves not Gods word that doth not do it It is a common thing to find men partial in Gods Law setting much by small things and neglectâ—ng the weightier matters paying Tythe of Mint and Anise and Cummin and neglecting the weightier matters These turn the Tables of Gods book up-side-down making little Laws of great ones and great ones of little ones counting half an hours bodily service better than a moral life Love Love is gone out of the Conutry Love to â—he doctrine of the first Table Love to the doctrine of the second Table O how many professors in Gods eyes are accounted of no more than sounding brass for want of this ornament love To speak nothing of the first Table where is he that hath his love manifested by the second where are they that feed the hungry and cloath the naked and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared Where is Paul that would not eat meat while the world standeth lest he made his brother offend Where is Dorcas with her garments she used to make for the Widow and for the Fatherless Yea where is that rich man that to his power durst say as Job does as is recorded in those Chapters quoted in the Margent Love love is gone and now coveting pinching griping and such things are in fashion now iniquity abounds instead of grace in many that name the name of Christ. They want love and therefore cannot depart from iniquity Fourthly Hope is another of those great and principal graces which the Holy Ghost worketh in the heart and without which let a man be never so high in profession and so open in naming the name of Christ he cannot depart from iniquity As was said before of faith so we say now of hope And every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure Here is that excellent office or rather effect of hope made manifest it purifieth it cleanseth a man it makes him make the Lord Jesus his example as well as his Saviour He purifieth himself even as he is pure to wit in soul in body in spirit in life and conversation Hope of life eternal by Christ makes a man purifie himself in obeying the truth through the spirit Hope to be with Christ hereafter will make me strive to believe him here Hope of being with Angels then will make a man strive to live like an Angel here Alas alas there is a company of half-priests in the world and they cannot they dare not teach the people the whole counsel of God because in so doing they will condemn themselves and their manner of living in the world where is that Minister now to be found that dare say to his people look on me and walk as you have me for an example or that dare say what you see and hear to be in me do and the God of peace shall be with you These men had hope and hope purified them to an example till they became patterns to others Is not this now far off from some professors in the world are they purified are they clean that name the name of Christ are they weaned from that milk and drawn from the breasts No nor their profession is not attended with grace they name the name of Christ well but they do not depart from iniquity Let a man believe a lie and according to the reality of his belief such will his obedience be let a man hope for that for which he hath no ground to hope yet his hope will work with him according to the power thereof And yet we have a generation of men that profest the blessed Gospel which yieldeth the most substantial ground for faith and hope yea we have a company of men that will be naming the name Christ which is the sweetest the most taking and desirable name that is named among the sons of men and for all that this Gospel this worthy name nor yet their naming of it doth make them depart from iniquity But what 's the reason why they have taken up a profession but want the
Christ and that departeth not from iniquity to whom may he be compared The Pharisees for that they professed religion but walked not answerable thereto unto what doth Christ compare them but to Serpents and Vipers what does he call them but hypocrites Whited Walls Painted sepulchers fools and blind and tells them that they made men more the children of Hâ—ll than they were before Wherefore such an one cannot go out of the world by himself for as he gave occasion of scandal when he was in the world so is he the cause of the damnation of many The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life but what is the fruit of the wicked of the professors that are wicked why not to perish alone in their iniquity These as the Dragon draw many of the Stars of Heaven and cast them to the earth with their most stinking tail cast many a professor into earthly and carnal delights with their most filthy conversations The Apostle did use to weep when he spake of these professors such offence he knew they were and would be in the world These are the chief of the Engines of Satan with these he worketh wonders One Balaam one Jeroboam one Ahab O how many fish bring such to Satans net These are the Tares that he strives to sow among the wheat for he knows they are mischief to it Wherefore let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Fifthly Those that religiously name the name of Christ and do not depart from iniquity how will they die and how will they look that man in the face unto the profession of whose name they have intailed an unrighteous conversation Or do they think that he doth not know what they have done or that they may take him off with a few cries and wringing of hands when he is on the Throne to do Judgment against transgressors O! it had been better they had not known had not profest yea better they had never been born For as Christ said of Judas so may it be said of these It had been good for that man if he had never been born And as Christ says it had been good so Peter says it had been better Good they had not been born and better they had not known and made profession of the name of Christ. But perhaps some may ask me what iniquity they must depart from that religiously name the name of Christ I answer first in general Those that religiously profess the name of Christ must depart from all iniquity They should lay aside every weight they should fly all appearance of evil Many there be that are willing to part with some sins some pleasures some unjust Prophets if they may be saved but this selling of all parting with all forsaking of all is a very hard chapter And yet the Lord Jesus lays it there saying so likewise whosoever he be of you of any of you that professeth my name that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my disciple Christ by this Text requireth more of them that are his than to forsake all iniquity Wherefore to be sure every sin is included No less than Vniversal obedience will prove a man sincere A divided heart is a faulty one He that forsaketh not every sin is partial in the Law nor can he have respect to all Gods Commandments There can be no true love to Christ where there are reserves he that will hide any one sin in his bosom or that will keep it as the phrase is under his tongue is a secret enemy to Jesus Christ. He loveth not Christ that keepeth not his sayings To halt between two is nought and no man can serve two Masters Christ is a Master and sin is a Master yea and Masters are they so opposite that he that at all shall cleave to the one shall by the other be counted his enemy If sin at all be countenanced Christ counts himself despised What man would count himself beloved of his Wife that knows she hath a bosom for another Thou shalt not be for another man saith he so will I be for thee Would the King count him a Loyal subject who would hide in his house nourish in his Bed and feed at his Table one that implacably hateth and seeketh to murder his Majesty Why sin is such an enemy to the Lord Jesus Christ therefore as Kings command that Traitors be delivered up to Justice so Christ commands that we depart from iniquity Take away all iniquity is a good prayer and to resist unto blood striving against sin is a good warfare and he that brings every thought to the obedience of Christ gets a brave victory Grace leaveneth the whole soul and so consequently all the parts thereof now where the whole is leavened the tast must needs be the same throughout Grace leaves no power faculty or passion of the soul unsanctified wherefore there is no corner in a sanctified soul where sin may hide his head to find rest and abode without controul consequently he that has harbour for this or that sin and that can find an hiding place and an abode for it in his heart is no Christian man Let them then that christianly name the name of Christ make it manifest that they do not do it feignedly by departing from iniquity But Secondly And more particularly They that name the name of Christ as above let them depart from their Constitution-sin or if you will the sin that their temper most inclines them to Every man is not alike inclined to the same sin but some to one and some to another Now let the man that professes the name of Christ religiously consider with himself unto what sin or vanity am I most inclined is it Pride is it Covetousness is it fleshly lust And let him labour by all means to leave off and depart from that This is that which David called his own iniquity and saith I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity Rightly are these two put together for it is not possible that he should be an upright man that indulgeth or countenanceth his constitution-sin but on the contrary he that keeps himself from that will be upright as to all the rest and the reason is because if a man has that grace as to trample upon and mortifie his darling his bosom his only sin he will more easily and more heartily abhor and fly the rest And indeed if a man will depart from iniquity he must depart from his darling sin first for as long as that is entertained the other at least those that are most suiting with that darling will always be haunting of him There is a man that has such and such haunt his house and spend his substance and would be rid of them but cannot but now let him rid himself of that for the sake of which they haunt his house