Christianity Sixthly If you consider the extent of Pauls malice saith he When they were put to death I gave my voice against them Pauls vote was against the Christians to put them to death Seaventhly Pauls rage did goe against their souls as well as their bodies for saith he I did compell them to blaspheme Christ he laboured to damn their soules as well as destroy their bodies Eighthly saith he I was exceeding mad against them he was even mad with rage and exceeding mad with rage Ninethly He drove them from house to house I drove them into strange Cities And then tenthly which was worst of all he did through their sides strike at the honour of Jesus Christ for why did Paul doe this to the Saints saith hee I thought with my self to doe many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth there was the person he aimed at yet Paul a man forgiven for all this for he saith when he aggravates his sin in 1 Tim. 11 12 13. According to the glorious Gospell of the blessed God which was committed to my trust And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that hee counted mee faithfull putting mee into the Ministery Who was before a Blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantlyin unbeleif Thus I have done with the Doctrinall part of my text laying down to you an induction of instances I am the larger in this because I know perplexed consciences in trouble of minde are apt but to greaten their owne sins but can you aggravate it worse then David Paul or Peter could doe yet behold those sins and those aggravated sins were forgiven by Jesus Christ I have four words to say in this Sermon by way of Application there may be in such an assembly as this is whom God might suffer either before conversion or after conversion to bee unclean with David to deny Christ with Peter it may be to swear to a lye to swear to a falsehood nay it may be ingage to a lye to a falshood O take heed of false Oaths it may be to persecute the Saints of Christ with Paul Four consolations First O know it for thy comfort O thou disconsolate heart let thy sin bee never so great yet the mercies of God are greater Sabian a learned Interpreter gives to my hand which is his instance Lord my fault is great but thy mercies are greater Beloved I may say to you though thy sin be great yet the mercy of God is greater then thy sin and thou canst not have so many circumstances to greaten thy sin as can be produced in God to greaten his own mercy you shall read what he saith of himselfe in Isai 44.22 I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto mee for I have redeemed thee Suppose thy sin be not onely a little cloud but suppose it be a great cloud a thick cloud saith God I do not onely blot sins out like a little cloud but I will blot out transgressions that are like a thick cloud great sins as well as small doth the mercies of God cover The Sea can as well cover great rocks as little peble stones high mountains as well as mole-hils Gods mercy is an Ocean that can cover great enormities as well as lesser infirmities The glorious body of the Sun in the heavens can scatter the greatest mist as well as the thinnest vapour great sins as well as small are pardoned by mercy It is worthy your notice what Moses speaks of the Mercy-seat It covered the whole Arke wherein the Law was kept To note saith a Divine though thou art a man or a woman guilty of all the Laws breach not onely of one command but of all the commands yet the Mercy-Seat Seat covered all the commands to teach you this that the mercy of God can pardon the greatest violation of the Law therefore that wherein the Law was kept was all covered by the Mercy Seat 2. Take this for thy comfort O thou perplexed Conscience it may be when thou art in a corner move but God and thine own soul together thou dost aggravate thy sin and thinkest no mans sin so grievous as thine then take this for thy comfort let thy sin be never so great yet the satisfaction and sufferings of Christ are far greater the bloud of Christ saith the Apostle cleanseth us from all sin the red Sea did with as much ease drown Pharaoh and all his hoast as it could doe a single man the red Sea of Christs bloud can drown a whole host and a huge multitude of sins as well as a small lust Though thou hast need to shed more tears for sin in a way of contrition yet Christ need not shed more bloud for sin in a way of redemption for he hath saved them to the utmost that come unto God by him the Apostle triumphing in the 5. of the Romans hee means there that there is not so much evil in sin to damne us as there is good in the gift in Christ for to save because thy sin is the guilt of a creature and Christs satisfaction is the satisfaction of a God thy sin the sinne of a finite creature and his sufferings the sufferings of an infinite Mediator Third Consolation is this to you that are perplexed in Conscience that you have committed hainous and aggravated sinfulnesse yet that Jesus Christ by conversion doth wipe away the infamy the ignominy of thy most horrid and scandalous sins before conversion Suppose thou hast bin a notorious infamous creature yet Christ takes off the ignominy and the infamy of thy sin by Conversion It is observable of Mary Magdalen shee was a notorious whore every one that saw her knew shee was a common harlot there was a woman that was a sinner the meaning was she was an infamous notorious harlot What is done when Christ converted this woman Verily I say unto you that where ever the Gospell is preached it shall be spoken what this woman hath done throughout the whole world Christ did wipe away the infamy of harlotry he would have renowned the love of that woman to Christ he would have it spoken of where ever the Gospel was preacht Luk. 7.47 Wherefore I say unto thee her sinnes which are many are forgiven for she loved much Christ did delight to wipe away the ignominy of her harlotry in her after life It is worthy observation that four women are reckoned in the Genealogy of Christ what women were they they were women that were infamous the best of them did fall into much scandall and gave much offence there you find mention of Thamar Rachab Ruth and Bathsheba no more in the Genealogy but these what were al these women they were converted women Begin with Thamar she committed uncleannesse with her Father in law an infamous woman as you have the story in Gen. 38.18 And hee said What pledge
had Achan sinned too but I sinned further then hee O labour to finde out what aggravations there are that thy evills are capable of that so thou mightest come to magnifie and grraten the grace of God in thy esteem A famous story of Austin Aug. in his confessionâ— when God converted him and smote his conscience for the vanity of his youth how doth he aggravate his sin when he was a boy for robing of an Orchard he doth aggravate that sin with many circumstances First I robed an Orchard meerly out of vanity not out of need to steal for need is more tolerable though not justifiable but when he had enough that was vanity then it was not for the goodnesse of the fruit but meerly for the lust of the eye then I did not rob the Orchard alone but I got others with me then it was an unseasonable time of night then he went to rob the Orchard after he had spent all the day in vain sport then what they could not eat they gave to the hogs then saith he I wronged and injured an honest neighbour that never did me wrong O see how he clothed that sin with many hainous crimes and circumstances canst not thou cloath thy ununcleannesse thy oppression thy extortion thy unjust dealing with hainous circumstances Let me direct you a little in this rule First To aggravate thy sin consider all sins against the manifestation of Gods love are great when God speaks peace to thee if thou shouldest then warre against God Psal 58. this greatens sin it was an aggravation of Solomons sin that he sinned against the Lord after God had revealed himself twice to him 1 King 11.9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared to him twice Secondly It aggravates sin when you commit a sin upon a slight temptation for a man to sin when he hath little or no provocation that greatens sin What made the sin of the devill so great it was this that the Angels had no Devils to tempt them for thee to follow the stews for thee to follow thy lust when the devill doth not tempt thee to doe it when the provocation is meerly from thine owne heart this greatens a mans sin and thus in the Prophet Micah That men should sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a paire of shoes O when thou shalt recollect and say How have I dishonoured God how have I runne the hazard of an immortall soul when the Devill hath laid no temptation to me this greatens sinne exceedingly A third thing to greaten sin by is when a man doth sin against the checks and rebukes of his own conscience Conscience saith doe not sin do not wickedly and the man saith I must I must I shall lose all else When Conscience shal arrest thee and accuse thee of sin and thou shalt stifle and put by all this aggravates thy sin Fourthly The frequency of the acts of sin to commit a sin once is not so much but to fall often into the same sin this greatens sin Fifthly Complacency of heart in sin when sin is not onely the sin of thy practise and of thy life but thou delightest in sin if sin be riveted and rooted in thy heart thou art unclean Canst thou goe to God and say Lord what grace is here and what mercy is here that thou hast pardoned great transgressions and those sins that I can aggravate by many hainous circumstances I have read my pardon and yet I have now blotted my pardon canst thou say I have sinned and upon a very triviall occasion and on a small temptation I am a drudge to the Devil on an easie temptation when the Devill can draw thee by a silken thread to a sin O it is a great aggravation when Conscience arrests thee for sin and thou wilt still be stifling the cries of Conscience Would you greaten sin you are in a ready way to greaten mercy and pardoning grace that is a fourth direction Fifthly If God doth out of the riches of his grace pardon aggravated sins take you heed that when you have obtained great and gracious pardons for great and grievous sins you do not extenuate your sins doe not say of your sins as Lot of Zoar Is not this a little one doe not say of wilful enormities as Jacob did Peradventure it was an oversight doe not mince the matter and doe not lessen sin but greaten sin The reason why thou shouldst not doe it consider first by extenuating sin and making it smal and little in your eye you will lessen the greatness of gods pardoning grace who will value the skill and physick of a kitchin woman that Physitian is valued that can cure a deadly and and dangerous disease when a mans spirits are gone and strength is consumed he is prized thou by lessening thy sin dost lessen pardoning grace 2. By the extenuating thy sin thou dost lessen the value of Christs bloud 3. Thou wilt lessen thine owne repentance and humiliation for what man will labour after great humiliation for small transgressions therefore there is a world of wrong done to thine own soul when God hath pardoned great transgressions if thou shouldst extenuate and lessen the greatnesse of thy evils Sixthly Content not your selves with slight and superficiall repentance for falling into great and grosse evils bee not like Lewis the eleventh King of France when he did an evill against his Conscience he pulled off his hat and took his Crucifixe and cryed God mercy for what he had done so many men if they can but cry God mercy in ordinary and generall tearms they think they have made a Compensation to Divine Justice And thus I have done with the second branch of the use in these six particulars Vse 3 The third and the last branch shall be by way of Consolation Consolations against great sins to troubled and perplexed Consciences that by reason of their falling into aggravated and hainous sins doe entertain doubtfull thoughts of their own pardon five Consolations I shall lay down to you from the Scripture First Consider for thy Comfort that Conversion and repentance for sin before God wipes off the ignominy and the infamy of thy former miscarriages suppose thou past been an ignominious notorious foul creature yet repentance puts a vail over thy ignominious lusts Secondly Take this for thy comfort that Jesus Christ doth manifest more love to those men who have fallen into grosse sin after repentance and humiliation then he did to any other sorts of men in the world It is observable of Peter Peter did sin more then all the Disciples unlesse Judas that was the cast-away after Peter did humble himself and repent of his denyall Christ did shew more love to Peter then to all the other Disciples First Christ appeared to Peter after his Resurrection before he appeared to any other so Paul tels you in 1 Cor. 15.5 And
Maâ—ton of Exon Colledge in Oxon. 8. 18. An Introduction to the Teutonick Philosophy being a determination of the originall of the Soul at a Dispute held in the School at Cambridg at the Commencement March 3. 1646 by Charles Hotham Fellow of Peter house 12. 19. Teratologia or a discovery of Gods wonders manifested in the former and moderne times by bloudy rain and waters by I. S. 20. Fons Lachrymarum or a fountain of Tears from whence doth flow Englands complaint Jeremiahs Lamentations with an Elegy upon that Son of Valour Sir Charles Lucas by John Quarles â— 21. Oedipus or a resolver being a Clew that leads to the chiefe Secrets and true resolution of Amorous naturall morall and politicall Problems by G. M. 22. The celestiall Lamp enlightning every distressed soule from the depth of everlasting Darknesse to the height of eternall Light by Tho. Fettisplace 23. Nocturnall Lucubrations or Meditations divine and morall with Epigrams and Epitaphs by Robers Chamberlain 24. The Unfortunate Mother a Tragedy by Tho. Nabs 25. The Rebellion a Comedy by T.R. 26. The Tragedy of Messatina by Nat. Richards â— 27. The remedy of Discontentment or a Treatise of contentation in whatsoever condition fit for these sad and troublesome times by Joseph Hall late B. of Exon and Norwich 12. 28. The Grand Sacriledge of the Church of Rome in taking away the farced Cup from the Laity at the Lords Table by the late revend Daniel Featly D. D. 4. 29. The cause and cure of Ignorance Error Enmity Atheism and profanenesse or a most hopefull way to Grace and Salvation by R. Young 8. 30. A bridle for the Times tending to still the Murmuring to settle the Wavering to stay the Wandring to strengthen the fainting by John Brinsley Minister of Gods Word at Yarmouth 31. Comforts against the fear of Death wherein are severall evidences of the the work of Grace by John Collins of Norwich 32. Jacobs seed or the excellency of seeking God by prayer by Jeremiah Burroughs Minister of the Gospell to the two greatest Congregations about London Stepney and Criplegate 17. 33. The Zealous Magistrate a Sermon by Tho. Threscot 34. Britannia Rediviva or a Soverain Remedy to cure a sick Common-wealth preached in the Minister at Yorke before the Judges August 9. 1649. by J. Shaw Minist of Hull 35. The Princses Royall preached in the Minster in York before the Judges March 24. 1650. by John Shaw Minister of Hull 36. Anatomy of Mortality divided into eight Heads 1. The Certainty of Death 2. Meditations of Death 3. Preparations for Death 4. The right behaviour in Death 5. The comfort in our own Death 6. The bomfort against the Death of Friends 7. The Cases whrein its lawfull or unlawfull to desire death 8. The glorious estate of Gods children after death by George Stronde 37. New Jerusalem in a Sermon for the Society of Astrologers August 1651. SERMON I. Text PSALME 32. latter part of the 5. vers I said I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne THis Psalme treats of the blessednesse of a justified of a pardoned sinner touching which severall particulars are handled First the Psalmist handles wherein the forgiveness of sin consists that he mentions under two expressions Verse 1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sinne is covered the forgivenesse of sinne consists first in the covering of sinne the covering of sinne not from god but by god so it is explained by god himself Psal 85. vers 2. Psal 85 2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people Thou hast covered all their sinne It is sinne in us to hide our sinnes as it is sinne to hide our talents so it is sinne to hide our sinne therefore when the Psalmist saith the forgivenesse of sinne consists in the covering of sinne this covering by God is understood Secondly This forgivenesse is set out by not imputing of sinne vers 2. Sinne shall not be imputed unto a justified person though still it shall be inherent in him Secondly The Psalmist shews the Character of that man whose sin is pardoned vers 2. Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile Thirdly Here is laid down the happinesse of a pardoned man nothing hindering his happinesse vers 3. When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long yet for all this David cals him blessed though Gods hand was heavie upon him yet his heart was still towards him yet a blessed man though an afflicted man Fourthly Here is laid down the course that the Psalmist took to procure pardon of sinne that is in my Text I said I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne Thus I have brought you by the hand to the Text. I shall give you a short paraphrase of the words I said this word implies in Scripture phrase three things First it notes a deliberation or consideration of the minde Psal 14. vers 1. Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God that is he hath thought so in his minde Psal 30.6 that there is no God Psal 30. vers 6. And in my prosperity I said I shall never be moved that is I thought so Saying is not alwayes an act of the tongne but sometimes of the minde I said I will confesse my sinne that is I have bethought my self and considered in my minde that it is meet for me to get pardon and to confesse my sinne to God I said It notes secondly the purpose and the resolution of the will so you have it Psal 119. vers 57. Psal 119.57 Thou art my portion O Lord I have said that I would keep thy words There saying is explained to be purposing or resolving of the will Thirdly I said it implies the execution or practise of what the minde resolves upon Psal 39 vers 1. Psal 39.1 I said I will take heed to my wayes c. I am put upon the practise of taking care unto my steps and to my wayes the meaning of the phrase is this I said I will confesse my transgression I have bethought it so in my minde that it is good and meet so to do I have purposed and resolved in my will and am actually put on the practise of it I said I will confesse my transgression It is worth your notice that sinne is exprest by three words in this Text first transgression secondly iniquity and thirdly sinne I will confesse my transgression and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne There are but four places in the Scripture wherein these three words are joyned together in one verse Transgression Iniquity and Sinne. Exod. 34. Exod. 34.7 vers 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne Micah 7. Mic. 7.18 vers 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his
heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Levit. Levit. 16.21 16. vers 21. And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live Goat and confesse over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sinnes c. And it is likewise used in Job 13. Job 13.23 vers 23. How many are mine iniquities and sinnes make me to know my transgression and my sinne In these four places the words are used in Scripture and in my Text but not else as I remember throughout the word of God and because these three words are here used Interpreters take much pains to finde out some material direction between them here is Transgression Sinne and Iniquity I have consulted with many and the truest account I can give you is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transgression signifies in the Hebrew Rebellion say interpreters it notes sinne with all extensions and aggravations sin encreased to a great height Scondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin signifies in the Hebrew evils that are of the lesser degree that are not so hainous and so notes only by sin evils of infirmity and common incursion Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iniquity signifies sin of nature that pravity of nature wherein a man was born But Grammarians in the Latine do distinguish these words otherwise Iniquity they make to be that which is done against another man Sinne that which is done against a mans self and Transgression that which is done immediately against God But beloved the Scripture in many places makes them all one Therefore we need not make further curious enquiry after the distinction of these words And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne The iniquity of my sinne There is some disagreement about the sense of these words what it is for God to forgive the iniquity of sin By the iniquity of sin some do understand the punishment that sin deserves the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies Iniquity signifies Punishment the same word here is spoken of Cain My punishment is greater then I can bear there is the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore in some translations it is read thus Thou forgavest the punishment of my sinne Secondly others here do understand by the iniquity of sin with whom I do concurre sin with all its aggravations with all its hainous circumstances sin with all its malignity Thou dost forgive the iniquity of all my sins most Interpreters go this way and so make the phrase to be very emphaticall Thou hast forgiven me my sin that is all hainous circumstances that might greaten my sin thou hast forgiven them all I shall only make a short entrance at this time into the first part of my Text I said I will confesse my transgression to the Lord These words contain in them a holy purpose in the Psalmist to set on the practise of a necessary and Christian duty to wit secret confession of sin to God in them five parts paets are observable First the duty it self Confession Secondly a deliberate purpose to set on the practise of this duty I said Thirdly the subiect matter of this duty Transgression and Transgression with a propriety my Transgression not of other mens sins but my sins I said I will confesse my transgressions I remember Ainsworth he saith it should be translated thus more agreeable to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will confesse adversum me against my self my transgression to the Lord. Many men that confesse sin but they do confesse sin as against God that is they do confesse sin as if God were the author of sin that charge him to be the patron of their impiety and of their wickednesse I said I will confesse my transgressions against my self Fourthly The object of this duty I will confesse my transgression to the Lord and this beloved takes off Auricular confession used and stood on much in the Church of Rome Confession that God cals for and the Scripture cals for is in secret between God and your own souls when conscience shall suggest guilt to you in reference to your former misdoings when you can pour out your soul in complaint to God I said I will confesse my transgression unto the Lord. Fifthly and lastly The issue and event of this duty and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin observe the connexion here is a connective particle and thou forgavest he doth not come with an Ergo or a Quare not with a causall but with an et a copulative and thou forgavest not I confesse sin therefore I am forgiven but I confesse sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thou hast forgiven me Forgivenesse of sin is not laid down as an effect flowing from a cause but as a consequent flowing from an antecedent indeed the Papists plead much for merit because sometimes causall particles are used but this is beyond my Text thus much for the explaining of the words At this time I shall only raise a Doctrine from the first part of this Text. I said I will confesse my transgression unto the Lord. Doct. The point of Doctrine is this That justified persons who have their sins forgiven are yet bound to confesse sin to God And here the confession I speak of is a private confession of our evils to God between God and our own souls and no otherwise and beloved though it be but a familiar subject yet as God shall inable me I shall labour to make it usefull and profitable for your edification in a Christian course in a holy confession of sin before your God There are many Queres to be dispatcht in the handling of this point The first Quere is What are the reasons why persons justified and pardoned are yet bound to make confession of sinne unto God in private The Reasons are six Reas 1 First They are to confesse sin unto God because holy confession gives a great deal of ease and holy quiet unto the mind of a sinner concealed and indulged guilt contracts horror and dread on the conscience As wind when it is disperst and diffused through the air doth little hurt but when it is concealed in the bowels of the earth it makes ruptures and earthquakes overthrows things up and down Sin when it is unconfest concealed and indulged makes heart-quakes in the conscience and contracts a great deal of horror and terror Psal 32. vers 3. Psal 32.3 When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long Meaning when I kept close my sinne he roared by reason of horror when he did not pour out his soul in confession to God but when a man shall with an ingenuous clearnesse confesse his evils unto God this doth alleviate his minde and lighten his burdens and ease his conscience and quiet his spirit Origen doth call confession of sin to God the souls spirituall vomit Now you know vomiting doth give
ease to a burdened stomach when the stomach is pained and burdened and opprest A man is sick at the heart when meat doth not digest the vomiting of the load off of the stomach doth ease the stomach so saith Origen That when the conscience is burdened when a mans spirit is troubled pouring out of complaints and confession to God doth ease the minde A sinner is like a vessel of new wine filled and stopt up close till it hath vent it is ready to burst so is a godly man filled with sinne till he can vent by confession to God ready to burst Psal 119.25 Psal 119. vers 25. My soul cleaveth unto the dust quicken thou me according to thy word Vers 26. I have declared my wayes and thou heardst me teach me thy Statutes As if he should have said My soul cleaves to the dust I am in a very low and sad condition but I have declared my wayes I have confest my sins then God heard me then I had peace then I had quiet then I had comfort that is the first Reason secret confession to God it doth give a great deal of ease and holy quiet to the minde Reas 2 A second Reason why justified persons must confesse sin is because God loves to hear the complaints and the confessions of his own people lying on the face the best gesture and the mourning weed the best garment that God is well pleased with Jer. 31. Jer. 31.18 vers 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself c. that is confessing his sin unto God Cant. 2. vers 14. O my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely God delights to see and hear the complaints and the confessions of his servants unto him God had rather see men come with ropes about their necks and with sackcloth about their loyns by a humble confession then to see ornaments about their necks by a self-justification Christ loves to hear and see the mourning condition of a justified person Reas 3 A third Reason why justified persons must confesse sin to God is because confession of sin doth help to quicken the heart to strong and earnest supplication to God Psal 32. vers 6. Psal 32.6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayst be found surely in the flouds of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him Confession quickens supplication Dan. 9.20 in Dan. 9. vers 20. And whiles I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God Confession is to the soule as the whetstone is to the knife that sharpens it and puts an edge upon it so doth confession of sin confessing thy evils to God doth sharpen and put an edge on thy supplications that man will pray but faintly that doth confesse sin but slightly Solemne and secret confessions of thy evils unto God doth greatly help to quicken strong supplications in thy heart unto God Reas 4 A fourth Reason why justified persons must confesse sin unto God is because confession of sin will work a holy contrition and a godly sorrow in the heart Psal 38.18 Psal 38. vers 18. For I will declare mine iniquities I will be sorry for my sinne Declaration doth work compunction confession of sin is but the causing of sin to recoyle on the conscience which causeth blushing and shame of face and grief of heart Reas 5 A sift Reason why justified persons must confesse sin unto God is because their secret confession of sin doth give a great deal of glory to God it gives glory to Gods Justice I do confesse sin and do confesse God in justice may damn me for my sin it gives glory to Gods mercy I confesse sin yet mercy may save me it gives glory to Gods omnisciency in confessing sin I do acknowledge that God knoweth my sin confession of sin gives glory to God Josh 7. vers 19. And Joshua said unto Achan Josh 7.19 My son give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him and tell me now what thou hast done hide it not from me It is a giving glory unto God Reas 6 A sixt Reason why justified persons must confesse sinne unto God is because holy confession of sin will imbitter sin and endear Christ to them when a man shall let sin recoyle on his conscience by a confession These after reflexions and these after recollections of sin doe greatly imbitter sin and doe indear Jesus Christ the stronger desires that a sinner hath after Jesus Christ the more he doth inhaunce the price of Jesus Christ And thus much for the first Quere to wit the Reasons of the point The second Quere it But when is a man in the best plight to have freedome of spirit to make secret confession of sin unto God I will name but three Seasons As Seas 1 First When God doth bring a beleever under some grievous outward affliction then is a fit time for him to confesse sin to God a saying of Gregory Sins do blind the eyes of men when they sin yet those eyes come to be opened by the punishment the punishment openeth those eyes which the fact hath shut As you read of Josephs brethren they did remain 20 years without having conscience recoyle on themselves to confesse their evils in selling their brother Joseph but when Joseph laid them in a prison then they confest their evill Gen. 42.21 And they said one to another Gen. 42.21 we are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distresse come upon us It may be now thou art in health thou dost not now confesse thy uncleannesse and thy drunkennesse and thy pride and thy prophanenesse but what wilt thou doe when God brings thee on a death-bed when God hedges in thy wayes with thernes the conscience will reflect on thee and suggest guilt to thee and draw out confession from thee it is a fit season when God doth bring a man under any outward affliction then he is in good plight to confesse sin It is worth your notice in the 38. Psal 38. Psalme it was made when David lay on his sick-bed as he thought his death-bed you shall finde it is a complaint of a very strong disease David lay under in the 3. vers Vers 3 There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin Vers 5. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishnesse Vers 7. For my loynes are filled with a loathsome disease and there is no soundnesse in my flesh Here he
of sin to cloath his sins with all the aggravations that can be and this is a good Rule if you well follow it You have the like instance in the book of Daniel chap. 9. vers 5. Dan. 9.5 We have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements Vers 6. vers 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the Prophets which spake in thy Name to our Kings our Princes and our Fathers and to all the people of the Land There are seven circumstances that Daniel useth in confessing of his sin to aggravate his sin how doth Daniel cloath his confession First We have sinned there is one Secondly We have committed iniquity Thirdly We have done wickedly Fourthly We have rebelled against thee Fifthly We have departed from thy precepts Sixthly We have not hearkened unto thy servants Seventhly Nor we nor our Princes nor all the people of the land there are seven aggravations which Daniel reckoneth up to his confession that is a third Rule about confession Rule 4 A fourth Rule in confession of sin is this In your confessions look not discouragingly on God as an angry Judge but hopefully as on a displeased Father to confesse sin to God as an angry Judge is to make you but condemned Malefactors in your confessions therefore make confession to God only as a displeased father converted men do confesse sin to God as a father whilest you have an eye of sorrow upon sin you are to have an eye of hope upon pardon thus Gods people did in their confessions To confesse sin to God as a Judge is to howle like dogs because you shall be beaten but to confesse sin to God as an angry Father is child-like with a fiduciall confidence of pardon Dan. 9.9 Dan. 9.9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him And thus Shechaniah confesseth sin unto God Ezra 10.2 Ezra 10.2 And Shecharâ—ah the son of Jehiel one of the sons of Ellam answered and said unto Ezra We have trespassed against our God c. And thus the Prodigall in Luk. 18.18 Luke 18.18 I will arise and goe to my Father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Though he was a prodigall yet he would go to God as to a father In confession you are to goe to God hopefully as to a displeased father confessions when they come to God as a Judge create fear horror and amazement on the conscience but when confessions are mingled with hope and come to God as a father they work a holy brokennesse of heart a holy tendernesse and remorse on the conscience Rule 5 A fift Rule in confession of sin unto God is this Content not your selves with slight and superficiall confessions of sin unto God but leave not confession till you find sorrow for sin Psal 38.18 Psal 38.18 For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin Dan. 9.8 O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our fathers because we have sinned against thee we blush and are not ashamed to look up Leave not confessing of sin untill shame hath filled your face sorrow hath filled your heart it is a great fault in many people if they confesse their sin in crying God mercy in a generall way they think they have made God a compensation for all the injuries they have done him though they never have any godly sorrow for their sins but beloved you are not to content your selves with such confession Rule 6 A sixt Rule in confessing of sin is this If thou findest thy heart straitned in confessing present guilt and present sins upon thee then labour to review and recollect ancient guilt and ancient sins This is a very usefull thing in a mans Christian course It may be a man or woman professing Christianity may not know the sins he or she hath done this last week for want of heedfulnesse and observation of their wayes in that case let them recollect what they have done many years agoe recollect old sins when new sins do not come to remembrance and be humbled for them Psal 51.3 thus David did in Psal 51.3 For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me It was meant his old sin of adultery that was his sin that he would now call to remembrance so when he found his heart he saith Lord remember not the sins of my youth he would go so far back as his youth I prescribe this rule not that a godly man who is under trouble of minde should take this course to recollect old sins this may lead him to despair but in case of barrennesse if any man wants matter in respect of present sins and finds his heart hard and very insensible in secret prayer unto God in that case he is bound to let conscience recoyle upon himselfe and recollect sins of past years goe back as far as his youth and see what conscience will bring in to provoke him to make humble confession unto God in his secret retirements Rule 7 Lastly take this Rule take more freedome in confession of sin in secret before God then in publique before men To provoke you to practise this Rule consider two things First it is not fit to confesse all the evils you have done before men and if there were no argument to prove secret prayer this were enough that it is not fit for a man to confesse all the sins of his life before men Zach. 12.12 Zach. 12.12 And the Land shall mourn every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their wives apart c. They are to go to God and confesse their sins apart Thou art a poor professor that dost confesse what thou confessest in publique only and never in private thou art but a barren professor Again confider this that though we read of wicked men that have made great confessions of sin unto God yet we never read in the Scripture that wicked men ever made conscience to confesse sin to God in secret Pharaoh you know the story confest his sin to Moses and unto Aaron Exod. 9.27 but we never read that Pharaoh confest his sin unto God Exod. 9.27 And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned this time c. Saul confest his sin unto Samuel but we never read of his confessing sin unto God 1 Sam. 15.24.30 1 Sam. 15.24 And Saul said unto Samuel I have sinned for I have transgressed the Commandement of the Lord c. Vers 30. Then he said I have sinned c. Judas confest his sin but to whom was it to the High Priest and to the Pharisees but Judas never went into a corner and in secret to
then with a godly man Fourthly There is this difference though the conscience of a good man be a sleep for a time and doth not smite him for sin yet some time before he dyes his conscience shall smite him for sin there is no godly man in the world but under known sins if his conscience hath not smitten him his conscience shall smite him before he dyes but wicked men live and dye in sin and never have the controll or rebuke of conscience Ahaz was troubled by affliction from God yet conscience never troubled him for he did yet more wickedly against God Fifthly Though the conscience of a pardoned sinner may be asleep for a time and may not reprove him for sin committed yet a good mans conscience when it doth reprove him it doth check him more out of a sense of sin and the dishonour done to God then out of fear of hell or any outward judgements but wicked men are asleep in their consciences and if conscience doth ever awake it is not because sin is sin and because God is dishonoured but because there is hell for sin and because there are outward grievous judgements when God breaks men by his judgements then they will put conscience on work but never doe it out of sense of sin Take this comparison of Ducks in a pond of water cast but a little peble stone into the water and it will make them dive but let it rattle and thunder in the heavens the Ducks feare not a Divine makes this a fit embleme of a wicked mans conscience cast but a little peble stone some present affliction neer a wicked man and that will make him dive that will trouble conscience and perplex the man but let God thunder from heaven let the Lord declare all the threatnings of his spirituall judgements against sin how evill sin is how God is dishonoured by sin and how the soule is indangered all these thundrings from heaven cannot make him startle And thus I have run hastily over the answering of this third Objection I have done it meerly for a relief of a perplexed Conscience thus I have done with this doctrine I confest and thou forgavest Thou for gavest to forgive saith Museulus is a word of favor or grace not merit or sanctification thou forgavest It notes pardon of sin is not vouchsafed to men by way of debt but of gift I confessed and thou forgavest thou forgavest what Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin the sin of my sin Interpreters have various apprehensions touching the meaning of these words what it is for God to forgive the iniquity of my sin I will bring it to a two fold channell Some there are that by iniquity understand the punishment of sin I acknowledged my sin and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin That is thou forgavest the punishment of my sin the reason of that interpretation is because in the Hebrew language the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies iniquity signifies punishment and therefore they understand the iniquity of sin the punishment of sin but Interpreters generally go against this interpretation for usually the word is taken for sin it self Again the whole scope of the Psalm is not in seeking the outward punishment to be forgiven but the forgivenesse of sin is referred to eternall guilt Thirdly Here is in the Text a Selah which is a note of attention a note of admiration annexed to this expression Thou hast forgiven c. surely that would be no wonder to God to passe by an externall punishment for that he might do to men whose sins were never pardoned What is it for God to forgive the iniquity of sin I answer the iniquity of sin is meant that God out of his free grace doth not onely simply forgive a sin committed but he forgives the iniquity of that sin all the malignity of that sin all the hainous aggravated circumstances that may any ways make it great A learned Authour having a whole Tract upon this Psalm hath these words the Psalmist useth this kinde of speech To forgive the iniquity of sinne that hee might teach us that it was no light fault that was pardoned it was sin and it was the iniquity of sin sin upon sin and sin greatned by many hainous circumstances Yet Behold the great mercy of God Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin thus much for the explaining of the words The Observation is this That such are the riches of Gods pardoning grace that he forgives his people not onely sin in the generall but their great sins such as are cloathed with many aggravated and hainous crying circumstances Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne In the handling of this point I shall proceed in this method First To prove the point to you by an Induction of particular instances then the application of it by severall uses It is a point full of comfort and indeed I know not such a Text in all the Bible that speaks of Gods grace in pardoning aggravated sins sins more clearly then this Text doth First of all I shall give you an induction of instances that God doth not only forgive his people a bare sin convicted but God doth out of the riches of his Grace forgive his people those sins that you may call the iniquity of sin sins cloathed with many hainous aggravated circumstances The instance of David that speakes the words an instance of Peter another of Paul many men that have sinned against light and love sinned against cheks of conscience and against mercies are these sins forgiven Yes that is my work to prove that Gods grace doth forgive sins that are cloathed with many hainous and aggravated circumstances to make them great First David I begin with David because it is the instance in hand will you consider Davids sin the sin of Adultery and ransack the bowels of it you shall finde Davids sin cloathed with great hainous and aggravated circumstances to make it great and grievous and yet for all this that sin forgiven him Circ 1 First Circumstance to aggravate Davids sin if you consider the quality of it the kind of it What sin was it it was the sin of Adultery now of all sins the sin of adultery is an aggravated sin there are five circumstances 1. He that commits adultery he sins against his own body 2. It is a wrong to the body of the woman he is unclean with 3. It is a wrong to his own wife 4. It is a wrong to Bathshebas husband 5. It is a wrong to the child that is illegitimately begotten in adultery that an ignominy should be on him when hee is born and therefore that David should fall to that sin it was one great sin to aggravate Davids sin Circu 2 Secondly If you consider the dignity and the quality of Davids person that did commit this sin He was a King Now the greater the person is that sins the sin is the greater Third Circumstance to aggravate his sin it was that he did commit the sin after God had given him manifold mercies so Nathan telleth him 2 Sam. 12.8 Fourthly To consider this that David had a wife of his own nay many wives of his own that did greaten Davids sin and
house Christ was at supper mark the method Divines make much use of this Mary fell into a grosse sin but Mary must not know her own pardon Mary was weeping for her sin and it was revealed unto another that she was pardoned to shew that when men fall into grosse sins God doth many times hide comforts from them other men shall have good hope of their pardon more then they have of themselves let this be astonishment and a check to you to take heed of falling into grosse evils for God may keep you long without manifestation of pardon Fourthly to astonish thee consider that thou dost run a very dangerous and desperate hazard to venture upon the commission of sin upon presumption of pardon Wilt thou sin that may be as painfull to thy conscience as the breaking of thy bones because Christ can set thee in joynt again wilt thou sin and cut gashes in thine own flesh because thou knowest the Bloud of Christ to be a soverain Balsam to cure thy wounds for by his stripes we are healed Directions to great sinners I now come to give you something by way of direction Hast thou been a man that God hath left to thine own hearts lust thou hast not only sin but the iniquity of sin sin aggravated then First take this rule Labour in the residue of thy dayes to be as eminent in grace as thou hast been formerly notorious in sin hath thy lusts been strong labour now that thy affections may be strong God-ward and heaven-ward has thy sin been cloathed with many hainous circumstances to make it great let thy graces be cloathed with many holy circumstances to make them great though this cannot make a compensation to the most High for nothing thou hast or doest can recompense God for the wrong sin doth him yet is this something by way of a holy revenge on thy self the more thou hast been notorious in evill thou shouldst labour now to be more eminent in good Secondly Hast thou fallen into any grosse and aggravated guilt follow this Rule Labour that the greater thy sin and thy unkindnesse hath been to God thou expresse now the greater love to Jesus Christ for pardoning mercy O labour thou that hast great sins pardoned that thou mayest have great love issued out to Jesus Christ Christ did not simply aske Peter Simon Peter lovest thou me but goeth higher Peter doest thou love me more then these there was this reason why Christ should aske him this Question because Peter had finned against Christ more then all the disciples had therefore Peter must love Christ more Do I speak to any that have been taller by the head in sin then any of their neighbours have been O! if thou hast sinned much love much the greater the sin the greater the pardon must be and therefore on thy part the greater must thy love be to Jesus Christ this is held out plain in that familiar parable that Christ useth Luk. 7.41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors the one ought five hundred pence and the other fifty Vers 42. And when they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both Tell me therefore which of them will love him most Vers 43. Simon answered and said I suppose that he to whom he forgave most And he said unto him Thou hast rightly judged The meaning of this is the two debtors are two sorts of sinners he that owed a little sum he could not pay his debt though thou hast but few little sins yet thou canst not satisfie for it He that owed much was a great sinner as Mary Magdalen It may be God hath forgiven thee thy hundred of sins and thy five hundred of sins O make good this Parable that he that hath most forgiven him love most the greater thy sin hath been the greater thy love must be It is thus with Mary Magdalen Luk. 7.47 Wherefore I say unto thee Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much Her love doth hold equipage and proportion to her pardon much pardon on Christs part and much love on her part O beloved let me here inculcate this on your thoughts have any of you been great sinners have you been guilty of aggravated and hainous circumstances now finde that your love doth carry some proportion to your pardon Thirdly Hath God suffered thee to fall into the iniquity of sin observe this direction the greater thy sin hath been to God labour that thy humiliation may be greater that it may carry some proportion to the greatnesse of thy transgression It is observable of what you read of three men in Scripture of David Manasses and Peter these all sinned greatly and their sorrow and lamentation did carry proportion to their sin in some measure Manasses sinned greatly and the scripture saith of him that he humbled himself greatly before the Lord. Peter did deny Christ shamefully and Peter went out and wept bitterly You know David sinned notoriously and he mourned exceedingly rivers of tears ran from his eyes he watered his couch with tears all this teacheth you that the greater thy sinne hath been the greater thy humiliation should be An observable Law that you read of in Levit. 11.24 25. And for these yee shall be unclean whosoever toucheth the carkasse of them shall be unclean untill the Even And whosoever beareth ought of the carkasse of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean untill the Even Beloved touching an unclean thing a man was unclean all night but if a man carried an unclean thing any length of time then saith God he shall be unclean till Even and he shall wash his clothes This law shews that touching an unclean sin requires a humiliation but if thou hast toucht a sin born a sin and hugged a sin in thine armes then there is greater work required of thee he was to wash his clothes O thou must wash thy heart by humiliation thou must take more pains with thy heart that hast fallen into a gross evil then other men should doe Fourth Direction In case thou expectest to have a high esteeme of pardoning grace labour thou to find out all the aggravated and haynous circumstances in thy sin Beloved doe not fear that the seeing of the sinfulnesse of sin will doe you hurt first look on pardon and then look on the aggravation of thy sin this is the way to heighten Christs merits and greaten Gods mercy and extoll Gods pardoning grace It is notably mentioned of two men that were famous this way It is reported of Eusebius a holy and a tender conscientious man when he came to confesse sin he used these words Lord there is none have sinned as I have sinned the Devill sinned Judas sinned grievously but none sinned as I The Divell indeed sinned but Christ never dyed for the Devill as hee dyed for me therefore my sin is a greater sin then the Devils Judas sinned greatly but Judas never had the pardon I
that he was seen of Cephas and then of the twelve there was love in Christ Peter did deny him but three dayes before and Peter must first see him Again When Christ was risen from the dead he sent a messenger to Peter particularly by name Goe tell my Disciples in generall and tell Peter that I am risen Mark 16.7 But goe your wayes tell his Disciples and Peter Peter was crying weeping and bewayling that he should deny his Master and saith Christ Goe tell Peter that I am risen 3. Christ doth single out Peter after hee rose from the dead Christ hath more discourse with Peter then he hath with all his Disciples else Joh. 21. Thus you see that Jesus Christ manifests love to those sinners that sinned foully after they have repented and are sufficiently humbled for their sin Thus it is with Mary Magdalen after shee repented what expressions of love doth Christ shew to her First we read that he cast out of her seven Devils Luk. 8.2 And certain women which had been healed of evill spirits and infirmities Mary called Magdalen out of whom went seven Divels Then he appeared first to Mary she was the first that saw him when he was risen Mark 16.9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalen Again Christ wept to see Mary John 11.33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping which came with her he groaned in the spirit and was troubled Again Christ commanded that where ever the Gospell came to be preacht the fame of Mary should be made known Matth. 26.13 Verily I say unto you wheresoever this Gospell shall be preached in the whole world there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memoriall of her What a great honour was this to Mary Magdalen Thus it appears that God doth manifest to those persons that have sinned the grossest sins if afterward they shall have the more serious and through humiliation the clearest evidences and the strongest comforts Thus much for the two consolations Thirdly Take this for your comfort It is not the greatnesse of that sin thou committest but onely the hardnesse and impenitency of thine owne heart that can exempt thee from pardon Divines doe generally say that the reason of that saying in Scripture All sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come It is not that there is not more merit in Christ to save then there is guilt in that sin but it is because that man cannot repent of the sin Therefore that sin cannot be forgiven because he cannot repent Suppose thy sin be blasphemy this doth not exempt from pardon It is not the greatnesse of thy sin but the Judiciall hardnesse and finall impenitency of thy heart that can exempt thee from pardon When Peter preached to the Jewes that had a hand in crucifying the Sonne of God yet saith he Repent and your sinnes shall he blotted out O what sin could bee greater then their embrewing their hands in the bloud of Christ yet doe but repent and your sins shall be blotted out It is not for want of great mercy on Gods part and great merits on Christs part that men are unpardoned but it is want of repentance on thine own part Fourthly That no grosse sin committed by a justified person can make void his former pardon A rule among the Schoolemen The work of God cannot be made void or frustrated by the work of man Election is a work of God Redemption the work of God Justification the worke of God which cannot be made void by the work of man therefore if God hath elected thee redeemed thee justified and pardoned thee the incursion of grosse evills cannot restrain thee of former pardon It is true sinne may make void thy former comforts thy former evidences grosse sins may lay wast thy Conscience but they cannot lay wast the grace and the mercies of God herein you may be greatly comforted and established Fifthly Take this for thy comfort though thou dost fall into grosse and aggravated guilt yet such is the goodnesse and mercy of God that he orders thy very falling into sin to turn to thy good I doe not mention this to any that they should be emboldened to fall into sin because it may turn to good O it is God that orders a mans fal for his good A threefold good that God doth to his people out of their very sins God doth not only do good to his people by their afflictions but he doth good to his people by their very sins First Sometimes God doth so order that the falling of a godly man into sin shall abate pride in his heart men of great parts are apt to be proud God many times will let strong lusts attend strong gifts the more to abate and keep under the exaltation of spirit therefore saith Paul I have the messengers of Satan to buffet me that I might not be exalted above measure God doth many times to keep under pride let a temptation loose on a man and so God doth him good that way Austin saith I am not afraid to say that it is profitable sometimes for good men to fall into sin Secondly It will prevent many other sins here is Gods great mercy the putting of a man to pain takes away pain Beloved God sometimes suffers a man to sin that that sin might keep out another sin one sin may be so ordered by God to keep out another sin Thirdly Falling into sinne sometimes doth renew the work of repentance the Lord sometimes lets them sleep that so hee might awaken them by a greater humiliation and to tast the more of the bitternesse and the fruite of sin here then is Gods goodnesse to a sinner that by letting him fall into a sin hee doth thee good and makes thee to renew repentance and greatens humiliation in thy heart Now for the finishing of this subject Cases of conscience there are 7. Cases of Conscience that in this Doctrine are needfull to be resolved First Whether God may forgive a man his sin and yet the man himself not know it here David had sin forgiven him and David did know it I acknowledge and thou forgavest but whether may a man have sin forgiven him and yet not know he is pardoned I answer in the affirmative that a man may have sin forgiven him and yet not know that his sin is pardoned though David did know his pardon in this Psalm yet he did not know his pardon in other Psalms Psal 51. Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation God broke Davids bones for his Adultery and David was driven to shed a River of tears before God did pour in one drop of joy Job 33.10 Behold hee findeth occasions against me he counteth me for his enemy Job thought that God was an enemy unto him and you
that is taken away Matth. 12.32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall bee forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not bee forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come They that understand forgiving onely in sense and feeling must understand this clause not forgiving onely in sense and feeling and so no reall guilt to lye upon the man Thirdly It is against the nature of forgivenesse to be onely forgiving sinne in a mans own conscience A sixt case is this Whether when a man is suing for pardon he ought to make any difference between great sins and small sin The Stoicks say all sins are alike and there is no difference It is true in regard of the object all sins are against God yet when you come to beg pardon for sin according as your sinnes are greatned you are accordingly to behave your selves in seeking for pardon God can pardon great sins as well as small in regard of God there is no difference nor in regard of the merits of Christ but yet in your behaviour in seeking for pardon of sinne you are to make a great difference between the greatnesse and the smallnesse of your evills For Beloved First Consider the Scripture makes a difference between sins therefore we must doe so the Scripture compares some sins to Camels and some to Gnats the Scripture compares some sins to beams and some to motes some sins as talents and others but as pence and in Amos there is mention made of mighty sins Amos 5. in John of greater sins Joh. 19.11 Jesus answered Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above therefore hee that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin It is true every sin deserves hell yet there is more of the punishment of hell inflicted on some sinners then others the reason why I speake of this case is to let you know that as God hath suffered any of you to fall into aggravated and hainous evils so he requires more of you then of other men First consider that God requires of you more humiliation then he requires of other men In the Law you read that if a man toucht the unclean thing he was unclean till Evening but if a man bare an unclean thing he was to wash his clothes to shew that the touch of sin requires humiliation but the bearing of a sin in thy bosome thy continuing in sin requires more work then meerly the touch of sin Peter wept bitterly for his denyall he did more for that sin then for an ordinary sin So that you are to consider that though in regard of Christ there is no difference between a great sin and a small as the red Sea could drown Pharaoh and his host as well as a single man so Christs bloud can drown a huge host of sins but yet you must encrease your humiliation on the aggravation of your guilt thus much for the fixth case of Conscience The seaventh is this What are those great and hainous circumstances that doe greaten sin that so I may see whether I have aggravated my sin or not here are two circumstances which doe aggravate and greaten sin First Sinning against the frequent manifestation of Gods love to thy soul this greatly aggravates sin this did aggravate Solomons sin 1 King 11. Solomon was the Beloved of the Lord yet he provoked him to anger Secondly To sin against the rebukes and checks of thine own Conscience doth greaten sin Jam. 4.17 Therefore to him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sin It is sinne to another man that doth not know it but to him that knoweth it it is a greater sin this Christ refers to and speaks of Judas that would betray him and yet knew that hee was the Son of God What my Disciples to betray me his sin was the greater Conscience is Gods officer in man it is a greater fault to strike a Constable then an ordinary man out of office for thee to sin against the rebukes and checks of Conscience aggravates sin Thirdly To sin against Gods judgements upon other men is an aggravated evill for thee to sin when God hath given thee warning of sin from other mens bloud this did aggravate Belshazzars sin Dan. 5.22 23. And thou his son O Belshazzar hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this But hast lifted up thy selfe against the Lord of heaven c. Thou that knowest how a man is plagued for his uncleannesse thou that knowest how a man is plagued for riotous living yet thou wilt live riotous and thou wilt live adulterous O thou man thy sin is the greater thou sinnest against the monument of the eye as well as against the warning of the ear Fourthly Sin against Gods judgments upon our selves doth weigh ten sin this did aggravate Ahaz sin 2 Chron. 28.22 And in the time of his distresse he did trespasse yet more against the Lord. Fifthly To sin against mercies is an aggravation of sin 2 Sam. 12. I delivered thee out of Sauls hand I gave thee thy Masters house I gave thee the house of Israel and if all this had been too litttle for thee I would have moreover given thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised c What thou sin David and hast been loadned with a heap of mercies this greatens thy sin Sixthly It greatens sin when the sin is immediately against God 1 Sam. 2.25 If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall entreat for him If a man sins against God O who shall plead for him Seaventhly To sin against the motions of Gods Spirit aggravates sin when the Spirit of God shall in thy Conscience perswade thee that thou wouldst not follow such wicked wayes as thou art walking in when the Spirit of God shall come and woo thee to be reconciled to alter thy course and to walk in better paths when not onely the voice of Conscience but the motions of Gods Spirit shall be stifled this aggravates sin Hence it is that Scripture in setting out the wronging and withstanding the Spirits motion whether to good or from evill doth ascend by gradations sometimes it is called quenching the Spirit Queuch not the Spirit a higher degree there is a grieving the Spirit when there are frequent acts to withstand Divine motions that is a grieving the Spirit Thirdly There is an higher aggravation then this that is resisting the Spirit Act. 7.51 Ye stiffe neeked and uncircumcised in heart and eares ye doe alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so doe yee This is caused by pertinaciousnesse in withstanding the Spirits motion Fourthly The Scripture speakes of vexing the Spirit Isa 63.10 But they rebellect and vexed his Holy Spirit therefore hee was turned to be their enemy and fought against them This is not onely by one
single act but when continually throughout thy course thou hast a wilfull and a gainsaying heart against all the motions of Gods Spirit within thee Must not this be a great evill in thee when thou dost quench grieve resist and vex the Spirit all these circumstances must needes aggravate and greaten thy sin Eightly Sin is aggravated when thou dost frequently fall into the same sin Ninethly Sin is aggravated when it is done in a way of complacency that it is not onely acted by thee but loved by thee the acting of a sin is not so much as a loving of sin Tenthly sin is aggravated when it is done by eminent and publick persons whose example draw other men to sin and this did aggravate Jereboams sin 2 King 17.21 For he rent Israel from the house of David and they made Jeroboam the Son of Nebat King and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin Thou that hast sinned a sin and art a publike person thy sins are other mens sins thine is a greater sin then another mans sin is for every act that thou hast done will be an imboldning and encouragement of other to doe the like Eleventhly It aggravates sin when God doth punish other men for thy sin this makes the sins of Rulers to be great sins because for their sins God may punish the people as for Davids sin in numbring the people there did thousands of Israel dye of the plague when thou sinnest in thy family God may punish all the house for that sin this you shall find an aggravation of Abrahams sin Gen. 20.9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him What hast thou done unto us and what have I offended thee that thou hast brought on mâ—e and on my Kingdome a great sin thou hast done deeds unto mee that ought not to be done Twelfthly Sin is an aggravated sin when it is done by a man that lives under much means of grace where the Gospel is preached where sin is reproved there to live in a way of wickednesse greatens thy sin that made a woe to be pronounced by Christ against Chorazin and against Bethsaida because they had the Gospell it should be worse with them then with Sodom and Gomorrah In the thirteenth place Sin is aggravated when they are against many vows purposes and prayers and many holy resolutions thou addest perjury to thine iniquity and that aggravates thy sin The Use Such are the riches of Gods pardoning grace that he forgives sinnes cloathed with many aggravated circumstances O then what remains there are two things to be done by you First if of any you find that you are under these thirteen aggravations that you can call your sins the iniquity of sin O then you should admire and magnifie the multitude of Gods mercy that great sins cannot out-vie Gods mercy but Gods mercy out-vie thy great sins Magnifie pardoning grace the more Paul saith 1 Tim. 1.13 Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy c. O doe thou say so I have been thus vile and thus wicked I have thus cloathed my sin yet through the aboundance of grace and love I have obtained mercy O let this inhance the value of Christs bloud Secondly Labour to greaten thine own graces hast thou beene notorious in sin why shouldst not thou be great in humiliation great in repentance And thus I have by the good hand of God in these twelve Sermons handled two Doctrines to you the one touching Davids penitentiall act confessing sin and the other of Gods gracious act The Lord forgave him the iniquity of his sin So much for this Text. FINIS THE SAINTS Advantage BY CHRISTS Ascension JOHN 14 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there yee may be also THis Chapter out of which my Text is taken is counted famous by most Interpreters because in it begins the Legacy that Christ gives and the last Will and Testament that Christ made when he was to leave the World and this Will and Testament of Christs begins in the 14th Chap. and continues to the 18 Chapter of this Book The scope and drift of this Chapter it is to comfort his Disciples both against their feares of persecution in the World as also against their sorrowes upon this Consideration that Christ was shortly to leave this World and Christ doth here mention many comfortable considerations before them that they were to be left without a guide that Christ was shortly to leave this World and go to his Father â—t much troubled them It went ill with them when Christ was with them and they thought it would have been worse with them when hee was gone and he doth encourage them by these Arguments First hee saith I am but going to my Fathers House and the 28 vers of this Chapter he saith yee have heard how I said unto you I goe away and come againe unto you If yee loved mee yee would rejoyce because I said I goe unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. Againe secondly he would not have them troubled because of his departure because saith he I do not intend to go to my Fâ—â—her alone but intend for to have all you with me though you shall not go with me now Though you shall not die with mee now though you shall not go to Heaven with me now yet you shall be with mee mother day In my Fathers house are many Mansions I do not intend to go to heaven done for there is roome for you as well is for mee and roome for every Believer in the World Heaven first is a Mansion a place which notes a duration of Saints in Heaven Heaven is not a moveable place but a Mansion an abiding place Againe there are many Mansions in Heaven there is roome enough for Christ for his eleven Apostles and roome enough for all the Believers in the World it notes the lastingnesse of Heaven Hebrewes 11. and 12 vers Therefore sprang there even that one and him as good as dead so many as the Starres of the Skye in multitude and as the Sand which is by the Sea-shore innumerable And besides the innumerable company of Angells there is a great Multitude in Heaven which no man can number so that here Heaven is a Mansion and there are many Mansions Thirdly but they may say these may be Superbolicall expressions that there is more spoken then is but saith Christ in the second vers In my Fathers house are many Mansions If it were not so I would have told you To doubt that Jesus Christ doth speake more then there is if there had been no such thing as having a Mansion in Heaven with Christ saith Christ if there were not such I would have told you I do not love to tell you of a fooles Paradice as the Devill doth but I tell you in Heaven
on him should receive for the holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified The holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus Christ was not yet glorified but this Text is not to be taken simply then it will follow that Abraham Isaac and Jacob had not the spirit and they could not be in Heaven but the meaning is that the gifts of the Holy Ghost in that Aboundant measure was not given because Christ was yet ascended Christ did reserve the full giving of the Holy Ghost to the time of his Ascention and untill hee was glorified Therefore the Apostles soone after his Ascention they received the Holy Ghost in a greater measure then was given to the people of old and beloved not onely gifts by Christ to bring you to Heaven but also Ministeriall gifts to qualifie men fit for the Ministery you are to looke on this as the fruit of Christs Ascention Ephesians 4.10 11 12. vers Hee that descended is the same also that Ascended up farre above all heavens that hee might fill all things And hee gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ So that you are to looke upon not onely your own Christian gifts whereby God brings you to Heaven but all Ministeriall gifts are the fruits of Christs giving to Heaven Fifthly Christ is gone to Heaven It is to comfort us in this that Christ being bodily in Heaven it might make thee holdy bold and fiducially confident when ever thou comest to God in Prayer thou dost come to God in Prayer but thou may be comest to him as thou hast Jesus Christ at his Right hand in Heaven presenting thy Prayers to God for thee there is this very comfort given in by the Apostle Heb. 4.14 16. Seeing then that wee have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Sonne of God let us hold fast our profession Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need Jesus Christ being in Heaven it should worke a holy bodnesse in us to keepe out feare and distrust when thou prayest because we have an High Priest that is past into the highest Heavens Jesus the Sonne of God Who would not come boldly to the Court when hee knows that the Kings Eldest Sonne is his friend and is assured of his love that hee will intercede for him to his Father Jesus Christ is the King of Heaven the eldest Sonne and hee is bound by Office to represent all our supplications and make Intercessions for us Sixthly that Christ being gone bodily into Heaven it may bee of comfort that though Jesus Christ be gone bodily into Heaven yet hee hath the same relation towards a Believer which hee had to them whilst hee was upon the Earth When hee was on the Earth did Christ say go tell my Brethren that I am to ascend and after hee was taken up into Heaven yet hee calls them his Brethren Heb. 2.11 For both hee that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause hee is not ashamed to call them Brethren Though Christ was crowned with glory and gone up to Heaven yet hee was not ashamed to call Believers Brethren Now in Heaven Christ is thy God there and Christ is thy Father there Christ is thy Prince there and Christ is thy friend there and this may administer much comfort to thee that Jesus Christ retaines the same relation now he is in heaven that he had with thee in the world Therefore Iob could speak in a vision saith Job I know that my Redeemer liveth I know my Kinsman liveth for so theword signifieth I know my kinsman liveth Christ did only call his Disciples Brothers when hee was in the flesh and so hee calleth them Brothers now is in heaven Suppose thou art a poor woman that dost marry a man that is mean poor in the world why suppose this man should come to the dignity of a King it would be a great comfort to thee that thou that wast but a beggar art now become a Kings Wife so though thou art mean in the world yet Jesus Christ doth preferre thee to be his Brother Seventhly and lastly it may serve for comfort in this regard that Christ is gone to Heaven for this very purpose to prepare Heaven for thee I go to prepare a place for you Heb. 6 20. Whither the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Christ is our forerunner gone to Heaven before us and gone to Heaven for us Christ did not onely dye for us but Christ did go to heaven for us all was for us Heb. 10.19.20 Having therefore Brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus By a new and living way which hee hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say his flesh That is having hopes to come to enter into Heaven by the blood of Christ through Christs flesh as dying on the Crosse And thus much be spoken for the Doctrinall part of this poynt the poynt was this That Christs Ascention or going up bodily to Heaven is a ground of great comfort to Gods people whilst they live here upon the Earth I shall now draw out some instructions from some circumstances in Christs going to Heaven There are five circumstances from which you may gather some instruction First from the time when Christ did leave this World and ascend up to goe to Heaven if you reade the Evangelists they will tell you it was about the 33 yeare of his Age hee left this World and goeth up to Heaven Learne thus much from thence that if Christ would leave the World in the flower of his Age a young man then this should be fastened on the Meditation of you young men that you should not have your hearts too much glued to the World to hancker after a long life Suppose God should take thee away now in the flower of thy age now God took Christ away so Secondly you may learne somewhat from the place whence Christ did ascend it is very observable It was Mount Olivet Acts 1.12 Then returned they unto Ierusalem from the Mount called Olivet which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath days Journey Luke saith it was from Bethany Luke 24.50.51 And hee led them out as farre as to Bethany and hee lifted up his hands and blessed them And it came to passe while hee blessed them hee was parted from them and carried up into heaven It was all one but there is much of Gods minde in this of all places in the World Christ did make choyce of Bethany by Mount Olivet to go up to Heaven Beloved the reason was because that was the place that Christ was taken in