broken down (p) Dr. Ed. Reynolds ubi supra Mr. Watson in his Christians Charter Sin cleaves so fast to our nature that it will never totally and finnally leave us till these houses of clay be demollished It sticks as fast to us as blackness to an Ethiopian all the water in the Ocean cannot wash it off As long as there is wheat in the field it will have chaff about it as long as there is water in the sea it will retain its saltness so sin will cleave and adhere to us as long as we live Hence the Apostle calleth it an encompassing sin (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.1 Erasmus rendereth the word Peccatum tenaciter inherens (r) Leigh Crit. Sac. A sin that doth so tenaciously cleave to us that it will not be shaken off A man may as soon shake of his skinne from his back as shake of this evill inhabitant It will dwell in us while we dwell in these Tabernacles of clay Secondly Non quoad vim inficiendi Beleevers are not freed from sin in respect of its infectious property for it not onely cleaveth to our natures but it defiles our best performances Hence sometimes duties are in Scripture called dung Mal. 2.3 I will spread dung upon your faces even the dung of your solemn feasts sc Because of the iniquity that cleaveth to them That the sinnes of unregenerate men are defiled with sin is beyond dispute their best services as they come from them are sinfull for bad trees cannot bring forth good fruit The question is concerning the services of regenerate men And indeed it is a truth concerning the best works of regenerate men Though they are not sins and hatefull to God for to affirm so were to reproch the spirit and grace of Christ by which they are wrought yet this I dare boldly say there is aboundance of iniquity cleaving even to their holy things and to their best services that are done by the concurrence and contribution of their own faculties insomuch that did not Jesus Christ their High Priest take away the iniquities of their holy things and perfume them with his sweet odours they would not find acceptance Should God be severe to mark what is amisse in our best services he would find enough in them to condemne us (ſ) Nullum unquam extitit pii hominis opus quod si severo Dei judicio examinaretur non esset damnabile Calv. Inst l. 3. c. 14. § 11. For our righteousnesses are as filthy rags and as a menstruous cloth Esa 64.6 Thirdly Beleevers are not freed from sin in this life Non quoad vim seducendi in respect of its seduceing and deceiveing power It still retaineth a power to seduce us and draw us into sinfull practises in so much that too often it salleth out that what we would and should doe we doe not and what we neither would nor should doe that we doe t Rom. 7.15 and when we would doe good evill is present with us and by this law in our members which continually warreth against the law in our minds we are too often brought in captivity to the law of sin so that we have too often cause to cry out with the Apostle Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7.23 24. And thus I have also discovered to you how beleevers are freed from sin in this life I proceed now in the third place according to my proposed method to lay down the Reasons of the Doctrine and they are of two sorts First I shall give you a few reasons why God hath not wholly freed his people from sin in this life but suffereth them to carry about with them the remainders of corruption unpurged out while they abide in the flesh Secondly I shall also lay down some reasons why the Lord suffereth corruption so farre to prevail even in Godly men as to lead them into the acts of sin insomuch that it is true even of the best men that In many things they offend all First then Why hath not God wholly freed his people from sin in this life but suffers them to carry about with them the remainders of corruption unpurged out to their dying day I answer it may be for these reasons First Reas 1 That the power of his grace might be the more conspicuous in their perseverance Hence it is apparent that it is onely by grace they have their standing as well as their being in grace and that it is onely by the mighty power of God that they are kept through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 It must wonderfully magnify the power of Gods grace that a spark of grace should be kept alive in the midst of a sea of corruption Secondly Reas 2 That the people of God might have matter of humiliation God was pleased to suffer the Israelites in the wilderness to be stung with fiery serpents and scorpions to humble them u Deut. 8.15.16 So while we are in this world God suffereth us to be stung with the fiery serpent of sin that we might be humble before him Paul had a thorn in his flesh and a messenger of Sathan to buffet him that he might not be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12.7 Beza thinketh that this thorn in the flesh was inherent corruption x Concupicentiam intelligit quae teli instar nobis inhaeret Beza and that it is call'd a messenger of Sathan because he doth kindle those corruptions y Qui illas cupiditates incendit idem Thirdly Reas 3 That saints might be brought into a love with and desire after that estate where they shall be wholly freed from sin Hereby God would have us to see the difference between a state of grace and a state of glory and we shall by this meanes find heaven the more sweet to us in the end where we shall be beyond all possibility of sinning Our corruptions now as the Children of Anak dismay us and as the Canaanites in Israel they are left for pricks in our sides and thornes in our eyes that so we may the more long after that estate of glory in which sin shall be no more And so I have done with the first sort of Reasons Secondly I come now to give you an account why the Lord suffers this corruption of nature so farre to prevail even in Godly men as to leade them into the wayes of sin insomuch that it is true even of the best of men that in many things they offend all And the reasons hereof are also of two sorts viz. 1. First there are some Reasons that respect God and Christ 2. Secondly There are some that respect beleevers I shall begin with those Reasons that respect God and Christ and they are these two viz. 1. First God permits it for the glory of his power and faithfullness and 2. Secondly For the glory of his justifying grace by the righteousness of Jesus
from the wrath to come yet their very infirmities have caused them to tast deeply of the cup of Gods fatherly displeasure and exposed them and their familyes to sore afflictions in this life God thereby evidencing and declaring to the world his impartiality his hatred against sin wheresoever he findeth it and his faithfullness to his own people in chastening them here that they might not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 Now friends if you will be bold to partake of their sins it is just with God that you should also partake of their sufferings You may not promise your selves an immunity from the like sufferings if you indulge to your selves a liberty to commit the like transgressions Thirdly The Scriptures also record other things of the Saints that are more worthy your imitation than their sins You may read of of the meeknesse of Moses as well as as of his passion of the holynesse of David as well as of his infirmities the patience of Job as well as his impatience in cursing his day of the courage and boldnesse of Peter as well as of his cowardise in denying his master in a word you may read as well of the graces as of the corruptions of Gods children Surely it would be your wisdome to observe what is commendable in them and rather to imitate them in their graces than in their sins to observe what was excellent in them and to make that a patern for your imitation Secondly Cauti 2. Let sinners also take heed how they insult over the Godly because of their fallings If a professour of religion doe but slip how doth the world presently condemne him for an hypocrite and even while themselves lye and wallow in sin and allow themselves in all manner of ungodlyness how doe they insult over the Saints for their failings and infirmities These be your Puritans your precisians your Holy Brethren your Saints they are all a company of hypocrites and meer pretenders to Saintship c. Now that you may see the sinfullness hereof Consider First The Children of God are sanctified but in part in this life Though in regeneration the new creature be made partaker of the Divine nature yet the Old man is not utterly abolished In conversion corruption is mortifyed but not nullifyed sin is conquered but not extinguished The children of God when they become Saints doe not cease to be men when they receive the Spirit they doe not by and by wholly put off the flesh but the flesh still lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5.17 and the law in their members warreth against the law of their minds and too often bringeth them into captivity to the law of sin Rom. 7.23 Therefore in insulting over them for their failings you sin against God and wrong the generation of Gods children f Psal 73.15 Secondly If thou didst reflect upon thy selfe thou wouldest find more just cause to condemne thy selfe than them Doth sin dwell in them why it reignes in thee Doe they sin through weaknesse thou sinnest through willfulluesse Doe they sin through infirmity thou sinnest through presumption Are they sometimes overtaken with a Temptation thou many times goest forth to meet a temptation and rather than fail thou wilt turn Devill and tempt thy selfe Thou hypocrite doest thou judge thy Brother for the mote that is in his eye when thou hast a beam in thine own eye Mat. 7.3 Surely if thou wer'st better acquainted with thine own heart and was 't thou not a stranger at home thou wouldst not be so busy abroad Thirdly Know this that in judging the children of God thou condemnest thy selfe Thou art inexcusable oh man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that judgest dost the same things Rom. 2.1 In censuring thy Brothers infirmities thou dost but aggravate thine own impieties g Turpe est Doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum If his mote seem so big in thine eye how great thinkest thou will thy beam appear in Gods eye another day Assure thy selfe that with what judgment thou judgest thou shalt be judged and with what measure thou metest it shall be measured to thee againe Mat. 7.2 and think not this oh man that judgest and condemnest the people of God for their infirmities and art thy selfe guilty of grosse enormities that thou shalt escape the judgment of God Rom. 2.3 Thus much by way of Caution to sinners to prevent the ill use which they may make of this Doctrine Secondly This Doctrine may be also improved by way of Caution to Saints Caution to Saints First Let them take heed and beware of pride If at any time your hearts begin to swell with pride then minde your corruptions When you begin to be exalted above measure by reason of strength of parts or eminency of grace think upon your infirmities and let this thorn in your flesh prick the bladder of your pride Surely the best of us have enough within us to pull down the pride of our hearts when we are with the Peacock proud of our gay feathers let us look upon our defiled feet and be humbled Alas what have we to be proud of We have nothing of our own but sin As for our gifts and graces we may truly say of them as the young man did of his hatchet alas master it was but borrowed h 2 King 6.5 Or in the words of the Apostle what have I that I have not received and if I did receive it why should I boast as if I had not received it i 1 Cor. 4.7 When therefore the sense of grace at any time lifts us up let the sense of corruption lay us low Certainly there is more of sin than of grace more of the flesh than of the spirit in the holyest man upon the face of the earth As there are more weeds than flowers in the best garden so there is more corruption than grace in the best soul our natures being stepmothers to grace as the earth is to flowers and naturall mothers to lust as the earth is to weeds and the best men alive have cause to complain that in them that is in their flesh there dwelleth no good thing And certainly let men be never so gracious they have infinitely more matter of humiliation through the abundance of corruption remaining in them than of pride and exaltation for the eminency or strength of grace there is more in their sins to humble them than in their graces to lift them up especially if we consider these three things First The sins of Saints are of the same nature with the sins of wicked men What though sin doth not raign in Saints It remaineth in them still and is it ever the lesse sin because it doth not raign Certainly there is the same violation of Gods Law the same contrariety to Gods holy and Heavenly nature the same disobedience to the will of God in the sins of Saints as in
so farre to prevail even in godly men as to lead them into the wayes of sin in so much that it is true even of the best of men that in many things they offend all 21 These Reasons are of two sorts viz. 1. Some respecting God and Christ p. 22. viz. 1. God permits it for the glory of his power and faithfullness p. 22 2. God permits it for the glory of his justifying grace by the righteousness of Jesus Christ p. 23 Other Reasons respecting the Saints p. 24. viz. 1. Such as fall and they are two 1. Gods permits it to preserve them from or to cure them of carnall confidence 24 2. By this means God is sometimes pleased to weaken sin and to strengthen grace in them p. 25 26 2. Reasons respecting those that stand viz. 1. God would hereby commend his love to them in preserving them and givs them some tast and comfortable experience of his goodness in upholding them when others fall p. 27 2. God would hereby quicken them to prayer p. 28 Quest What is the difference between the Infirmities of the Saints and the falls of wicked men p. 28 29 Differ 1. A godly man doth not make a trade of sin p. 30 Differ 2. A godly man doth not sin with a full consent of his will p. 32 33 Differ 3. A godly man doth not sin with a full purpose of heart p. 36 Differ 4. The falls of a gedly man do not spring from propensions of nature but from the strength and violence of temptation 39 Differ 5. A godly man cannot sin with delight but sin is a burden to him p. 42 Differ 6. A godly man doth not persevere in sin p. 44 Use 1. Refutation to give check to the errour of those that assert a possibility of an absolute and perfect freedom from sin in this life p. 47 This opinion is proved to be contrary 1. To the Scripture p. 48 49 c. 2. To Experience p. 54 3. To the nature of grace and sanctification p. 54 55 4. To the plentifull suffrage of Antiquity yea to the concessions of some of our Popish adversaries p. 55 56 Use 2. Caution both to sinners and Saints 61 Caution to sinners viz. Caution 1. Let them take heed how they imbolden themselves to sin by the falls of Saints which are recorded in the Scripture p. 62 1. In so doing they wrest and pervert the Scriptures to a quite contrary end than ever the Holy Ghost intended them ib. 63 The ends why God hath permitted the falls of Saints to be recorded in Scripture viz. 1. To preserve others from fainting under the burden of their sins p. 63 2. That their falls might be warnings to others to preserve them from falling ibid. 2. Sinners will see but little reason to imbolden themselves in sin by the examples of the infirmities of Saints recorded in the Scripture if they consider how deeply they have smarted for their sins p. 66 3. The Scripture records other things of Saints more worthy of imitation than their sins p. 69 Caution 2. Let sinners also take heed how they insult over the godly because of their failings p. 70 2. The children of God are sanctified but in part in this life ib. 2. If sinners did reflect upon themselves they would find more just cause to condemn themselves than them p. 71 3. In judging the children of God they condemn themselves p. 72 Caution to Saints Caution 1. Let them take heed and beware of pride p. 73 The sins of Saints are 1. Of the same nature with the sins of wicked men p. 75 2. Of the same desert with the sins of wicked men p. 76 3. In some respects more hainous than the sins of wicked men ib. 1. God is more dishonoured by their sins ib. 2. Religion suffereth more reproach by their sins p. 77 3. There is more unkindness in their sins ib. 4. There is more unfaithfullness in their sins p. 79 5. Saints are advanced to a more excel-cellent state than others are p. 80 Caution 2. Let them that stand take heed lest they fall p. 81 Directions to preserve Saints from falling Direct 1. Let them be watchfull ib. Direct 2. Let them carefully shun the occasions of sin p. 84 Direct 3. Let them look well to their company p. 88 Direct 4. Let them look well to their senses p. 90. Direct 5. Observe the first risings of corruption and resist them p. 92 1. It is to no purpose to fly p. 93 2. It is to as little purpose to yeeld p. 94 3. It is to as little purpose to compound ib. 4. It is then the best way to make resistance p. 95 Rules for resisting 1. Resist speedily p. 95 2. Resist universally p. 97 3. Enter not into a parley or treaty with sin ib. 4. Resist in the strength of Christ ib. Direct 6. Possess your hearts alwayes with apprehensions of Gods presence 98 Direct 7. Labour to possess your hearts always with the fear of God p. 99 Direct 8. Look up to Jesus Christ with faith flaming out in prayer p. 100 Use 3. Exhortation p. 101 1. Bless God that you are delivered from a sinfull state ib. 2. Admire the justifying grace of God by the righteousness of Jesus Christ p. 102 3. Bless God for establishing grace p. 104 4. Bless God for any disappointments in the way of sin p. 106 5. Every day labour for further degrees of mortification p. 108 Use 4. Consolation ib. 1. Sin cannot separate Saints from the love of God p. 109 2. God taketh notice of and accepts that good which is in his Saints notwithstanding their sins p. 110 111 3. Jesus Christ the High Priest of Saints is now in Heaven at Gods right hand making intercession for them p. 114 4. There is a time approaching and not far off when Beleevers shall be freed from the very being of sin p. 116 THE Saints Failings AND INFIRMITIES James 3.2 former part of the verse For in many things we offend all IN the foregoing verse the Apostle dehorteth the beleiving Jewes to whom he wrote this Epistle from the sin of proud and uncharitable censureing My Brethern be not many masters where the word master is taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a supercilious reprover for one that is gotten into the chair of arrogancy whence he doeth pro imperio Magisterially enough inveigh against the practises of other men (a) See Mr. Mantons Lectures on James 3.1 Vide etiam Pareum ad locum And this dehortation the Apostle enforceth with a double argument the first drawn à periculo from the danger of this sin Knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation verse 1. either here from men Or wich I suppose the Apostle doth rather intend hereafter from the Judg of all the earth It will be just in God to be severe to the failings of those that are so sharp in censuring their Brethrens infirmities by judging others they doe but passe sentence upon themselves
heed how they imbolden themselves to sin by the falls of Saints recorded in the Scripture It is an argument of a base spirit for men to plead Noahs drunkenness Lots incest Davids adultery Peters denyall as examples to encourage themselves to sinne Salvian complaineth that in his times they pleaded Si David cur non ego Si Noah cur non ego If David committed adultery why may not I doe so too and yet besaved as well as he If Noah was drunk why may not I be so too and yet be saved as well as he The best have their faults and in many things we offend all Thus they did then and thus men will still strengthen themselves in their wickedness But let such persons consider First They doe wrest and pervert the Scriptures when they make such carnall inferences from the falls of Saints recorded therein I say they pervert and wrest the Scriptures to a quite contrary end than ever the holy Ghost intended them For there are but two speciall ends of Gods recording in the Scriptures the falls of his Saints and they are these First that their falls might be a meanes to preserve others from fainting under the burden of their sins that they may not when they fall despair of mercy or think their sinnes greater than can be pardoned Secondly that their falls may be warnings to others to preserve them from falling that they may be as sea-markes to warn others to take heed how they come neer those rocks and quicksands where others have been splitt and sunk and to avoid those snares wherein the most precious Saints of God in former ages have been ensnared Now these things are writen for our examples saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.6 Examples How Surely not for our imitation but for our admonition as verse 11. to the intent that we might not be surprized and overtaken with the like temptation d Ad nostram doctrinam instructionem cautelam referenda sunt Estius ad 1 Cor. 10.6 Vt iis lectis vel auditis admoniti sapriamus nè similiter peccantes similiter patiamur Estius ad verse 11. ejusdem capitis This is the use which the holy Ghost teacheth us to make of the falls of Saints And this use Nehemiah made of the sin of Solomon in marrying strange wives You may see his own words Neh. 13.26 27. Did not Solomon King of Israel sin by these things yet among many nations was their no King like him who was beloved of his God and God made him King over all Israel Neverthelesse even him did outlandish women cause to sin Shall we then hearken unto you to doe all this great evill to transgresse against our God in marrying strange wives q.d. If Solomons marrying of strange wives was a meanes to cause him to sin how much greater cause have we to fear the like effect of the like sin if we should fall into it Let us then make this use of the falls of Saints recorded in the Scripture Was such a man as Noah of whom the holy Ghost gives a very honourable testimony that he was a just man and perfect in his generation Gen. 6.9 overtaken with that beastly sin of drunkenness Was such a man as David a man after Gods own heart drawn to such foule sins as adultery and murder Did Moses the meekest man upon the earth breake forth into passion and speak so unadvisedly with his lips that he was shut out of Canaan for it Oh! how should their examples be warnings to us who come so farre short of them in grace to take heed of the occasions of the like sins and looke well to our own feet lest they also slip Surely it never entered into the heart of God to record the falls of his Saints that thereby others should have a cloak for their sins but that hereby others might become the more afraid of sin and the more watchfull over their own hearts Did David and Peter and others who were such strong Saints and like pillars in the house of God fall so dangerously Oh! then how neerly doth it concern us who stand in more slippery ground to look well to our selves and to take heed lest we also fall Thus you see they that take occasion from the falls of Saints which are upon record in the Scriptures to encourage themselves in sin doe grossely pervert and wrest the Scripture and doe in effect make God the patron of sin Therefore I beseech you take heed of it Secondly You will see but little cause to imbolden your selves in sin by the examples of the infirmities of Saints recorded in the Scripture if you consider how deeply they have smarted for thir sins It is true indeed the Scriptures tell us that many of Gods deer children have sinned fowlly but they hold forth that they have smarted deeply Truly a man that considers and layeth well to heart how severely God hath dealt even with his own people when they have sinned against him what frownes what hidings of Gods face and what broken bones their sins have cost them and how long some of them have roared upon the rack of Gods heavy displeasure before those broken bones have been set in joint again besides many temporall afflictions which they have undergone though not sub ratione penae as the fruits of vindictive justice yet as the effects of fatherly displeasure c Quamvis Deus absolvit vere penitentes propter Christi mortem ab omni pen a satisfactoriâ non tamen illos liberat ab omni penâ medicinali castligâ—toriâ Daren in Coloss ed it Camah 1639. p. 127. would be loath to purchase the pleasure or the profit of any sin at so dear a rate much lesse would he imbolden himself to sin by their example Though it be true indeed that God never taketh away his loving kindness from his people nor suffers his faithfulnesse to fail Psal 89.33 yet if his covenant-people forsake his Law and walk not in his judgments if they break his statutes and keep not his commandements then will he visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes verse 30.31.32 The Scripture aboundeth with instances of this Moses his passion and unbelief shut him out of Canaan Numb 20.12 and 27.13 14. And Davids Adultery and murder intailed the sword upon him and his family to all generations and the child born in adultery must not live but dye and that for this very cause because by this deed he had given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme That 's the cause alledged by God himself 2 Sam. 12.10 11 12 14. And Zacharias for his unbeleef was struck dumb for a season Luk. 1.20 even because he beleeved not the words of the Angel which were to be fullfiled in their season Methinkes this consideration should startle such carnall wretches and cause them to stand in awe and not sin that although the children of God are by Jesus Christ delivered
with such whose society may corrupt you Shunne such acquaintance where you can expect no good but may receive much hurt David maketh this one character of a Citizen of Zion that in his eyes a vile person is contemned Psa 15.4 Joseph would not trust himself in the company of his mistresse lest by her sollicitations he might be drawn to sin he hearkened not unto her to lye by her or to be with her Gen. 39.20 Evill company is very infectious and dangerous and therefore it is Solomons advice Prov. 22.24.25 Make no friendship with an angry man and with a furious man thou shalt not goe lest thou learn his wayes and get a snare to thy soul which words although they are spoken of an angry man yet they are true of all evill company whatsoever All sinfull and unclean societies are infectious and dangerous societies either to disswade from that which is good or to perswade to that which is evill Hence it is that Moses warned the Israelites to have nothing to doe with the Canaanites least they should be misled by their examples Deut. 7.1 2 3 4. And when they acted against this rule they quickly brake all rules as you may see Psal 106.35 36. They were mingled with the Heathen and then it immediately followeth and learned their workes What workes were these Workes of art or agriculture of peace or warre No such matter but they were workes of false worship and Idolatry as appeareth by the following words They served their Idols which were a snare unto them Therefore the Lord injoyned them to have no fellowship with them least they should learn their wayes Be persweded therefore to have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darknesse Eph. 5. and to induce you thereunto consider that of Solomon Prov. 13.20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a company of fooles shall be destroyed Fourthly Direct 4 Let them look well to their senses As in a City besieged they look well to their Gates and Posternes so Saints if they would prevent sin should look to their senses which are as it were the Gates and Windowes of the soul especially to the eye which affects or rather indeed infects the heart with sinne from sinne-occasioning Objects It is therefore said that Eve saw that the fruit was faire and to be desired and then shee did eat Gen. 3.6 And as elsewhere The Sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and took them wives Gen. 6.2 And Tamar when shee had a desire to commit uncleanness with Judah sat as our translation hath it in an open place but it is in Hebrew in the doore of eyes so called because it was such a place where shee might be so exposed to open view y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In conspectu ommum locoo patente ubi in omnes partes patet circumspectio Paraeus ad loc Fuit bivium ubi necesse erat â—udam transire undecunque veniret Eâ igitur conspectâ ille mox libidine accenditur meretricem ratus Pareus ubi suprà that Judah should not passe that way but he must of necessity see her and seeing her might be tempted to commit Incest with her And it is said Gen. 39.7 that Josephs Mistresse cast her eyes upon Joseph and said lye with me Her eyes infected her heart and were the bellowes that blew up such a flame of lust within her z Oculi impudici inficiunt cor nunciantes ei objecta illicita quae foris sunt borum specie oblatâ illud inflammantes ubi cor est inflammatum oculi porrò sunt folles quibus illicita cordis desi deri a amplius sufflantur Paraeus ad Gen. 39.7 And you know that one idle glance upon Bathshebah was the cause of Davids fall 2 Sam. 11.2 3 4. Davids wandring eye ushered in those sins which afterwards cost him broken bones Hence we read of some that had eyes full of adultery 2 Pet. 2.14 A sin which is in the eye will quickly be at the heart which caused Job to make a covenant with his eyes that he might not look upon a maid Job 31.1 He meanes sinfully to lust after her He knew that there is a speedy and quick passage from the eye to the heart though in the fabrick of the body there seemeth to be a great distance between them Therefore saith he I have made a covenant with mine eyes to avoid occasions of sin lest mine eye should pollute my heart with motions unto sin And upon this account David prayeth to God that he would turn away his eyes from beholding vanity Psal 119.37 Fifthly Direct 5 Observe the first risings and stirrings of corruption and resist them Small breaches in a sea-bank occasions the ruine of the whole if not timely discovered and repaired so sin will gain upon us by insensible degrees and those that are once in the Devils snare are soon taken by him at his will and pleasure Christians should therefore watch against the first risings of sin and having discovered them resist them Truly there is no other meanes can doe you good if this be neglected There are but four wayes a Mr. Ralph Robinson in his Christian compleatly armed p. 47. can be imagined whereby we may help our selves when we are assaulted with temptation viz. either 1º First To flye or 2º Secondly To yeeld or 3º Thirdly To compound or 4º Fourthly To stand our ground and make resistance Now none of all these but the last will doe us any good First it is to no purpose to flye for sin is an intestine enemy As one said of Solomon that though he had no enemy abroad yet he found one at home b Hostem foris non habbet domi tamen reperit Cun. de rep Heb. lib. 1. so it may be said of us though we had no enemy without us which such is our misery cannot be said of any of us yet there are many noysome lusts dwelling in us which warre against the soul 1 Pet. 2.11 and are active and ready to betray us to Sathan Whither therefore can we flye as long as there is an enemy within us and will be within us as long as we live and follow us whithersoever we goe Secondly It is to as little purpose to yeeld that 's the high way to ruine for sin when it is finished bringeth forth death James 1.15 And moreover if you yeeld you put your selves as one hath well observed out of the compasse of Christs prayer c Mr. Ralph Robinson in his Christian complertly armed p. 47.48 I have prayed for thee saith Christ to Peter that thy faith fail not Luk. 22.32 Christ doth not make intercession for such as yeeld but for such as resist He prayeth that the faith of such as make resistance should not fail but he doth not intercede that such as will not fight should be defended Thirdly Compounding will stand you in as little steed as either of the former
further degrees of mortification Sin dwelleth in us and it will dwell in us while we live Therefore what St. Paul saith of himself in another case 1 Cor. 15.31 I dye dayly so let us in respect of our sins dye dayly Let us not look upon mortification as the work of a day or a moneth or a yeare but of our whole life time Let us therefore continue our indeavours therein and make a dayly progresse in this work and every day labour to weaken the body of sin more and more praying against it and watching against it and striveing against it in the strength of Christ So much for the use of exhortation Lastly Vse 4 I shall close up all with a few words of comfort to the people of God Consola who are apt to be cast down and disquieted in their spirits by reason of the remainders of corruption in them and their frequent falls into sin Besides what hath been already spoken in the explication of the Doctrine that though sin doth remain in beleevers in respect of its inherence and its infectious nature and its seduceing power yet they are freed from it in respect of its dominion guilt and condemning power and besides what hath been spoken before concerning the difference between the infirmities of Saints and the falls of wicked men which may conduce much to the comfort of the people of God under their failings and infirmities I shall now subjoyn three or four other comfortable considerations with which I shall put a period to this discourse First Sin cannot separate Saints from the love of God If any thing in the world could quench and extinguish the flame of Gods love to a beleeving soul that which carries in it the greatest contrariety to Gods holy and heavenly nature must needs doe it and that is sin But sin cannot doe it A state of sin before regeneration could not doe it much lesse shall an act of sin now you are in a state of grace be able to effect it For their is more malignity in a state of sin than in an act of sin Now saith the Apostle God commendeth his love to us in that when we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Rom 5.8 If God love sinners while sinners then suerly his love to Saints cannot be broken off by sin If the time of their bloud was the time of his love as Ezck. 16.6 then surely his love to them when Saints is invincible inviolable he may indeed visit their iniquities with stripes and their transgressions with rods it is a branch of his Covenant Psal 89.30 31. never thelesse his loving kindnesse will he not utterly take from them nor suffer his faithfullnesse to fail Secondly God taketh notice of of and accepteth that good which is in his Saints notwithstanding their sins Indeed men are apt so to minde their vices that they forget their vertues a little evill makes men forget abundance of good Men are apt to pitch onely upon the weaknesses and failings of of the people of God and to overlook what is good in them like flies that pitch upon the sore and like vultures that flye over the pleasantest garden and pitch upon carrion so wicked men watch for the haltings of Gods people and feed their malice with their failings But God takes notice of a little good in the midst of abundance of evill of a little gold in the midst of abundance of oare of a little wheat in the midst of abundance of chaffe And it is worth our choicest observation that when the Spirit of God in the Scripture giveth us the characters of Saints he hideth their failings and taketh notice onely of their graces I will give you a few instances If you look into Gen. 18.12 you shall find that Sarahs speech was full of distrust and unbelief shall I have pleasure my Lord also being old There was but one word that of Lord the note of rever ence and respect to her husband and that the holy Ghost elsewhere taketh notice of 1 Pet. 3.6 she called Abraham Lord. And although Moses was sometimes passionate yet the holy Ghost stileth him the meekest man upon the face of the earth Numb 12.3 Now the man Moses was very meek above all the men that were upon the face of the earth And in Heb. 11.31 There is no mention of Rahabs lye but onely of her faith and peaceable behaviour towards the spies David fell fearefully and that more than once as you have heard before and yet you may see what a character God gave of him viz. that he kept his commandements and followed the Lord with all his heart c. 1 King 14.8 Asa also had his great imperfections and yet when an account is given of his raigne the holy Ghost giveth him this high encomium The heart of Asa was perfect all his dayes 2 Chron. 15.17 So Job The holy Ghost saith concerning him Jâ—m 5.11 Ye have heard of the patience of Job Yes and we have heard of his impatience too in cursing his day Job 2. But this is not mentioned Iob was patient for the main though sometimes the extremity of his suffering extorted from him some expressions of impatience Indeed where the bent of the heart is right the infirmities of Gods people are not mentioned He that drew the picture of Alexander while he had a scarre in his face painted him with his finger upon the scarre so God is graciously pleased to put the finger of his mercy upon the scarres of his people What a precious cordiall may this be for the sinking and fainting hearts of Gods children mourning under the sense of their corruption Heoverlooketh what is theirs in them and takes notice onely of what is his own and when he comes to weigh them in the ballance of the Sanctuary he leaves out their corruptions and puts nothing into the scales but their graces He hides his eyes from what is sinfull and takes notice onely of what is good in them Thirdly Jesus Christ the High Priest of Saints is now in heaven at Gods right hand making intercession for them Heb. 7.25 Hence it is that he is also called an Advocate in that comfortable Scripture 1 John 2.1 If any man sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous He is entered in within the veile t Heb 6.19 20. and there he appeares before God and pleads the causes of his people presenting his own merit unto his father the merit of his death and passion whereby he hath made 〈◊〉 full satisfaction to divine Justice foâ— all their sins It is upon this account that the bloud of Christ 〈◊〉 said to speake better things than thâ— bloud of Abel u Heb. 12.24 Abels bloud pleadâ— against Cain crying for vengeancâ— Gen. 4.10 The voice of thy brother bloud cryeth unto me from the ground to wit for vengeance It is as much as if the Lord had said although there be none else to accuse thee
yet the innocent bloud of thy brother Abel which thou hast shed doth speak yea cry aloud for vengeance x Etsi nomo hominum te accuset quippe cùm nemo tri sceleris fit conscius tamâ—n est qui te accusâ—t apud me videlicet itse sauguis fra tris tui â—â—nocenter per te sâ—suâ— Iste inquam sanguis lo quitur coram me vindictam sui à me tanquam justo judice postulavi â—iscaâ— in Gen. 4.10 But now the bloud of Christ hath a voice too and that speakes better things than the bloud of Abel The bloud of Christ pleads for the Saints crying not for vengeance but for mercy and pardon for them y Non vindictam clamat sed veniam Pataeus ad loc Sanguis Abel vindictam loquebatur Sanguis autem Christi melius loquitur quia veniam loquitur gratiam Estius ad loâ— and by this meanes they are freed from the accusation and condemnation of the Law whereunto otherwise by reason of renewed transgressions they doe every day become obnoxious And hence it is that Paul throws down the gaunt-let as it were and maketh that triumphant challenge Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.33 34. Lastly There is a time approaching and not far off when believers shall be freed from the very being of sin Here indeed in this life they are under a sinfull necessity and sin dwelleth in them and will dwell in them whether they will or no insomuch that the pious soul often cryes out with David Woe is me that I dwell in Mesech that I sojourn in the tents of Kedar Psal 120.5 How long shall I be pestered with this troublesome inmate And with the Apostle Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7.24 But at death Saints shall be delivered from sin When the body of flesh dieth this body of death shall be quite destroyed Corruption shall be then totally destroyed when this mortall shall put on immortality and this corruptible shall put on incorruption z 1 Cor. 15.53 The Saints shall never after death be proud more nor grieve the Spirit of God more nor have cause any more to complain of the hardness of their hearts and the earthliness of their mindes and the vanity of their thoughts Their sins may accompany them to death but they cannot proceed one step further It is with the people of God in this life as it was with the people of Israel they were delivered from their Aegyptian Taskmasters and that was a sweet mercy to them but presently they see them at their heels and upon their backs again and this was exceeding bitter and therefore the Lord to comfort them tells them Exod. 14.13 Those Aegyptians whom ye have seen to day ye shall see them again no more for ever So that it is with the the children of God in reference to their sins they are delivered from the bondage of their sins but yet their sins may trouble them and put them into frights and raise in them many imbondageing thoughts of fear afterward but yet at death their deliverance shall be compleated and then they may stand upon the shore of the other world and see all these Aegyptians drowned in the red sea of Christs bloud and may say in the highest triumph and exultation of Spirit concerning sin and Sathan and whatsoever else hath the face or deserves to beare the name of a mysticall Aegyptian These Aegyptians which we have seen and felt so often in the dayes of our mortality we shall not feel nor so much as see them again for ever Consider what I have said and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS Through the Authors absence many faults have escaped the Press The smaller literall mistakes and mispointings they indulgence I hope will pardon Other more material mistakes thou art desired to correct with thy pen. Errata PAge 1. line penult read Brethren p. 3. l. 16. r. precedent ib. l. 26. r. sufficient p. 5. l. 17. r. reasons p. 9. l. 21. r. condemning p. 10. l. 15. r. pardoning p. 12. l. 4. r. Christs ib. l. 26. r. Scripture p. 14. l. 2. r. there ib. l. 5. r. there p. 15. l. 24 25. r. finally p. 16. l. 10. r inhaerens p. 18. l. 15. r. into p. 20. l. antepâ—nult r wherein p. 21. l. 22. dele also p. 22. l. 9. r. permits ib. l. 22 r. râ—doundeth p. 23. l. 24. r righteousness p. 24. l. antepenult r. as I. p. 15. l. 2. r. confident p. 31. l. 13. r servants p. 32. l. 20. r. lusts p. 33. l. 13. r. imperious ib. l. 18. r. heartily l. 20. r. he p. 34. l. 24. for after r against p. 38. l. 3. r sins p. 41. l. 8. r. practises p. 43. l. 3. r. fatigatus p. 47 l. 4. dele us ib. l. 6. r. absolute l. 23. for Doct. r. Vse p. 48. l. 22. r. there p. 50. l. 16. r. faithfull â—b l. 22. r. Pharaoh p. 51. l 22. r. attainable p. 58. l. 25. r therefore p. 64. l. 15 r. there p 66 l 22. r dear p. 67. l. 10. r poenae p. 68. l. 16 r fullfilled p. 76. l. 12. r smallness p. 78. l. â— r. Saints ib. l. 7 r. grievous p. 8â— l. 5. r. thee p. 84. l. 12. r. jealousie p. 85. l. 6. presented l. antepenult r. example p. 86 l. 3. r. being there resolved p. 90 l. 16. r. companion p. 91. l. 3. dâ—le as ib. l. 8 r sate p. 93. l. 2. r occasion p. 97. l. 25. r. might ib l 26 r. divine p. 98 l. 14. r. overscers ib l. 16. r kept â—ult dele comma p. 100. l. antepenult r. violence p. 101. l. 22. r. bless p. 110. l. 8. r there ib. l. 14. r surely In the margin â—ag 6. r semirutâ p. 12. r Newcomen p. 15. r. mysticall 16. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 20. r concupiscentiam p. 32. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 il r. consâ—etudo p. 56. l penult r ut p. 64. r. sapiamus p. 67. r paeâ— tentes ib r poenâ ib. r. castigatoriâ ib. r. Daven ib r. Cant p. 77. r Tert. p. 90. r loco p. 93. r. hab bat p. 94 r. compleaâ—