that to these there is no condemnation wherefore saith David Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not Sinne. Psal 32. Againe he healeth our sinne by quenching the inherent flame thereof by the force of his Holy Spirit for it is the operation of Gods Spirit to beat downe sinne Rom. 6.6 to mortifie corruption and to renew in us the Image of God Thus wee see Ephes 4.24 that it is God that healeth sinne as the efficient and principall Agent Therfore to him let us seeke of him let us desire the pardon and remission of our sinnes of him let us intreat for the force of his Holy Spirit to quench the flame of our inborne Corruption bidding a farewell to all Romish superstitions indulgences satisfactions and invocations of Saints for our God is a iealous God and will not give his Glory to another Againe as it is proper unto God alone to heale Sinne so hee is most ready to performe that Cure which is the second point to bee considered No sooner did Ephraim submit himselfe and intreat the pardon of iniquitie but presently the Lord replies I will heale their Rebellions plainly witnessing that he is not wanting to us if wee be not wanting to our selves but if wee acknowledge our miserie and moure for our transgression he is most ready to cure us Oh how frequent are examples in this kinde When David from his mourning soule did cry out 2. Sam. 12.15 peccavi I haue sinned presently God had his Messenger ready to speake comfort to his soule Thy Sinne is put away When that Luxurious sonne that had prodigally spent his portion Luke 15. did but once cry out Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to bee called thy Sonne presently his loving Father did runne to meet him hee did embrace him in his armes hee did kisse him with the kisses of his mouth and gave him royall entertainement Alas Luk. 7.38 when deepe wandring Mary had the feeling of her Misery that shee came and stood at the feet of CHRIST wept and mourned for her transgression oh how soone were the gates of Mercy opened unto her how soone did shee heare a comfortable absolution Oh that then wee would bee cautions that wee be not wanting to our selves by the hardnesse of our hearts refusing this blessed Cure Cant. 5.2 we haue Christ Iesus crying unto us with sweet and familiar termes Open unto mee my sister my love my dove my undefiled Rev. 3.20 Hee tells us that hee stands and knockes at the doore If any man open unto him hee will come unto him and will supp with him Oh that then wee would endeavour to open our hearts to entertaine this heavenly Physitian that hee might heale and cure the deepe corruptions of them lest whilst wee keepe fast the doore of our hearts at length the doore of mercie bee shut against us and wee perish in the loathsome desease of our sinne and wickednesse And so much briefly for the person emphatically set forth in the pronoune Ego I I will heale their Rebellions Come we now unto the Action exprest in the word heale by which Metaphoricall speech is plainly intimated that sinne is a desease for as there are corporeall Maladies that doe affect the body so there are spirituall Maladies that doe affect the soule Wherefore to insist upon this Metaphor and the more cleerly to shew that sinne is a desease even a furious and a grievous desease that doth in a speciall manner oppresse contaminate and infect the soule we may fitly compare it to a Fever to a Leprosie to a Phrensie to a Lethargie And first unto a Fever and that in a fivefold respect first in regard of debilitation for as a Fever doth wonderfully debilitate and weaken the body making it unfit to performe any validious exercise so dealeth sinne with the soule it so weakens it that it becoms unable to performe any holy duty Prov. 15.18 any fit action pleasing in the sight of God for what saith Salomon The sacrifice of the wicked is abhominable unto God Heb. 11.6 all he doth is odious in his sight for as the author to the Hebrewes speakes without faith it is impossible to please God But where sinne hath plenall domination there sauing faith hath no impression therefore it followes that all that these doe is utterly dispeasing unto God Thus first sinne is fitly compared unto a Fever in respect of debilitation it so weakens the soule that it makes it unable to doe any thing that is savorie in the sight of God Secondly sinne is fitly compared unto a Fever propter gustum in respect of tast for as to him that is affected with a vehement Fever the most sweetest things become bitter and distastfull so is it where the soule is laden with impiety Psal 19.10 there the most wholsome and pleasant things that which David proclaimes was sweeter to him than hony and the hony combe becomes most sharp and unsavory What could bee more sweet than Christs most heavenly speech delivered in the sixt of Iohn Ioh. 6.53 54. Except yee eate my flesh and drinke my bloud yee have no life in you Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life c. Oh what could bee more sweet than this heavenly voice but what could bee more harsh Ioh. 6.60 or more distastfull to the soule-sick carnall Capernaites therfore they cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oh this is a hard speech who is able to heare it Againe what could be more sweet than our Saviours blessed speech to that penitent sinfull woman Luke 5. pronouncing to her a most comfortable absolution Thy sinnes be forgiven thee yet what could bee more displeasing to the arrogant Pharisees Luke 7.49 therefore they murmured among themselves Who is this that even forgiveth sinnes Thus secondly sinne may fitly bee compared to a Fever propter gustum in respect of tast for it makes the sweetest and most savorie nutritives to seem as if they were most sharp and violent distructives Thirdly sinne is fitly compared to a Fever in respect of digestion for as the fierce inflaming Maladie doth so oppresse the stomack that it disables it to admit digestion to the most wholsome food but oft makes it become so loathsome to it that it doth evomere send it forth againe so dealeth sinne with the soule it disables it to admit digestion to the most heavenly things but makes them so loathsome to it that it suffers it not to possesse so much as any quiet impression Hence it was that though Noah spake to the old world to returne from their impieties Gen. 6.3 or else the Lord would destroy them by a generall deluge from off the face of the earth though he did build the Arke in their sight to shew the certainty of this iudgement unlesse they would revert and continued this admonition by the space of
or excusing them And Hercules after he had slaine his wife and children became so perplexed in conscience that in the horror of it he concluded Nemo pollutojqueat animo mederi none of a polluted conscience can be cured And Aristotle was able to say of the wicked in the 9. of his Ethicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zeph. 3.5 therefore Alexander a heathen man having slaine his deare friend Clitus became grievously troubled in his conscience his very conscience accusing him for that barbarous and savage cruelty Thirdly they knew this distributive or iudiciarie iustice of God by the examples of Gods iustice for that hath beene true and shall bee true for ever which the Lord sets down by the Prophet Zephany Every morning doth hee bring his iudgements to light and faileth not Therefore when Tull. Hostilius was slaine by lightning from heaven and his house burned the Gentiles understood this to bee the iustice of God against him for his irreligious exorcismes So that wee see it cleere the Gentiles did know this iudiciarie iustice of God yet wilfully against their owne knowledge and conscience they committed things worthy of death A grievous wickednesse for if every sinne deserve death even sinnes of infirmitie and ignorance as the Prophet David doth witnesse and therefore doth cry out unto God Psal 19.12 Oh clense me from my secret sinnes how much more sinnes of wilfulnesse committed against the full swinge of knowledge and conscience 1. Ioh. 3.8 as were the sinnes of these Gentiles for knowing the iustice of God they committed them therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 1.18 They detayned the truth in unrighteousnesse they knew it but they wilfully reiected it Now saith our Saviour Luke 12.47 Hee that knowes his Masters will and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes And wee may see that the Prophet Samuel calls the sinne committed against knowledge and conscience 1. Sam. 15.23 a rebellion and compares it to those great sinnes witchcraft and idolatrie and Saul being guilty of this the Lord reiects him for ever What should this then impresse within us beloved in Christ Iesus oh how well might it serve to instruct us to be cautious how we entertaine or live in any sinne against our knowledge and our conscience First to be cautious how wee entertaine any sinne against our conscience 1. Iohn 3.20 for if as Saint Iohn speakes our conscience condemne us God is greater than our conscience and knoweth all things If therefore wee commit those things that our owne knowledge and our conscience is able to condemne us and pronounce iudgement against us for it how much more then shall the Lord condemne us and iudge us for these sinnes to whom they are farre better knowne than to our owne consciences Besides if our conscience bee able now to accuse us for these sinnes how much more shall it bee able to doe it at the finall iudgement Rev. 20.12 when the bookes shall bee opened even the booke of conscience and by the vigour of the divine power shall bee made able to call to remembrance all the thoughts words and actions whatsoever Rom. 2.15 had spoken or done by us and to accuse us or excuse us for them according as they have been agreeable or dissenting from the Law of God how much more then shall our consciences bee able to accuse us for all our sinister passages when they shall be thus opened and as it were quickned and awaked by the mighty power of God for oftentimes in this life through the long habite and continuance in sinne the conscience becomes as it were dead and the dictamen or voyce thereof strangely quailed but at length the Lord shall quicken it even the conscience of the most wicked as he did somtimes Cains which made him cry out Gen. 4.13 My sin is greater than can be forgiven or as he did somtimes Iudases which did so torment him that it made him bring backe his base corrupted hyer and to throw it downe at the feet of the Priests and Elders Matt. 27. openly confessing I have sinned betraying the innocent blood and as weary of his life desperately deprived himselfe of all vitall power Oh therefore be we cautious how we entertaine sinne against our knowledge and our conscience Secondly be we cautious how we live in any sinne against our knowledge and our conscience for this is a dangerous estate for saving Faith receives no impression where the conscience is wounded with plenall raigning sinnes committed against our knowledge and our conscience Therefore the Apostle ioynes these two together 1. Tim. 1.19 Faith and a good conscience that is a conscience purged and purified from raigning sinnes for these doe vastare conscientiam they wast and destroy the conscience therfore to these there is no comfort no peace with God no peace in conscience for there is no peace Esay 48 2◠saith the Lord unto the wicked In these that thus live in sin committed with full consent of will against their knowledge and their conscience there is no pietie nor religion there is no true feare of God nor obedience unto his sacred Word Psal 36.1 Oh that wee would therefore be cautious how wee live in any sinne against our conscience for if the Gentiles as the Apostle shewes us had no pretext to excuse their sins whose chiefest Schoolemaster to shew them Gods iustice against their sinnes was yet but the light of Nature if these were voyde of excuse oh then what shal we say to our selves If we live in sinnes against our knowledge our conscience even those grosse sinnes which wee see daily familiarly entertained drunkennesse adulterie deceit oppression envie malice and that hell-bred sinne of usurie how inexcusable shall we be to live in these sinnes who have not only the light of Nature Rom. 6.23 but the cleere and manifest word of God to shew us the iustice of God against these sinnes nay the excellent and precious gospell of Christ Marke 1.15 promising to the repentant that forsake their sinnes and beleeve this sacred truth Ioh. 3.16 17 18. eternall felicitie and happinesse oh then how voyde of pretext shall we be yea how greatly shall this aggravate iudgement against us to live in sinnes against our knowledge and our conscience to whom Gods iustice is so cleerly manifested Heb. 2.2 3. to whom so great meanes is afforded to reclaime us and recall us Oh know we if we against our knowledge and conscience will thus still continue our violence in sinne notwithstanding this great meanes afforded us it shall bee easier for these Gentiles at the day of iudgement than for us And thus much beloved for my first generall part the pollution of the Gentiles in respect of their owne proper sinnes Come I now unto the second observed generall the pollution of the Gentiles in respect of the sinnes of others which the Apostle sets downe as a deep
a hundred and twenty yeeres yet behold their miserable state they admit it no digestion but did as it were evomere send it forth againe for their soules were full of sinne the imaginations of their heart even altogether wicked Gen. 19.14 Though Lott proclaimed the voice of God to the wicked Sodomites that they should depart from that pernitious citie for God would destroy it alas they held it ridiculous they admit it no digestion for their soules were full of sinne Exod. 5.1 Though Moses delivered the expresse word of God to Pharaoh that he should let his people goe and free them from their grievous captivity alas his stomack would not beare it hee would give it no passage but t was loathsome unto him therefore hee replied Ver. 2. Who is the Lord that I should heare his voyce what is there any that can command me any to whom my Scepter should stoup for his soule was full gorged with horrid sinnes So though the Lord by his Prophet Ieremy Ier. 18.11 did plainly witnesse against the wicked ones of those times that he had prepared a plague for them that hee had purposed a thing against them and therefore invited them to returne from their sinister waies to prevent that fearfull stroke of his iustice alas they would none of it they admit it no digestion but returne it up again Ier. 18 1◠desperately answering Wee will walke after our owne imaginations wee will doe every man after the stubbornnesse of his wicked heart for their soules were full of sinne So our blessed Saviour gave that yongue Man in Mathewes Gospell a speciall Cordiall to revive his dying spirits Mat. 19.21 to cure that great disease the Philarguria of his soule but oh the misery of that fearfull sinne it suffers it not to worke upon him it sends it up againe alas he went away sorrowing Mat. 19.22 Faine hee would have retayned Christs blessed potion but the strength of his disease would not admit it therefore he bids a farewell to Christ Iesus Thus thirdly sinne is fitly compared to a fever It takes away the stomack of the soule and makes it unable to digest the most wholsome things Fourthly sin is fitly compared to a Fever propter inflammationem in respect of fierce and violent inflamation for as that virulent Maladie burnes and with its unnaturall heat torments all the vitall and spirituall powers so deales sinne with the soule for even oft in this life it fearfully inflames it burnes it and fills it full of wrathfull horror For although wicked and prophane persons doe many times passe by the remembrance of their sinnes either by lascivious discourses vaine societies dissolute sports or the deep habit of sinne for as Bernard speakes Bern Ser. 8. in Cant. Isid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evill habit doth harden and as Isidore speakes makes us become even without sense and feeling But what oh yet sinne lieth at the doore it waits opportunity to plunge the soule with fearfull misery Gen. 4.7 pursuing the conscience as a swift hunting Nimrod Gen. 10.9 as a speedy footed Nimshi There was a time when Cains conscience had no feeling of that great sinne of murder which hee had committed nay though God spake to him and asked him Where is thy brother Gen. 4.9 which a man would thinke should have made Cain to have lookt downe upon his guilty conscience and to have stood amazed shakt and trembled at this voyce but alas it stird him not at all hee was stout and stood as it were at defiance with God as if he had done him the greatest wrong that could be so much as to insinuate such a matter with him Therefore he insolently replied I cannot tell am I my brothers keeper As if hee should say I hope you will not lay his death to my charge will you offer mee that indignity So that here Cain was without all touch of conscience his great crying sinne of murder troubled him not at all but what was this alwaies Cains state oh no at length you may behold the fearfull fury of this sinne so flame up in his soule and conscience that the extreame burning heate thereof did make him cry out My sinne is greater than can bee forgiven Gen. 4.13 Strange alteration of late he saw no sinne it troubled him not at all and now hee sees so huge a burning flame that hee thinkes all the ocean of Gods mercy is not able to quench it therefore he cries out My sinne is greater than can bee forgiven Againe there was a time when treacherous Iudas had no tast nor feeling of his wickednesse he plotted and practised against his most innocent Master he combined and conspired with the Scribes and Pharisees Christs most cruell enemies he concluded with them Mat. 26.14 to betray him into their hands and that for a meane and a base reward and what Vers 15. was hee toucht for this sinne oh no hee came into his masters presence with the rest of the Apostles and heard him openly divulge One of you shall betray me Ioh. 13.21 yet it stird him not at all it wrought nothing upon his fast clasped conscience but he was bold and questioned his Master Mat. 26.25 as if he had been as cleere a man as could be Is it I Master As if he should say I hope Master of all the rest you will not thinke that I would doe such a deed what I betray you I your servant an Apostle whom you have preferred to bee Treasurer and Keeper of your store what I betray you my Master my most loving Master an innocent Lambe a blessed Saviour oh pray thinke not that I would do such a deed Nay though Christ answer him and tell him plainely Thou hast said oh Iudas thou art the Man how smoothly and cunningly soever thou carrie it yet it moved him not at all all this while his conscience was asleepe and so on it goes Iudas takes his money Christ is betrayed he is condemned he must dye And what still asleepe Iudas oh no now the case begins to be altered now his sinne begins to rouse him up now it makes such a fire in his soule that he hath no rest but runs up and downe like a Mad man now the treacherous hier which was before more deare to him than his Masters life oh now he cannot indure it but up he takes it Mat. 27.3 4. and downe to the Priests and Elders hee goes throwes it them againe and cries out unto them I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood And thus hee runs to and fro in the fury of his inflamed sinne without all ease without all rest as if hee were in hell already untill at length he becomes his owne executioner the worst handes living executing the worst man living But what should I speake of these thus deeply wicked If Gods owne children shall dare to bee so bould to suffer sinne to