Serm.CXCI. the Chrifiian Revelation. bó7 fay unto you, it 'hall de more tolerablefor Tyre andSidon, for Sodomand Gomorrah, the very worft and wickedeft of the heathen, thanfor you. How lhall we efcape, if we negleft fo great falvation1 If either we rejeti the knowledge of the truth, or fin wilfully after we have received it, that is, apoftatize either to infidelity, or impiety of life, there remains no more facrifice for fin, nothing but a fearful looking for of' judgment and fiery indignation, to confiante the adverfary" that is, Inch implacable enemies of God and his Truth; in fo doing we refits and reject our laft remedy; and after God hath fent and ficrific'd his only Son for our Salvation , we cannot in reafon think there renaias any more facrifice for fin. I have gone over the feveral particulars in the Text, I (hall only make two or three Inferences. Firft, If the great defign of the Son of God was to enlighten the World with the knowledge of divine Truth, what fhall we think of thofe, who make it their great zndeavour to ftifie and fupprefs this light, and to hinder the free communi- cation of it? who conceal the word of Life from the people, and lock up the knowledgeof Salvation, contained in the holyScriptures, in an unknown Tongue. Secondly, Having reprefented the unreafonablenefs of infidelity , and the evil concomitants of it in the Yews, Let us take heed left there be in any opts an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God, and le/t any ofas fall after the fame example of infidelity. Let us not reje& the principles of Religion , becaufe they are inconfiftent with our evil pra&ices : but let us rather endeavour to recon- cile our lives to the rules of Religion, and refolve to reform thofe faults which Religion reproves, and which the reafon of our own minds, if we would attend to it, reproves as much asReligion; a clear evidence that we are in the wrong, and Religion in the right, becaufe it hath the belt and fobereft reafon of mankind on its fide. Let us then with all readinefs of mind entertain that light which God bath af- forded to us , to condu& us and thew us the way to happinefs , whether by the principles of natural Religion , or by the revelation of the Gofpel in its ,primi- tive purity and luftre, and not as it bath been muffled and difguifed by the ignorance and fuperftition which prevailed in after-ages, till the light of the Reformation fprang out, and reftored a new day to us , and call'd us again out of darknefs into a raarvellous light; which by the bleffing of God we have now en- joyed for many years, and which we cannot go about to quench, without incur- ring the condemnation in the Text. Thirdly and laftly, Let us take heed ofpraftical infidelity, of oppofing and con- tradifting the Chriftian Religion by our wicked lives and a&tons. Tho' we pro- fefs to believe the Gofpel, yet if our deeds be evil, we do in effe& and by inter- pretation rejè& it, and love darknefs rather than light; thò' -we affent to the truth of it, yet we with-hold it in unrighteoufnefs, we refit the virtue and efficacy of it, and do oppofe and blafpheme it by our lives; nay, we do as much as in us lies to make others Atheifts, by expofing Religion to the contempt and fcorn of fuch per- fons, and by opening their mouths againft it; as either not containing the Laws of a good life, or as deftitute of power and efficacy to perfuade men to the obe- dience of thofeLaws. Where, will they fay, is this excellent Religion, fo much boafted of ? how does it appear ? Look into the lives of Chriftians, and there you will heft fee the admirable effe&s ofthis Do&nine, the mighty force of this infti- tution ! And what a fhameful reproach is this to us! What a fcandal and difparage- ment to our holyReligion, to fee force of the worft ofmen wearing thebadge and livery of the heft Religion and Inftitution that ever was in the world ! I conclude all with thofe words of the Apoftle, Philip. T. 27. Only let your con- verfation be as it becometh the Gofpel of Chr f ; and Randfall in onefpirit, with one mind, firiving together for the faith of the Gofpel. SE R-
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