8 The Danger of Apofiacy Vo1, I. My Soul(hall have no pleafure in him : Thefe Words are plainly a ligic,lms, and lefa is faid than is. meant ; for the Meaning is, that God will be extreamly dif- pleafed with them, and punifh them very feverely. The like Figure to this, you have Pfal. 5. 4. Thou art not a God that haftpleafure in Wickednefs, which in the next Verfe is explained, by his Hatred and Deteftation of thofe who are, guilty of it, Thou batelt all the Workers of Iniquity. So that the plain Senfe of theWords is this, that Apoftacy from the Profeffion ofGod's TrueReligion, is a thing highly provoking to him, and will be molt feverely punned by him. In fpeaking to this Argument, I (hall confider thefefour things. I. The Nature ofthis Sin of Apoftacy from Religion. II. The feveral Steps and Degrees of it. III. The Heinoufnefs of it. IV. The great Danger of it, and the terrible Punifhment it expofeth Men to. And when I have fpoken to thefe, I fliall conclude all with a fhort Exhortation, to holdfall the Profeffion ofour Faith without wavering. I. We will confider the Nature of this Sin ofApoftacy from Religion ; and it conflits in forfaking or renouncing the Profeffion of Religion, whether it be by an open Declaration in Words, or a virtual Declaration of it by our A&ions ; for it comes all to one in the Sight of God, and the different Manner ofdoing it, does not alter the Nature of the thing. He indeed that renounceth Religion by an open Declaration in Words, offers the greateft and boldeft Defiance to it : But he is likewife an Apoftate, who fluently withdraws himfelf+from the Profeffion of it, who quits it for his Intereft, or for Fear difowns it, and freaks out ofthe Pro- feffion of it, and forfakes the Communion of thofe who own it. Thus Demas was an Apoftate, in quitting Chriftianity for force Worldly Intereft. Demas bath forfaken us; having lovedthis prefent World, faith St. Paul, 2 Tim. q. to. And thofe whom our Saviour defcribes, Mattb. 13. 20, 2r. who received the Word in- toflog Ground, were Apoftates out ofFear, they heard the Word, and with Toy received it, but having no Root in themfelves, they endured but for a while, and when Tribulation and Perfecutionarifeth becaufe of the Word, prefentlly theyfall off. And there is likewife a partial Apoftacy from Chriftianity, when force Funda- mental Article of it is denied, whereby, in Effe& and by .Confequence, the whole Chriftian Faith is overthrown. Of this Hymeneats and Philetus were guilty, of whom the Apoftle fays, that they erred concerning the Truth, raying that the Refurrefíion waspal already, and thereby overthrew the Faith offume, 2 Tim. 2. 17, 18. that is, they turned the Refurre&ion into an Allegory, and did thereby really deftroy, a molt Fundamental Article of the Chriftian Religion. So that to makea Man an. Apoftate, it is not neceffary that a Man fhould fo- lemnly renounce his Baptifm, and declare Chriftianity to be falfe ; there are feve- ral other ways whereby a Man may bring himfelf under this Guilt, as by a filent quitting of his Religion, and withdrawing himfelf from the Communion of all that profefs it ; by denying an Effential DoetrineofChriftianity; bÿ undermining the great End and Defign of it, by teaching Do&rives which dire&ly tend to en- courage Menin Impenitence, and a wicked Courfe of Life ; nay, to authorife aib manner of Impiety and Vice, in telling Men that whatever they do they cannot fin ; for which, the Primitive Chriftians did look upon the Gnolticks as no better than Apoftates from Chriftianity ; and tho' they retained the Name of Chriftians, yet not to be truly and really fo. And there is likewife a partial Apoftacy from the ChriftianReligion ; of which I (hall fpeak under the lid Head I propofed, which was, to confider the feveral Sorts and Degrees of Apoftacy. The higheft of all, is the renouncing and forfaking of Chriftianity, or offorce Effential Part of it, which is a virtual Apoftacy from it : But there are feveral Tendencies towards this, which they who are guilty of, are in force degree guilty ofthis Sin. As, r. Indifferency in Religion, and want of all fort of Concernment for it; when a Man, though he never quitted his Religion, yet is fo little concerned for it, that a very final'. Occafion or Temptation would make him do it; he is contented to
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