sins which are beloved sins in the ungodly and too often tyrannizing sins and prevailing corruptions even in the godly in whom they are not beloved or reigning lusts 3. Shew what it is to keep mens selves from their iniquities 4. Give the Reasons of the Doctrine 5. Apply it 1. To lay down some Propositions more fully and clearly to understand the Doctrine Prop. I. Every sin that any person doth commit is and may properly be called his own as flowing from his own heart and nature and his corrupt will and affections and he ought to lay it at his own door to charge it upon himself and not to put it off from himself and lay the blame on others either on Satan or on Companions alluring persuading or drawing him to it and least of all should men dare yea they should tremble at and abhor the very thought of it viz. to father their sins on the infinitely good and holy God and lay these Bastard births of their own begetting at God's door Yet this is that all men are ready to do and they have learned this vile practice from our first Parents Gen. 3.12 13. The Man lays the blame on the Woman and the Woman on the Serpent yea Adam in effect lays it upon God himself when he says The Woman thou gavest me she gave me and I did eat q. d. If thou hadst not given me the Woman and she persuaded me I had not eaten Therefore charge not thy sins on others persuading alluring or threatning of thee They may be instruments and occasions of drawing thee to sin but thy sins are thy own acts Nay lay not the blame of thy sins so much upon Satan as on thy self he may tempt and strongly suggest but he cannot force it is thou thy self that consentest to Satan's suggestions and so the sin comes to be committed But above all take heed of charging thy sins upon God he may permit and doth order the sins of men but he is by no means the Author of sin Jam. 1.13 God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man no it is thy own lust that draws thee aside and entices thee v. 14. Our sins are our own ways Isa 53.6 We have turned every one to his own way so that in this respect every sin thou art guilty of is thine Iniquity but this is not the principal sense intended in the Text under the expression of Mine Iniquity tho' it be a true Sense and a great Truth and therefore you are to keep your selves by Repentance Prayer and Faith and most vigorours endeavours from all Sins as those which will be your own Iniquities if you commit them Prop. II. Original Corruption that Body of Sin and Death that every Son and Daughter of Adam by ordinary generation brought into the World with them and still dwells in them is and may properly be called a Man's own Iniquity By reason of this there is in the Hearts and Natures of all meer Men a Proneness to all kinds of Sin and unto the most Heinous acts of them tho' through preventing restraining and renewing Grace they may be and often are kept from breaking out into outward acts Original Corruption is the Seed and Root of all Actual Sin of Thought Word and Deed of Omission and Commission and of all the Iniquities that cleave to our Holy things Mat. 15.19 Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts False-witness Blasphemie Original Sin is the Mother-Sin in every Man the Fountain of all other Sins Yea it is alike in all in the Root tho' upon the fore-mentioned account it is not alike in the Fruits And some would have this understood by this term Mine Iniquity in the Text and the Doctrine is a great and certain Truth in reference to this sin it is certainly the Duty of all the People of God by Faith Prayer Watchfulness and most vigorous endeavours to keep themselves from this Iniquity at least tho' they cannot keep themselves wholly from its motions and actings yet from its Reign and Dominion to keep it under and to lay the Ax to this Root of sin And this will be an Evidence of the sincerity of the Heart and of the Truth yea the Strength of Grace and Men are never rightly Humbled for sin nor do Mortifie it till the Streams and Branches of sin lead us to the Fountain and Root sc this Original Corruption so as to be Humbled for and Mortifie that But yet I think this is not the only Iniquity or that chiefly intended in the Text. Therefore Prop. III Tho' there be the Seeds of all sins in every Man yet there is a Propensity in every Man and Woman to some particular sins more than to others There are in Men some Master-Captain-Sins which are as Lords Paramount by which the Body of Sin doth exercise its Dominion and Reigning Power in the Unconverted and its Tyranny even in the Godly It is with the Body of Sin as it is with the Natural Body in that there is the Seed and Root of all Diseases yea of Death it self by reason of the different Humours in it when any of them becomes excessively predominant yet there are also some particular Diseases which some are more prone to than others according to the prevalency of some particular Humour as some to Agues Fevers Plurisies some to Dropsies some to Palsies Lethargies Apoplexies some to Consumptions some to Stone Gout c. so in reference to the Body of Sin besides a general disposition to all sin there are particular sins persons are more strongly inclined to some to Gluttony some to Drunkenness and unclean Lusts others to Anger Wrath Malice Revenge another to Covetousness there is some predominant sin or other And as in a compleat perfect Man there are all the Faculties Senses Members of a Man yet some excel in one some in another some in quickness of Apprehension some in solidity of Judgment others in strength of Memory others in strength of Body or the quickness of the Senses So in reference to sins all have the Seed of every sin in them this Man of Sin hath all its Faculties Senses Members but yet every one is more inclined to some particular sins which may be more properly stiled our own Iniquities our own way and our doings Jer. 18.11 such sins as are compared to a Right Hand a Right Eye Mat. 5.29 30. Sins as near and dear to them and that they are as unwilling to part with as those Members in the Body This Sin is stiled the weight that presses us down and the Sin that easily besets men which expressions as they may have respect to the Body of Sin and natural evil Concupiscence so they may have a special respect to and be fitly said of that particular sin that men are most inclined to and often and most easily overtaken by for this sin hath them at every turn and besets them with the greatest advantage And upon
and the different seats wherein Mens special sins are to be sought after of which I shall speak more afterwards There may be several prevailing Diseases at the same time in the Body as Fever Dropsie Stone c. so there may be several beloved Lusts at the same time Reigning in the Heart and breaking forth in the Life As for instance wantonness in one fierce passions or rash anger in another may be their iniquity in regard of their natural Constitution and then Pride if the person be prosperous or Envy and Discontent Cosetousness Over-reaching Over-doing in the World so as to hinder himself in the publick private or secret Duties of Religion c. if the person be mean and low may be at the same time his iniquity in regard of his Condition and Calling in the World So that tho' some particular sin may be most predominant yet thou may'st have many reigning and beloved lusts which if ever thou wouldst attain to evidence of sincerity thou must abandon and vigorously endeavour to keep clear from even all of them Prop. VII Tho' there is a pronesnes and inclination in all Men even in the Regenerate as well as Unregenerate to some sins more than to others which may be properly called their special sins yet there is a great deal of difference in those that may be called Mens own Iniquiries between them as they are in the Godly and in the Ungodly and therefore you must distinguish between a beloved Lust a Dalilah a Darling-Bosom-Sin fully consented to and a prevailing Tyrannizing Corruption which a person may more easily and frequently be foiled by Both may be called their peculiar Iniquities as those they do most frequently fall into yet in the Unregenerate it is a beloved Lust in the Regenerate it is tho' a Prevailing yet but a Tyrannizing Corruption and a continual Grief and Burden to him Thus those sins that proceed much from the natural constitution and other such like Causes of which I shall speak more afterwards tho' they are beloved Lusts in the Ungodly they may in the Godly be Infirmities such as Unruly Passions and the like yet they are oftentimes fixed and continued Infirmities that theymay not get rid of while they live and are usually more than meer Infirmities they are mixt have too much of the Will in them and do proceed much from want of Watchfulness and the Exercise of Grace but are not beloved Lusts the bent of the Heart the Believers Prayers Desires and Endeavours are in some good measure set against them This distinction should be heeded that Men may not pass a wrong Judgment on their Spiritual State So that neither the Ungodly count their Sins only Infirmities or Tyrannizing Corruptions when they are really Presumptuous Sins Beloved Lusts nor on the other hand the truly Godly conclude a total want of Grace because they feel the stirrings of yea the prevalence of Tyrannizing Corruptions It is a certain Truth Grace cannot consist with an intirely heartily beloved Lust yet it is as true that it may consist with very strong Inclinations to some particular sins which may often prevail over them so as to fall into them especially as to the inward workings of Corruptions as unruly Passions Anger Wrath Frowardness c. tho' more seldom into the outward acts of gross sins the sensual Appetite even of a Godly Person may be tickled and at present pleased with some sin he is particularly inclined to yet it is not a beloved Lust if as soon as he doth discover it and the present heat of the Temptation is over he mourns over it Watches Prays Believes and with his most diligent endeavours strives against it and doth not make Provision for it Thus Pride Passion Cowardly Unbelieving fears or Distrust may be a Godly Man's special sins and yet not his beloved Lusts Thus I have dispatched the first General Head in seven Propositions for the better understanding of the Doctrine II. The next General Head I propounded to speak to is What things are the rise and seat of Mens special sins where they are to be sought so as to be found out in order to the casting of them out and then keeping from them 1. Those sins which may properly be called Mens own Iniquities are to be sought for in the natural Constitutions and Tempers of their Bodies Those sins which are beloved ones in the Unregenerate and too often Tyrannizing ones in the Godly do much proceed from the natural Temper and Constitution for these do much incline Men to some particular sins more than to others For tho' no Bodily Constitution be in it self sinful but all sin doth originally rise in and proceed from the Heart Mat. 15.19 yet the Body has an influence upon the Soul and the Natural Constitution is sadly improved and abused oftentimes by Corruption within to carry the Man out to some particular sins and these prove reigning sins in the Wicked and very often such prevailing tyrannizing sins in those that are true Saints at bottom that they often fall into and are foiled by them and are never quite rid of them till they lay down the Body of Sin and Death they carry about them As for Instance Those that are of a Sanguine Constitution in whom Blood is predominant are Hot and Moist the sins such are most inclined to are Vanity and Levity an Airiness of Spirit Pride of Beauty or Apparel affecting excessive Mirth and Jollity Sensuality Riot Intemperance loving Jovial Company whereby they lye very open and are easily drawn to Gluttony Drunkenness Gaming Revelling Wantonness and Unclean and Fleshly Lusts search whether your natural Temper doth not peculiarly incline you to some or other of these sins and if you find it doth it is your Duty in a peculiar manner to Watch Pray and Believe against them peculiarly as ever you would prove the uprightness of your Hearts Those that are of that Constitution in which Phlegm is predominant which is Cold and Moist the sins such are most prone to are Sloth Idleness love of Sleep Drowsiness Dulness and Heaviness at all times especially at times of Worship and in Duties of Religion unwillingness to Work carelesness in Business Forgetfulness Indisposedness to Learn and that which is too often consequent to these sins Lying to excuse the faults that by their Laziness and Carelessness they have been guilty of and these are often the sins of Children and Servants Oh search whether these or some of them be not the sins that your Natural temper leads you to and if they be make Conscience of specially keeping your selves from these Again those that are of a Cholerick Constitution in whom Choler that answers to Fire prevails which is not and dry The sins this temper doth more especially incline Men to are Headiness Rashness in undertaking Violence Fierceness of Spirit Anger Wrath continual Brawling striking Quarrels Contentions Law-suits being uneasie both with themselves and others they converse with O search whether
your selves from these iniquities that they prove not your chief and most prevailing sins And so much for the second General which was to shew where men's special sins may most probably be found III. The next General Head is to give the Scripture-proof of the Doctrine which I shall very briefly dispatch I. That it is the duty of all peculiarly to keep themselves from their own iniquities whether reigning or but prevailing sins It is proved from direct Scripture-commands Matth. 5.29 30. Mark 9.43 45 47. By the right hand right foot and right eye are understood those sins our Text speaks of such as men are as hardly prevailed upon to part with as they would be to part with those Members of the Body So Heb. 12.1 Let us lay aside the sin that doth so easily beset us which as it may have respect to Original Corruption and the body of Death that root and fountain of all other sins so it especially hath an eye to the peculiar reigning or prevailing sins which may be called men's own ways Isa 53.6 For these are the very first-born of Original Corruption they are the sins that have men at every turn Thus Isa 55.7 The wicked is exhorted and directed to forsake his way and his thoughts such ways of sin and such particular corrupt thoughts as he is most guilty of and are most his own as ever he would obtain mercy and be abundantly pardoned Jer. 18. v. 11. Return you now every one from his evil way Every one hath some particular evil way that he most walks in II. This is an evidence of uprightness viz. for persons to keep themselves from their special and most prevailing corruptions this appears in that this is promised by God to be written in the hearts of men as a special and essential part of Repentance Isa 2.20 When those there spoken of repented and were truly converted they cast away their Idols of Silver and Gold which cost them much and they had set an high rate upon but now they shall cast them away to the Moles and to the Batts they account no place no dunghill bad enough for them So it is said Isa 30.22 that when they truly repent they shall defile the covering of their graven Images of Silver cast them away as a menstruous Cloth and say unto them Get you hence they shall throw them away with detestation as most abominable things So Hos 14.3 8. When Israel returns to the Lord he shall say Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon Horses we will say no more to the works of our hands you are our Gods Ephraim shall say What have I any more to do with Idols Carnal confidence in Assyria and Egypt and in their Horses and strength at home and in their Idols had been Israel's Ephraim's reigning sins but when they truly and sincerely turn to the Lord then they keep themselves from them and will have no more to do with them IV. The next General Head to be spoken to is to explain what is meant by the upright Man's keeping himself from his Iniquity And I. Negatively It is not to be understood in a strict legal sense as tho' every or indeed any upright Man did or in the time of this life while he is in the Body and carries the Body of Sin and Death about him could so keep himself from his iniquity as never to commit it after his conversion or never to relapse into it after his Repentance of it and his Faith for pardon of and power against it especially as to the inward stirrings and workings of corruption or such sins as are meer Infirmities or mixt ones or sins of surprize if this were the meaning of it the best of Saints on Earth no not David a Man after Gods own Heart could never have said I have kept my self from my iniquity David was guilty of dissimulation and of the way of lying more than once There are some sins of Constitution Calling Relation Condition c. as have been mentioned above that even an Upright Man may be pestered with all his days and be foiled by them again and again its true it must be owned that it is the duty of every Man and the hearty desire and endeavour of every Upright Man his habitual aim and design and the bent of his Soul to keep himself from his own special sin and indeed every known sin so as not to allow himself in the commission thereof But if never committing or falling into this his iniquity was the meaning of the Text not a meer Man on Earth would be able to prove his Uprightness That in Eccles 7.20 is true not only of sin in general but also of this special sin There is not a Just man on earth that sinneth not Jam. 3.2 not only in many things but in the special sin which we are most inclined to we sin more or less The foregoing sense would condemn the generation of the Righteous for where is the Upright Man or Woman that hath not cause to complain and confess I have bewailed prayed and endeavoured against my pride passions workings of Corruption Unbelief and other my iniquities and yet have again and again been foiled by them Therefore II. Affirmatively To shew you what it is in an Evangelical sense for the Upright Man to keep himself from his iniquity And I. To keep Mens selves from their iniquities so as to evidence the uprightness of their Hearts thereby is to break off from the practice of those sins they are most inclined to that is from the allowed frequent customary committing of it if it be an outward act of gross scandalous sin yea from the allowed inward actings of his peculiar sins tho' they be but meer infirmities much more if they be mixed infirmities that have too much of the Will or present sensual delight in them or that proceed from carelesness He doth not keep himself from his iniquity who regards iniquity in his Heart Psal 66.18 That makes a Trade of his sin customarily commits it or frequently falls into it He keeps himself from his iniquity that can truly say as Paul Rom. 7.15 That which I do I allow not but if Men allow themselves in any known sin they do not keep themselves from it are not upright and such who customarily and frequently fall into scandalous sins as Tipling Drunkenness Swearing Uncleanness Defrauding or any other sin that they know to be so they do not keep themselves from their Iniquity It is your Duty therefore to break off the allowed customary commission of any sin and more especially of those sins that by reason of Constitution Calling Age Place Condition or any other respect may be Mens own Iniquities as they would prove that they are upright before God thus David 1 Sam. 26.11 II. That keeping Mens selves from their Iniquities which is an Evidence of Uprightness before God consists in the bent and byass of the Soul being set against sin
to you when you lye under it and render Death and the Thoughts of it most unwelcome yea dreadful to you It is the guilt and prevalency of this sin above all others that will put a Sting into Afflictions and into Death and the Thoughts of it This adds weight to the burden of Affliction and makes it much more insupportable than otherwise it would be when Conscience shall upbraid thee that this or that Affliction is the Punishment of such a sin that thou hast indulged and cherished in thy bosom or at least too much connived at If you keep not your selves from these your peculiar sins you will not be able to entertain your Afflictions patiently and much less will you be able to bear them chearfully as it becomes you to do Nor will you be able to bear the Thoughts of Death comfortably or indeed without dread and terror upon your Spirits while you remain under the guilt and power of these your iniquities tho' it should be only the tyrannizing and not the reigning power of them As therefore you would bear Afflictions and entertain Death and the Thoughts of it comfortably labour after this proof of your sincerity that you keep your selves from your iniquity And now having dispatched the Motives to excite you to look diligently to this great Duty and great Evidence of sincerity I proceed to close all with a few Particulars to direct you to the Ways and Means of God's appointing in his Word whereby you may be inabled through Grace to keep your selves from your iniquity Directions I. Would you keep your selves from your iniquities either your reigning sins or your too prevailing corruptions endeavour to get a deep and thorough sense and conviction of the great sin and evil of this thy special iniquity how dishonourable it hath been is and will be to God and how greatly prejudicial to thee thy Soul and Body too and labour to keep this sense upon thy Spirit all thy days so as to confess and bewail it before the Lord and to be greatly humbled for it this would be a means to keep you from it for the time to come for hereby you will come to taste the bitterness and feel the weight and burden of it Therefore keep the evil of it constantly in the Eye of your Soul that you may flee from it Keep up a sense of the evil of that sin which was your most predominant reigning sin in your Unregenerate state thus did Paul Trusting in his Legal Pharisaical Righteousness and a Persecuting Spirit were his special sins before his Conversion and what a deep humble sense had he of them after his Conversion even all his days 1 Tim. 1.13 15. Phil. 3.7 8 9. He kept far from those sins for ever after Confession and Humiliation are as it were the Souls Vomit caused by its being sick of sin now what hath made persons Heart-sick they will not easily be persuaded to feed on again tho' it may be pleasing to the Palat No more will you taste of those to the Flesh sweet morsels of sin which God by his Spirit and Grace hath made bitter to your Soul But now if the sense of sins odiousness begins to wear off you will be in danger to be again intangled with your old corruptions therefore as you would keep your selves from your iniquities keep a sense of the odiousness and bitterness of them upon your Hearts II. Be earnest and importunate in Prayer to God as for Pardon of so for Power against these thy special iniquities beg earnestly for special Grace and Strength against thy special sins When thou hast found out Indicted and Accused this sin at God's Tribunal then cry out to God as for Mercy to thee through Christ so for Justice against thy sins that God would kill them and inable thee to mortifie and crucifie them drag these Traitors before God's Tribunal and say Lord these are the Arch-Rebels against thy Crown and Dignity slay them before thy face These are some of those Devils or Devilish Lusts that will not be cast out but by Prayer yea by Fasting and Prayer Do by these sins as Paul did by the Messenger of Satan 2 Cor. 12.7 8. Ply the Throne of Grace give God no rest till he return such a Gracious answer as he did to him verse 9. My grace shall be sufficient for thee III. Would you keep your selves from your iniquity then to your sense of humiliation for and Prayers against it be sure you that are Believers to add Faith in Christ and the lively vigorous actings of it upon him as for the forgiveness of it so for power against it and for the sin killing vertue of the Death of Christ to kill and crucifie this thy too prevailing corruption Fetch in from Christ by Faith constant supplies of spiritual strength against these sins of thine You must have more strength than your own more than the strength of Nature of Reason of your own Wills Purposes and Resolutions yea than of Grace already received to keep you from and inable you to prevail against such strong corruptions as these are they will be too strong for your Purposes Duties and Graces if God do not strengthen you with strength in your Souls by his Spirit It is God must keep you you cannot keep your selves Psal 127.1 Except the Lord keep the City the Watchman wateheth but in vain So it will be in relation to your Souls and the keeping them from sin When David says in the Text I kept my self he doth not arrogate to himself only tells you what was his duty and his care and endeavour to perform but he was sensible God only could keep him which made him pray as Psal 19.11 12. Cleanse me from my secret faults and keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins and their dominion and so from the great transgression Dost thou O Soul feel thy iniquity stirring in thee and prevailing over thee if thou be yet in an unconverted state pray that God would work Faith in thee and if thou art converted stir up and act Faith on Christ pray earnestly to God to inable thee so to do lift up an Eye of Faith to Christ and put forth an Hand of Faith to take hold on him and fetch strength from him and cry to him when this sin sets upon thee that he would make thee more than Conqueror over this thy iniquity IV. Would you keep your selves from your particular iniquities make use of the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God Study Apply and Improve the Word both Written and Preached against your most strong and prevailing corruptions Improve the Word in all the parts of it its Precepts Prohibitions Threatnings Promises Examples and Experiences recorded in it against thy particular corruptions whatever you read or hear in and from the Word of God against sin in general apply it against thy iniquity in particular as if it were named Is thy iniquity an Omission living in the neglect