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
to hurt ones own soul or others So that is a most pesteferous estate condition that gives a man libertie to satisfie his lusts the more Brethren consider of this it is a most dreadful curse of God upon a man that God wil let a man go on smothlie in waies of Sin without controul that he shall have libertie without controul if there be anie brand of Reprobation that one may give this is it as black a brand as can be given that God suffers a man to go on smoothly in sin without any controul that he can have full libertie It is a speech of Barnards Therefore doth God spare the Rich because his iniquitie is not found only to DISPLEASVRE but to HATRED because God is not onlie now Angry but he Hates him for Sin that is a Speech of Barnard Therefore doth God spare the rich and deliver manie wicked men from Affliction because Sin is grown to the height that it is above Gods Displeasure God may be displeased with his children for Sin but he doth not come to Hate them they be not children of hatred because of infirmitie but now when God suffers a wicked man to go on smoothlie without anie affliction in his way of Sin and so take libertie in Sin this mans Sin it is to be feared is grown to the height that it comes to the verie hatred of God not onlie to displeasure I remember Barnard in another place calls this kind of mercie in God to deliver men from affliction in a sinful way he cals it a mercie more cruel than all anger and praies God to deliver him from that mercie That is That he should go on Prosperously in a wicked way And if you knew all it would be one Petition to God you in a Prosperous way it would be one Petition you would put up to God everie day Oh Lord never let me prosper in a sinful way and course Oh Lord rather let any Affliction be upon me than that my smoothness in my way should make my sin more smooth and delightful I appeal to you Marriners suppose you were sailing neer Rocks or sands and were becalmed till you come just there where they are and then you should have a wind come full upon you and fill your sails to the full your sails perhaps are all up and a wind comes that fills them to the full with wind I but this wind carries you directlie upon the sands or rocks would you not rather have the wind a little more still would you not rather have a half wind or a side wind would you not rather have your sails down or not half so much filled as they are when they carrie you upon the rocks and sands So here it is just as if you should see a man rejoice that his sails be filled with wind and all his sails up when another that stands by knows it carries him upon the sands that will undo him So it is with a man that rejoiceth in Prosperitie that carries him with full sail to wickedness God fills their sails their hearts be filled to the full with all that their hearts can desire and they be filled with all their braverie but this as the sail carries them on further to Sin and wickedness upon the rocks and sands to eternal destruction It were better for these men that their sails were down and all under the hatches a thousand times better than to have all the libertie to Sin I beseeeh you brethren observe the difference between Gods dispensations and his dealings with the wicked and his dispensations and dealings with his Children in this one thing it is verie observable with the wicked God deals thus in just judgment he suffers stumbling blocks to lie in the way of Religion that they stumble therein and find abundance of difficultie when they have some good stirrings of their affections and good motions and intentions but there is such a stumbling block they be offended at and such a thing lies there and hinders them and makes the waies of RELIGION difficult but when they come to the waies of Sin there all their waies be smooth there 's no stumbling block lies there but all is clear and God suffers them to prosper and go on a pace the way to life is full of stumbling blocks but the way to destruction is clear thus God deals with the wicked But with his Children God will make the way to life and Salvation to be very smooth and clear The way of the upright is plain if the heart be upright those things others be offended at and stumble at they be delivered from those stumbling blocks be taken away gracious hearts find the Waies of Godliness plain comfortable and smooth waies But now the waies of Sin to Gods Children they be full of stumbling blocks there God is pleased to lay stumbling blocks when God seeth his Children hanker after sinful waies God makes this let and the other let this affliction and the other affliction one thing or other they shall find in Gods Providence to stop them in the way A most excellent Promise for this to the Children of God when God was in a way of mercie to them you have in Hosea 2. 6 7. Therefore behold I will hedg up thy way with thorns and make a wall that she shall not find her paths Mark when God intends good to his Church he promises to hedg up the way and wall it up that is the way to Idols that they should not find it so easilie as before Oh take notice of this Oh all ye Servants of God when you have found your hearts hanker after evil waies Oh the goodness of God he hath laid stumbling blocks in the waies of death whereas others when they have come to the waies of death all is clear and smooth before them and they have their hearts desire This is the difference between Gods dealings with his people and the wicked 3 As Prosperitie is fuel for sin and gives libertie to sin So it hardens the hearts of men and women in sin As it is with the Clay when the Sun shines upon it it grows harder mire and dirt grows harder with the shining of the Sun so wicked and ungodly men their hearts grow hard in the waies of sin with the shine of Prosperitie upon it As the Iron is soft when the fire is in it but harder when the fire is out so with men and women in affliction they seem soft but they are the harder when out again We have a notable place for this Job 21. from the 7. verse to the 14. there is a description of the prosperous Estate of the wicked now at the 14. verse see how their hearts be hardned Therefore they say to God depart from us we desire not the knowledg of his way because he had said before of them Their houses are safe from fear neither is the rod of God upon them Their bull gendreth and faileth not their cow
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
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
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
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
order to God we seek for it in God though in the Creature if in order unto God but when we come to seek for any good any comfort in any way of sin as no sin can be committed but there is this in it Though deliberately you do not say that you think there is not comfort enough in God but you will have it in this sinful way you do not say so but there is this in thy walking in the way of sin God seeth this in the Nature of every sin Would not a Father think it a wrong to him or a Master think it a wrong to have his Son or his Servant go and complain to his Neighbor and say he hath not meat enough That wrong you would think your Child doth to you in going to shark at your Neighbors door for meat this you do to God when you go to sin As if you should say notwithstanding there is so much said of the infinit goodness of God and that infinite satisfaction in Him for my part I find not enough in Him I must have it elswhere This is a wrong to Gods Al-sufficiencie in this first regard Secondly A sinner going in waies of sin wrongs God thus he holds this forth That there is more good to be had in a sinful lust than there is to be had in all the glorie and excellencie in the infinite blessed God This you will say is a wrong if this can be made out that there is this evil in sin holding this forth That there is more good to be had in a base sinful lust than in all the glorie in Heaven and comfort in God Certainly this is so and God seeth it so and except God be satisfied for this sin in Christ God will charge this upon thy soul another day that hast been guilty of this great sin And that I may cleer it to your Conscience That in every evil way there is this Thus it appears Because everie sinful way is a departing from God and all that good in God now this in the account of Reason may appear to the weakest capacity That where there stands two goods propounded and I depart from one and chuse the other by my chusing though I say nothing when I chuse the one when I cannot injoy both together I do thereby profess I account more good to be in that other I chuse than in that former I parted from Thus it is in the waies of Sin God sets forth himself to the Soul and shews his goodness and excellencie as appeareth in all his glorious works and those that live under the Gospel as appeareth in his word to them and God woes the Soul My Son give me thy heart and here I am willing to communicate my self to thee and all that good in me to thy Soul if I have anie good anie thing in that infinite Nature of mine to comfort thy Soul and make thee happie here I am willing to let it out and communicate it to thee Thus God professes to all the world all the Children of men to whom at least the Ministerie of the Gospel comes if thy Soul will come in and close with him in that way he reveals to thee he is readie to communicate that goodness in him to thy Soul to make thee blessed But now anie man or woman in anie sinful way though they do not say so yet they profess by their practice this That though there be such goodness in thee yet here is such a sinful lust I expect more goodness in this than in thy blessed Majestie Certainly there is this in everie Sin and God seeth it and God will deal with a sinner according to this if he come to answer for his sin himself For Brethren thus it stands we cannot enjoy God and sinful waies both together so far as any decline to sinful waies so far they venture the loss of God eternally and all that good in God It may be God may have mercie upon thee and bring thee into Christ and Christ may satisfie God for that wrong thou didst to him this is nothing to thee but there is this evil in thee there is not one sinful way that thou closest with but thou venturest the loss of all that infinite good to be injoyed in the blessed God in that sin here is the evil of sin And is not this a wrong to God what is God if not better than a base lust The Devil himself is better than a base lust that is the Devil hath an Entitie in him he is of God though he be a Devil by sin yet he is a being that is of God but sin hath no good and therfore sin is worse than the Devil It is that which makes the Devil so evil as he is and yet thou in thy sinful way doest profess thou accountest more good to be in sin than in all the good of God himself as if sin were better than God himself For thou venturest the loss of God that thou maiest have thy sinful way Oh sinner stop in thy way and consider what thou doest and know all thy life long which thou hast lived hath been nothing else but a continual profession before all the world by thy sinful life That thou accountest more good in a lust than all the good in the blessed God to be enjoyed to al Eternitie II. Thou wrongest God in the way of thy sin thus in his Omnipresence and Omnisciency to put them both together 1 In that thou darest do that before the very face of God that God infinitely hates Is it not a wrong to any King yea to your selves though mean for those that are your inferiors to do that before your face that you hate above all things in the world thus a Sinner doth al the wayes of thy Sin are before the very face of God and they are such things as God infinitely hates yet thou darest do that before the face of God in some Sin that thou darest not do before the meanest boy or girle in thy house What a wrong is this to Gods Omnisciency and Omnipresence Nay perhaps thou darest not do it before a Child of six years old and yet darest do it before the face of the infinite blessed God if a man should be afraid to do a thing before any Servant in his house the very Scullion of the Kitchin and yet when he comes before the King doth it there were not this a wrong to his Majesty that any dare be so bold before him 2 Again Thou wrongest his Omnipresence in this in that thou darest to cast that which is filthy before his presence to cast Carrion a dead Dog before a Prince is a wrong men in sinful wayes do nothing but cast vomit and filth before the presence of a most holy God thus thou wrongest God in his Omnipresence and Omnisciency Thirdly Thou wrongest God in his way of Wisdom because in Sin thou professest Gods wayes are not wayes of Wisdom but thou
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
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
have slight thoughts of Sin and the troubl for it these thoughts of their hearts shall be altered You must come to know Sin in another manner than now you do you must come to feel what Sin is in another manner than now you do I remember I once heard a credible Relation of a Scholler that was in jovial Company and very merry and yet one that had some inlightnings of Conscience and being very prophane there was occasionally one in the Company speaking of a wounded Conscience he presently claps his hand upon his brest Well saith he One day this breast of mine must know what a wounded Conscience means He being Conscious to himself of abundance of guilt in him for he had light and yet was prophane and his Conscience told him though now he was merry yet one day that breast of mine must know what a wounded Spirit means So I say to you is there any prophane person this day before the Lord that hath had or stil hath slight thoughts of the evil of Sin and trouble of Conscience for Sin Well Go thy waies and lay thy hand upon thy breast and say to thy self One day this breast of mine must know what a wounded Spirit is and must have other manner of thoughts about a troubled Conscience for Sin If thy heart be not yet troubled for sin if thou feelest not the weight of sin now it is a dangerous sign that thou art reserved to feel the weight of sin in torment to know what the meaning of sin is in the burthen of it in torment If now thou hast slight thoughts concerning trouble for sin I say take it as from the Lord this day as spoken to thee it is a fearful sign a brand upon thee that thou art reserved to feel trouble for sin eternally God hath time enough to trouble you for Sin hereafter and therefore it may be he lets you go on in these slight thoughts for the present and you do bless your selves in your own conceits and God doth not now convince you because he hath time enough hereafter A Fifth thing I would say to those that have slight thoughts about trouble for sin is this That if ever God should in this world come to awaken your Conscience and lay the weight of sin upon your souls it were just with God then to let you sink under the burthen I say it were just with God so to wound you for sin as to see you sweltring in your wounds and deny compassion Why Because you have had slight thoughts of such a wound Certainlie brethren observe what I say unto you the very Reason why men and women are so long in anguish of Spirit for their sin and under such sore troubles and distress of Conscience by reason of their sin and can have no comfort it is because heretofore they have had such slight thoughts of trouble of Conscience Perhaps when they were in their jollitie and mirth they made a mock of it made nothing of it heard dreadful threats against sin and made light of it and thought people were troubled more than needs Well you once had such slight thoughts of trouble of Concience for sin now God comes upon you for it and this hand of God lies upon you and it is just with God you should feel it to purpose that you should have smart enough that God might instruct you and convince you of your error and might now come and teach you after another manner What do you think now of trouble of Conscience for sin you had such and such thoughts of it heretofore what be your thoughts of it now I remember there was one not far from the place where I ordinarily lived and it was a yong Maid hearing of many troubled in Conscience for Sin she in a kind of scorn and contempt of it would feign her self troubled in Conscience for sin and ô she was mightily troubled and in scorn of the Ministers Oh these and these Ministers must be sent for to comfort her meerly out of contempt and scorn but afterward God laid on in good earnest upon her Conscience and then she was troubled to purpose and so that she was at the very brink of making away her self and it was very much feared by al her friends indeed she would have made away her self and atempted it many ways if God had not wonderfully hindred it So those that have light thoughts of perplexities of conscience for sin when it comes indeed it may be just with God it should be so heavy that they should not be able to bear it but sink under it then it will be so strange a thing to such as have slight thoughts of it that the very strangness of trouble of Conscience for sin will amaze them that they wil not know what in the world to do This is a Fifth thing When trouble comes upon them God may justly leave them under trouble A Sixth thing I would say to such that have slight thoughts about trouble of Conscience for sin is this These thoughts of yours do take away a chief restraint of sin and causes you to disregard all the Authority of the Word There be these Two fearful Evils that do follow upon your slight thoughts of trouble of CONSCIENCE for SIN 1 They take away that which is the chief Restraint of Sin There are many outward restraints to keep men and women from sin but all outward restraints from sin are nothing to the restraints of Conscience a man that hath a tender Conscience hath the greatest restraint of sin that can be no restraint like to that but one that is so far from a tender Conscience that he thinks trouble of Conscience is a melancholly conceit such a man hath no restraint to purpose from sin he may have restraints from outward and gross sins but from close secret sins he hath none Now it is a great evil to a man that the hinderances to secret sins be taken away and he gives himself liberty in secret sins 2 And then for the Authority of the Word It is a great mercy for men and women to be in such a condition that their heart should be continually under the authority of the Word howsoever you think it a brave thing that you can get your hearts above the Word but certainly it is one of the greatest mercies of God upon the earth for God to keep the hearts of men and women under the authority of the Word But that man or woman that thinks lightly of troubles of Conscience such a one can slight the Word regards it not let what will be spoken he can easily put it off because the main hold that the Word hath upon the heart of a man or woman it is upon their Conscience the Word takes hold upon their Conscience and brings down the heart under the power of it but if the Word take not hold upon conscience it takes not hold at all But let a man or woman
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
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
woful condition to be presently put in that woful beggery and penury thou wert in before This would sink thy heart Know the commission of any one sin is a greater misery than if there should be such a change of thy Estate if God should give thee a heart to turn from thy sin perhaps thine affliction might be taken away for it 's a punishment for sin and as you know David saith I have been yong and now am old yet never saw I the Righteous forsaken and his seed begging their bread And truly that he hath said I verily beleeve most of you may say That in all your lives you never saw one that you had good evidence of to be truly godly and gracious to go up and down as our common beggers in that woful perplexity I do not say but godly righteous men may be in want and in need but for my part I never knew any godly and righteous but one way or other God stirred up some to Releive them Or if they have been forced to seek relief of some they have gone and made known their condition to others their neighbors and so they have commended them to others and those to others and so they are commended from one to another that either know them or by the recommendation of them that do know them and so are releived But to go in such an extravagant way from door to door a begging their bread I hardly think you can give example of any godly have been so And if God would but turn the heart of some poor wretched miserable Creature so that there might appear godlinesse in them God would provide for them It s true though there be not godlinesse we should not let them perish God forbid let them not want that which is absolutely necessary let them not starve yet the Scripture saith Let them that will not work not eat let not us do more than the Scripture commands to give liberty in such waies as increaseth sin and let not us nourish that which nourisheth sin but inquire after them that be godly and releive them And if poor people would depend upon God in his wayes he would provide for them And know if thy Afflictions should not be taken away if thy sin were gone thou wouldest be far more able to bear thy Affliction for a man that hath a sore shoulder cannot bear a burthen but if the sorenesse be gone he can bear it the better so thy Affliction would not be so heavy if thou wert godly as it is now nay it would be sanctified to thee and thon wouldest bear them the better I confesse this is hard to convince them that be ignorant of God the nature of grace but certainly there is a truth in these things therefore though it be rare for God to come in with his saving grace into the heart of such that be miserably afflicted though it is true their Affliction doth not hinder for were it not for their wickednesse they might be happy I would not make their Affliction greater than it is they might be happy were it not for their wickednesse but we see it so rare because their Education is such there is no good Principle in them and nothing to work upon in them being bred up in Atheism therefore it is very rare But because it is so rare so much the greater will Gods grace be if God have some of these poor Creatures in this Congregation at this present and speak to their hearts how much more rare would it be because it is not often seen what if God pass by great rich men Noble men Princes and shall look into thy Cottage and on thy miserable Estate and convert thy Soul and shew mercie to thee What! for God to set his heart upon thee and give the Blood of his Son for thee and to make thee an Heir with Jesus Christ give thee an Inheritance in the Kingdom of Glory and in Life to make thee come and reign with him Eternally Oh the infiniteness of Gods grace that ever God should set his heart upon such a poor Creature as thou art Therfore go away with these thoughts Oh wretched Creature how have I lived without God in the world and look't for nothing but a little bread and drink and thought my self happy if I could but get this and thus lived miserably here and I confess have thought my self a miserable wretch all this while but God hath told me this at this present there is a worse evil than all this the evil of sin I have been full of all my life and put both together how miserable are we and therefore the Lord be merciful to me if God strike thy heart know thy soul is as precious in Gods eyes as the richest man in the world as King or Prince the greatest Noble man 's in the Land is not more precious in Gods eyes than thine yea and the Ministers of the Gospel be sent by God to preach Jesus Christ to thee as well as to preach to the richest and greatest in the world Christ came to shed his blood for thee as wel as for the greatest in the world and the Kingdom of Heaven is opened as wide to thee as to the greatest and richest though 't is true thou canst not deliver thy self from outward affliction yet thou maist deliver thy Soul from Hell as well as the greatest in the world therefore be not miserable here and miserable hereafter but look after God and Christ and Eternal Life though thou beest not like to be great here yet who knows but that thou maiest be crowned with Glory Eternally hereafter there is fulness of Mercy in God Poor Creatures if they see a Coach come if they think a Gentleman be there or a Noble man how they run and cry out Oh good my Lord or your Worship and lift up their voyces for Alms If an ordinary man come they will desire relief and beseech them for a halfpenny or a farthing but if a rich and a great man pass by then they cry and lift up their voyces why because they think there is more to be had Oh know there is fulness of Riches and Grace in God to turn thy misery to Eternal felicity there is mercy enough in God to raise thee from thy low weak miserable estate to the height of glory and happiness And if God cause his Word to prevail with thy Soul thou maiest go away with the best dole that ever thou hadest in all thy life And thus much I thought to speak to those poor people that were both sinful miserable and afflicted 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
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