requests ascend from one sin to more from more to many from many to all you know that confession of sins should not be particular only but universal and our sorrow for sin should respect the kinds as well as the particular acts all which import an Amplitude of grants so much Mercy and supply answerable to the required latitude of confessions and sorrow Object Object 'T is true some one sin may upon special reason either of some guilt or present insolency be more insisted on then another as one clause in the plea may be more urged then any other yet not with the exception of the rest Sol. O that sin Lord by which I have dishonoured thee so much and yet which rageth so much pardon it subdue it out with it and not that only but such sins and not them only but all my sins blot them out cleanse me from them Another Proposition which I will briefly touch on shall be this viz. SECT II. Doct. 2 THat even a good Christian should have a fear of great sins A good Christian should fear gâ—eat â—â—ns as well as less Reasons from The latitude of original sin as well as a care of secret sins Keep me also from presumptuous sins Reasons whereof may be these The latitude of original sin which as it is yet remaining in the best so it iâ— in them an universal fountain naturally apt to any vile inclination though actual sins may be divided in the life yet they are all united in their spring i they are all of them virtually as so many potential effects involved and lurking in original sin as their cause which how far it may work both from its own strength and the assistance of temptions and occasions if God doth not actually prevent and interpose if we put not forth our fear and watch we may with miserable experience both know and bewail 2. The instances of great transgressions even those Saints 2. The best Saints have been guilty of great Transgressions who have been as the highest stars have left behind them their twinklings and sad Eclipses Noah his actual distempers by wine Lot his unnatural defilements by incest David his wounds and bleeding by whoredom and blood Peter his unkind and troubled denial of Christ against his knowledge Now when Cedars fall should not the tender plants tremble if the sins of others be not our fear they may be our practise what the best have done the weakest may imitate if they do not hear and fear there being scarce any notorious sin into which self-confidence will not plunge us and from which an holy and watchfull fear may not happily preserve us Vse An Instruction from this and so on Blessed is the man that Blessed is he that feareth alwayes feareth alwayes Prov. 28. 14. When we read of great sinners in the Scripture and see great falls and sins in others as we should thereupon seek to recover them who are thus fallen by our Counsel and prayers so we that stand should take heed lest we also fall 1 Cor. 10. 12. If that Satan who would deal with us could be procured to shape out only mean and vulgar assaults and suggestions to common and unavoidable infirmities and sinnings this might somewhat abate the vigour and intension of our holy fear and circumspection yet not altogether forasmuch as he being a subtile enemy trains and facilitates the heart by the frequency of small commissions at length to the boldness of great Impieties or if Satans suggestions were artificially and extreamly laid and pressing to great sins as well as small yet if we had natures no way capable to receive the greatest impressions of sin but were naturally averse and stifly indisposed to such temptations then our carefull fear were not so requisite But we are not shot-proof Temptations even to the greatest sinnes have within our breast some principles which would presently shake hands with them The actual light and acting grace do sometimes happily turn them aside from closing though they keep them at the door as the Prophet caused the Messengers who came from the King to take away his life Yet there is another Principle of corruption which would let them in and which would co-operate with those temptations even to Contemplation and inclination and acting both inward and outward nay this corrupt nature of ours alone though it doth learn somewhat by temptations and occasions yet it alone from it self can cast forth most sore temptations to most abhorred sinnings Therefore this we must do fore-past sins must be eyed with grief present inclinations with combat and future with fear we must not in our War imitate the Syrians who were to fight neither with small nor great but with the King of Israel No but we must oppose all sins small sins as well as great and great as well as small those sins which do encounter us we should force some out and keep the rest off He is a wise and sincere Christian who resists the smallest and fears the greatest sins Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins SECT III. Doct. 3 ANother Proposition which I might observe from the words absolutely considered is this That a good man A good man is Gods servant is Gods sâ—rvant Thy servant from c. We read of divers servants in the Scriptures some are the servants of men who apply all their gifts and parts and sacrifice the whole method of their beings and expressings to claw and humour the itch and pleasure of others All flatterers are such who are a people of slavish-bondage having sold themselves from themselves to some persons Some are the servants of the world whose hearts and labors are bestowed upon earthly things and they make even those noble souls of theirs to weary themselves for very vanity and to increase only in that with the least toe is too excellent to tread upon Some are the Servants of Satan mentioned in an instrumental Activity and readiness to entertain and execute his base and hellish inspirations and motions Some are the servants of sin who quales quanti all that they are and can do is to fulfill the lusts of their flesh there is no servant so obedientially attending the Command of his Lord as they to receive and act the pleasure of their sinfull hearts Some are servants to themselves who as if they were born neither for God nor man apply all their will and strength and abilities only to their own ends without any real effectual consideration to publique good of Church or Country And some are servants to God Moses was so Simeon was so Moses my servant is deal said God Now letest thou thy servant depart in peace said Simeon and David here Keep back thy servant Gods servants disters from all servants in the world every other servant looseth himself by service Note he is not sui juris in the Law but the only way to find a mans self is to be Gods servant Every
ever you would keep off the prevalency of a particular sin observe distinctly and work wisely against all the things which may advantage it in its temptations Thirdly consider that many things may keep back for a while the explicite actings of a particular sinne which yet are not able to weaken the natural power of the sinful inclination There are two sorts of principles as it were which have an influence upon a man some are violent and forcible which work by a strong hand thus farre sometimes prevailing to hold back that a man dares not do such an evil as shame love of a mans credit quiet profit and safety and some are powerful too but yet inwardly weakning the very nature and disposition as all sorts of graces Now then if ever you would be throughly kept from the actual dominion of sinne in gross do not content your selves with meerly forcible restraints for as much as these may oft-times fail you and then your hearts will deceive you you will venture to foul iniquities having nothing now within you of a contrary vertue But above all be striving for grace which is contrary not only to the sinful acts but to the sinful nature which is the fountaine inclining the soul unto them get chastity into the heart and meeknesse into the heart and humblenesse into the heart and sobernesse into the heart and heavenliness and faith c. Fourthly improve that strength which God hath given unto thee every way Though this be rrue that a man by his natural strength can never change his sinful nature yet assuredly he may do much against sinful acts if that he would bestir himself why is not a man able to deny his eye a look or his tongue a word and his feet a walk you know this that sin is set on fire by occasions and by many things which lie directly under our power and it may be much staid by the doing of many things which we are able to do If a man will let his eyes still roule upon vaine objects whereas if he would he might check their motion no marvel if his heart be still set on fire by lust and if he will associate himself with persons provoking him to filthinesse and drunkennesse whereas if he would he might decline that society who can think it strange that such sins should have actual dominion over him If thou wilt thou mayest read and hear and apply thy self to all the means by which grace may be wrought and sin subdued and if thou didst so what canst thou tell what God may do for thy soul Nay let me tell you more that a man who hath received grace and therefore more power then a natural man if he will not improve his strength he shall hardly keep off the actual dominion of some one sin or other if he will not decline that which he should and may and if he will not do that which he should and can it is not his naked praying that will keep him up Prayer without all question as you shall hear by and by is of singular force and use against the prevalency of all corruptions but we must not rest only upon the prayer but pray and work pray and forbear pray and deny our selves pray and shunne occasions pray and follow our help c. Now I come unto some speciall directions against the actual Special directions dominion of a particular lust Foure special Directions First preserve in thy soul a constant and humble feare and Preserve in the soul a constant and humble fear that will keep off the actual dominion of thy sinne Remember Solomons advice Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes Prov. 28. 14. And Gods promise I will put my feare within them and they shall not depart from me Jerem. 41. q. d. without this you are gone you will quickly loose your standing if you loose your fear There be some graces which are as it were the guard of other graces look as faith is a grace which feeds all the rest So feare is a grace which keepes all the rest This holy and humble feare hath these properties all which strengthen the soule against actual dominion of sinne It hath God still in eye it sets a man and his ways and acts in the presence of an holy and glorious God Now saith Joseph how can I do this great evil and sin against God Gen. 39. Again it prefers Gods pleasure and Gods frown above all incouraging or discouraging temptations yea but I must do this for God requires it and delights in it yea but I may not do this for God hates it and will be provoked by it I prefer his favour above all false honour and pleasure and I account his frownes worse then death it self Now if I should thus sin why I provoke his wrath and provoke the Lord to jealousie I cause him to rise in displeasure against me i. e. why how would the Lord take it if I should thus sinne 2. Get a sound and uncorrupt judgement there be three Get a sound judgement cases in which a man is apt to fall under the actual dominion of sinne and corruption of judgement is a maine cause of them One is when he thinks or sayes that the sin is little Another is when he saith that his own strength is great A third is when he assures himself of easie pardon and recovery sinne usually is a cloud and then a shower a corruption in the judgement before a victory in the affections a man will quickly tremble under the guilt of some great commission who hath dallied with little sinnes or with the opinion that they are so And he who ventures farre unto any occasions upon his own strength that man bids faire for some foule fact under which he shortly falls if God shew him not the vanity of his self-confidence And so is he ready very ready for a grosse transgression who hath secured his soul already for his pardon what sin will he stick at who hath perswaded himself that the pardon is already granted although he presume to sin Now cleanse the judgement of these corrupt principles and believe it 1. That no sinne is little That must needs be great which Believe that no sin is little provokes a great God and endangereth a precious soule he who is brought to such an holy tendernesse that he sees greatnesse of guilt in littleness of sinning shall by Gods grace be kept from the dominion of any sinne Every sinne even the least is a foul spot And is the object of divine hatred and curse it may prove like a little spark to consume an house or like a little leake sufficient to drown a ship or like a little thrust into the heart enough to lose a man his life 2. That your own strength is not sufficient even the strongest And that your own strength is not sufficient ship left to it self cannot venture far but it is upon rocks or sands
he hath reformed an ill life yet it shall cost him infinitely much more to reform an ill heart he may receive so much power from grace at the beginning as in a short time to draw off from most of the former grosse acts of sinnings but it will be a work of all his dayes to get a through conquest of secret Corruptions 4. Then all the works of a Christian is not abroad if there be All the works of a Christian is not abroad secret sins to be cleansed There are two sorts of duties Some are direct which are working duties they are the colours of grace in the countenance and view of the Conversation setting it forth with all holy evennesse and fruitfulness and unblamablenesse Some are reflexive which are searching duties they appertain to the inward roomes to the beautifying of them and reforming of them for not only the life but the heart also is the subject of our care and study I am not only to labour that I do no evil but a so that I be not evil not only that sinne do not distain my paths but also that it doth not defile my intentions not only that my cloaths be handsome but also that my skin be white i. my inward parts be as acceptable to God as my outward frame is plausible with man yea let me tell you one thing that he is an hypocrite who takes care to wash the outside only forasmuch as the greatest solicitude for the life may be without any reformation of the heart not that the life must not be squared but if that be varnished and the heart neglected the person hath not only the same natural and lively frame of sinfulness but he deceives himself or at least another with a meere pretence and shadow therefore brethren let us have eyes to look inward as well as outward God hath given us a reflexive faculty and besides that know 1. That Prima pars the first part of our work is to set upon the inward part how vain is it to wash the brackish streames which are yet fed by a soure fountaine and verily the conversation will be ever and and anon unequal and unlike it self if the heart remaines unpurged and unchanged corruption which hath often entertained your secret thoughts will at length present these births to your very eye 2. That Maxima pars the greater part of your work is within It is true an ill tongue a lustful eye a stealing hand they may challenge much prayer care and observance watchfulnesse to reforme them but a beam of light is small to the vast body of light in the Sun and the dribling rivers are with more ease turned and dried up then the deep ocean sin within is sin in the fountain and sin in the visible parts is sin in the streames yea and as every thing is strongest in its cause and therefore sin is highest in the heart for the strength and vigour of temptations is at the inward part of man Satan doth not stir a naked eye but a filthy heart to look through that sinful window he doth not come to the hand and say steale but first to the heart which will quickly command the hand he doth not say immediately to the tongue swear and blaspheme but the heart which can easily command that Hellish language into the tongue If thou shouldest pluck out thine eyes and never see any object to excite thy uncleane heart yet mayest thou be as filthy a person thine own corrupt heart and Satan would alone incline thee and though thou hadest never a foot to go nor hand to stir yet mightest thou be as very a thief as Judas thy heart might rob every passenger and steale from every house thou comest in objects are but accidental things to man they have no necessary impressive influences they do but deliver themselves in that nature wherewith God hath cloathed them but that which invenoms them and makes them to work so wickedly is mans wicked heart you have many persons who complain much against objects O they can see none or deal with none but wickednesse is stirring Why beloved the objects are innocent but our hearts are unclean and sinful if thou couldest get another heart thou wouldest look with another eye the onely way to make temptations lose their force is to decline occasions and to cleanse the inward parts SECT V. Use 2. Tryal ANother Use which I would make of this is to try our selves We should try our selves because So many wallow in secret sins what care we have of secret sins I will give unto you some Reasons why I would have you to try your selves in this 1. Because there be many persons who wallow in secret sinnes The Apostle complained of such in his time Ephes 5. 12. It is a shame to speak of those things which are done to them in secret he speaks of such as lived in secret fornications and uncleanness Brethren how many are there who do apparel themselves even with a form of godlinesse who yet not only allow themselves in the secret thoughts of abhorred wickednesses but even in the secret actings of the same as if there were no God to look on them nor conscience to espy them nor judgement day to arraigne them O how infinitely odious must thou be in the eyes of that holy God who dares to Court him in the publick and yet dares to provoke him to his face thus in private like a whorish strumpet who dissembles marveilous affections to her husband abroad and yet at home she will violate the Covenant of her God before her husbands eyes So thou to pretend so much for God before company and yet in private thou wilt presume to sin before his face for he seeth thee and that thy conscience knows right well There be at the least three horrible sins which now thou doest commit at once First that very sin which thou wouldest so conceale And perhaps it may be a sin of the deepest dye Yea mark this that usually the most damnable sins are such which are committed in secret as Sodomes adulteries and such fearful kinds of pollutions and murders and treasons c. Secondly Hypocrisie which is a screen to thy sinne an holy cover for an unholy heart and practice which makes the sinner by how much the more vile in Gods eyes by how much the more that he doth not only sin against God but wrests as it were something from God to cover and palliate his rebellion against him A third is Atheisme if there be not formal Atheisme yet there is a virtual Atheism as if God were no God in secret but only in publick that he could see in the light and not in the darkness that his eye is as the eye of a man only whereas he The principle of sinning is secret and common to every man is an universal eye and is a light without all darkness 2. The principle of sinning is secret and common to
endeavoured to be rectified squared beautified and ordered that the great and holy God may take delight and proclaime his gracious testimony of the same hear that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 10. 18. Not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth in the former respect is that phrase of Paul Rom. 16. 18. approved of men in the latter respect is that phrase of Paul Rom. 16. 10. approved in Christ and of Peter Acts 2. 22. A man approved of God Now verily no man can sincerely desire to approve himself unto God i. to put himself over unto Gods sentence of tryal and decision so that he might find an acceptance from his eyes but he doth indeed desire to be cleansed from secret sinnes why because Gods sentence is righteous and according to truth he doth not weigh so much the actions as the spirits of men not so much the outward expressions as the inward dispositions not so much what they do as what they would do not so much that they do not as this that they would do no iniquity I remember that David is upon this very straine in Psal 139. 23. Search me O Lord and know my heart and know my thoughts v. 24. And so if there be any wicked way in me Here he puts himself intirely upon God to try him to search him to see whether his heart be such as he should like and approve Paul is in the same straine 1 Cor. 4. 3. with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you i. whether you approve of me or not accept of me or condemn me I tell you this is not the main thing that I look on v. 4. But he that judgeth me is the Lord i. there is another Judge a greater Judge a better Judge one who can canvase the secret and inward parts as well as eye the meere visible acts and motions to him do I look to him do I desire to approve my self 3. Observe where doest thou lay the sharpest edge of the axe Where dost thou lay the sharpest edge of the Axe the axe said Matthew in another case is now laid to the root of the tree sinne is like a tree it hath root and branches that which we see of the tree is the bulk and branches that which is the life of the tree we see not it is the root which is moored in the bowels of the earth Now as a man may deal with a tree so he may deal with his sinnes the axe may be employed only to lop off the branches which yet all live in the root and he may apply his axe to the very root to the cutting of it up and so he brings an universal death to the tree So it is possible for a man to bestow all his pains to lop off sinne onely in the visible branches in the outward limbes of it and it is also possible for a man to be crucifying the secret lust the very corrupt nature and root of sinfulness Now this I say he who bestows his study his prayers his tears his cares his watchings his strength to mortifie corruption in the root in the nature in the cause how unquestionable is it that he doth desire to be cleansed from secret sins Suppose a man hath an ulcerous part undiscovered in his breast if he applieth such physick which will carry away the spring of that ulcer it is a palpable signe he doth desire to be cleared from the secret ulcer it self so it is in this case Beloved we distinguish 'twixt these two things viz. 1. The restraining of sin 2. The weakening of sin A man whose sinnes may crawle in him like the worms in a dead body which may feed upon his most exquisite contemplations and dearest affections with fullest and sweetest contentment may yet curb and restraine the habits or sinfull propensions from breaking out into act The vigor of a natural and enlightned conscience and the ingenuity of a more nobly bred disposition and the force of particular aimes and ends may be able to rein up and bridle in thee Actus imperatos as the School-men speak the notable or visible deliveries or actings of sin But that which weakens sin is grace that which purgeth out the sin is alwayes contrary to it Again we observe a difference 'twixt these two viz. to have sinne and the heart asunder and to have sinne and the shame or the bitternesse asunder this latter a Pharaoh an Ahab may desire but the former only that man who is truly holy and would be cleansed from secret sins 4. And this now leads me to a fourth discovery of a person Doest thou strongly desire io have another nature who desires to be cleansed from secret sins viz. he who strongly desires to have another nature another heart Another nature or heart is a heart replenished with most holy qualities which stand in a present opposition to that of sin and which in time will get the victory over it Suppose a man be apt to much unbelief secret mistrusts and distrusts how know I that he would be cleansed from them not only by this that he complaines but also that he is day and night with God for the grace of faith and the strength of his Spirit to believe And indeed it is the contrary grace which doth cleanse from sinne secret grace which cleanseth from secret sinnes forasmuch as the inward clensing is not by outward medicines but by a compleated principle both in nature and operation striving against the nature and operations of sin as the Apostle eligantly shadows it in Gal. 5. Psal 51. Create in me a new heart said David the new heart is a new frame and temper to fil the soul with other inclinations and thoughts and the life with other wayes and actions SECT VI. Use 3 I Now proceed to a third Use which shall be for Comfort For comfort to such as have such desires to such persons whose desires are really carried to be cleansed from secret sins as well as publick and visible they may comfort themselves in many things For 1. That their praise is of God and he doth commend them Their praise is of God see the Apostle Rom. 2. 28. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh verse 29. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Now what a comfort is this that thou art a person whom the Lord will take notice of yea whom the Lord himself will praise and commend to say of thee as of David I have found a man after mine own heart and and that thy heart is perfect with the Lord. 2. That conscience in a day of distresse will acquit and clear Conscience will acquit them in a day of distress them Beloved there are two sorts
is a twofold breaking out of a secret sin or manifestation of it One is natural look as the childe formed in the womb naturally desires liberty to come forth and as the fire within to flie out and abroad so the the inward conceptions of sin naturally propend and strive to thrust out themselves into visible acting and view the soul cannot long be in secret actings but some one part of the body or other will be a messenger thereof Another is judicial as when the Judge arraigns and tries and scrues out the close murder and the dark thefts so God will bring to light the most hidden works of darknesse for though the actings of sinne be in the darknesse yet the judgings of sin shall be in the light though they be secret yet these are open as though the times of theft be private yet the places of Judicature are open Eccles 12. 14. God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil he doth not say some work but every work and not only works but secrets and not only secrets but every secret and not only secret good things but evil too whether good works or ill works whether secret or open all must be brought to judgement 1 Cor. 4. 5. Judge nothing before the time untill the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the heart Though thou mayest now cover thy sinfulness with much hypocrisie yet then all vizards shall be pulled off thou shaâ—t be stript of all counterfeit shapes as thou art and as thou hast done so shalt thou be made known to men and Angels and to all the world thy whole heart and thy whole course of life shal be pulled a pieces before thee God will judge them 3. Thy secrets shall not only be manifested but shall also be Judged by God Rom. 2. 16. In the day when God shall Judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ we read sometimes that God will Judge our words and God will Judge our works and here that God will Judge our secrets he will judge words and works as sinnes ripened to expressions he will judge secrets as sins ripening and breeding Iob 31. 26. If I beheld the sun when it shined or the moon walking in brightnesse 27. And my heart hath been secretly entised 28. This also were an iniquity to be punished by the Judge Iob 13. 10. he will surely reprove you if you doe secretly accept persons Deut. 27. 15. Cursed be the man that maketh any Graven Image an abomination to the Lord c. And putteth it in a secret place There is a twofold judging to which secret actings of sin are obnoxious One is Temporall and in this life see this in David 2 Sam. 12. 9. wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to doe evil in his sight thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword this was done in a secret letter and hast taken his wife to be thy wife and v. 10. Now therfore the sword shal never depart from thine house because thou hast c. v. 11. Thus saith the Lord behold I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house and I will take thy wives before thy eyes and give them to thy neighbours v. 12. Thou didst it secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel and before the Sun Eph. 5. 6. Because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience Another is eternall that the Lord will Judg them with eternall wrath for that is the portion of hypocrisie though thou mayest escape the judgement of man yet thou shalt not escape the judgement of God Heb. 13. 4. whoremongers and adulterers God will judge he will sentence them himselfe for their secret abominations 4. Secret sins are more dangerous to the person in some respects then open sinnes For 1. A man doth by his art of sinning deprive himselfe of the help Secret sins are more dangerous in some respects then open sins of his sinfulnesse like him who will carry his wound covered or who bleedes inwardly helpe comes not in because the danger is not descried nor known if a mans sin breaks out there is a Minister at hand a friend near and others to reprove to warne to direct But when he is the artificer of his lusts he barres himselfe of all publick remedy and takes great order and care to damn his soule by covering his secret sins with some plausible varnish which may beget a good opinion in others of his wayes A man doth by his secrecy give the raines unto corruption the minde is fed all the day long either with sinful contemplations or projectings so that the very strength of the soule is wasted and corrupted 3. Nay secret actings doe but heat and inflame naturall corruption as in shouldering in a croud when one hath got out of the doore two or three are ready to fall out after so when a man hath given his heart leave to act a secret sin this begets a present and quick and strong flame in corruption to repeate and multiply and throng out the acts sinful acts are not onely fruites of sin but helps and strengths all sinning being more sinful by more sinning not only in the effects but in the cause the spring and cause of sin will grow mad and insolent hereby more corrupt this being atruth that if the heart gives way for one sin it wil be ready for the next if it wil yeld to bring forth once at the devils pleasure it wil bring it forâ—â— twice by its one motion 4 A man by secret sins doth but polish and square the hypocrisie of his heart he doth strive to be an exact Hypocrite and the more cunning he is in the palliating of his sinnings the more perfect he is in his hypocrisie 2. The aggravations will you give me your leave to make a short Aggravations of secret sins digression touching the degrees of agravation of secret sinnings verily perhaps they may sink deep and quicken us to repentance and caution 1. The more foul the sin naturally is the worse is the secret acting of it you know that some sins have a souler dye in them then The more soule the sin is the worse if it be secret others all are not a like but some are more intrinse cally vile A blasphemous thought is worse then an Idle thought and the secret stealing of a shilling though it be a sin yet not so great as the secret killing of a man The more relations are broken by secret sins the worse 2. The more relations are broken by secret sinning the worse they are and more to be wared for all relations are bonds and cords they are a file of reasons why we should not sin for a single person to commit folly it s a damnable sin but for one
be rid of a bad nature the vertue of the effect alwayes lurks in the cause and therefore it is the cause which gives life and death to it If thou couldest once get an holy nature which might be at defiance with sinne in its throne know this that a new nature and daily combat would much help against secret sinnings That sinne is least of all acted with life which is most of all combated within the heart for sinne hath least practise where it hath most opposition And of all oppositions those that are inward are most weakning of sin 4. Get an hatred of sinne which will oppose sin in all kindes and all times and in all places 5. Get the feare of God planted in thy heart There are three sorts of sinnes which this fear will preserve a man Get the feare of God against First Pleasant sinnes which take the sense with delight Secondly Profitable sinnes which take the heart with gaine but what shall it profit me to winne the whole world and to lose my soul Thirdly secret sinnes of either sort Joseph did not dare to sinne that great sinne of uncleannesse though the acting of it might have beene secret and thouâ—h perhaps the consequence of it miâ—ht have been his preferment why the fear of God kept him off he had an awful regard to God he knew the greatnesse of his holinesse of his power How can I do this great wickednesse and â—â—nne against God Gen. 39. 9. Why brethren if we feare the Lord it is not the night which the thief doth take nor the twilight which the adulterer doth take nor the seasons of secrecy or places of obscurity that will prevaile with us c. Yea but God sees me the great judge of heaven and earth the holy one the God who hates all sinne whose eyes are brighter then the Sunne and purer then to behold sin and who is mighty in power and just in his threatnings he sees and beholds therefore I dare not 6. Believe Gods omniscience and omnipresence that the Believed Gods omniscience Lord is every where and all things are naked and open to his eye with whom thou hast to deal thou canst not intend to think thou canst not whisper out thy thouâ—hts thou canst not finger the closest bribes thou canst not encline thy self to the most abstracted kinde of secrecy in the world but God sees thee clearly perfectly now if a man could believe that God is still with us and there are two which evermore goe with us the Judge and the Register God and conscience that he is acquainted with all his thoughts paths wayes this would put an awe upon him would the wife be so impudent to commit folly and prostitute her whorish body in the sight and presence of her husband would the servant be filching out of the box if he saw his Masters eye upon his hand 7. Get thy heart to be upright uprightnesse is an inward temper and hypocrisie is an outward complection Psalme Get thy heart to be upright 119. 3. They do no iniquity c. The inward man is the businesse of sincerity to the forming and fashioning of that doth it improve and imploy it selfe it knowes that God delights in truth and this too in the inward parts It endeavours to please God in all things and there to be most to God where man can be least in observation and that is in the secret and hidden frame PSAL. 19. 13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sinnes let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and shall be innocent from that great transgression CHAP. II. THese words containe in them Davids second Petition and request sinnes do not only differ in respect of opennesse and secretness but also in respect of the degree of hainousness and greatness now because secret sins sticks closest and are of a more easie and adventrous commission therefore David prays much against them Lord cleanse thou me from secret sinnes And because presumptuous sinnes are of a more fearful efficacy and consequently they being usually the bravings of God even to his face therefore David prays as vehemently against them in this verse This verse may be considered two ways The words considered 1. Respectively as in connection with the former by that In conjunction with the former word also keep back thy servant also as if David had said O Lord I have prayed unto thee to be cleansed from secret sinnes and I beseech thee let me be answered but yet this is not all that I have to request I have yet another request besides that keep me also from presumptuous sins 2. Absolutely in regard of their proper matter so they In their proper matter comprehend 1. The Petitioner thy servant 2. The Petition which respects sins 1. Presumption from presumptuous sins 2. Dominion let them not have Dominion over me 3. The Petitioner who is implyed and that is God yet expressed by what he should do keep back c. 4. The Conclusion or inference which he makes from the grant of all this which is his uprightness and innocency innocency not absolute but limitted innocent from that great transgression There is more matter in these words then you yet well conceive of I will touch some Propositions which might challenge a further prosecution and then I will set down at large upon the main intentions and conclusions from the words considered as a connexion of a new request with the former request these things might be observable viz. SECT I. Doct. 1 FIrst There may and should be a conjunction even of great There may and should be a conjunction of great requests at once to God Petitions and requests at once unto God As they say of graces and duties that they are connexed and like so many pearls upon one and the same string for we may say of requests to God though they be many for kindes and number and matter yet they may be put up in the same prayer to God David ends not at that request keep me from secret sinnes but goes on also O Lord keep me from presumptuous sinnes he multiplies his suits according to the multiplicity of his necessity and exigence Note There be divers qualities about our prayers viz. Our prayers must be with 1. One is an urgent fervency when the soul doth not nakedly commence the suit propound it to God and say Lord 1. urgent fervency hear me but it doth inforce as it were an audience and acceptance it doth strive with God and wrestle with him I will not let thee go unless thou blesse me Gen. 32. 26. as Jacob And O Lord hear O Lord hearken and consiâ—er do and deferre not for thy name sake as Dan. 9. this is a following of the suit with God as the woman did Christ 2. Importunity when a person renews the same suit comes 2. Importunity often to the door of grace and knocks 3.
work no sinning wounds so deep as such which have more Mercy and goodness to control them and these only good persons do most taste of much grace received and much kindness conferred will in case of great transgressions make the conscience eagerly to arise and sting the Offender Such as profess more interest in God should walk more exactly with him Vse What should this teach us who profess more Interest in God more Title to Christ more purity of Religion then others Why if we be light then to walk as Children of the light if we do profess the Gospel then to walk as becomes the Gospel if we be the Children of God then to walk as dear Children cleansing our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit None needs to be more circumspect then he who is called to holiness his very relation is of a tender though high nature he cannot sin but he grieves a father yet this is as true that none of our relations exempt us from temptations and assaults which call upon us to be watchfull and prayerfull If temptations drive thee not to thy knees they will drive thee easily to the groundâ— no more but this no man should sin and no man should be more carefull then he who is most good for if he offends then God suffers Christ suffers the Gospel suffers Religion Profession Christians and all O then let us improve our interest in our God Should such a man as I flee said Nehemiah so then should such a man as I sin thus walk thus live do thus Why God is my God he is my Father I am his child his servant If I should sin sin would not only be my own wound but his dishonour I may not so abuse his love his mercies his Calling his honouring of me Others look on me but I must look on my God and on his honour Thus have you the general observations of the Text now I come to a more punctual and intimate view of them both in the petition and in the conclusion of them consider the words as a Petition they yield unto us two main considerations 1. One of sin in presumption Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins 2. Another of sin in Dominion Let them not have dominion over me First For presumptuous sins there are divers expositions of these words 1. Keep me Ab alienis scilicet peccatis from those sins which by the suggestion or temptation of others I am inticed to or as others Ab alienis i falsis diis from another or false gods that I do not serve them and be not captivated by them these think the Word to be Zurim from Zur which signifies Alienari 2. Keep me a superbiis Mizedim a verbo zud which signifies superbire aut superbie temere agere the word in Hiphel signifies to do a thing de industria per presumptionem Before David prays to be kept from sinnes of ignorance and here from prides from such sins as are done insolently and knowingly Some translate it keep me from proud sinnes others from insolent sins by which are meant manifest sinnes open transgressions committed with contumacy and with a high hand but to hold to the expression in the Text Presumptuous sinnes And the Observation is this CHAP. III. Doct. EVen the servants of God should pray to be kept The servants of God should pray to be kept from presumptuous sins from presumptuous sins Touching this I shall enquire into these particulars 1. What presumptuous sins are 2. Of that strength which keeps regenerate persons from presumptuous sinnings and what difference 'twixt the with-holdings and restrainings of evil men and this keeping back of good men 3. What reasons or causes of this desire to be kept back from presumptuous sins 4. Then some useful applications of all this to our selves SECT I. Quest 1. WHat presumptuous sins are What presumptuous sins are Sol. Sinne in the general is any transgression of the Law the Law of God is his revealed will for doing or forbearing and it is the rule of nature and actions whatsoever things stands in conformity to its good and whatsoever varies or swarves from it that same is sin Sins diversly distinguished Now sins are diversly distinguished for all sins are not equal either for matter or manner For matter some sins of themselves For Matter are more deep transgressions then others as some diseases in their own nature are worse then other some to blaspheme and curse God is a sin naturally more vile then an idle thought or an empty word and to commit Idolatry is naturally more vile then to steale a Shilling to shed innocent blood is worse then to steale Againe sins may be distinguished in restect of the manner of For Manner committing and thus it may fall out that even a sin in its own nature lesse then another may yet for the manner of commission be more hainous and a sin in its own nature greater then another may yet for the manner of commission be lesse guilting then a lesser sin which is more intensively raised by circumstances as to gather a few sticks on the Sabbath was in it selfe not so great a sin as deflouring of a virgin yet because the person did commit the sinne with a contempt of Gods expresse prohibition it became more hainous and guilty Now here falls in that distinction of sin into sins of infirmity Sins of infirmity and sins of presumption and into sins of presumption which distinction is made not from the different quallities of sin but from the divers qualification of sinning the same sin may be committed through presumption which is committed through Infirmity yet the commiting of it through infirmity is still much less and extenuating then the commiting of it through presumption for as much as all passive failings which arise from unevennesse of strength are not so high as the active trespassings which arise more from the readie contributions and concurrent assistances and furtherances of our own hearts now to the thing in particular Presumptuous sinnes are the bold darings and proud adventurings of the heart upon things or wayes known to be unlawful against expresse Presumptuous sins described threatnings either upon a false confidence or upon contemptuous slighting or desperate wilfulnesse I have in this description not only expressed the nature of presumptuous sinnings but also concluded in it the several degrees and risings thereof all which give mee now liberty to open and explaine consider therefore 1. That presumptuous sinnings are proud adventurings of the heart upon sinne there is a large difference 'twixt foilings Presumptuous sinnings are proud adventurings upon sin by temptation and adventurings by presumption Temptation beats down that actual strength of grace resisting but presumption tramples down the light of the word opposing therefore presumptuous sinners are said to sinne with an exalted or high hand the sinner doth put aside Gods will and prefers his
meer Restraints In the fulness of duration hold in the nature no longer then the things remain by vertue of which the mind was restrained Let the fear of death expire put aside the edge of the Law be sure that shame shall not follow and the only restrained sinner breaks open school so that he goes to the sin But holdings back by renewed grace are cohibitions of the heart upon permanent grounds viz. the perpetual contrariety twixt God and sin twixt sin and his Will and Holiness and Goodness and Honour 7. They differ in this That the heart of a man only restrained In Restraints men grow worse when at liberty doth being at liberty like waters held up pour forth it self more violently and greedily as if it would pay use for foâ—bearnace it abounds in the sin and makes a more fully wicked recompence for the former restrictions But where the soul is kept back by renewing grace iâ— doth not multiply sin Not so in renewingâ— because of less practise now but is labouring a fuller diminution of sin because of too much practise heretofore 8. They differ thus An evil man is kept back as a prisoner Restraints are an evil mans force and cross a good mans desire and joy by force against his Will But a good man is kept back as a Petitioner it is his hearts desire O that my wayes were so directed that I might keep thy statutes order my steps in thy Word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins It is an evils man cross to be restrained and a good mans joy to be kept back from sin when sin puts forth it self the evil man is putting forth his hand to the sin but when sin puts forth it self the good man is putting forth his hand to heaven if he finds his heart yielding out he cries O keep back thy servant An evil man is kept back from sin as a friend from a friend as a lover from his lover with knit affections and projects of meeting but a good man is kept back from sin as a man from his deadly enemy whose presence he hates and with desires of his ruine and destruction It is the good mans misery that he hath yet an heart to be more tamed and mastered It is an evil mans vexation and discontent that still or at any time he is held in by cordor bridle And thus you see what David aims at in desiring to be kept back from presumptuous sins viz. not a meer suspension but a mortification not a not-acting only but a subduing of the inclination not for a time but for ever Nevertheless methinks there may he something more added for the opening of this point Keep back thy servant from presumptuons sins Take what I conceive briefly thus God keeps back his God keeps back his servants from sinne By preventing grace servants from sin 1. By preventing Grace which is by infusing such a nature which is like a Bias into the Boul drawing it aside another way so that holy nature which God confers on his servants doth secretly draw off the soul from the consent appetition and practise of sin propounded to the soul 2. By assisting Grace which is a further strength superadded By assisting grace to that first implanred nature of holiness like an hand upon a Child holding him in This Divines call a Co-operating Grace which is an excess of divine strength to that strength which God hath formerly imprinted in preventing grace which whether it be an inlargement of habitual grace in the natural measure of it as when health is made to rise to a greater degree of strength or whether it be an efficacious motion of Gods Spirit powerfully strengthning the inherent Grace to the acts of aversation and resistance of sin and temptation It is I confess an acute and disputable inquiry yet whether the one or whether the other the soul is by either more confirmed and established and upheld and kept from sin 3. By quickning Grace which is when God doth inliven By quickning grace our graces to manifest themselves in actual oppositions so that the soul shall not yield but keep off from entertaining the sin As when in the motions of sin he inflames the heart with an apprehension of his own love in Christ and then excites our love exceedingly unto himself again whereby the heart is made marvelously averse and to detest any closure with this sin by which so ample and gracious a love should be wronged and abused or as when in the temptations to sin he excites that affection of holy fear which works that filial and awful regard to a great God and a good Father that the soul is brought into Josephs temper how can I do this great evil and sinne against God 4. By directing grace which is when God confers that effectual By directing grace wisdome to the minde tendernesse to the conscience watchfulnesse to the heart that his servants become greatly solicitous of his honour scrupulously jealous of their own strength and justly regardful of the honour of their holy profession And therefore they decline all occasions of the sinne which may over-lay their own strength and dailies not with the temptations or with the first motions But as they are in fear of themselves so they are in defiance not only with apparent sins but also with the appearances of them and shun not only the sins but the inlets and preparations to the sinnes and verily he shall be much kept from the secrecy of sin as a King who is wise to keep off Parle with the Ambassadors of sin I mean occasions which do negotiate with the soul and prepare it to lose its own strength 5. By doing grace which is when God effectually enclines By doing grace the heart of his servants to the places and wayes of their refuge safeties and preservations from sin By enlarging the spirit of supplication which carries the soul to its strength prayer engageth God and this we finde that the praying Christian is more kept from sin then the disputing Christian for though sinne be stronger then reason yet God is stronger then sin by framing the heart to the reverent and affectionate use of his Ordinances A man many times comes to the word a combitant but is sent away a Conqueror comes hither as a pursued man by sin and Satan but here God gives him a safeguard a protection and sends him away armed with more holy resolutions courage and defiance by strengthning his graces by assuring his love and strength by making the sinne more vile and odious SECT III. Quest 3. NOW I proceed to the third question What causes or Why David prayes to be kept from presumptuous sins reasons there should be which might move David to put up this prayer Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sinnes Sol. Reasons thereof are many I will touch them though under a few
heads viz. 1. In respect of himself 2. In respect of the sins themselves 3. In respect of others 4. In respect of God 1. In respect of himself 1. If he considered himself there were sufficient grounds In respect of himself for such a petition because 1. His aptnesse by vertue of original corruptions even to His aptness to presumptuous sins presumptuous sinnes Beâ—oved I dare not traverse the extent and compasse of sinne in respect of aptitude and possibility even for a good man of this I am sure the least sin is farther then he should go and the higher he mounts in sin the deeper are his own wounds no man can be safely bad or comfortably sinful Nevertheless this may be said that though there be some top-sins which perhaps a good man doth not commit yet there is scarce any sinne for kinde or degree which might not lay him flat if God did not hold him up and keep him back The reason whereof is this because original sinne which cleaves to the best is not only a corrupt but also an universal corrupt inclination what the Phylosophers conceit of the capacity and disposition in their first matter that it is illimited unbounded infinite not restrained to this or that forme onely but in a general way lies open to all impressions That is most true of original corruption even in all that it is for its part a capacity an aptnesse to any actual villany and wickednesse a womb of all uncleannesse a seed of all iniquity not distinguishing 'twixt the vilest and the fairest transgressions Paul complained in Rom. 7. 18. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing the flesh i. the corruption of sinful nature is an utter vacancy of any good that is the privative nature of it and then the flesh i. e. sinful corruption is a diseased inclination a filthy fountaine a lewd womb a sinning sin impelling intising egging on the soule to consents and acts unlawful and that upon all occasions without any distinctions of great or little and that is the positive nature of it Though inherent grace doth much abate and keep under that sinful nature as a naughty servant may be held down by a good and stronger Master yet it is of a false deceitful and capable nature for the vilest impressions of actual sins 2. His impotency and self inability to keep off himself from His impotency to keep himself from such sins such sinnes Beloved it is true that grace is a sweet and enabling quality he who receives grace doth with it receive a measure of strength proportioned to the degree of grace received and no man is so vaine to conceive that a person receiving grace can do no more against sin then he who Note was never armed with such heavenly power But then Divines have well distinguished that as there must be a first grace which they call gratia operans to change the nature within so there must be a second grace which they call gratia co-operans to assist the soul and the first grace against the insolency of corruption and of actual temptations grace can do much but of it self not alwayes enough to keep off a sin it is true that the distance of the soul and sin depends Note on grace but that the soul keeps a distance from such a sin i. that such a sin doth not engage and lay flat the soul this doth not owe it self to the meer and natural strength of the the first created grace but to that grace as assisted and supported by an higher hand from heaven so far as I yet conjecture that principally effectual strength of created grace is more in its dependance then in its self As an arme is strong and able to do much service and to put off several assaults but principally by reason of its communion with the head from which if it were separated it can do nothing but fall down oâ— as the beame of light from the Sunne moves irradiates pierceth and perhaps heates and melts none of which could it do if there were an eclipse an intercision a cutting of it off from its dependance on the Sunne so grace doth most and more as it is most and more assisted from above from its head which is Christ and from God who is the father of lights Suppose grace left intirely and solely to it self a person would be exposed to many and foul miscarriages though the water be well heated yet remove the fire and the natural cold will return and prevaile over that accidental heat The natural habits of sin would easily have the better of the extrinsecal habits of grace were not these held up and backed by an higher arme then that of it self or then that in corruption working against it you know that all Adams strength was not Canon proof against Satans temptations he assaulted and entred his Castle and laid him flat and all the world with him Peter though a very good man and a very forward Disciple one qualified with much grace and high affections yet was beaten down in plaine field he could not preserve and keep back himself though armed before-hand with a warning from his Master but denied him thrice and that with some high qualifications too Nay the great falls of the best men we ever heard of in Scripture shew thus much that it was not their sword and their own spear that it was not their own strength which could keep them intirely back and point unto us not only the impotency of our own guard but also the name by which we stand and therefore is it that David prays Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins 2. In respect of the sins themselves In respect of the sinnes themselves The meere consideration of sins as presumptions afford strong causes why David should pray to be kept back from them for though every sin containes a natural reason of dislike and forsakement every sin carrying a foule quality in it and a condemning inconformity yet some sinnes are of a deeper dye and of a more crying guilt and of a darker blacknesse and of a more wounding sharpness and of a louder vilenesse then other some are Amongst which higher ranks of iniquity are presumptuous sins Presumptuous sins are amongst the higher rank of iniquity The more shining light we sin against the viler the sin and sinnings which may appear thus 1. The more shining light of grace is trampled over for to act the sin the viler is the sinning for if naked light makes the spot the broader the sinner ever sinnes the more by how much the more clearly he sees his way to sin then shining light makes it much more hainous i. when knowledge doth as it were wrestle in the conscience when it doth contend strongly with the soul by force of evidence and plain reasonnings to stay it But now presumptuous sins and sinnings they are the laying flat as it were of shining light the
soul doth as it were shut its eyes and stop its ears it doth break away to the sin against all the discoveries and clear impleadings of knowledg gainsaying and withstanding it the presumptuous person goes not to sin ignorantly but he doth it by imprinted light so the sin as Gods enemy which yet he will embrace as his friend yea the more Inexcusable that a sin is the worse it is when little or nothing can be said in behalf of the siner thus is it in presumptuous sinings the man cannot say I did not know it I was not warned 2. The more pride of heart accompanies any kind of sinning The more pride of heart in any sinning the viler it is this makes it the more vile for pride lifts up the point of the sword it shakes the speare against God when the will of God and the will of a sinner come into a competition about sining then pride growes high Who is the Lord saith Pharaoh that I should let Israel goe Exod. 3. Who is Lord over us said they in Psalme 12. when the heart goes proudly to sin it will acknowledge noe Lord but it s own pleasure and no rule but it s own resolution it can slight a precept and scorne a threatning Now presumptuous sinnings are filled with pride I think St. Austine had an aime at this in his exposition of this v. when he rendered the reading of it thus contine servum tuum a superbiis keep back thy servant from prides as if pride were knotted and folded doubled in presumptuous sinnings there was pride and pride again in that heart which durst thus to sinne and verily so there is in presumptuous sinnings a manifold pride a pride of judgement to approve that which God hath branded and condemned a pride of will to rise up to that which God would have the sinner forbear A pride of security to make a Sanctuary for the soul when God hath threatned wrath c. 3. The more impudency and boldnesse attends a sinning the worse it is There is a double impudency about sinning One of defence when the sinne hath been committed of which I am not now to speak which is no more but to paint The more impudency in sinning the worse it is a whore or to cover a plain sore to make that seeme good which really is stark nauâ—ht Another of entrance when the sinful soul layes aside all shame and fear and modesty and restraints and arguments said he whatsoever may be said come of it whatsoever may come yet I wiâ—l on let God take it well or take it ill let him beseech by mercy or warne by threatnings nothing moves neither my peace nor comfort nor soul prevail nor my shame nor trouble nor misery keep back But thus it is in presumptuous sinnings the heart is bold and impudent which can look so much mercy in the face and yet will dare to sinne which can look so many threatnings in the face yet wil dare to sin which can look its own great misery in respect of the issue Note and end of the sinnin in the face and yet will dare to sinne nay which can perhaps look many former experiences of bitteâ—ness and anguish for the same sinful adventurings in the face and yet will dare to sin puttinâ— the hand into the fire agâ—in which hath burned it and venturnig to swim in those waters where had not Gods mercy stept in the soul had long since been drowned 4. The more abuse of mercy concurs to the sinning the more hainous it raiseth the sinne for mercy is the sweetest stop of a The more Mercy is abused the more hainous the sin sinner and the kindness of it should smooth off the soule from offending what is mercy but that unspeakable readinesse in God to forgive a sinner a gracious willingnesse to sit down with wrong offered if yet the sinner will come in and the abusings of it are affronts to the highest love But now in presumptuous sinnings mercy is extreamly abused First in that it hath not its dirâ—ct end the direct end of mercy is to awe and to keep off the heart from sinne There is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feare Psal 130. But the presumptuous sinner is lesse fearful because God is so merciful and the mercies of God should lead to repentance Rom. 2. But the presumptuous sinner yet dares to hold on the sinful trade Secondly when it is made to serve and to encourage sinne O this is the imbasing of that high and tender attribute of God when we draw out from his goodnesse to embolden the heart to wickednesse as if that God whose soul abhorres sinne would let fall any expression to hearten a sinner yet thus it is with the presuming sinner the very mercy of God makes him bold to sin against God the confidence of that easiness in God to forgive occasions him therefore to adventure and multiply transgressions In respect of others 3. In respect of others David had good reasons to pray to be kept from presumptuous sinnes in respect of others as well as in respect of himself whither you consider his general calling a man of goodness or his particular calling a man of dignity and place but I will fold them both together thus then 2. Reasons His sins would be exemplary 1. Such sinnes would be exemplary and noted There are three things which set a man upon the stage which lift up his actions on high to the eye of the word One is his powerful and active sanctity a very holy man is a kinde of a wondrous sight after which many eyes are gazing Godlinesse is a very rare thing and therefore men look much upon him who professeth it Another is his singular dignity lift a man out of the croud advance him to a place and seat of honour above others how busie is the multitude to eye and judge and imitate him The wayes and actions of great persons are usually the present copies of the most A third is his notorious miscarriages which are like the tayle of a blazing comet the great sinning of good orgreat men fall instantly into common discourse and perhaps also easily into common practice Therefore great cause had David to pray against presumptuous sinnes which by his practice might prove a common snare for who will not confidently write after that sinful copy which both goodnesse and greatnesse have begun that which the great man dotâ— the inferior person will do and that which the good man doth that the evil man thinks he may now lawfully do if knowledge will venture ignorance supposeth that it may safely follow and if holinesse will adventure why should profaneness be so nice as to stop The way or fact is credited either as not bad or else not so dangerous where either authority or profession are leaders Now this might be some cause to move good David to pray to be kept back from presumptuous sins
his heart to be as he hath been and to do as he hath done he will not learn to do good he will hold fast his wickedness here sin is in dominion Nevertheless for the clear discovery of this part of sins dominion in respect of the will be pleased to observe several things 1. That there is a twosold will There is a twofold will Single 1. One is altogether single in its workings it doth not partly incline to good and partly to evil but either only to good or only to evil v. g. where the created nature which is reasonable was never morally deformed or where the rational nature is gloriously reformed there the will inclines only to good as in the Angels and blessed souls so again where the nature is totally deformed I mean in respect of spirituals where it is intirely corrupted there the Bias of the will draws the soul only to evil the whole ponde weight and strength of the will is for sin and the sinner without any intrinsecal opposition of another nature in the will will yeeld and surrender up himself unto sin Now such a will as this plainly argues dominion of sin where the will what it is and can do that it is and will do for sin when we may say of the will as Saint John of the world the whole world lies in wickedness 1 Joh. 5. 19. so the whole will the whole frame and bent of it is universally obediential or serviceable where the whole nature of the will vents it self into an habitual and plenary consent This is of it self manifest that sin hath dominion Another is mixt and compounded when the will is divided Mixt and compounded within it self and consequently its consents and dissents embracings and refusing are likewise opposed one to another and opposing each the other in the same man you must know that original sin which yet in part remaines is diffused through the whole man and into every faculty and so renuing grace which is oppositite thereto is an universal temper dispersed into every faculty too Neither is it able utterly to dis-lodge sin in respect of being on some actings So that a regenerate man as Saint Austinâ— spake hath in him an old man and a new man his flesh is like a dead man and his spirit like a living man the living man moves up the dead man hangs down the living mans breath is sweet the dead mans savour is loathsome so far forth as the will is renewed by grace so far doth it reject and deny sinnes consent but so far as it is affected and distuâ—bed by remaining and working corruption so far forth it is willing and ready enough to consent to sinful actings Now when we say that the dominion of sin depends upon the will this is not to be understood of the compounded will or of the assent and actions which do arise from a nature and will imperfectly renewed and cleansed in respect of degrees But of the single and corrupt and so compleat will wherein the consent is total and plenary Now the plenary consent of the will consists properly in the full and natural and longing inclination of the will after sin when the will embraceth an evil sets the heart upon it bends after it and that without any resistance or striving so that it is the embracing of sin with an unstriving consent of the will which sets up the dominion Quest 1. Here now falls in a subtle and deep enquiry whether Whether all resistance impairs dominion and no resistance argueth it All resistance doth not prejudice dominion all resistance impairs dominion and no resistance doth always infallibly argue it Sol. I answer briefly to the first 1. That all resistance doth not prejudice dominion A man may hold a firme league with sin in his heart he may be a servant to it though sometimes in some particulars he may skirmish and quarrel There is therefore a double resistance or denying or disputing A twofold resistance with sin One is Collateral and accidental which doth not arise Collateral and Accidental from an immediate contrariety of nature but from a contrariety of effects As now a man in whom sin hath dominion his sinnings may be sent back with such bitter Writs of attachment that he may stand at defiance and be at some forbearance a while from sin or he may have such affected apprehensions of death and hell and shame and terror whereupon he may resist sin as penal and painful as a thing so bitterly vexing and galling and this grieves him too Another is natural and immediate which depends on an Natural and immediate holy nature implanted in the soul which opposeth sinne as a thing formally evil and displeasing to God This resistance doth I confess prejudice sin in its dominion but the former doth not Secondly No restraint doth imply the consent to be plenary No resistance doth imply a plenary consent and therefore sinne to be in dominion when the estate of the soul is such that no contrary quality stands twixt the command of sin and the obedience of a sinner it is easie to point who is Lord of the House and indeed what doth more palpably demonstrate dominion then a quiet subjection Note It is not all the commandings of sin alone which argue dominion infallibly an enemy may command much and highly as Sennacherib and yet not be obeyed but it is consent and the more full and quiet kinde of consent which is that where no resistance is made this shews that the strong man possesseth the house Quest 2. But yet another question is raised and to be removed Whether a good man may not yeeld a plenary consent in whom sin hath not dominion whether a good man in whom sinne hath not dominion may not yeeld a plenary consent of will which if then plenary consent argues not dominion I will tell you what I conjecture about it in a few propositions 1. It is possible that he may sinne willingly two Intensive A good man may sin willingly aggravations of sin in respect of particulars may befall a good man viz. he may sin knowingly and he may sin willingly the cause whereof is this because his will is but in part renued and therefore may be a willing principle neither doth this set up sin in dominion though it greatens sin in the commission for as much as not every particular willingness but an habitual a compleat willingness assures sin of its dominion Secondly observe that there is a double concourse of the wills There is a double concourse of the will to sin Reall consent to sin One is real when in truth the whole composition and all the inclination of the will is for sin the bent of it and Bias all runs that way and where it is thus there sin is in dominion Another is sensible which is an observed acting of the will Sensible as embracing and leaguing it
government of Christ they do consent unto him that he only shall rule them and they do resigne up themselves to his will they do bestow their hearts and service on him Beloved when a person makes choice of Christ to be his Lord he doth consider the several kinds of dominion of sin of the World of the Devil of Christ he considers them seriously and compares them and then he findes that no dominion for a mans soul is like Christs none so righteous and just none so holy and heavenly none so sweet and profitable Christ hath the only right to the soul and his government is infinitely best Now the person hereupon makes choice of Christ and comes unto him with humble tears and beseecheth him to reigne over him O blessed Jesus saith the soul thou art the only Lord and there is none like thee or besides thee I have been a rebel an enemy unto thee I have been disobedient and have served divers lusts and pleasures I have served the world and the Prince of darknesse but now I renounce their service and condemne my slavery and come unto thee to be my Lord. Thy title is just and proper to my soul it is thy purchase and therefore the service of it belongs to thee Thy precepts and commands are righteous and holy therefore doth thy servant make choice of thee and love them thou wouldst have my heart my will my affections my life and who should have them but thy self upon thee do I bestow my self and most gladly do I consent to thy holy wil and resigne up all the strength and powers of all that I am or have or can do to the service and honor of thee though sin rage yet I will serve thee though the world frown or fawne yet I will serve thee though Satan tempt yet I wiâ—l serve thee My heart I bestow on thee as well as my safeties my service I bestow on thee as well as my hopes thy honour I desire sincerely to intend my love I set on thee my fear is of thee my greatest care shall be to obey thy will and my only joy to bring thee glory such a choice of Christ to be our Lord infallibly argues that sin hath not dominion forasmuch as this cannot be without the change of the heart and whole man which change cannot consist with sinnes dominion 2. If sin and we be enemies then sinne is not our Lord. If sin and we be enemies Sin is an enemy Really Sin is an enemy two ways Either Really thus it is an enemy to him who yet dearly loves and faithfully serves it thouâ—h it gives unto a man the wages of unriâ—hteousnesse many sinful pleasures and many sinful profits yet in all these sin is an enemy to the person it woâ—ks his soul off from God and happinesse and holiness and exposeth it to death and hell Practically thus sin is an enemy when a man looks upon Practically it and deals with it as with an enemy he judgeth of it as of a viâ—e thinâ— and hates it and abhors it as the only evill thing and enemy to his soul Beloved when sin hath dominion there is then a confederacy 'twixt it and the soul the Prophet calls it a Covenant and the Apostle calls it a contract or espousâ—lâ— or marriage i. such an agreement and conjunction where the soul bestows its choicest love on sin But when the dominion of sinne goes off then the Covenant is broken the knot is dissolved the affection of love is displaced As it was in another case Amons love turned to the cruelest hatred so here though a man did love his sins yet now his love is changed into hatred and this hatred infallibly argues the indominion of sin for 1. Hatred includes separation It is such a quality as draws off Hatred includes separation the sou love is that which draws on the soul towards its object and hatred is that which draws it off Get thee hence said they in Esay 30. 22. and what have I to do any more with idol said Ephraim Hos 14. 8. Now sinnes dominion consists in the cleaving and united subjection of the affections the soul makes sin its centre unto which it wholly inclines it and the soul are one when sin reignes and therefore the separation of the affections which is done by hatred argues that the yoke is broken asunder 2. Again hatred includes perfect opposition the greatest defiance Hatred includes perfect opposition and contradictions and warrings arise from hatred we oppose and crosse most where we hate most And this cannot be where sinne hath dominion for there our weapons are edged for our lusts we love them much and defend them most and are careful to preserve and keepe them Thirdly hatred inclines to destruction Ruine is the scope Hatred inclines to destruction of hatred we seek the death of him whom we hate and all the evil which befals a person hated is the joy of him that hates So is it where sin is hated a man seeks the death of sin and therefore such persons as hate sinne are said in Scripture to mortifie the flesh and to crucifie â—heir lusts i. the killing and subduing and rooting out of sinne is that which they desire and endeavour Now this cannot stand with sin in dominion where a man is so far from offering any deadly violence to his reigning sins that he reputes him as the greatest enemy who drawes forth any crucifying weapons and applies them to the casting downe of his strong holds 3. If holiness or grace hath our love then sin hath not dominion over us If holinesse here our love Beloved it is granted that 1. The Dominion of sin may consist with the naked profession The dominion of sin may consist with the naked profession of holinesâ— of holinesse An hypocrite whose heart is in the deepest and most affectionate and elaborate service of some one particular lust he may yet wear the livery and garb and profession of greatest sanctity Nay he doth therefore seem good that he may the more inobservably and fully follow his sinne 2. The Dominion of sin may consist with the knowledge of holiness great parts and intellectual speculations of holinesse And with the knowledge of holinesse as they may depend upon forraigne causes without grace viz. upon meer study and frequent hearings and a natural desire of knowing and looking into all intelligible objects and also on an humour of pride that a man will be accounted able to say something in every thing I say as those intellectual parts may depend upon weak and vain causes so they may consist with an ardent love of reigning corruptions for learning alters not the nature nor doth more knowledge overthrow sin a man may be a learned sinner and by his knowledge grow more accurately and inexcusably sinfull 3. The Dominion of sin may consist with some visible actings And with some visible actings of holinesse of
seeme a mercy if of a cruell Tyrant that would seem a mercy if of a desperate enemy if of bonds if of a sickness what then is it to be rid of the rule of sin which is infinitely worse then all these Fourthly no Lord so bad and no command soe vile as those of sin in dominion Therefore blesse God for your deliverance No Lord so bad or commandes so vile as those of sin in dominion you whose soules are through the mighty graciousnesse of a good God rescued from the powers of darknesse Tell me what are your thoughts what your judgements what your troubles for the workings of your vanquished enemy if the weakned corruptions appeare yet so vile what were your raigning corruptions If sin be so monstrous unto you now only in remptation what was it heretofore in dominion if the finger be so heavy what were the loynes if a particular action doth as you imagine expose you so dangerously what did the service of sin do under what displeasures of wrath lay your soules when sin had fullest affection and compleat to obedience Rebekah seemed weary of her life because of the presence of the Daughters of Heth If the presence created such an affliction what might the conjunction and union have done verily if sin be as it is bad and troublesome in combate O it is infinitely worse in the throne and absolute Empire over the soule wherein every faculty serves it with all its strength and madly strives how to dishonour God breaks his law resists his spirit to fulfill lusts and please the devill and to damne the soule O blesse the Lord for his goodnesse to thee that yet the dominion of sin is off T is true corruption yet remaines but yet it remaines not as a Lord but as a Tyrant not as a king but as an enemy time was that sin had thy love but now thou hatest it time was that sin had thy minde to devise for it but now those imaginations are cast down time was that thy will was espoused to sin but now a divorce is sued out time was that thy members were ready enough to fullfil the lusts of the flesh but now they are made servants of righteousnesse time was that thou didest sell thy selfe to wickednesse and was never so joyfull as when thou wast sinfull but now it is not so thou art a drudge a slave a vassall no longer thy former wayes amaze thee and the present Commands of sin are an affliction to thee O blesse the Lord c. 5. Again if the dominion of sin be off then assuredly the scepter If dominion of sin be off then the septer of Christ is set up in thy soul of Christ is set up in thy soul Beloved the soule stands not abides not in a middle estate it must have some one Lord or other it is necessarily under some one dominion either of sin or of Christ and this know that the dominion of sin cannot be taken off in the soul but by a contrary by a better by a stronger dominion by that of Christ who dispossesseth the strong man It is he who hath changed thy heart who hath made thy heart to chang its Master who hath drawn off thy love thy service c. Now no dominion in the world like that of Christ No dominion like Christs None so holy 1. None so holy hee is holy love holinesse and all his commands are righteous 2. None so Gracious he doth not exact beyond what he gives So gracious and will yet mercifully pardon our true endeavors of service wherein they fall short 3. None so peaceable his very service is a kind of wages to the obedient a vassal to sin is like a man labouring all day about Soe peaceable thornes and nettles the more abundance of them grasped Simile by him galls him with the more wounds and paines no man can be long cheerfully sinfull either Terrour or feare accompanies most sinnings but the service of Christ hath warrant from the word and peace from conscience 4. None so afflicted his commands are accompanied with So afflicted strength and spirit he bids us to do the worke and gives us his owne hand thereto imposeth duty and Imprinteth ability writes the law to the eare and writes it also in the heart 5. None so rewarded no man serves Christ too much or for Soe rewarded nought Though all our work be but duty yet he payes us rich wages we owe unto Christ all our strength and the use of all our graces neither doe we bring in so much of these in full service as we should yet our good Lord and Master will give us if we be faithfull servants at night our penny and at the last our crowne 6. Lastly be thankfull for if dominion be off then damnation is off There is no condemnation saith Paul to them that are in If dominon of sin be off damnation is off Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom 8. 1. A man is not damned meerly because he hath sin for then no man could be saved for who is the man that sinneth not but because sin is his Lord and he is the servant of sin Not so much because he is bad but because he will be bad not only for the act but for the love T is confessed that guilt is as naturall to sin as the shaddow is to the body no man can sin at any time in any thing and yet be Innocent But meritorious guilt is one thing and redounding guilt is another thing If the dominion of sin be broken off that a man loves not sin but hates it yeelds not up himselfe unto it but resists it is not in league but in conflict with it then the estate of guilt is taken off so that it shall not effectually redound to the condemnation of the person where God doth powerfully subdue the sinfull nature there he will mercifully pardon and discharge the unwillingly sinning and offending person if sin be not thy Lord then Hell shall not be thy portion He who is become an enemy to his sins grace rules in his heart now and glory shall crowne his soule hereafter Obj. But will some troubled and therefore unably discerning soule reply we doubt it not But that it is a most singular Doubts of troubled soules fearing they are still under the Dominion of sin mercy A rich grace worthy of greatest acceptance and heartiest thankes where the dominion of sin is broken off but alas we feare it is not so with us heavy cause have we to suspect that we are captives yet under sins dominion so that though others who can happily observe the yoke broken off and therefore can be chearfully thankfull we finde it yet strong O very strong and therefore more reason have we of griefe and sorrow Beloved it is granted that if a man findes himselfe indeed Sol. under the dominion of any sin assuredly
he hath peculiar cause of great humblings speediest reformings vehement Answered beggings at the throne of grace for mercy and for the mighty power of Jesus Christ to release and deliver his soule But then let us carefully observe whither this of which a man complaines be sin in dominion or not perhaps it may be somthing else and then the soule must be advised and directed in a more especiall way Why I finde such strong and manifold inclinations of sin within me daring forth into so many vile imaginations and Doubts for the strong inclinations of sin working down to draw my affections woe's me what is the dominion of sin but this and who but a slave of sin is hurried with such motions of sin it cannot be that my heart should be good whilest inclinations are soe manifoldly bad To this let me shape a few answers 1. First I demand how the heart stands affected toward these Answered How stands â—hy heart manifold inclinations doest thou approve them or dis-allow affected to these inclinations them doest thou love them or doest thou hate them verily saith the soule I dislike them and hate them they are the burden of my soule And why so why because God is dishonouâ—ed by them and they are contrary to his holy will and they are evill and filthy O I had rather be in any miserable estate then in this sinfull and vile estate Now then observe sin hath not dominion in thee for where sin hath dominion sin is not formally and purely hated The dominion of sin doth not consist in the multiplicity of Note motions a man may have many enemies to assault him and yet love and serve none so a man may have many sins inclining and tempting and yet be a servant to none of them for it is not the temptation of sin which infalâ—ibly argues dominion but the willing resiâ—nation of the heart the subjection of the heart to those motions and temptations of sin this necessarily is required to make dominion but now thy heart doth not so it doth not resign up it selfe it yeelds not subjection for asmuch as it doth hate and resist and bewaile sin even in temptation Of all the signes of a good heart of a heart that is delivered from sins dominion this is one of the best and surest viz. That it hates and resists and bewailes sin when it is only in temptation when a man hath committed a sin then the conscience being made guilty may alone breake and afflict and this may befal even a wicked man there is now some other thing besides sin in the filthinesse of it to worke trouble and griefe viz. The guilt and accusation of it but when sin is resisted and bewailed in the temptation before it hath got out into actuall commission now the peculiar reason of trouble is the formall vilenesse of sin because it is so base and so opposite to â—od Secondly I demand what doest thou against these sinful What doest thou against these sinful inclinations inclinations every man hath some weapons or other and in case of anguish he is apt to draw them what weapons hast thou in thy hand and to what end doest thou mannage them Do not many and strong temptations of sin occasion many and strong supplications the more that sin inclines the more doth thy heart incline to God by prayer for more grace to resist for more strength to subdue doest thou not by reading and hearing and inquiry labour to finde out the manifold helpes and victories of a tempted and an assaulted soule doest thou not keep the precepts of God in thy heart and the threatnings of God in thy heart that thou mayest feare to offend him and the promises of God which yet hearten thee to withstand What doth all this demonstrate but that sin is not in dominion it is I confesse thy troublesome enemy but it is not thy ruling Lord it is that which doth molest thee it is not that which doth reign in thee it is that which would have dominion but it is not that which hath dominion it is that which doth assault thy affection but is not that which hath got thine heart thou art but in a greater war Neverthelesse thou art not so much as in captivity though in a strong conflict Yea but yet I feel one thing perhaps worse then all this sin Object workes in me after a more peculiar manner their is a particular Doubts because of some Speciall sinfull inclination sinfull inclination in me and so hath it been all my dayes if I were to give you the sum of my life I could lay out that particular inclination above all the rest like a threed which goes through the whole piece such a sin which I have seen long since felt it and I thought bewailed it and resisted it a long time and yet here it lives still workes still can it be that sin Sol. should not have dominion where some one speciall corruption Answered yet lives I must be warily tender to Resolve this scruple for asmuch as 1. Particular subjection is enough to set up dominion 2. Hypocrites are under the reigne of speciall lust and particular sins both which I touched heretofore But to the scruple take me thus Conversion doth not totally remove any one sinfull inclination 4. Things 1. That when God doth convert the soul no one sinfull inclination is totally removed though every one be in some measure changed The corrupt nature doth yet remaine and all its principles or particular inclinations to particular sins for grace doth not change us by a present Annihilation of sin but by a powerfull alienation of our hearts from it Sin may work in a man when rescued out of the dominion of sin in a more particular way Secondly note that sin may worke even in a man rescued out of its dominion is a more singular or particular way my meaning is this that there may be in him yet a more particular twange and more apt inclination and propension to some one sin rather then to another Sin yet abiding may take the advantage of the same complexion still remaining and of the same condition and calling yet continuing and without all doubt most men living whether good or whether bad do finde more to do with some one sinful inclination then with another Thirdly consider usually that particular inclination which was in dominion before conversion is most frequent in inclination That particular inclination which was in dominion before is usually most frequent in inclination after calling Reasons of it after our calling And I will give you some probable Reasons thereof One because that was the spring of the sinne of our custome which sent out and fed the issue by which the soule was so beaten in the path and way of sinning so that the old and accustomed nature cannot easily or presently forget its ancient and wonted bents a custome will hardly or
that Ignorance it Sol. There are four things which do it 1. One is ignorance The blindnesse of the understanding is a principal guard of reigning sinne you reade that they in Eph. 4. 19. Gave themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greediness like a souldier who gives himself up and takes pay or like a servant who passeth away himself to service so these resigned up their hearts and lives to all uncleanness it was their delight it was their work this shewed the dominion of sin But what was the cause of this See v. 18. Their understandings were darkned through the ignorance that was in them because of the blindness of their hearts The ignorance of sinne kept up their earnestnesse and practice of sinning If ignorance rules the minde then sinne will easily rule the heart all sinful dominion is enabled by ignorance The Devil is a Prince of darknesse and takes speciall care to keep men blinde Antichrist is a sonne of darkness and therefore above all sets up his kingdome by ignorance So is it with sin it selfe its dominion is mantained by blindnesse in the minde and therefore sin in unconverted men makes the mighty opposition against the word and the meanes of knowledge it knows well that no man turnes from sin who doth not discerne it nor hates it who knowes it not The prisoner is sure enough under a locke and in the dungeon Now then if ever you would get off this natural dominion of sinne you must get knowledge a double knowledge in the minde 1. One direct and that is a distinct and true apprehension of sin just as the Lord reveals it to be both for its proper nature and genuine affects 2. Another is Reflexive that is sinfulnesse which God hath revealed to be so vile so abominable so fearfull It is in you and it is working in you you are under the powers of darknesse you must come to your selves you must fetch your souls unto your souls if you wiâ—l not get a sensibleness of sin and that is begun by knowledge you will live and die in your sins A Second thing which keeps up the naturall dominion of sin is a violent love of sin Love is the sinew of the heart yea it is the chaire of state whatsoever sits in it that is the King of the Violent love of sin soule whether grace or sin For love doth bestow the heart what our love is that our heart is it makes all to stoop and yield There is no talke of parting while love remaines I will not goe free said the Hebrew servant for I love my master Why the soule and sin are in a sworne covenant like David and Jonathan if the soule doth love sin untill you take off the love you shall never be able to take downe the dominion Therefore this shall be another direction break downe the love of sin Ob. But how should that be done Sol. First convince the heart that sin is no lovely thing There be three things which should not fall under our love 1. That which is the object of Gods hatred No man may love that which God hates 2. That which is the object of Gods curse that cannot be good which he curseth and therefore not lovely 3. That which is the cause of mans damnation and misery for no man is to love the cause of his undoing Now sin is the only thing which God hates and which God curseth and which will damn a man 2. Give to thy soule a solid and full object of love finde out something which thou shouldest love Is there not a God a Christ an Holy spirit His word heaven c. There is no loveliness in sin and all loveliness in these things 3. Another thing which keeps up the dominion of sin is error Error and deceit and deceit there is a lye in every sin and the judgement is deceived where the sin is retained either a man thinkes he sins not but is escaped out of the hands of lust or that his condition is sound and good or if it be bad yet not so bad as others or if very bad yet he can at pleasure release himselfe and thus through a vaine fancy he continues under the bondage of his corruptions And so for the actions of sin he deceives his soul he doth not behold them in a comparison to the rule he doth not judge of them by the word but in a reference to his owne corrupt desires and delights which swallow downe infinite sins sugared over by pleasure and profit Now if ever you would get free from sin get your judgements to be cured a sound judgement may be a good meanes Note to breed a sound heart thou wilt never be perswaded to be good untill the erroneous confidence that thou art not bad be removed convince thy minde of these truths against all errors that indeed thou art sinfull And that no sin is little in its merit and it is not what is least wicked but he who is really good shall be saved Do not judge of acceptance or disacceptance by sensible pleasures or profits but beyond these look what that is which is so coloured and disguised it is even a snare for thy life and that which hunts for the precious soule 4. A fourth thing which keeps up dominion is custome the heart by customary sinning grows strong in sin and resolute and Custome is by often committings made more naturally sinful and more apt for further sinfull actions Now observe a little Give some checks to the ordinary Ob. course of sin why you will say It is impossible nay but it is not Though it be Impossible for a man alone to change his sinful Sol. heart yet it is not to check an outward sinfull act a man may chuse whether he will go and be drunke whither he will speake and sweare c. Ob. But if it were done this were vaine and fruitlesse for the dominion of sin Subsists in the nature Though manifested in the acts Sol. I grant it yet first If the heart be brought to set against the sinfull acts it may be brought to set against the sinfull nature secondly The abating of the acts may virtually conduce to the abating of that sinfull nature What may demolish the naturall dominion of sin Qu. 2. What may demolish and breake down the naturall dominion of sin Sol. I will Tell you a few things for this and I pray you to remember them That which doth this must have a greater power then sin 1. That which doth this it must have a greater power then sin for naturall dominion goes not of but by a stronger hand Satan is not dispossessed but by a stronger then Satan And we are not translated from the powers of darknesse but by an hand of omnipotency It must be of a contrary nature unto sin 2. That which doth this it must be a contrary nature unto sin for no kingdome can subsist by
whole heart v. 2. he addeth v. 3. They alsoe do no iniquity q. d. this is not their worke this is not the thing which they do approve or allow in which they live and walke sinne is not the upriâ—ht mans worke it is a strang work and a stranger work and David being to manifest his own uprightnesse saith Psal 18. 23. I was also upright before him and I kept my self from iniquity yea Psal 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evill way Iob was an upright man one that feared God and â—schewed evill Iob 1. 1. There was never any hypocrite living but his heart was false it did never condemn all sin in him peruse the scriptures and you shall read of none of them but they had some one way of wickednesse or other Jehu had his calves notwithstanding all his zeale for God Herod kept his Herodias notwithstanding all his forwardnesse and gladnesse and reverrence to Iohn Baptist The Pharisees kept their covetousnesse notwithstanding all their formall strictnesse and rigour The young man would not sel all notwithstanding all his profession of former obedience and Questionings what yet lack I Soe on the contrary there was never any person upright but his heart made conscience of all sin what is that that is he would be rid of all he would not allow himselfe in any one he would not keep up the covenant with sinne by being dispensed with in any one particular Ob. But you will say this may be hard for who can say my heart is cleane even the just man doth sinne seaven times a day Sol. Beloved you mistake me I do not say that this is a sign of uprightnesse that a man hath not sin in him or that he doth never act sin Indeed this were hard No man living should be upright by this But I say that the upright person makes conscience of all sin he sets against all sin he opposeth he condemneth he disalloweth all sin he will not be in covenant with any sinne Ob. Yet you may object but how may I know that I make conscience of all sin Sol. I will not insist on all which may be spoken onely take He that makes conâ—cience of all sin three things which will shew your uprightnesse in a conscience of all sin 1. if you be upright you will make conscience of secret as well You will make conscience of secret as well as open sins as open sins Why the feare of man the regard of our own credit the love of our own advantages may prevaile with an eviâ—l man with an hypocrite to keep in to worke craftiâ—y Not to sin at noon-day to hold off in publike and yet the love of sin prevailes upon him with ease to work wickeâ—nesse in the dark in private in secret for he saith none doâ—h see me an hypocrite is a secret sinner q. restraints are then taâ—en off But the upright person he hates sin because it is sâ—n â—nd therefore he doth not act it because it is secret or declinâ— it because it is open but he shuns both the one and the other because they are both sinfull Jobes heart was not secretly intised Iob. 31. 26 27. Is David in his family there will he wâ—lke with an upright heart Psal 101. 2. Is â—oâ—eph alone yet he dares not to do so great a wickedness and sin against God â—en â—9 Nay David hates all vain thoughts Psal 119. And Solomon saith that the thoughts of the righteous are right Prov. 12. 5. the upright person strives against secret inclinations and would have even the imaginations cast downe which are seen only by God 2. You will make conscience of the least sins sin we do usually divide into gross and foule and into little and small not that any sin is small in a relation to the rule but that one is not so great of the least sins and hainous in comparison of one sin with another Now where sins are reputed gross and foule and palpable even the civil man and the formal hypocrite may bevery precise very conscionable verytender but for lesser oaths for usual omissions for triffles for sinful atires for sinful associating with lewd and vile persons c alas these are poor thins small things why should we stand upon them Nay be not deceived God is not mocked the mote must be plucked out as well as the beam Davids heart smote him for cutting of the lap of Sauls garment as well as it rose against the vile counsell to cut of Sauls life he that is not faithful in the least will not be faithfull in the greatest And that man who will dispense with himselfe in small sins if occasion serve will likewise give himselfe a commission for great transgressions uprightnesse knows no such distinction in respect of approbation and allowance twixt great and small it is probable that Ananias layd down a great part of his estate yet herein was the falsenesse of his heart that he kept back some of the estate Hypocrisie doth not consist in this that a man doth wallow in all sins but in this that a man will allow himselfe in some sins Now try your selves in this conscionablenesse about small sins even lesser sins to upright persons are objects of great hatred and causes of great trouble 3. you will make conscience of sins which are in a sort more connatural Though every sin in respect of the original principle of sin be naturall to man in his corrupt estate yet their are of sins which are in a sort more connaturall special sins which have in respect of their actings and course more immediate favour and countenance from a sinner v. g. Those of particular inclination and those of custome and frequent practise and those of a mans particular condition and calling and those of present profit and pleasure I doe conjecture that there is scarce any one man living unlesse he hath intirely given up himselfe to Satan who doth cast away himselfe upon the service of every sin whatsoever and that their is scarce a person who is not more haunted with some particular sinful inclination more then another Now where the heart is Hypocriticall though it will proclaime defiance against many kindes of sinning yet as Naaman spake in another case so doth the hypocrite concerning some particular lusts onely herein the Lord be mercifull unto me In this I must be spared therefore Zophar speaking of the wicked and the hypocrite Iob. 20. 5. he saith that wickednesse is sweet in his mouth he hides it under his tongue v. 12. and v. 13. that he spares it and forsakes it not but keeps it still with in his mouth he is besotted and intangled and sets himselfe unto the power of some pleasant and profitable lust or other and no word of command or threatning no passage of affliction and trouble no experience or sense no inward accusation and rebukes of conscience will ever be able to draw of his heart from
constraine him 2. Cor. 5. 11 14. Both had an influence upon the Apostle Terror and love Simile judgement and mercy as we read of the woman who departed from the sepulchre that it was with feare and joy with the one and with the other so may our services come out and our sins be held of both out of love and out of feare For these two are not opposite one to another as grace and sin but may mingle together as severall ingredients in the same Physicke Yet one word more must be added by way of distinction that there is a twofold feare A twofold fear Servile One is servile which depends intirely on compelling arguments without any naturall inclination or disposition of the person The acts here are drawen out not from any aptnesse of the will or private approbation of the judgement nay these absolutely considered sway and incline a man a quite contrary way contrary to the acts of abstaining oâ— acting if a man who workes onely with servil feare might do what he liked and might chose his owne way and service he had rather A thousand times be at his sins and lay aside his worke of duty Now I said if a man doth abstaine from sinne or act duty meerly out of a servile feare he is not upright why because in uprightnesse the heart is carried against sin and the will is inclined to duty both which are wanting where feare is only servile Fillial Another is ingenious filial which is an enlarging feare such a feare as is not only not against the holy bent and inclination of the heart but it is likewise a furtherance an adiument it is as it were a farther strength imprinted into the Bowl which is rightly framed to runne and draw with a true by as This fear doth consist with uprightnesse and is necessary to every good Christian who ought to set up all the arguments which God is pleased to propound to the soul either to keep it off from sin or to draw it out to duty yet so as love acts its part too Ob. But now there will fall in one scruple with all this how How shall I know my abstainings from sin and acting duty springs out of naked feare or a feare commixt with love Where they proceed out of meer feare may I know whither my abstainings from sin or acting of duty springs out of naked feare or else out of a feare commixt with love And rather out of love then feare Sol. To resolve you in this and let me tell you this conduceth much to the discovery of uprightnesse consider 1. That where they proceed out of naked and meer feare Two Things 1. There is a contrary annd full regreeting of the heart against There is a contrary regreet of the heart against them them the bent of the heart is otherwise set for all acts of meer feare I speake of morall acts are reputed violent and involuntary they arise from a constraint and all constraints urge out acts which the nature if it were it selfe would not incline to nay the nature drawes against what it doth if it doth do any thing out of meer feare 2. Acts depending upon naked and meer feare doe cease when Acts depending upon feare cease when the motives of the feare ceaseth the motives or causes of that feare do cease and are still As the fable hath it of the frogs that though naturally they are inclined to croke yet when Jupiter threw downe the tree amongst them they were all husht and silent yet at length seeing no harme to ensue they set up their ugly note againe so evill men whose hearts are bent to sin may yet in the time of feare draw in hold off from sinning the beastly drunkard will not call for a cup to carouse nor the filthy wanton for his Queane to embrace on his death-bed he feares the flames of hell instantly to claspe him But let the motives of feare cease why he is as averse to that reformation which he professed and he is as facill and forward to that evill which he seemed to defie as the water is to fly out and run in its course which hath been for a while violently barred up and stoped As the Israelites who came off from sinning and into obedience upon the meer call of the stroke either of the sword or of the plague they did start aside Like a broken bowe Psal 78. 57. they served under the rod but when that was off they returned to the accustomed bent of sinning presently 2. That where they proceed out of feare mixt with love and Where they proceed out of fear mixt with love A man hath an eye to divine glory more then to his own safty rather out of love Foure Things 1. If love is mixt with feare in the obedience there a man hath an eye to divine glory as much if not more then to his owne safety Where meer feare prevailes to the worke there it satiâ—fies the man if he may after all sleep in a whole skin if he may be preserved and be secure what glory God may have he cares not nor mindes it directly But now if service spring out of love to God here my safety satisfies me not I do aime at Gods glory for I love him and love his praise as on the contrary where a man abstaines from sin out of meer feare he doth it not because else God shall have dishonor dishonor to God is not it which prevailes but his own quiet and personall exemption from paine and wrath and infamy these only sway with him and. 2. where love and feare concurres to set out the obedient acts there acceptance is propounded by the soule as well as recompence it will not suffice me that I shall have my pay but it Acceptance is propounded by him as well as recompence more affects me that God will be pleased to accept of me This is a truth that nothing but love will satisfie love the love of acceptance exceedingly answers all the acts which come from the love of obedience that I shall decline vengeance by such duties alas that is not all Nay but I bend and strive to finde acceptance with my God and Father love is the most predominant cause 3. Love is not only commixt with feare but is a more predominant cause in abstaining from sins where the contrariety of the act to God swayes and workes more upon the soule then the contrariety of the punishment to the man what 's that that is the offence by the vilenesse of sinning is far more grievous to my soule then the sense of punishment for sinning nay when the soule in a free and able estate to judge can utter from a sound conscience that were it to make its choices it had rather a thousand times submit to the punishment of sin then to the acting of sin verily if such a person abstaine from sin the abstaining is not out
of meer feare but out of love joyned with feare nay rather out of love then feare 4. Lastly much may be guessed by the strong and habitual Much may beguessed by the actâ—ngs of soule in times of security and of perplextity actings of the soule in times of security and in times of perplexity when a man dares not yet to breake out to sinne when all his quiet and full of peace but desires to keep ever lasting friendship with his God and communion with his God when a man will not fail in duty though God failes in courtesie i. seem to deale hardy and harshly with him yet he will serve him this argues a predominancy of love in our obedience that case in Pâ—â—l 44. 18 19. I feare I am not upright because of my particular sining A Second case in which a man may feare that he is not upright may be this viz. his particular sinnings the case goes thus uprightnesse is an even carriage of the heart and life and every sin is an unevennesse in motion it is a wrinesse a crookednesse a derivation from the right rule and path yet this is my condition saith a person and therefore just cause have I to question whither I be upright or no for the upright do no iniquity Psal 119. 2. he walkes according to the rule he departs from sinne though the line may be strait which hath many blurs yet it cannot be so which hath many or any windings and turnings I will speake something to this case And it is worth the while to open unto you whither and in what respects any How far any sinnings may consist with or contradict the frame of uprightnesse Particular sinnings may consist with a gracious frame but not with a gracious condition sinnings may consist with or else contradict the frame of uprightnesse for the assoyling of which observe the propositions viz. 1. That particular sinnings are compatible with a gracious frame though none are with a glorious condition Though no darkness no cloudes can be mixt with the sunne in heaven yet both may be in the ayre which is inlightned below our best estate on earth is mixt and not absolute glory annihilates all sinfull principles but grace only weakens them an upright man is an imperfect good man and hath reason daily to bewail his failings as well as cause to bless God for his performances You never read of any upright person in Scripture but you finde some scarres on his ways Like Iacob halting one time or other David very good yet not upright in the matter of Uriah Noah one that walked with God yet overtaken with excess of wine c. Such twinklings do and will accompany the highest and fairest starres as he who footes it best may be found sometimes all along so the most even Christian may be surprised with many unevennesses 2. There are some kindes of sinning which do contradict uprightnesse Some kindes of sinning do contradict uprightnesse There is a double uprightnesse give me leave briefly to distinguish There is a double uprightnesse One is habituall which is the constant frame of the heart and the general course of the life bent and inclination to God in duty and for God against all sin Another is actuall which is the even carriage of the heart or life in respect of this or that particular act or motion There are two sorts of sinning Some are particular and by way of fact when this or There are two sorts of sinning that fact is inconsonant to the rule and by it condemned Others are Generall and by way of course when the frame and tenor of the life is either notoriously vile or in some private path of wickednesse constantly drawen out and followed Out of these distinctions observe these particular conclusions viz. 1. That particular sinnings or sinnings in respect of particular The distinctions applied fact though they cannot stand with actual uprightnesse yet they may consist with habituall uprightnesse Look as tripping or falling though they be opposite to standing or moving on in the particular yet they are not so opposite to the course of motion in a journey that a man by reason of them should be said not to be going on in his journey Or Looke as every particular staine doth not blemish the universall finenesse of the cloth so neither doth this or that particular fact disprove and deny the generall bent of the heart particulars may not decide the estate either way t is true a man by a particular sinning is denominated guilty but by no one particular can a mans estate be challenged either for good and bad Asa in some particulars was very faulty as you heard heretofore yet the scripture saith he was perfect all his days and David though some grievous sins fell from him which did not stand with actuall uprightnesse hence that clause except the matter of Uriah yet his epitaph is written by God himselfe from the general bent of his heart and course that he walked before him with an upright heart 2. That Courses of sin knowen and allowed courses do directly contradict uprightnesse you must distinguish twixt frequently temptations and dayly inclinations and twixt courses of sin even the most upright heart may be frequently assaulted by Satan and daily molested with inward corruption tempting and entising but all this may be with resistance detestation sorrow and griefe so that the heart may be very upright notwithstanding all these disquietments But if the heart hath a way of wickednesse if it hath a path of sinning in which it will walke assuredly such kindes infallibly testifie that the heart is false and not upright He who knowes sin and yet will sin he that doth sin and allowes himselfe in sinning whither the kinde of sinning be single or multiplied one or many as the Prophet spake of the proud man Hab. 2. that I say of this man his heart is not upright in him There be two things which shew great rottennesse of heart One when any sin hath our warrant sealed with secret allowance Another when we drive on the sin with a customary trade and continuances It may befall the most upright heart as it doth the pest mettall blade it may be made to bow and bend yet there it stands not but returnes to its straitnesse againe so even an upright person may step into an uneven path but there he walkes not he quickly returnes to the Kings high-way into the wayes of obedience and righteousnesse but it is with a base heart as it is with base mettall it will easily bow and stedfastly keep its crooked figure the bias drawes that way the heart is set on sin and regardes it doth sin and allowes it will sin and loves it Now this is an infallible signe of a false and hypocritical heart that it regards any known iniquity as David spake Psal 66. 28. or that it hath a wickednesse as he spake Psal 139. 24. Doubts
to walk with him he would be careful to please him fearful to offend him ready to obey him would be kept in for God he would not make so many strayings he would minde Gods glory more Thirdly get to hate sin A secret love of sin after all restraints and pauses will draw the soule aside It will like a covered Get to hate sin disease break out againe There are three things in hatred which contribute to uprightnesse 1. It is an inward aversation the very heart is drawen off from an object and the heart is filled with a loathing and a detestation of the evill not the tongue and looks onely but the very inclination of the will is turned aside 2. It is universall for hatred is of the kinde the will in the whole latitude of it is the object of hatred I hate every false way said David Psal 119. 3. It is permanent and durable passion is a storme which will quickly off but hatred is a setled quality arguments allay it not nor doth time remove it what have I to do any more with Idols said Ephraim Hosea 14. 8. They shall defile their coverings and say unto them get thee hence Esa 30. 22. So that if a man could get the hatred of sin he should quickly finde an even uprightnesse The cause why a man is not even in his walking is either because 1. His heart is not bent against sinne but gives a delightful way unto it it doth not resist and loath it but harbours and favours it 2. Some one particular lust winnes and gaines upon the soule though some are unacted yet one speciall lust is retained which hath power to command and rule the life 3. He is carried against sin upon mutable and decaying grounds which being removed the heart then returnes to its proper and naturall bent But now if spiritual hatred of sinne were implanted then the combat twixt sin and the person would be inward the very heart would loath the nature and inclinations of it and it would be universall and constant so that here would arise a generall evennesse in a mans coversation Unevenness though it appear without yet it begins within the heart is the maine wheele of a mans course and therefore if love gets the heart for God and hatred rules the heart against sin you may very well believe that these two will yeeld out a very upright endeavour and course of holinesse In spirituals that which keeps the fountaine doth keep the streame and that which betters the heart doth likwise well order the life 2. For the second which respect the preserving meanes take Directions for preserving it these directions 1. First if you would preserve uprightnesse you must preserve Preserving aâ— holy feare of God an holy feare of God you know the promise I will put my feare into their hearts and they shall not depart from me Jere. 32. Sinning is the only departing from God He never leaves us but for sin our departing is our unevenness and we never leave him but by sinne and our unupright walkings but that now which keeps us from departing is feare The feare of the Lord is a fountaine of life to depart from the snares of death Prov. 24. 27. If a man could alwayes keep an awful and powerfull regard to God that he stood in awe of his attributes and of his word he would keep plaine with God he would not transgresse for a morsel nor thinke that it may be safe for him to sin An Holy feare of God hath these two Properties 1. It puts the soule and actions in Gods presence one saith that God is all eye to see every thing and all eare to heare every thing so doth holy feare represent God as one who is now beholding all that I do and as one who understands my thoughts afar off from whom no not the whisperings of the minde nor the imaginations of my heart nor the closest and most secret actings can be concealed Its stands in awe of this all discovering God how can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God saide Joseph when there were none but he and his mistresse and his God together Gen. 39. 9. I feare his justice that it will breake out upon me if I should dare to sin and I feare his mercy that it will draw off if I presume to offend Psal 4. 4. Stand in awe and sinne not Psal 119. 161. Princes also have persecuted me without a cause Why this might stirre up strange qualities in David O no but my heart standeth in awe of thy word q. d. I dirst not breake out to sin for all that thy word which I feared kept me in 2. Faith breeds and preserves uprightnesse and evennesse I â—aith preserves uprightnesse remember the Apostles caution Heb. 3. 12. Take heed brethren least their be in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe in departing from the living God unbeliefe it is the root of all hypocrisie and appostacy that men are but halfe in duties it is because they do not indeed believe the extent of obedience to God and that they keep some private lust it is because they do not indeed believe the truth of Gods justice power wrath But saith causeth evennesse forasmuch 1. As it sets up prevailing arguâ—ents the soul never doubtes in the way but by the strength of false arguments either false pleasures or false profits is forcible with the heart insnares it we step aside alwaies by the cunning of error But faith not only discovers false inducements but also bringes better and stronger motives it knowes and teacheth where the soule will be at a losse and holds it off by the goodnesse and kindnesse and loving favour of God who would venture his comfortable aspect of God and sweet communion with Christ for a morsel of stollen bread or for one draught of unlawful pleasure 2. It constraines the heart to singular love of God and Christ the more faith the more love all true faith is inflaming for it sees and feels much love and therefore kindles much now much love raiseth much evennesse in walking whiles the love is kept up close to God the heart and life ordinarily are kept in an upright motion for all true love is tender and careful and pleasing 3. It purifies the heart Faith is like fire which hath one quality to ascend and another to burne so faith it negotiates for us at heaven and likewise it breeds more intrinsecall renovation of the heart by holinesse faith is the best friend to our graces the surest helpe to our affections the strongest prop to our duties and the sorest enemy to our sinnes No grace doth so much for the heart as faith our assistance for good and our resistance of evil depends most on it we finde experimentally that many sinnes then breake out when we loose the sight of God as long as we can eye God the soule is safe see God in his promises
is to it as a medicine to a disease or as water to spots or as health to sickness gradually altering healing cleansing Another is the Guilt which binds over the sinner to punishment wrath and damnation this is the object of forgiveness in it sin is not healed but pardoned the disposition of the sinner is not altered but his condition When the King pardons a thief his theft now shall not prejudice him so in Gods mercifull forgiveness sinfull guilt is so effectually removed that finally and redundantly it shall never prejudice the eternal life and salvation of the person much more might be said of this subject but I am unwilling to insist on any more then serves to inlighten the point in hand 2. Of this Forgiveness there is a Possibility you must distingush twixt the Of this forgiveness there is a possibility Infallibility of forgiveness which is not to every sin whatsoever or to any sin whatsoever without some condition A grant of actual pardon issues not out of the Court of Mercy unless persons believe and repent It is true there is an infiniteness of Divine mercy considered in it self but in the dispensation and exercise of it it is pleased to bound and confine it self to some sinners only namely to such as forsake their sins Possibility of forgiveness Though perhaps the sinner never comes actually to partake of mercy but perhaps refuseth his pardon yet is there a possibility and that in a twofold respect One In respect of God who doth not in his Word shut the door of Mercy against him nor exclude him nay so far is he from that as that he offers freely the blood of Christ which was shed for the Remission of sins Another In respect of the sinner there is except he sin the sin against the Holy Ghost a Receptivity he is not utterly uncapable he hath not such absolute contradictions to the Tenor of Divine Mercy but that God may without violation of his Glory confirm mercy on him my meaning is his condition is not peremptorily sealed up for wrath but there is a space and away for mercy and some pleas may be made for it 3. Though the sins of a person may be for their nature For what sins great for their kind gross vile abominable for their circumstances high and crying dyed over with many intensive aggravations not only surrepstitious but flagirious enormities as well as infirmities iterated as well as acted Before Conversion and after Conversion all these are capable of pardon 2. The Demonstration of the truth The Extent of Mercy The truth demonstrated from the Records of heaven in whereupon ariseth the possible pardon of all manner of sin is most evident to any considerable apprehension which can or will seriously weigh 1. The volumns and records of heaven I mean the sacred Word revealing and testifying this 1. In the commands of the vilest sinners to repent They in 1. Commands Esa 1. who for the fouleness of their wickedness are stiled Rulers of Sodom and people of Gomorrah verse 10. and their sins are called scarlet and crimson sins verse 18. yet verse 16. are called upon to repent Wash you make you clean put away the evil of you doings from before mine eyes Cease to do evil learn to do well So in Jer. 3. 1. Though their sin was spiritual Adultery they had forsaken the true God yet are they called upon to Return Now this is a truth that though the Precepts of Repentance do not imply an infallibility of the practise of Repentance yet they do imply a possibility of it and consequently of Mercy 2. In the vastness of pardoning promises the promise of 2. pardoning promises pardon is equal to Repentance Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Here he speaks to the wicked and to the unrighteous person and indefinitely to any and every one of them and assures them if they do repent God will have mercy on them Object And whereas they might object yea but our sins are many and great Sol. He replies that God will abundantly pardon he will multiply pardon as if he had said do but repent and fear not Mercy whatever your former sins have been So in Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes verse 22. All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Mark that phrase All the sins which he hath committed The actual grants of pardon 2. The actual grants of mercy and pardon to the greatest sinners to instance only in a few Adam was one of the greatest sinners that ever lived though not in this respect that he continued long in the practise of sin yet in a causal sence he not only committed a most high sin himself but was also the cause and occasion of all the horrible sins and dishonours against God that ever was or all the sons of men have done or will commit yet God pardoned him when he made a Covenant with him in Christ Gen. 3. Manasseh seems to be a volumn bound up with all kinds of notorious sins and with every kind of sinfull aggravation view his description in 2 Chron. 33. 3. 3. He reared up Altars for Baalim and made groves and worshipped all the hoast of heaven and served them 4. Yea In the house of God he built Altars 5 For all the hoast of heaven did he build Altars in the courts of the Multiplied Idolatry Audatious Idolatry Unnatural Idolatry house of God A most audacious Idolater who durst provoke God to his very face in bringing of the Ark and Dagon together 6. And he caused his Children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom 7. He offered his own Children in sacrifice to the devil 8. Also he observed times and used inchantments and witchcrafts and dealt with a familiar spirit and with Wizards and Sorcery wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke to Anger Deliberate and intentional provocation 9. He made Judah and Jerusalem to err and to do worse then the Heathens 10. And the Lord spake unto Manasseh but he would not Diffusive Idolatry hearken One would scarcely imagine that the heart of man could be Intensive Idolatry Convicted and yet obstnate the womb of such hideous villanies or that Mercy would ever respect such a sinner yet verse 12. He humbled himself greatly before the Lord. verse 13. And prayed unto him and God was intreated of him and heard his supplication Who would have risen so high in sin but a Manasseh and what mercy would have so exceedingly condescended to forgive but that of God Paul before his Conversion his sins were very high so high that as Theophilact
so much as the mercies of heaven Nothing in the world will prevail upon a sinner if mercy doth not 4. If mercy doth not prevail a mans Damnation befalls him without all Apology Ah what a sad appearing will it be for us when we must die and stand before God and the Lord shall in that day object to us before men and Angels This is the person unto whom I freely offered the pardon of all the sins that ever he committed and offered him in the word of God that if he would leave his sins I would forgive them but he preferred his sins before my mercy For lying vanities he forsook his mercies And thy own conscience shall then testifie that thus it was I had mercy offered again and again and yet I would continue in my sins Judge what blackness of darkness and degrees of eternal confusion thou shall contract when so great a door of mercy is opened but for a lust sake thou wilt not enter in thou wilt not accept of it 2. Then no sinner hath cause sufficient to despair I know full well that before God makes us sensible of sin we are apt to No sinner hath cause sufficient to despair presume but being once made sensible we are very apt to despair It is the great art of the devil either to make us die in a senceless calm or else to perish in an unquiet storm either to make us undervalew our sins and so to slay us with security or else to undervalew mercy and so to sink us with despair Oh saith the awakened conscience my sins are so many and so great I have continued long in them gone on in them after knowledge after the invitations of mercy after the strokes of afflictions after many a secret check and bitter words from my conscience now there remains no hope no no others whose sins are fewer in number lightet in weight not edged and raised by such circumstances they may hope but I can have no confidence mercy will never look upon such a one as I am Nay but readest thou not the Text and they are the words of a Saviour That all manner of sin may find forgiveness though there because enough to despair of thy own strength yet there is no cause to despair of Gods mercy Two things only remember here 1. Despair is no remedy to any sinner It may bind on his sins the faster but never heals the soul nor easeth the conscience nor pleaseth God 2. Whatsoever thy sins have been if at length thou canst find an heart to repent God can find mercy to pardon I affirm it no sinner ever perished because God wanted skill to help but because he wanted a heart to make use of his help To perswade men to make out for pardon 3. But the main use I would make of this point is To perswade men to make out for this pardon you see here the extent of Mercy the possibility of pardon Why do you look one upon another said Jacob to his sons Behold I have heard there is corn in Egypt get you down thither that we may live and not die Why stand you amazed and backward you that are so full of spiritual wants why come you not to mercy that you may live and not die here is a store-house of mercy Behold said the servants of Benhadab We have heard that the King of Israel is a mercifull King let us go to him peradventure he will save thy life 1 King 20. 31. We hear that the King of heaven is mercifull and yet we address not our selves unto him we hear that there is Balm in Gilead yet we sue not to be healed we hear that the Arms of Christare yet open and we run not to be embraced Ah! our folly and madness that being so greatly diseased we fly our Physick that being so in deep rebellions we lay not down our weapons and submit not upon the tender of the freest pardon As I live saith the Lord I delight not in the death of a sinner Why will you die O house of Israel Why do we by lying vanities forsake our Mercies how my soul bleeds at the wretched hardness of our hearts God is mercifull and we are sinfull yea we are the more bold in sin because God is the more abundant in mercy Continue in sin because Grace doth abound Rom. 6. 1. Thus do we abuse the grace God to wantonness and bane our souls by the sweet Remedy of sin There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared said David and he who confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy saith Solomon and knowest thou not that the mercies of God should lead thee to Repentance saith Paul consider 1. The presence of Mercy saves not but the acceptance the offer of a pardon delivers not the Malefactor but the receiving of it only the embracing makes us happy mercy proves not mercy but by acceptance the contempt of it strangly alters it into Justice 2. The despising of mercy leaves without all excuse what hast thou to urge against God who could not urge and fasten his mercy on thy soul yes thou wouldst have a licence but not a pardon I know thou warmest thy soul with the sound of mercy not to abate but to encourage thy sinfull appetite Why dost thou not break thy arm because there is a skilfull Chirurgion or fall into the strongest diseases because there is a skilfull Physitian 3. Continuance in sin and efficacy of Mercy are inconsistent thou through thy impenitent heart in stead of mercy treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. Now that which I would perswade you too is to be wise for Get your sins to be forgiven your souls and to get your sins to be forgiven and pardoned If a company of sick men did hear of an able Physitian that could and would heal them who would not be carried to him or what Malefactor is there so out-ragiously mad but that would make out to the King if he were assured that the King would pardon him Two things only I will propound Motives and Means 1. The Motives to stir us up to get our sins forgiven are these Motives 1. We are in such a case that we need pardon yea that pardon We need paâ—don should be multiplied unto us Indeed were we not sinners then we should need no forgiveness or could we of our selves make or exact satisfaction to divine Justice then might we stand off from mercy but alas we are sinners by nature and by life all our dayes are days of sin the hairs are not more on our heads then the number of our sins are on our consciences they are so many that who can tell how often he offendeth therefore we need mercy to forgive yea and we are without strength we can find strength to sin but who can discharge for those sins the price and ransom could never yet be found in any sinners
hand An unprepared condition is wofull 2. How wofull is the unpardoned condition men go on in sin and make a work of it but speak slightly of it but the truth is 1. Sin makes God our enemy therefote it is called enmity in Sin makes God our enemy Ephe. 2. and a provocation because it stirs up the wrath of God against us which wrath if it should seize on thy soul Ah miserable man then thou canst neither suffer it nor decline it Jesus Christ standing in our stead felt some of it and it made him sweat drops of blood and to cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me How then shall a poor weak guilty sinner stand under the fierceness of his indignation 2. Sin unpardoned makes conscience our enemy As long as the Lord Conscience our enemy hath a quarrel with us for sin conscience may not speak any peace unto us Now the Lord be mercifull unto us if the Lord should awaken thy conscience and set thy sins in order who knows what would become of thee Knowest thou the power of conscience when it is opened to behold a God angry and sin unpardoned Read the vigor of it in Cain and the terror of it in Judas how it crached their spirits and brought the one to the utmost desperation and the other to the grave and hell in despite of all former advantages 3. And who can tell how soon he may die Go and listen Who can tell how soon he may die sometimes at a dying bed the person quakes and the bed trembles and the heart sighs what is it that the man speaks so to himself Ah Lord saith he I would not die and then tears trickle down his cheeks and his heart is ready to flie in pieces But why wouldst thou not die O no my sins are many I now see them and feel the bitter wrath of God for them Oh! my sins they are not pardonable and who can dwell with everlasting burnings or stand before the holy and just God 3. What unspeakable comfort is it to have our sins forgiven It is unspeakable comfort to have sin pardoned Son said Christ Mat. 9. 4. Be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee When the Israelites got through the red sea and looked back and saw their enemies all drowned what reviving was this if the drowning of corporal enemies be such a cause of joy who could but kill our bodies what cause of exultation for the drowning of spiritual enemies of sins in the depths of mercy which else would have destroyed oursouls How shall I express the comfort of it David saith all in one word The man is blessed whose iniquities are forgiven Now blessedness is the center of all joy and comfort Tell me brethren what think you 1. Of freedom from hell that you shall never see the place of the damned Is that a matter of comfort why If sin be pardoned hell is discharged There is no condemnation if Remission 2. Of Gods loving kindness David said it was life nay better then life Oh what is this God is reconciled unto me in Christ he looks on me not as a Judge but as a fathet with ardent affections and compassions why if sin be pardoned God is reconciled enmity slain all differences twixt you and God are taken off 3. Of the blood of Christ Is it worth the having or of interest in Christ it is worth the enjoying why if pardoned then doubtless united to Christ and how many and great are the benefits that result and follow upon union 4 Of Peace of conscience It is a mercy that Conscience can and may speak peace chear us up assure us stand for us against men and devils Why when sin is pardoned conscience may not accuse it hath nothing to do but direct us in good ways and to comfort us with the testimonies of our pardon and Reconciliation with God 5. Of all outward mercies Oh! what a life doth a pardoned sinner live If he looks up to heaven all is peace if he looks down to earth all is comfort he hath lands and sins pardoned too wife children honours friends yea and his sins are pardoned too 6. Lastly What think you of confidence in death When you are leaving the earth then to be assured your next journey is to heaven After grace to find glory would you ever be willing to die be confident in death live in death live after death O then get your sins whatsoevet they are to be pardoned 11. The Means if you ask what may we do to get our sins The means forgiven I shall answer briefly 1. Find out your sins and know them and that is done by the study of the Law which gives us the knowledge of sin 2. Beg of God for a contrite heart so as to be sensible of sin and weary of it and broken for it The weeping woman was forgiven Luke 7. 44 47. 3. And also for a penitential heart Repent saith Peter that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3. 19. See Isa 55. 7. 4. And for a Believing heart in the Lord Jesus In whose blood and for whose sake we obtain Remission of our sins 2 Cor. 5. 20. God was in Christ reconciling the world not imputing our sins 5. And for a forgiving heart see Mat. 6. 14 15. 6. Make it a daily and vehement petition for Repentance and forgiveness as did David Psalm 51. and sue all out in the name of Christ Object But these things are hard and laborious Sol. But they are for mercy O Mercy I perish without thee and therefore I will not live without thee sleep without thee die withou thee I will pray for mercy I will go to Christ for mercy and shall it seem so grievous to me to leave a sin which will damn me to get mercy which will save me II. The Tribunal of Justice erected in these words But the Blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven These words are the saddest expressions of purest Justice that ever were uttered Oh what is the height what the depth of this for a sinner to rise to such a peculiar degree and form of sinning as for ever to distinguish himself from all hope of mercy never never never to he pardoned In this there are two things to be inquired into 1. What this Blasphemy against the holy Ghost is What this sin is 2. The irremissibleness of this Blasphemy Touching the first of these there are several opinions and no marvel for to find the right nature of this sin is a work not of the least difficulty In Scripturis sanctis nulla major questio nulla difficilior invenitur saith Austin 1. The Novations thought every sin after Baptism especially Quid est quod Novato succenseamus tollenti poeâ—itentiam dicentique nullam eos veniam obtinere qui post lavacrum peccant Athan. Tom. 1. in hoc subject p. 776. denial of Christ in time of perfection
marvel if such a person sleights the checks of Conscience and derides the beauty of holiness and looks on the Word of Grace without all esteem or affection Let God say what he will he will do what he please The Pharisees guilty of this great sin would not could not believe Christ what was the reason See John 5. 44. How can ye believe which receive honour one of another Balam for gain will ride to curse the Israel of God and Judas betray his Master and ambitious Haman rather then his proud humour shall be neglected he will endeavour the ruine of all the Jews What was the reason of Demas's Apostacy The embracing of this present world 2 Tim. 4. 10. O! when the heart is resolved for carnal courses it will easily part with nay rather then it will be crossed or disappointed it will fall foul upon the very Truths of God The greatest enemies and opposers of Truth have been a covetous Demetrius Acts 19. or a proud Diotrephes 3 John verse 9. Be therefore submissive in your worldly resolutions and to bend the mind hereunto weigh Christ and the whole world in the same ballance see whether Christ be not more advantagious Caution every way weigh you souls and the world in the same ballance see whether the saving of the soul be not better then the winning of the world Use III. THE last use shall be to exhort us to use all the means we can to prevent it and to this end I will commend Exhortation these Advises 1. Let divine Truths reform as well as inform a naked Let Truth reform as well as Inform. sword may do much hurt and a bare knowledge may prove dangerous but where knowledge hath heat as well as light it is Medicum utile he is right whose knowledge doth not make him more cunning to sin but more carefull to avoid it and forsake it 2. Strive to love the truth and holiness Pauls temper Loue the truth and holâ—nesâ— was excellent We can do nothing against the truth but for the Truth Why What was the reason surely his great love to Christ and his Truth Love intire love to Christ will disarm us of all malice and opposition against him Yea and get love to the Gospel wherein lies our life our hope our stay our comfort our all 3. Get faith beg it of God and the Father of our Lord Get saith Jesus Christ to give thee faith Faith would not only see a Christ but prize him too Two vertues there are in a true faith Singular estimations and Inseparable affections Faith subjects the heart to Christ and gives it unto him having none in heaven or earth in comparison of him Should I oppose him or his Truths who is the best of all good and my Saviour he came to save me 4. Repent in time often sinning weakens truth in the mind and raiseth ill dispositions in the will By much Repent in time sinning a man becomes a very slave to sin and a strong adversary to truth But speedy Repentance draws off the heart and being often renewed keeps it tender and fearfull to offend Divine Truths make easie and ruling impressions upon an heart graciously turned and mollified To close up all Let the Word of God really affect us let holiness in the power and beauty of it affect us let the fair and living checks of Conscience seasonably affect us let the blood of Christ the eternal salvation of our souls affect us so shall we not be guilty of that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven Of the Sin against the Holy Ghost see these Authors 1. Fathers viz. Origen in Mat. and in l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 3. Hierome in Epist ad Marcel Augustine especially in Epist 50. ad Bonifacium Athanasius Tom. 1. 2. Schoolmen See Aquinas 2 a. 2 u. q. 14. art 1. c. Alexander Ales Tom. 2. q. 155. m. 4. c. 3. Papists Bellarmine l. 2. de Paenit c. 16. Jansenius in Concord Evan. 4. Protestants Calvin in Concord Evan. Zanchins Tom. 4. l. 1. c. 9. Scharpius incursu Theolog. Pareus in Heb. 6. 10. Ursinus in Catech. Piscator in Mat. Beza fusius in John 5. 16. Byfield on the Creed Gouge on this Argument Perkins in the beginning of his cases of conscience c. FINIS A Table A Accepted TWO things assure a Good heart his services are Accepted p. 220 Uprightness is very Acceptable to God p. 250. Acts. Whether the Interruption of sinfull Acts doth impeach sins Dominion Answered p. 115 Actual vid. Dominion Adam Adam one of the greatest sinners yet pardoned p 270 Apostacy what it is p. 282 Approving A two-fold Approving of our selves to God p. 25 Assent vid. Dominion A double Assent that sets up sin in Dominion p. 106 Austin Austins Opinion of the sin against the Holy Ghost p. 281 B Blasphemy BLlasphemy what it is p. 265 How taken p. 282 Several Opinions of the Blasphemy against the H. Ghost p. 280 This Blasphemy described p. 281 282 The Subject of it p. 282 The Object of it p. 282 283 The Acts of it p. 283 The formal aggravations of those Acts. p. 286 The Irremissibleness of it p. 288 C Captivity A Two-fold Captivity of the soul to sin p. 141 142 Three things in a passive Captivity to sin p. 142 143 Cheerfulness Cheerfulness or Uncheerfulness in Holy Duties no infallible Symptoms of Uprightness or of the want of it p. 243 How Uprightness may be evidenced where Cheerfulness doth not accompany holy Duties p. 244 Christ How a man may know that Christ is his Lord. p. 136 Three things appear in a person governed by Christ and not by sin p. 141 No Dominion in the world like that of Christ ibid. Cleansed vid. Secret What it is to be Cleansed from sin p. 10 Comforts for such as desire to be Cleansed from secret sins p. 28 29 Command The Commands of sin are the vilest Commands p. 122 123 How a man may know he looks not at himself but at Gods Command in Duties p. 213 Conscience Checks of Conscience not to be sleighted p. 91 295 Consent Consent of the will how far it sets up sin in Dominion p. 107. Whether a good man may not yield a plenary Consent in whom sin hath no Dominion p. 111. Conversion Conversion doth not totally remove any sinfull inclination p. 150 Reasons of it p. 151 Conviction vid Holy Ghost Custome Whether Custome in Sin can be without Dominion p. 160. The difference betwixt Acts geminated and Custome p. 161 162 Conviction The greatest Convictions of themselves are not able to save a man p. 290 D Deceit NO Deceit more dangerous then to be deceived about the right temper of our souls p. 194 Despair No sinner hath cause sufficient to Despair p. 274 Dominion vid. Consent Custome Holiness Knowledge What Dominion of sin doth import p. 101 What is Dominion properly p. 102 Dominion of
sin what it doth imply p. 103 Sins Dominion in respect of Assent p. 105 Whether the Interruption of sinful Acts impeach sins Dominion Answered p. 115 Dominion of sin is either habitual or actual p. 116 Whether sin in Dominion may befall a regenerate person p. 117 Distinctions about it ibid. A compleat Dominion of sin cannot befall a regenerate person p. 118 Why David prayes against sin in Dominion p. 119 Why we should pray against the actual Dominion of sin ibid. Actual Dominion though it conclude not the absence yet it weakens the strength of Grace p 120 Actual Dominion though it cut not off the union yet it checks the Comforts p. 120 121 Distinguish betwixt Dominion of sin and a strong inclination to sin p. 112 Why we should pray against the habitual Dominion of sin p. 122 Instances of sins Dominion in many p. 126 127 Deceits about the Dominion of sin p. 129 viz. unsensibleness of its power ibid. Freedom from many sins p. 130 Opposition against some sins p. 131 132 Troubles after some sinfull actings p. 133 The Interims of sinning p. 134 The practise of Actions contrary to our outward sinnings p. 135 Tryals that sin hath not Dominion ibid. Motives to Thankfulness to those in whom sins Dominion is broken p. 144 Differences betwixt the Dominion of sin and particular victories of sin p. 154 155 Directions against the natural Dominion of sin p. 163 What strengthens the natural Dominion of sin ibid. What may break down the Dominion of sin p. 167 Directions against actual Dominion of sin p. 168 Wherein the actual Dominion of sin lies p. 169 The wayes and methods of sins Dominion p. 173 174 Doubts Doubts of troubled souls fearing they are under the Dominion of sin p. 148 Doubts from the strong inclinations of sin Answered p. 148 149 Doubts from some special sinfull Inclinations of sin Answered p. 150 151 Doubts from the prevailing of sin p. 153 Doubts from the renewed Actings of sin p. 157 F Faith FAith breeds and preserves uprightness p. 254 How it doth it p. 255 Falls The great Falls of others should work in us four things p. 79. 80 Fear Fear of God from what sorts of sins it preserves p. 38 Preserve a constant and humble Fear p. 171 Services done out of Fear do not conclude against uprightness p. 232 233 A double abstaining from sin and doing duty out of Fear p 234 A twofold Fear p. 235 Whether Abstaining from sin or doing duty springs out of naked Fear or Fear commixt with love ibid. Discoveries of springing from Fear p. 236 From Fear with love ibid. A holy Fear of God preserves Uprightness p. 253 254 Forgiveness Forgiveness of sin described p. 267 There is a possibility of Forgiveness in a twofold respect p. 268 269 Motives to get sin to be forgiven ibid. G Gods GOds eye upon the secret frame of the soul p. 14 Pardon of sin is Gods Act. p. 267 Gospel Take heed of regardless receiving the Gospel of Christ p. 293 How many wayes this is done ibid. Gracious It s a Gracious Act. p. 267 A double Graciousness in the discharging of an Offendor p. 268 H Hatred HAtred of sin infalliby argues the indominion of it Proved p. 138 Hatred of sin how it contributes to uprightness p. 252 Heart When the bent and purpose of the Heart is to please God what it improves p. 217 Holy Ghost vid. Blasphemy Conviction by the Holy Ghost what it is p. 286 How the Holy Ghost is taken ibid. Wherein the Conviction by the H. Ghost consists ibid. Holiness Holiness hath a Contrariety to all sin p. 15 Whether a man can be truly Holy that hath vile inclinations and Abominations working within answered p. 29 30 If Holiness hath our love sin hath not Dominion p. 138 What of Holiness and what not consistent with it p. 139 A little Holiness will not serve the upright man p. 203 Take heed of scorning of Holiness p. 294 Hypocrisie Hypocrisie distinguished p. 20 Hypocrites and upright persons described by their hearts p. 180 Hypocrisie a natural and common thing p. 195 An Hypocrite may go very far p. 197 Yet his heart is rotten p. 198 It is a foolish thing to be Hypocritical in service p. 199 Hypocrisie a most perillous sin p. 200 Three times wherein an Hypocrite may express forwardness in Duties p. 211 Hypocrisie how discovered by self-applause and vain-glory p. 247 248 Humbleness Humbleness of heart preserves uprightness p. 256 Three properties in it p. 256 I Illumination THE greatest Illuminations are not able of themselves to save a man p. 290 Inclinations There is a difference between frequent Inclinations in an evil man and in a good man p. 152. Dominion of sin and a strong Inclination to sin differenced p. 112. Inequalities All Inequalities in holy services do not conclude a man is not upright p. 241 Inequalities in holy duties arise either from weakness of strength ibid. Or from falseness of heart p. 242 What Inequalities arise from falseness of heart ibid. Two sorts of Inequalities about holy services ibid. Conclusions from grace p. 243 Infirmities Infirmities distinguish from presumptuous sins p. 83 84 85 Sinfull Inclinations vid. doubts vid. Holy Impenitent An Impenitent sinner is utterly inexcusable p. 273 Judgement A sound Judgement a means to keep a sound heart p. 165 Corrupt Judgement a main cause of Dominion of sin p. 170 The corrupt principles in the Judgement which must be removed p. 172 K Knowledge KNowledge of God a double kind of it p. 2 Knowledge necessary to get off the Dominion of sin and what knowledge p. 164 The greatest Knowledge may be in a subject void of grace and an enemy to it p. 291 Great Knowledge without grace adds to our misery p. 292 L Life THere is a difference betwixt a Life of motion and of Affection p. 152 Love Love of Sin a means to keep up the Dominion of sin p. 164 A predominant Love of God and his wayes a means of uprightness p. 252 M Manasseh MAnasseh his notorious sins yet pardoned p. 270 271 Mercy Improve Mercy aright p. 94 95 The intent of Mercy inpardon of sin demonstrated p. 269 The actual grants of Mercy and pardon to the greatest sinners p. 270 Mercy is the essential and natural disposition of God p. 272 The Influence of Mercy upon repentance p. 274 Mercy abused in presumptuous sinning p. 74 N Novatians WHAT the Novatians thought to be the sin against the Holy Ghost p. 280 O Obedience A Twofold Obedience unto sin p. 113 Distinctions about Obedience to the Commands of sin p. 114 P Pardon There is a possibility for a Pardon of any sinner and any sin except the sin against the Holy Ghost p. 266 Perswasions to make out for Pardon p. 275 276 We need Pardon p. 277 Pardoned How wofull is an unpardoned condition ibid. Comfort to have sin pardoned p. 778 Means to get our sins pardoned p. 779 Paul his sins were very high yet