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door to true chriftianity, and that path the ancients ever trod to bleffedness: yet, with extreme affliction, let me fay, it is fo little understood, so much neglected, and what is worse, so bitterly contradicted, by the vanity, fuperftition, and intemperance of professed christians, that we must either renounce to believe what the Lord Jefus hath told us, Luke xiv. 27. That whofoever doth not bear his cross, and come after him, cannot be his difciple:' or, admitting that for truth, conclude, that the generality of Chriftendom do miferably deceive and difappoint themselves in the great business of chriftianity, and their own falvation.

§. II. For, let us be never fo tender and charitable in the furvey of those nations, that intitle themselves to any intereft in the holy name of Chrift, if we will but be just too, we must needs acknowledge, that after all the gracious advantages of light, and obligations to fidelity, which thefe latter ages of the world have received, by the coming, life, doctrine, miracles, death, refurrection, and afcenfion of Chrift, with the gifts of his Holy Spirit, to which add, the writings, labours, and martyrdom of his dear followers in all times, there feems very little left of chriftianity but the name: which being now ufurped by the old heathen nature and life, makes the profeffors of it but true heathens in difguife. For though they worship not the fame idols, they worship Chrift with the fame heart: and they can never do otherwife, whilft they live in the fame lufts. So that the unmortified chriftian and the heathen are of the fame religion. For though they have different objects, to which they do direct their prayers, that adoration in both is but forced and ceremonious, and the deity they truly worship, is the god of the world, the great lord of hifts: to him they bow with the whole powers of foul and fenfe. What fhall we eat? What hall we drink? What fhall we wear? And how fhall we pafs away our time? Which way may we gather wealth, increase our power, enlarge our territories, and dignify and perpetuate our names and families in the earth? Which base fenfuality is most pathetically ex

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preffed and comprized by the beloved apoftle John, in thefe words: the luft of the flesh, the luft of the eyes, ⚫ and the pride of life, which (fays he) are not of the Father, but of the world, that lieth in wickedness'.' §. III. It is a mournful reflection, but a truth no confidence can be great enough to deny, that these worldly lufts fill up the study, care and converfation of wretched Christendom! and, which aggravates the mifery, they have grown with time. For as the world is older, it is > worse; and the examples of former lewd ages, and their miserable conclufions, have not deterred, but excited ours; To that the people of this, feem improvers of the old stock of impiety, and have carried it fo much farther than example, that instead of advancing in virtue, upon better times, they are fcandalously fallen below the life of heathens. Their high-mindedness, lasciviousness, uncleannefs, drunkennefs, fwearing, lying, envy, backbiting, cruelty, treachery, covetoufnefs, injuftice, and oppreffion, are fo common, and committed with fuch invention and excefs, that they have stumbled and embittered infidels to a degree of fcorning that holy religion, to which their good example should have won their affections.

§. IV. This miferable defection from primitive times, when the glory of chriftianity was the purity of its profeffors, I cannot but call the second and worst part of the Jewish tragedy, upon the bleffed Saviour of mankind. For the Jews, from the power of ignorance, and the extreme prejudice they were under to the unworldly way of his appearance, would not acknowledge him when he came, but for two or three years perfecuted, and finally crucified him in one day. But the false christians cruelty lafts longer: they have first, with Judas, profeffed him, and then, for these many ages, most bafely betrayed, perfecuted, and crucified him, by a perpetual apoftacy in manners, from the felf-denial and holiness of his doctrine; their lives giving the lye to their faith. These are they that the author of

* John ii. 16.

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the epiftle to the Hebrews tells us, crucify to themfelves the Son of God afresh, and put him to open fhame' whofe defiled hearts, John, in his Revelation, ftiles, the ftreets of Sodom and Egypt, fpiritually fo called, where he beheld the Lord Jefus crucified, long after he had been afcended. And as Chrift said of old, a man's enemies are thofe of his own houfe; fo Chrift's enemies now, are chiefly thofe of his own profeffion they fpit upon him, they nail and pierce him, they crown him with thorns, and give him gall and vinegar to drink "." Nor is it hard to apprehend; for they that live in the fame evil nature and principle the Jews did, that crucified him outwardly, muft needs crucify him inwardly; fince they that reject the grace now in their own hearts, are one in stock and generation with the hard-hearted Jews, that refifted the grace that then appeared in and by Christ.

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§. V. Sin is of one nature all the world over; for though a lyar is not a drunkard, nor a swearer a whoremonger, nor either properly a murderer; yet they are all of a church; all branches of the wicked root; all of a kin. They have but one father, the devil, as Chrift faid to the profeffing Jews, the vifible church of that age: he flighted their pretenfions to Abraham and Mofes, and plainly told them, that he that committeth fin, was the fervant of fin. They did the devil's works, and therefore were the devil's children. The argument will always hold upon the fame reasons, and therefore good ftill: his fervants you are, faith Paul, whom you obey' and faith John to the church of old, ⚫ let no man deceive you; he that committeth fin is of the devil'.' Was Judas ever the better chriftian, for crying, Hail, Mafter, and kiffing Chrift? By no means: they were the fignal of his treachery; the token given, by which the bloody Jews fhould know and take him. He called him Mafter, but betrayed him; he kiffed, but fold him to be killed: this is the upshot of the false christian's religion. If a man ask them, Is Christ

Heb. vi. 6. Rev. xi. 8. to 45. Rom. vi. 16.

c Mat. xxvii. f 1 John iii. 7, 8.

d John viii. 34 • Mat. xxvi. 49.

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your Lord? They will cry, God forbid elfe: yes, he is our Lord. Very well: But do you keep his commandments? No. How fhould we? How then are you his difciples? It is impoffible, fay they; what! would you have us keep his commandments? No man can. What! impoffible to do that, without which Chrift hath made it impoffible to be a chriftian? Is Chrift unreasonable? Does he reap where he has not fown"; require where he has not enabled? Thus it is, that with Judas they call him Master, but take part with the evil of the world to betray him; and kiss and embrace him as far as specious profeffion goes; and then fell him, to gratify the paffion that they most indulge. Thus, as God faid of old, they make him ferve with their fins, and for their fins tooi.

§. VI. Let no man deceive his own foul; grapes are not gathered of thorns, nor figs of thistles a wolf is not a fheep, nor is a vulture a dove. What form, people, or church foever thou art of, it is the truth of God to mankind, that they who have even the form of godlinefs, but (by their unmortified lives) deny the power thereof, make not the true, but falfe church: which though fhe intitle herself the lamb's bride, or church of Chrift, fhe is that myftery, or myfterious Babylon, fitly called by the Holy Ghoft, the mother of harlots, and all abominations'; because degenerated from christian chastity and purity, into all the enormities of heathen Babylon: a fumptuous city of old time, much noted for the feat of the kings of Babylon, and at that time the place in the world of greatest pride and luxury. As she was then, fo mystical Babylon is now, the great enemy of God's people. §. VII. True it is, they that are born of the flesh, hate and perfecute them that are born of the fpirit"," who are the circumcifion in heart. It feems they cannot own, nor worship God after her inventions, methods and prescriptions, nor receive for doctrine her

h Mat. xxv. 24. Gal. iv. 29.

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i Ifa, xliii. 24.

* Mat. vii. 16. Rev. xvii. 5.

vain traditions, any more than they can comply with her corrupt fashions and customs in their conversation. The cafe being thus, from an apoftate fhe becomes a perfecutor. It is not enough that fhe herself declines from ancient purity, others muft do fo too. She will give them no reft, that will not partake with her in that degeneracy, or receive her mark. Are any wifer than fhe, than mother church? No, no: nor can any make war with the beast she rides upon, thofe worldly powers that protect her, and vow her maintenance against the cries of her diffenters. Apoftacy and fuperftition are ever proud and impatient of diffent: all must conform, or perish. Therefore the flain witnesses, and blood of the fouls under the altar, are found within the walls of this myftical Babylon, this great city of false christians, and are charged upon her by the Holy Ghoft, in the revelation. Nor is it ftrange that fhe fhould flay the fervants, who first crucified the Lord: but ftrange and barbarous too, that she should kill her husband, and murder her Saviour, titles fhe seems so fond of, and that have been fo profitable to her; and that she would recommend herself by, though without all juftice. But her children are reduced fo entirely under the dominion of darkness, by means of their continued difobedience to the manifestation of the divine light in their fouls, that they forget what man once was, or they fhould now be; and know not true and pure chriftianity when they meet it, yet pride themselves to profefs it. Their measures are fo carnal and falfe about falvation, they call good evil, and evil good: they make a devil a chriftian, and a faint a devil. So that though the unrighteous latitude of their lives be matter of lamentation, as to themselves it is of deftruction; yet that common apprehenfion, that they may be children of God while in a state of disobedience to his holy commandments; and difciples of Jefus, though they revolt from his cross; and members of his true church, which is without spot or wrinkle, notwithstanding their lives

• Rev. vi. 9.

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