are capable of Instruction and Discipline and by coming near to Reason have a little imitation of Liberty they are rewarded or punished But Man in the condition wherein he was created had perfect freedom becoming the dignity of the reasonable Creature and was enrich'd with all the Graces of which Original Righteousness was compounded the harmonious Orders and coherent Dispositions of the Soul and Body qualified him for his Duty But in the state wherein his voluntary Sin has sunk him the Body is often distemper'd by the annoyance of the Mind and the Soul pays an unnatural and injurious Tribute to the vicious Appetites of the Body And when Corruption is heightned by Custom and the natural Propensity inflam'd by Temptations any Lust becomes more irresistible So that without a new Nature inspir'd from Above they cannot rescue themselves from the Bondage of Sin. Now the moral Impotence in Men to vanquish their Lusts tho it will be no Apology at the Day of Judgment yet it will discourage them from making resistance for who will attempt an impossibility Despair of Success relaxes the active Powers cuts the Nerves of our Endeavours and blunts the edg of Industry 'T is related of the West-Indians that upon the first incursion of the Spaniards into their Country they tamely yielded to their Tyranny for seeing them clad in Armour which their Spears could not pierce they fancied them to be the Children of the Sun invulnerable and immortal But an Indian carrying a Spaniard over a River resolved to try whether he were mortal and plung'd him under Water so long till he was drown'd From that Experiment they took courage and resolv'd to kill their Enemies who were capable of dying and recover their dear Liberty lost by so foolish a Conceit Thus Men will languish in a worse Servitude if they fancy the Lusts of the Flesh their intimate Enemies to be insuperable Fear congeals the Spirits and disables from noble Enterprises which Hope persuades and Courage executes Now we have an Army of Conquerors to encourage us in the Spiritual War with the Flesh the World and Satan Enemies in combination against us How many Saints have preserv'd themselves unspotted from the most alluring Temptations they were not Statues without sensible Faculties but ordered them according to the Rule of Life they were not without a conflict of Carnal Passions but by the Holy Spirit subdued them and though some obtain'd a clearer Victory than others yet all were victorious by Divine Grace The Examples of so many Holy and Heavenly Men prove as clearly and convincingly that the strongest Lusts may be subdued as the walking of Diogenes demonstrated there was progressive motion against the Sophistical Arguments of Zeno. I can do all things saith the Apostle through Christ that strengthens me To Omnipotent Grace all things are easy Our Saviour speaking of the extream difficulty of a Rich Man's Salvation That 't is as easy for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle as for a Rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven presently mitigates the Difficulty what is impossible to Men is possible to God. He can sanctify a Rich Man that his Humility shall be as low as his Estate is rais'd above others that his Affection shall be Heavenly in the affluence of the World that trust in God shall be his dearest Treasure Divine Grace is a sure Fountain of Assistance to all that sincerely seek it 'T is the Promise of God Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols The Idols that charm'd their Imaginations should be rejected with deep abhorrence Our Saviour cur'd the Paralitick Person that for 38 Years had been in a desperate Case incurable by natural Remedies an Emblem of the Efficacy of Divine Grace in curing the most inveterate Habits of Sin. There are recorded some eminent Instances of the Power of Grace in changing the Nature of Men. Nicodemus came to our Saviour conceal'd at first by Night as being asham'd or afraid of Observation in the Day But when he was born again by the renovation of the Spirit what an admirable change was wrought in him with a holy heat of Affection he defended our Saviour when alive in the presence of the Pharisees his unrighteous and implacable Enemies he brought costly Preparations for his Funeral when dead And these two glorious effects of his Valour are recorded by St. John with this addition This is that Nicodemus that came to Jesus by Night No Passion is more ungovernable than Fear yet even the Apostles did not express such fidelity and fervency for the Honour of their Master Another Instance is of the Jaylor that kept the Apostles Prisoners he was of a harsh cruel Temper a quality adherent to his Office but Grace so intenerated and softned his Heart that he took them the same hour of the Night and washed their Stripes Acts 16. 33. A visible and suddain effect of the Spirit of Love and Power and of a sound Mind 'T is recorded of many who used curious Arts they brought their magical Books though counted worth fifty thousand pieces of Silver and burnt them so mightily grew the Word of God and prevail'd How insuperable soever Sin is to naked Nature it may be subdued by Grace St. John gives an honourable Testimony of the Christians to whom he wrote My little Children ye are of God and have overcome the evil One for the Spirit that is in you is greater than that which is in the World. The Holy Spirit is not only greater in himself than the Tempter but as fortifying weak Christians is superior to the Evil Spirit with all his Train of Artillery the manifold Temptations which the World affords in his War against our Souls Satan takes advantage not only from our Security but our Pusillanimity we are therefore commanded to resist the Devil and he will flee from us What is observed of the Crocodile is applicable to the great Enemy of our Salvation He is terrible in his Assaults upon the faint-hearted but flies from those who are watchful to resist his Temptations To excite Christians to make serious and hopeful Trials for the subduing the strongest Corruptions I will select two Examples of the vertuous Heathens who restrain'd Anger and Lust that are the most rebellious Passions against the Empire of the Mind Socrates by natural Temper was Cholerick yet he had so far reduc'd his Passions under the command of Reason that upon any violent Provocation his Countenance was more placid and calm his Voice more temperate and his Words more obliging Thus by wise Counsel and Circumspection he obtain'd a happy Victory over himself The other is of young Scipio the Roman General in Spain who when a Virgin of exquisite Beauty was presented to him among other Captives religiously abstained from touching her and restor'd her to the Prince to whom she was espous'd How do such Examples of the poor Pagans who in the glimmerings of
step to final Impenitence that is unpardonable Who can tell the degrees of Danger in continuing in Sin a day How many have been cut off in their early Sins and lost their Time and Hopes and Souls for ever But that which more specially belongs to the present Matter is this by the neglect of speedy Repentance Sin is more difficultly retracted By continuance in Sin the Heart is more unwilling and unable to mortify it The Habits of the Mind differ from the Habits of the Body these wear out by continuance the others are more firm and powerful they are second Inclinations and as violent as the first that are deeply set in corrupt Nature The healing a fresh Wound is much more easy than an inveterate Ulcer the healing the Soul and renewing it by Repentance is much more easy and safe presently after the wounding it by Sin then after continuance under the power and infection of Sin. A deep Heart-breaking Sorrow will prevent relapses into Sin. When Conscience represents our Sin in its killing Circumstances as committed against the knowledg of the Divine Law and our Vows of Obedience against the tender Mercies and dreadful Justice of God that for the low and despicable satisfaction of the sensual part we have made our selves unholy and unhappy from hence the Soul is struck with a Sorrow so pungent that the love of Pleasure is mortified and the sweetest Sin is imbitter'd The remembrance of that perplexing anguish will heighten the aversation and resolution against Sin The Soul will fly with horror the occasions of offending God and recoil at the first glance of that Sin that cost it so dear and which if entertain'd will renew its Agonies As one that narrowly escapes from being consum'd by Fire retains so strong an impression of the Terror that makes him always circumspect to avoid the like danger David's broken Bones made him understand what a fearful Sin Adultery was and cautious ever after But a slight Confession a superficial Sorrow a few sad Thoughts and Tears are soon forgot when the Sinner presumes by a slight Repentance to obtain Reconciliation with God he is ready to answer the next Temptation and return to Folly. 5. Fervent and constant Prayer for the renewing Grace of God is indispensably necessary to preserve us from our Sins 'T is by the Spirit of Holiness that we mortify the Deeds of the Body that we put off the old Man and put on the new Sanctifying Grace introduces a new Nature the Prolifick and Productive Principle of a new Life it turns the current of the Affections from Sin to Holiness This is as astonishing as the miraculous motion of the Shadow upon Ahaz Dial that went ten degrees backward Unregenerate Morality may lop the Branches restrain from the gross Acts but sanctifying Grace strikes at the root of Sin the inward Affection There are some Medicines that will stop the fits of the falling-Sickness for a time but not expelling the Cause the Disease invades Nature again So moral Counsels and Politick Respects may stop the breaking forth of the Lusts of the Flesh but the inward Affection of Sin remaining will make us apt to fall by the Commission of it Sanctifying Grace makes an inward universal Change in the Soul he that was unclean in his Thoughts and Desires by the transforming Power of the Spirit loves Pureness of Heart delights in it and has a fixed Hatred against any thing that defiles the Soul that cleaves to the Dust and pursues the acquisition of Earthly Things as his Treasure being refined and elevated by Grace seeks the things above with vigorous Enedavours In this the Diseases of the Body differ from those of the Mind the first notwithstanding the most earnest desire of Cures may be incurable the other when the Desires are sincere of spiritual Healing are in the happy way of Cure for vicious Affections are the Diseases of the Soul. This Change of the Affections the Effect of supernatural Grace is obtain'd by fervent Prayer Our Saviour assures us that our Heavenly Father will freely and abundantly give the holy Spirit to those who ask it with such ardent Affections as flow from their feeling sense of the want of his Influences In humble Prayer we acknowledg our Unworthiness our Weakness our absolute necessity of Divine Grace to mortify our Lusts in believing Prayer we glorify his Mercy and his Omniporence that he is both willing and powerful to make us victorious over our worst Enemies The Prayer of Jehosaphat when invaded by a vast Army conspiring the Destruction of his Kingdom is a Copy to be transcribed by us O our God we have no Might against this great Company that comes against us neither know we what to do but our Eyes are upon thee Thus Satan the World and the Flesh are combin'd in warring against the Soul and we are utterly unable to resist them we must therefore address our selves to the God of all Grace to strengthen our inward Man. And since some Lusts have such strong Possession that like that stubborn sort of Spirits mention'd in the Gospel they cannot be expell'd but by Fasting and Prayer we must with the most zealous Devotion Prayer joyn'd with Fasting implore Grace to subdue them Prayer must be continual if we intermit this recourse to Heaven we shall presently find our selves like Sampson when his Hair was shav'd weak like other Men. Grace in the Saints is not like Light in the Sun that springs from it self but like the Light of a Lamp that is constantly fed with Supplies of Oil otherwise the weak Light will faint and dye Inherent Grace is maintain'd by the continual Emanations from the holy Spirit Nay the Habits of Grace are drawn forth into Act and vigorous Exercise by supervenient exciting Grace without which they would be ineffective and useless As there cannot be actual Sight unless the Light in the Eye be irradiated by Light of the Air So without special assisting Grace we cannot do any Spiritual Good nor avoid Evil we shall be foil'd by every Temptation even the best will leave God and provoke God to leave them Our Saviour therefore enjoyns his Disciples the double Duty Watch and pray lest ye enter into Temptation David with his severe Resolutions to be circumspect joyn'd his fervent Requests to God I said I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my Tongue I will keep my Mouth with a Bridle while the wicked is before me Set a Watch O Lord before my Mouth and keep the door of my Lips. His special Guidance is necessary to regulate our Tongues that we neither offend God nor justly provoke Men. Lastly Faith in the Redeemer is a Soveraign effectual Means for the mortifying Sin. The Son of God incarnate is the Fountain of inherent as well as imputed Righteousness Grace and Glory are conveyed to us by the Hands of the Mediator The Supernatual Power to do Good and vanquish Evil is
That he walked in the Commandments of God and not according to the Doings of Israel 2. I come to show how the peculiar Sin may be discovered from its Effects and the discovery from hence is more sensible than from the Causes for Divine Grace may controul the Efficacy of the Causes that a Christian may abhor the Sin to which there are strong Temptations but Effects emergent from inward Lusts discover the habitual frame of the Heart 1. The Sin that is frequently and easily committed and difficulty retracted is a Man's peculiar Sin. 1. Frequently Single Acts do not denominate a Person but Habits that proceed from repeated Acts are characteristical Noah's single Act of Drunkenness which might proceed from his ignorance of the strength of the Wine or the weakness of his Brain did not argue his being addicted to it but frequent relapses into that Sin denominates a Man a Drunkard A train of sinful Actions is from a disposition strongly bent to them If a Man be of a cholerick Nature Anger will be his quotidian if of a Sanguine licentious Mirth will be his tertian 'T is the Character of Man in his unregenerate polluted State he commits Sin 't is his Trade and as any particular Lust has dominion in his Heart such is the course of his Life When the Inclination leads to a Calling a Man applies himself continually to it for the Work produces Delight and the Delight strongly inclines him to work Thus according to the tendency of our corrupt Natures is the constant practice of Sin. We may as surely judg of the active Powers of the Soul by the Actions that proceed from them as of the vigour of the Sap in the Root by the number of the Fruits of the Tree 'T is said of the Scoffers they walk after their own Lusts which implies the habitual practice of Sin the license and pleasure they take in a carnal Course 2. The Sin that is easily committed is our own As the Divine Nature in a Saint makes him fit for every good Work but especially for the exercise of that Grace that is eminently regent in his Heart upon the first Call of Conscience he applies himself to his Duty so the corrupt Nature prepares Men for evil Works and its special tendency is presently inflam'd by a suitable Object This Indication is clear with respect to the Sins of the desiring and angry Appetites The more quick and speedy the Power of a Temptation is the more strong is the vicious Inclination When Achan saw a goodly Babylonish Garment and a Wedg of Gold he coveted them and took them the immediate rise of his Affection upon the presence of the Object his presumptuous Sacrilege notwithstanding the terrible Interdict was a convincing sign of his worldly Mind So 't is said of the young Man in the Proverbs that was enticed by the blandishments of the Harlot he went straitway after her When the alluring Object presently inveigles the Senses and easily obtains the consent of the Will we may truly infer what Passion reigns in the Heart So a Man that is soon angry whose Passion like Tinder takes fire at a Spark a small Occasion may understand what his Nature is A Man of a cool Spirit of meek and mortified Passions is not easily incensed 3. The Sin that is difficultly retracted There are Principles of Conscience in laps'd Nature concerning Good and Evil that cannot be rased out and are improv'd and heightned by revealed Light from hence there is often an internal Conflict between the convinced Mind and the corrupt Heart But the darling Lust controuls the Efficacy of those Principles for Nature and Custom are of all things most hardly to be chang'd Properties inherent in the nature of things are inseparable Thus wallowing in the Mire is natural to a Swine and though wash'd will return to it When a Lust is deeply rooted in Nature Men cannot cease from Sin. We have a sad Instance of this in St. Austin before his intire and blessed Conversion He declares in his Confessions how extream hard it was to divorce himself from sensual Delights they were incarnated in his Nature ingrafted into his Affections and the separation from them was as the fleaing him alive When he prayed for Chastity it was with a restriction Make me chast but not too soon In the vigour of his Age the sinning Season he was averse to be weaned from those poisonous Breasts 'Till Divine Grace chang'd his Nature he could never rescue himself from the Intanglements of his Iniquity Custom in Sin usually proceeds from Inclination and with as strong a sway determines the corrupt Will as Original Nature Can the Ethiopian change his Skin and the Leopard his Spots then may you who are accustom'd to do Evil do Good. Dreadful difficulty some habitual Sinners are secure and stupid and of such depraved obstinacy that they will not resolve to cleanse themselves from their Defilements In others there are some sparks of Religious Fear but notwithstanding the stings of Conscience continue in the practice of Sin. The charming Lust so long indulg'd is imperious and peremptory and till Omnipotent Grace unbinds the Charm they are never releas'd from the circle of confessing their Sins when their Desires are sated and committing them with new Heat and Rapture upon the returning Temptation Though Convictions be heightned into Resolutions the next Temptation hinders the Effect They rescind their solemn and sacred Engagements perfidiously break double Chains the Law of God with their own Vows grieve his Spirit and wound their own from hence 't is evident that such Sins are properly Mens own 2. That Lust to which others are subservient has the supremacy in the Heart In all the Dominions of Satan there is some special Lust that is his Viceroy and keeps possession for him There is an Order in the Kingdom of Darkness one Sin wants the assistance and countenance of another sometimes to disguise and palliate it or for the doing it The reigning Sin has as it were its Court and Council its Guard and Attendants To illustrate this by its contrary 't is observable there is a concatenation of Vertues and the superior Vertue is assisted by other Vertues in its Exercise as Justice in dispensing what is due to others is assisted by Fortitude and Temperance which regulate Fear and Desire that often hinder its most noble Exercise and the Actions immediately flowing from Courage or Temperance are ascribed to Justice to which they are subservient for the End and Intention constitutes the Kinds in the ranks of moral Things either Vertues or Vices 'T is the Observation of the Philosopher that one who does an Act of Robbery that he may have Mony to corrupt a Woman is not so much Covetous as Incontinent Joseph's Brethren sold him into Egypt dipt his Garment in Blood to deceive their Father and thereby contracted a Crimson Guilt but Cruelty and Hypocrisy were subordinate to their Envy They hated him because
the Father's Love to them was faint in comparison to the warm Beams reflected upon Joseph 2. The Darling Corruption ingrosses the Thoughts There is a natural levity and featheriness in the Mind a strange inconsistency and discurrency of the Thoughts but Love will fasten them intensely upon its Object From hence it is that habitual and delightful Thoughts are the best discovery of our Hearts and our spiritual State. Words and Actions may be over-rul'd and counterfeit for divers Reasons but Thoughts are the invisible productions of the Soul and without fear or mask without restraint or disguise undissemblingly discover the Disposition of the Heart Thoughts are the Immediate Off-spring of the Soul and as the Waters that immediately flow from the Spring are strongest of the Mineral so the Thoughts are most deeply tinctur'd with the Affections A Saint is therefore described by his meditating in the Law of God Day and Night which is the natural and necessary Effect of his Delight in it Uncounterfeit Religion and Holiness consists in the order of Love as St. Austin briefly and fully describes it The Will is carried to its Object and End by the Motion of Love and Love applies the Mind intirely to the Object to which it is strongly inclin'd When the Heart is corrupt the ordinary Current of the Thoughts is in the Channel of our Lusts. The contriving Thoughts the Devices of the Mind the contemplative Thoughts and inward Musings are conversant about the beloved Lust that engages the Mind to it Thus when Covetousness is the reigning Passion the Mind is in continual exercise to compass secular Ends 't is full of Projects how to order the Means most successfully to increase Riches and how to remove what-ever may obstruct the main Design The Spirit is captivated and like a drudg in a Mill is continually grinding for the satisfaction of the earthly Appetite When the more sensual voluptuous Passions are predominant the contriving Thoughts are to make Provisions for the Flesh to satisfy the Lusts thereof The Understanding is debased to be the Pander and Caterer for the intemperate and incontinent Appetites The ambitious Spirit lays the Scene how to obtain his desired Honour and forecasts how to ascend to some place of Eminence so Anger sowred into Revenge envies at the Excellencies and Advancements of others turns the Mind to plot Mischief The contemplative Thoughts and Musings of the Mind are also fix'd on the darling Lust. As a Holy Believer in whose Heart the desire of enjoying God in Heaven is the supreme Affection frequently ascends in his Mind thither and by solemn serious Thoughts substantiates his future Happiness and has an unspeakable glorious Joy in the lively hopes of it Thus the unrenewed Heart turns the Thoughts to the desired Object either in representing it in all its Charms or in reflections upon the enjoyment of what is past or in expectation of what is to come and pleases it self with the Supposition instead of Fruition A proud Person entertains vain-glorious thoughts of his own Worth and worships the vain Idol himself In his Mind he repeats the Ecchoes of Praise that his foolish Flatterers lavish upon him 'T is recorded of Nebuchadnezzar that as he walk'd in his Palace he said Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the House of the Kingdom by the might of my Power and for the Honour of my Majesty His high towring words were the Expression of his Thoughts and discover'd Pride to be the reigning passion of his Heart The sensual Wretch surveys his Carnal Paradise and personates the Pleasures of Sin by impure Imaginations his fancy runs riotously over tempting Beauties by an active Contemplation he contracts a new Stain and induces a new Guilt upon himself he commits the same Sin a thousand times by renewing the pleasant Thoughts of it and by carnal complacence in the remembrance In the silence of the Night when a Curtain of Darkness is drawn over the visible World and the Soul not diverted by sensible Objects is most free in its Operations then the Thoughts are conversant about the beloved Sin. 'T is said of the Malicious and Revengeful They plot mischief upon their Beds The rich Fool was contriving how to bestow his Fruits and Goods and entertaining himself with the thoughts of festival voluptuous living in the Night wherein his Soul was required And in the Morning the Virgin Thoughts are prostituted to the beloved Lust. In the time of Divine Worship when the pure Majesty and special Presence of God should unite the Thoughts and compose the Soul to a holy solemn Frame then the beloved Lust will be so impudent and outragious as to break into the Mind the Chamber of Presence and seat it self there As Lot's Wife led by an Angel out of Sodom turn'd a lingring Eye towards it so the Carnal Heart even in religious Service and Addresses to God reflects upon the sinful Object that has an attractive force upon it 'T is charg'd against those fine Hypocrites in Ezekiel They sit before thee as my People and hear thy words but they will not do them for with their Mouth they shew much love but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness 'T is reckon'd as an high Aggravation of their Guilt Yea in my House have I found their Wickedness saith the Lord. The familiar Lust will haunt Men in the Divine Presence This makes them cold and careless in Holy Duties this makes their Devotion so faint and dilute that God is infinitely provok'd by them In short the darling Lust does so intirely and intensely fix the Mind upon it that Mens Accounts are dreadfully increast by the swarms of wicked Thoughts that defile their Souls and in the Day of Judgment that is called the Day of Revelation there will be a discovery made to their everlasting Confusion 4. The Sin Men desire to conceal from others and from Conscience and are apt to defend or extenuate and are impatient of reproof for it has a special Interest in their Affections Every Sinner is a Master of this Art to counterfeit the Vertues he wants and dissemble the Vices that he allows 'T is the Observation of Solomon God made Man upright but he sought out many Inventions especially to palliate and hide or to excuse his Faults Sin in its native deformity is so foul that Men employ a great deal of Art and Study either to conceal it under a Vail of Darkness or a deceitful Mask of Vertue or by various Excuses to lessen its Guilt and Ignominy Adam patch'd up an Apron of Fig-Leaves to cover his Nakedness a resemblance of his care to hide his Sin. David could not expect to deceive God but to hide his Adultery with Bathsheba from Men he sends for Uriah from the Army that he might have gone home to his Wife 'T is observ'd of Caesar and Pompey whose ambitious Spirits aspir'd to Sovereign Power they made use of some Ensigns of Royalty to accustom
Truth Vices and Vertues Errors are inconsistent and irreconcileable and at War among themselves but Truth has an universal Consent and mutual Dependance in all its parts there is no Contrariety between natural and supernatural Verities Vices are sometimes so contrary in their Ends and Exercise that they fall foul upon one another that none can be so universally wicked as to commit all Sins but if he be addicted to one must forsake the other But there is a Connexion between the Graces of the Holy Spirit tho different in their Objects and Natures yet they have the same Tendency the Glory of God and our own Salvation and are united in the Subject There is but one way to Heaven as there can be but one straight way to a place but there are innumerable Deviations from it as many crooked ways to Hell as there are sinful Lusts that bring Men thither The Prophet tells us All we like Sheep have gone astray every one in his own way There are many By-paths that lead to Destruction We must also observe to prevent Mistakes there may be a forsaking of a particular Sin that has been delightful and predominant without Sincerity towards God for another Lust may have got possession of the Heart and take the Throne There is an alternate Succession of Appetites in the corrupt Nature according to the Change of Mens Tempers or Interests in the World. As Seeds sown in that order in a Garden that 't is always full of the Fruits in Season so original Sin that is sown in our Nature is productive of divers Lusts some in the Spring others in the Summer of our Age some in the Autumn others in the Winter Sensual Lusts flourish in Youth but when mature Age has cool'd these Desires Worldly Lusts succeed In old Age there is no relish of Sensuality but Covetousness reigns imperiously And as the Conditions and Interests of Men alter so their Affections change they are not constant to their Bosom-Sins Now he that expels one Sin and entertains another continues in a State of Sin 't is but exchanging of one Familiar for another or to borrow the Prophet's Expression 'T is as if one should fly from a Lion and meet with a Bear that will as certainly devour him 2. The forsaking our respective Sin is the inseparable Effect of Uprightness It has been proved before that if the Heart be divided between Obedience to the Divine Law and Inclination to any Sin 't is false to God. Repenting Ephraim said What have I to do any more with Idols an Expression of vehement detestation Idolatry had been the reigning Sin of that Tribe and therefore the renouncing of Idols was a clear convincing Sign of their sound Conversion It is impossible that sincere Love to God and the habitual allowance of a known Sin should be in the same Heart as for the Ark of God and the Idol of the Philistins to be plac'd on the same Altar Uprightness is consistent with Frailties but not with chosen Lusts. As Loyalty to the Prince is consistent with some Actions contravening his Laws that proceed from Ignorance or Surprize But Loyalty is inconsistent with Rebellion that is open Treason or with treasonable Designs that are secret Rebellion So any Sin that Men presumptuously live in or consent to in their Hearts is absolutely inconsistent with Uprightness 2. Let us be excited to keep our selves with all Diligence from our Iniquity This is the Master-piece of Mortification the noble effect of renewing Grace and very difficult to the corrupt Nature To enforce this Duty I will propound those Motives and Means as are very conducing for our performance of it The Motives are 1. Habitual indulged Lusts are irreconcileable with the state of Grace they render the Sinner till forsaken uncapable of God's pardoning Mercy here and the heavenly Glory hereafter The Gospel is a gracious Act of Oblivion for the restoring of Rebellious Sinners to the Favour of God but the Pardon is obtained upon Conditions that are indespensable Mercy is assured to penitent Believers for all their Sins of Ignorance and those Frailties that are the Causes of their daily Sorrow and Watchfulness and for all presumptuous Sins retracted by Repentance but the Saviour of the World excludes the impenitent and unreform'd from Mercy unless ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Now when Repentance is sound and solemn the Spirit is deeply wounded for that Sin whereby God has been most dishonoured and his Law violated The remembrance of it opens a full stream of Tears excits a holy Hatred and according to the degrees of Sorrow and Revenge there will be care to preserve our selves from that Sin. The Psalmist saith Blessed is the Man to whom the Lord imputes no Iniquity in whose Spirit there is no Guile implying that one reserved Lust which is a certain Argument of Deceit in the fairest Professors of Religion is a Bar against the Pardon of our Sins The Tenor of the unchangeable Covenant of Grace is I will write my Laws in their Hearts and I will be merciful to their Unrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more God promises to reconcile their Affections to his Commands The Law may be written in the Mind and Memory of an unsanctified Person for the Ideas of the most repugnant things are consistent in those Faculties but the Heart is not capable of contrary Objects the Love of God's Law expels the predominant Love of Sin. Now since the Promise of Pardon is in Conjunction with inward Sanctification which implies an universal Aversion from Sin 't is evident that indulged habitual Lusts are not capable of Pardon whatever quality the Sin be of whether of Omission or Commission the allowance makes it destructive to Sinners As from what Corner soever a blasting Wind comes whether from the East or the North it destroys the Fruits If but one selected Sin remains in the Affections and Practice it contracts the Malignity of all the rest and will prove deadly to the Soul. 'T is not a presumptuous reliance on the Merits of Christ will save Men with their Sins The Atonement made to Divine Justice by the precious Sacrifice of the Lamb of God was never designed for the reconciling God to those who with depraved Obstinacy continue in their Sins 't is utterly inconsistent with the Divine Wisdom Holiness Justice and Truth to appoint a Sacrifice for the Expiation of final Impenitency Such out-sin the Death of Christ I will not say as to its infinite Merit but as to the Application and intended Benefit of it The Value of his Death to abolish the Guilt and the Vertue of it to mortify the Power of Sin are inseparable The precicious Balm has a fragrant Smell that revives the Spirits but without applying its Substance to the Wound the Scent will not heal it The Soul must feel the Power of Christ's Sufferings to kill our Sins otherwise the pleasing belief of his Righteousness
Nature exprest such Vertues upbraid Christians who are Servants to their Corruptions in the Light of Divine Revelation If by the practice of Philosophy they kept themselves from the Dominion of their Carnal Appetites shall not Christians by a supernatural Aid obtain a clearer Victory over them In vain do Men pretend want of strength to vanquish their stubborn Lusts for if they sincerely seek for Divine Grace and are faithful in the use of Means proper to that End they shall obtain a blessed freedom from the Power of Sin. 3. The subduing the ruling Lust will make the Victory over other Sins more easy Our Commission against Sin is like that of Saul against the Amalekites to destroy them all if any one be spared it will prove as fatal to us as the Amalekite that dispatch'd Saul who suffer'd him to live when the whole Lineage was doom'd to utter Excision Now amongst the divers Lusts that war against the Soul some are the Leaders that give vigour to the rest that recall them when withdrawn rally them when scattered and renew the Fight against us As the Vertues of the sanctified Mind so the Passions of the carnal Appetite assist one another therefore when the corrupt Passion that was so dangerously influential upon the rest is subdued by Divine Grace they necessarily decline and are easily mortified The Temperamental Lust is the Root from whence many others spring and are fed and the eradicating of that takes away the Strength and Life of other vicious Affections The King of Syria commanded his Captains not to fight against Small or Great but only against the King of Israel and after he was slain the Victory over his Army was presently obtain'd Let us direct our Zeal against the leading Lust for all the servile Lusts must fall and die with it When Mithridates the King of Pontus a fierce implacable Enemy of the Romans was kill'd their Joy was exuberant in Sacrifices and Feasts esteeming that an Army of Enemies were extinguish'd in his Death Besides one Victory inspires Courage to atchieve another When David was to encounter with Goliah he derived Confidence from his Experience The Lord that delivered me out of the Paw of the Lion and out of the Paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the Hand of this Philistine The visible Expresses of the Divine Power in conquering the former Enemies of the Church were the support of their Faith Awake awake O Arm of the Lord and put on strength art thou not it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon Pharaoh and the Egyptian Army In our Spiritual Warfare experience of the Divine Assistance is a Cordial that fortifies the Spirits If the strongest and fiercest of our Corruptions lie bleeding ready to expire we shall not fear the rest The same Grace that has subdued the reigning Lust will make an impression of Obedience upon other Affections that are less powerful in us 4. Consider how dearly our Sins cost our Saviour his Sacred Blood to reconcile us to God and to set us free from their Dominion This is an Argument purely Evangelical and most worthy the Breast of a Christian. He dearly purchas'd a Title to our Love and the serious contemplation of his Passion has an admirable efficacy to inspire the Flame and consequently to make Sin odious that must be expiated and purged away by such bitter Sufferings Our Sins brought our Saviour to the Cross and can we entertain them in our Hearts with the Crimson Guilt that cleaves to them Can we live in the practice of them and crucify him afresh He came to redeem us from all Iniquity and purify us to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works How can we defeat the End and disparage the efficacy of his Death How can we violate such dear Obligations To cherish any Sin is the most ungracious and unkind return to his bleeding dying Love who valued our Souls more than his most precious Life Were it not visible by daily Experience that many are so prodigiously wicked it would raise our wonder how it is possible that any Christian to whom the Love of the Son of God in dying for our Sins is revealed should indulge himself in any Sin. If we did frequently and with solemnity and seriousness remember the Death of our Saviour and his blessed Intention in it we should find that change in our Hearts in regard of our Sins as Amnon did in his Affections to his Sister Tamar His incestuous Love to her at first was a secret Fire that consum'd him but after he had dishonour'd her and polluted himself his Hatred of her was more extream than his Love before Thus the Sins that have been as near to us as our Bosoms as pleasant as our corrupt Inclinations as familiar and intimate as Custom that have deeply defil'd our Souls we should with stronger detestation reject them than ever with delight we committed them 5. The blessed Reward of Uprightness is a powerful Motive to excite us to keep our selves from our Sins The Firmament is not sowed thicker with Stars than the Scripture with precious Promises to the Upright They have a peculiar Interest in the Love of God that is the Fountain of Felicity The Prayer of the Upright is his delight He is most graciously ready to supply all their Wants satisfy their Desires allay their Sorrows overcome their Fears The Lord is a Sun and a Shield He will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold from those that walk uprightly A comprehensive Promise of the Blessings of Time and Eternity The highest Honour is the Reward of subduing our rebellious Lusts. He that is slow to Anger is better than the Mighty and he that ruleth his Spirit than he that taketh a City The Quality of the Enemy makes the Victory more illustrious Now the rebellious Passions that war against the Soul are Enemies infinitely more dangerous than those who destroy the Bodies and Estates of Men. The Conquest of Armies and Cities is atchieved by Boldness and Strength that are not the peculiar Excellencies of Man for the Horse and the Lion are superior to him in those respects but the reducing his unruly Affections into Holy Order is the Effect of Divine Grace wherein we resemble God. How many of the famous Heroes in the World's account were worse than wild Beasts Enemies to Humanity that unnaturally and barbarously spilt the Blood of thousands to purple their usurp'd Royalty But in subduing the tyrannous Passions of Lust and Anger under the Sovereignty of the renewed Mind there is the happy union of Innocence and Victory There are degrees in the exaltation of the Saints as the Passions their inward Enemies which they subdued were more stubborn and hardly to be overcome In some there is such a concord of Humours such a placid mild Temper that they enjoy a pacifick possession of themselves But this is the Benefit of Nature not
conceived and in Iniquity brought forth I know many bold inquiring Wits have presum'd to examine the Decrees of God concerning the lapsed State of Mankind but 't is much safer to admire the Divine Providence than to argue to believe the Revelation than to dispute against it But although the corrupt Nature virtually includes all Sin yet there is not an equal propensity to all in every Person as in waste neglected Grounds some Weeds are ranker and rifer than others from the quality of the Soil so some kinds of Sin are more predominant and evident in the Lives of Man according to their peculiar Dispositions For the unfolding this we are to consider That the Soul of Man in its state of Union has a continual dependance upon the Body both in its intellectual and moral Operations Consider it as a Spirit and in its separate State 't is capable of acting as freely and independently as those pure Intelligences that are distant from alliance with gross Matter but consider the Spirit as a Soul consociated with a Body of Flesh there is a strange circling Influence between the Soul and the Body The Dispositions of the Body suitably incline the Soul and the Inclinations of the Soul affect the Body In the Intellectual Operations as the Animal Spirits are qualified some are of subtil and quick Wits others of stay'd and solid Minds some are fit for Contemplation others for Action And in moral Actions the Soul works by the active Power of the sensitive Faculties and the Actions resemble the Instruments The Complexion of our Minds as well as Manners is usually suitable to our natural Temperature I will more distinctly unfold this In the Humane Body there is the united Figure of the World the heavy Earth the liquid Water the subtil Air and active Fire enter into its Composition from the mixture of these Ingredients results the Temperature of the Bodies and as the Qualities proper to them are predominant Men are denominated Sanguine or Melancholy Cholerick or Flegmatick Such as the Constitution is such are the Inclinations and such are the Actions that flow from them 'T is observable that brute Creatures are either fierce or tame bold or fearful stupid or docile as their Blood is hotter or colder of a finer or thicker Contexture And in Children there is an early disclosure of contrary Dispositions according to their Temperaments thus some are soft and ductile others stiff and stubborn some are of a sweet pliable Temper drawn by Counsel and the Cords of Love others of a baser cast will not be led by Reason and Kindness but must be constrain'd by Fear some are of an ingenuous Disposition blushing at any thing that is indecent and disparaging others defy all Modesty and will not change Countenance though surpriz'd in a soul Action As the inclination in Animals to Actions proper to their Kind is discovered by their Offers before they are fit for Action Birds will attempt to fly before their Wings are form'd so in Children Inclinations to particular Vices appear according to their different Constitutions before their sensitive Faculties are capable of compleat Acts. More particularly those Persons in whose Complexion Blood is predominant are usually light and vain sensual and riotous insolent and aspiring bold and presumptuous Those in whom Phlegm is the principal Ingredient are idle and slow cold and careless in things of Moment the most ardent Exhortations are lost upon them as Bags of Wool dead the force of Bullets in yielding without resistance Those who are timerous and deeply tinctur'd with Melancholy are suspicious sowr and inexorable The dark shadows of their Minds are believed as visible Testimonies of Dangers and their silent Suspicions as real Proofs They are jealous of all Persons and Things If in Conversation there be speech of the Vertues they are conscious to want or the Vices they are secretly guilty of they imagine 't is directed to their Reproach They are intractable and often revengeful for Melancholy is a viscous Humour that retains the Impressions of the Passions Those who are Cholerick by Nature are heady various violent and create perpetual trouble to themselves and others Such a Soul and such a Body united are like two Malefactors fastned with one Chain In short according to the Elemental Crasis of our Bodies Objects affect our Senses and the Fancy with the lower Appetite are the Centre of the Senses and there is so near an activity and refeference between the Passions and the reasonable Faculties that the Understanding and Will receive Impressions accordingly as the Passions are excited and moved 'T is observable that the corrupt Nature in the Language of Scripture is usually call'd Flesh not only as 't is transmitted by Carnal Propagation but as 't is drawn forth by Carnal Objects and exercis'd by the Carnal Faculties And as the same Constitution is heightned in some and is in a remisser degree in others so the Lusts proper to it are more or less exorbitant as the same sort of Vines produce a stronger or weaker Grape according to the quality of the Air and Soil wherein they are planted That vicious Inclinations spring from the different Temperament of Mens Bodies there is pregnant proof in the visible diversity of Lusts that are peculiar in degrees of Eminence in some Families some Countries and the several Ages of Mens Lives We often see hereditary Vices transmitted by descent Some Families are voluptuous others vindictive some sordid and covetous others profuse some ambitious others servile resembling their Parents from whom the secret Seeds of those Dispositions are ingenerate in their Temper So in different Climates according to the Impression made on the Natives by the Air and Diet they are distinguish'd by their proper Vices not so generally found in other Nations as by their Countenances some are formal and superstitious others wild and barbarous some are crafty and treacherous others are wanton and luxurious As some Diseases reign in some Countries that are less frequent and not so fatal in other places The Apostle tells us of the Cretians That they are always Lyars evil Beasts and slow Bellies their habitual Vices fastned this universal Character upon them And according to the alteration made in the Bodies of Men in the several Ages of Life their vicious Affections run in several Channels the Spring is the same corrupt Nature and the Issue will be the same the Lake of Fire but the Course is different St. John distinguishes the Corrupt Inclinations that are predominant in the World under three Titles The Lusts of the Flesh and the Lusts of the Eyes and Pride of Life These Lusts have their proper Seasons and successively take the Throne in Mens Hearts In Youth the Lusts that in propriety are called the Lusts of the Flesh imperiously reign Youth is a kind of natural Drunkenness the Blood runs Races and with a Heat and Rapture hurries many into sensual Excess and Riots Youth is highly
wretchedly neglect the means that might alleviate their Sorrows and refuse to be comforted as if they were Persons consecrated to Calamity thus Life is linger'd out in continual Languishings or ended with deadly Grief If the Affliction be singular and extraordinary Sorrow often increases to such dismal Degrees that most woful Effects proceed from that Passion The Anguish of Spirit either breaks out in unkindly and unholy Expressions or inwardly festers with Repining vexatious Thoughts at their Condition Stubborn Spirits are impatient of the Evils they suffer and insensible and undervaluing of the Blessings they possess They neither look upward to the Hand of God that disposes all Evils nor inward to their Sins the most righteous procuring Cause of them But serious Reflection would constrain them to acknowledg that God punishes them less than their Sins deserved and that their Dross needed the vehemence of the Fire to purge it away A meek yielding our selves and a complying with the blessed Ends of his afflicting Providence will make us to understand by Experience that all our sharpest Sufferings were most wisely and divinely ordered by our Heavenly Father 3. We must search for our peculiar Sin in the Society with whom we are conversant Our Company that we choose and are frequently engaged with discovers us to others and may to our selves 'T is a true Glass that by reflexion makes visible the Countenance and Complexion of our Minds Love proceeds from Likeness and the Election of Friends from a correspondence in the Tempers of Men. 'T is true there may be Foreign Motives of Friendship and Commerce with others from our Secular Affairs and Interests but Inclination is the internal Cause of Friendship 'T is visible that Carnality in its various kinds cements Friendships the Intemperate the Lascivious the Worldly are endear'd to one another by the resemblance in their Minds and Manners Besides Examples if often in our view and especially of those whom we love have a strange Power to change us into their Likeness 'T is the Observation of the wise Man He that has fellowship with a proud Man will be like him The vicious Affections of the Heart transpire in Words and Actions and insensibly infect others and in familiar Society the Contagious Evil the more strongly infects being immediately conveyed If our intimate Friends are worldly Wise who mind earthly Things sagacious to forecast Advantages and active to accomplish their Designs we may judg of the strain of our Affections for if our Conversations were in Heaven if our frequent and serious Discourses were of Things above how to improve Spiritual Riches our Company would be ungrareful to them without Sympathy there can be no complacence in Society The Garlick and Onions of the Egyptian Earth is more tasteful to their Palats than the Bread of Angels Besides by constant familiarity our Minds are apt to be corrupted to value the World as our substantial Felicity and our Hearts to be corrupted with the love of it which is of the Spring of Mens Sins and Misery Thus if we are Associates with the Voluptuous there will steal into the Heart an allowance of Sensuality and a dislike of Holiness as a sowr Severity If unregenerate Men though of a civil Conversation be our chosen and familiar Friends our Zeal for Religion will decline and lukewarmness be insensibly infus'd into us Briefly as the Wax receives the Figure of the Seal that is applied to it our Minds receive a likeness from the Impressions of Examples Therefore a Prudence discreet and severe is necessary in the choice of our Society In the Humane Life there is no mistake more dangerous than in the choice of Friends with whom we are usually conversant 'T is a comprehensive Rule and most useful for the guiding us safely to Heaven to select the Wise and Holy to be our bosom-Friends As a Ring touch'd by a Loadstone drawsanother by an imprest Virtue so in holy Society there is Divine Grace attractive of the Hearts of others He that walks with the Wise shall be wise but a Companion of Fools shall be afflicted That is the penal Consequence of being corrupted by them The Sensual and Luxurious by their converse pervert good Dispositions in others and heighten evil Inclinations into Habits They are Satan's Instruments to draw Men into his Snares more familiar Devils to tempt and destroy Souls He that chuses evil Company is like one that voluntarily frequents a House infected with the Plague who is either a Fool and disvalues Life or desperate and seeks Death 4. We must consider the Quality of the Times we live in to discover what Sin is predominant in us There are Evil Days in the Apostle's Language with respect to the Temptations and Troubles that are concomitant with them and a wise circumspect walking is requisite to preserve our Innocence and Purity Sometimes those who are dignified with Titles and Powers are leaders in Sin and their publick Practices are so commandingly exemplary that they easily prevail upon many to follow them for that is the way to insinuate into their favour and obtain secular Advantages and Rewards From hence it is that some as if the opposite Forms of Religion were but different fashions of the same stuff will put on a new Livery according to the Master they serve They have a politick Faith you may coin them a Philip and Mary or an Elizabeth as the Mintage of the Times vary But the Example of the High and Noble is no safe Rule A Rule of Gold tho of value for the Matter yet if crooked 't is useless as a Rule In some Ages the Poison sheds it self into the whole Body of a Nation that rarely any are untainted The old World was drown'd in sensuality and Noah only escap'd And in the next Age how did Idolatry like an overspreading Leprosy infect the World and Abraham hardly escap'd In Jeremy's Time the Land mourn'd for Oaths and Curses Men were turn'd breathing Devils and spake the Language of Hell before they came there Sometimes all Degrees are so corrupt that Vices pass for Vertues the rage of Duelling for Heroick Valour Luxury and Sensuality for innocent and amiable Qualities and Holiness tho a Divine Excellency and the very Beauty of the Deity is despised and derided Thus Men glory in their Shame and are ashamed of their Glory Now there is no Tyranny more violent than of a corrupt Custom no Contagion more catching than of National Sins The Apostle reminds the Ephesians that in their Heathen State they walk'd according to the Course of the World. We are therefore strictly commanded not to be conform'd to the World but transform'd by the renewing of our Minds that we may prove what is the Good the acceptable and perfect Will of God. 'T is the eminent effect of Grace to resist the Torrent of the Times and to value the Conscience of our Duty before all Worldly Respects accordingly 't is recorded to the everlasting Honour of Jehoshaphat
the People by degrees to them yet were crafty to hide their Design Caesar sometimes appeared publickly with a Wreath of Lawrel on his Head but lest the People from his wearing that appearance of a Crown should be jealous of his Intention pretended it was only to supply his want of Hair and cover his baldness Pompey wore a white Fillet curiously wrought about his Leg in pretence that his Leg was hurt but in truth because it was a Diadem a Royal Ornament for which he was reproach'd by some strict Observer There are innumerable Arts us'd to cover Mens respective Sins I shall only instance in one that is usually practis'd How do many like the crafty Lapwing that flutters at a distance from its Nest appear zealous against the visible Sins of others that under that shadowy Deceit they may hide their own Their Words feather'd with severe censure fly abroad wounding the Reputation of others for lesser Faults that they may not be suspected to be guilty of worse Sins secretly cherish'd by them But if the beloved Sin be evident Satan assists the corrupt Mind to frame such colourable Pretences either to defend or excuse it that it may not appear in a ghastly manner attended with strict Judgment and an everlasting Hell. When a Lust has enticed and drawn away the Will the Mind is ingag'd to give colour to the Consent and either directly or in an oblique way to represent the Sin that it may appear less odious and more amiable Sometimes the Understanding is so perverted by the impression of Pleasure that Conscience allows Concupiscence 'T is a repeated Observation of a wise Philosopher that Vices were disguis'd under the resemblance of Vertues and Vertues disparag'd under the names of Vices from whence the Understanding and Will the Mind and Manners were depraved and shame was cast upon the Vertuous and boldness given to the Vicious Profuseness is stil'd Magnificence Violence Valour Dissoluteness Gentility Fraud and Craft Prudence On the contrary Sincerity is blasted with the name of Folly Patience reputed Stupidity and Conscience Superstition The Proud will set off the the lofty Humour and Carriage as a decent greatness of Spirit and vilify the Humble as low and sordid The Cholerick will ingage Reason to justify his Passion he will alledge the Provocation would anger an Angel. The Luke-warm in Religion will represent lukewarmness as a discreet Temperament between the vicious Extreams of a Wild-fire Zeal and a prophane coldness and neglect The Earthly-minded will put flattering Colours on Covetousness to make it appear a praise-worthy Vertue a prudent provision for time to come If Men are quite destitute of defence they will by a mild construction extenuate the guilt of their darling Sin. The incontinent Person will make a Canopy for his Lust as only a humane Frailty The Intemperate will excuse his Excess as free Mirth and harmless Society Many Apologies are made for the Sins Men indulgently commit some will plead in excuse a prone necessity of Nature some the Custom of the Places they live in some their unsettled Youth any thing that may lessen the turpitude in the view of Conscience or in the Opinion of others Now pleading argues Love and Love denominates the Sin to be their own From hence it is that so many contract a desperate hardness and are irrecoverably depraved But if Men cannot hide or excuse their beloved Sin they are impatient of reproof for it and with secret Discontent or stormy Passions reject Admonition Some of fair Tempers and Conversation if a Minister or Friend be faithful to their Souls and with holy Zeal urges the divorcing Command of God between them and their pleasant Sins and represents sincerely the Guilt of their sinful course of Life they become fierce and vehement and recoil upon their Reprovers as arrogating imperious Authority or for Rigour and Severity or importinence in admonishing them and sometimes recriminate that the Reprover is as bad or worse himselfl ike a River that passes without noise till it meets with the Arches of a Bridg that stops its free Current then it swells and roars In short the indulgent Sinner will endeavour to defend his bosom-Sin or to subdue his Conscience that it may not torment him for it 5. The Sin that the enlightned Conscience reflects upon with anguish and bitter remorse is usually that which has been indulg'd and whereby God has been most dishonour'd There is so deep an impression of the Deity in the Soul and our duty and accountableness that it cannot be utterly defac'd and though the rebellious Will and Affections controul it for a time yet it remains for the Conviction and Punishment of Delinquents Conscience is a Spy in our Bosoms and observes in order to a discovery and what is written in its Register cannot be razed out 'T is true a Spirit of Slumber sometimes seizes upon the Wicked and Conscience is so stupified that they sin without reflection and remorse but there are times wherein Conscience is rous'd up like a Lion and tears them in pieces according to the fearful Threatning This is sometimes done by the powerful preaching of the Word The Apostle describes the Word of God by its admirable efficacy 'T is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder the Soul and Spirit and of the Joints and Marrow and is a discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart When the Word by a piercing Application discovers the bosom-bosom-Sin and the fearful Judgment that attends it so that the Guilty cannot obscure the Evidence of the one nor avoid the terror of the other then Conscience bleeds afresh that was seared before There is recorded a wonderful Instance of this in the Acts of the Apostles when Paul the Prisoner reason'd of Righteousness Temperance Judgment to come Felix trembled The discoursing of those Vertues that were directly contrary to his habitual Enormities ript up his Conscience to the quick and struck into consternation that lofty Sinner From hence it is that many decline a sharp and searching Ministry which is always the Token of a guilty Heart The Word shining upon the Conscience like the reflection of the Sun upon the Waters that made them appear like Blood makes Sins to appear in their crimson Guilt their bloody Aggravations Our Saviour tells us that the evil Doer neither loves or comes to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved When a powerful Preacher as a second Conscience as if he knew the Hearts and Ways of Men sets their Sins in order before their Eyes and closely applies the Threatnings of Divine Vengeance to them Conscience often joins with him and as a faithful Eccho repeats the terrible Truths to their conviction and anxiety In times of Affliction when our Sins find us out we usually find out our Sins In full Prosperity Men are strangers at Home and rarely look inward they will not endure
the Inquisition and Judicature of Conscience Wealth and Wickedness harden them against the most serious Counsels the most solemn Reproofs and ardent Exhortations they are blind to the Sun and deaf to Thunder but a sharp Affliction clears the Eyes unlocks the Ears opens the Heart and pricks the tender Vein The awaken'd Penitent will make an exact search to find out the Achan the troubler of the Soul and the special Sin is so in the interpretation of the vigilant and afflicted Conscience The bitter remembrance of that Sin is answerable to its Guilt the more it was indulg'd the more the Law of God was despis'd the more it wounds the Spirit when the Pleasure is past nothing remains but the Sting and Poison Joseph's Brethren who so long had been insensible of their treacherous selling him to Bondage and Misery yet in their Fears Conscience remembers it with aggravations of their unnatural Cruelty And they said one to another We are verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us Lastly Consider the several kinds of Sins to find out your own some are of Omission some of Commission some are Spiritual and Inward some are Carnal and acted with Noise and Notice some distinctly flow from visible Causes some spring from an unsuspected Fountain There are many of a civil compos'd Conversation who are careless of spiritual Duties of holy Communion with God by raised solemn Thoughts and ardent desires of watchfulness over their Hearts to regulate their Aims and Affections by the pure Law and are insensible of their Neglect and Guilt The unrenewed Nature has a strong reluctance against spiritual Duties Many are righteous to Men and unrighteous towards God they do not pay those Duties that are indispensibly required from reasonable Creatures to the blessed Creator the highest Love for his Perfections and Benefits an obedient respect to his Commands in their Actions a resigned submission to his Will and Wisdom an entire trust in his fatherly Providence and zeal for his Glory Many rob him of that Time that is consecrated to his Service the Lord's Day though 't is our Priviledg as well as Duty to keep it Holy when the Publick Worship is at an end as if the remainder were unsanctified they wretchedly waste in complemental Visits in civil Matters in Discourses impertinent to the solemn Work of it Many who are diligent to provide for their Families yet are as bad as Infidels in neglecting to instruct their Children and Servants in the saving Doctrine of the Gospel to command them to be circumspect in their Ways to set before them a living Pattern of Holiness and carelesly suffer their precious Souls to perish for ever How many who are not guilty of open rebellious Sins against the Law yet neglect the great indispensible Duty of the Gospel an humble unfeigned entire closing with Christ as their Prince and Saviour They presume upon their moral Vertues of the safety and goodness of their Condition they never had a feeling sense of their want of the imputed Righteousness of Christ to reconcile them to God nor of the Holy Spirit to make them partakers of the Divine Nature as if only the Prophane Riotous notorious Sinners had need of his most precious Merits and Mediation to abolish their Guilt and save them from Hell and of the Holy Spirit to sanctify them From hence it is that many civil Persons remain in an unrenewed State and are the natural Subjects of Satan and die in their Sins Some are regular in a course of Religious Duties they pray hear the Word receive the Sacrament but without those Holy Affections that are the Life of Religious Duties yet content themselves with the external bodily Service which is neither pleasing to God nor profitable to their Souls Some cherish a secret Pride that they are not so bad as others some a vain presumption of the Divine Favour because they serve God in a purer way of Worship than others when they neglect substantial Religion that recommends us to his gracious Eye Some will severely reflect upon the visible Sins of others whilst there is an unperceiv'd consumption of the spiritual Life in themselves This may seem to proceed from the hatred of Sin when the real inward Motive is to quiet Conscience by an appearance of Zeal against Sin and make it inobservant of their inward voluntary Defects The most excellent Things may be counterfeit Satan may transform himself into an Angel of Light sinful Affections may be varnish'd and gilded so as to be mistaken for Divine Graces Briefly the Heart is an everlasting Deceiver and without a perpetual watchfulness we are in danger of close Corruptions that will blast our Sincerity To find out our Sin 't is requisite to search where we may think there is little reason to expect the finding it 2. I will now consider what the preserving himself from his peculiar Sin implies 1. An abstaining from the practice of that Sin. When David had an opportunity to destroy Saul his unrighteous and implacable Enemy and secure himself when excited to it by Abishai who would have dispatch'd him at a Blow yet he rejected the Temptation with abhorrence The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my Hand against the Lord 's Anointed thus he preserv'd his Innocence and Integrity Our Saviour tells us He that commits Sin is a Servant of Sin an indulgent course of Sin denominates a Person a Slave of Sin and a Rebel against God and is utterly inconsistent with Sincerity 'T is true an upright Man may fall by suddain surreption by an insinuating Infirmity into a foul Sin from which he has a setled aversation and keeps himself in the general Course of his Life and that single Act of Sin is a blemish of his Integrity but retracted by a speedy Repentance does not denominate him a Hypocrite One may be pale from an accidental surprize by fear or red through a suddain flush of Blood from Anger yet not be so by Complexion for the Complexions Pale and Sanguine are drawn by the Pencil of Nature the lively Characters of the predominant Humours and are usually visible in the Countenance But although an upright Person keeps himself from the gross Acts of Sins that are clearly against natural Conscience and supernatural Grace yet whilst we are cloth'd with Flesh the Body of Sin does not finally expire and Temptations are as importunate as Flys about us from whom the Tempter has his Title that 't is morally impossible to be absolutely undefiled therefore Uprightness requires that we should carefully consider our weak side what Passions we are most inclinable to by our Temper and so diligently fortify our selves against them that they may not have dominion over us and though we cannot arrive yet we may advance towards the compleat conquest of Sin. And in our endeavours against the Sins to
which we are most inclinable and that often foil us Constancy is inseparable from Sincerity If we neglect the humbling of our Souls for unavoidable Infirmities the earnest seeking for the Divine Mercy and Grace and a careful watching against them we so far decline from Uprightness 2. It implies the mortifying the inward Affection to that Sin. The Rule of our Duty requires this Cleanse your Hands ye Sinners purify your Hearts ye double-minded The Will is the proper Principle of Sin and from the depravation of the free Faculty actual Sins proceed As the Love of the Subject is the Strength of the Prince so the Love of any Sin preserves its Dominion There may be a concurrence of Circumstances to hinder the actual commission of Sin of which the Heart is guilty An unclean Person when separated from the Object of his impure Desires may languish in his Lusts and by contemplative commission be guilty before God. A malicious Person may keep the Fire of Malice in his Breast without the least discovery by a Spark or Smoak in his Words or Actions waiting for an opportunity that he may take his full Revenge and is a Murderer in his Wishes The rapacious desire of anothers Goods without actual Robbery induces the Guilt of Thest. There may be an invincible Bar between the sinful Affection and the Object Sickness or Age may so waste the vigour of the Body that we cannot perform the gross Acts of Sin But this Abstinence has no moral Value for it only proceeds from the disability of the Instrumental Faculties If one in a Consumption leaves his Revelling and Licentiousness 't is no sign of Divine Grace but of wasted Nature As in a sick Person the Appetite fails the Soul abhors dainty Meat but if he recovers his Appetite revives and is more craving for his Abstinence Thus many who could not enjoy their pleasant Lusts in the time of Diseases being restored to strength their vicious Affections are reincited by new Temptations and with greater excess act over their old Sins as if they would pay Interest for their impatient forbearance An old Sinner may retain and cherish the Fire of Lust in his Heart when Age has snow'd upon his Head As in Mount Aetna the sulphurious Fire and Snow are near together But as the Philosopher observes If a young Eye were put into an old Man's Head he would see as clearly as ever So if natural strength were restor'd in an unconverted Sinner he would be as ardent and active in prosecuting his carnal Desires as before Terrors of Conscience may stop the current of Mens Lusts Fear has Torment and is inconsistent with the Pleasures of Sin the fear of visible Vengeance that sometimes strikes the Wicked or the apprehension of Judgment to come may controul the licentious Appetites from breaking forth into actual commission of Sins But as when the Lions spared Daniel it was not from the change of their wild devouring Nature for they destroyed his Accusers immediately but from the suspending their hurtful Power so when a strong fear lays a restraint upon the active Powers yet inward Lust is the same and would licentiously commit Sin were the Restraint taken away The keeping ones self from Sin that is the sign of Uprightness proceeds from the mortification of the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof The Apostle tells us Carnal Circumcision without the Circumcision of the Heart was of no avail to obtain the Favour of God So the outward forbearance of Sin without inward Purity can never commend us to the Divine Acceptance A Rebel may be driven from the Frontiers but so long as he keeps the Royal City he is unsubdued So if a Lust keeps possession of the Heart tho the executive Powers may be retained or disabled from the outward Acts it still reigns 3. I shall now prove that the keeping a Man's Self from his special Sin is an undeceiving evidence of Sincerity 1. God approves it I was upright before him God has not Eyes of Flesh he doth not see as Man sees The deepest Breast is as clear as Christal in his sight He weighs the Spirits of Men and exactly knows what is true Gold and what is counterfeit He is the Searcher and Judg of our Hearts and his approbation is the strongest Seal of our Uprightness As God said to Abraham Now I know thou fearest me in that thou hast not withheld thy Son thine only Son from me So if we Sacrifice at his Command the Sin that is as dear to us as Isaac was to his Father the Sin of our Love and Delight the Sin that is ours by Choice and Custom then we shall hear the blessed Testimony from Heaven that we love God in sincerity he will own us as his Friends Sincere Christians can appeal to God in the Psalmist's Language and with his Affections Lord search me and try me and see whether there be any way of Wickedness in me they are not conscious of any indulged course of Sin which would make them fearful of his pure and piercing Eye 2. It will appear that the keeping our selves from our peculiar Sins is an infallible proof of Uprightness by considering in what it consists In Scripture Uprightness is equivalent to Perfection and Integrity and opposite to Guilt 1. 'T is equivalent to Perfection Mark the perfect Man and behold the Upright for the End of that Man is Peace The absolute perfection of Holiness is not attainable upon Earth none are refin'd to a height of Purity without Mixtures and Allays But according to the mitigation of the Gospel the Saints whose Aims Desires and Endeavours are to obtain Perfection are accepted in the Blessed Mediator as perfect Now the indulgence of any darling Sin is utterly inconsistent with Perfection in the mild sense of the Gospel and consequently with Uprightness This will be more evident by considering that Uprightness is equivalent with Integrity The Psalmist prays Let Integrity and Uprightness preserve me Integrity implies an uniform equal respect to all the Divine Commands When Conscience of our Duty to God and the reverence of his Authority shining in his Law inclines us to obey all his Will we are upright Partial Obedience that divides the Precepts and complies with those that are agreeing with our Carnal Affections and Interest and neglects the rest is an inconsistent with Sincerity as Death and Life As the Soul in the natural Man is a vital Principle from whence all the Actions of Life and Sense proceed so renewing Grace is a Principle of Universal Obedience Herod did many things gladly upon the preaching of John the Baptist but he would not part with Herodias his charming Lust still had dominion in his Heart The young Man observed other Commands of the Law but when our Saviour tried his Integrity by commanding him to sell all and to give it to the Poor and he should have Treasure in Heaven 't is said he went
of victorious Grace Where there is little Resistance there is no Honour to overcome where there is no Matter of Triumph there is no Glory in triumphing But when in the natural Temper there are Seeds of Incitation to fierce Anger and inordinate Lust and when those Propensities are inflam'd by Temptations if we subdue those disorderly and violent Passions 't is the most noble Effect of Divine Grace On the contrary the Sinner that yields himself to the sway of the Carnal Appetites is the Servant of Corruption is defil'd and debas'd in such a manner that he is sunk below the Beasts that perish For what is baser than Corruption except the Sinner that obeys it The Peace and Joy that is the Reward of Victory over our Sins cannot be understood but by Experience What a savour of Life is the Death of a reigning Sin What an Angelical Comfort was it to Joseph and the blessed Mother of Christ when the Advice was brought from Heaven to them in Egypt Arise for they are dead that sought the young Child's Life What Consolation does it afford when the Holy Spirit witnesses with our Spirits that the Enemy in our Bosoms that sought the Life of our Souls is mortified by Repentance The Psalmist tells us Light is sown for the Righteous and Joy for the upright in Heart The present sense of God's Favour and the future Hope of Glory sheds abroad that bright serenity in their Breasts that is a reflection of Heaven In our Extremity when a good and quiet Conscience will be more valuable than Crowns and Scepters and solid Comfort more worth than the World how refreshing will the inward Testimony be of our Uprightness When Hezekiah was under the Sentence of Death and his Kingdom could afford him no Comfort this allayed his Sorrows Remember O Lord that I have walk'd before thee with an upright Heart This Testimony of Conscience will calm our Agonies and expel the Terrors of that last Enemy this when we are ready to die will assure us that our Redeemer lives The two substantial Joys how Divine the one from the reflection upon the past Life the other from the prospect of Eternal Life are the blessed Reward of Uprightness In short the sum of Felicity is expresly assur'd to them The Upright shall dwell in thy presence where is fulness of Joy and Rivers of Pleasure flow for ever 6. Consider the woful Effects of indulging the Lusts that by Pleasure or Profit bribe Men to give consent to their Commission The naked Light of Reason discovers Sin and makes it uneasy to Conscience but a strong Light arm'd with Terrors the Law of God with the Doom annex'd to the Precept against rebellious Sinners makes it fearful The Command is peremptory and universal with respect to all Temptations and Allurements to Sin be they as dear and difficult to be parted with as the right Eye or right Hand the most useful and precious Instruments of Life yet they must with abhorrence be cast from us or the whole Man will be cast into Hell Fire where the Worm dies not and the Fire is not quenched This terrible Threatning is sadly repeated by our Saviour three times to make the more powerful impression upon Sinners The guilty accusing Conscience begins the everlasting Hell here Our Saviour saith That a Woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a Man is born into the World But a Sinner after he hath brought forth his Sin with pleasure is struck with horror at the monstrous Birth When Conscience is strongly awaken'd it arraigns and condemns without partiality the Sinner is the Executioner of the Sentence upon himself The Torment of the Spirit is invisible to others and in that the liker Hell and unavoidable 'T is as the cruel practice of the Tyrant related by the Poet who fasten'd a dead Body and a Living together that the putrefaction and stench of the one might cause a lingring death in the other this is a little resemblance of the Effect of the guilty Conscience charg'd with dead Works and inseparable from the Sinner All the Pleasures of the World cannot stupify the Sense or mitigate the Torments of the wounded Spirit In the approaches of Death the Sins Men have indulgently committed return to the Memory and the ghastly Apparition strikes them into consternation the Thoughts are fearfully transferr'd from the sick Body to the guilty Soul from the consideration of the first Death to the second that immediately attends it In vain they desire to live for Time is irrevocably past and the Season of Mercy expir'd in vain they desire to die intirely and put an end to their Misery for Immortality is the inseparable but fatal Privilege of their Nature If they look upward revenging Justice is ready to pass a heavy Doom if beneath a fearful Depth is ready to swallow them up Who can express the Agonies and Throws of the guilty Conscience the dismal Degrees of the tormenting Passions in the Wicked under the apprehensions of Eternal Judgment Yet the most fearful Apprehensions are not commensurate to the prepared Plagues by vindictive Justice for impenitent Sinners Who knows the Power of God's Wrath The chosen Expressions in Scripture to represent it will be verified in higher degrees than can be inflicted from the most vehement and terrible things in the World. Fire is so tormenting to Sense that no Man can endure the point of the Flame of a Candle upon his Flesh Who then can dwell with devouring Fire and with everlasting burning Besides the Damned are not only passive but active in their wretched State there is a Hell of Rancor and Indignation within and of Fire and Brimstone without them What furious Reflections will they make upon their votary Madness that for the seeming Pleasures of Sin that were but for a season they should continue their Rebellion against the Omnipotent Deity and bring upon themselves his fierce and unchangeable Displeasure This infinitely aggravates their Misery after a Million of Years the intire Sum remains that revenging Justice will exact for ever The Righteous Judg will never so far be reconciled as to annihilate them Perfection of Misery Desperate Sorrow A Life in Torments that never dies a Death that never ends Now it is impossible for Men that have reasonable Minds to choose the Pleasures of Sin that are like Bubbles on the Water that presently break and vanish when attended with Misery that admits no Ease or End Is there any possible Comparison between them The serious belief of Hell cannot consist with the knowledg and purpose of Sin and the delightful Practice of it Either the belief of it will infuse and impress such efficacious Vertue into Mens Minds that will restrain them from Sin or the habitual course of Sin will extinguish or eclipse the belief of the Punishment 'T is
orders Things that Temptations approach us upon our earnest and constant Prayer we shall be furnish'd with the Armour of God the Shield of Faith the Sword of the Spirit the Helmet of Salvation But if we run into Temptations we provoke him to desert us and if we are not overcome by them yet for our transgressing his Holy Command we are liable to his Displeasure Confirming Grace is a continual emanation from the Holy Spirit without which we shall fall every Hour 'T is therefore extreamly hazardous to venture into Temptations for the corrupt Nature that with weight and violence inclines us to sin is within and supernatural Strength to controul the combin'd Efficacy of the Inclination and the Occasion is from Above which is justly withdrawn when we grieve the Holy Spirit by conversing with the Temptations of Sin. The Fear of the Lord is clean effectively as it induces an Holy Caution and Circumspection to preserve our selves from the defiling captivating Snares of Sin. 'T is a Petition more necessary than that for our daily Bread Lead us not into Temptation Considering our inseparable Frailty and the Arts of our Spiritual Enemies to take every advantage over us we should with all possible ardency of Affection pray that we be not expos'd to Temptations or not vanquish'd by them but if we rashly expose our selves our Prayers will be an Indictment against us and we shall fall under Condemnation 3. Serious Resolutions and solemn Ingagements are of excellent efficacy to bind our deceitful Hearts from yielding to Sin. In the Christian Life a general Resolution is absolutely necessary of being faithful to God never to have correspondence with his Enemies but always to cleave to our Duty notwithstanding all the Allurements or Terrors of the World to supplant our Integrity and surprise our Constancy David tells us I have sworn and will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments The Divine Law binds us antecedently to our consent but having taken the Oath of Fidelity to God there is superinduced a new Obligation to fasten us to his Service After this to revolt from our Duty is Rebellion heightned with the Guilt of Perfidiousness Besides solemn Engagements against particular Sins are necessary Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols He had been inchanted with the love of Idols which he renounces with Indignation A practical Decree a stedfast resolution to forsake our Sin will produce a diligent use of Means in order to that End. In resolving against Sin we must depend upon the present and perpetual Assistance of the Divine Grace without which our Resolutions will neither be sincere nor effectual Carnal Men under Judgments do often relent and resolve against their Sins from the convinced Mind transient Wishes and floating Purposes of Reformation arise but till the Heart be renewed by Divine Grace the will is incompleat There are secret and sometimes undiscern'd Affections to Sin that by new Temptations are drawn forth and betray them to Satan 'T is a charge against the Hypocrites in the Prophecy of Hosea They were like a deceitful Bow that being ill made or ill bent never sent the Arrow directly to the Mark sometimes after the Carnal Faculties have been sated with the gross fruition Men renounce their Sins and promise they will never return more to folly but those Resolutions are as insufficient to fortify them against the new incursion of tempting Objects as a Wall of Glass to resist the Battery of Cannon for there is no permanent over-ruling Principle in the Heart that makes the Resolution stedfast against Sin. But suppose the Resolutions be sincere and proceed from a full bent of the Heart against Sin yet if Divine Grace do not ratify them a strong Temptation will break them as a gust of Wind breaks the Strings of a Cobweb St. Peter consulting his Affection not his Strength presumptuously ingag'd to his Master Though all Men forsake thee I will not forsake thee but in the time of Trial surpriz'd with so strong a fear that precluded serious recollection and distracted his Mind from the deliberare comparing of the evil of Sin with the instant Danger he most unworthily deny'd his Master and is a sad Instance how weak and wavering the best Men are without the continual Influences of the Holy Spirit to determine their Wills and make them with unfainting Courage persevere in their Duty There is a vast difference between the sight of a Storm at Sea and a Ship in violent agitation by the Winds and Waves and the miserable Passengers with pale affrighted Countenances expecting present Death in a lively Picture and being in a real Ship in the midst of a real Tempest and in real danger of being swallowed up by the Ocean The sight of such a Spectacle without fear is but painted Courage as the Object is upon which 't is exercis'd if one should presume that his Heart were impenetrable to Fear because he sees the representation of extream Danger without Fear it were egregious Folly and would be soon confuted if he were actually in extream danger of perishing in the raging Sea. Thus there is a great difference between Temptations represented in our Thoughts and when immediately and really before us and between religious Resolutions when Temptations are at a distance and when actually incumbent on us There may be such Resolutions conceiv'd in the Mind in the absence of Temptations that we may think our selves guarded safely against our Sins and yet at the first encounter of a strong Temptation our Resolutions may cool and faint and our Vows of Obedience may vanish as the morning Dew before the heart of the Sun There is such a Ievity and featheriness in our Minds such a mutability and inconstancy in our Hearts Therefore the Scripture doth so frequently inculcate the Duty of continual Trust in God to assist us by his Strength to overcome our Spiritual Enemies Divine Grace raises our Thoughts into stedfast Resolutions against Sin turns our Resolutions into holy Actions our Actions into permanent Habits God works in us to will and to do of his good Pleasure 4. If upon intermitting our Watch we fall into the Sin that we are prone to speedy and deep Repentance is necessary to recover the Favour of God and to preserve us for the future against it Sins of Relapse more easily prevail then in the first Temptation because the tenderness and reluctancy of Conscience is lessened by the commission of Sin they are more pernicious to the Soul for besides the inhancing of Guilt the unclean Spirit returns with more imperiousness from indignation that he was expell'd If we have been effectually tempted to Sin let us presently retract it by Repentance There will be a suspension of God's Favour whilst we continue without a due sense of our Sin Let not the Sun go down upon God's Wrath but with Prayers and Tears sue out his pardoning Mercy The neglect of present Repentance is a