1 The first Defect in confession of sin unto God is this that when men come to confesse sin to God they have such a barrennesse and confusion on their spirits that they cannot call to remembrance their particular sins to confesse them Hildersham hath a good note descanting on them words in 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Saith he If we say that we have no sin there is no man so grosse to say that he hath no sin for his own practise will belye his tongue but it is when we come to God we do as in effect say so when we do not know what sin to confesse to God we are so confused and heedlesse in observing our own wayes that we do not know what to confesse in prayer unto God and that the Apostle condemns This was the fault of Bellarmine when his Confessor came unto him Bellarmine did protest unto him that he did not know one sin that he was guilty of to confesse unto the Priest this was heedlesnesse in him for if he had observed his own wayes he would have found sins enough to have confest many are heedlesse that they doe not take notice of their own evils Beloved this is a common and an ordinary Defect there are many when they come to prayer though they have manifold sins in them yet they are so confused so indistinct in the knowledge of their own wayes that they have only generall confessions Lord we have sinned Lord we have done evill in thy sight but cannot call to mind any particular sin they have done Was it never thus with you that ye did not know what to bewail to God and what to lament of in his presence this is a Defect that godly men are often plunged into Defect 2 A second Defect in the confession of sin to God is this when men in prayer do confesse many sins to God yet do leave out their master and predominant sins many men are large in confession yet do leave out their master sins Moses though a good man yet was faulty in this regard God commanded him to go to Egypt to deliver his people but saith Moses I am not eloquent I am of a slow speech he did complain of a naturall defect but he did not complain of a spirituall defect but God did answer all his pleas in Exod. 4.19 And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian Go return into Egypt for all the men are dead which sought thy life Vers 20. And Moses took his wife and his sons and set them upon an asse and he returned to the land of Egypt So that here God put his finger upon the sore Moses complained of the peoples incredulity of his own naturall infirmity but Moses did not complain of his slavish fear that if he should go to Egypt there were men that would kill him till God did assure Moses that those men that sought to kill him were dead Moses would not goe here a good man would not confesse his slavish fear that he did fear death therefore he would not goe on Gods command Beloved this is a Defect that doth many times cleave to godly men to leave out their predominant sins and to confesse sins but of an ordinary incussion Defect 3 A third Defect in confession of sin to God is this to have the heart to hanker after the committing of those sins you do confesse Austin doth ingenuously acknowledge this of himself saith he I did often beg strength of God against the sin of incontinency yet had often an unwillingnesse in my heart that God should hear my prayers lest I should leave my sins Indeed conviction of conscience doth force to a confession of sin yet the strength of thy depraved affection doth make thee hanker after the sin and cause a lothnesse to leave it Defect 4 A fourth Defect in confession of sin to God is this to confesse to God the sins of your life but not the sins of your nature many men will be large in confessing the sins of their life but seldome or never bewail the sins of nature that vicious inclination in the heart to sin very few but David in the Old Testament and Paul in the New who did sufficiently confesse originall sin David in the Old Testament Psal 51. there he begins to bewail the root of those sins which he was guilty of So Paul in Rom. 7. bewails the body of sin many men bewail actuall sin but not habituall sin but not originall sin many men bewail bad actions but never confesse unto God their vicious inclination This Defect good men many times are guilty of Defect 5 A fifth Defect is this to confesse grosse and open sins but not to confesse small and secret evils we are commanded to keep the Law as the apple of our eye Prov. 7.2 Keep my Commandements and live and my Law as the apple of thine eye Now you know a man that keeps his eye will not only keep his eye from great blowes but will keep it from small motes which may put out the eye as well as a great blow men should not only take heed of great blowes great transgressions but they should take heed of lesser motes small sins Now beloved good men many times commit those sins that are infamous that the naturall light of conscience can controll them for why those evils are complained of and confest but secret evils wandring thoughts in duties vanity of minde the deadnesse of the heart empty of spirituall meditations inward distrust these evils are seldome bewailed and confest this is many times a Defect found in good men good men are not so apt to confesse omission of good as commission of evill Defect 6 A sixt Defect in confession of sin to God is this to confesse sin more because of its guilt then of its spot my meaning is more because sin hath a damning power then a defiling nature more because sin damns thy soul then defiles thy conscience A child would touch a coal though it be smutty and soily but he forbears to touch it meerly because it is a burning coal we forbear sin because sin is a burning coal but we do not forbear to touch it because it is a defiling coal that is a Defect in many godly men to be found Defect 7 A seventh Defect in confession of sin to God is this to confesse those sins to God which if men should charge us with we should deny and be angry This holy Greenham doth take notice of in mens confession of sin thou wilt confesse thy pride to God but if a man should say that thou art proud thou wouldst be angry with him thou wilt confesse thy wayes to God but if men should tell thee of thy sins thou wouldst be angry with them this shewes there is much Defect in your confession Defect 8 The eighth Defect in confession of sin unto God is this not to have the
now you are not unclean and this should greatly comfort you Object 3 A third Objection is this Surely I have misgiving thoughts that God hath not forgiven me my sin because after I have committed sin I do not discern that my conscience checks me for my sin therefore I may fear if there be no remorse after the commission of sin I may fear that there is no remission This is the strongest Objection to make a man fear his pardon As I would say nothing to make a deluded wretch to presume so I would keep back nothing that might any way establish a troubled minde thou sayest thou doest fall into sin yet thou hast no check and remorse of conscience for sin therefore thou fearest if sin hath no remorse on thy part it hath no remission on Gods part For answer First in the generall know your case is dangerous but yet it is not desperate Answ 1 First It is possible the conscience of a good man may be so disordered through the impetuousnesse of passion and lust that he may think he doth well when he doth ill therefore his conscience never smites him As it was with Paul Act. 26.9 I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth Paul sinned and he had his doubts before conversion even as after conversion yet this sin troubled him not he thought he was bound to do many things c. so may thy conscience be so farre disordered as to think thou doest well when thou doest ill Jonah 4.9 And God said to Jonah doest thou well to be angry for the Gourd and he said I do well to be angry even unto death Could Jonah's conscience smite him for his anger when he said he did well Lord how farre will a godly man goe towards the suburbs of hell if God shall let him alone I do well saith Jonah to be angry even unto death Answ 2 Secondly Thou that makest this Objection take this for thy comfort consider that many pardoned sinners through heedlesnesse and in observancy have not their judgements inlightned to discerne sin and if the judgement hath not an eye to see sin the conscience will never have an hand to smite for sin it is a Proverb What the eye sees not the heart rues not nothing that is unknown can be the object of desire neither can any thing that is unknown be the object of sorrow unknown miseries we weep not for but miseries we know those we mourn for if a mans judgement be not enlightned to see sin he can never mourn for it he may live and dye in a sin that his judgement is not convinced of to be a sin thus the godly in the Old Testament lived in the sin of Polygamie marrying of many wives they knew not it was a sin had they took liberty to take as many wives as they would A godly man that holds an error conscience may never smite him for it because his judgement is mistaken his judgement thinks he holds the truth and therefore conscience cannot smite him for holding an error Answ 3 Thirdly take this by way of answer that the conscience of a pardoned sinner may be so farre benummed that a man may continue under the guilt of known sins and conscience never check him for it for a long time this is a further gradation that when he knoweth he sins against God yet I say conscience may be so farre benummed that for a season he may not be tortured and smitten in conscience for his sin David could not be so ignorant of Gods Law that lying with another mans wife was a sin yet David did continue nine moneths at least without remorse for it when Nathan came and reproved him then said he I have sinned I have sinned O beloved if God doth but let a sinners conscience alone though he be a good man yet he may continue for a long time under a known sin and conscience not work remorse or trouble in him Answ 4 Fourthly take this for comfort that there is no godly mans conscience in the world that is alwayes alike in office but sometimes it may be in office sometimes out of office sometimes a roaring gawling awakening conscience and sometimes a stupified a benummed and a seared conscience no mans conscience is alwayes alike in office it is sensible at one time and seared up another time Pregnant instances David at one time his heart smote him for but the appearance of an evill yet at another time his conscience did not smite him for murdering Vriah Again at another time Davids conscience smote him but for vain-glory in numbring the people it was only vain-glory that he would please himself in a mustered Army yet at another time Davids conscience did not smite him for adultery O beloved how will a mans conscience lye asleep and not trouble him for an evill if God lets him alone Answ 5 Fifthly a step further It is possible that the conscience of a pardoned sinner may be in so deep a sleep and so much out of office for a while that he may rather put his wits a work to hide his sin then his conscience on work to check him for sin To give you an instance for this it is plain in the case of David David committed adultery with Bathsheba but he did not put his conscience on work to check him for his sin but he did put his wits on work to hide the sin Four projects David had to hide the sin First He sent for Vriah Bathsheba's husband that so Vriah might come and lye with his wife that so he might hide Davids uncleannesse 2 Sam. 11. Secondly He made Vriah drunk and so thought that surely when he was drunk that drunkennesse would provoke him with a desire to go to his own house Thirdly He did plot Vriah's death that so there might be no clamour on his part for the defilement of his wife Lastly David would have fathered his plot on providence for David himself had plotted the death of Vriah mark Davids project a good man did put his wits on work and made shifts to hide his sin yet all this while did not put conscience on work to check him for his sin O how near the suburbs of hell may a godly man go and yet go to heaven Sixthly This is the furthest step of all take this for thy comfort It is possible that the conscience of a pardoned sinner may not smite him for those very sins that a heathen man by the light of a naturall conscience may be ashamed of and this is clear in the case of Abraham Gen. 20.9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him What hast thou done unto us and what have I offended thee that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdome a great sin thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done For this falshood Abrahams conscience never smote him yet a Heathen by the light of
of the Pharisee in Luk. 18. I thank God saith he I am no extortioner no drunkard no adulterer I am not this nor that the Pharisee was a man that never broke out into scandalous sins what was the conclusion saith Christ that he that justified himself was not justified but the Publican was justified rather then the Pharisee the Publican that had fallen into extortion his office did expose him unto much extortion which was in allusion to our Custome-house he was a wicked liver and yet went away justified O! a civill honest Pharisee a Pharisee that never brake out into scandall yet was not justified a Publican that was a known and infamous sinner went away justified The prodigall sonne that ran away from his father spent all his substance that is his gifts and went to live among hogs and swine in this world that is wicked men yet this man a pardoned man The young man who tels you that he kept all Gods Commands from his youth an unjustified man yet the Prodigall that was riotous from his youth became to be a justified man I am perswaded the very intent of these Scriptures is for this end that civill morall men should not presume on pardon meerly on their civill morality Fifthly consider That what your sins do want in regard of other mens sins in bulk and magnitude you may make up in number Suppose thou hast not been a drunkard an adulterer an oppressor yet thou hast many small sins thou hast many secret and small failings now remember many small sins may sooner damn thee then a few greater sins I may make use of that pertinent Scripture in Jer. 5.6 Wherefore a Lion out of the forest shall slay them and a Wolfe of the evenings shall spoil them a Leopard shall watch over their cities every one that goeth out hence shall be torn in pieces because their transgressions are many and their back-slidings are encreased Vers 7. How shall I pardon thee for this c. Because their transgressions were many therefore God comes with a question How shall I pardon Beloved suppose thy sins be not great yet if they be many small sins God may put this question to you How shall I pardon you Let me tell you a paradox That small sins are as hardly yea more hardly pardoned then greater sins are And the reason is because a man is not so apt to repent for small sins as he will be for great because they are not so visible and therefore conscience not so apt to do its office to put a man upon repentance that is the reason of Christs speech Verily I say unto you that Publicans and harlots shall goe to heaven before them why because the Pharisees did depend upon their righteousnesse and did not see their little small sins a Publican a harlot that could not but by the light of nature see their extortion their wickednesse and harlotry they should go to heaven before them that Christ should tell them of their sins and they repent of them Therefore though your sins be but small yet they may be many and that will greaten your sins a many small sins may run thee into deeper arrearages unto God then a few grosser evils O then let me perswade you that none of you would presume on pardon because you have not fallen into greater and grosser evils Thus much for the first branch of the Use Vse 2 The second followes and that is this To those that can here say of their sins as David did thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Considerations concerning gross sins sins cloathed with many hideous and hainous circumstances First something by way of astonishment First Consider though your grosse sins cannot bring your persons into a state of damnation yet they wil bring you into a state of sequestration though they cannot keep thee from heaven yet will they keep thee from comfort God will suspend and withdraw the manifestations of his grace he will turn his smiles into frowns upon thee Beloved this is sad a grosse sin will keep thee from the comforts and joyes of heaven though it cannot keep thee from the possession of heaven The Leper in the Law was commanded to be shut up out of his own house yet he had a right to his own house thou mayest have a right to heaven a right to salvation yet God may shut thee up that thou mayest not have the manifestations of a reconciled God towards thee this is astonishment to thee Secondly to astonish thee though thou beest pardoned yet such wofull commotions such dismall fears will arise in thy conscience that will make thee verily think thou art not pardoned Beloved if you fall into grosse sins and repell the sanctifying work of the Spirit God will withdraw the comforting work of the Spirit The spirit of God is compared to a Dove the Dove loves to be in clean places but if the house be nasty the Dove goeth away and will not stay there Gods Spirit is like a Dove it loves to have the house of thy soul kept clean but if thy soul be filled with noysome and nasty lusts the Spirit of God will not descend on thee the greater thy sins are the greater thy sorrowes anguish and tortures of thy conscience will be Philosophers say of evaporation the more vapours are drawn from the earth the more the light and lustre of the Sun is eclipsed the more sin doth arise from thy heart to thy life the more thou darkenest the rising of the Sun of righteousnesse that glorious beams shall not reflect on thee thy falling into grosse sins may cause wofull commotions and dismall horrors in thy conscience Consider is not this grievous thou pardoned sinner to think though this grosse sin may not damn my soul yet before I dye it will torture my conscience If I do speak to a troubled conscience there is none in the world will say that the sweetnesse and pleasure of sin can compensate the anguishand torture of conscience which smarteth for sinne Thirdly Consider thou that fallest into a grosse sin though a justified person yet it will be a harder work and a longer time for thee to attain assurance of pardon then for other men the deeper a wound is and the longer it is festering and rankling the harder and longer it will be before it be healed again David did pour out a river of tears before God did pour in a drop of the oyle of joy and gladnesse into his heart David brake Gods Law God broke his bones therefore he prayed Lord restore to me the joy of thy salvation that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce It is worthy observation of what you read of Mary Magdalen a notorious strumpet there was a woman which was a sinner that is a known harlot a known strumpet saith Christ her sinnes which are many are forgiven her but did Christ tell these words to Mary no Christ spake these words to Simon in whose
a naturall conscience rebuked Abraham for it Abimelech a Heathen did tell Abraham Thou hast done deeds that ought not to be done And thus I have gone very farre in answering this Objection And I have done it for to stay the troubles of a perplexed conscience not to make any man presumptuous these six steps are near going down to the shambles of death yet it is possible that a pardoned sinner may have his conscience thus deluded and out of office Me thinks I hear many a presumptuous heart alledge if this be true that you say a pardoned sinner may go thus near hell and yet come to heaven if good men may sin a sin and yet conscience never trouble them then I hope that I may have my sin pardoned as well as the best Object 1 Now lest this Objection might lurk in the heart of any man that hears me I will turn the scales And that no man might be presumptuous and entertain false perswasions touching pardon I shall shew you that though a godly man may have his conscience out of office to smite him for sin yet in that case there is great difference between a pardoned sinner and an unpardoned there are these five particular differences First Though a pardoned man may have sometimes conscience asleep yet that pardoned man dares not be so bold and adventurous to fin against conscience as wicked men do you have this fully laid down in Scripture though but darkly Lev. 13.10 And the Priest shall see him and be hold if the rising be white in the skin and it have turned the hair white and there be quick raw flesh in the rising c. Here were two symptomes of the plague of Leprosie the growing of white hair in the sâ—re then raw flesh in the rising the Hebrew Rabbins do understand two things by this Law First The turning of the hair white in the sore they note to be continuance in sin living from youth to old age in sin till the hair be white and gray Secondly There was to be quick and raw flesh in the rising they understand it to be adventurousnesse in a sinner to commit sin against a raw and a gawled and a rebuked conscience Another man might have scabs all over his flesh yet he was not to be unclean Vers 13. Then the Priest shall consider and behold if the leprosie have covered all his flesh he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague it is all turned white he is clean Yet if a man had rawnesse in the sore he was to be unclean to note that a man may have many sins yet not be unclean in Gods sight but if he sin against the very dictates of conscience and be bold and adventurous against the gawlings of a perplexed conscience he shall be unclean Secondly Take this for a difference though the conscience of a pardoned man may not for a time smite him for sin committed yet he doth not take that course to stifle the checks and to still the voice of conscience as reprobates doe wicked men take sensuall delights to still the checks and voice of conscience so Saul did 1 Sam. 16.14 But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evill spirit from the Lord troubled him Vers 17. And Saul said unto his servants Provide me now a man that can play well and bring him to me When an evill spirit troubled him that was his conscience Saul called for musick to still the voice of conscience Thirdly Good men care not for jocond company Mar. 16.18 For John had said unto Herod It is not lawfull for thee to have thy brothers wife Vers 21. And when a convenient day was come that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords high captains and chief estates of Galilee c. Good men dare not avoid a reproving a searching ministry as Felix did Act. 24.25 And as he reasoned of righteousnesse temperance and judgement to come Felix trembled and answered Goe thy way for this time when I have convenient season I will call for thee He could not indure to lye under a gawling Ministry godly men do not thus if a man be pardoned though he hath sin yet he is glad when the Ministry doth arowse and awaken his conscience Fourthly A pardoned sinner dares not content himself under a dawbing and a flattering Ministry that will sew pillowes under his elbowes and say peace when there is none Jer. 23.13 And I have seen folly in the Prophets of Samaria they prophesied in Baal and caused my people Israel to erre Vers 14. I have seen also in the Prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing they commit adultery and walk in lies they strengthen also the hands of evill doers that none doth return from his wickednesse they are all of them unto me as Sodom and the inhabitants of them as Gomorrah Chap. 8.11 For they have healed the hurt of the Daughter of my people slightly saying Peace peace when there is no peace Fifthly They dare not run into the croud of imployments that so they might forget the gawlings of conscience as Cain did Gen. 4. Cain to put off the troubles of his conscience would fall to buying building and drowning himself in the world that so he might hear no more A pardoned sinner doth not thus but if conscience suggests guilt he prayes to God that conscience might speak throughly and home to the heart Sixthly A godly man doth not wallow and continue in a custome of sin that so custome in his sin might take away conscience of his sin Ephes 4.19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse Wicked men give themselves over to a custome in sin that so they might not have conscience to smite them for sin They are like a Smiths dog a strange dog that comes to a Smiths forge cannot abide to have the sparkles of fire flie about him but that dog that hath alwayes been accustomed to the shop can sleep still on and it never troubles him wicked men are like Smiths dogs used to the shop though flashes of hell fire are cast about them yet they sleep still and are not awakened but godly men do not make use of custome in sin to lull them asleep in their sweet lusts A third difference That though the conscience of a pardoned sinner doth not smite him for sin yet is it sooner and easier awakened and raised out of a dead sleep then the conscience of a wicked man a look from Jesus eye and the Cock crowing made Peter weep he went out and wept bitterly a rebuke to David from the Prophet made him cry out Lord I have sinned A reprobate conscience is not so easily put into office it doth not reprove him there must be much adoe and great labour taken before his dead conscience will hear the rebukes of the Word there is more a doe with a wicked man to have his conscience in office
then with a godly man Fourthly There is this difference though the conscience of a good man be a sleep for a time and doth not smite him for sin yet some time before he dyes his conscience shall smite him for sin there is no godly man in the world but under known sins if his conscience hath not smitten him his conscience shall smite him before he dyes but wicked men live and dye in sin and never have the controll or rebuke of conscience Ahaz was troubled by affliction from God yet conscience never troubled him for he did yet more wickedly against God Fifthly Though the conscience of a pardoned sinner may be asleep for a time and may not reprove him for sin committed yet a good mans conscience when it doth reprove him it doth check him more out of a sense of sin and the dishonour done to God then out of fear of hell or any outward judgements but wicked men are asleep in their consciences and if conscience doth ever awake it is not because sin is sin and because God is dishonoured but because there is hell for sin and because there are outward grievous judgements when God breaks men by his judgements then they will put conscience on work but never doe it out of sense of sin Take this comparison of Ducks in a pond of water cast but a little peble stone into the water and it will make them dive but let it rattle and thunder in the heavens the Ducks feare not a Divine makes this a fit embleme of a wicked mans conscience cast but a little peble stone some present affliction neer a wicked man and that will make him dive that will trouble conscience and perplex the man but let God thunder from heaven let the Lord declare all the threatnings of his spirituall judgements against sin how evill sin is how God is dishonoured by sin and how the soule is indangered all these thundrings from heaven cannot make him startle And thus I have run hastily over the answering of this third Objection I have done it meerly for a relief of a perplexed Conscience thus I have done with this doctrine I confest and thou forgavest Thou for gavest to forgive saith Museulus is a word of favor or grace not merit or sanctification thou forgavest It notes pardon of sin is not vouchsafed to men by way of debt but of gift I confessed and thou forgavest thou forgavest what Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin the sin of my sin Interpreters have various apprehensions touching the meaning of these words what it is for God to forgive the iniquity of my sin I will bring it to a two fold channell Some there are that by iniquity understand the punishment of sin I acknowledged my sin and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin That is thou forgavest the punishment of my sin the reason of that interpretation is because in the Hebrew language the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies iniquity signifies punishment and therefore they understand the iniquity of sin the punishment of sin but Interpreters generally go against this interpretation for usually the word is taken for sin it self Again the whole scope of the Psalm is not in seeking the outward punishment to be forgiven but the forgivenesse of sin is referred to eternall guilt Thirdly Here is in the Text a Selah which is a note of attention a note of admiration annexed to this expression Thou hast forgiven c. surely that would be no wonder to God to passe by an externall punishment for that he might do to men whose sins were never pardoned What is it for God to forgive the iniquity of sin I answer the iniquity of sin is meant that God out of his free grace doth not onely simply forgive a sin committed but he forgives the iniquity of that sin all the malignity of that sin all the hainous aggravated circumstances that may any ways make it great A learned Authour having a whole Tract upon this Psalm hath these words the Psalmist useth this kinde of speech To forgive the iniquity of sinne that hee might teach us that it was no light fault that was pardoned it was sin and it was the iniquity of sin sin upon sin and sin greatned by many hainous circumstances Yet Behold the great mercy of God Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin thus much for the explaining of the words The Observation is this That such are the riches of Gods pardoning grace that he forgives his people not onely sin in the generall but their great sins such as are cloathed with many aggravated and hainous crying circumstances Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne In the handling of this point I shall proceed in this method First To prove the point to you by an Induction of particular instances then the application of it by severall uses It is a point full of comfort and indeed I know not such a Text in all the Bible that speaks of Gods grace in pardoning aggravated sins sins more clearly then this Text doth First of all I shall give you an induction of instances that God doth not only forgive his people a bare sin convicted but God doth out of the riches of his Grace forgive his people those sins that you may call the iniquity of sin sins cloathed with many hainous aggravated circumstances The instance of David that speakes the words an instance of Peter another of Paul many men that have sinned against light and love sinned against cheks of conscience and against mercies are these sins forgiven Yes that is my work to prove that Gods grace doth forgive sins that are cloathed with many hainous and aggravated circumstances to make them great First David I begin with David because it is the instance in hand will you consider Davids sin the sin of Adultery and ransack the bowels of it you shall finde Davids sin cloathed with great hainous and aggravated circumstances to make it great and grievous and yet for all this that sin forgiven him Circ 1 First Circumstance to aggravate Davids sin if you consider the quality of it the kind of it What sin was it it was the sin of Adultery now of all sins the sin of adultery is an aggravated sin there are five circumstances 1. He that commits adultery he sins against his own body 2. It is a wrong to the body of the woman he is unclean with 3. It is a wrong to his own wife 4. It is a wrong to Bathshebas husband 5. It is a wrong to the child that is illegitimately begotten in adultery that an ignominy should be on him when hee is born and therefore that David should fall to that sin it was one great sin to aggravate Davids sin Circu 2 Secondly If you consider the dignity and the quality of Davids person that did commit this sin He was a King Now the greater the person is that sins the sin is the greater Third Circumstance to