the contrary But now you have heard there is nothing contrary to God to speak properly but only sin and if sin be the only contrary that God hath then certainly sin doth seek the destruction of God so much as it can though it be true a sinner can never do God hurt nor cannot hinder Gods working or Being at al whatsoever become of this wretch though he be destroyed and perish to al Eternity God will remain blessed for ever But this is the Nature of sin to seek the destruction of the Eternal God of glory Oh charge your hearts with this do not stay till God come at the day of Judgment to charge you with this for many poor sinners that went on blind-fold all their daies and never saw sin what it was then comes God upon their death bed and chargeth them with this and then their hearts are full of horror And so at the day of Judgment when God comes to charge them with this then they will be amazed and will see the truth of this Therfore seeing God doth it now before the day of Judgment do you now charge it upon your own hearts that so you may be humbled This is the Third Particular It strikes at God Fourthly Sin wrongs God exceedingly It doth that wrong unto God that all the Angels in Heaven and men in the world cannot make up again Any one sin take but the least sin that thou dost commit I say it doth that wrong unto God that all the Angels in Heaven and Men in the World can never make up again if all the Angels in Heaven and Men in the world should come and say Lord God this poor wretched Creature hath committed this sin this day O Lord we are content to suffer ten thousand yeers torment in Hell to satisfie for that wrong that is done to thee by this man or womans sin God would say it cannot be done by all Men and Angels they can never make up this wrong and yet as I shall shew hereafter God wil have this wrong made up or thou must perish Eternally Many men plead thus Who can challenge me and say I have wronged them in al my life they think this enough well suppose thou hast lived so that thou hast not wronged man either in word or deed Oh but thou hast wronged God the Living Eternal God can charge thee though man cannot that thou hast done him that wrong that all the Creatures in the world cannot make it good It were a sad thing if a man had done that wrong to a Kingdom that all the Blood in his Veins and in ten thousand generations more could not make up again he would be weary of his life You have done that wrong to the God of Heaven that all the Angels in Heaven and Men in the World can never make up again Well to conclude Though the things be hard and sad to think on God knows I treat in tender bowels and compassion to you and I do not know that ever I spake to any people in the world with more compassion and that in this particular And know though I speak of these things now yet if God give liberty I shall be as glad and willing to be large in shewing you the riches of the grace of the Gospel in Christ and Gods mercy in Christ And I hope your hearts will be as free and large in this as I am in speaking of this And if I were now treating never so much of the riches of Gods mercy in Christ I could not do it with more Bowels of Compassion than I do this but I do this that you may come to know your selves that you may come to know Christ that Christ may be precious in your thoughts For the special end of Christs coming was To take away sin to deliver from sin therfore we must know sin and charge our souls with sin that Christ may be precious Therefore if any soul shal go away and say Wo to me what have I done yea then such a soul is fit to hear of the Doctrine of grace and mercy in Christ and that in due time if God give liberty may be declared to such a soul But now for the present I beleeve this is a necessary point for you to know and this is that though some may perhaps rise against it that thousand thousands wil have cause to bless God for to all eternity when it is preached home upon their Consciences by the Spirit of the Lord which convinceth of the sinfulness of sin CHAP. XI How sin wrong God 1 In his Attributes 2 Relation of Father Son and Holy Ghost 3 His Counsels 4 In the End for which God hath done all he hath done And First Sin wrong Gods Attributes 1 His All-sufficiency shewd in two particulars 2 It wrong his Omnipresence and Omnisciency 3 Sin wrong his Wisdom 4 Wrong his Holiness 5 Sin wrong God in setting mans will above Gods 6 Sin wrong Gods Dominion 7 Sin wrong Gods Justice 8 Sin wrong God in his Truth THis was that which we proposed in the third place but we shall handle it in this fourth place that we may enlarge upon it But how doth sin wrong God The wrong you do to God by sin is such wrong that if all the Angels in Heaven and Men in the World would be content to endure thousands of yeers of torment in Hell to make up that wrong it could not be any one sin that you commit doth such wrong to God How doth this appear To make it out I shal shew unto you four things 1 How sin doth wrong God in all his Attributes 2 How it wrongs God in his Personal Relations Father Son and Holy Ghost 3 How it wrongs him in his Counsels in that order he hath set in the World in all Creatures 4 How it wrongs God in the very End for which he hath done all that he hath done in the end of all his Works even his Glory First Sin wrongs God in his Attributes As thus First Sin doth hold forth this That there is not a sufficiency of good in God for the satisfying of a soul this language is apparant in every sin and it holds this forth so far as sin doth appear it holds this forth before all and speaks this language That there is not enough good in God That is the Blessed Glorious Al-sufficient Eternal Unchangable good and Fountain of all good yet sin makes this profession That there is not enough good in God to satisfie this soul or else why doth the soul depart from him in any sinful way and go to the Creature for any good if there be enough in God himself Now there is great wrong done to that blessed God who is goodness it self for any Creature to hold this forth That there is not sufficient good there but that the Creature must be fain to seek for it elswhere out of God So long as we seek comforts in the Creature in
calveth and casteth not her calf They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children dance They take the timbrel and harp and rejoyce at the sound of the organ They spend their daies in wealth They live merrie brave lives therefore their hearts be hardened in sin that they say to the Almightie depart from us what need we the knowledg of God what need so much preaching and so much ado we desire not such things I beseech you mark and observe what kind of men those are that so slight the Word of God and disesteem of it and that in their carriage and actions do as it were say unto God himself depart from us for so it is though it may be they think not so when the Word and Ordinances depart yet they do as much as if they should say to God depart from us we desire not the knowledg of thy way I say observe what kind of men these are not men under Gods wrath or afflictions observe what men they are and when they say so I say not when they be under Gods wrath but those that live in Authoritie and flourish and have delights and contentments to the flesh these say depart I confess many poor people that know nothing of God and that be meer Atheists that live all their daies in meer Atheism to hear them say so it is no wonder But I speak of men inlightened and where almost have you anie so readie to say depart from us let the Word and Ordinances depart and that slight God in his Ordinances as men do that are in the greatest Prosperitie that enjoy comforts and brave lives and have the world at will Now let all such know That though they may bless themselves and the world may bless them yet wo to them when God saith let them prosper in sin Hosea 4. 14. I will not punish your daughters when they commit iniquity God threatens it as a Judgment not to afflict them I remember Origen upon that Text hath this note Will you hear the terrible voice of God God speaking with indignation I will not visite when you sin this he calls the terrible voice of God speaking with indignation This is the most extream of Gods anger when thus he speaks And so Luther hath such an expression Wo to those men at whose sins God doth wink and connive and that have not afflictions as other men And so Jerom in writing to a friend that prospered in wicked waies saith he I judg thee miserable because thou art not miserable So certainly those men are therefore miserable because they be not miserable and it were a thousand times better for these men to lie under some heavie and dreadful affliction in this world And this is the Second Use If there be so much evil in Sin then a man may be a miserable man though he be not an afflicted man because there is evil enough in sin alone to make a man miserable without affliction CHAP. LIV. Use 3. If there be so much evil in sin then it 's a mighty mercy to get the pardon of sin Use III. IF there be so much evil in Sin as you have heard of then certainly this must needs follow That to get pardon of sin is a mighty mercy It must needs be a wonderful thing to have the pardon of sin to get to be delivered from that which hath so much evil that is so dreadful it must needs be very hard to be obtained grievous diseases be very hardly cured Certainly Brethren those men and women that do think that to get pardon of and power against sin is a little or light matter I dare charge them as in the presence of God they never yet knew what sin meant and all that I have delivered about the evil of sin hath been but as the beating of the air to them to no purpose that yet make but light of the great work of procuring pardon for sin and making peace with God for their sin If all the world were in a confusion turned into a Chaos we should think it a great work of God to bring all in frame and oâ—der again Certainly it is a greater work of God for to deliver the soul from the evil of sin and free the soul of it than it would be for to raise up the frame of Heaven and Earth again if all were turned into a Chaos Therefore Numbers 14. 17 19. verses where Moses speaks of pardon of Sin see how Moses speaks of it there And now I beseech thee saith he let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying What was this concerning which God had spoken that he would shew his great power in See the 19. verse Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy Mark let the power of my Lord be great and then pardon the iniquitie of thy people as if Moses should say Oh Lord this requires great power the Almightie power of God is required for pardoning of iniquitie as well as the infinite mercy of God Oh consider this you that think lightly of getting pardon of sin this is the greatest business in the world and certainly that soul that God doth set in good earnest about this work to get the pardon of sin that soul is the most busie Creature in all the world never was the soul taken up about a more blessed work since it had a being than this is if it understand what it is about it takes up the whol strength of soul and bodie when the soul is about so great a work therefore you that come to have some inlightenings to shew you the evil of sin and you be about that work of getting pardon Oh you had need intend it and work mightily and strongly indeed for know this you are about the greatest business the greatest work that ever Creature was about in the world there is no creature in all the world was ever about so great a work as thou art about when thou art about the getting pardon of sin thou hadst need mind it and follow it and not have thy heart taken up about other things for it is the great work of the Lord that infinitely concerns thee Oh that men and women had cleer apprehensions about the sweetness of this work 't is true Gods mercie is above all our sins and he is readie to pardon and to forgive but the Lord will have his Creatures know that it is the greatest work that ever he did yea and take altogether Justification of a sinner is as great a work as ever God did the means that tend to it and the work of a soul about procuring pardon is the greatest work that ever soul was about so you must understand it and you cannot but understand it if you understand what hath been delivered This is the Third Use CHAP. LV. Use 4. If there be so much evil in sin this justifie the
thou art deceived the refore return return Oh Shulamite return return Oh that the Truths delivered in this Point might be as that sudden amazing â—igh that came to Saul when he was going oâ— iâ— courses of Sin Acts 9. there was an amazing Light came and stopt Saul in his course Oh that God would cause the light of these glorious Truths delivered concerning this Argument to be as an amazing light to thy soul to stop you in the waies of Sin Object Oh but you will say We cannot stop you put that upon our power that God must do Answ 1 First For that act I have told you what power God gives though you have none of your own God gives power for the bare outward act and do not say you cannot do this you know what convincements you have had of that therefore say no more you cannot And though you cannot yet God useth to convey power through the Word while God calls upon Sinners to stop and mend Gods way is then to convey power But in the mean time though there be no saving work of grace come in yet thus much by an ordinarie and common work of Gods Spirit may be done God may cause a Sinner to resolve whatsoever come of it that way of sin I dwelt in I will never meddle withal and so there may be a sequestration of the heart from sin though not a full possession of Gods Spirit come into the soul As thus It is many times with God and the Sinner as with man and man A man in debt and not able to pay an Arâ—est comes on his Goods and there is a Sequestration of the Goods but so as they are to lie in other mens hands so as though they be not quite take â—…way from the Debtor yet they be out of his power he can have no use of theÌ„ for the present til the debt is paid but whosoever wil come pay the debt he shal have the goods So w th the heart when the siner comes to venture on Christ for pardon of sin the sinner seeth I cannot over-rule my self sanctifie my heart overcome my lusts however God sequesters the heart for the present so far from them that I will not go on in these waies again I will not follow that Company again there is a forbearance of those acts of Sin that though the heart could not sanctifie it self yet it lies thus before the Lord Oh Lord do thou pardon do thou come in and Oh let Christ pay the debt for my Sin and let him take possession of my heart but in the mean time Satan shall not use it as before and the waies of Sin those gross waies I will forbear though I die for it I will rather sit still all my daies and never stir off my seat than go to such wicked Companie and I will rather never open my mouth again than swear and speak so filthilie but Oh Lord do thou discharge my soul and take it to thy self and then comes in a sanctifying work of God to sanctifie the soul and save it But Oh! that I might prevail thus far That there might be but a Sequestration of the Soul from sin this day though Sanctification come not in though the holy Ghost come not to rule in thy Soul yet that there might be a Sequestration that the heart might come and lie down and say Lord come thou in and take Possession but for those delights and contents I took in sin before I am resolved though I perish for ever I will not go on in them hereafter Here would be a good stop in the waies of sin for a man that goes in a dangerous way he must make a stop before he turns and consider Oh Lord where am I and whether am I a going and is this my way and then he turns Now this I endeavor if possible to make a stop in sinful waies that you might consider Oh Lord where am I what am I a doing what will become of me Oh! that you might go away with such thoughts in your bosoms And then followes the next CHAP. LXI Use 10 11. If there be so much Evil in Sin than turn to Christ and bless God for Christ Use X. TO labor to drive your hearts to Christ Oh then flie to Christ Here you have revealed to you that which one would think would terrifie the hearts of men and women and make them flie to Christ One would think that revealed concerning the Evil of Sin should make heaven ring with cries to God for Christ Oh! none but Christ none but Christ what would become of all your souls if it were not for Jesus Christ were it not for that glorious Mediator sent to be a Propisiation for sin and to make an Attonement to the Father for Sin Christ is set up as that Brasen Serpent that al those stung in Conscience with the venom and poison of sin might look up to the Brasen Serpent and be saved Is there anie soul that by all I have said of the Evil of Sin finds it self stung with the poison of Sin Know Christ is that Brasen Serpent that is set up for thee to look upon If thou find Sin as the avenger of blood pursue thee Oh now run to Christ If thy heart burn and scorch in the apprehensions of sin as the Hart brays after the water brooks so let thy heart bray after Christ there are cooling and refreshing waters then indeed shal that I have delivered be useful for the souls of poor creatures When the Soul hath been before the Lord crying mightilie to heaven for pardon and part in Jesus Christ if so be after I have Preached all these Sermons if God shall hear of Souls getting alone in their closets and crying out Oh Lord I never understood what the meaning of Sin was Oh what a wretched creature have I been all my daies now Lord except thou have mercie in thy Son in the mediation of Jesus Christ through his blood his heart blood that was shed for sinners I am a lost and undone Creature for ever Oh Lord that wch is done can never be undone Oh Lord let me find favor in thy Son here I am do with me whatsoever thou please onlie a pardon a pardon in Jesus Christ to deliver me from the guilt and uncleaness of my sin Yea now will God say here is somewhat done when sinners cries come up to heaven what hath been doing in this Congregation what is the matter you come crying for Christ heretofore your hearts were never stirred after Christ what is the matter why stir you so who hath told you anie thing As God said to Adam when God called and he hid himself when he comes out he saith I was afraid because I was naked saith God Who told you that you were naked So when poor souls cry to heaven for Christ God may say to the poor soul Why what is the matter who hath told thee any thing As
and lay the burden of it upon your spirits then to let you sink under the burden of it for God to behold you sweltring under the burden of it without pittie and compassion and your own Conscience will be readie to tell you so yea now the weight of Sin is upon me but is forced whether I will or no now God may justlie let it lie This is a sad and a sinking thought and if anie thing let sin lie upon the soul that it shall never be purged it will be this When the Spirit would have brought Sin in the weight of it upon my Conscience I put it off and now God puts it upon me and therefore it troubles me thus Therefore be willing to be humbled and know if you be willing Jesus Christ is appointed for that end to raise you up and there is as much power in the Gospel to raise your heart as there is in sin to press down your heart if you be rightlie burdened with it CHAP. LX. Use 9 If there be so much evil in sin this should be a loud cry to stop men and turn them from sin Use IX ANother Use is this If there be so much evil in Sin Then the consideration and meditation of all that hath been said should be a mighty cry unto all to turn back and stop in the waies of sin Oh thou Sinner whosoever thou art in whatsoever place of the Congregation thou art God hath brought thee by his providence to hear or reade these Sermons concerning the evil of Sin know that all these Sermons that have been preached unto thee they be all but as one loud loud crie to thy soul stop stop Oh Sinner in thy sinful courses stop here turn turn Oh Sinner out of thy sinful waies turn turn why wilt thou die why wilt thou die Oh wretched sinful soul thou art lost cursed undone and wilt perish eternally in that way thou art in turn turn while thou hast time God cries his Word cries his Ministers cries Conscience cries all those that have known what the evil of sin means cry to thee unless thou wilt destroy thy self undo thy self eternallie stop in that way for it is a dangerous desperate way thou goest in the verie road way to the Chambers of eternal Death As ever thou wouldest be willing God shall hear thy crie upon thy sick bed in the anguish of thy soul thou wilt then crie now Lord have mercie upon a poor wretched sinful soul Thou wouldest be glad I say that the Lord should hear thy crie upon thy sick bed and death bed Now then as ever you would have God hear your crie when you are in the greatest anguish of your souls upon your sick bed and see death before you be willing to hear the crie of God to your souls at this present and know if you do not hear the crie of God that cries to you to stop you in sinful waies then these verie words I have spoken to you at this present may come in your mind when you crie for mercie and then you may think Oh wretch now I crie to God for mercy but do I not remember such a time was there not a loud crie in my Ears and Conscience as from God that I should stop in my sinful waies and courses and was not I then charged as in the Name of God and as ever I expected God should hear my crie in such a time that I should hear his voyce Oh it will be dreadful for you to hear such a voyce as this Because you would not hear me therfore I will not hear you Therfore behold I crie again in the Name of God stop stop turn thee Oh sinful soul alas whether art thou going from God from Comfort from Life from Happiness from all good whatsoever thou art going I call Heaven and Earth to record that these things that I have delivered to you concerning the evil of sin are the Truths of God and have been the Truths of God And certainlie what I have delivered and you read concerning the evil of sin it will come and rise up one day against everie sinful man and woman that doth go on in anie known way of Sin and it will prove as scalding lead in thy Conscience Everie Truth thou hast heard and everie Chapter thou hast read concerning the evil of Sin I say if yet thou goest on in any one known way of Sin it will one day be as scalding lead in thy Conscience the dropping of scalding lead in the eyes of a man will not be more terrible to him than the droppings in of these Truths will be in thy Conscience another day Now it will be a sad thing my Brethren if God should send me amongst you by his Providence onlie to aggravate anie of your Condemnations God forbid there should be this Errent sent amongst you that anie of his Messengers should be sent for this end to aggravate your condemnation this is that which is the prayers of my soul that this may not be the Errent I am sent for if possible not to seal the condemnation of anie one soul But this I know except there be great reformation among manie certainlie the verie Errand God intended in the conclusion though I do not say that is the primarie and first end but it is that which will prove so in the conclusion through the stubbornness of the hearts of sinners that will prove the Aggravation of their condemnation Wherefore yet let me labor with your souls who knows whether anie of you shall hear me preach anie one Sermon more whether ever God will call after you any more to stop or turn in the waies of Sin whether ever you shall hear the Word more Perhaps God will sear your conscience and say to him that is filthie let him be filthie God now speaks to you and cries after you if you harden your hearts now it is more than Angels or men know whether ever you will have one crie more Therefore let me abide here tell me Oh Sinner what is it thou gettest in waies of sin that thou wilt dwel here what is it the world hath to draw thy heart from the strength of all these Truths delivered in these Sermons Sure it must be some mightie thing when such Truths as these backed with Arguments from Scripture strength of Reason as all these be cannot restrain thee Sure it must be some wonderful thing that must over ballance all these Sermons and all these things what hast thou such a heart that is set upon any sinful way anie secret hant of Sin that thou findest such good in it that by it all these Truths are over ballanced Certainlie there is no such good in the world if all Creatures in the world should joyn together to give some comfort to ballance these Truths delivered concerning the evil of sin all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth could not give such things as would ballance it Therefore certainlie
possessed by the Devil 379 Chap. 49 The Sixt Corollary Sin brings to wicked men the same Portion the Devils have 383 Chap. 50 Use 1. Shew that trouble of Conscience for sin is another manner of business than melancholly or â—…merousness 385 Chap. 51 The former Vse further prosecuted First Against those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience which ariseth either from gross Ignorance or Atheism or desperate slighting of God Secondly Trouble of Conscience is the beginning of eternal death Thirdly Those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience can never prise Christ Fourthly Those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience now shall one day alter their opinion Fifthly It were just with God to let those sinkunder the burden of Conscience that have slight thoughts of it now Sixtly Those that have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience those very thoughts do take away a chief restraint from sin Seventhly Slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience for sin are 1 A high degree of Blasphemy 2 And a degree towards the unpardonable sin 394 Chap. 52 Six Differences between Melancholly and Trouble of Conscience Diff. 1 Melancholly may be in those that are most grosly ignorant but trouble of Conscience cometh with some enlightening work Diff. 2. Melancholly prevails on men by degrees but trouble of Conscience many times comes suddenly as lightening Diff. 3 Melancholly trouble is exceeding confused but troubles of Conscience are more distinct Diff. 4. The more Melancholly any hath the less able are they to bear outward affliction but the more trouble of Conscience the more able to bear outward afflictions Diff. 5. Melancholly puts a dulness upon the spirits of men but trouble of Conscience for sin puts a mighty activity upon mens spirits Diff. 6. Trouble of Conscience cannot be cured the waies melancholly may 414 Chap. 53 A Second VSE from the whol Treatise shewing that a man may be in a most miserable condition though he be delivered from outward affliction First If a man be prosperous by sin if a man raise himself to a prosperous condition by any sinful way let such men consider three things 1 What is got by sin it cost dear 2 What is got by sin is accursed to thee 3 What is got by sin must he cast away or thy soul is cast away Secondly When men come to be more sinful by their prosperity explained in three Particulars 1 When prosperity is fuel for their sin 2 When it gives men further liberty to sin 3 When it hardens in sin 425 CHAP. LIV. Use 3. If there be so much Evil in sin then it 's a mighty mercy to get the pardon of sin 445 CHAP. LV. Use 4. If there be so much Evil in sin this justifie the strictness and care of Gods People against sin Two Directions to those that make conscience of smal sins First Be even in your waies strict against all sin Secondly Be very yeilding in all Lawful things 448 CHAP. LVI Use 5. If there be so much Evil in Sin hence then is justified the dreadful things spoken in the Word against sinners 455 CHAP. LVII Use 6. If there be so much Evil in sin it shew the miserable condition of those whose hearts and lives are filled with sin 458 CHAP. LVIII Use 7. If there be so much Evil in sin how dreadful a thing it is for men or women to delight in sin 462 CHAP. LIX Use 8. If there be so much Evil in sin then every soul is to be humbled for sin 471 CHAP. LX. Use 9. If there be so much Evil in sin this should be a loud cry to stop men and turn them from sin 476 CHAP. LXI Use 10 11. If there be so much Evil in sin then turn to Christ and bless God for Christ 482 CHAP. LXII Use 12. If there be so much Evil in sin then it is of great concernment to be Religious betimes and thereby prevent much sin 488 CHAP. LXIII Use 13. If there be so much Evil in sin then it 's a fearful thing for any to be instrumental to draw others to sin 491 CHAP. LXIV Use 14. If there be so much Evil in sin then there ought to be no pleading for sin 500 CHAP. LXV Use 15. If there be so much Evil in sin then of all JVDGMENTS spiritual Judgments are the greatest 502 CHAP. LXVI Use 16. If there be more Evil in sin than in affliction then when sin and affliction meet they make a man most miserable 504 CHAP. LXVII Use 17. Being of Reprehension to six sorts of People First It reprehends those that are more afraid of Affliction than Sin Secondly It reprehendeth those that are careful to keep themselves from sin but it 's meerly for fear of affliction For 1 This may be without change of Nature 2 Thy obedience is forced 3 Thou art not unbottomed from thy self 4 Thou art not like to hold out Also two Answers to an Objection of those that think they avoid sin for fear of Hell 1. Thy Sensitive part may be most stirr'd up by fear but yet thy Rational part may be most carried against sin as sin 2. Those that avoid sin meerly for fear never come to love the Command that forbid the sin 3. They are willingly ignorant of many sins 4. Those that avoid sin and not out of fear even when they fear God will destroy them then they desire God may be glorified 5. Those that avoid sin out of fear do not see the excellency of Godliness so as to be inamored with it Thirdly It reprehends those that will sin to avoid affliction Fourthly It rebukes such as when they are under affliction they be more sensible of affliction than of sin Also there is five Discoveries whether mens affliction or sin trouble them Fifthly It reprehends those that get out of affliction by sinful courses and yet think they do well Sixthly It reprehends those that after deliverance from affliction can bless themselves in their sins 517 THE EVIL of EVILS OR The Exceeding Sinfulness OF SIN JOB 36. 21. later part For this hast thou Chosen rather than Affliction CHAP. I. That it 's a very evil Choice to choose Sin rather than Affliction IN these words is drawn up Elihues false Charge against holy Job wherin he did shamefully scan dalize this man of God concerning whom the Lord himsel gives in this Letter testimonial That he was perfect and upright one that seâ—eâ— God aâ— schewed Evil Job 1. 1. And yet Elihue speaks here to this effect against him That he chose Iniquity rather than Affliction that he should see less Evil in Sin then he did in Affliction that for his Affliction he was troubled but for his Sin he was not Afflicted that the burthen of his Affliction lay heavy as a talent of â—ead upon him but his Sin was lighter than a Feather Or thus Thou hast Chosen Iniquity rather than Affliction whereas God requires of thee to give him glory in thy humble
other thing It is not so with Affliction Affliction is from God and by God and for God and is not contrary unto God because it is from Himself 2 Sin is so opposite to God that if it were possible that the least drop of it could get into Gods Nature God would instantly cease to be a God He could not continue one moment to be a God any longer such evil there is in sin If there should be such a Poyson that if one drop of it should come into the Ocean all the whol Ocean would be at an instant poysoned yea all destroyed and anihilated in one instant you would say that were a very fearful Poyson If a drop of Poyson should be so poysonful that if one drop of it got into Heaven that then presently the Sun Moon and Stars would fal down and be anihilated you would say this were a venemous Poyson Certainly if but one drop of sin should get into God the infinite Being of God would instantly cease to be The Sea though vast is not infinite the Heaven though vast is not infinite the infinite God would have no Being at all if sin should get into God therefore it is very evil Therfore also we ought to have holy thoughts of God seeing sin is so infinitely contrary to his Nature 3. So opposit is sin to God that if God should be but the cause of any sin in any other He would instantly Cease to be a God It strikes at the very life of God He would cease to be God he could be God no longer if he should be the Cause of any sin in any other We had need take heed therefore how we father sin upon God that he should be the cause of sin for such is the evil of sin that God must cease to be if he should be but any cause to give any efficacy to sin in us Indeed for Afflictions God will own that he saith in Amos 3. 6. Is there any evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it and in Mich. 〈◊〉 3. it is said there that God deviseth evil If there be no evil in the City but God doth it yea saith the Prophet God deviseth evil there is no evil of punishment but God deviseth it God will be content to own it to be the Author of all the torments of the damned in hel God will own God will say I have done it and I am the Author of al the torments of al the damned in hel but such is the evil of sin if God were the Author of that He could not be God any longer but would cease to be God 4. Such is the evil of sin that if God should but approve of it and like it if he should but like it when another have commited it even that would cause him to cease to be God Wicked men be ready to think because God is patient and long suffering that God is of the same judgment with themselves Psal 50. 21. Because I held my Peace thou thoughst that I was altogether such an one as thyself but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes it is the just temper and frame of wicked and ungodly men to this day because God holds his peace and comes not upon them to revenge sin presently they be ready to think that God approves sin and is of their judgment Indeed saith a wicked man many Ministers cry out of sin that it is very grievous but I hope God wil give liberty to my wayes and walkings sure God is not against them he approves of them otherwise why should God suffer me in them and be so patient towards me in them Oh! know when thou hast any such thought of God as this thou blasphemest God If that were true that thou thinkest That God did approve of thy wicked wayes God must cease to be God God would be God no longer Quest Why How doth this appear Answ This is the Reason of it Because then God were not infinitely holy and holiness is Gods Being and if God be not infinitely holy he is not God at all but ceaseth to be presently Which is impossible and blasphemous to think 5. Such is the evil of sin so opposite to Gods Nature that if God did not hate sin as much as he doth he would cease to be a God not only if he did allow of it and like of it for he may permit it in his Creature and not like of it But I say If God did not hate sin so much as he doth hate it if it could be conceived that God could but hate sin somwhat less than he doth I say he would instantly cease to be a God he could not remain to be God one moment if he did cease to hate sin in any degree less than he doth Quest Why How doth this appear Answ Thus If God cease to hate sin I do not speak of the manifesting of his hatred but that which is his nature that is proportionable to hatred as we say if God did not hate it so much as he doth then he did not hate sin infinitely for there cannot be any infinite and less than infinite stand together these two cannot ever stand that it should be infinite and less then so and remain infinite if it be infinite it remains so if there should be a degree under that it must be finite Now if Gods hatred to sin were less than it is it would be but a finite hatred and if it were a finite hatred then God could not be infinitely holy for infinite holiness must needs have infinite hatred against sin I beseech you observe this for you are ready to think Though God be against sin and hate it yet I hope God hates it not so much as many Ministers make of it tush God is not so much against sin as they speak of though its true when we do a miss we must cry God mercy and pray God to forgive us yet to make so much of sin as they do and that God sets himself so much against it as they say this is but their opinion and he hopeth God doth not hate it so much as they say Oh! Brethren take heed of this opinion for if God should hate sin less then he doth he should cease to be either he must hate sin with infinite hatred or he ceaseth to be God So evil and opposite is sin to Gods Nature And if these things be true there is a great deal of evil in sin If there be nothing so opposite to God as Sin and if but the least drop of sin should get into God it would make God cease to be God and if he should be but the cause of any sin in his Creature he would cease to be God and if he should but like it in his Creature he would cease to be God and if he should but hate it less then he doth he could not be God but al this is true Then we
any other That God will visit the sins of them that hate him those that sin against the Second Commandement seem to honor God and to love God more than any other they be not only content to worship God in that ordinary way others do but in a more glorious and pompeous way well it may be the breaker of the second Commandement pretends more love to God than any and yet there God saith they be those that hate him so that you see God doth not reek on Sin according to mans intentions Certainly the worshippers of Images do not intend to hate God but God accounts of Sin what it is in its own nature it is as if God should say If you wil not worship me according to my way of worship will not be content with that but will set up a new devised worship of your own do you call it what you will I account it hatred of me Secondly Sin is Rebellion What man in the world will be convinced that he doth any thing in way of Rebellion against God and yet mark God chargeth Sin with Rebellion even in that which they pretend they do all for Gods glory See in that Example of Saul 1 Sam. 15. you shall find there when Saul did but spare â—gag and the fat of the Cattel and pretends to offer Sacrifice to God Samuel comes to him in the name of God and saith he Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft Why might Saul say Lord have mercy upon me is this such rebellion I did it for the honor of God I did it to sacrifice to God and yet the Prophet of God in Gods Name chargeth Saul with rebellion Now Brethren Sin you see hath that in its own Nature that is not intended by men in their sinning Therfore while I speak of the Nature of sin some may say Indeed this my be true of sinful wicked notorious wretches but is this true of me Yea it may be true of the most civil man or woman in Gods presence this day God may charge them with hatred and rebellion Thirdly Sin is a dispising of God Who would acknowledg in the way of sin they despise God Scarce any in the world is so wicked as to acknowledg they despise God And yet mark God chargeth David with this for the commission of that one sin see the 2 Sam. 12. 9. David did despise God Well if hatred and rebellion and despising of God though neither of them all be in the intention of the man in committing of them yet God seeth it in the Nature of them So then if sin be a despising of God rebellion against God walking contrary and enmity c. if there be all this in sin though in every sin the Creature intend not this but God seeth this in the root of every sin in the venom of every sin Therefore then you that have gone on in the course of sin lay but this second thing to heart That you are those who have walked in the course of your lives in an opposition against the infinite dreadful God of all the World against the infinite God this hath been the course of your life Truly Brethren it is enough this that I speak of to pluck down the stoutest heart the wickedest and wretchedest hard heart in the world for a Minister of God to come and charge them in Gods Name Thou hast gone on in all thy life hitherto ever since thou wast born in a continual opposition to God Himself unto the infinite Lord the Eternal first being of all the World thy life hath been nothing but enmity to this God thou hast as directly opposed and striven against and resisted Him as ever man did oppose and resist and strive with another man and this thou hast done in the whol course of thy life Certainly there is more in this to humble a man than any thing that can be spoken to shew him the evil of sin When Christ would humble Sauls heart what doth he do he comes and saith Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me Alas thou thinkest thou hast to deal with these poor Creatures who are not able to right themselves but be it known to thee thou hast to deal with Me the ever living Eternal God Why persecutest thou Me Who art thou Lord as if he had said Lord I did not think I had to deal with thee who art thou Lord I am He whom thou persecutest He said no more but as if should have said thus Look upon me I am that great and glorious God that hath thee at an advantage and can tread thee under My feet presently Saul fals down the text saith trembling and astonished and saith Lord what wilt thou have me to do Oh that it might be so this day that some heart might fall down trembling and astonished and when you get alone and think on what hath been declared say Lord in the waies of sin have opposed resisted and been an Enemy to thee Oh Lord never thought it Oh now Lord forgive It is time it is time Brethren to cease resisting of God and walking contrary to God for he is above you and wil have the Victory and the glory over all Creatures Oh perhaps thou hast been an old Enemy an old Sinner that all thy daies hast walked on in a course of sin yea perhaps thy Father hath been an Enemy thou his Enemy and thy Father his Enemy an old Adulterer a Swearer a wicked opposite to God and perhaps thou nourishest up Children to be Enemies to God thou nourishest and breedest up a company of Brats to be Enemies to God thou breedest them in the waies of sin and wickedness and so there is a generation of Enemies against God Oh Brethren that God would but stir your hearts and make you fal down before Him and see your selves guilty of so great an enmity Many be ready to excuse themselves and others thus He is no bodies Enemy but his own a good natured man and I am no bodies Enemy but my own Yes besides thy own thou art an Enemy to the Eternal God and thy waies hath been a way quite contrary to the Eternal God and this thou art guilty of and the Lord chargeth thee with it this day I remember when Daniel comes to Belshezzar he comes to him and thinks he hath enough to humble that proud King Belshezzar when he saith thus to him That God in whose hands the breath of thy Nostrils and al thy waies are that God thou hast not glorified And it hath a mighty deal of power to bring down the proudest and stoutest spirit upon the Earth when God shall give commission to conscience to come and charge him and say Oh thou wicked wretch remember that that God in whose hands all thy waies and the Breath of thy Nostrils are that God thou hast not glorified and suppose Conscience hath commission to come thus and say That God in whose hands the breath of thy nostrils and all thy
knowest better to provide for thy self than in that way God hath set thee how doest thou cast folly on the waies of God and settest thy shallow way and heart of thine before Gods as if thou couldest provide for thy self and thy own good more wisely than God hath set thee in a way to do The Word of God and that revealed in the light of Nature is nothing else but several beams of the infinite Wisdom of God for the guiding of manking unto happiness and glory the light of Nature helps somwhat though it reach not far enough yet I say the light of Nature is made up of several beams of Gods Wisdom but the light of the Word is made up of beams of Wisdom a great deal more bright than the beams of Nature now any Sinner that forsakes the waies of God rejects these beams of Wisdom as if they were dark and doth as if he should say I know how better to provide by this way Hence carnal men account the waies of God foolishness and preaching of the Word foolishness and the usual title that they give to those that walk more strict than others is this What fools they are nothing but a company of fools that keep such a stir And it is an ordinary thing in the world for carnal hearts to cast folly upon the waies of God and for themselves they can sit at home and applaud themselves in their Wisdom as if they go in a neerer way than others and why should they be such fools as others And it is usual for Parents that be carnal to come to their Children and cast folly upon them when they look after the waies of God some do it openly but every sin doth cast folly upon God and his blessed way and in every sin thou settest thy wisdom above Gods Wisdom Fourthly In Sin thou doest cast dirt on the Holiness of God Holiness is the brightness of of Gods glory and in the waies of Sin thou castest dirt upon the face of Holiness it self Gods Nature is pure thy Sin is filthy and vile and contrary to him and doth what it can to darken the brightness of the infinite Holiness of God Fifthly Thou wrongest God in this That thou settest up thy Will above the Will of God Gods Will is to be the rule of all the actions and waies of the Creature but thou comest and settest up thy Will above Gods there is this hidious wickedness in every sin at least in every wilful Sin when it comes into the will then the will of man is set up above the will of the infinite and glorious God do not you account your selves wronged when you will have your will and a poor boy saith he will have it otherwise do not you account your selves wronged when he dares set his will before yours Oh consider this you that are wilful you cannot bear to have your will crost to have an inferior or a Child set their will against yours you are not able to bear it Oh consider what you do when you set your will against the will of the infinite God nay above it in two regards 1 Because when Gods will is one way and yours another you will rather have yours than God shall have his 2 Though God doth onlie will that which is right and good and is content to have his will satisfied in nothing but in things good you will have yours right or wrong good or bad God will have his in onlie that which is righteous and good if you were set upon your will in that which were good it were another matter but in that you will have your will right or wrong good or bad as come to men in their passion and reason with them why this is not wel yet say they I wil and this carries it what a proud Spirit is this that dares set up his will against Gods will good or bad right or wrong I must have it and this is in sin Sixthly Sin wrongs God in the Dominion and Power and Soveraigntie of God which with men is a verie tender thing where there is Sovereigntie there cannot be endured the least wrong Men be mightie tender of Power and Sovereigntie sure if they be so God may much more be tender of his which is as the apple of his eye Let me suggest one Consideration to you which should make anie mans heart to bleed to consider how God is wronged in the world and that is this You shall have poor men and servants that dare not do anie thing to displease those that have power over them if but a Master or Landlord or Justice of the Peace especially if it come higher Oh how they shake and tremble if they be displeased and if anie thing go against their mind they dare not do it but there is not the basest fellow the vilest wretch that lives the poorest worm but he dares venture to sin against God blaspheme the Name of God shakes at the word of a man of power or a man but a little above him but he dares fill his mouth with Oaths even in the face of God himself there he hath courage and valor and he scorns to be afraid what to fear an Oath he hath too brave a Spirit to be afraid of that Oh horrible wrong to the infinite God! What is anie Superioritie in man so great that men dare not offend them and yet the poorest Spirit that is dares wrong and blaspheme the Name of God Seventhly There is a wrong to God in his Justice Sin wrongs God in his infinite Justice 1 In that it is not afraid of God God expects all Creatures should fear him because of his Justice 2 Thou doest wrong to his Justice in that by waies of Sin thou doest as much as in thee lies even accuse the waies of God for unjust-waies and not equal but that your waies be more just and equal than Gods Therefore God in Scripture reasons the Case with his People What are not my waies equal are not your waies unequal Ezek. 18. 29. Certainly there is this in sin for if you account not your waies more equal why chuse you them Eightly You wrong God in his Truth As if all Gods threatnings against the waies of Sin you walk in were nothing but a Tale and a Lie as if all the Promises God hath made in his word of grace and mercy to poor Sinners that will come in and repent they were all but a Lie thus Sin wrongs God in his Truth Hence it is that a Sinner is in a woful estate because he hath thus wronged God he hath therefore all the Attributes of God pleading against him yea they are continuallie against thee Therefore look to it till your Sins be done away in Christ and your Souls clensed in him both night and day all the Attributes of God are pleading against thee for to require that wrong you have done to them may be righted upon thee A man is in a sad
condition if he have but divers thousands of men come to plead against him and these cry out for Justice justice upon him but if a man have a whol Kingdom and everie one comes and cries Justice Justice upon this man that hath wronged this Kingdom this man is in a woful estate but I speak of everie Sinner before God if that thy sins be not done away in Christ know it is not a whol Kingdom speaks against thee but all the divine Attributes al the Attributes of God be continuallie before the Lord crying out against thee Justice against this sin he hath wronged me saith one and me saith another and me saith another and thus and thus and thus and therefore thou art in an evil condition and it is much that thou shouldest sleep quietlie when all Gods Attributes plead against thee it is a hard case when the Devil pleads against a man and but accuse him and plead against him before God but when all the Attributes of God plead against him as I might shew you more at large how woful is his condition Object But you will say though all the other Attributes plead against me yet I hope Mercy will plead for me Answ But that pleads against thee too for thou wrongest his Mercie also Indeed there is no Attribute more wronged by Sinners ordinarily than the Mercy of God is The Mercie of God doest thou think that shall plead for thee That is wronged especiallie Why Because there is no Attribute abused to be an Abettor to Sin more than the Mercie of God is and it s abused and made to harden the hearts of men and women in Sin no Attribute so much abused The Justice of God thou thinkest that pleads against thee but Mercie thou thinkest pleads for thee Justice is not so much wronged by Sin as Mercie is The Justice of God is not made an Abettor of Sin Now that is the greatest wrong that can be for Gods Mercie to be made a means to abet Sin and to harden mens hearts in Sin It is a great wrong to make use of any Creature to be serviceable to our Sin if a man make Meat or Drink or Cloathes or anie Creature serviceable to his Lust it is a wrong to that Creature and to God the Creator of that Creature that thou makest serviceable to thy lust but if it be a wrong to the Creature what is it to make the Mercie of God serviceable to your lusts and who is there almost but makes the mercy of God in some degree or other Serviceable to his lusts It is a horrible thing thus to abuse mercie how doest thou think the mercie of God should plead for thee when thou doest it such infinite wrong when thou venturest upon sin because God is a merciful God Thus you wrong the Attributes of God by sin CHAP. XII How sin wrongs God in his personal Relations 1 The Father 2 The Son 3 The Spirit SEcondly Now for the Personal Relations of God Father Son and holy Ghost how they be wronged in way of sin First God the Father Consider of these in those operations most proper and especially attributed to them As now that attributed to the Father is the work of Creation now thou wrongest God the Father in this especial operation In that thou abusest the gifts God hath given thee that Body and Soul God hath made thou abusest it to Gods dishonor abusest his Creatures takest Gods own Creatures and abusest them to his dishonor yea thy own Members that God made thee to honor him withal thou takest them and with his own weapons fightest against himself not only fightest against him but with his own weapons faculties and gifts he hath given thee thou fightest against him Thus thou wrongest God the Father in his work of Creation Secondly Thou wrongest Christ in the Work of Redemption 1 Because the least sin thou committest if ever it be pardoned it is that which stab'd Jesus Christ to the very heart I say thy sin was that which pierced Christ and brought forth blood and water from him it was that which whipt Christ it was that which put Christ to death that shed the blood of Christ that crucified Christ I may say to every sinner that expects to be saved by Christ as Peter in the 2. Acts said to those Jews Whom you have crucified and the text saith that then they were pricked to their hearts Certain it is thou sinner man or woman whosoever thou art that dost expect to have part in the blood of Christ Thy sin crucified Christ made Christ cry out upon the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me What dost thou think of thy sins now And if thou be such an one as hath never been affected with the Blood of Christ that was shed for thy sins then thou wrongest the Blood of Christ more for then thou dost trample the Blood of the everlasting Covenant under thy feet and accountest it a common thing Most men and women be such that live under the light of the Gospel that like Swine trample the very blood of Christ under their feet and make nothing of the Blood of Christ go to the Sacrament hand over head unpreparedly and so come to be guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ Certainly these be not strains of wit above the truth and reality of things there is a reality in it that thy soul is charged from God this day of wronging Christ the second Person Thirdly Thou wrongest the Spirit of God in defacing of the work of Sanctification what in thee lies in opposing the work of Gods Spirit in thy soul in resisting the motions of Gods Spirit Who is there but is guilty of resisting the motions of the Holy Ghost Who is there but at some time or other when they have been at the Word but they have had some stirrings of the Spirit of God within them when they have heard such and such truths of God But they have gone to company and laughed it away drunk and played it away talked it away What a wrong is this to the Holy Ghost thou wrongest the Holy Ghost by defiling thy Body which should be the Temple of the Holy Ghost CHAP. XIII Sin wrong the Counsels of God in setting that Order in the World that he hath set THirdly Thou wrongest the Counsels of God in setting that order in the world which he hath set To understand it know this God in his Eternal Counsel hath set a due order in all his Creatures they walk in an orderly way to fetch about that end that he himself did intend As a Workman that makes a curious work puts everie wheel and piece in a right frame and due order that so by that order his Art hath placed in the work the work may attain unto that end he made it for So God hath done he hath made all things by weight and measure in due order God made all things good very good and
sight of sin against God Oh what have I done against God what hath my life been against that infinite glorious eternal first-Being of all things When the soul comes to see that effectually then it falls down and falls down low too Certainly Brethren the heart is never humbled throughly till it come to feel the burden of sin to be heaviest there where it is heaviest mark I say till the heart feel the burden of sin to be heaviest where it is heaviest it is not brought low enough but the burden of sin it is heaviest as it is against God rather than as it is against the good of the Creature that though it be a wonderful burden yea if God put not under his hand an intollerable burden if the Conscience only apprehend sin as against the good of the Creature but the apprehension of sin as against God is a great deal more it doth shew the burden of sin and make the burden of sin to be far more weighty than the other can possibly be 2 The Apprehensions of sin any other way but this it doth not so sanctifie the Name of God as this doth When the soul shall be cast down before the Lord for sin as it is against himself as it is against his glory as it hath wronged him I say that this doth sanctifie the Name of God a great deal more than any other humiliation doth for other humiliation other trouble for sin for I will rather call it trouble for sin than humiliation if this be not in it there may appear in it much self-love and a forced perplexitie of spirit But now the Name of God is not sanctified so as when the heart shall fall down and be humbled because that God hath been wronged his Attributes wronged because he hath been opposed in his glory Now this humiliation doth especially lift up the Name of God and sanctifie the Name of God 3 Take any other humiliation and it is not such an abiding humiliation as this is this humiliation for sin will more abide upon the Spirit than any other doth many are troubled for sin have a great deal of horror and perplexity of Spirit in some fits in some moods at some times but this their trouble is but for a flash and it goes away vanisheth and comes to nothing when trouble is only from the apprehension of danger and miserie in it felf I say it usually vanisheth and comes to nothing why Because when there comes but any thing to make you to think that this danger may be in any degree over or that things are not so bad as I was afraid now the trouble presently vanisheth upon that In times of sickness the soul apprehends it self in danger of perishing I am now going I see my self at the brink of the Pit now the soul is troubled for sin but when the danger appeareth to be a little over the trouble for sin ceaseth But when the soul is troubled for sin as against God this trouble cannot but abide though afflictions be gone yet my trouble abide What 's the reason many people upon their sick beds be so troubled for sin as they think and cry out Oh! if God ever restore them they will never do as they have done and yet as soon as they are well they fall to their sin again here is the reason Because only their danger troubled them But now let the soul be kindly humbled for sin as against God Oh I have wronged God that infinite Deitie that infinite glorious First Being of all things let such an one be in sickness or in health whatsoever condition such an one is in the trouble abides upon the spirit yea Brethren it abides upon the spirit even then when the soul hath hope sin shal be pardoned yea when the soul knows certainly sin shal be pardoned yet will the humiliation abide upon the heart of such a man or woman There 's a great mistake in the world in the matter of trouble for sin they think Repentance or mourning for sin is but one act that if once they have been troubled for sin they need never be troubled any more It is a dangerous mistake for we are to know true sorrow for sin true repentance is a continual act that must abide all our lives and it is not only at that time when we are afraid that God will not pardon our sins when we be afraid we shall be damned for our sins but when we come to hope that God will yea when we come to know that God hath pardoned our sins yet then it will abide only working in another manner and it must needs be so if the heart be humbled for sin thus against God for suppose God come in and graciously tell the soul though thou hast wronged me yet through the Mediation of my Son I will forgive thee will this quiet the soul so as it will be no more troubled and sorrie for sin No. Now the sorrow comes in another way And is this the God I have wronged the gracious merciful God I have wronged that notwithstanding all the wrong I have done him that when he had my soul at an advantage and might justly have sent me down to the nethermost Hell and will he yet pardon though no goodness in me and yet will he have such thoughts of mercy as to send his own Son to make up that wrong and satisfie for the evil I have done Oh now the heart bleed afresh upon this and mourns more than ever it did before Many can say of this that after they have apprehended their sin to be pardoned then their souls have mourned and melted more than ever they did before in the apprehension of horror and fear of Gods wrath and all upon this because they did not see sin to be an evil only as it brings danger of punishment but they did see the evil of sin as against a God as I have wronged God stroke at the infinite glorious first-Being of all things and this will abide upon the heart therefore this is another manner of trouble for sin than the other and because this trouble for sin is so effectual and so good therefore it is that I have endeavored the more to open unto you how sin is against God Therefore when I come to the other to shew how it is against our selves I shal be but brief in that because I know that this is the Principal 4 The trouble for sin if it be apprehended evil any other way but this or if this be not chief cannot be so good because there is no trouble for sin but this that ever will make a devorce between sin and the soul all other trouble will not do it unless this come in And indeed it is to admiration to consider how strong the union between sin and the soul is and how hard to make the devorce that take a man or a woman that apprehends never so much the wrath of God against sin
there was so much wrong done to God and never discovered to man but God sees it all this whilâ—… this will be a great part of the glorie of the day or Judgment If our hearts were eâ—…ed we would begin now to give God the glorie of 〈◊〉 Patience which we shall see at that day CHAP. XIX A Fifth Corollarie Hencesie a way to break your hearts for Sin And also to keep you from Temptation FIfthly A fifth Corallarie Hence is this If Sin be so much against God as you have heard then here you may find a means and way both how to break your hearts for sin and how to keep your selves against temptation for the time to come I put them both together for brevitie This is the strongest way and means I can shew you to break your hearts Would you fain break your hearts for sin Oh saith some what a hard heart have I Many put up papers complaining of the hardness of their hearts and desire the Minister and Congregation to seek God to break their hearts well Would you fain have broken hearts have your hearts troubled in such a manner as you may give glorie to God This is the way There is two waies to humble the heart for sin There is looking upward unto God and seeing whom it is thou hast sinned against And looking downward to thine own miserie and what thou hast deserved by sin Now many altogether pore downward and look nothing but downward to sin and what is the desert and punishment and miserie but their hearts though they be troubled and vexed yet they are not kindly broken as I shewed before but now if you would have your hearts kindly broken for sin for this is one use of Direction that we may get our hearts broken for sin look upwards and behold him whom you have pierced That is behold 1 God in his infinite Glorie and what an infinite blessed Being God is and how worthy of all the honor the Creature can give set this before your Eyes in a fixed and setled way 2 Look upon God in all the relations God hath to you as your Creator from whom you had your being as he that preserves your being everie moment look upon him as your Lord infinitlie above you at whose mercie you wholly lie Thus view God and see him in his glorie and the relations he hath to you and thus by beholding God in such a manner is an especial way to work stronglie upon the heart For hereby I come to see as it were the present evil of Sin the other is but onlie a sight of the evil of Sin to come as when a man or woman looks upon Sin as bringing Hell that is but onlie to look upon that evil of Sin that is to come hereafter But we know that present things do most affect as now any good thing if it be to come it doth not take the heart so much as a present good As when the soul makes the good of the Promises to be present then they affect the soul but if the soul look upon them as to come they do not so much affect So if the evil of Sin be look't upon as bringing Hell and miserie this is looked upon as to come hereafter so that it may be avoided but if I look upon Sin as against God then I look upon Sin as a present evil upon me that flows from the very nature of sin and cannot be avoided and this evil is even now upon me and doth as immediatly flow from the Nature of Sin as light doth from the Sun it self And now looking thus upon Sin is a mightie means to break the heart And then for avoiding sin for the time to come when Temptation come you say it is strong and overcomes me Now would you avoid Sin for the time to come in temptations then do as we reade of Joseph you know how he beat off the strength of the temptation and when he might have done the evil in secret see what prevails with him Oh how shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God not How shal I do this great wickedness and bring danger and miserie upon me but How shall I do this and sin against God So if you can have your Eye upon sin and remember what especial things you have heard of the evil of Sin and when temptations come you can say how shall I do this and sin against God Oh remember this you Servants that have opportunitie in secret to do evil Josepth was a Servant and yet this kept off that temptation from him when he was a yong man that is the honor of Joseph a yong man and a Servant when the temptation comes Oh this breaks his heart How shall I do this and sin against God So you yong ones and Servants go away with this lesson when any temptations to sin comes think Oh! I have heard in such a Point and out of such a Text how Sin makes against God strikes at him wrongs him How shall I do this and sin against God impossible unreasonable it should be done upon any terms Set but this one Argument against the most powerful temptation and certainlie it wil prevail Psal 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil What! do ye hear how sin is against God strikes at God! that it is evil not onlie against you and indangers you but strikes at God Oh all you that love God hate sin let your hearts be set against sin because so much against God Oh Brethren there be many people do indeed avoid sin but it is upon poor low grounds very low and mean be the grounds of many people upon which they avoid sin There be many Oh they will not do such and such evils they will resist a temptation to such and such a sin why mark the ground according as the grounds of men and women are upon which they do or stay from doing of a thing so judg of your hearts if the grounds be high and raised then their spirits are high and raised if their grounds be but low and mean then their spirits be low and mean As thus many abstain from such and such sins why Oh if I do it it will be known and I shall be made ashamed therfore I will not do it It is good to resist Sin upon any terms but if this be the chief cause it is a poor low base thing and argues a great deal of lowness in the heart to resist sin upon this Oh if I do this I shall be known and incur the displeasure of my Father or Master or such a dear Friend it may incur punishment or it may be I shall be turned out of the Family and such like Arguments I say it is true it is good to bring in all the Arguments we can to oppose sin withal but when these be the chief things when these be the only Grounds that keeps thee from such wickedness that thy heart is set
strike at God and wrong God all that time of thy Natural Estate till God opened thine eyes and awakened thy conscience Oh think now what a deal of wrong have I done to God all my life if I have done nothing else well now God opens thine eyes Oh now thou hadst need to do much for God If God have shewed himself and given hopes of mercie and that he hath pardoned me this will certainly prevail with any heart that God hath turned What! have I done so much against God heretofore Oh I have cause to seek the honor of God upon my hands and feet all my daies that if I can do any thing for God What! I such a vile wretch and yet out of Hell yea and hope to be pardoned Oh any thing I can do for him though to creep upon my hands and feet all my daies in this world to suffer all the hardships in the world shame loss of estate any thing in the world no matter how great and hard the suffering be that God calls for There is infinite Reason I should do and suffer all for God for I have wronged God by sin and thus we shall turn sin to grace as it were and of Poyson make an Antidote against poyson by taking advantage by sin to be more obedient unto God You that have been swearers and wronged God that way now sanctifie Gods Name the other way You that have broken so many Sabbaths now sanctifie Sabbaths true all that you can do cannot make up the wrong but that will shew thy good will that thou wilt do what thou canst and manifest to God and all the world That if thou hadst ten thousand times more strength than thou hast thou couldest lay it out for God and certainly any man or woman that have been great sinners if God have humbled them and pardoned them they wil be great Saints for the time to come Carry this home with you any that have been vile perhaps you think you have grace because you are not so vile as heretofore you have been but certainly if you have grace there will be a proportionableness between the holiness of your lives now and your wicked life before you will take advantage I have wronged God so before now I must live thus and thus It will be so between man and man if one have wronged you and you have pardoned him you expect he should do what he can for you Thus it should be with God and you you have wronged God others have sinned as well as you and others sins have been furthered by you this now should inflame your hearts I have sin enough in my self and I have been the cause of it in thousand thousand sins in others my sins strike against God yea and I have caused others to sin and strike against God now if I could draw some from sin I should think it the happiest thing in the world I would creep upon my hands and knees to draw others from sin to God to be in love with the waies of God and of Religion Oh you that have been forward in sin don't think it enough that now you be troubled for your sins and leave them but know you must do for God now as much as you have done against him he requires it of you Oh go to your friends and acquaintance and kindred and labor to draw them off from sin tell your kindred and friends and acquaintance Oh Brother that you did but know what sin means Oh Sister that you did but understand what it is to sin against God God hath shewed me in some measure yea I that went on in such and such sins Oh I see how I struck at God and what an evil this is Oh that God would enlighten your eyes Come and hear the Word I thought lightly of sin before now I have gone and heard and God hath shewed me what it was Oh that God would make you see And pray for them and take no nay but to them again and again that so you may do somwhat for God as you have done abundance of wrong against God CHAP. XXII The Eight Corollarie If Sin doth so much against God hence see why God manifest such sore displeasure against sin as he doth 1 Against the Angels that sinned 2 Against all Adams Posterity 3 See it in Gods giving the Law against sin 4 See it in Gods punishing sins that are accounted smal 5 See it in Gods destroying all the world for sin 6 See his displeasure in punishing sin eternally EIghtly This is one Consequence follows If sin be so great an evil as you have heard so much against God wrongs God so much as it doth and strikes at God Hence then we see the reason why God manifests such sore displeasure against sin We find Brethren most dreadful manifestations of Gods displeasure against sin and the ground and bottom of them is in these things which you have heard opened unto you And indeed did you understand and beleeve what hath been opened unto you concerning sins opposition of God you could not then wonder at Gods manifestation of his displeasure against sin There are manifold Manifestations of Gods displeasure against sin which when they be spoken of and opened unto people that do not understand the dreadful evil that is in sin they stand and wonder at it and think Oh they be hard and severe things When Ministers reveal the threatnings of God against sin Oh say they God forbid we hope God is more merciful than so and all because they apprehend not what dreadful evil there is in sin That soul that apprehends and beleeves these particulars that have been opened unto you cannot but justifie God when they hear the revelation and the manifestation of the displeasure of God against sin As now in these Particulars That which hath been delivered is the bottom and ground of these that we shall mention and we see the reason of all these As First That dreadful manifestation of the displeasure of God against the Angels that sinned against him there is that revelation of the displeasure of God against the Angels that might cause all our hearts to tremble before the Lord at the very thought and hearing of it I beseech you consider you who think that God is only a God of Mercie and God is not so severe against sin as many Ministers would make him do but attend to what I shall say unto you how God hath manifested his displeasure against sin in the Angels Consider of these five or six Particulars I will but onlie mention them 1 That God should cast so manie glorious Creatures as the Angels are for ever from himself considering the Excellencie of their Nature 2 Consider their Multitude 3 Consider That the Chains of darkness that they be cast into are eternal Miseries 4 Consider That this was but for one sin 5 And consider That this was but the first sin that ever they committed 6 Lastly consider
Man-kind The dreadful giving of the Law His dreadful Judgments for smal sins And examples of his wrath abroad in the world And the eternal torments in Hell Put all these six together and yet I say all these six is not so much to manifest the displeasure of God against sin as this one that now I shall tell you of and if there be any thing in the world that should make us to see the evil of sin it should be this if any thing make our hearts to shake and tremble at the evil of that sin of which it is so much guiltie then this I say that now I speak of should do it and that is this The dealings of God the Father with his Son when Jesus Christ that was the second Person of the Trinity God blessed for ever came to be our Mediator and to have but our sins imputed unto him and according to Scripturs phrase to be made sin Do but then take notice how God deals with him how God manifests himself to his own Son when his own Son did but take mans sin upon him to answer for it do but then consider how God the Father did deal with him The Scripture saith he did not spare his Son but let out the vials of his wrath upon him in a most dreadful manner If we do but consider First that Christ God blessed for ever should come and be in the form of a Servant should be a man of sorrows as the Scripture speaks that in the whol course of his life should live a contemptible life before men and undergo grievous sufferings But because I must hasten do but look upon Christ in his Agony and upon the Cross at his death and there you will see the dreadful displeasure of God against sin and in nothing more than that True there is the bright glass of the Law wherein we may see the evil of sin but there is the red glass of the sufferings of Christ and in that we may see more of the evil of sin than if God should let us down to Hell and if there we should see all the tortures and torments of the damned in Hell see them how they lie sweltring under Gods wrath there it were not so much as beholding sin through the red glass of the sufferings of Jesus Christ and that of his Agony And give me leave a little to shew to you how God let out himself against his Son when he came into the Garden and a little before when he was to die and suffer upon the Cross And for this consider these two things First The several Expressions the holy Ghost useth in the several Evangelists for the setting out of those dreadful things Christ suffered as a fruit of Gods displeasure upon him 1 One Evangelist saith that Christ was very sorrowful even to the death Mat. 26. 38. he began to be the word in the Original signifies compassed about with sorrows to have sorrows round about him and as it were beset and besieged with grief and it was to the very death usque ad mortem sorrowful to the very death What was it for upon the apprehension of the wrath of his Father which he was to endure for the sin of man he was sorrowful to the death in the apprehension of it You it may be upon the sight of sin content your selves with some slight little sorrow You will it may be when you are told of sin cry Lord have mercy upon me I am sorry for it and so pass it away But Christ when God comes to deal with him he makes his soul to be compassed about with sorrows sorrowful to the death for our sins 2 Another Evangelist tels us he began to be amazed Mark 14. 33. that is when Christ came to drink the Cup of the wrath of his Father due for our sins he stood amazed at the sight of the dreadfulness of that Cup he was to drink of because he knew what Gods wrath was he understood what it was before he drunk of it and this made him stand amazed at it Many sinners hear Gods wrath and this makes them fear but they be not amazed at it they can pass it away and they be not affected with it afterward because they understand it not they know not what it is for a Creature to stand before the wrath of an infinite Deity Who knows the power of thy wrath saith the Scripture therfore they be not amazed But Christ that knew full well what the wrath of God was and saw to the bottom of it he understood to the dregs what that Cup was and he stood amazed at the sight of it when he was to drink it 3 Another Evangelist hath this Expression 't is in Luke 22. 44. Christ began to be in an Agony Now the word Agony signifies a strife a combat it is taken from the word that stgnifies a combate in Battel Christ was in an Agony in a Combate Combate with what with whom With the Wrath of God he saw coming out upon him to sink him he saw the Curse of the Law come out upon him he saw the infinite Justice of God of the infinite Deity come out upon him and he was in an Agony in combate with the infinite Justice and wrath of God and the dreadful Curse of the Law and so Christ came to be in an Agony These be the three Expressions of the Evangelists Secondly Consider the Effects of Christs being in an Agony and apprehending the wrath of his Father for sin 1 One Effect was this you shall find it in the story of the Gospel that the text saith he fell grovelling upon the ground upon the apprehension of Gods wrath and displevsure upon him for sin which he was to suffer he fell down grovelling upon the ground When he that upholds the Heavens and the Earth by his Power now falls grovelling upon the Earth having the weight and burden of mans Sin upon him he falls upon his face he falls to the ground Certainly Brethren Christ had that weight and burden upon him that would have prest all the Angels in Heaven and Men in the World down to the bottomless gulf of despair If all the strength of all the men that ever were since the beginning of the world and all the Angels in Heaven were put into one and he had but that weight upon him that Christ had it would have made him sink down into eternal despair for had not Christ been God as well as Man he could never have born it but would have sunk down eternally But the burden and weight was so great that he sinks down to the ground 2 A second effect of Christs bearing the wrath of God for Sin is this He sweat great drops of blood the word in the Original is Clodders of Blood Blood thickned into Clods Never was there such a sweat it was in the Winters night a cold night abroad upon the ground in a cold Winters
time and lop his Tree in its season perhaps about this time of the year and then it will grow up but if he mean to have it die he lops it about Midsummer when the Tree hath sent forth his Sap and then the Tree dies So God when he comes to his Children with afflictions he will come in a seasonable time such a time to lop when lopping may make them more fruitful But when he afflicts wicked men he comes to them as to a Tree at Midsummer when as they be flourishing and then cuts them down and then they perish God regards not the time and season for their good when he comes in a way of a Curse for sin And so for the manner and measure of Affliction When God comes to his Children when sin is pardoned God weighs it out As a skilful Physitian weighs out Physick though that which the Patient takes it may be is Poyson in it self yet the Physitian will be sure there shall not be one dram too much and there shall be enough mixt with it that shal be proportionable to weaken the strength of that poyson that it shall do no hurt but good but now if he give poyson to Vermine he gives it without mixture or weight he never stands weighing for them let them eat and burst themselves he will mix no help there when he gives Poyson to Vermine 't is to destroy them So all Afflictions that come to wicked men when God comes upon them in a way of a Curse for sin God gives it to them as we give Poyson to Vermine to destroy them but the afflictions that come to Saints when Sin is pardoned God gives that which indeed in its own Nature is Poyson but it is so weighed out that there is not one dram too much and so mixed with Ingredients of the mercie and goodness of God as only it works good to them to work out corruption and do them no hurt at all Here 's the difference of afflictions upon those whose sins be pardoned and those who have guilt upon them Hearken to this you that have the guilt of sin when any evil comes to you for ought you know it comes as poyson to Vermine to kil you whereas if your hearts be humbled for sin and sin pardoned if you be under never so much affliction it comes but as from a skilful loving Physitian that weighs out the Physick to do the Patient good This is the Second thing wherein the Curse of affliction consists when it comes for sin 3 The Curse of Afflictions when they come for Sin is in this That all Afflictions that come meerly for sin they are but forerunners of the miseries of Hell it self I say they are the forerunners of the very forments of Hell Let the affliction be never so little in it self yet it is the harbenger and forerunner of those dreadful eternal torments that thou must bear it is but a Messenger from the Lord whatsoever they are What dost thou feel them grievous and tedious for the present some grievous tedious distemper trouble or disease thou hast they are but a tast of that bitter Cup full of wrath and they do but give thee notice of what dreadful things thou art to endure when time shall be no more 4 Nay they are not only forerunners to give notice of what is like to be But they be the very beginnings of the miseries of Hell every evil a wicked man doth suffer he may look upon it but as the beginnings of everlasting torments if he die so if he be not delivered from the guilt of sin and this is that which makes it grievous 't is not so much the pain that lies upon a man for the present as that he by this pain is told what he shall have for ever it is as a summons of him to bear the wrath of God eternally and this is that which is the beginning of that everlasting torment he shall endure Suppose there were one to be executed and he were to die some grievous and fearful death well it may be when the Tormenter comes at first he doth but a litile pain his hand put his wrist to pain tyes his hands and he cryes out of the pain of his wrist Alas what is this Doth he cry for this What is this but a preparation for those dreadful torments that are now about to be executed upon him So all men and women in the guilt of Sin when they have any affliction sickness or trouble I say so long as they be in that estate they may look upon it but as the girting of their hands with the cords A little pain they be put to by the strictness of the cord that binds them but this is but to the body and so prepares them to be cast out into utter darkness as you know the Phrase is Take him that came without the wedding garment and bind him hand and foot and cast him into utter darkness Thy Afflictions be but as bindings of thee they are but the beginnings of those everlasting pains thou art like to have and that should make the least Affliction of any ungodly man or woman in the world exceeding dreadful to them now I feel pain but what is this but the beginning of sorrows I am now a sinking but how far I shall sink I do not know 5. Again All Afflictions when they come in a way of a Cuase for Sin they be sent to ripen men and women for destruction and therefore they harden their hearts and make them often flie out against God There is no affliction sent in a way of a Curse but doth ripen any man or woman for eternal misery Oh consider this you that have been under great Afflictions it may be you are delivered from the pain and you think your selves safe examine how is it are not your hearts more hard than before are you not more greedy upon Sin than before know then that is a dangerous sign that that affliction was but sent to ripen you for destruction and eternal misery though you be escaped for a time yet they only were ripeners to hasten you to everlasting destruction And in these things consists the Curse of sin in all evils that befal us This is the Third Fourthly Sin is the Evil of all Evils For it is the shame of all evils it is that which makes any affliction to be a shame to us I remember before in the opening the nature of Sin as it is against our own good there I shewed Sin was a shame to the Soul whether there be affliction or no but now I am to shew you how sin puts shame into other evils not only brings shame to our selves but puts a shame upon the evils and afflictions that are or shall be upon us As thus A Male factor is stigmatized is branded well there is pain to his body in the branding and then there is the shame that is in the brand that
nothing else but the wrath of God working through that channel and let out through that though now thou die and the matter of the disease be gone yet when thou comest to hell there thou shalt meet with the same grievous pain only in another way That is The wrath of God shall let out this evil immediately through his wrath which was mediately through the Creature before and now it is immediately from himself And this meditation rightly considered is enough to bring down the proudest stoutest sinner on the earth to Consider how the Wrath of God is all that evil to a sinner that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth are able to convey and much more And thus you have this opened how Sin is the evil of all evils THE FIFTH PART OF THIS TREATISE CHAP. XLII Sin hath a kind of Infiniteness in it Opened in Seven Particulars First Because nothing but an Infinite Power can overcome it Secondly Sin hath a kind of infiniteness because it hath an infinite desert in it expressed in Three Particulars 1 The desert of the loss of an infinite Good 2 It deserves to put an infinite distance between God and thee 3 It deserves infinite misery Thirdly Sin hath a kind of infinite Evil because there is required an infinite Price to make an Attonement between God and Man Fourthly There is a kind of infinite Evil in Sin because we must hate it infinitely Fifthly Sin is an infinite Evil because it is the Vniversal Cause of all Evil. Sixthly The Scripture make use of Evil things to set out the Evil of Sin Seventhly There 's an infiniteness in Sin because the Scripture set out Sin by Sin it self A Fifth General Head that was Propounded in the beginning is this Sin hath a kind of Infiniteness of Evil in it It is true we must acknowledg that nothing but God can be properly said to be infinite There is not an infiniteness in a strict sense in sin for then certainly all the Mercy of God and all the Power of God could never overcome it if properly and absolutely sin had an infiniteness in it therefore I do not say it is properly infinite Well but there is a kind of infiniteness it comes exceeding neer to infiniteness if we may so speak though it is somwhat improper to say it comes neer but we must speak so as we can to our own apprehensions you shall see in the opening what I mean As thus There is a kind of infiniteness of evil in sin beyond all bounds First Because there is nothing but infinite Power can overcome it Take the least sin that any man or woman lies under the power of nothing but the infinite Power of God can overcome that sin and this is the reason that many that have had many convictions of conscience of the evil of sin many resolutions against sin many Vows and Covenants and Promises they have made against sin Oh when they are sick now they see the evil of sin now they promise if God will restore them they will never do the like and they speak from their hearts they do not only dallie but they do verily think they will never come in companie more and commit sin more because it is so evil but when they be well they be under the power of sin as before and al their resolutions and experiences and all their own strength and power and all the means they have are nothing though sin be opened to be never so vile and they be convinced thereof yet al comes to nothing Certainly there is more dreadful evil in sin than we be aware of and all the pleasure and profit we have by sin can never countervail that evil that is in sin and this they see and therefore promise and hope they shal never commit such sins again Perhaps there hath been such thoughts in your hearts may be God hath had some beginnings to come in by his Power into your souls this is the way of Gods coming in to the hearts of men and women when he comes to convince and give them such resolutions But know all thy resolutions cannot overcome sin perhaps you may forbear for the present the acts of sin a while may be restrained but nothing but the infinite Power of an infinite God can overcome any one sin any one lust Sin shall not have Dominion over you Rom. 6. 14. for you are not under the Law but under Grace saith the Holy Ghost as if he had said if you be not now under the Grace of the Gospel in which the infinit Power of God comes upon the soul to deliver them from the Dominion of Sin Sin would for ever have Dominion over you but sin shall not have Dominion over you because you be not under the Law but under Grace It is the Grace of the Gospel through which this infinite Power of God comes upon your hearts that keeps sin from having Dominion over you This is the first there is a kind of Infiniteness in it because nothing but the infinite Power of God can overcome it Secondly There is a kind of Infiniteness in it Because it hath an infinite desert it doth deserve that which is infinite There is an infinite desert in it therefore a kind of infiniteness in it As thus the infinite desert of Sin may be set out in these three Particulars 1 The desert of the loss of an infinite Good all the good in God By every sin thou dost deserve to be deprived of that good there is in God that desert comes upon thee to lose all the good there is in the infinite God not in this or that particular good but in the Infinite God and all the good in him 2 Every Sin doth make an infinite breach between God and you not only you do deserve to lose all the good in God but it puts an infinit distance between God and thee Abraham could say to Dives when Lazarus was in his bosom there is a great gulph between you and us There is a great gulph between the sinner and those that are godly but what a gulf is there between God himself and a sinner If there be such a gulf between Abraham and Dives surely a greater gulf between God himself and a sinner 3 The desert of Sin is Infinite In regard of the Infiniteness of misery and pain and tortures that sin deserves which becaus they cannot possibly be infinit in degree for it is impossible for a finite Creature to bear any one moment pains infinite in degree But because it deserves infinite torment it must therefore be infinite in time because it cannot be infinite in degree and so it is infinite this way in duration because it cannot be infinite in degree thus sin is infinite Certainly that which makes such an infinite loss and such an infinite breach and brings such infinite tortures this must be an infinite evil in a kind Thirdly Sin is a kind of infinite evil Because
there is required an infinite price to make an attonement nothing can make an attonement between God and a sinner but an infinite price paid You may think when you have sinned it may quickly be made up again Every Fool can sin can be drunk be unclean and wicked but when you have sinned how will you get it away All the Angels in Heaven and Men in the world cannot do it all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth connot get away one sin You let out your thoughts idlely take the guilt of one sin of an idle thought I say it is beyond the power of al the Angels in Heaven and Creatures in the World to get away that Sin it must be an infinite price there must be more done for to get away the guilt of this sin than if God should say here is a poor Creature hath sinned and is guilty I will make ten thousand worlds for his or her sake and they shall be all given that I may manifest my mercie towards them Now if God do but deliver thee from one Sin he doth more for thee than if thou shouldest hear him speak from Heaven and say he would do all that for thee for you know what the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 1. 18. For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain Conversation received by tradition from your Fathers but with the precious Blood of Jesus Christ as of a Lamb without spot or blemish not with Gold and Silver if it were Gold and Silver all the Gold and Silver in the world would not redeem one but it was with an infinite price with which you were redeemed and mark from your vain Conversation he doth not say your vain wicked notorious Idolatry but vain Conversation yea and that vain Conversation which you might have some plea for received from the tradition of your fathers you will keep your old Customs you received from your Fathers received a great while ago you crie out of new things new kind of waies now I am sure I have lived this thirtie or this fourtie years and I never knew such things and heard of such things and so you will rest on the Traditions of your Fore fathers Mark what the Scripture saith speaking of those that were delivered from their vain Conversation and the vanities received by Tradition these were redeemed by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ not with Gold and Silver though you stick to them as being such as you received from your Fathers yet know all the world cannot deliver you from the guilt of one of these vain Conversations If you knew all you would see there were so much evil in one sin as required a price to ransom you from itâ— of more worth than Heaven and Earth yea than ten thousand Heavens and Earths there must be a price laid down of infinite worth And observe this before you go away there may be a price laid down to ransom a Captive and this price may Note not so much the greatness of the deliverance as the worth of the person for whom this price is laid down because the person is worthy not from the miserableness of the bondage but the greatness of the person But it is not so here the reason of the greatness of the price for your ransom is not from the worthiness of the person we be poor vile dirt and dross and filthy before God what if you were all buried to all eternity what great matter were it But God hath paid a great price to note the greatness of your misery and evil you have brought upon your selves by reason of sin and therefore this is the price of our ransom This is the third thing wherein the infiniteness of sin appears A Fourth thing to discover a kind of infiniteness of evil in Sin is this That Sin it is so evil that let there be never so much hatred against it in thy soul let there be as much hatred against it as possibly can be yet there is enough evil in sin to raise this hatred higher and higher if it were possible to an infinite hatred therefore there is a kind of infiniteness in it If Sin were but a meer finite Evil then there might be some bounds and limits set to the hatred of our sin but that cannot be there can be no bounds nor limits set to the hatred of our sin but we are to hate it more and more still and if we could grow to an infinite hatred therefore there must be some kind of infinite Evil in it Other things be not so we may set bounds to our hatred in other things but when it comes to sin there is no limits to be set to the hatred of it As Brethren thus It doth note the infiniteness of goodness that there is in God why Because we are to love God and our love to God must be without any bounds at all we love him thus much and still our love is to go further and higher and higher and if possible to raise our love to be infinite because he is an infinite good who is the object of our loves So hatred on the other side we are to hate sin we are to hate it more and more and still grow up in hatred and never set bounds to our hatred why doth not this as well argue a kind of infinitness in fin And here then Brethren by the way you may have a note of your true love to God and true hatred against Sin whether it be right or no as now If you will know if you love God truly then you set no bounds to your love not only to your love to him but to your love to his waies and your love to Grace and Christ and the like you set no bounds That man or woman that would be Religious but so far and saith why will you be so strict and so hot and sets bounds to the working of their hearts in Religious waies let such men and women know their Religion is in vain it is but meerly a Natural one I remember a Speech Seneca a Heathen hath though he applies it another way yet he makes it appear he had some understanding of this Truth saith he Would you know when desires be Natural and when not Natural If they be Natural then they be in bounds and you set limits to them but when they break bounds then they be no more Natural But he applies it to sinful desires for he knew no better than desires at the highest as they had some Naturalness in them and saith he speaking of sinful desires so long as you keep your desires in certain bounds they be Natural and good but when once you let them out beyond bounds they be no more Natural We may very well applie it to speak of the Work of Nature and the Work of Grace Would you know whether the ground of your desires or work be Natural or Supernatural
Sin is another manner of business than Melancholly or timerousness Use I. HEnce follows this plainly from all that have been spoken if sin be worse than any affliction and not to be chosen rather than Affliction Hence it follows Then that trouble of Conscience for Sin certainly is another manner of business than meerly Melancholly distemper it comes not from Melancholly nor foolish timerousness and the like There is another manner of business in trouble of Conscience for Sin then the world thinks for this is the First Use that followes from all that hath been delivered Me thinks all of you should yeild to the strength of this Consequence If you have heard or read what I have opened you that have heard al or read it it should take this effect in you all Well then by what I have heard now I come to understand what the meaning of trouble of Conscience for sin is I have heard heretofore of many men and women troubled for sin and I wondered what it meant I wondered what it was that troubled them many yong people may be heirs of great estates and excellent good friends of healthful bodies in good trades all well about them and yet mightily troubled for sin yea perhaps some that to the view of the world lived very civilly yet had in secret been guilty of some notorious profane course and yet when God shall but settle any one sin upon their hearts and trouble their Consciences for any one sin they could not bear the horror of their Conscience for this one sin Well this I have heard of the evil of sin tells me I have had mistaken thoughts about it I thought all was melancholliness and even madness and the Physitian must be sent for and merry company sent for because men and women have such poor and mean apprehensions of the evil of sin and therefore when any are troubled in Conscience for Sin Oh then get him into merry company get a pair of cards make them play a fit of Musick go to some business in the world put themselves upon business one thing or other drink down their trouble play down their trouble thus many have slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience And therefore when in their Children they cry out Oh! my Child will certainly run mad is grown mad many carnal men and women when their Children begin to think of sin they think verilie they begin to run mad I remember in the storie of Erancis Spira he saith thus because his friends thought it a kind of Frenzie and that it was not trouble of Conscience for sin Oh saith he to his friends I would to God it were Frenzie either feigned or real if it were feigned Frenzie then I could put it off when I pleased if it were a real Frenzie there were a great deal more hope of Gods mercy I should not apprehend Gods wrath as I do but it is otherwise with me Brethren those that have felt trouble of Conscience for sin upon whose hearts God hath setled but the guilt of any one sin what do you think of trouble of Conscience for sin they feel reallitie they find that there is reallie unto them that which is a greater burthen and grief and trouble than all the miseries of the world Dreadful expressions are many of them that Francis Spirâ—â— hath which is a most dreadful example of horror of Conscience for sin Oh! saith he I feel the very torments of hell within me and this afflicts my Conscience with intolleroble pain Oh! that some body would let out this tyred soul out of my body Oh! that I were in the place of the damned that I might be but free from FEARING any thing that is yet WORSE to come For though he did acknowledg there was greater torments in hell yet he professed he did desire to be in hell that he might be freed from the torture of his Spirit that was still in fear of worse that was to come And verily a most hidious story it is that shews the dreadfulness of a wounded and troubled Conscience for Sin Certainly if Sin be all that which you have heard or read well might the Holy Ghost say A wounded spirit who can bear A man may sustain his infirmities whatsoever his infirmities and troubles are in the world it is no great matter to sustain them but a wounded spirit who can bear for a wounded spirit seeth it hath to deal with the Infinite God the Glorious Eternal Deity and you must not tell such a one of Melancholliness and such grounds of trouble for such a one knows the Arrows of the Almighty stick in his heart and it is another manner of business than so I might here have enlarged my self and have spoken much to those that have such mean apprehensions of trouble of conscience for sin and have shewed the difference between melancholly and trouble of conscience for sin but I shall not at present only I shall wind up all now briefly and prosecute it further in the next Chapter Certainly it is not melancholliness it is another manner of business than melancholliness What think you of the Lord Christ himself in his Agony that sweat drops of water and blood which you see was the fruit of Sin was that melancholly certainly that was of the same nature that the troubled in conscience feel for sin The Angels that sinned against God the Devils themselves they are not capable of melancholiness they have no bodies and yet none have such horrors for sin as they have And so the souls of wicked men many times they have horrid apprehensions of the wrath of God for sin But certainly if the souls of wicked men and women go out of their bodies without pardon the very first instant the soul is departed from the body it hath other manner of horrid dreadful and dismal apprehensions of the wrath of God for sin then ever it had before I remember further Luther had such a Speech concerning trouble of Conscience for Sin in his Comment upon Genesis It is a harder matter to Comfort an Afflicted Conscience for Sin than to raise one from the Dead This was a Speech of Luther he saw what was in an Afflicted Conscience for sin Further Surely Melancholly 't is not no nor timerousness nor folly do but take an example or two and so I shall conclude â—hat of David you shall find in David that he was a man most free from melancholly for the temper of his body it was a most cheerful disposition and a warlike spirit and very wise And yet there is none in the Book of God more troubled in spirit â—or Sin than he was First I will shew you what manner of man David was and then what his troubles of Conscience were for sin Sure he was no melancholly man For First you shall find it in 1 Sam. 16 12. that he for his bodily Constitution was sanguine and not melanchollie he was of a ruddy and beautiful Countinance
you have wronged are dead you must not keep it if they have anie heirs or executors suppose you know not them then you must give it to the poor you must be rid of it So much stain and evil is in sin that anie thing that comes by way of sin must not be kept And this is not so strange a thing but that the heathen have been convinced of it I remember a storie of a heathen that did but owe to a Shoomaker for a pair of Shoos and no bodie knew he owed it when the Shoomaker was dead he thought to save it but his Conscience was so troubled though the man was dead and no bodie could charge him with it that he could not sleep or rest and be quiet but riseth with amazement and trouble in the night and runs to the Shoomakers house and throws the Money in and saith Though he be dead to others yet he is alive to me If a heathen had such convictions of Conscience that he must not keep that which was gotton by sin if he could see sin so sinful that what was gotten by sin must be cast out surely you Christians must be so wise Oh consider this you are a multitude come together is there never a man or womans Conscience now in the presence of God that tells them That there is something that they have gotten by such a sinful way Now this is the charge of God to you upon your spirits That as ever you do expect to find Mercie from God that you do forth with and immediatelie restore that which you have gotten by anie sinful way it will be your bane and your ruine you will venture your souls else that must be restored or your souls must go for it and all your sorrow and trouble will not do ezcept these be restored these be restored to your power either that or some other thing in lieu of it you must not think to live upon sin It may be servants in their Masters service pilfered and purloined whatsoever you got for your selves perhaps you have spent it but hereafter either your souls must perish or else you must if God have made you able restore it though it be all your estates you be bound to cast up those sweet morseâ—s you have taken There was once one that had wronged a man in five shillings and it was fiftie years after that wrong was done that he sent to these hands of mine those five shillings and desired me to restore it Conscience now did so sting him that he could not injoy it So though it be fortie fiftie or threescore years ago when you were yong that you did the wrong you be bound as you do expect mercie from God to restore what you have wronged because there can no prosperitie come in by sin no good there is so much evil in sin This is the First when a man comes to be prosperous by Sin then he may be miserable notwithstanding his prosperitie Secondly When a man comes to be sinful by Prosperity As when a man comes to Prosper by sin so when Sin comes in by Prosperitie And for this Three Considerations likewise Sin sometimes comes in by Prosperitie a man is more sinful because more Prosperous certainlie this man may be miserable notwithstanding his Prosperitie As First When Prosperitie is fuel for sin Secondly When it gives them further license and liberty to sin Thirdly When it more hardens them in sin Certainlie this man though he be freed from Afflictions all his daies yet is a most miserable man because he is delivered from Afflictions 1 He comes to have Prosperity fuel for sin That is matter for sin to work upon so that Prosperitie nourisheth and fattens up sin As manie men because they have Prosperitie their sins grow to a mightie height by Prosperitie Prosperitie is fuel for Lust fattens your malice and oâ—asions pride Were it not he had such an estate as he hath and a healthful lustie bodie then he could not be guiltie of so much Lust uncleanness drunkenness pride so much malice and revenge the more God doth deliver them from Afflictions sickness povertie the more feuel hath he for sin wickedness and the lusts of his heart to burn upon and grow up to a flame As it is with a bodie those humors of the bodie are matters for the disease to grow upon and feed the disease they be no good to the bodie but mischief to it some men have great big arms and legs but what bigness is it a bigness that comes by disease by dropsies such humors their bodies being full of them they feed the disease of the bodie now be these humors anie such things as that we should rejoice in do they make for the good of the bodie they make for the bigness but not the goodness of the bodie So anie mans estate that makes matter to feed lust upon and nourish and grow upon this such a man is so much the more miserable by how much the more Prosperous he is as usuallie wicked men through the malignitie in their hearts they do make all their Prosperitie to be nothing else but nourishment for lust to breed on As it is with a gracious heart it will turn al things he doth injoy to be matter for his grace to work upon and to further the work of grace so a wicked heart will turn all he doth injoy to be matter for his lust to work upon and to further his lust the excellencie of grace appears in the one and the malignitie of sin appears in the other Now if sin be so great an evil then whatsoever a man injoys if it be a furtherance of sin and nourish sin it makes him the more miserable a miserable creature though a prosperous man yet this man is miserable because his Prosperitie makes him more sinful 2 If his Prosperitie doth give him further liberty in Sin As thus Manie men that be poor be quicklie restrained they have manie restraints alas they be afraid the Law will get hold of them if they be drunk or unclean he is quicklie restrained may be he dares not for fear of the displeasure of some friend he depends upon a hundred things keeps in men in affliction from taking their libertie in Sin which otherwise his heart would have committed whereas a man Prosperous in the world takes libertie and who shall controule him he will be drunk and unclean and break the Sabbath and who dares controule and speak to him and I beseech you observe this manie men account that the greatest happiness of Prosperitie that by this means they may come to have their wils their sinful wills that they shall live without controul in the satisfying their sinful lusts this they account the happiness of Prosperitie This is a most abominable cursed happiness to account the good of Prosperitie to consist in this That it gives more libertie to sin Oh it is a most Pestelentious Power that inables to do mischief
should sin against and wound your own consciences therefore let them do what they will you cannot do what is required let masters rage and be angry and husbands be displeased you cannot yeeld your consciences will not suffer you Now that you may convince them that it is conscience and not stubbornness how shall this be known that it is consciousness and not stubbornness for we cannot see into your consciences I give you this Note to discover it to them be more pliable and yeilding in all other things and there to go beyond all other women or children or servants As now if there be a woman whose Conscience cannot yeild to some things and her husband is displeased because he beleeves it is stoutness now that her husband may beleeve it Conscience and not stoutness it concerns that woman to observe whatsoever gives content to her husband in everie thing else to be more yeilding and pliable and tractable and herein denying her own will to give content to her husband in other things and herebie he will be convinced sure she is not stout and stubborn in other things why because in this I find her more pliable and yeilding and willing than before So for Servants if you cannot yeild in that your Masters would have you strive to give him the more content in other things Children to your Parents in other things be more dutiful and one neighbor to another if neighbors would have you do that which is against your Conscience when you cannot do that yet in other things yeild to your own prejudice to convince them that in what you do not yeild it is meerlie out of Conscience and not stubbornness This is the Fourth Use I might here have gone further and if there be so much evil in Sin I would have labored with men and women to come to be sensible of all the evil of sin and to have stopped sinners in their sinful waies and courses and likewise to have drawn sinners to Christ and to have made men and women to prise Jesus Christ by whom all their sins may possibly come to be forgiven who is the onlie Ransom Propisiation for sin for this brethren is the ground of all I have said that we might be made to esteem Christ and prise Christ And in this regard though what I have said seems legal yet certainlie it is a fond unistake in people that think Christ is not preached except the word Christ be named But know all that hath been said about the Sinful ness of Sin hath been a Preaching of Christ for it hath been in way and order to bring Souls to Christ that I might cause Souls to flie to Christ and go to him that is the onlie Propisiation for Sin and the onlie Ransom for Souls And certainlie brethren if once these things I have delivered concerning the Evil of Sin come to be apprehended and the Soul made sensible of them Oh! how sweet and precious and dear will Christ be to such a Soul and the Name of that great God will be honored in such a Soul But I shall prosecute this in the following Discourse CHAP. LVI Use 5. If there be such Evil in Sin hence then is justified the dreadful things spoken in the Word against sinners THere is more Evil in Sin than in all Affliction That 's the Argument we have been long upon and have made some good entrance into the Application of it there hath been Four Uses made of this Point already that hath flowed naturally from the Evil of Sin There are yet divers more Uses which are of great Concernment wherefore we proceed to it Vse V. If there be such dreadful Evil in Sin Hence then the Word of God that speaks such dreadful things against sinners cannot but be justified of all those that know what sin is There are verie severe and fearful things revealed in the Word against Sin Now such as understand not what the Evil of Sin is are readie to think them verie hard For indeed it is onlie by the word we come to understand wherein the true Evil of Sin lies Paul to the Romans tels us That before the Law came he knew not Sin And had I Preached these Sermons concerning the Evil of Sin before the Athenians the wisest of Phylosophers they would have said as they did concerning Paul What new What strange Doctrine is this And so it is like it hath been unto all those who have no other rule to judge of things by than carnal Reason and Sence Those who are not acquainted with the mind of God revealed in his Word they perhaps have strange thoughts concerning all that hath been delivered and think I have been but an hyperboler al this while but certainly those that judg of things according to the word they see that there is a realitie in all that hath been delivered and they justifie the Word in all yea they justifie the severitie of the word against sin when they see it even against themselves for their own sins that 's a good sign when the heart of a man or woman doth not onlie justifie the word in general but when the word comes most powerfullie and sharplie against his own sins yet he lies under the power of the Word and saith It is good and holy and righteous the word of the I ord though it speaks bitter things against his own sins There are many men and women that have some seeming good affections and some tenderness of spirit and would seem to melt at a Sermon when some truths be delivered to them but when the severitie and strictness of Gods Justice in the word is presented before them their hearts flie off and they seem to be verie hard things We have a notable example for this in Luke 20. if you read in the storie before you shall find the people spoken of were much stirred with many things they heard of in the Word but in the 16. verse when Christ told them he would come and destroy those husband-men that had used the messengers so ill that were sent for fruit and the Kings only Son too He shalâ— come and destroy those Husbandmen and give the Vinyard unto others and when they heard it they said God forbid Oh God forbid that there should be so much severitie those people in this particular discovering a slightness of spirit that though they were people that seemed to have tender hearts and were much stirred and their hearts melted at some truths delivered well but yet when they heard of the severe Judgments against evil men Oh they had more compassion in them than God had said God forbid that things should be so hard What is not God a merciful God and we hear of nothing but severity that there should be such severitie in God utterly to destroy God forbid Thus people now a daies when they hear Arguments of Gods goodness and mercy their hearts be ready to melt and yeild and they be
you to Heaven there is use of Godliness to keep you away from Sin and Ungodliness and there is enough in that to countervail anie pleasure suppose you yong people abstain from some pleasure or joy that others have the truth is you have greater and better pleasures but suppose you had none but keeping of your souls from sin this meerlie were enough to countervail whatsoever you suffer in the waies of God There are manie converted when they were old and what would these give for to be delivered from the guilt of some sins committed when they were yong When they look back to their lives Oh this sin I committed in such a familie and when I was an Apprentise in such a place Oh that I were delivered from them Oh they lie upon my heart Oh that vanitie and wickedness Oh those oaths I swore in such a companie among yong men Oh those Sabbaths I brake Oh those lyes I told and the drunkennesse I was drawn to Oh I cannot look back to these but my thinks I could even tear my heart from my bellie to think what a heart I had to sin against God and multiplie Sin against Him Thus at the best when God awakens their hearts they would give ten thousand worlds to be delivered from the Sins of their Youth And therefore now you yong ones seeing there is such evil in Sin Oh prevent it You know how the Sins of Youth lay upon David Remember not against me the sins of my youth therefore now prevent those Sins that otherwise will lie so heavilie upon you as that you will be forced to crie out Oh remember not against me the Sins of my Youth Oh it is a happie thing to see yong ones good and it is the greatest hope that God will shew mercie to England in that God begins to draw yong ones on in the waies of Godliness so that we hope there will not be so manie Sins committed in the Age to come We have cried out of the Sins of yong ones and one Generation that hath followed another hath been but like the Kennel the lower and further it goeth the more filth it hath gathered and so the lower Generations have gone the more filthie they have been But we hope God intends to turn the course and to make Godliness as much honored as it hath been dishonored heretofore and that there should not be so much Sin in the next Generation Heretofore yong people when they had daies of Recreation what did they but multiplie Sin what abundance of wickedness was committed by Youth then and on Shrove-Tuesdaies abundance of wickedness committed by Youth then and so the Generation was filled with Sins of Youth But now God is pleased to stir up the hearts of yong ones that instead of multiplying of Sin they be got together on such daies to Fast and to Pray and make daies to attend upon the Word and so avoid Sin It is that certainlie that doth encourage the hearts of Gods People to pray to him and to seek him for mercie that God gives hearts to yong people that they multiplie not Sin as heretofore If there be anie here that have begun this Oh go on in that way and when others multiplie wickedness upon such daies get alone and attend upon the Word and recreate your Souls in the Word and holie conference true God gives libertie to recreate but let it he as it was wont to be with the Companies in London though they did recreate they would have their Sermons too So instead of horrible wickedness that was wont to be upon those daies as I suppose some of you can remember upon Shrove-Tuesdaies infinite wickednesses was committed in the Citie and thereabouts we hope instead of wickedness and joyning together in wickedness there will be joyning together in the Waies of God And thus doing you wil encourage us in the Waies of God and Peace and Mercie will be upon you CHAP. LXIII Use 13. If there be so much evil in sin Then it s a fearful thing for any to be instrumental to draw others to sin WEE are now to finish that Tractate about the greatness of the evil of Sin It hath been an Argument that hath much encreased in our hands like unto the bread the Loaves that Christ did break unto the People that in the verie breaking did multiplie and so hath this Argument done but we are now to put a period to it Manie Uses you know hath been made alreadie as Corollaries and Consequences from that great Doctrine of the evil of Sin that Sin is a greater evil than Affliction The last day the especial aim and intention of the Application was Therefore to drive Sinners to Jesus Christ seeing there is so much evil in Sin more than in all Affliction Oh what need have we who are such great Sinners of Jesus Christ that is the Propisiation for Sin I have only one Note to ad further on that and we shall proceed it is an Excellent Expression I find in Luther saith he There is a great deal of difference between the Consequencia Legis and Consequencia Evangelii There is a Consequence of the Law and that is this Thou hast sinned and therefore thou must be damned But the Consequence of the Gospel is this Thou hast sinned therefore go to Jesus Christ that is the Argument the Gospel uses from Sin But passing by all we have said concerning that Use we proceed to further Applications that are behind Four or Five Uses we are to speak of and then we shall have done with the Point I will be brief upon the first Two or Three and the Two last we shall stick most upon Vse XIII If there be such evil in Sin as you have heard Hence then it is a fearful thing for any one to be instrumental to draw others to sin All that hath been said in the opening of the evil of sin must needs speak very terribly unto all that ever have been any way instruments to draw others to sin in all their lives Now Oh that God would speak to every man and womans Conscience in this Congregation that are conscious to themselves that ever they have been any cause to draw others to sin Is there not one whose Conscience presently at the naming of this Use doth even tell you well now God speaks to me for certainlie there hath been some that I have drawn to sin that I have been a means to further sin in If any one of you have ever been a means by counsel or advise by approbation by perswasion by encouragement by abetting of any by joyning with any in anie sinful course to draw them to sin know that God speaks to you First God tells you this That if you had been born to do mischief you could not do a greater mischief than this is if you had been the means to undo men and women in their outward Estate it had been nothing so much but thou hast what in
thee lies been a means to undo an immortal soul yea and to cause them to sin against the infinite God so that thou art guiltie of everie sin thou hast been a means to draw others to and thou art worse than those that have sinned for thy act in drawing them to it is a dreadful evil and then that which they have done is thine too Hast not thou sins of thine own enough to answer for before the Lord but thou must have the sins of another also Dost thou know what thou hast done in enticing others to sin either to uncleanness drunkenness to companie keeping and breach of the Sabbath and other sins Perhaps thou hast brought them to pilfering and purloining and many other particulars and other waies that might he named for indeed if we should enlarge our selves in this Point it might well require a whol Treatise but we must contract our thoughts It may be there are some in this Congregation that have been a means to draw others to sin and they be now in Hell at this instant for that sin thou wert a cause of What a sad thing is this for any man or woman to have this to lay to heart I know I have drawn such and such to sin I have been a means at least to further sin in them well they be dead and gone and they manifested no repentance before they died and therfore for ought I know yea it is much to be feared that they be now in Hell and now a tormenting for that verie sin I was the cause of and if the Lord gives me wages according to my works I must thither to them What shall they be in Hell for the sins I brought them to and shall I escape is it anie way likelie and probable but that I must follow when as they be there for the sins I brought them to what shall the Accessarie be condemned and executed and shal not the Principal I am the Principal and the other is but the Accessarie Certainly there had need be a mightie work of humiliation for thou art in exceeding danger that art the cause of bringing anie other to sin for it is that must needs lie exceeding heavie upon the soul of anie man and woman if God never give you a sight of this great evil certainlie you perish but suppose God do give you the sight of so great an evil and you begin to be humbled Oh this very meditation wil cause your humiliation to be full of bitterness and will cause it to be very hard for you to lay hold upon mercie and pardon when you shall think thus Ah were it for my own sins only I were to answer for I might have greater hope but there be others sins I drew them into and they be condemned perhaps and in Hel and how shall I escape condemnation my self I do not say that there is an impossibilitie of pardon for the Grace of God is infinite and were it not infinite it were impossible for such a soul to perish and thou that art the cause of it come to be saved I say there is a possibilitie but it is as if it were through the fire if ever thou escape do but thou consider if it should be that thou shouldest die in impenitencie also as the other did and that thou didest go to Hell when you two should meet at the day of Judgment and he should see thee the cause that drew him to sin Oh what a grief it would be to thee how would he curse thee and the time that ever he saw thy face that ever he lived in that Familie where thou livedst It may be some Parents have been a means to draw by counsel and advice the Child to sin Oh the Child when he sees his Parent at the Day of Judgment how will he curse the time that ever he came from such Loyns and such a womans Womb Oh that rather he had been the off-spring of a Dragon and the generation of a Viper than from the Loyns of such a man and woman you encouraged me to such and such waies of sin to opposition and hatred and speaking evil against the People of God the Servants of God that were strict in their way and now you and I must perish eternally sure in Hell they will be readie to cast fire-brands in one anothers faces that have been the cause of sin in one another in this world and so Husband and Wife that lie in one anothers bosoms if they be the cause of any sin in one another it may cause woful terror to them and appear worse than if a Serpent had lay in their bosom for those that draw others to sin do worse mischief than any Serpent or Viper in the world can do You had need look to it betimes I shall wind it up with this one Note Whosoever hath been the cause to draw others to commit any Sin know this That the least that can be required if God do give thee a sight of thy sin and to be humbled for it if thou doest go away out of the presence of God as having an Arrow darted into thy bosom for this then I say go away with this one Note You be bound to make some restitution in a spiritual way as much as you can For this you know I shewed before in a mans temporal Estate when you have wronged you must make restitution if you will have mercie you must make up the wrong as you are able much more here when you have wronged any in their souls a Soul wrong calls for Spiritual Restitution as well as Body wrong or Estate wrong calls for a Bodilie or Estate Restitution Quest What do you mean will you say by this Spiritual Restitution Answ This I mean That if those be alive that thou hast drawn to sin thou art bound to this part of Restitution that is To go to them and to undo what possibly thou canst what thou hast done and now to tell them of the evil of that sin and to do them all the good for their Souls that possibly thou canst Now to shew to them how God hath convinced thee and what the work of God hath been upon thee and how heavie and dreadful sin hath been made to thee and to beseech them for the Lords sake to look to themselves and to consider of their estates and to repent of that their sin that you were the cause to bring them to And so if there be anie means in the world wherbie thou canst do good unto their Souls thou art bound to do it yea to them their children their friends as you are bound to make restitution unto the next friends and heirs of those that you have wronged in their goods if the partie wronged be dead So if those should be dead thou hast drawn to sin suppose when thou wast yong thou drewest such a man to drunkenness adulterie or the like and they be dead and gone thou art bound to
Nation wherein is shewed how to Cure a mans self of most Diseases incident to mans Body with such things as grow in England and for three pence charge 5 The Anatomy of the Body of Man wherein is exactly described the several parts of the Body of Man illustrated with very many large Brass Plates 6 A New Method both of studying and practising Physick Six Sermons Preached by Doctor Hill viz. 1 The Beauty and Sweetness of an Olive Branch of Peace and Brotherly Accommodation budding 2 Truth and Love happily married in the Churches of Christ 3 The Spring of strengthning Grace in the Rock of Ages Christ Jesus 4 The strength of the Saints to make Jesus Christ their Strength 5 The Best and Worst of Paul 6 Gods eternal preparation for his dying Saints The Bishop of Canterbuâ—â—es Speech on the Scaffold The Kings Speech on the Scaffold King Charles his Case or an Appeal to all Rational Men concerning his Tryal A Congregational Church is a Catholick visible Church By Samuel Stone in New-England Mr. Owens stedfastness of the Promises Mr Owen against Mr Baxter A Vindication of Free Grace By John Pawson The Magistrates support and Burden By John â—ordel The Discipline of the Church in New-England by the Churches and Synod there A Relation of the Barbadoes A Relation of the Repentance and Conversion of the Indians in New-England by Mr Eliot and Mr Mayhew An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist S. Matthew by Mr Ward Clows Chyruâ—geâ—y Marks of Salvation An Exposition of the whol first Epistle of Peter by Mr. John Rogers of Dâ—… in Essex Christians Engagement for the Gospel By John Goodwin Great Church Ordinance of Baptism Mr Love's Case containing his Petitions Narrative and Speech Vox Pacifica or a Perswasive to Peace Dr Prestâ—â—s Saints Submission and Satans Overthrow A Treatise of the Rickets Published in Latin by Dr Glisson Dr Bate and Dr Regemorter now translated into English Mr Symsons Sermon at Westminster Mr Feaks Sermon before the Lord Major Mr Phillips Treatise of Hell Of Christs Geneology Mr Eaton on the Oath of Allegiance and Covenant shewing that they oblige not THE ALPHABETICAL TABLE A Addition NO addition to sin can make it good Page 18 Affliction Affliction is better than sin 3 It 's light ibid Christs the greatest 8 Some good in it 11 It is instrumentally good 12 It is sanctified to the Soul ibid A fruit of Gods love 13 Good annexed to it 14 Good of Promise ibid Good of Evidence 15 Good of Blessing ibid Affliction cannot make a man evil 140 Affliction may stand with Gods love 266 Affliction to sinners the beginning and forerunner of all evil 336 337. Ripens them for destruction 337 It is not mercy to be delivered from affliction when we are in a sinful way 439 It is sometimes a judgement not to be afflicted 443 Approve God approves no sin 38 Abstain Some abstain from sin for fear of Affliction only 523 Avoid Some sin to avoid affliction 526 Authority Sin resists Gods Authority 65 Attributes Sin wrongs God in his Attributes 58 They plead against sinners 67 Alsufficiency Sin wrongs God in his Alsufficiency 59 B Beams Beams of Gods wisdom in the light of nature 63 Bitterness Sin makes affliction bitter 330 Bless Saints bless God for afflictions 16 Not for sin ibid Bless God for Christ 482 Burden Christs burden 127 Sin a burden to heaven and earth 321 Beast A sinner worse than a beast 370 371 Bondage Sinners in bondage to the Devil 264 265 Bounds No bounds to be set to our love of God and hatred of sin 350 351 352. C Capable Sin is not capable of good 17 Men and Angels only capable of sin 73 Charge Job's false charge 1 Saints must charge their hearts 54 Choice Sin a worse choice than affliction 2 The wicked choice 60 Conscience Conscience must not be strain'd 21 Trouble of Conscience being overcome if men return to sin they are worse 91 Make Conscience of all sins 450 Conscience troubled for sin what 385 c. It is the beginning of the second death 399 409 Cry Saints cry unto God 16 Creator Sin wrongs God as a Creator 69 Contrary Nothing contrary to God but sin 35 Contraries seek the destruction one of another 53 Cause God no cause of sin 37 Creature Creature comforts in order to God 38 All Creatures against sinners 289 The Devil the lowest Creature 364 Curse Christ made a Curse 131 Sinners under the Curse 291 Sin is a Curse ibid Sin brings a Curse upon the whole world 321 Sin brings a Curse upon al evil 331 Comforts Of wicked men what 279 No comfort by sin 432 Confusion Sin would bring all to confusion 323 Conformity To Christ in sufferings to the Devil in sin 355 356 357 358. Condemnation Sin brings men under the sentence of it 277 Condemnation not recalled but transmitted to Christ 278 Communion With God what 254 Converse They fit to converse that live the same life 254 255 Covenant The Covenant of Grace keeps sin from taking away the Image of God in the regenerate 256 Consequence Of the Law and Gospel 492 Course Some get from affliction by sinful courses 534 D Death Sin the Death of the soul 255 Deliberation Sin needs no deliberation because wholly evil 29 Disease Sin compared to a disease 257 Despise Sin is despising of God 46 Who despise their souls 310 Destruction Sin seeks Gods destruction 54 Devil The Devil better than a base lust 61 Sin is Originally from the Devil 358 359 Lay not all upon the Devil 360 Sins reference to the Devil 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 Do Few men know what they do when they sin against God 8 Deceive The way of the wicked deceiveth 294 Deliver Delivering up to Satan what 377 Some bless themselves in sins after their deliverance from Affliction 536 Dealings God 's dealings with the wicked and godly are different 440 Draw Draw not others to sin 492 Defile Sin defileth the soul 262 It defileth all things man meddleth with ibid Delight vide Joy Delight in sins dreadful 462 463 c. God takes delight in the souls that converse with him 255 Departing Sin a departing from God 285 Despair Despair is not from the depth of humiliation 86 But from want of it ibid Divorce It is hard to make a divorce between sin and the soul 90 Displeasure Gods displeasure against sin 113 Against Angels 114 Against Men 117 Manifested in his law 118 In its Terror and Curse 119 In his severity against smal sins 119 120 121 His Wrath Hell 122 Gods dealing also with his fore-shews his displeasure against sin 123 124 c. Gods displeasure with his people 438 439 Deceit Against deceit 466 E Enemy Who Gods enemies 48 To whom God an enemy 285 286 All the Creatures are enemies to sinners 288 289 Encourage Saints encouraged to bear afflictions 17 End Men think of three good ends in committing of sin 18 No good
end in sin ibid The end of the Agent and of the Act 44 Loss of the end worse than loss of means 75 Gods glory his end of creation 76 Mans end what 259 Endless Torments 133 134 Enjoy We cannot enjoy God and sinful wayes together 61 Estate vide Gettings Wicked men usurpe not their Estates 280 Have right to them and how ibid Eternity The Eternity of all evil from sin 339 Evil Sin the greatest 10 Of Two Evils to choose the least no god axiome in point of sin 23 Sin makes a man evil 140 It 's better to hear reade evils than feel them 297 F Face Gods face what 286 Fight Who fight against God 41 Froward Guilt causeth frowardness 270 Fuel Prosperity is fuel to sin 436 Full Mens hearts full of sin 458 Flouds Flouds of wickedness 460 Fear vide Terror Sin causeth fear 290 You must not fear affliction more than sin 517 Feeling Past feeling 473 G God God needs not the Devil to help his Cause 21 Good Good in comparison vide Affliction 3 Good of Entity and Causality 11 Good by occasion 12 Good instrumentally ibid Good and End is the same 258 Sin spoyls all good 320 Grief Must be for others sins as well as for our own 103 Guilt Sin brings guilt 269 Guilt what ibid Guilt makes men bloudy 270 Guilt takes away comfort 271 Guilt brings fear 272 273 274 275 Only guilt makes sufferings evil 276 Gettings Gettings by sin cost dear 430 Gettings by sin are accursed 431 c. Glory Sin labors to frustrate God of his glory 75 It cannot frustrate Gods glory 76 God wil have his glory one way or other 78 Our good and Gods glory connexed 312 Grace An eternal Good 340 346 In Grace no power to work except God works with it 359 H Hearts The different working of the Saints hearts 15 The way to break a heart 96 Sin hardens the heart 297 Hell Hell is better than sin 4 Humble The way to humble the soul 34 47 48 49 Few humbled truly 84 Holiness Sin casts dirt upon Gods holiness 64 Holiness what 291 Horror Is not true Humililiation 88 House The house where sin is is worse than that which is haunted by the Devil 374 375 Harden Prosperity hardens 442 Hands Concerning such as lay violent hands upon themselves 19 Hate God hates sin 38 Who hate God 44 The object of Gods hatred 265 266 267 Sinners hate themselves 310 Humiliation For sin against God sanctifies his name 87 It abides after pardon 89 Makes a divorce from sin 91 92 Exhortations to humiliation for sin 471 I Image Sin most opposite to the Image of God in man 145 146 The excellency of the image of God in man 147 Holiness the image of God 147 148 149 150 151 Infinite Infinite and less than infinite cannot stand together 345 A kind of infinitness in sin 345 Infinite power must overcome sin 346 Sin hath infinite desert 347 Sin deserves infinite misery ibid Infinite in time and in degree 348 An infinite price paid for sin 349 Justice Sin wrongs God in his justice 66 Judgement Examples of Gods judgements upon sin 118 119 120 121 122 The difference of the judgment of God from the judgment of the world 142 Spiritual judgements the worst 502 Joy Against joy in sin 464 465 466 467 468 Sin damps joy 468 469 K Know Few men know God or sin 80 81 Sinners know not the excellency of the rational creature 306 They know not Gods holiness 307 Four things must be known 327 Knowledg Knowledg of sin makes Christ precious 56 Kingdom Of Christ and of Satan what 361 362 363 L Law The glass to see sin 124 Light Common light and saving light 150 Little Call no sin little 448 449 450 Lye An Officious lye 19 Lye not to save the world 20 Life Sin strikes at the life of God in man 151 152 256 What the life of God in man is 253 The life of man excellent 256 Losses A Christian may have many Crosses but no Losses 340 Liberty Prosperity gives liberty to sin 437 M Mercy Sin wrongs Gods Mercy 68 Mediator Must be God Man 82 Ministry Ministry of the Word is for our good 295 And Gods glory ibid It makes sin bitter ib. Makes stomachs rise against it 296 A great Ordinance 323 Magistracy A great Ordinance 324 Marriners Englands strength 324 325 326 Mean Mean-men who 252 Malliciousness Maliciousness in sin 312 Means Means to crush sin 323 Melancholly Distinguished from trouble of Conscience 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 Six Differences of it 414 c. Misery Men freed from affliction may be in misery 426 Great misery when sin and affliction meet 504 N Nature Sin in its nature opposite to God 35 Mans nature 253 Necessity No man brought to a necessity of sinning 24 O Omniscience Gods Omniscience wronged by sin 62 Omnipresence Gods Omnipresence wronged by sin ib. Opposition Of sin to God in Four things 33 Order Sin breaks the worlds Order 72 Occasion God takes occasion by sin 73 Affliction may occasion sin 141 P Persecute Who persecute God 47 Pitty Sinners to be pittied 313 314 315 Pleased Saints never well pleased with sin 16 Pleased with Affliction ibid Price A great price notes greatness of inisery or of the Person 350 Promises The promises of sin are delusions 25 Possession Satans possession of the heart 379 God hates not people possessed but pitties them 380 Portion The Devil and wicked men have the same portion 383 Prosperity Of prosperity by sin 428 429 430 Of sin by prosperity 436 437 438 Prosperity a judgment to the wicked 441 Plead Plead noâ— for sin 500 Pardon Some Saints grieve most after apprehension of Pardon 90 Pardon is a great mercy 445 446 Patience Of God to be admired 92 Of Christ is perfect 233 Power Sin wrongs God in his power 65 Power in creatures a drop of Gods power in them 287 Pray Afflictions teach to pray 298 R Rebellion Sin is rebellion 45 Report Martyrs have a good report 6 Repentance A continual act 89 Resist Sin resists God how 42 Revenge Let out revenge upon sin 317 Root All sin comes from the same root 43 Rejoyce Saints rejoyce not in sin 16 Saints rejoyce in affliction ibid Redemption Sin wrongs Christ in his work of Redemption 70 Restore Ill gotten goods must be restored 432 433 434 435 Restitution According to the nature of the wrong 497 S Satisfie Sin denies good in God to satisfie the soul 58 Serviceable No good thing ought to be Serviceable to sin 27 Seed Sin the seed of evil 293 Grace the seed of good ibid Shame Shame better than sin 6 7 Sin brings shame 303 304 305 Why Sinners not ashamed 306 Sufferings Of Martyrs 5 The red glass of Christs sufferings 124 More in Christs sufferings than in any 134 Speak For God 104 105 Strength Of Christ 133 Sin the strength of all evil 328 329 Striving Striving against God what 42
affected and stirred but when they hear the severitie of Gods Justice against sin Oh then God forbid that there should be such hard things God forbid these things should be true Certainly Brethren you cannot have any true meltings of Spirit wrought in you nor work of Gods Sanctifying Spirit unless you find such a principle in your hearts as should cause you to fall down and tremble and yeild unto the Justice of God and the severity of the Word against sin except you find a willingness to justifie God and his Word in all the severity that he doth reveal against you in your own sins I his is the Fifth CHAP. LVII Use 6. If there be so much evil in sin it shew the miserable condition of those whose hearts and lives are filled with sin Use VI. ANother Use is this If there be so much evil in sin Then what a miserable condition are those in that be full of sin wâ—ose hearts and lives are filled up to the brim to the very top exceeding full of sin Is there all this evil that I have spoken of in the nature of Sin in one sin as you have heard such dreadful evil in the least sin Oh Lord what a condition are those in I say that are guilty of an infinite number of sins It is said Eccles 9. 3. The hearts of men are full of evil full of sin it is true of all the sons and daughters of men in the world that their hearts be full of sin A toad is not so full of poyson as the heart of every man and woman in the world is full of sin and that which thou art full of is such an abominable thing in the eyes of God as you have heard yea and as their hearts are full of sin so they be fully set to do evil Eccles 8. 11. Because Sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil this is true of all in their natural condition their hearts are full of evil and their hearts are fully set in them to do evil All the actions that ever thou didst do all the thoughts of thy mind and the words of thy mouth all the actions of thy life ever since thou wert born hath been nothing else but sin if thou be in thy natural estate This we dare avow and speak as in the presence of God That every man and woman not yet converted had never any thought never spake word never did any action in all their lives but they sinned against God And if Sin be to evil what an evil case are those men in who be so full of sin in all that ever they did in all their lives yea their best actions how full of sin be those and how miserable is their condition in that regard who have given up themselves to follow Sin with greediness Are there not some of you before the Lord whose consciences cannot but â—el you that you have given up your selves to follow the lusts of your own hearts with greediness to satisfie them to the full and all your grief hath been that you could satisfie them no more this hath been the condition of many who have lived in a course of sin all their daies yea and it may be against conscience also who have been guilty not only of multitudes of sin but guiltie of such multitudes with woful aggravations as against light against means against vows Certainly if Sin be such an evil in its own nature though but any one if God should set but the least sin but of thought upon a mans heart as he may do he would â—ink the stoutest-heart down to the bottomless gulph of despair then what will become of thee if God come to settle all thy abominations upon thy heart altogether The Floods of ungodly men saith David Psal 18. 14. hath made me afraid The word Men there is not in the Original but translated by some The floods of wickedness have made me afraid Certainly if God discover the floods of those wickednesses that your consciences may tell you you have been guiltie of it cannot but make you afraid if God come and set all those sins in order before thy face it will be a most dreadful Object and Spectacle Let me make use of that Phrase Job 6. 12. Is my strength the strength of stones and my flesh of Brass So may I say unto those who have such woful guilt of sin upon them What is thy strength the strength of stones and thy flesh of brass that thou canst bear the weight and burden of so many and such horrible transgressions as thou hast been guiltie of when thou hearest that there is so much evil in one sin and that in the least Sin We reade Leviticus 16. 22 24. of the Scape Goat that when Aaron and his Sons the Priests should come and lay his hands upon it and put the Sins of the people upon him he was to go into the Wilderness into a desolate place among the wild beasts there to note the woful condition of a Sinner that hath the guilt of multitudes of Sins upon him when he is like that Scape Goat to go into the Wilderness among wild beasts readie to tear him Thy condition is worse except thou art delivered from the guilt of sin I speak of one under the guilt of sin it is like to be worse with thee thou art in a worse condition than if thou wert to live among Tigers and Bears and Dragons readie to tear thee Certainly thy estate is far worse If thy bodie were full of sores thou wouldest think thy condition very sad it would cause much dejection of Spirit but for thy soul to be full of Sin to have so much Sin is worse than if thou hadest plague sores upon thy bodie from head to foot If you should see a man all over from the crown of the head to the soal of the foot full of plague sores you would think that man in a sad condition Certainly the state of every man unconverted is far worse because he is all over full of Sin that hath so much evil in it As for that Doctrine of the fulness of Sin in the heart and life of man that will require another and larger Treatise by it self therfore I do not intend to fall upon that Doctrine how man is full of Sin in his heart and life that may be done hereafter but only for the present to present this Meditation before you If so much evil be in every Sin then the fulness of Sin must needs put a man or woman in an evil and sad condition Psal 73. 10. God saith He will wring out to the wicked a full cup of wrath to those full of Sin Job 20. 11. there it is spoken of the wicked and ungodly That their bones are full of the sins of their youth thy life is full of sin thy bones may be full of the