(1.) Because it is contrary to that covenant by which all enter into Christ's kingdom: Mark xvi. 16, 'He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved.' Now baptism implieth a renouncing the devil, the world, and the flesh, and a dedicating ourselves to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as our creator, redeemer, and sanctifier; and therefore by the baptismal covenant none can be saved but those whose faith effec- tually turneth them from the world and the flesh to the love, service, and obedience of God, so that they first live to him, and do hereafter live with him. And this covenant doth still bind them, under the penalty of damnation and losing the hopes of glory, to mortify and subdue the desires of the flesh more and more : Gal. v. 24, ' They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof.' Those' that are baptized into his name have entered into his kingdom, profess themselves to be his subjects ; they not only ought, but it is presumed that they have, crucified the flesh. In what a woful case then are all those that obey the inclinations of the flesh, and suffer their lusts to have their full career, without check or stop, and take no course to mortify them, that do neither combat nor overcome, that live in all uncleanness and filthiness ! They must seek another religion to comfort them, for Christianity is not for their turn.
(2.) Because of God's express exclusion. Surely they are excluded from this inheritance whom God excludes and Christ excludes. Now everywhere God has declared his mind not by consequence, but direct sentence: 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, 'Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God ? ' These things are inconsistent with a christian's duty and reward ; and to flatter yourselves with a belief or hope of the contrary is to give God the lie. So Rev. xxi. 8, you have another black catalogue : ' But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have
216 SERMONS UPON EPIIESIANS V. [SeR. V.
their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, wliicli is the second death.' It is opposed there to the saint's inheritance : ' He that overcometh shall inherit all things.' Bnt they that will neither fight, nor strive, nor seek the assistance of Christ's Holy Spirit, that they may overcome their lusts, bnt wallow in these sins and vices, shall be damned into hell. So again, Eev. xxii. 15, ' Without are dogs, sorcerers, and whoremongers.' Dogs are they that eat what they have vomited, and after repentance fall into their former sins. The- other sinners are sufficiently known by their own names ; only you sec whoremongers are not forgotten, but expressly mentioned as those that shall be without, that is, excluded from the blessedness of the saints. Now what can such sinners say for themselves against such express denunciations of God's word against them ? It may be they say they do believe in Christ, and all that believe are pardoned, and justified from all their sins; but Christ will be no patron of wickedness. He that believeth giveth up himself to be sanctified and governed by him, as well as to be pardoned and reconciled to God. If faith be used to cross obedience, it is no true faith ; for ' Christ is the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him,' Heb. v. 9. To all them, and only them. If you believe Christ, you must believe that you cannot be saved unless you be converted to God. It is the devil, and not Christ, that telleth you you may be saved in an unregenerate estate. If a bare strong confidence in Christ that we shall be saved notwithstanding our sins were true faith, the hardest heart would make the best faith. WhO' fuller of confidence and foolish presumption than they that are hardened in their sins? Therefore the business is not about faith and believing, but whether you believe Christ or Satan. If you hear Christ's voice in the word, this controversy is at an end. He hath flatly told you that you thus living and dying cannot be saved, and have no inheritance among the saints in the kingdom of Chi-ist and of God.
[3.] From the heinous nature of the sin. It is a sin of great atheism and great infidelity. By the scriptures you know, or might easily know, that if you live in uncleanness, you incur the loss of heaven ; yet you are so violently bent upon the fulfilling of your lusts that this can- not reclaim you. Certainly faith cannot consist with these sins. A man may run blindfold into hell if he will wink hard and go on securely ; but he that will with open eyes run into the bottomless pit, he doth not believe the danger. You cannot drive a dull ass into the fire that is kindled before him ; and Solomon telleth us, ' In vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird.' If men that have reason and con- science had eternity in their sight and view, would they venture thus ? You never knew a soaken sinner in this kind, but he had ill thoughts of God and the world to come.