them â—d the greatest Sins Every thought â—ou thinkest and every word thou â—eakest in an unregenerate State and conâ—tion there is Sin in it and though most â— them possibly are but little Sins yet â— multitude of them alone are able to â—nk you down into the lowest Hell â—our Consciences start back and are â—frighted as indeed they ought at a â—emptation to Murder Incest Blasâ—emy or any of those more horrid Sins â—at are the prodigies of corrupt Nature â—ese Sins you dare not so much as comâ—it once And yet thousands of thouâ—nds of lesser Sins such as sinful Thoughts â—le Words petty Oaths commodious Lyes â—ese proceed from you without either â—riving against them or mourning for â—em Why now Sirs do you more fear â—tolerable and everlasting Wrath for â—e single Commission of a great Sin than you do for the frequent and repeated Commission of less Sins Truly â— cannot precisely tell you whether you had not as good Blaspheme God once aâ— take his Name in vain often whetheâ— it be not as good to Murder once as to hate always The frequency of little Sins makes their guilt so great and theiâ— punishment so intolerable that the vilest Sins you can imagine shall have nothing to exceed them in unless it be the horror of the Name of that Sin Anâ— yet it fares with us as it did with thâ— Israelites we tremble more at one Goliah than we do at the whole Army of thâ— Philistines One gross scandalous Siâ— makes Conscience recoil and go back when yet we venture upon the number less guilt of smaller Sins that have leâ— terror in their Name though united iâ— their guilt they bring far sorer Condemnation on the Soul than the single Commission of a great Sin What great diâ—ference is there whether your Eternaâ— burning be kindled by many sparks oâ— by one fire brand Whether you Die bâ— many smaller Wounds or by one greaâ— one Many little Items may make Debt desperate and the payment impossible And truly when God shall â—eckon up against us at the great Day many thousand vain Thoughts and as many superfluous idle Words with as many petty Oaths and Lyes that we â—ave been guilty of the account will be â—s dreadful and the Wrath that will â—ollow as insupportable as if Murder Blasphemy or the greatest outrage that â—ver was committed in the World were â—ingly charged upon us Thirdly It 's difficult to convince men of the evil of little Sins Consider it is very difficult â—o convince Men of the great Evil and Danger that there is in little Sins and â—herefore it is very difficult to bring them â—o Repentance for them Indeed this is â—he great and desperate Evil that there â—s in small Sins that Men will not be perswaded that they are Evil. Flagitious wickednesses are usually self condemning they carry that brand upon them that makes them evident to every Mans Conscience that they come from Hell and will certainly lead to Hell Rom. 1.33 and therefore the Apostle Rom. 1.33 after he had reckoned up a black Catalogue of Sins tells them in the last verse that though they were Heathens yet they knew the Judgments of God that they that committed such things were worthy of Death But now the guilt of little Sins is not so apparent the eye of a meer natural Conscience looks usually outward to the Life and Conversation and if that be plain and smooth it sees not or dispenseth with the lesser Sins of the Heart Hence is it that we so seldom confess or mourn for those that we call lesser Sins When is it that we are deeply humbled for the Omission of duties or for the slight and perfunctory performance of them these we look not upon as deserving Damnation and therefore we think they need no Repentance Nay are we not so far from judging and condemning our selves for them that we seek out pretences to excuse and lessen them calling them Slips Failings and vnavoidable Infirmities Gen. 19.20 And as Lot said of Zoar is it not a little one and our Souls shall live What can I think there is so much danger in a foolish Thought in a vain and inconsiderate Word Can I think that the great God will torment his poor creatures for ever for a Thought for a Word for a Glance yes believe it unless these Sins be done away in the Blood of Christ there is not the least of them but hath an infinite Evil in it and an infinite Wrath following of it If you will not now be convinced of it you shall be then when with dread and astonishment you shall hear God calling your little Sins by other Names than you now do you call them Failings and Infirmities but God will call them Presumptions and Rebellions What you say is but a vain Thought shall be arraign'd as Treason against God as Atheism and Soul Murder Then every formal heartless Duty that here you performed shall be accused of mocking and scoffing of God they are so interpretatively and in God's esteem and unless the guilt of them be done away by the Blood of sprinkling you will find them no less at the great and terrible Day of the Lord. Indeed the generality of Men have gotten a dangerous Method of doing away the guilt of their Sins great Sins they make to be little and little Sins they make to be none at all and thus they do away their Sins and so they Live in them customarily and Die in them impenitently and perish under them irrecoverably The least sin allow'd is a sign of an hypocritical Heart Fourthly Consider that the allowance anâ— cordial approbation but of the least Sin is â— certain sign of a most rotten and hypocriticaâ— Heart Be thy Conversation never sâ— blameless be thy profession never so glorious be thy Duties and Services never sâ— pompous yet if there be the secret reservation and allowance but of the leasâ— Sin all this is no more than so much vain show and pageantry Jam. 1.26 What says the Apostle Jam. 1.26 If any Man among you seem tâ— be Religious and bridleth not his Tongue that Man deceiveth himself his Religion is vain Why is it not strange that after so many prayers daily put up to God after an eminent profession and a considerable progress made in the ways of God that yet both the sincerity and success oâ— all this should depend upon so small â— thing as the tip of a man's Tongue If thaâ— be allowed to run at random into impertinencies not to say into Debaucheries and Prophaneness all your Duties all youâ— Prayers all your Profession is blown away by the same Tongue that uttered them and all your Religion will be in vain and let me add This seeming Religion will enâ— only in shame and confusion at the last when the Soul and Conscience of a sinner shall be ript open at the great Day before Men and Angels and that little Sin that kept God and Christ
we are he is ensnared and entrapped in those Sins to the Occasions of which we lead him by our Example Secondly It proves also a Scandal of Sorrow to the strong Christians They see such probable signs and presumptions of Sin by us that they justly conclude that certainly we are guilty of those Sins and thereby their Hearts also are sadned and grieved And that is the first Reason why we must forbear all appearance of evil that is built upon strong presumptions that we have indeed committed the Evil. Secondly Another Reason is because all such Occasions of Sin and such Appearances of Sin have guilt in them also as being against the same Commandment that that Sin violates and tends unto for the same Commandment that forbids the Sin it self forbids all occasions and all appearances of that Sin That Commandment that forbids Theft forbids also whatever may induce though but remotely thereunto And that Commandment that forbids Adultery forbids also all remote occasions thereof Hence it is that Solomon gives the young man that scrupulous Caution against a strange Woman in Prov. 5.8 Come not near the door of her House Why to pass by the door of her House is not in it self unlawful but yet when this may be justly feared to prove an occasion of Sin or when by going near a House it may be strongly presumed by others that we are guilty of any Sin then it must be carefully avoided and abstained from So again When the Wine looks red in the Cup Solomon bids us that we should not then look upon it Why to look upon the Wine in the Cup is not a thing that is unlawful but because this may be an occasion of Intemperance and Drunkenness or the like therefore we must abstain from this very appearance and occasion of Evil. So then in the appearance of Evil there is not only the evil of Scandal given to others but there is also the evil of guilt in it self And therefore let us all examine our selves what at any time hath proved a snare to us and what hath been an occasion of sinning Have you not often said it and resolved it that you will venture but so far and no farther and though you do approach near to Sin yet you will keep your selves within your Duty and have you not found it that when you have ventured thus upon the occasions of Sin you have stopt no where short of the commission of those Sins This is to put your selves out of God's way and to put your selves from under his protection for God doth not usually keep them from the commission of Sin who do not keep themselves from the Occasions and Appearances of Sin And so much for the First Position But if in case an Action appears evil to a Man's self though this apprehension of it be wholly groundless then I shall lay down this Second Position And that is Though an Action be in it self indifferent yet if it appear evil and sinful to us we ought not in any case while that mis-perswasion continues to venture upon the doing of it no though by doing of it we might avoid the greatest Evil Yea we are rather if Providence bring us to that sad choice to lose our very Lives than to do any thing against the perswasions of our own Consciences though in it self it be not evil or sinful The reason of this is clear because we are rather to chuse the greatest Affliction and Suffering than to commit the least Sin but now to go contrary to the Dictates and Perswasions of our own Consciences this is Sin Rom. 14.23 Whatever is not of Faith is Sin that is whatever a Man doth if he be not fully perswaded and convinced of the lawfulness thereof in his own Conscience that is a Sin to him that ventures upon it while he is unsatisfied though the Thing in it self may be lawful And he that doubteth says the Apostle in the same Verse is damned if he eateth that is though there be no real difference betwixt one kind of Meat and another but all are alike lawful yet if a scrupulous Conscience puts a difference betwixt them where there is none and if it account it unlawful to eat of some sorts of Meat if after this a Man ventures to eat them hereby he sins says the Apostle and incurs damnation by doing that against his Conscience that yet were his Conscience otherwise informed were lawful for him to do And so in Rom. 14.20 For Meat destroy not the Work of God all things are pure but it is evil for him who eateth with offence These and many other Places clearly prove that what is done against a Man's own Conscience that is sinful to that Man Conscience hath the priviledge of a Negative Vote in the Soul nothing can lawfully be done by us but what hath the full consent and approbation of our Consciences and though every thing we think is lawful doth not thereupon presently become lawful to us yet what we think is unlawful doth thereupon become unlawful for us to do and we ought whatever the case be wholly to abstain from the doing of it Thirdly If the Action that we judge evil and unlawful to us be our Duty and so becomes necessary to us then are we under a most sad entanglement we sin if we do it and we sin also unless we do it This is the unhappiness of many that through a mis-informed Conscience they verily believe they ought to abstain from that which is indeed their Duty and to do that wherein they sin indeed if they do it And so Christ speaks of some that thought verily they did God good Service when they persecuted and murdered his Saints in John 16.2 If they did not what they thought was good service to God they sinned on that hand and yet if they killed the Saints which they judged to be good service they sinned on that hand also so that they were entangled on both hands So is it in our days also we have seen and known many that thought it their duty to abstain from Ordinances yea who thought it their duty to perform no Duty at all to God Now if these Men abstain from them they sin in doing that which is contrary to what God commands if they use them they sin too because they do that which is contrary to what Conscience commands So that it is indeed the greatest Plague and Punishment in the World for God to give Men up to the power of an erroneous and mis-guided Conscience Now it appears that whatever a Man doth against his Conscience be the Action indifferent or be the Action his Duty and so is necessary yet he sins Which is evident in two Things First Because there is no man but thinks his Conscience is rightly informed no man thinks his Conscience erroneous every one judgeth himself to be in the right and to be rightly informed Now if he thus judgeth and acts contrarily he sins because
So is it with the Law of God let Scribes and Pharisees corrupt it by their erroneous Glosses and false Interpretations â—utting what Forms and Shapes they â—ease upon it yet as it is in the corâ—ption of earthly Bodies not the least â—iece of Matter can perish or be annihiâ—ted so neither in their corrupting of â—he Law shall one jot or tittle of it fail â—ot but that the Law did fail of its obâ—ervation never yet was it exactly and â—unctually fulfilled by any except by â—ur Lord Jesus Christ but yet the Obâ—gation and binding Power of it is everâ—sting and shall continue while there â— an Earth and Men upon it yea while there is a Heaven glorified Saints â—â— it for the Moral Law is of an eternal â—alidity on Earth it is a perfect Rule â—et down in the Word in Heaven it is â— perfect Nature implanted in the Blesâ—ed from which all their Actions shall low and by which they shall all be guided to eternity This Assertion being laid down our Saviour proceeds to draw an Inference â—rom it and that he doth in the Words â—f the Text If every jot and tittle of â—he Law be of such a permanent and everlasting Obligation then whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and teach Men so he shall be called that is he shall be or he deserves to bâ— the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Opening of the Words And here before we can arrive at thâ— full and practical Sense of the Words we must enquire into Two Things First What is here meant by the least Commandment Secondly What is meant by being least in the Kingdom of Heaven What is meant by the least Commandment For the First of these When Christ speaks here of the least Commandment it must not be so understood as if one Commandment were less necessary to be observed than another God's Commands are all alike necessary and that with a twofold Necessity Necessitate Praecepti Necessitate Medii The one ariseth from the Authority of the Law-giver the other from the Requisiteness of Obedience to eternal Life One Command therefore is not less than another First No Command little in respect of God's Authority In respect of the Authority enâ—yning them The same holy and just â—od who hath commanded us to love â—nd fear him with all our Souls and with â—l our Might hath also commanded us â— abstain from every vain Thought â—nd from every idle and superfluous â—ord The least Command hath power â— bind the Conscience to Obedience as â—ell as the greatest because the least â— enacted by that Sovereign God to â—hom all Souls and Consciences are subâ—ct as well as the greatest It is not â—he greatness or smallness of the Coin â—ut the Image of the King stamp'd upon â— that authorizeth it and makes it â—arrant So truly the Holiness and Puâ—ty of God's Nature once imprinted upâ—n the least Command makes it fully as â—uthoritative and Obligatory as if it â—ere the highest and the chiefest Nor Secondly No Command less necessary to be obeyed is one Command less â—han another as if it were less necessary â—o be performed in order to Eternal Life The Breach of the least Commandment â—oth as certainly shut the Soul out of Heaven and shut it up under Wrath and Condemnation as the breach of the greatest In neither of these sences therefore must the Words be understood aâ— if our Obedience were required more râ—missly or left more arbitrary to the one than to the other or as if the observation of them all were not equally conducible unto Happiness or the transgression of them equally liable unto punishment When therefore Christ speaks oâ— the least Commandment the expression may admit of a twofold signification First That herein he alludes to thâ— common and corrupt Doctrine of the Scribes and Pharisees distinguishing God's Commands into great and small The great Commandments they held to be those only which concerned the external Acts of Religious Worship such as Fastings and Washings and Sacrifices and scrupulous Tithings with various Gifts and Offerings these were their great Commandments but for inward Concupiscence for unmortified Lusts for vain Thoughts and sinful Desires these they as a Generation corrupt in themselves and Corrupters of others taught as the Papists now do either to be no Sins at all or at most but venial so long as they did not break forth into Act and truly the greater part of this Chapter is spent in setting forth the evil of â—hose Sins that the Jews accounted to be â—â—ght and small Matth. 5.22 28 29. as to be angry with our â—rother to call him Racha or thou Fool â—erse 22. To harbour inward Motions â—f Concupiscence ver 28. To use Diâ—orce ver 29. Common Swearing ver 34. Private Revenge ver 39. Now says our â—aviour I am so far from destroying the Law and the Prophets either by my Doctrine or by my Practice as these Men falsly accuse and calumniate me â—hat contrariwise I teach that the violatiâ—n of those Commands which your Doâ—tors the Scribes and Pharisees account â—mall and little will bring with them â—n heavy guilt and sore condemnation or whosoever breaks those Commandments that are commonly vilify'd and called least shall be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Secondly Those Commandments which â—re great in respect of the Lawgiver may yet be the least in comparison with other Commands of the same Law which â—re indeed thought greatest Now this comparative inequality in the Commandments is taken from the inequality of the Objects about which they are conversant some of them concern our Duty to God others concern our Duty to Man Now because Man is infinitely less than God therefore those Commands that relate to our Duty towards Man may be called less than those Commands that relate to our Duty towards God Hence when the Lawyer put a Case to our Saviour Matth. 22.36 Mat. 22.36 Master which is the great Commandment in the Law Our Lord answers him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind This says he is the first and great Commandment Sometimes this inequality riseth from the Latitude that every Command hath in it Now this Latitude relateth to our Thoughts to our Words and to our Actions Now because a Thought may be said to be less than a Word and a Word may be said to be less than an Action therefore that part of the Commandment that requires Holiness in our Thoughts may be said to be less than that which requires Holiness in our Speech and that part of the Commandment which requires Holiness in our Speech than that which requires Holiness in our Lives and Actions Now says our Saviour he that sins against Man as well as he that sins against Gâ—d he that sins in a Thought in a Word as well as he that sins in his Actions and Conversation He that breaks
these least Commandments shall be least in the Kingdom of Heaven And in this Sence I take the Words And thus you see what is meant by the least Commandment The Second thing we are to enquire into What is meant by being least in the Kingdom of Heaven is what we are to understand by being least in the Kingdom of Heaven By the Kingdom of Heaven may be meant either the Kingdom of Grace set up in the Church on Earth and thus the Word is so frequently made use of in Scripture I need not turn you to any Places Or else by the Kingdom of Heaven may be meant the Kingdom of Glory established in the highest Heavens If we take the Kingdom of Heaven here in the Text for the Kingdom of Grace that is for the Church and People of God here on Earth then the Sence runs thus He that breaketh the least Commandment and teacheth Men so shall be no true Member of the Church of Christ But if we take the Kingdom of Heaven here spoken of to be the Kingdom of Glory then the meaning is He that breaks the least Commandment shall be least in the Kingdom of Heaven that is he shall not enter into Heaven at all Minimus vocabitur in Regno Coelorum fortasse ideo non erit in Regno Coelorum ubi nisi magni esse non possunt as St. Augustine speaks He shall be the least in Heaven that is he shall not be there at all because in Heaven there are none but great and glorious ones You see then what a heavy and most dreadful Doom Christ hath pass'd upon those things that the World call little and trivial Sins they exclude out of Heaven and will without Repentance and a Pardon interpose sink the Soul down to the lowest Hell irrecoverably Now because the generality of the World yea and of Professors also do too commonly allow and indulge themselves in little Sins I have therefore made choice of this Subject on purpose to convince you if it may be of the great evil that lurks under them and that great wrath that will follow upon them That as you would out of your great care for your precious and immortal Soul 's eternal Welfare abstain from the Commission of notorious and self-condemning Sins so you would labour to keep your selves free from these little Sins which though less scandalous yet are they not less pernicious and destructive And this I shall endeavour to do in the Prosecution of this one Proposition That little Sins carry in them great guilt Doctrine and will bring after them a sore and heavy Condemnation He that breaketh the least Commandment shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Now in treating upon this Subject because I intend not to insist long upon it I shall only lay down some Demonstrations of the Truth of the Doctrine and then make some Use and Application of it The least Sin a great Affront of the great God First Therefore the great evil and danger that there is in little Sins appears in this that the least Sin is a most high Affront and Provocation of the Great God An Infinite Holiness is opposed and an Infinite Justice is incensed by them Though I am not of the Opinion of the Stoick Philosophers that all Vices are equally hainous yet this I account certain that there is in the least Sin as flat a repugnancy and contradiction to the Holy Will of God as in the greatest Hath not God forbidden vain Thoughts and idle Words as strictly as he hath forbidden Murder Adultery Blasphemy and Hatred of himself with all those abominable Sins that defile the mouths of those that name them And is it not as much his Will that he should be obey'd in those Commands as in these Have you any more Dispensation in the Scripture to speak an idle Word than you have to blaspheme the Name of God Have you any more liberty allow'd you to swear little Oaths than you have to swear and ban by whatsoever is sacred and holy in Heaven or dreadful in Hell Or to take the reverend Name of God in vain more than to curse him to his very Face Are you more permitted to think evil against your Neighbour than you are to murther him No certainly there are no such Dispensations can ever be found in the Word of God and I assure you God will never dispense with any Sin farther than he hath revealed and why then will you dare to dispense with your selves more in little Sins than in great Sins Oh our Consciences will never bear with any patience those great and crying Sins Will they not and do you think that God's Holiness will bear with your little Sins Believe it these little Sins do arm God's terrible Power and Vengeance against you And as a Page may carry the Sword of a great Warriour after him so your little Sins do as it were bear the Sword of God's Justice and put it into his hands against you And wo unto us if the holy and jealous God deal in fury with us for our small Provocations Secondly Little sins a violation of the Law of God Every little Sin is a heinous violation of a holy and strict Law that God hath given us to be the Rule of our Lives The least Sin takes the two Tables and in a worse sence than Moses did dashes and breaks them in pieces Nay Committing little sins makes men guilty of the greatest Thirdly That you may see what a complicate Evil every Sin is take this too which though it be a Paradox yet is it a most sad Truth That the commission of the least Sin makes you guilty of the greatest Sin yea guilty of all Sin imaginable Hear this therefore and tremble all you that allow your selves in vain Thoughts or idle Words and think with your selves Pish this is but a Thought this is but a Word no it is not only a vain Thought or an idle Word it is Blasphemy it is Hatred of God it is Murther it is Adultery it is Idolatry you will say this is strange Doctrine if it be it is the Apostle's Doctrine Jam. 2.10 Jam. 2.10 Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all As therefore thou wouldst not be found guilty in the great Day of the Lord of all that ever Hell it self was ever impeached for see that you abhor the commission of the least Sin for the least Sin will involve thy Soul in the greatest guilt And the Apostle gives an evident Reason of this ver 11. For he that said Do not commit Adultery said also Do not kill now if thou do not commit Adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the Law The worst thing that can be found in all the Sins that ever were committed is the contempt of God's Authority Now there is as much wretched contempt of the Authority of the great
â—s small Sins yet they still plod on in â—he way to Hell and Destruction without any stop or interruption In sharp Diseases the violence of the Fit doth not â—ast so long as the Disease lasts at times â—here is an Intermission but still there is â— constant Distemper in the Body So when the pang of a violent Sin is well over yet still there remains a constant Distemper in the Soul which though it be not outragious yet still continues the Souls Disease and will bring it to its Death at last In the Fortification of a City or Town all the Ramparts are not Castles and Strong holds but between Fort and Fort there is a Line drawn thaâ— doth as it were joyn all together anâ— makes the place Impregnable So is â— in the Fortification of the Soul by Sin all Sins are not Strong holds of Sathan they are greater and grosser Sins but between these is drawn a line of smalleâ— Sins so close that you cannot find â— Breach in it and by these the Heart iâ— fenced against God Now is it nothing that your Little Sins fill up all the voiâ— spaces of your Lives Is it nothing thaâ— you no where lie open to the force and impression of the Holy Spirit He by his Convictions batters the greater and more hainous Sins of your Lives buâ— these Strong holds of Sathan are Impregnable and give him the repulse he seeks to enter in by the Thoughts but these are so fortified by Vanity and Earthly mindedness and a thousand other Follies that though they are but Little Sins yet swarms of them stop up the passage and the Soul is so full already that there is no room for the Holy Spirit to enter There 's not a sinner here that if he will make an Impartial search within him but will find the experience of this in his own breast When at any â—me you have flown out into the Commission of any boisterous and notorious Wickedness have you not afterwards â—und that you live in a more constant â—king and allowance of little Sins When â—nce a Man is stunn'd by some heavy â—ow a small nip or pinch is not then felt â—y him And when once Conscience is â—eadned by the stroak of some great and â—andalous Sin afterwards it grows less â—ensible of the guilt and evil that there â— in smaller Sins and thus you live in â—hem without pain and regret till you â—ll into some notorious Wickedness that â—ore hardens the Heart and more fears â—he Conscience and what is this but to â—n round from Sin to Sin from a small â—in to a great Sin and from a great Sin â—o a small Sin again till Hell put a peâ—iod to this Circle what is this now â—ut for the Devil to get ground upon â—ou by great Sins and to keep it by little Sins whereby he drives on and keeps up â—he trade of Sin and when God shall â—ast up your Accounts for you at the last Day you will find that the Trade hath â—gain'd you no small loss even the loss of â—our Immortal Souls Now although â—he evil and danger of committing little Sins hath been made very apparent in the forementioned particulars yet because Men are very prone to indulge and excuse themselves herein I shall add some farther Demonstrations of their aggravated Guilt in these following particulars Which will serve greatly for the confirmation of the truth of the Doctrine Little Sins usually are the damning Sins First Consider little Sins usually are the damning and destroying Sins There are more beyond comparison that perish and go down to Hell by the Commission of little Sins than by those that are more Notorious and Infamous here perisheth the Hypocrite and here the formal Professor here perisheth your honest civil neighbourly Man that is so fair and upright in his dealing that you can see nothing that is gross and scandalous by him Oh! but yet the blood of their precious and Immortal Souls runs out and is spilt for ever thorough those insensible wounds that little Sins do make Yea hereby commonly perisheth the Prophane Sinner also for it is usually but the Commission of one small Sin more that fills up the measure of their â—niquities and makes them fully ripe â—or Damnation sometimes indeed God â—oth by some signal Stroke of his Vengeance strike the sinner through and â—hrough in the Commission of some bold â—nd daring Sin but usually the last Sin â—f the worst of Men is but of the lesser â—ze and though God hath formerly â—orn many great impieties from such â—ersons yet is he at last so provoked by â—ome little Sin that he will wait no lonâ—er but snatcheth the sinner away in his â—rath and throws him down into Hell This is an Argument how dreadfully â—rovoking small Sins are that usually â—pon the Commission of one of them God puts an end to his patience and forâ—earance It is not all the great and crying â—ins of a Mans Life that brings so much misery upon him as a little Sin that â—nks him down into Eternal Torments â—oth Usually the last Sin that a sinner â—nters into Hell by is but a little Sin Take it therefore as a warning from God â—enceforth never more despise any Sin â—s slight because it is small We have a â—nown Proverb among us that when a â—east hath his full load one straw more will break his Back Believe it sirs it is most certainly true in the present Case many Christians have been a long time sinners against God and their own Souls adding iniquity to iniquity and some oâ— you may already have your full load â— beware how you ever venture upon thâ— Commission of another Sin though it bâ— but a little and a slight Sin yet this slighâ— and small Sin added to the rest may breaâ— and sink you for ever into Hell thiâ— little Sin may fill up the Ephah of youâ— iniquities and after this small Sin yoâ— may neither have time to Sin again noâ— to Repent of your Sin Little Sins what they want in weight they do more than make up innumber Secondly Consider this Small Sin what they want in weight usually they do more than make up in number and therefore are as pernicious to the Souâ— as the greatest Sins can be Hence David prays Psal 19.12 Who can understand his errours cleanse thou me from secret Sins Psal 19.12 Secret Sins must needs bâ— the least and smallest Sins seeing they are so small that he that commits then cannot discern them but yet as they are small so are they numerous whâ— knows how often he thus transgresseth whâ— can understand his errours Therefore cleanse thou me O Lord from these secret â—ins A Ship may have a heavy burâ—en of Sands as well as of Milstones and â—ay be as soon sunk with them And â—uly small Sins though they should be â— small as Sands yet commonly they â—e as numerous as the Sands too and â—hat odds then is there between
not to know the size or quantity of wrath that every Sin deserves yet possibly his eternal punishment might be hereby somewhat diminished But this is the Misery of great and presumptuous Sinners that they stand guilty of as many little sins as they do that perish under the guilt of no other but little sins Where do you see a Person that is given up to vile Abominations but he lives also in a constant course and practice of lesser Sins The Drunkard the unclean Person and the rest of them are they not always sinful in their Thoughts frothy and vain in their Discourses And is it nothing to you that you incur Damnation by little Sins unless you can advance your own destruction unless you can promote your selves to be next of all in torments to the Devil himself by your greater Provocations and Impieties As you see in Rivers the natural course of them tends to the Sea but the Tide joyning with them makes the Current run thâ— swifter and the more forcibly so is it witâ— Sin little sins are the natural stream oâ— a Man's Life that do of themselves tenâ— Hell-ward and are of themselves enough to carry the Soul down silently and calmly to destruction but wheâ— greater and grosser sins join with them they make a violent Tide that hurrie the Soul away with a more swift anâ— rampant motion down to Hell thaâ— little sins would or could do of themselves Therefore when you hear hoâ— much evil there is in little sins presume not to think there is nothing more in great sins yes certainly God is more provoked by them your own Consciences are more wounded by them Hell iâ— more inflamed by them and your own Souls are more widened and capacitated by these great sins to receive fuller and larger Vials of God's wrath than they would be by the commission of lesser sins only We may take an estimate in what proportion God's dealings with Sinners will be when he comes to punish them by observing how he deals with them when he comes to convince and humble them the sober Sinner feels no such Pangs and Throes usually in the New Birth but God deals with him in a more mitigated and gentle manner but when at any time he humbles a notorious blustering Sinner usually his Method is even to break his Bones and scorch up his Marrow and that he may save him from a Hell hereafter he creates a very Hell in his Conscience here Now as it is usually thus â—n Conviction so is it always thus in Condemnation of which Convictions are but as it were the Type and Resemblance When God comes to execute his Wrath and Vengeance upon Sinners for their Sins his Hand shall be very heavy and sore upon Civilized Sinners Oh but the bold daring presumptuous Sinner him he will press down and break in pieces with all his might He that suffers the least shall yet lie under intolerable Wrath but where then unless in the flaming depth of the Bottom of Hell will the infamous and prophane Sinner appear Vse 2 Secondly Another use we may make of this Doctrine is this Is there so great an Evil and Danger in little Sins Then here behold a woful Ship-wrack of all the Hopes and of all the Confidences of Formalists and Self-Justitiaries that hope to appear before God upon the account of their own Innocency and Harmlesness Hence learn that a quiet civil honest Life free from gross and scandalous Impieties is no good Plea or Title for Heaven yet truly this is that alone that the generality especially of the Ignorant relie upon their Lives are harmless their Dealings upright none can justly challenge them that they have done them any wrong were they presently to appear before God's Judgment-seat they know nothing by themselves that deserves Eternal Death therefore if God save any Persons in the World sure they are in the number of them But is it so indeed What do you know nothing by your selves Had you never so much as a Thought in you that stept awry Did you never lodge a Thought in you that had in it the least Vanity Impertinency or Frivolousness Have you never uttered a Word that did so much as lispe against the Holy Law of God Will you dare to tell God you never yet flid an Action that Innocency it self would be ashamed to own Have your Lives in every part been as strict and holy as the Law of God commands them to be if not it is in vain to plead for Heaven that your Conversations have been honest civil and harmless or that you have been Religious and maintained a constant Course of holy Duties and good Works I would not here be mistaken by any as if I were preaching against Morality or condemning Civility and common Honesty No by no means they are excellent things and the practice of them very commendable and I heartily wish there were more of them to be found in the Lives of those that call themselves Christians But if this be all you can say for your selves believe it the guilt but of one of your least Sins will out-weigh all these and you and all this your Righteousness must sink down together into Hell If this be all Men have to plead for Happiness a civil fair and honest Conversation This may be and yet Men may indulge themselves in little Sins which will most certainly ruine and destroy them Vse 3 Thirdly If there be so great evil and danger in little Sins hence learn whaâ— absolute need we stand in of Christ noâ— only those among us whose Lives anâ— openly gross and scandalous but eveâ— those who are most circumspect and most careful in their Walkings Though you do not wallow and roll your selve in the common Filth and Pollutions oâ— the World yet is it not possible but thaâ— our Garments should be sometimes spotted An absolute and perfect State is rather to be wished for than enjoy'd in this Life The utmost that we can attain to here is not to commit great Sins nor to allow our selves in little Sins when thorough daily Infirmity we do commit them Why now these little Sins that the best of God's Servants daily and hourly slip into cannot be pardon'd without the Blood of a great and mighty Saviour It is the same precious Blood of Jesus Christ that satisfied Divine Justice for the Incest of Lot for the Drunkenness of Noah for the Adultery and Murder of David and for the Perjury of Peter that must satisfie it also for thy vain Thoughts and for thy Foolish and idle Words if ever thou art saved For without Blood there is no remission Heb. 9.22 Heb 9.22 Acts 26.18 And without remission there is no salvation Acts 26.18 The same Blood that is a Propitiation and Atonement for the greatest Sins of the Saints now in Heaven many whereof possibly have been as great as ever were committed on Earth the same Blood of Atonement must take from thee the Guilt
of thy vain Thoughts and of thy idle Words or thou must for ever perish under them Fourthly If there be so great evil and Vse 4 danger in little Sins hence see then what cause we have to bemoan and humble our selves before God with Tears in our Eyes and Sorrow in our Hearts even for our little Sins We should never approach before the Throne of Grace in Prayer but before the close thereof we should in Confession mourn over and beg strength against those that the World calls and we account small Sins Indeed it is impossible to confess them all particularly who can reckon up the vain Thoughts and idle Words of one Day without a whole Day 's time to recount them for indeed we do little else in the Day And who then can reckon up the vain Thoughts and idle Words that he is guilty of in his whole Life without living over his whole Life to recount them When we have therefore confessed the more observable Failings of every Day we ought to wrap up the rest in a general but yet in a serious and sorrowful Acknowledgment Thus you find David did Psalm 51. where you have him confessing his two foul Sins of Adultery and Murder It is true one would think he should have been so intent upon the begging of Pardon for those Sins as that he could not spare a Petition to ask Pardon for any other Sins But yet though these were his great Sins yet he knew himself guilty of other Transgressions besides though of a less Nature and therefore he sums up all together and heartily begs pardon for them in the heap vers 9. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities And so truly we ought in our daily Prayers to God after particular Confession of those Sins that do more nearly touch and grate upon our Consciences to bind up the â—est in one general Petition and so preâ—ent them to God for Pardon in some such like manner as this Lord my own Conscience condemns me and thou art greater than my Conscience and knowest all things I have observed much Sin and guilt by my self this Day and thou who searchest the Heart and triest the Reins knowest far more by me than I do by my self but whatever I know by my self or whatever thou knowest by me Lord do thou freely pardon and forgive it all unto me Only here take heed that when you thus make your Confessions of your small Sins in general you do not also make them overtly slightly and superficially which is the common Fault of those that confess Sin by the heap As many little Sins of an ordinary Infirmity do equal the Guilt of one great Sin So truly when we thus every Day confess many of them together we ought to be deeply affected with true godly Sorrow and as earnestly pray for the pardon of them and as importunately beg power and strength against them with the same Tears Groans and holy Shame as if that Day we had committed some more gross and heinous Sin When therefore in your Prayers you come to this Request Lord pardon me the Sins and Failings of this Day think with your self now I ought to be as fervent as affectionate and penitent as if I were confessing Drunkenness or Murder for possibly the little Sins and Failings that I have committed this Day if they were all of them put together the Guilt of them may amount to be as great as one of those gross Sins Now upon such a general Confession and Humiliation as this is God issues out a Pardon in course for our common and ordinary Infirmities and by one Act of Oblivion blots out many Acts of Provocation There are two Considerations that may be very useful to us in order to the humbling of our selves before God for little Sins By little Sins we continually offend God First Consider these little Sins are those Sins whereby we continually without intermission offend against God and provoke him against our own Souls Still either the Matter of our Actions are contrary to the Holy Will and Law of God or the manner in which we perâ—orm them If the Substance of our Actions are not evil yet the Circumâ—tances are there 's not a Word in Prayâ—r not a Thought in Meditation but â—ath the Guilt of some Sin cleaving to 〈◊〉 and if it be so with us in our Holy Performances how do you think then it â—s with us in our common and ordinary Conversation And should it not deepâ—y humble us to consider that there is â—ot one hour no nor one moment of â—ur Lives free from Sin that our Pulses â—eat too slow to keep an Account of our â—ins by our Thoughts are continualâ— in Motion without intermission or cesâ—ation and yet Every one of the Imaginaâ—ions of the Thoughts of our Hearts are only â—vil and that continually Gen. 6.5 Gen. 6.5 Certainly did we seriously consider what â—t is we say when we confess to God â—hat our whole Lives are nothing but one continued course of Sin those moments every one of which brings fresh Guilt upon â—s would not slide away so pleasantly with us as they do but because our Sins seem small to us we regard them not and so our Time wasts and our Guilt encreaseth till Eternity puts a period anâ— full end to those Sins to which wâ— could never put any stop or intermission Little Sins proceed from a corrupt Nature Secondly Consider what a corrupt and depraved Nature these little Sins â— flow from When at any time we are sensible of a vain and sinful Though rising up in our Hearts we should trace â— along to the Fountain of it even Original Corruption from whence it bubbleâ— up If we would but do so we should seâ— great cause to be deeply humbled for that fruitful seed-plot of all manner of Sins that is in our Hearts Many thousands of Lusts lie crawling and knotting together there that never yet saw the light the Damned in Hell have not worse Natures in them than we have There is no Sin how horrid so ever that they committed on Earth or can be supposed to commit now in Hell but we also should run into it did not God's powerful restraints with-hold us Now do little Sins proceed from such a Corrupt and cursed Fountain and have we not then great cause to be humbled before the Lord for them and say Lord here is Sin a little Sin it is but yet it proceeds from a Heart that hath in it the Spawn of all the greatest and vilest Sins that ever were or can be committed and that it is but a vain Thought and not Blasphemy Murder or Adultery or any of the greatest and most crying Sins that ever were committed in the World is to be acknowledged and attributed only to the powerful restraint of thy free Grace For the same corrupt Fountain that sends forth this vain Thought and that idle Word would have sent forth Blasphemy
Adultery Atheism or any of the vilest Abominations but it is thy free Grace only that hath restrain'd us Fifthly and Lastly If there be so Vse 5 great Evil and Danger in little Sins this then should teach us We should take heed of making light of any Sin not to make light of any Sin Load every Sin with its due Weight give every Sin its proper Aggravations and then certainly you will see no Reason to account any of them to be small or little To help you in this take briefly these Directions First Pray earnestly for a wise and an understanding Heart and for a soft and tender Conscience Some Sins so Counterfeit an harmless appearance and look so innocently that a Man had need of much spiritual Wisdom to know how to distinguish between Good and Evil and to put a difference between those things that differ as much as Heaven and Hell do Now this ariseth from that great blindness and ignorance that is in Mens minds whereby they cannot discern that great evil and mischief that lurks under small Sins but are apt to account every thing that is not scandalous and grosly wicked to be but an indifferent matter And as their Minds are thus blinded so their Hearts are hardned that what they see and know to be sinful yet they will dare to venture upon it Whence is it else that the generality of the World live in the Commission of those that they call little Sins but because their Hearts are hardned and their Consciences seared that those Sins that are great enough to Damn them yet are not great enough to trouble them A tender Conscience is like the Apple of a mans Eye the least dust that gets into it afflicts it No surer and better way to know whether our Consciences begin to grow dead and stupid then to observe what impressions small Sins make upon them If we are not very careful to avoid all appearance of Evil and to shun whatsoever looks like Sin if we are not as much troubled at the vanity of our Thoughts and Words at the rising up of sinful motions and desires in us as we have been formerly we may then conclude our Hearts are hardned and our Consciences are stupifying for a tender Conscience will no more allow of small than of great Sins Secondly Labour always to keep alive upon your Hearts awful and reverent Thoughts of God his Omnipresence and Omniscience That there is no Sin so small but he knows it though but a Sin in our Thoughts yet every Thought of our Hearts is altogether known unto him Call to remembrance his infinite Purity and Holiness whereby he hates every little Sin even with an infinite hatred as well as the greatest Think of his Power whereby he can and of his Truth Justice and Severity whereby he will punish every little Sin with no less than Eternal Destruction And whilest you thus think of God indulge your selves in little Sins if you can The Psalmist gives this very Direction Ps 4.4 Stand in awe and Sin not that is of the infinite glorious Majesty of God Have awful thoughts and reverential apprehensions of God abiding upon your Hearts and that will keep you from sinning Stand in awe and Sin not To look upon Sin thorough the Attributes of God is to look upon it through a Magnifying Glass and thus you may best see its ugly deformed Nature this is the best way to represent the infinite guilt that is in it and that contrariety that it bears to the Holy Nature of God And while you thus see Sin comparing it with God even the least Sin must appear hainous And when you are Tempted to any Sin while you thus think you may repell a Temptation as Joseph did his Mistress Gen. 39.9 How shall I do this great wickedness and Sin against God The World indeed counts it but a little Sin but looking upon it and comparing it with the Holiness and Purity of God we must cry out How shall we commit this Sin though accounted little by others and so provoke a great and holy God Thirdly Get a more thorough acquaintance with the Spiritual sence and meaning of the Law This was the cause why the Pharisee did so slight the commission of small Sins because he kept himself to the Literal Sence of the Law and so because there he was commanded not to kill not to commit Adultery and the like thought if he did abstain from the outward Act of those Sins he observed the Law yea and observed it sufficiently But now the spiritual meaning of the Law that forbids not only the outwarâ— Act but it forbids whatever tends â— the outward Act inward Though â— Motions Desires Complacencies in â— that are presented to the Fancy â— whatever tends to or belongs unto Sâ— the spiritual Sence of the Law forbids all these Why now grow more in acquaintance with the spiritual sence and meaning of the Law and then you will thinâ— small Sins such as the Sins of the Thoughts of the Desires and of the Fancy and the like to be no less forbidden by the Law than Murder or Adultery and other heinous Sins the Law having as strictly forbid the one as the other Fourthly and Lastly Beware you compare not Sins among themselves The Apostle speaks of some 2 Cor. 10.12 Who measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves were not wise Truly it is as great a Folly for us to measure Sin by Sin or to compare one Sin with another For as when we measure our selves with others our Pride is apt to suggest to us That such and such are inconsiderable Persons in comparison of us So when we measure one Sin by another Corruption is apt to suggest to us such a Sin is a small and inconsiderable Sin in comparison of another Sin and therefore I may venture upon it Certainly if we observe it there are two sad Events usually follow upon our comparing Sins among themselves Either First We make little Sins less than they are or if we are beaten off from such false Opinions by being shewn how great an Evil there is in them then Secondly We make it as good to commit the greatest Sin as the least These two sad Events always happen if we compare one Sin with another Compare not therefore Sin with it self but compare Sin with thy Duty compare the least Sin with the Holiness of that God against whom thou committest it and this is the way whereby you may be brought to account no Sin to be small or little OF ABSTAINING FROM THE Appearance of EVIL IN TWO SERMONS ON 1 THESSAL V. 22. Abstain from all Appearance of Evil. By EZEKIEL HOPKINS late Lord Bishop of London-Derry LONDON Printed by E. H. for NATHANAEL RANEW at the King's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1693. Of Abstaining from the Appearance of Evil. FROM 1 THESS V. 22. Abstain from all Appearance of Evil. MY last Subject as you may remember
he intends to sin and therefore by crossing an erroneous Conscience though possibly he doth well in the Action yet he sins in Intention since he doth that that he himself thinks doth cross the Rule by which he should walk Secondly Another Reason is this because by acting contrary to Conscience though mis-informed and erroneous we do contemn the Authority and Will of God and therefore it is Sin We are all to guide our Consciences by the Word that is God's written Will and we are all to guide our Lives by our Consciences No man thinks his Conscience to be erroneous but thinks it to be according to the Will of God Now if we do not act accordingly we sin as much as if indeed it were informed according to the Will of God Conscience is God's Deputy and Vice-gerent in the Soul and what Conscience saith we think it is God that commands whether it be or not and to act contrary to it is vertually and implicitely to disobey God because we think what Conscience speaks God speaks and therefore it is very sad to fall under the entanglements of an erroneous Conscience for then we are under a sad necessity of sinning on both hands if we act according to it we sin and if we act not according to it we sin We should therefore above all things heartily beg and desire of God who is the Lord of Conscience that he would rightly inform our Consciences in those things that are our Duties that so by guiding our Lives by our Consciences we may guide them also according to his Will These Three Positions now respect those things that appear evil to our selves but then there are other Things that have a good Appearance unto us that yet may have an evil Appearance to others they may scruple and be offended at what we do though for our own parts we our selves are sufficiently satisfied in the Lawfulness of it And indeed our Times what through different Customs and Interests have brought Men's Consciences also to such different sizes that it is utterly impossible but some will condemn what others allow as lawful yea what others not only allow but stiffly maintain to be necessary and our Duty How then should we behave our selves in this Case What Rules must we walk by so as to keep Consciences void of offence not only to God but as far as is possible towards Men also In this if any thing that belongs to Christianity there lies a great deal of difficulty to state the Case aright or aright to practise it and the Difficulty is increased from these two Considerations which I shall lay down as general Premises to the following Discourse First If we give no power to the scrupulous Judgments of weak and tender Consciences to oblige us to Duty to abstain from what appears evil to them then we shall sin evidently against the Law of Charity and against many Apostolical Injunctions and Commands that we should have respect to their Opinions and Censures especially in Rom. 14. and in 1 Cor. chap. 8 10. almost throughout Indeed there is scarce any one thing belonging to Christianity that hath more Rules and Prescripts oftner prescribed by the Apostle to us than this of abstaining from offending the weak Consciences of others Secondly If we make other Mens Consciences the Rule of ours and if we lay down this for a Maxim That we ought to do nothing that appears evil to another This First would be utterly impossible since Men are of such contrary Perswasions that if the doing of an Action appear evil to one the omission thereof appears as evil to another so that unless we can at once both do it and not do it some will unavoidably take offence at it and be scandalized at us Secondly This would abridge yea utterly destroy all Christian Liberty in things indifferent because if nothing should be lawful that another scruples then almost every thing would become sinful since almost every thing is scrupled by some or other In vain therefore is it to reckon it as our Priviledge that we are freed from the Old Ceremonial Law and that heavy Yoke of Ordinances that none were able to bear if yet Christian Religion brings our Consciences under the most imperious Laws of mens Humours Censures and Opinions it were far easier to abserve all the Levitical Law from one end of it to the other than to be bound to those worldly Rudiments as the Apostle calls them in Col. 2. Touch not taste not handle not wear not speak not if such a Person be offended at it and count it unlawful Now from the consideration of these Two Particulars I shall lay down this Fourth Position concerning Abstinence from the Appearance of Evil in respect of others and that is if the Appearance of Evil is to others and not to our selves then in some Cases we are bound in Duty and Conscience to abstain from it and in others not Whatever hath the Shew or Appearance of Evil in it it must either be commanded and so it is necessary or else it is left indifferent and arbitrary and accordingly we may take these following Rules First If so be those things that appear evil only to others either are in themselves or at least they appear to us to be commanded and so necessary we are bound not to regard yea we are bound to despise and scorn the Scruples of all the World if they will be offended at us for doing of that which is our duty let them be offended we may in this case use the same Plea that the Apostles did Acts 4.19 Whether it be right before the Lord to obey Men rather than God judge ye To perform a Duty can be but a Scandal to men at the most and those also usually of the prophaner sort but to omit a Duty for fear of Scandalizing men is a Scandal and an Offence even unto God himself It is most preposterous Charity to run upon Sin in our selves only to prevent Scandal in others Though all the World censure Holiness and Strictness of Life to be only a soure and rigid humour and an affectation of Singularity yet must we not upon any pretence of gratifying their humour or winning upon them remit the least part of that severity that the Law of God and our Consciences require from us But what if suppose as too often it happens that this strictness and holy severity proves to be an occasion of Sin unto others accidentally what must we do in that case What is it that makes so many hate Religion and scoff at the Professors thereof but only their Lives are too morose and reserved Duties are too frequent and tedious so that some laugh and mock others storm and rage and all are frighted from the embracing of that Profession that requires so much Rigour and Severity Why be it so yet we must not abate any thing of our Duty nor sin our selves to keep others from sinning Is it your duty
altogether indifferent in ver 25. Whatsoever is sold in the Shambles whether offered to Idols or not that eat but yet if any weak Christian even so scruple to eat that which is offered to Idols after it is sold in the Shambles and if he be offended at others for eating of it the Apostle then gives this Rule That the strong ought not to eat for the sake of the weak though the thing be indifferent and might be done yet the strong ought not to eat for the sake of the weak in v. 28. If any say This was offered in Sacrifice to Idols though sold in the Shambles yet eat not for his sake that shewed you it Now what the Apostle here speaks of Meat offered in Sacrifice to Idols holds true proportionably in Apparel in Recreations and the like indifferent lawful Things all which become Sin to you if they become Offences and Scandals unto others Now the Reason of this is evident because when Men rashly do what they think is lawful without regarding the Scruples of others hereby they do as the Apostle speaks in Rom. 14.13 put a stumbling-Block and an ocasion of falling in their Brothers way that is they bring him into the Commission of a Sin and this is against the Law of Charity For says the Apostle in v. 14. If thy Brother be grieved at thy Meat thou walkest not charitably Now in doing that which appears evil to others though it be lawful in it self yet it may be an occasion of Sin to them two Ways First It may alienate their Hearts from the Ways of God When notwithstanding all the Profession thou makest of Holiness and of Strictness of Life â—nd Conversation yet they see that which they account loose and sinful is generally practised and maintained whether it be sinful or not yet seeing you generally practise that which is accounted evil this alienates their hearts from the Ways of God and from the Profession of Religion Secondly It brings Sin also because it may encourage them to do the same things that you do also Now that may be Sin to them that is to you lawful because as I told you whatever is done contrary to the Dictates and perswasions of a Man 's own Conscience that is Sin to him But now many weak Christians may be induced to act contrary to Conscience only acting according to the examples of stronger Christians that are better informed that have more Light to direct them and so by their unlimited doing what they think is lawful they bring a great deal of guilt upon the Consciences of others that are weak and that scruple the things they see others do and yet because they see others do them will themselves venture to do them also though they scruple it It is not enough therefore that you your selves are satisfied in your own Consciences that what you do is lawful but you must weigh and consider how it will suit with the Consciences of other men also else what you think is lawful may be a Sin both unto you and unto them to them because they are brought to sin by your example and to you because you brought them to sin by doing that which was to you lawful Object But here some may say This is to bring us under a most intolerable yoke of Servitude if we must be bound to observe every ignorant humorous Man's Conscience that will scruple every thing it is in vain to tell us that some things are lawful and allowed to us if yet we must do nothing to give offence in that which appears evil to others for what one thing is there in the World that doth not appear evil to some or other This is to bring us into an intolerable Bondage and Slavery Answ To this I answer There are several Cases wherein though there be an Appearance of Evil unto others in some things yet we may lawfully do them as First We are not obliged to abstain from things indifferent that may have in them an Appearance of Evil to others unless we have some grounds to conjecture that they take offence and are scandalized at them We are not bound to ask every one that we meet with whether they scruple such and such a thing that we must do this were endless and ridiculous We are not obliged to abstain if there be only a remote possibility of Scandal unless there be also some great probability of it nor are we bound to divine whether or no it be not possible that such an Action of ours may be offensive to some or other but if there be no present probability to conjecture that such a thing may be offensive we may then lawfully do whatever is lawful unto us And therefore First If by comparing the Circumstances of an Action together we cannot probably guess any should be offended at it it is their weakness and not our Sin if they be offended at it Indeed whenever we converse with others it becomes our Christian Prudence and Charity to weigh such Circumstances exactly to consider the Action that we do though lawful yet whether or no it be common or unusual to consider the Persons with whom we are whether weak oâ— strong whether scrupulous or resolved Christians for that which may be lawful in some of these Circumstances may be unlawful in others of them An Action may be lawful if it be common though it be done before a weak and scrupulous Christian and it may be lawful though uncommon if it be done before a strong and a resolved Christian but if it be unusual and if it be done before a scrupulous and a weak Christian it may seem to have in it a great probability of giving of Offence and being a Scandal to them and therefore we must forbear such uncommon unusual actions before weak Christians in which there may be any probable guess that they will take offence and be scandalized at them but if upon examining these and the like Circumstances we can find no such probability of giving of Offence we may then make use of our Christian Liberty in them Secondly If after we have weighed these Circumstances and can find no probability of Scandal in them if others with whom we are or who are liable to take exception if they do not discover their Exceptions we are not bound to abstain from any thing that is indifferently lawful We have a hint of this from the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.28 If any one say to you this was offered to Idols eat not if he say to you But if they take offence and will not make it known the offence as it rests in their own bosom so shall it lie on their own heads and we shall it be guiltless and that 's the first Limitation We are not bound to abstain from things lawful in themselves though they carry in them an appearance of Evil towards others if there be no probable grounds to conjecture that they will be offended at them Secondly We
Hell belches out Fire and Flames and Brimstone against thee stop therefore I here as God's Officer arrest thee If now when Conscience thus calls and cries and threatens Men will yet venture on this is most bold and daring Presumption To disobey the Arrest but of the King's Officer is a most presumptuous Crime how much more therefore to disobey the Arrest of Conscience which is the chief and supreme Officer of God and who commands in the name yea in the stead of God as it were in the Soul and yet truly who among us is not in some kind or other guilty of this Presumption Why Sirs if God should now come down in terrible Majesty in the midst of us and if he should ask every man's Conscience here one by one Conscience wert thou ever resisted wert thou ever opposed in executing thine Office to this and to that Soul Why where sits the Person whose Conscience must not answer Yes Lord I accuse him I testifie to his very face I have often warned and admonished him O do not venture upon this or that Action there 's Sin there 's Guilt lies under it there 's Wrath and Vengeance that will follow it Oh pity oh spare thine own Soul this Sin will everlastingly ruine thee if thou committest it And what didst thou commit it notwithstanding all this Yes Lord while I was laying before him all the arguments that the thoughts of Heaven and Hell of thy Glory and his own Happiness could administer yet so presumptuous was he as to fall upon me thine Officer and these Stabs these Gashes and Wounds I received while I was admonishing him and warning him in thy Name O Sirs a thousand times better were it for us that we never had Consciences better that our Consciences were utterly seared and become insensible better that they were struck for ever dumb and should never open their Mouths more to reprove or to rebuke us better that we never had had the least glimmering of Light to distinguish betwixt our Duty and what is Sin than thus desperately to out-face and stifle our convictions and to offer violence to our Consciences and presumptuously to rush into the commission of Sin in despight of all these better men had no Consciences at all or that they were given up to a seared and a reprobate Sense than to sin thus in despight of their Consciences What says our Saviour Luke 12.47 That Servant that knew his Lord's Will and did it not he shall be beaten with many stripes There are two Things wherein it appears that all Sins against Conscience Two Aggravations of sinning against Conscience and against Convictions are presumptuous Sins First 1. It is a Contempt of the Authority of God Because in all such Sins there is a most horrid Contempt of the Authority Sovereignty of the great God And what higher Presumption can there be than for vile Worms to set at nought the Authority of that God at whose Frown Heaven and Hell and Earth tremble The Voice of Conscience rightly informed by the Scripture it is the Voice of God himself it is God speaking in a man's Bowels and whispering to a man's very Heart As Moses was the Interpreter betwixt God and the Israelites so Conscience is the Interpreter betwixt God and us Why now would it not have been think you a most desperate Presumption and a most daring Affront against the Majesty and Sovereignty of God if while he was with his own voice pronouncing the Ten Commandments with Thundering and Lightening and Earth-quake from Mount Sinai at the same time the Israelites to have been notoriously breaking and sinning against every one of those Commandments as he spake them Truly though now God delivers his Will and Commands to us not immediately by his own mouth as then he did but by Conscience his Interpreter yet while we know that Conscience speaks to us in the Name of God it is as much fearful Presumption for us to slight the voice of Conscience as if we should slight the voice of God himself speaking from heaven immediately to us And that 's the first Thing Secondly 2. Is is an evident argument that we stand in no awe of Hell and Damnation By sinning against our Consciences and against our Convictions we make it very evident that we stand in no awe or dread of any such thing as Hell and eternal Damnation is and is not that Boldness Is not that Presumption You scorn possibly to be such puling whimpering Sinners as to be affrighted with such Bug-bears as everlasting Torments and everlasting Wrath and Vengeance is you know the Wages of Sin is Death and that the Ways you take lead down to the Chambers of Destruction and yet though God and Devil stand in the way you will through Are not these think you bold and presumptuous Sinners that will go on in Sin though Hell-Fire flashes in their Faces who though God should cleave the Ground upon which they walk and through that Chink should give them a view of Hell though they should see the Damned tumbling up and down in those Torments and hear their Yellings and Shriekings and Roarings yea though God should point them out a place in Hell and tell them Look Sinner yonder is a Place kept void and heated from the beginning of the World for thee yet are there some such bold and daring Wretches that they would out-brave all this and they would sin in despight either of Heaven or Hell yea and which is a most sad and dreadful consideration some there are whose Consciences are already brim-full of extreme horrour and anguish and yet they will venture upon those Sins that have caused that horrour and are not such presumptuous Sinners they give their Consciences wound upon wound and though sometimes they roar bitterly yet they will sin outragiously even then when they roar and smart for Sin So that this is a clear evidence of a presumptuous Sin when a Sin is committed against a Man's own Conscience against Knowledge against Conviction this makes a Sin to be a presumptuous Sin when Conscience cries out Murder Murder Soul-Murder when it beseeches with Tears of Blood that they draw from it to desist from their Sins and yet is not heard nor regarded this is presumptuous sinning sinning with a high hand and with a brazen Forehead Secondly To sin upon long deliberation is to sin presumptuously Then a Man sins presumptuously when he sins upon long deliberation and forecast plotting and contriving with himself how he may accomplish his Sin Some Sins are committed merely through a sudden Surprize a Temptation comes upon the Soul unawares and finds it unprovided to make any resistance and so it prevails So it was with the Apostle St. Peter his Apostacy and Perjury was indeed very dreadful yet he was overcome by a sudden Surprize he had no foregoing Thoughts and Purposes to deny his Master yea his Resolution was to own and confess him
Prince in many little Sun without grudging that which were exacted from them all at once in oâ— great Tax would make them repine if â—ot rebell so is it with us we stand â—ot with the Devil for small sins but â— he tempts us to greater abominations â—hen Conscience makes an alarm and upâ—oar in the Soul and will not nay cannot consent to damn it self by wholeâ—ale certainly that Man that can as our Saviour speaks of the Pharisees swalâ—ow Camels sins of a huge bulk and size without any check or straining at them must needs have a Conscience as wide mouth'd as Hell and he who hath so â—arge a Conscience hath no Conscience at all and that 's another advantage we have against presumptuous Sins Thirdly Fear of shame and infamy a remedy against presumptuous Sins The fear of Shame and of Infamy in the World many times puts a great restraint upon the Lusts of Men and keeps them from breaking out into those daring and presumptuous Wickednesses that otherwise they would do Therefore our Saviour describes the unjust Judge to be one of a strange temper that neither feared God nor regarded Man Luke 18.2 Why those that have worn off all fear of God from their Hearts yet usually have some awe of Man still lest them though the are so hardned that they fear not God Judging them yet they are withal â— Childish that they fear Man's Censurinâ— them loath they are that their Name should be tossed to and fro from Tonguâ— to Tongue that the World should say of them this Man is a Drunkard anâ— that Man is an Vnclean Person anâ— that Man is a Thief Tell me O Sinner why else dost thou seek Corners tâ— hide thy Wickedness in why dost thoâ— not do it in the face of the Sun and before the Eyes of the whole World why that very shame that makes Men scull in secret when they Sin had they nâ— secrecy to hide themselves in from the notice of Men it would keep them also from the Sin it self It doth not terrifie Men to Consider that God write down all their Sins in his Book of Remembrance but should he write alâ— their Sins upon their Foreheads in visible Letters that all the World might Read them where is the Wretch so impudent that would dare to be seen abroad our Streets would be desolate and your Pews would be empty and the World would grow a Wilderness and those that we took for Men would appear to be but very Monsters and Beasts such woful transformation hath Sin made in the World how many Swines are there â—wallowing in their own Vomit how many Goatish sensualists are become Brutish in Filthy Pleasures how many Earth Worms are there crawling up and down in the Muck of this World loading themselves with thick Clay certainly if every Sinner should be seen in his own shape we should meet with very few Men in the World Why now Wicked Men are ashamed to be seen abroad in such disguises as these are and therefore they study to Sin in secret or if that cannot be they force themselves to abstain from Sin unwilling they are to be pointed at in the Streets there goes a Drunkard or an Extortioner there a Cheater or an Adulterer and the like and for very fear hereof sometimes they are kept from the commission of those infamous Sins that would make them a Reproach to all their Neighbours And that is another advantage The Laws of Men keep Men from Sin Lastly The fear of Humane Laws and Penalties doth many times keep Men from the committing many great and horrid Impieties such as would fall undeâ— the notice of the Law It is a great Mercy that God hath Instituted Magistracy that may be a Terrour to Evil Works as the Apostle speaks Rom. 3.13 were it not more for fear of Humane Laws the inflicting of Corporal Punishment upon Men more than God's Threatning of Eternal Punishments the wholâ— World would become worse than a Savage Wilderness within would be Fear and Tumults without would be Ragâ— and Violence our Dwellings our Persons our Possessions would be all exposed to the furious lusts of ungodlâ— Men and by swearing and lying anâ— killing and stealing and committing aduâ—tery Men would break forth till blooâ— toucheth blood as the Prophet speaks Hoâ— 4.2 but the wise Providence of God who hath subdued the Beasts of the Eartâ— to Man hath also subdued Man whâ— else would become more wild and brâ—tish than they to Man God hath therâ—fore subdued Man to Man so that thoâ— that stand not in any awe of the Goâ— of Heaven yet are they awed by the Gods of the Earth and they whom the thoughts of Hell and Eternal Wrath cannot scare from sin yet many times the thoughts of a Prison and Gibbet doth Now this fear is of great advantage to keep Men from the commission of presumptuous Sins which they have not to keep them from the commission of lesser and smaller sins and what is not this security enough against them is there need of any more were it not strange if that warning given before-hand to prepare for resistance if the reluctancy of natural Conscience if the shame of the World and the fears of humane Laws and Penalties should not be sufficient to preserve us from them Were not this strange Yes it were so yet so it is notwithstanding all these advantages still we have great cause to pray with David Lord keep back thy servants from â—resumptuous Sins all other defence is â—ut weak and all other security is but â—nsafe Lord therefore do thou keep us â—nd this I shall endeavour to demonstrate â—nto you by two particulars the one â—rom Scripture and the other from Experience First from Scripture All our ability whether for the performance of duties or for the opposing of corruption is in Scripture entirely ascribed unto the power of God thus the Apostle exhorts the Ephesians in Chap. 6.10 My Brethren says he be strong but in whom what in your selves no says he but be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might for in his Almighty Power though mighty corruptions rush in upon you and threaten your ruin though the Devil and the Powers of Hell push sore at you to make you fall yet God calls upon you to stand and to withstand them all stand alas how can we Such poor weak feeble creatures as we are how can we stand Why says the Apostle be strong in the Lord there 's your security against all the force of your Spiritual Enemies lay hold on his Almighty Power and engage that for you and this will bring you off the Field with victory and conquest So again in 2 Cor. 5. and 3. We are not sufficient says the Apostle of our selves to do any thing as of our selves not sufficient to think a good thought and therefore not sufficient to resist an evil thought for our resisting of an evil thought must be by thinking a good
purlues as soon as they are gotten within the Pale he ceaseth his pursuit It is usually the highest care and upshot of a Moral Man's endeavours to keep his Lusts from boiling over and raising Smoak and Ashes about him and if he can but obtain this let the Heart be brim full of Sin let the thoughts soak and stew in Malicious Unclean Covetous Designs and Contrivances he never opposeth or laments them a meer Restraint walks only round about the outward Man and if it meets with any Lust strugling abroad it drives it in again into the Heart but for those Sins that lie Pent up there it seldom molests and never subdues them The Heart may indulge it self in vain filthy destructive and pernicious Thoughts it may set brooding over Cockatrice-Eggs till it hatch them into Serpents and in them be stung to Death it may toss a Sin to and fro in the Fancy and thereby make some kind of recompence to the Devil for not committing of it and yet this Man be only under a powerful restraint from God's Restraining Grace But now Sanctifying Grace doth more especially oppose the Sins of the Heart and of the inward Man for there is its Seat and Residence in the Heart Restraining Grace watcheth without but true Grace dwells within And as Christ speaks of the Church of Pergamos it dwells there where Satan's Seat is it rules in the midst of its Enemies and it is engaged so to do for its own security that it may still crush them as they arise in the Heart Now from this particular we may be help'd in Judging whether our abstaining from Sin be only from common Restraining Grace or from Sanctifying and Renewing Grace See what Sins they are that you most of all labour to beat down do you strive only against the Sins of your Lives and not against the Sins of your Hearts that are the Spring and Fountain of the other Are you content when you have beaten your Corruptions from the out-works and driven them in where they do not rage so furiously as they have done whereas before they sallied forth at pleasure and made havock of your Souls and wounded your Consciences now they are Pent up in a narrower room and compass Doth this content you do you think it enough to lay close Siege to your Corruptions by Conviction and legal Terrours and to shut them up that they may no more break forth as formerly they have done to the gross defilement of your Lives if this be all then know this is no more than what a meer common Restraint may effect upon you without any work of Sanctifying Grace upon the Heart True Grace when it beats back Sin it follows it and pursues it into the Heart and there searcheth for it and if it sees it but breath in a Thought or stir in a Desire presently it falls upon it and destroys it Sanctifying Grace sets the will against sin but restraining Grace only awakens the Conscience Thirdly Sanctifying Grace when it keeps a Soul from sin it always engageth the will against it but common and restraining Grace only awakens and rouzeth up the Conscience against it the Will and the Conscience are two leading faculties of the Soul the one commands what shall be done and the other informs what ought to be done and all the rest of the faculties and affections of the Soul take part and side with these two now in a Godly Man these two are at an agreement what Conscience prompts the Will commands and the inferior faculties are already to execute Sanctifying Grace that works immediatly and specially upon the Will and makes a mighty change there that whereas before Conversion Man's Will is so utterly depraved that it can like nothing but sin after Grace hath touched it and mightily turn'd it about it cannot now any longer give its full and free consent to the commission of any sin if such a one sins he doth it truly and properly against his Will as the Apostle speaks in the Romans 7.15 Rom. 7.15 What I do I allow not now a wicked Man may sin against his Conscience but it is impossible that he should ever sin against his Will that is continually set upon sin and were it not that God sometimes raiseth up natural Conscience in him to oppose his corrupt Will he would every moment rush into the most damning impieties without any of the least regret or sense of it when the Devil presents a sin to the embraces of the Will and when the Will closeth with it and all the faculties of the Soul are ready to commit it God sends in Conscience among them what Conscience art thou asleep seest thou not how the Devil and thine own devilish heart are now plotting and contriving thine Eternal ruin Now this rouzeth Conscience and makes it storm and threaten and hurl Fire-brands into the face of sin while it lies in the very embraces of the Will and though it cannot change the Will from loving of it yet it frights the Will from committing of it this is the most usual way restraining Grace takes for the prevention of sin by sending in Conscience to make strong and vigorous oppositions against it there are none of us here but through Divine Grace have been kept from many sins that we were in great danger through the corruptions of our own hearts to have committed sin hath been conceived by us but God hath stifled and strangled it in the Womb would you know now whether this hath proceeded from God's Restraining or from God's Sanctifying Grace why then make a judgment according to this rule where restraining Grace only resists and hinders sin it doth it by setting one faculty and affection of the Soul against another but where sanctifying Grace hinders it it sets the same faculty and affection of the Soul against it self restraining Grace sets one affection against another Conscience against Will the fear of Hell against the love of Sin hellish terrors against sinful pleasures God's threatnings against the Devil's flatteries it martials up these and so enters the combat here are bandyings of one power of the Soul against another but now the Will that is entirely on sins part and if Conscience prevails and pulls away a beloved lust from the embraces of the Will the Sinner parts with it very heavily and unwillingly following it as Phaltiel did Michal weeping tho he durst not make resistance but now when sanctifying Grace opposeth and hinders sin it sets the same faculty and affection of the Soul against it self Will against Will and Love against Love Desire against Desire he wills the commission of sin it is true but yet at the same time he wills the mortification of it he loves to gratifie his sin but yet at the same time he wills the crossing of it too he desires to enjoy that pleasure and contentment that he fansies he may take in sin and yet he desires at the same time to destroy it here
forth it self it is kept out from the thoughts when they are busied in holy Meditation it is kepâ— out from the affections when they are set upon heavenly Objects it is kept ouâ— from the life and conversation wherâ— the duties both of the general and particular calling are duely performed in their respective seasons the Apostle exhorts us in Ephesians 4.27 not to give place to the Devil truly when God's exciting Grace quickens our inherent Grace into continual exercise when every faculty is filled with holy actings and every season with holy duties the Devil can have no place to tempt nor corruption to stir it is the best security God can give from the commission of Sin to quicken to the performance of Duty when we pray or meditate or attend upon publick Ordinances we ought to bless God for his exciting Grace whereby we have not only performed a duty but also escaped some soul and notorious Sin that we might have committed had we not been so holily employed we who are here now present before the Lord this day had we neglected this present opportunity who of us knows what horrid temptations and foul sins we might have been exposed to in our own Houses which in the House of God we have avoided David when he walked idly upon the roof of his House he lies open to the Snares of the Devil and sins foully had he then been at his Harp or Psalms he might thereby have driven the Evil Spirit from himself as formerly he did from his Master Saul running Streams preserve themselves pure and clean when standing Pools soon grow corrupt and noisome and venomous creatures breed in them so is it with the heart whilest God's exciting and quickning Grace puts it upon continual act it is preserved from corruption but when once it grows sluggish and doth not freely flow forth into the actings of Grace and performance of Duties the spawn of all manner of sin breeds there and filthy lusts crawl to and fro in it without any disturbance and therefore we should continually pray that God would vouchsafe us the quickning influence of his Spirit that he would fill our sails with that wind that blows where it listeth arise O North Wind and come thou South Wind and blow upon our Gardens that the Spices thereof may flow forth for if the Spices do not the stench will Secondly As God by his exciting Grace hinders those Sins that might arise in the Heart so he also suppresseth those Sins that do arise There is the greatest contrariety imaginable betwixt inherent Sin and inherent Grace when the one is vigorous the other languisheth when the one is acted the other grows dull and sluggish Now both these opposite Principles have their seat and abode in the same Heart and both of them are in continual expectation of exciting influence to call them forth into act Indwelling Corruption that is usually rouzed up by Temptation when it stirs in the heart and is ready to break forth in the life Habitual Grace though it looks on yet is of it self so feeble that it can make no opposition till a kindly influence from the Spirit of God calls out some particular Grace that is directly contrary to that Sin that stirs and this resists and subdues it This Method God used in keeping the Apostle from sinning 2 Cor. 12. He was there under a sharp and pungent Temptation that is therefore called a Thorn in the Flesh v. 7. Satan buffets and the Apostle prays and God answers My Grace is sufficient for thee My Grace is sufficient not thy Grace that Grace that is in thee is but weak and helpless yea a very nothing if I withdraw my influence from it but that quickning Grace that flows from me that alone is sufficient to remove the Temptation and to prevent the Sin Why now while God's exciting Grace work'd upon the Apostle's inherent Grace this Temptation this Thorn in the Flesh only made him more watchful and more industrious against it but if God should have suspended this his Influence this Thorn in the Flesh would immediately notwithstanding all his Grace sadly have wounded his Conscience by the commission of some great and foul Sin Now as all manner of Sin lies couched in that Body of Sin that we bear about with us so all manner of Grace lies couched in that Principle of Grace that God implants in his own Children Now when the Devil by his Temptations calls forth some particular Sin God also at the same time by his exciting Grace calls forth a particular Grace to hinder the commission of that Sin Thus when they are tempted to Pride God calls forth Humility to prick that swelling puffing Bladder when they are tempted to Wrath and Passion he stirs up Meekness when to murmuring and repining against the dispensations of God he puts Patience upon its perfect work Briefly there is no Sin whatever that the Devil can by his Temptation stir up in the Heart but God also can stir up a contrary Grace to it to quell and master it This is the Method of God's exciting Grace in the preventing of Sin that when the Devil calls forth a particular Corruption out of the Stock of Corruption God calls forth a particular Grace contrary to it from the Stock of Grace But yet there are some particular Graces that are more especially employed about this Service and which God doth most frequently exercise and set on work to keep his Children from the commission of Sin First God hinders the commission of sin by keeping up the lively and vigorous actings of Faith Indeed if Faith fail all other Graces must fail by consequence Faith is the Soul's Steward that fetcheth in Supplies of Grace from Christ in whom is the Treasure of it and distributes them to all the other Graces of the Soul Therefore when Christ tells St. Peter Satan had desired to sift him by his Temptations lest he should be thereby discouraged and dejected presently he adds in v. 32. But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not And wherefore his Faith rather than any other Grace but because other Graces must take their Lot with Faith and must be strong or weak victorious or languishing as Faith is and therefore it is called the Shield of Faith Ephes 6.6 Now the Office of a Shield is to defend not only the Body but the rest of the Armour also and so doth Faith when it is dexterously managed it keeps both the Soul and its Graces also from the Attempts of the Devil I might be large here in shewing you how Faith preserves from Sin as by deriving vertue and strength from the Death and Blood of Christ by pleading God's Engagements and Promises to tread Satan under our feet by urging and importuning Christ to fulfill in us the end of his coming into the World which was to destroy the Works of the Devil and many such Ways I might name by which Faith prevents Sin
shall unfold it in these following Particulars First Pardon and Remission of sin Pardon of sin an Act of God's only is no Act of ours but an Act of God's only It is nothing done by us or in us but an Act of God's free Grace meerly without us and therefore God ascribes it wholly unto himself I even I am he And when our Saviour cured the Paralytick the Scribes storm at him as a Blasphemer thou blasphemest say they to him not knowing him to be God for who say they can forgive sins but God only But be it an Act of God's only and not ours and an Act wholly without us what Comfort is there in this yes much and that upon these Grounds because God's Acts within us are always imperfect in this Life but God's Acts without us are always perfect and consummate Sanctification is a work of God's Grace within us Now this because it meets with much opposition in every Faculty from inherent sin which spreads it self over the whole Soul therefore this work is always in this Life kept low and weak But Pardon of sin is an Act without us in the breast of God himself where it meets with no opposition nor allay nor doth it increase by small degrees but is at once as perfect and intire aâ— ever it shall be I do not mean aâ— some have thought and taught That God at once pardons all the sins of true Believers as well those they do or shal commit as those that they have already committed but only That what sin God pardons he doth not pardon then gradually There is nothing left oâ— Guilt upon the Soul when God pardons it but there is something left oâ— Filth upon the Soul when God sanctifies it And therefore as it is the grief of God's Children That their inherent Holiness is so imperfect here that they are so assaulted with Temptations so dogg'd by Corruption so oppressed and almost stifled to Death by a body of sin that lies heavy upon them yet this on the other side may be for their Comfort and Encouragement That God's pardoning Grace is not as his sanctifying Grace is nor is it granted to them by the same stint and measure A sin truly repented of is not pardoned to us by halves half the Guilt remitted and half retained as the Papists fansie to establish their Doctrine of Purgatory but it is as fully pardon'd as it shall be in Heaven it self And hence it follows First Though the Guilt of sin be removed yet it is not our Repentance that removes it for then as no Man's Repentance is absolutely perfect so no Man's Sins should be fully pardon'd but still there would be remainders of Guilt left upon the Conscience as there is still a mixture of Impenitency in the best Christians But Pardon and Remission is not mingled with Guilt as Grace is with Sin because it is an Act of Mercy wrought not in our breast but arising in God's only where it meets with nothing to allay or abate it and it is infinitely more perfect than our Repentance can be Secondly Hence we may inferr Pardon of Sin more sure than our Assurance of it can be That our Pardon is infinitely more sure than our Assurance of it in our own Consciences can be satisfactory for the sense of Pardon is a work of God's Spirit within us which commonly is mixed with some Hesitations Mis-givings Doubts and Fears And therefore tho our Comforts be never so strong tho it be Spring-Tide with us yet our ground for Comfort is still much more Oh what rich and abundant Grace is this in God towards us that exceeds both our Grace and our Comfort And therefore though O Christian thy Sanctification be the best Evidence of thy Justification and Pardon yet is it not the best Measure of it for thou art justify'd and thou art pardon'd much more than thou art sanctified Sanctifying Grace in thee indeed is in its first Rudiments and Inchoation but Pardoning-Grace in thy God is consummate and perfect And that is the first thing Secondly Remission of Sin makes Sin to be as if it had never been committed Things that are forgotten are no more to us than if they had never had a being Now God tells us he forgets our sins their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more Nor is there any long Tract of Time required to wear the Idea of them out of his Memory as is necessary among Men to make them forget the Wrongs and Injuries done to them by their fellow-Creatures for God forgets the sins of his Children as soon as they are repented of yea sometimes sooner than our Consciences do for many times a Christian after a heart-breaking-Repentance for some great Sin lies under the upbraidings of Conscience when God hath forgiven it yea and forgotten it also God's Officer is not so ready to acquit them as God himself is He forgets as though no Provocation or Offence had ever been committed He retains not his Anger for ever says the Prophet Micah 7.14 not for ever but so soon as ever we grow displeased with our selves he begins to be well-pleased with us no sooner doth Sorrow and Grief overspread our Faces but Favours and Smiles clear up his Face to us See this gracious Disposition of God in Jerem. 31.20 Ephraim is there brought in bewailing his sin Surely says he after I was turned I repented after I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Now what doth God but presently embrace him with most tender and most melting Expressions of Love as if he had never been angry nor had any cause for it Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child since I pass against him I do earnestly remember him still my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. And therefore O Christian thou who now perhaps cryest out in the bitterness of thy Soul Oh that I had never committed this or that sin against God! Oh that I had never offended him in this or that manner Why thou hast thy Wish O Sinner herein for God when he pardons sin makes it as if it had never been committed against him Remission of Sin makes God account of us as just and righteous Thirdly hence it follows That upon Remission of Sin God no longer accounts of us as Sinners but as Just and Righteous It is true after a Pardon is received we still retain sinful Natures still Original Corruption is in us and will never totally be dis-lodged out of us in this Life but when God pardons us he looks not upon us as Sinners but as Just and Righteous A Malefactour that is discharged by satisfying the Law or by the Prince's Favour to him is no more look'd upon as a Malefactour but as Just and Righteous as if he had never offended the Law at all so is it here
against the pursuits of avenging Justice This is its formal and most immediate Effect Justice follows guilty Sinners close at the Heels and shakes its flaming Sword over their Heads every Threatning contained in this Book of God stands ready charged against them and their Sins make them so fair a Mark that they cannot be missed Hence is that sad Complaint of Job Why hast thou set me up as a Mark Into which he emptied his Arrows as into his Reins Job 7.20 Now while Justice is driving the Sinner before him from Plague to Plague resolving never to stop till he hath driven him into Hell the great Assembly and Meeting of all Plagues Mercy interposeth and lays its Arrest upon it and this Gracious Act of Pardon rescues us though under the hands of the Executioner and we ready to be turned into Hell Here the Challenge that Justice makes to us ceaseth and we are left to walk safely under the protection of Mercy For when God issues out a Pardon he calls off Justice from its pursuit Thus you have the Psalmist thankfully acknowledging Psalm 85.2 Thou hast forgiven our Iniquities and what follows now Thou hast taken away all thy Wrath thou hast turned thy self from the fierceness of thine Anger Nor is it to be feared O Soul that thou shalt evermore be questioned for those sins that are once forgiven thee God's Acts of Oblivion can never be repealed No God sets an everlasting Sanction upon them and Justice shall never again molest thee Jeremiah 34. I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more And indeed well may Divine Justice cease its pursuit of the guilty sinner for always when God pardons a sinner he turns his pursuit after Christ and satisfies all his just demands upon him for though we are the Principals in the Debt yet our Surety who stands bound for us in the Covenant of Redemption is far the more able and absolving Person Now is not this an unspeakable mercy that Justice and Vengeance the heavy stroaks of which many thousand Wretches lie under and which thy sins have provoked and armed against thy own Soul that might every sin thou committest that is every moment of thy Life strike thee Dead in the place in the dread of which if thou hast any tenderness of Conscience left in thee thou must needs live in continual fearful expectations of this Wrath of God to destroy thee as his Enemy Is it not now Infinite Mercy that God should call in the Commission given to his Justice that Mercy might secure thee from it What is this but the effect of Pardoning Grace that gives this destroyer charge to pass over all those upon whose Consciences the Bloud of Christ is sprinkled for the removal of their guilt Peace and Reconciliation an Effect of pardon of sin Secondly Another Blessed Effect of Pardon of Sin is Peace and Reconciliation with God And what happiness can there be greater than when the Quarrel betwixt Heaven and Earth betwixt God and the Sinner is taken up and compounded Open Wars have been long proclaimed and long maintained on either part ever since the first great Rebellion Man hath stood in defiance with and exercised great Hostility against his Creatour and God on the other hand hath thundred out whole Peals of Curses against these Rebels and hath slain whole Generations of them eternally Dead upon the place God hath still maintain'd his Cause with Victory and Man his with Obstinacy and this War would never cease did not God proclaim Pardon and Forgiveness to all that will lay down their Arms and submit Now hereupon Peace is concluded fully for first God's pardoning Sinners manifests himself to be fully reconciled to them so the Apostle tells us Rom. 5.1 Being Justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. God is a sworn Enemy to all guilty sinners himself hath affixed this Title to the rest of his Name That he will by no means clear the guilty Guilt hath a malign influence not only on our Consciences to discompose them with Terrours and Affrightments but on God's Countenance also to ruffle it into Frowns and Displeasure Now when God pardons sin he wipes away this over-casting Cloud and the cause of Enmity being removed his Face and Favour clears up to us And then Secondly Pardon of Sin is a strong Inducement to us to lay down the Weapons of our Warfare and be at peace with God What Argument can be more prevailing where there is any Principle of Ingenuity When God thus proclaims Peace shall I continue War He Pardons and shall I Rebel He is Reconciled and shall I be Implacable Shall I persist in those sins which he forgives No far be it from me I submit to that God whose rich Grace conquers by condescending as well as his Power by crushing And thus the Soul lays down its Weapons at the Feet of God and humbly embraceth the terms of Agreement propounded by him in the Gospel Pardon of sin lays a good foundation for Acquaintance and Communion with God Thirdly Pardon of Sin lays a good Foundation for the Souls near Acquaintance and Communion with God Guilt is the only thing that breeds Alienation Your Iniquities says the Prophet have separated betwixt you and your God Isa 59.2 Nor indeed is it possible that a guilty Sinner should any more delight in Conversing with God than a guilty Malefactour delights in the presence of his Judge And therefore we see when Adam had contracted guilt upon himself by eating the Forbidden Fruit how childishly and foolishly doth he behave himself God calls him and he runs behind a Tree to hide himself what a suddain change was here Adam who but a little before was his Creator's Familiar now dreads and shuns him his guilt makes him apprehend God's Call to be no other than a Summons to the Bar. Nor indeed can it be otherwise but that guilt should produce Alienation betwixt God and the Soul for look how distance grows between two familiar Friends so doth it here If a Man be Conscious to himself that he hath done his Friend an Injury what Influence hath this upon him why presently it makes him more shy and reserved to him than before So is it here Consciousness of guilt fills us with a troublesome ill-natur'd shame we are ashamed to look God in the Face whom we have so much wronged by our sins And Secondly this shame is always joyned with a slavish and base fear of God lest he should Revenge himself upon us for the Injuries that we have done to him and both this Shame and Fear takes off from that holy freedom and boldness which reverently to use towards God is the gust and Spirit of our Communion and Fellowship with him and all these lessen that sweet Delight in God that formerly we relisht in the Intimacy of this Heavenly Fellowship And what can be the final product of all this but a most sad