N00357:769
The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ
The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ: opened and applied. By Solomon Stoddard Pastor to the church of North-Hampton in New-England. ; [Nine lines from Philippians]The safety of appearing at the day of judgement, in the righteousness of Christ: opened and applied. By Solomon Stoddard Pastor to the church of North-Hampton in New-England. ; [Nine lines from Phillipians]
Boston: printed by Samuel Green for Samuel Phillips, 1687
Title page typeset from the transcription.
The Safety of Appearing in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ. › Chapter 10
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. By sinning here is not meant any sort of sin, but some special sin: particularly the sin of Apostasy and renouncing of the gospel: this is evident, because this sin is that which he speaks of in the verse immediately preceding: there he speaks of mens casting off their Christian society, and therewith the profession of the truth: which is the thing he dissuades from in this verse: and he evidently speaks of Apostasy when he comes to explain his meaning more fully, ver. 29. he calls this sin a treading under foot the Son of God, &c, besides the same Apostle speaking of the same sin, Heb: 6.6. calls it a falling a way.
1. By sinning here is not meant any sort of sin, but some special sin: particularly the sin of Apostacy and renouncing of the gospel: this is evident, because this sin is that which he speaks of in the verse immediately preceding: there he speaks of mens casting off their Christian society, and therewith the profession of the truth: which is the thing he disswades from in this verse: and he evidently speaks of Apostacy when he comes to explain his meaning more fully, ver. 29. he calls this sin a treading under foot the Son of God, &c, besides the same Apostle speaking of the same sin, Heb: 6.6. calls it a falling a way.
2. By sinning or apostatizing wilfully we are to understand a malicious apostasy: the word indeed does signify willingly: but it also signifies spitefully or maliciously, or as in our version wilfully: there are three wa•s that men may apostatize from the profession of the Gospel: they may do it ignorantly; when men are blinded by the arguments of Heretics: they may do it against their light through ⟨p. 300⟩a spirit of fear, as some good men have done, and many others that have not sinned unpardonably: in time of Persecution many have through weakness denied the Gospel: they may do it spitefully and maliciously, that is here intended, for they are said, ver. 29. to do despite to the Spirit of grace: by this you may see that though there have been many backslidings after your illumination, though you have had a stubborn and rebellious heart, yet you may be free from the sin here intended, and have opportunity to come with acceptance unto Christ.