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A92846 The anatomy of secret sins, presumptuous sins, sins in dominion, & uprightness. Wherein divers weighty cases are resolved in relation to all those particulars: delivered in divers sermons preached at Mildreds in Bread-street London, on Psalm 19. 12, 13. Together with the remissibleness of all sin, and the irremissibleness of the sin against the Holy Ghost preached before an honourable auditory. By that reverend and faithfull minister of the Gospel, Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick, B.D. Perfected by himself, and published by those whom he intrusted with his notes. Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.; Chambers, Humphrey, 1598 or 9-1662. 1660 (1660) Wing S2363; Thomason E1003_1; ESTC R203493 249,727 327

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soul doth as it were shut its eyes and stop its ears it doth break away to the sin against all the discoveries and clear impleadings of knowledg gainsaying and withstanding it the presumptuous person goes not to sin ignorantly but he doth it by imprinted light so the sin as Gods enemy which yet he will embrace as his friend yea the more Inexcusable that a sin is the worse it is when little or nothing can be said in behalf of the siner thus is it in presumptuous sinings the man cannot say I did not know it I was not warned 2. The more pride of heart accompanies any kind of sinning The more pride of heart in any sinning the viler it is this makes it the more vile for pride lifts up the point of the sword it shakes the speare against God when the will of God and the will of a sinner come into a competition about sining then pride growes high Who is the Lord saith Pharaoh that I should let Israel goe Exod. 3. Who is Lord over us said they in Psalme 12. when the heart goes proudly to sin it will acknowledge noe Lord but it s own pleasure and no rule but it s own resolution it can slight a precept and scorne a threatning Now presumptuous sinnings are filled with pride I think St. Austine had an aime at this in his exposition of this v. when he rendered the reading of it thus contine servum tuum a superbiis keep back thy servant from prides as if pride were knotted and folded doubled in presumptuous sinnings there was pride and pride again in that heart which durst thus to sinne and verily so there is in presumptuous sinnings a manifold pride a pride of judgement to approve that which God hath branded and condemned a pride of will to rise up to that which God would have the sinner forbear A pride of security to make a Sanctuary for the soul when God hath threatned wrath c. 3. The more impudency and boldnesse attends a sinning the worse it is There is a double impudency about sinning One of defence when the sinne hath been committed of which I am not now to speak which is no more but to paint The more impudency in sinning the worse it is a whore or to cover a plain sore to make that seeme good which really is stark nau●ht Another of entrance when the sinful soul layes aside all shame and fear and modesty and restraints and arguments said he whatsoever may be said come of it whatsoever may come yet I wi●l on let God take it well or take it ill let him beseech by mercy or warne by threatnings nothing moves neither my peace nor comfort nor soul prevail nor my shame nor trouble nor misery keep back But thus it is in presumptuous sinnings the heart is bold and impudent which can look so much mercy in the face and yet will dare to sinne which can look so many threatnings in the face yet wil dare to sin which can look its own great misery in respect of the issue Note and end of the sinnin in the face and yet will dare to sinne nay which can perhaps look many former experiences of bitte●ness and anguish for the same sinful adventurings in the face and yet will dare to sin puttin● the hand into the fire ag●in which hath burned it and venturnig to swim in those waters where had not Gods mercy stept in the soul had long since been drowned 4. The more abuse of mercy concurs to the sinning the more hainous it raiseth the sinne for mercy is the sweetest stop of a The more Mercy is abused the more hainous the sin sinner and the kindness of it should smooth off the soule from offending what is mercy but that unspeakable readinesse in God to forgive a sinner a gracious willingnesse to sit down with wrong offered if yet the sinner will come in and the abusings of it are affronts to the highest love But now in presumptuous sinnings mercy is extreamly abused First in that it hath not its dir●ct end the direct end of mercy is to awe and to keep off the heart from sinne There is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feare Psal 130. But the presumptuous sinner is lesse fearful because God is so merciful and the mercies of God should lead to repentance Rom. 2. But the presumptuous sinner yet dares to hold on the sinful trade Secondly when it is made to serve and to encourage sinne O this is the imbasing of that high and tender attribute of God when we draw out from his goodnesse to embolden the heart to wickednesse as if that God whose soul abhorres sinne would let fall any expression to hearten a sinner yet thus it is with the presuming sinner the very mercy of God makes him bold to sin against God the confidence of that easiness in God to forgive occasions him therefore to adventure and multiply transgressions In respect of others 3. In respect of others David had good reasons to pray to be kept from presumptuous sinnes in respect of others as well as in respect of himself whither you consider his general calling a man of goodness or his particular calling a man of dignity and place but I will fold them both together thus then 2. Reasons His sins would be exemplary 1. Such sinnes would be exemplary and noted There are three things which set a man upon the stage which lift up his actions on high to the eye of the word One is his powerful and active sanctity a very holy man is a kinde of a wondrous sight after which many eyes are gazing Godlinesse is a very rare thing and therefore men look much upon him who professeth it Another is his singular dignity lift a man out of the croud advance him to a place and seat of honour above others how busie is the multitude to eye and judge and imitate him The wayes and actions of great persons are usually the present copies of the most A third is his notorious miscarriages which are like the tayle of a blazing comet the great sinning of good orgreat men fall instantly into common discourse and perhaps also easily into common practice Therefore great cause had David to pray against presumptuous sinnes which by his practice might prove a common snare for who will not confidently write after that sinful copy which both goodnesse and greatnesse have begun that which the great man dot● the inferior person will do and that which the good man doth that the evil man thinks he may now lawfully do if knowledge will venture ignorance supposeth that it may safely follow and if holinesse will adventure why should profaneness be so nice as to stop The way or fact is credited either as not bad or else not so dangerous where either authority or profession are leaders Now this might be some cause to move good David to pray to be kept back from presumptuous sins
to break the covenant of her youth and God for a person who is married this very relation trebles the guilt for any one to murder is a sin of death but for the Childe to murder the parent secretly this very relation increases the guilt 3. The more profession a man makes the worse are his secret The more profession a man makes the worse are his secret sins sinnings forasmuch as he carrieth not only a badge but also a judge on his shoulde●s he not only weares a profession which is contrary to his practise but which shall condemne and judge him that he is not what he would seeme to be yea his contrary practise doth ground and occasion the great reproaches and blemishes like dirt to be cast upon the face of Religion and wo to him by whom offences come 4. The more light a man hath meeting him in the darke and secret actings of sin the more abominable is the sin when not only The more light a man hath ●he more abominable the sin a discovering light but a checking light not only a checking but a threatning not onely a threatning but also a troubling light opposeth and chargeth from the conscience against the sinning this makes it the more out of measure sinfull The more against the light of nature the worse they are 5. The more repugnant secret sins are to the light of nature the worse are they in their actings A sin is very broad when the light of nature without any ayd of knowledg from the scripture shall make the heart to tremble at the commission and to be terribly amazed the Apostle toucheth at these kindes of secret sinnings Rom. 1. unnaturall lustings and burnings 6. The more art a man doth use to effect his secret sinnings the The more art a man useth in secret sins the worse they are worse they are forasmuch as a about the same sin it is ever wo●se when it is breathed out by deliberation then when it is forced out by a meer temptation and sin is not to be reputed an infirmity or weakness when art or cunning is the cause of it for as much as art is sober and takes time to contrive and reason to place and displace to help and forward its acts or intentions The more frequent a man is in them the worse they are all which are contrary to surprisals and infirmities 7. The more frequent a man is in secret sinnings the deeper is his guilt when he can drive a trade of s●n within doors when it is not a slip but a course and he hath h●●dly scraped out the bitternesse of the former but he is exercising the sin new and afresh againe 8. The more gripes of conscience and resolutions a man hath felt To wallow in them against conscience and resolutions makes them worse and taken against secret sinnings and yet wallowes in them the more staine and guilt lies upon his soule A wound to a sick man is worse then to an healthy man forasmuch as the spirits are already wounded by sickness no sinnings wound deeper then such as follow the woundings of conscience a sinner doth thrust the sword in againe to the same hurt Thirdly the means But you will say this is fearfull to sin thus what Meanes The meanes to be cleansed of secret sins may be used to get off and to keep off the soule from secret sins The rules of direction which as soe many means I would commend unto you are these 1. If thou hast been guilty of secret sinnes be humbled and repent A man shall hardly stave off a new sin who hath not been humbled for an old sin of the same kinde for as much as future care Be humbled for them seldome manifests it selfe without former sorrow hast thou been a secret Adulterer fornicator thief backbiter oppressor liar drunkard c. O hasten hasten in by speedy sorrow by speedy repentance bewaile if it be possible with teares of blood thy secret wickednesse if thou doest not judge thy selfe God will surely judge thee and thinke not that because thy sinnings were secret therefore thy compunctions must be small nay thou oughtest to abound the rather and the more in floods of tears and of bitter contrition who didest dare to provoke God so c. 2. Take heed of secret occasions and provocations why is it that Take heed of secret occasions and provocations thou sayest O this nature O this heart O that Satan Thou hast I confesse shed many teares thou hast felt many sorrows and troubles thou hast made many vowes and resolutions thou hast put up many prayers and petitions and yet thou art in thy secret sinnings why what should be the reason do prayers do nothing against sin yea do tears nothing do troubles nothing do vows nothing yes all of those may do something if something else be added if the leake be stopped if the windows be shut if the doores be locked I meane If occasions and provocations be conscionably and carefully avoyded otherwise they are nothing if thou prayest and then adventures thy strength upon the occasion of thy secret sinning what dost thou but seek God first and next rise up and tempt him Keep close to heaven and keep off from the occasions and then tell me whether God will not keep thee from thy sinnings 3. Crush the temptations which come from the roots Though thou doest decline occasions yet thou canst not decline thy Crush the temptations from the roots self And there is that in a mans self which can fetch in the occasion by representation by inclination by contemplation sometimes another provokes thee to sin and this is in society somtimes thine own heart provokes thee to sin and this is when thou art solitary Now the thoughts steal out now imaginations present and confer with the minde with the will with affections wouldst thou now free thy self from secret actings then free thy self from secret thinkings The picture in the glass may inflame as much as that in the natural face so sin in the representation of the minde may fire our corrupt hearts as well as the entisings of it by conversing occasions Psalme 19. 14. Let the Meditations of my heart be always acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer There are two things which will never faile you in your surprisal of secret sinnings viz. 1. One is to be digging up the intimate root of all sinnings 2. Another is to stifle the first conception of sins to make sinne an abortive in the womb that it shall never stretch out it self to actions Beloved to tye Sampsons armes it was a vaine thing his strength lay not there but if the hair of his head be cut off then his strength is gone and he shall become weak To tamper only with the acts of sinne is not the way to be rid of sinful acts But the singular way to be rid of bad acts is to
Though man cannot discern him yet God can and hath limmed him out for unsoundnesse in his word there is some secret lust which consists and stands notwithstanding all this either Herods sin or Demas's sin filthinesse or worldliness the Pharisees were wondrously covetous And his ends are base the Pyrate may rigge and trim and stear and order his ship as artificially and exquisitely as any Pilot who is the Kings most faithful servant only their hearts and their ends are different one is disloyal and the other is true one goes out to catch a prey and a bootie a prize for himself and the other sailes for his Masters honour and service The upright heart falls upon dutie with fear yet with affections he cannot do so much yet it is in truth and what he doth as it is by his Masters strength so it is faithfullie intended for his Masters glory But selfe-love and pride and vaine glorie fill the sailes of the hypocrite If you could paire of those accidental and by-by-causes he were no more able to hold on in duties thus then the bird to flie without her wings or the ship to run when the wind drives and fills out the sails Will the Hypocrite pray at all times said he in Job so that all which the Hypocrite doth is with a base heart like a slave and for base ends like a flatterer 5. It is a vain and foolish thing to be hypocritical in our services It is vain and foolish to be hypocritical in our services This is certain that a man cannot be an hypocrite but he must take some pains he must be very officious in pretences and duties it must cost him some money to give almes and much time to pray c. And when all is done nothing comes of it In respect of God he hath no reward with him there is no reason to give him wages who bestows not his service on us the hypocrite did serve himself and not God his owne praise and not Gods glory and therefore he can expect no reward from him he cannot say I prayed for grace that I might honour thee and for abilities that I might glorifie thee In respect of man for if a man be known to be an hypocrite then he loseth himself on all hands evil men hate him for the very shew of goodnesse and good men scorn him for his base dissimulation and rottenness But suppose he can conceal his hypocrisie then all the reward that he hath from men is but an ayrie applause Matth. 6. 5. When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men verily I say unto you they have their reward i. They have what they look for the applause of men and that 's all let them not expect any other reward And brethren this is a sad thing when a mans reward is only from man when all his reward is in this life and no rewards reserved for him hereafter Nay and the hypocrite is not so sure of this reward from man neither he may misse of it either for the kinde or measure of it and that will vex his heart like fidlers that regard eare service whose whole streine is to please the humours of men they sometimes get but little and with that many reproachful words and blowes so it may fare with an hypocrite whose actions are set only to the itch of applause and commendation c. 6. Nay hypocrisie is a most perillous sinne you shall receive Hypocrisie is a most perillous sinne the greater damnation said Christ Damnation O that is the eternall grave of the soul it speaks misery enough everlasting separation from God and everlasting flames of wrath in hell yet that is the portion of the hypocrite Esay 33. 14. The sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulnesse hath surprised the hypocrites who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Greater Damnation An ordinary hell is not all for an hypocrite As if the furnace were heated seven times more hot the lowest and deepest punishment shall fall on him who presumes to put on the fairest shew with the foulest heart And do not think this strange for what is hypocrisie but a mocking of God The hypocrite doth as it were put tricks upon him and thinks to cousen omniscience and basely esteeme of him as if meere shews would satisfie him nay he doth justle God out of his prime place by referring all his services to himself and not to God and so doth adore his own name above the Name of God Verily my brethren these are sad things and if our hearts be not made of rock and stone they may awaken and startle them to take heed least we be guilty of this hypocrisie which is so diametrically opposite to uprightnesse 7. Againe consider that it is a very difficult thing to be upright though it be that acceptable frame of spirit so pleasing It is a difficult thing to be upright If we consider The deceitfulnesse of the heart to God and so comfortable as we may hear to us yet it is not so easie to be upright whither you consider 1. That dec●●tfulness which is in mans h●art the heart Jerem. 17. 9. is deceitful above all things q. d. there is not such a cunning thing as it not a thing in all the world which can delude us so easily so often as our owne hearts O what ado have we with our selves many times to speake a little duty what disputes of times against it many reasonings must be answered and silenced before we will yield to do the very worke so much as to heare as to pray by our selves and with others and to give almes c And then if the worke be extorted from us yet what pumping before any water comes what collision and striking before a few sparkes of fire will fly out my meaning is much ado to bring our hearts to our tongues our affections to our services without which they cannot be upright And when this is done then to set up the right end and scope and their to settle our intention fast and plaine O how difficult many by aimes and indirect ends do often present themselves that it is with us as with boys in writing we draw many crooked lines or as with them in archery we shoot by hither or beyond or beside the mark it is not easie to do good because God commands it or only because he may be glorifled 2. That spritualness which is required in upright motions I tell you that the very soule must act it selfe if the heart or way be The spiritualness required in upright motions upright not only his lips but his spirit must pray not only his eare but his heart must hear he must not only profess against sin but his soule must hate and abhor it And there is no
he hath reformed an ill life yet it shall cost him infinitely much more to reform an ill heart he may receive so much power from grace at the beginning as in a short time to draw off from most of the former grosse acts of sinnings but it will be a work of all his dayes to get a through conquest of secret Corruptions 4. Then all the works of a Christian is not abroad if there be All the works of a Christian is not abroad secret sins to be cleansed There are two sorts of duties Some are direct which are working duties they are the colours of grace in the countenance and view of the Conversation setting it forth with all holy evennesse and fruitfulness and unblamablenesse Some are reflexive which are searching duties they appertain to the inward roomes to the beautifying of them and reforming of them for not only the life but the heart also is the subject of our care and study I am not only to labour that I do no evil but a so that I be not evil not only that sinne do not distain my paths but also that it doth not defile my intentions not only that my cloaths be handsome but also that my skin be white i. my inward parts be as acceptable to God as my outward frame is plausible with man yea let me tell you one thing that he is an hypocrite who takes care to wash the outside only forasmuch as the greatest solicitude for the life may be without any reformation of the heart not that the life must not be squared but if that be varnished and the heart neglected the person hath not only the same natural and lively frame of sinfulness but he deceives himself or at least another with a meere pretence and shadow therefore brethren let us have eyes to look inward as well as outward God hath given us a reflexive faculty and besides that know 1. That Prima pars the first part of our work is to set upon the inward part how vain is it to wash the brackish streames which are yet fed by a soure fountaine and verily the conversation will be ever and and anon unequal and unlike it self if the heart remaines unpurged and unchanged corruption which hath often entertained your secret thoughts will at length present these births to your very eye 2. That Maxima pars the greater part of your work is within It is true an ill tongue a lustful eye a stealing hand they may challenge much prayer care and observance watchfulnesse to reforme them but a beam of light is small to the vast body of light in the Sun and the dribling rivers are with more ease turned and dried up then the deep ocean sin within is sin in the fountain and sin in the visible parts is sin in the streames yea and as every thing is strongest in its cause and therefore sin is highest in the heart for the strength and vigour of temptations is at the inward part of man Satan doth not stir a naked eye but a filthy heart to look through that sinful window he doth not come to the hand and say steale but first to the heart which will quickly command the hand he doth not say immediately to the tongue swear and blaspheme but the heart which can easily command that Hellish language into the tongue If thou shouldest pluck out thine eyes and never see any object to excite thy uncleane heart yet mayest thou be as filthy a person thine own corrupt heart and Satan would alone incline thee and though thou hadest never a foot to go nor hand to stir yet mightest thou be as very a thief as Judas thy heart might rob every passenger and steale from every house thou comest in objects are but accidental things to man they have no necessary impressive influences they do but deliver themselves in that nature wherewith God hath cloathed them but that which invenoms them and makes them to work so wickedly is mans wicked heart you have many persons who complain much against objects O they can see none or deal with none but wickednesse is stirring Why beloved the objects are innocent but our hearts are unclean and sinful if thou couldest get another heart thou wouldest look with another eye the onely way to make temptations lose their force is to decline occasions and to cleanse the inward parts SECT V. Use 2. Tryal ANother Use which I would make of this is to try our selves We should try our selves because So many wallow in secret sins what care we have of secret sins I will give unto you some Reasons why I would have you to try your selves in this 1. Because there be many persons who wallow in secret sinnes The Apostle complained of such in his time Ephes 5. 12. It is a shame to speak of those things which are done to them in secret he speaks of such as lived in secret fornications and uncleanness Brethren how many are there who do apparel themselves even with a form of godlinesse who yet not only allow themselves in the secret thoughts of abhorred wickednesses but even in the secret actings of the same as if there were no God to look on them nor conscience to espy them nor judgement day to arraigne them O how infinitely odious must thou be in the eyes of that holy God who dares to Court him in the publick and yet dares to provoke him to his face thus in private like a whorish strumpet who dissembles marveilous affections to her husband abroad and yet at home she will violate the Covenant of her God before her husbands eyes So thou to pretend so much for God before company and yet in private thou wilt presume to sin before his face for he seeth thee and that thy conscience knows right well There be at the least three horrible sins which now thou doest commit at once First that very sin which thou wouldest so conceale And perhaps it may be a sin of the deepest dye Yea mark this that usually the most damnable sins are such which are committed in secret as Sodomes adulteries and such fearful kinds of pollutions and murders and treasons c. Secondly Hypocrisie which is a screen to thy sinne an holy cover for an unholy heart and practice which makes the sinner by how much the more vile in Gods eyes by how much the more that he doth not only sin against God but wrests as it were something from God to cover and palliate his rebellion against him A third is Atheisme if there be not formal Atheisme yet there is a virtual Atheism as if God were no God in secret but only in publick that he could see in the light and not in the darkness that his eye is as the eye of a man only whereas he The principle of sinning is secret and common to every man is an universal eye and is a light without all darkness 2. The principle of sinning is secret and common to
every man The motions of sinning are not like the motions of a bowle which runs only by the vertue of an imprinted strength they are not violent motions whose cause is only extrinsecal but they are natural motions whose principle is within the subject out of the heart saith Christ proceed evil thoughts adulteries fornications murders thefts covetousnesse malice deceit lasciviousnesse an evil eye blasphemy pride foolishnesse all these evil things come from within and defile the man Mark 7. 21 22 23. the nature which tempts thee that nature is in thee it is the womb of many and infinite sinful corruptions and imaginations it casts out wickedness as the fountain casts forth water so the Prophet Jer. 5. 7. it is very true that outward occasions and Satan by his suggestions may assist and quicken original corruption as the bellows may enflame the fire yet the fire hath heat and an aptness naturally to burne So original corruption though it may grow monstrously active by temptations from abroad yet it can and doth incline us and can beget private actings of horrible sinnes from its own native strength it can send out several forms of sinning and incline us to contemplate upon them yea to contrive the singular methods of transgression yea it can feed the soul with wonderful delights in them so that in the eye of God the sinnings are formed and fashioned and ripened with most of odious perfections There is an high depth of hypocrisie in the the souls of men There is a depth of hypocrisie in every man whose proper work is to have a secret way contrary to an open profession as a player who takes on him to act the part of a King yet in his private and absolute way he may be a person of most ignoble birth and unworthy qualities so it is with Divines distinguish of three sorts of hypocrisie the hypocrite 1. One is natural and hath footing in every man even the most upright heart hath in it some hypocrisie and he doth sometimes seem to be that which he is not he may be sometimes more full in his profession then he is indeed in his actions 2. Another is foule and grosse which is when a mans heart is not at all what it seemes to be unto the world Christ compares persons guilty of it to whited Sepulchres which within are full of dead and rotten bones as when a man shall profess he loves God and Christ and his wayes and yet secretly contemns and hates holiness and resists the motions of Gods spirit and is at defiance with all the heavenly rules of life and powerful obedience 3. A third is formal when a man not only deceives others with a shew of what is not in him but also cozens and cheates his own heart with a false perswasion of his own happiness partly from some specials which he findes in himself above others and partly from the pride of his own spirit joyned with an affectation of happinesse yet all this while his heart keeps an haunt of some private lust and ungodliness there is som sweet morsel under his tongue from which he will not part 4. Outward occasions can encline to secret sinnings Beloved Outward occasions can incline to secret sinnings there lies a snare almost against us in all society we have such vile natures that as a spark of fire will easily kindle a box of tinder so but a word spoken doth many times kindle a world of passion of malice of revenge within us yea the misplacing of a look begets in us secret disdaine and discontent yea the casting of an eye may inflame the heart with excess of lust need we not then putting all these things together to search our inward frame to see what care we have about and against secret sinnings but you will say how may a man know whether he doth or no desire truly to be cleansed How a man may know he doth desire to be cleansed from secret sins Negative trials from secret sinnes I will give unto you some observations for this 1. Negatively then 2. Positively 1. The Negative discoveries i. those by which a man may know that he doth not desire to be cleansed from secret sins are these 1. When the principal restraint of his sinnings is terminated When the principal re-restraint of sin is terminated only in man only in man Beloved really our conversing is either with God or with our selves o● with men and answerable to these there are three several reasons of forbearing sin either because of God whose will and holinesse is injured or else because of our conscience because our secret quiet and ease shall be interupted or else because if we should adventu●e to sin we should hazard our estimations and estates and safeties and incur ignominy blame shame punishment and loss with men Now mark it when respect to man is the only reason why I forbear sin I am all this while loose and unconscionable in the inward frame all my care is taken up about those actions and carriages which fall under the eye and judgement of man and none but the visible and open actings of sinne break out that way If I forbear sin for mans sake that men may esteeme well of me and not censure or punish me I therefore so far restraine sin as it may not be visible but I do not strive against it because it is sinful I say not because the thing is sinful before God but only because it is culpable before man now try your selves in this what is the restraint of your sinning suppose all men in the world were in a dead sleep suppose that no eye did see thee suppose that no tongue of humane justice would call thee to account would not thy heart then with full sail spread out it self wouldst thou not now like the lions in the night wander about for thy preys would not thy heart turn out it self let go it self drive out its secret inclinations wouldst thou not do that in any place which now thou committest in secret corners 2. When the hindrances of secret sinnings are a burden they are crosses A man doth not desire to go out of the way of When the hindrances of secret sins are burdens his delight he is not weary of his affection for delight is endlesse and unsatisfied though the body may be wearied yet the affection of delight is never wearied now brethren a man may know his delights by his crosses if I attain not that which I respect not I am not moved but if my spirit rise and swell and rage or if I grieve and complain and am sad because of an impediment of something which hath clapt in it self 'twixt me and my desires this shews that I had a delight in it that I would faine have had it Now let me apply this to our business in hand God doth many times hinder the sinner he doth step in by his providence and prevents him