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A50489 The good of early obedience, or, The advantage of bearing the yoke of Christ betimes discovered in part, in two anniversary sermons, one whereof was preached on May-day, 1681, and the other on the same day in the year 1682, and afterwards inlarged, and now published for common benefit / by Matthew Mead. Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699. 1683 (1683) Wing M1555; ESTC R19143 252,739 482

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apply the marks of Grace to his own heart as he finds them laid down in the word he might certainly know that his state is good for the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5.22 are as manifest as the works of the flesh As God is principium essendi the cause of the being of Grace so the word of God is principium cognoscendi the rule by which we judge of the truth of Grace and therefore to the law and to the testimony Isai 8.20 Solomon says The commandment is a lamp and the law is light Prov. 6.22 as a lamp it is the guide of our way as a light it is the tryal of our state And so the former verse clears it when thou goest it shall lead thee there it is a lamp to guide us when thou awakest it shall talk with thee there it is a rule to try us Try your state therefore by this rule and believe nothing either for or against your selves but according to the word of God This is the rule God will try us by and therefore we should try our selves by it The judgment of God concerning us will be according to the word John 12.48 Rom. 2.16 So should ours be But in making use of the word for a rule of tryal it will be your wisdom to observe these three directions 1. You must take negative and positive signs together Many judge themselves by negative signs only and not by positive but this is to deceive themselves for negative holiness can never commend us to God whose commands are positive as well as negative A man may abstain from that which is positively evil and yet be but negatively good So did the Pharisees Luke 18.11 2. In trying your selves by the word you are not to look so much to the habit and principle of Grace in its being as to the properties and effects of Grace in its working for properties best prove principles and effects bear witness to their causes That which constitutes godliness is the habit and principle of Grace but that which evidences godliness is the properties of it Formae nos latent We do not know the internal forms of things but their natures become known by their properties and effects Our knowledge is for the most part à posteriori from effects the principles of Grace in us are not evident to us but by the motions and effects of them in our souls and lives 3. In judging your estate by the word you are not to look for perfect signs in your selves I mean such as do exactly answer to the latitude of the Law for these are not to be found in any Believer upon earth And if we look for such signs we shall be so far from receiving any satisfaction concerning our state that the more we try the more we shall distrust the more we prove our subjection to Christ the more we shall disapprove it We are to look for true signs but not for perfect for such as are common to the weakest believer not for such as are above the strongest The least grace discovered in a believer if sincere and true is a sure sign of his good estate in Christ though it be not enough to satisfy his desire yet it is enough to satisfy his judgment though it be not sufficient to fill up his measure in Christ yet it is a sufficient sign to make out the truth of his interest in Christ And that is the seventh general rule laid down for the carrying on the tryal of our state that we be sure to make use of a right rule Rule 8. As the word of God must be your rule so Conscience must apply it and give testimony according to it for the word of it self proves nothing but as conscience applys it and argues from it The word doth no where say this or that man is converted to Christ is a child of God and in a state of salvation no but it describes that state to which salvation is promised and then Conscience evidences that to be our state and so infers a certainty of salvation from the word The word lays down things in plain propositions Conscience makes the assumption and then draws the conclusion The word says Any man that is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 there is the proposition now the good mans Conscience helped by the spirit as I shall shew anon that makes the assumption thus but I am in Christ and then draws the conclusion therefore I am a new creature The word says They that are Christs sheep hear his voice and follow him John 10.27 Conscience says but I hear his voice and follow him and thence concludes therefore I am one of Christs sheep And this is that wherein the true testimony of Conscience doth consist in giving evidence according to the rule laid down and by that either condemning or acquitting Hence that of the Apostle He that believes on the son of God hath the witness in himself 1 John 5.10 truly so hath the unbeliever too for Conscience by the light of the word witnesseth against him if he would but hear it The word says the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 but says Conscience Thou art unrighteous and thence concludes therefore thou shalt not inherit the kingdom of God And hence the Apostle speaks of a condemning Conscience 1 John 3.20 If our hearts condemn us It witnesseth in the sinner to condemnation and in the Believer to justification Object 1. But you will say if it be thus why doth not every Believer know his own state why are they so often calling the goodness of their state into question and so full of doubts and fears about their condition if they have a witnessing Conscience why is it thus Answ It is possible they may have witnessing Consciences and yet may know little of the goodness of their state For First They may not possibly be acquainted with their own Consciences nor keep up a communion with their own hearts as they ought Psal 4.4 It is no new thing for a good man to be a stranger to himself who might otherwise be satisfied from himself Prov. 14.14 Secondly They may have Conscience witnessing to the goodness of their state and yet not credit the testimony As a bad man is deaf to the testimony of his Conscience when it witnesseth against him from the power of self-love so is a good man to the testimony of his conscience when it witnesseth for him from the power of jealousie and suspicion He can look forward to apprehend the right object but can't look inward to apprehend his own act He can believe the testimony of the word but cannot believe the testimony of his own Conscience though it speaks according to the word though he hath truly received Christ yet he will not receive the testimony of Conscience witnessing to his state in Christ Thirdly Many may have witnessing Consciences and yet
conversion resting in them and so perishing in the place of the breaking forth of children Hos 13.13 Now that others should eternally miscarry under those means that have been blessed to thy conversion that they should perish under the same convictions which have been to thee the pangs of the new birth O what mercy is this While some despair and others presume thou art brought by a sight of sin to close with Christ upon Gospel terms And hast thou not cause to be thankful 3. This Yoke of the Spirit being once taken off shall never be put on again thou shalt never come under it more Doth not the Scripture say as much Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear In whomsoever the spirit of bondage once becomes a spirit of adoption he is never a spirit of bondage more in that soul If after he hath once sealed our adoption to us he should again impress fears of eternal wrath upon us he would herein be contrary to himself Object But are not many of the Children of God after Grace wrought full of fears and apprehensions of Hell and wrath Answ We must distinguish between bondage by desertion and bondage by the Spirit in conviction A Believer under desertion may be in bondage by his own spirit but not by the spirit of God When God doth suspend the wonted influences of Grace and comfort a mans own conscience may fill him with fears of Hell and dread of wrath but this is not from the suggestions of Gods spirit but from the mistake of his own He can never be a spirit of bondage more And is not this cause of thankfulness 4. How great the advantage is that comes by complying with and yielding to the spirit in convincing work For where he is complyed with in the beginning he carries it on to perfection If he convinces of sin and the soul fall under it by humiliation and repentance he will convince of righteousness too and so raise it up again by faith and dependance Nay by an early compliance with the strivings of the spirit when he first comes to discover to thee thy lost estate thou hast secured his presence for ever and he shall carry on this work of conviction so long as there is any one lust remaining A Believer hath need of the convictions of the spirit so long as he lives It is a mistake to think the convincing work of the Spirit is over when it hath discovered to a man his lost estate and so brought him to a close with Christ there is a great deal of convincing work yet to be done as there is a sinful estate so there is a sinful frame of heart Now though the Believer can no more need the convictions of the Spirit as to the former for his estate is changed yet he always needs them as to the latter Though he was convinced of the filthy nature and damning consequences of sin to prepare him for Christ and conversion yet there are convictions of necessary use to the carrying on and compleating the work of sanctification There is a great deceitfulness in sin more than the Believer ever yet saw and therefore he wants conviction of that There is a great power in remaining lusts to draw the heart from Christ he wants further conviction of that There is a gradual secret hardening of heart which in-dwelling sin works to even in the regenerate he wants further conviction of that Nay how many secret spiritual lusts hidden and close corruptions are there in the heart which at first entrance into a state of Grace the Believer never saw they lye in the heart undiscerned till the Spirit comes in with further light So that a Believer always needs the convincing work of the Spirit it is essentially necessary to the perfecting of Grace and holiness Now he that yields to the convictions of the Spirit at first doth thereby secure them to the last He shall never cease enlightening striving counselling so long as there is any one lust remaining His influences shall abide till he hath got the mastery of every sin and judgment be sent forth to victory over every corruption He dwelleth with you Matth. 12.20 and shall be in you John 14.17 O what cause of thankfulness have such as have born the Spirits Yoke with success Secondly Your Duty is to be humble Remember your Bonds so doth the Church Lam. 3.19 20. Remembring mine affliction and my misery the Wormwood and the Gall my soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me One excellent means to cure spiritual pride is to look often back to the days of your soul distresses therefore God when his people were settled in the promised Land often remembers them of their wilderness state that they might not pride themselves in their present possessions Deut. 8.2 Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee in the Wilderness to humble thee And ver 3. He humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger And ver 14 15. Beware lest thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions and drought where there was no water that he might humble thee No man will be lifted up under his present mercies that doth but seriously and frequently reflect upon his lost estate and the means and manner of his deliverance O think often of the sighs and sorrows the tears and terrours the griefs and groans of thy sinking Spirit in the Day when the Arrows of God stuck there How long thou hast formerly lain at God's foot begging for one Drop of the bloud of Christ to pardon sin one Dram of Grace to secure thy Estate one glympse of comfort to refresh thy wearied and heavy laden spirit and then be proud if thou canst Thirdly Labour to be fruitful This is the great end of the Spirit in all his convictions He convinceth of sin to break off the Sinner from it he convinceth of righteousness that the Sinner may seek after it and he convinces of the necessity of holiness that he may get it and grow up in it so that ye sin against and frustrate the whole design of the Holy Ghost in his work in the heart without this For ye are therefore made free from sin and become servants to God that ye might have your fruit unto holiness Rom. 6.22 And the same Apostle tells you cap. 7.4 Ye are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that ye should bring forth fruit to God Labour therefore to be fruitful for this is that which secures the Spirits influences to your great advantage Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit John 15.2 Secondly This Doctrine affords matter of counsel to such as never were under the
you There is a general and a particular day of Grace The general day of Grace is when the Gospel is brought to a people and the Ministry of it set up by God whereby life and salvation is tendred to all in the blood of Jesus Christ The particular and special day of Grace is when the Gospel is not only preached and Salvation tendred but when the Spirit of the Lord doth accompany it and carry it home to the hearts of sinners sometimes inlightning their minds sometimes convincing their consciences sometimes working inward fears and terrors from a sense of their undone condition sometimes stirring up good affections and desires sometimes working them to strong purposes and resolutions to repent and turn and obey Now where the Spirit doth thus inwardly strive with any sinner that is his particular day of grace his special season of finding and obtaining mercy Seek the Lord while he may be found Isai 55.6 Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 If ever a sinner be converted and brought into obedience to Jesus Christ this is the time And it is very dangerous to neglect or defer our closing with Christ for it is very uncertain how long or how little while the opportunity may be afforded Who knows when his day of grace begins or when it will end Job 14.5 As no man knows the number of his months so much less doth he know the length of his day of grace Acts 1.7 It is not for you as Christ says in another case to know the times and the seasons which the Father hath kept in his own power And the reason why God hides it from us may be because he would have us lose no opportunity of saving our Souls but imbrace the first tenders of mercy lest God should take our refusal and never tender it more If you repulse the Spirit of God when he knocks you have no promise that ever he will knock again and if he leaves off you are undone for ever The harvest is past the summer is ended and we are not saved Jer. 8.20 God will not wait long upon a lingring sinner he takes delays for denials and so departs and the day of grace ends Most certain it is that the day of grace may be sinned away and that whether you consider it in the general or particular notion of it First Take it in the general notion of it for the injoyment of the means of grace and the Ministry of the Word and Ordinances and this may cease God may deprive a people of a converting Ministry and converting Ordinances and may give them Statutes not good as he did to Israel Ezek. 20.24 25. Because they despised my statutes polluted my Sabbaths and their eyes were after their fathers idols therefore I gave them or gave them up to statutes that were not good and judgments whereby they should not live It is a judicial process of an offended God because of abused mercies they had the Statutes and Judgments and Ordinances of God which were just and good and tended to life as vers 21. But because they slighted these therefore he gave them up to the Statutes and superstitious Inventions of men which were not good but tended to death and destruction It is a dreadful judgment when for slighting and rebelling against the Statutes and Judgments of God he gives a person or a people up to Statutes and judgments that are not good And this seems to be the very judgment that God is giving this Nation up to at this day we have slighted the Yoke of Christ and therefore he is giving us up to the Yoke of Antichrist we have been weary of pure Worship and Ordinances and have been lusting after the Romish inventions and therefore the righteous God seems to be giving us up to them and saying to us as to that people v. 39. As for you O house of Israel thus saith the Lord God go ye serve ye every one his Idols When men will not stoop to nor owne those ways of Christ which are for their good it is just with God to give them up to those ways that are not for their good When men receive not the love of the truth that they may be saved for this cause God sends them strong delusions that they should believe a lye and be damned 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. And these are the Statutes that are not good and the judgments whereby they shall not live Sometimes he gives them up to a blind Ministry the sword of the Lord is upon the arm and the right eye of the Idol-shepherd insomuch that his arm is dried up and his right eye utterly darkned Zach. 11.17 He closeth the eyes of the Prophets and Rulers and Seers together with a spirit of deep sleep so that the vision of all is become as the words of a book sealed which neither unlearned nor learned can read Isai 29.10 11 12. Sometimes he gives them up to a profane and debauched Ministry The Priest and the Prophet have erred through strong drink they are swallowed up of wine through strong drink they erre in vision and stumble in judgment Isai 28.7 From the Prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land Jer. 23.15 They cause my people to erre by their lies and by their lightness v. 32. Sometimes he doth utterly take away his Ordinances and means of Grace Behold saith the Lord the days come that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread which yet is a sore judgment and makes the mother eat the child of a span long Lam. 2.20 nor a thirst for water for a draught whereof Lysimachus to save his life sold his Kingdom but of hearing the word of the Lord. Amos 8.11 And this was the judgment of God upon Israel We see not our signs there is no more any Prophet neither is there any among us that knoweth how long Psal 74.9 Amaziah and his Courtiers shall not need to pack away the Prophets and forbid them preaching nigh the Court as Amos 7.12 for God will as a woful Plague to an unworthy people remove them And Israel shall be without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law 2 Chron. 15.3 And this is what our Lord Christ so severely threatned Mat. 21.43 The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof And how sadly hath this word been accomplished upon them for sixteen hundred years together The seven Churches of Asia as also those of Africa that vast Continent thrice as big as Europe are sad instances of this It is plain then that the day of grace in regard of the injoyment of the Ordinances may be sinned away But Secondly The Sinners particular day of grace may be lost and sinned away he may not only sin away the Ordinances but the strivings of the Spirit too he may resist it till it is
the faith 2 Tim. 4.7 8. there is his obedience henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness there is his confidence Remisness in obedience makes a waste upon our Faith let duty be omitted or lust indulged and Faith languishes and needs it must for sin in the conversation breeds doubts in the condition and it is as natural to do so as it is for a wound to cause pain Could a man obey without swerving he might believe without doubting the strictest holiness is usually attended with the sweetest peace and the highest assurance Isai 32.17 The work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever And therefore when any pretend to strong hope in God and talk of their comfort in the Promises and great assurance and yet are careless and remiss in their walking with God and slack in their obedience those pretences are much to be suspected and the state of that man to be questioned For sin doth as naturally breed fear and distrust as obedience doth hope and peace How can a man hope in God when he doth not observe him or expect mercy when he provokes him to wrath by neglect of duty Therefore Satan doth two works at once when he tempts us to the practice of sin he stains our Souls and he weakens our trust He makes us fail in duty and doubt of mercy for sin leaves a guilt and guilt causes fear and the more our fear the less our faith as the one strengthens the other weakens they are like the two Buckets of a Well as one goes up the other goes down That sin that lessens our respect to the precept will proportionably weaken our faith in the Promise a man can never be much in dependance that is little in obedience Therefore duty is necessary for the maintaining our trust in God the Soul never attains to true rest but by taking up Christs Yoke Mat. 11.29 That is one branch of the reason why it is the concernment of every one to take up the Yoke of Christ in his youth because it is good It is a necessary good I have shewed you in six particulars the necessity of it It is necessary by virtue of the Precept Necessary as a means to the great End Necessary to preserve the rectitude of Nature Necessary to adjust our interest in Christ Necessary to manifest our gratitude to a Redeemer Necessary for the stablishing our Faith in the Promises of God Now that which is a good of so great necessity ought to be our greatest concernment we should mind it more than what is not so there are many things that are not necessary it is not necessary we should be rich or great in the world or that we should be gay and gawdy in our dresses or that we should have the cap and knee of by-standers or that we should wallow in pleasures and delights it will not be a pin to chuse e're long what part we have acted here when the Scepter and the Spade shall have one common grave and Royal dust shall be blended with the beggars ashes but it is necessary we should be born again it is necessary we should be acquainted with God and make him our portion it is necessary we should submit to the Yoke of Christ and owne his commands and live to the Lord there is nothing necessary but this Therefore we ought to make it our business to come under this Yoke betimes Secondly Subjection to the Yoke of Christ is a profitable good And there is no argument of greater prevalency than that which is taken ab utili A man will do any thing that he is convinced is for his benefit therefore God quickens us to a holy life by the consideration of our own benefit 1 Tim. 6.6 Godliness is great gain Though God by virtue of his Soveraignty over us might have imposed what commands he pleased without the least injustice yet so gracious he is that he hath not acted by Soveraignty but with a respect to our advantage Not one command of God but the interest of the Creature is greatly promoted by it The most thrifty course a man can take in this world is to come under the Yoke of Christ betimes Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold she is more precious than rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her Length of days is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Prov. 3.13 14 15 16. Religion is looked on by many with an evil eye upon this very account as standing in the way of their profit and as being an enemy to their particular advantages What profit shall we have if we pray to the Almighty Job 21.15 Most men follow Christ for the Loaves Joh. 6.26 no penny no Pater noster no profit no prayer Ye have said it is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinances Mal. 3.14 They look upon the service of Christ as a very poor trade and thriftless imployment whereas it is a business of the greatest benefit Nothing tends so much to our advantage as a life of godliness and obedience As for instance 1. Is that profitable which sanctifieth every condition to a man This Religion doth To the pure all things are pure Tit. 1.15 Religion sanctifies the heart and affections and all things are sanctified to a sanctified heart 2. Is that profitable which is beneficial to a man in all his circumstances So is Religion If a man abound with the good things of the present life Religion is of admirable advantage to direct the uses and injoyment to guard the heart from its snares by keeping the mind humble under it and setting the affections above it Phil. 4.12 It teaches how to be full and abound how to do good how to make friends of Mammon It makes outward prosperity to forward and promote our eternal interest by applying it to serve the honour of God and others necessities as well as our own If a man be poor Religion is no less useful to befriend a man in this case by teaching contentment with a little Phil. 4.11 by working the heart to a full resignedness to the will of God Phil. 4.12 by teaching how to want and suffer need by setting the heart upon things of a nobler nature and more necessary concernment upon God and heavenly things by fixing the Souls dependance upon those promises made to godliness which do as surely intitle a man to present sufficiencies 1 Tim. 4.8 as to eternal rewards So that when the needy sinner carks and cares murmurs and repines robs and deceives for a supply of his wants the good man having a sure interest in God rests confidently upon the never failing supplies
causes shame here Where there is any sense of God and ingenuity of Spirit consciousness of guilt puts the Soul to the blush when it would have to do with God in its approaches O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee for our iniquities are increased c. Ezra 9.6 So it is said of the Publican that when he went into the Temple to pray he stood afar off and would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven Luke 18.13 These are postures by which great shame and confusion of face is expressed Or if any be hardned under sin as not to be ashamed here yet Secondly He shall be ashamed before God hereafter Many that now dare though in their sins and lusts make solemn approaches to God will be ashamed and confounded to appear at the Judgment-seat of God David says Psal 1.5 The wicked shall not stand in judgment Psal 1.5 Indeed there are few that shall The great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Revel 6.17 Sinners that now are grown impudent in sin that have a Whores forehead that have took their degree in the Scorners chair Psal 1.1 that are past shame shall then be ashamed and confounded for ever And there are three things in the process of that day which shall cause it 1. The discovery of sin which shall then be made For all the wickedness that ever the sinner committed shall then be made known God will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or evil Eccles 12.14 There is not a closet-sin nor the most concealed iniquity but shall then be made publick God will then bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall every man that is every good man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4.5 But what shall become of sinners sure they shall be ashamed 2. The utter frustration of the sinners hope So long as hope lasts shame hath no place now many a mans hope lasts to the day of Judgment they maintain a confidence of the goodness of their estate which nothing but the light of that day can confute So did they in Mat. 7.22 Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works So did the foolish Virgins till the door was shut Mat. 25.10 3. The contempt that God shall put upon them when he shall eternally banish them his presence by the dreadful Sentence that he shall then pass against them Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41 By the passing this Sentence they shall become the scorn and contempt of all the Saints and Angels in Heaven Therefore it is said They that sleep in the dust of the earth shall arise some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt Dan. 12.2 Secondly Taking pleasure in sin causes shame before others God by one means or other will bring such sinners to open shame Jer. 13.26 I will discover thy skirts that thy shame may appear And Ezek. 16.37 I will gather all thy lovers with whom thou hast taken pleasure and all them thou hast hated Ezek. 23.29 and will discover thy nakedness to them that they may see all thy nakedness And to have the nakedness discovered is matter of shame Thirdly Taking pleasure in sin causeth shame before our selves Conscience under guilt torments the Soul with the shame of its own folly Hence that of the Apostle Rom. 6.21 What fruit had you in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Sin inticeth us before we commit it and afterwards fills the Soul with horrour and shame So our first Parents when they had sinned they were ashamed Gen. 3.7 But who was ever ashamed of the pleasures and delights he found in the ways of godliness A good man may be reproached and scoffed at for his strictness by the Ishmaels of the day but there can be no cause of shame For shame as the Philosopher defines it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A certain grief and trouble in ingenuous minds about unbecoming actions and such things as tend to our infamy and disgrace now there is nothing dishonourable in Religion it is only sin that can discredit and defame us where there is no sin there is no shame Fifthly The pleasures of sin are prohibited pleasures they are forbidden fruit If God hath forbid the doing of sin then much more the taking pleasure in sin For it is a greater evil to take pleasure in sin than it is simply to act sin to delight in it is worse than to do it To do sin may be only from weakness of grace but to delight in sin is from the strength of lust As it is a greater argument of grace to delight in obedience than to obey for a man may be much in the performance of duties that yet may have no delight in duty But where there is a delight in duty and obedience there the heart is indeed under the power of grace I delight to do thy will O my God thy Law is within my heart Psal 40.8 So it speaks the sinner more under the power of sin to delight in it than to do it The more of the affection there is in sin the more ready will the sinner be to comply with every temptation which leads to it Amor animae pondus and it is the cunning of Satan to suit his baits to our corrupt appetites and vicious dispositions he loves to take the advantage of wind and tide and when a man that delights in sin is tempted to sin then he goes with wind and tide Nay in this case a sinner needs no temptation his own vicious disposition will supply the place of a Tempter for the more any sin obtains upon the affections the more of the nature of a temptation doth it carry in it self Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and inticed Jam. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his proper lust because though we have all a corrupt nature in common yet every sinner hath a particular several inclination to this or that sin rooted in his nature more than to any other and this is called his own lust And how easily doth he consent when he is inticed by his own lust he hath no power to resist or withstand for the more a man delights in sin the more naturally his desires and vicious inclinations do run to it And therefore God charges it as a high degree of sinning and makes it a great aggravation of sin to delight and take pleasure in it They have chosen their own ways that is bad and their soul delights in their abominations that is worse Isai 66.3 And God aggravates the sinfulness