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IX.

must be so too: We are not to pick and SERM. cull out what Precepts we choose to regard; the Enacting Force is the fame in all the Divine Laws; nor does one bind our Confciences more strongly than another.

MEN may, out of private Views, connive at fome Sorts of Wickedness; but God will not, we may fay, he cannot, it being fubverfive of his Authority, as well as repugnant to his Nature. No one Sin will ever find any Countenance from him; much lefs will he diveft himself of his fupreme Dominion, by opening a Paffage for an overflowing Torrent of Ungodliness: And yet this must be the Confequence of his fhewing the least Approbation of a partial Subjection.

EVIL Men would prefently catch at fo fignal an Indulgence, and every one pronounce in Favour of his own moft agreeable Corruption; by which Means not a few Enormities would be encouraged, but all: And what can tend more to the Eftablishment of a general wide-fpreading Debauchery? What can more powerfully tempt Men to charge God with being, if not the Author, yet the Promoter of Sin?

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SERM.

WHEN Vice comes recommended with fo IX. high a Sanction, the Reverse of the Quef

tion, who can be faved? put by the Apoftles to their Lord (x), will be most proper to be afked: For upon this Footing, who cannot be faved? There being perhaps no one fo far funk in Wickedness, but he performs the Will of God in fome Refpects, at least as far as in the outward Action which the Law requires, tho' he tranfgreffes it in others, St. Peter enquires not for his own Information, but ours, What fhall be the End of them, that obey not the Gofpel of God, and where hall the Ungodly and the Sinner appear (y)? intimating the dreadful Expectation such muft harbour of the Day of Judgment. But all Apprehenfion of Danger is without Foundation, if the fame Perfon may at the fame Time be both righteous and wicked, God's Friend and the World's: Who is there on this Suppofition, that may not appear at the awful Tribunal of Chrift with the greatest Affurance of Acquittal?

LET thofe then, that will be deluded, he deluded, and let thofe, that are filthy, be filthy ftill, amufing themselves with empty Hopes, till Despair irretrievably lays hold on

them,

(x) St. Mark x. 26.

(y) St. Pet. iv. 17, 18.

them, and their Deftruction pours upon them SERM. like a Whirlwind. But let us, having our IX. Understandings, enlightened by the Truth, attend to the Things, which accompany Salvation. We know, who hath faid, the FriendShip of the World is Enmity with God,----Cleanfe your Hands, ye Sinners, and purify your Hearts, ye double Minded (z). And if Revelation tells us, that no Murtherer hath eternal Life abiding in him (a), Reafen will draw this indifputable Confequence, that every other notorious Offender in any the like fingle Inftance, whilft he remains impenitent, must be alienated from the Life of Grace, and will be fhut out, if he dies without Repentance, from the Life of Glory. It matters not in what Particular he offends; the Guilt is the fame, though the Crimes may be different. Sin is the Tranfgreffion of God's Law, and every Tranfgref fion fhall receive a just Recompence of Reward (b). It will be punished in the Per fon of the Sinner, or has been in the Perf fon of the Saviour. But we are affured, that the Atonement of Chrift's Death will be beneficial only to thofe, who, as they believe on the Notification of the Gospel,

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(2) St. James iv. 4, 8.. (b) Heb. ii. a.

(a) St. John iii, 15,

SERM. unto them, fo alfo repent and amend their IX. refpective Mif-doings, through the Knowledge

of him, that bath called us to Glory and Virtue; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promifes, that by these we might be Partakers of the Divine Nature, baving efcaped the Corruption, that is in the World through Luft (c). For Chrift died for all, that they, which live, should not benceforth live unto themfelves, but unto him who died for them (d).

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BUT to themselves do they in a very remarkable Manner live, who ferve God no further than they please. Their own Appetite or Humour is confulted, and not his Will. They are in the worst Senfe a Law unto themselves: And as fome idolize their Reafon by crediting God's Word only fo far as they can account for every Truth it discovers, so these do the fame by their Paffions, taking every Practice to be justifiable, which they approve. And what is this, befides a flying off from their Allegiance to God, and the fetting up of an Independency on their Maker? It is not only Undutifulness, but Rebellion ---an improus Attempt to dethrone the Almighty ;--a bold

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(c) 2 St. Pet. i. 3, 4. (d) 2 Cor. v. 15.

a bold Invafion of his Prerogative, as the SERM. fole Lawgiver ;---and an arrogant Claim of IX. Right to cancel the Divine Laws at Pleasure?

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OR if Men do not thus profanely vindicate the voluntary Defects in their religious Services, yet they are apt to excufe a Failure in themfelves from as bad a Principle ---if they do not deny God's fovereign Preeminence and abfolute Government over them, yet they are inclined to fancy, that he will fondly wave his Privilege in Regard to them. They are in their own Opinion the Favourites of Heaven, God's chofen People, in whom he will fee no Iniquity;--they maintain that by Virtue of their Election they are, not under a Covenant, which they may break or they may perform, not barely in a State of Salvation, which they may work out, or may forfeit, but actually and irreverfibly faved, fo as to leave no Poffibility of a Mifcarriage, be their Behaviour never fo unworthy of it. This they pronounce themselves fure of from their own inward Feelings and Experiences; fo that no Reafoning can reach them,--no Scripture can convince them; and there feems a fairer Profpect of recovering to a right Mind the daring Sinner, than the imaginary Saint.

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