white in the blood of the Lamb But why are they in white Robes and their Robes washed Because by their Tribulations they are washed from filth Affliction is Gods Soap before a godly man goes into Afflictions his very Graces are mixed with sin his Faith is mixed and dirtied with Unbelief and doubtings his Humility with Pride his Zeal with Luke-warmness but now by his Tribulation his Garments and Robes are made white and washed and he shall be of a more royal spirit and be cloathed with Robes But though the Lord make use of my Tribulations thus to wash yet I fear that by these publick Calamities I shall be driven from Ordinances the Temple and Worship of God nay saith he therefore at verse 15. They are before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple But what though we have the Ordinances if Christ be not present with them He ads therefore And he that sits on the Throne shall dwell amongst us But though we have the presence of Jesus Christ yet we may suffer much with want true yet verse 16. They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shal the Sun light on them nor any heat for the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living Fountains of Water O! but yet we may be brought in the mean while into grievous streits and be in a sad and mournful Condition True but there is a time a coming when all tears shall be wiped away from our Eyes and therefore he ads this at verse 17. And God shall wipe away all tears from their Eyes How should tears be wiped away hereafter if they were not shed for the present Though then you do fear it now and shed many tears yet all shall be wiped away and not one left O! what gracious dealing is here Thus will Christ deal with his People in troubleous times and therefore though our condition in regard of the Publick be exceeding sad and very grievous insomuch as we have all cause to mourn and weep yet if you be in Christ and have made your Peace with God you have no reason to be cast down And thus it is with every godly man surely therefore a godly gracious man hath no reason for his discouragements whatever his Affliction be Quest But what shall we do then that we may not be discouraged whatever our Affliction be whether Publick or Private National or Personal A good man indeed hath no reason to be discouraged under his Affliction but it is a hard thing to bear up against all discouragements under great Affliction what shall we do in this case Answ 1 First Either you have Assurance of Gods Love in Christ or not if not this Affliction shal be a Messenger to bring it to you So look upon your Affliction and if you have Assurance then actuate your Assurance reflect much on your Interest in and your Peace with God through Christ put your selves often upon this Disjunction Either there is enough in God alone or not If there be not enough in God alone how can the Saints and Angels live in Heaven who have no Meat Drink nor Cloaths there but God alone And if there be enough in God alone why should I not be contented with my Condition and comforted under it whatever it be What though man hate me if Christ love me O! labor more and more to see your Interest in Christ and ever hold it to your Eye Answ 2 Secondly If you would not be discouraged under your Afflictions remember much your fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings thus Now by these my Sufferings have I fellowship with Christ in all his Sufferings and therefore as Christ died and did rise again so though my Name dieth Estate dieth Body dieth and all my Comforts die yet they shall rise again The Apostle argueth and proves That the Romans should die no more in their sins Because Christ being risen from the dead died no more and therefore saith he though you fall into sins yet you shal die no more because you are risen with Christ So say I though your Afflictions be great and seem to swallow up all your Comforts yet your Comforts shall not be buried in them for if Godly you are risen with Christ and have fellowship with him and so die no more When therefore Affliction comes rejoyce in that you are made partakers of his Sufferings and say Rejoyce not over me O mine Enemy for though I fall yet I shal rise again for by my Sufferings I have fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings and so in his Resurrection Comforts and Glories Answ 3 Thirdly If you would not be discouraged under your Afflictions Labor more and more to be strangers to the world and to be acquainted with the waies of God under Affliction The Dog doth not bite or tear or hurt those that dwell in the House if a stranger comes he flies upon him and tears him because he is not acquainted with him And what reason is there that mens Afflictions fly upon them and tear them so much as they do but because they are strangers to and know not the way of God under them Labor therefore to live by Faith above the World to be a stranger to the world and be more acquainted with the way of Affliction Answ 4 Fourthly Consider what Christ hath born and left you to bear There are but two things to bear Sin and Sufferings Christ hath born all your sins wil not ye bear his Sufferings He hath born and carried the heavy end of the staff you have not one sin to bear and will you not then bear the Sufferings Answ 5 Fiftly Consider also and that frequently and seriously what abundance of good you and others get or may get by your Afflictions God by Afflictions le ts out nothing but corrupt blood Be of good comfort man said one now in Heaven to another complaining under his Afflictions Christ wil do thee no hurt in the latter end God never whips his Children but for their good and doth teach both them and others by them I was converted said one telling the story of his Conversion by seeing a man executed for thought I if a man be thus punished with death for breaking one of the Laws of men what do I then deserve who have broken all the Laws of God Affliction somtimes teacheth the by-stander much but especially it is teaching to your self thereby you see and read the fulness of God the emptiness of the Creature and the vileness of sin it recals sin past and prevents sin to come it quickens prayer and enlarges thankfulness and it may be thou mayest owe thy Conversion to some Affliction as a means thereof and if so much good do come by it will you be discouraged under it Think and think much of the good thereof Answ 6 Sixtly Whenever any Affliction comes do not stand poring on the evil
go no further depart they are the forsakers So in the way to Heaven Professors let out together and some find the way long further than they thought of we wil go no further say they and we wil have no more Light but say the other God willing we wil on and on they go Which of these two sorts are the Apostates Those that wil go no further they think not so but the Lord knows the truth that those that wil go no further are they that leave and forsake the other I wil give you one Scripture for it it is in Numbers 14. there were certain Spies went into the Land of Canaan and they brought an il report upon the good Land And the Children of Israel murmured against Moses verse 2. whereupon Moses speaks unto them and saith at verse 9. Only rebel not against the Lord the words in the Septuagint which Greek the new Testament follows are Only be not Apostates against the Lord. So that in Septuagintal Language those that rebel against Light revealed and wil go no further are called Apostates Now indeed this kind of Apostacy alwaies goes with the Sin against the Holy Ghost but not the former alwaies for we do not find that the Pharisees were guilty of the former for they did not profess the Gospel So that the Essence of this sin doth not consist in Apostatizing or back-sliding from the Profession of the Gospel and the Power thereof Fourthly Some think that this Sin doth consist in final Unbelief and impenitency But final Impenitency and Unbelief Altissiodorensis Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sentent Desperatissimos convertit Deus August Sic homo potest penitere de finali impenitentia Altissiodorensis ibid. is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost for by final Unbelief and Impenitency they either understand that Impenitency and Unbelief which a man lives and dies in or that which he purposeth to continue in to the last The latter cannot be the Sin against the Holy Ghost for many have purposed to continue in their Unbelief to their death and yet have been converted and pardoned And the first cannot be the Sin against the Holy Ghost For 1. The Jews whom Christ spake unto did then commit this Sin and yet they had not continued in it to their death 2. Final Unbelief is rather a Sin against the Son but the Sin against the Holy Ghost is distinguished from that 3. Our Savior saith Those that commit this sin shall not be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come Not in this world If therefore final Unbelief or Impenitency be this sin then Christ should threaten that he that dies in his sin shal not be forgiven whilst he lives 4. If a man sin against the Father or Son and die impenitently in that sin he shal not be forgiven either in this Life or in the Life to come but herein the Sin against the Holy Ghost is worser than the Sins against the Father or the Son and therfore it cannot consist therein 1 John â— 16 5. The Apostle saith There is a sin unto death I say not that you pray for it Doth he say that we must not pray for a man and for the forgiveness of his sin when he is dead 6. It is that sin for which there lies no remission but a man may sin such a sin whilst he lives for if any man sin wilfully there remaineth no sacrifice for sin and wilfully a man may sin before his Death 7. It is such a sin as a man may know anothâ—r man is guilty of whilst he lives for saith the Apostle There is a sin unto death I say not that you pray for it but final Unbelief and Impenitency is not known til death 8. Our Savior saith He that speaketh a word against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven but a word may be spoken against the Spirit long before a man dies and therefore surely this sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in final impenitency and unbelief final unbelief and â—mpenitency is not this Sin against the Holy Ghost 9. For then al wicked men living under the Gospel and dying impenitently should sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Blasphemia in spiritum sanctúm ca â—se vidâ—â—â— qua quis destinâ—ta malitia contra proprium animi sui sensum spiritâ— sancti gratiam et virtutem deique gloriam oppugnat Luc. Brugen in Math. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom in Math. 12. which is false You wil say then What is this Sin against the Holy Ghost and wherein doth it consist Secondly Affirmatively It is that wilful sinning against God whereby a man doth maliciously oppose and blaâ—pheme the proper and peculiar work of the Holy Ghost and that after he hath been convinced thereof by the Holy Ghost 1. I say It is a wilful sinning against God and so the Apostle speaks saying If any man sin wilfully after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin Heb. 10.26 So that the sin for which there is no sacrifice and of which there is no remission is a wilful Sin Now a man is said to sin Wittingly Willingly and Wilfully Wittingly in opposition to Ignorance Willingly in opposition to Force and Constraint Wilfully in opposition to Light Knowledg and Reason and so he that sins against the Holy Ghost doth sin for saies the Apostle If any man sin wilfully after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth or after the acknowledgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2. He that commits this Sin doth also oppose and blaspheme the proper and peculiar Work of the Holy Ghost for it 's called here Dicere verbum contra spiritum sanctum est verbis impugnare Deum sanctificantem Cajet in Math. 12. vide sixt Senens in locum a blasphemy and a blaspheming of the Spirit as distinct from the Father and the Son Now the Work of the Father is to Create the Work of the Son to Redeem the Work of the Holy Ghost to Sanctifie and therefore he that sins this Sin doth oppose and blaspheme Holiness and Goodness and so these Jews did for when our Savior Christ did cast out the Devil that unclean Spirit they said he did it by the power of the Devil calling the work done a work of the Devil and did oppose him therein Yet this is not all For 3. It is that Sin whereby a man doth maliciously oppose Peccatum in spiritum sanctum dicitur illud quod ex certa malitia sit quod solent distingui tria genera peccatorum peccatum in patrem ex infirmitate humana peccatum in filium ex ignorantia quod patri appâ—opriatur potentia filio sapientia peccatum in spiritum sanctum ex malitia quia bonitas attribuitur spiritui sancto Altissidorens Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sent. Scot. in Sent. Lib. 2. Quest 2. and blaspheme and so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10.26
for them for whatever God gives in time he gives upon the account of Christs Merit but in time he doth give Grace and Holiness for he doth bless us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Now Grace and Holiness are Spiritual blessings and therefore God doth bless us therewith in Christ 2. Look what the Father promiseth that he doth give out upon the account of Christ for all the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Grace and Truth comes by Christ the fulfilling of the Promise is truth but God the Father hath promised Grace as wel as Glory I will write my Law in your heart I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh I will give you a new heart saith God 3. Whaâ—ever Grace is derived from Christ and communicated by him to us he merited for us But of his Fulness we do al receive even Grace for Grace 4. We pray to God for the Conversion and Regeneration of sinners and we beg this in the Name of Christ thereâ—ore Christ hath merited not only Glory but Grace and Holine s. And 5. The Apostle tels us expresly in 2 Tim. 1.9 That we are called with an holy Calling in aâ—d by Jesus Christ Wâ—o hath saved us and called us with an holy Caâ—ling not according to our Workâ— but according to his own purpo e and Gâ—ace whiâ—â— he hath given us in Christ Jeâ—us before the Woâ—ld began As God doth work al Naâ—ural things by Second Cauâ—es so he doth work al Supernatural things by Christ By Câ—rist â—e dâ—d make the old Creation as he was the Eteâ—nâ—l Son of God and by Christ he makes the new Creation as our Mediator Now look what the Father worketh by him that did he merit for us but our new Creation is wrought by him and theretore he did not only merit Heaven and happiness but al our Grace and Holiness for us 2. He did not only merit the impetration of our Redemption but the application of it also the application of the means of Grace and the application of his own Merit for his Death is made the Reason of this application Meritum Christi sufficienter operatur ut causa universalis salutis humanae sed oportet hanc causam applicari per scripturam et per fidem formatum et ideo requiritur aliquid aliud ad salutem nostram praeter meritum Christi cujus tamen meritum Christi est causa Tho. Aquin. quest 29. de gratia Christi art 7. Esai 53.11 By his knowledg shal my righteous Servant justifie many for he shal bear their iniquities so again Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself purge our Consciences from dead Works to serve the living God and for this cause is he the Mediator of the new Covenant Now if Christ shal therfore justifie many because he did bear their sins then he did merit this application for al those whom he died for 2. If Christ did not merit this application then there is some Grace which is not from Christ Haec applicatio est maximum Dei donuÌ„ et maxime necessaria ad salutem sed Christus meruit nobis omnia Dei dona et omnia media necessaria ad salutem ergo haec applicatio est ex meritis Christi Suarez disput 41. sect 2. Nemo propter solum peccatum originis damnatur Armin. contr Perk. Arnold Corvinus contra Tilen p. 391. or this application is no Grace but the application of Grace and of Christs Merits and Redemption is Grace and there is no Grace which we have but is al from Christ 3. Our other Adversaries tel us that no Child perisheth or is damned only for Original sin but that sin is taken off from al by the Death of Christ therefore the death of Christ and his Merits are applied unto al Infants and if so then he hath merited the application of Redemption for al or else he did not die equally for al as they say 4. Look what God hath promised that Christ hath merited but he hath promised the application of Christs death Merits for saith he My Servant shal deal prudently he shal be exalted so shal he sprinkle many Nations Alias non perfectius meritum Christi esset causa salutis pâ—aedestinatorum quam non pâ—aedestinatoruÌ„ quia quod attinet ad sufficientiam meriti aequaliter respicit omnes homines sed differentia est in hoâ— quod quibusdam applicatur illud meritum quibusdam non ergo si haec applicatio non cadit sub merito Christi meritum Christi â— qualiter râ—spiceâ—et praedestinatos et non p aedestinatos Zumel quest 23. art 5 Isa 52.15 And 5. If he did not merit the application as wel as the impetration of our Redemption then he merited no more for those that are in Heaven than for those that are in Hel no more for those that are saved than for those that are damned For he merited the impetration of Redemption for al the particular men of the World say they But he did merit more for the saved than for the damned else those in Heaven have no more cau e to praise God and to be thankful unto Christ than those that are in Hel. Surely therefore our Lord and Savior Christ when he died did not only merit the Impetration but the Application also of our Redemption 3. He did not only merit a sufficiency of Grace for us but the efficacy of Grace also Hoc etiam salubriter profitemur et credimus quod in omni opere bono nos non incipimus et postea per Dei miserecordiam adjuvamur sed ipse nobis nullis praecedentibus meritis et fidem et amorem sui inspirat Concil Araufican 2. can 25. For look what Grace the Father gives in time that the Son merited for he blesses with al spiritual blessings in him but the Father doth not only give forth a sufficiency of Grace but the efficacy of it for saith the Apostle he worketh in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wil and the deed 2. Look what Grace the Father promiseth us that Christ merited for us but the Father promiseth not only a sufficiency but the efficacy of Grace I wil put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my waies saith God 3. Christ is the Mediator of the new Covenant upon the account of his Death Heb. 9.14 15. therefore whatever Grace is promised in the New Covenant his Death is the meritorious cause of but the efficacy of Grace is promised in the new Covenant I wil write my Law in your hearts Heb. 8. 4. The Death and Obedience of Christ is more meritorious for us than the Sin and Disobedience of the first Adam was against us Rom. 5. But the Sin and Disobedience of the first Adam did not only merit a sufficiency of evil but the efficacy of evil upon our Nature and therefore the Death
and infirmity Perkins Cases Book 1. Chap. 2. Whether every Sin that a godly man doth commit be a Sin of infirmity I answer No. Because there are some Sins that a godly man doth commit which he hath strength to avoid Somtimes the word Infirmity is taken largely for all Sin which Jesus Christ our High Priest doth sympathize with us in So Heb 4. Peccatum ex infirmitate est cujus est determinata causa instigà ns ita ut sine tali causa non sieret Corduba Lib. 2. Quest 8. Ut peccatum sit ex infirmitate ita debere fieri ex passione ut ipsa sit sufficiens causa qua ablata tale peccatum non sequeretur Vasquez in 12. Co. 1. Q. 77. Art 3. We have not such an High Priest who cannot be touched with our infirmities And thus al the Sins of the Godly may be and are Sins of Infirmity But properly and strictly an Infirmity is that Sin which a man is taken captive by against his wil Rom. 7. that is against the general bent and frame of his heart which he hath not present strength to resist So Rom. 15.1 Ye which are strong ought to bear the infirmities of those that are weak And thus every Sin that a Godly man commits is not a Sin of Infirmity Secondly If you ask Whether any Sin that a wicked man doth commit be a Sin of Infirmity I answer Infirmity cannot properly be said to be in them in whom sin hath firmity and strength and where there is no power of grace at all Perk. Cases Book 1. Chap. 2. No Because he hath no spiritual Life and infirmity is in one that hath life and therefore a wicked man being dead his Sin that he commits cannot be called a Sin of Infirmity Thirdly If you ask Whether any great gross foul sâ—â—ndalous Sin be or can be a Sin of Infirmity I answer No Because it is a sickness as Austin wel observes and not a weakness for saith he there is a great deal of difference between Aegrotus and Infirmus If a man have some distemper and ailment in his Body and yet he beaâ—s up to his meat and to his work he is not sick but he hath an infirmity this is weakness but if a man have a distemper and illness in his Body whereby he is driven both from meat and work and doth lie by it then it is not an infirmity but a sickness So Spiritually Sicut corpori noxium est escam corporalem non posse percipere ita animae periculosum eâ— spiritales delitias fastidite August If a man have a failing and yet through the Grace of God he bears up to meat and work it is an infirmity but if he sin and thereby be driven both from meat and work through the commission of some gross sin this is a sickness this is no weakness or infirmity So then properly the Sin of Infirmity is that Sin which is committed by one that is spiritually alive unto God and which doth arise from want of strength to resist and not from will to commit And thus you see briefly what the Nature of this Sin of Infirmity is Quest But yet this doth not come neer enough When may a man he said to sin a Sin of Infirmity and how shall I know whether any sin be of that Rate of sins or no For if the Lord will not cast a man off for a sin of infirmity it concerns me to consider what kind of sins my sins are There are some sins that God doth reject men for as in the case of Saul God rejected him for his sin when may a man therefore be said to sin out of infirmity Answ For Answer unto this First I shal speak unto some Mistakes Secondly I wil speak somthing unto it Negatively and somthing Affirmatively First for Mistakes There are Mistakes on both hands Some think that the Sins which they commit are not Sins of Infirmity when indeed they are And some think that their sins are Sins of Infirmity when indeed they are not Both on the right hand and on the left hand men are mistaken about this matter On the left hand Men think that their Sins are Infirmities when indeed they are not and that upon a four-sold accompt Bâ—cause their Sin is but smal in bulk or because that they are tempted and drawn into their Sin by others and because they do strive against their sin and because they are troubled after it 1. I think wil some say that my sin is a Sin of Infirmity Minuta peccata si negligantur occidunt minutae sunt guttae quae flumina implent minuta sunt grana arenae sed si multa arena imponatur premit atque opprimit hoc facit sentina neglecta quod facit fluctus irruens Paulatim per sentinam intrat sed diu intrando et non ex hauriendo mergit navim August Tom. 6. Tract 13. in Joan. 3. Ne putemus parvum esse has culpas quae sunt plures arenâ—iae parvae sunt sed tot possunt esse ut obruant citius quam saxum ingens infirma res est una locusta sed quae plaga major agris quam multitudo illarum Euseb Nieremberg de adoratione Lib. 2. Cap. 13. Cum Deus tantus sit nihil est parvum quod ei displicet aut quod ei placet quicquid est bonum statim est magnum quicquid malum statim hic non est parvum Non est parvum quod censetur minimum cum in minimis stet perfectio Eâ—ubesse te vinci a parvis nam ab hosse exili et pumilione sterni tur pissimum et ignavi signum Id. Cap. 14. because it is but smal But if you look into 1 Sam. 15. you may read that Sauls Sin for which the Lord rejected him was of no great outward bulk for he spared the Fatlings that he might sacrifice thereby and though he spared the King Agag it was neither murder that he committed nor adultery nor drunkenness yet saith the Lord unto him Thy sin is as the sin of Witchraft A great many smal sins may make as great a bulk as one gross sin yea possibly there may be much sinfulness and evil in committing of a smal sin for as amongst men it is the greatest incivility to break with another for a smal matter so with God to break with God for a smal thing is a great unworthiness and ingratitude Thus did Adam in eating the forbidden fruit the smalness of the thing to be done aggravated his sin and the smaller the thing is the more unworthiness it is to break with God in so little a smal leak neglected may sink the Ship as wel as the most boisterous and greatest wave and much skil may be seen in a smal work a little watch c. So your skil in sinning may be seen in a smal sin his sin is never smal that thinks it smal And if this be true That there is no
sin that a wicked man commits which is a Sin of Infirmity because he is dead then a man may commit a sin that is but smal in the bulk and yet no Sin of Infirmity 2. But I think my sin is a Sin of Infirmity because I am tempted to it and because I am drawn on by others But I pray was not Adam tempted unto the eating of the forbidden Fruit by Eve And was not was Eve tempted by Satan And wil you cal that a Sin of Infirmity that condemned al the World as Adams Sin did And I pray you was not Aaron put upon making of the Golden Calf by the People and wil you cal that Sin of Idolatry a Sin of Infirmity Possibly a man may be tempted drawn unto Sin by others and put upon it by others and yet the Sin may be no Sin of Infirmity 3. But I think my Sin is a Sin of Infirmity because I do strive against it And I pray did not Pilate strive against the crucifying of Christ he would have delivered him from the Jews cals for a bason of Water and washed his hands saying I am free from the blood of this man used means and did strive against it and yet the Sin of Pilate no Sin of Infirmity Possibly therefore a man may strive against his Sin and yet the Sin be no Sin of Infirmity 4. But my Sin is a Sin of Infirmity because I am troubled after it And was not Esau troubled after he had sold his Birth-right for a mess of pottage did he not seek it with tears And when Judas had betrayed his Master and our Savior it is said that he repented of what he had done and was troubled Surely then though the Sin that I commit may be lesser in bulk than anothers Sin and smal comparatively and though I be drawn into it by others and though I do strive against it and though I am troubled after it yet it may be no Sin of Infirmity Yet good Lord how many poor souls are there that deceive themselves and think that their sins are but Sins of Infirmity and thus are mistaken on the left hand But Secondly As some are mistaken on the left hand thinking that their Sins are Sins of Infirmity when indeed they are not so others on the right hand are mistaken and think that their Sins are not Sins of Infirmity but of a worser Nature when indeed they are And that upon a Three-fold accompt First Because they Sin knowingly Secondly Because they fal into the same Sin again and again and do lie therein Thirdly Because they fal into the Sin after Admonition Object 1 O! saith one I fear my Sin is no Sin of Infirmity for I sin knowingly and with deliberation I sin against my knowledg and against my Conscience and therefore my Sin can be no Sin of Infirmity Adrian sic definit peccatum ex infirmitate est actus vel omissio culpabilis sine deliberatione propter passionis impetum facta hac tamen definitione non complectitur omne peccatum ex infirmitate nam potest peccatum ex infirmitate accidere cum deliberatione imo vero ut sit peccatum debet esse aliqua deliberatio Vasquez 12. Q. 77. A. 3. Utrum sit possibile quod aliquis sciens ex infirmitate peccet Dicendum quod communiter ab omnibus ponitur aliqua peccata ex infirmitate committi quae à peccatis ex ignorantia non distinguerentur nisi contingeret aliquem scientem ex infirmitate peccare Tho. Aquinas Quest Disputat de causa peccati Att. 9. p. 96. But for Answer hereunto you must know it is one thing for a man to sin knowingly and another thing for a man to sin out of knowledg or against his knowledg As in case the of Ignorance it is one thing for a man to sin ignoranter and another thing to sin ex ignorantia A man sins ignorantly when ignorance is the companion of his Sin only A man sins out of ignorance when ignorance is the only cause of his Sin and not the companion only As for example Suppose a man be in fight in a great Battel and he kil another he kils him because he did not know him if he had known him in the Battel he would not have killed him here his ignorance is not the companion only but the cause of it So that it is one thing to sin ignorantly and another thing to sin out of ignorance A man sins ignorantly when ignorance is the companion of his fact A man sins out of ignorance when ignorance is the cause of it So a man sins knowingly when knowledg is the companion of his fact but a man sins out of knowledg or he sins against knowledg when knowledg is the cause thereof as when a man doth use his knowledg to make distinctions and shifts for his sin whereby he is emboldened to it and continues in it Knowledg is somtimes only a companion of sin as when a man knows that the first risings of Sin are evil this knowledg is no cause of them but meerly a companion Somtimes knowledg is the cause of Sin as when a man doth know that his way is naught and he doth deliberately consult and devise excuses and lyes to hide the same here his knowledg is the cause of those Sinful excuses and the man doth not only Sin knowingly and with knowledg but out of knowledg and against his knowledg and this cannot stand with infirmity but the former may for the Disciple knew that it was evil for them to sleep yet their Sin was a Sin of Infirmity Object 2 O! but I fear that my Sin is no Sin of Infirmity because I fal into it again and again and do lie in it Answ But do ye know what it is to lie in Sin There is much mistake about lying in Sin Possibly a man may lie in a Sin yet never fal into the gross Acts thereof he may he in the breach of the seventh Commandement and yet never commit the gross Act of Adultery he may he in the Sin of Covetousness yet never be any great Oppressor So on the other side a man may possibly fall divers times into the same Sin and yet not lie therein for properly a man is said to lie in Sin when he doth continue in it and not purge it out so he that is born of God Sinneth not because his heart is as a Fountain or Spring that purifies it self from that dirt and filth of Sin which doth fal into it but as the Apostle speaks The whol world lies in wickedness Why Because a wicked mans heart is as a Lake or standing Pool which keeps all that dirt which is thrown into it Now if you do thus keep and lie in your Sin why do you so complain this your complaining argues that there is some purging out and therefore you do not lie in Sin Object 3 O! but I fear my Sin cannot be a Sin of Infirmity because I fall
great and though the thing be smal put your Faith to work in ordinary matters put your Faith to work Somtimes you come to a great matter and you put on your Faith there but because your Faith is not used to smal things your Faith wil not come on here I remember a Speech of Mr. Greenham concerning Suffering saith he If you would suffer hard things from Papists be content to suffer smal things from Protestants and if you would be able to suffer hard things from Enemies you must be content to suffer smal things from Friends saith he you wil never be able to suffer great things from Enemies if you are not able to suffer smal things from Friends So say I in the point of Doing You wil never be able to do great things by Faith if your faith be not used to do smal things And therefore Christians in al things you do the Life you live in the flesh put your faith to work in your particular Callings in smal things and when your faith is used to do smal things you wil be able to do great things but you wil never be able to improve your faith to do great things if you use not your faith to do smal things Fiftly and Lastly Study much and look much upon the Cal you have to any Work and do not stand poring upon your own ability or upon the difficulty of the work Thus these Worthies when the Lord called them the work was great awd difficult and they were weak but they looked upon Gods Cal and they did not stand poring upon their own Abilities but as Abraham considered not his own Body so these and therefore they did great things by faith Possibly a man is called to a Place in the Magistracy and he looks upon it as a great Work I am not able saith he it is beyond me So a man is called to the Ministry I have no Parts nor Gifts the Work is beyond me So for beleeving a man is commanded to beleeve but I cannot beleeve my heart is dead I cannot beleeve whereas now if men did but look upon the Cal of God they would be able to do great things for God Either Christian thou art commanded to beleeve or not If thou are not commanded to beleeve then Unbelief is no sin and if you are commanded to beleeve then you are called to it do not stand poring upon the Difficulty of your Work but look upon the Cal of God and thus shal your faith work and do great things And thus I have done with the main Doctrine that grows out of these words There are some particular Notes that as little Twigs do grow from this great Oak which I shal draw out and so conclude and that is out of the 32. Verse First In that the Apostle saith What should I say more for the time would fail me c. The number of Beleevers in the times of the old Testament it seems was not smal The time would fail me saith he to tâ—l of the Beleevers of the old Tastament few shal be saved indeed comparatively but through Grace many there are that do beleeve If there were many in the old Testament times certainly then there are many now in the new Testament times that do beleeve Secondly In that the Apostle doth here instance in Gideon and Barak and Sampson and Jeptha Gideon and Barak he instances in them thus much you may note God will own that Faith that is but weak at first Gideons faith was weak at the first Baraâ—ks faith was weak at the first it is more like to live this faith that is weak at the first than that which is born with Teeth faith that is weak at the first God wil own It is true not only for Faith that is weak at first but al weak Faith God wil own the weak faith and commend the strong faith he will bear with the weak faith and commend the strong faith See it in the case of Thomas Thomas saith he Reach hither thy hand and thrust thy finger into my side Lord saith he I beleeve my Lord and my God wel saith Christ Thomas thou beleevest here he owns his faith though it is weak but commends the strong faith Blessed is he that hath not seen and yet hath beleeved Christ wil own the weak faith and commend the strong faith but I say he wil own the faith that is weak at the first May be here are some that are Beleevers that begin to look after Christ some yong Christians that begin to look after God and turn from their evil waies and begin weakly at the first remember this God wil own that faith as weak as it is But God see here Gideon before Barak and Sampson before Jeptha The Second Note from thence is Though the Lord wil own the weak faith weak at the first yet God doth most highly esteem of them that do most excel in faith Gideon is before Barak Sampson before Jeptha those are in most account with God that do most excel in faith But then Thirdly In that the Apostle doth here instance in Sampson for a Beleever It is possible that a great sinner may become a true Beleever yea possibly a man may have true faith yet he may fal foully so Sampson but if he do fal foully and be a Beleever he is like to pay dearly for it so Sampson both his Eyes went for it but though a man do pay dearly for it yet God wil return again and own his faith and record his faith so Sampsons faith is Fourthly In that the Apostle doth here make mention of Jeptha Jeptha who was a Bastard under a reproach yet recorded for a Beleever Possibly a Bastard may become a Beleever one that lies under great reproach in regard of Parentage may become a true Beleever Behold what that is that wil rowl away reproach from a Family it is faith true saving faith behold here was a reproach upon Jeptha and his family as a Bastard now he beleeves and faith rowls away the reproach from his person and from his family and he is recorded for a Beleever Let none be discouraged in regard of any reproachful Condition that they are in true faith wil rowl away the reproach and by faith you may become of good report Fiftly In that the Apostle doth speak of David Of David also and Samuel and of the Prophets Consider I pray these were extraordinary men When then God hath any extraordinary work to do he wil raise up extraordinary men to do it and when God doth raise up a man exâ—raordinarily he wil give extraordinary Gifts But mat I would have you consider thence is this That we may make use of extraordinary Examples to strengthen our ordinary faith here are extraordinary cases and brought in by the Apostle to this end and purpose to strengthen our faith Be not discouraged then when you go into Scripture and read of extraordinary Examples Satan tels you I but