SER M. to have loved him: And yet the Lack of one

VI.

thing, the not felling what he had and giving it to the Poor, the not taking up his Cross and following our Lord, when He commanded, but prizing his Riches more than Christ, kept him from being Chrift's Difciple. It is true, fuch a Self-Denial, and total Refignation of all a Man has, is not a Duty ordinarily incumbent upon every Chriftian: But every Man, who, when called to it, refuses it, is not a Christian. For unless a Man, in the Course of his Obedience, gains fuch an Afcendant over his Paffions, as to be ready, whenever Occafion calls, to part with every thing for Christ's fake, he is none of Christ's, Mat. x, 37, 38. Luke xiv. 26, 27. himself has given us to understand, that unlefs we be refolute enough to forego every Relation and Bleffing of this World, that thwarts or interferes with his Precepts and Commands; unless we can willingly and chearfully fubmit to any Croffes or Interruptions to our worldly Felicity; unless for his fake we can postpone and renounce the nearest and dearest Relations in Life; yea, and lay down our own Lives alfo for his Honour and Glory; we are not to flatter ourselves that we are his Disciples; for fuch he will never acknowledge us to be,

He

Thus

VI.

Thus qualified, therefore, must be that SER M. keeping God's Commandments which is intended in my Text: Which I chofe to fet forth in its full Amplitude, that you may neither on the one Hand deceive yourselves, by refting contented with an infufficient, imperfect Obedience; nor on the other Hand defpond, when you have done ALL that your Duty requires you to do. To guard you more especially against the laft of which Mistakes, I fhall now proceed to enquire,

Secondly, What Affurance or Certainty the keeping GOD's Commandments yields, that we are born of GOD, that we know Christ, that HE is IN US, and WE IN HIM. To introduce me to this Particular, let me read a few Verfes of our Apostle again: In the first Chapter he tells us, that if we walk in the Light, as he is in the Light, we have Fellowfhip one with another, Ch. i. 7. (i.e. GoD with us, and we with God,) and the Blood of Jefus Chrift, his Son, cleanfeth us from all Sin. Compare ver. 3. In my Text, Hereby (faith he) we DO KNOW, that we know him, if we keep his Commandments: And in a Verfe or two after, Whofo keepeth his Word, in him verily is the Love of GOD perfected: Hereby KNOW we, that we are in him, Ch. ii. 5. P 2

And

VI.

SER M. And in the last Verse of this fame Chapter, If ye know, that he is righteous, ye know, that every one that doth Righteoufnefs, is born of him, ver. 29. In the 3d Chapter, again, Beloved, if our Heart condemn us not, then have we Confidence towards GOD: And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his Commandments, and do thofe Things, that are pleafing in his Sight, Ch. iii. 21, 22. And lastly, in the 4th Chapter, If we love one another, (faith he, which he reprefents as the Summit of Christianity) GOD DWELLETH in us, and his Love is PERFECTED in us, Ch. iv. 1 2.

Now, although it is confeffed that the main Intention of the Apostle, in writing this Epiftle, was to condemn the vain and impious Pretenfions of the Nicolaitans and others to any Knowledge of Chrift; yet, what Words could have made it plainer, that St. John at the fame Time allowed and afferted, that they who walk in the Light, who keep his Word and Commandments, who do Righteoufness, and from thence have the Teftimony of a good Confcience; that these, I fay, have an infallible Sign, that they know Christ, that they are cleansed from their Sin, that they are born of GOD, that they have Fellowship with GOD, that they do thofe

I.

Things

VI.

Things which are pleafing to GOD, that the SER M. Love of GOD is perfected in them, that He dwelleth in THEM, and THEY in HIM? They, therefore, who are conscious to themselves, that they have this Teft of their knowing Chrift, and of their being born of him, which you fee that fame Apostle, who explains these Privileges, and who fets himself to oppose all falfe Claims to them, admits, and pronounces the only true one ; ——— What farther Satisfaction would they have or defire, that the Spirit of God dwells in their Hearts; and that it is the Motion of that Spirit, which enlivens and quickens their Hearts and Wills to GOD's Service, and a holy Conversation? He that keepeth the Commandments, dwelleth in Chrift, and Chrift in him. And hereby we KNOW, that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us, Ch. iii. 24.

For

whenever we find ourselves inclined to do, whatever we learn GoD wills us to do; we may conclude, it is the fame Spirit, which commands, that inclines: And if fo, we know again, that as many as are led by the Spirit of GOD, they are the Sons of GOD: The Spirit itself beareth Witness with our Spirit, that we are the Children of GOD: And if Children, then Heirs, Heirs of GOD, and joint Heirs with Chrift, Rom. viii. 14, 16, 17.

SER M.
VI.

But this I fpeak wholly upon Prefumption, that we ftedfaftly perfevere in our Obedience: For otherwise Obedience, or a long Habit of Obedience, gives us no Security of Salvation. So long as a Man obeys, and leads a good Life; fo long, be fure, is he in a State of Salvation : i. e. he is affured, that if he continues to live as at prefent he does, and dies in the State he is at prefent in, he shall be finally faved. But let his Faith be ever fo ftrong now, and his Practice ever fo fincere and uniform; yet no one should be, because no one can be, certain and fecure, that he fhall hold the fame Faith, or continue the fame Practice to his dying Day *.

For with whatever Afsurance fome Teachers may tell you, that a Man, who (in their Language) has once had a Call, can never afterwards fall from Grace; That is a Doctrine which I dare not preach, because I could never find it in my Bible. From thence, I think, I learn on the contrary, that, although by the best Use of Grace a Man can make, he can't poffibly merit a Continuance of it to him; yet by the leaft Slight or Neglect of

*See Bishop Andrews's Cenfura Cenfuræ, &c. in the Appendix to Ellis on the 39 Articles, p. 44-54 and Plaifere's Appeal to the Gofpel, part 3. c. 18. p. 153-157.

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