thee lies been a means to undo an immortal soul yea and to cause them to sin against the infinite God so that thou art guiltie of everie sin thou hast been a means to draw others to and thou art worse than those that have sinned for thy act in drawing them to it is a dreadful evil and then that which they have done is thine too Hast not thou sins of thine own enough to answer for before the Lord but thou must have the sins of another also Dost thou know what thou hast done in enticing others to sin either to uncleanness drunkenness to companie keeping and breach of the Sabbath and other sins Perhaps thou hast brought them to pilfering and purloining and many other particulars and other waies that might he named for indeed if we should enlarge our selves in this Point it might well require a whol Treatise but we must contract our thoughts It may be there are some in this Congregation that have been a means to draw others to sin and they be now in Hell at this instant for that sin thou wert a cause of What a sad thing is this for any man or woman to have this to lay to heart I know I have drawn such and such to sin I have been a means at least to further sin in them well they be dead and gone and they manifested no repentance before they died and therfore for ought I know yea it is much to be feared that they be now in Hell and now a tormenting for that verie sin I was the cause of and if the Lord gives me wages according to my works I must thither to them What shall they be in Hell for the sins I brought them to and shall I escape is it anie way likelie and probable but that I must follow when as they be there for the sins I brought them to what shall the Accessarie be condemned and executed and shal not the Principal I am the Principal and the other is but the Accessarie Certainly there had need be a mightie work of humiliation for thou art in exceeding danger that art the cause of bringing anie other to sin for it is that must needs lie exceeding heavie upon the soul of anie man and woman if God never give you a sight of this great evil certainlie you perish but suppose God do give you the sight of so great an evil and you begin to be humbled Oh this very meditation wil cause your humiliation to be full of bitterness and will cause it to be very hard for you to lay hold upon mercie and pardon when you shall think thus Ah were it for my own sins only I were to answer for I might have greater hope but there be others sins I drew them into and they be condemned perhaps and in Hel and how shall I escape condemnation my self I do not say that there is an impossibilitie of pardon for the Grace of God is infinite and were it not infinite it were impossible for such a soul to perish and thou that art the cause of it come to be saved I say there is a possibilitie but it is as if it were through the fire if ever thou escape do but thou consider if it should be that thou shouldest die in impenitencie also as the other did and that thou didest go to Hell when you two should meet at the day of Judgment and he should see thee the cause that drew him to sin Oh what a grief it would be to thee how would he curse thee and the time that ever he saw thy face that ever he lived in that Familie where thou livedst It may be some Parents have been a means to draw by counsel and advice the Child to sin Oh the Child when he sees his Parent at the Day of Judgment how will he curse the time that ever he came from such Loyns and such a womans Womb Oh that rather he had been the off-spring of a Dragon and the generation of a Viper than from the Loyns of such a man and woman you encouraged me to such and such waies of sin to opposition and hatred and speaking evil against the People of God the Servants of God that were strict in their way and now you and I must perish eternally sure in Hell they will be readie to cast fire-brands in one anothers faces that have been the cause of sin in one another in this world and so Husband and Wife that lie in one anothers bosoms if they be the cause of any sin in one another it may cause woful terror to them and appear worse than if a Serpent had lay in their bosom for those that draw others to sin do worse mischief than any Serpent or Viper in the world can do You had need look to it betimes I shall wind it up with this one Note Whosoever hath been the cause to draw others to commit any Sin know this That the least that can be required if God do give thee a sight of thy sin and to be humbled for it if thou doest go away out of the presence of God as having an Arrow darted into thy bosom for this then I say go away with this one Note You be bound to make some restitution in a spiritual way as much as you can For this you know I shewed before in a mans temporal Estate when you have wronged you must make restitution if you will have mercie you must make up the wrong as you are able much more here when you have wronged any in their souls a Soul wrong calls for Spiritual Restitution as well as Body wrong or Estate wrong calls for a Bodilie or Estate Restitution Quest What do you mean will you say by this Spiritual Restitution Answ This I mean That if those be alive that thou hast drawn to sin thou art bound to this part of Restitution that is To go to them and to undo what possibly thou canst what thou hast done and now to tell them of the evil of that sin and to do them all the good for their Souls that possibly thou canst Now to shew to them how God hath convinced thee and what the work of God hath been upon thee and how heavie and dreadful sin hath been made to thee and to beseech them for the Lords sake to look to themselves and to consider of their estates and to repent of that their sin that you were the cause to bring them to And so if there be anie means in the world wherbie thou canst do good unto their Souls thou art bound to do it yea to them their children their friends as you are bound to make restitution unto the next friends and heirs of those that you have wronged in their goods if the partie wronged be dead So if those should be dead thou hast drawn to sin suppose when thou wast yong thou drewest such a man to drunkenness adulterie or the like and they be dead and gone thou art bound to
THE EIGHTH BOOK OF M R Jeremiah Burroughs Being a Treatise of the EVIL of EVILS OR THE Exceeding Sinfulness OF SIN Wherein is shewed 1 There is more Evil in the least Sin than there is in the greatest Affliction 2 Sin is most opposite to God 3 Sin is most opposite to Mans Good 4 Sin is opposite to all Good in general 5 Sin is the Poyson or Evil of all other Evils 6 Sin hath a kind of Infiniteness in it 7 Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil All these several Heads are branched out into very many Particulars Published by Thomas Goodwyn William Bridge Sydrach Sympson William Adderly William Greenhil Philip Nye John Yates London Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Printing Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1654. M R Burroughs on the Evil of Sin A TESTIMONY TO THE WORLD Concerning Several Books of M R Jeremiah Burroughs that are Printing and will shortly be Published WHAT we have by way of Preface set before the several Books already published of this Reverend Author Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs may sufficiently serve for all that are come forth So that we only need now to give Letters Testimonial to the World that these viz. The Sermons on Job 36. chapt 21. verse The Second Epistle of Peter the 1. chapter the 1. verse The First Epistle of John the 3. chap. 3. verse The Second Epistle to the Corinthians the 5. chapter 7. verse Matthew the 11. chapter 28 29 and 30. verses The Second Epistle to the Corinthians the 5. chapter the 18 19 and 20. verses which are or will shortly be Printed We avouch likewise to be the painful and profitable Labors of the same Author and published by the best and most Authentick Copies Thomas Goodwin William Greenbil William Bridge Sydrach Simpson Philip Nye John Yates William Adderley To the Reader READER THE Creatures vanity and emptiness the abounding Sinfulness of Sin and Christs All-sufficiency and Fulness and how to live the life of Faith in Christ are Subjects containing the Sum and Substance of Religion and much treated on promiscuously amongst Divines And I think amongst all the Treatises of this blessed man Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs now triumphing in glory above all sin and sorrow which have been received with so much acceptation amongst the Saints there hath not been presented to thy view a more Practical Piece than this now under thy hands And though divers Divines have written and spoken much concerning this Subject yet in my poor Judgment this out-goes all of this Nature that ever my eyes beheld setting forth with life and spirit the Subject in hand and bringing it down powerfully in a practical way to convince the Judgment and work upon the affections of the weakest Reader That which is the undoing of those who think themselves no small Christians is resting in a bare notion of the Creatures emptiness Sins filthiness Christs Fulness and having some high towering speculations concerning the Nature and Object of Faith and to be able to discourse of these things in company and upon occasion is the Religion of the World and more especially of our Formal Professors Now the reality of these confest Principles are not made powerful upon the conscience by the cleerest natural aquired light in the World but when the Lord is pleased to set home those over-awing soul ballasting-thoughts of Eternity then and never till then shall we live act and walk as a people who acknowledg these Principles of Christianity to be true Whilst the things of Religion and thoughts of Eternity lie swimming only in our Brains they never conquer command and subdue the heart in a way of Practical Obedience Many mens thoughts language and lives are such that if they were certain there is no God no Sin no Hell no wrath to be feared no Grace to be minded and attained no Judgment day when they must give an account they could not be worse than they are nor do worse than theydo Oh the horrid Athiesm bound up in mens hearts and they see it not how else durst men be so prophane in their lives under Gospel light how durst they sit so stupidly under the powerful awaking means of Grace how else could such vile thoughts be cherish'd and such cursed practises and principles maintained how else durst men chule sin rather than affliction when they are brought into streights how otherwise are men more afraid of open shame than of secret sins In a word how durst men walk without God in the world at least without secret prayer and communing with their own hearts dayes weeks months years together I am perswaded more souls drop down to Hell in our dayes under the abuse os Gospel Light than ever did in the gross darkness of Popery they then better improved their Talents according to the light afforded and walked better and more sutably to the light they receiv'd wheras these Gospel truths which now shines more fully and cleerly in the faces of so many thousands are not so much improved in a more circumspect holy and humble walking but rather abused to a more loose and wanton carriage and censorious judging of one another men sinning the more because grace so much abounds how could the Saints then love and embrace with singleness of heart but now the foundations of love are shaken and a perverse spirit is mingled amongst us Oh how heavily doth the wrath of God lie upon the Professors of our Age for the abuse of Gospel light and they feel it not Gods Administrations in this latter Age of the World being more subtil and Spiritual and therefore more undiscernable than in former Ages Oh how many have we now adaies who think they walk cleerly in the midst of Gospel Light magnifying and exalting free Grace triumphing in their Christian liberty looking upon others as kept in bondage who come not up to their pitch and practice and yet are no better than Solomons fools who make a mock of sin being conceitedly set at liberty but really sin and Satans bond slaves Certainly till mens consciences be made tender and fearful of the least touches and appearances of evil they have good cause to suspect not only the strength but the soundness of their hearts in Grace Whilst men are bold with sin and can put it off at an easie rate of sorrow let their attainments seem never so high in understanding the Mysteries of the Gospel they never yet knew truly what it is to exalt Christ and free Grace for look in what measure we slight Sin in the same measure we slight God himself in his Persons and Attributes And how can that great Gospel Duty of walking humbly with God be expressed how can Christ be rightly lifted up and advanced in our souls without a right sight and sence of sin Never wil Christ be wonderful Christ and Grace wonderful Grace till sin be wonderful sin and experimentally apprehended
You may know them by this If you propound limits thus far you will go this certainlie is a Natural work But when the heart lets out it self to God without any limits or bounds this is a Supernatural work So you dislike sin and Oh you would not commit it but this is the Question Whether your dislike or hatred be Natural or Supernatural If Natural then there be some limits and bounds you propound that is you will not commit such gross sins and live in such open sins and upon such and such grounds you will abstain from such and such Sins But if there be a Supernatural work your hearts are set against all sins with a kind of infiniteness without anie bounds or terms you will set no bounds to your hatred of anie Sin that man or woman that so hates Sin as to set no bounds at all unto their hatred and will admit it upon no terms this is a Supernatural hatred Manie are against Sin Naturally but in that true hatred it is so boundless that there must be no bounds set to your hatred it evidentlie shews Sin to have a kind of infinitness of evil in it Fifthly Sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it in that it is the Vniversal Cause of all Evil As God appears to be an infinite good because he is the universal cause of all good this doth much set out the infiniteness of Gods goodness in that he is the universal cause of all good So it doth set out the infiniteness of Sin in that Sin is the universal cause of all evil all evils flow from it This is the Fifth Thing Sixthly There is an infiniteness of Evil in Sin it appeareth thus That as the infiniteness of good in God is shaddowed out unto us by all good things and in as much as we and the Scripture makes use of all good things to shaddow out the goodness of God this manifests an infiniteness of good in him So in as much as the Scripture makâ—s use of all kind of Evil things only to set and shaddow out the evil in sin this makes it appear there is a kind of infiniteness of Evil in it As thus That all those Creatures Vipers Serpents Dogs Cockatrices Dragons Wolves all deadly Creatures the Scripture makes use of but to shaddow out the evil in Sin As if the Holy Ghost should say do you see any evil in such Creatures that you account the worst put them all together and that is in Sin and more So take all kinds of uncleanness the vomit of a dog menstruous Cloaths all this doth but shaddow out the evil in Sin Look at sicknesses leprosies plague and death it self and darkness any hidious evil all these do but shaddow out the evil of Sin We might mention many more to shew you the evil of Sin And in that the Scripture makes use of so many evil things to shew the evill of Sin This shews Sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it Seventhly As Gods infinite goodness is set out thus that he is his own Happiness and Blessedness in this God doth appear to be infinitely good because he is his own good and happiness there is no higher good to be the goodness of God no higher blessedness to be the blessedness of God but himself because he is infinitly good and blessed So the Scripture sets out to us the Evil of Sin by it self because there is no greater evil to set Sin out by but by it self Therfore this shews there is a kind of infiniteness of evil in Sin And therefore you have that of Rom. 7. 13. Was that then that was good made death to me God forbid but Sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which was good that Sin by the Commandement might become EXCEEDING SINFVL He doth not say that sin might appear to be Exceeding miserable but that it might become Exceeding Sinful So that the sinfulness of Sin is that which sets out the evil of Sin more than any other thing doth It was the Speech of the Heathen Seneca It is the punishment of Sin to have Sin So it is the reward of Vertues to have them Godliness in it self is the Excellency of a man and Sin in it self is the misery of a man and this is a Proof of this That there is a kind of infiniteness of evil in Sin Now then by all these Seven Discoveries of the evil in Sin having a kind of infiniteness in it this one thing comes fully and powerfully from them That for to fall into sin again and for to be prevailed withal by any such temptation as this Oh it is no great matter if I do no worse than this I hope it is well and others do worse I say to yield again to the commission of any sin upon such a temptation is a great wickedness What dost thou make any comparison in sin and use any such words when thou hast heard it or read it proved to thee that Sin hath a kind of infiniteness of evil in it Nay which I thought to have finished here but cannot now come to it but shal in the next Chapter shew the reference Sin hath to the Devil this shews the greatness of Sin above all Evils Sin is that which makes the Soul conformable to the Devil Afflictions doth not they make the soul conformable to Jesus Christ I suppose you know that place Phil. 3. 10. mark there the difference between Sin and Affliction Paul there accounted all things dung and dross for the Excellency of the knowledg of Christ and what more That he might be found in him and that he might know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death He did desire above all things to have the fellowship of his sufferings and to be conformable to his death he accounts all the world as dung and dross to be conformable to Christ by Afflictions or sufferings It is true it may be many account all the world to be nothing to be conformable to Christ in Glory in Heaven But here is the work of Grace and I beseech you observe this in the conclusion and carry it away That a gracious heart accounts all the world dung and dross to be conformable to Jesus Christ in his sufferings there is so much excellencie and glorie in the Sufferings of Jesus Christ Now you see the wide difference between Afflictions and Sin Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil Afflictions make a man conformable to Jesus Christ I would have shewed wherein in several Particulars how sin makes us conformable to the Devil I will but name this one now and that which might be enough to make every soul out of love with Sin in that by Sin thou joynest with the Devil and conspirest with the Devil against God himself There is no Creature that is against God but Men and Devils The Devil was Gods first Enemie and now
wiser than their Teachers rhan their Fore-fathers and to bring them to the wisdom even of the most wise CHAP. LI. The former Vse further prosecuted First Against those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience which ariseth either from gross Ignorance or Atheism or desperate slighting of God Secondly Trouble of Conscience is the beginning of Eternal death Thirdly Those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience can never prize Christ Fourthly Those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience now shall one day alter their opinion Fifthly It were just with God to let those sink under the burden of Conscience that have slight thoughts of it now Sixtly Those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience those very thoughts do take away a chief restraint from sin Seventhly Slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience for sin are 1 A high degree of Blasphemy 2 And a degree towards the unpardonable sin WE have entred upon the Application of all that hath been said concerning the evil of Sin And you may remember I have only named one Use that do arise from all that hath been said about the evil of Sin and that we shall now prosecute The Use is this If there be so much evil in sin as you have heard opened unto you beyond all the evil of any affliction Hence then we see that the wounds and trouble of Conscience for sin certainly it is no melancholly conceit it is not a fancy or imagination as many in the world think of it Many men have very slight thoughts about the trouble of Conscience for sin and when they hear of men or women troubled for their sin they think it is nothing but melancholly or temptation or some kind of frenzy or madness or folly or weakness of spirit or timerousness These be the thoughts men have of trouble of conscience and according to their thoughts that they have of it such are their Cures that they seek for it I spake som what of it in the last Chapter but now certainly if these things be true as verily they are the Truths of God that have been delivered concerning the evil of sin then we are not to wonder at men and women that have troubles of conscience for sin I shewed by some examples that trouble of conscience was not melancholly especially in the example of Christ himself that had the burden of sin troubles of spirit I cannot so properly cal it trouble of conscience for there is a substantial difference between the wrath upon his soul that he felt and the wrath of God that others feel upon their consciences but in effect the wrath of God is the same that was upon him by imputation of sin and upon others by reason of their own proper guilt and it was not melancholliness in him nor in David as I shewed in the last Chapter Now to proceed There be two things I desire to proceed in And First I have many things to say unto those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience for sin somwhat to say to those and if there be any in this place that have wondred at men and women that have been troubled in their conscience for sin let them attend to what they read I have divers things to say unto them Secondly I am to shew you some difference between melancholly distempers and trouble of Conscience for sin First These thoughts of thine they certainly eome from either abundance of Ignorance or Atheism or Desperate slighting of God One of these three Causes 1 Ordinarily these thoughts that men have of trouble of Conscience to be no greater matter than such melanchoby conceits they do come from gross Ignorance thou knowest not God thou knowest not what it is for a soul to have to deal with an infinite Deity thou never yet hadest a real sight of an infinite Deity with whom thou hast to deal And it is a sad thing to think that men and women should live a long time and never in all their lives come to have a real sight of that infinite Majestie and Deitie with whom we have to do It comes from ignorance of the nature of sin thou dost not know what sin is God hath yet blinded thine eyes that thou shouldest sin but not know what sin is Certainly thou dost not know the Law of God the Spiritualness of it and the dâ—eadfulness of the wrath of God revealed against sin thou dost not know what Eternty means thou dost not apprehend what it is for a soul to be in hazard of miscarrying to all Eternity It was the Speech of Francis Spirâ— as I opened in the former Chapter I shall make use of that example further because a notable ezample Oh saith he If I might endure the heavy wrath of God but for twenty thousand years I should not think it much but it must be Eternally Eternally I must endure the Eternal wrath of God that lay heavy upon his spirit Let any man or woman in the world the stoutest proudest spirit that lives upon the face of the Earth think what it is to miscarry to Eternity and this will make his spirit be troubled Therefore its gross Ignorance in men that makes many have such slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin 2 Again If not from Ignorance yet from Atheism For many men that seem to have excellent Parts and are not ignorant Sots and yet have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin It is not so much to be wondred at to see a company of ignorant Sots that know nothing of God and the Principles of Religion that they should have such slight thoughts and wonder what men mean to be troubled for sin But men that have good Parts perhaps men of great Gifts and pregnant Wit and great Schollers and yet they have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience for sin Now in them Vsually the cause is Atheism or slighting of God Woful desperate Atheism is in the hearts of many great Schollers many pregnant Wits many that wâ—ll speak much of Religion yet they are desperate Atheists in their hearts therfore from thence it comes Therefore when you see learned men understanding men go on in such and such sinful waies and slight all that is said concerning the evil of sin do not wonder at it for woful desperate Atheism lies under abundance of Knowledg a great deal of knowledg learning wit and parts and yet slight sin this is the Cause the Atheism in their spirits Compare these two Scriptures together Psalm 14. 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God and in Prov. 14. 9. Fools make a mock of sin that is those fools that do say in their hearts there is no God those fools make a mock of sin and they think lightly of all that hath been said of the evil of sin and what need so much ado about the evil of sin they can slight it and make light of it well it is such
Striking Sin is a striking at God 50 Spirit Sin wrongs the Spirit of God 71 Sweat Christs sweat 128 Strictness Strictness of Gods people justified 448 Stubbornness Stubbornness distinguished from from Conscientiousness 452 Separate What separates men for God 291 What separates men from God 292 Slave vide Subject Soul Christs Soul sufferings 401 Sorrow Christs sorrow 125 Sin More evil than any misery 3 c. A heavie Thing 7 A Non-Entitie 11 No good in the being of it ibid It is cause of no good 12 It comes not from good 13 No good annexed to it 14 No good of Promise ibid Of Evidence ibid Of Blessing 15 Sin is Opposite to all good 319 Sin in its self is misery 354 Sin sells the soul to the devil 367 Turns the soul into a Devil 368 Sensible Some more sensible of affliction than sin 528 Sinner Every sinner guilty of all the sins in the World 362 Succession Of Sin 362 363 Subject Difference between a Slave and a Subject 366 T Temptation To avoid 98 Edward the 6th avoids it with tears 101 No sin if not entertained 372 Terror What causeth terror 273 274 Thoughts Thoughts of God terrible to some 273 Time Time spent in sin is lost 28 Truth Sin wrongs God in his truth 67 Truth in its Latitude the object of mans understanding 283 Turns Sin turns all good into evil 321 Exhortation to turn from sin 476 V Venture No good should be ventured for sin 26 Venome Of sin 43 Vile A wicked person is a vile person 141 144 Useless Wicked men useless men 29 Undo Man doth undo himself by sin 140 262 Union What breaks Union 282. 284 Spiritual things Unite 282 Why mans soul is capable of Uuion with God 283 284 W Wisdom Sin wrongs God in his wisdom 63 Weapons Sinners fight against God with his own weapons 77 Way Of the godly and wicked difference 441 Worse No man is worse for Affliction but for Sin 141 Worth All the men in the world not worth one Christian 143 145 The end is worth the means 260 261 Work Sin is not the work of God 25 Sin opposite to God in its working 41 World Sin would destroy the world were it not for Gods wisdom 74 Wrong What wrong sin doth to God 54 They who have wronged God must do much for God 109 110 111 112 Sin wrongs the Soul 309 Wrath Of God 125 Christ drinks the Cup of Gods wrath 129 What the wrath of God is 343 Will A Sinner exalts his will above Gods 64 65 Fulfils the Devils will 363 364 365 Walk How God walks contrary to sinners 286 Word The Word must be prized 406 407 The Word justified for threatning 455 456 Worm Sin is the matter whereon the worm breeds 263 Wayes to kill the worm of Conscience here 26 The Blood of Christ cures the worm here 264 Weight Of Sin what 132 God weighs out Afflictions to Saints 334 335 It is good to bring sins weight upon our selves 474 Y Youth It is good to be godly in Youth 488 FINIS THere are these several Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs that will shortly be published viz. His Sermons on Job 36. 21. The second of Peter the 1. and 1. The first Epistle of John 3. 3. The second of Corinthians 5. 7. Matthew 11. 28 29 30. The second of Corinthians 5. 18 19 20. There are also in the Press Seventeen Books being the substance of many Sermons Preached at Harford in New England By Mr. Thomas Hooker somtime Fellow of Emanuel Colledg in Cambridg in England which are Discourses on Seventeen several Scriptures Reader â—…is Treaâ—ise was first Preached at Stepney neer London on the Lordsday mornings â—t was begun Nov. 29. 1641 and finished Feb. 27 1641. It is thought good â—o give the Reader Notice hereof in espect to â—ome Expressions â—…d in 〈◊〉 Treaâ—…e Doct. * This was written in the Year 1641. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praepositio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 auget significationem declarat animum undique maerora obsessuÌ„ circum vallatum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat attonitum esse ex significationem auget ita ut sit animo corpore per horrescere Medici vâ—cant horripilationem Gerrh in Harm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza Hesychius dicit significare palaestrum bellum proprle est timor quo corripi solent in certamen descensury Stephan in Thes * This was preached on the 2. of January * This was 23. of January * This was Preached at Stepney the 26. of February
the presence of God if it were not upon deliberation and good search it were a great boldness and therefore certainly beleeve there is such evil in Sin and though you pass by a thousand idle thoughts and evil actions and they be gone with you and you make little of them but if you did know what the evil of Sin were you would look upon them with amazement and cry out Lord what have I done Men and women go abroad and before they come home meet with Company and there swear many Oaths commit lewdness have told lyes and done wickedness Oh did they but know what they have done that day they would come home wringing their hands and ready to tear their hair and lie tumbling upon the very ground for the evil that they have done 3. Further We must not commit sin though for the glory of God for many put this end upon it as the Papists this is their Principle To advance the Catholick Cause they think they may do any wickedness murther Princes blow up Parliaments keep no Faith Promises Oathes take liberty to rise in Rebellion to commit all outrages and cut all the Protestants throats and to advance the Catholick Cause take the Sacrament upon it and yet think because t is for so good an end as they conceive therefore they may commit any wickedness It is certain God needs not the Devil to help his Cause but suppose by sin Gods glory might be furthered in some particular yet we must not commit the least sin for the greatest glory of God that can be imagined so much evil there is in sin And therfore for such that many times strain their Conscience to do that which their Consciences have regreet upon and their Conscience told them they should not do it yet meerly upon this pretence that they might do service in the Church Oh their Ministry is dear to do good to Souls to preach to so many Souls by this means God may have glory and hereupon they venture to strain their Consciences to have liberty to Preach this certainly is a great evil we must not strain our Consciences in any thing to commit the least sin upon imagination of the greatest glory that can be brought to God Good ends put upon sins cannot make them better This is the Second thing Fourthly All the good that God himself can bring from sin can never make sin good such evil there is in it that the infinite power and goodness of God can never make sin good true God may destroy Sin Yet that which is Sin all the power of God cannot make that good Such evil there is in Sin This is a Fifth thing 6. There is no good in Sin not Comparatively That is Though it be true one Sin is less than another yet no sin is good in comparison of another In Affliction as one affliction is less than another so one affliction is good in comparison of another a less affliction is good in comparison of a greater and all affliction is good in comparison of Sin But in Sin though one Sin be less than another yet the least Sin is not good in comparison of the greatest and take the least Sin of all it is not good in comparison of any Affliction And you shall see how this is Useful to us CHAP. IV. Vses And Nine Consectories of excellent use viz 1. Sin is not the Work of God 2. Sins promises are all Delusions 3. Sin cannot be the Object of a rational Creature 4. Nothing that 's good should be ventured for Sin 5. Nothing that 's good to be made serviceable to Sin 6. The mistake of making Sin the chiefest good 7. Time spent in Sin lost 8. The wicked useless members 9. Sin need no debate whether to be done or not HEnce we see for our Instruction that that maxime many have hath nothing to do in point of sin to wit of two evils you must chuse the least True in regard of the evil of Affliction comparing one Affliction with another so we may chuse the least but this cannot have truth in matter of Sin that of two Sins we may chuse the least because though one Sin be less than another yet the least Sin can never come under the notion of good comparitively As all other evils be good comparatively though never so great evils yet comparatively they may be good Yet Sin can have no goodness any way comparatively Therefore of two evils we must not chuse the least in this sence 1 Because Sin in it self is sinful And 2 Because Chusing the least can never be a means to prevent the greater but rather to make way for the greater And Brethren obseive it for it may be useful in the course of our lives God never brings any man or woman to such straits that of necessity they must chuse one Sin chuse this or the other Sin When two Sins shall stand in competition we may conceit such straits to our selves yet there is no such real straits Though God doth bring men into such straits that of necessity they must chuse one affliction either this or that affliction So David was brought into such a strait that he must chuse Famine Sword or Pestilence yea God doth never bring men into such straits that of necessity they must chuse this or that Sin thou deceivest thine own heart if thou thinkest thou art brought into such a strait Therefore this is a vain thing and savors of an exceeding carnal heart when men are doing that which is evil for them to say I were as good do this as worse As for instance now Suppose some keep at home upon the Lords day and mend their Cloaths if any rebuke them they will say Better do this than worse better do this than go to the Ale-house this is true but this savors of a carnal heart to think that you must chuse one Sin rather than another thou must not chuse any of them both of these are evil though one may be less evil than the other Or if some spend their time in Play when they are rebuked they put it off with this shift Better do this than worse and so they go abroad and spend their time in seeing Playes and say Better do this then worse 't is yet true though this be not so great a sin as others if it be a sin it must not be done upon any terms and thou deceivest thine own heart in this conceit that thou wert better do this than worse for sin cannot be good and so not to be chosen at any time Thus we see there is no good in sin and a great deal of good in affliction Hence there follows these Nine Consectorys of exlent use for us First Consectory If there be no good in sin then certainly sin is not the work of God for God saw all his works and they where very good but sin hath no goodness in it therefore not of God God disclaims it The Second
other thing It is not so with Affliction Affliction is from God and by God and for God and is not contrary unto God because it is from Himself 2 Sin is so opposite to God that if it were possible that the least drop of it could get into Gods Nature God would instantly cease to be a God He could not continue one moment to be a God any longer such evil there is in sin If there should be such a Poyson that if one drop of it should come into the Ocean all the whol Ocean would be at an instant poysoned yea all destroyed and anihilated in one instant you would say that were a very fearful Poyson If a drop of Poyson should be so poysonful that if one drop of it got into Heaven that then presently the Sun Moon and Stars would fal down and be anihilated you would say this were a venemous Poyson Certainly if but one drop of sin should get into God the infinite Being of God would instantly cease to be The Sea though vast is not infinite the Heaven though vast is not infinite the infinite God would have no Being at all if sin should get into God therefore it is very evil Therfore also we ought to have holy thoughts of God seeing sin is so infinitely contrary to his Nature 3. So opposit is sin to God that if God should be but the cause of any sin in any other He would instantly Cease to be a God It strikes at the very life of God He would cease to be God he could be God no longer if he should be the Cause of any sin in any other We had need take heed therefore how we father sin upon God that he should be the cause of sin for such is the evil of sin that God must cease to be if he should be but any cause to give any efficacy to sin in us Indeed for Afflictions God will own that he saith in Amos 3. 6. Is there any evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it and in Mich. 〈◊〉 3. it is said there that God deviseth evil If there be no evil in the City but God doth it yea saith the Prophet God deviseth evil there is no evil of punishment but God deviseth it God will be content to own it to be the Author of all the torments of the damned in hel God will own God will say I have done it and I am the Author of al the torments of al the damned in hel but such is the evil of sin if God were the Author of that He could not be God any longer but would cease to be God 4. Such is the evil of sin that if God should but approve of it and like it if he should but like it when another have commited it even that would cause him to cease to be God Wicked men be ready to think because God is patient and long suffering that God is of the same judgment with themselves Psal 50. 21. Because I held my Peace thou thoughst that I was altogether such an one as thyself but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes it is the just temper and frame of wicked and ungodly men to this day because God holds his peace and comes not upon them to revenge sin presently they be ready to think that God approves sin and is of their judgment Indeed saith a wicked man many Ministers cry out of sin that it is very grievous but I hope God wil give liberty to my wayes and walkings sure God is not against them he approves of them otherwise why should God suffer me in them and be so patient towards me in them Oh! know when thou hast any such thought of God as this thou blasphemest God If that were true that thou thinkest That God did approve of thy wicked wayes God must cease to be God God would be God no longer Quest Why How doth this appear Answ This is the Reason of it Because then God were not infinitely holy and holiness is Gods Being and if God be not infinitely holy he is not God at all but ceaseth to be presently Which is impossible and blasphemous to think 5. Such is the evil of sin so opposite to Gods Nature that if God did not hate sin as much as he doth he would cease to be a God not only if he did allow of it and like of it for he may permit it in his Creature and not like of it But I say If God did not hate sin so much as he doth hate it if it could be conceived that God could but hate sin somwhat less than he doth I say he would instantly cease to be a God he could not remain to be God one moment if he did cease to hate sin in any degree less than he doth Quest Why How doth this appear Answ Thus If God cease to hate sin I do not speak of the manifesting of his hatred but that which is his nature that is proportionable to hatred as we say if God did not hate it so much as he doth then he did not hate sin infinitely for there cannot be any infinite and less than infinite stand together these two cannot ever stand that it should be infinite and less then so and remain infinite if it be infinite it remains so if there should be a degree under that it must be finite Now if Gods hatred to sin were less than it is it would be but a finite hatred and if it were a finite hatred then God could not be infinitely holy for infinite holiness must needs have infinite hatred against sin I beseech you observe this for you are ready to think Though God be against sin and hate it yet I hope God hates it not so much as many Ministers make of it tush God is not so much against sin as they speak of though its true when we do a miss we must cry God mercy and pray God to forgive us yet to make so much of sin as they do and that God sets himself so much against it as they say this is but their opinion and he hopeth God doth not hate it so much as they say Oh! Brethren take heed of this opinion for if God should hate sin less then he doth he should cease to be either he must hate sin with infinite hatred or he ceaseth to be God So evil and opposite is sin to Gods Nature And if these things be true there is a great deal of evil in sin If there be nothing so opposite to God as Sin and if but the least drop of sin should get into God it would make God cease to be God and if he should be but the cause of any sin in his Creature he would cease to be God and if he should but like it in his Creature he would cease to be God and if he should but hate it less then he doth he could not be God but al this is true Then we
pervers against their acquaintance neighbors family neerest friends we cannot imagine somtimes what is the reason Certainly this is one especial reason there is much guilt upon their consciences and spirits and this doth so disquiet and vex them that they fling out at God and his Word and every one they can have no quiet they be so vexed and gauled with that guilt upon their spirits there is a great deal of cause to suspect much guilt to be upon those that be so outragious and can bear nothing that have their hearts rise against the Word especially Brethren if you see any one that hath any light of Conscience and hath made profession heretofore if such an one shall frowardly flie out against the Word and those that be godlie you may conclude there is some woful guilt upon that mans spirit he is so froward and peevish and disquiet as he is And so we find it in Saul he was a man at first of a very quiet spirit and very moderate but after Saul being a man much enlightened and had forsaken God and had contracted abundance of guilt upon his soul he was a most froward perverse spirit as any we reade of in the Book of God then how froward was he with David and the Priests of God and so outragious as that he slaies them all a bloody man after he had contracted much guilt Do you see men so froward and outragious and bloodie Oh there is much guilt within upon their spirits great breaches between God and their souls and the guilt of sin within grates upon their hearts and that makes them so outragious as they are if guilt be upon the soul it takes away al the comfort of every thing that man or woman that hath an enlightened conscience and hath guilt upon them there 's little comfort such a one can take in any thing they enjoy No affliction in the world can take away the comfort of what we enjoy as guilt can do if you have afflictions one way you have comforts another if a man go abroad and meet with hard dealings he comes home and hath comfort it may be in his wife a comfortable yoke-fellow this rejoyceth him or may be he hath comfort in his Children or in such or such a friend But now let a man or a woman have guilt upon conscience abroad he hath no comfort at home he hath no comfort yea the more comfortable things he doth enjoy the more trouble there is in his spirit As thus Take a guiltie conscience and when he comes and looks upon a comfortable familie comfortable estate means coming in a sweet yoke-fellow good friends Oh but if I had not some guilt upon my soul I could rejoyce in these but that guilt that lies upon his conscience take away all the comfort of these and if he sees others that enjoy these Oh saith he this man may have comfort in a comfortable yoke-fellow children or friends and a good estate but he hath not guilt upon his spirit and that breach between his God and he as I have May be the world knows not where his â—hoo pincheth him and what sadens his spirit many men that have comforts about them though they cannot be said to enjoy them yet their hearts be troubled and disquieted and no bodie knows the matter Oh there is guilt upon their spirits they think within themselves Oh if it were with me as it is with such a one it would be well sure they have not that guilt I have if they had they could not but be disquieted as I am Again Guilt brings woful fear upon the Conscience no affliction can bring such fear upon the Conscience Though there should be never such troubles and fears and confusions in the world alas this is not so terrible and fearful as that fear the guiltie conscience hath Take a man or woman whose conscience is delivered from the guilt of sin such a one though Heaven and Earth should meet is not so much troubled Certainly Brethren in these great fears amongst us that you be skar'd at everything it is partly because you have not throughly made up your peace between God and your souls and some guilt lies upon your spirits and consciences and this indeed will make every thing terrible to you if that lie there Guilt upon the conscience makes God the thoughts of God seem terrible Now it is a greater evil for the creature not to be able to look upon God to have thoughts of God without being pierced with terror than to be under any affliction in the world sorrows fears and disgrace and persecutions are not so terrible as this that I am in such a condition that I cannot look up to God nor think upon God without having the thoughts of his Majesty to be terrible to me A guilty Conscience cannot endure to have a thought of God it is terrible to him and therefore he labors by going into company and sports and business in the world to take off the thoughts of God because the thoughts of God peirce his heart And so the presence of God is very terrible where guilt is upon the Conscience and the Conscience of such a one cannot endure to come into Gods presence nor into the Communion of Saints where Gods presence is And he cannot endure to pray the thoughts of that strike his heart to go alone to pray the presence of God when alone is extream terrible And this is a sader condition than to be under any affliction better be under any affliction than in such a case as that the presence of God is terrible the presence of God in Prayer and so the presence of God in his Word Oh the Word is terrible to such a one the Word of God speaks nothing but terror so long as guilt remains upon the Conscience This is worse than Affliction that that Word which is a treasure of sweetness and goodness and comfort to those that are gracious and godly should be filled with terror to the soul of one that is full of guilt Yea to such a one all the wayes of Gods Providence are full of terror if there be any Judgment of God abroad Oh the terror that this brings upon his foul Brethren Sin is committed quickly you have a temptation comes and you fall upon the Sin and act it the Sin the act of it is transient and quickly gone the guilt that sticks to you When a man or woman hath satisfied their Iust in a sinful way the guilt sticks behind may be the time is gone for the pleasure of it it was perhaps yesterday or such a night or time thou hadest the pleasure of it but now the sin is gone the pleasure of it but the guilt sticks and that abides upon thy Spirit to all eternity if thou look not to it Nay certainly it must stick upon the Spirit it is not in the power of any Creature in heaven or in earth to deliver
reade in Judges 5. several Tribes when the People of God were in straits would not go up but had many excuses others did go to help in the Cause of God Judg. 5. 14. See how many excuse themselves but especially in the 16. Vers Why abodest thou among the Sheep-folds to hear the bleatings of the â—locks Oh Ruâ—en said We must not leave House and Cattel we must not go out And Giliad abode beyond Jordan and Dan abode in Ships some think Dan did not live neer the Sea but thought they ran to Ships and abode there And Asher continued by the Sea shore and abode in his Breaches He pleads thus We must continue our business in making Fences against the Sea we have many Breaches and we must continue there and look to our business But Zebulon and Naphtali they jeoparded their lives to the death in the high places of the field Who be those two Zebulon and Naphtali that were full of courage and zeal when others were-full of Pleas and would not venture their lives Who be these that ventured their lives These two were the especial Tribes of Marriners that were forward rather than others That these were Marriners appears Matt. 4. 15. The Land of Zebulon and Nephtali by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan these that lived by the Sea Others would not stir that lived by the Sea but Zebulon and Nephtali these joparded their lives Now mark God seems to remember this they did not jeopard themselves in a good Cause in vain God remembers it many hundred years after When Christ comes the first Tribes that seem to be inlightned were these the people that sate in darkness saw a great light and to them that sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up they sate in darkness a company of poor Marriners exceeding ignorant of the ways of God and Christ comes first to them and brings light to them It may be God might aim to shew Mercy to these Tribes the rather for this that they did in appearing in a good Cause though it were with jeopardy to themselves So go you on and in a good Cause appear and venture your selves to assist these Worthys of ours in whom so much of our good conssists and God will remember this in Spiritual Mercies Would you have the means of Grace continued and the means of Light come to them that sit in darkness if you would have the blessing of Zebulon and Nephtali then be Zebulons and Nephtalies to go out whatsoever excuses others have and jeopard your selves for the good of this Common-wealth THE FOVRTH PART OF THIS TREATISE CHAP. XLI That Sin is the Evil and Poyson of all other Evils shewed in several Particulars First It s the strength of all Evils Secondly It s the sting of Affliction Thirdly It s the Curse of all Evils opened in Five Particulars Fourthly Sin is the shame of all Evils Fifthly The eternity of all Evil comes from Sin THere are Four Things which except we be well instructed in and know we know nothing to Purpose Except we know God and Sin and Christ and Eternity These are the Four great Things that you had need to be well instructed in The knowledge of Sin I have endeavored to set before you In this Argument I have shewed you the evil of fin above al affliction The next thing I am to Open to you is the Fourth General Head Propounded in the Fifth Chapter Fourthly Therefore that Sin is the Evil of all other Evils It is the very pith of all other Evils there 's nothing that would be scarce worthy the name of Evil if Sin were not in it That it is the evil of all other evils will appear in these Particulars First It is the strength of all other Evils The strength the prevailing strength that any evil hath against man it is from Sin There is no Evil would have any prevailing strength to do us any hurt were there not Sin in it That is certain nothing in heaven or earth or hel would do any of the Children of men any hurt were it not for Sin if there were not Sin to give it strength The strength of any evil that can do us any hurt is from Sin Let the evil be never so smal yet if it come armed with the strength of the guilt of Sin it is enough to undo any man or woman in the world This is the Reason of the difference of the power the prevailing power of any cross and affliction in some more than in others you shall have some that let there be but the least cross and affliction upon them it sinks their hearts they are not able to stand under it others that have a hundred times more upon them they go under it with joy this is the especial difference one having the guilt of sin in â—he evil and the other being delivered from it It is a Comparison I remember of a learned man to express the difference of afflictions Afflictions are like water and a little water upon a mans shoulder in a Leaden vessel is a great deal heavier than much more water in a vessel of Leather or Wood take a Leather Bucket filled with water it is not so heavie as a little water in a Leaden vessel so a little affliction where there is much guilt of sin is abundantly more heavie than a great deal of affliction where there is not the guilt of sin Haman could not stand before such a pettie Cross as that Mordacai would not bow his knee being a wicked man that Cross being with sin troubled him sore and Achitaphel when he was crossed in his way could not bear it Therfore Brethren if you would bear afflictions this is your way your wisdom is to labor to know wherein the strength of an affliction lies if you would overcome it As you know the Philistims that desired to overcome Sampson their great care was to know wherein his strength lay if they could by Dalilahs means find out the strength of Sampson they thought they might easilie overcome him So certainlie if you could but find out where the strength of your afflictions â—lie it is easie then for you to have fears and disquiets taken away the reason why fears and disquiets overcome you as they do is because you find not out the strength of them if that were found out and gotten away you might quicklie overcome afflictions and they would be light to you The prevailing strength of all afflictions is from sin this is the first thing to shew sin is the evil of all evils Secondly Not only the prevailing strength But the bitterness the sting of Affliction that which makes it bitter to the Spirit is sin Sin makes it come like an Armed man with power And besides Sin makes it inwardly gaul at the very heart sting like a Serpent as the Apostle 1 Cor. 15 56. saith of death The sting of Death is sin saith the Apostle so that which
man comes in and conspires with the Devil Now we account it a great evil if you had a Child and if there were but one Traitor in the Common wealth and you hear Oh my Child is joyned with this Traitor and conspireth against me and the State Before sinful Man there was but one sort of sinful Creatures in the world the Devils now by Sin Man comes in and joyns in conspiracie against the blessed God and so one Generation after another perhaps the Father comes and conspires with the Devil and then the Child and so along in a Succession And this should come neer our hearts to humble us for our sins and wickedness that in this we be those that of all Creatures that ever God hath made conspire with the Devil against the blessed God the Fountain of all Good THE SIXTH PART OF THIS TREATISE CHAP. XLIII Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil opened in Six Particulars First Sin is of the same Nature with the Devil Secondly Sin is from the Devil Thirdly Sin is a furtherance of the Devils Kingdom in the World For 1 By Sin we oppose Christs destroying the Devils Kingdom in the World 2 By Sin thou opposest thy prayers when thou prayest Thy Kingdom come 3 By going on in a way of sin thou becomest guilty of all the sin in the World Fourthly Sinning is a fulfilling the will of the Devil Fifthly Sin sells the Soul to the Devil Sixtly Sin it turns the Soul into a Devil THe Sixt and Last Demonstration of the Evil of Sin It is from that reference Sin hath to the Devil The Scripture speaks of Afflictions that they make us conformable to Christ but Sin makes us conformable to the Devil There are Six things to be opened about this I have mentioned the First which was this That Sin was of the same Nature with the Devil every Sin hath the same kind of Malignity in it that the Devil hath But Secondly All Sin it is from the Devil either Originally or at least by way of a Cause helping it forward Sin is the work of the Devil not only a joyning with him but his work therefore Christ is said to come to dissolve the works of the Devil Sin is from the Devil therefore it is said in 1 John 3. 8. He that commits sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning and to this purpose the Son of man was manifest that he might destroy the works of the Devil He that commits sin is of the Devil it comes from the Devil And so John 8. 44. Brethren these things which I speak concerning the reference Sin hath to the Devil though they may seem hard and harsh yet it is to be observed none speaks so much of Sins coming from the Devil as John who was of the most loving sweet Nature of any of the Disciples and yet when he comes to speak of sin he speaks of it in the most harsh terms that possibly can be so that it comes not from harshness but may stand with a loving and sweet Nature to speak of sin in the harshest terms that we can do for John the most loving and beloved Disciple of Christ so full of love and yet none spake so harshly of sin especially in its reference it hath to the Devil as he saith here Joh. 8. 44. You are of the Devil and his lust you will do Thus Sin the lusts of Sin come from the Devil and it makes a man or a woman to be the Child of the Devil So the Scripture is clear it comes from him Originally all Sin that is in you is Originally the Spawn of the very Devil himself in your souls and originally it comes from him as all Sin originally comes from his temptations and suggestions so also the Devil helps forward and furthers all sin that is in your souls this is the evil of it But here understand this aright The Devil is not so the cause of all Sin as God is the cause of all Grace not so It is true the Devil hath a hand in every Sin but not such a hand in Sin as God hath in Grace for God hath such a hand in the work of Grace that he doth not only give a principle of Grace but all the operation of Grace is so from him as it would never stir but by him he gives the will to work and do all the will and the deed are from him But all Sin is not so from the Devil though originally it is and the Devil puts it on yet we are to know though the Devil now should tempt no more yet there is enough in the hearts of men and women to sin against God all manner of sin even from their own innate corruption that now is in them if the Devil were destroyed Sin would not be destroyed In Grace there is no power to work but by Gods working together with it but in Sin there is a power to work without the Devils working though the Devil is forward enough to work with our corruption yet I say there is corruption enough in our hearts for to work al kind of sin though the Devil should not tempt us any more therfore we must not lay all upon the Devil as many do when they fall into any wickedness they will say this is the Devil and lay all the fault upon the Devil and so think to take it off from themselves by laying it upon the Devil No know though the Devil labors to further it what he can yet there is such corruption in you that it would stream forth from you though the Devil stir it not at all therefore charge your own hearts as well as the Devil In the work of Grace we must give all the glorie to God but in the work of Sin we cannot allot all the fault to the Devil we are not to take any of the glorie of the work of Grace to our selves but we are to take a great part yea somtimes the greatest part of Sin to our selves but however the Devil is the cause of Sin originally and helps forward to it Thirdly All Sin is the furtherance of the Kingdom of the Devil in the World You know that the Scripture saith that the Devil is the Prince that rules in the Air and is called the God of this World because he rules in the Children of disobedience There is a Kingdom of the Devil set up by sin in the World and maintained by sin in the World it hath a succession in the World by sin So that all sinners that continue in waies of sin they do what in them lies to uphold the Kingdom of the Devil in the World and the Rule of the Devil in the World 1 Therefore men in sin are exceeding opposite to the End of Christs coming in the World for it is Christs End in coming into the world to dissolve the Kingdom of the Devil as you had it before in 1 John 3. 8. It
the Convulsion but if we did know they were really possessed we should be terrified Oh such a friend such a neighbor lived wickedly before and now the Devil hath possessed him we thought it a Disease till now we thought it the Convulsion but now we see it is from the Devils possession of them Would you not endure any affliction in the world rather than God should say of you the next oath you swear when you open your mouthes to swear the Devil shal come in and take possession of your bodies or the next evil language you speak the Devil shall come in and possess you this were a fearful thing and you would take heed of this But this I am to make good That when you go on in sin in any one sin it is a greater evil than if never so many Devils possest you if there should be Legions as he said to Christ when he asked his name he said Legion because we be many It is not so great an evil if God should give up your bodies to be possessed by Legions of Devils you will say surely that is a great evil but not so great as to be under the power of one sin How will that appear you will say Thus Possession makes you not hateful to God and guilty before God and loathsom to God nor is it that which God hates but it is an object of pitty Christ pittied them when he saw them thus but Sin makes a man odious and hateful to God I remember an excellent Observation Gregory hath on the Book of Job saith he What is the reason when God gave up Job to the Devil and bid him do what he would but spare his life saith he What is the reason the Devil did not possess him when he was given up to his hands for so the words are He is in thy Hands only spare his life So that it appears he was in his power to possess him but yet he did not and what is the reason this is the Answer that Ancient gives the reason is this Because if he had possest him then though Job had fretted and frowned and torn himself it had not been his Sin his impatiency so as it was when he was not possessed Now because the Devil envied Job the Devil would bring that upon Job which he knew to be the greatest evil as much as he could for so all envy doth One that envies another labors to bring the greatest evil on him that he can So certainly the Devil envied Job and therefore he labored to bring the greatest evil on him that he could Now it seems possession was not the greatest evil but the Devil would go so to work as if he could possibly he would get Job to be impatient and make Job curse God and sin against God If Job should have cursed God in word by possession of the Devil the Devil cursed God in him it had not been Jobs sin so much as if he had got him to curse God otherwise Now the Devil would have him so curse God as to be a sin to him and therefore the Devil would not possess him because that was the lesser evil So that to be given up to sin is a greater evil than to be possest Therefore all you that have friends and children which you see wicked and licentious and you see some cause to fear they be given up to the power of sin for the present it should cause Fathers and Mothers to come to Christ as earnestly as ever those poor Creatures did that had Children possessed with the Devil in the Gospel poor women had children possessed and so men Fathers that had Children possessed with the Devil that did rent and tear him in the presence of Christ he cries out mightily to Christ if he could Oh that he would come and help him and so the woman of Canaan for her daughter cries after Christ to help her Daughter for she was miserably vexed with an unclean Spirit So you should even go and cry to God Lord help if possible and have mercy upon my Son upon my Daughter for they have unclean Spirits yea they are in a worse condition than if possessed by the Devil I have a Son a swearing yong man a Daughter that is vain and profane and wicked and licentious and stubborn and unruly Oh if it be possible help me if you could be as sensible of the sins and wickedness of your Children as in the time of the Gospel Fathers and Mothers were of the possession of their Children much might then be done CHAP. XLIX The Sixt Corollary Sin brings to wicked men the same Portion the Devils have SIxtly Hence it follows if Sin hath such reference to the Devil then this must needs follow That the same Portion that the Devils have must needs be at last the portion of wicked men The Scripture expresseth it Mat. 25. Go you wicked into the Portion prepared for the Devil And so in Timothy the same portion that the Devil hath shall be the portion of wicked and ungodly men We reade in the Book of the Revelations of fearful Judgments that shall befal such as have the mark of Antichrist upon them Revel 14. 9 10. An Angel followed saying with a loud voyce If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his mark in their Foreheads or in their Hands the same shall drink of the Wine of the wrath of God poured out without mixture and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the Presence of God and his holy Angels and of the Lamb. Mark the dreadful Judgments upon such as have the mark of Antichrist either openly in their Foreheads in profession or more privately in their Hands he shall drink of the wrath of God c. Now if such as have but the mark of Antichrist upon them shall have such dreadful punishment pray what shall those have that have such a likeness unto the Devil himself the mark of the Devil that are even turned into the very Nature of the Devil that are children of the Devil what shall the end of such wicked and ungodly men and women be And now Brethren we have finished all these Six Particulars in opening the evil of Sin and therein shewed that there is more evil in Sin that there is in any Affliction And now I had thought to have made some good entrance into the Application of this for though all this while in the Explanation I have mingled some Application yet there remains very many excellent useful Considerations which doth flow from all that hath been said of the evil of Sin that if possible it may be brought to your hearts that all may not vanish and come to nothing in the Conclusion Now this one Use I had verily thought to have gone through I shall only name it and shew what I intend in it and I shal finish it in the following Discourse CHAP. L. Use I. Shew that trouble of Conscience for
you to Heaven there is use of Godliness to keep you away from Sin and Ungodliness and there is enough in that to countervail anie pleasure suppose you yong people abstain from some pleasure or joy that others have the truth is you have greater and better pleasures but suppose you had none but keeping of your souls from sin this meerlie were enough to countervail whatsoever you suffer in the waies of God There are manie converted when they were old and what would these give for to be delivered from the guilt of some sins committed when they were yong When they look back to their lives Oh this sin I committed in such a familie and when I was an Apprentise in such a place Oh that I were delivered from them Oh they lie upon my heart Oh that vanitie and wickedness Oh those oaths I swore in such a companie among yong men Oh those Sabbaths I brake Oh those lyes I told and the drunkennesse I was drawn to Oh I cannot look back to these but my thinks I could even tear my heart from my bellie to think what a heart I had to sin against God and multiplie Sin against Him Thus at the best when God awakens their hearts they would give ten thousand worlds to be delivered from the Sins of their Youth And therefore now you yong ones seeing there is such evil in Sin Oh prevent it You know how the Sins of Youth lay upon David Remember not against me the sins of my youth therefore now prevent those Sins that otherwise will lie so heavilie upon you as that you will be forced to crie out Oh remember not against me the Sins of my Youth Oh it is a happie thing to see yong ones good and it is the greatest hope that God will shew mercie to England in that God begins to draw yong ones on in the waies of Godliness so that we hope there will not be so manie Sins committed in the Age to come We have cried out of the Sins of yong ones and one Generation that hath followed another hath been but like the Kennel the lower and further it goeth the more filth it hath gathered and so the lower Generations have gone the more filthie they have been But we hope God intends to turn the course and to make Godliness as much honored as it hath been dishonored heretofore and that there should not be so much Sin in the next Generation Heretofore yong people when they had daies of Recreation what did they but multiplie Sin what abundance of wickedness was committed by Youth then and on Shrove-Tuesdaies abundance of wickedness committed by Youth then and so the Generation was filled with Sins of Youth But now God is pleased to stir up the hearts of yong ones that instead of multiplying of Sin they be got together on such daies to Fast and to Pray and make daies to attend upon the Word and so avoid Sin It is that certainlie that doth encourage the hearts of Gods People to pray to him and to seek him for mercie that God gives hearts to yong people that they multiplie not Sin as heretofore If there be anie here that have begun this Oh go on in that way and when others multiplie wickedness upon such daies get alone and attend upon the Word and recreate your Souls in the Word and holie conference true God gives libertie to recreate but let it he as it was wont to be with the Companies in London though they did recreate they would have their Sermons too So instead of horrible wickedness that was wont to be upon those daies as I suppose some of you can remember upon Shrove-Tuesdaies infinite wickednesses was committed in the Citie and thereabouts we hope instead of wickedness and joyning together in wickedness there will be joyning together in the Waies of God And thus doing you wil encourage us in the Waies of God and Peace and Mercie will be upon you CHAP. LXIII Use 13. If there be so much evil in sin Then it s a fearful thing for any to be instrumental to draw others to sin WEE are now to finish that Tractate about the greatness of the evil of Sin It hath been an Argument that hath much encreased in our hands like unto the bread the Loaves that Christ did break unto the People that in the verie breaking did multiplie and so hath this Argument done but we are now to put a period to it Manie Uses you know hath been made alreadie as Corollaries and Consequences from that great Doctrine of the evil of Sin that Sin is a greater evil than Affliction The last day the especial aim and intention of the Application was Therefore to drive Sinners to Jesus Christ seeing there is so much evil in Sin more than in all Affliction Oh what need have we who are such great Sinners of Jesus Christ that is the Propisiation for Sin I have only one Note to ad further on that and we shall proceed it is an Excellent Expression I find in Luther saith he There is a great deal of difference between the Consequencia Legis and Consequencia Evangelii There is a Consequence of the Law and that is this Thou hast sinned and therefore thou must be damned But the Consequence of the Gospel is this Thou hast sinned therefore go to Jesus Christ that is the Argument the Gospel uses from Sin But passing by all we have said concerning that Use we proceed to further Applications that are behind Four or Five Uses we are to speak of and then we shall have done with the Point I will be brief upon the first Two or Three and the Two last we shall stick most upon Vse XIII If there be such evil in Sin as you have heard Hence then it is a fearful thing for any one to be instrumental to draw others to sin All that hath been said in the opening of the evil of sin must needs speak very terribly unto all that ever have been any way instruments to draw others to sin in all their lives Now Oh that God would speak to every man and womans Conscience in this Congregation that are conscious to themselves that ever they have been any cause to draw others to sin Is there not one whose Conscience presently at the naming of this Use doth even tell you well now God speaks to me for certainlie there hath been some that I have drawn to sin that I have been a means to further sin in If any one of you have ever been a means by counsel or advise by approbation by perswasion by encouragement by abetting of any by joyning with any in anie sinful course to draw them to sin know that God speaks to you First God tells you this That if you had been born to do mischief you could not do a greater mischief than this is if you had been the means to undo men and women in their outward Estate it had been nothing so much but thou hast what in
end in sin ibid The end of the Agent and of the Act 44 Loss of the end worse than loss of means 75 Gods glory his end of creation 76 Mans end what 259 Endless Torments 133 134 Enjoy We cannot enjoy God and sinful wayes together 61 Estate vide Gettings Wicked men usurpe not their Estates 280 Have right to them and how ibid Eternity The Eternity of all evil from sin 339 Evil Sin the greatest 10 Of Two Evils to choose the least no god axiome in point of sin 23 Sin makes a man evil 140 It 's better to hear reade evils than feel them 297 F Face Gods face what 286 Fight Who fight against God 41 Froward Guilt causeth frowardness 270 Fuel Prosperity is fuel to sin 436 Full Mens hearts full of sin 458 Flouds Flouds of wickedness 460 Fear vide Terror Sin causeth fear 290 You must not fear affliction more than sin 517 Feeling Past feeling 473 G God God needs not the Devil to help his Cause 21 Good Good in comparison vide Affliction 3 Good of Entity and Causality 11 Good by occasion 12 Good instrumentally ibid Good and End is the same 258 Sin spoyls all good 320 Grief Must be for others sins as well as for our own 103 Guilt Sin brings guilt 269 Guilt what ibid Guilt makes men bloudy 270 Guilt takes away comfort 271 Guilt brings fear 272 273 274 275 Only guilt makes sufferings evil 276 Gettings Gettings by sin cost dear 430 Gettings by sin are accursed 431 c. Glory Sin labors to frustrate God of his glory 75 It cannot frustrate Gods glory 76 God wil have his glory one way or other 78 Our good and Gods glory connexed 312 Grace An eternal Good 340 346 In Grace no power to work except God works with it 359 H Hearts The different working of the Saints hearts 15 The way to break a heart 96 Sin hardens the heart 297 Hell Hell is better than sin 4 Humble The way to humble the soul 34 47 48 49 Few humbled truly 84 Holiness Sin casts dirt upon Gods holiness 64 Holiness what 291 Horror Is not true Humililiation 88 House The house where sin is is worse than that which is haunted by the Devil 374 375 Harden Prosperity hardens 442 Hands Concerning such as lay violent hands upon themselves 19 Hate God hates sin 38 Who hate God 44 The object of Gods hatred 265 266 267 Sinners hate themselves 310 Humiliation For sin against God sanctifies his name 87 It abides after pardon 89 Makes a divorce from sin 91 92 Exhortations to humiliation for sin 471 I Image Sin most opposite to the Image of God in man 145 146 The excellency of the image of God in man 147 Holiness the image of God 147 148 149 150 151 Infinite Infinite and less than infinite cannot stand together 345 A kind of infinitness in sin 345 Infinite power must overcome sin 346 Sin hath infinite desert 347 Sin deserves infinite misery ibid Infinite in time and in degree 348 An infinite price paid for sin 349 Justice Sin wrongs God in his justice 66 Judgement Examples of Gods judgements upon sin 118 119 120 121 122 The difference of the judgment of God from the judgment of the world 142 Spiritual judgements the worst 502 Joy Against joy in sin 464 465 466 467 468 Sin damps joy 468 469 K Know Few men know God or sin 80 81 Sinners know not the excellency of the rational creature 306 They know not Gods holiness 307 Four things must be known 327 Knowledg Knowledg of sin makes Christ precious 56 Kingdom Of Christ and of Satan what 361 362 363 L Law The glass to see sin 124 Light Common light and saving light 150 Little Call no sin little 448 449 450 Lye An Officious lye 19 Lye not to save the world 20 Life Sin strikes at the life of God in man 151 152 256 What the life of God in man is 253 The life of man excellent 256 Losses A Christian may have many Crosses but no Losses 340 Liberty Prosperity gives liberty to sin 437 M Mercy Sin wrongs Gods Mercy 68 Mediator Must be God Man 82 Ministry Ministry of the Word is for our good 295 And Gods glory ibid It makes sin bitter ib. Makes stomachs rise against it 296 A great Ordinance 323 Magistracy A great Ordinance 324 Marriners Englands strength 324 325 326 Mean Mean-men who 252 Malliciousness Maliciousness in sin 312 Means Means to crush sin 323 Melancholly Distinguished from trouble of Conscience 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 Six Differences of it 414 c. Misery Men freed from affliction may be in misery 426 Great misery when sin and affliction meet 504 N Nature Sin in its nature opposite to God 35 Mans nature 253 Necessity No man brought to a necessity of sinning 24 O Omniscience Gods Omniscience wronged by sin 62 Omnipresence Gods Omnipresence wronged by sin ib. Opposition Of sin to God in Four things 33 Order Sin breaks the worlds Order 72 Occasion God takes occasion by sin 73 Affliction may occasion sin 141 P Persecute Who persecute God 47 Pitty Sinners to be pittied 313 314 315 Pleased Saints never well pleased with sin 16 Pleased with Affliction ibid Price A great price notes greatness of inisery or of the Person 350 Promises The promises of sin are delusions 25 Possession Satans possession of the heart 379 God hates not people possessed but pitties them 380 Portion The Devil and wicked men have the same portion 383 Prosperity Of prosperity by sin 428 429 430 Of sin by prosperity 436 437 438 Prosperity a judgment to the wicked 441 Plead Plead noâ— for sin 500 Pardon Some Saints grieve most after apprehension of Pardon 90 Pardon is a great mercy 445 446 Patience Of God to be admired 92 Of Christ is perfect 233 Power Sin wrongs God in his power 65 Power in creatures a drop of Gods power in them 287 Pray Afflictions teach to pray 298 R Rebellion Sin is rebellion 45 Report Martyrs have a good report 6 Repentance A continual act 89 Resist Sin resists God how 42 Revenge Let out revenge upon sin 317 Root All sin comes from the same root 43 Rejoyce Saints rejoyce not in sin 16 Saints rejoyce in affliction ibid Redemption Sin wrongs Christ in his work of Redemption 70 Restore Ill gotten goods must be restored 432 433 434 435 Restitution According to the nature of the wrong 497 S Satisfie Sin denies good in God to satisfie the soul 58 Serviceable No good thing ought to be Serviceable to sin 27 Seed Sin the seed of evil 293 Grace the seed of good ibid Shame Shame better than sin 6 7 Sin brings shame 303 304 305 Why Sinners not ashamed 306 Sufferings Of Martyrs 5 The red glass of Christs sufferings 124 More in Christs sufferings than in any 134 Speak For God 104 105 Strength Of Christ 133 Sin the strength of all evil 328 329 Striving Striving against God what 42