Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

640 Of f*Miá'6Camp, S a e Reafonsaftha ly things. Bring we then the groúnds forth, that , ifpoffrble, this day thy Rea( foul and thy fins may be divorced from one another : And Era, That of the /lpoflle 7ames is very urgent, James a.r r. viz. The Anlho-. rity andDivine command of the Lam-giver: The Apoftle fpeaketh to him that doth all the Commandments, yet breaks one, that he is guilty of all ; as a man that breaks the roundof achain, he doth in effeft break the whole chain ; And why ? becaufe the fame Authority is defpifed in one, as well as inall : He that faid, Believe Chrift to be Gad, faid alfo, Nounrighteous or tbicked perfon /hallen- ter into the Kingdom of heaven: If fo be then, that 'though Chrift commanded thee to believe, and tobe baptized, he had given thee anindulgence to any luft or fin; that thoumight(¡ commit any iniquity without control, there had been noword of God againft it, then thou mighteft have anfwered all well ; but now thou muff needs be fpeechlefs t Oh then that men would attend to tbefe things l We are not now preaching any fublimemyfieriesof Religion, we have not a vail upon our matter; .even the weakefl and ignorant mayhear and nnderffand this : The fame God thatbids me pray, and hear his word, bids me give over my lufts, my drunkennefs, my (wearing; now why fhould I make confcienceof one, andnot of the other? why fhould I doone becaufe God commands it, and notthe other ? Secondly, There is thefame necefty of one sto Well as the other : A man canbe no more favèd, unlefs he part with all there ungodly ways, then if he should renounce the Chriffian faith : It is neediefs to reckon up all thofe places, which make repentance and a godly life abfolutely nrceffary to eternal happinefs ; If then you (hould fee a man deny his Citriflianfaith, RenounceChrift and his truth, you would then prefently conclude, There is no hope for this man : So it is Here, If you fee a man profefling the faith of Chrift, yet doing theworks of the Devil, renouncing allthe holy works Chill bath commanded, there is no hope of fuels a mad while abiding fo; and therefore the Scripture calls this A denyìiíg of God, and fldenying of Cl fl; Tit. IAG. when men inWordsdo ac- knowledge bin:, but in their praftice live contrary to him : Oh hownear doth this truth come many of you ? Do not your deeds deny God? do not your lulls, your oathes, unlawful pleafuresdeny him? and yet the leavingof thefe is as indifpenfably neceffaryto falvation, as the outwardprofefling oftheways of Chrift ; going to iheleaft with a Wedding-garment, was as necefi'ary asgo- ing to the feallat all 1`hnd therewas no more hope of him thatWent without it, then thofe who didutterly refufe tocomeunto him. Thirdly, There is not the fame reafon onely, that then thonldfidoall theduties God reemireth, as well as externally profefl him, andcall on his name; but alfo, that thoù jbouldf do themwith allaccuratenefe, flriîlnefs, and all diligence: There is noman that thinks himfelfbound to be a Chrillian, but he is by the fame ay- gument to think, he is bound tobe anaccurate, diligent and firiet one ; andhe that is not a !rift,precife one, is indeed none, as to have any benefitby hisRe` ligion : This I would have you confider, for men think it indeedtheir duty to be Chriftiansat large, Protellants in a general ¡bole way, they are contented with this ; butif you "pre( them to a morewaft circumfpeEt walking, not to be conformed to the World, then this isthe firiftuefsthey cannot abide ; What needs all this ? cannot we be favedwithout allihis nicety?as theycall it. Now confider Firff, No, ye cannot befaved Without this flridlnefs : The way to hell is a broad way, theway to heaven is a (trait way, the gate is a narrow gate, Alar. 54' and men muff firive to enter in, ye are towalk circumfpeftl'y, el ih e, Ephef.5. i5. whatfngular thing doge ? faith our Saviour, do not even the publicans and the heathens do the lik ? Matth.5. So that you fee, there is a good fingularity, and we muff be fingularfromthewayofthe world : Ob themconfider, that the fame Bible I.

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