of secret sins Many indeed have vailes for their sins that they may not be discerned by men but God looks through them Let me instance in these following sins that appear to men in the shape of grace but in the sight of God are manifest sins Or sins vailed and masked with plausible pretences of good yet are naked to the sight of God 1. Pride covered with humility A proud person often appears in the shape of an humble man In abasing of himself discommending himself that another may commend him crying down himself that another may cry him up by dispraising himself he would force and wrest a commendation from other men But if he discommend himself do you discommend him too if he say such a thing was meanly done if you say you think so too a proud man cannot bear it he cannot hear another say of him what he saith of himself But this secret pride God seeth 2. Hypocrisie masked with Zeal Many seem to be forward in good waies and zealous in good works but Self is the end 2 Kings 10.16 Come see my Zeal c. 3. Secret love of the World covered with pretence of care for their Family Many have a cloak for the hiding of their covetousness of which you read 1 Thes 2.5 For neither at any time used we flattering words nor a cloak of covetousness God is witness this is seen by God 4. Secret hatred against mens persons covered with pretended zeal against mens sins or covered with plausible expressions of love and amitie Judas had murdered Christ in his heart and yet calls him Master with his mouth and kisseth him Mat. 26.49 Many have words smoother than oyl yet have hatred sharper than swords Psal 55.21 5. Vain-glory hidden from men by pretended charity Many will do good relieve the poor help those that be in distress but they aime at esteem amongst men Matth. 6.1 2 3 4. 6. Self-interest hidden from men by pretence of the good of mens souls and the glory of God so a preaching hypocrite may pretend to lay out himself for the good of mens souls and yet may use his Ministry only as a trade to get a living by it 7. Blasphemous hard thoughts of God might be hid from men by speaking good words of God 8. Inward murmurings repinings against Gods Providences may be hid from men by words of great submission to the will of God 9. Inward fleshy lustings of heart and contemplative uncleanness may be kept secret from men by chaste discourse He may love the presence of a person that is occasion of such secret uncleanness and commit adultery in his heart and the person not know of it and the offender speaking chastly all this while But I warn you in the name of God to strive against these sins for though they are secret to men yet God sets them in the light of his countenance There are three eyes upon you when you are in secret viz. 1. The eyes of Angels good and bad and they may see much of your secret wickedness 2. The eye of Conscience and this may see more secret sin than the Angels see in you the very thoughts of your heart 3. The eye of God and his eye seeth more than the Conscience 1 Joh. 3.20 And this view that God hath of thy secret sins when he sets them in the light of his countenance hath these four properties First It is a clear and distinct view God seeth all the evil there is in thy secret sin We have a confused sight of sin and a dim sight of sin we see not so much evil in the greatest sin as there is in the least We see not so much evil in open Prophaneness as indeed there is in a vain thought But God seeth all distinctly What a man hath before his eyes that is a sutable object at an equal distance and having a necessary medium he seeth distinctly Secondly It is a full view As God seeth all the evil in any one secret sin so he seeth all thy secret sins Man may know none of them thou knowest some of them but God knoweth all When thou turnest thy back to go into secret to commit sin Remember then thou art before Gods face Thirdly It is a constant view What we have seen with our eyes might be quite razed out of our memories but not out of Gods knowledge and when God is said to remember our iniquities no more it is not to be understood of real Oblivion but gracious remission Fourthly It is a judicial view If we speak of the secret sins of an hypocrite or a wicked man then God sets them in his sight as a Judge sets before him the crimes of a Malefactor that they may be read he accused convicted and executed If we speak of the secret sins of Gods people God sets them before him as a Father doth the miscarriages of his child not to disinherite him for it but to correct him and chastise him These are the properties of Gods viewing our secret sins and shall not this move thee to watch against them and abstain from them Or hast thou not done that in secret in the sight of God which thou wouldst have been ashamed to do openly in the sight of men There are six comfortable expressions among others which the Scripture useth to set forth Gods free pardon of our sins viz. That he Casts them behind his back Isa 38.17 Blots them out Isa 43.25 Casts them into the depths of the Sea Mic. 7.19 Remembers them no more Heb. 8.12 Will be merciful to our unrighteousness Heb. 8.12 Hides his face from our sins Psal 51.9 There are also six terrible expressions among others which the Scripture useth to set forth Gods displeasure against men for sin viz. That he Writes them in a book Rev. 20.12 Seals them in a bag Job 14.17 Remembers them Hos 7.2 Marks them Psal 130.3 Will visit them Jer. 14.10 and 5.9 Sets them in the light of his countenance Psal 90.8 If therefore there be any thing in the believing thoughts of Gods viewing your secret sins as doubtless there is very much be careful that you abstain from them and not allow your self in them SECT II. TO keep you from secret sins consider That secrecy in sinning is no security to the sinner This is a consequent of the former because God seeth you in secret therefore you are not safe though your sin be secret You may secure your credit and reputation awhile by keeping your sin secret from men but not your happiness and salvation While your sin is secret you may not be reproached for it by men but you shall be damned for it by God if it be allowed and not sincerely repented of Many shall be openly damned for secret sins Read Psal 64. throughout This will be a notable discovery of the sincerity of thy heart if thou darest not allow thy self in secret sins An Hypocrites greatest care is conversant about things
visible and manifest viz. His Conversation Profession or Open transgressions these are visible But the things that are secret and hid from the eyes of men in those he is careless and negligent But a true child of God though he is not careless of his conversation yet he is especially mindful of his affections and of the secret frame of his heart and of the sins that lye lurking within him Consider God doth not esteem of men by what they seem to be to others but by what they really are God doth not judge as man judgeth Men judge of the heart by the actions of the life but God judgeth of the actions by the heart Men judge of that which is secret and invisible by that which is open and visible but God judgeth of that which is open and visible by that which is secret and invisible Mat. 23.27 Woe unto you Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites for ye are like unto whited Sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness Ver. 28. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men but within are full of Hypocrisie and Iniquity Luk. 16 15. And he said unto them ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts For that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God A man might be applauded for that by men for which he shall be condemned by God That which might set a mâ—n high in the estimations of men might be an abomination unto God It is hainous Impiety for a man to encourage himself to sin because he is in secret 2 Kings 17.9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God There are many great sins wrapped up in this As 1. Damnable Infidelity They believe not God seeth them Psal 94.7 8 9. 2. Desperate Security They hide God from their eyes and then think they are safe 3. Deep Stupidity A degree further than the former 4. Daring Insolency It is bold presumption to sin before Gods face Secret sins do provoke God as well as open sins God is not like the sinner that hath better thoughts of sin because it is secret The openness of sin might add something to the eclipsing of Gods glory and to Gods dishonour but it addeth nothing to Gods hatred of sin because Gods hatred to sin as sin is infinite Secret sins will grieve the Spirit of God And causeth him to withhold his influences from thy heart and to withdraw his presence from thy soul As 1. Secret sins will cause the Spirit of God to withdraw his witnessing presence and to suspend his testimony 2. They will cause him to withdraw his comforting presence that thou shalt not have those joyes that thou wast use to find when thou wast more careful to watch against secret sins 3. They will cause him to withdraw his quickning presence that thy heart will be left more dead and more dull and thy affections will be more flat and cold 4. They will cause him to withdraw his Assisting presence that thou shalt not be so able to perform duty to resist temptation to bear affliction Thus secret sins will make you great losers by grâ—eving and quenching the Spirit of God Secret sins will exceedingly disturb the peace of thy Conscience They will make great gashes in thy soul they will wound surely they will wound sâ—ely and deeply They may make thee go with a sorrowful heart unto thy grave They may cost thee many a groan and sigh and tear many a prayer and strong cry to God before thy peace may be restored and thy Conscience healed and thy heart bound up They may be the breaking of thy bones and thy heart too that thou mayst think God is thine enemy Secret sins will hinder the growth of thy grace A constant coursâ— of allowed secret sinning argues the Nullity of grace and secret sins through carelessness 〈◊〉 by Gods people will hinder much the encrease of grace They will be like a frost to the blossom Like a Worm and Caterpiller to the fruits of the Earth Secret sins by experience you will find will much hinder your 1. Faith That you shall not believe so stedfastly 2. Desire You shall not thirst after God and Christ so strongly 3. Love You will not love God and Christ so Ardently 4. Delight You will not delight in God so frequently 5. Hope You will not hope for Heaven so livelily 6. Evidences You will not lay claim to heaven so confidently Secret sins will hinder your fervent praying and will stop the Audience of your prayers They will exceedingly damp your affections at the throne of grace and make you sneak in the presence of God that you cannot have that liberty and confidence in prayer because Conscience will be interlining thy prayers and say Thou prayest against this sin and yet thou didst not watch against it but didst knowingly commit it They will stop thy mouth that thou canst not speak and they will stop Gods ears that he will not hear Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Secret sins will harden thy heart and make thee more prone to commit open sins They will strengthen the evil habit of sin and make thee more incline to visible transgressions and increase the propensity of thy heart to greater evils Thus Judas giving way to secret covetousness did ripen the Inclination of his heart more and more to betray his Master Secret sins will stop the Communications of Gods secrets to thee There are some secrets of God which he doth not communicate to any man in this life Deut. 29.29 Secret things belong to the Lord our God but things revealed belong to us and to our children for ever that we may do all the words of this Law But there are some secrets of God that he doth reveal unto his people and to those that make conscience of secret sins Prov. 3.32 But his secret is with the righteous Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant The Revealed things of the Gospel are secret things to wicked men the Gospel is hid to them 2 Cor. 4.4 Regeneration is a secret to them Faith in Christ is â— secret to them The joyes of the Spirit and the comforts of the Holy Ghost are things hidden from them But if you dare not allow your self in secret sinning you shall have many secret Intimations of the love of God unto your soul many secret illapses of his Spirit into your heart If you make conscience of secret sins you shall have an open reward What Christ saith concerning secret duties Mat. 6.6 But thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in
can you not mourn for them upon your knees when you consider they are lost children except mercy find them that they are damned children except free grace save them Can you not mourn abundantly and pray servently for them Can you consider they are by Nature without the Image and Likeness of God and not be grieved at the heart that your child is a little Traitor against the King of Heaven a little Rebel against the glorious God and will you not pray that his heart may be changed Could you weep and grieve if your Child were a Monster if it had a body of one kind and an head of another if it had an Arme too much or a Leg too much or little why its misery is more by Nature then all this and yet can you not mourn in your Prayers for him Fourthly In Choosing for them some lawful Calling and putting them forth unto some Religious familie Choose not a Calling that hath more snares and temptations attending it then usually others have and place them in such families where they may learn the way to Heaven as well as the way to be rich in the World If you put them forth to an ungodly family you may loose all your former labour in Instruction Correction and Prayer for will you give your Childe an Antidote and then care not if he run into a Pest-house among persons that have running Plague Sores or would you not judge it presumption in any so to do without a special call but the former is greater and higher and more dangerous presumption than the latter in as much as the death of the Body of your Child is endangered by the one but the damnation of his Soul is endangered by the other Fifthly In careful disposing of them in Marriage That you Match them to godly Persons and if you can into a godly family or to one that hath Religious Relations Take heed of Marrying them to the children of the Devil though their outward advantage be never so much Thus Abraham took care that his son Isaac should not take a Wife of the Daughters of the Canaanites amongst whom he dwelt Gen. 24.3 If you thus take care for your children whom God hath continued to you in this great Mortality you act in this respect in some measure answerably to so great a Mercy SECTION XVII Secondly Children if they would live answerably in their Relation to so great a Mercy as is Gods sparing their Parents and continuing them unto them must be careful of filling up the Duties of their Relation and the Duty of Children is set down in Col. 3.20 Children obey your Parents in all things for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord In which observe 1. The Charge Obedience 2. The Persons charged Children younger elder poor or rich 3. The Persons to whom this obedience is to be given Parents Father Mother whether Poor or Rich. 4. The extent of this obedience In all things 5. The limitting and enforcing Reason for this is well-pleasing to the Lord therefore the all things are to be limitted to things lawful else it would not please the Lord but they must in those things because it pleaseth God Now if you that are Children would walk worthy of Gods Mercy in sparing your Parents to you in this contagious times you must obey them in these Particulars 1. In receiving Instructions from them in hearkning to their wholsome Counsel and Advice Prov. 3.1 My son forget not my Law but let thine heart keep my Commandments Prov. 4.1 2 3 4. and 5.1 2 7. and 6.20 c. and 7.1 2 3. 2. In submitting to their Correction without murmuring and repining 3. In being content with your Diet and Apparel that your Parents provide for you 4. In yeilding them sustenance and Maintenance if they come to Poverty if you be able to supply them they gave you maintenance when you could not provide for your selves do you so for them if they need though you work hard to help them 1 Tim. 5.4 But if any Widow have Children or Nephews let them first learn to shew piety at home and to requite their Parents for that is good and acceptable before God Though Children can never fully requite their Parents for they had their being by them and what if they have help by you in outward things you had your being by them and that is more Take heed of being ashamed of your Parents if they be poor and you are raised to an higher degree in the World than ever they were but to disown them would be impious 5. In submitting to their choise of a Calling for you 6. In disposing of you in Marriage Change not your Condition without their Consent as Isaac Gen. 24. and Sampson Judg. 14.1 2. Nay Ishmael obeyed his Mother in his Marriage Gen. 21.21 and will you be worse than Ishmael 7. In all things though they be cross to your humour though it might not please you yet if it please your Parents you must do it But that I may not lay a snare for Childrens Consciences and put a Staff into ungodly Parents hands to drive their Children to Hell you must take this distinction of things viz. Things are either Simply good and necessary and these must be done though your Parents forbid you as Praying Reading Scripture c. Simply evil and unlawful and these must not be done though your Parents command you as to play or work upon the Lords day to lie and defraud in dealing Neither good nor evil in their own nature though every thing is good or evil considered in all circumstances and in all these you must obey your Parents And the reasons of this obedience to your Parents are such as these 1. Gods command Ephes 6.1 Children obey your Parents in the Lord. V. 2. Honour thy Father and Mother which is the first Commandment with Promise That is the first Command with Promise in the second Table for there is a Promise in the second Command of the First Table of shewing Mercy unto thousands c. 2. This is right or justice Ephes 6.1 Thou hadst thy being and thy education by thy Parents therefore it is justice thou shouldest obey them 3. Christs Example He was obedient to his Parents Luke 2.51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them 4. Gods Judgments upon disobedient Children Absalom Rebelled against his Father and God cut him off in the very act of his Rebellion 5. It is pleasing to God If it were in any thing that would displease God you must not do it for you must please your Heavenly Father rather than your Earthly but if it be pleasing unto God you must not deny it you please God when you please your Parents in things lawful 6. God might punish you with disobedient Children hereafter if you are disobedient to your Parents now Thus Children also will walk so farr answerably to so great a Mercy as
in secret You have the command of Christ also for this secret duty as well as his practise and example Mat. 6.6 2. Be freqent in self-examination in secret When you are alone be much in conversing with your self and often in looking down into your own heart enquiring after the truth of grace and your growth therein after the Mortification of sin and your growth therein Psal 4.4 Stand in awe and sin not commune with your own hearts upon your bed and be still Commune with your self whether you set a due valuation upon the meanes of Grace whether you thrive in holiness according to the time and meanes that you have had Commune with your self whether your Conversation be suitable to your Profession and as becomes the Gospel whether you are fit to die and prepared for another World in your secret Chamber commune with your own hearts about such things as these 3. Be much in secret Reading of the Word of God A Worldling when he is alone will spend much time in Reading over his Writings his Bonds and Bills his Leases and Acquittances and will not you take as much pains in secret reading of the Word of God which are the Writings upon which you must both build your Evidences for Heaven and try them by 4. Be much in secret meditation When you are alone let your thoughts be dwelling upon the Life to come in thinking of your future happiness Oh what Inward warmth may you have when you are alone if you would but fill your minde with some believing fore-thoughts of the Life to come SECTION V. II. MInde secret things in Publick Duties As your preservation is visible but as I have noted before the most effectual meanes of your preservation were secret and invisible you have not seen the way that God hath taken in keeping you he hath secretly kept you by his Power he hath given a secret Charge to his Angels over you So let your Duties that God requires should be Publick and Visible be so But then let your principal care be about the secret and invisible things of publick and visible duties The secret and invisible things in publick duties which we are to mind are Good Bad. I will instance in six of each of them Six things in a grâ—cious heart in publick Duties are secret and invisible 1. The communion that a gracious heart hath with God in publick duties is secret and invisible You may hear a Mans Expressions and you may see his Teaâ—es and heâ—r his Groanes but whether he have true communion with God is such a secret that none can know but himself 2. The joyes that a Christian hath in publick duties are secret and invisible joyes expressions of joy and praise may be heard and outward discoveries of joy there may be but this joy it self is a secret thing Whether you have indeed true spiritual joy in publick duties none can know but your self 3. The principle that puts a Man upon publick duties is a secret and invisible thing Whether you Pray or Preâ—ch or do any publick duty out of a Principle of love and fear of God is such a secret that none can tell but your self 4. The manner in which publick duties are performed is a secret and invisible thing Whether there be the exercise of Faith and Repentance for Sin and love to God and desire after Spiritual things is such a secret that by-standers cannot know 5. The end a Man propounds unto himself in publick duties is secret and invisible Whether a Duty be done for the glory of God for the good of others for the enjoying more communion with God for more strength against sin or whether it be for self-interest and carnal ends is onely known to a Man 's own Conscience Your duties Men may see but your end they cannot see 6. The peculiar aim and design of a gracious soul in publick duties against some peculiar sin and secret corruption is a secret and invisible thing a Man may be heard to pray against a bosome darling lust but whether his design is to get down the power of this sin is onely known unto himself These be the six things in publick duties that are secret which you must especially labour after in all such duties SECTION VI. SIx things in publick duties that are evil but yet secret and invisible as there hath been some secret danger which you have been in when you have not discerned it and some secret infection God hath kept you from so in publick duties the same may be in secret duties also there are some secret evils you are to watch against 1. There may be secret unbeliefe lurking in the heart when a Man in Prayer is pleading particular Promises with his mouth you may hear a man urge the Promises of God for removal of evil for obtaining of good but whether he act faith upon these Promises or whether there be not in the mean while secret unbelief doubting of the truth of this Promise or especially of the application of it to himself is known onely to himself it is a secret to those that joyn with him 2. Hypocrisie in publick duties is a secret thing Whether your heart be upright and sincere with God or false and hypocritical is a secret unto others yea sometimes it is such a secret that might not be known by a Man himself 3. Inward-heart-Pride in publick duties is a secret thing A Man may be full of self-loathing-expressions and of humble gestures and yet his heart might be lifted up with spiritual pride and self admirations and towring thoughts of his own worth and excellency and suitableness and freedom of expression and a by-stander cannot perceive it 4. Dulness and deadness of heart in duty is a secret thing A Man might hâ—ve lively expressions in publick Prayers and seeming warmth of affection and such things that might affect and warm the hearts of others and yet his own heart be dull and lukewarm yea quiâ—e cold in that duty 5. Wandring thoughts in publick duties are secret things A man may use the Name of God and the Attributes of God and yet his thoughts may be upon something else others may see you engaged in the duty and see your outward gestures but are strangers to the secret wandrings of your mind 6. The inclination of the heart to sin in publick duties is a secret thing A Man may confess sin and bewaile it with Tears and beg for power against it and yet he may have a secret inclination of heart to this very sin and secret purposes of heart to keep it and a secret fear least God should hear his Prayers which he makes against this sin Whether you hate that sin in your heart which you bewaile with your Tongue is known onely to your self and if indeed you know it your self it is a good degree of self-knowledge Thus as God hath kept you in an invisible manner and most by invisible and secret means and