Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n
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A65303
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The mischief of sinne it brings a person low / published by Thomas Watson ...
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Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.
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1671
(1671)
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Wing W1133; ESTC R38517
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38,157
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126
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Nebuchadnezzar had the heart of a beast given him Dan. 4.16 If all who have the hearts of beasts should have the faces of beasts men would grow very scarce And if sin be so high well may it bring us low While the body is in an Hectick Feavor it cannot thrive The Body Politick being in this Paroxysme or burning Feavor of sin must needs waste Hath not sin brought us low What Wars Pestilences Fires have broken forth among us The Splendour and Magnificence of the City was brought low and laid in the ashes Sin hath brought us low in our Repute Prov. 14.34 Sin is a reproach to any people Time was when God made the sheaves of other Nations do obeysance to our sheaf But our pristine fame and renown is eclipsed Mal. 2.2 I have made you base and contemptible Trading is brought low many mens estates are boiled to nothing their gourd is withered their cruse of Oyle fails Ruth 1.21 I went out full but the Lord hath brought me home empty Sin hath brought other Nations low and do we think to scape better than they Salvian observes that in Affrica when the Church of God had degenerated from its purity the Land abounded in Vice and was sick of a Pleurisie of sin then the Vandals entered Affrica and the enemies Sword let them blood Num. 32.23 Be sure your sin will find you out as a Blood-hound it will pursue you It may be enquired what are those sins that have brought this City and Nation so low 1. The first sin that hath brought us low is Pride Prov. 29.23 A mans pride shall bring him low Pride is ex Traduce it runs in a blood Our first Parents aspired after a Deity they did not content themselves to know God but they would be knowing as God St. Austin calls pride the mother of all sin The Persian Kings would have their Image worshipped of all that came into Babylon Sapor writes himself Brother to the Sun and Moon and Partner with the Stars Caligula the Emperour commanded himself to be adored as a God he caused a Temple to be erected for him he used to have the most costly Fowls sacrificed to him Sometimes he would sit with a golden Beard and a Thunderbolt in his hand like Iupiter and sometimes with a Trident like Neptune Some persons would be more deserving if as Solon saith we could pluck the Worm of Pride out of their head Pride discolours our Vertues envenomes our mercies The higher we lift up our selves in pride the lower God casts us down Prov. 15.25 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud There is 1. A Spiritual Pride which is threefold 1. Some take a pride in their parts The Lord enricheth them with Wit and Parts suitable to the places he calls them too and Pride fumes from their heart into their head and makes them giddy Herod was proud of the Oration he made and assumed that glory to himself which he should have given to God and his pride brought him low he was eaten of worms Acts 12.23 2. Some take a pride in their duties This Worm breeds in sweet fruit They have said so many prayers heard so many Sermons Luke 18.12 I fast twice a week and now they think they have made God amends he is beholding to them and they shall be accepted for their Religious performances What is this but pride Is not this to make a Christ of our duties The Devil destroys some by making them neglect duty and others by making them idolize duty Better is that infirmity which humbles me than that duty which makes me proud 3. Some take a pride in their Graces This seems strange that seeing Grace is given to humble any should be proud of his Grace But Pride is not from the Grace in us but the corruption not from the strength of holiness but the weakness Christians may be said to be proud of their Grace 1. When they lay too much stress upon their Grace Thus Peter Mat. 26.33 Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will not I. Here was a double pride First That he thought he had more Grace than the rest of the Apostles Secondly In that he did lay such weight upon his Grace making it like the Tower of David on which did hang the shield of his hope He leaned more upon his Grace than upon Christ. 2. Men are proud of their Grace when they slight others which they think are inferiour to them in Grace Instead of the strong bearing the infirmities of the weak Rom. 15.1 They are ready to despise the weak Our Saviour saw this pride breeding in his own Disciples therefore cautions them against it Mat. 18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones 2. There is a carnal pride I call it carnal because it is conversant about carnal objects As 1. Some are proud of their bodies Pride is seen in long and tedious dressings people spend that time between the Comb and the Glass which should be spent in prayer and holy meditation Pride is seen in painting of their faces overlaying Gods work with the Devils colours Gratior est pulchro veniens è corpore virtus Pride is seen in spotting themselves Pimples in the face shew that the blood is corrupt spots in the face shew that the heart is corrupt Cyprian saith they who paint and spot their faces may justly fear that at the resurrection their Creator will not know them And how terrible is that word I know you not Pride is seen in the strange antick fashions wherewith some people do dress or rather disguise themselves They cloath their flesh like the Rain-bow with divers colours Adam was ashamed of his nakedness these may be ashamed of their cloathing They are so plumed and gawdily attired that they tempt the Devil to fall in love with them 2. Some are proud of their estates Riches are fuel for pride Ezek. 28.5 Thy heart is lifted up because of thy riches Mens hearts rise with their estates as the Boats on the Thames rise higher with the Tyde Now all this pride will bring a person low For this sin God strikes many with Phrensie and so levels the Mountain of pride God hath stained the pride of Englands glory Isa. 23.9 He hath stript us of our Jewels Prov. 16.8 Pride goes before destruction Where pride leads the Van destruction brings up the Rear Tolluntur in altum ut lapsu graviore ruant 2. Another sin which hath brought us low is Sabbath-prophanation The Sabbath is given as a distinctive Sign between the people of God and the prophane Exod. 31.17 And among the Primitive Saints when the question was asked Hast thou kept the Lords Day the answer was I am a Christian and dare not omit the celebration of this day The Lord hath commanded the observation of the Sabbath under a sub poenâ He hath enclosed this day
73.2 My steps had well nigh slip'd for I was envious at the foolish c. We are ready to murmur when we see our selves low and envy when we see the wicked high Sinners live in a serene Climate under a perpetual calm Psal. 73.5 They are not in trouble as other men their eyes stand out with fatness It is said of Polycrates King of Aegypt that he never met with any cross in his life And Alexander hearing that Parmenio his General had won the Victory and his young Son Alexander was born the same day prayed the Gods to spice his joy with some bitterness lest he should surfeit of too much joy But this prosperous state of the wicked is matter rather of pity than envy their sins will bring them low Isa. 14.12 How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer Son of the Morning 'T is spoken of the Chaldean Monarch who though high had a sudden change befell him Isa. 97.1 Come down and sit in the dust Babylon was the Lady of Kingdoms but saith God Sit in the dust Go in Pistrinum into the Mill-house Ver. 2. Take the Mill-stones and grind So will God say to the wicked come down from all your pomp and glory sit in the dust nay sit among the damned and there grind at Mill. The Lord will proportion torment to all the pleasure the wicked have had Revel 18.7 How much she hath lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her 7. See the great difference between sin and Grace sin brings a man low but Grace lifts him high Sin tumbles him in the ditch but Grace sets him upon the Throne Psal. 91.14 I will set him on high because he hath known my name Grace raiseth a person four wayes 1. Grace raiseth his Projects his designs are high He looks not at things which are seen 2 Cor. 4.18 His eye is above the Stars he aims at the enjoying of God A clownish Rustick when he goes to the Court is much taken with the gay Pictures and Hangings but a Privy Counsellor passeth by those things as scarce worthy of his notice his business is with the King So a carnal mind is much taken with the things of the world but a Saint passeth by these gay things with an holy contempt his business is with God 1 John 1.3 Our Communion is with the Father and his Son Iesus A Christian of the right breed doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aspire after the things within the Veyl his ambition is the favour of God he looks no lower than a Crown he is in the altitudes and trades among the Angels 2. Grace raiseth a mans Repute It embalms his name 1 Sam. 18.30 Davids name was much set by or as the Original carries it it was precious Heb. 11.2 By faith the Elders obtained a good report How renowned were the godly Patriarks for their sanctity Moses for his self-denyal Iob for his patience Phineas for his zeal What a fresh perfume do their names send forth to this day A good name is a Saints Heir it lives when he is dead 3. Grace raiseth a mans worth Prov. 12.26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour As the Flower of the Roses in Spring as the fat of the Peace-offering as the precious stones upon Aarons Breast-plate so is a Saint in Gods eye Besides the shining lustre of the Gold it hath an internal worth and is of great price and value So Grace doth not only make a mans name shine but it puts a real worth into him he is more excellent than his neighbour An Heart full of love to God is precious It is Gods Hephzibah or delight it is the apple of his eye it is his jewell it is his Garden of Spices it is his lesser Heaven where he dwells Isa. 57.17 I dwell with him that is of an humble spirit 4. Grace raiseth a mans priviledge it advanceth him into the heavenly kindred By it he is born of God 1 John 3.1 He is a Prince in all Lands Psal. 45.16 though in this world like a Prince in disguise He is higher than the Kings of the earth Psal. 89.27 Allyed to Angels In short Grace lifts a man up where Christ is far above all Heavens And Grace raiseth a Nation as well as a Person Prov. 14.34 Righteousness exalteth a Nation 8. If sin brings one low see what an imprudent choice they make who commit sin to avoid trouble Job 36.21 Take heed regard not iniquity for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction This was a false charge against Iob but many may be indighted of such folly they choose iniquity rather than affliction To avoid poverty they will lye and couzen to avoid a Prison they will comply against their conscience What imprudence is this when sin draws such dark shadows after it and entails misery upon all its heirs and successors By committing sin to avoid trouble we meet with greater trouble Origen to save himself from suffering sprinkled Incense before the Idol and being after to preach as he opened his Bible he did accidentally light on that Text Psal. 50.16 But to the wicked God saith what hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy mouth at the sight of which Scripture he fell into a passion of weeping and was so stricken with grief and consternation that he was not able to speak a word to the people but came down the Pulpit Spira sinned against his conscience to save his life and estate he chose iniquity rather than affliction but what an Hell did he feel in his conscience he professed he envyed Cain and Iudas as thinking their condition more eligible His sin did bring him low O what unparallel'd folly is it to choose sin rather than affliction Affliction is like a rent in the Coat sin is like a rent in the flesh He that to save himself from trouble commits sin is like one that to save his Mantle lets his flesh be torn Affliction hath a promise made to it 2 Sam. 22.28 but there is no promise made to sin Sure then they do ill consult for themselves who choose rather sin than suffering who to avoid a lesser evil choose a greater to avoid the stinging of a Gnat run into the Paw of a Lion 9. If God brings his own people low for sin Israel were brought low then how low will he bring the wicked David was in the deep waters and Ionah went down to the bottom of the Mountains Cap. 2.6 and Ieremy was in the deep dungeon then what a gulf of misery shall swallow up the reprobate part of the world Gods people do not allow themselves in sin Rom. 7.15 They tremble at it they hate it yet they suffer if they that blush at their failings are brought low what will become of them that boast of their scandals If this be done to the green tree what shall