CHAPTER VII.

WITHOUT THE CROSS OF CHRIST, NO POWER OVER SIN. THE ABOMINATION THAT MAKETH DESOLATE, OR MAN OF SIN.

FARTHER to elucidate the true character of the Church of Christ, and to evince the impossibility of supporting the character without being possessed of the real faith of Christ in obedience, that is, the impossibility of appearing to be Christians, without being so in reality, let it be considered, that the real faith of Christ cannot be kept without bearing his cross. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matt. xvi. 24.) He doth not say, Follow Adam, or Moses, or David, but follow me.

A fundamental error among those who profess the Christian name, is in not distinguishing, properly and radically, between Christ and Adam, or the old creation and the new, and between Christ and Moses, or the law and the Gospel. Therefore, in stating the character and duty of Christians, they are as likely, if not more so, to introduce those things which pertain to the law, or to the first Adam, as those which belong to Christ and his followers. This error is the supporter of many more. But the Scriptures make it evident, that the order of Christ is not the order of the old creation, in any of its different forms, insomuch that those who follow Christ are no more of this world. 66 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (Jno. xvii. 16.) Those who follow Christ, follow him not in the generation, but in the regeneration. "The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly." (1 Cor. xv. 47, 48.)

Now a proper understanding of the order, cross and work of Christ, will greatly assist in discriminating between the body of Christ and other people. Some particulars have been already stated, relating to the order of Christ, by which his people are distinguished from others, as their exemption from sin, and the manifestation of their love and union. But as every effect must have its cause, it will not be impro per to inquire, and assign some reasons, why no people can live in the same union of the Spirit, except those who believe that Christ has made his second appearance.

It was predicted and recorded in the Scriptures, that the power of the holy people would be scattered, and that the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, would stand in the holy place. Now if it can be found that the abomination of desolation is standing where it ought not, we shall have satisfactory evidence that the faith and participation of the second appearance of Christ are necessary to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; because that abomination was to remain in the holy place, or temple of God, until the coming of the Lord, as already shown. So that when the abomination had once got in, and obtained a possession where it ought not, the true order of that holy place could never be kept again, until the

Lord came, to expel or to destroy it. It is therefore indispensably necessary that they who are able to keep the true order of God should possess the faith, and actually partake of Christ, in his second appearing. And if it can be shown what that abomination is, which was spoken of by Daniel, and afterwards by Jesus Christ, that will give evidence, as to the correctness of the views of those who have the faith of Christ in his second appearance; and also, that none can keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, without the same faith.

I have already shown, that the Church, or people of God, are his temple, and that that temple is holy, and a habitation of God through the Spirit, as it is written: "Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever, and my holy name shall the house of Israel no more defile." And again: "For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said,—I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Ezek. xliii. 7; 2 Cor. vi. 16.)

Now, if it can be made appear what the abomination of desolation is, that will more clearly decide, whether it is now standing, and also where it stands. But that it is now standing, is already proved; unless Christ has made his second appearance long enough to consume it; for it was to continue until he came. The business, therefore, which remains, is to find what is that abomination which maketh desolate, and is the cause why people cannot be united in one body, who have not the faith of Christ in his second appearing.

And 1st. The first character of that abomination, of which I shall take notice is, that it stands in the holy place, where it ought not. To put any thing where it ought not to be, is corrupt; but to put into the holy place, or temple of God, an unclean thing, that which ought not to be there, is supremely corrupt. Now, by inquiring into the order in which the professors of Christianity live, and comparing it with the order of Christ, we may find what that is, which keeps its residence in the place where it ought not, which does not belong to the order of Christ, and yet resides, uninterruptedly, among the professors of his name, who have not the faith of his second appearing. There are, at most, but a few exceptions of those with whom the same Spirit of Christ has some influence.

"The children of this world marry and are given in marriage: but those accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage.' Now all the true followers of Christ are accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead. It is therefore proved, logically, and to a demonstration, that the true followers of Christ neither marry nor are given in marriage. Observe, it is not said, They will not, as at some future period; but it is said in the present tense, They neither marry nor are given in marriage. But professed Christians, of nearly all denominations, except those in the faith of Christ's second appearance, marry and are given in marriage. This, therefore, affords a lively presumption, that this same work of marrying and being one flesh, as a man and his wife are, is the very thing which at least contains the aforesaid abomination; and especially considering, that

nothing besides this, and what pertains to it, is said, by the revelation of God, to be of the world, or of the old creation, and yet it is approved by professed Christians.

That this is peculiarly the order of the first Adam and his line, is sufficiently evident by the very words of the Scripture: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall be one flesh." "Have ye not read that he who made them at the beginning, made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh?" (Gen. ii. 24; Matt. xix. 4, 5.) But no such appointment was ever made by God to Jesus Christ, the Father of the new creation and Head of the Church; no such order or appointment was ever made by Jesus Christ to his followers. And no impropriety can be alleged against recollecting, in this place, the contrast between Christ Jesus and the first Adam, and the consequent contrast between their posterities. "The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly." If, therefore, the posterity of Adam are in their proper order to marry, and cleave each man to his wife, and be one flesh with her, after the example of their earthly head, by parity of reason, the followers, or children of Christ, are in their proper order to marry not, after the example of their heavenly Head, that they may be one Spirit with him: for "he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit." (1 Cor. vi. 17.)

To introduce marriage, therefore, or natural generation into the Church of Christ, is to put it out of its own order, and place it where it ought not to be. Marriage and natural generation are indisputably the order of the flesh, and of the first Adam; and the flesh lusteth against the Spirit; therefore, to introduce generation into Christianity, or into the Church, is to put into the holy place that which ought not to be there; for the temple of God, which is his Church, is holy, as before shown.

2d. Another mark of the abomination is, that it maketh desolate. To all those who are able to perceive spiritual things, this is self-evidently true of the order and works of the flesh, that they scatter the works of holiness, and make all desolate wherever they find a residence. But that which is visible, as a living evidence to all men, natural as well as spiritual, is, that those only who, walking in the faith of Christ, neither marry nor are given in marriage, but renounce the order of the flesh wholly, are able to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and to live together in a united interest, in things temporal as well as spiritual: this is a living and perpetuated proof that the order of the flesh is the abomination of desolation, or at least contains it as before observed.

3d. That which maketh desolate, is called an abomination-something hateful and to be hated. No doubt it will be difficult to persuade the subjects of Adam's line that the order and works of the flesh are abominable: "They who are according to the flesh, relish the things of the flesh." But on the other hand, they who are according to the Spirit, savour the things of the Spirit; and as the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, it is unavoidable,

that the flesh is an abomination to the Spirit, and that all the works of that fleshly order are an abomination to all those in whom the Spirit resides; "For that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." (Luke xvi. 15.)

That the works of the flesh are an abomination, all men of common decency bear witness, by scrupulously concealing them; and however they prize them, or marriage, for their sake, as that which legalizes them, their estimation, instead of justifying them, only illustrates the truth of that Scripture which says, Their God is their belly, and their glory is in their shame; and again, that it is a shame to speak of the things which are done of them in secret; these are literally those things.

4th. I conclude few, if any, deny that the abomination of desolation is the same with the son of perdition, spoken of by Paul; not only because their works are tantamount, desolation and perdition, but also because they are both represented as having their residence in the same holy place, or temple of God; thus the entrance of each is attended with the banishment of the true worship of God, the falling away in the one description, and the taking away of the daily sacrifice in the other. But that this son of perdition, called also, in the same place, the mystery of iniquity, and that wicked or [Greek] lawless, is the order of the flesh, or at least the nature of that order, it needs only a mere statement to prove.

1. His first character is, that he " opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped." (2 Thes. ii. 4.) Which very naturally admits this acceptation, that this son of perdition, whatever it is, claims the worship and estimation of all, in preference to any other God, or any conception concerning God. Now observation and experiment prove, that this is strictly true with the order and nature of the flesh. A man in that order may worship what God he pleases, or have what faith concerning God and his worship he thinks most appropriate to his character, provided he scrupulously maintains an unrestrained license to the works of natural generation.

Although some may think the man is wrong, and sometimes try to convince him by argument, that is generally the extent; he remains in good credit, is reputed a good citizen, and, in general, those of a different faith hold as great familiarity with him as if his sentiments were more congenial with their own. Thus professors of various denominations and contrary sentiment, and those who profess no Christianity at all, nor even give credit to the reality of it, can live together in good civility, good neighbourhood and sociality, as freely, in most cases, as if they all possessed one common faith. The husband, also, or wife of the unbeliever may be a professed Christian; this difference makes no material jar between them, notwithstanding such professors generally agree that such unbelievers are all finally damned. This good Christian husband or wife seldom feels any distress of moment about his or her unhappy infidel companion, as long as he or she unfailingly adheres to the offerings of the flesh. Thus thousands agree and live in as much peace as is common among men, while nothing is between them of greater importance than what they count the worship of God: but difference in matters esteemed of the greatest consequence must, by parity of reason, produce the greatest disunion

and separation.

Whence then this agreement amidst such diversity of sentiment and practice? They all agree in the chief matter: that which demands the estimation of all men, and stands superior to all objects of worship.

But let any man once receive the faith of Christ, in the regeneration, and once begin to testify and practice it, and the sociality is interrupted, and especially with the professed Christians; his wife complains that he has awfully fallen, he has forsaken Christ; because he has taken up his cross against the flesh; his neighbours say he is deluded, they are sorry for him, grow shy of him, and soon begin to tell of some evil he has done, and wish him out of the neighbourhood; for they count him a troublesome man, or a dead man to them. Thus the separation grows wider and wider, as soon as all their efforts to reclaim him from the faith of Christ, and regain him to the flesh, are found to be of no avail. And what has he done? He has determinately engaged in following the footsteps of Christ, and abstaining from those things which they will all acknowledge that Christ never touched, and which they also believe it would be a base impeachment of his character to suppose he touched: therefore the man is deluded and hath forsaken Christ. These things show the general nature of the consequences of a man taking up his cross to follow Christ, though the effects are more violent on some occasions than others.

The abettors of the flesh may object to a thousand other matters; but facts prove that no religious sentiments make any interruption of moment amongst relations or neighbours, so long as the nature and order of the flesh, or works of natural generation, are preserved sacred or inviolate; but let a man or woman take up the cross of Christ, and follow him in the regeneration, and the spirits are all around up in arms: this shows that the flesh is in higher estimation than any other God. I here speak of matters as they exist in a free government; in those which are incorporated with religious sentiments, the true source of division might not be so palpable.

2. This son of perdition also sitteth in the temple of God. This has already been shown to be the case with generation.

3. He also showeth himself that he is God. This is also proved to be the case with the generation. The people may call it marriage, which is considered as legalizing generation; which is said to be honourable in all, and in its own order, without abuse, had nothing evil in it; but it does not belong to the order of Christ. The works, also, to which it is considered accessory, are dishonourable, as it is also proved above; for they always blush at the light, which honourable and good deeds do not: "He that doeth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, (not concealed,) that they are wrought in God." (Jno. iii. 21.) Or they may call it the order of the flesh, in which are included the correspondent union and cooperation of the male and female, who are one flesh, which in its own place, without abuse, was innocent and very good, but it does not belong to Christ or the order of the Spirit-God, therefore, is not in it.

These remarks introduce an occasion to observe, that the evil is not originally or primarily in the order of the flesh, or the corresponding union between the male and female, but is that nature of the ser