ΑΓÎΟΙΑ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR THE INABILITY of the Highest Improved NATVRALL MAN to attaine a Sufficient and Right Knowledge of INDVVELLING SINNE Discovered in three SERMONS Preached at St MARIE's in OXFORD By HENRY HURST M.A. and Fellow of Merton Coll. in OXON 1 Cor. 2.14 But the Naturall man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned OXFORD Printed by Henry Hall Printer to the University for Richard Davis 1659. TO THE REVEREND AND Learned my Honoured Father Mr HENRY HURST Minister of the Gospel at Mickleton in Glouc shire Much honoured Father BOoks claim a just title to a Dedicatory commendation whether this title be just jure naturali or by Prescription I intend not to dispute with this small piece which cals it selfe mine and claimes the same portion which others have beene sent into the world with I will not deny it's request though I might have so done since it appeares in the world without my plenary consent it shall have it's Due Nor will I be unjust or unthankfull to you who have the clearest and fairest title to this Homage for if either Greatnesse or Goodnesse be a just claime your's is the justest if Greatnesse of obligations be a good title None may contend with you a Father's obligations on a Sonne are confessedly greatest If Goodnesse and Beneficence be the best claime I must tell the world your right to this is such There cannot be a better Patron then a Good Father If I adde no more to set out your worth besides I prevent the losing my selfe in the Dedication and the disproportioning the Frontispice to the building I shall cut off the jealous surmises of an uncharitable world which will suspect there is none so good because they are so few And which I most intend reserve more roome for the Practicke part of that honour and obedience which I owe you I cannot more doubt your reception of this then I can your reception of my selfe and to entreat for this I thinke were to detract from the repute of a tender Father which you deserve What it wants of worth in it selfe will be more fully and easily made up whilest it hath the rising advantage of a Sonne 's affections whose willingnesse makes his lest essay of thankfulnesse worth accepting and whilest it hath the graines of allowance which a Fathers kindnesse will cast in to make up the weight Sr these first fruits being judged ripe sooner then I thought and so gathered much against my will and having been offered first in the Temple for the honour of God and the service of his spirituall Temple are now in this handfull left to you as that portion which I might not withhold from you and as the first fruits duly offered did procure a blessing on the offerer so I hope it will fare with your Sonne who nothing doubts your blessing will be on his head and doubts it will as Jacob's prevaile above the blessings of your Progenitours for the abundant encrease of Grace Mercy and Peace on Your Obedient Sonne HENRY HURST From Merton Coll. July 6. 1659. AN EPISTLE TO THE READER MY request is to thee least I deceive thy expectation not to expect from me who affect plainnesse of speech and actions any tedious Apologeticall Preface much lesse any superfluous flattering Panegyricks Onely let me acquaint thee with the ingagement that lies upon me to premise a few things concerning the publication of this Learned and elaborate Worke. The Author sufficiently known to my selfe and many others to be a Godly Learned and Orthodox Divine through his modesty and low opinion of himselfe denyed for a long time his consent to the makeing of these Sermons of publick use and had supprest them altogether but that through importunity I prevailed with him That ancient relation I have as of a Tutor to a Scholar which in him and such who prove so well is my glory and rejoiceing and those deare affectiâ—ns I beare towards him at length made him to yeeld to my frequent sollicitations that this worke might be Printed for the publick good And I never had yet neither do I think ever shall entertaine the least repenting thought for causing such choice Sermons to be made of common use and benefit Concerning the Sermons having heard two of them from the Pulpit and since deliberately read them all over two or three particulars I observe in an especiall manner as appeares by the account that followeth 1. The seasonablenâ—sse of the preaching on this subject against the blindnesse of a naturall man and concerning the sinfulnesse of Sin both Originall and Actuall both which are words spoken in season considering that now adaies Pelagius Arminius Socinus and other Hereticks of the same litter are revived and their followers as if they had get a facultie in the Court of augmentation â—…strip and gee beyond their masters in errors and heresies But as in Zacharies Vision there were foure Carpenters to fray the soure hornes which scattered Judah so God raiseth up many valiant Champions of his truth who a Zech. 1.21 crie aloud and spare not lifting up their voices like Trumpets against the abomination of the times What was judicious Carthwrights Motto for Zion's sake I will not hold my peace abides upon the hearts of the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell Thâ—y dare not be silent in God's cause but they make it their businesse as the Apâ—stle exhorts b Tit. 1.9 to convince Gainsayers c Tit. 1.11 To stop their mouthes d Ti. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rebuke them sharply or cuttingly Which Scriptures doe not in the least countenance a Toleration nor any other Scripture that I know of now the Lord hath raised up the spirit of this Learned Brother to lop off the Hydra of Heresies to stand for the truth at such a time as this is I cannot let passe without speciall Observation When Originall sin is denyed by some with great confidence naturall mens abilities too highly advanced the Pagan's debt and dowry pleaded for and charity lavisht upoÌ„ such beyond all Scripture rule surely a confutation now must needs be beautifull in its season and a word so fitly spoken may be esteemed like Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver 2. Adde hâ—reunto the singular usefulnesse of the Doctrine delivered That men of greatest acutenesse and abilitie for naturall parts and of best improvement by education cannot make a right and full discovery of indwelling Lust without the Spirit of God revealing it by the Law This Doctrine is of great use and serves to pluck down the crâ—st of the proudâ—st Scholar who is a stranger from the life of God Men may attaine unto as great parts as Aristotle and Plato and yet be meere ignoramussesses in Originall sin How Adam's sin is ours how we were in his loines and that sin committed in his person was likewise committed in
it appropriated to the Law answer 1 A. 1. 1. Sin in the full extent and compasse of it as actuall is onely discovered by the Law for many sins they accounted vertues and many they excused with harmlesse indifferency which yet the Law condemned answer 2 2. 2. But indeed the Apostle principally intendeth the sinning sinne in first motions and workings and in it's indwelling That corrupt principle of lust and sin which is rooted in the soule and work 's in our life and is ordinarily known by the name of Originall sin or corruption of nature thus * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peccatum vocabit vitium originis peccatorum aliorum sontem mortis causam Pareus in Loc. Doctrine Pareus on the place this praemised I gather up the Doctrine from the words That men of greatest acutenesse and ability for naturall parts and of best improvement by education cannot make a right and full discovery of Originall sin of indwelling lust without the spirit of God revealing it by the law Lust or sinning sin is a mysterie of iniquity which the most peircing naturall eye with best humane advantages never did never could yet or ever will be able to discover Concupisâ—ence is sufficiently discoverable by no other eye nor by other light then that the holy spirit of God giveth us to see with The knowledge of sinne as here Paul knew it as a Regenerate soule doth know it is not within the compasse of the highest improved naturall man he cannot take the height nor mete out the length and breadth nor fathome the depth of that corruption which is in our natures he cannot tell how this old man was conceived formed and produced in us he cannot derive the Pedigree of this antient infamous house It is onely and peculiarly the worke of the spirit and word of God to discover this to a man Method of Proceeding In handling this truth I will method 1 1. Shew it to be the Doctrine of this text and of others in the Scripture method 2 2. Farther confirme it by the exemplary mistakes of the severall sorts of men who have pretended and might if any could pretend most to all knowledge and to this also method 3 3. Enquire what particularly they never did or could ever discover c. method 4 4. Rationally demonstrate why they could not or ever will be able without the especiall sanctifying and enlightning vertue of the spirit of God to discerne it method 5 5. Point out some considerable differences between the knowledge which a naturall improved man as Paul before conversion and a regenerate sanctifyed soule as Paul after conversion hath of this sin And then method 6 6. Close the whole matter in a practicall and usefull application 1. This is the Doctrine of the Text and other Scriptures 1. I say then that this is the Doctrine of the text That the best naturall parts highest improved without the spirit of God enlightning him by the law cannot now could not ever nor ever will be able to discover the corruption of our natures I must then evidence this whole matter from Paul's example and cleare confession I said The greatest acutenesse and ability of nature such was Paul's naturall ability he was a man of most pregnant and ripe parts for he assures us that he profited above many his equalls Gal. 1.14 his outstripping them if any doubt it assureth us he was befriended with a large portion of naturall abilities he had not so outrun those who started with him in the race if a greater strength and speed had not fitted him for the race If I farther said that such parts with best improvement I said no more then I might well warrant from Pauls example for he wanted not the advantage of education he had a Master whose learning had set him high in the esteeme of the people Acts 5.34 and at his feet Paul was brought up nor was he a dunce in this schoole he made such progresse that he was eminent for his learning whence Festus charitably interprets the Apostle pleading his own cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the truth which Festus understood not as the discourse of one to be pittied for overstudying himselfe and who had more learning then he could manage Acts 26.24 Did I say such parts so improved never did I say but what Paul saith of himselfe for time past he did not if I adde nor ever can I ground it on the Apostle his expression which includes more then the past time I had not known and looke's to time to come for 't is in the Plusquam perfectum If I adde Without the spirit enlightning the soule none I hope will doubt it but if I say without more then common illumination I have proofe from Paul who had no doubt the common illumination of the spirit while a Pharisee yet did not then understand as now he doth the corruption of nature He did while unregenerate heare the law but now regenerate he heare's the voice of the law and spirit jointly informing and instructing him without this the best parts with the best improvement though both equall to Paul's will never fully discover sinning sin Doctrine proved from other Scriptures Nor do we want other testimony from Scripture The Law and Prophets beare witnesse to this truth view what was Ezekiel's message and errand to the Jewes Ezek. 16.2,3,4 He must declare to them that their Birth and Nativity was of the land of Canaan that their father was an Amorite and their mother an Hittite c. In which allegorie the sinfullnesse cursednesse of their naturall state is set forth as is the opinion of Interpreters and others So Junius on the place on those words thy navell was not cut vers 4. Thou wast by nature dead defiled with the pollution of sin full of weaknesse and vanity A natura in morte in Sordibus peccatorum infitmitate vanitate eras Jun. in loc And much to this purpose Peter Martyr in his common places Never did man marry such a wife so much below so much unworthy of him as did Christ when he marryed the Church for her state and what she was before she came into Christ's hand is described by Ezekiel in the 16. chap. 1 Nec ullus uxorem unquam ram disparem suo conjugio indignamduxit arque Christus Ecclesian cutusmodi enim ea fuerit antequam Christo in manum conveniret ab Ezech. describitur 16. cap. Pet. Martyr loc com cl 2. cap. 17. I adde to this Essenius contra Crellium de satisfact l. 1. Sect. 2. cap. 3. Causa procatarctica una est miseria nostra quae Dei misericor diam movit Huc pertinet graphica illa descriptio Ezech. 16.3,6 Their sinfull and wretched state untill grace timely prevent freely act and powerfully change it is that which is represented by this Allegoricall description of a wretched helplesse infant borne in it's blood and cast
out to the loathing of its person And all this the prophet must declare to Jerusalem and he must declare it as a man declares what before was not known or not sufficiently known therefore the Lord sends him with this command make them know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he had said they are ignorant it must be told and declared to them they 'l not know it else nay farther they are incredulous they will not believe it unlesse thou prove it to them so much the Caldee Paraphrast intimates in his glosse on the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disceptavit probavit radarguit Now it is Jerusalem saith the Hebrew text they are the inhabitants of Jerusalem saith the Paraphrast persons which lived where God was known where the testimony of the Lord was whither the Tribes did goe up they were the persons who professed to know God and which boasted in the law which were Jewes instituted in the knowledge of the Law as Paul was before conversion yet these persons are ignorant and know not are incredulous and believe not untill the Prophet declare that they may know and prove it that they may believe their birth to be of the land of Canaan So the Prophet Jeremiah c. 17. roundly assert's that the Sin which is graven on the table of their heart vers 1. which makes the heart desperately wicked v. 9. makes it also deceitfull above all things It is a riddle which none can read who can know it the Prophet challengeth the whole world of men to say whether any among them can understand it Againe St Paul who understood this Doctrine as well as any laies down the sinfulnesse of our natures Rom. 3.10 there is none righteous no not one none that understandeth or that seeketh after God c. A very high charge such as proud Philosophy will not beare and weak eyed Phylosophy cannot see How then is this known how is it proved why it is written v. 10. former part And by the Law is the knowledg of sin v. 20. surely what David saith of that providence which suffer's ut sit benè malis malè bonis Ps 73.16,17 is very eminently true of this sin when men think to know this without going into the Sanctuary of God it is too painfull for them Nay if they goe into the Sanctuary and enquire as the Pharisees as the carnall Jew did enquire they will come out as very fooles and as ignorant as they went in Erant enim Pharisaei in illâ opinione tantùm illos in peccato conceptos natos esse quo◠natura insigniter notasset Chem. Harm and it is a measuring cast they 'l proudly boast that others were borne altogether in sin but not they John 9.34 For the Pharisees were of opinion that none were conceived or borne in sin but such as nature had Branded The same doth Aegidius Hunnius in loc observe too Ab agnatâ pravitate se pulch è Immunes esse sentiebant Phari saei Hunnius in loc Joh Hoornbeck Sum controvers l. 2. which is against the Jewes and their Judaisme hath ranked this Question An Peccatum Adami primum fuit commune totius naturae humanae unde omnes homines nascuntur cum peccato originali among one of the controversies between us and them in which they defend the Negative and we maintaine the Affirmative Thus will every man mistake who hath not the spirit of God whose office it is to convince of sin John 16.8 especially of those sins which are not easily discerned It is more then evident that before conviction we doe not see or consider of many notorious and habituall sinnes such as formall and loose profession prophane and secure Libertinisme Grosse Idolatry in the Heathen How much more evident is it then that we shall never be able to discover secret heart sinnes the under-ground and deep fountaine and spring of them In a word David a man well acquainted with his own heart who was much in the search of it who was wont to commune with it Psal 4.4 diligent to hide the word in it Psal 119.11 taken up with meditating on that word which discovers sin Ps 119. v. 97. Wiser then his teachers Psal 119. v. 99. used to learne of his reines in the night seasons when others were either securely sleeping or if awakened Politiquely contriving the speediest surest way of accomplishing their secular and worldly designes then was David lighting his candle i. e. his understanding at the Lamp of God then was he searching the darke recesses and deep vaults of that heart which he knew was profound to devise and do wickedly And now one would think that such diligent search should leave nothing undiscovered and that a man after this might say that there was no guile in his heart but his eye saw it watched over it But however a bold and ignorant foule might possibly so thinke and say yet David dareth not thinke nor say so but after all this distrusting his owne heart which he knew too well to trust it much he brings it to God the searcher of hearts and tryer of Reines with earnest suits that he would deliver him from his guilefull heart Psalm 139. v. 23,24 Search mee O God and know my heart try mee and know my thoughts and see if there be any way of wickednesse in mee and lead mee in the way everlasting Note David's earnestnesse five times together he prayeth that God would discover himselfe his heart to himselfe and deliver himselfe from himselfe for after all this diligence he is jealous there is he knoweth possibly there may be some what of this guile and hypocrisie And now having heard such witnesses what farther need have wee Christian doth not thy soule heare it selfe confessing this truth Say if it be so difficult for David a man enlightned by the Spirit of God internally by the word of God externally and awakened by both joyntly to find out his sinfull heart and nature can it be lesse then impossible for men who are Blind spiritually having no eyes In the darke having no light Securely sleeping in sin not awakened to discover and find out sufficiently that indwelling sinne this universall pravity inhering in his nature Let it then stand a truth according to Scripture that indwelling concupiscence this sinning sin is a mystery of iniquity which the best naturall parts highest improved cannot now hath not yet never will be able to discover which is the first thing proposed next let us come to the second which will be another confirmation of this truth when we see all sorts of best improved naturall men have mistaken in it 2 Generall proposed Best improved Naturall men are mistaken in this knowledge 1. Heathens mistake the knowledge 1. Then as for the Gentile and Heathen world when it was at its height of learning and most noted for inquisitivenesse after and acutenesse with successe in new discoveries yet never
confused and generall notion they had that it was from man himselfe How little did the Manichees understand of this whose irrationall absurd conceptions of this tell us they infinitely mistook the truth It was a foule mistake of the Pelagians too which they formerly and others of late have fancied touching the irruption of sin into the world That which cruciated Augustin so much Quoniam Deus fecit omnia haec bonus bona majus quidem summum bonum minora fecit bona sed tamen creans creata bona sunt omnia unde malum confess l. 7. c. 5. § 2. which place he bestowes on the disputes which were ordinary in this matter concluding nothing there but else where he concludes Non erat exitus quaerebam aestuans unde malum quae illa tormenta parturientis cerdis mei qui gemitus Deus meus l. 7. conf c. 7. § 1. This I say which so troubled him was undiscovered to them without the Church they could not and it is much undiscerned by naturall men within the Church because they will not see the truth so when Pelagians might have known the originall of sin from Rom. 5.12 they chose rather to corrupt the text as Chemnit observes Chemnitius Loc. de peccat orig p. 213. b. et p. 214 a fol. edit 1653. and so hath Pighius declined from the truth in this point as who will may observe in his controversy de Peccat origin passim And the Papists know not or else they would professe it sure for right knowledge of such a truth in a councell and gathered for such an end as a councell should be would have engaged them to own the truth and openly declare it What ever they think of it I know that God and our Lord Jesus who will be ours and their Judge will account such knowledge to be no knowledge In a word the Endlesse disputes of men who enquire into this beyond what is necessary and in the enquiry lose what knowledge they seemed to have had and grow either sceptickes or hereticks are sull proofe that they cannot with best improved naturall parts discover the spring and fountaine of that sinfulnesse which is in our nature But 6. The best improved naturall men could never discover the finfull frame of bea rt in its deserts 6. Lastly though I might adde more the best improved naturall man never did or ever could he discover the desert of this sinfull frame of his heart it was a thing they never could perswade themselves to believe that such a punishment might be justly inflicted on them so soone as ever they were borne into the world Indeed on their principles it was impossible they should discover this for they acknowledged not the sinfulnesse of nature or else that this was not great and therefore no obligation to punishment or but to a small punishment It is an unquaestioned part of Justice to proportion the penalty to the crime and true state of it ut in parvis leviora in magnis graviora supplicia irrogentur Justitiae distributivae est suū cuique tribuere So that they who accounted this a small fault could not think it worthy of so sore a punishment as we know it deserveth if you should hear a Philosopher reading a lecture of the innocency of man of the blamelesse though weake state of an infant and it should be told him that yet there were who held this opinion that such might be justly condemned for ever and cast into that place of misery where offenders suffer for their offences he would dispute the case and denie the justice of the proceedings Thus doe very many within the Church view the Schoolmens determination that infants shut out of Heaven lie under the Punishment of losse not sense that they onely misse of the enjoyment of God but fall not under a punishment of Paine and Griefe a determination which savours much of a nescience and ignorance of the desert of indwelling lust on the same generall mistake doe Both Socinians Remonstrants and Anabaptists deny that any are or justly may be punished for that sin we call originall sin or ingenite lust which dwell's in us hence they load the orthodoxe with many reproachfull exclamations of curelty and injustice and brand the truth with unheard of harshnesse with incredible severity and Adamantine mercilesnesse against poore innocents such like charges we know are laid upon the teachers of the Doctrine touching the demerit of our sinsull nature it is no wonder for they judge by the mistaken nature of the cause and erring in their apprehensions of the merit of the cause do as widely erre in their assigning the punishment due to it But we who are taught by the Law and enlightned by the spirit of God so that we can see and do know that we are all transgressors of that Covenant which promised life to perfect obedience threatned death to the first sin which is ours and brought death into the world that we are children of wrath Eph. 2.3 Under the curse having not continued in all things written in the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 that in Adam we all died 1 Cor. 15.22 that we are borne so that * Joh. 3.3 unlesse we be new born we cannot enter into the kingdome of Heaven we who are instructed by the spirit in such truths as these which are confessedly above the reach of the best naturall eye do see that desert of hell and eternall separation from the presence of God which is due to this sinfull nature of ours though others do not discover it nor will believe it we see that by reason of this Lust our life is sull of sin and our persons from the wombe obnoxious to the wrath of God SERMON II. Rom. 7. v. 7. latter part For I had not knowne Lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not Covet 4 Generalls propounded viz. a Rational account of this truth I Now come to the Fourth Generall proposed viz a rationall account of this truth However proud selfe-admiring men do thinke that Wisedome is with them And such perfect wisdome too that a matter of such import and weight as this cannot be hid from them yet certainly if they will consider and duely weigh what reason suggesteth in such like cases they will see that as truth affirmes they cannot so reason shews us why they cannot discover this Sin For Looke what reason suggesteth a cause of difficulty or impossibility hindering us in the enquiry and fearch after the full discovery very of what we do but imperfectly and obscurely know in things of another nature The same proportionably applyed to this businesse in hand will evidently manifest the Difficulty of Getting any considerable measure and the impossibility of attaining any full and perfect knowledge of this sinne by the best improved Naturall man in the world And this I hope to make Good to you Reas 1. Because a Naturall man makes use of a crooked
steady in his aime and drawing the bow that he never misseth the marke and yet this were little unlesse he were 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the possession and enjoyment of himselfe and so equall to a deity as who so will may see if he will but observe the proud dictates of these vaine men and their swelling Paradoxes gathered together by Lipsius Lipsius Stoica Philos l. 3. tot Now can it be supposed rationally probable or possible that men so strangely possessed with an opinion of such high perfections should ever be willing to own or able to discover such a redundancy and fulnesse of evill in their nature But fifthly and lastly 5 Reason The best improved naturall man cannot reflect upon his soule according to the Law of God 5. Therefore the best improved Naturall man cannot discover the sinfulnesse of his nature because this discovery must be made by a due reflection of the soule on it selfe according to the Law of God now the naturall man cannot reflect thus duely on his nature or on the frame of his heart for sin under which the Naturall man is however highly improved seiseth on that part of the soule which should reflect thus and slupifies it and so impedes it Not from all kind of reflection and reciprocall observation on it selfe but from such a reflection as might produce this knowledg of concupiscence in the Apostle's sense It is true a Naturall man may looke back upon his outward actions in particular or generall and discover much of the irregularity of them he may also reflect upon himselfe in a froward fit of violent passion or when his heart hath been disordered by somewhat that opposed chwarted rebelled against his reason though his opposition were more calme and sedate thus he may reflect but he cannot turne his eye inward so as to see that close enmity universall opposition and innate dislike which his heart beares to every spirituall good in which consists much the truth and reality of this knowledge Sin is a disease that strongly affects both the head and the heart at once and so aâ— such diseases usually do it depriveth the sinner of all sense of his Danger Sicknesse It is not seldome compared in Scripture to these diseases It is a spirit of slumber Rom. 1.8 It is a Delirium or aotage Ezek. 23.5.7 whereby they are continually entangled in the thoughts and desires of the sinnâ— they love sinners are love-sick and perpetually meditating on the pleasant part esinne are not able in this like love-sickâ— persons to note and observe the faults anâ— blemishes of that they are enamoured with thus the understanding and mind are disabled to judge aright It is a Phrensie oâ— madnesse in them Eccles 9.3 which causeth them to do not like men but fooles Ps 94.8 and Jer. 10.8 like creatures that are acted by sense and by principles which cannot reflect on themselves They have no heart Hos 4.11 for sin which is spirituall whoredome takes away the heart robs the sinner of his understanding which is a reflexive power They have no knowledge Ps 53. to say is there not a lye in my right hand Isa 44. Nor doth the Scripture only say this but you shall find this verified by humane testimonies touching the maligne influence of sin so the Poet Sophoc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of the issue of sinfull pride in Ajax it bereft him of his wits Likewise Tully tells us Peccatum est perturbatio rationis Cic. Parad. 3. and what he saith of pleasure is true of every sin mentem è suâ sede statu demovet 1 Parad. And however you may doubt the truth of the story yet the morall of it is very full and to purpose that Bacchus strook Lyeurgus with blindnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because Lycurgus had contemned him I say the morall is good * Such a story tells Leon Hebraeus of Homer Sâ—…chorus for conteÌ„ning God Love or Cupid Sin which is a contempt of God blinds the sinner and he having lost his eyes can neither see the staines of his garment or the blemishes in his face In a word you may as soon expect and receive a sober account from a madman of his distractednesse as from the sinner a good account of his sinfull state Reason will tell us that every sin is the turning of the mind from the light either of Reason within us or from the light of that supreme reason which is without us which is the fountaine of all that Reason which is in us and be it from either still we are turned from it and so in the darke and how should darknesse discover darknesse It being then certaine and an acknowledged truth according to Scripture and reason also That sin hath a very maligne and strong influence on the mind to the stupifying and blinding it to the destroying the ability it otherwise might have to bring it selfe to a tryall and examination of it selfe It cannot be reasonably denied that an unregenerate man who is altogether under the power of sin is also under this inability and unfitnesse to be a judge of himselfe in a matter which will require such exactnesse and strictnesse as this will for it lyeth deep and as hath been intimated seemeth like that which is not culpable seemeth to come neare to that nature which is not blameworthy and it must be a good eye which distinguisheth Colours of near likenesse a good tast that discerneth meats that seeme to be the same for favour Well be it so Reason improved to the highest cannot discover this sinfull sin without the Law of God but may not that reason which besides the improvement of Education and learning hath the Word and Law of God to heighten it though not renewed by the spirit of Sanctification and regeneration attaine to some knowledge of this sinne Have not many learned men within the visible Church come to great measures of knowledge of this sinne Do you thinke that all who have been able to dispute about it to defend the truth and to overthrow the contrary errours have beene Regenerate and borne againe and seen with the eye of Saint Paul the sinfulnesse of their natures Do not we heare Sermons and discourses stating this point from men that are sensuall and carnall who live to that Lust which in the Pulpit in their discourses they condemne 5 th Generall propoposed The difference between a learned regenerate and a learned unregenerate mans knowledge c. Therefore to prevent this objection or at least to satisfie it by answering to it I proposed a fifth thing viz What is the difference between a learned unregenerate improved Scholar his knowledge of this sinne and the knowledge of a regenerate spirituall sanctified soule For this doubt must be answered not by Denying these men to have any or but little knowledge of this sinne I thinke I should manifestly
injure the truth and be unjust to their memory and unthankfull to their labours who have written for the truth in this particular and I might easily be convinced of a falsehood if I should deny them to be knowing men and well studied in these Questions An sit Quid sit Quale unde sit c. which they are able to determine according to truth and defend when they have determined it And for ought I know in this they may go farther then some enlightned sanctified foules who have not the helps of so much learning or such acute judgments and Insight into controversies But yet for all this there is a vast difference between these two knowledges the one may be termed and will one day appear to be an Ignorant knowledge pardon the expression a knowledge and yet as good as no knowledge when the other knowledge will appear the onely right and true knowledge and at present we may observe a great deale of difference in these as 1. The knowledge of a Regenerate soule is a spirituall knowledge 1. The Knowledge of a regenerate soule is a spirituall knowledge that of the highest improved unregenerate man is but Rationall at best and so they differ toto genere there is not nor can be a more wide difference between things and things persons and persons then that which is thus founded in what is spirituall and its opposite and such is the difference in these two sorts of men one doth see the spirituall wickednesse of this sin the contrariety that is in it to a spirituall Law to spirituall obedience to the spirituall manner of performing it The other seeth the unreasonable wickednesse of this sinfull nature the contrariety and incongruity of such a frame of heart to refined Reason Reason tells the man that there is but one God that he is only to be worshipped hence he discovers how unsuitable to reason it is to have more or worship more Gods the spirituall regenerate soule sees the spirituall as well as the unreasonable wickednesse of such Idolatry c. the like may be said of all the commands of the law which have both a conformity to reason all God's precepts are highly rationall and to that which is higher then now reasâ—nis and which the Scripture calleth spirituall All the precepts are of a spirituall nature Now the learned unregenerate man compareth this frame of the heart with that part of the Law which is thus proportioned to reason and seeth how far this frame is dissonant to it and concludes it so far out of order it is reasonable he seeth that the law which is just and should rule the whole man should also bind the whole man to be readily disposed and duly framed to the observance of that Law and if a part or the whole frame be not so disposed he concludes it Peccant and culpable It is but a reasonable thing that the Law which is so just and good should be uniformely observed as well in the first forming of our thoughts as in the ultimate and last perfecting of them and soâ— concludes some unreasonablenesse in the swerving of the first motions In a word these Learned Improved natural men in this whole matter see nothing but what is the object of their reason either to be approved or disallowed The regenerate foule seeth and considereth that this law is very spirituall and measureth the sinfulnesse of his heart and the sinfulnesse of its first workings by this law as spirituall and so concludes that there is a wickednesse in it which is of a higher nature then a bare contrariety to Reason As an Artist seeth the excellency or the rarity of a discourse which he heareth or of an experiment which he feeth and accordingly judgeth the one consonant to the other dissonant from the naturall regular and certaine consequences of the Principles and Hypotheses of his art which discourse a man who is no artist heareth and understandeth the Grammaticall construction of the whole seeth the materialls of the experiment and the effect wrought yet falls exceedingly short of that knowledge which the artist hath and he gets but a Grammaticall knowledge or such as his sense with which he perceived the experiment can help him to while the Artist hath gotten a cleare certaine artificiall knowledge 't is not much unlike in this case and as the objects of their knowledge thus differ so likewise the faculties disposition or qualification differeth the one knowing by common illumination the other by a speciall and more then common illumination of the spirit but I will not insist on this it being for ought I know a matter which we cannot so evidently and clearly state as to make of this any plaine discriminating note by which we may cause others to see and understand what the difference is I know that there is such a difference and that it is great I know that one seeth with an eye enlightned by especiall light from the spirit the other doth not but I know it is not easie to describe these and what might be gathered from the effects of each by which alone they can be discerned will fall in my way before I have done with these particulars therefore I say no more of this now The first difference is in the Generall laid down by the Apostle in that of 1 Cor. 2.12 for the pardon of and deliverance from this sin is one of those things which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and understood by him only who hath the spirit of God and being spirituall compareth spiritualls with spiritualls Who hath the spirit of the world doth not so understand them because he cannot spiritually discerne them v. 14. And it is plainly enough intimated to us by the Apostle in this very chapter Rom. 7.14 I know saith he that the Law is spirituall though whilest I was carnall and judged carnally of the Law I thought of my selfe as righteous as blamelesse Phil. 3.6 because I had not failed of the strictest outward observance of the command Phil. 3.5 yet now I see the law is spirituall and so there is a spirituall obedience due which I carnall could not give and in defect of this obedience there is a spirituall wickednesse which while I was a Pharisee though learned and as much improved as any I did not see Thus St Paul and the experience of every Saint will confirme to us how great a difference there is between the sight and knowledge he now hath and that he once had of sinne as it is contrary to the Spirituall Law of God 2. An unregeueraie mans knowledgeis a logicall conclusion from soeculative principles The regenerates is from practicall premises 2. A second difference between the knowledg which an improved reason with the helpe of the letter of the Law may have of this sin and the knowledge which a regenerate sanctifyed soul hath of this sin is this The knowledge of the one is the result or conclusion which ariseth from speculative
principles and truths compared with their naturall and necessary consequences or deductions The knowledg of the other is a conclusion from the same truths compared with their consequences and with his own heart and conscience The regenerate soule knowes this sin by a Practicall and experimentall observance of himselfe compared with those truths in the word which do containe this doctrine The unregenerate man know's it by a bare Logicall and Rationall deduction of a conclusion from such premises which he apprehendeth to be truths in his judgment though he never found them confirmed by any observed correspondence to his conscience or Practicall judgment The whole Syllogisme of the one is made up of premises which doe onely float in the head and do not affect the heart The other maketh up the Syllogisme with one proposition at least from his own heart from that which he hath noted in himselfe and which he can experimentally averre this may be seen in these different Sillogismes The unregenerate man thus proceeds to evince first motions or frame of heart propending to Atheisme or unbeliefe c To be a sin because it is of the same species or kind and differeth onely gradually from Atheisme or unbeliefe in it 's perfected fruit and product and therefore concludes it a rationall inference that Motions first irritated are breaches of the same * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. Sanae mentis ruio dictat â—u babere in me convenit ca 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Volkel l. 4. c. 20. precept of which the motion perfected is and so a sinne The regenerate soule goeth more practically to worke what hinders or abates my love to or faith on God and disposeth me to either staggering in my saith or flagging in my affections is sinfull but now I find saith the regenerate soule that such motions such a frame of heart do thus shake my dependance on God they abate and quench my affections to him and therefore I know they are sinne As the knowledge of a redeemed captive who 〈◊〉 the weight of his chaines the misery of his state the drudgery he was put to the continuall danger he was in differeth much from the knowledg which another man who never was in slavery and captivity hath or may have upon report or reading the story It is one thing to sit and heare as Diâ—lo the Carthaginian Queen the story of fallen and wasted Troy another thing to see and behold it with Aeneas querum pars maâ—na fuâ—t yet both she knowes it as well as he but how different is their knowâ—edge The children and grandchildren of Captive Jewes in Babylon knew but yet not equally and alike with their Fathers or Grandfathers the misery of a strait and tedious siege of a sore and long famine My Physician knowes my disease which yet he never felt but I know it in an other manner he can talke more of it in generall but I can tell more feelingly what I suffered and what is the paine So is it in this case The learned scholar destitute of Grace and the spirit of God can discourse of a blind understanding of an erroneous judgment of an inadequate apprehension So likewise a regenerate soule can speake of these and when he doth mention them his own heart beares him witnesse and enformeth him what these sinfull imperfections are he is acquainted with the dimnesse of his best sight the mistakes or pronenesse to mistake in his clearest distinctest and certainest apprehension and though these apprehensions are not false yet he knowes how inadequate how farre they are from commensurate apprehensions of those things he should be better acquainted with and all this from a heart affected really and exercised constantly with the working of this erroneous blind rash and heady mind The selfe-observing experienced soule seeth this when he heares a Sermon of Heaven and the things of it when they are laid as open to the view as those things can which were never seen by that eye which could returne to tell us what they are when they are thus set before us How little is it we see of them how prone are we to judge carnally of them to measure them by two short a rule In a word such a one thinkes certainly either his knowledge of these is the least of any ones or else that few know lesse then he doth and is mostly troubled he cannot know more it is not so with one who discourseth of these things as of things at distance not within him In a word the unregenerate mans knowledge is a Logicall discovery of what he can prove by an Artificiall improvement of argumentative discourse not what he is acquainted with by experience The Regenerate if a scholar can do that plead for and confirme the truth by a syllogisticall arguing and so convince a gaine sayer beside this He can also by his experience of the indwelling of this sin by his experience of its wisedome and power in working to the impeding him from good and the provoking him to evill affect himselfe with it Againe Differ 3. A regenerate man seeth this sin intermixt in his duties An unregenerate man doth not 3. You shall observe there is this difference farther between the knowledge oâ— these two forts of persons in this thing That the sanctified regenerate soule knowes this sin in such manner that he seeth bâ—…rveth and consider's it's perpetâ—aâ—… and uncessant intermixture in all his duties The â—nr generaâ— naturall man knowes this sin but in sâ—ch Nationall generall way that he never observâ—… or seeth how it intermixeth it selfe with his dâ—ties he noteth not how it overspreads all hâ— actions and if the more studied knowledgâ— he hath of this sin do informe that it doâ— not lie sleeping while he is doing dutie bâ—… acteth to the impedeing and perverting 〈◊〉 dutie yet he is not able to see really and particularly how it hath stirred and acted iâ— this and that duty sâ—ill he keeps in the generall perswasion comes not to the particulaâ— application The unregenerate man prayeth heareth giveth aimes dealeth justly payeth even to the tithe of Mint Anise 〈◊〉 Cummin and though he is confessedly a â—…ner in his own speculative apprehension aâ—… judgment yet when he cometh in particulaâ— to the Temple to pray or heare He thanks Gâ— he is not as other men and his duties are noâ— as theirs whereas the regenerate soule seeâ— and observeth how each particular part of his services are certainely unworthy acceptance according to the holynesse of the law and he feares they are not as other mens not so spirituall not so pure as theirs he tasteth the bitternesse which renders his sacrifices unsavory to himselfe and how much more to God he smelleth the leven which sowreth the whole masse he seeth 1. The distracting wandering worldly thoughts that croud in upon him and presse on him for admission and will disturbe him if they cannot get entertainment while he prayes and heares 2. The coldnesse deadnesse and
immoveably setled in his knowledge and apprehension of it he will never be beaten out of this That it is an evill allwaies present impeding what is good and impelling and putting us upon what is evill that it is a law of our members warring against the law of the mind and though all the world withall its learning and skill should conspire and club wits and reason to overthrow this truth yet they should never perswade him to a beliefe that possibly there may be no such thing as evill Concupiscence or Originall sin His experience is instar mille testium and he would repeâ— all their arguments with this answer that he sees the plots and contrivances that he feeleth the power and strength of this sinning sin withholding him and drawing him back from that good which he desires he may which he knowes he ought to doe The world may as soone perswade him that fire is not hot which hath burnt his fingers as perswade him that lust within is not a fire of Hell which inflames him and sets him on fire with rageing passions or wanton desires Let this old man appeare under what vizard he will for the deceiving purblind nature let him plead his originall ex conditione materiae and appeale to Pelagian or Semipelagian or Socinian Heralds to assert his pedigree yet he cannot so escape a regenerate savingly enlightned soul who seeth and knoweth that it is of the Divell and our own abuse of free will Though this old man walke up and downe among us and expatiate it selfe in the larger walkes of a Sceptick and seeme onely to enquire rationally touching the Beeing and Providence of a Deity and in this garbe passe for a more penetrating inquisitive head and judgment with an unsanctifyed Scholar yet the regenerate soul know's and is so perswaded that he will never be brought to think the contrary that this is a branch of Atheisme sprouting out of this bitter root I think I need not hesitate in pronouncing it An unregenerate man improved to the highest pitch that externall morall advantages can raise him to never did or ever will be able to come to such a degree of certainty in his Knowledge of this as the experienced soule which observeth the stirrings and motions of this sin in himselfe doth come to I am sure there is a great difference between the certainty to which the one attaines by speculative principles and discourses and the certainty tâ— which the other atteines by experience you may possibly perswade a man to taâ—… Poyson who onely knowes the nature of iâ— from his book and speculation and perhapâ— you may prevaile with him to hope and believe it is not deadly because his knowledge is not confirmed by experience but do you think it possible to perswade that man into an opinion that it may not or into hopeâ— that it is not or into an adventurous tryalâ— whether that be deadly poyson which had undoubtedly destroyed him long before if the admirable skill of some eminent Physician had not cured him and prevented the working of the Poyson so it is in one word The regenerate soule knowes he had dyed of this deadly poyson if the compassion oâ— an infinitely mercifull and the skill of an infinitely wise Physician had not healed him he knowes he was sick unto death and he is as certaine of it as experience can make him and will not doubt it though all the world deny it here he sixeth immovedly I Know that in me dwels nothing good Rom. 7.18 Find evill present when I would do good 21 See an other law leading mee captive 23. The unregenerate finds it not experimentally in himselfe for he is blind and seeth not he is dead and feeleth not the workings of this sin and therefore is not so immoveable in his knowledg as the regenerate soule not so constant in his beliefe of it's indwelling and overspreading the whole man SERMON III. Rom. 7. v. 7. latter part For I had not knowne Lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not Covet THE Inabilitie of Nature best improved by learning and education or what other means you will suppose short of Grace and the renovation of the heart by the spirit of God to make a right discovery of the sinfullnesse of our nature that indwelling sin which here the Apostle calls Lust being observed as one of the Doctrines the Apostle layes down in this verse and being confirmed and prosecuted so farre that nothing farther remaines of what was proposed but an application and close of the whole I now proceed to that and so first Use 1. Insormation If the best improved naturall man be not able to discover the sinfulnesse of his nature we may hence learne and informe our selves Sin of very dangerous consequence to all but specially to Scholars on account that it blinds their under standing 1. That there is in sin that which is of a very dangerous tendency to all but especially to Scholars It is not to be sported with we never dally with this serpent but it sting's and empoyson's us we never come into the hands of these Philistines but they put out our eyes If we had our eyes before we lose them after our closeing with a temptation to sin This is the cause why we are not able so long as we are carnall to see our sinfulnesse because we are sinfull as there need no other reason be given why we are not acquainted with the pollutions of our garments but this because we are blind so neither needs there any other reason be demanded why a sinner is not acquainted with his sinfulnesse after you have once said and proved that he is a sinner For sin is a violence offered to the soule Prov. 8. ult vers It is a violence by which the soule is wounded and maimed as it were with the stroke of a sword or other instrument of cruelty as I observe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifys now the soule is a tender thing like the eye it beares not a wound without losse of its sight and being once wounded by sin it cannot any more rightly discover sin or if you read that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his life still it speaks that danger danger which is in sin on the account of its disableing the sinner from seeing it that wound that reacheth the life that reacheth the heart kills dead and bereives the man of the sense of his condition he knowes not nor can he that he is dead so it was with the first sinners among the creatures Angels sinned and lost that perfect knowledge in which they were created and had not known their sinfull state if an immediate and winged vengeance had not overtaken them if the weight of those fetters the dismall noise of those chaines in which they are reserved to the Judgment of the great day had not awakned them they had surely continued unacquainted with that sinfulnesse which their just punishment convinced them of though it may perhaps
4. A Scholars knowledge is usually a more common and generall worke of the spirit of God in carrying him on in his ordinary and professed intendment of getting knowledge whereas in others there is more of the speciall worke of the spirit of God now it is more easie to mistake under a common then speciall work of the spirit of God 5. Farther yet scholars may more easily mistake in their Knowledge of this then other men in regard they apprehend many times more strength in the opposition men make to the truth then indeed there is and so do with lesse certainty and with more wavering hold this truth Let us then bring our knowledge to the tryall lest we certainly be deceived where we so easily may be deceived 2. Greater danger to themselves in mistakeing 2. Let us do it next the rather because if we be deceived in this it is of dangerous consequence to us and to our eternall concernment of much more dangerous consequence then unto others for it exposeth us scholars to a greater danger of continuing in a formall superficiall externall and insufficient course of obedience and seeming purity And who is engaged in this with any competent measure of knowledge to hide or defend or excuse himselfe is in one of the greatest dangers of undoing himselfe is armed most unhappily against convictions of the word and spirit of God and is like to stand out against all meanes of a reall heart spirituall and saving change and sanctification We may in all likelyhood sooner convince a prophane loose and wicked sinner that is as yet ignorant of his sinfulnesse by nature than we can a Morall temperate and sober scholar who knows much of this with a speculative knowledge and suppresseth much the working of this sin by his morall principles and advantages Scholars who are outwardly blamelesse but not inwardly sanctified and who have somewhat of the knowledge of this sin in their heads but nothing of the experienced heart knowledge of it in their soules are the men most in danger to live and dye in a formall seeming holinesse in an outside glorious shew with insides full of corruption and rottennesse they are most in danger to pasâ—e among men and with themselves for Saints while there is nothing at all of the saint in their heart nor any thing but the hypocrite and painted Sepulcher in their life Your danger is greater let your search be stricter then other men's 3. Greater endangering of others 3. Try your knowledge of this because it is a truth of Generall influence on the heart and life of men and either doth much promote their reall holynesse when it is rightly unfolded and set home upon them or else much impede retarde it when it is not rightly apprehended by us and unfolded to them A learned man erring in this endangers his hearers and though I intend not particularly to insist on these dangers yet this I say in the generall That the preacher who hath no other knowledge of this sin then the Pharisees had shall have no better disciples then they had If you would not then expose them to the dangerous mistakes of seeming holynesse of counterfeit regeneration c. look to it and see that your knowledge be right in this particular Consider the safety and welfare of pretious soules is concerned in this they may perish through a mistake of their naturall condition into which mistake yours may lead them and it is dreadfull to have blood of soules lying on your head Scholars seldome are single in their errors and the more eminent they are the more dangerously do they erre and I know not a point wherein there is much more danger attends our mistake then doth attend our errour in this and the doctrines depending on it What more dangerous and destructive then that errour which leads us from powerfull and irresistible Grace then that which hath direct tendency to undervalue Grace what more pernicious then that mistake which leaves a heart secretly corrupt and unholy and rends to the binding up the soule under this untill the heart-searching God discovers and judges it It is a soule-damning errour which doth ensnare the soule in a partiall outside and insufficient renovation Now of such tendency is this to our persons and of such sad consequence will it be to others who may possibly be hearers blind leaders of the blind untill both fall into the ditch will be the finall and last issue of us and our followers if we mistake such weighty necessary truths as these are 4. Expected eminence before others in holynesse 4. Consider next if you have not cause to enquire and examine your knowledge of this whether you had not need be more diligent by much then others on account of more eminent and exemplary holynesse expected from you Men do and reason good they should expect more perfect and exact holynesse from you then from others You know more of your master's will then they you know more of the excellency of holynesse you know more of the reward to holynesse you know more of the vilenesse of sin of the unsuitablenesse of sin to your admired and noble soule and reason c. on these and many other accounts it is expected that you should be more holy then others Now if you mistake in this doctrine which rightly understood hath notable influence on the soule in order to exemplary holynesse you will certainly fall farre short of your Duty and your friends expectation Now an ingenious spirit is very solicitous not to fall short of his friends rationall and just hopes I speak to many such now I hope and therefore I promise my selfe of you a serious tryall of this 5. Mistaken knowledge cannot lye still and do no harme it will mischiefe us by 5. Lastly that I may perswade you to try consider your knowledge mistaken through want of due tryall and examination will be an consider your knowledge mistaken through want of due tryall and examination will be an advantage which Satan and your own corrupt hearts will take and improve to further hardning you in sin and estranging you from conversion Mistaken knowledge will not remaine a thing of indifferent nature but it will eventually prove a great 1. Emboldning us to sin 1. Ewholdning you to cherish and foster those thoughts that frame of heart which should be mortified and subdued and the Divell will be ever animating you to venture so far as your doubts or mistaken knowledge can suggest you possibly may venture 2. Enabling us to colour over our fins and so improve this 2. Beside the Divell will improve your mistaken knowledge in this point to a craftinesse and subtlety of improving this sin under a staken knowledge in this point to a craftinesse and subtlety of improving this sin under a pretence and colour of innocency and sinlesse pleasing or humouring our naturall desires we must not neglect the search after one who lurkes in our family
never an upright judge of himselfe he ever accounteth himselfe better in the scales then he is whereas the humble man either judgeth exactly or wisely suspects himselfe to be defective and wanting of weight Whoso hath gotten such knowledg of the nature of God's Law and doth thus search may hope that he shall in due time discover this sinfulnesse which appeare's in it's fruits not all at once but some time more sometime lesse as provocations and opportunities set it on worke Now thy frequent search will discover it in this part of it The enemy that makes his excursions often must be as often observed watched and if thou would'st know him throughly thou must not sleep securely and let him make inroades upon thee at his pleasure This sinfulnesse is wise and politique it doth not allwaies appeare in the same garbe in the same method it varies it's manner of working and thou must enter the search after it with wifedome and diligence both or it will be too crafty and subtile for thee The more various it is the more diligent thou ought'st to be and deave with this as men doe with cunning cheaters that shift their lodgings change their habits alter their carriage and Proteus like appeare to you in a thousand shapes keep your eyes on them follow them to their very lodgings retiring roomes so do you keep your eye diligent in the watch of your sinfull nature that you may see it in it's retiring roome where it prepares to change it's shape Men that stand without see not what base fellow act 's the part of a King on the stage or how uncleane a villaine act's Joseph's part but he that goe's off ' the stage and see 's them behind the courtaine in their retiring place discover's all this so may we by a diligent observance of this 3. Direction Keep thy heart tender and easily affected with sin as it is contrary to God and his Law 3. Thirdly if thou would'st get and keep more cleare apprehensions and knowledg of the sinfulnesse of thy nature Then be carefull to get and keep a tender heart that soone feele's and is easily grieved for sinne as it beareth a contrariety to the Law of God and the holynesse of his nature what ever thou doest be sure to take heed thy heart doe not grow hard and insensible least it contract a brawny and callous hardnesse under sinne it must be a considerable cut that bring 's blood or paineth a man in that part of his body which is much hardned whereas the least scratch will draw blood and bring griefe with it to one who hath a tender cuticle A hardned heart will not be sensible of sin unlesse it be some great one which wound 's deep and then perhaps it may be somewhat sensible of it but yet not duely affected with it Naturallists tell us that those creatures which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not so perfect and acute in their sight they cannot see so well and clearely It is most undoubtedly true of the soule that soule which through sin hath it's eye either darkned or thus affected with dura lippitudine It 's disease marring the sight through a horny filme growing on the eye can never clearly and fully discover sin Looke abroad into the croud of men who call themselves Christians see how they differ in their account of sin proportionably to their different degrees of tendernesse of heart Reall Saints under a defect of this have and I wonder not at it fallen into a defect of judgment concerning the greatnesse of sin they have accounted that a little sin when their hearts have been somewhat hardned which in a tender frame of spirit they more rightly esteemed a great sinne And observe it as you have lost of your tendernesse so your sin hath lost of it's heinousnesse in your account recovered backsliders among Saints will beare me witnesse to this truth Tell me diddest thou rightly see the great sinfullnesse of an earthly mind of a formall and hypocriticall heart of a carelesse and loose heart of a vaine and foolishly wanton heart Diddest thou not think there was lesse evill in them when thy heart was somewhat hard and had lost of it's wonted tendernesse How hath thy boldnesse to sinne and thoughts that it was but a little sinne which thou art now about to commit gotten ground on thee upon such a decay time was when thou who art a tradesman sawest a great deale of sinne in a lie or equivocation to cheate in a little too much gaine Time was when thou who art a Scholar sawest a great deale of sinne in mispending a day or a few houres of thy time what is now the cause thou doest not so judg Is the sinne changed Or is the Law changed No but thou art changed thou wast then of a tender frame of spirit but now hast lost it and thence it is thou so misjudgest once thou couldest not step a step in those rough and thorny waies but thou did'st bleed and smart for it why doest thou without sense of smart now runne long in them is not this the cause thou hast hardened thy selfe in them and canst not see the evill of them In a word our sight and knowledg of the sinfulnesse of our nature is a knowledg of Spirituall sense and very much resemble's our knowledg which have by our bodily sense in this that due and just tendernesse is a very necessary and convenient disposition of the organ to discerne the object so let our spirituall senses be exercised in judging of sin with this convenient disposition in the faculty and wee shall certainly judge more rightly of it Direct 4. Oppose sin especially begin the oposition against first stirrings of it 4. In order to which farther take this as a fourth direction Give a vigorous opposition to sinne universally and begin your opposition at the very first spring and root of it let no sinne dwell peaceably in your sonles and let not any sin have a season to grow but cut it off ' so soone as it sprouts forth No man ever came to a right knowledg of sinne by indulging it for it still appeareth other then what it is to him who is unwilling to suppresse it As to the power and strength with which it worketh and as to the wisedome policy wherein it contrive's it's works it is more then evident that the best way to discover them is by opposeing our selves to them the encounter of an enemy is a meanes to draw forth his power and craft which had otherwise lay hidden And it will appeare also a very suitable and congruous way to discover both the sinfulnesse and the guilt the uncleanesse and the danger of sinne both in the branches and in the rootes of it by a timely and vigorous opposition of it For whilest we oppose it in the power of the spirit of God and by the word which is holy and directeth us in an opposition there is
they keepe off from him But observe it Who do more readily more speedily close with grace then these men when once they are enlightned and savingly convinced I think no men make more haste to the city of refuge then these men when once the spirit of God doth convince them that justice pursues them and when the conviction is set home so that they have reall apprehensions of their dangsr and there is a good reason for this haste they make before others viz Usually they have clearer distincter and deeper apprehensions of their state and condition then other men and the cleerer and deeper our apprehensions are the speedier our attempt will be to escape those dangers which we apprehend are likely to fall on us Now there are two things which do render these men's apprehensions more cleare and distinct viz 1. Greater measure of light shining into the understanding and overpowring all its false lights which the man proud once of his parts did before set up for as a man who walk's by a weake and glimmering light would refuse that light for his guide which another that was wholy in darknesse and knew himselfe so to be in the darke would readily embrace so is it here many that have great parts and abilities shining in them like starres or comets in the night will put off that weaker convincing light of the truth which one who findeth himselfe all benighted rejoyceth to see though but a starre the least degree of light and is convinced soundly whereas more and stronger light is needfull to convince a learned sinner throughly and savingly Hence it is that they so much differ in so little time in their apprehensions of impending danger the naturall learned man had apprehensions of the excellency of his soule of the power of a God to punish of the great misery and unhappinesse which the soule must needs lie under if this God proceed to punish he can discourse of the insupportable paine which Immateriall soules endure this he can do upon maximes of Reason so that the man doth see somewhat before the saving illumination of the spirit of God doth enlighten him with a better light but so soone as this shines in upon him he doth with the advantage which the other affords him see much more of these things and his own danger and accordingly hasteneth his escape from it Thus acquired Improvements under a through worke of conviction hasten men from the danger they were in Againe 2. Improved parts lie usually in a soule that is of larger and vaster capacity so that it sooner receives much of spirituall light and hath larger and more extensive apprehensions of the excellency of Grace and mercy in a Jesus And so upon through Convictions flyeth more speedily to Christ and riseth higher in it's value of Christ So that if you needs will eye and take example by learned men then look on those who are under a saving worke of the spirit of God and judge by their apprehensions and value of Grace Now what will be the apprehensions and value which the rest so enlightned will have of the same grace if you will resolve to weigh Grace in the scales of learned and improved men then borrow St Paul's scales and weights which be used after conversion or under the worke of conviction and judge as he did of Grace when he 1 Tim. 1.14,15 had obteined mercy through exceeding abundant grace in our Lord. When he came to judge of things aright and esteemed what was once his gaine now Phil. 3. to be lâ—sse and dung for the excellency of Jesus his Lord. There are none can better esteeme grace then learned Saints and yet none more vilify it then learned ungodly men stumble not at these but be perswaded to follow the other Use 3. of Tryall Try then what your knowledge of this sin is 3. If the best improved parts cannot discover the sinfulnesse of our polluted natures and if there be so different a knowledge of this in the regenerate and unregenerate as we have already endeavoured to evince Then I intreat you try what is your knowledge of the sinfull nature you carry about you Put the Question to your selves Do I know this indwelling lust as Paul knew it if I might at any time presse this use I may now for no men are so much in danger of taking a false and insufficient knowledge of this for true and sufficient as are Scholars who know much as of other things so of this also in the speculative part of it And I know a deceitfull heart is apt to suggest to us scholars that what we know of this is enough But we must not trust our own hearts much in this or in any thing else of weight and moment and therefore I take the boldnesse to renew my request to reinforce the advice to you scholars try your knowledge And I do this beside the weighty considerations equally obliging us with others on some more speciall considerations obliging us Scholars more then others and I in treate you to weigh them 1. Greater pronesse to mistake 1. You are in a more apparent danger of being deceived with a common superficiall knowledge of this then others are whose imployments do not engage them to a search after all knowledge We are prone to aime at knowledge for its own sake and think it enough that we know though this knowledge have no influence upon our heart and life when we have attained some knowledge of this we haste many times to the attainement of some farther knowledge and so by an eager pursuit of what is not yet attained we are in danger of contenting our selves with a generall speculative knowledge of this that we may speed on to the discovery of other things whereas other men once getting a discovery of this sin are usually or may be more intent and dwell longer on the consideration of it Many things make it more easie for us to be mistaken in the knowledge of this as 1. Pronesse to measure the knowledge of this by that we have of other things which are not of such weight and moment and that have not so much influence on our soules in the matters of grace and holynesse 2. Frequent temptations with which Satan follow 's us to render this knowledge unprofitable and uselesse to us If this doctrine be well understood and soundly preached it shakes the very foundations of his Kingdome therefore he will corrupt it 3. Precellence and greater measures of speculative knowledge then others have of it A scholar is able to discourse more largely in the whole doctrine of it perhaps than another and tell you what apprehensions heathen Philosophers had of it what doctrines the Pelagians delivered in this matter what the Schoolmen Remonstrants Socinians Anabaptists or others teach concerning it yet who knowes none of these but only the naked truth of this doctrine and improves it to holinesse knoweth more truly then such a learned scholar