has been provoked most bitterly by us while we have profaned his name making use of his Name his Word and Ordinances to serve our selves O Lord what wilt thou do to this Land We are every one looking for something even for something that carrieth terrour and dread in the sound of its Wings as it comes though we know not the form nor visage thereof One cries out another has his Hands upon his Loyns and a third is made mad with the sight of his Eyes and with what his Ears do hear And as their Faith hath served them about Justification so it now serves them about Repentance and Reformation it can do nothing here neither for though as was said Men cry out and are with their Hands upon their Loyns for fear yet where is the Church the House the Man that stands in the gap for the Land to turn away this Wrath by Repentance and amendment of Life Behold the Lord cometh forth out of his place and will come down and tread upon the places of the Earth and the Mountains shall be molten under him and the Valleys shall be cleft as Wax before the Fire and as the Waters that are poured down a steep place but what is the cause of all this For the transgression of Jacob is all this and for the Sin of the House of Israel It is that that is observed by them that can make Observation that all that God has done to us already has been ineffectual as to cause that Humility and Reformation by which his judgments must be turned away Repentance is rare this day and yet without doubt that without which things will grow worse and worse As for them that hope that God will save his people though but from temporal Judgments whether they Repent and Reform or do otherwise I must leave them and their Opinions together this I have found that sometimes the Repentance even of the Godly has come too late to divert such Judgments And how some of the Godly should be so indulged as to be saved from punishment without Repentance when the true and unfeigned Repentance of others will not deliver them leaves me I confess in a Wilderness But that which is most of all to be lamented is That sin through custom is become no sin The superfluity of naughtiness is at this day become no sin with many Surely this was the case with Israel else how could they say when the Prophets so bitterly denounced Gods judgments against them Because we are innocent surely his anger shall turn from us When custom or bad example has taken away the Conscience of sin it is a sign that Soul is in a dangerous Lethargy and yet this is the condition of the most that profess amongst us this day But to leave this and to proceed As there is a twofold Faith two sorts of good Works and the like so there is also A twofold love to Christ. The one standing or stopping in some passions of the mind and affections The other is that which breaks through all difficulties to the holy Commandment to do it Of both these there is mention made in the Scripture And though all true Love begins at the Heart yet that love is but little set by that breaks not through to practice How many are there in the World that seem to have the first but how few shew the second The young Man in the Gospel did by his running kneeling crying enquiring and intreating of Christ to shew him the way to Life shew that he had inward Love to Christ and his own Salvation but yet it was not a love that was strong as Death cruel as the Grave and hotter than the Coles of Juniper It was a Love that stopt in mind and affection but could not break out into Practice This kind of Love if it be let alone and not pressed to proceed till it comes into a labouring practising of the Commandment will love as long as you will to wit as long as Mouth and Tongue can wag but yet you shall not by all your skill drive this Love farther than the Mouth For with their Mouth they shew much Love but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness Nor may this Love be counted for that of the right kind because it is in the Heart for the Heart knows how to dissemble about Love as much as about other matters This is feigned Love or Love that pretends to dear affections for Christ but can bestow no cost upon him Of this kind of Love the world is full at this day especially the Professors of this Age but as I said of this the Lord Jesus makes little or no account for that it hath in it an essential defectiveness Thus therefore Christ and his Servants describe the love that is true and of the right kind and that with reference to himself and Church First with reference to himself If a man loves me saith he he will keep my Words And again He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me And He that loveth me not keepeth not my Sayings And The Word which you hear is not mine but the Fathers which sent me Behold you now where Christ placeth a sign of love it is not in word nor in tongue Not in great and seemingly affectionate gestures but in a practical walking in the Law of the Lord. Hence such and such only are called the undefiled in the way You know who sayes I am the way Blessed saith David are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. But here again the hypocrite will give us the slip by betaking of himself to exterior matters as to his mint anise and cummin still neglecting the more weighty matters of the Law to wit Judgment Mercy Faith Or else to the significative ordinances still neglecting to do to all men as he would they should do to him But let such know that God never ordained significative ordinances such as Baptism the Lords Supper or the like for the sake of Water or of Bread and Wine nor yet because he takes any delight that we are dipped in Water or eat that bread but they were ordained to minister to us by the aptness of the Elements through our sincere partaking of them further knowledg of the death Burial and Resurrection of Christ and of our death and resurrection by him to newness of life Wherefore he that eateth and believeth not and he that is Baptized and is not dead to sin and walketh not in newness of Life neither keepeth these ordinances nor pleaseth God Now to be dead to sin is to be dead to those things forbidden in the moral Law For sin is the transgression of that and it availeth not to vaunt that I am a Saint and under this or that significative ordinance if I live in the transgression of the Law For I am convicted of the Law as a
and then he shall with ease be rid of them Thus it is with sin There is a man that is plagued with many sins perhaps because he imbraceth one well let him turn that one out of doors and that 's the way to be rid of the rest Keep thee from thy darling thy bosom thy constitution-sin Motives to prevail with thee to fall in with this exhortation are several 1. There can no great change appear in thee make what profession of Christ thou wilt unless thou cast away thy bosom sin A mans constitution-sin is as I may call it his visible sin 't is that by which his neighbours know him and describe him whether it be pride Covetousness lightness or the like now if these abide with thee though thou shouldest be much reformed in thy notions and in other parts of thy life Yet say thy neighbours he is the same man still his Faith has not saved him from his darling he was proud afore and is proud still was covetous afore and is covetous still was light and wanton afore and is so still He is the same man though he has got a new mouth But now if thy constitution-sin be parted with if thy darling be cast away thy conversion is apparent 't is seen of all for the casting away of that is death to the rest and ordinarily makes a change throughout 2. So long as thy constitution-constitution-sin remains as winked at by thee so long thou art an hypocrite before God let thy profession be what it will also when Conscience shall awake and be commanded to speak to thee plainly what thou art it will tell thee so to thy no little vexation and perplexity 3. Besides do what thou canst so long as thou remainest thus thou wilt be of a scandalous life No honour is brought to religion by such But Again As they that name the name of Christ should depart from their constitution-sin so they should depart from the sins of other mens â—empers also Much harm among â—rofessors is done by each others sins There is a man that has clean escaped from those who live in error has shaken off the carnal world and the men thereof and is come among professors but behold there also he meeteth with wicked men with men that have not departed from iniquity and there he is intangled This is a sad thing and yet so it is I doubt there are some in the world I mean professors that will curse the day that ever they were acquainted with some professors There are professors that are defilers professors that are wicked men professors of whom a wicked man may learn to sin Take heed of these lest having fled from thine own sins thou shouldest be taken with the sins of others Be not partakers of other mens sins is the counsel and caution that Paul giveth to Timothy if he would keep himself pure 4. Dost thou profess the name of Christ and dost thou pretend to be a man departing from iniquity Then take heed thou dost not dedeceive thy self by changing one bad way of sinning for another bad way of sinning This was a trick that Israel plaid of Old for when Gods Prophets followed them hard with demands of Repentance and Reformation then they would gad about to change their ways but behold they would not change a bad way for a good but one bad way for another hopping as the Squirrel from bow to bow but not willing to forsake the tree Hence they were said to return but not to the Most High Take heed I say of this Many leave off to be drunkards and fall in with covetousness many fall off from covetousness to pride and lasciviousness take heed of this This is a grand deceit and a common one too a deceit of a long standing and almost a disease Epidemical among professors Many times men change their darling sins as some change their Wives and Servants that which would serve for such an one this year may not serve to be so for the year insuing Hypocrisie would do a while ago but now Debauchery Profaneness would do when Profaneness was in fashion but now a deceitful Profession Take heed professor that thou dost not throw away thy old darling sin for a new one Mens tempers alter Youth is for Pride and wantonness Middle age for cunning and craft Old age for the world and Covetousness Take heed therefore of deceit in this thing 5. Dost thou profess the name of Christ and dost thou pretend to be a man departing from iniquity take heed lest thy departing from iniquity should be but for a time Some do depart from iniquity as persons in wrangling fits depart from one another to wit for a time but when the quarrel is over by means of some intercessor they are reconciled again O! Satan is the intercessor between the soul and sin and though the breach between these two may seem to be irreconcileable yea though the soul has sworn it will never give countenance to so vile a thing as sin is more yet he can tell how to make up this difference and to fetch them back to their voâ—â—t again who one would have thought had quitâ— escaped his sins and been gone Take heed therefore O professor For there is danger of this and the height of danger lies in it And I think that Satan to do this thing makes use of those sins again to begin this rejoynder which he findeth most suitable to the temper and constitution of the sinner These are as I may call them the Master sins they suit they jump with the temper of the soul these as the little end of the Wedge enter with ease and so make way for those that come after with which Satan knows he can rend the soul in pieces Wherefore 6. To help this take heed of parlying with thy sins again when once thou hast departed from them Sin has a smooth tongue if thou harken to its inchanting language ten thousand to one but thou art intangled See the saying of the Wiseman with much fair speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips she forced him He goeth after her straightway as aâ— Ox goeth to the slaughteâ— or as a Fool to the correction of the Stocks He heard her Charm and by hearing is noosed and led away to her house which is the way to Hell going down to the Chambers of Death Take heed therefore of listning to the charms wherewith sin inchanteth the soul. In this be like the deaf Adder stop thine ear plug it up to sin and let it only be open to hear the words of God Thirdly Let them that name the name of Christ depart from the iniquity of the times There are sins that may be called the iniquity of the day It was thus in Noahs day it was thus in Lots day and 't was thus in Christs day I mean in the days of his flesh and 't is a famous thing for
follow the apish fashions of the world hath the God oâ— wisdom set them on foot among us or is it because the Devil and wicked men the inventors of these vain toyes have out-witted the law of God What Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as his people have and as he is in all things that we call upon him for and what Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this law said Moses which I set before you this day This then is that which declareth us to be godly-wise when we keep our soul diligently to the holy words of God and sit not only our tongues and lips but also our lives thereto Fourthly But again let them that name the name of Christ depart from the iniquity that is as I may call it from family-iniquity There is an house-iniquity an iniquity that loves not to walk abroad but to harbor within doors This the holy man David was aware of therefore he said that he would behave himself wisely in a perfect way yea saith he I will walk within my house with a perfect heart Now this house-iniquity standeth in these things 1. In Domâ—stick broyls and quarrels 2. In Domestick Chambrings and wantonness 3. In Domestick misorders of Children and Servants First For house broyles and quarrels it is an iniquity to be departed from whether it be betwixt Husband and Wife or otherwise This as I said is an iniquity that loves not to walk abroad but yet it is an horrible plague within doors And many that shew like Saints abroad yet act the part of Devils when they are at home by giving way to this house iniquity by cherishing of this house-iniquity This iniquity meeteth the man and his wife at the very threshold of the door and will not suffer them to enter no not with one foot into the house in peace but how far this is from walking together as heirs of the grace of life is easie to be determined Men should carry it in love to their wives as Christ doth to his Church and wives should carry it to their husbands as the Church ought to carry it to her Saviour and untill each relation be managed with respect to these things this house-iniquity will be cherished there O! God sees within doors as well as without and will judge too for the iniquity of the house as well as for that more open 2 dly As house-iniquity standeth in domestick broyls and Contentions So it also standeth in Chambrings and wantonness Wherefore the Apostle puteth them both together saying not in chambring and wanness not in strife and envy This chambring and wantonness is of a more genneral extent being entertained by all insomuch that sometimes from the head to the foot all are horribly guilty But it is a shame to speak of those things that are done of some in secret For through the lusts of their own hearts they dishonour their own bodies between themselves working that which is unseemly to their ignominy and contempt if not with their fellows yet with God who sees them for the darkness hideth not from him It was for this kind of iniquity with other that God told Ely that he would judge his house for ever also the words that follow are to be trembled at that say The iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever Such an evil thing is house-iniquity in the eyes of the God that is above Thirdly As domestick iniquity standeth in these so also in the disorders of children and servants Childrens unlawful carriages to their Parents is a great house iniquity yea and a common one too Disobedience to Parents is one of the sins of the last days O! 'T is horrible to behold how irreverently how irrespectively how sawcily and malapertly children yea professing children at this day carry it to their Parents Snapping and checking curbing and rebuking of them as if they had never received their beings by them or had never been beholding to them for bringing of them up yea as if the relation was lost or as if they had received a dispensation from God to dishonour and disobey Parents I will add that this sin reigns in little and great for not only the small and young but men are disobedient to their Parents and indeed this is the sin with a shame that men shall be disobedient to Parents the sin of the last times that men shall be disobedient to Parents and without natural affection Where now adays shall we see children that are come to men and womens estate carry it as by the word they are bound to their aged and worn-out Pâ—rents I say where is the honour they should put upon them who speaks to their aged Parents with that due regard to that relalation to their age to their worn-out condition as becomes them Is it not common now adays for Parents to be brought into bondage and servitude by their children For Parents to be under and children above for Parents to be debased and children to Lord it over them Nor doth this sin go alone in the families where it is no those men are lovers of their own selves Covetous Boasters proud Blaspheemers that are disobedient to their Parents This is that the Prophet means when he saith the child shall behave himself proudly aginst the antient and the base against the honourable This is a common sin and a crying sin and to their shame be it spoken that are guilty a sin that makes men vile to an high degree and yet it is the sin of professors But behold how the Apostle brands them he saith such have but a form of godliness and deny the power thereof and bids the godly shut them out of their fellowship This sin also is I fear grown to such a hight in some as to make them weary of their Parents and of doing their duty to them Yea I wish that some are not murtherers of Fathers and Mothers by their thoughts while they secretly long after and desire their death that the inheritance may be theirs and that they may be delivered from obedience to their Parents This is a sin in the house in the family a sin that is kept in hugger mugger close but God sees it and hath declared his dislike against it by an implicit threatning to cut them off that are guilty of it Let them then that name the name of Christ depart from this iniquity Disorders of Servants is also an house-iniquity and to be departed from by the godly He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house said David and he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight One of the rarities in Solomons house and which the Queen of Sheba was so taken with was the goodly order of his Servants Some of the disorders of Servants are to be imputed to