you know was Davids beloved Son and Absalom strives to take away Davids Kingdom and also his Life well for all this David loves him still and was too fond over him for all this and was loath to part with him and when he was killed see how he mourns for him in the 2 Sam. 18. 33. so here this sin is your Absalom the sin you are so fond off the sin you love so well and do you not know that this sin will take from you like Absalom the Kingdom of Heaven and the life of your Souls and yet all this will not take off your love from it as David said of Absalom would to God I had dyed for thee so you are willing to dye Eternally and go to Hell rather than part with it O Friends if you love your Souls have a care of that sin which you love most and keep yonr selves from it 2. Because this sin hath the more power over us and can do with us what it pleaseth If a man love his Wife too much he makes her his Mistress so if a man love any one sin too much he makes that sin his Mistress the Queen regent of the Soul and when it comes once to this he cannot leave that sin no if he would give a World all the Sermons in the World can do such a man no good you hear a good Sermon telling you if you desire to be saved you must do so and so oh but first of all you must ask leave of this sin whether you may do it or no if this sin forbid you to Pray you must not Pray nay when a man is at Prayers and would confess such and such miscarriages of his life this sin this Master sin often forbids him so much as to name them This sin will not let a man repent nor turn to Christ like Dalilah it binds the strongest Sampson and keeps many a great professor from turning a true real Christian mark the Apostles exhortation in the 6 th of the Rom. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O let not sin be King in your Souls O therefore have a care of this sin it will be aut Caesar aut nullus if you let it alone to get the upper hand of you you will hardly ever get rid of it Methinks the Apostle in that 6 th of the Rom. 12. alludes to a forreigner that hath got to a Kingdom he displaceth all the native Inhabitants from all places of honour and trust brings in his own Countrymen makes them Lords and Governors of the Land so if sin comes to be King in the Soul down goes every good thought every good word all goodness in that Soul sin sets up new lusts and corruptions to reign and command there so the Apostle if sin be King you must look then to obey all its lusts 3. If we can but keep our selves from this sin we shall with ease keep our selves from all other sins 1 Sam. 17. 51. So here kill but this Goliah and you may easily conquer all the multitude of other sins and therefore the best way to endeavour to convert a man is to mark what is his own sin his own Iniquity kill that and you may save his Soul alive shew him but the evil of this sin and he will never like sin any more And therefore Junius and Tremellius render the words of the Text thus caveo mihi ne quid inique agam tho they be not an exact Translation according to the Original yet may serve for a good comment upon the Text he that keeps himself from this sin will keep himself from all sins when Christ converted Paul he begins with his great sin shews him the evil of that Paul tells us what his great sin was in the 1 of the Cor. 15. 9. And every where Paul bemoans himself for this sin this was the sin that Paul was most proud off and was never well but when he was committing and acting of it 8. Acts 3. 9. Acts 1. Well Christ he begins with this sin 9. Acts 4 5. Assoon as Paul saw the evil of this sin he presently forsook every sin Brethren I know this if Ministers would deal faithfully with you they must tell you of your own sins but then you will fly in their faces this is no pleasing Doctrin we may Preach before a company of Drunkards against Covetousness against Deceit against Fornication against Bribery and Injustice why all is well but if we come to speak against Drunkenness there we drive the nail to the quick it will not be endured O but Friends if you love your Souls be willing to hear the evil of your own sins as well as other mens sins till you leave this you will leave none if you can but keep your selves from this you may keep your selves from all others 4. Because this sin stands most in competition with Christ for the heart Other sins will be content with a mean entertainment but this sin must have the best this sin must be served before Christ look upon a man whose sin is Covetousness any little thing as a cold morning will keep him from a Sermon but rain snow or blow he will to the Market Covetousness that must be served or else he is sick though Christ he thinks may be contented with once a moneth O Friends do not you cry out upon the Jews and be worse than the Jews your selves 18. John 39 40. do you not deal worse with Christ for a lust or you that can part with Christ for a pleasure do you think that sin deserves your hearts better than Christ why then can you not be perswaded to leave sin and follow Christ but you chuse to follow your sins and leave Christ every one that loves this sin cries up Barabbas and denies Christ you bid Christ be gon as the Jews away with this Fellow As the Jews could not save Christ and Barabbas both together so neither can we keep this sin and Christ both in one heart all that entertain this sin shut Christ out of their hearts 5. Because this sin continually besets us 't is the sin as I told you that lies down with you that riseth up with you that keeps at home with you that goes abroad with you as the Covetous man is Covetous at all times and in all places even when he is at Church then his heart is set on his Covetousness a Drunkard is so at all times thinking of it at Church and continuing it a bed Now if it be so we had need be the more careful of it A man that is subject upon the taking of any little cold to get an ague had need always to keep himself very warm In dangerous times when men lye at the catch for any word a man had need consider well before he speak O Brethren sin is the greatest trapanner in all the World it lies at the catch continually to deceive our Souls oh we had need be careful and
what shall we do to live we live by our sins we gain by our sins 19. Acts. 24 25. so some say we must cozen now and then or we cannot live by our trade we must to the Ale house now and then or we cannot get a good bargain do you so the Devil may take such gain if he will but know this that God is able to do more for you than sin can do 2 Kings 1. 2 3. what is there not a God in Heaven to provide for you that you must go to sin and the Devil to get a lively-hood Saul he never went to the Devil before God had left him and answered him no more but alass how many run to the Devil before God hath left them what is there never a promise in the whole Bible to comfort your hearts but you must go to sin for comfort is not Heaven rich enough and glorious enough to make you happy but you must have sin also to lye in the scales O remember this if you part with your best sins you shall be no losers 7. Be much in spiritual duties pray much against this sin this thine own sin read much hear much meditate of Christ and Grace of God and Heaven much perform these duties with a desire to be revenged on thy own sin As Sampson when he prayed to God for strength it was that he might be avenged on the Philistins Brethren we Pray to God for grace but 't is not with this intent that it might kill this sin and therefore we pray amiss when we hear a Sermon it is not with intent to get knowledge how to mortifie this sin and therefore we hear in vain and mark this whatever spiritual duty we perform if we do it not with an intent especially against this sin it is to no purpose David when he chose out five flint stones it was with an intent to kill Goliah with them and when the slung them he aimed at his head so let us do in all our spiritual duties level them so that we may take aim at this sin especially and then we shall prosper 1 Kings 22. 31. Alas what is it to kill a Thousand common Soldiers in an Army of Twenty Thousand kill the General and you have won the Field we Fight in vain unless we Fight against this King of sins in us 8. Labour as much as you can to thwart this particular sin we use to say one contrary will expel another look you what is contrary to thy corruption exercise thy self in that grace or vertue the way to make a crooked stick strait is to bend it as much the contrary way Is Covetousness thy sin then be much in giving Alms be much in meditating of the riches of Heaven follow our Saviours Counsel in the 19 th of Mat. 21. Is Drunkenness thy sin Pray for the Spirit of God 5. Eph. 18. Art thou given to Pride labour for Humility and think meanly of thy self think the best of others drive in grace as much as you can into the heart and that will drive out sin especially that particular grace that is opposite to this sin to cure a Wound you must get a suitable Plaister for that Wound so for the cure of this sin you must get a suitable grace 9. If after all this that you have done you cannot yet work out this sin then go to God and beg of him beg earnestly of him to do it for you 2 Chron. 20. Chap. 1 4 12. so if thou art afraid of this sin and dost seek the Lord with all thine heart God will assuredly help But the truth is we have no heart to Pray against this sin and therefore the Lord doth not hear our Prayers we deal with our sins as Pharoah with his Frogs in the 8 th of Ex. 8 9 10. so we would fain be rid of this sin many of us but not yet why not before we come to dye when we are leaving the World then we could be content to leave this sin O this is a sign that we do not desire to part with it and if we will not part with it now we shall never part with it O of all things let us have a care of such a frame of spirit as this is least God in judgment give us over to dye in this sin as we have desired all our days to live in it 3. Why we should above all things keep our selves from our own sins David in the Text tells us that he kept himself from his Iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word as I shewed you in the beginning signifieth to prevent a danger that is likely to fall on us there is a Noun comes from this Verb which signifieth a Watch-tower as sentinels in a Garrison that stand in the Watch-tower espy the Enemy afar off coming to them before he seizes upon them and so prevents his design so David though he fell into other sins and was surprized as it were by other sins yet this sin which he calls his own sin he had a special eye unto was always upon his guard his Watch-Tower to prevent it certainly there was something in it David saw good reason for it that made him more carefull of this sin than of all others Now I will shew you some Reasons why we ought to be so careful against our own Iniquities 1. Because we love it so much this sin is the Souls darling the Souls beloved look into your hearts and search them well and you shall find a sin there that you love better than God or Christ or Heaven or your Souls It is said of Ahab that he sold himself to do wickedly oh this was an high prized sin what sell himself for a sin and are there not many Ahabs among us that will sell themselves for some sin or other A mans self is the highest price that he can set upon any sin that which we love best we prize most be it an horse or a dog I will not take an Hundred Pound for it But for a man to sell his Soul to the Devil nay Soul and Body to Hell to be tormented in the Fiery Lake of Brimstone Eternally for a Sin you will say that man pays dear enough for it O Friends here you see the force of the Reason keep your selves from this sin your love and affections from it because this is the sin that will take up all your love will take off your heart from God and Christ and your Salvation A man while he is suiting and hath deeply set his love upon a Woman will neglect all his other business that he may gain her for a Wife is it so with you in reference to any sin Brethren I desire to deal plainly and faithfully with your Souls and mine own have a care of that sin have a care of loving of it least you hate your Souls and hate God and Christ I will explain this by a comparison this sin is like Absalom Absalom
Gospel Rule if ever we would be happy we must love that which we naturally hate and hate that which we naturally love A natural man hates the light and loves darkness hates God loves the World hates Christ loves sin now if ever this man be saved he must be brought to this to hate what he loved and to love what he hated he must love the light and hate darkness he must love God and hate the World he must love Christ and hate sin Now here lies the strength of the motive if there be any sin that we love we must hate it cast it out because 't is beloved of us 't is our love to this sin that makes this sin stick and cleave so close and so fast to us 8. Cantic 7. so may we say here many waters many tears yea whole rivers and floods of Repentance can scarce drown our beloved sin Here are three things especially to move us to cast out this sin upon this very account that 't is our beloved sin 1. We love it what love sin do you know what you do when you love sin sin is communion with the Devil and do you love communion with the Devil there is none of you all but would be ready to spit in my face if I should tell you you love the Devil and you love his company why yes if you love any sin you love communion with the Devil Our Saviour calls sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8. John 44. peculiaritèr dicit de amatoria cupidine scapula Now the Devil he loves sin and if you love sin too here is your communion with the Devil what saith the Apostle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 10. 20. He that worships an Idol as the Heathens did he hath fellowship with Devils he that loves any sin sets up an Idol in his heart and serves and worships this sin as much as the Heathens did their Idols therefore he hath fellowship with Devils you see what it is to love sin to keep a beloved sin in ones heart is to have fellowship and communion with Devils all the Devils in Hell riot and feast and make merry in that man's heart Are you not afraid of this O then let this be an Argument to cast out this sin because 't is a beloved sin 2. If we love any sin we cannot love Christ this sin will make us leave him and forsake him Judas his beloved sin made him betray Christ O what an horrid thing was that and Brethren are there not many Judasses in the World that will betray Christ to satisfie their beloved sin Every man that hath a beloved sin in his heart is a very Judas in his heart to Christ let Christ and his sin stand in competition and you shall see that man will be the greatest enemy to Christ 3. Philip. 18. but who were these see verse 19. here were their Gods their beloved bellies and their beloved earthly things their beloved sins these were Christ's enemies 2 Tim. 4. 10. what 's the reason Demas forsook Christ why his beloved sin made him he loved the World what saith Christ 6. Matth. 24. so is the case here between Christ and Sin he that loves sin hates Christ and he that loves Christ hates sin the reason of this is plain Christ comes to destroy sin therefore he that loves sin cannot endure Christ and sin that dishonours Christ therefore he that loves Christ cannot but hate sin Christ and Sin are like Caesar and Pompey nec ferre partem Caesarve priorem Pompeiusve parem sin will not endure Christ to be above it and Christ will not endure sin to be equal with him Now here 's a tryal of your love are you resolved to love sin then you must part with Christ are you resolved to love Christ then you must part with your beloved sin consider seriously of this whether a beloved sin will countervail your loss of Christ 3. We cannot honour Christ better than by parting with our beloved sin O the Lord Jesus will take this very kindly at our hands when a man shall say Lord I have a sin a lust within me that I love most dearly 't is my darling O I take great pleasure and delight in it 't is not all the World shall make me part with it but Lord at thy command I leave it rather than I will offend thee I will have no more to do with it yea rather than I will not love thee I will hate even my beloved sin O Brethren Christ will take this wery kindly at our hands O that every one of us could say so as the Martyr said when he was wished to recant and save his life no saith he if every hair on my head were a life I would lay them all down for the sake of my Lord Christ so should we say if every hair on our heads were a beloved sin we would part with them all for the sake of Christ Here is a true sign of an upright heart and there is no other sign of it for a man to leave other sins it signifieth little or nothing but when it comes to our beloved sin whether we will part with our Benjamin or no herein will our love to Christ be tryed 22. Gen. 11 12. so will Christ say O my dear Soul now I know that thou lovest me seeing thou hast not withheld thy sin thine only sin thy beloved sin but hast even parted with that for my sake O Brethren you will shew more love to Christ and respect to Christ in parting with this one sin than with a thousand other sins And thus you see there is great reason why we should keep our selves from our own sin upon this account because 't is our beloved sin 2. A Second Motive is this This sin our own Iniquity is the only thing that hinders the making up the match between Christ and our Souls were it not for this Christ and we should quickly agree and close together without more ado the sinner stands upon this Lord spare me in this one thing no Christ will not bate thee this one sin O Soul hearken to this and if thou go to Hell at last when thou art in Hell remember this word that 't is only this one sin that keeps thee from Christ and Christ from thee Thou wilt not accept of Christ why because thou wilt not part with this sin and Christ will not accept of thee why because thou wilt not part with this sin O but perhaps thou wilt say I have many sins more why let not that trouble thee Christ will accept of thee with all thine infirmities if thou wilt but part with thine Iniquities 11. Matth. 28. if thou art weary of sin go to Christ he will ease thee hast thou thousands of sins if thou disown them Christ will never disown thee for them Here Brethren is all the pinch when a man will own sin and love sin and keep and maintain sin that 's the Soul that will
most dear unto us the Gospel bids the Drunkard leave his drunkenness the Swearer leave his swearing the Covetous man to leave his Gold and Silver the Proud man to despise honor and embrace humility in a word it bids every man to leave his own Iniquity O this is an hard saying who can bear it flesh and blood can never endure it Away with such a Gospel as this is cry men this will turn the World upside down Let John Baptist Preach what he will before Herod he can like his Doctrin well enough but when he comes to tell him he must part with his beloved Herodias away with him to Prison 't is not fit such a man should live upon the earth Paul may Preach as long as he please at Ephesus till he come to Preach down Diana then will Demetrius presently raise a tumult against him so the Young Man in the 19 th Chap. of St. Matthews Gospel what Christ said to him from the 16 to the 20 verse was all well Christ had not as yet touched his sore place he spake nothing of his beloved sin well but you shall see what follows verses 21 22. here the shooe pincht him when Christ comes once to tell him of his beloved sin to touch that he had enough away he goes Sinners turn their backs on Christ assoon as Christ bids them turn their backs upon their own Iniquities We are all of us like Naaman in the 2 Kings 5. 17 18. God must bate us an ace if he expects us to be his Servants we make our terms with God to have our liberty in one sin or other which we like best O we think that God is a very hard Master and that he is too strict and severe with us to debar us of every sin like Agrippa we are contented to meet Christ above half ways to be almost Christians i. e. Christians in every thing save in one thing i. e. in keeping still our own sin but that we can by no means part withal Now I hope you see the Reason why so few are converted and why all our Preaching proves no more profitable unto you blame not us but blame your selves for it we may say as David said these Sons of Zerviah are too hard for us as to other things we may perswade you and prevail somewhat but when we come to speak against this sin your own sin there is little or no hope to prevail with you This sin is the Beelzebub the Prince of Devils and 't is not all the Apostles of Christ unless Christ himself come powerfully into your hearts can cast him out 3. Here we see the folly of sinners who for the short pleasure of some beloved sin or other will venture to undergo the pains of the damned the torments of Hell and the Wrath of an Almighty God 21. Ex. 1 2 5 6 verses the case is the same here the Gospel is nothing else but a proclamation of liberty to the Captives all that will leave their sins may come to Christ and be made free well but their are some like the Israelites servants that will say I love my sin which is my Master and as dear to me as Wife and Children I will not go out free oh these are the Persons that have their ear boared never shall Sermon do them good never shall ordinance do them good they shall serve sin for ever God will fulfill their desires as they are unwilling to part with sin so shall they never part with sin they and their sins shall live and dye and go to Hell together O the folly and fondness of sinners that are so unwilling to part with their sins let such know this before sin and they part they shall have enough of it you that tast the sweet of sin remember that you must tast the sour also sin like St. Johns Book though it seem to you as sweet as honey in the mouth yet it will be as bitter as gall and wormwood in the Bowels O let us remember this that our Souls are our own as well as our sins and one of them we must part withal here is the tryal which we love best our own Sins or our own Souls that which we love best we will not part withal 3. Acts 19. No sin shall be blotted out at the day of Judgment but those sins that are cast out here cast them out of your hearts and God will soon blot them out of his Book O that sinners were but as wise in preventing as they shall be woful in undergoing the everlasting sorrows which shall follow their short sinful pleasures 'T is but a foolish bargain that every sinner makes to purchase eternal pains for momentary pleasures to chuse rather to be turned out of Heaven then to turn one sin out of thy heart 4. Here we see likewise the Reason why People are so in love with sin which is so ugly in its own nature and so odious in the sight of God. If we had the true picture of sin drawn to the life before our eyes together with the Judgments of God in this life and the Torments of Hell in the other life carrying up its train we could not but sit down and wonder at the madness of our hearts that we should so much dote upon it or fall in love with it O but wonder not here 's the Reason every man loves one sin or other because 't is his own sin Do not some of you wonder why David should love Absalom so well a Murderer a Traytor what not one that in many respects dealt worse with David than ever Saul did one that was a continual grief to David yet he loved him dearly for all this would you know the Reason see it in the 2 of Sam. 19. 4. why he was his own Son that was the Reason Do you wonder that men can love sin so well which is a Traytor in their bosoms the Destroyer of their Souls the only hindrance of their Eternal Happiness oh here 's the reason 't is their own sin a Babe conceived in the womb of their own hearts nursed up and suckled in their own Breasts All men are mightily taken with their own things the Proverb is every mans own goose is better than his Neighbors swan so is it with sin we do hate sin others but we love it in our selves nay the very same sins that we hate in others we hug them while they are in our own bosoms the truth is this when ever a wicked man hates sin he doth not hate it as it is sin but because it is not his sin if it were his sin he would love it as well as others nay and perhaps this man that hates one sin in his Neighbour may as dearly love another sin in himself see an example in the 38. Gen. 24 25 26. we look not upon our own sins with the same pair of spectacles that we look on other mens sins withal Men will never think
in them of all things take heed of such sins as you cannot endure should be touched or medled with or reproved but will do all that you can to hide them and keep them secret these are your own Iniquities and are very dangerous 2. Those who instead of keeping themselves from their Iniquities boast of them and glory in them 3. Is 9. Men are apt to boast and to brag of their own things and so do sinners of their own Iniquities as the Apostle Paul saith in another case upon our uncomely members we bestow the more abundant comeliness so these Persons paint over and varnish what they can their uncomely sins that so they may â—he more freely commit them this is the â—…ry height of Impiety to boast and glory in our Iniquities and were they not our own we should not thus glory in them 3. Those who instead of forsaking their own Iniquities are partakers also with other men in their sins there is none of us all but hath sins enough of his own to sink him to the bottom of Hell see what an account David gives us of his sins in the 40 Psalm 12. if Davids were so many how many then are ours oh what desperate madness then to add to that multitude which we are not able already to number These Persons I cannot better compare them than to broken Tradesmen that have spent all and run themselves so far in debt that they are like to lye in the Goal all their days why these Persons are the readiest Persons to be bound for other mens debts This is the right and true adding sin to sin and Iniquity to Iniquity adding the sins of others to our own sins Now the best way to remedy this is with David in the Text to keep our selves from our own Iniquities and then we shall the better look to our selves in keeping our selves from other mens sins that man that is unwilling to give a bond for his own debt will never be surety or enter into bonds for another man's debt 4. Those who instead of keeping themselves from their own Iniquities are drawing on others and perswading others to commit the like sins with them Brethren I think our sin hath done mischief enough or at least will do mischief enough if it ruin and damn only our own Souls oh then why should we be so greedy of bringing others into the same guilt and condemnation with us I think the World was never so full of such kind of Persons as 't is now sinners are stark mad that every body is not like them and because they cannot draw others with them to the same excess of riot sin is such a sweet bit such a dainty morsel that they love not to eat it alone like some kind hearted men who if they have a joynt of meat extraordinary presently send for some Neighbours or Friends to dine with them Brethren this is the very Image and Superscription of the Devil that these men carry in their foreheads the Devil after he had sinned himself have made it his work ever since to make us all Devils like himself by drawing us into the same sins now the best way to remedy this is to keep our selves as David in the Text from our own sins and when we see the evil of them our selves we shall the more earnestly perswade all others to keep themselves from them likewise 3. Use Consolation to all those that can say with David in the Text I have kept my self from mine Iniquity This is the proper use of the Text David he comforts himself with this consideration this one thing was better to David than his honors and riches than his Crown and Kingdom This was Davids cordial in the Wilderness and his Song of rejoicing upon his Throne I will desire you once more to look upon the Title of this Psalm and read it over a Psalm of c. in the Title David rejoyceth over his outward Enemies among which he reckons Saul as the chiefest but in the Psalm David triumpheth over his Spiritual Enemies and among these he reckoneth his own Iniquity as the King the chiefest v. 21 23. this was a far greater comfort to David that he kept himself from his own Iniquity than his being kept from the power and malice of Saul his chiefest Enemy And therefore David leaves this upon record for all the World to take notice of it and seems to intimate thus much to us that this was the Reason why God delivered him from his greatest Enemy because he kept himself from his own Iniquity v. 24 Here then beloved we see the Fountain for a dry and thirsty Soul. Here is the true cordial in calamity the surest comfort under the greatest conflict let Men and Devils muster up all their Armies and rally up all their Regiments against the Saints they cannot hurt those who have kept themselves from their own Iniquities Sincerity my Friends is such armor of proof that no bullets of afflictions no chain shot of tribulations no poysoned darts of Temptations no fiery granadoes of persecutions are able to pierce or enter into That man that hath kept his own Iniquity out need not fear any sorrows entring into his Soul. No wonder that those who keep common tipling-houses to which Drunkards and Swearers and wicked Persons of all sorts have free resort are seldom quiet but singing and ranting railing and reviling wrangling and fighting are the dayly dishes they feed upon Just so are the hearts of all sinners where this Iniquity as the Master keeps a common Inn for all other sins to resort unto their is no quietness no comfort no peace in that Soul 57. Isaiah 20 21. 't is seldom that a sinner dines a good day and therefore Solomon tells us that even in laughter the heart of the wicked is sorrowful 2 Kin. 9. 22. this thine Iniquity is the true Jezabel and all other sins are but her brats and bastards cast out this Jezabel and thy Soul shall live fling but this Jonas over-board and their will be presently a calm O the Heaven that there is in that Soul whereinto neither this Iniquity nor any other wicked thing doth enter Give me leave in a few words as I am able to shew you some part of the happiness of that man that can say as in the Text I have kept c. 1. There is nothing to hinder the Union and Marriage between Christ and that Soul here what Paul tells us concerning the Laws of Wedlock in the 1 Cor. 7. 39. This is the case of every man while we are in our natural unregenerate condition mark it well we are wedded every one of us to this our own Iniquity every Soul is bound to this Husband now the Ministers they publish the Banns of Marriage between Christ and the Soul will you sinners accept of Christ Christ is desirous to have you he hath a great love to your Souls he is willing to espouse you to make you happy
doors and stopping all passages when it perceives any will endeavour to get it out sin will keep a man from good company what it can will not let a man sit under the powerful Preaching of the word will stop the ears to all reproofs and good admonitions This was the policy of Amaziah Jeroboams Idolatrous Priest he would suffer no good Preaching at Bethel for fear his Idols should go down 7. Amos 12 13. Sin doth not love that there should be any correspondence kept between Christ and the Soul it intercepts all letters and messages from Christ to the Soul and from the Soul to Christ will keep the Soul from praying reading hearing that so it may keep the Soul from Christ Oh Brethren this is great policy I have read of William the Conqueror's policy to gain England was this asson as he had landed all his men here he presently burnt all the Ships that brought them over that so none might return back but they must fight it out When sin hath drawn away the heart from God and Christ into evil ways and courses then it hinders it from all ways and means of returning to Christ Hence sinners cry down Preaching cry down Sabbaths cry down Ordinances cry down Prayers in Families because sin knows if these go up it must come down sin bars the doors of the heart against any thing that should bring in Christ this is desperate policy 29. Prov. 1. 4. Another policy of sin to keep possession is to be always very pleasing and observant to the heart always delighting of it with its pleasures the sinner would quickly grow weary of that wicked course and trade did not sin dayly supply him with new pleasures and delights This policy of sin the Scripture takes much notice of in divers places take two or three 4. Hosea 11. when the Soul hath full sails of pleasures and a full tide of earthly delights Oh how merrily doth it swim down the stream to Hell. To this purpose is that of Solomon 5. Prov. 20. by the strange Woman and the bosom of a stranger he means all the pleasures and delights of sin now he gives us the Reason why we should not embrace these v. 22. these are the cords of sin to bind us fast this is sins policy to keep the possession of our hearts sin cares not what it spend upon us that so we may still entertain it therefore again saith Solomon 7. Eccl. 4. a wise man that is afraid of sin will keep from this house of mirth Oh Brethren sin keeps a merry a jovial house to please and delight the sinner and by this stratagem keeps the possession of his heart therefore Solomon calls these pleasures the song of fools v. 5. Oh how merrily doth sin carry poor Souls to Hell alass they sing but they know not whether they are going 22. Is 12 13 14. hardly do such Persons get rid of sin and chain of pleasures will keep any man fast Oh when sinners once begin to be serious and to think of their Souls and Salvation then sin begins to make them merry to put away all such thoughts out of their minds I have read in the story of the Life of King Edward the sixth that the Lords that had contrived the Death of the Duke of Somerset Unckle to the King and Lord Protector after he was condemned their policy to keep the King from being troubled at his Death and that he might not pardon him was to entertain the King every day at Feasts and Banquets and with new Plays Masks and Sports which they thought pleased the King best just such is the policy of sin to ruin our Souls by entertaining of us with the vain pleasures and delights of this World to keep out of our hearts the care of our Souls the hatred of sin and the thoughts of Death and Eternity Thus sin hath formerly played its pranks with the old World and will use the same policy to destroy this World too 24. Mat. 37 38 39. Oh Brethren let us take notice of this policy of sin we live in the last days of the World upon the very edges or banks of Eternity Oh let us have a care of these pleasures whereby sin will draw away our hearts from God to our Eternal ruin 5. Sin hath another policy to keep possession when once 't is got into the heart it keeps the heart abroad as much as it can I mean thus it sets the heart a work and busie abroad in looking after other mens sins Thus sin deals just like an Harlot that sends her Husband from home while she may entertain her Adulterer with her so sin will make us busie in judging other mens hearts and prying into and looking over other mens lives and actions that so we may have no time to look into our own hearts lives and actions Thus the Pharisees of old all their trouble was for others because they were sinners but never considered their own sins And I pray what are we now a days are not we the same we are all jury men in other mens cases and actions we can tell when others do amiss but cannot tell when we our selves do amiss oh this is deep policy and 't is that mystery that is now at work among us even amongst the greatest Professors In all companies they are asking of others and talking of others what such and such have done you shall hear few or none complaining of themselves of their own hearts of their own lives oh Brethren we give sin the greatest advantage that can be while we are rifling and spending our verdicts on other mens hearts you shall see an example of this in the 12. John 3 4 5. v. Judas would fain be spying a fault in others but considered not the desperate wickedness of his own heart Our Saviour reproveth all such reprovers as these are in 7. Mat. 3 4 5. v. This is like some Persons that at their Neighbours houses will be spying out a sluttish trick and telling of it but regard not any sluttishness or nastiness at home oh Brethren we our selves are in the greatest fault when we can see no fault in our selves O take notice of this policy of sin 't is only sin that makes men so censorious of others Christ in his Gospel bids you not to censure others look to your selves if you see any thing amiss in another search whether there is not the like in you say thus oh am not I guilty of the same sin my self have not I as wicked an heart my self Brethren always observe it a censorious heart is a wicked heart 't is some sin or other that would fain be ruler in our hearts that sends us abroad so often oh let us leave off this trick of censuring others and look to our own sins set our own hearts in order we do all complain of sins in the Nation that bring judgments upon us but have not we some of those sins in us do
is it peace Jehu But what said he What peace so long as there are so many Whoredoms so O poor Soul what peace canst thou expect so long as sin is in thee Sin hardens thy heart and makes it like the stony ground and what good can the Word or the Ordinances do on the stony ground You know what hindred Herod that he received no good at all by John Baptist Preaching O he had an Herodias in his heart the Text tells us that he heard John gladly and did many things O but Herodias spoiled all had it not been for that one sin which Herod would not part withal he might have been a sincere convert for ought we know This sin will drive the word out of our hearts as fast as it is set home upon our hearts it will keep the Soul lean and ill favoured without any comfort under the fattest Ordinances But this I speak only by way of concession I am to speak to true sincere hearted Nathaniels that keep no sin in their hearts or desire and endeavour to be rid of every sin name any sin to them they cannot say they have any love to it and these Persons they complain that they feel not the influences of the Ordinances upon their Souls they feel not the power and comfort of them to these 2. Two words of caution 1. Take heed that this be not false examin the case well perhaps you may speak without your books there be many complain of this who yet have no reason to complain they think they are never the better for the Ordinances when indeed they are much the better Now that you may state the Question aright consider these two things 1. What are the influences of the Ordinances for answer to this there is a four-fold influence that the Ordinances have c. 1. A pricking wounding influence 't is such an influence as makes a man sensible of his condition every man by nature hath a spiritual kind of lethargie such a Disease in his Soul as the num-palsie is to the Body he is quite sottish and sensless hath not so much as the understanding of a bruit to know whether it be well or ill with him knows not whether he belong to Christ or the Devil is not sensible that he is in danger of Hell. Now this is the first power and influence of the Ordinances to bring a man to his right senses to make him understand his condition 2. Acts 37. here the word reacht to the quick before they were not sensible of what they had done O Brethren there be many that never felt this pricking wounding power of the Ordinances never yet were made sensible of their conditions that think all is well with them and hope to be saved as well as the best O if once they were but pricked to the heart how would they roar and cry out how would they be started at it to see the misery they are in 2. An humbling influence when a man is sensible of his lost condition then he begins to be humble he will never be humble till now poverty will bring a man upon his knees O then what will such a conviction as this is do when a man sees that he is ready to drop into Hell that he must endure the wrath of God to all Eternity O this makes the Soul humble and pliable before God the man now is like melted wax God may work him how he pleaseth command what he will he is ready to obey 9. Acts 6. 3. A strengthning influence after the word hath weakened the power of sin in a man then it strengthens the Soul with grace as Physicians when they have throughly purged their Sick man and so made him weak then they give him strengthning meats so the word conveys Faith and Hope and other strengthning graces into the Soul so 't is said of Paul after his Humiliation 9. Acts 22. and so he prays for the Ephesians in the 3. Eph. 16. Now this strength the word conveys to the Soul from the spirit of Christ to inable him against sin and all other oppositions whatever to an holy life 1. Colos 10 11. 4. A comforting influence this is the highest of all when a Soul is comforted under the Ordinances and is filled with joy and delight and abundance of satisfaction 2. Cant. 3 4. now is the Soul as it were in Christ's Banqueting House or House of Wine i. e. the Soul rejoyceth and is glad of the presence of Christ like John Baptist in Elizabeths Womb leaps and skips for joy Thus it is with many a Soul under the power and influences of the Ordinances as those converts 2. Acts 37. there 's pricking but what follows read the 46. verse and you will see 2. Consider and examine your selves whether you have felt none of these influences under the Ordinances perhaps you have not felt the comforting influence O do not say therefore that there is no influence perhaps you find little or no strength yet say not 't is in vain the means of grace are in vain to my Soul have the word humbled you have it pricked your hearts and made you sick of sin and sensible in what a lost condition you are in by nature bless God for that and wait still on him in the ways of his Ordinances you shall find comfort at last you must not expect to come to the highest pitch presently as our Quakers do assoon as any turns Quaker presently he is full of joy and comfort as his heart can wish suspect such a thing as not the work of God God will have us throughly humbled before comfort comes in Naaman was bid go into Jordan seven times and wash now if Naaman had after the first or second washing come out of Jordan and finding himself not cleansed left the waters and said there was no vertue in them would you not say the fault was his own Our Saviour Christ will teach us the true way to comfort i. e. true comfort indeed 5. Mat. 4. be content to mourn and be humbled a while and wait still on God to perfect his work in you 2. Take heed that this be not true O 't is a sad thing to be under the Ordinances and never the better for them and therefore labour for these influences when you are sensible of the want of them means 1. Go not out in your own strength think not that you of your selves are able to pray or read or hear with profit O you must go out of your selves get Christ along with you 21. John 3 4 5 6. take Christ along with you go forth in his strength and not in your own strength the want of this may be a means of your miscarriage 2. Look out beyond all Duties and Ordinances do not rest satisfyed when you have Prayed or heard a Sermon or received a Sacrament let not that be all your Religion only to do these things but look further the Ordinances are but means
sin many a year some Thirty some Forty or Fifty or Sixty or Eighty years nay more you come to these waters the Ordinances you lye at Bethesda under the means of grace as if you desired to be rid of sin yet still the Question is will you be made whole will you part with this Iniquity I know you will all answer yes you are willing to part with sin O but still the Question is will you be healed 1. Do you love the means are you willing to make use of such means as the Lord prescribes you in his word for the good of your Souls can your hearts answer to this Question whatever the Lord bids us do we will do it like setting Dogs that hunt eagerly to catch the fowls but will rather starve than eat any of them so many hunt after Sermons but not do them Do you endeavour to practise all the Sermons that you hear if you hear Sermons but do not practise them 't is a sign you are loath to part with your sins 2. Are you willing to forego whatever pleasure or profit or advantage sin brings in to you that you may be healed of it O can your hearts answer to this Question there be many that say they hate sin yet love the pleasure profit and wages of sin Brethren if you love not the meat why do you eat of the broth if men love not hanging why do they love stealing do as Zacheus did 19. Luk. 8. if you would turn sin out of doors turn all its lumber out of doors too 3. Have not custom in sin made you unwilling to part with sin have you not lived so long in sin that you do not know now how to live without it have you not forgot the price of Salvation and the worth of your Souls O you that have been sinners so many years you that are Swearers of Fourscore years standing are you willing to leave your Swearing you that are Drunkards of Threescore years standing are you willing to leave your drinking you that have been covetous worldly minded Persons griping Usurers biting Landlords that have used the trick of cozening many years will you be made whole can you part with your old companions can you come out of Sodom and never look back can you cross the Red-Sea and not smell the Garlikes and Onions of Egypt on the other side can you or are you willing for the love of your Souls to do whatever Christ bids you and forego what ever Christ would have you why Brethren if this be your resolution then hearken and I will lay you down such means be your sin what it will I 'll warrant you a thorough cure I have already in the doctrinal part laid down nine several remedies or receipts against this sin which if you would but make use of might work the cure but least you may have forgot them I will add a few more and lay them down before you as plainly and as practically as I can so that if after all this you still retain your own Iniquities and go to Hell you shall thank your selves for it 1. The first is a very plain and easie receipt and so shall all the rest be O sinner thou hast that within thee that will cure thee As we say to some sick Persons what need you send to the Apothecaries you have herbs enough in your own gardens to cure you so here I say sinners you have that which can cure you in your own breasts Quest But you will say I pray what is that I Answer thus Friends what do you think of Judas and what do you think of Herod and what do you think of Pontius Pilate I know what you will say you will say thus why if we had been in their cases we would not have done as they did if we had been in Judasses place we would not have betrayed Christ in Herods place we would not have mocked Christ in Pilates place we would not have condemned Christ well I ask you further what do you think of such and such Neighbours of yours why I know what you will say you wonder that such a one is such a Drunkard another such a Swearer c. you wonder that they do not leave their ill courses you wonder that they do not look after their Souls more and Eternity Again I ask you further what do you think of Sermons I know what you will say here also why if we did but practise what we hear we might do well well then is this your verdict is this your judgment this comes out of your own breasts do as you say and you may cure your selves you say were you in Judasses place you would not have done as he did why then have a care you do not as ill as Judas or worse than Judas you wonder at your neighbours that they are no better why wonder at your selves that you are no better you say all the good that comes by Sermons is practise why then if you would get good by hearing Sermons follow your own directions Do not give away all your counsel to others and take none your selves Our Saviour reproves this very thing in the Scribes and Pharisees 23. Mat. 29 30. so say you if we had lived in our Fore-fathers days we would have been better than they O be as good now as you think you would have been then you that are able to prescribe to others why do you not prescribe to your selves you that are such rare Physicians in other mens distempers take heed that you prove not very fools in your own case alas sinner all the World cannot do thee good if thou art an enemy to thy self well sinner here is thy case thou wouldst feign go to Heaven that 's thy desire thy very reason as 't is inlightned by the word tells thee then thou must leave thine own Iniquity now if thou wilt not follow the best counsel of thine own heart who can help thee thou speakest against others that live in sin and art angry with them because they will not reform O be not like to some Parents that will beat their Children for swearing and yet swear themselves or like some Magistrates that will punish drunkards and yet be drunk themselves so that this is the first means improve what thou hast in thine own breast of reason or counsel or judgment Many Persons can give such counsel to others that if they would but follow it themselves would prove rare Christians 2. A second means to help out with this sin our own Iniquity is this go to the Scriptures Gods Pharmacothoea his closet of receipts and see what particular receipt thou canst find there against thy particular sin the Scriptures doth not only give us general rules and directions for our whole lives but also particular directions in particular cases and peculiar remedies against particular sins to instance in a few is any man inclined to the sin of Fornication the Scripture hath a
particular receipt for that 1 Cor. 7. 9. Is any man given to stealing the Scripture hath a particular receipt for that 4. Eph. 28. Is covetousness thy sin a receipt 19. Mat. 21. another 119. Ps 36. Dost thou distrust God's providence our Saviours receipt 12 Luk. 24 31. is pride thy sin 11. Mat. 29. Thus Brethren if you will but search the Scriptures you shall find receipts for your particular sins and do what the Scripture bids you do and you shall find a cure wrought Physicians they ask this Question How come People to dye that have so much sage in their Gardens may we not much more ask this Question How come People to perish so many Souls to go to Hell that have Bibles in their hands and Bibles in their houses and Bibles continually by them O Brethren make use of this excellent book this is Heavens dispensatory here is a salve for every sore here are the waters of life the wells of Salvation for poor perishing sinners 3. Have an eye to the promises of God in Scripture these will stir up our hearts to fight with our sins I will allude to that story of David 1 Sam. 17. 25 26 32. so say I to you thus and thus shall it be done to the man that casts out his own Iniquity his name shall be enrolled in the Book of Life his portion shall be in Heaven he shall be called the Friend of God shall be made a Co-heir with Christ O Brethren would not all this stir up a man's spirits and make his fingers itch to be dealing with this Goliah like sin his own Iniquity take the summ of all the promises in that one Text 3. Rev. 21. how many men have ventured their lives in battel only in hope to be Knighted the victorious Saint shall be crowned that 's more shall be crowned with glory that 's more shall be crowned with an Eternal weight of glory that 's more yet here is the very strength of the Apostles argument 1 Cor. 9. 25. latter part Is an earthly Crown that last but for a while so forcible a means to make a man run labour strive fight for it O how much more than an incorruptible Now sirs here 's your choice overcome this sin and you shall at death ride victoriously to Heaven triumphing not only over this sin but over every sin and not only over every sin but over all your spiritual enemies the Devil Death Hell and all the powers of it Otherwise if you live as slaves to this sin all your days at Death the Devil will ride in triumph over you dragging your miserable Caitiffe Souls to Hell to be tormented to all Eternity 4. If any man would cast out his Iniquity he must also cast off the World and therefore know this for a truth that that man that either loves or fears the World will never cast off sin It was a sad judgment upon Corah Dathan and Abiram that the earth swallowed them up 16. Numb 32. and thus it is with many now the earth swallows them quite up the World takes up all their time that they cannot mind the everlasting concernments of their Souls if you put earth upon fire the earth will put out the fire so if there be any spark of Fire or Heavenly zeal kindled in any Soul to the destroying of sin by the word presently comes in the World and quencheth it the love of the World makes many with Demas forsake Christ and embrace sin and the fear of the World makes many with Pilate kill Christ and save this Barabbas this Soul murdering sin alive O Friends if you would renounce sin you must renounce the World also the Apostle tells us that they that mind earthly things are enemies to the Cross of Christ 5. Take not up a profession of Religion at large but enter into a more strict way of holiness 'T is the Devil that hath taught men this damnable art of being professors at large that is to profess Christ and serve sin 't is not enough for a man to have a smack of Religion no if ever we would be free from this sin from the power of it we must be Christians in good earnest Those Birds that fly abroad tho' some of them can sing well yet 't is but their wild notes but the Birds that are kept up in cages these learn to warble out pleasant tunes A profession at large will never make a man leave his wild notes 2. Rom. 28 29. O do not content your selves only with being Baptized with hearing Sermons receiving the Sacrament saying over your â—…ers living honestly all this is only a proâ—…n at large and will never kill the power of sin but learn the power of Godliness get a true Faith in Christ a true love to Christ a care to please him be much in Communion with God be much in searching your hearts in humbling your selves for sin in bewailing your weakness in striving against lusts in denying your selves c. this is the way to kill sin 6. Avoid the company of the wicked those that live under the power of sin wicked men are sins panders and decoys to draw others into the net Many a man I am persuaded had not lived in such or such sins had they not lived in sinfull companies what Solomon saith of the angry man that may we say of the wicked man 22. Prov. 24 25. 't is a common Proverb he that lives with a lame man will learn to limp How soon did good Joseph learn to swear when he came into wicked Pharaohs company and therefore as you would avoid the sin avoid the sinner we read in Scripture how wicked men have often fared the better for the Godly but never that the Godly fared the better for the company of the wicked but rather the worse I have read of the Lacedemonians that they would never suffer a stranger to be with them above the space of 3 days for fear of Infection and Corruption with their evil manners O we should be as carefull of having such for our companions that are strangers to God and the power of Godliness 't is impossible for that man to keep sin under his power who keeps company with those that are under the power of sin 119. Psal 115. 't is a very hard matter to keep company with the wicked and to keep the commandments of God both together 7. And lastly be much in Soul sanctifying meditations when the stream or river that watered a Medow is turned another way that ground will in time grow barren again Brethren our thoughts and meditations are like streams and rivers to Meadows do make us fruitfull in those things that we meditate on if we mind only wickedness 't will make us fruitfull in wickedness now turn the stream and sin you shall see will dry up apace O meditate much on the great things of Eternity this will take of your appetite from sin I have read a story of a