defiles it thus in an instant Take the most glorious Angell in heaven and let one of the least sinnes seaze upon his heart he would in an instant fall downe from heaven stript of all his glory the ugliest creature that ever was beheld you would count that the strongest of all poysons that would poyson in an instant as Nero boiled a poison to that height that it killed Germanicus as soone as he received it now such an one is sinne Thirdly sinne defiles it totally it rests not in one member onely but beginning at the understanding eates into the will and affections soaks through all Those diseases we account strongest which seaze not on a joynt or a member onely but strikes rottennesse through the whole body Fourthly it defiles eternally it being aterna macula a staine which no nitre or sope or any creature can wash out Ier. 2. 21. There was once let in a deluge of water and the world was all overflow'd with it it washed away sinners indeed but not one sinne And the world shall be a fire again at the latter day and all that fire and these flames in hell that follow shall not purge out one sinne Thirdly it hath robbed the soule of the image of God deprived us of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. the image of Gods holinesse which is his beauty and ours wee were beautifull and all glorious once within which though but an accident is more worth than all mens soules devoid of it it being a likenesse unto God a divine nature without which no man shall see God Though man in Innocency had all perfections united in him via eminentiae that are to be found in other creatures yet this was more worth than all for all the rest made him not like to God as this did without which all Paradise could not make Adam happy which when he had lost he was left naked though those his other perfections remained with him which is profitable for all things as the Apostle sayes The least dramme of which the whole world emballanced with would be found too light without which the glorious Angels would be damned devills the Saints in heaven damned ghosts this it hath robbed man of Fourthly it hath robbed man even of God himselfe Your sinnes separate sayes God betwixt you and me and therefore they are said to live without God in the world and in robbing a man of God it robs him of all things for all things are ours but so farre as God is ours of God whose face makes heaven he is all in all his loving kindnesse is better than life and containeth beauty honours riches all yea they are but a drop to him But its mischiefe hath not staid here but as the Leprosie of the Lepers in the old Law sometimes infected their houses garments so it hath hurld confusion over all the world brought a vanitie on the creature Rom. 8. 23. and a curse and had not Christ undertooke the shattered condition of the world to uphold it it had fallen about Adams cares And though the old walls and ruinous palace of the world stands to this day yet the beauty the glosse and glory of the hangings is soyled and marred with many imperfections cast upon every creature But as the house of the Leper was to be pulled downe and Traitors houses use to be made jakes so the world if Christ had not stept in had shrunke into its first nothing and you will say that is a strong carrion that retaines not onely infection in it selfe but infects all the aire about so this that not the soule the subject of it onely but all the world Lastly it was the first founder of hell and laid the first corner stone thereof sinne alone brought in and filled that bottomlesse gulfe with all the fire and brimstone and treasures of wrath which shall never be burnt and consumed And this crucified and pierced Christ himselfe poured on him his Fathers wrath the enduring of which for sinne was such as that all the Angels in heaven had crackt and sunke under it But yet this estimate is but taken from the effects of it the essence of it which is the cause of all these evills must needs have much more mischiefe in it Shall I speak the least evill I can say of it It conteins all evills als◠in it therefore Iames 1. 23. the Apostle calls it filthinesse and abundance of superfluitie or excrement as it were of naughtinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if so transcendent that if all evills were to have an excrement a scumme a superfluitie sinne is it as being the abstracted quintessence of all evill An evill which in the nature and essence of it virtually and eminently containes all evills of what kinde soever that are in the world Insomuch as in the Scriptures you shall finde that all the evills in the world serve but to answer for it and to give names to it Hence sinne it is called poyson and sinners serpents sinne is called a vomit sinners dogs sinne the stench of graves and they rotten sepulchres sinne mire sinners sowes and sinne darknesse blindnesse shame nakednesse folly madnesse death whatsoever is filthy defective infective painfull Now as the holy Ghost sayes of Nabal as is his name so is he so may wee say of sinne for if Adam gave names to all things according to their nature much more God who calls things as they are Surely God would not slander sinne though it be his onely enemie And besides there is reason for this for it is the cause of all evills God sowed nothing but good seed in the world He beheld and saw all things were very good It is sinne hath sowne the tares all those evills that have come up sorrowes and diseases both unto men and beasts Now whatsoever is in the effect is via eminentiae in the cause Surely therefore it is to the soule of man the miserable vessell and subject of it all that which poyson death and sicknesse is unto the other creatures and to the body and in that it is all these to the soule it is therefore more than all these to it for corruptio optimi pessima by how much the soule exceeds all other creatures by so much must sinne which is the corruption poyson death and sicknesse of it exceed all other evills But yet this is the least ill that can be said of it There is 2. some further transcendent peculiar mischiefe in it that is not to be found in all other evills as will appeare in many instances For first all other evills God proclaimes himselfe the author of and ownes them all though sinne be the meritorious cause of all yet God the efficient and disposing cause There is no evill in the City but I have done it He onely disclaimeth this Iam. 1. 13. as a bastard of some others breeding for he is the Father of lights ver 17. Secondly the utmost extremity of the evill of punishment
so every sinne in us by a miraculous multiplication inclines our nature more to every sinne than it was before it makes the pollution of nature of a deeper dye not onely to that species of sinne whereof it is the proper individuall act but to all else as bring one candle into a roome the light spreads all over and then another the light is all over more increased So it is in sinne for the least cuts the soule off from God and then it is ready to goe a whoring after every vanity that will entice it or entertaine it And this shewes the fulnesse of the evill of it in that it containes not onely all other evills in the world in it but also all of its owne kinde As you would count that a strange poyson the least drop of which containes the force of all poyson in it That a strange disease the least infection whereof brought the body subject to all diseases yet such an one is sinne the least making the soule more prone and subject to all And now you see it is a perfect evill and though indeed it cannot be said to be the chiefest in that full sense wherein God is said to be the chiefest good because if it were as bad as God is good how could he pardon it subdue it bring it to nothing as he doth and then how could it have addition to it one sin being more sinfull than another Ezek. 8. 15. Iohn 19. 11. But yet it hath some analogie of being the chiefest evill as God the chiefest good For 1. as God is the chiefest good who therefore is to be loved for himselfe and other things but for his sake so also in sin the chiefest evill because it is simply to be avoided for its selfe but other evills become good yea desirable when compared with it Secondly as God is the chiefest good because he is the greatest happinesse to himselfe so sin the greatest evill to it selfe for there can be no worse punishment of it than its selfe therefore when God would give a man over as an enemie he meanes never to deale withall more he gives him up to sinne And thirdly it is so evill as it cannot have a worse Epithete given it than it selfe and therefore the Apostle when he would spek his worst of it and wind up his expression hightest usque ad hyperbolem calls it by its own name sinfull sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 7. 13. that as in God being the greatest good quicquid est in Deo est Deus ipse therefore his attributes and names are but himselfe idem praedicatur de seipso so it is with sinne quicquid est in peccato peccatum est c. he can call it no worse than by its owne name sinfull sinne USE AND what have I beene speaking of all this while Why but of one sinne in the generall nature of it There is not a man here but hath millions of them as many as the sands upon the Sea shore yea as there would be Atomes were all the world pounded to dust it exceeds in number also and therefore ere we goe any further let all our thoughts break off here in wonderment at the abounding of sinne above all things else for other things if they be great they are but a few if many they are but small the world t is a big one indeed but yet there is but one the sands though innumerable yet they are but small your sinfulnesse exceeds in â—oth And next let all our thoughts be wound up to the most deepe and intense consideration of our estates for if one sin abounds thus what tongue can expresse or heart can conceive their misery who to use the Apostles phrase 1 Cor. 15. are yet in their sinnes that is stand bound to God in their owne single bond onely to answer for all their sinnes themselves and cannot in the estate wherein yet they stand of impenitencie and unbeleefe plead the benefit of Christs death to take off and ease them of the guilt of one sinne but all their sinnes are yet all their owne which to a man in Christ they are not for his owne bonds are cancelled and given in and Christ entred into bonds for him and all his sins translated upon him Now for a proper character of their estate and sutable to this expression First then a mans sinnes may be said to be still his owne when he committeth sinne out of his owne that is the full frame and inclination of his heart Thus the devill is said to sinne Ioh. 8. 44. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of his owne the whole frame of his spirit is in it which a man in Christ cannot be so fully said to doe for hee hath a new creature in him that sinneth not 1 Ioh. 3. 1 9. that can say even when he sins It is not I but sinne And secondly then sinne is a mans owne when he hates it not but loves it The world loves his owne saith Christ Ioh. 15. 29. and so doth a wicked man his sinne more than any good which is Davids character Psal 52. 3. And thirdly what is a mans owne he nourisheth and cherisheth therefore Eph. 5. 19. No man hates his owne flesh but loveth it and cherisheth it so doe men their sinnes when they are their owne Those great and rich oppressors Iam. 5. 5. are said to nourish their hearts in wantonnes and in pleasure as in a day of slaughter as living upon the creame of sinning and having such plenty they pick out none but the sweetest bits to nourish their hearts withall 4. So what a man provides for that is his own so sayes the Apostle A man that provides not for his owne is worse c. When therefore men make provision for the flesh as the phrase is Rom. 13. 14. have their Caterers and contrivers of their lusts and whose chiefest care is every morning what pleasures of sinne they have that day to be enjoyed it is a signe that their sins are their owne In a word when men live in sinne 't is the expression used 1 Tim. 5. 6. She that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives When the revenewes of the comfort of mens lives come in from the pleasures of sinne and that supplies them with all those necessaries that belong to life as when 't is their element they drink in like water their meat they eate the bread of wickednesse Prov. 1. 7. and it goes downe and troubleth them not their sleepe also they cannot sleepe till they have done or contrived some mischiefe ver 16. their apparell as when violence and oppression covers them as a garment and pride compasseth them as a chaine Psal 73. their recreation also It is a pastime for a foole to doe wickedly he makes sport and brags of it Prov. 10. 23. yea their health being sick and discontented when their lusts are not satisfied as Ahab was for Naboths vineyard Amnon grew leane when hee
2 Sam. 1. 26. Thou wert pleasant to me it is God who gives favour in mens eyes So hee did Ioseph Gen. 39. 21. If any man or creature doth thee a kindnesse he toucheth their hearts as it is said of the men who clave to Saul and visits for thee He made the Aegyptians beyond all reason the Israelites friends gave them favour in their eyes as the text tells us And hence Gen. 33. 10. Iacob sayes He saw the face of God in reconciled Esaus face for Gods favour appeared in his looke He put you into your callings ranks and stations gives you all your skill successe in them The meanest of trades to sow and plough and thresh they are from the Lord who is wonderfull in working Esay 28. from the 23. to the end even as well as the skill of the most curious Ingraver Limbner or Embroyderer as of Bezaleel the Scripture sayes God was his Master taught him Hast thou enlarged parts and gifts for higher imployments it is not thy birth or age hath acquired them unto thee Iob 32. 8 9. Great men are not alwaies wise therefore it goes not by birth nor have the aged alwaies understanding it goes not onely by experience but it is the inspiration of the Almighty And hast a calling answerable to thy parts to be a Scholler and have thy minde enriched and ennobled with the best and choisest jewell the world hath wisdome and knowledge whereby the minde is elevated as much above other mens as they are above beasts God hath beene thy great Tutor The mind of man is Gods Candle and hee maketh wiser than a mans teachers as he did Moses in Egyptian learning Daniel David To conclude hast thou comfort in all these in riches learning credit wife children meat drink c. Hee puts in all the sugar delight and pleasure that especially depends on him even to fashion the heart to all these As ayre lights not without the Sunne nor wood heats not without fire so neither doth thy condition comfort thee without God And therefore Acts 14. 17. it is said He filled their hearts as with food so with gladnesse And besides all these consider the many peculiar passages and turnings of his providence towards thee for thy good the working of things together ever and anon to doe thee a good turne the packing and plotting all for thee better than thou couldst have plotted for thy selfe as thy reliefe in many streights successe in many businesses He workes all our works in us and for us as Esay speaks Esay 26. hath he not taken such speciall care and providence of thee as if hee had regarded no man else in the world And now when thou hast considered all bethinke thy selfe withall a little of thy dealings towards him what have beene the effects and fruits of all this goodnesse hold up thy head man looke God in the face It is well yet that shame begins to cover thee How hath that his patience and long suffering vouchsafing thee space to repent wrought with thee how nigh to repentance hath it brought thee Such is the perversenesse of mans nature as Solomon tells us Eccles 8. 11. that because sentence against an evill worke is not presently executed therefore the hearts of the sonnes of men are fully set to doe evill Because God defers punishing they defer repenting thou thinkest to spend the most precious of thy time and strength in sinning and give God the dreggs the bottome the last sands thy dotage which thy very selfe and friends are weary of and all these blessings and comforts which God hath vouchsafed thee how hast thou used them against him This oyle which should have beene fuell to thy thankfulnesse hath encreased the fire of thy lusts and thy lusts have consumed them all Iames 4. The riches hee hath given thou hast made Idols of and sacrificed thy dearest morning daily thoughts and affections unto as God complaines Ezek. 16. from the 15. and so on His meat as at the 29. ver he calls it thou sacrificedst to thy belly which thou hast made thy God thy strength to women the wealth hee hath given you you have made use of but to live at a high rate of sinning and to procure the sweetest bits the daintiest and most costly sinnes The edge of that sword of power God hath put into thy hand thou hast turned against him and his haply both his Children and Ministers so that God by giving thee all these hath but made thee more able to offend him and hath strengthned an enemy and by sparing thee thus long hath but made thee more bold to doe it all his mercyes have but fortifyed thy heart against him Doe ye requite the Lord thus ye foolish people and unkind as Moses expostulates the case Deut. 32. 6. as Christ said to the Jewes For which of all my good workes doe yee stone me So say I to you for which of all his mercies is it ye sinne against him what to fight against him with his owne weapons to betray all he gives you into the devills his enemies hands What iniquity did you ever finde in him thus to deale God will one day thus expostulate his cause with you and heape coales of fire upon all your heads if that you turne not because you have rendred him evill for good and all these mercies thus abused will be as so many coales to make hell fire the hotter And to reason this point yet further with you out of the Text and what arguments it will afford to work upon you Consider first what it is thou doest whilest thus thou goest on thou art a Despiser of the Riches of his goodnesse that which is opposite to goodnesse must needs be transcendently evill What art thou evill because God is good and so much the more evill by how much the more he is good surely there must needs be an unexhausted treasure of wickednesse in thee which will also cause in the end a treasure of wrath in him what and sinne against mercy patience long suffering added to goodnesse of all attributes as the richest to the most glorious for it is that he glories in in the abusing of which therefore he thinkes himselfe most debased of all attributes the tenderest what kick against his bowels so are his mercies called canst hit him no where else but there to despise a mans wisdome power learning is not so much as to despise his love what canst thou imagine will become of thee when thou commest to dye what is it thou wilt then come to plead and cry for O mercy mercy why wretch that thou art it is mercy thou hast sinned against Riches of mercy and patience abused turnes into fury I may allude to that speech 1 Sam. 2. 25. If a man sinne against his brother the Iudge shall judge him but if against God who shall plead for him So hadst thou sinned against any other attribute Mercy might have