hast thou been grieved to see others break Gods Law and to find temptations in thy self to do it For the First 1. There is a soul-polluting evil in iniquity 2. There is a God provoking evil in iniquity 3. There is a soul-damning evil in iniquity And untill thou comest experimentally to know these things thou wilt have neither list nor will to depart from iniquity For the Second I mean not sick with guilt for so the damned in hell are sick but I mean sick of the filth and polluting nature of it Thus was Moses sick of sin thus Jabez was sick of sin and thus was Paul sick of sin For the Third You know that those that are sensible of a sickness will look out after the means to be recovered there is a means also for this disease and dost thou know what that means is and hast thou indeed a desire to it Yea couldest thou be willing even now to partake of the means that would help thee to â—hat means that can cure thee of this disease There are no means can cure a man that is sick of sin but glory and the means to come by that is Christ and to go out of this world by the faith of him There is no grace can cure this disease yea grace doth rather encrease it For the more grace any man has the more is he sick of sin the greater an offence is iniquity to him So then there is nothing can cure this disease but glory but immortal glory And dost thou desire this Medicine And doth God testifie that thy desire is true not feigned I know that there are many things that do make some even wish to die but the question is not whether thou dost wish to die for death can cure many diseases but is this that that moveth thee to desire to depart to wit that thou mightest be rid quite rid and stript of a body of death because nothing on this side the grave can rid thee and strip thee off it And is hope that this day is approaching a reviving cordial to thee And doth the hope of this strike arrows into the heart of thy lusts and draw off thy mind and affections yet farther from iniquity To the Fourth How much hast thou beâ—n grieved to see others break Gods Law and to find temptations in thy self to do it I beheld the transgressors and was grieved said David because men kept not thy word The same also had Paul beâ—ause of that body of sin and death which was in him Professor I beseech thee be thou serious about this thing because it will be found whâ—n Goâ— comes to judge that those that profess Christ and yet abide with their iniquity are but wooden earthy professors and none of the silver or golden ones and to consequently such as shall be Vessels not to honour but to dishonour not to glory but to shame Secondly My next shall be a use of terror Has God commanded by the mouth of his holy Apostles and Prophets that those that name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity Then what will become of those that rebel against his word Where the word of a King is tâ—ere is power and if the wrath of a King be as the roaring of a Lyon what is and what will be the wrath of God when with violence it falls upon the head of the wicked Sirs I beseech you consider this namely that the man that professeth the name of Christ and yet liveth a wicked life is the greatest enemy that God has in the world and consequently one that God in a way most eminent will set his face against Hence he threatneth such so hotly saying And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together and that they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed But what sinners are these why the sinners in Zion the hypocrites in the Church So again The Lord shall purge out from among you the Rebels and them that transgress against him All the sinners of my people shall die with the sword which say the evil shall not overtake nor prevent us For though such do think that by professing of the name of Christ they shall prevent their going down to hell yet they shall go down thither with those that have lived openly wicked and profane Egypt and Judah the circumcised with them that are not for it is not a profession of faith that can save them Whom dost thou pass in beauty saith God wherein art thou bettered by the profession than the wicked go down and be thou laid wiâ—h the uncircumcised This in general But more particularly the wrath of God manifesteth it self against such kind of professors In that the Gospel and means of salvation shall not be effectual for their salvation but that it shall work rather quite contrary effects It shall bring forth as I said quite contrary effects As 1. The preaching of the word shall be to such the savour of death unto death and that 's a fearful thing 2. Yea Christ Jesus himself shall be so far off from being a Savour unto them that he shall be a snare a trap and a gin to catch them by the heel withal That they may go and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken 3. The Lord also will chose out such delusions for such as will best suite with the workings of their flesh as will effectually bring them down with the Bullocks and with the Bulls to the slaughter yea he will lead such forth with the workers of iniquity 4. Such above all lie open to the sin against the Holy Ghost that unpardonable sin that must never be forgiven For alas it is not the poor ignorant world but the enlightened professor that committeth the sin that shall never be forgiven I say 't is one inlightened one that has tasted the good word of God and something of the powers of the world to come 't is one that was counted a brother that was with us in our profession 't is such an one that is in danger of committing of that most black and bloody sin But yet all and every one of those that are such are not in danger of this but those among these that take pleasure in unrigâ—â—eousness and that rather than theâ— will lose that pleasure will commit it presumptously Presumptuously that is against light against convictions against warnings against mercies Or thus a presumptuous sin is such an one as is committeâ— in the face of the command in a desperate venturing to run the hazzard or in a presuming upon the mercy of God through Christ to be saved notwithstanding This is a leading sin to that which is unpardonable and will be found with suâ—h professors that do hanker after iniquity I say it is designed by the Devil and suffâ—red by the just judgment of God to catch and overthrow the loose carnal
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-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
nor can we though we never so much love God do our duty as we are injoyned if we do not know it The law is cast behind the back of many when it should be carried in the hand and heart that we might do it to the end the Gospel which we profess might be glorified in the world Let then the law be with thee to love it and do it in the spirit of the Gospel that thou be not unfruitful in thy life Let the law I say be with thee not as it comes from Moses but from Christ for though thou art set free from the law as a Covenant for life yet thou still art under the law to Christ and it is to be received by thee as out of his hand to be a rule for thy conversation in the world What then thou art about to do do it or leave it undone as thou shalt find it approved or forbidden by the law And when ought shall come into thy mind to be done and thou art at a stand and at a loss about the lawfulness or unlawfulness thereof then betake thy self to the law of thy God which is in thy hand and ask if this thing be good or to be avoided If this were practised by professors there would not be so much iniquity found in their Beds their Houses their Shops and their conversations as there is Secondly As thou must be careful to find out the lawfulness or unlawfulness of a thing before thou puttest forth thy hand thereto so thou must also consider again whether that which is lawful is expedient A thing may be lawful in it self and may yet be unlawful to thee to wit if there be an inconveniency or an inexpediency attending the doing of it All things are lawful for me says the Apostle but all things are not expedient all things are lawful for me but all things edifie not This then thou must consider and this also thou must practise But this is a hard lesson and impossible to be done except thou art addicted to self-denial For this Text and so the practice of what is contained therein has respect chiefly to another to wit to thy neighbour and his advantage and edification and it supposeth yea injoyneth thee if thou wilt depart from iniquity to forbear also some things that are lawful and consequently profitable to thee for the sake of and of love to thy neighbour But how little of this is found among men Where is the man that will forbear some lawful things for fear of hurting the weak thereby Alas how many are there that this day profess that will not forbear palpable wickedness No though the salvation of their own souls are endangered thereby and how then should these forbear things that are lawful even of godly tenderness to the weakness of their neighbour Thus much have I thought good to speak in answer to this question what iniquity should we depart from that religiously name the name of Christ and now we will make some use of what hath been spoken And the first shall be an use of examination Art thou a professor Dost thou religiously name the name of Christ If so I ask dost thou according to the exhortation here Depart from iniquity I say examine thy self about this matter and be thou faithful in this work for the deceit in this will fall upon thine one pate Deceive thy self thou maiest but beguile God thou shalt not Be not deceived God is not mocked for what a man soweth that shall he reap Wherefore let no man deceive himself either in professing while he lives viciously or in examining whether his profession of this name and his life and conversation do answer one another What departing from iniquity is I have already shewed in the former part of this book Wherefore I shall not here handle that point farther only press upon thee the necessity of this exhortation and the danger of the not doing of it faithfully The necessity of it is urged 1. From the deceitfulness of mans heart which will flatter him with promises of peace and life both now and hereafter though he live in iniquity while he professeth the name of Christ. For there are that say in their hearts or that have their hearts say unto them I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to add drunkenness to thirst And what will become of them that so do you may see by that which followeth in the Text. The heart therefore is not to be trusted for it will promise a man peace in the way of death and damnation I doubt not but many are under this fearful judgment to this day What means else their quietness of mind their peace and boasts of Heaven and glory though every step they take as to life and conversation is an apparent step to Hell and Damnation these sayings The heart is deceitful and he that trusts his heart is a fool were not written without a cause Let as many therefore as would examine themselves about this matter have a jealous eye over their own heart and take heed of being beguiled thereby let them mix hearty prayer with this matter unto God that he will help them to be faithful to themselves in this so great a matter yea let them compare their lives with the holy Commandment and judge by that rather than by the fleshly fondness that men naturally are apt to have for and of their own actions For by the Verdict of the word thou must stand and fall both now at Death and in the day of Judgment Take heed therefore of thy Heart thy carnal heart when thou goest into thy Life to make a search for iniquity Take the word with thee and by the word do thou examin thy self 2. It is urged from the cunning of Satan Wouldest thou examin thy self faithfully as to this thing then take heed of the flatteries of the Devil Can he help it thou shalt never find out the iniquity of thy heels He will labour to blind thy mind to harden thy heart to put such vertuous names upon thy foulest vices that thou shalt never unless thou stoppest thine ear to him after a godly sort truly examin and try thy ways according as thou art commanded Wherefore take heed of him for he will be ready at thy side when thou goest about this work Now for thy help in this matter set God the Holy God the All-seeing God the sin-revenging God before thine eyes for our God is a consuming fire And believe that he hath pitcht his eyes upon thy heart also that he pondereth all thy goings and that thy judgment as to thy faithfulness or unfaithfulness in this work must proceed out of the mouth of God This will be thy help in this thing that is if thou usest it faithfully also this will be thy hindrance if thou shalt neglect it and suffer thy self to be abused by the Devil 3.