to you when you lye under it and render Death and the Thoughts of it most unwelcome yea dreadful to you It is the guilt and prevalency of this sin above all others that will put a Sting into Afflictions and into Death and the Thoughts of it This adds weight to the burden of Affliction and makes it much more insupportable than otherwise it would be when Conscience shall upbraid thee that this or that Affliction is the Punishment of such a sin that thou hast indulged and cherished in thy bosom or at least too much connived at If you keep not your selves from these your peculiar sins you will not be able to entertain your Afflictions patiently and much less will you be able to bear them chearfully as it becomes you to do Nor will you be able to bear the Thoughts of Death comfortably or indeed without dread and terror upon your Spirits while you remain under the guilt and power of these your iniquities tho' it should be only the tyrannizing and not the reigning power of them As therefore you would bear Afflictions and entertain Death and the Thoughts of it comfortably labour after this proof of your sincerity that you keep your selves from your iniquity And now having dispatched the Motives to excite you to look diligently to this great Duty and great Evidence of sincerity I proceed to close all with a few Particulars to direct you to the Ways and Means of God's appointing in his Word whereby you may be inabled through Grace to keep your selves from your iniquity Directions I. Would you keep your selves from your iniquities either your reigning sins or your too prevailing corruptions endeavour to get a deep and thorough sense and conviction of the great sin and evil of this thy special iniquity how dishonourable it hath been is and will be to God and how greatly prejudicial to thee thy Soul and Body too and labour to keep this sense upon thy Spirit all thy days so as to confess and bewail it before the Lord and to be greatly humbled for it this would be a means to keep you from it for the time to come for hereby you will come to taste the bitterness and feel the weight and burden of it Therefore keep the evil of it constantly in the Eye of your Soul that you may flee from it Keep up a sense of the evil of that sin which was your most predominant reigning sin in your Unregenerate state thus did Paul Trusting in his Legal Pharisaical Righteousness and a Persecuting Spirit were his special sins before his Conversion and what a deep humble sense had he of them after his Conversion even all his days 1 Tim. 1.13 15. Phil. 3.7 8 9. He kept far from those sins for ever after Confession and Humiliation are as it were the Souls Vomit caused by its being sick of sin now what hath made persons Heart-sick they will not easily be persuaded to feed on again tho' it may be pleasing to the Palat No more will you taste of those to the Flesh sweet morsels of sin which God by his Spirit and Grace hath made bitter to your Soul But now if the sense of sins odiousness begins to wear off you will be in danger to be again intangled with your old corruptions therefore as you would keep your selves from your iniquities keep a sense of the odiousness and bitterness of them upon your Hearts II. Be earnest and importunate in Prayer to God as for Pardon of so for Power against these thy special iniquities beg earnestly for special Grace and Strength against thy special sins When thou hast found out Indicted and Accused this sin at God's Tribunal then cry out to God as for Mercy to thee through Christ so for Justice against thy sins that God would kill them and inable thee to mortifie and crucifie them drag these Traitors before God's Tribunal and say Lord these are the Arch-Rebels against thy Crown and Dignity slay them before thy face These are some of those Devils or Devilish Lusts that will not be cast out but by Prayer yea by Fasting and Prayer Do by these sins as Paul did by the Messenger of Satan 2 Cor. 12.7 8. Ply the Throne of Grace give God no rest till he return such a Gracious answer as he did to him verse 9. My grace shall be sufficient for thee III. Would you keep your selves from your iniquity then to your sense of humiliation for and Prayers against it be sure you that are Believers to add Faith in Christ and the lively vigorous actings of it upon him as for the forgiveness of it so for power against it and for the sin killing vertue of the Death of Christ to kill and crucifie this thy too prevailing corruption Fetch in from Christ by Faith constant supplies of spiritual strength against these sins of thine You must have more strength than your own more than the strength of Nature of Reason of your own Wills Purposes and Resolutions yea than of Grace already received to keep you from and inable you to prevail against such strong corruptions as these are they will be too strong for your Purposes Duties and Graces if God do not strengthen you with strength in your Souls by his Spirit It is God must keep you you cannot keep your selves Psal 127.1 Except the Lord keep the City the Watchman wateheth but in vain So it will be in relation to your Souls and the keeping them from sin When David says in the Text I kept my self he doth not arrogate to himself only tells you what was his duty and his care and endeavour to perform but he was sensible God only could keep him which made him pray as Psal 19.11 12. Cleanse me from my secret faults and keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins and their dominion and so from the great transgression Dost thou O Soul feel thy iniquity stirring in thee and prevailing over thee if thou be yet in an unconverted state pray that God would work Faith in thee and if thou art converted stir up and act Faith on Christ pray earnestly to God to inable thee so to do lift up an Eye of Faith to Christ and put forth an Hand of Faith to take hold on him and fetch strength from him and cry to him when this sin sets upon thee that he would make thee more than Conqueror over this thy iniquity IV. Would you keep your selves from your particular iniquities make use of the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God Study Apply and Improve the Word both Written and Preached against your most strong and prevailing corruptions Improve the Word in all the parts of it its Precepts Prohibitions Threatnings Promises Examples and Experiences recorded in it against thy particular corruptions whatever you read or hear in and from the Word of God against sin in general apply it against thy iniquity in particular as if it were named Is thy iniquity an Omission living in the neglect
and the different seats wherein Mens special sins are to be sought after of which I shall speak more afterwards There may be several prevailing Diseases at the same time in the Body as Fever Dropsie Stone c. so there may be several beloved Lusts at the same time Reigning in the Heart and breaking forth in the Life As for instance wantonness in one fierce passions or rash anger in another may be their iniquity in regard of their natural Constitution and then Pride if the person be prosperous or Envy and Discontent Cosetousness Over-reaching Over-doing in the World so as to hinder himself in the publick private or secret Duties of Religion c. if the person be mean and low may be at the same time his iniquity in regard of his Condition and Calling in the World So that tho' some particular sin may be most predominant yet thou may'st have many reigning and beloved lusts which if ever thou wouldst attain to evidence of sincerity thou must abandon and vigorously endeavour to keep clear from even all of them Prop. VII Tho' there is a pronesnes and inclination in all Men even in the Regenerate as well as Unregenerate to some sins more than to others which may be properly called their special sins yet there is a great deal of difference in those that may be called Mens own Iniquiries between them as they are in the Godly and in the Ungodly and therefore you must distinguish between a beloved Lust a Dalilah a Darling-Bosom-Sin fully consented to and a prevailing Tyrannizing Corruption which a person may more easily and frequently be foiled by Both may be called their peculiar Iniquities as those they do most frequently fall into yet in the Unregenerate it is a beloved Lust in the Regenerate it is tho' a Prevailing yet but a Tyrannizing Corruption and a continual Grief and Burden to him Thus those sins that proceed much from the natural constitution and other such like Causes of which I shall speak more afterwards tho' they are beloved Lusts in the Ungodly they may in the Godly be Infirmities such as Unruly Passions and the like yet they are oftentimes fixed and continued Infirmities that theymay not get rid of while they live and are usually more than meer Infirmities they are mixt have too much of the Will in them and do proceed much from want of Watchfulness and the Exercise of Grace but are not beloved Lusts the bent of the Heart the Believers Prayers Desires and Endeavours are in some good measure set against them This distinction should be heeded that Men may not pass a wrong Judgment on their Spiritual State So that neither the Ungodly count their Sins only Infirmities or Tyrannizing Corruptions when they are really Presumptuous Sins Beloved Lusts nor on the other hand the truly Godly conclude a total want of Grace because they feel the stirrings of yea the prevalence of Tyrannizing Corruptions It is a certain Truth Grace cannot consist with an intirely heartily beloved Lust yet it is as true that it may consist with very strong Inclinations to some particular sins which may often prevail over them so as to fall into them especially as to the inward workings of Corruptions as unruly Passions Anger Wrath Frowardness c. tho' more seldom into the outward acts of gross sins the sensual Appetite even of a Godly Person may be tickled and at present pleased with some sin he is particularly inclined to yet it is not a beloved Lust if as soon as he doth discover it and the present heat of the Temptation is over he mourns over it Watches Prays Believes and with his most diligent endeavours strives against it and doth not make Provision for it Thus Pride Passion Cowardly Unbelieving fears or Distrust may be a Godly Man's special sins and yet not his beloved Lusts Thus I have dispatched the first General Head in seven Propositions for the better understanding of the Doctrine II. The next General Head I propounded to speak to is What things are the rise and seat of Mens special sins where they are to be sought so as to be found out in order to the casting of them out and then keeping from them 1. Those sins which may properly be called Mens own Iniquities are to be sought for in the natural Constitutions and Tempers of their Bodies Those sins which are beloved ones in the Unregenerate and too often Tyrannizing ones in the Godly do much proceed from the natural Temper and Constitution for these do much incline Men to some particular sins more than to others For tho' no Bodily Constitution be in it self sinful but all sin doth originally rise in and proceed from the Heart Mat. 15.19 yet the Body has an influence upon the Soul and the Natural Constitution is sadly improved and abused oftentimes by Corruption within to carry the Man out to some particular sins and these prove reigning sins in the Wicked and very often such prevailing tyrannizing sins in those that are true Saints at bottom that they often fall into and are foiled by them and are never quite rid of them till they lay down the Body of Sin and Death they carry about them As for Instance Those that are of a Sanguine Constitution in whom Blood is predominant are Hot and Moist the sins such are most inclined to are Vanity and Levity an Airiness of Spirit Pride of Beauty or Apparel affecting excessive Mirth and Jollity Sensuality Riot Intemperance loving Jovial Company whereby they lye very open and are easily drawn to Gluttony Drunkenness Gaming Revelling Wantonness and Unclean and Fleshly Lusts search whether your natural Temper doth not peculiarly incline you to some or other of these sins and if you find it doth it is your Duty in a peculiar manner to Watch Pray and Believe against them peculiarly as ever you would prove the uprightness of your Hearts Those that are of that Constitution in which Phlegm is predominant which is Cold and Moist the sins such are most prone to are Sloth Idleness love of Sleep Drowsiness Dulness and Heaviness at all times especially at times of Worship and in Duties of Religion unwillingness to Work carelesness in Business Forgetfulness Indisposedness to Learn and that which is too often consequent to these sins Lying to excuse the faults that by their Laziness and Carelessness they have been guilty of and these are often the sins of Children and Servants Oh search whether these or some of them be not the sins that your Natural temper leads you to and if they be make Conscience of specially keeping your selves from these Again those that are of a Cholerick Constitution in whom Choler that answers to Fire prevails which is not and dry The sins this temper doth more especially incline Men to are Headiness Rashness in undertaking Violence Fierceness of Spirit Anger Wrath continual Brawling striking Quarrels Contentions Law-suits being uneasie both with themselves and others they converse with O search whether
Evidence of the uprightness of the heart because he that really keeps himself from his iniquities doth it from grounds and principles from a respect to God's Glory he keeps from them as things that do peculiarly dishonour God transgress his holy Law are committed against Christ grieve and quench the Holy Spirit of God For these are the right scriptural spiritual grounds and motives of our keeping our selves from sin Now men's own sins dishonouring God opposing Christ and grieving the Spirit in a more than ordinary manner to keep from some sins and not from these would arguea rotten heart II. Because for persons to keep themselves from their iniquities either reigning or prevailing corruptions is one special act fruit and effect of true Evangelical Sorrow and Repentance Now it is our duty to exercise all the acts and bring forth all the effects and fruits of true Repentance but without this our Repentance is not truly Evangelical for there is an effential part and actof it wanting viz. that of taking an holy revenge on our sins and on our selves for them 2 Cor. 7.11 Tea what revenge This is the only case in which revenge is lawful and here it is commendable yea our great and necessary Duty This our prevailing corruption as you saw under the last Head is that by which we have most dishonoured God most wounded and pierced Christ grieved quenched and vexed the Spirit of God and hath most wounded our own Consciences defiled our Souls and defaced God's Image in them therefore we should keep our selves from these our iniquities that we may take revenge on them for the wrong they have done to God and our own Souls by being the death of those sins which have in a more eminent manner been the cause of the Death of Christ and would be the Death of our Souls if not repented of pardoned and subdued as to their reigning power by how much any sin has been more delightful to us formerly the more hateful it should be to us for the time to come What Amnon unjustly did by Tamar we may justly do by our beloved sins Thus have true Penitents expressed their Repentance so did Mary Magdalen when she Washed Christs Feet with her Tears to take a revenge on those Eyes of hers that had been Doors and Windows Outlets and Inlets to Lust and Wantonness as to her self and by Wanton Glances had stirred up Lust in others and she took a Revenge on those Hairs that had been Nets and Snares to catch Men when she wiped Christs Feet with the Hairs of her Head Thus Arch-bishop Cranmer who had subscribed a Recantation when he was recovered from his Fall and brought to the Stake first put that Hand into the Flames that had Subscribed the Recantation III. Because to keep your selves from your iniquities will be an Evidence of the power as well as the truth of your Repentance and of the Work of Gods Sanctifying Spirit and Grace upon your Hearts therefore we should keep our selves from these our iniquities These are the Master-sins the Lordly-Lusts we should do by these as the King of Syria gave order to his Captains about the King of Israel 1 Kin. 22.31 Fight neither with small nor great save only with the King of Israel They were to fight with others but against him chiefly So we must fight against every sin but we must aim our Arrows and Blows most peculiarly against our King Lusts to take them Captive yea to kill and slay them As it would be an Evidence of Falseness and Treachery in Officers and Souldiers in an Army to shoot at the Common Souldiers amongst their Enemies but when they see Captains or the General to let them escape and not make a shot at them no less will it be a sign of a false rotten Hypocritical Heart to keep from some sins but not from its special sins But on the other hand it is a sign of sincerity when Men keep themselves from these their most predominant sins as those that are the greatest Enemies to God and their Souls Yea thus to keep from our special most prevailing sins will be an evidence of the power of Grace in the Heart as it is an evidence of the power of a Prince when he is got into the Heart of his Enemies Country and takes his Forts and Strong-holds so it will be a sign of the strength of Grace when you keep from and subdue your formerly beloved or most prevailing corruptions for these are the Strong-holds that Sin the World and Satan have in your Hearts therefore it will be an evidence that the Weapons of your Warfare are mighty through God when they pull down those Strong-holds and bring down every high thing into captivity 2 Cor. 10.4 5. These your special sins are the Strong Man Armed that keep the House but now when you keep your selves from these sins it proves Grace to be stronger than sin when it overcomes these strong corruptions IV. Another reason why we should keep our selves from our special prevailing sins and why it will be an evidence of our uprightness so to do is because this will be an evidence of the truth and strength of our love to God and Jesus Christ when we will deny them nothing but are ready to pluck out right eyes cut off right hands keep and mortifie those sins which are by nature by custom and by their profit or pleasure as dear to us as those members of body are and indeed he who is inabled by grace to part with his most beloved or prevailing sins will by the same grace be inabled to part with his life for God if called thereunto for Mens beloved lusts are dearer to them than their lives yea than their Souls naturally But if Men do not keep themselves from their beloved iniquities they have no true love to God at all yea if they do not set themselves with all their might against prevailing corruptions it is a sign there is little love to God and Jesus Christ I now proceed to the Application of this Doctrine and much that hath been mentioned in the Explication and Confirmation of the Doctrine may be helpful to us in and serve instead of the Application of it what hath been already said shewing where men may seek for and find their special sins either beloved and reigning lusts or prevailing iniquities may be useful by way of Direction to help you to find out what your iniquities are and what hath been spoken in the Application shewing what it is for persons to keep themselves from their iniquities may be helpful to you in Examination whether you have this mark and evidence of the Uprightness of your hearts before God and what hath been insisted on as Reasons of the Doctrine may serve as Motives to inforce the Exhortation to all of us to keep our selves from our peculiar Iniquities But I shall make however some more particular Application by way of Examination Exhortation and Direction I. Let us
keep your selves from Believe Pray and Watch against those sins that you find your Hearts most strongly inclined to and you are most frequently overcome by All therefore that I shall further do shall be to lay down some Motives to stir you up to and some directions to help and guide you in the performance of this duty of keeping your selves from your Iniquity Motives 1. Consider This thy iniquity if it be a reigning sin it is at present and till thou be convinced of the evil of it and made willing to part with it to have it Killed and Crucified is like to be the great bar and hindrance of thy sound Conversion this is the stumbling-block of your iniquity that which breaks the match between your Souls and Christ and will hinder your profiting by the Word Prayer or any other Duty and Ordinance If there be in thee any darling Delilah Lust that thou layest in thy Bosom it will hinder thee from closing with Christ till God break the League between thee and it And when ever the Spirit of God works upon the Heart of a Sinner in order to sound Conversion he sets home this sin upon the Conscience and that to purpose and lets the Soul see the peculiar odious nature of it God lays Gall and Wormwood on this pleasing breast to wean the Heart from ever tampering with it allowedly and deliberately more and when once the Heart is brought to be willing to part with this sin and to have it Crucified it will be an Evidence that a good work is begun yea in some good degree carried on in the Soul But so long as any beloved Lust reigns in thee thou art far from Conversion and consequently from Salvation for this is the Arch-Rebel against Christ which must be brought down and slain before the face of Christ if ever thou be converted here or saved hereafter II. Oh keep your selves from your iniquity for consider if it be a reigning sin this iniquity of all others will be a Worm at the Root of your Profession of all your Gifts Duties and Performances and Eat out the Heart of them will hinder you from all truly Sanctifying and Saving Profit by them tho' you by means of your Knowledge and professed Experience and outwardly blameless Conversation be duly admitted to Ordinances on the Ministers part yet it will hinder you from all Real Spiritual Communion with God in them and true Scriptural Comfort from them Know it whatever Profession of Religion you make tho' never so high whatever Gifts you are indowed with or Duties you may perform could you if a Minister Preach never so well if a private Christian Pray most inlargedly and to appearance most Affectionately Confer and Speak with the Tongue of Men and Angels yet if there be any beloved Lust that you are not willing to forsake and have mortified you will be but as sounding Brass and a Tinkling Cymbal this sin as was said before will be a Worm at the root of all you do in Religion it will be a flaw in your Profession and in what you look upon as an Evidence of Grace Judas could Preach Pray and work Miracles no less than the other Apostles but Covetousness was his beloved Lust this lay at the bottom and spoiled all so that he lost all his Labour yea his Life and Soul into the sad Bargain and so wilt thou O Soul if either Covetousness Uncleanness Drunkenness Pride Injustice or any other sin whatsoever be beloved by thee or rule in thee These thy iniquities will choak the Good Seed of the Word and render it unfruitful so that it will bring no fruit to perfection they will set on thee in Prayer and render all thy Prayers ineffectual Oh let this consideration excite you to endeavour to your utmost to keep your selves from your iniquity from harbouring any beloved Lust as you would get good by any Duty or Ordinance of God Yea and you who are Believers and Upright in the main let this consideration excite and prevail with you to put forth your most vigorous endeavours to keep your selves from your iniquities which tho' not beloved Lusts yet are too prevailing Corruptions in you even these tho' they may be lesser sins comparatively and not so open and scandalous viz. too much Worldliness Pride Passion neglect of some Duties or Formality in those you do perform even Drowsiness Wandrings in Duty inward workings of Corruption if you are often foiled by them tho' if you Repent of them and strive against them they are not flaws in your Titles yet they will be blots and blurs in your Evidences that you will have much to do to read them they will much hinder and interrupt your Communion with God in Holy Duties and the settled Peace and Comfort of your Souls they will hinder you from getting that good by Ordinances the Word Prayer Sacraments and Communion of Saints that you might do they will hinder your boldness at the Throne of Grace and cause you to drive heavily in Heavens-way therefore Christians as you would keep your Evidences clear have Communion with God and profit by Duties keep your selves from your Iniquities your too frequently prevailing Corruptions III. To stir you up to keep your selves from your Iniquity from harbouring any one indulged beloved reigning sin consider that this your beloved Lust is very likely to prove a Root of Apostasie to you it is this that causes so many Professors to prove Apostates at last Any one reigning sin is like a Leak in a Ship which if it be not stopt or the Water pumped out will certainly at last sink the Ship so will any one sin whatsoever that is not Repented of and Mortified but indulged this will indanger your falling off and falling away after your most specious profession and performances this is the stumbling-block of your iniquity either your Religion will cause you to leave your beloved Lusts or they will be likely to make you leave your Religion and Duties when your Lusts and these come in competition Judas held on a great way and for a considerable time with the rest of the Apostles but at last his Covetousness which was his beloved Lust betrayed him and caused him to betray his and our Lord and Master Therefore keep your selves from your Iniquities lest you prove Judas's And you that are Upright in the main keep your selves from your too much and too frequently prevailing Corruptions for these tho' through Grace they shall not cause total Apostasie yet they may cause and you are in danger by them to be brought into great decays of Grace IV. Keep your selves from your Iniquity your beloved reigning sin or sins you that are yet in your Unconverted state keep your selves from your most pleasing and profitable sins for these are the sins which if not Repented of will most torment your Souls in Hell for ever The Worm of Conscience will most gnaw upon your Souls to all Eternity in the
remembrance of these sins By how much any sin has afforded more carnal pleasure or profit to you in the committing of it so much it will cause your greater torment in your Consciences here if they come to be awakened in time or else for ever in Hell Rev. 18.7 how much she hath lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her God will proportion and measure out your torments hereafter according to the measure of Delight you have taken in your sins or the Worldly Profit and Advantage you have got by them you who have taken pleasure in Uncleanness Drunkenness Tipling Mispending your time among Unclean Drinking Gaming Sabbath-profaning Atheistical Scoffing or any Loose Companions these and such like sins and such Companions will add to your Torments in Hell They that were Unclean Drunk and Jovially roared together here shall burn and roar together out of extremity of Torment hereafter Conscience will say to thee as Abraham in the Parable to the Rich Man Luk. 16.25 Thou in thy life-time received'st thy good things but now thou art tormented Therefore keep your selves from your Iniquity indulge and he inslaved to it no longer your formerly beloved reigning sins so as to obey them in the Lusts thereof And you that are Upright and True Believers do you keep your selves from your most prevailing tyrannizing corruptions for tho' upon your renewing your Faith and Repentance they shall not torment you in Hell yet they are like to cause the greatest Wounds and Gashes in your Consciences here V. Keep your selves from your Iniquity for consider if you do not thus but there be any beloved Lust and reigning Sin harboured in your Hearts and allowed of in your Conversations you have cause to fear that such a Lust which you will not forsake will provoke God judicially to give you up to that Lust yea to many other sins the most vile Affections to withdraw his restraining Grace and give you up to your own Hearts Lusts to the full swing of your Corruptions and this is the most dreadful judgment a person can be given up to on this side Hell Rom. 1.24 26 28. 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. Them that had pleasure in Unrighteousness God gave them up to strong delusions And you that are in the main Upright keep your selves from your Iniquities which tho' they be not beloved Lusts yet too often prevail over you and are too much connived at these may provoke God to leave you for a time to many sore and sad falls VI. Keep your selves from your iniquities from every beloved lust and reigning sin all of you who are yet unconverted and you who are converted and are Believers keep your selves from your special Sins those you are most prone too and most frequently foiled by for consider these are the sins by which God is most dishonoured by you Yea and your special Sins that are Professors yea true Believers these are the sins that the men of the World will take occasion from to reproach Religion If you are foiled by Pride or too much eagerness after the World if you be guilty but of lesser Acts of Injustice or Intemperance if you be of too airy Spirits if you be often foiled by unruly Passions rash Anger and fierce Expressions for these things wicked men will reproach your Profession and Religion it self and so greatly dishonour God they will be ready to say these are your Professors they can be Proud Covetous Airy and Passionate as well as their Neighbours and though these be not allowed sins in you but cost you strong cries and tears afterwards Yet wicked Men do not or will not see this they see your falls but they see not the inward Pangs of grief and godly sorrow you feel for these the sore conflicts and struglings you feel in secret on account of these sins after you have fallen into them and so reproach you and Religion for them counting that but a pretence and you Hipocrites which though it be their great sin so to do yet it is your great Duty to watch pray believe and strive against these sins and for the mortification of them that you may cut off such occasions of wicked Mens dishonouring God and reproaching Religion VII Another Motive which particularly concerns you who are sincere Believers and should stir you up to keep your selves from your own iniquities those which you do oftenest fall into and though not reigning sins yet are very domineering corruptions in you is this consider these your iniquities are the sins which of all other will most weaken your graces hinder the exercise of them and growth in them yea impure them and cause decays in them and these do and will most hinder your Spiritual comfort and joy in God These I say will greatly weaken the Graces of Gods Spirit in your hearts and obstruct the actings of them and your steady even walking with with God Falls you know wound and weaken persons cause sore Bruises and often haulting and lameness So frequent falls into your special sins will cause weakness in your Souls in your Graces and your Spiritual Limbs and cause you that you cannot act so steadily and vigorously in the exercise of Grace and Performance of Duties but to halt go lamely and drive heavily in the ways of God These your iniquities if you do not keep your selves from them will hinder your growth and progress in Grace and Holiness These are like Suckers in Trees that draw the Juice and Sap from the Root to themselves as falls in Childhood hinder growth often times so that such prove but dwarfs all their days So frequent falls into these your iniquities though comparatively but lesser sins yet they may cause you to prove but dwarfs in Christianity Yea these your special iniquities if you do not keep your selves from them will greatly impair Grace cause decays and great back slidings the prevailing of these corruptions will keep Grace at a great under in the Soul and these are the sins which though through Grace they shall not ruine your Souls yet they are like greatly to hinder your comfort and cause God to withdraw and hide his face these are the great make-Bates between your Souls and God do not you find and feel this by sad experience and how can it be otherwise for it is by these iniquities that you do most grieve the Spirit and while you do so how can you expect that he should seal and comfort you and not rather grieve and wound your Souls and write bitter things against you Therefore keep your selves from these your iniquities as those which are your greatest Enemies and would rob you both of Grace and Peace quickening and comfort VIII The last thing I shall mention to stir you up to keep your selves from your Iniquity whether it be a reigning sin in the Unregenerate or a tyrannizing one in the Regenerate is this consider that it is this iniquity or this kind of iniquities that will imbitter affliction
their Bodies to get Estates and provide Portions for them but no care to instruct them to bring them to Ordinances to press them to Duties and to look after the Graces of God's Spirit Faith Repentance new Obedience and to give them good Examples Are not these some of them at least your peculiar iniquities Or are you not guilty on the other hand of too much severity and provoking your Children to wrath keeping them at too great a distance not allowing them necessaries or conveniencies suitable to their condition rank or age and thereby making them weary of your Government if not of your Lives and tempting them to be more extravagant when they come to have Estates or Power in their own hands for your iniquities that are Parents may lye on this hand And you Children is it not or hath it not been your iniquity that you have been disobedient to Parents not hearkning to their Instructions and Counsels not following the Examples of Godly Parents not reverencing them yea not relieving and maintaining them when Old and Poor And you Masters or Mistresses is not your iniquity too much severity and sharpness towards Servants neglecting their Bodies not providing necessaries for them not allowing them due Food or Sleep not teaching them the lawful honest Mysteries of their Callings or however taking no care for their Souls exacting of them to work for you to the utmost but taking no care to further their working out their own Salvation giving them no time for Duty to God Reading Prayer or any other publick Ordinances or Family or Secret Duties but working them so hard keeping them up so late raising them up so early to your work that they have no time for Religious Duties or else sleep at them which in this case will be more your sin than theirs And you Servants search whether your iniquities are not or have not been sloth carelesness of your Master's or Mistresse's business wastfulness as to Family Provisions unfaithfulness or purloining irreverence in your speeches and carriage not governing your Tongues but answering again giving word for word and sawciness in your speeches O! all of you inquire whether relative sins be not your prevailing if not reigning iniquities and if they be be deeply humbled for them and by Faith Prayer and Watchfulness endeavour to keep your selves from them for the future 4. Persons should search for their iniquities in the various Estates and Conditions whether high or low of prosperity or adversity they may by the Providence of God be brought into There are special sins that persons through inward corruption lye open to in their various conditions whether prosperous or adverse In a prosperous state when men abound in Riches or Honours enjoy Health and have all comfortable Accommodations about them the sins that are likely to prove their reigning or at least prevailing iniquities are Pride Security Psal 30.6 Luxury Unthankfulness for Forgetfulness and Non-improvement of Mercies making them Fewel to their Lusts Gluttony Drunkenness Uncleanness Oppression despising of others not strengthening the hands of the poor and needy but laying out all on their backs and bellies in superfluities and excesses Ezek. 16.49 when Riches flow in setting their hearts upon them Psal 62.10 1 Tim. 6.17 when men are rich in the world they are ready to be high-minded and to trust in uncertain Riches Search whether some of these have not been at least thy prevaling corruptions when thou hast been in a full and prosperous condition And if persons be in an afflicted low condition there are peculiar sins that in such a condition persons are like to be tempted to such as impatience under God's hand discontent with their present condition murmuring and repining against God quarrelling with Men and Instruments unbelief and distrust of God's Providence and Promises using indirect means to prevent or get out of Troubles revenge upon Enemies and the second Causes of their Afflictions some of these were the particular iniquities David found himself strongly tempted to when he was persecuted by Saul and which he had a special Eye to in the Text how was he foiled by unbelief when he said All men were lyars 1 Sam. 27.1 and Psal 116.11 So when he changed his behaviour before and afterward joyned with Achish yet through the Grace of God he kept himself from the reigning power of these his iniquities Inquire whether these be not thy iniquities under affliction 5. Men should seek and oft may find out what their particular reigning or at least tyrannizing corruptions are by looking into the several Ages of their Life for as every Constitution Imployment Relation and Condition hath its peculiar Sins and Temptations attending and following it as the shadow doth the body so every Age of Man's Life hath its peculiar sins Not to instance much in Infancy and Childhood tho' even for those sins we should be humbled all our days How soon do Frowardness Pride Anger Revenge Self-will and Stubbornness shew themselves in us and in Childhood how apt are we to be taken only with trifles given wholly to Sports and Plays and unwilling to learn But especially in Youth how do youthful lusts abound which Timothy is warned to flee from 2 Tim. 2.22 Solomon says Childhood and Youth are vanity which caused David to pray Remember not the sins of my Youth Psal 25.7 And Job complains God made him possess the sins of his Youth Job 13.26 The sins this Age of Life is most over-run with are Pride Prodigality Self-conceit Untractableness turning a deaf Ear to the Counsels of the Aged and with Rehoboam making Young Men their Counsellors not caring to advise with Aged Experienced Persons but with green heads raw and rash Persons like themselves thus Disobedience to Parents Masters Mistresses or other Superiours Inordinate love of Pleasures and Recreations and of Bad Company of Gluttonous Drunken Gaming Wanton Persons and so being drawn to these sins spending their Time in Drinking-houses and their Time and Estates in Gaming and hereby being drawn to Swearing Sabbath-profanation and scorning of Godliness Such dirty ways is Youth inclined to and too commonly defiled with Psal 119.9 O you Young Men and Women see whether some of these be not your beloved Lusts or if you have some Grace whether they be not domineering corruptions in you and let it be your cares as you would evidence your Sincerity to keep your selves from these youthful Lusts Art thou come to riper Years to strength of Body and Mind the prevailing iniquities of this Age are usually greediness of Gain Earthly-mindedness resolving to be rich by right or wrong Pride Ambition aspiring after Places of Profit Power and Honour suffering covetous ambitious Designs to swallow up their time and hearts so as to neglect Heaven and heavenly things their own Souls and the Souls of others the Duties of Divine Worship Publick Private Secret and Inward heart-duties and other duties they owe to God and both to the Souls and Bodies of Men and