soul doth as it were shut its eyes and stop its ears it doth break away to the sin against all the discoveries and clear impleadings of knowledg gainsaying and withstanding it the presumptuous person goes not to sin ignorantly but he doth it by imprinted light so the sin as Gods enemy which yet he will embrace as his friend yea the more Inexcusable that a sin is the worse it is when little or nothing can be said in behalf of the siner thus is it in presumptuous sinings the man cannot say I did not know it I was not warned 2. The more pride of heart accompanies any kind of sinning The more pride of heart in any sinning the viler it is this makes it the more vile for pride lifts up the point of the sword it shakes the speare against God when the will of God and the will of a sinner come into a competition about sining then pride growes high Who is the Lord saith Pharaoh that I should let Israel goe Exod. 3. Who is Lord over us said they in Psalme 12. when the heart goes proudly to sin it will acknowledge noe Lord but it s own pleasure and no rule but it s own resolution it can slight a precept and scorne a threatning Now presumptuous sinnings are filled with pride I think St. Austine had an aime at this in his exposition of this v. when he rendered the reading of it thus contine servum tuum a superbiis keep back thy servant from prides as if pride were knotted and folded doubled in presumptuous sinnings there was pride and pride again in that heart which durst thus to sinne and verily so there is in presumptuous sinnings a manifold pride a pride of judgement to approve that which God hath branded and condemned a pride of will to rise up to that which God would have the sinner forbear A pride of security to make a Sanctuary for the soul when God hath threatned wrath c. 3. The more impudency and boldnesse attends a sinning the worse it is There is a double impudency about sinning One of defence when the sinne hath been committed of which I am not now to speak which is no more but to paint The more impudency in sinning the worse it is a whore or to cover a plain sore to make that seeme good which really is stark nauâ—ht Another of entrance when the sinful soul layes aside all shame and fear and modesty and restraints and arguments said he whatsoever may be said come of it whatsoever may come yet I wiâ—l on let God take it well or take it ill let him beseech by mercy or warne by threatnings nothing moves neither my peace nor comfort nor soul prevail nor my shame nor trouble nor misery keep back But thus it is in presumptuous sinnings the heart is bold and impudent which can look so much mercy in the face and yet will dare to sinne which can look so many threatnings in the face yet wil dare to sin which can look its own great misery in respect of the issue Note and end of the sinnin in the face and yet will dare to sinne nay which can perhaps look many former experiences of bitteâ—ness and anguish for the same sinful adventurings in the face and yet will dare to sin puttinâ— the hand into the fire agâ—in which hath burned it and venturnig to swim in those waters where had not Gods mercy stept in the soul had long since been drowned 4. The more abuse of mercy concurs to the sinning the more hainous it raiseth the sinne for mercy is the sweetest stop of a The more Mercy is abused the more hainous the sin sinner and the kindness of it should smooth off the soule from offending what is mercy but that unspeakable readinesse in God to forgive a sinner a gracious willingnesse to sit down with wrong offered if yet the sinner will come in and the abusings of it are affronts to the highest love But now in presumptuous sinnings mercy is extreamly abused First in that it hath not its dirâ—ct end the direct end of mercy is to awe and to keep off the heart from sinne There is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feare Psal 130. But the presumptuous sinner is lesse fearful because God is so merciful and the mercies of God should lead to repentance Rom. 2. But the presumptuous sinner yet dares to hold on the sinful trade Secondly when it is made to serve and to encourage sinne O this is the imbasing of that high and tender attribute of God when we draw out from his goodnesse to embolden the heart to wickednesse as if that God whose soul abhorres sinne would let fall any expression to hearten a sinner yet thus it is with the presuming sinner the very mercy of God makes him bold to sin against God the confidence of that easiness in God to forgive occasions him therefore to adventure and multiply transgressions In respect of others 3. In respect of others David had good reasons to pray to be kept from presumptuous sinnes in respect of others as well as in respect of himself whither you consider his general calling a man of goodness or his particular calling a man of dignity and place but I will fold them both together thus then 2. Reasons His sins would be exemplary 1. Such sinnes would be exemplary and noted There are three things which set a man upon the stage which lift up his actions on high to the eye of the word One is his powerful and active sanctity a very holy man is a kinde of a wondrous sight after which many eyes are gazing Godlinesse is a very rare thing and therefore men look much upon him who professeth it Another is his singular dignity lift a man out of the croud advance him to a place and seat of honour above others how busie is the multitude to eye and judge and imitate him The wayes and actions of great persons are usually the present copies of the most A third is his notorious miscarriages which are like the tayle of a blazing comet the great sinning of good orgreat men fall instantly into common discourse and perhaps also easily into common practice Therefore great cause had David to pray against presumptuous sinnes which by his practice might prove a common snare for who will not confidently write after that sinful copy which both goodnesse and greatnesse have begun that which the great man dotâ— the inferior person will do and that which the good man doth that the evil man thinks he may now lawfully do if knowledge will venture ignorance supposeth that it may safely follow and if holinesse will adventure why should profaneness be so nice as to stop The way or fact is credited either as not bad or else not so dangerous where either authority or profession are leaders Now this might be some cause to move good David to pray to be kept back from presumptuous sins
Thus the presumptuous sinner Note makes way to the despairing sinner for what is it which causeth despaire when the soul sees justice to be exceeding great and a cloud over the mercy-seat now it sinks a pace and what darkens the mercy-seat more then the greatnesse of sinning and why doth divine justice seem so terrible but because the person hath been so audaciously sinful Now he saith with Cain my iniquity is greater then can be forgiven Gen. 4. No no there is not balm for such wounds there is not mercy for such great transgressions as I stand guilty of SECT VII 4. Of Direction THe last Use of the point shall be for direction guiding us Direction Nine Rules How to be kept from presumptuous sins Beware of a course of little sins to the observation of some particular Rules that so we may be kept from presumptuous sinnings 1. Beware of a course of little sins The stirrop though it be low and small yet it doth serve a man to mount the great flames of fire took their beginning from a cole or a spark And men usually have been first wading in lesser sins who are now swimming in great transgressions sinnings supposed as little or inconsiderable have not only this happinesse that they are not so much regarded but this unhappiness that they are more often committed And then this is certain That the frequent commission of small sins is great in it self and doth also dispose and prepare to greater commissions many drops make a currant he who makes no conscience of acting many little sins will shortly take the boldness to assay and act some great sin For 1. The more any sin is committed the more is the Note judgement blinded and corrupted 2. The more are the affections inclined and seduced 3. The more is conscience benumbed and seared 4. The lesser force have divine arguments with the soul being surfeited with the pleasures of former sinnes and then it must well follow that the heart being thus qualified may easily be wrought upon to a foul commission this I finde that the way to be kept from an high sin is to fear the least sin For little sinnings are not like a little inch of candle which goes off in an absolute period but they are like a traine of powder which takes fire from corn to corne till at length the barrel is burst asunder or like a little sicknesse which is an humour disposing to a stronger distemper or like a little circle in a pond which begets greater and greater I observe three things 1. That Satan hath a strange hand over that soul which can Satan hath a strong hand over the soul which can bear with any sin bear with any sin he may by lesser things maintain his command as it was said that the little childe did command the land for the childe prevailed with the Queen and the Queen with the King and he over the land Satan can prevail for a little sin and a little sin can prevail with the heart and the heart with the whole man 2. That little sinnes are breeding sinnes Now sinne will keep its bounds but naturally would greaten it self though Little sins are breeding sins it seeme modest at first yet will it by degrees become familiar and impudent 3. They are entisings sinnes they are the advocates in the They are inticing sins bosome for greater they do not onely labour for their own lodging but will deale strongly with the heart to embrace greater as occasion and temptations present themselves Therefore this do give the water leave no not a little little streames makes way to the ocean And thou studiest the present way to become a great transgressor to rise to presumptuous sinnings who wilt allow thy selfe to be an habitually immoderate sinner Secondly take heed of the iterations of any sinne viz. do not go a sinne over and over of all transgressions Take heed of the Iterations of any sin which dispose the soule towards presumption the repeated have a special influence and I will give you a reason for it Because presumptuous sinnings depend much upon the boldness of the heart when the heart becomes bold and fearlesse Note it will then venture thorough thick and thin it will presume far they were men who sinned with both hands and as high as Sodom who came to this passe that they knew no shame Now sinnes of iteration or repeated sinnes they frame a boldnesse in the heart as repeated blows do the anvile and the more hardened the heart is the more bold it growes partly because they delude the heart they work false principles in the minde forasmuch as we have gone on in these courses again and againe and no evil befals us therefore to morrow shall be as to day let us eat and drink and sinne It was a sweet advise that of Elihu Job 34. 32. That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more for all sinne grows strong by practise and the often going over it is like the motion of the feet from one round of the ladder to the other still rising or like the manifold turnings of the wheel which mounts the weight still to an higher pitch what Job therefore spake in another case Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further Job 40. 5. that I say unto thee once thou hast sinned thus and thus yea twise and yet conscience is tender there is yet fear and sorrow but proceed no further least that become mighty to sinne This is certaine that the stronger sin grows the more easily will a sinner presume Now repeated sinnings do wedge in the sin with strength as the more often the Schollar writes after the copy the fairer he writes and the more he is enabled to write so often sinnings makes the soul more strong in that kind and then more fit for a worser Thirdly do not stifle or reject the frequent checks of conscience Do not stifle the frequent checks of conscience God hath appointed several things to give the sinner a touch like cords to twine him in to keep him from sinnings viz. the voice of the word and the voice of judgement and the voice of men and the voice of his own conscience Now mark it there are two of these voices more especially which if a man will neglect and slight a thousand to one but he will fall to be a presumptuous sinner viz. 1. The voice of the Word Prov. 29. 1. He that being often reproved hardened his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy 2. The voice of conscience when the conscience shall concurre with the word in its informing acts and in its directing acts and in its warning acts and in its restrictive acts and in its corrective and judicial acts i. it shall point the way or fact in the evil and unlawful quality of it and strive and reason
Any thing may prove too strong for him who conceives himself too strong for any thing He that will venture upon sinful provocations and occasions disarms his soul and lays his very heart naked to a conquest A Christian may do very much in good wayes which have Gods warrant to lead him and Gods promise to keep him but if he alone will be presuming as the Israelites who would go up to fight upon their own humour fell and lost so shall a man presently learne his owne weaknesse by the strength of sinnes surprisal many a man hath been spiritually wounded not because he had no grace but because he would adventure upon the strength of it without any security from God 3. That pardon is not so easily obtained Nor the soul so And that pardon is not easily obtained quickly recovered after particular dominions It is an easie thing to slip into sinne it is difficult to get out of it a little thing will serve to distemper our health and yet much Physick is required to set the humours streight again All entrances to sinne are with the greater facility for then temptations and carnal affections blinde our judgements but the recoveries are the harder for now the vilenesse and hainousnesse of the sinning appears more distinctly and the conscience works more sharply and vehemently and our very graces are the more disabled Assuredly if you will venture to sinne you lose a friend of God and encouragement in conscience and strength in your soules this very conceit that thou shouldest easily make thy peace with God and finde mercy though thou didst sin I say this very conceit will mightily afflict thy soul and aggravate thy transgression when thou beholds thy soul in blood for sinnings mercy is the most singular ground of repentance and nothing stings us more for sinning then this that we abused mercies to invite us Therefore when sin tempts thee resist it yeeld not to it say thus who would adventure the sweet mercies of a gracious God to satisfie the lusts of a damnable sin and why should I be so mad having health to make my self sick to break the bones which yet are whole to unsettle the peace of my conscience to weaken my graces to dis-joynt my estate If as now I am I have much to do ah what folly is it to make more woful work for my soul How justly may God leave me who will forsake him for that which I know will displease him and what if he should riâ—hteously deny me grace to repent who proudly will abuse his grace to sinne Beloved let the judgement at all times be thus effectually convinced and it may prove a sinâ—ular meâ—ns and help against particular temptations of sinne by which 〈◊〉 is attained 3. Be not in the ways of Dominion great sinnings 〈…〉 alway prevaile at first sight but they have a traine 〈…〉 thod to prepare the soul and then on a sudden they violently surprise it There are these methods First perhaps naked motions the vile heart gives up only a shew of a particular sin in an imagination our thought presents the kinds of sinnin and so falls in again Then perhaps a careless use of our senses which wandring without regard light upon some object which fits the former sinful motions and strongly inlivens them After this active contemplation of these sinful motions not to detest and bewaile them but to look upon them in an idle way After this a meditation of them which is a more deliberate entertainment of them which now riseth to a kind of treaty in the minde where the sinful motion craves entertainment by arguments of profit or pleasure on credit then a darting down to the affections to hearken and delight Then upon the next occasion an acting of all this sinful imagination and plot Brethren if you love your souls take off sinnes in their entrances before they gather head if a man could keep sinne from pleading he might keep himself from acting Break the egg and you need not feare the flying of the bird Crush Simile sinne in motion and it is a clear way to prevent sin in dominion The match will never be made if all treaties be rejected little motions are the principles of great sinnes as springs of rivers and sparks of flames Therefore let us this do resist motions to sin as a man should resist the actings of sin do not say it is but a thought Jehues army came after the scouts Great sinning may attend little and flattered imaginations he who slights inward thoughts and is careless of his outward senses is in a faire way to become a great sinner Sue out your standing by by prayer and faith Fourthly sue out your standing by prayer and faith I will tell you two things 1. That the strongest grace cannot free us from the fiercest assaults even the best heart and most eminent Christian is exposed to the foulest and most violent temptations of sin and Satan 2. That this resisting strength which keeps sin from dominion is in God and not in himself As that we become good is from the goodnesse of Gods grace so that we prove not bad is from the greatnesse of Gods power no man is able to change his own heart nor is his heart his own guard Therefore under all temptations be at prayer and faith These are the two wings of the soul c. Some victories are best had by standing up but that against sin is surest by kneeling down O when the heart is much in prayer it is then most in strength prayer engageth all heaven against a corruption And God hath promised to subdue iniquities and that sin shall not have dominion Rom. 6. 14. Now what he hath promised that he is able to perform and will if we can pray and believe We give sinne the great advantage when we slack our prayers and lay aside our faith It is the wisest art of a tempted soul to decline all occasions to be under prevailing Ordinances and to use prayer and exercise faith according to the nature kind and measure of sinful motions and inclinations PSAL. 19. 13. Then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from that great transgression CHAP. V. YOu may remember that heretofore we have handled Davids petitions against sinne 1. In secrecy 2. In presumption 3. In dominion Now we proceed to speak something of the conclusion or inference which that holy and sweet Psalmist draws from all this Then shall I be upright and innocent from that great transgression To me it seemeth that Davids special aime that white or mark which he had in his eye was this to be upright he knew well that that was it which God looked for which God most of all prized and which for his soul would prove most necessary and comfortable and withall he well knew that the allowance of secret sinnes or the wallowing in great transgressions were quite contrary thereto And therefore he prays earnestly
is to it as a medicine to a disease or as water to spots or as health to sickness gradually altering healing cleansing Another is the Guilt which binds over the sinner to punishment wrath and damnation this is the object of forgiveness in it sin is not healed but pardoned the disposition of the sinner is not altered but his condition When the King pardons a thief his theft now shall not prejudice him so in Gods mercifull forgiveness sinfull guilt is so effectually removed that finally and redundantly it shall never prejudice the eternal life and salvation of the person much more might be said of this subject but I am unwilling to insist on any more then serves to inlighten the point in hand 2. Of this Forgiveness there is a Possibility you must distingush twixt the Of this forgiveness there is a possibility Infallibility of forgiveness which is not to every sin whatsoever or to any sin whatsoever without some condition A grant of actual pardon issues not out of the Court of Mercy unless persons believe and repent It is true there is an infiniteness of Divine mercy considered in it self but in the dispensation and exercise of it it is pleased to bound and confine it self to some sinners only namely to such as forsake their sins Possibility of forgiveness Though perhaps the sinner never comes actually to partake of mercy but perhaps refuseth his pardon yet is there a possibility and that in a twofold respect One In respect of God who doth not in his Word shut the door of Mercy against him nor exclude him nay so far is he from that as that he offers freely the blood of Christ which was shed for the Remission of sins Another In respect of the sinner there is except he sin the sin against the Holy Ghost a Receptivity he is not utterly uncapable he hath not such absolute contradictions to the Tenor of Divine Mercy but that God may without violation of his Glory confirm mercy on him my meaning is his condition is not peremptorily sealed up for wrath but there is a space and away for mercy and some pleas may be made for it 3. Though the sins of a person may be for their nature For what sins great for their kind gross vile abominable for their circumstances high and crying dyed over with many intensive aggravations not only surrepstitious but flagirious enormities as well as infirmities iterated as well as acted Before Conversion and after Conversion all these are capable of pardon 2. The Demonstration of the truth The Extent of Mercy The truth demonstrated from the Records of heaven in whereupon ariseth the possible pardon of all manner of sin is most evident to any considerable apprehension which can or will seriously weigh 1. The volumns and records of heaven I mean the sacred Word revealing and testifying this 1. In the commands of the vilest sinners to repent They in 1. Commands Esa 1. who for the fouleness of their wickedness are stiled Rulers of Sodom and people of Gomorrah verse 10. and their sins are called scarlet and crimson sins verse 18. yet verse 16. are called upon to repent Wash you make you clean put away the evil of you doings from before mine eyes Cease to do evil learn to do well So in Jer. 3. 1. Though their sin was spiritual Adultery they had forsaken the true God yet are they called upon to Return Now this is a truth that though the Precepts of Repentance do not imply an infallibility of the practise of Repentance yet they do imply a possibility of it and consequently of Mercy 2. In the vastness of pardoning promises the promise of 2. pardoning promises pardon is equal to Repentance Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Here he speaks to the wicked and to the unrighteous person and indefinitely to any and every one of them and assures them if they do repent God will have mercy on them Object And whereas they might object yea but our sins are many and great Sol. He replies that God will abundantly pardon he will multiply pardon as if he had said do but repent and fear not Mercy whatever your former sins have been So in Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes verse 22. All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him Mark that phrase All the sins which he hath committed The actual grants of pardon 2. The actual grants of mercy and pardon to the greatest sinners to instance only in a few Adam was one of the greatest sinners that ever lived though not in this respect that he continued long in the practise of sin yet in a causal sence he not only committed a most high sin himself but was also the cause and occasion of all the horrible sins and dishonours against God that ever was or all the sons of men have done or will commit yet God pardoned him when he made a Covenant with him in Christ Gen. 3. Manasseh seems to be a volumn bound up with all kinds of notorious sins and with every kind of sinfull aggravation view his description in 2 Chron. 33. 3. 3. He reared up Altars for Baalim and made groves and worshipped all the hoast of heaven and served them 4. Yea In the house of God he built Altars 5 For all the hoast of heaven did he build Altars in the courts of the Multiplied Idolatry Audatious Idolatry Unnatural Idolatry house of God A most audacious Idolater who durst provoke God to his very face in bringing of the Ark and Dagon together 6. And he caused his Children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom 7. He offered his own Children in sacrifice to the devil 8. Also he observed times and used inchantments and witchcrafts and dealt with a familiar spirit and with Wizards and Sorcery wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke to Anger Deliberate and intentional provocation 9. He made Judah and Jerusalem to err and to do worse then the Heathens 10. And the Lord spake unto Manasseh but he would not Diffusive Idolatry hearken One would scarcely imagine that the heart of man could be Intensive Idolatry Convicted and yet obstnate the womb of such hideous villanies or that Mercy would ever respect such a sinner yet verse 12. He humbled himself greatly before the Lord. verse 13. And prayed unto him and God was intreated of him and heard his supplication Who would have risen so high in sin but a Manasseh and what mercy would have so exceedingly condescended to forgive but that of God Paul before his Conversion his sins were very high so high that as Theophilact
if he should take the brightest candle to search all the records of his soul yet many of them would escape his notice And indeed this is a great part of our misery that we cannot understand all our debts we can easily see too many yet many more lie as it were dead and out of sight To sin is one great misery and then to forget our sins is a misery too If in repentance we could set the battel in array point to every individual sin in the true and particular times of acting and re-acting O how would our hearts be more broken with shame and sorrow and how would we adore the richnesse of the treasure of mercy which must have a multitude in it to pardon the multitude of our infinite errors and sinnes But this is the comfort though we cannot understand every particular sin or time of sinning yet if we be not idle to search and cast over the books and if we be heartily grieved for those sins which we have found out and can by true repentance turn from them unto God and by faith unto the blood of Jesus Christ I say that God who knowes our sins better then we know them and who understands the true intentions and dispositions of the heart that if it did see the unknown sins it would be answerably carried against them He will for his own mercy sake forgive them and he too will not remember them Nevertheless though David saith who can understand his errors as the Prophet Jeremiah spake also The heart of man is desperately wicked who can know it yet must we bestir our selves at heaven to get more and more heavenly light to finde out more and more of our sinnings So the Lord can search the heart And though we shall never be able to finde out all our sins which we have committed yet it is possible and beneficial for us to finde out yet more sins then yet we do know And you shall find these in your own experience that as soon as ever grace entred your hearts you saw sin in another way then ever you saw it before yea and the more grace hath traversed and increased in the soul the more full discoveries hath it made of sinnes It hath shewn new sins as it were new sins not for their being not as if they were not in the heart and life before but for their evidence and our apprehension and feeling we do now see such wages and such inclinations to be sinful which we did not think to be so before As physick brings those humours which had their Simile residence before now more to the sense of the Patient or as the Sun makes open the motes of dust which were in the roome before so doth the light of the word discover more corruption But I passe by that point of the impossibility of a full apprehension of all sinnes committed ignorantly and inconsiderately I now proceed from Davids complaint to Davids request Davids request and here I shall speak of his first Request viz. Cleanse thou me from secrets or secret sins Saint Austin upon the words Ab occultis meis munda me domine expresseth it thus A cupiditatibus in me latentibus munda noe i. from those concupiscences which lie so hid and so close and so private within me O Lord cleanse thou me And in his second exposition of this Psalm for he expounded the Psalm twise Tolle-ex corde maelam cogitationem i. O Lord take out of my very heart even the sinful thoughts I will name the Proposition and then we may perhaps open things more fully CHAP. I. Doct. IT is the desire of an holy person to be cleansed not only from publick but also from private and secret It is the desire of a holy person to be cleansed from secret faults sinnes Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man saith Paul who shall deliver me Why O blessed Apostle what is it that holds thee what is it that molests thee thy life thou sayest was unblamable before thy conversion and since thy conversion Phil 3. Thou hast exercised thy self to have a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Acts 24. 16. And yet thou criest out O wretched man and yet thou complainest who shall deliver me Verily brethren it was not sin abroad but at home it was not sin without but at this time sin within it was not Pauls sinning with man but Pauls sinning within Paul O that Law of his members warring secretly within him against the Law of his minde This this made that holy man so to cry out so to complaine As Rebekah was weary of her life not as we read for any forraine disquietments but because of domestique troubles the daughters of Heth within the house made her weary of her life so the private and secret birth of corruption within Paul the workings of that that was the cause of his trouble that was the ground of his exclamation and desires who shall deliver me I remember that the same Paul adviseth the Ephesians as to put of the former Conversation so to put on the renewed spirit of the minde Ephes 4. 22 23. intimating that there are sinnes which are lurking within as well as sins walking without and that true Christians must not only sweep the doore but wash the Chamber my meaning is not onely come off from sins which lie open in the Conversation but also labour to be cleansed from sinnes and sinning which remaine secret and hidden in the Spirit and inward disposition Now for the beneficial discovery of this assertion let us enquire four things 1. In what respects sins are called secret 2. What it is to be cleansed 3. Why we are to desire a cleansing from them 4. What of all this to us SECT I. 1. IN what respect sinnes are called secret for the resolution In what respect sins are called secret of this know that sinne hath a double reference Either to God and so really no sin nor manner of sinning Not to God is secret Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Jer. 23. 24. it is true that wicked men with an Atheistical folly imagine to hide themselves and their sinful wayes from God they seek deep to hide their Councel from the Lord and their works are in the dark and they say who seeth us and who knoweth us Isa 29. 15. But really it is not so though the cloud may somewhat eclipse the light of the Sun and though the dark night may shut it forth altogether yet there stands no cloud nor curtain nor moment of darknesse or secrecy 'twixt the eyes of God and the wayes of man The wayes of a man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Prov. 5. 21. He speakes principally there of the wayes of the adulterer which usually are plotted with the most cunning secrecy yet God
knowing how his actions were capital copies wrote in Text Letters And that the sinnings of great men are like the fallings of Cedars which bring downe with them to the ground many lower shrubs And that the sinnings of good men are easily snares whereby other men would encourage and deceive themselves 2. Such sinnings from him would be trophies to evil men His sins would be trophies to evil men There are three things which flash evil hearts One is the accomplishing of their own projects and lusts Another is the distresses of the Church Aha so would we have it A third is the great falls of good men now like the dog they will bark and insult over the wounded Lion A good mans sins which are his wound and Gods dishonour is their day of mirth and sport I observe that there are three mouths which the higher sinnings of good men do open The mouth of God O how his word thunders his displeasure against the soul of such an one who is come so neere unto him and yet hath adventured thus to sin against him doest thou thus requite the Lord. The mouth of conscience if we do well and keep uprightly with God then the mouth of conscience yeelds words of oyle and peace it exceedingly excuseth comforteth acquitteth upholdeth c. but if we wickedly transgress and exceed infirmities O then the mouth of conscience proves like the mouth of the sword it speaks with sharpnesse and woundings â—nd terrible amazement c. breaks the bones of David Psal 51. makes him roar Psal 32. The mouth of evil men Now their voice is set on high the trumpet is set to their mouth O what Ragings Raylings Girdings Scoffings Obloquies and Blasphemies are instantly heaped upon Religion and Profession yea these are they this is their holiness this their profession this their niceness this the hypocrisie of them all Now perhaps this also might move David to pray to be kept back from presumptuous sins though not the immediate yet the colateral reason viz. because he might not give occasion to the Adversary that God might not suffer by him nor Religion by him that he might not sad the hearts of the righteous nor weaken the Glory of holiness nor stretch the mouths of them who can bless themselves in a course of vileness and yet curse and accuse the godly for particular facts only In respect of God 4. In respect of God Here also might David frame strong and singular reasons to be kept back from presumptuous sins I know there is nothing in God which a good heart might not urge as a sufficient 2. Reasons argument against any sin but I will contract my thoughts and matter 1. What God had been to him might cause him to pray What God hath been to him against presumptuous sins For his temporal kindness that was exceeding great he raised him from the crook to the Scepter from the Shepherds tent to the Kings Throne and now after all this to answer so great goodness with great sinfulness this would be a high degree of odious unthankfulness His spiritual kindness that was more then the former he did set his love upon him and made him a person after his own heart gave unto him his good Spirit of grace and joy comforted his soul in many adversities compassed him about with favour as with a shield heard his prayers granted him the desires of his soul O then how should David do such great wickedness and sin against his God! God forbid that David should put forth an hand to such an high kind of sinning who had received from the hand of his God such high kinds of mercy and goodness Mercy should make the greatest distance twixt us and sin and cause the purer walking twixt us and God What he was to God 2. What he was to God Why David was his servant see the Text and presumptuous sinnings are high oppositions to our service of God David was his child his son and presumptuous sinnings are great at least incongruities to the way of filial obedience Should such a man as I flee said Nehemiah so here should such a man as David one to whom God was so near one who was so near to God should he break out into the ways of Rebellions into the acts of an enemy into the paths of hostility not only sin which may befall the best but sin presumptuously which befals the worst nor only to be surprised by temptation but also to dare one in a sin by a proud presumption What for a child to take arms against his Father for a holy David to sin with so high a hand against so good a God and so professed a Father no marvel that he fears and prayes and that earnestly Lord Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins No other might be expected from men professing themselves haters of God and Lover of sin but for a friend for a servant for a child how can my God take such vile dishonors from me and who will honour him if his own should adventure and presume thus to dis-glory his name and wrong his and their relation SECT IV. NOW I shall descend to the usefull Applications of this Vse 1 point unto our selves there are four general uses which may flow from this prayer of David 1. Of Instruction 2. Of Examination 3. Of Exhortation 4. Direction 1. For Instruction It may instruct and inform us in divers particulars viz. Instruction 1. To see our own danger as the prayers of holy men for good things should learn us faith and hope so their prayers See our own danger against great sins should teach us fear and watchfulness There is a story of an heathen man who prayed to Jupiter to be saved from his enemies one who heard him so petitioning willed him to mend his suit and to desire Jupiter to save him from his friend for he trusted them more and therefore they might do him most hurt I would add one thing more to have mended that petition also He should have prayed to have been saved from himself for there is more danger in our selves then in all enemies or friends O Brethren we carry about with us vile natures and treacherous hearts Even those abominations which sometimes we could have trembled at unto them will our wicked selves deliver our selves if God keep us not back Natural corruptions will bid fair foâ— the foulest commissions and that the match is not finished and acted it is not because we want hearts but because God restrains and hinders My soul is even among Lyons said David In another case assuredly our soul dwels with such a nature as will not distinguish twixt small and great but is then most like it self when it is boyling in the vilest degrees of sinning The temptations cannot be so black and foul but our corrupt hearts would easily kindle by them and we should embrace them unless there were a God to stay and stop us
that When the soul suppresseth When the soul suppresseth truth truth and holds back the light for unrighteousness sake when it knows the fact or way to be sinfull and yet will not be held back 4. What is it for a person to bless himself in his way and to When a man blesseth himself in a sinfull way protect himself when God hath cursed his facts to say none of this evil shall befall me but to morrow shall be as to day The Prophet is a fool and the spiritual man is mad God will not do as he reports therefore soul take thine ease thy course let us eat and drink and to our sins still 5. What is that When men will not repent till they be old When men wil not repent till they be old or ready to die and till then will continue upon that score of sinning upon a presumption that sin will be easily discharged and Mercy presently had When men return to those sins they have found bitter 6. What is that Returning of the soul to a fact or way which it hath found to be bitter already and though it hath found Hell in the conscience for the same sinning yet it will break out again upon a hope of great mercy Object Yea But alas The best have their infirmities and escapes we think no hurt and God knows our hearts sin we do and who doth not but it is not through presumption but through infirmity The spirit is ready but the flesh is weak we still carry flesh and blood about us it is our weakness and God we trust is mercifull Sol. It is most true that the best are sick and the strongest are weak but then it is as true that the heart is deceitfull and sin is subtile and men are apt to raise themselves in a false opinion of their safeties and to extenuate the height and parts of their sinning But to the objection I will briefly discover unto you whether Four things Whether our sinnings be from infirmity or presumption your sinnings fall from Infirmity or else proceed from Presumption This must be granted in the general 1. There are sins of Infirmity as well as of Presumption 2. Infirmities are of two sorts 1. Meer Infirmities sins arising from meer weakness without any deliberation of the mind or choice of the Will as suddain evil thoughts words deeds dulnesses defects shortness in good c. 2. Mixt which have a tange of presumption but not enough to make the sin to be presumptuous A knowledge but not a practical Judgement pro hic nunc some apprehension but not a perfect deliberation suddain passions perplexing the Judgement and dazling of it Inadvertencies Inconsiderations But more particularly 1. Acts owning themselves to infirmitie depend most Infirmities depend most upon outward strength upon outward strength they have not such an entire causality from the subject but are produced from unequal power It is granted that even a good heart may yet be found in the dirt it may be overtaken with some particular facts which are stark naught but this irregular action ariseth principally from a strength of temptation which exceeds the actual strength of the renewed heart like a man in a crowd though he strives another way yet is over-born he is over-set he is carried down for all his strength cannot shoulder off the crowd he is too weak So when a man sins through infirmity there is a nature which resists as Paul had a Law in his mind warring against the Law of his members Rom. 7. yet the strength of that sinfull Law did over-bear the resisting strength of his renewed mind in respect of particular facts therefore the acts were acts of infirmity But what is this to him whose heart is set on wickedness who imagineth sinfull devices who shapes and contrives his way of sinning who tempts even sin it self to sin whose sinnings arise from affection not from temptation who provokes his corruption to get out who is a devil to his own heart inclining and stirring it to sinfull commissions were our sinnings springing from a full principle from a nature giving out it self and that alone I cannot judge them to be infirmities 2. Acts of infirmity are not habitual but particular they Infirmities are not habitual but particular are rather transient then permanent acts they are acts but not continued acts like a land-flood not like a river and the reasons of it are these 1. Partly because they spring from Temptation which though Note it may now and then over-reach the soul yet the renewed heart observing the slight of Satan and the imbecillity of it self provides therefore for stronger defence and strength to resist And 2. Partly because They flow from passion and sudden distemper which is not a constant inclination but only a fit a present violence David in a sudden Passion will kill Nabal and every mothers child but when Abâ—gail met and asswaged him and made him understand reason he was quit from his projects But now where things fall into a habit into a course into a common practise when a man is every day at his sin when it proves an haunt this cannot be called a business of infirmity when our actions run and fall into a kind of naturalness and custom that a man is always sliping and alwayes swearing and alwayes filching and alwayes lying when the way of his sin is a Trade why this is no more to be reputed an infirmity then for a Mariner to be in his ship or a Trades-man to be in his shop Thirdly acts of infirmity are involuntary acts the man doth Infirmities are involuntary acts them but the will is against them the evil which I would not do that do I said Paul in Rom. 7. As the fact opposeth the Law so that will opposeth the fact it is that which a mans judgment disapproves and which his will is averse from The traveller his will is to go the right way and in that to stand yet he may stumble and fall down and this may be called an infirmity But if he be himself and should put off his cloaths and lay himself down in the dirt this were an act of a voluntary madnesse so when a man sets himself to sin when he will go and wallow in the mire when with Ahab he sells himself to work wickednesse that he doth bargaine away his soul for a sin when he gives up himself to uncleanness with greediness this is no infirmity it is a height of proud presumption But through infirmity of prevalent resistance a good man may be sold under sin as Paul he may be led captive being over-surprized he may be led with Peter that way or to that fact which yet he would not willingly do Fourthly acts of infirmity is not a state of quietnesse or consistence i. if a man sins from a weaknesse of withstanding Infirmities are not a state of quietnesse grace Though the
Peter untrusty to his master yet you shall presently find himselfe bitterly weeping for his miscarriage Whereas the servants of sinne do the work and take the wages they sin and rejoyce when they have done evil yet the servants of righteousnesse actively afflict their hearts for that which hath deceived them and prevailed upon them Obj. It is granted that terror may gripe an evill heart for evil doing but there is a great difference betwixt a sword which wounds and a fountain that runs Sol. Conscience may be wounded in the good and in the bad but besides this that acted sinnes are a good mans wound they are also his great grief of soul 2. Another is earnest desire of recovery It is a singular Earnest desire of recovery and observable matter this when a man hath sinned to whom he holds out his hand upon it The servant of sin doth work sinne and his hand stretcheth out it self as a servant still as ready to advance and finish the service sinne is his work and delight it is the Lord and captain after which he would yet march But an holy man not under dominion but surprisal not under service but captivity he is not himself till he hath recovered his liberty and strength There is such an high displeasure with himselfe and with his facts that he will go free he will not have his eare boâ—ed to serve such a Master as sin Good Lord how his heart trembles how his heart meditates cast about works strives sometimes he cries out ah wicked a deceitful heart sometimes he condemnes himself what a beast was I thus to sin sometimes he looks up toward heaven and sighs bitterly Ah! what a God have I provoked what mercies have I wronged sometimes he looks in and weeps and saith ah what motions did I withstand what a spiâ—it have I grieved how unlike my self is my self sometimes he is down in prayer O Lord forgive blot out heal help recover my heart again unto thee One way oâ— other is his soul working like a fountaine in which dirt is cast till it hath purged out the filth he is not at rest till sinne be more subdued his heart more changed his affections more humbled his judgement more cleared his conscience more preserved his peace more confirmed his soul not only recovered but also bettered yea thus it will be with such an heart which clears it that sin hath not dominion that though sin prevaile to action yet it shall not to affection though I did the evil yet I hate it though it did prevail yet I will not serve it though it hath beat me down as a tyrant yet I will not folâ—ow it as my Lord nay I am not at quiet till I can recover the siâ—ht of my Lord Châ—ist againe and have made my â—eace and strengthned my heart for more loyal service unto him The third is strong haâ—red and conflict the War is more increased Strong hatred by victory revenge is more raiâ—ed 2 Cor. 7. SECT V. A Second Use from Davids prayer against the dominion Use 2 of sin shall be for thankfulnesse to such in whom this dominion For thankfulness to such in whom the dominion is broken off is broken off Though there be so much of sinne remaining as may keep thee humble and watchful yet if dominion be gone there is so much done as may challenge from thee to be heartily thankful give me leave to put on this a little Six motives Six motives It is deliverance from the greatest evil 1. Deliverance from the greatest evil is reason enough of great thanks It is more then if God delivered thee from hell if he hath delivered thee from the dominion of sinne No hell is like sinne â—eigning for as much as torment in strength is nothing to sin in strength that is indeed a very miserable thing but this a very evil thing sinne is worse then all punishment and reigning sinne is the worst of all sinne 2. None but God could deliver thee and therefore if he None but God could deliver thee hath done it blesse him A man may deliver his friend out of prison by paying his debt A father may deliver his child out of captivity by sending his ransome A Country may be delivered from the oppression of an invading tyrant by great strength of its own But there are two hands out of which none but God can deliver one is Satans another is our own As David spake in another case thou hast looâ—ed the bands of my distresse and it is the Lord who subdueth the people under me and it is not my bowe nor my sword c. that I say here it is not your own arme which hath gotten you the victory no hand but Gods high hand which hath delivered you from the powers of darknesse which hath kept sin from dominion which hath cast out the strong man which hath cast down the stronâ— holds thou wast not so much as sensible of thine own vassailage or of sinnes dominion thou hadst not power to feel much lesse to conquer and deliver And when thou wert sensible of sinne thy heart did not behave it self as an enemy but as a friend most willingly bowing under the yoke and readily embracing the lusts and motions of the law of sin when thou hast been called upon to put off the yoke and to come out of the house of bondage the Hebrew servant who loved his Master was never more unwilling to part from his house then thy heart was to come off from thy love and service of thy sins And yet the almighty God in compassion to thy soule hath delivered thee he hath disthroned sin he hath drawn off thy heart to a better Lord and would not suffer sin to rule thee but by the mighty power of his grace hath made thee free from the house of most heavy bondage Therefore not to thy good nature nor to thy free-will nor to thy abilities nor to thy wit or parts or reason but to the Lord be all the glory the victory is his therefore let the praise be his 3. It is speciall grace and mercy Paul stiles it rich mercy and It is speciall grace and mercy great love and riches of grace Eph. 2. It is mercy to be rid of a disease more of a sin to resist a temptation much more to take off dominion the spirit of Christ only doth it the more singular a mercy is the more thankfull should we be Titus 3. 3. We our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures c. v. 4. But after that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared v. 5. According to his mercy he saved us thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption said Hezekiah Esa 38. 17. O then what a mercy is it to be delivered from the power of sinfull dominion If thou were rid of an hard Master that would
against them that he might secure and maintain this Q. D. O Lord above all things in the world I desire to be upright and this I shall never be unlesse my heart be cleansed of secret sinnes and my life of presumptuous and reigning sins for thy mercies sake cleanse my heart let me not love and work wickednesse there and for thy goodness sake keep my life let me not act transgressions there O that thou wouldest do this for me then then should I be that which above all I desire to be then should I be upright I will stand no longer about the words only they afford unto us this proposition Doct. THat it should be the great bent aime desire and endeavour of a man to be upright Gen. 17. 1. It should be the desire and endeavour of a man to be upright I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou upright q. d. this all in all which concerns thee which I esteeme and which thou must study Deut. 10. 12. And now Israel what doth thy Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his wayes and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Q. D. I have done you much good thought on you in your afflictions brought you out of Egypt preserved you through the sea and in the wildernesse vanquished all your enemies for you presented you into a land flowing with milk and honey Now all that I require and that you are to look too is that your hearts be upright that you bestow your love on none but me your service on none but me that I have all your heart and all your soule Josh 24. 14. Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth q. d. this is the thing that doth concern you nearly this is the end of all your mercies and the utmost of all your returnes if you will be any thing or returne any thing to God who hath done all for you then be sincere and true be upright 1 Sam. 12. 23. I will teach you the good and the right way ver 24. Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart Q. D. You have shewed false hearts towards your God in that you would put off his government and you may perceive by the thunder and raine how he takes this at your hands but repent and forsake him no more but get you upright hearts to walk with him and cleave unto him Phil. 1. 9. This I pray c. ver 10. That you may approve things that are excellent that you may be sincere I need not quote more places from the Scripture which abundantly delivers this truth unto us onely for the farther Explication of it I shall enquire these particulars Four things 1. What it is to be upright 2. Why we should so studiously aime at and labour for uprightnesse 3. What useful applications in all kindes of this to our selves 4. Then the resolutions of some Cases of Conscience for the stay of those who suspect their own uprightnesse SECT I. Quest 1. VVHat it is to be upright What it is to be upright The Logicians observe a double quid 1. Quid nominis 2. Quid Rei I will briefly therefore open the several words and phrases which are used in the Scriptures to The several phrases that import uprightnesse opened import uprightnesse and then I shall with more ease and better satisfaction Couch out unto you the lively nature of it For the first of these know that uprightnesse is sometimes Uprightness applied applied 1. To God Psalme 25. 8. Good and upright is the Lord To God Psalm 92. 15. to shew that the Lord is upright Esay 26. 7. Thou most upright doest weigh the path of the just In this respect it notes that just and equal nature of God which is as an answering rule Righteously disposing of all his acts and dealings 2. To man And thus it may be applied both to good men To Man and bad men for uprightness may be considered either as arising out of a renued disposition or as appearing in the course of a renued conversation in which respects it is proper to good men only or as manifesting it self in a particular fact and so Abimelech might say in the uprightnesse of mine heart I have done this Gen. 20. 5. Now uprightnesse or to be upright as applied to good men is delivered unto us both in the Old and in the New Testament by sundry words and phrases Sometimes it is called sincerity as Josh 24. 14. serve the Lord in sincerity that is said to be sincere which is without mixture a metaphor from honey which is then reputed pure and right when it hath none of the wax commixed with it The heart is upright when it is sincere and then it is sincere when it is unmingled Beloved there 's a difference 'twixt Adherence and Commixture To the purest lana there may adhere some thred or spot uncomely but in commixture the qualities or substances are in a sort mutually confounded sin adheres or cleaves to the nature of the most upright person but yet it mingles not it is a thing which the renued heart is thrusting off it would be rid of it the new nature like a spring is working it off so that a man may be said to be upright whose heart will not suffer any sinne to incorporate or settle it self Search me said David see whether there be any way of wickedness in me Psalme 139. 23 24. If a man hath an heart upon which sinful wayes do not only fall but with which they close if his heart knows it and allows it and will walk in it that mans heart is not upright in him Sometime it is called one-ness or singleness so Jer. 32. 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever Act. 2. 46. They did eat their bread with gladness and sing lenesse of heart There are two sorts of persons hypocrites and upright persons and the Scripture opens them by their hearts Hypocrites are said to have an heart and an heart Psal 12. 2. with a double heart do they speak in the original it is with an heart and an heart So Hos 10. 2. their heart is divided now shall they be found faulty and therefore James 1. 8. they are called men of two mindes double-minded men they are in some things for God and in most things for themselves now for his service and anon for their lusts look as hypocrisie mingles sinne and the affection together so it mingles God and sin and the world together it doth not look on God for Gods sake but for profits sake or pleasures sake or honours sake On the contrary upright persons are persons of one heart or of a single heart as the Zebulonites are said not to be of a double heart 1 Chron. 12.
to walk with him he would be careful to please him fearful to offend him ready to obey him would be kept in for God he would not make so many strayings he would minde Gods glory more Thirdly get to hate sin A secret love of sin after all restraints and pauses will draw the soule aside It will like a covered Get to hate sin disease break out againe There are three things in hatred which contribute to uprightnesse 1. It is an inward aversation the very heart is drawen off from an object and the heart is filled with a loathing and a detestation of the evill not the tongue and looks onely but the very inclination of the will is turned aside 2. It is universall for hatred is of the kinde the will in the whole latitude of it is the object of hatred I hate every false way said David Psal 119. 3. It is permanent and durable passion is a storme which will quickly off but hatred is a setled quality arguments allay it not nor doth time remove it what have I to do any more with Idols said Ephraim Hosea 14. 8. They shall defile their coverings and say unto them get thee hence Esa 30. 22. So that if a man could get the hatred of sin he should quickly finde an even uprightnesse The cause why a man is not even in his walking is either because 1. His heart is not bent against sinne but gives a delightful way unto it it doth not resist and loath it but harbours and favours it 2. Some one particular lust winnes and gaines upon the soule though some are unacted yet one speciall lust is retained which hath power to command and rule the life 3. He is carried against sin upon mutable and decaying grounds which being removed the heart then returnes to its proper and naturall bent But now if spiritual hatred of sinne were implanted then the combat twixt sin and the person would be inward the very heart would loath the nature and inclinations of it and it would be universall and constant so that here would arise a generall evennesse in a mans coversation Unevenness though it appear without yet it begins within the heart is the maine wheele of a mans course and therefore if love gets the heart for God and hatred rules the heart against sin you may very well believe that these two will yeeld out a very upright endeavour and course of holinesse In spirituals that which keeps the fountaine doth keep the streame and that which betters the heart doth likwise well order the life 2. For the second which respect the preserving meanes take Directions for preserving it these directions 1. First if you would preserve uprightnesse you must preserve Preserving aâ— holy feare of God an holy feare of God you know the promise I will put my feare into their hearts and they shall not depart from me Jere. 32. Sinning is the only departing from God He never leaves us but for sin our departing is our unevenness and we never leave him but by sinne and our unupright walkings but that now which keeps us from departing is feare The feare of the Lord is a fountaine of life to depart from the snares of death Prov. 24. 27. If a man could alwayes keep an awful and powerfull regard to God that he stood in awe of his attributes and of his word he would keep plaine with God he would not transgresse for a morsel nor thinke that it may be safe for him to sin An Holy feare of God hath these two Properties 1. It puts the soule and actions in Gods presence one saith that God is all eye to see every thing and all eare to heare every thing so doth holy feare represent God as one who is now beholding all that I do and as one who understands my thoughts afar off from whom no not the whisperings of the minde nor the imaginations of my heart nor the closest and most secret actings can be concealed Its stands in awe of this all discovering God how can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God saide Joseph when there were none but he and his mistresse and his God together Gen. 39. 9. I feare his justice that it will breake out upon me if I should dare to sin and I feare his mercy that it will draw off if I presume to offend Psal 4. 4. Stand in awe and sinne not Psal 119. 161. Princes also have persecuted me without a cause Why this might stirre up strange qualities in David O no but my heart standeth in awe of thy word q. d. I dirst not breake out to sin for all that thy word which I feared kept me in 2. Faith breeds and preserves uprightnesse and evennesse I â—aith preserves uprightnesse remember the Apostles caution Heb. 3. 12. Take heed brethren least their be in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe in departing from the living God unbeliefe it is the root of all hypocrisie and appostacy that men are but halfe in duties it is because they do not indeed believe the extent of obedience to God and that they keep some private lust it is because they do not indeed believe the truth of Gods justice power wrath But saith causeth evennesse forasmuch 1. As it sets up prevailing arguâ—ents the soul never doubtes in the way but by the strength of false arguments either false pleasures or false profits is forcible with the heart insnares it we step aside alwaies by the cunning of error But faith not only discovers false inducements but also bringes better and stronger motives it knowes and teacheth where the soule will be at a losse and holds it off by the goodnesse and kindnesse and loving favour of God who would venture his comfortable aspect of God and sweet communion with Christ for a morsel of stollen bread or for one draught of unlawful pleasure 2. It constraines the heart to singular love of God and Christ the more faith the more love all true faith is inflaming for it sees and feels much love and therefore kindles much now much love raiseth much evennesse in walking whiles the love is kept up close to God the heart and life ordinarily are kept in an upright motion for all true love is tender and careful and pleasing 3. It purifies the heart Faith is like fire which hath one quality to ascend and another to burne so faith it negotiates for us at heaven and likewise it breeds more intrinsecall renovation of the heart by holinesse faith is the best friend to our graces the surest helpe to our affections the strongest prop to our duties and the sorest enemy to our sinnes No grace doth so much for the heart as faith our assistance for good and our resistance of evil depends most on it we finde experimentally that many sinnes then breake out when we loose the sight of God as long as we can eye God the soule is safe see God in his promises
or all manner of sin which yet must not be taken simply but restrictively not all manner of sin in comparison of sin to the rule that forbids it for then the sin against the Holy Ghost should be remitted but all manner of sin in opposition to the sin against the Holy Ghost i. e. any sin that is pardonable all manner of sin First Whether you respect the several species of sin may be remitted Noah's drunkenness Abraham's lying David's Adultery Manasse's Idolatry Peters denial of Christ were remissible Secondly Whether you respect the many degrees and intentions of sin either in the multiplied iterations of sinful acts or in the accessory aggravations of them from the force of circumstances in time place person object end c. And that we may not doubt hereof a special instance is given Blasphemy what it is in a sin of deepest dye and desert viz. Blasphemy this also may be remitted The schools tells us it is such a sin as either detracts from God that which belongs unto him of right or fastens on God reproachfully and disgracefully that which is not convenient to so pure and sublime Essence and Majesty And the Scripture tells us that it wounds or strikes through the name of God Lev. 24. 16. nothing so dear to us as our name and reputation and therefore we are sensible of the least indignities which touch there God doth himself profess how tender and jealous he is of his name and glory it goes very near to the quick yet such is the Miracle of his gracious disposition that he hath mercy even for Blasphemy I was a Blasphemer saith Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13. but I obtained mercy Only know that Blasphemy here pardonable is not that which springs from malice and hatred after conviction but that of ignorance as Pauls's or of infirmitie as Peter's Secondly The quality of the act shall be forgiven No The quality of the Act. such word as that for a sinner his life and joy lies in it Some by these words understand 1. Certainty of pardon Thus Theophylact who holds the event so sure that there needs no repentance to obtain pardon for sins not committed against rhe Holy Ghost This erroneous opinion need the kindness of a large pardon 2. Desert of pardon Thus Origen l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 3. Qui peccat in filium hominis venia dignus est quia videtur in ignorantiam decidisse there is some ground of Apology in this this opinion is not very unsound but not genuine 3. Facility of pardon thus Jansenius in Concord Evang-Remittetur non quasi cunctis hominibus remittetur sed quod facile remittetur there is not so much difficulty to get these as the other to be pardoned 4. Not Eventum infallibilem sed possibilem shall be forgiven i. e. they are such as are not excluded from hope and offer of pardon not that they are certainly remitted to all in the event or that they deserve pardon or that they are easily pardoned they do not contract a peremptory incapacity of Mercy but that they may and if repentance follow shall certainly be forgiven Thirdly The indesiniteness of the subject unto men not The indefiniteness of the subject a man guilty of any manner of sin except that against the Holy Ghost but such is the rich grace of the great Court of Mercy that he may take out his pardon Christ doth not say not one sin but All sin not all sin of one kind but all manner of sin all sin of any kind shall be forgiven not to one man but to any one unto men unto any one of the sons of men whence we may conclude this comfortable truth DOCTRINE There is a possibility of pardon to any sinner for any sin except the sin against the holy Ghost THat there is a possibility of pardon for any Sinner whatsoever and for any sin whatsoever to all men for all manner of sin except the sin against the holy Ghost Hence the infiniteness of Divine Mercy is in Mica 7. 19. compared to the depths of the sea The Ocean is of that vast capacity that it can swallow up the highest mountains as well as cover the lowest Mole-hill And Isa 44. 22. it is compared to the strength of the sun which can scatter the darkest clouds as well as consume the thinnest vapours There is in man a continual fountain of sin in God a continual fountain of Mercy Zac. 13. 1. still running yea there is in man multitude of sins which stream from that corrupt fountain and there is in God Multitudes of Mercies to heal and stop those various currents Psalm 51. 1. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out mine offences In the prosecution of this Truth I shall speak to three things 1. The Explication of the terms 2. The demonstration of the Truth 3. The Application The explication of the terms Forgiveness described It is an Act of God 1. The Explication of the terms 1. Forgiveness of sin is a gracious act of God in and through-Christ discharging the believing and repenting sinner from the guilt and punishment of sin It is an Act of God The Donatists hold that man could forgive the sins of men and St. Austin chalengeth them for so bold an Assertion that in this they are worse then the Pharisees who maintained this truth Who can forgive sins but God Object It is true Christ committed to his Apostles a Ministerial Absolution in his Name and virtute officii to bind and lose sinnes Sol. But if we speak of an Authoritative Right and immediate Power thus only God forgives Life and death are only in the absolute power of the Supream Lord and because our sins are directly committed against his Justice therefore it belongs only to his Mercy to forgive 2. It is a gracious Act. No way deserved by the sinner A gracious Act. Gratia indebita liberata said St. Austin Hence in Scripture you find our forgiveness like a stream issuing out of rich Mercy Great love and the riches of Grace and the Prophet speaking of forgiveness usually adjoynes For thy Mercy sake for thine own sake intimating that forgiveness is a free Act not purchased but given not merited but granted There is I acknowledge A double graciousness in the discharge of an offendor One without any satisfaction at all I am much mistaken if Socinus and his Atheistical Complices run not this way Another is When the satisfaction of a surety is accepted for the principal debt In this respect is our forgiveness gracious not that Justice is not at all satisfied but that the offendor himself never satisfied it he is discharged by the price which a blessed Mediator laid down 3. Discharging the sinner of guilt and punishment There Discharging the sinner of guilt and punishment are two things in sin One is the stain pollution or defiling quality of it and this is the Object of Sanctification which
and others well observe they had but one ingredient to stave them off from being the sin against the Holy Ghost viz. Ignorance 1 Tim. 1. 13. he presents a brief survey of his great transgressions He was a Blasphemer i. one who did cast contumely and reproach on God and Christ whose nature was Divine and therefore every way venerable but he scoffed and mocked at Christ and his Truths He was a Persecutor too he did not only deride Châ—ist but endeavoured to exile and banish him out of the world to thrust him away from the society of sinners who in so great mercy came to save sinners Whereupon St. Austin judged well Nemo acrior Paulo inter Persecutores nemo ergo pejor inter peccatores Paul was the quickest persecutor and therefore the vilest sinner Nay and he was injurious he did not only exercise his thoughts and heart his tongue and invectives against Christ but his hand and strength he did consent to the death of persons for Christ To have a hand in blood is a crying sin but how heinous is it to have a hand in the blood of Christ to crucifie him afresh in his members yet saith he I obtained mercy A blasphemer yet I obtained mercy A Persecutor yet I obtained mercy Injurious yet I obtained mercy I will give you but one instance more out of 1 Cor. 6. 9. Neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers not effeminate nor Abusers of themselves with mankind verse 10. Nor thieves nor covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God Here are some sinners which have destroyed a whole world and others which have started up hell on earth to devour sinners and all of them such as meritoriously shut the gate of happiness yet mercy hath stretched out the Scepter to some persons guilty of them Verse 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 3. The essential and natural disposition of God The Essential and natural disposition of God Mercy is not a quality extrinsecally imposed or acquired but intrinsecal and most natural and therefore exerciseable with freest facility and readiest constancy The eye is not weary with seeing nor God with pardoning because that is natural to the eye and this is to God This you know the power of any thing is answerable to the nature The nature of God is infinite and so is his power Omnipotente Medico nullus insanabilis occurrit languor saith Isidore Pelusiota And St. Austin Grave est quod habeo sed ad Omnipotentem fugio In Psal 51. Therefore is it that his Mercies are stiled Riches of mercies and multitudes of mercies and great mercies and compared to the depths of the sea Mic. 7. and to the strength of the sun Isa 44. and to the vastness of the heavens in comparison of the earth Isa 55. As Mercifulness is natural in him so is it gracious The Lord mercifull and gracious Exod. 34. If mercy were to be bought there were no hope for any sinner but being free now there is a possibility for any A sinner may plead for mercy even out of the goodness of mercy As it is dispâ—nsed graciously without desert on our part so likewise delightfully without repining on Gods part He delighteth in Mercy saith the Prophet Mic. 7. 18. It is a work that God would do Two things God delights in Our Conversion and our Remission 4. The vertue and sufficiency of the blood of Christ which was shed for the remission of sins Mat. 26. 28. that was The vertue and sufficiency of the blood of Christ one end to procure our pardon but for what sins that is not expressed because no sin is excluded you cannot say that Christ dyed only for small sins or only for great sins nay the offer of Christ to all sinners doth confirm it How can this offer be indefinite How can it be said Whosoever believes shall be saved unless you grant a possibility of mercy 5. The effects of mercy in the Creature which point to an infinite fulness in the Creator The vertue in the cause ever The effects of Mercy in the Creature exceeds that in the effect and according to the generality in the cause is the intention of the vertue in that cause If I discern any light in the beams I apprehend much more in the Sun If I feel any moisture in smaller drops I know there is much more in the large ocean All the mercy in the Creature is derivative and as so many beams and drops lead us to the infinite fulness of mercy in God the universal and prime fountain of all compassion God himself reasons from the compassion of a mother to her own and Christ tells us If we forgive those that trespass against us our heavenly Father will also forgive us our trespasses Surely if we must forgive seventy times God doth much more multiply forgivenesses 6. It is all one to the Lord to forgive great sins as well as small It is all one to God to forgive great as well as small sins Luke 7. 41. There was a Creditor which had two Debtors the one ought him 500. pence and the other 50. pence and when they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both There was a difference of the debt 50. and 500. one of them many hundred times exceeding the other the debts were different but the forgiveness was equal and the manner of forgiveness the easiness was alike both of them was frankly i freely readily forgiven Now I proceed to the application of all this Is there a Use possibility for the pardon of any sin Information 1. An impenitent sinner is utterly inexcusable who will continue in sin where so much grace doth abound I do confess that An impenitent sinner is utterly inexcusable many turn the grace of God into wantonness and because of the richness readiness of divine mercy therefore presume to add drunkenness to thirst giving the reins to all licentiousness and obduration of Spirit and why because God is mercifull But hear what the Apostle saith Rom. 2. Knowest thou not O man that the mercies of God should lead thee to Repentance but thou through the hardness and impenitency of thy heart treasurest unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath I pray you to remember 1. That the end of mercy is not confirmation in sin but a Reformation of sin There is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feared said David 2. That Mercy is the sweetest cord to draw us off from sin When God might justly doom a sinner yet he graciously presents his mercy to pardon him Loe yet there is mercy I beseech thee by the mercies of God to leave thy sins this is a melting argument 3. That Mercy is the strongest argument to draw men off from Sin The torments of hell cannot work
so much as the mercies of heaven Nothing in the world will prevail upon a sinner if mercy doth not 4. If mercy doth not prevail a mans Damnation befalls him without all Apology Ah what a sad appearing will it be for us when we must die and stand before God and the Lord shall in that day object to us before men and Angels This is the person unto whom I freely offered the pardon of all the sins that ever he committed and offered him in the word of God that if he would leave his sins I would forgive them but he preferred his sins before my mercy For lying vanities he forsook his mercies And thy own conscience shall then testifie that thus it was I had mercy offered again and again and yet I would continue in my sins Judge what blackness of darkness and degrees of eternal confusion thou shall contract when so great a door of mercy is opened but for a lust sake thou wilt not enter in thou wilt not accept of it 2. Then no sinner hath cause sufficient to despair I know full well that before God makes us sensible of sin we are apt to No sinner hath cause sufficient to despair presume but being once made sensible we are very apt to despair It is the great art of the devil either to make us die in a senceless calm or else to perish in an unquiet storm either to make us undervalew our sins and so to slay us with security or else to undervalew mercy and so to sink us with despair Oh saith the awakened conscience my sins are so many and so great I have continued long in them gone on in them after knowledge after the invitations of mercy after the strokes of afflictions after many a secret check and bitter words from my conscience now there remains no hope no no others whose sins are fewer in number lightet in weight not edged and raised by such circumstances they may hope but I can have no confidence mercy will never look upon such a one as I am Nay but readest thou not the Text and they are the words of a Saviour That all manner of sin may find forgiveness though there because enough to despair of thy own strength yet there is no cause to despair of Gods mercy Two things only remember here 1. Despair is no remedy to any sinner It may bind on his sins the faster but never heals the soul nor easeth the conscience nor pleaseth God 2. Whatsoever thy sins have been if at length thou canst find an heart to repent God can find mercy to pardon I affirm it no sinner ever perished because God wanted skill to help but because he wanted a heart to make use of his help To perswade men to make out for pardon 3. But the main use I would make of this point is To perswade men to make out for this pardon you see here the extent of Mercy the possibility of pardon Why do you look one upon another said Jacob to his sons Behold I have heard there is corn in Egypt get you down thither that we may live and not die Why stand you amazed and backward you that are so full of spiritual wants why come you not to mercy that you may live and not die here is a store-house of mercy Behold said the servants of Benhadab We have heard that the King of Israel is a mercifull King let us go to him peradventure he will save thy life 1 King 20. 31. We hear that the King of heaven is mercifull and yet we address not our selves unto him we hear that there is Balm in Gilead yet we sue not to be healed we hear that the Arms of Christare yet open and we run not to be embraced Ah! our folly and madness that being so greatly diseased we fly our Physick that being so in deep rebellions we lay not down our weapons and submit not upon the tender of the freest pardon As I live saith the Lord I delight not in the death of a sinner Why will you die O house of Israel Why do we by lying vanities forsake our Mercies how my soul bleeds at the wretched hardness of our hearts God is mercifull and we are sinfull yea we are the more bold in sin because God is the more abundant in mercy Continue in sin because Grace doth abound Rom. 6. 1. Thus do we abuse the grace God to wantonness and bane our souls by the sweet Remedy of sin There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared said David and he who confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy saith Solomon and knowest thou not that the mercies of God should lead thee to Repentance saith Paul consider 1. The presence of Mercy saves not but the acceptance the offer of a pardon delivers not the Malefactor but the receiving of it only the embracing makes us happy mercy proves not mercy but by acceptance the contempt of it strangly alters it into Justice 2. The despising of mercy leaves without all excuse what hast thou to urge against God who could not urge and fasten his mercy on thy soul yes thou wouldst have a licence but not a pardon I know thou warmest thy soul with the sound of mercy not to abate but to encourage thy sinfull appetite Why dost thou not break thy arm because there is a skilfull Chirurgion or fall into the strongest diseases because there is a skilfull Physitian 3. Continuance in sin and efficacy of Mercy are inconsistent thou through thy impenitent heart in stead of mercy treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. Now that which I would perswade you too is to be wise for Get your sins to be forgiven your souls and to get your sins to be forgiven and pardoned If a company of sick men did hear of an able Physitian that could and would heal them who would not be carried to him or what Malefactor is there so out-ragiously mad but that would make out to the King if he were assured that the King would pardon him Two things only I will propound Motives and Means 1. The Motives to stir us up to get our sins forgiven are these Motives 1. We are in such a case that we need pardon yea that pardon We need paâ—don should be multiplied unto us Indeed were we not sinners then we should need no forgiveness or could we of our selves make or exact satisfaction to divine Justice then might we stand off from mercy but alas we are sinners by nature and by life all our dayes are days of sin the hairs are not more on our heads then the number of our sins are on our consciences they are so many that who can tell how often he offendeth therefore we need mercy to forgive yea and we are without strength we can find strength to sin but who can discharge for those sins the price and ransom could never yet be found in any sinners
sin what it doth imply p. 103 Sins Dominion in respect of Assent p. 105 Whether the Interruption of sinful Acts impeach sins Dominion Answered p. 115 Dominion of sin is either habitual or actual p. 116 Whether sin in Dominion may befall a regenerate person p. 117 Distinctions about it ibid. A compleat Dominion of sin cannot befall a regenerate person p. 118 Why David prayes against sin in Dominion p. 119 Why we should pray against the actual Dominion of sin ibid. Actual Dominion though it conclude not the absence yet it weakens the strength of Grace p 120 Actual Dominion though it cut not off the union yet it checks the Comforts p. 120 121 Distinguish betwixt Dominion of sin and a strong inclination to sin p. 112 Why we should pray against the habitual Dominion of sin p. 122 Instances of sins Dominion in many p. 126 127 Deceits about the Dominion of sin p. 129 viz. unsensibleness of its power ibid. Freedom from many sins p. 130 Opposition against some sins p. 131 132 Troubles after some sinfull actings p. 133 The Interims of sinning p. 134 The practise of Actions contrary to our outward sinnings p. 135 Tryals that sin hath not Dominion ibid. Motives to Thankfulness to those in whom sins Dominion is broken p. 144 Differences betwixt the Dominion of sin and particular victories of sin p. 154 155 Directions against the natural Dominion of sin p. 163 What strengthens the natural Dominion of sin ibid. What may break down the Dominion of sin p. 167 Directions against actual Dominion of sin p. 168 Wherein the actual Dominion of sin lies p. 169 The wayes and methods of sins Dominion p. 173 174 Doubts Doubts of troubled souls fearing they are under the Dominion of sin p. 148 Doubts from the strong inclinations of sin Answered p. 148 149 Doubts from some special sinfull Inclinations of sin Answered p. 150 151 Doubts from the prevailing of sin p. 153 Doubts from the renewed Actings of sin p. 157 F Faith FAith breeds and preserves uprightness p. 254 How it doth it p. 255 Falls The great Falls of others should work in us four things p. 79. 80 Fear Fear of God from what sorts of sins it preserves p. 38 Preserve a constant and humble Fear p. 171 Services done out of Fear do not conclude against uprightness p. 232 233 A double abstaining from sin and doing duty out of Fear p 234 A twofold Fear p. 235 Whether Abstaining from sin or doing duty springs out of naked Fear or Fear commixt with love ibid. Discoveries of springing from Fear p. 236 From Fear with love ibid. A holy Fear of God preserves Uprightness p. 253 254 Forgiveness Forgiveness of sin described p. 267 There is a possibility of Forgiveness in a twofold respect p. 268 269 Motives to get sin to be forgiven ibid. G Gods GOds eye upon the secret frame of the soul p. 14 Pardon of sin is Gods Act. p. 267 Gospel Take heed of regardless receiving the Gospel of Christ p. 293 How many wayes this is done ibid. Gracious It s a Gracious Act. p. 267 A double Graciousness in the discharging of an Offendor p. 268 H Hatred HAtred of sin infalliby argues the indominion of it Proved p. 138 Hatred of sin how it contributes to uprightness p. 252 Heart When the bent and purpose of the Heart is to please God what it improves p. 217 Holy Ghost vid. Blasphemy Conviction by the Holy Ghost what it is p. 286 How the Holy Ghost is taken ibid. Wherein the Conviction by the H. Ghost consists ibid. Holiness Holiness hath a Contrariety to all sin p. 15 Whether a man can be truly Holy that hath vile inclinations and Abominations working within answered p. 29 30 If Holiness hath our love sin hath not Dominion p. 138 What of Holiness and what not consistent with it p. 139 A little Holiness will not serve the upright man p. 203 Take heed of scorning of Holiness p. 294 Hypocrisie Hypocrisie distinguished p. 20 Hypocrites and upright persons described by their hearts p. 180 Hypocrisie a natural and common thing p. 195 An Hypocrite may go very far p. 197 Yet his heart is rotten p. 198 It is a foolish thing to be Hypocritical in service p. 199 Hypocrisie a most perillous sin p. 200 Three times wherein an Hypocrite may express forwardness in Duties p. 211 Hypocrisie how discovered by self-applause and vain-glory p. 247 248 Humbleness Humbleness of heart preserves uprightness p. 256 Three properties in it p. 256 I Illumination THE greatest Illuminations are not able of themselves to save a man p. 290 Inclinations There is a difference between frequent Inclinations in an evil man and in a good man p. 152. Dominion of sin and a strong Inclination to sin differenced p. 112. Inequalities All Inequalities in holy services do not conclude a man is not upright p. 241 Inequalities in holy duties arise either from weakness of strength ibid. Or from falseness of heart p. 242 What Inequalities arise from falseness of heart ibid. Two sorts of Inequalities about holy services ibid. Conclusions from grace p. 243 Infirmities Infirmities distinguish from presumptuous sins p. 83 84 85 Sinfull Inclinations vid. doubts vid. Holy Impenitent An Impenitent sinner is utterly inexcusable p. 273 Judgement A sound Judgement a means to keep a sound heart p. 165 Corrupt Judgement a main cause of Dominion of sin p. 170 The corrupt principles in the Judgement which must be removed p. 172 K Knowledge KNowledge of God a double kind of it p. 2 Knowledge necessary to get off the Dominion of sin and what knowledge p. 164 The greatest Knowledge may be in a subject void of grace and an enemy to it p. 291 Great Knowledge without grace adds to our misery p. 292 L Life THere is a difference betwixt a Life of motion and of Affection p. 152 Love Love of Sin a means to keep up the Dominion of sin p. 164 A predominant Love of God and his wayes a means of uprightness p. 252 M Manasseh MAnasseh his notorious sins yet pardoned p. 270 271 Mercy Improve Mercy aright p. 94 95 The intent of Mercy inpardon of sin demonstrated p. 269 The actual grants of Mercy and pardon to the greatest sinners p. 270 Mercy is the essential and natural disposition of God p. 272 The Influence of Mercy upon repentance p. 274 Mercy abused in presumptuous sinning p. 74 N Novatians WHAT the Novatians thought to be the sin against the Holy Ghost p. 280 O Obedience A Twofold Obedience unto sin p. 113 Distinctions about Obedience to the Commands of sin p. 114 P Pardon There is a possibility for a Pardon of any sinner and any sin except the sin against the Holy Ghost p. 266 Perswasions to make out for Pardon p. 275 276 We need Pardon p. 277 Pardoned How wofull is an unpardoned condition ibid. Comfort to have sin pardoned p. 778 Means to get our sins pardoned p. 779 Paul his sins were very high yet
THE ANATOMY Of Secret Sins Presumptuous Sins Sins in Dominion Vprightness WHEREIN Divers weighty Cases are resolved in Relation to all those Particulars Delivered in divers SERMONS preached at Mildreds in Bread-street London on PSALM 19. 12 13. TOGETHER With the Remissibleness of All Sin and the Irremissibleness of the SIN against the HOLY GHOST Preached before an Honourable AUDITORY By that Reverend and Faithfull MINISTER of the Gospel Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick B. D. Perfected by Himself and published by those whom he intrusted with his NOTES LONDON Printed by T. R. for Adoniram Byfeild at the sign of the three Bibles in Corn-Hill near Popes-head Alley Anno 1660. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THE Name of the Reverend Author of this Work will commend it to the Acceptance of them all who were either acquainted with his Ministry or have attentively perused his Treatises formerly published He was a Work man who needed not to be ashamed As the matter of his Discourses was solid and profitable so his language was pregnant and delightfull both which took much upon his gracious and ingenuous Auditors This is to be acknowledged a great abatement of the Churches loss by his death that though he be dead he yet speaketh from the Press by the usefull Treatises left written by his own hand which through Gods Mercy may prove rich blessings unto posterity by edifying Christians in Grace and Comfort As the reasonable immortal soul is the more noble part of man so supernatural Grace doth truly ennoble it by introducing the likeness and life of God This Grace which is The good work p Phil. 1. 6. The good and perfect gift of God o Jam. 1. 17. may be promoted both in its habit and exercise by such helps as this which Divine Providence putteth into thy hand And therefore since sanctifying Grace which is the strength beauty riches of the soul and the best thing on this side Christ himself From whose fulness we all do receive Grace for Grace n John 1. 16. is wrought preserved enlarged and quickned by these means they should be gladly welcomed and diligently improved by all serious sincere Christians And whereas Humility and Sincerity are Graces eminently excellent and useful throughout the whole course of Christianity rendring every other grace and every duty the more lovely and acceptable Helps in both these thou mayest expect from this ensuing Treatise The Text here handled doth hold forth at the first view both Sinfulness and Uprightness of Gods servants Their sinfulness bitterly bewailed and their uprightness seriously designed whence we have The Anatomy of secret sins Presumptuous sins Sins in Dominion and of Uprightness Every self considering Christian doth see so much sin in his heart and life that he is abased under the Burden b Psal 38. 4. of it how heavy then is this thought upon his heart that there are many thousands of secret unseen Errors chargeable upon him by the All-knowing heart-searching God And yet this adds further load unto the burdned Spirit that besides his former guiltiness of and inclination to presumptuous sins things heinous and horrid the seeds also of that unpardonable sin the thoughts whereof are amazing and dreadful to every Gracious heart do lie and live in his depraved nature These particulars are here largely and convincingly discoursed of by means whereof the secure sinner may be well awakened and the proud heart deeply humbled What examples of Bitter Mourning e 1 Sam. 7. 6. self-loathing f Ezek. 36. 31. and lamentable outcries g Rom. 7. 24. upon this account are recorded in the holy Scriptures How needfull and seasonable this too much neglected Indeavour would be in these loose luke-warm times might easily be manifested The manifold precious Benefits of this practise may perswade it Besides Divine Acceptance h Psal 51. 17 and familiar Communion d Isa 57. 16. 66. 2. together with many rich Promises hereby possessed By meanes hereof the soul will patiently submit to Gods Afflicting hand e 1 Pet. 5. 5 6 7. Job 22. 29. Lev 26. 41. Mic. 7. 9. and seriously set upon real Reformation g 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. Thus Christ will become much more precious and sweet unto the soul a 1 Tim. 1 12 13 15. Rom. 7 24 25. And as we shall be made more Meek in our deportment towards all so more peculiarly compassionate towards Bleeding Repenting sinners h Tit. 3. 2 3. viewing the number and heinousness of our own Irregularities considering how much we our selves do still lie under Sins Dominion o Rom 7. 18 19 21 23 with the guilt of some presumptuous Iniquities e Mat. 26. 75 Good Reader thou shalt not only be thus edified in Humility his Product of sins discovery but in Sincerity also by that which followeth in the Anatomy of Uprightness Vnexpressible are the Comforts which come into the soul by clearing up its Sincerity from Scripture evidence If there be a Messenger an Interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his Uprightness c John 33 23 then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a Ransom his flesh shall be fresher then a Child And for the Enjoyment of satisfaction out of Gods All-sufficiency is assured in the Covenant of Grace unto upright walking with his Majesty f Gen. 17. 1. Herein consists Gods image in man d Eccl. 7. 26 which is his fairest beauty and his greatest Glory The imperfect performances of the Sincere do not only find Acceptance c 2 Chro. 30. 28 19. 20. but Delight in the Lord d Pro. 15. 8. unto them he will not deny either Grace or Glory or any thing may be truly Good p Psal 84. 11 and notwithstanding the saddest dispensations imaginable God will be constantly and superlatively good unto them c Psal 73. 1. How bad soever they be in their own eyes yet they are perfect in Gods Account d Ps 37. 37. and they may alwayes rejoyce with Thanksgiving before the Lord and with gladsome Boldness h Psal 33. 1. look Pale death it self in the face when it doth approach t 2 Cor. 1. 22 But we will not enlarge our selves in these matters contenting our selves with these short hints suggested to give thee a tast of that sweet fruit which thou mayest expect to reap by the carefull perusal of this very savory usefull Book which we commend to thy Improvement and thy self therein to the Blessing of the Almighty through Iesus Christ in whom and for whom we are Septemb. 1. 1659. Thy faithfull friends and servants Humphrey Chambers Edmund Calamy Simeon Ash Adoniram Byfeild THE Anatomy OF SECRET SINNES PSALM 19. 12. Who can understand his Errors Cleanse thou me from secrets or from secret sins or faults SAint Chrysostom conjectures that the maine intention of the greatest part of this Psalm consists in the discovery
Patient perseverance I will hearken saith David Ps 85. 3. Patient perseverance I will wait saith the Church Mica 7. 4. A variety or multiplicity of matter like as a patient who comes to the Physician Sir saith he such an ach in my 4. Variety of matter head and such crudity in my stomack and such a stitch in my side so when we come to the Lord in prayer we may and should open not only one want but all our wants and crave help not in one thing but in every thing we should multiply requests O Lord saith David in Psal 51. I was conceived in sinne but do thou cleanse that and I shed the blood of Uriah do thou pardon that and I defiled his wife do thou wash that and I lost thy spirit for these but do thou restore that and I weakned and wounded my graces but do thou renew them As Paul spake Phil. 4. 6. In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God so I say for every thing let your manifold requests go up to God by prayer And I think that phrase in Eph. 6. 18. Praying with all prayer will reach the point in hand All prayer extending it self not only to all the kinds and forms of praying but also to all the matters or things for which we do pray Reasons Reasons hereof are these 1. God can heare every request as well as any one A multiplied 1. God hears every Request as well as any one request as well as a single request for he takes not nor observes things by discourse where one notion may be an impediment to the apprehension of another but all things by reason of his omniscence are equally at once present unto him 2. Nay he can grant many and great requests as easily as 2. God can grant many and great Petitions as well as single and little ones the single and smallest Petition The greatest gift comes as freely and readily out of his hand as the most common mercy even Jesus Christ and pardon of many sinnes are of the same price with our daily bread Though the former gifts be in comparison with the other of a much more elevated nature and dignity yet in respect of the fountaine of them all of them come from the freenesse of his goodness and love 3. Christ by whom we are to put up all our requests for he 3. Christ is as able to implead many and great Requests as few and small is our advocate and intercessor is as ready and able to implead many and great requests as well as some and inferior As he is our mighty Redeemer so he is our mighty Intercessor And his blood is as efficacious and meritorious for many sins as for some 4. God hath for this end made manifold promises therefore 4 God hath made manifold Promises we may put up many and great requests at once the promises are called the wells of salvation and the breasts of consolation Now the living wells will afford a plenty as well as a scanting measure of water the child may move from breast to breast and draw enough of either if one alone will not serve If one promise comprehends not all thy wants yet all of them do And as God graciously comprehends all our supplies in all of his promises so he hath propounded them all unto us that we might then there urge him for the supply of all our necessities 5. Lastly God is rich in mercy and plenteous in compassion 5. God is rich in Mercy his mercies are often stiled manifold mercies and his goodness is called an abundant goodnesse and his redemption a plenteous redemption and his kindness a great kindnesse Now mercy is a ready inclination to pity and help and multitudes of mercies are as a compounded and doubled and redoubled opening as it were of Gods tenderness to do a sinner good Uses of this might be many I will briefly touch a few Then conceale no one of thy distresses from God the heart and Conceale no one of thy distresses from God life of man are full of sinne and as full of want there is not any branch of the soul nor limb of the body nor turning of the life but is replenished with some necessity or other Thou hast a minde which yet needs to be inâ—ightned a judgement which yet needs to be captivated an heart which yet needs to be converted and humbled how many sinful commissions are there which need to be bewailed how many particular and vile inclinations which need yet to be subdued besides all this every grace which thou hast and there are manifold graces in an holy soul every one of them is in exigence and needs a more spiritual filling both for the habit and acts and degrees Yea and all our duties are but lame handed motions which needs more strengthning or as mixt rivers which should runne more clearly In this case what should we do to whom should we go should we divide the principles of our helps and go for some to God and for the most to the creatures O in no wise for all our help is only in him who alone can help all or should we branch out our helps and present them as a beggar doth his supplies one day open one want and some distance of time hereafter open another O no come with all and with all at once to God who is as able and as willing for many sinners as well as for one sinner and for many sinnes in one man as well as for one in any As they did with the impotent and sick man they bâ—ought all of him bed and all and laid him before Christ so should we bring body and soul and every distresse of either and present the whole bulk root and branches all before the Lord at once for a manifold supply we should presse upon him for manifold mercies for abundant strength for God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think Eph. 3. Beloved as a mans own unworthinesse should not prejudice him from being a Petitioner to the Throne of grace so the variety of a mans necessities should not discourage him to commense his suits at the Throne of rich mercies forasmuch as there is reason in God which will dis-hearten us and there is reason in our selves to crave as earnestly and as simmultaniously for all our helps as for some thou doest equally need the pardon of this sin as that and Mercy is as ready and able for both as for either And if that corruption were more subdued and yet this remained altogether untouched thou wouldst have as many and more forcible suspitions of the truth of thy estate from this division and inequallity of thy victory Wherefore as Abraham in his suit for those of Sodom and Gommorrah took up request upon request descending from high to low from many to few so should we in our
work no sinning wounds so deep as such which have more Mercy and goodness to control them and these only good persons do most taste of much grace received and much kindness conferred will in case of great transgressions make the conscience eagerly to arise and sting the Offender Such as profess more interest in God should walk more exactly with him Vse What should this teach us who profess more Interest in God more Title to Christ more purity of Religion then others Why if we be light then to walk as Children of the light if we do profess the Gospel then to walk as becomes the Gospel if we be the Children of God then to walk as dear Children cleansing our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit None needs to be more circumspect then he who is called to holiness his very relation is of a tender though high nature he cannot sin but he grieves a father yet this is as true that none of our relations exempt us from temptations and assaults which call upon us to be watchfull and prayerfull If temptations drive thee not to thy knees they will drive thee easily to the groundâ— no more but this no man should sin and no man should be more carefull then he who is most good for if he offends then God suffers Christ suffers the Gospel suffers Religion Profession Christians and all O then let us improve our interest in our God Should such a man as I flee said Nehemiah so then should such a man as I sin thus walk thus live do thus Why God is my God he is my Father I am his child his servant If I should sin sin would not only be my own wound but his dishonour I may not so abuse his love his mercies his Calling his honouring of me Others look on me but I must look on my God and on his honour Thus have you the general observations of the Text now I come to a more punctual and intimate view of them both in the petition and in the conclusion of them consider the words as a Petition they yield unto us two main considerations 1. One of sin in presumption Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins 2. Another of sin in Dominion Let them not have dominion over me First For presumptuous sins there are divers expositions of these words 1. Keep me Ab alienis scilicet peccatis from those sins which by the suggestion or temptation of others I am inticed to or as others Ab alienis i falsis diis from another or false gods that I do not serve them and be not captivated by them these think the Word to be Zurim from Zur which signifies Alienari 2. Keep me a superbiis Mizedim a verbo zud which signifies superbire aut superbie temere agere the word in Hiphel signifies to do a thing de industria per presumptionem Before David prays to be kept from sinnes of ignorance and here from prides from such sins as are done insolently and knowingly Some translate it keep me from proud sinnes others from insolent sins by which are meant manifest sinnes open transgressions committed with contumacy and with a high hand but to hold to the expression in the Text Presumptuous sinnes And the Observation is this CHAP. III. Doct. EVen the servants of God should pray to be kept The servants of God should pray to be kept from presumptuous sins from presumptuous sins Touching this I shall enquire into these particulars 1. What presumptuous sins are 2. Of that strength which keeps regenerate persons from presumptuous sinnings and what difference 'twixt the with-holdings and restrainings of evil men and this keeping back of good men 3. What reasons or causes of this desire to be kept back from presumptuous sins 4. Then some useful applications of all this to our selves SECT I. Quest 1. WHat presumptuous sins are What presumptuous sins are Sol. Sinne in the general is any transgression of the Law the Law of God is his revealed will for doing or forbearing and it is the rule of nature and actions whatsoever things stands in conformity to its good and whatsoever varies or swarves from it that same is sin Sins diversly distinguished Now sins are diversly distinguished for all sins are not equal either for matter or manner For matter some sins of themselves For Matter are more deep transgressions then others as some diseases in their own nature are worse then other some to blaspheme and curse God is a sin naturally more vile then an idle thought or an empty word and to commit Idolatry is naturally more vile then to steale a Shilling to shed innocent blood is worse then to steale Againe sins may be distinguished in restect of the manner of For Manner committing and thus it may fall out that even a sin in its own nature lesse then another may yet for the manner of commission be more hainous and a sin in its own nature greater then another may yet for the manner of commission be lesse guilting then a lesser sin which is more intensively raised by circumstances as to gather a few sticks on the Sabbath was in it selfe not so great a sin as deflouring of a virgin yet because the person did commit the sinne with a contempt of Gods expresse prohibition it became more hainous and guilty Now here falls in that distinction of sin into sins of infirmity Sins of infirmity and sins of presumption and into sins of presumption which distinction is made not from the different quallities of sin but from the divers qualification of sinning the same sin may be committed through presumption which is committed through Infirmity yet the commiting of it through infirmity is still much less and extenuating then the commiting of it through presumption for as much as all passive failings which arise from unevennesse of strength are not so high as the active trespassings which arise more from the readie contributions and concurrent assistances and furtherances of our own hearts now to the thing in particular Presumptuous sinnes are the bold darings and proud adventurings of the heart upon things or wayes known to be unlawful against expresse Presumptuous sins described threatnings either upon a false confidence or upon contemptuous slighting or desperate wilfulnesse I have in this description not only expressed the nature of presumptuous sinnings but also concluded in it the several degrees and risings thereof all which give mee now liberty to open and explaine consider therefore 1. That presumptuous sinnings are proud adventurings of the heart upon sinne there is a large difference 'twixt foilings Presumptuous sinnings are proud adventurings upon sin by temptation and adventurings by presumption Temptation beats down that actual strength of grace resisting but presumption tramples down the light of the word opposing therefore presumptuous sinners are said to sinne with an exalted or high hand the sinner doth put aside Gods will and prefers his
Corruption is in us all and it is with it as with a Child in the womb which would be breaking out into the world or as with fire kindled within which would be flaming abroad such an aptness is there in our sinfull inclinations to secret and then to open actings Now the Cohibition the inclosing the locking of them in is properly Restraint 4. All Restraint of sin is from God That God whom David here desires to hold or keep him back did also All restraint of sin is from God with-hold Abimelech keep in Laban keep up Esau keep off Saul and it is granted that there are several means and ways of restraint natural moral spiritual as you shall hear anon but it is God in them which causeth restraint he imprints Note such a vigour into those Arguments into those Apprehensions that they shall bind and chain and hold in the nature which else would not judge so seriously nor submit so easily to impedition or hinderance as the horse rusheth into the battle if left to his own swing and violence so the heart of man if left to it self it would put no periods to wickedness but would grow from evil to worse and fill up all the measures of iniquity There should not be one righteous Abel but every Cain would kill him not a Jacob but Esau would pursue him not a David but Saul would hunt him not an Apostle but Herod would be-head him All Christian Religion would lie in blood yea and the very order of nature would sink into confusion by the efficacy of that sinfull corruption which is equally divided amongst all if God did not look down from heaven and restrain the rage of sin in all 5. All evil men are not equally restrained by God which All evil men are not equally restrained appears both in the matter and in the measures of sinning some evill men do not break out into all horrible kinds of sin some though they be at the same school of particular sinning are not yet in the same form and height or degree of sin though they be at the same trade yet their skill and thriving in the same sin is different Every Drunkard is not the mighty man to drink and every swearer lets not his tongue loose to the highest blast of Blasphemy There is no man so high in sin but if God should cease to restrain him he would yet plunge himself into a deeper guilt 6. The restraining of any sinner is an Act of a mercifull Providence unto him Gods Justice begins already to smoak against Restraining of the sinner is an act of merciful Providence a man when he totally leaves the rains unto him when he gives him up to himself to his own vile affections reprobate mind to his own Counsels and wayes and will no more strive with him but cast him off to himself But it is a great Mercy when he restrains though renewing grace be the saving Mercy yet restraining grace is a great Mercy when God will not let a mans sinfull corruption take its full walk for restraint diminisheth guilt whereas if this bridle were off a man would increase his sinfull accounts by infinite iterations and multiplications of sinning Now he is kept from inlarging his debts yea and it diminisheth sin whereas a man let loose would diffuse sin cast his fire-brands about draw others to a consociation of evil and so set up the trade now by restraint sinning is more contracted and narrowed yea and it diminisheth wrath and judgement for according to the number and measures of sinning there shall be an equal proportion of vengeance and punishment the greater sinner shall have and feel the sharper flames of hell but now restraint keeps in the sin and at least makes it less sinfull for as sin sticking in the inclination is not so deep as that which flies out of that into actings and consummations and so consequently is a means to lessen the heat of future torment 7. God doth restrain the good and the bad from sin The evil man God doth restrain both the good and the bad from sin is so wholly carried by a sinfull nature that if God did not keep him back he would bring all to confusion The good man is so weakly good that if God did not prevent and interpose and with-hold he could not with-stand so much evil as now he doth How great a Mercy did David acknowledge a Restraint from sin to be you may see in his own words 1 Sam. 25. 32. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which hath sent thee this day to meet me Verse 33. And blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from shedding innocent blood The Father hath two Children one young and the other old if he doth not keep in the elder he will be like the Prodigal sell all and be riotous if he doth not hold in the other he will fall and be like Mephibosheth lame on both feet Evil men have strong corruptions which God is pleased many times many wayes to keep within door he will not suffer all their intentions desires projects to see the light Good men have weak graces their own legs are not able to bear them up and strong temptations and occasions may soon lay flat a weak defendant and therefore God is pleased yet to bridle in that remaining corruption to keep off the soul or something off from the soul lest it should sin we see it in experience that grace alone is not able to keep off sin Grace can keep us whiles God keeps the grace but if God leaves us to the assayes of our own best strength we are unequal Combatants in the field 8. God doth diversly keep back or restrain men from particular God doth diversly restrain men from sin By enlivening of Conscience sins and sinnings sometimes 1. By inlivâ—ning the conâ—cience which being stâ—ictly awakened riseth to such an height of impatience and choler and rage that the sinner is willing to let go the sinning rather then to answer the scourging inditements and threats of conscience for it As the luxurious patient though he likes the sparkling wine yet he dares not drink it lest his spirit should be thereby inflamed and burn him up even an evil man though he be not afâ—aid of sin yet he may be afraid of conscience and may therefore be kept back from his sinning as the Colliar from handling his coals not because they are coals By self-reflecting apprehensions but because they are burning hot 2. By self-reflecting apprehensions the love that a man hath to himself may be a means to keep him off from some sinfull actings for some sinning have such infamy and charge and envy and loss and danger indorsed on them that the very present arrearages of sin do prevail and keep off the man from adventuring he will not strike the bargain for payment so sharp and sure and present 3. By lâ—gal
and fret and reprove and threaten yea and speak bitterly yet a man will go on I say this man hastens to some great sin to presumptuous sinnings I will give you a reason for it because the Lord will forsake this man he will leave him to himself he will give him up to his own heart since he will not hearken to the counsel of the word nor to the advises of his conscience God will strive with him no more but he shall be left to himself this is the usual course of Gods righteous and judicial proceeding Now what can the heart do being left to it selfe as it hath no strength against a great temptation so it hath sufficient strength and desire to for the greatest methods of transgressings if restriction be a merciful bond to corruption then wrathful desertion a desertion of the creature i. a denial of preventing assistance against temptation or inclination or acting why it is as the unmuzling of the Mastive or untying of the Lion Not that God sets on the heart to sinne but that the heart will in a moment be mighty in sinning which is judicially deserted or left by God for former sinnings Therefore I beseech you take heed of scorning divine admonitions and reproofs Consider that place well in Psal 81. 11. But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me ver 12. so I gave them up to their own hearts lust and they walked in their own counsels if thy heart can rise above the word it will rise above thy conscience and if thy heart rise above thy conscience thy next sinnings will rise above thy former he will not be modest to sinne who growes impudent against the word and violent against his conscience Fourthly secure not the heart because of Gods present silence Be not secure because of Gods present silence Beloved I observe that God is silent oft-times when men are in either way in the good and in the bad a man Note may repeat his seekings of God and yet God may be silent O my God saith David Psal 22. 2. I cry in the day time but thou heardest not and in the night season and a man may repeat his sinnings against God and yet God may be silent Psal 50. 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence But then this silence is not an infallible testimony either way though he be silent to the many prayers of his servants yet the vision will speak at length for as thou hast a time to seek so God will finde a time to answer And though he be silent many times at the sinnings of men yet this is but forbearance it is not an acquittance if thou takes the times to sinne God will take his turn to punish Psal 50. 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Obj. But you will say what is this to the preventing of presumptuous sinnings Sol. Very much for presumptuous sinnings depend much upon security a man secures his facts and wayes from this that God is silent and does not presently draw the sword send for the arrest and therefore presumes to a second or greater sinning from God connivence and patience toward former Solomon insinuates it clearly Eccles 8. 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to do evil q. d. There is now no ho they make no bones of it they will venture yet again But brethren take heed if you sin and yet you prosper in the world if you sin and yet conscience be quiet if you sinne and yet God presents not a present testimony of his displeasure yet do not presume for if you do evil sinne lies at the doore first or last when you open it your sins shall flie in your face though the punishment of the sinner be not present yet it is certaine it shall not be well with the wiced though he prolong his dayes Eccless 8. 13. yea the sinner of an hundred years old shall be accursed And this is observable that Gods silence towards a forward transgressor is made up at length not only with certainty but with number and measure perhaps he will take such a time to account with thee for thy sinnings that he will break thee suddenly all to pieces he will break thy estate and thy conscience and thy body and thy soul and all and all irrecoverably for ever When a man emboldens his heart to sin because of divine Note patience God doth usually do two things viz. Study and improve Mercy aright 1. He riseth suddenly to the ven eance 2. He curseth the sinner without all remedy and so fully vindicates his silence and glorifies his Justice Fifthly If you would be kept from presumptuous sinnings then both study and improve mercy aright Mercy it is the sweet savour of a sinfull soul that gentle voice which speaks hope to a trembling spirit that tender hand which supports and relieves a fainting soul And yet even from this sweet flower doth pâ—esumption suck the vilest poyson corrupting and inflaming the heart to the greater boldness of sinfâ—ll adventures from the greater goodness of exceeding Mercifulness in God But then mark it that upright apprehension of divine Mercy would serve to keep off the soul from presumptuous sinnings If a man did consider two things 1. That Mercy the very intent of it the pulse of it it is to draw a man off from sin it is true Mercy is an harbor but not for the Traitor to thrust in his ship it is a City of refuge but not for the audacions man-slayer O! No Mercy it is the tenderest goodness but withal it is a special goodness and is set up not as a light by the sea that a man may know thereby how to sail more freely that a man should therefore sin more violently but as a proclamation from a Prince to draw in the rebel to sheath his sword and to fall down on his knees There is Mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feared said David And knowest thou not O man saith the Apostle that the goodness of God should lead thee to Repentance Rom. 2. 4. Hath God mercy to pardon me with what heart can I then presume to provoke him Hath he Mercy to pardon me How canst thou then O my soul hold on thy sins not return when Mercy sends a Message after thee it is the last and most prevailing motive for a sinner to repent even this that God will be mercifull to him 2. Mercy mis-proved to the sin is both justly denied to the sinner and also intends his sin The only way to forsake our Mercies is that we will not forsake our sins God will never shew thee Mercy if tbou wilt not return from sinning against him
and every sin is a lye let it pretend much yet it advantageth nothing Suppose a man had an estate worth 10000 li. and he should receive a baby for it tell me what he got O that precious soule of man which is more worth then a world is uttelry lost by sin what then doth the service of it profit him for what is a man profited saith our Saviour though he gaine the whole world if he lose his own soule thou Gets a little credit by thy sinning yea but whith whom And what is that whiles the great God doth disgrace thee and thine own conscience doth often shame thee Thou gets a little wealth by thy sinning yea but what is that Treasure of wickednesse but a Treasury of wrath against the day of wrath Thou gets a little pleasure by thy sinning yea but what are these short minutes of joy to those eternall nights of darknesse in which they must end and be swallowed up one fall breaks all the glasse to pieces and one anguish of conscience or peal of death blasts and sinkes all the vaine triumphings of a sinfull heart sin may pretend faire and promise much but the wages thereof i. that which thou must expect for thy service is death yea that death which is opposed to eternall life Rom. 6. vlt. 6. It is a most uncomfortable service How oft is the servant of A most uncomfortable service sin in the depths of feare and in the heights of trouble his very sinnings are more his torments then his joyes he is many times vexed with thoughts how to sin and afterwards he is hewed in his conscience for his sinning though he hath not grace to make him grieve yet he hath a conscience which can make him tremble the very surfeits of his sins do distaste his soul and make him of times weary of his very life he is ashamed of Company and dares not yet to be solitary The night is many times a terror unto him and the day renewes his anguish though the servant of sin in the transient flash of his spirit out-braves al counsell yet he doth ordinarily feel infinite gripes within either he is utterly unsensible of his misery which is one of the greatest judgements or he his sensible and then he feeles a Hell of horror for his lewd obedience Nay so exceedingly high do the distresses sometimes prevaile that he his forced to disparie of all mercy and thinking to ease himselfe of some flames greedily throwes away himselfe into the very gulfe of Hell-fire what shall I say more where sin hath the dominion over a person a man is a slave to the Devill and a servant to that which will vex him and wound him and damne him he never enjoyes himselfe nor shall he ever enjoy God unless that yoke of service be broken and therefore good reason hath any man to pray against the habituall dominion of sin SECT IV. THus for the explication now somthing for the Application Vses thereof unto our selves where first let me begin with inquirie Inquire whether sin have Dominion over us what thinke we of the dominion of sin within our soules You will say we trust there is noe such thing I Remember Object the Jewes said as much to Christ in a case not much unlike Sol. we are Abrahams seed said they we were never in Bondage Joh. 8. 33. But Christ replied verily verily I say unto you whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin v. 34. I will premise a few things at this time 1. No man living but he is borne a servant to sin sin is his Some things premised Noe man but is borne a servant to sin Lord before he can tell who is his Master sin requires not age to set on the crown but even in the very wombe doth it begin its reign and poysons and impaireth our whole nature therefore the Apostle saith that by nature we are the children of disobedience and wrath as well as others Ephesians 2. 2. it is the disposition and sway and bent of us to sin and to walke on in sin 2. It is an hard thing to get off the dominion of sinne Sin is a It is a hard thing to get off the dominion of sin strong man It hath possession and goes not out by entreaty or bribe but it must be by force by one that his stronger I assure you that the almighty God must reveal his own arme and he must cast down strong holds he must worke a kinde of a miracle or else sin will still be a Lord and the sinner will be a servant to his lusts A man may change any Master soever and with more ease then sin Thirdly it is very manifest that sin hath the dominion in many It is manifest that sin hath dominion in many as In those whom noe kind of arguments can turne from sin persons I will present unto you such instances which you shall confesse do evince so much 1. What thinke you hath not sin the dominion where noe kinde of arguments and dealings are able to disengage the heart and to turn it when no kindes of merciful Arguments and no kinds of just threatnings and no sense of bitternesse can yet discovenant and diservice the soul but still it holds the league keeps the agreement with sin now then how often hath God come to many persons and offered unto them his pardoning mercies the blood of Christ and eternal life if they would leave such a sin of drunkennesse such a sin of filthinesse such a sin of worldlinesse but unrighteous they were and unrighteous still they are and will be How often hath God set the point of the sword upon the breast of a sinner revealing his wrath threatning death and Hell if he will not leave the service of his sin nay scourged his estate for his sinning nay scourged his body nay his soul conscience and all this to renounce his sinfull Lord yet men hold fast their wickedness they yet give over themselves to sin with greediness they study how to fulfill their lusts and rejoyce when they have done evil doth not this shew that the heart is indeed indeared and totally emancipated by a strong and elective subjection unto sin What think you of such whose hearts cannot endure the Dominion In those who cannot endure the dominion of Jesus Christ of Jesus Christ and the service of righteousnesse it is even a tormenting slavery unto them even the imaginations thereof are so The Soule of a man cannot serve two Masters and there are but two of them upon which our service can be bestowed either sin or Christ the Apostle intimated as much Rom. 6. 16. Know ye not that to whom ye yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants â—â— are to whom you obey whither of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness so that these divide the soul if a man doth yield obedience unto righteousness he is then no servant of sin
he hath peculiar cause of great humblings speediest reformings vehement Answered beggings at the throne of grace for mercy and for the mighty power of Jesus Christ to release and deliver his soule But then let us carefully observe whither this of which a man complaines be sin in dominion or not perhaps it may be somthing else and then the soule must be advised and directed in a more especiall way Why I finde such strong and manifold inclinations of sin within me daring forth into so many vile imaginations and Doubts for the strong inclinations of sin working down to draw my affections woe's me what is the dominion of sin but this and who but a slave of sin is hurried with such motions of sin it cannot be that my heart should be good whilest inclinations are soe manifoldly bad To this let me shape a few answers 1. First I demand how the heart stands affected toward these Answered How stands â—hy heart manifold inclinations doest thou approve them or dis-allow affected to these inclinations them doest thou love them or doest thou hate them verily saith the soule I dislike them and hate them they are the burden of my soule And why so why because God is dishonouâ—ed by them and they are contrary to his holy will and they are evill and filthy O I had rather be in any miserable estate then in this sinfull and vile estate Now then observe sin hath not dominion in thee for where sin hath dominion sin is not formally and purely hated The dominion of sin doth not consist in the multiplicity of Note motions a man may have many enemies to assault him and yet love and serve none so a man may have many sins inclining and tempting and yet be a servant to none of them for it is not the temptation of sin which infalâ—ibly argues dominion but the willing resiâ—nation of the heart the subjection of the heart to those motions and temptations of sin this necessarily is required to make dominion but now thy heart doth not so it doth not resign up it selfe it yeelds not subjection for asmuch as it doth hate and resist and bewaile sin even in temptation Of all the signes of a good heart of a heart that is delivered from sins dominion this is one of the best and surest viz. That it hates and resists and bewailes sin when it is only in temptation when a man hath committed a sin then the conscience being made guilty may alone breake and afflict and this may befal even a wicked man there is now some other thing besides sin in the filthinesse of it to worke trouble and griefe viz. The guilt and accusation of it but when sin is resisted and bewailed in the temptation before it hath got out into actuall commission now the peculiar reason of trouble is the formall vilenesse of sin because it is so base and so opposite to â—od Secondly I demand what doest thou against these sinful What doest thou against these sinful inclinations inclinations every man hath some weapons or other and in case of anguish he is apt to draw them what weapons hast thou in thy hand and to what end doest thou mannage them Do not many and strong temptations of sin occasion many and strong supplications the more that sin inclines the more doth thy heart incline to God by prayer for more grace to resist for more strength to subdue doest thou not by reading and hearing and inquiry labour to finde out the manifold helpes and victories of a tempted and an assaulted soule doest thou not keep the precepts of God in thy heart and the threatnings of God in thy heart that thou mayest feare to offend him and the promises of God which yet hearten thee to withstand What doth all this demonstrate but that sin is not in dominion it is I confesse thy troublesome enemy but it is not thy ruling Lord it is that which doth molest thee it is not that which doth reign in thee it is that which would have dominion but it is not that which hath dominion it is that which doth assault thy affection but is not that which hath got thine heart thou art but in a greater war Neverthelesse thou art not so much as in captivity though in a strong conflict Yea but yet I feel one thing perhaps worse then all this sin Object workes in me after a more peculiar manner their is a particular Doubts because of some Speciall sinfull inclination sinfull inclination in me and so hath it been all my dayes if I were to give you the sum of my life I could lay out that particular inclination above all the rest like a threed which goes through the whole piece such a sin which I have seen long since felt it and I thought bewailed it and resisted it a long time and yet here it lives still workes still can it be that sin Sol. should not have dominion where some one speciall corruption Answered yet lives I must be warily tender to Resolve this scruple for asmuch as 1. Particular subjection is enough to set up dominion 2. Hypocrites are under the reigne of speciall lust and particular sins both which I touched heretofore But to the scruple take me thus Conversion doth not totally remove any one sinfull inclination 4. Things 1. That when God doth convert the soul no one sinfull inclination is totally removed though every one be in some measure changed The corrupt nature doth yet remaine and all its principles or particular inclinations to particular sins for grace doth not change us by a present Annihilation of sin but by a powerfull alienation of our hearts from it Sin may work in a man when rescued out of the dominion of sin in a more particular way Secondly note that sin may worke even in a man rescued out of its dominion is a more singular or particular way my meaning is this that there may be in him yet a more particular twange and more apt inclination and propension to some one sin rather then to another Sin yet abiding may take the advantage of the same complexion still remaining and of the same condition and calling yet continuing and without all doubt most men living whether good or whether bad do finde more to do with some one sinful inclination then with another Thirdly consider usually that particular inclination which was in dominion before conversion is most frequent in inclination That particular inclination which was in dominion before is usually most frequent in inclination after calling Reasons of it after our calling And I will give you some probable Reasons thereof One because that was the spring of the sinne of our custome which sent out and fed the issue by which the soule was so beaten in the path and way of sinning so that the old and accustomed nature cannot easily or presently forget its ancient and wonted bents a custome will hardly or
only rise but fight a naked combate shall not suffice but assault and pursuit it will work with the art of holy strength to the more deadly offence of that particular corruption Obj. 3. Yet there is a more difficult case then any which Doubt from the renued actings of sinne hath been already proposed and that is renewed actings of the same sinne the person falls into the same sinne again and againe and this repetition of sinful acting seems to be sinne in custome and sinne in custome is sinne in dominion thus is it with me or hath it been with me doth some troubled soul reply and therefore my case is miserable Sol. To which case divers things must be said Answered 1. Repetition or renewing of the same sinful actings is Repetition of sin is very fearful without all doubt a very fearful and abominable thing what is it else but a further and stronger wedging in of the corruption frequent actings of sin do ever strengthen the sinful nature Every soul being made more apt to sin by more sinnings what is it else but a broading and widening of sinne the sin growes bigger in the bulk and higher in the guilt by a continued then by a single commission Now a man sins against that which his own conscience hath condemned as well as the pure word of God Now a man adventures into troubles against all his former trouble he hath felt the sinne to be bitter and knows that it must cost him either Hell into which God may presently cast hiâ— or great sorrow and repentance which God may now judicially deny him Now a man sinnes against all the workings of grace so that God may bring forth all the former acts of the soule and set them against the thus sinning person Look thou here are the wounds which thou didst make heretofore and yet thou strikes into the same again Here are the teares which thou didst shed for this sinning heretofore and yet thou wilt provoke me againe here are the sighs which thy heart did break out here are the fears which did distresse and perplex thy soul here are the prayers which thou didst make for my tender mercies here are the Covenants wherewith thou didst binde thy soul here are the Chapters which thou didst read to support thee here is the place where thou didst power forththy anguished heart in fasting and crying here is that goodnesse and gracious love of mine whereby I did accept of thee upon thy humbling teares into favour againe here is that peace which I did thereupon create and command into thy conscience here is that word which thou didest say should guide and rule thee for the time to come here is that spirit which I sent to raise thee againe And yet after all this thou art at the same sinne againe I might have cast thee off at the first I might have shut up my mercies denied thee recovery avenged my self on thee for thy foul transgressions yet I spared thee though thou didst offend me yet I recovered thee though thou didst provoke me when thou didst very evil even so that thou didst admire at the wickednesse of thy self yet I did thee good shewed thee kindness would not presently forsake thee who didst so foulely forsake me this my free and great grace did then melt thee did then move thee did then excite and stir thee to great sorrow to much care and love And now after all thou hast returned not in inclination but in action into not a little or small transgression but into a grosse and foule iniquity yea â—â—en multitudes of withdrawing arguments did strive against it when the conception of that sinne being with so much secret trouble and fear could not but presage the great dishonour which would redound unto me and the fearful terrour which would befal thee upon the active commission thereof So that beloved without all scruple a doubling of sinne is in it self a more formal intention thereof in its corrupt nature and a more fruitful aggravation of it in guilt and miserable consequence c. Secondly consider that it is such away of sinning as may This way of sinning may justly stagger a man about his condition justly stagger the heart about its condition First in regard of the eminent propriety which it hath in persons who do thus sinne generally though not absolutely and simply three sorts of persons run on in the frequent and manifold actings of great sins viz. Such as are notoriously profane such as are closely hypocritical such as are despitefully opposing the spirit of grace these are they who grow from evil to worse and adde sinne to sinne and make and fill up the measures of their particular iniquities which must needs stagger any soul though perhaps not yet runne on so far as they if yet repeating steps in the same paths which the vilest of sinners have trod in before it Secondly in regard of that dark and rare exemplarity of such kindes of sinning by any in Scripture canonized for Saints or godly persons it is easily admitted that you may espy upon some of the best something of the worst and perhaps thickly heaped upon the same sudden passion and temptation but you shall rarely finde any one of them often at the same foule transgression I say you shall rarely finde it And believe me it will be a staggering case to any sinning heart where its wages are such as to see multitudes of the worst and scarce any one of good note so pacing and walking Nay thirdly untill the soul thus sinning doth bestow infinite Grace is hardly discerned in such a one without much labour labour strong care continued humblings incessant cries to raise it self again in respect of any other evidence it shall hardly or never distinguish the yet secretly remaining the miserably defaced frame of goodnesse within it A soul in this temper is not so much to dispute and question as to rise and work the case of frequenting or renuing the same sinful acts will never be answered in thy conscience but by fullest humblings sound judgings speedy repentings careful watchings and declinings wonderful strengthnings of the contrary grace and acts diligent feare fervent communion with God and more upright walking Yet fourthly though it be a rare case this doubling or renewing Yet this though it be a rare is a possible case of some great sinful act very few good men do it and that too very seldome perhaps as Job spake so they may do once have I spoken yea twice but I will proceed no further Job 40. 5. I say though it be rare yet it is a possible case that sin may have more then one particular victory where yet it hath not dominion I speake not this to hearten any man to sin for this would argue sinne indeed to have dominion but to recover a man that hath sinning whose soul is extreamly bruised with his second fall and whose second wound bleeds
33. which is expounded v. 38. by a perfect heart A mans heart is upright when God alone and his ways alone and his truth alone satisfie and order and bound it when a man can say in truth as they in the matter of Choice Nay but the Lord is our God him will we serve I have chosen the Lord to be my God and his truths to be my guide and his precepts to be my paths and his glory to be my end and hereto only will I stick when the soul doth not halt between two or divides it self in a service of any side or way but keeps only to God Sometimes it is called perfection and the upright are called perfect as Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be thou perfect Deut. 18. 13. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God Psalme 37. 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright There is a double perfection One Absolute in respect of degrees which no man can now attain unto in this life no not the most upright for in many things we offend all The other Evangelical which consists in the evennesse of desire and endeavour when a man sets up and exalts the word of God and strives to square his heart and his life in all things thereby As Paul exercising himself to have a conscience void of Note offence and willing to live honestly in all things when a man doth as it were measure his paths as by a line he doth set them by the compasse of a divine rule or warrant not willingly stragling on the right hand or bending toward the left not willingly omit the least duty and commit the least sin he is an upright person when the heart is as large as the precept and the whole will of God is complied with in will and desire and endeavour Sometimes it is called a spirit without guile so Psal 32. 2. Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile and Christ of Nathaniel Joh. 1. 47. Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile An hypocritical heart is a cunning heart it hath many devises shufflings windings and turnings this heart is not plain and sound Therefore the hypocrites are said to have corrupt thoughts and to flatter with their tonguâ—s and to have crooked wayes They do not indeed hate the sin which they pretend nor love that holinesse which oft-times they praise and sometimes act some ends they have of Religion for their belly and for their own advantage but they do not heartily hate sinne nor truly love holinesse Now on the contrary an upright heart is without guile it is even plain and down-right therefore is it in the parable called an honest heart and saith Paul we speak the truth in Christ and upright walking is stiled a walking in truth and serving of God in truth and in spirit The meaning is this that the upright man is indeed that which he professeth his life and profession is not a painting which owes it self to an Artificer but a natural colour which owes it self to the soundnesse of temper he is one who hath truth in the inward parts as David speaks Psal 51. 6. He doth without base ends directly love God and from his very heart hate sinne Though he cannot expresse himself in that flourish of formality yet for Christ he can plainly say as Peter Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee And touching sinnes as David of Gods enemies I hate them with a perfect hatred this he is in good earnest Sometimes it is called the allnesse or whollinesse of heart so Deut. 4. 29. If thou seek him with all thine heart Deut. 26. 16. Thou shalt keep and do them with all thine heart and with all thy soul Psal 119. 10. with my whole heart have I sought thee c. when the heart is upright the whole man comes in unto God all the soul and all the body none shall dispose of them but God And God shall dispose of him in every precept the very bent of a man is to please God in all things and the whole soul in the understanding will memory affections bears a respect to all his Commandments There be other phrases to set out this businesse of uprightnesse but I must passe them over and pitch upon the description 2. Now to the second quid Rei I conjecture that uprightnesse The description of uprightness may be thus described Uprightness is a sound and heavenly frame or temper of a gracious heart or spirit given by God by which graces are acted sinnes are opposed duties are performed affectionately directly and plainly In reference to God and not for by-respects I will briefly open this description in its particulars First it is the temper or frame of the heart The seat of uprightnesse The seat of it is their heart is the heart or spirit hence is it stiled uprightnesse of heart 1 King 3. 6. Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercies according as he walked before thee in truth in righteousnesse and in uprightness of heart So 't is stiled singlenesse of heart Act. 2. 46. and Truth in the inward parts Psal 51. 6. and a service in spirit Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne Hypocrisie is a colour but skin deep A painting which lies only upon the superficies or surface of the wall upon the visibles or outwards of profession or action but uprightness like health it is an inward crisis or temperature as the conversation renders it self to the eye of man so the inward disposition strives to render it self to the eye of Gods approbation if a man be upright it is with him as with Solomons Temple though the outward parts were comely and uniform yet the inside was covered with the most precious gold and had the sweetest incense All counterfeit things are best in their shew and worst in their substance and vertue But uprightnesse is best there where least can be seen The actions are nothing to the Inward affections and desires We do but as the Queen of Sheba here no not halfe of the goodnesse of an upright man by what he doth if you would but look into his heart and converse with him there a while you should find the heart the disposition the desire of his soul infinitely to exceed all that he doth Psal 119. O how I love thy law O that my ways were so direct The heart oftimes mournes when the eyes can shed no teares and the heart believes when the tongue cannot speake much faith and the inward man the heart would doe that and much more then what is done or performed Secondly it is a temper or frame of the heart a composition It is the temper and frame of the heart It is not a single or transient act or motion as it were in which methinks two things may be observed 1. One that uprightness is not a
hand An unprepared condition is wofull 2. How wofull is the unpardoned condition men go on in sin and make a work of it but speak slightly of it but the truth is 1. Sin makes God our enemy therefote it is called enmity in Sin makes God our enemy Ephe. 2. and a provocation because it stirs up the wrath of God against us which wrath if it should seize on thy soul Ah miserable man then thou canst neither suffer it nor decline it Jesus Christ standing in our stead felt some of it and it made him sweat drops of blood and to cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me How then shall a poor weak guilty sinner stand under the fierceness of his indignation 2. Sin unpardoned makes conscience our enemy As long as the Lord Conscience our enemy hath a quarrel with us for sin conscience may not speak any peace unto us Now the Lord be mercifull unto us if the Lord should awaken thy conscience and set thy sins in order who knows what would become of thee Knowest thou the power of conscience when it is opened to behold a God angry and sin unpardoned Read the vigor of it in Cain and the terror of it in Judas how it crached their spirits and brought the one to the utmost desperation and the other to the grave and hell in despite of all former advantages 3. And who can tell how soon he may die Go and listen Who can tell how soon he may die sometimes at a dying bed the person quakes and the bed trembles and the heart sighs what is it that the man speaks so to himself Ah Lord saith he I would not die and then tears trickle down his cheeks and his heart is ready to flie in pieces But why wouldst thou not die O no my sins are many I now see them and feel the bitter wrath of God for them Oh! my sins they are not pardonable and who can dwell with everlasting burnings or stand before the holy and just God 3. What unspeakable comfort is it to have our sins forgiven It is unspeakable comfort to have sin pardoned Son said Christ Mat. 9. 4. Be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee When the Israelites got through the red sea and looked back and saw their enemies all drowned what reviving was this if the drowning of corporal enemies be such a cause of joy who could but kill our bodies what cause of exultation for the drowning of spiritual enemies of sins in the depths of mercy which else would have destroyed oursouls How shall I express the comfort of it David saith all in one word The man is blessed whose iniquities are forgiven Now blessedness is the center of all joy and comfort Tell me brethren what think you 1. Of freedom from hell that you shall never see the place of the damned Is that a matter of comfort why If sin be pardoned hell is discharged There is no condemnation if Remission 2. Of Gods loving kindness David said it was life nay better then life Oh what is this God is reconciled unto me in Christ he looks on me not as a Judge but as a fathet with ardent affections and compassions why if sin be pardoned God is reconciled enmity slain all differences twixt you and God are taken off 3. Of the blood of Christ Is it worth the having or of interest in Christ it is worth the enjoying why if pardoned then doubtless united to Christ and how many and great are the benefits that result and follow upon union 4 Of Peace of conscience It is a mercy that Conscience can and may speak peace chear us up assure us stand for us against men and devils Why when sin is pardoned conscience may not accuse it hath nothing to do but direct us in good ways and to comfort us with the testimonies of our pardon and Reconciliation with God 5. Of all outward mercies Oh! what a life doth a pardoned sinner live If he looks up to heaven all is peace if he looks down to earth all is comfort he hath lands and sins pardoned too wife children honours friends yea and his sins are pardoned too 6. Lastly What think you of confidence in death When you are leaving the earth then to be assured your next journey is to heaven After grace to find glory would you ever be willing to die be confident in death live in death live after death O then get your sins whatsoevet they are to be pardoned 11. The Means if you ask what may we do to get our sins The means forgiven I shall answer briefly 1. Find out your sins and know them and that is done by the study of the Law which gives us the knowledge of sin 2. Beg of God for a contrite heart so as to be sensible of sin and weary of it and broken for it The weeping woman was forgiven Luke 7. 44 47. 3. And also for a penitential heart Repent saith Peter that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3. 19. See Isa 55. 7. 4. And for a Believing heart in the Lord Jesus In whose blood and for whose sake we obtain Remission of our sins 2 Cor. 5. 20. God was in Christ reconciling the world not imputing our sins 5. And for a forgiving heart see Mat. 6. 14 15. 6. Make it a daily and vehement petition for Repentance and forgiveness as did David Psalm 51. and sue all out in the name of Christ Object But these things are hard and laborious Sol. But they are for mercy O Mercy I perish without thee and therefore I will not live without thee sleep without thee die withou thee I will pray for mercy I will go to Christ for mercy and shall it seem so grievous to me to leave a sin which will damn me to get mercy which will save me II. The Tribunal of Justice erected in these words But the Blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven These words are the saddest expressions of purest Justice that ever were uttered Oh what is the height what the depth of this for a sinner to rise to such a peculiar degree and form of sinning as for ever to distinguish himself from all hope of mercy never never never to he pardoned In this there are two things to be inquired into 1. What this Blasphemy against the holy Ghost is What this sin is 2. The irremissibleness of this Blasphemy Touching the first of these there are several opinions and no marvel for to find the right nature of this sin is a work not of the least difficulty In Scripturis sanctis nulla major questio nulla difficilior invenitur saith Austin 1. The Novations thought every sin after Baptism especially Quid est quod Novato succenseamus tollenti poeâ—itentiam dicentique nullam eos veniam obtinere qui post lavacrum peccant Athan. Tom. 1. in hoc subject p. 776. denial of Christ in time of perfection
other servant looseth his liberty by his service but libertty is then got when we become servants to God As soon as we enter the service we obtain our freedom Every other servant in strictness of Rule is below a son a child but every servant of God is a son of God and shall have not gifts as a meer servant may have but the inheritance which the son who serveth his Father shall have There are two sorts of servants under God 1. Some stubborn who are Servi victi as St. Aust in speaks The Law of Creation is upon them and so will they nill they they are in some obediential and serviceable Relation 2. Others are servants not of force but of affection not of compulsion but of election they have chosen God to be their Lord and have willinglly resigned up themselves in the purpose of their hearts to an universal observance and love of him and obedience unto him impartially and constantly to do his work Such a servant to God was David but this observation is very general therefore I pass unto another viz. SECT IV. Doct. 4 EVen this That we are Gods servants should be used to move the Lord to help us against sins you know that in all relations That we are Gods servants should be a plea for help against sinnes there are mutual bonds and duties the wife owes much of subjection to the husband and the husband owes also much of love respect and care to the wife The Child owes much attendance reverence and affectionate duty to the Parents and the Parents owe much of instruction reproof correction nurture provision of Estate for the child again so is it betwixt the Lord and his servant though to a mear slave there be no mutual obligation or else it is in that which is weak yet to a servant who stands in that relation which they call Ingenuous as much is due from him to his Lord so something his Lord ought to do for him to feed him to cloth him to house and lodge him to defend him against wrong and injuries This is it in the case of David Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins as if he had said O God thou art my Lord I have chosen thee to whom I will give obedience thou art he whom I will follow I bestow all that I am on thee Now a Lord will help his servant his servant against an enemy against an enemy who for the Lords service is the servants enemy O my Lord help me I am not able by my own strength to uphold my self but thou art All-sufficiency Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins Note I observe in Scripture many singular Methods to prevail in request upon God sometimes he hath been urged from something in himself to do things for his Mercies sake and for his truth sake and for his goodness sake and for his holiness sake sometimes he hath been urged from something which he was very tender of and at which he aims in all his dealings viz. for his own glory and for his names sake sometimes he hath been urged from some word or other which he hath let fall at which the believing soul doth catch as did Benhadab servants from Ahab thy brother Benhadab Remember thy word saith David upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psalm 119. Thou saidst thou wouldst do me good said Jacob Gen. 32. Sometimes he hath been urged from the special relations twixt him and his people as from that of a Father Isa 64. 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father and this of a Lord. Isa 63. 18. The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while verse 19. We are thine and in many other places Remember thy servant and remember thy servants Beloved It is a great thing to stand in near relations to God and then it is a good thing to plead by them with God forasmuch as nearer relations have strongest force with all the servant can do more then a stranger and the Child then a servant and the wife then a Child but though this urging of God by vertue of our relation be an excellent point yet because it is not the main intention of the place I likewise pass it over Another observable Proposition may be this SECT V. Doct. 5 THat our special Relations to God should be special Reasons to work a care not to sin against God Keep thy servant Our special relation to God should make us carefull not to sin against God from c. Thy servant there be many reasons against sinning the very nature of sin carries along with it a condemnation of sinning because sin formerly is a transgression an Anomy and a Rebellion which alone is an inglorious thing Again The Laws and threatnings of God should be as forcible cords to draw off the heart from sin And again All the Mercies and goodness of God should exasperate the heart against sin Again All the Attributes of God might hold us Now with these this also may come in viz. The specialty of our Relation to God that we are his Children and he is our Father we are his servants and he is our Lord though the common obligations are many and sufficienr yet the special Relations are also a further tie the more near a person comes to God the more carefull he should be not to sin against God Let us who are of the day be sober let us not sleep as do others 1 Thes 5. 6 8. God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness 2 Thes 3. 7. If you call him father pass the time of your so journing here in fear 1 Pet. 1. 17. If I then be a father where is my honor If I be a Master where is my fear Mal. 1. 6. I will be sanctified saith God of all them that draw near unto me There is a double drawing near unto God 1. One in respect of Office as the Priests of whom he there spake who because their Calling and Office is more high and heavenly they therefore should be more religious and holy 2. Another in respect of Nature and change by vertue of which our Relation comes closer to God even this nearness should occasion more care against sinfulness Reasons Reasons whereof are these First Admissions of sinnings here do diffuse a greater ingloriousness Their sinnings are most dishonourable to God to God sin is most darkning in a white cloud then in a black as a spot is more eminently disgracefull in a fair then in a foul cloth Though the sins of evil men do prejudice Gods Glory yet the great sinnings of good men do occasion much more for not only the particular sinnings send up a cloud but other men by reason of them form out of them a smoak of blaspheming and reproaching of the wayes of God and the profession of Grace Secondly Their great sinnings do make them the sorer wounds Their sinnings make the greater wounds and
seeme a mercy if of a cruell Tyrant that would seem a mercy if of a desperate enemy if of bonds if of a sickness what then is it to be rid of the rule of sin which is infinitely worse then all these Fourthly no Lord so bad and no command soe vile as those of sin in dominion Therefore blesse God for your deliverance No Lord so bad or commandes so vile as those of sin in dominion you whose soules are through the mighty graciousnesse of a good God rescued from the powers of darknesse Tell me what are your thoughts what your judgements what your troubles for the workings of your vanquished enemy if the weakned corruptions appeare yet so vile what were your raigning corruptions If sin be so monstrous unto you now only in remptation what was it heretofore in dominion if the finger be so heavy what were the loynes if a particular action doth as you imagine expose you so dangerously what did the service of sin do under what displeasures of wrath lay your soules when sin had fullest affection and compleat to obedience Rebekah seemed weary of her life because of the presence of the Daughters of Heth If the presence created such an affliction what might the conjunction and union have done verily if sin be as it is bad and troublesome in combate O it is infinitely worse in the throne and absolute Empire over the soule wherein every faculty serves it with all its strength and madly strives how to dishonour God breaks his law resists his spirit to fulfill lusts and please the devill and to damne the soule O blesse the Lord for his goodnesse to thee that yet the dominion of sin is off T is true corruption yet remaines but yet it remaines not as a Lord but as a Tyrant not as a king but as an enemy time was that sin had thy love but now thou hatest it time was that sin had thy minde to devise for it but now those imaginations are cast down time was that thy will was espoused to sin but now a divorce is sued out time was that thy members were ready enough to fullfil the lusts of the flesh but now they are made servants of righteousnesse time was that thou didest sell thy selfe to wickednesse and was never so joyfull as when thou wast sinfull but now it is not so thou art a drudge a slave a vassall no longer thy former wayes amaze thee and the present Commands of sin are an affliction to thee O blesse the Lord c. 5. Again if the dominion of sin be off then assuredly the scepter If dominion of sin be off then the septer of Christ is set up in thy soul of Christ is set up in thy soul Beloved the soule stands not abides not in a middle estate it must have some one Lord or other it is necessarily under some one dominion either of sin or of Christ and this know that the dominion of sin cannot be taken off in the soul but by a contrary by a better by a stronger dominion by that of Christ who dispossesseth the strong man It is he who hath changed thy heart who hath made thy heart to chang its Master who hath drawn off thy love thy service c. Now no dominion in the world like that of Christ No dominion like Christs None so holy 1. None so holy hee is holy love holinesse and all his commands are righteous 2. None so Gracious he doth not exact beyond what he gives So gracious and will yet mercifully pardon our true endeavors of service wherein they fall short 3. None so peaceable his very service is a kind of wages to the obedient a vassal to sin is like a man labouring all day about Soe peaceable thornes and nettles the more abundance of them grasped Simile by him galls him with the more wounds and paines no man can be long cheerfully sinfull either Terrour or feare accompanies most sinnings but the service of Christ hath warrant from the word and peace from conscience 4. None so afflicted his commands are accompanied with So afflicted strength and spirit he bids us to do the worke and gives us his owne hand thereto imposeth duty and Imprinteth ability writes the law to the eare and writes it also in the heart 5. None so rewarded no man serves Christ too much or for Soe rewarded nought Though all our work be but duty yet he payes us rich wages we owe unto Christ all our strength and the use of all our graces neither doe we bring in so much of these in full service as we should yet our good Lord and Master will give us if we be faithfull servants at night our penny and at the last our crowne 6. Lastly be thankfull for if dominion be off then damnation is off There is no condemnation saith Paul to them that are in If dominon of sin be off damnation is off Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom 8. 1. A man is not damned meerly because he hath sin for then no man could be saved for who is the man that sinneth not but because sin is his Lord and he is the servant of sin Not so much because he is bad but because he will be bad not only for the act but for the love T is confessed that guilt is as naturall to sin as the shaddow is to the body no man can sin at any time in any thing and yet be Innocent But meritorious guilt is one thing and redounding guilt is another thing If the dominion of sin be broken off that a man loves not sin but hates it yeelds not up himselfe unto it but resists it is not in league but in conflict with it then the estate of guilt is taken off so that it shall not effectually redound to the condemnation of the person where God doth powerfully subdue the sinfull nature there he will mercifully pardon and discharge the unwillingly sinning and offending person if sin be not thy Lord then Hell shall not be thy portion He who is become an enemy to his sins grace rules in his heart now and glory shall crowne his soule hereafter Obj. But will some troubled and therefore unably discerning soule reply we doubt it not But that it is a most singular Doubts of troubled soules fearing they are still under the Dominion of sin mercy A rich grace worthy of greatest acceptance and heartiest thankes where the dominion of sin is broken off but alas we feare it is not so with us heavy cause have we to suspect that we are captives yet under sins dominion so that though others who can happily observe the yoke broken off and therefore can be chearfully thankfull we finde it yet strong O very strong and therefore more reason have we of griefe and sorrow Beloved it is granted that if a man findes himselfe indeed Sol. under the dominion of any sin assuredly