and no good must needs be the Greatest Evil in the world But sin is All evil As we say of God There is no Evil in him He is All Good Quodcunque in Deo Deus est So I may say of Sin There is no Good in it It is All Evil Quodcunque in Peccato Peccatum est There is some good in the worst things in the world and some thing in the worst things to make them capable of our choice of them in some cases some good in sickness some good in Death But now there is no good in sin nor can any considerations in the world make sin the Object of our Choice Though you might avoid Death by sin yet because sin is Universally Evil and No good in it you may not make use of sin to avoid Death And therefore you shall read That when the Apostle would speak the worst of sin he could finde no Name worse than its Own to set it out by Rom. 7.13 ad finem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinful-sin He calls it Sinful-sin Nothing but Sin 3. Demonstration 3. That which is the sole Object of Gods hatred 3. Demonstr Sin the sole object of Gods hatred must needs be the Greatest evil But sin is the sole Object Not onely the Object but the sole Object of Gods hatred He hates nothing but Sin His love runs in divers streams towards all things he hath made But his hatred runs in One Chanel alone and that is Towards Sin If Man were made the Center of all other Evils in the world God could Love him under All if sin were not there And if there be a Confluence of all other Goods Health Beauty Riches Learning c. God hates you if Sin alone be there Gods love cannot be there but his wrath abideth there 4. Demonstration 4. That which separates the soul from the chief good that which divides between the soul and God the chiefest good 4. Demonstr Sin Separates the soul from the chief Good i. God must needs be the Greatest Evil But sin divides betwixt God and the soul Isa 59.2 Your iniquities have Separated betwixt you and your God Betwixt your souls and my Grace your souls and my Comforts your souls and my Blessings It was said of Naaman That he was a Great man an Honorable man a mighty man of War But he was a Leper 2 Kings 5.1 So whatever Ornaments a man hath whatever Gifts Parts Riches Beauty c. yet if he be a Leper though a Learned man a Rich man But a Wicked man that spoils all the rest 5. Demonstration 5. Demonstr Sin is the root of all other evils 5. That which is the ground and cause of all other Evils must needs be the Greatest Evil But sin is the cause of all other Evils Is the Old world drowned with water it is for sin Is Sodome destroyed with fire and turned into an Asphaltite-lake to this day it is for sin Is Jerusalem laid on heaps Sin hath done it Should I enter on this I should finde no end 1. Of National evils 1. Sin is the cause of All National Evils We will name some and but name them 1. Wars 1. Wars Judg. 5.8 They chose new Gods Then was War in the Gates James 4.1 From whence come wars and fightings among you is it not from your lusts 2. Famine 2. Famine Psal 107.34 He turneth a fruitful land into a Desert for the wickedness of them that dwell therein Amos 4.6 Therefore sc for their sins have I given you cleanness of teeth in all your Cities and scarceness of bread in all your places c. 3. Pestilence 3. Pestilence as Davids sin here of Numbring the people Read Deut. 28.21 The Lord shall make the pestilence to cleave to thee till he hath consumed thee from off the land whither thou goest to possess it And as sin is the cause of National so also 2. Of Personal evils 2. Of personal Evils and those are 1. Temporal 2. Spiritual 3. Eternal Sin is the Cause the Meriting the Procuring Cause of all All Evils are but the Births of sin sin is a Big-bellied Evil and all other Evils are but the births of sin 1. On Body Those upon your Bodies Sickness Aches Pains Weaknesses 2. On Soul Those upon your souls Fears Heart-breakings Terrors Horrors If you could rip up sin you would finde all these to lie in the bowels of the least sin Shall I tell you Sin was the first Founder of Hell that which laid the Corner-stone of that Dark Vault for before Sin there was no Hell Nay and it is Sin that Built up Hell and hath fitted Hell with those Treasures and Riches of Wrath Fire and Brimstone Nay and that which still Addes to it and increaseth the Fewel Rom. 2.5 It treasures up wrath against the day of wrath And therefore being an Universal Evil a Catholick Evil the Womb of Evils and Cause of all it must needs be The Greatest Evil. 6. Demonstration 6. That which is worse than the Utmost Evil 6. Demonstr Sin worse that the utmost Evil. must needs be the Greatest Evil But sin is worse than the Utmost Evil. That which is Greater than the Greatest Evil must needs be Exceeding Great Hell is the Utmost Evil but Sin is worse than Hell it self Hell separate from sin is but miserable not sinful A Penal Evil not A Sinful Evil. I say separate Hell from sin though we cannot really separate Hell from sin yet an Intellectual Separation we may make we may in our Understandings abstract Hell from sin And then I say sin is worse than Hell because Hell is but A Penal Evil sin is A Sinful Evil And there is no Penal Evil so bad as A Sinful Evil. There is good in the Punishment the good of Justice But no good in sin And therefore sin in it self is the Greatest Evil. Now we come to the Second which is the Main As sin is in it self so 2. In the Apprehensions of Gods people sin is the Greatest Evil. 1. Their sighs for sin 2. Their sufferings to avoid sin do shew they apprehend sin the Greatest Evil. 1. Their sighs for sin you may look into Davids Penitential Psalms and see what sighs and groans for sin Look into Psalm 51. Why what was the reason of them All the Sufferings all the Evils in the world would not so much have affected him as his sin Paul Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death The Death of his body was nothing to him in comparison of This Body of Death Paul went through many tribulations endured a great deal of sufferings as you may read 2 Cor. 11 23 24 25. at large yet all these Scourges these Prisons and Persecutions did not go so much to his heart as sin even the presence though not the power of sin Though he suffered much yet we do not read that ever he cryed OH
innoble his members p. 97 3 Faith puts us upon soul-innobling imployment p. 97. 4 Faith intitles us unto a soul-innobling inheritance p. 98 12 Royalty Faith is a soul-fatning grace which it doth after this manner 1 By destroying soul-consuming lusts p. 99 100 2 Faith puts a man into a soul-fatning pasture p. 100 3 Faith feeds upon soul-fatning dainties p. 101 1 On the Promises 101. 2 Upon a soul-fatning Christ. Faith feeds upon Christ 1 In the Word 2 In the Sacrament p. 102 103 13 Royalty Faith is a heart-emptying grace Ibid. 1 Of opinion of Righteousnesse in our selves p. 104 105 2 Of all opinion of strength to help our selves p. 106 107 14 Royalty Faith is an heart-inriching and filling grace p. 108 109 1 It inricheth the head with knowledge p. 110 2 The heart with grace p. 111 Four invaluable things 1 Favour of God in Christ 2 Souls of men 3 The Spirit 4 The Graces of the Spirit â—hese are such riches God bestowes upon none but beleevers Ibid. A Beleever the poorest and richest man in the world p. 112 15 Royalty Faith is an heart-raising grace 1 From the death of sin p. 113 2 From the death of inward trouble p. 114 1 By looking back upon soul-raising experiences p. 115 2 Looks upon soul-raising promises Ibid. 3 Layes hold upon a soul-raising Christ p. 116 4 Indites soul-raising prayers uses Arguments from it self from God p. 117 16 Royalty Faith is an heart-chearing grace p. 118 This joy of Faith is First Spiritual Secondly Hearty Thirdly Satisfying Fourthly Constant p. 119 Faith will inable to rejoyce 1 In Bonds 2 In Sicknesse 3 In Poverty Ibid. Five grounds of rejoycing p. 120 Objection Who more sad than Beleevers Answered 120 to 122 Five grounds of Sorrow arraigned at the bar of right reason p. 122 1 Is it thy former sin 2 Is it thy present corruption 3 Is it thy imperfections 4 Is it thy afflictions 5 Is it because under some present temptation Ibid. Matter of joy if Faith to see Gods aims in six particulars p. 122 123 17. Royalty Faith is an heart-guiding grace p. 124 It guides the heart in difficult cases p. 125 Faith will not own the flesh as a King nor as a Counsellor p. 126 18. Royalty Faith is an heart-establishing grace p. 127 Unbeleef unsettles the soul Ibid. Two things Faith establisheth the soul against First Against fears Secondly Against falling Against five sorts of fears p. 128 1 Of Men. 2 Of Want Ibid. 3 Of Death p. 129 4 Of Hell Ibid. 5 Of Judgement p. 130 2 Faith establisheth the heart against falling 1 Against total Apostacy p. 130 2 Against final Apostacy p. 131 1 Faith sets the soul upon a soul-establishing bottome 2 Interests the soul in a soul-establishing covenant Ibid. 3 Doth beget in a man soul-establishing principles p. 132 Six Principles Faith begets in a man p. 132 133 Use 1 Of Tryal incouragement to it 1 It is possible p. 134 135 2 Though possible yet it is difficult 1 In respect of the deceits p. 136 2 In respect of the doubts and mis-givings of our own heart at all times especially at three times First Of Humiliation p. 137 Secondly Of Temptation Ibid. Thirdly of Desertion p. 138 Secondly It is necessary to know whether wee are beleevers First In respect of comfort Ibid. Secondly In respect of Obedience p. 139 140 Two Rules observed in the Tryals following First Grand Rule the Word of God Secondly To lay down such evidences as are universal to all beleevers weak as strong p. 140 Method observed for Tryal are evidences taken First From the usual manner of Gods working Faith Secondly From the grace it self wrought First The manner of Gods working Faith 1 By discovering sin p. 141 2 By discovering the fulnesse and al-sufficiency that is in Christ p. 142 3 The freenesse of his Righteousnesse to all commers 4 Stirs up the soul to persevere 5 How God works Faith p. 142 143 Secondly Some evidences taken from the grace it self 1 Of a weak 2 Of a strong Faith Ibid. 1 The weakest faith hath strong desires after Christ wherein is shewed the difference between an unbeleevers desires and a beleevers p. 143 144. 2 A Weak faith will close with the precepts of God p. 144 145 3 Weak faith is joyned with mourning and sorrow for the weaknesse of it Ibid. 4 Weak faith is unfeigned faith not counterfeit 5 Weak faith is a holy faith accompanied with holinesse of heart holinesse in life p. 145 146 6 A weak faith doth not rest in weaknesse 7 A weak faith will cleave to Christ Five things by way of support to a weak faith 1 The smallest degree if true is saving p. 146 2 Though weak yet it is a growing 3 The weakest gives the soul union with Christ 4 It gives communion with Christ 5 It hath equal share in Gods love Difference between want and weaknesse p. 147 Evidences of a strong faith 1 An high prizing of Christ p. 148 Two things make Christ precious to a mâ—n 1 The knowledge of Christ and that 1 The want of Christ 2 The worth of Christ Ibid 2 The apprehension of the souls interest in him this a strong beleever doth p. 149. Four Tryalls whether we prize Christ p. 149. Some things more peculiar to a strong Faith than to a weak Faith p. 150 151. 2 Strong in Faith and strong in hope and expectations of the thing beleeved p. 152. Strong Faith and strong Patience Ibid. Strong in Faith and strong in Obedience p. 153. Strong for active and passive obedience p. 154 3 A strong Faith will beleeve nothing contrary to his beleefe Ibid. Though Satan takes up arguments from God 1 Inward or p. 155 2 Outward dealing with him p. 155 156 4 A strong Faith will trust God in difficulties 1 With small means p. 156 2 Without means p. 157 3 Against means p. 158 5 A strong Faith is accompanied 1 VVith much peace p. 158. 2 VVith much joy p. 159 6 Strong Faith will subdue strong corruptions Ibid. 7 Overcome strong temptations Ibid. 8 Over come strong doubts 159. 9 Strong Faith and strong prayers Strong 1 To wrestle with God p. 160 2 To prevail with God p. 160 161 10 Strong Faith can take 1 Long delays p. 161 2 Strong denials from Gods hand p. 161. 162. 11 Strong Faith hath strong desires 1 To go to Christ by death 2 That Christ would come to judgement p. 163 Use of Exhortation First To get Faith Motives 1 From the greatnesse of the sin of unbeleef it offers injury to all-God 1. VVisdome 2 Mercy and Love 3 Power 4 Truth p. 164 165 2 Unbelief is a mother sin the womb of sin entertainer maintainer of sin p. 165. 3 Unbeleef is a soul-killing sin p. 167. 2 Motive from the necessity of Faith 1 Needfull in respect of our persons Our persons are 1 Under the guilt 2 Power 3 Dominion of sin p. 167. 2 In respect of
for all And yet he doth for Sin OH miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin So Peter Manasseh c. 2. Their sufferings to avoid sin Daniel was content to be thrown into the Den of Lyons the three Children into the Fire Paul and Silas into the Stocks and many of Gods people have chosen to embrace Prisons Stakes Fire and the hottest Persecutions rather than sin Which doth plainly evidence to us They esteemed Sin the Greatest Evil. 1. Greater than Poverty which yet is a great evil Melius est Panem mendicare quam Fidem perdere Better to Beg saith one than to sin Heb. 11.24 to the 28. Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the Pleasures of sin for a season The like of that Christian Moses Galcacius Caracciolus who was a Noble Prince and Marquess who yet that he might not sin left and forsook all he had and betook himself to live meanly with the people of God meerly to enjoy the Ordinances And Musculus a man of excellent Learning and a famous Divine who rather than sin would close with any condition The Story tells us That being driven out of all he had he was content rather than sin to betake himself to a Poor Trade to be a Weaver to get bread to maintain his wife and children Afterwards being cast out of that way the world looking upon it as too good for him he betook himself to work with a Spade in the Common Ditch of the Town to get his living He could down with any condition rather than sin Nay they have not onely apprehended sin a Greater Evil than Poverty But 2. Greater than Prisons greater than Death it self It was the speech of Ambrose Vultis in vincula rapere Vultis in Mortem Voluptas est mihi Will you cast me into Prison will you take away my life All this is desireable to me rather than to sin When Eudoxia the Empress threatned Chrysostome whom she afterward banished He sends to her Go tell her saith he Nil nisi Peccatum timeo I fear nothing in the world but sin 3. Nay they have apprehended sin a Greater evil than Death Basil speaks of a Rich Virgin who being condemned to the fire and sentenced to lose her estate because she would not Worship Idols yet afterward was promised life and restitution of estate if she would She replyed Valeat vita Pereat Pecunia Farewel life let money perish Look through the Ten Bloody Persecutions and our Late Marian-days and you shall finde many instances to this purpose 4. Nay yet further They have not onely apprehended sin a Greater Evil than Death but yet more A Greater Evil than Hell it self It was the speech of Chrysostome Ego sic censeo sic assiduè praedicabo c. I thus think and thus will I ever preach that It is more bitter to sin against Christ than to Suffer the Torments of Hell Anselm saith That if on the one side were presented unto him the Evil of sin and on the other side the Torments of Hell he would rather choose to fall into Hell than to fall into sin At such a distance were their hearts set against sin And nothing more ordinary than such expressions as these from the Saints in temptations in troubles of spirit or in clearing their own hearts Rather slay me Rather Damn me Rather cast me into Hell than let me sin against thee c. But this shall be sufficient to clear the Doctrinal part We come to the Application 1. Consectary 1. If sin be the Greatest Evil in the world 1. Consectary Then let us fall down and admire the Wisdom of God and adore the Goodness of God who out of the Greatest Evil could bring the Greatest Good who makes the Greatest Evil an Occasion of the Greatest Good that ever was wrought Bernard was so taken up with the thoughts of it that he saith Foelix Culpa quae talem meruit Redemptorem Happy fault which occasioned such a Redeemer We should be humbled for the fault bless God for the Remedy and withal admire that wisdom and that goodness which hath taken occasion by mans wickedness to declare his own goodness by mans sin to make known and express the infiniteness of his wisdom power mercy justice c. That this should be an occasion to draw out all his Glorious Attributes That he should bring Good out of Evil Life out of Death Heaven out of Hell Good out of sin Cordials out of Poyson Let us never doubt never suspect but God can bring good out of any thing turn the Greatest Evils to the advancement of his Glory and the good of his people who can out of sin and Hell bring good What is it to turn Afflictions Persecutions the Plots and Malice of men What is it to turn Troubles Wars c. to his own Glory and Advancement of his own cause who was able to turn Sin to all this He that can turn the Evil of sin which is Pure Evil and the Greatest Evil can much more turn the Evil of Trouble to the good of his people This made the Apostle say that All things should work together for good to them that love God c. He that hath experience of this needs not to doubt of any thing else That God that can turn Sin can turn Afflictions Crosses Persecutions c. to the good of his Church and people 2. Consectary 2. Hence conclude then That it is the Saddest punishment 2. Consectary the Fearfullest judgement in the world To be given up to sin This is the utmost punishment that God insticteth upon men and therefore the Greatest of all Punishments God doth usually proceed by Degrees in the ways of his judgements first he begins with lesser if lesser will not do then he proceeds to greater he will punish yet Seven times more and still the further he goes the greater are his strokes Now this is the finishing the concluding stroke this is the last punishment and the Greatest of all other To give a man up to the state of sin To say to a man Thou that art filthy be filthy still and thou that art unclean be unclean still This he tells them in Ezek. 24.13 Because I would have washed thee purged thee and thou wouldst not be purged therefore thou shalt not be purged And so he tells the Israelites Because you would have altars to sin therefore altars shall be to you to sin Hos 8.11 Oh! There is no sadder judgement in the world than for a man To be given up to his own hearts lust This sets an Eternal night of Darkness A Meipso me libera Domine saith Augustine Good Lord deliver me from my self You had better be given up to the lusts of men to the malice and cruelties of blood-thirsty men better to be given up to the utmost rage and malice of our bloody Cavaliers and Irish Rebels than to be
for ever Oh! make not that your joy which was Christs sorrow and will be yours eternally if now your joy in sin be not turned to sorrow for sin 6. Consectary 6. If sin be the Greatest evil 6. Consectary Then see the utter impossibility of any thing under heaven to relieve and help us from under the guilt of sin save JESUS CHRIST onely Hast thou committed but one sin thou hast done that which all the Treasures of Righteousness in Heaven and Earth are not able to relieve thee or help thee in save JESUS CHRIST There is as much required for the answering the guilt of one sin as the guilt of a thousand Infinite Righteousness is required for one and no more is required for a thousand And that Righteousness none but Christ alone hath Nothing can relieve us but that which is Adequate in righteousness to the Evil of sin Now there is no righteousness in the world that is proportionable to the Evil of sin but the Righteousness of Christ 1. Our own you know is too short it is called A menstruous rag A rag and therefore cannot cover us Menstruous and therefore though it should cover us yet it would but cover filth with filth as the Prophet speaks Isa 30.1 They cover but not with the covering of my Spirit that they might adde sin to sin that is the sin of their righteousness to the sin of their unrighteousness They cover a blot with a blot adde sin to sin dung to dung 2. Nor will the righteousness of the Law be large enough if it were supposed that a man were able to fulfil all that righteousness and keep the whole Law Present obedience though supposed to be Adequate to the Righteousness of the Law will never answer for former offences and disobediences The Law indeed is strong enough to damn a thousand but cannot save one it can pour Hell and Wrath and Condemnation upon a World of sinners but is not able to pour Grace or to give Justification to one The Apostle tells us Rom. 8.3 4. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh The same Apostle also tells us Gal. 3.21 If there had been a Law given which could have given life righteousness should have been by the Law The Apostle tells us again Gal. 3.17 The Law was given four hundred and thirty years after the promise to shew we must not work that we may be justified but be justified that we may be able to work If God had intended The Law the instrument of Justification he would have given the Law Four hundred and thirty years before the Promise 3. Nay yet further It is not the righteousness of Angels which yet is a Greater Righteousness than that of the Law inasmuch as the Angels were above Man in Innocency because this also is but a created Righteousness a finite Righteousness and no way proportionable to the evil of sin If it had one sin had not spoiled those glorious Angels of their Goodness at once and made them Devils which that sin doing shews There was more evil in sin than Good or Righteousness in them Well then This shews the utter impossibility of any other under heaven or in heaven to Free us from the Evil of sin but JESUS CHRIST Nothing but Infiniteness can deal with sin It must be Infinite wisdom To finde out a way It must be Infinite mercy To pardon Infinite power To subdue Infinite merit To purge and cleanse And Infinite Grace To destroy sin However you think of sin yet this hath been the Great Enemy which God and Grace have been contending withal ever since the world began And it hath put All-God to it even the Infiniteness of the infinite God to rescue us and to save us out of the Hands and Power of sin His infinite Wisdom Power Mercy Truth Holiness have been all imployed to conquer sin I say so to conquer sin as to save you the sinners The Great design of God in sending Christ into the world his Incarnation Humiliation Death Passion all were about this The conquering and destroying of sin How Great an Enemy was this that God must send out his Son to conquer it He can arm Flyes Lice Frogs the meanest of Creatures to overthrow the Greatest Power and Puissance of the earth but no less than his Son was strong enough to conquer sin You may think of sin as meanly as you will swallow it without fear live in it without sense commit it without remorse yet assure your selves that this you make so slight of required No less than the infinite power of God to conquer the infinite mercy of God to pardon the infinite merit of Christ to answer for it It was that which fetcht the Dearest Blood from the Heart of Christ and will have Thine too if thou gettest not an interest in him 7. Consectary 7. Consectary 7. If sin be the Greatest Evil Then see how much we are bound to CHRIST who hath born your sins who hath born All this evil for you you who have an Interest in him Oh the Love of CHRIST that he should bear sin which is more than all miseries a greater evill than Death than Hell it self is If there were one in the world that were content to be Poor for you to Bear Pains for you to be Sick for you to be Arrested for you to go to Prison for you to Dye for you nay to Bear the Wrath of God for you nay the pains of Hell for you How would you think your selves bound to such an one for doing it Why This hath CHRIST done for you He hath Born sin which is a Greater Evil than all these An evil that hath All these evils in the bowels of it Such as none but Christ was Able to Bear If God laid the least sin upon thee pure sin which none but CHRIST did ever bear here in this world it would crush thee to pieces with the weight of it though all the Pillars of Heaven all the Glorious Angels should contribute their strength to thee to help thee to bear thee up The least sin doth deserve and draw down an infinite wrath which nor thou nor all the Angels in Heaven are able to stand under The Damned bear it in Hell They bear it and cannot bear it They are slain with it but cannot dye Ever consuming never consumed And therefore how much are you bound to CHRâ—ST who hath Born sin a Greater evil than All other Evils and with sin All the Torments and Wrath and Justice due to sin All the world is not able to express that Torment which Christ indured when he did Bear sin when he did sweat drops of blood clods of blood when he wrestled with the justice Grumos Sanguinis did bear the wrath of God when he cryed out My GOD my GOD Why hast thou
sins to be the greatest of evils Though Spiritual sins were hid from them their light was not able to discover Infidelity and Gospel-sins yet Moral-sins they have discovered and have avoided them and would hazard themselves nay and suffer too rather than they would commit such sins The examples of Plato Scipio Cato and many others will clear this And all this was discovered by the Glass of Nature done by Nature but not by meer Nature fallen but by Nature well-husbanded by Nature improved by the implantation of Moral Principles together with Restraining Grace and other common gifts of the Spirit The Greatness of their Hatred against sin the Greatness of their Care to avoid sin the Greatness of their Sufferings rather than they would commit sin might be enough to discover to us the Greatness of the Evil of sin But pass by this 2. The second Glass wherein you may see the greatness of sin is The Glass of the Law A Glass which discovers sin in all its Dimensions the Guilt Demerit Filthiness and Sinfulness of sin Hence the Apostle Rom. 7.7 saith I had not known sin but by the Law that is I had not known sin so hainous as it is I had not known sin in the wideness and latitude of it I had not known the sinfulness of sin if it had not been for the Law if the Law had not been a Glass to have discovered sin to me This discovered sin in its Greatness David Psal 119.96 I have seen an end of all Perfection but thy Law is exceeding broad that is by revealing the compass of sin in proportion to its Wideness and Greatness Oh! This will discover to thee more nakedness in one sin than all the world can cover more indigency in one sin than all the Treasures of created righteousness in heaven and earth are able to supply more obliquity and injustice in one sin in a very wandring thought than all the Deaths of men and Annihilations of Angels are able to Expiate Search into the Law and thou shalt discover Thousands of sins which fall under Any One Law of God Oh! Here is A Glass 3. Look upon sin in The Glass of the Griefs Woundings Peircings and Sorrows which the Saints have found 1. In their Admissions and first Entrance into the state of Grace 2. In their Relapsings and Turnings again to folly 1. For the first See what Groans Humiliations they have indured in their first admissions into an estate of Grace in Manasseth 2 Chron. 33.12 in Paul Acts 9. in the Converted Jews Acts 2.37 when the nails which peirced Christ now stuck in their hearts as the arrow in the stags side How many of the Saints have there been who have been cast into a bed of miserable sorrow lain bed-rid under the stroke of Justice perhaps for many years And all this for sin No age is without a Thousand examples of it 2. Look upon the sorrows and breakings which the Saints have indured upon their Relapsing into sin See in Peter in David Read what sad expressions he hath in Psalm 6. from vers 1. to vers 7. and in Psalm 32.3 4 5 verses So Psalm 51. How doth he complain how his Soul is troubled his bones are broken his eyes are consumed with sorrow his bed swims with tears And all this for sin Here is a Glass wherein you may see the Evil of sin to be the Greatest Evil. Yea and the least sin when God sets it on will do all this 4. Look upon sin in Adam and there see the greatness of it That one sin of Adam hath brought All the Miseries Sickness Death c. upon All his Posterity since that time It hath been the Damnation of thousands of millions of men and still it runs on Gods justice is still unsatisfied if it were there would be a stop We should Dye no more Be sick no more c. Oh! Here you may see sin sin in its Extensiveness 5. Look upon sin in Christ See there what Humblings what Breakin gs what Woundings what Peircings what Wrath it brought upon Christ himself It was that which mingled that Bitter Cup with such woful ingredients which had we but fipt of it when it was so tempered would have laid our souls under more wrath than All the damned in Hell do suffer Christ did Bear Pure Justice for sin Nay it made him who was God as well as man sanctified by the Spirit to that work strengthned by the Deity To sweat drops of blood and even to struggle and seem to draw back and pray against the work of his own Mercy and to decline the business of his own coming into the world Ah! none knows but Christ nor is a finite understanding able to conceive what Christ underwent when he was to Bear sin and with that To wrestle with the infinite wrath and justice of the infinite God the Terrors of death and the Powers of the world to come Here is a Glass wherein you may see The greatness of sin The wideness of sin The guilt of sin The demerit of sin All which are set out to the life in the Death Sufferings Breakin gs and Woundings of the Son of God You that make light of sin go to Christ and ask him How heavy it was even that which you make so light of which pressed him down to the ground And the least sin would have pressed thee and all the pillars of heaven to the Bottom of Hell for ever 6. A sixth Glass Look upon sin in the Damnation of the soul for ever that nothing would satisfie the justice of God but the Destruction of the Creature No Sickness no Prisons no Blood no Sufferings but the Sufferings of Hell And those not for a Time but for Ever Ah! see here the greatness of sin which might be further amplified by the consideration of the preciousness of the soul which yet sin ruines to all eternity And therefore would you know sin Quaere Damnatos Ask the damned what sin is Lay thy Ear to Hell and hear those Skreechings those Howlings those Roarings of the Damned And all this is for sin Oh they are dear-bought pleasures which must be thus payed for with everlasting pains Thus you see what sin is by all these Glasses And therefore Oh! how ought we to be Humbled for our slight thoughts of sin which is so great an Evil USE Now if it be so Then see what need we have to Aggravate sin to the utmost in our confessions of sin because all we can say of it will fall infinitely short of the Haâ—nousness of sin You can aggravate no sin so high as to raise it above it selfe as to make sin greater than it is You can have No Magnifying Glass to greaten sin above the Greatness of it You have such Glasses to make greater other things above their own higness which are able to present small things great mean things of vast bigness But you have no Glass to multiply sin and make sin
appear Bigger than it is The sufferings of the Saints the sorrows of the Saints the sufferings of the Damned are too short The Glass ot the Law the Glass of Christs sufferings which is the greatest this doth not shew sin greater than it is It doth but discover sin in its Just Proportions and Dimensions It had not been justice in God to have required more blood and to put his own Son to more suffering than sin deserved Nor would this have stood with Gods Love his Pity and Mercy to his Son to have put him to more than sin deserved Though now there be mercy more than enough for the greatest sinners as the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 1.14 yet there was not Justice more than enough exercised upon Christ for the demerit and guilt of sin The Death of Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Adequate Ransome for our souls and sins And yet there is a Redundancy of merit an Overflowing of merit in the Satisfaction of Christ to Ransome a thousand worlds more to that if need were As sin is infinite in regard of the Object so Satisfaction is infinite in respect of the Merit Hence Christs death is not onely said to be A Satisfaction but A Purchase not onely A Payment but A Purchase A Satisfaction it was to the Justice of God for sin Full. And A Purchase of all good things from the Mercy of God to which his Justice in respect of the Validity and Worth of Christs Satisfaction is bound to us But this by way of Digression See then what need there is To Aggravate sin to the utmost because we cannot multiply sin to the greatness of it There will be many singular fruits of so doing 1. This will breed shame and confusion of spirit for sin 2. This will make you advance and relish mercy better When the debt seems little we are ready and apt to undervalue a pardon But when sin appears exceeding sinful this doth make us value mercy prize a pardon When sin is seen the greatest Evil Mercy and Pardon will be apprehended the greatest Good 3. This puts us into the neerest disposition To forsake sin As he who extenuates sin is resolved to continue in sin so he who truly aggravates sin desires to be rid of it 4. Besides It breeds a Displacency with our selves when we consider How ill we have dealt with God 5. It produceth self-judging and self-condemnation as we see in David Psal 51. 6. It will produce spiritual softness and tenderness of heart for sin But this I must pass over USE If sin be the Greatest Evil Then it is the Greatest Mercy in the world to be rid of sin The greater the evil is the greater is the mercy to be rid of it But now sin is the Greatest Evil. And therefore you shall see it set down as the only mercy that comes in by Christ Mat. 1.25 He shall be called JESUS because he shall save his people from their sins As if all other things coming in by Christ were included in this one He shall save his people from their sins He doth not say Hee shall save his people from Hell c but From sin From no other evil in the world And this is the Greatest Mercy When God would speak the utmost even the greatest thought of Mercy that ever came upon his heart when he would set down the greatest work of Mercy that ever the God of Mercy wrought he saith no more but He shall save his people from their sins Sin was the utmost Evil and therefore the saving from sin was the greatest good And hence David Psal 32.1 2. saith Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered Blessed is that man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin Indeed we have mean thoughts cheap thoughts of pardon of sin and the reason is because we have slight thoughts of sin But if God once open our understanding and make us see the vastness and wideness of the evil of sin and if that he should joyn a feeling sense to that sight and make us feel what sin is if he should let but the least sparkle of his wrath fall upon our spirits for sin it would make our faces gather blackness we should quickly change our note and say Oh! Blessed and for ever blessed are they whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered But lest I should seem to Beat the aire we will therefore Circumstantiate this Mercy a little and you shall see the Greatness of it Though indeed this were enough to tell you that sin is the Greatest Evil Thence would necessarily follow That it is the Greatest Mercy in the world To be rid of sin which will more fully appear if we consider the following particulars 1. First then The pardon of sin is the dearest-bought Mercy and that is something to shew the Greatness of the Mercy You know the Greater the sum is that is to be paid for the Purchase of a thing provided there be no want of wisdom in the Buyer nor want of Honesty in the Seller the Greater still and of more worth is the Thing bought or Purchased But now This Mercy Pardon of sin was a Mercy dear-bought It cost Blood Mat. 26.28 and that Not the blood of Bulls and Goats for that it was impossible it should take away sins as the Apostle hath it Heb. 10.4 What then was it Why it was The Precious blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. You were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and spot And this The Blood of God Acts 20.28 Feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood Now sit down and think what a Mercy that must needs be which is the Price of blood and that of the Son of God There was no Want of Wisdom in the Buyer he could not be over-reacht he knew the worth of the Commodity Nor was there want of justice or goodness in the Seller He was just and would not take one drop of blood more than the thing was worth And he was A Father too and therefore would not put his Son to more sufferings and require more than the thing was worth 2. This is the purest Mercy of all other The Pardon of sin A mercy that comes from the Heart and Good-will of God to you God may give you all other things and hate you You may be Rich and yet Reprobates Great in the world here and be Damned hereafter Dives may have wealth Herod Eloquence Saul Command Agryppa Glorious Apparel a man may do wickedly and yet prosper These things are not Truly good nor Truly evil If good the wicked should not have them If evil the Saints should not have them These are such things as God reacheth from his Hand not from his Heart they are general favors not special Love But this is a Peculiar-Favor the Saints
forgo all Sin where sin is forgiven there sin is forsaken 3. A Third sort are they Who seek a pardon of Sin without sense of Sin who seek forgiveness of Sin without remorse for sin Men who are never troubled with any sense with any compunction of heart for sin Would you not take it for a dallying with you if one had greatly offended you and should come to desire you your forgiveness without any sense or remorse of it What do you think God will do This is certain Without blood there is no Remission of Sin as the Apostle speaks Christ was wounded and thou must be wounded too before thou hast a pardon Christ did bleed and conscience must bleed before ever he give a pardon It was a speech of Bradford He never left a duty till c. Will a man in good earnest beg a pardon who was never attached for Treason or so much as throughly sensible that he is guilty of it 4. A Fourth sort are such as cry for Forgiveness but yet never look after their Prayers Would you not think it a slighting if a man who had offended you should come and beg a pardon and as soon as he had said a few words to you should turn his back and go away and never expect nor wait for an answer from you Why thus do you deal with God You put up prayers but look not after them He who begs in earnest Oh! he will Diligently observe what Answer what Return God makes He will observe what word of Comfort God le ts fall what intimations God will afford to his spirit and will be exceeding chary of them As you see Benhadads servants did 1 Kings 20.31 32 33. After they had put up their requests the Text saith The men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from Ahab and did hastily catch at it So should we do Come with sackcloath put up our prayers with remorse and when that is done when we have prayed our prayers let us wait our prayers to see what intimations we shall receive from heaven Thus David Psal 85.8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak Peace to his people and to his Saints c. Psal 5.3 In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and I will look up 5. A Fift sort who dally with God are they who follow not their prayers with endeavors to get assurance that their Sins are pardoned Who search not into the Covenant of Grace acquaint not themselves with the Promises of Grace search not into the Word of Grace frequent not the Means of Grace These men dally who frequent not the Word Sacraments c. and such like Means for the Assurance of Pardon A TREATISE OF THE Loves of Christ TO HIS SPOUSE BY SAMVEL BOLTON D. D. And MASTER of C. C. C. LONDON Printed by Robert Ibbitson for Thomas Parkhurst and are to be sold at his Shop over against the Great Conduit in Cheapside 1656. A TREATISE OF THE LOVES OF CHRIST TO HIS SPOUSE CANT 4.9 Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chain about thy neck A Text which after wee have been some while in Heaven wee shall bee able to understand Certainly none can speak fully to this Text but they who have the full injoyments of this Love But things that are not possible to bee expressed are not totally to bee omitted and therefore wee will lanch into the main Ocean And when wee are not able to apprehend this love let us cast our selves in and let it comprehend us Some things in the General wee premise 1. For the Author or Penman it was Solomon inspired by the Spirit of God 2. For the Title of the Book it is called The Song of Songs or a most excellent Song So it is called for the excellency and sublimity The doubling of the words declare the excellency As when the Scripture speaks of base things by doubling the words they are more debased as it was said of Cham Gen. 9.25 A servant of servants shall hee bee that is a vile slave So when it speaks of good things by doubling the words it declares the excellency of the thing Deut. 10.17 The Lord your God is God of Gods and Lord of Lords Thus much for the Title 3. As concerning the Matter there is difference among Interpreters 1. Aben-Ezra a Jewish Rabbin thinks it to bee an History of the Church of God from Abraham to Christ 2. Another thinks it to bee an Hystory of the Church from Christ to the freedome of the Church by Constantine a Roman Emperour who lived in the beginning of the fourth Century 3. Another makes it contain a prophetical Hystory of the condition of the Church from David to the end of the World And divides the book into these two parts The Church 1. Under the Law 2. Under the Gospel 1. The Church under the Law from David to the death of Christ which is continued from the beginning of the Book to the sixth verse of the fourth Chapter 1. As it was from David to the Captivity which saith hee is contained in the first Chapter and the two first verses of the second Chapter 2. As it was in the Captivity from the second verse of the second Chapter to the fifteenth verse of the second Chapter 3. As it was after the Captivity till the death of Christ the abrogation of the Church under the Law which continues from the fifteenth verse of the second Chapter to the sixth verse of the fourth Chapter 2. And from that to the end of the Book is contained an Hystory of the Church Evangelical till Christs second comming Of this mind is Brightman But to leave this wee think and with us goes the stream of Orthodox Interpreters that the subject matter of this Book is a Parabolical Hystory of the mutual loves betwixt Christ and his Church set down under the persons of the Bridegroom and his Bride And thus much of the Book in general Wee will now draw neerer to our Text. In the former Chapter we read how the Church the Spouse of Christ doth declare her exceeding love to Christ and her high appretiations of him with her earnest desire to injoy him whom her soul saw so precious and that Christ might discover to her how kindly hee took her affection In this Chapter hee doth again enter into a singular commendation of the excellency of the Church declaring also his unfeigned love to her The whole Chapter contains these parts 1. A singular commendation of the Church by Christ which is set down allegorically from the first verse to the fifth and from the tenth to the fourteenth verse 2. A gracious profession of Christs love to his Church from the fifth verse to the tenth 3. The Churches reply with Christs answer again to her vers 15 16 17. In the Churches reply 1. A commendation of her head and
matter of conscience not to beleeve they ought not to beleeve should such sinful creatures such vile wretches so polluted c. Should they beleeve this were to presume to sin against Gods Justice in the closes with his Mercy this were to give holy things to dogs c. Satan presents sin And some there are so witty as to object against all that can be brought as if they took a pride to argue themselves into a condition of misery setting the pride of their own carnal reasonings against the riches and freeness of the mercy of God if you bring a promise to them when cast down for sin and indeavour to fasten a promise on them they can tell you that this is not the meaning of the Promise or certainly this Promise doth not belong to mee Alas will they say all this is but lost labour you might as well caâ—â—y a cordial to a dead man as bring a Promise to them it is a â—â—uâ—tless thing if upon examination wee shall discover some spots oâ— a Child in them some undoubted evidences of one whom God â—peaks mercy unto Yet they will tell you all these are false all â—â—â—se are in Hypocrisy It s true if these things were in truth 〈◊〉 I could then conceive some hopes of mercy but I know â—â—ey are all in Hypocrisie they are all unsound and counterfeit c. Ergo no Mercy Thus doth many a poor soul take pains to reason himself into misery and side with Satan and take part with the corruptions and unbeleevings of his own heart against himself And what will bee the end of it sure it will breed bitterness in the latter end for the present it is thy sin and for the future it will bee thy misery either it will cause God to withdraw himself from thee as hee tells them Deut. 32.20 Or cause thee to withdraw thy self from God As the Apostle speaketh Heb. 3.12 Take heed least there bee in you an evil heart of Unbeleef in departing from the living God Hee that withdraws himself from the Promise cannot long keep close to the Precept hee that keeps at a distance from Mercy will not long walk in the wayes of duty When the workings of natural conscience are done when fears are allayed when troubles are blown over then will all service bee done too if not yet the continuance of troubles and fears will make you cast of all and say there is no hope or will discourage your hearts in your walking that your life will bee little better than a martyrdome with continual racks and troubles It was before thy sin not to beleeve but now it will bee thy misery before thou wouldest not now thou canst not Thou soughtest arguments before to keep thee off from the Promise and thou wilt now seek as many arguments against such arguments which might bring thee over to the Promise And this miserable unbeleef is the fruit of sinful unbeleef This disability to come to the Promise is the punishment of thy former slowness to come to the Promise And this temper you shall see in many who have reasoned themselves down do finde it now a harder work to reason themselves up again Who have put themselves into a greater incapacity to close with the Promise by those wayes which they have thought to bee helpful to them It is easier to give entertainment to carnal reasonings to the suggestions of Satan and the objections of our own fleshy hearts than to get rid of them again Many have given willing entertainment to these at first who would more gladly bee rid of them afterward if they could But the continuance of them is a fruit of your entertainment of them If you will entertain doubts and fears and set up your own carnâ—l reasonings against the Promise then you shall have doubts and feaâ—s and caâ—nâ—l reasonings when you would not to keep you from the Promise As God said in another case Hos 8.11 Because you have made many Altars to sin thâ—râ—fore Altars shall bee unto you to sin So here because you have set up your carnal reasonings and your unbeleeving thoughts against the Promise to hinder you from closing with the Promise therefore carnal reasonings c. shall bee a hinderance c. Thus is miserable Unbeleef a fruit of sinful Unbeleef which the more miserable the lesse sinful the more seen the more sorrowed for the more lamented and mourned for the lesse sinful while it was your sin it was not seen it was not sorrowed for and now it is c. and the more misery the lesse your sin in Gods account Carnal reasonings were before your pride now your grief you sought them before you would bee rid of them now they were your delight before now they are your trouble your misery which is something But they had not now continued to bee your misery if they had not before been entertained as your sin c. This is the fruit of slowness of heart to beleeve Use 2. Is of Exhortation If so then three things 1. Bee convinced of the greatness of the sin 2. Bee humbled for it 3. Bee quickened to beleeve 1. Bee yee convinced of the greatnesse of the sin it is a sin whereby you wrong God gratifie Satan wrong your own souls 1. You wrong God in it you obscure his glory you limit his power you contemn his wisdome you give a lye to his truth you abuse his love you sleight and reject all the precious and peerlesse thoughts of his Mercy and Grace I told you not long since that God was more severe against Unbeleef than any sin because Unbeleef was most severe to God No sin was more cruel to God God hath no greater enemy in the World than Unbeleef It is an enemy to whatever is most dear and precious unto God Therefore is hee such an enemy to Unbeleef if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 2. You gratifie Satan I beleeve thou wouldst not willingly if thou knew it gratifie Satan for a World I tell thee in thy standing off thou dost not only gratifie him but thou canst do Satan no greater a pleasure no greater a courtesy in the World In this Satan hath all his desire of thee that which hee desires is to make void all the great things of God that which hee desires is to make the death of Christ in vain to make the bloud of Christ to bee shed in vain to make the great counsel of God the great things of his wisdome and mercy to no purpose in the World And by this standing off thou dost what lyes in thee to answer his desire and therefore this must needs glad him Besides Satan knows full well if hee do not wound thy Faith thy Faith will wound him break the head of the Serpent and therefore it is that which hee laboureth after in all his temptations if hee cannot keep thee from beleeving yet to wound and weaken thy Faith that thou
never be looser by it hath bargain good enough You know those places Hee who prizeth father and mother riches lands before mee is not worthy of mee Again There is no man forsaketh father or mother riches or lands for my sake c. but shall have a hundred fold c. So Who saves his life shall loose it but hee who looses his life c. So Hee who denies me before men him will I deny It is now a time wherein wicked men do shew their corruptions do you make use of it as a time to shew your graces when they discover their hypocrisy do you declare your sincerity I have looked and wondred to see those men who have stood firm in the times of affliction of a Church should stagger and fall back in the times of redemption of a Church It is not so strange for a man to fall in the times of the declining of a Church Then fear may make men stagger as in Peter But that is a corrupt heart indeed corrupt with a witness who falls back and flyes off in the times of reforming of a Church to see men to fall back not in the times of persecution but in the times of reformation this is a sad thing It may be weakness of grace which occasions a man to decline and fall back in the times of persecution but it is a wickednesse and height of wickednesse it shews a spirit opposite to God and goodnesse to bee worse in times of reformation Wee see it so in many in our times and seeing unsound spirits to discover their corruptions let Gods people now discover their graces When Israel halted between God and Baal making a mixture of divine worship and idolatrous together one to bee set off by the other that poison might bee swallowed down without scrupling then did Elijah take occasion to declare his sincerity when hee cryed how long do you halt c. When Haman had plotted the death of all the Jews and had gotten the Kings warrant for the doing of it then was it a special occasion for Mordecai and Hâ—sler to declare their sincerity which they did Hesler 4.15 16. When Israel had joyned themselves to Baal Peor then was it a special occasion for Moses to declare his sincerity which hee did Numb 25.5 You see what honour Phineas wonne by taking that special occasion of declaring his sincerity The like of Levi in Deut. 33.9 So of Abraham Gen. 22. consider 1. God calls on you to declare your sincerity 2. The Church calls on you 1. Those abroad our poâ—r distressed brethren in Ireland they cry in the language of the Psalmist Psal 94.16 Who will rise up for mee against the evil doers or who will stand up for mee against the workers of iniquity Do you declare your sincerity by helping them with your purses with your prayers and with your persons so far as you are called out to it 2. Our own Church and Nation calls upon us to declare our sincerities the singleness and honestness of your hearts in these double times To help forward with our prayers the good of the Church the great work which concerns Gods glory his cause now on the wheeles the great work of reformation 3. Your conscience that calls on you to discover your sincerity and conscience is either a mans best friend or worst enemy If you would not have conscience shew it self an enemy at that time when you desire it to appear your friend then make use of the seasons to declare the sincerity of your hearts to God And then will conscience bee thy friend in health thy friend in sickness thy friend in life thy friend in death when all other friendâ— must leave thee The testimony of Hezekiahs conscience to him when hee lay on his sick-bed which gave in evidence of his sincerity brought more comfort than all the World Lord remember how I have walked before thee c. Would you have conscience to give in the like testimony for you then declare the sincerity of your hearts when God calls you out There is a story the moral whereof is good that a man who had three friends which hee loved well and being sent for to the King asked which of his friends would go with him one tells him hee could not go not stir another told him hee would go a little way with him but could not go out with him the third hee tells him hee will not only go with him but answer all for him bring him off God is the King the World kindred and conscience are â—he three friends the arrest death and the person sent for the soul The World that will leave you kindred bring you a little way to the grave there leave you but it is a good conscience which carries a man thorough and makes a man stand blameless before the tribunal If you would have conscience bee your friend theâ— labour to discover sincerity now A TREATISE OF THE Wonderfull Workings OF GOD FOR HIS Church and People BY SAMVEL BOLTON D. D. And MASTER of C. C. C. LONDON Printed by Robert Ibbitson for Thomas Parkhurst and are to be sold at his Shop over against the Great Conduit in Cheapside 1656. A TREATISE OF THE Wonderful VVorkings OF GOD FOR HIS Church and People EXODUS 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like thee glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises Doing wonders WHen troubles are threatned God doth charge us with two things and undertakes to discharge us of all the rest 1. The first thing in Gods charge is Faith Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord The burden of fears of cares of troubles There is the charge and the discharge followes Hee shall sustain thee 2. The second thing God doth charge us withall is Prayer Psal 50.15 Call upon mee But if you will take the charge and the discharge together See Phil. 4.6 Bee careful for nothing There is the discharge But in all things make your request known to God There is the charge And there are two things which God doth charge us withall when our fears are blown over and they are 1. Thankfulness 2. Obedience The former you may read Psal 50.15 The latter 1 Sam. 12.24 And this hath been the practice of the Saints when calamities and troubles hath been either felt or feared they have betaken themselves to those weapons to incounter them with Faith and Prayer You see in Heslers time And when God hath bestowed deliverance then they have betaken themselves to Praises You see in the same story of Esther the Primitive Christians had their Stationary-daies their daies of Prayer wherein they assembled themselves together for the removal of the Churches pressures lying upon them And no doubt but they had their Solemn Feasts and times of Praises when God had wrought his deliverances The want of Mercy sends us to Prayer the injoyment of Mercy sends us to Praises But what need wee seek further for an
these performances is it sound in prayer in hearing if not all this something is nothing If you break the string that goes through a set of Beads they all fall to the ground Sincerity is the string which goes through all our Prayers our Duties and Graces if that bee broken all is broken Sincerity is the Evidence of all our Evidences taken from below It is that which makes every duty glorious every breathing of the spirit sweet every groan weighty every drop of tears a pearl and precious in Gods esteem Sincerity is all in all It is all in all our Prayers all in all our tears all in all our services It is all to God that which God accounts all Sincerity is Gospel perfection And perfection is all Let us then examine our hearts you that abound most in all outward performances clear the soundness and sincerity of your hearts in them 1. Clear the sincerity of your hearts in your obedience in general 2. Clear the sincerity of your hearts in your performances in particular Wee shall now insist upon the last first And that is Clear the sincerity of your hearts in your performances in particular Wee will instance in these three especially which wee single out First in your Hearing Secondly in your Praying Thirdly in your Mourning for sin 1. Clear the sincerity of your hearts in hearing the Word Wee will give you these characters of a sincere heart in hearing the Word 1. A sincere heart desires sincere preaching Such preaching wherein his heart is ripped up his corruptions discovered the most quickening and soul-searching ministry such a ministry as doth most unravel his heart and rip up his soul You see this 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word the preaching of the Word and the sincere preaching of the Word not the Word as it is sophisticated poisoned adulterated by mans invention As the Apostles phrase is but the Word as it comes sincerely from the Fountain Such a man hee desires killing as well as comforting truths searching as well as healing truthes breaking as well as binding And indeed hee desires no comforting but in killing no comforting of his soul but in killing of his sins no healing but in searching no binding but in breaking An unsound heart if hee desire to hear yet it should bee such as would preach placentia speak peace daube with untempered Morter And if a Minister do once preach to the quick If hee once enter upon the discovery of them their hearts rise against the truth they rebel against the Word and such are no Ministers for them They will finde out one that they can live in sin and yet live in peace under his Ministry We read in the 42. of Jer. read it throughout the Chapter is worth your taking notice of Let mee intreat you to read it when you come home you shall see there the depth of a self-deceiving spirit You shall read there the Children of Israel desired Jeremy to inquire of the Lord what they should do and they would assuredly do it but their hearts deceived them You see there that they thought Jeremy would have brought them an answer from God agreeable to their own spirits They did not think that their will must have come up to Gods will but that Gods will would have come down to their will Well Jeremy goes to God and hee brings them a message from God which was clean cross to their lusts And then the venome of their spirits which before lay hid appeared they brake out into open rebellion against the Word of the Lord and spake plain Wee will not hear the Word of the Lord which thou hast told us So it is with many unsound spirits self-deceiving spirits before a Minister come into a Parish Oh then say they let us have a good Minister one that may do our souls good one that may bring a message to us from the Lord discover to us Gods will And few there are but do thus far agree but if once a Minister rip up their sins search their wounds that they may bee healed of them if once hee come to discover their corruptions and indeavour to take them off their unsound bottomes whereon if they live and dye they will perish Then they flye out against the light and him that holds it forth to them Away with such a man from the earth Wee will not hear the Word of the Lord spoken Whereas a sincere heart doth side with the Word with light to fight against and destroy his corruptions These men they side with their corruptions and lusts to fight against the truth to blow out the light and oppose the preaching of the Word A sincere heart doth hold up the Law against his lust Let my lusts perish rather than thy Law bee destroyed But a corrupt heart doth hold up his lust against the Law And saith in his heart Let the Law rather than my lust bee destroyed There is not one corruption which thou keepest with love and liking but thou wishest in thy heart that there were no such Law against it The Drunkard wisheth there were no such Law against his Drunkenness The unclean person would bee glad there were no Law against his uncleanness rather part with so much of Gods Nature which the Law is a beam of than part with his lust Hence it is truly said peccatum est Dei Cidium sin is Gods slaughter because sin strikes against the very being of God the purity and holiness of God Hee that would not bee as God is would hee glad if God were as hee is That is a certain rule that hee that will favour himself in any corruption would bee glad if God would favour him too That there were no Law against it or that there were a Law to countenance it or no Law to punish it That God were not against it that God were of his mind or that there were no God or no God to punish it c. 2. A sincere heart in hearing the Word 1. Is willing to receive the truth of God 2. Is willing to receive every truth of God 3. Is willing to receive it as the truth of God 1. Hee receives the truth not into his head only his understanding to know it but into his heart his affections to love it Hee doth not imprison it in the head but lets it go down into the heart And the whole soul is made the residence and place of truth Lord how I love thy Law contrary hereto is that 2 Thes 2.10 2. Hee is willing to receive every truth Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth Hee looks upon every word of God as good every truth of God as comming in the image of God and comming with the authority of God and there is ready entertainment for all as well those which make against him as those which make for him though a truth appear never so formidable that the receiving may cost a man death 2.
Hee is willing to receive truth as the truth that is in the Power Majesty and Authority of Truth And sets it up as King in his spirit To which hee desires to yeeld subjection and obedience in all Hee lets it come in in its inlightening in its convincing power in its humbling and awakening power as well as in its quickening and comforting power Every truth shall bee received as the truth of God But now an unsound spirit Hee is not willing to receive the truth some truth hee dare not own least they should disturb him in a way of sin As the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.5 Of this they are willingly ignorant they have no desire to know this They desire to shut out the light that their corruptions may not bee disquieted Mat. 13.15 They wink with their eyes that they might not understand 2. They receive not every Truth It may bee such as are notional they will or such as may stand with their lusts and present advantages not such as are practical and cross them in their corrupt ends and practises They look upon some truthes as an ignis fatuus that if they should entertain them and follow them they would lead them into danger It was the speech of a King of France that hee would lanch no further into the deep than hee might come safely to shore That is hee would follow Truth no further than hee may preserve himself and his own If those bee hazarded hee will forsake the Truth 3. They receive it not as Truth 1. Not for it self 2. Not to bee King over them 1. Not for it self but for other private and personal respects Either for their gain their advantage or for fear and danger or out of respects to the greatness or quality of the persons who do entertain a Truth Whereas a godly man doth love the person for the Truths sake As St. John writing to the Elect Lady whom hee said hee loved for the Truths sake 2 Joh. 1.2 They that love the Truth for the persons sake may say they love the Truth for the Ladies sake The one the person for the Truths sake the other the truth for the persons sake So you see they receive it not as Truth for it self 2. They receive it not as Truth to bee Lord and King over them To which they yeeld obedience and subjection in all things Many men would govern Truth but they will not suffer Truth to govern them They would keep Truth though but in prison for all their keeping is but imprisoning but they will not suffer Truth to keep them though the Truth would make them free Corrupt spirits they receive Truth as a Servant not as a King And before they receive it they will ask what it can do for them what service what advantage can it bring them If none Truth shall not bee entertained of them 3. A sincere heart in hearing the Word is an honest heart and there is the summe of all This Christ expresseth in the Parable of the Sower and the Seed Luk. 8.15 the sincere spirit received the Word with an honest and good heart Now the honesty of a mans spirit in hearing or an honest heart in hearing is such as 1. Hears the Word as Gods Word bee the instrument never so weak and despicable yet it shall prevail with an honest heart because it is Gods Word You have an expression in Isa 11.6 A little Childe shall lead him Whoever comes with a message from God whoever brings a word hee shall prevail and perswade with him An honest servant will take notice of his Masters mind though a Child bee the messenger hee looks not on the person that brings it but on the message brought So though the person bee never so weak if hee bring a word from God an honest heart will vail to it 2. An honest heart sides with the Word of God against himself hee takes part with a truth against himself Whereas an unsound heart sides with his corruption against the Word fights against that which fights against it but an honest heart sides with the Word against his corruption 3. An honest heart desires to profit by the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that they may grow thereby Hee is a man that is resolved to practise whatever God reveals Hee hath no exceptions or reservations to himself but is bent to practise every Truth God reveals to him Hee asketh the way to Sion with his face thitherward as one resolved to go the way that God shall reveal This was that which Paul said Lord what wilt thou have mee to do They were not verba expostulantis but verba submittentis Hee was not only desirous to know but resolved to do whatever God did reveale to him An honest heart desires every Truth to bee made his own And that there may bee Principles bred in the spirit sutable to the Truthes revealed to him Hee is desirous that every degree of illumination may bee a further degree of sanctification That his heart may bee transformed into the nature of truthes revealed It doth not content him to have truthes in the head and a lye in the heart Truth in the head and error in the spirit Light in the head and darkness in the heart but hee desires the whole man may bee digested into the nature of truthes Truth formed in his soul 4. An honest heart hee hears the word with reflection As in reading the word hee reads himself with it So in hearing the word hee doth peruse himself with it Hee hears with reflection hee hears with application charging and clearing his heart according to the evidence which conscience gives in upon hearing of the Word 2. Clear the sincerity of your hearts in matter of praying I told you in the beginning that it was possible for a man to pray nay and make many prayers to abound in praying hee may pray in publick pray in private pray in the Church and pray in his closet hee may multiply to pray as the word importeth Isa 1.15 And yet his heart bee unsound And therefore you who do abound much in prayer labour to clear the sincerity of your hearts in this duty Wee will give you these Characters of an heart sincere in Prayer 1. Character Where the heart is sincere in Prayer there is a doing of the duty with all our strength There will bee a laying out of all the strength and powers within us The strength of our Judgement the strength of our will and our affections the strength of the whole soul in the work Prayer when sincere is a wrestling work Jacob wrestled with God that is hee wept and prayed Hos 12.4 Prayer is the souls contention the souls strugling with God It is a sweating work It is the sweat and blood of the soul A sincere heart layes out its strength in prayer Though a mans strength bee but weakness yet if a mans strength bee in the work