apoftacy, or falling away from fin, (as the word imports). And this is the way to prevent apoftacy from the Lord; for this does import, that it is fome one iniquity or other indulged, and left to reign in the heart, which betrays profeffors into apoftacy, as Judas, Demas, &c.-Confider, 2. How this can be a feal to fecure the faints and elect ones from apoftacy, fince it is but a commandment ?-To this I answer, That the nature of the preceding feal would seem to have required this expreffion, "And they that are his depart from iniquity." But it is in form of a command, to fhew that the faints depart from iniquity by choice, and that they are by the Lord himfelf powerfully determined to this choice; fo that their perfeverance is both rational and gracious.It is a command, at the fame time it is a powerful and efficacious command of God, like that in Gen. i. 3. "And God faid, Let there be light, and there was light;" a command which effects what it requires in all who are his. It is fuch a command as that in Numb. xvi. 26. (quoted above), which brought away from the tents of Dathan and Abiram, all who were not to be fwallowed up with them. And this command is going through wherever the gospel is preached, and will go till the laft day; like a brifk wind feparating the corn from the chaff, carrying away from the tents of fin all who are ordained to eternal life, though others dwell on in them ftill. Thus, though the profane and hypocrital, and all who are not the Lord's, are still held by fome one bond of fin or other which is never broken; yet this powerful word loofes the bands of all fin, fets them and their fins afunder, and keeps them afunder, who, being fealed with the first seal, are his. And all this God's efficacious word can do, as as well as keep the world from returning into its primitive mafs of confufion: Heb. i. 3. "Upholding all things by the word of his power." And fo it is a feal fecuring them from apoftacy.From this fubject two general doctrines may be proposed: DOCT. I. That God doth charge all who name the name of Chrift to depart from iniquity. DOCT. II. That God's charge to depart from iniquity becomes infallibly effectual in all who are his, fo as that they do truly depart from iniquity, while others hold it faft to their utter ruin.. -I begin with the Firft, That God doth charge all that name the name of Chrift to depart from iniquity. In illuftrating this point, I fhall shew, I. Who they are whom the Lord charges to depart from iniquity.. II. What is implied in departing from iniquity, which God chargeth thefe to do. III. How he charges these who name the name of Chrift to depart from iniquity. IV. Why these particularly who name the name of Christ are charged to do so.-And then add the practical improvement. WE are, I. To fhew who they are whom the Lord charges to depart from iniquity. The text tells you it is every one who names the name of Chrift. Thus, it is every one of you, whatever your character be. The poor pagans, amongst whom Chrift is not named, God winks at them; but he charges you, and every one of you, to depart from iniquity.This charge is to you, 1. Baptifed perfons, capable to difcern betwixt good and evil; the name of Chrift is called upon you, and you name him; God charges you to depart from iniquity. You are engaged to be the Lord's, to fight against the devil, the world, and the flesh. You have no liberty to follow your lufts and the vanity of your minds. You are charged, as God's subjects, to have no more converfe with his enemies; fince you have given up your names to Christ, you are to dwell no more in the tents of fin. There is no exception of the young more than the old, but every one who nameth the name of Chrift is to depart from iniquity. The charge is to you, 2. Who profess faith in Christ, and hope of falvation through him. You name his name, and therefore you are charged. Although, perhaps, you will not so much as bow a knee to God, nor have so much as a form of godliness, yet you have not renounced the faith, nor your part in Chrift; therefore, fince you retain his name, and will be called Christians, depart from iniquity; live like Christians, and not like those who never heard of Chrift. The charge is to you, 3. Who pray to God through Christ. You name the name of Chrift, and therefore are charged to depart from iniquity. Some of you, perhaps, pray only fometimes, as if you had more neceffary bufinefs than ferving the Lord; fome pray ordinarily, yet go on in fome finful courfe or other; as if God was only to be ferved with fair words, and your lufts with the whole courfe of your life. But though this be your fituation, this charge God lays on you notwithstanding, Depart from iniquity.-This charge is to you, VOL. III. S 4. Who 4. Who profefs faith in Chrift, and holiness of life alfo. You name the name of Christ, and therefore you should depart from iniquity. Are there not many fuch, whofe lives are miserably ftained in points of immorality, who walk most unfuitably to their character, by reafon of whom the way of truth is evil fpoken of? Rom. ii. 23. "Thou that makest thy boast of the law through breaking the law, difhonoureft thou God?" God charges you to walk up to your character, to your profeffion, and to depart from iniquity.-This charge is, Laftly, To communicants, who name the name of Chrift in a moft folemn manner, by fitting down at his table, before God, angels, and men. This charge is to you. You have named this name, and gone back to thofe iniquities of which you were convinced. Are there not fome who have adventured to ftretch forth their hand to the Lord at his table, and have quickly again ftretched it out to their lufts? To you the Lord is faying, Quit your communicating, or your iniquity; join no more an unholy life to fuch a fair and flaming profeffion. WE are now, II. To fhew what is implied in this departing from iniquity which God chargeth us to aim at. Here, ft, Let us inquire in what this departure, this happy apoftacy lies. And, 2dly, What of iniquity God charges us to depart from--We are, 1ft, To inquire in what this departure, this happy apoftacy lies. There are five things which belong to it.There is, 1. A giving up with our reft in fin. God fays of of fin to all who name Christ, « Arife ye, and depart, for this is not your reft; because it is polluted, it fhall deftroy you, even with a fore deftruction." Sinners, ye are settled on your lees, as wine on the dregs, but there must be a separation; you are dwelling in a dangerous place, like Lot in Sodom; lying among the pots, as the Ifraelites in Egypt; fleeping fecurely like the fluggard on his bed, "while his poverty cometh as one that travaileth, and his want as an armed man." God chargeth you to awake and beftir yourself, to spring to your feet, and prepare to make progrefs in the ways of holiness.There is, 2. A going off from fin, and giving up with it: Job, xxxiv. 32. " If I have done iniquity, I will do no more." God is faying to you of in's dominion, as he said to the Ifraelites at Horeb, "Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount; therefore up and be gone from the tents of wickedness; ye have dwelt too long in the tents of Mefech and Kedar." May not the time past suffice to have done the will of the flesh? Pet. iv. 3. Ye "have long wandered on the mountains of vanity, come away from them now: Song, iv. 8. "Come with me from Lebanon, my fpoufe, with me from Lebanon." Bid a long farewell now, and turn your backs on the lufts of the flesh, the luft of the eye, and the pride of life.There is, 3. A standing off from fin, as the word properly fignifies: Prov. iv. 15." Avoid it, pafs not by it, turn from it, and pafs away." Keep yourselves at a diftance. Stand off from it as from a fire that will confume you, as from a leprofy that will infect you, as from an unclean thing that will defile you, as from a fword and arrow which will pierce and wound you to death, as from a ferpent whofe biting and S 2 ftinging |