Caution Take heed of living in any one especially any known sin Let us lay aside all the remains of naughtiness and the sin that doth most easily beset us let 's not have any favorite-sin but out with right eyes and off with right hands rather then offend yea let 's cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit without and within that we may perfect Holiness and grow up to a perfect man the measure of the stature of Christ Jesus Shall we continue in sin Oh no not in one God forbid he speaks as if it were not only inconsistent but impossible for them so to do that have seen and tasted that the Lord is gracious for now they see the sinfulness of sin more then they did before as that which went about to murder God and did indeed put the Son of God to death and shall say they shall we crucifie him again King David would not drink the water that hazarded mans blood how then how can we do any wickedness and sin against the blood of God which was shed to cleanse us from our sin Shall we take pleasure in that which put Christ to pain and live in that which put Christ to death Oh no by no means shall his love and power have no better influences and effects then have we put off the old man and shall we put it on again are we dead and shall we not cease from sin can we say we believe in him and not obey him no no get ye hence all ye Idols Thus will gracious persons and new creatures both reason and resolve the case I caution and beseech you then to take heed of living in any sin whether in Thought Word or Deed. Caution against 1. Thought-sins 2. Word-sins 3. Deed-sins 1. Not in Thought-sins Take heed of sinning in Thought or of Thought-sins Seeing sin is so sinful 't is evil to be though but a thinking sinner or a sinner though but in thought 'T is too commonly said That thoughts are free they are indeed free in respect of men they cannot judge us for them but God can and will Many persons that seem to be modest and sparing as to evil words and deeds will yet make bold with thoughts and as the saying is Pay it with thinking such as are speculative contemplative sinners There are some who are so wise as not to say with their tongues yet such fools as to say in their heart there is no God Psal 14.1 There are some that do not actually murder yet by anger and envy are murtherers in heart or thought as Joseph accuseth his Brethren saying you thought evil against me Gen. 50.20 There are Thought-adulterers who it may be never were nor durst to be adulterers as to fact Mat. 5.28 There are Blasphemers in heart who speak it not with their mouths as they who when they heard Christ forgiving sins they thought in their heart that he blasphemed and thereby blasphemed him Mat. 9.3 4 5. Some talk of the world and declaim against it as a vanity who think vainly in their heart that their houses shall endure for ever Psal 49.11 So the rich man said within himself thou hast good laid up for many years as if he thought these things his happiness but 't is said of the former this their way is their folly Psal 49.12 and of the latter thou fool Luke 12 20 for the thought of foolishness or a foolish thought is sin Prov. 24.9 and therefore 't is said in Deut. 5.9 Take heed that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart i. e. that there be not a wicked thought in thy heart 'T is true all thoughts of evil are not evil thoughts as all thoughts of good are not good thoughts a man may think of evil and yet his thoughts may be good and a man may think of good and yet his thoughts be evil One then thinks of evil yet with good thoughts when he thinks of evil to grieve and repent for it to abhor and forsake it and one thinks of good with evil thoughts when he thinks of good to neglect and scorn it to call it evil and so to persecute it But thoughts of sin may be sinful thoughts with respect to sin past or sin to come with respect to sin past when men please themselves in the thoughts of their past sins when they chew the cud and lick their lips after it or as 't is said in Job 20.12 13. they hide and rowl it as if 't were a Sugar-plum under their tongue they do it over and over again by thinking of it when they do not act it so some understand that in Ezek. 23.19 She multiplied her whoredoms in calling to remembrance the sins of her youth she acted it over again in her memory in new speculations of her old sins and on the other hand others and it may be the same persons think sinfully of the sins they have not done grieving at and regretting it that they had not taken such and such occasions and embraced such and such temptations as they had to sin So with respect to sins to come men think sinfully in plotting contriving and fore-thinking what sins they will do though they do them not Against this we are charged Rom. 13.14 make no provision for the flesh the word is do not project and cater for the flesh lay not in fuel for such fire do not lye abed and fore-cast to fulfil the lusts hereafter which thou canst not act at present That you may see the sinfulness of evil Thoughts consider 1. That sinful Thoughts do defile a man though they never come to words or deeds be never utter'd never practis'd Mat. 15.19 20. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murthers adulteries c. and these defile the man not only murther and adultery but the thoughts of murthering and committing adultery defile the man as the Text speaks and our Savior again in another Text says as much Mat. 5.22 28. as Job made a Covenant with his eyes that he might not think lust fully of a Maid Job 31.1 So should we take heed to our ways that we may not offend not only not with our tongues but in our thoughts for they are the words of our heart and the deeds thereof and all the words of our mouth and the acts of our lives come from thence and therefore above all keepings keep thine heart Prov. 4.23 2. Sinful thoughts are an abomination in thâ— sight of God God hath a special eye to thâ— thoughts of mens hearts to them of good men Mal. 3.16 and to them of bad men Gen. 6.5 In good men God accepts very often the will for the deed if to will be present with them though to do they have not power if they be as willing to do as to will the deed God accepts the will for the deed though they cannot do it 2 Cor. 8.12 Math. 26.41 So when men will and think wickedly God takes their
will for the deed as he takes the good mans will for the deed with acceptation so he takes the wicked mans will for the deed with abomination for Prov. 15.26 the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord i. e. their wicked thoughts are filthy steams and stinks in the nostrils of God Sin is a filthiness and sinful thoughts have their filthiness as well as sinful actions and it 's therefore said Jer. 4.14 Oh Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayst be saved how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee the very remedy speaks out the disease if they must be washt they were filthy sure for sweeping will not serve the turn and what was the wickedness of their heart it follows in the Text the vain thoughts that were there and these must be washt or they could not be saved so abominable in the sight of God is the villany and vanity of thoughts 3. Thought-sins are root-sins and the roots of all other sins they are the mother-sins actions are their issue Prov. 4.23 evil deeds are the off-spring and children of evil thoughts the branches and fruit that grow out of this root Thoughts are the first-born of the soul words and actions are but younger brothers They are the oyl that feeds and maintains the wick which would else go out life-sins receive their juyce and nourishment from thought-sins St. James speaks as if our thoughts were the belly and womb where sin is conceived James 1.15 Now when men would as Job did curse grievously they curse the day and place of their birth the womb that bare them so do you curse sin even in the very womb that bare it lay the ax to the root of this tree The wickedness of mens lives is charged upon their thoughts as having its root and rise there Gen. 6.5 Mat. 12.35 15.19 murders adulteries c. they all come out of the heart as out of the belly of a Trojan-horse one would wonder as we do at some birds where they lodge all winter to see so many flocks and herds of wickedness one would wonder whence from what corner of the world they come why they all come out of the heart the rendez-vous of wickedness the common Inn that lodges all the thieves and travelling lusts that are in and do so much mischief in this world all the unclean streams flow from this unclean Fountain this Ocean and Sea of Sin Saith holy David Psal 119.113 I hate vain thoughts any thoughts that are against thy Law which I love we all hate that which is against what we love but why doth he hate thoughts of sin because evil thoughts beget evil words and evil words corrupt good and beget ill manners vain imaginations beget vain conversations 't is hard for them that think well to do ill and more hard for them that think ill to do well for as the root is so is the fruit and by that the tree is known Mat. 7.17 4. If we had no other sins to be pardoned yet we were to beg pardon for sinful thoughts a may think himself to Hell if the sinfulness of his thoughts be not forgiven him Acts 8.20 saith St. Peter to Simon Magus repent of thy thought-wickedness and pray if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee if God should pardon all our word-sins and evil deeds and leave but our thought-sins unpardoned we were undone for ever yea blessed David was so afraid of sin that he begs God to cleanse him from his secret sins which lay lurking in his heart and were undiscernable there Psal 19. if they should not increase to more ungodliness which they will attempt and too easily effect yet there is impiety and ungodliness enough in them to ruine us everlastingly Oh that they would think of it that make nothing of vain thoughts no not of evil thoughts as if they had no evil in them 5. 'T is the great design and indeed argues the great power of the Gospel to bring thoughts to the obedience of Christ Jesus 'T is far more casie to reform mens manners then to renew mens minds the Laws of men may do that but 't is the Law of God doth this Many men could live alone with their heart and thought-sins though they had no other company pleasing themselves and blessing themselves too in their own vain imaginations and acting sins in their fancy they will more casily surrender their tongue and hand then their heart-sins Now the Gospel comes to throw down these strong Towers to cast down imaginations to conquer whole Armies of thoughts to reduce these stragling and thievish high-way men into good order and obedience This is the glory of the Gospel beyond all the Philosophy in the world that it hath so great influence on the hearts and thoughts of men 2 Cor. 10.4 5. 6. Conversion begins is carried on and is compleated in the heart and thoughts of men It begins there while men are in and dead in sins they are inconsiderate and regard not what 's in their heart and thoughts but when the grace of God comes in power and they receive it in truth they bethink themselves and consider what shall we do to be saved men are in a great quandary in their thoughts they begin to wamble and their bowels are turned within them and therefore regoneration is called the Renewing of the mind and Repentance is a change of mind and the heart becomes a new heart and when the heart is gained all the rest follows If the wicked forsake his thoughts he will quickly forsake his ways Isa 55.7 The first turn is in the thoughts Psal 119.59 I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies the thoughts go before and the feet follow after and the first motions of the Prodigal were in his thoughts when he came to himself he said within himself I will arise and go to my father and while he was thus thinking which is said while he was afar off but taking the first step his father saw him and had compassion on him c. As Conversion begins so it s carried on in the heart and thoughts especially though not only when others study like the Pharisees only to make the outside look fair and beautiful the godly man is employed about his inside to keep his heart clean the prayers of godly men are chiefly taken up about their heart Psal 51.10 create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me And as an excellent person words it wherein lyes the difference between sincere-hearted Christians and others but in the keeping of thoughts without which all Religion is but bodily exercise Papists may mumble over their prayers Hypocrites talk but this is Godliness As it begins and is carried on so Conversion is compleated finished and perfected in thoughts it ends there for when a godly man comes to dye his chief and last employment is about his thoughts he hath done
childrens death then that they had sinned And they of whom the world was not worthy being too good to live long chose rather to dye then sin Heb. 11. and many a good man like S. Paul desires to dye because this dying will prove the death of sin Sin is worse then death yea and 3. Sin is worse then the Devil Sin is worse then the Devil the Devil is indeâ—d a terrible Enemy the evil and envious one the hater of mankind but he knows he can nor damn nor hurt men without sin Sin can do that without the Devil which the Devil cannot do without sin and that is undo men God and the Devil are not so contrary as God and Sin for the Devil hath something â—eft viz. a Being which was of God but sin never was nor can be of God he is neither Author of nor Tempter to it James 1.13 Sin made the Devil what he is as a Devil the Devil was not made so of God as to man the Devil 't is true doth now seek to devour him but he cannot do it without sin nor can he compel any man to sin But 1. Though the Devil tempt 't is man that sins Temptations from Satan to siâ— are not sins nor the way to Hell but the very temptations of sin are sins the way to more sins and so to Hell A man 's own lusts are more and worse tempters then the Devil and the Scripture speaks as if a man were not tempted nor indeed is effectually till his lust do it James 1.14 If a man were tempted by the Devil forty days and yet without sin as Christ was yea tempted all his days yet if a man yield not but the grace of God be sufficient for him he may as St. Paul glory in his infirmities and triumph over the messenger of Satan 2 Cor 12. The Devil gives over for a season which sinful lusts scarce ever do they haunt men more then the Devil doth There is a scum of filthiness beiling or â—ubling up when the Devil doth not meddle with us Libera me à male homine meipso was St Austins Prayer and should be ours for indeed no man nor Devil is so bad to us as evil-self is to us The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat was no excuse the Devil owed me a spight and paid it will not apologize 't is man that sins and sin that damns either of which the Devil cannot force upon man 2. As sin is worse then the Devil as a Tempter and a worse Tempter so sin is worse then the Devil as a Tormentor and a worse Tormentor The Devil is cruel enough a roaring Lion and many times takes possession of men and handles them most unmercifully and will much more torment men in Hell as I have shewn above but all this while the Devil is without the spirit of a man but sin is there takes possession of and torments that â—is a grief to be tempted to sin but 't is a torment to be a sinner and God doth more form when he pardons us and more to our ease and refreshment then if he did cast as many Devils out of us as he did out of Mary Maâ—â—â—â—lene or aâ— whole Legion as he did Mark 5.9 Yea in Hell the gnawing worm of a guilty and upbraiding conscience doth more torment men then Devils do 'T would be a relief to a man in Hell if he could but have peace in his conscience or if he could say that he were there without his demerit and that his perdition were not of himself But to eeke out this a little further I say 4. That Sin is worse then Hell Sin is worse then Hell Hell is but a punishment Sin is a crime which hath more evil then the punishment and is that which made Hell the punishment thereof yea the greatness of this punishment argues the greatness of the crime and the sinfulness of sin Gods being glorified upon men in such a way is a clear and full proof what an evil thing it is to sin against and dishonour a God and consequently that Hell it self doth not so much hurt no not to man as sin doth Hell indeed is a disinal place of horrour and torment the extremity of suffering but never had an existence till sin had nor never could admit of such names as it doth and such torments if sin were not there 'T is storied as a Saying of Anselmes that if Sin and Hell were set before him and he must go through one of them he would rather chuse to go through Hell then Sin 't is sin 't is sin that 's the worst of Hell and worse then Hell 't is that which makes sinners cry out of the unhabitableness of devouring sire and everlasting burnings which are no terrour to righteous and upright souls as 't is Isa 33.14.15 'T is sin that makes Hell to be Hell God was never angry till sin made him so his wrath was never kindled but by sin now as sin made Hell so the more sin the more Hell as Tyre and Sidon feel beyond Sodom and Gomorrah If there were no Hell but such as Cain and Judas felt within them 't were yet a great one and they would tell you 't were damnation enough to be a sinner and to feel the horrors of a guilty and accusing conscience Yet a little more to shew that Sin is the worst of Evils 1. Other proofs 〈◊〉 sin is the worst 〈…〉 There is more evil in it then good in all the Creation that is it doth us more hurt then all the Creation can do us good when we are sick or wounded there are many medicinal Creatures that can help to recover and cure us but of this evil of sin there is no cure by any or all the Creatures 't was too hard for that good wherein we were created and all created good ever since hath not been able to recover us from it no 't is not but by God that we can be either pardoned or purged of it all the Angels in Heaven could neither pay our debt for us nor cleanse our hearts for us and God himself doth new-make us for mending would not serve our turn and therefore mans recovery is called a new Creation and the man a new Man created c. Eph. 4. and 't was Davids prayer create inâ—â—â—e a clean heart Psal 51. Sin is an evil past the skill and power of all the Creation to cure and cleanse 2. There 's no evil but this to be repented of God allows us to sigh and groan to mourn and lament at other evils but for this he calls for and requires repentance which is a severe thing full of rebuke and disgrace to man though it be a grace How great is that evil for which a man must cry Peccavi and to bring him to the confession whereof and repentance for and from it other evils are inflicted 3. They are the greatest punishments which are made up of
see what a deadly destructive and killing thing thy sin is Bvery mouth must be stopped there 's no room for complaint against God or his Law for thou art as all others are by becoming guilty sallen short of the glory and subject to the judgment of God Rom. 3 -19.-23 So that by the Commandment sin appears to be a desperate malignant thing the proper true and only cause of mans condemnation and death From this brief yet clear account of the Text and Context these following truths are deducible 1. Observations from the Text. That the Law of God in whole and every part is good not only not sin i. e. culpable or criminal as v. 7. or only holy and just v. 12. or spiritual v. 14. but good v. 12 13. good not only in it self but relatively in its institution with respect to man for 't was ordain'd to life v. 10. Yet 2. This good Law transgressed makes man over to death Patience that temperate and harmless thing if abused turns to rage and fury so the Law good though it be yet abused it condemns and kills But 3. Though the Law condemn mans fault and man for his fault yet still the Law is good and is not to blame nor to be blam'd The Law is as good as ever 't was 't is to be justified by man even then when it condemns man As man had no reason to break the Law so none to sind fault with the Law though it bind men over to death for breaking of it For 4. 'T is not the Law but sin that works mans death and ruine sin aims at no less and if grace prevent not it will end in no less for the end and wages of sin is death Rom. 6.21 22. Yet 5. Sin 't is true worketh mans death and destruction by that which is good scil the Law when sin hath used man to break the Law it useth the Law to break man to undo him by condemnation and death And 6. Sin is therefore exceeding sinful and wicked most unmeasurably spiteful poysonous and pernicious because it kills men and not only so but kills them by that which is good and was appointed to man for life it turns food into poyson ut agnoscatur quam sceleratus peccator sit hoc peccatum quam pestisera res dum per mandatum rem salutiferam exserit virus suum Clarius Like the horrid and cursed wickedness our stories tell us of so wickedly committed in poysoning a man yea a King by the Cup of Blessing So that 7. And lastly Sin by the Commandment appears to be excessively sinful Vt evidens sit quam perniciosum quam grave quam scelestum sit ipsum peccatum Zegerus If we look on this through the Microscope-glass of the Law it will appear a most hideous devillish and hellish thing the most wicked villanous mischievous virulent and deadly thing that ever was Sinful sin worse then the Devil c. of which anone I may not prosecute any of these particulars apart for I shall have occasion enough to speak to every and each of them in handling the sinfulness of sin in relation whereunto I intend to observe this method and to manifest thereby 1. What sin is The subject and method of handling it the thing so much and so deservedly evil spoken of whereof none can speak well but they that speak ill of it for they speak best who speak the worst of sin 2. Wherein the sinfulness of sin doth especially consist and so to lay open not only its effects but its nature also 3. What witness and evidence there is to make good this Indictment and Charge against Sin that it is so vile and abominable so sinful as the Apostle calls it And 4. What use and improvement is to be made of the Doctrine of Sins excessive sinfulness 1. To begin with the subject 1 Whâ—◠〈◊〉 is and to shew what sin is Sin is the transgression of a Law yea of a good Law yea of a Gods Law Sin supposeth a Law in being for where there is no Law there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 but where there is sin there is a Law and a transgression of the Law 1 Joh. 3.4 whosoever committeth sin transgresseth the Law for sin is a transgression of the Law and this is the sin intended here in the Text as appears by v. 7. Now the Law not only forbids the doing of evil whether by thought word or deed but also commands the doing of good so that to omit the good commanded is sin as well or ill as is the doing of the evil that is forbidden against the fruits of the spirit there is no Law but against the works of the flesh as the opposition holds there is Law for they are all against the Law as the Apostle tells us Galat. 5 19.-24 what ever then doth transgress the Law of God in whole or in part James 2.10 is therefore and is therein a sin whither it break an affirmative or a negative precept i. e. whither it be the omission of good or commission of evil 2. 2 Wherein the sinfulness of sin To proceed and lay open wherein especially the sinfulness of sin doth consist which is easily and readily known from its definition or description just now set before us Sin being a transgression of Gods Law which is not only holy and just as made and given by an holy and just God but good also as it respects man for whom God made it according to the Text and Context and as 't is in Deuter. 5.29 and 6.24 with many other places I say sin being a transgression of Gods Law which was made for mans good the sinfulness of sin must needs lie in this that it is contrary 1. To God 2. To Man These then are the two Heads I shall insist upon to declare the malignity and wicked nature of sinful sin and both these are evident from the Law for by it as our Text speaks sin appears sin and by the Commandment sin clearly and undeniably becomes most exceeding hyperbolically or above measure sinful i. e. extremely guilty of displeafing and dishonoring God of debasing and destroying man and on both accounts justly obnoxious to and deservingly worthy of the hatred of God and man as to which I do heartily wish the issue to be that man may hate it as God doth who hates it and nothing else but it or to be sure he hates none but for it Of sins contrariety to God 1. 1 Sin is contrary to God Then the sinfulness of sin not only appears by but consists in this that 't is contrary to God yea contrariety and enemity it self in the very abstract Carnal men or sinners are called by the name of enemies to God Rom 5.8 with 10. Col. 1.21 but the carnal mind or sin is called enmity it self Rom. 8.7 and accordingly it and its acts are exprest by names of enmity and acts of hostility as walking contrary to
God Levit. 26.21 rebelling against God Is 1.2 rising up against him as an enemy Mich. 2.8 striving and contending with God Is 45.9 despising of God Numb 11.20 it makes men haters of God Rom. 1.30 resisters of God Acts 7.51 sighters against God Acts 5.39 and 23.9 yea blasphemers of God and in sine very Atheists that they say there is no God Psal 14.1 it goes about to ungod God and is by some of the Ancients called Deicidium God-murther or God-killing And though all these things be not acted by every sinful man yet they are not only in the nature of sin yea of every sin more or less but are all of them in the heart of all sinners in their seed and root Mat. 15.19 and what is acted by any man would be acted by every man if God did not restrain some men from it by his power and constrain others to obedience by his love and power as 1 Cor. 5.14 Psa 110.3 Herein then is the desperately wicked nature of sin that it is not only crimen laesae Majostatis High Treason against the Majesty of God but it scorns to confess its crime 't is obstinate and will not that he reign over it 't is not only not subject but 't will not be subject no nor reconciled to God Paâ—ticularâ—y such is its enmity Yet more particularly 1. 1 To his Nature Sin is contrary to the nature of God Gods name is holy and as his name is so is he and his nature all holy yea he is so and cannot but be so And therefore God takes it more ill that men should think him wicked like themselves Psa 50 16-22 then that they think him not to be Psal 14.1 It s said to weary him when men do but say that evil is good in his sight Mal. 2.17 This is the thing God glorieth in that he is holy yea glorious in holiness Exod. 15.11 And Holiness is the Attribute which freeth God from not only evil it self but from all appearance or suspition of evil Were not God holy many of the things which God doth would look unlike him his justice and judgments would look not only like severity but Tyranny were not it and they holy his love in its carriages and behaviours to some people would look like fondness and respecting of persons but that 't is holy his patience would look like a toleration if not approbation of sin but that 't is holy patience c. Thus many acts of God were it not for holiness would appear as seemingly evil as they are really good and be as much suspected by all as they are unjustly censured by some He is holy without spot or blemish or any such thing without any wrinkle or any thing like it as they also that are in Christ shall one day be Eph. 5.27 God is so holy that he cannot sin himself nor be the cause or Author of sin in another he doth not command sin to be committed 't were to cross his nature and will nor approve of any mans sin when 't is committed but hates it with a perfect hatred without iniquity is he and of purer eyes then to behold i. e. approve iniquity Hab. 1.13 On the contrary as God is holy all holy only holy altogether holy and alwayes holy so sin is sinful all sinful only sinful altogether sinful and alwayes sinful Gen. 6.5 In my flesh i. e. in my sinful corrupt nature there dwelleth no good Rom. 7.16 As in God there is no evil so in sin there is no good God is the chiesest of goods and sin is the chiefest of evils as no good can be compared with God for goodness so no evil can be compared with sin for evil 2. 2 To his Attributes Sin is contrary to all the Names and Attributes of God sets it self in opposition to them all 1 It deposeth the Soveraignty of God as much as in it lies it will not that the King of Kings should be in the Throne and govern this world which he hath made 't was by this instinct that Pharaoh said who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know no Lord above me I will not let Israel go Exod. 5.2 'T is the voice and language of sin Psal 12. our lips are our own who is Lord over us and 't was from hence that the Jews of old said we are Lords we will come no more to thee Jer. 2.31 Thus it attempts to dethrone God! 2 It denies Gods All-sufficiency as if there were not content and satisfaction enough to be had in the enjovment of God but that vanity and wickedness had more of pleasure and profit then he whose wayes are all pleasantness and whose service is the whole of man Every Prodigal that leaves the Fathers house doth practically say 't is better to be elsewhere 3 It dares the Justice of God and challengeth God to do his worst Mal. 3.17 It provokes the Lord to jealousie and tempâ—s him to wrath 4 It disowns his Omniscience Tush say they God sees not nor doth the most High regard 5 It despiseth the riches of Gods goodness Rom. 2.4 6 It turns his Grace into wantonness Jude 4. It will make bold with God and sin because grace abounds In short 't is the Dare of Gods Justice the Rape of his Mercy the Jeer of his Patience the Slight of his Power the Contempt of his Love as one doth prettily express this ugly thing and we may go on and say 't is the Vpbraid of his Providence Psa 50. the Scoff of his Promise 2 Pet. 3.3 4. the Reproach of his Wisdom Is 29.16 and as 't is said of the Man of Sin made up of sin it opposeth and exaits its self above all that 's called God and above all that God is called so that it as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing it self as if it were God 2 Thes 2.4 3. Sin is contrary to the works of God 3 To his Works as it works contrary unto God so its contrary to Gods works and is called the work of the devil 1 Jo. 3.8 all Gods works were good exceedingly beautiful even to admiration but the works of sin are deformed and monstrously ugly for it works disorder confusion and every thing that 's abominable Sin may be impleaded for all the mischiefs and villanies that have been done in the world 't is the Master of Mis-rule the Author of Sedition the Builder of Babel the Troubler of Israel and all mankind And so contrary is sin to the works of God that it sought and still seeks to undo all that God doth that there might be no seed nor name nor root left him in the earth Every thing works according to its nature operari sequitur esse as the root is so is the fruit and by that every Tree is known whither it be a good Tree or a bad Mat. 7.17 18. God is good and doth good Psa 119.68 Sin is
examination and discovery of What Damnation is What damnation is and that privatively and positively consider'd Damnation may be consider'd 1 Privatively as paena damni a punishment of loss 2 Positively as paena sensus a punishment of sense An instance of both we have Mat. 25.41 Then shall he say to them on his left hand Depart from me there 's privative damnation into everlasting fire there 's positive damnation As sin is negatively a not doing good and positively a doing evil so damnation is a denial of good to and inflicting of evil upon sinners Salvation is ademptio malt the taking away of evil and adeptio boni an obtaining and enjoying of good 't is both wayes exprest Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish there 's negative salvation but have everlasting life there 's positive salvation So the damnation of sinners 't is negative depart from me and positive into everlasting sire In which Text we may observe 1 Who are to hear and to undergo this doom viz. them on his left hand the goats the sâ—â—ners the workers of iniquity as 't is Matth. 〈◊〉 23. 2 The Sentence or Doom it self Depart frome woe unto you saith God Hos 9.12 wheâ— I depart from you but woe woe woe will it bâ— when sinners must depart from God The punishment which iâ— worthy of a remark doth answer to and is called by the name of sin What is sin but a departure from God And what the doom of sinners departure from God aâ— if God should say to them you liked departinâ— while you lived now depart from me yoâ— would none of me nor my company now I'â— none of you nor yours Depart from us is thâ— cry of sinners to God Job 21.14 Depart from mâ— will be the cry of God to sinners 3 Here is the state wherein sinners must bâ— when they receive this doom Cursed God wiâ—â— not fend them away in peace or bless them before they go but away they must with a vengeance and with a curse at their backs they loved cursing and cursing shall be unto them all the curses in the Book of God shall light on them 4 Here is the torment they are to undergo fire yea everlasting fire kindled by the wrath and maintained by the wrath of God Lastly the company they are to have none but the Devil and his Angels Depart from me yâ— cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels A little to gloss on this briefly 't is as if sinners should say to God in the day of Judgment Lord have mercy upon us Mercy saith Gâ—â— mercy upon you No no I will have no mercy on you time was when you might have had mercy without judgment but now you shall have judgment without mercy depart depart If they should then beg and say Lord if we must depart let it be from thy Throne of judgment but not from thee Yes saith the Lord depart from me depart from that presence of mine in which there 's joy depart and go to hell Lord if they say seeing we must be gone yet bless us before we go let thy blessing be upon us Oh no saith God be gone with a curse depart ye cursed Oh Lord if we must go from thee let us not go into the place of torment but appoint some place if not of pleasure yet of ease No depart into fire burning and tormenting flames Oh Lord if into fire let it be but for a little while let the fire be soon out or we soon out of it for who can dwell in everlasting burnings No no neither shall you nor the fire know an end be gone into everlasting fire Ah Lord let it be long then before we go thither No depart presently the Sentence shall be presently put in execution Ah Lord let 's at least have good company that will pitty us though they cannot help us No no you shall have none but tormenting Devils they that you obey'd when they were Tempters you shall be with as Tormentors Oh what misery hath sin brought on man to brin him to hear this dreadful doom Depart from me ye cursed c. But as to the particulars I shall begin with the privative part Paena damni or privative damnation the paena damni penalty of loss which will not be the least plague of the sinnerâ— hell he shall be deprived of all good never to enjoy good day or good thing more when once a man is damned he may bid adieu to all good Luke 16.25 But to go on by degrees and step by step This then we say 1 1 Parting with all the good things they had here That damned sinners will be strip'd naked and deprived of all the good things they had in this life Wicked men are called the men of this world Psal 17.14 they have their portion and consolation in this life Luke 6.24 and 16.25 Many of them fare well and prosper in this world they have stately houses spread Tables full Cups soft Beds pleasant Walks delightful Gardens filled with fragrant and odoriferous fruits and flowers they sit at the upper end they have the grandure and gallantry of this world but when they come to be damned neither riches nor honors nor pleasures will descend with them Wicked men would be content with the good they have if they might have it alwayes if Dives-like they might be cloathed with Purple and fine Linnen and fare deliciously for ever they would say happy is the people that is in such a case Psa 144 12.-15 But this vain petty happiness such as 't is they must part with for ever and bid adieu for good and all to all their good When Devils fetch away their soul whose shall all these things be Luke 12.20 none of theirs all must be left behind theâ— cannot carry with them a drop of water to cooâ— their tongue to have a portion of this world may be a mercy but to have the world for a portion is a misery to have all good things in this life and but for this life is a misery indeed thou shalt be cloath'd with silks no more eat the fat and drink the sweet no more Oâ— But Saints themselves must part with these things tâ—â— A. 〈…〉 But the best on 't is they shall have better things in lieu of them The impenitent sinner 〈◊〉 from all his good to all evil but the Saint gâ—â—s from all his evil and but from a little good 〈…〉 goods who would not part with Counâ—eâ—â— for gold with a world for heaven this the Saint doth and 't is a good exchange I trow but when a man must part with all his Jewels all his fine things his wine and musick and the deligâ—ts of the Sons of men and have no good thing left him â—h how sad 2 Though sinnâ—â—â— will count this a great loss 2 Part with the comfort they had
duty to honor Father and Mother but still in the Lord it may be a duty to disobey yea to hate father and mother rather then obey them viz. when to obey them will be disobedience to God whither it be better to obey God or man judge you So that God will not allow us to sin to gratifie the greatest persons the nearest and dearest relations 3 God will not allow us to sin though we should professedly do it for his glory Sin can never directly glorifie God and though he know how to bring good out of evil yet he will not that we should sin for him who needs not us much less our sin God will take and is righteous in taking vengeance though our unrighteousness commend and set off the righteousness of God Rom. 3.5 Though the truth of God have more abounded through thy lye yet thou wilt be found a sinner Rom. 3.7 so that for this good evil must not be done v. 8. they that cast out their Brethren saying let God be glorified yet God will put them to shame Is 66.5 And though they thought in putting them to death they should do God good service yet God reckons it as their serving the devil John 16.2 with Rev. 2.10 When Saul excused his sin under the pretence of Sacrifice it was yet called Rebellion and reputed as witchcraft a most abominable thing 1 Sam. 15. Job upbraids his friends with this irreligious piety saith he Job 13.7 Will ye speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him Surely v. 10. he will reprove you for it Sin is so much the worse for being committed in the name of the Lord men thereby do as it were make God to serve the devils designs Nay 〈…〉 will be no excuse that men like 〈…〉 Judâ—â— c. sulfill the conâ—â—el and 〈◊〉 will i.e. determination of God as to what eventually shall be if they sin against his revealed will which is the rule by which men are to walk and to which they ought to be obedient â—o that by all this it plainly appears how that God witnesseth against sin that we may not sin for the good of any nor for any good no not for God 4 4 Threatning God witnesseth against sin by threatning men in case they sin he makes penal Statutes against 〈◊〉 in the day thou eatest the forbidden 〈◊〉 thou shalt surely die If sin were not an â—â—onourable thing surely God would not have 〈…〉 it on such peril on pain of death of 〈…〉 will be said under the execution of 〈…〉 and â—he just judgment of God 〈◊〉 ◠〈…〉 God is 〈◊〉 with the wicked and that wit 〈…〉 angry with 〈…〉 argues and 〈…〉 by them for he 〈◊〉 〈…〉 displease him 〈…〉 is nor that evil 〈…〉 God to 〈…〉 sometime to 〈…〉 judgment 〈…〉 â—â—gry wer◠〈…〉 God would not â—ebuke 〈…〉 who knows the pow 〈…〉 his â—nger and 〈…〉 â—appy they that 〈…〉 do nor withdraw his anger the proud helpers do stoop under him Job 9.13 the helpers of pride so 't is man is apt to be very proud and hath helpers of pride and 't is observeable that the word we read pride signifies strength also to denote that man is very apt to be proud of his strength but all the strong helpers of pride must stoop if he withdraw not his anger The strength of riches Prov. 10.15 the strength of friends and families Psa 49.7 strength and stoutness of spirit must all stoop if his anger break forth if he take but one of his arrows and discharge it against a sinner if he strike him but with one blow of his sword as the phrases are Psa 7 11.-14 Kiss the Son least he be angry and ye perish perishing is at the heels of his anger Psa 2.12 The fear or terror of a King is like the roaring of a Lyon whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul Prov. 20.2 Oh what dread is there then from the anger of the King of Kings when God sets our iniquities before him we are consumed by his anger and troubled by his wrath Psa 90.7 Now we infer that if Gods anger be so terrible and 't is sin that makes God angry that certainly sin is extremely sinful contrary to God or else the God of all grace the God of patience whose name is Love would never be so angry at it and for it 5 God witnesseth against sin by this that it 5 Repentâ—â—â— and it only put him upon repenting that he had made man Gen. 6.5 6. God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually and it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart and v. 7. God saith It repenteth me that I have made them The repentance of God argues a very great dislike of and displeasure against the wickedness of man Time was though 't were but for a little while that there was no sin and then when God lookt on what he had made he was so far from repenting that 't was wholly hid from his eyes and he was infinitely pleased but when sin had spoil'd the fashion and beauty of his work then indeed he speaking after the manner of men grieves and repents So that 't is not the work of his hand but the work of mans heart that put God on repenting Is God man that he should repent oh what an horrible thing is that which puts the unchangeable God on changing for such a thing repentance is viz. a change It repented the Lord that he had set up Saul to be King 1 Sam. 15. and when men do wickedly God repents that he hath done them good Jer. 18 7.-10 If men do evil against God God repents of the good he hath done men but such is his goodness if men repent of their evil God will repent of the evil he thought to do unto them Now as that must be very good that puts God on repenting of the evil so undoubtedly that must be very evil that puts God on repenting of the good he hath done to man 8 God witnesseth against sin by the many great and severe judgments which he hath executed upon â— Executing judâ—ment as well as threatned to sinners and which he will in all Ages execute on many and to all Eternity on some sinners for what God hath done shews what God will do as the Apostle infers 2 Pet. 2.3 4 5 6. Sinners do hugely mistake God when they say evil is good in his sight or where is the God of judgment Mal. 2.17 and do no less forget themselves and what God hath done when they say all things continue as they were and therefore scoffingly say where is the promise of his coming viz. to judgment 2 Pet. 3. 'T is true if God should judge as fast as men sin the world would be depopulated and at an end quickly But his
Cor. 5.21 There are yet other circumstances which added to his sorrow and suffering such as these he came to his own and they receiv'd him not he had least honor among his own in his own Country yea he was wounded in the house of his friends and one of his own betray'd him devil that he was Joh. 6.70 He did good to many but had little thanks from any of ten Lepers cleansed but one returned to give him thanks oh disingenuity and ingratitude but oh the aggravating circumstances at the latter end He was taken and apprehended as a sinner they came against him as to take a Thief with swords and staves they charged him with blasphemy for speaking the truth they preferr'd Barabbas the Son of their Father the Devil before him his Disciples left him his Father forsook him as was hinted before Alas who can reckon up the aggravating circumstances of his sufferings he was crucified between two thieves and upbraided by one of them his death was painful shameful c. as before But I pass from hence to the Third thing 3 His suffering witnesseth the sinfulness of sin to shew that the greatest sufferings that Christ underwent are a full witness against the sinfulness of sin Oh what an odious thing is sin to God that he will pardon none without blood Hebr. 9.22 that God would accept no blood but the blood of his Son not that of Bulls and Goats Hebr. 9.22 but that of his Son 1 Pet. 1.18 19. that God would not abate one drop one dram of this blood but he must powre out his life the very heart-blood must be spilt and spent for sinners and which is the wonder of wonders all this was a pleasure to God for it pleased the Lord to bruise him That it should please the Lord to bruise the Son in whom he was well-pleased is to us men an inconceiveable mystery Well then upon the whole this is a great witness that God hath born against sin that he would send his Son to die for sinners oh what an hell of wickedness is that which none but God can expiate and purge and that God doth not do it without taking humane nature and that God-man could not do it without suffering and no suffering serve but death no death but an accursed one oh what an evil odious evil is sin that must have blood the blood of God to take it away This shall suffice for the first thing viz. the witness of God against sin as exceeding sinful 2 Angels bear witness against sin 2 Angels witness against sin 1 The good both good Angels and bad Angels 1 Good Angels the Angels of God and heaven as they are often called do bear witness against sin as an exceeding sinful thing 1 Their very title which contains their nature and imployment too being holy Angels sheweth that they have an antipathy against and are at enmity with sin that which is meat and drink to wicked men to do the will of the devil 't is poyson to holy angels whose meat and drink it is to do the will of God they are all holiness to the Lord and cannot endure iniquity they often contend and fight with evil Angels and so witness against sin Jude 9. Their being holy loving holiness and contention against the Devil are their witnessings 2 Holy Angels witness against sin in being Gods Heralds to proclaim the Law which is against sin 't is the aggravation of the sin of the Jews that they kept not the Law which they receiv'd by the disposition of Angels Act. 7.53 The Law which was added because of transgressions was ordained by Angels Gal. 3.19 Every transgression of this Law receiv'd a just recompence of reward for the word spoken by Angels was stedfast Heb. 2.2 So that Angels in proclaiming the Law have openly declared against sin as exceeding sinful 3 They witness against sin in that they will not sin though provoked to it to be revenged on the Devil himself They will not rail at a Devil because railing is a sin nay 't is said of Michael that he durst not bring a railing accusation Jude 9. One would have thought he would have told the Devil his own and have put it home upon him that 's true but he durst not bring a railing accusation nor give the Devil ill language We hot-spurs and hot spirited that we are are apt to render evil for evil and railing for railing to pay men their own in coin but Angels dare not to do so for 't is a sin railing is language that holy Angels cannot speak 4 They witness against sin by this that they will not suffer men to sin that would do it to honor them When John fell at one of their feet to worship him saith the Angel See thou do it not Rev. 19.10 do not that to me which is to be done to God alone And again Ch. 22.8 9. I fell down saith S. John to worship before the feet of the Angel which shew'd me these things but he said unto me see thou do it not but worship God The Angels are so holy that they cannot endure the least reflection should be cast on God or least duty neglected towards God though they might be worshipped 5 Their testimony against sin appears thus that where they find it though in Gods own people they rebuke it and that sharply and severely Though Hagars hard usage made her run away yet saith the Angel to her return to thy Mistris and submit thy self to her Gen. 16.8 9. As if he had said Hagar Hagar 't is better to suffer then to sin When Sarah laugh'd at the tyding of a Son and after denied it being afraid Nay saith the Angel but thou didst laugh he told her her own roundly Gen. 18 12.-15 When Zachary believed not the Angel he was made dumb Luke 1 13.-20 Thus they rebuke for sin 6 Angels witness against sin by rejoycing at the conversion of sinners 'T is the recovery of a soul from a dead and lost condition to be converted and then do Angels rejoyce Luke 15 7 -10 As there is a kind of joy in hell among the Devils when one sins that is converted and when sinners are not converted so there is joy in heaven at the conversion of a sinner The Rabbies speak as if while sinners are rejoycing in their sins the Angels were grieving for them when and while men live in sin they dishonor their and the Angels God but when converted they give glory to God which is the Angels work and joy 't is their Song glory to God on high and when men bear a part with them in this Song 't is their joy 7 Angels witness against sin by the constant opposition they make against wicked Angels and wicked men Who would abuse their charge that is good and holy men good men are committed to the charge of good Angels He gives his Angels charge to keep them in all their ways Psa 91.11 and
sinfulness of sin that the devil tempts not in his own name or shape he dares not say I am the devil I am a deceiver I will lead thee to hell for that would spoil his project 5 The devil grants sin to be the worst of evils by this that all the affliction and misery which he brings upon men is to make them sin more so that in the devils account sin is worse then suffering as it proves the goodness of God that he brings evil on us to do and make us good to cure us of the evil of sin by the evil of suffering so it argues the sinfulness of the devil and sin too that he brings evil on us to make us worse he doth not care to afflict us so much because we have sinned as that we may sin no more The end of the devil in persecuting Job was not only to make him smart but to make him sin that he might curse God 't is something beyond suffering which is worse then suffering that the devil aims at in bringing suffering and that is sin 6 The devil bears witness that sin is sinful by this that when any are awakened to see their own vileness he endeavours all he can to drive them to despair as he would at first they should presume to sin so after that they should not hope for but despair of pardon he littles it or nothings it before commission and greatens it after when sin revived the Apostle died Rom. 7.9 It wrought in him apprehensions of death and hell due to that state wherein he then was when Christ Jesus convinced him of his sin of persecution it made him tremble and struck him almost dead Acts 9. Conviction of sin pricks men to the heart and makes them cry out like undone men what shall we do what will become of us is there any pardon is there any hope Now the devil strikes in and tells them that their sin is greater then can be forgiven When the poor Penitent was sorrowful the devil made use of his devices that he might be swallowed up and drown'd in sorrow 2 Cor. 2.7 with 11. as if he would have told him if these forgive thee not much less will God the Church hath cast thee off and so will God His great design is then to perswade men that the Mercy of God and Merit of Christ is not enough to save them Thus the devil speaks out fully that sin is exceeding sinful 7 And lastly the devil declares sin to be sinful in being the accuser of the Brethren Rev. 12.10 Oh what stories doth he tell of God of the Brethren how sinful they are and thereby confesseth to God himself the ugliness of sin for from thence only doth he take the rise and frame the arguments of his accusation as Christ ever liveth to make intercession for us so the devil lives to make accusations against us day and night when God askt the devil if he had consider'd his servant Job Yes saith he I have and accuse him for an hired servant one that serves thee meerly for wages and would if but toucht by thee curse thee to thy face When Satan accused Joshua Zech. 3.1 2. 't was for his filthy garments his iniquity as v. 3 4. He is ever telling tales and sometimes true stories of the miscarriages of Professors he Registers their pride and wantonness their vanity and folly all their unworthy walkings and accuseth them to God for these things and even tempts God Job 2.3 to destroy them for their sinfulness and sometimes as in Jobs case without a cause whatever he say to us to be sure he says to God that sin is an exceeding and out of measure sinful thing when he accuseth the Brethren Thus of the devils witness I proceed to bring in 3 The witness of men Good Bad against sin 3 Men witness against sin 1 Good men bear witness against sin 1 Good men joyntly and severally to which of the Saints shall we turn as was said in another case they all with one consent as one man with one voice and one mouth cry out against sin as a sinful thing one says yea all say 't were damnation to be a sinner if there were no other hell another says 't were better to be in hell with Christ then in heaven with sin another saith 't is more ugly then the devil they all subscribe to this that sin is the most odious of all evils hell it self not more for it had not been had not sin made it Good men bear witness against other mens sins and against their own also 1 Against other mens sins 1 Against other mens sins if possible to prevent if not to convince For 1 They do give advise and counsel to men against sin that they may not sin which proves that sin is an abominable thing in their esteem The sum of what is spoken by way of commend as to Abraham Gen. 18.19 amounts to this that he would advise and charge his Posterity not to sin So that of Samuel to Israel 1 Sam. 12.24 25. and that of David to Solomon 1 King 2.1 2 3. c. yea to all his children Come saith he I will teach you the fear of the Lord Psal 34.11 and 't is by the fear of the Lord that men depart from evil So in the N.T. 1 Thes 2.11 12. 1 Pet. 2.11 1 Joh. 2.1 't is the advise-general that good men give to every one do not sin 2 If they find that their counsel hath not taken place but men have sinned then they bear witness against sin by reproving it Reproofs are arguments of sinfulness for men do not reprove any for what 's good reproof argues preceding guilt were it not that sin is odious to them good men would not be at the cost and charges nor run the hazard of reproving others for it reproving others is a thankless office and unacceptable imployment for the most part men take reproofs for reproachâ—â— yet God having laid it on good men as their they to rebuke and not suffer sin to lye upon their Brother they dare not omit it Levis 19.17 Though Eli reproved his sons for their sins yet he is sharply reproved for not reproving them more sharply 1 Sam. 2. We find Samuel reproving King Saul Is it meet to be said to a King thou art wicked Yet 1 Sam. 13.13 saith the Prophet to the King thou hast done foolishly thou hast done wickedly and Ch. 15.22 23. he calls his sin rebellion and stubbornness thus cuttingly did he reprove King Saul S. John was not afraid to tell Herod of his wickedness and to his face too Luke 3.19 S. Paul would not sâ—are S. Peter when he sound him tripping and dissembling Gal. 2.11 but withstood him to the face what doth this speak but that sin is an odious thing to good men and they judge it extremely sinful against God and man Further. 3 Good men witness against sin by withdrawing
infections to the defiling of mans duties and holy things it defiles his natural and civil actions the plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21.4 Man should dâ— all from the highest to the lowest duty to the glory of God but Alas what doth man do that is not ill done and to the dishonour of God Sin infects mens prayers the prayers of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 28.9 yea though offer'd up with incense to persume them Isa 1.13 Under the Law Aaron was to bear the iniquity of the holy things Exod. 28.38 Israel brought God many a present but sin like a dead flye in a box of oyntment spoiled all Isa 1.11.16 Yet again Sin infects all that belongs to man when man was created God furnished his house for him gave him the world and fulness thereof and it was good but Alas how is it chang'd as I spake before for sin hath made all that belongs to man very vanity i. e. empty and unprofitable Eccl. 1. The fulness of the creature cannot fill a man the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor ear with hearing for all is vanity the gloss and beauty the pleasure and profit of creature-enjoyments are become vanity yea and more sin hath made it vexation too sin hath imbitter'd mans enjoyments man lives among his comforts but a vexatious life as in the fulness of his sufficiency he is in straits so in the fulness of his comforts he is in sorrow in the midst the very heart of laughter his heart is sad Mans enjoyments are disappointments they fail his expectations and so add not to his content but vexation neither the length nor the comfort of his life is in the abundance of these things Luke 12.15 and which is yet worse sin hath not only made things vain and vexatious but a snare and temptation to man they are sins baits by which it catcheth men what are honours pleasures and riches but snares to the children of men Prov. 30.8 9. This we have said in brief as to the universality of sins infection how it hath spread it self all over 2. Let us consider how suddenly it infects and withal doth increase and multiply Sin is not barren but Alas too fruitful to beget and bring forth more it is not lazy but gets ground continually how great a fire hath a spark kindled Adams â—â—â—â—erity have not been so numerous as his sins A little Cloud as it seems at first no bigger then ones hand grows and spreads to cover the whole Hemisphere The water that at first seem'd little and shallow swell'd more and more from the ankles to the knees from the knees to the loyns thence to the head till it grows to so great a River as cannot be passed over and so doth sin a very monster for its growth Particularly let 's observe how it increaseth in our selves and then how in others 1. How it increaseth in our selves Sometimes the same sin increaseth from little to great it grows from an infâ—nt to a man 't is as a snow-ball that like same crescit eundo grows bigger by rolling it in the snow the little grain of mustard grows to a great tree a little seed of sin becomes a great tree Adams sin was but one but 't was a breeding and big-bellied sin the mother of all abominations One sin transgresseth the whole Law James 2.10 when lust hath conceiv'd it hastens to bring forth and when it hath brought forth it brings it up till it come to its full stature James 1.14 15. 't is at first but a Lust an appetite inclination or motion thence it proceeds to Inticement by that to draw us aside and then to tempt and impregnate us by this temptation it conceives and there 's an Embryo this grows in the womb and when 't is brought forth 't is a sin and this being finished or perfected it proves deadly So James 3.5 6. the tongue is a little member but as a little spark of fire but it being kindled becomes a world of iniquity and defiles the whole body and sets on fire the whole course of Nature a little Leaven leaveneth the whole lump and sometimes one sin begets many more sins not only of the same kind but others also Josh 7.11 God had forbidden them to take the accursed thing but when they had taken they dissembled also and put it among their own stuff and when Achan confesseth his sin you may see how one drew on another vers 19.20 21. saith he when I saw I coverted and when I coveted I took and when I had taken I hid them thus one begat another Sin degrees it self into a greatness and multiplies into a number If we abhor not the garment we may be as it spotted with the flesh if we withdraw not from occasions of evil we may by the occasions be drawn to evil and in not abstaining from appearances of evil be brought to apparent evil There is one Chapter that gives us two sad Instances of this thing Gen. 34. Dinah out of curiosity will needs make a visit to the Daughters of the Land while she goes to see the daughters the son saw her visamque cupit having seen her he took her having taken her he lay with her and by lying with her defiled her The report whereof coming to Jacobs sons they were griev'd being griev'd they were wroth being wroth they meditate revenge meditating revenge they spake deceitfully having deceiv'd they slew and having slain they fall upon the spoil How hard it is to sin once and but once sin grows upon us Let us see 2. How sin increaseth in others and infects others it went from one man to every man how soon had the world got the name of ungodly world or world of ungodly 2 Pet. 2.5 and after the flood how soon was the world overspread with sin from seven or eight persons one root of bitterness defiles many Heb. 12.15 Mens ill examples are very pestilential and pernicious a little Leaven leaveneth the whole lump as our Country Proverb hath it one scabbed sheep infects a whole flock The world grows worse and worse the latter days most perill us because most sinful and as if there had not been sin enough some set up projects and trades of new sins being inventors of evil things Rom. 1.30 Oh how diffusive and catching is this infection for others will quickly be in these new-invented fashions of sin and sinning Yet again 3. The infection of sin is tantum non almost incurable 'tis to us impossible and only possible with God and that at a costly rate by the blood of Christ to cure this plague and cleanse us of it 't is very hard to be cured because 't is within us and dwelleth in us Rom. 7.17.20 an ulcer in the flesh is more easily cured then one in the lungs a disease that 's inward cannot be so well reacht yea 't is not only in us but 't is rivetted in us 't is gotten into
is not to rail at it but to tell it its own for 't is the Quinitessence of evil which hath made all the evils that are and is worse then all the evils it hath made 't is so evil that 't is impossible to make it good or lovely by all the Arts that can be used poyson may be corrected and made medicinal if not nutritive but sin is sin and can be no other its nature cannot be changed no not by a pardon To speak as the thing is 't is not only ugly but ugliness not only filthy but filthiness not only abominable but abomination there is not a worse thing in Hell it self it hath not its fellow there All this and much more may be said of and against sin and having laid this ground-work I shall now build upon it the fourth thing viz. The Application The Application and Improvement of the Doctrine of Sins sinfulness 1. Then Sin is the worst of Evils By way of Inference for our Information in several things as first in general That Sin is the worst of Evils the evil of evils and indeed the only evil nothing is so evil as nay nothing is evil properly but sin nor in comparison of it As the sufferings of this present time of our life which are upon us are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us so neither the sufferings of this life or that to come are worthy to be compared for evil with the evil of sin No evil is displeasing to God or destructiâ—e to man but the evil of sin 'T is worse then affliction then death then Devil then Hell affliction is not so afflictive death is not so deadly the Devil not so devilish Hell not so hellish as sin is and this will help to fill up the charge against its sinfulness especially as it is contrary to and against the good of man These four Evils that I have named are terrible indeed and from all which every one is ready to say Good Lord deliver us yet none of these are all of these are not so bad as sin and therefore our prayers should be more to be delivered from sin and if God hear no prayer else yet as to this we should say We beseech thee to hear us good Lord 1. Worse then affliction and suffering 'T is worse then any evil of affliction there are afflictions of several sorts and they are all called Evils is there any evil of what sort or kind or quality soever in the City and I have not done it Amos 3.6 God you see will owne himself the Author of it but not of sin that 's a bastard of someothers be getting and breeding the evil of plagues and afflictions are of Gods bringing though of sins deserving now indeed no affliction seemeth to be or is joyour for the present Heb. 12 11. but though they are not to be desired yet they may be endured but sin is neither to be desired nor endured any sin is worse then any suffering one sin then 〈◊〉 suffering the least sin then the greatest suffering What you will say is it worse then to be whipt to be burnt to be sawn asunder c yes by a great deal as appears by what our Saviour saith Mat. 10.28 fear not them that can kill but fear him that can damn q. d. 't is better to be killed then to be damned We maâ— more easily suffer from men then sin against God One may suffer and not sin but 't is impossible to sin and not suffer They that avoid suffering by sinning sin themselves into worse suffering Thâ—â— seems to be clear enough yet because truth are seldom well improved till they be believed and are seldom believed till they are well proved I shall therefore make this out more fully That sin is worse then suffering first by this Argument in general because Sin is all evil only evil and always evil which no affliction is nor can be in my flesh saith the Apostle there dwelleth no good no not the least and this is ever present with me this cannot be said of afflictions that there is no good in them that they dwell in and are always present with us there are some lucida intervalla Sun-shines in Winter One may say 't was good that I was afflicted Psal 119.71 't is good to bear the yoke in ones youth Lam. 3.23 but one can never say 't was good that I sinned no though 't were but in my youth Eccl. 11.9 12.1 All things may be corrected and made to work for our good and we can say not only God that afflicted me was good but the affliction wrought for good 2 Cor. 4.17 but we can never justly say that sin did us good Many can say periissem nisi periissem I had been undone had I not suffered but none can say periissem nisi peccassem I had perished if I had not sinned no no 't is by sin we perish and are undone many have thankt God for affliction but never any for sin Some indeed mistake that place Rom. 6.17 as if the Apostle thanked God that they were sinners no by no means but he thanks God that they who once were sinners were become obedient to the Gospel and the proper sense and reading is Thanks be to God though ye were the servants of sin in time past yet now ye have obeyed the form of Doctrine which was delivered to you or as the Margine and Greek whereunto ye were delivered Sin of it self is neither good before nor after its commission 't is not good to be committed nor good after 't is committed nor doth it do us any good but hurt all our days but other evils though we cannot call them good before and so desire them yet we can call them good after and so thank God for them More particularly 1. Suffering may be the object of our choice which sin cannot be for that which is evil and can be no other and so is sin cannot be the object of our volition and choice 't is contra-natural If men did not call evil good and good evil they could never love the evil nor hate the good nor can fin be chosen as a means to a good for as 't is evil and nothing else so it doth evil and nothing else But now affliction though not chosen for it self yet for an end a good end and effect of it may be chosen yea and rather then sin it may be chosen though no other good thing should follow then this that one did no evil Instances we have of this as the three young Worthies Dan. 3.17 whose gallantry of spirit was such that though they should not be delivered by their God yet they would not they were holily wilful they would not sin against their God nor so much as demur deliberate or take time to consider whether they should suffer or sin t was past dispute with them brave and noble
taking away of sin Isa 27.9 yea to make us partakers of his Holiness Heb. 12.10 which is the end of the greatest promises 2 Pet 1.4 2 Cor. 7.1 So that God aims at the same thing in bringing threatned evils on us as in making good promises and making them good to us Is not this better then sin did that ever do such kindnesses for us A as its mercies are cruclties its courtesies are injuries its kindnesses are killing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic notus Vlysses it never did nor meant us any good unless men be so mad to think that 't is good to be defiled dishonoured and damned 5. Sufferings tend to make us perfect but sin makes us more and more imperfect The second Adam was perfected by suffering Heb. 2.10 â—u the first Adam was made imperfect by sinning and thus it fares with both their seeds and children as it did with them a sinner and without strength Rom. 5.6 a sinner and without God without Christ without hope c Eph. 2.12 But a sufferer after a while 〈◊〉 be perfected by the same God of all grace who hath called him into eternal glory by Christ Jesus aâ—d after his example 1 Pet. 5.10 but the more a sinner the more imperfect and fitter for Hell 6. Suffering for God glorifies God 1 Pet 4.14 and calls on us to thank and glorifie God for it vers 16. but sin dishonours God by suffering the Saints are happy vers 14. being Gods Martyrs but by sinning sinners are miserable as the Devils Martyrs vers 15. and which I pray you is better to suffer for God or for the Devil to be suffering Saints or Sinners 7. Sufferings for God Christ and Righteousness adde to our glory as well as they glorifie God but sinning adds to our torment That suffering adds to our glory see Mat. 5.10 11 12. 2 Cor. 4.17 Light afflictions work an exceeding weight of glory but sin which is exceeding sinful works an exceeding weight of wrath and torment Rom. 2.5 It heaps heap upon heap load upon load to make up a treasury of wrath which then is the greatest evil I speak to wise men judge ye what I say light affliction or heavy sin which is better treasures of glory or treasures of wrath or which is all one to suffer or to sin Thus far I have evinced that sin is worse then affliction I but it may be said if we suffer not unto death 't is no great suffering skin for skin and all a man hath will he give for his life but to dye is dreadful 't is worse to sin I shall therefore prove 2. Sin is worse then death That sin is worse then death we use to say of two evils chuse the least now to dye is more cheap and easie then to sin as Gods loving-kindness is better then life we had better part with this then that so sin is worse then death we had better undergo this then do that better submit to death then commit sin as I hinted before from Mat. 10.28 But let us compare them Sin is more deadly then death viz. the separation of soul and body the dissolution of Natures frame and the union thereof this which we call Death is apprehended as a great evil as appears by mans unwillingness to dye men will live in sickness and pain they will be in deaths often rather then dye once and 't is not only an evil in apprehension but 't is really so to humane Nature for 't is called an enemy 1 Cor. 15.26 'T is true death is a friend to grace but 't is as true that death is an enemy to nature and there are four things in which death is evil and an enemy to man and in all these respects sin is more an enemy to man then death 1. Death is separating it separates the nearest and dearest relations yea that which God hath joyned together man and wife soul and body it separates from Estates Ordinances c. as I shewed before thus death is a great evil and enemy true but sin is worse for it brought death and all the evils that come by death and separates man while alive from God who is the light and life of our lives Death separates not from the love of God that sin doth Rom. 8.38 39. Isa 59.2 2. Death is terrifying 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King of Terrors Job 18.14 't is a grim Sir a very sowre and tetrical thing 't is ghastly and frightful for men are not only unwilling but afraid to dye but all the terror that is in death sin puts there 't is the sting of death 1 Cor. 13.56 without which though it kill it cannot curse nor hurt any man so that sin is more terrible then death for without sin either there had been no death or to be sure no terror in death when the sting is taken away by the death of Christ there 's no danger nor cause of fear Heb 2.14 15. and the Apostle looking on the Prince of Peace was not afraid of the King of Terrors but could challenge and upbraid it 1 Cor. 15 55 3. Death is killing but sin much more death deprives of natural and temporal but sin deprives of spiritual and eternal life death kills but the body sin kills the soul and brings it uâ—der a worse death then the first viz. the second Men may kill us but only God can destroy us i. e. damn us and that he never doth but for sin so that sin is more â—iâ—ling then death is 4. Death is corrupting it brings the body to corruption and makes it so loathsom that we say of our dearest relations as Abraham of Sarah when she was dead bury her out of my sight death makes every man say to the worm thou art my mother and to corruption and putrefaction thou art my sister Job 17.14 But sin corrupts us more then death for he that dyed without sin saw no corruption it defiles us and makes us a stink in the nostrils of God and men Gen. 34.30 the old man and its lusts are corrupt and do corrupt us Eph. 4.22 They corrupt our souls and that which corrupts souls the principal man of the man is much worse then that which corrupts the body only but sin corrupts the body too while alive intemperance uncleanness corrupts soul and body so that sin is even in this worse then death Our Saviour tells the Jews that their great misery was not that they should dye but that they should dye in their sins Job 8 21. intimating that sin was worse then death and that which made death a misery better dye in an Hospital or a Ditch then in sin 't is better to dye any how then sin and dye in sin and therefore the Father told Eudoxia the Empress when she threatned him Nil nisi peccatum timeo I fear nothing but to sin And ' ewas a Princely Speech of a Queen who said She had rather hear of her
sins 'T is worse to be let alone and given up then if men were sent quick to Hell for they live but as reserved to fill up their measure brimful and to undergo the more of Hell to grow rich in wrath having treasured it up against that day As 't is the best of comforts to have assurance of the love of God and to be sealed to the day of Redemption so 't is the saddest of judgments to be given up as 't is three times in one place Rom. 1. to their lusts to an hardned heart a seared conscience a reprobate mind when God shall say let him that 's filthy be filthy still Rev. 22.11 and they shall not see nor understand lest they should be converted Isa 6.9 10. a dreadful place which is six times quoted in the New Testament as you may see in the Margine 4. Sin is the worst of Evils as appears by this that God hates men for it 't is not only sin Prov. 6.16.19 but sinners that God hates and that for sin Psal 5.5 't is said of God that be hates the workers of iniquity not only the works of iniquity but the workers of it hatred is not known by judgments the evil of suffering but 't is known by the evil of sin which is before us Eccl. 9 1 2. 't is for this that the merciful God saith he that made them will not have mercy on them nor shew them any favour Isa 27 11. and as a Learned person expresseth it This is the highest that can be spoken of the venom of sin that in a sort and to speak after the manner of men it hath put hatred into God himself it made the Lord hate and destroy his own workmanship God is Love and Judgment his strange work yet sin makes him out of love with men and in love with their destruction at last so though he delight not in the death of a repenting yet he doth in the death of an impenitent sinner 5. It proves Sin the worst and greatest of Evils that Christ is the best and greatest of Saviours and his Salvation the best and greatest Salvation he came to save sinners and to save them not from the petty evils of sickness affliction and perfection but from sin the greatest of all evils Math. 1.21 1 Tim. 1.15 To be saved from Egypt was of old reckoned great but being delivered out of the North was a greater Salvation Jer. 23.8 but Salvation from Sin is the greatest Salvation and therefore Sin the worst and greatest of Evils Having thus evinced Sin to be the worst of Evils â—n being against God infers the Evil of Evils none to be compared to it for evil I shall now apply it more distinctly and shew what we are to inter From the sinfulness of Sin His patience to be wonderful as 't is 1. Against God 2. Against Man As sin is considered against God I infer 1. That the patience of God with His patience to be wonderful and the long-suffering of God towards sinners is wonderful if sin be so exceeding sinful i. e. contrary to and displeasing to God then surely his patience is exceeding great his goodness exceeding rich his long-suffering exceeding parvellous even to wonder That God should intreat Sinners his enemies to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.20 that God should stand at a Sinners door and knock Rev. 3 20. that God should wait on Sinners to be gracious to them Isa 30.18 is not after the manner of men but of God yea the God of grace and patience and to be admired for ever That at first God should think thoughts of good and not of evil of peace and not of wrath but visit us in the cool of the day was a wonder but that after he had imparted and commended his heart-love to us in and by his Son Rom. 5.8 and both were rejected that he should yet continue to offer and call and wait 't is a miracle of miracles What shall we say 't is God who is as his Name is Exod. 34.6 Numb 10.18 Psal 86.15 and as he was yesterday he is to day the God of grace and patience Rom. 15.5 and rich in it Rom. 2.4 with 2 Pet. 3.9 1 Tim. 1.13 16. yea we are all living monuments and instances of his goodness and patience 't is of the Lords mercies that we all are not altogether and utterly consumed yea and that in Hell Lam. 3.22 Sin is so sinful so contrary and displeasing to God and hath made man so much Gods enemy that 't is a miracle he should find his enemies any of them and let them go well away That God who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity should look on the sins of men that his eye should so affect his heart as to grieve him yea that it tempts and provokes him to anger wrath and hatred and that God should keep in anger which is like burning coals in our bosom and not let out all his wrath and ease himself of his burthen by avenging himself of his adversaries but woo and wait on sinners Oh the power of his patience Oh the infiniteness of his mercy and compassions Oh the riches of unsearchable grace God sees it is not ignorant God is sensible of it and concern'd for it grieves and vexeth him God is able to right himself when he pleaseth and yet forbears and is patient Oh wonder Consider yet again 1. The multitude of sinners that are in the world if 't were but one or two they might be winkt at and past by but when all the world lies in wickedness as it doth 1 Joh. 5.19 when there is none righteous no not one if there had been but ten God would have spared Sodom c. though ten thousand sinners might be there but when there is not a man to be found that sinneth not but all ahve sinned Jew and Gentile high and low c. Oh what grace what patience is this 2. Consider the multitude of sins and the multitude of sins in and by every sinner the sins are more numerous then sinners if all men had finned and but once it would have mitigated the matter but sin hath grown up with men that were not only conceived and born in sin but went astray before they could go even from the womb not a good thought to be found in their heart Gen. 6.5 it grows up faster then men do they are old in sin when young in years they are adding iniquity to iniquity and drawing it on with cords and ropes committing it with both hands greedily as if they could not sin enough they dare God himself to judge them they drink down iniquity like water as if 't were their element and nourishment and pleasure also yea and among the rest his sons and daughters provoke him with their sins which go very near his heart Deut. 32.19 and yet behold how miraculously patient and long-suffering God is 3. Consider the length of time in which these
only because 't is good for us but because 't will glorifie God which is an higher end and so much higher as God is above us so we should forbear to do evil not only because 't is against us but because 't is against God who is more to be beloved by us then our selves To sin against God admits of many aggravations for 't is against God that made us yea fighting against God that made us we are all the off-spring of God the children of God by the first nature though children of wrath by corrupt nature 't is observable how the Genealogy runs Luke 3.39 which was the son of Adam which was the Son of God Adam was and so were we the children of God by creation God was our Father who made us and wo to him that striveth with and fights against his Maker Isa 43.9 't is woful sinning against God as a Maker Oh how unnatural is it to sin against our Parents so hainous was it that Exod. 21.15 he that smiteth father or mother shall dye Oh what is it then to smite the Father of our Spirits the Father of our father and mother if the Ravens of the Valley shall pick out the eyes of them that curse father and mother Prov. 30.17 what 's like to come on them that make nothing of cursing God himself 'T is against God in whose hand our breath is and whose are all our ways on which account we should glorifie him Dan. 5.23 he hath our being and well-being at his dispose he can crush us as the moth and turn us not only to the dust but to the hell of death what he doth for us and what he can do against us do hugely and strongly oblige us not to sin against him We are beholden to him for all the good we have that nakedness which had once a Reverence paid it from the creatures would now be a scorn to them if God did not cloath it the creatures would not serve us nor be serviceable to us if God did not command and bless them for bread we should have none or no good by it if he did not provide and bless it what could weak things do to strengthen or dead things do to keep us alive did not his Word do more then they we live not by bread but by his Word If God should deny us bread by day or sleep by night what would become of us Oh how can we find it in our heart to sin against God! There are two great wonders the one that God should be so good to man who is and doth evil against him the other that man should do evil against so good a God! O foolish people and unwise thus to requite the Lord 'T is God that preserves our going out and coming in and keeps us from infinite invisible as well as many visible dangers abroad and at home if we did but know our dangers we thould go in fear of our lives every moment the Earth would swallow us up the fire would burn us the water would drown us if God were not with us to preserve us he could have sent us down to Hell long ago and yet gives space for repentance and waits to be gracious 'T is true he will at last judge us and what shall we do how shall we stand if found sinners when he riseth up to judge terribly the Earth what Sanctuary or City of refuge shall we flye to that we may be secure Alas there will be no â—scaping his vengeance in that day will overtake and ruine us Think of this and think whether thou canst find it in thy heart to sin or to think it a little or light thing to sin against God such a God whatever may be pretended for it yet let me say this further that if God had not laid so many obligations on us yet were we bound not to sin against his Soveraignty and the Authority he hath over us but when he humbles himself and vouchsafeth so many kindnesses to us 't were a monstrous ingratitude and rebellion to sin against him whatever profit or pleasure might come to us thereby or whatever reason may be alledged or pretended for our so doing 5. I might hence infer the beauty the transcendent and incomparable beauty of Holiness how lovely a thing it is in the eyes of God and ought to be in the eyes of men this is the thing that is so agreeable and pleasing to God so adorning and beneficial to man The black spot of sin sets off the beauty of Holiness contraria juxta se posita magis elucescunt But having in a Discourse by it self and which I have published in Print I say having already spoken thereunto I refer you to that Sermon and shall adde no more to this Head here Secondly Sins being against mans good infers I shall draw some Inferences from the Consideration of Sin as 't is contrary to the good of Man 1. That they are mistaken who seek for any good in or from sin Then I infer that they are miserably mistaken that seek for any good in Sin as sin is so its effects are all evil to man there are wo unto them that call evil good or as 't is in the Margine Isa 5.20 that say concerning evil it iâ— good they think and stick not to say as they think that evil is good and place their chief happiness in the chiefest evil i. e. in sin and as 't is said of Doeg and such as he Psal 52.3 they love evil more then good Alas how many do not only undo themselves but take pains and pleasure to do and in doing of it yea that think it strange that others are not so mad as they and run not with them to the same excess of riot 1 Pet 4.4 all which proceeds from this mistake that evil is good viz. to them as bringing profit honour or pleasure to them which is called the Lust of the Eye flesh and pride of life 1 Joh. 2 16. from whence came the first sin Gen 3.6 but alas as the event proved then 't will always they gather no grapes from thorns nor figs from thistles they seek the living among the dead and may as well find case in and from Hell as good in or from sin the morsels of sin are deceitful though called Dainties sin is a meer cheat with not so much fair as false shews it deceives the heart of the simple the stollen waters of sin how sweet soever they seem to be in the mouth and to the taste will be gall and wormwood in the belly bitterness in the latter end All the corruption that is in the world came in by lust 2 Pet. 1 4 and all lust is deceitful Eph. 4.22 and thus the woman was first deceived and by her the man 1 Tim. 2 14 and instead of being as God which they thought was promised they became as the Devil which was the thing intended and designed by him and sin
sinful thoughts I now proceed to Caution 2. Not in Word-sins Against sinful Words As I have endeavoured before to clear the Heart so now to clear and cleanse the Mouth that as there might not be an evil thought in that so not an evil word in this persons too many are apt to think that words are but wind things that they shall not account for and therefore are so bold and daring as to say as Psal 12.4 with our tongue will we prevail our lips are our own who is Lord over us we may speak what we will and we will speak what we may Oh what an unruly tongue hath that man who can say his tongue is his own Patient Job in a fit of passion did say let me alone that I may speak and come of me what will Job 13.13 Alas is' t not thus with many when we tell them of the sinfulness of sin and of tongue-sins they flye in our faces and say hold your peace we will speak let there come on us what will Ob desperate But if you will be a little serious I would ask you when cool and calm this question Would you not live and see good days yes we would who is there that doth not desire life and to see good days while he lives many say who will shew us any good and every one says life life skin for skin and all for life Coâ—â— then come ye children hearken unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord what man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he may see good Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile Psal 34.11 12 13. Oh that all the parents in the world would call their children together to read them such Lectures as this many say come my children I will teach you the way to grow rich and great how to be sine and in fashion c. but few call them and say come my children I will teach you the fear of the Lord the best wisdom and godliness the best and most enriching Trade good for this life and that to come Oh that they would ask them would you see life c. yes but how why if you be for life and good days keep your tongue from evil c. this is confirmed in the New Testament 1 Pet. 3.10 The next and best way to live and live well is as the Proverb hath it to keep a good tongue in our heads and have no evil words in our mouths for as the Wiseman assures us Prov. 21.23 whoso keepeth his mouth and tongue keepeth his soul from troubles and this is not only a political but a divine assertion and is true between God and man as 't is between man and man Holy David was so afraid of his tongue lest he should offend with it that he put a bridle into his mouth Psal 39.1 and surely the tongue is an unruly thing that it must be bridled like an Horse or an Ass yea 't is so unruly that one may better rule Horses and manage them and more easily turn such unwieldy things as great Ships are then keep the tongue in order and therefore St. James pronounceth him a perfect man that offends not in word and one that is able with ease to bridle the whole body when he hath the mastery of his tongue James 3.2 3 4. Oh 't is a rare thing to use the tongue well Now to help you against this evil that you may not sin with your mouths tongues or lips which are all one in signification let me intreat you to consider 1. That sinful words are wholly forbidden us and the contrary to them are injoyned us God hath told us what we shall not and what we shall say what words we ought not and what we ought to use For the Negative let no corrupt or filthy and rotten unsavory communication no kind of it no degree of it proceed out of your mouth but affirmatively that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the Hearers Eph. 4.29 so again Chap. 5.3 4. but fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness filthiness foolish talking and scurrilous jesting and gibing let it not be named i. e. let not these be subject and matter of your discourse and talk but giving of thanks or that which is graceful and thank-worthy fit to season and edifie others by ministring grace to them as 't was said before and again Col. 4.6 let your speech be always with grace let it be as becometh Saints graceful and comely seasoned and savory that which may not defile any but edifie all Though a Christian be not always to talk of grace yet he is always to talk so as to shew himself a gracious person Our very Table-talk as well as our meat should be seasoned with salt it should be with the first and second course for salt is the first put on and the last taken off that all may be seasoned and savory and so should all our discourse be and not like salt that hath lost its savour which is not good no not for the dunghil Luke 14.35 2. Unless a man take heed to his words and bridle his tongue that mans Religion is vain and consequently in vain 't is unprofitable idle and impertinent James 1.26 he doth but seem to be religious and thereby both flatters and deceives himself 't is too much to seem to be evil and too little but to seem to be good appearance in evil is too much but appearance of or in good is not enough If he seem to be religious and doth not bridle his tongue notwithstanding his seeming to be he is not religious A seeming Religion is worse then none as vanity is less then nothing Isa 40.17 He that hath a form and but a form of godliness denying the power thereof is worse then he that hath not so much as a form or makes no profession of godliness Oh how should this oblige us to take heed of tongue-sins 3. Sinful words are arguments of sinful hearts words are the image of the mind and the declaration of it as a man is known by his picture so an heart by its words Thou art a Galilean thy speech bewrayeth or discovers thee We may know what Country-men any are by their language whether French Dutch c. whether of the heavenly or hellish World 'T is out of the abundance the fulness and overflowing of the heart that the mouth speaketh Mat. 12.34 broach any full vessel and what 's there will come out words are as the broaching of the heart and giving it vent and then out comes that which was within 'T is indeed both possible and common for persons to speak well when they mean ill peace is in their mouth when war is in their heart but that heart is hypocritical and out of that double heart which is full of Hypocrisie they speak with their tongues as Psal 12.2 Jer. 42.20 so that
well kept that God keeps and if he keep not the City the watchmen watch in vain Commit thy self to the Keeper of Israel and all will be well Prov. 16.1 2 3. 3. Not in Deed-sins Caution against Deed-sins The third thing I am to dehort from and caution against is living in the practice of any sin yet before I directly speak thereunto I crave leave to say some things about and against sins of omission a thing too seldom treated or taken notice of though scarce any guilt more common I shall therefore dehort 1. From sins of Omission 2. From sins of Commission 1. Take heed of sins of Omission Of sins of Omission it is a sin to omit what good is commanded as well or ill as to commit what evil is forbidden not to do what we ought as to do what we ought not We are not only to eschew evil but to do good also 1 Pet. 3.11 and I the rather insist a little hereon because many are more apt and prone to omit Duties to be neglectful of doing good then to commit especially gross and palpable evils and withal to look upon it as a less evil if any at all there being so many though but trifling excuses ready for it as you may see Luke 14.18 19 20. I beseech you therefore to consider these things 1. That good and some of the best of men have been guilty hereof and have suffered hereby to instance but in two the first is Jacob who was exceeding tender of telling a lye though 't were to get a blessing Gen. 27.11 12. but this Jacob was so forgetful of and did so long neglect and omit to pay his vow which he made at Bethel that God minds him of it Gen. 35.1 and for the omission whereof it s suppoâ—ed that the afflictions mentioned in the former Chapter did befal him The other Instance is Hezekiah a good man and a good King who returned not to the Lord according to the benefit he had received nor did answer the end of it but was guilty of not being humble or thankful enough though he sung a Song of Praise and it seems annually unto God and therefore wrath was upon him 2 Chron. 32 25. with Isa 38.20 Alas how apt are good men to neglect Duties and especially returning ones even them of praise and for these things sake the wrath of God comes on his own Children as for gross sins it comes upon the children of disobedience Eph. 5.5 6. How dear did it cost the Spouse her not opening to her Beâ—oved Cant. 5.6 7. 2. Yet generally and for the most part 't is a great affliction to good and godly men to be forced to omit and to be constrained to be absent from Duties though the omission of them at such a time and in such a case be no sin of theirs as in time of sickness or in case of flight how doth David mourn while in the wilderness being persecuted and driven there how doth be lament his absence from the Assemblies of them that kept Holy-day Psal 42 1-4 Though God in cases of such necessity dispense with his Sabbath and consequently his instituted Worship on that day yet holy men lament this necessity and mourn that they are restrained from bearing a part with others and forced to do that which else were not lawful to do on a Sabbath-day and 't is on this account not to exclude others that as I conceive our Saviour bid the Disciples pray that their flight might not be on the Sabbath-day Mat. 24.20 For the usual Ordinances of the day could not be enjoy'd nor the ordinary Duties of the day practised and performed But 3. As it should be an affliction to be in a necessity so 't is a sin to be willing to omit a Duty 'T is an affliction not to have an head or hand but a sin not to have an heart for Duty As 't is a sin to will evil so 't is a sin not to will good but to be willing not to do good is more a sin too many persons are glad of diversions as School-boys are when they have no mind to their books any thing shall serve to put off a Duty When the flesh was weak and the spirit willing Christ himself excused them Mat. 26.41 but if the spirit be unwilling 't is no excuse though the flesh be never so weak 'T was some comfort to St. Paul that though to do he had not power yet to will was present with him Rom. 7.18 but not to will though we have no power and much more not to will when we have power is a sin The reason why the wicked bad God depart from them was because they had no mind nor desire to be acquainted with his ways Job 21.14 so Rom. 1.28 they did not like to retain God in their knowledge or to pay acknowledgments to him they had no mind nor will nor list to do it and this is sin as well as the other sins wherewith they are charged 4. One omission makes way for another he that under pretence of unfitness to Duty puts it off makes himself fit for nothing more then to omit again qui non est hodie eras minùs aptus erit he prepares and fits himself to be unfit for and to omit Duty much and too long fasting takes away and deadens our appetite he that omits one is like to omit another and so another till he omit all and give up his very profession and when that 's gone the mans Religion dies and he becomes twice dead Omissions make way for commissions as it did in our first Parents and 't will be worth our while to observe a few Texts that speak of sluggards from whence sins of omission generally arise Eccl. 10.18 by much slothfulness the building decays and through idleness of the hands the house drops through it not only lyes open to wind and weather but at last falls down the repairs being neglected and omitted Our bodies are called the Temples of God of which our souls are as I may say the Holy of Holies or as we call it the Chancel and 't is through sloth that this glorious Fabrick decays so much Prov. 18.9 he that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster he is a man that will come to nothing and be worse then nought very shortly and speedily for he is a Prodigal a spend-thrift he spends more then he gets and more then was given him true and 't is as true that his brother the slothful man will not hold out much longer then he for Prov. 20.4 the sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing A Prodigal comes to nothing and so doth the Sluggard Love is a laborious thing we read of the labour of love 1 Thes 1.3 and love never grieves to be obedient 1 Joh. 5. Now idleness argues a defect and want of love for
commanded them to do though they have pretended to do it for Gods-sake an instance whereof we have in Saul 1 Sam. 15. God sent Saul to destroy Amaleck root and branch King and people from head to foot from Throne to threshold not to leave one person alive man woman infant and suckling all must dye oxen and sheep c. none must escape But Saul spared Agag and the best of the sheep and oxen c. and would not utterly destroy them whereupon it follows that the Lord repented of having set up Saul to be King vers 11. and though it were pretended to be done for a Sacrifice to God vers 15. 22. yet 't is charged upon him as rebellion and witchcraft vers 23. and his not obeying the voice of the Lord is called a doing evil in his sight vers 19. so that he who omits a good commits an evil the omission of good is the commission of evil and judged accordingly Oh how dear did this sin of omission cost Saul Another instance is That of Eli which is remarkable who is charged with honouring his sons before God 1 Sam. 2.29 how so Eli was a good old man and can it be thought that he preferr'd his sons before God what should the meaning of this be see Chap. 3.13 and there 't is cleared up for saith God I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not he did not give them so much as a sowre look or as the Hebrew reads it he frowned not upon them And yet let me tell you Eli went so far that had his children had any ingenuity or any respect to the rebukes of a Priest and Father one would have thought he had said enough for Chap. 2.23 c. the old man very gravely takes them up with this expostulation Why do you do such things for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people nay my sont for it is no good report which I hear ye make the Lords people to transgress if one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sins against the Lord who shall intreat for him thus he layes their sin and danger before them pretty roundly and yet saith God he restrained them not there was an omission and neglect of more severe discipline and this omission cost him dear as dear almost as the sins of commission did cost his sons which was not to be purged with Sacrifice vers 14. Another instance is that concerning the Ammonites and Moabites who were a bastard brood and therefore like Bastards they were not to enter into the Congregation of the Lord till the tenth generation Deut. 23.2 3 4. and the reason is taken 1. From a sin of omission because they met not Israel with bread and water when they came out of Egypt 'T is a dreadful thing to be excommunicated from and a dreadful thing not to be admitted into the Congregation of the Lord and you see that a sin of omission may keep men out for a long time But 2 God will judge men for sins of omission in the great and terrible day of his righteous Judgment not only the wicked but the slothful servant will be judged and the slothful will be judged wicked as we have it from the mouth of Truth it self Mat. 25.26 thou wicked and slothful servant wicked because slothful he was no waster but brother to him as was lately noted because slothful for omitting the improvement of his talent he was called and judged a wicked and slothful servant and his punishment was beside the loss of his talent to be cast into utter darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth he had not turned the grace of God into wantonness yet for being unprofitable he is sent to Hell And again vers 41. he shall say to them on his left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire for your sins of omission because when I was hungry and thirsty ye like the Ammonites and Moabites newly mentioned ye brought me no bread and water ye gave me no meat and drink Some are apt to justifie themselves thus we never did any man hurt we have wronged and oppressed no man I but God will condemn them that have not done such evils because they have not done good Oh think of these things and beware of sins of omission And 2. Take heed of sins of Commission Of sins of Commission As we should be careful not to omit our Duties the things commanded for beside all that hath been said I might add this that to omit especially the weightier things of the Law though we be observant of the lesser is a sign of Hypocrisie Mat. 23.23 so we should be no less careful to keep our selves from the evil that is forbidden from all kinds and sorts of sins the enumeration of which were endless in relation to which let me caution you to beware of and watch against 1. Such as are most peculiarly our sins That which may be most properly called your own sin the sin to which you are most inclined and which doth most easily beset and conquer you 'T was Holy Davids Crown of rejoycing that he had kept himself from his iniquity Psal 18.23 I was upright before him and kept my self from mine iniquity not only that which was charged upon me by others to be mine iniquity in relation to Saul but as most Interpreters carry it that which was the sin of mine inclination as one would say from my complexion and constitution-sin my natures darling-sin Are you young avoid the sins proper to this age 2 Tim. 2.22 flee youthful lusts or the lusts of youth there are some lusts almost peculiar to youth as 1. Ambition vain Glory Pride 1 Pet. 5.5 which much appears in their odd fantastick garbes and flanting behaviours as that Text implies and especially in not submitting to the elder 2. Gratifying the sensual appetite and carnal inclination they are much for the lust of the eye and of the flesh too as well as for the pride of life as Eccl. 11.9 and 12.1 tells us that they are much set upon pleasure the young mans favouritc The Prodigal who was the younger brother did this way waste his estate his time and himself he spent all on back and belly on riotous living 't was a young man that Solomon saw going the way to her house Prov. 7.7 which way leads to Hell 3. Another lust of youth is self-conceitedness too much proneness to be wise in their own eyes They think old men fools but old men know that they are fools Their conceitedness puffs them up and makes them incapable of instruction and very unteachable Rehâ—boam and his young Counsellors may save us the labour of instancing in any others 1 Kings 12. and 't is on this account that the Apostle would have Titus exhort young men to be discreet or
and to save yours as well as to be free from your blood Oh consider consider If you are not guilty I have not condemned you but speak this that you may not be guilty and that you may pray to God to be kept from and praise him if you have been kept from such crying sins To proceed yet further 5. Of little sins Take heed of such sins as the world call Peccadillos little sins some men account great sins to be but little ones and little ones to be none or very venial say they what hurt is there in an innocent lye or a pious fraud Alas what a contradiction is this can a lye be innocent and fraud pious Wo be to them that call evil good and joyn good and evil as if they were one or agreed in one Oh saith another 't is but a trick of youth I but 't is such a trick as may cost thee a going to Hell Another deceives his neighbour and laughing while he strikes says am not I in sport Prov. 26.19 Ah but he that sins in jest or makes a jest of sin may be damned in earnest Consider That no sin against a great God can be properly though compared with a greater it may be a little sin but be it never so little to account it so makes it greater and the nature of the greatest sin is in the least a spark of fire a drop of poyson hath the nature of much more yea of all James 2.10 And God hath severely punished them that have been lookt upon as little sins yea some of them well-meant sins as that of Vzza's taking hold of the Ark when the Cart shook 2 Sam. 6.6 7. When they did but look into the Ark it cost them dear 1 Sam. 6.19 gathering of a few sticks on the Sabbath was severely punished Numb 15 32.-36 These seem small matters but in sin we must not consider so much what is as why 't is forbidden and who forbids it Beside a little sin makes way for a greater as a little boy-thief entring an house makes way for a man-thief to enter 't is hard to sin once and but once to commit one little sin and but one give the Devil and sin an inch and they will take an Ell vain babling increaseth to more ungodliness a little leak in a ship may by degrees fill it with water and sink it the Devil doth not much care by what sins we go to Hell whether small or great formality or prophaneness And to conclude he that makes no conscience of little sins makes conscience of no sin he that breaks the least of Gods Commandments hath none or very little love for God for herein is love that we keep his Commandments and they are not grievous no not the greatest of them much less the least 1 Joh. 5. To have respect to all the Commandments of God is an Argument of a sound heart and excludes shame as appears by comparing Psal 119.6 with 80. A good conscience is an universal conscience and if a man make no conscience of little sins to which the temptations can be but little how little conscience is that man like to make of great sins to which there are greater temptations If Judas betray his Lord for thirty pieces what would he not do for more Consider what our blessed Saviour saith Luke 16.10 he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much beware then of little sins And 6. Of secret sins Take heed of them that men call Secret Sins There are but too many who bless themselves in their wickedness because as they think none knows how wicked they are they are drunkards but 't is in the night they are unclean but 't is in the dark their Mystery of iniquity trades in the works of darkness and in the dark indeed if men could sin and no eye see them they might seem to sin securely but this is a falshood as well as a mistake I have met with two stories which may haply serve you in some stead the one is of a Maid that was tempted to be unchast and unclean the person that sollicited her promised her to do great matters for her if she would yield I will saith he do any thing for thee wilt thou so said she then burn thine hand in that fire Oh that 's unreasonable answers he but replied she 't is much more unreasonable that I should burn in Hell for thy sake Oh who would venture his soul to torment to gratifie his own or anothers pleasure and lust The other which comes to the case in hand is of a Maid sollicited to the same folly who would not give her consent unless he would bring her to a place where no eye could see them whereupon he brought her to a very dark place and prosecuted his sollicites saying here no body can see us Oh but said she here God sees us Oh that we would tell all the tempting Courtships of men and Devils that we can never sin but there will be two witnesses present to observe and register it our own selves and God himself we owe a great deal of reverence to our selves and though none were by we should revere our consciences and our selves what shall we be witnesses against our selves and be condemned by our own testimony and yet if our hearts condemn us God who is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things will much more condemn us It made St. Paul very modest when he knew nothing of which to condemn himself yet that the Lord was to judge him 1 Cor. 3.4 we cannot escape the sight no more then the judgment of God He sees us and what we do when under the fig-tree though as Adam and Eve did we cover our selves with fig-leaves and he will one day call to us as to them Adam sinner where art thou if thou go up to Heaven he is there 't is his Throne if down to Hell he is there 't is his Prison thou canst not go from his presence you may more easily hide from men and your selves then from God and therefore that you may not be so foolish and wicked as to sin in secret or to think any thing or place secret from God I intreat you often and seriously to read the 139. Psal and then I hope you will say I am sure you will see cause to say how shall I do this wickedness and sin against God! 7. Of occasions and appearances of evil Take heed of the occasions and very appearances of this evil Sin abstain not only from apparent evils but from the yea from all and every the appearances of evil 1 Thes 5.22 do not be so irreligious as to go into temptation when thou hast been so religious as to pray God not to lead thee into temptation this is mock-prayer keep out of harms way Prov. 4.14 15. enter not put not a foot
the Angels are ministring spirits for the good of them that shall be heirs of salvation Hebr. 1.14 They incamp round about them that fear the Lord Psa 34.7 And when wicked men or devils would hurt this their charge they rise up in their might Dan. 10.20 Gabriel and Michael joyn against the Prince of Persia Rev. 12.7 Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and his Angels and overcame When Balaam hanker'd after the wages of unrighteousness to curse Israel the Angel of the Lord withstood him Numb 22.32 Thus by their protection of the good they shew their detestation of sin in them that would touch Gods Anointed or do his Prophets harm 8 Angels discover themselves to be haters of sin as a most abominable thing by their readiness to execute Gods judgment and vengeance on sinners The Angel that was merciful to Balaams Ass was ready to slay Balaam but that he was reserved to fall by other hands When Herod was so wicked as to assume glory to himself which of right is Gods the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not glory to God Acts 12.23 When God will judge the Angels will execute the judgment written The Angels executed destruction from the Lord against Sodom and Gomorrah Gen. 19.13 because their sin was great When Israel sinned God sent destroying Angels among them great havocks have they made among the Armies of the Aliens They powre out the Vials of Gods wrath on the earth Rev. 16.1 and praised God as they went about their work because God is just in judging ungodly men At the end of the world the Angels will be the reapers and will gather out all that doth offend Mat. 13 39.-41 The Lord will come with his holy and mighty Angels to take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes 1.7 8. I might instance in other things also by which the Angels bear testimony against sin they are present at our worship and observe us which is a great obligation to reverence and a witness against immodesty 1 Cor. 11.10 They take account of our vows Eccl. 5.5 6. better it is thou shouldst not vow then vow and not pay because 't is before the Angel The Apostle chargeth Timothy not only before God but before the Elect Angels to be strictly conscientious 1 Tim. 5.21 They are witnesses of what we do and shall be witnesses of what God will do for he that confesseth Christ shall be owned by him and he that denies Christ shall be denied by him and that before the Angels Luke 12.8 9. 't will be one part of hereafter glory to be like Angels let 's be like them here in witnessing against sin and doing the will of God on earth as they do it in heaven But I proceed to evince that 2 Evil Angels 2 The evil Angels the devil and his Angels witness sin to be sinful not only in their being devils by it and suffering for it but many other ways as I shall evince We use to say that virtues confest by foes and vices confessed by friends are true Surely then by the Devil we shall find that vice and sin is as we have declared it to be and if such a friend of sin as the devil is will confess it to be sinful we may believe him for though he be the Father of Lies yet in this he speaks truth a clear and great truth 1 Then the devil witnesseth against sin by his trembling the devil trembles at this that there is a God James 2.19 Now God was never terrible to the Angels till they sinned then they saw and trembled at the terror of God Sin brought judgment on the devils 2 Pet. 2.4 at this they tremble so that sin is the first cause of devils trembling That then which makes devils tremble at the belief of a God who will be a God of judgment is exceeding sinful 2 As great as their judgment is and greater though it be like to be yet they acknowledge it just and so by consequence sin to be unjust and sinful The justness of judgment confest is a confession of the vileness of the sin which brings the judgment Say the devils Mat. 8.29 Art thou come to torment us before the time they confess that the Son of God was to judge them to torment that they had no exception to make against being tormented but only as to the time they are reserved in chains to judgment 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude 6. and say they art thou come to torment us before the time before the judgment of the great day to which we are reserved they deny not their being worthy of this death or that their damnation is just and therefore do confess the ugliness and filthiness of sin 3 They witness sin to be sinful in tempting men to sin They used to say that surely they must be good men whom Nero hated and persecuted so may we say that must needs be evil which the evil one tempts men to as that is good which he hates and persecutes he is the evil one and the Tempter Can that be good that the evil one tempts us to Can any good come out of this Nazareth Can any good come from hell 'T is enough to evince sin to be sinful that 't is of the devil 't is a clear proof of the evil of sin that the devil tempts to it 4 The devil tells us that sin is an ugly thing by this that he turns himself into an Angel of Light that he the more effectually lead us into darkness If he should come like a devil like an enemy all would be shy of him but he comes disguized and puts on the face of a friend and so puts tricks on us and cheats us and indeed doth prevail more by his wily subtilties then by his power If the devil had come to Eve and bespake her thus I was once a glorious Angel and lived above in the Court of Heaven but I have sinned and am cast down to hell do thou also eat the forbidden fruit and thou shalt be like me would this have taken Surely no So if he did come and tempt men to sin and tell them 't is the ready way to hell would this prevail with them to swear and whore c. No no the devil is subtil an old Serpent he colours and paints sin covers his hook with a bait c. and draws men in ere they are aware He is a deceiver but least he should be known he puts on a good garb and cloaths himself with false light 2 Cor. 11.13 14. And indeed as this is the danger least as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so our minds should be corrupted the same way 2 Cor. 11.3 so this disguize and subtil transformation proves sin to be a monstrous ugly thing why else doth the devil paint it why doth he pretend good when he intends evil this proves the