VI. Thus qualified, therefore, must be that SER M. keeping God's Commandments which is intended in my Text: Which I chose 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 have done ALL that your Duty reyou quires 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 Chrift, that HE is IN US, and WE IN HIM. To introduce me to this Particular, let me read a few Verses of our Apoftle again: In the first Chapter he tells us, that if we walk in the Light, as he is in the Light, we have Fellowship 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. SER M. And in the last Verse of this fame Chapter, If every one that doth Righteousness, is born of him, 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 asferted, that they who walk in the Light, who keep his Word and Commandments, who do Righteousness, 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 cleanfed from their Sin, that they are born of GOD, that they have Fellowship with GOD, that they do thofe pronounces What farther Satis VI. Things which are pleafing to GOD, that the SER M. Love of GOD is perfected in them, that He dwelleth in THEM, and THEr in HIM? They, therefore, who are confcious to themselves, that they have this Teft of their knowing Chrift, and of their being born of him, which you see that fame Apostle, who explains these Privileges, and who sets himself to oppose all falfe Claims to them, admits, and the only true one ; faction 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. 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. P 3 For But SERM, But this I speak wholly upon Prefumption, that we ftedfastly perfevere in our Obedience; For otherwife 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 so strong 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 Affurance 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 least 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. improve VI. improving it, GOD may be provoked to with- SER M. draw it from him. And, if that be the Cafe, inftead of receiving a full Reward, 2 John 8. their CALLED Man lofes (as St. John fpeaks) the Things that he has wrought, and Jo labours in vain. For, when the Righteous turneth away from his Righteousness, and committeth Iniquity, and doth according to all the Abominations which the wicked Man doth; Shall be live? No: All the Righteousness that he hath done fhall not be mentioned: In his Trespass that he hath trefpaffed, and in his Sin that he hath finned, in them fhall be die, Ezek. xviii. 24. To be made Partakers of Chrift, we must hold the Beginning of our Confidence ftedfaft unto the End, Heb. iii. 14. And, even in the feveteft Trials and Perfecutions, our Lord himself tells us, that He only that fhall endure unto the End, fhall be faved, Matt. xxiv. 13. Therefore is He that thinketh be ftandeth advised by St. Paul to take heed left he fall, 1 Cor. x. 12. and they that have always, or hitherto, obeyed, 'ftill to work out their own Salvation with Fear and Trembling, Phil. ii. 12. 3 The Refult then of the Whole is this: So long as a Man keeps the Commandments of GOD fincerely, conftantly, wholly, and in every P 4 |
