THE SINFULNESSE OF SINNE AND THE FULNESSE OF CHRIST Delivered in Two Sermons By Mr. WILLIAM BRIDGE Sometime Fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and ' late Preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth LONDON Printed in the Year 1667. CHRISTIAN READER THou art desired to take notice That these two Sermons are not exposed to publique view by the Author 's own hand but were taken as they fell from his lips in his ordinary Preaching Nevertheless the style method spirituality conciseness and depth of them give in ample testimony to all that have acquaintance with him that they are his genuine off-spring And being suitable and usefull to all persons in all conditions thou mayest through the blessing of God reap much advantage by them THE SINFULNESSE OF SINNE Rom. 7. and part of the 13 Verse But sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good that sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sinful MY purpose is now to speak something concerning the evil and sinfulness of sin and therefore have made choice of these words In this Chapter the Apostle Paul doth give us some account of the way and manner of his Conversion Before I was converted sayes he I was alive without the Law ver 9. but when the Commandment came sin revived and I died for without the Law sin was dead and I was alive without the Law once I thought my self a jolly man I was very brisk and jolly had good thoughts of my condition I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came when the word of the Lord came in power unto my soul for I had the Law and the Commandment always with me Concerning the Law I was blameless Phil. 3. 6. the letter of the Law was not absent from me but when it pleased God to set on the Word of the Lord in power upon my soul then whereas I was alive before now sin revived sin that lay dead before and was hid now revived and did appear to be sin for that in the 9 Verse and this in the 13 are the same Vers 9. Sin revived and I died but sin that it might appear sin working death in me in this 13 Verse But how did sin revive and appear By the coming of the Law by the coming of the Commandment thereby it broke out the more and so was discovered as by the coming and shining of the Sun-beams upon the Dung-hill the filth stinks the more not that the Sun-beams are the cause but the occasion thereof And sin revived by the coming of the Commandment and appeared to be sin appeared more to me in its own shape and struck me dead with the apparition thereof whereas before sin was dead and I alive now sin alive and I dead From whence then I take up this Observation Observ That there is a great deal of evil and sinfulness in sin which doth not appear to a man until he doth Convert and turn unto God Look when a man doth Convert and turn unto God then sin appears to be sin indeed and not before For the clearing and prosecution whereof I shall labour to shew First That there is a great deal of evil and sinfulness in sin Secondly That this evil and sinfulness of sin doth not appear to a man until Conversion-work pass upon his soul Thirdly Look when a man doth Convert and turn to the Lord in truth then sin appears in the sinfulness thereof unto him 1. There is a great deal of evil and sinfulness in sin To make it out in the general and then more particularly 1. In the general this may appear by the names of sin for sin hath taken up all the names of evil of all evils The Scripture doth not Nickname sin and yet what evil is there incident unto man but sin is invested with the name thereof in Scripture 1. Is it an evil thing for a man to be unclean and filthy Sin is called filthiness I will wash you from all your filthiness Ezek. 36. 25. 2. Is it an evil thing for a man to be naked Sin is called nakedness That your nakedness may not appear Rev. 3. 18. 3. Is it an evil thing for a man to be blind Sin is called blindness The blind shall lead the blind Mat. 15. 14. 4. Is it an evil thing for a man to be foolish Sin is called folly That you may no more return unto folly Psal 85. 8. 5. Is it an evil thing for a man to be mad The Prodigal returned unto himself Luke 15. 17 and I was mad sayes Paul Acts 26. 11. 6. Is it an evil thing for a man to be dead Sin is called death Dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2. 1. 7. It is called an Abomination Prov. 8. 7. and because there is no word that can express the evil and sinfulness of sin the Apostle in this place sayes That sin might become exceeding sinful Why Because there is no word of evil that can reach the evil of sin Now look what that is that doth ingross and take up all the names of all evils that must needs be exceeding evil So it is with sin 2. Look what that is that doth separate betwixt us and God who is the chiefest and universal good That must needs be the greatest evil Now sayes the Prophet Your iniquities have separated between you and your God Isa 59. 2. 3. Look what that is that doth unite us to Satan and make us the Children of the Devil That must needs be very evil Says our Saviour You are of your father the devil Why For his works you do Joh. 8. 44. Sin makes us the children of the devil 4. Look what that is that did put Christ to death that was the cause of his death That must needs be exceeding evil So sin did He was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. He bare our sins upon the Cross 1 Pet. 2. 24. and the Lord made the iniquity of us all to meet on him Isa 53. 6. 5. Look what that is that doth bring a general curse upon the whole Creation That must needs be evil So sin hath done cursed be the ground and the earth for thy sake Gen. 3. 17. 6. Look what that is that doth soil and stain all our glory and the Image of God in us That must needs be great evil Sin hath stayned the beauty of the Image of God that was stampt upon us and by sin saith the Apostle Row 3. 23. we come short of the glory of God For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God 7. Look what that is that doth bring such horror of Conscience that a soul is not able to bear and cannot be allayed but by the blood of Jesus That must needs be a very great evil Sin and the eating of the forbidden fruit hath bred this worm that never dies 8. Look what that evil is that is the fewel of Hell that feeds Hell-fire to all Eternity That
have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Isa 6. 5. and sayes Job I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee What then I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 42. 5 6. Look when I see God the glory of God the goodness of God the holiness of God the wisdom and the soveraignty of God then sin appears in its sinfulness to me 3. Then also a man comes to see Christ crucified and not till then there is nothing can give us such a sight of the sinfulness of sin as Christ crucified By the Law is the knowledg of sin Rom. 3. 20. but by the sight of Christ crucified I see the hatred that God hath against sin I do not see by the Law so much the hatred that God hath against sin as in Christ crucified the more I see Gods hatred against sin the more I see the sinfulness of it Now look when a man doth convert and turn unto God then he sees Christ crucified 4. Look when a man hath gotten the true prospect of Hell and of the wrath of God then sin appears sinful to him Now look when a man convert and turn unto God in truth then he sees the wrath of God and hath the true prospect of Hell from which he is delivered 5. The more a man is tired out and wearied with the dogging and haunting of his sin that he can rest no where for it the more the sinfulness of sin appears to him Now when a man doth convert and turn unto God what sayes he Ah I am never at rest I am dogged and haunted and tired out continually with my sin O now it appears very sinful to me 6. Look when a mans heart is filled with the love of God and possessed with the Holy Ghost then sin appears to him to be very sinful for what comes the Holy Ghost for To convince the world of sin Joh. 16. 8. Now look when a man doth convert and turn to God then comes this convincing work of the Holy Ghost then his heart is filled with the love of God and possessed with the Holy Ghost therefore then sin appears in the sinfulness thereof unto his soul And thus I have done with the Doctrine namely That there is a great deal of evil and sinfulness in sin which doth not appear to a man until he doth convert and turn unto God By way of Application 1. First For the first part If there be so much evil and sinfulness in sin behold the power of the grace of God the grace of God with out you the grace of God within you If a spark of fire should be preserved alive in an Ocean of water you would think it is some strong hand that did it If a Candle should be kept light in a great wind and storm you will say it was a strong hand that kept it light There is an Ocean of sin in our hearts and that a little spark or Candle of grace should be preserved in us in the midst of this Ocean of sin Oh the power of the grace of God! 2. If this be true Behold the riches and the freeness of the grace of God that you should be delivered from all this evil sin sinful and so sinful and evil and you delivered from all this evil oh the riches and the freeness of the grace of God! 2. But secondly For the second part If the sinfulness of sin doth not appear until a man convert and turn unto God Then 1. Here we may see some reason why some men are not sensible of their sins though very great it is bccause they are not converted the Commandment never came the Commandment is not yet come such a poor soul goes on in his sin and is not yet convinced of the evil of it for the Commandment never yet came 2. If this be true what a sad condition are all those in that are not converted and brought home to God they are in their sins and their sin is in them The whole world lies in wickedness 1 Joh. 5. 19. 1 They lie in their sin and are full thereof they are full of this evil this evil is full of evil and they are full of this evil they are full of it For 1. They are always filling and never emptying A vessel that is always filling and never emptying must needs be full Thus it is with a man not converted not turned to God he is always filling with sin and never emptying yea when he thinks he is emptying when he thinks he is repenting and reforming then he is filling with sin always filling and never emptying therefore must needs be full 2. They are full of it because they sin beyond their temptation If a Beggar begs of me and I give him more than he begs for if he begs for 6 d. and I give him 12 d. he will say I am full for I give him more than he begged for so when temptation begs and a man sins beyond his temptation what doth this argue but that he is full of sin Thus it is with men unconverted they sin beyond their temptation and what doth this argue but that they are full of sin 3. And full they are because they are dropping their sin wheresoever they go You will say a Beggar is full of vermine that drops his vermine wheresoever he goes So men not converted not turned unto God they are dropping their vermine wheresoever they go if they come in good company they are dropping their vermine there if they come in bad company they are dropping their vermine there why because they are full of vermine full of sin 2. But secondly As men not converted not turned to God are full of sin so they are under the power of it Why How doth that appear Because their sin commands them off from their duty Suppose a company of men sitting at table at meat together and another comes into the room and sayes to one of them Take your Cloak and follow me and he presently rises from his meat and follows him you will say certainly this man is his Master because he arises from his meat at his command and follows him So when sin shall command a man off from his duty from reading the Word from private Prayer What doth this argue but that he is under the power of sin As when a man is sinning and grace comes and calls him off from his sin it argues he is under the power of grace so when a man is at his duty and his sin comes and calls him off from his duty it argues he is under the power of sin so it is with men unconverted they are under the power of their sin 3. As a man unconverted is full of sin and under the power of it so he knows it not for sin doth not appear to a man to be sin untill he convert and turn unto God it doth not yet appear as the Apostle sayes in another
presume Never think on sin without Christ Labour to get the sight of your sin but never think on sin without Christ but look on your sin in the wounds of Christ and read your sins written out in Christs blood 2. Humble your selves for sin though it be never so small but do not question your condition for sin though it be never so great I do not speak this to those that are unconverted for they have cause to question their condition for every sin though never so small but being converted and turned unto God I say humble thy self for every sin though never so small but never question thy condition for any sin though never so great 3. The more sense you have of sin and the sinfulness thereof the more labour to maintain your assurance of the pardon of it and the more assurance you have of the pardon of your sin the more labour for a sight and sense of it Let not your sense of sin quench your joy of pardon let not your joy of pardon hinder your sight of sin if both these be true and genuine the one is an help unto the other 4. And to conclude the more sense you have of sin the more do you come to Christ for in Scripture you shall find that every good work is not for it self but some good works are in order to others as for example to instance in the keeping of the Sabbath you are to rest on the Sabbath and it is a good work but not for it self but in order to Prayer Hearing Sanctification other duties So here sense of sin is a good work but it is not for it self but in order to going to Christ Therefore now go to Christ and say Lord now I see the sinfulness of sin let me also see the graciousness of grace and the fulness of Christ yea now I do come to thee for righteousness because I see my sin is out of measure sinful FINIS THE FULNESSE OF CHRIST Isaiah 9. 1 2. Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the Nations The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined THese words do relate to the former Chapter us you may see by the word nevertheless in the end of the former Chapter the Prophet shews that great trouble and misery should befal the people of God It shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry they shall fret themselVes and curse their king and their God and look upward vers 21. and they shall look unto the earth and behold trouble and darkness dimness of anguish and they shall be driven to darkness nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation c. So that in these words you have a great affliction mentioned and the mitigation of that affliction the affliction or trouble is more easie and more heavy it hath two parts a more easie part and a more heavy part at the first he lightly afflicted the land of zebulun and the land of Nephtali and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the Sea The story whereof you have in 2 King 15. 19. Pul the king of Assyria came against the land and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand and Manahem exacted the money of Israel so the king of Assyria turned back and stayed not there in the land There was the more light affliction but in ver 29. there you have the more heavy affliction In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria and took Ijon and Abel-beth-Maachah and Janoah and Kedesh and Hazor and Gilead and Galilee all the land of Naphtali and carried them captive to Assyria Here was the affliction wherewith they were vexed both more light and more heavy The mitigation follows at the second verse The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined Here is an alleviation of this affliction by the promise of Christ which is interpreted of Christ in Matth. 4. Now at Ver. 12. when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison he departed into Galilee and leaving Nazareth he came and dwelt in Capernaum which is upon the Sea-coast in the borders of Zebulon and Naphtali that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet saying The land of Zebulon and the land of Nephtali by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan Galilee of the Gentiles the people which sate in darkness saw great light and to them which sate in the Region and shadow of death light is sprung up So that Christ and Christ alone is an alleviation to our greatest afflictions And so the Doctrine that I shall fall in with at this time is this Doct. There is that in Jesus Christ alone-which may and can and doth afford sufficient comfort and relief in the worst of times and conditions For the opening and prosecution whereof First We will inquire into the truth of it that it is so Secondly What that is in Christ that may or can succour comfort and relieve in the worst of times and conditions Thirdly How far this concerns us And so to the Application 1. First As to the truth of it it is said of Christ That in him the fulness of the God head dwelleth bodily Col. 2. 9. and there is enough in God to supply all our wants As there is enough in Heaven to pay for all at the last so there is enough in God to supply all at the present He is too covetous whom the great God of Heaven cannot suffice When David was in the greatest strait that ever he met with in his life his Wives and goods taken and carried away by the enemy and his own men and soldiers mutined and ready to stone him how did he comfort himself but in God David incouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30. 6. There is enough in God to comfort in all conditions and the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily in Christ Therefore there is that in Christ which may afford sufficient comfort and relief in the worst of times and conditions 2. If you look into Scripture you shall find that the promises and prophecies of Christ are calculated and given out for the worst of times it was usual with the Prophets to prophesie of Christ but mark how their prophecies were calculated for the worst of times In Jer. 23. you have a prophecy of Christ Vers 6. In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his