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6. Let but virtue and vice, a religious and wicked course of life, be put in equal circumftances; do but fuppofe a man to be as much accustomed and inured tothe one as he has been to the other: and then I doubt not but the advantages of ease and pleasure will be found to be on the fide of religion. And if we do not put the. cafe thus, we make an unequal comparifon: for there is no man but, when he first begins a wicked course, feels a great deal of regret in his mind; the terrors of his confcience, and the fears of damnation, are very troublesome to him. It is poffible that by degrees a man may harden his confcience, and, by a long cuftom of finning,, may in a great measure wear off that tender fenfe of good and evil which makes fin fo uneasy: but then, if, in the practice of a holy life, a man may, by the fame degrees, arrive to far greater peace and tranquillity of mind, than ever any wicked man found in a finful courfe; if by custom virtue will come to be more pleasant than ever vice was, then the advantage is plainly on the fide of religion. And this is truly the cafe. It is troublefome at first for a man to begin any new course, and to do contrary to what he hath been accustomed to: but let a man but habituate himself to a religious and virtuous life, and the trouble will go off by degrees, and unfpeakable pleasure fucceed in the room of it. It is an excellent rule which Pythagoras gave to his fcholars, Optimum vitæ genus eligito; nam confuetudo faciet ju-cundiffimum: "Pitch upon the best course of life, (re"folve always to do that which is most reasonable and "virtuous), and custom will foon render it the most "eafy." There is nothing of difficulty in a good life,, but what may be conquered by cuftom, as well as the difficulties of any other course; and when a man is once ufed to it, the pleasure of it will be greater than of any other courfe.

Let no man then decline or forfake religion for the pretended difficulties of it, and lay afide all care of God's commandments, upon this fuggeftion, that they are impoffible to be kept; for you fee they are not only poffible, but eafy. And thofe who, upon pretence of the trouble and difficulties of religion, abandon themfelves to a wicked course of life, may eafily be convinced,

that

that they take more pains to make themselves miferable, than would ferve to bring them to happiness. There is no man that is a fervant to fin, and a flave to any bafe luft, but might, if he pleased, get to heaven with lefs trouble than he goes to hell.

So that, upon confideration of the whole matter, there is no reason why any man should be deterred from a holy and virtuous life, for fear of the labour and pains of it;. because every one that is wicked, takes more pains in another way, and is more induftrious only to a worse. purpose. Now, he that can travel in deep and foul ways, ought not to say that he cannot walk in fair. He that, ventures to run upon a precipice, when every step he takes is with danger of his life and his foul, ought not to pretend any thing against the plain and fafe paths of religion; which will entertain us with pleasure all along in the way, and crown us with happiness at the end.

SERMON

VII.

Of the obligation of Chriftians to a holy life.

2: T1.M. ii. 19.

Let every one that nameth the name of Chrift depart from iniquity.

T

HE whole verfe runs thus: Nevertheless the foundation of God ftandeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Ghrift depart from iniquity.

In which words the apostle declares to us the terms of the covenant between God and man. For the word eos, which is here tranflated four dation, according tothe ufual fignification of it, is likewife, as learned men have observed, sometimes used for an instrument of contract, whereby two parties do oblige themfelves mutually.to each other. And this notion of the word a

grees

grees very well with what follows concerning the feal: affixed to it; which is very fuitable to a covenant, but not at all to a foundation. It is true indeed, as the learned Grotius hath obferved, there ufed anciently to: be infcriptions on foundation-ftones; and the word pays, which we render feal, may likewife fignify an infcription: and then the fenfe will be very current, thus: The foundation of God ftandeth fure, having this infcription. But it is to be confidered, that though. pays may fignify an infcription, yet it is only an infcription upon a feal; which hath no relation to a foun. dation, but is very proper to a covenant or mutual obligation. And accordingly the feal affixed to this in-ftrument, or covenant between God and man, is, in allufion to the cuftom of those countries, faid to have an. infcription on both fides, agreeable to the condition of the perfons contracting. On God's part there is this imprefs or infcription, The Lord knoweth them that are bis; that is, God will own and reward those that are faithful to him and on our part, Let every one that. nameth the name of Chrift depart from iniquity.

:

Let every one that nameth the name of Chrift; that is, that calls himself a Chriftian. For to name the name of any one, or to have his name called upon by us, does, according to the use of this phrafe among the Hebrews, fignify nothing elfe, but to be denominated from him. Thus it is frequently ufed in the Old Teftament, and. fometimes in the New: Do they not blafpheme that wor◄ thy name, by the which they are called? Jam. ii. 7.; that is, the name or title of Chriftians. And that expreffion, If ye be reproached for the name of Chrift, 1 Pet. iv. 14. is at the 16th verfe varied, If any man fuffer as a ChriBrian. So that to name the name of Chrift is to call. ourfelves Chriftians.

Let every one that nameth the name of Chrift depart from iniquity. The word dixia is often taken ftrictly,. for injuftice or unrighteoufnefs; but fometimes used more largely, for fin and wickednefs in the general. And fo it feems to be used here in the text; because there is no reason from the context to restrain it to any parti cular kind of fin or vice, and becaufe Chriftianity lays an equal obligation upon men to abftain from all fin. Let every one that nameth the name of Chrift depart from

iniquity

iniquity; that is, every Chriftian obligeth himself, by his profeffion, to renounce all fin, and to live a holy life. In fpeaking to this argument, I fhall do thefe two things. 1. Shew what obligation the profeffion of Chriftianity lays upon men to live holy lives.

2. Endeavour to perfuade those who call themselves Chriftians to anfwer this obligation.

I. What obligation the profeffion of Chriftianity lays upon men to live holy lives. He that calls himself a Chriftian, profeffeth to entertain the doctrine of Christ, to live in the imitation of his holy example, and to have folemnly engaged himself to all this. I fhall fpeak briefly to thefe; and then come to that which I principally Intend, to perfuade men to live accordingly.

1. He that profeffeth himself a Chriftian, profeffeth to entertain the doctrine of Chrift, to believe the whole gofpel; to affent to all the articles of the Christian faith, to all the precepts, and promifes, and threatenings of the gofpel. Now, the great defign, the proper intention of this doctrine, is, to take men off from sin, and to direct and encourage them to a holy life. It teacheth us what we are to believe concerning God and Chrift; not with any defign to entertain our minds with the bare fpeculation of thofe truths, but to better our lives. For every article of our faith is a proper argument against fin, and a powerful motive to obedience. The whole hiftory of Chrift's appearance in the world, all the dif courfes and actions of his life, and the fufferings of his death, do all tend to this. The ultimate iffue of all is, the destroying of fin. So St John tells us: For this purpofe was the Son of God manifefted, that he might destroy the works of the devil, 1 John iii. 8. But this is mot exprefsly and fully declared to us, Tit. ii. 11. 12. 13. 14. The grace of God that bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all man; teaching us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, righteously, and godly, in this prefent world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

The precepts of the gospel do ftrictly command holi

nefs,

nefs, and that univerfal; the purity of our fouls, and the chastity of our bodies; to cleanfe ourselves from all filthinefs of flesh and fpirit, 2 Cor. vii. 1.; to abftain from all kind of evil, 1 Theff. v. 22.; to be holy in all manner of converfation, 1 Pet. i. 15. They require us to endeavour after the highest degrees of holiness that are attainable by us in this imperfect state; to be holy, as be that hath called us is holy; to be perfect, as our Father which is in heaven is perfect, Matth. v. 48.

And all the promises of the gospel are fo many encou ragements to obedience and a holy life: Having therefore thefe promifes, let us cleanfe ourselves from all filthinefs of flesh and fpirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God, 2 Cor. vii. 1. We are told by St Peter, that these exceeding great and precious promifes are given to us, that by thefe we might be partakers of a divine nature, having efcaped the pollution that is in the world through luft and that we might give all diligence to add to our faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance, and patience, and brotherly kindness, and charity, 2 Pet. i. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

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And the threatenings of the gofpel are fo many powerful arguments against fin.

Therefore the apoftle calls the gofpel the power of God unto falvation; becaufe therein the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinefs, and unrighteousness of men, Rom. i. 16. 18. So that if we call ourfelves Chriftians, we profefs to embrace the holy doctrine of the Chriftian religion; which is perfectly oppofite to all impiety, and wickedness of life. We profefs to be governed by thofe laws which do ftrictly injoin holinefs and virtue. We profefs to be perfuaded, that all the promises and threatenings of the gofpel are true, which offer fuch great and glorious rewards to obedience, and threaten tranfgreffion and disobedience with fuch dreadful punishments. And if fo, we are obliged both by our reafon and our intereft to live accordingly. 2. He that profeffeth himself a Chriftian, profeffeth to live in the imitation of Chrift's example, and to follow his fteps; who did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth. The Son of God came into the world, not only by his doctrine to inftruct us in the way to happiness, and by his death to make expiation of fin, but by his

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