Church and the people of Israel; For the Lord is said to have bought those men in the same sense, that he is said to have redeemed and delivered all the people of Israel; that is, as he delivered them out of Egypt, and challenged them to himselfe in a peculiar manner, that by a solemne covenant they should be his servants; so also all those that give their names unto the Church, he may in this respect be said to have bought, as a Master, that they should serve him for ever. To deny the Lord is, not to acknowledge God or Christ for the Lord, Matth. 10.32, 33. to confesse and to deny are made contrary one to another, Luke 12.8, 9. The reason is, because it hath once professed the name of the Lord, and afterwards departs from that profession, it is all one as if he did plainly say, that he would no longer be a servant of that Lord. For this denying is two-*fold, either verball or reall. A verball denying was in Peter, a reall denying is in all those that after they have made profession of the faith, return unto a profane life, 1 Tim. 5.8. 2 Tim. 3.5. The denying in this place is properly meant of a reall denying. For the description of these men doth rather expresse their profane courses, then their open renouncing of Christ. Doct. 3. It is a damnable impiety to deny Christ either in word or deed.
Reason 1. Becawse by this means Christ is greatly dishonoured; for men, our lusts, and Sathan himselfe are preferred before him, Mark 8.38. where the indignity of this sinne is shewed, that an adulterous and sinfull generation is preferred before Christ. Christ also by this means is accused of iniquity: for no servant usually goeth away from his master, if he confesseth him to be a just master; therefore this going away is as it were a professing that he doth accuse that master from whom he goes of some iniquity. Hereupon was that contesting of the Lord against his rebellious people, that he was a just and right master, neither did he give them any cause to depart from him, Ier. 2.5. Mich. 6.3. Deut. 32.4.
2. Because Christ threatned a most heavie judgement against this sin, when he saith that he will deny those men; that he wil be ashamed of them before God and his Angels, Mark 8.38.
Vse 1. This may serve to condemne, not only the manifest Apostates, but also all those, that with the profession of
