9
The Saints Duty in Evil Times.
converſation. O remember this, ye who have any one pre-
dominate, whoſe head ye clap; your right hand, and your right Eye Sins muſt be cut off, and plucked out, before ye can enter in to the kingdom of heaven: I ſay, if ye entertain any predominate, it ſpeaks out this, that ye would as well entertain all ſins, if your inclinations were as bent upon them, and that ye do not leave them, as they are hateful to God, but only, as they are not so delightſom, or hurtful unto you. O! take heed, except ye re-pent and amend, ye ſhall all likewiſe periſh. Remember this, ye moral civilians, who are not chargeable with groſs profanity in your private walk, yet have your hands imbrued in blood, and have them defiled with publick land-ſins, which procures land-
judgments; ye take a liberty to pay ceſs, and fines, and tiends, to Baal's Prieſts, and do many other things to ſtrengthen the enemies of our Lord, and condemn his cauſe, I ſay, take heed to yourſelves; except ye repent and amend, ye hall all likewile beriſh. Remember this, ye who turn not to take up all chriſtian duties with you; ye think it enough, if ye babble over two or
three words at night and at morn to yourſelves, tho' you ſet not up the worſhip of God in your families; and it ye do that, ye think that enough, tho' ye neither put to your hand to act with the Lord, nor ſympathize with bis afflicted people, nor imbody yourſelves in ſociety with them, to cry for all the abominations of the land. O take heed, except ye repent and amend, ye ſhall all likewiſe periſh.
Secondly, Theſe cone not unto Chriſt, who, tho' they may come a great length not to be chargeable by man, neither with omiſſion nor commiſſion, yet reſt there; all that will not take them to heaven. Paul, before his converſion, he reports of himſelf Phil.iii.6. was, touching the righteouſneſs which is in the Law,
blameleſs. He was as trim a legaliſt as the beſt of you; but mark what he ſays of himſelf in the ſeventh, eight and ninth verſes, But what things were gain to me, thoſe I counted lots for Chriſt: Yea, doubtleſs, and I count all things but loſs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt Jeſus my Lord, for whom I have ſuffered the loſs of all things; and do count them but dung, that
I may win Chriſt, and be found in him, not having mine own righteouſneſs, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chriſt, the righteouſneſs which is of God by faith. There is thet ye muſt only reſt on, and no where elſe, but upon the compleat and inherent righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt; therefore take heed how ye build.
Thirdly, Theſe come not unto Jeſus Chriſt, who feed themſelves up in that deluding fancy, that they have not to much need of him as others have, by reaſon of their linking their ſins to be but little ſins. 0, ſay ſome, I am not like the prophane and wicked; what then need I fear? O poor ſoul, mind what the Apoſtle tells thee, Gal. ii. 10. For in ſuch a caſe thou art under the law,
