Famine that is a more terrible judgement when there shall be a famine not of bread not of that only but of hearing the word of the Lord Amos. 8. 9 10. That is a threatning of a sorer judgement when you want bread for your souls there shall be none to break it to you And those spiritual wild beasts those that will make a prey of mens souls either those that will persecute for conscience sake or as Christ saith of them Math. 23 13. Such as will not goe to heaven themselves nor suffer any else togoe when the bonds shall not be only on your bodies but on your consciences you shall be conscience bound and there shall be snares laid for your consciences this is a sore Judgement when you shall have such that in stead of feeding the Flock shall devour the Flock Eccles 34. 4. when there shall be none but wolves that shall not spare the Flock of Christ or make any profession to be so this is a sore Judgement as it is a far more desireable mercy then any outward enjoyment for a people to see their Teachers they are not driven into corners Isai 30. 12. So it is a sorer Judgement then the want of any outward comfort that in stead of those that lead you to Heaven should as blind guides lead you to Hell and both together fall into the pit And those Temptations of the Devil when God lets loose Satan with violent oppressing Temptations and God will give up men to be oppressed by the violent and subtle Temptations of the Devil and then this spiritual plague is the worst of all plagues that Pestilence of a hard seared Conscience that plague of the heart when God shall inflict it as a Judgement when God shall give up men to their hardness yea into the hand of their own lusts Psal 81. 11 12. So I gave them up to their own hearts lusts into the hands of their hearts lusts This is the sorest Judgement that God can inflict on a people in this world when it is in the highest degree of it a man to be delivered up to his own hearts lusts when the Lord saith to a people ye will not be saved and ye shall not be saved ye will not be reformed and ye shall not ye will not be made clean therefore ye shall be filthy still That very sin of living in sin after deliverance is a greater Judgement then the affliction out of which ye were delivered when God inflicteth spiritual Judgements in the highest degree as there are higher degrees of spiritual judgements when temporal and spiritual shall be together that is a great deal worse when God shall follow you with all his sore judgements both these afflictive to the body and the Soul when there shall be a Famine to the body and the Soul the Sword of the Enemy and the Sword of God an outward plague a spiritual plague these are worse greater judgements 2. God hath worse to inflict in another world if you should escape in this if a sinner should goe scot-free here every day would aggravate his everlasting punishment What will a sinner be a gainer in the issue when his main work in sinning and going on in sin after deliverance is but heaping up the measure of his wrath Rom. 2. 4. Thou treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath and the Revelation of the righteous Judgement of God Hell punishment is greater then any that can be inflicted in this world Math. 13. 28. Fear him that can cast Soul and body into Hell that is most to be feared as being the most terrible judgement and there are degrees of punishment in hell there is a hell that is seven times hotter they that continue in sin after judgement and mercy after deliverance they will have a greater degree of Torment Heb. 10. 29. How much sorer Judgement shall they be counted worthy of there are some are worthy of greater judgement then others are and God hath greater there is the Heathens Hell there is the hell of them that live under the Gospel there is the hypocrites hell where the fire will be more intense there will be a thicker darkness more exquisite Torment that God will inflict upon one then upon another that is the first thing that there are worse judgements may befall you worse in this world and in that that is to come 2. what is that continuance in sin for which God will inflict worse judgements that continuance in sin after deliverance mercies Ans 1. it is a continuance in a state of unregeneracy a being without a saying close with Christ the end of Gods mercyes and deliverances is to give space for repentance to give another time to try a sinner whether he will use longer time better in making provision for Eternity Rom. 2. 5. the riches of Gods goodness that leadeth to Repentance 2 Pet. 3. 15. the end of Gods long suffering is your Salvation that is Gods end his gracious end that that he doth approve if that be not a sinners end and his work that he may be saved this is a continuance in sin that will bring greater judgements Rev. 2. 22. I gave her space to repent and she did not repent therefore God threatens he would throw her on a bed of sickness It may be many of you were afraid when you were near to death that that was your great fear of dying was of being unprepared to dye what Vows and what promises were made then if you might have another day of grace now God tryes you if that be not so improved that that is given for your tryal when it is improved contrary to Gods end will pull down worser and greater judgements on a sinner this is that will leave you without excuse when another judgement overtakes you when God will say he will take your word no more when he hath tryed you and found you false to your Promise of improving time better 2. Continuance in sin in those particular evils God hath been convincing you of as provocations to himself some evil course and way of life some particular evils that God hath burthened Conscience with in time of sickness or under the word of God sins that you have Confest that you have in some degree bewailed before God and promised amendment the continuance in those sins is a provocation to greater judgements as is said of those Jer. 42. 21 22. I have this day declared to you but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God for any thing for which you sent me to enquire of God they promised and made solemn Vows they would obey yet did but dissemble with God now therefore know certainly that you shall dye by the Sword by the Famine and by the Pestilence in the place whether you desire to go you will dissemble with God but God will not be mocked if you will not be as good as your promise and your word to God God
46. saith Solomon If they sin and come and confess it for there is no man that liveth and doth not sin Joh. 1. 8. he that saith he hath no sin â—e denyeth the Truth the Truth is not in him that is his greatest sin a very great sin and discovers him to be in a state of sin to say he lives and doth not sin 2. But it is an Evangelical obedience and Perfection Christ calls for especially you may take up the meaning of it under these three considerations heads 1. Goe and sin no more that is labour to be in such an Estate that thou mayst be in a Gospel Sense in a sinless Estate you are now healed you have bodily hâ—aling let that be your care now that your Soul may be healed It is said of the Children of God those that are truly converted 1 Joh. 3. 9. He that is born of God doth not commit sin for his Seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God that is that Christ now directs you to to labour to be in such a State in which thou canst not sin that you may not be under the dominion and reign of sin under the domineering Ruling power of sin nor under the damning power of sin your great business is to labour to have a real saving Interest in Jesus Christ thereby Christ doth manifest his great care of this poor man that he would have his Soul healed he would have him in a saving State for Eternity Now let it be your main care to improve your health and strength renewed and spared to you to get a right to eternal life that you may be a child of God and though being such will not secure you from outward chastisement and affliction in the World yet it will secure them from you as being the punishment of sin and the effect of Gods wrath You are thereby perfectly healed in this respect that there shall never be an affliction in Gods anger but only the fruit of his love you find the same Counsel given by Jesus Christ Joh. 8. 10 11. when Jesus saw the woman brought before him and accused of Adultery that he should condemn her and all her accusers were gone he said unto her doth no man accuse thee she said no man Lord Jesus said unto her neither do I condemn thee goe and sin no more as if the Lord Jesus should say I came not now into the world to be a Judge to condemn sinners indeed there is a time when Christ will be the Judge but now I Judge no man therefore let that be your care that you sin no more you get a pardon of your sin and interest in a Saviour that your heart be sanctified for your future walking with God In this command of Jesus Christ he doth not only express what is his will what is approving to God and his own will but Jesus Christ was actually the Saviour of this man by this command he did hereby heal his Soul by this command as well as his body by bidding him take up his bed and walk and he doth thereby show his readiness when that is our care that we may not sin again that we may truly be the Children of God you shall find God manifesteth this in his mercy that he is much more willing to save your Souls then he hath been to deliver your bodies this is the great thing God would have you goe to him for that your Souls may be healed as well as your bodies that is the first thing that you labour to be in such a State that no affliction may ever come upon you in way of Judgement or in Gods wrath 2. Goe and sin no more it doth import thus much that it should be the diligent care and endeavour of them that are under saving mercy that they do not allow themselves in any known sin take heed of sin as of a poison that will do you a great deal more mischief now then ever before that you do not allow any sin either in thoughts or actions nor live in any known sin 1 Joh. 2. 1. saith the Apostle there My little Children these things write I unto you that you sin not but if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous all the writings of the Gospel that is the meaning of it it is not to encourage you to sin but to caution you against sin What sinning that is see you do not allow it but if sin be too hard for you and in a conflict carry you captive then make your confession to Christ and labour to get pardon and power against it Rom. 7. 18 24 25. as Paul did he acknowledged there he did sin but it was against his will the sin that I would not do I do it and how doth it appear to be against his will by the sad moans he made to Jesus Christ by his earnest cry for deliverance and by his acknowledgement of that great mercy of God that had found out such a deliverer for him so you must go and do likewise Do not allow your self in any sin but shew you disallow it confess it there is your encouragement you have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ therighteous there is great liberty for you to goe for every Covenant mercy pardon and power against sin are great Covenant mercyes 3. Goe and sin no more that is be sure you take heed you do not commit that sin again for which God hath especially afflicted you or hath threatned you for that sin God hath in especial manner been dealing with you for chastising you for goe and sin no more commit that sin no more so he saith to that woman Joh. 8. Goe sin no more take heed of Adultery as long as you live you must remember that ordinarily the chastisements and afflictions God brings on his people are for their sins and there are some special sins of the people of God that are the provocation of special chastisements when God doth not cast you into hell for them but doth deliver you and save you then that is your great duty that you should live with a fear of that sin all your dayes and take heed of that Psal 89. 33. If thy Sons break my Statutes I will chastise them with the Rods of men We ought to look on every Chastisement as coming to us for sin and to find out those special sins and there should be the great care of a Christian that he should forsake them not to meddle with them any more that that hath pulled down so great a Judgement Oh take heed you sin that sin no more Quest But you will say how shall we know what is that sin that God doth specially chastise us for that we may be warned and take heed ever of committing that sin any more Answ Observe and take special notice what evil God doth threaten with punishment and Chastisement on his people
these it is by labouring to be in a way of Reformation 6. If you would sin no more be in the use of all means that God hath appointed to preserve you from sin with earnest prayer for his Spirit to help you to mortifie sin and be found in the way of obedience that you may be assisted by his Spirit in the doing of it All means endeavours that any man can use himself without the help of Gods Spirit will not do Rom. 8. 13. mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit You may refrain a while but you will never destroy one sin without the Spirit and this Spirit is to be obtained by prayer Luk. 11. 13. the Lord will give his Spirit to them that ask him O be earnest with the Lord to lead you by the hand of his Spirit that shall guide and assist you in a holy course 7. And Lastly Resolve not in your own but in Christs strength that you will not sin any more Job 34. 31. 32. I know resolutions and engagements in a mans own strength they will fail him Peter is a sad Instance Luk. 22. He was as resolved as any could be though I dye with thee I will never deny thee That is the Reason why they come to no better Effect the Vows and Resolutions of men because they think they can do it of themselves Therefore saith David I said I would take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my Tongue Psal 143. But he begs that God would keep the door of his lips establish his saying I said through the grace of God that I would do my duty be waiting upon God for his help Psal 119. 13â— I will run the wayes of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I will keep them unto the end Thus we should take up those holy resolutions in the grace and strength of Christ that we sin no more But labour to walk more closely with God for time to come SERM. V. THe last Doctrine we observed hence was this That continuance in sin after eminent deliverances pull down heavier Judgemens or those that contitinue in sin after eminent healing mercyes from God worse things will befal them For the handling this Doctrinally we shall shew you 1. that there are worse things may befall men then ever yet have befallen them 2. What are those sins the continuance in which or what is that continuance in sin that worse Judgements shall befall such sinners 3. That it shall be so and the Reasons of it 1. That worse things may befal sinners then ever yet have befallen them God hath sharper Arrows in his Quiver other manner of Judgements to inflict on sinners then ever sinners have undergone there is none should be so bold as to say what ever afflictions they have come under that God hath done his worâ—â— I remember I have heard of one in England near Westchester that had such expressions upon a great affliction that God had now done his worst but God made her a living monument of his sorer Judgements that for many years It is a great deal of boldness for any sinners to limit God in his Justice as well as in his mercy for any to say of God in his mercy can God provide for us it is a tempting God so for any to say Can God bring a greater Judgement yea there may be a great deal worse Christ tels this man you do not read what his sickness was but you find by the Effects it was very distressing he was unable to help himself had never a friend to help him and had lain under this infirmity thirty eight years and yet the Lord Jesus tells him if he doth not carry it better worse things shall befal him and the Lord tells us of the last times in which we live Dan. 12. 1. There shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation there are troubles God will bring upon a professing people such as never was worse on any Nation so there are those God can bring upon a person such as never were worse on any person But more particularly 1. There are worse Judgements in this world that God can inflict then ever have been inflicted on any 2. There are worse Judgements God hath to inflict in another world 1. In this world as 1. Temporal or outward Judgements such as respect the outward man God can bring other manner of outward miseryes then ever yet he hath done on any 2. Spiritual Judgements such as respect the inward man 1. For outward Judgements the Lord hath variety of them a great variety but especially we read of four sore Judgements of God Ezek. 14. 21. For thus saith the Lord how much more when I send my four sore Judgements on Jerusalem the Sword the Famine the noysome Beasts and the Pestilence to cut off from is man and Beast God hath sent his Sword among you but Famine is a sorer Judgement and noysome Beasts that is a sorer Judgement still and the Pestilence but how much sorer are these when all these are together when what the Sword leavs the Famine shall devour and what the Famine leaves the wild Beasts shal devour and what these leave the Pestilence shall devour When God sends all his Judgements at once upon a people that is a sore affliction as there are worse sorts of Judgements so there is never an one of these sorts but God can make it a worse Judgement in the degree of it he can make every one of these Judgements a great deal worse as you read Ezek 9. 10. As for me saith the Lord my eye shall not spare neither will I have pitty but I will recompense their wayes on their heads When Judgements come in such a way of Iudgâ—ment without any mixture of Gods sparing and pittying mercy then it is a sorer Judgement when the Errand of them is only to destroy not refine and purge a People but to ruine them and God will have no more mercy on them this is a sore affliction 2 There are spiritual judgements that God inflicteth in this world and they are a great deal worse then any outward judgement there are variety of spiritual judgements but especially there are four main sorts of spiritual judgements the sorest there is the sword that is the word of God when it is only for terror only for conviction a wound in the conscience is more dreadfull then a wound in the body when God sends an arrow into the conscience a wounded spirit who can bear Prov. 18. 14. it is an intollerable unsufferable wound especially when God will provide no balm in Gilead nor healing medicine for it when God shall make a man a terror to himself this is a sorer judgement The Soul is the tenderer part the more spiritual part therefore every such judgement is far greater that reacheth the Soul and spiritual