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Show The Doctrine applied. Vni~n be proved ? 'Ibat Y'" were once member! of fome other Cbur<b,and b>~e left it without fufficiml grBuHd!. Brethren, I would h1ve you alfutd of Srp'tation but I would not have you alfraid of the ·noi!e of it, where there'is no pretence to it; Can any be fo weak as to think his living in a Pari!h makes him a member of ~he Church there? Are the Turks, Jews, Papifls fo who live withIll the f~mc Precin?\'s? What is it then? If indeed any J.ave caiJ, d a Mmi/fer, or ~Jm.w .. ds fubmitttd to him iU bit Pa{lor,and jaynrd wzth h•.m(ordtnmly) in aU Ordinances,[> long iU tbit Mi11ifter bebJvu lwnf'lf iU the Minijfer of ChriJf pre•chiHg the truths of God, ·admm1jhmg Ordin•ncu and aU Ordi11ancu aecordi•g to tbe rule of the Word: a114 living iU an ex•mple to the flock. of Cbri/1, be that h 11b .hem for'."erly f• joilttd with him cannot B'itb..,t ji11, whiles fitch Mtn1fftr conttnrus, (as before) B'ithdraB' communion from him '111itboutCOit{< nt. Nay more, if be faift in bit duty and tber< be any rrmtdY_ to remove, or amend him in an ordinary rtgHlar cour[t, bt t"n,,. t """"out a finful fepJration ,.,itbdraB', More than this 1 can neither find in Gods Word nor in any pretence of right reafon Now what this conccr,ns y~u, who never fo chofe, nor fo fubmit: ted, nor were ever fo united, &c. judg you, I mull profefs I cannot undertllnd. Certainly I can never feparate from thofe I neve~ was united to, nor ever had any Obligation upon me to be fo umted. Suppofe I wm ~tllited, yet if I cannot without (in •• my So,/ keep that Union, my Separation is not !inful. I cannot fm In unitillg and being feparawl too. They [eparate from their Brethren who will not fulfer them to be one with them, but upon f}nfHI termt. Union with Brethren ('though very precious) yet 1.5 bought too dear when it is bought with a dif•nim (rom God. 1. Condemn nbt thofe with whom in all things you cannot unite ( you are no more infallible than they:) 2, Wherein you have at~ lained, rpalk, hy the fame rule : Go as far as you can witll all Chrillians in the world·. 3. And then t~~all(, in the light ef yo•r I'IPn coHfcienctl without fear of a gHilt of Separation. I would not have you alfraid ofNoifes (which. you know are moll from emp- . ty Velfels,) though I would have you alfraid of every !in; and fer much for this ObjeCtion., till I undertland more the fcnfe of it than l yet do. God hath indulged you a great mercy : and you may believe that he cxpeds from you both an acc'eptance, and an improvement ofit ; you may come to the A1Temblies, therefore 4ri[e,and come II'IPaJ. This is one thingi had to fay by way ofEx- . bor ... - ~e Dollrilte applied. hortation, but it is the leall, and as a mean in order to the other t~O· This is my wor~ to AU; A rife and come aB'ay to the Affim-bllt! for B'orjbip. Secondly, To the unregenerate give me leave to fay, Arifeand V{t. 2, come, Arife from your grave of fin, from yo11r jpiritual death and come to Chril!: that be may give yo11 JPirituallife. NoB' ( fai;h th~ Apollle) God caVeth aU men to repent.. I !hould I fear be too cha-r. itable, if I !hould judge that in this Congregation here were no ~tnf'fgmerate perfons; I am not of their minds who think all the regeneration God requireth of them that will come into the Kingdom of God, is a being facramentally born again of Water. I believe Chrill intended more when he faid,Except lwajh thee tho" can/f have no part rn mr. And, If a man be not born again of Water 1111d the Spirit,l>e can never mttr into the Kingdom of God, Now my Beloved to you I fay, The Lord fpeaketh this day, Ari{t and come aB'ay, Afrs 17. 30. The days oflgnorance God winked at, but now he calls all men to Repent. Now now that you live no longer in darknefs and in the !hadows of d~ath. Now that you are no longer Pagans, but the light of the Gofpel hath !hi ned up-on you. Now that you are no longer Papifl!: They indeed made it a great piece of their Art to hide the light, which God lighted up,under a bu!hel. NOW, that you need not go from City to City to feek one to fpeak to you in the name of the Lord. NOW God calls you to Repent, to Arife and come away. Let me, r. Reflefr the words of the Lepers upon you, 2 Kingt 7 ·3. Y.lby fit yo11 here until you die l Sirs, you are dying creatures, you are nearer the grave this day than you were yetlerday, yea, if you take not heed you are mrnaDy dying creatures : As the Lord liveth, there is but an hairs-breadth, but an inch of time (how !hort meafure I cannot tell;) between you and your peri!hing for ever: If you !it here you !hall die, if a man be not born again, he can never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Turn you, turn you, why !hould you die 0 you !inful Souls ! 2. Confider, Now the voice •f the 'turtle is beard in ot4r Land. I told ~ou the T~rtle i~ avit migratari• or latens at leaf\, one of thofe buds that either tn fome time of the year travelleth into another Countrey, or lieth hid in our own. How long God will trufl you with his Gofpel I cannot tell : you know the Servants of God have had great thoughts of heart about this; they have obferved, that ever !ince the Gofpel was preached It hath been Sf~ goia" |