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Lastly, What ever man he be that by his naming of the name of Christ, shall intimate that he hath any reverence of love to, or delight in that Christ, whose name he nameth, that man should depart from iniquity not only for the reasons that are above mentioned, but for those that may be named afterwards. But having thus far opened the word, and shewed who, and what manner of man the Apostle had in his eye, in this his exhortation: I shall come in the next place to make some observations upon the Text. As

First, That it is incident to men to name the name of Christ religiously, that is, rightly as to words and kotions, and not to depart from iniquity. This was the occasion of this exhortation, for Paul saw that there were fome that did so: to wit, that named the name of Christ well, as to words, but did not depart from iniquity. Some such he also found among them at Corinth, which made him fay, Awake to righteous 1 Cor.re ness, and fin not; he found such at

Ephesus, and cries out to them most

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earnestly,

34.

14, 15

2, 3.

earnestly, faying, Awake thou that Ephef. 5. fleepest, and arise from the dead: for albeit they were professors of Chrift, yet they lived too much like those that were dead in trespasses and sins. This he also found among the Hebrews, wherefore he faith to them, let Heb. 12.1, us lay afide every weight, and the fin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is fet before us. These profeffors were easily befet with fin, yea it did hang upon them as weights to hinder them from making of that prof. fesion of Christ, whose name they named, so beautiful as did become both him and them.

In my discourse upon this subject, I must endeavour to shew you two things.

First, What Paul means when he Saith, depart from iniquity.

Secondly, Why some that as to words, rightly name the name of Christ, do not depart from iniquity.

The first of those doth need fome explanation, because in some sence even the best of Saints cannot depart from fin, or iniquity.

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1. Because, as to the being of it, it is feated and rooted in their flesh, and hath its dwelling there. Yea, it hath, and fo will have an abiding there, so long as man is on this fide that state of perfection, which is not to be injoyed while we are in the flesh: for in me, that Rom. 7. is in my flesh, sin dwells, nor doth any thing else but fin dwell there : for in me, that is in my flesh (faid Paul) dwells no good thing, therefore the Apostle muit not be understood as if he intended to infinuate that. there was a possibility that the nature, and being of fin could be pluckt up by the roots, and so cast clean away from us, as to the very.. nature thereof: no, that will abide with us, for it hath its dwelling in us.

2. And as they cannot depart from the nature of it as fuch, that is, as they cannot be rid of the being of fin, so neither can they depart from the motions, and stirrings of fin, no more than they can itir from the motions or stirrings of their natural fences, or of their natural reasons: The motions of fin, which

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Paul

:

Paul also calls the lufts thereof, will be where the nature and being of fin is, because it is not dead; for that which liveth, what manner of life foever it hath, will have motion according to the manner of life which it hath and fin being one of the most quick and brisk things that are, it will also have its motions and lufts accordingRom.6.12. ly. Hence Paul saies, it lufts and will Gal. 5. 17. luft, where it is, and dwells: though the very spirit of God, and the utmost diligence of a Christian be also there to oppofe it.

Eph.6. 12.

2 Cor. 10.

5.

3. Again, as the being and motions of fin will be withus, so also will it in its indeavours. It will endeavour to overcome us, and to make us captives to it self, and to Satan; and these endeavours will be with us; nor can we so depart from iniquity, as to be utterly rid of all fence Heb. 12.4. and feeling of what endeavours there are in fin and iniquity to be master and Lord, and reign; fin will endeavour to defile the mind, to defile the confcience, to defile the life and conversation: and this endeaour, as endeavour, we cannot depart

part from; that is, cause that it
should notbe in our flesh: for there
it will be, since sin in its being is
their.

:

4. As the being, motions, and endeavours of fin will still abide in our flest, so confequently will its polluting fumes be upon us; nor doth the Apostle mean, when he bids us de. part from iniquity, that we should think that we can so be, or fo do, in this life, as that our being or doing should not smell of the strong scent of fin. Who can bring a clean Job 14. 4. thing out of an unclean ? not one.

We

are all as an unclean thing, and therefore all our righteousnesses are Ifa. 64. 6. as filiby rags. The scent, the smell, the rank and odious stink of fins abides upon, yea, and will abide upon us, when most spiritual here, and upon our mest spiritual acti. ons too, untill they be taken away by Christ. Thus far therefore, we I cannot be concerned in the exhorta tion. For should Paul exhort us to depart from the being motion, endeavour, and polluting fumes and scent of fin; I mean fo to depart from them, as that there shall no fuch thing have place,

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