capital Rebel, Sin, which, as to Man, is a Work of Satan's, because it first enter'd in Man by the Devil's Suggeftion and Counfel: All that Mifery and Ruin, alk thefe Works of Darkness and Death, that Satan had by his Malice and Policy wrought upon, and in poor Mankind, Jesus was manifefted in the Flesh with out Sin, to defroy and take away Sin out of our Flesh, and to abolift and de

ed upon the Ruins of God's Work, of the Image of God, and to repair and renew that firft bleffed Work of God in Man, Epb. iv. 23, 24.

Perfon; put to thine Ear, and hear, this is the joint harmonious Melody, this is the Proclamation of all, that we fin not, that we fin not against fo good a God, and fo great a God, that were Wicked nefs, this were Madness. If he wound, it is that we fin not; if he heal again, it is that we fin not: Doth he kill, it is sbat we fin not: Doth he make alive, it is for the fame End. Doth he shut up and restrain our Liberty, either by Bon-Aroy Satan's Work, which he had builddage, or Sicknefs, or other Afflictions, why? he means that we, fin not: Doth he open again, he means the fame Thing, that we fin no more leaft a worse Thing befall is. Doth he make many to fall in Battle, and turns the Fury of that upon us, the Voice of it is, that you who are left behind, should fin no more. Is there Severity towards others, and towards you Clemency; O the loud Noife of that is, fin not. But alas, the Refult of all is, that which is written, Pfal. lxxviii. 32. Nevertheless they finned fill. In the midft of fo many concurring Teftimonies, in the very Throng of all the Sounds and Voices that all the Works of God utter, in the very hearing of thefe, neverthelefs to fin fill, and not to return and enquire early after God: This is the Plague and Judgment of the Nation.

1

But let us return to the Words, Thefe Things, &c. That which is written of the Word of Life, that which was from the Beginning, and was manifefied unto us, that is written that we fin not: For, faith this fame Apoftle, Ch. iii. 5, 8 And ye know that be was manifefted to take away our Sins, and in him is no fin; yea, for this very Porpofe, (faith he) that be might deftroy the Works of the Devil. Now, is this the great Bufinefs, that drew the Son out of the Father's Bofom, to deftroy the Arch-enemy and

Now, O how cogent and perfuading is this; one so high, come down fo low, one dwelling in inacceffible Glory, mani fefted in the Flesh, in the Infirmity and Weakne fs of it, to this very Purpose, to repair the Creation, to make up the Breaches of it, to deftroy Sin, and fave the Sinner; what Force is in this to per fuade a Soul that truly believes it, not to fin? For, may he think within himself, Shall I fave that which Cbrift came to de ftroy? Shall I entertain and maintain that which he came to take away, and do what in me lies to fruftrate the great End of his glorious and wonderful Defcent from Heaven? Shall I join Hands, and affociate with my Lufts, and war for them, which war against my Soul, and him that would fave my Soul? Nay, let us conclude (my Beloved) within our own Hearts, Is the Word and Prince of Life manifefted from Heaven, and come to marr and unmake that Work of Satan, that he may refcue me from under his Tyranny? Then God forbid that I should help Satan to build up that which my Sa viour is cafting down, and to make a Frifon for myfelf, and Cords to bind me in it for everlafting. Nay, will a believing

Soul fay, rather let me be a Worker together with Chrift, though faintly, yet I refolve to wrestle with him, to pull down all the strong Holds that Satan keeps in my Nature, and fo to congratulate and consent to him, who is the Avenger, and Afferter of my Liberty.

Soul, breaks off Communion, ecclipfes
that Soul totally. Therefore,- (my Be-
loved,) if you do believe that you are-
called unto this high Dignity of Fellow..
fhip with God, and if your Souls be stirred
with fome holy Ambition after it, confi-
der that these Things are written, that
ye fin not; confider what Baseness is in
it, for one that hath such a noble Design,
as Fellowship with the higheft, to debafe
his Soul fo far, and fo low, as to serve
finful and fleshly Lufts: There is a Vile-
nefs and Wretchedness in the Service of
Sin, that any Soul, truly and nobly prin-
cipled, cannot but look upon. it with In-
dignation, because he can behold nothing
but Indignity in it. Shall I who am a
Ruler (faith Nehemiah) fball such a
Man as I flee? and who is there, that
being, as I am, would flee? Neh. vi. 11.
A Christian hath more Reason, Shall
fuch a Man as I, who am born again to

Then confider the greatest End, and
furthest Design of the Gofpel, how it is
inleparably chained and linked into this,
that we fin not. We are called to Feb
lowship with the Father and the Son,
and herein is his Glory, and our Happi-
nefs. Now, this proclaims with a loud
Voice, that we fin not; for, what more
contrary to that Defign of Union, and
Communion with God, than to fin, which
difunites and difcommunicates the Soul
from God. The Nature of Sin you
know, it is the Tranfgreffion of bis
Law, and fo, it is the very juft Oppofi-
tion of the Creatures Will, to the Will of
him that made it. Now, how do ye i-fuch a Hope, and called to fuch a high
magine that this can confift with true
Friendship and Fellowship, which loofeth
that Conjunction of Wills and Affections,
which is the Bond of true Friendship, and
the Ground of Fellowship, idem velle,
atque idem nolle, bac demum vera a-
micitia eft. The Confpiracy of our De-
fires and Delights in one Point with God's,
this sweet Co-incidency makes out Com-
munion, and what Communion then with
God, when that which his Soul abhors,
is your Delight, and his Delight is not
your Defire? What Communion bath
Light with Darkness? Sin is Darkness;
all Sin, but especially Sin entertained and
maintained, Sin that hath the full Confent
of the Heart, and carrieth the whole Man
after it, that is Egyptian-Darkness, an
univerfal Darkness over the Soul; this
being interpofed. between God and the

Dignity? Shall I, who aim and afpire fo. high as Fellowship with God, debafe and degrade myfelf with the vileft Servitude? Shall I defile in thar Puddle again, till my own Cloaths abhor me, who aim at so pure. and fo holy a Society? Shall I yoke in myself with Drunkards, Liars, Swearers, and other Slaves of Sin Shall I rank myfelf thus, and conform myself to the World, feeing there is a noble and glorious Society to incorporate with, the King of Kings to converse with daily? Alas, what are thefe Worms that fit on Thrones to him? But far more, how bafe are thefe Companions in Iniquity, your Pot-companions? &c. And what a vile Society is it, like that of the Bottomlefs Pit, where Devils are linked together in Chains?

SER

SERMON XXIII.
RMÓN

1 John ii. 1. My little Children, thefe Things write I unto you, that ye fin not. And if any Man fin, we

have an Advocate with the Father, &c.

neceffarily incident, therefore all that is in the Gofpel, fpeaks this further, tho' ye be surprised in Sin, yet believe; and this is the Round that a Believer is to walk into, to turn from Pardon to Purity, and from Pollution again to Pardon, for thefe Voices and Sounds are interchanged continually; If ye bave finned, believe in Chrift the Advocate and Sacrifice, and, because ye bave believ ed, fin not; but if ye be overtaken in Sin, yet believe; and as this is daily renewed, fo the Soul's Study and Endeavour in them, fhould be daily renewed too. If ye have finned, defpair not; if ye be pardoned, yet prefume not: After Sin there is Hope, it is true, because there is Forgiveness with him; but after Forgiveness, there must be Fear to offend his Goodnefs; For there is Forgiveness with him, that he may be.

IN IN the Gofpel we have the most perfect Provifion against both thefe Extremities, that Souls are ready to run upon, the Rock of defperate Diftruft, and the Quick-fands of prefumptuous Wantonnefs. It may be faid to be a well ordered Covenant in all Things, that hath caveated and cautioned the whole Matter of our Salvation, in fuch a Way, that there is neither Place for Difcouragement and Down-cafting, nor yet Room for Liberty in Sin; there is no Exemption from the Obligation of God's holy Law, and yet there is Pardon for the Breach of it, and Exemption from the Curfe; there is no Peace, no Capitulation with Sin, and yet there is Peace concluded with the Sinner, who is, by that Agreement, bound to fall out with Sin; there is no Difpenfation for Sin, and from the Perfection of Holinefs, and yet there is an Advocation for the Sin-feared, Pfal. cxxx. 4. And this is the ner, which aims and ftudies after it; fo that in Sum, the whole Gofpel is comprifed in this, He speaks Peace to bis Saints, but let them not return to Folly; thou art made whole, fin no more: All that is in the Gospel faith this, that thou fhould fin no more. But, because Sin is

Situation I would defire my Soul into, to
be placed between Hope of his Mercy.
and Fear of Sin, the Faith of his Favour
and the Hatred of Sin, which he will
not favour; and how happy were a Soul
to be confined within these and kept
captive to its true Liberty?
M m'm

I

and powerful? then fin not, that were Madness. Is it written, that he is good and gracious? Then it is written, that

1 fpake a little before, how thefe Fundamental Truths that are fet down before, do all aim at this one Mark, that we fin not; Now I proceed. That Declaratiye fin not, for that were Wickedness: on what God is, Verfe 5. is exprefly directed to this Purpofe, and applyed, Verfe 6. God is Light, and therefore fin not, for Sin is Darkness; be is Light, for Purity and Beauty of Holiness, and Perfection of Knowledge, that true Light in which is no Darkness, that unmixt Light, all homogeneous to itself, therefore fin not, for that is a Work of the Night, and of the Darkness, that proceeds from the Blindness and Eftrange ment of your Minds, and Ignorance of your Hearts, and it cannot but prepare and fit you for thefe everlafting Chains of Darkness. Call God what you will, name all his Names, Stiles and Tittles, fpell all the Characters of it, and ftill you may find it written at every one of them, fin not; Is be Light? then fin hot. Is he Life? then fin not; for Sin will feparate you from his Light and Life; Sin will darken your Souls, and kill them. Is be Love? then fin not; God | is Love (faith Jobn) O then fin not against Love. Hatred of any good Thing is deformed, but the Hatred of the beautiful Image of the original Love, that is monftruous: God is Love, and in his Love is your Life and Light; then to fin against him, it is not fimple Difobedience; nor is it only groffer Rebellion, but it hath that abominable Stain of Ingratitude in it. Do you read, that it is written, be is boly, then fin not, for this is moft repugnant to his Holiness, bis boly Eyes cannot fee it. Therefore, if thou would have him look upon thee with Favour, thou must not look upon Sin with Favour, or entertain it with Delight; Is it written that he is great

It were an unspeakable Folly and Madnefs, to offend fo great a God, that can fo easily avenge himself; and it were abominable Perverfenefs and Wickedness, to fin against so good and gracious a God, who, tho' he may avenge himfelf yet offers Pardon and Peace, and befeecheth us to accept it. Is he just? then fin not; for he will not acquit the Wicked, nor bold them Guiltless, them, who do acquit themfelves, and yet hold by their Sins. And is he merciful? then, O then, fin not, because he hath acquitted thee, becaufe he is ready to blot out thy Guilt; wilt thou fin against Mercy, that muft fave thee? Again, is it written, that the Blood of Jefus Chrift cleanjeth from all Sin? that is written, that ye fin not. It is true, it is written, because ye have finned already, that ye may know how it may be pardoned. But moreover it is written, that ye fin no more, that fo, more Sin may be prevented, at leaft, deliberate continued walking in Sin; fo that this Blood hath a twofold Vertue and Ufe, to be the greatéft Encouragement to a Soul troubled for Sin, and the chiefert Argument and Inducement for a Soul not to fin: This Medicine, or this Plaister, hath two notable Vertues, restorative and prefervative, To reftore the Bones that already are broken, through falling in Sin; and to preserve our Feet from further falling in Sin. It hath a healing Vertue, for thefe Bruifes that are in the Soul; and befides, it is an Antidote and fovereign Prefervative against the Poyfon and Infection of Sin and the World. What Motive is like this? The Son of

God