therefore that what I say doth not at all belong to such but how ever it doth belong to many of the Children of God and therefore they must have their portion though such as it belongs not to will be â—eady to snatch at it And that 's the second thing in the different way of Gods dealing with his Children when they sin and with the ungodly Thou sinnest as others do Thy sin for the Act may be the same but when thou hast sinned who stands before the Father to plead thy cause what hath Christ to do with thee or thee to do with him but rather thy Conscience and Law and Devil stands pleading against thee and none to answer for thee But Thirdly When a godly Man sins God deals with him not according to the Law of Justice but according to the Law of Grace We are not under the Law saith the Apostle concerning believers but under grace when another sins the Law passes presently upon him but saith the Apostle in Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus The Law cannot pass upon them to condemn them They are not to be dealt withall according to the Law but according to Grace Now the ungodly when they sin they are dealt withal according to the Law God will do them no wrong but the Law must pass upon them Yea not onely so but they are delivered from the Law and from all the curse of the Law I the Lord hath promised that he will spare them as a Man doth his onely Son that serves him In Mal. 3. last If thou be'st a Child this is thy portion And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a Man spareth his onely Son that serves him This is a Text that hath a treasury of comfort in it to those that are Gods Children that can by those former notes of the difference of sin and their different behaviours towards their sin approve themselves that they belong to God here 's the promise That the Lord will spare them as a Father spareth his own Son that serves him A Father will not cast cut his Son from his House and disinherit him for every offence that he doth commit neither will God deal so with his Children though they have spots though they have infimities And hence we find that God takes advantage against some for a little sin and spares another though he be guilty of a greater sin Gods mercy is his own he may deal with his mercy as he pleases he will do justly with all but he will be merciful to whom he pleases and hence it is the Scripture holds forth this that some men the Lord hath taken advantage against for some smaller sin and other men the Lord hath spaâ—'d when they have been guilty of some greater sin As that notable example of Saul comparing that with David David was one of Gods Children and had spots I foul ones Saul he was none of Gods Child and he had his spots and some of them was not so foul in regard of the nature of them as Davids were and yet see the different dealing of God with Saul and David for Saul you shall find that God rejects him utterly and what for In 1 Sam. 13. 13. You may see wherefore God would reject Saul And Samuel said to Saul Thou hast done foolishly thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever But now thy kingdom shall not continue As if Samuel should have said Well this is the thing for which God will cut thee off and cut off thy kingdom Why what was it if you examine the thing what it was it was nothing but this That there was an agreement between Saul and Samuel that Samuel should come to him at such a time Well Samuel did not come just at the time or staid as Saul thought somewhat too long Saul was brought into great straits the Philistines came upon him his enemies Now upon this being in such great straits Saul had not sought to God for Gods presence with him in the battel now thought Saul I have staid for Samuel all this time and he comes not and rather then I will go out to battel without making supplication to God and offering sacrifice I will for this once venture upon it my self for so he saith in the 12 ver It was a burnt â—ffering It was to the Lord it was in the time of my straits and I forc't my self to it too I was not so ready and forward to do it it was in an absolute necessity as I thought and yet this is the sin for which Saul must be cut off and rejected and his kingdom not to continue You will say now what was this to the sin of David of Murder and Adulterry Those were sins of another nature well what if they were yet David was a Child and Saul was not and therefore he will pardon one and condemn the other and who can say to God what dost thou And again another sin of Saul you shall find in 1 Sam. 15. God required of Saul to go against Amalek utterly to destroy him Well Saul did do according to Gods command and made a great slaughter but he kept onely some of the Cattel and the fat ones but he profest he kept them not for his own advantage it was that he might offer for sacrifice to God Now Samuel comes to him though Saul had thought he had done nothing but that which God was pleased withal for he stands to justifie himself in the 20 v. And Saul said unto Samuel yea I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me and have brought Agag the King of Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalakites I have done what God sent me about Now Samuel he comes and convinces him that he had not done what God had sent him to do why because he had spar'd some of the Cattel Now Saul excuses himself afterwards to Samuel in v. 12. The people took of the spoyle Sheep and Oxen the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God is Gilgal But mark what Samuel saith in the 22 v. Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rams for Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord the Lord hath also rejected thee from being King These Scriptures might make any mans heart to tremble and not to dare to venture upon sins that he thinks to be smaller sins one would think that upon the consideration of these Scriptures that no
something better then the godly and not sin so much in some acts as we have famous examples of this As in the example of Abimelech compare him with David Abimilech in respect of Abraham's wife and David in respect of Vriab's Abimilech did carry himself like a Saint and David rather like a wicked man in comparison And Secondly If we compare Rehoboam and Amaziah with Asa Rehoboam and Amaziah were both wicked men but yet they in some acts did better then Asa that was a godly man it is very remarkable the comparing the stories of them For Rehoboam he was a wicked man and yet in 1 Kings 12. 24. when ten tribes of his Kingdom did rebel against him and he got an Army to reduce them again to their obedience there comes but a poor Prophet of God to him and saith Thus saith the Lord ye shall not go up nor fight against your Brethren the Children of Israel Return every man to his house for this thing is from me The Text saith they hearkned to the word of the Lord and returne to depart according to the word of the Lord A very strange thing that a King a wicked man exasperated to the uttermoâ—â— that had an Army ready whose cause could not but be justified before all the World for who would have said what the Prophet did That this was from the Lord Yet that one poor man coming to him and telling of him that it was from the Lord though he must lose ten parts of his Kingdom ten of twelve yet Rehoboam hearkens to God le ts go his Army le ts go the ten parts of his Kingdom hearing but a Prophet say It was from the Lord one would think that this were a Saint what an obedient man was this to the word of God and yet this was a wicked man an unregenerate man Again Amaziah that was a man whose heart was not upright with God 2 Chron. 25. he had likewise hired an Army and there comes a man of God to him in v. 7. saying O King let not the Army of Israel go with thee for the Lord is not with Israel to wit with all the Children of Ephralm But saith Amaziah what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the Army of Israel They had their pay afore-hand why saith the Prophet the Lord is able to give thee much more then this and Amaziah was content not only to part with his Army but to lose the pay that he had given them before-hand meerly at the word of God by one poor Prophet of his Now one would think a wicked man that was a Soldier should have contemned such a message from a poor weak man and bad him go and meddle with what he had to do with yet these two men did not But now you shall find Asa that was a godly man he did not do so well These two the Scripture brands for wicked men at this time when they did so and so for ought appears continued and perished in their wickedness But now I say Asa that the Scripture notes for a godly man you find him quite owise 2 Chron. 16. there a Prophet did but come to Asa and rebuke him for relying upon wicked men for so much correspondency with those who were ungodly the Text notes in the 10. v. Then Asa was wroth with the Seer and put him in a Prison-House for he was in a rage with him because of this thing and Asa oppressed some of the people the same time This was a godly man and the other wicked You will say here now the spot of Asa was worse than the spot of Rehoboam or Amaziah that were wicked men sometimes therefore for some acts of sin wicked men may do better than the Saints And therefore by the way you should learn not to bless your selves in this that you in some particular acts do good things you may do good things in particular acts better than others that are godly and yet you may perish eternally and they may be saved in the day of Jesus Christ And it must be acknowledged likewise that in regard of the excellency of the souls of â—â—e Saints any spot in them is worse than â—he spots of wicked men As a Fly in a box â—f Ointment is worse than a thousand in a â—arrel of Beer why because the Ointment 〈◊〉 more precious than that in divers circumâ—â—ances likewise the spots of the Saints may be â—orse than the spots of wicked men Which I have had some occasion to speak to out of another Scripture But for all this in respect of some particular acts and in respect of the excellency of their souls above others and in respect of some circumstances one may be worse than another But take all together and the spots or sins of wicked men are farr worse than the sins of the godly and that I shall shew in these Three regards the difference between the sins of wicked men and the godly and shew that one is far worse than the other First In respect of the nature of their sin Secondly In respect of the behavours of their hearts about them And Thirdly In respect of the present dealings of God with them for their sin Their spots are different in these three regards For the First In regard of the nature of their spots and that in divers regards except indeed in some extraordinary cases one of which we spoke of before in those exampleâ— I say the spots of the wicked are far worse than the spots of the godly yea the truth is take them at any time if you consider all things together they are worse First The sin of a godly man is rather 〈◊〉 Scar then a Wound that is healed or almost healed And the sin of the ungodly is a rotten putrifying sore in the flesh Look what the difference is between the Scar of a wound that is almost healed and a filthy putrified sore in the flesh that difference there is between the sin of the Saints and the sins of other men You will say that that 's but a similitude what do you mean by that of the scar and a rotten sore Why the plain meaning of it is this That the sin of a godly man it is but the hinderance of his soul in the making of God to be his last End the frame of a godly man's soul is alwayes for God as his last End and his sin comes in but as an impediment and hinderence unto him in this work of his in making God to be his last End But now the â—in of a wicked man it is the departing from God and closing with some other thing as his â—ast End and chief good Now here lies a â—road difference When the heart of a man â—hat is godly makes God to be his End and â—â—e scope and aim of it is at God now in â—â—me particular acts it is put off and hindered 〈◊〉 this work of his But now a
sins of the Saints they drive them to Jesus Christ If there be any truth of grace though weak thy sins will drive thee to Jesus Christ not drive thee from him but drive thee to him And make thee prise Jesus Christ as the Immaculate Lamb of God that is come into the World to take away thy sin It will make thee set a high price upon Christ and cause thy heart to follow him with all thy might Wicked men when they sin they turnaway from God and from Christ and the things of Christ are less savoury to them But the Saints when they sin they are put upon the seeking after Christ and prising of him so much the more Lastly Their very sin makes them to long for Heaven O wretched man that I am saith Paul who shall deliver me from this body of death Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ c. O! he flies to Christ and he desires to be present with Christ so the Saints they long for Heaven upon this ground above all other grounds and reasons namely because they know they shall never be delivered from the body of sin and death that they carry about with them till they come to Heaven and therefore they prise the state of Heaven as a glorious state because they shall never sin more against God I put it now in the name of God to your consciences this day you say you hope to go to Heaven what 's that for which you prise Heaven most why a gracious heart would say O Lord though I endure some sorrows and afflictions here yet thou knowest that the great burden of all it is the burden of my sin and when I shall be taken out of this world I know I shall never sin more never sin more against thee O that day when shall that day come that my soul shall never sin more against that God that I do love Thou that knowest all things knowest that this is my desire after Heaven upon this ground above all other grounds whatsoever Are you able to say so as in the pesence of God this would be a good argument indeed that though there be some spots yet they may be the spots of Gods Children And if it be so with thee then attend to the next point and that is The different dealings of God with his Children in regard of their sin with his dealings with the wicked and ungodly in regard of their sins As the behaviour of thy soul in respect of thy sin is different from the wicked so the behaviour of God towards thee will be very different from that of his towards the wicked and ungodly They may not think to escape so as thou mayest escape First As in the first place If a Child of God sins yet he hath a pardon laid up for his sin yea a pardon laid up before the sin is committed I do not say the pardon actually applyed but laid up for to say the thing is actually pardoned before committed it 's scarce English much less Divinity For whatever it be in Gods account or what God will do yet when we say the sinner is pardoned it notes some work of God upon the Creation actual in being As when we say the World was created it was not created from eternity why it 's a work of God upon the creation therefore it has a Time And so what 's a work of God in Himself that is from eternity But what 's a work of God upon the creature that 's in time without any change in Gods nature any more-then the creating of the World did change his nature there are for givnesses with thee that thou mayest be feared they lie up with thee there are Pardons that lie up with God there is an Atonement made for the sins of Gods Children for the sins that they have committed and sins that they shall commit I say an Atonement is made even for them and a ransom is paid Jesus Christ did tender up himself to the Father for a ransom for all the sins of the elect it 's laid up there So saith the Apostle 1 John 2 2. I write unto you little Children that ye sin not and if any man sin that I shall take notice of by and by we have an Advocate with the Father and he is the propitiation for our sins So that when an ungodly man sins there the sentence of death comes out against him But the Lord saith concerning his Children Let their souls be pardoned for I have found a ransom Thou sayest the best have their sin True but one man hath a ransom hath a price paid for his sin and thou hast none none for ought thou knowest In that condition wherein thou art thou canst not know that thou hast any Here 's the difference between Gods dealing with his Children others one sins and the Lord acknowledges a propitiation presently a ransom a price a pardon that 's laid in but he acknowledges it not for thee Secondly Yea in the Second place the Children of God when they sin their condition is far different from the sin of the wicked they have not only a price paid and a pardon laid up But you will say how in case they do not sue out their pardon I confess if they sue it not out they have not the comfort of it But yet the Scripture tells us they have an Advocate with the Fathe If they through ignorance do not know their sin how can they sue out their pardon yet they have an advocate with the Father continually and it 's the work of Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father to be an Advocate to plead for believers with the Father when ever they sin against the Father there stands Christ their Advocate pleading he watches if there come in any accusations against them if the Law or the Devil or conscience shal send up an accusation Christ stands as an Advocate to plead their cause you know I suppose what an Advocate in Law doth mean he stands to plead the cause of his Client whatsoever comes in against him he is made acquainted withall that he may stand to plead This is the case of the Children of God notwithstanding their sin they have an Advocate with the Father In 1 John 2. 1. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not ye ought not to sin take heed of sinning But if ye do you have an advoc te with he Father Jesus Christ the righteous These things that I am speaking I confess may prove dangerous to wicked carnal hearts that are ready to turn the Grace of God into wantonness but by that they may know what I say belongs not to them that their spots are not the spots of Gods Children Those that shall hear of this and be hardened or embâ—ldned in sin the more there need no other Argument to prove that their spots aâ—â— nâ—ne â—f the spots of Gods Children than that And