Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	apostle_n	sin_n	wage_n	4,685	5	10.8916	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92846	The anatomy of secret sins, presumptuous sins, sins in dominion, & uprightness. Wherein divers weighty cases are resolved in relation to all those particulars: delivered in divers sermons preached at Mildreds in Bread-street London, on Psalm 19. 12, 13. Together with the remissibleness of all sin, and the irremissibleness of the sin against the Holy Ghost preached before an honourable auditory. By that reverend and faithfull minister of the Gospel, Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick, B.D. Perfected by himself, and published by those whom he intrusted with his notes.	Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.; Chambers, Humphrey, 1598 or 9-1662.	1660 (1660)	Wing S2363; Thomason E1003_1; ESTC R203493	249,727	327

and every sin is a lye let it pretend much yet it advantageth nothing Suppose a man had an estate worth 10000 li. and he should receive a baby for it tell me what he got O that precious soule of man which is more worth then a world is uttelry lost by sin what then doth the service of it profit him for what is a man profited saith our Saviour though he gaine the whole world if he lose his own soule thou Gets a little credit by thy sinning yea but whith whom And what is that whiles the great God doth disgrace thee and thine own conscience doth often shame thee Thou gets a little wealth by thy sinning yea but what is that Treasure of wickednesse but a Treasury of wrath against the day of wrath Thou gets a little pleasure by thy sinning yea but what are these short minutes of joy to those eternall nights of darknesse in which they must end and be swallowed up one fall breaks all the glasse to pieces and one anguish of conscience or peal of death blasts and sinkes all the vaine triumphings of a sinfull heart sin may pretend faire and promise much but the wages thereof i. that which thou must expect for thy service is death yea that death which is opposed to eternall life Rom. 6. vlt. 6. It is a most uncomfortable service How oft is the servant of A most uncomfortable service sin in the depths of feare and in the heights of trouble his very sinnings are more his torments then his joyes he is many times vexed with thoughts how to sin and afterwards he is hewed in his conscience for his sinning though he hath not grace to make him grieve yet he hath a conscience which can make him tremble the very surfeits of his sins do distaste his soul and make him of times weary of his very life he is ashamed of Company and dares not yet to be solitary The night is many times a terror unto him and the day renewes his anguish though the servant of sin in the transient flash of his spirit out-braves al counsell yet he doth ordinarily feel infinite gripes within either he is utterly unsensible of his misery which is one of the greatest judgements or he his sensible and then he feeles a Hell of horror for his lewd obedience Nay so exceedingly high do the distresses sometimes prevaile that he his forced to disparie of all mercy and thinking to ease himselfe of some flames greedily throwes away himselfe into the very gulfe of Hell-fire what shall I say more where sin hath the dominion over a person a man is a slave to the Devill and a servant to that which will vex him and wound him and damne him he never enjoyes himselfe nor shall he ever enjoy God unless that yoke of service be broken and therefore good reason hath any man to pray against the habituall dominion of sin SECT IV. THus for the explication now somthing for the Application Vses thereof unto our selves where first let me begin with inquirie Inquire whether sin have Dominion over us what thinke we of the dominion of sin within our soules You will say we trust there is noe such thing I Remember Object the Jewes said as much to Christ in a case not much unlike Sol. we are Abrahams seed said they we were never in Bondage Joh. 8. 33. But Christ replied verily verily I say unto you whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin v. 34. I will premise a few things at this time 1. No man living but he is borne a servant to sin sin is his Some things premised Noe man but is borne a servant to sin Lord before he can tell who is his Master sin requires not age to set on the crown but even in the very wombe doth it begin its reign and poysons and impaireth our whole nature therefore the Apostle saith that by nature we are the children of disobedience and wrath as well as others Ephesians 2. 2. it is the disposition and sway and bent of us to sin and to walke on in sin 2. It is an hard thing to get off the dominion of sinne Sin is a It is a hard thing to get off the dominion of sin strong man It hath possession and goes not out by entreaty or bribe but it must be by force by one that his stronger I assure you that the almighty God must reveal his own arme and he must cast down strong holds he must worke a kinde of a miracle or else sin will still be a Lord and the sinner will be a servant to his lusts A man may change any Master soever and with more ease then sin Thirdly it is very manifest that sin hath the dominion in many It is manifest that sin hath dominion in many as In those whom noe kind of arguments can turne from sin persons I will present unto you such instances which you shall confesse do evince so much 1. What thinke you hath not sin the dominion where noe kinde of arguments and dealings are able to disengage the heart and to turn it when no kindes of merciful Arguments and no kinds of just threatnings and no sense of bitternesse can yet discovenant and diservice the soul but still it holds the league keeps the agreement with sin now then how often hath God come to many persons and offered unto them his pardoning mercies the blood of Christ and eternal life if they would leave such a sin of drunkennesse such a sin of filthinesse such a sin of worldlinesse but unrighteous they were and unrighteous still they are and will be How often hath God set the point of the sword upon the breast of a sinner revealing his wrath threatning death and Hell if he will not leave the service of his sin nay scourged his estate for his sinning nay scourged his body nay his soul conscience and all this to renounce his sinfull Lord yet men hold fast their wickedness they yet give over themselves to sin with greediness they study how to fulfill their lusts and rejoyce when they have done evil doth not this shew that the heart is indeed indeared and totally emancipated by a strong and elective subjection unto sin What think you of such whose hearts cannot endure the Dominion In those who cannot endure the dominion of Jesus Christ of Jesus Christ and the service of righteousnesse it is even a tormenting slavery unto them even the imaginations thereof are so The Soule of a man cannot serve two Masters and there are but two of them upon which our service can be bestowed either sin or Christ the Apostle intimated as much Rom. 6. 16. Know ye not that to whom ye yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants ●● are to whom you obey whither of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness so that these divide the soul if a man doth yield obedience unto righteousness he is then no servant of sin

humbled and renew our repentance we shall never see a smile in Gods countenance nor heare a good word from conscience Now this is a dolefull case that a man shall heare the same promises from which he suckt much comfort and yet he may not taste now he cannot rejoyce and that God whose communion was so sweet now through his sinning becomes so bitter and heavy c. 4. Because actuall dominion especially of great sins and over Actuall dominion is accompanied with great prejudice to divine glory a David is accompanied with great prejudice to Divine glory As they say of Fevers that they are usually worst in the strongest constitutions and of spots that they are usually the greatest blemishes in the fairest garments that we may say of sinnings the better the man is the more dishonorably foule his offendings are God loseth more honour in the eyes of the world by the slips of the good then by the wallowings of the bad evill men are hardned good men derided Satan and sin advanced and by all these God is infinitely dishonoured Therefore good reason hath David to pray Let them not have dominion over me Secondly Habituall Dominion But then in the Second place if we interpret the dominion Reasons of praying against habituall dominion here of an Habituall dominion of sin the reasons of prayer against sinne as in such a dominion are very strong and urgent 1. Habituall dominion decides the estate the question of a mans soul is whose servant he is whether he belong to God and Habituall dominion decides the estate Christ or to sin and Satan Now particular failings doe not determine this but the dominion of sin doth his servants we are whom we obey you know what the Apostle hath said Rom 6. 16. know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or if obedience unto righteousnesse if sin doth rule and the sinner yields up his heart to the love and obedience of it he professeth thus much that Christ is not his Lord and the Law of Christ is not the law which he will obey as these Rebells spake of David what portion have we in the sonne of Jesse soe here the sinner I doe not belong to Christ sin is my Lord The servant of sin am I that is the thing which I have Chosen and that is it which I will serve Soe that on may without any scruple conclude that if sin hath dominion the man hath yet noe interest in Christ noe one degree of true grace he is a most wretched sinner sin is his Lord God is his enemy Hell is his portion unlesse he get from under this Dominion Secondly there is no Dominion in all the world so vile whither you consider it First In the commands of sin or Secondly Noe dominion so vile In the service of the sinner First The Commands The commands of sin are the vilest commands For The commands of sin are Illegall 1. They are Illegal any command which findes ground and title may be defended but sin hath no reason to command A condemned man loseth all command sin is the only thing which Gods law hath condemned And again it hath no title to the soul the soul owes not it self to it either by a natural or by a purchased subjection we owe a natural subjection to God because he made us A purchased subjection to Christ because he redeemed and bought us but sins commands are meerly usurped and Insolent 2. They are purely sinful all its edicts and desires are but Rebellions that a man should trangresse a righteous and supreme Purelly sinfull and good and holy law there is not any one thing which sin at any time commands but it is that which God forbids and which God will Judge the sinner for 3. They are extreamly unreasonable a command may be esteemed unreasonable either when one service runs contradictory Extremely unreasonable against another as to command aman to run and yet to stand so is it with sin it commands a man to such a service as is opposite in particulars for as all sin is opposite to grace soe some sins are opposite to others though not in the fountaine yet in the actings or a command may be estemed unreasonable when any service tends to the ruine of the obedient it were an unreasonable thing and unjust to command a man to run into the fire and burne himselfe but the commands of sin tend directly and intentionally to the destruction of the sinner sin injoynes a man much service and paines and all this is to dishonour God and to damne his owne soule Secondly the service The service of sin The service of sin it is the most disloyall service in respect of God renouncing him denying him his due and conferring it on his only enemy Is a disloyall service 2. It is the most injurious service to our souls 3. It is the basest service if a man did serve a dog or a toad An injurious service The basest service this were a vile abasing of himselfe but it is far baser to serve sin for those creatures have some goodnesse in them but sin is naturally bad Nay though we doe cry out at the devill as vile and base yet the Devil himself is better then sin for it is his sin only which makes him so base and he hath an absolute being which he owes to God but sin hath noe relation to God and it is that which imbaseth all beings 4. It is the drudgingest service A man who is a servant to sin he is at the command of every lust and is taken captive at its pleasure The most drudging service and there is noe hoe nor measure nor end all the day will not serve nor will the night satisfie an age of yeares is spent and when a mans strength doth faile him yet sin sets him to work still The cruelest Tyrant wearies himselfe sometimes by his unwearied commands but sin never relents nor spares Nay that which shewes the extremity of this vasilladge the sinner continues service there and then where he sees and knowes his misery he hath felt the fruites the bitter fruites of sinning yet sin still commandes and easily puts him upon the same service afresh soe that he often tyers his thoughts and spends his estate and consumes his strength and breakes his sleep and loseth his friends his God his soule his all to drudge at the Commandes of his owne base lusts 5. It is a most unprofitable service Though in some service there The most unprofitable service may be but an uncertain gaine yet in the service of sin there is a most certaine and gre●t loss what profit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6. 21. therefore sinnes are said to sowe the winde and to reap the whirl-winde they deale in vanities which shall not profit

if he yields obedience unto sin he is then noe servant of righteousnesse if he be an enemy to sin he is then a servant to righteousnesse If he be an enemy to righteousnesse he is then a servant of sin Yet many persons are enemies to righteousnesse we will not have this man to reigne over us said they in the Gospell they cannot endure the dominion of Christ either in his word or in his spirit The rules and precepts of the word are the cords which they will break asunder Psal 2. 3. They cast the laws of Christ behinde their backs and hate to be reformed Psal 50. 17. There is nothing more unacceptable to them then to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in holiness of heart and newnesse of spirit and righteousnesse of obedience In those who are still overcome of their lusts 3. What thinke you of those who are still overcome of their lusts and are willingly intangled The Apostle Peter Conjectures that sin hath dominion in such while they promise them liberty they them●elves are the servants of Corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought in bondage 2. Peter 2. 19. There is a twofold overcoming of a person on is only in respect of the action Another is also in respect of the affection It cannot be denied but that even an holy man who is heartily the servant of Jesus Christ may be overcome in respect of particular action relapses are not impossible to him who is truly good and they may consist with though they do weaken and disconsolate the service of grace there is the same natural principle of sin in the best after repentance as before there is the same Satan to suggest and incline there may be the same occasions and provocations But then there is an overcoming in respect of assertion and this shews the dominion of sinne Now this overcoming is either when a man through policy forbears or else in passion seemes to bid defiance to his sin being either in sicknesse and apprehension of death or in pangs and distresse of conscience to which the Apostle seems to allude 2 Pet. 2. 22. the dogge is turned to his vomit again Now he cries out against sin and thinks he doth detest it heartily and will not for a world act the sin now yet when this tempest is off when the water grow●●ool when circumstances are free when the bitternesse either of death or cross or conscience is over and sin tempts and wooes him again he yeelds up himself he gives over his heart and affections he loves the sin and wallows in it as much ●s ever he turns from the holy Commandment as the Apostle speaks ver 21. all his good moods of holy profession and purpose are gone off and he is more entangled and renews his bondage with ardent and excessive delight even with greedinesse as the Apostle Paul speaks Eph. 4. Now if this be an argument of sins dominion viz. the willing and affectionate re-entring of our hearts to the service of sin then certainly many of us have just cause to feare and to suspect our selves who return with the dogge to the vomit and with the sow to the wallowing in the mire who not only are surprized in action but in affection nay and our affections are more eagerly carried to the sinning now then heretofore our mindes are more on them and our desires yea and the measures of sinning in the same kinde rise in an higher strength we are more mighty to drink more inglorious in swearing more unsatiable in earthliness more vaine in conversation more obstinate in our sinful courses against the reproofs of the Word the checks of our conscience the shame of men the fear of Hell and the hope of h●●●en we grow worse and worse c. Fourthly what think you of such who make choice of sin to be In those who makes choice of sin to be their Lord. the Lord whom they will serve There are but two sorts of people in the world viz. good and bad and both of them do chuse their Lords The good they choose the Lord to be their God Josh 24. And they choose the things which please him Esay 56. 4. And choose the way of truth Psal 119. 3. and choose the good part Luke 10. 42. The bad they also are said to choose their own ways Isa 66. 3. and evil Isa 65. 12. That in which God delights not yea and they are said not to choose the fear of the Lord when several things are propounded a man prefers this before that this is called an election or choice There is Christ and his way laid before the sinner and sin and its lusts laid before him now when he prefers the latter before the former he is said to make a choice which many do they do prefer their sinful lusts before the commands of Christ as appears in all the times of competition and in the courses of action yea and when they may go free yet with that Hebrew servant they will not for they love their Master Lastly what think you of many who love their sins love is that which bestows the soul and the service thereof the In those who love their sins whole strength of a man goes that way which his love goes for it is of a constraining and most serviceable nature Now there are many who do love sin there is as it were a conjugal match and union 'twixt their hearts and their sins and be sure of this that sin hath the whole man if it hath won the love of the heart A man may deceive himself about the dominion of sin 4. A person may possibly delude his own heart and deceive himself about the dominion of sin and therefore it is convenient to try our selves whether sinne hath not Dominion indeed There are many erroneous deceits Six deceits from The unsensiblenesse of its power 1. One is the unsensibleness of its power when a man feels no violence of sinful inclination no stirrings no opposition no commands but there is a calme and quietness in his spirit and in hi●●ay which could not be as he thinks if sin had dominion an●●●e in him Now this is a deceit For 1. It is most probable that sin hath the strongest dominion where the heart is most unsensible of the Law and commands of sinne when the strong man keeps the house all is quiet said our Saviour where subjection is peaceable there dominion is in all likelihood most absolute and compleat Nay this is certain that where Christ sets up his Scepter which cast down the dominion of sin there is the greatest stirre the Law of the minde will warre against the Law of the members Rom. 7. 23. And the spirit will lust against the flesh Gal. 5. 17. 2. This unsensibleness and quietnesse may arise partly from the oneliness of sin and partly from the ignorance of a sinful condition and partly from the habitual custome

or all manner of sin which yet must not be taken simply but restrictively not all manner of sin in comparison of sin to the rule that forbids it for then the sin against the Holy Ghost should be remitted but all manner of sin in opposition to the sin against the Holy Ghost i. e. any sin that is pardonable all manner of sin First Whether you respect the several species of sin may be remitted Noah's drunkenness Abraham's lying David's Adultery Manasse's Idolatry Peters denial of Christ were remissible Secondly Whether you respect the many degrees and intentions of sin either in the multiplied iterations of sinful acts or in the accessory aggravations of them from the force of circumstances in time place person object end c. And that we may not doubt hereof a special instance is given Blasphemy what it is in a sin of deepest dye and desert viz. Blasphemy this also may be remitted The schools tells us it is such a sin as either detracts from God that which belongs unto him of right or fastens on God reproachfully and disgracefully that which is not convenient to so pure and sublime Essence and Majesty And the Scripture tells us that it wounds or strikes through the name of God Lev. 24. 16. nothing so dear to us as our name and reputation and therefore we are sensible of the least indignities which touch there God doth himself profess how tender and jealous he is of his name and glory it goes very near to the quick yet such is the Miracle of his gracious disposition that he hath mercy even for Blasphemy I was a Blasphemer saith Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13. but I obtained mercy Only know that Blasphemy here pardonable is not that which springs from malice and hatred after conviction but that of ignorance as Pauls's or of infirmitie as Peter's Secondly The quality of the act shall be forgiven No The quality of the Act. such word as that for a sinner his life and joy lies in it Some by these words understand 1. Certainty of pardon Thus Theophylact who holds the event so sure that there needs no repentance to obtain pardon for sins not committed against rhe Holy Ghost This erroneous opinion need the kindness of a large pardon 2. Desert of pardon Thus Origen l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 3. Qui peccat in filium hominis venia dignus est quia videtur in ignorantiam decidisse there is some ground of Apology in this this opinion is not very unsound but not genuine 3. Facility of pardon thus Jansenius in Concord Evang-Remittetur non quasi cunctis hominibus remittetur sed quod facile remittetur there is not so much difficulty to get these as the other to be pardoned 4. Not Eventum infallibilem sed possibilem shall be forgiven i. e. they are such as are not excluded from hope and offer of pardon not that they are certainly remitted to all in the event or that they deserve pardon or that they are easily pardoned they do not contract a peremptory incapacity of Mercy but that they may and if repentance follow shall certainly be forgiven Thirdly The indesiniteness of the subject unto men not The indefiniteness of the subject a man guilty of any manner of sin except that against the Holy Ghost but such is the rich grace of the great Court of Mercy that he may take out his pardon Christ doth not say not one sin but All sin not all sin of one kind but all manner of sin all sin of any kind shall be forgiven not to one man but to any one unto men unto any one of the sons of men whence we may conclude this comfortable truth DOCTRINE There is a possibility of pardon to any sinner for any sin except the sin against the holy Ghost THat there is a possibility of pardon for any Sinner whatsoever and for any sin whatsoever to all men for all manner of sin except the sin against the holy Ghost Hence the infiniteness of Divine Mercy is in Mica 7. 19. compared to the depths of the sea The Ocean is of that vast capacity that it can swallow up the highest mountains as well as cover the lowest Mole-hill And Isa 44. 22. it is compared to the strength of the sun which can scatter the darkest clouds as well as consume the thinnest vapours There is in man a continual fountain of sin in God a continual fountain of Mercy Zac. 13. 1. still running yea there is in man multitude of sins which stream from that corrupt fountain and there is in God Multitudes of Mercies to heal and stop those various currents Psalm 51. 1. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out mine offences In the prosecution of this Truth I shall speak to three things 1. The Explication of the terms 2. The demonstration of the Truth 3. The Application The explication of the terms Forgiveness described It is an Act of God 1. The Explication of the terms 1. Forgiveness of sin is a gracious act of God in and through-Christ discharging the believing and repenting sinner from the guilt and punishment of sin It is an Act of God The Donatists hold that man could forgive the sins of men and St. Austin chalengeth them for so bold an Assertion that in this they are worse then the Pharisees who maintained this truth Who can forgive sins but God Object It is true Christ committed to his Apostles a Ministerial Absolution in his Name and virtute officii to bind and lose sinnes Sol. But if we speak of an Authoritative Right and immediate Power thus only God forgives Life and death are only in the absolute power of the Supream Lord and because our sins are directly committed against his Justice therefore it belongs only to his Mercy to forgive 2. It is a gracious Act. No way deserved by the sinner A gracious Act. Gratia indebita liberata said St. Austin Hence in Scripture you find our forgiveness like a stream issuing out of rich Mercy Great love and the riches of Grace and the Prophet speaking of forgiveness usually adjoynes For thy Mercy sake for thine own sake intimating that forgiveness is a free Act not purchased but given not merited but granted There is I acknowledge A double graciousness in the discharge of an offendor One without any satisfaction at all I am much mistaken if Socinus and his Atheistical Complices run not this way Another is When the satisfaction of a surety is accepted for the principal debt In this respect is our forgiveness gracious not that Justice is not at all satisfied but that the offendor himself never satisfied it he is discharged by the price which a blessed Mediator laid down 3. Discharging the sinner of guilt and punishment There Discharging the sinner of guilt and punishment are two things in sin One is the stain pollution or defiling quality of it and this is the Object of Sanctification which