not endure them every carnal natural man carries his worst enemy in his own bosom and that is his own heart we may say of our hearts in the language of David 55. Ps 11. O who knows the abundance of wickedness that is in his own heart nay not only wickedness deceit and guile that 's that that ruines many Souls and we may go on with the Psalmist v. 12 13. our own hearts are such enemies that we cannot hide our selves from them they are our guides and if our very guides deceive us O how great must needs be our misery how many are there now in Hell that may thank their own hearts for bringing them thither 2. How little we ought to trust our own hearts alass if we once trust them they will deceive us O Brethren trust not your deceitful wretched hearts they will betray you into the hands of sin Do you not know there is a league between sin and your hearts 44. Is 20. a deceived heart hath turned him aside sin deceives the heart and the heart deceives us O let us not trust to it Learn Brethren to be most afraid of your own hearts they will do you the most mischief when we have prayed or heard a Sermon or kept a Sabbath our hearts will be telling us we have done well O believe them not when we have committed a sin our hearts will be apt to tell us there is no hurt in it we need never be troubled for it O believe them not O brethren this is a sad thing that a man must not believe his own heart you will say 't is a strange World when we can trust no body nay I tell you worse yet you cannot trust your own hearts oh how carefull how watchfull ought we to be Many a man will say I am tied altogether at home I dare not go abroad because I have no body at home but Servants Children none that I can trust Brethren every one of us had need be much at home much in looking to himself and looking to his duties and looking to his ways because he hath none that he can trust 3. Prov. 5. a man that trusts his own heart or his own understanding ruins himself But what shall we do then Answ 1. Cross thy heart in all its desires this was that which did almost ruin Solomon he did gratifye his heart too much whatever his heart desired presently he consented to it 2. Eccles 10. when Solomon gave his heart so much liberty he did not think what will come of it he little thought his heart would have cozened him so far as to have brought him to Idolatry 2. Labour to know your own hearts better look into them into the windings and turnings that are in your hearts and then perhaps you will believe what we say of your hearts saith Bernard nihil recte existimat qui seipsum ignorat he that knows not his own heart is a man of no judgment at all 'T is not all the learning of the World will make a man a wise man but the learning of his own heart you may read more there than in all the Books that ever were Printed and when you once come to know your own hearts better you will trust them less 3. Endeavour to get Christ into your hearts he will be a faithful steward a diligent overseer there he will not suffer your hearts to deceive you This is that which Paul prays for the Ephesians 3. Eph. 17. read the policy of Darius 6. Dan. 1 2. O Brethren set Christ over the affairs of your hearts and you shall be sure to receive no damage 3. How needful it is for us to have our hearts renewed 4. Prov. 23. expurga cor Jun. Tremel The Romans by the Law of the twelve Tables were bound to purge and keep clean all fountains of water O Brethren let us get our hearts cleansed they are fountains a poysoned fountain is very dangerous a deceitful heart is far more dangerous Motives 1. Because 't is thine own heart and here are 3 Motives 1. 'T is thy duty God commands every man to keep and to cleanse his own heart to this end God hath entrusted us with them At the day of Judgment God will call us to an account for our hearts as well as our lives 2. 'T is thy benefit when a man fies a pond or scoures a ditch he himself hath the benefit of it O Brethren 't will be your great profit to have clean hearts what do you think is it not more profitable to have a faithful than an unfaithful steward 16. Luk. 1. O so may we complain to many men of their hearts look to your hearts they will bring you to Hell. 3. 'T is a sign of sincerity he that is careful of his own heart will be the more careful of another man's heart he that regards his own Soul and Salvation will the better regard his Brothers Soul and Salvation but he that is regardless of himself certainly will less regard others 2. Out of it are the issues of life ex eo prodeunt actiones vitae As a man's heart is so is his life if his heart be for God his life will be to God's Glory if thou give thy heart to sin thou wilt give thy life to sin and as thou livest so shalt thou dye and as thou dyest so shall thy Estate be to all Eternity so that life that flows from the heart death follows life and Eternity follows all It is a matter then you see of great concernment to have your hearts renewed A good heart makes a good life and a good life ends in an happy death and an happy death brings the Soul to Eternal Happiness 3. The great danger that follows from the two former considerations sins subtlety and our own hearts deceitfulness This will appear more plainly in these following particulars wherein you shall see what cause every one of us have to look about our selves and the wisdom of the People of God in being so careful to keep themselves from their own Iniquities The men of the World they do not understand these things and therefore they think it a needless scrupulosity in the Saints in being so much afraid of sin they call it only an humour and a fancy and I know not what but learn but to know the danger of sin especially of your own sins and you shall find there is cause enough for it The danger lyes in these following particulars 1. Here is very great odds against us two against one sin without and our own hearts within us sin battering and our own hearts betraying of us Each of these singly is too hard for us but when both combine together against us in what a case are we sin that corrupts our hearts to betray us and our hearts they conspire with sin to destroy us O sirs look in what a dangerous condition we are in That Garrison is not like to hold out long when there
Prov. 36. Death that is one of the evils and mischiefs that our own sins will bring upon us or rather it comprehends in it all the evils of sin 2. Gen. 17. and do you think that any man loves death no men love not a natural much less an Eternal Death and yet sin will draw them to it their own sins will make them in love with their own destructions 3. Because we are unwilling to take up any report against our own sins we will never believe what is told us of them 40. Jer. from the 12 th verse to the end of the Chapter and the 41. Chapter verse the second so is it here tell men of their own sins they will not believe us tell them their swearing or drinking or rioting or profaneness will bring damnation on them they will but scoff at us for our pains they hope they will say to be saved for all this and tell us there is not so much harm in this thing as men account 4. Because we are ready to be angry with those that reprove our own sins 4. Gal. 16. so many Persons think we love them not because we love not their sins and are enemies to them because we are enemies to their sins oh they hate us for reproving their sins 2 Cor. 12. 15. so Ahab he hated Micaiah I hate him saith he I cannot abide him and why so he never Prophesieth good concerning me but evil Micaiah shewed him the evil of his sin and therefore Ahab was so hot against him Thus lay these things together and you will see that 't is a very hard work for any man to be truly and rightly informed of the evil of his own sin 2. Yet secondly this must be done we must first see the evil of our sins before we can cast them off no wise man will cast off his old friend and acquaintance for no cause no man in his right mind will cut of his right Arm while 't is sound and well before he is sure 't is gangrened nay let me tell you we must see a great deal of evil in our own sins before we can keep our selves from them What an hard matter was it for Eli though a good man to cast of his Sons after he heard of all their wickedness at last he reproves them but faintly Oh when men come to see this then how willingly will they part with all their sins when they see that sin will bring them to Hell then away with it 16. Luk. 1 2. so shall we deal with our best beloved sins which have been like the stewards of our hearts when we once come to see the evil of them that they seek to ruin us O Brethren for your Souls sake do not shut your eyes against this be willing to hear all that you can hear of your own sins do not mince the matter the evil will else fall on your own heads and you will smart for it another day 2. Give this sin no entertainment and you shall quickly be rid of it As we say of the Gout it goes to rich men because it there fares best know this sin where it fares best there it will stay longest 'T is like a Beggar give him a bountiful Alms and you shall have him at your door again the sooner 1 Cor. 9. 27. I keep under my body i. e. my body of sin the best way to keep sin away is to keep it under for 't is of a ruling and domineering nature and therefore the Saints that have got the mastery of their sins they can thrust them away easily 3. Chuse another love whom you may set your affections and all your delight upon and that is Jesus Christ postquam nos Amaryllis habet Galatea reliquit love Christ and you shall not love any sin more you will see that in Christ that deserves all and more than all your love and affections 1 Thess 1 9. when they turned to God they turned from Idols so when we turn our affections to Christ we shall turn them from sin we shall never have list to sin more Old friends we say are like old cloaths we give them away when we have new ones so here though sin be thy old friend yet for Christ's sake thou wilt part with it 4 Eph. 22 24. the best way to cast off the old man is to put on the new man O sinners I know that your sins are dear unto you and you think them best but come and see Christ and you shall see that in him which will be far better to you than all your sins when you have once put on Christ or the new man you will for ever after cast off the old man. 4. You must not dispute the case at the bar of flesh and blood whether you shall part with your own sins or no. Flesh and sin are sworn Brothers like Herod and Pilate both agree against Christ flesh will plead for sin because flesh knows no other happiness but in sin hence is that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 50. you must away with flesh when you would consult for the good of your Souls always flesh will hinder us in whatever is good I Gal. 15 16. had Paul consulted with flesh he had never been a Preacher flesh would have said to him as Peter to Christ Master save thy self 'T is a dangerous time now to renounce thy sin it will breed thee a great deal of trouble if thou turn from sin thou wilt have all the World about thy ears therefore dispute not the case with flesh 5. Deny self self denyal is as a deadly wound given to sin that it cannot lift up its head any more 16. Mat. 24. self-denyal I will tell you what it is it is the giving up the Keys and the sole command of the whole man unto Christ Then Christ is the Lord Lieutenant of thy heart and nothing can be done without leave from Christ now put Christ in office and Christ will quickly put sin out of office Oh! 't is this self that keeps in sin when grace like Joab goes out to fight against sin then self like David calls out deal kindly with the young man Absalom oh spare my sin my beloved sin my only sin O Brethren have a care of bringing self to Church with you all the Sermons you hear will do you no good self will hinder you in all your duties because it will not suffer your own Iniquities to be touched self 't is like Jehu down with Ahab and all his Family down with Baal and all his Priests but the Calves at Dan and Bethel must stand still zeal cast down the first but self made the other to stand self will suffer any sin but our own sin our own Iniquity to be killed 6. Look into the Scriptures and there you shall see that you shall be no losers but gainers by parting with your sins 2 Chron. 25. from the 6 th to the 10 th verse so many will say
their own Children to be so ill as other mens Children are though perhaps they be a great deal worse Here lies the great deceit and that which doth our Souls all the mischief our owning of sin so far as to countenance it and all the evil actions that come from it If we could but once disown sin we should quickly be out of love with it 5. Here we may see what is the chief work and duty of Ministers 't is to perswade men what they can against their own Iniquities and bring them out of love with their own sins 58 of Is 1. Cry aloud spare not life up thy voice like a trumpet and shew my People their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins and this hath been always the practice of the Prophets and Apostles of Christ in all their Sermons and Preaching Noah he reproved the men of the old World for their sins Elijah he dealt plainly with Ahab and reproved him for his sin the Murder of Naboth Nathan the Prophet he comes bluntly to David and tells him thou art the man. John Baptist he tells Herod of his Herodias and Paul when he Preached to Felix and Drusilla he reasoneth of righteousness and temperance whereby he plainly intimated what was his Iniquity General Preaching is as good as no Preaching at all Ministers must not only tell People of sin but of their sins Should a Physician come to a sick man and discourse learnedly before him of the nature and causes of sickness in general and not tell him what is his disease and sickness and tell him what means he must use against it this would do him no good such are all our Learned Sermons and quaint discourses c. Brethren we have to deal with sinners sin in Scripture is a sickness now we must tell every man what is his sin and what may be a means to bring him out of the snare of the Devil such general Preaching is like prophecying in an unknown tongue which the Apostle saith in the 1 Cor. 14. 9. is speaking into the air 't is Preaching at random He is not a good Soldier that knows only how to discharge his Musquet and let it off but he must be skilfull how to level it that he may shoot his Enemy He is not to be accounted for a good Preacher that can make a quaint Sermon or a Learned discourse but if we would do good by our Preaching we must tell every one of his own Iniquities we must not Preach against the sins of the Court in the Country nor against the sins of the Country at Court we must not set men against other mens sins but every man against his own sins The Prophets did not go to Samaria to Preach against the sins of Jerusalem nor to Jerusalem to Preach against the sins of Samaria This will do you most good will make most for the health of your Souls Thus Brethren you see what is the duty of Ministers if they would do you any good and I hope none of you will be offended at us if we deal so plainly aand faithfully with you This â— in respect of some that were present when he Preached this Serm. who it seems thought he dealt too plainly with them in telling them of reproving them for their sins Here are some that have been angry with me for Preaching thus but let them know that they themselves are the greatest enemies to their own Souls If you chuse a Lawyer to manage your case for you at the common Law and he states your case wrong and you loose the Suit by it will you not call him Knave for his pains what then will you call us Ministers in Hell if we deal not now plainly and faithfully with your Souls I never yet heard otherways amongst honest men but that plain dealing was ever accounted best This is the Anvil that we must strike upon tho thereby wâ— make the sparks to fly about our ears 6. And lastly here then we see the righteousness and the justice of all Gods dealings with us He is righteous in the extremity of all his proceedings against us May we not say of England as the Prophet of Tyrus in the 28. Ezek. 12 15 18. v. do we not keep those sins in our hearts which bring down God's Judgments upon our Houses can we expect it should be otherways with us when we are resolved not to part with our sins How can we expect while we own sin but that God should disown us while we countenance Iniquity but that God should discountenance us while we suffer our hearts to be over-run with these bryars and thorns but that God should make us fewel for the fire of his indignation 9. Daniel 13 14. God hath publickly in his word proclaimed sin for a Traytor and hath forbidden us upon pain of his heavy displeasure to harbour any sin in us now if we make our hearts the rebellious houses of sin God may justly fire our houses about our ears and make our habitations like a dunghill And therefore in all our miseries and calamities that have or may befall us and under all the Judgments of God let us cry out with the Church in the Lamentations wo unto us that we have sinned had not we loved sin God would then have loved us 2. Use of Reproof If that we ought to keep our selves from our own Iniquities then this reproves 1. Those who instead of keeping themselves from their Iniquities keep up close and hide up their Iniquities who deal with their sins as Rachel with her Idols when Laban came to make a search after them she hid them in the midst of the stuff How many Persons are there that will not be known of their sins as if they knew not what they meant tell the Swearer of his swearing he denies it he is not the man or the Drunkard or Covetous c. Brethren you deal unfaithfully with your Souls why do you go thus to hide up your sins I can tell you the true Reason because you have no mind to leave them the Scripture puts confessing and forsaking of sin together and confessing is always first and a means to the latter 28. Prov. 13. I can tell you further the Scripture puts confessing and forgiving together 32. Ps 5. So that no confessing no forsaking no forsaking no forgiving And this is the great danger that these sins our own Iniquities bring us into keep us from confession and therefore seldom are pardoned That man is in a forlorn coâ—dition who when his sin like the Small-pox would break out drives it in again and strikes it to the very heart what a madness is it for a man to send to a Physician and desire him to heal him and yet will not be known of any disease that troubles him So this is desperate folly and hypocrisie for men to come and pray to God to pardon their sins and yet will not be known of any sin that is