to her now she remembreth her Sin which she apprehended might have brought that threatned Judgement upon her and hers Art thou come unto me saith she to call my Sin to Remembrance But no sooner is the storm over but they cast their sins behind their backs again remembring them no more in times of Prosperity never so much as thinking of them In this like some bad Debtors who never think of what they Owe but when they are under Arrest or at least see the Sergeant To these yet adde another sort worse than all the former They it may be do look back and call their former sins to their remembrance but how not remembring them as they ought to do not looking upon them as Sins to repent of them and to be humbled for them to shame and condemn themselves for them but only it may be as tricks of youth as they call them and so making light of them Nay it may be remembring of them to Boast of them to Glory in them as those Idolaters are said to do of their Idols Psal. 97. 7. or pleasing and tickling themselves as it were with the thought and remembrance of those sins which now they want opportunity or ability to act over again Of all the rest these are the worst Now to speak a word or two to all of these in special to those secure sinners such as go on in a course of Sin never reflecting upon themselves and such as are so far from this frequent Remembrance that they as I said study the Art of forgetfulness accounting it their happiness to forget their Sins and consequently cannot endure to be put in minde of them Let all such but seriously consider these two things which will serve to convince them of the folly and madness of this their Course 1. That all their sins are Registred and put upon Record So they are and that both in Heaven and upon Earth In Heaven in Gods Book the book of his Remembrance Upon Earth in their own Book the book of Conscience In both these Books are their sinnes entred and recorded And that so as whilest they hold on this course they cannot be Blotted out they cannot be Forgotten 1. In Gods Book As David saith of the members of his Natural body In thy Book are all my members written Psal. 139. 16. so may a Wicked man say of his sins The members of that body of Sin in him they are all written in Gods Book the book of his Remembrance There are the Names of all Gods Saints entered as the Prophet Malachy tell us Mal. 3. 16. A book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name And there are the Names of all wicked ungodly men entred And as their Names so their Sinnes Every particular Act with every particular Circumstance being all come up into Remembrance before God So the Angel tells Cornelius concerning his Good works his works of Piety and Charity his Prayers and Almes Thy Prayers and thine Almes saith he are come up for a memorial before God Acts 10. 4. And so may it be said of the Wicked works of every wicked and ungodly man his Swearing his Drunkenness his Uncleanness c. they are all come in Remembrance before God all Entred into his Book and that so as they cannot by any means be blotted out save onely by the Blood of Christ and the Tears of true Repentance nor yet worn out This being a Record for Eternitie God's Remembrance is an everlasting Remembrance In this remembrance are the Righteous The Righteous shall be had in everlasting Remembrance Psal. 112. 6. Men may forget them but so will not God And in such a remembrance shall all wicked men and their wicked works be they shall be had in everlasting remembrance So they shall be with God however they themselves may forget their own sins and the world may forget them yet God whilest his Justice is not satisfied He will not He cannot What a folly then is it in them to go about to forget them so long as God remembers them Were it so that they could blot them out of their own Book the book of their Conscience yet as long as they stand upon Record in God's Book what will this avail them What will it advantage a Debtor to cross his own book so long as his Debts stand charged in his Creditor's 2. But in the 2d place the sins of wicked men as they are entered in God's Book so in theirs As in the book of his Remembrance so in the book of their Conscience In this book I say they are entered I and so entered as that they cannot blot them out Blur them they may but blot them out they cannot Conscience is a Record for Eternitie What is written there is written with indelible Characters such as none but God alone can blot out Thence it is that David maketh his prayer to God that he would blot out his Transgressions Psal. 51. 1. This David himself could not do as not out of God's Book so not out of his own not out of the book of his Conscience No do what he could still his sin was before him as he complaines vers 3. All that men can do in this case is but to keep this book shut which for a time haply they may but to blot out what is written in it this they cannot do They may do this for a time out of their memorie but not out of their Conscience What is written in the Memorie is written oft-times in Water but what is written in Conscience is written in Marble Thus are the sins of wicked men entered and Recorded in these two Books whereof the one is a true Counterpane of the other And being thus entered here these Books in the 2d place shall one day be opened However for a time they may be shut and closed up so as men do not take notice of what is written in them yet they shall not ever be so A time will come when they shall be both opened 1. God's Book shall be opened However for a time he may keep silence seeming to connive at wicked and ungodly men as if he took no notice of their sins or had forgotten them yet sooner or later he will open his Book and make them to read what is written there setting their sins in order before them This the Lord willeth every presumptuous sinner to take notice of Psal. 50. 21. These things hast thou done saith he and I kept silence thou thoughtest I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reproove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Psal. 50. 21. This will God do sooner or later He will open his Book and opening it he will also open the eyes of all wicked and ungodly men so as they shall not but read what is there written They shall not then be able any longer to
he could not forget that sin of his lying so heavy upon his Conscience And as for his condition at that time when he complained so of his sinnes that they were gon over his head he was then under a great distress under some soar Affliction the Arrows of the Almighty stuck fast in him and his Hand pressed him soar as he complains Psal. 38. 2. And so was it with the Church in the place forecited she was at that time in great calamity and distress lying under the Judgments of God for her sins as she there sets it forth in the verses foregoing Isa. 59. 9 10 11. Now no wonder that their sins should be brought to their remembrance at such a time Iosephs brethren having been for three dayes in ward then they remembered the evill that they had done to their brother Gen. 42. 21. And no wonder if the Church lying under so great Calamity and David in so great distress such affliction of Body and Spirit should remember and call to mind their sins What great matter is this Who would not do it at such a time In their Affliction they will seek me early saith the Lord of Rebellious Ephraim and Iudah the people of Israel Hos. 5. verse last To go further then God's Saints have been frequent in remembring their sins not only whilest God hath set them before them and made them to possess them as Iob speaketh of himself Iob 13. 26. Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth that is Thou bringest them to my remembrance by dealing so severely with me Not only at such times when their iniquities have took hold of them so as they have not been able to look up under them as David there saith of himself Psal. 40. 12. But when all things have gone well with them after such time as they have sued out the pardon of their sins have been assured of their Reconciliation with God and so have injoyed a quiet and comfortable condition in all respects Yet even then they have been much in reflecting upon their sins in calling them to mind upon all occasions For an instance hereof we shall need no other then this our Apostle Paul upon his Conversion he had all his sins pardoned and that Pardon sealed up in his Soul so as he was fully assured that all the wrong that he had done unto Christ and to his Church it was now forgotten in Heaven and should never be charged upon him His Cognizance hereof he expresseth in the verse next but one before the Text Vers. 13. I was so and so saith he but I obteined mercy which he repeats again in the Verse after the Text Vers. 16. that is to have these and all other my sins pardoned and forgiven to me This was Paul now assured of that God had blotted out all these sins of his out of the Book of his Remembrance so as they should never be charged upon him Yet for all this he himself cannot forget them Upon all occasions he reflects upon them and takes occasion to speak of them So we may see it in those obvious Texts Act. 22. 4. chap. 26. 10. 11. 1 Cor. 15. 9. Gal. 1. 13. Ephes. 3. 8. and so here again in this Chapter as in the 13. verse so again in this Text where the mentioning of sinners causeth him to reflect upon himself to remember and consider what a one he was before his Conversion And thus fareth it with truly penitent sinners how ever God upon their Repentance blots their sins out of his own Book and casts them behind His back remembring them no more as he promiseth Isa. 43. 25. yet doth he not blot them out of their book the book of their Remembrance nor cause them to cast them behind their backs Still They remember them and cannot forget them True you may say where the sins have been foul gross and scandalous sins heynous and horrid sins no wonder now if they stick by a man and be often brought to his remembrance Such were Davids sins in the matter of Uriah Adultery and Murder And such were Pauls sins in blaspheming of Christ and persecuting his Saints crying-Sins No wonder if such sins as these did stick by them were ever before them But this is not the case of all Some and many there are who do not stand guilty of any such sins their lives have been more innocent and blameless they have been kept from such foul gross evils What are they also to have such a frequent remembrance of their sins Surely Yes There being in the Ist. place few or none but at some time or other have fallen into some such fins as they have cause in a special manner to remember all their dayes However 2dly they have a body of sin in them which they carry about with them a mass of corruption strongly enclining them to evil which is continually ready to break forth if it were not by a supernatural power restrained Besides 3dly they have many secret inordinate lusts which though they do not break forth into the outward act yet oft times they have inward workings in the Soul Now these require a frequent reflecting upon to be often had in remembrance So they have been by the Saints of God Iohn the Baptist was an holy man sanctified in his Infancy as the Angel tells his Father Zacharias of him Luk. 1. 15. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers womb Sanctified as Ieremie is said to have been Ier. 1. 5. before he came forth of the womb A Saint from his birth And such questionless he was in his life holy and blamless free from grosser evils yet was not he unmindful of the corruption of his nature and the errors of his life So much may be collected from that speech of his to our Saviour who tendring himself to his Baptism Iohn tells him I have need to be baptised of thee Mat. 3. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ego necesse habeo as Beza translates it it is not only expedient but necessary for me that I should be baptised of thee And why so why that by Him he might be washen from all fins Original and Actual which he had then in remembrance But I shall not need to seek for any other instance than this in the Text. This blessed Apostle he was much exercised and taken up not onely with the Remembrance of these grosser Sins committed before his Conversion but even with the Sight and Sense of his present Corruption and daily Failings So much we may learn from his own mouth as elsewhere so especially in that Seventh of the Romans where not personating any other but speaking of himself we find him passionately bewailing and bemoaning his condition not in regard of the Evils of his former course but of his daily Infirmities his sinful Omissions and Commissions ver 15. What I would that I
avoid the looking and thinking of their sins no more than King Balshazzer could the beholding of the hand writing upon the wall Dan. 5. 5. 2. I and their own Book shall be opened the book of Conscience That may be shut and sealed up for a time but it shall be opened sooner or later Conscience though a sleep for a time it shall be awakened And then it shall do it's office bringing the most secret sins of wicked men to their remembrance setting their sins before them so as either to drive them to God by Repentance as it did David or to the Divel by Desperation as it did Cain and Iudas What a bootless thing is it then for men to study the Art of forgetfulness to decline the remembrance of their own sins when as they are so entred into both these Books which shall one day be thus Opened Q. But when when saith the prophane Wretch when shall this be A. Why either sooner or later soon enough and too soon to the cost of all secure sinners 1. It may be in this life Haply in time of Health and Prosperity in the mid'st of their greatest jollity when they least think of it So was it with Belshazzar when he was carrowzing in the mid'st of his cups and least dreamed of any such matter then did the hand-Writing appear to him And thus God can come unto men and sometimes doth in the midst of their outward prosperitie then awakening their Consciences then representing their sins unto them 2. But if not then yet in time of Affliction in time of Sickness at the hour of Death when the Judgments of God have seized upon them and Death his Sergeant hath laid hold upon them they being then under Arrest ready to be carried to the Prison of Hell to be brought before the Tribunal of Jesus Christ there to give an accompt of what they have done in the flesh then doth God often open the Book of Conscience and make men to see those Sins which before they had shut their eyes against setting them before them in the most hideous shapes calling to remembrance all those sins which they so long time had studied to forget 3. But if not so if the Book of Conscience be not opened in this life but men carry it closed and sealed out of the world with them as oft-times it falleth out yet both that and the other Book God's Book shall certainly be opened hereafter viz. at the Day of Iudgment At the day of Particular more fully at the day of the General Iudgment Then shall these Books be opened This St. Iohn tells us he saw in a Vision Rev. 20. 12. I saw saith he the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened And what books were these why even both these Books which I have spoken of God's Book and Man's Book the Book of God's Remembrance and man's Conscience Both shall be opened at that great Day And then shall all the sins that wicked and ungodly men have done be brought to their remembrance Those sins which here they cast behind their backs shall then be set before their faces Those sins which here they study to forget they shall then remember them Those sins which here they turned away their eyes from they shall then behold them yea and that with open face That which the Apostle saith of true Believers and of that clear Vision which they shall one day have of Divine and Heavenly Mysteries viz. at the last and great day 1 Cor. 13. 12. Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face with open face beholding things as they are it may be said of all wicked and ungodly men and of their sins Now they behold them through a glass and that a false glass and they see them darkly Conniventibus oculis winking at them not willing to behold them in their true colours as they are to have a true sight and sense of them But they shall at that day that day of Wrath and Revelation of the Righteous Iudgment of God as the Apostle calleth it Rom. 2. 5. thus behold them with open face having a full sight of them Then shall all their sins be set before them and so set before them as that they shall for ever stare in their faces being unto them a matter of horrour and terrour to all Eternitie O consider this all you who are now so loath to look upon your sins to look upon them as truly penitent sinners do but account it your happiness to forget them Be you convinced of the greatness of your folly herein and withall of the wretchedness of your state and condition being hereby sufficiently discovered This by way of Conviction In the 2d place by way of Exhortation let all be excited herein to propound this our Apostle as a Pattern for their Imitation remembring their own sins as he did hiâ—… Which that it may take place the better let it be directed to two sorts of persons Such as never yet knew what it was to remember their sins aright and such as have remembred them and repented of them Begin with the former 1. Secure and impenitent sinners such whose Consciences were never yet throughly awakened let them be excited to reflect upon themselves upon their former sinful wayes and courses to call their sins to remembrance Which I beseech you lend an ear unto all you who are of this number of which I fear there are too many every where To excite you whereunto do but consider that this is the next nay the only way to have your sins forgotten For you to remember them is the only way to have God to forget them If you forget them he doth and will remember them If you remember them he will forget them Only see that you remember them in a right way seriously with sorrow and shame This is the right remembrance of sin when men remember their sinful wayes and are ashamed of them This is that which the Lord saith his people the people of the Jews should do Ezek. 16. 6. when he should make good his Covenant to them and establish it with them viz. upon their Conversion Then saith he thou shalt remember thy ways and be ashamed Vers. 61. Remember and be confounded as tâ—…e last verse there hath it Thus doth the trâ—…y penitent sinner remember his sins he remembers them and is ashamed of them self-confounded for them loathing and abhorring them and himself for them So the Lord saith that his people Israel should do when he should bring them again into their own Land restoring them from their Captivity Then saith he ye shall remember your wayes and all your doings wherein ye have been defiled and ye shall loath your selves in your own sight for all the evils which ye have committed cap. 20. of that Prophecie vers 43. Repeated again cap. 36. vers 31. And thus see that
Sinners Penitent sinners to apply this Doctrine to themselves And only they This Salvation not to be rejected or neglected Use 2. Exhortation Receive we this Doctrine Receiving it by all lawful and useful wayes Some wayes not such wherein this Doctrine is not to 〈◊〉 receiâ—… 4. Needless and useless Questions touching Christs coming 1. touching the time of his coming Scaliger de emend Temp. * Bishop Halls Letter concerning the Feast of the Natiâ—…itie 2. Whether if man had not sinned Christ should have come a Aquin. Sum. p. 3. Q. â—… A. â—… 3 b Calv. Instit. lib. 2. cap. 12. * Cessante sine principali cessat effâ—…cius C. a Lapid in Text. Nulla causa fuit veâ—… Christo Domino nisi percatores salvos facere August de verbis Apost Serm. 9. Si homo non periisset filius hominis non venisset Ibid. Serm. 6. * Haec Quaestio non est magnae authoritatis quia Deus ordinavit fienda secundum quod res fienda crant Aquinas in Text. 3. Whether his Coming was Necessary 4. whether he intended an universal Redemption 2. Not so as to abuse it This Doctrine how to be received 1. Into the Understanding having a clear knowledg of it 2. Into the Judgment firmly believing it 3. Into the Memorie remembring it Proinde quoties nobis iâ—… mentem veniet ulla de peccatorum remissione dubitatio hoc velut clypeo fortiter eam repellere discamus Calvin Com. in Text. 4. Into the Will and affections 1. Imbracing it 2. Resting upon it 3. Rejoyceing in it 4. Being truly thankful for it Part 2d Pauls particular Application of this general Doctrine to himself * Obs. A Patern for our Imitation Communi regulae sese involvit atque hic verus Scripturae usus est ut nobis applicemus salutaria quo spem habeamus de salute nostra Aret. Com. in Text. Reas. Application maketh saving Truths effectual Applic. Paul the first of sinners Q. How said so to be A. An Heretical Dream Hic dicit Haereticus quod anima Adae fuit in Paulo transivit de corpore in corpus Aquin. Expos. in Text. A. 2. Paul the first that is the greatest of sinners * Quid ergo est primus antecedens omnes non tempore sed magnitudine August in Psalm 70. Q. How Paul saith this of himself A. Hespeaks Hyperbolically out of his great Humility Dictum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex summa modestia Grotius Annot. in Text. Hoc dicit ex humilitate Aquin. Obs. Christians to think speak meanly of themselves Christians to prefer others before themselves Paul not speaking otherwise of himself than he thought Christians to beware of such Complements Veram hic non 〈◊〉 quam humilem confessionem edere voluit Atque ex intimo cordis sensu depromptam Calvin Com. in Text. Q. Paul was now an eminent Saint A. He speaks of what he had been before his Conversion Q. Paul before his Conversion was morally righteous A. He was then a friend to the Law but an enemy to the Gospel August de verbis Apostoli Serm. 9. Obs. No sin like obstinate Infidelity His verbis admonemur quam grave sit apud Dâ—…um â—…rox crimâ—… Infidelitaâ—… pâ—…sertim ubi acceâ—…t â—…bstinatio saeviendi rabies Calvin Com. in Text. Applic. Persons in some degree guilty of this sin 1. Meer civil Persons resting in their moral righteousness A mans own Righteousness a sandy foundation Too many hearkning more to Moses than to Christ. 2. Vain-glorious Hypocrites Inde colligere promptum est quid valeant coram Deo omnes hypocritarum pompâ—… dum contumaciter Christo resistunt Calvin Com. in Text. 3. Enemies to Christ persecuting Him and His. Q. Paul sinned ignorantly A. Ignorance though it may extenuate the sin yet it doth not acquit the sinner Applic. Sin not to be palliated under pretence of Ignorance Q. Were there not others as great or greater Sinners than Paul Ans. 1. Pauls sin more general than theirs Videtuâ—… quod Judas fuit major Sed quidam dicunt quod peccatum Pauli generalius fuit quia contra totam Ecclesiam Aquin. in Text. Sed hoc nihil est quia Paulus in Incredulâ—…tate multi Judaei persequebuntur ex Malitia Ibid. A. 2. Paul the chief of Saved sinners Maximuâ—… inter peccatores salvatos Ibid. A. 3. Paul the chief of sinners in his own apprehension 1. Being best acquainted with himâ—…elf The greatness of Pauls sins set off by the greatness of Gods Mercy shown to him 2. Paul felt his own sins Sicuti qui gravi dentium capitis vel oculorum dolore laborat dicit nullum dolorem hoc esse majorem sâ—…d suum câ—…nnium esse maximum quia scit suum sentit per experientiam aliorum vero dolores tantum considerâ—… per speculationem C. A. Lap. in Text. Obs. General Observation Divided into 3. Branches 1. Branch The penitent sinner a frequent Remembrancer of his own sins Obj. Not only in time of distress A. But in the most quiet condition Obj. Not only such as have been scandalous sinners A. Few but have fallen into some such sins All have a body of sin in them Many inordinate lusts working inwardly All these Paul remembred Reas. 1. The Penitent sinner hath his Eyes opened 2. His Conscience awakened 3. His Heart pricked Use 1. By way of Conviction divers discovered to be no true Penitents 1. Such whose Consciences were never awakened 2. Such as seek to lull their Consciences aâ—… sleep again 1. Shunning all means that might awaken them 2. Using means to put their sins out of their remembrance 3. Such as having been awakened are fallen asleep again 4. Such as remember their sins but seldom and then against their wills 5. Such as remember them but are not humbled for them A word to awaken secure sinners 1. Their sins are registred in two Books 1. In Gods book the book of his Remembrance 2. In their own book the book of Conscience â—… Both these Books shall be opened 1. Gods Book 2. The book of Conscience Q. When these Books shall be opened 1. It may be in this life in time of Prosperity 2. In time of Affliction at the hour of Death 3. At the day of Judgement Use 2. Exhortation exciting to the remembrance of Sinne. Directed to two sorts of Persons 1. Secure Sinners Motive 1. This is the only way to have sins forgotten Caution 1 See that it be a right remembrance Motive 2. The only way to prevent everlasting Confusion Caution 2 This to be done speedily Direct 1. Begg it of God that he would bring our sins to our remembrance Direct 2. Wait upon him in the Ministry of his Word 2. Penitent sinners excited to a frequent remembrance of their sins Two Questions resolved Q. 1 Wherefore a penitent sinner should do this A. For the making sure his Repentance 2. For the renewing and increasing of it The Remembrance of sin though bitter maketh way for sweet joy 3. To get