are to be made of this point And those are foure principally 1. For instruction 2. For the triall and examination of our selves 3. For exhortation 4 For reproofe And first for instruction To teach us how to judge of the hainousnesse of sin that no sin is small or light to be accounted of every sin even that that we thinke to be the least is a dead worke as the Apostle calleth it Heb. 6.1 deserveth eternall death This is a point of great use 1. To worke in us more feare of sin and to arme us against a conceit that usually emboldneth us to many sins and hardeneth us in them because wee thinke that they are but small ones 2. To confirme us against the error of the Papists who to maintaine many other of their false doctrines the better their doctrine of possibility to keepe the whole Law their doctrine of merit their doctrine of Purgatory and such like doe teach that all sins are not in their owne nature mortall nor doe deserve eternall death but that some transgressions of the Law of God are onely veniall sins Foure things there bee that will make the truth that wee maintaine against them in this point evident unto you First Consider the father that begetteth and engendreth it in us and that is the devill who is the father of every lye not of the pernicious lye onely but of every lye Ioh. 8.44 and of every vaine and petry oath Mat. 5.37 Whatsoever is more then these that is then yea in affirming any thing and nay in denying cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the wicked one that is from the devill as the same phrase is used 1 Iohn 3.12 Secondly Consider the punishment that the righteous God hath inflicted upon men even for the smallest sins And that not onely upon such as wee have no cause to doubt but that they were reprobates as upon Saul who for sparing of Agag and saving the fattest of the oxen and of the sheepe for sacrifice was utterly rejected of God 1 Sam. 15.23 and upon Ananias and Saphira who for dissembling in a small matter were suddenly strucken dead Acts 5.3 But even upon such as we have no cause to doubt but they were his elect children as upon Lots wife who for looking backe out of a loathnesse to leave the profits and pleasures of Sodom was turned into a pillar of salt Gen. 19.26 2. Vpon fifty thousand men of Bethshemesh who were slaine for looking into the Arke 1 Sam. 6.19 3. Vpon Vzzah for touching and staying the Arke when it was in danger to have fallen 2 Sam. 6.7.5 4. Vpon the young Prophet who being deceived by the old Prophet did but eate and drinke in Bethel which God had forbidden him to do 1 King 13.24 5. Vpon the man that was slaine by a lyon for refusing to smite a Prophet of the Lord when God had commanded him 1 King 20.36 6. Vpon Moses himselfe whom God would have slaine in the Inn for delaying the circumcision of his child Exod. 4.24 7. Vpon many of the elect Corinthians that for this very cause were smitten with death because they came unpreparedly unto the Lords table 1 Cor. 11.30 If any man shall object that these examples of Gods marvellous severity upon men for small sins prove not that every small sin deserveth eternall death For we are not to thinke that any of these seven sorts that have beene brought for examples died eternally I answer It is true But these corporall deaths that the Lord smote them with in this manner were evident documents and demonstrations that every one of them were worthy of eternall death for these sins For so the Apostle proveth that infants that never committed actuall sin are worthy of condemnation because they also doe die Rom. 15.14 16. And indeed this is the due desert of all sin Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death What death That appeareth by the other member of the verse But the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And thus runneth the sentence of the most righteous law of God Galat. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to doe them The least breach of the Law the least omission of any duty commanded in it maketh men liable to the curse of God And to all that are under the curse of God eternall death belongeth according to that Mat. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his Angels Thirdly Consider the price whereby we are redeemed from the punishment that is due unto us for the least offence that ever we committed against the Law of God and it will appeare that the least sin deserveth no lesse then eternall death If it were true that a man might be cleansed from the guilt of the least transgression of Gods Law by the sprinkling of a little holy water or by entring into an hallowed Church or by a knocke upon the brest or by a Bishops blessing as the Papists teach then it might well be granted that some sins are veniall and doe not deserve eternall death But the Scripture teacheth that it is the blood of Christ that cleanseth us from all sin 1 Iohn 17. from the least aswell as from the greatest And therefore Gods people under the Law that had committed any sin against any of Gods commandements though they had done it ignorantly must bring their sacrifice unto the Priest or else there could be no atonement made betweene God and them Levi. 5.17 18. Fourthly and lastly Consider the reason of this which hath beene at large delivered in the handling of the doctrine namely that neither our obedience nor our sin is to be valued according to the greatnesse or smallnesse of the thing that is commanded or forbidden nor according to the greatnesse or smallnesse of the good or hurt that is done to man by it but according to the greatnesse and authority of the person that doth command or forbid the thing So when Saul thought that that hee had done if it were any fault was but a very small one Samuel telleth him 1 Sam. 15.23 Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornesse is as iniquity and idolatry As if he should say Thou wilt acknowledge witchcraft and idolatry to bee very hainous sins and I tell thee Saul thy rebellion and stubbornesse against Gods Law is no lesse a sin then that Why but Saul might have said alas I did not this out of a rebellious and stubborne minde wilfully to offend God I did it out of a good intent and the people perswaded me to it and I thought it a shame for me to be lesse forward and zealous to provide for Gods worship then they Yea but saith Samuel thou hadst the commandement of God to the contrary thou hast sleighted and set light by Gods commandement and the Lord accounteth this neglect of his commandement no
abhorre sin The Lord speaking of a small sin in comparison even of eating of meat that hee had in his ceremoniall law forbidden Levit. 11.10 saith that it should bee an abomination unto them And verse 43. hee giveth a good reason for it for hee telleth them that even a small sinne being wittingly committed would make them abominable unto him And have not we just cause to abhorre that that will cause the Lord to abhorre us 3. Wee must grieve and bee more troubled in our selves for offending God then for any worldly losse or affliction whatsoever Thâ—y shall mourne for him saith the Prophet Zach. 1â— 10 as one mourneth for his onely sonne and shall bee in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne 4. Wee must cry to him more earnestly and hearrily for pardon of our sinne then for the averting of any judgement or obtaining any other blessing whatsoever As David doth in this Psalme after Nathan had beene with him and threatned such heavy judgements against him and his house And Elihu reproveth Ioh. 36. â—1 For choosing iniquity rather then affliction A man that is wise and well advised will choose rather to endure any affliction then to commit any iniquity whatsoever 5. Lastly We must be more afraid of sin of offending God in the least thing then of any danger or evill in the world that can befall us Feare not their feare saith the Prophet Esa. 8.12 33. nor be afraid but let the Lord be you-feare and let him â—e your dread And who can possibly thus repent him of his sin that is not in his judgement fully perswaded how hainous and odious a thing every sin is Secondly Consider that till we can rightly judge of our sins Christ can profit us nothing He came to call none but sinners yea such as so know and can judge of their owne sins as that they are sicke at the heart with sorrow and trouble of mind for them Mat. 9.12 13. But of this point I shall have occasion to speake more in the next use Now the meanes whereby we may come to a right judgement of sin are five principally First Consider with thy selfe seriously that every sin is an offence and a contempt done against the infinite Majesty of the eternall God Against thee thee only have I sinned saith David here verse 4. And therefore it must needs bee a thing infinitely evill and dangerous Secondly Consider the onely punishment that the Lord in his righteous judgement hath appointed after this life for every sin is everlasting death in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for evermore The wages of sinne of every sin is death saith the Apostle Rom. 6 2â— even eternall death Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish saith hee Rom. 2.8 9. shall bee on every soule that doth evill And how great must that offence needes bee that the righteous God hath appointed such a punishment unto as no tongue can expresse no heart can conceive how great and how extreame it is Thirdly Thinke seriously of this that all the miseries of this life all the bitternesse we tast of in all our bodily paines and diseases in all the anguish and trouble of our minds in all our outward wants and distresses in the unseasonablenesse of the weather in all publique calamities come all from sinne Let no man deceive you with vaine words saith the Apostle Ephes. 5.6 or tell you it is nothing to be merry and wanton a little I would none did worse then so or it is nothing to use a little craft and fraud in buying and selling alas they that will live in the world must doe as the world doth let no man deceive you with such vaine words saith he for because of these things commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience All our woe and misery commeth from our sinne so that there is no day passeth over our heads wherein the Lord doth not really teach us how to judge of sinne The Lords voice cryeth unto the city saith the Prophet Mic. 6.9 and the man of wisdome shall see thy name heare the red and who hath appointed it As if he had said By his rods and corrections the Lords voice cryeth unto men And though in some rare and extraordinary judgements God doth lift up his voice and cry lowder unto men then in others yet in every one of his judgements and corrections that do befall us the Lord cryeth thus to every one of us Tast and see in this what it is to sinne what it is to offend God Fourthly Consider of this that you have heard now in this Doctrine what a price was paid by thy Saviour to redeeme thee from thy sins even from the least of them Never did God so fully declare his hatred of sinne and how heinous a thing it is in his sight by all the judgements that he ever executed upon men or Angels as he did in the crosse of Christ and in that extreame abasement and humiliation that he did endure for us No if it were possible for us to see and feele the torments that the damned in hell doe endure yet could not that be so effectuall a meanes to perswade us what the true desert of sin is as the meditation of the crosse of Christ if God would please to give us hearts to behold it and meditate of it as we ought to doe They shall looke upon me whom they have pierced saith our Saviour Zach. 12.10 and then they shall mourne abundantly O if we could looke well upon Christ crucified but that can we never doe till the spirit of grace be powred upon us as the Prophet there speaketh it would not be possible for us to esteeme lightly of any sinne we could not choose but bee deepely affected with our owne iniquities Fiftly and lastly Because by reason of our naturall blindnesse and the marvellous cunning and power that the world and Satan have to bewitch us in this thing all these considerations and meanes can never prevaile with us till God open our eyes it must be the mighty worke of God specially in so profane an age as this is that must perswade us to judge rightly of sin Who hath beleeved our report say the Ministers of the Gospell Esa. 53.1 which may be applyed to this as well as to any other Doctrine that we teach in our ministery and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed As if they had said Why do so few beleeve any thing we teach out of Gods Word touching the hainousnesse and danger of sin Surely because there be few upon whom the Lord is pleased to shew his mighty power in the opening of their eyes Therfore in the use of these or any other meanes for the rectifying of our judgement in this case we must cry unto God as Iob did Iob 13.23 Make me to know my transgression and my sin It is meet to be said unto God
never have said he might seeme to have had matter of glorying in those works he did while he was an idolater but matter of shame and confusion rather 3. The Apostle speaking unto men that feared God Act. 13.16 telleth them ver 39. that they could not be justified by the law of Moses that is by those workes which were commanded in the law of Moses 4 Lastly David when he was the servant of God a true beleever professeth that he could not stand before Gods judgement in the confidence of his own righteousnes it could not justifie him in Gods sight and therfore cryeth Ps. 143.2 Enter not into judgement with thy servant ô Lord for in thy sight shall no man living be justified And thus you see No man no not the best man that ever lived can be justified before God by any righteousnes that is in himselfe Now I will give you two reasons of it out of Gods Word First The righteousnesse and goodnesse that is in the best man is lame and imperfect and farre short of that God in his law requireth of him yea it is also spotted and defiled with the Leprosy of his originall corruption and therefore it cannot justifie him in Gods sight it cannot stand before God nor abide the tryall at his judgement seat The blessed Apostle himselfe professeth Phil. 3.12 that he was not perfect Iohn Baptist though he were sanctified in his mothers womb yet avoucheth Mat. 3.14 that he had need to be baptized of Christ he was not washed and cleansed sufficiently his sanctification was imperfect And the Church complaineth Esa 64.6 We are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as filthy rags There is not a just man upon earth saith Salomon Eccl. 7.20 that doth good and sinneth not In many things we offend all saith the Apostle Iam. 3.2 If we say saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 1.8 we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us True saith the Papist the justest man is not free from venial sins but that is no hinderance to his justification by his inherent righteousnes To this I answer First 〈◊〉 no sinne is so veniall but it justly deserveth etâ—râ—all â—eath The soule that â—â—nneth it shall die saith the Prophet Ezek. 18.4 And the wages of sin is death saith the Apostle Rom. 6.23 And Gal. 3.10 Cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are written in the law to do them Not onely every thing that is done against Gods Law how small soever it be but every thing that is lest undone which the law commandeth how small soever it be maketh a man lyable to the curse of God Secondly The holiest men that have ever lived and such as the Holy Ghost hath given testimony unto that they were just and perfect men have beene notwithstanding that guilty of such sinnes as the Papists themselves confesse to be mortall Zachary though he were a just man before God as the Holy Ghost saith of him Luke 1.6 yet was he guilty of grosse infidelity in not believing the Word that God spake to him by the Ministry of an Angell Luk. 1.20 yea the holiest men have had that deep sense of their owne sinfulnesse and corruption as they durst not stand before God in their owne righteousnesse they have freely professed they could not be justified by it in Gods sight Thus was Iob perswaded of his owne righteousnesse though hee were a man of whom the Lord himselfe giveth testimony Iob 1.8 that there was none like him upon the earth an upright and a perfect man Though I were righteous saith Iob 9 15. yet would I not answer him but I would make supplication to my Iudge And 10.15 If I be righteous yet will I not lift up my head As if he should say I will not plead my righteousnesse before thee I will not trust to be justified by it in thy sight And thus was David perswaded of his owne righteousnesse of whom yet the Lord saith that hee was a man after his owne heart 1 Samuel 13.14 If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquities saith David Psalme 130.3 O Lord who shall stand Lastly Thus was blessed Paul perswaded of his owne righteousnesse I know nothing by my selfe saith he 1 Corinth 4.4 yet am I not thereby justified but he that justifieth me is the Lord. As if he had said Though I should discerne no defect in mine owne righteousnesse as for the maine bent of my heart and course of my life I do not yet dare not I plead it before God nor hope to be justifyed by it for the Lord that is my Iudge can espie in me much more than I can in my selfe And certainly to conclude this first reason there is no Papist under heaven that hath not lost all conscience but his heart must needs give his tongue the lie when he saith he believeth to be justified before God by that righteousnesse and goodnesse that is inherent and dwelling in himselfe A second reason against it is this If a man could be justified by that righteousnesse that is inherent in himselfe then might he have in himselfe just cause of boasting and glorying before God neither should the whole glory of mans salvation and justification bee due unto the free grace and mercy of God in Christ. This argument the holy Apostle presseth against justification by works and for justification by faith onely Where is boasting then saith he Rom. 3.27 it is excluded By what law or doctrine Of works Nay but by the law or doctrine of faith And againe Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justifified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God By grace ye are saved through faith saith he Eph. 2.8 9. not of works least any man should boast So 1 Cor. 1.30 31. he giveth this for the reason why Christ is all in all to us in the matter of our salvation wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that according as it is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. As if he had said God cannot abide that man should glory before him but would have him to be humbled to the very dust but if he could be justified before God by any goodnesse that is in him then might he have just cause of glorying even before God True saith the Papist if a man could be justified by his owne works by such works as he doth by the power of nature then had he indeed matter of glorying and boasting in himselfe But not when he is justified by such works onely as are wrought by the power of Gods grace in him For these workes are not his owne but the works of Christ and his grace in him according to that speech of the Church Esa. 26.12 Lord thou hast wrought all our workes in us And that of the Apostle Romans 15.18 I will not dare to speake of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by mee Wee doe not therefore say
were your children uncleane but now they are holy I answer They are so called not because they are without sinne but because in the judgement of the Church they are to be esteemed not infidels as other children of Pagans but Christians and beleevers and holy and true members of the Church of God even because their parents are beleevers Thus Paul speaketh of himselfe and the rest of his country-men Gal 2.15 That they were Iewes that is members of the true Church by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles And in this respect also the infants of beleeving parents have two priviledges above all other infants First So soone as they are borne they have title to the seale of Gods Covenant and the Church may not deny it unto them Thus it is said of the infants of the Iewes Gen. 17.12 Hee that is eight dayes old shall be circumcised amongst you And of the infants of Christians also The Apostle Peter when hee had exhorted the three thousand converts to be baptized he giveth this for the reason Acts 2.39 For the promise whereof baptisme is a seale is unto you and to your children to all your children not only to the males but to the females also not onely to them that were eight dayes old but to all And why may not the Church deny baptisme to any child of a beleeving parent Surely because the Church is bound to esteeme every such child not an infidell but rather a beleever and a true Christian. For a Turke or an infidell the Church may not baptize Well this is I say the first priviledge that the children of beleeving parents have in this life they have title to the Sacrament of Baptisme the seale of Gods covenant Secondly when the infants of beleeving parents do dye yea though they dye before they be baptized we are in Christian Charity to judge that they die in Gods favour in the state of salvation For so did David of his child though it dyed when it was but seven dayes old and consequently before it was circumcised yea though he knew it was begotten in adultery 2 Sam. 12.23 I shall goe to him saith he Which hee would never have said if he had doubted of the salvation of the child But you will happily reply upon this answer I have given to the second objection Must the Church esteeme the infants of beleeving parents to be holy if they bee not holy indeed And if they bee holy indeed as the Apostle calleth them how say you then in your Doctrine that every infant is guilty of sin and deserveth to be damned that it is a most filthy and loathsome creature and odious unto God I answer 1. The Church is bound so to judge of these infants by reason of the covenant God hath made with the beleeving parent which wee shall read of Gen. 17.7 I will establish my covenant betweene me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee 2. Though the Lord through his free and gracious covenant do account and make them holy yet are they in themselves and by nature such as the Doctrine speaketh of even most filthy and loathsome creatures and odious unto God Thirdly Of some infants it is said that before they were borne they were in the state of grace For of Iacob God said before he was borne Iacob have I loved Rom. 9.11 13. And of Iohn the Baptist that before hee was borne he had true faith in Christ. For assoone as the voice of Maryes salutation sounded in his mothers eare he leaped in her wombe for joy Luk. 1.44 I answer That though the Lord in his eternall decree hath purposed to call many infants out of this cursed estate and draw them out of this filthy puddle that they were plunged into and doe also indeed oft execute this his gracious decree upon them by working faith and sanctification in them through his immediate power or by applying Christ and his merits unto them yet are they by nature such as the Doctrine hath described them unto us even most filthy and loathsome creatures and odious unto God Let us therefore now see the proofe of this Doctrine 1. By the plain testimony of the holy Scripture 2. By the judgments whereby God hath from heaven revealed his wrath even upon infants for their sin And for the first we have here Davids owne testimony that he was even by nature guilty of sin and consequently worthy of eternall death ye was he we know the Elect child of God And what infant can be thought to be in better state by nature then he was So speaketh the Lord of all men Gen. 8.21 The imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth or childhood For the root from whence in the originall the word that is here translated youth is taken is used for a babe Exod. 2.6 This is that also that Iob meaneth who when he had spoken of mans birth he breaketh out into these words Iob 14.4 Who can bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane As if he should have said It is not possible but man should bee filthy and uncleane even in his birth So speaketh Solomon Prov. 22 15. foolishnesse which in Solomons phrase is nothing else but wickednesse and sinne is bound in the heart of a child as a fardle or packe on a horse backe which hee can never of himselfe shake off And lastly thus speaketh the Lord of the whole nation of the Iewes which were then the only Church hee had in the World Esay 48.8 Thou wast called a transgressour from the very wombe And as these five places prove that every infant standeth guilty of sin so soone as it is borne so this sin it standeth guilty of is such as maketh it odious unto God as is plaine by the Apostle who speaking of himselfe and the rest of Gods Elect saith Ephe. 2.3 We all were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Now for the second kind of proofes we shall find that God hath beene very terrible in his judgements even upon infants See three notable examples of this 1 Sam. 15.3 God commanded Saul to slay the very infants and sucklings of the Amalekites and forbad him to spare or shew pity to any of them And Psal. 137.9 the Lord pronounceth him happy that shall take the little ones of the Babilonians dash out their braines against the stones And Gen. 19.25 we shall find that in the destruction of Sodom none of the inabitants were spared no not the infants sucklings but God rained down fire brimstone even upon them The like we shall find in these places also Numb 16.27 Eze. 9.6 Iosh. 7.24 25. If any shall say these were the children of most lewd men Amalekites Babilonians Sodomites and God forbid but there should bee a difference made between our children theirs or that ours
should be as odious to God as theirs were I answer 1. Many heavy judgments have befallen the infants even of Gods owne people have not many of them bin born naturall fooles or deafe or blind as we see Iohn 9.1 have not many of them beene smitten with many grievous and strange diseases as Davids child was 2 Sam. 12.15 2. The infant of a Christian yea the elect infant is by nature no better then the infant of a Sodomite as we heard out of Ephes. 2.3 3. The sin of those infants that they stood guilty of was the cause why the Lord the righteous judge did thus deale with them Rom. 5.12 And hee hateth sin as much in our infants as in theirs without all respect of persons Psal. 5.5 If any shall say yet these were but temporall judgements that fell upon those infants and doe not prove that any sin that is in infants doth make them odious unto God or doth deserve eternall death Eccle 9.2 I answer 1. That even those temporall judgements are in themselves fruits of the wrath of God and part of that curse that is due to sin Ephe. 5.6 And God even by these judgments upon infants hath reveiled from heaven that his wrath is due unto them Rom. 1.18 2 Vpon infants they are more certaine evidences of his wrath against their sin then upon his people that are in yeares For to them they are sometimes only for triall 1 Pet. 1.6 7. Sometimes onely as chastisements to reforme and better them Ps. 119.67 71. but they cannot be so to infants though I deny not but there may be an evasion for infants out of the cursednes of these judgments 3. It is evident that God hath witnessed his wrath against the sin of infants not only by hating their sin but even their persons also Rom. 9.11.13 And not only by inflicting temporall punishments upon them but even by casting them into hell For of those that perished in Sodom and Gomorrah it is expresly said Iude 7. that they were not onely consumed with fire and brimstone but that they suffered the vengeance of eternall fire And the Apostle proving infants to be sinners by this argument because death raigneth over them Rom 5.14 sheweth plainly he meaneth not a temporall death only but such as he calleth condemnation ver 16. Such as he opposeth to justification verse 16. and to eternall life verse 21. The reasons and grounds of this Doctrine are two First Every infant so soone as it is borne standeth guilty of the first sin of Adam in whom saith the Apostle Rom. 5.12 for so is that place to be rendred all have sinned Adam being then not as one particular person but as the common stocke and root of all mankind that that he received by his creation he received not for himselfe alone but for all mankind and that which he lost by his fall he lost not from himselfe alone but from all mankind Therefore is this sin imputed unto all mankind Esa. 43.27 Secondly Every infant hath originally from the very birth and conception a sinfull nature which consisteth in three points 1. They have in them by nature no seeds no inclinations unto any thing that is good indeed I know saith Paul Rom 7.18 that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves 2. There is in them a naturall untowardnes unto every thing that is good yea an aversenesse from it and pronesse to shun and dislike it The wicked saith David Ps. 58.3 are estranged from the womb Being alienated saith the Apostle Eph. 4 18. from the life of God 3. and lastly There is in them a naturall pronesse disposition and inclination to every thing that is evill as there is in the youngest whelpe of a Lyon or of a Beare or of a Wolfe unto cruelty or in the very egge of a cockatrice before it bee hatched which is the comparison that the holy Ghost useth Esa. 59.5 And from hence it commeth that the imagination of mans heart as the Lord speaketh Gen. 8.11 is evill from his very youth and that as David speakeh Psal. 58.3 men goe astray so soone as they be borne Now the use that this doctrine serveth unto is First for confutation of the Anabaptist who to maintaine his errour that infants should not bee baptized holdeth with the Pelagians of old 1. that they have no sin 2. that there is no Originall sinne at all 3. that no sinne commeth by nature but it is learneâ— onely by example and imitation of others 4. that all that die in their infancy shall certainely goe to heaven Against these damnable errours you have heard it evidently proved 1 That all infants are sinners and deserve damnation 2. That many infants have bin vessells of wrath and fire-brands of hell 3. That all sin is not learned by example or imitation for what example had Cain to teach him to be an hypocrite in Gods service or to murder his brother but our very nature carrieth us unto it Insomuch as if it were possible to keep children from ever hearing a lye or seeing the practise of any filthinesse or cruelty yet their very nature upon occasion offered would carry them to these sins The second use of this Doctrine is for instruction to teach us what great need there is that infants should be baptized for this maketh greatly for the confirmation of the faith and comfort of their parents for the present and of their owne afterwards that as they are by nature so filthy loathsome in the sight of God so the Lord hath in the blood of Iesus Christ wherof the water in baptisme is a signe and seale provided a laver to wash cleanse them in even the laver of regeneration as the Apostle calleth it Tit. 3.5 yea a fountaine opened as the Prophet calleth it Zac. 13.1 for sin for uncleannes sufficient to clense them from all this filthines and corruption of their nature The third use that this Doctrine serveth unto is both for exhortation humiliation also to perswade us to observe and take notice of the sharpe and heavy judgements that oft light upon little ones yea to take them to heart and to bee much affected with them as with most evident demonstrations of Gods wrath against sin even against the sin of our nature We read of our Saviour that when he was to cure the man that was deafe and had an impediment in his speech Marke 7.34 hee sighed to behold that judgement of God and signe of Gods anger upon man for sinne How much more doth it become us to doe so in this case The Lord in his judgements upon us that are of yeares may have other ends and respects as we heard even now but in those upon infants he can have no other if wee respect the infants themselves and without consideration of Gods covenant but
they could stirre and blow away the ashes that cover it they should find some sparke of grace abiding in them still This course David tooke when he was in that case Psal. 77.6 I communed with mine owne heart and my spirit made diligent search Heere is a notable priviledge that Gods child hath above all hypocrites and wicked men in the world the more narrowly he prieth into himselfe the more diligently he searcheth into his own heart and waies the more comfort he hath in his estate Nothing hindreth our comfort so much as the neglect of this examination of our selves Let every man prove his owne worke saith the Apostle Gal. 6.4 and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe alone and not in another Secondly Admit that by examining themselves they could find none yet may another experienced Christian that observeth them well and whose judgement is not over-clouded with passion discerne grace in them when they cannot discerne any in themselves According to our proverbe a stander by may see that which the gamester himselfe seeth not And as daily experience sheweth in them that by fevers or otherwaies have their braines distempered they that visit them may discerne much goodnesse in them when themselves know not what they say or do This helpe the Church used when she had lost her beloved Can. 3.2 3. She went about the city to private Christians she went unto the Watchmen the Ministers of the Word that they might helpe her to recover her comfort to raise her up againe when she was fallen And even in this respect it may truly be said as Eccle. 4.10 Wo to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to helpe him up Thirdly and lastly Admit that no truth of grace could be discerned to be in them when they are thus fallen either by themselves or by any other yet we may be sure it is in them and that no elect child of God called according to his purpose can so fall as utterly to lose all grace because God in his Word hath said so and there is more credit to be given to Gods Word then to the sense and reason of all the men in the world We must walke by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 If any man shall aske me where hath God in his Word said so I answer 1. God in his Word hath said Ioh. 3.36 He that beleeveth on the sonne hath everlasting life What life meaneth he there Surely the life of grace which is the beginning of the life of glory The life of grace it is an everlasting life 2. God in his Word hath said 2 Ioh. 2. The truth dwelleth in us not in himselfe onely but in all the faithfull and shall be with us for ever Whether we understand by the truth saving knowledge or sincerity of heart the proofe is pregnant that where once it is it is of a lasting nature 3. God in his Word hath said 1 Ioh. 3.9 He that is borne of God doth not commit sinne that is doth not sin as the wicked man doth of whom he had spoken verse 8. with the full sway of his soule for his seed saith he the seed of God the seed of grace and regeneration that incorruptible seed as the Apostle Peter calleth it 1 Pet. 1.23 remaineth in him and he cannot sinne he cannot so fall as apostates because he is borne of God This were easie to be shewed in all the three degrees I mentioned before of the spirituall decayes and falls that the regenerate subject unto which when thou findest in thy selfe thou maist take comfort 1. When they have lost that cheerefullnesse and vigour of spirit wherewith they were wont to performe spirituall duties the delight they were wont to take in the Word and prayer yet they dare not give over these duties but in obedience unto God and with a labour of love they performe them still and grieve that they can performe them no better Behold the seed of God remaineth in them So was it with David Psal. 119.25 When his soule cleaved to the dust yet he cryed still to God 2. When they have lost their assurance of Gods favour in the greatest fits of infidelity that ever they have they dare not then doe any thing that might offend him they seeke and cry to God still thirst after nothing more then his favour mourne for no losse so much Their soule lamenteth after the Lord as his people did 1 Sam. 7.2 Behold the seed of God remaineth in them See this also in David Psal. 22.1 When hee was even ready to sinke in despaire and to conclude God had forsaken him yet then hee could cry and weepe and take on for the want of Gods favour And Psal. 31.22 I said in mine hast I am cut off from before thine eyes neverthelesse thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee 3. And lastly When they have slipped and fallen most foully either through their owne security or by the violence of any tentation they doe not onely feele inward checks for their fall in themselves the spirit lusting against the flesh as the Apostle speaketh Gal. 5.17 but a greater aptnesse to rise againe when God shall be pleased to give them the meanes of recovery and to reach out his hand unto them then is in any other men Behold in this also the seed of God remaining in them See this in the Church Cant. 5.2 I sleepe but my heart waketh it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh 1. She was not in a dead sleepe not quite overcome with security 2. So soone as she heard the voice of Christ she certainely knew it to be his voice and it wrought upon her and made her rise though not so soone as she should have done And so much may suffice for the strengthning and comfort of Gods people against the first of those two tentations that I mentioned unto you I now proceed unto the second O but saith many a good soule though I be for the present I praise God in the state of grace yet God knoweth how long I shall so continue I may fall away from God irrecoverably yea I find my selfe so weake now so unable now to resist any tentation that when the fiery triall shall come when the houre of death shall come and that last and sharpest skirmish that I must looke to have with Satan I feare I shall then be unable to stand and this feare disquieteth and tormenteth my heart Now for the comfort of Gods people against this tentation I say that though thou mayest in the houre of tentation shew much weakenesse yet if there bee the fruit of Gods eternall love and Election in any truth of grace in thee thou shalt never be so overcome of any tentation as to fall finally but certainly thou shalt recover thy selfe before thou dyest When the Apostle had spoken 1 Iohn 5.17 of the sin unto death hee addeth in the next
to please him that there was no commandement of God so hard so contrary to reason but he made conscience to obey it When God said unto him get thee out of thy countrey and from thy kindred and from thy fathers house unto a land that I will shew thee Gen. 12.1 he durst not breake or neglect such a commandement as this Nay when God bad him goe and sacrifice his owne sonne Gen. 22.1 2. He durst not neglect such a commandement as that was But stood hee alwaies in this estate In this feare to offend God and care to please him No verily for you shall find this resolute man at another time dissembling and concealing for feare that Sarah was his wife and calling her his sister Genesis 12.13 Yea you shall find him slipping againe into that very sinne after he had doubtlesse repented of it Gen. 20.2 2. You shall heare David professing sometimes a strong and firme resolution that way Psal. 26.11 As for mee I will walke in mine integrity And Psal. 119.106 I have sworne and I will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous judgements But for all this we know what slips he had at other times yea what fearfull falls he took also By many more examples it might be made evident that in the holiest of Gods servants there hath beene much variablenesse and shew of changing and falling in all these three degrees In many things they have sinned all as the Apostle speaketh Iames 3.2 they have slipped oft and fallen also fearefully And you wil easily conceive it cannot be otherwise if you remember what you heard the last day 1 What a world they live in 2 What a kind of enemy Satan is 3 What a deale of corruption remained in the nature of the best of them still after their regeneration But you will say the Lord is able to uphold and keepe his servants from falling or slipping notwithstanding all this I answer It is true he can doe it and would also certainly do it if he did not see it were for his owne glory and for our good also for these two are inseparably coupled together to let go his hold sometimes in part and to leave us to our selves and so to let us take these slips and falls now and then The Lord doth saith Solomon Pro. 16.4 all things and consequently this for himselfe and his owne glory And all things and consequently this are for your sakes saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.15 How is God glorified hereby will you say I answer 1. He glorifieth his justice hereby and sheweth he cannot abide sinne but must needs correct it in them that he loveth best of all When good Hezekiah waxed cold in his thankfullnesse to God for his great deliverance and his heart began to be lifted up 2 Chron. 32.25 it is said verse 31. God left him a while and let him slip So when the Church grew secure and lazie and neglected her watch her well-beloved to correct her for this withdrew himselfe for a time Cant. 5.2 6. 2. God glorifieth his mighty power in this by making such weake wretches as we oft shew our selves to be able to hold out to the end and stand against such adversaries as we have Gods power is made that is declared to be perfect through our weaknesse as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 12.9.3 God glorifieth his goodnesse and mercy in continuing so constant in his love to such unconstant ones as we are When the Apostle had said Romanes 5.6 When we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly He addeth and inferreth ver 8. God commendeth his love towards us in this But how should it be possible that this should be for our good to be left thus to our selves I answer 1. Hereby we are taught not to trust in our selves but to the Lord alone to depend wholly upon him for our eternall salvation According to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.9 We had the sentence of death in our selues that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead 2. To keepe us from pride As we see in the case of the blessed Apostle 2 Cor. 12.7 Tho whom lest he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations there was given to him a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet him Yet might all this speech may some say that hath beene used touching the slips and falls of holy men have well beene spared for many a carnall man will be ready to snatch at these examples and say Well I see then I may bee Gods child though I slip and fall now and then into the same sinnes I have repented of though I be oft drunken and wanton and sweare and lie and beguile my neighbour c. For the best men have had their slips and falls too To these I answer First That this is very true and cannot be avoided Lewd and ungodly men will be apt to stumble at this and to wrest it as they doe also the other Scriptures unto their owne destruction as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 3.16 But then I answer Secondly That this is the childrens bread and belongeth not to dogs as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 15.26 This is written not for the encouragement of senslesse and secure worldlings but for the comfort of poore sinners that are humbled in sense of their often failings and dangerous falls they are apt to take To them I may say as the Apostle speaketh in another case 1 Cor. 9.10 This is altogether for your sakes for your sakes no doubt it is written And it were better that reprobates should stumble and breake their necks at these examples then that they should not have beene recorded in the Word for the comfort of the humbled soule Thirdly and lastly The carnall man hath indeed no cause of incouragement from these examples at all For though the godly have had and have daily their slips and falls yet their falls are not like the falls of wicked men but to them it may be said as Deut. 32.5 Their spot is not the spot of his children There are many broad differences betweene them as you shall heare in the second preservative which the Scripture giveth us against this first tentation and that is this Secondly That in none of these slips and falls thou complainest of thou didst ever fall desperately In the greatest falls that ever any of the Elect have taken the spirit of God did never wholly depart from them but even when they have lost the feeling and comfort of it when they could discerne no operation or working of it in themselves yet even then have they had the root and seed and habit of grace remaining in them First If they could but diligently examine themselves and search for it they might find in themselves some truth of grace remaining in them even when they are at the worst if
driveth him to despaire in himselfe and to seeke helpe in Christ Yet in the Gospell Christ requireth nothing of the faithfull that is impossible for them to do His yoke is easie and his burden light as he saith Mat. 11.30 Secondly The faithfull may be in this life certaine of their salvation They may be sure of their justification Surely shall one say it is the promise made to the faithfull that should live in the daies of the Gospell Esa. 45.24 in the Lord have I righteousnesse They may be sure of their adoption Doubtlesse thou art our father say the faithfull Esa. 63.16 though Abraham be ignorant of us They may be sure of their perseverance in Gods favour unto the end Surely saith David Psal. 23.6 goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the daies of my life They may be sure that after this life they shall inherit eternall glory We know saith Paul 2 Cor. 5.1 not speaking in his own person but in the person of all the faithfull that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the heavens And we know saith Iohn 1 Ioh. 3.14 we are translated from death to life How knew he that By revelation No but by such an evidence as is common to all the faithfull Because we love the brethren saith he Now there could be no such assurance of their salvation in any of the faithfull if they knew not undoubtedly that their hearts were upright that they have truth of grace in them How could any conclude thus to the comfort of his soule I know I am translated from death to life because I love the brethren if he could not certainely know that he doth love the brethren and that in truth and sincerity and not in shew onely Hereby we know saith he 1 Ioh. 4.13 that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit The spirit of sanctification and the truth of grace wrought in us thereby is the only thing that can assure us that we have any communion with God or are in his favour Thirdly and lastly That it is possible for us to know certainly that our hearts are upright is evident by the experience of Gods faithfull servants whose examples are recorded in the word for our comfort and incouragement We have a proverbiall speech probatum est Iob knew that his heart was upright or he would not have said as he did Iob 27.5 God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me As if he should say I will die rather then beleeve you that would perswade me I am an hypocrite And 12.4 The just upright man is laughed to scorne And 16.17 19. There is not any injustice in my hands also my prayer is pure O earth cover thou not my bloud and let my cry have no place Also now behold my witnesse is in heaven and my record is on high Yea the poore soule had then beene in a most wofull case if he had not beene so certaine of the uprightnesse of his heart as that all those learned and worthy men could not make him to doubt of it David likewise was certaine of the uprightnesse of his heart or he durst never have said as he did Psal. 26.1 2. Iudge me O Lord for I have walked in mine integrity examine me ô Lord and prove me try my reines and my heart Hezekiah even in the time of his great affliction knew assuredly and was able to call God for a witnesse to his conscience Esa. 38.3 that he had walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart Yea Peter even then when he was so exceedingly dejected in himselfe for his fearefull fall knew so assuredly that his heart was upright that he did unfeignedly love Christ above all things in the world as that he durst confidently avouch it unto Christ himselfe and was grieved that Christ should question that the third time Lord saith he Iohn 21.17 thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee And to conclude the Apostle Iohn speaking in the name not of himselfe onely or of some rare and extraordinary persons saith 1 Iohn 5.19 We know that we are of God that is borne of God truly regenerate as appeareth by the former verse Thus you see there is no such impossibility no such difficulty in the matter but we may know and be certaine whether our hearts be upright or no. True it is the best Christian that is may be at some times doubtfull and uncertaine in this point unable to discerne that there is truth of grace in him If he could rightly examine his owne heart and waies he might find it out But he is not at all times in case to examine himselfe thus The best are subject 1 to spirituall desertion sometimes through their owne sloth and negligence as the Church was Cant. 3.1 and 5.6 2 To such tentations and sorrowes as doe even overwhelme their spirits Psal. 142.3 In such a case it is good 1 to call to mind the times that are past and the evidence thou hast formerly had of the uprightnesse of thy heart Psal. 77.5 6. 2 Even then cast not away thy confidence but having lost thine evidence seek and sue and cry to God for a new copy of it as David did even in that case Psal. 77. ◠3 Vse the helpe of some faithfull and experienced Christian who in this case may be better able to judge of thee then thou art thy selfe And that is the second Motive that may perswade us to examine our selves diligently in this point The third and last is taken from the benefit and comfort we shall receive in this when by diligent triall and examination of our selves wee can find that there is truth of grace in us that our hearts are sound and upright with God O the comfort that this will yeeld us will abundantly recompence all the paines wee can take about it This will appeare to be so in two points First This will make every duty every service we doe to God sweet and comfortable to us when we can know we have performed it in truth and uprightnesse of heart This motive the Apostle giveth us Gal. 6 4. Let every man prove his owne worke and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe alone and not in another When the people in Davids time contributed largely towards the building of the Temple it is said they rejoyced and found great comfort and the reason is given 1 Chron. 19 9. because they did it with a perfect and upright heart So when all Iudah in Asa his time renewed their covenant and bound themselves by solemne oath to cleave unto the Lord and to the purity of his religion and worship it is said 2 Chron 15.15 they rejoyced at the oath and the reason is given because they had sworne with all their heart So Paul professeth of
is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory Rejoycing in hope saith the Apostle Rom. 12.12 patient in tribulation As though he should say The hope of this reward is able not onely to make you patient in any tribulation how great soever it may be but even comfortable and joyfull in it also O that all this that we have heard might through Gods gracious and mighty working with it become effectuall to make us all in love with Gods service O that we could count it our happinesse and honour to be admitted into it and thinke and say of it as David doth Psal. 65.4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy house and be one of thy houshold servants And 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy servant thy servant and the son of thine handmaid thou hast loosed my hands As if he had said I was a bondslave till I became thy servant but thou hast brought me out of that bondage and by making me thy servant hast loosed my bonds and made me a free man And then followeth verse 17. I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thankesgiving As if hee should say I will praise thy name for this so long as I live Lecture XCII On Psalme 51.6 Iune 24. 1628. IT followeth now that we proceed to the third and last point which I propounded to handle in this first part of the application which concerneth those that refuse to serve God and to be religious and it is to shew the dangerous estate that they are in that doe so to reprove and terrifie all wicked men specially such as live in the Church and under the meanes of grace We have heard in the handling of this third and last note of an upright heart That if there be in a man but an unfeigned desire to be saved and to please God he is accepted of God he hath certainely truth of saving grace in him That no man is rejected of God no man shall perish that hath in him a true desire to be saved and to please God This point if it be well considered is of great force to humble all naturall men to take all excuse from them and to make them ashamed of themselves For what goodnesse can there be in that man that hath not in him so much as a desire to be good What can that man pretend why he should not be most justly condemned and cast into hell that never had in him a true desire to be saved and to flie from the wrath to come And surely thus it is with every wicked man that liveth in the Church and under the meanes of grace to that man I may boldly say thou canst not repent nor leave thy sinnes because thou dost not desire to repent and forsake thy sinnes thou hast no grace because thou dost not desire grace thou canst not beleeve because thou dost not desire to beleeve thou shalt perish everlastingly because thou hast no true desire nor will to be saved Wicked men are apt and ever have beene blasphemously to impute all this wholly unto the Lord and his will to cast all upon God and to say of their future estate I shall doe as it pleaseth God if it be the will of God and he have so decreed I shall be saved if it be otherwise how can I helpe it And of their present estate if God would give me the grace I should be better then I am and till then how should I mend Thus did our first father plead for himselfe so soone as ever he was fallen from God The woman saith he Gen. 3.12 which thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eate As if he had said I may thanke thee for that that I have done If thou hadst not given me this woman I had never sinned And thus did the unprofitable servant pleade for himselfe Matth. 25.14 I know thou art an hard maâ— reaping where thou never sowedst As though he had said Exacting fruit of holinesse and obedience where thou didst never bestow the seed of grace And thus the Apostle bringeth in wicked men objecting against the Lord Rom. 9 19. Why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will As if he had said How can I justly be blamed or punished for being as I am if it be the will of God I shall be no better How can I be said to be the cause of mine owne damnation when it is the decree and will of God that I should perish But as I told you these are but the pleas and pretences of wicked men These pleas will not hold Certainely as God is not the cause of any mans sinne but himselfe as the Apostle teacheth us Iam. 1.13 14. Let no man say As if he had said I know men are apt to say so but it is folly and sinne for a man to say when he is tempted or moved to any sinne I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted of evill neither tempteth he any man but every man is tempted when he is drawne away of his owne lust and enticed So neither is God the cause of mans destruction but himselfe It is the fruit of his owne way as the Holy Ghost speaketh Pro. 1.31 And as of every temporall crosse that befalleth a man in this life of what kind soever it be a man may justly smite himselfe upon the breast and say to his owne heart as the Lord speaketh Ier. 2.17 Hast thou not procured this to thy selfe He may truly say Whatsoever hand God or man had in this evill that is befaâ—len me I am sure I was the chiefe cause of it my selfe so may it truly be said to every wicked man of his spirituall and eternall death and destruction as the Lord speaketh to Israel Hos. 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in mee is thy helpe that is though thou canst not save thy selfe nor worke any goodnesse in thy selfe that must come wholly from my meere grace By grace are ye saved through faith saith the Apostle Ephes. 2.8 and that not of your selves it is the gift of God yet thou hast destroyed thy selfe thou art thy selfe the cause why thou hast no grace why thou canst not repent nor leave thy grosse sinnes why thou canst not beleeve nor take any comfort in Christ why thou shalt be damned and perish everlastingly Yea how apt soever men are now to plead thus for themselves and to impute all unto God there will come a day when as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 3.19 every mouth shall be stopped and all the world shall become guilty before God No man shall have any such thing to say for himselfe but shall cleare the Lord he shall cry guilty and acknowledge himselfe to have beene the onely cause of his owne destruction The bookes shall be opened as the Apostle speaketh Revel 20.12 the bookes of
words this comfortable sentence verse 18. Wee know that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not This wee know and are most certaine of that hee can never fall into that sinne Insomuch as that which the Apostle speaketh of the whole Church of the Iewes Rom. 11.11 may be truly said of every elect child of God Have they stumbled that they should fall that is that they should fall finally and for ever for in the next verse 12. hee granteth they are fallen God forbid saith hee See this also plainly taught us Psal. 15. where the Prophet having described the upright hearted Christian by sundry properties and actions hee concludeth verse 5. Hee that doth these things shall never bee mooved never bee utterly and finally overcome by any tentation And this is that which our Saviour teacheth also Mat. 7.24 25. Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a wise man that built his house upon a rock and the raine descended and the flouds came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not because it was built upon a rock And that which hee saith of a godly life hee saith Matth. 16.18 of a lively and true faith also Thou art Peter a rocke impregnable whom Satan with all his might shall not be able to overcome though thou shalt fall thou shalt not fall utterly and upon this rocke this faith that thou hast made confession of I will build my Church and the gates of hell all the cunning all the power of Satan shall not prevaile against it If any man shall aske me and why cannot a chosen vessell and true beleever what tentations soever shall assault him perish irrecoverably I answer There bee two pillars that uphold him and make it impossible for him to fall in that manner of which I spake the last day 1. The almighty power of God 2. The unchangeable love of God Both fitly typified by those two pillars we read of 1 Kin 7.21 that were in Solomons Temple which was also it selfe a type of the Church and people of God the one was called Iachin that is to say he will establish the other Boaz in him is strength First Let us begin with Boaz. In the Lord is strength enough to keepe us from falling totally or finally Vpon this pillar our Saviour lyeth this Doctrine Iohn 10.28.29 None of my sheepe shall perish my father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to plucke them out of my fathers hand No no man if hee bee once one of Christs sheepe a true beleever no man can plucke him away Vpon this pillar doth Paul ground his confidence 2 Tim. 1.12 I am not ashamed for I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe that which I have committed unto him against that day Yea upon this pillar hee groundeth the confidence even of the weakest Christian that is having an honest heart Rom. 14. For speaking of one that is weake in the faith verse 1. he saith thus of him verse 4. Yea he shall be held up for God is able to make him stand Now for the second pillar lachin hee will establish The Lord not only hath strength to keepe his people but wee are also sure he will establish them that they shall not perish This pillar God giveth his Church to ground and build upon Esa. 54.10 The mountaines shall depart and the hills bee removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace bee removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Vpon this pillar doth the Church ground her confidence Esa. 64.5 Behold thou art wroth for wee have sinned in those is continuance and wee shall bee saved And so doth David Psalm 23.6 Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow mee all the dayes of my life And 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death Lecture LXXII On Psalme 51.5 Octob. 16. 1627. IT followeth now that wee proceed to the fourth and last point wherein the admirable goodnesse of God is set forth by the Doctrine of originall sin and that is this That the sinfulnesse and corruption of our nature being so great as it is it should doe us no more hurt then it doth And surely this is a thing that wee can never sufficiently admire that wee not onely slipping and falling oft into many actuall sins but having also still in us so vile a nature such a fountaine of corruption that maketh us wee cannot cease from sin any one moment and like the troubled sea that cannot rest it is the Prophets comparison though in another sense Esa. 57.20 is ever casting up some filthy myre and dirt or other to defile our best actions by that wee being such I say the Lord should not loath and abhorre both our selves and every thing that proceedeth from us That the Lord should notwithstanding all this have so gracious respect unto us and to our poore service as he hath this doth notably set forth his admirable goodnesse and mercy towards us This will the better appeare unto us if wee shall distinctly consider these three things 1. What wee and our best actions and performances are 2. What the Lord is in the holinesse of his owne nature 3. What the respect is that the Lord notwithstanding doth shew to us and to the service we do unto him For the first Our flesh and corrupt nature is such as it will not suffer us to doe any one duty in that manner as wee ought This blessed Paul complained of Rom. 7.18 To will is present with mee this was doubtlesse the speech of a regenerate man but how to performe that which is good I find not And that that hee saith of himselfe there hee saith of all the faithfull Galat. 5.17 Yee cannot doe the thing that yee would Nay it doth so palpably corrupt and defile every good thing wee desire to doe as our selves cannot choose if there bee any truth of grace in us but discerne and bee ashamed of it and complaine of it also as the Church doth Esa. 64.6 Wee are all as the uncleane man the leper and all our righteousnesses not one but all are as filthy rags So that when wee have done the best service that ever wee did to God wee have cause to cry God mercy for it and to pray with good Nehemiah 13.22 Lord pardon mee according to the greatnesse of thy mercy And if we as blind and senselesse and full of selfe-love as we are can discerne so much filth our selves in them what can the Lord doe Who is greater then our heart as the Apostle speaketh 1 Ioh. 3.20 and knoweth all things For the second point The Lord wee know is so infinitely holy that hee cannot abide to looke upon hee cannot but detest all filthinesse and sin Thou art of purer eyes saith the Prophet Hab. 1.13