a holy life you must get a clean heart v D. Manton in Lo. 2 Cor. 7. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In divino Cultu nihi mutiluÌ„ sed omnia absoluta esse decet Calv. Cleanse your hands ye Sinners and purify your hearts ye double minded Not only outward impurity of the Body but inward impurity of the Heart not only practical uncleanness but speculative uncleanness should be utterly abhorred and abandoned altogether For so runs the Charge of the Apostle Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God This then is an undoubted Conclusion consonant to the Rule of the word That where holiness is cordially embraced loved desired and delighted in and rightly priced in the Judgment and preferrd as the true Wisdome before Rubies and all manner of pretious Stones and where holiness is practiced in the life and Conversation questionless that heart is upright and sincere towards God notwithstanding many personal Infirmities which we grieve for and dislike of while we are in this Vale of misery CHAP. IIII. Of ingenuous Sorrow for Sin A Fourth Character of Sincerity is Ingenous Charact. 4. Ingenous sorrow for our Sias sorrow for all Sin This Epithete Ingenuous I therefore name because I would lay down hereby a discriminating note between that sorrow which is for the Sin and that which is onely for the punishment Sect. 1 That sorrow I call ingenuous which is for the Sin more then for the Punishment and this is a Filial kind of sorrow That I call servile and disingenous which is more for the Punishment then for the Sin A Child of God understands the nature of Sin as to it's filthiness guiltiness and punishment which is the consequent thereof and therefore he laies Sin to heart and is grieved and vexed at the very heart because God is thereby dishonoured and his holy Law is broken A Godly mourner mourns for Sin as it is Sin because of its filthiness and defilement and because it displeaseth the only Holy Lord God and is odious and abominable in his sight The Eye of every upright man affects his Heart and melts him into Tears of Godly sorrow and works an inward compunction and a heart breaking sorrow And this is that sorrow which is of the right stamp a genuine and ingenuous kind of sorrow And where ever this ingenuous sorrow is it may be fully evidenced by seven Apostolical characters mentioned by the Apostle For Behold saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 7. 11. this self same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge Sect. 2 There is a very great difference between the mournings of Cain Pharaoh Ahab and Judas who only mourned and roared for the smart of punishment and the mournings of David Paul Peter and Mary Magdalen who mourned for their sins and therefore grieved because they displeased so good and gracious a Lord God For instance Pharaoh often cried out that the plagues inflicted on him and on his people might be taken away but what plagues did he mean I answer he meant only the plagues of Frogs Locusts Caterpillars c. Pharaoh had a plague incumbent on him worse than all those and that was the plague of a hard heart of this plague he makes not any mention at all A hard heart was his great sin and it was inflicted upon him as a very great judgment But David cries out against Psal 51. 4. himself for his sins and makes a particular acknowledgment Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight And he prayes Hide thy face Verse 9. from my sins and blot out all my transgressions Ahab was a meer stranger to the Grace of Humility and unacquainted with it altogether yet it 's said of him that he humbled himself and for his outward humiliation the judgment threatned was adjourned Seest thou how Ahab 1 Kings 21. 29. humbleth himself before me Because he humbleth himself before me I Poenitentia ductus sed quae non permansit Aliquid tamen de commeritâ poenâ ob hoc detractum est Grot. Exemplum bonitatis Dei quatenus Achab quantumvis hypocriticè poeâ—itentiam agenti poenas meritas differt Hinc colligi pot est Deum multo magis beneficum fore erga cos qui veram seriam poenitentiam egerint Piscat will not bring the evil in his dayes but in his sons dayes will I bring the evil upon his house Yet of Ahab it may be more properly said that he was rather humbled than humble for the fear and horror apprehended of those dreadful judgments which were to be poured down against himself and Jezebel his Wife and his Posterity extorted from him an outward humiliation which consisted in putting on Sackcloth in fasting and going softly and looking with a sorrowful and dejected countenance yet all this while he had not one dram of true godly sorrow and of true humility How sad must be the condition of many loose Professors now a-dayes who come short of such as Ahab was and how dreadful must their condition be who come short of those who come short of Heaven But St. Paul was a man of another spirit he was not only humbled but humble and had the gift and grace of true humility and he was a true Penitent a sincere Convert and a godly Mourner for sin and he was so low and debased in his own eyes as to account himself the chief of 1 Tim. 1. 15. sinners We read of Ahab's forwardness in offering himself a Voluntier and Slave to sin so that this foul Brand of Infamy is stampt upon him But there was none 1 Kings 21. 25. like unto Ahab which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord whom Jezebel his Wife stirred up Ahab was active and put himself forward to work all manner of mischief he precipitated himself without fear or wit into any desperate Adventure He stuck at nothing but ran on in a wild and mad career following all sorts of wickedness with a full bent propension and vergency of his soul and with delight and complacency driving a Trade for Sin and for the Devil We read of such who were almost starved for hunger that they flew upon the spoil And likewise 1 Sam. 14. 32. the Apostle stigmatizeth the vilest of sinners after this manner Who being past feeling have given themselves over Eph. 4. 19. unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness Of this brand was Ahab But on the contrary St. Paul discovers a better spirit as appears by his protestation I delight in the Law of God after Rom. 7. 22. the inward man He was passive and with great grief and remorse of heart Tom. 7.
See the vast difference between worldly and godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death If we could mourn for sin much more and for the world less we should lead more comfortable lives for the future than ever we have formerly done CHAP. V. Of Sorrowing and Mourning for others Sins Sect. 1 A Fifth Character of a sincere Heart Charact. 5. Mourning for others Sins 1. is Sorrowing and Mourning for others Sins A true godly Mourner whose heart is upright with God doth not confine and terminate his sorrow within the narrow compass of his own â—rest and not let it extend any further but he laies to heart and unfeignedly mourns for the sins of others Though as it 's commonly said Charity begins at home yet it must not end there there must be a plus ultrà for our Charity it must be diffusive and extended to others And this is a great sign of love when we are assected with and affected for the sins oâ— others as well as for our own Every good man is not only grieved for his own sins but for the sins of others Of this excellent temper was David the man after God's own heart who from his heart professed Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Psal 119. 136. But many there are whose motions Qui spiritu Dei aguntur hi sentiunt tales dolorum stimulos ut Loth cum videret sceleruÌ„ omnium colluviem regnare Sodomae c. Mollcrus are excentrick to that good man for they are so far strangers to mourning for other mens sins as they make their sins a matter of sport mirth and mockery However they would be loath to be branded for fools yet they cannot escape Solomon's censure Prov. 14. 9. Fools make a mock at sin When men make sin a matter of pleasure and jesting and make that a matter of laughter which should be a cause of mourning they shew themselves to be notorious fools Many there are who deservedly may be rank'd amongst the chiefest and worst sort of fools who when they see men drunk or hear them swear or curse or talk lasciviously and belch out such words as even the Heathen could say corrupt good manners 1 Cor. 15. 33. then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menander those men are transported with laughter and merriment and they talk with delight and complacency pleasing themselves with the remembrance of others sins These have Solomon's brand for fools and their folly will appear to their shame when they shall mourn for their laughter and weep for their wicked pleasure and jollities When some wrote Books in a jesting and deriding manner concerning several faults of great men after Mr. Greenham a Reverend and Learned Divine had read those Books he was much offended at them saying That sins ought to be made V. Greenhams works odious and not onely made ridiculous Whatever sins we either discern in our selves or in any other we ought to mourn for them and not to make a sport of them A good Christian who is acquainted with the pangs of the New Birth and is sensible of that great filthiness and abomination that is in every sin and that every sin grieveth and vexeth God and is odious and abominable in his sight such a man I say where-ever he finds sin he hates it and mourns for it and therefore he is not an idle Spectator or over-curious Inquisitor but a real Mourner for other mens sins And whilst he mourns for others sins he reflects upon himself as a person made of the same mould and one of the same passions and having the same corrupt nature That excellent Father St. Bernard makes mention of an old man who when he had heard that one of his Brethren had committed a scandalous sin he wept bitterly saying He sin'd to day Vid. Bern. in Fest St. Martini I may sin to morrow We are all by nature children of wrath as others Ephes 2. 3. Nature makes no difference between us and the vilest of men Who art thou then that boastest of a good nature and a sweet disposition though these things are very commendable amongst men and much to be desired yet there 's much more required for the best nature without sanctifying grace is no better than poyson in a golden Cup. Hath then God endowed thee with a greater measure of grace than thy Brother remember that it is thy duty to acknowledg with all thankfulness that what grace thou hast is the free gift of God And what hast thou which thou hast not received now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not 1 Cor. 4. 7. received it Not the goodness of thy nature but the free grace of God makes thee to differ from thy Brother O therefore with all thankfulness acknowledg God's restraining grace and sanctifying grace whereby thou kept from running with others into the same excess of riot All sorts of grace come from God as antecedent concomitant and subsequent and a Christian hath need of them all that so he may begin any good work proceed and persevere therein If the Lord should leave thee to thy self and let thee be fill'd with thy own ways and give thee up to thy own hearts lusts thou wilt quickly destroy thy self by breaking out into such horrid sins as the vilest of men give themselves to commit with delight and complacency It was a good Prayer in an ancient Letany Lord deliver me from my self That rare Father St. Bernard prayed Lord deliver me from the evil man i. e. my Eâ—ipe me a malo homine a me iâ—so Bern. de iâ—ter Domâ— self Thus he counted himself the evil man and thus he discovered singular humility Sect. 2 Let 's not neglect our duty in being both affected with and afflicted for the sins of others as remembring that we are men of like passions and we are dust and ashes frail creatures our Fathers being Amorites and our Mothers Hittites notwithstanding we are preserv'd from the commission of many sins which others ordinarily commit we have great cause of thankfulness but not the least cause of being proud If through riches of mercy we have hopes of a saving interest in Christ we not knowing the secret Decree of God for ought we know others may be fellow members of Christ's Body and fellow Citizens of the new Jerusalem we ought therefore to sympathize with them and be alike affected with variety of Dispensations towards them as the Apostle commands Rom. 12. 15 Rejoyce with them that do rejoyce weep with them that weep For any one to say as Cain Am I my Brothers keeper What am I concern'd in anothers matters let every one look to himself such speeches as â—â—â—elare scriptum est a Platone â—on a nobis solum nati sumus sed ortus nostri partem patria partem pareates veâ—dicant
of Judgment John Huss and Jerome Luth. Loc. Com. of Prague shall appear to be good men when the Pope and his Cardinalls shall appear to be vile and wicked wretches St Bernard us'd to say That the Day will Veniet Veniet Dies quando male judicata rejudicabit Deuâ— Bern. come it will certainly come when God will judg over again all false judgment But as for all those whose hearts were upright with God whilst they liv'd in this world these after death are translated into an estate of glory and happiness and in the highest heavens receive consolations beyond all expression and a weight of glory beyond the capacity of any mortal man which Christ gives to all his Children who in their Pilgrimage on earth endeavoured with their whole heart and strength to serve the Lord in sincerity and in truth All those who were on earth Sincere-hearted and real Saints shall be acknowledged to be such by Christ himself at the Day of Judgment No sin no failing nor imperfection shall at all be layd to their Charge in that day for all failings and sins and all manner of imperfections shall be washt away in the bloud of Jesus Christ What ever good things the Saints have done on earth shall be all remembred and not any one thing forgotten at the day of judgment But whatever was bad and sinfull that they committed on earth shall not be layd to their Charge but shall be blotted out of the Book of Gods Remembrance and God will cast them into the depth of the sea O What a joyfull day and full of Comfort will the day of judgment be to all the Children of God! Then they shall lift up their heads with Comfort and behold him who is their Judg as their Redeemer Advocate Intercessor and Flder Brother and he will pronounce for them a sentence of Absolution At that day all glorified Saints shall have their bodily eyes irradiated with the splendor of glory and they shall be inabled to behold the Beatificall Vision and this is he Happiness of all Happiness and this only is their portion and appropriated to them alone who are pure in heart Thâ—y are blessed as our Saviour pronounceth them Who are pure in heart for they shall see God Then the Saints in glory shall sit in Judgment as Assessors with Christ and shall approve of the righteous sentence of Christ in Condemning their unrighteous Judges Then they shall see the Omniporent Eternal Jehovah the Beeing of all Beeings the first person in Trinity uncreated unbegotten and unproceeding Then they shall see Christ the Mediator of thâ— New Covenant their only Saviour and Redeemer uncreated but begotten and not proceeding who is the second Person in Trinity Then they shall see the holy Ghost the third Person in Trinity neither created nor begotten but proceeding from both The Glorifyd Saints what they believed when they were militant on earth shall in heaven understand the great Mystery of the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity One glorified Saint shall know more then all the Learned men in the world I 'le conclude with this Doxology Now to the holy and blessed Trinity and one God in Vnity Father Son and Holy Ghost be ascribed all Honour and Glory Praise and Thanksgiving Dominion and Obedience henceforth and unto all Eternity Amen THE Contents of this Treatise CHAP. I. OF spiritual poverty p. 1. Sect. I. Spiritual poverty consists in emptying of the heart of what is self ibid. Sect II. Every humble spirited man is low vile and abject in his own eyes p. 3. Sect. III. One who is spiritually poor meditates frequently and seriously upon the promises and makes particular application of them p. 6. Sect. IV. One that is poor in spirit is weak fiâ—k and in a distressed condition as to his own apprehension and makes haste unto Christ for help p. 9. CHAP. II. Concerning the highest prizing and valuing of Jesus Christ p. 11. Sect. I. It 's an infallible sign of a true Believer to value and prefer Christ before all the riches of the world p. 11. Sect. II. Of ardâ—ney and strength of affection to Jesus Christ p. 14. CHAP. III. Of a heart in love with holiness evidenced in â— holy life and conversation p. 16. Sect. I. Every true Believer loves holiness for it self because it is the image of God ibid. Sect. II. Where holiness is in the heart it is fruitful in the life p. 19. CHAP. IV. Of ingenuous sorrow for sin p. 24. Sect. I. Ingenuous sorrow is more for the sin than the punishment ibid. Sect. II. There is a great difference between the mournings of Cain Ahab Judas c. and the mournings of David Paul Peter c. p. 25. Sect. III. There 's a great difference between the mourning of slaves and mourning of children p. 30. CHAP. V. Of sorrowing and mourning for others sins p. 33. Sect. I. A godly mourner mourns for others sins ibid. Sect. II. We must be affected with and afflicted for the sins of others remembring that we are men of like passions p. 37. CHAP. VI. Of approving our hearts unto God p. 42. Sect. I. A sincere-heâ—rted Christian labours to aprove his heart to God and put himself upon God's trial ibid. Sect. II. Though we are subject to many infirmities we must groan under the burthen of them p. 44. CHAP. VII Of pressing forward towards perfection p. 49. Sect. I. It 's an Apostolical character and Apostolical practice to press forward towards perfection ibid. Sect. II. Instances in particulars whether we press forward towards perfection p. 52. CHAP. VIII Of a strict watch set upon the heart against bosome sins p. 55. Sect. I. A sincere heart endeavors to keep it self from every beloved sin ibid. Sect. II. No sin so little but deserves damnation p. 59. Sect. III. An illustration by similitudes p. 61. CHAP. IX An endeavor against every sin and for the practice of every duty p. 65. Sect. I. The desire and endeavor must be against every sin ibid. Sect. II. The endeavor must be to obey all commands and practice all duties p. 69. CHAP. X. Of a heart without guile p. 73. Sect. I. The heart must be without guile ibid. Sect. II. Every person that is upright is compounded of three words viz. simplicity singleness and sincerity p. 74. CHAP. XI Of mortification of the deeds of the body p. 80. Sect. I. The deeds of the body i. e. all lusts ought to be mortified ibid. Sect. II. Questions propounded and answered p. 83. CHAP. XII Vivisication of the fruits of the Spirit p. 91. Sect. I. Beside mortification of the deeds of the body there must be a vivification of the fruits of the Spirit ibid. Sect. II. How this is to be discerned p. 93. CHAP. XIII Containing the comforts of sincere Christians p. 95. Sect I. Sincere Christians have comforts in their lives ibid. Sect. II. Sincere Christians are sensible of their sins and mourn for them p. 98. CHAP. XIV Sincere-hearted Christians have comforts in their deaths p. 102. Sect. I. The comfortable deaths of such as are sincere p. 102 Sect. II. We ought to prepare for deatâ— p. 10â— Sect. III. The â—ying speeches of Saints p. 109 CHAP. XII Containing the happiness of the Saints iâ— Heaven p. 115 Sect. I. The Saints in Heaven receive per fection of happiness ibid Sect. II. At the day of Judgment all falâ— judgments shall be reverst p. 118 FINIS
14. complains that he was sold under sin He discover'd great renitency reluctancy and antipathies against every sin For saith he that which I do I allow not for what I would do that do I not but Rom. 7. 15. what I hate that do I. O how did this holy Apostle fight and struggle and exercise continual Combats and Conflicts fighting against Sin and Satan And thereupon he breaks forth into a doleful complaint But I see another Law in Verse 23. my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members And it 's observable that all this while and amidst all those sad complaints Paul was a regenerate man and a pregnant demonstration we have of our assertion because he delighted in the Law of God For saith he I delight in the Law of God Verse 22. Totus homo mento ratione regitur ab ca itaque Apostolo homo totus appellatur Bucer after the inward man And to delight in the Law of God in the inward man cannot be appropriated to any but to such only who are in the state of Regeneracy And that the words of the Apostle are not by a figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's evident that he speaks in his own and not in another person because he saith I my self And that the Apostle Rom. 7. 25. gives no allowance to himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem ego vel ipse ego quod à Paulo emphaticè dictum est ad designandum seipsum ne quis eum sub alienâ personâ hactenus fuisse locutum suspicaretur Estius in Loc. Accipiamus hoc in suâ ipsius personâ protulisse Apostolum Zegerus Hac exceptione fatetur se it a esse Deo addictum ut reptans in terra muâ—tis sordibus inquinetur Calr in any sin is clear because he professeth For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do And the Apostle was apprehensive of his own impotency and insufficiency to extricate himself out of those straits and difficulties wherein he was involved and therefore he cries out for a deliverer as appears in that pathetical exclamation O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of Sin By the Body oâ— Sin he understands all sorts of Sin both Original and Actual both the Roor and Fruit the corrupt Fountain and the corrupt Streams And none but God caâ— deliver and set him free from them Hâ— alone can deliver him who delivers uâ— from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1. 10. Sect. 3 Moreover we are farther to considerâ— that there is a vast and a wide difference between the howling of Dogs and the crying of Children and there is as mucâ— difference between the roaring of Gally slaves and the crying of godly Mourners Wicked men Slaves anâ— such as feel the present smart of the lash cry out bitterly by reason of the great pain which they feel and thosâ— smarting blows which they groan under * Poe lit eat te quod tot tantis flagitiis involutus in luto faecis miseriae diutius jacuisti poeniteâ—tiam agens corpus tuum conteras furibunde carnis asello iacentivorum semina subtrahens c. Bern. p. 331. But as for all those who are true and unfeigned Mourners in Zion they are deeply affected with godly sorrow foâ— sin and therefore they grieve and mourn because they have been so hard-hearted as to kick a tender Father upon his Bowels and have been so unthankful as to sin against riches of mercy and loving kindness Hence comes theiâ— Heart-piercing Heart-breaking and Soul-melting Sorrows because they have been such undutiful Children as to reâ— bel against a gracious and merciful God the Father of all mercies and the God of all consolations No massie great Mountain no not the burthen of Aetna as the Proverb is no weight imaginable or expressible can be so heavy as is the burthen of sin to a Child of God And no manner of sorrow can be so bitter to a godly man as is the sense of Sin and sorrow for it Nothing in the World can be so grievous vexing torturing and every way afflictive to a good Christian as Sin is for Sin to him is like a Dagger sticking in his Heart and continually tormenting and putting him to pain Hereupon we read of David watering his Couch with his Tears For Psal 6. 6 7. saith he I am weary with my groaning I make my Bed to swim I water my Couch with my Tears Mine eye is consumed because of grief Further he expresseth an addition to his mourning because his Psal 42. 3. tears was his meat day and night To eat the bread of affliction and to drink the water of affliction is a sad calamity but to feed on tears must needs be much sadder but this is not all for the Psalmist confesseth further There is no Psal 38. 3. soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin Diseases aches pains and broken bones are very grievous Omnium est utilissimum dolorem corporis ex morbo vel ulcere loco peccati habere peceati etiam vocabulo appellare ita vel hoc pacto ad detestationem peccatorum horrorem induceremur Musc in Loc. but sin is or should be more grievouâ— to us than all David was of a sanguinâ— complexion and such naturally are more chearful David was a great and potent King and an excellent Musicianâ— yet the sense of his sins caused great sorrows to him and made him goâ— mourning all the day long If then theâ— thorow sense of sin and the guilt thereof be set home upon the Conscience there will be weeping and mourning The eye will affect the heart and cause inward compunction and godly sorrow Thus we read of Ephraim smiting upon his thigh Of Ephraim's Conversion and Repentance which is the Fruit of Conversion the Prophet Jeremy makes mention I have surely heard Ephraim Jer. 31. 18 19. bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thing I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth We shall likewise find the Prophet Ezekiel â—zek 21. 6. sighing to the breaking of his loyns And Job 42. 6. Job abhorring himself and repenting in dust and ashes Many mourn for worldly losses and shed many a tear for any loss which befals them in their temporal estate but few there are which mourn for sin which produceth the greatest loss even the loss of God's favor Many have cause to repent for their worldly mournings and to mourn for their mournings
swallowed up in glory and we then shall attain to the end of our hope the salvation of our immortal Souls CHAP. VIII Shewing that where the Heart is sincere there is a strict Watch set upon the Heart and Life to keep us from bosome Sins THe eighth Character of sincerity is a Charact. 8. A strict Watch against bosome Stâ—s strict Watch set upon the Heart and Life against all and every bosome and beloved Sin Be thy sins as dear and as near as a right hand or a right eye they must be cut off and pluckt out for so saith our Saviour Observemâ—s in hac Christi admonitione quo serio qno fervore quamque vehementi cautione opus sit regnum Dei quaereâ—ibus ut offendiculorum occasiones undicunqâ—e irruentes amputent Musch in Loc. Matth. 5. 29 30. And if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell And if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell But these words may not be understood literally of mutilating and of dismembring of our selves but we are to understand them as spoken by way of caution and of strict command not only to avoid all sins but all manner of appearance of evil and likewise all sorts of occasions and temptations to sin The Psalmist gives a clear note of distinction between him whose heart is upright and him whose heart is not upright towards God Psal 18. 23. I was saith he upright before Neque quisquam ia pietatis siudio perget nisi qui sedulo se custodiet ab iaiqâ—itatc sua Caiv. in Loc. Ab iniquitate meâ i. c. ad quam naturaÌ„ meâ proius sum h. e. ne quid pravi admilterem aut nescclus admitterem quas antea admisissem Vatabl. him and I kept my self from mine iniquity It 's plain and evident from that Scripture that every bosome sin which David calls mine iniquity ought in an especial manner to be watched against and prevented and if we be overtaken with it we should loathe and leave it That sin is a bosome sin which is peccatum in deliciis a darling sin like a Delilah in the bosome an Agag a ruling sin a Gibeonite a pretending sin any sin that pleads with an Exceptive as Naaman did 2 Kings 5. 18. In this thing the Lord pardon thy Servant that when my Master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there and he leaneth on my hand and I bow down my self in the house of Rimmon the Lord pardon thy Servant in this thing All these and such like Apologies and pleadings pretences and excuses for sin must be utterly abhor'd and abandon'd altogether Suppose thy sins may be lesfer comparatively than some others yet no sin can be so little but it 's greatly hated and abhor'd by Almighty God and deserves his wrath to be poured down upon the Sinner unto all eternity As for instance suppose thou accustomest thy self to petty and lesser Oaths frothy and vain discourse jesting lyes c. yet all these have filth and guilt in them and are odious and abominable in the fight of God and therefore we ought to detest and utterly forsake them One of the ancient Fathers of the highest rank declares his judgment That none ought Augusti to tell though but one a lye although the telling of that one lye might save the whole World The Reason of that Assertion is grounded upon that Proposition of eternal Truth We may not do evil that good may come thereof Ancient sins which are of long standing and custom such as are sins of pleasure and profit such as suit most with the genius complexion and constitution of particular men and conduce most to the satisfaction of carnal lusts and to the pleasing of flesh and blood and corrupt nature are so far from being extenuated as notwithstanding Custom and Antiquity they carry a greater Aggravation with them Thieves Murtherers and such notorious criminal persons cannot expect to fare a whit the better but the worse altogether for pleading a custom and habit in their wickedness Wherefore then let us in good earnest loat he and detest all sins and after loathing and detesting leave and forsake all manner of sins and break off both acts and habits of sinning by unfeigned repentance and conversion to God And let us fulfil that Prophesie by our daily practice Isai 30. 22. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven Images of Silver and ornament of thy molten Images of Gold Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous Cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Let none presume to plead for any sin as Lot pleaded for Zoar Is it not a little one and my Soul shall live A little leak in a Ship if it be neglected and not stopt up presently may sink the Ship and so all in the Ship may be suddenly drowned A little Thief put into a Window may open the Door and let in a multitude of such desperate Cut-throats as may quickly destroy a whole Family A little Pen-knife a little Aul or Bodkin may kill a man as soon as either Sword Spear or Gun Sisera the General of Jabin's Forces ran away on his feet and so escaped the edge of the Sword in the open field but by Jael he was kill'd in the Tent for we read Judges 4. 21. That Jael Heber's Wife took a Nail of the Tent and took an Hammer in her hand and went softly unto him and smote the Nail into his Temples and fastned it into the ground for he was fast asleep and weary so he died Sect. 2 In our most composed and deliberate thoughts let us consider that there is no sin so little but without the interposing of the merits of Christ will damn us both Body and Soul into the nethermost Hell There is no little God no little Price paid to make an Attonement for Sin and no little Hell the place of Torments Oh then as thou consultest the good of thy precious Soul lay aside altogether all manner of Apologies pretences pleadings and expostulations and all manner of hopes of obtaining any Dispensations for any one Sin which may be comparatively lesser than some others As for that sin which in thy account is not to be regarded as if it were either a little one or none at all without repentance and pardon purchased through the Bloud of Christ thy Soul and Body may be cast into that Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone to all eternity One of the chiefest rank of the Roman Historians relates what Hanno said of Hannibal That such a Parvus hic igâ—is iaceâ—dium â—â—geis exuscitet Iav little Spark might cause a great Flame The Embers of
an evil Thought may set the whole man in combustion sinful thoughts which are in embrione and not yet come to maturity yet being not crush'd not disallowed may in a short tract of time bring forth evil words and afterwards full-born actions of all sorts of abominations As soon as Goliah that insolent proud-daring Champion was brain'd and his Head with his own Sword sever'd from his shoulders then forthwith the whole Army of the Philistins was routed and utterly overthrown If then all Champion-reigning Sins such I call so which are darling bosome Sins be conquered and destroyed then all other sins which are of more than ordinary incursion will the sooner be vanquished and subdued We read that when the King of Syria went to joyn battle against Ahab King of Israel 2 Kings 22. 31. that he gave strict command to his thirty and two Captains that had rule over his Chariots saying Fight neither with small nor great save only with the King of Israel Now if the Question be made Why was the battle principally design'd against the King of Israel The Answer is at hand Because the King of Israel was the worst Enemy and most hating and most hated Although in our spiritual warfare we must valiantly encounter and fight against every sin yet in an especial manner we must with renewed strength fight against all bosome sins because the more they are delighted in and hugg'd in the bosome they prove more mischievous as Vipers and Serpents who being once received into the bosome suddenly destroy those who give them entertainment Questionless every sin is of a poisonous and destructive nature yet a beloved sin carries with it more aggravating circumstances and so proves more mischievous and destructive as may be abundantly evidenced by the sad consequences thereof as daily experience witnesseth abundantly Sect. 3 For a further illustration of the Assertion by a plain and obvious similitude Would any man though of an ordinary capacity habour Vipers Adders Scorpions Toads and such like noxious and hurtful creatures in his house would any entertain such kind of dangerous creatures in his bed and lay them in his bosome and so venture to sleep with them None can easily imagine that any there are who are so far sequestred from common sense and reason as to venture to give a bosome reception to such kind of creatures which are offensive and destructive unto mankind The chiefest of the Heathen Orators tells us That Principio generi animantium omni est a naturâ tributum utse vitam corpusque tueatur deelinetqâ—e ea quae â—ocitura videantur Ciâ— off Ib. 1. naturally all creatures must defend their life and body and avoid all those things which are hurtful Wherefore let 's consider seriously and after mature deliberation we shall confess that any beloved Sin is worse than any Viper Scorpion Adder or Toad in the bosome and whilst thou embracest and pleasest thy self in any beloved Sin thou takest a ready course to destroy both thy Body and Soul Wherefore Oh Christian if thou hast any love any regard or commiseration of thy immortal and heavenly-born being Soul give not thy self the least allowance or dispensation in any beloved Sin for if thou pleadest for thy Sins thou art the greatest Enemy to thy own Soul Let not any voluptuous man plead for his pleasures and sensual delights let not any unchaste man plead for his Strumpet or for any wanton lascivious carriage let not any vain frothy Jester and Scoffer plead for any wittily contriv'd lye collusion or any abusive carriage let not any Tradesman excuse his lying and overreaching in his Trade and vending of sophisticated wares and refuse commodities let him not flatter himself with vain pretences as if his lying equivocating and jugling would much conduce to his profit let him not pretend that he cannot keep open shop and maintain his family and if he should once leave his lying and swearing and couzening his family would be utterly undone All such kind of pleadings are odious and abominable in the sight of God Neither Antiquity nor Custom nor pleasure nor profit will excuse thee in the least nor relieve thee before the impartial Tribunal of Jesus Christ When thou shalt appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ then all sinful pleadings and all vain Apologies will be so far from extenuating or lessening thy sin at that great day as that they will aggravaâ—e them both as to the silth and guilt of them And then Christ will pronounce against thee that dreadful sentence of condemnation We read Matth. 25. that sins of omissions could not in the least excuse them And some in an especial manner have bewail'd their sins of omission how then shall the Bishop Usher late Primate of Ireland commissions of scandalous sins excuse thee at that great day of account and amongst other sins such as are beloved bosome and customary sins most pleasing to flesh and blood these will aggravate both thy sins and thy punishments at the day of Judgment CHAP. IX A desire and universal endeavour against all and every Sin is a Character of a sincere Heart and it 's accompanied with the Practice of all Duties Sect. 1 THe ninth Character of sincerity consists Charact. 9. A desire and endeavour against all Sins and for the practice of all Duties in a desire universally extensive and an equal endeavour against all manner and all sorts of Sins and a desire and endeavor as extensive to yield obedience unto all Command and to practice all Duties The desire and endeavour must be The desire and endeavour must be extensive against all sins extensive against all manner of all sins There must be a desire and endeavour to refrain from every evil way and not only from one sin but from all sins of all sorts and all manner of sizes though as considered comparatively they may not be pleaded for at all though less than others but they must be utterly abandoned and forsaken as well as others of a greater filth and guilt Thus the Psalmist professeth Psal 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep thy word By feet we are to understand the whole course of our lives and conversations in a comprehensive sense taking in the whole duty of man And that we may keep the Word of God and keep close to his Statutes we must wage war against every sin and * Significat se bellum indixisse omnibus vitiis ut se Deo in obsequium dederet Calv. refrain our feet from every evil way There must then of necessity be an universal loathing and an universal leaving of every sin for in every sin even in such as some call a peccadillo there is poison and venome for which there is no other Antidote but the Bloud of Jesus Christ There is no sin which is in its own nature venial unless the Bloud of Christ make it so Wherefore that commonly received distinction amongst
commanded in the Word of God we must make it our business to manifest our thorow and impartial obedience not picking and chusing as if when we had perform'd an easier duty then we might obtain a dispensation for a greater commandment But all such manner of halving and dividing is odious and abominable in the sight of Almighty God for every divided heart is faulty as the Prophet saith Hos 10. 2. Their heart is divided therefore they shall be found faulty Wherefore Universality of the subject the whole man which in a comprehensive acceptation takes in all the members of the Body and faculties of the Soul Universality of the object the whole Law and Universality of time and place are essentially requisite to the compleating of the obedience of every sincere hearted Christian This Character searcheth very near the heart and he who hath it without all question is a sincere hearted man By this Character let us in an especial manner try our selves even by the universality of our hatred of all manner of sins and by the universality of our obedience unto all God's commands and by the universality of our endeavours to grow in every grace Universality is both a divisive and constitutive difference for it distinguisheth a half nominal and formal outside Christian from a sincere Christian and it constitutes a Child of God CHAP. X. Where the Heart is upright with God it is without guile and hypocrisie THe tenth Character of sincerity is Charact. 10. A spirit without guile Sect. 1. a spirit without guile and hypocrisie Nathanael had this testimony from Christ John 1. 47. Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile And to have a spirit without guile is that grand distinguishing Character which the Psalmist appropriates to a blessed man Psal 32. 1 2. Elessea is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered Blessed is the mâ—n unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity 〈◊〉 in whose spirit there is no guile Who are they who are thus blessed Such whose sins are forgiven and not imputed to them And who are they whose sins are forgiven and not imputed to them Such in whose spirit there is no guile Only those who are pure in heart shall see God Purity of heart is one of those transcendent Beatitudes mention'd in our Saviours Sermon upon the Mount Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God They are said to be pure in opposition to profaneness and pure in heart in opposition to hypocrisie They only shall be partakers of the blessed Vision whose hearts are pure i. e. sincere with God True Believers whose hearts are upright and their lives holy they shall see some manifestations of God by his Word and by his Providences and they shall see the footsteps and out-goings of God in the Sanctuary But what they see here is but little in comparison of what they shall see and enjoy in glory For saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 12. we see through a glass darkly but then face to face Now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known Sect. 2 Every upright person is compounded of three signisicat words which comprehend the whole duty of integrity And they are simplicity singleness and sincerity The first word is simplicity and this 1. Simplicity is opposite to a double heart and to such a heart as is usually call'd a heart and a heart This simplicity of the heart was a ground of the Apostles rejoycing and of all true Believers For saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity c. And it 's the high commendation ascrib'd to the Children of Zebulun 1 Chron. 12. 33. that they were not of a double heart St. James stamps a brand of infamy upon a double minded man in that he is unstable in all his waies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 1. 8. He is unsixt unplaced and so unsettled as you know not what to judg of him nor as we use to say where to find him A man may as soon hold the wind in his hand as hold fast an unstable man A second word is singleness Now 2. Singleness singleness and uprightness differ only in the sound of the name pronounced they agree in the same sense altogether as being of a synonimous signification Of this singleness of heart we have a clear evidence of the Primitive Converts Acts 2. 46. They continued daily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house and eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God It 's the observation of judicious Mr. Calvin upon the place Quia in laudando Deo non potest esse cordis simplicitas nisi constet in omnibus vitae partibus ideo certum est ejus fieri mentionem hoc sensu quod fideles eain ubique colueriat Calv. in Loc. That simplicity of heart and praising of God are joyn'd together And the reason he gives is this Because in praising of God there cannot be simplicity of heart unless it consist in all the parts of our lives c. This single and undivided heart is highly esteem'd of in the sight of God Wherefore we are commanded to turn unto the Lord with all our hearts Joel 2. 12. And the Psalmist professeth Psal 119. 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thy commandments An entire single one heart are all one in sense and such a one only obtains acceptance in the sight of God the searcher of all hearts A third word is godly sincerity so I 3. Sincerity 2 Cor. 1. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 site cerâ call it because it 's so call'd by the Apostle godly sincerity or the sincerity of God Hereby is necessarily to be infer'd that we must not only be sincere in all that we do towards men but in all that we do towards God Simplicity and godly sincerity are joyn'd together by the Apostle and they cannot be parted asunder The Apostle likewise prays for the Philippians Phil. 1. 10. That ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. In this place here are two significant words to be explained one is sincere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original and according to the received Etymology derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sol and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judico And this is as most say an allusion to the practise of Eagles who turn the faces of their young ones to look upwards towards the Sun and if they cannot behold the Sun they throw them down as spurious and not of the breed of Eagles Thus far this allusion may be improved That all our thoughts words and actions should be so genuine and so rightly ordered as they
strength in our weakness and raise up our spirits and make us couragious that we shall not be afraid of Death the King of terrors which though it be terrible in it self and as the Philosopher saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most terrible of all terrible things yet through the mediation of Jesus Christ Death is a conquer'd Enemy Christ hath conquer'd Death and took away its sting That which makes Death so terrible is the sting of sin but when the sting is took away Death can no more hurt us than a Snake that hath lost its sting or an Adder that hath its teeth knockt out The Apostle cries out 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory The sting of Death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ What is Death to a Child of God reconciled to him by the 〈…〉 hrist It 's no more as a dâ—ing Saint exprest then a Child of God can embrace with both his arms And he closing his arms together died immediately To a Child of God Death is the greatest preferment by Death he is translated from a vale of tears and misery to everlasting happiness It 's like 〈◊〉 Gaol-delivery which delivers the Soul from the Bodies imprisonment and sets it at liberty to enjoy the happiness amongst Saints in glory VVhat 's then the grand duty incumbent on us all It is thus If we would desire to die happily we must live holily if we would die the death of thâ—â—ghteous we must labour to live the life of the righteous we should so live every day as we desire to be sound at the last day And if we desire comfort in our death we must make daily preparation by approving our hearts to God in a holy and circumspect life and conversation It is a very great mercy and condescension in God to accept Evangelical instead of Legal perfection and to accept of a willing mind instead of real performances For we read Heb. 11. 17. that by faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac And likewise the Apostle saith If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not When then we come to die to consider that our hearts are sincere with God and that our peace is made with him by the redemption and intercession of Christ and that all our sins are washt away and we are made white in the Bloud of the Lamb these Meditations will comfort us in Life and in Death Sect. 3 Let 's add hereunto for incouragement and comfort to the living the dying Speeches of many eminent Saints who upon their Death-beds breath'd forth snch savoury Speeches which ought to be had in everlasting remembrance I shall gather sparingly from so great a heap and only select some choice Instances which deserve a special remark to be set upon them Old Simeon's Song was sweet before his Funeral saying Luke 2. 29 30. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Stephen the Protomartyr breath'd forth this dying Prayer Acts 7. 59. Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Ignatius who liv'd in the sirst Century 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Ignat. epist ad Rom. who was as the Ecclesiastical Writers say twelve years of age when Christ was crucified and afterward St. John's Auditor used frequently to say My Love is crucified And when he was brought to Martyrdom and the wild Beasts were let loose to tear him in pieces he couragiously said I am the Wheat or Grain to be ground with the teeth of Beasts that I may be pure Bread for my Masters tooth Let fire rack pullies yea and all the torments of Hell come on me so I may win Christ Polycarpus when the Proconsul urged him to deny Christ answered I have served Christ Eighty six years and he hath not done me hurt and shall I now deny him When they would have tied him to the Stake to be burned he desired to stand untied saying Let me alone I pray you for he that gave me strength to come to this fire will also give me patience to abide in the same without your tying Cyprian that eminent Martyr for the truth after his condemnation said Blessed be God for this Gaol-delivery Ambrose on his Death bed said to his Friends about him I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live any longer nor fear I death because I have a good Lord. Some young men seeing the excellent death of St. Ambrose and hearing what rare speeches he uttered one of those young men turned to his fellow and said Oh! that I might live with you and die with him John Lambert a Martyr in Queen Mary's daies said amidst the flame None but Christ none but Christ Mr. Bradford at the Stake in Smithfield embraced the Reeds and Fagots which were suddenly to be set on fire to burn him and said Strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way that leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it And he encouraged his fellow-Martyr saying Be of good comfort Brother for we shall have a merry Supper with the Lord this night If there be any way to Heaven on horse-back or in fiery Chariots this is it Martin Luther that great scourge of the Pope and Champion sor the Protestant Religion on his Death-bed said Thee O Christ have I taught thee have I trusted thee have I loved into thy hands I commend my spirit Bucer an eminent Reformer said neâ—â— his death No man by talk shall with draw my mind from Christ crucified from Heaven and my speedy Depaâ—ture on which my Soul is fixed Wheâ— one advised him to arm himself againâ— Saâ—ans temptations he answered Satan hath nothing to do with me Goâ— forbid but that now my Soul shoulâ— be sure of sweet consolation John Ardley a Martyr in Queen Mary'â— daiâ—s said If every hair of my heaâ— were a man it should suffer death iâ— the faith I now stand in To the samâ— purpose William Sparrow spake and Agâ—nes Stanley Alice Driver when the Chain was about her Neck Here is saith she â— goodly Neckerchief blessed be Goâ— for it John Noyes a Martyr kissing the Stake sain Blessed be God that ever I waâ— born for this day And he added farther to his fellow Martyrs a word of singular consolation saying We shal not lose our lives in this fire buâ— change them for a better and foâ— Coals have Pâ—arls c. What need I produce any more Instances with what joy have many sincere hearted Christians lookt death in the face so that they had rather die than live Melancthon rejoyced when he was to die saying That he should be with Christ and enjoy fellowship with him and the Church triumphant and then be freed from all those hot disputes and contentions