Long-Suffering should lead Sinners to Repentance Rom. 2.4 especially considering the proper tendency thereof For though eventually per accidens through Mens wickedness that despise and abuse Divine Patience and Long-Suffering many a man's Condemnation is increased and aggravated thereby yet per se in its own nature the Long-suffering of the Lord is Salvation 2 Pet. 3.15 This gives us time and space for Repentance and for working out our Salvation as there v. 9. The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance As also it is a Motive to Repentance God's forbearance and long-suffering preacheth and presseth to Repentance proclaiming God's unwillingness to punish his waiting to be gracious his waiting for the Sinners return Thus I say God's common Goodness and Patience exercised towards Sinners is to lead them to Repentance And much more should his special Grace and Favour vouchsafed to his People promote their Repentance See Ezek. 16.60 61 62. And when it is thus that the greater Sense and Experience we have of God's Goodness Grace and Mercy the better thoughts we have of God and the worse thoughts we have of our Sins and of our selves for Sin When we blush and are humbled and ashamed greatly to think how we have requited the Lord evil for good when by God's mercies we are brought to a loathing of our selves for our Iniquities this is child-like and ingenuous this is a comfortable Evidence that our Sorrow is after a godly sort 5. Do we mourn for Sin as that for which Christ suffered In Zech. 12.10 Where the Spirit of Grace and Mourning is promised to be poured out upon the Church and People of God It is said And they shall look upon me whom they have peirced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only Son c. That these Words have reference to Christ is evident from John 19.37 The Garden where Christ was in his bitter and bloody Agony and Mount Calvary where he was crucified are Schools whither we should go in our serious Meditations to learn to mourn for Sin Now are our Hearts softned in the Blood of Christ Do the thoughts of a bleeding crucified Saviour set our Hearts a bleeding for Sin A gracious Soul sees more of the evil of Sin in what Christ suffered than in all that ever he himself suffered or can suffer by it 6. Do we mourn for Sin as defiling as the deformity of the Soul As it is contrary to God's Image the Beauty of the Soul that which was and would be Mans chiefest excellency as it renders us unlike to an Holy God Many can be troubled in respect of the guilt of Sin as it exposeth to Wrath bindeth over to punishment who are not troubled for the Pollution and filthiness that is in Sin As Pharaoh could cry out of the Plagues that his Sin had brought upon the Land yet was not sensible of the Plague of his own Heart A gracious Soul groaneth under and is sadly burthened with his corruptions and sinful imperfections even when he may know that in and through Christ he is freed from Condemnation He is sick of Sin weary of it as one would be of filthy noisom Cloaths about him He cannot but with the Leper cry out Vnclean Vnclean And as Job Behold I am vile 7. Do we grieve for Sin as the Disease of the Soul as that which disableth us from serving God as we ought that greatly indisposeth us to that which is good Are we weary of Sin as the Prisoner of his Shackles as the sick Man of his Disease 8. Do we mourn for Sin as the partition-wall betwixt God and Souls as that which estrangeth us from God and God from us Carnal Men can be troubled when their Iniquities separate betwixt them and good things here but such as sorrow after a godly sort see far more evil in Sin as it separateth betwixt God and Souls They are oft thinking how they might enjoy more of God's gracious Presence were it not for their Sins As what is it but Sin that hinders our Communion with God Gracious Souls oft think how they might be refreshed with the Light of God's Countenance but that their Iniquities like Clouds are still interposing And this is Godly Sorrow when indeed Souls are lamenting after the Lord. Thus let us examine what are the Grounds and Motives of our Sorrow 2. Godly Sorrow may be known by its extensiveness and adequateness unto the Object if we do not make light of any Sin that we know and are convinced of There are many Sins which others lightly pass over and make nothing of which a gracious Heart is deeply sensible of and truly humbled for 1. A gracious Soul is humbled for original Sin as well as for actual Transgressions Such an one lays to Heart the Sin of his Nature as well as his personal Sins Indeed his actual Sins lead him to take notice of and mourn over original Corruption As when David came to confess his great Sin of Blood-guiltiness he traced it to the Fountain-head his being shapen in Iniquity Psal 51.5 As Paul cryed out Rom. 7.24 O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death Such see their birth-birth-Sin to be the Womb of all other Sins They cannot make light of natural Corruption the Fountain from whence so many impure Freams of actual Transgressions issue the Root of Bitterness which bringeth forth so much poisonous and deadly Fruit. Now what should such think of themselves who were never humbled for that sinning Sin were never sensible of the Corruption of their Natures Who will not believe that their Natures are so bad Who bear up themselves with this that they have as good Hearts towards God as the best while yet their Hearts were never changed And how little are they sensible of the evil of Natural Corruption who when Sin hath shamefully broken out when they have been unreasonably transported with Passion Revenge c. think to excuse the matter saying Alas they cannot help it it is their Nature But was Nabal ever the better for being of such a churlish Nature that a Man could not speak to him Sure they are not duly humbled for the Corruption of their nature who take this for an Apology or excuse Is it not so much the worse that the Nature of the Wolf is ravenous and the Nature of the Toad or Serpent is poisonous So that we are naturally prone to Sin it is no extenuation but an aggravation of our sinfulness 2. A Gracious Soul is for laying load of Sorrow upon its special Sin Such Sins whereby the Spirit is most grieved and Communion with God most obstructed and growth in Grace most hindered must needs be most grievous to a gracious Heart as they are found out Others may be ready to confess and seem troubled for common failings such Sins as the best of Men in this state of imperfection are not
find out all that have suffered by them as they would manifest their Repentance to be serious must be ready to do good to all as they have opportunity and must so much the more abound in Acts of Charity as before they have abounded in the contrary Quest But what if a Man hath been so injurious to others that his whole Estate will not make Satisfaction Answ This is a sad Case indeed But he ought to go as far as he can in satisfying those whom he hath wronged and what he cannot do at present he must resolve and be willing to promise to make full satisfaction when God makes him able unless the injured and suffering Party freely release and discharge him Yea when he cannot do it of himself he should improve his Interest in Friends if they would be perswaded to help him out And this is certain that true Peace of Conscience cannot be bought too dear though all a Man hath in the World goes for it In this Case a Man should be for undoing his Sin so far as he can although it would be his undoing in the World 2. When a Man by extream Poverty is quite disabled to make Satisfaction for the Wrongs he hath done Though the Act thus becoming impossible be not necessary yet the Will I say a Will to satisfy if he was able or when he shalll be able is necessary without which there is no Evidence of his true Repentance of the Sin or that the Sin is pardoned There must be a serious and hearty willingness to do it if a man be in a capacity to do it and this ought to afflict him more than simple Poverty that he cannot do it 6. One that is indeed turned from Sin ordinarily is very careful to avoid Occasions of Sin ordinarily fears to run upon Temptations As the burnt Child dreads the Fire 7. Such an one having his Heart turned against Sin ordinarily shunneth and abstaineth from the very appearance of Evil what looketh like Sin he is wont to startle at he would keep as far from Sin as may be he fears to come near it 8. Such a one would turn others from Sin too He would not that others should walk on in Sin if he can hinder it He is opposing Sin in others especially in those who are near and dear to him and in whom he hath most Interest And such as formerly he was drawing to Sin he will look on himself as doubly engaged to do what he can to help them out of the Snare Thus such as have been notorious in Sin and Wickedness after Conversion are ordinarily seen to be most zealous against it 9. One that rightly turneth from Sin would never return to it more He will say as Ephraim What have I to do any more with Idols Sometimes a Sinner and his Lust seem to be fallen out but they are soon piec'd again He may be angry with Sin for a fit but does not hate and forsake it Now when the unclean Spirit returns after he seem'd to be cast out he useth to get stronger possession that the last Estate of that Man is worse than the first Luk. 11.24 25 26. The Apostle Peter speaketh after the like manner of such as had escaped the Pollutions of the World but were afterwards again intangled and overcome as the Dog returns to his Vomit The latter End says he is worse with them than the beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. But a right forsaking of Sin is set forth by such Expressions as plucking out the right Eye cutting off the right Hand Mat. 5.29 30. and there is no restoring any of these Members when separated from the Body And by crucifying the Flesh Gal. 5.24 And mortifying the earthly Members Col. 3.5 In true Repentance Sin receives its Death's Wound Though it stir and struggle still its Head is broken yea it is wounded at the Heart so wounded that it can never recover its full Power and Dominion Now it is dying though but a lingring Death How many that do but seemingly oppose that desire not resolve not on the Death of Sin They are but like Fencers they do not fight in good earnest As Fencers sometimes seem to be in a deadly Feud while secretly they are in League and very good Friends Some reform for a fit but soon face about and as Lot's Wife look back upon Sodom Some part with their Sins as Mariners throw their Goods over-board in a Storm who are ready to gather them up again when the Storm is over so they will seek their Lusts again Such a temporary Reformation is little worth This is not the Repentance never to be repented of There is Joy in Heaven over a Sinner that truly repents and turns from Sin but when a Sinner is for returning to his old Sins again none but the Devils and wicked Men can be pleased with this fight True it is a godly Man oft sinneth against his Resolution but he sinneth not with Resolution as the ungodly do His Will and Resolution is still against Sin though Corruption remaining in him raised by the Violence of Temptation swelleth and floweth over the Bank of his set Resolution 10. He that truly forsakes Sin turneth so from Sin that withal he turneth unto God And thus I come to the Term unto which the repenting Sinner turneth For one to rest here that he has left such and such Sins unto which he was addicted is in Portu impingere to suffer Shipwrack in the Haven And how sad is that An half-turn would prove Men but almost Christians And they that are almost Christians are but almost saved The Repentance which Paul preached was Repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto God Acts 20.21 As Repentance has one Eye on Sin to mourn for it and to shun and avoid it so it hath another Eye towards God to turn to him and follow him Jer. 4.1 If thou wilt return O Israel saith the Lord return unto me Quest How may a Man know that he turneth unto God aright Answ 1. When the Heart is turned unto God that is right Whatever a Man doth in Religion without the Heart is to no purpose as not done at all Prayer without the Heart is vain Babling and Service presented to God without the Heart is but a vain Oblation If we would seek the Lord so as to find him we must search for him with all our Hearts That is but a feigned Turning to God which is without the Heart Jer. 3.10 Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole Heart but feignedly saith the Lord. How can we say that we are turned to God if our Hearts are not with him if our Hearts incline more another way We cannot deny but naturally they are set upon Sin and the World and averse from God so far are Mans Hearts corrupted by the Fall But are our Hearts now changed Are they turned and now chiefly set upon God Is God the Center towards whom our Hearts now most incline
known Duty shews Sin to have a negative Voice in thee and that thou chusest to obey Sin rather than to obey God 8. You may make a fair Profession yea may be very high in Profession and yet under the Dominion of Sin Luk. 13.25 26 27. Lord Lord open unto us We have eaten and drunk in thy Presence and thou hast taught in our Streets But he shall say I tell you I know not whence ye are Depart from me all ye Workers of Iniquity Visible Saints may be secret Workers of Iniquity Yea a Man may be not only a smooth Professor but an eminent Preacher and yet a Servant of Sin There have been Workers of Miracles who for all that were Workers of Iniquity Mat. 7.22 23. Judas was an Apostle and yet a very Slave to the Lust of Covetousness Next I come to give you some Notes whereby you may know whether you are freed from the Dominion of Sin Only that you may pass a right Judgment on your State you must take them conjunct and especially attend to the three last 1. If now you are freed from the Dominion of Sin then certainly you have been made sensible what a miserable Bondage it is to be in subjection to Sin you see Sin to be the worst Master any Man can serve that to be a Gally-slave to the Turk is not so bad as to be a Servant to Sin As I said before we are all naturally under the Dominion of Sin and so we continue till we feel what a cruel oppressing Tyrant Sin is We have no will to cast off its yoke till we come to be gall'd and pinch'd Did you never groan under its Oppressions I must say that is no good Sign But if thou canst no more have a good and favourable thought of the Service of Sin if thou canst not but look upon it as a far greater Evil to be given up to thy sinful Passions to thy corrupt Affections to be given up to thine own Hearts lusts I say if thou wouldest account this a far greater Evil than to be given up to the Wills and Lusts of the most malicious Enemies thou hast or canst have in the World this is an hopeful Sign thou art not a willing Subject and Servant of Sin Thus it was with the Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Death He looked upon a Body of Sin as a more grievous Burden than all his Bonds Afflictions and Sufferings in the Body 2. So this is an hopeful Sign when if you might have your choice you desire more to be freed from your Corruptions than to be exempted from Affliction If you had rather be kept from Sin than excused from Suffering And if you can heartily welcom Afflictions and bless God for the sharpest Corrections may you find them a means of weakning your Corruptions The Dominion of sin is chiefly in the Will Now if you care not what you suffer here so that sin may suffer this way if you are willing that God should lay you low in the World so that it may bring down your Pride and lay your Lusts low if you could willingly stoop to any Cross to have your old Man a Body of Sin crucified on it this would shew the prevailing bent of your Will is not to sin but against it 3. Another hopeful Sign that a Man is not under the Dominion of Sin is when he would no more defend it no longer take its part Willing Subjects are ready to stand up for the defence of their Prince when others oppose him And when a Man will plead and contend for sin when he cannot endure to hear his Sin spoken against when his Heart riseth against any faithful Minister or consciencious Christian that reproves him and tells him of the evil of his Sin when he is an Enemy to such and takes them for his Enemies that set against his sin does not this shew that Sin has the command of him that he is a willing subject to it But if thou desirest to see Sin laid out in its colours to see the vileness of it if thou takest it well to be plainly told of any Sin thou hast been guilty of and hast no more an heart to plead for or excuse it if thou art willing to hear any thing from God's Word that makes against it and does no more stand for it but readily takest part with the Word against it it is to be hoped thou art fallen off from Sin that it has lost its Dominion 4. Another hopeful Sign is if thou wouldest no longer maintain its Government by paying Tribute to thy Lusts wouldst make no more provision for them if thou art for cutting off Provisions from them preventing the Occasions of Sin what thou canst But on the contrary if it is thy care and study to serve and gratify thy Lusts if thou payest Tribute willingly and freely to them if this is a work a business thy Heart is set upon to make provision for them if thou carest not what charge thou art at to maintain thy Pride if thou grudgest not to lay out to serve thy Pleasure and Voluptuousness c. This shews thee still under the Dominion of Sin that thou art so forward to maintain it 5. This is a good Sign when a Man's will and purpose is set to withstand resist the Motions and Commands of Sin when he resolves strives watches ordinarily and prayes earnestly against those Sins which most haunt him As suppose thou art subject to fall into sinful Passion yet if when thou fallest into it thou canst truly say and the Lord knows it is besides and against thy purpose it is the Evil thou wouldest not it is a thing thou seriously resolvest and strivest and criest against this shews it has not full Dominion Sin may tyrannize over a Child of God though it does not reign in him Where true Grace is Sin cannot reign a Man cannot fully heartily consent to obey and be subject to it The Will so far as it is renewed and sanctified is against it Indeed through the Remainders of Corruption and by the Prevalence of Temptation he is oft drawn to that which is sinful but then he is as one taken captive and his Will is to be free Where Sin does but tyrannize not reign the Soul would not be under its Yoke it wrestles and struggles to get free And as under the Law if the betrothed Damsel cried out it was a Rape not the Sin of Whoredom she was not to dye if she cryed out Deut. 22.26 27. So Sin is not reigning and mortal where the Heart and Will is against it the bent and Resolution of the Soul is against it and the Soul is crying out earnestly for help though as to particular Acts it is oft overcome It is one thing to fall into the Dirt so a Man may do who desires to keep his Garments clean and another as the Sow does with delight
17.1 Walk before me and be thou Perfect or Upright Uprightness in heart and life is not attained without a sense of God's presence with us without setting the Lord before us So 1 King 9.4 If thou wilt walk before me as David thy Father walked in integrity of heart and in uprightness Is 57.2 each one walking in his Vprightness Others have it before Him as it is in the Margent each one that hath walked before him Indeed one cannot walk in Vprightness that does not walk before him 2 Cor. 2.17 of Sincerity and in the sight of God go together And it is something to this purpose that they that know God and the upright in heart are joyned Psal 36.10 As Hypocrites and they that forget God are put together Job 8.13 The Upright so know God as to remember him they have their thoughts much upon him The Hypocrite forgets God thinks little of him He puts off the serious thoughts of God of his Omnipresence of his Omniscience c. as otherwise he could never go on still and quietly in a way of Hyprocrisie The Upright ordinarily so mind God's Presence with them his eye upon them that they are awed therewith and fear before him He that walkes Vprightly is ever one that feareth the Lord Prov. 14.2 9. The Upright Man is one that hates opposes and forsakes all known Sin There is no Sin he knows of that he would spare and indulge And this is a certain infallible note and caracter if we can find it in our selves The Vpright in heart and the Pure in heart are really the same Quest But who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my Sin Answ It is true an absolute perfect purity is not to be found in any upon Earth but only in Heaven yet the Upright are said to be of a clean heart and to have a pure heart Psal 73.1 and 24.4 comparatively That is compared with themselves what they were before God created this clean heart in them and put a right spirit into them as also compared with others that are strangers to the work of spiritual renovation So the denomination follows the better part As we say a Corn-field notwithstanding there are many Weeds in it too And a Gold-Mine though there is much Dross with the Gold And there is this further to be said that though there is sin and impurity still cleaving and adhering to the Upright Man yet his heart cleaves not to any sin It is so far pure it is not for joyning or mingling with corruption but would work it out There is no way of wickedness allowed of in the heart that is upright This last note is clearly laid down Prov. 16.17 The high-way of the Vpright is to depart from evil This is the common path such daily keep unto In their ordinary course they have a care to depart from evil from evil in genere which contains the several species or kinds of evil So Job that was a Perfect and Vpright Man shewed it in his eschewing evil Job 1.1 Though the Upright Man cannot live absolutely free from sin Yet neither can he live in sin It is not his Element Though sin has a being in him still yet it has not dominion over him Psal 19.13 Let them not have dominion over me then shall I be Vpright There is reigning sin which a Man does not oppose but gives up himself unto which he willingly serves and obeys and this is altogether inconsistent with Uprightness Again there is sin which is not reigning but resisted which a Man does not allow of but desires and endeavours to shake off Watches prays strives against and the existence or presence of such sin does not deny or disprove a Man's Uprightness An upright Man may fall into Sin but he does not continue in Sin It is not his way But his high-way is to depart from evil Here is a broad difference betwixt the Hypocrite and the Upright 1. An Hypocrite will sometimes seem very zealous against Sin in others and be forward to censure and condemn others while he willingly overlooks and indulges Sin in himself He can sooner espie a mote in anothers Eye than a beam in his own Eye An upright Man though he would not partake of others Sins by Connivance c. yet he sets especially against his own Sins and against sin in those that are nearest to him In the first place he would reform at home 2. An Hypocrite may leave some Sins as Jehu destroyed Baal and Herod probably reformed in some things But the Upright Man is an Enemy to all known Sin 3. An Hypocrite is for lopping off the Branches But the upright Man is striking even at the root of Sin He is for mortifying that body of Sin within him He is sick of that body of Death He strives in good earnest against inward evil Inclinations An Hypocrite whilst he keeps his hands clean from gross acts of Sin has no care takes no pains to purifie his heart Whilst he avoids open Prophaneness he tolerates and allows of inward Corruptions and Heart-pollutions Mat. 23.25 26. c. The upright Man's care is to cast and keep Sin out of his Heart as well as out of his Life 4. An Hypocrite is not afraid of doing that in God's sight which he would be afraid or ashamed to do in the view of others or if he thought Men would come to the knowledg of it The upright ordinarily dread to sin in secret fear to sin against God though it were possible to keep it close from the knowledg of the World 5. An Hypocrite will condemn the Sins of former Times while he is easily drawn to a compliance with the sins and corruptions of the present Times he liveth in like those Mat. 23.29 30 34. But an upright Man will be good in bad Times As Noah Gen. 6.9 Noah was a just Man and perfect or upright in his Generation In that wicked Age wherein Iniquity did so much abound and defile the World yet still he retained his Integrity He was a just a righteous Man when the Earth was filled with violence He walked with God even at that time when Mankind generally as with one consent lay wallowing in Sin So Psal 125.4 5. They that are upright in heart are opposed to such as turn aside unto crooked ways They cannot wind about and turn with the Times as others An upright Man hates the work of them that turn aside and resolves it shall not cleave to him Psal 101.3 Psal 26.11 But as for me I will walk in mine Integrity Vprightness Rectitude and Streightness are words of very near and great affinity An upright Man is for conforming himself to the Word a streight Rule is not conformed to the World cannot bend to the sinful humours and examples of Men. 6. An Hypocrite sometimes whilst he abstains from gross Sins freely allows himself in lesser Sins or such as he accounts little Peccadillo's Take that Instance the
freed from but there is some special Sin or other that they are wedded unto and in league with and this they seek to hide palliate and excuse all they can whether it be Pride or Sensuality Voluptuousness or Covetousness c. that that is a Mans special beloved Sin a natural Man is for cloaking that Sin and cannot endure to hear his Herodias spoken against he studies Evasions and Distinctions to defend that Sin and to put off Convictions Thus the natural Man and Hypocrite will beat about the Bush I remember Mr. Hooker compares the Confessions of such to the Cries of the Lapwing As the Lapwing will cry and flutter and make most ado when furthest from her Nest or from her Young So such whose Hearts are unsound whatever Sins they take notice of yet they use to keep aloof off from their special Sins But the Doves of the Valleys they mourn every one for his Iniquity Ezek. 7.16 And this is a good Sign when a Mans sowrest looks are on his Dalilah his darling-Sin 3. Godly Sorrow is not only moved for open miscarriages which others may take notice of but is also stirred and working upon secret Sins As Judah said Gen. 38.23 Let her take it to her lest we be shamed Many would blush to have their Sins discovered who are not troubled while they can keep them close under-board If they have been guilty of lying and are found out or guilty of some theft or wrong done to their Neighbour and it is brought to light then they are vexed and disquieted The Thief is ashamed when he is taken But might they have gone on in Sin undiscovered it would not have troubled them That cannot be Godly Sorrow where there is no respect unto God And there is no respect unto God where secret Sins are not a Burden God sees in secret He sets our secret Sins in the light of his Countenance And so if we have godly Sorrow we shall take notice of cast a sorrowful Eye even on our secret Sins As it is more that God knoweth and is displeased at them than if they were known to all the World 4. Godly Sorrow is stirred in a sense of spiritual Impurities and not only moved at some gross Immorality Natural Conscience may fly in a Mans face for grosse Sins though secretly and closely committed Sins that defile the Hands that defile the Body stare a Man in the Face and he cannot so easily look off from them The filthiness of the Flesh disquiets the Conscience of many a natural Man while he is not sensible of the filthiness of his Spirit he quite overlooks other Sins seated within that defile the Heart and Soul But a gracious Soul is burdened with Unbelief spiritual Pride Hypocrisy with the inward Distempers of his Spirit yea many times he observes and is humbled for the first risings of Corruption first Motions to Sin 5. Godly Sorrow is moved as upon a sense of the prevalence and stirring of Corruption so upon a sense of the Souls being so wanting and weak in Grace A natural Man will complain when his Conscience is like a raging Sea for want of Peace while he complains not that his Heart is like a dead Sea he is not troubled for the want of Grace He could pray with the Psalmist Psal 51.9 Hide thy face from my Sins but not go on with the Psalmist ver 10. Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Or if he prayeth for a clean Heart an holy Heart it is without Heart Confes lib. 8. â—7 As Austin confesseth he did when a young Man Da mihi Castitatem Continentiam sed noli modo timebam enim ne me cito exaudires cito sanares à morbo concupiscentiae quam malebam expleri quam extingui The natural Man loves Sin and therefore while such cannot truly desire Grace nor mourn for the want of Grace But the gracious Soul is weary of Sin Sin is its greatest Burden He sees a beauty in Grace and Holiness is taken with it and is ashamed to see himself so short here Like him that cried out with tears Lord I believe help thou mine Vnbelief He desires indeed to love God and is ashamed that he loveth God no more He would prize Jesus Christ and is grieved that he prizeth Christ no higher He is grieved for Sin and this further is his trouble that he can grieve no more He follows after Holiness and mourns to think that his Heart and Life are no more holy 6. A gracious Soul is humbled for the Iniquities of his holy Things When others are highly conceited of their formal heartless Services he sees cause to be ashamed of his best Performances is troubled for sinful defects in his best Duties As the Church confesseth Our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags As Nehemiah when he had shewn great Zeal for God and his Service yet prayed Neh. 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy Others rest in the Work done when they do Duties they care not how indeed take God's Name in vain yet they think they thereby make God their Debtor Like those Isa 58.3 who said Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our Souls and thou takest no knowledg As if the Lord did them wrong if he did not take notice of them and reward them A gracious Soul sees need of much Incense as Rev. 8.3 to perfume the best Prayers and Services that ever he presenteth unto God And it is God's free-grace that these are accepted as well that his Transgressions and Sins are pardoned Yea such a Soul is more troubled and afflicted in Spirit that he prayeth so weakly with so little Faith and Fervency than others are for not praying for their many sad and sinful Omissions of the Duty He is more troubled for hearing no better with no more reverence and trembling at the Word than others for their often turning away their Ear from the Word 7. A gracious Heart is ordinarily touched with a sense of the least Sins Others may be troubled for great Enormities but such a Soul would not make light of the least Infirmities Indeed no Sin is to be called or accounted little positively and absolutely but only comparatively There is not the least Sin but deserveth Death and can that be a small matter that deserveth Death Yet some Sins are more hainous deserving a greater Condemnation and a sorer Punishment But it is with a tender Heart as it is with the Eye that tender part a small Mote in the Eye offends it and makes it run over So not only gross Sins but lesser Miscarriages will grate sore on a tender Heart It is oft smitten for vain thoughts idle words inordinacy in following lawful Employments a little Excess in the use of Creature-Comforts or outward Recreations such things as others account venial Matters yea think it a foolish
odious One that hath true Grace sees himself to be more vile by Sin than all the Afflictions in the World could make him 2. There is a greater dislike of and displicence against Sin in the Will It 's possible that a Man might dye with less pain than he must indure in some cases to preserve his Life and yet he would chuse to submit to great pain rather than to the most easy Death A Womans travelling Pangs may be more grievous to sense than the Pangs of Death would be yet ordinarily Women would chuse to endure the former rather than the latter Thus a gracious Soul had rather any Affliction should befal him here than to be left under the Power of Sin And he is so grieved for his Sins past that he could wish he had been sick in his Bed taken up with pains at that time he was taken up with the pleasures of Sin He would submit to any Affliction and acknowledg God's Faithfulness in afflicting him may he find this Fruit of it even the taking away of Sin He would kiss the Rod that whippeth Folly out of his Heart 3. One that is truly gracious is often grieved that he has been apt to exceed in his grief for and under his Afflictions and that he hath grieved no more for Sin that here he falleth short He repenteth of his immoderate worldly Sorrow revoketh what he hath done is heartily sorry that any of his Sighs and Tears should run waste or have been mispent when he hath spent too few on his Sins Thus by an after-Act he would substract and deduct from his worldly Sorrow and make what addition he can to his Sorrow for Sin It is a real grief and burthen to his Spirit that Sin hath not been a greater grief and burthen to him Which one calleth a Reflexive Grief Besides a direct grief for Sin there is also in a gracious Heart a reflexive grief as it is oft sad to think how far short it falleth in mourning for Sin as it ought And thus immoderate worldly Sorrow is oft an occasion of the increase of godly Sorrow a sinful dejection under some outward cross is an occasion of deeper Humiliation for Sin A gracious Soul upon a serious reflection and review of it self is ashamed of his being so cast down under worldly troubles and that he is no more humbled under all his Sins 4. One that is truly gracious may be more moved at some great Affliction for a fit but his Sorrow for Sin is deeper rooted and of longer continuance It is true that commonly as Mr. Greenham said When Affliction lieth heavy Sin lieth light But the greatest worldly troubles do not affect the Heart of one that is gracious at such a distance as his Sins will do In a little time he gets over that perturbation of Spirit raised by an Affliction while his trouble for Sin still remaineth He can think of many an Affliction past and bless the Lord for his Faithfulness in the same As grievous as they were for the present yet he sees he could not well have been without them But he is oft renewing his Sorrow for old Sins When he may be grown old yet he oft calls to mind the Iniquities of his Youth with shame and grief Quest 3. Whether can one mourn and grieve too much for Sin Answ 1. As grief is seated in the rational Faculties so it is hard for any one to exceed As it implieth a sense or apprehension of the evil and vileness of Sin One can hardly think worse of Sin than it deserves unless he conceit erroneously that God suffers dammage in his very Being and essential Glory and perfection by it whereas it is not in the Power of all the Sinners in the World to hurt him in the least Job 35.6 8. He is over all God Blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 Or unless a Man should think his Sins so great that the Satisfaction and Merits of Christ could not expiate them or that the free Grace of God could not pardon them * Tanta est autem benignitas Omnipotentiae Omnipotentia benignitatis in Deo ut nihil sit quod nolit aut non possit relaxare converso Fulgent Epist 7. But otherwise not derogating from the Honour of God and Jesus Christ I know not how we can have too bad thoughts of Sin As it is against an infinite Majesty against the Will of God against his declarative Glory which shineth forth in his most wise and righteous Laws and should be held forth by all his Creatures especially by Man a reasonable Creature thus there is more intrinsick evil and vileness in Sin than our narrow Capacities can fully conceive And as Grief for Sin imports the Will 's dislike of it it is not possible that we should be too averse from Sin that we should hate Sin too much or be too much displeased at it 2. But as Grief is in the sensitive part and as it is expressed outwardly by Sighs Groans and Tears it may be too much Though indeed there are very few that erre on this hand But what the Apostle writes to the Corinthians concerning the incestuous Person 2 Cor. 2.7 that upon his repentance they should comfort him lest perhaps he should be swallowed up of overmuch Sorrow is observable here as it implieth that even Sorrow for Sin may be overmuch 3. The Passion of Grief is required to be exercised about Sin not meerly for it self but in order to a further end As ver 9. to imbitter Sin to us to endear Christ to us to make us more willing to part with Sin and to close with and accept of Jesus Christ And therefore that Sorrow which reacheth not the End how great soever it may seem is not enough 4. There are other and higher Duties that Christians are also called unto And Duties must be so managed that one may not clash and interfere with and exclude and justle out another They ought to be so carried on as one may not obstruct and hinder but further on and promote another Now a Life of Faith in Christ and a Life in the Love and joyful Praises of God is that which indeed all Christians should desire to live and study and endeavour by all means to attain unto And our Sorrow for Sin should be a Preparative to Joy and Delight in the Lord and should be an Help to close and comfortable walking with God And for a Christian to be wholly taken up in poring on his Sins and mourning over them neglecting the exercise of Faith and the drawing out of his Heart to God and Jesus Christ in love and thankfulness is a very great practical Error which must needs keep his Soul low in Grace as well as in Comfort 5. That Sorrow which is without Hope which casts the Soul into * Qualecunque sit ergo peccatum a Deo quidem potest remitti converso sed ille sibi remitti non sinit qui des
to wallow in the Mire 6. This is a sure Sign that a Man is not under the Dominion of Sin when his Heart is turned to hate all known Sin As the Apostle though he was not without Sin yet he was not in love in league with any Sin no it was the thing he hated Rom. 7.15 If thou art an Enemy to Sin to all known Sin then certainly thou art not a willing Subject to it A Man would not take and chuse him for his Master whom he hates If now it is thy great care to shun and avoid Sin as an Enemy and the greatest Enemy thou hast in the World and if thou settest against Sin as thy worst Enemy and nothing will satisfy thee but the Death of Sin if thou art daily bestirring thy self to beat down a Body of Sin to mortify thy earthly Members to crucify the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof this Hatred and Opposition of Sin is one of the clearest and best Evidences thou canst have that thou art not under the Dominion of Sin And where Sin is not habitually more hated than loved it has Dominion But where there is such an habitual Hatred of Sin though remaining In-dwelling Corruption prevails too oft so far as to draw a Man to commit the Act of Sin yet he is not thereupon reconciled to Sin and for a sinful Course But when the Temptation is over when he comes to himself to act according to the Principle and Habit of Grace within him he cannot but loath himself and abhor that Sin As Zanchy Ac certum est electos renatos Tom. 7. p. 257. antequam peccent odisse peccatum malle mori quà m peccare postquam peccârunt dolere odisse peccatum quum peccant peccare non cum odio Legis aut contemptu Dei sed ex infirmitate Fidei Thus though Sin gets Victory sometimes yet it never obtains a full Conquest A gracious Soul though he hath been worsted again and again will be for renewing the Fight So the Dominion of Sin cannot be concluded from its violent assaults on the Soul but rather one may conclude the contrary from the Hatred and hearty Opposition of it If the Sins which most prevail against thee are the greatest trouble to thee and nothing in the World would so glad thy Heart as to be rid of them If the Pardon of Sin alone would not satisfy thee without Power against it 't is a good Sign that Sin has not Dominion over thee 7. Thou mayest know thou art not under the Dominion of Sin if indeed thou hast chosen and heartily accepted of a new Lord if thou hast sincerely resigned up thy self to God and Jesus Christ If it be so that Christ is now Lord and Master in thee then certainly thou art not a Servant of Sin Thou canst not be under both these Masters While thou wast a Subject and a Servant of Sin thou wast a Rebel against God a Rebel against Jesus Christ But if now thy Heart and Will is to be governed by God and Christ to come under his Laws the Government of Sin is cast off If the prevailing Bent of thy Will and the general Course of thy Life proves thee to be most for obeying God and subjecting thy self to the Rule of his holy Word if thou wouldest not allow thy self in any thing thou knowest to be cross and contrary to his Will if it is the grief of thy Soul that thou canst not obey him perfectly if thou wouldest not have a Dispensation to break any Command of his but have Grace and Strength to keep them Then thou hast changed thy Master Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves to obey his Servants ye are More I might add but I chuse to conlude with some Passages out of Reverend Mr. Baxter Thus he saith He that seldom or never committeth such external Crimes and yet loveth not God Christian Directory pag. 428. and Heaven and Holiness above all the Pleasures and Interests of the Flesh is in a state of Death under the Dominion of Sin Again It is certain that his Love to God and Holiness is not prodominant whose carnal Interest and Lust hath ordinarily in the drift and tenour of his Life more power to draw him to the wilful committing of known Sin than the said Love of God and Heaven and Holiness have to keep him from it Rom. 6.16 He that will sin thus as oft as will stand with saving Grace shall never have the Assurance of his Sincerity or the Peace or Comfort of a sound Believer till he repent and lead a better Life Again He that in his Sin retaineth that habitual Divine Love hath also habitual vertual Repentance for that very Sin before he actually repenteth because he hath that habitual Hatred of it which will cause actual Repentance when he is composed to act according to his predominant Habits Again There are some Sins which all Men continue in or the best are not freed from while they live as Defect in the degrees of Faith Hope Love c. Vain Thoughts Words Passions c. Where the evil is prevalent in the Will against the good so far as to commit those Sins though not so far as to vitiate the Bent of the Heart or Life Again That which is apprehended to be either of doubtful evil or but a little sin will be much less resisted and oftner committed than Sins that are clearly apprehendeded to be great Now if this Apprehension be wrong and come from the predominancy of a carnal or ungodly Heart which will not suffer the Understanding to do its Office nor to take that to be evil which he would not leave then both the Judgment and the Sin occasioned by it are mortal and not mortified pardoned Sins Again Though it is true that all good Christians should not indulge the smallest Sin and that true Grace will make a Man willing to forsake the least yet No good Men rise up with so great and constant watchfulness against an idle Thought or Word or Disorder in Prayer c. as they do against an hainous Sin Some things I pass over being touched at before I shall only add one Note more though already hinted at There are some Sins so easily known to be Sins Cathol Theo l. part 2. pag. 104. and so notoriously calling the Conscience to repent that to lie in them unrepented of long when the sudden violent Temptation and Passion is over and a Man hath opportunity to act according to his setled Habit will not consist with the truth of an Habit of Love to God and Holiness and of Hatred to Sin Of Love to God John 5.42 But I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you HOw sad is it if the like may be said of us How many that will say He is not worthy to live that does not love God And yet the Lord knows they are such themselves as have
of God in us our indignation will be moved when we hear the Name of God profaned and see his Majesty affronted his Laws violated his truth and interest opposed Now what say you to this If you can be sensible enough of any injury done to your selves but no way touched or affected with the great indignities you oft see and hear offered unto God If you can see Sinners as it were flying in God's face and yet remain sensless and speechless having nothing to say in God's cause as the Psalmist was dumb in his own cause Psal 38.14 as a Man that beareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofs If you can have fellowship with Sinners delight in their company and rather countenance than discountenance the Ungodly and love them that hate the Lord will these things shew any love to God Would you take him for your friend that could see others evil intreat you and yet stood by as one wholly unconcerned And can you be friends with those who shew themselves enemies to God and no way manifest your displeasure against them and their evil ways and will you yet pretend to love God 11. If we love God we have a desire to win and draw in others to him Cant. 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee When she was drawn she would be for drawing others to him She was not content to come alone but would endeavour to bring in others with her As the Psalmist Psal 34.3 O magnify the Lord with me So one that loves God will be ready to call upon others O love the Lord with me O serve the Lord with me If we have the love of God in us it will grieve us to see others enemies to God As the Psalmist I beheld the transgressours and was grieved And especially it will be our grief to see any of ours alienated from God to see any of our friends enemies to God any of our Relations such as are near to us afar off from God to see any of our Children backward to that which is good Children of disobedience carrying so that we may know they have not the love of God in them We shall be earnest with God in Prayer that he would change their hearts that he would circumcise their hearts to love him What is it that we would chuse for ours if we might have our choice Whether would we chuse God or the World Had we rather see them in a state of Grace and in favour with God though they were never so poor and low in the World than see them rich and graceless And would we in the first place acquaint them with God Are we still admonishing perswading charging them to come in to him If we are less afraid of displeasing God by a sinful silence here than of displeasing them by plain and faithful dealing with them is not this to honour them above the Lord And if we can be well enough pleased with Children though we cannot see the least spark of Grace in them if they are but likely to thrive and prosper in the World and if we regard not though our Servants are backward to God's Service while they follow our business close if we take no pains with them to get them better principled such things would shew as little love to God as to their souls 12. If the love of God be in us then we are no longer in love or in league with Sin Psal 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil How can we love God who is Holiness it self and yet be in love with Sin that is so contrary to God He that loves his Prince hates Treason and Rebellion against his Prince He that loves his Father Ubi regnat charitas non regnat cupiditas Lud. Carthus does not delight to walk cross to his Father The predominant love of God and reigning Sin are things utterly inconsistent If we love God we cannot but hate and dread that which would separate betwixt us and our God Here I may allude to that Text Deut. 13.4 6 8. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and cleave to him And if thy friend which is as thine own soul entice thee secretly saying Let us go and serve other gods Thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken unto him neither shall thine eye pity him neither shalt thou spare neither shalt thou conceal him But thou shalt surely kill him thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death So if we love God and cleave to him we shall not be for concealing and sparing any sin how dear so ever it may have been though it hath been as a right Eye or as a right Hand to us we shall no longer connive at any Darling Lust that would entice and draw away our hearts from God we shall be resolved on the mortifying and crucifying of it The love of God and friendship with Sin will not stand together Oh! think seriously of this While thou art wedded to any lust to thy Pride to thy Flesh-pleasing Sensuality or to thy Covetousness c. thy heart is not with God Thou canst not cleave to God and Sin both Thou canst not be for two Masters so contrary but if thou lovest the one thou must needs hate the other if thou cleavest to the one thou must needs forsake the other If thou lovest evil more than good as Psal 52.3 if thou art so far linkt in and in league with any lust that thy Will is more for keeping than for parting with it more for serving and gratifying than for subduing and crucifying it the love of God is not in thee 13. If we love God then it is our delight to serve and obey him 1 Joh. 5.3 This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous So in 2 Epist v. 6. This is love that we walk after his Commandments To love him and keep his Commandments are joyned Exod. 20.6 Neh. 1.5 When a friend says If you love me do such a thing for me his Intreaty useth to have the force of a Command If God's Commands have no force with us it is a sign we love him not If we have the love of God in us Nunquam est Dei Amor otiosus Operatur etenim magna si est Si vero operari renuit Amor non est Gregor Mag. Hom. 30. we shall delight in his Law as the Psalmist did Psal 119.70 we shall delight to do the will of God and chuse the things that please him As we must shew our faith so our love by our works Qui non placet Deo non potest illi placere Deus Bern. As I told you before Love is a well-pleasedness with God above with a desire in all things to please him Now if we are more for pleasing our selves than for pleasing God more for having our own wills than for doing the will of God if we are more at Mens command at the command
Now if you ask Can such a one fear God above all in whom carnal fear at any time prevailes The Answer is He may have the habit though the act for the present be suspended No Grace here is perfect And as our love to God sometimes lies buried as it were under carnal self-love and inordinate love to creatures yet so as it will have a resurrection and new quickning if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sound and sincere so our fear of God being imperfect may for a time be born down with carnal fear yet will it get the upper hand again The true fear of God overcomes ordinarily in its conflicts with carnal fear and though it may be giving ground sometimes it shall overcome at last As some of the Martyrs upon the first onset seemed to turn back but they came on again and so stood stoutly to it 4. The true fear of God may be known by the effects of it 1. One principal effect of the Fear of God is a flight from sin I say it will cause us to flee from sin As we read of Job chap. 1.1 that he was one that feared God and eschewed evil And Nehemiah chap. 5.15 so did not I he did not durst not do as others had done before him because of the Fear of God Pro. 16.6 By the Fear of the Lord Men depart from evil On the contrary Psa 36.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no Fear of God before their eyes Though the wicked will not say so much with his lips yet indeed his Life proclaims it Though the Psalmist did not hear it in his words yet his works forced him to conclude that there was no Fear of God before his eyes They that forsake the Lord thereby shew that his Fear is not in them Jer. 2.19 such as care not to walk contrary to God it is plain they fear him not All impenitent Sinners that go on in their trespasses that persist in a course of rebellion they are so far from fearing God that they are daily sending up challenges to Heaven daring God's Power and Justice Psal 10.13 wherefore doth the wicked contemn God How unreasonable how impious how insufferable is it that wicked wretches should be so insolent to contemn God yet so it is the wicked are so far from reverencing that they plainly contemn God So he that being often reproved and threatned yet hardneth his neck by his impenitency by his incorrigibleness does even set God at defiance as if he bad him do his worst Remember this they that fear God fear to sin against him But you may ask further May we not avoid sin at least some sins and not from God's Fear Yea I grant it may be so But now if we forsake sin from a principle of Godly fear 1. In general we are departing from all known sin we dare not allow our selves in any sin we know of We knowing that all sin is displeasing to God if we fear to displease God we must fear to allow our selves in any sin Particularly 2. The Fear of God will cause us to flee from the Vices of the times as we discover them from sins that are most in fashion Let Swearing and Forswearing be never so much in fashion yet we shall fear an Oath if we fear God If all the World should wonder after and agree to worship the Beast yet so should not we because of the Fear of God No though we might seem to be left alone as Eljah thought he was Let a sin be never so much pleaded for countenanced and generally practised yet these things will not take with us while we hear God saying Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate if we have the Fear of God in our hearts and before our eyes Rather we shall have a greater care to keep our selves from such sins the stronger temptations we have to them 3. We shall fear sinning in secret too Knowing that God sees in secret that there is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves from him As Joseph said to his tempting Mistress How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God He was awed with God's all-seeing eye upon him as much as if the eyes of all the World had been upon him Lev. 19.14 Thou shalt not curse the Deaf nor put a stumbling-block before the Blind but shalt fear thy God If one does curse the Deaf he hears not if one puts a Stumbling-block before the Blind he sees not who he is that does it O but yet God hears and he sees And such as are endued with his Fear will not dare to commit sin upon this presumption that Men shall not know cannot find it out This would be a strong aw-band and powerful restraint ordinarily to keep them from deliberate sinning that they can commit no sin out of God's sight who cannot but be displeased at sin where ever he sees it 4. If we fear God and forsake Sin in his Fear then we shall fear to displease him in smaller matters too We shall fear to allow of the least Sin Though there are Sins of daily incursion that we cannot wholly avoid yet they not are allowed of As the Apostle says Rom. 7.15 That which I do I allow not If we sometimes speak vainly rashly or sometimes have our Passions sinfully moved if dulness and distractions over take us and disturb us in Holy Duties yet we can say we allow not of such things We are ashamed of them grieved and humbled for them and desire to watch against them 5. Again We shall fear sinning against God more than suffering from Men. As Chrysostom when threatned by Eudoxia said I fear nothing but Sin It we fear God we shall not fear Creatures so much 6. So we shall fear Sin more than the Scourge more than affliction Our fear is first and chiefly of offending and displeasing God and secondarily of the punishment That Fear which is not so much of the Sin and Offence as of the Lash and Scourge is but servile Fear 7. So we shall not only fear but also hate Sin As there is love in our Fear of God there will be hatred in our fear of Sin because so offensive and contrary to God Thus we shall not barely abstain from but abhor that which is evil Prov. 8.13 The Fear of the Lord is to hate evil Thus it will cause us to forsake Sin in practice and affection both Do we not know that not to hate Sin the abominable thing which God hates must needs be displeasing to God yea we are at least secretly in league with Sin so long as we do not hate it 2. Another chief effect of true Fear is subjection to the Will of God Obedience to his Commands Hereby we must try the soundness of our Faith As that which is called Faith Gal. 5.6 is called The keeping the Commandments of God 1 Cor. 7.19