Men and Women wallowing up and down in the dirt Christ looks upon them and goes by leaves them still and lets them wallow in their corruptions more and more and passes by surely the heart of Christ is not much towards them there 's little relation that Christ or God hath to such as these are But now when as there is one that belongs to Jesus Christ and that Christ hath set his love upon from eternity Christ sees such a one wallowing in the filth of sin O! the very bowels of Christ do earn O! Christ takes them and with his own blood cleanseth them and will never leave washing and cleansing of the soul till he hath cleansed it from all its spots and presented it before the Father And mark in the second place Christ loved us and this is a fruit of Christs love to cleanse us from our spots And then he gave himself that he might cleanse us perhaps you think it 's of little moment to be cleansed from the filth of your sin but Christ accounted it such a matter that he would give his life for it I account the cleansing of these souls from the filth of their sins worth my life I will give my life for it so that it cost more then Ten Thousand Worlds to cleanse a soul from the filth of its sin as well as from the guilt I beseech you consider of this that the cleansing of a soul from the silth of sin did cost Christ that which was more worth than Ten thousand World but O! how many is there that can wallow in sin and take delight in it But I say it is of so great consequence to be cleansed from sin as Christ is content to give his very life to cleanse his Church from sin Now if thy heart be thus that thou account the love of Christ to consist in this and that thou canst prise Christ upon This That he gave himself to the end that he might cleanse thy soul from the sin surely thou dost prise cleansing from sin indeed and if thou dost prise it at so high a rate this is a good Argument that thou art one of Gods Children Therefore daily exercise thy Faith upon this Christ by the applying of the blood of Jesus Christ to thy soul and the renewing of the work of thy repentance seeing as long as thou livest their will be spots The Second SERMON July the 20th 1645. 3. Doct. BUt now comes in the Third Point It 's true the people of God have all their spots I but know There 's a great deal of difference between the spots of the godly and the spots of the wicked And this Scripture I chose for the handlling of this point to take away that vain plea that hardens the hearts of most men in their sin Why it 's true we have sin and who hath not the best of all have their sins I appeal to you whether you do not know that this is the great hardning conceit of most people in the World Thou hast thy sins and the best have their sins but there 's a great deal of difference between the sins of the one and the sins of the other you will see a great deal of difference however whatever thou sayest Psal 22. 18. saâ—â—ih David I have not wickedly departed from my God David would not say but that he had sometimes departed from God I but I have not wickedly departed from him saith David I can appeal to God in that There is still remaining in the Saints corruptions in their understandings there is some dimness though there be light But I may say of that as in Isa 11. The dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation It shall not be such dimness It 's spoken there in case of affliction and misery We may apply it thus by way of allution in case of the remaining corruptions There is in the understanding a dimness but not like that that was before and is in natural men There is not that dimness of darkness in the weakest Man or Woman in the World that is converted that hath the least natural parts as in the greatest learned Man or Woman in the World that is unconverted And though perhaps a Child of God may have some security in his heart for a while yet in 1 Thes 5. 6. Let us not sleep as do others lest perhaps we should sleep and he overtaken yet saith the Apostle God forbid we should sleep as do others There 's a great deal of difference between the sleep of Gods people and the sléeep of others that is between the security of their hearts and the security of other mens hearts It was the special work of the Priest in the time of the Law to discern between spot and spot to shew which was the spot of Leprosie and wich was not When there was a spot in the bodies of men they were to come to the Priest to discern whether their spot were the spot of Leprosie or no. And 't is a special work of the Ministers of the Gospel to shew the difference of spots between the spots of the wicked and the spots of the Children of God And here indeed doth consist the spiritualness of their Ministry and a great deal of efficacy of it is in this thing and without this our Ministry is like to do little good and therefore though I had thoughts of some other things yet I thought alwaies except there were somthing laid down about this I might preach many Arguments open many points of Religion to you and the want of the knowledg of this might hinder the efficacy of all Jer. 15. 18. If thou shalt separate between the precious and the vile saith he to Jeremiah then shalt thou be as my mouth So that that 's the work that God looks for from his Ministers and indeed it 's the work of a soul saving Ministry to separate between the precious and the vile and then indeed when they speak they are as the mouth of God to a people God makes men in this point to be as his mouth for it is a point that doth separate between the precious and the vile Therefore as Moses said of the whole Soâ—g in the 46 v. of this Chap. Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie among you c. For it is not a vain thing for you because it is your life 〈◊〉 I may say of this part of the Song I beseech you brethren set your hearts to it and mind it for certanly it is not a vain thing it is your life It 's as much as your souls are worth the understanding of this point rightly and thousands of souls do perish eternally for want of the understanding this point rightly Then let 's fall upon it There 's much difference between the sins that are in wicked men and the sins that are in the Saints It must be granted First that in some particular acts a wicked man may do
many hypocrites may go thus far as not to commit sin before others but yet if it be in secret then they will do it No a natural conscience may be able to carry a man to this height that is not onely to abstain from sin because of others but from the acts of sin in secret that he dares not for his life though there be none but God and himself together give way to his sin and yet no saving-grace all this while You will say how can that be because though his conscience will not let him be quiet yet he would be glad to have his sin if he might here 's no change of nature that 's the evidence that there is no grace for if a man abstain from sin out of a principle of grace it is from the change of his nature and certainly here 's no change of nature in this so that it is not a universal opposition it 's but onely in one part of his soul But now the opposition of a gracious heart it is in the whole soul not onely my conscience is against my sin but my will and my asfections I have a principle in my will and affections as well as in my conscience all the faculties of the soul do oppose the sin And then Secondly It 's universal that is there 's the opposition of all sin not onely of some particular sin but of every sin what ever the sin be yet the heart doth oppose it So as it can appeal to God Lord thou that knowest all things knowest there is not one way of wickedness in me there 's not one sin that my soul gives way to but there is in my heart an opposition against every sin And then I say It 's a spiritual opposition by that I mean this that it 's an opposition not from arguments onely without that because of the danger or shame or prejudice that will come by it but the opposition is from a contrary stream of grace that there is in the heart There 's such a temptation to sin but a carnal heart may think if I commit it then there may come this ill and the other evil of it and so I will not commit it But a gracious heart doth not oppose onely from such arguments but from a contrary stream of grace that there is in the soul now when the opposition to sin comes from a contrary stream of grace then the opposition is not onely to keep sin from acting but indeed it doth decreass the habits of sin And this should be the care of a godly man or woman not meerly to keep in that is to restrain sin but let me oppose the habits of sin Let me find the habits of my sin to be weakned and mortified in me Let me follow my corruption to the very root of it and there labour to get the very root of my corruption to be deaded O here 's the work of a Child of God! As now in the opposition of a stream of water water that runs in such a stream there may be two wayes to oppose it Either you may make a damm and so damm it up Or otherwise if there could be gotten a contrary stream and so by that to overpower it this would be another manner of opposition then meerly the damming of it up If you damm up a stream it rises up higher and higher and seeks to get vent one way or other but if there were a contrary stream that would carry it smoothly away So 't is when the sins of wicked men are opposed not onely when they are opposed by their friends that these will not let them commit such a sin but when their very consciences oppose their sin their sin swells up the more and they seek all evasions how they can get to have liberty to the commission of their sin and if once they have but broken over the damm they run with more violence as many young people when they are under government their sin is but damm'd up and their sins are swelling and their hearts would fain have vent for their sin but they dare not But then afterwards when they come to be for themselves their sin breaks out so much the more But a gracious heart hath a new nature which God hath put into the soul which is contrary to the nature of sin That 's the spiritual way of opposition of sin And then it 's an irrecocinlable opposition that is such a soul that hath any truth of grace will never be reconcil'd with any one sin It resolves with it self what ever becomes of me yea though I should perish eternally yet I am resolved to fight against my sin eternally Yea at such a time as a soul is afraid that God will cast it away for ever yet at that time such a soul would be loath to sin against God You shall have some men that have horrors of conscience and they are afraid that God will â—ast them off why then upon that then I â—ad as good leave of all say they and if I must be damn'd I had as good be damn'd for somewhat O this is a sign that grace hath not got â—nto thy heart But there 's another now that â—ath some principles of grace got into his soul â—nd it may be such a one may have terrors of â—onscience too and may be afraid that at 〈◊〉 it shall be cast away But yet it concludes â—hus Well whatsoever becomes of me let God do with me what he will yet I will do â—hat I can to honour him The name of God 〈◊〉 blessed for ever what ever becomes of me â—nd therefore that evil of mine that is in my â—eart I am resolved to set my self against to â—â—e uttermost for ever Now this is a â—â—gn that there is grace though much corâ—uption doth very much prevail You may see now as I go along thus much â—hat there may be spots in one and spots in the â—ther But here 's a great deal of difference beâ—â—een the sins of the one and the sins of the â—â—her Further Consider the grounds upon which â—icked men do ordinarily sin Godly men 〈◊〉 rarely be found to commit sin upon such â—ounds as wicked men do There are â—any grounds upon which wicked men go 〈◊〉 the commission of sin I shall but â—ame them and yet in the naming of them I do verily perswade my self I may speak to many of your hearts As thus Commit a sin why it 's but one and I will not live in many sins It 's but one sin that I would live in and in that I hope God may favour me What not in one Why Godly men will not do so where was there ever a godly man on the face of the Earth that would allow himself in a sin because it was but one Secondly Saith a carnal heart It 's but one and it 's a little one I will not commit such gross sins as others do I will not swear and openly profane
sin upon easie terms Thirdly Yet suppose sin hath got in a gracious heart is easily convinc't of his sin a little matter will convince him after his sin hath overcome him he will not stand pleading for his sin he will not stand in defence of his sin so as a wicked man doth we find David though a King and a man of a notable Spirit yet in 2 Sam. 〈◊〉 when Nathan came to him to tell him of his sin presently saith David to Nathan in the 13. v. I have sinned against the Lord Nathan told him that he was the man he did not stand out Why prove it if you can who is able to say that I did this and this wickedness No I have sinned against the Lord He falls down before the word of the Prophet and acknowledges his sin he is easily convinc't of his sin if he be godly Whereas a wicked man will stand pleading for his sin pleading against it that he hath not committed it except that you find him out by some apparent hand he will be pleading for his sin either that he is not guilty or if he be guilty that it is not so great it is but his nature O! a godly man pleads not after this manner Nature he looks upon his sin as so much the more vile because it proceeds from such a wicked and cursed nature of his and therefore David in Psal 51. when he was acknowledging the act of sin that he had been guilty of when â—e comes to consider of hiâ— nature O! I was conceived in sin saith he and brought forth in iniquity He makes thaâ— to be a great aggravation of his sin because iâ— did flow from such a wicked nature It is an Argument of gross ignorance of a man or woman that knows not the things of God and is not acquainted with Scripture to plead for a sin That it is their nature It is the worse because of that If a Thief should come to the barr and plead before the Judg Indeed I have committed this theft but it is my nature would this be a plea before a Judg and certainly this plea will not go before the great Judg of all the World to say it is thy nature No the Saints know their sin is aggravated by that Secondly Neither will a Child of God ordinarily plead that it is a temptation O! I it is a temptation that hath prevaild against me I was tempted to it and such and such were the cause of it I but a gracious heart will rather charge the wickedness that is within it then charge a temptation for the truth is temptation could never prevail against us were it not for the wickedness of our hearts temptations came to Christ but the Devil finding nothing in him as the Scripture speaks therefore could they not prevail over him And â—vere it not for the baseness of thy heart temptations would not prevail therefore for thee to put it off It is thy temptation O this is a carnal plea I but a gracious heart will charge himself before the Lord O! it is Thirdly Much less will a gracious heart put of his sin to God himself and say When God gives me more grace I shall do better but I cannot do any thing of my self and therefore because God gives me no grace that 's the reason I fell into such sins This is the boldness of the hearts of men and women to think to put off all their sins upon God himself as if there were no other reason why they commit sin but because God is the cause of it As for their part they would do better but onely God denies them his grace and so they think to put off all from themselves even to God But know the Lord will find thee out one day and he will charge thy sin upon thy self and thy destruction and thy wickedness it is from thy self a gracious heart will not plead for sin after such away as this is It 's very dangerous when you hear of any that make profession of Religion to plead for their loosness after such a manner as this is We have cause to fear that their spot is not the spot of Gods Children Fourthly When sin hath preveil'd in some measure against a Child of God yet he is quickly stopt in sin he is easily convinc't of it pleads not for it and is ready to be stopt a little thing will stop the course of his sin Oâ— any truths of God that come to him his heart having a principle within it suitable to the truths of God his heart closes with those truths and so comes to be stopt in his course A wicked man sins and having no principle of grace sutable to any truth of God when any thing opposes his sin his heart opposes that that would oppose sin But a Child of God though he be overcome with a sin yet when the truth of God comes it meets with something within the heart that is sutable to the truth and it presently closes together You have a notable example for that in the Prophet David 1 Sam. 25. 32. For the understanding of it you may cast your eye upon some verses before you shall find that David was in a way of sin That his choller had got up and prevail'd against him and he was â—â—out a very wicked act to avenge himself â—â—d be guilty of blood But Abigal meets â—ith David in his way when he was in the â—â—ay of sin and shews him in a very fair maner the evil of his course if he should acâ—â—mplish what he did intend And mark â—avid though his blood was up yet when â—bigal came and spake but reason to him to â—â—ew to him what the evil of his sin was like to 〈◊〉 Davids spirit falls and David said to â—â—igal Blessed be the Lord God of Israel â—â—ich sent thee this day to meet me And â—â—â—ssed be thy advice and blessed be thou â—â—â—ch hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood When David was in a mighty heat in a way of sin O! if a man should come to some of you when your passion is up and you are resolved to do such and such a thing if a man should come and plead the case fairly with you that such a thing is evil it 's a sin against God You will presently answer I will and I will I care not and let come of it what will come I will do it thus when the lust is up there is no gainsaying of it and no truth can stand against it But now if the heart were gracious though corruptions may be stirring for a while yet let any truth of God come and be suggested to such a soul it meets with something within that is sutable to it and presently the hearâ— will be ready to fall down Oh blessed bâ— God and blessed be your Counsel and blessed be God that hath hindred me froâ— such a way of sin O my retched nature wâ—â— stirring
and working and I was resolved tâ— have done such and such a thing if the Loâ—â— had not in mercy sent you to have stopt me iâ— such a way O what might I have done heâ—â— now is the spirit of David O consider 〈◊〉 this you that will plead sometimes for Daviâ— sin and did not David commit such a sin yâ—â— will say I but then take notice how quiâ—â—ly David was convinc't and how soon was stopt in his sin Fifthly There 's no godly man what ever though he hath many sins in him yet there is no sin that reigns over him This is a certain truth that there is no man or woman in the World that hath the least degree of grace that is under the power of any reigning sin Sin may dwell but not reign in them and the Scripture is so express in this that there can be no gainsaying of it Rom. 6. 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you why for ye are not under the Law but under Grace That soul that is under the dominion of any sin is under the Law that is it is under the curse of the Law it 's in the state of nature it hath no interest in Christ But now if the soul come once to be under grace either sin must not have domminion over you or God must not be faithful one of them for this is the promise of the Holy Ghost If you be under grace sin shall have no more dominion over you He doth not say that if you be under grace then you shall commit no more sin but sin shall have no dominion over you therefore that man or woman over whom any one sin hath dominion certainly is not under grace This is the word of God and O that God would carry it unto the consciences of whom it doth concern this day that whosoever is under the dominion and reign of any sin that soul for the present is not under grace he hath no interest in the grace of Jesus Christ Now you will say for the reign and dominion of sin What 's that First It 's apparent in a great many that they are under the reign of sin that is such men can go on constantly in a way of known-sins meerly for contentment unto the flesh why these are under the power and reign of sin Yea sometimes a sin that is a secret sin may be a reigning sin A man may be the subject of a King that he never saw in all his life Perhaps he knows not where the King is and yet he may be his Subject and he may reign over him So a secret sin may be a reigning sin That 's a reigning sin that a man gives himself up to though it be in never so secret a way There 's a difference between a Tyrant that co meth violently to force men to submit to him or one that comes with a sudden surprise or with any cunning wayes to perswade men to come in to submit to him and a Prince that is upon his Throne reigning and having his Subjects acknowledging themselves to be as Subjects to him Now the sins of the wicked they are reigning thaâ— is their sins command them and they yeelâ— up their very wills unto their sins the wiâ—â— and the affections it is in the sin There is nothing more in the will of a natural man then his sin And therefore the Scripture makes these to be all one the will of man and the will of the flesh Now when the will yeelds up to the wayes of sin then sin may be said to be in the Throne But now in a godly man there is a universal spiritual and irreconcilable opposition unto sin though there be sin abiding in him yet I say there is a universal spiritual irreconcilable opposition unto his sin sin doth not reign in a soul so long as there is an opposition in a kingdom to any man certainly he cannot be said to reign I say if there be a universal opposition Now in the soul of a Child of God there is an opposition to sin a universal one a spiritual one and I may put a fourth a powerful universal spiritual irreconcilable opposition I 'le open these First A powerful opposition That is he doth not onely wish that he could not sin and wish that he might be otherwise but he makes it to be the great work of his life above all things in the World to set himself against his sin so as if God would speak from Heaven and say unto him Poor creature what wouldest thou that I should do for thee this soul would answer to God Lord thou that knowest all things knowest this is the unfeigned desire of my soul above all things O giveme but power against my sin and especially against those special sins that my nature is most inclinable to O! this is that that my heart is most against Many people extreamly deceive themselves in this in thinking that they oppose their sins because they have some wishes and desires they would be glad that things were better with them then they are I but dost thou look upon it as a matter of life and death and thereupon thy soul doth more strongly work in its opposition against thy sin then against any thing in the World besides many men and women have strong spirits in following their sins but their spirits are not strong in the opposing of their sins But he that is gracious makes it to be his greatest and chiefest work And then the Second thing It is a universal opposition and that in these Two regards First All the faculties in the soul do rise up against sin There is some kind of opposition in a wicked man against sin that is his conscience sometimes doth oppose the lusts that there is in his affections It may be a wicked man hath a convinc't conscience and his conscience will not let him to be at quiet but in his affections there is a liking of sin onely his conscience will not let him be at quiet You will say how shall a man discern this You may discern it thus If the opposition be meerly in your conscience and not in your heart and affections then though indeed you dare not for the present commit such a sin yet you could wish with all your heart that you might have liberty to do it you could wish that there were not such a Law to forbid it you could be glad that that Law were more loose And you would fain have such a thing not to be a sin and if you could commit it quietly without any danger you would do it Now the opposition is not in your will it is onely in your conscience This is an opposition to sin that a carnal heart may have that is he may have his conscience so flye in his face as that he shall not dare for the present to commit his sin no not in secret a man may come so far You will say Indeed