il( Contriving Man's Redemption. 237 Tcws , and tire not, but are the Syuagogue of Satan. Thore thac own the P60fe.11ior1 of Chri- ~ fEJniry , and live in unch rifrian PraCtices, are baptized P~gans; and in effect revil e ourCha p. I9. b!etfd Redeemer, as if He had proclaimed a licencio us impuni ty for Sinners. S.uch l /'V"'W J¥retcbes may decei ve themfelves with a prertnce they believe in Chri!l:, and tlur viGbly they deckre their dependence on him\ but this pretence will be as unprofitable as ' tis vain: 'Tis not rhe caUing bim Lord, that wiU give them admijfion into the Kingdom ofHeavm, Mat. 7· 21. The nakecl Name o f a Chriflian cannot protect them from the Wrath o f God. T.·rtullian ( Lib. de I' am.) fmwly upbraids fome in hi• Time who were carelefs o f the Dignit v and Purity of the Chrif/ ian Profeffion in their Lives, imagi ning tha t rhey might reverence God in their Hearrs withom r~ga rd in g him in their Atl:ions ; rh:u they migh t Salvo metu & fide pcccarc, fin withbut loling their fear of God and their Faith. To reline this grofs contraditl:ion, he propounds it in a fenlibl e Example: Hoc eJ1 f dvd caflitatc matrimoniu11t v io/are, falv a pie/ale parenti. v cmnnm temperare; This is rhe fame thing as to violate the Fidelity of Marriage without the wounding of Chaflity, o r to poifon a Parent without failing in the Duty that is owing to them. And to exprefs hi s Indignation , he tells them, Sk ergo & ipf! falva v cnia in Gehenuam detrudunt11r, dum fa /vo metrt peccant: Let them expetl:: that God will call: them into Hell, without prejudice to their Pardon, as they pretend to fin without prejudice to the rd petl: they hear him. Tofum up all ; JefusChrifl, as by his Doctrine and Life be cl early di fco vered our Duty, fo he offers to us the Aid of his Spirit for our affiflance, by which the Commands of the Gofpel are not only pofii ble· but eafy: And to enforce our Obligations he bath threamed !uch Vengeance to the Rebellious, and promifed fuch a Reward to thofe that obey the Gofpel, that it is impoffible we fhould not be deeply atfetl:ed with them, if we feriourJy believe them, and he hath given fuch evidence of their Truth, that 'ti s irnpoffible we 010uld not beli eve them, unlefs tl>eGod of thi< World hath blinded 011r Mi11ds. Tis matter therefore of jufl al\onilbment, that Chriflians fhould not exprefs the effi cacy of the Gofpel in their Atl:ions. How can a reafonable Creatme believe that eterna l Damnation (hall be the Punilbment of Sin, and yet live in the wilful practice of it? The Hiflorian fpeaking of M11jl!roms that fometimes proved deadly to whole Families, asks with 1vonder, (z) What pleafure could allure them to eat fuch doubtful Meau Yet they(<) F~mw" may be [o correCted as to become innocent. But when 'tis certain that the Pleafures of ~:;:; '&tr;;,... fin are mortal, can any one be tempted by thofe AttraUives to venture on that which will Con11i.via, q11.c ~~;~~~~~~~ \~~~~~~~~ht~~ ~r~~~~1 ltr~e:a~e~k~;~ r;~~ ~~~{~gf~~ ~7~, 11~~~e \~~ea ~~~~Pf~: :t:~Sf~~ti:~. ture Death will bring to torment it: Letthe Flelhfee into what Torments all its Deligh ts fhall be changed, and with what other Fire than of impure Lufl it fhall burn for ever. Befides, We are encouraged to our Duty with the alfurance o f a Happinefs fo exce ll ent, that not onl y the enjoyment of it in the next World, but the jufl expetl:ation of it here makes us truly Bl etfed. I f the Reward were fmall, or the Promife uncertain, there mi ght be fome pretence for our not performing the Conditions to obtain it: but when the one is infinitely great, and the other as true as the God of Truth, wh'llt more powerful Moti ve can be conceived to make us holy? Tis the Apoflle's chofen Argument, that we [ho11ld walk.. wortl>y of him who hath called us to hi< KingdotJt and Glory. The Heathens were in a great meafure Strangers to the Secrets of another World; they had but a fhadow of Probability, we have the Light of Truth brought down from Heaven by the Son of God , that reveals to us a Blelfednefs, that deferves our mofl ardent AfJive Atfetl:ions. But if Men are not wrought on by natural Reafon, nor Divine Faith; if neither the TrrrurJ uf ~he Lord, nor the blejfed Hope can perfwade them from Sin to Holinefs, their Condition is mecoverable. In this the Rul es of Natural and Spiritual Healing agree, Hipporrat. Sd t. ?· Aphor. ult. Where neither Corrofve nor Lenitives are fuccefsful, we mufl ule the Knife; !f .curing off be unprofitabl:, we mufl fear the part; if the Fire is ineffetl:ual, the Ulcer JS mcurabl e. If the threatmng ofHell-fire through Unbelief and Carelefnefs is not fea red, and hath no efficacy to correCt: and ch:mge Sinners, what remains but to make a prcfage. of eternal Death, that will unavoidably and fpeedily feize on them? And if fo cl ear a d1fcovery of the Heav:nly Glory cloth n_ot produce in Men a living Faith , that works by Love, and a hvel y Hope that punfies the Heart and Converfation, whot cor1 be concluded, but that they are wholly fenfual and fenfel efs, and fhall be for ever depri • ved of that Blelfednefs they now defpife and neglect ? C HA 1".
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