CHAPTER X.
Other causes and occasions of the decay of holiness.
II. Muurrrupss are led into and countenanced in the ways of sin and profaneness, freely indulging unto their lusts and corrupt
affections, by a false appropriation of justifying names and titles —
unto them, in ways of sin and wickedness. This was one principal means of old whereby the Jews were hardened in their impieties and flagitious lives; for when the prophets told them of their sins, and warned them of God’s approaching judgments, they opposed that outcry unto their whole ministry, “The temple of the Lorp, The temple of the Lorp, The temple of the LorD, are these ;’—“‘Say what you please, we are the only posterity of Abraham, the only church of God in the world.” This contest they managed with the prophet Jeremiah in an especial manner. Chap. vi., he saith unto them in the name of the Lord, “ Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place,” verse 3. Their reply and defence is, “ The temple of the Lorn,” etc., verse 4. Whereunto the prophet makes that severe return, verses 9, 10, “ Will ye steal, murder, and
commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and
walk after other gods whom ye know not, and come and stand be- fore me in this house, which is called by my name?”—* Will ye give up yourselves unto all manner of wickedness, and countenance your- selves therein by being a people unto whom the temple and the worship of it are appropriated?” And this, in like manner, was.the great prejudice which the Baptist had to contend withal when he came to call them to repentance. Abraham’s children they were, and by virtue of that relation had right unto all the privileges of the covenant made with him, whatever they were in themselves, Matt. ii. 9. And it is evident in these examples that the nearer churches or persons are unto an utter forfeiture of all their privileges, and to destruction itself, for their sins, the more ready they are to boast of and support themselves with their outward state, as having nothing else to trust unto. But if men were able to countenance themselves
ne
OTHER CAUSES OF THE DECAY OF HOLINESS. 197
in their sins on this pretence against that extraordinary prophetical
‘ministry which endeavoured to discard them of it, and called them
unto the necessity of personal holiness, how much more will they be able to shelter themselves under its shades when they shall be taught so to do!
_ When men who have given up themselves unto a vicious, sensual, worldly course of life, having either fallen into it by the power of their lusts and temptations, or were never brought into a better
_ course by any means of correcting the vices of nature, shall find that
notwithstanding what they are, what they know themselves to be, and what judgment others must needs pass of them, yet they are esteemed to belong to the church of Christ, and are made partakers of ali the outward privileges of it, it cannot but greatly heighten their security in sin, and weaken the efficacy of all means of their reformation. And when others, not so engaged in the ways of sin and profaneness, shall see that they may have all the external pledges of divine love and favour communicated unto them, although they should run into the same compass of riot and excess with others, it cannot but insensibly weaken their diligence in duty, and render them more pliable subjects of temptations unto sin; for they are but ew who care to be better than they judge they must be of necessity. When the church of Sardis was really dead, the principal means of keeping it in that condition was the name it had to be alive.
~ Let us, therefore, consider how it hath been in the world in this matter. Whilst these things have been communicated promiscuously unto all sorts of men, yea, to the worst that live on the earth, is it not evident that the name of the church and the administration of its ordinances would be made use of to countenance men in a neglect of holiness, yea, a contempt and hatred of it? Whilst these sacred names, titles, and privileges, these pledges of the love of God, and of all the benefits of the mediation of Christ, are forced to lackey after men into the most provoking courses of flagitious sins, what can put a stay to the lusts of men? If the church be that society in the world which is alone the object of God’s especial love and grace,
- if the principal end of the administration of its ordinances be to con-
firm unto men their interest in the benefits of the mediation of Christ, how can the lusts of men be more accommodated than by
_ the application of these things unto them, whilst they are flagrant
in their pursuit? It may, indeed, be supposed that the Lord Jesus
Christ hath made evangelical obedience to be the immovable rule
of an interest in his church; indeed, whether obedience unto the
‘ precepts of the gospel be not the only and indispensable condition
of a participation of the privileges of the gospel, ought to be out of dispute with them that own the truth of its doctrine. And whereas