to relieve the Poor to pray in their Families or to attend publick praying and preaching hereby they are scandalous and offensive They grieve the godly Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because the wicked forsake thy Laws Psal 119. and they harden the wicked VVhen ungodly men see others neglect all Religion they are encouraged in their Atheism and Irreligion and presuming others are wise and that themselves shall fare as well as others As it was said of those Ezek. 13.21 so it may be said of these They strengthen the hands of the wicked Again these are guilty in all respects they who offend in the matter of a Command by neglecting the Duty it self in the substance thereof offend in the manner and measure also but they who offend in the manner and measure may not offend in the matter 2. VVhen the omission is in regard of the manner of the duties performance As when men do pray but they pray not uprightly with the heart Jer. 12.2 Thou art nigh their mouths but far from their reins Nor earnestly with their whole heart and with all their heart and all the powers of their Souls as the Precept is Jer. 29.13 and that Prayer to which the Promise is annexed James 5.16 But pray as if they pray'd not formally and customarily and carelesly scarce hearing themselves and no wonder then if God hear them not they pray not reverently with the aw of God upon their Spirits but are rash in their words and irreverent in their hearts Eccles 5.1 2. So when men give Alms but do not give chearfully with a free willing ready heart For God loves a chearful giver 2 Cor. 9.17 Nor seasonably when it may do most good Prov. 3.18 Say not to thy Neighbour Go and come again to morrow when thou hast it by thee So when men hear the Word but hear not awfully in the fear of God as in the presence of God Acts 10.33 We are all here present before God to hear all things commanded thee of God Neither hear believingly giving their assent to what they hear and applying it to their own Souls The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4.2 These and such like though they are not guilty of omission in regard of the matter of a Duty yet they are guilty of omission in regard of the manner of it though they do the thing commanded yet they do it not as it is commanded and so are guilty of the breach of a positive Law and Command 3. When the omission is in regard of the measure of the Duty As when a man gives Alms but not answerable to his Estate though God hath filled his Belly with hidden treasures and waters of a full Cup are wrung out to him and he is able to give pounds to poor indigent Families he puts them off with a few pence or at most shillings this is an omission in regard of the measure God expects charitable Contributions from men answerable to his Bounty to them 1 Cor. 16.2 Vpon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come According to the measure of the Divine Mercy to us such should be the measure of our Charity to others According to the seed thrown into the Earth is the Crop return'd by the good ground Therefore to make scanty Returns when we have large Receipts is a sin of omission So when men pray but not with that frequency which they might and ought The Command is To pray contiuually to pray without ceasing to pray evermore Which must include at lest frequent i. e. daily prayer each Morning and Evening but some men pray but it 's only at certain seasons now and then by fits and starts Some pray only upon the Lords-Days as if they had liberty all the working-days to be Atheists and neglect the owning of the great God Others pray only under some Affliction and as Patients to their Physitian never go to God but when they cannot tell what to do without him So the Jews In their Affliction they will seek me early Hos 5.15 When he smote them then they sought him but their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Psal 78.34 37. Unevenness of Pulse argues a distemper'd Body so doth unevenness in Duties a distemper'd Soul In their trouble they will pour out a prayer When troubles are on them they will make bold to trouble God and call him up for their help God expects frequency of Application to him every day and greater frequency of those that have more time and fewer Obstacles and Impediments than others Now the putting God off with Applications to him and Acknowledgments of him once a week instead of every day and much under Affliction instead of doing it in all conditions and at all seasons or putting him off with Morning-Prayer only instead of Morning and Evening-Prayer or with Family-Prayer only when we should also pray in our Closets daily these are sins of Omission in regard of the measure of the Duty Secondly These sins of omission are either partial or total Total omissions are when men wholly neglect the Duties commanded as when they altogether cast off Praying and Hearing and giving Alms and examining their own hearts Psal 14.3 4. They are all gone aside there is none that doth good They call not upon God A man may read the Word Atheist in the fore-heads of these men They carry about them where-ever they go the sign and mark of Condemnation They please themselves possibly that they do not abound in scandalous sins of Commission not considering that they may be guilty of self-murther as well by starving or not feeding their Souls as by stabbing or poisoning their Souls 2. Partial Omissions are when men do sometimes perform the Duties commanded but not with that constancy which they ought Job 15.4 Thou castest off fear and restrainest prayer before God i. e. Thou imprisonest Prayer and dost not afford it the liberty it formerly had It was wont to appear every day openly but now it is kept in and shews it self but seldom Thirdly Sins of omission are distinguished into external or internal omissions 1. External Omissions are a neglect of the outside as I may call it of the Command 2. Internal Omissions are the neglect of the inside of the Command We must know that in every Command there is an Extra and an Intra an Out-side and an Inside somewhat that concerns the Hands Conversation somewhat that concerns the Heart and Affections As for example In the Fourth Command of sanctifying the Sabbath there God commands us to spend the whole time of his day except so much as the works of Necessity and Mercy call for in religious Exercises and the Duties of his own worship as Praying Reading Hearing Singing c. Now the bare performance
Great Day These bid open defiance to the Prohibitions Precepts and Penalty of the Law and dare the Law to do its worst Either these must be condemned or all shall be saved But God is of an holier Nature than to dwell with such Sinners They may read their doom written under his own hand and like the Law of the Medes and Persians That cannot be alter'd 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Ephes 5.5 Rom. 8.5 To be carnally minded is death vers 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die 2. Proposition They who are guilty of total external Omissions are in a damnable Condition This is written in broad Letters that he who runs may read it They who pray not are under wrath and the effusions of wrath Jer. 10. ult They who neglect to pay their external Allegiance to the true God and deny him his outward Homage and Acknowledgment shall be denied and disowned by Christ before his Father and before his holy Angels The Holy God doth all along speak of these as Heathens Psal 79.6 and Sinners with a witness Psal 36.1 2 3. and threatneth that Christ shall come in flaming fire to render Vengeance on them 2 Thess 2.7 8 9 10. Those who are guilty of these total Omissions in regard of the matter of the Duties commanded them are ungodly in the highest degree for ungodliness strictly and properly speaks the neglect of our Duties to God and sins against the first Table as unrighteousness the neglect of our Duties to our Neighbour and our Transgressions against the Second Table and so none in the whole Scripture more obnoxious to wrath and ruine Psal 73.12 These are the Ungodly who prosper in the World but mark how soon they perish vers 18. Thou castest them down to destruction and utterly consumest them with terrours 2 Pet. 3.7 Jude vers 4. 15. 3. Proposition Those who perform external Duties and wholly neglect internal or please themselves in total inward Omissions cannot be in a state of Salvation God will not be put off with the Body without the Soul of Religion Indeed external Duties are but the Garments or Cloaths of Religion wherein it appears and whereby it is known to the World the life and power of it consists in internal Performances or those that are the motions and actions of the Understanding and Will and Affections as in the Knowledg of God his Being and Excellency and the kindness he hath for and the love he hath to Mankind in Jesus Christ as also in the choosing him for our richest Treasure and supream Lord and Law-giver and in loving him with all the heart and Soul and strength and desiring his love above all the World and delighting in his Favour as the Souls felicity and seeking to please him rather than to command the Creation A man without these is but the Picture of a Saint he hath somewhat of the resemblance but nothing of the reality of a Christian He hath a form but nothing of the power of godliness 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5 to 7. and therefore is in a state of perdition The neglect of believing repenting loving the Lord Jesus Christ are all inward Omissions for these are acts proper and peculiar to the Soul and condemned in Scripture with the most dreadful damnation Mark 16.16 John 3. ult Luke 13.3 1 Cor. 16.22 If a man pray and pray wholly without Faith and without fervency Jam. 1. Jam. 5. this is no way acceptable to God All such prayers are howlings and bablings and of no sweet sound in Gods Ears Hos 7. Isa 1.15 16 17. Whatsoever a man doth either by way of hearing or singing or praying or receiving if there be not that dread of God and love to his Name and Faith in Christ which are the essentials of these Duties all is as nothing 4. Proposition Those who allow themselves in partial Omissions whether external or internal are in no good Condition By partial Omissions I mean at sometimes as for prayer a man it may be prays in his Closet or Family usually but if any worldly business intervene and calls for his company he will as usually attend on that and wholly omit his Closet and family-Family-Duties for that Morning or Evening Or for a man to pray as some do only at the Evening and not in the Morning as if God were the God of the Night and not of the Day or as some others who will pray only upon the Lords-Day as if God had a right to them then but not all the week after Or when men perform some religious Duties and not others will pray but not read Scripture daily or pray and read the Word but not take notice of those under their Roofs to instruct and admonish and support them as occasion is Or some will perform their Duties which immediately concern God but will not be charitable to the Poor at least not in such a degree and measure as their Estates will bear and as God expects These and such like I understand by partial and external Omissions What is meant by internal partial Omission is next to be consider'd Partial internal Omissions are when men oftentimes though not constantly are negligent in the manner of performing their Duties and though they be formal and superficial and lazy and slothful in the Worship of God yet they take little or no notice thereof Indeed sometimes they find some heat and warmth and this pleaseth them but at other times they are cold and liveless in their Duties and this doth not much displease them They can commonly pray as if they pray'd not and read as if they read not and wait on God without any suitable and considerable affections towards him and not be disturbed at it These sudden heats at one time and colds at another time speak the Body out of order and the Soul not healthy The next thing to be explain'd is what is meant by allowing themselves in partial Omissions and indeed the stress of the Proposition depends on that To allow themselves in these partial Omissions notes these two things To know these partial Omissions to be sins and yet to continue in them without any great disturbance or trouble of Spirit They must know that they are sins otherwise continuance in them will not argue a total want of Grace or the predominant power of sensuality in the Soul I doubt not but in many dark places of this Nation there may be those who live in a total Omission of some Duties as praying with their Families and a strict sanctification of the Sabbath or who yet fear God in truth and make great Conscience of their Conversations These men neglect prayer and devoting the Sabbath wholly to God c. because they do not know them to be their Duties And where a man desires and endeavours to know his Masters Will and lives up to that Light God hath given him he may upon a general repentance expect pardon through the blood of Christ for
Ladder but one round it will be many to one if thou stop before thou comest to the bottom 4. This one sin allowed makes thee guilty of all sins By the breach of one Command thou disownest the Authority by which all the Commands are enjoyned James 2.10 For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all It 's true he doth not break the whole formally he may be no Thief no Murderer c. But 1. He breaks the whole Law interpretatively He slights and despiseth the Author of the whole Law He cannot obey God in any Command who endeavours not to obey him in every Command the Apostle subjoyns this reason for he that said Do not commit Adultery said also Do not kill so that if thou commit not Adultery yet if thou killest thou art a Transgressor of the Law 2. He breaks the whole Law collectively though not distributively All the Commands are ten words but one Law The whole Law is one Copulative or Chain break one link you disorder and mar all The whole Body suffers by a wound given to any one part The Commands are consider'd all together not severally as they make one entire and perfect rule of righteousness from which whosoever swerveth in regard of any part of it must needs swerve from the whole 3. He breaks the whole Law eventually though not intentionally in the consequent of his Disobedience to one Command He is liable to the same Curse with those that break every Command He is as truly out of favour with God as if he had kept never a Command Any one condition not observed forfeits the whole Lease be it never so large and any one Command not obeyed forfeits the benefits of the Gospel and subjects the Soul to eternal damnation 4. He breaks the whole Law habitually though not actually The same wicked nature which carrieth him out to break one Command wilfully would carry him out to break them all if it were not restrained This mans heart breaks every Command though his hands be tied and he is hindred from breaking many of the Commands 5. He breaks the whole Law by the breach of any one because he sins against love and breaks that bond and knot which keeps and fastens the whole Law together Rom. 13.10 Qui uno peccavit omnium reus est peccans contra charitatem in qua omnia pendent Aug. Epist 29. He that breaks one Command is guilty of all because he sins against Charity on which all hang saith Austin Therefore upon the breach of one viz. That of the Sabbath God chargeth the Jews with the guilt of all Exod. 16.18 5. I answer if it be but one sin thou livest in but one Duty thou livest in the omission of the more foolish art thou to lose all for lack of doing one thing more Though as the young man said thou hast kept all the Commands from thy youth yet if as Christ said to him thou lackest one thing truly as with him the lack of this one thing will be the loss of all And what a Fool is he who runs for a Crown an incorruptible Crown to run within one step of the Goal and then to make a stop and thereby to lose the prize Is not he an unwise man who layeth a large Foundation raiseth up stately Floors is at great cost in building an House yet for want of a little more charge about some material pillar of the Edifice suffers it all to fall down Reader Consider it the omission of one Duty is the amission of all thy Duties If God lose but one thou losest all And art thou willing to lose all thy labour all thy days at the Labour-in-vain and that for want of taking a little more pains and doing one thing more for thy Soul and Salvation One flaw in a Diamond mars all its beauty and brightness One blot in a writing may spoil the whole and render it insignificant One poisonful Herb renders all the good and wholsom Herbs in the pot unprofitable Therefore do not say It is but one therefore I may omit it but rather it is but one Duty more to all my other Duties and therefore I will not stick at it CHAP. XLVII A fifth cause of sins of Omission The example of others with the cure of it 5. ANother cause of sins of Omission is the example of others Men are much led by the eye more than by the ear and look rather to what their Neighbours do than to what God speaketh Though all men are not of one mind in all things yet most in the places where we live are of a mind about evil and against good The whole City of Sodom will joyn together in a sin that was against the very light of nature Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them sinned in like manner The Diseases of others Souls are far more infectious than the Plague or any other Disease of their Bodies The ground why several neglect the Duties God requireth is because others neglect them They see their Neighbours some of whom are counted possibly wise men and are it may be rich men and great men and others who are numerous to live without God to omit Prayer and Scripture in their Families to neglect the instruction of their Children and Servants and they think they may omit them as safely as others Nay they will tell us such and such men are sober men and understand themselves well enough and they think it needless to make so much ado about family-Family-Duties and the sanctification of the Sabbath c. and our Neighbours generally are of their mind and why should we be wiser than our Neighbours O what a ready Scholar is man to learn a wicked Lesson that is set him by others If Corah conspire against God he shall quickly have some hundreds to joyn with him in his rebellion They move swiftly towards the dead Sea of destruction who are carried thitherward by the tide of Nature and blown powerfully with the wind of Example The patterns of them who are Persons of Quality and Estate have a strange prevalency upon the inferior sort and are often the Looking-glasses by which they dress themselves Ordinary men look on their Superiors especially if they be not scandalous as men of wisdom whether they be such or no and fit to guide and govern others and so judge they cannot err much if they follow their steps The Pharisees plead this for the Omission of the great Gospel-Duty Joh. 7 48. Have any of the Rulers of the Pharisees believed on him Will ye be wiser than they Do you think that if Faith in this Son of man as he calls himself were a Duty they would neglect it or if he were the true Messiah such understanding men as they would not know it One great man as a great Letter in an Indenture though it signifie no more than another small one hath many small ones following him The Herodians
Servants Ephes 5. Ephes 6. Col. 3. Col. 4. It directs us in all Conditions how to demean our selves in Prosperity to be joyful in Adversity to consider how God hath set the one against the other In Afflictions to be patient and prayerful and more studious of a right improvement of them than of deliverance out of them Under Mercies it directs us to be thankful to God the more chearful in his Service and faithful in the use of our Talents for the honour of our Master It directs us in all our Thoughts Jer. 4.14 Words Psal 39.2 Works Prov. 4.23 24 26. It directs us in all our natural Actions as Eating Drinking Sleeping 1 Cor. 10.31 Tit. 2.12 In our civil Converses Micah 6.8 In our religious Duties how to pray James 5. James 1. How to hear how to receive 1 Cor. 11. 3. It s purity above and beyond all other Religions appears in this That it forbids Evil all Evil nothing but Evil it commands Good whatsoever is Good and nothing but Good Isa 1. Psal 32.14 The Laws of Lycurgus among the Grecians and Numa among the Romans had somewhat of good in them but not all prohibited somewhat that was evil but not all that was evil But the Christian Religion is of a larger extent both in its Precepts and Prohibitions I have seen an end of all Perfections but thy Commandments are exceeding broad Psal 119.96 A man with the eye of his Body may behold an end of many worldly Perfections of many fair Estates great Beauties large Parts hopeful Families but a man with the eye of his Soul for by Faith may see an end of all earthly Perfections He may see the World in a flame and all its Pomp and Pride and Glory and Gallantry and Crowns and Scepters and Riches and Treasures turn'd into ashes he may see the Heavens passing away like a scroll and the Elements melting with fervent heat and the Earth with the things thereon consumed and all its Persections which men doted so much on vanished into smoke and nothing It 's easie to see to the end of all terrene Perfections but its difficult yea impossible to see to the end of Divine Precepts But thy Commandments are exceeding broad Of a vast Latitude beyond our apprehension They are so deep that none can fadom them Psal 36.6 So high that they are established in Heaven Psal 119.48 So long that they endure for ever 2 Pet. 1. And so broad that none can measure them They are not only broad but exceeding broad Higher than Heaven longer than the Earth broader than the Sea The Commands of God reach the inward parts the most secret motions and retired recesses of the Soul They reach all the privy thoughts They pierce even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow and discern the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4.12 They reach to all our Actions to those that seem smallest and of less concernment as well as to those that are greater and of more concernment They reach to the manner nay circumstance of Actions The Divine Law takes notice of all the circumstances of sins as aggravations of sin As 1. From the time of Gods patience towards the Sinner These three years I came seeking fruit Luke 13. 2. The place where the sin was committed The Sons of Eli lay with the Women that assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation 1 Sam. 2.22 3. From the season of committing the Sin Isa 58.3 4. Behold in the day of your Fast ye find pleasure and exact all your labour c. 4. From the Condition of the person that sins He that eats bread with me lifts up his heels against mee Joh. 13.18 A familiar Friend proves a treacherous Enemy So Joh. 3.10 Art thou a Master in Israel and knowest not these things 5. From the means the person enjoys You only have I known therefore you will I punish for your Iniquities Amos 4. Rom. 2.7 6. From the manner of committing the Sin So they spread Absalom a Tent on the top of the house and Absalom went in to his Fathers Concubins in the sight of all Israel 2 Sam. 16.22 Impudency in sin doth highly increase it Were they ashamed when they committed all these Abominations No they were not ashamed But how far are other Religions from observing much more from condemning men for such sinful circumstances CHAP. XXXI The holiest have cause of humiliation 8. IF Christ will condemn men at the Great Day for sins of Omission I was hungry and ye gave me no meat c. Then it may inform us That the best have abundant cause of humiliation for the best have in them abundant matter of Condemnation O how many are our Omissions every day every hour and by reason of them we are obnoxious to Hell flames Good Bishop Vsher who for Piety and Learning was honoured through the Christian World though he was early converted and feared the Lord in his Youth though he was eminently industrious in private in his Family in chatechising and instructing and praying often every day with and for them that were committed to his Charge Though he was a constant Preacher and that with Judgment and Affection Though he was singularly famous for his many worthy pieces which he wrote in Latin and English yet after all this diligence and labour when he came to die Usher's Life the last words almost which he was heard to speak were Lord in special forgive my Sins of Omission Sins of Omission will at death lie heavier on our hearts than we think for in life If such a laborious person found cause of bewailing his Omissions surely much more cause have Loyterers as we are Omissions are fruits of Original Corruption as well as Commissions It 's from that dead stock that we are so defective in bringing forth good fruit Paul layeth his Omissions at this door Rom. 7.17 to 23. In my flesh is no good When I would do good evil is present with me c. Now whatsoever is the Child of such a monstrous Parent is loathsome and calls on us for sorrow and self-abhorrency Holy Job did but suspect his Children to be guilty of Omissions of not sanctifying the Name of God in their Hearts according to their Duties at their Feasts and Meetings And he riseth early and offereth Sacrifice according to the number of them all Job 1.4 5. He goeth to God and begs Pardon for them and the blessing of God upon every one of them It may be saith he my Sons have sinned and cursed and not blessed God so Calvin reads it God in their hearts Thus did Job continually Now if Job upon a supposition that his Sons might be guilty of Omissions was so constant in his addresses to God on their behalf by way of humiliation acknowledging their Iniquity and beseeching his Mercy What cause have we on the behalf of our own Souls who know that we often offend God
abhorrency of them no wonder then if it live in the Omission of them The Carnal Mind Lady Reason her self the chief and principal faculty of man is enmity against God It is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 He who is an enemy to a mans Person will never be a friend to his Precepts much less will he who is enmity against Gods Life be subject to his Law There is an impossibility hereof Neither indeed can be Till the Heart be changed it will never like the Divine Commands that are so contrary to its lusts and till it be brought to love them it will neglect Obedience to them When the Will the great Commander is set against the Laws of God how can any of the other faculties submit to them As in fleshly lusts the titillation is from sense and appetite but the consent of the reasonable Will is that which makes it a vice so unto good the inclination may possibly be from example or education but the royal assent of the Will is that which makes it a virtue The Devil finds it no hard work to part Sin and his Duty whose Will never chose it and whose Heart never loved it but it will be much easier to part him and his Duty whose Will and Heart have an enmity and reluctancy against it If a Lads calling doth not suit his genius he seldom comes to do any thing well or to be expert at it much less when he hates it The Scholar who loves not his Book will hardly proceed from the degree of a Dunce much less he who loatheth his Book If the nature of a man be contrary to God and his Ways the presence of God is troublesome to him Job 21.14 They say to God depart from us and the Worship of God is tedious to them When will the new Moon be gone and the Sabbath be over And the Precepts of God are Fetters and Cords to them Psal 2.3 Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us Common gifts of the Spirit as Illumination Convictions sudden flashes of Affection may do somewhat against this distemper of Nature but the virtue of that Physick is soon spent and then it returns to its former illness Colours not laid in Oyl will soon be washt off Indeed how can it be expected that a Body separated from a Soul should stir or move and much less can it be expected that a Soul without Christ its life should pray or hear or watch or do any thing according to the Will of God Paul tells us I live i. e. to God according to his Will doing what is good But how comes this about at whose cost doth he keep house yet not I but Christ liveth in me I may thank my Lord Jesus I am beholden unto him for all ability unto sacred actions And the life that I live in the Flesh is by Faith in the Son of God It 's from Christ alone that I receive supplies of strength and virtue to live to God What will then become of the Unregenerate person who is without Christ Ephes 2.12 He who hath not the Son hath not life And he who hath not life I am sure cannot live to God The Apostle fitly joyns them together Trees without fruit twice dead i. e. certainly dead or dead indeed Jude vers 12. Where the stock is dead the branches must needs wither and if they wither there is little likelihood of fruit Besides an unregenerate Soul is necessitated as to internal Omissions in regard of his want of spiritual life so to external Omissions in regard of his engagements to his carnal interest One is possibly married to Profit and when that calls him he must go though Closet or Family or any other Duties bid him stay Matth. 8. No man can serve God and Mammon but he will love the one and hate the other or dispise the one and cleave to the other When once there comes a competition between godliness and gain in the life it will quickly appear which hath the greatest sway and predominancy in the heart The young man would not follow Christ because his Estate denied to give him leave Had he been less rich he had been probably more religious but having once espoused the interest of his Wealth he could not leave it though he left God and Christ and Heaven for it Another is ingaged to Pleasures and when they require his presence it cannot be supposed that he will deny them for the exercises if Religion which are so painful to him Herod may pretend fair for Religion and profess some kindness to the Baptist but when his Dalilah commands his love to her over-comes his fear of John and instead of doing many things or any thing that was good he cuts off that Head which had a Tongue in it so bold as to reprove him for his sin A third is wedded to Honour and if that be inconsistent with Holiness as sometimes the case may be he will neglect his Duty to God to pay his Homage to this Diana Jehu will do one good work because Gods and his interest were both conjoyned His slaughter of Ahabs Sons and Prophets tended to settle him the firmer in his Throne and so his ambition call'd for the same with Gods Command But Jehu will omit another good work he will not destroy the Idolatry at Dan and Bethel because there his interest and Gods were divided for though God enjoyned the destruction of Idols in one place as well as another yet Jehu was fearful as his Predecessor Jeroboam that the Crown would not be fast on his Head if the people should have gone up to Jerusalem to Worship therefore when his carnal interest forbids what God commands he disobeys God to serve that There is no unsanctified person in the World but hath some worldly interest of his own superiour and paramount nay in many things opposite and contrary to the interest of God and therefore though he may obey God while both those Interests can agree and walk together in the same way yet when there is a necessity of their parting he will cleave to that which hath the predominancy within him Where God hath some residence and is entertain'd but as an underling to the Flesh when it comes to this pass that one must be turn'd out of doors for they cannot agree long together you may easily guess which it shall be The Cure of this Reader must be if thou art not born again to get a new heart An old heart will never serve for or enable unto the acts of new Obedience The water will rise no higher than the Fountain head a whence it floweth If you would have a Clock to move regularly and the hand without to go true you must have the wheels and poizes right within A good temperament of Body may cause a propensity to some things that are honest but that excellency must be of little worth that hath
at all Seasons and in all Conditions thou art to be in the fear of God and watchful over thy self that thou dost nothing to displease him and solicitous how thou mayst do that which is most pleasing to him Thou must love God with all thy heart when he seems most angry with thee and trust in his goodness when he inflicts never so great or so many evils on thee Thy duty is to believe in a crucified Christ and so venture thy Soul on the death of another upon the bare warrant of Scripture thou art required to deny and bemoan and abhor thy self as near and dear as thou art to thy self to mortifie thy earthly members and to cut off thy right hand and pluck out thy right eye Not a Relation not a Condition not an Ordinance not a Providence but calls for Duties suitable Duties to be performed and not one of these Duties but calls for suitable Graces to be exercised Besides ere these Duties can be performed and these Graces exercised many strong and sturdy lusts must be subdued the allurements on one hand of a flattering gaudy giddy skin-deep World as Babies to please Children trampled on and its afrightments as Cloths stuft with straw to scare Birds must be despised I and all the Powers and Policies of Hell combated with and conquered And Friend can all this be done with thy hands in thy Pocket or without pains It 's in vain to think of freedom from Omissions whilst thou liest on the bed of Security Water corrupteth and breeds venemous Creatures whilst it standeth still it is preserved sweet by motion as we experience in running-streams The unused Iron rusteth whilst that which is used groweth daily more bright Neither Nature nor Art will afford us any thing that is good without labour The ground will not yield its fruit unless the Husbandman dung and plow and dress and harrow it Can any Artist make an excellent Clock or Watch or curious Vessel without pains And wilt thou presume of Holiness and Heaven without it The Heavens are ever in motion for the benefit of this lower World and never stand still but by a Miracle The Earth is always labouring to bring forth fruit for our profit and delight and never idle and barren but as cursed of God for mans sin Adam in his estate of Innocency was by God himself taught a Lesson of Industry and commanded to till the ground Our blessed Saviour was not idle but when he undertook the work of mans Redemption went up and down doing good denying himself his sleep A great while before day he was at prayer Mark 1. and he prayed all night He denied himself his Food when he was hungry and disappointed of Food at the Figg-Tree he goeth not to an house to eat but to the Synagogue to preach He denied himself his ease and pleasure and all to follow his business Joh. 9.4 As he said so he did I must work the work of him that sent me whilst it is day And did Christ contend and fight and strive and wrastle night and day before he was crown'd or could enjoy the Joy set before him and dost thou think to have all for nothing Reader to conclude this Head consider Rom. 12.11 Not slothful in business fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Where we have the Duty I am perswading thee to commanded by the Apostle in regard of its great weight extraordinary difficulty or backwardness to it both ways 1. Negatively not slothful in business i. e. you will do nothing at it if ye be sleepy or slothful the business is not such as may be done in a dream As idleness is the burial of our persons so slothfulness is the burial of our actions It 's bad to be slow at our business but much worse to be slothful 2. Affirmatively fervent in Spirit this is the greatest diligence possible Fervency is the heat and height of the Affections and is as contrary to slothfulness as fire to water When the powers and faculties of the Soul are wound up to their highest pitch in the Service of God then a man may be said to be fervent in Spirit The labour of the body is nothing to the labour of the brains and the sweating of the outward man is little to the industry of the inward man He that hath the heart of a man may command his purse and hands and what he hath Fervency of Spirit or intension of Mind about any business will call in his time and wealth and strength and all to its assistance 2. The Duty is urged by an high and weighty reason serving the Lord. It 's the Majesty Excellency Purity and boundless Perfection of the Object which requires such warmth and life and heat and fervency of Spirit in those that adore him Though we may make bold with our fellow-dust and ashes with those that are of the same make and mould with our selves yet the most High he whose Name alone is Excellent the God of the Spirits of all Flesh to whom the whole Creation is less than nothing he is not to be made bold with His immense Being and Perfections command the highest and the hottest affections The greatest Prince must not be put off with less than the greatest Present CHAP. XLIV Another cause of Omissions is vain excuses men have that Omissions are little sins with the cure of it 4. A Fourth cause of sins of Omission is a Presumption or false Opinion that men have concerning them and so they think to excuse them 1. That they are little sins and so not much to be minded 2. That the performance of them would be unseasonable at this or that time and so they are put off to another time that never comes 3. That when they are called to the performance of this or that Duty they neglect it with this excuse that it is but one Duty they live in the neglect of or it can be no great matter for once to omit it Reader I shall handle these severally and shew first that these foolish excuses which men please themselves with do cause Omissions and then direct to the cure of each severally 1. The first excuse is that Omissions are small sins and this Opinion is generally rooted in all men Because they do not fly in the face of Conscience disturb the light of Reason trouble the Societies where and debauch the persons amongst whom we live as some sins of Commission do therefore thy fancy for it is but a fancy that they are light and little and no great matter is to be made of them When once a man hath suckt in this poysonous Opinion no wonder if his heart swell and his life swarm with such sins For when his Nature hath a reluctancy against the positive Precepts much more than against the negative and his lazy temper sets him farther off and he believes that they are Peccadilloes and little taken notice of by God yea that a pardon in the High
away Sometimes I confess it may be prudence as circumstances may be when there is a probability of enjoying another season to defer it at present but usually it is best to take the present because future time is uncertain and then it may be said A price was in the hand of a Fool and he wanted an heart 3. That if it be evident that more hurt than good will be done by our present performance of our Duties we forbear and defer them For those Duties that do not bind us ad semper God leaves much to the wisdom of the faithful Christian as to the season of performing them 4. That a certain good at present must be chosen before an uncertain future good though greater than the former If I have a price now in my hands to do my self or Neighbour some good and neglect to improve it but defer it hoping hereafter for an opportunity of doing my self and Neighbour more good this is sinful I doubt not but Felix sinned in putting Paul off till another season though he had intended to hear him afterwards for his own greater profit which he was far enough from because he must know that his own lâ—â—e continuance in his Government and Paul's life were all at the pleasure of another not at his own Reader if thou art upright with God what is said will be sufficient but if out of the deceitfulness of thy heart thy plea be only a pretence for the total omission of thy Duty know assuredly that if thou canst find no season to do God Service he will find no season for thy Salvation CHAP. XLVI A third excuse for sins of Omission It is but one sin with the answer to it 3. A Third excuse which men have for sins of Omission is It is but one Duty I omit and I hope there is no such great danger in that Though I do not read the Word yet I pray though I examine not my own heart yet I read Scripture and mind prayer It is true I give not to the poor but I am painful in my Calling and provident 〈◊〉 my Family as God commandeth me What hurt can there be if some one secret Duty the omission of which cannot be scandalous should never be performed Surely God who knoweth our weak infirm nay wicked and dâ—praved natures cannot exspect universal Obedience to his positive or negative Commands He understands that Perfection is impossible to the humane nature since the Fall and therefore sent his Son into the World to take away the sins of it To cure the distemper of the brain for it 's a kind of phrensie which makes men argue after this rate consider 1. That there is a vast difference between thy being guilty of many sins and allowing thy self in one sin Grace may consist with the being of many sins in the same subject but not with the liking of one sin As the love of money is the root of all evil so is the love of Sin the root of all the evil that befals the Sinner He who knew he could not hinder the inherency of many sins yet desires and endeavours to prevent the regency of any one Sin Psal 119.132 Order my steps by thy Word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Oserve not any iniquity 2. Consider that the Omission of one Duty may send thee to Hell as well as the Omission of many Duties One Knife one Sword one Bullet one blow may kill a man as well as a thousand If thou allowest thy self in one Omission thou art a Servant to this one Sin For his Servant thou art whom thou obeyest Rom. 6.16 and so the Devils Slave for he hath thee as fast by this one Chain as by many and consequently an Enemy and Rebel against God and accordingly shalt suffer eternally Thy Soul Friend is the price of every sin and when thou allowest thy self in any one thou dost implicitly though not expresly bargain with the Devil thy Master to sell him thy Soul for the wages of unrighteousness 1 King 21.20 One man in Law may keep possession and keep the right owner out of his Estate One sin may keep possession for Satan and hinder Jesus Christ from his Right I mean from sitting on the Throne and swaying the Scepter of thy Soul Wallowing in one puddle defiles the Body and tumbling in one piece of filthiness defiles the Soul One piece of ward-Land though but a quarter of an Acre makes a man liable to the King and brings in his whole Estate though he be worth thousands per annum Therefore Friend do not say it is but one sin and I may be bold with it but rather it is Sin and so mortal and I may not allow it As Christ gave himself to redeem thee from all iniquity Titus 2.14 So do thou give thy self to him in all manner of Duty How severely have some been punished for one Sin Moses for not sanctifying the Name of God at one time Eli for omitting to reprehend his Children according to their wickedness which was one Sin Aarons Sons for not fetching their fire from the Altar as some judge were struck dead Levit. 10.1 2. If the Righteous be recompenced on the Earth much more the Transgressor and the Sinner Take heed if Saul's sparing one Agag lost him his temporal thy sparing one Sin lose thee not the eternal Kingdom 3. This one Sin will not go alone thou mayst hope when thou hast opened the door for this one Sin to enter that thou canst presently shut and keep out its associates but it is impossible Sins are sociable and ever go in company First one evil Spirit takes possession of the man and then seven more worse than himself As there is a concatenation of Graces where one goeth all the rest follow 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. so there is a concatenation of Sins 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5. They are so linkt one in another that as in a Chain the drawing of one link brings with that a second and that a third and that a fourth and all are drawn to the very end of the Chain When Dalilah had enticed and prevailed with Sampson then come the Lords of the Philistines and bind him and put out his eyes and set him to grind at the Mill and to make them sport When one sin by its flatteries hath deceived and possessed thy Soul then come others more potent and lordly to strengthen Satans hold and make way for others Any one sin allowed is a great-bellied Monster who hath a numerous brood in the Womb of it It doth insensibly harden the heart and strongly disposeth it for other Sins as one wedge makes way for another Who could have thought that David's idleness should be accompanied with so great and cursed a crew He who neglects Morning-Prayer is hereby disposed to neglect God in his Calling and to buy and sell and do all without his counsel Consider Friend if thou fall from the top of a