as The patine, DutyandllfefudneßifAffurance. S'E c T. L 444.4444444.4444V***V*44 SERMON III `l , folving, Whether Hypocrites may not attain to [memeafifreofpradical Knowledge inmatters of `leligioñ ? 2 Cox. 53. 5. Exa»iine your own [elves, prove year ownIckes, &c. IShall abfolve this Do&tine, in handlingof one prahlicalOpeftion, and that is, Whether Hypocrites may not attain toforcemeafure of praltiral Knowledge in matters of Religion ? Is that ignis, which in thegodly is Calidoes & lucidsu, in hypocrites Lucidtes tantúm ? Canunregeneratemengono furtherthen tomeet knowledge andillumination? may not this oilpoured upon theirheads fall down upon thewill and aftè&ions alto. As,they have imperfe& knowledge, fo may theynot have inchoate affe&ions about good things ? and iftheymay , wherein (hall we be able to give found differences, orexa&bounds and limits between the pra&ical knowledge inthe oneand the other ? This is a point ofuniverfal ufefulnefs ; And for the openingof this confider there are three general forts ofmen who go under the name and titleof Chrifhans, all pretending a right Thee forts of and intereftto all the priviledges.ofthe Covenant of Grace, men go under The firft is ofthofewho have only the Name andoutward Ordinancesof' the the name of Chriftian Religion, but havenot the leaft influence or power from it, In Works Chriftians. Ithey deny him. Thefe are like force Apothecaryhozes that may have the infcripti- I. 1 on of forcecordial, but within is dead p ifon; They are in names Chriftians, ina&ionsHeathens; and the Prophet called the Rulers of the Jews for their wickednefs, though circumcifed, `Princes of Sodom and Gomorrah. Thefe are (as a Father faid) Sine Chriflo Chrifïiani, yea contra Chriftum, Chriftians with- out Chrift, yea againft Chrift. Howfoever in force refpeets they may be faid tobe better then Heathens, inwhich fenfe Arnobiur faid, Mellor invenietur ja- dicioChriffianus fornicator, quàmceftiJTmte idololatra. AChriftianeven in for- nication is betterthen a moll daft idolater; yet in otherrefpeas he is farworfe: fuch as thefe are have no real and Pavingbenefit by (brill, for Non aîtibus, fed fnibuepenfantarofficia; They being likedead corpfes, that have fweet fragrant Rowers ftrewed upon them,butyet are not in the leaft degree made more favoury by them ; and certainly it isanaggravationofthe wickednefsoffuch,that when moral Philofophy, and theprinciples ofreafon havebeen able tocure the outfide ungodlinefsof manymen; The truthsof Chriftianity, which have a power to regenerate, and to work a newnature, fhould not fomuch as change the skinne of men. Yet ifwe call oureye upon the greatefl number of thofe who yet are baptized into the nameof Chrift, (hall we not findethem in the rank of thofe, who haveonly a name in Chriftianity, and nothing elfe, who derive not the leaft efficacyor powerfrom Chrift, but areas adead hand,or a witheredbranch, whofe lives are acontinual blafphemy to the Gofpelof Chrifl? a. a. Another fortis of thofe, who betides the name, have alfo force influence and
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