out and if I love God I may thereby be sure that God loves me p 1 John 4.19 But Lord so far as I am able by searching to know my own heart I desire nothing more then to come q Jerem. 3.21 to Christ to receive Christ r John 1.11 to be one with Å¿ Gal. 2.20 Christ to be conformable to Christ t Heb 2.11 And Lord I dare say with Peter thou that knowest all things knowest that I love thee u John 21.17 if prizing thee above all things in the world w Psal 73.25 if restless longing x Psal 119.20 for further acquaintance and more inward y Psal 106.4 communion if pantings after the secrets of thy z Psalm 25.14 presence fear of nothing more then to offend thee a Psal 119 1â—0 be infallible evidences of sincere love then I dare appeal unto thee that I love thee Therefore Lord perswade my soul thankefully to acknowledge that 't is in a safe condition On the contrary Thus Lord thou hast told me that if I live after the flesh I shall b Rom. 8.13 die But my heart life undeniably evidence that I mind nothing but carnality Therefore Lord convince me that there 's but a step c Job 21.13 but a d Psal 146.4 breath between me and everlasting death Thus Christians do but suffer and help your Conscience to do its office and then shall you have rejoycing in your selves alone and not in e Gal 6.4 another i. e. you will finde cause of rejoycing in the testimony of your own Conscience and not in others thinking you to be better then you are nor in your thinking your selves to be better then others Thus you have the offices of Conscience I come in the last place to speak of 4. The kinds of Conscience I know are coÌ„monly reduced to these 4. f Bâ—rn de consc p 1107. viz. Good quiet Good and troubled Evil and quiet Evil and troubled But intending the resolution of the Case before me in speaking to Conscience under the several kinds of it I shall speak to 8 kinds of Consciences The two first viz. the sleepy and the seared Conscience are peculiar to the worst of men The 4. next viz. the erring doubting scrupulous trembling Consciences are almost indifferent to good bad only the 2 former have a greater bias to bad and the 2 latter have a greater tendency to Good but the 2 last kinds viz. The Good and Honest and the Good and quiet Consciences are peculiar to Gods choisest favourites In treating of these I shall endeavour to acquaint you with the nature of each g But here I must say with Aug. non possum ut volo expl care quod sentio tamen quid moliar dicere peto ut non exâ—ectatis verbis meis sagac ssime si potâ—stis intelligatis Odi definire nam facilius est mihi videre in alterius definitione quod non probem quam quicquaÌ„ bene definiendo explicare Aug. T. 1. l. 2 de Ord. c 1. 2 p. 671. how to cure the evill how to obtain the good and hereby the Application will be entwisted with the Explication throughout my discourse I. The first and one of the worst kinds of Consciences in the world is the sleepy Conscience 1. The sleepy Conscience such is the Conscience of every unconverted person that is not yet under horrour their h Rom. 11.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Camerarius in loc spirit i. e. their Conscience is asleep that as bodily sleep bindeth up all the senses and animal spirits so this spiritual or rather unspiritual sleepiness bindeth up the soul from all sense i Privatio omnis sensus judicij Illyr In pâ—aed loc of the evill of sin and want of grace and therefore in conversion Christ doth awaken k Ephe 5 1â— the Conscience The Disciples of Christ have their spirits waking when their bodies l Matth. 26 41 are slumbring i e. they have a gracious habit of watchfulness when they are overtaken with some carnal acts of sleepiness Christ complains of unkindness m Cantic 5.2 that his Spouse sleeps in the morning when he knocks for early entertainment but the unconverted let Christ stand knocking all the day till supper time n Revel 3 20. they will spend their day with their lusts and if Christ will knock and wait till the day of their life be almost spent then they 'l pretend to open but how long must God call How long o Pro. 6.9 10. wilt thou sleep O sluggard when wilt thon arise out of thy sleep and they 'l answer Yet p Concessio ironica ethopaeiam habens pigroruÌ„ elegantissimam Jun in loc q. videmus conscientiaÌ„ veluti veterno aut lethargo aliquam diu sepultaÌ„ c. Episcop Inst theol l 1. c. 3. p. 11. Causes a little sleep a litle slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep The plain truth is thougn wicked men cannot quite stifle their consciences q yet their Consciences do but as it were talke in their sleep and they take no more notice of them then they do of their dreams Causes of a sleepy Conscience are besides the sluggishness of our depraved natures 1. A spiritual intoxicâ—tion all unconverted persons are drunk with the love of sin and therein behave themselves like Solomons r Prov. 23.34 35. Jacet in corona charchâ—sij i. e. Galea ubi maxima seÌ„titur maris agitatio Jun in loc â—ras the vulg Version which may serve for a paraphrase quasi sopitus gubernator amisso clavo i. usu rationis Tit. drunkard that lies down to sleep in the heart of the sea or upon the top of a mast in the very midst of the greatest soul danger He doth that daily which Jonah did once run away from Gâ—d and then composeth himself to sleep Å¿ Jonah â— 5 when God is pursuing him with judgments and dreams of nothing but impunity happines Love of sin is the Devils Opium whereby he casts the Conscience into a dead sleep that no arm but of Omnipotency can waken it He meets with something in the world which he likes better then the holy ways of God and therefore will not seek God t Ps 10.4 5 11 13. Justitiam ut ille apud Platonem Thrasymachus appellat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elegantem stultitiam they sleep then aiunt deum dormire aut oblituÌ„ esse eorum quae fiant in terris c. Aug. Steuch Eug. Enar. in loc Gods ways are always grievous to him he hath said in his heart I shall not be moved God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it he contemns God saith in his heart thou wilt not require it They wink and then conclude God doth not see them 2. Carnal conceits of grace and heaven At the best humane wisdom is their highest Guide
naturall lust 2. unnaturall and 3. of all unrighteousness Custome of sinning takes away conscience of sinning For Cure Cure Seriously set your selves against those peculiar wayes of sinning which have brought you to this You know them there 's not any one that hath a seared Conscience but he doth or easily may know how it came so your work in some respect is not so large as in case of the sleepy Conscience 't is but one or two sorts of sins that are eminently mischievous to your souls in this case though a seared Conscience is worse then a sleepy Conscience yet as 't is more easily discernable so 't is but reasonable you should more speedily and vigorously set upon the cure take heed of accounting any sin small k Cum coeperit quis dicere quid est si verbulum hâ—c unicum locutus fuero Ex hoc quid id quid illud Sensim incipit quis pedetentim in majora graviora prolabi sic deinceps in perfectam insensibilitatem decidit curate levia quoad levia sunt virtutes peccâ—ta à parvis incipiunt c. Dorotheus B. P. T. 4 p 769. lest at last you account not any sin great I will commend one Text to you and close this particular Ezek. 24.13 14. In thy filthiness is lewdness because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee I the Lord have spoken it it shall come to passe and I will do it I will not go back neither will I spare neither will I repent c. Sirs God hath been your Physitian hath used l Instar medici qui putridis non parâ—it cornibus non parcit ut parcat crudelis est ut misereatur Hieronym in loc variety of remedies if nothing will prevail but you will industriously singe your Consciences to make them senseless as sure as God is true he will m My fuâ—y to rest i. e. non habeat quod amplius faciat c. Sanctius in loc make you sensible of your sin by everlasting burnings I forbear inlargement because in the following cases about the Mortification of beloved lusts about relapses and how to check the first risings of sin you will have suitable directions to make your brawny Consciences tender I proceed therefore to those kinds of Consciences none else will speak to viz. III. The Erring Conscience An erring Conscience n Ames de cons l. 1. c. 4. p. 8 is that which judgeth otherwise then the thing is Conscience is sometimes deceived through ignorance o Dickson Therap Sac. l 1 c. 1. p. 3. §. 8. of what is right by apprehending a false rule for a true an errour for the will of God Sometimes through ignorance of the fact by misapplying a right rule to a wrong action Conscience evill informed tâ—kes humane traditions and false doctrines proposed under the shew of divine authority to be the will of God a famous instance you have of this in Jeroboams p Beâ—gins Prax cath dissert 3. p. 244. § 27. case he fears that if the people should go up to sacrifice at Jerusalem then he should lose his kingdom this puts him upon enquiry whether there should not be a double Sanctuary as well as a double Kingdom hereupon a Council is called flattering Prophets come they have dreams and visions worthy of their affections suitable to their purpose A decree is made q.d. 't is sufficient that you have hitherto gon up to Jerusalem now behold your Gods these calves are like the cherubims of the Sanctuary which are as ministring Spirits before the face of God that these calves had the shape of the Cherubims you may gather by comparing of Scriptures that which is called the face of an q Ezek. 1.10 Oxe in one place is called the face of a r Ezek. 10.14 Ezek. 1.7 Cherub in the other This seems to the people a satisfying warrant for them readily s Hos 5.11 to follow the Kings commandment I might add another instance of the good old Prophet who was plausibly seduced to his bodily t 1 Kings 3.8 18 19 2â— 26. destruction Now 't is a great question among the Papists especially whether and how far an erring Conscience binds One of their most learned Casuists that I meete with peremptorily determines that the law of an erring Conscience is not dispensable by u Ne quidem à Deo multo minâ—â— ab homine Bresser de Consc l. 5. c. 22. p. 555. § 212. God himself Others w Vt igitur bonum sit agere secundum Conscientiam errantem voluntariè vitiosè oportet existimationem Conscientiae bonam esse câ—a recta ratione congrisenteÌ„ Azorius Moal Instit l. 2. p. 104. that 't is good to follow an erring Conscience when it hath the credit of a good Conscience and is agreeable to reason Others x Sayrus Clav. Reg. l. 1. c. 4. p. 8 § 13. that a right and an erronious Conscience both bind though in a different respect a right Conscience as it is conformable to the Law of God an erring Conscience as it is thought to be the Law of God a right Conscience binds simply an erronious upon a supposition Some distinguish ignorance into y Quando Conscientia erronea invincibili ignorantia judicat al quâ—d honestum esse quod honestum non est tunc actus voluntatis qui conformis est tali judicio bâ—nus honestus est etiamsi contingat objectum esse â—urpe ita passim Theologi probatur quia tunc est conformis suae regulae nam illud judicium est proxim a regula quam sequi debet vâ—luntas Becan T 1. Theol. Schol. pt 2. Tract 1. c. 4. q. 7 p. 219. vincible and invincible and say that when an erronious Conscience through invincible ignorance judgeth that to be honest which is not so yet that judgement is the next rule which the will is to follow Others distinguish where all men are not able to discern the difference between z Neminem obligat tamen ligat Durand lib. 2. dist 39. q. 5. p 443. §. 7. binding obliging But in short they generally determine the questioÌ„ in the affirmative Though some grant that though a Sylvestranus in l. 1. Seat p 239. we must do nothing against a true Conscience yet we must depose an erroneous one and go contrary to it And Others b Nihil licet contra Conscientiam agere in aliquo casu nec tumen tenetur quilibet sequi Conscientiam suam in quolibet casu Gul. Parisiensis de vitiis pec p 280. though we must do nothing against Conscience in any case yet we must not follow Conscience in every case The plain truth is Errour cannot bind us to follow it c Harris works pt 4. p. 28. an erring Conscience may so bind
clear 2 Tim. 3.4 they loved God who loved pleasures more than God They may have Faith Simon Magus believed they may hate sin in others Acts 8.13 2 Sam. 13.22 if not in themselves Absalom hated Amnons uncleannesse they may delight in God and in his wayes Isa 58 2. They may have a zeale for God and such a a zeale as may prevail more with them than temporall things The Jewes were so zealous of the Law Rom. 10.2 and for the traditions of the Elders that they would have ventured their lives for them so Paul before his conversion how zealous was he Acts 22.3 4. Gal. 1.14 To come more particularly and closely to the question Though Conversion be wrought in an instant yet men have some praevious dispositions thereunto who live under the sound of the Gospel and obtain such knowledge as worketh in them several things which I shall shew unto you from Acts 2.37 38. v. And when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said men c. Many preparative dâ—spositions or qualifications they had unto repentance or conversion but they had not yet repented for Peter saith notwithstanding these repent 1. Men may be convinced of sin as these were they found they had transgressed the law of God and were guilty before him for they were pricked in their hearts Men may have strong convictions of sin and not converted from sin 2. They may mourn for sin and grieve that they have done such and such things These men had crucified the Lord Christ put an innocent person to death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acutum animi dolorem significat Piscat saw themselves in an ill condition and thereupon mourned and grieved sorely as the word pricked intimates they had such grief as pained and afflicted their hearts There 's a How set upon Ahabs humiliation by the Lord himself Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself 1 King 21.29 3. They may be fil'd with fear and dread the threatnings and punishments of God due to sin This was the case here they had provoked the Lord against their soules felt their consciences condemning of them apprehended the judgements of God near unto them and so were possest with much fear lest the Lord should destroy them and therefore say Men and brethren what shall we do We know not whither to go where to hide our selves or what to do that we may escape the things we have deserved and fear 4. They may confesse their sin renounce it and reform much these Auditors of Peter being pricked in their hearts said What shall we do We have sinned and that greatly we confesse and acknowledge it before God and you it was a cursed act of ours we abhor it we will never do so hereafter They were sick of sin and vomited it up as they in Peter 2 Pet. 2.22 and would change their minds and manners walke in any way the Apostles should direct them The Merchant Mat. 13.46 sold all that he had for the pearle before he bought it This selling all is made by som Interpreters to be his restraint from all inward sin and his conformity to all outward duties This was much and yet not more than unconverted persons may attain unto Herod reformed many things the foolish Virgins went far as was said before they were Virgins free from spot and pollution they had Lamps visible professions they went forth to meet the Bridegroom they had some faith in him and affection to him else they would not have gone forth 5. They may justifie the Law and the Lord should he condemn them deal severely with them what shall we do say these persons we are guilty we have broken the Law which is holy righteous and good and so is God likewise who is the Author thereof if therefore we be condemned and must bear the curse and punishment of the law we must both justifie the Lord and it Men may accept the punishment of their iniquity and justifie the inflictors thereof man hath no cause to complain of the punishment of his sins It 's brought in by way of objurgation Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain for the punishment of his sins He may complain of his sins not of his punishment Many Malefactors after sentence passed on them do justifie both Judge and Law 6. Men may seriously consider the nature of their sin what circumstances it is cloathed with what aggravations it admits what crimson and skarlet is in it what light love mercies means ingagements it is against What shall we do say these troubled souls We have sinned against the light of nature the Law of Moses our own consciences the love of God and Christ towards sinners in that we have crucified Christ a man approved of God whom we knew had done many miracles wonders and signes Acts 2.22 and deserve not death oh what shall we do our sins are so dreadful It 's in mens power to lay to heart what wrong an infinite blessed holy God hath by their sins what mercies they keep from them how greatly they defile them what miseries and mischiefs they bring upon them what a weight of wrath hangs over their heads for them They may consider what checks of conscience they have stifled what motions of the Spirit they have withstood what precious seasons of grace they have neglected and slighted what paines they have taken to satisfie a lust how dear it hath cost them how carelesse they have been of their soules what a separation their sins have made between God and them They may mind and meditate on it that mans life is short the pleasures of sin but for a season that there is absolute necessity of turning to God Except you repent you shall all perish That turning is acceptable to God else he would not call for it nor make such gracious promises to it as are in holy Writ 7. They may come to it to see no help in themselves or in any creature whatsoever What shall we do say these wounded men we cannot help our selves we have no playsters that will stick no medicines which will heal we are wounded in our Consciences and as our hands so theirs are too short to help us it s not in humane power to bind up our breaches What shall we do men may see themselves helpless that they are without strength shut up under sin guilt and unbelief children of wrath and in a lost condition the Law cursing them and sentencing them to suffer 8. They may arrive to a resolution of doing or suffering any thing to be saved What shall we do we are resolved if we may find mercy and live to do whatever shall be commanded to suffer whatever shall be imposed The pride of their spirits was broken their hearts become teachable and tractable and their resolutions high for any thing to be done or suffered so was it with the Jaylor Act. 16.30 when men are in storms at sea or
shamelesly uncovereth himself Now why is she called there the daughter of Saul because she had learned this wickednesse from her father We have woful experience of this in our dayes Formerly people could say Ps 44.1 We have heard with our ears O God our fathers have told us Psal 44.1 what works thou didst in their days in the times of old Truly the people of this generation may say we heard our fathers swear and curse and scoffe and mock at the ways of God in reason we may expect mens manners to sute their education Thus much shall suffice to have been spoken to the third particular propounded to be discussed that is to say how it comes to passe that particular persons have their proper and particular sins and thus much also for the doctrinall part 4. The fourth and last thing is the Vse and Application of this to our selves Vse 1. For Lamentation and Humiliation in the presence of God this day we trouble our selves about other mens sins Magistrates sins Ministers sins as the Pharisee◠Lord I thank thee I am not as other men are an Extortioner an Adulterer c. or as this Publican And in the mean time where is the man that considers his own iniquity his right eye sin or his right-hand sin there are great outcries amongst us what have others done but who smites upon his thigh and says what have I done We search every where save where our Rachel sits upon her Idol Possibly some poor soul may say did I know this particular sin this right eye sin or this right-hand sin the Lord knows I would quickly pluck out the one and cut off the other and that brings me to Vse 2. Of Examination how this sin may be discovered now to this purpose take these marks or rules 1. It may be known by the loves and tender respects the sinner bears unto this sinne strong love for the most part hath but one single object affections are like the Sun beams in a burning glasse the more united they are in one point the more fervent A wicked man hath a particular affection for his particular lust As Abraham cryed Oh that Ishmael may live in thy sight So a wicked man oh that this sin may be spared This is his Benjamin the soul is ready to say here is one sin must be plucked out and here is another sin must be cut off and must this beloved Lust dye also all these things are against me The sinner seems to repent of sin and to condemn sinne and himself for sin but when the time of Execution comes the man is very tender-hearted here 's a reprieve for this sinne and there is a pardon for another sin oh it goes against him to cut the throat of his darling lust 'T is a wofull case when a man will undertake to pardon his owne sinne this is crudelitas parcens sparing cruelty and if it fall out that his beloved sinne dye a natural death that is if the Adulterer for instance cannot actually engage in bodily uncleanness as formerly upon the account of old age he follows it to the grave as we do our dear friends and heartily mourns that he and his dear lust must part 2 It may be known thus that sin that distracts us most in holy duties is our beloved sin you may know that cold is natural to the water and that it likes that quality best because let it be made never so hot it will be still working it selfe to its owne proper temper Soules possibly may sometimes be warmed at an Ordinance but they quickly cool again and are still working towards their proper lust the sin they like best You may take notice in Scripture that God to speak after the manner of men in an especiall manner remembers the sins of wicked men in the performance of holy duties Hos 8.13 They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offering and eat it but the Lord accepteth them not Now will he remember their iniquity and visit their sins as if a Felon or Murderer convict should escape out of prison and afterwards presume to come into the presence of the Judge this brings his Felony or Murder into remembrance and herein their punishment is visible sin They remember their sins in their duties and so will God The people of God themselves are tainted with this Pride was the Disciples master sin and whilst they were healing Diseases and casting Devils out of other mens bodies the proud Devil was stirring in their own souls and our Saviour gives them a rebuke for that Luk. 10.20 In this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in heaven Luk. 10.20 3. It may be known by its domination its commanding power over all other sins look as there is a kind of government in Hell such an one as it is Beelzebub is called the Prince of Devils so in a wicked mans soul one sin or other is still uppermost and keeps the throne all other sins do as it were bow the knee to this sin hold up the train of this sin are obedient servants to this sin it says to one go and it goes and to another come and it comes for instance if covetousness be the beloved sin lying and deceiving and injurious dealing will serve that If Ambition temporising and sinful compliance will serve that If Adultery sinful wasting of time and estate and body will serve that If Vainglory be the Pharisees great sin devouring widows houses under pretence of long prayers will serve that As it is with a mans body when it is hurt or maimed all the ill humours will flow to the part that is ill affected Hence it is when a man is first wounded he feels but a little pain because he suffers only upon the single account of the division of the part but after wards the paine is encreased for then he suffers doubly upon the account of the division of the part as also by the conflux of ill humours When the soule hath received some gash some hurt more then ordinary by its particular sin all the sinful humours will make haste to feed that iniquity so that this is the sin that carries it and bears the sway in the soul In a word the sinner hath the curse of Cham as it were pronounced upon him a servant of servants is he his other sins are servants to his beloved sin and he himself is a slave to them all 4. That sin that Conscience in a particular manner doth chide a man for that t is likely may be his particular sin the Greek word for Conscience is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies a joynt knowledge or knowledge with another It takes notice of things together with God Conscience is Gods deputy Gods spye Gods intelligencer pardon the word in our bosoms an exact notary of whatever we think or do a co-witness with God as St Paul is bold to call
be departing and taking its leave of the body or at lest may be in danger so to do whereas the former being a man of an hayle and good constitution of body the soul may act inform enliven it many years 8. Get a respect to all Gods Commandments Psa 119.6 then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments The reason why men indulge any one lust is because they pick and cull their duties and so indeed serve not the will of God but their own choice Oh how many are there that answer the Lord with half obedience like the Eccho which makes not a perfect respondence of the voyce but of some part thereof Many make such a difference amongst the Tables as if onely one side or one part were of Gods writing Oh Sirs this will not do this will undo the man that like Agrippa doth but almost beleeve almost repent almost conform to the will of God that man shall be saved proportionably almost One sin unrepented of will cause you to miscarry to all eternity one crack in a bell may make it unserviceable untunable and till it be new cast it is good for nothing one wound may kill your bodies and so may one sin your souls Oh Christians what had become of you and I if Jesus Christ had satisfied the justice of God for all but one sin there is a text in Ezekiel Ezek. 18.27 that is usually taken for a place of the greatest mercy in the whole book of God When the wicked turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed and doth that which is lawful and right he shall save his soul alive You have to the same purpose ver 21 22. of the same Chapter but pray mark what follows ver 28. Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgression that he hath committed no mercy to be expected from this Scripture unless a man turn away from all his transgressions 2 Tim. 2.21 the vessel of honour is distinguished from the vessel of dishonour by this character that it is sanctified and prepared for every good work Luke 1.6 and this is the commendation of Zachary and Elizabeth they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless Halting in Religion is a troublesome deformed dangerous gesture and there is no cure for this like cutting off the right foot 9. Lay hold on Gods strength for the mortifying of thy beloved sin surely this is no easie work see how it is expressed in Scripture sometime it is called the mortification of our members is to mortifie a part of the body an easie work sometimes the circumcising of the foreskin of our hearts Deut. 10.16 did the Sichemites count circumcision an easie work by crucifying of the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 was crucifixion an easie death and here in the text it is called a plucking out the right eye and cutting off the right hand the Apostle Paul in the forementioned place tells the Romans if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body you shall live He who is the fountain of spiritual life is also the principle of this spiritual death this is a work to be done by us but through the Spirit Hence in Scripture God is said to do this Rom. 8.13 Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed and the Apostle expresses this by circumcision made without hands Col. 2.11 intimating that it is not a work of mans hands but Gods Q. If any aske me but how shall we lay hold on Gods strength R. By faith great things are attributed unto this grace because it lays hold on God and sets God at work 1 Joh. 5.4 This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith it overcomes not onely the honours and riches and pleasures of the world but the lusts of the world of which you have mention 1 Job 2.16 saith is a self-emptying grace a poor beggarly hand rich only in receiving from another something like Davids sling and stone against Goliah lusts but in the name of the Lord of Hosts and by his strength even a babe in Christ through faith shall overcome the world I must tell you that Hannibal and Alexander and all the glorious Victors that we read of were but fresh water Souldiers in comparison of one that is born of God I shall only to what I have said add a few Motives to quicken you to your duty and so commend all to Gods blessing Motive 1. Right-eye sins and right-hand sins are the greatest hinderances of the souls closing with Christ When you flea any creature the skin comes off with ease till it comes to the head and there it sticks more then ordinary skill is required to get it thence Now I must tell you the sin that I am disswading you against is not only the eye sin and the hand sin but the head sin and here conversion sticks The sinner forbears many sins and performs many duties but when it comes to this Oh master saith flesh and blood pitty thy selfe beware what thou dost what be thine own Executioner plucke out thy right eye cut off thy right hand A mans sin is himself to deny ungodlinesse is to deny selfe this is a kind of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-murther No man ever yet hated his owne flesh Is there no getting to heaven unlesse a man leave himself behind this is durus sermo an hard saying As Naaman the Syrian 2 Reg. 5.18 When my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there and he leaneth on my hand and I bow my selfe in the house of Rimmon the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing So the sinner the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing Mark 10.20 21. The young man in the Gospel tels Christ that he had kept all the commandements from his youth but when Christ said to him One thing thou lackest goe thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasures in heaven and come and take up thy crosse and follow me here he sticks verse 22. he was sad at that saying and went away grieved for he had great possessions or his great possessions had him Alass this poor young man little thought that notwithstanding his forwardnesse to keep the Commandements he was under the power of worldly lusts Oh sirs there is great strength in a river when it runs smoothly and without noise Motive 2. As these sins are the greatest hindrances of the souls closing with Christ so they prove the greatest trouble to the soul afterwards Your eye-Eye-sin will prove your eye-sore yea and your heart-sore My meaning is your conâ—cience will suffer most upon the account of this sin all your dayes Thus Job cap. 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth When a mans conscience is
least the Translatour does here seem Critically to distinguish between companying and keeping company vers 9. compared with 11. I wrote to you in an Epistle not to company with Fornicators but now I write to you not to keep company Company wee may yea wee cannot avoid it but keep company wee must not with wicked men As elsewhere the Holy Ghost distinguishes between sinning and committing sin Hee that is born of God doth not commit sin saith St. John The holiest man on this side Heaven cannot but sin saith the same Apostle aye but hee that is born of God does not commit sin sin hee does but commit sin hee doth not i. e. hee doth not delight in it hee doth not use it hee doth not make it his practice So here Wee read in Scripture where wicked men have often fared better for the godly as Laban for Jacob and Potiphar for Joseph and Ahab for Jehoshaphat c but wee never read that godly men fared better for the company of the wicked but rather worse Psal 119.115 Depart from mee yee evil doers for I will keep the Commandements of my God it is a very hard matter to keep wicked company and to keep the Commandements of God together The Lacedemonians would never suffer a stranger to bee with them above three daies for fear of infection and corruption with their evil manners And verily those that are strangers to God and godliness should bee as little as may bee our companions 8. By Maintenance by upholding and incouraging men in their sins though thou never committest them thy self yet thou art guilty 2 Joh. 11. Hee that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds Though thou dost not commit it yet if thou dost applaud it and rejoyce in it and say it is well done thou art a partner if thou art not the Mother of it yet thou art the Nurse of it if thou art not the Father of it yet thou art the Guardian of it and God will lay the brat at thy door as sure as if thou hadst begot it Thus I have done with the first thing how wee become guilty or how many waies partakers of other mens sins There are many more might bee named as by hindring good by excusing evil by administring occasion by not reproving not mourning not reclaiming c. But these and many more that practical Authors handle they are but underling-sprigs from the great branches that I have opened 2. Why a Christian must bee careful to avoid and not to partake of other mens sins The reasons of the Doctrine Answ Out of a threefold Principle 1. Out of a Principle of Charity to our Brethren 2. Out of a Principle of Pitty to our selves 3. Out of a Principle of Piety to God 1. Out of charity to our brethren that we be not means and instruments to promote their ruine and destruction for to partake of other mens Sins though it does more burden us yet it does never a whit ease them but does rather harden them and confirm them in their practises for company in sin makes men act it with the greater confidence Now this is to do the Devils part in the habit of a friend Sirs we must be charitable Charity is the golden rule charity is the bond of perfection now if it be a piece of charity to help up our brothers Oxe or Ass when he 's fallen into a ditch Exod. 23.4 Sure 't is more charity to do as much for his soul Jude 23. Others save with fear pulling them out of the fire Sin is the deep ditch of the soul and Sin is the Hell fire of the soul as it were here should be lifting and plucking indeed The neglect of this duty of keeping one another from Sin the Scripture calls an hating of our brother Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt not suffer sin upon him I observe in company that if many persons sit together by a fire and a spark flie upon any one of them every one is ready to shake it off and beat it off and why should not we be as friendly and charitable to mens souls when Sin which is as Hell flakes lies smothering in their consciences or burning upon their souls 2. Out of pitty to our selves that we may keep our selves from the blood of other mens souls and secure our selves from the judgements of other mens sins For the former sayes St. Paul Acts 20.26 27. I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God had the Apostle connived at or consented to their sins God would have made inquisition for the blood of their soules at his hands For the latter sayes Jacob Gen. 49.5 6 7. Simeon and Levi are brethren instruments of cruelty are in their habitations Oh my soul come not into their secrets unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united Why Oh I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel he would not have an hand in their sinfull union because he would not have a share in their dreadfull division they were united in sinne and they must be divided in punishment 3. Out of piety towards God God forbids it Ephes 5.7 be not partakers with them and God forbid that we should do it Nay God abhorres it and condemnes it Psal 50.18 21. When thou sawest a thief thou consentedst with him and hast been partakers with the adulterers c. These things hast thou done but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thee This sin is a breach of all the Law at once being against the Rule of Charity Hee that hath his own sins alone doth only commit them but hee that takes other mens sins doth highly approve them and this greatly dishonours God it is worse partaking of sin than committing of sin Rom. 1.32 They do not onely do the same saith the Apostle but have pleasure in them that do them that 's worse Wherefore Zelophehads daughters pleaded in Mitigation of their Fathers offence that hee died in his own sin hee was not partner with Korah but died in his own sin It is worse to bee a partner than to bee an actor Numb 27.3 3. Application 1. Information Is there such a thing as partaking of other mens sins after this manner 1. Hence you may bee informed of the Equity and Justice of Gods proceeding in punishment you oft-times see God punishing one mans sin upon another or at least hear of it and you think it strange why this Oedipus will read you the riddle This Clue will conduct you through the labyrinth they have been some way or other partakers of those sins either by contrivance or by compliance or by connivance c. one way or other else God would never punish them if they have not been actors they have been abettors Shall not the Judge of all the world do
such prodigious mercy and that when this love would have opened to thee the door of glory how great how infinite glory and when the rejecting of it would infallibly plunge thy soul into misery how dreadful how intollerable was ever madness like thine oh my soul will conscience say certainly Hell is too easie a punishment for such a Serpent such an Incarnate Devil as thou art well may God rejoyce to bee avenged on such a wretch as thee and make thee to drink up the very dreggs of his Indignation while others that dwell in God shall dwell in love oh how will God bee nothing else but fury and wrath and vengeance to thee Thou shalt one day and that day such as never shall have an end hear Justice call upon Omnipotency still to add more flame to thy torment Thus conscience will look backward and forward and even wreak it self with the most dismal flaming language that it can finde out upon the haters of Christ And is not that a dreadful sin which shall thus set a man against himself and put a sword into the hand of cruel conscience to cleave the soul in peeces And is not that a dreadful punishment when a man shall become his own Accuser Judge and Executioner When conscience shall burn so hot within a man that hee shall be a terrour to himself and an eternal amazement And yet alas what is all this to the immediate impressions of the wrath of God upon the soul when hee that hath said Vengeance is mine and I will repay Heb. 20.30 shall grasp the soul in his dreadful hand which might bee farther Improved and be demonstrated to be Incomparably the sorest part of the punishment but I come to the second particular which was to lay down some moving Considerations to provoke such as love themselves to love Christ and besides the particulars last mentioned Consider 1. Who it is that I plead for this day Sirs I do not call you to doat upon thick clay filth and vanity I do not plead to gain your hearts to one that is not worthy or hath not deserved that you should place your affections upon him if you can make either of these manifest hate him and spare not but I plead for one who is 1. glorious and excellent if you doubt it read his Character Cant. 5.9 What sayest thou now is hee not Altogether lovely is there any blemish to bee found in him and if thou mistrustest the Judgement of the Church sure thou canst not doubt of Gods Hear his sentence Matth. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Hee knew of whom hee spake for hee was his Son and hee doth not say hee was pleased with him only but well-pleased i. e. delighted See Prov. 8.30 and satisfied And was hee worthy of Gods love and doest thou doubt whether he have deserved thine 2. Consider hee is one that died for thee first to purchase thy love and since is gone to Heaven where yet hee doth not Cease to call upon thee and Invite thee to bestow thy heart upon him were hee excellent but proud it would bee little to thy advantage But hee stoops and wooes and intreats thee Isa 55.1 Luke 15.20 Act. 9.4 John 5.21.26 'T is a day of the Gladness of his heart when hee prevailes but with one soul to close with him And all the rage of his persecutors did not grieve him more than you will if you stand it out against him 3. Consider hee is one that hath the power of thy life and death in his own hands and this is one part of his Covenant upon which thy life or death depends as offered in the promise so hee waites but as love is the Condition of it so if thou hearkenest not thou loosest thy share therein and what thou choosest bee it life or death thou shalt Certainly have 2. Consider what it is I plead for why all that I aske is love and will you deny Christ that I call thee to think well of Christ to desire him to take Complacency in him to breath after union and eternal communion with him And which of these dost thou think too much for such an object or where canst thou place them more fitly than upon him what is hee worthy of if not of this did ever death content it self with such a recompence was ever any debt easier paid any service so easily performed as this only to love hath God made Christ a King Priest and Prophet and is that all which thou must do to partake of his love in him to love him in those relations and wilt thou stick at this Hast thou any other way to the bosome of God but by him yet rather than thou wilt come thither by love wilt thou damn thy soul by hating Christ is not the enjoyment of God worth the labour of love 1 Thes 1.3 shall all go rather than be saved by love to thy Redeemer 3. Consider what hee will do for thee if thou art a sincere lover of him Hee comes not to Court thee and flatter thee to thy loss but his reward is great Rev. 22.12 and hee brings it with him Give mee leave to tell thee some particulars thereof If thou wilt love him hee will betroth thee to himself in dearest love Hee will bee thy Bridegroom and thou shalt bee his Bride Hos 2.19 20. Ephes 5.32 Zech 3 4. Gen. 20.16 Rev. â—1 9 Isa 62.5 'T is not all thy filthy garments Ragges or Poverty that shall hinder but hee will bee to thee the Covering of thine eyes And a gladness of heart shalt thoa bee unto him Zeph. 3.17 Thou shalt bee the Joy of Christ himself for as the Bridegroom rejoyâ—eth over the Bride so shall the Lord thy God rejoyce over thee 2ly He will dwell with thee John 14.23 24. Husband and Wife dwell together and so doth the betrothed soul and Christ John 17.23 I in them and they in mee saith Christ Now this is a priviledge which carries many in the womb of it Rev. 3.20 such are these 1. Intimacy and daily familiarity Christ and Christians Eph. 5.23 take their meals together there is no Communion so neer as that which is between them One spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 2. Maintenance and provision 1 Tim. 5.8 Hee is worse than an Infidel that provides not for his own house Heb. 13.5 All that live under the same roof with Christ have their daily bread provided for them at his charges and hee hath said that hee will never leave them 3. Protection every mans house is his Castle they are under safe Covert that dwell with Christ 4. Counsel guidance and direction This great Husband dwels with all his family according to knowledge 1 Pet. 3.7 for hee teacheth them all his Secrets and shews them his Covenant Psal 25.14 3ly Hee will Interest thee in all his own Riches purchases possessions and dignities
matter Good Lord what sloth stupidity negligence hath possessed our hearts surely if thou didst beleeve that thou mightest bee in thy grave to morrow wouldest thou not make sure of heaven to day if the lease of thy house be almost expired and the Land-lord hath given thee warning to provide thee another Habitation for hee will not suffer thee to renew it any more dost thou not presently enquire of thy friends and of thy neighbours Sirs can you tell mee where I may have a convenient dwelling I have but a little time in the house where I am and I have had warning to go out by such a day art thou not careful to have an house ready to go to upon the very same day thou leavest the former Alas man dost thou not know the lease of thy life is almost out nay dost thou not know that thou art only a tenant at will and God may turn thee out at an hours at a moments warning and yet dost thou not make sure of an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens hath not God given thee warning did thy head never ake was thy heart never sick surely if thou didst not forget thy own mortality thou wouldest be more careful painful diligent in thy business I see frequently men upon their sick-beds when they think they must dye begin to inquire after Heaven and how they may know their sins are pardoned and whether their souls shall be saved because the apprehension of the neerness of the grave doth rouze them and for all thou knowest thou though now in health mayest be as soon in thy grave as hee that lieth sick God can stop thy breath when hee pleaseth Art thou mortal look then after thy soul 4. Is not this too great a sleighting of the comforts of the Spirit of God of Christ and Happiness is there not so much excellency in all these and sweetness in discerning thy propriety to them as to provoke thee to diligence in making sure of them 5. Dost not thou know that others have looked long after it and dost thou think thou shalt come so easily to it others have prayed much and searched themselves often and yet have not been able to satisfie all their own doubts whether they have gone farther than ever any hypocrite went and dost thou think it will be so easily discerned whether thy heart be sincere with God many finde it a hard thing to distinguish betwixt the highest degrees of common grace in hypocrites and the lowest degrees of saving grace in a true beleever 6. Dost thou think that conscience will never be awakened to disquiet thee when thou canst not satisfie it about thy salvation will it alwaies be in this spiritual slumber dost thou think that sickness will never come and that death will never come and that trouble will never seize upon thee when thy conscience shall be so alarmed that thou wouldest give all thou art worth to know what shall become of thy soul oh then for an infallible evidence of Gods Love oh then that thou mightest know whether God will pardon thy sin and save thy soul oh dreadful case when thou comest to dye and conscience shall accuse thee for thy sloth when thou feelest thy spirit begin to fail and apprehendest thy self neer the grave and conscience rageth and is not at peace because thou dost not know whether thou shalt go to Heaven or Hell It is dreadful doleful sad to hear these complaints from a dying man oh woe is mee that I must take my farewell of all my friends and death is impatient of delay and yet I cannot say my sins are pardoned oh woe is mee though I lye a dying I cannot say my sins are pardoned within a little while my body must be carried from my bed to my grave but oh it breaks my heart that I cannot tell whether my soul my precious and yet too much neglected Soul shall be carried to Heaven by holy Angels or dragged down to Hell by cursed devils oh that God would grant mee a month or two a little longer that I may work out my salvation but thy conscience shall tell thee thou hadst time but thou didst mis-spend it thou hadst it but thou didst not improve it in getting this grand Question resolved Whether thou hadst made thy peace with God Consider now how dreadful it will be when conscience is awakened and thou in this case unresolved 7. If thou be a true Christian yet herein dost thou not act too much like the careless ungodly world they take no care to make sure of Heaven and wilt thou justifie their practice and harden them in it There are some carnal ones in the family a carnal husband or a carnal wife or ungodly children or graceless servants that minds not God nor care for their souls that look not after Heaven and wilt thou be guilty of incouraging them in their carelesness and hardening them in their forgetfulness of God by thine own remisseness but if thou wast serious in the use of means pressing following hard after God thy strictness might shame them out of their wickedness and might reflect upon themselves if such a one that lives so circumspectly and taketh such pains in duties and yet doubteth and fears and would fain be resolved what a careless wretch am I never to regard my own soul they are ignorant of God and his excellency of Christ and his beauty of Grace and its necessity and therefore desire them not nor care to make sure of them but God hath opened thine eyes to see all these Stir up thy self then to get a certainty of thine interest in them 8. Art thou not too much guilty of hypocrisie when thou goest to the table of the Lord and yet dost not give diligence to make thy calling and election sure nor to have the certain knowledge of the pardon of thy sin and of thy peace with God is not the Lords supper an ordinance for the helping the right receivers to assurance of the pardon of their sin in the blood of Christ is it not for that end a seal of the covenant of grace if thou sayest thou usest it for this end why then dost thou look after it no more when thou returnest from that Ordinance Having premised these things to awaken you and rouse you out of your sloth supposing that now you are resolved to take any course that can bee prescribed from the word of God That thou art one who weepest mournest complainest because thou dost not discern thy spiritual condition I shall lay down my advice to thee in these following directions 1. Direction 1. Get some Characteristical distinguishing signs of true saving grace by thy serious searching the word of God Directions to get assurance God hath told thee in his word who shall bee damned and who shall bee saved though not by name yet by the qualifications by which they are described In the Bible there are the statute laws of
THE Morning-Exercise 〈◊〉 CRIâ—â—â—â—â—ATE Several Cases of Conscience Practically Resolved by sundry Ministers September 1661. Commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 Vnicuique est liber sua conscientia ad hunc librum discutiendum emendandum omnes alii inventi sunt Bernard de Inter. Dom. p. 1072. c. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Polyb. Frag. p. 1029. LONDON Printed for Joshua Kirton and Nathaniel Webb and are to be sold at the Kings Arms and at the Royal Oak in St. Pauls Church-yard 1661. To my most unfeignedly Beloved Parishioners of Saint GILES Cripplegate My Dear Friends THese Sermons both preach'd and printed are the meer product of love to your Souls I never yet that I remember went thorow the Parish without some though not sutably compassionate heart-akeing yearnings towards my charge to think and oh that I could think of it according to the worth of Souls how many thousands here are posting to Eternity that within a few years will be in Heaven or Hell and I know not how so much as to aske them whither they are going While God continues me your Watchman I shall affectionately desire and sollicitously endeavour to keep my self pure from the blood of all men Acts 20.26 and that not onely for the saving of my own Soul by delivering my Message but that you also may be saved by entertaining it I am willing therefore to commend unto you some legible provocations to serious Piety and therefore have procured a contribution of help that in the multitude of Spirituall Counsellors your souls may have safety In short Prov. 11.14 my Brethren give me leave to say that if I had but the Apostles Graces to help me in the manner I can without boasting at present use the matter of his Spiritually-passionate expressions That I greatly long after you all Phil. 1.8 9 10 11. in the bowells of Jesus Christ And this I pray that your love to truth and holiness may abound yet more and more in saving knowledge and in all sound judgement That you may practically approve things that are excellent and that you may be sincerely gracious and universally without offence till the day of Christ That you may be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God These my Beloved are and shall be through Grace the constant desires and restless endeavours of Novemb. 14. 1661. Your most affectionate Soul-Servant Samuel Annesley The CASES Resolved SErmon 1. How may we be universally and exactly conscientious Acts 24.16 page 1. Sermon 2. What must and can Persons do towards their own Conversion Ezek. 18.32 p. 25 Serm. 3. How may beloved lusts be discovered and mortified Matth. 5.29 30. p. 39 Serm. 4. What Relapses are inconsistent with Grace Heb. 6.4 5 6. p. 64 Serm. 5. How may we be so spiritual as to check sin in the first risings of it Gal. 5.16 p. 83 Serm. 6. How Ministers or Christian friends may and ought to apply themselves to sick persons for theâ—r good and the discharge of their own Conscience Job 33.23 24. p. 109 Serm. 7. How must we reprove that we may not paâ—take of other mens sins 1 Tim. 5.22 p. 161 Serm. 8. What means may be used towards the conversion of our carnal relations Rom. 10.1 p. 187 Serm. 9. What are the characters of a Souls sincere love to Christ and how may that love to him be kindled and inflamed Ephes 6.24 p. 218 Serm. 10. Wherein lies that exact Righteousnesse which is required between man and man Matth. 7.12 p. 248 Serm. 11. After what manner must we give Almes that they may be acceptable and pleasing unto God 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. p. 270 Serm. 12. If we must aime at Assurance what should they do that are not able to discern their own spiritual condition 1 Joh. 5.13 p. 305 Serm. 13. What difference is there between the conflict in Natural and Spiritual Persons Rom. 7.23 p. 323 Serm. 14. What faith is that which except we have in prayer we must not think to obtain any thing of God Jam. 1.6 p. 334 Serm. 15. Of the cause of Inward Trouble and how a Christian should behave himself when inward and outward Troubles meet Gen. 42.21 22. p. 351 Serm. 16. In what things must we use moderation and in what not Phil. 4.5 p. 381 Serm. 17. How may we have sutable conceptions of God in duty Genes 18.27 p. 415 Serm. 18. How are we to live by faith on Divine Providence Psalm 62.8 p. 426. Serm. 19. How may we cure distractions in holy duties Mat. 15.7 8. p. 461 Serm. 20. How must we in all things give thanks 1 Thes 5.18 p. 478 Serm. 21. How we may get rid of Spiritual Sloth and know when our activity in duty is from the Spirit of God Psal 119.37 vlt. p. 499 Serm. 22. Wherein are we endangered by things lawful Luk. 17.27 28. p. 561 Serm. 23. How must we make Religion our business Luke 2.49 p. 572 Serm. 24. Whether well-composed Religious Vows do not exceedingly promote Religion Psal 116.12 14. p. 586 Serm. 25. How are we compleat in Christ Colos 3.11 vlt. p. 611 Serm. 26. How shall those Merchants keep up the life of Religion who while at home enjoyed all Gospel-Ordinances and when abroad are not onely destitute of them but exposed to persecution Psal 120.5 p. 661 Serm. 27. How is Hypocrisie discoverable and cureable Luke 12.1 p. 655 Serm. 28. What must Christians do that the influence of the Ordinances may abide upon them 1 Chron. 29.18 p. 677 The READER may be pleased to amend these Errours of the Presse PAge 35. l. 27. read deserved not death p. 54. l. 32. is a very 65. l. 25. that I know 71. l. 4. there is l 14. course of sin 89. l. 31. add in the margin Rule 2. 98. l 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 105.4 pustulous 182.2 to Christ 201.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 211.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 219.6 amore 228.14 hypostaticam 236.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 257.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 366.16 tight 45 43. tight 378. vlt. is alwayes 404.8 Matth. 18.429.30 Prov. 18.10 Some other mistakes there are in letters as president for precedent wrap't for rap't and sometimes Greek words are false accented as p. 32. marg read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and one letter put for another as p. 506 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but such like faults being easily pardoned and amended we make no further observation of them How may we be universally and exactly Conscientious ACTS 24.16 And herein do I exercise my self to have allwayes a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men THis Sermon is but preliminary to some select cases of Conscience And in this Text you have a notable Anatomy of Conscience wherein are these six things singularly considerable 1. Here 's
perplexa omnis quod viri gravissimi jam olim conquesti sunt de animae intellectivae potentiis facultatibus disquisitioâ— quae capere se putant quidem suo modo capiunt illiteratâ—ssimi quique homunciones haec ipsa non capiunt acutissimi philosophi quâ in re nequeo satis admirari Dei Opt. Max. infinitam Sapientiam retundentis hoc pacto humanam superbiam repraesentantis mortalibus velut in speculo inanem illam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qua sibi videntur aliquid esse cum nihil sint miserè decipiâ—ntes cor suum p. 35. 36. that doth not further the design I drive at viz. an universall and exact conscientiousness For Conscience the Hebrews ordinarily make use of two words viz. Heart and Spirit Heart in Prov. 4.23 Keep thy Heart i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cor tuum i. e. keep thy Conscience with all diligence and so in the New Testament 1 John 3 20. If our Heart k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e if our Conscience condemn us Spirit in Pro. 18.14 A wounded Spirit l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a wounded Conscience who can bear and so in the New Testament 1 Cor. 2.11 What knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of man i. e. the Conscience of Man that is in him But in English as also in the Greek n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Latine o Con-scientia whence we borrow it 't is called Conscience knowledge with another which excellently sets forth the Scripturall nature of it as Job 16.19 My witnesse is in heaven and Rom. 9 1. I say the truth my Conscience also bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost In both places q.d. God witnesseth with my Conscience p Sanderson ibidem postea sâ—arsim Conscience is placed in the middle under God and above man q Perkins Vol 2 l. 1. p. 11. I will close this with Brochmand's description of Conscience r Brochmand T. 1. Art 1 c. 3. q 2. p. 7. to be a kind of silent reasoning of the Mind whose definitive sentence is received by some affection of the Heart whereby those things which are judged to be good and right are approved of with dâ—light but those things which are evill and naught are disapproved with grief and sorrow God hath placed this in all men partly to be a judgement and testimony of that integrity to which man was at first created and of that corruption that followed sin partly that God may have a Tribunal erected in the breasts of me to accuse delinquents and to excuse those that do what is good and right 2. The Object of conscience is very various conscience hath great employment Å¿ Mr. Bernard of cons p. 56. seqq and much businesse with the whole man and with all his actions 't is like those living creatures in the Revelation all over eyes it looks to the understanding t 2 Cor. 1.12 whether our wisdome be carnal or gracious to the will u Roman 7.18 whether it goe beyond or fall short in ability of good performances to the affections x Rom. 9.1.2 whether the entertainment or refusal of the Gospel be the matter of greatest joy or sorrow It pryes into all our actions both towards God and man Towards God whether in general our estate be good y Heb. 9.14 in speciall whether our service be inward z 2 Tim. 1.3 Spiritual or onely outward a Heb. 9 9. formal More particularly it surveighs all our duties whether we pray in faith b Heb. 10.22 whether we heare with profit c 1 Tim. 3.9 whether through our Baptisme we can goe unto God as unto an Oracle d 1 Pet. 3.21 Interp. 72. vocabulo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utuntur quando in V.T. Israelitae dicuntur interrogare os domini baptismus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 responsio bonae conscientiae etiaÌ„ interrogatio apud Deum quia audet cum fiducia DeuÌ„ accedere interrogare hoc est cum eo collâ—qui cumque rogare pro seâ—t aliis Geâ—hard l. c. T 4. de Sacram p. 180. § 88. whether in the Lords Supper we have singular Communion with Christ e Cor. 10.15.16 in short whether we doe and will stick close to Religion f 1 Pet. 3.15.16 as knowing that if Conscience doe not steer right Religion will be Shipwrakt g 1 Tim. 1.19 Thus duties towards God are the great object of Conscience but duties towards man are the Secundary and like unto it Towards man in our whole conversation h Acts 23.1 Particularly that we be obedient to rulers i Rom. 13.5 and that which is in one place charged upon us for Conscience sake is in another place commanded for the Lords sake k 1 Pet. 2.13 in short that we be just in all our dealings l Heb. 13 18. avoyding all justly offensive things m 1 Cor. 10.29 words n 1 Kings 2.44 thoughts o Psa 73.15.16 that we express singular charity p 1 Tim. 1 51 especialy to soules q Rom 9.1.2 and this in prayer r 2 Tim. 1.3.4 when we can doe nothing else and Conscience doth not onely do all this at present urging to duty or shooting or tingling under the commision of sin but it foresees things future provoking to good and cautioning against evill and also looks back upon things past with joy or torment so that it is easier to reckon what is not the object of conscience then what is in a word Every thing of duty and sin is the object of Conscience 3. The Offices of Conscience are likewise various In general the proper Office of Conscience is discursively to apply that light which is in the mind unto particular actions or cases The light which is in the mind is either the light of Nature or the light of Divine Revelation By the light of Nature I understand those common notions which are written in the hearts of men which as a brand pluckt out of the common burning are the reliques of the Image of God after the fall Not onely Scripture but experience evidenceth that those which are practical Atheists that say unto god depart from us Å¿ Job 21.14.15 we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes yet cannot get rid of his Deputy their Conscience they carry a Spy a Register a Monitor in their bosome that doth accuse and trouble them they cannot sin in quiet t Quod egi in corpore hoc post modum importuna cogitatione verso in mente muâ—toties gravius torqueor in recordatione quam prius captus fuerem operis perpetratione Bern. de inteâ— dom c. 30 p. 1074. Those that are without or Reject the Sun-shine of Scripture yet they canot blow out Gods Candle u Prov. 20 17. of Conscience By Divine revelation I meane
their great and supream Oracle in their mishapen apprehensions of their need of mercy they are willing to be flattered that it may be had without such severities in Religion u Quà m minu tatum pede tentim decline à deo itaâ— profundum de scendat ut super eam urgeà puteus oâ— summ mundi prospiritas alludit illudit cum laudetur peccator in desideriis animae suae cum peccantium favor peccâ—re nolentium pavor nolens dolens arridet ei c Bern. l. de consc p. 1109. as they are unwilling to undertake Why should they be wiser then their Neighbours all men are not fools Men as wise and as learned neither press nor practise such strictness and do you think they have not a care of their souls they do not doubt but they shall do as well as the best Though poor souls they know that wide is the gate and broad is the way w Mat. 7.13.14 that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat because strait is the gaâ—e and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it Mark that that find it he doth not say x Non dicit pauci ingrediuntur quod difficillimuÌ„ sed pauci inveniunt Par. in loc that enter into it but that find it Those that do not walk in the way of holinesâ— y vide Auth. imperfec oper Hom 18. p. 72. 't is impossible they should ever find it The gate doth not lead to the way but the way to the gate Do not think to get to heaven first and learn heavenly mindedness after yea heaven must now suffer z Mat. 11.12 violence striving is the condition a Luk. 13.24 vide Stell in loc of entring Rouze up therefore and shake off your worldly wisdome b See Abernethy's physick for the soul c. 7. p. 92. c. your ignorant self-love your abuse of mercies your contempt of God and your forgetfulness of death and judgement But how shall we do this 1. The first remedy I shall commend is Consideration Cure Let the subject of thy consideration be with thou wilt only I could wish it may relate to eternity whither thou art posting and I shall not doubt of the success Let me for once insert a relation I heard between the preaching and the transcribing of this Serm. The Father of a Prodigal left it as his death-bed charge unto his only Son to spend a quarter of an hour every day in retired thinking but left him at liberty to thinke of what he would onely engaged him to spend a quarter of an hour in thinking The son having this liberty to please himself in the subject sets himselfe to the performance of his promise his thoughts one day recall his past pleasures another contrive his future delights but at length his thoughts became inquisitive what might be his fathers end in proposing this task he thought his father was a wise and good man therefore surely he intended and hoped that he would some time or other think of Religion when this leaven'd his thoughts they multiplyed abundantly neither could he contain them in so short a confinement but was that night sleepless and afterwards restlesse till he became seriously religious O that I could perswade you to go and do likewise 2. Observe what means thou shunnest as too startling and make use of them for thy awakening This with the blessing of God will savingly awaken thee O how often hath thy Conscience whimper'd thou hast husht it to sleep again What doth thy sleepy Conscience most dread an awakening Ministry So far cross thy Conscience as to attend no other In stead of lullaby notions improve cutting c Tit. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redarguito praecitè Bez. Generalis cujusdem religiosi ordinis qui ut suos hortaretur ne minus conscientiae studerent quam scientiae dixit majores suos se vitamque suam direxisse conscientiâ nunc autem abbreviatam videri verbum istud ac mutilatum primâ syllabâ viz succedente illi scientiâ verendum deinceps ne hoc verbum mutiletur primâ syllabâ adeóque relinquatur sola entia rationis circa quae versatur saepè speculativa tantum scientia ac nudae speculationes Brester de consc l. 1. c. 7. p. 28. Sect. 57. convictions The scared Conscience II. The second kind of Conscience proposed is the seared Conscience Such is theirs who have given up their names to Christ but lift up their heel against him of which the Apostle speaks a 1 Tim. 4.2 having their consciences seared with an hot iron i. e. having a corrupt and b Corruptam putrifactam atque putredinem cum foetore semper emittentem Anselm in loc putrified conscience that have the Devils brand mark c Cauterio d'aboli penetratam esse ut indelebiliter eandom retineant conscientiam c. Cajet in loc upon it Plainly a seared Conscience is a rotten d Abern ibid. c. 8 p. 109. venemous ulcerate pestilent filthy gangrenate Conscience that doth not perform any of it's offices but is even past feeling that is or might have been in Christs Hospitall under cure of soul-distempers but through indulging of sin not being able to endure the sharp e Jer. 44.16 c. convictions bitter reproofs and cloâ—e exhortations of the word he deadens his Conscience unto an insensible senslesnesse to this rank of profligate sinners I refer all those that frequent as well as those that reject Ordinances that make a profession as well as those that hate the profession of Religion yet have a reserve of sin which they will not part with Searing you know is of that part which needs cure The causes Cause of a seared Conscience are Conscience-wasting sinnes on mans part procuring it and divine withdrawing from the sinner on Gods part inflicting it As there are are some f Morbus venenereus bodily diseases that follow bodily wickednesse so this Soul-disease is the peculiar punishment of sins against knowledge Methinks that Text is dreadfull g Rom 1.28 See also v. 21.24 26. As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate minde c. 'T is observable h Ecce quotiens vindicat Deus ex eadem vindâ—cta pâ—ura graâ—iora peccata consurgunt Bed in loc the oftner they rebelled against the light the more severely God punished them with that which they counted impunity viz. he gave them up to their swinge i Tradidit Deus substractione gratiae traditione in potestatem Satanae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in mentem reprobâ—m actâ— vè passivè intelligendo c. And aâ—l this to be such a recompence of their errour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quam oportuâ—t i. e. quam ex ordine justitiae suae Deus ipsis dehabeat retriâ—uâ—re Par. in loc of 1.
that it may be a sin to go against it but it can never so bind as it may be a virtue to follow it To follow an erring d Robins Obs c. 47. p. 246. Conscience is for the blind sinner to follow his blind Conscience till both fall into the ditch The violation of Conscience is alwayes evil and the following of an erring Conscience is evil but there 's a middle way that 's safe and good viz. the informing of Conscience better by Gods Word and following of it accordingly The Causes Causes of an erring Conscience besides Originall sin the effect whereof is blindness in the Understanding And the just judgement of God upon persons for not entertaining obeying and loving the truth as it is in Jesus besides these the causes are reducible to these Three Heads e Bresser l. 5. c. 23. p 556. Spaâ—sim 1. Negligence of learning the will of God f Discendi negligent a orta ex pigiritia Iâ—idem §. 2. 7. through slothfulness and love of ease and low esteem of the wayes of God I need name but one Scripture for both proof and illustration of this particular Eccles 4.5 6 The fool foldeth his hands together and eateth his own flesh Better is a handfull with quietness then both the hands full with travell and vexation of Spirit q d. He is a fool that puts himself into a posture of idleness g English An. that compoleth himself to do nothing that thinks it better to be without good things than be at some trouble in getting them h Pemble in loc 2. Pride whereby a man is ashamed to consult others and to be taught by them i Pudeat ignorantem alios consuleâ—e ab iis doceri Bâ—es ibid. Those that are sincerely consciencious are not free from a kind of proud modesty in being shie of making inquiry into practical cases there 's something of pride in their bashfulnesse to discover their ignorance in asking of questions for Conscience sake But those that are ungodly arrogate so much to their own judgment that to speak their own boasting they know as much as any man can teach them But as wise as they are a wiser then they calls them k Prov. 28.26 Qui suo fidit animo stultus est Merc. in loc fooles and their folly misleads them 3. Passion or inordinate affection l Bref ibid. c. about that whereof we are ignorant This warpeth our consideration for he that seeks truâ—h with a byas will run counter when he comes near it and not find it though he come within kenning of it m Arch Bishop Lawd Ep. Ded. before the relation of the conference You may gather the remedies from the opposites to these three causes of errour 1. Be industriously diligent to know your duty 2. Cure Be humbly willing to receive instruction And 3. Let not your affections out run your judgment But ther 's one rule I shall commend which if you will conscientiously improve you shall never be much hurt by an erring Conscience and I dare appeal to your own Consciences that 't is your indispensable duty you must use it and 't is so plain and easie you may use it Do what you know and God will teach you what to do Do what you know to be your present duty and God will acquaint you with your future duty as it comes to be present Make it your business to avoid know omissions and God will keep you from feared commissions This Rule is of great moment and therefore I will charge it upon you by express Scripture Psalm 25. v. 4. Shew me thy wayes O Lord i. e. those wayes wherein I cannot erre n Mandata tua ostende quae me non permittant errare c. Remigius in loc Teach me thy paths i. e. that narrow path which is too commonly unknown o Semita dicta quasi semi via quia angusto calle ditigitur nec vulgo nota est sed occulto itinere ambula tuâ— Bruno in loc B P. T. 11. p. 96. those commands that are most strict and difficult V. 5. Lead me in thy truth and teach me i. e. teach me evidently that I may not be deceived so teach me that I may not only know thy will but do it p Remig. ubi sup Here 's his prayer but what grounds hath he to expect audience For thou art the God of my salvation q. d. thou Lord wilt save me and therefore do not refuse to teach me On thee do I wait all the day i. e. the whole day and every day q Arnobius in loc other arguments are couched in the following verses but what answer v. 9. The meek will he guide in judgement the meek will he teach his way i. e. those that submit their neck to his yoke those that are not conceited that they can guide themselves better then he can guide them he will teach them his ways r Non eos qui pracurrere volunt quasi seipsos melius regere possint sed eos qui non eri gunt cervicem neque reculeitrant Aug. in loc in necessary great and weighty matters they shall not err Å¿ Ejusmodi error nunquâ—m accidit vel certe non permanet de rebus necessariis magnis gravibus Bergius prax Cathol p. 247. Again Prov. 2. v. 3. If thou seekest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding v 4. If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for â—id treasures v. 5. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God v. 6. For the Lord giveth wisdom out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding v. 7. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly v. 8. He keepeth the paths of Judgment and preserveth the way of his Saints v. 9. Then shalt thou understand Righteousness and Judgment and Equity and every good path q d. Be but as diligent to get knowlege as a covetous man is to get money t Cartw. in loc and God will certainly give you such knowledge of his wayes as shall preserve you from errour u Dominus clypeus erit iis qui perfectâ—m omnibus suis numeris constantem contemplationis rationem in hisce reconditis divinisque rebus amplecti sint quo ab erroribus tuti serventur c. Levi Ghersom in loc and will teach you how to behave your selves both towards God and Man w Eng. Annor One Scripture more that in the evidence of three vitnesses this rule may be established Joh. 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self q.d. Hinder not your selves from learning truth through fear of erour y Quà m perperam stultè hedÃe permulti dum errandi periculum metuunt hac trepidatione sese impediant ab omni
5. To make us strive to be more spiritual 6. To little lesse then force us to live more upon Christ but you must take the other rule if you would have these benefits 2. Do what possibly you can to get z Vide Bress l. 6. c. 2-5 rid of your scruples but if you cannot get rid of them act against them 'T is not only lawfull but necessary to go against a scrupulous Conscience or you will never have neither grace nor peace Should a Christian forbear praying or receiving the Sacrament every time his scrupulous Conscience tells him he had better wholly omit the duty then perform it in such a manner you would soon find to your sorrow the mischief of your scruples but grace will not leave him to his scrupulous humour Be resolute therefore and tell the Devil that as you do not perform your duty at his command so neither will you omit it at his bidding Do by religious duties as they that are afraid to go by water or to go over a narrow bridg they cease to fear when they have gone often over so by the performance of duties your scrupulous fears will vanish Act against your scruples 1. Positively by disputing them down and opposing their reasons 2. Negatively by slighting of them and not hearkning to them In short In all necessary known duties alwayes do what you can when you can't do what you would VI. The trembling Conscience is that which is disquieted a Dorotheus compares our consciences to those pits that Abraham digged and the Philistines stopped them with earth Gen. 26.50 Ob peccatum ut in aqua caenosa turbida nemo potest in ea vultum suum contemplari B. P. T. 4. p. 769. The trembling Consc and distressed with the apprehended hazard of the Soul's condition that doth nothing but accuse and condemn affright the Soul This of any needs least enlargement for every one that feels it is rhetoricall enough in expressing it There 's a twin-cause of a trembling Conscience viz. Sense of sin b Psalm 51.3 Psalm 40 12. Cause fear of wrath c Psal 38.2 8 Psal 88.3 c. Never sin like mine never heart like mine never case like mine Such are the constant complaints of a troubled spirit I meddle not now with that horrour of Conscience that follows prostigate d Nèmo a se extra se curret nullus sui asylum habet Eus Nieremberg de a t. vol. l. 2. p. 158. wretches I shall speak something of it toward the close nothing now For cure Cuâ—e I can give but hints Never keep the Devils counsell Break through all carnall reasonings to acquaint your selves with some faithfull spirituall Physitian or experienced Christian that may shew you the methods of divine grace and what others e 1 Cor. 10.13 have successfully done that have been just in your condition This premised 1. Notwithstanding yea in the midst of your saddest complaints Blesse God for an awakened conscience while there 's hopes of cure It is a good rule Be not too quick in administring comforts but we cannot be too quick in provoking f Read 1 Thes 5.18 with the verses next before and after to thankefulnesse If you can at present be thankfull that you are out of hell you shall e're long be thankfull for assurance of heaven This rule may seem strange but upon experience it's practice will discover it's excellency 2. Observe 't is Gods usuall method to bring the soul through these perplexities to the most solid spirituall peace Augustine g Instabas tu in occultis meis Domine severa misericordia flagella ingeminans timoris pudoris ne rursus cessarem jaÌ„ penè faciebam non faciebam sentiebam me ab iniquitatibus teneri jactabam voces miserabiles quamdiu quamdiu cras cras quare non modo quare non hac hora finis turpitudinis meae Aug. Conf. l. 9. c. 11 12. excellently expresseth his spirituall conflict how God followed him with severe mercy till he made him instant for thorow-holinesse God kept him trembling that he might leave dallying in soul-concernments Believe it Christian God is now storing thee with experiences which will be a usefull treasury throughout thy life Therefore 3. Do but hold on h 1 Cor. 15 8. Nihil tibi utiliuifâ—re scias quaÌ„ ut cum profunda quadam ac forti resignatione teipsum deo humiliter resignes in omnibus quae tibi evenerint Sive dulcia ea fuerint sive amara sive delectent sive crucient ita ut dicere possis O deus adorande etiamsi in hac viâ—a istaque pressura ad extremum usque judicij diem permanendum mihi foret te tamen haudquaquam deserere vellem sed constanter perpetuóque tibi adhaererem c. Thauler in histor vit p. 16. in the vigorous use of all means of Grace and reckon Gods keeping thee from turning thy back upon his ways when thou hast no comfort in them the secret supports he gives which thou tak'st no notice of count these for evidences that the Spirit is at work in thy heart and for pledges that he will perfect his own work e g. Count thy growing importunity in prayer or sorrowful complaint for the want of it a gracious answer of that prayer which thou thinkst is disregarded Count thy watching for a word to direct and support thee a notable efficacy of that word which thou countest doth thee no good Count thy restless dissatisfaction with every thing on this side God to be a love-token from God to assure thee that God will be thy satisfying portion and in the interim aske those well-grown christians that are now in the spiritually-sensible embraces of divine love whether they are not glad that God formerly took that course with them which he now takes with thee to bring them to these joyes Be encouraged therefore though thou hast a sorrowfull i Psal 126.5 6. seed-time thou shalt have a joyfull harvest Thus having spoken of those kinds of Conscience that are either evill or troublesome and how to cure them I now come to those desirable kinds of Conscience that next to Deity and heavenly Glory admit no hyperbole in their commendation viz. the good honest Conscience and the good peaceable Conscience and how to obtain them VII That Conscience is good in respect of its integrity The good honest Consc which gives a right judgement of every thing according to the word of God I grant that the law of Nature binds k Rom. 2.14 Ecclesiastical laws binde l Mat. 23.2 3. and Politicall laws binde m Rom. 13.5 but the Word of God is the principall rule n Norma principalissima c. Konig p. 3 4. which precisely binds the conscience in regard of it's Author o James 4.12 There is one law-giver who is able to save and to destroy Feare p Mat. 10.28 not them
which kill the body and are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell VIII That conscience is a good peaceable conscience that excuseth q 1 Cor. 4.4 The good quiet Conscience absolveth r Heb. 10.2 and comforteth Å¿ 2 Cor. 1.12 as it ought that conscience that 's pacified t Heb. 9.14 by the blood of Christ that doth as Moulin u Moulin the comfort of a CommunicaÌ„t p. 37. relates of a dying man to whom some say the Devil appeared and shewed him a parchment that was very long wherein was written on every side the sins of the poor sick man which were many in number and that there were also written the idle words he had spoken which made up three quarters of the words that he had spoken in his life and his actions digested according to the Commandements Whereupon Satan said Seest thou behold thy vertues see here what thine examination shall be whereunto the poor sinner answered It is true Satan but thou hast not set down all for thou shouldest have added and set down here below the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all our sinnes and this also should not have been forgotten That whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life But how shall we get such consciences Christians be but perswaded to practice these or such directions and your Consciences will certainly be right and seasonably be comfortable 1. Take heed of every sinne w 2 Cor. 8.21 count no sin small x Matth. 5.21 22.27 28. Scrue up your obedience to every y Matth. 22.37 38. command to the highest Ferret out every sin to the most secret z Rom. 7.7 corruption When you have set your watch against the first risings of sin beware of the borders of sin shun the very a 1 Thes 5.22 appearance of evill Venture not upon occasions b Prov. 4.15 27. Facile agitur quod libenter auditur Bern. de inter dom pa. 1082. or temptations to sin those that dare venture upon occasions as children upon the ice c Prov. 7.8 Numb 25.2 shall find there 's alwayes danger never any good Morality it self will teach d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 4â—7 you this lesson to keep clear of evil if ever you would either be good or enjoy it but seeing as on the one hand there cannot be truth of grace and truce with sin so on the other hand while grace is imperfect sin will have and make us feel it hath a Being There 's not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not e Eccles 7.20 therefore II. Forthwith set upon the healing duty of repentance and upon every slip into sin renew it f Peccator omnium notarum cùm sim nec ulli rei nisi paenitentiae natus Tertul de poenit p. 121. c. 12. speedily renew it O that I could snatch you out of your state of impenitency and perswade you to daily actual repentance To those that are resolved to delay their repentance I have sometimes given counsel suitable to such resolutions viz. the next sickness that seizeth upon you chide it away tell your disease you can't awhile to be sick say to it as Paul to Foelix g Acts â—4 25 Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee If death summon thee tell it you will not obey its summons you have other business to do than to dye you have estates unsetled and children unprovided for and you would repent too before you die but you can't yet awhile If this will not serve but die you must charge your souls before they go out of your bodies not to come near the prison of impenitent persons charge your friends to lock up your bodies so safe or bury them so deep that all the Angels in Heaven may not be able to dragg them to judgement But alass my Brethren do you not think this wild counsell and well you may Yet unless you could do something aequivalent to what this counsel amounts to you are mad to defer your repentance What! cannot I keep pain from my body nor the use of reason in my Soul one minute and shall I continue in my impenitency that will damn me the very moment of my death I beseech you therefore for your own Souls sake that you may not be guilty of the worst self-murder i. e. soul-murder speedily set vpon repentance And those of you that have repented let your repentance daily supplant sin by taking it by the heel certainly to lame it though you can not take it by the head utterly to kill it Though we can't be innocent h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazienz T. 1. orat 15. p. 225. 236. let 's be poenitent and be very careful never to return i Confessio peccati professio est desinendi c. Hilar. in Psal 137 p. 595. to sins repented of That you may be serious in both these III. Compose thy self to live as under Gods eye live as in the more then sensible presence of the Jealous God Remember all things are naked and bare before him you cannot deceive him for he is infinite wisdom you cannot fly from him for he is every where you cannot bribe him for he is righteousness it self Keep therefore fresh apprehensions of God in your thoughts speak as knowing God hears you walk as knowing k Talem te prepa a ut tecum adsit Deus sit in ore sit in corde semper tecum eat tecuÌ„ redeat nec recedat a te Nuâ—quam â—lle te d mittet nisi p ior illum dimiseris ubicunque fueris nunquam solus esse poteris si Deus tecum erit Bern. de in t dom p. 1065. c. 5. 1091. c 66. God is nearer to you then you are to your selves The l 2 Chron. 15 1 Lord is with you while you are with him i. e. you shall enjoy his favourable presence while you live in his awfull presence There 's one Psalm which 't were well if Christians would do by it as Pythagoras m Refert Galenus reâ—itasse se sub initium et finem cujusqueâ—â—ei Elâ—chmaâ—â—us Epil Edit p. 15 by his golden precepts every morning and evening repeat it 't is Davids n Molleâ— in loc appeal of a good Conscience unto God against the malicious suspitions and calumnies of men Do you but thus praesentiate God unto your selves and God will attest your integrity Psalm 139. v. 1. O Lord thou hast searched me and known me q. d. O Lord thou art the heart-searching God who perfectly knows all the thoughts counsells studies endeavours and actions of all men and therefore mine vers 2 Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising thou understandest my thought afar off q d. thou knowest my rest and motion
voluntati objiciuntur sint aut finis aut media haec ob sclum finem appeti media qua media dicunt tantum relationem ad finem non autem fundamentum ipsius tum quia contraria est puritati amoris quo deo inhaerere debemus Ita enim ut passim apud sol diores vitae spiritualis magistros videre est amare debâ—mus deum ut cum illo etiaÌ„ sub illo nihil aliud amemus sed omnia duntaxat in illo quia alià s non amamus illuÌ„ ex toto corde sed aliud quidpiam ab illo occupat cor nostrum Gibieuf de lib. dei creat l. 1. c. 11 p. 66. is our love to other things regular when the alone goodness of God moves us to love them as the alone respect to health makes me use physick the means hath no proper goodness distinct from the goodness of the end those means which were profitable though they remain unchanged in themselves yet they become unprofitable by the alone change of the end e. g. Health being recovered physick is unprofitable which while we were infirme was profitable so we are not to love any means without relation to the end because 't is contrary to the purity of that love which we owe to God for we ought so to love God that with him or under him we love nothing else but all things only in him because otherwise we do not love him with our whole heart e. g. In mens loving their wives and wives their husbands in Parents loving their children children their Parents 't is a rare pitch to love all these in God that is to advance our love to God by them and so far as any of them draw off our love to God to say to them as Christ to Peter Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me Love is extended to good the more good therefore any thing is the more it is to be beloved But thou O Lord my God saith Bradwardine f Tu autem Dâ—mine deus meus es omnis boni bonum super omnia bona bonus bonum infinitissimè infinitum quomodo tantum plus amabo te quam tu amas me quantum tu es melior me debeo amare te finaliter propter te omnia alia propter te tu autem non amas me proptér me nec caetera propter me debeo etiam amare te infinite quodammodo intersive supra quod cumque bonum finitum tu autem non sic amas me Debeo quoque amare te infinite quodammodo extensive volendo scil potiùs quotcumque quantacunque bona alâ—a etiam meipsum non esse quam te vel quam te semel offendere tu vero non sic amas me quia non debeo sic amari c. Bradwardin de causa dei l 2. c. 34. p. 627. seqq art the Good of every good good above all things that are good a good most infinitely infinite how much therefore should I rationally love thee should not my love be proportionably infinite I would I could so love thee but how shall I that am so very little finite love thee infinitely And yet without so loving thee how will there be kept any due proportion in loving thee who dost infinitely exceed all other lovely things I ought to love thee infinitely as to the manner though I cannot as to the act of my love i. e. I ought to love thee finally for thy self or else I may love thee in some sort infinitely as to the Act both intensively and extensively in some sort intensively i. e. more intensely more firmly more strongly then any finite good because I love them but for thee In some sort extensively by comparing all things how many or how great soever with thee and loving thee before above all that I had rather all things in the world and my self too to have no being then once to offend thee But Lord thou lovest thy friends in an unspeakable manner more then they can love thee O therefore thou great Lord thou great Good that fillest heaven and earth why doest thou not fill my very little soul O my soul that art so little so miserable why dost thou not open all thy little doors why dost thou not extend thy utmost capacity that thou mayest be wholly possest wholly satiated wholly ravished with the sweetness of so great love specially seeing thou art so very little yet nothing less will satisfie thee O therefore my most loving God I beseech thee tell me what may most effectually draw out my love to thee considering what prevention of love what privative positive good things I receive from thee infinite in greatness infinite in multitude It is a wonder that any one can think of these things and not be wholly swallowed up of love wholly turned into love But I see Lord 't is easier to speak these things and to write them down than to do them Thou therefore most good most powerful Lord to whom nothing is difficult give I beseech thee that I may more easily do these things in my heart then utter them with my mouth Open I beseech thee thy most bountiful hand and enable me that nothing may be more easie nothing more sweet nothing more delightfull then most effectually and most affectionately to fulfil that which I speak about loving of thee Lord give me leave a little to presume above my hope and to plead with thee about thy magnificent goodness humane friendship will not give the repulse to a poor wanting begging friend O therefore most liberal Lord help me that I may love thee Christians 't is worth while to make it your business to climb up to this love-extasie This you will find to be a compleating rule an effectual means and a singular exercise of exact and conscientious walking I shall briefly name I intended largely to have prest two arguments or motives to perswade the use of these directions 1. You cannot possibly get rid of your Conscience g Nec vi extinguitur nec fraude adeò altè inhaeret animo Tutissimus licet homo sit tamen securus non est ipsas tenebras nequitia imo tuta omnia timet multos fortuna liberat paena metu neminem Exemplo sunt potentissimi Imperatores qui aâ—cani licentiam nacti sine arbitris sine testibus c. Episcop Instit theol P. 1. c. 3. p. 10 11. Ipsa conscientia propriis stimulis agitatur atque compungitur sui ipsa efficitur accusatrix testis Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 2. c. 11. p. 707. therefore be perswaded to get a good one there 's nothing more common then for wicked men to do what they can to extinguish Conscience they flatter it with carnall reasoning they bâ—ibe it with mock devotions they wound it with hainous provocations they scar it with customary wickedness they trample it under foot by sinning in despight of it
they run away from it and will not endure to hear it by diversions and yet they can sooner turn their souls out of their bodies then Conscience out of their Souls yea amongst all these indignities it 's as fresh and active as if it were not thus abused it doth but watch it's opportunity when it will be heard when 't will make that which was done perhaps 40 years ago as if it had been but yesterday What ayles the great Emperours of the world h Insigne visum est earum Caesaris literaruÌ„ initium nam his verbis exorsus est Quid scribam vobis P. C. aut quomodo scribam aut quid omnino non scribaÌ„ hoc tempore Dii me deaeque pejus perdant quà m perire quotidie sentio si sâ—io Adeò facinora atque flagitia sua ipsi quoque in supplicium verterant Tiberium non fortuna non solitudines protegebant Tacitus Annal. l. 6. c. 6. page 146. that cause their terrour in the land of the living what ayls them to tremble with inward contrition is it a vain fear why then do they not shake it off is it the fear of men No they are above humane punishments Is it the fear of shame no the sin perhaps was secret at least man knows not the inward consternation of their spirits What 's the matter O they are haunted by the fury of their own Consciences Would wicked men but blab the gripes they sometimes feel even then when they out-face a Ministeriall or friendly reproof there would need no more to be said to evidence that a Conscience you will have which will first or last do its office 2. Your own Conscience will be your best friend or your greatest enemy of any creature unto eternity There 's i Vide Bern. de inter dom c. 22. p. 1070. no greater riches no greater pleasure no greater safety then a good Conscience Let the pressures of the body the hurry of the world the affrightments of Satan be never so great they can't reach the Conscience A good Conscience singularly chears the dying body joyfully accompanies unto God the departed Soulâ— triumphingly presents both Soul and Body unto the desired Tribunal There 's no more profitable means nor surer testimony nor eminent Conveyor of eternal happiness then a good Conscience And on the contrary there is no greater torment then of an evill Conscience though its gentler checks may be disregarded it s louder clamours will make you tremble O Sirs what will you do when Conscience shall upbraid you with your abuse of mercies incorrigiblenesse under judgements contempt of Christ and hatred of holiness you can't now endure to hear what Conscience hath to say how will you endure it unto eternity if one that killed his own Father k Parricidium vindicaturi Pelusii pro flagitij dignitate nulluÌ„ hactenus torturae ingenium per duxerunt non culeum non vivicomburium saevius quid cogitarunt piae scilicet matris naturae ferulaÌ„ conscientiam ad summae attrocitatis exemplum docti novam saevitiam didicerunt parricidam sancientes triduo cogi spectare occisi cadaver ut sic puniretur enormissimo omnium supplicio admonitione facinoris Jo Eâ—s Nieâ—â—â—berg de art vol. l. 2. pag. 156. could not in some Egytians account be more cruelly punished then by being compell'd to behold the murthered body for three dayes what a torment will it be to be forc't to behold every sin with every aggravation unto eternity here in bodily sickness there 's some intervalls to revive the Spirits but hereafter there will not be a moments intermission of unexpressible horrour unto eternity The Conscience shall roar under infinite wrath and the sinner shall be kept from annihilation under it by infinite power 1 Cor. 15.34 Thus I have in a weak manner performed my promise in speaking to severall kindes of Consciences with remedies and rules which laid together will I think amount to sufficient instructions How we may be universally and exactly conscientious viz. 1. Get your Consciences awakened from their natural Lethargy 1. 2. Preserve them tender from acquired searednesse m Heb. 3.13 3. Rectifie their errours as you would get cure of blindness n Eph. 4.18 4. Resolve their doubts as you would a claime to your lands o Rom. 14.5 5. Break from your scruples as from theeves on the road p Isa 35.3 4. 6. Lay your head in Christs bosom to cure your trembling q Isa 40.11 And then for the 7. integrity and 8. quiet of your Consciences Observe the rules proposed as punctually as you would Physitians bills in a tedious sickness 1. Avoid sinning as you would a train of gun-powder r Job 18.15 2. Be as quick in your repentance as in the cure of a Pleurisie s Zeph. 2.2 3. Live under the apprehended presence of the jealous God t Ezek. 11.5 4. Examine you hearts as Princes sift out treason u Lam. 3.40 5. Pray for sutable grace as starving persons cry for food w Psa 143.7 8 6. Let euery action be as an arrow shot at a mark x 1 Cor. 10.31 7. Think of God as of a wise Physitian y Job 40.2 8. Be as vile in your own esteem as you are in the eyes of a captious enemy z Eph. 3.8 9. Live upon Christ as the Child in the womb lives upon the Mother a Gal. 2.20 10. Love God as near as possibly you can as God loves you b Psalm 18.1 2 But if these rules though thus contracted be too many and too long to be allwayes remembred that you may not be overcharged with that which should never be forgotten I shall commend to you some Spiritually chymicall extractions and if I might so express it Spirits of directions that may be to your Souls in your pilgrimage towards Heaven as your Ship-provisions in a Sea-voyage generally sufficient when others cannot be had Plainly practise these memorialls of direction in all your conscientious walking I. Consult duty not events There 's nothing in the world for us to do but to mind our duty Curious speculations c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem Alexandr Strom. lib. 6. p. 664. that tend not to holiness may be reckoned among your superfluities but mis-giving predictions of what may or will befall you in the discharge of your duty may be reckoned among your grosser iniquities and to venture upon sin to avoid danger is to sinke the Ship for fear of Pirats and must be reckoned amongst your greatest follies your worst of sins Is not their reason questionless their Conscience is dangerously distempered that practically argue this way of duty may probably procure mans displeasure and therefore to prevent that I 'le take the course which will certainly procure Gods displeasure Besides by-wayes will not lead you to the place you aime at d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 471. 466. but on the contrary keep your
it Rom. 9.1 Now wouldst thou know thy beloved sin hearken to the voyce of Conscience doth that condemn thee for pride for passion for worldliness for persecuting the ways of God Oh remember it is Gods Viceroy honour it so far as to weigh and consider throughly what it saith t is likely this may be thy particular sin that which dishonours God most if Conscience be any thing tender will trouble thee most many a man deals with his Conscience as Felix did with Paul hearken to it a while whilst it tels them of their lesser faults or that they are sinners in the general but when it rebukes them for their darling lust though they cannot say go thy way as Felix to Paul yet hold thy peace and when I have a convenient season I will give thee the hearing 5. It may be known by being impatient of reproof Herod hears John Baptist gladly till he preached against his Herodias this is a noli me tangere touch me not The Plant-animal or the sensible Plant so called when it is touched shrinks up and contracts its self the sinner shrinks when he is touched in the sore place The eye is a tender part and apt to be offended if you meddle with it This is the reason why people are enraged against a powerful soul-searching soul-saving Ministry most men are for Mountebanks and Quacksalvers that make use altogether of Lenitives and healing Plaisters but as for your faithful Chirurgions that according to Art will probe and search and cleanse the Wound they cannot away with them I hate him saith Ahab of Michaiah He never prophecies good concerning me but evill only I shall add this that man especially that Minister that reproves another for his sins had need to be blameless as much as may be himself Rom 21.2 21 22. thus the Apostle intimates Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy self that man that is a teacher of others should teach himself so much the more we teach others when we deliver unto them Rules and Precepts unto which they are to conform we teach our selves when we obey those Rules Thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery dost thou commit adultery c. that man that hath a beam in his own eye is not likely to pull out the mote that is in his brothers 6. It may be known by this it makes a man notoriously partial in his own case David could allow himself another mans wife and could condemn one to death for taking away another mans Lamb. 7. It may be known by the covers and cloaks and fair pretences that the sinner hath for this sin Uncleanness and intemperance are but tricks of youth and sowing his wild Oats Luxury is magnificence covetousness is good husbandry pride is a piece of nobleness and grandure of spirit yea which is more t is humility you have some that disparage themselves in company and they call this humility when in truth it is the height of their spirits like the Archer that draws back the arrow that it may fly so much the higher and so much the further T is strange blindness or deceit or both to call not yellow or some middle colour but black white yet thus it is with many they shape their darling lust like those vertues unto which they are extreamly contrary Every wicked man is sins advocate and will plead its cause gratis Oh saith Judas to what purpose is this waste Mat. 26.8.9 Joh. 12.6 This oyntment might have been sold for much and given to the poor this he said saith another Evangelist Not that he cared for the poore but because he was a thief had the bag and bare what was put therein Beware of speaking any thing towards the justification of your selves in any way of wickedness you know the malefactor is condemned before he is put to death so it is in the case of sin cum peccator justificatur peccatuâ— condemnatur when a sinner is justified his sin is condemned and after condemnation followeth execution Job 31 3â— v. 40. Job vindicates himself in this particular If I covered my transgressions as Adam by hiding mine iniquities in my bosom c. then let thistles grow instead of wheat as if he had said I did not hide mine iniquity as Adam did I did not cover my transgression I was open and ingenuous the Psalmist saith Blâ—ssed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered but then it must be by Gods hand not ours 8. If there be any one sin more then other that the soul doth readily close with that is its beloved sin its right eye sin or its right hand sin Sampson when all the world could not take away his strength Prov. 7.21 is easily perswaded by Dalilah See how Solomon expresses the Harlots dealing with the young man with much fair speech she caused him to yeild with the flattering of her lips she forced him the most she could do was to flattâ—r him and yet notwithstanding it is said she forced hiâ— sin works altogether by enticement Every man is tempted Jam. 1.14 when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed yet it is so powerful that it amounts to a force as the request of a King amounts unto a command 9. That sin which a man wishes were no sin is like to be his bâ—loâ—ed sin the case of the young man in the Gospel is considerable to this purpose saith our Saviour If thou wilt be perfect go sell that thou hast and give to the poor Mat. 19.21 22 and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come follow me Ver. 22. When the young man heard that saying he went away sorrowful that is â—he was very much troubled that there was such a truth as this Psal 14.1 that the world for Christs sake was to be parted with So Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God Oh saith the fool That there was no God that there was no heaven that there was no hell Atheism was the beloved sin in that case first men wish there were no Deity and then they judge so and say so Carnal affections after some time settle in opinion and judgement t is possible for men by ways of unrighteousness by a constant course of cheating and cozening so far to shut up and imprison their natural light and so to muffle their reason and understanding that at length they may cheat and baffle their own souls and think it a piece of justice and righteousness so to do 10. That sin which we think of first in the morning and last in the evening is like to be our beloved sin God is the chiefest good the prime object of our love and therefore as he is Alpha and Omega in himself so is he also unto his people the beginning and the end the first and the last they begin the day
Tim. 1.15 Some have left their Love Rev. 2.3 Some left the Faith 1 Tim. 5.12 Some have turned after the world as Demas 2 Tim. 4 10. Some have turned aside after Satan 1 Tim. 5.15 And would to God there were no Example to be given in our age and observation it is that which the professors of a true Religion are more subject to then those of a false Jer. 21.1 Hath a nation changâ—d their god which yet are no gods but my people have changed their glory for that which doâ—h not profit Now there are three falls to which men are subject 1. Some fall as wood or Cork into the water sink at first Mat. 14.31 Act. 27.20 and 44. but get up again being helped by the hand of divine grace as Peter or brought off by a miracle of mercy as Paul and his company after all hopes of safety were quite taken a way This the fall of the godly 2. Some fall as lead or stone into the bottom of hell as Pharaohs host into the bottom of the sea and never rise again Exod. 15. having neither promise of God nor seed of God to raise them up again 1 Tim. 1.19 but make a final shipwarck of faith and conscience and of their souls together This the fall of the wicked 3. There is a mixt fall common to both which is like the falling into an Epidemical Disease whereof many dye and as many recover of which in their order There are four kinds or degrees of falling which the people of God are subject to And four kinds or degrees to which the wicked are subject and each latter is worse then other in them both 1. The first and lightest fall of the godly 4. Falls of thâ— Godly is that in their daily combate between flesh and spirit set out Rom. 7. at large and Gal. 5.17 We cannot do what we would but fail or fall short after our best endeavours Our duties are imperfect graces defective our gold and silver drossy our wine mixt with water Sin deceiveth surprizeth captiveth slayeth yet reigneth not all this while It is not I but sin that dwels in me I consent to the Law I delight in the law of God even in my inner man c. These falls or slips are unavoydable involuntary there is no Saint but complains of them no duty but is stained with them In our clearest Sun-shine we see a world of such Moats which yet hinder not the light and comfort of our Justification and destroy not Sanctification True grace consists with these Velimus nolimus Irruunt in nos Egyptiorum muscae obstrepunt Ranae in Cubilibus Regiis Prov. 24.16 yea is not separated from the assaults and induelling of such motions Will we Nill we said Bernard We are pesterd with swarms of these Egyptian flyes and have these frogs in our inmost chambers We are none of us Supralapsarians in this sense but Sub-lapsarians all yea and Relapsarians too The just falleth seven times a day by this infirmity and riseth again and taketh no harm but is kept humble and depending thereby Every son and daughter of Abraham is kept bound under this spirit of infirmity to their dying day This first fall is but like the fall of a mist in a winter morning the Sun gets up and it is a fair day after This is the first fall The second is worse which is 2. An actual visible stumble as to offence of others yet occasioned by some surreptitious surprize of temptation for want of that due consideration which we should always have this Gal. 6.1 the Apostle calls a mans being overtaken with a fault who is to be restored with a spirit of meekness considering we also may be tempted such falls or slips rather all or most are subject to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 3.2 In many things we offend all We sometimes trip or slip or misse our hold so the word signifies and so down we come but not out of choice Thus did Peter slip or halt Gal. 2.14 when he did Judaise out of too much complyance with the Jewes whom therefore Paul did rebuke and restore Thus the Disciples slipt when they in zeale to Christ would have fire fetcht down from heaven upon those that would not receive them Luk. 9.54 55. whom Christ set right with a spirit of meekness These slips or falls are like those of him whose foot is wrenched or out of joynt whence he halts till it be set right Thus Peter is said to halt Gal. 2.14 he did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when Paul had set his wrenched foot he went upright ever after Hence that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 6.1 restore is a Chirurgeons word to set him right as a bone out of joynt He that shall be censorious and severe against these two first kind of falls incident to most let him as Constantine said to Acesius the Novatian Bishop Get himselfe a ladder Socr. l. 1. c. 7. and climbe up to heaven by himselfe he should have but a few come there else 3. The third fall is much worse a fall from the third lost whence like Eutichus they are taken up dead for the present but they come to themselves again These are falls into grosser and more scandalous sins which do Vastare conscientiam set the stacks or Corn-fields of Conscience on fire whereas the other two forenamed especially the former are such as Tertullian calls Quotidianae Incursionis these are very dangerous and befall not all Professors they had not need but now and then one falls into some scandalous sin but they not usually again into the same sin after sense and repentance of it Thus fell David and Peter into foul flagitiousness but not deliberately nor totally nor finally nor reiteratedly Sin raged indeed and seemed to reign for the present Moses hands grew weak and the hand of Amaleck prevailed for the present But a seed of God was in them 1 John 3.9 and they could not sin unto death but were renewed to repentance and their sins are blotted out This fall is like the fall of the Leafe in Autumn life remains safe a Spring in due time follows though many a cold blast first 4. There is yet one worse fall than these former incident to a child of God too to be of the decaying hand and to remit and lose his former fervour and livelinesse And it may be he never comes as the second Temple up to the former pitch and glory Ezra 3.12 1 King 11 4 9 10. Thus Solomons zeale and love was abated in his old age as his father Davids naturall heat was in his age that he needed an Abishag to lye in his bosome Incepit melius quâ—m definit Vltima primit cedunt dissimilis hâ—c puer ille senex so was Solomons spirituall heat cooled by the many Abishags that lay in his bosome and
debauched watchmen who having drunk sufficiently one day say they will do as much to morrow and more too and so had their drinking matches and rantings from day to day The third Use is of Discrimination 3. Vse to discover who is clean and who unclean in respect of falls and relapses and to put a difference between the holy and prophane which is the proper work of a faithful Prophet to some we are to open the door of hope to some to shut it Ezek. 22. â—6 1 Joh 5 17. every sin is not a sin to death every disease not the Plague every Ulcer not a Leprosie 1. There are some who have fallen into foule sins and they think their case desperate because of the greatness of their sins but their sin is not the sin against the Holy Ghost because not committed after light taste partaking of the Holy Ghost c. but in the days of their ignorance as Paul once some fall fouly after conversion as Peter but not deliberately maliciously and both these may be the spots of children they see the plague in their heart feel the smart these have foul scabs 1 Kingâ— but they go to Jordan and wash go to the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness and then though their sins be as scarlet Esay 1. they shall be as white as snow though red like crimson they shall be as white as wooll 2. There be some Relapses through humane infirmity which are truly bewailed this is not the sin against the Holy Ghost neither Come into the Camp I pronounce such clean For 1. there is no raw flesh of pride and presumption in them 2. All is turned whi e by true repentance it is a scab Lev. 13.4 5 6 14. and but a scab 3. It is but skin-deep the heart was not tainted 4. It standeth at a stay These four signs shew it to be no Plague of Leprosie such are not to be shut up or put out of the Camp And God as he pardoneth iniquity transgression and sin so he promiseth to heal and pardon their backeslidings Hos 14.4 Jer. 3.22 3. But there are others that make a trade of sin drink up iniquity like water Deut. 24.19 20 that add Drunkenness to thrist and fall and rise and rise and fall they lapse and relapse and slide away as water shall I say such shall have peace No what peace to such so long as their sins remain the wrath of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and he shall blot out his name from under heaven Call not this a Scab this is the Plague of Leprosie this is more then skin-deep Lev. 13.10 11 14 15. Psal 68.21 this doth not stand at a stay here is proud raw flesh this is an old sore thou must out of the Camp thou art unclean God will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of him that goeth on still in his trespasses I shall to conclude give a few short Directions to prevent Falls and Relapses but cannot now enlarge upon them 1. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation This is the old and great receit Mat. â—6 41 and daily experimented with every ordinary Saint probatum est watch in prayer watch after watch when alone watch when in company especially against ill Company and all occasions of sin 2. Keep conscience tender and shun the first motions and occasions of sin if thou find thy self given to appetite put a knife to thy throat is the wise mans counsel if to wine look not on the glass if to wantonness come not neer her corner the consecrated Nazarite must not only forbear the wine but the grape and not only the juyce but the husk and kernel of it Num. 6.4 3. Take heed of having slight thoughts of sin as to say as long as it is no worse it is the first time it is but now and then a great chance when I meet with such company and many have such foolish pleas and so play at the mouth of the Cockatrice Den till they are stung to death Deut. 29.19 4. Of having light thoughts of Gods mercy I shall have peace I shall have mercy when I do but ask At what time soever will save me we can't out sin the mercy of God when sin abounds grace superabounds c. The Lord faith he will not spare such nor be merciful to them 5. Take heed of reasoning from Gods temporal forbearance to eternal forgiveness Eccles 8.11 12. Because sentence is not speedily exâ—cuted against an evil doer his heart is fully set in him to do evil but though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged c. yet it shall not be well with the wicked at last 6. Take heed of presuming of thy own strength I can and I mean to repent I can when I will and I will when time serves Qui promittâ—t poenitenti veniam non promittit peccâ—nti poenitentiam I trust I am not so bad that God hath not given me over many have gone further then I why may I not repent at last hour 7. Take heed of a mock-repentance saying I cry God mercy God forgive me I sin daily and repent daily when I have sworn or been drunk I am heartily sorry Is not this repentance I answer no Repentance is quite another thing the burnt child we say dreads the fire Thou hast smarted for suretiship and hast repented of it thy friend comes again and desires thee to be bound with him once again thou replyst I have paid dear for surtiship already I have repented of my folly I have resolved to come into bonds again no more no not for the best friend I have thou art importuned by many arguments but peremptorily refusest urge me no more I have vowed and resolved against and have made an oath I would never be taken in that fault again Now I believe thee that thou hast truly repented of suretiship why dost thou not thus when thou art enticed unto sin again why dost thou not say I have smarted confessed bewailed been heartily sorry for my former folly now speak no more of it Psa 119.106 Psa 119.115 I have sworn and will perform it to keep Gods commandments Away from me ye wicked I must keep the Commandments of my God This would be somewhat like true repentance But take heed of a mock-repentance lest as true repentance meets with a true pardon thy mock-repentance should be answered with a mock-pardon as Tertullian excellently saith There be some that say saith he their heart is good De Paenitent they fear God grieve for sin though yet they fall into sin they can salva side metu peccare c. sic ipsi salva venia in gehennam detrudentur dum salvo metu peccant They can live in sin nevertheless notwithstanding their faith and repentance and God can damn them nevertheless notwithstanding
his mercies and promises and pardoning grace True repentance among other companions is alway attended with these three what carefulness what indignation what fear hath it wrought in you 8. Consider sin reiterated riseth high addes another figure to increase thy account Is the sin of Peor too little for you old sins in ignorance but that you must this day again turn away a new The Lord keeps an account how often and how often thou hast-committed such and such a sin Josh 22.27 28 Am. 1. and 2. chap. Num. 14 22. at length saith for three transgressions and for four I will not turn away their punishment when Israel had seen Gods works forty years and tempted him ten times he sware they should not enter into his rest In the Law if an Oxe did gore a man and the Master knew not of it the Oxe should dye not the owner but if the Oxe was wont to push with his horn and the Master was told of it Oxe and Master were both to dye Exo. 21.28 29 Lastly though I will not say to thee who art a frequent Relapsarian it is impossible as to the malicious relapser yet I say Remember that every time the bone is broken the more danger and though thou mayst possibly after a second breaking have it well set yet thou mayst at times against weather specially when in years feel it to thy dying day thy sins will lye down with thee in thy grave Job 13.26 and in sickness and trouble thou wilt possess the sins of thy youth I conclude all as St. Jude concludes his Epistle Now to him that is able to keep you from all falling and relapses and to present you faultless before his presence with exceeding joy to the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty dominion and power now and for ever Amen How may we be so Spiritual as to check Sin in the first risings of it Gal. 5 16. Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh THe Case of Conscience to be discussed this Morning from these words is How a Christian may be able to check sin in the first risings of it And without controversie great is this Myste of godliness and if any other of inestimable use and moment in the practise of Christianity As the title which Solomon inscribes on the Frontise-piece of that divine Poem of his the Canticles is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Song of Songs and as Aristotle calls the Hand the Instrument of Instruments and the Mind the Form of Forms so may we with as just a reason style this holy skill of arresting and intercepting sin in its earliest motions and overtures the Art of Arts. Could the Chymists ever compass their grand Elixir it were but a poor and cheap trifle in comparison of this grand Secret of the School of Christ So that the Case of Conscience before us like Diana of the Ephesians is great and illustrious amidst it's fellows My Text presents us with it resolved in this excellent Rule of sanctification Walk in the Spirit c. Wherein we have 1. The principle and root of sin and evil the flesh with its lusts 2. The opposite principle and root of life and righteousness the Divine Spirit 3. The terms and bounds of a Christians conquest how far he may hope for victory Ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh 4. the method and way of conquering Walk in the Spirit of each a word 1. The principle and root of sin and evil the flesh with its lusts The Apostle meaneth pardon the phrase a spiritual flesh not that of the body but the minde The immortal souls of men through their Apostasie from God the blessed source and original of all goodness are become carnal Rom. 4.7 There is a principle of evil radicated in the very nature interwoven in the very frame and births and constitution of all men a byass that turns us off in large and wide aberrations from the paths of life and happiness but with notorious partiality seduceth us into the ways of sin and death This the Scripture calls the a Eph. 4. 7 22. old man b Rom. 7.23 24. the law of sin in our members and the body of death c. The wiser Heathen felt by the very dictate of Reason that humane nature was not either as it should be or as they could have wisht it what meâ—neth else that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hanging flagging of the souls wings that drooping of her noblest faculties that fatal unwieldiness and untractableness of the will to vertue which the Platonists so much complain of and what meaneth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that reluctancy to the divine life and that impetuous hurry and propension wherewith they felt themselves driven head-long towards folly and sensuality This flesh in man this corrupt and depraved nature is perpetually fly-blown with evil lustings This body of death like a rotten carcase is constantly breeding vermine as a filthy quag-mire a noisom Mephitus or Camarina sends out stench and unsavouriness This Region of the lesser World like Africa in the greater swarms with monsters it is the valley of the shadow of death a habitation for dragons and a Court for Owls where dwells the Cormorant and the Bittern the Raven the Scrich-owl and the Satyre if I may allude to that of the Prophet Isa 34.11 12 13 14. The Apostle sets down elegantly the whole pedigree and lineage of evil Jam. 1.15 Then when lust hath conceived it brings forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Lust is the root of bitterness fruitful in all the unfruitful works darkness and these like the Apples of Sodom and Clusters of Gomorrah if you gather them crumble into the dust and ashes of death they are fruits nigh unto a curse and whose end is to be burnt That is the first The old Adam Heb. 6.8 the flesh with it's lusts 2. We have here the second Adam who is a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 There is in good and holy souls an immortal seed a principle of life and righteousness an antidote to the former poyson for the law of the Spirit of life which is in Jesus Christ hath made us free from the law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 Philo the Jew or whoever was the Author of that noble tract in the Apocrypha Wisd 7.6 called the Wisdom of Solomon stiles it The unspotted Mirrour of the power of God and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty Every one that is in Christ is a 2 Cor. 5.17 a new creature b Joh. 3.3 4 5 6. born again c 2 Pet. 1.4 anâ— made partaker of the divine nature for it is the royalty of that King of Saints d Rev. 21.5 Behold I make all things new The divine Spirit that great and heavenly
and this like Pathologie or understanding the disease and the constitution of the patient will hugely minister and condence to the exact method of Physick either for prevention or for cure Rule 4 Get and keep a tender Conscience Be sensible of the least sin As the apple of the eye the fittest Emblem in the world of a tender conscience is not only offended with it blow or wound but if so much as a little dust or smoak get in it weeps them out Some mens consciences are like the stomack of the Estrich which digesteth iron they can swallow and concoct the most notorious sins swearing drunkenness c. without regret their consciences are seared as with an hot iron as the Apostle phraseth it 1 Tim. 4.2 they have so inured their souls to the grossest wickedness as the Psylli a people of Africa whom Plutarch mentions had their bodies to the eating poyson that it becomes as it were natural But a good conscience hath a delicate sense it is the most tender thing in the whole world it feels the least touch of known sin and grieves at the grieving of Gods good Spirit not only for quenching or resisting or rebelling against the Holy Ghost but even for grieving the holy Spirit of promise whereby it is sealed to the day of redemption Eph. 4.80 The most tender hearted Christian he is the stoutest and most valiant Christian Happy is the man that feareth always but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief Prov. 28.14 it is the truest magnanimity and heroique courage in our spiritual warfar to tremble at the least iniquity A Christian is never fitter to endure hardness as a faithful souldier of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2.3 then when his conscience is most tender To be such a coward as not to dare to break any one of Gods Commandments is to be the valiantest person in the world for such a one will chuse the greatest evil of suffering before the least of sinning and however the jeering Ishmaels of the world be ready to reproach and laugh one to scorn for this niceness and precise scrupulosity as they term it yet the choice if God be but wiser then vain man is a very wise one Keep an exact guard upon thy heart Prov. 4.23 let the eyes of thy Rule 5 soul be open and awake upon all the stirrings of thy thoughts affections Bid them stand at their first appearance As soon as ever thou discriest any of them in motion summon them before thy souls tribunal let them not pass till thou knowest perfectly whence they come whither they go Ask their errand State viri quae caussa viae quive estis in armis Virg. Is it grief or is it joy or hope or fear or love c. that is now upon the march demand the Word of it ask whether it have a Pass from God and conscience Catechize it examine it search it speak to it in the Centinel's and Watchman's phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew me your Ticket Tell me my desire my love my fear my anger by whose authority art thou now up and in motion if they are able to produce a good warrant from Gods Commandments or from the dictate of reason and conscience let them go on in Gods name they are about their business But if they cannot arrest them as idle vagrants nay as enemies to thy souls peace and charge them upon their allegiance to their superiors that they stir no further Rule 6 Be daily training and exercising all thy graces Have them always in battel-â—ray be in a military posture both defensive and offensive Stand constantly to thine arms for thou hast to do with two enemies that will never give thee any truce or respite the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Jews call them the flesh within thee Jer. 17 9. and the Tempter that destroying Angel of the bottomless pit without thee 1 Pet. 5.8 the Christian warfare is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a war never to be altered it admits of no peace no cessation The Souldier of Christ must never lay down his arms but expect to be upon continual duty and travel till the great Lord of Hosts under whose banner he now fighâ—â—th is pleased to remove his Quarters from that Army Militant here on Earth to that blessed and triumphant in the Heavens Rule 7 Be well skilled in the Elenchs of Temptation I mean in unmasking the Sophistry and Mystery of iniquity in defeating the Wiles and Stratagems of the Tempter and in detecting and frustrating the cheats and finesses of the flesh with its deceitful lusts Eph. 4.23 2 Cor. 2.11 No small part of spiritual wisdom lies in the blessed art of discovering and refuting sins fallacies and impostures If ever thou wouldst prove famous and victorious and worthy honour and reverence in thy spiritual warfare be well seen in the skill of fencing know all thy wards for every attaque Provide thy self with answers and retorts beforehand against the subtle insinuations and delusions of thine enemy Ex. gr If Satan tels thee as he often will that the sin is pleasant ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Musae ask whether the gripings of conscience be so too whether it be such a pleasant thing to be in hell to be under the wrath of an Almighty Judge If he tels thee no body sees thou mayst commit it safely ask whether he can put out Gods all-seeing eye whether he can find a place empty of the divine presence for thee to sin in or whether he can blot out the Items out of the Book of Gods Remembrance If he tels thee it is a little one ask whether the Majesty of the great Jehovah be a little one whether there be a little hell or no. If he talks of profits and earthly advantages that will acrew ask what account it will turn to at the last day and what profit there is Mat. 16.26 if one should gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what one should give in exchange for his soul When sin like Jael invites thee into her Tent Judg 4.11 21. 5.25 â—6 with the lure and decoy of a lordly treatment think of the nail and hammâ—r which fastened Sisera dead to the ground Be not caught with chaff lay by thee such memoires such answers and reparties as these wherewith thou mayst reply upon the Tempter that the God of truth hath other manner of pleasures profits honours to court thy love and reward thy service with then the father of lies viz. true and real solid and eternal ones what are the pleasures that are sin for a season to be compared with the rivers of Gods pleasure that are for evermore at his right hand and what is a little wealth that thieves can steal a despicable heap of riches which like a flock of birds a lighting a little while in thy yard will take wing presently and fly away to be named
the man that hath his quiver full of such artillery whose conscience is rich in these Memoirs Store thy mind with this sacred treasure Mat. 13.52 that as a Scribe instructed for the Kingdome of heaven thou mayest upon all occasions bring forth out of thy treasure things new and old Hold such Scriptures as are point-blanck contrary to the Temptation before thy conscience if it would turn away compell it to look upon them and think I am Gods creature I must obey him Did ever any rebell against him and prosper Terence eine ego ut adverser Is it wisely done of me to resist my Maker to try which is strongest a poor worme or the Almighty God And if the love of Gods commands will not constrain thee let the terrors the thunders and lightnings of his threats perswade thee which are all levelled against wilfull sinners And it is not safe standing surely in the very Canons mouth Peruse those two Scriptures and tremble to venture on any known breach of the Law of thy God Deut. 28.58 Isa 45 9. Rule 3 If all this effect nothing then draw the Curtain take off the vaile from before thy heart and let it behold the God that searcheth it Jer. 17.10 Heb. 4.13 Shew it the Majesty of the Lord see how that is described Isa 6.1 2 3. Ask thy soul whether it sees the living God that seeth it Whether it is aware whose eye looks on Gen. 16.13 14. Whether it hath no respect for God himself who stands by and whose pure and glorious eyes Hab. 1.13 pierce through and through thee Tell thy heart again and again that God will not be mocked that he is a God of knowledge 1 Sam. 2.3 and by him actions are weighed that he is a jealous God too and will by no meanes clear the guilty Bid it consider well and look to it self for God will bring to light every hidden thing of dishonesty he that now sees will judge it Speak to thy unruly lusts as the Town-Clerk of Ephesus wisely did to the mutinous Citizens Acts 19 40. Sirs we are in danger to be called in question for this dayes uproar there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this tumult Rule 4 If these great reall arguments be slighted try whether an argument ad hominem drawn from sense will prevail Awe thy lusts then with the bitternesse of thine own experience Consider how often thou hast rued their disorders what dismall consequences have followed upon their transports and how dearly thou hast paid heretofore for thy connivance at them Bethink thy self on such a fashion as this T'other day I was angry and behaved my self uncomely put the whole company or family out of order disobliged such a dear and faithful friend by my rashness and folly in uttering hasty words before I weighed them O how did I repent me afterwards how shamed and abashed and confounded was I when I came to my self So at another time thus and thus I miscarried my self and these are the fruits and cursed effects of my yielding to the beginnings of sinne and shall I go now and repeat my madnesse Had I not smart enough for my folly before but must I needs play the fool and the beast again Ask thy self what thou ailest to forget all the sighes and groans and bitter tears that thy lust hath already cost thee and yet would the impudent sin be committed once more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where are thy wits man Theoret in Cyclop if thou goest about it Sic notus Vlysses Was it so sweet a thing to lye under the horror and agony of a wounded conscience and under Gods rebukes in secret the last time that thou must needs venture again Why wilt thou hurt thy soule and become a Devil to thy self Why wilt thou needs break thy peace by consenting to sin and not only so but torment thy self and kindle a hell in thine own bosome and all this in despight of all thy warnings Ictus Piscator sapit the burnt child dreads the fire But it seems thou art in love with misery and weary of thy joy and comfort Thou hast a mind to be cursed wretchedness and woe and death are it seemeth grown so amiable in thine eyes as to become thy deliberate choise Thus upbraid thy self and do it so long and loud till thou fetchest thy soul again to it self out of that swoon and lethargy which besotteth it Give not over chiding and reproaching thy self till thou makest thy heart sensible and considerate Labour to cure thy lustings and affections in the first beginning of Rule 5 their disorders by Revulsion by drawing the stream and tide another way As Physitians stop an an Haemorragic or bleeding at the Nose by breathing the basilique vein in the arm or opening the Saphaena in the foot so may we check our carnal affections by turning them into spiritual ones and those eâ—ther 1 Of the same nature Ex. gr Catch thy worldly sorrow at the rise and turn thy mourning into godly sorrow If thou must needs weep weep for some what that deserves it Be the occasion of thy grief what it will losse of estate relations c. I am sure thy sins are a juster occasion for they brought that occasion of mourning upon thee be it what it will that thou art now in tears for Art thou troubled at any danger full of fears heart-aking and confusion O forget not the Mother-evill sinne let that have but it's due share and there will not be much left to spare of these affections for other things Is thy desire thy love thy joy too busy about some earthly trifle some temporall good thing Pray them to look up a little and behold thy God who is altogether lovely in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 and let everlasting shame stop thy mouth if thou darest affirme any thing in this wretched world worthy to be named once with the living God for Rivalship and competition in thy heart a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Max. Tyr. dissert 1. sure I am he is the fountain and measure of all goodnesse Let but the first and soveraign Good have its due of thy love and desire thy delight and joy and the remainder will be little enough for thy creature-comforts Oh how great a folly is it to dote on husks and overlook the bread in thy fathers house Jer. 2.12 13. 2 Turn thy carnall affections into spirituall ones of a contrary nature Ex. gr Allay thy worldly sorrow by spiritual joy Try whether there be not enough in Alsufficiency it self to compensate the loss of any outward enjoyment whether there wil be any great miss or want of a broken Cistern when thou art at the fountain head of living waters whether the light of the Sun cannot make amends for the expiring of a candle Chastise thy carnall fears by hope in God Set on work
you may follow their counsell throughly That was the course of those Converts Acts 2. They did not tarry till their souls were ready to breath out themselves into eternity but in the time of their health applyed themselves to Peter c. Men and brethren what shall we do 2. Make such applications to your friends in health as you must do in sickness if you mean to discharge your duty to God or friendship to them you will give them and your selves too great ease and advantage by it c. Remember what obligeth you to do it in sickness obligeth you also in health you are your Brothers keepers you have all curam animaruÌ„ cure of souls And as Ministers are bound to this work virtute officii by vertue of their office so you are bound to it ex lege charitatis And surely if every one of you are bound to deliver your neighbours Oxe or Ass when you see it falling into a pit much more are you obliged to have compassion upon their souls when they are going down to the pit from which there is no redemption How must we REPROVE That we may not PARTAKE OF OTHER MENS SINNES 1 Tim. 5. part 22. v. Neither be partaker of other mens sins keep thy self pure THIS Epistle is a Scripture Directory for Church government In this Chapter there are certain generall Rules or Canons Apostolical which S. Paul enjoynes Timothy to observe 1. About Church-Widowes how they must be qualified to the 17th v. 2. About Church-Elders how they must be ordered to the end 1. About their maintenance and encouragement v. 17 18. 2. About their Credit and Reputation v. 19. 3. About their Reproof and Correction v. 20. 4. About their Admission and Ordination Text. Lay hands suddainly on no man Some understand this of the hands of Absolution others of the hands of Benediction others of the hands of Confirmation Salmeron Guil Chrysos Theoph. Theod. Calvin but â—est and best of the hands of Ordination i. e. Ordaine no man admit no man into this Sacred and weighty Office and Function of the Ministry suddainly Suddainly ie not before naturall capacity not without compâ—â—ent ability noâ— unlesse qualified with piety industry Paraeus Estius gravity The danger followes Neither be partaker of other mens sins 1. Not of their sins who would importune thee to Ordain unworthy persons Consentiendo by consenting Estius 2. Not of their sins who do Ordain unworthy persons Imitando by imitating 3. Not of their sins who are Ordained being unworthy persons and that Oecumenius 1. Not of their sins before Ordination Approbando by approving of them Estius in loc 2. Not of their sins after Ordination Confirmando by confirming them in them For sayes the Apostle in the next verse but one Some mens sins are open before-hand going before to judgement i. e. the Crisis or Test or Censure or Judgement of the Church and some follow after This is the Grammaticall sense and Logical Analysis of the words But beloved I must take leave to handle the words in a greater latitude and extent For certainly this Caution is not intended to Ministers onely neither is it to be confined to the Case of Ordination but as Christ said upon another occasion What I say unto you I say unto all So here what Saint Paul writes to Timothy he speaks to all a private Christian as well as a Minister a Church-Member as well as a Church-Elder must be sure to take heed that he be not partaker of other mens sins The Case of Conscience to be discussed this morning is this Case How must we reprove and not partake of other mens sins Cant. 4.2 And indeed this Case is complex and double it beares twins 1. About Participation of other mens sins 2. About Reproving of other mens sins I must beg leave to project and manage my discourse Sermon-wise and so commend to your Christian meditation this Truth and Doctrine In the explication whereof I shall handle the former Case and in the application the latter Doctr. It ought to be every mans care not to partake of any mans sin Neither be partaker In the handling of which I shall endeavour to shew you 1. How a man may be guilty of other mens sins or how many wayes a man may be said to partake of other mens sins 2. Why a Christian must be carefull not to partake of other mens sins 3. To apply it 1. How a man may be said to partake of other mens sins To this I answer There are many wayes whereby we contract the guilt of others sins Lord sayes David who knowes how oft he offends I will name some of them There are eight wayes especially noted in Scripture by all which a man is made partaker and becomes guilty of the sins of others 1. By contrivance by plotting and contriving of sin by provoking and soliciting others to sin and this is in an high degree to be guilty of other mens sins Thus Jonadab was guilty of Amnons Incest by his subtill contriving of that wickedness by being a Pander to that Villany 2 Sam. 13.5 When a man shall wittingly and willingly spread a snare in his brothers way and either drive him in by provocation or decoy him in by allurement hee makes himselfe a partaker of his sin E g. to provoke a man to Passion to tempt a person to Drunkennesse and uncleanness to put a man upon Murder and blood-shed to draw souls into Errour Heresie Blasphemy c. this is to espouse and adopt the sin and to make it a mans own You know the Story there 2 Sam 11. Vriah was slaine with the edge of the sword David was many miles off when Uriah was slain he died in the battel Joab put him in the front and the Ammonites slew him but now because David plotted and contrived all this the Scripture tells us that David was the Murderer 2 Sam. 12.9 Thou hast killed Vriah the Hittite with the sword thou hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon Though the blade was the Ammonites and the hilt might be said to be Joabs yet the hand was Davids and the deed was Davids The Ammonites slew him but David murdered him S. Paul tells us he was a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious 1 Tim. 1.13 Why Beloved we doe not read of any blasphemy that S. Paul uttered in all the Bible Oh but sayes he I compelled the Saints to blaspheme Act. 26.11 There was his blasphemy in compelling others to blaspheme Beloved to incite and provoke any to sinfull practices to seduce and solicite any to loose doctrines and erronious opinions it is to be doubly guilty of those sins once by infection and again by instigation Hence is that frequent expression among the Fathers concerning Arrius the Heretick that look how many souls he had seduced to his heresie and blasphemy so many severall additions of torments he had in hell as guilty
of all their sins Oh man whoever thou art that makest thy neighbour drunk by putting the bottle to his mouth that callest to thy brother saying â—ast in thy lot amâ—ngst us and let us have one purse that inticest the soule of the simple with a Come let us take our fill of loves and solace our selves untill the morning I tell thee thou art guilty of all their sins and mayest justly be punished with all their plagues for this Christians is a most Devilish practice to tempt and provoke others to wickednesse All sins indeed are devilish sins Per modum servitutis but some sins are devilish sins Per modum imaginis in all sins men bear the Devils yoak 1 John 3.8 but in some sins men bear the Devils image Five Sins especially the Scripture brands as devilish Sins and this is the chief 1. False accusation 2 Tim. 3.3 men shall be false accusers Devils sayes the Greek 2. Lyâ—ng John 8.44 you are of your father the Devil for he is a liar and the father of it 3. Pride 1 Tim 3.6 not a novice lest puffed up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil 4. Persecution Revel 2.10 the Devil shall cast some of you into prison i. e. devilish men-persecutors 5. Temptation as this is Get thee behinde me Satan sayes Christ to Peter when he tempted him Maâ—th 16.23 He that shall either hinder another of doing that good which is commanded or shall further another to the doing of that evil which is prohibited is justly chargeable with both their Sins 2. By compliance by consenting and complying with Sin and Sinners so a man makes himself partaker though he has no hand in 't yet if he has a heart in 't though he does not act it yet if he likes it and loves it and approves it though he does not persecute Gods Saints and Ministers yet if he saith Aha! aha so would we have it 't is enough to make him guilty before God Saul he had no hand in Saint Stephens death he did not cast one stone at him but because he looked on with approbation and stood by with consent Acts 8.1 Saul was consenting unto his death therefore was he esteemed guilty of his blood and murder and so himself confesses when God had awakened him and humbled him to repentance Acts 22.20 When the blood of thy Martyr Stephen was shed I was consenting to his death and so charges himself as guilty of it God looks not upon the outward man so much as upon the heart according to the frame and inclination of the heart according as the pulse of the heart beats so is every man in the account esteem of God if Sin has once storm'd the Fort-Royall of the heart though it never appears in the out-works the Garrison is lost That which is upon the stage of the heart after consent is as truly acted in the sight of God as that which appeares in the outward man by commission Matth 15.19 Out of the heart proceeds murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesses blasphemies Why beloved from the hand proceeds Murders and Thefts Eph 4.28 from the eye proceedes Adulteries and Fornications 2 Pet. 2.14 and from the tongue proceeds f lâ—e witnesses and blasphemies Psal 120.3 Oh but the heart is the forge of all You may murder a man with a thought as they say the Rasilisk will with a look such a poysonous thing a wicked heart is and let me tell you 't is the heart-murder and the heart-adultery and the heart-blasphemy and the heart-iniquity that God especially judges according to that famous place Jer. 17.10 I the Lord search the heart to give to every man according to his wayes i. e. according to what I see acted and done upon the stage of the heart sayes God he does not onely judge the actions but he judges the very intentâ—ons 3. By connivance by a sinfull dissembling flatâ—ering and winking at others in their wickednesse and sins so men become guilty of others sins Isa 9.16 The leaders of this people cause them tâ— erre 't is in the Hebrew the blessers of this people cause them to erre Beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beat fican es populum the blessers of men in wickednesse are the leaders of men in wickednesse he that shall wink at and flaâ—ter men in Sins when he knowes in his conscience that they doe wickedly he makes himself Captain and Master of mis-rule among them And thus we are too prone to be partakers of Magistraâ—es sins and Governours sins and great mens sins Patrons sins and Landlords sins If the Grandees of the world profane the Sabbath dishonour God rant and swear and scoff at Religion out of a base cowardly spirit or out of a carnall covetous heart we flatter them and let them alone it may be applaud them as he said Tu fa hunc Dominum te facit ille Deum doe but make him a Lord and hee straight-way makes thee a God as if we were not to distâ—nguish between the persons of men and the vices of men or as if so be we more feared a mortall man whose breath is in his nostrils than we do the immortall God who can frown us into hell in a moment Oh thâ—s is to be deeply guilty of other mens Sins See how sharply God by his Proâ—het taxes and reproves this dawbing in those wicked upholsters that sow pillows to every elbow Ezek. 13.17 and so forward Read it at leisure I fear this has been the Sin of former Times and Governments God grant it may not be the Sin of present and future Ages for men to connive at any that promote their own interests Alas my brethren methinks the interest of Piety and the interest of Conscience and the interest of the eternall God judge of quick and dead should swallow up all the interests of the world If Nebuchadnezzar himself should set up a golden Image and would have it worshipp'd I tell you 't is not treason for Sidrach Meshech and Abednego to say Wee are not carefull oh King to answer thee in this matter Dan. 3.16 Besides let not men deceive themselves for such persons as can so easily betray the interest of God will never be afraid if opportunity serve to oppose the soveraignty of man whose authority he bears and are not indeed Hushai's but Ziba's not Davids friends but Davids flatterers 4. By sufferance by permitting the sins of others so we become guilty by suffering others to sin whom we are bound in duty and may be able by authority to hinder and thus as in the former particular we are guilty of Magistrates sins in this particular Magistrates oft-times become guilty of our sins Kings and Rulers and subordinate Magistrates become oft-times deeply guilty of their peoples sins namely by sufferance by tolerating Errours and Heresies and Blasphemies on the one hand or by suffering wickednesse and profanenesse on the other That Ruler or Magistrate that shall suffer either loose
r ght God punishes Children for the sins of their Parents Exod 34.7 aye but those children have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers certainly by aprobation it may bee by imitation God punishes servants for the sins of their Masters Gen. 12.17 but sure the servants were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers by consulting it may bee by executing God punishes Wives for the sins of their Husbands Gen. 20.18 but those Wives were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers still by admitting by induring God punishes Ministers for the sins of the People Ezek. 33.8 but then those Ministers are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers sure enough by not instructing by not reproving still the Justice of God is vindicated 2. Hence bee informed what piety and strictness and watchfulness is more especially required of those that have the care of others e.g. Kings and Parents and Masters and Magistrates and Ministers they should bee exemplary in godliness They have curam animarum and therefore they should have curam anima they have care of other mens souls and therefore they should look well to their own The want of this was her crime and complaint Cant. 1.6 They made mee the keeper of the Vineyards but mine own Vineyard have I not kept Oh those that are keepers of Vineyards had need to have special care of their own Vineyard 3. Hence take an account why the wicked of the world do so hate the godly and reproach and revile them it is this They will not bee partakers of their sins they will not commit them neither will they connive at them and this is the reason why the world hates them Ahab hates Michaiah and himself gives the reason because hee reproved him 1 King 22.8 I hate him hee never speaks well of mee Herod hates John Baptist because hee reproves him No wonder that Ministers of all kinde of men in the world are most hated the case is plain because they are reprovers Godly Ministers are wicked mens reprovers and wicked men are godly Ministers reproachers 1 Pet. 4.4 They think it strange you run not with them to the same excess of riot speaking evil of you 4. Here is matter of reproof and humiliation this day for our want of watchfulness in this kinde Oh which of us can say that wee are free from the guilt of other mens sins Every man may cast this bur of reproof and lamentation at his own conscience and there let it stick Parents every one ah my childrens sins Masters ah my servants sins Ministers ah my peoples sins Rulers ah my subjects sins Oh let us deeply mourn for want of relative holiness and more frequently and fervently pray that prayer Lord forgive mee my other mans sins 2. The second Use is of Exhortation and Caution together Is it so That it ought to bee every mans care not to partake of any mens sin Oh Christians let mee intreat you then to be very mindful of this duty bee perswaded beloved and the Lord perswade you to be tenderly careful and watchful that you do not partake of other mens sins These are infectious times and places that wee live in and multitudes there are that catch diseases and distempers from others but let mee tell you Christians that bodily diseases are not half so catching as sin is sin is an infectious contagious pestilential plague that spreads mightily in the world Oh take heed take heed that the guilt of other mens sins do not one day lye upon your conscience and bee put upon your account Let mee enforce this counsel in the words of our Apostle here and and they are very weighty and Emphatical Vers 21. I cha ge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another and amongst the rest this is one That thou bee not partaker of other mens sins Give mee leave to prosecute this in these three particulars 1. By laying down some Arguments to press this Caution and Exhortation 2. By pointing at what sins especially you must not partake of 3. By shewing you how you may so mannage the business and order the matter as not to bee partakers of other mens sins What are the Antidotes against this Infection 1. To lay down the Arguments 1. Consider you have sins enough of your own you have no reason to partake of other mens it is cruel to add affliction to your bonds Jesus Christ had no sins of his own and therefore hee could and did bear ours hee did take all mens sins though hee did not partake of any mans sins all were his by imputation Isa 53.6 Hee hath laid upon him the inquities of us all but none were his by perpetration and participation It is not so with us alas wee have sins enough of our own Man Woman thine own pride will damn thee if thou dost not repent and thine own hypocrisie and formality and worldliness and hardness of heart thou hast no need to take the sins of others said the Daughter of Zelophehad our Father died in his own sin Numb 27 3. aye that is enough to kill a man and damn a man his own sin 2. Consider It is a most monstrous sin it is a most dreadful sin to partake of other mens sins The Apostle speaks of committing iniquity with greediness Ephes 4.19 Sirs there is no such greedy sinning as this for a man to lick up and swallow down and devour other mens sins Naturalists tells us that Serpens Serpentem devorans sit Draco If a Serpent swallow down another Serpent it becomes a Dragon Oh Christians this sin of devouring other mens sins it is a Dragon-sin a Monstrous-sin a Dreadful-sin a Devilish-sin and therefore take heed of it 3. Consider If you partake of other mens sins you shall certainly partake of other mens plagues Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people saies God namely from Babylon that you be not partakers of her sins that so yee receive not of her plagues See Prov. 13.20 A companion of fools shall be destroyed not only fools shall be destroyed but a companion of fools shall be destroyed if you sin with them you shall suffer with them and you shall suffer more because of them Read that Luke 16.27 28. And the rich man said I pray thee Father Abraham that thou wouldest send Lazarus to my Fathers house for I have five Brethren that hee may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment Why would not hee have his Brethren to come to Hell to him Divines determine not out of any love to their souls there is not that charity to bee supposed in Hell Oh but because the sight of them and company of them would increase his torment This will bee the schreeking and howling in Hell among damned souls one to another oh woe worth the day that ever I saw thy face or that ever I saw thy face thou hast brought mee hither and thou hast brought
to reprove a man for every cause no the Disciples were quite out in reproving the children for coming to Christ in this chapter when it was not their sin but their duty vers 13 14. Quakers make a stir about Cuffs and Bands and Ribbons and Laces and such like minute trifles of Pharisaical Humility if they can prove these sins let them reprove them in Gods Name but if they are indifferent things it is censoriousness uncharitableness and pragmaticalness to rail at them and not Christian Reproof 3. Hee must manage his Reproof to sincere ends must take heed that his aims and intentions bee upright and honest in reproving Take heed of mingling any wilde-fire of pride and vain-glory and ambitious humour of contradicting and controuling others with thy zeal of Reproving This heat must bee holy heat a fire of the Sanctuary as free from the smoak of by-ends and self-interest as may bee purely for Gods glory and out of hatred unto sin and out of love to the salvation of thy Brothers soul Diogenes it is storied reproved Plato's pride by trampling upon his Velvet Chair and Cushion but saies the Author Majori fastu superbum Platonem Diogenes saperbior 4. Hee must manage his Reproof in fit season There is a time to speak and a time to bee silent Reproof is a duty grounded upon an Affirmative Precept Now 't is well observed by Divines that Affirmative Precepts binde semper but not ad semper wee must alwaies reprove but wee must not reprove alwaies it is a constant duty but it must bee done in a seasonable opportunity There are certain mollia Tempora fandi words upon the wheels as Solomon calls them that are like Apples of Gold and let mee tell you Christians one word spoken in season is worth a thousand other words Now it is impossible to define and determine all the nicks of time wherein a man should strike in with a Reproof for this must bee left to the wisdome and experience of every Christian that makes it his business to bee his Brothers keeper and let him assure himself hee must expect to lose many an admonition shoot many an Arrow of Reproof as Jonathan did his under and over on this side and tother side before hee hit the mark Rules 1. Hee must take a season wherein the offender is capable of Reproof If a man bee drunk wee must stay till hee bee sober as Abigail 1 Sam. 25.36 37. So if a man bee aâ—l in a heat of passion we must stay and come to him as God did no Adam in the cool of the day when the fit was over 2. Wee must take a season wherein wee have occasion to commend a man for his virtues and then rub him up for his faults Sir you are thus and thus oh but if you would but mend this and that how excellent it would bee So St. Paul 1 Cor. 11.2 17. 3. Wee must do it as soon as ever wee can and the sooner the better a green wound is easier healed than an old sore Levit. 19.17 4. If wee have long waited for fit seasons and yet cannot finde them you had better make a breach upon ones prudence than ones conscience discretion then must give place to necessity out with it and leave the success to God 5. Hee must manage his Reproof with due conditions and qualification And beloved there are seven properties of that Reproof that will in all likelihood both benefit and better our Brother and also secure our selves from participation of his sins 1. Wee must reprove seriously and in good earnest so as to knock the nail up to the head in the conscience of the sinner Psal 50.21 So should wee in our Reproofs of our Brother charge him home these things hast thou done there is no denying thou art the man saies Nathan to David before hee was in his parable but now hee speaks plain English as wee say This Jesus whom yee have crucified saies Peter to the â—ews and thus wee should set things in order before him Sir is not this and that highly to dishonour God and to crack your credit and to shame your profession and to impair your body and to waste your estate and to wound your conscience and to dâ—mn your precious and immortal soul and therefore for the Lords sake think on it and amend it A loose and squibbing kinde of Reproof is like an ignis Lambens as soon off as on and does the man more hurt than good As Elies careless and loose reproving of his lewd Sons did rather harden them in their villany than any way reform them As it is with weak Physick administâ—ed to a sick man if it doth onely stir the humours but not purge them away it leaves the body in a greater and worse distemper than it was before So 't is here therefore saies the Apostle Titus 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuttingly A finger that is but just prickt and no more it is apt to wranckle and fester and bee worse but let it bleed and there is no danger it will then soon bee healed 2. Wee must Reprove impartially and without respect of Persons Good men if they miscarry must bee reproved as well as bad men If Peter temporize Paul will not spare him nor Barnabas neither they shall hear on 't Gal. 2. Again great men bee they never so great they should bee admonished as well as others so long as they are under the great God and subject to great failings and miscarriages Kings and Nobles and Magistrates as well as meaner and inferiour persons Nathan reproved David though a King and so did Elijah Ahab and Nehemiah reproved the Nobles and Rulers for Usury and Sabbath-prophanation Certainly if any bee fit to teach great men they are as fit to reprove them for both must go together 2 Tim. 4.2 That 's but a drone-like Preaching that hath lost the sting of Reproving It is the great unhappiness of Princes and Nobles that they have so many flatterers about them and so few Reprovers Carneades in Plutarch was wont to say that great mens Sons learned nothing well but to ride horses for men would be sure to flatter them If they run they would lag behinde that they might out-run them if they wrestled tâ—ey would fall on purpose that they might seem to cast them c. But a Horse not knowing a Prince from a Peasant would down with him if hee could not rule him Just so 't is now let great men do what they will both against Scripture and Reason and Law and Conscience they will not want their Parasites both to encourage them and applaud them If there bee not a Law for Cambyses to marry his Sister tush what of that there is a Law for Cambyses to do what hee pleases and thus men out of cowardize and fear of frowns and wrath dare not reprove guilty Greatness Oh but if a man be a faithful Monitour hee must bee impartial in his reproofs Agag
must be reproved as well as the poorest Amalekite and the Mountains must be toucht let them smoke and fume never so furiously to allude to that place Psal 144.5 This made that excellent Emperour Theodosius so much esteem Ambrose viz. that hee durst and would out of the sense of his duty reprove even the highest and proudest Ambrosium ob hoc dignum Episcopi nomine solum novi but here humility must bee used 3. Wee must reprove discreetly making a difference between man and man For though it 's true that all are to bee reproved that are offenders especially within the Pale of the Church 1 Cor. 5.12 Except they bee scorners which Christ calls Dogs and Swine Mat. 7.6 and obstinate Hereticks Titus 3.10 yet all must not bee handled in the same manner Some will do more with a Rod than others will do with a Scorpion A Glass is not to bee handled so roughly as a Brazen Vessel this Rule St. Jude gives vers 22 23. Some must bee dealt withall with lenitives others with corrosives some gently reproved others sharply rebuked according to the tenderness or stubbornness of their disposition or according to the nature and quality of their offences and here abundance of Rules might bee said down about publick private great small seldome or frequent offences In one word a Reprover must bee like the Thrasher that the Prophet describes as one saies Isa 28.17 28. 4. Wee must reprove compassionately with the deepest sense of our own failings and miscarriages and so with the greater pitty to their infirmities Gal. 6.1 Bernard said of himself That hee never saw another man sin but hee was distrustful and jealous of his own heart ille heri tu hodie ego cras and this would file off a great deal of that rigour and roughness that renders a Reproof so unpleasing and so unprofitable for verily Christian tenderness and compassion in the Reprover is the best way to work sense and passion in the sinner Si vis me stere dolendum est primum ipse tibi This is the way to mollifie mens hearts whereas on a lordly domineering austere rigid Reproof instead of rendring thy Brother Gods friend thou dost but render thy self his enemy James 1.20 5. Wee must reprove charitably with the greatest love to mens persons even then when wee shew the greatest zeal against their sins for it is one thing to bee angry with the sins and another with his person therefore wee should consult our Brothers credit and esteem and honour and person while wee stab his sin and not as one said well in healing a wound in his conscience and conversation to leave a skar of reproach upon his person and a brand of shame and ignominy upon his Name that were to do the work of an enemy under the vizard of a friend and thus I remember the Jews generally interpret that Law Levit. 19.17 That is say the Talmudists and Gemarists thou shalt rebuke thy Brother so as to reform him but thou shalt not rebuke thy Brother so as to shame him thou shalt rebuke him in love and lenity hee that shames his Brother by rebuking him bears his sin nay say they hee that shames his Brother shall never enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Their meaning is unless the fault bee notorious and publick and scandalous for then they may shame him I speak it to your shame saith Paul 6. Wee must reprove meekly not in rage and passion and bitterness but in meekness and sweetness of spirit this Rule the Apostle gives 2 Tim. 2.25 Though there may bee some warmth in a Reproof so as to fetch off the hair yet it must not bee scalding hot so as to fetch off the skin Elijah did that with a kiss which his man could non do with a staff Beloved when a kiss will do it better oh take heed of carrying your Teeth in your Tongues Take soft words and hard Arguments to convince gain-sayers and so gentle reproofs and solid reasons to reduce offenders 7. Wee must reprove Scripturally My meaning is as neer as wee can to reprove our Brethren in Scripture-text and Scripture-language that so it may not seem to bee wee that speak so much as the Spirit of our Father that speaks in us and this is to reprove with authority Titus 2.15 What greater Authority and Majesty wherewith to awaken the conscience of a sinner than the Word of God by which hee should bee ruled and by which hee must certainly bee judged Know Reader That God took the Author to Glory before hee could finish this Sermon for the Press What Means may bee used towards the Conversion of our Carnal Relations Rom. 10.1 Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might bee saved THis Noble Argumentative Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans was written and dated at Corinth when hee was now even ready to set sail for Jerusalem as the Messenger of the Churches to convey thither the Collections of Macedonia and other places in Greece made for the poor Saints of Judea Rom. 15.25 26 as appears by the 15th Chapter of this Epistle But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the Saints For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor Saints which are at Jerusalem It being supposed to bee the same journey which is mentioned in the twentieth and one and twentieth Chapters of the Acts of the Apostles Act. 20.3 21.3 c. Capellus in hast Apostol p. 76. Calvis Usse◠Paraeus The time of the penning this Epistle some place in the 14th year of Claudius the Emperor some in the second some in the sixth some in the eighth of Nero. 'T is at present impertinent to decide that Chronological controversie It consists principally of two parts the first Doctrinal the second Hortatory The Doctrinal part spends its strength upon the great point of Justification by Faith and its glorious effects Unto which our Apostle doth annex a notable discourse of the abstruse Mystery of Predestination from the beginning of the ninth to the end of the eleventh Chapter and therein takes occasion to speak of that doleful bill of Divorce which God had given to the Jewish Nation Hee treats likewise of the Calling and Fulness of the Gentiles and the Restauration Israel in the latter daies In each of these three Chapters hee sadly bewails the deplorable state of his own kindred and by all the evincing Arguments possible labours for their conversion to the Faith To cut off any further Prologue In the beginning of this tenth Chapter hee pours out his longings after their Salvation In the first verse whetreof bee pleased to observe these four parts 1. Pauls holy groans and prayers my hearts desire and prayer to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The good will the hearty wishes desires and pantings of my soul Chysost in loc Hee laies open the greatest earnestness of his
6.10 31.1 Prov. 31.15.26 Titâ—s 2.3 4. and pressing Divine Precept upon his heart she gave also a portion of instruction as well as of food to her servants and Maidens Ancient Matrons are commanded also by the Apostle to teach younger women the works of sobriety and obedience For this matter Abraham was commended by God himself Gen. 18.19 as a pattern to all posterity I know him saies God that hee will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement c. And therefore God was pleased to reveal secrets to him To conclude It is good to edge your Precepts and Instructions with some notable remembrances of the great day as that holy and learned Mr. Bolton did to his children upon his death-bed for speaking of the instructions that hee had given them in the time of his sickness Mr. Boltons Life p. 33. printed with his works 4 to Anno 1639. and before hee said hee hoped they would remember it and verily beleeved that none of them durst think to meet him at that great tribunal in an unregenerate state 4. Set a narrow guard upon the first sproutings of sin in their conversations Crush Vipers in the egge Exercise your hazle-rods upon the Serpents heads when they first creep out of their holes being chill and feeble in the beginning of the Spring Psal 101.8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the Land saies David You must set about this work betimes check every evil and unsavoury word at the first hearing Watch the beginnings that first bubblings of corruption in them A man may pull off a tender bud with ease but if hee let it grow to a branch it will cost him some pains It is observed by experienced Naturalists that a Common bringing forth nothing but fern may bee made very good ground if when the weed comes up tender and green it be often cut down you will in three or four times discourage the root and make it dye away It may prove so through Divine Blessing as to the shootings up of original corruption if thou be diligent and constant at first Cant. 2.15 Take us the Foxes nay the little Foxes that spoil the Vines this is the way to destroy their race as well as to preserve your tender Grapes David smote Goliah in the forehead hee smites the Devil and sin in the forehead qui initio tentationis vincit that falls upon and overcomes tentation at first Stella in Loc. It is a saying of Salvian Cum primum homo peccare incipit aternum sibi-accendit ignem When one fir st begins to sin Sâ—lv de Gâ—b Dei l. 4. p. 116. then hee kindles the eternal fire Oh that you would then begin to cast water upon the first kindlings of sin in your little ones Cut off the occasions of sin by prudent interposition It is strange to see what excuses and palliations for sin what collusions in speech little children will use Before thou canst teach them to speak plain English the Devil and a corrupt heart will teach them to speak plain lyes While their tongues do yet falter much in pronunciation they 'l falter more in double speaking What great need is there then to put a curb and bridle upon thy childs tongue as well as thine own Undermine their fallacies by discreet examinations Psal 39.1 and sagacious questions If this work be not set to betimes possibly in process of years they may prove too cunning to be catch unless thou season them quickly with the awe of Gods judgements and the danger of sin Teach their conscience to blush as well as their cheeks that they may from an inwrought principle eschew the evil and do the good Aelian de animal l. 6. c. 47. Else they may too soon prove like the Hares in Aelian that by leaping this way and that way when they come nigh their muse do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confound their footsteps to prevent discovery If thou suffer childe or a young servant to go on in sin unregarded untaught unchid and think 't is too little to minde at first that sinful folly will be thy scourge in the end God many times whips an aged Parent by that childe which was unwhipt at first 1 King 1.6 Adonisâ—h had well nigh broken the design of David about Solomons being set in the Throne whom his Father had never displeased by saying why hast thou done so that is never checkt him for his faults The means to take away the root and foundation of evil customes and habits Hieron ad Gaud. p. 101. is to fall a weeding in the spring of thy childes Life Aegre reprehendas quod sinis consuescere Reproofs will go down untowardly when children come once to their teens when their years come up to double numbers 5. Preserve them from evil society David not onely hated sin in general Psal 101.7 but especially hee detested to have it become an inmate in his house Hee that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house hee that telleth lies shall not tarry my sight That so the evil example and pitch-like society of wicked persons might not cleave to and corrupt his neer Relations Children are like the Polypus in Aelian Ael Var. hist that turns into colour of that rock or weed in the Sea that lies nearest Imitation is natural to children Associates and companions are the patterns of their imitation Wherefore Plutarch in his tract about the education of children advising some Graecian Boies to be brought up with them gives this precepâ— Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 6. that these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of vertuous manners and behaviours lest children should contract some vice from ill society For according to the Proverb Hee that lives with a lame man will learn to limp Nay one greater than Plutarch tells us that with a furious man wee should not go lest we learn his waies Prov. 22.24 25. Children especially may be dangerously infected by lewd and corrupâ— company Many children of godly Parents have had their manners fouled and vitiâ—ted extreamly by frequent and familiar converse with the naughty children of wicked neighbours 6. In the next place let seasonable and prudent rebukes be administred according to the nature and quality of their offences Begin gently use all perswasive motives to draw and allure thâ—m if possible to the waies of God tell them of the rewards of glory of the sweet society in Heaven Endeavour to satisfie thâ—ir hearts that God is able to fill their souls with such joyes as are not to be found in the creatures Jude 22. Of some having compassion making a difference Butt if this will not do then begin to mix some more severe expressions of thy holy anger against sin As there is a concatenation in vertues so in passions Love and anger
sincere beleeve and love Would God command a man to examine himself whether hee bee in the faith if there were not rules sutable and sufficient to direct us to know the nature of faith and wherein it doth consist 2. God hath given to a man a power to understand consider deliberate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antonin l 11. ss 12. Edit cant 1652. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem L. 11. ss 1. and reflect upon himself and judge of himself and of his waies herein a man is above a bruite a beast likes his pasture but cannot know his propriety Certainly a man that is not a stranger to himself but a diligent observer of the actings of his soul might know what they are yea and discern the moral modifications of those acts For Conscience is privy to the principle and spring of all our actings to the manner and the end If I love a man by reflecting upon my self I know I love him and shall this noble power of the soul bee only useless in the greatest concernments of my soul Can I know what I approve esteem most and delight in most and breath and pant after most in other things and not in this it is true conscience is naturally blinde in spiritual things but yet directed by the word and inlightned by the spirit might pass a judgement upon a man For as the Moon borroweth light from the Sun and so communicateth light unto the world which else it could not do so conscience receiving light from the word and spirit discovereth what else it could not do So it is called the candle of the Lord Prov. 20.27 The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly Not only taking notice of the outward acts in the life but the inward motions of the heart not only of some but it hath a power to take cognizance of them all Conscience is like the urine which discovereth whether a person bee sound in health or shews what his distemper is By the Eccho caused by the reflexion of the sound a man heareth his word after hee hath spoken it so by the reflecting power of conscience a man views his actions after they are done and hears his words after they bee spoken A man fees his spots or beauty in the glass by the reflexion of the species that do represent them to his view As Josephs brethrens consciences told them that they were true men and not l Gen. 42.31 spies so conscience may truly tell a man that hee is sincere and not an hypocrite Thus conscience is said to bee a witness Rom. 9.1 I say the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience also beâ—ring mee witness in the Holy Ghost to accuse and to excuse Rom 2.15 So it is a judge condemning or acquitting according as a mans state is found to bee So much Heathens have spoken of conscience * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocl Comment in Pytha. Carm. Unfeigned willingness to part with and mortify every sin a sure sign of saving grace Now that the Scripture containeth Characters of sincerity and that a man comparing himself by those Characters might certainly know that hee is sincere will bee evidenced by these Scriptures Psal 19.13 Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over mee then mark then shall I bee upright When there is no one known sin but a man is really willing should be mortified and parted with his most beloved sin that is neerest to him which by way of propriety hee may call his own in an especial manner which is the last sin a man parteth with and if there bee any sin which a man is unwilling to part with and will keep a man off from Christ it is his bosome sin his darling and the truth is that if any man keep love any one sin which hee will not let go to close fully with Christ let his profession bee never so great hee is an hypocrite Some men part with Christ for one lust for one sin Luke 18.22 When Jesus heard these things how far he had gone how much he had done hee said unto him yet lackest thou one thing Love to his riches and prizing them more than Christ was his ruine one stab at the heart with a Pen-knife will as certainly kill a man as a thousand wounds with a sword one disease that is mortal will as certainly bring a man to his grave as twenty and one leak in a ship will sink it as more Herod did many things but yet hee would not let go his Herodias Mark 6.17 18 19 20. It is a sure rule that which a man loves most hee will indeavour to keep longest Skin for skin all that a man hath will hee give for his life A man prizeth his right hand much but his head more and therefore to save his head hee will hold up his hand and venture the loss of the one to save the other There may bee many sins a man might love but one especially and hee may bee willing the other should bee pared off to preserve that but when hee is willing to leave all to indulge himself in none no not his darling sin it is a sign of sincerity Consult these Scriptures Psalm 17.1 3 4. Psalm 119.1 2 3 6. Job 1 8. 2.3 31. cap. throughout Now a man may by diligent enquirie finde out his beâ—oved sin A man may know whether hee bee thus willing to part with sin and hee may know and his conscience may bear him witness of his willingness to part with this to have it subdued and that by the grace of God hee doth keep himself from it that it bears not rule nor dominion in his soul Psalm 18.23 I was also upright before him How doth David manifest this by the observation of his heart and waies in this particular for it followeth and I kept my self from mine iniquity There is as much power of God required and strength of grace to make a man part with his beloved sin as all the rest Thus Hezekiah knew his sincerity Isa 38.3 Hee had the testimony of his conscience and was sure of it else how could hee have made his appeal to God Remember now oh Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Likewise a man might certainly know True faith might bee discovered in us that hee hath justifying faith is proved from 2 Cor. 13.5 Examiâ—e your selves whether yee bee in the faith prove your ownselves know yee not your own selves how that Christ is in you except yee bee reprobates Doâ—h God so strictly charge us to know that which cannot bee known that faith here spoken of thâ—t wee must enquire after is a justifying faith appears from the Text. 1. By this Christ dwelleth in us and so not by any other faith 2.
meet together oh how sweet is their discourse of the joyes of Heaven and of the comforts of the Spirit and the delights of the life of a Christian These advantages amongst many others that I might have named hath the beleever that is assured of his spiritual-safe-condition that a beleever that yet knoweth it not doth not so fully enjoy I shall conclude all with that exhortation of the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.10 11. Wherefoâ—e the rather Brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for so an entrance shall bee ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ What difference is there between the Conflict in Natural AND Spiritual Persons Rom. 7.23 But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members THe Apostle having shewed in the former Chapter that Justified Persons are not under the Law prosecutes and amplifies that choice Priviledge in this seventh Chapter which hath four parts 1. An Allegory Parts of the Chapter which shews there is no matching with Christ till we be divorced from the Law vers 1. 6. Moses may be a good friend but to fallen man he is ever an ill Husband a bloody Huband as he was to Zipporah Exod. 4.25 2. A complaint partly of the Law as an occasion of sins malignity vers 8 9.10 and partly of his own estate 1. Before Conversion as either secure or desperate vers 9 10 11. Secondly after Conversion as troublesome and vexatious vers 14. 24 3. An Apology 1. For the Law as spiritual holy just and good v. 12 14 16. Secondly For himself as under a force c. v. 15 17 20 22 25. The best Gospel apology against sin is under Christ a fore or after discent 2 Cor. 7.11 This grace will allow for a good clearing of our selves 4. A Gratulation v. 25. No man especially no Goldly man can under the Gospel want matter of thanks be his condition never so sad since the former is not altogether hopelesse and the later hath at present a part and Interest in Christ Coherence My Text falls under the second head The Apostles condition was bad before Conversion sad after Conversion truly militant and no release from this warfare Eccles 8.8 Christ indured the contradiction of sinners Heb. 12.3 Christians the contradiction both of sin and sinners and that continually May they not well complain as Psal 120.5 6 7. and Gen. 25.22 In the words note 1. An Act of Observation Godly men are great observers Division of the Text. especially of themselves vers 18. I know v. 21. I find and in the Text I see 2. The matter observed a Combate or Conflict In which note 1. The Combatants or Champions the Law of the mind and the Law of the members The form of a Being Naturalists call a Law Bac. de forma Calidi Aphor. 7. because forms like Laws and Laws like forms do ordinate and constitute Natural and Politick Bodies in their Being distinctions and operations Vatablus calls it aliam vim Laws as forms being principles of action Grotius distinguisheth of a fourfold Law 1. Lex Dei recorded in Scripture 2. Lex Mentis the Judgment between things honest and dishonest 3. Lex Membrorum the carnal or sensual Appetite 4. Lex Peccati the Custome of sinning to compleat which heads we must with the leave of that Learned Author add two other distinctions namely 1. The Law of Original Sin propagated by Generation which is strengthned by custome in evil and together with our sensual appetite depraved makes up the Law of sin Secondly The Law of sanctifying Grace infused in Regeneration which compleats the Law of the mind 2. The equality of this fight in a reciprocal opposition sin indwelling fighting against Grace indwelling and contra Arab. Castrametantem there being a pitch't Battel between Grace and Corruption in which some Graces and Corruptions bear the office of Commanders others of Common-Souldiers this is noted in the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compare Hebr. 12.4 3. The disparity of the fight managed by way of rebellion on the part of Sin by way of Loyalty and Authority on the part of Grace whence Beza and Piscator render it rebellantem 4. The dubiousness of the fight both parties often fighting as it were aequo Marte sometimes one sometimes the other seeming to get the better as in the battel between Israel and Amaleck Exod. 17.11 5. The sad event too often on the better side which is led Captive in which term yet there is a mixture of comfort Sin when in Tryumph acting as a Tyrant not as a Lawful Soveraign The Law of the mind may be overborn by but never indents with the Law of the members as a person inslaved by force but not by contract or as Schoolboyes in a misrule may shut their Master for a while out of doors but at last he gets in and they pay dearly for that affront Withal note in the Text a mixture of civil and military terms to illustrate the spiritual conflict there being a Law-suit as well as a pitch't Battel between Grace and Corruption The Text is limited by the Apostle to the Regenerate The scope of the Text. yet may in a good and true sense be extended to the unregenerate also in whom there is a Law of the mind namely the Law of Reason though not of Regeneration Yea Porphyrius lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uses the Apostles phrase calling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Taking therefore the Law of the mind and the Law of the members in a large sense may not every one take up this complaint of the Apostle Thence note In every man especially in the Regenerate Doctr. there is a Conflict between the Law of the Mind and the Law of the Members That it is so appears by a threefold Evidence The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. By the testimony of Nature speaking in Heathen Thus Medea Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor So Simplicius ad Epictetum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The irrational appetite displaces reason c. and leads it Captive 2. By testimony of Scripture and that 1. As to the Godly Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit c. 2. As to the unregenerate Instance in Herod who was troubled by this conflict between Lust and Conscience Mark 6.26 Yea in the very Heathen Rom 2.14 15. who by not hearkning to Conscience opposing sin in them felt Conscience accusing them for sin 3. By every mans experience Who finds not every day within himself a contest of contrary motions and inclinations Are we not all in this poynt Rebeccah's big though not with Twins yet with an Esau and a Jacob two contrary Nations strugling each with other Gen. 25. v. 22 23. Oh that we had all her wisdom and success The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why it s
well as open 3. The first risings as well as the grosse acts 4. Sins which promise worldly safety credit profit contentment as well as those sins that threaten the contrary 5. In a word all moral evil hatred and Antipathy being of the whole kind Psalm 119.128 especially of those evils which most indanger the New-man Psalm 18.23 and such as are beloved sins Matth 18. vers 8 9. III. They differ in the subject of the conflict In natural men the fight is in several faculties reason fighting against sense and passion or the dictate of conscience against the corrupt inclination of the will whence the fight is more at a distance by missile Arms and velitation But in the regenerate man the fight is more close in the same faculty the wisdom of flesh and spirit counteracting in the same understanding the lustings of the flesh and spirit in the same will whence the fight is as it were inter Triarios Grace and Corruption immediatly which at first haply was managed by the Hastati and Scutati Reason and Interest The former is like the fight of the Souldiers of Fortune more lazy and by way of Siege the latter more keen and vigorous by way of Assault an Onslait like that of Scanderbeg who fought with his Enemies breast to breast in a Box or Grate IV. They differ in the Instruments or weapons wherewith they combate The natural mans weapons are like himself carnal to wit natural or moral reason worldly fears or hopes and sometimes spiritual fears or hopes but carnalized namely slavish fear and mercenary hopes But the Regenerate mans weapons are Spiritual 2 Cor. 10.4 to wit gracious Interest and all the Spiritual Armour Ephes 6. vers 11. 18. especially the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit V. They differ in the manner of the fight The natural mans combate is more mercenary admits of more Parley 's cessations correspondencies as 1. Sam. 15.9 Sauls fight with Amaleck But the Spiritual man as such fights it out to the last and will give no Quarter The former is like the strife between Wind and Tide which often come about and are both of one side the latter is like the Dam and the Tide that strive till one be born down or like Stream and Tide meeting and conflicting till one hath overborn the other VI. They differ in the extent of the conflict in relation to its subject and duration The extent of the Subject is double 1. As to the faculties 2. As to the Acts. As to the faculties The seat of Warr in the Regenerate is every faculty flesh and spirit being ever mixed as light and darknesse in every poynt of Ayr in the twilight 1 Thes 5.23 Grace and Corruption Leaven the whole-man So that in the Regenerate there is at the same time both a Civil and a Forein Warr that in the same faculty this in one faculty against another Contrariwise in the Unregenerate there is usually nothing but a forein War between several faculties there being nothing of spiritual good in their wills and affections to set the same faculty against it self 2. It extends also to every act of piety and charity especially if more spiritual Rom. 7.21 For which the natural man hath no conflict but against them unlesse it be to stop the mouth of conscience inlightned c. Nor indeed doth he know experimentally what spiritual acts of Piety are But the regenerate find it by constant experience Faith and Unbelief Humility and Pride ever opposing and counter-working each other whence he is forced to cut his way through his Enemies and to dispute it step by step Others may seek but he strives Luke 13.24 and takes the Kingdom of Heaven by an holy violence Matth. 11.12 in spight of spiritual Enemies that way-lay him within and without 2. As to the extent of Duration of the Warr which being in the Regenerate irreconcileable must needs be interminable like the Warr between the Romans and Carthaginians that was intayl'd to Posterity or as fire and water will fight for ever if together for ever In the natural man contrariwise the quarrel is soon took up as between the Romans and other Nations there being not that Antipathy between Reason and Corruption as there is between Grace and Corruption VII They differ in the concomitants and consequents of the fight And 1. The fight in natural men may stand with the constant practice of and living in sin against the light of Conscience Godly men sin more with knowledge but wicked men more against knowledge He that is born of God doth not commit sin that is make a trade of living and lying in known sin 1 John 3.9 2. The fight in the Unregenerate hinders not the perfection and consummation of sin in the antecedent deliberation and purpose in the present delight and complacency and the following pertinacy and impenitency Instance in Saul Herod Judas and others But the Spirit by its conflict breaks the power of sin in all these in the Regenerate that they can neither do good as they would nor sin as they otherwise would Gal. 5.17 3. The fight in natural men seeks only the repression not the suppression of sin to lop the superfluous branches not stub up the root to charm the Serpent not to break its head But the spiritual fight seeks the full mortification and abolition of sin Rom. 6.6 hatred seeks the destruction of its Enemie 1 Sam. 24.19 and 1 John 3.15 and the compleat perfection of Grace though not attainable in this life Phil. 3. vers 10. 14. This for the first branch of Wisdom which teaches to discern between the natural and the spiritual Conflict The second Branch of Heavenly Wisdom Aplic lyes in improving these Spiritual Contrarieties by siding with the spirit against the flesh 1. This is done 1. By watching all the forces designs and motions of the Enemy We have in us Legions of these Devils the meanest of them too strong and too subtil for us Heb. 3.13 true Gibeonites that can easily cheat us with their mouldy bread and clouted Garments Sons of Anak all of one confederacy and sworn Enemies of our Salvation had we not need have our eyes in our heads and set watchfulnesse upon the forelorn hope 1 Cor. 16.13 2. By making head early against the Enemy Principiis obsta c. nip sin in the bud crush this Cockatrice in the shell strangle this hellish-Brat in the birth take heed of the first appearances of evill take it's first All-armes slight not the smallest sin or occasion of sinning How much mischife is done by a little wound a little Thief a smal Spark James 3.5 and 2 Sam. 11.2 3. Oppose especially thy Master-Lust Fight in comparison neither against small nor great but against the King of these Hellish Regiments 1 Kings 22.31 Be sure to pull out that right eye This is the Skirt Satan layes hold of in wrastling with thee to thy hazzard and his no small advantage
them for Spies v. 9. rejects their defence v. 12. renews and out of their own mouths reinforceth his Charge and suspition of them v. 14. threatens to commit them v. 15 16. commits them v. 17. puts Bonds upon one of them till the rest should quit and clear themselves and him of suspition v. 19 20. This is their cold and sad welcom and entertainment 2. The consequent of this their hard and distressfull usage and entreatment and that is trouble of mind horrour and perplexity of spirit And they said one to another c. The words then are the Holy Ghosts Report of the Case of the sons of Jacob their being spiritually trouble by way of Conviction or Judgement in their own which also is the Lord's Court of Conscience Wherein we observe the I. Actors Registers Accusers Witnesses Judge Tormentors themselves II. Processe in judging themselves Wherein 1. Self-accusation of the cause of their trouble their sin with the utmost aggravations viz. 1. In general We are guilty 2. In particular of Envy Wrong against a Brother whom in bitterness we saw without pity and were deaf to his intreaties Obstinate to the admonition of Reuben and abiding therein 2. In self condemnation Therefore is this distress come and his bloud required III. Execution Wherein 1. The smart by inward terrour and consternation their heart misgiving them is deeply affected and that makes them very abrupt Yea verily i. e. Alas what shall we do 2. The circumstance of the time when couched in And. 1. In general many years after the offence was done 2. In special now that they were outwardly in an afflicted condition Doct. 1. Every man hath a Conscience within himself 2. The guilt of sin turns a mans Conscience i. e. himself against himself 3. Conscience is apt to be very sensible when 't is awakened not only of sin but particular sins and the particular circumstances and degrees thereof to the utmost and charge all upon a mans self not upon Gods Decrees or Providence nor upon the Devil or evil Company c. 4. Envy unnatural affection cruelty deafnesse to the intreaties of the distressed obstinacy against warning and admonition continuance in sin without repentance c. are very hainous and dangerous 5. The accusations and condemnations of Conscience are terrible or cause terrour beyond all expression 6. There is a time when God will call over sins that are past and charge them upon the Conscience 7. Inward trouble of mind sometimes yea usually comes upon the people of God when they are outwardly in some distresse I shall speak of the two last and in them something of all the other saving the fourth containing the particular matter of Fact viz. cruelty and bloud which I shall not meddle withall These then are the two Doctrines 1. There is a time when God will call over past sins with horrour c. 2. This time of inwâ—rd horrour fals in with outward trouble Doct. 1. There is a time when God will call over sins that are past without repentance and charge them upon the Conscience with horrour Here 's the Case The sons of Jacob had formerly trespassed against God in the matter of their Brother And they said c. now and not till now that we read of is the guilt and horrour of it reflected upon their Consciences In sinne the act passes the guilt and consequent remains Sin is like some poyson which may be taken at one time and work at another it may be seven years after 'T was now more then seven and seven years that the poyson of this sin began to work 'T is true of Family sins Hos 1.4 National sins Ezek. 4.4 5. Lam. 5.7 Personal sins as here And that 's the Case 1. Not only of the wicked as in the case of Cain Gen. 4.7 If thou doest ill sin lies at the door to shut out Mercies and let in Judgements and that as a fell Mâ—stiff or a sleeping Lion ready to take thee by the throat whenever the Lord awakens guilt in the Conscience 2. But also of the Godly Psal 19.12 25.7 Job 13.26 Thou makest me to possesse the sins of my youth Reas 1. From God 1. God remembers all Amos 8.7 As I live saith the Lord Reas I will forget none of their works 1 Sam. 15.2 I remember what Amaleck did c. God hath three Books 1. Of Prescience wherein he writes down our names and his purposes concerning us The Arminians deny that Book 2. Of Providence wherein he writes down our names and all his care over us The Epicure and Atheist deny this as also the former 3. Of Postscience or remembrance wherein he writes down our names and all the particulars of our carriage towards him 1. Whether they be good no act of Piety or Charity not a cup of cold water from the Spring of Love not a drop of tears from the Spring of Godly sorrow not a sigh from the bottom of a broken heart but it s taken notice of botled recorded Mal. 3.16 Or 2. Bad not a wicked thought a malicious scoff or wicked action word motion but God marks it and sets it down in the Book of his remembrance Psal 50.21 Reas 2 2. God need not reflect or look back for he hath all things present before him that ever were are or are to come viz. 1. In Speculo decreti 2. In Causis particularibus Gods Knowledge called fore-knowledge and remembrance in respect of us and the things known is as his being altogether in puncto aeternitatis There is not in God first and second of time and cause no was and is to come but all is There is not with God beginning succession and end but his name is I Am and so is knowledge as himself yesterday to day and the same for ever 2 Pet. 3.8 The knowledge of men is as of one standing on the shore where some ships are past and out of sight one way others to come and out of sight another way others in sight right over against him but the Knowledge of God as of one on the top of an high Mountain where with one view all things are present Heb. 4.13 Reas 3 3. God also seals up our iniquities as in a bag Job 14.17 as the Clerk of the Sizes seals up the Indictments for the next Circuit nay God himself will bag them and seal them up with his own hand and signet Deut. 32.34 God speaking of the provocations of his People saith he Is not this laid up in store wtih me and sealed among my treasure So strict and earnest is God for security as we say Sure bind sure find What more sure and safe then that which God himself layes up in Bag and Cabinet and seals among his Jewels As when God makes up his Jewels of Mercy he will remember them Mal. 3.17 So when he casts up his treasures of wrath he will remember them Reas 4 4. Gods Truth engages him in this case his Word
cannot passe away now he hath said it Exod. 24.7 he will by no means acquit the guilty i. e. Unlesse the blood of sprinkling for repentance and remission be applied said again Plalm 68.21 I will wound the head and again Esay 65.20 The sinner an hundred years old is accursed Now as the Godly look to have God as good as his word for good Zach. 1.6 so the wicked must look to have God as good as his word for evil Did not my Word take hold of your Fathers 5. No time can remit Gods anger if you offend a man and he Reas 5 be angry you may get out of the way and time will waer off the memory of the offence or at least asswage his passion but 't is not so with God but if he be once angry he is for ever angry the same cause which is sin unrepented remaining Psal 7.11 God is angry with the wicked every day for the sins he commits one day the Anger of the Lord unlesse he works a change in us abides upon us burning to the bottome of Hell Psal 90.11 O! as his fear is so is his wrath and a thousand times more 6. Lastly the sinner is as much under the power of God at one Reas 6 time as at anoâ—her forty a hundred a thousand years after a sin is committed as when the sin was first done As the People of God are born up with that word Behold the hand of the Lord is not shortned that he cannot save Es 59.1 So the wicked sink under the terror of that word Ezek. 22.14 Can thy heart hold and thine hands be strong when I shall visit when I shall deal with you saith the Lord This is the first Reason from God Reas 2. From Sin In a Two-fold Consideration of every sin wherein there are two things which make sin unrepented sure to be called back 1. There is in every sin a breach of the eternal rule of Righteousnesse Reas 1 1 John 3.4 Now the breach of an Eternal Law must needs be Eternal unlesse he which is Eternal make it up i. e. Christ in giving repentance and remission Make a breach in a stone wall you may come many years after and find it as you left it and it must hold as long as the wall holds if it be not made up even so it is in this case Let one come from the dead and warn us those poor cursed castaways are still and must be still and ever crying out under the wrath of God What is the reason I pray verily not only because they sinned out of an affection and spring to sin for ever but also because every sin is objectively infinite and eternal being against the Infinite Eternal Law of the Eternal God now the Law being wronged by the sinner demands and solicits the Justice and Vengeance of God against him till it be satisfied to the utmost farthing therefore till then i. e. for ever must the wrath of God abide upon him and if time wears not out the breach of the Eternal Law in Hell much lesse doth it make any alteration therein here while thou doublest and treblest thy sin by going on with an impenitent heart Reas 2 2. There is also in every sin a spot stain or brand whereby the sinner is marked out for Judgment and Condemnation as we say of a Murtherer as to man Deu. 32.5 Jer. 13.23 Jer. 17.1 so we may say of every sin which is hatred and so murther of the Blessed God as to God there is alwayes some mark or token whereby he is known and that is the macula which sin doth impresse upon him now this also is an indelible Character as the former of Guilt was save only when upon the penitent heart-changing application of the blood of sprinkling there is made an alteration of the case It is plain Jer. 17.1 It is written with a pen of Iron and the point of a Diamond Jer. 2.22 Though thou take thee much nitre and wash thee with much sope yet thine iniquity is marked before me saith the Lord. David cries out so Psalm 51. O! wash me purge me c. this is the second reason from sin The third is from the sinner himself i. e. from his own Conscience There is in every rational Creature a certain thing called Conscience upon the account of which also sin must needs be kept upon the file for a back-blow Know here that There are divers acts of Conscience and all of them unavoidable 1. Directive as to that which is to be done it being the Law written in the heart it points to all the duties and sins whereby that Law is kept or broken warning from the one and putting on to the other Gen. 39.9 How shall I do this and sin c. Psalm 119.59 I considered my wayes and turned my feet into thy testimonies thus Conscience is a Monitor 2. Reflexive both gratulatory and reprehensive as to all that which is doing or done 1. Considering observing and recording whether it be done or no the matter of fact simply with the natural Circumstances of action negative and positive both in the point of Omission and Commission Item this is done or not done 2. Taking notice and recording the quality of the fact in a comparative act comparing it with the rule together with the moral Circumstances thereof thus Conscience is a surveyer witnesse Register Item in the doing or omitting of this and this the Law is broken and the forfeiture and penalty is incurred 3. It applies this and sets it home upon the sinner thou art the man This thou hast done verily thou art guilty c. thus Conscience is a Judge also and gives sentence touching both the sin and sinner pro or â—on as the Case is 4. It never leaves nor gives over these acts of warning observing recording witnessing and judging till Judgment take place and the Law and sentence be fulfilled upon the sinner Verily I am guilty c. thus Conscience is Tormenter and Executioner also executing its own Sentence by affecting the heart and moving the affections as of joy and boldnesse if the Case be good so of horrour and fear shame and sorrow if the Case be bad c. Now these acts of Conscience though happly for a time suspended as it were are unavoidable upon a double account and Conscience cannot be bribed 1. Because of that relation that Conscience hath to God it ever takes God's part and God it 's it is Gods deputy and Viceroy and so it 's voice and judgment is the very Voice and Judgment of God himself who can and will maintain it in its office till he brings forth Judgment unto victory 2. Because of it's relation to a mans self it is Sensus prejudicium Judicii Divini Nothing so intimate to a man and inseparable from life as this bosome Judge and God's Court within a man 't is a part of a mans Soul and self as subordinate to
Conscience is pacified with the blood of sprinkling as to what the Word declares concerning thee though not as to what thou feelest and where the Judge acquits there Conscience which is the Serjeant cannot condemn but that 't is not alwaies set right according to the Word Motive 2 2. But O! the terrour of having sin upon the file against us and doest thou remain in sin unrepented The terrour of being yet and going on in sin Doest thou go on to adde sin to sin not caring how many sins thou loadest thy Conscience withall as if there were no time of reckoning Numb 32.23 Be ye sure your sins will finde you out Sic mihi semper contingat tractare beare amicos non dulcibus verbis sed sanis terroribus Bern. Do not say Hast thou found me O my enemy or as the wicked one Art thou come to torment us before our time But as thou lovest thy soul take all I say in good part for God knows I speak out of tender respect to your eternal good Consider then 1. The innumerable number of sins thou standest guilty of Ps 19.12 Who knows the errors of his life Methinks there is no sad sight in the world but the sinner in his sins Suppose you had seen Herod covered over with worms alas what is this to one worm of Conscience Suppose you had seen every member in the Senate run upon Caesar to give him a stab would not you have given him over for dead a thousand times Brethren every sin you commit is an envenomed knife to stab you at your very heart Suppose again you should see a malefactour at the Bar for a Capital crime the evidence clear O! you will say 't will go hard with him but when you see another and another and many other Indictments sworn home against him and every one touching his life will you not say there is no hope he is a dead man and all the world cannot save him Remember this is thy case and it will be certainly called over If one poyson be enough to dispatch a man without an antidote what doth that man mean that drinks off a thousand poysons and refuses the antidote of the blood of Christ If one sin â—e as a thousand milstones to sink all the world into the bottom of hell what doest thou mean to tye so many thousand milstones about thy own neck 2. Old debts vex most the delay of payment increases them by Use upon Use and the return of them being unexpected a person is least provided for them We count old sores breaking forth incurable Augustus wondered at a person 's sleeping quietly that was very much in debt and sent for his pillow saying Surely there is some strange vertue in it that makes him rest so secure My brethren if one debt unto Gods Law be more then the whole Creation can satisfie what do any of us mean to rest secure with so vast a burden upon our Consciences and account O! take heed thou beest not surprized and arrested with old Debts O! thou remembrest former iniquities against us Psal 79.8 3. God will call over and charge thy sins upon thee when all the sweet is gone Thou makest a shift to swallow the hook with pleasure when 't is covered with the sweet bait O! but when that 's digested or disgorged and the naked hook piercing and raking thy heart what wilt thou do then O! how bitter is the Pill when all the sugar is melted off Now this will be thy case Job found but a taste of it and O! how he cries out Job 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me i. e. bitternesses 4. With old sins must come old wrath Rom. 2.4 5. Thinkest thou that thou shalt escape the judgement of God What and despisest the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance not knowing that the goodnesse of God doth not only give thee a space of but leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest tunnest up against thy self wrath against the day of wrath c. There be three sorts and degrees of wrath will come with old sins 1. Wrath for old sins 2. Wrath for the forbearance of that Wrath. 3. Wrath for the abuse of that forbearance O! what wilt thou do in the day of thy visitation 5. The former admonitions c. nips of Conscience will come again and they with the present will be unsufferable beyond all that can be expressed This is their terrour here say they he besought us and we would not hear and saith Reuben Said I not to you did I not tell you warn you what it would come to and ye would not hear O! he which hardens his neck to reproof shall surely be destroyed O! timely and fair checks and warnings obstinately rejected are the wracks of Conscience the sharp sting and teeth of the worm thereof 6. And what will now become of thee as the Lord lives thou wilt come to thy distracting misgiving thoughts Yea but and verily we are guilty c. Methinks saith Luther every cloud is loynd with thunder against me Thou wilt take every visitation from God as a messenger of death nay that God himself sets in against thy life Suppose you saw two desperate enemies grapling closing in upon each other O! account for every particular God comes to the sinner as to Adam in the cooll of the day in his cold sweat Gen. 3.8 when his Sun is setting and he is going to make his bed in the dark his life and Soul sits on his pale trembling lips ready to take her flight inâ—o Eternity and whereas thou wert before as the deaf Adder or the wild Asse snuffing up the wind or the Dromodary traversing his way without all regard of any check now taken in thy month Oh! my contempt of the means of Grace Oh! my prophaning Sabboths Sacraments Oh! my breaking bonds of Oaths Covenants Promises and casting away cords of discipline and government Oh! my malice against God's People Oh! my hardening my heart against the Word and the Rod c. as the rankling thorn in the flesh pains most when thou goest to bed 5. Before this in a time of outward Calamity and distresse and this is the second Doctrine from the special Circumstance when they were troubled And now Direct 2 2. This Inward horrour and trouble of mind falls in even to Gods People with outward Trouble This is the Case here the Patriarchs the children of the Promise are in distresse and danger by their Brother Josephs seeming severity toward them And they said one to another we are verily guilty c. with the pressure on the outward man comes a snare upon the Conscience If any find it oâ—herwise as there are some with whom when there is a storm without there is a calm within and when a storm within there is a calm without let them blesse God but in the experience of Gods People it is often found that
when their outward condition is troubled their inward state and frame is full of perplexities and fears David found it so Psalm 116.3 The sorrows of death compassed me and then also the pains of hell got hold on me I found trouble and sorrow i. e. very much perplexity both inward and outward at once So again Psalm 31.22 1 Sam. 23.26 Psal 42.7 In my hast i. e. when I was flying for my life before the face of Saul and hard put to it then I said I am cut off from before thine eyes Thus it was with Jona 2.4 in the depth of his distress saith he I am cast out of thy sight sad conclusions touching not only Gods providential care over them but his love towards them Thus with Paul 2 Cor. 7.5 without were fightings within were fears i. e. Spiritual conflicts We find the whole Church in the Lam. at the same passe Lam. 3.17.18 Thou hast removed my Soul far from Peace I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord alike sad is that Ezek. 37.11 Swoon of Israel's Faith when they were in the Captivity You 'l ask what the reason and cause of this should be 1. It arriseth from their ignorance especially in the fundamental Reas 1 Points of Religion as touching our disease and the remedy and way of cure the tehour of the Covenant of Grace according to which God exactly proceeds in all his dealings with us and we should ever carry it towards God If a man be taken with a fit of sickâ—esse knows not what he ailes nor what to take nor how to apply that which is prescribed nor how to order himself is unsatisfied touching the way skil and faithfulnesse of his Physitian by his ignorance he is put to a sad plague and at his wits ends ready to sink and welter thus t is in our Spiritual condition David Plam 73.12 16. is dangerously tossed in his Spirit upon waves of temptations and much staggared about his condition his feet were almost gone he almost wrackt and cast away See the reason veis 22. of Psalm 73. So foolish was I and ignorant ignorance is darknesse 't will either find fears or make them 2. This ariseth from the ill and imprudent carnal management of a Reas 2 more prosperous state 't is rare to receive much of this World Luke 15.12 13. and not as the Prodigal to go afarr off 't is hard to keep close to God in prosperity when we have much of this World to live upon and content our selves with to live upon God and make him our content and stay as if we had no other life nor livelyhood but in him we are very apt in such a case to contract a carnal frame let go our hold of God discustome our selves to the exercise of Faith abate and estrange our affections from God See how it was with David Psalm 30.7 I said I should never be moved thou hast made my mountain so strong I solaced my self in these outward accommodations as if I needed no other support strength or content and there were no fear of a change no care now to make God my constant joy and stay and reckon upon God only for my portion and that I must follow him with a Crosse and be conformed to my Saviour in being crucified to the World what comes of this v. 7. Thou hidest thy face and I was troubled viz. because he had too much indulged a life of sense Children that are held up by their Nurses hand and mind not to feel their feet and ground when the Nurse lets them go they fall as if they had no feet or ground to stand upon Or thus we are like Children which playing in the golden Sun-shine and following their sport stray so far from their Fathers house that night coming upon them ere they are aware they are as it were lost and full of fears not knowing how to recover home the World steals away our hearts from God gives so few opportunities for the exercise of the life of Faith and such advantages to a life of sense wears off the sense of our dependance on God and need thereof so that when we are put to it by affliction we are ready to miscarry ere we can recover our weapon or hold Faith is our cordial Psalm 27.13 now if it be not at hand as in health when we have no need of it it use to be we may faint ere we recover the use of it Reas 3 3. It ariseth from the shortnesse and dimnesse of our Spiritual Evidences our Evidence you know are great matters in point of estate and livelyhood and in affliction we are put to prove them at which time if they be either not clear or not at hand we are at a great losse and plunge a good man makes alwaies Conscience of making his calling and election sure but he is especially put upon this work in affliction then he considers then searches more then in his ordinary course Afflictions are as sharp searching winter-weather will search whether your house be tite or no those garments walls and windows that will serve in Summer of prosperity will be found defective in Winter of adversity then how stands the case between God and me what ground of my confidence what evidence that I am in Christ c. though the least degree of Faith will save the house from falling yet 't will be a poor cold uncomfortable dwelling in Winter unlesse you mend the cracks and flaws to defend you against driving pierceing winds and storms Reas 4 4. It ariseth as it did here from the remembrance of some sin unmortified and therefore it may be for ought we know unpardoned Affliction puts upon the remembrance of sin with more circumstances and aggravations and to more purpose then ordinarily even the best which make most conscience hereof attend to it in time of freedom Job 36.8 9 10. If they be bound in fetters and held in the cords of affliction then he shews them their work and their transgressions wherein they have exceeded 1 Kings 17.18 Dost thou come to call my sin to remembrance in slaying afflicting me with the losse of my son In stormy change of weather when clouds gather black over us and it begins to drop then we feel it in our bones what bruises or aches we have gotten When a man is arrested by one Crediâ—or all his debts come in upon him Even so when a man is arrested with sicknesse or some other outward distresse then come in upon him the debts wherein he is bound over unto the Divine Law when all is well with us we can easily cast these debts on the score of Christ but now 't is hot work Affliction is the glasse of sin and the opening and awakening the Conscience to see it and thence comes the Trouble upon the Spirit It is not all the stormy winds upon the face of the earth but some generated in the bowels thereof which
makes the earth shake 5. It ariseth from Satan When the eye of Conscience is most open Reas 5 he is most busie to present either that which may close it or that which may trouble it when the heart is most tender he is most ready to bruise and wound it In affliction he would make breaches between God and us us and God and us and our selves if we must needs be sensible of them gulphs out of which there is no redemption he temp s us unto sin in prosperity and then for sin in adversity as we find in Jobs Case even in those which he knows are out of his reach where least strength and ground to do any thing there he is most malicious as it appears in his bold attempts upon our Lord If he cannot run thee upon a rock yet he will disquiet thee with a tempest if he cannot rob thee of thy grace yet he will of thy peace and comfort 6. It ariseth from the weakness of faith and strength of sense apprehending Reas 6 God in affliction as our enemy especially if there be some willing correspondence between us any thing which God hates God is a terrour to us Thus Sense wrought in Job 33.10 Behold he findeth occasion against me he counteth me for his enemy Also 16.12.14 and in the Church Lam. 2.4 5. God hath bent his bow like an enemy c. and ver 5. O! if thou comest to that of Jacob Gen. 42.36 Surely all these things are against me and in them God against me it is sad with thee This is the triumph of Faith If God be with us who can be against us This the shreek of the Fainting God is against me and then who can be for me 7. It ariseth from Gods withdrawing Thus with Christ when God Reas 7 would make his condition sad and his burden heavy indeed the Father and his own Divinity withdraw and withhold their comfortable influential presence from the apprehension of the Humane Nature and when was he thus spiritually afflicted But when most outward trouble came upon him when his Murderers the Traytor were upon him and his life drew near to the grave as it was prefigured in David Psal 116.3 when the sorrows or dangers of death compassed him about then the terrours of hell took hold upon him i. e. terrours arising from this the withdrawing of the Divine Love and Countenance Mar. 14.34 Now come his astonishing dismaying fears and sorrows pressing even to death making him as it were to shrink from the great work of his own mercy Now he cries out as his Type My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal 22.1 Mat. 27. The perpetual shreek of them which are cast away When we can with David encourage our selves in our relations to 1. Sam. 30.6 and interest in God then every even the heaviest burden even death it self is light and we can in Christs strength shake it off or run away with it as Sampson with the Gates of the City But as when the Sun is down or eclipsed the flowers fold up and droop or when the face before the Glass turns away the face in it vanisheth Even so when God hides his face and we doubt of our Title and Interest we are troubled and then we are as Sampson when his Covenant broken and his locks the sign thereof cut we are as other men our strength is gone any cord will bind us any burden sink us Isa 64.7 Reas 8 8. I might add It may arise from our disacquaintedness with afflictions as to our expectation and resolution But for Use 1. A word to them which are yet in their sins out of Christ And it is 1. Of Conviction 2. Counsel 1 Conviction and terrour to them which are out of Christ If Gods People be lyable to inward and outward trouble at once wherein yet there is not a drop of wrath What shall the visitasion of the rest be wherein there is not a drop of saving pity If they may be so hardly put to it which yet are ever secretly and mightily supported what shall they do that have no strength but their own to bear up under the mighty hand of God Surely if they smart sevenfold the wicked must be avenged seventy times sevenfold If the cup of affliction by reason of the bitter ingredient of inward perplexity be so bitter to them what becomes of them for whom the dregs of that Cup are reserved The godly may stand condemned at their own Bar but the wicked at Gods too and nothing remains to them but a certain expectation of execution without a change O! if Jacob halt sure Esaus back and bones must be broken If the righteous be by reason of sharp afflictions within and without scarcely saved to whom yet all afflictions are through grace ever sufferable short and sanctified where shall the sinner appear when his sins and sorrows shall meet together There be three daies wherein thou shalt never be able to hold up thy head and yet thou must appear First A day of extream Calamity Secondly Of Death Thirdly of Judgment Oh! remember how sad it goes with the godly in a day of outward Calamity because of inward trouble joyning with it through gradual want of Knowledge Faith and Evidence the venome of sin unmortified malice of Satan not yet quite troden under their feet and the withdrawing of Gods Grace and Countenance in part And consider how thou wilt speed which hast no saving Knowledge no Faith no Interest art under the raign of sin and Satan whom the holy and jealous God cannot endure to behold but with revenge and execration Psal 27.13 David had fainted in his affliction had he not believed c. Surely then thou must utterly faint because thou hast not obtained an heart to understand and believe to this day The Children of God notwithstanding all their inwâ—rd and outward pressures can say as Paul sighs for them all 2 Cor. 4.8 9. We are troubled on every side yet not distressed so as there is no way to escape or bear up We are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not quite destroyed But if thou lookest not to it betimes such a day will come upon thee as wherein thou shalt be so beset with trouble that thou wilt be absolutely concluded and shut out from all relief so perplexed that thou wilt despair so pursued by the avengers of bloudâ— that thou wilt be quite forsaken of heaven and earth so cast down that thou wilt be utterly destroyed and dashed in pieces Oh! if trouble such trouble may seize on Gods dear ones what reprobate fear and astonishment shall take hold on thee that art a stranger a slave an enemy and yet secure and presumptuous in that condition 2. It is a word of Counsel to thee as to be an alarm to thy security so an Antidote to thy presumption and censoriousness in reference to the godly The men
as Nothing at All and esteeming God as All in All. 6. These outward enjoyments are indeed sweet but my God the Author of Them is infinitely more sweet They have all even the most defaecate of them a Tang and Smak of the Cask and Chanel through which they come At at Dulcius ex ipso Fonte A Single God is infinitly more sweet than the enjoyment of all created Good things that come from Him Though indeed I can smile when my Corn and Wine and Oyl increaseth and bear a part with my Valleys when they stand so thick with Corn that they even laugh and sing Alas this without the enjoyment of a God is but a meer Risus sardonicus The leaping of the Head after the Soul is gone True indeed These are some of Gods Love Tokens but what are These to His Person and Presence These indeed are rich Cabinets But Oh the w Psal 4.6 Light of his Countenance That That 's the Jewel In having these I can say with Esau I have * Gen. 23.9 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Much but give me Him I can exult and Triumphing say with Jacob I have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All. These are some of His Left-hand favours some of His Bottels of Milk and gifts a fit portion for Ishmael and the sons of Keturah But 't is an Isaac's Inheritance waters of the upper fountains my Soul thirsts after those Right-hand Blessings His x Psal 16.11 presence His Soul-ravishing presence in which There is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore These may serve for my comfortable passage but Nothing but Himself can content and satisfie for my Alsufficient * Psal 78.26 Portion According to That Psal 36.8 He alone can fill up all the gaping chinks and chasms of my Soul He is my Sun and shield Psal 84.11 my Root and Branch Isa 11.10 my foundation and Corner-stone Isa 28.16 my Sword and shield Deut. 33.29 He only can answer All my desires all my necessities Deus meus omnia my God and my All. Thus Faith fixes it's Aspect on God 2. On the things of God and so Faith concludes I have y Altiora sapio higher and nobler projects designs of deeper concernment than to sit down ingulph and please my self in these poor earthly drossie * Excelsa piae mentis generositas supra omnem rerum humanarum speciem erecta dirty things here below I have many Corruptions within these are to be mortified Many Temptations without these are to be resisted Many sweet motions and whispers of the Spirit these are to be cherished many weak graces these are to be strengthned Many personal relational duties these are to be performed In a word an effectual Calling and Election to be made sure This above all is to be regarded Faith discovers a World beyond the Moon and trades thither Leaving the men of the earth to load themselves with clay and coles Faith pursues its staple commodity and traffiques for grace and glory Thus z Psa 39 6 7. David when he had branded the Worldling for disquieting himself in vain for heaping up riches and knowing not who shall gather them with an holy disdain turns his back upon the World as not worth his thoughts saying and now Lord what wait I for q.d. It is true I have Riches and Honour a Crown a Kingdom but is this the portion I could be content to sit down with No no My hope is in thee deliver me from all my Transgressions Ver. 8. Let them that love the World enjoy it but Lord pay not my portion in such adulterate coyn but in pardon of sin and peace of conscience This this is that I wait for Thus * Vulde protest fâ—tus sum c. Luther having a rich Present sent him professed with an holy boldness to God That such things should not serve his turn He was not taken with Pebbles his nobler soul slew a Aquila non capit muscas higher and was fixt on Pearls It is Gods favour that the Subjects of the King of Heaven desire rather than his preferment like him that preferr'd Alexanders kiss before a great sum of money given by Alexander to another Thus Faith looks upward on God and the things of God and acts accordingly 2. Faith or trust looks downward on its fullest and sweetest Temporal Enjoyments And so 1. It accurately weighs these enjoyments in the Ballance of the Sanctuary and so makes a just estimate of them as to their worth and value Faith knows that generally men look at the things which are seen and therefore the things that seem best that glitter most are the best delights of most of the children of men the desire of their eyes the joy of their hearts These they over-rate and not only esteem them highly but adore them superstitiously as a God or their chiefest good But now Faith brings these to the touchstone and standard and there interprets them as they are according to their just value finds them to be but the delights of sence fortune ludibria the sports of Nature the Trials of humane folly at the best but helps of humane frailty Particularly faith passes a twofold judgment on them Negative and Positive 1. Negative and so faith concludes 1. These and all such like earthly enjoyments never yet of themselves benefitted any man for heaven True some things are so good in themselves that he that hath them cannot but be good and the better for them Such as are the grace of God to us and the graces of the Spirit in us These find us evil but make us good But no man was ever made good meerly by riches and worldly wealth These indeed have found some really good and made them less good than they were and have found many seemingly good whom they have made stark nought How often hath a fat preferment spoyl'd a good Preacher and caused him with him when the fish is caught to lay aside his Net Usually the more we have of this World the less we mind the World to come Our place in Paris makes us forget our portion in Paradice That earth which we tread under our feet gets up into our hearts and makes them more earthly than the earth we tread on 2. This high mountain on whose top I stand adds not a Cubit to my stature in Gods eyes God values not as men do by the rate or Subsidy-book Not many Wise not many Noble not many Rich but God hath chosen the b Jam. 2.15 poor of this World Rich in faith 3. Therefore my true blessedness doth not cannot consist in the fullest confluence of these worldly enjoyments I may not I dare not with that rich c Luk. 12.19 fool sing a requiem to my soul and bid it take its ease for it hath goods laid up for many years Here is not my rest Faith like the Turtle finds no rest for the sole of its foot even in a deluge
main and principall weapon of their warfare is quick and powerfull Heb. 4.12 a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and it casts down imaginations and brings into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Therefore while we have this Word and Spirit 2 Cor. 10.5 it is possible though difficult to discover the hypocrisie of our own spirits and to direct others to find out theirs It is not a poor souls fearing and doubting his hypocrisie accusing Caution 3 and charging himself with it crying out of himself as a wretched man by reason of it that concludes and determines he is such See David in Psal 51.10 11 12. charging himself so and the Church accusing her self of erring from Gods wayes and having their hearts hardned from his fear Isa 63.17 and yet their own expressions in the Verses before Vers 15 16. manifest the frame of their spirits to be exceeding tender and humble Holy Mr Bradford would many times subscribe himself in his Letters John the hypocrite and a very painted Sepulchre Fox his Acts and Alon. Agur one of the wisest men living condemns himself for being more bruitish than any man and not having the understanding of a man Prov. 30.2 And David one of the holiest and devoutest men living upon an ordinary temptation viz. the prosperity of the wicked was very apt to charge the wayes of God with unprofitablenesse Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency Psal 73.13 but afterwards seeing his errour he chargeth it so upon himself that he upbraids and condemns himself for foolish and ignorant Vers 22. and a very beast before God It is usuall with the best men to have the worst thoughts of themselves 1. Partly because as God will give most grace to the humble so there is great need of giving more humility to those that have most grace 2. Partly because where there is true grace there is an insatiable desire of more The children of God have never enough of communnion with God nor of conformity to him they seldome look back and say this thou hast but still presse forward to this thou hast not and this thou maist and this thou must have Phil. 3.12 13. 3. And partly because as there is much difference between faith in its direct and its reflected act between knowing God and knowing that we know him between believing and knowing that we believe so there is between having sincerity and finding a feeling of it constantly between not being hypocrites and a constant confidence of it which would amount to no lesse than full assurance This is not granted to all and seldome to any at all times that so there may be a season for the exercise of other graces humility fear and trembling fear of sollicitude Phil. 2.12 2 Pet. 1. and diligence in making our calling and election sure And this is to be remembred and observed viz. That God likes us never the worse that Satan is so much our enemy but much the better that by humility lowlinesse of mind and self-denial we seem to be our own enemies 4. Nor are they foul failings nor dangerous fallings into grosse Caution 4 sins if a man die not impenitently in them that do constitute an hypocrite indeed raigning sin doth The falls of Gods people may be Horrendae tempestates flenda naufragia The greivous falls of Gods people do evidence there is hypocrisie in them but not that they are hypocrites David was guilty of adultery and murther and puft up with exceeding pride and vain-glory in the multitude of his Subjects and strength of his Kingdome but Davids repenting and rising again cleared him from being an hypocrite so that the spirit of God testifies from his own mouth that he was upright and kept himself from his iniquity Psal 18. i. e. from the raign and continuance of it and after his fall he was called a man after Gods own heart Thou hast not been as my servant David who kept all my Commandments and followed me with all his heart to do that only which was right in my sight 1 King 14.8 The Lord overlookt his adultery and murther for indeed he had put away his sin or made it passe over as it is in the Original that is to Christ Hezekiahs heart was lifted up and he renderd not according to the benefit done unto him 2 Chron. 32.25 26. 2 Chron. 29.2 but Hezekiah was humbled and the wrath of God came not upon him all his dayes he was not an hypocrite no he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father David had done So Peter denied and forswore his Master after many warnings and many promises to the contrary yet he repented and wept bitterly his fall shewd him to be a weak frail man but proved him not a hypocrite Job confessed himself a sinner Iob 13.23 and that many were his iniquities and transgressions but Job would never confesse himself an hypocrite Iob 27.5 6. no he would keep his integrity till he died for it is not the falling into sin or the being guilty of it Psal 66.18 but regarding iniquity in the heart that denominates an hypocrite otherwise all men were hypocrites for certainly all men are sinners Rom. 3. all shut up under sin Caution 5 5. Nor is it backsliding into the same sinnes that makes a man an hypocrite David had gotten into a way of lying to save his life viz. 1 Sam. 21. in the 2d verse he told one lye in the end of the verse another and in the 8th verse another He prayes that God would take from him the way of lying And the promise of mercy and pardon is not only to sinnes but backslidings I will heal their backslidings Hos 14.4 Ier. 3.22 And such are invited to return to God Return thou backsliding Israel and I will heal your backslidings Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Indeed to be bent to backsliding is a dangerous sign of prevailing hypocrisie and yet some in this case shall turn and walk after the Lord. Hos 11.2 8 9.10 We do not read of the people of God that they did revolt and backslide into the same grosse sinnes after repentance nor David into adultery nor Peter to faintheartednesse nor Paul to persecution But yet this may be so and provision is made in that case by the promise of healing backslidings Though it cost them dear to recover their peace after revolting into grosse sinnes after pardon and peace spoken and it will lye upon their consciences as an heavy aggravation of their sinne and â—olly 1 King 11.9 Psal 85.8 But yet it doth not conclude that all was done in hypocrisie before and that they were but meer hypocrites no more than Solomons falling and Idolatry which he repented of witnesse the book of Ecclesiastes
doth conclude him an hypocrite when he built the Temple and was the Jedidiah the beloved of the Lord. 6. Nor is it every degree of tendency to hypocrisie that denominates Caution 6 a man an hypocrite and brings him under the condemnation to have his portion with hypocrites For there is the seed of this as well as of all other sinnes in the heart Ier. 17.9 and the holy Prophet Jeremy cries out the heart is deceitfull c. he meant his own heart as well as others and Solomon the wisest man gives this advice keep thy heart Proverbs were experiments his own and David the devoutest saith all men are lyars all deceitfull and there are the remains of hypocrisie in the best the reign of it is only in hypocrites hypocrisie may have its presence but not predominance in the sincerest children of God Thus you see what doth not conclude an hypocrite though it come very near 2. Now I shall shew what cannot cleer and acquit a man from an hypocrite though it proceed very fairly and very farre which makes it so difficult to discover this leaven of the Pharisees hypocrisie 1. It doth not acquit and discharge a man from this charge of hypocrisie That they hear the Word with some delight that they believe with some faith so did the stony ground Matth. 13. That they take some pains for it so did they Joh. 6. That they perform some duties in obedience to it so did Herod Mark 6. That they are morall and without blame in some things outwardly Matth. 19. so was the young man That they are zealous against some publick corruptions so was Jehu That they have illumination and excellent knowledg by a common work of the spirit so have the Devils Judas and those apostates Heb. 6. That they had some sweet tasts and relishes from the Word imbraced so had they in Heb. 6. and no doubt Ananias and Saphira had Nor doth this acquit them and set them out of danger that they have some serious cares and fears about their salvation so had Felix so had the sinners in Zion they were afraid Isa 33.14 fearfullnesse hath surprized the hypocrites they were afraid of dwelling with devouring fire and everlasting burnings Judas and Spira had fears to purpose Rom. 8.15 and the spirit of bondage is but a common work of the spirit if it rest there in Pharaoh there was fear but no sincerity in the Devils fear but no penitency nor is it some reluctancy against sinne by an awakened conscience Herod had so and Pilate had so Baalam so nor many desires of good Baalam desired to die the death of the righteous The five Virgins desired Oyl there be the desires of the sloathfull that even kill them desires like the turning of a door upon hinges Pro. 26.14 never the farther off Desires of the wavering man Iam. 1.6 7. the double-minded man when a man hath some mind to grace Aug. in Confess but more to lust as Augustine that prayed for grace and chastity but his heart secretly prayed the while not yet Lord. There may be powring out of prayers as the Ninevites Ionah 3.8 they cried mightily they powred forth a prayer when thy chastening was upon them Esa 26.16.17 and yet they brought forth but wind When he slew them then they sought him Psa 68.34 36. and they returned and enquired early after God neverthelesse they did but flatter him with their mouth and lied to him with their tongues c. Nor is it some hopes Matth. 25. Job 8.13 Luk. 18. If all this cannot save a man from the guilt of hypocrisie and portion of hypocrites what shall If these come short of Heaven where shall they appear that come farre short of them Oh then who can be saved Streight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life Luk. 13.24 Phil. 2.12 and few find it Salvation work is to be wrought out with fear and trembling Beware then of the leaven c. How then may we know how it is with our souls whether we are in the number of hypocrites and tending to their portion whether this deluding destroying predominating damning leaven of hypocrisie be in us Sign 1 1. A loving of the world and the things of the world the lust of the flesh 1 Ioh. 2.15 16. the lust of the eye and the pride of life this is a fearfull evidence of hypocrisie for it is inconsistent with and destructive of the love of God Matth. 22.37 and the loving God above all things is the very essence the summa totalis of sincerity and whatsoever contraries this is the very essence of hypocrisie I know there be many subterfugies and evasions and it is an hard matter to convince men that they love the world in St Johns sense But if a man make these lusts of the eye of the flesh and pride of life honours riches carnall and sensuall pleasures his aym his interest his chief delight If the heart and affections be let out to these things immoderately If the sweetest freest thoughts of the soul be let out to them either about the getting enjoying or desiring or admiring or advancing them If the activity and indeavours of the soul bend and are imployed chiefly this way though there may be many excellent performances expressions affections yet the leaven of the Pharisee is there and sours all and all the rest is but in hypocrisie This leavened all Baalams pretences divinations all his goodly expressions and professions both to God the Angel and men that he would do nothing speak nothing but what God would have him as much as to say he would be upright and sincere Iude 11. yet still he looked after the reward Balacs promotion this was the errour of Baalam he followed the wages of unrighteousnesse and this leavened all Judas his hearing and conversing with Christ his over-officiousnesse Some conceive from Judas his kissing Christ in the garden c. that he was more than ordinarily familiar and officious about him and made more pretences of love and service to him but he appeared a painted sepulchre an hypocrite he loved the wages of iniquity it was the world and hypocrisie were predominant in him and now he is gone to his own place the place and portion of hypocrites he was as it were out of his place or in an others place all the while before and this leavened all the Pharisees almes fastings prayers professions and pretences Luk. 16.14 they were covetous saith one Evangelist and they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God Ioh. 12.43 saith another and that is in effect they loved the favour of men more than the favour of God in short they loved the world 1 Ioh. 2.16 Mat. 6.24 1 Cor. 7.27 30. and the love of the Father was not in them There can be no serving God and Mammon if we cannot moderate and temperate
bereaved of the Gospel and the means of gâ—â— and liâ—e 〈…〉 â—ll care and pains that the influences of the Ordinances do not slide from you that they be not as water spilt upon the ground Be faithfull and diligent in the use of the forementioned directions and all other means which may be effectual to fix them And if hereby your hearts are wrought up to such a resolution The Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of your hearts FINIS Places of Scripture Occasionally Explained or Illustrated  ch ver page Job 22. 21. 416 Psalm 19. 13. 308 25. 4 5. 14 63. 8. 87 66. 18. 335 73. 25. 621 112. 9. 302 139. 1 2 3 c. 20 Prov. 3. 27. 281 11. 17. 303 18. 20. 429 19. 17. 302  24. 510 Eccle. 1. 2. 445 5. 6. 588  2 3 4 c. 608 Isa 44. 2. 436 Jerem. 11. 9. 310 Hosea 10. 11. 570 Matth. 5. 22. 402 6. 3. 278  33. 574 7. 12. 295  14 9 18. 22 404 Luke 6. 30 292  35 285 286 11. 41 275 12. 33 289  50 514 18. 22 290 19. 13 28 Act. 2. 37 38 34 Rom. 1. 28 10 6. 19 33 8. 35 c. 312 9. 20 489 12. 11 12 502 15. 19 506 1 Cor. 3. 16 17 86 2 Cor. 8. 14 295 13. 5 309 Gal. 6. 10 280 Ephes 1. 13 14 313 4. 26 402 5. 20 494 Phil. 4. 18 300 1 Thes 5. 22 57 1 Tim. 4. 2 10 Heb. 6. 9 310 11. 1 307 12. 1 690 13. 2 287 288  3 279  5 435 James 1. 14 564  27 300 5. 16 689 1 Pet. 4. 14 491 2 Pet. 1. 4 507  10 314. An Alphabetical Table of the cheif heads Contained in these Sermons A ACcount with God daily 374. 581 Activity in Duty what it is 501. 502 Admonition 207. Admiration of Christ 227. Adversity a season to exercise trust in God 450. Affection to the world to bee mortified 375. Afflictions Their benefit 458. Their necessity and design 376. Wee must thank God for them 486. Why they are good and thank-worthy 487. c. Angels how readily they serve God 512. Anger How to bee moderated 402. To bee avoided in reproving 200. 209 And in correction 204. Alms. To bee given with Justice 275. Who may not give them 276. To bee given Chearfully 277. With simplicity 278. With compassion 279. Seasonably 280. Speedily 281. Liberally 283. Prudently 290. Motives to Alms-doing 299 c. Apostacy It is possible 67. 74. Danger of the least Degree 78. Means to prevent it 80. The miserable end of Apostates 510. Assurance It may bee attained 308 c. It may bee lost 306 Seven Directions for attaining it 316 Further direction 373 Not to bee expected by revelation 305 B Beggars which to bee relieved 291. Buying and Selling. Rules for the management of them 260 c. Part of Relâ—gious business to observe those Rules 579. Beleever Whether hee can fall totally and finally 311 c. C Calling Diligence to bee used in it 296. Sinns of our callings 48. Carelesness in Prayer the way to Atheism 463 c. Catechizing necessary 196. Caution necessary in the best 75. Certainty threefold 307. Charity Several acts of it propounded 284. The necessity of this Grace 293. The profit of it 301 c. Something to bee set apart for it 297. Christ How are we compleat in him 615. c. Hee is all to beleevers 613. How hee is all 623. How wee may know hee is so to us 629. His Condiscention 228. To bee loved in his offices 230. To bee eyed in Prayer 342. Our happiness in knowing him 624. All strength from him 622. All acceptation 21. Civility in Conversation 256. 40â— Company The Concernment of it 171. 199. 589 If good it quickens much 508. Comfort The falseness of that which manâ— give themselves 357. Christ fils every Condition with it 621. It arises much from performing our duty 348. Compassion Towards the Poor 279. In reproving 185. Community of Goods not necessary 289. Compliance with sin 164 Connivance at it 165. Conquest of it how great a benefit 108. Correction of faulty Persons how to bee managed 204. Conflict To bee maintained with sin 325. Difference between natural and spiritual in seven Particulars 327. Conscience What it is 3. The Object of it 4. Offices and acts of it 4. 356. The sleepy Conscience its Causes and Cure 78. 9. The seared Conscience c. 9. 10. The erring c. 11. The doubting c. 15. The scrupulus c. 17. 18. The trembling c. 18. How to bee acted 48. The good to bee got and kept 19 c. Motives to get it 22. Peaceable Conscience 19. How to get it 19 c. 358 371. Conscience will one day be awakened 353. When that will bee 365. Benefits of tender Conscience 92. 578. It will discover beloved sins 51. When Commonly terrours of it fall upon men 365 c. Confess especially beloved sins 56. Christian Confidence 430. Contentment 454. Conviction of sin and misery 225. Contracts and Comerce What Justice required in them 259. c. Contests How to bee moderate in them 399. Conversion Four Conclusions Concerning the nature of it 26 c. What a man Can do towards it 31 c. This Question more particularly resolved 34 c. Beloved sins the greatest enemies of it 61. Covetousness Deadens the Heart 505. D Debts Must sometimes bee forgiven 286. Desire When immoderate 390. 564. Delaies They are most dangerous 97. 501. Distraction In Prayer threefold 468. Causes of it 469 c Remedies against it 473. It Discovereth beloved sins 50. Diligence Must bee great in a Christian 21. 502. 684 c. 689. Dominion of sin 51. Doubts Counsels to Doubting Christians 319. Afflictions must not breed Doubts 453. Duty It must not bee forsaken for want of Comfort 320. To bee regarded not events 23. E Ease It accompanies sensuality 571. Education of Children 193 c. Ill Education dangerous 49. Elocation of them 207. Equity Wherein it doth consist 249. Rules of dealing with men as wee would bee dealt withall 252. Equal In many things wee are all Equal 253. Examination Of our selves how necessary 20. Example It hath great power 32. 168. 169. Doth much quicken us 508. Therefore give that which is good 213 Exercise of grace 93. Experience It should deterr us from the least sin 100. It should incourage us in good 437. Eye What meant by right Eye 40. 41. The Excellency of the Eye 43. F Faith Necessity of it 103. Power of it 60 Degrees of it 307. It 's Maxims 455 c. Wee may know that wee have it 308. Faithfulness of God 436. Fear Of it's inordinacy 394. Falls Four degrees of Gods peoples Falls 67 c. How Far they may Fall 75 76. Whether totally and Finally 311. 312. c. Falls of the wicked 70. Mixt Falls 71. Difference between the
God and his Judgment So that if a man can run away from God or himself then he may escape the reflection of his sin upon him but if not then know Jer. 2.19 it must be an evil and bitter thing that thou hast departed from God in any known sin either to thy penitent amendment or penal condemnation and confusion and that upon all accounts 1. In respect of God 2. Of Sin 3. Of the Sinner himself Jer. 2.19 Thine own wickednesse shall reprove thee thine own iniquity shall correct thee all the time thou abidest in sin thou art gathering either Hemlock to poyson thee or Wormwood to make thy life bitter 1. Instruction 1. See then the malignity and danger of sin Fools Use 1 make a mock of sin 2. See the vanity sinfulnesse and desperate danger of presuming upon any bottom of peace and satisfaction or security whilst sin remains of a truth thy peace and hope thereof shall be as a Spiders web and as the giving up of the Ghost and thy presumption must end in despair bribest thou thy self with a perswasion of peace presuming and leaning 1. Upon Gods Patience remember forbearance is no payment or forgivenesse nor sign thereof 2. Upon outward Priviledges Matth. 7.21 God knows thee not whilest thou art a worker of iniquity 3. Upon the Mercy of God He is holy and therefore must be just and because just angry and because angry ever angry unlesse Christ be thy Peace upon Faith and a through change 4. The Blood of Christ though it be an ocean yet not a drop of it can do thee good unlesse it turn thee from all thine iniquity Acts 3.21 all this is but Physick in thy pocket 5. The Promises of the Gospel they are sweet but poyson to the impenitent as bread to a dying man 6. Upon thy Faith in all this whilest impenitent all 's but notional and imaginary and so thy peace and happinesse is but a notion Use 2 2. Therefore be Exhorted to get thy sin off I shall here do two things 1. Give you some directions how to put you in the way to escape this doom 2. To awaken my self and you to the serious use of them by some Motives 1. Then if you ask how I Answer Direct 1 1. Attend to and comply with the Word and Spirit therein in summoning thy self to Gods and thine own Barr of Conscience suffer thy self to be stopt as a loose and sculking malefactor seize and sequester thy self to hearken to the call and treaty of the Word about thy condition the Hue and Cry of the Word is after thee to apprehend thee Direct 2 2. Let Inquisition and diligent search be made into the matters between God and thy Soul this is the way Lam. 3.20 Let us search our wayes and turn c. this the miscarriage Jer. 8.6 No man considered and said what have I done the first step to peace with God is Enquiry Es 21.12 If ye will enquire Enquire Return Come Direct 3 3. Declare against thy self turn Gods faithful Pleader against thy own Soul accuse thy self in free and particular confession whereof thou art guilty with all the killing Circumstances thou canst find out This will prevent the Accuser of the Brethren Direct 4 4. Condemn thy self charge thy self with fault guilt punishment Lev. 26.41 So shalt thou prevent the Condemnation of the Lord though thou canst not satisfie the Justice of God in the least 1 Cor. 11.31 yet thou must glorifie it to the utmost thou canst Direct 5 5. Be thorow and to purpose and constant herein for if thy sense of thy condition be not real thy cure will not be real there will be no more reality in the application of the Word for the one then there is for the other to no more purpose wilt thou apply the Word to thy self then thou applyest thy self to the Word therefore give thy self to it to dwell upon thy Case hold the object close to the faculty till it make some impression and thy heart yield 6. Fly to the Lord Jesus and the mercy-seat in his blood 1. For Direct 6 repentance 2. For remission He is exalted to give both Acts 5.31 none can take up the quarrel between God and thee save only Christ alone he he is the way God's way to thee for grace and mercy 1 Sam. 2.25 and thy way to God for Faith Lord I am a guilty helplesse creature but thou hast laid help upon one that is mighty to save from the utmost to the utmost 7. In him therefore cry to God for mercy and grace with thy whole Direct 7 heart O mercy mercy Lord I have wronged thee Lord forgive me Psal 51. I have defiled my Soul Lord wash wash me I have wounded and cast away my Soul Lord heal me Lord save me c. 8. Cry for mercy till God have mercy upon thee Psalm 123.2.3 Direct 8 take heed thou be not temporary for a fit but set thy self in an habitual tenour restlesse after Interest in Christ and the great work till it be done 9. Accept of Christ upon the terms of the Gospel not thine own or Direct 9 picking and chusing but as he Lord what wouldest thou have me to do Consent and resign thy self stooping to his Articles of Peace Acts 9.6 to deny thy self of the dearest bear the heaviest do the strictest as he shall call not that thou canst do any thing but upon these terms if he will receive thee and furnish thee with grace thou wilt follow and cleave to him with full purpose of heart 10. Cashier and discharge in thy purpose and endeavour in dependence Direct 10 on this Christ in the Promise what ever thou knowest offends in heart and life what ever belongs to a carnal mind which is enmity to God and addict thy self to the pleasure of God in all known commands and whatever savours of the Spirit and the Kingdom of God 11. Upon these terms consenting to embrace Christ in the offer of Direct 11 grace rest upon Christ who is assuredly thine and will never be otherwise 2. The motives 1. The comfort of this way 1. Now then there is no condemnation Motive 1 to them that are in Christ c. their iniquities shal never be remembred Rom. 8.1 Psalm 32. God sees no iniquity in Jacob there 's no fury in God O! Blessed is the man to whom God imputes not his sin c. now Christ is Jehova thy Righteousnesse Thy Judge is thy Advocate thy God reconciled Thy Comforter is come to apply Christ in all that he is for thee to thee and shall abide for ever with thee he is thy seal unto the purchased possession the Law is satisfied the curse is removed all the Promises thine and the Spirit of Promise to confirm thy title thine the stain or mark of sin washed off quite as to Justification and present acceptation and in part begun as to Sanctification and purity of heart and life Thy