Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A01894
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Aggravation of sinne and sinning against knowledge. Mercie. Delivered in severall sermons upon divers occasions. By Tho: Goodvvin B.D.
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Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.
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1637
(1637)
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STC 12033; ESTC S103262
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74,779
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150
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AGGRAVATION OF SINNE AND SINNING Against KNOWLEDGE MERCIE Delivered in severall Sermons upon divers occasions BY THO GOODVVIN B. D. LONDON Printed by M. Flesher for Iohn Rothwell and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Sun in Pauls Churchyard MDCXXXVII AGGRAVATION OF SINNE BY THO GOODWIN B. D. LONDON Printed by M. F. for Iohn Rothwell and are to be sold at the Sun in Pauls Church-yard M DC XXXVII A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS OF the Aggravation of sin THe subject is the sinfulnesse of sin page 2. The mischievous effects of the evill of sin ibid. 1. It hath debased the soule ibid. 2. It defiles the soule 1. In an instant 2. Totally 3. Eternally 3 3. It robs the soule of the image of God 4 4. It robs a man of God himselfe 5 5. It was the first founder of hell 6 The essence of sin is the cause of all these evills ibid. Sin an evill that contains all the evils in the world 7 1. It is the cause of sorrowes and diseases and all evills ibid. 2. There is some peculiar mischief in sin not found in other evils as appears in divers instances 8 Quest What transcendencie of evill is in the essence of sin that makes it above all other evill 10 Answ It is contrary to God and all that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. It is contrary to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being ibid. being ibid. 2. It is contrary to all his attributes which are his name is to himselfe and what ever is his ibid. 1. To his lawes and ordinances 2. To his favourites 3. To his image in mans owne breast 11 Sinfulness of sin aggravated from the person suffering being God and man 12 The least sin virtually more or lesse containes all sin in the nature of it proved ibid. Every sin inclines our nature more to sin 13 Sin containes not onely all other evils in it but also all of its owne kind ibid. Sinne a perfect evill ibid. Reasons why sin is the chiefest evill 1. Because it is simply to be avoided for its selfe 2. Because there can be no worse punishment than it selfe 3. Because it cannot have a worse epithete given it than it selfe 14 Use Wonder at the abounding nature of sin 15 Examine our owne estates ibid. Quest When a mans sins may be said to be his own Answ 1. Then he commits sin out of his owne 2. Then he hates it not but loves it 3. Then he nourisheth it cherisheth it 4. Then he provides for it 5. Then he lives in sin 17 Use 2. Consider the punishment of sin is out of measure fearfull 18 It containes all miseries in it 19 What the damned speake of sinne in hell ibid. Use 3. Onely Iesus Christ can conquer sin 21 Christs righteousnesse abounds sins sinfulnesse 22 Come to God through Christ and take him to be our Lord and King 23 Sinne and Christ cannot stand together ibid. We will not take Christ while sin appears sinfull to us ibid. IMPRIMATUR THO WEEKES R. P. Ep o Lond. Cap. Domest AGGRAVATION OF SINNE ROM 7. 13. Was that then which is good made death unto mee God forbid But sinne that it might appeare sin working death in mee by that which is good that sinne by the commandement might become exceeding sinfull WEE finde our Apostle in the 9. verse to have been alive but struck upon the sudden dead by an apparition presented to him in the glasse of the law of the sinfulnesse of sinne Sin revived sayes the 9. verse appeared to be sinne sayes the 13. verse lookes but like it selfe above measure sinfull and hee falls downe dead at the very sight of it I dyed sayes he in the 9. it wrought death in me sayes the 13. that is an apprehension of death and hell as due to that estate I was then in But yet as the life of sinne was the death of Paul so this death of his was but a preparation to a new life I through the Law and dead to the Law that I might live to God Gal. 2. 19. and here hee likewise speakes of Gods worke upon him at his first conversion for then it was that hee relates how sinne became in his esteeme so above measure sinfull The subject then to be insisted on is the sinfulnesse of sinne a subject therefore as necessary as any other because if ever we be saved sinne must first appeare to us all as it did here to him above measure sinfull And first because all knowledge begins at the effects which are obvious to sense and interpreters of the nature of things therefore wee will begin this Demonstration of the evill of sin from the mischievous effects it hath filled the world withall it having done nothing but wrought mischiefe since it came into the world and all the mischiefe that hath beene done it alone hath done but especially towards the poore soule of man the miserable subject of it Which first it hath debased the soule of man the noblest creature under heaven and highest allyed made to be a companion fit for God himselfe but sinne hath stript it of its first native excellency as it did Reuben Gen. 49. 41. debased the soule more worth than all the world as Christ himselfe saith that onely went to the price of it yet sinne hath made it a drudge and slave to every creature it was made to rule therefore the Prodigall as a type is said to serve swine and feed on huskes so as every vanity masters it Therefore we find in Scripture that men are said to be servants to wine Tit. 2. 3. servants to riches and divers lusts c. And hence it is that shame attends upon it Rom. 6. 21. Now shame ariseth out of an apprehension of some excellencie debased and by how much the excellencie is greater by so much is the shame the greater and therefore unutterable confusion will one day befall sinners because sinne is the debasement of an unvaluable excellencie Secondly it not onely debaseth it but defiles it also and indeed there was nothing else that could defile it Mat. 15. 20. for the soule is a most pure beame bearing the image of the Father of lights as farre surpassing the sinne in purenesse as the sunne doth a clod of earth and yet all the dirt in the world cannot defile the sunne all the clouds that seeke to muffle it it scatters them all but sinne hath defiled the soule yea one sinne the least defiles it in an instant totally eternally First one sinne did it in the fall of Adam Rom. 5. 17. one offence polluted him and all the world Now suppose you should see one drop of darknesse seazing on the sunne and putting out that light and eye of heaven and to loosen it out of the orbe it moves in and cause it to drop downe a lump of darknesse you would say it were a strange darknesse this sinne did then in the soule to which yet the sunne is but as a Taper Secondly it
run through to have it set apart for ease and to be void of torment if the rich man in hell made it such a great suit and counted it so great a favour to have but one drop of water which could but for a little while scarce more than a moment have cooled and eased not his whole body but the tip of his tongue only how much more would he have thought it mercy to have lived so many yeares againe as he had done free from torment what is it then for thee to live so many yeares free from the falling of the least drop of that wrath whereof the full vialls should have been poured out many yeares agoe The same Law was out against us which was out against the Angels That day thou eatest thou shalt dye the death what put the difference the Apostle tells us his long suffering to us ward not to them for in Chap. 2. 4. he had told us that hee spared not the Angels which fell but posted and threw them into hell as soone as they had sinned Sixtly But further in the 6. place Is this all hath it beene barely a time of ease given thee a time of reprivall No it hath beene more space to repent and so to obtaine thy pardon in Rev. 2. 21. And as it hath beene more than ease of torment unto thee so also consider it hath beene more than slacknesse in him that hath afforded it to thee as the Apostle there doth tell us It is not that he hath tooke no notice of thy offending him but he is sensible of every idle thought of every oath vaine word and as the Scripture tels us he is pained at the very heart in so much as he repents that ever he made thee he is angry with thee every day thou risest every time hee lookes on thee when ever he meets thee going into the Taverne to be drunk the whorehouse to be uncleane when he meets thee reeling in the streets he hath much adoe to forbeare killing thee as he had to forbeare Moses when he met him in the Inne He is ready to have a blow at thee and it should not need be any great stroake or fetching his arme about if he did but blow on thee thou wert consumed To suffer thee to live doth therefore cost him much riches of patience but to cut thee off need cost him nothing hee can doe that with ease But further all is joyned with a willingnesse that thou shouldst repent and not perish as that place tells thee It were much mercy for a Traytor to be reprived to have a lease of his life for twenty yeeres though there were no hope nor meanes of obtaining his finall pardon after that time spent and this also though moneth a yeere what others who have laine gasping would have given a world for time againe as I have heard one crying day and night call time againe or if not then oh what in Hell The third thing I am to shew is that all this goodnesse patience and forbearance is afforded towards you as a meanes and helpes to bring you to repentance Acts 17. 26 27 28. God sayes the Apostle there hath allotted to men both their times to live in and also their places of abode and habitations all richly furnished with blessings to uphold their lives beings And to what end are both these thus afforded That they might seek the Lord if by groping after him even as men in the darke they might haply finde him But men being in the darke and destitute of guides to bring thē unto God may yet be as far of finding him as ever Therefore adde but the words of my text to what the Apostle sayes there and we see that this goodnesse of God takes us by the hand and leads us to repentance to turne from sinne unto God and so to finde him And thus lead are you unto God by the help of three severall guides which each after other sweetly leade you and point you out to this First all this goodnesse beares witnesse to your hearts of a gracious hand that extends it self in all these therefore in that 17. of the Acts he subjoynes God is not far off any of us That there is a good God bestowes all things on you is a thought lyes at next doore of all his blessings not far off Yea they all sayes the Apostle to the same Gentiles Acts 14. 16. doe beare witnesse of him though they went on in their owne wayes yet sayes he there God left not himselfe without witnesse that is an impression on their hearts that his good hand bestowed all on them when he filled their hearts with foode and gladnesse Secondly His goodnesse having brought thus God to mens thoughts then your owne consciences take you and leade you downe into your selves and beare witnesse that you by walking in your owne wayes doe nothing but provoke and offend this good God So Rom. 2. 15. And then thirdly there is an indelible principle common to all men to love those who love them which after the two former have brought you hitherto point you to Repentance as the conclusion Shall we goe on to sinne against this good so good returne evill for good Is not this a naturall necessary consequent out of all these to say as they Let us therefore feare the Lord who giveth us the early and the latter raine as it is Ier. 5. 26 27 And though men are said not to know this in the text yet the meaning is they doe not throughly and effectually consider thus much so as thereby to be brought to Repentance yet however there is such a witnesse of all this in all mens hearts and thus are they led on unto Repentance would they see their way and follow their guide The use shall be an use of expostulation as here the Apostle carryes it with men sinfull and impenitent for going on to sinne against all this mercy together with an aggravation of their sinfulnesse hereby Men if young doe usually take the advantage of this their precious time which out of so much long suffering is vouchsafed them and of all those precious opportunities and blessings they enjoy to improve them onely in reaping and gathering in to themselves the pleasures of sinne making the time of youth their harvest of sinning and yet thinke to escape by repenting afterwards and then when old after they have already enjoyed a long and a faire Sunshine day to turne to God in and to have sowne much seed to the Spirit the comfort whereof they might now have reaped yet as they have altogether neglected so to doe all their youth so they goe on to doe so still whilst they see they have any day left be it never so neare the setting and doe choose rather desperately to venture their estate in the world to come upon the riches of his mercy pardoning though without all care and endeavour to change their