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churches at such seasons; when they could, to distil their pernicious influences, as they thought and hoped, it would gain converts to them. Then they went out from the apostles and churches of the saints, because they were not of us, says John; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. For Christ is yesterday, to-day, and the same for ever: so are the truths and doctrines which have respect unto Him, and in and by which He is revealed unto, and set before his church: and which his saints have such evidence of in themselves, that one for them all, says, "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is

the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." 1 Pet. i. 24, 25. These heretics left the churches, because they were not of them; only nominally. They were not the elect of God. They were reprobates. Their going out of the churches, and perverting the truth as it is in Jesus, was a most convincing evidence of this. They might, and undoubtedly did, boast of superior light to all others in the doctrines of grace. They were slaves to their own lusts. They were covetous. They were greedy of reward. They were full of gainsaying. Jude describes them as clouds without water, carried about of winds. As trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots. He likens them to raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. To wandering stars. To whom, says he, is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. The account is enough to make us tremble. It is evident these could never belong to Christ. And yet if they had not been professors of Christ, and for a season in the visible churches of Christ, they could never have come out of them. And had they been one in mind and spirit with the real churches of Christ, they would not have left them: but they were not. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. They would have accounted it their glory and honour so to have done. Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. The pernicious heresies of the present times, are Socinianism, Arianism, Arminianism, and Antinomianism: of the latter the most corrupt reviver of it, was one James Relly, who had been a preacher in Mr. George Whitfield's connexion. His doctrine from his writings is stated to be this-that Christ took the whole humanity into union; so that He is all mankind, and all mankind is Jesus Christ-that all are saved by virtue of union with Him— that they are all so saved in Him, and has so put away all their sin, that there is no sin in them, nor in any thing they do-that Christ's birth is our new birth, and all were born again in Christ, when he was born for us. According to him, some are elected to know the Truth; others are not: such are delivered thereby from all fears of sin and hell: others are not they die fearing they shall be cast into hell; but there is no hell for them, for Christ is the head of every man, and every man is saved in Jesus Christ. This man lived according to his wretched notions, and died in the same. He never had any great number of followers; for as one once said to me, it is too gross for any to receive, except such pro

fessors, as never found any thing in all their profession, having never attained unto the true knowledge of Christ; for the saints of God cannot meddle with it: and it is too profane for those we call the outward people; yet the works of this man are by some very highly admired. I confess I look on them very dangerous; nor would I, for ten thousand worlds venture to look into, or meddle with them. I should be for crying out, shame on such as do. All heretics come out of the church: most of them have been preachers and teachers in it: they are raised up by Satan, first to disturb the peace of the church, and next to pollute and defile it with their abominable falsehood. The words of the apostle are very suitable here. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17. But I will go on, and proceed to my last particular, which is

3. To shew the reason, why these antichrists went out of the church. It was that they might be made manifest, that they did not belong to the church of Christ, let them make their boast of the same as they might. But they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. So says the apostle. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

This was their end for their going out, but it was the Lord's end in thrusting them out, and it might be, some of these might have been thrust out by apostolic, and also by church authority. "A man that is

an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject: Knowing, that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself;" so speaks the apostle to Titus, ch. iii. 10, 11. The same apostle speaking of Hymeneus and Alexander, whose horrible errors and sins laid him under the necessity of exercising his apostolical authority to cast them out of the visible church, he says, "Whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." 1 Tim. i. 20: so it might have been the case with some of these. However this might, or might not be, yet so it was they went out from the true churches. They quitted the fellowship of the saints. They could not bear their testimony for Christ; nor like any longer to be with, or amongst them. In the holy and secret mystery of the Lord's providence, it was evidenced they were not the Lord's beloved ones. It was hereby made manifest they were not of the church. They were at best but external members. They had no being, nor root in Christ. They were but external branches, even when they made the most flourishing appearance. The Lord Jesus Christ therefore, who searcheth the heart and trieth the reins, willed to make this full evidence, and give this convincing evidence of it to themselves and others, that they were never in any true sense one with his church and people: and the apostle says what he here does on this subject, that the churches of the saints, and the saints in those churches, might not be too much distressed, at what they saw, and heard, concerning the apostacy, horrible doctrines, blasphemies, and immoralities of these persons. Nothing but the worst of crimes were to be looked for from them. It is, it hath been, and God will have it, so-all that is in the heart of fallen man shall be discovered: not all in one individual;

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some of the greatest kills are committed under the D. PER TE of the gospel, and the most spiritual aditustrating of Le It was so in the cases before us. These VET DENDA W the truth of this. None can be supposed to ham IMI externally into doctrine and worship, into order and csapine had; yet none ever sinned more willingly, perverser, and DISCLA and this, by turning the whole into an occasion of benases they are charged with by Jude, who would not, we may be sur le charge them: so they are by the apostle Peter, who says. they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the unmeis the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entanglet therem ant overcome, the latter end is worse with them, than the begining had been better for them not to have known the way of rigiensis. than, after they have known it, to turn from the Eoly emmRICIST delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according th true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the SN that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Pet. ii. 20- Bad the whole chapter, and the Epistle of Jude, and you will find them be the very same persons of whom our apostle says, They went ma fem us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they ra. no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. And if they were the same, we may then most assuredly say, from the apostles, Peter and Jude, that they were the greatest sinners which ever existed out of Hel It was by their departure from the true churches, and by their errors, heresies, and sins into which they fell, they were manifested to be what they were. In the day in which we live, we have had many preachers, who have shone forth in public view, as blazing stars and comets, who have professed superior light, zeal, and usefulness to all others; who have been puffed off; had their own cant phrases. Such as saying of some of their great admirers, They see the Spirit in such and such sentences, in which they have chosen to express themselves. They have very many of them, fallen foully; scandalously. Yea, most shamefully, and abominably: and all by lust; yet all this would not prevent such wretches from preaching, were it not that the law prevents them. Sirs, this is notorious matter of fact: it cannot be denied. What shall we say, or think of such? I know I think, and cannot but pronounce, they are of their father the devil: yet we have persons professing godli ness who will stand up for them-that they are powerful preachers-that

y are preachers of the gospel-that they are clearer and deeper in the h than others are that it is on account of their excellency of knowge in the mysteries of Christ, they are persecuted. Sirs, such exses for such notorious sinners, are an awful sign of what our times . Let us by no means have any thing to do with licentious preachers, 1 teachers. It is a shame to speak of those things which are done of em in secret. I count it to be a defilement to mention the names of ch. I fear there is more licentiousness stalking up and down the prossing religious world than any of us are aware of. May the Lord prerve us from it. It is by these most holy and righteous dispensations of e Lord, that he is pleased to separate between the precious and the le. As it was in John's time, even so it is now. They never belonged › the true church of Christ; so it need not stumble or distress us, as if ch were instances of falling from grace. No; such were never parakers of the grace of God. They professed something which they called race; but they never knew any more of it, than the sound. Let us herefore rejoice when such are most justly exposed. Let us comfort urselves with these words before us. They went out from us, but they vere not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. There is a greater discrimination made by the preaching of the everlasting gospel, than we can, or ever shall be able to conceive and apprehend. It is to some the savour of life, it is to others the savour of death; and all by divine and immutable appointment: by the which man and man is so discovered as it concerns the Lord's purposes towards them, as is most truly solemn and awful. One is called under the preaching of the gospel, and another left. Not only so; but at times, under one and the same word, one is won to the obedience of Christ, another is led to blaspheme: so different are the effects which the revelation of God's will produceth in the minds of such as are hearers of it. Hereby that solemn word of truth is realized in us poor worms of the earth, which is quoted by the apostle, as delivered by the Lord, "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory? Even us whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles." Rom. ix. 18-24. These are most important and very solemn questions, in which great truths are implied and contained: and when they enter into our minds, and their weight, importance, and authority rest upon our hearts, they empty us of all dependance on ourselves; and we clearly see, that he that glorieth must glory in the Lord. If these things are so, let us know and remember, the church of Christ will be preserved and continued to the end of time, and the gates, that is, the powers of hell, shall never finally prevail against it. Let who, or whatsoever may arise, and even though it may

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that cannot be, nor can all sort of sinfulness existing in the mind be drawn forth, but as various seasons, cases, circumstances, temptations, make way for the same. No one can say what sin is; we can say what the act of sin is: it is the transgression of the law. But this is only expressive of the act; not of the exceeding sinfulness and demerit of it. Some sin against conscience. Others immediately against God's holiness and purity expressed in the law. Those persons before us, sinned most immediately against the light of the glorious gospel of the blessed God; so that their sin was immediately against the Holy Ghost: of which I intend to speak, when I get to verse 8th of the next chapter, as it will there come in very suitably. Here I conceive it would be altogether immature; I only mention this here, to the intent you may be looking for, and expecting it, in its proper place. At present I would observe, some of the greatest sins are committed under the most pure preaching of the gospel, and the most spiritual administration of the ordinances. It was so in the cases before us. These very persons were evidences of the truth of this. None can be supposed to have had clearer light externally into doctrine and worship, into order and discipline than these had; yet none ever sinned more willingly, perversely, and obstinately; and this, by turning the whole into an occasion of licentiousness. This they are charged with by Jude, who would not, we may be sure overcharge them so they are by the apostle Peter, who says, "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them, than the beginning. had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Pet. ii. 20-22. Read the whole chapter, and the Epistle of Jude, and you will find them to be the very same persons of whom our apostle says, They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. And if they were the same, we may then most assuredly say, from the apostles, Peter and Jude, that they were the greatest sinners which ever existed out of Hell. It was by their departure from the true churches, and by their errors, heresies, and sins into which they fell, they were manifested to be what they were. In the day in which we live, we have had many preachers, who have shone forth in public view, as blazing stars and comets, who have professed superior light, zeal, and usefulness to all others; who have been puffed off; had their own cant phrases. Such as saying of some of their great admirers, They see the Spirit in such and such sentences, in which they have chosen to express themselves. They have very many of them, fallen foully; scandalously. Yea, most shamefully, and abominably: and all by lust; yet all this would not prevent such wretches from preaching, were it not that the law prevents them. Sirs, this is notorious matter of fact: it cannot be denied. What shall we say, or think of such? I know I think, and cannot but pronounce, they are of their father the devil: yet we have persons professing godliness who will stand up for them-that they are powerful preachers-that

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