3. New Duties spring as it were out of their Graves. There should be a Progress in the Knowledge and Practice of serious Godliness; Can you think that God requires no more of you now than he did of our Forefathers, when he first ⟨p. 99⟩sent the Gospel amongst them? that we should know no more now, than those who had the first dawnings of Gospel-light out of worse than Egyptian darkness? that God expects no more fruits from you who have been so long cultivated, than from those that scarce ever heard a Conscience-awakening Sermon? Surely, you cannot persuade your selves, I hope all the Devils in Hell cannot persuade you to think so. Besides, every Age hath its peculiar Truth. The Apostle Peter, 1when he mentions his departure, tells them he would have them established in the present Truth. And the Apostle Jude tells those to whom he wrote, 2that 'twas needful for him to write unto them and exhort them, that they should earnestly contend for the Faith which was first delivered unto the Saints. Doth it not concern us ⟨p. 100⟩diligently to enquire what may be the Doctrine of Faith, which God calls us now earnestly to contend for? Give me leave to propose it to your Enquiry, Whether it may not be the Doctrine of the Kingly Office of Jesus Christ? Mistake me not, I urge no other Contentions than that which every one will grant to be a Duty, namely, strive with God, in fervent Prayer for his fulfilling all the Promises that concern Christ's mediatory Kingdom, in short, that God would grant what Christ hath taught us first to pray for, Thy Kingdom come, that Christ's Kingdom may be advanced, and Satan's Kingdom may be destroyed. And strive with Men by the most forcible Arguments that the Scriptures furnish us withal, to be Christ's willing People in this day of his Power. And to strive with Enemies with the most piercing ⟨p. 101⟩Convictions, that those Arrows may be sharp in their Hearts to wound, and heal them. Christians, pray, let it be your great care to approve your selves to be the faithful Subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ, without any reserve of either Sin, or Duty.
3. New Duties spring as it were out of their Graves. There should be a Progress in the Knowledge and Practice of serious Godliness; Can you think that God requires no more of you now than he did of our Forefathers, when he first ⟨p. 99⟩sent the Gospel amongst them? that we should know no more now, than those who had the first dawnings of Gospel-light out of worse than Aegyptian darkness? that God expects no more fruits from you who have been so long cultivated, than from those that scarce ever heard a Conscience-awakening Sermon? Surely, you cannot perswade your selves, I hope all the Devils in Hell cannot perswade you to think so. Besides, every Age hath its peculiar Truth. The Apostle Peter, 1when he mentions his departure, tells them he would have them established in the present Truth. And the Apostle Jude tells those to whom he wrote, 2that 'twas needful for him to write unto them and exhort them, that they should earnestly contend for the Faith which was first delivered unto the Saints. Doth it not concern us ⟨p. 100⟩diligently to enquire what may be the Doctrine of Faith, which God calls us now earnestly to contend for? Give me leave to propose it to your Enquiry, Whether it may not be the Doctrine of the Kingly Office of Jesus Christ? Mistake me not, I urge no other Contentions than that which every one will grant to be a Duty, namely, strive with God, in fervent Prayer for his fulfilling all the Promises that concern Christ's mediatory Kingdom, in short, that God would grant what Christ hath taught us first to pray for, Thy Kingdom come, that Christ's Kingdom may be advanced, and Satan's Kingdom may be destroyed. And strive with Men by the most forcible Arguments that the Scriptures furnish us withal, to be Christ's willing People in this day of his Power. And to strive with Enemies with the most piercing ⟨p. 101⟩Convictions, that those Arrows may be sharp in their Hearts to wound, and heal them. Christians, pray, let it be your great care to approve your selves to be the faithful Subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ, without any reserve of either Sin, or Duty.
- 12 Pet. 1.12.
- 2Jude 3.
