so farre to prevail even in godly men as to lead them into the wayes of sin in so much that it is true even of the best of men that in many things they offend all 21 These Reasons are of two sorts viz. 1. Some respecting God and Christ p. 22. viz. 1. God permits it for the glory of his power and faithfullness p. 22 2. God permits it for the glory of his justifying grace by the righteousness of Jesus Christ p. 23 Other Reasons respecting the Saints p. 24. viz. 1. Such as fall and they are two 1. Gods permits it to preserve them from or to cure them of carnall confidence 24 2. By this means God is sometimes pleased to weaken sin and to strengthen grace in them p. 25 26 2. Reasons respecting those that stand viz. 1. God would hereby commend his love to them in preserving them and givs them some tast and comfortable experience of his goodness in upholding them when others fall p. 27 2. God would hereby quicken them to prayer p. 28 Quest What is the difference between the Infirmities of the Saints and the falls of wicked men p. 28 29 Differ 1. A godly man doth not make a trade of sin p. 30 Differ 2. A godly man doth not sin with a full consent of his will p. 32 33 Differ 3. A godly man doth not sin with a full purpose of heart p. 36 Differ 4. The falls of a gedly man do not spring from propensions of nature but from the strength and violence of temptation 39 Differ 5. A godly man cannot sin with delight but sin is a burden to him p. 42 Differ 6. A godly man doth not persevere in sin p. 44 Use 1. Refutation to give check to the errour of those that assert a possibility of an absolute and perfect freedom from sin in this life p. 47 This opinion is proved to be contrary 1. To the Scripture p. 48 49 c. 2. To Experience p. 54 3. To the nature of grace and sanctification p. 54 55 4. To the plentifull suffrage of Antiquity yea to the concessions of some of our Popish adversaries p. 55 56 Use 2. Caution both to sinners and Saints 61 Caution to sinners viz. Caution 1. Let them take heed how they imbolden themselves to sin by the falls of Saints which are recorded in the Scripture p. 62 1. In so doing they wrest and pervert the Scriptures to a quite contrary end than ever the Holy Ghost intended them ib. 63 The ends why God hath permitted the falls of Saints to be recorded in Scripture viz. 1. To preserve others from fainting under the burden of their sins p. 63 2. That their falls might be warnings to others to preserve them from falling ibid. 2. Sinners will see but little reason to imbolden themselves in sin by the examples of the infirmities of Saints recorded in the Scripture if they consider how deeply they have smarted for their sins p. 66 3. The Scripture records other things of Saints more worthy of imitation than their sins p. 69 Caution 2. Let sinners also take heed how they insult over the godly because of their failings p. 70 2. The children of God are sanctified but in part in this life ib. 2. If sinners did reflect upon themselves they would find more just cause to condemn themselves than them p. 71 3. In judging the children of God they condemn themselves p. 72 Caution to Saints Caution 1. Let them take heed and beware of pride p. 73 The sins of Saints are 1. Of the same nature with the sins of wicked men p. 75 2. Of the same desert with the sins of wicked men p. 76 3. In some respects more hainous than the sins of wicked men ib. 1. God is more dishonoured by their sins ib. 2. Religion suffereth more reproach by their sins p. 77 3. There is more unkindness in their sins ib. 4. There is more unfaithfullness in their sins p. 79 5. Saints are advanced to a more excel-cellent state than others are p. 80 Caution 2. Let them that stand take heed lest they fall p. 81 Directions to preserve Saints from falling Direct 1. Let them be watchfull ib. Direct 2. Let them carefully shun the occasions of sin p. 84 Direct 3. Let them look well to their company p. 88 Direct 4. Let them look well to their senses p. 90. Direct 5. Observe the first risings of corruption and resist them p. 92 1. It is to no purpose to fly p. 93 2. It is to as little purpose to yeeld p. 94 3. It is to as little purpose to compound ib. 4. It is then the best way to make resistance p. 95 Rules for resisting 1. Resist speedily p. 95 2. Resist universally p. 97 3. Enter not into a parley or treaty with sin ib. 4. Resist in the strength of Christ ib. Direct 6. Possess your hearts alwayes with apprehensions of Gods presence 98 Direct 7. Labour to possess your hearts always with the fear of God p. 99 Direct 8. Look up to Jesus Christ with faith flaming out in prayer p. 100 Use 3. Exhortation p. 101 1. Bless God that you are delivered from a sinfull state ib. 2. Admire the justifying grace of God by the righteousness of Jesus Christ p. 102 3. Bless God for establishing grace p. 104 4. Bless God for any disappointments in the way of sin p. 106 5. Every day labour for further degrees of mortification p. 108 Use 4. Consolation ib. 1. Sin cannot separate Saints from the love of God p. 109 2. God taketh notice of and accepts that good which is in his Saints notwithstanding their sins p. 110 111 3. Jesus Christ the High Priest of Saints is now in Heaven at Gods right hand making intercession for them p. 114 4. There is a time approaching and not far off when Beleevers shall be freed from the very being of sin p. 116 THE Saints Failings AND INFIRMITIES James 3.2 former part of the verse For in many things we offend all IN the foregoing verse the Apostle dehorteth the beleiving Jewes to whom he wrote this Epistle from the sin of proud and uncharitable censureing My Brethern be not many masters where the word master is taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a supercilious reprover for one that is gotten into the chair of arrogancy whence he doeth pro imperio Magisterially enough inveigh against the practises of other men (a) See Mr. Mantons Lectures on James 3.1 Vide etiam Pareum ad locum And this dehortation the Apostle enforceth with a double argument the first drawn à periculo from the danger of this sin Knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation verse 1. either here from men Or wich I suppose the Apostle doth rather intend hereafter from the Judg of all the earth It will be just in God to be severe to the failings of those that are so sharp in censuring their Brethrens infirmities by judging others they doe but passe sentence upon themselves
Tyrant and use Saints like captives sold under it as Paul complaineth of himself that he was sold under sin Rom. 7.14 We read of Ahab that he was sold to sin g King 21.20 but in a different sense Ahab sold himself and became a voluntary in the service of sin But Paul was sold by Adam h Adam vendidit se primo ac per hoc omne semen subjectum est peccato Ambros in Rom. and from this captivity he could not utterly extricate himself though he were as one expresseth it in bondage to sin as the creaturs are to vanity not willingly but by reason of his act that had subjected him long before i Dr. Ed. Reynoldes in his Treatise of the sinfullness of sin But now unregenerate men doe readily obey sins commands they yeeld their members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity Rom. 6.19 They have no principle of grace within to restrain them from sin but onely principles of rebellion whereby they are impetuously carryed forth into the wayes of sin in a full career or like a ship under sail with a full wind Thirdly Differ 3 A Godly man doth not sin with a full purpose of heart When a Godly man sinneth he is out of his road for purposes are the road of our hearts as custome is of our lives The honest traveller purposeth to keep on straight to his journies end and if he doe at any time mistake his way it is besides his purpose So Though Peter denyed his Master yet it was against the purpose of his heart yea against the promise of his mouth Judas betrayed his master but he was resolved before so to doe as appeareth by his contract with the Scribes and Pharisees As for Peter he denyed his master not because he purposed to doe it but because he purposed not to doe it without depending upon Christ for strength to preserve him from the violence of such a temptation k A small blast of temptation is sufficient to overturn a man who is puffed up with confidence of his own strength as here the voice of a Damsel overturneth Peter Mr. David Dickson on Mat. 26.69 70. His fall indeed was dreadfull and terrible but it was a sudden surprize the fixed purpose of his heart was against it It is possible that a Godly man may deliberate upon the committing of some sin when an occasion is presented but I conceive it is impossible for a Godly man to deliberate how he may find out occasions of sin David when he was upon the house top had an object presented but he did not goe up thither with an intention to seek one Godly men may be suddenly surprized and be hurryed into the externall acts of those sin which they never intended and against which their purposes and resolutions were most strongly carryed forth But now a wicked man sinneth with full purpose of heart he sineth and resolveth to sin even then when he seemeth to pray and protest against it As Augustine confesseth that before his conversion when he prayed to the Lord to mortify his corruption he was afraid that the Lord would grant his prayer and mortify that lust which he rather desired should be satisfyed l In exordio adolescentiae petieram à te castitatem contimentiam c. Timebam c. ne cito exaudires sanares me à morbo coucupiscentiae quam expleri malebam quà m extingui Aug. A wicked man sinneth and the purposes of his heart are that way as those whom the Prophet mentions Esay 56.12 who said Com ye I will fetch wine and we wil◠fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant q. d. We have been drunk to day and we will be more drunk to morrow And Ezek. 11.21 Their heart walketh after the hear◠of their detestable things and their abominations i. e. The inclinations and resolutions of their hearts goe or walk after their abominations Fourthly Differ 4 The falls of a Godly man doe not spring from propensions of nature but from the strength and violence of temptation That temptations are exceeding powerfull to hurry the best of men into sin is evident by that speciall direction that our Saviour giveth us to pray against temptation and Gods speciall promise to preserve us therein There is saith a worthy Divine a great difference when a man sinneth from his own habituated principles in wickedness and from the over-powering force of some importunate temptations m Mr. Burgess Spirituall refineing 2d. par p. 211. Such may be sometimes the voiolence of temptation as that Godly men may be overborn therby and hurryed in to those sins which according to the inward man they abhor and hate even with a perfect hatred David professeth that he hated every false way Psal 119.4 and yet as you heard before he is over taken once and again with that fault A Godly man doth in his inner man delight in the Law of God and hates those sins into which he is drawn by the overpowerings of temptation his heart and those sinnes are upon tearmes of defiance But on the contrary the falls of unregenerate men proceed from propensions of nature nature is wholly set upon sin You need not drive a dog to his vomit nor a sow to the mire it is naturall both to the one and the other A naturall man indeed may be restrained for a while from his violent acting of his wonted impieties it may be by restraining grace or perhaps onely for fear of the Magistrate or want of opportunity or some such occasion or other which may intervene to hinder him from furiously running on to all excesse of ungodlyness but there is still in him such a naturall propension and inclination to the wayes of sin that like water that hath been for a while bayed up if once the banks be broken down or the floudgates opened it rusheth forth with the greater violence so if once those restraints by which formerly a wicked man hath been held in be taken off he will breake forth again with the greater violence into his former lewd and ungodly practise A naturall man may not unfitly be compared to a Lyon or a Beare that may be perhaps for the present chained up to prevent his doing mischief but still retaines his ravenous disposition and hath a naturall inclination to doe mischief So the heart of a wicked man if onely chained up by restraining grace or fear of the Magistrate and not changed by renewing and sanctifying grace if he can but get loose from those restraints will soon return to his former vomit to his former lewdness and ungodlyness for he hath a naturall propension and inclination to sin A wicked man when he sins is like a fish in the water in his proper element The wayes of sin are the proper element if I may so speak they are most agreeable to the nature of a wicked man Fifthly Differ
from the wrath to come yet their very infirmities have caused them to tast deeply of the cup of Gods fatherly displeasure and exposed them and their familyes to sore afflictions in this life God thereby evidencing and declaring to the world his impartiality his hatred against sin wheresoever he findeth it and his faithfullness to his own people in chastening them here that they might not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 Now friends if you will be bold to partake of their sins it is just with God that you should also partake of their sufferings You may not promise your selves an immunity from the like sufferings if you indulge to your selves a liberty to commit the like transgressions Thirdly The Scriptures also record other things of the Saints that are more worthy your imitation than their sins You may read of of the meeknesse of Moses as well as as of his passion of the holynesse of David as well as of his infirmities the patience of Job as well as his impatience in cursing his day of the courage and boldnesse of Peter as well as of his cowardise in denying his master in a word you may read as well of the graces as of the corruptions of Gods children Surely it would be your wisdome to observe what is commendable in them and rather to imitate them in their graces than in their sins to observe what was excellent in them and to make that a patern for your imitation Secondly Cauti 2. Let sinners also take heed how they insult over the Godly because of their fallings If a professour of religion doe but slip how doth the world presently condemne him for an hypocrite and even while themselves lye and wallow in sin and allow themselves in all manner of ungodlyness how doe they insult over the Saints for their failings and infirmities These be your Puritans your precisians your Holy Brethren your Saints they are all a company of hypocrites and meer pretenders to Saintship c. Now that you may see the sinfullness hereof Consider First The Children of God are sanctified but in part in this life Though in regeneration the new creature be made partaker of the Divine nature yet the Old man is not utterly abolished In conversion corruption is mortifyed but not nullifyed sin is conquered but not extinguished The children of God when they become Saints doe not cease to be men when they receive the Spirit they doe not by and by wholly put off the flesh but the flesh still lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5.17 and the law in their members warreth against the law of their minds and too often bringeth them into captivity to the law of sin Rom. 7.23 Therefore in insulting over them for their failings you sin against God and wrong the generation of Gods children f Psal 73.15 Secondly If thou didst reflect upon thy selfe thou wouldest find more just cause to condemne thy selfe than them Doth sin dwell in them why it reignes in thee Doe they sin through weaknesse thou sinnest through willfulluesse Doe they sin through infirmity thou sinnest through presumption Are they sometimes overtaken with a Temptation thou many times goest forth to meet a temptation and rather than fail thou wilt turn Devill and tempt thy selfe Thou hypocrite doest thou judge thy Brother for the mote that is in his eye when thou hast a beam in thine own eye Mat. 7.3 Surely if thou wer'st better acquainted with thine own heart and was 't thou not a stranger at home thou wouldst not be so busy abroad Thirdly Know this that in judging the children of God thou condemnest thy selfe Thou art inexcusable oh man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that judgest dost the same things Rom. 2.1 In censuring thy Brothers infirmities thou dost but aggravate thine own impieties g Turpe est Doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum If his mote seem so big in thine eye how great thinkest thou will thy beam appear in Gods eye another day Assure thy selfe that with what judgment thou judgest thou shalt be judged and with what measure thou metest it shall be measured to thee againe Mat. 7.2 and think not this oh man that judgest and condemnest the people of God for their infirmities and art thy selfe guilty of grosse enormities that thou shalt escape the judgment of God Rom. 2.3 Thus much by way of Caution to sinners to prevent the ill use which they may make of this Doctrine Secondly This Doctrine may be also improved by way of Caution to Saints Caution to Saints First Let them take heed and beware of pride If at any time your hearts begin to swell with pride then minde your corruptions When you begin to be exalted above measure by reason of strength of parts or eminency of grace think upon your infirmities and let this thorn in your flesh prick the bladder of your pride Surely the best of us have enough within us to pull down the pride of our hearts when we are with the Peacock proud of our gay feathers let us look upon our defiled feet and be humbled Alas what have we to be proud of We have nothing of our own but sin As for our gifts and graces we may truly say of them as the young man did of his hatchet alas master it was but borrowed h 2 King 6.5 Or in the words of the Apostle what have I that I have not received and if I did receive it why should I boast as if I had not received it i 1 Cor. 4.7 When therefore the sense of grace at any time lifts us up let the sense of corruption lay us low Certainly there is more of sin than of grace more of the flesh than of the spirit in the holyest man upon the face of the earth As there are more weeds than flowers in the best garden so there is more corruption than grace in the best soul our natures being stepmothers to grace as the earth is to flowers and naturall mothers to lust as the earth is to weeds and the best men alive have cause to complain that in them that is in their flesh there dwelleth no good thing And certainly let men be never so gracious they have infinitely more matter of humiliation through the abundance of corruption remaining in them than of pride and exaltation for the eminency or strength of grace there is more in their sins to humble them than in their graces to lift them up especially if we consider these three things First The sins of Saints are of the same nature with the sins of wicked men What though sin doth not raign in Saints It remaineth in them still and is it ever the lesse sin because it doth not raign Certainly there is the same violation of Gods Law the same contrariety to Gods holy and Heavenly nature the same disobedience to the will of God in the sins of Saints as in
6 A Godly man cannot sin with delight but sin is a burden to him Though a Godly man sinneth yet he hates the evill that he doth Rom. 7.15 yea he hates it with a deadly and irreconcileable hatred so much the word signifies which David useth in that place quoted before Psal 119.104 I hate every false way n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Odio prosecutus fuit A Godly man that hath learned that lesson which the Apostle Paul teacheth us Rom. 12.9 to abhor that which is evill where the originall word is very emphaticall it signifies to hate a thing with vehemency and to loath it as Hell it self It is a compound word the simple verb imports extream detestation the signification therefore is aggravated by the composition o Leegb Crit. Sacra Indeed sin is a Godly mans affliction and not his pleasure as is evident by the Apostles bitter complaint so frequently mentioned already Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am c. the originall word signifieth as Beza notes one that is aerumnosis perpetuis pugnis satigatus wearyed with troublesome and continuall combates p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Componitur â verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per syncopen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 luctus Alsted in Lexic Theol. Calvin saith it is vox anhelantis the voice of one breathing and panting desiring to be delivered from this servitude But now a wicked man sinneth with delight Hence they are said to love evill more than good Psal 52.3 to chuse their own way and their souls to delight in their abominations Esa 66.3 and to have pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thess 2.12 The comfort of their lives comes in by fulfilling their lusts so that they are discontented when their lusts are not satisfied Witness Ahab who was sick till he got Naboths vienyard 1 King 21.5 and Amnon till he could satify his lust upon his sister Tamar 2 Sam. 13. Such is their delight in sinning that they are unwearyed therein Solomon gives us a notable description of their restlesseness and unwearyedness in sinning They sleep not except they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall Rom. 4.14 16. Lastly Differ 6 A Godly man doth not persevere in sin The just man falleth seven times a day but he riseth again Prov. 24.16 Hence it is that the Scripture as it records the falls of any of the people of God so it records their riseing again as it records Davids adultery and murder Hezekiahs pride Peters denyall and the falls of the Saints so it records also the tears and the sighs the groans the meltings the humiliations and the repentance of those precious Saints In the 51. Psalm you may read of Davids repentance at large and although Hezekiahs heart was lifted up yet you may read that Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart 2 Chro. 32.35 36. Peter fell fearfully but a look a glance of love from Christ melted him into teares he went forth and wept bitterly Luk. 22.61 A look of mercy from Jesus Christ broke Peters heart and opened the floudgate of his eyes too And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter went out and wept bitterly But wicked men persist and persevere in the wayes of sin insomuch that neither judgments threatned nor judgments inflicted can reclaim them They sin and care not they sin and fear not they sin and they will sin let God say or doe what he will to the contrary As those did Jer. 2.25 Withhold thy foot from being unshod and thy throat from thrist i. e. Why will ye goe down to Egypt for help you 'le get nothing by it but bareness and thirst but they say strangers we have loved and strangers we will follow q.d. Say thou what thou wilt we will take our own way and our own course So Jer 44.16 17. notwithstanding God had denounced dreadfull judgments against that people and that in great variety too viz. Sword Famine and Pestilence verse 11.12 13. yet they were resolved to goe on in their Idolatrous practises they answered Jeremiah saying As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee but we will certainly doe whatsoever thing goeth forth of our own mouth to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven c. Their wills were fully set upon their sinfull wayes let God say or doe what he would to the contrary Thus also did the old world though God stirred up Noah a preacher of righteousness to warn them for an hundered twenty yeares together yet they persisted in their own wayes and gave themselves to eating and drinking and ranne on to all excesse of riot till the flood came and swept them all away Matth. 24.38 39. So Pharaoh the Lord send Moses and Aaron unto him ten times and inflicted upon him ten plagues one upon the neck of another yet Pharaoh was hardened in the wayes of sin So true is that of the wise man Prov. 27.22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a morter among wheat with a pestell yet will not his foolishness depart from him I have done with the Doctrinall part I proceed now to application and this Doctrine may be improved severall wayes Use 1. First Use 1 This point gives us a check to the errour of those Refuta who assert a possibility of an absolut and perfect freedom from sin in this life Such were of old the Manichees and the Cathari who held that they could not so much as sin in thought q Rogers on the articles of the Church of England p. 64. Such were the Pelagians and the Familists who imagined themselves so free from sin that they needed not to pray Forgive us our trespasses Yea even in our dayes this errour is revived again and therefore it will not be unseasonable to speak something for your establishment in the truth and whereby you may be antidoted against the infection of this poysonous opinion And all that I shall speak upon this Doctrine shall be by way of discovery 1. How contrary this opinion is to the Scriptures 2. How contrary it is to the experience of Saints 3. How contrary it is to the nature of grace and sanctification 4. How contrary to the plentifull suffrage of antiquiy yea to the concessions of some of our Popish adversaries First It is contrary to the Scripture I shall give you some instances First It is contrary to such Scriptures as doe cleerly assert what my Doctrine holdeth forth viz. That the best of men are not so freed from sin in this life but that in many things they offend all Diverse Scriptures were alledged for the proof of the Doctrine that doe cleerly assert this truth To those which were then mentioned I shall onely adde 1 King 8.46 where it is expresly affirmed that ther is no
the sins of other men As a man cannot give the greatest sin a worse so neither can he give the least a better name than sin I know no difference at all in nature between the sins of the Godly and the wicked there is indeed a difference in their persons the one is regenerate the other unregenerate but sin is sin still in both though it raign in the one and not in the other Surely this is a very humbling consideration to the people of God Secondly The sins of Saints as they are of the same nature so they are of the same desert with the sins of wicked men All sin is in its own nature damning and that sin doth not prove damning to the Saints is as one observeth k See Mr. Tho. Case Elias Abatement or corruption in the Saints p. 107. 108. not from the sinfullness of their sin but from the greatness of Gods mercy not from the nature of their sin but from the goodness of Gods nature And should not this be matter of deep humiliation to the Saints of God Thirdly Consider yet further that that their sins are in some respects more hainous than the sins of other men and that upona five-fold account First God is more dishonoured by their sins than by the sins of other men It is a greater dishonour to the master of a family if those of his own household walk disorderly than if those that are strangers or have no relation to him walk disorderly So in regard of the neer relation that is between God and his people their sins redound more to Gods dishonour than the sins of those that are strangers to him Secondly Religion suffereth more reproach by their sins than by the sins of other men The mouthes of the sonnes of Belial are thereby opened to reproach the wayes of God Sins of professours will be cast as dirt upon the profession it selfe l Ecce quales sunt qui Christum colunt Salvian de guhern dei lib. 4. Professours are in the highest orb in the Church and if their motion be irregular it is much noted How sad is it that wicked men should make a rod of the sinnes of Saints to lash Religion with Thirdly There is more unkindnesse in the sins of Saints than in the sins of other men Hence it is that their sins are said to grieve the Holy Spirit of God m Eph. 4.30 Res est delicata spiritus Dei. Tret It goes neerer the heart of God when his people sin against him than when other men sin against him The sinnes of others provoke God to anger but the sins of saints doe grieve his spirit n See Mr. Burroughs Gracious spirit p. 186. Siants are the objects of Gods speciall love and therefore it must needs be grevious to the Spirit of God that they should offend him The more a man loves a wife or a child or a friend the more doth he take any unkindness from them to heart So when Gods own people offend it goeth neerer his heart than when others offend for there is more unkindness in their sins Sins in Gods people are far more irksome and grievous to his Spirit than sins in other men See Jer. 32.30 The Children of Israel and the Children of Judah have onely done evill before me from their youth c. The Septuagint read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they alone or they onely have been sinners before me as if God did not take notice of the sins of other Nations o See Mr. Manton on James p. 150. Israel Gods portion whom he had avouched to be his people are the onely sinners Indeed a wound is deeper by how much the neerer the hand is that strikes it What thou my sonne p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Caesar to Brutus when he saw his hand amongst the rest stretched forth against him By how much the more kindnesse men sin against by so much the more unkindnesse there is in their sin Psal 55.12 David complaineth It was not an enemy that had done this but it was thou my friend and my equall and my companion The friend wounded more than the sword To sin against kindness is the greatest unkindness What Absolom said to Hushai 2 Sam. 16.17 the same may God say to a sinning Saint Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend This should be a soul-humbling consideration to the people of God that every sin they committ is an unkindnesse done to a kind God Fourthly there is more unfaithfullness in their sins than in the sins of other men For they are Gods covenant-people the vowes of God are upon them they have given themselves up to God in Covenant and God expects better things from them God speakes confidently concerning them Surely they are my people Children that will not lye c. Esa 63.8 God confideth in them and therefore for them to be unfaithfull for his Covenant-people to forsake his Law and break his Commandements this must needs be very hainous Lastly Saints are advanced to a more excellent state than others are and this aggravates their sins and makes them exceeding and above measure sinfull God hath a speciall interest in them Tit. 2.14 Exo. 19.5 Deut. 33.19 they are his peculiar people his peculiar treasure above all people in the world and therefore their sins must needs be much more hainous than the sins of other men Hence God complaineth of the provoking of his sonns and daughters Deut. 32.19 A late eminent Divine compareth sins in the people of God to a stain in a piece of Cambrick or Lawn q Mr. Burroughs on Hoseah vol 2. p. 179. which are easily seen Indeed wicked men are if I may so speak of a courser threed their heart is little worth and therefore though they are sullyed or defiled that is not much taken notice of even as a spot in a piece of sackcloth is not so much observed as a stain in a piece of fine linen But now the Godly are renewed after the image of God and therefore a spot in them is exceeding bad And thus you see in many respects sins in Saints are more hainous than sins in other men Let these considerations take you off from pride and cause you to walk humbly with your God And so much for the first word of Caution to Saints Cauti 2 I shall give you the second in the words of the Apostle Let them that stand take heed lest they fall 1 Cor. 10.12 and to that purpose in order to their preservation from falling let them be perswaded to follow these Directions First Let them be watchfull Dircti 1 Beloved we know not whither our corrupt hearts may carry us before we dye Let us not therefore be secure we have natures that may prompt us to the foulest sins that ever were commited Peter was not jealous enough of his own heart when he told Christ Though all men forsake the yet I will not nay he went further