seeme a mercy if of a cruell Tyrant that would seem a mercy if of a desperate enemy if of bonds if of a sickness what then is it to be rid of the rule of sin which is infinitely worse then all these Fourthly no Lord so bad and no command soe vile as those of sin in dominion Therefore blesse God for your deliverance No Lord so bad or commandes so vile as those of sin in dominion you whose soules are through the mighty graciousnesse of a good God rescued from the powers of darknesse Tell me what are your thoughts what your judgements what your troubles for the workings of your vanquished enemy if the weakned corruptions appeare yet so vile what were your raigning corruptions If sin be so monstrous unto you now only in remptation what was it heretofore in dominion if the finger be so heavy what were the loynes if a particular action doth as you imagine expose you so dangerously what did the service of sin do under what displeasures of wrath lay your soules when sin had fullest affection and compleat to obedience Rebekah seemed weary of her life because of the presence of the Daughters of Heth If the presence created such an affliction what might the conjunction and union have done verily if sin be as it is bad and troublesome in combate O it is infinitely worse in the throne and absolute Empire over the soule wherein every faculty serves it with all its strength and madly strives how to dishonour God breaks his law resists his spirit to fulfill lusts and please the devill and to damne the soule O blesse the Lord for his goodnesse to thee that yet the dominion of sin is off T is true corruption yet remaines but yet it remaines not as a Lord but as a Tyrant not as a king but as an enemy time was that sin had thy love but now thou hatest it time was that sin had thy minde to devise for it but now those imaginations are cast down time was that thy will was espoused to sin but now a divorce is sued out time was that thy members were ready enough to fullfil the lusts of the flesh but now they are made servants of righteousnesse time was that thou didest sell thy selfe to wickednesse and was never so joyfull as when thou wast sinfull but now it is not so thou art a drudge a slave a vassall no longer thy former wayes amaze thee and the present Commands of sin are an affliction to thee O blesse the Lord c. 5. Again if the dominion of sin be off then assuredly the scepter If dominion of sin be off then the septer of Christ is set up in thy soul of Christ is set up in thy soul Beloved the soule stands not abides not in a middle estate it must have some one Lord or other it is necessarily under some one dominion either of sin or of Christ and this know that the dominion of sin cannot be taken off in the soul but by a contrary by a better by a stronger dominion by that of Christ who dispossesseth the strong man It is he who hath changed thy heart who hath made thy heart to chang its Master who hath drawn off thy love thy service c. Now no dominion in the world like that of Christ No dominion like Christs None so holy 1. None so holy hee is holy love holinesse and all his commands are righteous 2. None so Gracious he doth not exact beyond what he gives So gracious and will yet mercifully pardon our true endeavors of service wherein they fall short 3. None so peaceable his very service is a kind of wages to the obedient a vassal to sin is like a man labouring all day about Soe peaceable thornes and nettles the more abundance of them grasped Simile by him galls him with the more wounds and paines no man can be long cheerfully sinfull either Terrour or feare accompanies most sinnings but the service of Christ hath warrant from the word and peace from conscience 4. None so afflicted his commands are accompanied with So afflicted strength and spirit he bids us to do the worke and gives us his owne hand thereto imposeth duty and Imprinteth ability writes the law to the eare and writes it also in the heart 5. None so rewarded no man serves Christ too much or for Soe rewarded nought Though all our work be but duty yet he payes us rich wages we owe unto Christ all our strength and the use of all our graces neither doe we bring in so much of these in full service as we should yet our good Lord and Master will give us if we be faithfull servants at night our penny and at the last our crowne 6. Lastly be thankfull for if dominion be off then damnation is off There is no condemnation saith Paul to them that are in If dominon of sin be off damnation is off Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom 8. 1. A man is not damned meerly because he hath sin for then no man could be saved for who is the man that sinneth not but because sin is his Lord and he is the servant of sin Not so much because he is bad but because he will be bad not only for the act but for the love T is confessed that guilt is as naturall to sin as the shaddow is to the body no man can sin at any time in any thing and yet be Innocent But meritorious guilt is one thing and redounding guilt is another thing If the dominion of sin be broken off that a man loves not sin but hates it yeelds not up himselfe unto it but resists it is not in league but in conflict with it then the estate of guilt is taken off so that it shall not effectually redound to the condemnation of the person where God doth powerfully subdue the sinfull nature there he will mercifully pardon and discharge the unwillingly sinning and offending person if sin be not thy Lord then Hell shall not be thy portion He who is become an enemy to his sins grace rules in his heart now and glory shall crowne his soule hereafter Obj. But will some troubled and therefore unably discerning soule reply we doubt it not But that it is a most singular Doubts of troubled soules fearing they are still under the Dominion of sin mercy A rich grace worthy of greatest acceptance and heartiest thankes where the dominion of sin is broken off but alas we feare it is not so with us heavy cause have we to suspect that we are captives yet under sins dominion so that though others who can happily observe the yoke broken off and therefore can be chearfully thankfull we finde it yet strong O very strong and therefore more reason have we of griefe and sorrow Beloved it is granted that if a man findes himselfe indeed Sol. under the dominion of any sin assuredly
of people Some dawbing and dissembling and shuffling whose care it is not not to sinne but to be cunning in sin these shall find that in the day of their distresse conscience shall rip up before their eyes their most private vilenesses and that God will set their secret sinnes before the light of his countenance yea and the more industrious and witty that they have been that way the more shall conscience aggravate the hypocrisie of their souls Others conflicting and agonizing with secret motions outward occasions strong temptations these persons in a day of distresse shall finde singular testimony from conscience for though now whiles their judgement is oppressed with variety of arguments and the minde is overladen with the heap of temptations they are not able clearly to judge and decide their condition yet when conscience which is the great umpire in man shall arise to examine fore-past actions and endeavours it will there give sentence for thee excusing thee approving thee That in all simplicity and sincerity thou hadst thy conversation both towards mâ—n and towards God and that it was the desire of thy soul to fear the Lord to do no iniquity but to walk before him in all well-pleasing conscience doth cleare as the word clears and whom the word doth clear 3. They may with confidence make their prayers to God and They may with confidence pray and shall be heard shall be heard The hypocrite hath Moabs curse that he shall pray but not prevaile Esay 16. 12. for saith David If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayer Psalme 66. 18. But saith Eliphaz Job 22. 23. If thou returne to the Almighty c. and shalt put away iniquity from thy Tabernacles ver 27. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him and he shall hear thee O how acceptable unto God are the sacrifices of a spirit truly and uprightly tempered 4. The Lord will more and more cleanse them he will by degrees God will more and more cleanse them put more beautiful ornaments on the inward man and change their burdens if Paul be troubled with himself Christ will deliver him from himself he hath this comfort that for the present God observes his inward conflicts and accepts his secret uprightnesse and for the future that he shall have the victory over his rebellions by Jesus Christ There be two things of which the soul which deales with inward convictions out of a pure respect may be confident viz. One is grace to combate Another is strength to overcome Ob. 1. O but can a man be truly holy who hath such vile inclinations abhorred thoughts and motions such wonderfull eruptions of sinful abominations working yet within him Sol. 1. A word for this you must know this that an holy man is a man and a man he is compounded of a nature and a nature flesh and spirit grace and sin Secondly you must distinguish 'twixt the secret motions of sin and the secret approbations thereof as grace doth not utterly root out all the existence of natural corruption so neither is it able absolutely to suppress though to hinder the operations or workings of sinful corruption Thirdly we distinguish of secret workings of sinne there is a double secrecy 1. One is natural and it befals any man for sinne naturally carries shame with it and therefore hath a desire of secrecy 2. Another is artificial which is a cunning devising of sin this kinde of secrecy is not so incident to holy persons they do not frame methods of transgressing no ways of dishonouring God yet I will put forth a distinction I think it good there is a twofold artificial secrecy 1. One antecedent and delightful contrived on purpose to enlarge the way of the vile heart out of a deep love of the sinne and to compasse the contiuall fruition thereof Another is a consequent and troublesome and a kinde of inforced artificialnesse as was that of David which did arise from a sin secretly commited by him in the hast of a temptation Now I think that even an holy soul may possibly touch upon an artificial secrecy by consequence having been violently and preposterously carried unto some precedent sin which that it may be hid from the eye of man it doth therefore spin out some other methods of sinning however this is a very fearful course there is no comfort at all in it but a deeper aggravation of the former sinning for as much as adding sinne to sinne is no remedie but to repent of former sinnings is the onely and best way of help SECT VII Use 4 A Fourth Use of this assertion shall be for Exhortation to take heed of and labour against secret sins its true that all Exhortation to take heed of secret sins sin is to be declined But I therefore stir you up to beware of secret sinnes because we are more apt to those then to the open we sink our selves sooner with these then with any other sinnings There are three things which I will handle here and so conclude this point viz. 1. Motives to enforce our care 2. Aggravations of secret sins 3. Means which may present help against secret sin 1. The Motives There be many arguments which may justly stir us up to take Motives heed of and to cleanse from secret sins 1. The Lord knoweth our secret sinnings as exactly as our visible The Lord knows our secret sinningâ— exactly sinnings Psal 44. 21. He knoweth the secrets of our hearts Psal 139. 2. He knoweth our down sitting and our uprising and understands our thoughts afar off ver 11. If I say surely the darknesse shall cover me even the night shall be light about me vers 12. yea the darknesse hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darknesse and the light are both alike unto thee Ezek. 8. 6. Sonne of man seest thou what they do even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here Like one on an high mountain pointing at the thiefe robbing a man in a thicket see you yonder thief plucking of him down c. so here the great and lofty God whose seat is on high beholds all the wayes and motions of the children of men even thorow the thickest clouds and nothing can barre out his observance whose eye fills heaven and earth what is the curtain to him or the night or the lock or the chamber or the whispering or the thinking or the imagination of that thinking he needs not to have his understanding to be informed by the sensiblenesse of speech or the visibleness of acting who made the frame of spirit and searcheth into the depths of the soul and clearly observes all things in a perfect nakedness 2. The Lord will make manifest every secret thing Mark 4. God will make manifest every secret thing 22. There is nothing hid which shall not be manifested Neither is any thing kept secret but that it should come abroad There
repentance is a work of this life death bindes us over to sentence and then 't is too late to return And therefore every presumptuous sinner adventures boldly upon that which cannot be his beyond the time present Another is the returning of the heart from sinne though our natural principles can give the wound yet they must be supernatural principles which give the cure our own hearts can cause us to fall but Gods grace only is that which raiseth us Now Gods grace is Gods gift and not mans stock though we alone can fall off from God by sinne yet none but God can bring us back from sin by true repentance unto himself yet presumption makes the heart bold not only with time which is in Gods hand but also with grace which is only in Gods gift Though I sinne yet I will hereafter repent thus the presumptuous soul whose life may be instantly cut off and to whom God may therefore deny his grace to repent because it did before-hand presume to sin 5. In many presumptuous sinnings there is a slighting contempt It is with a slighting contempt therefore Numb 15. 30 31. presumptuous sinning is called a despising of the Word of the Lord the soul that doth ought presumptuously c. shall be cut off because he hath despised the Word of the Lord c. to despise the Word of the Lord is to esteeme of it as a vaine thing to disregard it in his authority and Majesty over our consciences and hearts and wayes As if a soul should say what care I though God doth speak thus and thus I will not be curbed and limited nor restrained this is to contemn God And it is called a rebelling against him Deut. 1. 24. I spake unto you and you would not heare but rebelled against the Commandment of the Lord and went up presumptuously to the hill It is called a casting of Gods Law behinde our back God hath hemmed and circumscribed the soul with precepts within which if a man walks he hath God to be his security but in presumptuous sinnings a man will exceed his limits and yet believe a safety this very thing is expressed in Deut. 17. 11. According to the sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee and according to the judgement which they shall tell thee thou shalt do thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee to the right hand or to the left ver 12. And the man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken to the Priest c. even that man shall die ver 13. And all the people shall hâ—ar and fear and do no more presumptuously There you see that presumptuous sinning consisted in the slighting of the sentence of the Law by the Priest the Priest said this is it which God would have you do This is it which he would not have done Now the person who sinned presumptuously would not stand to this but would break over this sentence and would go in his own way he disregarded what God spake that should not be his rule no not his 6. Lastly presumptuous sinnings may rise higher then all It may arise to malice and despight against God and Christ this as when a man sinnes not only knowingly and wilfully but most maliciously and despitefully against God and Christ the Apostle speaks of such presumptuous sinners who tread under foot the Sonne of God and do despite unto the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10. 29. And who crucifie to themselves the Sonne of God afresh and put him to an open shame Heb. 6. 6. This kinde of presumptuous sinning is not only to sinne though a man knows it nor only to sin because a man will sin but it is also to sin on purpose to dishonour God and to vex his holy spirit the soul is grown unto that abominable insolency that a man even plots deliberately how to crosse God and will therefore apply himself to such words and acts because he knows they will displease God this is the very top and height of presumptuous sinning when a man in a sober and calme spirit exempted from violent diseases and strong passions and insolently turbulent temptations shall in sober circumstances desperately and of malicious and set purpose encounter God adventure iniquity to provoke God he knows that the worst which shall befall him is damnation but he cares not for that he will however have his pleasure in sinne and will strive to despite that God who stands in a just enmity to his soul and sins SECT II. Quest 2. WHat that strength is which keeps back regenerate What that strength is which keeps back the regenerate from presumptuous sinnes persons from presumptuous sinnes and what difference 'twixt the restrainings of evil men and this keeping back of good David Sol. For a more distinct knowledge of this point observe a few particulars 1. Restraint is any kinde of stop 'twixt the inclination and the Restraint is any kinde of stop betwixt the inclination and the object object when the nature is inclined to such or such a thing and a barre falls in to keep them asunder this is restraint As when God bridled up the fire from burning the three children and the Lion from devouring Daniel and Abimelech from touching Sarah and Laban from hurting Jacob The natural inclinations of the former and the morally evil dispositions of the latter were chained in they were stopped they were hindred in respect of their actings and exercise All creatures are capable of restraint because under a Supreame power only God cannot be restrained but for all creatures their natures and inclinations and operations are under his command by the Lawe of Creation 2. Restraint of any Agent ariseth from a greater strength Restraint of any agent is from a greater strength of a superior agent of a Superior Agent whatsoever keeps a man back from a sinful acting it is at that time whiles a restraint of more actually strong force then the present inclination is as in the stopping of a stone or water that which is unequal in strength a lesser force is not able to keep in the stronger the cords wherewith Sampson was bound were no restraints to his motion and escape for his strength exceeded them and he easily brake them asunder But Gods decree and providence is a restraint to the raging sea and his power is a restraint to gird in the malice and rage of man because though sinfull inclinations be strong yet God can over-rule and bound and bind it in 3. All Restraints presupposeth an aptness a disposition ready to Restraints suppose a readiness â—o get out run and get out The Child whose desire is to lie in the Cradle is not there said to be restrained and the Trades-man whose shop is his paradise is not therefore restrained from going abroad but when a servant would be gadding and yet is kept in this is Restraint In every man there is too much sin
temptation hath been his conquest yet his sinning shall be his trouble weak strength in grace though it be not alwayes actually sufficient to prevent sin yet it will be able to melt the soul for it if temptation hath surprized the soul to sin grace wiâ—l then surprise the soul to mourne neither will it lie with sin upon it Even a weak child thrown down will be scrambling up or crying for some to raise it But if the places of our fall be the places of our peace and of our rest it is a bad signe that our sinnings exceed infirmities when the sinning is to us as the sea to the fish or as the centre to the stone or as the bed to the labouring man this is no infirmity Fifthly in sinful acts of infirmities the heart as it intends not sin it condemns sin the heart is more sensible watchful prayerful In infirmities the heart is against sin against it and exceedingly strives to mortifie it and subdue it SECT VI. 3. Of Exhortation A Third Use shall be to exhoâ—t us to imitate holy David Exhortation to be carefull to be kept back from presumptuous sins Consider It is a great judgement to be left to our selves in a care against presumptuous sinnes and to be kept back from them Consider seriously a few things 1. It is a great judgement to be left to our selves to be given up to a mans own heart to be given up to Satan to be given up to vile affections to a reprobate sense to our own councels and wayes As if God should say to a person I have dealt with thee by my mercies but thou wilt be unrighteous still I have dealt with thee by my â—udgements but thou Note wilt hold fast thy wickedness still I have dealt with thee by my word and counsels but thou wilt proceed on in thy sinning still I have dealt with thee by my spirit in many convictions and motions but thou wilt sinne still I have dealt with thee by reproofs and checks and troubles of conscience but thy heart is set in thee to sin still Since thou wilt be unrighteous thou shalt be unriâ—hteous still since thou wilt be filthy thou shalt be so stilâ— I will leave thee unto the hands of Satan who works mightily in the chilâ—ren of disobedience and he shall take thee captive at his pleasure I will leave thee to the vilenesse of thy own sinful nature that since thou wilt not hearken unto me thou shalt as thou desirest with all greediness fulfil the lust thereof but I will withdraw from thee in my mercy and in my loving care go on and fill up the measure of thy iniquity and of wrath why brethren this is a sad and forlorn condition what is the estate of the patient when the Physician gives him off and relinquisheth him to his own sick palate and his own vain appetite and diet why saith he physick will do him no good it is in vain to prescâ—ibe him rules let him do on take what he will I see well he is a dead man thus it is with him whom God leaves unto himself Surely there is not a more direful judgement then for God to give over his keeping of us whither will not our wicked hearts carry us what will not sinne left to it self dare to do how outragiously will it swell how irrecoverably will it sink the soul all helps are little enough to bound and keep in sinne but if it be left to its own force and violence then like the sea without a shore what a deluge it makes 2. To sinne upon presumptuous grounds upon a presumption To sin upon a presumption of Mercy is the next way to cut off from mercy of mercy is the next way to cut us off from mercy Knowest thou not O man that the kindnesse and long-suffering and mercy of God should lead thee to repentance but thou through thy hardnesse and impenitency of thy heart treasurest unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 4 5. God will not be merciful to the wicked transgressor but he will wound the hairy scalp of such a one who goes on still in his sins Mercy is a sweet City of refuge to the penitent sinner but justice will tear off the presumptuous sinner even from the hornes of the Altar God never yet said that he would forgive him who will not leave his sins do not flatter thy self thou doest forsake thy mercies unlesse thou wilt forsake thy sins God will not spare thee nor pity thee 3. Presumptuous sinning makes high work for the soul The Presumptuous sinning makes high work for the soul pricks of a pinne the cut of a knife may do much hurt but the gash of a sharp sword forcibly followed this will open death in thy sides Every sin fetcheth blood in the soul but presumptuous sinnings do even cleave the conscience asunder be thou good or bad who mounts up in an high kinde of sinning good Lord how it will in a day of judicial sense make the very sinewes to crack and thy joynts to tremble Of all sensible wrackings in the soul there is not any one comparable to that of despaire O! despaire it is the death Note pang of the conscience it is the soul in the Extremity of amazing throwes it sees no heaven and no shore but lays the soul either in hell or ready to be cast quick into it now presumptuous sinnings prepare the way for despair when the soul would have its sinful course it would not be beaten off by any method and warning of heaven but went on in a secure confidence of the easinesse and largenesse of mercy when God will not take these proud braveries any longer but arrest the stout transgressor and set his sins in order both for the greatnesse of fact and height of pride and darings and that against all light and goodnesse and warning and threatning and the sinner sees himself fallen into the hands of a terrible and glorious God from whose fierce displeasure it cannot now rid it self O cries out the miserable man what shall I do woe to me that ever I was borne I have shut up heaven against my self I am rejected for ever as I have dealt with God so now he deals with me I would not hearken to him and now he will not hearken to me O I shall never have mercy I have adventured on so presumptuously that I have distinguished my self from any hope and possibility of recovery I was intreated but still I would sin I was warned but still I would sinne I saw it to be sinful but I would do it I felt some trouble for it but c. I despised counsel and scorned reproof I slighted mercy I quenched motions and these so often O Lord now thou hast met with me now shall I never rise any more I would have my sinnes and I have them still and I shall have thy just wrath and hell with them too
for presumption is usually confident of Note longer life and therefore imboldens it self to stronger sins a foolish error and vain for were it true that in a natural probability thou mightest yet live long yet in a judicial course this is most true that great sinnings shorten the life the thief goes to the Gallows in his youth because of his theft and the sinner is suddenly laid in his grave by reason of his sinnings And then â—wo unto thee better that thou hadst never been born if thou lives and dies in thy sins to the Judgement-seat of God must thou be brought with sin in thy bones and presumptuous iniquity in thy heart thou who now darest to out-face the Ministers of God shall not then dare to look the holy and just and terrible God in the face but he will fill thy breast with confusion and all the veins of thy soul with flames of hottest vengeance and indignation Eightly Get knowledge sanctified Knowledg is like a sword it Get knowledge sanctified may defend a man and it may hurt a man it may both arm him and kil him or like the light of a Candle which may both direct and also burn and so accidentally even knowledge it self may prove a great addition to our sinnings That which serves to give us light against them may yet improve the guilt of them upon us There is a two-fold knowledge 1. One naked which shews the evil 2. Another sanctified which keeps from evil the former is good at the Object but the latter is good with the subject that looks upon what is to be done or not to be done this looks down to the heart and inclines it strongly to embrace the good and to resist and abhor the evil This is certain that not all the spirits of speculation are a sufficient rescue of thy soul from presumptuous sinnings Object Why saith a man I will not sin so I know better then so Sol. Alas The bullet strikes down the souldier for all his head-piece naked knowledge is at best but an head-piece and that not of proof neither but sanctified knowledge is a breast-plate and that keeps off the dart Lastly Renounce thine own strength of nature of parts of Renounce thy own strength gifts yea of graces yea of services he shall be brought far in sin who goes far upon his own strength thy own strength will deceive thee it is not enough to keep thee good nor preserve thee from being bad if thou couldest get a trembling heart and a bended knee and a believing eye and an humble spirit then thy Castle were impregnable c. PSAL. 19. 13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sinnes let them not have dominion over me CHAP. IV. HAving handled Davids prayer against sin as lying in presumption now I shall touch on it as it doth respect sin in Dominion Let them not have dominion over me There may be divers conjectures about the connexion and depending sense of these words Two Expositions of the words First As if they were a distant petition q. d. Lord I pray unto thee against high kinds of sinning and perhaps I may sometimes be laid flat by them but then I desire of thee that though they strike me down yet they 1. As a distinct petition may not rule over me though I stoop yet I may not serve though I fall yet I may not lie and rest though they may be sometimes so strong as to over-come yet never so full as to reign let them not have Dominion over me Secondly As if they are but the same petitions greatly inforced q. d. O Lord I beseech thee to keep back thy servant 2. As the same petition inforced from presumptuous sins all sins are bad and inglorious and foul but none so as they they are high transgressions therefore I beseech thee let them not have Dominion i. never suffer them to prevail over me never let them enter into my soul or life let them never over-come me let them not over-take me let me never commit them Now which way of these you conjecture the sense of the words may be aimed at it requires accurateness to determine and cut the thred For my part I think that both may be commodious and are pious though the latter to me doth seem more genuine yet in this I easily submit to better Judgements FOR the words themselves this is evident that they express the spirit of holy David as vehemently carried against presumptuous sins in Dominion for the better discussing of them I shall inquire these particulars 1. What Dominion of sin here may import Four things wherein it consists 2. Whether sins in Dominion may befall a David 3. Why David prayes so against it 4. Then some usefull applications SECT I. Quest 1. FOR the first of these What Dominion of sin doth What Dominion of sin imports import Sol. Dominion is given sometimes to God sometimes to Christ as Mediator sometimes to man over man sometimes to Satan over man sometimes to death which is said to rule and sometimes to sin when it is betwixt sinne and the sinner as betwixt a King and his Subjects As a raigning King hath dominion so sin it acts in all things like a King 1. It hath possession original sin of our hearts actual sin of our lives 2. Hath a title our forsaking of God and voluntary election and compact 3. Hath a throne our souls 4. Hath servants our Members 5. Hath a councel our carnal wisdom and corrupt reasonings 6. Hath power to give Laws and see them executed Paul speaks of the Law in his members and the Law of sin Rom. 7. 21 22. But more distinctly for the better understanding this Four things observe these particulars 1. That Dominion properly is the Right and Power of a What is dominion properly Lord over a servant it is a word implying Superiority and Subjection one who hath Authority to command and another whose condition is obeâ—iential and to serve so that in the dominion there is one who doth rule and another who is ruled one who doth command and another who yeelds at least virtute â—uris he is to yeeld and obey and ratione facti where dominion is exercised there is actual command and actual obedience as the Centurion who had authority and dominion over his servants he said to one go and he did go to one come and he did come to another do this and he did it Secondly observe that Dominion is twofold it is either Dominion is either 1. Original and absolute and this is when the Lord hath a Original and Absolute natural and prime and irrespective title it belongs to him as so to command and impose obedience meerly from his absolute right and accoâ—ding to his own pleasure such a dominion belongs only to â—od who made all the world and is Lord of all All the creatures are his servants and are set by the Law
if he yields obedience unto sin he is then noe servant of righteousnesse if he be an enemy to sin he is then a servant to righteousnesse If he be an enemy to righteousnesse he is then a servant of sin Yet many persons are enemies to righteousnesse we will not have this man to reigne over us said they in the Gospell they cannot endure the dominion of Christ either in his word or in his spirit The rules and precepts of the word are the cords which they will break asunder Psal 2. 3. They cast the laws of Christ behinde their backs and hate to be reformed Psal 50. 17. There is nothing more unacceptable to them then to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in holiness of heart and newnesse of spirit and righteousnesse of obedience In those who are still overcome of their lusts 3. What thinke you of those who are still overcome of their lusts and are willingly intangled The Apostle Peter Conjectures that sin hath dominion in such while they promise them liberty they themâ—elves are the servants of Corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought in bondage 2. Peter 2. 19. There is a twofold overcoming of a person on is only in respect of the action Another is also in respect of the affection It cannot be denied but that even an holy man who is heartily the servant of Jesus Christ may be overcome in respect of particular action relapses are not impossible to him who is truly good and they may consist with though they do weaken and disconsolate the service of grace there is the same natural principle of sin in the best after repentance as before there is the same Satan to suggest and incline there may be the same occasions and provocations But then there is an overcoming in respect of assertion and this shews the dominion of sinne Now this overcoming is either when a man through policy forbears or else in passion seemes to bid defiance to his sin being either in sicknesse and apprehension of death or in pangs and distresse of conscience to which the Apostle seems to allude 2 Pet. 2. 22. the dogge is turned to his vomit again Now he cries out against sin and thinks he doth detest it heartily and will not for a world act the sin now yet when this tempest is off when the water growâ—â—ool when circumstances are free when the bitternesse either of death or cross or conscience is over and sin tempts and wooes him again he yeelds up himself he gives over his heart and affections he loves the sin and wallows in it as much â—s ever he turns from the holy Commandment as the Apostle speaks ver 21. all his good moods of holy profession and purpose are gone off and he is more entangled and renews his bondage with ardent and excessive delight even with greedinesse as the Apostle Paul speaks Eph. 4. Now if this be an argument of sins dominion viz. the willing and affectionate re-entring of our hearts to the service of sin then certainly many of us have just cause to feare and to suspect our selves who return with the dogge to the vomit and with the sow to the wallowing in the mire who not only are surprized in action but in affection nay and our affections are more eagerly carried to the sinning now then heretofore our mindes are more on them and our desires yea and the measures of sinning in the same kinde rise in an higher strength we are more mighty to drink more inglorious in swearing more unsatiable in earthliness more vaine in conversation more obstinate in our sinful courses against the reproofs of the Word the checks of our conscience the shame of men the fear of Hell and the hope of hâ—â—â—en we grow worse and worse c. Fourthly what think you of such who make choice of sin to be In those who makes choice of sin to be their Lord. the Lord whom they will serve There are but two sorts of people in the world viz. good and bad and both of them do chuse their Lords The good they choose the Lord to be their God Josh 24. And they choose the things which please him Esay 56. 4. And choose the way of truth Psal 119. 3. and choose the good part Luke 10. 42. The bad they also are said to choose their own ways Isa 66. 3. and evil Isa 65. 12. That in which God delights not yea and they are said not to choose the fear of the Lord when several things are propounded a man prefers this before that this is called an election or choice There is Christ and his way laid before the sinner and sin and its lusts laid before him now when he prefers the latter before the former he is said to make a choice which many do they do prefer their sinful lusts before the commands of Christ as appears in all the times of competition and in the courses of action yea and when they may go free yet with that Hebrew servant they will not for they love their Master Lastly what think you of many who love their sins love is that which bestows the soul and the service thereof the In those who love their sins whole strength of a man goes that way which his love goes for it is of a constraining and most serviceable nature Now there are many who do love sin there is as it were a conjugal match and union 'twixt their hearts and their sins and be sure of this that sin hath the whole man if it hath won the love of the heart A man may deceive himself about the dominion of sin 4. A person may possibly delude his own heart and deceive himself about the dominion of sin and therefore it is convenient to try our selves whether sinne hath not Dominion indeed There are many erroneous deceits Six deceits from The unsensiblenesse of its power 1. One is the unsensibleness of its power when a man feels no violence of sinful inclination no stirrings no opposition no commands but there is a calme and quietness in his spirit and in hiâ—â—ay which could not be as he thinks if sin had dominion anâ—â—â—e in him Now this is a deceit For 1. It is most probable that sin hath the strongest dominion where the heart is most unsensible of the Law and commands of sinne when the strong man keeps the house all is quiet said our Saviour where subjection is peaceable there dominion is in all likelihood most absolute and compleat Nay this is certain that where Christ sets up his Scepter which cast down the dominion of sin there is the greatest stirre the Law of the minde will warre against the Law of the members Rom. 7. 23. And the spirit will lust against the flesh Gal. 5. 17. 2. This unsensibleness and quietnesse may arise partly from the oneliness of sin and partly from the ignorance of a sinful condition and partly from the habitual custome
holiness as a man may be a Traitor when he yet doth seeme to do something of the service to a Prince So sinne may be a mans Lord though he doth do many things which seem good Herod loved Herodias though he heard John Baptist and did many things gladly there is scarce any man where Christ is professed that is so universally bad but he may now and then do something which may be particularly good at least materially considered 4. But yet fourthly the Dominion of sin cannot consist with But it cannot consist with the love of holinesse the love of holiness for where sin is in dominion there sinne hath the love of the soul Now it is impossible for a man to love sin and to love holinesse I grant it that many things may be the object of love though there be a numerical variety of them yet there may be an objective unity they may all meet in one common reason and natural course of love and therefore may be loved But then opposite and contradictory things cannot be both loved at once the reason is because you cannot reconcile them into an objective unity that which is a reason of the love in one is a reason of hatred in the other Now sin and holinesse are opposite they are at the greatest distance in spiritual contradictions their natures and courses and effects all are opposite so that a man cannot at once possibly love them both And therefore if holinesse and grace hath thy love verily sin hath not dominion I must not insist at large on this only observe whether thou lovest holinesse preciselie and purely for it self what is it which thou esteemest most which thou desirest most is the want of it thy greatest grief is the prosperity of it either in thy self or others a true and singular joy unto thee at what paines art thou to purchase and encrease it what are thy thoughts of them who are holy and of those Ministries which edge and work on thy heart most unto holinesse these and such like things will shew whither thou lovest holiness which if thou doest thy sin is not thy Lord. 4. Whose Laws doest thou approve and delight in according Whose Laws doest thou approve and delight in as a mans Lord is so are his Laws and according as the man is so is his minde and affections towards those Laws of that Lord you shall finde that when sinne hath dominion there sin hath several Laws several commands the obedience of which is delightful to the sinner And therefore such a one is said to fulfill the lusts of the flesh and to commit sin with greediness Ephes 4. 19. and to yeeld himself over unto sin Thus it is on the contrary where sin is broken off from its dominion and Christ doth rule the heart his Lawes have a marvellous sutablenesse with the spirit of that man his Law is written in the heart i. there is a powerful and answerable inclination stamped in the heart which gives way to the command In the volume of thy book it is written of me that I should do thy will loe I come Psalm 40. 7. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is in my heart v. 8. Thou saidest seek ye my face my heart said unto me Thy face Lord will I seek Psal 27. 8. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9. 6. Obj. It is true that sinful corruption yet abiding in the best will make head against the holy commands of Christ it will be backward enough cross enough unwilling enough resisting and striving Sol. But yet three things will more habitually appear in a Three things appeare in a person governed by Christ and not by sin Approbation person whose soule is governed by Christ and not by sinne 1. One is Approbation i. this judgement doth highly esteeme of the commands of Christ Paul counted the commandment holy and righteous and good and tending to life Rom. 7. 12. 2. Another is consent i. his will yeelds unto it as to a rule Consent most sit to be obeyed I consent unto the Law that it is good Rom. 7. 16. and therefore would obey it 3. A third is inward delight Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Inward delight Law of God after the inward man The Apostle from this though he found a contrary Law in his members warring against the Law of his minde and much evil present when he would do any good yet concludes against sins dominion Rom. 7. 25. so then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God but with the flesh the Law of sin Why brethren this is a great matter and a great discovery of our hearts to observe what Law that is with which we take part which we set up as our rule whose authority we do justifie sinne will command in him which hates it i. it will be prescribing to our affection and our actions but then if Christ doth rule us we war against those commands we resist them we defie them we pray against them we take not part with them We acquit that Law of Christ which we would follow but sometimes cannot so fully as we should we justifie it as a most righteous command and strive to conform our hearts to that and to order our lives by that 5. A fifth tryal may be this what is the disposition and What is the disposition of our hearts under the passive captivities of our soul by sin course of our hearts under the passive captivities of our souls by particular sinnings There is a twofold captivity of the soul to sin One is active wherein a man doth as Ahab sell himself to wickednesse or as Judas offer himself to betray Christ he went to the high-Priest what will you give me and I will betray him c. Another is passive wherein as Paul complained he is sold under sinne like a souldier over-powered and by strength taken captive and led away prisoner I confesse that this is most true a good man may sin nay he doth sin sin may have many particular victories where yet it hath not a Kingdom or Dominion As there may be antecedent differences before sin is committed and as there may be concomitant differences when sin is committing which may be as so many lively testimonies against dominion so there are consequent differences there are some things afterward which shew that yet sin hath not dominion though it did prevaile and overcome Three things Three things discover this Hearty grief 1. One is hearty grief though a good man hath not alwayes sufficient strength to conquer a temptation yet he hath sufficient grace to bewaile his sinnings though he cannot always rejoyce that he stands yet he can heartily grieve that he falls either sin is his conquest or else it is his sorrow Though you see not David cast down by his pleasures yet you shortly see him cast down himselfe by his mournings Though you see
only rise but fight a naked combate shall not suffice but assault and pursuit it will work with the art of holy strength to the more deadly offence of that particular corruption Obj. 3. Yet there is a more difficult case then any which Doubt from the renued actings of sinne hath been already proposed and that is renewed actings of the same sinne the person falls into the same sinne again and againe and this repetition of sinful acting seems to be sinne in custome and sinne in custome is sinne in dominion thus is it with me or hath it been with me doth some troubled soul reply and therefore my case is miserable Sol. To which case divers things must be said Answered 1. Repetition or renewing of the same sinful actings is Repetition of sin is very fearful without all doubt a very fearful and abominable thing what is it else but a further and stronger wedging in of the corruption frequent actings of sin do ever strengthen the sinful nature Every soul being made more apt to sin by more sinnings what is it else but a broading and widening of sinne the sin growes bigger in the bulk and higher in the guilt by a continued then by a single commission Now a man sins against that which his own conscience hath condemned as well as the pure word of God Now a man adventures into troubles against all his former trouble he hath felt the sinne to be bitter and knows that it must cost him either Hell into which God may presently cast hiâ— or great sorrow and repentance which God may now judicially deny him Now a man sinnes against all the workings of grace so that God may bring forth all the former acts of the soule and set them against the thus sinning person Look thou here are the wounds which thou didst make heretofore and yet thou strikes into the same again Here are the teares which thou didst shed for this sinning heretofore and yet thou wilt provoke me againe here are the sighs which thy heart did break out here are the fears which did distresse and perplex thy soul here are the prayers which thou didst make for my tender mercies here are the Covenants wherewith thou didst binde thy soul here are the Chapters which thou didst read to support thee here is the place where thou didst power forththy anguished heart in fasting and crying here is that goodnesse and gracious love of mine whereby I did accept of thee upon thy humbling teares into favour againe here is that peace which I did thereupon create and command into thy conscience here is that word which thou didest say should guide and rule thee for the time to come here is that spirit which I sent to raise thee againe And yet after all this thou art at the same sinne againe I might have cast thee off at the first I might have shut up my mercies denied thee recovery avenged my self on thee for thy foul transgressions yet I spared thee though thou didst offend me yet I recovered thee though thou didst provoke me when thou didst very evil even so that thou didst admire at the wickednesse of thy self yet I did thee good shewed thee kindness would not presently forsake thee who didst so foulely forsake me this my free and great grace did then melt thee did then move thee did then excite and stir thee to great sorrow to much care and love And now after all thou hast returned not in inclination but in action into not a little or small transgression but into a grosse and foule iniquity yea â—â—en multitudes of withdrawing arguments did strive against it when the conception of that sinne being with so much secret trouble and fear could not but presage the great dishonour which would redound unto me and the fearful terrour which would befal thee upon the active commission thereof So that beloved without all scruple a doubling of sinne is in it self a more formal intention thereof in its corrupt nature and a more fruitful aggravation of it in guilt and miserable consequence c. Secondly consider that it is such away of sinning as may This way of sinning may justly stagger a man about his condition justly stagger the heart about its condition First in regard of the eminent propriety which it hath in persons who do thus sinne generally though not absolutely and simply three sorts of persons run on in the frequent and manifold actings of great sins viz. Such as are notoriously profane such as are closely hypocritical such as are despitefully opposing the spirit of grace these are they who grow from evil to worse and adde sinne to sinne and make and fill up the measures of their particular iniquities which must needs stagger any soul though perhaps not yet runne on so far as they if yet repeating steps in the same paths which the vilest of sinners have trod in before it Secondly in regard of that dark and rare exemplarity of such kindes of sinning by any in Scripture canonized for Saints or godly persons it is easily admitted that you may espy upon some of the best something of the worst and perhaps thickly heaped upon the same sudden passion and temptation but you shall rarely finde any one of them often at the same foule transgression I say you shall rarely finde it And believe me it will be a staggering case to any sinning heart where its wages are such as to see multitudes of the worst and scarce any one of good note so pacing and walking Nay thirdly untill the soul thus sinning doth bestow infinite Grace is hardly discerned in such a one without much labour labour strong care continued humblings incessant cries to raise it self again in respect of any other evidence it shall hardly or never distinguish the yet secretly remaining the miserably defaced frame of goodnesse within it A soul in this temper is not so much to dispute and question as to rise and work the case of frequenting or renuing the same sinful acts will never be answered in thy conscience but by fullest humblings sound judgings speedy repentings careful watchings and declinings wonderful strengthnings of the contrary grace and acts diligent feare fervent communion with God and more upright walking Yet fourthly though it be a rare case this doubling or renewing Yet this though it be a rare is a possible case of some great sinful act very few good men do it and that too very seldome perhaps as Job spake so they may do once have I spoken yea twice but I will proceed no further Job 40. 5. I say though it be rare yet it is a possible case that sin may have more then one particular victory where yet it hath not dominion I speake not this to hearten any man to sin for this would argue sinne indeed to have dominion but to recover a man that hath sinning whose soul is extreamly bruised with his second fall and whose second wound bleeds
revealed and known duty to which his very heart doth not strive to obey yea and the ground of all this must be spirituall and not carnal from God and for God Assuredly these things are impossible to an evill man and he who is most good shall confesse it to be most hard to be plaine with God and to walke evenly before him 8. Lastly to be upright is a possible thing a man may attaine to be upright is a possible thing unto it Nay every good man doth attaine unto it Noah was upright and walked with God Abraham was upright before him David kept him from his sin and he did serve the Lord in uprightnesse of heart Hezekiah did so likewise Remember Lord that I have walked before thee in truth and with an upright heart Paul served God in all good conscience willing to live honestly in all things Though no man can say that he doth all that Gods commands require yet he may say he hath respect unto them all and though none can say he hath nothing in him or nothing is done by him which the law of God doth forbid yet he may say I hate every false way and search me O Lord if there be any way of wickednesse within me and this is uprightnesse Ob. But you will say if the case be so how may one know that he is indeed upright Sol. There are many discoveries of it I pray you to observe Discourses of uprightnesse them and try your selves by them let your consciences testify for you before the lord this day 1. If a man be upright he will mostly strive for an inward reformation of his heart There are two things which the upright person doth most look The upright man most strives for the inward reformation at his God and his heart The Hypocrites as our saviour testifies they are for the outside they wash the platters and the cups and beautifie the tombes like an adulteresse whose care is to paint and to set a faire face upon the matter all their care is to the eye of man how to be seen and hard how to be well thought on Now uprightnesse is mostly for the heart and spirit not that an upright person should or doth neglect the wel-ordering his life O no! as to neglect our hearts argues hypocrisie so to neglect our lives argues profanesse But the principle care of uprightnesse is the reformation of the heart though it lookes to the cleansing of the hand yet principally of the heart according to that of the Apostle Jam. 4. 8. Why brethren it well knowes that the heart is it which God looks for and lookes at the heart is it which God delights in if that be right and true he is pleased thou lovest truth in the inward parts Psa 51. the upright in heart are his delight David is full in this concerning his heart Psal 119. 10. with my whole heart have I sought thee v. 11. Thy word have I hid within my heart that I might not sinne against thee incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not unto covetousness Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit the heart of man is the fountaine of life or death and every thing is strongest in the heart and most dangerous sinne in the heart is worse then in the life i. when a mans heart is set upon his sin now Try your selves in this particular what care have you of your hearts what paines do you take with them you many times have humble looks yea but have you not still proud hearts you have many times contented words yea but have you not still impatient and discontented hearts you have many times heavenly discourse yea but have you not stil earthly and worldly hearts what doe you with them doe you not let your hearts still loose do you not give them way to be filled with wicked contemplations vaine imaginations filthy inclinations with envy malice unbeliefe or do you mourne under these do you strive to cleanse within is it not sufficient that your outward actions look well unlesse your hearts be made better O if this heart were holy If this heart were humble If this heart were heavenly If the heart were believing The hypocrite cares not though the thread be rotten if the colour or glosse be faire but the upright person he is more at substance then shew and hath more to doe with his heart then any thing he would have the law written not upon his tongue but upon his heart cleansed as well as his life beautified 2. If a man be upright then a little holiness will not serve his If a man be upright then a little holinesse will not serve his turne turne he is not contented with some measures but strives after perfection see this clearly delivered by the Apostle in Phil. 3. 12. Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Jesus Christ v. 13. I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I doe forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before v. 14. I press then toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus v. 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded q. d. If you be upright thus will it be with you you will not be satisfied with small beginnings with received measures but you will reach on for farther conformity to Christ There is a difference twixt desires of holiness for it selfe and God and for our selves and ends An hypocrite could be content to have as much holinesse as would serve his turne his owne turne his owne ends as a tradesmen is willing to be at cost that his apprentice learne to writ and cipher so much and so long as he may be enabled to keep the accounts but he will not be at cost to teach him the excellency of writing or ciphering But now the upright person desires grace and holiness for God that glory may be brought unto him and out of an intrinsecall love of the beauties of holinesse and for the farther rooting out of sin And for the better Inabling to holy services his ends are publike and therefore a little serves not 3. If a man be upright then a man will walke by a right rule an upright man walks by an upright rule he orders his conversation and wayes according to the word of God A right ordering of all our actions by a right rule in a right way by right persons out of right principles for right ends this is uprightnesse 3. A person may know whither he be upright or no by the An upright person hath a conformable disposition of heart about all sins conscionable disposition of his heart about all sinnes Dâ—vid speaking of such who were undefiled Psal 119. 1. And sought the Lord with their
see God in his precepts and see him in his Threatnings and then we hold up and go on but if once we lose him in the sight of his promises then impatience and murmuring and discontents and unlawfull projects and wayes appeare in the heart and life so also if we lose him in the sight of his precepts which guide and binde Now loosnesse and carelesnesse and indifferency appears and lose him in the sight of his threatnings now pride and presumption and other bold adventurings appeare But if we could by faith see him who is invisible if we could see the goodnesse and fidelity and immutability of his promises for all kinde of good supplies and if we could see the power and authority and equity of all his precepts respecting our actions and ways and if one could behold the justice and terror of the Lord by faith in all his threatnings O how might the soule be bounded and kept like a river twixt its banks in a constant and sweet course of even and upright walking 3. If you would preserve uprightnesse then you must get and Get and preserve humblenesse of heart prâ—serve humblenesse of spirit Remember this that the humble Christian receives most good and lives best The slow hands writes the fairest copy and the low valley of all the parts of the earth is most yearly fruitfull Highnesse of spirit and much unevennesse ordinarily keep company There are three properties in humblenesse which shew that Simile it much conduceth to uprightnesse One that it is much with God hence we read of the cries of the humble and the desires of the heart the humble soule is like the weake Ivie which clinges about the strong oake so it is much with a mighty God you shall seldome finde the humble person without a teare in his eye a complaint in his tongue a prayer in his heart either you finde him upon his feet standing to hear what God will say or upon his knee craving what God will give 2. Another that it haâ—h much from God There be high mountaines which be above all cloudes the proud heart is most empty because most lofty but God gives grace unto the humble Jam. 4. the poor beggar gets the almes and the low valley gets the showers and the humble heart the grace of God and that both preventing grace which makes good an assisting grace with holds on in good thou hast hard the desire of the humble 3. A third that it doth all for God there are two things which the humble person doth most eye One is Gods rule another is Gods glory as a good servant who takes commandes from his masters mouth and layes out himselfe for his masters advantage All is from him and by him and therefore all must be to him saith the humble heart Now all these conduce directly to uprightnesse he is best in walking with God who is most in calling up on God prayer being like the firm and solid ground which enables the feet to stand best And God is near to the humble the weak child is preserved from most falls which is held by the hand of the mother or carried in the bosom of the Nurse Where divine strength is most communicated there the life is most uniformly ordered and then humbleness refers all to Gods glory it puts the cause of gift upon him and the honor of their use which is directly opposite to Hypocrisie therefore labour to be humble get to be sensible of your selves both for naturals and also spirituals in the one see your vileness in the other your emptiness c. Fourthly If you would get and preserve uprightness then Get your hearts to be crucified to the world get your hearts to be crucified to the world Hypocrisie and worldliness are seldom far asunder It is rare to find an Hypocrite but he is one who is either strongly ambitious of honor or greedily desirous of Riches search the Scrriptures and you shall find it so and very cleerly in the Pharisees Now when the heart is set upon the world it is easily drawn aside it will ever anon be uneven the bowl which hath a bias cannot run longe in a strait line They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare into many foolish hurtfull lusts c. For the love of mony is the root of all evil 2 Tim. 6. 9 10. A thing of naught turns aside the heart which is worldly the look of a man the hope of a nod a change of garments a morsel of bread a meals meat a few pieces of silver all of these are to a worldly hearr like the winde to the ship which turned the sails round about Therefore take heed of the world most of our uneven carriages arise from want of faith to exalt God and from the enthraling of our hearts to the world we are under either the discouragements of the world and the fear of them make us to step awry or else the encouragements of it and the hope and love of them makes us to omit duties or put out our hearts to wickedness The sear of man and the too high account of carnal power and too much love of our selves and the world are sore enemies to uprightness of heart or life he who will know no Lord but Christ and no safety like that of God and no good like that which is heavenly his spirit is sound and his life will be upright 3. Now to all that hath been said let me add a few daily meditations which may be of great force to keep us in upright walking Considerations to keep us upright God searcheth the heart and beholds our wayes Four considerations more 1. One that God searcheth my heart and still looks upon my ways Whether shall I go from thy presence said David Psalm 139. And all things are naked and open to him with whom we have to deal said the Apostle Heb. 4. There can be no action hid from an all-seeing eye Nor can the ground and motives and ends of our actions be secret to him who searcheth the heart and reins and understands our thoughts a far off we may blind the eyes of men but we cannot delude the eye of God The Lord seeth me in the dark and my private courses are as obvious to him as the mountain to the sun at noon-day what way I take he well observes and which way my heart runs what it favours and what it dislikes what I do and what end I have in all my doings and what principles and rules sway within the chambers of my breast This daily meditation may be of force to look both to the matter of our doings and to the manner and so incline us to upright walking 2. Another That I must one day appear before God and then I must one day appear before God and then all my secrets will be disclosed all secrets shall be disclosed The upright man may be shaddowed out by an