sins which are beloved sins in the ungodly and too often tyrannizing sins and prevailing corruptions even in the godly in whom they are not beloved or reigning lusts 3. Shew what it is to keep mens selves from their iniquities 4. Give the Reasons of the Doctrine 5. Apply it 1. To lay down some Propositions more fully and clearly to understand the Doctrine Prop. I. Every sin that any person doth commit is and may properly be called his own as flowing from his own heart and nature and his corrupt will and affections and he ought to lay it at his own door to charge it upon himself and not to put it off from himself and lay the blame on others either on Satan or on Companions alluring persuading or drawing him to it and least of all should men dare yea they should tremble at and abhor the very thought of it viz. to father their sins on the infinitely good and holy God and lay these Bastard births of their own begetting at God's door Yet this is that all men are ready to do and they have learned this vile practice from our first Parents Gen. 3.12 13. The Man lays the blame on the Woman and the Woman on the Serpent yea Adam in effect lays it upon God himself when he says The Woman thou gavest me she gave me and I did eat q. d. If thou hadst not given me the Woman and she persuaded me I had not eaten Therefore charge not thy sins on others persuading alluring or threatning of thee They may be instruments and occasions of drawing thee to sin but thy sins are thy own acts Nay lay not the blame of thy sins so much upon Satan as on thy self he may tempt and strongly suggest but he cannot force it is thou thy self that consentest to Satan's suggestions and so the sin comes to be committed But above all take heed of charging thy sins upon God he may permit and doth order the sins of men but he is by no means the Author of sin Jam. 1.13 God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man no it is thy own lust that draws thee aside and entices thee v. 14. Our sins are our own ways Isa 53.6 We have turned every one to his own way so that in this respect every sin thou art guilty of is thine Iniquity but this is not the principal sense intended in the Text under the expression of Mine Iniquity tho' it be a true Sense and a great Truth and therefore you are to keep your selves by Repentance Prayer and Faith and most vigorours endeavours from all Sins as those which will be your own Iniquities if you commit them Prop. II. Original Corruption that Body of Sin and Death that every Son and Daughter of Adam by ordinary generation brought into the World with them and still dwells in them is and may properly be called a Man's own Iniquity By reason of this there is in the Hearts and Natures of all meer Men a Proneness to all kinds of Sin and unto the most Heinous acts of them tho' through preventing restraining and renewing Grace they may be and often are kept from breaking out into outward acts Original Corruption is the Seed and Root of all Actual Sin of Thought Word and Deed of Omission and Commission and of all the Iniquities that cleave to our Holy things Mat. 15.19 Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts False-witness Blasphemie Original Sin is the Mother-Sin in every Man the Fountain of all other Sins Yea it is alike in all in the Root tho' upon the fore-mentioned account it is not alike in the Fruits And some would have this understood by this term Mine Iniquity in the Text and the Doctrine is a great and certain Truth in reference to this sin it is certainly the Duty of all the People of God by Faith Prayer Watchfulness and most vigorous endeavours to keep themselves from this Iniquity at least tho' they cannot keep themselves wholly from its motions and actings yet from its Reign and Dominion to keep it under and to lay the Ax to this Root of sin And this will be an Evidence of the sincerity of the Heart and of the Truth yea the Strength of Grace and Men are never rightly Humbled for sin nor do Mortifie it till the Streams and Branches of sin lead us to the Fountain and Root sc this Original Corruption so as to be Humbled for and Mortifie that But yet I think this is not the only Iniquity or that chiefly intended in the Text. Therefore Prop. III Tho' there be the Seeds of all sins in every Man yet there is a Propensity in every Man and Woman to some particular sins more than to others There are in Men some Master-Captain-Sins which are as Lords Paramount by which the Body of Sin doth exercise its Dominion and Reigning Power in the Unconverted and its Tyranny even in the Godly It is with the Body of Sin as it is with the Natural Body in that there is the Seed and Root of all Diseases yea of Death it self by reason of the different Humours in it when any of them becomes excessively predominant yet there are also some particular Diseases which some are more prone to than others according to the prevalency of some particular Humour as some to Agues Fevers Plurisies some to Dropsies some to Palsies Lethargies Apoplexies some to Consumptions some to Stone Gout c. so in reference to the Body of Sin besides a general disposition to all sin there are particular sins persons are more strongly inclined to some to Gluttony some to Drunkenness and unclean Lusts others to Anger Wrath Malice Revenge another to Covetousness there is some predominant sin or other And as in a compleat perfect Man there are all the Faculties Senses Members of a Man yet some excel in one some in another some in quickness of Apprehension some in solidity of Judgment others in strength of Memory others in strength of Body or the quickness of the Senses So in reference to sins all have the Seed of every sin in them this Man of Sin hath all its Faculties Senses Members but yet every one is more inclined to some particular sins which may be more properly stiled our own Iniquities our own way and our doings Jer. 18.11 such sins as are compared to a Right Hand a Right Eye Mat. 5.29 30. Sins as near and dear to them and that they are as unwilling to part with as those Members in the Body This Sin is stiled the weight that presses us down and the Sin that easily besets men which expressions as they may have respect to the Body of Sin and natural evil Concupiscence so they may have a special respect to and be fitly said of that particular sin that men are most inclined to and often and most easily overtaken by for this sin hath them at every turn and besets them with the greatest advantage And upon
your selves from these iniquities that they prove not your chief and most prevailing sins And so much for the second General which was to shew where men's special sins may most probably be found III. The next General Head is to give the Scripture-proof of the Doctrine which I shall very briefly dispatch I. That it is the duty of all peculiarly to keep themselves from their own iniquities whether reigning or but prevailing sins It is proved from direct Scripture-commands Matth. 5.29 30. Mark 9.43 45 47. By the right hand right foot and right eye are understood those sins our Text speaks of such as men are as hardly prevailed upon to part with as they would be to part with those Members of the Body So Heb. 12.1 Let us lay aside the sin that doth so easily beset us which as it may have respect to Original Corruption and the body of Death that root and fountain of all other sins so it especially hath an eye to the peculiar reigning or prevailing sins which may be called men's own ways Isa 53.6 For these are the very first-born of Original Corruption they are the sins that have men at every turn Thus Isa 55.7 The wicked is exhorted and directed to forsake his way and his thoughts such ways of sin and such particular corrupt thoughts as he is most guilty of and are most his own as ever he would obtain mercy and be abundantly pardoned Jer. 18. v. 11. Return you now every one from his evil way Every one hath some particular evil way that he most walks in II. This is an evidence of uprightness viz. for persons to keep themselves from their special and most prevailing corruptions this appears in that this is promised by God to be written in the hearts of men as a special and essential part of Repentance Isa 2.20 When those there spoken of repented and were truly converted they cast away their Idols of Silver and Gold which cost them much and they had set an high rate upon but now they shall cast them away to the Moles and to the Batts they account no place no dunghill bad enough for them So it is said Isa 30.22 that when they truly repent they shall defile the covering of their graven Images of Silver cast them away as a menstruous Cloth and say unto them Get you hence they shall throw them away with detestation as most abominable things So Hos 14.3 8. When Israel returns to the Lord he shall say Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon Horses we will say no more to the works of our hands you are our Gods Ephraim shall say What have I any more to do with Idols Carnal confidence in Assyria and Egypt and in their Horses and strength at home and in their Idols had been Israel's Ephraim's reigning sins but when they truly and sincerely turn to the Lord then they keep themselves from them and will have no more to do with them IV. The next General Head to be spoken to is to explain what is meant by the upright Man's keeping himself from his Iniquity And I. Negatively It is not to be understood in a strict legal sense as tho' every or indeed any upright Man did or in the time of this life while he is in the Body and carries the Body of Sin and Death about him could so keep himself from his iniquity as never to commit it after his conversion or never to relapse into it after his Repentance of it and his Faith for pardon of and power against it especially as to the inward stirrings and workings of corruption or such sins as are meer Infirmities or mixt ones or sins of surprize if this were the meaning of it the best of Saints on Earth no not David a Man after Gods own Heart could never have said I have kept my self from my iniquity David was guilty of dissimulation and of the way of lying more than once There are some sins of Constitution Calling Relation Condition c. as have been mentioned above that even an Upright Man may be pestered with all his days and be foiled by them again and again its true it must be owned that it is the duty of every Man and the hearty desire and endeavour of every Upright Man his habitual aim and design and the bent of his Soul to keep himself from his own special sin and indeed every known sin so as not to allow himself in the commission thereof But if never committing or falling into this his iniquity was the meaning of the Text not a meer Man on Earth would be able to prove his Uprightness That in Eccles 7.20 is true not only of sin in general but also of this special sin There is not a Just man on earth that sinneth not Jam. 3.2 not only in many things but in the special sin which we are most inclined to we sin more or less The foregoing sense would condemn the generation of the Righteous for where is the Upright Man or Woman that hath not cause to complain and confess I have bewailed prayed and endeavoured against my pride passions workings of Corruption Unbelief and other my iniquities and yet have again and again been foiled by them Therefore II. Affirmatively To shew you what it is in an Evangelical sense for the Upright Man to keep himself from his iniquity And I. To keep Mens selves from their iniquities so as to evidence the uprightness of their Hearts thereby is to break off from the practice of those sins they are most inclined to that is from the allowed frequent customary committing of it if it be an outward act of gross scandalous sin yea from the allowed inward actings of his peculiar sins tho' they be but meer infirmities much more if they be mixed infirmities that have too much of the Will or present sensual delight in them or that proceed from carelesness He doth not keep himself from his iniquity who regards iniquity in his Heart Psal 66.18 That makes a Trade of his sin customarily commits it or frequently falls into it He keeps himself from his iniquity that can truly say as Paul Rom. 7.15 That which I do I allow not but if Men allow themselves in any known sin they do not keep themselves from it are not upright and such who customarily and frequently fall into scandalous sins as Tipling Drunkenness Swearing Uncleanness Defrauding or any other sin that they know to be so they do not keep themselves from their Iniquity It is your Duty therefore to break off the allowed customary commission of any sin and more especially of those sins that by reason of Constitution Calling Age Place Condition or any other respect may be Mens own Iniquities as they would prove that they are upright before God thus David 1 Sam. 26.11 II. That keeping Mens selves from their Iniquities which is an Evidence of Uprightness before God consists in the bent and byass of the Soul being set against sin
and peculiarly against its special sins In the Souls being heartily willing and giving a full consent to have its most beloved Lust or most prevailing tyrannizing Iniquity subdued mortified killed and crucified It is to take up a firm purpose and resolution and that in the strength of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit against its special sins it is to be active in keeping from and mortifying these prevailing corruptions and not to be meerly passive The Upright Man is not only kept from his sin but keeps himself from it As it is one thing to be humbled and another to humble ones self so it 's one thing to be kept from committing the outward acts of sin and another thing for a Man to make it his design and business to set himself against his sin to keep it at an under to Watch Pray Believe against it and for the mortification of it So the word in the Text in the Voice it is used signifies a reciprocal action a Mans acting upon and towards himself using as it were an holy violence on himself towards his strong propensions and particular iniquities I was a Preserver of my self so one Version The Syriack I took heed to my self The Arabick I will take heed or beware of mine Iniquity Men may be kept from their sins yet not keep themselves and so not be upright Men may be kept from the outward acts of their sins by force fear of Punishment from Men or of displeasing of Friends or from meer legal slavish fear of God and of Hell by present checks gnawings or terrors of Conscience by Sickness or want of what may feed their Lusts their Intemperance Uncleanness or the like as in Poverty or Age it may be In such cases Mens sins leave them they do not leave or keep themselves from their sins But then Men so keep themselves from their iniquities as to evidence that they are upright when they can say as Rom. 7.15 to the end III. A Man keeps himself from his Iniquity so as to manifest his Uprightness when if he be overtaken and foiled by his iniquity he mourns and grieves for it with true Evangelical Godly sorrow and speedily renews the actings of his Repentance and Faith and Prayers for Pardon of and Power against it not suffering guilt to lye on his Conscience or the filth and power of his sin to lye quietly in his Soul but confesseth it to God and hath his Heart stirred up to an higher degree of indignation against it This is the Duty yea and Endeavour of all that would prove their Hearts Upright before God Men may forbear the outward acts of their reigning sins for a time from carnal or meerly legal grounds and principles yet not loath them but still have a liking to them and when they do fall into them not grieve aright nor groan under them You do not in the sense of the Text keep your selves from your iniquities if upon foils by them you do not speedily repent of them confess bewail them believe and pray against them and have not your Hearts filled with greater hatred of them But he doth keep himself from his iniquity so far as to approve his uprightness who tho' he may sometimes yea too often be guilty of some acts of it yet it is the constant burden of his Soul so that he groans under it and is in bitterness of Soul for it looking on Christ as pierced by it He exercises Faith on Christ wrestles with God in Prayer and his Heart is more set against this his sin so that whereas it has been peculiarly loved and delighted in before in his unregenerate state or was more tickling of and pleasing to the unregenerate part even after Conversion he now comes to have his Heart more set upon the mortification of it so as to offer an holy violence to it This is for Men to keep themselves from their iniquities for there must be an holy violence used against these special sins for tho' the Spirit in the regenerate part be willing yet the flesh is weak yea wiful and must be kept under IV. To be upright and prove that uprightness by men's keeping themselves from their iniquities it is to watch against these sins in an especial manner and all the occasions and the very appearances of these evils and to resist the very first motions and risings of them in the heart and to use all the means God hath in his Word appointed and directed to for the mortification of them to use and improve all Duties and Ordinances the Word Sacraments Prayer Fasting joyned with Prayer and Communion of Saints yea all publick private and Secret Duties to this end This is for men to keep themselves from their iniquities he doth not do so that runs upon the occasions of sin such things as he hath found to feed his special sins he that runs into that company that he hath found drawing him into sin either drinking wantonness mis-spending of time or any other sin that he is inclined to and easily foiled by he that doth not abstain from appearance of evil 1 Thes 5.22 doth not hare the garment spotted with the flesh Jude v. 23. that doth not resist the very first motions of sin but entertains them in his thoughts suffers them to conceive and breed there He doth not keep himself from his iniquity that doth not deny himself in lawful things that are not necessary when and so far as he finds them to minister occasion to his special sins such an one doth in part fail in this duty of the Text and so far in his uprightness though in the main he be upright Yea he that doth not use the means to mortifie his sins the Word Prayer and if one that hath a right to them Sacraments and improve them for this end doth at least in degree fall short of integrity and if any wholly neglect to avoid occasions of sin or to use the means to mortifie these sins he is not upright at all but he that doth these things avoids occasions of sin and duly uses and improves the instituted means for mortifying of it is upright And these particulars may seem as Marks to try your selves by V. I proceed now in the next place to give the Reasons of the Doctrine And I. One Reason why it is the duty of every one that names the Name of Christ and the Evidence of such an one's Unprightness to keep himself from his iniquity is because it is by these sins that are men's own proper iniquities whether they be beloved reigning sins in the unregenerate or prevailing and tyrannizing corruptions in the regenerate that God is most dishonoured these are they that men take occasion from to reproach Religion especially if they be outward open acts of sin that are fallen into Now certainly it is the duty of all especially of Believers to keep themselves from that which may bring dishonour to God and therefore will it be an
make use of this Doctrine by may of Examination to call on all both my self and others to examine whether we can evidence that we are upright before the Lord by this that we have been inabled to keep our selves from our iniquities for consider you can have no evidence of sincerity if you do not in some good measure keep your selves from your iniquity at least from the reigning power of it from every beloved Lust and if you do not set your selves against and use your utmost endeavours to keep your selves from your most prevailing tyrannizing Corruptions that you find by experience you are most inclined to and most easily and frequently foiled by To indulge any sin out of love to it and when convinced it is a sin is the brand of a rotten-hearted Hypocrite and the certain sign of a Mans being wholly void of a work of saving grace it argues no grace at all in truth and to be often foiled by prevailing tho' they be no reigning sins is an argument of very weak Grace and that it is at a very low ebb in the Soul If you keep your selves from some sins that you are less inclined and have fewer temptations to from constitution employment age condition or the like and yet do not keep your selves from other sins that you are more inclined to at least if you do not to the utmost endeavour so to do you can have no evidence of sincerity if with Saul you destroy the lean Cattle but spare the Fat and spare an Agas a King Lust you are but Hypocrites if you keep your selves only from lean Lusts that can bring in little or no advantage to you but even outward hurt such as will waste your Estates blast your Credit impair your Health consume your Bodies destroy your Lives or undo your Families but spare fat Lusts such whereby your gain comes in which may raise you in your Estate or in your esteem with Men or are pleasing and delightful sins this is a sign of an unsound heart if you allow your selves in the sins that your Callings lay before you Temptations to Injustice Oppression Deceit or any Unlawful Gains if there be any Delilah you lay in your Bosoms or lay your heads in the Lap of your hearts are not upright But if you regard no iniquity in your heart would not leave a Hoof behind spare no Agas has no Delilah it is a sign of an upright heart Examine therefore your selves whether you have kept your selves from your iniquity To keep from the committing some sins that you have no great inclination or temptation to is no sign of sincerity but to keep your selves from the sins your natural temper age c. leads you to this will be an evidence of grace As for instance for an old Man to keep from Wantonness from Acts of Uncleanness or Prodigality this is no sign of his sincerity when possibly he thinks or speaks of such sins with delight his sins in such a case have rather left him than he has left his sins So it 's no sign of Uprightness for the young Man to keep himself from Covetousness but now for the young Man to flee youthful Lusts Pride Vanity Disobedience to Superiours Uncleanness Intemperance Evil Companions Sins that he hath the most strong Temptations to this is a sign of Grace So for the old Man to keep himself from Covetousness Frowardness and other Sins of Age is an evidence of true Grace yea of some strength of it for the Rich or Prosperous Person to keep himself from Pride Security Trusting in Riches Honours Friends and from making them Fewel for his Lusts And for the Afflicted Person to keep himself from Discontent or using indirect Means to get out of his Straits and Troubles for the Tradesman to keep himself from Trading Sins for him that hath great dealings in the World yet to keep his heart free for God and for his Worship this will be a sign of an upright heart as keeping its self from its own iniquity You have heard in the Explication of the Doctrine what it is to keep your selves from your iniquities make use of those heads here to try your selves by Do you endeavour to break off the allowed customary practice of the sins you are most prone to is the bent of your hearts against these sins chiefly and your wills set against them can you truly say you hate them when you are foiled by any of them do you mourn and cry out under the sense of them as Paul Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched Man that I am when you have been overtaken with your special sin can you never rest till you have recovered your selves by Confession Prayer renewed Act of Faith and Repentance so that tho' sometimes you fall into your special iniquity yet you keep your self from the reigning power of it you dare not lye in it and after particular foils by your iniquity and your recovery from them do you give those iniquities of yours a more deadly wound set your selves against it endeavour more the mortification of it watch and pray and believe more against it and against all occasions of and temptations to it and make use of all means God hath appointed to keep you from it viz. all Ordinances and Providences for this end Ordinances the Word Read Preached Meditated and Conferred on Sacraments Fasting Communion of Saints your own and others Experiences and all Providences both of Mercy and Affliction to keep under sin yea this sin and keep from it in your hearts and lives so that after your falls you gain more ground against it If it be thus with you tho' you may too often be foiled by your particular corruptions yet you do keep your selves from your iniquities so far at least as to approve the uprightness of your hearts before God But on the other side if you customarily commit these sins if you indulge them and allow your selves in the Acting of them nay if your hearts be not set against them so that tho' you leave them or they leave you yet you do not loath them do not grieve when you fall into them do not act Faith and Repentance do not watch against them use not the means of mortifying them but run upon the occasions of them they are your beloved reigning sins II. Another Use I shall make of this Doctrine is by way of Exhortation earnestly to press all that they would not rest short of this evidence of Uprightness the keeping themselves from their iniquities In prosecution of which Use I shall add both Motives and Directions Be exhorted all of you to keep your selves from your iniquities the sins which by Calling Constitution Relation outward Condition or Spiritual Estate you are most prone to and may most properly be called your iniquities You must endeavour to keep your selves from all sins whatsoever as to the allow'd committing of them but especially from these iniquities And there are two branches of this Use of
Exhortation 1. That you would labour to find out what your special iniquity is whether a beloved lust a reiging sin or a too much prevailing corruption 2. That having found it out you would endeavour to cast it out and keep your selves from it I. Be exhorted to make a diligent search to find out what your proper reigning or prevailing sins are This Exhortation is rightly grounded on this Doctrine for if it be your duty to keep your selves from your iniquity then it is certainly your duty to make a diligent search into your own hearts and lives to find it out for you can never actively keep your selves from it or by faith prayer and watchfulness set against it if you do not first search it out And here all those particulars insisted on under that head in the opening the Doctrine Where you are to search for these iniquities are of great use and proper to be returned upon Look into your Constitutions Callings and all the other particulars mentioned there But because it is a matter of great concern I shall add other signs to help you in this search I am exhorting you to 1. That is thy iniquity thy special prevailing corruption yea if in an unregenerate state thy beloved reigning lust which thou dost with peculiar frequency commit and art with peculiar ease drawn into that sin which through custom is become a second nature that is this iniquity which thou must keep thy self from next to original corruption which is every mans own iniquity and the root of all other sins Sins which Men have accustomed themselves to commit are most properly their iniquities yea if not grieved for prayed believed and watched against they are their reigning sins That sin that finds the door of the heart always open to entertain it or ready to open at the first knock that sin in respect of which thy heart is like to Tinder no sooner can the spark of a temptation or an occasion fall upon thee but thy heart presently catcheth at be it Pride Passion Lust Intemperance Couzenage love of lewd loose Companions so that no sooner doth a loose Companion hold up his finger but thou presently yieldest this is thy iniquity That sin which thou can'st deny nothing to as Sampson could deny Delilah nothing but tells her all his heart tho' it was to his ruine lost him his strength his eyes and at last his life that is thy Delilah-lust that thou can'st not deny tho' it cost thee thy Estate Name Relations Life yea thy very Soul It is true a sincere Soul may be frequently foiled by inward workings of his Corruptions and may relapse into the same sin again and again and this is his iniquity his prevailing sin but that sin which thou can'st deny nothing to is more than a bare prevailing sin though that is ill enough it is a reigning sin 2. That is thine iniquity a beloved lust in the unregenerate and a prevailing corruption in the regenerate that ingrosseth thy thoughts most that thy thoughts run out upon and are most busily imployed about especially in times of retirement when thou art alone and hast most free opportunity for thinking if these thoughts be allowed indulged delight ful ones and most of all if these thought and contrivances about accomplishing the sin croud in and be entertained by thee when thou art at the Worship of God and in holy Duties so that sin which thou art thinking of when in thy Calling when alone in thy Closet or in the Night-seasons when thou wakest that sin which lieth down with thee at night and waketh with the when thou wakest in the night or morning that is usually last in thy thoughts when thou goest to sleep and first in the morning and interrupts thee most when thou art or shouldst be conversant in Duties of Divine Worship that is thy iniquity else thy thoughts would not be so much working about and towards it If they be worldly thoughts that are thus thy constant Companions Worldliness is thy Iniquity if thoughts of thy Pleasures Voluptuousness is thy Iniquity if thoughts of meeting with Tipling Gaming Wanton Companions if lustful unclean Thoughts then Intemperance and Lust is thy Iniquity if Angry Wrathful Envious Malitious Revengful Thoughts then Anger Envy Malice Revenge are thy Iniquities Yea if wandring thoughts prevail in Duties these are thy iniquities if thou dost indulge such thoughts allow delight in them and roll them in thy mind with pleasure as thou wouldst do a sweet morsel under thy tongue Such sins are thy beloved lusts and reigning sias for Christ himself hath said Matth. 16.21 Where the treasure is there the heart will be also therefore if thy allowed delightful thoughts are running upon any sin that sin is thy treasure And though sinful thoughts of any of the fore-mentioned kinds even be they but distracting thoughts if they be not allowed but grieved for and repented of are not reigning sins yet if they very frequently and powerfully carry thee down they are thy prevailing and tyrannizing corruptions which if bewail'd resisted prayed believed and watched against do not disprove thy sincerity yet they often very much hinder the evidence of it and therefore must be thy continual grief and burden and thou must especially endeavour to keep thy self from these sins as thine Iniquities 3. That is very likely to be thy iniquity which thy best Friends those that love thee most and wish thee best do most tell thee of warn thee against and reprove thee for that thou hearest oftenest from these about surely thou art more than ordinarily inclined to else thy Friends would not so often trouble thee about them And these Friends are of two sorts Friends without thee and Friends within thee 1. That sin which thy best friends without thee do most frequently tell thee and warn thee of such as faithful Ministers especially thy own Pastors Godly faithful Christian Friends Godly Relations as Yoke-fellow Parents Masters any Superiours yea or Equals what such notice in thee and do frequently admonish thee of thou may'st conclude that is thy iniquity a sin thou art much inclined to For Love covers a multitude of sins in this sense thou should'st say to thy self surely this is my iniquity else these my Friends who I am satisfied love me and wish me well would not so notice it and reprove me for it 2. Thou hast a Friend in thy Bosom Conscience this is either the best Friend next to God and Christ or if thou despisest affrontest and provokest it the worst Enemy thou canst have in all the World Would'st thou then find out thy iniquity hearken to the Voice of Conscience that is like to be thy iniquity which thy Conscience most charges upon thee and most sharply checks thee for being rightly informed by the Word of the sinfulness of that which it accuseth thee of and also giving a true testimony as to matter of fact and thy being guilty of committing such a sin This I
thy Heart and that Sin are too well acquainted that it finds too kind entertainment with thee that it dares be so bold and impudent as ordinarily to set upon thee when thou art more immediately in the presence of God in Holy Duties Satan will be sure at such seasons to stir up such Lusts in thy Heart as are pleasing and are likely to find most easie access and best entertainment as possibly Worldly and Vain Thoughts before and in Duties Drowsiness Sleepiness Deadness and Dulness of Heart and Affections I say the sins that most pester thee on Lords days or other times of either ordinary or extraordinary Duties And so the sins that set on thee after Duties after the Word Read or Heard after Prayer and Receiving the Lords Supper and after Sabbaths be it Pride Security laying down the Soul's Watch unruly Passions Worldliness c. these are thy iniquities which thou must keep thy self from beware of the Devil and the sin of thy own Heart on Monday Mornings and after Hearing Praying Fasting and Sacraments And thus I have finished this Branch of Exhortation to find out what your special reigning sins or most prevailing corruptions are and have largely laid down signs and marks whereby you may know which are they Yet before I leave it I shall endeavour to answer one Question or Case of Conscience and therein shew the difference between a beloved Lust a reigning Sin in an Unregenerate Man and a tyrannizing prevailing Corruption in a Godly Person for some doubting Christian may say I am afraid such and such sins that I am so often mastered by such as Passions inward workings of corruptions c. are reigning sins in me and inconsistent with Uprightness of Heart now how shall I know whether they be so or no Now for answer to this doubt tho' much has been spoken under the Heads already laid down yet I shall add somewhat further though but briefly I. One difference between a beloved Lust or reigning Sin that is inconsistent with Uprightness and prevailing Corruptions that yet are consistent with Uprightness is this That is a beloved Lust a reigning Sin which is indulged and that the Soul makes Provision for that a Man caters for and casts about how to provide that which may feed and maintain it Rom. 13.14 Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof to gratifie and satisfie its Appetite to pamper the Flesh It is a beloved Friend that you make special provision for and cast about how you may best entertain Therefore if you set your Thoughts on work to find out a commodious way to commit such a sin to meet with loose tipling Companions or run upon the occasions of sin what you have found to be so and into that company which you have found drawing you into sin it is a sign that is a beloved Lust When sin doth not so much overtake thee as thou followest hard after and overtakest sin even lesser sins in this case may be reigning sins If thou settest thy self to Sleep at Divine Worship or thou welcomest and kindly entertainest Vain Worldly Proud Lustful or any other sinful Thoughts especially in the time of duty these are reigning sins But on the other hand tho' sinful Thoughts break in upon thee or thou dost commit some outward acts of sin if as Gal. 6.1 thou be overtaken with a fault but dost not make provision for the Flesh but endeavourest to cut off all provisions from it fliest from all occasions of it usest all means to cut Sin and the Flesh short and keep them under if Drowsiness in Holy Duties seize on thee and thou endeavourest to shake it off Vain Wandring Thoughts in Worship or any sinful Thoughts at other times impetuously break in and thou endeavourest to expel them in this case they are not beloved sins nor reigning corruptions tho' they are such prevailing corruptions as are very much thy special sins which it is thy duty to be humbled for and by Faith Prayer Watchfulness and most vigorous endeavours to keep thy self from II. Another difference between a beloved Lust a reigning Sin in the Unregenerate and Infincere and a tyrannizing Corruption in the Regenerate and Upright is this That is a reigning sin in any which is suffered to have quiet and peaceable possession in the Heart that a person is unwilling to have disquieted or himself disturbed in the committing of the sin which is not resisted that thou dost not Believe Pray and Watch against and when thou hast fallen into it dost not endeavour speedily to recover thy self out of by acts of Faith and Repentance and by earnest Prayer Endeavours and Watchfulness against it for the time to come A clean beast may fall into the Mire but gets out of it again as soon as ever it can it is a Swine that lies and loves to wallow in the Mire And thou art no better than a filthy Swine if thou lovest to wallow in the Mire of thy Lusts and not get out of it But now that is not a reigning sin in thee tho' it do too oft prevail over thee which thou grievest for mournest under and wilt not suffer to be quiet in thy Soul but resolvest it shall not ever have a quiet day no nor hour in thee If thou resistest it by the Weapons of thy Spiritual Warfare Prayest and improvest Christ against it and when thou art overtaken with it art not at rest till thou renewest thy Faith and Repentance and lookest up to Christ for strength against as well as the Pardon of it If it be thus with thee thy iniquity is not a reigning sin for he is a cleanly person who tho' he fall into the Dirt cannot rest till he get out of it and be cleansed again III. That is a beloved Lust that thou art unwilling to have discovered art deliberately angry at any person or thing that stands in thy way or would hinder thee from committing of it art angry at the Word when that meets with thy Sin But on the other hand if thou art glad to have thy sin discovered and reproved and when the Wordcomes closest to it can'st say as Psal 141.5 it is a kindness and as an excellent oil in my estimation can'st bless God for any thing that hinders thee from committing it as David 1 Sam. 25.32 33. David blessed God yea Abigail as an instrument for preventing his shedding of Blood If thou can'st bless God for Affliction when it keeps thee from sin as David again Ps 119.67 71 75. then it is no reigning sin II. A second Branch of the Exhortation bottomed on this Doctrine is That having first found out which is your special iniquity which I have largely insisted on and is the first step to keeping your selves from your iniquity then endeavour to cast it out of your Hearts and Lives You must indeed endeavour to keep your selves from every sin so as not to allow your selves in any But you must above all
Evidence of the uprightness of the heart because he that really keeps himself from his iniquities doth it from grounds and principles from a respect to God's Glory he keeps from them as things that do peculiarly dishonour God transgress his holy Law are committed against Christ grieve and quench the Holy Spirit of God For these are the right scriptural spiritual grounds and motives of our keeping our selves from sin Now men's own sins dishonouring God opposing Christ and grieving the Spirit in a more than ordinary manner to keep from some sins and not from these would arguea rotten heart II. Because for persons to keep themselves from their iniquities either reigning or prevailing corruptions is one special act fruit and effect of true Evangelical Sorrow and Repentance Now it is our duty to exercise all the acts and bring forth all the effects and fruits of true Repentance but without this our Repentance is not truly Evangelical for there is an effential part and actof it wanting viz. that of taking an holy revenge on our sins and on our selves for them 2 Cor. 7.11 Tea what revenge This is the only case in which revenge is lawful and here it is commendable yea our great and necessary Duty This our prevailing corruption as you saw under the last Head is that by which we have most dishonoured God most wounded and pierced Christ grieved quenched and vexed the Spirit of God and hath most wounded our own Consciences defiled our Souls and defaced God's Image in them therefore we should keep our selves from these our iniquities that we may take revenge on them for the wrong they have done to God and our own Souls by being the death of those sins which have in a more eminent manner been the cause of the Death of Christ and would be the Death of our Souls if not repented of pardoned and subdued as to their reigning power by how much any sin has been more delightful to us formerly the more hateful it should be to us for the time to come What Amnon unjustly did by Tamar we may justly do by our beloved sins Thus have true Penitents expressed their Repentance so did Mary Magdalen when she Washed Christs Feet with her Tears to take a revenge on those Eyes of hers that had been Doors and Windows Outlets and Inlets to Lust and Wantonness as to her self and by Wanton Glances had stirred up Lust in others and she took a Revenge on those Hairs that had been Nets and Snares to catch Men when she wiped Christs Feet with the Hairs of her Head Thus Arch-bishop Cranmer who had subscribed a Recantation when he was recovered from his Fall and brought to the Stake first put that Hand into the Flames that had Subscribed the Recantation III. Because to keep your selves from your iniquities will be an Evidence of the power as well as the truth of your Repentance and of the Work of Gods Sanctifying Spirit and Grace upon your Hearts therefore we should keep our selves from these our iniquities These are the Master-sins the Lordly-Lusts we should do by these as the King of Syria gave order to his Captains about the King of Israel 1 Kin. 22.31 Fight neither with small nor great save only with the King of Israel They were to fight with others but against him chiefly So we must fight against every sin but we must aim our Arrows and Blows most peculiarly against our King Lusts to take them Captive yea to kill and slay them As it would be an Evidence of Falseness and Treachery in Officers and Souldiers in an Army to shoot at the Common Souldiers amongst their Enemies but when they see Captains or the General to let them escape and not make a shot at them no less will it be a sign of a false rotten Hypocritical Heart to keep from some sins but not from its special sins But on the other hand it is a sign of sincerity when Men keep themselves from these their most predominant sins as those that are the greatest Enemies to God and their Souls Yea thus to keep from our special most prevailing sins will be an evidence of the power of Grace in the Heart as it is an evidence of the power of a Prince when he is got into the Heart of his Enemies Country and takes his Forts and Strong-holds so it will be a sign of the strength of Grace when you keep from and subdue your formerly beloved or most prevailing corruptions for these are the Strong-holds that Sin the World and Satan have in your Hearts therefore it will be an evidence that the Weapons of your Warfare are mighty through God when they pull down those Strong-holds and bring down every high thing into captivity 2 Cor. 10.4 5. These your special sins are the Strong Man Armed that keep the House but now when you keep your selves from these sins it proves Grace to be stronger than sin when it overcomes these strong corruptions IV. Another reason why we should keep our selves from our special prevailing sins and why it will be an evidence of our uprightness so to do is because this will be an evidence of the truth and strength of our love to God and Jesus Christ when we will deny them nothing but are ready to pluck out right eyes cut off right hands keep and mortifie those sins which are by nature by custom and by their profit or pleasure as dear to us as those members of body are and indeed he who is inabled by grace to part with his most beloved or prevailing sins will by the same grace be inabled to part with his life for God if called thereunto for Mens beloved lusts are dearer to them than their lives yea than their Souls naturally But if Men do not keep themselves from their beloved iniquities they have no true love to God at all yea if they do not set themselves with all their might against prevailing corruptions it is a sign there is little love to God and Jesus Christ I now proceed to the Application of this Doctrine and much that hath been mentioned in the Explication and Confirmation of the Doctrine may be helpful to us in and serve instead of the Application of it what hath been already said shewing where men may seek for and find their special sins either beloved and reigning lusts or prevailing iniquities may be useful by way of Direction to help you to find out what your iniquities are and what hath been spoken in the Application shewing what it is for persons to keep themselves from their iniquities may be helpful to you in Examination whether you have this mark and evidence of the Uprightness of your hearts before God and what hath been insisted on as Reasons of the Doctrine may serve as Motives to inforce the Exhortation to all of us to keep our selves from our peculiar Iniquities But I shall make however some more particular Application by way of Examination Exhortation and Direction I. Let us